GETTY Ontario laid out a 3 stage plan for how it will reopen its economy during the coronavirus pandemic. Premier Doug Ford didnt give a timeline during a news conference. The framework is about how were opening, not when, said Ford. The first stage will be to allow businesses and select workplaces to reopen if they can modify operations to meet public health guidance. Some outdoor spaces, like parks will be allowed to have more people and some events. Hospitals can offer non-urgent surgeries and other services. The second stage could allow some service industries and additional office and retail workplaces. Some larger public gatherings would be allowed, and more outdoor spaces would open. All workplaces would reopen during the third stage, and gatherings where people follow guidelines will be permitted. No one wants the economy to open up more than I do, but we cant take anything for granted, we cant take unnecessary risks, said Ford. Each stage will be monitored for two to four weeks before moving on to the next. The province laid out a set of factors it is monitoring before reopening the economy. A consistent two-to-four week decrease in the number of new daily COVID-19 cases; Sufficient acute and critical care capacity, including access to ventilators and ongoing availability of personal protective equipment; Approximately 90 per cent of new COVID-19 contacts are being reached by local public health officials within one day, with guidance and direction to contain community spread; and Ongoing testing of suspected COVID-19 cases, especially of vulnerable populations, to detect new outbreaks quickly. When will the coast be clearer? Ken Perry, an emergency physician at TeamHealth, says testing will go a long way in reopening economies. It is difficult to determine a safe time to reopen when there is not a way to ensure accurate knowledge of who is suffering from COVID-19. In the end, I believe that we have to remind everyone that the flattening of the curve does not equate to eradicating the disease, Perry told Yahoo Finance Canada. Story continues Perry says reopening at a slow pace will allow officials to evaluate their plans and be ready if theres an increase in cases. The biggest issue is to allow for the research towards treatments and vaccines to have time to succeed. Ontario joined Quebec in laying out a framework for reopening. Saskatchewan and New Brunswick were the first to announce relaxed rules. Pedro Antunes, chief economist at the Conference Board of Canada, says clarity from the provinces is key. Despite the uncertainty, it is important for governments to provide a plan with respect to when and how business restrictions will be phased out, Antunes told Yahoo Finance Canada. In addition, governments should be forthcoming with the requirements for openingwill there be additional health and security measures required for specific types of business. This will help businesses large and small be ready for reopening as soon as conditions allow. During his daily news conference with updates on COVID-19, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he would not interfere with the provinces plans. I have full confidence in the premiers of the provinces and territories to move forward in a way is right for them, said Trudeau. Jessy Bains is a senior reporter at Yahoo Finance Canada. Follow him on Twitter @jessysbains. Download the Yahoo Finance app, available for Apple and Android. Spanish Health Minister Salvador Illa clarified on Sunday that seniors will also be allowed to go outside for walks starting on May 2 if coronavirus contagion figures continue to fall. The news comes after Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced on Saturday that the confinement measures will be relaxed next weekend to allow for family strolls and individual physical exercise if the evolution of the pandemic keeps moving in a positive manner. Speaking at a government press conference on Sunday afternoon, Illa said: If the trend continues, and we think it will, on May 2 we will have a new order to allow walks and outdoor activities. Seniors will doubtless be able to enjoy going for a walk. The number of daily coronavirus deaths registered in Spain was 288 on Sunday, according to the latest figures provided by the Health Ministry. This is a significant drop from Saturday, when the number of overnight fatalities was 378, and the lowest figure since March 18. Today we have recorded the lowest number of fatalities in a very long time, Illa said. 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 due to lower levels of personnel. A step back would be very serious for the health system and the morale of the population Fernando Simon, the director of the Health Ministrys Coordination Center for Health Alerts There were 1,729 new infections, although this figure only counts cases confirmed through PCR tests, which identify people with an active infection at the time of testing. The total number of infections confirmed via PCR tests is 207,634. The number is higher if cases identified through serological tests, which measure antibodies in the blood, are taken into account. Up until two weeks ago, new cases were only being measured with PCR tests. The total death toll since the beginning of the pandemic is 23,190. Health authorities also reported that a total of 98,732 patients have recovered and been discharged from hospital, a daily rise of 3,024. A total of 37,584 health workers have contracted the coronavirus since the beginning of the crisis. After reaching a peak of 950 fatalities on April 2, the number of daily coronavirus-related deaths began a slow descent. The figures last week remained stable with 367 on Friday, 440 on Thursday, 435 on Wednesday and 430 on Tuesday. Speaking at the governments daily press conference on Sunday, Fernando Simon, the director of the Health Ministrys Coordination Center for Health Alerts, said the magnitude of todays drop is important. Simon said that from tomorrow the goal will be to think about how we are going to safely move to the phase of easing the confinement measures, in reference to the shelter-in-place orders that have been in place since March 14, when a state of alarm was declared. On the governments proposal to allow Spaniards out for walks and for exercise, Simon said: Once we see that the population is in an appropriate situation. There is low transmission and health services are not currently overwhelmed, activities that dont suppose any risk can be carried out. The epidemiological situation is favorable, he added. But Simon warned on Sunday that the relaxation of confinement measures will need to be carried out with great care. A step back would be very serious for the health system and the morale of the population, he said. Children allowed outside Two children cross a road in Madrid on Sunday. Mariscal (EFE) Children in Spain under the age of 14 were allowed out on Sunday for the first time since March 14, when the government declared a state of alarm in a bid to slow the spread of the coronavirus. For the past six weeks, minors have been confined in their homes, unless a parent had no choice but to take them with them to buy essential items. Under the government order, published on Saturday in the Official State Gazette (BOE), children under the age of 14 can go for a daily walk within a one-kilometer distance from their homes and in the company of an adult. In the eastern region of Valencia, the city hall opened parks on Sunday to allow children to visit on their daily outing. Recommendations for lockdown transition Health official Fernando Simon (l) hands PM Pedro Sanchez the report with recommendations on the transition strategy. Borja Puig de la Bellacasa (EFE) On Sunday, Health Minister Salvador Illa and health official Fernando Simon handed Pedro Sanchez a list of recommendations on the process to ease the coronavirus lockdown. The document, titled Health Recommendations for the Transition Strategy from the Health Ministrys Coordination Center for Health Alerts, outlines the conditions required for restrictions to be relaxed. Simon explained on Sunday that one of the key conditions is "guaranteeing that the [healthcare] system is able to respond to a new outbreak. To ensure this is possible, regions must be able to immediately double the number of intensive care beds in hospitals. The document recommends that hospitals and medical centers maintain two entrances one for patients with coronavirus symptoms, and another for patients with other illnesses. It also suggests that everyone entering a hospital should be tested for Covid-19. Other recommendations include ensuring health workers have enough supply of personal protective equipment (PPE), that there are mechanisms to monitor the outbreak, and that authorities have the capacity to diagnose suspected cases. Questions over death toll Between March 1 and April 10, Spain saw a rise in mortality of around 24,000 deaths. Of this figure, 15,800 are confirmed coronavirus cases, but that leaves 8,200 fatalities, according to the civil registry. The Health Ministry has asked regional authorities to report confirmed Covid-19 deaths, which means that only people who were tested and whose tests came back positive for the disease are counted in the official figures. This leaves out people who died without being tested, and patients who died outside of the hospital. In Madrid, for example, the death toll for the second half of March could exceed official records by 3,000. English version by Melissa Kitson. Over 90 pct of IT firms seek to hire more engineers People work at the office of a tech firm in Hanoi. Photo by Reuters/Kham. Around 91 percent of IT firms in Vietnam want to hire more engineers and expand operations next year, a survey has found. Half of them said that they need to expand their payroll by 11-20 percent while a quarter was eyeing a 21-30 percent expansion, the survey by HCMC-based recruitment firm Navigos, which polled 354 IT workers and 45 employers, said. Only 9 percent of surveyed firms did not have any recruitment plans. Lack of human resources remained the biggest challenge for Vietnamese technology firms. Sixty percent of engineers said they were committed to their current companies for one to three years, while 15 percent said they would continue for four years or more. Dissatisfaction with bonuses and other benefits was the top reason for moving (45 percent), followed by lack of career advancement (40 percent), better job offers (38 percent) and lack of work-life balance (33 percent). Other reasons were poor relationship with senior manager (22 percent), discontentment with business culture (11 percent) and personal projects (9 percent). In terms of salary, employers said experienced engineers were paid more than in other industries, $701-1000 a month compared to $251-700. The skills needed in IT in the next five years included customer-focus product development, digital transformation thinking and complex problem solving. Gaku Echizenya, General Director of Navigos Group Vietnam, said: "The demand for high technology has been acknowledged by many sectors and businesses in Vietnam as IT can help a lot in developing applications to help ease jobs in dangerous situations such as the Covid-19 pandemic." Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Manh Hung said at a forum recently that the country needs another 50,000 information-communications technology firms to push its digital transformation. The country wants to have five billion-dollar tech firms by 2025 and 10 by 2030. This Sunday, May 3, is Vocations or Good Shepherd Sunday, the dedicated annual day for Catholics around the world to offer special prayers to encourage vocations from families and parishes to the priesthood and to religious life. On Sunday, RTE One television will broadcast Mass for vocations at 11am and it will be celebrated by Waterford and Lismore Bishop Alphonsus Cullinan and concelebrated by Father Willie Purcell. Ahead of the world day of prayer for vocations, the chair of the Bishops Council for Vocations, Bishop Cullinan, said, We join with Pope Francis in asking the Church to continue to promote vocations. The Holy Father asks us to find courage to say yes to God, to overcome all weariness through faith in Christ. My prayer is that all who are being called to diocesan priesthood will have that courage to say yes to God`s call! Father Purcell, National Diocesan Vocations Coordinator, said, During these days of social distancing and isolation we have the opportunity to connect with the unfolding plan of God in our lives. For those who are discerning a vocation to diocesan priesthood and religious life it is a valuable time through prayer and reflection to listen more deeply to where God is calling you, and in generosity to say yes to that call. Yemen: sides must implement Riyadh agreement - EU Statement by separatists undermined peace process (ANSAmed) - BRUSSELS, APRIL 27 - The statement issued by southern Yemen's separatists on self-government ''undermines Riyadh's agreement, complicating the UN-led process for stabilization talks'' and a return to peace, which ''the country needs'', a spokesperson for the European Commission said on Monday. For this reason ''we are asking'' separatists ''as well as the government of Yemen to implement what is provided by Riyadh's agreement'', the spokesperson said in response to a question.(ANSAmed). [April 27, 2020] Bailard Recognized in Two Industry Awards as a Best Place to Work Today, Bailard, an independent, values-driven wealth and investment management firm in the San Francisco Bay Area, is pleased to announce two recent award wins. Bailard was honored as a best place to work in industry rankings including InvestmentNews Best Places to Work for Financial Advisors, and the joint Best Places to Work ranking by San Francisco Business Times and Silicon Valley Business Journal. These recognitions demonstrate Bailard's industry-leading workplace culture both in their region and in the financial industry. These awards were granted through a competitive selection process including qualitative and quantitative analysis of Bailard's workplace practices and firm-wide employee surveys. In InvestmentNews' Best Places to Work for Financial Advisors, Bailard was ranked fourth among firms with fifty or more employees. Firms were selected through an Employer Benefits & Policies Questionnaire, counting for 25% of the firm's score, with the bulk of the score attributable to a company-wide employee survey. Both components evaluated company culture, benefits, career paths, and more. "2020 has been a time when Bailard, along with the rest of the world, has faced changes in how we work and communicate with our clients, but the value we deliver has not changed," said Peter Hill, CEO of Bailard. "Throughout these changes, these recognitions are an important reminder that what makes Bailard special remains steadfast. We are a firm that leads with our values and compassion, which is more important now than ever." Earlier this month, the full ranking for the San Francisco Business Times and Silicon Valley Business Journal Best Places to Work list for 2020 was announced, with Bailard being ranked twelfth in the publications. "To be recognized across industry organizations including InvestmentNews and our local business journals is an incredible honor for Bailard," said Sonya Mughal, COO of Bailard. "This honor is amplified considering these recognitions are in large part the product of our employee surveys. Our team is a source of pride every day at Bailard, and we are humbled by their support." These industry recognitions for 2020 come following several award wins for Bailard in 2019, from institutions including CNBC and Pensions & Investments (please visit the 12/9/2019 press release for more information). About Bailard Inc. With over 50 years of experience, Bailard is an independent wealth and investment management firm that combines proven, proprietary methodologies with innovative new strategies to drive success for clients. For individuals and institutions alike, Bailard proudly serves as a trusted partner focused on achieving long-term results aligned with client values and goals. An independent firm since our founding in 1969, we stand committed to our values and, most importantly, our clients. With $3.4 billion AUM as of March 31, 2020, Bailard's high-touch client service and proven track record are grounded in the firm's core values of accountability, compassion, courage, excellence, fairness, and independence. To learn more about Bailard, please visit: https://www.bailard.com/.* About InvestmentNews InvestmentNews is the leading source for news, analysis and information essential to the financial advisory community. Since 1998, their standard of editorial excellence and deep industry knowledge has allowed InvestmentNews to educate, inform and engage the most influential financial advisers. Through their weekly newspaper, website, newsletters, research, events, videos and webcasts, InvestmentNews provides exclusive and up-to-the-minute news, as well as actionable intelligence, that empowers financial advisers to serve their clients and run their businesses more effectively whenever, however and wherever they need it. Headquartered in New York, with offices in Chicago and Washington D.C., InvestmentNews is part of London-based Bonhill Group plc. Learn more at www.InvestmentNews.com. About 2020 InvestmentNews Best Places to Work for Financial Advisers This award does not evaluate the quality of services provided to clients and is not indicative of Bailard's future performance. There was no cost for Bailard to enter. InvestmentNews partnered with the Best Companies Group, an independent research firm specializing in identifying great places to work, to conduct a two-part survey process of employers and their employees. The first part consisted of evaluating each nominated company's workplace policies, practices, philosophy, systems, and demographics. This part of the process was worth approximately 25% of the total evaluation. The second part consisted of an employee survey to measure the employee experience. This part of the process was worth approximately 75% of the total evaluation. The combined scores determined the top companies. To have been eligible for consideration, companies must meet the following criteria: have a minimum of 15 full and/or part-time employees working in the United States; must be in business a minimum of one year; and be a registered investment adviser (RIA), affiliated with (but not an employee of) an independent broker dealer (IBD), or a hybrid/dually-registered firm affiliated with an IBD and doing business through an RIA. This year, a total of 75 firms were placed on the 2020 InvestmentNews Best Places to Work for Financial Advisers list. 25 advisers were recognized in Bailard's category of Large Employer (50 or more U.S. employees) and Bailard was ranked fourth. About The Business Journals The San Francisco Business Times and the Silicon Valley Business Journal are both publications of The Business Journal. The Business Journal's 43 business publications represent the largest publisher of metropolitan business newsweeklies in the United States, reaching 3.6 million readers each week from Washington, D.C., to San Francisco, and from Austin, Texas, to Albany, N.Y. Bizjournals features local people and decision makers who are leaders in their business communities. They report on local and national issues that impact subscribers' businesses and assist them in growing their companies. About Best Places to Work in the Bay Area 2020 This award does not evaluate the quality of services provided to clients and is not indicative of Bailard's future performance. There was no cost for Bailard to enter. The San Francisco Business Times and Silicon Valley Business Journal partnered with Quantum (News - Alert) Workplaces, an independent survey program administrator. All Best Places to Work winners are determined exclusively on the basis of their employees' responses to the Best Places to Work Survey. Employee responses from the 30 standard survey questions, along with the number of employees that respond to the survey, are calculated to determine the company's overall score and ranking. Employees with 5% or greater company stock ownership were prohibited from participating in the survey. Employees completed one survey for the Best Places to Work in the Bay Area 2020 program and, as a result of Bailard's two Bay Area offices (Foster City and San Francisco), garnered rankings in both the San Francisco Business Times and Silicon Valley Business Journal lists. This year, 125 firms appeared in the San Francisco Business Times and the Silicon Valley Business Journal list. 25 firms were recognized in Bailard's category of Small Employer (50-99 employees) and Bailard was twelfth. * All investments involve a risk of loss. There is no guarantee Bailard or any strategy will achieve its objectives. Bailard will not offer advice in any jurisdiction where it is prohibited from doing so. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200427005763/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] While people of The Bahamas continue to recover from category 5 Hurricane Dorian, another disaster threatens the well-being of the Bahamian community: the coronavirus pandemic. As of mid-April, The Bahamas had more than 60 reported cases of the virus across the islands. From the earliest diagnoses, Bahamas Prime Minister Hubert Minnis declared a state of emergency and set strict rules in place regarding social distancing, grocery shopping hours, a curfew and more. The capital of The Bahamas is Nassau, New Providence island. Though it is not the smallest island, it is by far the most populous with as many as 275,000 people. On an island that runs just 21 by 7 miles, many feared how quickly an infectious disease could begin to spread. The Red Cross Adapts The American Red Cross and the global Red Cross and Red Crescent network joined The Bahamas Red Cross following the September 2019 hurricane to deliver aid and had already distributed over $14 million in cash to help families affected by the storm. The Red Cross had transitioned to long-term assistance when the global coronavirus pandemic broke out. In the wake of the pandemic, the Bahamas Red Cross worked to make adjustments to continue serving the community. Their meal home delivery program provides free, hot meals delivered to the homes of elderly and disabled people 6 days a week. Workers are now outfitted with gowns, masks and gloves while practicing safe, contactless deliveries. As the pandemic puts more people into vulnerable situations and increases food insecurity for many, The Bahamas Red Cross is expanding to deliver to even more people in need. Volunteer caseworkers shifted appointments to video chats and phone calls. Additional handwashing stations were installed around Red Cross buildings, and increased cleaning measures are being taken to disinfect and sanitize every surface. Red Cross workers across the islands continue to adjust and adapt to ensure the progress made on the islands in the seven months since Hurricane Dorian is not lost. Mental health support is always available with volunteer caseworkers manning a 24-hour-hotline to help residents dealing with the stress of the pandemic, often compounded by continued stress from the aftermath of the hurricane. The Power of Partners By partnering with other organizations on the ground, the Red Cross can meet more needs created by Dorian and the COVID-19 pandemic. The home meal delivery program operates through a partnership with World Central Kitchen, and the American Red Cross is helping to expand it to reach more people who are now facing food insecurity due to the COVID-19 outbreak. On Grand Bahama island, where the water is still not safe to drink, Red Cross-funded partner, Mercy Corps, is continuing to provide clean, safe drinking water through distribution sites that are being cleaned regularly so residents can rely on the safety of their water when so many other things are uncertain. The Red Cross and Mercy Corps are still providing grants to local businesses in Grand Bahama to help reinvigorate them after their being disrupted by Hurricane Dorian. With more local businesses plunged further into uncertainty by the outbreak, more business grants are being given along with business training and mentorship. In Sweetings Cay, another small island broken and battered by Dorian, the Red Cross is funding CORE (Community Organized Relief Effort) to provide small grants to business owners. One local business owner, Leonard Feaster, received his grant of $5,000 in March, finally giving him the beginnings of what it will take to get his business, The New Travelers Post, open again. I feel grateful, he said as he held the money. He said one of the first things hell do is renew his business license. The Red Cross continues to respond to the long-lasting effects of what Hurricane Dorian left behind while adapting to a new normal caused by the virus. The American Red Cross in The Bahamas The American Red Cross has been helping in The Bahamas since Hurricane Dorian hit last September, providing emergency shelter items, food, clean water and millions of dollars in cash and rental assistance to families. It is because of the generosity of the American people that the Red Cross is able to provide continued support to families. In the midst of the COVID-19 outbreak, the Red Cross continues to keep safety the main priority and is adapting our programs and efforts to follow all health guidelines while still delivering our mission. Oswego, N.Y. A third person has died from coronavirus in Oswego County, according to the county. We extend our deepest condolences to the loved ones...we are very sad for their loss, said Oswego County Legislature Chairman Jim Weatherup during a briefing Monday. Citing confidentiality, the county released no other information about the latest victim. The county had previously reported two deaths from coronavirus. Those deaths, reported April 7, were a couple. As of this morning, Oswego County had 61 positive tests for COVID-19 returned for county residents. Forty-seven of those were listed as resolved, with 11 active and three deaths. READ MORE: Oswego County COVID-19 dashboard MORE ON CORONAVIRUS Coronavirus in NY: Cases, maps, charts and resources Gov. Cuomo on reopening schools, summer school, remote learning and district budgets As coronavirus deaths in NY fall below 400, Cuomo gives some details about phased reopening The week we went from defense to offense; CNYs coronavirus fight turns a corner Complete coronavirus coverage on syracuse.com Nolan Weidner is a reporter for the Syracuse Post-Standard and Syracuse.com. Got a comment or idea for a story? He can be reached by call or text at 315.247.7419 or via email at nweidner@syracuse.com. James Jim T. Igou, was a lifelong resident of Chattanooga and Signal Mountain. A member of a Hamilton County pioneer family passed away on Sunday, April 26, 2020. He had been a resident of Alexian Village since 2005. Mr. Igou retired from the U. S. Postal Service as director of Employee and Labor Relations with 40 years of service. He also retired from Senior Neighbors of Chattanooga, serving as director of the Senior Aides Program, National Council of Senior Citizens with 11 years of service. He was a member of the Chattanooga Federal Employees Credit Union where he served as President of the Board of Directors for many years. He was a volunteer with Memorial Hospital for many years. Mr. Igou attended Chattanooga schools graduating from City High School in 1943 and the University of Chattanooga in 1951. He attended the American University in Biarritz France while in the military. He was a member of the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity and is a member of Sons of Confederate Veterans. He served 2 years with the U. S. Army in Europe during World War II. He was with the 69th Infantry Division, the first division to cross Germany and meet with the Russian Army. He was a member of the First Baptist Church for many years and a former chairman of the Deacon Council, and the Seekers Sunday School Class. He is presently a member of the Signal Mountain Presbyterian Church and the Becking Sunday School Class. He was preceded in death by his parents, Paul and Flora Igou; wives, Louise Geer Igou, and Vivian Young Igou. Jim is survived by his son, Stephen T. Igou (Kathy); daughters, Cille M. Eaton, and Bonnie E. McGee (Grant); five grandchildren, Casey Vinson (Bill) of Memphis, Elizabeth Igou (Roland Millsaps) of Chattanooga, Celia Oberhelman, (Rob) of Savannah, Ga., Paul Eaton of Dothan, Al., and Taylor Anne Eaton of Birmingham, Al.; great-granddaughter, Freya Oberhelman. There will be no visitation at this time. Burial for Jim will be private at the Chattanooga National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the Signal Mountain Presbyterian Church, 612 James Blvd., Signal Mountain, Tn. 37377. Arrangements are by the North Chapel of Chattanooga Funeral Home, Crematory and Florist, 5401 Highway 153, Hixson, Tn. 37343. Please share your thoughts and memories at www.chattanooganorthchapel.com. "Breeze Fire" a media artwork reenacting floating lanterns over a river, is showcased at the Asia Culture Center in Gwangju in October 2019. It is among the displayed works at this year's exhibition titled, "Light of ASEAN, One Community and Harmony," at the ASEAN Culture House (ACH) in Busan. / Korea Times photo by Yi Whan-woo By Yi Whan-woo A commemorative exhibition to mark the 30th anniversary of ASEAN-Korea relations last year will run until May 20. A poster for the ASEAN Culture House's (ACH) exhibition titled, "Light of ASEAN, One Community and Harmony" / Courtesy of ACH The ASEAN Culture House (ACH), tasked with promoting the cultures of the 10-member ASEAN, said last week it arranged the exhibition titled, "Light of ASEAN, One Community and Harmony," to start from April 1 at its headquarters in Busan. The ACH said the exhibition is not open to the public yet because of the COVID-19 pandemic. "We're following the situation closely and will make decisions accordingly," the ACH said. This is the first joint project between the ACH, under the government-affiliated public diplomacy organization Korea Foundation, and the Asia Culture Institute (ACI), a Gwangju-based quasi-governmental organization promoting Asian cultures in general. Among the featured works are "Breeze Fire" and "Mysterious Fire," both produced by the media artist group SILO Lab. The former reenacts floating lanterns over a river, with the lanterns symbolizing ASEAN countries. The latter has about 270 light bulbs that draw patterns symbolizing ASEAN as the lights turn on and off gradually. "We invite you to experience a longing for the harmony and peace of Korea and ASEAN," the ACH said. The ACH was set up in 2017 to mark the 50th anniversary of ASEAN's establishment. It has two underground floors and four stories above ground, featuring exhibition halls, a virtual reality and seminar rooms, and a concert hall. In November 2019, it hosted a commemorative bazaar for the inaugural Mekong-Republic of Korea (ROK) Summit, which took place on the sidelines of the ASEAN-ROK Commemorative Summit in Busan. The bazzar showcased handicrafts and fashion items from companies in five Mekong countries Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam. DALLAS A 36-year-old Texas man has been sentenced to 18 months in federal prison for threatening to assassinate President Donald Trump, prosecutors said. Mickael Gedlu was sentenced Friday, according to a statement from U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Coxs office in Dallas. He pleaded guilty in December to making threats against Trump. According to plea documents, Gedlu admitted he threatened Trumps life on social media, stating on YouTube: I am waiting for Trump to visit Dallas before I attempt to assassinate him. During court proceedings, prosecutors said that on May 31, 2018, Gedlu was observed across the street from Dallas Adolphus Hotel just 30 minutes before Trump arrived there for a fundraiser. Dallas police officers noticed Gedlu holding a Kill Trump sign and detained him as he screamed kill the president. Prosecutors said the U.S. Secret Service conducted the investigation with the assistance of Dallas police. Author Julia Alvarez, whose book In the Time of the Butterflies was featured during the 2019 NEA Big Read Lakeshore this past fall, will return to West Michigan virtually through a live presentation and Q&A on Zoom on Wednesday, May 6, at 11 a.m. Alvarez delivered the Big Reads keynote address on Tuesday, Nov. 12, in the evening at Hope, but many area middle school and high school students who would have attended a morning presentation via class trips missed the earlier program because inclement had prompted a snow day for area schools. The Zoom event will enable not only students but all interested community members to spend time with the author, who will present Hope Springs Eternal: A Time for Butterflies. During this time of COVID-19, we have all the more reason to hope. This is indeed a time for butterflies, said Dr. Deborah Van Duinen, who is founding director of the NEA Big Read Lakeshore as well as an associate professor of English education at Hope. Were thrilled to host this event and open it up to area schools and to any interested community members who werent able to attend our author events in November, she said. Ms. Alvarez is in the middle of launching her latest book, Afterlife, so were all the more grateful for her generosity of time. Those who are interested in participating on May 6 must register on the Big Read website at hope.edu/bigread to receive the Zoom link for the online event. The registration form will also provide an opportunity to submit questions for Alvarez in advance. Participants will need to download Zoom in advance of the event as well. The hour-long event will be hosted by Big Read teacher leaders Karen Rowe of Black River Public School and Audra Bolhuis of West Ottawa High School. In addition to In the Time of the Butterflies, the 2019 NEA Big Read featured a book by Alvarez for middle-grade readers, Before We Were Free. The Little Read that ran during the same time frame featured the childrens picture book The Rooster Who Would Not Be Quiet! written by Carmen Agra Deedy and illustrated by Eugene Yelchin. More than 10,000 people participated in this past falls Big Read and Little Read, which featured more than 50 events from Oct. 28 through Dec. 3. Coming together again around Alvarez's books will feel like a reunion of sorts, Van Duinen noted. In the Time of the Butterflies, published in 1994, tells the story of the four Mirabal sisters Patria, Minerva, Maria Teresa and Dede who were among the leading opponents of the regime of Dominican Republics long-time dictator, Generalissimo Rafael Trujillo. Because of their activism, Patria, Minerva and Maria Teresa were murdered on Nov. 25, 1960. Before We Were Free, like In the Time of the Butterflies, is set in the Dominican Republic during the Trujillo era. The book, published in 2002, follows 12-year-old Anita, whose family is terrorized by the secret police because they are suspected of opposing his rule. Alvarez is the author of several novels, collections of poems, nonfiction books and books for young readers. Born in New York City in 1950, she was three months old when she and her family moved to the Dominican Republic, her parents homeland. Her father became involved in the underground opposed to Trujillo, which the authorities discovered. Fearing for the familys safety, the Alvarezes fled back to the United States in 1960, just months before the Mirabal sisters were murdered. She graduated from Middlebury College in 1971, subsequently completing a masters degree in creative writing at Syracuse University and doing additional graduate work at the Bread Loaf School of English. After holding teaching positions at institutions including Phillips Andover Academy, the University of Vermont, the George Washington University and the University of Illinois, she returned to Middlebury College as a member of the faculty in 1988. She left her tenured position at Middlebury in 1998 to focus on her writing, but continues to serve there as a writer-in-residence. Alvarez has won numerous awards as an author, including the Hispanic Heritage Award in Literature, the F. Scott Fitzgerald Award for Outstanding Achievement in American Literature and the National Medal of Arts. The recognition that she has received includes several awards for this past falls Big Read selections. Among other honors, In the Time of the Butterflies was named a Notable Book in 1994 by the American Library Association, a Book of the Month Club choice for 1994 and a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award in fiction in 1995, and was chosen as one of the Best books for Young Adults, 1995, by the Young Adult Library Services Association and the American Library Association. Before We Were Free was selected one of the best books of the year by the Miami Herald in 2002; was named an ALA (American Library Association) Notable and ALA Best Book for Young Adults in 2002; and received the 2002 Americas Award for Childrens and Young Adult Literature from The Consortium of Latin American Studies Programs, and 2003 ALA Pura Belpre award, which honors an outstanding work of literature for children and youth which portrays, affirms and celebrates the Latino cultural experience. The Big Read and Little Read are Hope College programs that are presented in collaboration with 30 community partners including lakeshore libraries, non-profits, businesses and academic institutions. The Big Read began in 2014 and has continued every year since, with the Little Read added in 2017. The 2020 book titles will be announced in mid-June. BEIJING and TEL AVIV, Israel, April 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- ADAMA Ltd. (the "Company") (SZSE: 000553), today reported its financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2020. During the first quarter of 2020, the global agrochemical market, amongst many others, was impacted by the unprecedented coronavirus pandemic, COVID-19. The pandemic, which started early in the quarter and now continues to rage throughout the rest of the world, has had a number of adverse effects on ADAMA's performance in the first quarter, the most significant of which were: In China , while operations at the Company's Huai'An, Jiangsu site have continued without material interruption, operations at the Jingzhou site in Hubei province were temporarily suspended from late January until the end of February due to the coronavirus outbreak in the province. Although operations at the site recommenced at the beginning of March, restrictions on logistics remained, impacting the free transport of goods to and from the sites and to the ports; , while operations at the Company's Huai'An, site have continued without material interruption, operations at the Jingzhou site in province were temporarily suspended from late January until the end of February due to the coronavirus outbreak in the province. Although operations at the site recommenced at the beginning of March, restrictions on logistics remained, impacting the free transport of goods to and from the sites and to the ports; Renewed tightening in supply of raw materials and intermediates sourced from third parties in China and around the world; and around the world; Restrictions on international trading and sales through the Company's global channels, as well as increased costs of global shipping, airfreight and other logistics; Lower demand in the Company's US Consumer & Professional (non-crop) businesses, as retailers slowed their restocking of products due to the coronavirus outbreak; Significant impacts on global currency markets, which have seen the rapid depreciation of many currencies against the US dollar, most notably the Brazilian Real, Australian dollar, Turkish Lira and Indian Rupee, as well as increased volatility in the Euro. These movements have negatively impacted the Company's performance in the first quarter compared to the corresponding period last year. The ongoing spread of the pandemic is expected to continue to negatively impact the performance of the Company in the second quarter, and potentially beyond. The Company is actively managing its response to the outbreak in order to ensure the safety of its employees and limit the impact on the Company's performance. Actions being taken include extending and strengthening distribution channels, use of expedited transport options where possible, working collaboratively with supply chain partners, and raising prices wherever possible to accommodate the weaker currencies and increased logistics costs. Ignacio Dominguez, President and CEO of ADAMA, said, "Our resilient performance and continued business growth in the quarter was achieved in the face of the unprecedented coronavirus pandemic, which is significantly changing the way we live our lives, while also causing major disruption to global trade, including the currency markets, amongst many others. During this troubling and uncertain period, I am very proud of the response of our teams across the globe to ensure the health and safety of our employees, and mitigate the impact of the pandemic on our business." Table 1. Financial Performance Summary CER: Constant Exchange Rates All income statement items contained in this release are presented on an adjusted basis. A detailed description and analysis of differences between the adjusted income statement and that reported in the financial statements is contained in the "Analysis of Gaps between Adjusted Income Statement and Income Statement in Financial Statements" in the appendix to this release. EPS are the same for basic and diluted. Adjusted, US$ millions Q1 2020 Q1 2019 % Change CER Currency Impact % Change USD Revenues 973 1,006 +1.6% -50 -3.4% Gross profit 289 344 -4.8% -39 -16.0% Gross margin 29.7% 34.2% Operating income (EBIT) 82 127 -8.4% -34 -35.4% EBIT margin 8.4% 12.6% Net income 27 80 -62 -66.3% Net income margin 2.8% 8.0% EBITDA 142 187 -6.1% -34 -24.1% EBITDA margin 14.6% 18.6% Earnings per share USD 0.0110 0.0327 RMB 0.0766 0.2207 Financial Highlights Revenues in the first quarter were $973 million, up 2% at constant exchange rates, with continued business growth in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. Constant currency sales were constrained by an estimated $47 million due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, sales were heavily impacted by the depreciation of global currencies, resulting in sales in US dollar terms being 3% below those of the same period last year. The Company delivered solid business growth in Europe, driven by a strong performance in Eastern European countries, as well as throughout the India, Middle East & Africa region supported by favorable weather conditions in key areas. In Latin America, the Company has grown its sales in constant currency terms, strengthened by its recent acquisition in Peru, but sales in US dollar terms were impacted by the depreciation of regional currencies, most notably the Brazilian Real. Sales in North America were lower largely due to the impact of the coronavirus on demand for the Company's Consumer & Professional products. In Asia-Pacific (excluding China), a strong performance in Australia, which has begun to see a recovery from the extreme drought conditions of the past few years, largely compensated for a coronavirus-driven slowdown in East-Asian markets and the depreciation of local currencies. In China, despite seeing continued growth in the sales of the Company's branded, formulated products, overall sales in the country were impacted by lower sales of intermediates and unformulated products, mainly those produced at the Jingzhou site which was temporarily suspended during the quarter. Gross profit in the first quarter was $289 million (gross margin of 29.7%), compared to $344 million (gross margin of 34.2%) in the corresponding period last year. The lower gross margin was mainly a result of the material depreciation of global currencies, alongside some pricing pressure, mainly in Europe and China, and sustained high procurement costs, all of which were only partially offset by the business growth achieved in the quarter. Operating expenses. Total operating expenses in the first quarter were $207 million (21.2% of sales), compared to $218 million (21.6% of sales) in the corresponding period last year. The Company continues to exercise tight control of its operating expenses, assisted by the beneficial impact of the strengthening of the US dollar against global currencies, achieving significant savings even while including companies acquired during 2019. The first quarter this year also saw the recording of Jingzhou-related idleness costs resulting from the temporary suspension of operations there due to the coronavirus outbreak in an amount similar to those recorded also during Q1 2019 when the sites were similarly suspended, while the first quarter last year also benefited from income related to expropriation of land. Operating income in the quarter was $82 million (8.4% of sales), compared to $127 million (12.6% of sales) in the corresponding period last year. The widespread currency depreciation, due to the coronavirus outbreak among other factors, constrained operating income by $34 million in the quarter. EBITDA in the quarter was $142 million (14.6% of sales), compared to $187 million (18.6% of sales) recorded in the corresponding period last year. The lower EBITDA in the quarter was driven by the lower gross profit, which was partially offset by the reduction in operating expenses. The COVID-19 pandemic constrained Q1 EBITDA by an estimated $20 million, in addition to the $34 million in currency headwinds due, amongst other factors, to the coronavirus outbreak. Financial expenses and investment income. Total net financial expenses and investment income were $31 million in the first quarter, compared to $37 million in the corresponding period last year. The lower financial expenses in the quarter reflect financial income earned due to the effect of the appreciation of the US dollar against the RMB on the value of US dollar-denominated monetary assets in China, while the higher expenses in the prior year resulted from the opposite. This financial income in the quarter more than offset the slightly increased interest costs on higher net debt levels. Tax expenses. Net tax expenses were $24 million in the first quarter, compared to $9 million in the corresponding period last year. The higher expense was largely due to the impact of weakening of currencies against the US dollar, most notably that of the Brazilian Real, driving higher non-cash tax expenses due to differences between the functional (US dollar) and tax (local) currencies regarding the value of non-monetary assets. Net income in the first quarter was $27 million (2.8% of sales) compared to $80 million (8.0% of sales) recorded in the corresponding period last year, reflecting the lower operating income and higher tax expenses. The COVID-19 pandemic constrained Q1 Net Income by an estimated $17 million, in addition to the $62 million impact of global currency movements. Trade working capital at March 31, 2020 was $2,178 million, compared to $2,082 million at the same point last year. The slightly higher level reflects higher trade receivables and lower trade payables, which were partially offset by lower inventory levels. The higher trade receivables were driven largely by the Company's strong growth over the last year in Latin America, especially Brazil, where customer credit terms are generally longer. Although trade payables were somewhat lower in comparison to their levels a year ago, they were significantly improved over the course of the quarter, contributing to the improvement in operating cash flow. Cash Flow. Operating cash flow of $55 million was consumed in the first quarter, compared to $191 million consumed in the corresponding period last year. The improved operating cash flow in the quarter mainly reflects the improvement in working capital during the quarter compared to the parallel period last year. Net cash used in investing activities was $53 million in the first quarter, compared to $159 million in the corresponding period last year which included the acquisition of Bonide. Free cash flow of $116 million was consumed in the first quarter compared to $355 million consumed in the same period last year, reflecting the improvement in operating cash flow in the first quarter of this year, contrasted with the higher investment levels and acquisitions of the same period in 2019. Leverage: Balance sheet net debt at March 31, 2020 stood at $1,189 million, compared to $875 million as at March 31, 2019, largely reflecting the 2019 acquisitions and the assumption of their debt, as well as capital investments in portfolio expansion and the Company's other growth engines. Regional Sales Performance CER: Constant Exchange Rates Q1 2020 $m Q1 2019 $m Change CER Change USD Europe 357 360 +2.7% -1.0% North America 168 180 -6.0% -6.7% Latin America 159 159 +12.5% -0.3% Asia Pacific 158 186 -9.8% -14.9 Of which, China 68 94 -24.6% -27.1% India, Middle East & Africa 131 121 +12.5% +8.3% Total 973 1,006 +1.6% -3.4% Europe: Sales increased by 2.7% in the first quarter at constant exchange rates, compared with the corresponding period last year, driven by continued business growth, partially offset by lower prices resulting from high inventory levels in the industry's distribution channels. In Northern Europe, ADAMA saw pleasing business growth in the quarter, partially recovering from supply constraints seen in 2019 that affected key products. The Company delivered robust growth in most Eastern European countries supported by favorable weather conditions, with noteworthy performances recorded in Russia and Ukraine, where the Company is seeing continued market share gains, as well as Hungary and Romania, which benefited from an early start to the 2020 season. In addition, the Company grew in the key western European markets of France and Italy. In US dollar terms, sales in Europe were lower by 1.0% in the quarter, compared to the corresponding period last year, reflecting the net impact of weaker currencies, largely due to the coronavirus outbreak. North America: Sales in the quarter were lower by 6.0%, at constant exchange rates, compared to the corresponding period last year, largely due to the impact of the coronavirus which reduced demand for the Company's Consumer & Professional (non-crop) products. The Company recorded strong business growth in Canada with solid demand for crop protection products, as well as favorable weather conditions. In the US, ADAMA obtained two new rice herbicide registrations in the quarter, enhancing its portfolio of solutions for conventional rice and complementing ADAMA's Preface and Postscript herbicides for the FullPage Rice Cropping Solution, furthering the Company's offering to rice farmers. In US dollar terms, sales in North America were lower by 6.7% in the quarter, compared to the corresponding period last year, reflecting the coronavirus-related weakening of the Canadian Dollar. Latin America: Sales grew by 12.5% in the first quarter, at constant exchange rates, compared to the corresponding period last year. The robust performance was driven by strong business growth, bolstered by the Company's recent acquisition in Peru, alongside continued price increases. The Company saw continued constant-currency business growth in Brazil in the quarter, despite drought conditions which delayed the planting season in key crops including soybean and reduced application of fungicides. Noteworthy performances were also recorded in the quarter in Mexico, benefiting from good weather conditions particularly in the Pacific region, as well as Colombia and Ecuador, driven by a good harvest season in key crops. ADAMA continues to expand its differentiated product offering in the region with the launch during the quarter of EMINENT, a dual mode broad-spectrum insecticide, in Argentina. The Company also obtained the registration of UBERTOP, an insecticide used mainly for the control of a wide range of pests in tomato and cabbage, in Mexico. In US dollar terms, sales in Latin America were lower by 0.3% in the quarter, compared to the corresponding period last year, reflecting the significant depreciation of regional currencies, most notably the Brazilian Real, as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. Asia-Pacific: Sales were lower by 9.8% in the quarter, at constant exchange rates, compared to the corresponding period last year, due largely to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, which started early in the quarter. In Asia-Pacific (excluding China), a strong performance in Australia, which has begun to see a recovery from the extreme drought conditions of the past few years, largely compensated for a coronavirus-driven slowdown in East-Asian markets. In China, despite seeing continued growth in the sales of the Company's branded, formulated products, overall sales in the country were impacted by the coronavirus outbreak which resulted in logistics and supply challenges, and reduced sales of intermediates and unformulated products from the temporarily suspended Jingzhou site. During the quarter, the Company launched new products including QUALIPRO ENCLAVE, a quadruple-mode of action fungicide mixture for use in turf in Australia, and obtained multiple new product registrations in the region, including BALORIC and SOLITO, an early post-emergence rice herbicide, in Thailand and Indonesia. In US dollar terms, sales in Asia-Pacific were lower by 14.9% in the quarter, compared to the corresponding period last year, reflecting the impact of weaker currencies following the coronavirus outbreak. India, Middle East & Africa: Sales in the first quarter grew by 12.5%, at constant exchange rates, compared to the corresponding period last year. The Company recorded robust business growth in all major markets throughout the region, alongside increased prices, despite the impact of the missing sales of Jingzhou old site products resulting from the temporary suspension of operations there due to the coronavirus outbreak. ADAMA delivered solid business growth in India combined with higher pricing, in spite of a countrywide lockdown enforced by the Indian government that commenced towards the end of the quarter. The Company also grew strongly in South Africa and Israel, benefiting from favorable weather conditions, and delivered pleasing results in Turkey from where the Company is also expanding its presence into surrounding countries in the region. In US dollar terms, sales in the region grew by 8.3% in the quarter, compared to the corresponding period last year, reflecting the impact of softer currencies, which were adversely affected by the coronavirus outbreak, most notably the Turkish Lira and the Indian Rupee. 2017 ADAMA-Sanonda Combination: Value Adjustment Mechanism Within the context of the 2017 combination between Hubei Sanonda Co. Ltd. ("Sanonda", as it was then known) and Adama Agricultural Solutions Ltd. ("Solutions"), the Company entered into a Performance Compensation Agreement with CNAC, then the 100% owner of Solutions and the controlling shareholder of Sanonda. Under this agreement, CNAC made a commitment regarding Solutions' aggregate net profit in 2017, 2018 and 2019. In case of failure to meet the commitment, CNAC is required to compensate the Company either through shares or cash according to a predetermined formula. The aggregate net profit commitment for the 2017-2019 period, as agreed to by CNAC, was an amount of $543.4 million. Despite Solutions' strong performance during the three-year period, due to exogenous reasons, the calculated net profit of Solutions for this period has now been determined to be approximately $512.7 million, implying a shortfall of approximately $30.7 million. This shortfall was caused entirely by the impact of the Divestment & Transfer of several products that Solutions implemented to facilitate the approval by the EU Commission of the acquisition of Syngenta by ChemChina, which caused an aggregate of $66 million in incremental non-cash amortization charges related to the written-up value of the assets received from Syngenta. Absent these non-cash amortization charges, Solutions would have exceeded the profit commitment by approximately $35 million. As a result, CNAC will be required to return to the Company 102,432,280 out of the 1,810,883,039 shares it received in the Company in exchange for the transfer of 100% of Solutions to the Company in 2017, and return the relevant portion of the dividends it received in respect of such shares. Following their receipt, these shares will be canceled by the Company. As a result, the total number of shares in issue will be reduced to 2,344,121,302, and CNAC's aggregate ownership in the Company will reduce from 78.9% to 78.0%. In addition to the profit commitment, and as required by the relevant regulation, an independent valuation of Solutions' has been performed in order to assess any potential diminution in the value of Solutions. Following the performance of such valuation, it has been determined that no such diminution has occurred. Revenues by operating segment First quarter sales by segment Q1 2020 USD(m) % Q1 2019 USD(m) % Crop Protection 885 91.0% 910 90.4% Intermediates and Ingredients 88 9.0% 97 9.6% Total 973 100.0% 1,006 100.0% First quarter sales by product category Q1 2020 USD(m) % Q1 2019 USD(m) % Herbicides 441 45.3% 458 45.5% Insecticides 217 22.3% 268 26.6% Fungicides 227 23.3% 184 18.3% Intermediates and Ingredients 88 9.0% 97 9.6% Total 973 100.0% 1,006 100.0% Note: the sales split per product category is provided for convenience purposes only, and is not representative of the way the Company is managed or in which it makes its operational decisions. Further Information All filings of the Company, together with a presentation of the key financial highlights of the period, can be accessed through the Company website at www.adama.com . Abridged Consolidated Financial Statements The following abridged consolidated financial statements and notes have been prepared as described in Note 1. While prepared based on the principles of PRC GAAP, they do not contain all of the information which either PRC GAAP or IFRS would require for a complete set of financial statements and should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements of both ADAMA Ltd. and Adama Agricultural Solutions Ltd. as filed with the Shenzhen and Tel Aviv Stock Exchanges, respectively. Abridged Consolidated Income Statement for the First Quarter The number of shares used to calculate both basic and diluted earnings per share is 2,446.6 million shares. Adjusted[1] Q1 2020 USD(m) Q1 2019 USD(m) Q1 2020 RMB(m) Q1 2019 RMB(m) Revenues 973 1,006 6,782 6,788 Cost of Sales 681 659 4,750 4,442 Business taxes and surcharges 3 4 19 25 Gross profit 289 344 2,013 2,321 % of revenue 29.7% 34.2% 29.7% 34.2% Selling & Distribution expenses 159 164 1,106 1,103 General & Administrative expenses 28 32 194 217 Research & Development expenses 13 14 92 96 Other 7 8 48 52 Total operating expenses 207 218 1,440 1,468 % of revenue 21.2% 21.6% 21.2% 21.6% Operating income (EBIT) 82 127 573 853 % of revenue 8.4% 12.6% 8.4% 12.6% Financial expenses and investment income 31 37 217 252 Income before taxes 51 89 356 601 Taxes on Income 24 9 169 61 Net income 27 80 187 540 % of revenue 2.8% 8.0% 2.8% 8.0% EBITDA 142 187 993 1,264 % of revenue 14.6% 18.6% 14.6% 18.6% Earnings per Share Basic 0.0110 0.0327 0.0766 0.2207 Diluted 0.0110 0.0327 0.0766 0.2207 Abridged Consolidated Balance Sheet March 31 2020 USD (m) March 31 2019 USD (m) March 31 2020 RMB (m) March 31 2019 RMB (m) Assets Current assets: Cash at bank and on hand 602 713 4,264 4,801 Bills and accounts receivable 1,414 1,344 10,019 9,052 Inventories 1,424 1,482 10,091 9,979 Other current assets, receivables and prepaid expenses 461 290 3,264 1,949 Total current assets 3,901 3,829 27,638 25,781 Non-current assets: Fixed assets, net 1,099 1,134 7,786 7,637 Rights of use assets 75 79 534 534 Intangible assets, net 1,455 1,497 10,308 10,077 Deferred tax assets 118 119 833 801 Other non-current assets 96 100 681 674 Total non-current assets 2,843 2,929 20,142 19,723 Total assets 6,744 6,758 47,780 45,504 Liabilities Current liabilities: Loans and credit from banks and other lenders 507 390 3,595 2,627 Bills and accounts payable 680 767 4,814 5,163 Other current liabilities 813 796 5,760 5,358 Total current liabilities 2,000 1,953 14,169 13,148 Long-term liabilities: Long-term loans from banks and other lenders 167 70 1,181 472 Debentures 1,101 1,147 7,804 7,723 Deferred tax liabilities 63 56 448 380 Employee benefits 97 87 687 588 Other long-term liabilities 140 141 991 950 Total long-term liabilities 1,568 1,501 11,111 10,113 Total liabilities 3,568 3,454 25,280 23,261 Equity Total equity 3,176 3,304 22,500 22,243 Total equity 3,176 3,304 22,500 22,243 Total liabilities and equity 6,744 6,758 47,780 45,504 Abridged Consolidated Cash Flow Statement for the First Quarter Q1 2020 USD (m) Q1 2019 USD (m) Q1 2020 RMB (m) Q1 2019 RMB (m) Cash flow from operating activities: Cash flow from operating activities -55 -191 -385 -1,232 Cash flow from operating activities -55 -191 -385 -1,232 Investing activities: Acquisitions of fixed and intangible assets -51 -43 -357 -321 Proceeds from disposal of fixed and intangible assets 1 5 9 31 Acquisition of subsidiaries - -122 - -825 Other investing activities -3 1 -25 10 Cash flow used for investing activities -53 -159 -373 -1,105 Financing activities: Receipt of loans from banks and other lenders 171 228 1,194 1,358 Repayment of loans from banks and other lenders -61 -38 -429 -110 Other financing activities -20 -66 -136 -426 Cash flow from (used for) financing activities 90 124 629 823 Effects of exchange rate movement on cash and cash equivalents -3 5 47 -78 Net change in cash and cash equivalents -21 -221 -82 -1,593 Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the period 619 925 4,320 6,043 Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the period 598 704 4,238 4,450 Free Cash Flow -116 -355 -805 -2,394 Free Cash Flow excl. acquisitions -116 -232 -805 -1,569 Notes to Abridged Consolidated Financial Statements Note 1: Basis of preparation Basis of presentation and accounting policies: The abridged consolidated financial statements for the quarters ended March 31, 2020 and 2019 incorporate the financial statements of ADAMA Ltd. and of all of its subsidiaries (the "Company"), including Adama Agricultural Solutions Ltd. ("Solutions") and its subsidiaries. The Company has adopted the Accounting Standards for Business Enterprises issued by the Ministry of Finance (the "MoF") and the implementation guidance, interpretations and other relevant provisions issued or revised subsequently by the MoF (collectively referred to as "CASBE"). The abridged consolidated financial statements contained in this release are presented in both Chinese Renminbi (RMB), as the Company's shares are traded on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange, as well as in United States dollars ($) as this is the major currency in which the Company's business is conducted. For the purposes of this release, a customary convenience translation has been used for the translation from RMB to US dollars, with Income Statement and Cash Flow items being translated using the quarterly average exchange rate, and Balance Sheet items being translated using the exchange rate at the end of the period. The preparation of financial statements requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimated. Note 2: Abridged Financial Statements For ease of use, the Financial Statements shown in this release have been abridged as follows: Abridged Consolidated Income Statement: "Operating expenses" includes selling and distribution expenses; general and administrative expenses; research and development expenses; impairment losses; gain (loss) from disposal of assets and non-operating income and expenses "Financial expenses and investment income" includes net financing expenses; gains from changes in fair value; and investment income (including share of income of equity accounted investees) Abridged Consolidated Balance Sheet: "Other current assets, receivables and prepaid expenses" includes financial assets held for trading; financial assets in respect of derivatives; prepayments; other receivables; and other current assets "Fixed assets, net" includes fixed assets and construction in progress "Intangible assets, net" includes intangible assets and goodwill "Other non-current assets" includes other equity investments; long-term equity investments; long-term receivables; investment property; and other non-current assets "Loans and credit from banks and other lenders" includes short-term loans and non-current liabilities due within one year "Other current liabilities" includes financial liabilities in respect of derivatives; payables for employee benefits, taxes, interest, dividends and others; advances from customers and other current liabilities "Other long-term liabilities" includes long-term payables, provisions, deferred income and other non-current liabilities Analysis of Gaps between Adjusted Income Statement and Reported Income Statement in Financial Statements Q1 Adjusted Adjustments Reported USD(m) Q1 2020 Q1 2019 Q1 2020 Q1 2019 Q1 2020 Q1 2019 Revenues 973 1,006 - - 973 1,006 Gross profit 289 344 1 1 288 343 Operating expenses 207 218 -30 -29 237 247 Operating income (EBIT) 82 127 31 30 51 97 Income before taxes 51 89 31 28 20 61 Net income 27 80 29 26 -2 54 EBITDA 142 187 9 5 133 183 Earnings per share 0.0110 0.0327 -0.0010 0.0222 Q1 Adjusted Adjustments Reported RMB(m) Q1 2020 Q1 2019 Q1 2020 Q1 2019 Q1 2020 Q1 2019 Revenues 6,782 6,788 - - 6,782 6,788 Gross profit 2,013 2,321 7 7 2,006 2,314 Operating expenses 1,440 1,468 -212 -195 1,652 1,663 Operating income (EBIT) 573 853 219 202 354 651 Income before taxes 356 601 219 186 137 415 Net income 187 540 204 173 -17 367 EBITDA 993 1,264 65 32 928 1,232 Earnings per share 0.0766 0.2207 -0.0068 0.1499 Income Statement Adjustments Q1 2020 USD (m) Q1 2019 USD (m) Q1 2020 RMB (m) Q1 2019 RMB (m) Net Income (Reported) -2.4 54.4 -16.7 366.8 Adjustments to COGS & Operating Expenses: 1. Amortization of Legacy PPA of 2011 acquisition of Solutions (non- cash) 11.5 11.5 79.9 77.2 2. Amortization of Transfer assets received and written-up due to 2017 ChemChina-Syngenta transaction (non-cash) 7.9 10.6 54.9 71.7 3. China Relocation & Upgrade related costs 0.9 2.3 6.3 15.5 4. Long-term incentive (non-cash) 0.7 4.7 5.1 31.9 5. Amortization of acquisition-related PPA (non-cash) 1.8 0.9 12.9 6.1 6. Employee early retirement expenses 8.6 - 59.8 - Total Adjustments to Operating Income (EBIT) 31.4 30.0 218.9 202.4 Total Adjustments to EBITDA 9.3 4.7 64.9 31.9 Adjustments to Financing Expenses: 7. Revaluation of non-cash adjustment related to non-controlling interest - -2.4 - -16.1 Total Adjustments to Income before Taxes 31.4 27.6 218.9 186.3 Adjustments to Taxes 1. Tax shield on Legacy PPA of 2011 acquisition of Solutions -1.9 -1.9 -13.6 -13.1 5. Deferred tax due to PPA -0.2 - 1.1 - Total adjustments to Net Income 29.3 25.7 204.1 173.2 Net Income (Adjusted) 26.9 80.1 187.5 540.0 Notes: 1. Amortization of Legacy PPA of 2011 acquisition of Solutions (non-cash): Under PRC GAAP, the Company has inherited the historical "legacy" amortization charge from the first combined reporting for Q3 2017 that ChemChina previously was incurring in respect of its acquisition of Solutions in 2011. This amortization is done in a linear manner on a quarterly basis, most of which will be completed and removed in the second half of 2020. 2. Amortization of Transfer assets received and written-up due to 2017 ChemChina-Syngenta transaction (non-cash): The proceeds from the Divestment of crop protection products in connection with the approval by the EU Commission of the acquisition of Syngenta by ChemChina, net of taxes and transaction expenses, were paid to Syngenta in return for the transfer of a portfolio of products in Europe of similar nature and economic value. Since the products acquired from Syngenta are of the same nature and with the same net economic value as those divested, and since in 2018 the Company excluded the one-time gain that it made on the divested products, the additional amortization charge incurred due to the written-up of the acquired assets is also excluded to present a consistent view of Divestment and Transfer transactions, which had no net impact on the underlying economic performance of the Company. 3. China Relocation & Upgrade related costs: These are non-cash accelerated depreciation charges related to the three-year Relocation & Upgrade program in China. Production assets located in the old production sites in Jingzhou and Huai'An will be relocated to the new sites in the coming years. Since some of the older production assets may not be able to be relocated, their economic life has been shortened and therefore will be depreciated over a shorter period. Since these are older assets that were built many years ago and will be replaced by newer production facilities at the new sites, and since the ongoing operations of the business will not be impacted thereby, the Company adjusts for the impact of the accelerated depreciation of these assets. 4. Long-term Incentive (non-cash): The Company granted its employees, who are mainly non-Chinese residents, a long-term incentive (LTI) in the form of 'phantom' options, due to the complexity of granting Chinese-listed, equity-settled options to non-Chinese employees. As such, the Company records an expense, or recognizes income, depending on the fluctuation in the Company's share price, even though the Company will not incur any cash impact prior to exercise of the phantom options. To neutralize the impact of such share price movements on the measurement of the Company's performance and expected employee compensation and to reflect the existing phantom options, in the Company's adjusted financial performance, the LTI is presented on an equity-settled basis in accordance with the value of the existing plan at the grant date. 5. Amortization of acquisition-related PPA (non-cash): Related to the amortization of non-cash intangible assets created as part of the allocation of the purchase price (PPA) on acquisitions; has no impact on the ongoing performance of the companies acquired. 6. Employee early retirement expenses: Provision for early retirement plan of employees at one of the Israeli manufacturing sites 7. Revaluation of non-cash adjustment related to non-controlling interest: Relates to put options issued to non-controlling interests as part of historical business combinations which took place before January 1, 2010. The put options are presented as a liability at the present value of the future exercise price. The revaluation of these put options in Solutions is recognized under IFRS to Goodwill, but due to the acquisition of Solutions by the Company in 2017, which is treated from an accounting perspective as a "Business Combination Under Common Control", such revaluation is recorded as a profit or loss item in the financial reports of the Company. The revaluations of such put options have no bearing on the ongoing performance of the Company and are therefore adjusted for. Exchange Rate Data for the Company's Principal Functional Currencies March 31 Q1 Average 2020 2019 Change 2020 2019 Change EUR/USD 1.094 1.123 (2.6%) 1.102 1.136 (3.0%) USD/BRL 5.199 3.897 (33.4%) 4.458 3.771 (18.2%) USD/PLN 4.147 3.837 (8.1%) 3.920 3.790 (3.4%) USD/ZAR 17.89 14.64 (22.2%) 15.351 14.018 (9.5%) AUD/USD 0.609 0.708 (14.0%) 0.658 0.713 (7.7%) GBP/USD 1.234 1.303 (5.3%) 1.234 1.302 (5.3%) USD/ILS 3.565 3.632 1.8% 3.565 3.644 2.2% USD LIBOR 3M 1.45% 2.60% (44.2%) 1.53% 2.69% (43.1%) March 31 Q1 Average 2020 2019 Change 2020 2019 Change USD/RMB 7.085 6.734 5.2% 6.974 6.744 3.4% EUR/RMB 7.751 7.561 2.5% 7.687 7.660 0.3% RMB/BRL 0.734 0.579 (26.8%) 0.639 0.559 (14.3%) RMB/PLN 0.585 0.570 (2.7%) 0.562 0.562 (0.0%) RMB/ZAR 2.525 2.174 (16.1%) 2.201 2.079 (5.9%) AUD/RMB 4.317 4.770 (9.5%) 4.586 4.806 (4.6%) GBP/RMB 8.742 8.774 (0.4%) 8.926 8.784 1.6% RMB/ILS 0.503 0.539 6.7% 0.501 0.540 7.2% [1] For an analysis of the differences between the adjusted income statement items and the income statement items as reported in the financial statements, see below "Analysis of Gaps between Adjusted Income Statement and Income Statement in Financial Statements". About ADAMA ADAMA Ltd. is a global leader in crop protection, providing solutions to farmers across the world to combat weeds, insects and disease. ADAMA has one of the widest and most diverse portfolios of active ingredients in the world, state-of-the art R&D, manufacturing and formulation facilities, together with a culture that empowers our people in markets around the world to listen to farmers and ideate from the field. This uniquely positions ADAMA to offer a vast array of distinctive mixtures, formulations and high-quality differentiated products, delivering solutions that meet local farmer and customer needs in over 100 countries globally. For more information, visit us at www.ADAMA.com and follow us on Twitter at @ADAMAAgri. Ben Cohen Global Investor Relations Email: [email protected] Zhujun Wang China Investor Relations Email: [email protected] SOURCE ADAMA Ltd. On April 18, the blood sample of the officer was taken by the medical doctor in charge of the police medical services, Benin city for examination and analysis and incidentally, the result of the analysis came out on April 21, to be Covid-19 positive, Yakadi said in a statement. Kristi L. Noem (R), governor of South Dakota, has probably said the dumbest thing that will ever be said about the current stay at home orders. It is not only stupid, but borders on the criminally negligent. The governor said she sees that so many people across the country have given up their liberties for a little bit of security. She is obviously pandering to her libertarian & anti-vaxxer supporters. Stay at home orders, social distancing, and masks provide a great deal of security against the spread of the virus and it is premature to be re-opening the economy too soon. When her actions and those of other Republican governors blow up in their faces, will they take any responsibility? Or more likely, will they look for scapegoats to blame? A dramatic increase in COVID-19 cases is going blow up the economy and turn the crisis into the worst long-term catastrophe that this country ever had thanks in large part to these governors. The science & models are solid, & the politics, even if well-meaning, are ill-advised and uninformed. George Magakis Jr., Norristown, Pa. Three former foster children from Hawaii are suing the state, alleging continuous abuse at the hands of their parents, as well as sexual molestation involving another sibling. The civil complaint was filed last week by Jolyn and Kurt Kipapa's foster children, six years after the mother was stabbed to death by her foster son Kaanoi, who was 16 years old at the time. During Kaanoi Kipapa's sentencing, his defense attorney told the court that he was beaten daily by his siblings on Jolyn's orders from the time he was a young boy. Three of Jolyn (center) and Kurt Kipapa's 11 foster children have filed a civil lawsuit, claiming physical abuse and sexual abuse at the hands of a step-sibling Jolyn and Kurt's foster son Kaanoi Kipapa (pictured at age 16) in July 2014 stabbed to death his foster mother while she was confined to her bed with a leg injury Kaanoi was sentenced in May 2019 to eight years in prison for manslaughter, with credit for five years of time already served. He told the court: 'I was so broken, so damaged that I didnt know what else to do. I will forever be sorry for what I done. She didnt deserve to die.' Attorney Randall Rosenberg, who is representing the three former foster children in the lawsuit, told Hawaii News Now that his plaintiffs, who were part of the large Kipapa household between 1996-2014, were used as slave labor, isolated from their friends and starved by their parents, who he said had a lock on the refrigerator. 'This was for all intents and purposes a house of horrors for these children,' said the lawyer. This image shows the Kipapa family's home in Waimanalo outside Honolulu, Hawaii Jolyn and Kurt Kipapa had one biological daughter and 11 foster children (family picture) According to the lawsuit, the foster parents forced their 11 children to work for free for their family's cleaning business. Rosenberg, the plaintiff's lawyer, also said the parents knew that one of their foster children was molesting his siblings, but turned a blind eye to the abuse. At his sentencing in May 2019, Kaanoi told the court he was 'so broken' and 'damaged' that he did not know what else to do other than kill his foster mother The attorney argued that the Department of Human Services, which has been named as a defendant, carries responsibility for what happened inside the familys home in Waimanalo because it had placed the children in the Kipapas' custody and failed to investigate allegations of abuse when one of the children told a social worker about it. The lawsuit claims that the DHS caseworker, who has since retired, accused the foster child of lying. According to the complaint, the social worker in questions was in cahoots with the Kipapas and was funneling additional foster children to them to increase their monthly stipend. On July 5, 2014, Kaanoi Kipapa armed himself with multiple kitchen knives, entered Jolyn's room, where she was confined to her bed with a leg injury, and proceeded to stab her in the head and body. He then called police to report the murder, saying that 'something dark came over him and that his mom was in bed with blood all over her.' The lawsuit, which names the state as a defendant, claims the foster children were continuously abused and used for free labor by their foster parents The first officer responding to the family's home found the then-16-year-old Kaanoi emerging from a back room covered in blood. Some family members who appeared in court during Kaanoi's sentencing last year denied his claims of abuse. 'I know theres nothing that that lady did that would deserve death like that,' Kurlyn Kipapa, Jolyyn and Kurt's sole biological child, said to her adopted brother. Kaanoi's step-brother Taylor-James Mendiola (pictured) last year backed up his claims of abuse, saying he was bullied for being gay by his family and pulled out of school to pick up trash But Kaanoi's step-brother Taylor-James Mendiola, 24, backed up the claims, saying the physical and mental abuse were so regular he grew up thinking it was normal. Mendiola told Hawaii News Now last year that he and his siblings were forced to perform chores for hours each day, were not allowed to access the fridge or the kitchen cabinets, and had security cameras watching their every move. When he was in the eighth grade, Mendiola said Jolyn and her husband pulled him out of school and put him to work picking up trash all day. When he was 16 years old, Mendiola said he attempted to commit suicide by hanging after being subjected to constant bullying for being gay and battling depression, but one of his sisters saved him. He told the news outlet that the abuse he had allegedly experienced at the hands of his fosters parents has left him suffering from nightmares. It is unclear if Mendiola is one of the three plaintiffs now suing the state. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said economy needs to be given importance too while fighting COVID-19 and asked chief ministers to plan for the way ahead after two phases of lockdowns end on May 3. He also cautioned that the danger is far from over, while Health Ministry said a record number of 60 COVID-19 patients have died in the last 24 hours. However, a ray of hope emerged with authorities declaring that 85 districts across India have not reported a single infection in the last two weeks and five northeastern states have become totally free of the virus. The nationwide tally of coronavirus positive cases, in the meantime, crossed 29,000 with at least 935 deaths, but more than 6,600 patients have been discharged, pushing the recovery rate to over 22 per cent, according to figures announced by various states and UTs. Domestic rating agency Crisil warned that the "disastrous" lockdowns will lead to losses of Rs 10 lakh crore, as it nearly halved its GDP growth estimate for the current fiscal to 1.8 per cent. "Lockdowns are showing a disastrous impact on the economy and could lead to a permanent loss of GDP, unemployment and poverty, despite relief packages, Crisil said. On the positive side, the Health Ministry said 85 districts have not reported a single positive case in the last 14 days, while 16 districts have not witnessed even one case in the last 28 weeks. Separately, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said five Northeastern states -- Sikkim, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Tripura -- are now completely coronavirus-free and the other three -- Assam, Meghalaya and Mizoram -- have not added any new COVID-19 positive case in the last few days. Himachal Pradesh has also nor reported a single positive case for four days now. The nationwide tally suggested that some large urban centres are facing the brunt of the deadly virus much more than many other parts of the country with just three of them -- Mumbai, Delhi and Ahmedabad -- accounting for almost one-third of the total positive cases in the country. These three also account for nearly 40 per cent of COVID-19 deaths. Officials said education institutions, shopping malls, religious places and public transport are likely to remain shut beyond May 3, but limited movement of private vehicles may be allowed in green zones. But passenger train and air services are unlikely to start anytime soon, while ban on puiblic and social gatherings may also continue, an official said. There is a possibility of regulated train or air services after mid-May between some designated places depending on the COVID-19 situation. A final decision on lockdown will be taken during the weekend, officials said on Monday after a meeting on the strategy to fight the coronavirus pandemic. At least five chief ministers out of nine who spoke during the video conference interaction with the prime minister are said to have strongly pitched for an extension of the lockdown beyond May 3 while a few advocated a cautious relaxation in curbs with limited activities in COVID-19 free districts. As the final week of the second phase of lockdown began, Modi conveyed to chief ministers that the country will have to give importance to the economy as well as continue the fight against the novel coronavirus. In his fourth video conference with the chief ministers over the pandemic, Modi also underlined that the nationwide lockdown has "yielded positive results as the country has managed to save thousands of lives in the past one and a half months." "The prime minister said that the country has seen two lockdowns till now, both different in certain aspects, and now we have to think of the way ahead. He said that as per experts, the impact of coronavirus will remain visible in the coming months," according to an official statement. Modi said masks and face covers will become part of people's lives in the days ahead. He emphasised on the importance of the use of technology as much as possible, and also on a need to embrace reform measures. He, however, forewarned that the danger of the virus is far from over and a constant vigil is of paramount importance. The first lockdown was announced by Modi on March 24 in a bid to combat the coronavirus endemic. It was later extended till May 3. In the meantime, the country's apex health research body ICMR asked states to stop using the COVID-19 rapid antibody test kits procured from two Chinese companies and return them to be sent back to the suppliers. Some states including Rajasthan had flagged issues with results given by these kits. Opposition Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has alleged that some people were indulging in profiteering while supplying rapid test kits for COVID-19 to the government. The Union Health Ministry, in its evening update, said there has been a spike of 1,463 cases since Sunday evening. The number of active COVID-19 cases stood at 21,132, while 6,361 people have recovered, and one patient has migrated, the ministry said. The total number of cases includes 111 foreign nationals. However, a PTI tally of numbers announced by various states and union territories, as on 10.20 PM, put the total number of positive cases across India at 29,268 with at least 935 deaths. It also showed more than 6,600 having recovered. Among major cities, Mumbai saw its tally rising to 5,589 cases with at least 219 deaths and Ahmedabad now has 2,378 positive cases with at least 109 deaths. Delhi also saw its tally of positive cases rising to 3,108 with 190 new cases during the day. These three major urban centres also impact a significant part of the country's overall economic activities. Of the nationwide death toll, Maharashtra has the maximum 369 fatalities, followed by Gujarat at 162, Madhya Pradesh at 106, Delhi at 54, Rajasthan at 50, and Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh at 31 each. Maharashtra has also reported the maximum number of confirmed cases at 8,590, followed by Gujarat at 3,548, Delhi at 2,918 and Rajasthan at 2,262. In Andhra Pradesh, the number of cases reached 1,177, while it has crossed 1,000 in Telangana also. Andhra Pradesh's Chief Minister Y S Jagan Reddy asked people to take precautions to prevent the infection as he warned, "We cannot eliminate it, so we have to live with it." Telangana government, howver, said two fresh coronavirus cases were reported on Monday and it hoped the state would become free of the disease in coming days. While interacting with the prime minister, Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani favoured a gradual lifting of the coronavirus-enforced nationwide lockdown. Chief Ministers of Himachal Pradesh, Goa and Meghalaya favoured extending the lockdown. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, after his interaction with the prime minister, asked state officials to make specific plans for post May 3, when the second phase of the lockdown is scheduled to end. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, however, alleged that the Centre was making contradictory statements on enforcement of the lockdown, and wanted greater clarity on the recent union home ministry order on reopening shops. Claiming that many states were not allowed to speak during Modi's video conference with chief ministers owing to the rotation system, Banerjee said given a chance she would have raised several questions, including the need to send central teams to Bengal. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami sought from the Centre more RT-PCR kits for COVID-19 screening to help the state ramp up its testing capacity to 10,000 a day against existing 7,500. Globally, an estimated 30 lakh have tested positive for the deadly virus ever since its emergence in China last December, while more than two lakh have died. Approximately 8 lakh COVID-19 patients have recovered worldwide so far. New Zealand on Monday announced it has "won the battle" against COVID-19 for now with very few new cases coming up and it lifted most of the restrictions imposed to fight the deadly virus spread. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An east Houston man who called 911 and told a dispatcher Im ready for yall was killed by police after he spent more than 30 minutes shooting at random inside a quiet neighborhood. The call came in around 12:45 a.m., according to Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo. The 911 call-taker heard gunfire before the man said, Im reloading my piece, and Im ready for yall, according to Acevedo. Officers rushed to the neighborhood but waited for support from a police helicopter, which spotted the man behind a home in the 7900 block of Lane Street moments later. That gunman, whose identity was not immediately released, began firing his gun before moving to the houses front porch, Acevedo said. MORE FROM JAY R. JORDAN: 3 killed during apparent robbery in SE Houston apartment The man stayed on the porch for nearly 30 minutes while intermittently firing the gun, Acevedo said. By this point, patrol officers surrounded the home, some with rifles, while they waited for SWAT officers. Shortly before 1:30 a.m., the man raised his gun toward officers, which is when three officers with rifles opened fire at the suspect. Paramedics, who were staging around the corner, pronounced the man dead. The mans step-father told Acevedo that he was afraid of his step-son, whom he said had a short temper and might have been intoxicated. When we get the final tally of all the rounds out here discharged by our suspect, were fortunate no one else was injured, Acevedo said. The three officers in question were not immediately identified. Houston police involved in shootings such as this are typically placed on administrative leave, pending an internal investigation. Jay R. Jordan covers breaking news in the Houston area. Read him on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and our subscriber site, HoustonChronicle.com | Follow him on Twitter at @JayRJordan | Email him at jay.jordan@chron.com Philadelphia teacher Jenifer Felix has tried to reach her students and their families in myriad ways since the coronavirus closed schools: with calls and texts, through Facebook messages and Instagram stories. Her school, Kensington Health Sciences Academy, prides itself on having close ties with pupils. Still, as many as 25% of Felixs students arent logging on or completing work because they lack wireless internet, have to work, or care for family members. As the pandemic has forced classes online, not all students have been able to follow. Weeks after the interruption of in-person learning, some pupils still havent logged in or communicated with teachers. Our number-one concern is making connections with students and families, said Superintendent Richard Dunlap of the Coatesville Area School District, where 15% of its more than 5,700 students are unaccounted for. The transition to online learning has been a challenge for schools, students, and families nationwide. But connecting all learners to remote instruction poses particular hurdles for schools with concentrations of needy students, whose families may be facing unemployment, food and housing insecurity, and technology gaps. READ MORE: Coronavirus closed schools. Heres how those that serve the most vulnerable are still providing lifelines. In Coatesville, where most students are low income, the Chester County district has been trying to identify why some arent logging on: Is it a lack of internet access? Do parents who dont speak English understand whats happening? The district, which launched online instruction April 14, has been visiting homes to meet with families and set up technology, Dunlap said. If ever theres a chance where the socioeconomic divide will widen, its in this environment. And were trying to mitigate that as best as we can, said Dunlap, whose district, like many, is also providing meals to students during the pandemic closures. The Inquirer asked more than two dozen Pennsylvania and New Jersey school districts about attendance during the pandemic. Several declined to provide numbers, but said rates were high. Some said they were monitoring attendance in multiple ways including whether students without internet access turn in paper packets making it difficult to give a precise rate. Nationally, some large districts have reported participation issues during the closures such as Los Angeles, where one-third of high school students initially werent in daily contact with a teacher. Many school districts are not formally tracking attendance, according to the Center on Reinventing Public Education at the University of Washington Bothell, which reviewed coronavirus education plans from 82 districts enrolling nine million students. It said just 16 require schools to keep attendance. That doesnt count Philadelphia, which says it will not be recording attendance as usual but using it to identify and contact students who are not participating. Until you track attendance, you just wont know where the gaps are, said Bree Dusseault, practitioner in residence at the center. She noted that the Miami-Dade district found schools with the lowest attendance rates during the closures have higher shares of students living in poverty or learning English. The district says its delivering technology to homes of students in those schools. Local districts just starting online instruction say they dont yet know to what extent students are engaged. By, lets say, April 30, if we have vast amounts of zeros in our assignment books, thats going to be very telling, said Stephen Rodriguez, superintendent in the Pottstown School District, which began a formal learning program Monday for high schoolers and will extend that to all students by May 4. He said the district will not be processing truancy, but looking for red flags." READ MORE: Coronavirus has upended education for all children. For those with disabilities, the challenges are greater. Pennsylvania is not requiring that schools report attendance to the state Education Department during the closures. New Jerseys Education Department told its districts that students should be considered present unless a district knowingly determines they were not participating in any instruction during pandemic closures. Beth Norcia, superintendent of the Maple Shade School District in Burlington County, said it is requiring teachers to alert principals if they have not had contact with a student. The principal and counselors will then reach out to families through email and phone calls. We continue to call each day until we make contact, Norcia said. While not 100% successful, the districts elementary schools have well over 90% of students attending each day, while high school attendance is approaching 85%, she said. The Bensalem School District, which began taking attendance April 1, has found its rates are similar to before the closures though some elementary schools are not as high as we would like, said Superintendent Samuel Lee. He said high school attendance has been above 90%, middle school, about 95%, while elementary ranges from the low 70s to the high 90s. For secondary students, attendance is collected when they log on to Schoology, the districts learning platform between midnight and 11:59 p.m., Lee said. They have 24 hours to make themselves known and engaged, he said. Elementary students are tracked by answering a question through a Google form, which gets sent to a building secretary for attendance. We continue to be aggressive related to connecting with our families, and also sensitive" to this being a remarkable time presenting unique challenges, Lee said. Though Coatesville is still trying to reach students, the vast majority of those with laptops and internet access are participating, Dunlap said. He said more than 84% of students were logged on Thursday. Prior to the closures, the districts average daily attendance rate was about 90%. Philadelphias pandemic policy says students are expected to participate in remote learning to the greatest extent possible but acknowledges engagement may vary based on access to technology, WiFi, electricity, time availability and more. The district, which began online lessons last Monday, wont introduce new material until May 4. District students are expected to log in to their student portal Monday through Friday, and teachers and other school staff are tasked with reaching out to those not actively engaging to help troubleshoot problems. Districts that equipped all students with technology before the pandemic transitioned more easily to online learning. Ridley School District began buying iPads in 2011; its students started online instruction March 18 through the Canvas learning management system. It tracks their logins, the pages they visit, and how long they stay on them, said Superintendent Lee Ann Wentzel. Teachers have until the morning to finalize the previous days attendance, so if students dont submit assignments until the evening, they can still be marked present, Wentzel said. The Delaware County district has seen strong engagement upward of 90% on a given day at the elementary-school level, Wentzel said and if a child isnt participating, everybody has a role to play to try to loop a family in." Near the beginning of the shutdown, one elementary had reached all but one of its 200 students, Wentzel said. As staff brainstormed how to get in touch with the family, within an hour, the students parent contacted a teacher because word the school was trying to reach them had gotten out. Felix, the Kensington Health Sciences teacher, knows her students care deeply about their education and feel connected to their school. But for some, the barriers to attending school during the pandemic are too great. One student lacks internet access; her family tried to sign up for free service, but their home is not properly wired and they couldnt afford to make it so. The only communication Felix has with the student is through her boyfriend, another pupil in her class; he takes schoolwork to his girlfriend when he can, and lets Felix know that shes OK. Its all I can hope for right now, Felix said. The Philadelphia Inquirer is one of more than 20 news organizations producing Broke in Philly, a collaborative reporting project on solutions to poverty and the citys push toward economic justice. See all of our reporting at brokeinphilly.org. Jason Fochtman, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer The Montgomery County Sheriffs Office is asking the community for help in feeding families affected by the ongoing coronavirus outbreak as it hosts food drives Tuesday and Thursday to benefit the Montgomery County Food Bank. Personnel following social distancing guidelines will be collecting food on both days from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at a total of six locations throughout Montgomery County. Donors can drive-up as donations will be pulled from the car. Along with food, the sheriffs office is asking for hygiene items to be donated. WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. Purdue Universitys College of Agriculture and nine other academic units raised $82,364 for Food Finders Food Bank during a virtual food drive. According to metrics provided by Food Finders, this translates to 248,761 meals that will feed families in North Central Indiana. The economic repercussions of the COVID-19 virus have hit everyone hard, especially our most vulnerable community members, said Melissa Funk, administrative assistant for the College of Agricultures Office of Multicultural Programs and drive organizer. We are so pleased we could band together to deliver essential resources to our community in a time of need. The College of Agriculture was joined by nine other major academic units Purdue Libraries; School of Information Studies; the colleges of Engineering, Health and Human Sciences, Pharmacy, Science and Veterinary Medicine; the Honors College; and Polytechnic Institute. Food Finders serves 16 counties, including Tippecanoe County, in North Central Indiana where one in eight people suffers from food insecurity. To find out more about what Food Finders is doing during the COVID-19 crisis and how to help, visit: https://www.food-finders.org/give/. Writer: Emma Ea Ambrose, 765-494-2406, eeambros@purdue.edu Source: Melissa Funk, 765-494-9586, mjfunk@purdue.edu Agricultural Communications: 765-494-8415; Maureen Manier, Department Head, mmanier@purdue.edu Agriculture News Page Some tailors in Ilorin, the Kwara capital, have declared that they shifted attention to production of nose masks due to high demand by the residents to guard against coronavirus. Those who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ilorin on Monday expressed satisfaction over the level of patronage by the public. They said that they use local fabrics like Ankara and adire (batik) to make the nose masks. One of the tailors, Romoke Babajide, said she decided to switch from mending clothes to sewing nose masks. I have switched to sewing nose masks and I am making enough money as customers are rushing in to buy them, she said. Another tailor, Aishat Aliyu, said she produced like hundred pieces per day and sold almost everything, adding that she made over N1,000 daily from the sale of the masks. I dedicated my time to producing nose masks and I observed there are high demands. Last Friday, I made enough sales; I sold over 95 pieces at the Unity Junction area in Ilorin. I sold it just for N200 per one. I am using elastic rope and soft new clothes to make it comfortable for users, he said. Another tailor, Quadri Jimoh, said he made more sales from the nose masks as he produced in different colours. I sew the mask from local fabrics like Ankara, Adire and in Nigeria the colour of green and white. I am producing different colours and many people are coming to buy. I sell one for N150, he said. Jumoke Abodunrin, also a tailor, told NAN that the nose mask business was trending and lucrative at the moment. I dont have time for any other thing now; I am fully into sewing nose masks. I make sure I produce at least 70 pieces per day and sell them all. Even most times, I receive calls from many customers, asking me to help them sew more at a cheaper rate. I sell for N150 and nobody is complaining as they just pay without hesitating. I use quality materials to produce my own nose masks, she said. NAN reports that many residents in Ilorin have embraced the use of masks when going outside their homes, as preventive measures against the pandemic. Also, some tailors in Osogbo, the capital of Osun, say they have been making profits through their production and selling of locally-made facemasks. Some of the tailors who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Osogbo on Monday said this was to combat the spread of coronavirus in the state. NAN recalls that Governor Gboyega Oyetola had on Thursday, through a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Ismail Omipidan, announced the compulsory use of face masks, effective from Friday. The government recently discovered that some people tested positive for coronavirus in the state, hence, it put the measures in place to check the spread of the virus in the state. Advertisements One of the respondents, Ariyo Bamidele, said she was making a daily profit of N1,000 from sewing and selling masks. Mr Bamidele, who noted that she had now concentrated more on sewing the masks, said she preferred using beautiful local fabrics. I sell at N100 per one, she said. Taofeek Olawale, who claimed that he had been sewing the masks since the outbreak of the virus, said people were, however, not embracing it at the initial stage. READ ALSO: He, however, said with the exorbitant prices of the factory -made masks, people were forced to embrace the locally-made ones. He said he makes between N600 and N800 as his daily profit. Another respondent, Ronke Oyewole, said she had not been feeling the negative impacts of the current lockdown as she had concentrated on the making and selling of masks. Since people are no longer bringing their clothes for me to sew again due to the lockdown, what I do now is to sew face masks; and I am making my cool money by selling them. I usually advertise the locally-made face masks on my WhatsApp status and do home delivery for my customers at the rate of N120 per one, she said. Meanwhile, some residents who spoke to NAN said that they had to patronise locally-made masks because they are relatively affordable compared with the factory-made ones. Oluwasegun Olaniyi, who was wearing a locally-made mask, said he resorted to the locally-made ones when the prices of the factory-made ones jumped up. He said he is more comfortable with the durability and the price of the locally-made mask. The amount I would have used in buying one factory-made mask is what I am using in buying three locally-made ones, he said. Yinka Ibirogba, another resident, said the factory-made masks, which now sells for N300 per one, initially was being sold at N50 for two pieces. Since the protection the factory -made mask will give me is the same with the locally made, I will, rather go for the locally made, which is cheaper and durable, she said. Meanwhile, the President, Women of Inestimable Values (WIVs), Blessing Okojie, has tasked women in Lagos State to engage in production of locally-made face masks, now that the government has made its wearing compulsory for people of the state. Mrs Okojie told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Monday that local production of face masks had now become lucrative, as Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu had made wearing of the protective masks compulsory. She said the compulsory wearing of face masks in the state will increase the demand for the item, as people who didnt have it will now be eager to purchase it. Some people have been wearing face masks since the outbreak of coronavirus in Lagos, but it is more trending now, because it has been made compulsory for everyone to wear. So it is an opportunity, and I am encouraging our women, who are into sewing to take it up; they can be producing the item in large quantities and make good money. The demand will be higher now, because everyone leaving his or her house must wear it or face penalty, as clearly stated by the governor. It is also important to wear the mask, especially now that the spread of coronavirus is on the increase, she said. Mrs Okojie also identified selling of major food items as another juicy business for women, particularly during this current lockdown. She said major food items, such as rice, beans, garri, yam, palm oil and other condiments are necessities, as people must eat. NAN reports that the governor had, on Saturday, announced compulsory use of face masks by residents with effect from April 27, as part of measures to contain the spread of COVID-19 in the state. (NAN) Bachelor Matthew 'Matty J' Johnson has given his top tip to spice up the bedroom while in lockdown. Speaking on his Nova show The Babble on Monday, the 32-year-old revealed how to keep the homefires burning while in lockdown. Matty revealed his tip is actually growing a moustache, revealing it was triggered by something fiancee Laura said to him while being intimate. 'Who needs a swing': Bachelor Matty 'J' Johnson, 32, (pictured) has revealed his very RAUNCHY top tip to spice up the bedroom while couples are in lockdown on his radio show, The Babble 'With the lights off it feels like I'm having sex with another man. It feels like I'm having an affair!' Matty said, recalling his conversation with Laura. He went on to say rather than a 'sex swing', male listeners under lockdown could simply grow extra facial hair. 'Sure you could go get a sex swing, or simple and much more cost-effective - grow a moustache,' he added. 'With the lights off it feels like I'm having sex with another man. It feels like I'm having an affair!' Matty said on the show, recalling what Laura said (both pictured) Matty went on to say she 'can't get enough' of his facial hair calling it the gift that keeps on giving. The former reality star-turned-radio guru has been sharing tips about staying in shape while in lockdown at his Bondi home. Earlier this month, he did a workout from the couple's pad. No dad bod here! Matty J showed his at home workout earlier this month Matty did a range of bodyweight exercises, including push-ups, side planks, jump lunges and side skaters. Matty J also showed off his skipping skills by using a speed rope during the session. Daughter Marlie-Mae also joined in at one point, and was seen atop her father's shoulders as he did weighted squats. Daddy-daughter session: Little Marlie-Mae also joined in at one point, and was seen atop her father's shoulders as he did weighted squats Laura and Matty welcomed Marlie-Mae on June 19, 2019. Announcing her birth on Instagram at the time, Laura wrote: 'Welcome to the world, you divine little slice of human pudding.' The couple first met on season five of The Bachelor in 2017 and became engaged in April 2019 while on a 'babymoon' holiday in Fiji. The Girl Scouts of Alaska are to get a federal relief loan after being stuck with 144,000 unsold boxes of cookies when the state's efforts to contain the coronavirus outbreak shut down sales for the organization. An Anchorage-based girl scout council says it had to seek federal recovery relief after its annual cookie sales crumbled around mid-March, as Governor Mike Dunleavy began closing businesses because of the deadly flu-like virus, also known as COVID-19. First National Bank Alaska facilitated the federal Paycheck Protection Program loan, the Anchorage Daily News reported Sunday. The Girl Scouts of Alaska are stuck with 144,000 unsold boxes of cookies after the state's efforts to contain the coronavirus outbreak shut down sales for the organization. Pictured are part of the council's stockpile, which includes seven varieties of cookies available Among the cookies sold by the council are "Thin Mints" and peanut butter 'Tagalongs' Leslie Ridle, who heads the council, shows a box of Tagalons after a telecommunications company, GCI, purchased 1,320 boxes of cookies for their employees and Food Bank of Alaska Prior to the state's restrictions which began on March 18th and shortly after included stay-at-home orders for non-essential workers, 'it was frenzied shopping, and people were hoarding cookies like they were toilet paper,' says Leslie Ridle, who heads the council. Sales of the famed cookies fund nearly everything the council does, including camps and scholarships for 3,500 girls and wages for 20 full-time employees. Alaska has had 339 confirmed cases of the Coronavirus, which has been blamed for seven deaths in the state. Across the US, there have been 1,000,115 cases in the US of the coronavirus, with 56,038 people killed. There have been 1,000,115 cases in the US of the coronavirus, which has been blamed for 56,038 deaths How the number of new coronavirus cases in the US has escalated over time Alaska is now among states which have begun relaxing restrictions, approving restaurants to resume dine-in service and retail shops and other businesses to reopen their doors, with limitations. Girl scouts traditionally sell their cookies door-to-door and in booth sales, but have suspended both practices during the outbreak. Instead, the organization is selling them online and encourages consumers to buy and donate them to first responders, volunteers and local causes in need. However, that doesn't take care of the unsold Alaska stockpile of Thin Mints, S'mores, Samoas and other cookies available. How the number of new coronavirus infections in the US has escalated over time A day-to-day look at the number of deaths in the US attributed to the coroanvirus The Girl Scouts are selling their cookies online during the coronavirus outbreak. However, that doesn't take care of the unsold stockpile of Thin Mints, S'mores, Samoas and other cookies available in Alaska, including many that are sitting in people's homes unsold 'I'm hearing from lots of families: 'When am I getting these out of my living rooms?' ' Ridle said. People whose lives have been altered by the pandemic still want the cookies, the 'ultimate comfort food,' Ridle says. Meanwhile, the loan sought by the council arrived in its bank account last week, Ridle said. The amount was not disclosed. The funding allowed employees to continue working and provide online programs for Girl Scouts stuck at home, like magic trick lessons and flamenco dancing. A new COVID-19 badge emphasizes good hygiene. 'It's our bridge to keep things going,' Ridle said. The United States on Tuesday recorded its one-millionth coronavirus case as countries including Spain, Russia and Nigeria took tentative steps back towards normal life by preparing to reopen some businesses. Excitement over partial easing of the lockdowns affecting more than half of humanity has been tempered by fear of new outbreaks and growing evidence of the economic devastation wreaked by the COVID-19 pandemic. The US -- where millions of jobs have gone -- reached another grim milestone as it registered 58,351 deaths, a larger loss of life than recorded by the US military in the Vietnam War. The overall US case load rose to 1,011,877 in a public health disaster that could threaten President Donald Trump's re-election chances. But some countries have reported falling infection numbers, and governments have begun to chart their way out of the shutdowns. France said Tuesday that shops, markets and selected schools could reopen next month, with face masks required on public transport and work-from-home orders staying in place for several more weeks. Prime Minister Edouard Phillipe admitted even a gradual return to normal life was "risky." Spain said restrictions would be slowly lifted over the next two months, while Italians will be able to exercise outdoors and visit relatives from next week -- but only if they wear masks and refrain from hugs and handshakes. Italy, Spain and France have been the worst affected countries in Europe, with each reporting more than 23,000 deaths. In Russia, President Vladimir Putin warned that the peak of coronavirus infections still lay ahead, saying "the situation remains very difficult." But he nonetheless said lockdown measures could be eased from next month. Data on infection rates has shown mixed results in Germany, which is being closely watched after allowing some shops to reopen last week. "We all need to take care that we don't end up with more infections," said Lothar Wieler, president of the Robert Koch Institute for disease control. - 'The cries of the people' - Experts have warned of a second wave of contagion if restrictions are lifted too hastily, and the World Health Organization has said reinfection may be possible even among recovered patients. In Nigeria's largest city Lagos, bus driver Taju Olonade told AFP a decision to ease the lockdown showed that authorities had finally listened "to the cries of the people." "For almost one month I have not earned a penny," he said. "I hope life will soon return to normal." The new coronavirus has killed at least 214,451 people since the outbreak first emerged in China in December, according to a tally compiled by AFP at 1900 GMT on Tuesday. More than three million cases have been registered in 193 countries and territories, although the official tally is widely thought to lag far behind the actual figures. The United States, which on Tuesday recorded a further 2,207 deaths in 24 hours, has seen by far the highest number of fatalities. Trump has increasingly sought to blame China, but China pushed back fiercely on Tuesday, accusing US politicians of "barefaced lies." "They have only one objective: shirk their responsibility for their own poor epidemic prevention and control measures," foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told reporters. Beijing and Washington have clashed repeatedly over the outbreak. It seems to be under control in China with no new deaths reported for 13 straight days and the death toll standing at 4,633 -- although much doubt has been cast on whether the numbers are accurate. - Shattered economies - Anger at the global economic paralysis has intensified in recent weeks, and anti-government protesters took to the streets in Lebanon on Tuesday in defiance of a lockdown. "I came down to raise my voice against hunger, poverty and rising prices," Khaled, 41, told AFP, saying he had lost his job selling motorcycle parts and could no longer support his three children. In the latest sign of big business woes, British Airways is set to slash up to 12,000 jobs, its parent company said. The carrier, which has approximately 45,000 employees, has already furloughed nearly 23,000 staff. Despite other European countries moving towards reopening schools and shops, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said it was too early for the UK to follow suit. That was in contrast to New Zealand, where people enjoyed fast food and coffee shop treats for the first time in five weeks after the country lifted its strict lockdown. "We see the difference in other countries and I don't envy them, that's for sure," said Wellington resident Cheryl Robertson, who planned to celebrate her newfound freedom with a curry. In Australia, hundreds of surfers and swimmers rushed back to the waves at Bondi Beach in Sydney, five weeks after police closed the area because of large crowds flouting social distancing rules. "I've been excited for like a week," Diane Delaurens told AFP, dripping after an early-morning surf. However, there is not yet a vaccine for the disease and Britain issued a warning of coronavirus-related syndrome emerging in children -- including abdominal pain and inflammation around the heart. "What I would also stress is that it is rare. Although it is very significant for those children who do get it, the number of cases is small," said Health Secretary Matt Hancock. In Tokyo, organizers said that the postponed 2020 Olympics will have to be canceled next year if the pandemic isn't brought under control. In Latin America, Brazil emerged as a new hotspot with 5,000 deaths so far -- more than China's -- while nine inmates were killed when rioting broke out at a prison in Lima, Peru after two inmates died from COVID-19. burs-bgs/it Yemen's Southern Transitional Council Announces Self-Governance, State of Emergency Sputnik News 00:33 GMT 26.04.2020 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Yemen's Southern Transitional Council (STC) is introducing self-governance in the country's southern provinces and has declared a state of emergency in those areas, a statement of the council, obtained by Sputnik, says. "A general state of emergency is announced from midnight April 25 in the capital Aden and all of the southern provinces, the armed forces and security forces have been ordered to implement it," the STC statement says. The council is accusing the Yemeni government of corruption, failure to fulfill its obligations, plotting against the Yemeni people and using their resources for financing its activities. According to STC, the government has not been paying salaries to military servicemen and civilians for several months. "The Southern Transitional Council is declaring self-governance starting from midnight April 25," the STC statement, obtained by Sputnik, says. In November 2019, Yemen's internationally recognized government, headed by President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, signed a peace deal with STC aimed at putting an end to military confrontation. Apart from other things, the Riyadh agreement envisioned that the secessionists should return facilities and state institutions, which they had previously seized in Yemen's south, to the government. The STC was created in 2017. The secessionist movement is backed by the United Arab Emirates, which is part of a Saudi-led coalition that has launched an air campaign against Houthi rebels in Yemen. On 8 April, the coalition announced that it would cease operations in Yemen for a 14-day period in response to a call of the United Nations for a global ceasefire amid the coronavirus pandemic. However, since then, the Houthi movement and the coalition have repeatedly accused one another of violating the truce. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address However, it is backed across the mainstream political divide, with leading Labor figures Tanya Plibersek and Daniel Andrews each declaring they'd signed their families up within hours of the app being launched. For COVIDSafe to be effective in stopping the spread of the virus, it needs to be downloaded by about 40 per cent of the population. Its success or otherwise will provide an opportunity for social researchers to analyse what we do, rather than what we say, when it comes to trusting government in a crisis. Recent surveys suggest most of us should be reluctant to make more personal data available to government. A poll by the Australian National University last year found less than a third of respondents thought the federal government could be trusted to prevent data being hacked or leaked, or to use it responsibly. Professor Matthew Gray, the director of the ANU Centre for Social Research and Methods which conducted the survey, said the take-up of the CovidSafe app would show the preparedness of people to put aside those concerns for the greater public good. . Credit:Matt Golding "The evidence has been that within sections of the population, there has been declining levels of trust and confidence," he said. "In a crisis like this, decisive action can bring people together and convince people that government is acting in their best interests." Trust in government is considered an important measure of social cohesion. For the past 13 years, Monash University Professor Andrew Markus has been "mapping" Australias social cohesion for a research project funded by the Scanlon Foundation. Professor Markus cautions against drawing too many conclusions from the take-up of the app but says he would not be surprised if public support for it exceeds the governments expectations. "When people feel that their lives are at risk, it is very different to their normal attitude towards government," he said. "It is like a situation of war where you look for strong leadership and effective leadership. "Generalisations about Australians being rebellious and not accepting authority dont apply in an emergency situation." In truth, these generalisations apply only loosely, if at all. Since 2007, Scanlon Foundation surveys have shown a consistently high level of social cohesion. "Contrary to the media cycle which is more about crisis and failure, what the research shows is stability over a long period." Professor Markus said. Where we dont trust government, we appear willing to suspend that mistrust for the public good. Despite privacy concerns expressed about My Health an online database for health records 22.74 million people or 89 per cent of the population were included in the opt-out scheme as of March 29. Loading The COVID crisis has inspired a frenzy of work by social researchers. The ANU Centre for Social Research and Methods will next week publish surveys examining confidence in government and fellow citizens to do the right thing during the pandemic. Professor Markus will factor the crisis into his regular series on social cohesion. VoxPop Labs/ABC research published on Tuesday surveys the public response to the COVID crisis. Its findings will challenge stereotypical notions of the Australian character. "Australians like to think of ourselves as iconoclastic rebels," Ms Huntley said. "There is no evidence from what we actually do that that is the case. "When Australians feel there is reason for government to do what it wants, including the significant curtailing of freedom, they are more willing than not to let that happen." Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 27) President Rodrigo Duterte teased Monday the possibility of easing the strict stay-at-home orders for most to allow some work to resume. We might open partially, construction workers and things like that. You wait for the lalabas na ho, lalabas na yung modified and ano natin quarantine, Duterte said in a taped address aired Monday evening. We will allow sectors of society na hindi talaga nagdidikit-dikitan. Kaya modified muna eh. [Translation: We might open partially, construction workers and things like that. You wait for the it will soon be out, our quarantine will be modified. We will allow sectors of society that do not come into close contact with each other. Thats why were modifying it for now.] Duterte, however, did not provide any specifics on the possible modification of the enhanced community quarantine, which has been extended in Metro Manila, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecijia, Pampanga, Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, Rizal, Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro, Albay and Catanduanes until May 15. Meanwhile, all other low-risk and moderate-risk areas will be under a general community quarantine until mid-May. To date, the country has recorded 7,777 cases of COVID-19, including 932 recoveries and 511 fatalities. Nationwide, taxi traffic has fallen by 90%, according to the National Taxi Association, writes Vilaggazdasag. At the beginning of the year, there were more than 7,000 taxis in Budapest, and now fewer than 2,500 travel the streets. The number of taxi journey orders has decreased by 80% in recent weeks; the previous average of 4,200 daily journeys has fallen to about 1,200 during the coronavirus crisis, falling further to only 300-400 on weekends, Miklos Tamas, president of City Taxi, told the economic daily. The cooperative firm organizes the transport for 850 taxi drivers and employs 30-40 workers. The president stressed that City wants to keep all its employees. Attempts are being made to bridge the current situation with paid or unpaid leave, and only half of taxi drivers work one day at a time, vg.hu notes. MTI Photo: Zsolt Szigetvary Press Release April 27, 2020 Hontiveros files resolution urging PH to demand payment from China over WPS damage Note: Attached is the pdf copy of PSR No. 369 Senator Risa Hontiveros on Monday filed a resolution urging the Executive branch to exert legal and diplomatic pressure upon the Chinese government to cease activities in the West Philippine Sea and pay reparation for the damage. "China's sense of entitlement to our seas has caused severe and irreparable harm to our ecosystems," Hontiveros said upon filing PSR No. 369. "Hindi tayo kolonya, kaya panahon nang singilin ng gobyerno ang Tsina," she added, citing the 2016 ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration that China had breached its obligations with respect to the Philippines' sovereign rights over its continental shelf and exclusive economic zone. The resolution also stated that continuous unlawful Chinese activities in the West Philippine Sea are estimated to have caused at least PhP33 billion worth of damage annually. Hontiveros explained that the estimates were computed based on a 2012 study published in the international journal Ecosystem Services, in which the value per hectare of a coral reef was pegged at USD 353,429 while China's damage to reef ecosystems in Panatag and Spratly Islands is at 1,850 hectares. "For China's damage to our reef ecosystems for at least 6 years, at least 200 billion pesos is owed to the Filipino people," the Senator declared. "If China pays the reparations owed to us, we can further improve our COVID-19 response and help more Filipinos against the disease," she said. The Senator also claimed that China has taken advantage of the current global pandemic to further its agenda in the region. "China has taken advantage of this global chaos by constructing artificial islands, installations, and structures in our own territory. This aggression must stop immediately," Hontiveros said. "I urge the government to put Filipinos' interest first. Mga Pilipino muna, bago ang feelings ng China," she concluded. Courtesy of Harris County Public Health Department While the world deals with the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak, local entities have had mixed reports on the number of cases in their communities. In Harris County, the Public Health Department reports its latest COVID-19 cases at 4 p.m. daily. As of Sunday, there are 5,729 cases of novel coronavirus in the county resulting in 93 deaths. Houston has by far reported the most cases with 2,445. According to the Public Health Department, 1,725 have recovered from the virus. Following the rising incidence of mysterious deaths in Kano State, a former governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, has written an open letter to President Muhammadu Buhari. Among other things, he sought empathy from the federal government as well as establishment of more testing centres in the state. Two of his aides, Aminu Gwarzo and Saifullah Hassan, confirmed the authenticity of the letter to PREMIUM TIMES. While he confirmed the increase in mysterious deaths in the state, he complained of the uncoordinated and unprofessional manner in which the fight against COVID-19 in Kano State is being waged as well as alleged mistrust of the government by the people. He also decried the near absence of cooperation and coordination between the state and the federal government on the Covid-19 response. Looking at the pattern elsewhere in the world where senior citizens with pre-existing conditions were the main fatalities of the novel coronavirus, we are concerned that the inability to conduct tests in the state to determine the status of these senior citizens might be responsible for their death, he said. We are even more concerned that if sincere and efficient machinery is not urgently put in place to understand and mitigate against this, more lives of innocent senior citizens will be lost. At present, and to all intent and purposes, the state has practically no Covid-19 response committee. What was hitherto, working as a Covid-19 committee was a contraption of cronies that are both unqualified and incompetent. This is very frightening as neither asymptomatic nor active cases are being identified and isolated, as such carriers of this dreaded virus are all about and spreading it and causing untimely death of especially our senior citizens, he said. Mr Kwankwaso faulted the state governments initial denial of the number of deaths in the state. This denial has also cultivated mistrust and doubt on the part of the citizens as the state government has failed to provide the desired leadership required at a critical time like this, he said. He said right from the first recorded case in Kano, the state government was in a tug of war with the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). More fears The ex-governor further expressed concern that if the Kano situation is not handled professionally, sincerely, efficiently and competently, there is a tendency of Kano becoming the epicentre of the disease in Africa in a matter of months. This, he said, every sincere leader should be concerned about. Another fear, he explained, is that many residents of the state live below poverty line and there is no gainsaying that sustaining the lockdown in Kano demands that people are not left hungry. Any support in this regard should not be made on partisan basis. At the moment, the state government palliatives are being distributed based on political patronage (4 persons in each polling unit of 500 persons). This is grossly inadequate. A hungry and angry population cannot be kept in lockdown for too long! Possible solutions While he proffered possible solutions to fight the pandemic, he stressed the need for empathy. The situation in the state should not be left to the state because the lives of tens of millions of Nigerians living in Kano state is at stake, he explained. As such the central government should be seen to be actively involved in caring for, and saving their lives. There is need for empathy. Advertisements He said the federal government should take over the responsibility of rapid response on coronavirus in the state and the state government should be made to constitute a proper State Taskforce on COVID-19 with members selected base on their professionalism and competence. At least five additional test centres should be established with ten other sample collection centres across the state. And the Taskforce should designate trained medical personnel in all cemeteries across the state that will collect records of all deaths, he added. Furthermore, those that attended to the sick and those that prepared the dead body for burial should also be identified, isolated and contact traced for testing; Since it is undeniable that there is a spike in the number of death and it is probable that these deaths are either as a result of COVID-19 or some other illness, the state government and citizens should treat and consider all deaths as if it is caused by the virus; therefore all protocols as advised by medical experts be observed whenever death occurs. Also, an independent federal government team of experts should be mandated to investigate the rise in cases of death in the elderly population across the state. Mr Kwankwaso also said that palliatives should be generous and general as the virus does not belong to any political party just as hunger and poverty are not partisan. His letter comes a day after the state governor, Umar Ganduje, said he had asked the states ministry of health to investigate the causes of mysterious deaths reported in the state after initially describing the reports as fake news. No new coronavirus case has been reported in Himachal Pradesh for the past four days, a senior health official said on Monday. So far, 41 coronavirus cases have been reported in the state and the number of active cases too has come down to 10. Two people had died of COVID-19. The fatalities include a 70-year-old Delhi resident who had stayed at a guest house of a factory in Solan's Baddi and died at the PGIMER, Chandigarh, on April 2. Of the 205 samples sent for testing on Monday, 161 tested negative for the infection while reports of the rest are awaited, Additional Chief Secretary (Health) R D Dhiman said. Dhiman said all those who had returned from Rajasthan's Kota on Sunday tested negative for the infection. These tests are being conducted at Dr Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College (RPGMC) in Tanda, Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC) in Shimla and the Central Research Institute (CRI) in Kasauli. Four active cases from Una; two each from Chamba and Hamirpur; and one each from Kangra and Sirmaur are being treated at the Tanda's RPGMC, Bhota Charitable Hospital in Hamirpur and the Katha's ESIC in Baddi. Twelve patients from Una district, five from Solan, four from Chamba, three from Kangra and one from Sirmaur have recovered from the infection so far. Four patients were taken to a private hospital outside Himachal Pradesh. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A man and woman in Borno State are currently on the run after they had tested positive for COVID-19, officials claim. The Borno commissioner of health, Salisu Kwayabura, disclosed this information to journalists at the daily briefing of the Committee on COVID-19. He said, two patients, Abbas Kaka Hassan, a 24-year-old male and Hauwa Mohammed, 42-year-old female, are on the run after testing positive to COVID-19 at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital in the metropolis. He said the male is from Layin tanki suburbs in Gwange II ward, while the woman lives in the Shuwari ward. PREMIUM TIMES learned the male patient could earlier not be reached by the state COVID-19 response team even after his blood sample was collected. He later reportedly switched off his phone. When samples of patients with contacts to index cases are collected, they are normally advised to go on self-isolation, the health commissioner said. They give their contacts so they can be reached when the results are out. This is the standard medical procedure. You cant detain someone with suspected contact. We do not have the lawful powers to do that. Other patients were also allowed to leave but they came into isolation centres and we have 19 of them in two isolation centres. However, the young man in question chose to go into hiding. Mr Kwayabura called on anyone who tests positive for the disease not to regard it as a death sentence as the majority of those who test positive have recovered from it. PREMIUM TIMES gathered the two patients at large are not the first to attempt an escape. A male IDP, who had tested positive after participating in the funeral prayer for the first index case, also escaped while being taken to the isolation centre. He reportedly went back to the IDP camp where officials later picked him up after his neighbours raised alarm. The NCDC had, last night, announced that Bornos confirmed cases of COVID-19 had shot up to 30 cases after 18 more persons tested positive. Mr Kwayabura explained that 16 of Bornos COVID-19 cases emanated from community transmission, while 14 others were connected with the index and another case.' Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 Spanish authorities cautiously prepared further steps to loosen one of Europes toughest CCP virus lockdowns on April 27 after children were allowed to leave their homes for the first time in six weeks, causing concern about crowds in some areas. Having suffered one of the worlds deadliest outbreaks of the COVID-19 respiratory disease, Spain has been under strict lockdown since March 14, but recently begun to ease restrictions as it reined in the infection rate. Daily fatalities from the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus rose by 331 on Monday to a total of 23,521, edging up from 288 the previous day but well below the daily peak of more than 900 recorded in early April. Cumulative cases rose to 209,465 from 207,634 the day before. In the most significant relaxation of the lockdown yet, on Sunday children under 14 were granted one hour of daily supervised outdoor activity, while adhering to social-distancing guidelines and staying within 1 km of their homes. But some local authorities complained parents were allowing their kids to flout the rules, and TV footage showed large crowds gathering in parks and on boardwalks across the country. Local police have detected numerous instances of non-complianceWe appeal for people to be responsible, city hall in the southeastern city of Alicante said in a tweet. In an interview with broadcaster TV3, Catalan regional interior secretary Miquel Buch called for more nuanced regulations such as allowing children of different ages out at different times. However, the national Interior Ministry in Madrid said that generally Spaniards had stuck to the social-distancing rules and breaches were few. There was no widespread or major breach of the rules, beyond a few isolated areas where we are going to increase enforcement, a ministry spokesman said. On Saturday Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced that Spaniards of all ages would be allowed to exercise outdoors from May 2 if the CCP virus toll continues to fall. He also said his cabinet would approve on Tuesday a wider plan to lift restrictions and gradually restart the countrys stuttering economy. Although some key businesses have continued to operate through the shutdown, bars and restaurants remain shuttered and the countrys vital tourism sector has ground to a halt. The loosening will not be rolled out in unison across the country. Instead, each region will decide its own plan to lift restrictions based on a series of criteria, including the infection rate and capacity of local health services. By Nathan Allen and Clara-Laeila Laudette NTD staff contributed to this report. JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu voiced confidence on Sunday that Washington would give Israel the nod within two months to move ahead with de facto annexation of parts of the occupied West Bank. Palestinians have expressed outrage at Israel's plans to cement its hold further on land it seized in the 1967 Middle East war, territory they are seeking for a state. JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu voiced confidence on Sunday that Washington would give Israel the nod within two months to move ahead with de facto annexation of parts of the occupied West Bank. Palestinians have expressed outrage at Israel's plans to cement its hold further on land it seized in the 1967 Middle East war, territory they are seeking for a state. Netanyahu, in announcing a deal with his centrist rival Benny Gantz last week to form a unity government, set July 1 for the start of cabinet discussions on extending Israeli sovereignty to Jewish settlements in the West Bank and annexing outright the area's Jordan Valley. Such a move would need to be agreed with Washington, according to the Netanyahu-Gantz agreement. In a video address on Sunday to a pro-Israeli Christian group in Europe, Netanyahu described a U.S. peace proposal announced by President Donald Trump in January as a promise to recognise Israel's authority over West Bank settlement land. "A couple of months from now I am confident that that pledge will be honoured," Netanyahu told the European Commission for Israel. Palestinian officials offered no immediate comment on Netanyahu's remarks. Palestinians have flatly rejected the Trump peace proposal, partly because it awards Israel most of what it has sought during decades of conflict, including nearly all the occupied land on which it has built settlements. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Wednesday it was up to Israel whether to annex parts of the West Bank and said that Washington would offer its views privately to its new government. The Palestinians and many countries regard Israel's settlements in the West Bank as illegal under the Geneva Conventions that bar settling on land captured in war. Israel disputes this, citing security needs and biblical, historical and political connections to the land. (Reporting by Maayan Lubell; Editing by Jeffrey Heller and Hugh Lawson) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Sunlight was streaming through her windows, but Coren Karpati just lay there in bed, staring at the ceiling. When she finally got up, it was only to shut the blinds, plunging the room into darkness. Karpati then crawled back into bed, turned off her phone and put on Netflix. She had banished the spring day blossoming outside her Hackensack apartment and the rest of the world with it. I was depressed, Karpati, 24, said of that morning earlier this month. I didnt want to do anything. A month-and-a-half into the coronavirus lockdown, she has never felt more isolated or disconnected from society. Karpati is hardly alone. Life under lockdown and social distancing is wearing on the psyches of New Jersey residents. And stress over lost jobs and unpaid bills is rising as the pandemics impact on the economy grows more dire by the day. Although its too early to document the full scope, hospitals, psychologists and other experts report a rise in patients requesting help across the mental health spectrum. Questions weigh heavily on the minds of many, especially those with preexisting conditions such as Karpati, who suffers from clinical depression and anxiety. Will people be left with lasting psychological effects? What will life be like after lockdown restrictions are lifted? Will the crisis change friends, family and others? For a number of people, it has sparked a general increase in anxiety, some feelings of dread and just being generally more scared, said Tom Hollenbach, a Metuchen-based psychologist. Though not to the point where its crippling," he added. But the greatest emotional pain might be yet to come. Hollenbach fears the worst effects have yet to arrive with millions losing their jobs and the economy on the brink of disaster. This is essentially like having a natural disaster that is affecting the entire country, which has never happened before, and which persists for months," Hollenbach said. "Imagine a hurricane that lasts for months and covers the entire country. New Jerseys coronavirus infection rates are slowing, and pressure is growing to reopen nonessential businesses. But Gov. Phil Murphy said Sunday that the state remains a number of weeks away from loosening restrictions. So the lockdown persists, and we remain in pandemic purgatory. All the while, weary residents try to maintain their sanity. I think the more this goes on ... the more its likely to trigger major depressive episodes on a chemical basis, Hollenbach said. Because chronic, prolonged stress can trigger major depressive episodes. Roughly a month into the states ongoing restrictions, Karpati and an untold number of others feel trapped living alone in isolation. Her cramped, one-bedroom apartment only makes it worse. Its been really hard, honestly," she said. Its really lonely. Fueling anxiety Sean Grayson has felt isolated and claustrophobic since society ground to a halt. I cant do anything to make myself sane, he said. Grayson, 36, acknowledges many have it worse, such as the millions whove lost their jobs amid the crisis. But under lockdown at his home in Hamilton with his wife and two kids, exasperation fills his voice. I just want to be able to get in the car, go somewhere, park, get out of the car, take my kids somewhere, said Grayson, who works in sales. Everyone is trying to navigate life in isolation or at least six feet away from everyone else, whether at the supermarket, the doctors office or the pharmacy. That solitude is fueling Americans anxieties. Youre driving through streets that are normally bustling, and theyre deserted, Hollenbach said. Its just got a weird apocalyptic kind of feeling to it. More than one-third of Americans say the crisis has had a serious impact on their mental health, according to a poll by the American Psychiatric Association. Nearly 60% feel the pandemic is having a serious impact on their day-to-day lives." Graysons frustration is a natural reaction, said Kaitlan Baston, director of addiction medicine at the Urban Health Institute of Cooper Health Care. Were social beings. Social interaction is built into our DNA. We actually need that to survive, said Baston, who worries in particular about those with drug and alcohol abuse disorders. Even humans who think they dont need interpersonal human connection its not true. We need interpersonal connection to live, she said. The longer the lockdown drags on, the more damage it can inflict, experts say. The more its likely to trigger major depressive episodes on a chemical basis, Hollenbach said. Because chronic, prolonged stress can trigger major depressive episodes. Coping mechanisms have become vital for some. Karpati needs structure and routine. Without it, her mind spirals. She will dress as though she is going out, if only to give herself the illusion of life before the lockdown. She has a strict no-pajamas-after-noon policy. It is a symbol for Karpati: She must endure, even as the world at large is in chaos. Ill try to wake up at a decent hour," she said. "Ill make myself coffee. Karpati fears for her mental health without that routine. Most days, she bides her time with anything that might distract her. She will blast music while making eggs for breakfast and dance by herself. Anything to "try to keep a positive mindset while all of this is going on, she said. But Karpati felt vulnerable that sunny day earlier this month. She felt cutoff in her bedroom, which is covered in blue decor a blue mandala tapestry hanging above her bed and a blue elephant painting on the wall. The prolonged isolation left her "discouraged, she said. Video chats with friends only heightened those feelings. I didnt want to talk to anybody. I just kind of self-isolated, she said. Amplified fear The virus itself only adds to the anxiety. Fear of it consumed Karpati in late March. Her father, Anthony, tested positive for the coronavirus. He developed a fever and a mild case of pneumonia. "I was really nervous," she said. As her fathers condition worsened, her mother eventually asked her not to visit. "She was so nervous and that was making me nervous and it was like a domino effect," she said. The constant worry about COVID-19 has left everyone almost shaking, she said. Collective fear can further fuel our dread. Fear is often amplified when it is widespread," Hollenbach said. You see everybody else being scared. It makes you more scared. And fear is everywhere, it seems. People are consumed with washing their hands. Some are obsessed over each vague symptom that pops up. They worry about themselves. They worry about their loved ones. No one knows what kind of long-term psychological effect this will have on the public. It is just one of many unknowns presented by this unprecedented pandemic. Long-term quarantines of an entire industrialized society have never happened," Hollenbach said. Theyve never happened ever, and we have no idea what will happen in this case. And the current outbreak might be merely the first phase. Experts say the coronavirus could strike again late in the year during flu season. Those with preexisting mood, alcohol and substance abuse disorders are most at risk, mental health experts say. There are a subset of people and in America, its anywhere between 16% and 18% of individuals who have a preexisting diagnosis of a mood or anxiety disorder, who are genetically vulnerable, said Frank A. Ghinassi, president and CEO of Rutgers Health University Behavioral Health Care. "We are very watchful because, although they're going to be experiencing the same thing the rest of us are, they are, in many ways, more vulnerable," Ghinassi added. Cooper University Hospital in Camden has ramped up access to mental health and substance abuse treatment, especially through teletherapy, after seeing a spike in patients, the hospital said in a statement. Right now, your society is at a huge risk of mental health and substance use disorders increasing, Baston said. Deaths of despair Looming in the background is a crisis not of disease but of despair from an economy teetering on the brink of disaster. A financial crisis could spell doom for many already stressed about the lockdown. That wave is just beginning to hit for some people, Hollenbach said. Its widely known that economic crises lead to spikes in depression and suicide, as well as in alcohol and drug use. Hollenbach expects what he calls deaths of despair suicides, drug overdoses and cirrhosis of the liver cases from alcohol consumption to rise as the economy continues to falter. "You would expect to see the deaths of despair to skyrocket," he said. Hollenbach fears if the economy collapses, a contagion of despair will pervade the state potentially unlike any its seen before. For those living in isolation and already separated from family and friends, the loss of a job could be catastrophic. People could also be left without access to health care and mental health treatment. All these people who lose their jobs and health insurance they will lose their doctors, Hollenbach said. Karpati is among the millions to have lost a job amid the crisis. She is still working via video link as a paraprofessional at a middle school in Mahwah. But she recently was laid off from the bartending job she works in the summer when the school year ends. Like many others, she has encountered frustrating obstacles in trying to file for unemployment. Worst comes to worst, Ill move back in with my parents, she said. But Karpati worries what will happen when this is all over. Will people still be afraid of one another? I wonder if it going to be back to being normal, or its going to be ingrained in us to stay six feet away, she said. In the meantime, she just tries to keep her routine. She knows what happens when she doesnt. Ill probably go insane, Karpati said. Spencer Kent may be reached at skent@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SpencerMKent. 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. More than one million Australians downloaded the COVID-19 tracer app within hours of its launch on Sunday evening and health authorities are expecting more than half the country to sign up. Named COVIDsafe, the voluntary app has been backed by doctors, nursing, business and banking groups and aims to help health officials identify people who may have come in to contact with someone with the virus. But how does the app work? And will it help bring Australia back to normal? How does COVIDsafe work? More than one million Australians downloaded the COVID-19 tracer app within hours of its launch. Source: Getty/AAP After downloading the app, the first thing you will be asked is Do you want to help? The app explains that it will securely note any close contact you have with other users of the app, this information will be used by State and Territory health officials to contact you if you have been in close contact with someone who tested positive to coronavirus. After explaining the details of the app, you will be asked to consent to two questions before registering. Do you consent to the Australian Department of Health collecting your registration information, and collecting your contact information if another COVIDsafe user that you have come into close contact with tests positive for coronavirus. As at 10:30 PM 1 million Australians have now downloaded and registered for the #CovidSafeapp - please join us and help protect ourselves, our families, each other but above all else our nurses and doctors Greg Hunt (@GregHuntMP) April 26, 2020 The user will be asked to enter a full name, age range, postcode and confirm their mobile number. Health Minister Greg Hunt said Australians dont have to enter their real name Yes - thats legally available. "Obviously it's better, I think, if it's exactly who you are. But above all else we want to be able to be in contact, for the state health officials to be in contact, Mr Hunt said. Story continues Finally, the app will ask for permission to turn on Bluetooth and notifications. How does COVIDsafe track you? It's hoped that using the app will speed the process up of easing restrictions. Source: Getty The app is based on Singapore's Tracetogether software, which records the Bluetooth connections a phone makes with others so the user can give that data to state health authorities if they catch the virus. Every instance you are in close contact with another COVIDsafe user is noted on your phone and the other users phone but with an anonymous ID attached to each user. Close contact is determined as being within 1.5 metres of someone for more than 15 minutes. Where does the data go? All data will stay on your phone, and the other users phone for up to 21 days and is then destroyed. If you test positive for COVID-19, you can be asked for your consent to upload your contact information so health officials can then contact other CODIVDsafe users you have been in close contact with. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said only health authorities would have access to the data. "No other government agency can use this information, no one in the Commonwealth government at all, and in state authorities, only the health officer can use it," Prime Minister Scott Morrison said. "Not the police, not the welfare people, nowhere else. Just the health officer." Are there privacy concerns? The app states it will not collect your location information and information you submit is stored on a highly secure server. Each time you come into close contact with another user of the app, the time will be noted and an anonymous ID will be used on the other users phone. Your registration details can only be used for contact tracing 'Above all else we want to be able to be in contact' Greg Hunt said. Source: AAP Those under 16 will need a parent or guardians permission to download the app. Australian Privacy Commissioner Angelene Falk said safeguards were in place to protect personal information collected via the app, and her office would watch its implementation closely. "We can audit the system and investigate complaints from the public about privacy issues," the commissioner said. Could the COVIDsafe app end restrictions? 'The more Australians who download the app the safer we will all be and the more quickly we can begin to ease restrictions'. Source: AAP The government hopes a broader testing regime and the contact tracing app will lead to a relaxation of social and trading restrictions imposed since the pandemic began, earlier rather than later. "It's another tool we need to get back to normal as much as we can," Mr Morrison said. Australian Medical Association President Tony Bartone said the app was an important part of Australia's response to the pandemic. Business Council of Australia chief executive Jennifer Westacott urged all Australians to download the app. "The more Australians who download the app the safer we will all be and the more quickly we can begin to ease restrictions," she said. - with AAP Feeling worried or struggling to cope during the Coronavirus pandemic? Visit coronavirus.beyondblue.org.au or speak with trained counsellors on 1800 512 348. 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. 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Trace begun at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Exceptions.pm line 129 HTML::Mason::Exceptions::rethrow_exception('Can\'t call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25.^J') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 160 HTML::Mason::Component::run_dynamic_sub('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7f0482b3eb68)', 'main') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 951 HTML::Mason::Request::call_dynamic('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f0482c57d50)', 'main') called at /var/cache/mason/obj/1784076917/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj line 17 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 138 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7f0482b3eb68)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1305 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1295 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 958 HTML::Mason::Request::call_next('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f0482c57d50)') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html line 149 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 138 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7f0482a57d80)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1303 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1295 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 484 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 484 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 436 HTML::Mason::Request::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f0482c57d50)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 165 HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f0482c57d50)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 831 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handle_request('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f0482272d08)', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f0482c31da0)') called at (eval 487) line 8 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handler('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f0482c31da0)') called at -e line 0 eval {...} at -e line 0 Copyright 2020 Albuquerque Journal Cindy Sloan Butts would work up to five days a week subbing in Rio Rancho. She would typically get up at 5 a.m. every day, drive to school and teach with enthusiasm. While the substitute teacher of 18 years admitted its hard work, she said she loves it and it was a good way to supplement her retirement from previous jobs in corporate America, which she said covers the basics but not much else. She would use her subbing income for expenses such as visiting her grandchildren in western New York, or to put money toward full retirement one day. But since schools closed for the rest of the academic year due to the COVID-19 crisis, Sloan Butts hasnt been able to sub, and she hasnt had an income. I only get paid for hours and days I work, so when the schools are closed, I dont get paid, she said. Sloan Butts last day teaching was March 13. Rio Rancho Public Schools is only paying its long-term subs about 12 for digital instruction, but there isnt other work available for the short-term subs such as Sloan Butts, according to spokeswoman Melissa Perez. State Public Education Department spokeswoman Deborah Martinez told the Journal that in general subs arent expected to be paid unless they are performing other duties during the closures or if they are taking on long-term subbing roles. The PED didnt have a total count of subs in New Mexico, citing fluidity of the position. Martinez noted that substitute teachers can file for unemployment with the state, if needed. As the federal government has expanded unemployment eligibility, subs who are considered contractors will be able to apply for unemployment under Pandemic Unemployment Assistance this week, according to Stacy Johnston of the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions. Sloan Butts said she wont be applying for unemployment, saying that she gets a pension and doesnt want to take the money from people who need it more. Instead, she is working on writing a book during this time and exploring other options for work in education. Mony Gomez, a former teacher in New Mexico for 35 years, has been a substitute teacher for Albuquerque Public Schools for the past 11 years. Like Sloan Butts, she told the Journal that she subbed regularly, often five days a week, to supplement her educator pension and because she loves the work. But Gomez said that she hasnt been getting paid either since schools were shut down. When the order to close schools was announced, Secretary of Education Ryan Stewart said school personnel would be paid as usual, which Gomez hoped would apply to her, but it didnt. Gomez said she was taken by surprise, especially after learning that some school districts in the country have vowed to pay subs. For instance, Los Angeles Unified School District said in March that it would pay subs during school closures based on their work history and previously scheduled assignments. APS subs are managed by staffing agency Kelly Education. Nicola Soares, senior vice president of Kelly Education, said most of the roughly 1,600 APS subs arent being paid. About 160 of these subs, who were on long-term assignments, will continue to fill in for teachers and get paid as the district shifts to at-home instruction, according to APS spokeswoman Johanna King. Soares said that Kelly Education is trying to find other work for the rest of the employees, adding that there are now virtual K-12 tutoring assignments that some subs can take advantage of. Kelly Education officials said the agency wont know how many Albuquerque subs have worked in virtual tutoring until schools reopen. Gomez and Sloan Butts said the lack of a paycheck is tough, but what they miss most is the kids. What I miss most about being away from the children is their inspiration, Sloan Butts said. Germany abandoned its own coronavirus contact-tracing strategy on Sunday in favour of the 'decentralised' technology approach advocated by Apple and Google. Many countries are rushing to develop tracing apps to help stop the spread of COVID-19, which can be transmitted by individuals showing no signs of infection. The decentralised approach which is also favoured by a number of European countries would see user data stored locally, rather than in a central server. While the centralised approach offers advantages for monitoring the spread of COVID-19, the potential mass aggregation of user data has raised privacy concerns. German Chancellery Minister Helge Braun and Health Minister Jens Spahn said in a joint statement that Berlin would adopt a "decentralised" approach to digital tracing. The move will see the country abandon a home-grown alternative that would have given health authorities central control over mass user tracing data. Scroll down for video Germany abandoned its own coronavirus contact-tracing strategy on Sunday in favour of the 'decentralised' technology approach advocated by Apple and Google In Europe, most countries have elected to use short-range Bluetooth 'handshakes' between mobile devices as the best way of registering potential contacts between individuals, even though such an approach does not provide location data. However, there have been disagreements about whether to log such contacts on individual devices, or on a central server. The latter would be more directly useful to existing contact tracing teams that work phones and knock on doors to warn those who may be at risk however, critics have expressed concerns about the potential for misuse of user data. Under a decentralised approach, users could still opt to share their phone number or details of their symptoms allowing health authorities to directly give them advice on what to do in the event that they are found to be at risk. This consent would have to be given in the app, however, and would not be part of the contact-tracing system's central architecture. Germany had instead been backing a centralised standard called 'Pan-European Privacy-Preserving Proximity Tracing' (PEPP-PT). This approach, however, would have needed Apple to allow the contact tracing app on its iPhones to access Bluetooth while running in the background a facility the tech firm has traditionally limited for privacy and security reasons. With Apple coming out in support of decentralised contact tracing, Germany was left with no alternative but to change course, a senior government source said. In a joint statement, Dr Braun and Mr Spahn said that Germany would now be adopting a 'strongly decentralised' approach. 'This app should be voluntary, meet data protection standards and guarantee a high level of IT security,' the duo added. 'The main epidemiological goal is to recognise and break chains of infection as soon as possible.' German Chancellery Minister Helge Braun and Health Minister Jens Spahn, pictured, said in a joint statement that Berlin would adopt a "decentralised" approach to digital tracing Bluetooth-based smartphone contact tracing operates by assessing the closeness and length of contact between people and should a person test positive for COVID-19 telling their recent contacts to call a doctor, get tested or self-isolate. Early results in countries such as Singapore have been modest, however, especially when set against the technology's potential to redefine the relationship between state and individual. An open letter from hundreds of scientists published on April 20 warned that centralised contact tracing data could potentially allow 'unprecedented surveillance of society at large'. Opinion was already against against PEPP-PT and its main backer the German tech entrepreneur Chris Boos with collaborators having pulled out, faulting its methodology and its slowness to open up the work to wider scrutiny. One of the members of PEPP-PT, Germany's Fraunhofer HHI research institute, was told on Saturday that it had been taken off the project, correspondence seen by Reuters showed. 'A series of grave errors were made by PEPP-PT regarding communication that, at the end of the day, caused serious damage and led to this decision,' Fraunhofer HHI head Thomas Wiegand said in a message to colleagues. Germany's reversal has brought it into line with a proposal by Apple and Google, who said this month that they would develop new tools to support decentralised contact tracing. In Europe, France and Britain still back centralisation. Centralised apps would not work properly on Apple's iPhone because, for Bluetooth exchanges to happen, the device would need to be unlocked with the app running in the foreground a drain on the battery and an inconvenience to the user. However, the iPhone will work with decentralised protocols such as Decentralised Privacy-Preserving Proximity Tracing (DP-3T), which has been developed by a Swiss-led team and is backed by Switzerland, Austria and Estonia. Backers of DP-3T say that it is still possible for users voluntarily to opt in to share their phone number in order to pass epidemiologically useful data although not location to authorities to aid contact tracing. DP-3T, in a statement, welcomed Germany's change of heart. Glen, N.Y. State police say a Utica man had more than a pound of marijuana in his possession when they stopped his vehicle on the Thruway. Tre C. Mathis, 23, was driving on Interstate 90 in the town of Glen at about 10:35 p.m. Friday when a trooper pulled him over for a traffic violation, state police said in a news release. As the trooper interviewed occupants in the vehicle, state police determined they had probable cause to search the vehicle, the release said. Thats when troopers found Mathis in possession of 469 grams (or 1.03397 pounds) of marijuana, state police said. Mathis was taken into custody and brought to the state police barracks in Fultonville, where he was charged with second-degree criminal possession of marijuana, a felony. He was then arraigned in Canajoharie Town Court in Montgomery County and released on his own recognizance. Mathis is scheduled to answer the charge June 18 in Glen Town Court, state police said. Have a tip or a story idea? Contact Catie OToole: cotoole@syracuse.com | text/call (315) 470-2134 | Twitter | Facebook This plan differs from the one that was proposed by the Cabinet of Ministers and will be presented in the near future Kyiv has prepared a plan of action regarding the easing of restrictive measures. It differs from the one that was presented by the Cabinet of Ministers. Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko announced this during an online press conference, which was broadcasted by 112 Ukraine TV channel. "We have already prepared the necessary decisions for this and we have a plan of consistent actions. But not all important and necessary steps are in the powers of local authorities. And there are decisions that are within the competence of the government and the Verkhovna Rada," Klitschko said. The Cabinet of Ministers prolonged lockdown until May 11 and announced the stages of its future easing. However, Kyiv authorities have reservations about the proposed action plan. "Kyiv has some comments on the list and the sequence of steps. And this week we are going to announce what the first stage suggests and what the capital is going to do," Kyiv mayor added. As we reported earlier, as of early April 27, the number of lab-confirmed Covid-19 cases in Ukraine made 9,009. 220 of those proved lethal. 864 people recovered from the disease. 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Revolutionary People's Rep'c of Guinea-Bissau, Republic of Guyana, Republic of Heard and McDonald Islands Holy See (Vatican City State) Honduras, Republic of Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China Hrvatska (Croatia) Hungary, Hungarian People's Republic Iceland, Republic of India, Republic of Indonesia, Republic of Iran, Islamic Republic of Iraq, Republic of Ireland Israel, State of Italy, Italian Republic Japan Jordan, Hashemite Kingdom of Kazakhstan, Republic of Kenya, Republic of Kiribati, Republic of Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Kuwait, State of Kyrgyz Republic Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon, Lebanese Republic Lesotho, Kingdom of Liberia, Republic of Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Liechtenstein, Principality of Lithuania Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Macao, Special Administrative Region of China Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Madagascar, Republic of Malawi, Republic of Malaysia Maldives, Republic of Mali, Republic of Malta, 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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. Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe I n normal times the Monday morning back-to-work feeling would be a cause for depression, but signs that workers across the world may return to their jobs proved uplifting for investors on Monday. Markets across the globe rose as a string of nations notably France, Italy, Spain, Australia and New Zealand signalled an easing of their lockdown restrictions. Bourses in France, Germany and Spain all followed Asian trading in rising sharply. In Britain the FTSE 100 shot up over 100 points, nearing month-highs before slipping back slightly as Boris Johnson returned to work but failed to spell out how changes to the lockdown might be implemented. The blue-chip index rose 80.19 points or 1.4% to 5832.42 points. Some of the worst-hit stocks this year enjoyed a mini-rally, with easyJet up 17.8p to 590.8p, cruises giant Carnival rising 34.6p to 883.8p and British Gas owner Centrica gaining 1.1p at 33.4p. Analysts said more countries easing lockdowns this week could spur markets, which will also likely be dictated by policy decisions by the US Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank on Wednesday and Thursday. It is also a big week in the under-pressure oil market. The price of US oil and Brent Crude both tumbled the latter down nearly $1 at $20 today as storage runs short. Some oil is even being stored in small barges around Europes main trading hub between Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Antwerp. But shares in oil majors Shell and BP gained around 1% to 1363p and 313p respectively with both due to report on trading and, crucially, the future of their dividend payouts, this week. Among the biggest risers on the Footsie was industrial equipment rentals specialist Ashtead which warned on profits but slashed spending and said trading in the US and UK is stabilising. Hargreaves Lansdown analyst Nicholas Hyett said Ashtead had weathered the start of the crisis well but added: While survival is a good starting point the group needs the economy, and construction sector in particular, to be on an even keel if its to thrive. While Government spending on infrastructure is likely to increase in the short term, a boom in the wider construction sector looks like a big ask. Shares powered up 114p to 1944p. Outsourcer Capita also made gains after landing a 60 million four-year extension to its contract to administer a pension scheme for teachers on behalf of the Department for Education. The shares were up 10% at 37p. Small-cap spotlight Shares in Omega shot up today as it prepared to begin producing an antibody test for Covid-19. The following list includes recent reports from the Midland County Sheriff's Office and the Midland Police Department. Compiled by reporter Mitchell Kukulka. Wednesday, April 22 11:23 p.m. -- A deputy was dispatched to the area of East Shaffer Road near North Five Road for a car-deer crash. 10:52 p.m. -- A deputy was sent to Lee Township for a report of an all-black cow that was loose and running around. The deputy checked the area but was unable to locate the cow. Contact was made with the owners, who said the cow has been loose for over a day now. The owners were also out looking for the cow. 7:51 p.m. -- Officers performed a warrant arrest and responded to a domestic assault in the 1500 block of Sylvan Lane. 7:51 p.m. -- Officers responded to a domestic assault in the 4800 block of Inglewood Drive. 5:14 p.m. -- Officers responded to a report of fraud in the 700 block of Oakbrook Drive. 5:03 p.m. -- Officers responded to a report of fraud in the 1300 block of Franklin Street. 4:54 p.m. -- Deputies checked a Warren Township residence in reference to information regarding an assault which occurred on April 21. Deputies made contact with the 30-year-old female victim by telephone. The woman resides in Bay County, and denied an incident occurred. Deputies turned the information over to Bay County and requested they do a well-being check. 2:32 p.m. -- A deputy was dispatched to a Mills Township roadway for a possible single-vehicle crash. The caller reported that a small blue truck went off the roadway and was possibly being removed by another vehicle. The vehicles were gone prior to the deputy's arrival. 12:19 p.m. -- A Warren Township gas station reported a customer failed to pay for $13.02 in gas. The customer paid for other items but the clerk got distracted and did not charge the man for the gas. The clerk realized it too late and no plate was obtained. 11:28 a.m. -- A Mills Township man reported numerous vehicles coming and going from a neighbor's residence that he found suspicious. The caller was also concerned that the people coming and going were not following the Governor's Order regarding COVID-19. A deputy contacted the resident, a 38-year-old man, who said nothing suspicious or illegal is occurring and it is mostly family that stops over. The deputy encouraged the man to try and not have people stopping over to comply with the governor's order. 10:03 a.m. -- A 35-year-old Midland Township woman reported that her 14-year-old daughter had ran away from her residence. While investigating, the child's father, a 35-year-old Greendale Township man, reported that he had found the juvenile and that she was safe. Both parents were referred to Probate Court regarding parenting/custody questions and issues. 8:40 a.m. -- Officers responded to a report of domestic violence in the 2200 block of West Wackerly Street. 1:11 a.m. -- Deputies responded to a Mount Haley Township residence to remove a firearm from the residence after a weapons violation. Human life as we knew it has come to a standstill in many countries across the globe. In an effort to curb the spread of the Coronavirus, the lockdowns being experienced by many nations have led the people to wonder when it will finally end. A short answer would be, possibly soon but do not expect things to go back the way they were. This is not a prediction for what is to come, rather a window into what's in store for countries like India -- an observation of different regions in the world and how they're fighting to regain some sort of normalcy while continuing to deal with COVID-19 pandemic. And the only thing constant across these regions is that nothing is same as before. Reuters Don't Miss: Contribute To Indiatimes Fundraiser To Help India Fight COVID-19 In the post COVID-19 era, physical and social distancing, wearing masks, getting screened for body temperature are the new norms. No matter the venue - offices, malls, restaurants, the story remains the same. A community terrified of the prospect of a second wave of infections is what can be seen in such places. China, Taiwan or Australia, different countries, same sights. It is not a question of right or wrong practices anymore, because no country has it all figured out, and they're constantly vigilant of a resurgent wave. So instead, the social practice now followed largely depend on what is absolutely necessary. As the Australian prime minister, Scott Morrison, mentioned recently Its going to be step by step, there is going to be some trial and error, this is completely uncharted territory. No country in the world has worked this out yet we will all work together and we will all find a way through. (Representative Image: Reuters) Only a look at the regions that have evolved from the pandemic can give us a real insight on what can be expected. So taking cues from places like Wuhan, Taiwan and other parts, here is what may happen in the coming months in places around the world under lockdown right now: 1. Only partial opening post lockdown Once the lockdown in lifted in any region currently experiencing it, not all establishments are expected to start functioning right away. While only select workplaces will be allowed to operate with minimum attendance, the practice will also be followed for restaurants, malls, bars and other such places, mostly depending upon their locality and attendance allowed at any given point in time. The basic understanding is that an organisation will not risk the majority of its occupants even with a single possible Coronavirus case. This brings us to the precautionary measures being followed in places that have opened. 2. Physical distancing is the new norm Gone are the days when people would climb over each other to address a person on the counter. Maintaining physical distance from everyone around you is a compulsion in the post COVID 19 lockdown era and is strongly ensured by the authorities at any region. Proper markers for people to stand in a queue, limited attendance in workplaces, shops, restaurants and even subways, and even the addressal of each customer separately is what is being observed in places in China. Even within a diner, people within a group are being served dishes separately, mentions a report by The Hindu. Of course, this is only one part of the ongoing precautionary measures. Physical distancing in practice. (Representative Image: BCCL) 3. Masks are mandatory The most important thing is you wear mask, Peter Cui, a Wuhan worker mentions in a CNN report. The statement cannot be stressed enough, as apart from possibly being the crucial line of defense against the novel virus, masks have become a compulsion in almost every part of the country. No mask equates to no entry in almost any open establishment. Penalties are also being levied on those found outside their homes without wearing masks. 4. Your health is now a public record Keeping your health data private is no longer an option. Within China, a persons health QR code generated through an app is the most legitimate criteria for anyone to be allowed or denied entry to an establishment. Ones status on the app depends on the travel history of the person and their previous points of contact. If everything is good, the app will mark one as Green, else Orange or Red - the indicators of a possible infection and hence a marker of quarantine. India launches a similar app by the name of 'Aarogya Setu App'. The use of the app at a large scale though, is still to be seen. 5. Compulsory temperature screening In case the data on the app is not good enough, temperature screening is compulsory before entering any campus. Any signs of an increased temperature can lead to a denial of entry into the campus and in a worst case scenario can lead to a compulsory hospitalisation by the authorities, even if it isnt necessarily a COVID-19 symptom. Since regulating the app and its data is not a very viable practice for many other nations across the globe, temperature screening can be seen much more in effect than the former as a valid passport. Temperature screening. (Representative Image: BCCL) 6. COVID 19 test results Another mandate in select places is a COVID-19 test result that a person must possess as a proof of not being infected by the virus. Several organisations are abiding by the rule and will only let one enter the premises if tested negative for COVID 19. 7. Going to office is not the same As mentioned above, not all workplace will open up right away post the lockdown. In fact, those that require their workforce to be in attendance will likely only be allowed to do so in part. Offices will have to regulate their attendance every day, keeping it at the bare minimum or as per the government regulations. This means work from home is likely to be a continued practice for a long time to come and organisations will have to reshape their work flow accordingly. 8. Schools go online Considering children to be a more vulnerable class of society to the COVID 19 disease, their exposure to the outside will largely be avoided as per the new norms. Schools in China have already moved to an online learning model. As per The Hindu report, some 300 million Chinese students in schools and universities are now taking classes online everyday. These classes range across e-learning platforms and courses. A similar model can be followed in India post lockdown. Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates recently mentioned that he sees the US schools being reopened around fall (autumn) with limited attendance. Online classes being conducted (Representative Image: BCCL) 9. Better forget travelling for leisure Travel and tourism has undoubtedly been the hardest hit industry from the ongoing pandemic. With the way things are unfolding post lockdown, it is easy to infer that the situation is likely to remain unchanged. Part of the reason is a new-found hostility towards immigrants, who are being labelled as a possible way of bringing imported infections to a region. This means that managing accommodation in a distant place is likely to be very tough on the lack of a proof of the traveller not being infected by COVID-19. Even tougher is the travel. Airlines have been instructed to leave a seats gap between passengers, which is likely to make air tickets expensive than before. Passengers are required to present proof of their wellbeing. This may be in the form of COVID-19 test results, temperature screening or health status from the app (and like measures). It is possible that one would have to self-quarantine after every travel for a given number of days. Countries like Taiwan have made special arrangement for such travellers. They have inducted special epidemic-prevention taxis for people to commute from the airport to their quarantine facility. Such travellers are barred from using public transportation to avoid any possible transmission of COVID-19 to others. The cabs are disinfected after every trip and are not allowed to take local passengers at all as per a report. Travellers in protective suits are seen at Wuhan Tianhe International Airport. (Representative Image: Reuters) 10. Years-long struggle The new norms are tough and not many are accustomed to them. So it is natural for the majority to wish things get back to normal without all these necessities in place for simple tasks like visiting a mall. That, however, is only possible once a proven cure as well as a vaccine for the Coronavirus is found and is made available to the masses. Till then, experts claim that some form of lockdown to continue on an on-and-off basis until at least a year or two from now. The end to this will only be observed post herd immunity for humans. [April 27, 2020] AGMA to Tech Industry: Don't Lose Focus When It Comes to Protecting Digital IP WASHINGTON, April 27, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In the complex world of digital intellectual property (IP) protection, its time to refresh on security fundamentals before its too late. According to AGMA, a non-profit organization solely focused on intellectual property protection for the high-tech industry, a simple, forward-thinking approach utilizing basic information security best practices will go a long way toward securing a businesss digital assets. More than just a cornerstone of innovation and technological advancements, digital IP represents the most rapidly growing portion of the global economy making it an especially attractive target for criminals. By 2021, Cybersecurity Ventures estimates that cybercrimes will impact businesses across the globe to the tune of $6 trillion annually the University of Maryland calculates thats one malicious attack every 39 seconds. Every company with digital assets from software to music to firmware, and everything in between, is at risk. Due to digital IPs intangible nature, protecting it is an especially difficult task that comes with its own unique challenges. Set a Clear Focus On a mission to hinder threats to IP and render these activities more difficult, undesirable and unprofitable, AGMA has identified six key areas of focus as must-haves to protect digital IP on a basic level: Access Control Policies and Procedures Typically the very first requirement in information security, access control is a must-have when it comes to protecting digital assets. Uncontrolled or poorly controlled access to data and business systems can leave organizations exposed. Ensuring a comprehensive access review of all applicable systems is imperative to identifying access risks. This should include appropriately restricting access and ongoing reviews of access levels. A robust access control policy should outline the controls placed on both direct and remote access to computer systems to protect networks and data. Event Logging Event logging is essential to maintaining a healthy system, as the ability to see what is happening in the environment is crucial. Log and retain records of what type of event occurred, when the event occurred, where the event occurred, the source of the event, the outcome of the event, and the identity of any individuals or subjects associated with th event. To monitor and report on bad actors, logging should be comprehensive. Monitoring and Reporting Appropriate data analytics should be used to monitor and identify trends or transactions outside of norms or expectations on an ongoing basis. Any unauthorized use should be reported to the appropriate parties, and enforcement actions should start immediately. User Awareness and Training Information security awareness training is an effective tool against IP theft when specifically targeted to the appropriate users. Ensuring that users are made aware of the ways in which they might unintentionally expose IP is of extreme importance. Security by Design Security should be at the core of design. From conception through market release, security should be a top priority throughout the entire lifecycle of a digital asset. Planning and policies for building security up front (vs. after the fact) should be implemented and adhered to, as it is much more expensive to add security later than it is to design it in right from the start. Security capabilities should be proactively included within applications, programs and infrastructures. Continuous Improvement Securing digital IP is not a one and done activity. Monitoring information security best practices, performing risk reviews, and scaling security policies and controls continuously is needed to keep ahead of emerging threats. Companies should drive a culture and implement processes that prioritize security improvements on an ongoing basis. Urgent situations including product deadlines, customer crises or fast-approaching sales goals often cause protection protocols to break down. According to AGMA president Sally Nguyen, Dont put yourself in a position where you lose focus on security. Its an easy mistake to make in the hyper-competitive business world of today and the bad guys know it. Cyber criminals are looking for businesses to drop their guard. Ensuring you have protocols in place to proactively address threats puts you in a better position to protect your business. Additionally, as a best practice, AGMA strongly encourages companies to ensure they comply with the key information security standards and requirements applicable to their areas of business. These may include guidelines from International Standards Organization (ISO), and government standards such as HIPAA and NIST, in the United States and GDPR in the European Union. Knowledge Is Power AGMA exists to educate the industry and the public by sharing and developing best practices in the fight against IP theft, continued Nguyen. We do this through worldwide events, educational initiatives, industry guidelines, and more. To learn more about AGMA, or to become a member, please visit www.agmaglobal.org. About AGMA AGMA is a non-profit organization comprised of influential companies in the technology sector. Incorporated in 2001, AGMAs mission is to address gray market fraud, parallel imports, counterfeiting, software piracy, and service abuse of technology products around the globe. The organizations goals are to protect intellectual property and authorized distribution channels, improve customer satisfaction and preserve brand integrity. AGMA welcomes technology manufacturers, as well as persons or entities that own or hold intellectual property rights to finished goods outside the technology industry; government and law enforcement officials; product and service providers who provide goods and/or services to combat gray market fraud, counterfeiting and warranty and service abuse threats. AGMA uses a variety of avenues to cultivate change in the marketplace, including event speaking, educational initiatives, benchmark studies, industry guidelines, and, where appropriate, public policy advocacy. To learn more about AGMAs initiatives or to become a member, please visit www.agmaglobal.org or follow them on LinkedIn and Twitter. Media Contact: Stephanie Olsen Lages & Associates (949) 453-8080 [email protected] An image accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c4905739-942c-4794-b441-01cf08aafef3 The photo is also available at Newscom, www.newscom.com, and via AP PhotoExpress. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, Gov. Cuomo addresses the media while holding an n95 mask during his daily press briefing on COVID-19. Read more NEW YORK Expanded testing suggests that nearly 1 in 4 New York City residents has contracted coronavirus since the pandemic tore into the city last month, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Monday. Some 24.7% of people tested at random in the five boroughs had coronavirus antibodies, meaning they have had the deadly disease and recovered. Thats up from 21% in a previous round of testing last week. The figures mean about 2 million New York City residents have had the virus. Cuomo vowed to roll out more antibody testing to 1,000 NYPD officers, along with a similar number of transit workers and firefighters and 3,000 health care workers. We want to know exactly (how) those front line workers are, he said. If they have been infected, we want to make sure people are getting help and we want to know exactly what happened. The positive rate in the antibody tests are much lower upstate, and the statewide average is just below 15%. Cuomo announced that 337 New Yorkers died of coronavirus in the past day. The number is down from the past few days, he said. But thats no solace for 337 families who are suffering today. Hospitalization rates are steady or dropping a bit as the state continues to emerge from the worst days of the pandemic. Cuomo announced that the state would immediately allocate $25 million to food banks. As the economic devastation spreads, the number of people who are seeking food handouts has doubled in the five boroughs and tripled in suburban Westchester. The governor pleaded with wealthy philanthropists to lend a helping hand. This is the number one thing they can do to help, Cuomo said. The governor said he had a productive conversation with President Donald Trump and they discussed whether to keep open the federal emergency hospitals in case there is a second wave of the pandemic. Cuomo did resume his feud with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who branded aid to hard-hit states as blue state bailouts. He also sniped at Democratic leaders who have repeatedly assured him that New York will get aid in a future federal stimulus package. When they say dont worry, I get worried, Cuomo said. The governor showed a flash of impatience when a reporter sought to grill him about complaints that a hard-hit Brooklyn nursing home was denied permission to transfer ailing patients to the Navy hospital ship Comfort. Cuomo suggested that some nursing homes may have resisted handing over patients to state authorities because they didnt want to lose patient revenue. If they get transferred to a hospital, then the nursing home doesnt get paid for (the patient), he said. A body found in Hopedale, Ohio on Saturday is believed to be missing 28-year-old Jacob Jake Hill, according to the Harrison County Sheriffs Office. Jake has been missing since March 20, 2020, from Hopedale, Ohio. Jacob Hill His mother, Tina Hill, told Dateline in early April that Jacob was last known to be at her house where he was intending to live for a short time. He left several personal belongings behind and Tina worried foul play was involved in her sons disappearance. On Saturday, April 25, Jakes family posted on Facebook that his body had been found. It is with the heaviest hearts that we let you all know that Jacob was found today. This was not the outcome we were hoping for but we are so thankful that we got to bring him home. This boy, this wonderful boy was such a broken soul. He tried so hard to make it and stay good. He was always searching for the next thing or person that was going to make him happy. We are absolutely devastated about losing him but I hope he is at peace now. Hopefully he is up there with John Henry catching up. Take care of him Dad til we can all be together again. Please pray for His Mom, Dad and big Sister. Our family is heartbroken and numb. Please respect their privacy as they deal with this for the next coming weeks. Thank you to the Harrison County Sheriffs Office and their officers. We appreciate you guys so much. Thank you all for the prayers, shares and thoughts. We love you Buddy. We will miss you forever . Harrison County Sheriff Ronald Myers told Dateline that a body was found in a wooded area behind a cemetery on 5th Street in Hopedale, Ohio. Jakes ID and wallet were found with the body, which was "badly decomposed." "We believe it to be Jacob Hill," Sheriff Myers said. The body has been sent to Cuyahoga County for an autopsy to determine cause of death. It is not yet known if foul play was involved. Anyone with information about Jacobs death should call the Harrison County Sheriffs Office at (740) 942-2197. Since the novel coronavirus hit the world, healthcare workers have been on the frontlines, to lead the battle against virus. Thousands of healthcare workers have been infected or have lost their lives after coming in contact with covid-19 patients. These heartbreaking pictures show healthcare workers and first response communities, mourning their colleagues who passed away due to COVID-19, while there are some who are still fighting the battle: Georgian police have detained two Bulgarian citizens for the purchase and possession of 40kg of heroin in Batumi. Director of the Central Criminal Department Mamuka Chelidze said that the Bulgarians had smuggled an especially large quantity of drugs with the intention of selling them in Europe. Chelidze said the joint operation to detain the offenders was carried out by Georgian Interior Ministry and the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, Agenda.ge reported. Joe Biden unloaded on corporate America for being greedy as hell and slammed the Trump administration for steering billions in coronavirus relief funds to big businesses as the former vice president demanded that the next stimulus be a hell of a lot bigger than $2trillion. Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee, accused the administration of wasting a hell of a lot of money in giving funds to those who dont need it. The former vice president also demanded that the next stimulus package include aid to local governments so that they could prevent laying off a hell of a lot of teachers and cops and firefighters. In an interview conducted on Friday by POLITICO, Biden echoed many of the criticisms of the government bailout packages heard from the more progressive wing of the Democratic Party. On Friday, the House of Representatives approved a $484billion economic measure designed to give additional relief to small businesses who have been battered by the coronavirus pandemic. Former Vice President Joe Biden (above) slammed the Trump administration over the coronavirus relief packages which provided money to large corporations Table: Some of the public companies, listed in order of their market value, who have received loans from the Paycheck Protection Program set up to help small businesses Lawmakers returned to Washington, D.C. last week to vote on the fourth coronavirus relief bill after it passed through the Senate on Tuesday following at least two weeks of delay as Democrats blocked the first version of the legislation in order to push for additional funding for state and local governments. The bill is the latest effort by the federal government to help keep afloat businesses that have had to close or dramatically alter their operations as states try to slow the spread of the virus. Over the past five weeks, roughly 26 million people have filed for jobless aid, or about 1 in 6 US workers. The measure passed 388 to 5 in the House only 35 lawmakers were absent on Thursday, a remarkable low number given the restrictions in place to combat the coronavirus. The five lawmakers voted against it were a mix of both parties: Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Republicans Reps. Andy Biggs, Ken Buck, Jody Hice, and Tom Massie. Independent Rep. Justin Amash voted present. In short remarks on the House floor ahead of the vote, Ocasio-Cortez - who said she represented the 'most impacted district in America' - criticized Republicans for not including more funding. 'It is a joke when Republicans say that they have urgency around this bill,' she said, complaining the opposition was trying to help big companies and not small businesses. 'You are not trying fix this bill for mom & pops.' Biden also slammed the administration for a lack of oversight. President Trump is seen above at the White House on Wednesday WHAT'S IN THE $484 BILLION CORONAVIRUS RELIEF BILL? The House passed the emergency interim relief package Thursday night after the Senate finally came to an agreement on the legislation and moved it through the upper chamber Tuesday afternoon. Heres where the $484 billion is going: $320 billion for Small Business Administration's Paycheck Protection Program - $125 billion of that will go to the minority and women-owned businesses and 'little mom-and-pop stores' that don't have a good banking connections $30 billion to increase production and distribution of coronavirus tests - $11 billion of that will go to the states to boost testing at a local-level $75 billion for hospitals $60 billion for the Small Business Administration's Economic Injury Disaster Loan program Any remaining funds will go to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health and other agencies supporting coronavirus mitigation Advertisement She did not say she was voting against the bill but complained it didn't have enough 'rent and mortgage relief for our constituents.' President Trump signed the legislation into law on Friday. Biden said on Friday that he doesnt believe the legislation goes far enough in helping small businesses. The former vice president said that this is the second time weve bailed their a***s out a reference to the 2009 bailout legislation that was signed by the Obama administration after the economic collapse from the year before. He slammed large banks like Wells Fargo for prioritizing large clients in lobbying for aid in the stimulus packages. We knew from the beginning that the big banks dont like lending to small businesses, Biden said. Im telling you, though, if Main Street businesses dont get help, theyre gone. Biden also slammed the Trump administration for what he says is a lack of oversight in making sure that the money goes to those who need it. What is the small-business relief program? The Paycheck Protection Program exhausted its $350 billion in funding last week and many small businesses were unable to obtain loans they desperately need to stay afloat. Congress and the White House say they're close to an agreement on that would give the program about $300 billion in fresh funds. The government program, which is overseen by the Treasury and administered by the Small Business Administration, limits loan recipients to businesses with fewer than 500 employees and revenue of less than $2.5 billion. But it makes an exception for restaurants and other food service businesses that employ fewer than 500 people per location, meaning that restaurant chains are as eligible for the loans as a neighborhood restaurant or bar. The small business lending program is part of the $2.2 trillion rescue package approved by Congress last month. Advertisement Right now, theres no oversight, he said. Trump made it real clear he doesnt have any damn interest in being checked. The last thing he wants is anyone watching that $500 billion going to corporate America, for Gods sake. A spokesperson for the Trump campaign, Tim Murtaugh, accused Biden and the Democrats of exploiting the coronavirus crisis to pass a Green New Deal, which would lead to millions of job losses in the energy sector. Joe Biden helped preside over the worst economic recovery since World War II, so economic advice from him is not exactly a hot commodity, Murtaugh said. The additional funding requested by Democrats was not in the final bill but the president said he was open to having it in a fifth coronavirus relief measure, a piece of legislation already being furiously debated. Progressive critics of the CARES Act which was passed by Congress in late March said that $500billion of taxpayer funds went to large corporations. The airline industry received $75billion while aerospace manufacturer Boeing could qualify for as much as $17billion in relief because it is considered a business critical to maintaining the national security. Nikki Haley, the former governor of South Carolina who was Trumps ambassador to the United Nations, resigned from the companys board of directors in protest after it requested relief money from the government. While Boeing has struggled financially due to the fallout from the rounding of its 737 MAX fleet, it sits on $24billion in cash, according to USA TODAY. While I know cash is tight, that is equally true for numerous other industries and for millions of small businesses, Haley wrote in her resignation letter. I cannot support a move to lean on the federal government for a stimulus or bailout that prioritizes our company over others and relies on taxpayers to guarantee our financial position. I have long held strong convictions that this is not the role of government. Republicans led by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell are not eager to pass more relief bills that could increase the debt burden Some large corporations received millions of dollars that were supposed to be earmarked for small business. AutoNation, a Fortune 500 company worth $3billion, received almost $95million in federal small-business funds almost double the amount of any company that received money through the Paycheck Protection Program. Last week, the companys executives said that the board voted to return the funds. A combined total of $59million from the small business lending package was given to companies headed by Monty Bennett, the owner of luxury properties like the Ritz-Carlton in St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands. Big restaurant chains like Potbelly Corp and Ruths Chris Steak House also received millions in loans. Shake Shack, the burger chain which closed 63 of its 120 locations worldwide, returned $10million in loans that it received from the federal government. In 2019, the company generated $595million in sales and a $20million net profit. Ruth's Chris Steak House ended up returning $20million in loans that it received through the PPP. These are extraordinary times and we all are in uncharted territory. There is a lot of fear and negativity in all spheres due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. While the Corona Warriors are doing a tremendous job fighting from the frontlines, we at Adgully are embarking on an endeavour to highlight the positive developments during these challenging times. Adgully is featuring a series of brief interactions with industry leaders in India and find out how they are keeping their spirits up as well as keeping their employees motivated, also how they are joining in the fight against the adverse impact of the global pandemic. Sumit Sehgal, CMO, Sheela Foam Ltd, speaks about how the lockdown and people staying at home has provided Brand Sleepwell the opportunity to increase its relevance, while at the same time also urging people to Stay Home, Sleep Well and put a stop to the spread of the Coronavirus. What steps are you and your organisation taking to help out the society at large or those engaged in the war against COVID-19? The current COVID-19 scenario is a huge cause for concern for the country. With the lockdown, people are spending all their time at home and are increasingly spending more time in their bedrooms. The mattress is being used a lot more nowadays, with people doing office work on their beds, watching more television and spending the extra time on hand with family. We realise that during these difficult times, people may miss out on a very important requirement of their routine Sleep. To re-emphasise on the benefits of sleep, we have launched an awareness campaign to encourage citizens to complete 8 hours of sound sleep to boost their bodys defences. The #StaySafeWithSleepwell campaign compares the benefits of common healthy habits that we are currently practising in our homes and lays emphasis on the fact that 8 hours of sleep is equally important to remain healthy. Furthermore, we have also emphasised on the importance of social distancing by recreating our logo. Ever since the lockdown, the brand has been leveraging creative visual storytelling on various platforms to urge citizens to Stay Home, Sleep Well and put a stop to the spread of the Coronavirus. We are also taking positive action and playing a constructive role in the community. Sleepwell is humbled by the opportunity to support those who are helping others. We have supplied 5,000 pieces of foam sheets and mattresses to various states for quarantine centres and hospitals as well as foam sheets for Face Shield Mask, to be used by doctors and paramedical staff. How are you keeping your employees motivated and are encouraging them to give their best, even as they are working from home? As a brand, we have always believed in building long term relationships with our employees, partners and customers. We recognise human capital as our biggest asset. In times of crisis, a family comes closer to combat the crisis and all employees have become more closely bonded at this hour. During these times, our utmost priority is to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with all employees and provide them emotional support as well as with technology tools to enable them to work efficiently from home. Leaders are in regular touch with the employees to keep their morale up as these are very tough times. Additionally, we have enabled video and audio conferencing applications, set up 24x7 manned IT help desk for any trouble shooting and enabled remote access to our ERP systems. Various training sessions have helped us in imparting inputs to the team members on a real time basis. We are also hosting webinars for the various functional teams. This pandemic has thus helped us in strengthening the Sheela Foam family bonding and values and made our crisis management stronger. We are prepared to face the changes that may impact the socio-economic scenario. What is most needed in challenging times such as these: (a) From the general public: The most important requirement from the general public is compliance to the lockdown rules laid down by the Government. Each citizen of the country needs to act responsibly for the good of themselves and others. Now is the time for each of us to put our country first. (b) From the authorities: The Government authorities are doing a terrific job. Our utmost gratitude to all doctors and medical staff, the police force as well as all the authorities who are maintaining essential services for the comfort of citizens. (c) From business leaders: Business leaders have to be more empathetic now, especially in their people policies and social responsibilities. We all have seen corporates and various authorities uniting with each other to contribute effectively, helping those who are in need. Post the crisis, business leaders need to orchestrate the way forward to keep the wheels of the economy running for a stronger and New India. WASHINGTON The Pentagon acknowledged on Monday that an American military strike in Somalia more than a year ago killed two civilians and injured three more. The announcement, by United States Africa Command, was a rare acknowledgment from the military of civilian casualties in its campaign against the Shabab extremist group in Somalia. Regrettably two civilians were killed and three others injured in a February 2019 airstrike, Gen. Stephen J. Townsend, Africa Commands top officer, said in a quarterly assessment report by the military on allegations of civilian casualties. We are deeply sorry this occurred. For years, Africa Command had maintained that no civilians had been killed in American airstrikes and raids in Somalia, disputing charges from human rights organizations that President Trumps decision to relax rules for preventing civilian casualties during American counterterrorism operations had led to more civilian casualties. Vile spitters who attack front-line workers and retail staff now face whopping fines of up to $13,000, and will not be allowed bail in some states. Attacks on key workers, such as nurses, doctors and shop staff have been rife during the coronavirus pandemic. Some hospital staff have even been told to not wear their uniforms outside of work in fear of getting attacked. In Queensland, anyone who attacks front-line workers will now face fines of up to $13,000 thanks to a state-wide clampdown. Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said on Monday morning: 'Today we are looking at clamping down on people who attack front-line workers. Health workers are coming into close contact with patients at drive-through testing facilities - including this one in Perth (pictured on April 24) popping up in several states 'And anyone who deliberately coughs, sneezes or spits on front-line workers, including health workers and police, but also people like shop assistants in that front-line, dealing with the community. 'Those people could be fined up to $1,300 on-the-spot, or if it goes to court, $13,000.' In South Australia, Attorney-General Vickie Chapman is soon to bring in plans to reverse the presumption of bail for those who assault special workers. It is understood she plans to try and bring about the changes in parliament this week, and it would apply only while COVID-19 emergency measures are in place. The plans would also reverse the presumption of bail for serious criminal trespass during the pandemic. Health officials are seen waiting outside the Sofitel in Sydney for new arrivals into the country (pictured on April 10) Medical personnel carry equipment to the Bondi Beach drive-through testing centre on April 7 (pictured), where people are queuing up in their vehicles to test for the coronavirus Last week, a man in the state was alleged to have coughed in a police officer's face while claiming to have coronavirus. Police in NSW have even threatened to publicly shame spitters on Facebook, following a spate of gruesome attacks on hard-working medical staff. NSW police commissioner Mick Fuller encouraged victims to come forward, saying he was happy to name and shame attackers online. There has been a worrying number of spitting attacks in recent weeks, apparently sparked from the mistaken belief that nurses and doctors are spreading COVID-19. Fuller said he wouldn't hesitate to post footage of the perpetrators online, with attackers facing fines of $5,000 and criminal charges. A healthcare worker (pictured) talks to a man at a pop-up clinic testing for the coronavirus disease at Bondi Beach on April 1 after several outbreaks were recorded in the area WHAT ARE THE FINES FOR ASSAULTING WORKERS? NSW: $5,000 fine for spitting or coughing at workers QLD: $1,300 on the spot fine, up to $13,000 in court WA: A maximum of seven years in prison SA: Up to five years in prison Advertisement Some brave nurses battling on the frontline of the coronavirus pandemic have even been advised not to wear their uniform outside of work in fears of them being abused in the street. Staff are being verbally attacked, and even pelted with eggs, in supermarkets and on public transport. 'We are only six officers down with coronavirus, were still 17,000 strong,' he told reporters on April 17. 'We will take those reports and we will put those people up on our Facebook site if we need to.' He said the attacks represented the 'worst of humanity', but that thankfully it was only a 'small percentage of people'. Under new coronavirus rules in NSW, anyone who spits or coughs on health care workers or police will be slapped with a $5,000 fine. In March, a woman caught speeding was stopped by police and allegedly proceeded to spit at the officer after claiming she was on her way to get tested for COVID-19 (pictured) A nurse screens patients outside a clinic in the Barossa Valley on March 31 (pictured). Some medical staff have told not to wear their uniforms outside of work in fear of getting abused CORONAVIRUS CASES IN AUSTRALIA: 27,244 Victoria: 20,269 New South Wales: 4,273 Queensland: 1,161 Western Australia: 692 South Australia: 473 Tasmania: 230 Australian Capital Territory: 113 Northern Territory: 33 TOTAL CASES: 27,244 ESTIMATED ACTIVE CASES: 269 DEATHS: 897 Updated: 5.31 PM, 11 October, 2020 Source: Australian Government Department of Health Advertisement NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard and Police Minister David Elliott said anyone found guilty of the disgusting act will cop the huge fine and possible six months in prison. Every day our doctors and nurses, police and paramedics put their health and safety on the line to protect us, and a threat to them, is a threat to us,' Mr Hazzard said. 'The virus has infected thousands of health workers around the world and killed many, so if you deliberately risk people's health you will be fined and possibly imprisoned.' 'Like most people, I find the recent actions of a handful of individuals utterly foul and obnoxious but worryingly, the behaviour is potentially life threatening,' Mr Elliot said. 'COVID-19 kills the global death toll is already more than 85,000 people and climbing so if you spit or cough on any of our police officers, who are putting their own safety on the line to protect you, you will face the consequences and be slapped with a fine.' Health workers are seen wearing protective gear outside an isolation hotel in Adelaide on April 21 (pictured) Earlier this month, Bradley Lonesborough, 37, allegedly spat and punched a police officer in the face after claiming he had coronavirus. Last week, one NSW nurse revealed a patient suspected of having coronavirus spat in her face while she was treating him. In March, a woman caught speeding was stopped by police and proceeded to spit at the officer after claiming she was on her way to get tested for COVID-19. The bullying is taking place across Australia, with staff at hospitals in Queensland told to take the drastic measure of hiding their uniform. Workers are seen screening for COVID-19 at a drive through testing facility in Perth on April 24 (pictured) as testing for the virus was ramped up across the country Workers at the Princess Alexandra, Queensland Children's, Prince Charles, Logan, Gold Coast and several Mater hospitals have all reported such incidents, according to the Courier Mail. Steven Miles, Queensland's health minister, called the treatment 'abhorrent'. 'They have been vilified, they have been threatened, they have been treated abhorrently,' he said on April 3. 'I want to call on every Queenslander if you see someone out and about in a Queensland Health uniform, they're our heroes. 'They should wear their scrubs with pride not fear they'll single them out for abuse. 'They are people who go to work every day to take care of us, so thank them, don't yell at them.' Two police officers riding their horses are seen patrolling Sydney's popular Bay Run on Thursday (pictured) as coronavirus cases continue to decline News Analysis Belgium, based on its population of 11 million and geographical size of 30,500 square kilometers, is considered a small country among the 195 sovereign nations in the world. But looking at its current number of deaths and confirmed infections due to the CCP virus, Belgium has among the worlds highest death rates. As of April 23, the number of confirmed infections in Belgium announced was 42,797; the number of deaths was 6,490making the death rate roughly 15 percent. This places Belgiums mortality rate above hard-hit regions like the United States, Spain, Italy, and the United Kingdom. Why is Belgium experiencing such a severe situation? 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. The situation in Belgium is no exception. In fact, Belgium has had close ties with the Chinese Communist regime, from the royal family to the government, for many years. Two of Belgiums most important ports have embraced Beijings Belt and Road initiative (BRI, also known as One Belt, One Road), an ambitious project to build geopolitical influence by financing infrastructure projects throughout parts of Europe, Africa, and central and south Asia. Belgiums geographical location is strategically advantageous. It faces the Netherlands in the north, France in the south, Luxembourg and Germany in the east, and the North Sea in the west. Belgiums largest port of Antwerp is close to the production and consumption center of Europe. Such a logistics hub was coveted by Beijing. In July 2015, the Port of Antwerp set up a Belt and Road task force, signing a deal with Chinese companies to build a China-Europe-Africa International Trade and Logistics Center. The port authority of Antwerp then signed twinning port agreements or memorandums of understanding with ports in Shanghai, Shenzhen, Ningbo, Tianjin, Qingdao, and Dalian. In May 2018, the first silk road train from a Chinese port in Tangshan arrived in Antwerp as part of a direct railway link between the two countries. Meanwhile, the port training center at Antwerp has trained roughly 3,800 Chinese maritime experts. The port of Zeebrugge, on the northern coast of Belgium, is the second most important commercial port in Belgium. It is close to Britain across the strait. Today, there are still ferry connections between Zeebrugge and the British ports of Hull and Dover. As part of the Belt and Road project, Chinas state-owned shipping firm Cosco also signed an agreement in November 2017 to acquire controlling stakes in the container terminal at Zeebrugge. However, Kris Peeters, then-Deputy Prime Minister of Belgium, said at the signing ceremony on January 2018 that the agreement contributes to strengthening Belgian-Chinese trade and the international position of the Port of Zeebrugge. Cooperation Between Chinese Investment and European Technology The car factory Volvo Car Gent, located in the port district of Ghent in western Belgium, covers an area of more than 490,000 square meters. The largest Belgian car manufacturer was founded in 1965, and it was the first European Volvo plant outside Sweden. Ford Motor bought Volvo in 2009 for $6.45 billion. But Ford was in trouble during the global financial crisis in 2008, and began divesting assets. In 2010, Ford sold Volvo to Chinas Geely Group for $1.8 billion, which became the first Chinese company to own a multinational premium car brand. In April 2014, Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping visited the Volvo factory in Ghent, accompanied by King Philippe Leopold Louis Marie of Belgium. Xi and the Belgian king jointly unveiled the companys 300,000th car exported to China. With the increasing popularity of Volvo in the Chinese market, the brands car output continues to reach new highs, and the Volvo car plant has gradually become the fulcrum for the global layout of Geely. Geely received approval from the Chinese government to build a new Volvo plant in Daqing, in Chinas Heilongjiang province in 2011. Engineers from the Ghent factory brought over their technical expertise to ensure that the new plant would have the same quality and competitiveness as other plants around the world. Then-vice-governor of Heilongjiang, Hao Huilong, said, The Daqing plant is showing positive growth momentum thanks to cutting-edge automotive production technology from Volvo. In May 2017, then Belgian Deputy Prime Minister, Kris Peeters, came to China to attend the Belt and Road International Cooperation Summit Forum. During the visit, he made a special trip to Daqing to witness the launch of the trial operation of Volvos S90 luxury sedan, which was being moved to the Ghent factory through the Overland Silk Road Central European special train. On May 30, a batch of Volvo S90 cars produced in Daqing was transported to the port of Zeebrugge in Belgium via the Asia-Europe Railway and transferred to Ghent. Soon after, a large number of new luxury Volvo cars that were made in China were distributed to the European market from the central auto plant in Ghent. In June 2017, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, accompanied by then-Prime Minister Charles Michel, visited the Geely Volvo Innovation Achievement Exhibition. The two leaders saw the Volvo S90 model produced in the Daqing plant boarding the China-Europe train to Belgium. The relations between the leaders of both countries ensured that there were no obstacles in selling China-made Volvo cars to European countries. In July 2019, the first batch of Volvos XC60 model was shipped to Ghent from the Chengdu plant in Chinathe third Volvo plant in the country. Geely spent $1.8 billion to buy Volvo. Can it compete in the targeted European market? Can they afford the worlds most cutting-edge automotive production technology that is continuously upgraded? This was still very uncertain at the time. But now it seems that China already has what it wants. At the same time, the 100 percent Chinese-owned Swedish car brand has fully demonstrated the Made in China high-quality products in Europe and the world. This is precisely the influence that the Chinese regime wants to achieve in pushing forward its Belt and Road Initiative. The Volvo Car Gent factory was praised by Xi Jinping in April 2014 as a model of economic and technological cooperation between China, Belgium, and Sweden. The Belgian auto industry that is seeking investment and business cooperation with China can be likened to the Chinese idiom: pick a sesame seed only to lose a watermelon, which means, concentrate on small gains at the expense of more important ones. Many EU member states expressed that the BRI project runs counter to the EUs free trade proposition because these Chinese companies are subsidized by the Chinese government. Therefore, they have unfair advantages in competition with European companies. Key Politicians Advocate Belt and Road Initiative Kris Peeters, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Employment of Belgium from 2014 to 2019, visited China many times. He stated on various occasions that Belgium is willing to team up with Beijing to contribute to the BRI. On March 23, 2017, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) approved 13 new members, including Belgium, bringing the total bank members to 70. Peeters praised the move, saying: We believe that the AIIB has the ambition to set the example for other development banks in China and abroad by adopting sound global standards with respect to economic viability, fiscal sustainability, climate and environment-friendliness and social sustainability. During an interview with Chinese state-run media Xinhua News Agency, Peeters hailed the BRI as a grand vision. In order to be successful, they must be developed together with all stakeholders, not only with national and regional governments and economic operators, but also with the local communities who will be most directly affected, he said. On March 27, 2018, when Peeters attended a ceremony at Volvos factory in Ghent, he praised Chinas Geely brand in Belgium, and criticized the Trump administration for increasing tariffs on Chinese products as unwise trade protectionism. Similarly, former Belgian Prime Minister Yves Leterme is also an enthusiastic advocate of Belgium becoming a partner of Chinas BRI. In an exclusive interview with Chinese state media Southern Metropolis Daily on Oct. 27, 2019, Leterme said Belgium is a gateway to the European market as well as a major logistic hub in Europe. Belgian ports offer excellent connections to all major European centers for consumption and production. He proposed the Belgian government to expedite the feasibility assessment of joining the BRI framework. He also revealed that Belgian leaders had already put it on the agenda and started discussions. Peeters and Leterme had made a number of appearances as supporters when the CCP promoted the BRI around the world, urging other EU member states to participate in the initiative. This is very rare among European leaders. Spreading the CCPs Propaganda Beijing has opened six Confucius Institutes in Belgium so far. In addition, more than 50 schools in Belgium that offer Chinese language courses use textbooks provided by the CCP, which means, these are brainwashing materials compiled by the regime. In recent years, the two countries have more than 100 cultural exchange programs in music, art, and cultural performances every year. The Brussels Chinese Cultural Center, founded in 2015, is an active participant. In August 2017, China issued a Belt and Road commemorative stamp. A month later, the Confucius Institute at Leuven University in Belgium celebrated Global Confucius Institute Day and to promote Sino-Belgian cultural exchanges. Erik Famaey, treasurer of the Belgian-Chinese Economic and Commercial Council (BCECC), spoke at the exhibition, touting the BRI as a historic project that benefits not only Asia but other regions of the world. The BCECC, established in the 1980s, is the leading Belgian business association for companies engaged in doing business in or with China. However, all China experts who have a deep understanding of the CCP know that the BRI is certainly not just an economic initiative or economic project. Beijing wants to extend its influence around the world by using its BRI to infiltrate other nations politics, diplomacy, military, defense, culture, and education. The primary tasks of the Chinese consulates and the Confucius Institutes in other countries are to seize all opportunities to promote the BRI and glamorize the China story. Virus Outbreak According to an April 2 report by Xinhua, Xi Jinping had a phone conversation with King Philippe, in which the Belgian king said that China took the lead in putting the CCP virus outbreak under control, and its experience is of important value to other countries fighting the pandemic. Noting China has been supporting and contributing to other countries fight against the disease, King Philippe said Belgium appreciates Chinas provision of emergency medical protective supplies, and is willing to collaborate with China on drug development, Xinhua wrote. Xinhua is the official mouthpiece of the CCP. It is difficult for the outside world to verify whether King Philippe actually made such statements. Those words seem to parrot the CCP s narrative. However, his close relationship with the CCP is evident. Shortly after the phone conversation, Brussels Times reported that three million masks delivered to Belgium from China were rejected because they did not meet the quality standards. A Xinhua report quoted Xi as saying that China would tighten up quality control measures, and provide as many resources as it can for the global fight against the disease. What an irony. Xis promise and the poor-quality masks sent to Belgium prove that the CCP is not trustworthy. Whoever believes in the CCP will be duped. In Belgium, both the royal family and key politicians are advocating the BRI project. Its government was said to have placed the discussion of BRI cooperation high on the agenda. Italy was the first G-7 country to join BRI, despite opposition from other EU leaders. It is one of the countries hardest-hit by the global pandemic. More than 25,000 Italians have died from the CCP virus so far. The outbreak in Belgium is just as serious. It is a warning for Belgium: stay far away from the CCP. Correction: An earlier version of this article misspelled the last name of the Belgian prime minister. The correct spelling is Leterme. The Epoch Times regrets the error. From The Epoch Times Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Ghina Ghaliya (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, April 27, 2020 19:05 625 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd488bad 1 National North-Sulawesi,social-aid,cash-transfer,COVID-19,coronavirus,regent,sehan-salim,boltim,Juliari-Batubara,social-affairs-ministry,bantuan-sosial,sulawesi-utara,bupati Free East Bolaang Mongondow (Boltim) Regent Sehan Salim Landjar in South Sulawesi is in the spotlight after expressing his disappointment toward President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo administrations policies and social aid programs. A video circulating on social media, as posted by a Twitter user @husainabdullah1, shows Sehan complaining about the delay in cash transfers (BLT) as the people listed as beneficiaries are ineligible for the staple food aid program. Bupati Boltim Sehan Landjar, bukan hanya bisa melucu ketika sosialisasi bahaya Covid-19. Ternyata juga bisa murka ketika membela rakyatnya soal penyaluran BLT yg menurutnya berbelit belit pic.twitter.com/LPeTZr70Oi Husain Abdullah (@husainabdullah1) April 26, 2020 When will they get the money? They still have to open bank accounts and do some paperwork, Sehan said in the video. The country is about to go bankrupt, but the ministers are being ignorant, stupid. Im really angry," he added, arguing that the central government should allow local administrations to provide cash aid to people under the supervision of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), the police, NGOs and the press. "Not all regional heads are corrupt. Dont generalize us like that." The National Mandate Party (PAN) politician told the press on Sunday that he was going to allocate part of the regional budget to provide staple food packages for those at risk from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Nevertheless, Villages, Disadvantaged Regions and Transmigration Minister Abdul Halim Iskandar has said that the village fund could only be used to finance labor-intensive projects. However, shortly after Halims announcement, Home Minister Tito Karnavian ordered district heads to work with subdistrict heads in reallocating their village fund to mitigate the pandemic's effects. Halim then revoked his remark. Social Affairs Minister Juliari Batubara later issued regulations that prohibited beneficiaries of cash transfers from receiving staple food packages from the government. They are inconsistent and were confused, said Sehan. Read also: Red tape stymies social aid The regent, however, decided to give staple food packages to the poor, including those who received cash transfers as he worried that the people were starving. "I have prepared 900 tons of premium rice for the people. I saw those ineligible for the staple food packages crying," Sehan said. "If anyone wants to arrest me, just arrest me. I'm getting stressed out by this situation." Responding to Sehan, Juliari said on Monday that the regulations were made to avoid the same people receiving different social aid programs and the regulations were only for the social aid programs provided by the central government. We allow regional heads to distribute staple food and rice to the people; no one is prohibiting this. What we are regulating is the central administrations programs. If the regions want to allocate their budget [to people affected by COVID-19], then please do, Juliari said. Regarding the delay in cash transfers, Juliari said, the Social Affairs Ministry had only just received data from all the regions, asking regional heads and their residents to be patient. Well transfer directly to the people who have bank accounts. For those who dont, they can go to post offices in their areas. Weve just received the data and we need time to process it," he said. Sehan was previously in the spotlight for carrying a coffin while raising public awareness about staying home during the pandemic. "The people of Boltim, please stay at home or you will end up in the hospital or this coffin. There are only three options, Sehan said as seen in a video posted by @husainabdullah1 on Twitter. Inilah Jubir Corona terbaik pic.twitter.com/hd6J4vkW8V Husain Abdullah (@husainabdullah1) April 17, 2020 Imagine this. You wake up one morning with a headache and fever. Youre coughing as well, but youre not sure if you have difficulty breathing. You wonder if you have the new coronavirus. What can you do next? The latest reports indicate that up to 80 per cent of those testing positive for the novel coronavirus in India are asymptomatic: they arent displaying any symptoms. The typical symptoms of Covid-19 are fever, dry cough and difficulty breathing, in some cases chest pain as well. Anyone displaying all these symptoms should visit the nearest hospital to report ... Tesla management has asked dozens of employees to return to work on Wednesday April 29th in order to resume production at the company's Fremont, California car plant, according to internal correspondence shared with CNBC. The call for at least some employees to come back to work full shifts occurred even though local health orders require Tesla to adhere to "minimum basic operations" at that plant until end-of-day May 3. Bloomberg previously reported on the internal messages. In Fremont, health orders have not been relaxed in any way yet, according to Sgt. Ray Kelly, a public information officer for Alameda County Sheriff's Office. State and local authorities are expected to update residents and businesses by May 3 as to whether the orders will be extended, relaxed or entirely lifted, he said. Under those orders, Tesla's Fremont factory was supposed to suspend vehicle production on Thursday March 19. But the company resisted, and kept producing cars there for another five days while its legal and policy teams argued with local authorities that they should be categorized as an "essential business." If deemed essential, the plant could have continued to operate with a few Covid-19 protocols in place to protect workers. Before it suspended vehicle production, Elon Musk's electric car company began taking the temperature of workers entering its Fremont factory, and distributing face masks to some. Is the coronavirus pandemic too important to be left to the scientists? A few weeks after the outbreak of the coronavirus in Wuhan, Chinese leader Xi Jinping vowed, with typical communist party bravado, to win the peoples war against the novel threat. A month later, Western leaders began referring to the pandemic as a war, starting with French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, followed by Americas Donald Trump, boasting of his new grand title, war president, fighting an invisible enemy. The war metaphor has a long history of rhetorical usage: the war on women, the war on science, the war on religion and the war on graffiti, as well as cultural wars and wars of ideas. But it is the articulation of the war metaphor by governments, especially the US government, that has generated much controversy and even scorn, considering the abysmal results of the US war on poverty, the war on cancer, various trade wars, as well as the devastating war on drugs, the war on crime, and of course, the war on terror. All of which begs the question, why bother? Why frame a public health emergency as a war? The promise and perils of the war metaphor Leaders tend to like the war metaphor because it grants them the necessary authority and legitimacy to declare a state of emergency, enforce exceptional measures and mobilise resources to achieve their objectives. In that way, the pandemic framed as a war allows for containing the contagion through extraordinary but necessary measures, like closures and curfews drastic measures which would not be acceptable in peacetime. This is especially the case when the war metaphor is cast in the light of a defensive war, which by definition is a legitimate inescapable war to protect our own. We have no choice; the virus came at us in a surprise attack. We must retaliate; we must fight at any cost. Leaders also like the war metaphor because war clarifies and simplifies. It helps unite and mobilise citizens behind their governments to fight an evil enemy during tough and testing times. Citizens are more likely to accept sacrifices during wartime. They do not necessarily understand viruses, epidemics and other complex public health challenges, but they do understand war and its implications, and are more likely to accept its terrible consequences, including collateral damage. And, while this may not be a conventional battlefield, it can be argued that doctors, nurses and many others are in fact the foot soldiers fighting at the front lines of the pandemic. But these medical professionals have dedicated their whole lives to saving lives, not ending them, as in war. Which brings me to the counterarguments. Both progressive and conservative critics of the pandemic framed as a war reckon war metaphors allow leaders to do not only what they must, but also whatever they want. President Trump, for example, is using the war pretext to lift certain regulations, impose new restrictions on immigration, and even settle scores with the US Postal Service, which he would like to see privatised. And Hungarys Prime Minister Victor Orban managed to obtain new sweeping powers to fight the coronavirus. We are at war, limits freedoms and undermines accountability, requiring citizens compliance, obedience, and loyalty, which are not as easily enforceable in peacetime. War exaggerates fear and encourages fear-mongering at a time when panic is counterproductive, and caution and cooperation are required. Blaming an aggressive, offensive and unrelenting virus for starting the war undermines accountability as when President Trump claimed, falsely, that no one knew the pandemic could happen on such a scale. The critics also argue that the pandemic as war is inherently a macho paternalistic concept, biased towards power instead of compassion, focusing on fighting rather than healing. Unnecessary, preventable mortalities become casualties of war. Thus, when Trump and his supporters demand the liberation of certain states from their reluctant governors and demand an early return to normal by reopening the economy, they merely see the potential rise in mortalities as the inescapable collateral damage of war. One such enthusiast, a celebrity doctor no less, told Fox News that the idea of reopening schools was an appetizing opportunity, after referring to a medical journal arguing that the opening of schools may only cost us 2 to 3 percent in terms of total mortality. Trump as the medic-in-chief Such madness takes a whole new form of national tragicomedy, when the commander-in-chief insists on acting like the medic-in-chief, boasting of his medical perceptiveness and forcefully and repeatedly suggesting unproven remedies to COVID-19. The sad hilarity was in full view during last Thursdays White House briefing, when Trump suggested possibly hitting the body with a tremendous whether its ultraviolet or just very powerful light, or bringing the light inside the body, either through the skin or some other way and theorised on injecting disinfectant to knock the virus out in a minute. The presidents rather disingenuous attempts at backtracking on some of his bizarre medical predictions have not stopped him from making new ones. But might there be a method to the madness, a plan behind the erratic behaviour? Trumps political intrusion into the medical and scientific realm may be overly theatrical and narcissistic, and somewhat dangerous, but it is his underlying politicisation of the pandemic that is most disturbing. Referring to COVID-19 first as the Democrats hoax and later as the Chinese virus, and attacking the credibility of the World Health Organization, Trump is trying to score a point more than make one. Other leaders have also politicised the pandemic, albeit more implicitly. The Chinese leaders may not have created the virus, but they have contributed to the spread of the contagion with their habitual secrecy, concealment, and prioritisation of politics over health. The UKs Johnson also stands accused of politicising the response to the pandemic by imposing his political adviser on the presumably independent Scientific Advisory Group, SAGE, tasked with advising the government on the pandemic. The list goes on. In short, a pandemic is seen as far too important to be left to the scientists, just as war is seen as too important to be left to the generals. Why? Well, because it has major social, economic, political, and geopolitical side effects that go well beyond the doctors and scientists remit. The pandemic as World War III? Leaders know that their political futures are at stake and depend on how they handle the pandemics economic and social fallout, especially in an election year, as is the case in the US. Likewise, the pandemic could tip the balance of power in favour of one state over another. This is especially true for the world powers, considering the fact that the pandemics economic and geopolitical ramifications go beyond the realm of medicine and science. This is manifested in the international consensus that unless a solution is found fast, the coronavirus pandemic will result in drastic economic and geopolitical changes comparable to those produced by World War I and World War II. This explains why major powers like China have come to see the pandemic as a potential game-changer and have kept an eye on its endgame as the outbreak has gotten worse. It is also the case for the US, the worlds foremost superpower. Trumps detractors see a future similar to that following World War I, where his administrations poor response to the pandemic accelerates the economic and geopolitical decline of the US and the breakdown of global cooperation, leading to great-power discord and international upheavals. Admirers of Trumps performance, on the other hand, see a post-World-War II scenario at play, with the US emerging strong and healthy, in contrast to a ravaged Europe, and leading an era of expanding not shrinking liberal globalisation. This scenario also could mean the beginning of a new Cold War between the US and China, albeit different from the one that emerged after World War II. Looking beyond the war rhetoric Speaking of World War II, it is rather interesting that the leaders of Germany, Japan and Italy, the three instigators and losers of that horrific war, have, from what I could gauge, steered away from referring to the pandemic as war. Indeed, the German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has insisted this is not a war, but rather the test of humanity, in an indirect response to Macrons we are at war statement. But the French leader, it needs to be said, has also emphasised solidarity, cooperation and the humanisation of capitalism as ways forward for a post-pandemic world. Indeed, this is not a war, even if it feels like one. Besides, viruses do not surrender. Ever. They only mutate. And there is no way of knowing how or when this pandemic will end. We can only hope the scientists succeed soon, but that will not necessarily stop the politicians from failing. Remember the war on HIV? Since the 1980s, the virus has infected more than 74 million and killed 32 million people, mostly non-Westerners, mostly after the scientists found a treatment to control the virus in the mid-1990s. Tragically, some 770,000 people died from AIDS in 2018 alone. So, while we are succeeding brilliantly in killing and destroying each other in real wars, judging from the historical record, we have largely failed to save one another in metaphorical wars. So then why resort to war, again and again, expecting a different result? Insanity? Greed and power? Naive optimism, that wars do work in the long term? Or, is it that wars are a justifiable means towards a superior end? Perhaps, I could weigh in on in the coming weeks. The Ministry of Endowments did not prohibit reciting the holy Quran at mosques during the fasting month of Ramadan, said Minister Mohamed Mokhtar Gomaa on Monday. Playing recorded Quran recitation at mosques falls within the responsibility of the mosque imam and should come in line with all precautionary measures adopted by the state to preserve the health and safety of citizens, Gomaa said in a statement issued by the ministry on Monday. He added that several measures have been taken to counter the anti-government sentiment shared by plotters who allege that the state bans reciting Quran at mosques, in a bid to sow sedition. The ministry is fully aware of its genuine role of boosting mosque activities, serving the holy Quran along with promoting the moderate teachings of Islam, the minister said. Gomaa added that the ministry doesn't oppose airing the holy Quran before Maghrib (evening prayer) and Fajr (dawn prayer) at mosques. Search Keywords: Short link: Photo credit: Gregg Delman From Popular Mechanics Back in high school, my dad pushed for me to get a hatchback, for the trips from Boston to Syracuse University that loomed. He said Id thank him when I had to pack a dorm room into my carHello, fold-down seats! So, I bought a 2005 Toyota Corolla Matrix, the hatchback version of the trusty Corolla. Dad was right, of course: With those seats down, I could fit everything a college student needs in he car. So when I was expecting my first kid in 2017 (and it was time to sell my beloved Matrix), there was no question. Id buy another hatchback. I looked at the 2017 Subaru Impreza. After measuring the Hatchback version's storage space with a tape measure (with the seats up for the infant car seats), I confirmed it would hold a portable crib, stroller, and a suitcase or two. We bought one. But when my husband, Jeff, and I started traveling from our home in Pennsylvania to our families in Massachusetts, my car was packed to the brim, even with one backseat folded down. And you couldnt see out the back window. Photo credit: Subaru So we started taking Jeffs 2006 Honda Civic on road trips. Its trunk could fit a ton of junk, which perplexed us both: The specs on my hatch were nearly double (20.8 cubic feet) his sedans trunk (12 cubic feet). I asked multiple times if he was looking at the seats-up specs. He was. Something was fishy. Numbers dont lie, but here we were, fitting more items into a smaller space. Photo credit: Honda After nearly a half-dozen recalls on my Subaru, we parted ways earlier this year, and we had to choose: a sedan, or another hatch. This time, though, both backseats would have to be upright, for two car seats. We prioritized safety, fuel efficiency, and storage space. Our top contenders were the 2020 Toyota Prius (a hatchback) and Toyota Corolla Hybrid Sedan, both new. We compared the storage specs: 13.1 cubic feet for the Corolla sedan, and 24.6 for the Prius Hatchback (27.4 for the slightly upgraded model). But based on what wed experienced with my Impreza versus Jeffs Civic, we knew that the specs werent enough. We wanted to look at both cars, rump to rump, to see which one could carry more. Story continues At the dealership, I stood in between the cars, looking back and forth. I dont care what the manufacturer specs said: The Corolla trunk was undoubtedly bigger than the Prius's hatch. Or it at least seemed bigger. Photo credit: Toyota It all has to do with point of view, says Stanley Coren, Ph.D., professor emeritus of psychology at the University of British Columbia, who specializes in perception. When youre looking at the storage space in a sedan, youre effectively looking into a box and can imagine how much you can place in it. When you look into a hatchback or crossover, however, you see the floor space, which is smaller, because manufacturers calculate storage space as the entire volume, running floor to ceiling, Coren explains. In our minds eye, we only imagine the items being placed on the floor, and mentally discard the upper volume above the seats and to the roof as not being real or usable storage space. While perception certainly plays a role in choosing a car, it turns out you cant actually compare sedan to hatchback or crossover cargo numbers. Theyre just not the same. Cargo areas are measured differently, thanks to guidance from the Society of Automotive Engineers. The group, which did not respond to multiple requests for an interview, created a methodology called SAE J1100 Motor Vehicle Dimensions. It says enclosed areas, such as a sedan trunk, should be measured with standardized blocks that simulate luggage. Open areas, like the cargo space in a hatchback or crossover, however, are calculated by length, width, and height. Patrick Garrett, a human factors engineer for Toyota told me that automakers arent required to follow it, and often use different methodologies entirely. For EPA classificationhow cars are categorized by sizeautomakers have to follow the 1975 version of J1100. But dimensions reported to other sources, like a company website or to the media, Garrett says, do not have to use that system. Photo credit: Tesla Sometimes a companys internal metric is preferred, or another global metric, especially if the vehicle was designed in a country using a different metric, Garrett says, noting that manufacturers rarely specify the measurement method they use. That might mean, for example, one automaker measures storage space from the floor to the ceiling, while another will only measure from the floor to the top of a seat back. What makes it even harder to choose is that different car body types have different shapes. A hatchback and crossover are more curved, which means if your items dont perfectly fit the curve (and when does that happen?), your door isnt going to close or you wont be able to see out of the back window. Garrett explains that because cargo volumesthe cargo space in a hatchback or crossoverare calculated from sections, the resulting index doesnt necessarily describe the shape of the 3-D cargo space, which often tapers in several directions and has localized features that increase or decrease the area. Unfortunately for consumers, car manufacturers can market its cargo space without any caveata curved roof or door, a corner that really isnt going to fit anything practical. Those numbers also dont account for having to stack items above the rear seatback to maximize space, which can dangerously block rear visibility. So while the sedan trunks may technically be smaller, when it comes to deciding which car is better for your storage needs, it matters what youre packing. In my college days, the bulky plastic drawer set fit great in my folded-down hatch, confirming that hatches are good for larger, oddly shaped items. But a closed trunk in a sedan tends to be better for box-shaped items. And yes, a hatch would be great for bulky baby items. But you need to be able to fold the seats down to fit them. So for now, well load up our sedans trunk and strap items to the roof when necessary. Soon, well start the whole process over again, but this time with a three-row mini SUV, which dont have much interior storage space, I hear. But Im going to have to see it in person to make sure. You Might Also Like Two men charged with the abduction of Quinn Industrial Holdings (QIH) director Kevin Lunney must wait to hear whether they will be granted bail ahead of their trials at the Special Criminal Court. Luke O'Reilly (66), from Mullahoran Lower, Kilcogy, Co Cavan and Darren Redmond (25), from Caledon Road, East Wall, in Dublin are charged with falsely imprisoning and seriously assaulting Mr Lunney at Drumbrade, Ballinagh, Co Cavan on September 17, 2019. Mr Lunney was found incapacitated on a roadway in Co Cavan on the date in question, having suffered a broken leg and been doused in bleach. In an interview with the BBC, he alleged that the letters QIH had been carved into his chest with a Stanley knife during the two-and-a-half hour ordeal. Gardai objected to bail during the lengthy High Court hearing which began on Friday and concluded on Monday. Detective Garda David Kerrigan and Detective Garda Alan Jones gave evidence of the alleged incident which cannot be reported until further notice by order of the court. Counsel for the Director of Public Prosecutions, Aoife OLeary BL, said the objection to bail was based on the seriousness of the offence and the potential sentence upon conviction. The maximum sentence for both offences is life imprisonment. Mr Justice Paul Burns will deliver his decision on the men's bail application on Tuesday. Mr OReilly and Mr Redmond are facing trial at the non-jury Special Criminal Court, along with Alan OBrien (39), of Shelmalier Road, East Wall and a fourth accused who cannot be named for legal reasons. Mr OReilly and Mr Redmond were previously refused bail by the High Court. However, the decision to charge the men with the more serious Section 4 assault permits them to apply again. They had originally been charged with assault causing harm but are now facing charges of assault causing serious harm. Books of evidence were served on all four accused on March 26. Mr OReilly and Mr Redmond appeared via video link from Portlaoise Prison for the two-day hearing and could be seen wearing face masks on the courts televisions screens throughout the two-day hearing. Please switch off all mobile phones and maintain social distancing, the court crier told people assembled in court for the hearing. A 43-year-old auto driver from Thane, a nature lover who is part of Sadbhavna Hara-Bhara Foundation, has been helping auto drivers and their families with food during the lockdown. Purushottamlal Gupta has helped around 90 families of autorickshaw drivers in Thane with essentials. Citizen activists associated with the foundation have donated funds with which my family has been distributing ration to the needy, said Gupta, a resident of Indira Nagar. Gupta has recently planted around 200 saplings at Upavan area of Thane. Before the lockdown, I planted around 200 saplings, which needs to be watered. I go around each area to water the saplings. The police allow me to go when I tell them about the newly planted saplings, said Gupta. He started planting saplings in 2016. My aim is to increase the number trees in the city. Citizens and nature lovers have joined the plantation drive. As we got a good response and donations, we started Sadbhavna Hara-Bhara Foundation, said Gupta. Through the foundation, Gupta is now helping the underprivileged auto drivers with food and ration. We will also start distributing food to labourers and migrants in Thane, he added. Gardai will mount high visibility patrols at tourist hotspots, parks and beauty spots to ensure people are complying with lockdown restrictions this weekend. An extensive network of checkpoints will be in place from 7am tomorrow until the end of the May Bank Holiday weekend on Monday night. It follows the implementation of Operation Fanacht over the Easter weekend. The major operation ran nationally to ensure people did not breach travel restrictions. Once again, it will involve checkpoints on many main routes and thousands of checkpoints in towns and villages. At any one time, there will be more than 2,500 gardai involved in the operation. Over Easter, gardai made seven arrests for breaches of the temporary Covid-19 regulations, while a further 144 arrests were made in relation to incidents which started as potential breaches of the Covid-19 rules but also involved breaches of other legislation, such as public order or road traffic laws. John Twomey, Deputy Commissioner Policing and Security, said there was "a high level of compliance" during the last operation. "It is vital we see that again," he said. "This is a critical week for the country. If we all work together, we can help save the lives of our family, friends, neighbours and colleagues." The current restrictions are in place until May 5, with an announcement expected from government regarding any changes in the coming days. The announcement of the mass garda operation is unlikely to be popular with a general public that appears to be growing frustrated with restrictions. At a government briefing, it was acknowledged there is a growing sense of frustration with the restrictions. Concerns have also been raised by Irelands human rights watchdog about the extended garda powers. The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC) said more information is required "to assess whether these new powers are being exercised proportionately, and whether they are being implemented in line with human rights and equality principles". IHREC is to contact the Garda Commissioner Drew Harris seeking more detailed data on the implementation of the legislation and how it is impacting people. Despite the additional gardai on the beat, they will still be powerless to intervene in cases of people travelling from Northern Ireland to the Republic on day trips due to a loophole in the law. Cormac Moylan, president of the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI), said an all island approach is needed. "Were unable to use these powers for people coming from Northern Ireland who are travelling beyond 2km from their place of residence, Sgt Moylan told Newstalk Breakfast. "But as the residence is not in this jurisdiction it creates an issue for the members - particularly in the border counties - in Donegal, Cavan, Monaghan and Louth. "There is two jurisdictions on this island, but there is one virus. And this virus, it knows no boundaries - so I think there is a need for a kind of an all-island approach." Health Minister Robin Swann has warned "complacency is our biggest enemy", after Northern Ireland recorded its biggest single-day increase in Covid-19 deaths since the outbreak began. On Tuesday it was announced that a further 20 people have died in the region's hospitals after testing positive for Covid 19, bringing the death toll to 329. Speaking at the Executive's daily coronavirus update, Robin Swann urged people not to relax their guard over social distancing. "I want to make a direct appeal to anyone who's having doubts about the seriousness of the threat from Covid-19," he said. "I also want to address anyone who has attempted to relax their guard on social distancing. "Let them think about the 20 families grieving today. Let them think about those who have lost their lives. "Let them think about the key workers that have perished ... we all need to keep doing the right thing on social distancing." As well as a further 20 deaths, 34 more cases of the virus were also confirmed on Tuesday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 3,408. The total number of tests carried out in Northern Ireland is now 23,376, after an additional 807 tests were completed. The news comes after Northern Ireland stopped to pay tribute to those front line key workers who lost their lives working during the pandemic. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who returned to work after contracting the virus, joined in the moment's silence at 11am. Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Northern Ireland stops to pay silent tribute to key workers [Photos] Close Health care staff hold a minute's silence at the Nightingale Hospital in south Belfast for key workers who have died as a result of Covid-19. (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph Health care staff hold a minute's silence at the Nightingale Hospital in south Belfast for key workers who have died as a result of Covid-19. (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph Health care staff hold a minute's silence at the Nightingale Hospital in south Belfast for key workers who have died as a result of Covid-19. (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph Health care staff hold a minute's silence at the Nightingale Hospital in south Belfast for key workers who have died as a result of Covid-19. (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph Health care staff hold a minute's silence at the Nightingale Hospital in south Belfast for key workers who have died as a result of Covid-19. (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph Health care staff hold a minute's silence at the Nightingale Hospital in south Belfast for key workers who have died as a result of Covid-19. (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph Health care staff hold a minute's silence at the Nightingale Hospital in south Belfast for key workers who have died as a result of Covid-19. (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph Health care staff hold a minute's silence at the Nightingale Hospital in south Belfast for key workers who have died as a result of Covid-19. (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph Health care staff hold a minute's silence at the Nightingale Hospital in south Belfast for key workers who have died as a result of Covid-19. (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Health care staff hold a minute's silence at the Nightingale Hospital in south Belfast for key workers who have died as a result of Covid-19. (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) More than 100 NHS and care staff have died with the virus across the UK, as have many other key workers. Read More Meanwhile, Northern Irelands economy is set to shrink by a staggering 7.5% with the unemployment rate doubling to 5%, according to a forecast today. A report by Danske Bank said hospitality would be worst hit, with a contraction of 17%. Check out our live blog below to see how Tuesday's developments unfolded. [April 26, 2020] More4apps Launches ERP Cloud Toolbox NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., April 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- More4apps, a longstanding Oracle Gold partner, has released the first of its Oracle ERP Cloud offerings to help clients create significant efficiencies for purchase order data uploading. For the full multimedia release, click here: http://www.prnasia.com/mnr/More4apps_202004.shtml Procurement Module, the pioneering product of More4apps' ERP Cloud Toolbox, streamlines the process of creating, updating and cancelling purchase orders within Oracle ERP Cloud. The Module is immediately available for demonstration and testing via the company's website www.more4apps.com. John O'Keeffe, More4apps CEO and Founder said: "Due to popular demand, More4apps opted to release the first product right away. Additional functionality will be added to the Procurement Module over the next 12-18 months." The ERP Cloud Toolbox consists of a familiar Excel spreadsheet interface that integrates directly with Oracle's public Web Services to allow streamlined data uploading and updating. It verifies data before loading, and provides a consistent and user-friendly experience across all functions. "End users authenticate with their Oracle ERP Cloud credentials via the standard Single Sign-On mechanisms. Because we use Oracle's web services, our Modules respect all built-in data access rules and roles," O'Keeffe added. Key benefits of the More4Apps Toolbox include speed, accuracy and the integrity retained by the ERP as the single source of data. For several years, More4apps' existing customer base has requested versions of the existing tools for the newer ERP Cloud environment, the need for a well-designed spreadsheet integration for the new ERP become increasingly apparent. Details of Oracle's data loading tools and the More4apps Toolbox are captured in the company's self-funded research paper: 'Importing data into Oracle ERP Cloud: A comparison of efficiencies', which is hosted at https://more4apps.com/products/erp-cloud-toolbox/importing-data-into-oracle-erp-cloud/ . About More4apps Established in 2000, More4apps was formed by a group of Oracle consultants in Hamilton, New Zealand. As a specialist software provider for both end-users and developers, the core purpose of More4apps products is to allow Oracle e-Business Suite users to save time and money by using Excel as an interface for Oracle's Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system. More4apps currently serves more than 30,000 Oracle users in nearly 400 organizations in over 38 countries. Media Enquiry: Derryn Brenan Marketing Manager More4apps [email protected] Video - https://cdn5.prnasia.com/202004/More4apps/Procurement_Website_Video.mp4 Photo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20200421/2782471-1-a Photo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20200421/2782471-1-b Photo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20200421/2782471-1-c Logo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20200421/2782471-1logo SOURCE More4apps LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / April 20, 2020 / Compare-autoinsurance.org (https://compare-autoinsurance.org) is a top auto insurance brokerage website, providing car insurance quotes online from trustworthy agencies all over the United States. This website has recently launched a blog post that provides more info about the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and how was the auto insurance industry affected. For more info and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.org/what-you-need-to-know-about-your-car-insurance-in-this-period-of-coronavirus-outbreak/ The effects of the coronavirus for the car insurance industry are already quite severe. Many drivers are quite concerned about their abilities to pay the premiums. Insurance companies have quickly reacted to the new challenges and have implemented special payment and financial assistance programs No one could have anticipated the damages done by the current crisis. For his reason, the car insurance industry and the drivers are adapting and are making a few changes: Premium refunds . Almost all insurance companies have pledged to return some money to their clients, in order to help them overcome these troubled times. The exact value of the refund depends on the carrier. While some companies offer only 10% for the premiums paid in April and May, others offer as much as 35%, while other companies will return a fixed sum of money. Failure to pay insurance premiums on time no longer leads to policy cancelation. Insurance providers and their regulators realize these aren't normal times due to the coronavirus outbreak. Insurance companies are offering new programs and procedures to assist drivers who may have suffered a job loss, reduced hours, or medical issues. Drivers who need assistance should contact their insurers for help and guidance. In many cases, companies allow drivers to skip one or two payments. Furthermore, insurers now waive late payment fees for those who still manage to pay their bills. Car Insurance companies provide extended grace periods. Given the current situation, most insurance providers are extending grace periods and halting cancellations for customers who can't make their payments. Many car insurance providers have announced case-by-case programs to assist customers who have financial troubles. Flexible payment options . Some carriers allow drivers to provide a financially manageable premium or provide a partial payment. Not all companies have implemented this feature, so clients should ask first if this is possible with their car insurance provider. Extended coverage for personal auto insurance . Individuals who use their personal cars to deliver goods, food and medical supplies can benefit of extended coverage from their carrier and be protected while making deliveries. Switching to a new insurer is not recommended. Drivers can't just simply switch to a new insurer and obtain cheaper premiums. However, in this involuntarily pause caused by the coronavirus outbreak, drivers can research their insurance options and check if they need to make changes to their coverages, insurance company, or deductibles. Drivers who are no longer using their cars to drive to work can get a discount . Drivers should contact their insurers to see if they can dial back the declared mileage until the crisis is over. Many insurance companies have already announced automatic premium rebate programs. Canceling coverage during this time should be avoided . Most drivers still need to drive their cars to grocery stores or to medical appointments. Cars can still get stolen or damaged by natural events like storms, floods, or tornadoes. Also, insurance providers don't like to see lapses in coverage, and they can raise their premiums after the crisis is over. The current crisis doesn't affect the ability to file a claim . While the coronavirus pandemic is no reason for affecting the driver's ability to file a claim and get the car repaired, this crisis can cause some delays. Most insurance providers are offering online claims portals where drivers can upload documents, photos of the vehicle, and any property damage. Also, claims adjusters may ask drivers to shoot videos that highlight vehicle damages, so they can appraise the damages remotely. Dealing with a collision or with a police stop has changed. Drivers should perform all of the duties that are required to do by law while trying to put as much distance between themselves and the other driver as possible. They can do that by placing their documents - driver's licenses, registration, and insurance cards - on the hood of their cars, then letting the other party photograph them with their smartphone, then doing the same with their documents. While being stopped by the police, drivers should do exactly what they are told to do. Story continues For additional info, money-saving tips and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.org Compare-autoinsurance.org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "The coronavirus outbreak has affected nearly every corner of American citizens' lives. The car insurance has also had to adapt and make some changes", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing Company Person for contact: Gurgu C Phone Number: (818) 359-3898 Email: cgurgu@internetmarketingcompany.biz Website: https://compare-autoinsurance.org SOURCE: Internet Marketing Company View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/585868/Coronavirus-News--How-Is-The-Auto-Insurance-Industry-Affected Xiaomi has scheduled a launch event in China where it is expected to announce the Mi 10 Youth Edition 5G smartphone along with MIUI 12 Xiaomi is set to announce the Mi 10 Youth Edition 5G smartphone along with MIUI 12 in an event in China. While the Mi 10 Youth Edition is most likely the Mi 10 Lite 5G launched in Europe, all eyes are on the upcoming new user interface from Xiaomi which will be pushed to a host of Xiaomi-made devices across the world, eventually. So, while the Mi 10 Youth Edition 5G may just stick to the Chinese market, MIUI will have a big impact on Xiaomis portfolio of devices across the world and especially in India. With its key competitors (Oppo, Vivo and Realme) going all out with their new interfaces for 2020, MIUI was also looking to follow suit. MIUI 12: Expected features and release date In all likeliness, the Mi 10 Youth Edition 5G will be the first smartphone to run on MIUI 12. The custom Android skin was teased by Xiaomi executives on Weibo, and going by the teasers, MIUI 12 will likely look at offering a consistent user experience, along with more privacy options. To this regard, Xiaomi has unveiled a new Privacy logo that will be applied to all its future products to assuage users of Mi phones offering user privacy. Xiaomi also confirmed it has developed an open-source Mobile AI Compute Engine that will allow mobile phones to perform offline computing without uploading the data to servers, ensuring maximum security for users. Notably, this is something that Apple does in iOS devices. Another more holistic upgrade is a new information security management system thats based on six important rules Data minimisation, openness, transparency, security protection, purpose limitation, compliance review and clear responsibilities. More details around Xiaomis new push for privacy will be revealed at the event scheduled today. Furthermore, Xiaomi is expected to unveil a new design language for the UI, maybe a more consistent dark mode but definitely facelifts for its stock apps. One such app that is expected to get a big upgrade is the Notes app which is set to get a lot cleaner and intuitive. Reports claim the Notes app will sync with the to-do lists with a single click. There are more such features on the cards, which will only be confirmed once Xiaomi makes the announcement. As for the release date, we expect Xiaomi to reveal a timeline for devices that will receive the update to the new UI at the event. Mi 10 Youth Edition 5G: Expected Specs, features and price There seems to be a high demand for mid-range 5G smartphones in China, and Xiaomi is looking to make the most of it. The Mi 10 Youth Edition is likely to launch in four variants. The base model with 6GB RAM and 64GB storage, another with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage, one with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage and one last with 8GB RAM with 256GB storage. The price is expected to start from RMB 2,299 (roughly Rs 24,800) for the 6+64GB variant, RMB 2,499 (roughly Rs 27,000) for the 6+128GB variant, RMB 2,699 (roughly Rs 29,000) for the 8+128GB variant and RMB 2,999 (roughly Rs 32,000) for the 8+256GB variant. The Mi 10 Youth Edition 5G is expected to come with a 6.57-inch AMOLED display with FHD+ resolution. Xiaomi has confirmed it is a Samsung display with a high contrast ratio. The phone, quite expectedly, is powered by the Snapdragon 765G SoC which comes with an integrated 5G modem. While many think the Mi 10 Youth Edition 5G will be the same as the Mi 10 Lite 5G launched in Europe, the camera specs may differ a little. The company teased a quad-camera setup at the back that includes 50x digital zoom. The primary camera is expected to house a 48MP sensor, paired with an ultra-wide lens and two more lenses. However, none of them has the folded periscope design so it will be interesting to see how Xiaomi achieves the 50x zoom that it promised. In addition, its expected to offer a 16MP front camera in a waterdrop notch. The phone is rumoured to offer a 4,160mAh battery and run MIUI 12 out of the box. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Christian Drosten, Director of the Institute for Virology at Charite Berlin hospital, at a press conference in Berlin on March 9, 2020. Janine Schmitz/Photothek via Getty Germany's top coronavirus expert told The Guardian on Sunday that he worries about the country beginning to lift its lockdown. Christian Drosten said the country is now experiencing the "prevention paradox" meaning it has been so successful at combating the virus that the public now thinks the government overreacted. "In Germany, people see that the hospitals are not overwhelmed, and they don't understand why their shops have to shut," Drosten said. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. The German government's leading coronavirus expert said he's afraid the country's success at fighting the coronavirus will cause complacency, which could fuel a second wave of infections. Christian Drosten, director of Berlin's Institute of Virology at the Charite Hospital, spoke to The Guardian on Sunday, days after the country began lifting some lockdown restrictions. Germany's lockdown started to lift on April 20, with the opening of smaller businesses like car dealerships, bike shops, and book stores. The country plans to start reopening schools on May 4. A German couple wear face masks with a traditional Bavarian print on April 25, 2020. Felix Horhager/picture alliance via Getty Drosten said he felt like the government was being pressured to reopen, and that he feared that a blase attitude toward the relatively tame outbreak in Germany could lead to a new burst of infections. "At the moment, we are seeing half-empty ICUs in Germany," he said. "This is because we started diagnostics early and on a broad scale, and we stopped the epidemic that is, we brought the reproduction number below 1." The basic reproduction number, also known as R0, represents the average number of people a single patient is expected to infect and is a key figure to measuring countries' outbreak. You can read Business Insider's explainer to it here. "Now, what I call the 'prevention paradox' has set in," Drosten added. "People are claiming we overreacted, there is political and economic pressure to return to normal." Story continues "The federal plan is to lift lockdown slightly, but because the German states, or Lander, set their own rules, I fear we're going to see a lot of creativity in the interpretation of that plan. I worry that the reproduction number will start to climb again, and we will have a second wave," he added. A woman talks to a reporter as she is detained by police officers during a demonstration against lockdown measures in Berlin on April 25, 2020. Markus Schreiber/AP Germany currently has the fifth highest coronavirus cases in the world, with more than 157,000 as of Monday. But they have been able to keep their death toll much lower than other countries 5,976 compared to the US' 54,877 which has largely been attributed to the country's extensive testing at the beginning of the outbreak. "In Germany, people see that the hospitals are not overwhelmed, and they don't understand why their shops have to shut," Drosten said. "They only look at what's happening here, not at the situation in, say, New York or Spain," referring to two of the most hard-hit areas in the world in the pandemic. Drosten even said he's even gotten death threats. "For many Germans I'm the evil guy who is crippling the economy," he said. Hundreds of Germans took to the streets of Berlin on Saturday to protest against the lockdown measures. According to The Guardian, about 200 people were involved in the protest, and dozens were arrested. Read the original article on Business Insider Today, more than 49,000 senior high school students from 254 schools in Beijing are back in their classrooms after the COVID-19 lockdown. In order to welcome the first batch of returning students, all schools have made careful preparations: the entire premises and surrounds have been thoroughly cleaned and disinfected, one-meter distancing lines have been set up, and a total of 2.353 million emergency masks have been prepared. Li Yi, a spokesperson for the Beijing Municipal Education Commission, said that with preparations such as disinfection, emergency disposal and the building up of material reserves in place, all the schools were ready to welcome back their students. At the same time, online classes for students of other grades are continuing according to the plan. To prepare for the students return to school, teachers began work 10 days in advance. According to statistics, 6,487 full-time Grade Three teachers of senior high school and 18,043 middle school logistics support personnel had returned to work. Upon their return, more than 24,000 teaching and administrative staff received anti epidemic knowledge training and tests. All schools have carried out drills to simulate the school opening scenario. For example, Beijing No. 2 Middle School's drill covered contents such as washing hands and going to the toilet between classes. Each school has established a complete health check list. In the campus, related publicity posters are everywhere and the blackboard newspaper of Grade Three classrooms of senior high school are mostly focusing on topics such as health education, epidemic prevention and control, and life education. Before the resumption of classes, 254 schools passed several rounds of assessment, and municipal inspectors inspected all city districts. According to their inspection results, the management of the school drinking water was in line with the relevant requirements, and more than 99% of the school water, electricity, gas and other logistics support were found to be in place. Relevant staff of school canteens met the requirements of health standards for epidemic prevention and control. An official from the Beijing Municipal Education Commission said the problems found in the inspection were all rectified immediately to ensure a safe and smooth start of schooling. According to statistics of the Beijing Municipal Education Commission, the 254 schools prepared a total of 2.353 million emergency masks, 273,000 liters of disinfectant, 258 temperature measuring doors, 6,333 temperature measuring "guns", 254,000 pairs of gloves and 4,160 sets of protective clothing. Most of the schools have set the two "special rooms": a temporary observation room able to provide necessary medical services for teachers and students in case of emergencies; the other is psychological consultation room helping students quickly adapt to a return to campus life. ISTANBUL Domestic violence hotlines have been strained in Turkey amid the novel coronavirus pandemic as many families spend more time indoors, in line with protocols to stem the spread of the disease. Canan Gullu, president of the Federation of Women Associations of Turkey, said her organization received 80% more reports of domestic assaults last month compared to March 2019. She said the rise comes as the police emergency number, 155, has been reportedly overburdened and the KADES mobile app, a state system used to report domestic and gender-based violence, is also facing service blackouts. Before the coronavirus, Turkey did not have strong mechanisms to combat domestic violence and now this crisis is overburdening some state systems and putting families at risk, Gullu told Al-Monitor. Womens rights advocates say the rise in violence is not only being spurred by a string of urban curfews, which lock families in close quarters with potentially abusive relatives, but may also be the result of a prisoner-release bill passed on April 13 to reduce jail populations and curb the spread of COVID-19 in state penitentiaries. Up to 90,000 prisoners are being released in Turkey as a result of the measure, and many convicts are returning to their family homes, possibly moving back in with the victims of their original crimes. Though the release excluded murderers and rapists, it freed violent offenders and because the Turkish legal code does not include a specific charge for violence against women, domestic abuse incidents have a high probability of reoccurrence, Gullu said. These people should not have been released and violence against women should be defined in the Turkish criminal code, Gullu told Al-Monitor. Yesterday, we heard a woman was killed by a man who was released from prison. Under current state protocols, prosecutors normally inform family members of a prisoners release shortly before the measure is taken. The short notice has led to several incidents of repeated domestic abuse, including one in Ankara Saturday, when a released inmate attacked his wife and took their children hostage with a firearm before police intervened. In a separate incident, a released convict killed his son with a hammer in western Turkey. Some advocates say punishments for domestic assault may be too mild to deter violent offenders. In a high-profile incident unrelated to the prisoner release, a recent convict killed his 10-year old daughter after finishing a prison sentence of 5.5 months for stabbing his wife with a knife and screwdriver. Yet Cansu Sekerci, a lawyer with Turkeys Civil Society in Penal System Association, said current research does not reveal a correlation between longer prison sentences and a reduction in violent crime. Instead, she said the Turkish justice system lacks rehabilitation programs to reduce prisoner re-entry. We need an individualized approach that reflects restorative justice, Sekerci told Al-Monitor. This approach takes into consideration the prisoner, the society and the people who are harmed due to crime. Turkeys Justice Ministry reported more than 80 prisoners have been infected with the novel coronavirus and three have died since the disease was first recorded in Turkey on March 11. About 79 prison employees have also tested positive for COVID-19. Balancing measures to stem the virus spread in state penitentiaries with increased reports of domestic violence is an issue with few immediate remedies. Eren Keskin, a prominent lawyer and co-chair of Turkeys Human Rights Association, said strict laws to deter violence against women exist in Turkey but are not fully implemented. We see that the courts, most of which are not working nowadays, refrain from giving restraining orders for perpetrators of violence, which leaves women completely vulnerable, Keskin told Al-Monitor. She added, And with these calls to stay home, we see an increase in violence against women because women have nowhere else to go. There are very few womens shelters in Turkey. Speaking Monday evening, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced a fourth consecutive weekend curfew in Turkey, this one spanning three days to include Labor Day on Friday. About 470 women were killed in Turkey last year, and half were murdered by their husbands, partners, exes or male relatives, according to the We Will Stop Femicide Platform. In March 2020, the group reported 29 femicides and nine suspicious female deaths in Turkey. As of Monday, the Turkish Health Ministry has recorded 112,261 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country, and 2,900 virus-linked deaths. After he had spent nearly three weeks in an intensive care unit being treated for COVID-19, Broadway and TV actor Nick Cordero's doctors were forced to amputate his right leg. The 41-year-old's blood flow had been impeded by a clot: yet another dangerous complication of the disease that has been bubbling up in frontline reports from China, Europe and the United States. To be sure, so-called "thrombotic events" occur for a variety of reasons among intensive care patients, but the rates among COVID-19 patients are far higher than would be otherwise expected. "I have had 40-year-olds in my ICU who have clots in their fingers that look like they'll lose the finger, but there's no other reason to lose the finger than the virus," Shari Brosnahan, a critical care doctor at NYU Langone told AFP. One of these patients is suffering from a lack of blood flow to both feet and both hands, and she predicts an amputation may be necessary, or the blood vessels may get so damaged that an extremity could drop off by itself. Blood clots aren't just dangerous for our limbs, but can make their way to the lungs, heart or brain, where they may cause lethal pulmonary embolisms, heart attacks, and strokes. A recent paper from the Netherlands in the journal Thrombosis Research found that 31 percent of 184 patients suffered thrombotic complications, a figure that the researchers called "remarkably high" -- even if extreme consequences like amputation are rare. - Why is it happening? - Behnood Bikdeli, a doctor at New York?Presbyterian Hospital, assembled an international consortium of experts to study the issue. Their findings were published in the Journal of The American College of Cardiology. The experts found the risks were so great that COVID-19 patients "may need to receive blood thinners, preventively, prophylactically," even before imaging tests are ordered, said Bikdeli. What exactly is causing it? The reasons aren't fully understood, but he offered several possible explanations. People with severe forms of COVID-19 often have underlying medical conditions like heart or lung disease -- which are themselves linked to higher rates of clotting. Next, being in intensive care makes a person likelier to develop a clot because they are staying still for so long. That's why for example people are encouraged to stretch and move around on long haul flights. It's also now clear the COVID-19 illness is associated with an abnormal immune reaction called "cytokine storm" -- and some research has indicated this too is linked to higher rates of clotting. There could also be something about the virus itself that is causing coagulation, which has some precedent in other viral illnesses. A paper in the journal The Lancet last week showed that the virus can infect the inner cell layer of organs and of blood vessels, called the endothelium. This, in theory, could interfere with the clotting process. - Microclots - According to Brosnahan, while thinners like Heparin are effective in some patients, they don't work for all patients because the clots are at times too small. "There are too many microclots," she said. "We're not sure exactly where they are." Autopsies have in fact shown some people's lungs filled with hundreds of microclots. The arrival of a new mystery however helps solve a slightly older one. Cecilia Mirant-Borde, an intensive care doctor at a military veterans hospital in Manhattan, told AFP that lungs filled with microclots helped explain why ventilators work poorly for patients with low blood oxygen. Earlier in the pandemic doctors were treating these patients according to protocols developed for acute respiratory distress syndrome, sometimes known as "wet lung." But in some cases, "it's not because the lungs are occupied with water" -- rather, it's that the microclotting is blocking circulation and blood is leaving the lungs with less oxygen than it should. It has just been a little under five months since the virus emerged in Wuhan, China, and researchers are learning more about its impact every day. "While we react surprised, we shouldn't be as surprised as we were. Viruses tend to do weird things," said Brosnahan. While the dizzying array of complications may seem daunting, "it's possible there'll be one or a couple of unifying mechanisms that describe how this damage happens," she said. "It's possible it's all the same thing, and that there'll be the same solution." A medical team turns over a patient with COVID-19 in an intensive care unit in Stamford, Connecticut An image taken with a scanning electron microscope shows SARS-CoV-2 (yellow) ? also known as 2019-nCoV, the virus that causes COVID-19 Christy Ruane (75) has run his pub in the rural townland of Glentane, Co Galway, for 45 years, but the coronavirus lockdown has seen him forced to close his doors and meet ongoing bills on a much-reduced income. He and his wife Mary are having to dip into their savings to cover costs with no end in sight to the restrictions on pubs. "I never envisaged something like this was ever going to happen," said Mr Ruane. He has had to cancel direct debits and save all the money he can "because you don't know where or how it's going to finish up". The couple are getting the State pension of a combined 470 but that doesn't cover the outgoings from owning a pub as well as putting food on the table. They, like many others over the age of 66, have been excluded from the Government's Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) of 350 a week. Mr Ruane said: "I feel very sore about it. I'm all my life paying tax and paying VAT and every blooming thing and to come along then and find you're isolated." He, like others in the same situation, is not demanding the full 350-a-week payment on top of the State pension and says that topping up the pension to match it would be a compromise. He said a lot of pubs will close down due to the restrictions and considers himself fortunate that, with the mortgage paid off on his premises, it is likely to reopen. "If I wasn't in that position I'd be very fearful of the future," he said. "It will be putting it to the pin of my collar if it goes into next year when the pubs are allowed to open." Businessman Patrick Kavanagh of Kilkenny-based Kavanagh's Executive Car Hire is not so lucky. He turned 66 in March just as the Covid-19 PUP was being made available. He questioned how his business is supposed to survive. Much of it involves driving American tourists around the country and they are unlikely to return soon. On the over-66s' exclusion from the Covid-19 PUP, he said: "It's ridiculous. We should all be on the same level playing field." Dubliner Shelagh Ennis-Lamb is a self-employed health and safety consultant and is also excluded. She said the Government has been encouraging people to work until they are older and it was a slap in the face to leave them out of the scheme. "They could have at least brought the pension payment up to 350 which is what they are paying to people who work part time." If you're looking to go on a virtual adventure, you can safely explore some of the most beautiful skywatching sites from the safety of your home with the help of some stellar astrophotography. Several skywatching enthusiasts have shared their favorites stargazing sites with Space.com and sent in their incredible photos of what the view looks like in these areas. Whether it's a spectacular dark-sky vista or a gorgeous skyline, these beautiful photographs showcase what you can experience the next time you're able to travel for real. Here are their favorite locations, in their own words (edited for length or clarity). Related: How to Snap Awesome Night-Sky Photos with Your Smartphone Rogelio Bernal Andreo / DeepSkyColors.com Eureka Dunes Death Valley National Park, California Eureka Dunes Death Valley National Park, California. (Image credit: Rogelio Bernal Andreo / DeepSkyColors.com) Death Valley National Park is famous for its remoteness and dark skies. Still, if you avoid the more popular spots and head over the even more remote areas like the gorgeous Eureka Dunes, that's when you can really feel that it's just you, the landscape and a sky full of stars almost literally falling on you. (P.S.: The guy climbing the dune is me, it's a selfie!) Tenaya Lake Yosemite National Park, California Tenaya Lake Yosemite National Park, California (Image credit: Rogelio Bernal Andreo / DeepSkyColors.com) When friends ask me what is my favorite place in Yosemite, I always answer: I can't pick one. There's too many "favorite" places in Yosemite. However, there's always one place I wait for the road to clear every year for so I can go and stay there an entire night. When you see the stars barely twinkling, reflected in the water, you know you're witnessing absolute tranquility. (P.S.: The image is not a composite. My wife Ariana and I.) Halawa Bay Moloka'i, Hawai'i Halawa Bay Moloka'i, Hawai'i (Image credit: Rogelio Bernal Andreo / DeepSkyColors.com) Mike Taylor / www.miketaylorphoto.com Hunters Beach Acadia National Park, Maine Hunters Beach Acadia National Park, Maine (Image credit: Mike Taylor / www.miketaylorphoto.com ) This is a great location to view and photograph our beautiful Maine night skies. The tidal pool in the foreground makes for fantastic reflections of the stars. Totem Pole Monument Valley, Arizona Totem Pole Monument Valley, Arizona (Image credit: Mike Taylor / www.miketaylorphoto.com ) The Milky Way makes a dramatic background for the iconic Totem Pole, which rises 381 feet (116 meters) above the valley floor. The most impressive features of this location are undoubtedly, the wind-swept ripples of sand in the foreground. Cape Porpoise Maine Cape Porpoise Maine (Image credit: Mike Taylor / www.miketaylorphoto.com ) This shack in Cape Porpoise, Maine has recently become a well-photographed feature on the southern Maine coast since it was erected in 2017. There have been many shots of this building during sunrise and sunset, but very few have been taken at night with the Milky Way in the background. Chirag Upreti / chiragupreti.com Statue of Liberty New York City Statue of Liberty New York City (Image credit: Chirag Upreti / chiragupreti.com) I particularly like the Statue of Liberty as a subject because it is a powerful and universal symbol of freedom. Additionally, the east and west horizon are mostly quite open, with no high-rise buildings blocking the moonrise or moonset view. In this image, the Full Blue Flower Moon of May 2019 can be seen over the horizon in early twilight with haze or thin clouds in the atmosphere. Later, this haze persisted to give a slightly diffused lunar corona. I planned this shot using a tool called 'The Photographer's Ephemeris' to get the full moon to pass just around the torch of the Statue of Liberty, an iconic symbol of enlightenment. Being just a couple of degrees over the horizon, I expected the moon to be a golden yellow color, which would complement the gold of the torch, magnifying its symbolism that the "Statue of Liberty's torch lights the way to freedom, showing us the path to Liberty," as stated by the National Park Service. Signal Mountain Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming Signal Mountain Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming (Image credit: Chirag Upreti / chiragupreti.com) I planned this shot before leaving for my trip to Wyoming using www.heavens-above.com. From this website, I knew in advance that the International Space Station would fly past the star Arcturus and close to the Big Dipper constellation. During the day I scouted the location atop Signal Mountain, which gave me a clear view of the mountain range, with Jackson Lake peeking between the foliage, giving the impression of a river. Mount Moran dominates this northern section of the Teton Range, with its Skillet Glacier visible. I had a visual of the space station streaking across the sky as it became brighter and when it crossed Arcturus (bright star over the mountain range). Once the space station went past it, I opened my shutter for a long exposure to capture the flyby as a single unbroken streak, as it grazed past the Big Dipper. Slight green and red airglow can also be seen in the sky and on the horizon, along with artificial airglow likely from Idaho Falls that lies west of these mountains. Vik, Iceland Vik, Iceland (Image credit: Chirag Upreti / chiragupreti.com) I saw my first aurora borealis on the airplane ride to Iceland. I remember seeing these shape-shifting, grey clouds outside the airplane window and thought to myself, "This is weird." So I took out the camera, shielded the lens from the cabin lights and shot a few frames. The clouds were wispy green and I could barely contain my enthusiasm. The sky over the city of Vik was predicted to be cloudy for the night, and the chance of shooting this night were dim, but there was a lucky break in the cloud cover that revealed the near vertical Milky Way in this dark site. I could see this flickering wall of light coming from the northern side. The illumination of the sky by this aurora as it approached the Milky Way was in stark contrast to the dark sky. About 10 to 15 minutes after this shot, the green glow enveloped the sky and the details of the Milky Way were lost. Soon after, the clouds came in and I called it a night. Miguel Claro / www.miguelclaro.com Dark Sky Alqueva reserve, Portugal Dark Sky Alqueva reserve, Portugal (Image credit: Miguel Claro / www.miguelclaro.com ) This starry night scene was captured at the end of the summer season from Noudar, in Dark Sky Alqueva territory, in Portugal. This image shows the mosaic image of a galactic arch above a dead tree. The arch itself is a summer Milky Way that is gradually disappearing in the western horizon due to the time of the year. While in the opposite direction of the arch, the winter Milky Way is starting to appear in the eastern sky with the Auriga and Taurus constellations shining bright. While stars from the Summer Triangle are getting low in the left side of the sky, the blueish star cluster of the Pleiades is gradually getting higher, as seen on the right side of the image. Atacama Desert, Chile Atacama Desert, Chile (Image credit: Miguel Claro / www.miguelclaro.com ) After a long car trip from Antofagasta to Copiapo in Chile, we rested somewhere in the middle of the Atacama Desert. While my road trip partner was trying to recover from a long, 5-hour drive, I decided to skip the rest and go outside to capture a wonderful night scene, which i made into a large mosaic made of 19 single shots. The solitude of this scene was really mesmerizing; looking into a vast reddish rocky desert where a small red car stands below the astonishing arc of the Milky Way. There's really nothing separating us human beings from the universe we see outside. Beyond the landscape, the image features the dusty heart of our galaxy as well as many regions of dark dust and star clusters. Other galaxies are also shining, like the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds, visible close to the horizon. The colorful region on the top left is the Rho Ophiuchi cloud complex and not far away, a bright white light belongs to planet Jupiter. In the opposite direction, on the right top corner, you can see the largest globular cluster in the Milky Way. This is Omega Centauri, which has approximately 10 million stars. Seljalandsfoss Waterfalls, Iceland Seljalandsfoss Waterfalls, Iceland (Image credit: Miguel Claro / www.miguelclaro.com ) Here is a panoramic scene featuring a green aurora above the Seljalandsfoss cliffs, filled by small waterfalls and captured during a surprisingly active night at the end of October. In the foreground, you can see iced vegetation with crystal shapes reflecting the green hues presented in the sky.The solar wind sparked beautiful greenish auroras that could be seen over Iceland during that period. Fortunately, thanks to a clear sky forecast and some aurora chasing done by car, I could show them on a still single photo. Follow Elizabeth Howell on Twitter @howellspace. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook. In this article: LONDON (Reuters) - A further 360 people have died from COVID-19 in British hospitals, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said on Monday, bringing the total to 21,092. The 360 increase was the lowest daily death toll for four weeks, although weekend reporting delays can distort Monday totals. Hancock said that the deaths of 82 health service workers were included in the figures. (Reporting by William James and Estelle Shirbon, writing by Alistair Smout; editing by Stephen Addison) Iraq is planning painful cuts in social benefits relied on by millions of government workers. Saudi Arabia will likely have to delay mega-projects Baghdad: Iraq is planning painful cuts in social benefits relied on by millions of government workers. Saudi Arabia will likely have to delay mega-projects. Egypt and Lebanon face a blow as their workers in the Gulf send back less of the much-needed dollars that help keep their fragile economies afloat. The historic crash in oil prices in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic is reverberating across the Middle East as crude-dependent countries scramble to offset losses from a key source of state revenue and all this at a time when several of them already face explosive social unrest. The economies of all the Arab Gulf oil exporters are expected to contract this year, as much as 5 percent in Iraq, according to the International Monetary Fund. Click here to follow LIVE updates on coronavirus outbreak While some Gulf countries can rely on a cushion of foreign currency reserves, nowhere in the region are the circumstances more dire than in Iraq, where oil sales fund 90 percent of the state budget. Iraq saw massive protests in the past months by a populace angry over the weak economy and rampant corruption and the turmoil could erupt again. Click here to follow LIVE news and updates on stock markets Cutbacks in spending will only add to the pain for a population struggling to get by under coronavirus restrictions. In the capital''s Tahrir Square, protesters are still camped out, determined not to let their movement die. Coming into summer the conditions are developing for a perfect storm for the government, said Sajad Jiyad, an Iraq-based analyst. Oil is currently trading at $20 per barrel, dipping even lower some days to levels not seen since 2001. Further constraints will be felt as an OPEC agreement to cut production levels by 23 percent to stabilize the oil market takes hold. May and June are expected to be particularly difficult as that is when oil storage space will be full, making it harder for countries to market oil, according to Robin Mills, CEO of Dubai-based Qamar Energy. So far it''s early, and no one has reached a stage where the budget runs out, Mills said. But that is inevitable Iraq will probably hit first. In its draft 2020 budget, Iraq had been counting on revenues from oil prices at $56 a barrel to fund badly needed development projects and the bloated public sector, costing nearly $45 billion in compensation and pensions. Oil Minister Thamir Ghadhban said recently that revenue from crude exports has dropped by 50 percent. Now officials are debating difficult salary cuts. One proposed idea would defer paying public sector workers part of their social benefits until the financial sector improves, according to three Iraqi officials. The question is how much to cut and from whom; one recommendation is that higher-end earners take a 50 percent cut. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity so as not to derail ongoing talks. That would save Iraq hundreds of millions of dollars, but risks triggering unrest. Public sector workers receive a host of benefits that effectively add 50-70 percent to their take-home wages. They include family allowances and so-called danger pay benefits for security forces. Still, experts said that won't be enough if oil prices remain between $20-30 per barrel. Cuts need to be deeper to make a dent in payroll, and even then, if revenues are so low there comes a point where cuts are not enough, Jiyad said. On top of this, expected compliance with OPEC will require Iraq to cut over 1 million barrels per day from production in May and June. Moreover, the country has been left without an effective executive to carry out reforms by an ongoing leadership vacuum since December, when Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi resigned under pressure from protesters. Prime Minister-designate Mustafa Kadhimi is due to present his proposed Cabinet to Parliament next week, but he faces opposition from key political blocs. Until his government is in place, a 2020 budget is unlikely to be approved. This limits Iraq''s ability to borrow from international agencies for budgetary support. Across the region, the drop in oil prices will derail future investment and development plans. The region's largest crude producer, Saudi Arabia, plans to cuts spending by 5 percent, or about $13.3 billion. Additional cuts and measures are expected as it digs into its roughly $500 billion in foreign reserves. Target dates of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's plan for the completion of new cities and mega-projects will likely be delayed as businesses suffer and foreign investment dips amid the pandemic. Kuwait has ample reserves as well. But the island nation of Bahrain faces a debt estimated to be equal to 105 percent of its GDP, even after it received a $10 billion bailout from its neighbors to avoid defaulting on a $750 million Islamic bond repayment in 2018. Other giant global oil producers will have to grapple with job losses and economic shocks. U.S. producers and service companies have laid off thousands of employees, and greater job losses are expected as the pandemic drags on. SANTIAGO, Chile - The spreading spectre of the new coronavirus is shaking Latin Americas notoriously overcrowded, unruly prisons, threatening to turn them into infernos. The Puente Alto prison in downtown Santiago, Chile, had the largest of Latin Americas largest prison virus outbreaks so far, with more than 300 reported cases. The prisons 1,100 inmates are terrified. Social distancing is hard to practice in jail. They are all in contact with each other, said prison nurse Ximena Graniffo. Any efforts at reducing contact were blown away in El Salvador over the weekend when authorities crammed prisoners albeit wearing masks tightly together in prison yards while searching their cells. President Nayib Bukele ordered the crackdown after more than 20 people were murdered in the country Friday and intelligence suggested the orders came from imprisoned gang leaders. Latin Americas prisons hold 1.5 million inmates, and the facilities are often quasi-ruled by prisoners themselves because of corruption, intimidation and inadequate guard staffs. Low budgets also create ideal conditions for the virus to spread: There is often little soap and water and cell blocks are crowded. So far, national officials have reported close to 1,400 confirmed cases of COVID-19 among inmates and prison staff. The worst hit has been Peru, with 613 cases and at least 13 deaths, though the extent of testing to determine the full scale of infections differs from country to country. When the Dominican Republic tested more than 5,500 inmates at the La Victoria prison, which has been producing protective face masks for the public, officials reported at least 239 tested postive. Perhaps the most complete testing appears to be taking place in Puerto Rico, where the Department of Corrections said Friday it will test all the nearly 9,000 inmates being held across the U.S. territory, as well as 6,000 employees, including prison guards. Fear of the virus itself already has proven deadly. There have been 23 deaths in prison riots in Colombia since the pandemic started. More than 1,300 inmates have escaped prisons in Brazil after a temporary release program was cancelled due to the outbreak, and more than 1,000 have been on hunger strikes in Argentina. All over the region, the demands are the same: protection against contagion. With most family visits cancelled, inmates feel exposed, vulnerable, alone and exploited. Inmates report that prices at informal and formal prison stores have increased during the pandemic, and relatives can no longer bring them food and hygiene items from the outside. Right now, a bag of soap powder costs 29 pesos ($1.20) , when before it was 20 (80 cents) said a prisoner in Mexico, who lives in a 12 foot by 12 foot (4 metres by 4 metres) cell with a dozen others. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was using a banned cellphone. Human Rights Watch says conditions are even worse in countries like Haiti, Bolivia or Guatemala. U.N. Human Rights High Commissioner Michelle Bachelet, the former president of Chile, has called sanitary conditions in the region deplorable and called for releases of less dangerous inmates. Countries like Chile and Colombia have already released about 7,500 inmates and Mexicos Senate last week approved a measure to free thousands, though Brazil has not yet acted. Regional security analyst Lucia Dammert says releasing a few thousand inmates wont significantly reduce the threat of contagion, however, and some urge more sweeping releases. Prisoners have been sentenced to loss of liberty, not to death, and the state has to take measures at its disposal, said Jose Miguel Vivanco, Americas director for Human Rights Watch. And in many countries, such as Bolivia, most of those behind bars have not yet been sentenced or are awaiting trial. In Chile, the head of the prison guard system, Christian Alveal, said the prisoners fears are totally reasonable, and he said officials are working to minimize the worries of the inmates. Some prisons have tried to do that by allowing prisoners more calls to relatives, and Argentina, with 13,000 prisoners, has allowed videocalls. Buenos Aires has even allowed prisoners to use cellphones, which are normally banned because they are sometimes used in extortion schemes. Inmates at the San Pedro prison in Bolivias capital, La Paz, have taken their own measures against contagion. While inmates elsewhere have rioted over bans on family visits, the Bolivian inmates themselves decided on such a ban. And they turned what are normally punishment cells into 14-day quarantine lockups for newly arrived prisoners. Ximena Graniffo, the nurse at Puente Alto, seemed resigned to a struggle. You do what you can with what you have, she said. ___ Maria Verza reported from Mexico City. Randox are to make Covid-19 tests available to the public. Leading Northern Ireland laboratory Randox will be selling home testing kits to Northern Ireland's public again in a fortnight. The Co Antrim firm told us it is currently clearing a backlog of supply orders for its tests to the NHS. But a worker at the lab said it is planning to make sales of Covid-19 diagnostic kits to the public available again from the start of May. When we called Randox Labs last week to ask about availability of coronavirus tests we were told: "They will be back on sale for 120 each in two weeks. We've got a backlog of orders from the NHS." Meanwhile, the top firm has defended selling its coronavirus home testing kits to private clinics in England - which are flogging them for up to 400 each. Randox Laboratories started selling its 120 Covid-19 tests to the public and private surgeries in March. It has since emerged a series of pricey private clinics in the UK have been selling them on to rich clients for small fortunes. Randox told Sunday Life "ethical questions" about test kit pricing should be directed to the its private clinic customers. Expand Close Randox test for COVID-19 / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Randox test for COVID-19 A spokeswoman for Randox said: "It is important to note that a number of the private clinics referenced as having resold Randox kits, are not direct customers of ours, and this is the reason we do not have control over their price. "Randox has no control over what third party private clinics charge - or what their customers are prepared to pay - if they have accessed our kits. "The question about whether the actions of the referenced private clinics are ethical, is best directed to those clinics." Among private clinics selling on Randox-produced home testing kits is the Private Harley Street Clinic, which charged 375 each for the kits. The clinic's owner Dr Mark Ali was reported to have made around 2.5million in a week from sales of the kits, which he boasted he had been flogging to "lords and ladies, knights, and even doctors and dentists who are worried about catching the disease". Shadow Health Secretary Jon Ashworth branded Ali's sales of the coronavirus tests "exploitative". Among other costly surgeries Randox has been supplying is Summerfield Healthcare, which runs three private clinics in Derby, Shrewsury and Wolverhampton. Summerfield has been flogging Covid-19 testing kits for 249. Qured a company that normally offers face-to-face private GP appointments within two hours at homes or workplaces in London said in March it was supplied by Randox for its Covid-19 tests, which it was selling for 295. A spokesman for the company has now revealed they are no longer sourcing their kits from Randox. He stressed Qureds 295 price included two GP consultations pre- and post- test as well as two couriers one to deliver the test and 30 minutes later to take the sample to the lab. Randox claims its test is the only one in the world that "can identify the lethal strain and differentiate between other non-lethal variants with the same symptoms". The UK government has pledged to do 100,000 coronavirus tests a day by the end of April, but is currently managing only about 20,000 daily. I am an emergency medicine doctor in Philadelphia and currently practice on the front line of this pandemic. One of the difficult realities of the COVID-19 crisis is our limited resources. As many have discussed, if we have too many critically ill patients, we may run out of ventilators. As a result, we need to plan for this eventuality, and to determine how we can save the most lives possible with the resources we have. This issue has previously been considered by the Task Force for Mass Critical Care (TFMCC), a group of ICU experts and ethicists. If we run out of ventilators, we will have to give the machines to those patients most likely to live. COVID-19 is believed to have a 2.3% mortality rate. The great influenza pandemic of 1918 had a similar mortality rate and killed over 100 million worldwide. Prior models have shown that if patient volumes reach 1918 influenza pandemic levels, we will not have enough ventilators. If we run out of ventilators, we will need to allocate them based on prognosis. In other words, we will give ventilators to patients most likely to live, and other patients may have ventilators removed and reallocated. Pennsylvania is currently scrambling to draft guidelines for ventilator allocation if such a surge event occurs. Other states (e.g., Maryland, New York, Michigan, Louisiana) have had such guidelines in place for several years. I helped write Marylands guidelines in 2017. In creating these guidelines, it is vital that the state gives clear guidance and legal protection for these decisions. That is, doctors need legal protection if we are to remove ventilators from patients against their will and their familys will. Without protection from the state, doctors could be sued or arrested, possibly even charged with murder or manslaughter. Let me be clear we do not want to make these decisions. However, the situation may demand it. This is a unique time in history that requires extraordinary measures to save the most lives possible. READ MORE: This physician knows what a ventilator shortage means during COVID-19 and how we all can help | Expert Opinion On March 20, the state of Pennsylvania created draft guidance for ventilator allocation with clear exclusionary criteria (e.g., severe neurologic event with minimal recovery, persistent coma, incurable metastatic cancer) and with guidance about how to prioritize other patients. Many of the strict exclusions were similar to other states and the TFMCC guidelines and denoted very poor likelihood of survival. All patients with excluded disorders would be barred from receiving a ventilator but would receive palliative care. On March 22, the state revised the initial criteria to remove all strict exclusions, creating a different priority system that was much less defined. READ MORE: My husband was on a ventilator in ICU for four days. He doesnt remember, but Ill never forget. | Perspective The current guidelines suggest prioritizing all critically ill patients based on a point system determined by the patients comorbid conditions, plus their Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) scores (a scoring system that predicts prognosis). Based on the resulting score, the patients would be categorized as high priority, intermediate priority, or low priority. The current guidelines also suggest removing ventilators from patients with poor prognosis but give limited guidance about this. The guidelines simply state that patients who show substantial clinical deterioration as evidence by worsening SOFA or overall clinical judgment, should not receive ongoing critical care/ventilation. However, worsening SOFA is not defined. Other states specifically define what SOFA scores portend high mortality and require reallocation. Using the initial guidelines with clear exclusions, nobody could accuse a doctor of bias or misallocation. The exclusions would be the same for everyone. The current draft, specifically the reallocation guidelines, removes clarity and creates confusion. It may create inconsistent application of the guidelines and provide less protection for triage doctors. Although other states, such as Maryland and Virginia, have legal protections preventing criminal or civil liability for triage decisions in a disaster, Pennsylvania has no such immunity. So, it is even more important that doctors have clear and consistent guidance for removing ventilators and reallocating them. READ MORE: This virus is a death sentence for my daughter: How coronavirus guidelines punish disability | Perspective Believe me, no doctor wants to be in the position of removing or withholding treatment. However, we may not have all the resources we need to battle this pandemic and might need to make difficult choices. The very least the state can do in return is give us clear guidance and legal protection for the decisions that we must make. 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. Darren P. Mareiniss has published multiple articles on pandemic response and helped write the Maryland ventilator allocation guidelines. He is currently practicing emergency medicine at Einstein Medical Center and is clinical faculty. House prices could tumble by a cumulative 30 per cent over this year and next under the most pessimistic scenario unveiled by National Australia Bank, as it braces for higher defaults caused by the coronavirus crisis. In the bank's half-year results on Monday, the lender published scenarios setting out the potential economic impact of a "V-shaped" recovery and a more gloomy and prolonged "U-shaped" return to growth. NAB's results included scenario modelling on the potential economic hit from COVID-19. The bank's "base case", or V-shaped scenario, assumed house prices would fall 10 per cent this year along with a sharp increase in unemployment, before property prices recovered slightly with a 2.6 per cent increase in 2021. Under a "severe downturn" scenario, the bank assumed house prices would plunge 20.9 per cent this year and a further 11.8 per cent in 2021, before a 2.5 per cent increase in 2022. MBABANE - EmaSwati will be required to get approval from caregivers, inner council tindvuna and zone leaders before they can travel from one town to another amid the strengthened partial lockdown. The aforementioned officials would be authorised by regional administrators to approve travels in order to minimise unnecessary movements during the partial lockdown. The restriction on travel is aimed at curbing the spread of COVID-19, a disease which has killed many people across the globe. Eswatini has tightened screws after government observed laxity in some people during the partial lockdown. People were going to town and spending the whole day doing nothing. Distancing Some failed to mantain social distancing while interacting with others. Others have been seen hugging each other after the partial lockdown came into effect. In an interview with Manzini Regional Administrator (RA) Chief Gija, he said the exercise was not aimed at frustrating emaSwati but to demonstrate the importance of minimising travel, which exposed people to contracting and spreading the virus. Asked about the logistics, the chief said the transport department would design a travel form and send it to the regional offices across the country. He said the regional offices would then distribute the forms to all the authorised officials. Emergencies The public will have to engage the officials prior to travelling except if there are emergencies. It is during the engagement that the officials would see if the individuals have valid reasons to move from one place to another. If the officials approve the travel, they will issue letters of approval and those letters will be produced to the security personnel who have been deployed to enforce the regulations, he said. This, the chief said, would apply to those whose travel would not be related to work. It is understood that employees providing essential services would be getting letters from their employers. The chief said the travel could be for medical checkups, buying food, attending funerals among other things. The chief added that the security personnel would not be turning a blind eye to those who would be travelling without approval letters from the authorised officials. The chief said the officials would also liaise with the transport operators if there was a need to transport people. Reasons He said it had been observed that some people moved up and down without valid reasons, something which he said increased chances of contracting and spreading the virus. Meanwhile, Lubombo RA Themba Msibi said the region was yet to meet the COVID-19 Task Team concerning the new developments. Msibi said he was yet to see which other officials to assign to work on their behalf because the RA was engaged in other commitments, such as providing clean water and bringing awareness to the people. We were used to the old system where public transport stopped operating from 9am until 3pm. However, we are yet to meet over the new developments, he said. Yet to be identified gunmen have attacked and kidnapped the Ekiti State Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Folorunso Olabode, while travelling to his hometown in Iye-Ekiti PREMIUM TIMES gathered that the attack occurred at about 7.30 p.m. on Sunday along Isan-Iludun road, as he was travelling with two other occupants in the vehicle. The driver of the vehicle he was travelling in, a councillor in Ilejemeje Local Government Area of the state, was shot and killed during the attack. The Commissioner of Police, Ekiti Command, Amba Asuquo, confirmed the incident and said that a team of policemen has already been dispatched and are on the trail of the abductors in order to secure their release. Mr Amba said the commissioner and one other occupant was kidnapped. The three persons were in the commissioners car when they were attacked. One person died on the spot and the other two were kidnapped, he said. We had visited the scene to get on the spot information that can help us and our men are on already on ground combing the expansive forest to fish out the evil men and also recover the abductees. The Commissioner for Information in Ekiti, Muyiwa Olumilua, while confirming the development through a statement on Sunday evening, said from initial reports, the kidnappers shot one person in his entourage. Governor Fayemi has mandated the security agencies in the state to ensure their prompt and safe release, while assuring residents that adequate measures are ongoing to maintain the peace and security of the State, said Mr Olumilua. He also said that the governor promised that all perpetrators of the crime would be brought to book. The attack adds to the rising cases of kidnapping and other violent crimes in Ekiti and other south west states amidst a delay in the full implementation of Amotekun, a regional security network. Mayor Becky Ames Photo: beaumonttexas.gov If your lifestyle and job permit you to abide by stay-at-home orders, there are still several destinations you can visit: your bathroom, your bedroom, your local supermarket. The nail salon is sadly not one of those places, as it can entail crowding, touching, and sneezing at the chemicals in your base coat. Maybe an exception can be made for the Texas mayor who reportedly crept through the back entrance of a virtually empty nail salon to remove her old manicure in the dark but that remains to be seen. NBC News reports that last week the mayor of Beaumont, a town in southern Texas, apologized after she was photographed at a nail salon, seemingly violating the states stay-at-home order (the state order went into effect on April 2, but Jefferson County had already issued its own order on March 21). On Tuesday, Mayor Becky Ames visited a closed salon called the Nail Bar, where she was photographed seated at a table wearing a face mask and soaking her hands in a bowl of liquid. The image was shared on Instagram, prompting Ames to comment on the spectacle. She told local NBC affiliate 12News that she went to the nail salon to remove an old manicure, which required acetone. She insisted she was the only person in the salon aside from its owner, that the process only took ten minutes, and that she didnt get her nails painted. She also says she entered through the back door, which was left open for her, and the salon was dark. The owner of the store said that surveillance footage corroborates Amess version of events. Even so, the brief trip would seem to directly violate the states order, which requires residents of Texas to minimize in-person contact with people who are not in their household, and explicitly lists cosmetology salons among the businesses citizens should temporarily avoid. On Thursday Ames released a statement in which she called the trip to the salon a lapse in judgment. She continued, I did not intend to take personal privilege while asking others to sacrifice and for that I am truly remorseful. Jefferson County Judge Jeff Branick told 12News on Friday that hes instructed the Jefferson County District Attorneys Office to investigate whether the mayors nail-salon trip constitutes a violation of stay-at-home orders. A violation could result in a fine of up to $1,000. The inmates at a prison in El Salvador were forced together in a jailhouse lockdown as authorities ignored the social distancing guideline on April 25. The prison inmates in Izalco were crammed next to each other seemingly interlocking their bodies, after President Nayib Bukele ordered a 24-hour lockdown of prisons that contains gang members. President Bukele said that the leaders of the gang would be sent into solitary confinement after a sudden spike of 22 homicides on April 24. President Bukele wrote on Twitter "No contact with the outside world. Shops will remain closed and all activities are suspended until further notice. Gang leaders will go into solitary confinement." The president also said that the maximum emergency lockdown would be enforced while police investigated the 22 murders that were reported on April 24. The number of murders reported on that day was the highest total in a single day since President Bukele took office last June, a police spokesman said. Also read: Fact Check: Did Obama Admin Fund Wuhan Lab for Coronavirus Experiments? Street gang crisis A few years ago, El Salvador had the highest homicide rate in the Americas. The country has long been plagued by powerful street gangs known as maras. But murders have fallen significantly under President Bukele and the Central American country has in recent months registered several days without any murder reports. El Salvador has imposed some of the strictest measures in the Americas in order to fight the spread of the coronavirus. The country began its nationwide lockdown on March 22 and has made breaking lockdown rules punishable with imprisonment. Numerous human rights organizations in the country have campaigned against the strict measures and have fought against some of the detention rules that have not allowed people to be seen in front of a court before being jailed. The constitutional court of the country has ruled to release some people that are detained illegally. But President Nayib Bukele has continued to defend the police's authority to detain people and send them to quarantine. According to Celia Medrano, the chief program officer of San Salvador-based human rights organization Cristosal, the government is insisting on using confinement as a punishment to whoever violates executive orders, which are unsustainable. Medrano told Al Jazeera that the government has to consider that there is a situation of informal employment for subsistence for a lot of people who are not in conditions to maintain quarantine in their own homes. On March 15, El Salvador has declared a state of emergency due to the pandemic, and they've banned all travels. A few days after, President Bukele announced a total lockdown of the country to stop the spread of the virus. On April 6, the government warned that they've imposed a stricter lockdown rule. Offenders were sent to containment centers and will stay there for 30 days and their cars were confiscated. Coronavirus update on El Salvador The country has 6.4 million people and as of April 27 it has a total of 323 confirmed infections of coronavirus with 8 deaths and 89 total recovered cases. It is still unclear when the lockdown will be lifted. Related Article: More Than 4,000 People in London Arrested for Domestic Abuse @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. New rule was announced on April 20 alongside the gradual lifting of lockdown measures in three main cities. Madagascar police have forced citizens caught outside without a coronavirus face mask to sweep pavements as punishment. On Monday, around 500 people in Antananarivo and Fianarantsoa were penalised, police deputy head Christian Rakotobe said. Antananarivo commissioner Hector Razafindrazaka said 25 people were sentenced on the spot and forced to sweep the capitals dusty streets. Images of the embarrassed-looking offenders were widely circulated on social media. President Andry Rajoelina has made it compulsory to wear face coverings outdoors in the capital Antananarivo, as well as in the cities of Fianarantsoa and Toamasina, to curb the spread of coronavirus. Authorities warned that citizens leaving the house without face masks would face community service. Seventy percent of people on the street respected the rule because they are scared of having to sweep pavements, the head of anti-coronavirus operations, Elak Olivier Andriakaja, said on state television. Measures were taken before the sanctions fell into place to raise awareness and distribute mouth covers. I think thats enough and that sanctions must now be applied. To date the Indian Ocean island-nation has detected 128 cases of coronavirus. No fatalities have been recorded so far and 75 patients have recovered. John Krasinski during the fifth episode of his YouTube news show "Some Good News." (YouTube) John Krasinski hosted two celebrity chefs, a lifestyle guru and his brother-in-law, actor Stanley Tucci, for the fifth episode of his hit homemade YouTube show, "Some Good News." Guy Fieri, Martha Stewart and Momofuku chef David Chang convened Sunday on Zoom for a $3-million "potluck" feast in honor of the food industry and restaurant workers helping to keep their neighbors fed in the wake of the coronavirus crisis. Fresh off his viral technique for making a Negroni, Tucci mixed "quarantinis" as the chefs set out to re-create three other viewer-submitted recipes. Stewart made cabbage pierogis, Chang prepared a "very, very rich" pasta dish and Fieri cooked "Dynamites," a sloppy Joe-style meat and cheese sandwich on sourdough. "The beautiful thing about food ... is you don't have to be a big-time chef to make a huge difference," said Krasinski. During the segment, the actor surprised Fieri with a $3-million donation from PepsiCo. to Fieri's relief fund for restaurant employees. The donation helped the fund surpass the $20-million milestone, which Fieri said gave him goosebumps. Krasinski also shouted out two good samaritans on the front lines: Chef Jose Andres, who has set up kitchens inside churches and stadiums from Washington, D.C., to Spain (serving more than 2 million meals to date), and a New York City landlord who offered free rent to a pizzeria feeding healthcare workers. "It's heartwarming to point out that every single person in that segment that was making food to make a difference, they were doing it all without charging a dollar because that is just what heroes do," said Krasinski. The "Office" alum launched the YouTube series to lift spirits and highlight inspiring news stories that have been overlooked amid the pandemic. In previous episodes he orchestrated a mini "Office" reunion with Steve Carell, surprised a 9-year-old fan with the cast of "Hamilton" and hosted a virtual YouTube prom for high school seniors. Well before dawn, Enrique Correa arrives at Cinderella Bakery, a West Side neighborhood hub thats been in his family for more than 50 years. In the darkness, he unlocks the door and steps into the kitchen. He stretches on a hairnet and, during these days of the coronavirus pandemic, slips on a protective face mask. After turning on the large ovens and other equipment, Correa, 68, starts preparing the dough. It doesnt take as long as it used to, he said, the machines do a lot of the work now. As hes working, his team members arrive and they, too, put on hairnets and face masks. Soon theyre in the lobby, sliding trays of warm, heavenly scented pastries onto shelves of the four glass display cases. At 6:15 a.m., when the red open sign lights up, waiting customers enter and are greeted by the tantalizing aroma and sight of freshly frosted cinnamon rolls, pink cake, gingerbread pigs and all kinds of Mexican pan dulce. The coronavirus restrictions are strictly enforced: No more than three customers in the store at one time, each person 6 feet apart from the others, and everyone must wear a mask. There are plastic shields between the clerk and the customer on top of each counter. About the author A 22-year veteran of the Air Force, Vincent T. Davis embarked on a second career as a journalist and found his calling. Observing and listening across San Antonio, he finds intriguing tales to tell about everyday people. He shares his stories with Express-News subscribers every Monday morning. See More Collapse Customers wait their turn patiently outside, even in the rain. If the line grows long and someone cant wait, you know theyll be back. Its been super nice, he said, of customers willingness to stick to the new rules. Were trying to do the best we can for our customers. On ExpressNews.com: Food distributor continues fathers legacy of charity across San Antonio For the past 39 years, Correa has been an unofficial padrino godfather to customers of all ages who walk and drive to his shop for his pastries. His philosophy is that all his customers deserve respect. He always asks about my family, Yolanda Lopez, 60, said as she left with a crisp white bag of sweet bread for her mother. This is the only place I come to. Youngsters proudly tell Correa when theyve made the honor roll. He cautions teens not to go astray, assuring them they still have time to make good choices. Hes seen young customers become attorneys, doctors, financial advisers and members of the military. Correa advises parents to always be there for their children, or they will seek attention somewhere else. Customers have said the fit-looking baker doesnt look his age. He chuckles and says the sweet bread keeps me young. Murals of an Aztec warrior and a luminous hand descending from heaven, painted on the walls of Cassiano Homes, face the side of his bakery, a stone one-story building with a bright-red roof at the corner of Saltillo Street and South Hamilton Avenue. Correa and his five siblings grew up nearby, at Southwest 19th and South Laredo Streets. Gangs reigned in the neighborhood where everybody had to project a tough posture to survive. It was an era when crossing into the wrong turf could result in a barrage of thrown bottles and rocks. Customer Pete Gomez, 77, remembers those days. Today he drives his truck over twice a week to buy empanadas, but he likes everything at the bakery, especially the welcome manner of Correa and his team. He knows my mother and my father, Gomez said. On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio senior relies onher faith, good memories while isolated by COVID-19 restrictions The regulars come everyday; others three times a week. Correa knows them by last name and by their family members. Correa learned the business from his father, Joe Correa. But Joe Correa didnt start out as a baker. He was working for CPS Energy when he started baking to make extra money for his family. He bought a bakery in 1964 and later moved to the location on Saltillo Street. Enrique Correa was 9 years old when he first visited the shop his dad brought him on weekends to sweep and help clean up. In 1970, Correa enlisted in the Navy for two years of active duty and four more in the reserves. At night he attended San Antonio College where he graduated with an associates degree in business administration. He worked with civil service for 12 years, spending spare time and weekends learning the bakery trade and making cakes with his father. In 1981, he bought the business from his father, continuing to bake the sweet bread that has customers coming in from Round Rock, Austin and Houston. Maria Aleman is one of the lifelong patrons. Her mother first brought her when she was a toddler for early morning donuts. Now, stopping at Cinderellas each week is a family tradition. I grew up here with my three brothers, said Aleman, 46, who no longer lives in the community. If I cant come over Ill send someone. On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio health care administrator reflects on storied 43-year nursing career Correas outreach extends to the homeless, who sometime cluster outside the bakery, giving them something to eat and a cup of coffee. I try to help out as much as I can, he said. Its all about respect. You treat people like human beings and theyll treat you right. Over the years, Correas family has also been influenced by the bakery. His wife, Gloria, helps him at the cash register. His son Brian, 36, owns Bar America; daughter Amanda, 33, helps with custom cakes and daughter Jennifer, 40, works at San Antonio College as a coordinator. They are in the photographs of four generations that sit on a pink shelf above rows of frosted swirls, twists and turnovers. A photograph in the front shows Correa with his children. Another photo shows his father and workers, clad in white caps, shirts, pants and aprons. At the back, a framed portrait of his father as a young man is propped up high, watching over them all. Joe Correa is still watching. At 94, Joe Correa drives over each day to bring his son something to eat. Sometimes hell taste an item and let Correa know if, in his opinion, the delicacy needs a dash more of an ingredient. Continuing the family business has been rewarding for Enrique Correa. Hes enjoyed the mutual exchange of respect with his clientele. Hes humbled knowing customers travel from miles away and ship boxes of his confections to relatives across the country. As the new normal changes daily with the coronavirus, one thing is constant. Correa still rises early to continue the work ethic he learned from his father: Be the first one to arrive and the last one to leave. vtdavis@express-news.net Register with JOC.com and receive 5 free pieces of content for the first thirty days. After thirty days, you will receive 3 pieces of content and after sixty days you will receive 1 piece of content. To receive full access, Subscribe Today . You can also subscribe to our daily newsletter. Register Opinion Article 27 April 2020 A difficult time on the horizon Advertisements Had the novel coronavirus not occurred, 2019 would have been hailed as another year of stellar growth in the global tourism industry. The strongest growth would have been recorded in the Asia-Pacific region not only as a tourist-generating region but also as a destination. In particular, China had propelled the global tourism growth in terms of both tourist numbers and spending over the past decade. Chinese outbound spending outstripped that of the United States in 2012, and by 2018, Chinese tourist spending amounted to US$277 billion. A McKinsey study estimates that Chinese outbound spending was due to reach US$315 billion in 2020 [1]. Prior to the COVID-19 outbreak last December, the Hong Kong protests, which had started five months earlier, already took Hong Kong inbound tourismnearly 80% of which is made up by mainland Chineseto the brink of collapse. The COVID-19 pandemic has certainly exacerbated Chinese outbound tourism, as more and more Chinese would usually divert to Japan, Korea and Europe - regions which are being hit hard by the virus. Before COVID-19 swept Europe and the United States, nation- or even city-wide lockdowns, which used to be thought of by many as ineffective and costly, seemed to obtain some legitimacy in many countries for containing the spread of the virus on the one hand, and preventing medical systems from collapsing on the other. Given the fact that no effective treatment is available, preventing mass infection through lockdown may not only be an expediency but also a panacea for solving the problem in the short run. Yet, not only is lockdown imposing vast social and economic costs, it is also very detrimental to the tourism industry among others. The logic of tourism business is plain and simple: if there is no flow of people, there is no tourism. Insofar as people stay indoors, tourism starts to contract and businesses halt. The detrimental effects on the industry are as contagious as the virus on humans. The tourism industry just has been inundated with considerable misfortunes: employees furloughed, airlines grounded, hotel shutdowns and theme parks padlocked across the world. Demand shocks and fickleness in tourism By no means is the tourism industry a stranger to negative demand shocks, but the contraction of the tourist economy due to the COVID-19 pandemic is certainly unprecedented. Over the course of the three decades since 1990, the tourism industry has weathered three major negative demand shocks, roughly one for every decade. The first was the early 1990s recession due to the oil price spike and loss of consumer confidence in developed countries. In the U.S. hotel sector this demand shock led to a 10% decrease in revenue per available room (RevPAR) in 1990, during which the size of the global tourism market in terms of tourist numbers was a third of what it is now. China did not become a major player in the global tourism market until 2007 when it displaced Japan as the largest source market in terms of overseas spending in Asia. Yet, the first contraction was pretty mild compared to the second in 200001 and the third in 200708, which led to a decrease of 23% and nearly 28% in RevPAR respectively in the U.S. hotel sector. The fourth contraction would have begun earlier than the COVID-19 pandemic because of the instrumental role that China has played in both global tourism and economy. In fact, the growth of Chinese outbound tourism has been stagnating since 2013. It hit a record low in 2020 or 2021 due to the triple whammy of the China-U.S. trade conflict, Hong Kong protests and now the novel coronavirus outbreak, factors that have come one after another. Last year saw a drastic fall of RevPAR in major destinations of Chinese outbound tourism. Hong Kong, which largely depends on mainland Chinese tourists, recorded a 26% decrease in RevPAR in 2019. The ramifications of the demand shock on Hong Kong's economy, such as retailing and other consumer services, was more pronounced than on the hotel sector alone. Besides Hong Kong, destinations in Southeast Asia and Oceania recorded a decrease of up to 10% in RevPAR. STR's recent data shows that hotel occupancy in China, the largest domestic market in the world, plummeted from 70% on January 14th to merely 7% on February 2nd, manifesting the immediate effect of COVID-19 on hotel performance. "Business cycle" in the hotel sector As a relatively competitive sector in the tourism industry, hotel, along with airline, is perhaps among the most sensitive and fickle to external shocks. The short-run impact of negative demand shocks on hotel performance is manifested as the concurrence of low average daily rate (ADR) and low occupancy, and hence low RevPAR that can drive the profitability of the hotel sector down to the brink of shutdown. If the impact of demand shocks spreads across the tourist economy as a whole and lasts long enough, this causes a contraction on the supply side and the whole industry inevitably slides into recession. Evidence has shown that the business cycle, if any, in the hotel sector may last up to 10 years, which has a lot to do with the change of investment in fixed capital. While the expansion of hotel supply relies on building up new hotel properties, the sharing accommodation model has changed the supply of the lodging sector as a whole, making supply as flexible as demand. Therefore, the tourist economy could recover sooner than it has in the past three contraction periods. By coincidence, the 201920 period marks the fourth contraction in tourism in general and in the hotel sector in particular since 1990. The previous three demand shocks led to decreases in hotel supply as well as in capital investment in other hospitality sectors. After tourism demand hits the bottom, evidence has shown a two- to three-year window for the growth of supply to reach the trough, leading to the contraction of the industry. In the 1990s recession, the growth of hotel supply in the U.S. measured by room numbers, dropped from 4% prior to the recession to 0.5% in its aftermath. The contraction of the hotel sector between the late 1990s and mid-2000s was not only the longest so far, but for the first time, hotel supply experienced a negative growth in the U.S. The severity of the contraction in the hotel sector was due primarily to the 2000s economic recession while exacerbated by the 9/11 terrorist attacks. COVID-19 to presage another contraction In previous three contraction periods, hotel operating expenses, in particular labor costs, decreased by 6%, 10% and up to 14% respectively in the U.S. Such immediate effects are evident during the pandemic of COVID-19. The furlough of employees in the hotel and airline sectors had been executed a couple of months earlier in Hong Kong due to the Hong Kong protests. The outbreak of COVID-19 is exacerbating the situation now. Major players in the industry in Europe and the U.S., such as Accor, Disneyland and British Airways, are furloughing their employees one after another, hoping to weather this crisis through cutting operating expenses. Besides preparing to furlough 30,000 cabin crew and ground staff, British Airways has reached a deal with its 4,000 pilots for a 50% pay cut over two months [2]. The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) estimates that the COVID-19 pandemic could cut 50 million jobs worldwide in tourism, which makes up 10% of global employment. If the pandemic cannot be contained and consumer confidence be restored soon, the furlough would not be able to turn business around, thereby inevitably leading to the bankruptcy of businesses. The long-run effects are also surfacing in airline and cruise line sectors. In March, at least three regional airlines filed for bankruptcy in the United States and United Kingdom [3]. This is more likely to be succeeded by the hotel sector. According to Financial Times on April 2nd, over half of Accor's 5,000 hotels worldwide have been shut down, and the figure could rise to over two-thirds in the coming weeks [4]. Accor may also have to cut annual general and administrative costs by 60 million for 2020 and reduce capital expenditures such as hotel renovations by a further 60 million [5]. While hotel chains might be able to weather the crisis, a vast majority of economy hotels may go bankrupt sooner or later if the pandemic persists. The crux of the hospitality industry is that it is a human business. It pays off to inject investment in human capital and service provision when tourism demand is robust. Yet when thriving takes a back seat to surviving for businesses in the pandemic period, services might be regarded on the cost, instead of revenue, side of the hospitality economic equation. The act of hospitality lies at human connection, which is currently being severed by the pandemic. The challenge for the industry is to find ways of reviving this connection in a time of great difficulty. [1]Chinese Tourists Dispelling the Myths [2]Coronavirus: BA reaches deal to suspend thousands of workers [3] Airlines bankruptcy and covid 19 [4]Accor suspends dividend and cut staff hours as coronavirus hits hotels [5]Accor suspends dividend and cut staff hours as coronavirus hits hotels How the CCP Virus Spread From Wuhan to Other Countries and Regions The High Court has confirmed the appointment of an examiner to the regional airline CityJet. At the High Court today, Mr Justice Michael Quinn said he was satisfied to appoint experienced insolvency practitioner Kieran Wallace of KPMG as examiner to CityJet DAC. The decision gives Mr Wallace, who earlier this month was appointed on an interim basis, up to 100 days to formulate a scheme of arrangement with the airline's creditors which, if approved by the High Court, will allow the business to survive. The airline and its subsidiaries, which flies routes on behalf of other airlines including SAS and Aer Lingus and employs 1,175 people, 417 of whom are based in Dublin, believes that it can continue. There were no objections to the airline being granted the protection of the courts from its creditors, some of whom Mr Justice Quinn was told by Rossa Fanning SC for CityJet, were supporting the application. The airline said it became insolvent arising out of financial difficulties which were exacerbated after its fleet of over 30 aircraft was grounded due to the Covid-19 outbreak. The impact of the virus interrupted a planned merger with another airline and a proposed private restructure of the company, it claimed. James O'Doherty SC for Mr Wallace said in the short time his client has been involved with the airline there has been at least one expression of interest from a potential investor. In his ruling, Mr Justice Quinn said he was confirming the examiner's appointment on grounds including that an independent experts report had stated the company has a reasonable prospect of survival if certain steps were taken. The judge said the number of people employed in the company was a relevant factor, and noted that during its history the company has overcome several challenges. The judge said that while there was a lot of uncertainty as to exactly when air travel can resume he noted the support CityJet had received from its main customer SAS. SAS, on whose behalf CityJet operates several regional services, hopes there will be a gradual return to flying in June or July. While there were no objections to the application to confirm the examiner's appointment, the judge said he was satisfied to make orders sought by the Revenue Commissioners, including that it be made a notice party to the matter. Revenue had raised concerns about the examinership application, and the court heard the company had responded to and was answering Revenue's questions. The court heard the parties are in dispute over a 23m tax demand made by Revenue on the airline for the years 2016, 2017 and 2018. Those assessments, which CityJet contends it does not have to pay, have been appealed to the Tax Appeals Commission by the airline. The airline, which no longer flies scheduled routes itself has moved to a model known in the aviation industry as wet leasing where it provides serviced aircraft and crews to operate routes for other carriers. In each of the last three years the airline had revenues of over 220m. It made a profit in 2017, but suffered significant losses in 2018 and 2019 due to various factors. It has debts of 500m, and currently has a net deficit of liabilities over assets on a going concern basis of 186m. Its creditors include the Triangle Group, firms involved in the leasing of aircraft, Investec, the Revenue Commissioners, as well as debts owed to related companies. In order to counter its difficulties, plans had been put in place with its creditors to restructure the business and merge with Spanish airline Air Nostrum. North Koreas dictator has vanished from sight, and in doing so, hes exposed a potentially major weakness of President Donald Trumps negotiating tactics. Trump made a bold bet: that by breaking precedent and engaging directly with Kim Jong Un, he could convince the brutal young autocrat to give up his nuclear arsenal in exchange for future economic gains. But the approach, which has included three face-to-face meetings, has resulted in no such breakthrough while arguably disempowering top aides to Trump as well as U.S. diplomats. Some U.S. officials have found it hard to even get in touch with their North Korean counterparts; in some prominent cases, theyve been publicly scorned. Trumps game plan also essentially sidelined U.S. allies in Asia, as well as U.S. rival China, all of whom have a great deal at stake in Pyongyangs future. Now, amid rumors that Kim is sick or even dead, current and former U.S. officials and North Korea analysts say Trumps mano-a-mano diplomacy looks shakier than ever because the Trump-Kim relationship has been the only one that truly mattered. If a new leader emerges in North Korea, he (or she) may decide to grow the countrys nuclear arsenal as a way of consolidating and projecting power. And with U.S.-Chinese relations on a downward spiral due to fallout from the coronavirus pandemic, the idea of international cooperation to diplomatically pressure North Korea and maintain economic sanctions on the country seems remote. The serious level of diplomacy required to move the ball forward with the North Koreans isnt possible with Trump at the helm, said Suzanne DiMaggio, a senior fellow with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. The U.S. negotiating team has not been fully empowered and, as a result, there still isnt a consistent, reliable communications channel in place. With North Korea, of course, certainty is a rare commodity. The country is one of the most isolated and secretive in the world. The health of its dictator is a highly guarded topic, and U.S. intelligence services have limited views into the governments activities even in more normal times. For instance, U.S. officials were not certain of the death of Kim Jong Uns father, Kim Jong Il, until the regime announced it two days later in December 2011. Story continues With reliable information hard to come by, Korea analysts often resort to creative means to try to assess the truth. Over the weekend, for instance, researchers with the 38 North website, affiliated with the Stimson Center, reported that satellite imagery showed that a train thought to be Kims was parked in Wonsan, a port city he has sought to turn into a beach resort. But Kim watchers differed on what it meant: Did it indicate he was alive? Was it a clever ruse, meant to throw American spy agencies off the scent? Kim has not been seen in public since April 11; his failure to appear April 15 during the commemoration of the birthday of his late grandfather, North Koreas founding totalitarian ruler, surprised observers. While hes believed to be 36 young for a strongman Kim smokes and is clearly obese. His health has been a topic of speculation ever since he took charge following his fathers death in 2011. U.S. officials are not, for now, expressing serious concerns that Kim is dead. They do not, however, rule out that he is ill or recovering from medical treatment. Some point out that hes disappeared from view before, including for several weeks in 2014, when it was later reported that hed had to have ankle surgery. Its a watch and wait situation, a Trump administration official told POLITICO. Theres a sense that theres not enough information to change our posture. In an interview last week with conservative host Hugh Hewitt, Trump national security adviser Robert OBrien said its hard to know when youve got a country thats as closed up as North Korea, but insisted that the U.S. is keeping a close eye on things. On Monday, Trump said he had a very good idea about Kims health status, hinting that the American people would be hearing about it in the not-too-distant future. Kim Jong Un? I cant tell you exactly. Yes, I do have a very good idea, but I cant talk about it now, Trump said in response to a reporters question at a White House news conference. I just wish him well. And while Trump has declined to detail what he knows of Kims situation, he has said that a CNN report that Kim may be gravely ill was fake. Also on Monday, North Korean state media reported that Kim had sent his appreciation to workers building a tourist zone in the Wonsan area. Separately, a senior South Korean official told Fox News over the weekend that Seoul believes Kim is alive and well and has been staying in the Wonsan area since April 13. He added: No suspicious movements have so far been detected. A person familiar with the situation told POLITICO that others in the region also have not detected unusual movements within the North Korean government, including among the military brass. Theres no sense of panic yet, the person said. But among some current and former U.S. officials who spoke to POLITICO, all on condition of anonymity because of the highly sensitive nature of the subject, the episode is a sign that the Trump administration needs to restructure its strategy toward Pyongyang to be more bottom-up than top-down. The idea that Trump can do it all alone has been shown to be complete nonsense, said one former U.S. official who is in regular touch with people inside the Trump administration. Current and former U.S. officials argue that Trumps leader-first approach has meant that the North Korean government does not put stock in the entreaties and promises of lower-level people in the Trump administration. For instance, Stephen Biegun, the U.S. special representative for North Korea, early on struggled to establish communications with North Korean counterparts, people inside the administration say. (The North Korean government is so opaque that U.S. officials arent always sure who to talk to at any given time.) Biegun is now deputy secretary of State, but he retains the North Korea portfolio. While he hasnt yet brought home any major wins, the fact that the North Korean state media havent attacked him is a sign that he might be making some inroads, said Jung Pak, a former senior CIA analyst. The problem is that its all relative with North Korea, said Pak, whose new book, Becoming Kim Jong Un comes out this week. Ultimately, she said, this is an empty calorie relationship where theres nothing beneath whatever Trump says. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has had less luck than Biegun. Pompeo visited North Korea multiple times as part of the administrations effort to push forward talks, but the North Koreans have made their disdain for him clear. Theyve used official statements to describe him as gangster-like and ludicrous and demanding he be removed from future talks. (North Korea had similarly unkind words for Trump former national security adviser John Bolton.) President Donald Trump shakes hands with North Korea leader Kim Jong Un during the start of their first summit on June 12, 2018 in Singapore. The former U.S. official said many of the Trump administration appointees focusing on North Korea lack serious diplomatic experience in the region, and they are not coordinating well enough with American diplomats who deal with countries such as South Korea, Japan and China. Working with those countries is crucial, especially if Kim is replaced as the head of the regime. But the U.S. relationship with each of those states is frayed. The Trump administration has made no secret of its view of China as a threat to the U.S. in areas ranging from cybersecurity to trade. The two countries have in recent months engaged in a war of words over who is to blame for the spread of the coronavirus, which emerged in Chinas Hubei province. But China is North Koreas most important economic partner, and often its shield at multilateral forums such as the United Nations. It is deeply wary of destabilizing the regime in Pyongyang politically or economically, for fear it will have a massive humanitarian and refugee crisis on its borders. For U.S. or international sanctions on North Korea to work, China has to go along. Sometimes it does such as in 2017, as Trump led a maximum pressure campaign against Pyongyang. But that Chinese commitment is rarely 100 percent; Beijing has pushed Trump to relax sanctions in more recent years. Japan and South Korea are historically close U.S. allies that house American military bases, but both have felt bruised by Trumps tariff-heavy actions on the trade front. Theyve also felt insulted by his demands that they pay much more to cover the cost of keeping U.S. troops in the region. At times, the two especially Japan have had to scramble to stay looped in on U.S.-North Korea policy. Trumps investment in Kim could also complicate the dangerous period that accompanies a transition of power in a country ruled by fear and force. The U.S. has developed past contingency plans for how to deal with a North Korean change in leadership, but they have been premised on ongoing relationship, especially with the allies clarity of what we want to do, and what they want to do, and similar clarity with China, the former U.S. official said. Current and former officials, as well as outside analysts, do not underestimate the challenge any administration has in dealing with North Korea, and they do not all fault Trump for initially throwing out convention in sitting down with Kim. The history of U.S. diplomacy toward North Korea is rife with failure and frustration. Past sitting U.S. presidents, Democratic and Republican alike, never met with their North Korean counterparts, and yet struggled and ultimately failed to permanently dismantle North Koreas nuclear arsenal. Trumps predecessor, Barack Obama, was accused of essentially giving up on the North Korea nuclear issue, even as he managed to strike a nuclear deal with Iran. Kims father, Kim Jong Il, and his grandfather Kim Il Sung did not make things easy for U.S. envoys. Kim Il Sung died in July 1994 shortly after meeting with former President Jimmy Carter and expressing a willingness to suspend his countrys nuclear program and establish relations with the United States. Kim Jong Il oversaw the initial implementation of that resulting 1994 arrangement called the Agreed Framework, but over time, that deal collapsed, with both sides casting blame on the other. Kim Jong Il died Dec. 17, 2011; his passing caught the U.S. intelligence community off-guard, according to reports at the time. By then, North Korea was suspected to have a still-small nuclear arsenal. Before Trump, the general U.S. blueprint for negotiations with Pyongyang or any government, really involved starting at lower levels. Diplomats from the State Department, for instance, would meet with North Korean counterparts to hammer out basics, such as confidence-building measures, with the goal of eventually pushing the talks upward. Trump, a political neophyte, campaigned for the presidency in part on his reputation as a dealmaker from his real estate days. Obama warned him that North Korea may prove the top threat facing the United States, and Trump spent much of his first year trading insults and threats with Kim Jong Un. He promised fire and fury if North Korea made any threatening moves and heaped economic sanctions on Kims regime. Kim called Trump a dotard and pressed ahead with missile tests and other nuclear-linked actions. At the behest of South Korea, Trump eventually agreed to meet with Kim. The pair first met in Singapore in June 2018, appearing friendly and signing a vague declaration promising to work toward denuclearization. They met again in Vietnam in February 2019, but ended the summit early when Trump said he could not agree to Kims proposal that he lift numerous U.S. sanctions in exchange for modest curbs on North Koreas nuclear program. The pair nonetheless met once more later that year at the Demilitarized Zone, the boundary that separates North and South Korea. Trump became the first sitting president to set foot on North Korean soil. Trump also has repeatedly boasted of his warm personal ties with Kim, even saying the two fell in love. The pair also have exchanged letters. There are signs, however, that even that relationship is cooling. After a lengthy moratorium amid talks with Trump, North Korea resumed testing missiles months ago. North Korea also swiftly denied a Trump claim earlier this month that hed recently received a note from Kim. The North Korean statement warned Trump not to use the relationship for selfish purposes. There is, meanwhile, plenty of speculation in official and unofficial spheres as to who will succeed Kim if he dies or otherwise loses power. One contender appears to be Kim Jong Uns younger sister, Kim Yo Jong. Shes one of the few members of the Kim family who has an international profile, one aided by her attendance at the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang in South Korea. Shes believed to be in her early 30s and a relatively high-ranking North Korean politician. According to U.S. government statements, Kim Yo Jong is or has been the vice director of the Workers Party of Korea Propaganda and Agitation Department, whose responsibilities include media censorship. Some Korea watchers have noted that Kim Yo Jong recently issued a statement in her own name, a possible sign of her growing clout. But Kim Yo Jongs ascendance is by no means assured. For one thing, North Koreas government is dominated my older male generals who may not take kindly to obeying a young woman. Theres also at least one uncle, Kim Pyong Il, who might prove a rival. Whoever takes over in the event of Kim Jong Uns death is highly unlikely to want to pursue nuclear negotiations with Washington immediately. They are more likely to look for ways to eliminate any immediate rivals and shore up their internal standing in North Korea including adjusting the propaganda machine to herald and promote their rule. If Kim Jong Un passes away, there will be no real serious activity with the United States for a while it may be years, the former U.S. official said. The new ruler will really have to get their house in order. They have to feel confident they can come above ground." " " A pair of thylacines (Thylacinus cynocephalus) in the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., in 1906. Wikimedia Commons You've no doubt heard about the Tasmanian devil or, better yet, even seen an animated version of the whirling dervish in a Looney Tunes cartoon. But what about the Tasmanian tiger? Actually not even a tiger at all instead a marsupial scientifically known as the thylacine (Thylacinus cynocephalus) this creature is thought to have gone extinct almost 100 years ago. But did it really? Well, while many experts believe that the last-known thylacine died at Australia's Hobart Zoo in 1936, yet others ardently claim that the animal still exists because they have spotted one or more in the wild. "The international, Australian and state definition of an extinct species is that there has been no reliable evidence of the species for 50 years," states Kathryn Medlock, honorary curator of vertebrate zoology at the Tasmanian Museum & Art Gallery, in an email interview. "By this definition, they are officially an extinct species. Although designated as officially extinct, it is difficult to prove that something is not there as opposed to proving it is. There are many cases of species being 'rediscovered' after many years of supposed extinction." According to Rick Schwartz, an animal ambassador for California's San Diego Zoo, Tasmanian tigers became an extinct species in the 1930s. "Since then," he wrote in an email, "there have been a few claims that they have been seen for brief moments in the wild. However, no substantial evidence has proven they exist at this time." Neil Waters of the Thylacine Awareness Group of Australia disagrees. "Do I think the animal is extinct? No, because I have seen two and been coughed/barked at by one in South Australia in 2018," he said via an email interview. "There have been more than 7,000 documented sightings of thylacines (or animals that appear to be thylacines), with the majority of those sightings on mainland Australia. "According to the scientific formula applied to mammals, though, it is extinct and has been since 1936," Waters adds. "For 50 years, the animal was considered rare and endangered. This fact inconveniently keeps the animal as a recent extinction, rather than an ancient one we should lose hope over and forget about." On May 19, 2020, the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (NFSA) released a short newsreel clip, digitized in 4K, of the last surviving thylacine as he stalked his enclosure in 1935: Advertisement What Exactly Is a Tasmanian Tiger? "The name 'tiger' most likely was given to the animal by the European settlers due to the light stripes that went from the spine down each side on the hind end of the animal," says Schwartz. "Most people agree that the Tasmanian tiger looked like a medium-sized, short-haired dog with subtle stripes on its hindquarters and the base of its tail. The tail was thick and muscular at the base, more like a kangaroo's tail than a dog's tail. The colorations were described as light-brown and yellow-brown, with darker brown stripes." Their weight? About 45 to 70 pounds (20 to 32 kilograms), with a body length of 40 to 50 inches (102 to 127 centimeters) and the tail adding another 20 to 24 inches (51 to 61 centimeters). Most stood about 2 feet tall (0.6 meters) at the shoulder. "In our modern times, we usually think of marsupials as koalas and kangaroos," explains Schwartz. "However, the Tasmanian tiger had a number of unique characteristics, being a dog-like, medium sized carnivore that's also a marsupial. Its size and features were more similar to that of a small wolf or large fox. Combine that with the striped pattern on the hind end and a thick muscular tail, similar to a kangaroo, and you've got a pretty unique animal." Adds Waters: "When you have a close look at the prints we find, you will see time and time again the broad splay of the toes and the claw drag impressions from the massive fixed claws on the animal's forefeet. The reason they are splayed wide, and not like a dog, is because thylacines don't have webbing between their toes. Their front feet also still act similar to hands, as they can both hop or run on all fours. As a result, many of the prints appear that the front feet are literally grabbing the ground as they dig in on curves or at high speed when pursuing prey." Advertisement What Led People to Think That They're Extinct? When Europeans first settled, the Tasmanian tiger was rarely seen. The animal started to become increasingly blamed for attacks on sheep, however, so private companies and the Tasmanian government attempted to curb the population by establishing bounties in exchange for dead thylacines. Adding to their eventual extinction: Australia's colonization brought about the erosion of the thylacine's habitat. By the 1920s, sightings of the Tasmanian tiger in the wild became extremely rare, and in 1930, a farmer from Mawbanna named Wilfred (Wilf) Batty shot and killed the last-known wild Tasmanian tiger. The final thylacine was captured in the Florentine Valley in 1933 and transferred to the Hobart Zoo. On Sept. 7, 1936, the animal known as Benjamin died in captivity. Black-and-white footage recorded in 1933 would become historically significant as images of the final thylacine. The Tasmanian Animals and Birds' Protection Board (later to become the National Park Service) launched a series of searches in 1937 to determine where thylacines still might be found. "Unfortunately, a living animal was not discovered," says Medlock. "The final search in this series was into the Jane River area in Western Tasmania. On this search, some thylacine footprints were discovered in a creek bed. The original plaster casts of these prints are lodged in the Tasmanian Museum." Advertisement Most Recent Credible Sightings of the Tasmanian Tiger "The Tasmanian Museum doesn't receive sighting reports, and we don't have the expertise to assess them," says Medlock. "This is done by the Department of Primary Industries, Water and Environment. They continue to record reported sightings, and take them seriously. Often, however, sightings, films and photographs are released to the media through the people who are reporting them, rather than a government body. Over the years, there have been several instances of photographs and films purported to be thylacines in the wild, but none have been verified as genuine evidence of an animal." Waters, however, contends that there have been dozens of credible sightings of thylacines. "Actually hundreds of them ... too many to name," he says. "One, in particular, was a busload of tourists in Western Australia back in the 1980s who all saw the animal at close range in broad daylight whilst on a wild flower tour. "The fact that we find headless kangaroos all over Australia is a key piece of physical evidence that these animals still persist," adds Waters. "But nobody wants to know about it, because it's always blamed on either hunters or Satanists by ill-informed people who don't understand how these animals feed." That's why Waters has been working tirelessly to raise public awareness of this animal's continued existence for the past five years, meeting dozens of witnesses and collecting thousands of statements regarding sightings of this animal in both Tasmania and across mainland Australia. His work appears in the 2017 documentary "Living...The Thylacine Dream," which follows Waters' travels throughout mainland Australia to collect evidence of predation, as well as stories of sightings from witnesses who are adamant they have seen the thylacine both recently and historically. Now That's Interesting Although it's a quadruped, the thylacine can still hop like a kangaroo. "Witnesses often report that this is a style of locomotion they use to gain speed quickly, and to get away when startled by hunters or hikers who chance upon them," says Waters. "The females are still very capable at getting away from people even when their pouch is full of babies (or joeys)." Advertisement Originally Published: Apr 27, 2020 Woman Arrested for Refusing to Leave Playground Apologizes A woman in Idaho who was arrested for refusing to leave a playground closed off because of the COVID-19 pandemic apologized for her actions. Videos showing Sara Brady, 40, arrested at the playground circulated widely online and sparked a protest of hundreds at Meridians City Hall last week. Brady, who appeared at the protest, said she felt singled out, wondering if it was because I asked too many questions. Brady later held a press conference outside the Meridian Police Department and apologized to the officer who arrested her. I never thought a knee-jerk comment made to you out of frustration, by me wanting my kids to play at a park, would create such a divide amongst our friends, family, community, the state of Idaho, our nation and the world, Brady said, according to CBS 2. A divide that seems impossible for me to mend. Brady said she was upset by Gov. Brad Littles stay at home order, which has left Idaho residentslike many Americansfacing repercussions if they engage in what were previously normal activities, such as playing on playgrounds or gathering for family events. Brady said shes watched as our God-given rights crumble before my eyes, citing high stress levels from tending to her children, who have been largely confined to home. But she said that wasnt an excuse for her behavior, adding: I let my frustrations get the better of me. Transmission electron micrograph of the CCP virus, commonly known as novel coronavirus or SARS-CoV-2, isolated from a patient. Photo published March 10, 2020. (NIAID) The city of Meridian shut all playgrounds and outdoor exercise equipment down on March 23 in an attempt to curb the spread of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, a novel coronavirus that emerged from mainland China last year. The virus causes COVID-19, a disease. The Meridian Police Department said officers arrested Brady because she was violating city orders. Officers tried helping Brady adhere to the rules but she wasnt compliant, the department said in an April 21 statement. The department hasnt responded to Bradys apology but did issue a follow-up statement expressing awareness of social media posts listing Bradys home address. Her family has asked for extra patrol which we are providing. Please stay away from her home, this just takes away from our abilities to protect our community, it said. Saudi Arabia has rejected a declaration of self-rule in south Yemen, a day after the Southern Traditional Council (STC) said it would break away from the rest of the country. The announcements have complicated the tense situation, with Saudi Arabia leading a coalition against Iran-backed Houthi rebels in the north of the country, including Sanaa, the capital. We in [Saudi Arabia] and UAE strongly believe that the internationally-backed Riyadh agreement has guaranteed an opportunity for the brotherly Yemeni people to live in peace, said Adel al-Jubeir, Saudi state minister for foreign affairs on social media. We reject any hostilities that will jeopardise the safety and stability of Yemen, he added. Although separatists have called for the south of the country to be independent as it once was, Saudi Arabia was able to calm the situation by putting together a power-sharing deal last November. The Riyadh Agreement provides for the participation of the STC in consultations on the final political solution to the end of the conflict in Yemen and serving the interests of Yemenis nationwide, said UN Special Envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths in a statement. But this new declaration of independence has the possibility to foment a war within a war in what the UN calls the worlds worst humanitarian disaster. Deadly flooding In addition to the political and humanitarian crisis, the port city of Aden, now the STCs "capital" of their self-declared country, was hit by flash floods this month, killing 21 and leaving thousands homeless. The UN says that more than 100,000 people have been affected across the country by the floods caused by torrential rains, damaging infrastructure and contaminating the water supply. Countless families have lost everything, said UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen Lise Grande, which comes on top of the pre-famine last year, which came on top of the worst cholera outbreak in modern history. Story continues Covid-19 Yemen recorded its first Covid-19 case earlier this month, which could be yet another destabilising factor in the country. The latest turn of events is disappointing, especially as the city of Aden and other areas in the south have yet to recover from flooding and are facing the risk of Covid-19, said Griffiths. State, local leaders ask Gov. Gavin Newsom to lift stay-at-home order New this morning, local leaders and elected representatives have sent a letter to Governor Gavin Newsom asking him to lift the stay-at-home order in several northern California counties. The letter - crafted by Senator Jim Nielsen and Assemblyman James Gallagher - includes support from Yuba, Sutter, Butte, Glenn, Tehama, and Colusa counties. Chico set to be new community testing site for Butte County Butte County public health has announced the launch of a new test site - in Chico. Its one of more than 80 community sites to be added around the state. That gets underway next Monday, May 4. Testing will be by appointment only. Action News Now is working to find out exactly where the test site will be set up. North State COVID-19 case numbers In Shasta County, the number of positive cases has now reached thirty. The county tested over 1,200 people and four people have died from the virus. At this time 16 people are in quarantine, another 9 are in isolation, and one person is in the hospital. Glenn County is looking at five confirmed cases. 79 people have been tested. Four of those confirmed cases have recovered from the virus. Glenn County is reporting no deaths from the virus - and no one is in the hospital. In Tehama County, 201 people have been tested. Health officials say there is still just one confirmed case - that patient, a man in his sixties, died back on April 14. Health officials warn states about reopening A third of all states are starting to re-open this week. Top health experts are warning states to be re-open slowly and now say America may need to practice social distancing through the summer. In California, the state remains under a 'stay-at-home" directive, except venturing out for essential items. We can expect the latest information from the governor, during the daily briefing - at noon. Click Here to watch the press conference live. Nearly 1 million coronavirus cases in the U.S. There are now over 960,000 confirmed cases throughout the country. Nearly 55,000 of our fellow Americans died. The epicenter of the pandemic in the U.S is still New York. Governor Andrew Cuomo says 367 people died Sunday alone. Still, that number is down from previous records at the height of the outbreak. The governor also said the number of hospitalizations and the use of ventilators are both down. TikTok is making it easier for creators and their fans to donate to favorite charities amid the coronavirus pandemic. The company today announced the launch of a new, interactive feature, Donation Stickers, that creators can use on their videos and live streams in order to raise funds for favorite charities directly in the TikTok app. At launch, these stickers will work to support charitable partners including CDC Foundation, James Beard Foundation, Meals on Wheels, MusiCares, National PTA, National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation, No Kid Hungry and The Actors Fund. The stickers work like any other, in terms of being added to a video or a TikTok LIVE stream. However, when a user taps on the sticker, they'll be guided to a pop-up window where they can make a donation to the charity the creator is fundraising for -- without ever having to leave the TikTok app. The donations themselves are being powered by charitable fundraising platform, Tiltify, which handles the payment processing for the donation transactions. Tiltify has experience with donation features embedded in live streams, having previously worked with the Twitch platform on various initiatives. TikTok says the charitable organizations it partnered with for the launch of the feature includes those whose current missions to support vulnerable groups that are also reflective of TikTok communities. The app today is among those being adopted by doctors, nurses and other health care workers. These medical professionals see TikTok a means of of connecting younger users with credible health information about the coronavirus outbreak and COVID-19 at a time when conspiracy theories and bogus "cures" are being marketed across social media, and even the president is making dangerous off-the-cuff remarks not backed by science. In addition, many of the other causes supported by the Donation Stickers align with communities hit hard by coronavirus shutdowns -- like actors, musicians, educators and restaurant workers, for example. Story continues The company says it will also match donations raised through the Donation Stickers until May 27th. The hashtag #doubleyourimpact will be automatically added to videos and live streams that use the stickers, as a result. "During this time of uncertainty, our community has come together and given back in countless ways, from applauding health care workers to sharing inspirational messages on how to stay safe and happy at home to making original coronavirus songs to spread positive messages," wrote TikTok U.S. Head of Product, Sean Kim, in an announcement about the stickers' launch. "We've been impressed and heartened by the selfless steps our community has taken to help each other, and now we're excited to be able to give our users another way to make a positive impact." The addition of the stickers is one of several ways TikTok has been involved in coronavirus relief efforts. The company earlier this month pledged $250 million to support front-line workers, educators and local communities affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. It also provided an additional $125 million in advertising credits to public health organizations and businesses looking to rebuild. The donation-matching through the new stickers will come from this $250 million fund. As part of the previously announced Community Relief Fund, TikTok is donating $4 million to No Kid Hungry and Meals on Wheels. On May 5th through May 9th, TikTok is also hosting a week of TikTok LIVE streams focused on fundraising as a part of the "Happy At Home: #OneCommunity" nightly event. People have been venting out at the practice of eatings bats, and bats in general amid reports that the coronavirus originated via this practice. Emraan Hashmi was one of the celebrities who had fumed at the freakish culinary experience as the world suffered because of COVID-19. While that was directed at the practice of eating bats, Amitabh Bachchan feared the mammal itself when it landed at the actors residence. READ: Amitabh Bachchan's Highlights Of The Week: From Wishing Ramadan To Sharing His Own Animoji Big B took to Twitter on Saturday to share news of the hour , breaking news about a chamgadar landing into his den, at his third-floor room at bungalow Jalsa in Juhu, Mumbai. The veteran quipped that he found it hard to shoo it away, terming it as corona and that it was not ready to leave at all. Heres the post T 3510 - Ladies and gentlemen of the Jury .. news of the hour .. BREAKING NEWS .. would you believe it .. A Bat , a has come into my room .. in Jalsa .. on the 3rd floor .. in my Den .. badi mushkil se use bahar nikala .. Corona peecha chodh hi nahin raha !!! Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan) April 25, 2020 While a section of the netizens laughed over it, and some expressed concern for him, many of them were not pleased. They accused him of demonising and dooming the species and added that it was in poor taste. Some shared reports of bats not being harmful, that it will not transmit the virus and that it was wrong to pin the blame on them. He was also urged to undo the damage. READ: Amitabh Bachchan To Be Back With 'Kaun Banega Crorepati 12' Post Lockdown? Here are the reactions: Not in good taste sir. You have millions of followers. Still we dont have exact process of human virus spillover. Demonising bat is last thing we want. Things we know for sure; They are pollinators. They help in pest control. Please revisit it. Parveen Kaswan, IFS (@ParveenKaswan) April 25, 2020 Sorry to hear this from a reputed personality. Bats are not harmful and there is no need to fear. Kindly understand that they did not spread the virus to human.The reason is still debated. By nature, most animals have got virus in their body. Pls read this pic.twitter.com/BxAdnI67bz Sudha Ramen IFS (@SudhaRamenIFS) April 25, 2020 The bats & pangolins which are naturally found in India are harmless. Dont demonise them. Please read the thread Bigg B ! Jalsa Karo, Safe Chho :)@ParveenKaswan https://t.co/lWnxplPnGv Ronak Gajjar (@ronakdgajjar) April 25, 2020 https://t.co/v6ThswczOe Stop! please stop blaming these animals... Don't let this even pass as a joke. @ParveenKaswan Rahul Shrivastava (@rahul_seo) April 25, 2020 Sir This tweet will doom a species. #BatsAreNotCorona U hv always spoken #ForWildlife#Bats r imp in ecosystem They predate on insects,r prolific pollinators of imp crops,disperse seeds.Their coping mechanism with viruses gives templates to research disease Plz undo the damage JAYOTI BANERJEE, IFS (@jayotibanerjee) April 25, 2020 Mammals nothing else.. no need to be worry. We should love our mother nature. We cannot throw out our loved ones if he is not well. Same thing applies on Bats. Just be alert but dont hate.. Sanjay Mishra (@msanjay1930) April 25, 2020 This is not the first time that Amitabh Bachchan has got flak during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Shahenshah has been accused of sharing WhatsApp forwards, like stating that the practice of clapping or hitting an object succeeding in creating vibrations to kill the virus, and another of the map of the world in which only India was lit, when citizens lit diyas to express solidarity in the fight against COVID-19. READ: South African Care Facility Supported By Amitabh Bachchan In COVID-19 Controversy Meanwhile, Amitabh Bachchan has lent support to various initiatives in the COVID-19 fight. He has taken up the cause of providing food packets in Mumbai amid the lockdown and also contributed to a fund initiated by Chiranjeevi to help the daily wage workers of the Telugu film industry. Big B also shot numerous informational videos related to the pandemic. The connection of bats to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic is yet to be confirmed. While Coronaviruses are and have been found in bats - multiple strains in fact - it is as yet undetermined whether the Covid-19 variant that is wreaking havoc across the world came about because of bat consumption in some way, or because of some other reason such as if it was leaked from the Wuhan Institute of Virology. There have been various theories put forth, with countries also seeking a probe to determine the exact origin of the outbreak. READ: Amitabh Bachchan Poses An Important Question Regarding 'films' Amid Isolation; Read Here Amid the coronavirus pandemic, First Lady of United States Melania Trump celebrated her 50th birthday on Sunday. On the occasion, embattled US President Donald Trump took to Twitter to wish her calling her 'our great First Lady!' - resorting to a tried and tested adjective, which he had used to great effect to win the 2016 election with his 'Make America Great Again' campaign. Happy Birthday to Melania, our great First Lady! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 26, 2020 Melania Trump celebrated her birthday at the White House amid the lockdown situation. The White House Twitter ac count also posted a happy birthday message to FLOTUS, featuring pictures of her travels supporting young girls, women in the military, and her Be Best initiative. READ | COVID-19 Crisis: 440 New Cases & 19 Deaths Reported In Maharashtra Amid 342 Casualties Following the wishes, She also thanked everyone for their wishes. Thank you to everyone for the wonderful birthday wishes. This year, my heart is with those who have missed their own celebrations of birthdays, holidays, & special occasions with their families, friends, & colleagues. I look forward to the day when we can all be together again! Melania Trump (@FLOTUS) April 26, 2020 READ | Tej Pratap Flouts Lockdown To Perform 'Sadbuddhi Mahayagna' For Bihar CM Nitish Kumar First lady distributes care packages Earlier, Melania Trump sent blankets, caps, and other gifts to hospitals in 10 states, including some hit hardest by the new coronavirus outbreak, for use by medical staff and children who are patients. The care packages were shipped on Thursday to hospitals in New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Louisiana, Florida, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas, Delaware, Nevada, and the District of Columbia, the White House said. The medical community has gone above and beyond to protect the health of the American People, the first lady said in a statement. The packages are just a small token of my appreciation for their courage and leadership in this time of need. READ | '150 Students Stranded In Kota On Their Way Back To Punjab,' Says CM Capt Amarinder Singh The hospitals were not identified. Mrs. Trump met doctors and nurses at some of the hospitals during past visits to promote her youth program, the White House said. Our thoughts & prayers continue to be w/ each person suffering & fighting to recover from this terrible virus, & with all of the families who have lost loved ones. Even though we are physically apart, we are all in this fight together. Melania Trump (@FLOTUS) April 24, 2020 READ | MoS PMO Jitendra Singh Slams Cong's Criticism Of DA Freeze, Cites Example Of State Govts First Mask and Shield Orders Already Filled, Follow-Up Orders In Production SARNIA,ON / ACCESSWIRE / April 27, 2020 / Lamperd Less Lethal, Inc. (OTC PINK:LLLI), an innovation leader and manufacturer of advanced security solutions for law enforcement, military and security agencies worldwide, is receiving orders and payments for products to help prevent the spread of the COVID19 Coronavirus and other infectious diseases. Lamperd has already completed and shipped its first order for a new Protective Face Mask which is washable and therefore reusable. Follow-up Face Mask orders and payments have also been received from buyers in Canada and internationally. These orders are now in production and will be shipped immediately upon completion. Additionally, Lamperd is manufacturing a special Extraction Shield for first responders which can help protect them from contamination when they handle potentially COVID19 Coronavirus infected persons in close quarters such as police vehicles, ambulances or small rooms. The Extraction Shield is also designed to afford strong physical protection from violent or unstable persons. Numerous orders and payments have already been received for Lamperd Extraction Shields from law enforcement. Photos and detailed information on the Lamperd Protective Face Masks and the Extraction Shield can be found on the company website at this direct link: https://lamperdlesslethal.com/products/. The Lamperd Extraction Shield is ideally sized and shaped to help prevent broken ribs and other common injuries or bodily fluid contamination while transferring unstable persons to and from police cars, ambulances or other tight spaces. The Extraction Shield is made of strong, clear polycarbonate to allow clear vision and is equipped with padded handles. Especially important is the arm handle which will flexibly move in and out in response to pressure to help prevent broken ribs as can happen with other rigid handle shields. The Lamperd Extraction Shield has a total weight of only 3.5 lbs and can be employed using only one arm. Lamperd Protective Face Masks are made to guidelines from Johns Hopkins Medicine and incorporate a military spec 1 inch wide Velcro closure neck strap that makes them much more comfortable and durable to wear for long periods as opposed to most other mask designs. These masks are made of 100% blended cotton materials and therefore are washable and reuseable for extended periods. Lamperd masks are available in a variety of colors to suit user preferences and all bear the Lamperd Less Lethal company logo to identify their source. The company's long established specialized police clothing division is well equipped and staffed with skilled personnel to handle large orders for masks from any part of the world. Lamperd masks are available to anyone through the company's network of international distributors. CEO Barry Lamperd stated, "We are doing everything in our power to help police and other first responders remain safe from the dangers they face on a daily basis, including the risk of infection by the Coronavirus pandemic in every part of the world today. Our first shipment of Protective Face Masks has gone out for law enforcement use in Canada and more are being manufactured at our extensive facility in Sarnia, Ontario in response to follow-up orders received from buyers in Canada and abroad. We have also been receiving orders to manufacture and ship our Extraction Shields to police agencies. We have put a great deal of research work into designing these Extraction Shields in order to make them the most useful, versatile and safest products of their kind available anywhere. Lamperd Less Lethal has the products and the capability to supply what is needed to keep our vital first responders safe in this most difficult time." About the Company Lamperd Less Lethal, Inc. (LLLI) is a developer, manufacturer and international sales company for advanced less lethal weapons, ammunition and other security products marketed to police, correctional, military and private security forces. The company sells over 300 different products including small & large caliber projectile guns, flash-bang devices, pepper spray devices, 37mm & 40mm launching systems and interlocking riot shields. Lamperd also offers advisory services and hands-on training classes run by highly accredited instructors. For more information visit: http://www.lamperdlesslethal.com. This press release contains forward-looking statements relating to Lamperd Less Lethal, Inc. Lamperd Less Lethal, Inc. undertakes no obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements to reflect changed assumptions, the occurrence of unanticipated events or changes in future operating results. Safe Harbor for Forward-Looking Statements: This news release includes forward-looking statements. While these statements are made to convey to the public the company's progress, business opportunities and growth prospects, readers are cautioned that such forward-looking statements represent management's opinion. Whereas management believes such representations to be true and accurate based on information and data available to the company at this time, actual results may differ materially from those described. The company's operations and business prospects are always subject to risk and uncertainties. Important factors that may cause actual results to differ are and will be set forth in the company's periodic filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Contact: Lamperd Less Lethal, Inc. Barry Lamperd, President & CEO (519) 344-4445 Email: info@lamperdlesslethal.com or sales@lamperdlesslethal.com Company Website: http://www.lamperdlesslethal.com Lamperd Less Lethal on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lamperdlesslethal Lamperd Less Lethal on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/llli_lamperd_lesslethal Lamperd Less Lethal on Twitter: https://twitter.com/LLLI_LessLethal Barry Lamperd on Twitter: Https://www.twitter.com/lamperd_llli SOURCE: Lamperd Less Lethal, Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/587100/Lamperd-Less-Lethal-Receiving-Orders-for-COVID19-Coronavirus-Protection-Products-Including-Washable-Face-Masks-and-a-First-Responder-Extraction-Shield SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., April 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Digital Air Strike, the leading consumer engagement technology company, announced today its new Power Text messaging technology that allows businesses to quickly and effectively deliver important, timely updates to customers via SMS messages. Power Text is paired with Response Path AI-powered messaging as part of Digital Air Strike's new Virtual Retailing Program. Through Power Text, customers can reply via text 24/7 and the AI technology of Response Path immediately engages with customers who respond to the messages. Consumers can request to be connected to a team member by SMS at any time. By automating responses to consumers and giving them self-service tools like an appointment scheduler built into the AI technology, a business can then focus limited or remote staff on consumers that need additional assistance, while allowing other consumers to self-service. Staff gets alerts by text and email so they can jump into the conversation from any device, anywhere, and manage replies from an easy-to-use dashboard. An added benefit for the business is the ability to capture all communication, vs. staff texting from their own devices. "Let technology do the heavy lifting for you," said Alexi Venneri, co-founder and CEO of Digital Air Strike. "There's value in selectively leveraging SMS text messaging to broadcast key information to your customers, such as extra precautions you are taking to keep them safe and changes to business hours. Businesses are embracing this new offering as another way to reach out to customers who are sheltering at home during the pandemic." Texting is an effective way for businesses to engage with customers in a new way and provide timely updates when offerings may change, capture leads and schedule appointments. Since so much is changing related to new safety precautions, Power Text helps businesses stay in front of their customers with the right message delivered quickly and efficiently. More than 80% of text messages are read within five minutes, while consumers only open one in four emails they receive. Power Text offers more opportunities to engage with consumers than competitor text offerings because it connects to website chat, Facebook Messenger and the AI-powered chat bots that automate appointment scheduling and many other facets of consumer assistance, for both sales and service. This is especially helpful for auto dealers, while all small businesses can take advantage of the new texting service. Power Text is part of the Digital Air Strike Virtual Retailing Program, which allows businesses to interact and transact with customers using multiple mediums, including video, AI, social media, email, chat, and SMS with AI automation. Response Logix combines the power of email with real-time micro-websites that generate interactive price quotes to help consumers select vehicles. Response Path AI-powered, multi-channel chat engages consumers automatically, 24/7, asks/answers questions, captures lead information and alerts employees when human interaction is needed. It is also fully integrated with Facebook Marketplace and Power Text. Video Logix is an easy-to-use video platform that allows businesses to create and send videos to customers showcasing their services, inventory, and social distancing practices. Video Logix is offered free of charge for 30 days to all businesses. The Video Logix platform and videos from automobile dealers across the country can be seen here. Power Text is free for 60 days for Digital Air Strike clients using Response Path, Response Logix, Video Logix, or Social Logix. It is also offered as an add-on for clients using Media Logix solutions, or available at a stand-alone solution. Digital Air Strike developed a resources page with downloadable content for businesses, industry updates and examples of dealerships using video to communicate with customers. The company also hosts free, best-practice webinars about Virtual Retailing and how businesses can implement new strategies immediately. The complete webinar schedule and the ability to request previous presentations can be found here. About Digital Air Strike Digital Air Strike is the leading social media, intelligent lead response, and consumer engagement technology company helping businesses increase consumer response and conversions in digital and social media environments while generating measurable ROI. A pioneer in digital response, social media marketing and online reputation management solutions, Digital Air Strike deploys industry-specific mobile apps, software, intelligent messaging and managed service platforms to monitor, engage, improve and manage consumer interactions for thousands of businesses in the United States, Canada and 11 additional countries, including working with seven of the largest automotive manufacturers. More information is available at www.digitalairstrike.com and www.facebook.com/digitalairstrike. Media Contact: Hayley Ringle 480-421-5959 [email protected] View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/digital-air-strike-launches-power-text-paired-with-artificial-intelligence-to-help-businesses-provide-customers-with-timely-updates-during-covid-19-301047174.html SOURCE Digital Air Strike Related Links digitalairstrike.com HONG KONG, April 26 (Xinhua) -- The Office of the Commissioner of the Chinese Foreign Ministry in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on Sunday condemned a report by U.S. National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI) for interfering in Hong Kong affairs. A spokesperson of the office said in a statement that the report whitewashed the extremist violence that occurred during the months-long social unrest in Hong Kong and heaped accusations on the Hong Kong police who enforced the law dutifully with great restraint. The report glorified the criminal acts of the opposition and extremists as a "fight over democratization" and mentioned nothing about the severe damage to law, order and the "one country, two systems" principle, the spokesperson said. The report also smeared the efforts of the Chinese central government and the HKSAR government to uphold the rule of law and the "one country, two systems," the spokesperson said. The NDI even instigated other countries to jointly meddle in Hong Kong affairs and impose sanctions on the region via means like the so-called Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act, the spokesperson said, emphasizing the organization has no credibility at all and is notorious for fact-distortion and finger-pointing at internal affairs of other countries and regions under the pretext of "democracy" and "human rights." The spokesperson said it is exactly because such foreign forces have long colluded with local anti-China troublemakers to interfere in Hong Kong affairs, confound right with wrong and provoke confrontation, that the rule of law in Hong Kong has been undermined and society plunged into chaos. "They should be condemned by all Chinese people, including our Hong Kong compatriots, and will definitely pay the price for what they have done," the spokesperson said. New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi chairs the 4th interaction with Chief Ministers of all states and Union territories through video conferencing in New Delhi during the extended nationwide lockdown imposed to mitigate the spread of coronavirus; Image Source: IANS News New Delhi, April 27 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday hailed the Delhi Police for its gesture towards the Sikh community as they paid obeisance at the Gurudwara Bangla Sahib as a mark of respect for the gurudwara providing meals to the needy during the nationwide lockdown. "Good gesture by the Delhi Police. Our Gurudwaras have been doing exceptional work in serving people. Their compassion is appreciable," Modi said in a tweet. The Prime Minister was replying to the tweet of Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee (DSGMC) President Manjinder Singh Sirasa's tweet in which he said: "Amazing View: Delhi Police took the 'parikrama' of the Gurudwara Bangla Sahib to thank for the services being provided by the Sikh community as Corona Warriors. They have set a new trend of paying respect." The Delhi Police team led by Central DCP Eish Singhal undertook 'parikrama' of Gurdwara Bangla Sahib to express gratitude to DSGMC for their commitment and support to Delhi Police in fighting Covid-19. The Gurudwara Bangla Sahib has been providing cooked meals for over 40,000 people on a daily basis to the city government since the nationwide lockdown was announced. Following the Prime Minister's tweet, Delhi Police Commissioner S. N. Shrivatsava also tweeted, "My sincere thanks and regards to the Prime Minister for appreciating and encouraging Delhi Police for paying gratitude to Gurudwara Bangla Sahib. Gurudwara Management Committee has provided food to more 75,000 needy people daily all through the lockdown period." Nii Adjabeng Ankrah II 27.04.2020 LISTEN Festivals, durbars among other traditional celebrations and programs must be suspended to next year in order to help contain COVID-19 in Ghana, Nii Adjabeng Ankrah II has admonished. This follows the latest update of 1,550 confirmed cases reported by the Ghana Health Service. Nii Adjabeng Ankrah II, the Supreme Head of Mantse Ankrah royal family in Accra made this call in order to intensify awareness of the preventive measures of containing and helping government put robust measures in combating the disease. According to him, festivals and other traditional functions draw a lot of crowd together which would eventually widespread the COVID-19 if one is affected among the crowd. He called on every Traditional ruler in Ghana to brace their quota in helping to contain the spread of COVID-19 since the fight against the deadly disease is a multi-sectorial approach. The Supreme Head called on traditional rulers to avoid gatherings and educate the community to discourage family meetings. Traditional rulers are very important in this fight because they would help in disseminating vital information to their subjects, which would be adhered to, he mentioned. Doubling as the Traditional Ruler of the Otublohum Dade Ban-Naa in the Greater Accra Region, Nii Adjabeng Ankrah II said it is very important for all traditional rulers to come together and fight this deadly virus. Coincidentally, apart from avoiding handshake and maintaining the recommended social distance, one other key recommendation is for us to avoid touching our face (especially the mouth, nose and eyes) if we have not washed them thoroughly, he said. According to him, this is where a significant number of us may be at greater risk because as indicated earlier, touching ones face, nose and eye, in particular, is usually done automatically. Nii Adjabeng Ankrah II underscored that, there is the urgent need for all of us to make extra conscious effort not to engage in any of these automatic behaviours. Highlighting on stigmatization, he observed that, there is an urgent need for the on-going communication to address the issue of stigma in order not to complicate the anxiety those under contact tracing and those already affected may be going through. Commending on the Presidents effort in containing the disease, he said, the Presidents updates are very critical as they indicate the seriousness he attaches to the problem and the efforts being made to control it. He pointed out that, with the passing of the Emergency Act, individuals and groups who violate any of them and put themselves and others at risk should be punished. The Traditional ruler advised that we should take cognizance of the fact that not everyone will willing abide by laws hence the whip must be applied ruthlessly in this unusual period. Per the scope and nature of the problem, there is the need for a multi-sectorial approach involving not only the health professionals but also traditional rulers must be involved in fighting the disease, he appealed. He reiterated that each of these bodies will tackle the issue from different perspectives and together we will achieve the expected results. On his part, as much as possible the media should restrict their interviews and radio/television discussions on the subject to individuals and groups with requisite knowledge and insight (professionals) to reduce misinformation that may cause fear and panic. Successful launch of the marketing of Hoffmann cements and achievement of the development plan's first key milestones Impacts associated with the Covid-19 pandemic Regulatory News: Hoffmann Green Cement Technologies (Paris:ALHGR) (ISIN: FR0013451044, Ticker: ALHGR) ("Hoffmann Green" or the "Company"), a pioneer in low-carbon cement, today announces its 2019 annual results. The Supervisory Board met on April 24, 2020 and reviewed the Company's 2019 accounts approved by the Management Board and audited and certified by the statutory auditors. Key elements of the Company's audited consolidated accounts thousands IFRS 2019 2018 Revenue 620 289 EBITDA (1,846) (758) Recurring Operating Profit (EBIT) (3,079) (982) Net profit loss (4,339) (1,177) Net cash position (Net financial debt) 52,601 (6,911) Shareholders' Equity 70,548 4,638 Commenting on the publication of the Company's 2019 annual results, Julien Blanchard and David Hoffmann, co-founders of Hoffmann Green Cement Technologies, state: "We ended 2019 on a positive dynamic marked by the achievement of key milestones in our development plan. Firstly, our various commercial successes have confirmed the relevance and attraction of our positioning and its added value in a market that has to commit to and accelerate its energy transition. We thus marketed our first 1,000 tons of low-carbon cements, in line with our targets. As planned, we initiated the extension of our H1 production site, continued the administrative procedures for the construction of the H2 site whose land has been acquired and expanded our search for H3. 2019 also gave us the opportunity to strengthen our teams and work relentlessly on consolidating our intellectual property. 2019 was also marked by the success of our Initial Public Offering on the Euronext Growth market in Paris, which has given us the means to accelerate our industrial, commercial and R&D development for the coming years. 2020 began in an unprecedented way, and the current pandemic requires us to adapt and plan for the post-crisis world. Like every responsible player, we have prioritized the protection of our employees and undertaken a review of the situation with our clients and partners. At this stage, the health and economic uncertainties generated by the pandemic, notably in the construction industry, do not give us adequate visibility to be able to maintain the 2020 targets we announced at the time of our IPO. We are, however, confident that activity will recover after the crisis, driven by the market's solid fundamentals. The value-added of our corporate project aiming to participate in the construction of tomorrow's sustainable cities remains more valid than ever. 2019: an intense year driven by the dynamic of numerous developments and the execution of the industrial, commercial and R&D strategy As previously announced1, Hoffmann Green achieved a first major milestone in its development plan by selling 1,098 tons of low-carbon cements in 2019, in line with its target of 1,000 tons announced at the time of the Company's IPO. Hoffmann's low-carbon cements were notably used on various construction sites in France, in particular for concrete slabs and pre-slabs and for concrete foundations. At the same time, the Company successfully pursued its commercial strategy by signing two partnership contracts with Bouygues Construction and GCC, major construction and public works players committed to developing low-carbon construction. The aim of these partnerships is to formulate concrete with a low carbon footprint based on the H-UKR and H-EVA technologies developed by Hoffmann Green. The first trials were launched in the fall of 2019 and continued through to mid-March 2020, when the lockdown required by the French government began. On the industrial front, at the end of 2019, Hoffmann Green initiated the extension of its H1 production site in Bournezeau (Vendee region, Western France) to provide the Company with an additional 1,000 m for storage and shipment of its cements. From a logistical standpoint, the automated bag-filling machine became operational with a capacity of 250 bags per hour. The associated robotic palletizer was also installed and can process up to 500 bags per hour. Lastly, two new LNG trucks were added to the logistical set-up in order to transport finished products and co-products using the lowest possible carbon footprint. Regarding the future H2 and H3 production sites, which will be located in the Vendee and Ile-de-France regions respectively, administrative procedures have been undertaken in accordance with the development plan, but have slowed since mid-March 2020 because of the Covid-19 pandemic, which is notably impacting the review of the H2 building permit requests. It is specified that the Company already acquired the land for the construction of H2 in 2019. This land, which is adjacent to the H1 site in the Vendeopole industrial zone of Bournezeau, will thus expand Hoffmann Green's global site area from 3 to 8 hectares. Lastly, in line with its Research Development and Innovation policy, the Company is working continuously to consolidate the protection of its intellectual property in order to strengthen barriers to entry on the markets it addresses. It was to this end that the Company announced, at the end of January 2020, that it had been granted a patent for its H-P2A technology in the United States2 Moreover, and as planned, in order to support its growth momentum, the Company has strengthened its teams by recruiting experienced professionals in the Development Innovation, Finance and Industrial fields. 2019 results in line with targets and the ramp-up of the Company's development Driven by the successful launch of the marketing of its low-carbon cements, Hoffmann Green generated revenue of 0.6 million. EBITDA was -1.8 million in 2019 versus -0.8 million in 2018, given the Company's industrial and commercial ramp-up and the strengthening of the teams enabling it to support its expected development. Operating expenses associated with purchases of materials to carry out trials and the Company's stock market listing thus increased by 0.7 million while personnel expenses rose by 0.4 million. The Company had 16 staff at the end of December 2019, compared with 7 at the end of 2018. The Recurring Operating Profit (EBIT) amounted to -3.1 million, versus -1.0 million in 2018. This evolution was essentially the result of the increase in depreciation and amortization charges associated with the investments in the H1 site and the development costs for H-UKR, H-P2A and H-EVA technologies. The net financial loss was -3.1 million, and can mainly be explained by the non-conversion premium of 20% (2.9 million) for the bonds convertible into shares recognized at the time of the IPO. The bondholders fully converted their debt (nominal and premium) into shares during the IPO. The Company recorded a net loss of -4.3 million after taking into account a tax income of 1.9 million. Balance sheet strengthened by the success of the IPO, gross cash position of 60.9 million3 at end-December 2019 At December 31, 2019, the Company had Shareholders' Equity of 70.5 million, notably as a result of the IPO carried out in October 2019 that enabled Hoffmann Green to raise almost 75 million4 to finance its development plan. Operating cash flow amounted to -2.7 million, in line with the change in EBITDA and Working Capital Requirements. Investments totaled 3.7 million and were primarily spent on improving processes at the H1 production site, acquiring land for the H2 production site, purchasing equipment for the research laboratory as well as on Research Development. Bolstered by the success of its IPO, at the end of December 2019 the Company had 60.9 million in cash5. With total financial debt of 8.3 million, the net cash position was thus 52.6 million. Lastly, the Company has an unused credit line of 10.0 million. Impacts associated with the Covid-19 pandemic To respond to the Covid-19 pandemic, Hoffmann Green has taken the most appropriate measures to, first and foremost, ensure the health and safety of its staff. The schedules of the plant's employees have been adapted to organize an alternating workforce on the H1 industrial site. The Company has also undertaken a review of the situation with its clients and partners. Since the beginning of this health crisis, the construction sector to which the Company is intrinsically linked has seen a substantial decrease in activity resulting from the lockdown's consequences on supply chains and the temporary shutdown of factories and construction sites. Hence, activity on the H1 production site and the technical trials undertaken in collaboration with some partners on their sites have been substantially reduced or suspended in recent weeks and, under the current conditions, it is not possible to set any precise dates for a resumption in activity. Furthermore, given this situation, the administrative processing of the applications filed for the construction of the H2 production site will most likely be delayed, therefore impacting the launch of construction work initially planned for the end of the first half of 2020, although at this stage the Company is unable to estimate the length of the delay. However, the Company will put all necessary means in place to begin construction as soon as it receives administrative approval. Lastly, the implementation of certain commercial agreements initiated in recent months will no doubt be pushed back, as the Company's partner groups are currently focusing on complying with the French government's lockdown directives. The Company's order book for the 2020 financial year should thus see delays and impacts that cannot currently be accurately estimated or quantified. Within the context of the pandemic and because of the difficulty to estimate its direct consequences for the Company at this stage, the Board of Directors has to suspend the 2020 targets6 announced at the time of the IPO and is committed to publish, as soon as possible, any objective information that could more accurately indicate the pandemic's impact on its industrial and commercial schedule. With a view to a safe and secure resumption in business, the Hoffmann teams are fully mobilized and in constant contact with the Company's partners in order to continue, when possible, the trials, certifications and construction work. 2020 outlook In the current context, the Company does not have sufficient information that would cause it to reconsider its 2024 targets, i.e. a total production capacity of 550,000 tons of low-carbon cements a year with the construction of two additional production sites (H2 in the Vendee region and H3 in the Ile-de-France region), revenue of approximately 120 million, or a 3% share of the French cement market at that time, and an EBITDA margin of about 40%. Thanks to its solid financial situation, the Company is confident in the relevance of its corporate project to face the challenges of this pandemic. Indeed, the Company is driven by solid fundamentals and the positive prospects of the low-carbon construction market, which will be all the more topical in the post-crisis world. The current crisis is highlighting the need to put environmental issues at the very heart of industrial innovation and to take rapid and tangible action. Driven by an eco-friendly model, Hoffmann Green is fully committed in this perspective by implementing low-carbon solutions to preserve tomorrow's world, and firmly believes in the possibility of seizing opportunities once this global crisis is over. Upcoming events: Annual General Meeting, on June 26, 2020 2020 first-half sales and results, on October 5, 2020 (after market close) About Hoffmann Green Cement Technologies Founded in 2014, Hoffmann Green Cement Technologies designs, produces and distributes innovative low-carbon cements with a substantially lower carbon footprint than traditional cement. Fully aware of the environmental emergency and the need to reconcile the construction sector, cement manufacturing and the environment, the Group believes it is at the heart of a genuine technological breakthrough based on altering cement's composition and the creation of a heating-free and clean manufacturing process, without clinker. Hoffmann Green's cements, currently manufactured on a first 4.0 industrial site with no kiln nor chimney in western France, address all construction sector markets and present, at equivalent dosage and with no alteration in the concrete manufacturing process, higher performances than traditional cement. For further information, please go to www.ciments-hoffmann.com Appendices Simplified income statement thousands IFRS 2019 2018 Revenue 620 289 Other income from activity 10 Purchases consumed (225) (123) Other external purchases and expenses (2,025) (934) Personnel expenses (532) (180) Tax (16) (13) Other operating income and expenses 322 203 EBITDA (1,846) (758) Depreciation, amortization and provisions (1,233) (224) Recurring Operating Profit (EBIT) (3,079) (982) Other operating income and expenses (43) (4) Operating Profit Loss (3,123) (987) Cost of net financial debt (3,131) (140) Other financial income and expenses 1 (5) Tax 1,913 (46) Consolidated net profit loss (4,339) (1,177) Balance sheet thousands IFRS 2019 2018 Intangible assets 2,302 1,321 Tangible assets 12,314 10,862 Other financial assets 20,004 2 Other non-current assets 629 812 Non-current tax assets 3,432 195 Total non-current assets 38,681 13,191 Inventories and work-in-progress 177 45 Accounts receivable 1,287 199 Other current assets 2,696 2,062 Current tax assets 1 10 Cash and cash equivalents 40,914 178 Total current assets 45,074 2,494 TOTAL ASSETS 83,755 15,685 thousands IFRS 2019 2018 Shareholders' Equity Group share 70,548 3,805 Shareholders' Equity minority interests 833 Total Shareholders' Equity 70,548 4,638 Borrowings and financial debt 7,280 4,445 Provisions for pensions 10 2 Other non-current liabilities 1,306 966 Non-current tax liabilities 27 Total non-current liabilities 8,623 5,413 Borrowings and financial debt 1,032 2,643 Accounts payable 2,644 1,548 Other current liabilities 908 1,444 Total current liabilities 4,585 5,635 TOTAL LIABILITIES 83,755 15,685 1 See press release of January 21, 2020. 2 See press release of January 28, 2020. 3 Of which 20.0 million in long-term investments. 4 Gross amount, after exercise of the overallotment option, including subscriptions by offsetting receivables. 5 Of which 20.0 million in long-term investments. 6 Target of 32,500 tons of production sold and recurring operating profit (EBIT) close to breakeven. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200427005494/en/ Contacts: Hoffmann Green Jerome Caron Chief Financial Officer finances@ciments-hoffmann.fr +33 (0)2 51 46 06 00 NewCap Sandrine Boussard-Gallien Theodora Xu Investor Relations ciments-hoffmann@newcap.eu +33 (0)1 44 71 94 94 NewCap Nicolas Merigeau Media Relations ciments-hoffmann@newcap.eu +33 (0)1 44 71 94 98 NEW YORK - The sun had barely risen over E. 149th Street in the South Bronx when Edward Halls, 70, got in line. He had seen how long the line was the day before and realized that life now required a plan. "I passed by and said, 'I'm not going to drink any water. I'll bring the chair. I'll leave early. I was going to leave at 7:30 but my sister said, 'No, you better leave at 7.' " Now it was two hours later, and a line of 32 people stretched out from the front door of the bank where the computers were still down and Halls was still sitting in his folding chair, watching his neighborhood come to life. Across the street, a line was forming at the pharmacy. A few doors down, the line was growing at the credit union. Around the corner, people were lining up for the bus, for the lottery, for the check-cashers and the two hawkers at folding tables spread with $5 masks, $10 Advil and $20 cough syrup. Two months into the coronavirus pandemic, this is what life was becoming in one of the poorest and hardest-hit neighborhoods in America. A life of lines. "Don't cut, wait your turn, go with the system," said Halls, a retired hospital janitor, as the line grew longer and the sun rose high enough to clear the buildings and shine down on all the faces behind him. Holding strong in the fourth position was 81-year-old Clara Futch, who needed a money order to pay a bill and was sitting on the walker she'd rolled across six craggy blocks. "Life is horrible," she said. Behind her was Ibrahima Sanogo, a taxi driver drawing upon his experience from earlier days in the pandemic. He'd waited six hours in a taxi line for the few passengers left at JFK Airport. He'd waited four hours on the phone to complete his unemployment application. He had been waiting nearly three hours so far to see a teller about his federal stimulus check, and now he glanced at all the people still in front him and realized he would be waiting some more. "I can't give up now," he said. In a nation that has revered ambition, hustle and individualism, the moment was one that called for the sort of acceptance, patience and ego sublimation summoned by the words of Nelson Rivera, a school custodian standing behind a home health aide standing behind a bus driver standing behind a woman shaking her head outside a Stop & Shop. "What can you do?" he said. The line was all there was. "You home?" a woman said into her cellphone outside a pharmacy. "I'm in line." "Even the butcher had a line," said a woman now in line at Plaza Discount. "Where do you think I am?" said an agitated woman through two masks into her phone. She was between two pieces of worn blue tape on a Wednesday that could have been a Tuesday, and soon it was midday and she was still in line. Across the South Bronx, people were lining up for various food pantries - at a community center, at the Catholic church and at the Bronx River Houses, a public housing complex of nine brick buildings where the daily announcement came over a loudspeaker in a courtyard: "Ladies and gentlemen! The meals are coming!" People emerged from the brick towers and other apartment buildings in the surrounding neighborhood. Here came an elderly woman in a black wool coat clutching an empty plastic bag. "Things are tight," Barbara Sanders said, taking her place behind an orange cone. Here came Amaurice Gabot, a laid-off parking lot attendant now in the 45-day waiting period for food stamps he needed to feed his wife and daughter. "When you don't have nothing, this is very important," he said of the free meal. Here came Toribio Vasquez, another parking lot attendant whose hours had been cut in half. "Every day it's getting worse," he said. Behind him was an elderly woman with a walker. A woman with wild gray hair and a dazed look. Two women clutching empty garbage bags. A woman in a wheelchair. A man wearing a homemade mask, holding his daughter's hand, and asking with some embarrassment: "We have to put our name?" "No name, baby," said Norma Saunders, the tenant association president and organizer of a line that now stretched down a long breezeway, alongside a fenced-off area where residents said asbestos was being removed, past three overflowing garbage bins and an empty playground - a column of more than 100 people standing in silence until a yellow box truck pulled into the parking lot and the voice came over the loudspeaker again: "Ladies and gentlemen! The meals are here!" People watched as volunteers unloaded cellophane-sealed containers of spaghetti and meatballs, boxes of green beans labeled "Green Veg 136" and foil bags of pizza crackers, and as they prepared to move forward, a latecomer tried to slip into the front of the line. "Hey!" someone yelled, pointing. "That woman skipped her place!" yelled a woman from the back. "Everyone is going to get the same - no more, no less!" yelled another, and as the woman retreated to the back of the line, a volunteer yelled out: "All right! Bring 'em all through!" "Please, have your bag open!" a man yelled through a bullhorn. "Move the line!" An elderly woman fumbled to open her bag quickly, while a man in work boots behind her opened his shopping bag, while a volunteer yelled "C'mon," while in the nearby parking lot, Daniel Barber watched for a moment, checked his clipboard and headed off to deliver the rest of 4,000 meals provided by the celebrity chef Jose Andres, well-known for feeding victims of natural disasters. "People don't understand the magnitude," said Barber, a public housing tenant leader, who was trying to get an accurate count of how many residents had died of the virus, and in which buildings. He drove through one neighborhood after another - streets without traffic, metal grates over shuttered shops, everything empty except for the lines at the bodega, the Western Union, the laundromat. "Man," he said, seeing one that stretched a whole block. His phone rang. It was a woman from another housing project waiting on the meals. "My line's getting long," the woman told him. "Aye, aye, captain," Barber said, and soon he pulled up in the driveway, where the woman who had called, Dana Elden, had been waiting in the longest line of all, the invisible line of citizens waiting for the city, the state, the federal government or someone to care about what was happening in a community where the number of virus deaths was proportionately higher than anywhere in the nation. "Why has there yet to be any formal testing in this area with all these developments?" Elden said. "Why can't they set up a tent here? Because black and brown people don't matter to them." She watched Barber unloading the meals, her sense of gratitude equal to the fury she felt toward leaders she felt had failed her neighbors. "Thank you, Danny!" she called out as he left, and people inched forward with their opened bags, and the afternoon inched forward toward so many doors with orange cones marking the start of more lines. At the end of the ATM line - 12 people - on Melrose Avenue was an unemployed delivery truck driver. "I think the lines are getting longer," observed Jose Marte. In the middle of a line outside a pharmacy on 149th - 47 people - was a math professor sitting in a plastic chair. "You can't beat it, you can't fight it," he said, then noticed the line moving slightly. He struggled to stand. He picked up his chair. He placed it back down on the other side of the next piece of worn blue tape. He sat down and looked around at the life on the street. A homeless man staggered by. Another asked for money. Health-care workers from the nearby hospital were changing shifts and lining up at a bodega for jerk chicken, where the cashier informed one woman, "The doctors came earlier and bought it all," and meanwhile, back at the pharmacy, an employee came outside at 5:30 with an announcement for the line. "If you're in line for the pharmacy, from this point on, the pharmacy is closed," she said in a monotone, and the formerly placid face of China Rodriguez dissolved. "I thought you close at 6!" she yelled through her mask. "We do, but this line is longer than 6," said the worker. "But I've been waiting here since 4:15! I'm trying to get medicine for my father! He had a heart attack!" said Rodriguez, who worked nights cleaning medical offices, and was on her day off the designated line-stander for her elderly parents. "Damn. This is how people lose their cool." A few doors down, the line for the wholesale liquor store was at 54 and growing. A single mom was behind a postal worker behind a health-care worker who'd just finished another shift and had been waiting 30 minutes so far for some vodka. "It won't be long now," he told himself. "Five go out, five go in," said the postal worker, Earl Commador, but way down at the end of the line, things were degenerating. "Nobody's following the protocol!" said Charise Green, trying to keep her composure. "Nobody is six feet!" "Look at that guy!" said her friend, pointing to a young man who'd just joined the line. "No gloves. No mask." Around the corner, the line for the Aldi discount grocery store was 71, now 72, now 73, and as the sun was setting, Jay Lewis, a dance instructor who had not yet eaten breakfast, looked behind him at all the faces. "This is kind of how I imagined the End Times to be," he said. "That's what it feels like." The man behind him, Jose Alvarez, was listening. "We just have to hold on," he said. "This is what it is. This is what it's going to be." They stopped talking. They had to get through the line. Someone was smoking. Someone was standing too close. Someone was walking up and down the line hawking Advil and Aleve. Some kids rode by on bikes and popped wheelies. Some pigeons fought over a scrap of bread, and meanwhile, the line inched toward the next strip of yellow tape, the next orange cone, a few feet more, a few minutes and hours more, sun shifting, time passing. Nearby, a woman wearing two masks, ski goggles and rubber gloves pressed her face to a storefront window. She had already stood in line for groceries, the bank, the discount store, and this was the last line of day. "They told me to wait out here," said Katherine Torres. It was a health clinic. She was waiting on her mother, who was inside trying to see whether she could get a test for the virus. She was a home health aide and had all the symptoms. The fever, the cough, the fatigue, and in a place where lines were everywhere now, she was in the most critical one of all. It was almost dark, and Torres looked again through the window. "We'll just wait," she said. Michael "Mike" Fredrick Harris, 72, of Ft. Washington, MD passed away on Tuesday, April 21, 2020 at home surrounded by his family after a courageous eight (8) year battle with cancer. He was born on October 15, 1947 in Washington, DC to Margaret Harris-Wood of Ft. Washington, MD and the late Kriel Charles Harris. Mike joined the United States Army in 1967 and proudly served his country. A veteran of the Vietnam War, Mike never lost his patriotic pride for his fellow soldiers and their dedication to our freedom. He was honorably discharged in 1969 and became a self-made business man, owning his own telephone and IT business. Mike met the love of his life and best friend, Helen, whom he affectionally called "Broomie". They spent over thirty (30) years married and raising their three wonderful, kind and caring children. Mike loved seeing his family grow with the birth of each of his seven (7) grandchildren. Mike could be found most days enjoying a cold Budweiser at Texas Ribs or the Hideaway with his longtime friends. He could come off as a real tough man, but he felt deep affection for his friends and cherished his days with them. He also enjoyed spending a beautiful day out on the water. A calm breeze, sunshine, cold beer, fish biting and he'd discovered his own version of heaven. Mike was an adventurous, fun-loving, charismatic man who was always ready for a road-trip to where ever his heart desired. Hop in, buckle up and be ready for an adventure. Mike will always be remembered for his quick wit, honest conversations, hard work and above all the love he felt for this family and friends. A man is only as great as the legacy he leaves behind. Mike was one of a kind and his determination, work-ethic and gracious spirit can be found in the eyes, smiles and laughter of his family. When you pop the top and you feel the first cool sip, know Mike is sitting beside his love, Broomie and toasting you and wishing you peace, love and an adventure. He is survived by his mother, Margaret Harris-Wood of Ft. Washington, MD; children, Rhonda (Keith) Farrell of Mechanicsville, MD, Kimberly (Don) Devore of Round Lake, IL and Douglas Harris of Prince Frederick, MD; and seven (7) grandchildren, Derek, Tyler, Shelby, Hannah, Jake, Katie, Nathan and Caleb. He is also survived by siblings, Bo Harris, David Harris and Charlene Harris. Mike was preceded in death by his father, Kriel Charles Harris and beloved wife, Helen Harris. At this time all services will be private. The family will hold a Life Celebration for Mike on July 4, 2020 with all specifications to come at a later date. Killing Eve viewers heaped praise on the third episode of the show last night, after things between Villanelle and Eve Polastri became very steamy during a shocking brawl. During the third episode of the hit BBC drama, which aired yesterday, Villanelle (played by Jodie Comer) returns to London for a mission but soon tries to find Eve (Sandra Oh). The volatile pair meet on the top-deck of a double-decker bus, much to Eve's obvious shock, and a vicious fight between them quickly begins - with Villanelle gaining the upper hand. The assassin pins down her opponent but as Villanelle's face starts to get closer to the former agent's, Eve kisses her attacker, disarming her before delivering a brutal headbutt. Killing Eve viewers heaped praise on the third episode of the show last night, after things between Villanelle and Eve Polastri became very steamy during a shocking brawl (pictured) Social media users (pictured) were left in a frenzy as they were 'finally' given the moment they'd been waiting for And while Villanelle seemingly walked away from the smooch unaffected, social media users were left in a frenzy as they were 'finally' given the moment they'd been waiting for. One enthusiastic fan wrote: 'This is the best thing that's ever happened to me, I'm not kidding.' Another viewer said: 'OMG, Killing Eve finally gave us what we wanted! On Lesbian Visibility Day, nonetheless.' A third added: 'The amount of times I have GASPED during this episode,' as a fourth wrote: 'I've been waiting for two years, I can't believe this.' Reaction: Killing Eve viewers (above) heaped praise on the third episode of the BBC show In the third episode of season three, Eve and Villanelle finally come face-to-face once again, with the pair meeting on a London bus. Eve is left in obvious shock as she sees Villanelle board the vehicle and quickly rushes at the assassin. The two fight, with the murderous Villanelle quickly overpowering her opponent, and pinning Eve to the seats of the bus. But, to apparently distract the assassin, former agent Eve kisses her before delivering a savage headbutt. Villanelle then gets off the bus and leaves Eve. In the third episode of season three, Eve and Villanelle finally come face-to-face once again, with the pair meeting on a London bus (pictured) The two fight, with the murderous Villanelle (pictured) quickly overpowering her opponent, and pinning Eve to the seats of the bus However, upon returning home, Eve discovers that Villanelle has left her a teddy that plays the assassin's voice. 'Admit it, you wish I was here, Eve,' it repeatedly says as the former agent lovingly holds it up to her ear. The positive comments come after concern the show had lost it's sparkle, with critics branding the hotly-anticipated third series 'lifeless', 'tired' and 'boring' in their first-look reviews. The BBC thriller returned to screens earlier this month after networks brought forward the premiere date from this summer, much to the delight of millions of fans stuck at home during lockdown. But, to apparently distract the assassin, former agent Eve kisses her (pictured) before delivering a savage headbutt. Villanelle then gets off the bus and leaves Eve Once again, the drama focuses on stylish assassin Villanelle and former agent Eve Polastri (Sandra Oh) as they reignite their game of cat-mouse. Having survived the gunshot wound she sustained in Rome in the series two cliffhanger finale, Eve is now 'hiding in plain sight', working as a chef in New Malden. Meanwhile Vilanelle has been given a 'promotion' and is now training new assassins. But while Comer has been hailed 'impish' and 'engaging' by critics - and remains as stylish as ever - the early episodes in the series have left critics on both side of the Atlantic feeling underwhelmed, with the majority handing the show 2-3 stars. However fans of the show have no need to worry about the lukewarm reception sounding the death knell for Killing Eve as series four has already been given the green light. A station worker spiked her supervisor's coffee with cleaning detergent during an ongoing feud, a court heard. Aurora Iacomi, 31, allegedly poured the liquid into Angelina Raychinova's flask in the staff room in Fenchurch Street railway station in the City of London on April 22. Jonathan Bryan, prosecuting, told Westminster Magistrates' Court: 'There is information which suggests she has animosity towards the person she's done this towards.' Aurora Iacomi, 31, (pictured) allegedly poured the liquid into Angelina Raychinova's flask in the staff room in Fenchurch Street railway station in the City of London on April 22 Antony Lane, defending, said: 'This was an ongoing disagreement between her and her supervisor. 'When she went into the staff room she saw the complainant with a flask of coffee. It was an opportunistic decision to pour something in. The intention was to ruin her coffee, nothing more. 'The substances haven't yet been fully examined to reveal their strength. 'The complainant described no injuries apart from an initial burning sensation before expelling it from her mouth. He said Iacomi has been in the UK since 2016 and has been working ever since. 'The quantity used was to annoy rather than seriously harm. They were cleaning substances.' Iacomi (pictured) has been charged with one count of administering poison or a noxious substance with intent to injure, aggrieve or annoy District Judge Angus Hamilton said: 'Yes, but that can cover a multitude of - bleach would be particularly heinous. 'If it was bleach that would have most likely resulted in the person drinking it dying or being seriously injured. 'The fact the complainant wasn't injured seems more a consequence of her actions than the defendant. She was able to taste straight away that something wasn't right and spit it back out. 'I'm slightly struggling because I don't know what the poison is or what the consequence of drinking it would have been. We need to establish what it is. 'This is obviously a very serious matter and it will almost inevitably lead to a custodial sentence.' Iacomi, of Ilford, faces one charge of administering poison or a noxious substance with intent to injure, aggrieve or annoy. She was remanded into custody to appear at Inner London Crown Court on May 22. Pedestrian traffic dropped between 50 and 80 percent in major urban areas over the weekend as the central government continues to weigh an extension of its nationwide state of emergency declaration. According to data gathered by NTT Docomo Inc., urban foot traffic on Sunday afternoon across the 47 prefectures was 50 to 80 percent lower compared with figures from those areas in January and February. Tokyoas Shinjuku Ward saw a 78 percent drop in pedestrian traffic, while areas surrounding Yokohama, Kyoto and Nagoya stations saw drops of more than 70 percent, the data showed. This week marks the unofficial beginning of Golden Week, one of the countryas busiest holiday seasons along with Bon in August and New Yearas. Bullet trains that are normally packed at this time of the year were nearly deserted over the weekend. Train operators reported that many shinkansen leaving Tokyo Station on Saturday were 90 percent empty. In the capital, just a smattering of people could be seen passing through Shibuyaas famed scramble crossing Friday night, when it is almost always inundated by chaotic crowds. The same could be seen Sunday in the Harajuku areaas trendy Takeshita-dori shopping street, a popular destination for the cityas youth. While some parts of Tokyo have been noticeably quieter since the initial declaration on April 7, others remain relatively crowded. On Sunday, most likely owing to the nice weather, Yoyogi Park was bustling with visitors playing sports, walking with their partners or picnicking on the grass. The central government is slated to announce during Golden Week whether it will extend the emergency declaration beyond its current May 6 deadline, and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is expected to make the decision based on coronavirus infections reported during the holidays. Despite significant declines in the publicas movements, results are still falling short of the governmentas goal to reduce human contact by 80 percent to halt the spread of the virus. Bacon isnt just for breakfast anymore. Heres a sampling of restaurants throughout the region where you can dig into some sinfully delicious strips of bacon from breakfast right through to lunch, dinner and even dessert. Lock 29 with Rebel Hill... NEW YORK, April 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The analyst has been monitoring the third-party logistics market in Europe, and it is poised to grow by USD 42.04 bn during 2020-2024, progressing at a CAGR of 4% during the forecast period. Our reports on the third-party logistics market in Europe provides a holistic analysis, market size and forecast, trends, growth drivers, and challenges, as well as vendor analysis covering around 25 vendors. Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p04539060/?utm_source=PRN The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current Europeanmarket scenario, latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment. The market is driven by cost reduction by utilizing 3PL services, and growth in automobile and auto components industry. Also, the growing complexity of in-house logistics operations is anticipated to boost the growth of the market as well. The third-party logistics market in Europe market analysis includes end-user segment, service end-user segment. The third-party logistics market in Europe is segmented as below: By End-user Manufacturing Retail Consumer goods Healthcare Others By Service Transportation Warehousing Others This study identifies the emergence of big data as one of the prime reasons driving the third-party logistics market in Europe growth during the next few years. Also, growth in online retailing and the increase in M&A activities will lead to sizable demand in the market. The analyst presents a detailed picture of the market by way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources by an analysis of critical parameters. Our third-party logistics market in Europe covers the following areas: Third-party logistics market in Europe sizing Third-party logistics market in Europe forecast Third-party logistics market in Europe industry analysis Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p04539060/?utm_source=PRN About Reportlinker ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place. __________________________ Contact Clare: [email protected] US: (339)-368-6001 Intl: +1 339-368-6001 SOURCE Reportlinker Related Links www.reportlinker.com Morrison & Foerster, a leading global law firm, is pleased to announce that Leonora M. Shalet has joined the firms New York office as a partner in its global Private Funds Group. Ms. Shalet is an accomplished funds lawyer who counsels investment funds in connection with their structuring, formation, and ongoing operational needs, as well as on general securities law matters, and regulatory and compliance issues. She is the tenth lawyer to join the New York office as partner since the start of 2019, and the second addition to the Corporate Department since the start of the month, following the arrival of Mitchell S. Presser. Ms. Shalet brings to Morrison & Foerster an established practice that focuses on U.S. and offshore credit funds, private equity funds, funds of funds, hybrid funds, hedge funds, and managed accounts. She has particularly deep experience working with credit funds and managers, providing significant counsel to the strategies that are specific to the space. She counts among her clients large institutional managers, for whom she leads fund formations, secondary transactions, and more. Leonora is an exceptional lawyer with a wide range of experience in the funds world, particularly in the credit space, which will be particularly useful in todays climate, said Stephanie Thomas, co-chair of the firms Private Funds Group. Our clients will immediately benefit from Leonoras strategic counsel, as well as our deepened bench strength in New York. We are delighted to welcome Leonora to the firm and believe she is the perfect person to help us continue to grow our offerings on the East Coast. Ms. Shalet is a lawyer with international credentials. She earned an LL.B. in Law with French Law from Birmingham University in England and completed the legal practice course at Nottingham Trent University in England. She first started practicing in London before relocating to New York in 2006. Morrison & Foerster has an excellent reputation in the funds and investment management space and a very impressive global platform, said Ms. Shalet. The firm has a well-established, internationally recognized Private Funds practice that represents notable fund sponsors and major institutional investors, which aligns well with the work I do. I am delighted to join MoFo, and look forward to working with my talented new colleagues. Morrison & Foersters global Private Funds Group is widely recognized, by both fund sponsors and institutional investors, as leading counsel in the field. The group advises clients in the formation and operation of investment funds of all strategies throughout the U.S., Asia, and Europe, and helps guide a number of fund managers who collectively represent billions of dollars of assets under management. In recent years, the group has welcomed a number of lateral partners around the globe, in addition to Ms. Shalet, including Serena Tan and Nicholas Sheets in Hong Kong and Jason R. Nelms in Singapore. Its platform in New York has also been strengthened in recent years with the arrival of numerous prominent corporate lawyers that support the groups fund work, including partner Anthony J. Carbone, who co-leads the firms Global Tax Department, and veteran tax partner Jay Blaivas. ABOUT MOFO We are Morrison & Foerster a global firm of exceptional credentials. Our clients include some of the largest financial institutions, investment banks, Fortune 100, and technology and life sciences companies. The Financial Times has named the firm to its lists of most innovative law firms in Northern America every year that it has published its Innovative Lawyers Reports in the region. In the past few years, Chambers USA has honored MoFos Privacy and Data Security, Bankruptcy, and IP teams with Firm of the Year awards, the Corporate/M&A team with a client service award, and the firm as a whole as Global USA Firm of the Year. Our lawyers are committed to achieving innovative and business-minded results for our clients, while preserving the differences that make us stronger. The firm also has a long history of commitment to the community through providing pro bono legal services, including litigating for civil rights and civil liberties, improving public education for poor children, advocating for veterans, promoting international human rights, winning asylum for the persecuted, and safeguarding the environment. Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance. We, however, have a request. As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed. Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard. Digital Editor Contractors have been clearing out the islands trees, sealing up entrances to the buildings and laying sand and gravel for the birds to nest. The director of the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries expects work to be done this week, the Virginian-Pilot reports. Good Morning, Nigeria, Welcome To Naija News Roundup Of Top Newspaper Headlines In Nigeria For Today Monday, 27th April 2020 Lawyer and Human rights activist, Femi Falana, has asked the federal government to publish the full report of the investigation into the recent deaths in Kano. The Senior Advocate of Nigeria who is also the acting president of the Alliance on Surviving Covid-19 and beyond, made the request in a letter to Health Minister Osagie Ehnaire on Sunday. 2. Nigerian Army Troops Kill 89 Armed Bandits In Zamfara State, Rescue 5 Victims Troops of Operation Hadarin Daji in collaboration with troops of 35 Battalion and Quick Response Group of 17 Brigade of the Nigerian Army have killed no fewer than 89 armed bandits in Zurmi Local Government Area of Zamfara State. Five kidnap victims were also rescued by the troops while caches of sophisticated arms and ammunition were recovered during the special operation along Gidan Jaja in Zurmi Local Government Area of Zamfara State. Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) has called on Nigerians to pay listening ears to the stay at home order issued by the Federal Government of Nigeria. The RCCG General Overseer while delivering a sermon on Sunday, April 26 in a live broadcast, emphasized that the stay at home order issued by the government as a precautionary measure against the COVID-19 disease should be well observed by Nigerian. Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, a former Minister of Aviation in Nigeria has reacted to the number of deaths being experienced in Kano State amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Chief Fani-Kayode said he was not surprised by the development as people were not being tested and the government has not put adequate measures in place to check the spread of the infection in the state. The Nigerian Air Force Has suspended the entrance exam into all its secondary schools in Nigeria indefinitely. This information was contained in a statement released by Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola who is the Director of Public Relations and Information of the Nigerian Air Force. The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) said that its members at all universities are yet to receive their salaries for February and March despite a directive from President Muhammadu Buhari that the wages withheld should be paid. This was revealed on Friday by the President of the union Professor Biodun Ogunyemi during an interview in Abuja. The National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, on Saturday had his blood samples and those of his aides tested for Coronavirus (COVID-19). Recall that Naija News had earlier reported that this was done as a precaution after the death of his Chief Security Officer (CSO), Lateef Raheem. Former President Goodluck Jonathans spokesman, Reno Omokri, has questioned the whereabouts of President Muhammadu Buhari and his vice, Yemi Osinbajo. Nigerians overtime have questioned the presence of the President in the fight against Coronavirus which has led to the death of some in the country. Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq led administration of Kwara State Government on Sunday, April 26 received from the Federal Government some Coronavirus palliative amid Ramadan fasting. The development was confirmed by the spokesperson to the governor, Rafiu Ajakaye, in a statement to newsmen in Ilorin on Sunday that the state has received 1,800 bags of rice and 700 gallons of 25litre vegetable oil as palliatives from the Federal Government. A Nigerian man has recently confessed that he killed his own daughter so as to be able to meet conditions set out for him to marry another wife. According to the report, the entire drama happened in Awe Local Government Area of Nasarawa State in Nigeria. Thats the top Nigerian newspaper headlines for today. Read more Nigerian news on Naija News. See you again tomorrow. Share this post with your Friends on [The stream is slated to start at 11:30 a.m. ET. Please refresh the page if you do not see a player above at that time.] New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is holding his daily press conference on the Covid-19 outbreak, which has infected more than 288,045 people across the state as of Monday, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. On Friday, Cuomo said the U.S. was too slow to respond to the coronavirus outbreak as it was proliferating in China in January, projecting that the virus had likely infected more than 10,000 New Yorkers in February. Earlier last week, Cuomo released the preliminary results of a statewide coronavirus antibody testing study, which indicated that an estimated 13.9% of the New Yorkers have likely had Covid-19 already. However, the implications of such population-wide antibody studies are unclear. "There is currently no evidence that people who have recovered from Covid-19 and have antibodies are protected from a second infection," the World Health Organization said on its site over the weekend. The coronavirus has infected more than 967,585 people in the U.S. and has killed at least 54,931, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Globally, the coronavirus has infected almost 3 million people and has killed at least 207,518. Read CNBC's live updates to see the latest news on the COVID-19 outbreak. SOUTHFIELD, Mich., April 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Word of Faith cares and is praying for our first responders as they battle COVID-19 on the front lines. To say thank you, Word of Faith will be providing meals, in cooperation with Honey Baked Ham, for every shift of the EMS/Firefighters in Southfield, Michigan on the following dates: Tuesday, April 28th Wednesday, April 29th Friday, May 1st "This is just a small expression of our thanks to all that this team of first responders are doing for our community," states Bishop Keith A. Butler, Founder & Senior Pastor of Word of Faith Church in Southfield, Michigan. SOURCE Word of Faith International Christian Center Church April 18 At 6:55 p.m., officers were dispatched to the 3100 block of West Holcombe in regard to a welfare check. April 20 At 2:55 p.m., an officer was dispatched to the 5300 block of Buffalo Speedway in regards to a minor accident. Upon arrival and through investigation, it was discovered the operator of one of the vehicles fled the scene prior to police arrival and failed to stop and provide information (FSGI). At 7:40 p.m., an officer was flagged down at the police station in reference to found property. The property was taken and placed into evidence for safekeeping. At 8:01 p.m., an officer was dispatched to the 3700 block of Georgetown, to speak with a complainant, in regard to a criminal mischief that already occurred. The complainant stated that on 04/19/20 he parked his vehicle in ordinary conditions and on 04/20/20 he noticed he was vehicle had a small scratch on the left corner of the rear cargo door. A report for Criminal Mischief was generated. April 21 At 9:37 a.m., an officer was advised by dispatch of a case of identity theft via phone. The officer returned a call to the victim who said an unknown person(s) used his personal identifying information to open a Verizon Wireless cell phone account. April 22 At 4:30 p.m., officers were dispatched to the 3000 block of Rice regarding an individual who stated that subject(s) in a passing vehicle shot him with a paintball. Based on the description provided, responding officers located the vehicle in the 3100 block of Rice where a traffic stop was conducted. Upon further investigation, all three occupants (Michael Lyle Milstead, Simon Phillip Leinauer, and Ronald Benito Hardge) of the vehicle were detained, questioned, and subsequently arrested for Assault. At 7:54 p.m., officers were dispatched to the 3700 block of Nottingham in regard to an individual being bit by a dog. Upon further investigation, it was discovered the dog bite had already occurred in the 6300 block of College. A police information report was generated. April 23 At 4 p.m., an officer was dispatched to the police department in regard to a report of fraudulent activity. Complainant stated that he received a call stating that he would receive better AT&T service if he purchased eBay gift cards and provide the gift card numbers over the phone. Information was gathered and a report was generated. At 8:33 p.m., an Officer was dispatched to the 6700 block of East College in reference to an unknown person(s) using the victims personal information without their effective consent. An ID Theft report was generated. A WOMAN accused of spitting in a shop assistant's face and telling him she had Covid-19 has been refused bail. Nikita Ronan (24) allegedly spat on the man and made the threat after hurling abuse at him in an incident at a Dublin city centre convenience store. Judge Paula Murphy denied her bail and remanded her in custody. Ms Ronan, of no fixed address, is charged with assault and threatening, abusive and insulting behaviour at Spar on Dame Street on April 5. Garda Sean Murphy told Dublin District Court it was alleged the accused became verbally abusive to staff in the shop. It was alleged she spat in the staff member's face and told him she had Covid-19. The spit landed on the man's face and the accused fled the scene, the court heard. Gda Murphy said he viewed CCTV and arrested Ms Ronan a short distance away. Objecting to bail, he said he believed she would fail to appear in court. Applying for bail, Ms Ronan's lawyer said the accused had become homeless after falling in with a bad crowd. She had been going through a difficult time and living a chaotic lifestyle. However, she was no longer homeless and had now patched things up with her father and was welcome "with open arms" at home, her lawyer continued. He asked the judge to grant bail under strict conditions, saying the accused would abide by any bail terms, including signing on daily at a garda station. Gda Murphy said there were no bail conditions that would satisfy him. Judge Murphy refused bail and remanded Ms Ronan in custody, to appear in court on a later date. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Editorial Board (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, April 27, 2020 08:52 626 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd462abf 1 Editorial mudik,Ramadan-2020,Ramadan2020,ramadan-in-indonesia,COVID-19,coronavirus,coronavirus-prevention,COVID-19-in-Indonesia,mudik-ban Free The governments ban on the Idul Fitri tradition of mudik (exodus), which took effect Friday, has left many in tears and disappointment. A batik seller and her husband had to bury their dream of celebrating the post-Ramadan festival with their three children in Bandar Lampung after they found there were no flights available to take them home from Soekarno-Hatta International Airport. Another woman was at a loss after the bus she was traveling on was forced to return to Jakarta, hundreds of miles away from her husband and children, who had been eagerly awaiting a reunion in their Central Java village. Millions of people living in Greater Jakarta, the red zone of COVID-19 infection cases, will have to shelve all their plans arranged months ago for the Idul Fitri holiday. Many others had intended to leave the metropolitan area, having lost jobs and income, so they could at least survive with their families back home. But policy is about choice. It cannot please everybody, but it must aim for the good of all. The blocking of many access points to and from Greater Jakarta and suspension of all passenger flights leaving and heading to Jakarta demonstrate the governments commitment to enforcing the travel ban. Read also: COVID-19: 'Mudik' ban catches travelers flat-footed As of Sunday, the virus has infected more than 8,800 people, killing over 740 of them. Only through effective restriction of human movement, particularly from red zones like Greater Jakarta, can Indonesia hope to win the fight against COVID-19. There is no other option available to flatten the curve than physical distancing, given the countrys limited health infrastructure and relatively few medical workers. The governments success in enforcing physical distancing measures will define Indonesias ability to mitigate the pandemic. Based on the University of Sydneys agent-based model, countries can expect to contain the spread of COVID-19 if the level of compliance to restriction measures reaches 80 percent. For Indonesia, the bar should be set higher, given that many had already left Greater Jakarta for their hometowns before the mudik ban came into effect. Reports of a significant increase in the number of infections in Central Java and East Java appear to correlate with the migration from Greater Jakarta earlier this month, when the government was reluctant to completely prohibit mudik. Indeed, inconsistency has typified the governments responses to COVID-19, including in its ban on the decades-old mudik tradition. As Gadjah Mada University statistician Dedi Rosadi has warned, inconsistent implementation of the ban will only create new clusters of COVID-19 transmission and eventually prolong the health crisis, pushing economic recovery further back. Based on the probabilistic data-driven model, Dedi has predicted the pandemic will peak at the end of May with about 31,000 confirmed cases and subside by the end of July an optimistic estimate compared to others. Monitoring and assessing compliance to the mudik ban is therefore crucial, requiring cooperation between the central and local governments. Such collaboration is even more pressing as many will have to rely on government assistance to survive as a result of the restrictions. Haiti - News : Zapping... Gangs ignore threats from Minister Delile The declarations Friday of Lucmane Delile, the Minister of Justice giving 72 hours to the families of Village de Dieu to evacuate the area in anticipation of an offensive by the police, https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-30620-haiti-flash-the-residents-of-village-de-dieu-have-72-hours-to-evacuate-before-the-offensive.html does not seem to have worried beyond measure the gangs which continue continue impose their law. In the past 72 hours, bursts of automatic weapons have been frequently reported in the 3rd District of Port-au-Prince (Martissant, Bicentenaire and Fontamara) considered as lawless areas. Results of nursing license exams challenged More than 1,000 graduating students challenge the January 19 state exam results organized by the Ministry of Public Health to obtain their nursing license. They denounce negligence and anomalies in the corrections which do not reflect the efforts of the candidates. They do not want preferential treatment, they only demand that the authorities review the copies and publish the results without being tainted with irregularities. Wilfort Ferdinand shot wounded On Saturday evening, former member of the Anti-Aristide Resistance Front, Wilfort Ferdinand aka "Ti Wil", was shot in the stomach in his stronghold in Raboteau. According to witnesses, the act was committed in a bar in the area by an alleged killer actively sought by the police. "Ti Wil" is currently receiving care at a local hospital. Cap-Haitien frees its streets from merchants The Municipal Authorities of Cap-Haitien, of concert with justice, the police and the vice-delegation, were at the street 3 market, this Sunday, April 26, 2020, to move the light structures that occupied, until then and anarchically, a good part of the historic city center for more than thirty years. The city administrators will take the opportunity to free up all the streets that have been savagely occupied by merchants in order to offer better urban mobility to Capois. They will also take the opportunity to clean up the reclaimed space, reorganize this informal market which generates a lot of waste and find a temporary place for merchants outside the city. Reservation and program of the virtual finance summit... In order to better plan your days, the organizers invite you to take note of the agenda of the finance and fintech summit by visiting the website : www.haitisommetfinance.com HL/ HaitiLibre NAIROBI Central bank has upheld fines it slapped on five commercial lenders in September over suspicious transactions linked to NYS scam. CBK evaluated the monetary penalties for Standard Chartered Bank Kenya, Equity Bank Kenya, KCB Kenya, Co-operative Bank of Kenya and Diamond Trust Bank Kenya in regards to the extent of violation that were identified pursuant to CBKs powers under the Banking Act and the Central Bank of Kenya Act. Ad The bank regulator had called for a response from commercial banks to the penalty assessment in an investigation on suspected commercial banks that were unlawfully transacting with the National Youth Service (NYS). The submitted action plans will strengthen the banks anti-money laundering and counting of financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) frameworks. The actions taken are aimed at safeguarding stakeholders interests and maintaining a healthy financial sector, read a statement from CBK. CBK has concluded that the submissions were not sufficient to alter the outcome of the investigations and made the penalties as evaluated. The banking regulator fined the five banks Sh392.5 million for allegedly allowing NYS suspect to siphon Sh9 billion from State coffers KCB has been slapped with the highest penalty for channelling money stolen from the Government through the NYS scam. It will be required to pay Sh149.5 million for processing amounts of up to Sh639 million. This is despite the fact that the bank processed lower amounts than its peers. Ad Standard Chartered processed Sh1.62 billion but was fined Sh77.5 million, while Equity Bank processed Sh886 million and was fined Sh89.5 million. Co-operative Bank was also found culpable for helping divert Sh263 million and will have to pay Sh20 million. Diamond Trust Bank will pay Sh56 million for transferring Sh162.5 million to NYS suspects accounts. The fines were based on the lenders failure to report large transactions that would have raised a red flag to relevant investigating authorities. The banks also seemed to have done little or no due diligence on the customers they handed cash to and sometimes handed over large sums of money without appropriate documentation. It was reported that some of the companies under investigation opened accounts a few hours before the NYS money was credited, which meant that insiders were aiding the suspects in the fraud. Related We have collated a list of top four factors which could be fuelling bullish sentiment on D-Street Sectorally, the rally was seen in the Banks, Auto, Financial Service, FMCG, IT and Metals stocks. At close, the Nifty50 gained 127.90 points or 1.40 percent at 9,282.30, while the BSE Sensex rose 415.86 points or 1.33 percent to 31,743.08. The S&P BSE Sensex cooled off slightly after rallying by over 700 points in intraday trade on April 27 but still closed strong with the Sensex rising more than 400 points. RBI extending liquidity support to MFs: The closure of its six debt schemes by Franklin Templeton hit investor sentiment to a large extent. History suggest that this usually results in more redemptions and may lead to liquidity problems for the mutual fund industry. Heightened volatility in capital markets in reaction to COVID-19 has imposed liquidity strains on mutual funds (MFs), which have intensified in the wake of redemption pressures related to the closure of some debt MFs and potential contagious effects therefrom. The stress is, however, confined to the high-risk debt MF segment at this stage; the larger industry remains liquid. The RBI has stated that it remains vigilant and will take whatever steps are necessary to mitigate the economic impact of COVID-19 and preserve financial stability. With a view to easing liquidity pressures on MFs, it has been decided to open a special liquidity facility for mutual funds of Rs 50,000 crore. More than a crisis of liquidity, it is a crisis of confidence. In order to bring back confidence, the RBI has announced the liquidity support measures for the mutual funds specifically. This will serve to alleviate the fears in the minds of investors and also dissuade many from getting into the redemption mode, Dr. Joseph Thomas, Head of Research - Emkay Wealth Management told Moneycontrol. Even then, the after-effects of the low rated credit risk fund portfolios may haunt the mutual funds for some more time to come because of the economic slowdown and the resultant sluggishness in economic activity emanating from the pandemic. Timely and extremely laudable action from the RBI, he said. Positive global cues: Indian market started off on a strong note on Monday thanks to positive global cues. Asian markets closed firmly in the green. MSCIs broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan rose 1.81 percent, taking back a chunk of last week's 2.6 percent decline. Japans Nikkei gained 2.71 percent, Hong Kong's Hang Seng was up 1.88 percent, Australia's ASX 200 up 1.5 percent and South Korea's Kospi rallied 1.79 percent. Central Bankers' action lending support to Equity markets: In an attempt to shore up the economy, Bank of Japan expanded monetary stimulus and pledged to buy an unlimited amount of bonds to keep borrowing costs low as the government tries to spend its way out of the deepening economic pain from the coronavirus pandemic. To ease corporate funding strains, the BOJ said, it will boost by three-fold the maximum amount of corporate bonds and commercial debt it buys to 20 trillion yen ($186 billion), said a Reuters report. The central bank also clarified its commitment to buy unlimited amounts of government bonds by scrapping loose guidance to buy them at an annual pace of 80 trillion yen, it said. Reports suggest that the Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank meeting later in the week, with the latter likely to do more bond-buying. Technical Factors: The Nifty50 consolidated in a range of 8,820 to 9,400 levels from the last ten trading sessions whereas supports are slightly shifting higher while resistance is intact at 9400 levels. The index rose above the swing high of 9,343 recorded on April 23 which gave confidence to the bulls, but failed to hold on to 9,300 levels. For a sustainable move, the Nifty50 should close above 9,343-9,400 levels in coming sessions. It has to cross and hold above immediate hurdle of 9,400 levels to extend further move towards 9,700 levels while on the downside support exists at 9,000 then 8,888-8,820 levels, Chandan Taparia, Vice President | Analyst-Derivatives at Motilal Oswal Financial Services Ltd told Moneycontrol. Disclaimer: The views and investment tips expressed by experts on Moneycontrol.com are their own and not those of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, April 28 2020 A 57-year-old woman who was experiencing breathing difficulties was left lying on the side of a public road in Purbalingga regency, Central Java, after the driver of the shuttle van she was riding dropped her off. The passenger, identified only as YT, was returning from Jakarta to her hometown in Sumingkir, Kutasari district, Purbalingga regency, ahead of the Idul Fitri holiday. En route, she began to experience shortness of breath a known symptom of COVID-19. She then asked the driver to drop her off on the side of Jl. Raya Kutasari, saying her family would pick her up instead. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,000/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login The United States will try to get the UN Security Council to adopt a draft resolution providing for the preservation of the arms embargo against Iran, based on the provisions of the Iranian deal, which Washington quitted in 2018, The New York Times reported. They recalled that, in accordance with the provisions of the Iranian deal, which was signed by the permanent five of the UN Security Council and Germany with Iran in 2015, Tehran will be able to purchase weapons and military equipment from foreign suppliers in October. The US administration intends to prevent this and try to convince members of the UN Security Council to either extend the arms embargo, or introduce even more stringent sanctions against Iran. According to the newspaper, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo approved a plan according to which the US, from a legal point of view, is still a member of the Iranian deal and supposedly has the right to demand the renewal of UN sanctions that were in force before the conclusion of the nuclear deal. If the arms embargo is not extended in October, then Washington will use this argument to insist on the resumption of old sanctions. Theoretically, such an option would be mandatory for all other members of the US, the newspaper explains. According to source, the plan of Donald Trumps presidential administration has far-reaching goals, given the approach of the November 3 elections. For example, to force Tehran to conclude a new deal to replace the Iranian deal, but under conditions that are more suitable for the US. Iran has repeatedly refused to start such talks and demands that the US again become a party to the nuclear deal and scrupulously comply with all its provisions. Trump rejects such a path. According to the publication, many US allies in Europe will oppose the intent and too selective treatment of the US with an international treaty of similar importance. We are prepared to exercise all of our diplomatic options to ensure the arms embargo stays in place at the U.N. Security Council, Mike Pompeo said in a statement. The US Special Representative for Iran, Brian Hook, brought the details of the plan to the attention of some members of the White House National Security Council (NSC), the newspaper writes with reference to European diplomats. According to them, Hook during his visits to New York and Paris informed the Allies about the plan in general terms, but did not mention the USs readiness to unilaterally demand tougher sanctions against Tehran. New Delhi, April 27 : Gurugram-based Masters Union School of Business on Monday announced the launch of a student-managed investment fund with a Rs 5-crore corpus. This idea behind a student-managed "Masters' Union Investment Fund" is to instill portfolio management skills in students as a part of the program and offer them real time exposure to different asset classes. The student fund-managers will be mentored by veterans from the industry who are teaching at Masters' Union. Some finance experts who will guide the students include Satish Krishnan, Former MD, Financial Markets, Standard Chartered Bank; Siddhartha Rastogi, MD, Ambit Capital, Asset Management; Ajay Jamuar, Head, Finance, Deutsche Bank; and Rahul Parikh, Former Chief Executive Officer at Bajaj Capital Ltd. The investment will be made in startups, capital markets, derivatives and real estate. "Masters' Union stands for hands-on, industry-relevant learning. The Masters' Union Investment Fund is set up in alignment with our core value," Pratham Mittal, Project Director, Masters' Union School of Business, said in a statement. "With this, students will get a real-time experience of running a mini hedge-fund and the ups and down that accompany it. Apart from being a source of invaluable learning, it will also be a great addition to their Cvs," Mittal said. Student fund-managers will have the flexibility to invest the corpus of Rs 5 crore over the next 16 months of their course, said the B-school. The investment thesis of the fund will be decided by the students in consultation with the teachers and the profits generated from the fund will be divided among the students and the teachers. Depending upon the results, the students will have the opportunity to raise additional capital from investors and philanthropists under the guidance of their teachers, said the B-school, adding that the students will begin investing from November 2020, after their first trimester. The entire batch of 120 will be divided into five teams namely Debt Fund, Equities and Stock Fund, Futures and Options Hedge Fund, Startup Fund and Real Estate Investment Fund. About 40 per cent of the fund will be allocated to capital markets (debt, equities, futures), 30 per cent to real estate and the remaining 30 per cent to startups. Masters' Union School of Business is a CXO-led B School with a sharp focus on technology to create the next-gen business professionals for the digital economy. The B School counts amongst its masters eminent industry veterans like Arun Maira, Former Chairman, Boston Consulting Group; Mukund Rajan; Former MD, Tata Teleservices Limited; Karthik Ramanna, Director, University of Oxford; Narendra Jadhav, Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha and Former Chief Economist, RBI; Tathagata Dasgupta, Chief Data Officer, Saatchi & Saatchi; and Bhaskar Chakravorti, Former Professor, Harvard Business School and Former Partner, McKinsey & Company. During the lockdown, parents assumption about what their children should be learning doesn't necessarily align with what they are learning. (Fabio Principe/Shutterstock) Homeschooling in the Time of COVID-19 Reveals Learning Gap Commentary As we shift to the new normal due to the COVID-19 pandemic, its understandable that our priorities have also shifted. Our daily schedules are much different than a month or two ago. Those with school-aged children are experiencing this rather acutely, as parents are now fulfilling a dual role as mum/dad, and now, as teacher. As we navigate these uncharted waters, there are certain realities that have come to light. First, online learning is proving to highlight the growing inequity in our public school system, and its worth examining why our education leaders exacerbate this by moving forward with screens and chromebooks in our schools. Second, during this lockdown phase, more parents are finding out what their kids are actually doing in school. Our assumption about what our kids should be learning doesnt necessarily align with what they are learning. Our curriculum in British Columbia was implemented years ago to create a more student-centred learning environment. Millions of dollars have been spent to ensure B.C.s education system would be cutting edgerevolutionary, in factand the emphasis on technology would place the bulk of the learning in the students hands. Personalized learning is supposed to create a more meaningful learning experience, one that would create a more engaged student. Teachers would become a guide on the side, a facilitator in a collaborative learning environment where ideas would flow seamlessly between teacher and students, and creativity would replace mindless rote learning where facts no longer mattered (just Google it!). As with most progressive ideology, what we are now seeing is the reality of what student-centred learning in a technologically driven environment looks like. Its chaotic, with many teachers juggling both an increased workload and figuring out online platforms that they have little or no experience with. As for teaching the new curriculum, its so vague that no two teachers can discern what the learning standards actually are, and everyone is expected to have their own interpretation about what, and how, their students should be learning. So hows it working so far? Results indicate that since the new curriculum was implemented, academic achievement has plummeted. British Columbia has been on a downward trajectory for the past 20 years, but since the BCEd plan was implemented in 2015/16, our academic performance, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Developments 2018 PISA report, has dipped even below the Canadian average in all three subject areas: reading, science and mathematics. Its the lowest level ever recorded in B.C. The equity gap between our brightest and struggling students has increased, and the number of our top-performing students has declined. As student-centred/inquiry-based learning has infiltrated our classrooms, weve seen a significant decline in academic achievement, leaving our kids even less prepared post-graduation than in previous generations. So when I read a recent op-ed by the chairs of three B.C. school boards saying trust us, were the experts, and urging parents to be patient, it reminded me of when our eldest was struggling in elementary school. Dont worry, shell get it eventually was a common refrain. For years. Until we finally had to enroll her in a tutoring centre because she never did get it. So how much longer are parents expected to wait? What solutions are magically waiting to transform my youngests efforts in her final year of high school so that she will be ready for post-secondary this September? The BCEd plan has claimed to embrace self directed/online learning since its inception. British Columbia has been a frontrunner in promoting this view nationwide, so why are they so far behind? This entire fiasco is not a failure of teachers to mobilize in the face of crisis. It is what it has always been: a house of cards built upon a premise of platitudes and horrible science. Were now just finally seeing it in real time. Its acknowledged that not everyone is set up for online learning at home. I agree. However, in my household we are, as are many others. Yet the learning gap grows larger with every day that goes by without receiving any meaningful instruction from our childrens school. Another flaw in the new curriculum is that it does not support any cognitive data about how kids learn best. Based on the list of resources and guidelines provided by school districts and the education ministry, many parents are discovering that these supports are rather useless. Studies show that many kids learn better via textbooks and worksheets, yet none are being provided on a formative level. Its been left for individual teachers to come up with them on their own for some of their students, but this has only added to their increasing workload. There are still far too many kids, particularly those with special needs, who arent receiving any meaningful instruction from their schools, pushing them further behind. This leads to my second point: as a result of home-schooling during the lockdown, what are parents finding out about their childrens education thus far? Many are learning their kids cant count properly. In the advent of Google and calculators, kids havent memorized their times tables or even heard the term long division (theres no mention of it in the curriculum). Most parents know that without these basic facts, kids cant possibly grasp more complex problem-solving. Yet parents are discovering that its not that difficult to teach these math fundamentals. So why arent our kids learning these basic principles in school, yet seem to be capable of learning them at home? Theres no question that the connection between a teacher and his or her students cannot be replaced by an online learning environment. My own two kids despise online learning and want it to be over. However, the problem goes beyond criticism of online learning. Even when children are in the classroom, why is there such a huge deficit in their learning? Why arent they mastering fractional arithmetic even when we know its the foundation of understanding higher order mathematics? Why are so many unable to spell? Evidence-based learning is lacking in todays schools, and theres no reason for it. Its inexcusable that so many students and teachers have been left to fend for themselves during the lockdown, with parents expected to fill the gaps for hours every day. The fact that multiple jurisdictions elsewhere have managed to connect meaningfully systems-wide with their teachers and students means that our education system here in B.C. requires much more scrutiny, especially when its being held as a shining example of 21st-century learning. Kids require explicit instruction and teachers need to teach. There are ways to move forward, without patronizing us about how every child learns differently and that parents need to be patient. The sooner this can be acknowledged, the sooner we can begin to see our kids learning again, even in a COVID-19 environment. Tara Houle is a parent advocate, the founder of WISE Math B.C., and publisher of a provincial math petition. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. State-owned SAIL on Monday said it has made an additional contribution of Rs 4 crore to support the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL) has contributed Rs 1 crore each to the CM Relief Funds of Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh and West Bengal, according to a statement by the company. This is in addition to a financial assistance of Rs 30 crore the public sector undertaking extended to the PM-CARES Fund to combat the pandemic earlier. SAIL Chairman Anil Kumar Chaudhary said, "SAIL has stepped forward and decided to contribute Rs 1 crore each to the CM Relief Funds of the four states where we have our integrated steel plants apart from Rs 30 crore contribution to the PM-CARES Fund earlier." The company has also enhanced its medical facilities across its plants and units in coordination with local authorities of respective state governments in its fight against COVID-19. It is distributing masks, sanitisers and food, and has set up around 300 isolation beds and around 600 quarantine facilities at its hospitals for the benefit of people of the surrounding regions. It has also mobilised other facilities for medical services such as a COVID-19 testing laboratory at SAIL's Ispat General Hospital at Rourkela and a dedicated COVID Care Centre at SAIL's Bokaro General Hospital in Jharkhand. The company has also handed over five ventilators to the Odisha government through its Rourkela Steel Plant for treatment of coronavirus positive patients. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Generally, Flinn Scholarship applicants should participate and demonstrate leadership in a variety of extracurricular activities; attain at least a 3.5 grade-point average (unweighted); rank in the top 5% of their graduating class (if the school reports class rank); and score a minimum 29 on the ACT (composite score), or 1340 on the SAT I (ERW+M). 7 HS seniors are named National Merit scholars Students entered the 2020 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2018 Preliminary SAT, which served as an initial screener. The highest-scoring students in each state were named semifinalists. From the semifinalist group, about 15,000 advanced to the finalist level, which will be narrowed down to about 7,600 winners judged as having the strongest combination of academic skills and achievements, extracurricular accomplishments and potential for success in rigorous college studies. Most of the awards are renewable for up to four years of college undergraduate study and provide annual stipends that range from $1,000 to $10,000 per year. Some provide a single payment between $2,500 and $5,000. (ANSA) - Bari, April 27 - Italian police on Monday seized thousands of newspapers, magazines and books that had been illicitly distributed on at least 17 Telegram channels. The said the "huge" amount of reading matter had been illegally pirated. The alleged gang operating the scam has been accused of money laundering, accepting stolen goods, illegally accessing computer systems, theft and violation of intellectual property rights. The damage to the media and publishing industry was estimated at 670,000 euros a day, and around 250 million euros a year. Users having a Telegram subscription are around 580,000, "with an 88% rise of media organs illicitly broadcast," police said. Grieving families are flouting coronavirus rules by holding wakes in their homes that are being attended by crowds of people, a whistleblower has said. An undertaker in Northern Ireland has spoken out to reveal groups of more than 60 people are gathering together in homes for wakes and funerals despite clear guidance banning this during the coronavirus pandemic. And he said he is aware of cases where people have attended funerals even though they have been in contact with relatives caring for a person who has died from Covid-19. "I'm terrified for myself, I'm terrified for my family," he said. "If you saw the face of a person who has died from Covid-19, you would know it wasn't a pleasant death. "You would see they'd gone through a hard time and you'd know how important it is to do everything to stop the spread of the virus." The claims have been branded "deeply shocking and disturbing" by Health Minister Robin Swann. I come home from work and strip down at the front door and get straight in the shower but I'm so worried Whistleblower The whistleblower said: "Funeral directors are coming under so much pressure from families who are demanding that they want a wake for their loved one. "We try to advise them of the dangers but they don't care, they want a wake and they won't take no for an answer. "I've been in houses where there are more than 60 people inside and we're brushing up past people when we're bringing the body home. "Even when you have families who aren't letting lots of people in the house at once, you have 50 or 60 people standing together outside, chatting, smoking, shaking hands and hugging. "I've seen 60 people walking shoulder to shoulder behind a hearse. "I come home from work and strip down at the front door and get straight in the shower but I'm so worried. "I'm not sleeping at night because I'm so worried about what we're going to face the next day." The undertaker said he is also concerned that the reopening of cemeteries may lead to even larger crowds of people attending funerals. Expand Close General view of care-taking staff from Mid & East Antrim Council at the Ballee Cemetery in Ballymena this morning as the Northern Ireland Executive agreed to reopen cemeteries during the coronavirus pandemic. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press E / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp General view of care-taking staff from Mid & East Antrim Council at the Ballee Cemetery in Ballymena this morning as the Northern Ireland Executive agreed to reopen cemeteries during the coronavirus pandemic. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. "I think the temptation will be there for even more people to turn up," he said. "The only thing I think they could do is maybe have funerals in the morning and then open the cemeteries in the afternoon. "To be fair to funeral directors, they are coming under so much pressure from people and it's very hard to say no. "We need the Executive to come out and be very clear about the rules and stress that it is unacceptable to have crowds of people at wakes and funerals." It has prompted a senior doctor to warn that thousands of people could become infected with the deadly virus as a result. Expand Close Dr Tom Black / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Dr Tom Black Dr Tom Black said crowds attending wakes and funerals could result in a fatal surge of cases unless the public adheres to social distancing measures. "You only need to look at what happened in the Basque country where 60 people became infected with Covid-19 after a funeral and it spread through the community and created a hotspot," he told the Belfast Telegraph. "We need to be very careful, one person at a funeral can infect 60 people who can infect thousands, it will spread like wildfire. "If social isolation breaks down, it will be much worse than the first wave has been, so we need to be very careful." Dr Black, chair of the British Medical Association's Northern Ireland Council, continued: "This is not scaremongering. "There's definitely the view among the public that we have passed the worst of this, but this is just the end of the beginning. "We need to avoid complacency and make sure we don't have any outbreaks or all of our efforts so far will be for nothing." You might think you're too young or too healthy to be struck down by the virus. You're wrong Robin Swann According to government guidance, wakes should not be held, funeral services should not take place in family homes and no remains should be taken home to rest. The funeral should be private, with a maximum of 10 mourners present and social distancing must be practised at all times, including travel to and from the funeral. The guidance specifically states that there should be no mixing between mourners who are self-isolating and those who are not. While funeral notices can still be placed in newspapers or using online services, funeral arrangements should not be advertised, it states. Despite this, an increasing number of death notices include specific details about the funeral arrangements. Mr Swann said: "These allegations are deeply shocking and disturbing. "They graphically underline the dangers of complacency in the fightback against Covid-19. "Let me set it out as bluntly as I can. "If you flout the restrictions, you are putting yourself and your family and friends at risk." He continued: "You might think you're too young or too healthy to be struck down by the virus. You're wrong. "And even if you turn out to be one of the lucky ones and only have mild symptoms, you could pass it on to someone else with devastating consequences. "The social distancing measures remain in place for very good reasons." Astronomers using the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope have captured a striking new photo of the spiral galaxy NGC 4100. NGC 4100 is located some 67 million light-years away in the constellation of Ursa Major. Also known as LEDA 38370, UGC 7095 and SDSS J120608.45+493457.7, this spiral galaxy has a diameter of about 80,000 light-years. NGC 4100 was discovered by the German-born British astronomer William Herschel on March 9, 1788. The galaxy belongs to a large gathering of galaxies called the M109 group (otherwise known as the NGC 3992 group). It is also a member of the Ursa Major Cluster, a spiral-rich galaxy cluster in the Virgo Supercluster. This sparkling spiral galaxy looks almost stretched across the sky in this new image from Hubble, the astronomers said. It boasts a neat spiral structure and swirling arms speckled with the bright blue hue of newly formed stars. Like so many of the stunning images of galaxies we enjoy today, this image was captured by Hubbles Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS), they added. This remarkable instrument was installed in 2002, and, with some servicing over the years by intrepid astronauts, is still going strong. Staying at home doesnt mean learning opportunities are over; in fact, more worlds have opened up now than ever before, including peeks into the past. For a quarantine activity thats both interesting and mentally enriching, check out eight museums offering virtual history tours. During this unprecedented period of history, its especially encouraging to be reminded of how humanity has overcome adversity for millennia. Whether you dive in yourself or share the tours with your newly schooled-at-home kids, youll be too busy learning and engaging with the world-shaking events of yesteryear to realize the activity is indeed educational. The National WWII Museum, New Orleans The National WWII Museum is rated the No. 1 attraction in New Orleans on TripAdvisor, but like many museums and establishments, it has been forced to temporarily close in response to the pandemic. Luckily, curious minds can still explore this rocky period of history through the museums online offeringsand its an especially opportune time to do so, not only because this year marks the 75th anniversary of the end of the war that changed the world, but also because insights from the museum can help put todays challenges into perspective. A global pandemic is a unique situation, but its not the only time humanity has had to band together and face life-or-death circumstances. The digital museum experience includes at-home history lessons with lesson plans, daily webinars, videos, and even virtual field trips to transport visitors to historic World War II sites around the world, and you can also explore the exhibits virtually. Theres also the museums Service on Celluloid podcast, which examines how World War II has been depicted in film over the past 75 years, and in the Digital Collection, youll find more than 1,000 oral histories from those who lived through it. Past webinar topics include making at-home sanitizer and Clorox wipes and baking with rations. To access the museums many World War II resources virtually, head to their website or sign up for their daily newsletter to be notified of Facebook live events, artifact showcases, WWII-inspired playlists, recipes, reading lists, and more. The National Palace Museum, Taiwan National Palace Museum in Taipei, Taiwan. (vichie81/Shutterstock) Cross the globe without buying a plane ticket to check out the permanent exhibitions at Taiwans National Palace Museum. Thanks to a 720-degree VR experience accompanied by audio, visitors can tour the massive museum, which houses the worlds largest collection of Chinese art, spanning 5,000 years from the Neolithic Age to today. Virtual visitors can wander the museum on established routes or stop for in-depth descriptions of certain artifacts. Feeling a bit musical? Among its exhibitions dedicated to natural history, fossils, and fine arts, ChiMei Museum in Taiwans southern Tainan province is home to the worlds largest violin collection, and the museum allowed Google Street View to take panoramas throughout the museum and parkincluding areas that arent accessible in personso you can take a walk through as if you were there. Newports Historic Mansions, Rhode Island Sitting room at The Elms in Newport, R.I. (Dan Hanscom/Shutterstock) While youre stuck at home, consider checking out a few historic mansions for some serious home envy. Thanks to the Preservation Society of Newport County, you can take a virtual tour of Newport landmark The Elms, a summer residence of a coal baron and his wife, which began construction in 1898, or opt for a jaw-dropping walk-through of the Marble House, the late-1800s summer house of Mr. and Mrs. William K. Vanderbilt, which contains 500,000 cubic feet of marble. Another historic Newport mansion, Rosecliff, is currently offering virtual exhibits dedicated to Tiffany glass and John James Audubon, whose lifes work was creating portraits of all the birds in America. Mt. Rushmore National Memorial, South Dakota Mount Rushmore. (South Dakota Department of Tourism) Take a virtual bucket-list trip to South Dakotas Black Hills to see Mount Rushmore, the massive cliffside sculpture of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln carved directly into the rock face. Use the online 3D explorer for an up-close look or take a virtual tour of the monument without having to book a trip. While youre visiting South Dakota, head to The Journey Museum to explore humanitys journey through existence as well as some history of the Black Hills. The museums online education efforts range from videos about sod houses to explanations of how every part of a bison can be used. Ronald Reagan Presidential Library/Museum, California The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum in Simi Valley, Calif. (Visit Conejo Valley) Reagan enthusiasts will get a kick out of taking a virtual tour of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum in Conejo Valley, California, to learn about Reagans presidency and the state of the world during that period of history. On the virtual tour, you can even wander the Air Force One Pavilion, where youll find the very same Air Force One that flew President Reagan more than 660,000 miles during his presidency. You cant step inside the plane like you can when visiting the museum in person, but you can walk under the belly of the plane as well as view a remnant of the Berlin Wall outside. European Museums via U River Cruises The Art of Painting by Johannes Vermeer, circa 1666-1668, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, Austria. (Public domain) Typically, travelers flock to U River Cruises because they offer a varied and vibrant taste of Europe on one easy trip. While the river cruise lines sleek ships are docked for now, U is continuing to share virtual tours via Google Arts & Culture of the many world-famous European museums that its typical itineraries hitsans tickets, lines, or closing hours. From Budapests Museum of Fine Arts to the Art History Museum in Vienna, U River Cruises is curating the best in armchair travel for their weekly newsletter while wishful cruisers dream about their next departure. American Revolution Museum at Yorktown The American Revolution Museum at Yorktown. (William Silver/Shutterstock) Located in Greater Williamsburg, Virginia, the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown explores the pivotal period of our nations founding, from the beginning of Colonial times to the introduction of the Constitution. While the museum is closed for now, online visitors can watch videos covering the people and events of early Virginia, participate in interactive 30-minute history lessons that are broadcast live twice per week, tour the museum virtually through their app, and even enjoy quizzes, games, and posting thoughts and reflections on the Liberty Tree. Nearby 18th-century Colonial Williamsburg also has virtual tours on offer, including a 360-degree tour of the Governors Palace brought to life with sound and video, as well as a streaming channel you can add to Amazon Fire TV or Roku. National Museum of the Pacific War, Texas The National Museum of the Pacific War in Fredericksburg, Texas. (ShengYing Lin/Shutterstock) The National Museum of the Pacific War, which welcomes more than 100,000 visitors per year, is the only institution in the continental United States dedicated exclusively to telling the story of the Pacific and Asiatic Theaters in World War II and has expanded its digital programming to welcome online visitors, especially children. Available on the museums YouTube channel, both Nimitz Minitz and Highlights and Insights of the Pacific War offer short videos packed with interesting information on World War II in the Pacific. In addition, the museum will highlight an oral history of a WWII veteran (currently available to the public on its website) on its blog and social media on a weekly basis. Skye Sherman is a freelance travel writer based in West Palm Beach, Fla. She covers news, transit, and international destinations for a variety of outlets. You can follow her adventures on Instagram and Twitter @skyesherman Both Azerbaijan - a former Soviet state - and Russia are hoping to host their respective Formula 1 races with spectators later in 2020. The Baku street race has already been postponed, and now the promoter is denying that the event could be rescheduled as a spectator-less 'ghost race'. "We do not consider it expedient to hold a race without spectators," the promoters said in a statement. "We hope that by the end of June this year there will be opportunities and the conditions under which Baku will be able to accept the teams and Formula 1 fans," it added. The promoters added that a race no later than mid-October "would be advisable" for weather-related reasons. Meanwhile, Rosgonki - the promoter of the Russian GP at Sochi - insists that it is still on track to host its originally-scheduled 2020 race in late September. "We are set to hold the race with an audience on the dates approved by Formula 1, and continue to prepare for the seventh grand prix in Russian history," the promoter told Russia's Championat. "If circumstances require, we are technically ready for an alternative. In this case, the contractual obligations may be slightly different. "At the moment, there are no proposals from Formula 1 to change the date of the Russian GP. Undoubtedly, we would like to keep our date," the statement added. (GMM) Diners hungry for Chinese takeout are frustrated. Amid the coronavirus pandemic, many of the establishments have temporarily locked doors and stopped accepting orders. Can someone give me a Chinese restaurant that will answer their phone and deliver, recently wrote Tammy Lynn Feliciano on the Facebook group Virtual Dinner Party. Rich Johnson of South Hanover Township posed a similar question a few weeks ago. None of his regular go-to Chinese restaurants were open. After scanning various websites and apps, he was at a loss. I dont want to just go driving around looking," he said. Every place is closed. Finally, Johnson called Hong Kong Ruby in Lower Paxton Township and nabbed food, but not without a wait. Overall, the restaurant industry faces severe economic repercussions as a result of the coronavirus. The National Restaurant Association reports the industry lost $30 billion in March and is expected to lose an additional $50 billion by the end of April. Specifically, Chinese restaurants have been hard hit from the virus, first detected in Wuhan, China. Its puzzling since the establishments are notorious for takeout. Recently, software provider Wombly reported about 59 percent of the nations independent Chinese restaurants ended credit and debit card transactions as of April 15, an indication the restaurants have closed, according to CNN Business. Likewise, in New York City, Wellington Chen, executive director of Manhattans Chinatown Partnership Local Development Corporation, told CNN only 40 of the 270 restaurants in Chinatown are open. Closures have been reported across the nation. Calls by PennLive to several Chinese restaurants in the Harrisburg area found a handful still operating, including Great Wall and Beijing Restaurant, both in Susquehanna Township. On the West Shore, Ho Wah Restaurant in Lemoyne answers calls. But others such as Dragon Chinese Restaurant at Kline Village and Good Taste Chinese Food in Midtown Harrisburg are closed. A message on Good Tastes website reads: We have been carefully keeping our eye on the ongoing national crisis that is COVID-19. With that in mind, we carefully considered the general health and well-being of our staff, customers, and all of your loved ones. With hope and concern in our horizon, we want to inform you that we will be temporarily closing until we feel it is safe for our customers and staff and until everything is under control according to the CDC. And its not just Chinese restaurants with locked doors. Other Asian restaurants from hibachi tables to buffets are shut down. Likewise, a smattering of Thai, Japanese and Vietnamese restaurants are closed, too. Nationally, restaurant owners have said reasons for the closures range from supply chain disruptions due to workers calling off sick to baseless fears linking Chinese immigrants to the virus. Others want to protect employees or dont want to pay high delivery fees associated with online platforms such as GrubHub and DoorDash. Its mostly about the fear of the virus at that moment, said Howard Dong, owner of two central Pa. Chinese restaurants. Dong said he closed He Express Authentic Chinese Food in Harrisburg in March, a week before Pa. Gov. Tom Wolfs shelter-in-place order. He continues to operate with contactless carryout and delivery at his other restaurant, He Authentic Chinese Cuisine in Middletown. While he would not speak about other Chinese restaurants in the area, Dong said when President Donald Trump shut down travel to and from China, he thought measures were being taken to prevent the spread of the virus in the United States. But he said eventual lack of action on the part of the federal government, led him and others to feel afraid. In the meantime, Dong said he removed a few items from the menu due to supply issues and food costs. Prices for a type of Chinese long green pepper increased from $20 a case to $60, he said. Because we do authentic, we had to make sure its the ingredients from China. We couldnt sacrifice the quality of the dish, Dong said. Many owners and those in the industry note the economic impact on American Chinese restaurants started in February when the United States confirmed its first cases of the virus, according to Eater. The online site said at the time fallout was felt at restaurants from New York to Seattle. Many blame xenophobic reactions to the outbreak, as well as fewer Chinese tourists visiting the United States. Indeed, reports of anti-Asian attacks have been on the rise since the COVID-19 pandemic began. And the number of incidents rose sharply after President Trump started calling coronavirus the Chinese virus," noted Russell Jeung, an Asian-American studies professor at San Francisco State University, in an interview with NPR. To track incidents, the Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council launched a STOP AAPI HATE survey in March and within two weeks received 1,100 reports of coronavirus discrimination from Asian-Americans across the country. The group said the numbers reflect the hostile environment that Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders face during this pandemic. Caroline Lai, owner of several Asian restaurants, including Miyako Sushi in Harrisburg and Sawasdee Thai Cuisine and Wasabi Bistro, both in Hershey, said she didnt notice a drop in business before the pandemic. But she said she suspects some of the closures are related to owners choosing to protect workers as well as themselves. Lai noted a few of her employees do not want to work during the outbreak over fears of getting sick. Her establishments remain open with takeout and/or delivery, and she pays a fee to DoorDash for the service. It is true it hurt their business and I think most people in the line of business are already burned out and are taking this as an opportunity to take it easy, she said. A lot of people dont want to take the chance to risk to be out there and be infected with the disease. Lai noted theyre making enough money to pay the bills. Were not talking about profit, we are talking about survival, she said. While its not a traditional Chinese restaurant, Fusion Fire Asian Restaurant in Hampden Township voluntarily closed for a few weeks, said co-owner Frank Dominick who operates it with his wife, Vivian Dominick. Several factors led to the couples decision, including difficulties obtaining supplies, rising cost of goods and the apex of the virus spreading. In the coming weeks, Dominick anticipates the restaurant will reopen for takeout. We feel safety and health are paramount to each one of our futures. We also want to provide the best possible meals to our customers, he said. 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. Bengaluru, April 27 : Karnataka has registered nine new Covid-19 cases, raising the state's tally to 512, according to an official here on Monday. "As of 5 p.m, cumulatively 512 coronavirus cases have been confirmed. It includes 19 deaths and 193 discharges," said a health official. Eleven Covid patients got discharged, with total discharges rising from 182 to 193. Of the 299 active cases, 294 patients, including a pregnant woman, are isolated at designated hospitals and are stable, excluding five people in ICU. Among the new cases, five are men and four women, including a 13-year-old boy. While six are contacts of earlier cases, the boy is suffering from influenza like illness. Dakshina Kannada, Jamkhandi, Bagalkote, Mandya and Vijayapura contributed two cases each and Bengaluru Urban, one. The health department said the 466th positive case, a 50-year-old man from Bengaluru, who committed suicide on Monday, had died of a non-Covid cause. "Patient (466) died on Monday with non-Covid cause," said the morning medical bulletin. According to the health department, the 50-year-old man was admitted to the Victoria Hospital on Friday with history of pneumonia, hypertension, HCV positive and chronic kidney disease with regular dialysis. He allegedly committed suicide by jumping from the third floor of the hospital. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the central government have released a list of private and government Covid laboratories. The list featured 15 government and seven private labs. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Columbus, OH, April 27, 2020 American Structurepoint is pleased to announce that Don Gillie, PE, SE, will join our Ohio Investigative team as of May 4 to meet the needs of clients throughout Ohio. Don brings several years of forensic and structural engineering experience with American Structurepoint in Indiana to the Ohio market. He has conducted thousands of forensic engineering investigations throughout his 13-year career. Dons expertise includes the following: Property condition and capital needs assessments ADA compliance assessments Structural damage assessments and repair design Hail and wind damage investigations Roof investigations Construction observations Water damage and microbial growth investigations Dons expertise will provide clients critical information about any structure, its systems, and its components to help them understand how these conditions will impact their bottom line. Above all else, Don is poised to deliver for American Structurepoint clients. I excel at identifying potential risks on a building systems and components that could cost clients money. A structure is loved and admired when it is new, but accidents and maintenance issues can cause problems down the road. I can tell clients what went wrong and how to fix it, Gillie said. About American Structurepoint Since opening our doors in 1966, clients have trusted American Structurepoint to consistently and efficiently deliver the highest quality technical services and to provide clear and comprehensive answers to their most difficult questions. With 500 professionals in-house across multiple disciplines, our team of talented and seasoned professional engineers, architects, fire investigators, roofing consultants, and building enclosure specialists provide industry-leading expertise to the most challenging and time-sensitive claims. Media Contact: Rosemarie Kelly 317.547.5580rkelley@structurepoint.com Topics Ohio Sanjay Dutts Khalnayak To Get A Sequel, Shatrughan Sinhas Kalicharan To Be Remade; Reveals Filmmaker Subhash Ghai The New Video Chat Feature is Now Available in Gubagoo's Chat Tools BOCA RATON, Fla., April 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Gubagoo, the leading provider of digital retailing and messaging solutions for automotive dealerships, announced today the launch of Virtual Meetings, its new video conferencing solution that will enable dealers to start face-to-face video meetings with their customers using any messaging platform. The recent changes to the automotive retail environment have increased the importance of doing business online for dealers. Gubagoo's Virtual Retailing, which allows dealers to sell vehicles online, and Gubagoo's ChatSmart, which facilitates conversations with customers on dealers' websites, have seen record usage in the past 6 weeks. To continue to support dealers with the technology they need right now, Gubagoo's Virtual Meetings was developed to allow video conversations to support the buying process, whether they are using chat or engaged in a full digital retailing experience with Gubagoo's Virtual Retailing. Gubagoo's Virtual Meetings allows dealers to provide an in-person experience without customers having to be in-store. Dealers and customers can achieve their goal of finding the right vehicle, together, with as little learning and adapting as needed in a new buying process. The feature is especially helpful for dealers navigating high friction deal steps like warranties and desking in a remote environment, where e-mail and phone are often insufficient. It also provides a critical way to build rapport and connect with customers face-to-face, further humanizing the online, digital experience. "We're very excited to offer video conferencing technology within our messaging and Virtual Retailing tools," said Brad Title, CEO of Gubagoo. "This is retail with social distancing it's a game changer." Dealers have been quickly adopting technology that helps them adapt to the sudden changes in retail environments nationwide, such as digital retailing tools like Gubagoo's Virtual Retailing product. Now, with Gubagoo's Virtual Meetings, they will never miss an opportunity to show, tell or sell their inventory. "We find that when we jump in and chat with our guests online, the rapport we build helps us increase our chances of selling them a vehicle," said Rick Campbell, of Vann York Auto Group. "Gubagoo's Virtual Meetings will take this to a whole new level." A virtual meeting can be created in GLive, Gubagoo's dealer communication tool. Once the virtual meeting is created, dealers can invite customers by URL in any other text-based channel such as e-mail or Facebook Messenger. Gubagoo has made a firm commitment to provide unprecedented levels of support to the industry during the COVID-19 pandemic. To take advantage of these offerings, dealer representatives are encouraged to contact the Gubagoo team by phone at 1-833-482-2466, or by email at [email protected]. A collection of COVID-19 resources and offerings can be found at https://get.gubagoo.com/resource-center. About Gubagoo Gubagoo is the leading provider of conversational commerce and retail solutions for automotive dealerships and OEMs. Used by more than 6,500 dealerships and over 90% of the top 150 dealer groups in America, Gubagoo's fully managed messaging and virtual retailing platforms instantly connect consumers to dealerships through live chat, text, video, Facebook Messenger, and other digital messaging channels, converting high quality leads, appointments, and sales for dealerships. For more information, visit gubagoo.com SOURCE Gubagoo By Ayya Lmahamad The fiscal breakeven oil price for Azerbaijan is forecast at $78.5 per barrel in 2020 and $68.4 in 2021, local media reported on April 27, citing the International Monetary Fund (IMF)s review. This figure was $60.9 in 2017, $56.3 in 2018 and $44.6 in 2019. Moreover, the external breakeven oil price for Azerbaijan in 2020 will be $80.7 per barrel and $72.7 per barrel in 2021, IMF forecasts. For the last three years (2017-2019) this figure was as follows: $59.3 per barrel, $75.9 per barrel and $83.6 per barrel accordingly. The IMF also forecasts that the volume of oil exports from Azerbaijan will decline to 0.67 million bpd in 2020, to 0.65 million bpd in 2021. In 2019 volume of oil export was 0.71 million bpd. These forecasts take into account the COVID-19 pandemic and lower oil prices in the world market. Azerbaijans state budget revenues for 2020 were calculated based on the oil price of $55 per barrel. Note that fiscal breakeven oil price for oil exporting countries is the minimum price per barrel that the country needs in order to meet its expected spending needs while balancing its budget. The external breakeven oil price looks at the oil price at which a countrys current account clears. ___ Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Six weeks after confinement measures began across southern Europe amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the European Union (EU) and governments across the continent are stepping up pressure on workers to return to work even as the pandemic continues. Fully 23,680 new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed yesterday across Europe, for a total of 1.27 million cases and 121,800 deaths. The decision to lift confinement measures, vastly accelerating the pandemics spread, is politically criminal and will cost countless thousands of lives. The example of Chinas Hubei provincethe pandemics first epicenter, where the spread was halted by a far longer confinement lasting from January 23 to April 8, by which point only a few dozen largely imported cases were still being discovered in all of Chinahas been thrust aside. This weekend saw 6,865 new cases recorded in Spain, 4,681 in Italy, 2,272 in France, 2,178 in Germany, and 9,376 in Britain. Yet governments are pressing for a return to work against the opinions of scientists and of the working population. This follows a European Union (EU) summit Thursday that announced a 1 trillion bailout and committed the EU to imposing back-to-work policies across the continent. We discussed progress on the various dimensions of the European response to the pandemic and welcomed the Joint European Roadmap towards lifting of COVID-19 containment measures, European Council President and former Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel announced after the summit. European Council President Charles Michel speaks during a media conference on the European Union response to the COVID-19 crisis at EU headquarters in Brussels, Wednesday, April 15, 2020 (Image Credit: John Thys, Pool Photo via AP) Tomorrow, Spains Council of Ministers is to approve Prime Minister Pedro Sanchezs plan for ending confinement measures, while French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe will announce his governments plan for an exit from the lockdown in France. Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has announced that his government will publish its plans for a May 4 reopening of nonessential companies by the beginning of this week at the latest. While these governments have largely avoided giving concrete details about the policies they plan to implement after the lockdowns, it is already clear that, in the absence of a vaccine or a cure for the virus, the result will be a large increase in COVID-19 cases and deaths. In Spain, where 59 percent of the population supports strengthening instead of canceling confinement measures, the Coordination Center for Health Alerts and Emergencies (CCAES) has called for intensive care wards to double the number of beds available after the confinement is ended. The CCAES made clear that the Spanish government's policy is not to try to eradicate the disease. Rather, it is seeking to keep the number of cases at a level that the health system can tolerate, avoiding the risk that it could be overwhelmed, as in the first wave of the epidemic. The CCAES also noted that herd immunity strategies proposed by European governments were unacceptable as they would flood health systems and lead to mass deaths. It is not reasonable to base pandemic control strategies on waiting for a sufficiently high percentage of the population to develop total or partial immunity, which implies an unacceptable number of cases and deaths. In France, an epidemiological study by the Rouen University Hospital Center (CHU) found that the lockdown cut hospital deaths before April 19 by at least 61,739 (83.5 percent). It estimated that without a lockdown, 23 percent of the population would have had the disease by then. The lockdown thus avoided around 590,000 hospitalizations and 140,000 admissions into intensive care, it found. This would have overwhelmed Frances 10,500 available intensive care beds, a figure itself doubled only thanks to health staffs emergency efforts since the beginning of the pandemic. This falls roughly in line with projections by Imperial College in London that a herd immunity policy would cost at least 250,000 lives in Britain alone. Such fatality rates, at the level of the entire European continent, would lead to a death toll in the millions. This points to the vast dangers posed by prematurely ending lockdowns and the political criminality of calls by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and German Chancellor Angela Merkel to deal with COVID-19 by means of herd immunity. Nonetheless, French President Emmanuel Macron is pressing ahead with precisely such an agenda. Several state scientific bodies warned against the policies proposed by Macron, who has ordered a return to work and reopening of schools on May 11. The governments scientific council, led by Dr. Jean-Francois Delfraissy, issued a statement calling for schools to remain closed until September and for deconfinement to wait until intensive care units were back to normal occupancy levels. The General Health Directorate reported that despite the gradual tendency for infection numbers to fall, the total number of patients on respirators in France actually increased by 28 yesterday. Bitter divisions are erupting inside the Macron government itself, as ministers panic at the prospect of an eruption of popular anger after a second wave of COVID-19 cases. One minister complained anonymously to LObs about reports on the unviability of a herd immunity strategy of hoping the population would be immune if everyone caught the virus. We seem to be discovering that you can catch coronavirus several times, the minister said, but our entire strategy was based on developing immunity. Our situation is that we are falling into an abyss. The European bourgeoisie is plunging ahead with a politically criminal back-to-work policy. It is easy for corporate management and wealthy investors to shelter at home, and EU ruling circles are as indifferent to the death of millions of workers in Europe returning to work to boost their profits as an Egyptian pharaoh watching slaves die to build the pyramids. This toxic class contempt for human life emerged in comments by German Parliament President Wolfgang Schaublethe prominent architect of capitalist restoration in East Germany in 1989 and of EU austerity after the 2008 crashattacking calls to protect human life amid the pandemic. He told the Tagesspiegel that when he hears that all must give way to protecting life, I must say: that is not absolutely correct... If there is an absolute value in our Constitution, it is human dignity. One cannot touch it. But it does not rule out that we must die. Schaubles horrifying eagerness for death is not simply a personal trait, however, but a particularly brutal expression of the profit interests of the entire European ruling class. The European financial aristocracy, well aware of a building financial crisis before COVID-19 emerged, has responded to the pandemic by showering itself with vast handouts of public money. The European Central Bank (ECB) announced a 750 billion bank bailout, buying various types of debt to pay off investors in the major banks. The larger European Union (EU) governments each announced hundreds of billions of euros in corporate bailouts, while the EU launched a 540 billion rescue package overwhelmingly targeted to big business, and then announced its most recent 1 trillion bailout at its summit last Thursday. Even as massive sums are lavished on bailouts of firms, including Air France-KLM (10 billion) and automaker Renault (5 billion planned), financiers are demanding that workers return to work to make profits to back the massive amounts of fictitious capital pouring through the financial system. VW in Germany, Toyota in France and other firms in nonessential industries are already reopening in close collaboration with the trade unions. Naturally, capitalist politicians are presenting various more apparently palatable arguments for ending the lockdown, insisting it is too destructive and costs small businesses and wage earners too much. This was the tack taken by Conte, who told La Repubblica, We cannot continue with this lockdown. We risk too heavily compromising the countrys socio-economic fabric. In fact, the main reason lockdowns have generated hardship is that EU states left countless workers and small businesses with virtually no income. Long lines have formed for limited food distributions in working class districts of Paris, Madrid and other European cities. Workers must reject this false choice between working and dying in a pandemic and starving in confinement, or the claim that mass deaths are now inevitable. Modern science and technology make it possible to let masses of workers shelter at home, receiving the necessary food and medicine, while scientists work on vaccines and treatments for COVID-19. However, this will require the expropriation of the massive sums of money looted from public treasuries by the financial aristocracy and a political struggle to bring down reactionary governments across Europe and fight to transfer power to the working class. Rising to the occasion, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Mayor Kishori Pednekar has decided has returned to her old calling -- nursing -- to contribute in the fight against COVID-19. IMAGE: Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar has joined the team of BMC's BYL Nair Hospital as a nurse to serve COVID-19 patients. Photograph: Kind courtesy @KishoriPednekar/Twitter Pednekar was a nurse before coming to politics and has decided to join the team of BMC's BYL Nair Hospital to aid the COVID-19 patients in their fight against the virus. Mayor Pednekar had earlier informed that 231 zones are out of the containment zone list after they didn't record a single COVID-19 positive case for the last 14 days. According to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the total number of positive COVID-19 cases in Maharashtra is 8,068. Till now, 1,076 people have either been cured or discharged, while 342 deaths have been reported. The total number of positive coronavirus cases across the country are 27,892, including 20,835 active cases of the virus. So far, 6,184 patients have either been cured or discharged while 872 deaths have been recorded in the country, as per the data provided by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Mumbai, April 27 : Noted for her eye-catching saris, Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar on Monday turned heads for a different reason - when she donned the sparkling white uniform of a caring nurse with a cap, much like the iconic Italian-born British nurse, Miss Florence Nightingale. Image Source: IANS News The move - coming barely a fortnight before the world celebrates the 200th birth anniversary of Nightingale on May 12 - was intended to boost the morale of the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) healthcare workers, particularly the contingent of nurses who brave great risks in the fight against Covid-19 pandemic. A former nurse turned politician, Pednekar (57) is a four-time Shiv Sena Corporation from G-South Ward which covers large parts of Worli. Image Source: IANS News Years ago, she had worked as a nurse, giving the healing touch to patients in the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust Hospital in Uran, Raigad before plunging into politics. "We are all aware that we are passing through a crisis. Nurses are on the job. Even 2nd and 3rd year nursing students are working now. I have come to be with them to boost their morale," Pednekar told mediapersons from behind her masked face. She took rounds of the BYL Nair Hospital & TN Medical College in Mumbai Central, casually interacting with the care-givers, chatting up with them while maintaining a 'social distance'. "It is the need of the hour that citizens should be at home. Anything for Mumbai. We (nurses) can't do work from home, we are on the field for you. Stay at your home, take care," Pednekar assured. Born in 1962 into a poor mill-worker's family in Worli, she later married Kishore Pednekar and shifted to nearby Lower Parel. In order to boost the family's resources, she took up a job as a nurse in 1992. Inspired by the Shiv Sena founder-patriarch the late Balasaheb Thackeray, that year she also joined the party and worked her way up the rungs to become the 77th Mayor of Mumbai unopposed in November 2019. Last week, she had played a key role in organizing a Covid-19 testing camp for mediapersons in Mumbai, but after several of them were found positive, Pednekar voluntarily retreated into self-quarantine. -- Syndicated from IANS The spreading specter of the new coronavirus is shaking Latin Americas notoriously overcrowded, unruly prisons, threatening to turn them into an inferno. The Puente Alto prison in downtown Santiago, Chile, had the largest of Latin Americas largest prison virus outbreaks so far, with more than 300 reported cases. The prisons 1,100 inmates are terrified. Social distancing is hard to practice in jail. They are all in contact with each other, said prison nurse Ximena Graniffo. Latin Americas prisons hold 1.5 million inmates, and the facilities are often quasi-ruled by prisoners themselves because of corruption, intimidation and inadequate guard staffs. Low budgets also create ideal conditions for the virus to spread: There is often little soap and water and cell blocks are crowded. So far, national officials have reported close to 1,400 confirmed cases of COVID-19 among inmates and prison staff. The worst hit has been Peru, with 613 cases and at least 13 deaths, though the extent of testing to determine the full scale of infections differs from country to country. When the Dominican Republic tested more than 5,500 inmates at the La Victoria prison, which has been producing protective face masks for the public, officials reported at least 239 tested postive. Perhaps the most complete testing appears to be taking place in Puerto Rio, where the Department of Corrections said Friday it will test all the nearly 9,000 inmates being held across the U.S. territory, as well as 6,000 employees, including prison guards. Fear of the virus itself already has proven deadly. There have been 23 deaths in prison riots in Colombia since the pandemic started. More than 1,300 inmates have escaped prisons in Brazil after a temporary release program was cancelled due to the outbreak, and more than 1,000 have been on hunger strikes in Argentina. All over the region, the demands are the same: protection against contagion. With most family visits cancelled, inmates feel exposed, vulnerable, alone and exploited. Inmates report that prices at informal and formal prison stores have increased during the pandemic, and relatives can no longer bring them food and hygiene items from the outside. Right now, a bag of soap powder costs 29 pesos ($1.20) , when before it was 20 (80 cents) said a prisoner in Mexico, who lives in a 12 foot by 12 foot (4 meters by 4 meters) cell with a dozen others. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was using a banned cellphone. Human Rights Watch says conditions are even worse in countries like Haiti, Bolivia or Guatemala. U.N. Human Rights High Commissioner Michelle Bachelet, the former president of Chile, has called sanitary conditions in the region deplorable and called for releases of less dangerous inmates. Countries like Chile and Colombia have already released about 7,500 inmates and Mexico's Senate last week approved a measure to free thousands, though Brazil has not yet acted. Regional security analyst Lucia Dammert says releasing a few thousand inmates wont significantly reduce the threat of contagion, however, and some urge more sweeping releases. Prisoners have been sentenced to loss of liberty, not to death, and the state has to take measures at its disposal, said Jose Miguel Vivanco, Americas director for Human Rights Watch. And in many countries, such as Bolivia, most of those behind bars have not yet been sentenced or are awaiting trial. In Chile, the head of the prison guard system, Christian Alveal, said the prisoners' fears are totally reasonable, and he said officials are working to minimize the worries of the inmates." Some prisons have tried to do that by allowing prisoners more calls to relatives, and Argentina, with 13,000 prisoners, has allowed videocalls. Buenos Aires has even allowed prisoners to use cellphones, which are normally banned because they are sometimes used in extortion schemes. Inmates at the San Pedro prison in Bolivia's capital, La Paz, have taken their own measures against contagion. While inmates elsewhere have rioted over bans on family visits, the Bolivian inmates themselves decided on such a ban. And they turned what are normally punishment cells into 14-day quarantine lockups for newly arrived prisoners. Ximena Graniffo, the nurse at Puente Alto, seemed resigned to a struggle. You do what you can with what you have, she said Anyone in Sauk County who suspects they may be suffering from infection by the novel coronavirus has a chance to be tested starting Wednesday. Sauk County Health Officer Tim Lawther announced Monday that with the aid of the Wisconsin National Guard, the county will conduct drive-through testing for COVID-19. Testing will begin at 10 a.m. for any registered residents who provide proof they live in Sauk County through the use of photo identification or a current utility bill confirming their address. The site, E8795 Evergreen Lane in Baraboo, is the former Sauk County landfill. According to Lawthers announcement, those who have symptoms of COVID-19, such as cough, fever, chills, sore throat, headache, fatigue, muscle aches, loss of smell or taste, abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, runny nose or shortness of breath, are the only people to be tested. Support Local Journalism Your membership makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} These tests will not be able to determine whether someone previously had COVID-19 but has already recovered. Tests will be available for those who call the COVID-19 hotline, 608-355-3200. Those receiving a nasal swab test must stay in their car. Only those in the vehicle who registered will be tested. More than 650,000 people have dug into their employee provident fund (EPF) savings to offset the income loss caused by the lockdown imposed to check the spread of the coronavirus. As many as 30,000-35,000 people are withdrawing their provident fund savings on an average working day in April, an indication of the hardship the working class is facing. Around 2,700 crore has already been withdrawn under the newly-facilitated pandemic rules, according to data from retirement fund manager Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO). This includes both money withdrawn from the retirement fund corpus directly under EPFO and the corpus managed by company PF trusts. These are not just workers from small firms, but also those from blue-chip companies, said a government official, who refused to be named. According to EPFO data, exempted PF trusts or those managed by companies under overarching rules of the retirement fund manager, have facilitated the withdrawal of almost 500 crore for their employees. Neyveli Lignite Corp. in Cuddalore has seen its employees withdraw 84.4 crore of provident fund money, followed by Visakhapatnam Steel Plant in Vizag (40.9 crore), and NTPC Ltd (28 crore). The exempted provident fund trusts have risen to the occasion amid the pandemic...some of the exempted establishments have done exemplary work, EPFO said in an email. The income loss is real. When businesses have suffered a massive setback, people are also bound to have lost income. However, we did not think that so many people will withdraw money under the new rules. The trend we are observing is not confined to one state or a few industrial locations. It is across states and sectors, said the official mentioned above. In the next 10 days, at least a million subscribers may withdraw money from PF accounts, said the official. Construction, road transport, logistics, IT, manufacturingall have lost businesses. The income loss is huge and people must have dipped into their PF money, labour economist said KR Shyamsundar. BERNARDSTON Area firefighters were summoned to Depot Street Sunday night after a brush fire spread to a barn. The fire broke out at 32 Depot St., according to a post on the South Deerfield Fire District Facebook page. Bernardston firefighters, in a post on their Facebook page, stated the blaze spread from a fire pit to a large barn attached to a home. Firefighters from South Deerfield, Northfield, Greenfield and Turners Falls provided mutual aid. Firefighters from Gill and Guildord, Vermont covered the station. Bernardston fire officials could not immediately be reached for comment Monday morning. A man walks across the nearly empty Temple University campus in North Philadelphia on Tuesday, March 17, 2020. The university has transitioned its courses online due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Read more With details for the fall semester in flux, major universities in the region are announcing plans for tuition freezes to ease the financial burden on families and entice students to enroll. Pennsylvania State, Rutgers, and Delaware Valley Universities all said last week that they plan to keep tuition the same, in some cases awaiting board approval. Temple University made the same announcement Monday morning. And the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, which oversees 14 universities including West Chester and Cheyney, plans to discuss a possible tuition freeze at a board meeting Wednesday. READ MORE: Charging full tuition for online classes? No, say some students, despite the coronavirus The initiative comes amid cuts to administrative pay, hiring freezes, and other cost-saving measures on campuses. Universities nationally are projecting revenue losses and enrollment dips as a result of the pandemic, and some students, in petitions and lawsuits, have called for tuition refunds this semester, citing inadequate online learning. READ MORE: Colleges holding on-campus classes in the fall? Maybe We want to make it as affordable as possible, said Mitchell Morgan, chairman of Temples board of trustees. Thats been our mission forever. With a pandemic like we have right now, its even more important. He said hes cautiously optimistic Temple will be able to have students on campus for a normal fall semester, but continues to plan for other possibilities. Temple intends to announce fall plans by the end of May. 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. This would be the second consecutive year of no tuition increase for Temples in-state students, who currently pay $16,080. The tuition freeze also would apply to out-of-state students, who pay $28,994. Temples trustees are scheduled to vote May 12. Based on conversation with other trustees, Morgan said he thinks it will pass. Delaware Valley was the first in the area last week to announce a freeze on tuition and fees, now at $40,620 annually, to help families. READ MORE: Colleges stand to lose millions because of the coronavirus "At present, our deposits for new freshmen and registrations for returning undergraduate students are running on pace to achieve our fall revenue goals, president Maria Gallo said. We believe that the decision to freeze undergraduate tuition and fees will help us in this regard. Penn States tuition freeze, subject to approval by trustees, also applies to both in-state and out-of-state students. It would be the third consecutive year that tuition was frozen university-wide for Pennsylvania residents. At the main campus, tuition for full-time in-state freshmen and sophomores is $17,416 annually. Rutgers president Robert L. Barchi said he would propose a freeze in tuition for in-state and out-of-state undergraduate students for 2020-21. In-state undergraduates in the school of arts and sciences pay $14,506, while out-of-state students pay $29,012. Military communication lines between South and North Korea are operating normally, Seoul's defense ministry said Monday, as the two Koreas quietly marked the second anniversary of the first summit between President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. The military authorities of the two Koreas have regular telephone calls twice a day at 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. via their eastern and western communication lines. The hotlines, which had been cut off for years, were restored in 2018 in line with the April 27 inter-Korean summit agreement. "The communication lines are operating normally," ministry spokesperson Choi Hyun-soo told a regular press briefing. Moon and Kim held three summits in 2018 and agreed on a series of measures to improve cross-border relations, but little progress has been made since the second summit between Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump collapsed without a deal in February last year. One of the joint projects the two sides agreed on was an excavation project on Arrowhead Ridge, a former battle site inside the Demilitarized Zone separating the two Koreas, but South Korea resumed the project alone last week as Pyongyang remained unresponsive to calls for joint work. Choi said she had no updates on the North's response regarding the project. The defense ministry has said it will continue efforts to draw a response from Pyongyang regarding the project. (Yonhap) What lies beyond the pandemic? MassForward is MassLives series examining the journey of Massachusetts small businesses through and beyond the coronavirus pandemic. ________________ The business model for Redemption Rock Brewing Company focused on attracting people inside a space that once created another beverage - Coca-Cola - on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester. A front patio allows for people to enjoy fresh brews along with sunshine. Inside, stacks of board games are piled up by the front windows. Murals cover the walls and artificial grass spreads across the floor on one side of the facility to offer a unique experience. None of it can be enjoyed by customers amid the coronavirus pandemic. However, Redemption Rock implemented a new service that allows its fans to continue to enjoy favorites like Three Decker or War Castle without leaving their couch. When the state allowed for the delivery of alcohol, Redemption Rock took advantage. Initially, they delivered to Worcester proper and the immediate surrounding towns. Last week they announced an expansion to Berlin, Boylston, Northborough, Northbridge, Oxford, Spencer, Sterling, Sutton, Upton, and Westborough. Were still dealing with the crisis from a sales standpoint but there was definitely an uptick, weve recognized that, Dan Carlson of Redemption Rock said. Weve definitely seen that some customers for one reason or another, who arent able or arent comfortable with curbside pickup, this has enabled them to support us and get the beer they like. Redemption Rock announced the delivery service on April 5. The process involves ordering online, then selecting delivery for an extra $2 to include bag of potato chips. Thats our normal cost of potato chips anyway, Carlson said. The reason we do that is the law says alcohol delivery has to be part of a food transaction. While beer is the primary reason behind any order, the potato chips normally bring an extra smile or two. The Deep River chip flavors include original, sour cream and onion, sea salt and vinegar and sweet maui onion. People get a kick out of it and I show up with four different options, Carlson said. And they get to pick what flavor they like. Carlson has handled 99% of the deliveries. Redemption Rock accepts delivery orders until 3 p.m. daily. Carlson then delivers the beer from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. He arrives with a mask. While he doesnt wear gloves, he uses hand sanitizer after every drop off. Most interactions take place without any contact. Carlson checks identification through a window. Drops the beer off along with the chips and moves to the next stop. Interacting with people, they really appreciate the option of doing this, Carlson said. They feel safe with it. Were getting a lot of [orders]. We have deliveries every single day. Carlson makes about 10 deliveries daily. Busier days can involve up to 20, he said. The service allows Redemption Rock another avenue to generate the momentum it had prior to the pandemic. In February, the brewery, which celebrated its one-year anniversary in January, enjoyed its most successful month financially. The thought of spring carried with it plans for an expanded patio, outside events and summer brews. We felt like we were really hitting our stride, CEO Dani Babineau said. Weeks later, they closed their taproom offering only pickup and curbside orders. Weekly sales at Redemption Rock are down about 70%, Babineau said. Still, the brewery hasnt had to implement furloughs or layoffs. Babineau, Carlson and others on the management team havent taken a salary, though. Approval for a Paycheck Protection Program loan will change that. Redemption Rock received $48,200 in funding from $349 billion reserved in the CARES Act for small businesses. I feel like weve been pretty lucky with it, Babineau said. I know Ive seen people especially in the restaurant industry that have had a lot of issues with it, which I completely understand, but for us, it actually worked pretty well, for our needs and our structure. Redemption Rock has a small staff that works on salary. Tips dont account for their wages. They havent had to lay off anyone. Their application was straight forward, and the funding can be used for employees wages, ensuring later forgiveness of the loan. Redemption Rock also received a grant from the city of Worcester as well as an Economic Injury Disaster Advance Loan of $7,000, which also wont have to be repaid, according to the Small Business Administration. The aid allows Redemption Rock to cover the salary of employees and rent payments, any other revenue generated will be dedicated to other expenses. Redemption Rock continues to brew beer along with its seasonal schedule. It brought back Birds and Bees earlier this month. Flowers, Trees and Pink Boots are scheduled to be released soon as well. Normally, some new brews would be available only on tap. But Redemption Rock is making adjustments to offer the brews in cans. Luckily, we had set all of our dates with our mobile can operator through June right before this happened," Babineau said. "So were already on his scheduled, so thats really good. Babineau is confident the brewery can navigate through the uncharted waters until about mid June. At that point she hopes the brewery can at least partially reopen to on-site consumers. Thats where our focus is right now, but I wouldnt be surprised if it goes longer, Babineau said. Would I like it to be opened faster? Yes. But I also dont want to do so in a way that it spikes again and we all have to go back home. MassForward is MassLive's series examining the journey of Massachusetts' small businesses through and beyond the coronavirus pandemic. Related Content: Double-inmate cells will be permitted only in certain situations such as on tiers where inmates are quarantined after testing positive for COVID-19 or are on suicide or other medical watch, Kennelly ruled. The judge wrote that dormitory-style tiers can only be used if they are at less than 50% capacity, so the 6-foot distancing rule can be better enforced. Former Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy has called for citizen-centric measures and stressed the need to lower the cost of living, as he cautioned the state and Central governments about the impact of COVID-19 lockdown on economy and people in-tuen. Calling for measures like partial waivers of EMIs, rents, school fees, cut in petrol and diesel prices, the JD(S) leader said, the loss of revenue may be offset partially by imposing COVID cess on the ultra rich. "According to RBI and international economic assessment agencies, the GDP growth rate of the country is expected to fall to a historic low. Such a dire situation calls for citizen centric measures like full or partial waivers of EMIs, rents, school fees and other levies," Kumaraswamy tweeted. Stating that the economy won't bounce back within a very short period, he said, it is important to lower the cost of living as spending power of the consumer has depleted. "The govt must cut the petrol and diesel prices. The loss of revenue may be offset partially by imposing COVID cess on the ultra rich," he added. Further, Kumaraswamy said, it is high time the government announced schemes to save livelihoods of people, especially those in the unorganised sector. The government must provide immediate relief to farmers, construction workers, cab and auto drivers, garment workers, etc, he added. India's GDP is likely to range between a decline of 0. 9 per cent and a growth of 1.5 per cent in the current financial year, with the economy undergoing a "turbulent" phase caused by the coronavirus-induced lockdown, according to a recent report by CII. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Curtis Stone has spoken about what prompted him to turn down an offer to appear as a full-time judge on the latest season of MasterChef Australia. In an interview with Woman's Day magazine on Monday, the 44-year-old LA-based chef revealed he simply didn't have the time. 'I'm so busy with my restaurants here in LA. I didn't have the time to commit to something beyond guest appearances,' he told the publication. Keeping busy: Curtis Stone has spoken about what prompted him to turn down an offer to appear as a full-time judge on the latest season of MasterChef Australia The Aussie chef runs two restaurants in Los Angeles, Maude and Gwen, and admitted he's had his hands full recently managing his businesses amid the coronavirus pandemic. 'It's all about trying to keep staff in jobs and ensure they have jobs to come back to,' he added. In an interview with News.com.au in October last year, Curtis revealed he had been approached to be one of the judges taking over from Gary Mehigan, George Calombaris and Matt Preston. Turning down the offer: In an interview with News.com.au in October last year, Curtis revealed he had been approached to be one of the judges taking over from (L-R) Gary Mehigan, George Calombaris and Matt Preston 'Yeah I was [approached]. I've had a long relationship with those guys and they reached out early on and asked if I wanted to come on and be a part of it,' he revealed. 'My work commitments are pretty intense back in the States, and I've got two kids and a wife and a couple of restaurants.' He added: 'They film that show for a very long time so I wouldn't be able to do that.' Relationship headache: In an interview with Nova 96.9's Fitzy & Wippa in August last year, Curtis joked that his wife of seven years, American actress Lindsay Price was likely to divorce him if he took on the role But Curtis said he will still appear as a guest judge as he's done in previous seasons, with Andy Allen, Melissa Leong and Jock Zonfrillo appearing as full-time judges. In an interview with Nova 96.9's Fitzy & Wippa in August last year, Curtis joked that his wife of seven years, American actress Lindsay Price was likely to divorce him if he took on the role. 'They'd have to pay me a lot of money, mate, because my wife would divorce me and I hear they [divorces] are quite expensive!' he joked. Saudi Arabias King Salman has ordered an end to the death penalty for crimes committed by minors, according to a statement Sunday by a top official. The decision comes on the heels of another ordering judges to end the practice of flogging, replacing it with jail time, fines or community service and bringing one of the kingdoms most controversial forms of public punishment to a close. King Salmans son and heir, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, is seen as the force behind the kingdoms loosening of restrictions and its pivot away from ultraconservative interpretations of Islamic law known as Wahhabism, which many in the country still closely adhere to. The crown prince has sought to modernize the country, attract foreign investment and revamp Saudi Arabias reputation globally. Hes also overseen a parallel crackdown on liberals, womens rights activists, writers, moderate clerics and reformers. The 2018 killing of Saudi writer Jamal Khashoggi in Turkey by agents who worked for the crown prince drew sharp criticism internationally. The latest royal decree by King Salman could spare the death penalty for at least six men from the countrys minority Shiite community who allegedly committed crimes while under the age of 18, including Ali al-Nimr, who had participated in anti-government protests. Such activity carries terrorism-related charges in the kingdom for disturbing order and disobeying the ruler. In a document seen by The Associated Press, the royal decree orders prosecutors to review cases and drop punishments for those whove already served the maximum 10 years. However, the decree states that terrorism-related cases of minors will be tried differently. It was not immediately clear whether these cases would be bound by the 10-year prison limit. Last year, Saudi Arabia executed a young man convicted of crimes that took place when he was 16 years old. Amnesty International said Abdulkareem al-Hawaj was found guilty of offences related to his participation in protests in Shiite-populated areas of Saudi Arabia. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have long called on the kingdom to abolish the use of the death penalty, particularly for crimes committed by minors. The president of the Saudi governments Human Rights Commission, Awwad Alawwad, confirmed the latest decision in a statement Sunday, saying it helps the kingdom establish a more modern penal code and demonstrates the kingdoms commitment to following through on key reforms. He said more reforms will be coming, and that the two decisions reflect how Saudi Arabia is forging ahead in its realization of critical human rights reforms even amid the hardship imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The decree expands on a previous order by King Salman issued in late 2018, which set a maximum 10-year prison term for minors in certain cases, except for crimes punishable by death. Now the 10-year maximum applies to all crimes by minors, with the possible exception of terrorism-related crimes. This step, if true, needs to nullify current death sentences of all children, Ali al-Ahmed, a Saudi rights activist in Washington, said. Saudi Arabias Supreme Court recently issued a directive to end flogging as a form of punishment sometime in April, according to another document seen by The Associated Press. The public spectacle of whipping a handcuffed prisoner for often non-violent crimes had drawn some comparisons to the types of punishment carried out by extremist groups like the Islamic State. Saudi authorities had argued it was a form of deterrence against potential criminals. Rights groups criticized the practice as inhumane. The Supreme Court document said the decision was in line with the kingdoms reforms and developments in the realm of human rights as directed by King Salman and overseen by the crown prince. Five years ago, prominent Saudi blogger Raif Badawi was given 50 lashes before hundreds of spectators in the metropolitan city of Jiddah. It drew outrage and condemnation from around the world, including from many of Saudi Arabias Western allies. Badawis feet and hands were shackled during the flogging but his face was visible. Badawi is currently serving a 10-year prison sentence and was ordered to pay more than $266,000 in fines on charges related to his criticism of Saudi Arabias powerful clerics on the liberal blog he founded. While some crimes, such as murder, may carry fixed punishments under Saudi Arabias interpretation of Islamic law, or Shariah, many other offenses are considered tazir, meaning neither the crime nor the punishment is defined in Islam. Discretionary judgments for tazir crimes, such as flogging, have led to arbitrary rulings with contentious outcomes. Muslim countries generally do not practice public flogging. This is a good step but we are still waiting to see if existing lashing sentences will be reversed and expunged, al-Ahmed said. I would certainly be in favor of allowing states to use the bankruptcy route, McConnell said. My guess is their first choice would be for the federal government to borrow money from future generations to send it down to them now so they dont have to do that. Thats not something Im going to be in favor of. The operations of 75 care homes are at "significant risk" and have a 'status red' rating due to staffing problem. Care homes, particularly those for the elderly, are at the frontline of the fight against Covid-19 with a large proportion of deaths occurring among vulnerable residents in private and public facilities. It emerged at the weekend that 21 people have died in one care home alone - St Mary's Hospital in Dublin's Phoenix Park. Serious questions have been raised about the priority given to supporting nursing homes in the early days of the emergency. Some nursing homes have also seen a staffing crisis as workers either fall ill with the virus or have to self-isolate because they have been in contact with a suspected case. The HSE last night defended its response as it revealed that 75 care homes had been given a 'red' rating using the traffic light system of assessing long-term residential care facilities in receipt of additional support. There are 425 homes getting some level of help, ranging from infection control advice to extra staff and deliveries of personal protective equipment (PPE). HSE chief operations officer Anne O'Connor said that 221 of these were deemed stable after some intervention and had been categorised as 'green'. Another 129 continue to need "significant enhanced supports". And 75 are in the 'red' category where there is a "significant risk in terms of operation". Of those in the most at-risk category, 17 are HSE-run facilities. Ms O'Connor said the 75 homes were "particularly challenged" in terms of having enough staff. She said 119 of the HSE's community staff and approximately 100 acute staff had been deployed by the HSE to care homes as "boots on the ground". These deployments have been weighted towards the homes whose operations have been most at risk. Ms O'Connor also warned that as coronavirus testing was ramped up in care homes, it was inevitable that more outbreaks would be identified. She said the challenge for the HSE was to identify the nursing homes "that have a critical need for a high level of support". Ms O'Connor said nursing homes had been prioritised for deliveries of PPE and accounted for 60pc of supplies provided by the HSE over the past week. She insisted the supply of PPE to nursing homes was "very, very significant". HSE chief executive Paul Reid said the number of staff redeployed on its own did not reflect the scale of the HSE's support for nursing homes in terms of resources. He gave the example of a home in Co Louth that has been "practically taken over" by the HSE and pointed to the support provided by multi-disciplinary teams of health professionals. "If you were to calculate the total resource committed to private nursing homes it would be very significant," he said. Mr Reid also revealed the HSE planned to almost double its already massively increased spend on PPE and hoped some of this can be provided by domestic suppliers. The annual spend on PPE before coronavirus was 15m. The HSE has already ordered 208m in additional equipment from China and it is probably going to order another 150m-200m worth of PPE. New Delhi: Ten members of Tablighi Jamaat, who attended its congregation and tested positive for COVID-19 have come forward and donated their plasma to treat severally-ill coronavirus patients in the national capital. Sources said those who have come forward to donate their plasma have recovered from COVID-19 at the Sultanpuri and Narela quarantine centres. Many more have volunteered to donate their plasma, they added. The Tablighi Jamaat, a religious organisation in south Delhi's Nizamuddin came under intense attack for the spread of coronavirus after it allegedly organised a congregation after the lockdown and even when the Delhi government had imposed curbs before it. In the therapy, transfusion of plasma from recovered patients to severally-ill COVID-19 patients is conducted. Convalescent plasma is an experimental procedure for coronavirus patients. Sources said several Tablighi Jamaat members at different quarantine centres have also volunteered to donate their plasma for the recovery of COVID-19 patients. The move comes after an appeal was made by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal last week to patients, who have successfully recovered from coronavirus, to donate their plasma for treatment of COVID-19 patients. Kejriwal said the initial results of plasma therapy on critically-ill COVID-19 patients have shown "encouraging" initial results. Last week, Tablighi Jamaat head Maluana Saad Kandhalvi also appealed to the organisation's followers who have recovered from the infection to donate their plasma. A Delhi government official said the process of taking plasma from the Tablighi Jamaat members has started. According to Dr Mohammad Shoaib, who is facilitating the exercise, till now, 10 Tablighi Jamaat members have donated their plasma to help other coronavirus patients. Shoaib said he is not related to the Tablighi Jamaat, but he is acquainted with its followers. He also claimed that the Delhi government requested him to involve Tablighi Jamaat followers to donate plasma. The exercise commenced on Sunday evening after the iftar at Sultanpuri and Narela quarantine centres following which a team from the Delhi government's ILBS Hospital and another private hospital visited the premises, he said. The Tablighi Jamaat congregation which took place in March was attended by nearly 9,000 people, including foreign nationals. After that hundreds of Tablighi Jamaat followers were quarantined at different centres and many were booked for alleged misbehavior with the staff there. On April 18, at a daily media briefing about the COVID-19 situation in the country, Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Health, said, "A total of 4,291 COVID-19 cases or 29.8 per cent of the 14,378 coronavirus infections reported till that day were linked to the Tablighi Jamaat congregation." According to the bulletin released by the Health Department of the Delhi government, on April 10, when the total number of COVID-19 cases were 903 in Delhi, 584 infections were linked to the Tablighi congregation. Since then the Delhi government dropped usage of the "markaz", the centre of the Tablighi Jamaat after the Delhi Minorities Commission raised an objection over it. Crude oil futures slipped to Rs 1,141 per barrel on April 27 as participants increased their short positions. Oil prices declined as the US storage is near record highs and production cuts may not happen at the required pace to offset the supply glut caused by the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19, pandemic. Crude oil prices across the globe are in a downtrend on higher supply pressures due to swelling inventories. Demand is at multi-year lows due to a stalled world economy. Prices continued to head lower with the Nymex WTI Crude oil down nearly 13 percent to $14.70 on April 27. ICE Brent oil also witnessed selling with prices falling by more than 4 percent. May crude oil futures on the MCX shed 16 percent by the noon trade, said Tapan Patel, Senior Analyst (Commodities), HDFC Securities. In the futures market, crude oil for May delivery touched an intraday high of Rs 1,296 and an intraday low of Rs 1,115 per barrel on MCX. So far in the current series, black gold has touched a low of Rs 848 and a high of Rs 3,905. Crude oil delivery for May slipped 209, or 15.48 percent, to Rs 1,141 per barrel at 14:35 hours IST. The same for June delivery was down Rs 165, or 9.67 percent, to Rs 1,542 per barrel. The value of May and June contracts traded so far is Rs 1,019.65 crore and Rs 66.88 crore, respectively. Global trading hubs are running out of storage options which may continue the selling pressure on crude oil prices. MCX May crude oil futures may seek support near Rs 900 with resistance at Rs 1,400 per barrel, Patel said. West Texas Intermediate crude slipped 13.87 percent at $14.59 per barrel, while Brent Crude, the London-based international benchmark, declined 3.51 percent to $23.94 per barrel. After a decade-long bear market, uranium has suddenly turned into a raging bull in an otherwise dismal market for commodities. Uranium prices have surged 35 percent over the past 30 days to trade at $33.30/pound - a level they last touched four years ago - thanks to shutdowns of critical mines at Canada's Cameco and Kazakhstan's Kazatomprom, suppliers of more than half of the global uranium consumption. Bloomberg has quoted Cantor Fitzgerald as stating that the shutdowns have wiped out ~46 million pounds of uranium - good for 35 percent of annual global uranium output - over three weeks, in large part due to the coronavirus crisis. The rally comes at a time when the Trump administration appears hell-bent on reviving the country's faltering uranium industry ostensibly in the pursuit of energy independence and also for national security purposes. But the third nuclear gold rush could be dead in the water amid low energy prices and stiff public opposition towards a sector that has increasingly fallen out of favor. Uranium Price in USD Source: Business Insider Bloomberg Commodity Index (BCOM) Source: Bloomberg Opening up the West On Thursday, the Nuclear Fuel Working Group (NFWG) made recommendations to the U.S. Administration to open up ~1,500 acres outside the Grand Canyon for uranium production, arguing that the country needs to beef up domestic production to avoid an over-reliance on foreign sources. The organization has recommended spending $1.5 billion over ten years buying uranium from American producers to create a uranium stockpile that would necessitate buying about 10 million pounds a year. The working group's report claims that the United States also needs more uranium for two other purposes: - Low-enriched uranium for the production of tritium for nuclear weapons through the 2040s, and - Highly enriched uranium to be used as fuel for Navy nuclear reactors through the 2050s Related: Low Oil Prices Wont Hurt Tesla The Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) is in support of the proposal, saying that creating a federal stockpile is necessary for the development of next-generation technologies and advanced fuels. At first glance, the proposal does appear meritorious, considering the sorry state of the country's uranium industry, a fuel that is critical to its energy industry. The numbers tell the tale: In 2017, American uranium miners produced just 2.4 million pounds of uranium concentrate (U3O8) compared to 44 million pounds they produced at the height of the atomic age in 1980. American mines accounted for just 7 percent of uranium bought by domestic plants last year, a surprising revelation when you consider the country has 98 operating nuclear power reactors in 30 states that generate 807 TWh per year, or 20 percent of the total electricity generated. The industry now employs just a few hundred people each year, a far cry from the nearly 22,000 jobs it created in the 80s. Source: CNBC The slow and painful demise of the American uranium mining industry can be chalked up to the fact that the country is not endowed with the most abundant and most accessible uranium deposits, with resources in Canada and Australia boasting significantly higher uranium content and a lower production cost per unit. American miners have had trouble making a profit from their operations even at the best of times. Consequently, the industry has historically had to rely heavily on government largesse. During the golden age of American uranium that spanned from 1955-1980, the U.S. government offered fat uranium bonuses in a bid to shore up its stockpiles during the Cold War. These included 10-year price guarantees for certain kinds of ore as well as $10,000 discovery and production bonuses for new sources, which pencils out to nearly $100K in today's dollars. The incentives set off a mad gold rush in the nation's vast Western region as every man with a jeep and a Geiger counter set out to make the next significant discovery. The program was a resounding success: U.S. uranium stockpiles skyrocketed so much that the government stopped paying out the bonuses sometime in the 1960s. Victim of Government Policies Suddenly, an industry that had come to depend so much on government incentives fell victim to its policies. In 1975, the government began allowing a growing percentage of overseas supplies into the domestic market. This opened the doors to low-cost supplies, mainly from Canada and Australia. By 1987, the tables had turned completely, with the country importing nearly 15 million pounds of uranium while domestic production clocked in at just 13 million. Growing competition weighed heavily on domestic production while the country's love affair with nuclear energy got its first dose of the harsh reality of nuclear technology thanks to the Three Mile Island nuclear disaster in 1979 as well as the Chernobyl reactor meltdown of 1986 that turned an entire Ukrainian city into a ghost town. Meanwhile, utilities began to grow weary of the time and cost of building reactors, which further depressed demand. The result: U.S. uranium production had sunk to a 35-year low by the time the last wave of reactors came online in 1990. The industry got a reprieve in 1992 when the Commerce Department put restrictions on uranium imports from the Soviet Union to stop it from dumping cheap uranium into the American market. The relief was only to be short-lived: One year later, the U.S. and Russia struck a deal to buy 500 tons of Russia's weapons-grade uranium from the nation's dismantled nuclear warheads that the U.S. would convert to low-enriched uranium for its nuclear power plants. Russian uranium provided about a third of U.S. needs over the next two decades under the Megatons to Megawatts program. By the turn of the century, U.S. uranium production plunged to its lowest level in a half-century. Around that time, former Soviet state Kazakhstan rapidly ramped up uranium mining and rose to the top of the global uranium players ranks while becoming the United States' second-largest supplier. Kazakhstan's lax regulations allow miners to use in situ leaching, which carries serious environmental risks certainly have helped in the country's meteoric rise. Source: CNBC Brief Renaissance The U.S. uranium industry enjoyed a renaissance in the early 2000s as falling global stockpiles, and booming economies in China and India drove new demand. Unfortunately, this, too, was not to last as the financial crisis of 2008 destroyed demand, while the Fukushima nuclear disaster of 2011 led to another severe backlash that set off a new round of reactor closures while Germany set to phase out the technology by 2022. The third nuclear gold rush is starting off on very shaky grounds, too. First off, the world's strategic uranium reserves are not in any immediate danger of running out. In 2016, the International Atomic Energy Agency said that the global nuclear fleet has enough stockpiles for 130 years, more than enough for the markets to respond to any shortfalls rapidly as they have done in the past. "Regardless of the role that nuclear energy ultimately plays in meeting future electricity demand and moving towards global climate objectives, the uranium resource base is more than adequate. In the wake of recent significant reductions in uranium production, the coming challenges are likely to be those associated with constrained investment capabilities " But more importantly, trying to open up the west for uranium mining is bound to be met with stiff resistance and widespread public uproar. For all its setbacks over the years, nuclear power has remained broadly popular in the United States. However, the turning point came in 2016 when the majority of people turned against the technology. Related: Will The Fed Bail Out Struggling U.S. Oil Companies? The latest poll last year revealed that American public opinion remains split over nuclear power, with 49 percent of U.S. adults either strongly favor (17 percent) or somewhat favor (32 percent) it in power generation while 49 percent either strongly oppose (21 percent) or somewhat oppose (28 percent) its use. Source: Gallup The funny thing is that Gallup has found that American opinion on nuclear power does not have much to do with radiation or safety concerns; rather, it is driven by prevailing fuel prices. That seems quite odd considering that gasoline and nuclear power really aren't substitutes; gasoline is used primarily in the motor industry, while nuclear power generates electricity for our factories, businesses, and homes. But the thing is that gasoline prices have an outsized effect on the American psyche, often becoming a proxy for the overall energy situation. Americans tend to view nuclear power negatively when they are paying less at the pump and positively when fuel prices skyrocket. The relationship is not entirely tenuous since the fracking boom that has led to low gas prices has also created a deluge of natural gas, which is also used to generate electricity. With natural gas prices at historical lows, nuclear power's competitive edge has been severely dented. Indeed, a 2020 Colorado College Conservation in the West Poll found that 71 percent of voters in the Mountain West and 77 percent of Arizona voters oppose the development of new uranium mines on public lands adjacent to the Grand Canyon. It's the kind of backlash that no president wants to deal with, whether they are seeking re-election or not. By Alex Kimani for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: WFTU MAY DAY 2020: THE CURRENT SITUATION AND OUR DUTIES The World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU), on the occasion of May Day 2020, salutes the workers in all continents; all those whose work continues to move the gears of life even in difficult conditions such as the Coronavirus Pandemic and keeps producing all the necessary goods so that life may continue and the needs of workers and popular strata can be met. We honour the millions of employees in public healthcare systems around the world: doctors, nurses, all healthcare workers who, midst the Coronavirus pandemic, struggle every day to save patients from the pandemic without even having the necessary protective and medical equipment, risking their own health and lives. They are at the frontline of struggle, with courage and self-denial, lifting the burden of care and treatment in the middle of a pandemic that already counts millions of cases and hundreds of thousands of deaths, in a public healthcare system deteriorated by underfunding and discredited by the policies of all capitalist governments, which consciously undermine the public healthcare system and privatise its neuralgic activities to enhance the speculative profitability of multinationals. The workers and the popular strata, we unite our voices with those of the militant healthcare workers, we stand in solidarity with their struggle and we demand immediate coverage of the vacancies, adequacy of public health infrastructure and materials to serve the permanent and temporary needs of the people; requisition of the private sector and abolition of the commercialisation and privatisation of Health and Welfare; free public universal and high-quality health services. Workers health over profit! We salute the workers in production and distribution of food and basic necessities, in supermarkets, in [the] pharmaceutical sector, in cleaning services, in [the] energy sector and other services, who through their work ensure the access of workers and peoples to everything necessary for their survival. At the same time, on the occasion of the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic, we denounce the huge attack on workers labour rights through layoffs, lack of payment, undeclared work and the restriction of trade union freedoms. The long-term unemployed, the uninsured workers, immigrants, refugees, those who suffer from other diseases, are literally left to their fate, without being able to earn a living or ensure the necessary monitoring of their health, which can cause its deterioration. Complaints are expressed from all over the world from employees in companies that do not produce basic necessities, but continue to work with their employees squeezed into production lines and offices, without any compliance with the necessary protection measures, so that multinationals can increase their profitability; As a result, the pandemic spreads rapidly, as was the case in northern Italy, in the US, Turkey, and elsewhere. Facing all these issues, we stay strong and active; we put forward our militant demands, the workers demands for public and free healthcare for all; for jobs with decent wages; the right to full employment for all the unemployed; the substantial support of those who are unable to work or suffer from the coronavirus or other diseases. Take back all the layoffs and adverse changes that took place during the pandemic! At the same time, the antagonisms of capitalist countries and imperialist powers that are stealing the natural and produced wealth of peoples and leading to bloody conflicts and wars continue unabated even in these conditions, in a frantic effort to safeguard their economic interests against the workers needs. The US economic sanctions against the peoples of Cuba, Venezuela and Iran, the imperialist interventions against Syria, Palestine, Yemen, the weapon production and trade, the conflicts and antagonisms continue. The speculation in hygiene and essential materials against coronavirus, the competition to find a vaccine that will bring huge profits to the respective companies in the country that will find it are intensified. Against capitalist antagonisms and speculation, the workers and peoples raise our solidarity and proletarian internationalism, following the example of Cuba, which has sent specialised doctors to fourteen countries affected by the pandemic; the example of the workers of Italy who organised a general strike in support of doctors and workers; following the example of workers in all countries who do not remain silent; who counter fight also this crisis with militant slogans in solidarity to all peoples. The migrant workers in Chicago, who struggled and sacrificed their lives in May 1886 for the establishment of the 8-hour working day, paved the way of the world working class for the continuous claim of its rights. The international class-oriented labour movement through the lines of WFTU honours the legacy of their struggle and continues under any circumstance, despite the difficulties, to struggle for the coverage of the workers modern needs and the abolition of exploitation. For the emancipation of the working class and its liberation from capitalist barbarism. OUR URGENT DUTIES Brother and sister workers, employees and unemployed, retirees, immigrants and refugees, young scientists, indigenous people, women and men, in front of the complex difficulties we are faced with, we must once again stand at the forefront of the struggle, combining our ability to fight for the abolition of social exploitation with immediate and urgent requests: The states and governments should allocate the necessary funds for the support of the Public Healthcare Sector, so that all peoples have access to free, full and decent health coverage. Prohibition of privatisations in the strategic health sector. The International Organisations should stop good wishes and descriptions and live up to their founding principles. Safe and free vaccine for all. Prohibition of dismissals. Respect of all salary, insurance and employment rights of the employees. Defending democratic and trade union freedoms. Defending the right to strike. Strengthening of internationalism and solidarity between workers and peoples. Stop speculation and high prices. Repel racist and neo-fascist phenomena. Dear Colleagues, Honouring the 75 years of WFTU, let us strengthen our class struggles, putting into practice our slogan: NO ONE SHOULD BE ALONE! All workers, together, we can struggle for the satisfaction of our modern needs. The WFTU has been and is at the forefront for 75 years. It is our duty to continue and we will do so. Long live proletarian internationalism Long live May Day The struggle goes on! Jennifer Morgan broke new ground when she became the first woman to run one of Germany's top-30 listed companies. Her tenure lasted less than a year. Software giant SAP appointed Morgan as co-chief executive officer in October alongside Christian Klein. It was heralded as a sign of progress for male-dominated corporate Germany, where a board member of a public company is more likely to be named Thomas than be a woman. But ahead financial results, the company canceled her planned interviews and abruptly announced she'll be leaving at the end of April. Klein will become the sole CEO. "Germany has a special issue," Simone Menne, former chief financial officer of Deutsche Lufthansa and Boehringer Ingelheim said. "There are still male voices saying there are no women in our industries who are capable of being senior leaders." Menne left her position as CFO of Boehringer in 2017 following conflicts with chief executive officer Hubertus von Baumbach. Before she took the job, Menne had said in an interview that she wanted to run a company in the DAX, the index for the country's 30 biggest publicly traded companies. But after three stints as CFO, Menne was never able to become CEO. A woman wouldn't hold that role at one of the largest companies in the country until Morgan's appointment in 2019. Menne now runs an art gallery and sits on the supervisory boards of BMW and Deutsche Post. She called Morgan's departure "a disaster." "We maintain our commitment to equal opportunities, for which we are seen as frontrunners. I read some comments that now even advise women not to pursue management careers. This does women in particular a disservice. After all, we should be encouraging them to take on top jobs, not discouraging them!" SAP's German head of human resources Cawa Younosi said in an emailed response. "In my opinion it is important not to fall into stereotypes, to resist the triggers and not to generalize an individual case." SAP blamed the covid-19 pandemic for causing problems with its leadership structure saying the company will now shift to a lone CEO to provide a clearer management arrangement. Co-CEO models are becoming increasingly unpopular at software companies, because they can slow decision making and breed power struggles. Morgan didn't respond to requests for comment. The leadership structure was disorganized and, at times, chaotic, a person familiar with the matter said at the time. With Morgan running the business in the U.S. and Klein in Germany, it took longer to get things done because, in certain instances, managers needed sign off from two different CEO offices, this person said, asking not to be named discussing the company's internal dynamics. Over time, two distinct power centers emerged, the person said. Klein, who was based at the company's headquarters in Germany also benefited from his close ties to Chairman Hasso Plattner, the person said. Management teams of listed German companies are predominantly male economists from the western side of the country in their mid-50s, according to a report last year by the AllBright Foundation, a nonprofit that aims to promote diversity among business leaders. In the U.S.'s top 30 companies by market value, about 28% of the board members are female executives, according to the report. In Sweden's top 30, that figure is about 23%. But in Germany, the DAX has about 15% in this powerful position. Still, the country, which has been run by a female chancellor for the last 15 years, is trying to change. In 2016, Parliament enacted a law that requires 30% of non-executive board members of German-headquartered companies must be women. In German companies, the board is split into a non-executive supervisory board and a management board. The supervisory board holds management accountable and makes decisions about the direction of the company. German families minister Franziska Giffey is proposing to introduce a quota for the executive board for publicly traded companies with more than 2,000 employees and at least four board positions. Janina Kugel, the former chief human resources officer at Siemens, said that getting a critical mass of women in top positions is vital to ending stereotypes of female leaders in Germany. "There is generally little openness or experience of diversity in Germany, not just with regards to gender," said Kugel, who left Siemens in January. "I fear that the crisis is being used as an excuse to go back on issues like diversity." Germany suffers from structural discrimination that stems from lack of legislation, she said. From a psychological standpoint, being around people from a similar background may make executives feel more secure when a business environment is unstable, said Philine Erfurt Sandhu, a lecturer at the Berlin School of Economics and Law. "Although diversity is needed more than ever for good decision making at the top, I am currently witnessing a reversal in Germany. Business leaders are looking for a sense of certainty among similar peers," Sandhu said. "John likes to be with Johnny." Islamabad: Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday changed his media team for the second time since coming to power in 2018 amid mounting criticism of his government for failing to address the key issues of the country. Prime Minister Khan appointed Senator Shibli Faraz as the new information minister of the country. Faraz is the son of eminent Urdu poet late Ahmad Faraz. Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) for information and broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan was also removed and was replaced by former military spokesman Lt Gen (retied) Asim Saleem Bajwa. She was appointed as the SAPM for information and broadcasting on April 18, 2019, after the Cabinet reshuffle. Minister for Science Fawad Chaudhry, who was the first information minister of Khan, confirmed the new appointments. "Truly an honourable and dignified man @shiblifaraz has been appointed new Information minister of Pak, and brilliant @AsimSBajwa appointed SAPM on info both 'll make a great team.... all the best," Chaudhry said in a tweet. Bajwa served as Director General of the Pakistan Army's media wing, Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), when General Raheel Sharif was the Army chief. He was credited for making Sharif a larger than life figure and transforming the working of the ISPR. Bajwa is also serving as the chairman of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) authority. The changes were made to blunt the perception that the media handling of the government was not good and its work was not being properly highlighted. However, many analysts still wonder how the new team would deliver until the common people feel the benefit of the steps taken by the government. "The way these change have been made will not give a good impression and help the cause of the government," analyst Ayaz Amir told Dunya TV. The Pakistan government has also faced criticism for its delayed reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic. Pakistan has 13,328 coronavirus cases while the death toll from the pandemic has reached 281, the health ministry said on Monday. Khan was sworn in as the 22nd Prime Minister of Pakistan in August 2018. With travel restrictions in place worldwide, weve launched a new series The World Through a Lens in which photojournalists transport you, virtually, to some of our planets most beautiful and intriguing places. This week, Benjamin Lowy shares a collection of photographs from Easter Island. Some 2,200 miles off the coast of Chile, Rapa Nui, also known as Easter Island, is among the worlds most remote inhabited islands. When I visited in 2008, it took nearly 20 hours of travel to reach its shores. These are becoming one of the most in-demand commodities in the COVID world with malls, offices, banks, and shops lining up to install the structure at their entrances. The company swamped with these orders is a relatively new one, Chennai-based Nanolife, which has patented its Rajat Bhasma formula or the silver nanoparticles solution as a healthy disinfectant. IMAGE: A man manages a small herd of goats as he walks down a road in New Delhi. Photograph: Kamal Kishore/PTI Photo The path to Venkateshwara, the deity at the Tirupati temple, involves crossing a tunnel these days. This is no cave like the one Vaishno Devis pilgrims might be familiar with, but a disinfectant gateway that sprays you with the Rajat Bhasma solution to rid you of any virus such as COVID-19 from your clothes, hair, skin, and even feet. This tunnel was donated to us by a company called Nanolife, which makes the ayurvedic disinfectant. The temple is closed now, so its just our staff using it, a senior official at the temple said. Disinfectant tunnels are becoming one of the most in-demand commodities in the COVID world with malls, offices, banks, and shops lining up to install the structure at their entrances. The immediate demand is coming from factories, where lockdown rules are being relaxed. An automobile factory recently went a step further and installed for its trucks huge archways, where they are sprayed with the disinfectant before entering the premises. Trucks travel all over the country and could have many vulnerable spots. This way one can ensure the safety of workers as well, an industry source said. The company swamped with these orders is a relatively new one, Chennai-based Nanolife, which has patented its Rajat Bhasma formula or the silver nanoparticles solution as a healthy disinfectant. Demand has never been this high ... being an ayurvedic product free of any chemicals, it is safe for human use. "We are primarily a company making pharma products and we will partner with others to make these tunnels, said Ajmal Dastagir, director, Nanolife. The structure is usually a couple of metres in length and a metre and a half in width. It sprays the people entering with a mist-like solution that claims to kill the virus on the surface of ones body. The health ministry recently issued an advisory against spraying sodium hypochlorite as disinfectant on humans because it could lead to irritation in the eyes and skin, and have gastrointestinal effects such as nausea and vomiting. The ayurvedic disinfectant has not been tested on COVID-19 but on a virus of the same pH family and shown 99.9 per cent efficacy. It is awaiting certification from the Bureau of Indian Standards. As it is a non-alcoholic product, the company is seeing a lot of demand from religious places, especially mosques and temples. In the past month Nanolife received thousands of enquiries, including from the Tirupati temple. Mumbai-based retail installations agency Surreal Design Studio has developed similar purification tunnels and booths. The company has received inquiries for these tunnels from top brands, corporate offices, residential spaces and even airports. We are gearing up our production back-end for a pan-Indian rollout ... Some establishments have installed these tunnels and our market estimate shows that such measures will be standard procedures in most places in the future, said Rahul Soni, managing director, Surreal Design Studio. The Tirupati temple, for instance, has sought a tunnel model that can spray the liquid in a horizontal manner. Sceptics, however, say if a person is potentially exposed to the COVID-19 virus, spraying the external part of the body would not kill the microbe, which is inside the body. Photo: Tiffany Cadogan In party dresses or come as you are, with coloured lights flashing in their bedrooms and teachers-turned-DJs spinning, high schoolers have turned to virtual proms to salvage at least one slice of fun and tradition for the Class of 2020. And theyre getting help from familiar brands like Teen Vogue and Jack in the Box, with both serving as hosts to thousands of teens. Celebrities, too, are taking on prom: The Get Out actress Allison Williams was a guest DJ for Zoom partygoers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Jack Ryan star John Krasinski was joined by Billie Eilish when he threw a prom live on YouTube. It's terrible that it's happening to your class, but I hope you're having a good time anyway," Williams told about 100 teens, staff and guests April 16 at the prom hosted by the Baton Rouge Youth Coalition, an after-school program. The theme was Royaltee, an acknowledgement that while some kids had already bought their dresses before lockdown, others never got the chance and were welcome in T-shirts. On top, Williams sparkled in a strapless copper sequin dress, joking that she couldn't get up and dance because there are sweatpants happening. Alauna Stults, 17, in Findlay, Ohio, will wear a blue bedazzled two-piece outfit when she attends an online prom May 9 thrown by the party apparel rental service Charlotte's Closet and an event planning site, My School Dance. Charlotte's Closet is donating dresses to teens in need, including Alauna. "I was looking forward to prom, she said. I was pretty pumped up about it. I was planning on going with a group of my friends, but it's really cool we can still dress up and do everything we would do for a prom, like doing makeup." High schools and cheer teams have thrown virtual proms of their own as social media has filled up with sweet moments among families. Dads have taken their dressed-up daughters for living room spins for a dance or two, and teens have organized home proms among parents and siblings. Prom is definitely one of those bigger life moments when you're growing up, even if you find it to be corny or not cool. It definitely still is something that's a moment you look back on and remember, said Teen Vogue Editor-in-Chief Lindsay Peoples Wagner. The site expects about 5,000 teens to attend its virtual prom May 16 on Zoom. Organizers are working with high schools around the country to set up separate rooms so kids can be with their friends as celebrity co-hosts pop in and DJs get busy. YouTuber Emma Chamberlain, H.E.R. and Euphoria star Storm Reid are expected. It will be really interactive, and that's going to be the fun part of it, Peoples Wagner said. As part of a social distancing campaign, #StayInTheBox, Jack in the Box is working with schools in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix and Houston to put on a prom in May, complete with free food and delivery codes. Serenity Cadogan in Covington, Georgia, near Atlanta is only 12, but she hosted a high school prom live on Instagram on March 31, which was National Prom Day, for more than 600 teens around the world, from Texas to London. We wanted to brighten their day, said the seventh-grader, who leads a chapter of Becca's Closet, a non-profit that donates free prom dresses to high school girls. Everybody was really happy. It was really classy. I didn't expect that many people but it actually ran pretty smoothly." A 63-year-old woman in Patiala died of coronavirus on Monday, taking the total number of COVID-19-related deaths to 19 in Punjab, officials said. The coronavirus positive woman, who was undergoing treatment at the Rajindra hospital in Patiala, died of the virus, official said. Eight more persons, all of them pilgrims who returned from Nanded in Maharashtra, tested positive for coronavirus, taking the total count of confirmed cases to 330 in the state. According to a medical bulletin released on Monday night, five persons belonged to Tarn Taran and three hailed from Kapurthala. Coronavirus patients was detected for the first time in Tarn Taran. The source of their infection is likely from outside Punjab, said the medical bulletin. The first batch of pilgrims, who were stuck at Hazur Sahib in Nanded, have returned to their respective places in the state. Around 4,000 pilgrims from Punjab, who had gone to pay obeisance at Gurdwara Hazur Sahib in Nanded in Maharashtra, had been stuck there because of the lockdown. But after the Union Home ministry intervened at the instance of the Punjab government and the Akali Dal, all these pilgrims are now being brought to their home state. Apart from them, 2,900 labourers, belonging to Punjab, are returning to the state in buses from Jaisalmer in Rajasthan, where they were stranded in five relief camps, an official statement said. "5 of Nanded returnees have tested positive for Covid 19. About 4000 persons from Nanded and 3,000 from Jaisalmer have already started reaching various districts in the State. "It has been decided to put them in government quarantine and test everybody. Accordingly, place all of them in Government quarantine immediately," Punjab's special chief secretary KBS Sidhu tweeted. Twelve coronavirus patients six from Mohali, five from Amritsar and one from Patiala were discharged from hospitals, taking the total number of cured patients to 98 in the state, as per medical bulletin. Jalandhar district continued to lead the COVID-19 tally in the state with 78 coronavirus cases, followed by 63 in Mohali, as per the bulletin. Of the 330 cases, 61 cases were reported in Patiala so far, followed by 25 in Pathankot,20 in SBS Nagar, 18 in Ludhiana, 14 in Amritsar, 13 in Mansa, seven in Hoshiarpur, six in Kapurthala, five in Tarn Taran, four in Moga, three each in Rupnagar, Sangrur and Faridkot, two each in Fatehgarh Sahib and Barnala, and one each in Muktsar, Gurdsapur and Ferozepur. Of the total cases, 19 have died, as per bulletin. A total of 15,516 samples have been taken so far in the state and of which, 12,333 samples have tested negative and reports of 2,853 samples are stillawaited. There are 213 active cases in the state, itsaid. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Ensuring Continuity of Operations Top Seven Focus Areas for Local Government IT Leadership Telework. Assess need, acquire and deploy equipment, scale up the network, mobilize help desk, move/adjust/adapt telecommunications, and update or create policies. EOC and Anchor Institutions. Staff and support emergency operations and response teams with GIS, telecommunication, network setup, back-end customized reporting, ERP and payroll and equipment capabilities. Virtual Public Meetings. Identify appropriate technologies and services, train council and committee members, adhere to public meetings laws, and test and refine meeting protocol for members and the public. User Education. Guide and instruct employees how to connect from home, troubleshoot connectivity problems, have good cyberhygiene, access necessary applications, connect printers, and hold virtual video/audio meetings. Cybersecurity. Assess new perimeter, procure needed protections, accelerate countywide cybertraining programs, continue to monitor, defend against bad actors/cyberthreats, and adapt. Information Dissemination. Identify spokesperson, draft public information, develop overall strategy, and frequent updates. Knowledge Sharing. Share knowledge and insights, ask questions, share answers through government, association, and peer networks. (Cook, Pardo) In a span of three days, from March 18-20, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo went from reducing the states in-person government workforce by 50 percent to issuing a PAUSE (Policy that Assures the Uniform Safety of Everyone) executive order that required all non-essential businesses to close and non-essential government personnel to work at home. In short, government had to close but remain open.This is no easy feat.Keeping local government open in this unique fashion fell largely to the information technology professionals. Since the order was issued, public servants have been center stage in keeping cities, counties and towns open and ensuring continuity of operations.Each of these individuals have a story to tell.Marguerite Bierne, CIO of Westchester County, the home of New Rochelle, and the first county in the United States to have a containment zone declared, characterized her IT professionals in this way: We are the team that helps the helpers. Our job is to support everyone so we can get through this together. But we are no different than other local government IT departments around the state; we rise to the challenges; it is just what we do.Local government IT professionals are typically charged with supporting the entire spectrum of local departments. In New York, this includes public health, public safety, governance, public works, elections and many more government functions. Their work requires a unique combination of a birds-eye view of the enterprise and a process-level understanding of every program and service provided by their government. They must be strategic and tactical and understand a wide range of public policy issues and technologies. They must be innovative, pragmatic and adaptive because sometimes the money they need to upgrade a system or buy a new one must instead go to fund critical public works investments or more public safety personnel.As part of their regular responsibilities, many local government IT leaders had developed disaster plans and had even begun to make investments that would, in the case of a disaster, move some staff to alternate work locations. While few had imagined COVID-19, as they ramped up to respond to Gov. Cuomos PAUSE announcement, they began to realize the value of previous investments in planning, shared services and virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI).According to Jeanne Brown, IT Hall of Fame awardee and program director of the Digital Towpath Cooperative (DTC), a 20-year-old nationally recognized eGovernment shared service for small municipalities in New York, shared services have played a critical role for years in ensuring continuity of operations for some of NYS smallest local governments. DTC is cloud-based, so our members were already used to connecting from anywhere. Over the last several weeks we have seen our email and website usage double as local leaders make sure their communities have the most up-to-date information. They can work from anywhere, and DTC keeps them connected to each other and with their residents.In Genesee County , Steve Zimmer, IT director, highlighted the ROI they are experiencing from their virtual desktop infrastructure. It was a big expense a couple of years back but it has turned out to be the best investment we made in our infrastructure for getting our teams up and running from home, he said.Lorne Green, CIO, Sullivan County , explained, we had just finished installing Windows 10 in VDI and it could not have been better timing. Yes, it was more of an investment at the beginning but in the long run it gives us more flexibility. For me, now I will look at every IT investment, large or small, at its potential for supporting alternative work locations.Karen Andrews, assistant IT director, Broome County , said, In our county we have disaster recovery plans and experience with natural disasters but this was a new scenario altogether. As an IT department we already knew how to work in support of our emergency operations center (EOC), so even though it has been exhausting, its also been a great example of putting our experience into action.As one of New Yorks smart cities, Schenectady was well underway with a Wi-Fi project designed to ensure that the public would have access to high-speed Internet. Sensing the likelihood that the pandemic would close schools and move learning online, the project was accelerated with the understanding that students may soon have the greatest need.According to John Coluccio, Schenectadys signal superintendent, the mayor knew public Wi-Fi was a key ingredient for the city to become smarter. The most exciting part of this project is seeing the difference access is making every day for the kids here in Schenectady. Weve seen the stats; kids are using the public Wi-Fi; school is open.Drawing on past investments and deep expertise, IT leaders worked in partnership with mayors, administrators and department heads to execute plans for keeping their governments open. IT staff joined teams at their emergency operations centers (EOCs). They set up remote work capability for in the case of some local governments hundreds of employees, including the ability to accelerate plans to provide both VDI and virtual private network (VPN) capabilities. They worked with colleagues from their law departments and referenced state public meetings laws to ensure that their virtual public meetings met the necessary legal requirements. They helped community anchor institutions such as hospitals, libraries and schools.Our IT department has moved mountains over the last couple of weeks, said Westchester's Beirne. We staff the EOC and there is critical GIS work to be done; we got the employees working remotely and have not missed a beat in providing services. This is while our DPW, Parks and Rec, DoH and DoIT departments worked with NYS DoH and the Army Corp of Engineers to convert our county center and adjacent parking lot into a field hospital.The IT team in Tioga County , a much smaller county located in southwestern New York, used communication and planning to overcome obstacles. Douglas Camin, Tiogas IT director, said, communication is key and with a plan sent out to the department heads we were able to quickly prioritize and get much accomplished. Our IT team also supports municipalities in Tioga so we were able to help there, too. It is about creating a plan and determining which resources need to be deployed where and when, and then doing it.When Gov. Cuomo issued his executive order, most local governments did not have telework policies in place, so this was new territory. But to Bob Cacace, CIO and COO, city of Yonkers , teamwork made it happen. Like many other NYS cities, we didnt have a telework policy or much past practice, he said. But our city knows how to work together as a team, so we identified and communicated with staff, bought equipment, imaged new devices, assessed infrastructure, to get the staff up and running. All in all, it took us about three days, and now we know if we had to do it again, it would take half that time.Many IT directors recognized that user education on teleworking technologies would be absolutely critical. Most staff and members of various governing bodies had never used teleworking technologies. IT departments ran help desks and provided guided sessions on a continual basis, hours on end. Most city and county IT departments worked 12-14 hours a day for at least the first two weeks, and possibly are still.For local governments without enough equipment to support telework for all their staff, the CIOs and IT directors had to work quickly. They knew that many other governments and businesses would be in the same boat and that many would also need to buy new equipment. Some governments chose to follow standard procurement processes and found that by the time they got through those processes, the inventory they needed was gone or the number of devices they could buy in each order was limited.Others worked with their county colleagues to agree on processes that provided necessary flexibility.Paul Lutwak, IT director for Madison County , credited his team and the working relationship with county leadership for making it possible for him to get Madison County up and running. I had the full support of our Board of Supervisors, my administration, the Department Directors, and the purchasing and finance departments who said that they would handle all paperwork for any purchases that needed to be made. This was huge in helping the county get up and running quickly, he said. Tompkins County IT staff worked side by side with public officials through the transition from face to face to virtual public meetings. Loren Cottrell, the countys deputy director of IT, explained how it worked: We set up our county Legislature with video conferencing technology, then we added features to include the public. We did training sessions with members, and before we knew it they were business as usual, just virtual. It was a learning curve for sure, but we stayed a part of the process until everyone was comfortable with the technology.Information sharing among IT professionals has been key to response efforts. Two networks, in particular, have been valuable. One is the longstanding and highly trusted listserv of the NYS Local Government IT Directors Association (NYSLGITDA). For 25 years this association has supported knowledge sharing and networking in day-to-day decision-making and through disasters such as ice storms, floods, cybersecurity incidents and now COVID-19.A critical new resource supporting the efforts of county IT leaders nationwide is the County Tech Xchange . Launched by the National Association of Counties (NACo) just as the U.S. was heading into lockdown, the Xchange listserv and portal has provided a much needed connection among county IT leaders throughout the country.According to Rita Reynolds, chief technology officer at NACo, county CIOs are tackling many of the same challenges in every state. The Tech Xchange is a way to connect them to their peers so they can hear from those who are also working on similar issues. Questions posed by county IT leaders are answered quickly and in depth. The portal already houses many examples of technology job descriptions and policies on a range of topics, including work from home, which any county IT leader can use. There is no need to go it alone.Working alongside county leadership, local government IT professionals used their years of knowledge and experience and put them quickly into action. Their service approach, dedication to the community, and ingenuity allowed their governments to continue critical operations and services. As these stories show, trust was a significant contributing factor in each local government.Jack Hess, IT director with Cortland County and president of NYSLGITDA, said, you can talk about a pandemic when planning, but no one really thought we would have to move most of our workforce to remote locations in a matter of days. But we did. Our county administrator and board put their trust in the IT department and we got it done. Rochester CIO Albert Gauthier stated, it was important to make sure we were meeting the needs of our colleagues so we put out a survey to all city employees within the first week of remote working. What we heard back was an overwhelming sense of appreciation and support. Even with some hiccups and challenges, our colleagues knew the IT team would work until everyone was able to carry out their work from home.With their governments still running during the pandemic, these public servants are not resting on their laurels. They are continuing to support critical response efforts including county and city health departments who are faced with new challenges in collecting, sharing and analyzing COVID-19-related data. They know that budgets are going to be affected, yet planning and preparation has to continue. The trust that has been built is critical because everyone knows the next 30 days will surely not look anything like the first 30.Almost all of them know someone who is sick or succumbed to the illness and still, like their local government peers, they forge ahead. They do it for each other, they do it for their communities, and they do it because theyre New Yorkers. It is what we call #NYTOUGH. Ukraine Police Raid Clinic Allegedly Selling Babies to Chinese Single Men of Certain Orientation The National Police of Ukraine last week raided a private reproductive clinic in Kiev that has allegedly been selling newborns to China for a long time, according to a government official. The deputy head of Ukraines Ministry of Internal Affairs, Anton Herashchenko, published details of the raid in a Facebook post on Sunday, saying that police stopped the criminal activity of an international, transnational group that is now charged with human trafficking. Herashchenko described the criminal operationwhich was allegedly led by the head of the clinic, her son, two Ukrainians, and three Chinese nationalsas a supermarket for the sale of newborns. Members of the criminal group found women in Ukraine to register fictitious marriages with foreigners and participate in surrogacy programs in order to facilitate the trafficking of the newborns abroad, Herashchenko said. For a monetary reward, the criminals provided services to solve organizational and legal issues related to the processes of fertilization, childbirth, paperwork, and legalization of the export of children outside Ukraine, he wrote. In other words, they sold children born to Ukrainian women to China for money. Newborns were sold for a price of roughly $50,000, which covered the cost of artificial insemination, organization of sham marriages, as well as legal support, according to the official. After the birth of the children, birth certificates were allegedly reissued to the names of the buyers and their fictitious wivesthe surrogate mothers. The National Police of Ukraine said in a statement on Facebook that law enforcement officers stopped the illegal activities of a group engaged in the sale of babies abroad. For a long time, abusers, under the guise of surrogate motherhood and through fictitious marriages with foreigners, transported newborn children not only throughout Ukraine but also to other countries. According to Herashchenko, the majority of the groups clients were Chinese citizenssingle men of a certain orientation. An investigation is underway into at least 140 Chinese citizens suspected of involvement in the purchasing of newborns in Ukraine, he said. He added that it is not yet clear how many babies born in Ukraine have been smuggled out of the country. The police will make every effort to prevent this from happening again, Herashchenko wrote. The National Police of Ukraine reportedly conducted 11 raids in total, including at the homes of the suspects, their offices, clinic, as well as searches of their cars. Investigators found five newborns aged 2 to 6 weeks in private apartments across Kiev, which they believe were about to be trafficked, and took them to childrens hospitals. Herashchenko said that surrogacy is not regulated in Ukraine, and is not expressly prohibited by law. If found guilty of human trafficking, the group will face up to 12 years in prison, he added. Chandigarh, April 27 : Even as stranded pilgrims from Nanded as well as labourers and students from Rajasthan continued to reach home in Punjab, Amarinder Singh-led government, here on Monday, contacted the Delhi government to facilitate evacuation of 250 Sikh pilgrims stuck at the Sri Majnu Ka Tila gurdwara due to the lockdown. Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Satish Chandra wrote to Deputy Commission (Central) New Delhi Nidhi Srivastava, seeking expeditious permission of the Delhi government to facilitate safe return of the stranded pilgrims from the Delhi gurdwara, through special Punjab government buses. Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Chief Minister's Office said 152 students, stranded in Kota, were brought back to Punjab in specially hired buses up to Bathinda, from where they were transported to their respective destinations by state government buses. Apart from these, 2,800 Punjabi labourers will return home in 60 government buses from Jaisalmer, where they are stranded in five relief camps. They are expected to reach Punjab on Tuesday morning via the Ganganagar entry point to the state. Further, as many as 467 pilgrims reached Bathinda on Monday evening in government buses from Nanded and were on their way to their respective hometowns. Another lot of buses have started leaving for Nanded to bring back more pilgrims. Expressing grief over the untimely demise of a PRTC driver, who was on way to Nanded, on April 26, the Chief Minister announced an ex gratia grant of Rs 10 lakh. When you give a lynch mob a length of rope, you never know whos gonna get strung up. Might even be you. Lynch mobs are unpredictable like that. Joe Biden is learning this the hard way. Let us recall the days not long ago when the lynch mob was going after Brett Kavanaugh. This was during his Supreme Court confirmation hearings, 2018. Biden at the time was outspokenly supportive of the allegations of sexual misconduct that were suddenly being flung at Kavanaugh, even though the accusations were uncorroborated and dubious on their face not to mention highly suspicious in their timing. All at once Kavanaugh, a top-of-his-class sort of guy, was being portrayed as decades earlier having been a punk, a wildly partying, chug-a-lugging, high-school hellion and sex fiend. Strange, nobody had raised questions about Kavanaughs serial, sexual misconduct during all his years in various sensitive White House and other federal government posts or as a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. No woman who had ever worked for him or with him had ever made such a complaint. Those who had worked for him in fact came to his defense. Yet heres what Joe Biden said at the time, and I quote: For a woman to come forward in the glaring lights of focus nationally, youve got to start off with the presumption that at least the essence of what shes talking about is real, whether or not she forgets facts . . . . In other words, a male must be presumed, if not guilty, at the very least regarded with great suspicion of being guilty whenever accused by a female. Here we have a whole new jurisprudential principle. Under certain circumstances, the presumption of innocence is to be waived, or at least relaxed, until the accused proves his innocence beyond any doubt. (And good luck to the accused in ever being able to do that.) Now another female has emerged from the woodwork with yet again a decades-old sexual misconduct charge against a public figure. But this time that public figure is Joe Biden himself. Hed surely like to have those words of his back. Sorry, Joe. Too late. Biden is now under suspicion. He is now being hoisted on his own petard. A woman named Tara Reade has come forward 27 years after the alleged encounter to level an accusation against him. The lapse of time is reason itself to be skeptical of her story. But according to Bidens own words, we must presume that at least the essence of what shes talking about is real simply because the accusation was made publicly by a female. And no, by the way, the accuser is not an agent of the vast right-wing conspriracy. A long-time left-leaning Democrat, shes reported to have been a Sen. Bernie Sanders backer. Asked to comment on her accusation, Sanders echoed the Biden rule that her allegation merits attention simply because a female made it. A woman has the right, the righteous old socialist declared, to make her claim to get a public hearing. Tara Reade says that back in 1993, when she was an aide to then Senator Biden, he put his hand up her dress and penetrated her. Thats sexual assault. Did this actually happen? Im personally inclined to doubt it, or at the very least to regard it as unproven. But according to Bidens own words (and Sanders), Im obliged to believe her, or at a minimum to start viewing the accused with grave suspicion. Her story has, however, included some minor inconsistencies and discrepancies, some revisions. Then theres the storys timing, coming out, as such stories seem to have a way of doing, in the heat of a political election. The accuser concedes there are details of the incident she cant quite recall. That perhaps is understandable given the long passage of time. But shouldnt she be able to recollect at least the place where the incident occurred? Wouldnt that detail be indelibly emblazoned on her memory given the trauma of the event she alleges? Yet she says she cant recall for sure exactly where it happened. Hmmm. Ironically, #MeToo activists who are swift to arrive at guilty verdicts in such matters have not hesitated to subject her to the old crazy-bimbo treatment. That treatment is often rolled out to discredit women who complain of sexual harassment. Partisans who are eager to debunk the charges against the Democratic Partys presumptive presidential nominee are now going out of their way to point out the accusers flaky political views, including a supposed obsessive attraction to Vladimir Putin. Bidens defenders are pointing an index finger to their heads and making a circular motion. The lady is a raving, loony dingbat, theyre suggesting. Tara Reades story does have at least this much going for its credibility, however: She did in fact know the man she now accuses. That much is not in doubt. In sharp contrast, during the Kavanaugh hearings Kavanaughs star accuser, Christine Blasey Ford, was never able to show she really ever knew the man she was accusing, much less that she was harassed by him decades ago. The gaps in her story, however, didnt deter the media from putting and keeping the spotlight on it for weeks on end, without letup. There was little of the skepticism thats now apparent in the media regarding Bidens accuser. Apart from Sanders, no party sachem is now saying as Joe Biden once suggested that the essence of Tara Reades allegation must be respected. The New York Times and Nation magazine, among other progressive outlets, are inclined not only to doubt Tara Reades story, they took vigorous measures to debunk it, to the extent they could. Let us recall that Sen. Biden was the impresario of the 1991 Clarence Thomas Supreme Court confirmation hearings, which featured suddenly emerging dirt on the high-court nominee. A former Thomas employee, Anita Hill, belatedly, came forward with allegations that Thomas had made smutty remarks when she worked for him at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The case against Thomas, mind you, concerned only off-color comments, not physical sexual harassment. The matter now seems, in retrospect, almost a quaint controversy. No other Thomas female employee ever voiced such a complaint against him. Only Anita Hill, and she alone. And she did so only long after she had left the EEOC and moved from Washington to Oklahoma. And only when Thomas confirmation had stirred a partisan opposition movement based on his political ideology. Yet phone records cast doubt on her charges by showing that she had continued to have amicable contact with Thomas long after she left Washington. She even attended a breakfast meeting with him when he made a trip to Oklahoma at her invitation, later giving him a lift to the airport. Yet in progressive circles her flaw-riddled account is regarded to this day as above questioning. Among progressives, shes an angelic heroine, Thomas is a thuggish ogre. In their mind hes forever branded guilty, guilty, guilty. Actually, the #MeToo movement from its origins has had an odor redolent of partisan politics clinging to it. Take the Bill Cosby case. Given the parade of women who eventually came forward to give testimony against him, its no surprise to hear that Cosbys predatory proclivities had been widely rumored long before the multimillionaire entertainer was ever forced to answer for them. In those days, Cosby was largely identified with the Democratic Party and liberal causes. It was not until Cosby later began talking about the socio-economic consequences of fatherless African American households a conservative-sounding message anathema to certain politically attuned ears that the allegations against Crosby finally began to secure a legal toehold and a sympathetic hearing. Then there was Harvey Weinstein. How long would the movie mogul have gotten away with his swinish, lecherous bullying had he been, say, a long-time Republican instead of a long-time Democratic financial supporter? How long would he have gotten away with his horny Jabba the Hutt routine had he been known for backing all of the wrong causes (i.e., conservative ones) instead of all the right causes (i.e., liberal ones)? Well before a morally indignant media focused its attention on Weinstein, it latched onto the sybaritic Donald Trump. But, alas, the complainants against him were never able to come up with stories that had legs, as the political consultants say, or that had legal actionability, as the lawyers add. Meanwhile, seven other women besides Reade trooped forward to voice their discomfort over Bidens creepy tendency, they said, to touch them or sniff their hair. Biden apologized, saying maybe he was slow to grasp the evolving social rules regarding such behavior, and he pledged in the future to respect womens personal space. Whereupon the media seemed willing to declare the matter closed. In Weinsteins case, his licentiousness was, by many accounts, long an open secret in the movie industry. Yet uncomfortable truth here there were many actresses who, in hopes of advancing their careers, seemed willing to take their chances with him anyway. It does not forgive Weinsteins odious character it only reflects an elephant-in-the-room reality to note that many of his victims presented themselves in his apartments or hotel rooms, hoping for his career blessing, despite surely having heard talk of his self-indulgent libido. That thought, of course, is verboten in the star-chamber of the #MeToo movement. The reform thats most urgently needed now besides the eradication of sexual harassment to the fullest extent possible is media restraint, preferably voluntary, when it comes to circulating unproven or unprovable accusations. If women dont, or cant, make their case in a court of law or administrative hearing pursuant to law, the media should not help them try to make it in the court of public opinion especially not decades later, in the midst of a political campaign and without persuasive corroborating evidence backing up the accusations. Meanwhile, by shouting down Tara Reade and squelching her accusations against Joe Biden, the partisan #MeToo activists and their media amen corner may have finally begun, if inadvertently, to restore a semblance of even-handedness and fundamental due process in sorting out reputation-destroying and sometimes life-destroying accusations colored by politics. In 2007, at Scoil Iosa in Malahide, James Patrice sang Hey Big Spender as 'Jacinta' for his Sixth Year graduation. Jacinta was a character he created in school. She had six kids "and zero inhibitions". Zero inhibitions incarnate, James performed the song in a red sequinned jumpsuit in front of the parish priest. He smiles now at the memory. "I don't think he was ever the same again after my vivacious thrusting." Some of us will perhaps never be the same again after watching James bring Albert Square in London's East End to his home in Malahide, Co Dublin, in the last month on the internet. In his own imitable style, he played EastEnders' legends Sharon Watts and Peggy Mitchell, "while my mum does a mean Pat Butcher. Dad is the inimitable Dot Cotton of course". James laughs adding that he "nearly collapsed" a few weeks ago when Minister for Health Simon Harris tweeted James and said his videos with his mum "were keeping a lot of people going. I made sure to keep the wigs flying as a result". Expand Close Jim as Dot Cotton, Veronica as Pat Butcher and James as Peggy Mitchell in one of the EastEnders takeoffs / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Jim as Dot Cotton, Veronica as Pat Butcher and James as Peggy Mitchell in one of the EastEnders takeoffs "I've always loved EastEnders," he says of the iconic BBC soap opera. "It's provided us with some of the most dominant matriarchs in television that will do anything to protect their families and their reputation," he says referring to Sharon Watts, Peggy Mitchell, Kat Slater et al. "I grew up on all the soaps really. My sister Veronica (five years his senior and his only sibling) and I would sit with Mum at home in Malahide and watch them while Dad was in work," he says of his father Jim who was a barman for 50 years until he retired. "We had so much fun as a family watching the soaps." He was born James Butler on February 1, 1989 in the Rotunda Hospital. His middle name is Patrick. "When I did a bit of drag back in Trinity College [he studied French and drama] for a student fundraiser my drag name was 'Patrice'. I was 22. It was a one-off. Then when I was setting up my social media accounts I used James Patrice as my username for the craic - and lo and behold it stuck," James laughs. Asked about his earliest childhood memory, James says: "As odd as it may sound, it's probably having fake My Little Pony weddings with Vanessa, where she'd marry me off to her ponies, as one does! Of course, I was always the bride, complete with pillow case wedding veil." His mother and father were the witnesses. James's first crush growing up was when he was 13 was Lee Latchford-Evans from Steps. Video of the Day "All those dance moves in colour-coordinated outfits was fierce alluring altogether." Whatever about a boy crush on Lee from the 1990s pop troupe, James says he fell in love for the first time when he was in his late 20s. "Well now, at the time I thought it was love, but it turns out it was really just a wreck-the-head. I was 27 actually, which might be considered quite late. "We were only together a few months and I was heartbroken at the time, but not for very long. My friends always admire my resilience at bouncing back after a fella. But as I say, 'Why would I be crying over an eejit?,'" laughs James who came out in France in the summer of 2009. "And it felt absolutely mighty. I came out in a bar in Paris. Fierce continental altogether." James believes that because he was abroad it made him not care what anyone else thought..."and that sense of liberation allowed me to finally confront who I was with myself, and then let others in on the secret. Not that it was that much of a secret of course - my friends and family did a fantastic act at being relatively shocked". (Though James thinks that his obsessive devotion to Louis Walsh's girl-band Girls Aloud "let the cat out of the bag a long time before that".) As for his current love life, James kind of jokes that if he was "anymore single right now" he would "be minus one, never mind plus one". "To be honest," he continues, "I'm not actively seeking anything at the moment. Between work [reporting for RTE's Today show and being the king of social media as an influencer] and this fabulous quarantine, my schedule does be all over the place, and I've often had to cut a date short if I have a job the next day. "Of course I'm on Tinder, which really only offers nothing more than a repetitive strain injury on my thumb from swiping left," he explains. "But sure if you're not in ya can't win. A lot of the time if I do match with someone they don't believe it's actually me and think they're being cat-fished, or they'll say, 'there's your man off the telly'. "I shouldn't really care but it automatically makes me think that they may have a preconceived notion of me. I guess I might need to work on my trust issues with men a little more. I mean, all I really want from a bloke is a pulse. Is that too much to ask for?" James was bullied between the ages of 13 and 16 at school. "It wasn't physical, thankfully, mainly slagging and being called 'gay' or 'a girl'," he recalls, "not the most original." Does he think the bullying was because of his sexuality? "I'd say I was bullied because I wasn't the stereotypical young lad - whatever in the name of Jaysus that might be. I did school plays, was a goody two shoes and used to actually run away from the ball during PE. Sometimes when you don't fit a typical mould of what society dictates at the time that you should be, I guess it can make you a bit of a target for bullying. "But my parents always made me feel so confident in myself and encouraged me to enjoy the activities that I did, so I ultimately never let it get me down." When James went to Trinity, he really came into his own. "To study what I loved in the city centre with a group of like-minded people was absolute heaven." After graduating from Trinity James had visions of becoming an actor and falling straight into work. Instead, he worked in retail for four years, and despite enjoying the social aspects of work, he was "feckin' miserable." He can remember being off work sick in 2015 "with an ulcer on my leg, I felt particularly sh**e. I was in a retail job I hated, and my health was going against me too. I started doing skits on Snapchat out of sheer boredom, and that got the ball rolling for me." "After I started doing social media bits in RTE and was getting more work on my own social media channels, I then became backstage reporter for The Rose of Tralee [in 2016] and then Dancing with the Stars [in 2016], and a reporter on RTE Today. I absolutely love doing them - they give me an incredible buzz, there's nothing like it." He was also one of the stand-outs of Celebrity Operation Transformation on RTE 1 in 2017. "I cried every week. It was such an emotional and vulnerable experience for me - and they really threw everything at you. One minute you'd be riding a horse and the next you'd have a camera in your face eating your dinner. Ultimately it made me confront my own body and build a better relationship with it," says James - who lost 10kgs on the show. "I've had a bit of a mad oul' journey to get where I am now," he continues, "and I wouldn't change any of it. I do a few different things, and I love all of them. I'm a presenter, an MC, an influencer and a gobsh*te. Isn't it great to have the variety?" Whatever happened to Jacinta? "I didn't really hear from Jacinta again to be honest." Would James like to get married one day? Not a My Little Pony wedding but a real one. Does he believe in marriage? Would he like to have six kids like Jacinta? "I'd absolutely love to get married one day, and have kids hopefully too. Don't get me wrong, I'm not of the opinion that a husband and a family would 'complete' me as such, but I believe that finding and sharing love can be a wonderful thing. I'd like a piece of the action!" Have the producers or the EastEnders cast seen his online performances? "They haven't - but I'm determined that one day my mum and I will have a wander around the Queen Vic. I think I'd collapse!" As, I imagine, would they. You can follow James on Instagram @james_patrice By PTI AMBALA: Police cane-charged a group of people in a village here on Monday after they tried to disrupt the cremation of an elderly woman over suspicions that she might have died of COVID-19 infection. Police said that residents of Chandpura village, adjoining the Ambala cantonment, attempted to disrupt the last rites of the woman being performed at the local cremation ground in the evening. The villagers suspected that the woman might have died of COVID-19 infection and feared that the cremation would spread the virus in the area, they said. The crowd was assured that there was no such risk and asked not to oppose the cremation, police officials said. Police said the woman died at a civil hospital at Ambala Cantt in the afternoon. She had been admitted there after complaining of breathing problems, they added. ALSO READ| COVID-19 lockdown: Haryana Minister urges Delhi CM not to allow movement of people between states Hospital sources said that doctors collected her sample and sent it for testing as a precautionary measure. When the relatives of the deceased reached the cremation ground at Chandpura, the villagers opposed them, the police said. They said that senior police officers reached the area but the villagers refused to budge. Later, police had to use mild lathi charge to control the situation. The deceased was cremated there in the presence of the police, the officials said. Ambala SP Abhishek Jorwal said around a dozen villagers were taken into custody and further investigations were underway. Local hospitals are set to become among the first in the state to collect and use the plasma that experts say could help patients fight the coronavirus. Nuvance Health, the network that operates Danbury, Norwalk and five other hospitals, is opening three centers where people who have recovered from the coronavirus may donate their plasma to be used to try to treat current patients. These donations could be potentially lifesaving, the health network said, because the plasma has antibodies that may help patients battling the virus. These are antibodies the donor has produced to fight the infection when they had it, said Dr. Paul Fiedler, laboratory director for Nuvance Health. Now, they are transferring that capacity to the recipient of the transfusion. Danbury Hospital has treated 40 patients with plasma, while Norwalk has treated 35; New York hospitals Vassar Brothers and Putnam Hospital Center have treated 25 and three patients, respectively. Nuvance does not yet have data on how well plasma therapy has worked for the more than 100 patients systemwide who have been treated so far. But this method has been effective in reducing the severity of symptoms for other viruses, Fiedler said. Were optimistic that will hold true for this infection, as well, but its not been proven, he said. Norwalk Hospitals center will open Wednesday, while Danbury Hospitals will open on Friday, with Vassar Brothers Medical Center in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., launching on Monday. Other hospitals around the state and country are using plasma to treat patients, but many in Connecticut get their plasma from the American Red Cross or blood centers in New York and Rhode Island. This includes Stamford Hospital, which is conducting the states first clinical trial, and Yale New Haven and Greenwich hospitals, which are participating in a federal clinic led by Mayo Clinic, which has 1,978 sites and 4,524 patients nationwide. Nuvance Health system had been using plasma from the New York Blood Center and the American Red Cross. But the high demand led Nuvance to open its own centers, said Dr. James Nitzkorski, a surgical oncologist at Nuvance Health. Plasma contains antibodies that can fight infection, he said in a statement. When someone recovers from a COVID-19 infection, they do so, in part, because the antibodies can neutralize the virus and make someone better. That plasma is then taken from a donor, prepared and then given to a critically ill, COVID-19 patient. Nuvance still plans to use donations from New York Blood Center and Red Cross, as needed. They are a key part of the effort, said Marcela Rojas, spokeswoman for Nuvance. Two patients a day are able to donate plasma in Danbury, with four patients able to donate each day in Norwalk and Vassar Brothers, Fiedler said. Two to three patients may be helped through one donation, he said. Were going to keep running this as long as its needed clinically, Fiedler said. Donors must have tested positive for the virus, but have since recovered. They either must be symptom-free for 14 days with a negative test, or be symptom-free for 28 days with no need for a negative test. Donors must register online and will be contacted by staff. If donors are not feeling well or have low protein or hemoglobin concentration, they may not be eligible, Fiedler said. More Information How to donate plasma: Register nuvancehealth.org/plasmadonorregistration Hospital staff will contact donors with more information. Donors must wear masks during the procedure. It takes about an hour or two to donate. Criteria: COVID-19 confirmation with either positive swab or antibody test (antibody tests are expected but not currently available at the centers). Fourteen-day, symptom-free interval with a repeat negative swab OR 28-day, symptom-free interval with NO need for a repeat swab See More Collapse So far, almost 1,460 people have registered to donate. The centers are prioritizing donations from those who have been symptom-free for 28 days because doctors can be more confident that the patients do not have the virus, Fiedler said. The donation process takes an hour or two, and donors must wear masks. While some people become nauseous or vomit, side effects are usually minimal, Fiedler said. Blood is collected into a machine that separates the plasma from the red blood cells and saline, he said. The red blood cells and saline are transfused back into the body, while 650 milliliters of plasma is collected, he said. That plasma is split into three units, with one to two units given to patients with the virus through a one-time transfusion, Fiedler said. The antibodies may start working quickly, he said. But that doesnt mean we would see a clinical effect immediately, Fiedler said. President-elect of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) Arayik Harutyunyan today had a non-official meeting with Secretary of the Security Council of Armenia Armen Grigoryan in Stepanakert and posted information about the meeting on his Facebook page. The post reads as follows: Dear compatriots, today I had a non-official meeting with Secretary of the Security Council of Armenia Armen Grigoryan in Stepanakert. The issues on the agenda formed after the recent meeting in Yerevan remain unchanged and include security due to the novel coronavirus, defense reforms, ongoing ensuring of implementation of security programs and harmonization of institutions. We had a fruitful discussion on all the issues that will lead to the establishment of close cooperation in the future. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, April 27, 2020 18:17 625 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd485d3a 1 City PSBB,COVID-19,satellite-city,Luhut-Binsar-Pandjaitan,transportation-ministry,large-scale-social-restrictions Free Five regional heads of Jakartas peripheral areas, namely Bogor, Depok and Bekasi in West Java, have insisted on the suspension of commuter line services to curb the spread of COVID-19 after the proposal was rejected by the central government. Bogor Regent Ade Yasin, Bogor Deputy Mayor Dedi A. Rachim, Bekasi Mayor Rahmat Effendi and representatives of Bekasi Mayor Eka Supria Atmaja held a joint meeting in the Bogor regency office in Cibinong, West Java, on Sunday to evaluate the progress of large-scale social restrictions (PSBB) recently imposed in the satellite cities. We [] still urge the Transportation Ministry to temporarily stop commuter line trains during the PSBB, Ade said on Sunday as reported by tempo.co. She regretted that there had not been any drastic changes in the operations of commuter line services after the PSBB was put in place. [We hope] to at least have restrictions, closing down stations and carefully selecting people who use the commuter line, Ade added. Read also: Luhut decides against Greater Jakarta's calls for halt to Commuter Line during PSBB Jakartas satellite cities have imposed a partial lockdown since April 15, which will end on Tuesday. Based on their evaluation, the five regional heads agreed to propose an extension for the PSBB. The proposal will be submitted to the Health Ministry through the office of the West Java governor. The proposal was based on findings that most confirmed patients in the regions were likely infected while traveling on commuter line trains. We are certain that one of the reasons behind the growing number of confirmed cases is the operation of the commuter line. [Recent] data showed that most [COVID-19] patients commute by train, Ade added. The five officials previously asked the Transportation Ministry and state-owned railway company PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI), which operates the commuter line, to halt train services to comply with the PSBB and break the transmission chain of COVID-19. However, Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, who is also acting transportation minister, denied the request, arguing that halting the service would only create new problems as a majority of commuter train passengers were workers, some of whom worked in the health sector. The health sector is among the sectors deemed "essential" and thus still permitted to operate while the PSBB is in effect. (vny) A Pakistani anti-graft body on Sunday issued an arrest warrant against former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in a land related corruption case. "The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has issued arrest warrants of PML-N supreme leader Nawaz Sharif in the land case involving Jang Group editor-in-chief Mir Shakilur Rehman. Sharif was served notices and questionnaire in this case but no response came from him who is in London for his medical treatment," a NAB official told PTI on Sunday. Jang Group, also known as Geo Group, is a subsidiary of Dubai-based company Independent Media Corporation. The official said the NAB would move the accountability court to declare Nawaz Sharif a proclaimed offender. The NAB on March 12 had arrested Mir Shakilur Rahman in the case. He is in the bureau's custody on a physical remand till April 28. Three-time premier Nawaz Sharif left for London in November last year after the Lahore High Court granted him four-week permission for his heart condition. Sharif was given bail in the Al-Azizia Mills corruption case in which he was serving seven-year imprisonment in Lahore's Kot Lakhpat jail. "Once Sharif's is declared proclaimed offender then we will pursue the process of his repatriation," the official said on Sunday. "The decision to issue Mr Sharif's arrest warrants has been taken on his non-cooperation with NAB in the 54-kanal land in Lahore he had awarded illegally to Mir Shakilur Rehman in 1986 when he was chief minister of Punjab," the official said. Sharif had given an undertaking to the Lahore High Court to return to Pakistan citing his record to face the process of law and justice within four weeks or as soon as he is declared fit to travel. Sharif, who was diagnosed with an immune system disorder, has been advised by a PTI government's panel of doctors to go abroad for treatment. Sharif, 70, has been diagnosed with a complicated coronary disease. In London's Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospital, he underwent cardiovascular evaluation. According to Sharif's personal physician Dr Adnan Khan, the former premier has been diagnosed with "complicated coronary artery/ischemic heart disease with significant disease burden. Cardiac perfusion scans scheduled. In a latest tweet, Khan said: "As a high risk patient, former PM #NawazSharif's cardiac catheterization/coronary intervention was postponed to be rescheduled at a later date amidst COVID-19 pandemic, as public/private hospitals limited their admissions/procedures. Presently managed on aggressive medical therapy." AKRON, Ohio -- Organizers for the Akron Pride Festival and Equality March, set for August, have canceled the event due to coronavirus concerns. In the interest of the communitys health and safety, as well as with our deepest sadness, your Akron Pride Festival Steering Committee, in alignment with our City Administration and local public health agency has deemed it necessary to postpone Akron Pride Festival and Equality March until August 2021, organizers said in a news release. The City of Akron recently announced that most city-sponsored large events for the spring and summer are being postponed to 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic. The City is typically a sponsor of the annual event, which is held at Hardesty Park on Akrons West Side. While not the outcome we had hoped for, the safety of our community members and allies has always been our number one priority, said Julie Pryseski, project manager of the pride festivals steering committee. Bringing together an estimated 25,000 festival participants in just a few short months does not come with any level of assurance for us to do our part in protecting public health. For more information about the Akron Pride Festival and future events, follow the organizations Facebook page. Read more: 4 initial races in Akron marathon series cancelled; donation announced Will July 4 fireworks still be a blast, or a coronavirus-related bust? [April 26, 2020] Social Beat Launches DigiGrad, Ventures Into Online Digital Training BANGALORE, India, April 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Social Beat is excited to announce the launch of DigiGrad, a digital marketing training and skill development initiative. The aim is to bridge the gap between the demand and supply in the digital marketing job space, especially because an estimated 2 million digital marketing will be created by the end of 2020. "There is definitely a shortage of experienced digital marketers, as brands and marketing agencies look for talent. At DigiGrad, our goal is to enable young professionals and students with practical and best-in-industry programs to help them grow faster in their careers. We define our success with our student's success," said Suneil Chawla, Co-founder of Social Beat. Upskill and Upscale with DigiGrad With an in-depth curriculum and a rigorous training methodology, DigiGrad is offering programs that are tailor-made for marketers, beginners and entrepreneurs alike. Currently, it offers online training and plans to initiate an offline training delivery centre in Bangalore. Additionally, the training company also plans to expand to Chennai in the coming months. DigiGrad is kickstarting its online programs with byte-sized modules starting from just INR 999 onwards. It has also started conducting online and classroom customised corporate workshops and webinars. The flagship program is the Certificate Program in Digital Marketing which is a 360-hor program, spanning across 3 months and comprising online content, certifications, internship/live projects as well as classroom training, post the lockdown. "With only 35% of internet penetration in India, the next 10 years for digital marketers is going to be very exciting. As digital marketing scales, the demand for talented individuals will exponentially increase. This is where DigiGrad comes in. Our courses are structured in such a way that they are practical, which will make our graduate industry-ready. With our modules, we aim to skill 10,000 digital marketers in the next 12 months," said Vikas Chawla, Co-founder of Social Beat and DigiGrad. With customized programs that cover digital marketing end to end, DigiGrad aims to train professionals, marketers and students to help them drive the marketing strategies for companies. The course can empower entrepreneurs and business owners to set up robust digital marketing strategies for their startups. Abhishek Kumar, who heads the DigiGrad business vertical said, "Apart from having a foolproof curriculum, our programs also follow Harvard style case study based learning methodology, assured live projects & internships at a Google Premier Partner Agency and/or leading startups & top brands and 100% placement assistance." About DigiGrad DigiGrad is a digital training initiative by Social Beat, through which they aim to bridge the talent gap between the industry's demand and supply for skilled digital marketing professionals. Founded in 2012, Social Beat is one of India's fastest-growing independent digital marketing solutions companies, enabling businesses to build their brands and achieve business results via the digital medium. About Social Beat Social Beat is a Premier Google Partner, recommended Facebook agency and a member of Facebook India SME Council and a trusted online expert with offices in Bangalore, Chennai, Mumbai and Delhi. The 170-plus member team of digital experts offers integrated digital marketing solutions. With focus verticals of retail, FMCG, consumer apps, real estate, BFSI, eCommerce and healthcare, Social Beat has 50+ marquee clients including Malabar Gold, Himalaya Pharma, Jaquar, Khata Book, Kangaroo Kids, Khadims, mFine, Swiggy, Klay Schools, Shop101, Chumbak, Assetz Property, Sundaram Mutual, Wonderchef, Forum Mall, Rummy Culture, Casagrand and Bewakoof.com amongst others. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] On April 27, 2020, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan R.Meredov held a meeting with the representatives of the United Nations and its structural agencies working in Turkmenistan. The meeting was focused on the main topic of the recent telephone conversation between the President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and the Secretary-General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres. As the chief of the external political agency has mentioned, the President of Turkmenistan and the UN Secretary-General reiterated the high level of cooperation, as well as discussed the urgent matters of the international agenda, particularly the social and economic situation in the world due to the coronavirus pandemic. In this regard, the parties considered the opportunities for the perfection of collaboration by strengthening joint efforts. Thus, the Turkmen side is ready to present its experience and possibilities for the resolution of problems and is designing a National plan under the auspices of the UN. Based on the aforesaid, Minister underlined the need to intensify cooperation with all the UN structures functioning in Turkmenistan for the implementation of the goals voiced by the Head of State that are aimed at overall wellbeing. The representatives of international organizations highly appraised the actions of the Government of Turkmenistan, as well as the openness of the country and its commitment to establish the international mechanisms in the field of healthcare, food security, and transport. It was stated that the given telephone conversation serves as a vivid proof of friendship, trust and mutual understanding between Turkmenistan and the UN. It was emphasized that Turkmenistan, being an active member of the UN intends to cooperate further with its international partners for the search of effective resolutions and approaches to the challenges and threats of modern times. Kolkata, April 27 : A total of 227 containment zone to combat Covid-19 have been created in Kolkata covering stretches in northern, central and southern parts of the city, besides the fringes, a senior state official said here on Monday. These areas are under total lockdown, with complete restriction of people moving out or getting in from outside. Chief Secretary Rajiva Sinha told reporters that in 18 of these containment zone, not a single case has been reported over the past two weeks. As many as containment zones have been created in Howrah. In 13 of them, no case has been reported over the past 14 days. In East Midnapore district, five of the eight containment zones have not reported any positive cases since April 9. Similarly, in 13 of the 57 containment zones of 24 Parganas North district, not a sngle case has been detected in the last two weeks, said Sinha. Kolkata, Howrah, 24 Parganas North and East Midnapore are in the four districts falling under the red zone in West Bengal. Districts where there a large number of corona positive caseshave been detected are classified as red zones. Sinha said the number of active Coronavirus positive cases have gone up to 504 in the state, while the death count remains 20. "On Sunday, the number or active cases was 461. Since then, 47 positive results have been received, while four persons got discharged from hospital after having recovered fully from the disease. This takes the tally of active cases to 504," he said. Since the outbreak of the disease, 109 patients have been discharged from hospital. The total number of samples tested is 12,043, of which 1,150 tests were done over the past 24 hours, he said. Sinha said the government has received 4,370 applications for opening industrial units. Of them, 2,084 have been approved, 823 are under process, while 1,463 had to be rejected as they affect containment zones. There have now been 300 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in West Berkshire, the latest figures from Public Health England show. The new figure is an increase of nine on the 291 cases reported yesterday (Sunday). The figures come on the same day that Prime Minister Boris Johnson returned to work, having battled coronavirus himself. He said that the UK was now at its point of maximum risk and that he wouldnt ease restrictions too quickly. In todays government briefing from Downing Street, Health Secretary Matt Hancock also announced that bereaved families of NHS staff and social care workers will receive compensation. Although new figures for the area are released daily, not everyone with the virus will have been tested, and the totals do not show the number of deaths or recoveries in the district. The first case in the district was reported on March 13. The total number of lab-confirmed UK cases now stands at 157,149, with 21,092 deaths in hospitals. The global number of confirmed coronavirus cases also passed 3 million today. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 27) Vice President Leni Robredo has called for transparency and smoother coordination between the national and local government units in a bid to fast-track the distribution of the long-awaited COVID-19 cash assistance for crisis-affected citizens. "Feeling ko kailangan mas maging transparent, saka mas maging maayos ang coordination between the national government and the local government. Sino ba talaga ang makakakuha?" Robredo told CNN Philippines' The Source on Monday. [Translation: I feel like we have to be more transparent, and that there should be a better coordination between the national and the local government. Who are the beneficiaries really?] "Naglabas na tayo ng social amelioration fund, marami pang problema in the sense na nagkakaroon ng problema sa distribution. Sana, in the next few days, maayos 'yun," she added. [Translation: We got the social amelioration fund, but we still have problems in terms of distribution. I hope in the next few days, we will be able to resolve this.] The government's social amelioration program currently covers only the "poorest of the poor," with the low-income households expected to receive 5,000 to 8,000 worth of monthly assistance. But according to President Rodrigo Dutertes fourth special powers report to Congress, only 24 percent of the 17.9 million intended cash aid beneficiaries have received financial assistance from the government. RELATED: DSWD Sec. Rolando Bautista says he believes the funds for SAP are running low Robredo meanwhile also backed calls for authorities to publicly release the list of cash aid beneficiaries so that the LGUs and residents can be on the same page. "Baka (maybe) it would help everyone that the list be made public. Para alam ng tao kung makakakuha siya o hindi (so that the person would know if he or she would be able to get the aid)," the Vice President added. Some local government units have likewise commenced their own subsidy programs for residents not covered by the nationwide SAP. Earlier, Malacanang said beneficiaries in provinces where the enhanced community quarantine has been lifted will no longer receive a second wave of the assistance, as the money will now be given to more families in Metro Manila and other areas which remain under lockdown. 'Preparation, speedy decision-making key to surviving crisis' The enhanced community quarantine in the capital region and other high-risk COVID-19 provinces and regions has been extended until May 15 a move Robredo said she had already expected. The Vice President also backed the decision to put low-risk areas under a "general community quarantine", saying it is a "good move" to balance the economy and health crisis management. She stressed that the another extension of the quarantine should give the government more time to further boost the local healthcare system. "Yung (The) ECQ is not a cure to the virus. It only gives us time to prepare," Robredo noted. "Hopefully, this will flatten the curve. Nakita natin sa (we saw from) experiences from other countries, na talagang (that really) preparation is key. Speedy decision-making is key," she added. To date, the country has recorded 7,579 cases of the infectious disease, including 501 fatalities and 862 recoveries. The Assam government on Monday announced Rs 50 lakh insurance cover for journalists reporting on the COVID-19 pandemic in the state. Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said journalists are reporting on the outbreak without caring about their lives and creating awareness among people. "As a mark of recognition to the selfless endeavour of the scribes, the state government is announcing this insurance coverage," he said. Wishing the media persons good health, Sonowal urged them to "continue their noble venture in the days to come for the good of the society". The Journalists' Association of Assam (JAA) and the National Union of Journalists India (NUJI) welcomed the decision of the state government to provide insurance coverage to journalists who are working in high-risk environment amid the outbreak. They expressed gratitude to Sonowal and Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for taking the timely step keeping in view the health hazard faced by the journalists on the line of duty. The Guwahati Press Club also welcomed the decision. In a statement, its president Manoj Kumar Nath and general secretary Sanjoy Ray expressed gratitude to Sonowal for taking the timely step. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A US Army reservist at the center of an unfounded online conspiracy theory that identifies her as patient zero of COVID-19 and claims she brought it to Wuhan has said shes now living in fear for her life. Maatje Benassi and her husband Matt described the nightmare of the ordeal to CNN, as the theory began spreading on Chinese social media and has even been embraced by Communist Party in Beijing. Though Benassi has never tested positive or exhibited any symptoms, she has been accused by conspiracy theorists of conspiring with the US government and bringing COVID-19 to China last October, when she competed as a cyclist in the Military World Games. After the conspiracy was first peddled in March, Benassi says she has been inundated with death threats from believers of the theory and has even had ominous letters posted through her door after the couples home address was posted online. It's like waking up from a bad dream going into a nightmare day after day, Benassi told CNN in her first public interview about the matter. Maatje Benassi and her husband Matt described the nightmare of their ordeal to CNN , saying their lives have been turned upside down since the theory began spreading on social media, reaching as far as China itself and has even been embraced by Chinese Communist Party media Though Benassi has never tested positive for coronavirus, or even exhibited any symptoms, the conspiracy begins with her participation in the Military World Games, held in Wuhan last October, where she competed as a cyclist just weeks before outbreak began (pictured above) The Chinese state-run newspaper The Global Times has published theories regarding Benassi's fictional role in started in the COVID-19 outbreak in Wuhan (pictured: a doctor at Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University treats a coronavirus patient) Much like coronavirus itself, misinformation about the pandemic has continued to spread and mutate online, even as technology giants such as Google and Facebook have taken measures to try and block the circulation of any dangerous fallacies. During the first few weeks of the outbreak, hundreds of conspiracy theories without any basis in fact emerged, claiming that COVID-19 was a biological weapon created by the US Government. It wasnt until March several months after the first recorded case of coronavirus in Wuhan that conspiracy theorists turned their attentions to Benassi, a civilian employee at the US Armys Fort Belvoir in Virginia. Benassi had competed as a cyclist for the US in Wuhans Military World Games five months before. Though the competition would end for her in a nasty crash on her final lap leaving her with a concussion and a broken rib, the mother-of-two says what followed has been far more painful. One of the most vocal conspiracy theorists about the imaginary plot involving Benassi is George Webb, a 59-year-old American YouTuber, who has amassed a following of nearly 100,000 people and 27 million views on his conspiracy channel. Webb claims that the novel coronavirus was manufactured in a U.S. military lab and brought to China by Benassi during the military Olympics. The couples inboxes have since been flooded with hateful and threatening messages from all over the world, strange letters have been posted through their front door and comments calling for them to be executed or killed by firing squad are uploaded hourly beneath Webb's videos. It wasnt until March several months after the first recorded case of coronavirus in Wuhan that conspiracy theorists turned their attentions to Benassi, a civilian employee at the US Armys Fort Belvoir in Virginia Benassi had competed as a cyclist for the US in Wuhans Military World Games five months before. Though the competition would end for her in a nasty crash on her final lap, leaving her with a concussion and a broken rib, the mother-of-two says what followed was far more painful The couple have fallen subject to thousands of death threats from all over the world online In a number of his videos, Webb even goes as far to claim Benassi and Italian DJ Benny Benassi somehow conspired together to infect the world with the virus. The Italian musician, famed for his 2002 song Satisfaction, says hes never met the American reservist or her husband, and theyre not even related as far as they know. The DJ is also falsely identified by Webb as being Dutch, claiming him to be Hollands first recorded coronavirus patient. He called the allegations crazy to CNN, and said he has never been infected with the virus. The Chinese state-run newspaper The Global Times later published Webbs theory, citing him to be an investigative journalist based in Washington DC, and ordered the US to release health and infection information of the US military delegation which came to Wuhan for the Military World Games in October. This, the newspaper claimed, would end the conjecture about US military personnel bringing COVID-19 to China. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian even publicly promoted the notion that the US brought the virus to China, deflecting criticism away from China's response to the coronavirus outbreak, tweeting: When did patient zero begin in US? How many people are infected? What are the names of the hospitals? It might be US army who brought the epidemic to Wuhan. Be transparent! Make public your data! US owe us an explanation! US Defense Secretary Mark Esper called the claims ridiculous and said it was irresponsible for someone speaking on behalf of the Chinese government to make such an outburst. Several conspiracy theorists claim that the novel coronavirus was manufactured in a U.S. military lab and brought to China by Benassi during the military Olympics Though the competition would end for her in a nasty crash on her final lap leaving her with a concussion and a broken rib, the mother-of-two says what followed has been far more painful In a number of his videos, theorist David Webb (left) even goes as far to claim Benassi and Italian DJ Benny Benassi (right) somehow conspired together to infect the world with the virus Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian even publicly promoted the notion that the US brought the virus to China, deflecting criticism away from China's response to the coronavirus outbreak Webb's videos attacking the Benassis have since been translated into Chinese and uploaded thousands of times to popular platforms in the country such as WeChat, Weibo, and Xigua Video. Speaking to CNN, Webb failed to offer any substantive evidence to back up his claims, citing an unnamed source who told him Benassi had tested positive for coronavirus, failing to offer any further information. Benassis husband Matt, a civilian employee for the Air Force at the Pentagon, said he has tried to have Webbs videos and many others like them removed from YouTube to stem the spread, but was told by police and an attorney that little could be done. Though the couple both work for the US government, they say theyre experiencing same feelings of helplessness as others who find themselves the targets of misinformation and harassment. I want everybody to stop harassing me, because this is cyberbullying to me and it's gone way out of hand, an emotional Benassi said Its gone too far and its got to stop, Because you never know, someone might take it so [far] and maybe their parent or child died of the coronavirus and then theyre going to come to my house and think I did this. There are times that it gets to me, she tearfully continued. I just know, go to my own little place [to hide from it all]. While the allegations regarding Benassis involvement in the coronavirus outbreak may be nothing more than fiction, Matt says the threats their family is facing are very real. While the allegations regarding Benassis involvement in the coronavirus outbreak may be nothing more than fiction, Matt says the threats their family is facing are very real Matt Benassi told CNN he fears the theories leveled against his wife could inspire another Pizzagate incident, referencing a different conspiracy theory that claimed a pedophilia ring involving Hillary Clinton was operating inside a Washington DC pizzeria. While the bizarre conspiracy only originally existed on the fringes of the internet, the theory received mainstream media attention in 2016 when a man turned up at the eatery and fire an assault weapon, declaring her was there to investigate Pizzagate. It's really hard to hold him [Webb] accountable, Matt Benassi told CNN. Law enforcement will tell you that there's nothing that we can do about it because we have free speech in this country. Then they say, Go talk to a civil attorney, so we did. We talked to an attorney. You quickly realize that for folks like us, it's just too expensive to litigate something like this. We get no recourse from law enforcement. We get no recourse from the courts. But regardless of whether YouTube or other social media platforms take action, for Maatje Benassi, the damage is already done. I know it [will] never be the same. Every time you're going to Google my name, it will pop up as patient zero, she said. Prisoners will start making visors and sewing sets of scrubs and drawstring bags to help combat a shortage of PPE for NHS staff this week. Eight category B and C jails across the UK have been drafted in to help the 'national effort', according to Robert Buckland, the Justice Secretary. Items produced in jails will cost a third of the usual price - as scrubs can be bought for 5-a-set rather than 15. Prisoners will earn the princely sum of 12.50-a-week for their efforts, reports The Telegraph. Eight category B and C jails across the UK have been drafted in to help the 'national effort', according to Robert Buckland, the Justice Secretary. Pictured, employees at Fashion Enter make scrubs for NHS staff An order for 5,000 tops and 5,000 drawstring bags has been placed. Mr Buckland said: 'Staff in our NHS are doing an incredible job and I'm delighted that inmates are supporting them by producing equipment to help keep them safe.' Swansea, Channings Wood in Devon, Wakefield, Risley in Cheshire, Highpoint in Suffolk, Whatten in Nottingham and New Hall in West Yorkshire will all be taking part in the scheme. Face visors will be made in a workshop at HMP High Down, a category B prison in Surrey. Items produced in jails will cost a third of the usual price - as scrubs can be bought for 5-a-set rather than 15. Pictured, Mr Buckland As prisons enforce social distancing measures to curb the spread of coronavirus inmates will be making 1,000 sets of scrubs each week. It comes weeks after thousands of volunteers stepped in to help produce clothing and protective equipment for doctors and nurses on the front line. Others are producing cloth bags for medics to put their scrubs in so they can put them in the washing machine as soon as they get home. Many more are making fabric headbands after nurses and doctors complained their face masks cut into their skin during long shifts. Brooke Dennis is seen at work as she volunteers making scrubs for the NHS at her business Make Town in Hackney, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues Largely co-ordinated on social media, the home sewers are sharing patterns online before teaming up to fulfil orders for their local hospitals and care homes. Among them is Brooke Dennis, who has been hard at work making scrubs for the NHS at her business, Make Town, in Hackney, east London. She said she felt compelled to help out, even though her sewing studio is suffering the economic effects of coronavirus. At the same time, schools nationwide have answered the call for more protective equipment for medics by turning empty classrooms into production lines for plastic visors. They are using 3D printers and laser cutters usually reserved for design and technology lessons to make the face shields. The simple specification of the visors which comprise a plastic sheet and headband means they can be produced in large numbers in the workshops. Schools involved include Carmel College, Darlington, which has produced 600 visors for Middlesbroughs James Cook Hospital, while Harrogate Grammar in North Yorkshire has made 1,000. Thirteen prisoners, serving sentences across the UK, are known to have died of the virus to date. Meanwhile more than half of the prisons in England and Wales have an inmate who has tested positive for coronavirus, figures have revealed. Edwin Hillier, 84, was jailed for sex attacks on young girls in the 1970s Recent data from the Ministry of Justice shows as of Friday there were 255 prisoners who have tested positive for the deadly virus across 62 prisons. Figures show at least 13 inmates are known to have died after contracting Covid-19, although it is believed that a fourteenth prisoner may have died, according to data discussed at the most recent Justice Select Committee. Some 138 prison staff have tested positive across 49 prisons, as well as seven prisoner escort and custody services staff. As previously reported, two staff members at Pentonville Prison in north London died after showing symptoms of coronavirus. Bovil Peter and Patrick Beckford died after suffering coronavirus symptoms, the Prison Officers' Association said earlier this month. It is not known if either man had previous health issues. Three of the deaths among inmates were at HMP Littlehey in Cambridgeshire, with others being held at Birmingham, Manchester, the privately run Oakwood prison near Wolverhampton, Altcourse in Merseyside, Belmarsh in South East London, Whatton in Nottinghamshire, High Down in Surrey and a female prisoner at Low Newton, County Durham. The latest figures come after the government announced earlier this month that 4,000 low-risk prisoners who have less than two months left of their sentence will be eligible for early release, to try to control the spread of coronavirus. Twelve other prisoners died after testing positive for coronavirus, including three in HMP Littlehey (pictured), Cambridgeshire, where Edwin Hillier became the first British prisoner to die after contracting coronavirus The Probation Service later announced that all those freed early, on temporary licence, will be electronically monitored before they leave prison. Earlier this month, around 3,500 prison staff - representing about a tenth of the workforce - were said to be in self-isolation due to suspected Covid-19. Concerns about staffing levels growing dangerously low have led to Prison Officers' Union chief Dave Cook for the military to be drafted in as back up. The first inmate to die after contracting coronavirus was Edwin Hillier, 84, who was jailed for sex attacks on young girls in the 1970s. He was rushed to hospital with suspected sepsis on March 20 but post-mortem results showed he had also contracted coronavirus. A female child abuser became the first woman to die from coronavirus in prison on April 4. The woman, 46, was serving a nine-year jail term for child sex offences. Visits to all jails have now been banned by the Ministry of Justice (MOJ). A spokesperson for the MOJ said: 'We have robust and flexible plans in place to protect the lives of our staff, prisoners and visitors, based on the latest advice from Public Health England and the Department of Health and Social Care.' It was announced on Sunday that 16,060 people have died of the virus with 120,067 testing positive for COVID-19. Brad Pitt joined the second at-home edition of Saturday Night Live. Brad Pitt portrayed Dr. Anthony Fauci in the second at-home episode of Saturday Night Live, that featured musical guest Miley Cyrus, an Adam Sandler cameo and plenty of disinfectant jokes. A bespectacled Pitt, speaking in Faucis raspy voice, tried to recast false assurances and misstatements pitched by President Donald Trump during the pandemic, for instance when Trump said thered be a COVID-19 vaccine relatively soon. Relatively soon is an interesting phrase. Relative to the entire history of earth? Sure, the vaccine is going to come real fast, said Pitts Fauci, seated at a desk behind a stately bookcase. But if you were going to tell a friend, Ill be over relatively soon and then showed up a year and a half later, well, your friend may be relatively pissed off. Here is a clip of Pitt as Fauci And now, a message from Dr. Anthony Fauci. #SNLAtHome pic.twitter.com/LYemNAWaAT Saturday Night Live - SNL (@nbcsnl) April 26, 2020 The episode was the shows second quarantine edition, with pre-recorded segments at actors homes delving into the frustrations and touchstones of quarantine life, but, of course, with an SNL twist. Sandler and Pete Davidson teamed up to mock being cooped up with family for a musical duet called 'Stuck In The House,' another sketch featured a Zoom version of Law and Order and another poked fun at zealous fitness moved online during the pandemic with one boasting of eating clean by preparing a Clorox juice cleanse. Cyrus, sitting fireside with a guitar, performed Pink Floyds 'Wish You Were Here.' Pitts depiction followed a Fauci interview on CNN when he jokingly said he thought Pitt should portray him when he was asked to chose between Ben Stiller or Pitt. The cold open also featured Trumps far-fetched statements earlier this week about disinfectant and light being studied in the fight against the virus. When I hear things like the virus can be cured if everyone takes the Tide Pod Challenge, Ill be there to say, Please dont, said Pitts Fauci, before he broke character, took off his wig and paid tribute to Fauci and thanked him. There also were jabs at Trumps battle with governors in an outdoors segment with Cecily Strong as Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who has blasted Trumps handling of the pandemic. Strongs Whitmer urged continued social distancing. Were not out of the woods yet, she said, gesturing to her surroundings. We never will be. We live in Michigan. Fauci has become a household name for his matter-of-fact delivery of information during White House press conferences amid the pandemic. Removing his wig and dropping the expert's accent, Pitt concluded his set to thank the real Fauci. "To the real Dr Fauci, thank you for your calm and your clarity in this unnerving time," he said. The actor also thanked healthcare workers and announced that the show was "sort of" live from New York. Tom Hanks hosted the inaugural SNL At Home which aired on 11 April with a musical performance by Coldplay's Chris Martin. (With inputs from agencies) A truck driver allegedly involved in a freeway crash which killed four police officers could face up to 20 years in prison as police probe the company which operated the prime-mover he was driving. Mohinder Singh was behind the wheel of a refrigerated truck when he allegedly veered into the emergency lane at 100km/h on Wednesday, killing four officers who had been in the process of impounding a car on the side of the Eastern Freeway. Mohinder Singh. Credit:Nine News He was charged in the early hours of Monday with four counts of culpable driving causing the deaths of Senior Constable Lynette Taylor, Constable Glen Humphris, Senior Constable Kevin King and Constable Josh Prestney. He appeared before Melbourne Magistrates Court on Monday morning where his lawyer Steven Pica told the court his client may have a psychiatric condition which has gone undiagnosed his whole life. An Atlantic County man has been charged with a bias incident after allegedly torching a parked van on a highway in Atlantic City and threatening the owner because he was Mexican, authorities said Monday. The incident happened about 1:35 p.m. Sunday on the westbound side of Route 40, said Atlantic City Police Sgt. Kevin Fair. The vans owner was fishing nearby and the van was parked on the shoulder of the road, he said. The owner, whose name was not released, noticed the suspect, Robert Evans, pouring gasoline on the hood of the van, Fair said. Confronted by the owner, Evans asked if the owner was Mexican, and the owner responded that he was, Fair said. Evans allegedly threatened to assault the owner after learning his ethnicity, then set the van on fire, leaving a gas can in front of the van, Fair said. Fair said authorities know of no motive in the incident. Evans, 29, of Pleasantville, is Hispanic, according to Fair. We have no idea, Fair said Monday, adding that the van was substantially damaged. Fair said police arrived at the scene and quickly located Evans, who was walking. He was charged with bias intimidation, aggravated arson, and criminal mischief, and was being held in the Atlantic County Jail, Fair said. Anyone with information about the incident is urged to contact the Atlantic City Police Departments criminal investigations unit at 609-347-5766. Cape Town, South Africa (PANA) More than 200 Cuban health professionals arrived in South Africa on Sunday night to help the country in its fight against COVID-19 (coronavirus) which has infected more than 4,500 people despite a strict nationwide lockdown Transport technology services company EROAD today released its regular quarterly update for the three months ended 31 March 2020 and provided an update on the impacts of COVID-19 on its business. Key points include: EROAD is operating effectively under its business continuity plan to support its customers that are providing essential services; EROADs expectations for the FY20 financial results remain; and EROAD is well positioned and remains in a solid financial position despite the current uncertain economic environment. Business operations continue to operate effectively to support essential services EROADs priority during these challenging times is the safety of our staff and supporting our customers. Operating effectively under its global business continuity plan, EROADs products and services continue to support the supply chain and activities of transport and service providers. Many of EROADs customers provide essential services that are keeping economies running, with over 30% of New Zealand heavy customer vehicles, over 50% of total Australian customer vehicles and over 60% of total American customer vehicles continuing to operate despite the restrictions implemented to stop the spread of COVID-19. In New Zealand, EROAD was designated an essential service and has continued to operate during the Level 4 lock-down to support customers that were also classified as essential service providers. With the transition to Level 3 on Tuesday 28 April, EROAD will return to installing its EHUBO and EROAD Where products for all its New Zealand customers. We expect, with the return to operations of freight, civil construction and forestry under Level 3, most of EROADs New Zealand customers will resume operations. There is some temporary disruption in the manufacturing of EROADs EHUBO units, however current inventory levels will support customers until at least the end of July. Growth continues in Q4, despite COVID-19 Growth during the final quarter of the 2020 financial year saw 3,951 units being added, resulting in an annualised growth rate of 14%. This was slightly lower than expected. In New Zealand we continued to see growth in the Small to Medium Business (SMB) segment across a range of industries. Some deals were delayed in late March, as the country entered Level 4 lockdown, but it is anticipated that many of these will flow through in the following quarter as businesses commence fuller operations in Level 3 and lower levels. Australia saw continued growth in the SMB segment, but some Enterprise customers deferred buying decisions due to COVID-19. During the quarter a medium sized Trans-Tasman customer fleet was deployed. This customer was acquired through EROADs Australian sales team. Unit growth in our North American business was generated from SMB customers in line with prior quarters level but remains slightly below EROADs expectations. EROAD continues to build a solid pipeline for this quarter, mainly in the mid-market fleet segment. COVID-19 lockdown has extended sales closure timings but has not negatively impacted the overall pipeline at this point. Plans to release additional functionality in Q1 will help to extend EROAD North America into larger fleet sizes. FY20 Outlook Unchanged EROADs expectations for the FY20 financial results remain unchanged as a result of COVID-19. However, as outlined above, COVID-19 has meant some delay in finalising contracts with customers, and there has been a short-term impact on new unit growth since tight government restrictions have been implemented globally. With operations continuing to support essential services, since 27 March EROAD has sold 430 units to essential businesses across New Zealand, North America and Australia. EROAD in a solid financial position EROADs Board and Management remain confident that the Company is in a solid financial position, with $135 million of future contracted income and an average remaining contract length of 2 years. EROADs customer base is diverse across regions, business size and industry. A combination of positive contribution to operating cash flow from the New Zealand and North American businesses, together with the recent increase in banking facilities to $60 million, means EROAD has sufficient headroom to support anticipated ongoing organic growth. However, given the evolving COVID-19 situation, EROAD has undertaken a full review and scenario analysis on future cashflow and expenditure and taken a number of prudent steps to manage its cost base. These include cessation of short-term recruitment, non-essential travel, external research and development expenditures as well as deferral of some marketing events and activities. More severe measures have been identified and can be implemented should some of our worst case scenarios eventuate. It is considered too early to definitively assess the impact of COVID-19 on incremental growth for the remainder of FY21. FY20 Financial Results to be released on 19 June 2020. EROAD intends to release its Financial Results and Annual Report for the year ended 31 March 2020 on Friday 19 June 2020. This represents a delay of three weeks, using the extension available under NZX class wavier of Rule 3.5.1, which was included in the NZX and FMA measures announced in response to the impact of COVID-19. EROAD will not be utilising the extension available under the wavier of Rule 3.6.1 as it intends to release its Annual Report at the same date as the release of its financial results. Comments from our readers No comments yet Add your comment: Your name: Your email: Not displayed to the public Comment: Comments to Sharechat go through an approval process. Comments which are defamatory, abusive or in some way deemed inappropriate will not be approved. It is allowable to use some form of non-de-plume for your name, however we recommend real email addresses are used. Comments from free email addresses such as Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc may not be approved. Anti-spam verification: Type the text you see in the image into the field below. You are asked to do this in order to verify that this enquiry is not being performed by an automated process. Related News: 13th January 2022 Morning Report Pictor's completes successful US clinical trials for unique COVID antibody testing 12th January 2022 Morning Report 11th January 2022 Morning Report Greenfern Industries Limited (NZX: GFI) Announces Cannvalate Transaction 10th January 2022 Morning Report 7th January 2022 Morning Report 6th January 2022 Morning Report 5th January 2022 Morning Report Harmoney Corp Limited (NZX: HMY) HMY Signs A$20m Corporate Debt Facility The Phoenix Hill Sports Park in the capital of Southwest Chinas Sichuan province hosted the 2021 Chinese FA Cup final as its inaugural event Sunday. Covering an area of 128,000 square meters, the park consists of two world-class sports venues, a retail and hotel complex, and a public plaza. It will be one of the venues of the 31st Summer World University Games Jan 12, 2022 05:45 PM Click here to read the full article. The independent movie business still depends very largely on selling and buying individual titles. Much of that is driven, despite the eruption of streaming platforms, by festivals and markets. So how events react to the Covid-19 crisis is of huge interest to the industry. Switzerlands documentary festival Visions du Reel, one of the first festivals to go totally online, debated the issue Sunday at a thoughtful digital panel, led by artistic directors, programmers and heads of a range of European festivals. More from Variety Those taking part were Paolo Moretti, artistic director of Directors Fortnight, Sergio Fant, a member of the Berlinale selection committee and head of programming at the Trento Film Festival, Orwa Nyrabia, artistic director of IDFA, IndieLisboas co-director Miguel Valverde, and Visions du Reels artistic director Emilie Bujes. Here are five takeaways from the session: 1. When Will Festivals Get Back to Normal? Dont hold your breath. Amsterdams IDFA, Europes biggest documentary fest, is scheduled for Nov. 18-29. Already, however, Nyrabia is imagining theres a good possibility cinemas might be open partially though with huge limitations. The maximum we can see is it being the smallest IDFA in 30 years because of limitations and restrictions we expect, he added; which means IDFA might go hybrid, screening some titles online. 2. Every Festivals Its Own World The panels central debating point was Visions du Reels decision which appears to have met with initial success to go online with its festival, though limiting attendance to 500 spectators per film. When festivals began canceling, Visions du Reel reached out to rights holders to see how theyd feel about screening online. The reaction was great and grateful, Bujes recalled. It was this conversation with right holders that validated the festivals decision, she stressed. In the end, 95 out of the 97 films selected for Visions du Reel accepted screening online. A 96th couldnt make it because it was unable to complete post-production with its lab closed. Partnering with Festival Scope reassured producers over security issues. Story continues For Visions du Reel, it makes perfect sense to imagine an online edition. For Cannes, however, its not very possible because of the profile of the films and the strategies behind them. Supporting films is very different according to the profile of the films and the platform we are talking about, Moretti said, and in the end comes down to the decision of films rights holders. 3. A Late Summer/Fall Cinema Theater Bottleneck IndieLisboa, one of Portugals two highest-profile film events, has been pushed back from an April 29 opening to Aug. 25-Sept. 5. Valverde said he imagined spectators could occupy only every third seat in theaters with empty rows in front and behind. The festival was also considering more open-air screenings, he added. His major worry, however, he told panel moderator Finn Halligan, Screen Internationals chief film critic, was whether IndieLisboa would have access to all the theaters it normally works with. Because everybody was canceling, everybody wanted the same dates. This bottleneck is one more reason, of course, for distributors to at least consider a straight-to-platform release for current titles. 4. Covid Crisis Camaraderie For Moretti, One of the most positive outcomes of this situation is the increased and improved dialogue between festivals, filmmakers and producers. I barely remember a time I had the impression of contact with so many at the same time and honest, straight-forward dialogues. In the spirit of such support, Directors Fortnight might give a selection label to the films it had selected, if that helps them, he said, while keeping other options open. In terms of an institutional approach, there are other options being imagined for Cannes 2020. We would, if anything happened at some point, be happy to keep the discussion going. 5. Online Democracy, Digital Downside The Berlinale finished March 1, the same day that the first Covid-19 case was confirmed in the German capital, recalled Fant. But festival happiness after a successful edition soon turned to concern about the fate of films which had been shown there. An online festival platform opens up audience film access. In one dramatic case, Nyrabia said that the IDFA online collection essentially a series of links, catagorized by filmmaker, to older films on third-party platforms used to get 80,000-90,000 visits a month. Thats now up to almost 1.5 million in the past four weeks. These are all old films, not ones from last year. This is an opportunity for a second life for a film that has finished its market cycle to still be there, he said. Online festivals democratize attendance, opening it up to spectators who cannot afford to travel to the physical event. Bujes said directors were commenting to her that they were surprised by the number of reactions they were receiving to films. On the downside, Nyrabia suggested, regarding online markets, for the time being, the structure of the industry is so much more ruthless, a Spartan industry, its survival of the most obstinate. Its difficult to be obstinate online. He added: It will be difficult for the underdog to be visible online. Representing people from underrepresented regions to the international industry is going to be challenging without being physically together, meeting that person again and again. Keeping markets online will consolidate exclusive structures. June 22-26s Cannes Marche du Film Online may suggest, at least when it comes to narrative films, whether he is right. Best of Variety Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Chamarajanagar adopted precautionary measure the very next day after the country's first corona positive case was detected in Kerala Mysuru: Its a district in Karnataka that is surrounded by coronavirus hotspots. It shares a border with two of the hottest hotspots in Karnataka: Nanjangud and Malavalli. And then, it has Tamil Nadu, which is in the throes of mighty corona combat, on one side; on the other, it has Kerala, where the coronavirus first reared its head in the country. Yet, Chamarajnagar has remained a corona-free district to this day, a green island amid a sea of red. Last Saturday, the district administration hosted a unique program at the Jaibhuvaneswari circle in Chamarajnagar, offering flowers to honour all of its corona warriors: Aasha, anganwadi and healthcare workers, policemen and the paurakarmikas (sanitation staff). Sure, the nationwide lockdown applies to Chamarajnagar too. There are public checks and there is sanitisation of streets and public spaces. So far, the administration has tested over 363 people including 43 people who returned from foreign countries, 52 employees of Jubilant pharma company in Nanjangud which hosts Karnatakas biggest cluster of corona cases. In addition, no less than 107 persons from Chamarajnagar had attended the Tablighi Jamaat congregation at Nizamuddin March 13-15. They were all tested. All the results returned negative. And all of the suspect cases were quarantined at the district quarantine facility. All have completed their quarantine and gone home. The reports of a few samples of people with influenza-like illness (ILI) are awaited. The Chamarajnagar administration woke up to the coronavirus situation as early as January 30, when Kerala reported the countrys first COVID-19 positive case. Chamarajnagar deputy commisisoner M R Ravi ordered precautionary measures put in place the very next day. We started screening people in vehicles entering the district at six interstate checkposts including two bordering Kerala and three bordering Tamil Nadu, and one that is common to both states. With Kerala and Tamil Nadu depending on Karnataka for fruits and vegetables, there is a lot of cargo truck traffic coming and going through these check points. So every empty truck returning from across the border was sanitized, using fire and emergency vehicles. When the first positive case was reported from the Jubilant Generics drug factory at Nanjangud, and later Malavalli started reporting positive cases due to the returning Tablighi Jamaatis, all interdistrict checkposts were subjected to thorough treatment, even before the nationwide lockdown made it mandatory. Once the lockdown was implemented, we sealed all 12 checkposts strictly, said Ravi. We installed CCTV cameras at checkposts, and cracked down hard on staff and policemen when they allowed in 595 people from Mangaluru. Ravi added, We became the first district in Karnataka to shift all suspects from home quarantine to institutional quarantine facilities. This was to ensure that the virus does not break out into the general population. This was also to spare the suspect from ostracism when they were quarantined at home. In the institutional facilities, our doctors and faculty from the district medical college could completely focus on thse cases. We fixed up TVs, indoor games and libraries at these quarantined facilities. An army of Anganvadi (1426) and Asha workers (796) carried out house-to-house screening of 10.5 lakh people. In the process, they covered 1.28 senior citizens above 60 years, 1.32 lakh children below 10 years, 8666 people from vulnerable group including pregnant women, HIVpositives, tuberculosis patients, etc. It was a totally new scenario for us. No one had ever seen an epidemic before. None of us were trained for it, Ravi said. The deputy commissioner himself has self-isolated himself and has not been able visit his 76-year-old mother who has suffered multiple organ failure and is bed-ridden in Mysuru. It was on March 9 that I last saw my mother after she was discharged from hospital. My relatives are taking care of her Ravi said. Montgomery County Precinct 3 Commissioner James Noack is hoping a proposal to get federal coronavirus stimulus money back in the hands of local taxpayers gets traction from county and state leaders. Last week, Montgomery County received just under $105 million from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act of 2020 or CARES Act. The act provides that payments from this distribution cover costs incurred between March 1 and Dec. 30 which were necessary expenditures due to the COVID-19 public health emergency. ON HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: Coronavirus live updates: Houston-area agencies plan to ramp up COVID-19 testing Since sweeping across the country beginning in March, the United States has recorded over one million cases and over 53,000 deaths from COVID-19. In Montgomery County, more than 500 cases have been logged with nine confirmed deaths. According to Noack, the county has not seen expenditures near that amount. He added the countys expenditures to date are less than $500,000. Noack said with that $105 million, the county would save for later in the year for expenses when health officials predict a second round of COVID-19 cases. THE LATEST: Montgomery County reaches double digit COVID-19 deaths, total cases now 530 While government-mandated shutdowns were meant to mitigate the spread of the virus, it has taken a toll on the economy. In a release from his office, Noack is proposing the use of a portion of local CARES Act funds go back to Montgomery County taxpayers in the form of stimulus checks. The amount of each check would be based on a percentage of last years county property taxes paid by each individual or entity, similar to the federal governments formula of using adjusted gross income to determine stimulus check amounts. Im not sure we can turn this into reality, Noack said. But if we could, in theory, it could go a long way in helping out our taxpayers. These federal funds are not a gift to Montgomery County taxpayers. These are their dollars; and the best use of these funds is to put them back in their hands. One such example, Noack said, would be to distribute one-time stimulus checks representing a percentage of each property owners 2019 Montgomery County property taxes paid. This accounts for property taxes paid to the entity of Montgomery County, not school district, municipal or other governmental entities property taxes. Montgomery County collected approximately $248 million in 2019 property taxes, each percent would put almost $2.5 million back into the local economy to help jumpstart business. REOPEN TEXAS: Abbott announces which Texas businesses can and can't open May 1 After the distribution, there would still be several millions of dollars for preparation of a potential second wave of COVID-19 this fall, such as to purchase PPEs, test kits and other COVID-related medical devices and services in order to benefit the healthcare community in its efforts to battle this ongoing pandemic. County Judge Mark Keough said he supports any relief for local residents. As county judge I am deeply concerned for the citizens of Montgomery County, he said. They have endured with great patience a difficult and catastrophic situation. I am in full support of a program that would provide relief for both citizens and small businesses. The CARES act, a federal law, provided Montgomery County with funds to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, to include expenditures incurred as a result of the emergency, such as providing economic support for those suffering from employment or business interruptions due to COVID-19 business closures. Im currently exploring the legal pathway to make this proposal a reality. While the proposal is not on the commissioners court Tuesday agenda, Noack said he hopes to start a conversation with county, state and federal leaders to ensure the use of the fund follows the guidelines set forth in the act. I hope state and federal leaders join Montgomery County in finding a way to make this happen, Noack said. We know it will take a total team effort at all levels to accomplish this. This is a starting point for us to best allocate these funds. cdominguez@hcnonline.com Governments across the world will have to lift shutdowns and re-open their economies in a well-planned manner or else the deadly coronavirus will return and the damage will be even worse, the president of an Indian-origin US physicians' organisation has said. American Physicians of Indian-Origin (AAPI) President Dr Suresh Reddy, applauding the hundreds of thousands of Indian-origin medical personnel bravely fighting against the virus, said that "every 7th doctor in the US is an Indian and they are at the frontlines, working as soldiers and fighting the virus". The entire medical fraternity has become the Army right now, fighting the coronavirus," Reddy told PTI in an interview here. The fight against the virus will be a long one, Reddy said, adding that COVID-19 is not going to end in a couple of months and could last for 1-2 years until a vaccine or antiviral agent is developed. That is the only way we can control it, he said. Noting that it is understandable that people are getting anxious, tired and exhausted with the shutdowns and restrictions, Reddy said any re-opening and lifting of lockdowns has to be done in a very careful and gradual manner. It will be a very slow process. I don't think it will be a sudden opening or closing of the gates. If we don't do it carefully, in a well-planned manner, then the virus will come back and the damage will be even worse, he said. Reddy stressed that the battle to defeat the COVID-19 is a three-pronged attack that involved the governments implementing measures to control the outbreak, doctors and the medical fraternity providing essential treatment and the general population by the amount of discipline they show. The people are the ones who spread or control the disease. It is within their hands. As long as they follow the rules strictly, I think we will be able to break this disease, kill this Rakshas' virus and we will have a wonderful Diwali, Reddy said. He said that even at some point when the restrictions are relaxed, life will not be what people were used to before the pandemic. I don't think things will ever return to being totally normal. We will be washing hands more often, wearing masks more often in public places. So, it will be a new future, new normal, he said. Reddy pointed out that both in India and the US, the shutdown and people wearing masks are some measures through which the situation is being brought under control. Founded in 1982, the AAPI represents a conglomeration of more than 100,000 practicing physicians in the US. It has raised USD 100,000 to buy protective equipment for doctors and is also hosting webinars and hotlines to provide assistance to members of the community, including students and parents visiting from India who do not have access to health insurance and cannot get prescription for medicines. Reddy said that as the US emerges from the pandemic, a lesson that will be learnt is that America will have to set up its own manufacturing bases so that it does not have to depend on China for supplies. If we had manufacturing companies in the US making masks and other personal protective equipment (PPE) for example, we would not have had the problem of scarcity of supplies. Everybody had to run to China to get masks, PPE, ventilators, Reddy said. He lauded the efforts of the Indian-origin physicians, saying AAPI is extremely proud of the troops on the frontlines. We will all prevail, he said. The US government officials have appreciated the work of Indian doctors and community members, he said. Everybody in the US knows that we are a strong medical community and we are contributing a lot, Reddy said. He said AAPI is also working closely with Indian Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu and the embassy in helping and reaching out to Indians in distress. Indian-American Al Mason, an advisor to Global Real Estate Investments Educational Hospitals, said that due credit should be given to the Indian embassy under the guidance and leadership of Sandhu, who are doing a great job, tirelessly reaching out to the Indian American community in this crisis. He lauded the efforts of Consul General in New York Sandeep Chakravorty in ensuring assistance to those in need across the state, which is the epicenter of the pandemic in the US. Overseas Volunteer for a Better India (OVBI), a US-based non-profit organisation, is also mobilising efforts to provide assistance. So far, it has donated 25,000 meals to New York food banks for the homeless and daily wage earners without a job presently, 4,000 N95 masks to health care professionals and medical equipment to Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center. It is also facilitating collaboration between doctors, technologists and entrepreneurs to provide innovative solutions to help with the COVID-19 crisis in India and a plasma registry that will help save lives of the critically ill. The United States, which is the worst-hit country, has the highest number of deaths with more than 55,000 fatalities from more than 980,000 cases. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Tema Regional Police CID on Friday arrested 19 residents of Tema Community One site one out of which seven have been charged with stealing monies belonging to a robbery victim. Chief Inspector Stella Dede Dzakpasu, Acting Tema Police Public Relations Officer, said the seven persons will be arraigned before court Monday. According to her, the suspects took part in the scrambling of various amounts of money summing up to GH120,845.00 when an amount of GHs123,345.00 belonging to a robbery victim was thrown away by one of the robbers who was being pursued by Police. Chief Inspector Dzakpasu added that they were charged with stealing after admitting to the offence in their caution statement. According to the police, three of the suspects, Richard Attoh alias Amartey aged 30, Qaadir Bancey aged 31 and Awudu Mohammed alias Vuga, aged 36, had admitted having taken part in the scrambling and pocketing a total of GH2,500.00 from the crime scene. The Police however did not give the amount the remaining four suspects, Sulemana Bancey aged 62, Kwesi Hanson Smith, aged 66, Kabul Akuaku, aged 53 and David Nartey Daniel's, aged 30, took from the money. The Police urged members of the public who witnessed the incident to provide information that would lead to the arrest and retrieval of all the monies robbed from the victim adding that persons with information should contact the police on 191, 18555 and 0244287775. Recalling the ribbing incident, the Acting Police PRO said on 23rd April 2020, Police responded to a robbery incident at the TDC traffic light where two robbers on a motorbike immobilised the vehicle of their victims by firing at the tyres and took from them an amount of GH123,345.00 in two polythene bags, which had been withdrawn from the bank a few minutes before the incident. One of the robbers, the police indicated, was immediately shot by Police in an exchange of gunfire, while the other took to his heels, throwing the bags of money in the street, as he was being pursued by the Police, in the heat of the exchange of gunfire. "Onlookers scrambled for the money and failed to return same, leaving the victim with an amount of GH2,500.00 which was salvaged" adding that intelligence gathering led to the arrest of the seven persons. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Cy-Hope and the Houston Food Bank have relocated the mega food distribution from Houston Premium Outlets to the Berry Center for this weeks event on Wednesday, April 29, after the outlet mall began reopening for curbside service. The weekly mega food distribution event, now in its third week, was launched by Cy-Hope and the Houston Food Bank to provide food to families in need during the coronavirus pandemic. ON HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM:Coronavirus live updates: Trump praises Abbott, Houston The outlet mall hosted the first two distributions in its large parking lot, which was not being used while retail stores were closed due to stay-at-home orders put in place by Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo and Texas Governor Greg Abbott. Abbott issued another order on April 17 allowing retailers to begin reopening April 24 with a curbside pick-up model. The outlet mall is kind of semi-opening, Lynda Zelenka, executive director of Cy-Hope, said. The food distribution, planned to occur every Wednesday until the Stay Home-Work Safe order is lifted, was first held on April 15 and served families food until supplies ran out. Initially, the distribution received criticism for its location in northwest Houston and not in areas perceived as impoverished, Zelenka said. According to the ALICEor Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed2018 report from United Way, Harris County has the largest number of households living below the ALICE poverty percentage range at 1.6 million households. Cy-Hope and Houston Food Bank served more than 6,000 families during the first two events, with the National Guard aiding with traffic flow for the second event. Each vehicle received 60 pounds of food including produce, cereal and meat. WEEK 2: Mega food distribution feeds 3,000 more Houston area families Instead of four lines of food we had seven lines of food, Zelenka said. It was much more efficient. Everything was presorted so we had a lot more volunteers. It went really smoothly. This weeks distribution will occur April 29 from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Berry Center, 8877 Barker Cypress Road, Cypress. Cars must come into the parking lot from the main entrance. Cars will be served with social distancing in mind as volunteers load the car without recipients having to exit their vehicle. chevall.pryce@chron.com Thousands of Lagosians on Monday defied the social distancing order as they rushed out to support firefighters in battling a fire that destroyed goods worth millions of naira at a filling station and nearby car mart. No fewer than 10 cars on display for sale at the mart and a significant part of the building of the filling station have been completely razed down. The filling station, named Tybod but renamed NNPC a few years ago, is located on Kayode Street, off College Road, Ogba. According to an eyewitness who identified himself simply as Kingsley, the fire started from a tanker that was attempting to discharge diesel into one of the stations tanks. READ ALSO: Mr Kingsley, who owns a shop where he sells power generating sets near the station, said he could not tell whether the fire was ignited through a technical fault from the tanker. He said the fire broke out at about 12 noon and that he had traced the smoke to the location before the crowd of people started trooping in. This crowd you see here has saved so many lives here. They broke into the car mart in spite of the fire to drive out the cars that were not yet touched, he said. A firefighter with the National Petroleum Investment Services (NAPIMS), who declined to identify himself, said he could not comment on the source of the fire. He, however, said after more than five firefighting tankers loaded with water by firefighting agencies of the state and federal governments had exhausted their contents, there was need to look elsewhere for water. As of 3:30 p.m, the fire was yet to be quenched as firefighters and emergency officials from the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS), Neighbourhood Watch team, and men of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) continued to fight it. An official of the Iranian Customs on Sunday confirmed that a fourth consignment of pharmaceutical ingredients purchased from Germany worth around 259,000 euros (about $280,000) has been delivered to Iran. According to the Managing Director of Bazargan Customs Office, the first consignment of the ingredients for use in Iran's pharmaceutical industry had been delivered on April 3 to help Iran fight the coronavirus pandemic. Last week, Iran also received a coronavirus test kit cargo that had been purchased from France. It is not yet clear whether the imported shipments are related to the Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges (INSTEX), or independent from the mechanism which is meant to make humanitarian trade with Iran possible without violating U.S. sanctions. The mechanism, initiated by three European powers -- Britain, France, and Germany -- was devised in 2019 to facilitate non-USD and non-SWIFT humanitarian transactions with Iran. On March 24, a South Korean Foreign Ministry official also announced that Seoul had obtained permission from the government of the United States to export pharmaceutical products and equipment to Iran. Washington's waiver allows South Korea to products these products to Iran under a "special program". On April 12 Iran's Customs Information Secretary Rouhollah Latifi said that a consignment of coronavirus-related medical shipment worth 1,481,000 (roughly $1.6 million) purchased from Bulgaria had arrived in Iran. News of drug imports comes after a widespread debate in recent weeks over the supply of drugs and medical equipment needed to deal with the coronavirus crisis in Iran. The U.S. government has repeatedly asserted that humanitarian aid to Iran is not subject to Washington sanctions. However, Iranian government officials argue that since the country's banking network is under the sanctions, financial transfers to purchase humanitarian items have become complicated. South Korea has issued its strongest response to claims North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is in a vegetative state, saying there is no foundation for the speculation as suggestions grow he is merely being isolated from the coronavirus. In an unusual explanation of its intelligence penetration in the secretive communist dictatorship, South Korea's top North Korea adviser said Seoul trusted its sources and did not believe the 36-year-old was "gravely ill". Missing: North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Credit:AP "The Ministry of Unification makes judgment based on facts," South Koreas Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul said in a video released on Monday. The government has enough information capacity to say confidently that there are no unusual trends after evaluating complicated processes including technology information." Yeon-chul said Kims unidentified activities were not exceptional. He said this year alone he had been previously missing for 21 days and 19 days. A FUNDRAISING ball in Henley raised 42,000 for a boy suffering from a rare genetic disease. More than 140 people attended the black-tie event at the town hall, which was organised by the parents of six-year-old Ben Clarke, who has Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The guests enjoyed a champagne and canape reception followed by a meal. They also took part in a raffle and auctions led by TV auctioneer Jonty Hearnden, with prizes including a chocolate hamper, trip to Argentina, a flight in a plane sponsored by Bremont co-founder Nick English and a week in a Pyrenees chalet. A collection of 16 Andrex loo rolls was also sold for 450 because of the shortages caused by people panic buying in supermarkets. The guests, many of whom are friends of the Clarkes, also saw videos in which Bens parents Alex and Lisa spoke about the impact their sons diagnosis had on them and how the condition would eventually paralyse him. One of these also featured surprise messages from celebrities who have heard about Ben and wanted to wish the family well. Henley resident and Ski Sunday presenter Graham Bell, former England rugby stars Austin Healey and Will Greenwood, Made in Chelsea TV star Ollie Proudlock and McFly musician Tom Fletcher all encouraged the guests to do it for Ben and donate. Proudlock added: Henley is the Chelsea of the countryside. I know youre good for it. After the meal, the guests listened to a live set by the JG collective before DJ Jamie Taylor got them on their feet dancing. The money raised will be used to make modifications to the familys home in Wood Lane Close, Sonning Common, so it is wheelchair accessible and provide Ben with a new bedroom and specialist wet room downstairs. The family also wants to extend their property so they do not lose family space and Ben can play with his brother Zak, two. The total cost of the work is expected to be about 100,000. Ten per cent of the money raised by the ball will go to the charity Duchenne UK, which works to find a cure. Mr Clarke, 43, said: A massive thank-you to everybody for coming. We were incredibly moved by the community support. It wasnt just about raising money to help us make these modifications. We also want to raise awareness of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. It was also a chance for everybody just to have a really great time. That included Lisa and I and we were really overwhelmed watching the bids come in during the auction and seeing people support us. Later on in the evening we both got involved with the dancing and had a great time. It was an overwhelming experience a night of tears, fun and laughter. Ben was diagnosed with his condition in 2017. It is one of the most common genetic disorders in children and usually only affects boys. Most children with it are not expected to live beyond their twenties. The Clarkes had noticed that Ben often fell over and after one particularly bad fall they took him to see their GP. He was referred to hospital and diagnosed soon afterwards. The following year, his father completed a 50km walk and raised 8,000 for his sons future wellbeing. Friends he met at antenatal classes before Bens birth joined him for the walk along the River Thames from Long Wittenham, near Dorchester, to the Little Angel in Remenham Lane, during persistent rain and strong winds. The ball was held before the Government introduced restrictions on peoples movements in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Miriam del Peso, her husband Alejandro and their children Pablo and Sofia keep social distancing as they interact with another family after restrictions were partially lifted for children for the first time in six weeks, during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Madrid, Spain. (Image: Reuters) FORT WORTH, Texas, April 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Kimbell Royalty Partners, LP (NYSE: KRP) ("Kimbell"), a leading owner of oil and natural gas mineral and royalty interests in more than 96,000 gross wells across 28 states, today announced that the Board of Directors of Kimbell Royalty GP, LLC, Kimbell's general partner (the "Board of Directors") approved a cash distribution payment of 50% of projected cash available for distribution for the first quarter of 2020, or $0.17 per common unit. The distribution will be payable on May 11, 2020 to common unitholders of record at the close of business on May 4, 2020. "We are pleased to announce that the company performed very well in the first quarter of this year with expected record production, as well as strong cash provided by operating activities and consolidated Adjusted EBITDA, in each case after giving effect to a full quarter of Springbok. We had 70 active rigs operating on our properties as of April 17, 2020, which represents an increased market share of all land drilling rigs in the continental United States compared to year-end 2019," commented Robert Ravnaas, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Kimbell's general partner. In light of the unprecedented global economic impact resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, the related impact to the United States oil market and the potential for curtailments of production in the coming months, Kimbell's management has recommended, and the Board of Directors has approved, the allocation of 50% of Kimbell's projected cash available for distribution for the first quarter of 2020, together with certain cash received at the closing of the Springbok acquisition and other cash reserves, for the repayment of $15 million in outstanding borrowings under Kimbell's revolving credit facility. "We believe that, in light of the enormous uncertainty in the economy right now, particularly in the oil and gas sector, paying down a portion of our indebtedness is prudent. Having additional "dry powder" in this challenging environment provides additional financial strength. We believe that we are well positioned to weather this storm, with approximately 60% of our estimated first quarter production coming from natural gas, for which the outlook looks increasingly strong, one of the lowest PDP decline rates (and amongst the highest PDP reserves to production ratios) in the industry, our robust hedge position and our low leverage," concluded Robert Ravnaas. Kimbell - Supplemental Distribution Data Percent Q4 2019 Q1 2020 Change WTI Average Crude Oil Price(1) $56.96 $45.76 (19.7%) Henry Hub Average Natural Gas Price (1) $2.40 $1.91 (20.4%) Common Unit Distribution Declared $0.38 $0.17 (55.3%) Debt Paydown - $15,000,000 Annualized Cash Yield (2) 10.7% Cash Received from Lease Bonuses and Other Income $163,597 $229,319 SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF THE DISTRIBUTION TO COMMON UNITHOLDERS FOR THE FIRST QUARTER OF 2020 EXPECTED TO BE FREE OF DIVIDEND INCOME TAXES AND INSTEAD CONSIDERED A RETURN OF CAPITAL (3) (1) Average commodity prices are from the Energy Information Administration. Crude oil prices are in dollars per barrel and natural gas prices are in dollars per million Btu. (2) Based on the closing price of Kimbell common units on April 24, 2020. (3) This estimate is based upon assumptions Kimbell has made regarding, among other things, Kimbell Royalty Operating, LLC's income and depletion expenses and production from the mineral and royalty interests Kimbell acquired in the acquisition of Springbok Energy Partners, LLC and Springbok Energy Partners II, LLC (the "Springbok acquisition"), which closed on April 17, 2020, and ignores the effect of any possible acquisitions of additional assets (other than the Springbok acquisition). This estimate is based on current tax law and tax reporting positions that Kimbell has adopted and with which the Internal Revenue Service could disagree. This estimate is not a fact, and no assurances can be made regarding this estimate. Preliminary First Quarter 2020 Financial and Operational Highlights Q1 2020 oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids ("NGL") revenues between $24.5 million and $26.5 million , up 12% at its midpoint as compared to Q1 2019 and , up 12% at its midpoint as compared to Q1 2019 Q1 2020 run-rate daily production between 12,500 and 12,700 barrels of oil equivalent ("Boe") per day (6:1), up 5% at its midpoint as compared to Q1 2019 Including a full quarter of production attributable to the Springbok assets, record Q1 2020 run-rate daily production between 15,000 and 15,400 Boe per day (6:1), up 27% at its midpoint as compared to Q1 2019 Q1 2020 net cash provided by operating activities between $19.7 million and $21.9 million , up 32% at its midpoint as compared to Q1 2019 and , up 32% at its midpoint as compared to Q1 2019 Q1 2020 net cash provided by operating activities solely related to the Springbok assets between $4.2 million and $4.7 million and Q1 2020 consolidated Adjusted EBITDA between $18.0 million and $20.0 million , up 18% at its midpoint as compared to Q1 2019 and , up 18% at its midpoint as compared to Q1 2019 Including a full quarter of revenues attributable to the Springbok assets, Q1 2020 consolidated Adjusted EBITDA between $22.2 million and $24.6 million , up 45% at its midpoint as compared to Q1 201 and , up 45% at its midpoint as compared to Q1 201 2.96 net (882 gross) drilled but uncompleted wells ("DUCs") and 2.35 net (476 gross) permitted locations on Kimbell's acreage as of March 31, 2020 Q1 2020 cash distribution of $0.17 per common unit; implies a 10.7% annualized yield based on the April 24, 2020 closing price of $6.37 per common unit per common unit; implies a 10.7% annualized yield based on the closing price of per common unit Completed a public offering of 5 million common units for net proceeds of approximately $73.3 million , which were used to pre-fund the cash portion of the Springbok acquisition, which closed on April 17, 2020 , which were used to pre-fund the cash portion of the Springbok acquisition, which closed on Completed the redemption of 50% of Kimbell's outstanding Series A Cumulative Convertible Preferred Units for an aggregate redemption price of $61.1 million on February 12, 2020 Preliminary First Quarter 2020 Financial and Operational Results In light of the significant market volatility associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, Kimbell is providing preliminary first quarter 2020 financial and operational results. Revenue, production and certain other operational statistics for the first quarter of 2020 are provided in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States ("GAAP") and do not include the recently acquired Springbok assets, as the transaction closed after quarter-end on April 17, 2020. However, under the terms of the Springbok purchase agreement, Kimbell is entitled to the cash flows from the Springbok assets as of the effective date of the transaction, which is October 1, 2019. Kimbell Q1 2020: (1) Oil, natural gas and NGL revenues ($mm) $24.5 - $26.5 Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities $19.7 - $21.9 Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA ($mm) $18.0 - $20.0 Net Production - Mboe/d (6:1) 12.5 - 12.7 Oil Production - % of Net Production 25% - 29% Natural Gas Production - % of Net Production 58% - 62% NGL Production - % of Net Production 11% - 15% Unit Costs ($/Boe) Marketing and other deductions $1.40 - $1.90 Depreciation, depletion and accretion expenses $9.00 - $11.00 G&A Cash G&A $3.85 - $3.95 Non-Cash G&A $1.80 - $2.00 Production and ad valorem taxes 6.0% - 8.0% Cash Provided by Operating Activities from Springbok ($mm) $4.2 - $4.7 Q1 2020 Including Springbok: (2) Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA ($mm) $22.2 - $24.6 Net Production - Mboe/d (6:1) 15.0 - 15.4 Oil Production - % of Net Production 26% - 30% Natural Gas Production - % of Net Production 57% - 61% NGL Production - % of Net Production 11% - 15% (1) Financial and operating information does not include revenues, production or other financial or operating results attributable to the Springbok acquisition, which closed after quarter-end on April 17, 2020. (2) Includes financial and operating results attributable to the Springbok acquisition. Under the terms of the Springbok purchase agreement, Kimbell is entitled to the cash flows from the Springbok assets as of the effective date of the transaction, which is October 1, 2019. As of March 31, 2020, Kimbell had outstanding 34,378,849 common units and 20,644,047 Class B units. As of April 27, 2020, Kimbell had outstanding 36,602,811 common units and 23,141,181 Class B units. Operational Update As of March 31, 2020, Kimbell had 882 gross (2.96 net) DUCs and 476 gross (2.35 net) permitted locations on its acreage. In addition, as of April 17, 2020, Kimbell had 70 rigs actively drilling on its acreage, which represents an approximate 13.7%(1) market share of all land rigs drilling in the continental United States as of such time, up from 11.9%(2) at year-end 2019. Basin Gross DUCs as of March 31, 2020(3) Gross Permits as of March 31, 2020(3) Net DUCs as of March 31, 2020(3) Net Permits as of March 31, 2020(3) Active Rigs as of April 17, 2020(4) Permian 168 111 0.85 0.53 33 Mid-Continent 142 88 0.30 0.10 11 Haynesville 67 20 0.40 0.19 9 Bakken 221 86 0.22 0.26 8 Eagle Ford 144 50 0.88 0.33 5 Appalachia 51 54 0.21 0.20 3 Rockies 89 67 0.10 0.74 1 Total 882 476 2.96 2.35 70 (1) Based on Kimbell rig count (including Springbok) of 70 and Baker Hughes U.S. land rig count of 512 as of April 17, 2020. (2) Based on Kimbell rig count (including Springbok) of 93 and Baker Hughes U.S. land rig count of 781 as of December 27, 2019. (3) Includes combined Kimbell and Springbok assets. These figures pertain only to Kimbell's major properties and do not include possible additional DUCs and permits from Kimbell's minor properties, which are time consuming to quantify but, in the experience of Kimbell's management, can be significant in the aggregate. (4) Includes combined Kimbell and Springbok assets. Liquidity At March 31, 2020, Kimbell had approximately $101.2 million in debt outstanding under its revolving credit facility and approximately $123.8 million in undrawn capacity (or approximately $198.8 million if aggregate commitments were equal to Kimbell's current borrowing base, which is $300.0 million). Increases in commitments pursuant to the accordion feature of the revolving credit facility are subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions, including obtaining additional commitments from new or existing lenders. Kimbell was in compliance with all financial covenants under its revolving credit facility at March 31, 2020. At April 24, 2020, after taking into account the previously disclosed drawdown to fund the cash portion of the purchase price in the Springbok acquisition, Kimbell had approximately $186.7 million in debt outstanding under its revolving credit facility. After giving effect to the repayment of $15 million in outstanding borrowings discussed above, which is anticipated to occur in the second quarter of 2020, Kimbell expects to have approximately $171.7 million in outstanding borrowings under its revolving credit facility and a pro forma total debt to the midpoint of the Q1 2020 annualized consolidated Adjusted EBITDA, including a full quarter of the Springbok assets, of approximately 1.8x. Hedging Update The following provides information concerning Kimbell's hedge book as of April 27, 2020: Fixed Price Swaps as of April 27, 2020 Weighted Average Volumes Fixed Price Oil Nat Gas Oil Nat Gas BBL MMBTU $/BBL $/MMBTU 2Q 2020 112,989 1,452,705 $ 44.68 $ 2.27 3Q 2020 134,964 1,735,672 $ 40.62 $ 2.31 4Q 2020 134,964 1,735,672 $ 41.61 $ 2.54 1Q 2021 132,030 1,697,940 $ 44.43 $ 2.83 2Q 2021 133,497 1,716,806 $ 44.60 $ 2.45 3Q 2021 134,964 1,735,672 $ 43.44 $ 2.41 4Q 2021 134,964 1,735,672 $ 44.58 $ 2.49 1Q 2022 132,030 1,697,940 $ 36.76 $ 2.61 First Quarter 2020 Earnings Release and Conference Call Kimbell will release its full first quarter 2020 financial results on Thursday, May 7, 2020, before the market opens. In conjunction with the release, Kimbell has scheduled a conference call, which will be broadcast live over the Internet the same day, at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time (10:00 a.m. Central Time). Kimbell will provide further commentary about the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic and the oil market downturn, as well as the impact on Kimbell's business, at that time. Note Regarding Preliminary Results The first quarter 2020 financial and operational information provided in this news release is preliminary, unaudited and subject to completion and review by the company's independent registered public accounting firm. Actual first quarter 2020 financial and operational results may vary. This information reflects management's current views and may change as a result of management's continued review of results and other factors. Such preliminary results for the first quarter of 2020 are subject to the finalization and closing of Kimbell's accounting books and records (which have yet to be performed), and should not be viewed as a substitute for full quarterly financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP. Neither Kimbell's independent registered public accounting firm nor any other independent registered public accounting firm has audited, reviewed or compiled, examined or performed any procedures with respect to the preliminary results, nor have they expressed any opinion or any other form of assurance on the preliminary results. About Kimbell Royalty Partners Kimbell (NYSE: KRP) is a leading oil and gas mineral and royalty company based in Fort Worth, Texas. Kimbell owns mineral and royalty interests in over 13 million gross acres in 28 states and in every major onshore basin in the continental United States, including ownership in more than 96,000 gross wells with over 40,000 wells in the Permian Basin. To learn more, visit kimbellrp.com. Forward-Looking Statements This news release includes forward-looking statements, in particular statements relating to the acquisition of the Springbok assets, Kimbell's financial, operating and production results and prospects for growth, the tax treatment of Kimbell's distributions and the recent COVID-19 outbreak and its impacts on Kimbell and on the oil and gas industry. These and other forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, including risks that the anticipated benefits of the acquisition of the Springbok assets are not realized, risks relating to Kimbell's integration of the Springbok assets, risks relating to the COVID-19 outbreak, and uncertainties relating to Kimbell's business, prospects for growth and acquisitions and the securities markets generally, as well as risks inherent in oil and natural gas drilling and production activities, including risks with respect to low or declining prices for oil and natural gas that could result in downward revisions to the value of proved reserves or otherwise cause operators to delay or suspend planned drilling and completion operations or reduce production levels, which would adversely impact cash flow, risks related to the impact of COVID-19 on the global economy and Kimbell's business, risks relating to the impairment of oil and natural gas properties, risks relating to the availability of capital to fund drilling operations that can be adversely affected by adverse drilling results, production declines and declines in oil and natural gas prices, risks relating to Kimbell's ability to meet financial covenants under its credit agreement or its ability to obtain amendments or waivers to effect such compliance, risks relating to Kimbell's hedging activities, risks of fire, explosion, blowouts, pipe failure, casing collapse, unusual or unexpected formation pressures, environmental hazards, and other operating and production risks, which may temporarily or permanently reduce production or cause initial production or test results to not be indicative of future well performance or delay the timing of sales or completion of drilling operations, risks relating to delays in receipt of drilling permits, risks relating to unexpected adverse developments in the status of properties, risks relating to borrowing base redeterminations by Kimbell's lenders, risks relating to the absence or delay in receipt of government approvals or third-party consents, risks relating to acquisitions, dispositions and drop downs of assets, risks relating to Kimbell's ability to realize the anticipated benefits from and to integrate acquired assets, including the Springbok assets, risks relating to tax matters, and other risks described in Kimbell's Annual Report on Form 10-K and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), available at the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this news release. Except as required by law, Kimbell undertakes no obligation and does not intend to update these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances occurring after this news release. When considering these forward-looking statements, you should keep in mind the risk factors and other cautionary statements in Kimbell's filings with the SEC. Contact: Rick Black Dennard Lascar Investor Relations [email protected] (713) 529-6600 Kimbell Royalty Partners, LP Supplemental Schedules NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES Adjusted EBITDA and Cash G&A are used as a supplemental non-GAAP financial measures by management and external users of Kimbell's financial statements, such as industry analysts, investors, lenders and rating agencies. Kimbell believes Adjusted EBITDA is useful because it allows us to more effectively evaluate Kimbell's operating performance and compare the results of Kimbell's operations period to period without regard to its financing methods or capital structure. In addition, management uses Adjusted EBITDA to evaluate cash flow available to pay distributions to Kimbell's unitholders. In this news release, Kimbell defines Adjusted EBITDA as net cash provided by operating activities before interest expense, amortization expense, equity income from affiliates, non-cash unit-based compensation, unrealized gains or losses on commodity derivative instruments, net of settlements, and net change in operating assets and liabilities. Adjusted EBITDA is not a measure of net income (loss) or net cash provided by operating activities as determined by GAAP. Kimbell excludes the items listed above from net cash provided by operating activities in arriving at Adjusted EBITDA because these amounts can vary substantially from company to company within Kimbell's industry depending upon accounting methods and book values of assets, capital structures and the method by which the assets were acquired. Certain items excluded from Adjusted EBITDA are significant components in understanding and assessing a company's financial performance, such as a company's cost of capital and tax structure, as well as historic costs of depreciable assets, none of which are components of Adjusted EBITDA. Adjusted EBITDA should not be considered an alternative to net income, oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids revenues, net cash provided by operating activities or any other measure of financial performance or liquidity presented in accordance with GAAP. Kimbell's computations of Adjusted EBITDA may not be comparable to other similarly titled measures of other companies. Kimbell expects that cash available for distribution for each quarter will generally equal its Adjusted EBITDA for the quarter, less cash needed for debt service and other contractual obligations and fixed charges and reserves for future operating or capital needs that the Board of Directors may determine is appropriate. Kimbell believes Cash G&A is a useful metric because it isolates cash costs within overall G&A expense and measure cash costs relative to overall production, which is a widely utilized metric to evaluate operational performance within the energy sector. Cash G&A is defined as general and administrative expenses less unit-based compensation expense. Cash G&A should not be considered an alternative to G&A expense presented in accordance with GAAP. Kimbell's computations of Cash G&A may not be comparable to other similarly titled measures of other companies. Kimbell Royalty Partners, LP Supplemental Schedules (Unaudited, in thousands) Reconciliation of net cash provided by operating activities Three Months Ended to Adjusted EBITDA March 31, 2020 Net cash provided by operating activities $ 19,749 - $ 21,877 Interest expense 1,350 - 1,492 Amortization expense (317) - (349) Equity income in affiliate 156 - 172 Unit-based compensation (2,003) - (2,213) Gain on commodity derivative instruments, net of settlements 8,530 - 9,428 Net change in operating assets and liabilities (2,933) - (3,242) Consolidated EBITDA $ 24,532 - $ 27,165 Unit-based compensation 2,003 - 2,213 Gain on commodity derivative instruments, net of settlements (8,530) - (9,428) Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA $ 18,005 - $ 19,950 Adjustment to account for full quarter of Springbok acquisition (1) 4,214 - 4,658 Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA (including full quarter of Springbok) $ 22,219 - $ 24,608 (1) Includes cash flow attributable to the Springbok acquisition. Under the terms of the Springbok purchase agreement, Kimbell is entitled to the cash flows from the Springbok assets as of the effective date of the transaction, which is October 1, 2019. SOURCE Kimbell Royalty Partners, LP Related Links http://kimbellrp.com People of St. Maarten, I hereby address you as Prime Minister and Chair of the Emergency Operations Center (EOC), in an update for today, Saturday, April 25, 2020 as part of the process to keep the community of St. Maarten informed about the latest developments and the Governments COVID-19 containment, mitigation and response measures. I know you have just enjoyed a very good production that was just held by CPS. I know you will look forward to hearing from our medical professionals in the future, as this will be a weekly feature. I hereby congratulate them at this moment for an exceptional job thus far. We would like to extend our deepest sympathy to the family and friends of the deceased and wish each and every person dealing with a COVID-19 death, as well as a regular death, much strength during these trying times, as youre not able to comfort each other as is usual. COVID-19 Cases Based on the latest available data, the counts for April 25, as of 4:00 PM are as follows: Self-Quarantine: 127 Self-Isolation: 103 Number Hospitalized: 7 Number Tested: 295 Number Positive: 74 Male: 52 Female: 22 Number Negative: 211 Number Pending: 9 Inconclusive: 1 Deceased: 13 Recovered: 33 Active Case: 28 My Cabinet staff will publish pie graphs demonstrating the total numbers of positive cases, amount deceased, recovered, tested, as well as the current active cases. The majority of these cases have been negative and I believe that bodes well. We should also pay attention to our positive numbers. In this way, we can see that what we are doing now to flatten the curve is actually working. Of the seven persons, currently in the St. Maarten Medical Centre, three are in the hospital, while three are in the medium care pavilion and one is in intensive care in the ICU tent. We wish all persons still struggling with the COVID-19 virus much strength and we continue to work together with our doctors and CPS to ensure that the number will flatten and slowly start to go down. We have been assessing our data on a daily basis, and hopefully by next week, we will be able to give you a better overview of what has been happening as it relates to our COVID-19 patients. Those in isolation, quarantine as well as those who are being monitored very carefully by our medical personnel. We have had several meetings over the past week with ESF 5, 6, 7, 9, and 10 coordinators, together with the Ministers and their respective teams. We have been strategically discussing the next steps forward based on our plans and we have decided on the following in or EOC meeting of yesterday, April 24, 2020. It was determined that we should make the necessary changes to the State of Emergency in order to further relax the safety and security measures currently in place, still allowing for three days of shopping despite it being a holiday week. The relaxed measures will ensure that some economic activity will still take place. These measures will also maintain the necessary safety measures to continue to mitigate the spread of the COVID-19 virus as CPS goes about their day-to-day assessment within our community. The main considerations concerning the relaxed measures, which allow for more businesses to be able to offer their services, will allow us to take a step closer to our new normal and maintain the necessary safety measures. The first priority, being the health perspective and flattening the curve, the second, being law enforcement and reducing civil unrest, and the third, being Economic Affairs, thereby mitigating further economic decline. Due to the upcoming public holidays, the new essential business list schedule will allow for the general public to shop on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Monday and Friday, are holidays and as such, the general public will be allowed to make use of their right to do necessary grocery shopping, going to the pharmacies or visiting other essential businesses as listed in the addendum to the Ministerial Regulation on these particular days. Deliveries will also be increased. Therefore, more businesses are allowed to do deliveries this coming week onwards. This one-week deviation was to ensure that our public still had three days to make use of necessities on the following week. The Monday, Wednesday, and Friday structure will resume after. Additionally, the general public will have access to more business services such as GEBE, TelEm, and UTS to be able to pay their bills. Tenants under the care of the St. Maarten Housing Development Foundation will also be able to carry-out their urgent and necessary errands on the three days that persons are allowed to make use of the public roads. Therefore, that is this week Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and thereafter, we will be back to the Monday, Wednesday, Friday, arrangement until the regulation has been lifted. Another new addition to the Ministerial Regulation is the option for the general public to make use of optician services as of next week. Additionally, on the three days, several persons have mentioned that they need to make use of the optician services in order to get their glasses renewed and as such, next week Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, and thereafter, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, you will be able to leave your homes once youre out doing your shopping, Persons may arrange appointments to have maintenance and repair personnel come to their homes to do the necessary repairs and maintenance on the given days as well. Persons may also make use of insurance, notarial, legal services, and veterinary services by appointment only on the above-mentioned days that the public is allowed to make use of the roads. Those in need of these services are asked to stay within your own district as much as and to respect the zones as has been determined by National Decree. Namely, east of the Cole Bay hill (Zone A) and West of the Cole Bay hill (Zone B). We have asked all the banks, GEBE and TelEm to ensure that both branches on either side of the hill are open to minimize the amount of movement across both sides. Persons will also be able to get their packages ordered online as the courier will be allowed to deliver in the coming week. All these businesses may offer their services through delivery only. You are not allowed to go to their location of business to pick up your package. Last week, we already allowed for home delivery for baby and maternity stores, hardware stores, and electronic stores as well as IT sales. This arrangement will also continue. Medical practitioners, laboratories, and dental clinics are open to the public by appointment only all days of the week according to their schedules. This was already allowed last week; therefore, this will remain in effect. You do not need a personal waiver for these matters, as you just need some form of proof for your appointment with your doctor. Once your doctor issues you a letter to go to the lab or to the pharmacy, then that would serve as your proof of appointment in case you are stopped on the days when the curfew is in full effect for 24 hours. Moreover, construction projects are still only allowed for the COVID-19 related projects, as well as a police station, as these are emergency services in need of dire repair for their proper functioning during this COVID-19 period. The restaurants that have arrangements with essential Services may also continue to do so. Unfortunately, I am not going to allow other restaurants to open in the meantime until we can ensure that we have flattened the curve. All safety measures apply to all businesses allowed to be open for three days. Therefore, you must ensure that your staff is healthy. Ensure that no one reporting to work has no flu-like symptoms, ensure good hygiene and sanitation protocols are in place. If you do not, you will most definitely be shut down. Persons venturing out on the public roads during these times are asked to only do so on a needs basis. Do not go out there just for sightseeing. This complaint has also come forward. Please stay at home for your own health. Only one person per family is allowed to go out and stand in line to do any type of shopping remembering to maintain a 2 meters distance from other customers. We are totally against any groupings of persons standing in line. In cars, there should be no more than two persons. I ask that you wear protective gear as many are being homemade and theyre using filters to ensure that the cloth masks are effective. Many companies are selling mask out there, therefore, ensure that you get yours. I ask that you refrain from hugging, kissing and shaking hands when you are out in public. These are strictly forbidden, as they will most definitely cause the spread of the virus. There should be clearly defined markings outside and inside of all locations including at cash registers, 1.5 to 2 meters between clients, as well as in the back of the cash registers. Clearly marked arrows should be visible in all aisles ensuring one-directional traffic as well as ensuring proper social distancing inside and outside the stores. All staff must be free of flu-like symptoms and must wear protective gear. These places of business are to provide sanitizing spray or hand sanitizers for their customers entering the establishment. Proper sanitization of baskets and shopping carts are also a must and proper crowd control must be in place. Therefore, you must have a security guard or a community leader and ensure that no groupings larger than what your store can hold is allowed inside. All businesses must ensure that they can put out a good and efficient delivery system in order to keep the population satisfied. On days, when you are not allowed to visit the stores, they are allowed to make deliveries. Many stores have been doing that and I commend you for doing so and keeping our population as safe as possible. Ive also taken note that due to the situation in Curacao, where medical personnel brought in to assist were noted to have been COVID- 19 positive, I would like to reiterate that when our medical and technical assistance arrived, we ensured that were tested prior to arrival and upon arrival. These persons also had to maintain a two-week quarantine here on St. Maarten before going into society. While working they must wear protective gear at all times in case they do start to show symptoms at a later time. Our marines and police officers that have come in have been tested and will continue to be tested as long as they are going to be active in our society. We will not put our people at risk when we are looking for assistance and I must say that the Dutch Marines were in quarantine for two weeks before getting on the ship and they have been at sea for about a week. They will continue to remain on the ship until we can ascertain that they have been tested and are safe to enter our community. In clarifying the waiver system, persons on the French side who need to travel to the Dutch side will need to permission from the Chief of Police (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ) or myself (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ). These waivers may also be submitted digitally via www.sintmaartengov.org/coronavirus under the Law, Form & Protocols option. Persons on the Dutch side needing to cross the border to the French side will have to request permission from the Prefete via the following link https://forms.gle/QugqNVS1nWrCnY9U9. As we near the end of todays announcement, I would like to tell the people of St. Maarten that we are not working in an ad hoc manner. We have very strict plans in place, but we continue to assess the delivery of these plans and how it is actually working in the community, and as such, we are adjusting and ensuring that people can receive what we plan for them to get in the time that it is allotted. Of course, every good plan must have a Plan B, C, and D, and therefore, as we are just moving along and we see that the curve is actually flattening, we can then have a release of more and more services. This way the persons on St. Maarten can feel that we are in a sense of normalcy. I must say that many people are using this time to find new ways to earn funds and find new ways to become productive while remaining at home. We are actively looking at ways to ensure that some students who have not yet been able to make up online classes would be able to do so. Were actively seeking funds, as well as ensuring that every child will be able to understand and learn, even in this COVID-19 reality. E-government and E-education was always on my vision board, but COVID-19 gives us the unique opportunity to be able to enforce it right away. No longer can we say that we dont have enough money for this or we dont have enough money for that. We must find the money, and with COVID-19 money being available out there in the community and in the international world we will use every opportunity afforded to us to be able to ensure that every child gets the necessary education even while they are at home. Therefore, we are looking at ways to get devices as well as Internet connection to all our students. There are EU funds available, however, you must have your project ready to go. They are not going to give the money directly to the government of St. Maarten. Therefore, we have to identify organizations that are ready to go to execute hard work in order to get those funds moving on St. Maarten. This is an opportunity for people of St. Maarten. Lets make use of it. St. Maarten was not up to par as it pertains to being online, paying bills online, ordering food or materials online. We know how to order from Amazon etc. however, here is your opportunity to offer the general public of St. Maarten products made in St. Maarten. Start your own online business. You start realizing your dreams. It is about time that the people of St. Maarten realize the strength that lies within them. Realize the strength that lies within you to find your dream. Think of a way of making online business work for you. Let us see how inventive you can be. Even our own local University can do better in offering more online classes and Im willing to sit with each and everyone who has great ideas about that. I know many great ideas exist within our community and together we can solve the problems that the world is facing. As a matter of fact, we will be trendsetters by showing how after this COVID-19, we bounce back better. We bounce back smarter. We bounce back, more efficient and able to handle our business. So, let us put all our hands on deck, improve our own lives, thereby, improving St. Maarten as a whole. When we are ready to open St. Maarten, people will say, Wow! St. Maarten has worked hard, despite the difficulties faced, despite having persons showing up at the hospital undocumented and unregistered by CPS. We are still doing our best and making sure that everybody is informed. Information is power! Ensure that you are informed. Ensure that your neighbors are informed and make sure that we are all executing a high level of social distancing and personal hygiene, as well as when we go out so that we do not infect others if we may be positive ourselves and do not know it. If you feel any symptoms whatsoever, get tested. By getting tested, we can get you healed, recovered, and back in society. That is what we want because around the world, COVID-19 isnt going anywhere. It is going down and going up, but on our tiny island, while we have the opportunity, let us kick it in the butt and send it on its way. We can do this people, we can do this! I wish each and everyone of us a blessed weekend and remember, stay strong, stay faithful; we are blessed. CHANDLER, Ariz. Authorities say a man is accused of shooting and wounding three police officers during two confrontation is an ex-convict who was was released from prison a year earlier. Chandler police say 35-year-old Rigoberto Jimenez on Monday allegedly shot one officer who sought to question Jimenez because of suspicious behavior and later allegedly shot two other officers among those searching for Jimenez after he fled into a nearby home. According to the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry, Jimenez was released from prison in Tucson on April 25 of 2019 after serving sentences for Maricopa County convictions that included aggravated assault and armed robbery. According to police, Jimenez was arrested in a residence next to the home where the second shooting took place and that Jimenez had set the home on fire to try to escape. The first officer who was shot was released from a hospital after treatment for a leg wound. The other two officers who were shot escaped serious injury because the bullets hit one officers protective vest and equipment carried by another officer. Online court records dont list an attorney for Jimenez who could comment on the allegations. Foremost Mass Communication don, Professor Ralph Akinfeleye, has said only a governor that is intoxicated by power will ban journalists... Foremost Mass Communication don, Professor Ralph Akinfeleye, has said only a governor that is intoxicated by power will ban journalists from doing their jobs. He was reacting to Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State banning Vanguard and The Sun newspapers journalists from the State House for life. Professor Akinfeleye, who is Chairman, Mass Communication Department, University of Lagos, UNILAG, told Vanguard: A governor must be intoxicated by power, have a weak internal control mechanism, as well as be mentally distressed and intellectually bankrupt to say such nonsense at this period of coronavirus epidemic. Still on the ban on journalists, Akinfeleye said: The Constitution, Chapter 2 Section 22, gives the journalistic an obligation to monitor the government and hold them accountable to the people at all times. So Mr. Governor has no right to want to padlock the air. Nobody can padlock the air. Even in the military regime, they attempted to padlock the air, but they were not able to. And this is a democracy. If by chance the reporters wrote something that was not right, he has the right to tender a rejoinder and it will be published. If the media refuse to publish same, he can then go to the Press Council. What does he mean by banning the reporters for life? Does he mean he is going to be the governor forever? That is very embarrassing and satanic. It is very undemocratic. Initially I thought it was fake news. But I later confirmed it was not fake. This must have been led by some evil forces surrounding him. He should remove himself from those evil forces and understand that we are in a democracy. The governor has no right to ban journalists for life. That is too abnormal. It ought not to have happened at all, Akinfeleye concluded on the journalists ban. Overcrowding at some California beaches and parks has given local officials second thoughts about keeping them open next weekend at the risk of reversing progress made in slowing the spread of the coronavirus and causing a deadly surge of cases. City officials in Newport Beach called on Sunday for a special meeting to consider shutting beaches for everybody in the next few weekends or closing roadways leading to the shoreline to keep visitors away. DEFYING ORDERS: Houston restaurant spurns stay-at-home order with early opening Over the weekend, a spring heat wave lured tens of thousands of people to the seaside town in Orange County, where residents compared the crowd size to something typically seen on July 4. Visitors cruised around seaside neighborhoods searching for parking and packed the sidewalks that are inches from people's front yards, said Diane Dixon, a councilwoman whose district run along the beach. The residents are accustomed to summer visitors. This is not an issue in normal times. But in a pandemic it creates at lot of concerns, and our older residents are especially at risk," Dixon said. Neighboring Huntington Beach also saw big gatherings, despite the closure of beach parking lots and metered parking restricted along the Pacific Coast Highway. Weekend temperatures reached the 80s and 90s in much of the state. While most recreation remains shuttered under various orders, officials were wary that those still open could draw people who will ignore rules to stay separated and seek sun and air after being mainly confined indoors for more than a month. Some beaches had more restrictions than others depending on the governmental agency in charge of different segments of the coastline. San Diego County officials said they would open their beaches starting Monday to all water activities except recreational boating but left it to coastal cities to decide when or how they will reopen their own beaches. The county's decision on Friday caught the cities by surprise, and they scrambled over the weekend to come up with a plan. Carlsbad officials voted to keep city beaches, parks and trails closed until they can consider a phased reopening; meanwhile Encinitas will reopen a beach only for walking, run and water activities. E-CANNED: E-scooter company reportedly laid off 406 people in 2-minute Zoom call Los Angeles city and county beaches, trails and playgrounds were closed. Officers on horseback patrolled those areas to enforce social distancing rules. We wont let one weekend undo a month of progress. While the sunshine is tempting, were staying home to save lives, Garcetti tweeted Sunday. The places we love our beaches, hiking trails will still be there when this is over. And by staying home, were making sure our loved ones will be too. To the north, police in Pacific Grove said they had to close the picturesque Lovers Point Park and Beach at the southern end of Monterey Bay on Saturday because of a lack of social distancing. Police began closing parking lots in Sausalito Sunday and will continue to do so on weekends and holidays to deter visitors who flocked Saturday to the popular seaside town across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco. Crowding at a sprawling network of parks east of the city also prompted the East Bay Regional Park District to urge visitors to help keep the parks open by following social distancing norms. A park official said some people gathered in large groups Saturday, with some refusing to to leave closed picnic areas when asked. In Sacramento, boats crowded the water at Discovery Park and many families set up blankets and chairs by the riverside. We want to continue to remind the community that yes, the weather is nice, but COVID-19 is still around, and weve been making some great progress, Sacramento County Sheriff's Deputy Zaheem Buksh told KCRA-TV. So lets continue to make that progress by practicing social distancing." California has had more than 43,500 coronavirus cases and 1,700 deaths, more than half of them in the Los Angeles area, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. However, the number of infections is thought to be far higher because many people have not been tested. Studies suggest people can be infected with the virus without feeling sick. Last week, health officials announced a Santa Clara County woman died in early February from COVID-19 weeks before the first previously known U.S. death from the virus. An autopsy released by the county Saturday concluded she suffered a massive heart attack caused by coronavirus infection, which also spread to her trachea, lungs and intestines. San Francisco Mayor London Breed said more than a month into the crisis the Bay Area still faces shortages of personal protective equipment and testing kits. It's causing challenges that will exacerbate if the virus surges back, she said. MALLS OPENING: Five Houston-area malls are opening for retail-to-go shopping We have known that this crisis was coming to our country for a long time now, and the fact is that as of April, were still having the same conversations about the challenges, Breed said Sunday on CBS News' Face the Nation." I know that most cities are seeing the same data Im seeing that if we do absolutely nothing, it gets worse. For most people, the virus 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 and death. Cases continue to grow in California but at a manageable pace that hasnt overwhelmed hospitals, health authorities have said. State and local stay-at-home orders have been cited as successfully slowing the rise in coronavirus hospitalizations and deaths. Recent polls show Californians overwhelmingly support them. There have been small protests by people who want to reopen the state, contending their liberty and livelihoods are at stake. Dozens rallied in Pacific Beach on Sunday. Three people were arrested at a rally Saturday in Encinitas, just north of San Diego, and cited for violating health orders, Sheriffs Lt. Ricardo Lopez said. ____ Nguyen reported from Oakland, California. Things appear to be moving fast for Married At First Sight couple Michael Goonan, 29, and Kasey 'KC' Osborne, 31. After moving in together following less than two months of dating, KC has already met Michael's toddler son, Connor. The professional dancer described her partner's two-year-old as 'adorable' during an Instagram Q&A on Sunday, confirming she enjoys spending time with the child. Scroll down for video Don't cha wish your stepmum was hot like her! MAFS bride KC Osborne (left) has already met Michael Goonan's two-year-old son (both right) after just two months of dating KC works with children regularly for youth dance classes, so it's no surprise she has taken to Michael's son with ease. The brunette beauty used to be part of the Pussycat Dolls, and even rubbed shoulders with Harry Styles and David Beckham while living in Los Angeles. Responding to a fan's question on Michael's Instagram Stories, the professional dancer described the toddler as 'adorable'. 'I have met little Connor, his [Michael's] son. He's adorable. It was fun to babysit, that's for sure,' KC said with a large grin. The brunette bombshell then praised Michael's parenting skills, adding: 'He's a good dad!' 'He's adorable!' On Sunday, KC revealed via Michael's Instagram Stories, that she has already met Michael's two-year-old son Connor She's a natural! KC enjoys working with children regularly for youth dance classes, so it's no surprise she has taken to Michael's son with ease Future stepmother? Responding to a fan's question, KC said of Michael's son: 'I have met little Connor, his son. He's adorable. It was fun to babysit, that's for sure' Michael shares Connor with an ex-girlfriend, and previously told Instagram fans that he has chosen to keep his son away from the spotlight and 'all of this nonsense'. The couple split more than a year ago, with the entrepreneur telling TV Week magazine in February they realised they are 'better suited as friends'. Meanwhile, in their first joint media interview with New Idea earlier this month, Michael and KC revealed that she had moved into Michael's Melbourne home. They will continue self-isolating together for the duration of the coronavirus pandemic lockdown. Love nest: The couple are self-isolating together at Michael's home in Melbourne KC is not the only ex MAFS star who is relishing in being a new stepmum. Jessika Power, from 2019's season six, recently spoke about her love for landscaper boyfriend James Brown's young son. 'I'm definitely his stepmum, we're full time now and I look after him a lot,' the 28-year-old said. The blonde also claimed she and the 35-year-old father-of-one want to have children together in the near future. Speaking exclusively to Daily Mail Australia, Jessika said: 'Jamie and I have actually had the conversation, we're trying to for kids soon.' 'We're trying for kids soon!' Married At First Sight's Jessika Power (right) has revealed she and boyfriend James Brown (left) have spoken about having children Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 27) The Makati City Police is preparing a slew of complaints against a foreign national from the posh Dasmarinas Village for allegedly violating quarantine rules, resisting arrest and assaulting an officer. Makati City Police Chief PCol Rogelio Simon on Monday told CNN Philippines how the incident played out based on the report of the officer involved. He said Police Senior Master Sergeant Roland Von Madrona was patrolling the gated village on Sunday afternoon with several security guards when they chanced upon a househelp watering plants along the street without a face mask. Wearing face mask is now mandatory in public areas to contain the spread of COVID-19. When the police asked for an identification card so they could issue her a ticket violation, Simon said the helper called her employers identified as Javier Parra and his wife. A video shows a shirtess Parra yelling and ordering the officer to leave the premises of his home, while his wife was trying to pacify him but to no avail. The same video also shows the officer telling Parra that he was just implementing the quarantine protocols and that he did not want to argue with him. Simon said the foreigner also started cursing at the cops, prompting Madrona to arrest him. He confirmed the two had a scuffle because Parra refused to submit to the authorities. Nagsimula ito sa may kalsada at doon naganap ang violation," Simon told CNN Philippines' Balitaan newscast. "Kaya ineffect ng pulis natin ang arrest, pero ang ginawa ng tao ay umatras at nasa driveway na siya. Hindi na kaya ng isang pulis natin kaya umabot sila sa driveway na nagpapambuno silang dalawa. [Translation: It started on the street, where the violation happened. The police wanted to arrest him, but he moved back towards his driveway. The lone cop couldnt contain him so they had a scuffle in the driveway.] Related: No need to resort to violence in implementation of COVID-19 quarantine measures Robredo Among the cases the Makati Police will file against Parra are disobedience, unjust vexation, resisting arrest, assault to person in authority, and violation of the Bayanihan Law for leaving his home without a face mask. Kaya sa ngayon nakahanda na ang aming mga documentations para sa pag-file ng kaso against Mr. Parra Hinihintay na lang ang ating complainant Madrona, the city police chief said. The captain of Barangay Dasmarinas, Rossana Hwang, said the household violated the city's quarantine rules. "Makati has an ordinace requiring face masks in public places. This resident was on the street and sidewalk which belongs to DVA (Dasmarinas Village Association) common area, therefore a public place," she said in a statement. Simon stood by the actions of Madrona, denying accusations the police officer was extorting the househelp for 1,000. Mayroong lumalabas na kinikikilan daw ho ang kanyang kasambahay ng 1,000," Simon noted. "Iyun po ang mga pangit na impression sa amin at kami ay nag-iimplement lang ng ordinansa sa Makati. In the police report, it was indicated that local police were sent to Dasmarinas Village upon the request of the barangay chairperson to make sure ECQ guidlines are implemented under Oplan Bandillo, a security coordination between the police and barangay officials. It was during the patrol when the authorities chanced upon Parra's househelp not wearing a face mask while watering plants in front of the house. Makati City passed an ordinance requiring people to wear face masks or improvised face cover when in public places. For first offense, the penalty is a 1,000 fine. CNN Philippines is reaching out to the Parra family for comment. Philippine National Police Chief Archie Gamboa has instructed the Metro Manila police to conduct an investigation into the incident. Over 100,000 people have been apprehended or arrested for violating the guidelines on the Luzon-wide community quarantine. Can police arrest in homes without warrants? Retired Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio insisted a court-issued arrest warrant is required for police officers to carry out an arrest inside the home even the homeowner's driveway. "The rule is your private residence is your castle," Carpio said in a virtual briefing on Monday. "Police cannot enter without your consent. If they want to enter, they have to get a court warrant. Your driveway is part of your residence. There is this fundamental right of the Filipino people in the Constitution that they cannot just enter a residence, including the driveway, without court order, without warrant of arrest or search warrant." Carpio also sounded off on the incident in a Taguig condominium last week where a police team allegedly stormed the condominium premises after reports of residents allegedly violating physical distancing rules. "They (police) think they can enter, they think that this quarantine gives them the authority to go to every condominium building," he said. The PSNI received thousands of reports of social distancing concerns from the public. (Liam McBurney/PA) A directive to all PSNI officers to first seek the approval of a senior officer before issuing a fine for any breach of coronavirus restrictions has been extended. In an e-mail on Friday night, PSNI officers were informed by Assistant Chief Constable Alan Todd that the instruction which was first introduced for just 48 hours will continue. In correspondence, seen by The Impartial Reporter newspaper, Mr Todd told officers: Whilst this measure was introduced to quality assure our approach to enforcement, it is now appropriate to use the facility to assist officers whilst guidance is drafted and finalised." Read More The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2020 introduced by the Northern Ireland Assembly states that no person may leave the place where they are living without reasonable excuse". Last week Mr Todd informed officers that the temporary and emergency powers place very real restrictions on the public". As such both the powers and our policing of them are under constant scrutiny and regular review. As a police service, we welcome that scrutiny and I continue to see on a daily basis that you exercise these extraordinary powers with professionalism and common sense. He explained that any officer intending to issue a CRN or Covid-1 FPN for any breach of the Health Protection (Coronavirus Restrictions) must first seek the approval of the silver commander at the strategic co-organisation centre before proceeding. One of the "reasonable excuses" listed in the legislation is "to take exercise either alone or with other members of their household". The PSNI can break up gatherings in breach of social distancing rules and issue fines of up to 960 for those who repeatedly disregard officer requests to disperse. Last Friday police also revealed they had issued 358 coronavirus-related penalty notices. A further 570 community resolution notices were given out. It also received 3,787 reports in just six days from the public over social distancing concerns. Last weeks episode of Killing Eve found Eve getting back in the saddle as she mourned Kennys death, and Konstantin reuniting with Villanelle. Clinging to delusions of grandeur with a career in management, Villanelle tried her hand at being a supervisor. It did not work out. By the end of episode 2, she learned that her nemesis/object of her desire, Eve, was still alive. In that moment, another part of Villanelle came online. It was the setup leading into episode 3, which is recapped below. [Spoiler Alert: This article contains MAJOR spoilers for Meetings Have Biscuits. Read at your own risk.] Jodie Comer | Ludovic Robert/BBCAmerica/Sid Gentle Villanelle is back to killing; Eve assembles a team The scene opens in Andalusia where Villanelle/Oksana is dressed in overalls, a tee, and head scarf while playing a piano in a large mansion. The homeowner tells her to treat the piano with respect, and moments later, she kills the woman by throwing a dagger at the back of her head. She hears a baby crying, goes upstairs, and after taunting the nanny with her death versus the baby, takes the nanny out too. At Carolyns home, Eve barges in while her ex-boss is taking a bath to talk about Kenny. They seat up in the kitchen along with Kennys boss Bear, Mo, and Geraldine. They agree to share evidence/notes to look into Kennys death. In Spain, Villanelle, with the baby in tow, meets with Dasha at their cafe spot. Dasha puts the baby in a trash can to ensure Villanelle has no distractions, and they laugh. As they argue over her next assignment, a crowd forms around the abandoned baby in the garbage. Its classic Killing Eve chaos. Eve visits Kennys office and looks into some accounts Kenny was investigating. They discover he coded it in his Rubiks cube, and the account name is Panda, an agent killed by The Twelve. Eve explains all this to Bear and Jamie and realizes they need to rope in MI6 to dig into the account. She meets with a reluctant Mo for help. Elsewhere, Konstantin meets with an accountant who manages the accounts for The Twelve, including the Geneva one that Eve and her crew are checking out. He learns $6 million was siphoned and plans to look into it. Uh oh. Villanelle arrives in London with an agenda; Carolyn executes her own agenda Things switch to Villanelle exiting a cab in London. She visits a perfumery to ask for a custom blend, I want to smell like a Roman centurion whos come across an old foe, she says. Its obvious who she has in mind. That evening, Carolyn goes to a bar for a date but is stood up. On her way out, she bumps into an old lover named Henry, and they go out for a meal. Here, viewers learn he works in finance in Geneva. They chat, and of course this is all a ruse to gather intel. The next morning, Carolyn shares what she learned about the account with Eve and Mo. They agree to talk to the accountant who is in Kensington. A reunion for the ages Villanelle, still on a shopping spree, is in a Build-a-Bear type toy shop where you can create talking stuffed animals. She plays around with the voice recorder and after practicing several mean messages, says, I cant stop thinking about you. When Eve goes to the psychiatric center to see Niko, she finds out he checked out. Dumbfounded he left without telling her, she learns he may have gone to Poland. Shes hurt. Defeated, she gets on a bus and is approached by none other than Villanelle. Its the moment fans were waiting for all season. She tells Eve shes not here for her. Eve goes off and the women tussle on the bus before Villianelle straddles her and tells Eve to smell her. Its tense, and they kiss briefly before Eve headbutts Villanelle. The assassin jets off the bus and glances back, and the frenemies gaze at each through the window. Eve, disheveled and bruised, makes her way to Kennys office and says, I dont want to talk about it. The stakeout goes terribly wrong Mo and Carolyn stake out the accountants office from their parking space on the street. Eve is nearby, disguised in a policemans uniform on a motorcycle. The accountant makes Carolyn, but they pick him up and put him in the car. As they ride, Eve deduces Villanelle is after Carolyn and tries to call her. No answer. Villanelle pulls Mo and Carolyn over, gets out, and aims her gun at Carolyn, whose face is a mix of shock and peace. She shoots, and glass shatters in slow motion. The piercing sound finally stops, and Mo, afraid, shakes Carolyn. Her eyes are closed, the side of her head is bloody, but she is alive! Its the accountant who was Villanelles target. A shaken Carolyn goes home and tells her daughter shes okay. We dont think shes telling the truth. In a different scene, Konstantin lies down in his bed without noticing the lump under the covers. Villanelle hilariously scares him. She tells him she killed the accountant, and now wants Konstantin to find her birth family. After antagonizing him some more, he leaves to sleep in another room. Eve arrives home and something feels off, so she says, Hello? No one is thereexcept for the sound of a muffled voice. She discovers a stuffed bear who keeps repeating Villanelles voice, Admit it, Eve. You wish I was here. Eve rips it open and is angry but intrigued. She keeps replaying the voice. "Hey guys just abit about whats going around at the moment. Sorry again have a good day," Mitchell said on his Instagram. (Photo: Getty / Instagram ) Australia has recorded at least 6727 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 84 people have died. NSW has the most cases with 3009 recorded as of Tuesday. More than 3 million cases of the virus have been confirmed worldwide, and more than 207,000 people have died from it. Here is what is happening with coronavirus around Australia today: 1. NRLs Response To Players Breaking Lockdown: Nothing To Do With Culture Or Race NRL players Latrell Mitchell, Josh Addo-Carr, and Tyronne Roberts-Davis have been issued fines from the National Rugby League for bringing the game into disrepute by gathering at a camping trip amid coronavirus restrictions. Penrith Panthers player Nathan Cleary has also copped a breach notice for having a group of women at his house on ANZAC day. The NRL said the penalties proposed reflect the severity of each players alleged breach. South Sydney Rabbitohs player Latrell Mitchell has copped a fine of $50,000 fine with 60% suspended for the remainder of the season. The rest of the fines can be seen here. Mitchell on Monday apologised for flouting social distancing rules at the weekend and called the cultural gathering a little bit of a slip up. With the NRL season suspended due to the coronavirus, Mitchell and Josh Addo-Carr camped at Mitchells farm near Taree, on NSWs mid-north coast, with Addo-Carr posting photos of the trip on social media. I will not make a comment on everyones perception of what is appropriate from a culture perspective but I will say this, the matters have been treated on the action of the individual and this has nothing to do with culture or race, acting NRL boss Andrew Abdo said on Tuesday. This has to do with what is expected of all of our players, the standards that we need to adhere to for our fans and for the community and culture is not a factor in determining the appropriate sanction "A maximum of two adults will be able to visit anybody else, the premier confirmed Tuesday. (Photo: Facebook Live ) 2. NSW Eases Social Restrictions, Allows 2 Adult Visitors To Another Home From Friday, two adults will be able to visit another household in NSW, Premier Gladys Berejiklian said on Tuesday. Story continues From May 1, on Friday, two adults will be able to go and visit anybody else in their home on the basis of care... and everybodys mental health, she told reporters. Ive used the word adults to say obviously if you have young children, its OK to take them with you. But a maximum of two adults will be able to visit anybody else. Those visiting anyone over 70-years-old or someone with a co-morbidity must still practice social distancing with the premier stressing that people who feel even slightly unwell should stay home. NSW has recorded just five new coronavirus cases overnight. Berejiklian added she expects to see a spike in cases in May due to easing restrictions but the health care system is ready to accomodate more cases. We will see more cases and thats because when you increase activity, when you see people move around more frequently, you will see more cases, she explained. But the health system will be able to cope with that because weve used this time during April to build up the capacity get the extra PPE and to make sure that were ready. Related... Furious Trump Strikes Wildly At Fox News And Other Media, Insists Reporters Return 'Noble' Prizes Coronavirus In Australia: NRL Says Latrell Mitchell Breaking Lockdown Restrictions For Cultural Gathering Camping Trip Is Unacceptable Chrissy Teigen Pushes Back On Haters Criticising Her Thirst Trap Coronavirus In Australia: Bondi Beach Officially Reopens MasterChef Australia Judge Melissa Leong Steals The Show With This Unique Detail 3. Increased Retail Activity NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian on Tuesday encouraged retail outlets to reopen their doors. We encourage people to buy what they need and want, but please make sure that when youre in those shops, when you are shopping, that theres good social distancing, she said. She said all shops must adhere to social distancing rules and provide hand sanitiser for customers. The Queen Victoria Building shopping centre is seen empty in Sydney, Australia, on March 28, 2020. (Photo by Steven Saphore/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) (Photo: Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) 4. More Than 2 Million Australians Download COVID-19 App More than 2 million Australians have downloaded an app to trace contacts of COVID-19 patients hours after its release, the government said on Monday, as states set out plans to expand testing for the infection. Prime Minister Scott Morrison has said more testing and widespread use of the CovidSafe phone app - which has angered some privacy campaigners - are among the main conditions for easing nationwide lockdowns. Health Minister Greg Hunt said the tracing app launched late on Sunday had been downloaded by more than 2 million people - about 8% of the population - as of 7pm on Monday. The government has said it wants that proportion to reach 40%. This effort will help protect ourselves, our families, our nurses and our doctors, Hunt said in an emailed statement. The app, which is based on Singapores TraceTogether software and uses Bluetooth signals to log when people have been close to one another, is meant to help medics trace people potentially exposed to infections. Civil liberties groups have raised fears that apps being considered and used by a number of governments could invade privacy. But Canberra says its software does not record peoples location and has safeguards built in. SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - APRIL 21: COVID-19 drive through testing centre at Bondi Beach on 21 April, 2020 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Speed Media/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) (Photo: Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) 5. Asymptomatic Testing Ramped Up With very low new cases recorded in Australia over the past few days, Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy said officials will expand testing to start tracing asymptomatic cases - people who have caught the infection without showing symptoms. Daniel Andrews, premier of Australias second most populous state, Victoria, said staff would open pop-up testing sites in shopping centre car parks and test people in their homes and offices. Queensland and Western Australia have already said they will ease some restrictions this week, as both have had new cases in the low single digits in recent days. 6. PMs Popularity Up Scott Morrisons handling of the pandemic has helped his popularity soar, according to a Newspoll survey conducted for The Australian newspaper that was released on Monday. His approval rating has risen 27 points since the first week of March to 68% - the best for a leader since the end of 2008, the poll showed. Morrison has pledged spending worth more than 10% of GDP, including a $130 billion subsidy to employers to keep staff they might otherwise have let go. Still unemployment is expected to top 10%, and the head of Australias central bank last week said the country would suffer its biggest economic contraction since the 1930s in the first half of this year due to the containment measures. Morrison has also antagonised China, Australias largest trading partner, with calls for an independent investigation into the global spread of coronavirus. Chinas ambassador to Australia on Monday hinted locals may shun Canberras goods because of Morrisons remarks, though Australias Foreign Minister Marise Payne cautioned against economic coercion. Australian Prime Minister Morrison's popularity is up. REUTERS/Loren Elliott (Photo: REUTERS) Swati Pandey of Reuters contributed to this report. This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated. A former board member of Abta has warned that the UK travel industry risks committing commercial suicide if the present policy on refunds is maintained. Kane Pirie, now the managing director of Vivid Travel, warned that the trade associations stance would mean zombie travel companies staggering into 2021. British holiday companies are facing the worst crisis of modern times as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. With millions of packages cancelled since the Foreign Office warned against overseas travel six weeks ago, they are legally required to refund travellers in full within two weeks. But with no cash coming in, and suppliers such as airlines slow in paying out for cancelled flights, many tour operators are struggling to meet what appears to be an impossible deadline. Their trade association, Abta, is urging members to refund travellers as soon as possible, but where this is not feasible it is recommending a Refund Credit Note an IOU that specifies a date by which the cash will be paid back, unless the customer chooses an alternative holiday in the future. Financial protection is maintained giving the traveller certainty that, were the tour operator to fail, they will get a refund from Atol or Abta. Initially the proposed date was 31 July, allowing holiday firms three or four months to repay. But some companies are setting their own refund deadlines well into next year. Mr Pirie has been campaigning vigorously for refunds by 31 July 2020. He said: If a travel company cannot get itself financially on an even keel within six months, adding an extra year will not magically change that. Indeed, it will make the situation worse as several zombie travel companies will stagger on into 2021, take several bookings and then fall insolvent when their loan notes to customers become redeemable. How coronavirus lockdowns changed the world's most polluted cities Show all 6 1 /6 How coronavirus lockdowns changed the world's most polluted cities How coronavirus lockdowns changed the world's most polluted cities Milan, Italy REUTERS How coronavirus lockdowns changed the world's most polluted cities North Jakarta, Indonesia REUTERS How coronavirus lockdowns changed the world's most polluted cities Jakarta, Indonesia REUTERS How coronavirus lockdowns changed the world's most polluted cities Venice, Italy REUTERS How coronavirus lockdowns changed the world's most polluted cities New Delhi, India REUTERS How coronavirus lockdowns changed the world's most polluted cities Islamabad, Pakistan REUTERS This will drag out the nightmare into 2021. Trust is King. Aside from the legal and ethical considerations it is tantamount to commercial suicide. Mr Pirie said he was considering commencing legal action against companies who have refused refunds. A spokesperson for the travel trade association said: Abtas expectation is that its members will provide a refund as soon as possible. Abta has introduced guidance for its members on Refund Credit Notes to ensure that customers' money is protected until the cash refund is paid, or a new booking is made. Cruise virus risks: when to travel to minimise them Separately, a London ski company is claiming that any customer who declines a Refund Credit Note will lose financial protection. Sunweb, an Abta member based in Victoria, is telling travellers: Please note by refusing the Refund Credit Note you will forfeit your rights to financial protection. The financial protection is directly linked to the Refund Credit Notes. Our guarantee funds Abta/SGR can only offer this protection if the Refund Credit note is accepted. This appears to be at odds with the Package Travel Regulations. The Independent has made repeated attempts to contact Sunweb for comment, without success. Among the few words her two-year-old can utter are mumma and papa. Huddled close on a hospital bed together, the mother springs up and makes a video call to her husband whenever her child says papa. My boy hasnt learnt how to speak yet, but he understands that the man on the mobile screen is his father, says the childs 29-year-old mother. The woman and her son have both been quarantined at a city hospital for 19 days, ever since they tested positive for Covid-19. She worked as a nurse at another hospital, where one of the doctors had tested positive for the virus on April 7. At the quarantine centre, for a lot of time when they are awake, the mother is often seen holding her mobile phone in front of her two-year-old so that he can watch cartoons. He is a very active child. But he hasnt troubled me at all here despite facing issues with his food and milk, the woman said. Our hospital wasnt even treating or screening Covid patients, so I dont know how he (the doctor) got infected. But once he tested positive, all of us who were in contact with him had to undergo tests, said the woman, who doesnt want either the hospital she works at, or where she is admitted to be identified. Soon after the tests, she and some other healthcare workers tested positive for the virus. An official from the hospital administration said they still havent been able to pinpoint how the doctor tested positive, despite not treating any Covid patients. They added that two members of the doctors family had returned from abroad, but that was several weeks before he was infected. In any case, this nurse thought that she was safe as neither there were any cases at her hospital,nor had anyone been tested. So, she didnt feel the need to keep her child away from her while at home. But that changed and soon enough. After the doctors case, she and her son tested Covid positive while her husbands result came negative. The two were allotted a hospital room, but the facility is nowhere close to what the nurse would have liked. My child would get the milk around 11am or so. I can survive till 2 pm with just a packet of biscuits, but I cant expect my two-year-old to be as tolerant, she said. For the last two days, she said, milk has not been arriving. I am using packed milk that my friends brought us and am heating it up in an electric kettle that I had brought along, she said. She, however, fears that the electric kettle may not serve them anymore soon. Anytime the kettle makes a sound, I worry that it will malfunction, she said. The milk that her friends sent, too arrived after a lot of hassles. The initial few days, the hospital staff wouldnt let anyone bring anything for us. I am a nurse myself, but the hospital staff would look at me as if I have committed a crime by getting infected. But thankfully they allowed the milk to come in when we needed it the most, she said. The mother and son sleep on the same bed. Unlike earlier, she said, she doesnt feel like watching films on her mobile phone any more. Family members keep calling her through the day and all they want to know is the condition of the child, a thought she said her mind too is constantly occupied with. Though it worries me that my child fell sick, he is the reason I am able to survive the quarantine, she said. The nurse did have a little fever around the time she tested positive, but her son hasnt displayed any symptoms. My only prayer is that he remains asymptomatic, she said. She said this was valuable time she is getting to spend with her son, though she misses her husbands presence. Ill teach my child to speak a few more words by the time he gets to actually meet his father. By David Ljunggren OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canada's top medical official said on Sunday she was encouraged the coronavirus death toll was slowing while Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said isolation measures to fight the outbreak should remain for the time being. The public health agency said the death toll had risen by less than 10% for the seventh day in a row, climbing by under 6% to 2,489. The figure for those diagnosed with the coronavirus was 45,791, up from 44,364 By David Ljunggren OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canada's top medical official said on Sunday she was encouraged the coronavirus death toll was slowing while Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said isolation measures to fight the outbreak should remain for the time being. The public health agency said the death toll had risen by less than 10% for the seventh day in a row, climbing by under 6% to 2,489. The figure for those diagnosed with the coronavirus was 45,791, up from 44,364. Authorities across Canada, where relatively few people have died compared to the United States and some European nations, closed non-essential businesses and ordered people to stay home. "These actions are starting to pay off, as we are seeing some encouraging results," chief public health officer Theresa Tam said in a statement, adding "the road is still long". The 5.9% increase in deaths on Sunday was the lowest day-on-day increase seen in the last week since the toll jumped by 12% on April 19. "We all must do our part by following the recommendations of public health experts and staying at home. We will get through this together," Trudeau said in a statement to mark national medical laboratory week. Some of Canada's 10 provinces have announced plans to gradually reopen their economies, in part by insisting on social distancing and protective equipment in workplaces. Measures will differ as infection rates vary among provinces, but require national coordination, Trudeau said on Saturday. The premier of the western province of Saskatchewan, which is planning to slowly restart the economy on May 4, dismissed suggestions his plan could undermine restrictions elsewhere. "This is provincial in nature and it is done with full collaboration and support ... from premiers across the nation," Scott Moe told CTV in an interview aired on Sunday. The plan, he said, could be turned up "like a dimmer switch but it can also be throttled back". Saskatchewan has reported only 349 cases. The situation is much worse in Ontario and Quebec, the two most populous provinces, which together have recorded more than 80% of the positive diagnoses. Ontario said on Sunday it was extending school closures until May 29. Although students had been due to go back to class on May 4, education minister Stephen Lecce told reporters the province needed more time to judge when a return would be safe and said he hoped schools would reopen in September. (Reporting by David Ljunggren; Editing by Lisa Shumaker and Daniel Wallis) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. New Zealand is set to ease its strict coronavirus lockdown this week after shutting down community transmission of Covid-19, the countrys prime minister has said. Jacinda Ardern said the country had so far managed to avoid the worst of the pandemic by adopting its go hard and go early approach to tackling the virus, but warned against complacency in the coming days. Ms Arderns government has decided to allow a partial reopening of the economy after several days of new cases in single figures, with just five coronavirus cases reported on Monday. There is no widespread undetected community transmission in New Zealand. We have won that battle. But we must remain vigilant if we are to keep it that way, she said. New Zealands coronavirus strategy saw strict measures introduced early to keep cases low, with officials moving quickly to lockdown on 25 March, when schools, nonessential workplaces and social gatherings were closed. Elimination means we may well reach zero, but we may well then have small numbers of cases coming up again, said Ms Ardern, noting that small increases in cases would not mean the strategy had failed. The county has recorded fewer than 1,500 cases of Covid-19 and only 19 deaths as of Monday, according to data from the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Centre. However, while New Zealands approach has appeared to be successful in containing the virus, Ms Ardern warned social distancing restrictions would still apply. We are opening up the economy, but were not opening up peoples social lives, she added. From midnight on Monday, certain businesses such as construction companies will be allowed to reopen, while the public has been told to stick to a small bubble of close friends or family and to stay two metres away from others. Mass gatherings are still banned, shopping centres will remain shut, and most children will continue to stay home from school. The countrys border will also remain closed. [April 27, 2020] Habasit Easy-clean TPO Food Belts Now Available With Cleats for Incline and Decline Conveyors REINACH, Switzerland , April 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Food industry applications require belts offering excellent release, efficient and easy cleanability, and chemical and hydrolysis resistance for wet and humid environments. TPO belts fit the bill exactly. But until now, food producers have had to use a different type of belt for steeper incline or decline applications due to limitations on adding the accessories necessary for transferring loose products at an angle. Now there is a solution: Habasit Cleanline belts equipped with cleats for inclines/declines, enabling the same standardized cleaning processes and shorter overall sanitation times. All Habasit Cleanline conveyor belts are coated with a special thermoplastic polyolefin that supports hygienic food conveying. The belts offer easy cleanability even by hot water or chlorine-based agents, high elasticity in a wide temperature range, and decreased risk of contamination due to excellent surface quality without any micro-cracks where bacteria can hide. Until now, however, despite their many advantages for hygienic conveying, they have not been suitable for steeper incline/decline applications due to limitations on attaching accessories, such as cleats, which prevent goods from rolling down. TPO belts with unique cleats As the first company on the market to meet this need, Habasit has launched Habasit Cleanline belts fabricated with welded cleats. Witha specially developed material and unique joining process, the cleats offer sufficient stiffness to convey goods even on steep inclines, with perfect product release and full food contact compliance. Four different heights of TPO cleats are available to cover the majority of requirements on incline and decline applications, where portion or product separation is needed, or where loose goods are harder to transfer otherwise. By using Habasit Cleanline TPO belts on these applications, food processors can now clean their entire line using the same operation, ensuring significant cost savings on labor, water, electricity, and above all, time. Hygienic, efficient and environmentally sound Habasit Cleanline belts and the new generation of cleats feature an innovative coating material that provides excellent release. Products containing carbohydrates come off its surface easily, reducing waste and increasing the throughput of the production line. Improved cleanability also provides environmental benefits, such as lower water and detergent consumption, meaning less pollution and lower use of resources, thus lower costs. The outstanding resistance of the belts to chemicals and even hot water makes them highly reliable with a long service life. In short, Habasit's Cleanline belts with welded cleats are ideal for food processors seeking sanitation simplification and cleaning standardization for their food-compliant incline/decline manufacturing lines. This solution offers not only optimized efficiency, but also improved profitability whatever the ups and downs of the market. About Habasit Habasit helps customers to improve the reliability, quality and productivity of their equipment and processes, providing them with excellent conveyor and power transmission products, systems and services. Established in 1946 in Basel, Switzerland, the family-owned company now has a global presence in over 70 countries, with more than 3,800 employees in affiliated companies and service centers worldwide. Habasit's customers receive the highest quality products and comprehensive, tailor-made solutions from our extensive range of fabric-based conveyor belts, plastic modular belts and chains, power transmission belts, and monolithic and timing belts. For further information, please visit www.habasit.com. Company: Habasit International AG Romerstrasse 1, P.O. Box, CH-4153 Reinach BL, Switzerland Tel.: +49 (0) 6071 / 9 69-0 Fax: +49 (0) 6071 / 9 69-52 33 Email: [email protected] Website: www.habasit.com View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/habasit-easy-clean-tpo-food-belts-now-available-with-cleats-for-incline-and-decline-conveyors-301047611.html SOURCE Habasit International AG [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] CORONA Last Wednesday, I went for a drive. After leaving Las Cruces and driving to Tularosa, I headed north through the sagebrush, juniper, creosote and what might have been skunkbush sumac, Mexican poppies or yellow-flower purslane or maybe Todsons pennyroyal nestled between the rolling hills of the Tularosa Basin. In this time of coronavirus, I was headed to Corona, New Mexico a village of 163 residents in Lincoln County to see how they were handling the effects of the global COVID-19 pandemic. Lincoln County has one confirmed case of the novel coronavirus. To no ones surprise, locals had noticed out-of-towners stopping to take photos on the highway near the town-limit signs, and in front of the Town Hall. Some stopped out in front of Village Hall the other day, Mayor Sam Seely told me. And I turned to someone and said, We ought to walk out of here coughing, and see what they do.' Seely was elected mayor in November and took office in January. Soon, he was facing the biggest public health crisis anyone has seen in several generations. Its impacting. But I think, as far as everything goes, were handling it about as well as anyone in the United States, Seely said. Im always proud of the people in Corona, but everybodys maybe not so much following the mandates from the governor or the federal government, but everybodys using common sense. Everybodys really been looking out for each other. Social distancing is kind of the norm for us, Seely said of his village. However, when people meet at the post office, theyre still learning not to shake hands especially with people youve known your whole life. I myself had to resist that temptation during my visit, meeting so many people for the first time. Seely said the residents of Corona were pretty well situated to survive the pandemic, from an economic perspective. Pretty much everybody in Corona is either retired and drawing a pension, or Social Security, or they work for the state, the county, the village or the schools, Seely said. So pretty much everybody is still getting a paycheck of some sort. Business has been booming lately at the Corona Motel, thanks to construction on the BNSF Railway, which runs through town. However, things had tapered off pretty quickly after the states first cases were announced on March 11, according to owner Rhonda Oord, who owns the motel with her husband, George. When it first started, we were getting all of the snowbirds going home, Rhonda told me, sitting in the motels front office. And early on, people were trying to do their spring break, but then they pretty much gave up and went home. Due to an overall decline in tourism, she said, the first week in April was pretty slow. But the motels 12 themed rooms including the Old Hollywood Room, the Bunk House and the Man Cave have been booked solid for about a week now, Rhonda said, since the railroad construction began. The project has been declared essential business, according to a letter the railroad workers provided from the Department of Homeland Security. Thanks to the Corona Motel, which Rhonda and George purchased about five years ago, the workers who have traveled from Nevada, Utah and other far-flung locations have a place to lay their heads. With the towns only motel now full, some local residents have started renting spare rooms and guest houses to the crew members. Rhonda remains hopeful that life will begin returning to normal before the towns Corona Days festival, which takes place the last full weekend in July. But I dont know if anybody really knows whats going to happen, she was quick to add. Whatever happens, happens. Eric and Nancy Anderson moved to Corona from the Seattle area about two and a half years ago. As it turns out, the Andersons used to live about two miles from the Oords in Washington. After the Oords moved to Corona and bought the motel, the Andersons began visiting Corona to see their old friends. We came down to visit, and we thought, This small town in the middle of nowhere theres no way we could do this, Eric said. But then we went back there and fought the traffic and the taxes. And, after a while, we thought, Yknow, maybe we could do this.' Initially, the Andersons considered opening a restaurant in the vacant building next door to the Corona Motel. We decided against that, because it wouldve taken a lot of work and there really isnt help here to hire. There just isnt the workforce, Eric explained. After conversations with locals, they decided the town could use a grocery store. At the time, the only place in Corona to buy groceries was the Corona Mini-Mart which stocks a selection of nonperishable items. Before the opening of the Crown City Market, residents had to travel to nearby Carrizozo or Vaughn for their grocery needs or to Alamogordo, Roswell or Edgewood for larger shopping trips. After a remodeling job that took about two and a half years, the Andersons announced on March 18 theyd be opening the store on April 2. But then, all of this happened, Eric told me. And we had some essential items that people in the village needed like toilet paper and bleach, things like that. So we started opening some days ahead of plan. On March 19, the store opened its doors to the residents of Corona. Its been an interesting time to open, because of all this, Eric said. Getting product in has been difficult. Today, we got an order and we got probably about half of the things we ordered. Half of it just wasnt available. But, on the other hand, the village has been extremely supportive. Corona has a grand total of four businesses all essential, and all remain open. All seem to be weathering the change as well as could be expected, but the local cafe seemed to be suffering the largest impact. Nubia and Cristina Beltran have owned the El Corral Cafe for 15 years. Like most small-town cafes across America, breakfast and lunchtimes are normally bustling with traffic old-timers telling stories for hours over endless cups of coffee, villagers stopping in for enchiladas on their lunch break. Since the COVID-19 outbreak, however, business has been down almost 80 percent, Nubia said. Chairs are flipped upside-down on the diners tables; a long, folding table greets customers just feet from the front door, where they place to-go orders or pick up their carry-out. Its been very sad, Nubia told me, wearing a face mask and gloves. But were still open for the community. Were trying very hard. Monique Johnson, who has owned the Corona Mini-Mart for 10 years, said she has been working at keeping the convenience store as well-stocked as possible. Like the Andersons, she said deliveries have become unpredictable because of disruptions to the supply chain. Johnson, who has four children, said the statewide cancellation of schools came as a shock. Our kids arent in school, and all of their extracurricular activities theyd had planned for months, it just stopped, she said. We stay at home a lot, and so it hasnt been too bad yet. Weve gone outside more. Weve done things we havent done in a long time, and its been nice. In the earliest days of the pandemic, she said the Mini-Mart was busier than usual like, summer-day busy. But after the statewide stay-at-home order came down, things have slowed dramatically. Our locals come in, but not as often as they would before, she explained, adding that the store has enacted social-distancing protocols, such as limiting the number of customers allowed inside at one time. The safety of my employees is my top priority, she said. We cut back our business hours and we try to ensure people arent crowding the register. Whether the town will be able to return to something resembling normal in time for Corona Days is anyones guess. But, as well as the town has adjusted, its clear that most of Coronas residents are ready for a return to something resembling the life they once knew. HARLINGEN, NETHERLANDS (Reuters) - A group of 25 Dutch high school students arrived back in the Netherlands in a two-mast schooner on Sunday, after airline restrictions left them with little choice but to help sail it home from the Caribbean. The group, aged 14-17, had been halfway through a six week sail-study program in the region on board the 'Wylde Swan', which was built in 1920 HARLINGEN, NETHERLANDS (Reuters) - A group of 25 Dutch high school students arrived back in the Netherlands in a two-mast schooner on Sunday, after airline restrictions left them with little choice but to help sail it home from the Caribbean. The group, aged 14-17, had been halfway through a six week sail-study program in the region on board the "Wylde Swan", which was built in 1920. But by mid-March, it appeared they could no longer fly home from Cuba as planned. Organizers decided the ship, including 12 experienced sailors and three teachers, would have to sail back across the Atlantic, a 7,000 kilometre trip that took them five weeks. "You have to learn to adapt, because you don't really have any choice," said student Anna Maartje, in a video interview released to the media. "My first thought was: how am I going to do this with the clothes I have, and is there enough food on board?" With social distancing rules and bans on public gatherings in place in the Netherlands, the students departed the ship one by one in the port of Harlingen, where parents waited in cars to pick them up. They had stocked up on supplies, including clothes, on the island of Saint Lucia before the Atlantic crossing. Students had packed for tropical weather, not a deep-sea voyage. During their next stop in the Azores, off the coast of Portugal, they were not allowed to leave the ship by local authorities. Organizers published video of a large school of dolphins swimming alongside the ship on April 21. Another student, identified as Lotte, said one difficulty of the voyage was being confined in close quarters with 40 people and little privacy. In addition to studying and playing games, she had helped keep watch from 3 a.m. to 6 a.m. In the afternoon, the ship had what was referred to as "Happy Hour." "That meant, cleaning," she said. "So that's not much fun, but it's part of it all too." (Reporting by Toby Sterling; editing by Philippa Fletcher) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his interaction with chief ministers via video conferencing on Monday mentioned that coronavirus cases might spike during June and July, Chhattisgarh Health Minister TS Singh Deo said. He also said that the PM did not speak about ending the lockdown, which remains in force till May 3. Singh Deo took part in the meeting with Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel. "It was the PM's fourth such interaction with state chief ministers, wherein nine states were kept in talking mode...The summary of the PMs video conference was that the coronavirus will be with us for a longer period. He (PM) gave this clear message that coronavirus will be among us," Singh Deo told reporters. "The PM said that spike in cases could happen in June and July so the coronavirus will be among us for a long period and (present) activities must be done keeping this in view," the Health minister said. He said the prime minister expressed the view that green, orange and red zones (division of areas on the bass of the number of coronavirus positive cases) are fluid in nature. "The green zone can become an orange zone while an orange can become a red zone, and the condition could become worse in red zones. It would be wrong to assume that if we are in a green zone, we will never get affected," Singh Deo quoted the PM as telling the chief ministers. The PM dubbed green zones as a "teerth sthal" (a pilgrimage spot) in view of the present situation, the minister said. Meanwhile, replying to a query on the coronavirus scenario in Chhattisgarh, Singh Deo said the situation was under control, but the spike can happen anytime. State Home Minister Tamradhwaj Sahu, Chief Secretary RP Mandal, Director General of Police DM Awasthi and other officials were present along with the CM during the video conference. CM Baghel had earlier written to the PM demanding a financial assistance of Rs 30,000 crore in the next three months for relief and welfare schemes in view of the coronavirus pandemic, which has adversely affected economic activities. In another letter, Baghel had requested the Centre to immediately transfer to Chhattisgarh the CSR funds donated to 'Prime Minister CARES Fund' by industrial and mining units operating in the state. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The move comes a few weeks after a Red Sea governorate hotel had its licence revoked for failing to pay its employees Egypt says it has revoked the license of a leading hotel in South Sinai's Sharm El-Sheikh after it laid off workers amid the coronavirus pandemic, a statement by the tourism and antiquities ministry read. According to a statement on Sunday, Tourism and Antiquities Minister Khaled El-Anany revoked the hotel's license over its failure to adhere to directives issued by the ministry to protect trained labour from layoffs during the coronavirus crisis. The move comes a few weeks after the minister revoked the licence of a hotel in the Red Sea governorate after it failed to pay the wages of its employees. El-Anany also ordered the closure of two restaurants in Greater Cairo for not adhering to anti-coronavirus health regulations. Egypt is imposing a number of conditions in its hotels and restaurants, including operating with a maximum of 50 percent of their workforces as well as conducting medical check-ups for staff and measuring body temperatures daily. Last week, the government gave a green light to restaurants to run delivery and takeout services throughout the week after it shortened the night-time curfew during Ramadan. The Egyptian tourism sector, one of the countrys main sources of foreign currency, continues to suffer huge blows amid the pandemic after it had seen significant recovery in the past few years. The tourism sector's losses will reach $1 billion per month after an enforced air traffic suspension last March, Al-Anany said in previous statements. Egypt's Minister of Planning Hala El-Said said that tourism revenues in the current fiscal year (2019/2020) are expected to reach about $11 billion instead of the $16 billion expected before the outbreak of the coronavirus. Search Keywords: Short link: Next year, state lawmakers will redraw the Congressional district maps based on the 2020 census, a process mandated by the Constitution. In anticipation of this new redistricting cycle, Slate is revamping our gerrymander puzzle game from 2013 as part of our Who Counts? initiative. Well be releasing new puzzles over the upcoming weeks, highlighting the worst and weirdest gerrymanders in the country. Find out how quickly you can put these states back together and learn everything thats at stake in the next round of redistricting. Advertisement Please enable Javascript in your browser to view Slate interactives. Slate's Who Counts? series is made possible by the support of Slate Plus members and readers like you. South Carolinas 6th District is a straightforward racial gerrymander, a majority-minority district that serves two purposes. First, it means that black voters (who are overwhelmingly Democratic) can elect a black representative (invariably a Democrat). Increasing minority representation in Congress was a key goal of the Voting Rights Act. At the same time, racial gerrymandering allows Republicans to pack black voters into a single district, allowing them to keep other districts majority-white and safely Republican. These dual benefitsone for nonwhite Democratic representatives, another for the GOPhave led both parties to tolerate race-based redistricting in some states. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The 6th District encompasses majority-black areas around Charleston and Columbia, as well as the states historical black belt. This district is a relic of the 1990s, when Southern Republicans joined with black Democrats to create majority-minority districts for mutual gain. For most of this decade, Republicans held the states six other congressional districts. But in 2018, Democrat Joe Cunningham pulled off a major upset by winning the 1st District, which stretches along the coast and includes Charleston. Unless Democrats somehow seize a legislative chamber in 2020basically unimaginableredistricting consultants will likely concoct a plan to dilute suburban votes after the 2020 census and turn the district red again. Was this one too easy? Try the rest of our gerrymander puzzles here. Shares is the leading weekly publication for retail investors. It is packed with investment ideas, news and educational material to help build and run portfolios and get more from your money. Shares puts on free Investor Events throughout the year across the country. They provide an opportunity for investors to learn more about companies on the stock market and hear from a range of investment experts including fund managers and Shares journalists. Pilot of helicopter that crashed heralded for 'miracle' landing The crew of a Hagerstown-based helicopter and the juvenile patient they picked up in Chambersburg, Pa., are OK after a crash near Philadelphia. Judge Paul A. Dandridge is shown during a campaign stop in the Italian Market in 1967. Read more Paul A. Dandridge, 93, of Wyncote, a Philadelphia judge who during his time on Municipal and Common Pleas Courts advocated for troubled youths and people in addiction, died on Thursday, April 23, of complications from a fall. Born in West Philadelphia, Judge Dandridge graduated from West Philadelphia High School and attended Howard University before being drafted into the Army Air Force in March 1945. He graduated from Lincoln University with a bachelors degree in sociology. At first, he made a living by doing everything, said his wife, Claudia. He was a cab driver, bartender, caterer, post office clerk, Philadelphia medical examiners assistant, and investigator for the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations. He attended Temple Universitys law school at night. After graduating in 1965, he worked as an assistant district attorney under then-District Attorney Arlen Specter. He and Arlen were very close, his wife said. He worked on Arlens campaign when Arlen was running for mayor. In 1967, Specter, a Republican, ran unsuccessfully against Democratic incumbent James H.J. Tate. In November 1968, Judge Dandridge was elected to serve as one of the first jurists on the then-fledgling Municipal Court. For three years, he ran the municipal drug court, formed to help people struggling with drug addiction. He also served on a governors council on drug addiction. His main concerns were with young people, especially those in juvenile gangs throughout the city, and with juveniles relating to drug addiction, his wife said. He saw a need for rehabilitation. In August 1971, he turned heads by recommending legalization of heroin sales. The move, he said, would cut the profit in such sales and alleviate much of the petty crime from addicts stealing to pay for a fix. If we treat the addict as a sick man and not as a criminal, most of the drug problems would disappear, he was quoted as saying in the Vineland (N.J.) Daily Journal. He made the remarks at a seminar on gang influence in urban schools at Temple University. While public officials questioned the idea, the Daily News didnt dismiss it. Judge Dandridges proposal is not as outrageous as the headlines might suggest, the paper wrote. Despite his liberal bent, Judge Dandridge was unsympathetic to adult drug smugglers. In March 1973, he sentenced a Penndel man to nine to 23 months in prison. The man had been convicted of conspiracy to land a plane carrying a ton of marijuana at North Philadelphia Airport in 1971. When you play cops and robbers, you have to pay the price, the judge said at sentencing, the Daily News reported. After he became a Common Pleas Court judge, the states Judicial Inquiry and Review Board admonished him for keeping for his personal use $23,500 raised at a 1972 testimonial dinner in his honor. The dinner was hosted by two lawyers who had argued before him in court. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled in 1975 that, despite being a respected jurist, he must repay the money and accept the censure for giving the appearance of impropriety. He retained his seat on the bench. Judge Dandridge spent most of his time on Common Pleas Court as a Family Division jurist. Hed call the kids up to the bench and talk to them, and try to be the father they never had, his wife said. He and his wife met in Family Court when she was a public defender. They married in 1983. Judge Dandridge retired from the bench in 1984. The couples son was born in 1985, and the family bought a farm in Gilbertsville, Montgomery County. They later moved to Wyncote. The judge served as a volunteer for Safe Streets and for Gaudenzia House, which helps people with substance abuse issues. He was a Temple University trustee from 1981 to 2001. Besides his wife, he is survived by a son, Paul A. P.J. Dandridge II; three nephews; and three nieces. Services were private. A memorial will be held once the pandemic ebbs. T he lawyer for the woman who has been charged over the death of teenage motorcyclist Harry Dunn has opened up a dialogue with the UK Foreign Office (FCO), a source has said. Mr Dunn was killed when his motorbike crashed into a car outside a US military base in Northamptonshire in August last year. Anne Sacoolas, the 42-year-old wife of a US intelligence official based at RAF Croughton, claimed diplomatic immunity following the crash. She was able to return to her home country, sparking an international controversy and has since been charged with death by dangerous driving. Anne Sacoolas, the 42-year-old wife of a US intelligence official who was based at RAF Croughton Amy Jeffress, who acts on behalf of Mrs Sacoolas, spoke with a senior official at the FCO earlier this year, it is understood. Mrs Sacoolas is apparently keen to return to the UK to find a resolution to her part in the 19-year-old's death. The Foreign Office is believed to have made it clear to Ms Jeffress, a national security lawyer, that any issues relating to the legal side of the case - including any attempt to quash the charge her client is facing - would be a matter for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). Family spokesman Radd Seiger speaks on behalf of father of Harry Dunn, Tim Dunn (C-R) and mother Charlotte Charles (C-L) / Getty Images An extradition request, submitted to the US by the Home Office, was rejected by US secretary of state Mike Pompeo in January - a move the UK Government described as a "denial of justice". Mr Dunn's mother, Charlotte Charles, said the family now had "some hope" - adding that she was "pleased" to see a dialogue being opened up. Ms Jeffress declined to comment further on her conversation with the Foreign Office. Tributes: flowers left at the scene of the crash / Getty Images Reacting to the news of a dialogue being opened, Mrs Charles said: "It is almost impossible to describe how much we are suffering. "It is now eight months since Harry died. His 20th birthday came and went last month. "As we have said from the start, we will get justice for our son. "We made a promise to him and no-one is above the law. It is so important that Anne Sacoolas comes back to face our legal system." Mrs Charles continued: "She should never have been allowed to leave and it has compounded our misery terribly. "But now we have some hope and we are pleased to see at least that there is some dialogue towards her coming back. "But it's important that we are all clear. The case is with the CPS. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Apr.27 Trend: The social support measures taken in Azerbaijan amid coronavirus have covered over 4.8 million citizens (48 percent of the population), Trend reports referring to the countrys Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Population on April 27. These measures, first of all, allowed retaining jobs and wages of up to 1.6 million hired employees in both public and private sectors. The payment of different types of social security (pensions, scholarships, benefits) for 2 million citizens, mainly from vulnerable groups of the population, has been continued. A lump-sum payment program has begun, covering 600,000 low-income unemployed persons. Under a self-employment program, involvement of up to 90,000 people in paid public services and the creation of at least 12,000 small households has begun. Work is underway to provide targeted state social support to 340,000 family members of 82,000 families, unemployment insurance payments to 20,000 citizens, and food assistance to 100,000 low-income families. Phuket stalwarts launch Patong food relief PHUKET: Long-term Phuket expats Wal Brown, owner of Sweets Restaurant in Patong, and Tony Love Linay of Tong Fa Massage and Spa have teamed up to launch a drive to help people in need in Patong. COVID-19Coronaviruscharity By The Phuket News Monday 27 April 2020, 11:51AM Donations can be made to either account. Image: via Cynthia Getchell-Rouse The campaign, Feeding Friends Patong, comes as the COVID-19 lockdown provisions have left many of the renowned resort towns people without any income at all, and fully reliant on relief projects, many of them just to eat. Patong has been hit particularly hard by the disease, with at least 86 of the islands confirmed infections being identified in the town, and the drive by officials to shut down businesses and strongly requesting people to stay indoors has left many of the people stuck with no way to support themselves, Patong was the first area on the island to be isolated by roadblocks in the hope to preventing the spread of the disease. Tony Love-Linlay and I decided to put a volunteer program together to raise funds to feed locals, explained Wal, who for years became well known for leading the police volunteers programme in Patong. We hope to donate 100 to 150 bags of uncooked food each day. Uncooked for locals to get involved and enough food for four people in each pack This is plus 250ml milk pack and a treat for kids when available, he added. Wal fully recognises and supports how much other people are doing to help people in need in Patong. Its not all our doing. We have spoken to others doing similar things. Theres Dave HalfwayInn Wilson from Soi Kebsup and Divan Mydeen from Madras Cafe in Soi Sansabai who also has the Indian community behind him, he said. Staff from both our shops Tony Tong Fa massage and Sweet Restaurant do a lot of the hard work shopping, packing and delivery with my marketing manager Pronprom Khun Koi Thongtham, he added. However, with true humility, most of the people involved in the project do not want their names released, Wal noted. The reason behind food packs and not single pack meals is to keep locals active as well and give an element self-sustainability. This is important in the camps around Patong, Wal explained. So far we have pledges of around B90,000, most of which is from Australia and Aussies. Our costs are around B13.000 per day and we intend to do deliveries every day, Wal said. In a post on a Facebook over the weekend, Cynthia Getchell-Rouse explained, Any donation will be greatly appreciated. $5 will feed 3 people. $50 will feed 30 and $100 will feed 60 people. We understand that we are in challenging times here, please donate what can. Please send us an inbox message of your donation receipt, she added. Donations can be made to the following accounts: In Thailand: Account name: Tony Love-Linlay Bank: Bangkok Bank Branch: Jungceylon Shopping Center Swift code: BKBTHBK Account No: 674-0-364812 In Australia: Tony Love-Linlay Commonwealth Bank Account No: 062-500 10301247 Or people can call me at +66844471978 the same number as with the Region 8 Police volunteers, Wal said. Katie Price is undeniably a woman of substance and her career trajectory is proof. The American media personality recently opened up about being sexually assaulted and robbed at gunpoint in South Africa. The mother of five also revealed that earlier this year, she was diagnosed with Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) because of that incident. In an interaction with an American leading daily, Price openly spoke about the unfortunate incident in detail. Also Read | Orlando Brown Shockingly Blames Will Smith For Sexual Assault, Insults Michael Jackson Also Read | Former Senate Staffer Accuses Joe Biden Of Sexual Assault Katie Price openly spoke about her sexual assault during the car robbery for this first time Katie Price, 41, was recently interviewed by a leading daily, wherein she spoke about being sexually assaulted during a car robbery in 2018, while she and her kids were in South Africa. Price stated that the incident occurred when she, along with her kids, stopped by because one of her sons wanted to use the toilet. Elaborating more about the incident, she stated that six men attacked them after they stopped because her son Junior needed a wee. She described it as something from a horror film as she added that a big man in a hoody was shouting in her face, swearing and demanding for her to give him everything. She also said that he also touched her down below and she was scared that they might shoot one of them. Furthermore, Price added that to save her kids, she grabbed a pillow and stood in front of them, waiting for the bullet to hit her. She concluded her statement by saying that she had thought that she was going to die and the Police too told them that it was a miracle that they did not kill them. Also Read | Charlie Sheen Accused Of Sexual Assault In Feldman's '(My) Truth..' Doc, Fans Outraged Later, Katie Price revealed that she was admitted to The Priory Hospital, London because of severe stress and was diagnosed with Post-traumatic stress disorder. She also revealed that her daughter, Princess could not go anywhere on her own after the incident took place. Price further explained that she did not press any charges because she did not want to face the ordeal. Also Read | Harvey Weinstein Guilty Of Rape And Criminal Sexual Assault Charges, Acquitted On Others 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. A woman who had been campaigning to reopen the state of North Carolina and relax coronavirus restrictions including social distancing measures and stay-at-home orders imposed by the governor has been forced to stay at home after contracting coronavirus. Audrey Whitlock was unable to even take part in the protest group's first two rallies held in Raleigh because she was in quarantine after testing positive for the virus three weeks ago. The group, named ReOpenNC, was protesting against Governor Roy Cooper's stay-at-home order. Audrey Whitlock a leader of the ReOpen NC group revealed that she tested positive for COVID 'She never left her house during her quarantine, so she has not been at any rally or any of the functions that we've done,' fellow organizer, Ashley Smith, told a local television station. 'I'm not responsible for other people's choices. I'm for personal liberty,' Smith explained. 'Everyone has their own decisions to make. If they want to come, that's up to them. I'm going to be there. I'm not afraid of the virus. I'm more afraid of losing my constitutional rights and losing my livelihood than I am of the virus.' Around 1,000 people rallied in downtown Raleigh last Tuesday arguing the order violated their constitutional rights. The Reopen NC group has helped organize two protests in downtown Raleigh calling for Governor Roy Cooper to lift his stay-at-home order Protesters from Reopen NC gather to pressure North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper to reopen the State in Raleigh, last week 'We are mostly business owners and employees that are losing our income and denied our right to provide for our families. We have come together to demand action from their elected officials,' the group explains on their Facebook page. In a Facebook post, Whitlock wrote, 'I will take a stand every day until we are a free people again, to sound the alarm because someone has to do the right thing in the face of wrong.' In her post, she wrote about how the restrictions put in place amid the COVID-19 pandemic were violating her First Amendment rights as well as her 5th and 14th Amendment rights. She said she was 'forced' to quarantine which violated her First Amendment rights. 'I'm not responsible for other people's choices. I'm for personal liberty,' fellow organized Ashley Smith, left, told a local television station 'The reality is that modern society has not been able to eradicate contagious viruses. A typical public health quarantine would occur in a medical facility. I have been told not to participate in public or private accommodations as requested by the government, and therefore denied my 1st amendment right of freedom of religion,' Whitlock wrote. She went on to say that 'It has been insinuated by others that if I go out, I could be arrested for denying a quarantine order.' Organizers told WRAL News that ReOpenNC would be focusing their next rally on the state legislative building. Meanwhile, Smith claims that despite Whitlock contracting the virus, nobody from the local health department bothered to reach out to trace her contacts or to ensure she was sticking to her quarantine. Protesters from a grassroots organization called Reopen NC gather to pressure North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper to reopen the State in Raleigh, North Carolina last week Similar groups were known to be operating in Illinois and Michigan with the goal of ending the lockdown 'It was never handled as something as serious as what our governor is perpetrating,' she said. ReOpen NC is promising to hold rallies in Raleigh every Tuesday until the governors restrictions are lifted which have now been extended until May 8. A total of 306 deaths in the state are being blamed on the virus, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. UTICA, N.Y. Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente says all residents will be required to wear face coverings in public places after announcing another coronavirus-related death on Monday. Picente said Health Department Director Phyllis Ellis will be signing an executive order mandating that people wear masks inside retail stores and other essential businesses. He is calling on businesses to enforce this with their customers. Picente added that any face covering would work. Remember, a reopening can only occur if the numbers are down. If people are not adhering to the practices and the restrictions that are put in place for their own safety, then well be delayed even further, said Picente. He said that the county will be distributing thousands of cloth masks so people have "no excuse" not to wear them. We will be distributing some 50,000 of these cloth masks to our towns, village and city leaders to distribute. As we get more, well put more out on the streets, said Picente. The county death toll has now reached 15 since the pandemic began. There were also five new positive cases as of Monday. Overall, 378 people have tested positive for the virus since March. There are currently 215 active cases, as 148 people have recovered since they were diagnosed. Since testing began, there have been 2,829 negative results reported. There were also possible coronavirus exposures at the following place on the following dates: April 19: Tractor Supply Co., 710 Horatio St. in Utica, between 10 and 11 a.m. Monitor for symptoms through May 3. April 20: Tops, 217 Erie Blvd. West in Rome, between 2 and 3 p.m. Monitor for symptoms through May 4. April 22: Price Rite, 501 Bleecker St., between 2 and 3 p.m. Monitor for symptoms through May 6. Lowes, 710 Horatio St. in Utica, between noon and 3 p.m. Monitor for symptoms through May 6 Walmart, 710 Horatio St. in Utica, between noon and 3 p.m. Monitor for symptoms through May 6. Senshine Market, 600 Culver Ave. in Utica, between noon and 3 p.m. Monitor for symptoms through May 6. April 24: Walgreens, 49 Kellogg Road in New Hartford, between 5 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Monitor for symptoms through May 8. Health Department Director Phyllis Ellis says there was a low to medium risk of the public being exposed during these times. People who were at these locations during the listed timeframes should monitor themselves through the indicated dates, and call their primary care doctors if symptoms appear. Bogota, Colombia Hanging from Daniela Castanos window is a red T-shirt draped on an old mop pole. The piece of red cloth is one of many dotting the buildings of Bogotas working-class neighbourhoods a symbol of someone in need. Castano, 21, shares a small room in an old colonial building with her partner, Carlos, 22, and their two young children in Belen a working-class neighbourhood in the centre of Bogota. Her 68-year-old grandmother and 73-year-old wheelchair-bound grandfather live next door. The family fled to the Colombian capital after being displaced from the violent northeastern town of Ituango in 2010, when Castanos mother was killed by a rebel group during the countrys more than 50 years of conflict. When Colombias coronavirus lockdown began, she lost her job as a waitress, and for the first time in her life had to beg on the streets. People treat you like dirt, said Castano, looking gaunt and exhausted, adding that she received a fine from police for begging last week. Its shameful, but Ive no other choice. Castanos story is just one of many low-income and working-class Colombians and Venezuelan migrants living in the Andean nation, many of whom are unable to carry out their informal work due to the countrys strict coronavirus lockdown. Daniela Castano and her grandfather are seen outside their home, where they live in close quarters with several other families [Nadege Mazars/Al Jazeera] The government said that from April 7 onward, it would begin delivering subsidies of 160,000 Colombian Pesos ($40) on average per household, for three million families who are in situations of poverty, extreme poverty and vulnerability. Castano has yet to receive any help. Colombias presidency said in a press release on Thursday that it will have given out one million cash transfers to vulnerable families as of next week. Luis Alberto Rodriguez, head of the governments National Planning Department, told Al Jazeera that delivering the subsidies to some communities is a challenge as many have never registered with the government before. Of the more than a dozen Colombians Al Jazeera spoke to, only one had received any kind of government aid. For many, the red cloth that hangs outside their windows is a sign this help has yet to arrive. Its an SOS. To show theres no support, that people arent doing well, said Jefferson Gonzales of a red T-shirt that hangs outside his home in the neighbourhood of Las Cruces, which sits adjacent to Belen. The 32-year-old mechanic, who is unable to work with a broken wrist, has yet to receive any help from the government. Some neighbours have helped him with food at times, but its not enough. Red is for help, black for violence, blue for medical attention The red rag phenomenon began a few weeks ago, in the impoverished peripheral neighbourhood of Soacha on the outskirts of Bogota where a large majority of the population work informally, without contracts or job security, and live day-to-day off their earnings. The coronavirus lockdown, which began on March 24, brought their jobs to a dramatic halt as the government prohibited people from being on the streets to curb the spread of the virus, which has so far infected more than 5,000 people and killed at least 233. The lockdown was due to end on April 27, but President Ivan Duque extended it for two more weeks, causing further panic among the working classes. Soachas mayor, Jose Carlos Saldarriaga, came up with the red cloth initiative. The red cloth is to show neighbours how one another is living, something that usually doesnt happen. It allows a type of solidarity and support from their neighbours while facing the hunger theyre going through at the moment, said Saldarriaga. After he posted the idea on social media, those in need started to place red cloth outside their front doors, and the phenomenon spread to other parts of Bogota before gaining traction nationwide. A red flag is displayed on the house of a Venezuelan family living in this house in the Belen district of Bogota with seven other Venezuelan families [Nadege Mazars/Al Jazeera] Saldarriaga said there are entire neighbourhoods in Soacha that have red rags on display. Noelia Casas, 34, who is from Belen and manages the Casa B community centre, said the group has helped over 200 families who have arrived at the centre since the quarantine began. But their resources are limited. The need is getting worse every day. The line outside has been huge in recent days. We have people pleading for help, said Casas, who over the past month says she often arrives home and breaks down. Its hard to say no to some people, but we dont have enough for everyone theres so much inequality in Colombia. People are not just in need of food and other supplies. A black cloth means that some kind of violence is being suffered in the home, blue is when medical help is needed and red is when they need food, said John Orlando, Colombia Director for Action Against Hunger. The needs are going to continue and most certainly increase in the coming weeks and months. Red cloth can be seen hanging from the windows of the working-class district of Girardot [Nadege Mazars/Al Jazeera] While many have displayed red outside the windows, some say they have still not received any aid. We put it up 20 days ago but nothings come of it, said 35-year-old Leidy Olaya, who lives with her 57-year-old mother, Francy, in the impoverished Giradot neighbourhood. The situation has been hard. We live day to day, said Francy Olaya, a cook, who showed off burn scars on her forearms as proof to her profession. The little bit of savings we had is gone. We have nothing and the government doesnt understand. / -- The principles of justice, equality and fairness are the parameters of benchmark when it comes to development of society with sound credentials. This can happen only if there are individuals with a strong sense of determination to ensure timely remedy for problems. 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(Hons.)', '1-Year LL.M.' to 'Ph.D in Law' and extensively cover the changing demands of the legal profession and society. The School provides well-planned learning support system, excellent infrastructure, faculty mentoring and an opportunity to interact with a diverse set of students. It also offers a compulsory program to intern with various reputed organizations, law firms, lawyers, High Courts, Supreme Court, MNCs, etc. to give learners an exposure to the practical side of the legal profession. Key Features - School of Law: Qualified, experienced and dedicated faculty from academia & industry Syllabus prepared under the guidance of academicians, law firm partners, judiciary and industry representativesElective courses from emerging areas of LawCourses on critical thinking & legal writing to develop practical skillsCredit based compulsory internship programGlobally relevant internet databaseDedicated placement cellKirit P. 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Applications are now open - apply today, just click bit.ly/NMIMSSOL2020 About NMIMS With the legacy of 40 years, NMIMS Deemed to be University has grown to being not only one of the top-10 B-schools in India but also emerged as a multi-disciplinary, multi-campus University at Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Indore, Shirpur, Dhule, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Chandigarh and seventeen constituent schools that include Management, Family Business, Engineering, Pharmacy, Architecture, Commerce, Economics, Law, Science, Liberal Arts, Design, Performing Arts, Mathematical Science, Agricultural Science, Hospitality Management, Branding & Advertising and Distance Learning. In addition, we have nine Centres of Excellence as well at the University. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) As the company took action to address the impact of the COVID-19 global pandemic, PayPal reaffirmed its commitment to its employees, customers, and communities around the world. The company put measures in place to protect the physical well-being and financial security of its employees through remote working policies and increased paid time off through a Crisis Leave Program. It took steps to help its more than 24 million merchants impacted by COVID-19, including waiving certain fees and deferring repayments on select business loans. Additionally, PayPal supported community relief efforts through new employee giving programs, launched fundraising campaigns around the world through PayPal Giving Fund, and made donations to relief efforts in highly impacted regions. The company also worked with governments and regulatory agencies to efficiently provide loans to small businesses through the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Paycheck Protection Program and distribute government stimulus payments to consumers in the U.S. "The responsibility of corporations has moved beyond simply delivering shareholder profits. The growing expectation from stakeholders is that companies need to take action to effect positive social and environmental impact. Purpose and profit are becoming increasingly intertwined," said Dan Schulman, president and CEO of PayPal. "Given the challenges the world is facing as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are committed to supporting the needs of our employees, customers, and communities and helping them navigate this unprecedented time. Our products and services are perhaps more critical than ever before, and our PayPal community has come together during this crisis to take meaningful action to help the most vulnerable in our society." PayPal continued to make notable progress on the company's global impact strategy and achieved key milestones. The company completed its first comprehensive ESG materiality and prioritization assessment to identify key non-financial topics that are of greatest importance to the company's mission and its stakeholders. In addition, PayPal further examined how its business activities aligned with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), identifying that it makes a direct, positive contribution to 10 of the 17 goals. Notable examples include ensuring that all men and women have equal rights to economic resources, as well as increasing access to financial services for small-scale industrial and other enterprises, including affordable credit, PayPal's 2019 Global Impact Report features information across four key priority areas: Social Innovation, Employees & Culture, Environmental Sustainability, and Responsible Business Practices. Key highlights include the following: Social Innovation: PayPal contributes to a more inclusive global economy by improving financial health, powering charitable giving, and strengthening its communities. In 2019, PayPal: PayPal contributes to a more inclusive global economy by improving financial health, powering charitable giving, and strengthening its communities. In 2019, PayPal: Leveraged the power of its giving platform to process $16 billion in contributions, including well over $10 billion in contributions to charitable causes, from more than 40 million people around the world. in contributions, including well over in contributions to charitable causes, from more than 40 million people around the world. Utilized the power of its global workforce for good with employee giving and volunteer programs, including more than 43% of employees participating globally in the Kiva lending campaign empowering ~10,000 entrepreneurs across 36 countries. Developed products and services to help individuals and businesses improve their financial health, including the PayPal Commerce Platform and PayPal's business financing solutions, as well as investments in companies driving financial wellness. Employees & Culture: PayPal fosters a strong employee-centered culture that is reinforced by its core values of Collaboration, Inclusion, Innovation, and Wellness. During 2019, PayPal: PayPal fosters a strong employee-centered culture that is reinforced by its core values of Collaboration, Inclusion, Innovation, and Wellness. During 2019, PayPal: Made it a strategic priority to strengthen the financial health of its employees by establishing an Employee Financial Wellness Program. Through this program, PayPal raised wages, expanded benefits, reduced healthcare costs, and gave every employee an ownership stake in the company. Maintained 100% pay equity for women globally and ethnic pay parity in the U.S. for the fourth year in a row, and advocated for inclusive public policies such as signing onto amicus briefs in support of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Continued to build a diverse and inclusive workforce through programs such as Conscious Inclusion Training, completed by over 90% of all global employees. PayPal's total diversity in 2019 was 57% globally, and experienced a 6% year-over-year increase in females in tech roles and 12% increase in ethnic minorities at Director+ roles since 2015. Environmental Sustainability: PayPal is focused on responsibly managing and reducing its environmental impact. Over the past year, PayPal: PayPal is focused on responsibly managing and reducing its environmental impact. Over the past year, PayPal: Matched 65% of the energy in data centers with renewable generation, representing significant progress toward the company's goal of 100% by 2023. Made meaningful progress toward setting a Science-Based target to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions that aligns with the Paris Climate Agreement, and joined the United for Paris coalition to reinforce support for meeting the goals set forth in the agreement. coalition to reinforce support for meeting the goals set forth in the agreement. Brought together passionate employees to volunteer their time and talent to address climate-related issues and develop innovative, sustainable products, including the development and launch of the iZettle Ocean Reader: the world's first card reader made from recycled ocean plastic. Responsible Business Practices: PayPal's approach to operating its business is one that is ethical and responsible, including: PayPal's approach to operating its business is one that is ethical and responsible, including: Partnering with organizations to combat global financial crimes, including Polaris to fight and disrupt human trafficking cash flows and the Center on Crime and Community Resilience at Northeastern University and the University of Chicago Crime Lab to better understand the financing mechanisms of illegal firearm sales. and the Crime Lab to better understand the financing mechanisms of illegal firearm sales. Continuing to build a strong culture focused on customer privacy and security, including certifying its information security program to ISO 27001 standards. Continuing to evaluate it approach to privacy and identify ways to best protect customer data through its eight privacy principles that serve as the basis or enterprise-wide standards for collecting, using, disclosing, storing, securing, accessing, transferring, and processing personal data. To view and download the 2019 report, please visit PayPal's Global Impact website. While this report features some of PayPal's recent programs, please visit the PayPal Newsroom for ongoing updates, including information on the company's latest efforts to address COVID-19. About PayPal PayPal has remained at the forefront of the digital payment revolution for more than 20 years. By leveraging technology to make financial services and commerce more convenient, affordable, and secure, the PayPal platform is empowering more than 300 million consumers and merchants in more than 200 markets to join and thrive in the global economy. For more information, visit paypal.com. Media Contacts: Tiffany Peng, [email protected] SOURCE PayPal Holdings, Inc. Related Links http://www.paypal.com Close Donald Trump says accusation he would try to move the general election is 'propaganda' Donald Trump declared, without evidence, that the US is doing sooo much better than any other country in the world in testing for coronavirus after pledging at the White House that America would soon have the capacity to test 5m people per day. But on Wednesday, less than 24 hours later, he falsely claimed that he never said the US would be testing at that rate. The presidents optimism came despite the country passing 1m cases of Covid-19 and 60,000 deaths, a grim marker that officials initially said the US wouldn't reach until August. Within four months of the outbreak, the nation's death toll has surpassed the total deaths from conflicts leading up to and during the Vietnam War over two decades. Mr Trump has meanwhile invoked the Defense Production Act to keep American meatpacking plants open, despite declining to do so for the sake of ventilators or personal protective equipment, as his vice president Mike Pence finds himself in hot water for refusing to wear a mask during an official visit to the Mayo Clinic medical facility in Minnesota on Tuesday. For the third day in a row, the president met with business leaders to discuss the coronavirus response and reopening plans as states begin to preparations to "reopen" against the warnings of health officials and epidemiologists. He also claimed that coronavirus is "going to leave" despite, even without a vaccine. "It's gonna be eradicated," he said. "It might take longer, it might be in smaller sections. It won't be what we had." Follow live coverage as it happened Please allow a moment for our live blog to load A startup that's hoping to be a contender in the very large and fragmented market of human resources software has captured the eye of a big investor out of the US and become its first investment in Spain. Barcelona-based Factorial, which is building an all-in-one HR automation platform aimed at small and medium businesses that manages payroll, employee onboarding, time off and other human resource functions, has raised 15 ($16 million) in a Series A round of funding led by CRV, with participation also from existing investors Creandum, Point Nine and K Fund. The money comes on the heels of Factorial -- which has customers in 40 countries -- seeing eightfold growth in revenues in 2019, with more than 60,000 customers now using its tools. Jordi Romero, the CEO who co-founded the company with Pau Ramon (CTO) and Bernat Farrero (head of corporate), said in an interview that the investment will be used both to expand to new markets and add more customers, as well as to double down on tech development to bring on more features. These will include RPA integrations to further automate services, and to move into more back-office product areas such as handling expenses, Factorial has now raised $18 million and is not disclosing its valuation, he added. The funding is notable on a couple of levels that speak not just to the wider investing climate but also to the specific area of human resources. In addition to being CRV's first deal in Spain, the investment is being made at a time when the whole VC model is under a lot of pressure because of the global coronavirus pandemic -- not least in Spain, which has a decent, fledgling technology scene but has been one of the hardest-hit countries in the world when it comes to COVID-19. "It made the closing of the funding very, very stressful," Romero said from Barcelona last week (via video conference). "We had a gentlemans agreement [so to speak] before the virus broke out, but the money was still to be wired. Seeing the world collapse around you, with some accounts closing, and with the bigger business world in a very fragile state, was very nerve wracking." Story continues Ironically, it's that fragile state that proved to be a saviour of sorts for Factorial. "We target HR leaders and they are currently very distracted with furloughs and layoffs right now, so we turned around and focused on how we could provide the best value to them," Romero said. The company made its product free to use until lockdowns are eased up, and Factorial has found a new interest from businesses that had never used cloud-based services before but needed to get something quickly up and running to use while working from home. He noted that among new companies signing up to Factorial, most either previously kept all their records in local files or at best a "Dropbox folder, but nothing else." The company also put in place more materials and other tools specifically to address the most pressing needs those HR people might have right now, such as guidance on how to implement furloughs and layoffs, best practices for communication policies and more. "We had to get creative," Romero said. At $16 million, this is at the larger end of Series A rounds as of January 2020, and while it's definitely not as big as some of the outsized deals we've seen out of the US, it happens to be the biggest funding round so far this year in Spain. Its rise feels unlikely for another reason, too: it comes at a time when we already have dozens (maybe even hundreds) of human resources software businesses, with many an established name -- they include PeopleHR, Workday, Infor, ADP, Zenefits, Gusto, IBM, Oracle, SAP, Rippling, and many others -- in a market that analysts project will be worth $38.17 billion by 2027 growing at a CAGR of over 11%. But as is often the case in tech, status quo breeds disruption, and that's the case here. Factorial's approach has been to build HR tools specifically for people who are not HR professionals per se: companies that are small enough not to have specialists, or if they do, they share a lot of the tasks and work with other managers who are not in HR first and foremost. It's a formula that Romero said could potentially see the company taking on bigger customers, but for now, investors like it for having built a platform approach for the huge but often under-served SME market. Factorial was built for the users, designed for the modern web and workplace, said Reid Christian, General Partner at CRV, in a statement. Historically the HR software market has been one of the most lucrative categories for enterprise tech companies, and today, the HR stack looks much different. As we enter the third generation of cloud HR products, with countless point solutions, theres a strong need for an underlying platform to integrate work across these. President Muhammadu Buhari will address the nation on Monday. This was disclosed by the spokesperson to the president, Garba Shehu, on his verified Twitter handle. President Muhammadu Buhari will address the nation Monday, April 27, 2020 at 8 p.m. Television, radio and other electronic media stations are enjoined to hook up to the network services of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) and Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) respectively for the broadcast. Mr Buhari is expected to speak about the ongoing fight to stop the spread of COVID-19 in Nigeria over which he declared a two-week lockdown of Lagos, Abuja and Ogun during his first address on the pandemic on March 29. READ ALSO: On April 12, the president addressed the nation again on the same issue and announced the extension of the lockdown by another two weeks. Some Nigerians, including state governors, have called for a partial lifting of the lockdown, with the Nigerian Governors Forum advising intra-state movement be allowed, while interstate trips continue to be restricted. They have also suggested a compulsory use of face mask in public places as well continued ban on large gatherings. Cheh told The Washington Post that haphazard testing availability has resulted in a hazy understanding of the viruss trajectory in the region. The canvas of this has been so far pretty spotty, she said. We have no idea how many people have had it and were asymptomatic. Cheh said she planned to ask the city whether there is someone responsible for tracking data or taking information from people who had symptoms but did not get tested. Washington, April 27 : Multiple countries were easing or considering the gradual relaxation of restrictions for social and economic recovery although the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases globally was nearing 3 million. As of Monday morning, the global number of confirmed coronavirus cases stood at 2,973,264, with 206,569 deaths, according to the latest tally by the Washington-based Johns Hopkins University. The US currently accounted for the highest number of cases and deaths in the world at 965,933 and 54,877, respectively. Meanwhile in Italy, which has the second highest number of deaths at 26,644 with 197,675 cases, there has been a steady decline of new fatalities, infections and patients in intensive in the past few days, the country's Civil Protection Department said on Sunday. A total of 260 people died of COVID-19 in the last 24 hours in the country, the lowest single-day death toll since March 15. It registered 2,324 new cases over the last 24 hours, 33 fewer than on Saturday, and the lowest in six days. Starting May 3, Italy will be adopting "Phase Two" of a national lockdown put in place since March 10, which involves "the gradual resumption of social, economic and productive activities". Last week, US President Donald Trump unveiled guidelines for a phased reopening of parts of the economy disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Some states started reopening portions of their businesses over the weekend. Anthony Fauci, Director of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said the country will be able to double its COVID-19 testing capacity over the next several weeks, which is needed to safely reopen portions of the economy. French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe announced on Sunday that he would present the government's strategy for lockdown exit to parliament on Tuesday. France saw COVID-19 deaths rise by 242 to 22,856 as of Sunday, the lowest daily increase, bringing relief to the health system as the country is planning to lift the lockdown on May 11. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) (TNS) The smartphone could help the world get back to work.MIT scientists are racing to harness Bluetooth technology to boost contact tracing of the coronavirus. This revolution in cellphone technology is being launched in Massachusetts, with MITs Lincoln Labs in Lexington playing a crucial part.The phone could save your life, MITs Danny Weitzner, co-principal investigator of the Private Automated Contact Tracing (PACT) project, told the Herald.Both Apple and Google have signed on, announcing Friday they are all in until the pandemic is over. The tech giants stressed user privacy is paramount, but so, too, is uniting against the killer COVID-19.This is a task for humanity to fight back against this virus, MITs Ron Rivest told a panel of experts Zoomed-in this past week to brainstorm. He is PACTs principal investigator, who Weitzner credited for dreaming up the idea of using Bluetooth technology anonymously to help trace coronavirus cases once the surge is over.Rivest is a cryptographer a developer of algorithms, ciphers and security systems to encrypt sensitive information who is challenging fellow academics and cellphone engineers to put the devices to work to help public health officials.The idea is to have the 270 million cellphone users in the U.S. voluntarily download system upgrades to their Apple and Android phones to allow proximity tracing.The technology would alert users if they came too close to someone who had recently tested positive for coronavirus. That would allow public health officials to quickly move to isolate potential new cases of the virus and stop new outbreaks.Apple and Google say the technology embedded in an app will be ready in May with users needing to consent to the terms and conditions before the program is active.But thats just step one, Apple and Google added.In the second phase, available in the coming months, this capability will be introduced at the operating system level to help ensure broad adoption, which is vital to the success of contact tracing, the companies state in their release Gov. Charlie Baker launched the nations first contact tracing program thats being hailed as a model for the nation, as the Herald previously reported . Its the same approach used to contain Ebola.Baker urged the MIT team during this past weeks video conference to hit the ground running to help hunt down all new cases of COVID-19 as states look to open up the economy.This is not just an issue for Massachusetts, its not just an issue for the country, its frankly an issue for the world, Baker said from his State House office. This is an unprecedented time. Theres no playbook here. but were not running away from the virus.The key, panelists said, is robust testing of those suspected of having the virus; getting boots on the ground to track down those infected; using technology to aid in that tracing and assuring everyone their privacy will be protected.Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a leading member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, said privacy concerns remain a sticky, sticky issue.He added during an interview on Snapchat, according to The Washington Post, that cellphone tracing could alert someone that they were next to these 25 people over the last 24 hours. Boy, I gotta tell you, the civil liberties-type pushback on that would be considerable.Israel, Taiwan, Germany, South Korea, China, Britain and others are already using cellphones to help trace COVID-19 cases.Weitzner stressed that one month into the project, they know only one thing matters: Make a solution available to the whole world. And do it fast.If we can help control the spread of infection, he added, its good for everyone. ROANOKEThe news that Virginia restaurants and distilleries may now sell mixed drinks to go and for delivery had to raise worst-case scenarios in the minds of at least some who heard about it. Would bar patrons start rolling out onto streets and sidewalks, cocktails in hand? Would delivery drivers now also have to manage precarious trays of mojitos, Manhattans, mai tais and margaritas? Of course not, but still even coming in the wake of other loosened state restrictions on wine and beer sales, the policy change felt like a precedent, albeit one with profits. Allowing them to sell mixed beverages ... will help them augment their revenue streams so they can continue to operate and employ Virginians amid the COVID-19 lockdown, Gov. Ralph Northam said April 8, two days before the move took effect, and about a week before word broke that a record 22 million Americans have applied for unemployment benefits since the crisis began. In the time since, restaurateurs have acknowledged that, while the changes reveal the scale of their new financial challenges, its still a welcome bandage. It definitely has increased sales this past week, Stephanie Rogol who operates restaurants in Blacksburg, Daleville and Radford, all of which have started offering mixed drinks for carry-out and delivery said in a recent interview. Before, we werent even close to breaking even, she added. Otherwise, it would be impossible [to] tread water through this. Every little bit seems to helpThe new changes do not make it legal to consume alcohol in public. Mixed beverages must travel in containers no bigger than 16 ounces and be sealed with a hole-free lid that requires full removal before the drink can be drunk. Patrons are required to order food with their libations: one meal for every two cocktails, with a maximum of four drinks per take-out or delivery order. Distilleries may deliver two beverages, containing a maximum of 3 ounces of spirits. Drivers must transport the cargo in their trunks, or in part of the vehicle that cant be accessed from the front seat, according to Virginia ABC rules. Restaurants can refuse the sale if the customer doesnt have valid proof of their age. While many restaurants are no longer staying open past about 9 p.m., mixed drink sales are prohibited between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. Thomas Lisk, a lobbyist with the Virginia Restaurant, Lodging and Travel Association, said the new allowances havent come without complications. Little issues, like the fact that most drink lids come with holes for straws, have forced some restaurateurs to get creative, scramble for new supplies, or use more expensive options such as jars. But Lisk, who pushed for the policy changes, said they still represent a positive step, with some small advantages: The mark-up for mixed beverages and spirit-based drinks tends to be larger than for beer or wine, he said. I dont know if its going to make a big difference, but right now in this environment, every little bit seems to help. A boost, not a windfallFor most sit-down restaurants, the social component is central to their draw, whether they offer a boutique dining experience or a live music venue. Some establishments, unable to pivot to delivery, are now trying the new carry-out and curb-service options. Part of the charm of coming to our restaurants is the atmosphere, said Hunter Johnson, who co-owns and operates a pair of upscale eateries in Roanoke: Lucky and Fortunato. Through the second week of March, we had two restaurants that were having the start of our best year ever, Johnson said. We went from having an incredible business to, theoretically, its gone. His two restaurants used to employ 42 staffers between them. That number is now down to 10, and he estimates business has dropped by 75% to 80%. For us, cocktails are a big part of what we do. Until they announced [the new policies], we were scrambling to figure out what we were going to do, he said. Both establishments now offer meal and drink pick-ups in the afternoons and evenings, Wednesday through Saturday. But Johnson said one of Luckys best-selling items is something of a fluke: The Cube, a frozen block containing ginger root, apples and other ingredients, but no alcohol. Its a cocktail Johnson initially started making because it could be prepared in advance and stored for rushes. In its take-out form, customers must add their own whiskey. As it melts, the drink changes. You have a very different experience from the time you start it until the time you finish, Johnson said. His theory, a week into the new regulations, is that many customers already have alcohol on hand. What they want are signature items they cant get in a store, he said Things that are specific to us, things that we actually make in-house. In one week, for example, Lucky sold nearly 40 Pear Skin Rug cocktail kits and a little more than 500 Cubes. Im making five times the amount than I normally would, he said, and because alcohol is a separate component, The Cube is not bound by restrictions: You could buy a hundred if you wanted to. Conversely, however, he said the movement of actual liquor drinks is seeing reverse momentum. We sold 26 cocktails-for-two last week. Thatd be like 52 individual drinks, Johnson explained. On a Friday, Saturday night, they [his bartenders] probably make like 250 on a busy night. During the week, theyre doing 150. Its a definite drop-off. Meanwhile on First Street, the popular dining room and live music venue Martins Downtown has quieted considerably. It shifted to carry-out with some food delivery weeks ago. Were doing beer, wine, mixed drinks, all to go, said owner Jason Martin. Its a drop in the bucket for what were missing in total alcohol revenue. I think our food sales are down 25 to 30%, but alcohol is down 95%. Martins side venture, the European-style bistro Sidecar, has ceased operations for now; its fare doesnt lend itself to travel, Martin said. In the interim, hes launched Martins Market online, selling raw products like salmon, steaks and salads, which he said requires almost no overhead. Were basically breaking even, covering our costs, which is a lot more than most people can say, Martin said last week. Were paying our bills. I consider thats worth keeping the fight going. Across town, a southwest Roanoke County staple, the Brambleton Deli, offers beer and wine to go but plays it straight when it comes to cocktails. Were not offering a lot. Were just doing highballs and screwdrivers, owner Chip Moore said. It was a nice gesture, the state trying to do everything they can to boost sales for us, he offered, but said, None of it has been a windfall. Moore said his food business of late has nearly doubled from what it was since he had to close the bar and dining room. The last two days, weve done about 50% of our normal sales. Thats pretty good, considering, he said, and although that could indicate the restaurant market is starting to adjust to the lockdown, Moore attributes the increase to two likely factors: boredom and stimulus checks. As long as our overheads not killer, and we dont have a big debt load, we can survive like this for a long time, Moore said. I wouldnt want to. Slinging Long Island iced teasStephanie Rogol owns and operates two popular bars in two college towns, Sharkeys in both Blacksburg and Radford, for which April and May usually represent two of the most lucrative months. This year, however, food business is down by about 65% and liquor sales are roughly 10% of what they normally are, she said. Her other restaurants in Daleville the Town Center Tap House and Tizzone Woodfire Kitchen have seen similar dips. All four locations are now doing delivery and take-out from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, she said last week. We needed to give our staff the ability to make money. Anybody that wants to work, is, she explained, and said her recent drop in staffing from about 170 employees to approximately 110 was mostly due to those who did not want to work during the pandemic, some who needed to take care of family members, or students who did not return after spring break. But not everybody has disappeared, Rogols informal poll indicates: Weve been moving a ton of Long Island iced teas in Blacksburg. Her primary complaint is that social distancing sours a crucial element of her restaurants function. Its very hard to engage guests when all youre doing is curbside and delivery, she said. For a lot of people, this is their social interaction. A lot of our regulars ... we reach out to them on Facebook and theyre lonely. Rogol is experimenting with ways to branch out socially but safely. Tizzone recently started Unwined, a virtual wine tasting via Zoom. For $60, participants get two bottles of wine, a cheese platter and entry into an online class with Tizzones chef. Twelve people participated in the first virtual get-together Sunday, and Rogol deemed it a success. She now says she hopes to use similar online technology to hold bingo tournaments and trivia nights. I think the best thing thats going to come from this is ... survival of the fittest. And the businesses that survive are going to be the businesses that actually care about their stakeholders. Their employees. Their vendors. Their customers. Everybody thats involved, everybody whose lives they touch. I do really believe the world will become a better place for this. But I am a hopeless optimist, Rogol said. I cant wait til its over. Germans should be able to work from home even when the coronavirus pandemic is over, a Government minister has said. Hubertus Heil is working on legislation to give employees the right to work from a home office once Covid-19 has passed, so long as their workplace permits it. 'Everyone who wants to and whose workplace allows it should be able to work in a home office - even when the coronavirus pandemic is over,' he told the Bild am Sonntag newspaper. The minister's statement comes as Germany's coronavirus cases increased by 140 to 5,640, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases confirmed on Sunday. German labour minister Hubertus Heil (pictured) is working on legislation to give employees the right to work in a home office once the Covid-19 virus has passed With schools closed and many companies encouraging their employees to work from home to prevent the spread of coronavirus, around 25 per cent of Germans are now estimated to be working from home, up from 12 per cent normally. Heil, a Social Democrat, said he would present legislation later in the year to anchor a right to home working in law, with employees allowed to work from home either permanently or for one or two days a week. Finance Minister Olaf Scholz, also from the SPD, supported the idea, telling the paper: 'The past weeks have shown how much is possible in the home office - this is a real achievement that we should not just abandon.' However, the German Employers' Association rejected it, telling Funke Media the last thing the economy needed at this time was more rules. Katrin Goering-Eckardt, parliamentary leader of the opposition Greens, supported a right to home work but said it would only work if the government also guaranteed high-speed internet for all. 'A home office or mobile working must always be voluntary and needs binding rules,' she said in a statement. 'Everyone who wants to and whose workplace allows it should be able to work in a home office - even when the coronavirus pandemic is over,' he said Pictured: German Minister Hubertus Heil (right) talks with German Health Minister Jens Spahn prior to the weekly cabinet meeting on April 22 'Nobody should be forced to do it, and a home office should not lead to work becoming limitless.' It comes as Germany's foreign minister claimed an excess capacity in intensive care units and mass testing available to the population has been one of the main reasons the country has kept its Covid-19 death rate so low. Andreas Michaelis said that while experts had criticised the government for its expenditure on high capacity intensive care, the German public were 'very happy' to have financed the extra provisions. Speaking on the BBC's Andrew Marr Show, the German minister also revealed that the country had 40,000 intensive care beds, 30,000 of which could be used with ventilators. Mr Michaelis said: 'We were lucky on the one hand and we probably did the right policy in the past. 'There's another factor and that's the number of ICU's so the intensive care units that are available in Germany which is a figure of 40,000, 30,000 of which can be used with ventilators and this is really a heritage of our health system. Germany's foreign minister Andreas Michaelis said the country had 40,000 intensive care beds, 30,000 of which could be used with ventilators 'It's almost the core factor of our health system which we developed and a lot of experts were criticising us for having too much capacity, too much expenditure - I think the people of Germany can now say that's an extra capacity they are very happy to have financed in the past.' The minister also explained that Germany had begun testing its population from the 'very beginning' and now had a testing capacity of 8000,000. He continued: 'We could test from the very beginning at relatively high levels we have now a test capacity reaching 800,000 of which we only performed 450,000 a week. 'But we were able to test very early on, that is certainly an important aspect in this and we have to add to this that we suspect that in the initial phase of the crisis we had a relatively young age group that was affected so the number of fatalities were lower.' Speaking on the BBC's Andrew Marr show, the minister said while experts had criticised the government for its expenditure on high capacity intensive care, the German public were happy to have financed the policy The Foreign Minister also said those who had symptoms of the virus or had come in contact with someone infected could ask the authorities to be tested The Foreign Minister also explained that Germans could ask the authorities to be tested if they presented with the symptoms of Covid-19 or if they had come in contact with someone affected. He said: 'It's a combination of things because people can address the authorities and ask to be tested if they feel that is necessary because either they have symptoms or they feel they have been in touch in contact with others that may have infected them. So the number of tests that are being carried out is relatively high as I've described it. 'If we have outbreaks certainly the authorities go into it and then offer the test capability.' During the interview, Mr Michaelis said the first steps of lifting Germany's lockdown was to send certain age groups of children back to school, and to allow non-essential shops to open as long as they are not larger than 800sqm. He also said that Germany was considering phone tracking apps, but said it was unlikely to happen before June. Kansas City Tech Togetherness KCMO Parks and Rec hosts virtual spirit week KANSAS CITY, Mo. - If you're looking for a simple way to switch up your quarantine routine this week, the Kansas City, Missouri, Parks and Recreation Department may have the answer. The department is hosting a virtual spirit week Monday through Friday. Newspaper Joke Journalism Did you see how Kansas City and Missouri took over the latest 'Saturday Night Live'? Kansas City has had a place on " Saturday Night Live " for years, with former cast member Jason Sudeikis and now versatile funny woman Heidi Gardner. But the show's latest edition was unusually packed with local connections, from Kansas City and around Missouri, starting right with the first scene. Downtown Food Drive Kickoff FEEDING KC - CIDs, NourishKC introduce 5-week food drive The Downtown and River Market Community Improvement Districts (CID) are teaming up with NourishKC on a food drive to help food the hungry in Kansas City. The campaign - FEEDING KC - begins Monday, April 27 and runs through Sunday, May 31. Sunday Panty Play 'Pure Gamesmanship': Victoria's Secret Owner Hits Back At Sycamore Partners After Bungled Takeover L Brands, the parent company of Victoria's Secret, has filed a legal complaint against private equity investor Sycamore Partners after it tried to terminate a deal to buy a majority stake in the troubled lingerie chain. Anchor Argues With Prez Trump's 'anti-scientific musings have been dangerous,' CNN's Jake Tapper says To end Sunday's "State of the Union" on CNN, anchor Jake Tapper took a few moments to reflect on President Donald Trump's recent comments on treatment for the coronavirus. Below is a full transcript of Tapper's remarks: COVID-19 Teachable Moment Birx: Studying those without symptoms can help prevent greater spread of coronavirus Dr. Deborah Birx, member of President Trump's coronavirus task force, discussed some of the latest revelations learned from data that her team continues to collect, pointing to what they have been able to learn from those infected with the virus who have not shown symptoms. GOP Pushes Back Against Prez GOP Gov. Hogan to Trump: Stop coronavirus 'misinformation,' saying 'whatever pops in your head' Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said Sunday that he "can't really explain" President Donald Trump's public speculation last week about using disinfectant as a treatment for COVID-19, but he advised the president to make sure his news conferences on the coronavirus are "fact-based." ROCKET MAN SURVIVES?!? Report: South Korea Says Kim Jong Un Is 'Alive And Well' South Korean officials told CNN Sunday that North Korea's leader, Kim Jong Un, is "alive and well" amid widespread rumors that he died or is critically ill following a heart procedure, possibly setting up his sister, Kim Joy Young, to succeed him in leading the secretive country. China Hates Singing Hong Kong police break up pro-democracy singing protest at mall HONG KONG (Reuters) - Hong Kong riot police armed with shields dispersed a crowd of 300 pro-democracy activists holding a singing protest in an upmarket shopping mall on Sunday, despite a ban on public gatherings of more than four people. Sharing Kansas Weather Pix Storms, funnels, and lightning: A look at Kansas weather from our viewers On behalf of everyone at KSN, we are excited to once again share with you the opportunity to help in the fight against childhood cancer! We ask you to join us in the 5th Annual Wichita St. Jude Dream Home Giveaway, in our mission to raise over $1,350,000 for the kids of St. Show-Me Veggie Tech New online tool connects Missouri families to locally grown produce KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The University of Missouri has created a "food finder" map to help families find locally grown food sources. So far, 160 produce growers, farmers, and local grocery stores are listed on the map with their location, contact information, and hours of operation. Katie Forecast Again Sunshine and warm temperatures ahead for your Sunday Hide Transcript Show Transcript MAGGIE: DID YOU KNOW! IT! WAS PRETZEL DAY? KATIE: DIDN'T KNOW[LAUGHTER] CELEBRATING EARLY. WE HAVE CLEAR SKIES AND GREAT VISIBILITY, CURRENT TEMPERATURE AT 46, I THINK THAT WILL BE OUR LOWEST. WE ARE CURRENTLY AT 47 DEGREES AND 71 WILL BE OUR HIGH. Hottieinspires this update of pop culture, community news and info from across the nation and around the world . . .And this is thefor right now . . . MELBOURNE, Fla., April 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Widerman Malek, a law firm based in Central Florida, has filed a federal lawsuit against Small Business Administration (SBA) Administrator Jovita Carranza, requiring Carranza to abide by the express language of the CARES Act, Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) and EIDL grant program. "We are working tirelessly to get our small business clients the funding to which the businesses are legally entitled," said Jim Ippoliti, partner at Widerman Malek. "In our numerous discussions with local Senators and political advocates, we all agree we need to apply the maximum amount of pressure on the SBA and Congress. Filing this lawsuit is one step toward getting these businesses what was promised under CARES." Signed into law of March 27th, the CARES Act included two portions of the EIDL program - the first being the initial grant of $10,000 to be paid to businesses within three days of applying, and the second being the actual loan upon approval. The approved CARES Act Section 1110(e) specifically provides that small business applicants will receive a grant from the SBA "in the amount requested by such applicant" up to a maximum of $10,000 within three days of applying. On April 14, Carranza, with no authority to do so, made unilateral changes to the initial $10,000 grant rules that are in direct contradiction to the CARES Act and prevented businesses from getting the Congressionally mandated grant. The CARES Act does not give any authority to Carranza or the SBA to deviate from the grant requirement. Concerned Congress members have sent multiple letters to Carranza, reminding Carranza that the SBA is required by law to provide a $10,000 grant to each applicant within three days of application, and expressing consternation that Carranza has not complied. It is no secret small businesses across the country are in desperate need of these funds, and Carranza and the SBA have failed in its mission. "Our goal in filing this lawsuit is not to make money. It is to get the relief promised by CARES for our small business clients who are in imminent danger of closing permanently," said attorney Jeff Ippoliti. "If we are successful, these businesses will receive the full $10,000 initial grant due under the CARES Act, as well as the full EIDL loan that is so desperately needed in this incredibly difficult time." Click here to view the complaint. https://www.legalteamusa.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/1-2020-04-17_Petition-for-Writ-of-Mandamus_Verified.pdf For more information or comment, contact Jim Ippoliti at [email protected] or Jeff Ippoliti at [email protected] or 407-566-0001. SOURCE Widerman Malek, PL Related Links https://www.legalteamusa.net In a heartwarming gesture, widows in Syria have joined hands to help the poor fight hunger amid the pandemic and the onset of the holy month of Ramadan. According to an AFP report, women clad in masks and gloves have been preparing the meals for the displaced people and destitute, in the war-torn zone of Idlib. AFP In a country which has already been ravaged by war, a lockdown imposed by the spread of the pandemic could only complicate the situation in ways unimaginable. Even the wealthiest, most developed nations are fighting a losing battle against the virus, so for a country like Syria the challenge is much greater. With the coronavirus cases rising, these women package meals daily, out of which a certain portion is delivered to people in camps. VIDEO: Syrian widows in protective gear prepare iftar meals for Idlib residents in need and displaced communities during the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan in the city of Idlib, in war-torn Syria pic.twitter.com/6rt2dNVzE3 AFP news agency (@AFP) April 26, 2020 These women have come together to prepare Iftar meals for them. Our cooks and volunteers here have lost their husbands. The idea and purpose of this kitchen are to help them work during the holy month of Ramadan, womens kitchen director, Najla Bitar, told AFP. AFP Daily, the volunteers cook 300 meals for Iftar, out of which a portion of it is sent to the displaced communities and rest to the poor families of the town. The women are dressed in full protective gear while they are at work. According to a UN report from 2019, 83% of people across both government and rebel parts of the country were already living in poverty. In the darkest of times, it is compassion and humanity that give hope and aid survival. It is both heartbreaking to see what people in war-torn nations are going through, but also heartwarming to know that even when things are bleak and uncertain, there are people who find the strength to do good and help others out. KUALA LUMPUR, April 26 (Xinhua) -- The medical consultant expert team from China arrived in Malaysia's Sarawak state on North Borneo on Sunday as the experts continue to share China's experiences to fight the COVID-19 outbreak. The experts were greeted by Cheng Guangzhong, Chinese Consul General in Kuching, the state capital, as well as officials from the state government and health authorities upon their arrivals at the airport. As the state of Sarawak is at a critical state of fighting COVID-19, the arrival of the experts and the medical supplies that they brought would definitely help Sarawak to contain the outbreak, said Cheng, adding that the team will hold discussions with health officials and health personnel during their stay in Sarawak. The medical team arrived in Sarawak after a week of packed schedule in Malaysia's capital of Kuala Lumpur where they visited designated hospitals to treat COVID-19 patients as well as related research institutes. During the visits, the Chinese experts had in-depth discussions with Malaysian officials, medical personnel and researchers on issues related to COVID-19. They also briefed their Malaysian counterparts on the role of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) in treating COVID-19 patients in China. The eight-member expert team was organized by China's National Health Commission and selected by the health commission of Guangdong province. They arrived in Malaysia on April 18. When doctors first confirmed Yemeni port official Saleh had contracted COVID-19, authorities raced to trace his movements to try and protect one of the world's most vulnerable countries. But almost three weeks on, they still do not know whether Yemen's first laboratory-confirmed case is really the individual at the root of what could be an unusually devastating outbreak. The information gap reflects Yemen's inability to detect, let alone repel, an infection humbling far wealthier nations. Split into rival power centres, its medical infrastructure shattered by war and seen by the United Nations as the world's worst humanitarian crisis, Yemen is handicapped by its own destitution in its fight against the new coronavirus. Altaf Musani, the head of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Yemen mission, said transmission of the disease in Yemen could be in what he called a phase of "individual cases", a possible prelude to clusters of infection. But it is proving impossible to identify so-called "patient zero", an important step in tracking and tracing all those potentially exposed to infection and containing an outbreak. Saleh, a heavy smoker with heart problems whose condition has been described as stable, was tested on April 7 at a medical facility in the southern Ash Shihr port after showing symptoms. On April 10 he was tested again: Positive on both occasions. Health officials then scrambled to identify more than 150 people in the southern Hadhramout region who had met and dealt with the 60-year-old in the two weeks before he was diagnosed, the head of the national coronavirus committee said. "All the close contacts were monitored and some showed some symptoms but were negative when they were tested," Ali al-Walidi told Reuters. Instead, their coughs and fever were normal flu. Some 20 people including Saleh's family who were in close contact with him were ordered to self-isolate for two weeks. Authorities concluded they could not say if Saleh, whose full name is withheld due to privacy reasons, was Yemen's first spreader of the infection due to inadequate testing capacity. "We spent an hour-and-a-half with him in the ambulance to transfer him to an isolation room in another hospital, it felt like a year-and-a half," said nurse Majdi Baqhoum, worried to be dealing with a COVID-19 patient for the first time. Ash Shihr port was shut for deep cleaning for a week and Hadhramout, Yemen's largest province, imposed a partial curfew and all its workers were ordered to self-isolate for two weeks. Neighbouring provinces sealed their borders. "WE WILL KEEP INVESTIGATING" Aid groups say they fear a catastrophic outbreak should the virus spread among the malnourished population, where diseases such as cholera are rife. Around 80% of the population, or 24 million people, rely on humanitarian assistance. Based on models by Britain's Imperial College, the World Health Organisation said a likely outbreak scenario with containment steps could see more than 55% of the population infected, with over 42,000 dying from the disease. WHO's Musani said Yemen has 570 intensive care units and 17,000 beds nationwide, half of them already occupied. "At the height of coronavirus infections in Yemen, the country could need 18,000 beds and 2,500 ICU units for COVID-19 only, so you can imagine the gap," he said. Clues to how Saleh became infected exist. As part of his job at Ash Shihr, Saleh had met and dealt with government and military officials and traders on dozens of the wooden dhows that dock each day with commercial goods, mostly from Oman and the United Arab Emirates. Hadhramout Governor Faraj al-Bahsseni told local media, there was a high probability he contracted the virus from sailors who visited the port. But authorities also note Saleh also visited three different districts inland in Hadhramout during the two weeks that preceded his persistent coughing fits, officials said. "It is still a mystery to us how he contracted the virus. We will keep investigating, but we may never know," Bahsseni told local media. Yemen has been mired in war and more than 100,000 people have been killed since the Iran-aligned Houthi group ousted the internationally recognised government from the capital Sanaa in late 2014, prompting a Saudi-led coalition to intervene. The coalition announced a unilateral nationwide truce over the pandemic but the Houthis, who control most big urban centres, have not accepted it and violence has continued. Two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters there has been at least one confirmed case in the capital Sanaa. But the Houthi-controlled health ministry denied it and said all suspected cases had tested negative for COVID-19. With the number of patient visits dropping by nearly half, additional costs to prepare for a potential influx of COVID-19 patients and denial of critical federal CARES Act funds, the Calais Regional Hospital is facing a financial crisis that threatens its ability to provide care and continue to be an economic engine in the community. With regular operations nearly coming to a halt, little revenue will be coming in to cover costs in the coming weeks. DeeDee Travis, vice president of community relations for CRH, points out that the hospital "operates on a very small operating margin. Remove almost half of the revenue, and it is pretty easy to imagine this could quickly turn into a crisis." Concerning the decline in patient volume, she adds, "We are currently trending towards a decline of 50% compared to prior to COVID19." According to Travis, the hospital was told it did not qualify for the federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) because of Small Business Administration regulations that prevent hospitals and health systems with a prior loss to the government from being eligible for the loans. Travis says the "prior loss to the government" restriction has not been specifically defined but is being applied both because of the hospital's Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection filing last year and because, in "a very broad sense," of funds owed from past years' cost reports with Medicare and outstanding payment plans for monies owed to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. She is aware of only one other hospital in Maine that was denied a Paycheck Protection Program loan, the Penobscot Valley Hospital in Lincoln, which also filed for bankruptcy protection last year. While the initial funding for the Paycheck Protection Program has run out, on April 21 the U.S. Senate approved an additional $484 billion coronavirus aid package that includes $320 billion more for the Paycheck Protection Program. The package also includes $75 billion to aid hospitals. The House approved the funding on April 23. The strains being placed on rural hospitals are getting noticed. In an April 20 telephone press conference to open "Rural Health Care Week" -- especially the unique coronavirusrelated strains on the healthcare system -- U.S. Senator Angus King participated in a Medicaid Awareness Month event with Protect Our Care. In addition to Senator King, the call featured Maine Rep. Anne Perry of Calais and Brad Woodhouse, executive director of Protect Our Care. "The impacts of coronavirus -- including the costs of preparation and loss of expected revenue -- are hitting our rural healthcare providers hard, many of whom were already facing challenges," said Senator King. "These hospitals are cornerstones of rural communities across Maine, providing not only jobs but also peace of mind that, in the event of an emergency, someone is there to help. We need to make sure that these providers are able to continue to serve rural Maine communities, both during this crisis and after it's over." Waiver sought from SBA According to Travis, the government's promotion of the CARES Act was to protect hospitals with immediate funds needed for operations as the preparations for COVID19 moved forward. The Paycheck Protection Program was the most promising option of the potential programs for the Calais hospital. The program would provide finances to protect the pay of the staff despite the significant downturn in revenue. After CRH was informed that it did not qualify, the American Hospital Association (AHA) appealed to the Small Business Administration (SBA) concerning the roadblock to much needed funding. In a letter to SBA Administrator Jovita Carranza, the AHA implored: "We ask that you waive regulations that would prevent hospitals and health systems with a prior loss to the government (including bankruptcy) from being eligible for these loans. Some hospitals and health systems may either be in or have previously entered bankruptcy. However, these organizations form the backbone of the health care and workforce infrastructure in many communities, and the PPP could be the difference between solvency and insolvency. It is particularly critical to preserve these vital health care resources as they are the frontline of our COVID19 defense, and, particularly in smaller and more rural communities, often the sole source of hospitalbased care. We therefore urge you to make an exception for hospitals and health systems." No waiver, though, has yet been given, leaving hospitals like CRH scrambling to figure out how to cover costs and make payroll in the coming weeks. CRH did receive a smaller relief payment recently. However, in comparison, the PPP would provide funding for eight additional weeks to get to the other side of the crisis and restored volumes, versus the two-week respite the relief funds provided. CRH continues to seek out other grant and loan options available; however, with limited cash resources, the hospital does not have much time to wait out the government's decision. According to Travis, CRH is not eligible for most of the CARES Act programs because of the Chapter 11 filing. She notes, "The draw and biggest benefit of the PPP is the ability for most, if not all, of the funds to convert to a grant. Being in Chapter 11 the hospital is not really in a position to take on debt." The hospital is asking community members to contact their representative, senator or SBA director about supporting the waiver for the Paycheck Protection Program and to utilize CRH for their medical services. Letters in support of a waiver can be sent to: federal SBA Administrator Jovita Carranza at ; Regional SBA Deputy District Director Diane Sturgeon at ; Senator Susan Collins staff at ; Senator Angus King staff at ; Representative Jared Golden staff at . Sample wording for a letter can be found on the CRH website at . LONDON, April 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- In the latest issue of World Finance magazine, Kamakura Corporation takes an in-depth look at the current state of the risk management industry and how businesses can put the right preparations in place for when times get tough. In an exclusive article, Marti Zorn, the firm's President and COO, explains the different strategies that businesses and governments can adopt. "One of the key risks we face today is that after a long period of complacency, a single event often triggers a 'flash crash' or the beginning of a market shift," Zorn writes. "It is usually very difficult to identify the trigger events in advance, though many experts take credit for seeing them after the fact." Current events like the COVID-19 outbreak demonstrate how difficult it is to anticipate every potential business challenge. However, having robust tools in place can ensure that companies have adequate capital to survive these disruptive situations. Risk management is the identification, evaluation and decision to avoid, take or hedge the impact and probability of known and unknown events, as well as having the tools to maximise the risk-adjusted return on opportunities. But as Zorn explains, "even the most astute risk manager does not know what the future holds" Nevertheless, the best risk managers use simulation tools, including Monte Carlo simulations and n-factor models, to identify a full range of possibilities including the so-called "black swan events." It may be impossible to identify every risk ahead of time, but the right risk manager can make sure you are fully prepared when it does arrive. To find out more about Kamakura Corporation and how your company can better identify upcoming risks, pick up the latest copy of World Finance magazine, available in print, on tablet and online now. www.worldfinance.com World News Media, the parent company of World Finance, is a leading publisher of quality financial and business magazines, which enjoys a global distribution network that includes subscriber lists of prominent decision-makers around the world. Contact Information World News Media Barclay Ballard Editorial Department +44-(0)-20-7553-4177 [email protected] SOURCE World News Media Haryana Congress president Kumari Selja said on Monday that small and medium enterprises would need a helping hand from the government as these were among the sectors that had been adversely hit due to the lockdown over the novel coronavirus pandemic. Selja said these industries were the backbone of the economy and generated huge employment. "These industries have been adversely hit. They don't have that kind of buffer that they can go on for long in this situation without government help," Selja told PTI over phone. "To get back into business, they will surely need a helping hand from the government." According to the Congress leader, the government should talk to various stakeholders to chalk out a plan and help the sectors that needed immediate attention in the COVID-19 crisis. She said all kinds of industries in the state were facing shortage of labour after thousands of migrant labourers moved back to their hometowns. "I was speaking to some industry people and they were persuading those migrant labourers who are still here to stay on, but they were unsure when those who have left will return," Selja said. Plans will also have to be drawn up so that daily-wage earners can get back to work once the situation improves, she added. Selja said the farmers had already suffered heavy losses due to unseasonal rains and hailstorms last month, and the present situation had aggravated their problems. Faced with shortage of farm labour and even harvesting machines, the farmers somehow harvested their crops, but the state government's idea "to experiment with new things hasn't helped the farmers' cause", the state Congress president said. According to Selja, decisions like asking the farmers to register on the portal -- 'Meri Fasal Mera Byora' state scheme -- before issuing them online pass for purchase of their produce had created mistrust between the 'arhitiyas' (commission agents) and the government. "All these could have been avoided this time in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis," she said. "Besides, many farmers who have land holdings in joint names are not able to register on the portal. How is their wheat going to be procured?" asked Selja, who earlier visited some of the procurement centres. The Congress leader alleged that there was mismanagement in wheat procurement, which was currently on in the state, and many farmers who were being called to the markets for selling their produce were made to wait for long hours. "Many farmers have complained that they were not getting storage space for their wheat crop. The government has not been able to provide farmers with gunny bags to store their crops," she said, adding that rainfall in many parts of the state during past two days had also compounded the peasants' problems as the government's arrangements in 'mandis' (large markets) proved inadequate. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) People who deliberately cough, sneeze or spit on anyone working during the coronavirus pandemic risk an on-the-spot $1300 fine or a penalty of up to $13,000 if the matter goes to court. The crackdown has been announced as a new health directive by the state government on Monday, with Queensland Health Minister Steven Miles saying the state relies on essential workers. People who deliberately cough, sneeze or spit on a retail worker during the COVID-19 pandemic face big fines. Credit:Getty The rule aims to protect emergency services personnel, health workers, teachers and shop assistants. "During a pandemic, a cough can be used as a weapon, a sneeze can be as dangerous as a knife and spitting is, of course, always disgusting," Mr Miles said. Genes could affect how the body responds to coronavirus, tentative research on twins suggests. Significant coronavirus symptoms including fever, fatigue, and loss of taste and smell were thought to be genetically determined in 50 per cent of cases, according to data submitted to a symptom tracking app. Scientists at Kings College London analysed information from 2,600 people who logged their health, symptoms, and level of contact with their twin, on the Covid-19 Symptom Tracker app. I would like to say a big thank you to all our twins for logging their symptoms and health status regularly in the app, said Professor Frances Williams, from Kings College London and TwinsUK. Its because of their tremendous commitment to health research over the years that we are able to carry out this crucial research so quickly. The data submitted through the app helped scientists determine how genes influence the symptoms people exhibit. They noticed that genes were almost 50 per cent responsible for the development of symptoms of delirium, fever, fatigue, shortness of breath, diarrhoea and loss of taste and smell in individuals. Meanwhile, other symptoms such as hoarse voice, cough, chest pain and abdominal pain were thought to be a result of the surrounding environment. Some two million people in the UK have downloaded the Covid-19 Symptom Tracker app, which is helping to inform scientists about the viruss progression, though the number actually using the app fell by almost 75 per cent earlier this month. However, an analysis of the data published on 8 April suggests coronavirus lockdown is working, with the number of people aged between 20 and 69 who reported Covid-19 symptoms falling from 1.9 million to 1.4 million across the UK. Its essential that everybody keeps logging their health status in the app even if you feel well, said Professor Tim Spector from Kings College London. The data you provide enables us to carry out this urgent research to understand the behaviour and progression of the virus. The research has been published online in a pre-print, non-peer-reviewed paper, and it is hoped these findings could provide scientists with an indication on how to go about developing treatments, as well as helping to identify high-risk groups. NHS England announced 329 hospital deaths from coronavirus on Monday, the lowest such figure since 30 March. The UK is one of five countries worldwide to have passed the grim milestone of 20,000 confirmed deaths, alongside Italy, the US, France and Spain. Additional reporting by Press Association - Additional reporting by Ruaidhri Giblin A father-of-five has failed in a bid to have his conviction overturned for the axe murder of a homeless Lithuanian man, whose body was found on a Meath beach. Marius Gaizutis (55), with a last address at Marsh Road, Drogheda, Co Louth had admitted killing but denied murdering Audrius Butkus (44) at that address on the 9th or 10th of September, 2013. Mr Butkus, a single man with no children, had come to Ireland in 2006 but fell into a pattern of heavy drinking. Gardai were unable to trace any of his immediate family and he was buried with the assistance of a homeless group in St Peters Cemetery in Drogheda. After encountering Gaizutis on the evening of September 9, Mr Butkus was invited back to the house on Marsh road for a drink but was never seen alive again. A fisherman discovered his half-naked body face down on Mornington beach the following morning. In a judgement delivered electronically today (Monday), Mr Justice John Edwards said the Court of Appeal found there was no basis for believing that the trial was in any way unsatisfactory or the verdict was in any way unsafe. The prosecution case was that Mr Butkus died from multiple blows to the back of his head with an axe, while the defence contended that Gaizutis had been provoked by threats the deceased made to him, particularly against Gaizutis family. The only account of what had happened in the house came from what Gaizutis told gardai. Forensic evidence also showed there had been an attempt to clean up the scene of the murder. In his first two interviews, Gaizutis claimed to have no recollection of what happened, and then claimed the victim had insulted him and hit him over the head with a bottle, in what prosecuting lawyers characterised as an evolving story. On May 1, 2015 a jury of four women and eight men found Gaizutis guilty of murder by unanimous verdict after deliberating for less than three hours. He was jailed for life by Ms Justice Margaret Heneghan later that month. Gaizutis had appealed his conviction on the grounds that there was insufficient evidence for the charge of murder to go to the jury. His barrister, Ciaran O'Loughlin SC, submitted that the trial judge ought to have directed his clients acquittal on the murder charge, and allowed the manslaughter charge alone to go to the jury. Mr OLoughlin said there was no objective evidence to contradict the defence of provocation, or to undermine what Gaizutis had told gardai. The victim had no defensive wounds, but Gaizutis had wounds which was objective evidence supporting the accuseds contention he was attacked with a bottle, he said. Counsel for the Director of Public Prosecutions, Patrick Gageby SC, said the only material capable of supporting a defence of provocation could be found in what Gaizutis said to gardai towards the end of his interviews. Mr Gageby said it was an evolving story and the jury were entitled to conclude that what Gaizutis had said to gardai was self-serving. He said the credibility of the claim Gaizutis was provoked could be tested by the surrounding circumstances. In the judgement, Mr Justice Edwards said it is only in cases where there is insufficient evidence to enable a jury properly charged to convict in any circumstances, or alternatively such evidence was so infirm that a jury properly charged could not safely convict in any circumstances, that a case should be withdrawn from the jury. He said the submissions by the DPP eloquently demonstrated that even though the only account as to what occurred came from Gaizutis, there were numerous decisions as to matters of fact that arose for consideration in any assessment of that evidence. The judge said at no point was there a concession that the account provided by Gaizutis as to how he came to kill Mr Butkus was correct. Mr Justice Edwards said there was a prima facie case of murder and it was for the jury to determine whether or not the appropriate verdict was in fact murder. Gaizutis had raised the partial defence of provocation and it was required to be established by the jury whether he was entitled to the benefit of that defence. Mr Justice Edwards said that if the trial judge had adopted the approach submitted by the appellant she would, in effect, have concluded that no reasonable jury could possibly question what Gaizutis had said in his garda interviews on how the killing occurred, and with respect to his claim of having been provoked. The judge said such an approach would have been manifestly incorrect and the court believed that if the trial judge had withdrawn the case from the jury, she would have been completely unjustified in doing so. Mr Justice Edwards said the court found no error in the approach of the trial judge and she was right to allow the matter to go to the jury. Meryl Streep reunited with her Mamma Mia co-star Christine Baranski for a special performance to celebrate Stephen Sondheims 90th birthday. A cast of musical theatre stars and fans virtually came together on Sunday night in belated birthday celebrations for the composer, who is best known for writing musicals such as Into The Woods and the lyrics for West Side Story. Streep and Baranski, who starred together in 2008s film adaptation of Mamma Mia, were joined by Broadway legend Audra McDonald in a raucous rendition of Ladies Who Lunch from the Sondheim musical Company. Coming together over Zoom, the three actors dressed in white dressing gowns as they each raised their alcoholic drinks to the lyric Ill drink to that, with Baranski enjoying a red wine and McDonald a whiskey while Streep opted to make her own cocktails. Following success in the West End, War Horse director Marianne Elliotts production of Company starring Katrina Lenk and Patti Lupone was due to transfer to Broadway on Sondheims actual birthday (22 March), but was not able to go ahead due to the New York theatre shutdown over Covid-19. Take Me to the World: A Sondheim 90th Birthday Celebration featured performances from Jake Gyllenhaal and and Lin-Manuel Miranda, with the show also serving as a virtual fundraiser for Artists Striving to End Poverty. Israel allowed some businesses to reopen on Sunday and said it was considering letting children return to school as part of trial efforts to ease coronavirus restrictions and help the country's struggling economy. After weeks of closures, shops with street access reopened though malls and markets stayed off-limits to prevent large gatherings. Restaurants were allowed to offer take-away food, in addition to delivery services already operating, Reuters reported. Israel, which has a population of about 9 million, has had 15,443 coronavirus cases and 201 deaths. With about 100 COVID-19 sufferers on ventilators and 2,000 more hospital beds on standby, officials see an opportunity to review pandemic policy. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will begin discussions on Monday about the gradual reopening of schools, a statement from his office said. The Education Ministry has proposed that if the school year resumes it should run into the summer holiday to make up for lost time. Officials described the easing of restrictions as reversible, should new contagions follow. In a sign of a shift away from nationwide restrictions, Israel imposed lockdowns on Sunday in parts of two towns with local virus outbreaks. New Delhi, April 27 : Three days after Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal appealed to the recovered Covid-19 patients to donate their plasma, about 30 people turned up for donation on Monday. According to the Delhi Health Department, the recovered patients came out to help other patients recover from the disease and contain the fatalities caused by the dreaded virus. "Plasma therapy has shown positive response on critical Covid-19 patients. After the Chief Minister urged the recovered patients to donate plasma, about 30 people came out to donate their plasma on Monday," a health official told IANS. The official said that this can speed up the recoveries of patients in the city as plasma therapy is inexpensive as compared to the other medical treatments and medicines that are either unaffordable or are limited. So far, the government has tried the therapy on six patients and all have shown positive signs. Last Friday, Kejriwal had said that once a person recovers from coronavirus, antibodies are formed in his/her blood, which is then transferred into a recovering person's body. He said the city government had got the permission of limited trials from the Central government. "After 2-3 more trials, we will apply for permission for plasma therapy to be given to serious Covid-19 patients across Delhi," Kejriwal said. Kejriwal appealed to the recovered patients to donate their plasma to help other patients recover and contain the fatalities caused by the deadly virus. "It is the responsibility of the people who have recovered to come forward and help those who are still recovering. Your plasma will be transferred only into those patients who are very critical. You will be saving the lives of people," he had said. In Delhi, while 877 people have recovered from the infection so far, at least 2,177 cases are active as of Monday night. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) External Article 27 April 2020 Visitors to one of the 10 reopened Pret A Manger sandwich shops in London last week were confronted with a very different experience from just over a month ago. Where lunchtime queues would usually stretch out of the door, only five or six people were allowed in at a time. Perspex screens separated customers and staff at till points, while markings on the floor signalled how close people could stand. The menu, which normally includes about 60 products, had been cut to 11 and was for takeaway only. "Pret will be a very different operator," admitted chief executive Pano Christou, adding that after coronavirus, footfall in its more than 500 UK outlets would be "a considerable step down". Pret is one of the first big food chains to tentatively restart part of its business, after governments across Europe imposed full lockdowns to slow the spread of coronavirus. Burger King and KFC also opened a handful of their UK restaurants for takeaway and delivery last week, with similar measures in place to adhere to social distancing and stricter rules on cleanliness. The closures of restaurants, cafes, cinemas and gyms are expected to last several weeks, if not months, longer. Operators in countries including the UK, France and Germany have been warned they will be among the last to exit lockdown. Alasdair Murdoch, Burger King's UK chief executive, said the group's "bear scenario" was a 24-week restriction, although he thought 12 weeks more likely. The Tamil Nadu government on Monday announced returning 24,000 rapid test kits imported from China, hours after the ICMR asked states to stop using the COVID-19 rapid antibody kits procured from two companies in the Asian country to be sent back to the suppliers. The government and opposition DMK clashed over the pricing of the kits, with the latter demanding 'transparency' while the ruling dispensation asserted that the procurement was done based on rates fixed by the Centre. The Indian Council of Medical Research, the country's apex health research body, had told states it "evaluated the kits of Guangzhou Wondfo Biotech and Zhuhai Livson Diagnostics in field conditions. The results have shown wide variation in their sensitivity, despite earlypromise of good performance for surveillance purpose", it said. "As per the ICMR order, all 24,000 kits received by the Tamil Nadu government are being returned," Health Minister C Vijaya Baskar said in a statement. There was no "expenditure incurred" by the state government, he said, adding all remaining orders were also being cancelled in line with the ICMR directive. However, DMK President M K Stalin, who has been raising the pricing issue, questioned the rationale behind the 'sky high' rate of the kits, purchased at Rs 600 per unit by the state government. He recalled that the DMK had earlier too alleged the kits were procured at higher rates and said some private entities made a profit out of this. However, the government only 'defended' itself on the matter, he said in a statement. "What reply is the AIADMK government going to give for purchasing the kits at sky high price," the Leader of the Opposition said. There was "lack of transparency" in the matter, he alleged. Further, Chief Minister K Palaniswami should clarify whether the results of tests done using these kits were accurate, Stalin demanded. The government should not dismiss DMK's questions as "politics", he added. Hitting back at Stalin, Vijaya Baskar said the kits were procured from companies enslisted by the ICMR at rates fixed by the Centre, which he said was Rs 600, excluding taxes. While ICMR approved purchase of these kits early this month, all sections wanted to increase the number of tests by using them, the Minister said. "When the global demand was high, it was even difficult to buy them. But with the sole aim of ensuring more tests to protect the people," a particular dealer of the equipment was selected as per the Tender Transparency Act, he said. During this time, Andhra Pradesh (Rs 730) and Kerala (Rs 699) paid more per kit and even ICMR did the same for its second procurement order, by buying them at Rs 795, but Tamil Nadu stuck to Rs 600, he said. "But the opposition in those states (apparently Kerala and Andhra Pradesh) did not make cheap out of it. It is a fact they aided the government(s) in (their) life saving efforts," Vijaya Baskar added. Hitting out at Stalin, the Minister said it was "weird" that he questioned the pricing of Rs 600 for Tamil Nadu and charged him with carrying out a "campaign of lies." "These campaign of lies will be useful only for mudslinging against the state government. It will never slow down its resolve to end the pandemic (by working) on a war footing," the Minister added. He said Tamil Nadu made an early start in its fight against COVID-19 by procuring the required medicines and medical equipment and that was the reason it has ensured a recovery rate of 56.8 per cent, the "highest" in the country. Further, the fatality rate was 1.2 per cent, he pointed out. Political parties should ponder over whether this was the time to gain "publicity" by targeting the government out of "vendetta", Vijaya Baskar said. The government, he said, was working on a 'war-footing' tp stem the spread of the contagion and urged that attempts to make "baseless allegations" against the government be stopped forthwith. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Congress' Delhi unit on Monday launched a "mega" sanitisation campaign in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Launching the campaign "Congress Ke Sipahi, Karenge Corona Ki Dhulai", Delhi Congress president Anil Chaudhary handed over 1,120 sanitising machines among 280 block committees of the party. He also took part in the campaign by sanitising some areas near Delhi Congress office at Rouse Avenue. Kumar said each ward has been given four sprinkler machines for the sanitisation campaign to be carried out by party workers to effectively contain the spread of COVID-19. The party workers will make announcements before starting the sanitisation campaign in the wards to keep the locals informed. Sprinklers with a capacity of 1,000 litres each will also be used to sanitise wider roads in the residential areas, he said. The Delhi Congress has also set up a control room at party office Rajiv Bhawan to coordinate food distribution and sanitisation campaign. The party workers taking part in the campaign have been provided a brief note on the precautions to be taken, including use of personal protective equipment kits, sprinklers and social distancing, Kumar said. The party has also been providing fresh, nutritious meals to the poor and needy,through a network of 106 'Congress Ki Rasoi' community kitchens across the city, ever since the COVID-19 lockdown started in Delhi, he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Syracuse, N.Y. When Nidaa Aljabbarins sister woke her last Friday and told her an OCC professor was at their front door, Aljabbarin wondered about all the commotion. She checked her phone, which was suddenly flooded with missed calls, texts and emails. And now her Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society faculty advisor wanted to talk to her. In person. During the coronavirus pandemic. I went out there and she was like Nidaa, you got the scholarship, Aljabbarin said. I could not believe it. She started crying, said Dr. Annie Tuttle, an OCC associate professor of sociology. We both did. Its such a bummer in this time that were in that I couldnt even give her a hug. I just let it sink in and she was just so excited and said her life is going to be changed. Aljabbarin, 19, a graduate of PSLA at Fowler who emigrated with her family to the United States in 2016, has won a Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship, given annually to 50 students nationwide. The scholarship will provide Aljabbarin with up to $40,000 a year to complete her bachelors degree, and up to $75,000 per year toward graduate school. Aljabbarin was one of 1,500 community college students who applied for the scholarship. She plans to attend Syracuse University and then medical school to pursue a path in genetics. She could have academically gotten into any school, said Maryann Page, an OCC associate biology professor who taught Aljabbarin. Now to not have the financial burden that your choices will impact your family, thatll be a huge opportunity to her. Aljabbarin, born in Syria, fled that warring nation for Jordan with her family in 2013. By then, two of her brothers had contracted a strange illness that afflicted them between the ages of 6 and 8. Eventually diagnosed as Batten disease, it induced seizures, stole their sight and impeded their ability to walk and speak. By then, Aljabbarin, the second-oldest with her twin in a family of nine children, had developed an interest in medicine. After the Aljabbarins relocated to Syracuse, Nidaa (pronounced Needa) took a trip to Duke University where researchers and doctors treated a younger brother with stem cells after discovering he, too, would soon show symptoms of Batten disease. Aljabbarin learned she was a carrier. The process fascinated her and set her career sights. I went to Duke and got to see a lot of stuff and after that I said,'I know what Im doing,' she said. All these years we did not know what this was and when we found out it was a genetic disease, I thought that I have to study this. Aljabbarin arrived in the United States with Arabic as her primary language. She spoke no English and determined she would first need to conquer the language barrier. She spent time at the North Side Learning Center, a place she now visits as a volunteer. Conversations with her brothers home teaching aide helped with casual conversation. Aljabbarin said she struck up conversation with anybody and everybody she encountered. By the time she enrolled at OCC, her English-language skills enabled her to process difficult biology terminology. If she failed to recognize a word, Page said, she jotted it down and looked it up later. She was already an intelligent student but then she had to work in a language she did not grow up in and then on top of that she has a very big family and as an older sibling there are responsibilities of caring for younger siblings, Page said. Those conflict sometimes and yet she was never one to give me excuses. She knew there were deadlines, she knew there were ways to do it and shes kind of been a rock star in the classroom. Page described Aljabbarin as dedicated and driven. She developed a group of fellow students who would meet in a school lobby to debate topics and was constantly reaching out to professors with more questions. For Aljabbarin, it was not enough to know the answers; she needed to understand the the whys of what she was learning Page said. Aljabbarin traced her academic ambition to the absence of education she suddenly experienced in Syria. Once you are in a position where you cannot do all these things, you would know how it feels. You would know how much its actually worth, she said. When I was in Syria, during the war I was not able to go to school for a while. Once I got to Jordan Jordan was great but I did not find enough resources for me. So once I got here, I know how much education means. I know how much its worth. She surrendered to the urging of friends and advisors last winter and applied for the Cooke scholarship. She steeled herself to potential disappointment by telling herself it was enough to be considered for the award. She endured the lengthy application process, the stress of a Zoom interview for finalists and the weeks-long wait to hear news of the scholarship. And then Dr. Tuttle, whod tried calling to deliver the news, appeared from a social distance at her door. That really means a lot to me, Aljabbarin said. Not only for the money part but they took the time to look at my application and they made me feel very special. I have not stopped smiling, Tuttle said. It was something I cant even put into words and Im usually not one without words. She is the most deserving student I can think of. She really deserves this. READ MORE Family, friends surprise F-M math teacher as he runs virtual Boston Marathon from East Syracuse to Oneida High school seniors hold out hope that graduation happens as they pick up caps and gowns (video) Hundreds caravan past teachers home after cancer surgery: I was blown away (video) Everythings Gonna Be Alright: Camillus Police thank community on YouTube for efforts during coronavirus (video) Donna Ditota is a reporter for the Syracuse Post-Standard and Syracuse.com. Got a comment or idea for a story? Reach her at dditota@syracuse.com. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-27 19:16:13|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close RIGA, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Latvian health authorities will propose measuring various COVID-19-related variables over several four-week periods to decide on relaxing the restrictions introduced in the country to contain the spread of COVID-19, Health Minister Ilze Vinkele said on public radio Monday. Data shows that changes in the infection dynamic appear over a period of four weeks, the minister said, adding that a set of measurable criteria will be proposed as a basis for easing the restrictions. The criteria will include the number of infected people, the rate of new infections, hospitalizations and severe cases, as well as possible cluster outbreaks at institutions or in populated areas. By monitoring these variables over a four-week period, it will be possible to determine whether efforts to curb the epidemic have been successful or not, Vinkele said. Epidemiologists also propose using the basic reproduction number, or the expected number of new cases directly generated by one COVID-19 case, as one of the criteria. The health minister believed that COVID-19 infections are currently plateauing in Latvia but that it is still too early to claim victory as there are too many unknowns associated with this new virus. The Health Ministry is well aware that maintaining the state of emergency in the long run would be too tiresome for society, but on the other hand, the cost of relaxing the restrictions too soon could be a new spike in infections. "Unfortunately, such is the tricky nature of this virus. Relaxation of the restrictions must be based on certain criteria," the minister said. A nationwide state of emergency which Latvia declared on April 13 expires on May 12, but Vinkele believed that some of the precautionary measures will be left in place long beyond that date. Enditem Spotify, by far, is the monolith to hate whenever the question of fair pay for musicians arises. Labelled a "digital tip jar" by jeering observers, the facility for fans to make direct donations to their favourite acts has been seen as a token gesture from the game-changing platform that pays artists roughly half a cent per play. Which is why, when the world's most popular music streaming service Spotify launched its "Artist Fundraising Pick" initiative last week, it got a mixed response. "In North America, there's a lot of that going on," says the Melbourne-based Canadian singer, currently holed up with family in rural Queensland to weather the devastating live circuit freeze. "They don't place value on paying the artist." Tracy McNeil has shaken her share of tip jars. Last year she and her partner Dan Parsons played 18 dates through Canada. About a third of them ended with the pair's hands out hoping for a fair night's pay from punters. Appealing to fans to cover artists' rent wouldn't be necessary "if Spotify was paying artists properly in the first place", McNeil says. "They're the ones that are ripping you off, so there is that kinda feeling of putting your hand out for something you shouldn't have to put your hand out for." So will she be adding the PayPal button to her Spotify profile? "Yeah probably," she says, "because right now I'm looking at ways to make income in any way that I can. As somebody who's completely lost all income and going to Centrelink for the first time in my entire life I'm not in a position to be too proud to receive help." With plays in the tens of thousands, McNeil is a way off the Spotify paydirt level of acts such as Hilltop Hoods, 5 Seconds of Summer, Dean Lewis and Tones and I, Aussie scoreboard leaders who stream in the hundreds of millions. Perched somewhere in between, Hayley Mary of Sydney art-rockers The Jezabels takes a pragmatic view. "It was one of the first things I thought of," she says, when her planned solo EP tour evaporated last month. "Wouldn't it be great, if my fans did want to help me, that they could? But in a safe way where they don't have to give their credit card details to every musician they know." A photo of Kristen Beaton is displayed at a memorial in Debert, N.S. on April 26, 2020. (The Canadian Press/Andrew Vaughan) Tributes Flow Across Canada 1 Week After Nova Scotia Mass Shooting A Nova Scotia woman who died in a mass shooting was remembered at her funeral for her contagious energy and love of her children on Sunday, as Canada marked one week since the deadly shooting with memorials and tributes for the victims. Lisa McCully was one of 22 people killed when a shooter dressed in an RCMP uniform went on a 12-hour rampage across northern Nova Scotia that began last Saturday night. On Sunday, a framed photo of the 49-year-old mother of two could be seen on a table next to a grey urn and bouquets of flowers during her funeral in Truro, N.S. The service was also available online for those who could not attend due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Her sister, Jenny Kierstead, remembered McCully as a proverbial entertainer who loved singing, dancing, and childrenboth her own and those she taught as an elementary school teacher. Lisa beautifully melded her love of outdoor education with her love of parenting, teaching her children physics on the bike ramp, oceanography on the shoreline, and of course, music by campfire, Kierstead said at the funeral. Earlier in the service, Rev. Glenn MacLean praised McCully for her work in the church, her zest for adventure, and her role as a teacher. While he said the whole community had been shaken by a senseless, sick act of violence, he told the service that the savage attacks do not win out over the acts of kindness and courage witnessed in the aftermath of the tragedy. Just look at the outpouring of love and concern from across our province and across the land, and the courage of all the people who are willing to help out and try to reach out as best they could, he said, praising police, first responders, and 911 operators. Meanwhile, tributes and memorials continued to pour in on Sunday for all the victims. While distancing restrictions due to COVID-19 means that some families will have to mourn privately or wait until the coronavirus is contained to hold services, Canadians have found ways to honour the victims. Across the country, people have been piling flowers by roadside memorials, lighting candles, posting heartfelt musical tributes online, or donning red in honour of slain RCMP officer Cst. Heidi Stevenson. On Saturday, hundreds of vehicles formed a motorcade in Wyses Corner, N.S. in honour of 36-year-old Joey Webber, who was shot by the gunman while running a family errand. Law enforcement and first responders across the country have held small ceremonies in honour of Stevenson, who was described Saturday as a hero by her union for her actions in trying to stop the gunman. Angela Gevaudan, the wife of an RCMP officer killed by a gunman in Moncton, N.B., nearly six years ago, said the first responders on the scene will need time and counselling to come to grips with the emotions of the last week. The former 911 dispatcher said with 16 crime scenes and so many victims, everyone will still be in shock. She said first responders learn to put their emotions aside in order to do the job at hand. Because the focus is only on the external and what needs to be done, and there is very little room for your normal human feelings and reactions to something like this that happened in Nova Scotia, she said on Sunday. You keep setting them aside, and setting them aside. You can get to a point where you dont know where to start any more in trying to sort out what impacted you and how to make sense of it and come to terms with it. Gevaudans husband, RCMP Const. Fabrice Gevaudan, was killed along with constables Doug Larche and Dave Ross when a gunman went hunting police officers in a residential neighbourhood on June 4, 2014. Two other officers were wounded. Gevaudan said she had to learn to make room for her emotions by taking part in different counselling programs, including one provided by Wounded Warriors Canada. That group has launched a fund to assist first responders in Nova Scotia. By mid-day Sunday, about $38,000 had been raised. While COVID-19 prevents a regimental funeral right now for Const. Stevenson, Gevaudan said the outpouring of support from the public will be appreciated by all the families. By Morgan Lowrie with files from Kevin Bissett Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Arya Dipa (The Jakarta Post) Bandung Tue, April 28 2020 Big beast: An official with the Bali Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) records and broadcasts on social media the behavior of a lion at Bali Safari and Marine Mark on Monday. (JP/Zul Trio Anggono) Thousands of animals living in Indonesian zoos are facing the threat of famine as management struggles to afford animal feed as would-be visitors stay home to contain the spread of COVID-19. A survey conducted by the Indonesian Zoos Association (PKBSI) this month showed that 92 percent of the associations members in Sumatra, Java, Bali, Lombok and Borneo 55 zoos had stocks to feed their animals only until mid-May. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,000/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Melbourne teacher Caroline Egan hopes art can help console Victorians mourning four police officers who died last week when they were hit by a truck on the Eastern Freeway. Her school, St Marys Primary in St Kilda East, has hung a sprawling tribute across its Dandenong Road fence in honour of the officers. St Mary's Primary School principal Gerard Lewis with students Spencer and Nicholas. Credit:Justin McManus The four officers had been impounding a car on the side of the freeway when they were hit by a truck. Ms Egan, an art teacher at the school, created the portraits of Leading Senior Constable Lynette Taylor, Senior Constable Kevin King and constables Josh Prestney and Glen Humphris at the request of school principal Gerard Lewis. North Korean state media on Monday published a letter from the country's leader Kim Jong Un to South African President Cyril Ramaphosa congratulating him on Freedom Day. CNN has no way of independently verifying the authenticity of the letter and has reported conflicting beliefs by various government officials on Kim's health condition in the past week. The message was dated April 27, 2020, KCNA reported, as speculation mounted over Kim's health after he missed the celebration of his grandfather's birthday on April 15. In the letter addressed to Ramaphosa, the North Korean leader expressed his certainty that the two nations' friendship would unendingly expand and develop, in addition to referencing Freedom Day, a public holiday celebrated in South Africa on Monday. On Sunday, South Korean presidential adviser Moon Chung-in told CNN that the North Korean leader was 'alive and well' despite speculation about his wellbeing. The adviser to South Korean President Moon Jae-in said Kim had been staying in the Wonsan area on the country's east coast since April 13, adding: 'No suspicious movements have so far been detected.' A website specializing in North Korean affairs published satellite images on Saturday that researchers said showed a train, 'probably belonging to Kim Jong Un,' which had been parked at a railway station serving Kim's luxurious Wonsan compound on the country's eastern coast since at least April 21. According to 38 North, Kim's luxurious Wonsan complex includes leisure facilities such as nine large guesthouses, a recreation center, a protected port, a shooting range, a recreation building, a covered dock, and a small runway converted in 2019 into a horse-riding track. Last week, a US official with direct knowledge told CNN the US was monitoring intelligence suggesting that Kim was in grave danger after surgery. Another US official told CNN on Monday that the concerns about Kim's health were credible, but the severity was hard to assess. It followed a report by Daily NK, an online newspaper based in South Korea that focuses on North Korea, that Kim reportedly received a cardiovascular procedure because of 'excessive smoking, obesity, and overwork.' The news outlet said the leader was receiving treatment in a villa in Hyangsan County, north of Pyongyang. After assessing that Kim's condition had improved, most of the medical team treating him returned to Pyongyang on April 19 while some of them remained to oversee his recovery, according to the news site. CNN was unable to independently confirm the report. This is the fourth notice in the country's state media of routine state duties carried out by Kim since April 12 when reports first surfaced that Kim may be unwell. On Sunday, North Korean state newspaper Rodong Sinmun said Kim sent thanks to workers who helped in remodeling the city of Samjiyon in North Korea. CNN could not independently confirm the authenticity of Sunday's report and whether the note of thanks came directly from the leader. Though North Korea has not reported any cases within its borders -- a claim public health experts say is unlikely -- Pyongyang has taken the pandemic very seriously. The country quickly closed its borders to tourists and quarantined foreign diplomats, who eventually left. State media included several warnings and reports about the importance of proper hygiene in February, while also outlining steps the government was taking to combat the virus. Economic recovery in this pandemic will occur only to the degree that people feel safe if they venture into public spaces such as airplanes, trains, restaurants and shopping malls. With a vaccine still at least a year away, antibody tests could be used to divide the population into those who are presumed to have immunity and the potentially contagious. If you are in the latter group, the question is whether you can be denied certain services. Wrexhams Vic Studios receives Voluntary Services Emergency Fund This article is old - Published: Monday, Apr 27th, 2020 A Wrexham based community music project has become the first local organisation to receive funds from the AVOW Voluntary Services Emergency Fund. The Association of Voluntary Organisations in Wrexham (AVOW) received 25,000 from Welsh Government to help organisations across Wrexham County Borough. Grants of up-to 1,000 are available to support not-for-profit organisations to continue vital work at a street and community level. This new funding stream will enable voluntary and community organisations to access the resources and continue supporting people our community most at need during the Coronavirus Pandemic. The Vic Studios, based at the Victoria Centre on Hill Street, is the first organisation to receive this funding in the county. They will use the funds to continue their work with disadvantaged and disengaged young people. This will provide further opportunities for young people to gain confidence, skills and improve their prospects whilst expressing themselves creatively. The funding will be used to continue their services through digital platforms such as Facebook and Skype, to continue 1-2-1 tuition and provide educational videos around music production, performance and composition. The Vic Studios will also use this opportunity to increase their integration with other services across the county and complement existing provisions for young people. Lesley Griffiths AM said: Charities and community groups are under immense pressure in the wake of the coronavirus crisis and The Vic Studios are certainly a deserving first recipient of this financial support. The Welsh Government has acted decisively, and I am pleased AVOW has helped ensure the funding is already having a positive impact locally. The Wrexham community is grateful to AVOW for everything they are doing. The team have responded brilliantly to the pandemic and done a wonderful job coordinating voluntary services in Wrexham, supporting some of the most vulnerable in our society. The AVOW Voluntary Services Emergency Fund is in addition to a larger Voluntary Services Emergency Fund being distributed throughout Wales by the Wales Council for Voluntary Action (WCVA) and further support from Welsh Government. The Voluntary Services Emergency Fund is still accepting applications and is to ensure funding reaches organisations working closely with vulnerable and isolated individuals in our communities. Further information about the fund can be found here. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 27) - The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) says infrastructure projects will proceed as planned, but that timelines may have to be adjusted. DPWH Secretary Mark Villar told CNN Philippines that big-ticket projects under the government's 'Build Build Build' program will push through despite the COVID-19 crisis. "The big-ticket projects are still a go. We have not given up on any projects," Villar said. "Of course magkaroon ng konting delay, kailangan ma-adjust yung timeline ng konti, but overall, once we achieve the new normal, I believe that we will get the 'Build Build Build' back on track." [Translation: Of course we'll experience a little delay, the timeline needs to be adjusted, but overall, once we achieve the new normal, I believe that we will get the 'Build Build Build' back on track.] The Duterte administration launched the 'Build, Build, Build' program in 2016, which aims to spur and sustain economic growth by constructing infrastructure projects badly needed by the country, including longer and wider roads, convenient train systems, and improved airports and seaports. In November 2019, the government's list of priority infrastructure projects went through a major overhaul, with only 32 of the original items making it to the new roster. Presidential Adviser for Flagship Programs and Projects Vivencio Dizon had said that 38 of the 100 flagship projects under the program will be completed by 2022, while 22 other projects will be partially operational. President Rodrigo Duterte will end his term at noon on June 30, 2022. READ: 'Build, Build, Build': New projects dominate in overhaul of priority list Villar also told CNN Philippines that funding for the infrastructure projects is a different issue. "We'll see how the funding of the national government will be affected, how long this COVID-19 [will last] but of course that's a situation beyond our control," Villar said. The government planned to spend over 1 trillion this year on various construction projects, in keeping with the administration's promise to usher in a "Golden Age of Infrastructure." Malacanang earlier said the President is open to dropping infrastructure projects scheduled this year to free up funds for COVID-19 response. READ: Duterte open to dropping infrastructure projects for more COVID-19 funding With the help of the private sector, the DPWH said it has already proposed guidelines for post-quarantine construction work to the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases. "We have a lot of infrastructure projects lined up so it's very important that we find a way to continue these projects while maintaining a high level of safety for our workers," Villar said. The public works secretary said they are proposing additional safety measures, such as having medical personnel on hand, the monitoring of the movements of construction workers, and having additional facilities for washing and disinfection. "We are proposing that they be tested, all the workers prior to entering the site must go through medical examination, must go through COVID-19 testing to ensure that they are not carriers of the virus," Villar said. The DPWH also proposed the housing of construction workers at project sites. "After entering, we are proposing that they be limited to their living quarters for the duration of the project. This is so that we monitor their movements and ensure none of them will bring COVID-19 into the worksite," Villar said. "We believe this will ensure the safety of the workers, and the possibility of having them together could contribute to the spread will be significantly reduced if not eliminated," he added. Villar said those found violating the government's guidelines will be penalized. We are proud of the Council of the Cherokee Nation! Chief Hoskin thanks the Council for its tireless efforts keeping the Cherokee people safe and secure during the COVID-19 crisis. Next Monday, the Council of the Cherokee Nation will meet for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began to impact the Cherokee Nation. Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. is asking the Council to approve legislation that could provide millions in emergency funds that will help the tribe recover from this pandemic. Cherokee Nation Small businesses are the lifeblood of the local economy in many of our communities in northeast Oklahoma. But right now, many of our Cherokee-owned businesses are struggling to stay afloat amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. From restaurants to small retail venues to service-driven businesses, we know the coronavirus is affecting every aspect of the local economy. Cherokee Nations Commerce Department can offer a broad range of help, especially in this confusing and difficult time. Our Commerce team is a clearinghouse for information on how small businesses can receive assistance through the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) stimulus bill. We work with more than 1,200 businesses in northeast Oklahoma. Under the CARES program, small businesses that maintain their payroll during the COVID-19 pandemic can be eligible for 100% federally guaranteed emergency loans. Additionally, the loans may be forgiven if businesses maintain their payrolls during the crisis or restore their payrolls afterward. Businesses are eligible for loans up to 2.5 times their average monthly payroll costs, not to exceed $10 million. Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. and Deputy Principal Chief Bryan Warner prepare KN95 personal protection masks to be distributed to first responders and emergency personnel during the COVID-19 pandemic. Photo: Anadisgoi / Cherokee Nation The CARES Act also extends unemployment assistance to self-employed individuals who have lost work, and our team at Cherokee Nation Commerce can help Cherokees apply for that aid. The federal stimulus effort is intended to help small businesses stay afloat during this crisis, and Congress will need to do even more in the coming weeks and months. Cherokee Nation will do all we can to help our Cherokee small business owners navigate the steps to obtain help and sustain themselves and their employees through the pandemic. Protecting Cherokee businesses will help the whole economy of northeast Oklahoma, and it will make it easier for all of us to bounce back once the pandemic ends. Our Commerce Department has also helped Habitat for Humanity in Tahlequah access funds through the CARES Act, which include nonprofits in the small business assistance. Because of that effort, our local HFH can pay their employees for the next two months and will be able to finish homes for local families. Besides connecting small businesses and nonprofits with federal help, we hope to expedite small commercial loans. We have already offered loan payment deferrals for Cherokee Nations small business loan clients for April, May and June, which affects about 80 small businesses in the region. We are striving to save businesses because we know our people have their whole livelihoods on the line. I look forward to the day when we can ease back into our normal routines. In the meantime, I urge everyone to please continue responsible physical distancing and other precautions such as hand washing and staying home as much as possible. I also encourage you to support our small businesses in any way you can, through take-out orders from restaurants, making online purchases, and buying gift certificates for use at a future time. It will take time and sacrifices to get there, but we will reach the day when small businesses can re-open their doors and Cherokees can safely get back to work. Chuck Hoskin Jr. is the 18th elected Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation, the largest Indian tribe in the United States. He is only the second elected Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation from Vinita, the first being Thomas Buffington, who served from 1899-1903. Prior to being elected Principal Chief, Hoskin served as the tribes Secretary of State. He also formerly served as a member of the Council of the Cherokee Nation, representing District 11 for six years. Join the Conversation A 57-year-old head constable on Monday became the third Mumbai Police personnel to die of the coronavirus since Saturday, an official said. The head constable was undergoing treatment at KEM Hospital in Parel after several state-run facilities refused to admit him, another official claimed. He was attached with the Kurla traffic division. "He had first gone to Rajawadi Hospital in Ghatkopar on Friday after he felt feverish. Doctors there asked him to go to Kasturba Hospital, the main centre for communicable diseases. He was denied admission there and he then went to Nair ... People socialize and enjoy the spring, as the coronavirus disease (COVID 19) outbreak continues, in Stockholm, Sweden, on April 22, 2020. TT News Agency/Anders Wiklund via Reuters Swedish officials said that five bars and restaurants in Stockholm ignored social distancing guidelines over the weekend, and were forced to close because of it. Bars and restaurants are still allowed to provide table service in Sweden during the coronavirus pandemic, but Swedish officials say they're concerned with overcrowding. Sweden has taken a controversial approach to the coronavirus pandemic, leaving restaurants, schools, and businesses open throughout the outbreak. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Officials in Sweden ordered five Stockholm bars and restaurants to close on Sunday after the establishments failed to follow social distancing guidelines. Sweden has taken a controversial approach to the novel coronavirus pandemic by urging people to social distance, but also allowing restaurants, schools, and businesses to stay open throughout the outbreak. Restaurants can still provide table service, but tables have to be spaced 6 feet apart to keep up with government social distancing guidelines. According to AFP, some Stockholm bars defied those guidelines over the weekend and were forced to close because of overcrowding. Stockholm health official Per Follin told news agency TT, that four of the five bars and restaurants that were forced to close were located in Sodermalm, a trendy and bustling neighborhood of the city. "The main problem was overcrowding, both inside the premises and outdoors," he said, according to AFP. He said that the establishments will be closed until further notice. Authorities announced last week that they were increasing measures to enforce social distancing guidelines and that gatherings of more than 50 people have been banned. Sweden, which has a population of 10.2 million people, has so far had 18,926 confirmed COVID-19 cases, and 2,274 deaths from the virus. While Sweden has faced criticism over having far more deaths from the virus than its Nordic neighbors, the country's goal with limited restrictions is to reach herd immunity, meaning the majority of the population would become immune to COVID-19 through either having the virus or through a vaccine. At the moment, it's unknown if antibodies from the virus give full immunity or how long they last. Story continues Karin Ulrika Olofsdotter, Sweden's ambassador to the US, told NPR that despite no scientific evidence, she believes herd immunity will prove to be successful. "About 30% of people in Stockholm have reached a level of immunity," she said. "We could reach herd immunity in the capital as early as next month." Read the original article on Business Insider Vineet Upadhyay By Express News Service DEHRADUN: Manish Pant (27), a fireman in the state fire department in Uttarakhand has emerged as a 'Medicine Man' who delivers 'Sanjivni' (medicines) to people saving their lives in remote areas amidst ongoing lockdown. Ravikant, a resident of Banchaura village of Uttarkashi said, "Manish is doing a noble work. His efforts are saving people's lives and providing them relief from pain caused by various ailments. He is like 'Hanuman' for us who delivers life-saving 'Sanjivni' to the needy." After lockdown was imposed, post with hashtag 'Operation Sanjivni' on his Facebook profile. One can post a request of required medicine and Pant tries through different transportation channels including police, administration, transportation vehicles for essentials and media persons to deliver the required medicines. "We are living in the times of internet and social media. I thought it could be used to help people. I used to receive requests to help people deliver essentials such as medicines and other items to remote areas. I thought to reach out to more people through social media," said Pant who is posted in Dehradun. Till date, Pant has delivered medicines to people in 100 remote villages in areas as remote as Uttarkashi, Rudraprayag, and Pithoragarh. Pant turned into a good samaritan after an incident on Match 27 in which a woman from his neighbourhood in Dehradun, who was suffering from hypertension got a spike in blood pressure at night. Pant rushed to a hospital and brought medicines for her. "After that I thought if such is the situation in the capital of the state, people must be going through a lot in remote areas of Uttarakhand. I made a page and asked people to send their requests," said Pant. Recalling another incident last week when medicines for kidney ailments were needed for a person in a village in Uttarkashi district, Pant said he approached the driver of a vehicle that regularly delivers newspapers in the district. Following this, he contacted a colleague in his own department in Uttarkashi district headquarters who delivered the medicines to people who needed it. An ardent Bollywood fan, Pant often goes beyond official duty to help people. Once he sought permission from his senior officials to deliver medicines in remote areas of Chakrata in Dehradun district. After his seniors came to know that he arranged medicines bought from Delhi, they granted him permission and praised his efforts. Amit Kumar Sinha, Inspector-General, state fire department said, "Manish is an embodiment of duty and courage. It is due to such people that our society thrives. We support him in his every endeavour." London: Prime Minister Boris Johnson has returned to Downing Street with a stark warning that easing Britain's lockdown would unleash a "new wave of death and disease" and cause an "economic disaster". Johnson resumed his duties on Monday after a three-week battle with coronavirus that culminated in his admission to the intensive care unit of a London hospital. Prime Minister Boris Johnson outside Downing Street on his first day back since contracting coronavirus. Credit:Bloomberg In a statement outside Downing Street, an energetic Johnson praised the public for its "sheer grit and guts" in adhering to the lockdown but stressed the measures will remain in place for many more weeks. The pandemic has killed nearly 21,000 people in Britain's hospitals, but the true toll will be much higher once the thousands of deaths in care homes and private houses are added to the tally. French policemen are under investigation over allegations of racially insulting a man after arresting him in Paris north-eastern Seine-Saint-Denis suburb. The French Interior minister said racism will not be tolerated within the police force. The video, filmed by 'La-bas si j'y suis' journalist Taha Bouhafs has already been viewed more than 1.6 million times after it was posted at 2am on Sunday morning. The dark footage shows a number of French policemen walking a man towards one of the vans parked. Bouhafs subtitled the video explaining that he started filming after he heard a man shouting when the policemen pulled him out of the Seine river. He doesnt know how to swim. A bicot like that doesnt swim, said one of the police officers while others are laughing. Bicot is a pejorative French term used to describe North Africans from one of Frances three former colonies, Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia. Another policeman is heard replying to the others: No, it drowns! You should have tied a weight to his foot. Bouhafs explains that the man jumped in the river at lIle Saint Denis to escape police arrest. Seconds later a mans voice is heard shouting several times as if in pain, followed by more laughter from several people. The incident took place a week after violent clashes broke out in Paris' western Hauts-de-Seine suburb. Widespread condemnation French Interior minister, Christophe Castaner, tweeted shortly after midnight on Sunday condemning the racist language. There is no place for racism in a Republican police force, he wrote. Castaner added that the wave of outrage the video gave rise to is legitimate. All light will be shed on the matter, he added. The IGPN, the French police watchdog, is investigating the matter, assured Castaner. The Nanterre prosecutor said that the man arrested was admitted in hospital after falling into the Seine river. The police union said that there is no doubt about the language used and that the sentence, if any, will match the offence. Story continues Eric Coquerel, a Seine Saint Denis MP for opposition La France Insoumise party, voiced his indignation in a tweet on Saturday evening (before Castaners). Coquerel wrote that this is unacceptable. To hear such racist comments and attitude from police officers is shameful and very worrying, he added. Police unions said that strict restrictions on public movement to curb the spread of Covid-19 exacerbate deep-rooted tensions and anger towards the police enforcing lockdown rules. STOCKHOLM, April 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Record quarter from product segments, driven by US businesses In local currencies, sales from product segments increased by 21 percent for the first quarter. Reported sales increased by 24 percent to 4,029 MSEK (3,258). In local currencies, operating profit from product segments 1) increased by 30 percent for the first quarter. Reported operating profit from product segments increased by 34 percent to 1,652 MSEK (1,233). Operating profit amounted to 1,594 MSEK (1,190) for the first quarter. Profit after tax amounted to 1,161 MSEK (880) for the first quarter. Earnings per share increased by 38 percent to 7.14 SEK (5.17) for the first quarter. Net effect on revenue and results from COVID-19 impacts were positive in the first quarter but are expected to become negative in the second quarter. Guidance for Q2 2020 is provided on page 12 in this report. ZYN is now available in approximately 80,000 stores in the US, and average sales per store continued to increase sequentially. 1) Excludes Other operations and larger one-time items. For the full report: www.swedishmatch.com/Investors/Financial-reports/Interim-reports/ Swedish Match telephone conference A telephone conference will be held today, Monday, April 27 at 2:00 p.m. (CET), (1:00 p.m. UK time). At this time we will review and comment on the results. Participants will include Lars Dahlgren, Thomas Hayes, and Emmett Harrison. Listen to the telephone conference: www.swedishmatch.com/Investors/Presentations/Webcasts-and-audiocasts/ Telephone conference presentation: www.swedishmatch.com/Investors/Presentations/ This information is information that Swedish Match AB (publ) is obliged to make public pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation and the Securities Markets Act. The information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact persons set out above, at 08.15 a.m. CET on April 27, 2020. CONTACT: Lars Dahlgren President and Chief Executive Officer Office: +46-8-658-0441 Thomas Hayes Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Office: +46-8-658-0108 Emmett Harrison Senior Vice President Investor Relations Office: +46-70-938-0173 Richard Flaherty President US Division, US Investor Relations contact Office: +1-804-787-5130 This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/swedish-match/r/interim-report-january---march-2020,c3097262 The following files are available for download: SOURCE Swedish Match Two Chinese nationals were on Monday arrested by the Police in Zamfara for alleged illegal mining at Kwali village in Bukkuyum Local Government Area of the state. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the police had earlier this month declared some Chinese and Burkinafaso nationals wanted for their alleged involvement in illegal mining in parts of the state. The Commands Public Relations Officer (PPRO), ASP Mohammed Shehu, the police in a statement revealed that the alleged illegal miners had been involved in mining activities in collaboration with their Nigerian counterparts. Read Also: Pastor Arraigned For Allegedly Invading Chinese Embassy According to him, the suspects were apprehended at Badarawa Burkullum village after two labourers at the mining site divulged useful information to Mr Usman Nagogo, the state Commissioner of Police. He said the two suspects, whose names were given as Mr Wang and Mr Chun, are helping the police in its investigation to dislodge the cartel and end illegal mining in the state. The PPRO said the police had recovered different chemicals used in processing Gold from the two suspects. (NAN) Winds of change are blowing on the Tindouf camps with the emergence of a new opposition movement calling for a political and mutually acceptable solution to the Sahara issue. The movement which calls itself Sahraouis for Peace breaks away with the ideological rhetoric of the Polisario and its mentor Algeria, reluctant to engage in negotiations towards a mutually acceptable political solution on the basis of Moroccos autonomy initiative. The group has issued a statement that deplores Polisarios rigid and unrealistic stands on the issue while attaching full responsibility to the Algerian-funded separatist militia for the suffering of the Sahraouis held against their will in the Polisario-run camps. The Polisario front is outdated and unable to renew itself as it lacks the willingness and capacity to open up to new initiatives, the group said in a statement. The signatories of the statement also blamed the Polisario leadership for taking advantage of the status quo and maintaining an authoritarian grip on the camps while imposing an impasse on the Sahara negotiations. The move was welcomed largely in Morocco where most observers see that the new movement shows the disenchantment within the Sahraouis in Tindouf with the lethargy of the Polisario leadership and their corrupt modus-operandi with the blessing of Algeria. Separately, rights groups rang the alarm bell asking Algerian authorities to assume their responsibility as the host country of the Tindouf camps and take measures to avert an outbreak of the coronavirus there. Actually, the camps populations, locked down without water, food, medicine, sanitary facilities or protective equipment against covid-19 which has already claimed several lives, feel abandoned as the polisario leaders ignore their grievances, while the host country, Algeria, has closed its borders to protect itself against coronavirus infection. Although news coming out of the Tindouf camps has been minimal because of the lockdown, Sahrawi women managed to leak a voice note describing their unbearable situation, where famine, thirst, and repression are their daily lot. Through their scream of distress, these women wanted to draw attention to their ordeal. The alarm bell was seemingly heard in the European Parliament, where MEP Frederique Ries addressed a question to the European Commission, raising concern over the alarming health situation in the Tindouf camps amidst the spread of COVID-19. The MEP wondered whether the European Commission has raised the issue with the Algerian authorities and what measures it plans to take to ensure that Algeria guarantees the security of the populations in the Tindouf camps and their protection against COVID-19. The MEP insisted that the responsibility for protecting the camps populations in this context of health crisis rests with Algeria. Will Algeria heed the calls? Romney Christopher Ellis, 55, of Indianapolis pleaded guilty to making threats and mailing a dead animal using the mail An Indiana man could be jailed for five years after allegedly threatening his ex-wife for years before his campaign of harassment sunk to new lows with him mailing a dead rat to her house in Florida. Romney Christopher Ellis, 55, from Indianapolis who works as an electrician pleaded guilty at a court in Tampa to making interstate threats and mailing injurious articles. According to court records, Ellis continued harassing his wife for four years through various text messages, photos, videos and objects sent in the mail. On one occasion, Ellis is alleged to have mailed a package to the victims home containing a dead rat and black rose. Ellis allegedly harassed his ex-wife for four years sending her offensive text messages, photographs, videos, and items in the post Ellis is also alleged to have promised violence including threatening to decapitate his ex-wife and set her on fire. Despite being divorced he continued to make racial and sexually charged comments towards her in text messages along with explicit images of himself according to the Orlando Sentinel. A search of Ellis' phone revealed how he had sent text messages stating that he had traveled from Indiana to Florida to see his ex-wife. Ellis allegedly threatened to decapitate her and set the victim on fire, while his text offensive text messages could often be racially and sexually charged Postal inspectors then decided to carry out a search warrant at Ellis' Indianapolis home in February. Prosecutors found a handwritten note containing the names and addresses of his ex-wife, along with her family friends. Ellis faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison when he is sentenced July 30. The recent news that General Electric (NYSE:GE) has terminated orders for 69 Boeing 737 MAX airplanes may have sounded to some like a net positive for GE. After all, it's no secret that the COVID-19 pandemic has hit the commercial aviation industry hard, so this sort of cutback measure is essential. However, the move serves to highlight a rarely discussed area of GE's operations that could provide the biggest negative surprise in its earnings in 2020. Let's take a closer look. What the order cancellation highlights There are three takeaways from the announcement, with the first two being the most prosaic: GE Aviation's joint venture with Safran , CFM International, is the provider of the only engine option on the 737 MAX (the LEAP-1B), so GE Aviation will miss out on the benefit of some engine orders. , CFM International, is the provider of the only engine option on the 737 MAX (the LEAP-1B), so GE Aviation will miss out on the benefit of some engine orders. GE is heavily reliant on the aviation industry for its earnings, with GE Aviation being the conglomerate's largest profit center. The order cancellation actually came from GE's aircraft leasing business, GE Capital Aviation Services or GECAS -- a business bound for a very difficult year in 2020. Most investors should understand the first two points by now, but it's worth reiterating how important aviation is to GE's industrial earnings and cash flow. For example, the following chart shows GE's industrial free cash flow (FCF) in 2019 and the importance of aviation to it. In fact, that importance has increased because GE's biopharma business, which generated $1.3 billion in FCF in 2019, was recently sold to Danaher. Focus on GE Capital and GECAS The third point highlights the rapidly deteriorating environment for aircraft leasing companies like GECAS. It's a great business to be in when the market is soaring and airlines need planes, but when the market turns sour the leasing companies can be severely exposed. In a recession, airline lease defaults will rise and customers are likely to start asking for relief from their leasing payment obligations. Meanwhile, the lack of demand for aircraft is likely to pressure used aircraft prices -- GECAS and others will find it hard to sell off unwanted aircraft. Take for example a GECAS competitor, Avolon. Avolon's management gave a business update at the start of April: "Avolon has received requests from more than 80% of its current owned and managed customer base for relief from payment obligations under their leases, these lessees account for more than 90% of annualised contracted rental cashflow of the current owned and managed fleet." Incidentally, Avolon also canceled orders for Boeing 737 MAX aircraft recently. Furthermore, a quick look at the share prices of the listed aircraft lessors shows how nervous the market is about them right now. Why GECAS matters Clearly the slump in air travel is going to hit GE's industrial FCF hard in 2020, but it's going to hit GE Capital as well. GECAS is the main profit generator at GE Capital and by far its most valuable business. GE Capital Profit 2019 2018 2017 GECAS $1 billion $1.2 billion $2.1 billion Energy Financial Services $0.1 billion $0.1 billion ($1.5 billion) Industrial Finance and Working Capital Solutions $0.2 billion $0.3 billion $0.5 billion Insurance ($0.6 billion) ($0.2 billion) ($7.2 billion) Other continuing operations ($1.3 billion) ($1.9 billion) ($0.7 billion) Total ($0.5 billion) ($0.5 billion) ($6.8 billion) Moreover, while the focus has been on reducing GE's industrial net debt, GE Capital had $59 billion worth of total debt at the end of 2019. In the investor outlook meeting in early March, management forecast that GE Capital would lose between $300 million and $500 million in 2020, with GECAS partially offsetting losses elsewhere by contributing between $900 million and $1 billion in profit. Unfortunately, that's not a realistic scenario anymore, so investors should brace themselves for significant losses at GE Capital. What it means to investors The risk is rising at GE, and not just in GE Aviation or the industrial businesses. GE Capital is also likely to face significant challenges in 2020. The commercial aviation market is likely to recover over time. However, there are probably many other, less risky, ways to play an aviation recovery than buying GE stock right now. Check out the companies making headlines before the bell: AutoNation AutoNation will return $77 million it received in forgivable loans from the Paycheck Protection Program. The car retailer said it had intended to use the funds entirely for payroll, but decided to return the money after the Small Business Administration issued new guidelines for the program. Boeing Boeing has pulled out of its deal to pay $4.2 billion for an 80% stake in the commercial jet business of Brazil's Embraer. Boeing said the two sides had failed to agree on final terms by a deadline, but Embraer accused Boeing of wrongfully terminating the deal. Deutsche Bank Deutsche Bank reported a preliminary first quarter profit, surprising analysts who had been predicting a loss for the German bank. Deutsche Bank did say it might miss its capital requirement targets, due to extending more credit in light of the coronavirus outbreak as well as a jump in loan defaults. Diamond Offshore Diamond Offshore filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, after saying demand for its drilling services had "dropped precipitously" amid the significant drop in oil demand. Diamond Offshore is 53% owned by Loews. Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Sanofi The drug makers shut down part of their study of the arthritis drug Kevzara as a Covid-19 treatment. The companies say the drug did not benefit hospitalized Covid-19 patients who were not on ventilators. The study, however, will continue for patients who do require a ventilator or other oxygen support. Caterpillar The heavy equipment maker's stock was downgraded to "underweight" from "equal-weight" at Morgan Stanley, which sees a risk from a possible multi-year downturn in non-residential construction, among other factors. Check Point Software The cybersecurity company reported adjusted quarterly earnings of $1.42 per share, 4 cents above estimates, with revenue also beating Wall Street forecasts. The company's results were boosted by increased demand for network security as more people work from home during the coronavirus outbreak. Tesla Tesla has asked dozens of workers to return to work at its Fremont, California, plant on Wednesday, according to internal memos seen by CNBC. That comes even though health orders related to the Covid-19 outbreak have not yet been changed or relaxed. Revlon Revlon has lined up an additional $100 million in financing to help it navigate financial difficulties prompted by the coronavirus outbreak. However, Reuters reports that Revlon's overall restructuring plan is running into objections from some of the cosmetics maker's lenders, with Revlon needing votes from holders of more than half of its outstanding debt to move forward. Hertz Global Hertz was downgraded to "underweight" from "equal weight" at Barclays, cutting the price target to $2 per share from $10. Barclays is concerned about a capital call by investors in the car rental company. Wayfair Wayfair was downgraded to "hold" from "buy" at Stifel Nicolaus, citing valuation for the online home goods seller's shares. Wayfair shares dipped as low as $21.70 on March 19, before surging and closing Friday at $122.41 per share. Armstrong World Industries The designer of commercial and residential wall and ceiling solutions missed estimates by 1 cent with adjusted quarterly earnings of $1.10 per share, with revenue slightly below forecasts as well. Armstrong is withdrawing 2020 financial guidance as the coronavirus pandemic slows demand, and said it is reducing spending, suspending hiring, and suspending its share repurchase program. Beyond Meat UBS downgraded the plant-based burger maker's stock to "sell" from "neutral", noting the stock's 142% jump from its March low and saying that the rebound does not price in the impact of the economic risks related to Covid-19. New Delhi: The National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) has recommended that part of 98.59 ha (hectares) reserve forest land that is a part of Dehing Patkai Elephant Reserve be used for opencast coal mining by North-Eastern Coal Field of Coal India Limited according to minutes of the 57th Meeting of the Standing Committee of National Board for Wildlife held on April 17 through video-conferencing. The rest of the area may be considered for underground coal mining, the body said. The proposal of locating the coal mine inside the reserve was considered during the 54th meeting of the board on July 18 last year when it was decided that a committee comprising noted elephant expert and member of NBWL, Professor R Sukumar, a representative of the wildlife division and the state chief wildlife warden of Assam would visit the site and submit a report to the ministry. The environment ministry was to also arrange a meeting with officials of Coal India Limited. R Sukumar submitted to NBWL that 57.02 ha of forest land has already been used for mining by Coal India Limited and that in the balance 41.39 ha of unbroken area a cautious approach needs to be adopted owing to the rich biodiversity according to the minutes. The NBWL meeting was chaired by environment minister, Prakash Javadekar. The so called unbroken area is on a steep hill slope that is part of the Dehing Patkai Elephant reserve adjoining forests in Arunachal Pradesh which includes Deomali Elephant Reserve with a sizeable population of elephants. The say the proposal for already broken up area is recommended for approval subject to submission of a rectified site specific mine reclamation plan in consultation with the Assam Forest Department and that for the unbroken area, the matter will be considered after Coal India Limited submits a feasibility report for underground mining. Coal India had broken up 57.2 ha years ago and mined it without any permission, in violation of laws. They have been directed to (pay) penalty for this and submit a mine reclamation plan. The plan they have submitted includes trees from central India which is not even the native biodiversity of Assam. So they have been asked to come back again with a proper plan, said Sukumar, ecologist at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc). The rest of the area bordering Arunachal Pradesh, it cannot be broken up. The standing committee has told them (CIL) that forests there cannot be opened up, he added over phone from Bangalore. A CIL spokesperson said he was not aware of the NBWL decision and needs time to get details on it. Elephant herds have strong fidelity to their range. They move around the same area for many years. Obviously such projects will affect their movement and demographics. I am not very aware of the landscape in this reserve but conflict is bound to increase if there are human dominated areas in the neighbourhood, said M Ananda Kumar, elephant biologist. Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden and the University of North Carolina in the USA have mapped out the cell types behind various brain disorders. The findings are published in Nature Genetics and offer a roadmap for the development of new therapies to target neurological and psychiatric disorders. One interesting finding was that cells from the gut's nervous system are involved in Parkinson's disease, indicating that the disease may start there. The nervous system is composed of hundreds of different cell types with very different functions. It is vital to understand which cell types are affected in each disorder so as to understand the causes of the disorders and, ultimately, develop new treatments. Researchers have now combined mice gene expression studies with human genetics to systematically map cell types underlying various brain disorders, including Parkinson's disease, a neurodegenerative disorder with cognitive and motor symptoms resulting from the loss of dopamine-producing cells in a specific region of the brain. "As expected, we found that dopaminergic neurons were associated with Parkinson's disease. More surprisingly, we found that enteric neurons also seem to play an important role in the disorder, supporting the hypothesis that Parkinson's disease starts in the gut," says one of the study's main authors Patrick Sullivan, Professor at the Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Karolinska Institutet and Yeargan Distinguished Professor at the University of North Carolina. When the researchers analysed differences in brain tissue from healthy individuals and people with Parkinson's disease at different stages of the disease, they made another unexpected discovery. A type of support cell in the brain called oligodendrocytes were found to be affected early on, suggesting that they play a key role in the early stages of the disease. "The fact that the animal studies pointed us to oligodendrocytes and that we were then able to show that these cells were also affected in patients suggests that the results may have clinical implications," says Jens Hjerling-Leffler, research group leader at the Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics at Karolinska Institutet and the other main author of the study. The oligodendrocytes appear to be affected even before the loss of dopaminergic neurons. "This makes them an attractive target for therapeutic interventions in Parkinson's disease," says Julien Bryois, researcher at the Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Karolinska Institutet and one of the first authors of the study. The study was financed by the Swedish Research Council, StratNeuro, the Wellcome Trust, the Swedish Brain Foundation, the Swiss National Science Foundation, the US National Institute of Mental Health, and the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium. Patrick Sullivan reports that he is currently a member of the pharmaceutical company Lundbeck's advisory committee and that he has received grants from them. For the past three years he has been a member of Pfizer's scientific advisory board and received fees from Element Genomics and Roche. Co-author Cynthia Bulik has received grants from Shire and is a member of their scientific advisory board. She is also an author and recipient of royalties from both Pearson and Walker. ### Publication: "Genetic identification of cell types underlying brain complex traits yields insights into the etiology of Parkinson's disease". Julien Bryois, Nathan G. Skene, Thomas Folkmann Hansen?, Lisette J. A. Kogelman, Hunna J. Watson, Zijing Liu, Eating Disorders Working Group of the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium, International Headache Genetics Consortium, 23andMe Research Team, Leo Brueggeman, Gerome Breen, Cynthia M. Bulik, Ernest Arenas, Jens Hjerling-Leffler, Patrick F. Sullivan. Nature Genetics, online 27 April 2020, doi: 10.1038/s41588-020-0610-9. In an effort to avoid an almost sure adverse ruling by the Supreme Court in New York Rifle & Pistol Association v. City of New York, the city changed the underlying law. It was an obvious and nakedly cynical attempt to have the case declared moot and dodge a likely expansion of gun rights in the United States. That gambit worked. In a ruling announced this morning, the Supreme Court, in a 6-3 decision, has declared the case moot. Here's the Associated Press's Mark Sherman's report: The Supreme Court sidestepped a major decision on gun rights Monday in a dispute over New York City's former ban on transporting guns. ..... As of August 26th, 2021 Yahoo India will no longer be publishing content. Your Yahoo Account Mail and Search experiences will not be affected in any way and will operate as usual. We thank you for your support and readership. For more information on Yahoo India, please visit the FAQ In early 2013, two salesmen from a Chinese company introduced themselves to Jim Kail at a telecommunications industry trade show. Kail, president and CEO of a small rural carrier in the US state of Pennsylvania, had never heard of their company. Kail met them again over the summer that year and built up a rapport. Less than a year later LHTC Broadband ditched its US equipment vendor and went with the Chinese company, Huawei Technologies, because it was offering equipment that could do the job at two thirds of the price. In fact, the rural carrier market has been one of the few areas of success in the US for Huawei, which has been shut out of the wider network equipment market due to Washingtons concerns about national security issues. It was worth the risk of rolling the dice because it obviously could help us save a lot of money, said Kail, who did due diligence on Huawei and found no proof that there was a security issue with its products questions which have been raised multiple times by Washington. But fast forward to today and LHTC, along with every other US rural carrier, will have to rip out Huawei gear and replace it with European or US suppliers or lose federal government financial support. On March 12, US President Donald Trump signed legislation to bar the countrys telecom carriers from using US subsidies to purchase network equipment from Huawei Technologies, ZTE Corp and other companies deemed a national security threat. The law also requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to establish a US$1 billion programme to assist small telcos with the costs of removing banned equipment and replacing it, although the US Rural Wireless Association has said up to US$2 billion may be needed. The White House and the FCC did not immediately respond to inquiries about the impact of Covid-19 on the US$1 billion programme or plans to increase it. Last month, US lawmakers passed an unprecedented US$2 trillion coronavirus relief bill and on Thursday the House approved a US$484 billion package aimed at helping small businesses. Story continues Regardless, it will not be seamless for the companies that have been ordered to remove Huawei gear. Steven Barry, who heads the Competitive Carriers Association, said at a congressional hearing last month that rural carriers were essentially attempting to rebuild the aeroplane in mid-flight by having to remove and replace network equipment. The FCC originally requested telcos to submit relevant data by April 22, but that deadline has been pushed back by a month due to the Covid-19 pandemic, according to Kail. Were not thrilled about replacing the Huawei equipment because it has been very reliable, and it will be a major diversion, said Kail. While we havent determined a time frame for the swap, we believe it may take up to one year, and, of course, it will depend on how much time were given to complete the rip and replace process. Last year another law was enacted that prohibited US government agencies from buying telecoms equipment from Chinese manufacturers, including Huawei. In both cases, Huawei launched legal action to oppose the moves, not to protect its market share which DellOro Group puts at less than 1 per cent, but over reputational concerns, according to analysts. If the company did not respond, it would acknowledge that there was something behind the US charges. It is acting like any company would do if its reputation was being challenged by say a competitor, said Paul Triolo, Eurasias Practice Head for Geo-technology In February, Huawei lost its lawsuit against the federal agencies ban which it had argued was unconstitutional with the judge ruling that the US Congress had the power to restrict federal agencies from doing business with Huawei. In disputing the original FCC ruling on banning federal funds from being used to subsidise Chinese telecoms gear, Karl Song, the former CEO of Huaweis US operations, said the regulator should not shut down joint efforts to connect rural communities in the US. Carriers across rural America, in small towns in Montana, Kentucky, and farms in Wyoming they choose to work with Huawei because they respect the quality and integrity of our equipment, said Song. Huawei mounted a legal challenge against the rural carriers ban in December, saying it was not lawful because the company was not given required due process protections after being labelled a national security threat. That case is still pending. Huaweis decision to focus on Americas rural carriers was a mirror of its early strategy in China, where foreign telecom equipment providers dominated in the big cities. In our early days of development, the Chinese market was 100 per cent dominated by Western companies. We could only make some simple products and serve in niche markets. That way we grew little by little, Huawei founder and CEO Ren Zhengfei told the South China Morning Post in an interview last month. Huawei has also had success in emerging international markets,including Africa, where it serves more than half the continent with 4G and has built a presence in 40 of the 54 countries since it first arrived in Kenya in 1998. Huaweis willingness to focus on smaller customers was what attracted Joe Franell, CEO of Eastern Oregon Telecom, which was the first US carrier to use Huaweis fibre-to-the-home platform. We visited Huaweis headquarters in Plano, Texas and walked away with a sense that they let us see anything we wanted to see, he said. They didnt seem to be secretive at all. Our tech teams looked at where you might find back doors and we found nothing. Security was never a concern. After Huawei gained a foothold in Eastern Oregon Telecom, it convinced the US telco to also use its switches and routers, swapping out gear from US supplier Cisco. I was a former military guy and I love my country and I wouldnt put in anything dangerous to the US, he added. Ren Zhengfei, chief executive officer and founder of Huawei Technologies. Photo: Kyodo While national security has been the focus of Washingtons push back against Huawei, the fact that it has undercut rivals by as much as 30 to 40 per cent to win business has also drawn scrutiny. In December a report published by The Wall Street Journal said the Chinese government promoted Huaweis global rise with as much as US$75 billion in grants, credit facilities, tax breaks and other financial assistance. According to the Journal, Chinese government assistance helped the Shenzhen-based company grow from a little-known vendor of phone switches to the worlds largest telecommunications equipment supplier, allowing it to offer generous financing terms and undercut rivals prices by some 30 per cent. In response, Huawei issued a statement saying its relationship with the Chinese government was no different from any other private company operating in China, including those from abroad. Huawei receives some policy support from the Chinese government, Song, who now serves as vice-president of corporate communications, said in the statement. But we have never received any additional or special treatment. Republican Senator Marco Rubio, a vocal critic of Huawei on national security grounds, has also called out what he sees as unfair competition because of the alleged subsidies. In the past, private companies have not always priced in the risks associated with Huawei equipment into their financial decision-making, he said in a statement. Huaweis artificially low prices were a strong factor before the security and supply chain costs were widely known. Now that companies understand the financial costs and security risks, their cost-benefit analyses of doing business with state-directed Chinese telecoms firms like Huawei are no longer so attractive. However, not everyone buys into this argument. I am not convinced that its true that their products are cheaper because the company receives government subsidies, said Franell. I think thats mostly because they are a one-stop shop. They design, make and sell directly to customers. Everyone else has a lot of middlemen. For example, I cant buy from Cisco directly, it has to be from a third-party distributor. Thats where Huaweis efficiency comes from. They were the total supply chain. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, left, meets with Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson on January 30, 2020. Pompeo was in London for talks about the UK's decision to allow Huawei to play a role in the country's 5G wireless network. Photo: AP In a December 2019 study commissioned by Huawei, Oxford Economics concluded that restricting a supplier of 5G infrastructure would increase 5G investment costs by between 8 per cent and 29 per cent over the next decade. In the US, this would translate to an average increase in investment costs of almost US$1 billion per year. Meanwhile, Huaweis attempts to sell its consumer smartphones in the US have also met resistance. In what would have been a landmark deal, in January 2018 the Chinese company had lined up US telco AT&T to distribute its smartphones in a deal that potentially would have given more than 100 million American subscribers the option of using a Huawei phone with their service plan. However, days before the announcement some US lawmakers found out and urged AT&T to cut its ties with Huawei. Under pressure, the US telco pulled out of the deal the day before the giant CES tech fair in Las Vegas opened. Later that month, Verizon also backed away from plans to sell Huawei smartphones, including the new Mate 10 Pro, reportedly under pressure from the US government. Huaweis ability to sell its phones on the international market has also been stymied by Washingtons decision in May 2019 to add the company to its Entity List, on national security concerns, restricting the Chinese companys ability to purchase hardware, software and services from American suppliers without approval from the US government. Blocked from the US market, Huawei has relied on Europe as its major international market for both network gear, including future 5G contracts, and its consumer products. It is the companys most lucrative market outside China today. In January Boris Johnsons UK government defied pressure from Washington and decided to give Huawei a limited role in the countrys 5G roll out, while capping its market share and restricting it from more sensitive parts of the network. However, Chinas handling of the coronavirus pandemic has triggered calls from prominent members of Johnsons Conservative Party for a rethink of the UKs push for closer ties to China, including its Huawei 5G decision. The UKs decision to limit Huaweis share of broadband infrastructure already led BT Group to predict a 500 million (US$650 million) hit to its finances, Bloomberg reported on February 17. Meanwhile, the US bans and possible push back in Europe are good news for Huaweis rivals. European vendors including Ericsson and Nokia, along with Asian vendors Samsung and potentially some Japanese companies offering virtual radio access networks (RAN) will benefit from the US efforts to remove Chinese equipment from rural networks, said Eurasias Triolo. This is a very small market though compared to the nationwide 5G networks of major US carriers. These alternative vendors are certainly competitive in terms of the quality of equipment and also potentially on cost new equipment is likely to be more expensive than Huawei and ZTE, which are able to offer lower costs in some cases as a result of government support and economies of scale in a large domestic market, he said. The pressure from the US is starting to take a toll on Huawei. We have had to spend a lot of our time explaining [the situation] to our customers, partners and also government regulators, rotating chairman Eric Xu said when he announced Huaweis 2019 results, who was nevertheless optimistic, adding that business remains solid. For some, the aggressive US action has left them resigned to acceptance, but nonetheless frustrated. At this point, it is a foregone conclusion, said Franell, who has until May 22 to submit relevant data to the FCC to comply with the new law. The only question now for me is what kind of reimbursement the government can come up with to help us rip and replace Huaweis equipment. Sign up now and get a 10% discount (original price US$400) off the China AI Report 2020 by SCMP Research. Learn about the AI ambitions of Alibaba, Baidu & JD.com through our in-depth case studies, and explore new applications of AI across industries. The report also includes exclusive access to webinars to interact with C-level executives from leading China AI companies (via live Q&A sessions). Offer valid until 31 May 2020. More from South China Morning Post: This article US telcos resigned to Huawei rip-and-replace law but want clarity on Washingtons reimbursement programme first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2020. New Delhi, April 27 : : The National Students Union of India (NSUI) has requested an Uttar Pradesh Greater Noida-based university to postpone online end-term examinations after students complained of inconvenience amidst the nationwide lockdown. "Private institutions like Galgotia [University] should stop thinking about their personal profits amidst Covid-19. There are a lot of students who do not have laptops, or some are not carrying their laptops to their native places, in such a situation how will they be able to be a part of this online examination?" the NSUI asked the university in a statement. It added, "It is high time that Galgotias get over this selfish motive of taking fees and forgetting about the future of the students. We demand Galgotias to postpone the examination dates until this lockdown period gets over and we see a normal situation." The organization also pulled up the university for thinking about its own personal motives and not about the life of the students. The NSUI issued the statement after students of Galgotia University spoke to its office-bearers citing concerns over lack of connectivity and unavailability of laptops to give exams. In a plea, one student wrote, "Galgotia University is organizing online end term semester exams through laptops. We did not carry our laptops to our native place. Help us as we all know all the other colleges and universities are postponing their exams or extending them, they will conduct after lockdown." Nothing grinds my gears more these days than those motivational quotes or article headlines emphasizing the need to be productive and creative during the COVID-19 pandemic. Whether its motivational quotes making their rounds on social media such as If you dont come out of this with a new skill, you never lacked time, you lacked discipline, or an article published in the Halifax Chronicle Herald listing the splendid achievements of several Canadians during this time including completing manuscripts, writing novels, or making creative curriculum for their children. Quite honestly, the narrative of the pandemic leading to a creative blossoming, or the pressure to use our new-found time for productive pursuits could not be more ill-timed and out-of-place. Globally, we are going through a period of unprecedented collective trauma. Whether we are dealing with a loss of livelihood, anxiety over the health of loved ones, or simply trying to come to terms with a new way of life our nervous systems are shot. Many are trying to deal with their re-emerging mental health difficulties or struggling to keep their addictions at bay. Those who still have jobs are not simply working from home, but, as a viral tweet aptly states, You are not working from home; you are at your home during a crisis trying to work. And then we have the residents of Nova Scotia. Our province is one of the hardest hit by the economic collapse ushered in by the coronavirus crises, seeing as though 80 per cent of Nova Scotias residents work in service jobs. Not to mention, pre-corona times our densely populated province saw the closure of Northern Pulp, Nova Scotias biggest pulp mill not a great starting point for an economic collapse. Of course, if we thought we had seen the worst, last weeks events proved us oh-so wrong. The massacre over last weekend saw a usually peaceful and quiet community rocked to its core, leaving us all in a state of shock and horror as we try to come to terms with an act so inexplicably evil. Attempting to grieve together as a community, during a global pandemic when social distancing is mandatory, is a confusing and painful contradiction. So, to all those motivational speakers who are attempting to guilt trip us into using this time as productively as possible zip it. We do not need articles listing the admirable achievements of those who find that the outside distractions fall away or having uninterrupted time to focus. While I am happy for those who manage this impossible feat, this message is not only unhealthy, but could be detrimental to a community that simply needs to be given the green light to grieve. We are not meant to be productive, we are meant to be trying our best to cope. For the majority of us, these times are not uninterrupted spaces of peace, they are anxiety riddled, economically challenging, and sometimes purely traumatic. The consequences of this pandemic weighs down on all of us and the horror of the senseless massacre adds drastically to our burden. If you are able to produce art, write your novel, or stick to home workouts, thats fabulous. But lets not build up expectations and lets certainly not lay guilt trips on those who are dealing with layers of trauma that we have never experienced before. We, as residents of Nova Scotia, should have one thing on our mind. And it is certainly not productivity, creativity, or achieving our goals it is self-compassion. Erica Wensley is a Nova Scotian struggling to make sense of this difficult period. Read more about: A man from Oregon devised a cunning plan to make the most of Wendy's offering free chicken nuggets nationwide, by visiting 11 different drive-thrus in one day. After experiencing 'tough times' the Twitter user, by the name of Skweezy Jibbs, set out on a mission to travel 17 miles across two states collecting four-piece chicken nugget snacks as Wendy's offered them free on Friday. Skweezy Jibbs wrote: 'Times are tough so when I heard Wendy's was giving out free four piece nuggets today I knew I had to HUSTLE. After experiencing 'tough times' the Twitter user, by the name of Skweezy Jibbs, set out on a mission to travel 17 miles across two states collecting four-piece chicken nuggets for free 'I hit every damn Wendy's twice within 17 miles across 2 states. It took 5 hours but now we are eating free for a week WHAT IT DOOOOOO.' The thrifty planner mapped a route around various Wendy's in the greater Portland and Vancouver area, bypassing the 'one per person' rule on the promotion. Collecting a total of 88 nuggets Mr Jibbs said he now didn't need to buy any food for a week. Skweezy Jibbs wrote: 'Times are tough so when I heard Wendy's was giving out free four piece nuggets today I knew I had to HUSTLE' Wendy's tweeted in reply: 'Thats just straight up impressive ngl (not going to lie).' The tweet gained the attention of thousands including Wendy's fast food chain itself, who praised Mr Jibbs for the 'impressive' swindle. Wendy's tweeted in reply: 'Thats just straight up impressive ngl (not going to lie).' Others were less than impressed as they claimed Mr Jibbs would have spent more money on fuel than it would have cost to buy the nuggets. The thrifty planner mapped a route around various Wendy's in the greater Portland and Vancouver area, bypassing the 'one per person' rule on the promotion Mr Jibbs mission began last week when Wendy's put out a good spirited tweet offering free nuggets on Friday April 24 Twitter user Richard Donahue said: 'It costs at least .50 per mile to operate a vehicle, so this cost over $30 for the free nuggets...' However others noted that the price of gas was down, with Mr Jibbs hitting back: 'The gas was already in the tank, I didn't pay a dime'. Mr Jibbs mission began last week when Wendy's put out a good spirited tweet offering free nuggets on Friday April 24: 'Not gonna lie, all this love yall are showing has inspired us. We wish we could give you a hug, but insteadhow about a nug? 'This Friday, well be giving out free 4pc spicy and crispy nugs at every Wendys drive-thru. No purchase necessary, not a single string attached.' OTTAWADespite a surge in demand due to COVID-19, many distress centres across Canada are dangerously close to folding thanks to major declines in both volunteers and revenue. Stephanie MacKendrick, CEO of Crisis Services Canada, which runs the only national suicide-specific helpline in Canada, says her organization relies on a network of approximately 100 community distress centres across the country to field calls from people. Those centres, which also respond to requests from people looking for other crisis and mental health services or information, have seen 30 to 50 per cent more crisis calls since the pandemic started, which MacKendrick described as a huge increase. COVID-19 is clearly driving much of the demand. According to information compiled by Crisis Services Canada, about 26 per cent of calls and text messages to the national suicide prevention service were related to COVID-19 since March 26. The severity of these interactions has also increased. If someone reaches out for help and is determined to be at imminent risk of harm, the person taking the call contacts emergency services. These are called active rescues. Although these calls form a relatively small percentage of interactions, there were 62 per cent more active rescues this month than compared to the same month last year. Between January and April of this year, there has been an increase of 34 per cent. Were looking into pinpointing exactly why that is, but I think given that people are being cautioned about going to emergency rooms or calling in emergency services, a probable cause is people are not reaching out until its a crisis, she said. Yet even as they face more demand, distress centres across Canada have seen a dramatic decline in volunteers, which are vital to the operations of these centres. Some are reporting a loss of up to 90 per cent of their volunteers. While centres have started turning to paid staff to make up the difference, their cash flows have also been hit hard as their main sources of revenue training and workshops have dried up overnight due to the pandemic. MacKendrick calls this the perfect storm for these centres and for the entire system charged with helping Canadians in crisis. She likened the situation to the concerns now being expressed about long-term care centres, where COVID-19 outbreaks are laying bare a fragile, underfunded and under-resourced system that has led to hundreds of deaths across the country. As a result, Crisis Services Canada has issued an urgent request to Ottawa asking for $15 million in emergency funding to ensure distress centres dont have to close their doors. In the pandemic we have discovered very quickly how important (distress centres) are and I think the realization has hit of how vulnerable that sector is, MacKendrick said. By intervening and having someone to talk to, it keeps people out of emergency rooms, it reduces the calls to 911 to bring in emergency services, and in a pandemic, thats especially important. Elizabeth Newcombe is executive director of the Vancouver Island Crisis Society and also part of the Crisis Line Association of B.C., which represents 14 distress centres in British Columbia. She says her centre doesnt rely on volunteers as much as other centres. Even so, additional expenses for new paid staff, training and setting up employees to work remotely has hiked her expenses by $20,000 a month. Other distress centres are having to pour out that money to get staff to take the calls because volunteers are not coming in, so thats that perfect storm increased call volume, less staff to take the calls, Newcombe said. Were doing it, were getting those people in place, but without money, some of these distress centres will not be able to continue, they wont have the budgets. Their services will shut down. Mara Grunau, executive director of the Centre for Suicide Prevention in Alberta, says research on the impacts of economic downturns show that suicide rates often go down at the outset of a crisis. But as time goes on, the cumulative effects lead to spikes 12 to 18 months later. Were nervous, were definitely nervous, Grunau said. Its wonderful that the government has come out with all kinds of programs to help people with their physical needs. ... But once peoples food and shelter have been taken care of, I think were going to see a giant emergence in peoples mental health needs. And I think what the distress centres and crisis lines are seeing is its already starting, its already emerging. Thats why those who work in suicide prevention are doubly concerned about the duress being faced by the system. The sector has always quietly made do, operating on shoestring budgets under a patchwork of funding models some are non-profit, some rely on donors with some provincial help but with no national voice to help them raise the alarm, MacKendrick said. Its a disaster waiting to happen. People need someone on the line when they call. If you are in crisis, visit the Canada Suicide Prevention Service, or call them at 1-833-456-4566. CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Federal prosecutors on Monday said they would appeal a federal judge's decision to order the Bureau of Prisons to release or transfer hundreds of inmates at an Ohio federal lock-up where an outbreak of the novel coronavirus killed several inmates. Cleveland-based Assistant U.S. Attorney James Bennett filed a motion asking the Sixth Circuit in Cincinnati to review U.S. District Judge James Gwins Wednesday granting of the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio for a temporary injunction seeking the release of prisoners from the Federal Correctional Institution Elkton. The BOP announced on Sunday that a seventh inmate at the facility, identified as 55-year-old Richard Nesby, had died due to complications related to the COVID-19 virus. The filing came just before a scheduled 10:30 a.m. teleconference hearing in which Bennett told Gwin he would also on Monday ask Gwin to put his order on hold. BOP identified more than 800 prisoners who would fall under Gwin's order for the prison to either release or relocate prisoners who are 65 years old and older and those who have certain pre-existing conditions that put them at risk of serious illness associated with the virus. Gwin gave the government two weeks to determine which prisoners it can release on parole, furlough, compassionate release or home confinement. The government also has the option to move the inmates to other prisons "where appropriate measures, such as testing and single-cell placement, or social distancing, may be accomplished." Bennett last week requested Gwin's permission to file the list of prisoners under seal. He argued in Monday's hearing that publicly naming those prisoners would divulge their personal and private medical information. Gwin rejected the motion and ordered the government to make public a list that includes the name and prison identification number of each prisoner, and the underlying court and case number for each one. Gwin separately ordered the bureau to give the plaintiffs' lawyers a list of the specific medical conditions that it included in its search criteria. The low-security, 2,400-capacity prison at Elkton, which is about 100 miles southeast of Cleveland in Columbiana County, is home to one of the worst coronavirus outbreaks of any federal facility in the country. It became a prominent example of how fast the virus can spread in prisons, where inmates often live close together and may not have access to adequate healthcare. In addition to seven deaths, 52 prisoners have confirmed cases of the virus as of Wednesday, along with 48 staff members. The ACLU sued after the coronavirus spread among prisoners and staff. It said staff members didn't take proper precautions to protect the inmates and prisons violated the constitutional rights of the inmates. Attorneys for the prisons bureau had urged the judge not to release any inmates, saying the staff was taking the proper precautions to isolate those with the virus, conduct health screenings and identify suitable candidates for home confinement. Gwin, however, wrote that staff wasn't doing enough and believed the prison bureau's number constitutes an undercounting of the actual number of cases at Elkton. Read more stories Federal judge orders Elkton prison officials to clear out vulnerable inmates because of coronavirus Judge grills federal prisons lawyer on lack of coronavirus tests at Ohio facility in wake of Trump's claim that 'anybody' can get tested BOP says sixth inmate dies of coronavirus at Elkton federal prison in Ohio Groups seek release of hundreds of inmates from Ohio federal prison where 3 inmates died from coronavirus Ohio National Guard will assist with coronavirus response at Elkton federal prison What is it like to oversee and ensure the burial and cremation of those dead from Covid-19? Pune Municipal Corporations (PMC) Assistant medical officer, Dr. Kalpana Baliwant, knows. It is what she has been doing in these unprecedented times in a city besieged by the pandemic. As of April 24, 68 patients have died of Covid-19 in Pune district. It was very difficult for me in the initial stages when the relatives would not come forward to take charge of the dead body. Even the civic staff was fearful and had refused to perform the final rites, she said. In the case of Muslim families, there were challenges with regards to the burial of the dead patients as the families were either unwilling to come forward or were themselves under quarantine. An MD by qualification, Dr Baliwant earned her MBBS degree from Mumbai and her post-graduate degree from Punes BJ Medical College. She has been working with the PMC for the past 27 years and heads the Births and Deaths registration department. In the case of Muslim patients, the PMC successfully tied up with two Muslim organisations, whose volunteers came forward and helped the municipal corporation in performing the final rites. Used to regular office hours in the municipal corporation, once the Covid-19 deaths started, Baliwant was on duty round the clock. After office hours, her bedroom became her control room. I had to personally coordinate with the ambulance, the staff at the crematorium, and the doctors and ensure that the burial or cremation happened properly. Even the civic staff at the crematorium was reluctant to handle the dead bodies, but eventually they overcame their fears, said Dr Baliwant. Pune has 33 crematoriums. Of these, 17 fall in the areas which are designated hot spots of the disease. It was therefore decided to do the final rites in the periphery areas and six crematoriums were identified for this. The crematoriums were linked to specific hospitals for better coordination. However, in some cases, relatives had their own preferences and the civic staff had to deal with them firmly, if necessary. We increased the staff at the crematoriums, which helped us to streamline the process and ensure that the protocol was followed, she said. As the head of the Births and Deaths registration department in the civic body, Dr. Baliwant has also been responsible for supervising the final rites of orphans and those of unclaimed or unidentified dead bodies. To assist citizens who needed the death certificate urgently, she introduced an online facility so that visits to the PMC were not required and the certificates could be emailed. Dr. Baliwants husband is also a doctor and is employed with the Pune Cantonment Board where he has been treating Covid -19 positive cases. In fact, he has direct contact with positive patients and has to take far greater precaution than me, she said. While their elder son is in the US, the younger one is at home and both Dr Baliwant and her husband are deeply concerned about his safety. We take adequate precautions while on duty by wearing masks, hand gloves and using sanitiser. Since my husband is treating Covid-19 patients, he is required to use personal protective equipment (PPE), she said. Positive and optimistic about the future, she said, Its a challenging situation for all of us and we will definitely overcome it. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Nopriyanto Hady Suhanda and Dwinanda Ardhi Swasono (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, April 27, 2020 15:42 625 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd47c04b 3 Opinion #COVID19,#coronavirus,COVID-19,coronavirus,finance,economy Free Earlier this month, the Indonesian government issued a series of three sovereign US dollar-denominated bonds totaling US$4.3 billion. The three bonds are the RI1030, worth $1.65 billion with a tenor of 10.5 years, the 30.5-year RI1030 worth $1.65 billion, and the 50-year RI0470 worth $1 billion. The last has the longest tenor among dollar-denominated bonds issued in Asia. Indonesia is also the first country in the region to issue global bonds as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The issuance of the "pandemic bond" series is one of the most visionary measures stipulated in regulation in Regulation in lieu of Law (Perppu) No. 1/2020 on state finance and financial system stability, in addition to the fiscal stimulus deployment, the budget deficit cap adjustment to above 3 percent, and the budget refocusing and reallocation agenda. Extraordinary circumstances require extraordinary measures, as Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati told a press conference a couple of weeks ago, along with several other ministers: the government is dealing with a pandemic and a funding crisis at the same time. Looking for additional financing sources through a bond issuance amid the COVID-19 pandemic should also be viewed as an attempt to assess one alternative among the other policies on the table. The World Bank is also considering the pandemic bond as one of its financing policy options. Issuing global bonds to support a country's economy during a pandemic is nothing new. In 2017, the World Bank launched pandemic bonds to provide financial support to the Pandemic Emergency Financing Facility (PEF), a facility it created to channel "surge funding" for developing countries to fight the risk of infectious diseases. The World Banks 2017 issuance of pandemic bonds was considered a success, with subscriptions of over 200 percent indicating the positive response among investors. Does the issuance of the latest global bonds, however, mean that Indonesians should panic? The answer is no. The amount of the global bonds seems huge and the tenors are quite long, but public debt management in Indonesia has improved a lot since 1998. Indonesia has succeeded in keeping the budget deficit below the threshold of 3 percent for many years. Also, the debt-to-GDP ratio has remained below or around a mere 30 percent in 2010-2019. This is far below the 60 percent limit as stipulated in Law No. 17/2003 on state finances. With the unexpected additional debt and the bond issuance amid pandemic, the government needs to deliver a clear message to the public that it remains extremely prudent in managing public debt. At least seven ASEAN countries have higher debt-to-GDP ratios than Indonesia, while Indonesias debt-to-GDP ratio is also low among the other G20 members. Communicating debt policy in Indonesia is very challenging, however. First, public debt has always been used as a political issue. Second, some members of the public still believe strongly that adding more debt, regardless of their amount, instruments or policy context and urgency, will somehow bring the country back to its state during the 1998 economic crisis. The Indonesian government needs to clarify this assumption and educate more people on this issue, so the 1998 crisis can be viewed as a lesson learned rather than a historical policy burden. One way to reduce asymmetric information on the governments policy is to analyze response post-launch. The sales of Indonesias global bonds so far show that the market is still confident in Indonesias economic management The government needs to convince the public that the issuance of global bonds during the pandemic is a rational decision, because the bonds were issued when the investment ratings were good. The Japan Credit Rating Agency has given Indonesia BBB+ credit rating, while major rating agencies like S&P, Moodys, and Fitch have also rated Indonesias sovereign credit as investment grade. Many researchers predict that more countries will rule out unconventional policies during the pandemic. Perppu No. 1/2020 offers flexibility for Bank Indonesia (BI) to purchase the recently issued global bonds from the government. The Perppu is an example of a policy breakthrough that the government of Indonesia has undertaken by utilizing fiscal and monetary policies in addition to issuing the 50-year bond. In terms of extraordinary measures, the US central bank also instituted similar coordination in 2008, when the Fed purchased trillions of dollars in bonds during and after the recession in a bid to stimulate the economy. On the more extreme and unorthodox end of the spectrum, a government can take the so-called helicopter money policy option. Helicopter money or "helicopter drop" is an expansionary policy that derives from the image of hundreds of dollar bills cascading out of helicopters and falling to the ground. The core of this policy is the monetization of government spending, which means the central bank printing new money. Some countries are analyzing helicopter money as a policy option during the pandemic, as this unconventional policy can provide funds from the central bank to ease the burden on the economy until the health crisis passes. This can be done by, for example, providing direct transfers to the public or liquidity assistance to businesses and the financial sector to avoid massive credit crunches and bankruptcies, let alone an economic recession. The COVID-19 pandemic has hit more than 200 countries, many of which are now looking for additional financing to manage it. Debt is just one option. Issuing global bonds is not the only policy option on the table for the Indonesian government, but we still need it as a counter-cyclical fiscal policy and preventive measure to mitigate the negative externalities caused by COVID-19. If the government does not take extraordinary measures under these circumstances, many aspects would suffer much greater impacts. *** Nopriyanto Hady Suhanda works for the Center for Regional and Bilateral Policy, Fiscal Policy Agency, Indonesian Ministry of Finance. Dwinanda Ardhi Swasono has a master in international development policy from the Duke University Sanford School of Public Policy. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post. Her museum is home to Nighthawks, which OverstockArt.com recently depicted with the label: Hopper, the master of social distancing, to illustrate a blog post about the artists work. An iconic image of the 20th century, it sprang from another period of widespread anxiety; Hopper began painting it just days after the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941. In it, four people appear in a fluorescent-lit diner on an otherwise dark street corner. One patrons back is turned to the viewer, while the other two, a man and woman, sit side-by-side at the counter; a single worker is behind the bar. Whereas 21st-century pandemic shut-ins see a reflection of themselves, Oehler says Hopper saw something else. The great story that he would tell was that this was about imagining what it would be like in a blacked-out city to come across this brightly lit diner with people in it, she says. Vinod Khanna Death Anniversary: When The Actor Paid Back A Bollywood Project For Leaving It Incomplete To Join Osho Kanpur, April 27 : A woman journalist has tested positive for Coronavirus in Kanpur. The journalist, a resident of Madni Nagar in Ganga Ghat area near the Unnao-Kanpur border, has been admitted to a dedicated COVID hospital in Kanpur on Sunday night. Three members of the family of the journalist have also been taken to Kanpur, kept in quarantine and their samples were taken for test. According to sources, the woman journalist had gone to the Kanpur medical college for test five days ago after she complained of high fever and the doctors gave her medicines for flu. Later her samples were taken on Friday and the report showed her positive for Coronavirus on Sunday night. A health official said that her condition was stable and she was undergoing treatment. KYODO NEWS - Apr 27, 2020 - 18:32 | World, All North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has sent "thanks" to officials and workers for their roles in developing the Wonsan-Kalma coastal tourist area, state-run media reported Monday, amid continued speculation that he is in poor health. But the Korean Central News Agency did not elaborate on when that happened. Unless Kim, who has been absent from official media in over two weeks, actually makes an appearance, doubts about his health are unlikely to be dispelled, North Korea watchers say. On Sunday, meanwhile, Moon Chung In, the top foreign policy adviser to South Korean President Moon Jae In, told U.S. media that Kim is well and has been staying since April 13 in the eastern port city of Wonsan, where his villa is situated. Over the weekend, the U.S.-based website 38 North, which monitors North Korea, also said satellite imagery showed that a train probably belonging to Kim was spotted in Wonsan at least on Tuesday and Thursday. Kim's movements have not been reported in the country's state-run media since April 12, when KCNA said he had presided over a meeting of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea, held the day before. Last week, CNN said the United States was monitoring intelligence that Kim was in grave danger after surgery, but Seoul claims that no unusual signs have been detected in Pyongyang and U.S. President Donald Trump has said he thinks "the report was incorrect." On Saturday, Reuters reported China has sent medical experts to North Korea, citing three sources familiar with the situation, while the news agency said it was unable to determine what the dispatch of them indicated about the status of Kim's health. In Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told reporters on Monday that there is no information China can provide. In 2014, Kim was absent from public view for around 40 days, leading foreign affairs experts to believe that he was suffering health problems. Lebanese are protesting amid measures taken to combat the coronavirus in the country, taking aim at the government and the tanking economy during the countrys lockdown. Demonstrations took place Monday in several cities in protest of the local currencys crash and a massive increase in food prices. Protesters blocked some roads, thus hindering the efforts of medical teams to conduct coronavirus tests in the country. Lebanese security forces forcibly removed some protesters as a result. Over the weekend, some banks were attacked in protest against limits imposed on peoples accounts during the crisis, according to The Associated Press. Anti-government protests began in Lebanon in October against sectarianism, corruption and poor economic conditions. The protests largely stopped in March as the government imposed a curfew to stop the coronavirus spread. Since then, the Lebanese pounds value vis-a-vis the US dollar has continued to plummet. Some Lebanese began protesting again last week from their cars as the Lebanese parliament reconvened for the first time in a month. The protests happening now are largely focused on hunger. In one widely viewed video, a protester shouts, Im hungry in Arabic at a security forces member, who then replies, Im hungrier than you. These latest protests come as the government eases the COVID-19 lockdown. Some businesses reopened Monday and the nighttime curfew has been shortened, AP reported. Most Lebanese people require financial assistance to live, according to a report this month from Human Rights Watch. The report noted desperate incidents of a father killing himself when he did not even have $1 to give his daughter for food, a man setting himself on fire in protest of the economic situation, and a construction worker offering to sell a kidney to make ends meet. Lebanon has been praised for its response to the virus itself, and the country currently has only around 700 confirmed cases. There have been fears the virus could spread widely in the countrys refugee community of more than 1 million recently, however, after some Palestinian refugees tested positive for the coronavirus last week. Since the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic hit U.S. shores, TV and film productions went the way of dine-in eating at your favorite restaurant (i.e., they ceased operations). If you read about production shutdown of Blue Bloods and other hit series, that was the reason behind work stoppages. Still, in the case of Blue Bloods, the show had already filmed enough episodes to bring viewers new installments between the inevitable reruns. The same went for premium cable series like Showtimes Billions and Black Monday. Since both Showtime series already had multiple Black Monday and Billions episodes in the can, fans of these show will get abbreviated seasons before an interruption. However, for other popular prestige TV series, fans wont be so lucky. Succession, HBOs critically acclaimed drama starring Brian Cox and Jeremy Strong, also had its shooting schedule postponed indefinitely due to the coronavirus outbreak. But in Successions case there were no completed episodes for HBO to air. Succession shut down just before season 3 shooting would have begun Brian Cox as Logan Roy and Jeremy Strong as Kendall Roy in Succession Season 2 | Zach Dilgard/HBO When HBO announced the expected delays in the release of Successions third season, the network noted that the show (as well as the excellent Barry) had been in pre-production when the shutdowns began. In a Hollywood Reporter item about the casts pay raises for season 3, the outlet noted that filming for Succession was set to begin in April. Obviously, that didnt happen, and it ensures that there wont be any episodes coming to HBO anytime soon. At an April BAFTA event, Matthew Macfayden (Tom Wambsgans on Succession) described the strange hiatus people in show business are experiencing. As far as work goes, were all in the same boat, Macfayden said, via Express. We wait and see what happens. Macfayden also noted how he was due to start work on Succession prior to production halting. According to HBO, writers on network shows would continue working on scripts whenever possible. But shooting is out of the question for now. Fans without HBO can check on free episodes of Succession Matthew Macfayden as Tom Wambsgans and Nicholas Braun as Cousin Greg on Succession | Graeme Hunter/HBO With Veep and Game of Thrones concluding last year, HBO had to thank its lucky stars to have excellent series along the lines of Succession and Bill Haders Barry still in its stable. Production delays or not, both shows will return to the network. For those without HBO subscriptions, the network offered up free streaming of both series (along with classics such as The Sopranos and The Wire) at the start of April. So if you havent caught Succession yet or want to refresh your memory about seasons 1-2 you can do so for nothing. Thats about all Succession fans can do these days. While the coronavirus health crisis may be improving, we remain far away from film production resuming. So dont expect to see the show return until late 2020 or 2021 at the earliest. In the meantime, if you need your fix of amoral New York-based elites, Billions Season 5 commences May 3. They may not be the Roys, but theyll have to do for now. Also see: Billions: Who Will Good Wife Star Julianna Margulies Play in Season 5? With more than 1,000 new cases of the coronavirus each day, Gov. Andrew Cuomo is likely extending New Yorks stay-at-home order in most areas of the state until the end of May the latest sign that downstate will largely remain on lockdown. The governor said he will take a gradual approach when it comes to easing restrictions downstate. Know what you are doing before you do it, he told reporters Monday. We have said there is no light switch when you flip a switch and everybody goes back to doing what theyre doing. Cuomo has emphasized the dangers of a second wave of infections and public opinion remains firmly in favor of his job performance and the social distancing restrictions he has imposed despite the formidable damage to the states economy. Considering the population density, economic connections to neighboring states and ongoing challenges with increasing the states testing capacity, the gradual reopening of the downstate economy could stretch into the summer. Were going to turn the valve on reopening, Cuomo told reporters Monday. Then you watch the dials. These include the hospitalization rate, the infection rate, antibody testing that shows who has had the virus, and diagnostic testing that shows how many people have recently been infected. A turn for the worst on any of these measures could slow the pace of reopening or even compel Cuomo to reverse those actions. Current plans for reopening the state economy would allow some economic activity to resume in some areas of upstate as soon as May 15. A two-week waiting period would follow before the state begins allowing additional businesses to reopen on a case-by-case basis, but that will be much more complicated in the New York City area compared to the rest of the state, according to Cuomo. It remains unclear just how long the first phase of the reopening could last the governor appeared to be leaving himself some flexibility but even if the second phase began sometime in early to mid-June, individual businesses would still have to make their case to the state that they are essential enough to reopen and could open without endangering their employees and customers. Cuomo has said that discussions are ongoing with local leaders on the specific requirements that would apply to different regions of the state. One caveat is, you cant do anything in any region that would increase the number of visitors to that region, he said Sunday. New York is also part of a seven-state alliance that is coordinating a regional approach to reopening. You wont be in lockstep, Cuomo told reporters on Sunday. But before we do anything, I want to make sure we know what were doing, because youll see people react to different activity levels in different communities. As things currently stand, the worst of the pandemic appears to have come and gone. While recent reporting has questioned the governors handling of the crisis, the public has continued to give him high marks. Nearly two-thirds of registered voters said the state is heading in the right direction, and even a majority of Republicans now have a favorable view of the governor, according to a Siena College poll released on Monday. The poll also showed that even if large events were to happen during the summer, 69% of New Yorkers would be unlikely to attend. Since the first days of the pandemic, Cuomo has appeared to place a good deal of emphasis on keeping public opinion on his side. He has projected an image as a can-do leader at times, while also serving as a comforter-in-chief at times. If the governor were to lift social distancing restrictions too quickly, thousands more people could die. It would likely squander the governors newfound popularity and political capital as he aims to reshape the Empire State after the pandemic subsides. If you are not smart, you will see that infection rate go right back to where it was, Cuomo said Monday. With hundreds of people dying in the state per day, there is reason to believe that the governor would lean toward later rather than sooner when it comes to lifting social distancing restrictions to the point where millions of downstate residents could return to any semblance of normalcy. The medical cannabis market in Germany is growing rapidly: It is expected that one million patients will be treated with medical cannabis in 2024**. Based on past developments, the sales volume for dronabinol will continue to multiply over the coming years. Demand for dronabinol in the European market has so far been met by just one manufacturer. Cantourage breaks this monopoly of Canopy Growth and strengthens the supply situation in times of Corona. The founding team of the new dronabinol supplier includes pioneers of the German medical cannabis market: Pedanios founders Dr. Florian Holzapfel and Patrick Hoffmann. Dronabinol API Cantourage as drops or capsules for many indications The active ingredient 'Dronabinol API Cantourage' is available for pharmacies to order directly from Cantourage and via wholesalers. Pharmacies process it mainly into either drops or capsules for patients according to the DAC monograph and dronabinol is therefore easier and more targeted to dose than cannabis flowers. Dronabinol exclusively from Israel by BOL Pharma Dronabinol API Cantourage is produced by BOL Pharma exclusively for Cantourage on a contract basis. BOL Pharma is by far the largest producer of medical cannabis in Israel and a strategic partner of Cantourage. The dronabinol produced for Cantourage is the first commercial export to the EU from Israel, which is considered a pioneer in medical cannabis, which has been approved for medical purposes since 1992. Up to now, medical cannabis in Germany came exclusively from Germany, Canada, the Netherlands and Portugal. Tamir Gedo, CEO of BOL Pharma, is excited about entering the European market with Cantourage: "We are the market leader in Israel. The European market entry is the next logical step in our internationalization strategy. With Cantourage, we have found the ideal partner because we have known each other for several years and we are convinced by the team and its know-how." First Pedanios, then Aurora, now Cantourage: the founding story and a think tank for cannabis companies outside of Europe Dr. Florian Holzapfel and Patrick Hoffmann founded Pedanios in 2015, the first company in Germany to specialize in the distribution of medical cannabis. Within less than a year, Pedanios covered 80 percent of the entire market for medical cannabis flowers. In 2017, they sold Pedanios to the listed Canadian company Aurora Cannabis. Now, they are continuing to shape the medical cannabis market in Europe with Cantourage. Dr. Florian Holzapfel sees the company as a think tank for cannabis: "Breaking the dronabinol monopoly is our first step towards creating added value for patients, pharmacists and health insurance companies." Norman Ruchholtz, CEO of Cantourage adds: "In addition, we offer a new service for companies outside of Europe to enter the European market with their products in a fast line process. We believe that this is especially important in times of Corona, when normal processes might be delayed." Together with suppliers, pharmacists and doctors, Cantourage sees itself as a community that pursues the well-being of patients with the help of medical cannabis. *(Source: https://www.bloomberg.com/press-releases/2019-05-02/dgap-news-bionorica-se-bionorica-sells-cannabis-business-to-canopy-growth) **(Source: Prohibition Partners 2019) About Cantourage Cantourage is a new player in the medical cannabis market in Germany. The company sees itself as a think tank that continues to shape the medical cannabis market in Germany and Europe with new ideas and concepts. Cantourage was founded in 2019 by Norman Ruchholtz, Dr. Florian Holzapfel and Patrick Hoffmann. www.cantourage.com Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1160325/Cantourage_Think_Tank.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1160322/Cantourage_Logo.jpg Press contact Patrick Hoffmann Co-founder and company spokesman E-Mail: [email protected] Tel: +49(0)30 / 4701-350-54 SOURCE Cantourage Related Links https://cantourage.com By Ashley A. Smith EdSource Thousands of California college students who may have lost their jobs because of the pandemic and are struggling to afford food, broadband service and other living expenses will share in half of the more than $1.7 billion in federal funds going to California public and private colleges. Those dollars could help students like Josh Zupan, a fourth-year art and ecology major at the UC Santa Cruz. Zupan, 22, had an on-campus, facilities and maintenance job making about $300 every two weeks by making repairs in student dorms and housing. But when the coronavirus forced many students to leave campus as classes transitioned online, the student-workers were forced to take mandatory leave, he said. "I used that money mostly for groceries and utilities and spending on necessities," he said. "And when I worked over the summer, I could save for the future." Zupan said he has some savings, but he's hoping the university will let him go back to work this summer. The $14 billion in federal funding for higher education was announced earlier this month as part of the $2.2 trillion CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security) Act. Each college is required to use those dollars to provide emergency grants and financial assistance to help students with any expenses they need because of the pandemic. Those expenses can include a wide range of costs, such as health care, child care, food, living expenses or laptops. The U.S. Department of Education is requiring each campus in the country to apply for the money, which they'll receive directly. But the money may be slow to actually reach students. Each campus determines who can access the funding, and some are developing applications so students can apply for the aid. Fewer than 3,000 of the nearly 5,000 colleges and universities across the country that are eligible to receive the money had applied as of Wednesday, according to the education department. And only 318 colleges had received about $751 million nationally. Wealthier universities, such as Stanford, which was allocated $7.3 million, declined to receive the relief aid so that smaller colleges and universities across the country could receive more. "Since half of these funds were to be directly applied to grants for students, we want to reassure our students that we remain fully committed to the financial aid that has been promised them," according to university. Stanford was joined by the University of Pennsylvania, which turned down $9.9 million, Harvard University, $8.7 million, and Yale and Princeton universities, $6.9 million and $2.4 million, respectively. Because of their healthy endowments, the universities were pressured to decline the funds. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos praised Stanford's move, and President Donald Trump chided Harvard for having a multi-billion dollar endowment. For many college students, the emergency aid their campuses will receive may be a possible solution to their financial troubles, including students who may be losing on-campus and summer jobs. One unknown for students is how many students will seek the money and whether there will be enough, especially if they wait too long to apply. But one group that will not benefit is the nation's nearly half a million undocumented students. The administration ruled last week that they are excluded. "Our City College of San Francisco students are facing a lot of the same issues that they were before the coronavirus crisis, but now they're exacerbated," said Bryan Daley, a CCSF graduating senior who is transferring to UC Berkeley this fall, during a webinar with student leaders from across the state. Daley, who is a member of Students Making a Change, a student-advocacy group, said housing and food insecurity and paying for basic needs like textbooks and internet service were challenges for many community college students before the pandemic began. But now those challenges have worsened, particularly for students who identify as low-income, formerly in the foster care system, formerly incarcerated or undocumented, he said. Student leaders from across the state sent a joint letter to the UC, CSU and community colleges leadership teams Wednesday offering recommendations for how they could better protect students amid the pandemic, including investing in more emergency grant aid and maintaining on-campus housing and food pantries. "Every single student in the state is going through a unique experience," said Michael Wiafe, president of the Cal State Student Association. "Each of the 23 campuses has different resources and infrastructure in place." Some students continue to receive federal work-study dollars despite no longer working, while others who may have held off-campus jobs have been laid off or had their work hours reduced. Other students are stuck in off-campus rental agreements they can't break, Wiafe said. Young Invincibles, a youth-advocacy organization, sent a letter to Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday calling on him to allow college students to vacate their leases without financial penalties. "College students are currently at risk of damaging their credit and financial health for years to come as they struggle to make ends meet during the coronavirus pandemic," said Kristin McGuire, the western regional director for the organization. Some colleges are further along than others in determining who will get aid, how much they will get, and how they will receive the money. During the webinar with student leaders, Lande Ajosa, a higher education adviser for Gov. Newsom, said it's difficult for the state to track how many campuses in California have applied for the federal stimulus funding because the money is going directly to each campus and not their system offices. In a letter to the nation's college presidents, Education Secretary DeVos encouraged them to prioritize students with the greatest need but to consider establishing a maximum funding threshold for each student. The department also released a question-and-answer sheet on Tuesday to help colleges understand how they can use all of the stimulus funding they're receiving and who would qualify. "California State University, Northridge is developing an expedited, online application process so students can access these critical funds as soon as they can be disbursed," said Carmen Ramos Chandler, a spokeswoman for the university. "We expect that eligible students will begin receiving funds by early May." The university is still determining the eligibility criteria and award amounts but will consider Cal Grant and Pell Grant eligibility, other eligible financial aid recipients and "students with demonstrated COVID-19-related expenses," she said. Cal State Northridge will receive $44.6 million, of which at least $22.3 million will go directly to students. The university is receiving the largest allocation in the state for any individual campus and the seventh-largest amount in the country. That's due to its size and the large number of low-income students who receive Pell Grants. Northridge has nearly 21,000 Pell Grant recipients. "Our hope is that every student with need will be able to access these emergency funds and continue their progress toward earning degrees," she said. The University of Southern California recently notified students about how they could apply for the emergency aid. The university was allocated more than $9.6 million to give to students in emergency stimulus funds. USC is limiting the aid to a maximum of $3,000 per undergraduate student. Undocumented students are not eligible for federal financial aid like Pell Grants, and so the education department excluded them from the stimulus program. (Most international students also won't qualify for the aid.) Undocumented students could apply for $500 in coronavirus relief that the state is offering through the Disaster Relief Fund. The money, however, is capped at $1,000 per household, said Ajosa, the governor's adviser. Although each college's allocation was determined mostly by its Pell Grant populations, the funding will support more than just those students. Bill Scroggins, president of Mount San Antonio College, a community college in Los Angeles County, said the need for help is greater than the amount of money it has received. The college has the largest allocation of the state's two-year institutions and received about $8.8 million to help students. "We're carefully shepherding this emergency money to keep students in school, keep them participating in the educational process and help their families survive the economic downturn," Scroggins said. One group of students that won't be able to receive the emergency aid is the college's more than 8,000 undocumented students, Scroggins said, adding that it will have to find other ways to help them. Students at the community college can access the federal stimulus aid by contacting the financial aid office, Scroggins said. The college's counselors may also direct them to the funding as they contact students daily to help keep them on their educational paths, he said. "The counselors have been working with students affected by the economic downturn," he said. "There is just a lot of fear and trepidation. This is a scary time for young men and women, and we want to be a source of stability in a time of uncertainty." In addition to the funds distributed by the colleges, some students may receive the $1,200 stimulus payments that the new law is most recognizably known for - but only if they live independently and file their federal income taxes as such. Like many college students across the country, Zupan didn't qualify for that stimulus money because he is listed as a dependent on his parents' income taxes. "I was really excited about the stimulus check, but turns out if you're claimed as a dependent you don't get it," he said. "I don't mind that at all because it helps my parents. But I thought at least they would get the extra $500 because I'm a dependent." Zupan said he had hoped to ask his parents for some of the $500, but he lost out there, too. The extra $500 in the stimulus check applies only to families with children under age 17. For many college students, now is usually the time that they're applying for summer jobs. But with the pandemic bringing the economy to a near halt, the possibility of work once their classes end seems unlikely. Ravina Soma, a fourth-year Cal Poly Pomona student, lost her on-campus job working as a receptionist of a student dorm as the campus closed and classes moved online. For now, she feels OK, but her savings will be gone in another month or two. "I'm worried about income," she said. "Even though it wasn't an incredible amount of income, it was a couple hundred a month for groceries and anything I need." This story was originally published by EdSource. Please use the following link when sharing: https://www.localnewsmatters.org/2020/04/25/covid-19-college-students-expect-stimulus-money-will-help-pay-living-expenses/ Images related to this story can be found at the following Bay City News web links: www.baycitynews.com/images/CollegeStudents1.04.26.20.jpg Hector Martinez prepares a bag of food for students from the Hungry Wildcat Food Pantry at Cal State Chico on April 3. (Photo by Jason Halley/Cal State Chico, via EdSource) www.baycitynews.com/images/CollegeStudents2.04.26.20.jpg Josh Zupan, fourth-year art and ecology major at UC Santa Cruz. 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. Two workers prepare to package masks at Naton Medical Group in Beijing, China on April 24, 2020. (WANG ZHAO/AFP via Getty Images) Countries Fighting Pandemic Reject Shoddy Medical Goods Made in China Germany, Belgium, and Holland are the latest countries to reject Chinese-manufactured medical supplies after the quality of the goods was found to be sub-standard. Protective masks are one of the key personal protective equipment (PPE) in efforts to prevent the spread of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as novel coronavirus. Medical staff need them to protect themselves while treating patients, while ordinary citizens need to wear them when going outside. China is among the worlds largest manufacturing bases for PPE and other medical supplies. In the wake of international rejections, the Chinese regime conducted its own inspections on exported goods and confiscated 89 million unqualified masks. All Junk Eleven million masks, all junk, German Federal Transport Minister Andreas Scheuer said on April 24, Germanys Der Spiegel reported. The director of a German textile company purchased medical masks from China, who said his employees checked the products and found that they were of bad quality. The filter function of some masks did not work properly, while others had broken elastic cords. The 11 million masks were planned for an April 13 shipment to Germany, but the company director canceled the order. The company later found a different Chinese supplier to purchase the masks. Brussels Times reported on April 9 that Belgium had to reject three million masks that were imported from China because they did not meet the required quality standards. At first glance, there were problems with them. We had them tested. The Federal Public Economy Service confirmed that the [Chinese] supplier had not been able to provide conclusive test certificates, and that the masks were of unacceptable quality after an additional test in a Belgian lab, the report quoted Belgium digital agenda minister Philippe De Backer as saying. The Netherlands also recalled 600,000 faulty masks from Dutch hospitals at the end of March. These masks were part of a shipment of 1.3 million masks that were purchased and imported from China on March 21. Chinese Claims On April 26, the Chinese regime addressed about the quality of exported medical supplies at a press conference in Beijing held by the State Council, a cabinet-like agency. Jin Hai, director of the general department at Chinas General Administration of Customs, said that China had exported 55 billion yuan ($7.76 billion) worth of medical supplies from March 1 to April 25. Those consisted of 21.1 billion facial masks, 109 million protective suits, 32.94 million goggles, 763 million pairs of surgical gloves, 110,000 monitoring machines, and 9.29 million infrared thermometers. With regard to bad-quality products, Li Xingqian, director of the foreign trade department at Chinas Commerce Ministry, claimed that this was because Chinese standards were different from those of other countries, causing some exported medical supplies to be returned. Li admitted that some Chinese exporters exported non-medical masks as medical masks, while some Chinese manufacturers sold their products at an abnormal price. On April 26, Gan Lin, deputy head of Chinas State Administration for Market Regulation, spoke about counterfeit and shoddy protective materials at another press conference held by the State Council in Beijing. Gan said authorities confiscated 89.05 million masks, 418,000 other protective materials, 7.6 million yuan ($1.07 million) worth of disinfectant products, and more, without specifying the time frame. Gan said there were four types of unqualified protective products in China: products that cant meet regulatory standards; non-medical products sold as medical products and bad quality products sold as good quality ones; products packed without production date, manufacturers name, qualification certification, and so on; and counterfeit products. US Lawyer Dan Harris, a lawyer at the Seattle-based Harris Bricken International Law Firm, posted on his firms website on April 21 about scams initiated by PPE suppliers in China. Harris said that his law firm helped research suppliers in China, to ensure that clients who need to purchase PPE are not scammed. In the past few months, the law firm found that some Chinese companies used internet-bought certifications to export unqualified products, while some Chinese exporters were brokers who did not have anything on hand. They would send buyers whatever they can get or take the money and send nothing. Some exporters did not have the authority to export, while other times, employees of a certified company would sell the products illegally. PUNE, India, April 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Strengthening the fight against COVID-19, employees of Bajaj Finserv and its subsidiaries have voluntarily decided to contribute a part of their salary to the PM-CARES fund. The collective effort of around 32,000 employees resulted in an amount of Rs 5,07,66,716/- (Rupees five crore seven lakh sixty-six thousand seven hundred sixteen) being contributed by employees of Bajaj Holdings & Investments and Bajaj Finserv, along with its subsidiaries - Bajaj Finance, Bajaj Housing Finance, Bajaj Allianz General Insurance, Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance, Bajaj Finserv Direct and Bajaj Finserv Health. The Bajaj Finserv companies have decided to match this contribution, thereby doubling the amount to Rs 10,15,33,432/-, (Rupees ten crore fifteen lakh thirty-three thousand four hundred thirty-two) which will be donated to the PM-CARES fund. The Bajaj Group had earlier pledged Rs 100 crore in the fight against COVID-19, of which close to 40 crore is already operational through various projects in multiple geographies. The group along with its partners, is providing cooked meals daily to more than 40,000 homeless and underprivileged people in Pune and its immediate surrounding areas. The group has also provided more than 12,000 PPE to the government hospitals in Uttarakhand, Pune and it's other operational areas, and is working towards procuring more. In addition to safety equipment, the group is actively working towards upgrading rural healthcare facilities, providing ventilators to multiple hospitals and raising awareness in rural pockets to fight COVID-19. Commenting on the initiative Sanjiv Bajaj, Chairman and Managing Director, Bajaj Finserv said, "It is a matter of great pride for us that our employees have voluntarily come forward to donate a part of their salary to the PM-CARES Fund. We remain committed in the fight against COVID-19 and are supporting the government and communities in tackling this pandemic." About Bajaj Finserv Limited Bajaj Finserv Limited is the holding company for the businesses dealing with financial services of the Bajaj Group. Its insurance joint ventures with Allianz SE, Germany, namely Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance Company Limited and Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Company Limited are engaged in life and general insurance business respectively. Its subsidiary Bajaj Finance Limited is a deposit-taking Non-Banking Finance Company engaged in consumer finance, SME finance and commercial lending and wealth management. To know more, please visit www.bajajfinserv.in Media Contact : Kamalprit Singh [email protected] Corporate Communication Bajaj Finserv SOURCE Bajaj Finserv Limited The truck involved in the crash which killed four police officers, Eastern Freeway, Melbourne, Australia, April 23, 2020. (Luis Ascui/Getty Images) Melbourne Truck Driver Faces Court Over Fatal Police Crash The driver of the semi-trailer truck that crashed into four police officers on Melbournes Eastern Freeway on April 22 appeared in court on April 27 to face four charges of culpable driving. The trucks driver, Mohinder Singh Bajwa, appeared a saddened and anxious figure as he attended the first hearing facing four charges for grievous bodily harm by driving. Singhs refrigerator truck swayed across multiple lanes before colliding and killing four police officers in the emergency lane. During the morning hearing at Melbourne Magistrates Court earlier in the day, Singh did not speak and kept his head down as the court ran proceedings. His Lawyer Steven Pica noted that his client may require counseling, psychiatric treatment, or other forms of assistance. Mr. Singh remains distressed and saddened at the tragic consequences of his acts, he said. Leading Senior Constable Lynnette Taylor, Senior Constable Kevin King, and constables Glen Humphris and Josh Prestney were in the process of impounding a Porsche when Singhs truck swayed across multiple lanes and crashed into them. Criminal lawyer Pica said that Singh had anxiety and depression and that his client may have an undiagnosed history of psychiatric issues. Prosecutors requested additional time to put together their brief of evidence. Analysis of the truck will be conducted overseas, and video footage from CCTV and body-cam is yet to be collated. In addition, a forensic report is required. Singh did not apply for bail. He is due to return to court for a committal mention on Oct. 1. Truck Company Investigated Assistant Commissioner Libby Murphy said that Victoria Police have conducted raids on two locations associated with the trucking company. This morning our MCIU and our heavy vehicle unit have executed two search warrants at addresses in Croydon and Frankston associated with the trucking company, she said at a press conference. Police have asked for witnesses to hand over any dashcam footage they have of the truck involved in the April 22 multi-vehicle crash. THAT SIDE YARD FRONTS ON THE STREET: After a February column reported that the Albuquerque front yard parking ban does not include side yards on corner lots, Barry Schwartz did a little research into how these yards are treated in other municipalities. And he emails that most of the cities I have found treat the side of corner houses the same as the front lawns because the one side faces the street, just like the front lawn faces the street in front. In fact, one Midwest city ordinance he shared says, The front yard is that yard which is between the front wall of the house and street right-of way. Interior lots have one front yard, but corner lots may have two front yards. The accompanying illustration labels the front and side yards of a corner-lot home as front yard. So what can Albuquerque residents who are frustrated with corner-lot neighbors parking on landscaped side yards do? Call your city councilor. Diane Dolan, policy analyst for District 2 Councilor Isaac Benton, says that the ordinance as written does apply only to front yards, and the Integrated Development Ordinance defines front/back/side yards, including side yards on corner lots. To address concerns like Barrys, Council could of course amend the regulations to also prohibit parking in street-facing side yards. N.M. 14 HITS NEW PHASE: Paul Schmolke emails, The ongoing upgrades to Highway 14 north of Tijeras have started. The previous two summertime projects were completed successfully and resulted in dramatically improved road conditions. I hope this phase goes well and without posing major difficulties for the many drivers who use this route. Kim Gallegos, who handles information for the New Mexico Department of Transportation District Three office, says, N.M. 14 started on Phase III of the construction improvement project for approximately 1.7 miles. This project includes roadway rehabilitation and intelligent transportation system (ITS) improvements and is being done by Albuquerque Asphalt Inc. The cost of the project is approximately $3.9 million. WHAT WAS THE DELAY AT KATHRYN/SAN MATEO? Thats what Sharon Wirth would like to know. She emails that on the southwest corner, there is a giant hole in the ground that only seems to get bigger, and lane closures around the intersection have been in place for months by my recollection at least since Thanksgiving. What is going on at this intersection? Johnny Chandler, public information coordinator for Albuquerques Department of Municipal Development, says, The project at Kathryn and San Mateo (took) longer that our department would have liked. The damage caused by a local contractor was substantial, requiring a new traffic signal on the southwest corner of the intersection as well as the installation of a new vault box. The designs for the vault box came back in late February, and the concrete vault was poured and completed on March 27. The project was scheduled to wrap up in the middle of this month, and as a result of this contracting mistake, the contractors have had to pay the city over $38,000. Chandler says that dollar amount should help residents understand that mistakes like these are in not in the contractors best interest and they are committed to repairing this the right way. It is better to fix it properly over quickly. PINNED IN (OR OUT) BY THE NEW MEDIAN: After a recent column referred to pinned medians being installed on the Albuquerque Rapid Transit route on Central, Mark asked in an email, What is a pinned median? Its a thin strip thats supposed to keep drivers from turning left into the ART buses. Chandler explains, Pinned is the official term for the small curb in the middle of the ART bus lanes. And CABQ.gov includes this: The DMD Engineering Division is teaming up with a local contractor to install curbs in the middle of the two ART lanes that eliminate the potential for cars to turn left where it is dangerous to do so. Editorial page editor DVal Westphal tackles commuter issues for the Metro area on Mondays. Reach her at 823-3858; dwestphal@abqjournal.com; or 7777 Jefferson NE, Albuquerque, NM, 87109. Amitabh Bachchan, who is an avid social media user, recently has been garnering a lot of backlash due to his tweets about Coronavirus, which are often WhatsApp forwards, fake news and memes. According to a fan's tweet, about 1300 people have sighed a petition asking Mark Zuckerberg to disable WhatsApp on Amitabh Bachchan's phone. The description of the bizarre petition reads that the megastar has been falling prey to fake news and in order to restore his dignity, they wish the superstar stays away from WhatsApp. Amid the lockdown, the actor has been keeping busy with books, his blog and interacting with fans on social media. Last month, Amitabh Bachchan received flak on social media for posting a tweet that claimed, clapping could reduce or destroy the virus potency. After many tagged the actor and said it was misinformation, the post was deleted. "Uninstall Whatsapp"... Full information for those who wanna know about this hashtag pic.twitter.com/KhW6AfCqtu IrFaN (@IrFaNRaZa47) April 27, 2020 Soon after, Big B shared on the micro-blogging site that the Novel Coronavirus can stay in human excreta for weeks. The claim was dismissed by Lav Aggarwal, the joint secretary of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Big B was also called out for posting a viral photo that claimed to be taken by a satellite, which shows India lit up while the rest of the world is in darkness. The post came after PM Modi's 9 pm 9 minutes activity on April 5. However, the most recent controversy does not include a Whatsapp forward. The actor tweeted a joke about COVID-19, which didn't sit well with netizens. He shared about how a bat broke into his residence Jalsa and how COVID-19 doesn't seem to stop following him. He tweeted, "T 3510 - Ladies and gentlemen of the Jury .. news of the hour .. BREAKING NEWS .. would you believe it ..A Bat , a has come into my room .. in Jalsa .. on the 3rd floor .. in my Den .. badi mushkil se use bahar nikala .. Corona peecha chodh hi nahin raha !!!"(sic) Amitabh Bachchan Slammed For His 'COVID-19 Bat Joke; Netizens Call Him Out For Maligning Wildlife South African Care Facility Supported By Amitabh Bachchan In COVID-19 Controversy It's hard for Inquirer health and science reporter Tom Avril to read lips when everyone's wearing a mask. Read more I went to the beer store last weekend and spent $81 (dont judge looks like this will be a long haul), but there was some confusion over the matter of my credit card. I think the store clerk said not to sign the slip. Or maybe he said my card had a chip? I was born with a significant hearing loss, and he was wearing a mask. No way for me to read his lips. Communication, like so many other things we take for granted, is an indirect casualty of the coronavirus, and not just for people like me who have had formal training in reading lips. Many people rely to some degree on lipreading without realizing it, including millions with an undiagnosed hearing loss as well as people with normal hearing. And masks not only obscure the lips, they also muffle the sound. This was no great hardship when I interacted with the clerk at Frosty Caps in Abington. I held up my pen, which I had brought so I would not have to touch one used by other customers, but he waved me off. Communication with gestures worked well enough. But imagine if the stakes were higher say, if a person with hearing loss was in the hospital. Health-care providers who specialize in hearing loss have advice: Bring lists of medications, medical conditions, and contact information for relatives and your primary-care doctor. If you wear a hearing aid, dont forget extra batteries. Ditto the cell-phone charger, as many hearing aids are controlled with a smartphone app, through Bluetooth. Ask for help. A hospital should have an accessibility coordinator who can arrange for captioning devices and other gadgetry or in a pinch, an erasable whiteboard, says Chad Ruffin, an ear, nose, and throat specialist in Seattle. For those who use sign language, interpreters should be available, though masks interfere with that form of communication, too. Facial expressions are a big part of it. Another option is to ask health-care workers to wear a clear mask. While such masks have been available commercially for a while, do-it-yourselfers have now joined the action amid the coronavirus pandemic, sharing examples of their handiwork online. If such masks are not available, the person who is talking can help in other ways. Contrary to popular belief, speaking more loudly may not help. Most people with hearing loss can hear vowel sounds well enough. Its the consonants that pose a problem, especially the higher-pitched ones such as S and SH. Shouting does not make them any clearer and may distort the other sounds in a way that makes things worse. FAQ: Your coronavirus questions, answered. If someone is not understanding you, try calmly repeating the sentence in a normal voice, or say it in a different way with more context. It is probably best to avoid the temptation to lift your mask when speaking, as that defeats the goal of preventing asymptomatic transmission of the virus. Whats more, you might inadvertently touch your face another potential route of transmission, if you recently touched a germy doorknob in public. (Side note: When back in the house, hearing-aid wearers should remove their masks carefully. I once took off my mask too quickly, and my hearing aid got tangled in the elastic strap.) The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends masks when social distancing is difficult, such as in grocery stores. Others, such as Gov. Tom Wolf, have urged the use of face coverings anywhere outside the home. So for now, some degree of impaired communication may be the new normal. I may be returning to Frosty Caps sooner than I expected. Midland County recorded two positive cases of coronavirus over the weekend, bringing the total to 52 cases and three deaths, according to state reports at michigan.gov A single case of COVID-19 has been reported at the Brittany Manor assisted-living facility located at 3615 East Ashman St. As of April 23, it is the only confirmed case at a long-term care facility in Midland County. No cases were recorded in Gladwin County. Eight cases were reported over the weekend for Bay County, bringing its total to 115 and two deaths. One case was added in Gladwin County, bringing its total to 11 and one death. Isabella County added no new cases and stands at 55 cases and seven deaths. Saginaw County added 24 cases and is at 558 cases and 43 deaths. MidMichigan Health -- which covers a 23-county region and has medical centers at seven sites, including Midland -- was listed as having 28 COVID-19 patients on the state page, defined by the state as confirmed positive patients, including those in ICU and patients who are currently pending and under investigation. The health system reported seven COVID-19 patients in ICU and 37% bed occupancy, the percentage of staffed inpatient beds occupied by any patient regardless of COVID-19 status. This data, according to the website, reflects the status in health systems and hospitals 48 hours prior to the time that it was posted to the state page, which was April 23. The state on Sunday added 575 new cases and 41 deaths. Saturday's state report showed 562 new cases and 189 deaths (including 58 deaths from a three-times-a-week review of death certificate data by state DHHS.) Overall, Michigan is at 37,778 cases and 3,315 deaths. The average death age is 74.3, according to the state website, with the deceased ranging in age from 5 to 107. The state lists 39% of the deceased as 80-plus and 28% age 70-79. State statistics show 55% of coronavirus deaths are male and 45% are female. The state lists the total recovered at 8,342 cases, as of April 25, which represents COVID-19 confirmed individuals with an onset date on or prior to March 25, 2020, according to the state website, mich.gov. Fred Yanoski, Midland County Public Health director/health officer, on Thursday said 27 people who tested positive in Midland County had been released from isolation per guidelines. "Moving forward," he said, "the continued efforts regarding contact tracing will continue to be a key factor in mitigating COVID-19 in our community." The state lists the majority of races in positive cases as 32% Black/African American; 32% Caucasian and 22% unknown, and the top three races in deaths as 41% Black/African American; 44% Caucasian and 10% 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," Yanoski said. "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. WESTCHESTER, NY Food pantries in Westchester County report a 200 percent surge in demand, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said at his Monday briefing. The new coronavirus pandemic has driven up unemployment due to the business shutdown. Westchester is the hardest-hit in New York state. Gov. Andrew Cuomo talked about higher demand at food pantries as the new coronavirus outbreak continues its second month. New York Governor's Office He also announced new programs to address food insecurity, including the Nourish New York Initiative and a push to get philanthropies to get involved. NY officials want to connect farmers who cannot sell their products to organizations feeding the hungry. Credit: New York Governor's Office According to Feeding Westchester, the need has more than doubled since the outbreak began. About half-a million people in Westchester County are now unsure about their next meals, Feeding Westchester officials said on Facebook. Much of it has to do with the unemployment resulting from the government's order for businesses to shut down or have staff work from home. The governor continued to lay out details about re-opening the economy. While, the set of orders called NY-PAUSE ends May 15, and regions upstate with low infection rates and declining hospitalizations may begin immediately reopening in phases, Cuomo said he expected to extend the PAUSE orders downstate. New York Governor's Office The questions for each region as it opens include how will businesses change, how will the local health-care system cope, and are there systems in place for isolating new cases and tracing back all their contacts for testing and quarantine. The outbreak is ongoing, he said, noting that the curve of new hospitalizations has flattened somewhat. "We're still seeing 1,000 new patients every day," he said. New York Governor's Office >> Check out and Like the Hudson Valley Patches' Facebook pages. Sign up for Patch news alerts to get updates straight to your inbox. This article originally appeared on the New Rochelle Patch Federal Attorney-General Christian Porter has sought "final advice" about releasing unpublished royal commission findings into the conduct of Australia's most senior Catholic, Cardinal George Pell. Mr Porter said he sought the advice after being told by his Victorian counterpart, Jill Hennessy, that there were no legal barriers to making public the previously redacted findings of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. Cardinal George Pell arriving at the Seminary of the Good Shepherd in Sydney after being freed. Credit:AAP "I have sought final advice from my department on the release of the documents and will proceed upon receipt of that advice which I expect as soon as possible,'' he said. Mr Porter's comments suggest the release of the material is imminent. Although royal commission findings must be tabled in Parliament, this can be done without Parliament sitting. By Barani Krishnan Investing.com - Oil is marching to the storage beat. And it may be the only rhythm that matters as U.S. crude prices plunged more than 25%, reverting from a market that traders could not get enough of last week to one from which they cant seem to flee quickly enough. The United States Oil Fund (NYSE:USO), an exchange-traded fund known as USO and popular with retail investors of oil, accelerated the risk-off in crude as it unexpectedly moved to sell all its holdings in the most active West Texas Intermediate futures contract. That triggered a massive swing in the price relationship between WTI's front-month June and nearby July contracts. U.S. crude inventories are poised to surpass in two weeks the 2017 record highs of 535 million barrels, if their average build rate of 16 million bpd over the past four weeks is maintained. The Cushing, Okla. delivery point for maturing contracts of WTI crude could be filled in under four weeks, if the average 4.5 million build over the last two weeks becomes a trend. U.S. production, meanwhile, has fallen by less than 1 million barrels daily over the past six weeks, sliding from a record high of 13.1 million daily in mid-March to 12.2 million bpd last week. Thats not all. Floating crude oil storage is at an all-time high of 160 million barrels. Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) says the global market is on track to test storage capacity limits in as little as three weeks, requiring the shut-in of nearly 20% of world oil output. There is a backlog and a wall of crude that the market just can't look beyond as global storage hubs fill up, said Phil Flynn, analyst at the Price Futures Group in Chicago. Tankers filled with oil floating in the ocean with no place to go and producers cutting but not fast enough to overcome the most significant demand destruction event in the history of the globe. June WTI was down $4.35, or 26%, at $12.59 per barrel by 12:25 PM ET (16:25 GMT). Story continues Brent, the London-traded global benchmark for crude, slid $1.76, or 7%, to $23.05. But not everything out there is bearish for oil. Italy, the country worst impacted by the coronavirus prior to the United States, is looking to ease lockdowns from May 4 after an apparent peak in infections and deaths from the outbreak. New York, the U.S. epicenter of the pandemic, is also looking to reopen parts of its economy, following at least half a dozen of the 50 American states that have relaxed measures. The Dow responded by rising more than 1%. And production cuts are coming. The much-anticipated production cuts by OPEC and its global allies officially begin on Friday. The GLOPEC arrangement has committed to cut at least 9.7 million barrels per day. Kuwait, OPEC's fourth-largest producer, says it has already begun cutting ahead of the group. So has Nigeria, because there's just nowhere to put any more of its oil. U.S. drillers have shed 305 oil rigs over six weeks, wiping out technically 45% of operating shale output. In Russia, the industry is even considering resorting to burning oil as the fastest means to dispose of supply, sources told Reuters. On the companies end, BP (LON:BP) reports quarterly earnings Tuesday, Shell (LON:RDSa) Thursday and ExxonMobil (NYSE:XOM) Friday, and all look set to slash capital expenditure. Yet, all this may not be fast enough in a world losing between 20 million and 30 million bpd in demand. Time is of the essence and it's not on oil's side for the moment. And thats weighing on WTs front month, June, which is trading at a contango, or discount, of about $6 per barrel to July. Open interest in the spot contract has fallen nearly 255 million barrels over the past week. As of Monday, it remained about 25 million barrels less to the liquidity in nearby July. The shifting open interest signals investors preference to be in a safer contract that pledges to deliver oil later rather than sooner in a glutted market. Its also a sign that as expiry for the June WTI approaches in less than three weeks, the front-month could be in for another round of subzero prices just as evidenced with the May contract, which expired last Wednesday. In its Monday's change, the USO ETF said it was moving its money to contracts spread between July 2020 and June 2021 due to new limits imposed upon it by regulators and its broker. That significantly widened WTI's June-July spread, which has become a target for speculators. The value for WTI is a lot different today than it was a month ago. WTI, was very expensive a month ago versus everything and is now much more fairly priced than it was, said Scott Shelton, energy futures broker at IPAC in Durham, N.C. But I am not ready to be long it as its not cheap yet. Related Articles New York Governor Cuomo to extend stay-at-home order in some parts of state Resilience of independent oil firms faces hedging, debt tests Gold Falls Ahead of Fed, ECB Meetings as Virus Fears Ease Claims Aussie actor Craig McLachlan had a habit of behaving badly on stage can be used against him in his prosecution over alleged sex offences. In a day of drama at Melbourne Magistrates' Court, one charge against McLachlan was thrown out by Magistrate Belinda Wallington. The attempted indecent assault charge involved allegations the former Neighbours star attempted to kiss a women on the lips on stage during production of the Rocky Horror Picture Show in 2014. Actor Craig McLachlan (right) and his partner Vanessa Scammell arrive at the Melbourne Magistrates Court in Melbourne in December - the strain is clear on McLachlan's face as he moves past a familiar media pack Craig McLachlan in action during production of the Rocky Horror Show musical But the Gold Logie winner still faces seven charges of indecent assault and six of assault against four women during a run of the popular musical, in which McLachlan played the lead role of Dr Frank-N-Furter. Among the most serious charges to remain is an allegation he traced his finger around the outline of an actress vagina during the performance of a bedroom scene. McLachlan was not in court on Monday in Melbourne amid the COVID-19 chaos gripping the country. In documents released by the court, it was revealed prosecutors were able to use 'tendency evidence' against McLachlan that suggested he liked to behave badly during performances. One of his alleged victim's had claimed McLachlan would 'take advantage of a situation' when her body was hidden from the audience and he was behind a screen. 'Thus unseen by cast and audience, to surreptitiously touch (the victim) deliberately on her inner thigh in circumstances where her arms were required to be in view and her ability to protect herself was reduced,' the court heard. McLachlan's lawyers had earlier argued allegations against him either did not happen or did not amount to indecent assault. Craig McLachlan as he appeared in the hit soap opera Neighbours back in his glory days. McLachlan has been accused of indecent assault during a production of the hit musical Rocky Horror Show. He strongly denies the allegations The hearing has been running on-and-off since November last year. It is alleged McLachlan kissed one woman actors neck, stomach and buttocks on more than 20 occasions during a scene. McLachlan has also been accused of tickling another womans foot and reaching up towards her groin, while he was out of sight of the audience. At his last court appearance on March 10, two other charges against him were also withdrawn. McLachlan's barrister Stuart Littlemore, QC has claimed many of the allegations against his client were but mere jokes. He described McLachlan as a 'Lovvie' - an actor who behaves with 'much cartoon and lampoon'. 'He is fulsome in his complements,' he said. Mr Littlemore described McLachlan's 'theatrical behaviour' as his 'shtick'. The experienced barrister had argued that McLachlan was not only innocent of the alleged crimes, but had no case to answer. Ms Wallington largely disagreed. McLachan is expected to give evidence in his defence when the matter finally returns to court. The case is due back for further submissions on November 2. Craig McLcahlan (centre) with Dannii Minogue (right) during his stint on Home and Away in the 1990s If youre not paying for ityou are the product, goes the old saying. A contract for analysis of data collected from quarantined persons, at zero cost during COVID-19, has landed the Kerala government in a novel controversy. Now, the Kerala High Court has put a spoke in the wheels, directing that the data be anonymised before it is handed over to the contractor (New York-based data analytics firm Sprinklr), as well as informed consent be taken from citizens at the time of data collection. Other directions include a prohibition on Sprinklr sharing the data with any third party, or breaching confidentiality of the data in any way. The latter directions might well be sufficient to safeguard the privacy of the data sources (those from whom it is collected). However, the first two (anonymisation and informed consent), laudable as they are in intent, are merely a mirage from the point of privacy and expose our lack of understanding of the true nature of data security. Again, these very same privacy concerns arise out of the Aarogya Setu app, aggressively promoted by the Union government. Kerala signed an agreement with Sprinklr to analyse data (including personal details, co-morbidities, presence of elderly in their households, etc) collected by ASHA workers, apparently to assess the need and urgency for individual medical assistance. The States response to the high court sought to diminish concerns by claiming that the data was being stored in servers within India, and that the agreement contained confidentiality and privacy provisions. Data Security Chimera 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 If data has earned the moniker of the new oil, it is for its immense economic value. Take the example of Facebook, a product that is free for the consumer, and yet, is also one of the most valuable companies in the world. That is because Facebooks algorithms categorise the data, which is then sold to advertisers. Advertisers, in turn, customise their targeted ads for viewers beliefs. For example, it recently emerged that social media algorithms can predict with a high level of accuracy the likelihood a person will believe fake news (lets say, a conspiracy theory). This information, if sold to a political party, can be used to programme gullible voters minds against rival parties and candidates. Mind you, none of the parties involved have broken any law in this scenario but electoral outcomes have been influenced. Lets take the data collected by Kerala. Information about co-morbidities is a goldmine in the hands of insurance companies, for instance. Information regarding presence of aged persons can be used to target products specially tailored to appeal to that demographic. (This is not to say that Sprinklr was planning to sell the data). Now look at the safeguards directed by the high court: data anonymisation and informed consent the usual go-to safeguards when it comes to privacy regulations. That, though, is just an illusion, borne from a complete ignorance of the scale and capabilities of data analytics firms, often operating illegally. Sensitive data can, when combined with other pieces of data, often be traced back to the data source with reasonable accuracy. Or take informed consent. Does the quarantined person have the choice to not part with the data? Would that also not mean being deprived of medical attention, since hospitals will triage patients on the basis of data thrown by Sprinklr? How informed is the consent? Is it based merely on the information that an analytics firm will be given the data (oh, I have no problem. All my neighbours know anyway), or will they be also told that the intelligence thrown by the data analysis could be potentially sold to third-parties without them having a clue? It is quite likely the parties in the Sprinklr controversy acted bona fide. However, the indiscriminate sharing and analysis of data, especially when the data source has little or no control over such sharing or usage, was simply irresponsible. The Kerala governments big sin, then, would be awarding a contract with such ramifications, without following any due process. Not even a pandemic justifies putting your citizens at risk, a data pandemic, as the high court called it. [April 27, 2020] Verdantix Says Spending On Industrial Hygiene And Occupational Health Software Will Reach $400 Million In 2025 As COVID-19 Drives Firms To Prepare For Future Outbreaks The global market for Industrial Hygiene and Occupational Health (IH/OH) software will grow from $253 million in 2020 to $403 million in 2020 according to a new study from independent research firm Verdantix. The forecasted annual growth rate of 10% will be driven by emerging regional adoption of EHS software and increased customer demand for IH/OH software to better manage worker health and exposure. Vendors positioned to benefit from this growth include IH/OH software firms such as Cority, DNV GL, Enablon, Enterprise Health, Gensuite, Intelex, ProcessMap, UL and Velocity EHS. "Due to the quick spread and disruptive nature, the COVID-19 outbreak will be a long-term positive factor for demand of IH/OH software," commented Verdantix Senior Analyst Bill Pennington. "Firms are recognizing the value of innovative software to protect workers from exposure as well reliably manage worker health and illnesses. Many of the larger EHS vendors are capitalising on this growing demand by acquiring specialst IH/OH firms to boost their offering." The Verdantix report, Market Size And Forecast: IH/OH Software 2020-2025 (Global), provides vendor executives with all the information they need to assess their market opportunity. Revenue projections find that high risk industries, such as oil and gas, chemicals and mining, will account for 47% of total spend in 2020, at $121 million. North America will contribute over half (51%) of overall global spend on IH/OH software, at $129 million in 2020, almost double the second-highest regional spend of Europe with 26% of spend ($68 million). APAC and the Gulf States and Africa will grow at a quicker pace than other regions, at a CAGR of 10%, whilst total market growth will vary between 6% and 12% between 2020 and 2025. "Our analysis indicates that while the global economy faces expected recessions due to COVID-19, IH/OH software will see growth due to forward-looking firms strategically planning for better preparedness for future outbreaks," continued Pennington. "Vendors looking to grow their market share should look to the emerging markets of APAC, the Gulf States and Africa, as increased focus on worker health and safety, coupled by the existing low penetration rate of IH/ OH software, allows for a large market of first-time adopters." Read the full report here. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200427005050/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] The traditional workplaces are changing and managed offices has become the universal term for growth in demand in flexible workspace. With this significant change in the industry, the workplace giant Supreme Spaces enables medium to large enterprises to meet the rapidly growing demand for flexible workspace. Supreme Spaces is helping companies in creating bespoke, full-service workspaces that are designed to flex and easily scale with their needs. The workspaces are designed to facilitate collaboration and drive productivity. Their flexible terms help companies reduce capex, mitigate risk, and stay financially agile. Supreme Spaces from Sanali Group has the unique distinction of singular ownership of its properties, which allows them to ensure the highest standards of property management. The integrated approach towards property management enhances the corporate productivity of tenants. Grade-A offices by Supreme Spaces are the preferred destination for medium to large enterprises. With workspaces designed with space ranging from 15,000 sq ft to 300,000 sq ft, they are ideal for over 100 person company and can go up to over 4,000 person company. Supreme Spaces members have access to amenities such as game zone, gym, valet parking, cafeteria, 24/7 access, Wi-Fi, front desk, events etc. Also watch: Supreme Spaces managed offices at Sanali Spazio, Madhapur, Hyderabad In the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak, Supreme Spaces has taken adequate measures and precautions at their Grade-A office spaces. These spaces are redesigned for smart distancing. The spread of the COVID-19 pandemic is causing companies to completely readjust their operations to stop the spread. Sanali Group has also worked on standard measures to help companies resume work post-lockdown. Considering this,is taking precautions such as smart distancing, increased sanitisation of common areas including corridors, washrooms and cafeterias, encouraging better hygiene and social distancing norms through properly spaced desks. People are encouraged to walk clockwise and in lanes around the office by the depiction of arrows on the floor. In these testing times, Supreme Spaces has set simple and clear workable rules for the safety of its tenants. Furthermore, Supreme Spaces is also offering virtual tours for companies who are looking to move into flexible space through an online listing. The company believes in putting more stringent sanitation and cleaning provisions in addition to limiting the number of people in one space. Supreme Spaces cares deeply about the safety of its tenants in these times of distress and disease. The growing concerns surrounding the outbreak have ramped up hygiene checks as part of precautionary measures. To combat the spread of the Coronavirus and any infection at their spaces, it has taken the following stringent and precautionary measures such as:- More frequent sanitisation of all high-frequency touchpoints such as escalators, doorknobs, lifts, staircases, and other touchpoints- Temperature check for all visitors or members- Making hand sanitisers accessible throughout the workspaces- Creating and sending out emails to members/clients with tips for prevention from COVID-19- Sensor operated water taps- Sensor operated Soap dispensers- Motion-activated light bulbs- Dusk to dawn lights- Posting signs around the workspace with tips for prevention- Limiting space access- Space closure as and when a situation arises in case of probable chances of spread of COVID-19- Provision of an on-site ambulance in case of emergencies - Free food arranged for all employees and support staff in these times of crisis Noor Haq, Chairman of Sanali Group said, Supreme Spaces is ensuring that its members/visitors would tide through these troubled times. Its pool of in-house critical support groups ensures every support with every service 24/7. We shall even cancel events at its location if it leads to large gatherings that may result in the spread of COVID-19. Supreme Spaces have designed its offices with 6x2 feet sitting arrangement along with regular 4x2 sitting at the option of the tenants. Presently, they have two prime properties in Hyderabad, India - Sanali Spazio adjacent Inorbit Mall, Hitech city, Madhapur and Sanali Infopark, Banjara Hills. Diagnosing emphysema and classifying its severity have long been more art than science. "Everybody has a different trigger threshold for what they would call normal and what they would call disease," said U. Joseph Schoepf, M.D., director of cardiovascular imaging for MUSC Health and assistant dean for clinical research in the Medical University of South Carolina College of Medicine. And until recently, scans of damaged lungs have been a moot point, he said. "In the past, if you lost lung tissue, that was it. The lung tissue was gone, and there was very little you could do in terms of therapy to help patients," he said. But with advancements in treatment in recent years has come an increased interest in objectively classifying the disease, Schoepf said. That's where artificial intelligence and imaging could come into play. Schoepf was principal investigator in a study looking at the results of Siemens Healthineers' AI-Rad Companion as compared with traditional lung function tests. The study, published online in the American Journal of Roentgenology in March, showed that the algorithm within AI-Rad Companion, which examines chest scans, provides results comparable with lung function tests, which measure how forcefully a person can exhale. Showing that the artificial intelligence software works is the first step toward possibly using chest scans to quantify the severity of the lung disease and track the progress of treatment. In the study, researchers went back and looked at the chest scans and lung function tests of 141 people. Chest scans aren't currently part of the guidelines for diagnosing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, an umbrella term that includes emphysema, chronic bronchitis and other lung diseases, Schoepf said, because there hasn't been an objective means to evaluate scans. However, he anticipates a role for imaging scans if it can be shown that they offer a benefit in terms of objectivity and quantification. Philipp Hoelzer, customer engagement manager with Siemens Healthineers, said having an objective measurement could help in assessing the value of new treatments or drugs. The Siemens Healthineers team sees the program as a way for artificial intelligence to work in tandem with the clinical expertise of radiologists, he said. "Taking away manual, repetitive tasks, like those that require a lot of measurement, is of great benefit to a radiologist, especially when reading cases that may have 20 or more nodules," he said. "Interpreting the images, and the abstract thinking that goes along with it, will remain with the radiologist." The program can also offer a concrete aid to doctors trying to impress upon patients the necessity of making changes. It can create a 3D model of the patient's lungs, showing the existing damage. "If you could visualize it and provide the information in image terms, you could better communicate with the patient and hopefully nudge the patient into smoking cessation or lifestyle changes," Hoelzer said. A potential additional benefit is that AI-Rad Companion automatically looks for problems across multiple organ systems, including measuring the aorta and bone density. As Schoepf moves into a prospective study phase, he'll be examining whether the artificial intelligence finds things that humans miss. And it can be easy for humans to miss problems that they aren't specifically looking for, he said. "We're told the patient has these types of symptoms, and then we basically go look for stuff that could explain those symptoms. So, we're often blind to things that do not necessarily relate to the organ system we're interested in," he said. It can also be difficult for humans to create an accurate measurement of a three-dimensional structure within the body from a two-dimensional scan - something that isn't a problem for the artificial intelligence program. It can automatically combine multiple 2D images to produce 3D measurements. Schoepf wants to see whether the program improves patient management by prompting early treatment of problems, like a widened aorta or decreased bone density, before the problems become painfully obvious to both doctor and patient. Further, addressing the dynamically changing health care environment, significant efforts are currently in the final stages to train the artificial intelligence software in the detection and characterization of COVID-19-related lung changes. Hopefully, this would provide physicians with a tool to better differentiate the rather non-specific lung findings of COVID-19 pneumonia from other infectious or inflammatory lung disorders and more objectively quantify the extent of disease. In terms of the measures for which it was originally developed, Schoepf said MUSC Health will test the system for three months before determining whether to deploy it more extensively. With a regional network that now includes hospitals across the state, it could be a useful tool in standardizing care. "It's a great chance for patients to get better care. We have world-class radiologists here, but these systems add a little extra," he said. ### About MUSC Founded in 1824 in Charleston, MUSC is the oldest medical school in the South, as well as the state's only integrated, academic health sciences center with a unique charge to serve the state through education, research and patient care. Each year, MUSC educates and trains more than 3,000 students and 700 residents in six colleges: Dental Medicine, Graduate Studies, Health Professions, Medicine, Nursing and Pharmacy. The state's leader in obtaining biomedical research funds, in fiscal year 2018, MUSC set a new high, bringing in more than $276.5 million. For information on academic programs, visithttp://musc.edu.As the clinical health system of the Medical University of South Carolina, MUSC Health is dedicated to delivering the highest quality patient care available, while training generations of competent, compassionate health care providers to serve the people of South Carolina and beyond. Comprising some 1,600 beds, more than 100 outreach sites, the MUSC College of Medicine, the physicians' practice plan, and nearly 275 telehealth locations, MUSC Health owns and operates eight hospitals situated in Charleston, Chester, Florence, Lancaster and Marion counties. In 2018, for the fourth consecutive year, U.S. News & World Report named MUSC Health the number one hospital in South Carolina. To learn more about clinical patient services, visithttp://muschealth.org.MUSC and its affiliates have collective annual budgets of $3 billion. The more than 17,000 MUSC team members include world-class faculty, physicians, specialty providers and scientists who deliver groundbreaking education, research, technology and patient care. Israeli warplanes flying over Lebanon fired missiles toward areas near Damascus on early Monday, killing three civilians, the Syrian military and state media said while a war monitoring group said four Iran-backed fighters were also killed. The military said Syrian air defenses shot down some of the missiles in the attack, which happened around dawn. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a group that tracks the Syrian civil war, said the missiles hit positions belonging to Iran and its regional proxies, killing four fighters and causing damage south of Damascus. It did not give the nationalities of the dead gunmen. The airstrike is the fourth in Syria in less than a month, despite the coronavirus pandemic gripping the region, and comes amid rising tensions between Israel and Lebanon's militant Hezbollah group in Syria as well as along the Lebanon-Israel border. The Syrian military statement, carried by state TV, gave no other details about the attack or what it targeted specifically. Syria's state SANA agency said shrapnel from the Israeli missiles hit homes in the Damascus suburbs of Hajira and Adlieh, killing three people there and wounding four. Both areas are close to the Sayyida Zeinab suburb that is home to a holy Shiite shrine and Iran-backed fighters have a presence there, according to opposition activists. Israel did not comment on the Syrian report. In the past, Israel has acknowledged carrying out scores of airstrikes over the years, most aimed at alleged Iranian weapons shipments believed to be bound for Hezbollah. In recent months, Israeli officials have expressed concern that Hezbollah is trying to establish production facilities to make precision guided missiles. Iranian and Lebanese Hezbollah forces in Syria are fighting alongside Syrian government forces. Israel frequently violates Lebanon's airspace to launch attacks on Syria, and regularly flies reconnaissance missions over the Mediterranean country. Last week, an Israeli airstrike targeted Iranian and Iran-backed fighters in the desert near the historic central Syrian town of Palmyra. A Syrian opposition war monitoring group said the strike killed nine fighters, including six who were not Syrians. Days earlier, an Israeli drone fired two missiles near an SUV carrying Hezbollah members in Syria, close to the border with Lebanon. No one was hurt in the attack. Two days after the drone attack, Israel accused Hezbollah of provocative activity, including multiple attempts to breach the border along the Lebanese-Israeli frontier, and said it would complain to the UN Security Council. On March 31, Israeli warplanes fired missiles on the Shayrat air base also in the central province of Homs. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Its been nine years, and nothing has even come close to April 27, 2011, when it comes to severe weather in Alabama. Or, by some measures, even the nation. There were 62 confirmed tornadoes in Alabama on that one day alone, making it one of the largest tornado outbreaks in Alabama history. Alabama averages about 65 tornadoes over a whole year. Across the nation, the total number of tornadoes from April 25-28 was 305. Faye Hyde sits on a mattress in what was her yard in Concord as she comforts her grand daughter Sierra Goldsmith (2). Their home was completely destroyed. (Birmingham News Photo / Jeff Roberts)bn According to NOAA, 321 people were killed. According to the National Weather Service, more than 250 people lost their lives in Alabama alone. One of the more recent comparisons, the April 1974 super outbreak, had 148 tornadoes and 315 deaths. Eight of those tornadoes hit Alabama, killing 86 people and injuring 949 others, according to the weather service. However, there was also a major tornado outbreak on March 21, 1932, that claimed the lives of 270 in Alabama. Although the true number of tornadoes that day may never be known, there were at least 15, including several that caused damage equivalent to an EF4, according to the weather service. The 2011 tornadoes struck from Texas to New York and caused an estimated $11 billion in damage. Here are the storm reports from just April 27: Here's a look at storm reports from the April 27, 2011 outbreak. Alabama alone had eight EF4 tornadoes and two EF5s on April 27. Both EF5s were incredibly deadly. One tracked through six counties -- Marion, Franklin, Lawrence, Morgan, Limestone and Madison -- and had top winds of 210 mph. Seventy-two people lost their lives in that storm, and 145 were injured. It was on the ground for 106 miles, according to the National Weather Service, and was 1.25 miles wide. Another EF5 struck in DeKalb County with winds estimated at 200 mph. Twenty-five people were killed. That tornado was in the ground for more than 30 miles. An annual memorial event in DeKalb County was called off because of the need to avoid crowds due to coronavirus, but flags are being lowered to honor storm victims there. One of the costliest and most destructive tornadoes that day, according to NOAA, was the EF4 that struck both the Tuscaloosa and Birmingham metro areas. Denny Chimes will ring 53 times Monday afternoon at the University of Alabama to honor each person who died when a massive twister hit on April 27, 2011. More than 5,000 homes and businesses were damaged or destroyed in Tuscaloosa that day. At its peak it was nearly 1.5 miles wide and had winds of 190 mph. It killed 65 people and injured more than 1,000. The storm that spawned that tornado tracked more than 380 miles from Mississippi to North Carolina and produced several other tornadoes that day. According to the Storm Prediction Center, that tornado is the second-costliest to hit the U.S., at $2.45 billion. Its second only to the EF5 that hit Joplin, Mo., in May 2011 and caused $2.8 billion in damage. Alabama has had its share of tornadoes since 2011, with the most powerful being an EF4 that struck Macon and Lee counties and killed 23 people last March. Heres a look at some of Alabamas biggest tornado events since April 27, 2011. Jan. 23, 2012: 11 tornadoes, including an EF3 that killed one person and injured 75 others in Jefferson and St. Clair counties. Another tornado, an EF2, also tracked through Tuscaloosa and Jefferson counties and killed one person. March 2, 2012: 12 tornadoes, including an EF2 that killed one person in Tallapoosa County. Dec. 25, 2012: 16 tornadoes, including EF2s in Pike County (two injuries), Lowndes County, Mobile County, Choctaw County and one that tracked through Clarke and Wilcox counties. April 11, 2014: 10 tornadoes, with an EF2 in Macon and Lee counties that injured one person. April 28, 2014: 22 tornadoes, including an EF3 in Limestone County that killed two people as well as an EF3 Etowah and DeKalb counties, and an EF3 in Cullman County. There were also five EF2s. Nov. 29, 2015: 14 tornadoes, with the strongest an EF3 in Morgan County. There were also four EF2s, one of which caused three injuries in Franklin and Colbert counties. Jan. 21, 2017: 12 tornadoes. The strongest was an EF2 in Choctaw and Marengo counties that caused four injuries. March 19, 2018: 16 tornadoes, including an EF3 in Calhoun and Cleburne counties that injured four people in Jacksonville. March 3, 2019: 12 tornadoes, including the EF4 storm that killed 23 people in Lee County and injured 90 others. March 14, 2019: 16 tornadoes, including an EF2 in Elmore County. Dec. 16, 2019: 13 tornadoes, including an EF2 that killed two injured three people in Lawrence and Limestone counties and an EF2 that also injured three people in Marengo County. April 12, 2020: The National Weather Service has now confirmed 26 tornadoes on Easter Sunday across Alabama. Six people were injured. The Associated Press contributed to this report. LAS VEGAS, April 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, conservative businessman and former WWE professional wrestler Dan Rodimer released his first television ad in his Republican primary campaign against former one-term Nevada State Treasurer and liberal career politician, Dan Schwartz. The ad highlights the contrast between "Big Dan" Rodimer's conservative record and the liberal record of Dan Schwartz. Big Dan Rodimer on why he is the best choice for Congress in Nevada's 3rd District Big Dan Rodimer - Former WWE wrestler and Nevada US Congressional Candidate "While Liberal Dan Schwartz airs false, slanderous, personal attack ads on television against me, we decided to show voters the actual differences between our positions on the issues that affect the lives of everyday Nevadans," stated Rodimer. "Liberal Dan Schwartz is running from his record, and as voters get to know his record, it's obvious why his tactic is to not discuss his record and instead to lie to voters about my record." "If Dan Schwartz truly wanted to run on his record, he would have an ad up touting his obsession with new and higher taxes, particularly those he pushed for as our state treasurer," Rodimer continued. "He would have an ad promoting his gun control agenda, and he would have an ad declaring his support for amnesty for illegal immigrants. That's why Republicans throughout southern Nevada refer to Schwartz as Pelosi on taxes, Bloomberg on guns, and AOC on amnesty. He's truly the most liberal Republican to ever run for Congress in Nevada history." "Big Dan" Rodimer is endorsed by House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy, former Nevada Attorney General Adam Laxalt, Nevada Right to Life, National Right to Life, and many other leading conservative individuals and organizations. Rodimer has also achieved the highest-ranking "Contender" status in the National Republican Congressional Committee's (NRCC) Young Guns program of any other candidate in Nevada and received an "A" rating from the Nevada Firearm Coalition. The 3rd Congressional District of Nevada is a seat that President Donald J. Trump won in his 2016 elections and is currently held by Speaker Nancy Pelosi protege, freshman Democrat Susie Lee. Rodimer is working to win back this pivotal congressional seat into Republican hands. For more information on the campaign of "Big Dan" Rodimer for Congress, you can view his webpage here (https://danrodimer.com/), or you can follow him on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/RodimerForCongress/), Twitter (https://twitter.com/DanRodimer), and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/rodimerforcongress/). To learn more about Liberal Dan Schwartz's record of tax hikes, gun control and amnesty, go here (https://danrodimer.com/big-dan-rodimer-versus-liberal-dan-schwartz-2/). Contact: Ed Gonzalez, Campaign Manager (702) 713-3217 [email protected] SOURCE Rodimer for Congress As the Covid-19 pandemic spread across the world, many in the United States self-quarantined, and thousands of people died, one section of the daily newspaper seemed wholly untouched by the cataclysmic events: The comics pages. Characters carried on much as they ever did car-pooling, going to school, wandering into neighbors houses. Each comic strip felt like a time capsule from the impossibly faraway era of 2019. One reason for that cultural disconnection was the lead time in comics syndication: Unlike internet cartoonists, who can respond immediately to current events, creators of daily newspaper strips work about two weeks in advance, sometimes longer. And there can be many motivations for artists to exercise caution, from not knowing how to adjust a lighthearted formula to not wanting to trivialize a widespread tragedy. But in recent weeks, when a handful of daily newspaper cartoonists began running strips inspired by the coronavirus, it felt unusually vibrant and immediate; we spoke with six of them. These are edited excerpts from the conversations. Lio April 1 Just as immunization has been postponed in some countries, heath-care services for other diseases, such as malaria, have been disrupted, Tedros said, noting that the number of malaria cases in sub-Saharan Africa could double. At least 21 countries are reporting vaccine shortages as a result of travel restrictions meant to curb the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said during a press conference at the agency's Geneva headquarters. "The tragic reality is children will die as a result." The World Health Organization warned Monday that children across the world will die as the coronavirus pandemic forces some countries to temporarily halt vaccinations for other deadly diseases such as polio. Tedros urged member countries to help ensure vaccination programs are fully funded, saying the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization will need $7.4 billion to immunize 300 million children with 18 vaccines by 2025. "When vaccination coverage goes down, more outbreaks will occur," Tedros said. The coronavirus outbreak, which began in Wuhan, China, in late December, is "far from over," Tedros said, adding the agency is concerned about new cases cropping up in Africa, eastern Europe, Latin America and some Asian countries. "We are continuing to support these countries with technical assistance through our regional and country offices and with supplies through solidarity flights," he said. WHO warned world leaders last week that they will need to manage around the coronavirus for the foreseeable future as cases level off or decline in some countries, while peaking in others and resurging in areas where the Covid-19 pandemic appeared to be under control. "Make no mistake, we have a long way to go. This virus will be with us for a long time," Tedros said Wednesday. While social distancing measures put in place in numerous countries to slow the spread of the coronavirus have been successful, the virus remains "extremely dangerous," Tedros said at the time. Current data show "most of the world's population remains susceptible," he said, meaning outbreaks can easily "reignite." What does it feel like to get tested for COVID-19? My husband, Don, can tell you. On Friday, April 17, he became the first person I know to get tested for coronavirus. And I got to ride along. After a February trip to the early COVID-19 hotbed of Washington state followed by a lingering bout of bronchitis, Don was still feeling out of breath. So he went back to his primary care doctor in Napa. Like many Napans whove had any part of any coronavirus symptom, a question was nagging at him. Is it possible I have coronavirus? he asked the doctor. Its hard to tell, his physician told him. Don does have an underlying health condition. Perhaps thats what tipped the balance in the doctors mind. The doctor said he would order a coronavirus test. Don should hear from someone to schedule an appointment within 48 hours, he said. Almost exactly 48 hours later, we found ourselves both wearing masks driving into the south county staging area for Napa Countys public health coronavirus testing. It was only open to those by appointment. To avoid unscheduled visitors, the county did not want the location to be named. The Register agreed to that request. (Subsequently, the county said it would close this site and move testing to Napa Valley Expo.) How are you feeling? I asked my husband. A little bit nervous, he admitted. I dont think I have it but I want to know for sure, said Don. Itd be crazy not to take the test. I feel like its my responsibility to get tested, for my family. Others in our family also have underlying health conditions. Two of the three Huffman daughters are currently sheltering-in-place at our house, which has limited isolation areas. We mix and mingle freely at home, along with our many germs. Don said he was expecting the actual test to be a little uncomfortable. Theyre going to shove a big long stick up my nose, he predicted. But in his mind, It cant be worse than a strep test. He was about to find out. Arriving at the countys temporary testing site, which is in an open area with few other businesses or buildings nearby, staffers wearing masks and green vests with the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) logo on it greeted us by holding up printed signs in plastic sleeves. KEEP YOUR WINDOW UP, said the first sign. Two other workers held up signs asking for Don to show his ID through the window. No cameras to protect patient privacy, read another sign. Confirming Dons appointment by checking a list on a clipboard, the staffers then placed a laminated sign on his front window. 8-D, it read. More signs gave more instructions. We drove around a small circular area with plenty of room for other cars, although we were the only patients at that time. Slow. Stop, read more signs. Wait here until called. The site was clean and orderly. Law enforcement vehicles were parked nearby including a Community Outreach Team trailer from the Sheriffs office. Ten to a dozen workers wearing personal protective gear stood nearby. Medical Reserve Corps read a sign on a pop-up tent. As we slowly pulled forward to another covered tent area, a staffer held up more signs in plastic sleeves. SHIFT YOUR CAR INTO PARK. KEEP YOUR WINDOW UP. A different health care worker, also wearing personal protective equipment including a clear plastic face shield, approached Don, who was in the drivers seat. She indicated he could now roll down his window. My names Jamie, she said. Im the nurse today. Ill be doing your swab. Any questions so far? Nope, said Don. OK, this is an informational sheet you can review afterwards, she said, handing him a printed flyer. I have a mask for you, said Jamie. This one will replace the one youre wearing. Keep it below your nose. Jamie then handed Don a tissue. Blow your nose with this, she said. Keep the tissue. Are you doing alright? she paused to ask him, before continuing. Yes, he said. Do you have a preference for which side I enter on your nose? Have you ever had a broken nose? OK, Im going to reach in and Im going to go all the way to the back, until I feel the back of your throat, and I have to hold it there for a couple of seconds and twist and turn a little bit. I want to get a good swab the first time. She slowly inserted the swab a further into his nose. You might feel watery eyes, said Jamie. Some people want to cough as a reaction, she said. Tilt your head back a little bit, she said. OK, nice and easy, she said encouragingly. Great. Good one, she said as she continued to slowly twist and probe the swab. Ugh, said Don, tapping his fingers on his leg. I could tell he was definitely uncomfortable. Im holding my breath. (Its) sensitive back there, Jamie acknowledged. Alright. Good. Im going to pull out, said the nurse. Ugh, he said again, squirming a little bit. Good. Great. Oohhhhhhh, said Don. That was horrible, he said afterwards, although he doesnt want to discourage anyone from getting tested. That hurt way worse than getting my tattoos. Its not like sticking a little Q-tip up your nose. What else was he feeling? Tingling, he continued. My sinuses are definitely irritated. That was probably for good reason. The stick a thin white plastic stick that had a little bristle-like section at one end, was about 6 inches long. At one point, it looked to be of the way into Dons nose. After checking the video I took of the test, we realized the stick was only in place for 30 seconds. But 30 seconds is a long time to have a stick in your nose, Don pointed out. When asked what he thought of the testing and site, Don had nothing but compliments for the health care workers on the site. The people there are very careful, he said. Even with masks on, You could see empathy in their eyes. His only complaint is that he wished the results would come back sooner. Hed heard that some other testing sites are getting results back as soon as one hour. I dont understand why it will take an estimated three to seven days for him to get his results. In his opinion, the COVID-19 test should be available to everyone. Once theres widespread testing, we can return to some sense of normalcy, he said. Take care of yourself, the nurse said as we said started to pull away. Any new symptoms, call your doctor. We drove out of the site with Don still wearing his testing mask. From start to finish, the entire process took less than 10 minutes. The test step, including instructions, itself took only 3 minutes. Until he got the results, Don planned to self-isolate at home. Luckily for all of us, he didnt have to quarantine for long. On Sunday, around noon, a public health official called. Negative, she said. Have a good rest of your weekend. Editors note: Because of the health implications of the COVID-19 virus, this article is being made available free to subscribers and non-subscribers alike. If youd like to join us in supporting the mission of local journalism, please visit napavalleyregister.com/members/join/ You can reach reporter Jennifer Huffman at 256-2218 or jhuffman@napanews.com 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. Not a single patient has been treated at Birmingham's Nightingale hospital, it emerged yesterday. The temporary hospital, which was built in eight days and has the potential capacity for 4,000 patients over a 75,000 sq ft area, opened on April 10. But West Midlands mayor Andy Street admitted it has 'not needed to be used'. The facility is one of seven that have either opened recently or are due to open shortly at a cost of millions to treat coronavirus patients. There is growing speculation that some will never be used after regular hospitals cancelled operations and cleared wards to make space for the anticipated surge in sick people. The empty NHS Nightingale Hospital Birmingham, in the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) Just 26 patients were treated at the flagship Nightingale in east London last week, down from a peak of 41. It can take 3,600 patients. MPs yesterday called for facilities to broaden their intake of patients to include care home residents with Covid-19. Around 7,500 care home residents are believed to have died from the disease. Shadow Minister for Care and Older People Liz Kendall told the Sunday Mirror: 'We must ensure the elderly with Covid-19 can go and be properly cared for.' Defence Secretary Ben Wallace last week suggested sites could be 'repurposed' for non-virus patients and operations that have been cancelled due to the pandemic. Prince William, Duke of Cambridge opens the new NHS Nightingale Hospital via video link on April 16, 2020 in Birmingham, England Dr David Rosser, of University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Trust, said he was 'proud of getting it up and running but... proud of the fact that we didn't need to use it'. An NHS spokesman said the sites were intended as a back-up if hospitals lacked the capacity to take Covid-19 patients. Ukraine values cooperation with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and hopes for further fruitful cooperation, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal has said on Twitter. "This [IMF] support, particularly political support, is essential to Ukraine's economic growth and defense. We count on further fruitful cooperation," Shmyhal said. He recalled that in 1991, the IMF Executive Board voted in favor of Ukraine joining the IMF. The main goals of cooperation with the IMF are to stabilize the Ukrainian financial system, carry out structural reforms and create the basis for sustainable economic growth. The Fund helps Ukraine renew its financial capacity by showing how to implement the reform program most effectively. Also, cooperation with the IMF at the present stage opens up opportunities for attracting funding from other international financial institutions (the World Bank, the EBRD, the EIB, and others) and the governments of other countries, including the United States, the EU, Germany, Canada, and Japan. Ukraine has received total funding of $14.6 billion from the IMF since the end of the Revolution of Dignity. op Confronting footage from inside a coronavirus intensive care unit shows the extreme measures healthcare workers are taking to save lives. Dr Luke Torre risks his health every day he goes to work at Perth's Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital. He is part of the team treating the most critical patients suffering from the contagious and deadly illness. Warning signs on the doors to the ward read: 'Do Not Enter'. Inside the ward he is surrounded by healthcare workers dressed from head to toe in protective clothing - blue gowns, face masks, eye masks, gloves. His entire day is spent in the sweaty and uncomfortable gear, but the protective equipment is a must to stop the virus from spreading. A patient can be seen seen lying face-down on bed in the prone position, which is a common technique for treating people on ventilators. Dr Luke Torre (pictured) risks his health every day he goes to work at Perths Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital The patient can't move his limbs but he has opened his eyes, which is a good sign, Dr Torre says in Dr Torre told 60minutes as part of a special segment about the 'most dangerous place in Australia'. Dr Torre will perform a tracheostomy on the patient later in the day, creating an opening in the neck in order to place a tube into a person's windpipe to help oxygen reach the lungs. They will perform the operation in one of the negative pressure rooms. The rooms have been designed so air only flows into the room, preventing the virus from escaping. The past few weeks have been physically and emotionally draining for Dr Torre, patients in the ICU ward are the most serious cases. 'Once they go into that sedation and machine, on that machine, the chance of coming off is not great. So we're finding, we're having very difficult conversations with patients at that moment,' Dr Torre said. Inside the coronavirus intensive care unit at Perths Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, staff are seen wearing head-to-toe protective gear A patient is seen lying face down, on bed in the prone position, which is a common technique for treating people on ventilators What happens in ICU? Coronavirus patients who need intensive care have difficulty getting enough oxygen into their lungs and enough carbon dioxide out. To help them breathe, a ventilator is connected to a tube that goes into the patients mouth, past the vocal cords and down their windpipe. Patients who require ventilation are too week to breathe by themselves. Advertisement Australia's first COVID-19 related death happened at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital when James Kwan died on March 1. He contracted the disease while holidaying on board the quarantined Diamond Princess Cruise ship in Japan. His death was heart-wrenching for the hospital staff but they had a number of successes as well. '[When] the first patient our team put onto our machines finally got off after about 13 or 14 days ... getting strengthened, breathing better and was able to get out to the ward just a few days ago. That was a great sense of relief and happiness to know that we can win. 'Because, you know, obviously you hear the horror stories, what's happening around the world, but we can win and we are doing really, really well.' Australia appears to be successfully flattening the curve of the infection rate, encouraging two states to ease lockdown restrictions from Monday Australia's first COVID-19 related death happened at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital (pictured) when James Kwan died on March 1 Australia's infection rate has been falling since strict social distancing measures were introduced last month. 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 Nationally the number of coronavirus cases has reached 6,716, with 83 deaths. Eight new cases of the coronavirus were confirmed in NSW on Sunday and there were fewer than 800 active coronavirus cases in the state, with most being treated at home. Among the new cases on Sunday was a medical worker at Nepean Hospital who had not been in contact with patients for 48 hours before symptom onset. On Saturday, an aged care worker at Catholic Healthcare Bodington in the Blue Mountains also tested positive for coronavirus but had not contacted residents within 48 hours of showing symptoms. Some 20 residents have tested negative to the virus. It comes as Queensland and Western Australia move to relax restrictions and elective surgery is resumed across the nation. The WA government announced on Sunday it was increasing its two-person limit on non-work activities to 10, provided people adhere to social distancing and good hygiene. Picnics, boating, hiking, camping and group exercise are back and couples can now have five more people at their wedding. But other restrictions related to restaurants, play equipment and travel bans remain in place. On Sunday, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced residents will finally be freed to go for a drive, sit at the beach, have a picnic, visit a national park and shop for non-essential items from midnight on Friday after weeks of restrictions. Drivers must remain within 50km of their home and can only go out with members of the same household. While our states and territories are all in discussions about when and how to lift lockdown orders, there appears to be an unspoken agreement that there is no fast and easy way to return to a 'pre-coronavirus' norm. A British start-up company carrying out research into the active ingredient in 'magic mushrooms' and its use in treating clinical depression has raised 64million. Tech firm Compass Pathways, has raised the money from its investors, which include Peter Thiel, the billionaire Paypal co-founder. Its researchers are carrying out studies into psychoactive substance psilocybin, found in the wild-growing psilocybin mushroom - a class A drug in the UK. The company hopes to carry out clinical trials on patients using a synthetic form of psilocybin, in the hope the compound can be used to treat clinical depression, anorexia and bipolar disorder. American entrepreneur George Goldsmith is chief executive of Compass Pathways, which he founded in 2016 with wife Ekaterina Malievskaia (pictured together) If future trials are a success, the company hopes to have the treatment on the market by 2025. American entrepreneur George Goldsmith, chief executive of Compass Pathways, which he founded in 2016 with wife Ekaterina Malievskaia, told The Times: 'People with depression get caught in negative thought loops. 'What psilocybin can do is reset the thought loops, in combination with therapy. 'The medicine creates an openness and a new way of looking at things.' According to statistics by the World Health Organisation, there are around 100 million patients worldwide whose depression does not respond to standard treatments. In more than two-thirds of cases, these treatments involve prescription drugs or a referral to a mental health experts, including psychiatrists. Compass Pathways raised 64m from investors to carry out trials on psilocybin, the active ingredient in 'magic mushrooms' (above) Compass Pathways' treatment involves patients taking a man-made version of psilocbyin - branded COMP360 - while being cared for by a specialist. A trial last year on 89 people, run by King's College in London, showed 'no adverse side effects' to the treatment. King's College London scientists found doses of the compound were safe when taken by healthy volunteers. Some patients experienced a 'high' similar to one endured by those who take the party drug, having hallucinations and euphoria during a six-hour 'trip', but no negative effects were reported. Now Compass Pathways plans to run a new trial, involving more than 200 patients at sites across Europe and North America. The trial would move its treatment closer to approval from American regulator the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), as well as regulators in Europe. The firm has been backed financially by investors including Paypal Founder Mr Thiel, who has invested around 25million, as well as German Biotech firm Atai Life Sciences and Japanese pharmaceuticals group, Otsuka. Over recent years there has been a surge of interest in using MDMA and LSD for hard-to-treat issues. A medicinal nasal spray which contains a synthetic form of ketamine was approved for depression last year. As well as depression, studies are looking into the efficacy of the substances on PTSD, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and alcohol dependency. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the situation in the state in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic on Monday. "All of us are waging a battle against COVID-19 under the able leadership of the prime minister," Adityanath said in a tweet Hindi. The prime minister had an interaction with the chief ministers of various states and Union territories through video-conferencing on Monday, during which he took stock of the situation arising in the country due to the coronavirus outbreak. "During today's interaction with the prime minister and Home Minister Amit Shah through video-conferencing, I apprised them of the situation in Uttar Pradesh and also took necessary guidance from them," Adityanath said in his tweet. This is the fourth such interaction Modi held with chief ministers since March 22, when he first spoke to them on the coronavirus situation in the country and steps taken -- both by the Centre and the states -- to contain the pandemic. Two days later on March 24, the prime minister announced a 21-day nationwide lockdown and extended it till May 3 on April 14, the last day of the initial three-week shutdown. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Jordie Lunn - Sun Peaks Shred: Down Memory Lane: Weekend Slayer - Episode 7 - Sunshine Coast: Bicycle Therapy: Forget Middle Earth, This is Middle Hill: Losing It At Hardline: Vintage Video Series Ep 2 - Rapture CX Bike: High Speed Kamloops POV: Homestead: Dennis Enarson's Caps Lock Video: Vans Presents - Credits: DC Shoes' "#WESKREMER" Part: Volcom's "Born to Blew" Video: Japanalog: The Fifty - Ep. 26 - The Sickle, ID - "Marriage Test in the Mountains" The Silver in the Sea - A Herring Story: Real Rock - An Urban Climbing Experience: Studying Coronaviruses - Vectors to Vaccines: Abstract - The Art of Design | Paula Scher - Graphic Design: DamNation: Jord ripping in the bike park.Took a trip down memory lane and put this piece together with some of my favourite shots and memories. A little feel good edit that hopefully will get you excited to get out there and ride your bike. Enjoy your weekend everyone!Presented by Coast Gravity Park. Riders: Curtis Robinson, Dylan Dunkerton, Paul Genovese, Logan Peat, Intern, Aussie, and Stephane. Produced by Eric Lawrenuk, and filmed by Kaz Yamamura.Long-time riding buddies Spencer and Donny have grown apart in their riding ways. One is the ultra XC hardtail guy and the other is stuck in a world of downhill (and Rainer). How can they reconcile their differences? Fortunately, Dr. Paddy White, a highly unlicensed therapist has just the thing: The all-new Hei Hei CR.New Zealand is well known for its great riding and relaxed vibe - well, we think we found the pinnacle of that. Forget Middle Earth this is, Middle Hill. They recently opened the gates to their Merino station come, Bike Park so we stopped in to catch a few laps with the founders G & Morgz.Back when racing was a thing.Lars takes us through the release video for the Rapture CX bike.Levi Heise, Dustin McDonald, and Scott Cooke rip local trail post work.Prior to the start of social distancing roomies Dennis Enarson, Corey Walsh, and Jason Watts set out to build the ultimate backyard ramp. When the sun went down so did the heavy riding. Video: Christian Rigal.A true classic.Just under a year in the making, Credits celebrates the diverse energy and personalities of the global womens skate community directed by Shari White. With a talented cast led by three underground favourites - Una Farrar, Breana Geering, and Fabiana Delfino - the film highlights the unique, individual style and expression of a group of friends that skate, hang and travel together. Other featured riders: Beatrice Domond, Cher Strauberry, Clara Solar, Poppy Olsen, Helena Long, Adelaide Norris, Dayana Young, and director Shari White herself.No better way to kick off 4/20 than with Wes getting down to Del. The good hemmies Evan Smith, T-Funk, Alexis Ramirez and The Gov get in the mix, too. Get your wake and skate on.Psycho skating, rental bike destruction and messing with the locals, the Volcom dudes make mayhem their motto in Germany. GT, Doobie, Lintell, Provost, Pfanner and the crew put a heavy one in the books. Hop in and hang on.A Super 8mm project shot in late January 2020, cruising around Hokkaido in a pop-top van with three smelly dudes and a crap ton of good times. This is a "one roll" project, meaning that all footage was shot continually onto a single roll of Super 8 film in my estate-sale purchased Leicina Super, and played back with no editing. Can't wait to shoot more film, it's so exciting to shoot something and then wait for months before you can see if you got the shot!The classic line call "The Sickle" in the Sawtooth Mountains of Idaho is a ski line that at first sight, just begs to be skied. It's a visual beacon that draws all eyes in with its dramatic, arcing, cleave in the side of Hortsmann Peak. This steep and narrow line combined with an adventurous and arduous approach served to be the perfect line for Cody Townsend to introduce the world of ice axes, crampons and laboriously long ski tours to his award winning, world champion, professional freeride skier wife, Elyse Saugstad. Though decorated as one of the most accomplished freeskiers of all time, the world of ski mountaineering is completely new to Saugstad and served up a day in the mountains that was the ultimate test of a marriage. Click here for more info. In March of the past few years, ecologyst has sent a film crew to document the last remaining herring fishery in the Salish Sea. In this new short film, The Silver in the Sea, we bear witness to the severe mismanagement of the fishery of this foundational species, and explore what will happen if we do not let the herring swim freely long enough to rebound from centuries of overfishing. The film is directed by Cam William MacArthur from ecologyst, Deirdre Leowinata from Pacific Wild, and Locky MacLean. It is produced by ecologyst in partnership with Conservancy Hornby Island, Pacific Wild, and SeaLegacyIn the last 100 years, humans have discovered no new mountains. As the last remaining first ascents of the world are claimed, theres only one direction climbing can go: to the cities.. Drew Herder, Director, and Costar of Real Rock An Urban Climbing Experience, explains his latest project, Its Front Range dirtbags pushing their boundaries with a counter-culture approach to climbing in Metropolitan areas. Infectious disease researchers Dr. Tracey Goldstein and Dr. Koen Van Rompay discuss the process of detecting and identifying a new coronavirus, and the steps needed to develop a vaccine.Step inside the minds of the most innovative designers in a variety of disciplines and learn how design impacts every aspect of life. In this episode: Graphic designer Paula Scher paints with words, developing the visual language of iconic brands and institutions around the world.This film explores the evolution of our national attitude from pride in big dams as engineering wonders to the growing awareness that our own future is bound to the life and health of wild rivers. Produced by Matt Stoecker & Travis Rummel. Directed by Ben Knight & Travis Rummel.Photo: jbliautard Russias key business interests in Iraq lie in the energy sector and hinge on the global oil and gas market, and Russian oil giants are continuing to operate on the ground despite the novel coronavirus and volatile international oil prices. Russian Ambassador to Iraq Maksim Maksimov said in a recent interview with the Interfax news agency, Iraqi offices and branches of Russian companies have been working as usual. Of course, they take all the necessary precautions against COVID-19. If the situation on the ground deteriorates dramatically and poses a direct threat to the life and health of Russian employees, our operators have specific tried-and-tested plans in place, which may even involve repatriation. However, we hope that it will not be necessary to resort to these crisis-response scenarios. Speaking about the OPEC+ deal, Maksimov said, The agreement to cut global petroleum output will definitely be welcomed in Iraq, which will allow the authorities to stabilize the budget policy and continue their efforts to restore the economy. Still, he mentioned the current risks, noting oil revenues in Iraq fell nearly 41% in March to around $3 billion, compared with more than $5 billion in February. As oil-producing countries budgets directly depend on oil sales, the situation is fraught with grave consequences in the foreseeable future, he added. Moreover, the implementation-related aspects should first be settled for Iraq to comply with its oil-cut commitments. They will be a hard sell for international oil companies. The government will discuss the share of the cuts with them, with Russian companies possibly hurt, among others. The Iraqi Kurdistan government already asked Russia's Gazprom Neft to reduce its investment in the Sarqala oil project, but the company refused. The situation may also affect other Russian oil and gas companies in Iraq, including Lukoil, Rosneft and Bashneft. The political crisis in Iraq has impinged upon bilateral relations. It arose following the resignation of Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi amid last years mass protests, and the subsequent failure to form a new government. As Maksimov said in an interview with Russias RIA Novosti in February, Last year, a number of important visits of departmental delegations to Moscow and Baghdad were postponed along with the trips of business executives. Iraqi Speaker Mohamed al-Halbusi and the heads of some parliamentary committees are due to come to Russia this year instead. This shows that we would like to see the Iraqi government take office as soon as possible. Abdulrahman Hamid Mohammed al-Hussaini, the newly appointed Iraqi ambassador to Moscow, also spoke in February about the forthcoming meetings. He also said the parties were planning to schedule the visit of Iraqi President Barham Salih to Moscow as soon as the government was formed. The two countries ambassadors also reported on bilateral plans to hold a regular meeting of the Russian-Iraqi Intergovernmental Commission for Trade and Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation in Moscow this month. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yury Borisov and Iraqi Foreign Minister Mohamed Ali al-Hakim are due to preside over its work. Nevertheless, further changes in the government may still affect the plans. Recent reports from Iraq say that Mustafa al-Kadhimi, the former intelligence chief who has been named Iraq's prime minister-designate, stands a higher chance of success than the previous candidates. Two aspects are noteworthy in this respect: signals from Moscow and the Iraqi parliament. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said in April that Moscow hoped to see internal signs of political stabilization in Iraq. She said this should be provided by the earliest possible formation of a new national government. We proceed on the premise that the task will be successfully accomplished by [Kadhimi]. With the information available at this time, most parliamentary factions in Iraq are ready to support his candidacy. At the same press briefing, Zakharova pointed out that Russia considers it unacceptable to make any attempts to use Iraq as an arena for score-settling, which we believe constitutes a violation of international law and the countrys sovereignty and does damage to its national interests. She apparently was referring to concerns that Iraq could become a battleground for a proxy war between Iran and the United States. Iraqi parliament members appeal to national interests when making statements about the necessity to purchase Russias S-400 missile defense system. Indeed, the countrys limited ability to control the sky resurfaced when, on Jan. 3, the United States killed Qasem Soleimani, the leader of Irans Quds Force, and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the deputy head of Iraq's Popular Mobilization Units. Iran responded by targeting US military bases in Iraq. Back then, the countrys parliament recommended that all foreign troops leave the territory, a step that still requires more consideration. That said, Baghdad again began contemplating a purchase of air-defense systems, including the S-400. Iraq cant be satisfied with the US decision to deploy Patriot systems to the country as it aims to step up security at military bases hosting American military personnel. Whether the move will be effective is subject to debate even in Washington, but it fits into the US plan to withdraw from Iraq while keeping a presence there. Against this background, Iraq seeks to diversify military supply chains. In light of the expected Kadhimi-led government, the parliamentary Security and Defense Committee submitted a detailed study to the caretaker prime minister requesting procurement of the advanced S-400. This was confirmed by committee member Badr al-Ziyadi, who told Al-Sabah, The issue has already been discussed with relevant figures at the general command of the armed forces and now awaits the prime ministers agreement. However, its the new Iraqi Cabinet that will have the necessary powers to deal with the issue. As Ziyadi put it, the parliamentary committee will support the next Iraqi governments relevant decisions and will definitely provide it with proposals and recommendations. Nonetheless, Maksimov, the Russian ambassador, said that no official requests had been received yet. In his interview, he said, Recent developments have undoubtedly attracted more interest in Russias air and missile defense systems, particularly S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems. Yet it is premature to get to specifics. So as I said before, if we receive the request from Iraq, we will work on it. It also remains to be seen whether the two sides will cut a deal that entails different regional risks and could invite US sanctions. Besides, implementation would require a stable government in Baghdad. As snap parliamentary elections are possible in Iraq, serious discussions about military and technical cooperation may be postponed until a new government has been formed. Women from 48 of 54 African countries, have appealed to the African Union and Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention to provide financial support to the continents women and girls during the Covid-19 pandemic. The women, through the Nairobi-based continental feminist organisation FEMNET, reported an increase in violence against women and girls forced in to marriage since the coronavirus pandemic hit Africa. The report came during the Anglo-Francophone Africa Regional Womens Webinar on Covid-19, which wrapped up last week. Speaking during the online conference, FEMNET executive director Memory Kachambwa called on African women and girls speak out so that policy makers across the continent did not lose sight of their suffering as they concentrate on the fight against Covid-19. FEMNET has sought answers from African governments but has received no response, Kachambwa said. Governments 'look the other way' How can governments claim legitimacy when they look the other way as women are beaten to death in their homes where they have been forced to stay there? "We want to know what resources and measures are in place to prevent violence against women. This is a reality that cannot and must not be ignored. Irungu Houghton, executive director of Amnesty Internationals office in the Kenyan capital, says since the outbreak of Covid-19, his organisation has seen a rise in gender-based and domestic violence across many countries in Africa, including Kenya, South Africa and Nigeria. Kenya recorded a 34 percent increase of calls for help in the first three weeks of the 7pm - 5am dusk to dawn curfew," says Houghton. "Legal protection, help lines, shelters and access to courts is desperately needed to ensure that women's rights and freedoms are not rolled back at this point." Spike in forced marriages Victoria Maloka, Acting Director of the AU Commission's Gender & Development Directorate told the webinar that parents across Africa had been "rampantly" marrying off their daughters since the coronavirus crisis began. Story continues Maloka called on African leaders not to lose sight of violence against women and girls during the pandemic. "These are issues that may be lost as countries grapple with this deadly disease," she said. Dinah Musindarwezo, a women rights advocate working with Womankind Worldwide in Britain, asked the African Union to address debt-relief by member states to negotiate debt-repayment delays that would help countries to focus better and give undivided attention to fighting the pandemic. On Sunday 26th April, figures from the World Health Organization showed that Africa had 30,367 cases of coronavirus, with 1,378 deaths and 9,107 recoveries. Five countries have reported a continued increase in rates infection: South Africa, Egypt, Morocco, Algeria and Cameroon. Online learning during the coronavirus crisis could squander weeks of education for Australian children, with the students in greatest need facing the most risk of harm. Up to half the nation's school students are at risk of damage to their education and emotional wellbeing from the prolonged curbs on ordinary classes, the University of Tasmania found in one of five academic studies released on Monday. Studies show online learning can leave some students well behind where they should be. Credit:AAP "It is already clear that nationally, children and young people are experiencing learning losses," the report said. "These losses will cause a delay in cognitive gain and achievement in some students and result in others being lost to the education system." The report by Professor Natalie Brown and colleagues at the University of Tasmania said 46 per cent of Australian children and young people were at risk of adverse effects on their education, nutrition and emotional wellbeing by being physically disconnected from school. Denver Walmart Where 3 People Connected To Store Died Of COVID-19 To Reopen A Walmart in suburban Denver is granted permission to reopen after it was ordered to temporarily close when three people connected to the store died of COVID-19 disease, and at least six employees tested positive. Officials at the Tri-County Health Department (TCHD) announced April 26 that Walmart Supercenter at 14000 East Exposition in Aurora, Colorado, would be allowed to reopen after it was cleaned and disinfected by a third party contractor over the weekend. In a press release, the Department said the store has good social distancing measures, signage throughout, enhanced metering of shoppers into the store, one-way traffic through isles, employee communication systems and usage of masks, and a robust employee illness screening and reporting process utilizing tools provided by TCHD. The store was ordered closed on April 24 following the death of an employee from the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as novel coronavirus. A third-party contractor and an employees family member also died from the disease. At the time, TCHD said there were six additional confirmed cases among employees, plus another three living suspect cases awaiting lab confirmation. However, in an updated press release on Sunday, the Department said there were 11 additional cases of the CCP virus, also linked to the outbreak, although it noted that the majority of employees who tested positive have not been at work for more than a week. The deaths include a 72-year-old female employee; her 63-year-old husband, who did not work at the store; and a 69-year-old male who worked for an independent security company. Amid the deaths, TCHD said it had also received several complaints regarding the Walmart store from employees and shoppers regarding the lack of social distancing, and too many people being in the store at one time. Claims were also made about employees not wearing masks or face coverings, as advised by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The stores management and staff have taken this very seriously and have good safety and health measures in place, said John M. Douglas, Jr., MD, Executive Director of Tri-County Health Department. In a statement to CNN on Friday, a Walmart spokesperson said, Colorado has been hit especially hard by COVID-19, and several associates at this store have tested positive. Sadly, one of our associates has passed away. The temporary closure will allow third-party cleaning experts to further clean and sanitize the store. We recognize how hard this is for our associates in Aurora, and everyone impacted by this difficult situation. We want to do everything we can to support them at this time. We will continue to work closely with Tri-County Health Department and take additional steps as needed to reopen the store, the spokesperson added. Colorado has been under a 30 day statewide Stay-at-Home Order since March 26. However, the order expired on April 26. On Sunday, Gov. Jared Polis issued a safer at home executive order, advising vulnerable populations, including seniors, to continue staying home, only leaving when necessary. Retail businesses can reopen with curbside pickup on Monday and voluntary or elective medical, dental, and veterinary surgeries and procedures may resume if facilities are following required safety protocols. Retail shops will then be allowed to reopen their doors to customers on Friday with strict precautions. On May 4, commercial businesses can open with up to 50 percent of employees working in-person, as long as best practices are implemented to protect the health and safety of employees. However, businesses are encouraged to allow employees to continue telecommuting at higher levels if possible. Melissa Leong, Jock Zonfrillo and Andy Allen debuted as judges on MasterChef Australia: Back to Win earlier this month. And after fans praised the new hosts for their chemistry and professionalism, an eliminated contestant has revealed what they're really like off screen. Returning star Ben Milbourne, who was booted from the show this week, told the HuffPost on Sunday that the judges' humour is rarely shown on TV. Off camera: An eliminated contestant has revealed what the new MasterChef Australia judges are really like behind the scenes. Pictured: Jock Zonfrillo, Melissa Leong and Andy Allen Ben only had positive things to say about the judges, describing them as 'really funny people' who enjoy 'stuffing around on set' with the contestants. 'Once the cameras aren't rolling, [it's] the nice thing about the three judges to hang out with all the contestants and we get to know them really well and they get to know us really well,' he said. Ben said it was unfortunate that most of these fun moments on set weren't filmed because of the show's focus on the serious cooking challenges. 'They hang out with all the contestants': Returning star Ben Milbourne, who was booted from the show this week, told the HuffPost on Sunday that the judges' humour is rarely shown on TV 'He breaks the intensity and pressure any opportunity he gets': Ben said that Scottish-born restaurateur Jock (right) had been particularly good at boosting morale behind the scenes Ben said that Scottish-born restaurateur Jock had been particularly good at boosting morale behind the scenes. 'I think he's worked in such intense kitchens for so long, he knows that he needs to break the intensity and break the pressure any opportunity he gets, and definitely does that,' he said. Channel 10 took a major gamble by hiring three virtual unknowns - Melissa, Jock and Andy - as judges on MasterChef Australia, but it has certainly paid off. Industry professional: Ben (left on MasterChef in 2012, and right on Back to Win) has his own restaurant in Tasmania and starred on the Food Network's Andy and Ben Eat Australia Viewers can't get enough of the trio, with many saying the show is 'better to watch' without the original judges, Matt Preston, Gary Mehigan and George Calombaris. Matt, Gary and George had left the popular cooking program last year due to a salary dispute after serving as hosts for a decade. MasterChef Australia continues Tuesday from 7:30pm on Channel 10 On the Frontline Against China, the US Coast Guard Is Taking on Missions the US Navy Can't Do Competition with China has drawn more Pentagon resources to the Pacific, but the most visible U.S. military presence there... Two Bajrang Dal activists are among seven persons booked by police for planting saffron flags atop some shops in a locality here in Nalanda district and urging people to buy goods only from those outlets, the police said. The incident took place at the Bharavpar chowk under the jurisdiction of the Laheri police station in the Bihar Sharif block on April 18. The matter came to light only late last week. Two days after the episode, Bihar Sharif Block Development Officer (BDO) Rajiv Ranjan lodged an FIR at the Laheri police station against two local Bajrang Dal members -- Kundan Kumar and Dhiraj Kumar -- and five unidentified persons. Station House Officer (SHO), Laheri, Birendra Yadav on Monday said a probe is on in the matter and no one has been arrested so far. Kundan Kumar, one of the accused, denied the allegations and charged the police with framing him in the case as he had highlighted the presence of the Bihar Sharif sub-divisional officer (SDO) and sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) at a Tablighi Jamaat congregation here last month that was attended by over 600 people. Nalanda is among the coronavirus hotspot districts of Bihar. The Jamaat's event held in Bihar Sharif in the first half of March is blamed in some quarters for the spread of the infection in the district and neighbouring areas. The BDO stated in the FIR that he visited the Bharavpur chowk after being tipped off by the SDO about the incident. "When I reached the Bharavpar chowk, I saw Kundan Kumar, Dhiraj Kumar and five others planting saffron flags at some grocery, vegetable and fruit shops belonging to Hindus and they were also urging people to buy goods either from the shops sporting the flags or those owned by Hindus," the BDO stated in the FIR. He said the members of the right-wing outfit posted a message using Twitter handle @Rahul Prince 1432, adding that they also uploaded a photograph of planting saffron flags on shops on the microblogging website. The FIR has been lodged under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including 147 (punishment for rioting), as also the Information Technology Act. "The allegations made in the FIR are completely false and fabricated. I have nothing to do with it. "As Bajrang Dal activists, we had distributed saffron flags among shop owners and vendors after a Ram Navami procession was withheld in view of the lockdown. Shopkeepers had put up the flags on their own later," Kundan Kumar said. Efforts to contact the SDO and SDPO over the incident did not bear fruit. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Dulquer Salmaan starrer Varane Avashyamund has been courting controversies since its debut on Netflix. The latest controversy involves a joke, which has been interpreted as an attack on slain LTTE chief Velupillai Prabhakaran by a section of the Tamil audience. Users accused the makers of the film of hurting the sentiments of Tamizh people. After a barrage of abuses and threats on social media, Dulquer has issued an apology. The actor took to his social media handle on Sunday to release an apology after trolls attacked his family over the scene. Giving an explanation of the scene, Dulquer attached the reference to make his point clear on the 'Prabhakaran' reference made. He wrote that it was 'not intentional' and requested users to not 'drag our fathers and senior actors' in their abusive tweets. Dulquer's statement read, "A lot of people have brought to my notice that the Prabhakaran joke in Varane Avashyamund is insulting to the Tamizh people. It was not intentional. The joke is a reference to an older Malayalam film Pattana Pravesham and is a common Meme in Kerala. It is a common name in Kerala as well so it wasn't directed at any person living or dead as our disclaimer mentions in the beginning of the film. Most people reacting are doing so without watching the film and are trying to spread hate. Hating on me and my director Anoop we can accept. Kindly keep it to us and not our fathers or senior actors from the film." "I apologise to all of the good and kind tamizh people who felt offended. I have never intended to offend anyone through my films or my words. It's genuinely a misunderstanding. P.S. Some of you are being extremely abusive, threatening, deliberately hurtful and insulting family along with us. I wish that weren't so," he added. To all those who were offended. I apologise. And I also apologise on behalf of #VaraneAvashyamund and @DQsWayfarerFilm ! pic.twitter.com/erbjftlNbj dulquer salmaan (@dulQuer) April 26, 2020 To all those who were offended. I apologise. And I also apologise on behalf of #VaraneAvashyamund and @DQsWayfarerFilm ! This is the reference to the joke in question. The 1988 film Pattana Pravesham. pic.twitter.com/7fQrrJRU7u dulquer salmaan (@dulQuer) April 26, 2020 Follow @News18Movies for more States and territories have begun the gradual easing of tough coronavirus restrictions. Australia's extraordinary crushing of the curve over the past week, with just seven cases recorded on Tuesday, has prompted state leaders to announce how and when life will start to return to normal. Here is a state-by-state guide of when the lifting of restrictions will come into effect. Western Australia will lift the limit on non-work activity gatherings from two to ten people from Monday, April 27 WESTERN AUSTRALIA Coronavirus restrictions eased from Monday, 27 April. Two-person limit on non-work activities, including picnics, boating, hiking, camping, and group exercise eased from two to 10 people, provided they adhere to social distancing and good hygiene. Weddings and funerals can have up to 10 people present. In real estate, open houses and display villages permitted but records must be kept of everyone who enters a home. Students will return to the classroom from May 29. WA Premier Mark McGowan said it was a 'cautious relaxation' of restrictions. NORTHERN TERRITORY Parks and reserves will reopen this weekend. Cafes and gyms expected to reopen in June, but under strict rules. 'We can only do this because of the work and sacrifices of Territorians and we can only keep our parks open if Territorians are respectful of each other's space,' Territory Chief Minister Michael Gunner said. QUEENSLAND In Queensland family picnics and weekend drives of up to 50km from home will be permitted and national parks will open from May 2 Stay-at-home restrictions to ease from Saturday, May 2. Family picnics and weekend drives allowed, national parks will reopen and people can shop for clothing and shoes. Citizens must stay within 50km of their homes, and social distancing will still be enforced. People from the same household can go out together, while those who live alone can spend time with one other person. No change to schools until at least May 15 with students continuing to learn remotely where they can. 'We recognise that Queenslanders have done a great job in trying to flatten that curve. So we also know it's having a big impact on people's mental health. We thought we could lift some stay-at-home restrictions,' Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says. VICTORIA Coronavirus restrictions to be reassessed on May 11 when the state of emergency ends. 'I don't know what transmission will look like this week or next week, but I think the state of emergency going to May 11 is a nice line-up with the national cabinet process for a real look at changing the restrictions,' Chief Health Officer Professor Brett Sutton said. TASMANIA Restrictions closing non-essential retail in the northwest, due to be lifted on Sunday, have been pushed back to at least May 3. Most Tasmanian students to begin term two on Tuesday remotely, but schools in the northwest area will open a week later. 'I don't want to have a knee-jerk reaction ... take away restrictions too early only to have to bring them back again,' Tasmanian Premier Peter Gutwein said. NEW SOUTH WALES While Bondi Beach will open for swimming and surfing from April 28 no changes will be made to social distancing NSW not considering any changes to social restrictions at the moment. 'Yes, we definitely want to ease restrictions. Yes, we definitely want people to have a greater sense of normality in their lives. But we also have to be aware that comes with an obvious consequence, more cases and more people getting sick - we appreciate that will happen until we have a cure or a vaccine,' NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said. SOUTH AUSTRALIA South Australia not looking at easing any coronavirus restrictions 'any time soon'. 'Our restrictions are actually not as severe in some respects as other states and territories,' South Australian Health Minister Stephen Wade said. ACT The territory won't lifting any restrictions soon. 'This is not a race or a contest between jurisdictions. We are in a great position here in the ACT, largely thanks to the great community effort in complying with the rules around physical distancing. However, we have seen around the world what can happen when restrictions are imposed too late or taken away too early,' ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr said. A leading member of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) wants the government to render account on the GHc40 million used to feed Ghanaians during the COVID-19 3 weeks lockdown period. Johnson Asiedu Nketia, NDC General Secretary, believes Ghanaians have been shortchanged since the president lifted the lockdown just a week after the said funds were said to have been disbursed. As a way of mitigating against any hardship that some Ghanaians were likely to experience following President Akufo-Addo's decision to impose restrictions on the movement of persons and goods within some areas in the country in the wake of the novel Coronavirus, the government decided to set aside a significant amount of money to feed the vulnerable hard hit by the directive. Coronavirus Alleviation Programme (CAP) The Finance Committee of Parliament approved for the government to access GHC1.2billion from the Contingency Fund to finance the Coronavirus Alleviation Programme (CAP). The Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta presented the policy document on CAP to Parliament seeking approval to spend GHC1.2 billion. This came after the Minority in Parliament asked the government to give details of the funding requested by the Minister to tackle coronavirus and its impact on the economy. Details of CAP The Minister explained that GHC280 million will be used for food packages and hot meals while GHC40 million will go to the National Buffer Stock Company. Meanwhile, GHC 200 million will be used to pay for bills on water and sanitation, GHC241 million will cover tax waiver for health personnel. He added that GHC 80 million will be spent on the allowance for health staff, GHC2 million will go into the transportation for health workers GHC600 million will be disbursed as soft loans to businesses. Accountability Is What We Demand But speaking on Okay FMs 'Ade Akye Abia' program, Mr. Asiedu Nketiah questioned how the monies could have been dissipated within this short period of time and wants accountability. "This is the taxpayers' money and you cannot use it in the name of COVID-19 without letting the people of Ghana know how you disbursed it . . . the people you claim to have fed are still hungry and to cap it all, you have lifted the lockdown for them to go and fend for themselves . "It is good the president lifted the lockdown because clearly, a lot of people would have died out of hunger . . . the government claimed to be sharing food to the vulnerable, but lots of people were not beneficiaries. "This is why the government must come out and account to Ghanaians how the funds during this COVID-19 period were utilized . . . how some members of the public were identified as vulnerable yet did not earn," the NDC General Secretary stated. Listen to him in the video below Source: Isaac Kwame Owusu/Peacefmonline.com/[email protected] Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Monday that his country is adding 14 more countries, including Russia, Peru and Saudi Arabia, to the entry ban list as the country steps up border control as the coronavirus infections continued to spread in the country. Japan has already banned entry from more than 70 other countries, banning foreigners with records of visiting those countries in the past two weeks, while invalidating visas for the rest of the world. The additional step on the 14 countries will take effect Wednesday, Abe said. The entry ban and the visa restrictions, initially set to end on April 30, are extended until the end of May. Japan is now under a month-long state of emergency through May 6, for now. Officials and experts are now gauging its effect and whether to extend the measure. Catch our entire coverage on the Facebook-Jio deal here. Japan has 13,385 confirmed cases, as well as 712 others from a cruise ship quarantined near Tokyo earlier this year, with 364 deaths, according to the health ministry.Also read: Coronavirus News India LIVE Updates So Zara has been crying solidly about the fact that Tiff exists for about two weeks now and this doesn't seem to be letting up anytime soon. Making matters worse, Sam and Tiff have spent an evening out together. And they chatted. And they shared an Uber home together. And Sam told Tiff that she was the best thing that ever happened to him. Out of context, this is certainly not the ideal thing to say. It's really not an ideal thing to say in context either really, is it? Drama: Zara has been crying solidly about the fact that Tiff exists for about two weeks now and this doesn't seem to be letting up anytime soon Making matters even worse, he insists of banging on about Tiff's dad, the Right Honorable Clive Watson, hospitality magnate of West London. This is veering into the same weirdness as when Miles was reunited with Maeva's dad and they hugged with a sort of unbridled longing. Speaking of Miles, he's all sexed out by Tiff, who's evidently got the energy of a rabbit on crack. She's even popped to a sex class to learn some new tricks with Verity, Emily and Liv. There's feathers, blindfolds and a vulva puppet named Rosie... Mistake: Making matters worse, Sam and Tiff have spent an evening out together. And they chatted. And they shared an Uber home together Apparently there's no cause for alarm when it comes to Emily and Harvey's sex life, as Tiff reveals she had to wait outside the bathroom clutching her wash bag while they canoodled in the shower at Liv's parents' house the other weekend. That house will have needed to be drenched in Parazone after that lot were finished. Janey, Ollie and Binky are chatting about Binky's new-ish man Max, who is a bit of an unseen character on Made In Chelsea, much like Maris on Frasier or Ugly Naked Guy on Friends. Racy: Miles is all sexed out by Tiff, who's evidently got the energy of a rabbit on crack. She's even popped to a sex class to learn some new tricks with Verity, Emily and Liv Perhaps one day we'll see them all poking him with chopsticks. Janey is thinking of getting a new hair do - short and purple. So Sinead O'Connor meets Dame Edna. Clive Watson truly is on everyones lips. Sam's talking about him AGAIN to Mytton and Reza. This is because Tiff has invited him to come for a catch up. New love: Janey, Ollie and Binky are chatting about Binky's new-ish man Max, who is a bit of an unseen character on Made In Chelsea Mytton and Reza encourage this, but advise Sam to run it past Zara, who is trying to de-stress in the bath. The poor girl can't even take a soak in the tub without Clive being dangled in her face. Sam calls her to ask her permission to go and meet him and she loses the plot. Sam tells her he won't go and lets her get back to pummeling her tarsals with a loofah. Victoria's back, wearing tobacco (not caramel) and she's a changed woman. Shes off the booze, shes eating, shes into pottery now. She has been to Japan and is adopting their ways: taking her shoes off at the door, decorating her house with fukusasa bamboo, taking up mamemaki bean throwing, eating KFC on Christmas Eve... Changes: Victoria's back, wearing tobacco (not caramel) and she's a changed woman. Shes off the booze, shes eating, shes into pottery now Miles can't be around Emily without inferring sex. He's kneading dough with gusto. She then runs a fork over his skin. It's probably best these two aren't going to be living together going forward, for all of our sakes. Tiff meets up with Clive, who is frightfully disappointed that Sam isn't joining them. Nonetheless, he gives the pot a good stir by asking Tiff if she thinks Sam has traded down in getting together with Zara and asks if Zara knows how to speak. Also, Tiff has a string of pearls connected to her phone and it's weird. Talk with dad: Tiff meets up with Clive, who is frightfully disappointed that Sam isn't joining them Girl talk: As a gesture of goodwill, Tiff decides to extend an invite to Zara to her product launch brunch and it looks like things are about to turn nasty As a gesture of goodwill, Tiff decides to extend an invite to Zara to her product launch brunch. After initially thinking it's 'too little too late hun!' Zara agrees to go. She drags Sam along and fiddles with Tiff's products - vegan leather, which is 'not leather then' according to Zara - and ends up having a girl chat with Tiff. This looks like it's about to turn nasty for a second but, alas, all that happens is Zara cries (shock!) as she learns about Sam and Tiff's scandalous Uber journey together. This ends with the words we all hope to have shouted in our faces at one point in our lives: 'Stop being obsessed with her, it's embarrassing, give it up!' More tears: Zara cries (shock!) as she learns about Sam and Tiff's scandalous Uber journey together When Palais de la Porte Doree, an Art Deco museum at the edge of Paris's 12th arrondissement, first opened its doors in 1931 for the International Colonial Exposition, its architect, Albert Laprade, installed wooden parquet floors that were particularly susceptible to its visitors metal-soled high heels. To protect their delicate nature, the museum displayed an elaborate drawing of a stiletto crossed with an alarming red line, warning women against entering the museum in killer shoes. During one of the many visits he made as a child, having grown up just blocks away, Christian Louboutin was instantly enamored with the sign. Curving from its heel to a pointy front, the silhouette possessed sculptural precision that was accentuated with a subtly sharp arch in the middle, fascinating a teenage Louboutin with its power to seduce and destroy. While it was open for a few short weeks before the COVID-19 pandemic swept Paris and the globe, a replica of the same sign greeted visitors to a Louboutin career survey at that same museum (the exhibition has been postponed until the museum reopens). Christian Louboutin. Image courtesy of Palais de la Porte Doree. Exhibition(iste) is an ambitious exhibition highlighting Louboutins decades-long career in shoe design and his cultural impact, occupying the second floor of the temporarily closed museum that he considers instrumental in forming his aesthetic vision. The expansive survey puts his work in footwear in conversation with artists and designers he has crossed paths with over the years as collaborators, friends, or sources of inspiration. Commissioned by the designer himself, site-specific works by Imran Qureshi, Lisa Reihana, Whitaker Malem, and Sabyasachi Mukherjee serve as connecting tissues between Louboutins visual statements materialized in arresting forms, occasionally in bold red soles. Christian Louboutin. Image courtesy of Palais de la Porte Doree. The first time coming to this museum with my older sister, I was not looking for any specific inspiration, but I remember being taken aback by the imposing architecture and the animals inside the aquarium, Louboutin tells Architectural Digest, referring to the museums basement-floor aquarium, which holds 750 species, including a mackerelthe subject of the very first shoe he designed in 1987. Titled Maquereau, the high-heeled shoe humorously replicates the fish, with a striped surface and tail emerging from the front. Louboutin still remembers returning to the museum with the shoe inside his pocket, to photograph his design with limited means in front of the inspirational fish. Story continues Image courtesy of Palais de la Porte Doree. Geographies, however, have always been a curiosity for the shoemaker, whose glamorous and cutting-edge design has synthesized an unabashed medley of fascinations and discoveries. His continuous experimentation with materials, forms, and colors stems from an aesthetes thirst for the cultures, environments, and people impacting his hometown of Paris and beyond. I always question how we give nobility to a piece of art because it has no function, while an object with utility is degraded for having practical purpose, he explains, as manifested in his urge to push shoemaking to sculptural and even architectural extents. Photo by Jean-Vincent Simonet. Image courtesy of Palais de la Porte Doree. Photo by Jean-Vincent Simonet. Image courtesy of Palais de la Porte Doree. Photo by Jean-Vincent Simonet. Image courtesy of Palais de la Porte Doree. A darkened tunnel in the exhibition displays a series of nonwearable shoes in which he challenges function and beauty, rendering the stiletto form as pure sculpture, as well as an object of desire and risk. Their artistic potentials are broadened with a series of photographs by film director David Lynch, who captured models in or next to the shoes, painted, according to the designer, with his friend Lynchs use of artificial light akin to a painters use of the brush. With walls covered in Louboutin red, the exhibition makes stops at various stages of his boundary-pushing approach to stilettos. Nude pumps created in an inclusive color spectrum applicable to various skin tones are presented inside vitrines in mantra-like arrangements. Photo by Jean-Vincent Simonet. Image courtesy of Palais de la Porte Doree. Exhibited inside a custom-built Bhutanese theater, the LouBhoutan series is dedicated to an impossibly intricate body of work he created with students of the National Institute for Zorig Chusum Thimphu in Bhutan, which he fell in love with after his first visit in 2012. (The series had its New York debut earlier in January with a dramatic staging at Phillips auction house.) The show assures that narrative is crucial for each Louboutin design, the most legendary being his first placement of red soles under a pair of shoes. After working with black or beige soles until 1992, he looked at a factory prototype of a black high-heeled shoe and said, Id like to see this without a black presence. Seeing a model painting her nails red prompted the idea to balance the black with red, a color that is irresistible to anyone no matter how much they like black. People are drawn to identities, and my red has become a uniting hint of identity, he says. It is a pure red that cannot be confused with another color under any shade of light or circumstance. Photo by Marc Domage. Image courtesy of Palais de la Porte Doree. Christian Louboutin: Exhibition(iste) is scheduled to run through July 26, 2020, and is postponed while the museum is closed. Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) The California Supreme Court on Monday postponed the state bar exam for licensing new lawyers from July to Sept. 9 and 10. The court also ordered the State Bar of California "to make every effort possible to administer that examination online with remote and/or electronic proctoring." About 9,000 new law school graduates had been expected to take the exam on the previous dates of July 28 and 29. The California high court is the parent agency of the State Bar, which licenses and regulates the state's more than 250,000 lawyers. At least 10 other states, including New York and Massachusetts, have postponed bar exams until the fall or indefinitely, and others considering doing so, according to the National Conference of Bar Examiners. In a letter to the San Francisco-based State Bar, the California court said its decision to postpone the exam balanced coronavirus health and safety concerns with the public interest in making sure that Californians have "access to justice through competent and qualified legal services." The postponement of the exam was one of two options recommended to the court by the State Bar Board of Trustees in mid-April. The other option would have been to cancel the exam, while working out a plan for provisional certification of law school graduates to practice law under the supervision of experienced attorneys. While not accepting the second option, the court said it "will continue to explore other options as circumstances develop or change." The panel's letter said that if a September exam is later determined to be impractical, the court will consider amending its directive. 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. Israel will begin a staggered reopening of schools next week if the latest health data does not warn of heightened coronavirus risk, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said on Monday. Israel closed schools and kindergartens in mid-March, worsening an economic lockdown as parents were forced to stay home to mind children. With unemployment peaking at 27% and contagion rates waning, Israel is now easing curbs. Netanyahu's office said children in the first three years of primary school would resume studies on Sunday, the beginning of the Israeli work-week, in reduced class sizes of no more than 15 pupils. Kindergartens and nurseries will reopen with children allotted specific days rather than a full week of attendance, keeping them in small groups, a statement from the office said. It described these measures as "the initial stage" of "a gradual reopening of the educational system in accordance with up-to-date morbidity data" that would be reviewed on Friday. It said school reopenings would hinge on the data "not pointing to an exacerbation vector" in the coronavirus spread. The data will include the results of an Israeli study into children's susceptibility to the pandemic, the statement said. Briefing reporters, Health Ministry official Ashar Shalmon said the cabinet would also be presented with a geographical mapping of cases. That suggested schools may be reopened on a town-by-town basis, rather than nationwide. Israel - population 9 million - has reported 15,466 coronavirus cases and 202 deaths. With around 100 ventilators taken up by COVID-19 sufferers and another 2,000 on standby, the government sees an opportunity to rethink its emergency policy. The Education Ministry last week proposed allowing pupils in the first three years of primary school and the last two years of secondary school back to class on reduced schedules that would thin their numbers out, limiting the infection danger. Pupils in other years should, for now, stay home and continue with remote-learning, the ministry's plan said. Children at higher risk of contracting the virus, or who have a family member at such risk, will not be allowed back to school at this stage, according to the statement. The school closures have cost the economy between $48 million and $128 million a day, Finance Ministry official Lev Drucker told reporters. Israel's 2019 GDP was $400 billion. A 5.4% contraction is seen in 2020 due to the coronavirus crisis. To help school staff cope with the burden of subdivided classes, students may be recruited as back-up teachers, the statement from Netanyahu's office said. Search Keywords: Short link: Press Release 27 April 2020 In its first month with a visible impact from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Central/South America hotel industry reported steep declines in the three key performance metrics during March 2020, according to data from STR. U.S. dollar constant currency, March 2020 vs. March 2019 Advertisements Occupancy: -48.0% to 31.0% Average daily rate (ADR): -6.1% to US$85.61 Revenue per available room (RevPAR): -51.2% to US$26.56 The absolute occupancy and RevPAR levels were the lowest for any month on record in the region. Local currency, March 2020 vs. March 2019 Colombia Occupancy: -49.6% to 30.5% ADR: -0.7% to COP272,820.00 RevPAR: -50.0% to COP83,252.00 The absolute occupancy was the lowest for any month in STR's Colombia database. Bogota experienced a 48.4% decrease in occupancy. A detailed look into Colombia's early March daily data can be found here. Brazil Occupancy: -43.0% to 32.4% ADR: -9.9% to BRL294.19 RevPAR: -48.6% to BRL95.43 The absolute occupancy level was the lowest for any month in STR's Brazil database. When looking at key markets, Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo recorded occupancy declines of 46.2% and 46.9%, respectively. Additional COVID-19 analysis STR continues to monitor the COVID-19 impact on global hotel performance. More information, such as full analysis pieces and webinar recordings, can be found here. Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi calls Tablighi Jamaats conduct surrounding the Nizamuddin congregation and the spread of Covid-19 as criminal. In an interview to News18s Sumit Pande, Naqvi, the Muslim face in the central government, however underlines that the Jamaat does not represent the community and one can neither punish nor hold the entire Muslim community responsible for the March incident. It is the moral responsibility of every citizen, he says, to follow guidelines issued by the government. This year the holy month of Ramazan has started under very different circumstances. What is your message to the community in the face of the global pandemic? This would be the first occasion in the lifespan of three to four generations that we are welcoming the Holy Month of Ramzan under such challenging times. Covid-19 poses a challenge to not only India but to the global community. We can defeat this virus with discipline and patience. In India, all religious leaders, social and religious organisations, and central and state governments are united in their fight against this pandemic. Everyone has decided that even in the month of Ramzan there will be no gathering at masjids, idgahs. And there would not be any gatherings for Roza Iftaar. Praying with precaution and prevention is something which is being followed the world over. It is our moral obligation to follow guidelines issued by central and state governments and local administration. Everyone must respect and support people, especially doctors and nurses who are at the forefront in this fight against Covid-19. Prime Minister has said the virus does not discriminate on the basis of caste and religion. Do you think issues like Tablighi Jamaat should have been handled in a different way as stigmatisation of both communities and individuals should be avoided to contain the spread of the disease? The relief and help being extended by the government is not on the basis of faith or caste; nor has there been any intent. You have seen in January, Indians in the Gulf and pilgrims were stuck in Saudi Arabia and Iran. All of them were brought back and all help was extended. They are isolated in army-run quarantine camps and taken care of. Most of these people were from the minority community. After that there was this issue related to Tablighi Jamaat. There are no two views about the fact that this crime by Jamaat has affected the fight against Covid-19. But we do not consider Jamaat as representative of the Muslims of the country. It represents a very small section of the community. The community, thus, cant be blamed for what Jamaat has done. Jamaat will be dealt with as per the law of the land. And you would have seen that most of the Muslim organisations have endorsed this view. But you cant punish the whole community because of that and nor can they be held responsible for it. Epidemiologists say role of community leaders and even religious leaders as influencers is critical in the face of a pandemic like this. Do you think we should be reaching out to such people to communicate effectively? We have seen how disciplined people were when we celebrated Shab-e-Baraat recently. Generally, this is one occasion when people take out processions and burst fire-crackers. This time around though, people decided to stay home. From Kashmir to Kanyakumari, Ulemas and religious leaders appealed to the people and it was followed. Waqf Boards also played an important role in communicating and convincing people not to venture out. There has been a recent controversy in the West-Asia regarding some Islamophobic social media post and comments which raised a lot of hackles. Our ambassador has had to clarify. Do you think there is a lesson here for all, including lawmakers and celebrities, on what they say on social media and otherwise? Prime Minister Narendra Modi takes decisions for the welfare of all the 130 crore citizens of the country. Unfortunately, some people even in these trying times think about their own political gains over national interest. Some people write letters. They try to weaken our unique culture of unity in diversity. As far secularism is considered, for us it is not a political fashion but a perfect passion for us. And this government is working in consonance with that passion. No one can accuse the Modi government of any social, economic, educational or religious discrimination in the last 5.5 years that we have been in power. Our motto has been development with dignity and development without discrimination. Some people who are not being able to digest this have tried to malign Indias image abroad and this is unfortunate. On Monday, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that the city will close 40 miles of streets to auto traffic, with a goal of closing up to 100 miles, for pedestrian use. The announcement came a day after New York City Council Speaker Corey Johnson who has been pushing for street closures for weeks threatened to get Hizzoners nemesis Gov. Andrew Cuomo to shut down a portion of the citys streets. Alternative transportation activists and sympathetic media outlets have been pushing for this policy, and harshly criticizing de Blasio for resisting it. On April 17, the council introduced a bill to close down 75 miles of the citys roads to allow people to move around the city without violating social distancing measures. The City Council has been absolutely right to say, Lets keep looking for solutions here, de Blasio said on Monday. New York City has approximately 8,000 miles of streets, so its hard to imagine that 75 or even 100 miles of street closures will mean that most New Yorkers are walking distance from a newly pedestrianized road. The city had initially closed four streets, Bushwick Avenue, Park Avenue and 34th Avenue in Queens and Grand Concourse in the Bronx, for pedestrian use in March. But the program was cancelled after 11 days due to enforcement issues, according to de Blasio. "The problem with the additional street closures is you have to attach enforcement to them," the mayor said on April 6. "If we don't attach enforcement to them, we're very concerned they become new gathering points and we do not want to seem to be solving one problem by creating a new one." Many of the citys sidewalks are too narrow for New Yorkers to safely socially distance from one another outside. Other cities across the globe, from Boston to Bogota, have already instituted pedestrianization plans. As the weather begins to warm up and more of the citys residents are becoming antsy indoors there are concerns that sidewalks and parks will soon become overcrowded. "If we're going to adhere to physical distancing guidelines while we're getting exercise and fresh air, we need more open space, Transportation Alternatives spokesman Joe Cutrufo said in a statement. The devil is in the details, but it's good to see the mayor is coming around on this." About those details: Heres what you need to know about the citys new plan to close some of its roads off to cars: How will the citys street closures work? The city will begin closing 40 miles of streets to vehicular traffic over the next month. However, de Blasio said that it will ultimately be aiming to close up to 100 miles of streets 25 more miles than the council originally proposed closing. The street closures are expected to be similar to those that went into effect around Rockefeller Center to combat crowding during the winter holidays. The streets will only remain closed while the states lockdown measures are still in effect. The mayor has not specified which city streets will be closed but has said that his administration, the citys Transportation Department, the City Council and the New York Police Department will determine the citys street closure plans, including which streets will be closed. According to the mayor, the city will prioritize closing 60 miles of streets in and around parks, as well as neighborhoods that have been hit the hardest throughout the COVID-19 crisis which seems odd, since the people who most need access to pedestrianized streets are those who dont live near parks. "(We are) very concerned about the streets around parks, de Blasio said. Often times we are seeing that immediate area getting very crowded. Those streets adjacent to parks are an obvious opportunity to open up more space. We are going to work together to figure out how we are going to do that." The city will also look at closing 10 miles of streets run by local block associations and business improvement districts and 10 miles of bike lanes for pedestrians. Some streets will be closed entirely to vehicular traffic, while sidewalks will be expanded on others, de Blasio said. What about first responder vehicles, bus lanes and deliveries? The city has yet to address how it will account for first responder vehicles, such as NYPD vehicles, fire trucks and ambulances, as well as vehicles making deliveries and buses. The Council, however, is committed to making sure that these services are not disrupted by the citys street closures. The Council will work to ensure streets are opened in ways that do not impede bus travel, Jennifer Fermino, Council Communications Director, told City & State in an email. Open streets will allow for essential deliveries and for first responders and emergency vehicles to continue doing their heroic work. Eric Goldwyn, a research scholar at New York Universitys Marron Institute, told City & State that reorganizing its streets to make way for essential vehicles shouldnt be too difficult. If you have two lanes going in each direction on an avenue, just take one lane on each side and leave the rest (for essential vehicles in the middle), Goldwyn said. It's not that hard to solve the problem Our streets are not older than the streets in Barcelona or more serpentine and circuitous than those in London or Paris. If they can figure out how to do it, certainly we can. What are the drawbacks? Aside from the risk of impeding deliveries and emergency response for residents along the corridors closed to traffic, it seems possible that pedestrianized streets will draw so many walkers from elsewhere that they too eventually become crowded. De Blasio had previously claimed that the need to divert scarce policing resources to enforcement was also a problem. "If you create a situation where there are not protections and is not enforcement, you could put people in danger," the mayor said. "Obviously, the goal of an open street or safe street kind of structure is that people can enjoy it, and experience the virtue of it and the social distancing without having a new danger from vehicles." BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 27 By Fidan Babayeva - Trend: The latest Real-Time PCR laboratory (real-time polymerase chain reaction laboratory) has been commissioned at Azerbaijans Central Customs Hospital, the State Customs Committee (SCC) told Trend. Currently, the operation of this laboratory is primarily aimed at assisting in conducting PCR testing on SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus for the Azerbaijani populations at risk. The modern PCR laboratory fully complies with BSL2 / BSL2+ biosafety standards (Biological Safety Levels), according to the requirements of the World Health Organization (WHO). The laboratory is equipped with the most modern equipment such as, for example, the fully automated MagNA Pure 24 (a fully-automated clinical nucleic acid extraction system), which allows processing up to 24 samples taken for analysis within an hour, the committee said. To conduct research on the material analysis by Real-Time PCR, the leading automated equipment Real-Time Bio-Rad CFX96 Touch is installed at the laboratory. Centrifuges, automatic dispensers, containers for the collection and transportation of infectious materials, disinfectants and personal protective equipment can provide a high level of safety for the entire work process, SCC noted. The air is cleaned there with highly efficient hypofilters, which ensure the absence of microparticles in the working area and prevent contamination of the test material. The disposal of medical waste in the laboratory is carried out in accordance with national and international standards, said the committee. --- Follow the author on Twitter: Fidan_Babaeva After the Great Recession pummeled the economy in 2008-2009, venture investment in New Mexico ground to a near halt as struggling venture-backed startups crashed and burned and investors hunkered down to await better times. Today, the economy is taking a far worse beating from COVID-19 than it did in the recession. But this time, state officials and investors say New Mexicos venture investment ecosystem is far more mature and stable than during the recession, making a repeat of the 2008 meltdown highly unlikely. Thats because the State Investment Council, which supports that ecosystem through investments in venture funds that pump money into local startups, is on much sounder financial footing to sustain its private equity investment program through the crisis and beyond. Private investors have also pumped a lot more money into a diversified range of companies in recent years, helping to build a solid foundation of stable startups at all levels of growth. That includes dozens of early-stage startups, mid-level companies with a budding customer base and revenue, and more-advanced businesses that have raised tens of millions in venture capital and are now poised for breakout success. In addition, New Mexico is now home to a flourishing entrepreneurial support system of business accelerators, incubators and programs that can help many startups take the steps needed to survive the pandemic. All the hard work that weve done over the last eight to 10 years is really paying off, said Brian Birk, managing partner of Sun Mountain Capital in Santa Fe. We now have much more mature, financially sound and generally stable companies in our portfolio than 10 years ago. That includes large companies with the wherewithal and customer base to survive the system shock theyre experiencing today. To be sure, many venture-backed startups are suffering like most businesses impacted by the coronavirus, and some will fail, said Tom Stephenson, managing partner of the Albuquerque-based Verge Fund. But New Mexicos startup venture community wont fall off the cliff like it did in 2008. Failure rates among startups in general is pretty high, and with the economic downturn were facing now, clearly well see a number of companies go under during the crisis, Stephenson said. But those that can survive well be much stronger and positioned for growth and success in the future. Drawing investors One key difference between 2008 and today is the overall stability in New Mexicos permanent funds achieved by the State Investment Council over the past decade, plus concerted SIC efforts since 2014 to shore up its private equity program. The SIC manages the states permanent funds, the two largest of which are the Land Grant Permanent Fund and the Severance Tax Permanent Fund. Oil and gas royalties and related taxes feed those funds, plus earnings from investments the SIC makes with that money. The council is allowed by statute to invest up to 9% of the Severance Tax Permanent Fund into venture capital activity, including investments in private funds that commit money to local startups, plus direct investments in New Mexico businesses through a co-investment fund managed by Sun Mountain Capital. The SIC launched its private equity program in 1993 to help build a venture capital ecosystem in New Mexico by attracting out-of-state firms to invest here after receiving SIC money, and by also encouraging local venture capitalists to set up New Mexico-based funds with SIC support. As a result, by the mid-2000s, about 15 venture funds were actively investing in local startups alongside the Sun Mountain-managed co-investment fund, which pumped more money directly into companies. That pushed total venture investment to record highs of about $120 million per year in both 2007 and 2008. Recession wallop When the recession hit, the value of the Severance Tax Permanent Fund plummeted, pushing the SICs private equity commitments up to the 9% statutory cap and forcing it to cut off any new money for the program. With startups crumbling in the recession, investors racked up losses. Annual investments tumbled to just $22 million by 2009, and more than half the venture firms operating here went away. The SICs private equity spigot remained shut for nearly five years, even after the severance fund recovered its losses, because council members were wary of jumping back in. It waited until 2014 to pump new money into the program again, and its moved cautiously since then, restricting total investments to just 5% of the severance fund rather than the 9% statutory cap. Diversification The council has also spent the last decade diversifying all permanent fund investments away from over dependence on stocks and bonds which exposed the funds to huge losses during the recession and into more stable investments like real estate to protect state money against market ups and downs. Thats helped buffer losses from coronavirus-induced market volatility. At the end of March, the Severance Tax Permanent Fund remained at about $5 billion, down only about 9% from $5.5 billion in late 2019, despite huge declines on global stock markets. That makes it highly unlikely the private equity program would bump up against the 9% statutory cap as happened in the last recession, said council member Harold Lavender. You cant ever eradicate losses, but weve positioned ourselves well for the market downturn, Lavender said. We wont face the situation we had in 2008-2010 when we had to stop private equity investments. Active scene A lot more venture funds are now operating in the state again with SIC support. The council approved $82 million for seven out-of-state venture funds from 2014-2019, all of which are now actively investing in local startups. It also approved $105 million in new money for the Sun Mountain-managed co-investment fund since 2016, increasing it to about $200 million now. And it set up a $20 million catalyst fund, or fund of funds, which has invested in six new micro funds across the state that are, in turn, pumping money into early-stage startups. As a result, total venture investment reached a record $302 million in New Mexico last year more than twice the level reached before the recession in 2008 with 29 different companies receiving funding, according to the National Venture Capital Association. That includes some huge investments for rapidly growing startups, such as $158 million for the Meow Wolf artist collaborative, $20 million for data analytics firm Descartes Labs, and $12 million for semiconductor chip maker 3D Glass Solutions. Making wiggle room Given the local startup ecosystems new-found strength, the SIC decided in November to raise its long-term private equity investment target from 5% to 9%. In addition, the state Legislature agreed this year to raise the statutory cap to 11%, providing more cash, or dry powder, that the SIC can tap for venture funding if it chooses, said SIC spokesman Charles Wollmann. In fact, the SIC dug into some of that money last month, when it approved $100 million for a New Mexico Recovery Fund to make short-term loans to local businesses struggling to stay afloat during the pandemic. As of the end of March, SIC private equity commitments totaled about 7.5% of the Severance Tax Permanent Fund, so theres still some wiggle room for the council to play with if it chooses, Wollmann said. Theres still enough dry powder available for up to $100 million that the council could deploy. Focus on survival In the meantime, early-stage startups seeking first-time funding may face difficulties, since most venture firms will wait until the coronavirus dust clears before considering new investments, said Cottonwood Technology Funds Managing Partner David Blivin. But companies that have already raised money could likely win follow-on funding from their venture backers during the crisis if needed. Many new companies could also benefit from emergency government programs like the federal Paycheck Protection Program, Blivin said. In the long run, damage to startups will depend on how long the pandemic lasts, said Gavin Christensen, managing partner for the Utah-based Kickstart Fund, which has invested in five New Mexico companies. We have a lot of gritty entrepreneurs out there who are used to challenges, and Im optimistic theyll pull through, Christensen said. But Im very realistic that the crisis and recovery could easily stretch for many months, even years. Right now, its all about surviving the crisis. After a turbulent week in the oil markets, rougher waters may lie ahead. A flotilla of about 20 Saudi Arabian supertankers carrying more than 40 million barrels of crude oil is sailing to the Gulf of Mexico and is set to arrive in May. The timing and optics couldn't be worse. With the U.S. oil industry running out of places to store production and prices down sharply this year, the White House is under growing pressure from Republicans to stop the tankers from unloading and adding to the flood. Citing falling oil prices and mounting job losses, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said in a recent tweet: "My message to the Saudis: TURN THE TANKERS THE HELL AROUND." The United States routinely imports small amounts of Saudi oil, which helps U.S. refiners optimize their facilities for different grades of oil. But the new wave of tankers from the Saudi kingdom will arrive as President Donald Trump is being pressed to do something to aid U.S. oil and gas companies and help navigate an oil glut caused by the coronavirus . Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said on Sunday that the Trump administration is considering government loans to help out the industry, raising the possibility of taking an extreme step to try to limit more economic damage. And the oversupply is bound to increase, even after Russia and the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries vowed to slash output by 9.7 million barrels a day after diplomatic intervention by Trump earlier this month. Thanks to stay-at-home orders and the cratering U.S. economy, consumption of car, truck and jet fuel has tumbled 31% since March 13 as people comply. Pioneer Natural Resources chief executive Scott Sheffield estimates that cuts totaling 15 to 20 million barrels a day are needed. "It's not over," said Antoine Halff, co-founder and chief analyst at Kayrros, an energy data analytics company. "I think you still have tremendous amount of oversupply." He said the pressures that turned prices topsy-turvy last week "are not going to alleviate very soon." And though inventories aren't full yet, companies are buying up space in anticipation of an overflow soon, said Halff, former chief analyst at the International Energy Agency. What Trump once called "energy dominance" suddenly looks like weakness. Trump wants to help the industry, which he said on Friday had been "unnecessarily hurt." In addition, a dozen senators from Republican states have been urging him to do something. So, the president has directed Mnuchin and Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette to come up with a plan to channel funds to the industry. "We will never let the great U.S. oil & gas industry down," Trump tweeted. "The industry has worked too hard to get the U.S. to a place of energy dominance," said John Kilduff, founding partner at the asset management firm Again Capital, who was called by one senior administration official. "I said we don't want to lose that. We should give them aid, as crazy as that sounds." In conversations with independent analysts, senior administration officials have floated a variety of ideas including the imposition of tariffs on imported crude oil; purchasing oil in the ground and leaving it there until prices rebound; providing cash in return for equity stakes in faltering companies; and creating a government lending program similar to one for the airline industry. The Federal Reserve could provide backing to some oil companies, just as it is doing with other businesses short on credit. The president could also try to build on his diplomatic success to persuade Saudi Arabia to divert some of the tankers heading this way. Saudi Arabia has announced cutbacks in production effective May 1, but the decision to send these tankers to the United States were made a month ago when the Saudis were still trying to flood the global markets in a dispute with Russia. "What we don't want is to come out of this pandemic and have an energy sector that is really weak so that Russia and Saudi Arabia dominate again," said Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), who has met with Trump twice recently. "He's really, really supportive," Sullivan said, "He wants to look at all the tools available. He recognizes how important this is to the country." The most likely move would be to let companies lease storage space in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to ease the supply glut. It would be easier to buy supplies for the reserve, which has about 79 million barrels of spare capacity. "We're going to have that filled up pretty soon," Trump said Friday, "and we're doing it at a very, very low cost." But that requires an appropriation, and Democrats in Congress are reluctant to approve money to bail out the industry without helping the renewable energy business, too, by extending tax credits. Trump doesn't want to do that. American Petroleum Institute President Michael Sommers said in an interview that the oil and gas industry opposes any measure that would treat the petroleum industry differently from other sectors of the economy. But the API did write a letter to the commerce and energy department secretaries and U.S. trade representative urging that they insist that China fulfill its commitment under the Phase 1 trade agreement to buy $18.5 billion more U.S. energy this year than it did in 2017, including crude oil and liquefied natural gas. Any of these measures would require a leap of faith for Republicans who have shied away from such government interference in market swings. Although the administration isn't embracing any of these ideas yet, Robert McNally, president of the Rapidan Energy Group and former National Security Council staffer, said, "Nothing forces oilmen and conservative politicians to lose their principles faster than a price bust." Usually, incumbent presidents want falling gasoline prices; few items correlate as closely to reelection. "But this is an unprecedented year," said Jason Bordoff, head of Columbia University's global energy center. "No one is driving, so there is not much concern with gasoline prices, and the acute pain in the economy is much larger in politically important states." Both Sullivan and his fellow Republican senator, John Cornyn of Texas, are up for reelection. Meanwhile, companies are stumbling forward. Oil service firms continue to lay off more workers as the nation's drilling rig count plunged to 465 on Friday, the fifth consecutive week of decline and down 53% from a year ago, according to the oil field service company Baker Hughes. Refineries' throughput sank to their lowest level since September 2008, when the financial crisis hit. The financial sector could feel the ripple effects as greatly indebted oil companies face deadlines for loan or bond payments. Fitch Ratings Service says eight of the top ten "bonds of concern" are energy companies, led by Chesapeake Energy, California Resources and Diamond Offshore. Another leading shale oil and gas producer, Whiting Petroleum, filed for bankruptcy earlier this year. Energy companies account for 60% of all bonds of concern, according to Fitch. Even major oil companies have seen their stock prices swoon. ExxonMobil shares have tumbled 38% since the beginning of the year, and the market valuation of Netflix now matches ExxonMobil's. The most pain is being felt in the shale oil and gas sector. The explosion of production over the past decade from the Bakken Basin in North Dakota to the Permian Basin in West Texas has made the United States the largest oil producer in the world, with Russia and Saudi Arabia close behind. Saudi Arabia and Russia, which waged a brief but punishing price war just as world demand collapsed, wanted guarantees of lower production from the United States, whose output in Texas alone outstripped the output of Iraq. But while the U.S. government hasn't made any such guarantee, U.S. production is shrinking on its own. Costs for shale oil run anywhere from $15 to $35 a barrel, and even after bouncing back from negative prices, a barrel of the U.S. benchmark West Texas Intermediate crude still cost $16.89 a barrel. Continental Resources, founded and owned mostly by informal Trump adviser Harold Hamm, has halted most of its production in North Dakota's Bakken shale basin, according to Reuters. It had been producing about 150,000 a day at the beginning of the year. It was the latest blow for Continental, which cut capital spending by 55% March 19 and cut oil output by 30% April 7. "At $30-plus, the industry survives but crippled. At $25 or below for several months to a year the industry is decimated and will not return," Pioneer's Sheffield said in an email. "We will have lost our advantage as a global industry producer." During the week ending April 17, U.S. oil production slipped 900,000 barrels below its record 13.1 million-barrel-a-day level just a month ago, according to the American Petroleum Institute. BP cut 70,000 barrels a day of production; more production cuts may be imminent. U.S. production will soon drop 2 million barrels a day, Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette told the Group of 20 recently. Governors in oil-producing states are doing what they can. In Louisiana, Gov. John Bel Edwards, D, delayed for two months the collection of the state severance tax, which brings in $40 million a month, including oil, gas and timber. But the payments can only be suspended or forgiven by the legislature. In North Dakota, Gov. Doug Burgum, R, convened the three-member North Dakota Industrial Commission to consider a rule change that would allow producers to shut in oil without being penalized by losing their leases. Some oil executives have even dusted off the Texas Railroad Commission, which set production quotas from the Great Depression until 1972. It served as a model for the OPEC cartel. Now Pioneer Natural Resources and Parsley Energy, the second- and 10th-largest oil producers in the state, want the commission to impose across-the-board output cuts of 1 million barrels a day to avoid "disorderly shut-downs." The API opposes such a move, but the three-person commission will meet on May 5 and 20, and the outcome is a toss-up. Meanwhile, the scramble for storage continues. The number of tankers being used as floating storage has increased from around 10 in February to more than 60 today, carrying a record 160 million barrels of oil. The price of renting a tanker has soared from about $20,000 a day in February to more than $150,000 a day last week. API's Sommers says companies are asking the Bureau of Land Management for permission to store oil in pipelines on federal lands and allow companies to suspend production without losing their leases. He says that in late April or early May the industry could hit a "storage wall." Sheffield says that even if supply and demand come into balance, storage at record highs will depress prices for years to come. He said that the "market is telling us we should not drill another well in the U.S." for the next two years. Kilduff agrees. "The overhang is going to be the killer," he said. One irony of the current crisis is that some oil companies' requests echo the demands of climate activists who want to leave oil in the ground and "stop the money pipeline." "We've known all along we had more oil than we could burn, if we took climate change seriously," Middlebury College professor and climate activist Bill McKibben said in an email. "And now we're in a moment when we have more oil than we could possibly use. The answer seems to me to be clear: keep it safely in the ground. Forever." Others take away a different climate lesson. "This is the most extreme demand-side response anyone could imagine," Columbia's Bordoff said. "When people talk about getting off oil, here we have 4 billion people on lockdown and oil demand is only down 30%. It's a sobering reminder of how hard it is to get off of oil and decarbonize the global economy." Former Governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi has called for caution from the federal government in relaxing the lockdown restrictions as the country Coronavirus cases increase. As the lockdown extension in Lagos, Ogun States and FCT are set to end 11pm on Monday, there have been calls for relaxing of the lockdown measures from different quarters of the country. Also Read: Peter Obi Demands Accountability, Transparency On Usage Of COVID-19 Funds Reacting to the development, the former Vice Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party during the 2019 elections expressed that considering that Nigeria has tested less than 10,000, easing lockdown should be done with extreme caution. See his tweet below: Editor's note: This is a guest post written by TravelSkills on SFGATE reader Patrick Munson Last week, I made the very difficult decision to leave my small New York City apartment and fly to San Francisco to be with my family for the remaining months of "shelter in place." The decision was not an easy one. For the first time in my 33 years, I decided to risk my physical health (and sadly, those around me) for the sake of my mental health. As someone who has struggled with anxiety and depression, this period of quarantine has been a balancing act of keeping myself healthy with exercise, home-cooked food and some fresh air, while also keeping my mind in a strong and manageable place. I'd be lying if I said I was super successful. The first few weeks went okay. I started with a close group of single friends in what we called a "quaranteam." However, we quickly abandoned that strategy as we realized we were putting others and each other at risk. That meant I ended up alone in a 300 square foot apartment with only sporadic visits to the grocery store paired with afternoon walks around the neighborhood. As I entered into my seventh week of quarantine and third week of being alone with no end in sight, the thought entered my mind: I have to get out of here. I jumped online and was able to find a one-way Alaska Airlines flight to SFO for just $250 with only four days notice. It's important to note that it is a privilege that I was even able to contemplate my escape. I'm incredibly fortunate to have a job that will let me work anywhere. I have the means to fly. I have no kids or pets or anything truly holding me down (other than my six plants that I was bound to kill anyway). And perhaps most of all, I'm lucky to have family in San Francisco that has space for me to quarantine in for 14 days. My heart breaks for those who don't have the same choices I have. Harbourside eatery Sydney Cove Oyster Bar will be booted from the spot it has occupied on Circular Quay's tourist promenade for more than three decades after the NSW government declined to renew its lease. The business has called on the public to help fight the seafood restaurant's removal from its prime position near the Sydney Opera House after trading from the building converted from a derelict toilet block since 1988. An artist's impression of the proposed upgrades to the Sydney Cove Oyster Bar pitched to the state government. Owner Philip Thompson said Property NSW informed him last week the restaurant was unsuccessful in its bid to keep the site, despite pitching an upgrade incorporating the venue's heritage architecture as part of a government tender process. "I thought we put in a competitive world class tender ... and its incredibly disappointing to have lost," he said on Monday. Public officials including Gov. Larry Hogan in Maryland have to decide how much information to make public. Read more Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and PennLive/Patriot-News. Sign up for our free weekly newsletter. With the coronavirus pandemic, timing is everything. When should states shut down? When should they reopen? Which hospitals need the most supplies right now? Across the United States, those decisions largely hinge on accurate public health data. And yet, how much information is shared with the public varies widely among the states. As part of a collaborative effort, Stateline and Spotlight PA surveyed six states Colorado, Georgia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Washington to determine what information they have made accessible to the public via their websites. All six are regularly releasing data on cases by age, sex, and county. But beyond those basic numbers, the patchwork of available information shows the differing abilities of health officials to accurately collect and report data, as well as how much they believe the public needs to know. The demand from the public has largely centered on where positive cases and deaths are located. While most states made county-level information available soon after they began reporting cases, some have hesitated to localize data further because of privacy concerns. In recent weeks, policymakers and advocates have pressed officials to begin reporting more demographic data about both positive cases and those who have been tested. In particular, racial data have proved critical, as early numbers indicated communities of color were being disproportionately harmed. Calls for more transparency have revealed systemic failures by some states to collect that information when tests are administered. Whats clearer from the available data: Seniors are dying at higher rates than adults and children. Long-term-care facilities have proved to be tinderboxes for outbreaks, though a lack of federal data has obscured the extent of the situation. At the same time, some states are resisting calls to make facility-specific information available to the public. Geography Information about cases by zip code or census tract is critical to properly target limited resources, experts say. But not every state is offering this level of detail. Shiriki Kumanyika, emeritus professor of biostatistics and epidemiology at the University of Pennsylvania and chair of the Council on Black Health at Drexel University, said county-level figures can be problematic, especially in counties that are primarily rural but also have an urban area. Kumanyika said that without granular geographic information, it would totally dilute the sense of whats going on. In Georgia, the Department of Public Health had posted maps showing cumulative and active cases by block groups, which are subdivisions of a census tract. Weekly maps showed the spread and intensity of the disease over time. Positive COVID-19 cases in Maryland are broken down by zip code and county. Data on COVID-19 deaths are available at the county level. Under pressure from experts and the press, Pennsylvania officials on April 20 began including zip code-level data on coronavirus tests, those that come back either positive or negative. State officials still only provide deaths by county. Some counties and municipalities in Pennsylvania with their own health departments are empowered to and have shared more granular data. For example, Philadelphias Department of Public Health had been providing zip code data for about a month before state officials made the change. In Washington state, where the first U.S. coronavirus cases were confirmed, officials categorize cases and deaths by county. In response to a public records request asking for zip code data, the Health Department said only that the data on our website lists the data by county. However, King County, which has been the epicenter of the states outbreak, has created a data dashboard that includes zip code information. The countys site features a map with zip code boundaries that includes the number of positive results per 100,000 residents. Colorado, too, has seen similar divisions. While the states website shows only county-level information for cases and deaths, certain counties have released information by zip code. In South Carolina, members of the public asked the state to report cases by zip codes, but officials initially resisted. The desire for some to obtain details about where infected people are located has become a disturbing distraction because it suggests that there are still people who dont understand the potential threat for everyone and that any one of us can be exposed at any one time," Linda Bell, the state epidemiologist, said during a March 31 news conference. But on April 3, Republican Gov. Henry McMaster ordered the health department to provide the information as it was in the publics interest. Race and ethnicity data Data on the race and ethnicity of people infected and killed by COVID-19 is crucial to understanding how different communities are impacted. Were not wanting data for the sake of data, said Sharrelle Barber, an assistant research professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at Drexel. Were wanting data so we can mitigate this disproportionate impact in certain communities and come up with short- and long-term policy solutions to save lives. All six states are now releasing racial data for reported cases. But some have struggled to collect a complete picture from labs, physicians, and hospitals. Our ability to report data on race and ethnicity really depends on that data being reported to the state, Colorado State Epidemiologist Rachel Herlihy recently told reporters. Our strategy going forward is to get that data from the beginning. Pennsylvania has experienced similar issues, according to Health Secretary Rachel Levine. As of Thursday, 70% of reported cases did not have race or ethnicity data. Just over 50% of death data was similarly lacking information on race. This data has been very difficult for us to collect, Levine said in mid-April, because of issues with what information physicians and labs are sending the state. Similar problems have occurred in Maryland, according to Joshua M. Sharfstein, vice dean for public health practice and community engagement at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. There, he said, some commercial testing facilities were not noting race or ethnicity when recording test results. Still, as of Thursday, the state lacked race data for just 21% of reported COVID-19 cases. South Carolina appears to have been successful in collecting this information. In its most recent report, only nine out of 148 deaths, or 6%, did not report race. The percentage of positive cases that lacked race data was the same. In an email responding to Statelines questions about how the state was able to achieve such a high level of compliance, the South Carolina State Emergency Response Team said, We ask individuals to self-report their race and ethnicity. In Washington, 37% of cases were listed as unknown, and the state lacked racial data on 10% of deaths, as of Thursday. Naming nursing homes with COVID-19 cases Of the groups susceptible to serious complications of COVID-19, perhaps none are quite as vulnerable as seniors who live in long-term-care facilities. As visitation and inspections have in many cases been suspended, family members have struggled for information. Four of the six states surveyed by Stateline and Spotlight PA are providing the names of nursing homes that have cases of COVID-19, part of a growing transparency trend. Since April 3, Georgia has provided daily information specific to long-term-care facilities. The list includes the name, address, and county of each facility as well as the number of residents in each, the number of COVID-positive residents and staff, and the number of resident deaths. Colorado officials began naming nursing homes with two or more cases of COVID-19, and publishing a tally of total cases and deaths at those facilities, in early April. Last week, South Carolina began reporting the number of COVID-19 cases in individual nursing homes and rehabilitation centers. Previously, the state had reported an aggregate number of positive cases in nursing homes, rehabilitation facilities, and other community residential facilities. After saying the information served no public health purpose, Maryland officials on Monday reversed course and said a list of long-term care facilities with COVID-19 cases would be released. Keeping Marylanders informed and being transparent with the facts continues to be at the heart of our response to COVID-19," Republican Gov. Larry Hogan said in a statement. "We are grateful to the staff in our nursing homes working around the clock to save lives. Despite being the site of the countrys first nursing home outbreak, Washington has not provided such information. Pennsylvania also does not provide facility-specific information and doesnt plan to do it. The state has cited a decades-old law to hold back the names of nursing homes with COVID-19 cases, though it recently began releasing the number of resident and staff infections and deaths at long-term care facilities by county. This story was updated to reflect changes to Marylands nursing home transparency policy and to correct a reference to the size of census block groups in Georgia. Alex Brown, Sophie Quinton, and Michael Ollove of Stateline contributed to this article. This story includes previous reporting published by The Inquirer and Spotlight PA. 100% ESSENTIAL: Spotlight PA relies on funding from foundations and readers like you who are committed to accountability journalism that gets results. If you value this reporting, please give a gift today at spotlightpa.org/donate. Popular human rights lawyer, Femi Falana has asked Osagie Ehanire, minister of health, to publish the full report of the investigation into the recent deaths in Kano. During the presidential task force on COVID-19 briefing in Abuja on Wednesday, the minister had announced that a special medical team had been deployed to investigate the deaths in Kano. In a letter addressed to the minister on Sunday, Falana said, During a press briefing held at Abuja a week ago, you did announce that the Federal Ministry of Health, the Kano State Chief Epidemiologist, Officials of the Kano Public Health Department and those of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) had commenced investigation into the strange deaths and mass burials currently going on in Kano State. However, we are disturbed to note that the burials have since continued without any official information on the cause of the strange deaths. The people of Kano State and Nigerians, in general, are worried over the worsening health crisis as it may spread to other parts of Kano State not yet affected as well as other parts of the country if not urgently addressed. But since the Kano State Government is completely overwhelmed we hereby call on the Federal Government to take over the management of the crisis without any further delay. In addition, we are compelled to request for a certified true copy of the report of the joint investigation conducted by the Federal and Kano State Ministries of Health into the strange deaths and mass burials taking place in Kano State. Read Also: Kano Loses 12 Prominent Persons In 10 Hours The report should include the nature and cause of the deaths, the number of casualties and patients currently undergoing treatment in hospitals as well as an outline of the measures being put in place by the Federal Government to stop the strange deaths involving mass burials. Falana noted that the request is made pursuant to provisions of the Freedom of Information Act, and Ehanire is required to publish the report within seven days of the receipt of this letter. Take notice that if you fail to accede to our request we shall not hesitate to invoke the relevant provisions of the law to compel official disclosure of the findings of the joint team constituted to investigate the cause of the strange deaths and mass burials in Kano State, it added. TDT | Manama A series of remote events will be held during the Holy Month of Ramadan by the Justice, Islamic Affairs and Endowments Ministry. This was announced yesterday by Justice Minister Shaikh Khalid bin Ali Al Khalifa, who extended his congratulations to His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, His Royal Highness the Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, and His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Premier, on the advent of the holy month. The Justice Minister noted that a number of preachers from the Religious Affairs Directorate will deliver religious programmes on social media networks. The same directorate has also issued the Ramadan timings application on the ministrys website, www.islam.gov.bh, he said. Shaikh Khalid also said that within the ongoing cooperation between the Justice Ministry and the Information Affairs Ministry, two programmes, namely Becoming a Muslim and Ramadan Insights, will be broadcast on Bahrain 55 Channel; while two other programmes will be presented on Holy Quran Radio Station. Shaikh Khalid also asserted that the Justice Ministry will broadcast the two TV programmes, as well as cover its events on social media, as part of its efforts to enhance its role on such electronic platforms. Meanwhile, the Justice Minister said that the Zakat and Charity Fund had donated BD300,000 to the Feena Khair campaign, launched recently to support efforts to combat the coronavirus (COVID-19), led by HRH the Crown Prince and in line with the directives of HM the Kings Humanitarian Work and Youth Affairs representative, National Security Advisor and Royal Humanitarian Foundation Board of Trustees chairman HH Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa. Regarding its in-kind contributions to Feena Khair, the Justice Minister said that BD175,000, from the Zakat (Almsgiving) account have been distributed to its beneficiaries, in accordance with the religious guidelines. In this regard, he said that the Zakat and Charity Fund had distributed zakat amounts to 999 families, 650 food baskets to others, and 100 baskets to families registered with the Supreme Council for Women. Shaikh Khalid added that 550 baskets have been distributed in coordination with the voluntary team of the Royal Humanitarian Foundation, and food coupons have been distributed to 35 families registered with the Zakat and Charity Fund. Eid gifts have also been granted to 119 children with chronic diseases and special needs from low-income families. The Justice Minister congratulated the Bahraini people, as well as Arab and Islamic nations, on the occasion of the holy month. "We are going to hold a virtual plenary session, and we are awaiting the powers request issued by President Martin Vizcarra last week (...). That plenary session could be convened no later than next week, between Monday and Tuesday," he told RPP TV and radio station. Likewise, the Parliament head explained that if there were time left, some projects approved in the first vote by the dissolved Congress would be discussed in this session in order to put them to debate. Regarding the installation of ordinary legislative committees, he said that 18 of the 25 groups are already working and the rest are not yet installed due to some problems with their members, which would also be solved during the virtual plenary session. COVID-19 High school proms, college graduations, Passover, Easter and Earth Day all went virtual during the COVID-19 pandemic. Next up is Mothers Day. You can stick to full-on online shopping, but dont procrastinate or youll be empty handed come May 10 since mail for nonessential items is still fairly slow. Many local stores offer curbside or at-store pickup for online purchases, but you can also shop online and then purchase and pay by phone then pick up curbside. Flowers and chocolates are rarely bad ideas, but other gift ideas abound for moms with varying tastes and interests. This is the perfect time to think and shop local, as small businesses are struggling to recover from a month of closure. If your mom truly has everything, dont overlook the value of a gift certificate to a local restaurant, salon or spa they could use some retail love, too. Here are our great ideas, all things you can shop for online, and some of which have local pickup. Hibiscus linens Is there anything prettier or more welcoming than a hand-embroidered hand towel in a powder bathroom, or delicate cocktail napkins for a girlfriends happy hour? Hibiscus Linens has an inventory of both and will custom make or monogram anything. Topiary cocktail napkins are $125 for sets of 4, hand towels are $145-$165. DIY kits, including an online class, are $22-$86. hibiscuslinens.com Cacao and Cardamom chocolates In addition to its regular upscale boxed candies, Cacao and Cardamom has a special chocolate high heel kit ($45), a milk or dark chocolate shoe that comes with edible glitter, pearls and other decorations so you can doll it up with or for your mom. Find what you want online, then call 281-501-3567 and pick up curbside pickup at their Galleria location only. cacaoandcardamom.com or Cacao and Cardamom, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday; 5000 Westheimer L. Klein jewelry collection The L. Klein collection recently launched at Tenenbaum Jewelers, comes in 18k white or yellow gold and with a variety of gemstones: crystal or rose quartz, aquamarine and black agate. Youll find in earrings ($920-$1,710), bracelets ($1,745), necklaces ($2,475-$5,285) and pendants ($698-$875). (Shown in aquamarine, $920 for the earrings, $2,475 for the necklace.) Browse online at tenenbaumjewelers.com then call 713-629-7444 to pay if you want curbside pickup at the 4310 Westheimer store. Kendra Scott bracelet Kendra Scotts jewelry has appealed to moms and daughters alike since the Austin woman launched her company from a spare bedroom in her home. Her Beckett bracelet, in silver or gold, captures the jewelry designers iconic shape in a slim metal form. $78; kendrascott.com or Kendra Scott stores Jonathan Adler stationery The graphic greatness of Jonathan Adlers geometric Versailles pattern now extends to stationery. His new note card set and pens are the perfect gift for mothers who still appreciate a hand-written note or thank-you. $30 each; jonathanadler.com The Houstonian brunch and beauty Take care of Sunday brunch and your gift at The Houstonian. Contact the Solaya Spa and Salon by The Houstonian for a gift certificate to use at Trellis Spa when it reopens in the fall or in Solaya Spa when COVID-19 closures are lifted. You can also order a Jumbo Lump Crab and Gruyere Quiche with a bottle of Miraval rose (feeds four) for $78 plus tax and 10 percent gratuity. Call 713-263-6500 or email info@solayahouston.com by noon May 8 with valet pickup at The Houstonian Hotel 3-5 p.m. on May 9. Ligne Roset Roseau vase Noe Duchaufour-Lawrances Roseau vase was designed to resemble a handful of branches. Make it even better with fresh flowers you buy from a local vendor. It comes in white or sky blue at Ligne Roset stores. $185; ligne-roset.com ettitude pajamas Sleep will look and feel a lot better in ettitudes feathery soft Bamboo Lyocell PJs, sleep shirt and bathrobe. The company, in the U.S. and Australia, uses CleanBamboo fabric in its organic, vegan and cruelty free sleepwear and bedding. Pajama tops and bottoms, $35-$65, sleep shirt $75, robes $80-$85; ettitude.com Piperberry skincare Piperberry uses the latest science and natural ingredients to fight aging and soothe your skin. Choose from its Kale Protein Cleanser ($28), Adaptogens Superfruits Moisturizer ($29) and Adaptogens Superfruits Mask ($29) or splurge on a set of all three for $79. Piperberry.com Vellabox artisan candles What better way to self-soothe than to strike a match and burn a fragrant candle. For as little as $10 a month youll get a variety of natural, clean-burning candles sent to your home or your moms home in Vellaboxs candle subscription boxes. $10, $20 or $30 gift box subscriptions; vellabox.com Silver Palate Cookbook Home cooks of a certain age remember 1982, when authors Sheila Lukins and Julee Rosso published the Silver Palate Cookbook, introducing home cooks to new ideas and ingredients in international recipes that seemed exotic at the time. They made everything from zucchini bread to roast chicken (Chicken Marbella, anyone?) more interesting. Its time for an introduction to new a generation; try the books 2007 25th anniversary edition, $24.95; amazon.com I Heart Mom pillow The sentimental pillow by Peking Handicraft sends a succinct message. Its textural cotton-wool finish is as cozy as it is chic. $56; www.amara.com Mind Reader Test wine holder set Relax in your backyard or at a campsite with the Mind Reader Test wine bottle holder, a curlicue stand that sticks in the ground and lets you rest a wine goblet or a bottle without worry of spillage. $27 at JCPenney stores and jcpenney.com Slip Silk Pillowcase Cotton pillowcases can scratch and tug, resulting in sleep creases and the dreaded bedhead. Cotton also absorbs moisture from your skin, so silk will leave your face feeling more hydrated in the morning. $85-89 for standard/queen size and $110 for king size (comes in six colors); JCPenney stores and jcpenney.com Abyss & Habidecor bath mat You may not think of a bathroom rug as much of a gift, but the lush floral design and soft fibers in Abyss & Habidecors Dahlia bath mat will convince you otherwise. $352; www.amara.com Dessert Gallery cakes and cookies Dessert Gallery sells Mother's Day Graphic Cakes for $45 or individual cookies for $3.25. Other Mother's Day treats include cupcakes and hand-decorated butter cookies, $3.95; regular decorated cake, $34.50; and petit fours, $3.50. www.dessertgallery.com diane.cowen@chron.com Sign up for Cowens Access Design newsletter, delivered to your inbox Tuesdays, at www.houstonchronicle.com/accessdesign Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday told Prime Minister Narendra Modi the state is scrupulously adhering to the central guidelines on the lockdown, and made it clear that it will not be possible to bring back students from places like Kota until the directions are suitably altered. IMAGE: A health worker provides sanitiser to stranded students from Kota on their arrival at a bus terminal, in Jabalpur, on April 23, 2020. Photograph: PTI Photo Participating in a video conference along with chief ministers of other states, Kumar spoke about many states having arranged for return of students from the Rajasthan town, and also made an oblique reference to the pressure from opposition parties that his government has been facing on the issue. "Our students are not just in Kota but also many other parts of the country... it would not be possible to bring them back until the Centre amends its guidelines, which we are adhering to suitably," he said. The Bihar government has been accused of 'insensitivity' to the plight of the stranded students by the opposition, which has been pointing out that many states, including those ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party -- the chief minister's alliance partner -- have made arrangements to bring back boys and girls from Kota by buses. The opposition has also been taunting the government with social media posts about leaders from the ruling Janata Dal (United)-BJP combine travelling to Bihar from outside, and videos shared by stranded students and migrants in a state of distress. The state government has maintained that while it will not thwart those coming back from other parts of the country on their own, it is against making arrangements to facilitate the return of students or migrants by the busload since such measures violate the guidelines in place for the nationwide lockdown. "Many people have come back after the lockdown from other parts of the country. Many of them have tested positive. It is requested that people be medically examined before they are allowed to travel," Kumar said. "It is for the Centre to decide how long the lockdown should continue. Experts can be consulted for arriving at a decision. We will abide by whatever decision the Centre takes in this regard," he added. Kumar highlighted the steep rise in confirmed coronavirus cases in the state over the last fortnight, pointing out that the number soared to 290 from just 66 on April 14. He, however, underscored that on the flip side, 56 people have recovered after treatment. "The process of testing samples has picked up speed. Six laboratories are at work across the state," he said and reiterated that the state needs more testing kits and ventilators. Kumar also told the prime minister about the massive door-to-door screening drive, which has been launched in Bihar on the lines of the much-acclaimed Pulse Polio campaign of 2006 that had led to eradication of the virus from the state. "As of now, we have conducted screening of more than four crore people in 75 lakh households," he said. He said the Bihar government is reaching out with help to migrants stranded in various parts of the country and the chief minister's office, the state disaster management department and the office of the resident commissioner in New Delhi have been flooded with calls and messages by those in need. "We have come out with a scheme to provide a financial assistance of Rs 1,000 to each stranded migrant. About 25 lakh applications have been received and the money has been transferred into the account of 15 lakh people so far," Kumar said. He also informed Modi that following some relaxations allowed by the Centre, economic activities like agriculture, flood control projects and works falling under MNREGA have restarted, as they are essential for the economic needs of the labourer class. He said these activities were being carried out 'with all precautions' to prevent the spread of the coronavirus infection. The chief minister lauded the efforts made by civil officials, police personnel and medical professionals in the fight against COVID-19, and expressed satisfaction that the drive has received full cooperation from the common people. Albany Police An Albany man was charged with second-degree murder in connection with the death of a Schenectady man earlier this month, police said Franciso Rosario, 26, was arrested Monday for allegedly stabbing Joseph A. Galindez, 27, on April 19. Police did not immediately offer any details on what led up to the stabbing. Eastern-based renegade general says 2015 landmark agreement destroyed the country and new institutions are needed. Libyas eastern-based renegade military commander Khalifa Haftar has declared a landmark 2015 United Nations-brokered agreement to unite the country a thing of the past, and pledged his authorities would move towards creating a new government. The political agreement destroyed the country. We will work to create the conditions for building permanent civic institutions, he said in a televised speech on Monday. Haftar did not make clear whether an elected parliament in the countrys east under whose jurisdiction his forces nominally fall backed his move, or what its future role would be. In April 2019, Haftar launched a military campaign to wrest control of the capital, Tripoli, but the offensive has largely been stalled by forces loyal to the Government of National Accord (GNA). A counteroffensive by GNA-aligned troops in late March resulted in Haftars self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA) being expelled from several key western cities. Haftar receives support from the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Russia. The GNA is backed by Turkey. Reporting from Tripoli, Al Jazeeras Mahmoud Abdelwahed said that Haftars forces have intensified their attacks on the outskirts of the capital since the defeats in western Libya. He said they continued to shell residential areas in the southern Tripoli on Monday. Since early morning, we have been hearing sounds of heavy explosions. Military sources with the GNA say Haftars forces have been shelling several areas in southern Tripoli indiscriminately. In many cases, random rockets landed in residential areas. Today, a woman was killed along with one of her sons, while three of her other children were injured in a random rocket attack launched by Haftars forces. Haftar had in a speech last week called on Libyans in territory under his control to hold demonstrations and give him a mandate to rule. Despite a curfew imposed to slow the spread of the coronavirus, crowds thronged the streets of Benghazi and chanted slogans against the rival Tripoli administration. The UN set up the Tripoli-based government in 2015 following the emergence of the two rival centres of power. The agreement, frequently condemned by Haftar and his supporters, bestows international legitimacy on the GNA under the leadership of Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj. It also acknowledges the House of Representatives based in Tobruk as the countrys official legislature and grants consultative powers to the previous parliament based in Tripoli. Haftar has once more exposed his authoritarian intentions to the world, Mohammed Ali Abdallah, an adviser to the GNA, said in a statement. He no longer seeks to conceal his contempt for a political solution and democracy in Libya. His statement tonight is the final, desperate act of a defeated man. A city-based educational institution on Monday handed over more than 5,000 safety face hoods designed by it to the CISF to be used as protection equipment against COVID-19 for its personnel. Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences (SIMATS) said researchers and scientists at Saveetha Medical College have designed the "cost-effective" safety face hood. It "provides effective protection from droplets infection," the institute claimed. "This face hood is held by elastic and is more comfortable than the existing available face hoods, and can be worn for longer hours," it said in a release. Dr N M Veeraiyan, Chancellor, SIMATS, handed over the face hoods to Vinay Kalra, DIG CISF RTC Arakkonam, and Ashish Kumar, Commandant CISF, Chennai Airport, the release said. The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) provides security cover to Public Sector Undertakings such as nuclear installations and airports. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Minister for Endowments Vellampalli Srinivas said that priests are performing daily poojas and rituals in every temple during lockdown and the government has provided onetime special financial aid of Rs 5,000 to Priests, Imams, and Pastors. Speaking to media here on Monday, the Minister said that as per the directions of the Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, onetime special financial assistance of 5,000 was provided to religious service renderers (Archakas, Imams, and Pastors) in the state. For the same, reports were collected from the respective departments. Chandanotsavam ritual at Simhachalam temple was also completed with full fervor without allowing devotees as per the guidelines, he said and added that food is being prepared in Annadanam temples and distributed to more than 50,000 people. District collectors, concerned officers, and NGOs are helping in this distribution. Meanwhile, YSRCP MLA and Brahmin Corporation Chairman Malladi Vishnu said the government is giving 16,500 pensions under the corporation and soon the pensions will be considered under the YSR Pensions scheme. Moreover, under the Brahmin credit society 500 groups would get the loans with Rs 3 crore through Arundathi and Vashishta schemes. Andhra Pradesh tops in the country in terms of conducting the maximum number of COVID-19 tests per million population and trying to identify more positive cases. None of the opposition leaders are involved in helping state people, instead, they are commenting on government by sitting in a different state far from ground reality, they added. While the state government is putting relentless efforts for the public welfare, they said it was awful and not appropriate for opposition TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu, JSP chief Pawan Kalyan, and BJP state leader Kanna Lakshminarayana who are trying to irk the government at these tough times. For all the latest National News, download NewsX App "Right now all the evidence says it is safe to reopen schools," he said. "This outbreak is evolving all the time, but the one consistent fact so far is that children do not seem to get easily infected by this virus." Associate Professor Senanayake said if Australia was facing an influenza pandemic, he would be calling for schools to remain closed because children are more at risk of serious illness from the flu and were also known spreaders of the disease. Professor Allen Cheng, director of the infection prevention and healthcare epidemiology unit at Alfred Health, said the majority of outbreaks had been adult-to-adult transmission. There had been significant outbreaks at weddings, business meetings and religious gatherings, but schools were notable in their absence from this list, Professor Cheng said. Loading Multiple schools in Melbourne, including Toorak Primary School, Yeshivah - Beth Rivkah Colleges and Carey Baptist Grammar, were forced to close in term one after a member of the school tested positive. Professor Sutton, who has responsibility for deciding when remote learning should end, said on Monday that he was open to opening schools before the end of term two, but was still assessing the risks. Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton, with Premier Daniel Andrews, has concerns about reopening schools. Credit:Joe Armao We know that introduction of the virus has happened with adults coming to school, so that is a concern, he said. Professor Sutton also said not enough was yet known about whether children were spreading the virus. We also dont know the extent to which kids might have asymptomatic illness and be transmitting it to each other. It is comforting that kids dont get, by and large, serious illness, but thats not the same question as how much they might contribute to community transmission or broader population transmission. Loading Professor Sutton urged parents to get children tested for coronavirus if they had any symptoms as the government seeks to dramatically expand the testing regime. Professor Sutton has previously said there would be no return to school before the state of emergency is reviewed on May 11. Victorias position on schools is more cautious than some other states. NSW will begin a phased reopening of classrooms from May 11, and South Australia and Western Australia, both of which have recorded far fewer coronavirus cases, are encouraging all students to go to school this week. The findings of the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance, which tracked the spread of 18 coronavirus cases in classrooms - nine teachers and nine students - across 15 schools also indicated the disease has limited transmissibility between students, and from students to teachers. The study analysed the tests of 863 close contacts of the infected group between early March and April 21. "There were only two cases detected - one was thought to be a student to student transmission, and the other was teacher to student transmission," Professor Cheng said. The study has yet to be peer reviewed but has been cited by the federal government and state opposition to pressure the Andrews government into reopening schools to all students. But experts agreed strict hygiene standards and social distancing would be crucial to preventing outbreaks if schools were to reopen. More than 97 per cent of children are learning remotely, according to data from the Department of Education and Training. Bialik College principal Jeremy Stowe-Lindner said schools wanted to see a unified message coming from the state and federal governments on when they should be open. Loading We also want to see an understanding of the need to give equal priority to the health of all our staff and students onsite, he said. Premier Daniel Andrews said parents were clear about the status of schools during term two. There is no debate on schools. The Chief Health Officer is clear. The government is clear. Parents are clear, he said. Mr Andrews said he was grateful to parents for how they were managing during the pandemic. It is not uncommon to see companies perform well in the years after insiders buy shares. On the other hand, we'd be remiss not to mention that insider sales have been known to precede tough periods for a business. So before you buy or sell China International Holdings Limited (SGX:BEH), you may well want to know whether insiders have been buying or selling. Do Insider Transactions Matter? It's quite normal to see company insiders, such as board members, trading in company stock, from time to time. However, rules govern insider transactions, and certain disclosures are required. We don't think shareholders should simply follow insider transactions. But 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. Check out our latest analysis for China International Holdings The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At China International Holdings While there weren't any large insider transactions in the last twelve months, it's still worth looking at the trading. Tatkwong Lee bought a total of 319.30k shares over the year at an average price of S$0.19. 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! SGX:BEH Recent Insider Trading April 27th 2020 China International Holdings is not the only stock insiders are buying. So take a peek at this free list of growing companies with insider buying. Insider Ownership 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. We usually like to see fairly high levels of insider ownership. It's great to see that China International Holdings insiders own 50% of the company, worth about S$6.5m. This kind of significant ownership by insiders does generally increase the chance that the company is run in the interest of all shareholders. Story continues What Might The Insider Transactions At China International Holdings Tell Us? It doesn't really mean much that no insider has traded China International Holdings shares in the last quarter. But insiders have shown more of an appetite for the stock, over the last year. With high insider ownership and encouraging transactions, it seems like China International Holdings insiders think the business has merit. So while it's helpful to know what insiders are doing in terms of buying or selling, it's also helpful to know the risks that a particular company is facing. Every company has risks, and we've spotted 2 warning signs for China International Holdings you should know about. 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. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Monday abandoned his call to let states go bankrupt and predicted they would get additional funding in the next coronavirus relief package passed by Congress. Democratic and Republican governors alike criticized the Senate Republican when he told a conservative talk radio last week he 'would certainly be in favor' of letting states enter bankruptcy amid budget shortfalls caused by the pandemic. But McConnell changed his tune in a radio interview on Monday with Guy Benson, saying he was not recommending bankruptcies. 'I wasnt saying they had to take bankruptcy. I think its just an option to be looked at, that unfortunately states dont have that option now, cities do. I wasnt necessarily recommending it, but I was pointing out that they have their own fiscal problems that predate the coronavirus, and I was not interested in borrowing money from future generations to fix age-old problems that states have that they created themselves wholly unrelated to this,' he said. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Monday abandoned his call to let states go bankrupt and predicted they would get additional funding in the next coronavirus relief package passed by Congress Senator McConnell faced bipartisan criticism from governors for saying last week that states could go bankrupt as they faced budget short falls with New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo calling it 'one of the really dumb ideas of all time' McConnell then pointed ahead to the negotiations on the fifth coronavirus package, saying money for state and local governments would likely be in it. 'There probably will be another state and local funding bill, but we need to make sure that we achieve something that will go beyond simply sending out money,' McConnell noted. Democrats pushed for such funding in the fourth bill that President Donald Trump signed into law on Friday. But they lost out and have vowed to see money in the next round. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, who is one of the governors pushing for more federal funding for states, last week called McConnell's comments 'one of the really dumb ideas of all time.' And, on Monday, Cuomo praised the Democratic governor of Kentucky for standing up to McConnell. 'Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear stood up, said to his senior senator in the state, Mitch McConnell, that Mitch McConnell was wrong on saying that he wouldn't provide funding to state and local governments, and wrong in saying states should go bankrupt,' Cuomo said in his daily press briefing in New York. 'It's hard for a governor, especially Andy, who is a relatively new governor, to stand up to a senior official and speak truth to power,' Cuomo said. 'It takes guts, it takes courage. And you don't get that from a typical politician. So it warms my heart to see an elected official who is not a typical politician. Thank you, governor.' Even some Republican governors criticized McConnell. Gov. Cuomo praised Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear for standing up to Mitch McConnell on the issue Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, who chairs the National Governors Association, said McConnell would regret his bankruptcy words Republican Governor Larry Hogan of Maryland, who chairs the National Governors Association (NGA), said McConnell would regret his bankruptcy words. 'Mitch McConnell, I think, probably regrets saying that,' Hogan told Politico last week. 'If he doesn't regret it yet, I think he will regret it.' 'The last thing we need in the middle of an economic crisis is to have states filing bankruptcy all across America and not able to provide services to people who desperately need them,' he said. Last week, McConnell raised his opposition to moving forward on a fifth coronavirus bill too soon, claiming he would rather wait to discuss the potential of a fifth bill, known as 'phase four,' until the Senate reconvenes on May 4. 'We're not ready to just send a blank check down to states and local governments to spend any way they choose to,' McConnell told conservative radio talk show host Hugh Hewitt last Wednesday. 'My guess is their first choice would be for the federal government to borrow money from future generations to send it down to them now so they don't have to do that,' McConnell lamented of the states. 'That's not something I'm going to be in favor of.' He also said he would give states the ability to file for bankruptcy rather than ask for more federal money to provide relief for programs struggling in the midst of the coronavirus outbreak. Beshear told CNN on Saturday that he 'strongly' disagreed with McConnell's comments 'as does every other governor in the country, regardless of party.' 'I hope those comments were off the cuff,' Beshear added. 'I hope they were in reference to something else because bankruptcy for a state would be disastrous.' Congress allocated $150 billion for state and local governments hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, but governors requested another $500 billion and cities and counties want $250 billion to replace lost revenue and combat the virus. Additionally, President Trump on Monday blasted bailouts being sought by state and local governments who have seen their finances wrecked by the coronavirus. The move came days after he signaled openness to the idea a top priority for congressional Democrats and a subject of negotiations on the last bailout package. He sprinkled in partisan attacks on Democrats running areas among the hardest hit by the virus, although many Trump supporters also live in cash-strapped states whose medical infrastructure and budgets are under pressure. President Donald Trump attacked the idea of bailing out 'poorly run' states, as state and city governments urge Washington to send billions their way to help them maintain services Trump said he was 'open to discussing' and cast the push for bailouts in partisan terms 'Why should the people and taxpayers of America be bailing out poorly run states (like Illinois, as example) and cities, in all cases Democrat run and managed, when most of the other states are not looking for bailout help? I am open to discussing anything, but just asking?' Trump wrote on Twitter. Trump appeared to be falling in line with McConnell's previous stance. It's unclear where the president stands now. The coronavirus is also taking a toll on red states, with Republicans in control of 27 state governor's mansions, with Democrats holding 23. Many states rely on sales taxes for much of their revenue, and have been hammered by stay-home orders. Complicating the issue for the president is his need to get the economy moving before the November elections. If states have huge budget holes, they will slash funding or be forced to raise taxes during a downturn. Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Democratic Senate Leader Charles Schumer have called for an 'immediate infusion of funds' to state and local governments in the next bailout package. Cuomo said he spoke to President Trump Monday morning and did not raise the issue of a state bailout. He said tallying out who owes what was 'repugnant to this time and I don't think it's constructive and I don't think it's healthy.' But he pointed out New York is the nation's No. 1 donor state, giving more than any other compared to what it gets in federal aid. 'Nobody would be bailing out new York State. New York State has been bailing them out every year for decades,' he said. Asked if New York has enough money as time goes on to meet unemployment claims due to the pandemic, Cuomo replied: 'No. That's why the federal government has to provide funding, because we don't have the money.' 'Police, fire teachers and hospital workers,' Cuomo said, pointing to jobs funded by states. 'How can you exclude them when you're talking about priorities?' he asked. Burma Myanmar Sets Up New Unit to Manage COVID-19 Volunteers Volunteers from the Nandawshae social volunteer group in Mandalay disinfect the house of a COVID-19 patient on April 16. / Zaw Zaw / The Irrawaddy MANDALAYAs the country struggles against COVID-19, the Myanmar government formed a new National Volunteer Steering Unit on Friday, chaired by State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, to systematically organize volunteers in the response to the pandemic. The unit will systematically organize volunteers who offer their labor, time, professional skills and advice for the COVID-19 response, said President Office spokesperson U Zaw Htay. In addition to the State Counsellor, the new unit is made up of the minister of social welfare, relief and resettlement, the head of the Union Minister office, regional and state chief ministers, the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Health and Sports, and the minister and director general of the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement. Since Myanmar confirmed its first COVID-19 cases in March, volunteer groups across the country have helped local authorities and health workers to transport patients and prepare quarantine centers. According to the President Office, the new unit will track the number of volunteers at quarantine centers across the country, monitor the needs of quarantine centers, prepare free health care and medical checkups for volunteers and arrange preventive equipment, food, drinks and transportation for volunteers. The President Office said that the new unit will work with the Naypyidaw Council and state and regional governments to secure funding to support volunteers and can request funding from the government if needed. Some existing volunteer groups at quarantine centers across the country said they welcome the National Volunteer Steering Units mandate to help manage volunteers. Currently, in many places, quarantine centers have many needs and volunteers are also facing many difficulties, such as having poor access to protective equipment and places to rest, said Ko Zay Yar Tun, founder of the Clean Yangon social volunteer group which provides logistical support to quarantine centers in Yangon. With the formation of the new unit led by the government, the quarantine centers and volunteers will have systematic guidance. This will have a positive impact on emergency responses in the struggle of COVID-19. Some quarantine centers across the country have been criticized for poor management and for providing poor hygiene and food for quarantined people as well as medical staff and volunteers. There are also complaints that volunteers at quarantine centers have no place to rest, while many of them face backlash from neighbors or have been evicted from their houses or dormitories by their landlords. The governments plan is good for the volunteers who are working at the quarantine centers. However, the authorities of the unit may also need to monitor to ensure that the work is done properly. If not, opportunists will take over and all of the efforts will be in vain, said Ko Aung Nay Myo, a member of the Save Monywa social volunteer group in Monywa, Sagaing Region, which is providing logistics support, food and water for local quarantine centers. According to the Ministry of Health and Sports, there are now 7,020 quarantine centers across the country where 42,671 people are being quarantined, as of Sunday. You may also like these stories: Myanmar Military to Lend State-of-the-Art Machines for Public COVID-19 Testing COVID-19 Under Control If Myanmar Keeps Current Measures: Health Minister Mandalay Regional Govt Distributes Free Cloth Masks to Curb COVID-19 in Myanmar Officials of the Tashkent City Education Department may be behind hundreds of electronic messages sent by local teachers praising efforts by Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoev and several state bodies to slow the spread of the coronavirus in the Central Asian nation. RFE/RL's Uzbek Service has been inundated with the messages, the majority of which had the exact same text, sent to its Telegram account on April 24-25. It was not immediately clear whether other news outlets were also inundated with the messages. RFE/RL contacted some of the "authors" of the messages, who said the Tashkent City Education Department prepared the text of the message and distributed it among teachers of kindergartens and schools of Tashkent's Olmazor District, ordering them to send the message to RFE/RL. The message says "we consider as just and correct all the measures implemented by our motherland's President Mirziyoev during the ordeal faced by our country." "The work of the medical personnel, who are fighting to save patients' lives, putting their own lives in danger, is hard to assess...the devoted day-and-night work of law enforcement officers and the National Guard is being done for our motherland's safety and prosperity.... We bow and express our gratitude to them," the message says. Some teachers say they were instructed to add their own words to the message, which they did, calling Mirziyoev "the caring Yurtbashi [Leader of the Nation]" and "the real leader of the caravan [a literary or poetic praise of a countrys leader in Central Asia]." Similar messages were sent to RFE/RL's Telegram account by the parents of some students. The parents told RFE/RL that teachers had asked them to send the message, while teachers had received their instructions from school principals who were following orders from the Education Department that came from "the corresponding organization," a phrase used in Soviet times to define secret services. RFE/RL found a text of the instruction sent to principles of schools in the Olmazor District by Education Department official Yashigul Shadieva. She wrote: "Dear principles, I ask you to be active in spreading the positive information on measures undertaken in our country in this dangerous situation that alarms the world." The letter also orders principals to report on how the instruction was carried out by sending her screenshots of all the messages sent to RFE/RL by teachers and parents. Shadieva also noted in her instruction letter that a similar message-sending method was used during last year's parliamentary elections. On April 10, Uzbekistan's Interior Ministry announced a project to create "a virtual group of patriot-bloggers" with the participation of the Union of Youth and the IT University in Tashkent. By Lisa Barrington and Ghaida Ghantous DUBAI (Reuters) - A period drama about the trials of a Jewish midwife airing on Saudi-controlled MBC for Ramadan has drawn both criticism as an attempt to promote Arab "normalisation" with Israel and praise for a rare exploration of the Gulf's social history. "Umm Haroun", a fictional series about a multi-religious community in an unspecified Gulf Arab state in the 1930s to 1950s, began airing on Friday as part of MBC's lineup for the Muslim holy month, when viewership typically spikes. It comes at a time when several Gulf states have broken with the recent past and made overtures to Israel, with which they have found common ground in confronting Iran. Some, including Saudi Arabia, have also backed a U.S. Middle East peace plan to move on from a conflict they say holds back the Arab world. Egypt and Jordan are the only Arab states that have peace deals with Israel. An official from the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, Basim Naeem, condemned the series before it aired and told Reuters that portraying Jewish people in a sympathetic light was "cultural aggression and brain washing". Hamas, like other Palestinian groups, is vehemently opposed to the peace plan laid out by U.S. President Donald Trump's administration. A group of regional organisations against normalising ties with Israel circulated a poster on social media urging viewers to boycott "the wicked drama", which was produced by Kuwait- and United Arab Emirates-based companies. The show's writers, Bahraini brothers Muhammad and Ali Abdel Halim Shams, told Reuters that it had no political message. "People have spoken and judged before seeing it," said Muhammad. "The message focuses on the ways of Muslims centred on showing love, good intention and peace to non-Muslims." MBC, the Arab world's largest private broadcaster, said that according to its data the show is the top-rated Gulf drama in Saudi Arabia for Ramadan and among the top five dramas across genres. Story continues MBC spokesman Mazen Hayek said Umm Haroun's main message was a human one - a nurse who heals people "irrespective of any consideration". "It also focuses on tolerance, moderation and openness, showcasing that the Middle East was once a region where acceptance of one another was the norm versus the twisted interpretation and stereotyping of the region by hardliners and extremists, over the last decades." Saudi authorities took a controlling stake in MBC Group in 2018 as they seized assets from those detained in an anti-corruption drive launched by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. MBC, which plans to move its headquarters from Dubai to Riyadh, has courted controversy before. Past shows dealt with sensitive issues like domestic violence and Islamist militancy. UNTOLD HISTORY The writers said the main character, Umm Haroun, after whom the show is named, was loosely inspired by real-life Jewish midwife Umm Jan, who arrived in Bahrain from Iraq in the 1930s. A disclaimer during the first episode said the characters and events were imaginary. Some people in Bahrain, which still has a small Jewish community, took to social media to share pictures of and a 1977 TV interview with Umm Jan, who is widely regarded as a symbol of public service in Bahrain. In Kuwait, Twitter user Abdulaziz al-Seif said the show should not be seen as pro-Israeli. "We should also differentiate between the Jewish religion and Zionism ... This show has nothing to do with normalising ties with Israel," he said in a video post after the show aired its first episode. Veteran Kuwaiti actress Hayat Al-Fahad, who plays the midwife, told local daily Al Anbaa that young generations should know about "a people that were and still are in our world". She recently stirred debate by publicly calling for the expulsion of migrant workers amid the coronavirus pandemic. Palestinian Nadia Ali, 48, told Reuters she was no longer a fan of the actress for "getting the Jewish twisted tale into every Arab house." (Reporting by Ghaida Ghantous and Lisa Barrington; Additional reporting by Nidal al-Mughrabi and Saeed Azhar; Editing by Mike Collett-White) Archaeologists have uncovered the first evidence in the British Isles of a holy man being sacrificed to guide his chieftain through the afterlife. The remains of a Bronze Age leader were found in a 4,000-year-old burial mound in Gloucestershire alongside valuable rugs, a horde of goods and the the body of a shaman in a sitting position facing his master. Archaeologists made the 'unprecedented discovery' during a dig in Lechlade, Gloucestershire. The chieftain inside the 'impressive burial mound' was surrounded by goods - including a copper dagger, an archer's wrist guard and four cow hide rugs. Sitting opposite him - about 6 feet away - was another man lying crouching on his side in a seated position with no goods. Archaeologists believe this was a holy man. This is the first evidence that human sacrifice was practised in the British Isles to provide leaders with spiritual guidance and ease their way through the afterlife. An early Bronze Age chieftain, valuable rugs, a horde of goods and a sitting shaman that may have been a human sacrifice (pictured) were found inside a 4,000-year-old burial site The site in Lechlade, Gloucestershire is now home to a skatepark and memorial hall after three years of excavations The dig was carried out by Foundations Archaeology ahead of the development of the new skatepark and memorial hall - both of which are now open. Bronze Age Shaman were holy men, healers and spiritual guides Much like priests a shaman was a guide, a confidant and a holy man. They were heal - not just spiritual but physical - in the Bronze Age the shaman was as much doctor as priest. According to Andrej Kapcar of Masaryk University, the ancient shaman would treat trauma, severe injuries and disease. They'd deliver babies, create medicines and perform surgery. This is all in addition to their role as holy men and spiritual guides. Advertisement The researchers believe the two men were part of the 'Beaker culture' - named after a type of cup used during this time and a dominant culture in early Bronze Age Britain. The pair in the burial mound were likely descended from a group that arrived in Britain a couple of hundred years earlier from the Pontic-Caspian steppe in Eastern Europe. Andy Hood of Foundations Archaeology said cows were sometimes sacrificed to accompany the chieftain in the afterlife while mourners feasted on their flesh. He said it was unusual to discovered so many cow hides in a single grave, which suggests the chieftain was of great importance to his community. The chieftain in this grave is the first known to be buried with metal weapons in Britain, and had goods from hundreds of miles away, according to Mr Hood. The chieftain inside the 'impressive burial mound' was surrounded by goods - including a copper dagger, an archer's wrist guard and four cow hide rugs This included a copper dagger, a whalebone pommel, an archer's wrist guard of polished green stone from the Lake District and a fire-starting kit. They couldn't work out how old the leader was, but say the shaman buried sitting opposite him was in his 50s or 60s. It's the seated position that led the experts to believe he was a sacrifice as shamans have been found buried alongside leaders in similar positions in Europe and Asia. He was found upright with his legs dangling over a pit and facing the chieftain. 'In anthropological terms, the idea of having a shaman or holy man would fit with this context because this was a ceremonial and religious area for a significant part of prehistory,' Mr Hood told The Times. The Beaker community, who made the burial mound, appropriated an existing sacred site - it was built near a Stone Age 'cursus' monument from 3000BC. Archaeologists made the 'unprecedented discovery' during a dig in Lechlade, Gloucestershire, on the site of a future skatepark and memorial hall 'In British prehistory there is emerging evidence for periods of human sacrifices, which is a distinct possibility,' said Mr Hood. The shaman would likely have been buried at the same time or straight after the chieftain, according to a report by The Independent, which first carried this story. His seated position was part of a long tradition of holy men being buried in that way - dating back to about 9500BC in Russia and Ukraine. People still used the site where the pair were buried for burials long after its construction - in fact there was even an Anglo-Saxon burial ground on the site suggesting it held sacred connotations for thousands of years. The chieftain and his shaman were at the peak of their power 300 years after the Beaker people first appeared in Britain (about 2500 BC). They were the most dominant group of people in the country but appeared to 'buy into' Britain's pre-beaker heritage by using ancient burial sites. This included a copper dagger, a whalebone pommel, an archer's wrist guard of polished green stone from the Lake District and a fire-starting kit They couldn't work out how old the leader was, but say the shaman buried sitting opposite him was in his 50s or 60s. This is a stone bracer found with the pair and is probably an archers wristguard The pair were laid to rest in one of the most spiritually and ritually important places in southern Britain - a site where four rivers come together. There were three pre-Beaker ceremonial monuments on the site and a substantial ceremonial enclosure that was up to half a mile long. This trend of using the site for burials continued for thousands of years. By the time the chieftain was buried it had already been in use over 1,000 years. Some 1,200 years after his burial, four late Bronze Age people had cremated remains placed on the site, and 700 years after that three Iron age people used it as their final resting place, according to the Independent. There was evidence of animal remains within the burial mound - items likely slaughtered as a sacrifice to the gods to help the chieftain in his afterlife jounrey The pair were buried on the site of an existing stone age sacred site. There were ceremonies and burials on this site for a total of 5,000 years - long after the chieftain was buried Angle-Saxon groups - 900 years after the Iron Age people - were also buried there. 'Our investigation has been a rare opportunity to shed new light on a crucial period of British prehistory,' Hood told the Independent. 'What's more, it has allowed us to understand the extraordinary time depth of this ancient funerary monument and its use by so many different cultures from the Neolithic all the way through to the Iron Age.' There is nothing to see on the surface of the ancient site anymore due to millennia of soil erosion and centuries of ploughing - but it was the fact there was no obvious sign of a burial mound that likely protected the site from treasure hunters. By Trend Azerbaijans State Agency for Compulsory Medical Insurance has launched two new services due to COVID-19, Trend reports referring to the agency. With the support of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and the Heydar Aliyev Center, two new services via the agencys hotline (1542) have been launched, which are psychological support and support for outpatient services. The psychological support will be provided in the following three areas: - rendering online psychological support to medical staff working with patients with COVID-19 and online therapy in the case if a crisis occurs or a feeling of fatigue appears; - rendering psychological support to the public; - rendering psychological support to the patients. People who do not leave their homes can receive outpatient services through support lines, and in case of concern about their health state, the can call 1542, the agency's outpatient support line. The calls will be responded by consulting doctors. If necessary, the doctors can recommend the callers to apply to the ambulance station or a treating physician. Citizens can appeal to a call center by dialing 1542 from a stationary or mobile phone. Citizens can obtain information on the COVID-19 pandemic by dialing 1542-0, for compulsory medical insurance or other matters - 1542-1, for receiving psychological support - 1542-2, for support in connection with outpatient services - 1542-3. The call centers 1542-0 extension line operates in 24/7 mode, support lines for psychological support and in connection with outpatient services - daily from 08:00 to 22:00, on Saturdays and Sundays - from 09:00 to 21:00; and the agencys line operates on business days from 09:00 to 18:00. The hotline (1542) has been operating since February of this year. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz A suspect has been charged in a deadly shooting at an east Birmingham gas station. Birmingham police on Monday announced the arrest of Reginald Lamar Bonner, 40. He is charged with murder in the slaying of 45-year-old Daryl Eugene Cross. The shooting happened about 8:40 p.m. Friday at the Shell station at 9425 Parkway East. Police responded to a panic alarm from the business and, while en route, learned a person had been shot. When they arrived, they found Cross suffering from a gunshot wound. He was taken to UAB Hospital where he was pronounced dead less than two hours later. Sgt. Rod Mauldin said the preliminary investigation shows that as Bonner exited the store and stood outside, the victim walked up alongside him. Moments later, Bonner shot Cross, but police said they dont know why. Bonner was taken into custody nearby. He is charged with murder, attempted murder and certain persons forbidden to possess a firearm. Bonner in 2006 was charged with murder, but that charge was dismissed, court records show. He pleaded guilty in 2009 to cocaine possession and received a nine-year suspended sentence. In 2011 he pleaded guilty to third-degree burglary and received a 15-year suspended sentence. In 2017, Bonner was one of three men indicted by a federal grand jury in connection with the theft of firearms from Scotts Jewelry and Pawn, which is a licensed firearms dealer in Tarrant. According to court records, Bonner had two stolen Glock handguns, one 9mm pistol and one 10mm. On Jan. 24, 2018, he was sentenced to 33 months in federal prison with credit for time in custody since July 12, 2017. He was released from federal prison Dec. 11, 2019. Bonner was booked into the Jefferson County Jail on the new murder charge at 5 p.m. Sunday. He is being held without bond. After a 41-day long treatment,a 22-year-old man, a COVID-19 patient who returned from London last month, was discharged from the government medical college hospital here on Monday after he regained health, hospital authorities said. The man's samples had returned positive 19 times before it turned negative twice in the last two tests, they said. He was free from the grip of the novel coronavirus on the 36th day of his admission in the isolation ward of the hospital. A native of Malappuram, the man was admitted to the hospital on March 18 due to symptoms of COVID-19 on his arrival here from London via Sharjah. Medical college hospital principal Dr Thomas Mathew hailed the courage displayed by the man during the course of the lengthy treatment. Besides quality treatment, he was also given full mental support, he said. Last week, a 62-year-old COVID-19 woman patient was discharged from a hospital in Pathanamthitta district after a 48-day-long treatment. Her samples had returned positive 20 times, before her last two consecutive results turned negative. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) BRUSSELS -- NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has accused China and Russia of spreading disinformation regarding the organizations response to the coronavirus pandemic. We have several examples of statements coming from Moscow and Beijing, which are not correct, which try to undermine the cohesion of NATO allies, and also portrays NATO in the absolutely wrong way, Stoltenberg told a video roundtable with RFE/RL and other media on April 27. Stoltenberg also said that both countries try to portray NATO allies as if we are unable to, for instance, protect our elderly people or that we are not able to work together. We are working together. That's exactly what we do. NATOs secretary-general noted that the military alliances defense ministers recently decided to speed up and step up the work we do because they see the value of NATO working together. He also cited cooperation among NATO allies such as providing airlifts, medical support, and transporting patients. Last week, EU monitors identified a trilateral convergence of disinformation narratives being promoted by China, Iran, and Russia on the coronavirus pandemic. Some of the common themes were that the coronavirus is a biological weapon created in the United States to bring down opponents and that China, Iran, and Russia are doing much better than the West in fighting the epidemic. An anonymous 911 call made the night Johnny Depp and Amber Heard had the blowout fight that ended their toxic 18-month marriage is published today for the first time. The recording was buried in legal files for nearly four years but now DailyMail.com can exclusively reveal both its explosive contents and the tantalizing new questions it raises about the former couple's infamous clash. 'Hi, I need to report an assault right now happening at 849 Broadway at the Eastern building, it's penthouse three,' the caller begins, referring to the luxurious home Depp and Heard formerly shared in downtown LA. Refusing to give a name, the caller explains that a friend named Amber is being attacked by a man described merely as a 'boyfriend', saying: 'I happen to know that it's happening and I just need to remain anonymous.' 'So what did she say that this guy assaulted her or hit her?' the LAPD operator replies, explaining she needs more detail. 'Physically assaulting her, yeah,' replies the caller, becoming agitated. 'Send somebody up there please,' the caller adds, reiterating the location of the couple's lavish penthouse before the recording abruptly ends. Timestamped 8:27:27pm on Saturday May 21, 2016, the call appears to have been placed around the time Heard claims Depp flew into a rage, hurled a cell phone at her face and tore out clumps of her hair. An anonymous 911 call made the night Johnny Depp and Amber Heard had the blowout fight that ended their toxic 18-month marriage is published today for the first time. The recording was buried in legal files for nearly four years but now DailyMail.com can reveal both its explosive contents and the tantalizing new questions it raises about the couple's clash Timestamped 8:27:27pm on Saturday May 21, 2016, the call appears to have been placed around the time Heard claims Depp flew into a rage, hurled a cell phone at her face and tore out clumps of her hair. Pictured: Heard leaving the Los Angeles Superior Court with her lawyers after filing a domestic violence restraining order against Depp on May 27, 2016 Heard's attorney says phone records and police logs vindicate Heard's account of the final episode of domestic violence she endured before filing for divorce. Pictured: A clump of Heard's hair that she claims Depp ripped from her hair the night of the fight Her attorney says phone records and police department logs vindicate Heards account of the final shocking episode of domestic violence she endured before filing for divorce. Depps legal team say this recording does the precise opposite, however, by raising discrepancies in the various accounts Heard and her allies have given of the notorious dust up. His attorney is also questioning the identity of the caller, pointing out the female voice on the clip does not belong to iO Tillett Wright, a trans activist and Heard confidante who has since gone on record to say he dialed 911. Depp, 56, maintains he never laid a finger on his 33-year-old ex-wife and has accused her of fabricating an 'abuse hoax' to boost her profile. The pair are currently battling it out in the courts after Heard penned a 2018 op-ed describing her experiences as a domestic violence survivor and the Pirates of the Caribbean actor responded by filing a $50 million defamation suit. Their rival accounts of the May 2016 fight, the bitter, final chapter of their troubled five-year relationship, will likely play a key role in deciding the case, which is due to go before a jury later this year. Heard has claimed she was on the phone to Tillett Wright when Depp launched his alleged attack, grabbing the device and throwing it at her as she tried to talk to him about their marriage problems. Depp's attorney is also questioning the identity of the caller, pointing out the female voice on the clip does not belong to iO Tillett Wright (pictured), a trans activist and Heard confidante who has gone on record to say he dialed 911 Expanding on the incident in an op-ed for Refinery29, entitled 'Why I called 911', Tillett Wright said he had witnessed Depp abusing Heard on previous occasions They suggest the 8:27pm 911 call was instead placed by a different woman called Raquel Pennington (pictured together), a yoga instructor and close pal of the Aquaman actress who 'lived rent free' in a neighboring apartment also owned by Depp 'He is smacking my face, moving my face and he's got me by the hair and he's, it's hard to describe it's almost like yanking me from side to side with my hair,' she said in a videotaped deposition for their 2016 divorce case. 'He's still holding on to my head at this time and he said, I don't know if he's trying it grab my face but he's yelling at me, screaming, see how hard I hit you. I am screaming at the top of my lungs, help, help please help.' That account was corroborated by Tillett Wright who issued a June 2016 declaration through Heard's attorneys saying he listened via speakerphone as Depp launched 'into a cruel and vicious rage'. 'I then heard Amber crying in fear and begging Johnny to stop his attack, thereafter I heard Amber scream out 'Call 911' before the call got disconnected. I called 911 to save Amber's life,' he said. Expanding on the incident in an op-ed for Refinery29, entitled 'Why I called 911', Tillett Wright said he had witnessed Depp abusing Heard on previous occasions. 'That's why, when it happened again, when I was on the phone with both of them and heard it drop, heard him say, 'What if I pulled your hair back?' and her scream for my help, I wondered like so many times before if I should break the code of silence that surrounds celebrities and invite the police into the situation, and in a split second decided that, yes, I was going to,' he wrote. However Depp's legal team point to an LAPD log that shows that Tillett Wright's call was not registered on their system until 10:09pm, around an hour and a half after the alleged attack. They suggest the 8:27pm 911 call was instead placed by a different woman called Raquel Pennington, a yoga instructor and close pal of the Aquaman actress who 'lived rent free' in a neighboring apartment also owned by Depp. 'He is smacking my face, moving my face and he's got me by the hair and he's, it's hard to describe it's almost like yanking me from side to side with my hair,' she said in a videotaped deposition for their 2016 divorce case (pictured). The former lovebirds met on the set of The Rum Diary back in 2011, married four years later - but split in May 2016 Heard cataloged the 'horrific' abuse she claims to have suffered at Depp's hands, describing him as 'the monster' and recalling many of the allegations she made during their divorce. The filing included photos of bruises and scars (left and right) 'Hi, I need to report an assault right now happening at 849 Broadway at the Eastern building, it's penthouse three,' the caller begins, referring to the luxurious home Depp and Heard formerly shared in downtown LA (pictured) Pennington, one of the first people on the scene after the alleged assault, did not respond to a request for comment from DailyMail.com. However she was specifically asked if she had dialed 911 in a July 2016 deposition. 'What steps did you take at any time from the moment you walked into the apartment until now to call the police she was asked, under oath. Pennington replied: 'The police had already been called by iO.' Depp's legal team say the Oscar nominee was seen on surveillance video leaving the apartment at 8:29pm and knew nothing about Heard's alleged injuries until she filed for a restraining order six days later and attended court with a bruised face. The domestic violence case ultimately fizzled when the two LAPD officers who responded to the 8:27pm call, Melissa Saenz and Tyler Hadden, said they never found any evidence of a crime. Officer Saenz said in a July 2016 deposition that the pair left behind a business card and didn't know until two weeks later the man involved was Johnny Depp. Saenz said she also learned that a second patrol visited the penthouse later the same night. She didn't recall the names of the officers but said in her testimony: 'Their findings were the same as ours.' Depp's lawyer Adam Waldman said the various discrepancies proved that nothing Heard and her friends said about the events of May 21, 2016 could be considered credible. 'Quite simply this was an ambush, a hoax. They set Mr Depp up by calling the cops but the first attempt didn't do the trick,' he told DailyMail.com. Depp has always argued that he was the victim of an 'elaborate hoax' instigated by his ex-wife, who 'faked' her injuries with makeup and falsified accounts of abuse. He alleges in his suit: 'Ms. Heard is not a victim of domestic abuse; she is the perpetrator. She hit, punched and kicked me. She also repeatedly and frequently threw objects into my body and head, including heavy bottles, soda cans, burning candles, television remote controls and paint thinner cans, which severely injured me Johnny Depp jokes that his severed finger gushed like 'Vesuvius' after it was sliced off during a blood-curdling fight with ex-wife Amber Heard in Australia in exclusive video footage obtained by DailyMail.com DailyMail.com's exclusive video is the first time the Oscar nominee has been seen on camera recalling the violent March 2015 night in his own words. Pictured: Depp's finger after the gruesome injury TRANSCRIPT OF THE 911 CALL THE NIGHT OF JOHNNY DEPP'S AND AMBER HEARD'S FINAL FIGHT OPERATOR: 911 emergency operator two seven eight. CALLER: Hi, I need to report an assault right now happening at 849 Broadway at the Eastern building, it's penthouse three. OP: Okay. Are you there right now ma'am? CL: No, I'm downstairs OP: Okay. And I'm sorry, you said 840 was it north or south Broadway? CL: Err, I don't know, it's eastern building, downtown LA OP: All right, hold on, 'cause it's coming up in different areas we have to be sure. Um, somebody was being physically assaulted? CL: Yes OP: Who? CL: A woman OP: Who was hurting her? CL: A man OP: Is that her boyfriend? CL: A man, that's all I know OP: Did you witness it? CL: No, I happen to know that it's happening and I just need to remain anonymous OP: Okay you can remain anonymous ma'am but I have to be certain what's going on. How do you know this is going on though? CL: 'cause she called me OP: Oh okay. So this is a friend of yours? CL: Yes OP: So what did she say that this guy assaulted her or hit her? CL: Physically assaulting her? Yeah OP: Okay. But this isn't the boyfriend or anything like that? CL: Yes, it's, it could be, yes OP: Okay is it her boyfriend, yes or no? CL: Yes. OP: Okay. All right, hold on. Are you between eighth and ninth street? Downtown? CL: Yes, exactly OP: Okay, and I'm sorry, what was the suite number? CL: Penthouse three OP: Penthouse three, okay. And you wanted to be anonymous, right? CL: Yes please OP: And, uh, your friend, did she relay this information to you via text or where you talking to her on the phone? CL: Err OP: What's her name? CL Her name is Amber. That's all I can tell you. I have to go OP: Okay, well if that's all we have and we can't talk to her there's not much we can do, but we'll send somebody up CL: What do you mean there's, send somebody up there please OP: I'm going to send someone, send someone up ma'am, but, you know, if we get up there and she denies it or doesn't want to talk to us CL: Okay, okay, okay OP: Just so you know, Okay CL: Right thank you OP: So we're coming out to 840 Broadway and penthouse three, okay? CL: 849 Advertisement 'The officers came to the penthouses, thoroughly searched and interviewed, and left after seeing no damage to face or property. 'So Amber and her friends spilled a little wine and roughed the place up, got their stories straight under the direction of a lawyer and publicist, and then placed a second call to 911. 'But even this didn't have the desired effect because two domestic abuse-trained LAPD police would later provide a pair of sworn depositions saying they saw no evidence of a crime. 'These lies about who made the calls and when are just the tip of the iceberg as the evidence will show in court.' Heard's legal team rejected those allegations as 'fantasies'. 'Mr Depp's representations about the 911 calls on the night of May 21, 2016 are false, and Mr Depp and his lawyers should know better,' said her attorney, Roberta Kaplan. 'All of the evidence - including sworn testimony from multiple witnesses, phone records, and police department logs - are consistent with the truthful account given by Mr Tillet Wright. 'Despite Mr Depp's efforts to misrepresent the facts and to harass and intimidate Ms Heard and various witnesses, we still live in a world where certain things are truth and others are false. 'Here, there are the true facts of what happened and then there are Mr Depp's self-serving fantasies.' Tillett Wright's attorney Lauren Schwartz told DailyMail.com that her client was in New York on May 21, 2016 and when he dialed 911 he reached the NYPD. She says he is able to prove he made the call at 11:16pm eastern time - 8:16pm in LA - and that the hour and a half delay was simply the time it took the NYPD to formally hand the incident over to the LAPD. Schwartz said Tillett Wright had indeed asked a friend living in LA to make a second call, fearing the two police forces would drag their heels while Heard was being assaulted. She did not name the friend, nor confirm if it was Pennington. 'Mr. Wright stands by his truthful account of the May 21, 2016 events,' said Schwartz. 'Mr Depp's team, desperate to discredit this timeline, has mounted a calculated attack on Mr. Wright. Although they have access to records that corroborate Mr Wright, they are instead releasing only cherry-picked, misleading portions of the record. 'Mr. Depp's effort to paint Mr Wright as a hoaxer or a liar is simply an effort to re-write history. The truth of Mr Wright's statements will be proven by documents and testimony when this case finally goes to trial.' Depp and Heard met on the set of The Rum Diary back in 2011 and married four years later before their May 2016 fight proved the final nail in their chaotic relationship. The estranged couple managed to agree to a $7 million divorce settlement in August of that year however their feud reignited when Heard's op-ed was published in December 2018. It didn't mention Depp by name but he nonetheless sued her the following March, saying it led to speculation that he was the abuser and caused him to lose the role of Captain Jack Sparrow. Depp has always argued that he was the victim of an 'elaborate hoax' instigated by his ex-wife, who 'faked' her injuries with makeup and falsified accounts of abuse. 'Ms. Heard is not a victim of domestic abuse; she is the perpetrator,' his suit alleges. 'She hit, punched and kicked me. She also repeatedly and frequently threw objects into my body and head, including heavy bottles, soda cans, burning candles, television remote controls and paint thinner cans, which severely injured me.' Heard responded with a 300-page filing of her own, cataloging the years of alleged abuse she suffered at the hands of 'the monster' and recalling many of the allegations she made during their divorce These included a blood-curdling account of how Depp cut off his own finger after a booze and ecstasy bender one month into their marriage, an accusation he denies. WASHINGTON South Korean government officials tried again to quell persistent rumors that Kim Jong Un, the authoritarian leader of North Korea, is in poor health. On Monday, South Korea's unification minister, Kim Yeon-chul, told a closed-door forum in Seoul the government has enough intelligence to confidently say that there are no unusual developments in rival North Korea to corroborate speculation about Kims health. "Kim Jong Un is alive and well," Chung-in Moon, foreign policy adviser to South Korean President Moon Jae-in, told Fox News on Sunday. "He has been staying in the Wonsan area since April 13. No suspicious movements have so far been detected." President Donald Trump, when asked about Kim's health on Monday, said he couldn't discuss the matter. I do have a very good idea, but I cant talk about it now. I just wish him well, Trump said during a White House coronavirus task force briefing. "I hope he's fine." North Korea is one of the world's most secretive nations in the world and information about its repressive leader is extremely difficult to verify. "We know more about their nuclear weapons than we know about the health of the leadership," Victor Cha, a North Korea expert with the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said during a recent podcast on Kim's health. "And because its only one leader of course, thats the most carefully guarded secret in the country. Speculation about Kim's health began to swirl after the North Korea leader did not attend the April 15 celebration of his grandfather's birthday, an important national holiday that he had not previously missed since his rise to power in 2011. Last week, a Seoul-based website called Daily NK reported that the North Korean leader had undergone heart surgery on April 12 and was recuperating at a villa outside the capital, Pyongyang. The Daily NK's story was based on a single source inside North Korea. Other media outlets, including CNN, have reported that Kim's health may be in "grave danger." Story continues The state-controlled North Korean media has been silent about Kim's whereabouts in recent weeks. The state-run Korean Central News Agency released a photo of him, dated April 11, which it said shows Kim attending a politburo meeting of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea in Pyongyang. However, neither the content nor the date of the photo could be independently verified. "Even if something were seriously wrong, we would not know that immediately," Sue Mi Terry, a former Korea analyst for the CIA, said during the CSIS podcast. The U.S. did not learn about the death of Kim's father until two days later and then only because North Korea announced it, she said. Terry also said Kim is a heavy smoker who drinks heavily and has a family history of cardiac problems. "Hes 5'7'' and reportedly about 300 pounds, so hes clinically obese," she said, noting Kim's father and grandfather died of heart attacks. The North Korean government has reported zero coronavirus cases, an assertion experts say is almost certainly false. Both Cha and Terry said if Kim dies, it could create a power vacuum inside the country; he has not created a succession plan, although his sister, Kim Yo Jong, could rise to power. Media reports say North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is believed to be in "grave danger" after surgery, but officials in South Korea believe otherwise. Some media reports about North Korea and its leadership have previously turned out to be inaccurate. Last week, Trump said he thought the CNN story was "inaccurate," but he declined to comment further. South Korea's unification minister did not reveal the specific intelligence behind his conclusion that Kim is not ill, but he said it was reached after a thorough analysis. 38 North, a website that tracks developments in North Korea, reported that a train likely belonging to Kim has been parked at a railway station that services the leader's Wonsan compound since at least April 21. North38 cited commercial satellite imagery and said the approximately 250-meter long train is reserved for use by the Kim family. "The trains presence does not prove the whereabouts of the North Korean leader or indicate anything about his health, but it does lend weight to reports that Kim is staying at an elite area on the countrys eastern coast," the website said. Contributing: Michael Collins, Kim Hjelmgaard and the Associated Press This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kim Jong Un alive and well, South Korean official says amid illness rumors Stockholm, Sweden According to the Swedish Ambassador to the U.S., Karin Ulrika Olofsdotter, Stockholm is on course to reach herd immunity to the coronavirus in May. About 30% of people in Stockholm have reached a level of immunity, said Olofsdotter in an interview with NPR. We could reach herd immunity in the capital as early as next month. Herd immunity is a form of indirect protection from infectious disease that occurs when a large percentage of a population has become immune to an infection, whether through previous infections or vaccination, thereby providing a measure of protection for individuals who are not immune. Authorities in Sweden have opted against the kind of total lockdown seen across much of the world, relying on a Swedes sense of social responsibility with a strategy based on mostly voluntary measures to halt the spread. In major parts of Sweden, around Stockholm, we have reached a plateau (in new cases) and were already seeing the effect of herd immunity and in a few weeks time well see even more of the effects of that. And in the rest of the country, the situation is stable, Chief Epidemiologist at Swedens Public Health Agency, Dr. Anders Tegnell said in an interview with CNBC. Unlike the majority of the world, Sweden's strategy has been to keep large parts of society open meaning people are free to move around and go to school, restaurants and malls that have remained open. There are no scientific studies showing that closing the schools would have any major impact, states the Swedish governments website. Nor is there any data indicating any significant spread of COVID-19 in schools anywhere in the world. The World Health Organization said that there is no scientific evidence to support Olofsdotters claim but she did say that more research and testing needs to be done. WHO continues to review the evidence on antibody responses to [COVID-19] infection. Most of these studies show that people who have recovered from infection have antibodies to the virus. However, some of these people have very low levels of neutralizing antibodies in their blood, suggesting that cellular immunity may also be critical for recovery, states the WHO website. There are more than 18,500 confirmed coronavirus cases in Sweden, with 2,194 deaths as of Sunday, According to Johns Hopkins University. Like in Massachusetts, Sweden has seen the vast majority of those fatally infected come from nursing homes. "Once we know how the virus got into our elderly care facilities, the government can make recommendations and take measures to try to stop that, because that is the biggest tragedy of all this, that it has gotten into the nursing homes," Olofsdotter told NPR. The Swedish government has given social distancing guidelines and recommended that people over 70 years of age stay home and that gatherings must be fewer than 50 people. MORE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE Stimulus checks: IRS says its improved Get My Payment website President Trumps focus on his base complicates path to reelection Party on: High school seniors enjoy virtual proms while staying at home White House plan: Trump to shift coronavirus focus to prospects for economy Coronavirus: For first time in 6 weeks, children in Spain allowed to play outside (@ChaudhryMAli88) Unilateral sanctions should be lifted, especially at a time when people are struggling with the global pandemic, Gleisi Hoffmann, leader of Brazil's leading opposition force, the Workers' Party (PT), has told Sputnik in an interview MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 27th April, 2020) Unilateral sanctions should be lifted, especially at a time when people are struggling with the global pandemic, Gleisi Hoffmann, leader of Brazil's leading opposition force, the Workers' Party (PT), has told Sputnik in an interview. "Certainly, economic sanctions must be suspended. In my opinion, not only during the epidemic, because those who suffer from economic sanctions are not the governments of these countries as the United States, the European Union or the UN intend to. It is the people of these countries that suffer, and this is very disappointing. At the time of a pandemic like this, imposing sanctions is cruel, I would even say it is a crime," Hoffmann, a member of the lower house of parliament, said. In late March, the permanent UN representatives of Russia, China, Syria, Cuba, North Korea, Iran, Nicaragua and Venezuela sent a letter to Secretary-General Antonio Guterres calling for the lifting of unilateral sanctions amid the global pandemic. However, a Russia-drafted General Assembly resolution calling for solidarity and global sanctions relief was blocked last week by the US, EU, UK, Ukraine and Georgia. By Express News Service THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Over 1.6 lakh non-resident Keralites have expressed their willingness to return to the state by registering themselves in less than 24 hours after the government started an online registration facility. The demand is more from United Arab Emirates and other Middle East countries. Norka-Roots, the official body of diaspora, has started the registration facility through www.norkaroots.org due to the situation arising out of Covid-19 pandemic, on April 26. "There is a good response to the government's initiative. We have made adequate arrangement to ramp up the server to accommodate the traffic." said an officer of Norka-Roots. It is expected that around 3-5 lakh non-resident Keralites are expected to use the facility. The list of those registered would be handed over to the Central government to facilitate their safe return. The elderly, patients not due to Covid-19, children, pregnant women will get preference. The state government has already written to the Prime Minister for operating special flights for Keralites stuck abroad.The government has made elaborate arrangement to quarantine people returning. (TNS) After more than a month of online school because of stay-at-home orders, district leaders in the Kansas City, Mo., area half-jokingly talk about one consequence for the future of education.Students might not want to hear it, but remote teaching could put an end to snow days, said Charles Foust , superintendent of Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools. Now that we have experienced virtual learning , I think it has prepared us for educating kids differently, not just for us but throughout the country.So next winter, if students cant get to school, he said, teachers could just deliver classes online. That would also mean there wont be a need to make up days at the end of the school year either, Foust said. Even though we were nervous when this all started, this is making us think differently about how to do school.Because of the coronavirus, educators have reworked how to deliver months of curriculum to students hunkering down in their homes.But they concede that online instruction is often not as effective as traditional classrooms. Many students do not have access to good internet or computers. Or some just arent logging in.The biggest challenge that were facing is access to technology and kids who are not engaging, said Heather Mayfield, an eighth-grade English teacher at Trailridge Middle School in the Shawnee Mission district. Were trying to help out the missing or lost kids and plan for them, but when you have rules in place about social distancing, you cant have that normal face-to-face meeting to help them.As a result, schools are preparing for an influx of students needing summer school to catch up.And, if the pandemic flares up again, theyre preparing for the possibility that classes will remain online not only during the summer but into the fall.If students do return to the classroom, educators warn that school might look different from usual, with fears that students packed in classrooms could lead to another outbreak.I think thats the big unknown and the scariest part, Mayfield said. I have no doubt that if we have to start school online, that were going to figure it out because teachers are resourceful. But I cannot even begin to think about how hard thats going to be in this kind of space.But like the possible elimination of snow days, districts say they are using the opportunity to try to improve the face of education, perhaps offering students a mix of online and in-person classes, with or without a COVID-19 pandemic.Usually, people are pretty resistant to change and slow to allow it, said Kenny Southwick, president of the Cooperating School Districts of Greater Kansas City . But if you look at change in a time of crisis, people are more willing to accept the change.The need for summer schoolTiffany Prices oldest will be a senior in the fall at Hogan Preparatory Academy charter high school. Shes concerned about what he may have missed with remote learning.Making sure her three children kept up with school work at home was hard at first, but it got a whole lot better as it went on because they got into a routine, Price said. Still, she keeps wondering: Am I doing enough?What she is sure of: They definitely need to have summer school.At first she was hoping to be done with online learning. But then I thought about it, and even if they did open up for summer school Im not sure Id feel safe sending my kids, she said.Kansas City Public Schools already decided to hold summer school remotely, June 1-26, but details are still being refined, said Kelly Wachel, district spokeswoman.The district is planning to enroll 3,500 students for the summer, said Ray Weikal, a district spokesman. We are almost fully staffed to support this number. If we exceed 3,500 students, we will immediately begin recruiting additional teachers.A task force of Missouri superintendents will provide district leaders with direction on summer school in the next few days, including when to offer summer school.It does not have to be in June, which is traditionally what many districts do, said Mallory McGowin, spokeswoman for the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.Pretty much everyone is planning for summer school, said Southwick, whose group represents dozens of Kansas City area districts on the Missouri side. But its all over the board. You might see some holding off until the end of June or beginning of July, even until August. No one, he said, is certain that social distancing orders and limits on group sizes will be lifted by June.Officials in the Shawnee Mission, Blue Valley and Olathe districts said they are planning for all possibilities as they wait for direction from the state of Kansas.No matter what you plan for, you kind of have to know that you have to be prepared for alternatives, said Mark Tallman, associate executive director of the Kansas Association of School Boards . I dont think its possible at this point to have clear guidance to say heres the plan for the summer or next fall. Districts are thinking through different options.Crossroads Academy charter school in Kansas City started preparing to stay online for summer school earlier this month. With financial help from local philanthropists, the school handed out iPads and laptops to its needy students.A lot of students are not able to access online classwork or other online tools that would aid in their academic success, said Superintendent Dean Johnson. Those students who have access receive a fundamentally different level of leaning than those who dont, and it shows up in their classwork. We could see the economic disparities.Getting access to all students, he said, is going to make it easier to pull off online summer school.We know that this year, because of the disruption and transition to remote learning, the need for summer school is heightened, Johnson said.Whats happening this fallTony Budetti, a government teacher at Shawnee Mission South High School, said a student recently asked him a question hes been dreading.Are we going to return to school next year?Budetti said he told his class the truth: I dont know.But I told them that we have to prepare for whatever might happen in the fall and be prepared that we might not get a regular start to the school year, he said. And when I said that, I could see the life come right out of my students faces through the computer screen.Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly, who was the first governor in the nation to close schools for the remainder of the academic year, said on Thursday she couldnt offer a clear answer on whether school buildings will reopen this fall.We fully expect that there will be a second wave of this virus come in the fall, she said. Its way too early to call whether well actually open school buildings in the fall. I hope that we can. But well anticipate the worst and be ready to continue online, with academic packets to-go, school nutrition packets to-go, if thats what we need to do.Were doing dual planning, Kelly said. Were planning to open and planning to close.Denise Kahler, with the Kansas State Department of Education, expected clearer guidance after the state school boards May meeting.Even if school buildings are allowed to open in the fall, schools must be prepared for a new normal, she said.Missouri education officials said they are following a similar multiple-scenario plan.Teachers said they are preparing for the possibility of greeting a new group of students over Zoom or Google Classroom this fall. And some worry that even if students return to school buildings, class sizes will need to be limited to allow for social distancing.I have 33 students in a regular classroom. We couldnt get six feet apart if we tried, Budetti said. I dont know how were going to do this. Theres the liability of a kid who shows up with a fever. Are we going to have every class in the gym? In the yard?Southwick said its the uncertainty that is hampering us. Its not, however, stopping educators from talking about possibilities.There may be a silver lining to all of this, Southwick said. We could emerge from this with a mixture of remote education and face-to-face instruction. Whos to say, he said, that students have to log 142 hours of seat time in a classroom every year. And what defines seat time? Maybe its a student interning on a construction site during the day and then, before bed, catching up with a history lecture his teacher recorded online earlier that day.But, of course, that student would need good internet.Problems persistAcross the region, some students have had to sit outside school buildings or in McDonalds parking lots to access Wifi and download homework. Its just one problem that districts say they are facing in the new age of remote learning.From a parents perspective, the idea of trying to get all of your kids in the car to go to school and get on the Wifi feels like a heavy burden, Mayfield of Trailridge Elementary said. I dont expect my students who dont have Wifi at home to go to these measures, although I know families are doing it.The Shawnee Mission school board recently approved spending $9 million to upgrade iPads for students. The investment was previously scheduled, but school board leaders said it was important to vote on it immediately, considering remote learning might continue.Districts with existing technology infrastructure are considering ourselves fortunate, as the iPads and the Macbooks weve distributed to students have allowed access to teachers and lessons, libraries and music instruction, board president Heather Ousley wrote in a letter to parents. Our physical distancing while difficult, has been surmountable, in large part, because of the digital tools already in our toolkit.But even with new technology, internet access remains an issue across the entire region.Some organizations and companies have provided free mobile hot spots or other methods of improving internet access. But district leaders and teachers said more needs to be done.Kansas City and Hickman Mills districts have long been aware of the digital divide and have already invested thousands into getting technology and internet access for all their students.This week KCPS is distributing Chromebooks and Wi-Fi hot spots for students who are new to the district and for charter school students enrolling in the districts summer school.Districts plan to offer other resources in the coming months as well, such as free meals and virtual counseling services.And grading students, well that has posed yet another challenge.Some districts have allowed students to maintain the grades they earned in the third quarter. Their grades cant drop based on the work they complete this spring. Teachers say thats offered more flexibility.Were inviting kids to engage in learning, but we still dont know what peoples circumstances are at home, Mayfield said. So its a lot of relying more on the digital conversation were having rather than the product of a test or essay.Some teachers worry they can only do so much, especially as older students look to earn dual college credits or pass Advanced Placement tests. And even with fewer requirements during the shutdown, many teachers said theyre struggling to keep students focused.But the flexibility has worked for Tiffany Prices son, the one whos moving up to the 12th grade in the fall.Im proud of him. He is really doing pretty well, Price said. He was doing good when this all started so hes going to be fine.But she is worried about what will become of his senior year if remote learning spills into fall: I dont want him to miss out on his senior year. Warren Buffett is one of the greatest investors (if not the greatest) of all time. The Oracle of Omaha has created massive wealth by investing in the equity market and successfully beating broader indexes. At a time when the markets are volatile, it makes sense to follow Buffetts timeless investment advice. Warren Buffett invests in businesses that he knows One of Warren Buffets famous quotes is, Never invest in a business you cannot understand. With the markets trading well below their record highs, several stocks are trading at cheaper valuations. There are thousands of companies listed on the exchanges, and you need to identify the ones that will make you money. One way to shortlist stocks is by focusing on a companys business model that is easy for you to grasp. You need to understand how the company makes money and the key trends and drivers that will impact its stock performance over the years. Focus on long-term investing According to Warren Buffett, investors need to take a long time horizon when buying a stock. He once famously said, If you arent willing to own a stock for 10 years, dont even think about owning it for 10 minutes. Top-quality stocks have the potential to create significant wealth over time. For example, if you had invested $10,000 each in Apple, Amazon, and Netflix 10 years back, the investment will cumulatively be worth close to $540,000. Warren Buffett on index funds Warren Buffett has been bullish on low-cost index funds. Most people do not have the expertise to analyze individual stocks. If you instead invest in index funds, you will diversify your risk and outperform a significant percentage of investors who fail to beat broader markets. If you buy an index fund, it basically means betting on the countrys economy. And in the long term, an economy with robust policies will be able to bounce back and deliver stellar returns. Warren Buffett stated, In the 20th century, the United States endured two world wars and other traumatic and expensive military conflicts; the Depression; a dozen or so recessions and financial panics; oil shocks; a flu epidemic; and the resignation of a disgraced president. Yet the Dow rose from 66 to 11,497. Story continues This means the current pullback can be viewed as a buying opportunity. Canadas largest and most liquid ETF is iShares S&P/TSX Index ETF (TSX:XIU). This ETF has exposure to the countrys 60 largest companies, significantly diversifying your risk. The top five holdings of the XIU are Royal Bank of Canada, Toronto Dominion Bank, Shopify, Enbridge and Canadian National Railway. They account for 7.3%, 6.2%, 5.6%, 5.1%, and 4.9%, respectively, of the ETF. During economic uncertainties, investors need to bet on companies that have strong fundamentals, huge cash reserves, a solid balance sheet and steady cash flows. These companies (with the exception of Shopify) have survived multiple business cycles and stood the test of time. The XIU has huge exposure to Canadas two largest sectors: banking and energy. While banking stocks account for 31.5% of the ETF, energy companies comprise 14.5%. In addition to providing diversification, the XIU also has a forward yield of 3.2%, making it attractive to income investors at a time when bond yields are nearing record lows. The Foolish takeaway Warren Buffett says its impossible to time the markets, and investors should buy high-quality companies at every major market correction. Investors need to follow his advice and bet on equity markets to create considerable long-term wealth. The post Warren Buffett Advice: 3 Investing Tips to Follow in a Volatile Market appeared first on The Motley Fool Canada. More reading John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fools board of directors. David Gardner owns shares of Amazon, Apple, Canadian National Railway, and Netflix. Tom Gardner owns shares of Netflix and Shopify. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Amazon, Apple, Canadian National Railway, Enbridge, Netflix, Shopify, and Shopify. The Motley Fool recommends Canadian National Railway and recommends the following options: short January 2022 $1940 calls on Amazon and long January 2022 $1920 calls on Amazon. Fool contributor Aditya Raghunath has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fools purpose is to help the world invest, better. Click here now for your free subscription to Take Stock, The Motley Fool Canadas free investing newsletter. Packed with stock ideas and investing advice, it is essential reading for anyone looking to build and grow their wealth in the years ahead. Motley Fool Canada 2020 She died a week ago Saturday after falling ill with the coronavirus while working Josephine Peter, a nurse at Southport hospital, died last week after falling ill with the COVID-19 virus, sparking hundreds of tributes This is the heartbreaking moment colleagues of a nurse who tragically died with coronavirus paid tribute to her on the day of her funeral. Josephine Peter died last week after falling ill with the COVID-19 virus, sparking hundreds of tributes from her family, friends and those she knew from working at Southport Hospital. The 55-year-old mum-of-two had looked after patients at the Merseyside hospital during her long and dedicated career and was described as 'passionate, hard-working and always putting others before herself'. Josephine is one of at least 134 NHS workers and care staff known to have died as a result of the coronavirus. Josephine's funeral took place on Monday and the procession drove past the hospital on Town Lane to the sound of applause from her colleagues. Hundreds of doctors, nurses and hospital staff line the streets, standing two metres apart, to pay tribute to the beloved nurse. Sharing a video to their social media accounts, a spokesperson for Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust said: 'We said farewell to nurse Jo Peter today. The 55-year-old mum-of-two had looked after patients at the Merseyside hospital during her long and dedicated career and was described as 'passionate, hard-working and always putting others before herself' 'Rest in peace Josephine.' The video has been shared hundreds of times with people posting tributes to Josephine and her family underneath. Lynne Murphy said: 'Lovely tribute so sad god bless you and your family at this sad time.' Kirstie Biltcliffe also said: 'Such a beautiful and respectful tribute for Josephine and her family.' Hundreds of doctors, nurses and hospital staff line the streets, standing two metres apart, to pay tribute to the beloved nurse Sharing a video to their social media accounts, a spokesperson for Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust said: 'We said farewell to nurse Jo Peter today. Rest in peace Josephine' Sandra Shove added: 'So sad. RIP Jo. Thinking of her family, friends & work colleagues today.' Josephine's death was confirmed by the hospital in a statement. Trish Armstrong-Child, Chief Executive, said: 'Josephine, from Hayes, Middlesex, had worked at Southport since February on an agency contract until falling ill in early April. 'She was a nurse for 20 years and was married with two children. At least 134 healthcare workers have died from the virus. They include (from top left) Rebecca Mack, Alice Kit Tak Ong, Thomas Harvey, Dr Habib Zaidi, Amged El-Hawrani, Josiane Zauma Ebonja Ekoli, Sara Dee Trollope, Mary Agyeiwaa Agyapong, Cheryl Williams, Kirsty Jones. (2nd row) Anton Sebastianpillai, Dr Abdul Mabud Chowdhury, Jitendra Rathod, Dr Fayez Ayache, Barbara Moore, Andy Treble, Gladys Mujajati, Gerallt Davies, Josephine Peter, Grant Maganga. (3rd row) Donna Campbell, Gareth Roberts, Kevin Smith, Leilani Dayrit, Pooja Sharma, Dr Krishan Arora, Dr Peter Tun, Liz Glanister, Khulisani Nkala, Ann Shepherd. (4th row) Brian Darlington, Ruben Munoz, Vivek Sharma, Joanna Klenczon, Margaret Tapley, Amrik Bamotra, Linnette Cruz, Manjeet Riyat, Sadeq Elhowsh, Sharon Bamford 'Josephine's husband, Thabo, told me she was passionate, hard working, always putting others before herself. She was 'my heroine', he said. 'Our thoughts are with Josephine's family at this difficult time and we offer them our sincere condolences.' James Lock, Chief Executive of Altrix, the nursing agency that employed Josephine, said: 'Josephine was a diligent nurse who was highly regarded and liked by the team. 'She would always go that extra mile and was a pleasure to work with. My team and I send our very best wishes and deepest condolences to Josephine's family.' A Go Fund Me page set up in Josephine's memory has raised almost 12,000. Axios Democratic leaders have found a mechanism to enable them to bypass an initial Republican filibuster and debate the party's sweeping elections reform bills, according to a new leadership memo obtained by Axios.Why it matters: The strategy is the latest example of how Democrats are seeking new ways to try to bypass Senate procedures that are blocking their agenda. But the ultimate outcome will likely be the same: insufficient support to change the 60-vote threshold needed to pass sweeping voting r Australia recorded just seven new cases of coronavirus on Monday, as the country's chief medial officer shed light on the 'problematic' issue of when to allow pubs and restaurants to reopen. A total of four states and territories recorded no new cases as Australia's lockdown restrictions continue to smash the COVID-19 curve. Australia's reduction of new infections is the envy of the world, with the global number of cases rising to more than three million globally on Monday night. Australia recorded just seven new cases of coronavirus on Monday as the Government said it would increase testing ahead of lifting restrictions Western Australia, South Australia, the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory all had no new cases on Monday. Victoria recorded one new infection but had a separate case reclassified to New South Wales - leaving the state's total unchanged at 1,349. New South Wales and Tasmania had two new cases each while Queensland had three. Australia now has a total of 6,721 confirmed cases of which 83 have died and 5,588 have recovered. Of the 1,050 active cases, 43 people are in intensive care and 27 are on ventilators. Customers queue to be let in at JB Hi-Fi in Macquarie Shopping Centre, Sydney on Monday. Coronavirus restrictions mean only a few people can be in the store at any one time Western Australia has relaxed the two-person limit on public gatherings on Monday with up to 10 people now allowed to meet. Pictured: a picnic in Sir James Mitchell Park, Perth, on Monday Australia has crushed the curve of new cases, as Health Department figures from Monday show - but Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy warned people not to be complacent Taped-off dining tables outside at a McDonalds on the Gold Coast on April. Prof Murphy said more shutdown measures could be relaxed if there were no further outbreaks of the virus Travel bans, closed borders and business shutdowns have slashed the number of new daily cases from a peak of 460 on March 28. Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy said on Monday the government's 'suppression' strategy was working. He said that if the progress continued, restrictions may soon be gently relaxed - meaning people would be able to sit on a park bench or possibly hold small gatherings. Prof Murphy said if there were no outbreaks as a result of easing those restrictions, further shutdown measures would be relaxed. Flowers outside Newmarch House in western Sydney on Sunday (pictured). A sixth resident died on Saturday morning at the nursing home where almost 50 people have been infected. NSW is the coronavirus epicentre of Australia with more than 3000 cases as of Monday Macquarie Shopping Centre carpark, Sydney, with levels closed due to coronavirus on Monday Prof Murphy said a major concern is that Australians would become complacent with social distancing as the curve continues to flatten. 'That's an ongoing worry. Obviously it's much better to be in the position we are now than the one we were in a month ago,' he told the ABC's 7.30. 'Particularly in some states that have had no cases for some days, it is hard to keep that message. That's why the National Cabinet wants to look at whether there are some safe measures that could potentially be relaxed in two or three weeks. 'But they want to be able absolutely before we do that that we are really well prepared in our public health response for any outbreaks that can occur. We've seen already how infectious this virus is.' Prof Murphy said the priority is getting children back to school. Northern Territory schools have resumed classes already while Western Australia and South Australia were on the way, he said. Restaurants are likely to reopen with restrictions sooner than pubs and clubs which would be more 'problematic', Prof Murphy said. Prof Murphy said it was 'problematic' to think about re-opening pubs and clubs at this stage of the pandemic 'If earlier relaxation were not accompanied by further outbreaks, we were still under good control, and a period of time had elapsed where measures had not had an adverse effect as it takes two weeks for measures to have an impact,' he told A Current Affair on Monday night. He was also optimistic about lifting the ban on international travel in the longer term. 'At the moment, we don't look at changing the quarantine requirements. You have seen the number of cases in those countries,' he said. 'There is a lot of work being done, we are looking at the next three and four months, then we will review. I don't want to be crystal ball gazing, our priority is to keep Australians safe and let us return to normal life.' Some changes would be permanent, however. 'Hand hygiene is here forever. People won't treat their hands the same way, ever,' he said. Prof Murphy said people in the 20 to 29-year-old age bracket had the highest number of coronavirus cases in Australia, followed by those in their 40s. He said these people were also more likely to spread it because their symptoms were usually mild, so they may go to work not realising they are infectious. Australia's Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy said testing would increase greatly before the National Cabinet decides whether to lift restrictions in a couple of weeks. Pictured: a FIFO worker at a drive-through mineral resources testing facility in Perth on Friday A man runs past a tree with a face mask and eyes stapled to it in Melbourne on Sunday The Health Protection Principal Committee talked on Monday about significantly expanding coronavirus testing across the country. 'We'll be starting tests in asymptomatic people to make absolutely sure we're capturing every case we can,' Dr Murphy told a press conference on Monday. 'We don't think we're missing a significant number of cases but if we're going to consider at the National Cabinet in a couple of weeks time the relaxing of social distancing measures, we have to be so well prepared.' The top priority will be health and aged care workers who may be tested randomly in what is called 'sentinel' testing to ensure the virus is not silently spreading asymptomatically through care workers to the most vulnerable. Dr Murphy said while it was unlikely, there was a possibility that Australia could lose control if it relaxed restrictions and there was a community outbreak that spread to tens of thousands of people such as what happened in New York and Italy. 'That's why we're being so cautious, even though the case numbers are good,' he said. Dr Murphy said he had been excited by the rapid uptake of the CovidSafe app, designed to help trace contacts of anybody diagnosed with the deadly virus. Federal Health Department figures for Monday showing the transmission breakdown of each state's cases. Most cases were caught overseas but a worryingly large number in NSW have come from unidentified community transmission Despite the successes, Prof Murphy said the virus was highly infectious and people had to remain vigilant, saying people would have to change the way they interact for the forseeable future. Stage three restrictions on gatherings and leaving the house without a valid reason brought in on March 31 are expected to crush the curve over the remainder of April, however states encouraged by the gains are now moving to lift restrictions. Western Australia relaxed the two-person limit on public gatherings on Monday with up to 10 people now allowed to meet. People in WA can also now take part in activities like fishing, boating, camping, hiking or having a picnic in the park as long as they are no-contact activities. The state has a total of 549 coronavirus cases and has had no new cases for two day running. WA Premier Mark McGowan warned this would likely change with four overseas flights carrying hundreds of returning Australians which arrive in Perth this week. Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk yesterday announced the easing of restrictions in Queensland from next weekend, allowing residents to shop for non-essentials, sunbake at the beach or go on a picnic. People will be allowed out for a drive - but only within 50km of their home. Queensland had a total of 1033 cases as of Monday night. The Northern Territory, which has had no increase to its 28 cases in the three weeks since April 6, has also moved to ease restrictions. Western Australia had no new coronavirus cases and eased its lockdown. Pictured is the bronze Eliza statue on the Swan River, dressed in a medical costume on Monday NT Chief Minister Michael Gunner announced on Monday that the Territory is looking to reopen for business and would release a roadmap on Thursday. The Territory's national parks are also scheduled to reopen at noon on Friday allowing people to camp, swim and hike. The Australian Capital Territory had no increase in cases on Monday to remain at a total of 106 - but stopped short of promising to ease restrictions. Instead the ACT is to expand coronavirus testing, the Canberra Times reported. South Australia is also keeping its restrictions in place for now despite enjoying the fifth straight day with no new cases on Monday for the first time since the outbreak began. South Australia's lockdown is not as tough as in other states with gatherings of up to 10 people allowed along with travel for non-essential purposes. The state's chief public health officer Professor Nicola Spurrier said restrictions would be eased off incrementally. New South Wales has some of the toughest restrictions in the nation, and Premier Gladys Berejiklian told Radio 2GB on Monday that they would be unraveled in stages, announced twice per month. 'Once people ease back into normal active life ... the number of cases will go up,' she warned. 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 Australia's most populous state is the epicenter of the nation's coronavirus epidemic with 3004 cases on Monday. Schools are set to partially reopen in NSW for face-to-face teaching from May 11, the ABC reported. Popular Sydney beaches have been reopened then closed again after authorities found people not keeping a safe distance from each other. Bondi, Bronte and Tamarama beaches will reopen again on Tuesday morning but for local swimmers and surfers only, not for sunbathers, walkers or joggers. The beaches will open from 7am to 5pm and have designated entry and exit points. Victoria will not make a decision on easing its stage three restrictions until after a testing blitz of 100,000 people over the next two weeks. Premier Daniel Andrews said on Monday that no matter what the test results were, not all the restrictions would be lifted. 'This is the biggest public health testing program that our state has ever seen and it will give us the data that will underpin the options that we will have in just a couple of weeks' time,' Mr Andrews said. Tasmania confirmed two more cases of coronavirus on Monday in an outbreak in the state's northwest near the town of Burnie. The outbreak was first said to be a result of an 'illegal dinner party' of healthcare workers but this has now been quashed by police. Tasmania Police said on Monday that investigators found no evidence of such a gathering. Tasmanian Premier Peter Gutwein said an independent review would be held into the outbreak. Mr Gutwein said Tasmania would not be lifting restrictions early unlike other states. 'I don't want to have a knee-jerk reaction and take away restrictions too early only to have to bring them back again,' he said on Monday. Technavio has been monitoring the k-12 online tutoring market and it is poised to grow by 60.03 bn during 2019-2023, progressing at a CAGR of 12% during the forecast period. The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current market scenario, latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200427005515/en/ Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global K-12 Online Tutoring Market 2019-2023 (Graphic: Business Wire) Technavio suggests three forecast scenarios (optimistic, probable, and pessimistic) considering the impact of COVID-19. Please request Latest Free Sample Report on COVID-19 Impact The market is fragmented, and the degree of fragmentation will accelerate during the forecast period. Ambow Education Holding Ltd., China Distance Education Holdings Ltd., iTutorGroup, TAL Education Group, and Vedantu Innovations Pvt. Ltd, are some of the major market participants. To make the most of the opportunities, market vendors should focus more on the growth prospects in the fast-growing segments, while maintaining their positions in the slow-growing segments. Importance of stem education has been instrumental in driving the growth of the market. K-12 Online Tutoring Market 2019-2023: Segmentation K-12 Online Tutoring Market is segmented as below: Type Assessments Subjects Geographic Landscape APAC Europe MEA North America South America To learn more about the global trends impacting the future of market research, download a free sample: https://www.technavio.com/talk-to-us?report=IRTNTR31736 K-12 Online Tutoring Market 2019-2023: Scope Technavio presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. Our k-12 online tutoring market report covers the following areas: K-12 Online Tutoring Market size K-12 Online Tutoring Market trends K-12 Online Tutoring Market industry analysis This study identifies growing popularity of online microlearning as one of the prime reasons driving the k-12 online tutoring market growth during the next few years. K-12 Online Tutoring Market 2019-2023: Vendor Analysis We provide a detailed analysis of around 25 vendors operating in the K-12 Online Tutoring Market, including some of the vendors such as Ambow Education Holding Ltd., China Distance Education Holdings Ltd., iTutorGroup, TAL Education Group, and Vedantu Innovations Pvt. Ltd. Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research reports on the K-12 Online Tutoring Market are designed to provide entry support, customer profile and M&As as well as go-to-market strategy support. Register for a free trial today and gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports. Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform K-12 Online Tutoring Market 2019-2023: Key Highlights CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2019-2023 Detailed information on factors that will assist k-12 online tutoring market growth during the next five years Estimation of the k-12 online tutoring market size and its contribution to the parent market Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior The growth of the k-12 online tutoring market Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of k-12 online tutoring market vendors Table Of Contents : PART 01: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY PART 02: SCOPE OF THE REPORT 2.1 Preface 2.2 Preface 2.3 Currency conversion rates for US$ PART 03: MARKET LANDSCAPE Market ecosystem Market characteristics Market segmentation analysis PART 04: MARKET SIZING Market definition Market sizing 2018 Market size and forecast 2018-2023 PART 05: FIVE FORCES ANALYSIS Bargaining power of buyers Bargaining power of suppliers Threat of new entrants Threat of substitutes Threat of rivalry Market condition PART 06: CUSTOMER LANDSCAPE PART 07: GEOGRAPHIC LANDSCAPE Geographic segmentation Geographic comparison APAC Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Europe Market size and forecast 2018-2023 North America Market size and forecast 2018-2023 South America Market size and forecast 2018-2023 MEA Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Key leading countries Market opportunity PART 08: MARKET SEGMENTATION BY TUTORING TYPE Market segmentation by tutoring type Comparison by tutoring type Structured tutoring Market size and forecast 2018-2023 On-demand tutoring Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Market opportunity by tutoring type PART 09: MARKET SEGMENTATION BY COURSE TYPE Market segmentation by course type Comparison by course type Assessments Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Subjects Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Market opportunity by course type PART 10: DECISION FRAMEWORK PART 11: DRIVERS AND CHALLENGES Market drivers Market challenges PART 12: MARKET TRENDS Growing popularity of online microlearning Apps and wearables in online tutoring Standardization of tests PART 13: VENDOR LANDSCAPE Overview Landscape disruption Competitive scenario PART 14: VENDOR ANALYSIS Vendors covered Vendor classification Market positioning of vendors Ambow Education Holding Ltd. China Distance Education Holdings Ltd. iTutorGroup TAL Education Group Vedantu Innovations Pvt. Ltd. PART 15: APPENDIX Research methodology List of abbreviations Definition of market positioning of vendors PART 16: EXPLORE TECHNAVIO About Us Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200427005515/en/ Contacts: Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: media@technavio.com Website: www.technavio.com/ Virgin Media's broadband and TV service appears to have stopped working properly. The outage comes as huge numbers of people across the country rely on their internet connections to help them study and work from home. Affected users complained on Twitter and other social networking sites that their broadband connections had gone down or they were unable to watch television. Outage tracking website Down Detector saw a huge surge in reports of people struggling to use their TV and internet connections. The problems appeared to be affecting users all across the UK, the site showed. Virgin Media responded to some affected users including broadcaster India Willoughby on Twitter. It apologised for any problems users were having, but did not make clear whether all affected users were being hit by the same problem. Some users also reported they were unable to get onto Virgin Media's service status checker website. That site allows customers to check whether their service is offline, and when it might come back. The company did not respond to a request for comment from The Independent. Though home internet companies are seeing huge traffic over their broadband and TV connections, they have largely stayed online through the coronavirus lockdown. Coronavirus: London on lockdown Show all 29 1 /29 Coronavirus: London on lockdown Coronavirus: London on lockdown A man walks down a deserted Camden High Street Photos Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Goodge Street Station is one of the many stations closed to help reduce the spread Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown An empty street in the heart of Chinatown Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown People in masks in Chinatown a day after the lockdown Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A near-empty Piccadilly Circus during the first week of lockdown Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Sonja, my neighbour, who I photographed while taking a short walk. It was nice to briefly chat even from a distance Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A couple sit on the empty steps of the statue Eros in Piccadilly Circus Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Making sure I stay two-meters apart DArblay Street, Soho Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A mannequin behind a shop window. UK stores have closed until further notice Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A notice displayed on a shop window in Camden Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown As part of the lockdown, all non-essential shops have been ordered to close.Image from Camden High Street Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A skateboarder wearing a mask utilises his exercise allowance in the Camden area Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Communities have been coming together in a time of need Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A woman stands alone in a deserted Oxford Street. Up until a few weeks ago, on average, half a million people visited the street per day Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A couple walk hand in hand down a street in Soho, a day before the stricter lockdown was announced Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown During the first week of March, shoppers focused on stockpiling necessities ahead of a countrywide lockdown Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Many supermarkers are operating a queuing system to make sure only a limited amount of customers are allowed in at anyone time Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Stay Safe Curzon cinemas are temporarily closed under the new measures Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Pubs, restaurants and bars were ordered to shut as part of the lockdown Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Camden High Street There are fears that coronavirus could lead to permanent closure of struggling shops Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Camden Town is eerily silent on a normal working day Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Shops and supermarkets ran out of hand sanitisers in the first week of the lockdown. As we approach the end of the second week most shops now have started to stock up Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Empty streets around Soho Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A noticeboard on Camden High Street urges the public to stay at home Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Camden High Street, one of Londons busiest tourist streets turns quiet Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Thriller Live confirmed its West End run ended in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Empty and eerie Soho streets after stricter rules on social distancing announced Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A woman pauses for a cigarette on Hanway Street, behind Tottenham Court Road Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A man steps outside onto Hanway Street, that sits behind what is usually a bustling retail hub Angela Christofilou Many companies such as YouTube and PlayStation have made changes to their internet infrastructure to help alleviate the load on internet connections, reducing the default quality of videos and speed of downloads. Welcome Guest! You Are Here: Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-27 22:37:00|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close KAMPALA, April 27 (Xinhua) -- World Bank board of executive directors has approved financing of up to 148.2 million U.S. dollars to enable Uganda to improve forest management and protect tourism areas. The Bank in a statement issued on Monday said about 78.2 million dollars of the financing is a concessional loan, while 70 million dollars is a grant that includes 58 million dollars for refugees and host communities. The money will be used in the Albertine landscape and the refugee-hosting areas in northern and western Uganda. According to the global financial institution, the Albertine landscape is central to Uganda's tourism industry, which makes a major contribution to the country's economy in terms of foreign exchange earnings and jobs. The project will also invest in plantation forestry and wood value chains with the aim of enabling plantation forestry to become a strong and self-sustaining economic sector. "This project is timely and will provide vital assistance to vulnerable communities that depend on forests to withstand climate shocks and complements our ongoing efforts to scale up support to the tourism sector which has been severely impacted by COVID-19," said Tony Thompson, World Bank Country Manager for Uganda. In refugee-hosting areas of northern and western Uganda, the project will support forest management in selected protected areas and aims to increase tree cover in the host community landscapes supporting agroforestry and woodlot establishment. According to the Bank, the continued inflow of refugees combined with existing and protracted refugee situation has exacerbated a range of ongoing environmental impacts and associated challenges. Uganda hosts some 1.4 million refugees and is the largest refugee-hosting country in Africa and the third largest worldwide, according to UN figures. Enditem The government will replace restrictions on movement with different regulations after the first phase of coronavirus containment effort ends at the end of next week, opening the door to a gradual return to normal life, Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Kossuth Radios program "Good morning, Hungary", according to a report by kormany.hu. Orban said that in the second phase, normal life can gradually be resumed in Hungary on the basis of a strict timetable, stressing that a condition of this is to ensure that they can duly protect those most at risk the elderly, persons suffering from chronic diseases and those living in big cities also during the phase of restarting normal life. He added that special regulations for persons at risk will be crafted before the end of next week. The Prime Minister said that Hungary is closely monitoring Austrias timetable, where shops, schools and museums are gradually reopening. "They are perhaps moving ahead a little faster than Hungary should, according to what my instincts dictate," Orban said. He warned that Hungary should follow in their footsteps at a fair distance, noting that we should not proceed as fast as the Austrians, but should not fall back far behind. Regarding expected rules applicable to big cities, he said, on the whole, the possibility of giving special powers to mayors to tighten the restrictions in place has worked, so the government will issue a decree for every weekend in which it will vest the leaders of settlements with such powers. However, after May 4, general rules will have to apply. At the same time, if a settlement is special or has specific features for any reason, the mayor will have the authority to create specific local rules, Orban said. Speaking about vacating hospital beds for coronavirus patients, he argued that the government must create the opportunity for not having to surrender a single patients life. "If we do not want to live locked up bunker-style until the end of our lives, or until a vaccine is discovered the date of which is totally uncertain [] we have two possibilities: either we manage to restart life, or there could be surprises, he said, adding that if the virus breaks loose during the to normal life, then Hungary would suddenly need tens of thousands of hospital beds and thousands of ventilators. Orban said that the responsible thing to do is to create the hospital capacity which could be required in the event of a worst-case scenario. MTI Photo: Zoltan Fischer Major footwear retailer Accent Group will shift its focus away from its 522 bricks-and-mortar locations to become a digital-first business, as the coronavirus crisis sparks a fundamental change in how Australians shop. Chief executive Daniel Agostinelli told The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald he planned to close anywhere between 50 and 100 stores as part of a major repositioning of the business, though more closures could be on the cards if discussions with landlords turned sour. Accent Group chief executive Daniel Agostinelli says there has been a "seismic" shift towards online shopping. "There's been a seismic shift to behaviour, which we feel will be prolonged and instilled in the way people shop," he said. "We will definitely be reviewing the whole structure [of the business], and we will be redeploying good people from our retail business to digital while increasing our digital capability overall." Siba Mohanty By Everything that can go wrong will go wrong. Murphys Law seems to be catching up with the Odisha government as the end of second-phase lockdown draws to a close. Suddenly, the numbers have spiked. In about a fortnight, the Covid-19 cases have doubled. Compared with some of the larger states, the situation appears comfortable but there is an undercurrent of discomfort nonetheless. And May 3 brings more unease as the lockdown is expected to be lifted across the country. Odisha certainly did begin well. A registration system for foreign returnees with incentives drew good response and solid national headlines. It used the data to impose lockdown in coastal districts where most of the initial cases were reported. It also set up a series of dedicated Covid Hospitals. When the Tablighi Jamaat cluster emerged in Delhi, Bhubaneswar was among its first hotspots. Containment zones were declared and the government moved aggressively through intensive testing and isolation though it fumbled with provision of essential services and its much-vaunted communication machinery had its share of goof-ups. Then the government realised that districts bordering West Bengal are a grey area. Between April 10 and April 26, as many as 53 cases were reported, most of which came from Bhadrak, Jajpur and Balasore districts where people returned from Bengal during lockdown. It had to close the border completely and announce a 60-hour complete shutdown in these districts to control the spread. The government is now staring at a bigger task. A large population from Odisha migrates every year to other states in search of livelihood and the lockdown has left them stranded. With factories and mills shut, migrant workers are a restless lot. Stories of hardships back home has made them more desperate to return. Guess where this population is stuck Delhi, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Telangana (and we are not still talking about West Bengal), which are grappling with the outbreak. When the lockdown is lifted, these migrant workers would head home. Already, thousands are back in Ganjam but a bigger number is awaiting relaxation of restrictions. All of a sudden, the government has realised that it would be faced with lakhs on their way back. Back in March and early April when the government was devising its strategy, it remained oblivious to the fact that the migrants issue could blow up in this fashion although it had created temporary quarantine facilities at every gram panchayat. But now the capacity of these camps and centres looks inadequate and all its strategies look reactionary. That is primarily because there was barely any assessment about migration trends. A key concern has been the governments reluctance to take the political class on board. Had there been a constant interface with MLAs and ministers representing these districts, the ground-level intelligence would have helped sharpen the strategy. Truth be told, outward migration has remained the Achilles heel for the Naveen administration for long. Its Labour department has little clue about it. Different departments and spokespersons continue to throw different numbers at different times even now.The government has now empowered sarpanchs with certain powers vested with District Collectors to deal with the migrant problem apart from putting in place a registration system and a financial support deal. On Sunday, Naveen had a video conference with his Gujarat and Maharashtra counterparts. It has been decided that a panel of officers will be constituted to coordinate and migrants would be brought back by bus. At this stage, it appears like a desperate attempt. Over the past few weeks, the State government has ramped up testing facilities but going forward, its strategy would be tested in face of the challenges ahead. Panchayati Raj, Health and Labour departments will have a real job at hand if the Centre relaxes movement of transport between states post-May 3. The virus crisis is unlikely to go away soon. The summer promises to be long, harsh and arduous one for the Naveen regime. Siba Mohanty Deputy Resident Editor, Odisha sibamohanty@newindianexpress.com House Democrats have blasted President Donald Trumps response to the coronavirus pandemic as inept and dangerous. Party leaders insisted on the creation of a special committee to root out abuse in the nearly $3tn of federal aid flowing to shuttered businesses and unemployed workers. And they have called for a robust national strategy for mass testing and tracing of the illness that has claimed more than 53,000 US lives. Yet amid the biggest national crisis in generations, the one branch of government where Democrats hold power has largely sidelined itself, struggling so far to adopt remote voting, Zoom video hearings or any of the other alternative methods that have become standard for most workplaces in the age of Covid-19. No administration official has appeared at a congressional hearing in over a month. Committees have been unable to meet in person to debate and advance bills. There is no firm date for when the new oversight panel will start its work. I havent had a classified briefing in over six weeks, said Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo., a member of the House Armed Services Committee, which needs to reauthorize the annual policy bill for the military. Crow said he has yet to get senior Democrats to agree with his proposal to open a nationwide infrastructure for classified briefings for members of Congress, by using the secure rooms in regional FBI offices and military bases across the nation. The frustration is evident among House Democrats, with many increasingly convinced that Congress is functioning as a shadow of its former self, with rank and file largely bystanders as party leaders hastily assemble massive spending bills. More than a dozen told The Washington Post in recent days that the House was failing to meet its constitutional mandate amid an epochal global crisis, abdicating power to the Trump administration as the nation demands strong political leadership. Were basically ill-prepared for the nature of this emergency, said Rep. Denny Heck, D-Wash. Obviously, there are a lot of things going on with how this money is being spent that are clearly not in keeping with the spirit of what we intended, and its harder for us to exercise oversight when were all at home in our war rooms. That discontent has increased pressure on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and other leaders to change more than 230 years of rules to allow for remote deliberations and voting and some Democrats are joining calls from Republicans who simply want to bring Congress back to Washington, spurning advice from public health authorities who continue to recommend that Americans work from home whenever possible. Congress inability to adapt some of its core functions to the new reality stands in contrast to other organs of the federal government, including the Supreme Court, which will hear oral arguments by teleconference for the first time starting next month. Trump, meanwhile, presides over near-daily televised briefings from the White House and commands the vast powers of the executive branch imposing an immigration ban one day and promoting unproven medical treatments the next as hobbled lawmakers struggle to provide an institutional counterweight. While the Democratic-run House considers a path forward on possible remote work, the 100-member, Republican-led Senate is on track to return to Washington as soon as 4 May. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said in media interviews last week that he intends to quickly return to confirming judges and other Trump appointees. Democrats have had an impact on the federal response to the crisis: they have pushed to enlarge unemployment benefits, pump funding into the health-care system and beef up the federal role in Covid-19 testing (Getty) Bringing the House back stands to be a riskier decision, and its leaders have signalled that they are concerned not only about its current 429 members but also about its much larger population of aides and support staff. But as the only arm of government under Democratic control, it is uniquely positioned to challenge Trump. So far, Democrats have had an impact on the federal response to the crisis: they have pushed to enlarge unemployment benefits, pump funding into the health-care system and beef up the federal role in Covid-19 testing adding hundreds of billions of dollars in spending above what Republicans initially proposed. At least four House committees have conducted closed briefings with federal officials by telephone or videoconference. Pelosi, meanwhile, is under pressure from her caucus left flank to move quickly on an expansive new relief bill amid the worst unemployment since the Great Depression one that directs aid to poor and working-class Americans rather than large employers and small-business owners, as well as hundreds of billions of dollars in additional relief for state and local governments. Bringing the House back stands to be a riskier decision, and its leaders have signalled that they are concerned not only about its current 429 members but also about its much larger population of aides and support staff (Getty) Not having Congress here absolutely hurts our capacity to push, said Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y. Because we are not here, these negotiations are happening behind closed doors. We cant message on the developments. We cant go every day and say: Republicans are fighting against hospitals. Republicans are fighting against testing. If we were actually legislating in a normal schedule, then we can report these day-by-day developments and use public pressure to get more. And so I think that were losing a lot of leverage. Compounding the frustration has been an emerging partisan split on how to adapt the Houses work to the new normal. A push for remote voting that began in mid-March, as the dimensions of the pandemic first became apparent, languished for weeks as House leaders explored the technological, constitutional and security implications of such a change. Last week, Pelosi endorsed a plan devised by House Rules Committee Chairman Jim McGovern, D-Mass., to allow for proxy voting in limited circumstances permitting members to authorise a colleague to vote on the floor on their behalf but Republicans erupted in protest, and plans for a vote were postponed. Meanwhile, the measure creating the new investigative committee passed on a party-line vote. A bipartisan group of negotiators met Thursday to discuss rules changes, and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., left the meeting with narrower ambitions saying he hoped to move forward with remote committee work in the coming weeks to allow for the passage of the yearly defence and spending bills. Proxy voting, or any other remote voting alternative, he said, would be a heavier lift. As the only arm of government under Democratic control, it is uniquely positioned to challenge Trump (Getty) We need to build confidence, he said. And how do you build confidence? You do it in small segments, and using the committees to do this, it seems to me, makes sense. McGovern said in an interview Friday that the slow pace reflected the innate conservatism of an institution where change is judged not just in the implication for the present, but for decades if not centuries including scenarios in which the other party might wield the majority. To some, its not like a big deal, but it is a big deal, he said. There were constitutional questions which we had to explore. There are logistical questions. There are security questions. Theres also the reality that not all members of Congress are, you know, at the same level in terms of being comfortable with technology. Congress is not alone among legislatures in its struggle to figure out how the business of convening and deliberating which by definition violate social-distancing guidelines can proceed. Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Show all 20 1 /20 Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Top: Nabi Younes market, Mosul Bottom: Charles Bridge, Prague Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Grand Mosque, Mecca Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Sagrada Familia, Barcelona Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Nabi Younes market, Mosul Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Basra Grand Mosque, Iraq Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Charles Bridge, Prague Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Taj Mahal hotel, India Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Dubai Mall, UAE Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Beirut March, Lebanon Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Gateway of India, Mumbai Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Cairo University, Egypt Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Amman Citadel, Jordan Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Beirut March, Lebanon Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Cairo, Egypt Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Cairo University, Egypt Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Victoria Memorial, India Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Amman Citadel, Jordan Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Amman Citadel, Jordan Reuters Before and after photos show impact of coronavirus around the world Sidon, Lebanon Reuters On Tuesday, the British Parliament unanimously approved new rules that will allow for videoconferencing in debates and during the famous question time of the prime minister, while approving a goal of moving towards remote voting using technology. But one of the worlds longest continuing legislatures, at 700 years, still faces great limits. Just 50 of the 650 members will be allowed on the House of Commons floor for debates and only another 120 can participate by video. In Brussels, the European Parliament has gone entirely online, including a vote-by-email system, and its members report mixed results so far. McGovern said Friday that he had been in touch with that bodys officials about their system. In US state capitals, the legislatures have taken different approaches. In Richmond, Virginia, the state House of Delegates met under a canopy on the lawn outside the Capitol, while the smaller state Senate took over a massive event space inside a nearby museum. New Jersey, Vermont and Kentucky adopted some version of either remote electronic voting or proxy voting, and in Oklahoma, the state House has operated similarly to the US House, with very small groups of lawmakers allowed on the floor to vote. Trump ends coronavirus press conference without taking questions for first time Many Democratic House members identified another obstacle last week: The belief that House Republicans are slow-walking any rules changes out of political self-interest that is, a more functional House means a more powerful counterweight to Trump and a GOP-majority Senate. They dont think its in their parochial interest as the minority, said Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., an early advocate of remote voting and other technological innovations. But I do think its in the countrys interest that we can convene more than just once a month. ... The longer this goes on, the more obvious the need for it will become. Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., the senior Republican on the House Rules Committee, said the resistance has less to do with political gamesmanship than with a healthy respect for 231 years of accumulated custom and practice. I dont think anybodys trying to outmanoeuvre one another or score points ... Im one of these people that think you really do need to be face to face, he said. The more and more we move to this, I think, the less and less powerful we will be as an institution within the framework of government. Still, House lawmakers said they are perplexed that three months after federal authorities confirmed the first Covid-19 case in the United States, Capitol Hill remains in a state of suspended animation. None have been more exasperated than the freshmen who propelled Democrats back into the majority in 2018 a group of more than 60 relatively young lawmakers, many from national security or private-sector backgrounds. The nation, including the media and the White House, is asking how anything can go back to being as they were before the Covid-19 outbreak (Getty) I dont think we have found our footing on how to conduct our oversight role and our legislative role, Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., said Thursday, as she waited to cast a vote on the latest coronavirus aid legislation, a $484 billion package. As she spoke, the House Intelligence Committee met in a room below the Capitol for its first classified briefing since mid-March typically a weekly occurrence. A former CIA analyst who spent years as a senior Pentagon adviser, Slotkin, won a Republican-leaning district outside Detroit that has been hit hard by the deadly virus. Im watching all my constituents have to adapt and have to adjust to working even when its uncomfortable for some, and I think we should have been doing the same thing, she said. Slotkin, when she served as an assistant secretary of defence, often used a nearby FBI office for classified discussions when she was home in Michigan and needed to quickly get that information a system that exists, just not for Congress. Its not re-creating the wheel, its just making the wheel available to Congress, she said. Meanwhile, lawmakers of all backgrounds are dealing with personal struggles that also make it hard to just race back to Washington. Crow, 41, whose wife is a professor at the University of Colorado, has newfound responsibilities as a home-school teacher to his children, ages 10 and 7, just like millions of other Americans. Slotkin devotes much of her time to her elderly parents who, she said, do not always appreciate the necessity of strict social distancing. Several sitting lawmakers have been diagnosed with cancer and other chronic conditions. Others are afraid of passing the virus to loved ones. Rep. Lois Frankel, D-Fla., who takes care of her 92-year-old mother, spent most of Thursday in her apartment, coming to the Capitol only briefly: Im just going to vote. At a news conference Friday, Pelosi suggested that the passage of the $484bn rescue legislation went smoothly enough that the House could return soon to consider a follow-up bill. Groups of roughly 50 lawmakers were summoned to the Capitol to slowly enter the House, cast their vote and then immediately leave, based on alphabetical order. Getting the groups to cast their votes took more than an hour. Still, McGovern said Pelosi has come to the understanding that something will have to be done in the coming weeks to expand remote operations even if Republicans do not agree. Shame on us if we dont do something, he said. I mean, what happens if this virus comes back, surges in the fall more fiercely, and even more extraordinary measures have to be put into place? The bottom line is, we need to be ready for that. Yet Democrats left Washington again Thursday six weeks after the House first left Washington amid the pandemic with no firm remedy in place for how to hold committee hearings, craft legislation and get it ready for a House vote. On Friday evening, Pelosi wrote a letter to her caucus in which she said that in the days ahead leaders would hear your views on how to legislate from afar. The Washington Post Son Allegedly Brutalizes His Father And Mother Over Land In Delta A father has cried out after his son, a primary school teacher allegedly beat him and his wife up over land in Delta state. 78-year-old Benson Ekpenisi, from Owan-Nta Aliosimi in Ika North East Local Government Area of Delta State, said he and his wife have suffered so much in the hands of their fifth son, Patrick Ekpenisi, who teaches at Okundaye Primary School. According to Benson, the latest attack Patrick launched on he and his wife was over a parcel of land offered for sale by him Mr Benson said his son was angered when he learned that he planned to sell a piece of land to repair the leaking roof of his house and use the rest to take care of their needs. Speaking to Ika Times newspaper, Pa Benson Ekpenisi said: The story started many years ago when my son Patrick Ekpenisi who is the fifth among my children had been threatening to kill me and the mother and he had been saying it with the boast that he has political and royal backup. On several occasions, he had said that no policeman from Ika North East and Ika South Local Government can arrest him because he will be released by the politicians in Ika federal constituency. Benson Ekpenisi continued: I was sitting under a palm tree in my compound on Friday when Patrick came out from his house, which is opposite mine at Boji-Boji Owa-Nta, Aliosimi, and started pointing fingers at me and shouting that the land I was about to sell to repair my leaking roof could not be sold, that it should be given to him. I told him that he couldnt tell me what to do with my own land. Besides, the land where he built his house was given to him by me. That was how trouble started and he hit my head on the palm tree. The publication claims that Patrick carried his father up and slammed him on the ground several times, he also tried killing him by hitting his head against the palm tree he was sitting under but the old man managed to escape. Benson Ekpenisi added: My son threatened to kill me and his mother; he broke the plastic chair his mother was sitting on and used it to hit her head, but the old woman was quick enough to run into the house through the back door and locked the door against him. He tried breaking the door with some objects but didnt succeed. Benson said that was not the first time that Patrick would beat him and his wife up. He lamented that he has reported the matter to several authorities, including to the Owa Oyibu Divisional Police Station, but none has been able to intervene. The distraught father called on the state government and other relevant authorities to quickly come to his aide before his son kills him and his wife. Another son of Benson Ekpenisi, David Ekpenisi, complained about his brothers behavior. He said: I am speechless. For over three years, Patrick, a primary school teacher, has never allowed my parents to rest. I am calling on the AIG, the DPO of Owa-Oyibu, the NUT Ika North-East and the governor of Delta State to come to our aid. Patrick boasted countless times that he is above the law. Former climate change researcher Amy MacMahon will again attempt to unseat Jackie Trad at the state election after narrowly losing to the Deputy Premier in 2017. There was a 10 per cent swing away from Labor to Ms MacMahon, the Greens' candidate in the South Brisbane electorate, at the last election. Ms Trad won South Brisbane with just 500 more first preference votes than Ms MacMahon and retained the seat on the back of LNP preferences. The Greens' Amy MacMahon is aiming to take South Brisbane off Deputy Premier Jackie Trad. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen However, in a controversial move, the LNP will be putting Ms Trad, who is also the state's Treasurer, last on its how-to-vote cards at the October 31 election. It is, she says, one of her favorite things in the world to do. Denese Rommel and her family pile into cars and drive north to Marbotts Greenhouse & Nursery, a 90-year-old family-owned business on Northeast Columbia Boulevard that boasts eight greenhouses and too many beautiful plants and flowers to count. Her birthday is May 13 and often falls on Mothers Day. So its her time to be spoiled. The family makes plans for a Sunday brunch or dinner and heads to Marbott's, where her grandchildren run around and marvel at the beauty and color and her kids treat her to hanging baskets or impatiens. I tell my kids, All I want to do is go to Marbott's, Rommel said. I love to be with my family and just walk around the nursery. Its my happy place. But between statewide stay-at-home orders and the persistent threat of the coronavirus, Rommel wont be enjoying her happy place this Mothers Day. In the age of COVID-19, safety means separation, especially for the older generation, so grandparents have been forced to cope in unique ways as the world wears masks, practices social-distancing and spends most of the time in self-isolation. Relationships with beloved grandchildren have been radically changed and even cut off. Cliche pinches on cheeks and enveloping snuggles have been replaced by Facetime and Zoom chats. Birthday and Easter celebrations are being celebrated at a distance, through windows or with 10 feet of space. Trips to parks and ice cream shops have been put on an indefinite freeze. People of all ages have been infected and killed by the coronavirus, but it disproportionately affects older people 79 percent of COVID-19-related deaths in the United States have occurred among people ages 65 or older. That leaves older Americans particularly vulnerable. Every situation is different, of course, so grandparents and families are handling their new reality in a variety of ways. Some parents continue to lean on grandparents for help with childcare, despite the risk, because its their only option. And many younger grandparents continue to work and stay engaged like everyone else, tweaking their communications and exchanges along with the rest of society. But for most grandparents, routines and family interactions especially those involving grandchildren have been drastically altered amid the coronavirus pandemic, leaving some feeling isolated and most longing for the interpersonal connections they once held so dear. It feels like such a void, said Rommel. I would call it lonely, but I do see my grandchildren and talk to them. And I do communicate with them. But theres just such a hole in my heart. Im not getting to have them here (at my house) and hold them and hug them and have them run around the backyard. I know its probably not going to happen any time real soon, and maybe when it does, it will be a gradual thing. But Im dying to get it back. Its just such an empty void that I feel. Before the coronavirus arrived in Oregon, Rommel would watch at least one of her grandchildren three days a week, taking 22-month-old Cohen on Tuesdays, 4-year-old Grady on Wednesdays and either 3-year-old Nolan or 10-month-old Harper on Fridays. Sometimes, on days she wasnt scheduled to watch the kids, shed swing by Gradys daycare, which is near her Northeast Portland home, and surprise him with a spontaneous afternoon pickup. Grandma! he would shout at first sight. I didnt know yoooooouuuu were picking me up today. And hed run and wrap her in a big hug. Rommels days were spent reading books, taking trips to the park, going on walks around the neighborhood and generally showering her grandchildren with attention and affection. Theyd walk to Tacovore to eat tacos for lunch and run errands at Fred Meyer. Over the years, she and Grady started a tradition dubbed Waffle Wednesday, during which they would drive to a neighborhood near Mount Tabor to visit her 92 year-old mother Gradys great-grandmother to make waffles and hang out in her playroom. She kind of broke down this week, Rommel said of her mother. She said, I miss Waffle Wednesday. I know well have them again, but I really miss them. When stay-at-home orders were first given, Rommel would swing by her familys homes for window visits, peeking through front windows at her kids and grandkids while sharing conversations and giggles through cell phones. But she would leave in tears because it was so impersonal and emotionally difficult. Nowadays, Rommel sees her grandchildren via Facetime and on her computer, and hounds her kids to text pictures and videos, just so she can see their faces and hear their voices. Denese Rommel spends many days during the coronavirus crisis chatting with her oldest grandson, Grady, on the computer. Occasionally, on sunny days, her family will drive to her house and theyll enjoy a group walk around her neighborhood. She and her husband, Gary, stroll in the street near the curb, and their children and grandchildren walk or in Gradys case, ride a bike on the sidewalk, keeping a healthy 10 feet of distance at all times. On Easter, instead of a big family brunch and Easter egg hunt at her house, Rommels family came over at different times for separate social-distance walks. When Grady used to visit on Wednesdays, hed shout Grandma! Grandma! the moment the car pulled into Rommels driveway, then sprint out to give her a big hug. She hasnt hugged any of her grandchildren in weeks. I have such a close relationship with all of them, but over the last two months Im moving away from them, she said through tears. Theyre looking at me, like, Grandma, whats up? I get concerned that our connection is damaged from this. I know it will be OK. But its just, gosh, how much longer can we be distant and not have it affect our connection? Her daughter, Michelle Birman, reminds her that children are resilient and theyll be fine, that their bond will eventually grow stronger. But Rommel has not enjoyed a walk to Tacovore or a Waffle Wednesday in weeks. And, worse, she wasnt around last month to comfort Cohen when he fell off the couch and broke his collarbone. All I wanted to do was hold him, Rommel said. Its so hard. The emotion of lost connections and the anxiety of being part of the COVID-19 target demographic can be overwhelming for some. But grandparents are adapting and making the most of their predicament. Last week, Danna Harnish celebrated her 75th birthday like none other that came before it: With a Hawaiian-themed Zoom party in front of a computer screen. Sixteen family members including six grandchildren ranging from age 10 to 23 popped up in squares on her computer at different times, decked out in Hawaiian shirts, leis and sunglasses. Adults sipped cocktails, the group laughed and shared stories, and eventually everyone serenaded Harnish with a Happy Birthday song unlike any other. We laughed so much people started crying from laughing, Harnish said. I dont even remember what was so funny. Everyone was just happy. The highlight was just seeing my family together seeing that they were happy. It was reassuring. I guess that sounds kind of dramatic. They enjoyed themselves so much, Harnish said, theyre going to make it a new birthday tradition. Danna Harnish celebrates her 75th birthday party with a Hawaiian-themed party on Zoom. Harnish has stayed connected to her grandchildren through technology, checking in on the older ones with a Facetime chat or a text message. Also, every day, she sends her 10- and 12-year old grandchildren in Seattle a corny joke. A couple of the offerings: What do you get when you cross cocoa with a herd of cows? Chocolate mooos. Where do vegetables volunteer? The Peas Corps. Theyre so stupid, theyre funny, she said, chuckling. Sharon Bailey, who lives in Lake Oswego, also stays in touch with her family through Facetime, which she rarely did before the coronavirus crisis, but she recently started connecting with her 9-year-old granddaughter in a far more surprising way: Through old-fashioned letters. Harkening to a time before email and cell phones, her granddaughter scribbles hand-written paper notes about playing with her cats and dressing her American Girl dolls, all while including drawings of hearts and roses. The letters cant replace their trips to Menchies for frozen yogurt or their time spent in the kitchen baking cupcakes together. But they warm Baileys heart and she promptly replies with her own handwritten note and mails it back. Theyre just so cute and so sweet, Bailey said. Im definitely going to save them. Of course, nothing can replace the experience of spending time together, and no hobby or chore can make up for lost time and lost bonds. And for some grandparents, the simple act of taking care of their kids, while taxing, is also invigorating. Dan Glennon watched his 3-year-old granddaughter Thelma three times a week before the coronavirus crisis, filling 10-hour days with trips to the park and walks around Northeast Portland. Hes quick to point out that Thelma is a handful, but her boundless energy and oversized sense of humor kept him busy and on his toes. And while Glennon chats with her nightly on Facetime and celebrated her 3rd birthday by standing across the street from her home and singing Happy Birthday, he cant help but feel like hes lost some of his purpose. This is not sustainable, Glennon, who is retired and turns 70 in May, said. We have more time than we know what to do with. It would be wonderful to have her over here. I think the speed at which we do things has slowed down tremendously, to the point where its not good. "It would be good to have her, picking up the pace. Shes just so fun and so loving especially when you can slow her down and we definitely miss her. Rommel used to feel so exhausted after watching her grandchildren that when they left at the end of the day, shed plop down on the couch and more or less remain there the rest of the night. But after a few weeks apart, she like so many other grandparents would give anything to experience a little of that exhaustion again. I was talking to Michelle recently about how much I missed them and our connection and she said, Mom, you can have them both for a week when this is all over with. You can take them, well go on vacation, and you can spend a whole week re-forming your connection, Rommel said, laughing. I said, Oh, gosh, Im not sure I can handle that. But I just cant wait to have those three days a week back, so I can get connected with them again. I really miss it. Joe Freeman | jfreeman@oregonian.com | 503-294-5183 | @BlazerFreeman | Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories Millions of people are forced to flee their homes each year because of conflict or violence. While some cross borders to find safety, many seek refuge within their home countries, often in camps or informal settlements. They share many of the same challenges and vulnerabilities as refugees, including to the risks posed by COVID-19. Sumbul Rizvi is UNHCRs Principal Advisor on Internal Displacement, a role she took up in May 2019. Previously, she coordinated the UNs Rohingya refugee response in Bangladesh. Prior to joining the UN over two decades ago, she practiced law in New Delhi, India. She spoke with Matthew Mpoke Bigg from UNHCRs global communications service about why the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement remain so important, as well as how the COVID-19 pandemic puts IDPs at greater risk. What factors make some people flee within their own country while others cross borders as refugees? When confronted with conflict and violence, the vast majority of people flee within their own country. Sometimes a different part of a country is perceived to be safer. Often people seek safety where they have family or community support. Some people lack the financial means, ID documents or a passport that would allow them to travel across an international border. Many consider it easier to earn a living in their own country, while some consider flight to be short term, thus staying in-country is viewed as making return home easier. Flight across international borders is more common when conflict takes place close to a frontier. What particular challenges do people face when they are internally displaced? Forced displacement provides a level of safety, away from the immediate conflict, but also brings enormous challenges. These include violence, exploitation or abuse from host communities or from governments, military or armed groups; absence of basic shelter; restrictions on freedom of movement; seizure of documents; limited access to public services and social protections; and loss of income. These risks can prompt resorting to harmful coping mechanisms including child labour, early or forced marriage. Poor nutrition, family separation or strains on family structures are also common. In addition, families from rural areas often struggle to adapt to life in cities where they lack social safety nets. They may be unable to return home because of continued violence or even because their homes have been destroyed. Why do they often need protection and assistance? Local authorities attempt to provide protection and assistance to people who have been forcibly displaced, but there are situations where governments may not be willing or able to meet their basic needs for food, shelter, legal assistance, education and livelihoods. IDPs may also fear being the target of violence, exploitation or discrimination because of their political affiliation, ethnicity or religion. Women and children can be especially vulnerable to sexual exploitation and abuse and may need additional protection and assistance, including sometimes from their own communities. Globally, more than 41 million people are displaced inside their own countries. Where are they concentrated, and what sort of conditions do they live in? People are internally displaced in more than 30 countries. UNHCR supports responses to this displacement in all regions of the world including Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Iraq, Myanmar, Niger, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Ukraine, Yemen and others. IDPs live in both urban and rural areas. Sometimes theyre in camps set up by a government or by humanitarian organizations, but they also live in informal sites, which could be a slum or an abandoned or unfinished building. Some live in rented accommodation in cities. Living conditions are often overcrowded, with limited access to water, sanitation and other basic services. This can expose IDPs to a variety of risks such as exposure to infectious diseases, sexual violence and forced eviction. What difficulties are internally displaced people, or IDPs, facing now because of the threat of coronavirus, and what can be done to help? The vast majority of IDPs are in developing countries with extremely fragile health systems that could be rapidly overwhelmed if the virus gains a foothold. In addition, many IDPs live in camps or informal sites where overcrowding, poor nutrition, and inadequate provision of water, sanitation and hygiene present enormous challenges for prevention. In urban areas, many are becoming destitute as casual labour and other income opportunities vanish overnight. Interruptions or reductions in the provision of humanitarian or government assistance will make IDPs even more vulnerable both to the virus and other risks. Its vital that international support to national governments is urgently stepped up to meet the massive needs. This must include funding for measures to prevent the spread of the virus and to promote the inclusion of IDPs in national preparedness and responses efforts. UNHCR is working with governments, sister UN agencies and NGOs to implement various actions, including communicating with IDPs in camps and informal sites about hygiene and physical distancing. Were also adapting our programmes so they can be delivered safely; providing emergency cash to the most vulnerable and supporting the upgrading of health facilities. What are the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement, and how were they established? The Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement, adopted 22 years ago tomorrow (17 April), were the first international standards developed for internally displaced people. They set out their rights and governments obligations towards them and are widely recognized as the key international framework for responding to internal displacement. The Guiding Principles are a set of 30 standards based on international human rights and humanitarian law that outline the rights of IDPs, and how they should be protected and assisted during displacement up until a lasting solution can be found for them. The need for such standards became evident in the 1990s when the number of people uprooted within their own countries by violence, armed conflict and human rights abuses increased dramatically. With no existing international legal framework for their protection, M. Francis Deng, who was the Representative of the UN Secretary General on IDPs, presented the Guiding Principles to the UN Commission on Human Rights to address the gap. Since their adoption in 1998, they have been widely used by countries, UN agencies and NGOs as the basis for IDP protection. The Guiding Principles remain extremely relevant today. As part of a global initiative called the GP20, UNCHR is supporting States to incorporate the Guiding Principles into their national legislations. What role does UNHCR play in securing IDPs rights and protection and what are the challenges we face? UNHCR supports authorities in assisting and protecting IDPs by providing technical expertise and undertaking practical interventions through shelter, camp management and protection activities. We also mobilize and coordinate the efforts of NGOs and other UN agencies to make sure gaps are addressed and that there is no duplication of support. Such assistance can be lifesaving and needs to be delivered quickly. Central to UNHCRs work is ensuring IDPs rights are protected and that the risks they face are minimized. The challenges we continue to face relate to uneven legal protections for IDPs and persistent insecurity that impedes humanitarian access, public services and basic livelihood opportunities. UNHCR recently launched an IDP initiative. Can you tell us a bit more about this? The IDP initiative steps up UNHCRs engagement in internal displacement situations through the course of this year and 2021. It focuses on nine countries: Ethiopia, South Sudan, Sudan, Burkina Faso, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Iraq, Afghanistan, Ukraine and Colombia. The aims are to generate examples of good practices; to give greater visibility to the impact of internal displacement on those affected; to secure more resources for IDP responses and to strengthen our support to operations in these nine countries. Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Assessment report by United States Africa Command confirms two civilians were killed and three injured in 2019. Two civilians were killed and three injured in a United States air strike in Somalia early last year, the US said in a rare acknowledgement of civilian casualties from United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) military operations in the Horn of Africa country. The deaths were mentioned on Monday in a debut quarterly assessment report by AFRICOM on allegations of civilian casualties raised in connection with its operations against armed fighters in Somalia, Libya and other African countries. Regrettably two civilians were killed and three others injured in a February 2019 air strike. We are deeply sorry this occurred, AFRICOMs commander, US Army General Stephen Townsend, said in the report. The air strike was carried out in the vicinity of Kunyo Barrow in Somalias Lower Shabelle region and the report said the intended target two members of the Al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabab group were killed. The civilian deaths, it said, occurred as a result of US or al-Shabab munitions that exploded during the air strike. It was the second known incident in which AFRICOM has acknowledged killing civilians in Somalia, where rights activists have accused it of long shrouding its operations in secrecy. The first was an air strike in April 2018 in El Buur, in the Galgaduud region of central Somalia, in which AFRICOM reported it had unintentionally killed two civilians. The US has been conducting air attack in Somalia for years to help defeat al-Shabab, which seeks to topple Somalias western-backed central government and set up its own rule based on strict interpretation of the Islamic sharia law. For nearly two decades, al-Shabab has been attacking military and civilian targets, including hotels and traffic junctions in Somalia and neighbouring countries, including Kenya. A regional peacekeeping force, the African Union Mission in Somalia, also helps defend the Somali government. Amnesty International said AFRICOMs move to publish quarterly assessment reports on civilian casualty allegations is a welcome step towards transparency. Amnesty Internationals Deputy Regional Director for Eastern Africa, Seif Magango, added that the US must follow up with accountability and reparation for victims and their families. Heres a recap of the global response to the coronavirus pandemic for Monday, April 27, 2020. More than 210,000 people have died from the coronavirus, according to data from Johns Hopkins University, and over 3 million people worldwide have tested positive. The World Health Organization director said the pandemic was far from over and expressed concern about children. In the United States, more than 55,000 people have died, while there have been over 980,000 confirmed cases. President Trump's economic adviser said the jobless rates from the coronavirus will be comparable to the Great Depression. For the latest live updates, click here. "It is important to recognize there has been a supply chain breakdown," said Rifino Valentine, Founder of Valentine Distilling Co. "Due to this breakdown, consumers in southeast Michigan haven't been able to gain access to products such as hand sanitizer. That is the importance of regional manufacturing. We have been able to not only support the regional market, but supply consumers with a product they need." During this time of crisis, Valentine is also doing their part to support Michigan beverage hospitality workers. Recently, Valentine Distilling Co. and its passionate Mayor Pingree Cask Club whiskey fanbase raised more than $12,000 to support hospitality workers in need during the COVID-19 quarantine crisis. The money was raised through the release of an elite, 12-year old single barrel of bourbon. The special cask yielded just 62 bottles at 137.6 proof, of which 50 were sold at a price of $350 per bottle. All of the markup, more than $250 from each bottle, will go to support the Great Lakes Wine and Spirits Fund and others. Each fund supports beverage service workers in unique ways such as crowd-sourcing tips, advancing the bartending profession, or employing the more than 800 Michigan workers in the alcohol beverage hospitality industry. "This is a special one," says Justin Aden, the Distiller & Blender of Valentine Distilling Co. "This is an opportunity to help out, by leveraging both our rare and exceptional whiskey inventory and our fanatical Mayor Pingree supporters to assist our colleagues in the beverage hospitality industry." Valentine urges you to remember the core values, quality, and care regional manufacturers have shown you throughout this time. Support your local and regional companies' product lines, as they have been produced with the same quality and care before, during, and after the COVID-19 crisis. Handcrafting world-class whiskey, gin, and vodka since 2007, Valentine Distilling Co. is an American pioneer of small batch spirits. www.ValentineDistilling.com Contact: Ashleigh Laabs Phone: (989) 780-4090 Email: [email protected] SOURCE Valentine Distilling Co. Related Links http://www.ValentineDistilling.com Slovak government approves defense treaty with US US senators unveil bill to impose sanctions against Russia EU wants to help Lebanon avoid economic collapse CSTO to approve Kazakhstan peacekeepers withdrawal order German president calls for thorough discussion on mandatory vaccination Andranik Hovhannisyan elected UN Human Rights Council vice-president Aliyev: Peace treaty with Armenia not a guarantee for avoiding war Russian Foreign Ministry: Further NATO enlargement involves risks Aliyev not to let OSCE deal with the Karabakh conflict Ex-Mayor of Yerevan invited to police Boris Johnson apologizes for attending party during lockdown Global COVID-19 cases rise by 55% percent, deaths stable Thailand introduces $9 tourist fee Erdogan vows to tame Turkish inflation as scepticism grows Turkey's Turkic world ambitions face reality check in Kazakhstan Teacher in Baku beats student NEWS.am daily digest: 12.01.22 Turkish FM expresses concerns to Chinese counterpart OSCE Chairman-in-Office speaks on situation along Armenia-Azerbaijan border Iran cancels travel ban on common borders CSTO defense ministers council special session to be held Thursday Dollar loses value in Armenia Which NGOs, extra-parliamentary forces to be included in Armenia Constitutional Reform Council? 4,391 foreign nationals visit Artsakh in 2021 China calls on US to immediately close Guantanamo prison State Department says more progress must be made to salvage nuclear deal Measure ensuring implementation of law on addendum to law on Armenia state border is approved Davit Minasyan is sworn in as new mayor of Armenias Parakar enlarged community World Bank: Armenia economic growth expected to be 4.8% in 2022 and 5.4% in 2023 Azerbaijani Defense Minister receives new commander of Russian peacekeepers in Karabakh Biden names Kamala Harris as US president during Atlanta speech Ombudsman: Azerbaijan is launching provocations in Armenia territories where it earlier invaded Russia-NATO Council meeting kicks off in Brussels Serdar Kilic is appointed Turkey special representative for Armenia Armenia ambassador to Georgia informs Switzerland envoy about Azerbaijan's gross ceasefire violation Economy minister: Armenia government was guided by political considerations when lifting sanctions on Turkey goods Turkey defense minister expresses support for Azerbaijan in another military aggression against Armenia Pashinyan, Putin discuss Karabakh, Kazakhstan Toivo Klaar: Deeply worried by reports of renewed incidents and casualties on Armenia-Azerbaijan Germany: A record 80,430 COVID-19 cases detected per day 3 more persons die of coronavirus in Artsakh Criminal case launched into 3 Armenia soldiers killing by Azerbaijan shootings Copper rises in price 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 Defense Ministry confirms Armenian side has 2 victims Satanovsky on sending Armenian servicemen to Kazakhstan Unofficial data: 2 servicemen killed as a result of Azerbaijan provocation CSTO and Kazakh Defense Ministry developing plan WHO thinks it's too early to consider COVID-19 pandemic European Commission to require Poland to pay fine of nearly EUR 70 million White House announces $308 million humanitarian aid for Afghanistan Erdogan angry at minister after efforts to strengthen lira failed Armenian FM has phone call with US Assistant Secretary of State India imposes one-week quarantine even for vaccinated tourists Armenian ex-president expresses condolences on poet Razmik Davoyan's death Traction Programme to showcase 8 startups during the Digital Demo Day Azerbaijan uses artillery and UAVs, 3 Armenian soldiers wounded NEWS.am daily digest: 11.01.22 Austrian Chancellor confirms plan for mandatory COVID-19 vaccination in February Armen Sarkissian and Kassym-Jomart Tokayev discuss situation in Kazakhstan Gulf, Iran and Turkey FMs to visit China 20 pregnant women with COVID-19 die in Azerbaijan in year Armenia hands over wanted US citizen to United States Economy ministry: Organizing of accommodation and public catering increased by 61.1% in Armenia Armenia parliament speaker expresses condolences on European Parliament President death Azerbaijan opens fire toward Armenia village sector, one soldier wounded Shoigu: CSTO peacekeepers deployed in Kazakhstan thanks to Syrian and Karabakh experience Azerbaijan official pledges to remove Armenian toponyms from Google Maps UN offers two plans to help Afghans totaling $ 5 billion in 2022 Armenia attorney general travels to Moscow on working visit Azerbaijan MOD blames Armenian side for soldiers death Dollar drops in Armenia Shirak Province captives families hold protest outside Armenia government building Rolls-Royce sales rise to record high in 2021 Ombudsman: Azerbaijanis directed gun at Armenia residents car in which his wife, 3-year-old child were ANCA urges President Biden and Congress to hold Azerbaijan and Turkey accountable for war crimes Serbia's Orthodox Patriarch tests positive for COVID-19 Brothers, sisters of 2020 Artsakh war military casualties to get compensation in lieu of their deceased parents Turkish authorities sanction arrest of 33 suspected FETO ties Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-27 23:07:24|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, April 27 (Xinhua) -- China on Monday called on the United States to respond to in a timely manner the concerns of its people and the international community on fighting COVID-19. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang made the remarks when asked to comment on the fact that more people in the United States were casting doubts on the U.S. government's response to the pandemic. "Many in the United States have been questioning and worrying whether the U.S. government has responded timely and effectively to the outbreak," Geng said at a press briefing. "They wanted to get the facts straight: when did the first case occur in the United States? Is the U.S. government hiding something? Why is it so desperately seeking to pin the blame on other countries and international organizations?" On April 4, the Washington Post published an article that gave a panoramic view of how and why the U.S. government handled the epidemic poorly at the early stage. On April 13 and 19 at the White House press briefings, CBS and CNN journalists questioned the delay in the U.S. government's response to COVID-19 when it already knew the potential risks of the global spread. On April 14, The Atlantic said in an article that the main reason for the huge outbreak of cases in the U.S. was a lack of forceful government measures. On April 21, the Los Angeles Times reported that according to the autopsy results released by Santa Clara County health officials, the first death case from the novel coronavirus was actually on Feb. 6, almost one month early than the first known death declared by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Santa Clara officials also said that people in California might have been infected as early as last December. "We hope the U.S. government can timely respond to the concerns of its own people and the international community. The World Health Organization may also be invited to help review this process," Geng said. Noting that infectious diseases are the common enemy of all mankind, he said both the Chinese and U.S. people were victims, and only through solidarity and cooperation can the international community win the war against the virus. "We hope the United States will adopt an open, transparent and responsible attitude, take effective measures to safeguard the life and health of its people, and work with the international community to safeguard global public health security," Geng said. Enditem Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slattery said the governor has exclusive say-so in time of emergency in the state. In a six-page opinion issued Monday, he said, "Absent an express delegation of power by the Governor, local governmental entities may not take actions that are either more restrictive or less restrictive with respect to the subjects addressed in the Governors executive orders governing the States emergency response to COVID-19. "Such action would be at cross purposes with the Governors orders, which are the law of the State, and would constitute an impermissible legal conflict." In Chattanooga, Mayor Andy Berke put down a shelter in place order that closed many local businesses. The closures, including restaurants, were to continue at least through this week. Governor Bill Lee, who has launched a re-opening of many businesses in recent orders, then decreed that restaurants across the state, including Chattanooga, could reopen today for dine-in under strict health conditions. He said the re-opening in large cities like Chattanooga was subject to the approval of the County Health Department. The opinion says that "some local governmental entities have issued orders that are either more restrictive or less restrictive than the Governors executive orders." Click here to read the opinion. By WestKyStar & Marshall Co. Schools Staff Apr. 26, 2020 | 09:07 PM | MARSHALL COUNTY GSE brings together high school students from across Kentucky, immersing them in a creative space during a three-week residential program and arming them with the educational tools needed to unleash entrepreneurial spirits. More than 300 high school students applied to participate in the program. This year 72 students were selected from a competitive application process to receive full tuition scholarships, marking the highest enrollment number for the program. Through GSE, students learn firsthand about the opportunities, benefits and pitfalls of beginning a business. Teams of high school students develop business models, design prototypes, and pitch startup ideas to a large audience and panel of judges. Student participation in this annual entrepreneurial program has inspired more than eight businesses throughout the Commonwealth, and actively engaged hundreds of GSE alumni in Kentuckys entrepreneurial ecosystem. Through partnerships with collegiate partners, GSE provides more than $2.7 million in scholarship funding opportunities to Kentucky high school students each year. Since 2013, more than 350 student entrepreneurs have received scholarship funding through the program. Marshall County Schools would like to congratulate Mia on this accomplishment and for the hard work and dedication she has displayed in order to be selected for this program. We wish her success in all her future endeavors. Marshall County High School is excited to announce that Mia Jaco has been selected to attend the Governors School for Entrepreneurs (GSE) this summer. Mia is the daughter of Vi and Paul Jaco. Rare Syndrome Seen in Children, UK Health Agency Warns 'Multi-system inflammatory state' linked to COVID-19, NHS says Doctors in the UK were warned to look out for a rare but dangerous reaction in children linked to the CCP virus. The National Health Service (NHS) sent out an alert to doctors in north London that it has been reported that over the last three weeks there has been an apparent rise in the number of children of all ages presenting with a multi-system inflammatory state requiring intensive care across London and also in other regions of the UK. The cases have in common overlapping feature of toxic shock syndrome and atypical Kawasaki disease with blood parameters consistent with severe COVID-19 in children, the alert continued. Elaborating further, officials said that the virus has produced an inflammatory syndrome for UK children. Or, officials added, there may be another, as yet unidentified, infectious pathogen associated with these cases. According to the Guardian, a similar version of the alert was also distributed by the Pediatric Intensive Care Society to specialist doctors working in UK hospitals intensive care units. A hospital worker cleans an ambulance outside St Thomas hospital in London, England, on April 1, 2020. (Justin Setterfield/Getty Images) Abdominal pain and gastrointestinal symptoms have been a common feature, as has cardiac inflammation. This has been observed in children with confirmed PCR positive Sars-CoV-2 infection as well as children who are PCR negative, The NHS letter explained. Serological evidence of possible preceding Sars-CoV-2 infection have also been observed. Sars-CoV-2 is another name for the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, a novel coronavirus that causes the COVID-19 disease. Typically, symptoms include respiratory problems, a cough, a fever, or in more severe cases, pneumonia or even death. Experts told the BBC that very few children become severely ill with the CCP virus, and evidence gathered from around the world suggests they are the least-affected group while elderly people and individuals with underlying health problems are the worst impacted. Symptoms of Kawasaki disease, including a strawberry tongue and edema in the hands (Dong Soo Kim via the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.) Dr. Nazima Pathan, a consultant in Paediatric Intensive Care in Cambridge, told the broadcaster that health officials in Spain and Italy have reported similar cases among children. Some of the children have presented with a septic shock type illness and rashes the kind of presentation we would expect to see in toxic shock syndrome and Kawasaki disease (which affects blood vessels and the heart), the news outlet quoted Pathan as saying. Overall, children seem to be more resilient to serious lung infection following exposure to coronavirus, and the numbers admitted to intensive care units are relatively low. The findings come as UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who has been recovering from a case of COVID-19, has faced mounting pressure to reopen the countrys schools amid a lockdown. We are certainly aware of the reports, and the Department of Health are looking at that, a spokesperson for Johnson told news outlets on Monday. Last photo credit: Dong Soo Kim via Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, also known as the CARES Act, is a $2.2 trillion package of benefits intended to soften the blow of a shuttered economy for millions of Americans. The package provides for stimulus payments, student loan deferrals, and -- maybe most importantly -- an expansion of state unemployment benefits. Since the coronavirus outbreak began in the U.S., more than 26 million workers have lost their jobs. By some estimates, the unemployment rate could rise above 20% before the economy rights itself. That would rival Depression-era levels, and would be more than double the 9.9% unemployment rate of 2009 during the Great Recession. The unemployment provisions in the CARES can't insulate workers from job loss, but it may give them enough assistance to hang on through these difficult times. Here are four ways the CARES Act expands unemployment benefits. 1. More people qualify In normal times, you only qualify for unemployment benefits if you've earned a state-defined minimum in W-2 wages. That W-2 wage requirement automatically excludes anyone who makes a living on 1099 income -- such as gig workers, freelancers, and independent contractors. The CARES Act addresses these individuals by establishing the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program. PUA extends unemployment benefits to the self-employed, along with anyone who's looking for part-time work, those who haven't worked enough to meet the state's minimum requirement, and those who've previously exhausted their unemployment benefits. Applicants do need to certify that they're partially or fully unemployed or demonstrate that they aren't able to work due to COVID-19. These individuals can collect PUA benefits through the end of the year, up to 39 weeks. At a minimum, they'll receive half the state's average weekly benefit for their eligibility period, plus an additional $600 weekly through July 31, 2020. In February, average weekly benefits nationwide ranged from $215 in Mississippi to $550 in Massachusetts. Undocumented workers and those with no records of income are not eligible for unemployment under PUA. 2. Benefits will last longer Unemployment benefits normally expire after 13 to 26 weeks, as defined by each state. The CARES Act, however, allows for an additional 13 weeks of benefits under the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) program. Some will qualify for an extension of benefits under PEUC, and then another extension from PUA. Workers who exhaust the regular benefit first qualify for the extra 13 weeks under PEUC. When the PEUC extension runs out, if those workers are still unemployed, they'd qualify for another extension of benefits through the end of the year, up to 13 weeks, under PUA. 3. Checks will be higher The most talked-about unemployment provision in the CARES Act is a $600 increase to the weekly benefit through July 31, 2020. This is an automatic increase that's available to anyone who qualifies for unemployment, including the self-employed and others who are newly eligible. After the end of July, benefits amounts will be reduced to reflect the expiration of this provision. 4. Waiting periods may be waived States normally require you to wait a week after you lose your job before you can collect unemployment benefits. The CARES Act doesn't require the individual states to waive this waiting period, but it's strongly encouraged. The feds are actually funding all benefits paid by states for that waiting period. Many states have already announced that they are waiving the waiting period, including Connecticut, Florida, Missouri, New York, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin. Gather your documentation and file If you have been laid off or are otherwise unable to work due to the coronavirus recession, don't waste any time gathering proof of income and filing for unemployment. To find your state's unemployment website, check the U.S. Department of Labor's CareerOneStop directory. Know that state unemployment offices are struggling to adjust to the influx of claims and the new rules established by the CARES Act -- so expect delays and even technical issues with online claim filing. Once you do get through, your benefits will be retroactive to the date of job loss, assuming your state has waived its waiting period. Seoul, South Korea North Korea is still sending letters and gifts to foreign leaders and domestic workers in the name of its leader, Kim Jong Un. Its news media brims, as usual, with panegyrical propaganda extolling Kim's leadership. South Korea reiterates that it has detected "nothing unusual" in the North. President Donald Trump has called "incorrect" and "fake" a report that Kim was "in grave danger" after surgery. All this has done little to stop the rumor mill churning about Kim's health and the fate of the nuclear state for the simple reason that North Korea has not reported a public appearance by its leader for two weeks. Nor has it responded to lurid claims about his health. The lack of real information from the hermetic country is giving rise to rampant rumor mongering, leaving North Korean experts, foreign officials and intelligence agencies to parse through it all for signs of the truth. Depending on the news outlet or social media post, Kim, believed to be 36, is recuperating after a minor health issue like a sprained ankle, or he is "in grave danger" after a heart surgery. Or he has become "brain dead" or is in a "vegetative state" after a heart-valve surgery gone wrong at the hands of a nervous North Korean surgeon or one of the doctors China dispatched to treat him. Or Kim is grounded with COVID-19. Where did he get it? From one of those Chinese doctors. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. One rumor circulating in South Korean messaging apps claims that after French doctors could not wake Kim from his "coma," Kim Pyong Il, a half brother of Kim's late father, seized power with the help of pro-Chinese elites in Pyongyang, the North's capital. It goes on to say that Kim's powerful sister, Kim Yo Jong, has been detained while Beijing is secretly bargaining with Washington over the future of North Korea and its nuclear weapons. Seoul has questioned the accuracy of the unconfirmed reports, while the South Korean news media appears to dismiss most of them as rumors spreading through Chinese social media and beyond. But they cannot be completely ignored, since North Korea is so secretive that the world's most powerful intelligence agencies have been unable to penetrate Kim's inner circles. Kim last appeared publicly April 11, when he presided over a Politburo meeting. We pay more in federal taxes in Illinois than we get back from the federal government. And so, actually the states that are being bailed out every year, year in and year out, are the states who take more money out of the federal dole than they put in in taxes, Pritzker said. (CNN) Microsoft has made its typographical decree: Two spaces between sentences is too many. The style choice will now be marked as an error in Microsoft Word and users who press the space bar twice after a period will be met with those dreaded blue squiggly lines. The change, first noticed by University of Denver law professor Alan Chen and reported by tech outlet The Verge, is rolling out gradually across Word, so users may not notice it until their software updates. The habit of using two spaces is a relic from the era of typewriters, when typists spaced twice to more clearly define the end of a sentence. Characters were "monospaced" back then, which means they took up the same amount of space on the page today, most fonts adjust the width of characters so sentences are easier to read. Very few style guides advise using two spaces after a period. The APA, Chicago Manual of Style, AP and US Government Printing Office Style Manual all recommend a single space between sentences. The contemporary benefits of using it are few, aside from taking up more space on a page. If you absolutely cannot part with your beloved double space, here's what you can do: When Word marks it as an error, right click to view your options. You can ask Word to ignore this issue when it comes up again or view every grammatical issue the software will mark and remove spacing from the list of errors. This story was first published on CNN.com, "It's wrong to use two spaces between sentences, Microsoft Word says" Russia moved to fourth place in the sales of arms ranking, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). In 2019, 3.9% of Russia's GDP went to military spending, amounting to $65.1 billion. According to the SIPRI report, in 2019 the U.S. was responsible for 38% of global military expenditure, totaling $732 billion. The increase over its 2018 budget alone amounted to the equivalent of Germany's total expenditure in 2019. China has been increasing its military expenditure steadily since 1994, but its budget has jumped by 85% since 2010. However, in terms of percentage of GDP, this has not changed considerably and almost always lies at 1.9%. On the Asian continent, the military expenditure of China's rival, nuclear power India, is also considerable, rising last year by almost 7% to $71.1 billion, Deutsche Welle reported. Of the 15 countries in the world with the highest defense budgets, six are NATO members: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom and the United States. Their combined military expenditure makes up for almost half of the world's total figure. Global military expenditure reached $1.9 trillion (1.7 trillion) in 2019, the highest annual sum in real terms since 1988. That sum marked an increase of 3.6% over 2018, the largest annual increase since 2010. Fairfield, NJ, April 27, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- StayinFront , a leading global provider of mobile, cloud-based customer relationship management (CRM) solutions for life sciences organizations, announced today a multi-year partnership renewal with Medimetriks Pharmaceuticals, Inc. The partnership, entering its sixth year, enables Medimetriks field reps and managers to continue to use StayinFront TouchRx to access critical CRM information to effectively manage their territories, and capture and track key aspects of their activities quickly and easily. The new StayinFront TouchRx user interface provides more intuitive icons, improved form layouts and tooltips which provides end users on board instruction on how to navigate and execute tasks in the system. With the addition of integrated mobile KPIs, users now have the ability to track their performance against established goals and share pre-calculated KPI values in an easy-to-read dashboard with advanced visualizations. The StayinFront TouchRx solution also provides the ability to track sample inventory and distribution and includes advanced reporting tools that improve targeting and tracking performance across territories. It was a simple choice to continue our partnership with StayinFront, said Bradley Glassman, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer at Medimetriks. Their user-friendly, cutting-edge software and enhanced reporting tools are backed by an experienced and responsive support team that has helped us to improve our productivity and execute winning sales strategies. We are committed to continuing to support Medimetriks with the tools and information to enable reps to be more efficient, effective and compliant, said Ken Arbadji, Vice President Sales, North America at StayinFront. Our CRM functionality and integrated analytics provides sales teams with the right information needed to maximize productivity. About Medimetriks Pharmaceutical, Inc. Medimetriks Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a leading independent branded Dermatology company focused on the development, licensing and commercialization of innovative prescription skincare brands. The Company is dedicated to addressing unmet physician and patient needs with unique therapies that advance patient care. For more information, please visit: www.medimetriks.com About StayinFront StayinFront is a leading global provider of mobile, cloud-based field force effectiveness and customer relationship management solutions for life sciences and consumer goods organizations. Companies of all sizes, in over 50 countries use StayinFront software to streamline sales operations and reduce the complexity, time and expense associated with field efforts. StayinFront products are seamlessly integrated to provide companies with timely, accurate field data and actionable insights, enabling field reps and management to Do More, Know More and Sell More. Headquartered in Fairfield, New Jersey, StayinFront has offices in Chicago, Canada, the United Kingdom, Turkey, Ireland, Poland, India, Australia, Singapore, and New Zealand. Through its 20:20 Retail Data Insight and StayinFront Digital subsidiaries, StayinFront delivers stand alone and tightly integrated actionable insights and guided selling by analyzing retail images and data to brand managers and sales forces around the globe. For more details about StayinFront products and solutions, visit www.stayinfront.com . Story continues StayinFront Contact Ken Arbadji Vice President of Sales, North America +1 (973) 461-4800 x3247 karbadji@stayinfront.com StayinFront Media Contact: Crystal Ozsoy Senior Marketing Manager +1 (973) 461-4800 x3390 pr@stayinfront.com Medimetriks Media Contact: David Addis Senior Vice President, Brand Communication Medimetriks Pharmaceuticals, Inc. +1 (973) 882-7512 x569 daddis@medimetriks.com (PHOTO: Getty Images) Domestic abuse can touch anyone, anywhere, but more often than not it is women and children who are most at risk. During this period of isolation and community lockdowns around the world, it seems that being forced into seclusion has led to an increase in abuse of women. In Canada there have been at least three cases of gender-based murder since the coronavirus lockdown began. In China, an NGO dedicated to combating violence against women has seen a surge in help line calls since February. Spanish domestic violence groups have had 18% more calls in the first two weeks of lockdown compared to the previous month. France has reported a 30% increase nationwide in domestic violence since the beginning of its lockdown period. Even the United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres has called for urgent action to combat this global increase in domestic abuse: I urge all governments to put womens safety first as they respond to the pandemic. What is happening in Singapore? In Singapore, Association of Women for Action and Researchs (Aware) helplines in February saw a 33% increase in domestic violence-related calls compared to the previous year, says Ms Shailey Hingorani, head of Research and Advocacy for Aware. While we do not have a more detailed breakdown for March, overall, our Helpline calls have been surging. We received 619 calls in March, which is the highest-ever number of monthly calls at Awares helpline. These are ALL calls to Aware, not just the ones relating to domestic violence. Warning signs of domestic abuse First of all, not all domestic abuse involves violence says Hingorani: It is important to note that there are many forms of domestic violence, including physical, verbal, sexual, psychological and so on. So even if you are not being hit, it does not mean you are not being abused. Beyond acts of physical violence, abusers often exhibit controlling behaviours, such as monitoring and limiting their victims movements, relationships and activities in an attempt to isolate them from the outside world. Story continues They may also deny them food, water or sleep. They may also perpetrate harassment, insults, threats, humiliations or blackmail, says Hingorani. (PHOTO: Getty Images) What can you do about domestic abuse? If you feel as though you, a friend, or a family member, is at risk of domestic abuse, there are some actions you can take. We [at Aware] believe that the onus should not be on women to protect themselves from violence. In the case of domestic violence, women are typically just trying to get by as best they can in their own homes. We believe that the onus should be on abusers to check their own violent impulses and seek help if necessary, for example, from an organisation like Pave, says Hingorani. That said, it may help domestic violence victims to formulate a safety plan, which allows them to visualise the steps they could take in an emergency. This can include a safe place where they could go, an excuse to give to the abuser, a code or signal to allies, a secret stash of emergency money, and to keep a physical list of important numbers they could call for assistance. You are not alone Being in a situation where you feel you are in danger, can be terribly isolating and emotionally disruptive. You may not have any money, or have a close support system to help you through. However there are some options available. Aware's support services for women are free or low-cost. Our staff and volunteers can offer emotional support to women and help them to come up with the best course of action for their situations. That may involve filing a police report or making an application for a Personal Protection Order, or referring them to a Family Violence Specialist Centre or crisis shelter, explains Hingorani. All of Awares services can be done on the phone or via an online platform - especially important during the Circuit Breaker lockdown. The services include counselling, legal consultation, friendly support, support groups and case management. Our Women's Helpline and Sexual Assault Care Centre Helpline are still open with normal hours. We also have a callback form that callers can fill out if they don't get through immediately. There are also other groups dedicated to protecting women like the Family Service Centres and Family Violence Specialist Centres - such as Pave, Care Corner Project Start and Trans Safe Centre - which are also offering services remotely. Callers can find out their closest FSC by calling ComCare on 1800 222 0000. Crisis shelters are open; social service agencies can refer callers to the crisis shelter. Domestic violence survivors may also consider calling a hospital or the police in emergency situations, says Hingorani. Aware Womens Helpline: 1800 777 5555 (MonFri, 10am6pm) / Sexual Assault Care Centre Helpline: 6779 0282 (MonFri, 10am10pm) / Workplace Harassment and Discrimination Advisory: 6950 9191 (Mon-Fri, 10am-6pm). SINGAPORE For information about the COVID-19 outbreak in Singapore go to https://www.gov.sg/features/covid-19. If you are struggling with thoughts or feelings about suicide, contact SOS on 1800 221 4444 (24hrs). If you have concerns about mental health issues, contact Emergency Helpline (IMH) on 6389 2222 (24hrs). For more information and help dealing with mental health issues, go to www.healthhub.sg/findhelp_servicesformentalhealthsupport. MALAYSIA For information about the COVID-19 outbreak in Malaysia go to http://www.moh.gov.my/index.php/pages/view/2019-ncov-wuhan. If you are struggling with thoughts or feelings about suicide, contact Lifeline on (+603) 4265 7995 (24hrs). If you have concerns about mental health issues, contact the Malaysian Mental Health Association on (+603) 7782 5499. For more information and help dealing with mental health issues, contact the Befrienders on (+603) 79568144 or (+603) 7956 8145; or go to www.befrienders.org.my. PHILIPPINES For information about the COVID-19 outbreak in the Philippines go to https://www.doh.gov.ph/2019-nCoV. If you are struggling with thoughts or feelings about suicide, contact Lifeline on (02) 8969191 or 0917 854 9191. If you have concerns about mental health issues, contact the National Center for Mental Health (NCMH) Crisis Hotline on 0917 899 8727 (USAP) and 989 8727 (USAP). For more information and help dealing with mental health issues, go to the National Center for Mental Health at ncmh.gov.ph. These are exceptional times that we live in. With the escalating and ever-changing threat the Covid 19 Pandemic poses to our social and economic structure, we as a society are facing unprecedented challenges and decisions. Below are examples of Questions that have been put to Sellors Solicitors. If I am laid off temporarily will I get paid? Advice: Workers who are laid off temporarily, without pay from their employer, due to a reduction in business activity, they can apply for a Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment. Further information is available at: https://www.gov.ie/en/service/be74d3-covid-19-pandemic-unemployment-payment/ The COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment is paid at a flat rate of 350 per week for the duration of the pandemic emergency. As a self-employed person, what benefits am I entitled to during the Covid 19 crisis and how do I apply for them? Advice: If you are self-employed but no longer earning as a result of the crisis you may also access the emergency COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment. You may, if your trading income has collapsed to the extent that you are available to take up other full-time employment if it was offered to you, receive a payment of 350 per week for so long as you are available to take up other work. Further information is available at: https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/68c144-what-to-do-if-you-are-self-employed-covid-19/ Can I refuse to work during the Pandemic? Advice: There are certain circumstances where this is a definite yes. For example if you have been diagnosed with COVID-19, or are medically certified to self-isolate as a result of COVID-19. There may be risk factors which justify an employee's decision to self-isolate. In these circumstances you can apply for Illness benefit for Covid 19, details of which are here: https://www.gov.ie/en/service/df55ae-how-to-apply-for-illness-benefit-for-covid-19-absences/ Otherwise, if an employee is reluctant to attend work, to use public transport, to work with colleagues and so on, options such as working from home or availing of some type of leave (e.g. annual leave, paternity leave, unpaid leave) may be agreed with the employer. If this is not possible and an employee is expected to be at work, and they refuse to attend, they may be considered to be on unauthorised and unpaid absence. It can also be a disciplinary matter. This is particularly relevant where employees are needed in their workplaces to keep key services and functions operating in transport, retail, medical and other frontline sectors. I cannot pay my employees their full wages during this temporary lay off period but will try to pay something to everyone. How and what support is available to me as an employer in this situation? The Government has established a temporary refund scheme for employers forced to cease or reduce trading as a result of social distancing measures to help delay the spread of COVID-19. Employers will be refunded up to 70 percent of an employee's wages - up to a level of 410. Revenue will contact employers directly to confirm that they meet the conditions for this new scheme. I run an essential business and my employees need time off work because of lack of childcare Advice: This is a common challenge facing employers. Where employees can carry out some (or perhaps all) of their duties from home, they should be paid accordingly. Employers should consider reducing working hours and changing working times to assist employees in managing work and increased childcare responsibilities. Family leave options (paternity leave, parental leave, parents leave or perhaps force majeure leave) as well as annual leave may be solutions, at least in the short term. Employers are being urged by the government to continue paying employees where possible, with the benefit of the state support. Consistency is key to avoid setting unmanageable precedents and as the situation is so uncertain, employees should be informed that all measures are temporary and cannot be maintained indefinitely. For more information contact one of our professional team at: Sellors Solicitors email: info@sellors.ie or phone 061 414355. Four days after mega-deal with social media giant Facebook, Reliance Industries' JioMart Platforms has started testing its WhatsApp-based online shopping portal. The service so far is available in Navi Mumbai, Thane, and Kalyan. Despite all supply-related constraints, JioMart, along with its new partner WhatsApp, could spread the pilot run of the project to different states. How to book grocery on JioMart Add JioMart's WhatsApp number on your phone - 88500 08000 Following this, JioMart will provide a link to place the order; the link will be available for 30 minutes only Once you choose items, JioMart will send a link of the location -- address and location on Google Maps -- of a nearby store along with the invoice Once the order is ready, the customer will get an SMS from the store concerned, and will have to pay at the store and collect items from there only. For now, customers can only book various household food products at discounted prices. Also, the company does not accept online payment, but the service could be made available soon. "You will receive an SMS once Kirana Partner is ready with your order. You can pay at Kirana and pick your order," says the message shared by JioMart. Customers also can't modify or cancel orders. "Orders placed on JioMart WhatsApp service cannot be changed, cancelled or modified. However, you can contact your JioMart Kirana for any modification in order before billing," says JioMart. Also read:Facebook buys 10% stake in Reliance Jio for Rs 43,574 crore Facebook bought 9.99 per cent stake in Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Jio for Rs 43,574 crore on April 22, making it the largest minority shareholder in Jio Platforms Limited. Facebook has said it will focus on collaborating its messaging platform WhatsApp with Reliance Jio's e-commerce venture JioMart and help people connect with small businesses. Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani said the RIL-Facebook deal would be a milestone for the government's 'Digital India' initiative. Also read:Facebook-Reliance Jio deal: Social media giant pumps in Rs 43,574 crore in Mukesh Ambani's telco; 10 points Jio Platform was created as a subsidiary of RIL in October last year to bring together all digital and mobility businesses under one roof. The new entity has become the parent of Reliance Jio Infocomm and applications like MyJio, JioTV, JioCinema, JioNews and JioSaavn, besides content-generation ventures. The setting up of online portal takes Mukesh Ambani closer to take on India's two biggest e-commerce giants - Walmart-backed Flipkart and Amazon India. Also read: Facebook-Jio deal: FB investment values Jio Platforms at record Rs 4.6 lakh crore China coronavirus Getty The EU is under pressure to explain why it amended a report into global disinformation campaigns, in order to remove passages critical of the Chinese government. References to a campaign of "global disinformation" by China were removed before the publication of the final report, Politico reported. The Chinese [were] threatening with reactions if the report comes out," the New York Times reported. Several passages were altered following pressure from Beijing. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. The European Union removed references to a "global disinformation" campaign by the Chinese government, which were included in a draft report about the coronavirus pandemic, after pressure from Beijing. Three sources told Politico that Chinese diplomats had successfully pressured the EU into changing the wording of an official report into "disinformation around the COVID-19/Coronavirus pandemic." An EU diplomat told colleagues that "the Chinese [were] threatening with reactions if the report comes out," the New York Times reported last week. An earlier version of the report, seen by Politico, referenced a "continued and coordinated push by official Chinese sources to deflect any blame," for the coronavirus pandemic. However, the final version published by the EU references only a "continued and coordinated push by some actors, including Chinese sources, to deflect any blame." References to a Chinese campaign of "global disinformation" were also removed before publication, Politico reported. Bart Groothuis, a Member of the European Parliament representing Holland's People's Party for Freedom and Democracy, has asked the EU it to explain why the references were removed. Groothuis has written to Josep Borrell, the EU's foreign affairs chief, asking him to explain to the European Parliament as soon as possible whether there was diplomatic pressure from Beijing "successfully leading to adjusting assessment or factual findings" of the EEAS report. Story continues The Dutch MEP warns in his letter that if the EU had bowed to pressure from China, it "would cause damage to the democratic process in the EU." A spokesperson for the EEAS categorically denied that it had tweaked its report after foreign pressure, telling Politico "the publications of the EEAS are categorically independent. We have never bowed to any alleged external political pressure. This includes also our latest snapshot overview on disinfo trends." Boris Johnson under pressure to reverse Chinese 5G deal Boris Johnson China REUTERS/Toby Melville European governments are considering how to deal with China amid growing global criticism of how Beijing has handled the initial coronavirus outbreak. China, where the outbreak began, has faced allegations of concealing the true scale of the crisis by covering up the true death count. Boris Johnson's UK government last week removed China from its international comparisons amid ongoing doubt about the accuracy of case numbers in the country. The UK's First Secretary of State Dominic Raab, who deputized for Johnson while he recovered from the virus, warned last week that the UK's relationship with China could not return to "business as usual" after the pandemic. Members of Parliament in Johnson's own Conservative party over the weekend launched the "China Research Group," to "promote debate and fresh thinking about how Britain should respond to the rise of China." The group is putting pressure on Johnson to rip up its deal with the Chinese telecoms company Huawei to develop the UK's 5G network. Conservative MP Neil O'Brien, the group's secretary, told Business Insider he felt that Westminster was not thinking hard enough about how to respond to China's growing global power. "It's important that we don't lose sight of the growing influence of China and issues that raise," he said. "Looking at other countries like Sweden, Germany, and the US, the debate about responding to Chinese industrial and technological policy in those countries is a bit more advanced than it is here." Tom Tugendhat, the group's chair, told Business Insider that opposition to the UK's 5g deal with Chinese firm Huawei was "hardening" amid fury over China's handling of the COVID-19 crisis. Read the original article on Business Insider If you're of a certain age and were paying attention to politics in 1988, then you know that, apart from Michael Dukakis looking like the "Great Kazoo" of Flintstones fame during his ill advised helmet-wearing ride in an army tank, what really sank his hopes for the presidency was the Bush campaign's Willie Horton ad to illustrate that Dukakis was soft on crime. Willie Horton was a convicted felon who, while serving a life sentence for murder, was the beneficiary of a weekend furlough program championed by Dukakis. Horton never returned from his furlough, and, while a fugitive, he committed assault, armed robbery, and rape before being captured in Maryland, where he remains in prison to this day. Skip ahead to 2020 in New York City, and here we have a mayor who is arguably more liberal and farther to the left than Michael Dukakis could ever be. So when faced with a public health crisis and the spreading of the COVID-19 virus, what could possibly go wrong by releasing more felons into the population for the sake of improving social distancing in prisons? The answer is a lot. Just ten days after being released from Rikers Island, an East Flatbush man attacked and raped a woman. In fact, according to the New York Post, "police responding to a 911 call found Robert Pondexter, 57 and his crack pipe at around 5:45 AM Saturday." Pondexter had allegedly grabbed a random woman on the street by the collar and dragged her into a school parking lot, where he choked her and forced her to perform oral sex. As the rape began to escalate, the victim was able to kick Pondexter away and escape. Pondexter was being held on Rikers Island on a previous rape charge but, like Willie Horton, was released on April 15 as part of de Blasio's social distancing effort in New York prisons. Not since ending bail and offering Mets tickets at arraignments has de Blasio looked as stupid or inept at his job. Not even the coronavirus snitch line he set up could save the victims of this blundering boob, whom New York liberals embrace with the same passion with which the Bolivian guerrillas embraced Che Guevara. But try as he might, de Blasio is no Che, and in this case, New Yorkers would do better to follow the lead of Fidel Castro and dismiss him from office. Johnny Ray is a conservative vlogger whose television show, Living in The New World, can be seen on The Cape Cod Channel via the Amazon Fire TV, Roku TV, and Android TV applications, as well as on the web at capecodchannel.com and johnnyraytv.com. Good Morning, welcome to Information Nigerias Newspaper headlines for today, 27th April 2020. Here are the major headlines. Customs Says Rice Sent To Oyo State Good For Consumption The Nigerian customs service has disagreed with the Oyo state government that the rice it released to the state was unfit for human consumption. Diversion Of Abuja Palliatives Not Possible Minister of State in the Federal Capital Territory FCT, Dr Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu, says palliatives for residents cannot be diverted by anyone but would get to residents. Kano Deaths: PDP Demands Investigation The Peoples Democratic Party PDP has demanded an immediate investigation into the disturbing mass death in Kano state. Publish Full Report Of Probe Into Kano Deaths Falana Popular human rights lawyer, Femi Falana has asked Osagie Ehanire, minister of health, to publish the full report of the investigation into the recent deaths in Kano. Lagos To Organize Mass Burial If Mortuaries Arent Decongested Within Two Weeks The Governor of Lagos state, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has admitted they might resort to mass burials, as a way to decongest crowded mortuaries in the state. Anambra State Relaxes Lckdwn, Churches Resume Full Activities Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra State has relaxed the coronavirus lockdown imposed on the state and has asked churches to commence full activities. Corps Members To Receive April, May Allowance Without Clearance The authorities of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) says corps members will receive payment of monthly stipend for the month of April without the usual gathering for clearance. Ramadan: Speaker Gbajabiamila Sends Message To Muslims As Muslims begin their Ramadan fasting, Speaker of the house of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila has charged them to use the opportunity to pray against the pandemic currently ravaging nations. Impose Curfew, Compulsory Use Of Face Masks Governors Tell Buhari Nigerian governors have written to President Muhammadu Buhari asking him to impose overnight curfew and make wearing of face masks in public compulsory. Relief Rice Sent To Oyo Unfit For Consumption The Oyo state government has described the 1,800 bags of rice it received from the federal government as palliative as unfit for consumption and hazardous to health of the state resident. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-28 02:37:55|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close RABAT, April 27 (Xinhua) -- A total of 4.3 million Moroccan households employed in the informal sector are entitled to financial aid to deal with the impacts of coronavirus, Minister of Economy and Finance Mohamed Benchaaboun said on Monday. This number includes more than 2.3 million households registered in the Moroccan Medical Assistance Regime (RAMED), he said in a parliamentary hearing session. Regarding the families operating in the informal sector and not enrolled in RAMED regime, their number is recorded at around 2 million, after checking the consistency of the applications submitted, he added. Families of two people or less receive stipends of 85 U.S. dollars, while families of three to four people receive 105 dollars. Families of more than four people receive 125 dollars. The minister added that the distribution of this aid has started on April 23. Until April 26, more than 80 percent of this financial aid have been distributed throughout the country. The death toll from the novel coronavirus on Monday reached 162 in Morocco among 4,120 confirmed cases. On April 18, Morocco extended the state of medical emergency until May 20. A nationwide curfew for a month has been in place since April 25. Enditem California Gov. Gavin Newsom discusses at an April 14 news conference an outline for what it will take to lift coronavirus restrictions. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) California no longer has one-party rule in Sacramento. It now has one-man rule. Gov. Gavin Newsom has told everyone who doesnt have an essential job to stay home and protect themselves and others from the coronavirus. If they must venture out, he lectured, stay six feet from anyone. Legislating officially is an essential job, but its hard to perform without cozying up to colleagues. And when meeting in their majestic chambers, lawmakers must sit close to seatmates. So the Legislature did the healthy thing. It submitted to Newsoms decree and is essentially staying home for seven weeks. Legislators are mostly staying out of the state Capitol anyway. Its been kind of an eerie ghost town in there, says Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Lakewood). But power abhors a vacuum. With the legislative and judicial branches basically shut down because of the virus, the executive has seized almost complete control over state government. And many legislators are smarting. Theyre antsy to reenter the political arena and resume exerting influence over decision-making, particularly regarding the states approach to taming the virus, returning to normal life, restoring the economy and managing a bleeding state budget. The Legislature is scheduled to reconvene May 4. Were not in Sacramento, and that makes it hard for us to be the influence wed like, state Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins (D-San Diego) says. Its hard for us to sit back and not be in the works. My colleagues want to get back. Theres frustration not being there and doing what they can. Rendon says Newsoms constant issuing of executive orders makes it a different way of governing. Thats part of why we want to come back. We want to have an influence. Thats our job. The legislators pique was evident at an Assembly budget hearing last week when lawmakers heard distressing news about the gloomy prospects for state tax revenues. We have not been engaged and we have been trying to engage, complained Assemblyman Jim Wood (D-Santa Rosa). We often hear maybe five minutes before an executive order comes out or by watching live the governors daily updates. And thats a challenge. Story continues Newsom has issued reams of executive orders around 30 so far. They include shutting down businesses, altering court operations, increasing spending on homeless shelters, providing worker benefits and allowing grocers to issue free single-use plastic bags to customers which voters had previously outlawed. Its all apparently legal. At least, no judge has said any of it is illegal, although some small businesses have filed a lawsuit in federal court challenging the constitutionality of the governors shelter-in-place order. A governor has awesome power once he proclaims a state of emergency. He can temporarily suspend laws and impose rules without legislative permission. And Newsom has made full use of his police power. One action that got heads shaking was Newsoms unilateral decision to OK a $1-billion contract with a Chinese company to provide 200 million masks a month. The governor gave the company half the money up front. But so far the state hasnt received any masks. Despite requests from legislators and the news media to review the contract, Newsom has kept it secret. A $1-billion expenditure is hefty even in good times, but its especially weighty when were heading into a bad recession. Its the kind of spending that should require legislative input. When the Legislature returns, the two houses may operate differently. All Assembly members will be present and attend committee hearings, as usual. There wont be floor sessions until June, when lawmakers scramble to pass a budget. But the Senate is considering giving lawmakers an option to legislate remotely if they fear contracting the virus. There would be lots of videoconferencing. Assembly attorneys say remote legislating may be illegal. Senate attorneys say its OK. Do whatever works, I say. These are desperate times. Forget purity. Dont expect an economic stimulus package using state tax money. States cant print dollars like the feds can. President Trump and Congress will do all the stimulating. But Atkins and Rendon want to tap into infrastructure bonds that have already been authorized by voters and quickly push the borrowed money out into job-creating projects. Theres $42 billion in unsold bond authorization. Rendon is also contemplating a November bond issue to finance retraining of unemployed workers for environmentally clean green jobs. Dont even think about paying for such new programs out of the General Fund budget. The state has a rainy day reserve of slightly more than $17 billion. But that will dissipate fast as tax revenues wither. Its looking like the Great Recession all over again. Without question, we got hit hard, says H.D. Palmer, a spokesman for the state Department of Finance. Legislators have been told to plan for a $35-billion budget deficit in the next fiscal year with deeper holes in the future. Were going to have to rein in our expectations, Atkins says. A lot of my colleagues have never been through this. By May 14, Newsom will pare down the $222-billion budget he proposed in January. The Legislature must pass a budget by June 15 for the fiscal year starting July 1. But Rendon says that this time the June budget will only be an interim spending plan. It will be updated in August after taxpayers file their returns and mail in their checks by July 15. Then the revenue picture will be clearer and probably darker. By then, some lawmakers may be fondly recalling one-man rule. Photo Illustration by Lyne Lucien/The Daily Beast/Getty In February, as the White House scrambled to handle the growing coronavirus epidemic, President Donald Trumps son-in-law, Jared Kushner, stepped into what officials described as a crucial role: forging a partnership between the private sector and the federal government so they could together contain the rapidly spreading virus. At the time, the White House was struggling to organize its coronavirus response, having spent years working around the traditional interagency process and having disbanded a key pandemic group in the National Security Council. They needed someone to fully grasp the full international and domestic scales of the outbreak, and ensure that health-care workers had what they needed to treat patients infected with the virus. Kushner seemed like just the person to fill the gaps. Fast-forward more than a month later and administration officials, state representatives, and health-care workers say they are still searching for answers. Over the past two weeks, Kushner has been notably removed from coronavirus-related operations, according to four officials working in coordination with his team. One official working in the White House said it was unclear exactly what he and his team had actually done over the last two weeks. Another individual familiar with Kushners work said they hadnt received updates from his team in about a week. Kushners Claims About National Stockpile Contradicted by Trumps Own Administration Scientists warn its too soon to open up the countrys economy because there are neither enough tests nor a reliable system in place to ensure hospitals have medical equipmenttwo Kushner-related tasks. And on Capitol Hill, Democratic lawmakers are probing Kushners role in working on coronavirus supply-chain issues and this month asked the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for communications with Kushner and his team. An individual familiar with the matter told The Daily Beast that the Homeland Security Committee and Oversight and Government Committee have not received answers from the agency despite an April 15 deadline. Story continues He muddied up a process that was really not needing a fix, said Juliette Kayyem, a former assistant secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. What that does is disempower FEMA because if at any moment Jared or one of his henchmen demand assets to be redistributed at their discretion, FEMAs planning gets disrupted. Ive never seen operations on something this scale being run out of the White House. Usually its policy and communications that they handle but you would never run logistical operations out of the White House. Kushners failures were, to some degree, predictable. He brought little background in public-health policy to the task, and though he has some experience in coordinating inside the government, his portfolio was already jam-packed by the time coronavirus came along. Still, the failures underscore the larger shortcomings of the administrations handling of the pandemic: the pursuit of a resolution to the crisis has often been defined by the search for a silver bullet or overwhelmed by the whims and interests of the president. [Jared] could be in his office just googling coronavirus, show the results to the president, and still get a gold sticker from his dad-in-law, said a senior Trump administration official who works with the coronavirus task force. He is solving the coronavirus like hes bringing peace to the [Middle East]. One administration official, in defending Kushner, said he had been focused on finding faster ways to tackle the governments response to the coronavirus while continuing to try and procure medical supplies. But, that official said, as his projects become operational there is less requirement of Jared on a day-to-day basis. For weeks, Kushner worked on coronavirus primarily behind the scenes. He tapped business and political allies to help him run a parallel coronavirus task force that would tackle the countrys lack of adequate testing and help states garner what they needed in essential medical supplies. He even looked to his own family for assistance. Reports surfaced that the presidents son-in-law spoke with representatives at his brothers Oscar Health, a health-insurance company, for help producing a site that would allow Americans to determine if they needed a test for coronavirus. (The site was eventually scrapped, The Atlantic reported.) On April 2, Kushner made a rare public appearance at the White House podium, officially announcing his involvement in Vice President Mike Pences task force. Press-shy by nature, he nevertheless sat down for an interview with The New York Times, underscoring how big a deal his move to the coronavirus portfolio was pitched to be. During the interview, he explained that his team was efficient because in the White House, you can move a lot faster. Ive put members of my team into a lot of components, he told the Times. What weve been able to do is get people very quick answers. According to multiple sources familiar with his outreach, much of Kushners time working as head of a shadow task force has been spent working the phones, often with long-established political and business allies of the president, trying to get some commitments on equipment or economic-recovery efforts, or on general medical or scientific pointers. One of the numbers in Kushners coronavirus rolodex is businessman Shalabh Shalli Kumar, a GOP donor and chairman of the Republican Hindu Coalition, a group that strongly supported Trump in the 2016 election. Kumar told The Daily Beast that in the summer of 2017, Kushner had asked him if there was a way to bring electronics manufacturing back [to the United States] from China. Ever since then, Kumar says hes stayed in contact with Kushner and various other Trump officials, including White House trade adviser Peter Navarro, and that two months ago he was approached by Kushners office to help on production of ventilators. Kumar said that he and his company are now working on making electronic parts that can be used in ventilators. There have been times, however, when Kushners outreach to private actors has provoked mockery and some internal face-palming. In mid-March, it was reported that Kushner had consulted his sister-in-laws father, Dr. Kurt Kloss, who happens to be fashion model Karlie Klosss dad. Dr. Kloss then posted to a Facebook group soliciting advice on what to tell Jared, to whom he told Facebook associates that he had a direct channel. The story, first reported by The Spectator, invited scorn and ridiculenot just online but in the White House as well. Jared Kushner, Slumlord Millionaire, Cant Evict the Virus In private, President Trump is often defensive of his son-in-laws work. According to two sources familiar with his comments, Trump is prone to tell staff that Kushner should be getting showered with praise from the media for all hes doing. And, on occasion, Kushner has received accolades, not just from the White House, the vice president, and various other task force members, but from Gov. Andrew Cuomo and New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasio as well. Multiple officials working with the administrations coronavirus task force told The Daily Beast that since his appearance at the press conference April 2, in which he seemed to blame governors for poor management, Kushner has ramped up his involvement in helping the president find solutions to reopening the U.S. economy. Kushner is working on that effort with his wife, Ivanka, and other administration officials, including Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and Director of the National Economic Council Larry Kudlow. But that objective is largely contingent on getting the scope of the coronavirus spread and reach understood and under control. And several of the projects that Kushners team has directed in pursuit of that goal are running behind schedule or are causing massive disruptions in the way states are handling their own coronavirus responses. We are still hearing reports that the administration is causing chaos for states looking to acquire [personal protective equipment] and other medical equipment. Worse yet, they are providing Congress with little details on their current operations and how they will improve, said Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS), chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, who is probing Kushners role in helping FEMA distribute supplies to states. It is incredibly troubling that Jared Kushner, someone with no public health or emergency management experience, seems to have a leading role in leading the response to this pandemic. In March, the president said his son-in-law would help open a slew of drive-through testing sites in the parking lots of major retailers, including Walgreens, Walmart, and CVS. Task force officials lauded the effort and said it was one of the best ways to scale easy, convenient testing in the U.S. Work on the project remains ongoing, and administration officials said that already 50 drive-through sites have popped up across the country. The majority of those, however, are state-federal sites unaffiliated with retail stores. One of the reasons there are not more is, in part, because testing needed to be improved before it could be rolled out on a larger scale. Kushners task has not merely been focused on making testing more readily available. Throughout the last two months, officials say his main job has been to help the states obtain much needed personal protective equipment its health-care workers need to treat coronavirus patients. Dubbed Project Air Bridge, Kushner and his team have been working closely with FEMA to get U.S. companies operating in countries such as Thailand, China, India, Mexico, and Taiwan to send supplies to America for distribution to states struggling to keep up with the growing number of coronavirus cases and hospitalizations. To date, the project has completed more than 68 flights, delivering a total of 760,000 N95 masks, 600 million gloves, and tens of millions of surgical masks and gowns, according to a FEMA spokesperson. The spokesperson said that 50 percent of supplies on each plane are directed by the distributors to customers within hot-spot areas with the most critical needs as determined by FEMA and the Department of Health and Human Services. The remaining 50 percent is fed into distributors normal supply chains. Distributors cooperating with the campaign include Cardinal Health, Concordance Healthcare Solutions, Henry Schein, McKesson Corp., Medline Industries, and Owens & Minor. Project Air Bridge flights have in recent weeks landed in cities across the country, including New York City, Chicago, and Los Angeles for distribution. But despite the millions and millions of supplies secured by the federal government to help states treat their coronavirus patients, state officials are still claiming they dont have enough supplies. Part of the reason: State officials say Kushners project has interfered with the supply chain so much so that they are unable to hold on to the supplies they bought. Multiple local officials across the country have reported instances where they paid for and successfully obtained supplies only to have FEMA remove them from the warehouse. In New Jersey, Somerset County Freeholder Director Shanel Robinson said a 35,000-mask order of N-95 and surgical masks had been commandeered by the federal government. This doesnt even make sense, Robinson told the Franklin Reporter & Advocate. Part of the thing is, I know the government is monitoring large orders of equipment, but they had no idea where that was going. And in Massachusetts, Gov. Charlie Baker said on April 2 that he had tried to procure three million N95 masks, but they were confiscated at the Port of New York. FEMA does not, has not, and will not divert orders of personal protective equipment (PPE) from our federal, state, and local partners, nor do we have the legal authority to do so, a spokesperson for FEMA said. Reports of FEMA commandeering or re-routing such supplies are false. Those reports have alarmed some Democratic lawmakers on Capitol Hill who are requesting that FEMA explain Kushners role in Project Air Bridge and provide documentation on exactly how the team is procuring and distributing medical equipment. Thompson and Chairwoman of the Committee on Oversight and Reform Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) sent a letter to FEMA on April 7 asking for communications and documentations on Project Air Bridge shipments. It appears that Mr. Kushner is unclear about basic facts regarding the purpose of the Strategic National Stockpile, the letter said. We request that FEMA provide all communications between any FEMA employee and Jared Kushner regarding the acquisition, distribution of, or federally directed sale of any form of PPE or of medical supplies and equipment to be used for the diagnosis or treatment of COVID-19. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now! Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more. Man, 55, on Lesbos island says he believed men he shot at had trespassed on his property and claims he acted in defence. Lesbos, Greece A 55-year-old Greek man accused of attempting to murder two refugees has appeared in court, reportedly telling prosecutors he acted in defence of his property. He is charged with violating gun laws and the attempted murder of the refugees who live in the overcrowded Moria refugee camp on Lesbos island, after he shot at a group of four Moria residents, on April 22. Originally from the town of Afalonas, around 4km (2.5 miles) from Moria, the man was welcomed by dozens of supporters as he arrived at court in Mytilene on Monday despite coronavirus lockdown restrictions which limit public gatherings to 10 people or less in Greece. The man claims the four refugees trespassed on his land. None of the bullets hit the refugees, but two had to be hospitalised to remove shrapnel embedded in their backs from the gunshot. The accused man, a carpenter, told the court that animals had recently been stolen from his land and he believed that the people he shot at were the trespassers. He offered to apologise to the two men who were hospitalised. He was released on a 1,000-euro ($1,084) bail and will appear before a judge at a later date. His lawyer stressed his previously honourable life. According to testimony shared in local media, the refugees had simply been walking along the road when they were shot at. The day after the mans arrest, members of the local community held a rally supporting him. Tensions over the future of the Moria refugee camp have been simmering on the island for months. An increase of refugee arrivals to Lesbos at the beginning of March led to a wave of vigilante violence directed at refugees, NGO workers and journalists. There have been repeated calls to evacuate the camp, where living conditions continue to deteriorate. More than 18,200 people live in the space which was designed for 2,757, according to official government data. A planned evacuation of around 1,500 vulnerable people due to take place last weekend because of coronavirus fears was cancelled. Kostas Moutzouris, the North Aegean regional governor, posted on social media that he was disappointed by the move, noting that it had been widely advertised. A group of 127 people who had arrived on the shores of Lesbos more than a month ago were finally transferred on Sunday to the camp, having been living outside with few provisions. In some parts of the camp, there are 210 people per toilet and more than 630 per shower, according to Doctors Without Borders (MSF). With Philly schools closed for nearly a third of a school year, students face the prospect of a devastating COVID-19 slide, an exaggerated form of the summer learning loss that leaves many of our most vulnerable students behind when they return to school each fall. As former U.S. Education Secretary John King warned, The risk is that in some schools next year, you are going to have a kid with parents who were able to provide high-quality supplemental instruction at home, sitting next to a kid who hasnt received meaningful instruction since February. New research suggests that students will learn 30% to 50% less this school year than in a normal year, and existing inequities will be widened for low-income students, students of color, students with disabilities, and English language learners. On top of that, teachers will be welcoming back students who have experienced unprecedented trauma, lost loved ones, experienced economic insecurity, and missed crucial socialization opportunities for months. We are potentially facing a lost generation of students, whose learning could be irrevocably derailed without a no-holds-barred academic recovery effort this fall that allows them to make up more than a years worth of learning in one school year. Are our schools ready for such a massive and crucial undertaking? When schools closed, School District of Philadelphia leaders rightly focused first on meeting students basic needs by setting up food distribution operations. Weeks later, the district shifted to ensuring students had access to devices and internet, and schools are now preparing to transition to online instruction. While focusing on immediate needs first made sense, it is critical that schools and districts begin thinking and planning now for how school needs to look different in the fall, given that most students have lost weeks of instruction already, and some polling suggests that half of students are not tuning in for online learning. READ MORE: Philly high school seniors: Dont let coronavirus force more budget cuts | Opinion Weve heard public health officials remind us that social distancing slows the spread of COVID-19, and we must use the extra time this buys us to ramp up testing and hospital capacity otherwise, we will have squandered the time, and our health system will ultimately be overwhelmed when restrictions are relaxed. Our education system is facing a similar threat: If education leaders do not use the time while schools are closed to aggressively increase our schools capacities to personalize and accelerate learning for all students, especially our most vulnerable, then our schools will be overwhelmed in the fall, and our teachers will be forced to make heartbreaking triage decisions about which students can be caught up, and which are too far behind. What does boosting schools capacity look like? Every school and district in the region should be exploring options such as an extended school year and day, stimulus funding to add staff capacity in schools, expanded support for students recovering from trauma, and strategic deployment of our most effective teachers to work with our furthest-behind students. We should be planning for diagnostic testing in the fall, adjusting curricula to cover more of the previous grades content, and experimenting with flexible grouping and technology to differentiate instruction. And we should be thinking about opportunities the shutdown presents: with shorter instructional blocks during the day, teachers may have more time to engage in the kinds of deep, ongoing professional learning that is hard to fit in during the regular school year. What if every elementary school teacher came back in the fall with a deeper understanding of the science of reading that they could put into practice with students? And could some of the self-directed virtual learning and digital tools introduced this spring be continued into the fall, giving teachers more bandwidth to focus on students with the most unfinished learning? Are there opportunities to explore virtual tutoring and reading buddies as a way to boost schools capacities to individualize learning? READ MORE: Coronavirus has upended education for all children. For those with disabilities, the challenges are greater. Ultimately, we dont yet know what all the solutions are: this is an unprecedented challenge and will require unprecedented creativity. And thats why we need all our top education leaders and that includes teachers collaborating now around bold, innovative ways to restructure schools and reshape teaching and learning post-COVID. As our countrys scientists race against the clock to find a coronavirus vaccine, our countrys educators must race to reimagine learning for our students. Laura Boyce is the Philadelphia director of Teach Plus, an education nonprofit. She was previously a teacher and principal in Philadelphia and Camden. lboyce@teachplus.org Servion Global Solutions (Servion), a leading Contact Center and Digital Customer Experience (CX) solution provider announced today it has achieved Cisco CMSP Master Certified Partner Status in Canada, placing it among a select group of partners that can sell, install and manage Cisco Contact Center and Collaboration solutions in Canada. Servions Cisco partner certifications now include: Cisco Express Specialization that allows Servion to help mid-sized businesses with a range of cross-architecture solutions, including collaboration, data center, networking and security Cisco Collaboration SaaS Authorization that allows Servion to quote, design, deploy and manage Webex Cloud and on-prem solutions Cisco Unified Contact Center Enterprise Satellite Authorization that allows Servion to sell, deploy and manage Cisco Unified Contact Center solutions targeted to the high-end enterprise contact centers Cisco Cloud and Managed Services Master Partner for Collaboration and Contact Center that Servion leverages to run contact center solutions with lower TCO. Servion, a Cisco Advanced Technology Partner since 2006, employs over 250 Cisco-certified Contact Center Sales specialists, Pre-Sales Engineers, Implementation consultants, CX Managers and has implemented more than 200 Cisco on-prem and cloud contact center solutions. With one of the highest Net Promoter Score (NPS of 65) in the industry, Servion is excited to bring its expertise and innovation to its Canadian clientele. Servions platform-driven 24 x 7 end-to-end proactive managed services is a unique value proposition and allows enterprises to focus on delivering exceptional customer experiences instead of worrying about daily operational challenges. "We are expanding our client base rapidly in Canada and the Cisco CMSP Certified Partner Status strengthens our partnership with Cisco and further qualifies us to work with leading enterprises in Canada, said Laurent Philonenko, CEO at Servion. This certification further enhances our teams expertise to deliver the most innovative contact center and collaboration solutions to our customers." About Servion For more than 25 years, Servion has been trusted by customer-centric brands for architecting, implementing, and managing Contact Centers and Customer Experience (CX) solutions. Servion delivers complete solutions for businesses to innovate in providing digital experiences using the best available technologies while maximizing their existing investments. Our 1,000 CX professionals apply their passion and deep domain expertise to the entire build-run-optimize solution lifecycle. Servion has helped 600 enterprises across the globe deliver great experiences to their customers, partners, and employees. For more information, visit https://www.servion.com. Alan McClain is now Arkansas Insurance Commissioner its 24th having been named to lead the Arkansas Insurance Department (AID) by Gov. Asa Hutchinson in early April. He previously has served as Commissioner of Arkansas Rehabilitation Services (ARS), an AID sister agency under the state Department of Commerce. McClain has extensive experience in the field of workers compensation insurance, having worked with the Workers Compensation Research Institute based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in addition to a 13-year stint with the Arkansas Workers Compensation Commission where he spent almost nine years as chief executive officer. McClain has served as a claims manager for self-insured workers compensation policies at Sedgwick Insurance Group, and on the Arkansas Workforce Development Board and the Governors Council on Developmental Disabilities. McClain has also served as president of the Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation and the president of the International Association of Industrial Accident Boards & Commissions (IAIABC), where he also served as co-chair of the NAIC/IAIABC Joint Working Group. McClain began his career in state government in 1992 at the insurance department, spending eight years in its Public Employee Claims Division. Source: AID Topics Workers' Compensation Increased Covid-19 checkpoints allied to intelligence-led operations have resulted in gardai seizing millions of euro in illegal drugs since the lockdown came into force on March 27. The latest seizure of an estimated 2.5m of cocaine resulted from an intelligence-led operation targeting an organised crime gang. Gardai from the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau (GNDOCB) stopped and searched three vehicles in the Blakes Cross area of Co Dublin and seized 2.5m of cocaine last Saturday. Three men, aged 44, 48, and 59, were arrested at the scene and detained under Section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act, 1996, at two Dublin garda stations. Detective Chief Superintendent Angela Willis, head of GNDOCB, said gardai were committed to disrupting the activities of organised criminals supplying drugs to communities. The previous day, gardai in Laois discovered 1.24m of cannabis hidden in a ditch on a secondary road on the Carlow/Laois border. No arrests have been made, but investigations are continuing. On March 31, just days after the lockdown started, gardai operating a Covid-19 checkpoint on the Cork-Dublin motorway, near Fermoy, Co Cork, found 70,000 of suspected heroin in the jacket of a driver who they arrested at the scene. Just days later, in an unrelated operation, also in the Fermoy area, members of the Cork City Divisional Drugs Unit carried out a surveillance operation which led to the arrest of a man and seizure of 125,000 of cocaine which had been hidden in a wooded area. On April 2, as part of investigations into the sale and supply of illegal drugs in Longford and Roscommon, a search of an apartment in Ballymahon, Co Longford, resulted in the seizure of 100,000 worth of cannabis, 70,000 of cocaine, and 30,000 of ecstasy tablets. Gardai in Portlaoise discovered 20,000 of cannabis on April 8 and arrested a man. During a follow-up operation they seized a further 500,000 worth of cannabis, 35,000 worth of cocaine, and drug paraphernalia. Approximately 500,000 worth of drugs and two firearms were seized during an incident which occurred on Essex Quay, Dublin 2, on April 14. It came after a vehicle sped away from a Covid-19 checkpoint. The drugs were found in the car when it was eventually stopped. The handguns were thrown into a river prior to that, but later recovered by the Garda Water Unit. On April 16, as a result of an intelligence-led operation, gardai discovered a growhouse with 250 cannabis plants during a search of a house on the outskirts of Killarney, Co Kerry. Drug squad detectives, who assisted in mounting a Covid-19 checkpoint in the Kilteely area of Co Limerick on April 21, discovered 70,000 of cocaine in a car and arrested the man driving it. In a follow-up operation they searched two premises in Co Limerick and found drugs worth an additional 160,000. Assistant Commissioner John ODriscoll, who heads Garda Special Crime Operations, said gardai would continue to pursue those who engage in serious and organised crime and were intent on dismantling their operations. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-27 16:17:23|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close KUNDUZ, Afghanistan, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Two police and three militants were killed as clash flared up in Imam Sahib district of the northern Kunduz province on Monday, district governor Mahboubullah Sayedi said. A group of Taliban insurgents attacked a police checkpoint in Nawabad area of the restive Imam Sahib district at 02:00 a.m. local time and police returned fire, forcing the militants to flee after leaving three bodies behind, the official asserted. In the fighting which lasted for an hour, two police personnel were also killed, the official admitted. Taliban militants, who are in control of parts of Kunduz province with Kunduz city as its capital have yet to make comments. Enditem China works on quality as exports of medical supplies for COVID-19 hit $7.7b Global Times Source:Global Times Published: 2020/4/26 19:58:40 China has stepped up supervision of the quality of epidemic prevention and control products for export, as well as the scale of those exports, which reached 55 billion yuan ($7.7 billion) in March and April, an official said on Sunday. A supplementary notice on quality supervision was posted on Saturday to further guarantee that the quality of medical supplies has priority. The previous document was published on March 31. According to the State Administration of Market Regulation, China has inspected 15.89 million business operators and seized 89.05 million defective masks and defective disinfectants worth 7.6094 million yuan, and it has imposed fines of 348 million yuan. For example, six mask manufacturers in East China's Anhui Province recalled 119,000 masks because the filtration efficiency rate was lower than the national standard, as shown on the website of the Anhui Defective Products Administration. In addition to quality supervision, China has expanded its exports. As of Saturday, the governments of 74 countries and regions and six international organizations had signed 192 commercial procurement contracts for medical supplies with China, with a total value of $1.41 billion, according to the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM). China has never restricted exports of prevention materials for COVID-19, Li Xingqian, head of the foreign trade department of the MOFCOM, told a press briefing. From March 1 to Friday, China examined and approved exports of major epidemic prevention materials worth 55 billion yuan, including 21.1 billion masks, 109 million protective suits, 32.94 million pairs of goggles, 110,000 sets of patient monitors, 9.29 million infrared thermometers and 763 million pairs of surgical gloves, according to the General Administration of Customs. "China is always willing to help the international community fight the coronavirus pandemic, as shown in the slogan 'One World, One Fight'. Only when all countries have succeeded in the battle against the COVID-19, can the global economy get back to a normal level," Hu Qimu, senior fellow at Sinosteel Economic Research Institute, told the Global Times on Sunday. Apart from willingness, the fast-growing level of exports can be attributed to emergency license approvals by the National Medical Products Administration for enterprises that have shifted to making medical devices to meet the demand of epidemic prevention. China has approved 30 certificates for test reagents for COVID-19, with a daily output capacity of 9.025 million as of Friday. There were also 357 certificates for medical protective outfits, 889 for medical surgical masks, 72 for ventilators and 409 for infrared thermometers, the National Medical Products Administration said on Sunday. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International Middle East (HSMAI), a global organisation founded in the US in 1927, has announced the inaugural launch of a new chapter in Saudi Arabia. HSMAI Middle East is renowned for being the platform that provides practical tools, insights, and cutting-edge expertise to enable knowledge sharing and enhance professional development in the hospitality industry. It is a not for profit association that creates and curates content from thought leaders in hospitality sales, marketing and revenue optimisation, including articles, white papers, case studies, research, best practices, and more from around the globe. With a strong focus on education, it was a natural step to launch our next chapter in Saudi Arabia, says Mona Faraj, managing director of HSMAI Middle East. We see potential to educate hotel sales, marketing and revenue management disciplines in the country, and we welcome members to take advantage of our resources and support. The Saudi chapter, formed by industry leaders, makes up the volunteer steering committee, led by Moustafa Manoon, regional director of Revenue Management Middle East & Africa, Accor. The committee members consist of these senior leaders from the Saudi hospitality industry: Ahmad Shaban, commercial director - Saudi Arabia and Bahrain IHG; Mostafa El Anany, regional director of sales - MEA Accor; Sherif Omar, director, Global Distribution -Shangri-La Hotels; Mohamed El Naggar, revenue performance director Saudi Arabia & Bahrain - IHG; Saeed Al Aseeri, acting general manager Burj Rafal Riyadh; Ahmed Rasmy, regional director of Revenue Saudi Arabia- Levant Hilton; and Mohamed Kamel, Corporate Revenue Manager - DUR Hospitality. Moustafa Manoon, regional director of Revenue Management Middle East & Africa, Accor, said: Im delighted and excited to lead and launch the chapter in Saudi Arabia. I strongly believe that HSMAI will bring great value to the hospitality industry of the country through its accumulated expertise, knowledge, and resources. HSMAI Middle East offers individual and group memberships with benefits that include: Weekly insight communications; educational webinars and archive access to HSMAI university, market intelligence sharing best practices and case studies from the industrys top leaders, and complimentary training and events throughout the year. HSMAI creates a platform that supports the ambitious 2030 Vision of Saudi Arabia to grow the hospitality and tourism sector to reach more than 100 million tourists and be within the top five tourism destinations globally, said Manoon. HSMAI can play a key role in accelerating the development of the local talent pipeline. - TradeArabia News Service Scientists are racing to manufacture an antibody test that can tell people whether they have had the virus and built up possible immunity - Ed Jones/AFP Hopes for the discovery of a "game-changing" immunity test for Covid-19 were dealt a new blow on Sunday when the Government was forced to deny claims it had ordered up to 50 million home testing kits. Scientists are racing to manufacture an antibody test that can tell people whether they have had the virus and built up a possible immunity. But so far none of the available tests on the market have passed a Government validation panel set up at Oxford University. In the latest blow, Department of Health sources dismissed a report on Sunday that 50 million antibody tests had been ordered by ministers at a cost of as little as 10 each. A source said: "The claims are overblown. It is premature to be talking about ordering large numbers of a test that hasn't passed a regulator. "We are currently engaged with several companies and are urgently testing the quality, accuracy and effectiveness of potential tests with scientific experts and regulators with a view to being in the best place possible for future use of antibody testing." It was reported on Sunday that a new immunity test had been devised by Oxford scientists working for the Rapid Testing Consortium, which has Government backing to develop one. The consortium comprises Oxford University and four private diagnostics and healthcare companies, but Government sources said the test had yet to be approved by a regulator. The consortium is not the only company racing to find an effective antibody test. The test works by analysing antibodies in blood obtained through a fingerprick kit that can be done at home. They would give positive or negative results for the Cvoid-19 antibody in about an hour or less. But existing kits already for sale in the UK by private companies have been shown to be, at times, woefully inaccurate and work least well where symptoms for coronavirus have been mild. Spain returned tens of thousands of kits bought from China after it turned out they were accurate only 30 per cent of the time, making them less relaible than the toss of a coin. Story continues Boris Johnson, before going off sick with the virus, had heralded antibody tests as a "game-changer" provided they could be shown to work. Matt Hancock, the Health Secretary, went one step further, declaring that the Government had bought 3.5 million home kits, while sources briefed that a further 17.5 million had been ordered. But it emerged that the kits, bought from China, did not work and the Government is trying to claw back its money. A successful antibody test would allow the Government to establish the scale of so-called "herd immunity" and enable a rapid easing of the lockdown for people who could know with certainty they had coronavirus and could not catch it again although there are also doubts about how effective and long-lasting immunity is for those infected with Covid-19. Immunity might only last six months to a year, but that could buy time for a vaccine to be found and the population to be immunised. The antibody blood test is separate to the antigen test that requires a swab taken from the nose or throat and then examined in the lab which tells if someone currently has the virus. An outbreak at Midland Medical Lodge that led to 22 residents and eight employees testing positive for the novel coronavirus appears to have begun around April 3, after a 30-something administrative employee contracted the virus after traveling domestically. That employee, a woman in her 30s, was confirmed positive on April 3 and was treated for COVID-19 as an inpatient at Midland Memorial Hospital, according to a city spokesperson. She was the first person at the facility to test positive for the virus. Three other administrative employees contracted the virus shortly after. A woman who also is in her 30s tested positive on April 4, and a woman in her 40s and a woman in her 20s tested positive on April 7, according to the city spokesperson. These employees did not receive treatment in the hospital; they self-isolated at home. The city of Midland Health Department did not alert residents, family members or members of the news media of the outbreak until April 14, 11 days after the first employee tested positive for the virus. They confirmed on April 14 that two residents and a part-time nurse , as well as the four administrative employees, had tested positive. They did not say at the time when the administrative employees were known to have contracted the coronavirus. Health department officials said they did not tell the public about the outbreak until a resident had tested positive because there was low concern for the situation until then, according to a previous Reporter-Telegram article. In the week after the public was made aware of the outbreak, 20 more residents and three more employees tested positive for the virus. Three residents have since died from complications related to COVID-19: a woman in her 90s who died on April 17, a woman in her 80s who died on April 21 and a woman in her 70s who died on April 23. It was announced on April 15 that Midland Medical Lodge had created an isolation wing for symptomatic residents. Midland Memorial Hospital CEO Russell Meyers said the wing was similar to the COVID-19 unit in the hospital and hospital officials had assisted the nursing home in setting up the ward. Meyers said hospital staff tested all residents at the nursing home on April 17. On April 22, he said all residents were quarantining in their rooms and public spaces at the facility had been closed. The last individual connected to the facility who has been confirmed positive, a woman in her 70s who is a resident, was reported on April 22. When it was announced that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, were leaving the royal family to pursue other careers, they had a very clear idea of what they want to happen with their lives. At that time, Prince Harry revealed the truth of their decision to step down from their royal duties. He wanted to hide from the public eye and was tired of the constant harassment and scrutiny he and his wife, Meghan Markle have been facing. A few days after their bombshell announcement, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry moved to Vancouver Island, Canada, where they stayed in a multi-million-dollar mansion until their final royal duties were about to end in early March. Though the couple hoped to start working on their new charity, Archewell Foundation, things took a different turn because of the coronavirus pandemic. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are now living in Los Angeles, far away from the British royal family, but still they cannot start on any of the projects they have been wanting to work on. According to a royal expert, however, Prince Harry's chances of being happy in Los Angeles is "very small." Prince Harry 'Not Happy' Angela Levin doesn't think that the 35-year-old prince will be able to handle the life of being a celebrity, saying, "Harry said one of the things he absolutely didn't want to do was be thought as a celebrity. This was after he met Meghan, but before they married." She further claimed, "He explained the difference: that celebrities can pick and choose when they want to press to be there, but if you're a royal, you're on duty 24/7." However, it may seem like Prince Harry may want to give Los Angeles a try, since his number one priority in life is reportedly to make Meghan Markle happy. "He'll do everything he can because he feels guilty that he did not do enough to protect his mother." If Prince Harry only moved because of Meghan, the prospect of him being happy out in Los Angeles is "very small," said Levin. "He feels guilty that he did not do enough to protect his mother. He feels guilty that they didn't talk enough on the last phone call because he was having fun with cousins in Balmoral." The royal expert further said that Prince Harry is determined to make his wife happy because "she's absolutely wonderful." Eager to make a name for himself and not live under his father and brother's shadows, the Duke of Sussex may not feel that the US is not the right place for him. One reason is that Los Angeles is not a quiet town. It's not an ideal town to be in if they wanted privacy and wanted to be away from the public eye. Prince Harry Hoping for the Best A royal insider told UK Express that Prince Harry loved his life in Canada because they lived in a secluded place where they could just be themselves. However, the biggest issue has been the timing. The source said that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have "uprooted their live and have been unable to properly immerse themselves into LA life and get settled." It was also reported that Prince Harry is still hopeful that once the lockdown is lifted, things will be easier for him and his family, where they will start falling into a normal pace of life in the US. READ MORE: What's Next for Prince Harry, Meghan Markle? Top 7 Predictions! Since at least 2015, Saint Anthony of Padua Catholic Church in The Woodlands has had the capability to live-stream its services online. Originally meant to help connect with members unable to make it to service, now the technology has allowed the church to gain a new following of viewers from around the world as COVID-19 has all Catholics staying home. On March 17, public masses were officially suspended. Two days earlier, Saint Anthony had already started streaming services on Facebook, and through the church website. As Catholic churches around the world began to close their doors to stop the spread of COVID-19, their members began searching for a way to keep practicing their faith from inside their home. ON HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: Coronavirus live updates: Trump praises Abbott, Houston We already had our infrastructure in place and we were able to roll with it live very quickly, said Stephen Lenahan, director of development and communications for Saint Anthony. Online audience While the church was prepared to start streaming services online immediately, no one at Saint Anthony was prepared for just how popular this service would become, and how far it would reach. Weve shattered every record, Lenahan said. Weve had more people in the month of March visit our website and our live stream page than our website the 20 years prior to that. THE LATEST: Montgomery County reaches double digit COVID-19 deaths, total cases now 530 During Holy Week, Lenahan said, over 50,000 people tuned in to either the Holy Thursday, Good Friday or Easter Sunday service. In April of last year, the church had 52,118 website views and 3,758 live stream page views. This year, the first 20 days of April saw 92,905 website views and 54,887 live stream page views. The church was finding that as other Catholic churches were struggling to set up their own online streaming services, members were finding Saint Anthony and tuning in. While the majority of the web views between March 21 and April 20 were from inside the United States (131,292) there have been quite a few from outside of the country as well. That same time frame saw 759 views from Canada, 609 from Mexico, 396 from the United Kingdom, 279 from India, 196 from the Philippines, and 158 from Australia, among dozens of other countries. Social media outreach One thing Lenahan thinks has helped the church is its social media communications strategy, which it has put to use before during hurricane disasters like Harvey. MORNING REPORT: Get the top stories on HoustonChronicle.com sent directly to your inbox So many Catholic churches, unfortunately, dont really have a comprehensive communications plan, he said. Harvey, really, communications wise, prepped us for the pandemic, I would say. What we found during Harvey was that we could get people helping, that werent even in our community, just by posting sometimes things that were funny. But the higher engagement rate made it so that when we were trying to post something a little more serious it was easier for people to find us because we were already trending. Lenahan said the church started hearing from some of these new members who wanted to tell their story of how they found Saint Anthony. An American family spread out across the country were staying connected each Sunday by tuning into the churchs live stream together even though none of them live in Texas. Former members who moved away but couldnt connect with their church right now returned to watch Saint Anthonys services. Moving the services to live stream has meant changing what some of the services typically look like. Traditionally the Easter service starts outside and an Easter fire is lit to usher in light to the darkness. It took some creative lighting techniques to allow the viewers to still see what was going on as the service started in darkness on the live stream. My team, which would normally just switch on the live stream on a previous Easter or Holy Week, suddenly became very involved with the actual planning of the execution of the liturgy with our liturgy team, Lenahan said. As the live streams continue, Lenahan said the church has found new ways to make it better, like adding the song lyrics to the video for people to sing along and strategically placing items on the altar to be seen better. COVID-19 AID: Woodlands Christian Academy students redesign ventilators for project The turnaround from live, public masses, to online-only, was so quick that the church had limited time to plan everything. A few changes to the schedule were made to keep things a little more simple. All the Sunday masses were kept at the same time, as well as the daily evening service, but a few services on Tuesday and Thursday were removed. Lenahan said it was important to church leaders to keep all of the Sunday masses to allow for some measure of normalcy. Connecting amid coronavirus The power of connecting with the church community through the live stream was displayed early into the COVID-19 crisis. Saint Anthony has a food pantry and is a partner with the Montgomery County Food Bank. As businesses were forced to close due to the pandemic, food pantries across the state are seeing a dramatic increase in clients, including at the church. On Holy Saturday, the pantry was empty, which rarely happens. During his Easter Sunday services, father Thomas Rafferty told the community about the need for food. No sooner had said that at the 9 a.m. (service) there was a line out at the front of the church of people dropping off food, Lenahan said. Our food pantry was completely re-filled by early afternoon. Starting April 27, Saint Anthony will start the process of re-opening again. Phase one includes the Sacrament of Reconciliation and private prayer in the main sanctuary. The live streams can be found on the church website or the church Facebook page. jamie.swinnerton@chron.com Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi announced Monday in a video message that she is supporting Joe Biden as the Democratic Partys presidential candidate for November 3. Today, I am proud to support Joe Biden in the race for the President of the United States because I believe he would make an extraordinary president, said Nancy Pelosi in a video message. Joe Biden, 77, has not yet been officially invested by the Democratic Party it will be necessary to wait for the convention which should take place in August but he is the only candidate still in the running since his rival Bernie Sanders announced stop his campaign at the beginning of the month. After two months of primaries, in which about thirty states had voted, the independent senator, on the program resolutely to the left, was largely outdistanced by the former vice-president of Barack Obama, considered to be better able to bring together the centrist electorate behind him to beat Republican Donald Trump in 2020. A large majority of the party caciques supported Joe Biden during the primaries. Former President Obama himself announced his support for Biden two weeks ago. Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, the American campaign has been stopped and Joe Biden has struggled to be heard from the basement of his house, from where he is recording videos. Share this post with your Friends on Brisbane, Australia, April 27, 2020 - (ABN Newswire) - Emerging lithium miner Sayona Mining Limited (ASX:SYA.AX - News) (HAM:DML.HM - News) (OTCMKTS:DMNXF - News) announced today a boost for its expansion strategy, with the renounceable rights issue raising $2.57 million (before costs) despite unprecedented market volatility. Highlights - Investors back Sayona's growth strategy, with renounceable rights issue raising $2.57 million (before costs) in an extremely turbulent market - Significant support from shareholders, directors and new institutional investors - Funds to support Sayona's expansion plans, including bid for North American Lithium (NAL) in Quebec, Canada together with flagship Authier Lithium Project. The Board considers this to be an excellent outcome in the current environment, with the All Ordinaries index having fallen by 30% since the Company went into trading halt on 9 March 2020. It reflects the ongoing and strong support of the Company and its growth strategy by shareholders, directors and new investors. A total of 321,367,640 new fully paid ordinary shares and 160,683,820* options exercisable at AUD$0.02 and expiring on 28 April 2023 will be issued to investors who applied under the offer (refer ASX announcement 12 March 2020). The new options will be quoted and tradeable on the ASX. The new securities are expected to be issued on Wednesday, 29 April 2020, in accordance with the rights issue timetable. Highlighting their alignment with all shareholders' interests, Directors and management showed confidence in Sayona's plans by subscribing under the entitlement offer. Significantly, Sayona's Managing Director, Brett Lynch and Sayona Quebec CEO, Guy Laliberte, also subscribed for an additional AUD$400,000 from the shortfall. Thanking investors for their support, Sayona's Mr Lynch said the successful raising was a vote of confidence in the Company's strategy. "Current financial conditions are extremely difficult due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has inflicted an enormous toll not only on human lives but also on the global economy and financial markets, including the lithium sector. Yet despite this extreme headwind, both new investors and existing shareholders have shown their backing for Sayona and for this we are extremely grateful," he said. "These funds will be crucial in ensuring we maintain the momentum in our company-transforming acquisition of NAL, which could deliver a substantial increase in value for shareholders. We also are continuing to advance our Authier project, which is steadily progressing through the approval process, while our other exploration projects in Quebec and Western Australia offer further potential to add value. Story continues "I would like to thank my fellow directors and management for their support of the Company in the rights issue, together with Mahe Capital and all our shareholders, both new and existing. This is a crucial stage in Sayona's development and we are determined to repay your confidence." Mahe Capital Pty Ltd advised on the Offer, acted as Lead Manager and partially underwrote the Offer to $1.5 million. Sayona reserves the right to place the balance of the shortfall available under the Offer within the permitted time period described in the rights issue prospectus. About Sayona Mining Ltd: Sayona Mining Limited (ASX:SYA.AX - News) (OTCMKTS:DMNXF - News) is an Australian, ASX-listed (SYA) company focused on sourcing and developing the raw materials required to construct lithium-ion batteries for use in the rapidly growing new and green technology sectors. The Company has lithium projects in Quebec, Canada and in Western Australia. Please visit us as at www.sayonamining.com.au Contact: Brett Lynch Managing Director Phone: +61 (7) 3369 7058 Email: info@sayonamining.com.au Source: Sayona Mining Ltd Copyright (C) 2020 ABN Newswire. All rights reserved. LINCOLN, Neb., April 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Nonprofits across America are struggling. The financial crisis caused by COVID-19 has put the organizations that benefit and serve our communities at risk. In an effort to provide immediate aid, GivingTuesday announced #GivingTuesdayNow, a day of unity and giving taking place on May 5, 2020. The global day of action will tap into the power of human connection and strengthen communities at the grassroots level. Communities are encouraged to mobilize on behalf of first responders as well as the other, often forgotten, frontline workers: the nonprofits that feed, house, educate and nurture neighbors impacted by the global pandemic. "We each have the power to make an impact and to ensure the sustainability of organizations and services that are crucial to the care and support of our communities," said Asha Curran, CEO of GivingTuesday. Nonprofit Hub, Do More Good and Firespring launched the #Nonprofit Matching-Fund Initiative to unite and heal communities in tandem with #GivingTuesdayNow. Through May 1, 501(c)(3) nonprofits can register to participate at no cost to their organization. The initiative is hosted on the open source Givesource platform that serves as the backbone for online giving days. Firespring is providing the volunteer labor and is donating 100% of the platform fees to the match fund. "We've learned that donors are 84% more likely to donate when there is a match fund involved," said Jay Wilkinson, CEO of Firespring, a Nebraska-based Certified B Corporation. "Armed with this information, we established this initiative to help nonprofits fully leverage the #GivingTuesdayNow movement to make an even greater impact." The newly-established #Nonprofit Matching-Fund Initiative includes a national match fund pool and state-level pools for all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. "Participating nonprofits will receive matching funds from both the national and their state-specific pools, while an engaged network of partners and match fund sponsors fuel awareness and momentum for the initiative," said Graham Pansing Brooks, co-founder of the Do More Good movement. "The financial crisis brought about by COVID-19 has severely hampered fundraising efforts for many nonprofits," said Randy Hawthorne, executive director of Nonprofit Hub. "The #Nonprofit Matching-Fund Initiative will potentially help thousands of America's nonprofits continue serving their communities with critical programs and services." The #Nonprofit Matching-Fund Initiative gives the ability for nonprofits to fundraise throughout the month of May, allowing them to engage supporters beyond the official day of giving on May 5. There are numerous ways to get involved with the #Nonprofit Matching-Fund Initiative: Nonprofits can register their organization by visiting now.firespring.com/register. Donors can contribute to the matching funds at now.firespring.com/matchfund. Help spread the word by becoming a promotional partner at now.firespring.com/partners. Nonprofits, businesses and individuals are urged to come together to drive a spike of generosity, citizen engagement, business and philanthropy activation and support for communities and nonprofits around the world. Be part of the solution: Show your support and join the movement to do more good. About Nonprofit Hub Nonprofit Hub is an online educational community dedicated to giving nonprofits everything they need to better their organizations and communities. Their annual Cause Camp event is one of the pre-eminent nonprofit conferences in the nation. Learn more at nonprofithub.org. About Do More Good Do More Good is leading a movement to educate, empower and amplify companies and business leaders doing more good. This year's ROI of Why conference will be held October 67. Learn more at domoregood.com. About Firespring Firespring provides marketing, printing, websites and strategic guidance to thousands of brands, businesses and nonprofits in all 50 states and on 6 continents. They are nationally recognized as a top workplace and a global leader in generating positive community impact. Learn more at firespring.com. About #GivingTuesdayNow #GivingTuesdayNow is a global day of giving and unity that will take place on May 5, 2020 as an emergency response to the unprecedented need caused by COVID-19. GivingTuesday is a nonprofit organization dedicated to unleashing the power of people and organizations to transform their communities and the world. Learn more at now.givingtuesday.org. Media interviews available upon request: Randy Hawthorne, E.D. of Nonprofit Hub Graham Pansing Brooks, E.D. of Do More Good Jay Wilkinson, CEO of Firespring Contact: Angie Kubicek Phone Number: 402.437.0092 Email: [email protected] SOURCE Firespring; Nonprofit Hub; Do More Good Movement; GivingTuesday Christopher Eccleston has said that the BBC One series The A Word has connected him to the public. The drama tells the story of a family who have a son who has autism. The actor said that the programme resonates with viewers as most people have experience of autism in some way. Whenever people stop me, they ask about The A Word, and when I tell when we're doing a third series, it's a really joyous reaction Christopher Eccleston Eccleston, who plays Maurice Scott in the series, said: Whenever people stop me, they ask about The A Word, and when I tell when were doing a third series, its a really joyous reaction. This programme has connected me with the public like no other, because everybody seems to be touched in some way by autism or Downs syndrome. I do think that people are going to be watching it in lockdown, and its about families and families being on top of each other and in each others lives. It will be quite an interesting reaction. The A Word is set to return to TV screens for a third series. Eccleston said he did not have any reservations about returning to the show. Video of the Day He said: Weve got a large proportion of the crew from the first series coming back and I would suggest one of the main reasons they come back is because of the scripts. Theyve invested in the family, as though theyre a family themselves. The A Word returns to BBC One on May 5. Whats happened to all that food that would have fed travelers who arent flying during the coronavirus outbreak? Its landing in food banks to help hungry New Jersey residents. United Airlines recently donated 15,000 pounds of perishable and non-perishable food that was to be used to serve customers from Newark Airport. The donations were split between the airlines community partners including City Harvest, Food Bank of South Jersey and Community Food Bank of South Jersey. Uniteds donation includes donated 6,000 pounds of shelf-stable and frozen meals and nutritious soup, cheese, nuts, and more. The donations come at a time when the amount of donated food has fallen off, food bank officials said. "(The food bank) has seen well over 800,000 pounds less in donated food each month so far, since this crisis began," said Carlos Rodriguez, President and CEO of the Community FoodBank of New Jersey. "We're grateful for our partnership with United Airlines and for this generous food donation, which comes to us at a time when it's needed most. With workers either laid-off or out of work, due to the closure of non-essential businesses, the demand at food banks has increased. With escalating food insecurity impacting South Jersey due to COVID 19, the Food Bank of South Jersey is responding to an over 200 percent rise in food need at this time, said Fred C. Wasiak, President & CEO of the Food Bank of South Jersey. We are deeply appreciative of the depth of compassion and true spirit of community care of United Airlines during this unprecedented time. United officials said the donations reflect the airlines commitment to the communities it serves. As a company, we feel it is essential to support where our employees and customers live and work in any possible way during the crisis, including donating food to feed the growing number of families that need assistance, said Jill Kaplan, President of New Jersey/New York for United Airlines. Have you seen an inspiring story in your community during this troubling time? Tell us about it. And, see more uplifting stories in #TogetherNJ. Please subscribe now and support the local journalism YOU rely on and trust. Larry Higgs may be reached at lhiggs@njadvancemedia.com. South Korean officials are calling for caution amid reports that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un may be ill or is being isolated because of coronavirus concerns, emphasising that they have detected no unusual movements in North Korea. At a closed-door forum on Sunday, South Korea's Unification Minister Kim Yeon-Chul, who oversees engagement with the North, said the government has the intelligence capabilities to say with confidence that there were no indications of anything unusual. Rumours and speculation over the North Korean leader's health began after he made no public appearance at a key state holiday on April 15, and has since remained out of sight. South Korea media last week reported that Kim may have undergone cardiovascular surgery or was in isolation to avoid exposure to the new coronavirus. Unification minister Kim cast doubt on the report of surgery, arguing that the hospital mentioned did not have the capabilities for such an operation. Still, Yoon Sang-hyun, chairman of the foreign and unification committee in South Korea's National Assembly, told a gathering of experts on Monday that Kim Jong Un's absence from the public eye suggests "he has not been working as normally". "There has not been any report showing hes making policy decisions as usual since April 11, which leads us to assume that he is either sick or being isolated because of coronavirus concerns," Yoon said. North Korea has said it has no confirmed cases of the new coronavirus, but some international experts have cast doubts on that claim. On Monday, North Korean state media once again showed no new photos of Kim nor reported on his whereabouts. However, they did carry reports that he had sent a message of gratitude to workers building a tourist resort in Wonsan, an area where some South Korean media reports have said Kim may be staying. "Our government position is firm," Moon Chung-in, the top foreign policy adviser to South Korean President Moon Jae-in, said in comments to news outlets in the United States. "Kim Jong Un is alive and well. He has been staying in the Wonsan area since April 13. No suspicious movements have so far been detected." Satellite images from last week showed a special train possibly belonging to Kim at Wonsan, lending weight to those reports, according to 38 North, a Washington-based North Korea monitoring project. Though the group said it was probably the North Korean leader's personal train, Reuters has not been able to confirm that independently, or whether he was in Wonsan. A spokeswoman for the Unification Ministry said on Monday she had nothing to confirm when asked about reports that Kim was in Wonsan. Last week China dispatched a team to North Korea including medical experts to advise on Kim Jong Un, according to three people familiar with the situation. Reuters was unable to immediately determine what the trip by the Chinese team signalled in terms of Kim's health. On Friday a South Korean source told Reuters their intelligence was that Kim Jong Un was alive and would likely make an appearance soon. Experts have cautioned that Kim has disappeared from state media coverage before and that gathering accurate information in North Korea is notoriously difficult. North Korea's state media last reported on Kim's whereabouts when he presided over a meeting on April 11. Catch our entire coverage on the Facebook-Jio deal here. Kim, believed to be 36, vanished from state media for more than a month in 2014 and North Korean state TV later showed him walking with a limp.Also read: Coronavirus News India LIVE Updates A faithful dog in China has reportedly waited for its owner to return home for three years after its owner deserted it without saying good-bye. The pet, nicknamed Hei Zi, is said to have waited day and night in a residential complex where it and its owner used to live in the city of Xi'an. The Plott Hound belonged to a Korean expat who moved back to South Korea in 2017 and left the dog behind, a neighbour told reporters. The dog (pictured), nicknamed Hei Zi, belonged to a Korean expat who lived in Xi'an, China, but moved back to South Korea in 2017. The owner is said to have left without saying good-bye Hei Zi, a Plott Hound, is said to have waited day and night in a residential complex where it and its owner used to live. Residents described the dog as 'clever', 'sensitive' and 'gentle' The neighbour, named Wang Huili, urged the public to help Hei Zi after community officers repeatedly threatened to catch the dog, deeming it as a stray. She also said that some locals, who were scared of dogs, complained about Hei Zi to authorities. They urged officials to remove the animal from the neighbourhood. However, Wang stressed that many people in the estate had shown sympathy towards Hei Zi and treated it as their own pet. 'We would give meat or other food we bought to Hei Zi instead of our own dogs,' Wang told Pear Video. 'Hei Zi has become a link between us neighbours, who otherwise would not speak to each other much,' she added. A neighbour, named Wang Huili (pictured), said many people in the estate had treated Hei Zi as their own pet. 'We would give meat or other food we bought to Hei Zi instead of our own dogs' A girl told Pear: 'This dog is very loyal. It has waited for its owner in this estate all these years since [the owner] left. '[It] has never thought of leaving this estate or finding a new owner. It's hoping that one day its owner would come back to get it.' Locals have built a small tent in a patch of bamboo in the estate for Hei Zi to rest in. They would also leave food outside the tent. They said that Hei Zi would appear in front of a statue in the centre of the estate every morning at 10 and every afternoon at four, expecting its owner to come back. Residents described the dog as 'clever', 'sensitive' and 'gentle'. 'It never picks a fight with other dogs or chases children,' said Wang. Animal lovers have taken it in turns to look after the dog. Locals have built a small tent (pictured) in a patch of bamboo in the estate for Hei Zi to rest in A girl told Pear: 'This dog is very loyal. It has waited for its owner in this estate all these years' Last year, they donated 5,000 yuan (568) to Hei Zi so that the vet could remove parasites in the dog. They are now hoping to arrange another physical check-up for Hei Zi at the vet and find a new owner for it. That way, Hei Zi will be able to have a pet's license and live a care-free life. One neighbour, known by her surname Xie, told local Hua Shang Daily that some of the neighbours had agreed to complete all necessary paperwork for Hei Zi 'as long as it can live a peaceful life in our estate'. Construction restarts for some; strict safety required Journal Construction Editor By BENJAMIN MINNICK Journal Construction Editor Photo by Benjamin Minnick [enlarge] Pacific Pile & Marine has been working on the Pier 62 rebuild during the COVID-19 outbreak. To the relief of many in the construction industry, Gov. Jay Inslee on Friday reopened low-risk projects where social distancing can be maintained at all times. The decision was rooted in recommendations from a construction industry advisory group with members from the Associated General Contractors of Washington, Building Industry Association of Washington, Association of Washington Business and three labor groups: Washington Building Trades and the Operating Engineers' and Carpenters' unions. BIAW Executive Vice President Greg Lane said his group's members, which are primarily homebuilders, are eager to get back to work but safety is the highest priority. He said the state has a housing shortage of about 200,000 units. Washington Building Trades Executive Secretary Mark Riker said Inslee's move will get thousands of workers back on the job. The governor has given us the opportunity to have a great effect in our industry, he's put it back in our hands, it's our job to do it right, he said. Both Lane and Riker are on the advisory roundtable. In an email to AGC members, AGC of Washington Executive Vice President David D'Hondt wrote that the rules for reopening jobsites were slightly revised from initial recommendations from the advisory group. Some of the new requirements include temperature checks of workers, posting notices and additional reporting. D'Hondt, who also is on the roundtable, wrote that there are a couple of important issues to keep in mind: There are many construction projects currently underway that have been deemed essential; these are mostly local government projects. Ongoing essential projects must meet all Phase 1 (low-risk) requirements. For higher risk tasks on ongoing essential projects where 6-foot distancing recommendations cannot be maintained, a hazard assessment and control plan must be implemented identifying appropriate PPE use meeting Department of Labor and Industries requirements. L&I will enforce rules for Phase 1 projects and can shut down a jobsite if it determines safety requirements are not being met. And as we have already seen, members of the public may also be watching closely and reporting any practices they believe to be contrary to the governor's proclamation, D'Hondt wrote. The roundtable is developing recommendations for second- and third-phase projects. Phase 2 projects are those where social distancing can't be maintained. D'Hondt wrote that a key element to this phase involves determining what types of masks are best for close contact on jobsites. The roundtable is working with L&I on final recommendations for masks and expects to present its plan for opening Phase 2 projects this week to Inslee. If and when Inslee greenlights Phase 2 projects, the roundtable will further develop its plan for complex Phase 3 projects such as skyscrapers and other structures that are highly technical. Inslee on Friday said the construction reopening plan could be a model for other industries and he will likely convene stakeholder groups from those industries. He said getting businesses to reopen will be incremental, likening the operation to gradually turning a dial versus quickly throwing a switch. He said opening them now would be way too dangerous. Benjamin Minnick can be reached by email or by phone at (206) 622-8272. Pakistan's top Islamic medical body has warned that mosques are becoming a major source of transmission for the novel coronavirus and urged people to pray at home during Ramzan, as the COVID-19 cases in the country rose to 13,105 on Sunday. "Mosques are becoming a major source of virus transmission," Pakistan Islamic Medical Association (PIMA) President Dr Iftikhar Burney said on Saturday. Talking to reporters, Burney said that the infected cases have surged rapidly during the past week. "Around 6,000 cases for coronavirus surfaced in a month.but the same has doubled in the last six days," he said, warning that the infection would further go up in the coming months of May and June. He said the number of patients in the intensive care units (ICUs) of the public hospitals is increasing at a shocking rate. "Most of the hospitals in the country are housing more coronavirus patients that those suffering from other diseases," he told reporters. His remarks comes days after Pakistan's top doctors warned of "significant mayhem" and "fatal outcomes" if mosques continue to remain open and urged the government to review its decision to allow congregational prayers during the month of Ramzan amid the deadly coronavirus outbreak. The Pakistan government early this month succumbed to pressure from the hardline clerics and allowed conditional congregational prayers in mosques during Ramzan. However, the 20-point agreement signed by the leading clerics with President Arif Alvi on restricting access to mosques during Ramzan was not being followed completely. Alvi has written a letter to the Imams of mosques urging them to ask worshippers above the age of 50 to pray at home. He pointed out that the point number six of the standard operating procedures (SOPs) set in the agreement said that persons over the age of 50 should avoid offering prayers at the mosque. Alvi also visited mosques in Rawalpindi to review arrangements made by the administration of mosques to contain the spread of the virus, he wrote in a tweet. He shared a picture of Jama Masjid Ghousia and said the administration had arranged for Taraweeh (special prayers offered at night during Ramzan), keeping in mind necessary preventative measures to curb the spread. However, the face masks were lacking. Several countries including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Algeria, Jordan, Kuwait, Turkey, Syria, Lebanon and Egypt have stopped congregational prayers in mosques. In several Arab countries, the 'azaan' (call for prayer) has been amended and now it urges people to pray in their homes. Advisor on Health Dr Zafar Mirza also took to Twitter and again urged the "citizens to demonstrate responsibility & avoid congregations during Ramzan to protect themselves from COVID-19." However, the government was still reluctant to close down the mosques due to fear of backlash by the hardline clerics. Also read: Coronavirus impact: What is Pakistan's smart lockdown plan? Also read: Coronavirus impact: SAARC countries agree to enhance cooperation Advertisement Residents in Nova Scotia paid their respects at roadside memorials to the 22 people killed in Canada's worst mass shooting, as some victims' families and loved ones are forced to hold virtual funerals amid the coronavirus pandemic. On April 18, gunman Gabriel Wortman terrorized Nova Scotia residents when he went on a 12-hour rampage and killed nearly two dozen people. His shooting spree culminated in 16 crime scenes across five different communities around central and northern Nova Scotia. In the wake of his reign of terror, people have shared an outpouring of tributes and memorials for the victims. A couple stands near a roadside memorial in Portapique, Nova Scotia, and paid tribute to the 22 residents who were killed in the country's worst mass shooting to date Pictured: A makeshift memorial that has been placed in the memory of Kristen Beaton, a shooting victim who was expecting her third child and was killed along Plains Road during Sunday's mass shooting is seen in Debert A woman comforts her daughter after they placed flowers at an impromptu memorial, decorated with the Canadian flag and several bundles of flowers, in front of the RCMP detachment on April 20 in Nova Scotia Queen mourns Canada's mass shooting victims The Queen has sent a message of condolence to the people of Nova Scotia following the deadliest mass shooting in Canada's history. The Queen said: 'Prince Philip and I have been deeply saddened by the appalling events in Nova Scotia and we send our condolences to the families, friends and colleagues of those who have lost their lives. 'I also pay tribute to the bravery and sacrifice of the officers from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and other police services who selflessly responded to these devastating attacks, and to the emergency services who are supporting those who have been injured and affected. 'My thoughts and prayers are with the people of Nova Scotia and all Canadians at this tragic time. Elizabeth R.' Advertisement A number of roadside memorials have appeared in Nova Scotia, with many decorated with the Canadian flag, Nova Scotian flag, bouquets of flowers, candles and signs advertising hopeful messages as the country continues to grieve. Mourners were also seen donning red in honor of RCMP officer Const. Heidi Stevenson, a local authority killed by Wortman after her police cruiser crashed into his vehicle. First responders and law enforcement have held small ceremonies in memory of Stevenson, who has been hailed a hero for her actions in trying to stop Wortman. Angela Gevaudan, the wife of an RCMP officer killed by a gunman five years ago, said told National Post that first responders who arrived at the heartbreaking scene will need time to process their grief. 'Because the focus is only on the external and what needs to be done, and there is very little room for your normal human feelings and reactions to something like this that happened in Nova Scotia,' she said. 'You keep setting them aside, and setting them aside. You can get to a point where you don't know where to start any more in trying to sort out what impacted you and how to make sense of it and come to terms with it.' Wounded Warriors Canada has created a fund to help first responders in Nova Scotia. As of Sunday it has amassed $38,000. On Saturday, hundreds of cars formed a motorcade in the community of Wyses Corner, to remember 36-year-old Joey Webber who was also killed in the attack. Weber was shot dead by Wortman while running a family errand. Pictured: Hearts made of the Nova Scotia tartan are shown at a makeshift shrine honouring RCMP Const. Heidi Stevenson outside Royal Canadian Mounted Police headquarters in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia Pictured: A woman pays her respects for the victims of a mass shooting at a roadside memorial on Portapique Road in Portapique, Nova Scotia Stevenson, who was slain by Wortman during her attempt to stop the dangerous gunman, is hailed as a hero for her efforts and a memorial for her has been erected outside Royal Canadian Mounted Police headquarters A family in Nova Scotia visit a roadside memorial for the 22 victims who died in the mass shooting and hold each other as they mourn the loss of their community members Families of the victims have begun holding funerals, but some some have resorted to online services as the COVID-19 pandemic keeps residents inside their homes. Some families have decided to postpone funeral services until the pandemic ends and loved ones can properly gather. Family of Lisa McCully, a 49-year-old mother of two who was killed in the mass shooting, held her funeral on Sunday in Truro, Nova Scotia. A photo of McCully, bouquets of flowers and an grey urn were seen sitting on a table during the service. Those who couldn't attend the service in person were able to mourn from home as the funeral was broadcast online. Jenny Kierstead, McCully's sister, remembered her as a 'proverbial entertainer' who loved both her own children and those she taught at elementary school. 'Lisa beautifully melded her love of outdoor education with her love of parenting, teaching her children physics on the bike ramp, oceanography on the shoreline, and of course, music by campfire,' Kierstead said at the funeral. Pictured: Seven-year-old Jayden Duffy reads a message on a Canadian flag, one of many left near a mural dedicated to slain Royal Canadian Mounted Police Const. Heidi Stevenson Mourners who attended a memorial set up for Stevenson (pictured)at the Royal Canadian Mounted Police headquarters in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia were asked to wear red to honor the fallen hero Wounded Warriors Canada has created a fund to assist first responders who were on the scene of after Stevenson and other victims encountered Wortman Gabriel Wortman, 51, attacked his ex-girlfriend, who fled from him and hid in the woods, before he started 'working off a hit list' as he targeted 22 others in the deadliest shooting Canada has ever seen Wortman, 51, 'may have worked off a hit list' as he murdered 22 people in a 12-hour rampage where some survived by refusing to answer their doors, and others died by helping strangers. Supt. Darren Campbell, the officer in charge of support services for Nova Scotia RCMP, released the tragic new details of the massacre in a press conference Friday morning. He said the gunman may have been working off a 'hit list' of people he knew, after several victims were known to the attacker and other people known to him had lucky escapes. Several hours into the killing rampage, an armed Wortman knocked on the door of acquaintances who refused to answer the door and dialed 911 - saving their lives as the killer fled the scene, Campbell said. Police also admitted the gunman managed to evade capture for some time as he was dressed in police uniform and was driving a former squad car. Campbell gave a detailed timeline of the 12-hour rampage and paid an emotional tribute to the many 'true heroes' who died trying to save others' lives over the deadly weekend. 'To call this a tragedy would be an understatement,' he said. The trail of devastation began when the mass murderer attacked his girlfriend Saturday night. She escaped after the 'significant assault' at her home and hid in the woods for hours, Campbell said. He said the assault 'could have been the catalyst' for the killing spree, but that authorities are not ruling out that the massacre could have been pre-planned. The girlfriend was a 'key witness' in police tracking down the killer when she came out of hiding the following morning. Campbell said police were first alerted to news of a shooting at around 10.26pm Saturday night when a 911 call reported shots being fired in the 'quiet and peaceful community' of Portapique. Supt. Darren Campbell, the officer in charge of support services for Nova Scotia RCMP, released the tragic new details of the massacre in a press conference Friday morning There were three clusters of shooting incidents that took place over Saturday night and into Sunday Officers arrived on the scene to find a man with gunshot wounds. The man, who survived, said he was shot while he was driving past a vehicle that looked like a police car. Police then found the bodies of several victims lying in the roadway and several homes on fire in the area. 'There were seven locations in this area where people were found deceased,' said Campbell. Police began setting up perimeters in the area and looking for the suspect, he added. This was the first of three clusters of shooting incidents that took place over Saturday night and into Sunday. Twelve hours after the first spree, police received a second series of 911 calls 60 kilometers away in Glenholm. The shooter had traveled to a home where he shot and killed two men and one woman and set the house on fire, Campbell said. At least two of the victims were known to Wortman. Wortman then traveled on to another home of people he knew in the area. The people inside did not answer the door and dialed 911, identifying Wortman to the dispatcher and confirming he was driving a fake police vehicle. Authorities said the violence began on Saturday night in Portapique, where officers were alerted to shots fired around 10.26pm. Wortman managed to evade police throughout the night and into Sunday morning. Police first revealed that they had an 'active shooter' situation around 8am in Portapique. The violence ended on Sunday in Enfield Wortman left the scene by car. He then came across a woman out walking and shot her dead at the roadside. The gunman continued driving the replica vehicle along a highway, where he managed to pull over two cars, shooting dead the drivers in both. Campbell said the killer's spree continued when he attacked two police officers - including Constable Heidi Stevenson who died in the attack. Stevenson and Constable Chad Morrison were planning to meet by the roadside on a highway. The Atlantic Denture Clinic, owned by Wortman, was guarded by police in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, on Monday. The clinic was forced to shutter because of coronavirus When a vehicle pulled up to Morrison's car he thought it was Stevenson. Wortman was inside the car and shot Morrison, who managed to drive off. Stevenson arrived on the scene and her car collided with Wortman's who then shot her dead. Wortman also shot a passer-by and set fire to both his own replica police car and Stevenson's car. A photograph of Kristen Beaton, who was expecting her third child and was killed along Plains Road during Sunday's mass shooting, is seen at a makeshift memorial in Debert, Nova Scotia, Canada yesterday Husband and wife Greg and Jamie Blair were killed in the gun rampage and tragically leave behind four children. The couple are believed to have two sons together, while Jamie has two other boys Nurse Heather O'Brien (left) was also identified by her daughter in a Facebook post shared Sunday that read: 'A monster murdered my mother today.' O'Brien was killed along with Kristen Beaton (right). Both women worked for Von Canada, the long term health care company revealed Family of three Jolene Oliver, Aaron 'Friar' Tuck, and their 17-year-old daughter Emily were wiped out in the shooting The killer drove away in the passers-by's vehicle to the home of another acquaintance, who he shot dead. He took the female victim's car and discarded his police uniform. The massacre ended with Wortman being shot dead by officers at the gas station in Enfield at 11.32am Sunday. Campbell said Wortman became a suspect early on in the investigation and officers visited his property to find his home, garage and cars inflamed. They also learned the killer had an arsenal of firearms, had disguised himself as a police officer in 'authentic uniform', and was driving around in one of four former police cars the killer owned. Officers are now 'tracing how he got all the equipment', he said. Police also responded to multiple fires, including one in Wentworth where volunteer firefighters were seen dousing hotspots near destroyed vehicles linked to Sunday's deadly shooting rampage Campbell said Wortman's first victim - his girlfriend - provided key information to catching him. Wortman, who owned a denture practice in the city of Dartmouth, near Halifax, lived part time in Portapique, according to residents. Atlantic Denture Clinic, his practice, had been closed for a month because of the coronavirus pandemic. Authorities said Wortman did not have a police record, but information later emerged of at least one run-in with the law. Nova Scotia court records confirm he was ordered to receive counseling for anger management after pleading guilty to assaulting a man in the Halifax area on October 29 2001. Mass shootings are relatively rare in Canada. The country overhauled its gun control laws after Marc Lepine killed 14 women and himself at Montreal's Ecole Polytechnique college in 1989. Before the weekend rampage, that had been Canada's worst mass shooting. Gov. Gavin Newsom temporarily suspended California's ban on single-use plastic bags, such as the one shown here. (Frederic J. Brown / AFP/Getty Images) Among the many bad things to come out of the coronavirus pandemic is the resurgence of single-use plastic. In early March, weeks before California adopted the nation's first stay-at-home orders and when toilet paper could still be found in abundance on store shelves, Starbucks stopped accepting customers refillable cups for fear that they might expose baristas to infection. Dunkin' Donuts followed suit. Then grocery stores told people to keep their potentially germy reusable bags to themselves and began foisting new plastic and paper bags on shoppers. San Francisco, home of the state's first plastic bag ban, was one of six Bay Area counties to forbid shoppers from bringing reusable bags into stores. And last week right on the heels of Earth Day Gov. Gavin Newsom suspended California's pioneering ban on single-use plastic bags for 60 days, allowing stores in cities that didnt have their own ban before 2015 to forgo charging a 10-cent fee for paper or reusable plastic sacks, and to fall back on the flimsy single-use plastic ones if necessary. Pending plastic bag bans in other parts of the country have been put on hold. Its understandable that fears about a spreading pathogen that we still dont understand well has led to emergency measures such as these. Who knows how this virus is getting around? Grocery store workers, who are at high risk for exposure because of their interaction with customers, ought to be protected as much as possible. But we hope that this current health crisis isn't an excuse to abandon years of hard-won progress toward reducing our reliance on disposable plastic packaging. Of course, the plastic industry would love for crusading California to relinquish its position as the nation's leader on innovative waste reduction, especially when a comprehensive proposal to diminish the use of plastic packaging may be on a future state ballot. (Proponents have launched a digital signature-gathering effort to complete their campaign for the November ballot, which was derailed by the pandemic). Story continues Whats particularly reprehensible is how the plastic industry is taking advantage of the national crisis to renew its campaign against reusable grocery bags, warning that they're dangerous coronavirus vectors and urging cities and states to embrace single-use plastic. This nakedly self-serving ploy would be laughable if it werent so misleading. The industry's trade association even went so far as to urge Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar to declare local and state bans on single-use plastic to be a health threat. (Azar, it seems, has not heeded the request.) The coronavirus vector argument is just a new twist on the old industry canard, trotted out repeatedly during the debate over California's statewide ban on disposable plastic bags, that reusable bags are biological hazards. An industry-funded study in 2011 took samples from 84 reusuable bags used by shoppers and found that half had traces of E. coli and other bacteria. But reusable bags pose no more risk than anything that comes into contact with groceries and isn't properly washed, including the hands of shoppers. Lets not forget why California and other states and nations have adopted bans on single-use plastic bags and other disposable plastic. Of the 8.3 billion metric tons of plastic ever produced, almost none of it has been recycled. And too much of it has ended up in the environment, including the ocean and the food chain. We are literally eating and drinking plastic residue. Single-use plastic bags were singled out first because they are ubiquitous about 100 billion are used in the U.S. every year and difficult to recycle. They're also expensive to clean up, an effort that cost California taxpayers an estimated $428 million annually before the ban went into effect. In addition, they are easy to avoid, and still are even now. You don't have to use a disposable plastic bag to stay safe. Use paper bags when available or simply carry unbagged groceries in your shopping cart to the car (which most of us in Southern California use to do the shopping). Like the stay-at-home orders, the revival of disposable bags must be a temporary measure that is lifted as soon as possible. There's too much at stake. How much? Check out the new documentary, "The Story of Plastic," for a graphic reminder. A black-and-white look at "the new normal" We've been asking members of the KC community to submit stories about life under house arrest. If you've got a story you'd like to share, please send it to brock@thepitchkc.com for consideration. Today, Kaitlin Arey shares a photo essay with us. Failed journalists and bitter wannabe writers constantly criticize one another about using cliches or catchphrases which is a tired tradition in and of itself.And so,However . . . A recent series of pix reminds of a longstanding debate among shutterbugs:To be fair, one of these photos looks like TKC shuffling home with a bag full of Chinese food . . . Take a peek: The civic chief of Aurangabad in Maharashtra took to Twitter on Monday to warn youth against behaving irresponsibly in the wake of the novel coronavirus outbreak as they could pass on the infection to the elderly in their families. Municipal Commissioner Astik Kumar Pandey uploaded statistics which showed that a majority of COVID-19 patients are in the 21-40 age group. Pandey claimed youth were venturing out and "bringing coronavirus to the elderly in families". "This 21-40 age group is the most infected and it should behave responsibly," he said in one of his tweets. Giving information on the COVID-19 situation in the city, Pandey said, out of the 51 patients here, only two had international and one had domestic travel history. "Of the 51 COVID-19 patients, 10 came from hotspots. Another 38 got infected after coming in contact with these travelers," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Lawyers for imprisoned WikiLeaks publisher Julian Assange will appeal at Westminster Magistrates Court in London this morning for a delay in the US extradition hearing that is scheduled to resume on May 18. Due to the risk of infection from COVID-19, Assange will not participate in todays case management hearingnot even by video-linkas transit from his prison cell to the interview room involves contact with both prisoners and staff who may have the virus. Assange has been held at Belmarsh maximum security prison in south east London for more than one year. He is being held solely on the basis of an extradition request from the United States government over WikiLeaks publication of classified information exposing US war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan. Lawyers for Assange are expected to present evidence that their clients fundamental due process rights, including his right to view evidence and confer with legal counsel, have been drastically curtailed as a result of the pandemic lockdown. International travel restrictions and the risk of infection from coronavirus also mean that key witnesses would be unable to attend proceedings in May. In a statement issued Friday, WikiLeaks ambassador Joseph Farrell said, It is quite clear that this hearing cannot go ahead in just a few weeks time. Julians lawyers cannot prepare adequately, witnesses will not be able to travel, and journalists and the public will not have free, adequate and safe access to the proceedings. Justice will neither be done, nor seen to be done. At todays case management hearing journalists, and medical and political observers, will be forced to follow proceedings via telephone dial-in. It is not clear how any proceedings can be safely held at Woolwich Crown Court in just a few weeks time. On April 8, Assange told journalist Vaughan Smith the virus was ripping through Belmarsh prison. So far, at least one prisoner there has died from coronavirus, while unconfirmed reports suggest a second prisoner may also have died from the virus. As of April 23, 304 prisoners had tested positive for COVID-19 across 69 jails. There are 257 confirmed cases of coronavirus among prison officers, with the Prison Officers Association stating that up to 6,000 prison staff are currently off work due to COVID-19. Fifteen prisoners and four prison staff who were confirmed to have the virus have so far died. The coronavirus pandemic is being weaponised by the state to tighten the noose around Assange. He is being kept in prison as the virus spreads uncontrollably throughout the prison system. On March 25, District Judge Vanessa Baraitser refused to grant Assange bail, rejecting evidence by medical doctors that his continued imprisonment amid the spread of coronavirus presented a very real and potentially fatal risk to his fragile health. At the start of April, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) pledged 4,000 prisoners in England and Wales could be released from jail early if they were within two months of completing their sentence for non-violent or non-sexual crimes. Pregnant women or women in mother-and-baby units considered low-risk would also be considered for early release, the MoJ claimed. Shortly after revealing plans to release thousands of prisoners, the UK government made the vindictive announcement that Assange would not be released as he is not serving a custodial sentence and so is not eligible under the terms of the legislation. Assanges health has been systematically destroyed by a decade of arbitrary detention. Last May, United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture Nils Melzer found that Assange displayed medically verifiable symptoms of psychological torture resulting from his decade-long persecution. The WikiLeaks founder has a chronic lung condition that renders him especially vulnerable to respiratory illness, along with a host of other medical issues. In an open letter last month, Doctors for Assange wrote, Julian Assanges life and health are at heightened risk due to his arbitrary detention during this global pandemic. That threat will only grow as the coronavirus spreads. Speaking for the group, Dr. Stephen Frost told the World Socialist Web Site, Mr. Assange must be assumed by doctors to be severely immunocompromised and therefore at greatly increased risk of contracting and dying from coronavirus in any prison, but especially in a prison such as Belmarsh. Every extra day Mr. Assange is incarcerated in Belmarsh prison constitutes an increased threat to his life. On April 16, the early release programme was suspended after six prisoners were mistakenly freed more than two months before the end of their sentence. The prisoners were mostly Category D (the lowest risk) inmates, with some Category C, and all returned to jail compliantly when the mistake was realised, according to the MoJ. By April 23, only around 2550 prisoners had been freed early, according to BBC Home Affairs Correspondent Danny Shaw. The vindictive suspension of the programme demonstrates the criminal disregard of the British ruling class for the lives of prisoners. The decision was taken amid reports that more than 50 percent of prisons have at least one confirmed case of coronavirus. Dita Saliuka, whose brother Liridon died in Belmarsh prison on January 2 while on remand, told the WSWS that conditions inside Belmarsh are appalling. She criticised the government for not ensuring the safety of prisoners and for their treatment of Assange. People are dying in their cells [of COVID-19]why arent they in hospital? she asked. Prisoners are not safe. Ive been campaigning since Liridon died, and I already didnt think conditions at Belmarsh were safeI am 100 percent sure that they are not now. Health care workers have been taken out of prisons to help on the frontline. When the Nightingale [temporary field hospital] was opened in east London, they put Oxleas CEO Matthew Trainer in charge of it. But Oxleas is responsible for the health care at Belmarsh, and it sounds like Trainer has taken health care workers from Belmarsh on secondment to the Nightingale We all know how quickly this disease is killing people. It shouldnt take weeks to release prisoners. They could die the day before theyre scheduled to be released. When this all started happening, it was something like 8,000 prison officers who were off self-isolating, out of 23,000 officers in the UK. In Belmarsh there are about 400 officers, and about 200 were off self-isolating. But Vanessa Baraitser said there were no confirmed cases at Belmarsh! Well why are half of the prison staff self-isolating then? And how many prisoners are self-isolating? On April 17, two charities, the Howard League for Penal Reform and the Prison Reform Trust, issued a legal letter to Justice Secretary Robert Bucklandthe first stage in taking formal legal actionover his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in prisons. Frances Crook, chief executive of the Howard League, said, The rate of infection is accelerating, and the window of opportunity to protect people is vanishing. Ministers must rise to this challenge and act immediately to avert a public health catastrophe. The Prison Governors Association, representing prison staff, has called for the prison population to be reduced by 15,000 in order to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic. In their refusal to grant Assange bail in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the UK government and judiciary are escalating their extra-legal persecution of the WikiLeaks journalist. Workers and youth around the world must demand the immediate release of Assange from prison and the dropping of the Espionage Act charges against him. The fight for Assanges freedom is inseparable from the defence of the democratic rights of the entire working class against state censorship, repression and war. U.S. President Donald Trump pauses while speaking during a Easter blessing event in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington D.C., U.S., on Friday, April 10, 2020. The Supreme Court on Monday called for more arguments in two cases over whether President Donald Trump may keep his financial records shielded from congressional investigators. The request for new briefings ahead of oral arguments in the cases next month suggests at least some justices are eyeing a potential way out of having to issue a decision in the high-profile disputes. The request was included in an unsigned order list. The court asked the parties to the case and the Department of Justice's solicitor general to provide briefs on "whether the political question doctrine" applies to the cases. The "political question doctrine" refers to the practice in which courts sometimes leave some heated issues to the political branches. The court's order applies to two of the three cases it is reviewing concerning the president's personal and business financial records. The cases are the first to involve Trump's personal dealings to make it to the Supreme Court, which now has a 5-4 conservative majority including two of Trump's own appointees. The court is considering the cases as Trump is embroiled in a reelection fight against apparent Democratic nominee Joe Biden, the former two-term vice president. The two cases involve subpoenas issued by Democratic-led House committees to Deutsche Bank and Capital One, as well as Trump's longtime accounting firm, Mazars USA, seeking his financial records. Lower courts have upheld the subpoenas, but attorneys for Trump have asked the Supreme Court to reverse those rulings on the grounds that Congress lacked a legitimate legislative purpose when it issued them. In a third case before the Supreme Court, Trump is seeking to get the justices to reverse a lower court order allowing Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance Jr. to obtain Trump's financial records from Mazars as part of a criminal investigation. In that case, the political question doctrine does not apply because "there isn't an inter-branch conflict," according to Willy Jay, a partner at the law firm Goodwin Procter who has argued more than a dozen Supreme Court cases. That case is purely federal versus state, he said. The three cases will be argued on May 12 and are set to be among the first Supreme Court cases in history to be heard via teleconference, an unprecedented health precaution taken as a result of the spreading coronavirus. Experts are divided on whether the Supreme Court's interest in the political question doctrine stands to benefit Trump or hurt him. Glenn Kirschner, a former federal prosecutor and a legal analyst for NBC News and MSNBC, wrote in a post on Twitter that applying political question doctrine "would give Trump free reign." But Steve Vladeck, a constitutional law expert who teaches at the University of Texas's law school, said that if the court finds that it cannot rule in the cases, "that's actually bad for *Trump* as he's the one who's suing to try to block Mazars/Deutsche Bank from *voluntarily* complying with these congressional subpoenas." Elizabeth Wydra, the president of the Constitutional Accountability Center, a progressive think tank, said in a statement that if the Supreme Court avoids the central issues in the cases, it could result in an effective win for the congressional committees. But, she said, the committees are "plainly correct" and the court should get to the merits of the cases, or the key legal questions. "The Court can and should do its job, and decide these cases on the merits even if in this particular instance avoiding the question might have the correct result of the House obtaining the information it lawfully seeks," she said. Kirschner tweet Vladeck tweet A heavily pregnant woman was allegedly subjected to an "horrific" attack while she held a child in her arms, a court has been told. Police said she also claimed the accused tried to suffocate her with a pillow at a house in south Belfast at the weekend. Michael Gibson, 29, of no fixed abode, appeared at the city's Magistrates Court charged with two counts of common assault. He is also accused of criminal damage to the property. A PSNI officer said the woman made a 999 call on Saturday, claiming she woke up with Gibson putting a pillow over her face in an attempt to suffocate her. During a subsequent struggle she was grabbed by the neck and trailed around by her hair, it was alleged. Describing the incident as a serious episode of suspected domestic violence, the officer disclosed that the woman is heavily pregnant. "By sheer luck the injured party did not suffer serious injuries, or even a miscarriage," he submitted. "This assault occurred while holding another, 11-month old child in her arms." Questioned by defence solicitor Una Conway, he confirmed that no written statement of complaint has been provided. "This is a case where (Gibson) denies involvement in the offence," Ms Conway added. Bail was refused, however, due to the risk of interference with the investigation. Remanding Gibson in custody to appear again next month, District Judge Mark Hamill said: "This is an horrific allegation of serious domestic abuse; he's been woefully under-charged." Things suddenly got messy after police stopped a car for a routine check as its lights were off. Kyiv police have detained Deputy Chief of the Kyiv City State Administration, Volodymyr Slonchak, for assaulting a cop. Kyiv Operativniy crime watchdog community has uploaded a relevant video on YouTube, noting that the municipal official was riding as a passenger in a car driven by city council deputy Liudmyla Kostenko. Read alsoKyiv Mayor Klitschko tells about penalties for quarantine violators After patrol police officers routinely stopped the car that had its headlights off, the passenger reportedly tried to intimidate the officers, bragging about his status and threatening them with consequences for causing trouble to the driver. The report claims Slonchak went even further and got out of the car to punch a police officer. He was immediately apprehended, Kyiv Operativniy wrote. The driver, in turn, has reportedly refused to pass DUI tests. Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko has responded to the incident, saying he would announce his decision at today's briefing. UPDATE: Klitschko said he had dismissed Slonchak from his post. "I'd like to inform you that I fired Deputy Chairman of the Kyiv City State Administration, Volodymyr Slonchak. I think you saw in the news what happened last night. I will not allow anyone to discredit municipal authorities, including and primarily those who represent it. I apologize to law enforcement officers and Kyiv residents for such unworthy behavior of the deputy head of the Kyiv City State Administration," the mayor told a briefing. The US President's claims over how his country is handling the pandemic seem far away from actual facts emphasised by health experts Washington: President Donald Trump is exaggerating the availability of coronavirus tests in the U.S. as he urges governors to consider lifting stay-at-home orders and help get the economy moving again. Over the weekend, he tweeted that the U.S. has tested more people than the major countries of the world combined. Thats nowhere close to reality. Together, just three major countries alone Russia, Germany and Italy have tested more people than the U.S. And on another measure, more than 30 countries have tested a larger share of the population than the U.S. has done. His statements came after a week in which his unproven ideas for fighting COVID-19 such as injecting disinfectants into people triggered an outcry from health officials everywhere. Trump also gave weight through his bully pulpit to an unproven theory that heat and humidity might hasten the destruction of the coronavirus, Following his clashes with scientific experts, the White House is now taking steps to shift the presidents public focus to efforts aimed at easing the economic devastation caused by the pandemic. A look at the past weeks rhetoric, including those from his veterans affairs secretary: TESTING TRUMP: We have now Tested more than 5 Million People. That is more than any other country in the World, and even more than all major countries combined! tweet Saturday. THE FACTS: Actually, the U.S. has tested far fewer people than major countries combined and lags dozens of countries in testing its population proportionally. Governors around the nation have stressed their decisions about lifting stay-at-home orders rest in part on the availability of testing and understanding the scope of how much the respiratory disease has spread. Together, just three major countries -- Russia, Germany and Italy -- have tested about 6.5 million people, compared with over 5 million in the U.S. The United States is easily outdistanced when testing in other Group of Seven countries is added to the mix, as well as powers such as India. Moreover, the count does not include China, which has more than four times the population of the U.S. but has not published national testing numbers. More than 30 other countries have tested a larger share of the population than has been done in the U.S., which was slow to make COVID-19 diagnoses available and still cant offer it to everyone who might be infected. DISINFECTANT TRUMP, on the virus: I see the disinfectant that knocks it out in a minute, one minute. And is there a way we can do something like that by injection inside or almost a cleaning? Because you see it gets in the lungs and it does a tremendous number on the lungs. So it would be interesting to check that ... youre going to have to use medical doctors ... but it sounds it sounds interesting to me. briefing Thursday. THE FACTS: No. The fact Trump would even flirt with the idea prompted a statement from Reckitt Benckiser, the parent company of the maker of Lysol and Dettol, that under no circumstance should our disinfectant products be administered into the human body (through injection, ingestion or any other route). Clorox echoed that bleach and other disinfectants are not suitable for consumption or injection under any circumstances. The U.S. surgeon generals office moved to discourage people from thinking they can self-medicate from something in the house: PLEASE always talk to your health provider first before administering any treatment/medication to yourself or a loved one. As the blowback unfolded, Trump said Friday he was being sarcastic the day before. SUNLIGHT & HEAT TRUMP, on an unproven theory that sunlight, heat and humidity can destroy the virus faster than inside the house: I hope people enjoy the sun. And if it has an impact, thats great. ... And if heat is good, and if sunlight is good, thats a great thing as far as Im concerned. briefing Thursday. THE FACTS: Sunlight may be a disinfectant for the spirit and outdoor exercise is recommended in todays social isolation, but theres no proof it will make the pandemic go away. Without declaring that it would, Trump is again giving traction to a theory that could prompt people to let down their guard around others outside. Wlliam Bryan, who leads the Homeland Security Departments science and technology directorate, told the briefing about incomplete, emerging results from research that suggest solar light, heat and humidity might be effective at neutralizing the virus. Past studies have not found good evidence of that. Dr. Michael Ryan, the World Health Organizations emergencies chief, said in March that its a false hope to say yes, it will just disappear in the summertime like influenza. Trump said early in the outbreak he expected it to end with the warmer weather of April. ROUND 2 TRUMP, on the chances of the virus returning in the fall: If it does come back its not going to come back and Ive spoken to 10 different people, its not going to be like it was. ... If we have embers of corona coupled with the flu, thats not going to be pleasant, but its not going to be what weve gone through in any way, shape or form. ... You may not even have corona coming back, just so you understand. briefing Wednesday. THE FACTS: His public health officials refuted his statement on the spot that the coronavirus wont be coming back. As for his statement that it wont be as bad in a second round, thats more complicated. There will be coronavirus in the fall, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the governments top infectious disease expert, said at the briefing. I am convinced of that because of the degree of transmissibility that it has, the global nature. Next fall and winter, were going to have two viruses circulating, and were going to have to distinguish between which is flu and which is the coronavirus, said Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. How bad that will be will be determined by a range of factors that cant be predicted with precision. Redfield said the situation may be more difficult than now because the coronavirus and the flu will be circulating at the same time, unlike during the bulk of the current pandemic. Or it may be less difficult if preparations and containment are better than now. MALARIA DRUG VA SECRETARY ROBERT WILKIE, asked whether its safe to encourage people to take hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19 treatment: Oh, I think so. interview Wednesday on MSNBC. THE FACTS: Thats not what the governments top health experts have said for weeks, nor what his own agency has suggested. A new alert Friday from the Food and Drug Administration further underscored why the drug cannot be considered generally safe in this pandemic and why it has not been approved by the FDA for treatment of COVID-19. Last month, the FDA authorized the narrow emergency use of malaria drugs for hospitalized patients with COVID-19 who arent enrolled in ongoing clinical trials. But regulators said they are investigating life-threatening side effects reported to poison control centres and other health authorities. In one such report, doctors at a New York hospital said that heart rhythm abnormalities developed in most of the 84 coronavirus patients treated with hydroxychloroquine and the antibiotic azithromycin, a combination Trump has promoted as part of his persistent and inaccurate portrayal of the malaria drug as a game-changer. The drug has long been used to treat malaria, rheumatoid arthritis and lupus. A few, very small preliminary studies suggested it might help prevent the coronavirus from entering cells and possibly help patients clear the virus sooner. Wilkie, as VA secretary, leads the nations largest health system. His agencys own health care arm has criticized premature assessments on the effectiveness of the drug for the coronavirus. In an unsigned response to an audit report last month examining whether the VA had adequate stocks of the drug, top VA health officials called it inaccurate and irresponsible to assume hydroxychloroquine would benefit veterans for COVID-19. There are active investigations into these drugs and many others, as discussed by Dr. Anthony Fauci, according to the unsigned VA response to the agencys inspector general. Yet no conclusions have been made on their effectiveness. To insist that a 14 days supply of these drugs is appropriate or not appropriate displays this dangerous lack of expertise on COVID-19 and Pandemic response. Wilkie, on a nationwide study finding that a malaria drug had no benefit for treating COVID-19 among veterans: Thats an observational study. Its not a clinical study. It was done on a small number of veterans. Sadly, those of whom were in the last stages of life. And the drug was given to them. And I have to also say that the drug we know the drug has been working on middle-age and younger veterans ... working in stopping the progression of the disease. MSNBC interview. THE FACTS: He mischaracterized the studys finding. Wilkie rejected a study that relies on his departments own hospital data and finds no benefit from hydroxychloroquine. His claim that it helps younger or middle-aged veterans with COVID-19 is also unsubstantiated. Its true that the study, done by independent researchers at two universities with VA approval, was not a rigorous experiment. Yet with 368 patients, its the largest look so far at hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19, based on VA hospital data. Researchers analyzed medical records of male veterans hospitalized with confirmed coronavirus infection at Veterans Health Administration medical centers who died or were discharged by April 11. About 28% who were given hydroxychloroquine plus usual care died, versus 11% of those getting routine care alone. Even though people given the drug tended to be sicker than the comparison group, researchers statistically adjusted for that and still saw no benefit from the drug. There is no other published evidence that the drug is safe or effective for younger veterans with COVID-19. Uncertainty over the reinfection or reactivation of the virus in patients could affect vaccine development. Seoul, South Korea As countries like the United States and Italy continue to diagnose and lose thousands of people to COVID-19 each day, South Koreas new infections appear to be thinning out. But the country is now grappling with a new problem: at least 222 people have tested positive for the virus again after recovering, and experts are not sure why. We can look at this as a matter of reinfection or a matter of reactivation, said Dr Roh Kyung-ho, who works at the Department of Laboratory Medicine at the National Health Insurance Ilsan Hospital. The difference between those two words reinfection or reactivation could be key in the global fight against COVID-19. Simply put, a reactivation would mean that an individual with COVID-19 has not been able to fight off the virus after seeming to get better. Being reinfected would mean that an individual has fully recovered but then contracts the virus again. It is most likely that the virus is reactivated or reinfected because of [an individuals] insufficient immune function, Roh explained. In the case of reinfections, its possible that a person recovers from the virus and then comes into contact with other asymptomatic carriers of the virus in the community. Reactivation Only eight new cases of the virus were confirmed in South Korea between April 22 and 23, just under two months after what then appeared to have been the peak of the outbreak on February 29 when the country reported the worlds most infections outside China. But with about 78 percent of those who once tested positive now cleared and released from quarantine, researchers remain unsure about the possibility of those who once had COVID-19 contracting it again. The number of daily coronavirus cases in South Korea has dwindled, but some patients previously thought cured have tested positive a second time [Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters] Experts in South Korea do not seem to think the fault lies with their test kits, which are now being exported en masse. At least 120 countries have requested Korean COVID-19 tests as imports or humanitarian aid, while South Korea exported test kits worth $48.6m in March. Few researchers think that this is actually a case of reinfection or an issue of accuracy in test kits. Many are looking at this more as a virus reactivation, said Hwang Seung-sik, a spatio-temporal epidemiologist at Seoul National University. Actually, South Korea also applies stricter standards for what constitutes a complete recovery, compared to other countries. Given the high accuracy of test kits and volume of testing being conducted, this many cases of reinfection or reactivation is not a high number, he added. Instead, experts believe it might be a matter of how an individuals immune system functions. Some patients who had been infected with COVID-19 might experience a relapse because of other underlying health conditions and weak immune systems. Researchers also think that some patients might still be carrying the virus for longer than the expected 14-day period. For privacy reasons, the South Korean government keeps the identities of citizens with coronavirus anonymous, including the small group of individuals who have tested positive after recovering, identifying patients only by an assigned number. About 20 percent of those known to have gotten sick again are in their 20s, with those in their 50s making up the second-largest group of those who either relapsed or were reinfected. Rather than an error in test kits, I think this issue may be from a difference in immune system function between individuals, Roh agreed. Were in a situation where there is still no effective treatment or cure for the virus, and people might vary in how long they emit the virus, whether it be one month or six weeks. So far, early research from doctors in China and the US suggests that the coronavirus might be damaging lymphatic organs, or T-lymphocytes, the cells that help maintain a healthy immune system. It might sound alarming, but researchers believe that a reactivation of the virus is a far better scenario than potential reinfection, which would complicate efforts to develop a vaccine. The main reason for distinguishing between reinfection and reactivation is, if it were a case of reinfection, that would mean that the immune system in the human body has not properly built immunity to COVID-19, Hwang said. The consequences of that would mean wed have difficulty controlling the epidemic and developing vaccines or other remedies in the future. Proactive and aggressive South Korea has been both proactive and aggressive in its fight against COVID-19, from quietly developing and stockpiling test kits as early as January, to tapping into smartphone and credit card data to track the movements of those confirmed to have the virus. Smartphone users in the country receive automated alerts detailing nearby infection sites, while those who finish their quarantine period are required to report their symptoms daily through a government-run app. At the same time, the country tested up to 20,000 people a day for the virus often for free sometimes in the form of drive-throughs or self-sanitising phone booths. The government also rationed protective face masks among citizens and delivered care packages with food, water, hygiene products and masks to those in self-quarantine. Medical equipment, drugs and an official quarantine notice, delivered by the government, which has taken proactive measures to tackle the virus, focusing its efforts on testing, tracking and isolating people found to have it [Juwon Park/AP Photo] Testing has helped drive down infection rates, with fewer than 20 new cases per day in the last week. But, even so, medical experts are urging the public to remain cautious, and the government has extended physical distancing guidelines for a further two weeks to May 5. Because of asymptomatic cases, we still havent figured out the extent of community infection here, Roh said. So, its very necessary to keep up social distancing and wear a face mask in public places. Its also important to keep working on the development of feasible, safe treatments for the future. According to Roh, researchers around the world still do not fully understand how the virus works, and whether or not people can really achieve full immunity after recovering. The World Health Organization warned on April 24 that countries should be careful about issuing immunity passports to those recovered from COVID-19, saying there was no evidence that people cannot get the disease again. In South Korea, those diagnosed for a second time are being treated in hospitals or kept in isolation. If the demand for medical care suddenly increases because of a large infection cluster, then medical resources and diagnostic tests will have to be prioritised for patients in the most severe condition, Roh said. In that case, there would be little bandwidth to study patients who are reinfected or have the virus reactivated. Despite the incidences of the virus reappearing in people once thought to have been clear of it, there may be some good news on the horizon. So far, we have not seen significant changes in the coronavirus itself, so the possibility of being truly reinfected is low, Hwang said. If a variant of the virus crops up this fall or winter, then there is a possibility of reinfections. However, usually as the number of strains of a virus increases, the infectiousness of the virus increases, but the deadliness tends to decrease. Mitch S Shin contributed to this report. California will step up coronavirus-related public health restrictions after crowds flocked to beaches over the weekend and Gov. Gavin Newsom chastised beachgoers by saying 'this virus doesn't take the weekends off.' Newsom's announcement came after local officials in Orange and Ventura Counties allowed access to their beaches even as state parks remained closed, prompting families and groups to head to the ocean on a warm spring weekend. He began Monday's coronavirus briefing by admonishing beachgoers who appeared to flout social distancing orders. 'This virus doesn't take the weekends off,' Newsom said. 'This virus doesn't go home because it's a beautiful sunny day around our coasts. The likelihood of having a virus-free world is not realistic in the next number of months. Gov. Gavin Newsom (pictured) of California said coronavirus restrictions will increase on Monday 'We'll look forward to that day as herd immunity comes into effect and we have a vaccine that we can distribute and make available to hundreds of millions of people across this country and billions around the rest of the globe.' Newsom then said Californians must abide by public health guidelines if the state hopes to manage the spread of coronavirus. 'Until then, we have to manage it. We have to manage risks. We have to manage and augment our behavior,' Newsom said. 'And that's why I cannot impress upon you more to those Californians watching that we can't see the images like we saw, particularly on Saturday, in Newport Beach and elsewhere in the state of California.' Newsom: 'This virus doesn't go home because it's a beautiful sunny day around our coasts. The likelihood of having a virus-free world is not realistic in the next number of months' Crowds of people in Orange and Ventura Counties swarmed beaches over the weekend after officials reopened them to the public Pictured: Crowds played and drank in the sand on Saturday during a heatwave this weekend in Huntington Beach Photos showed people riding bikes, playing volleyball, swimming, surfing and sunbathing in the upper 80 degrees heat. People were crammed along the boardwalk and very few face masks were in sight, as social distancing went out the window and little regard was paid to the threat of coronavirus. Orange County recorded 2,074 COVID-19 cases and 39 deaths. Ventura county had a lower count with 497 cases and a death toll of 17. Officials are reconsidering their actions after many beachgoers appeared to ignore social distancing The crowds put at risk the state's progress in slowing the advance of the novel coronavirus and possibly could delay a possible loosening of restrictions that was just weeks away, said Newsom. 'The only thing that will set us back is our behavior,' said Newsom. 'We are just a few weeks away, not months away, from making meaningful and measurable changes' to the shelter order and social distancing restrictions.' The beach crowds exemplify the tension that officials throughout the United States are dealing with as residents chafe under stay-at-home orders and some states begin to loosen them. A handful of states ranging from Georgia to Alaska have begun easing stay-at-home orders and tentatively reopening certain businesses. Monday saw some businesses opening their doors in Minnesota and Mississippi, despite concerns from public health experts that this could usher in a second wave of cases. In Mississippi, retail stores, including those in strip malls and shopping centers, are now allowed to reopen if they reduce their customer capacity by 50 percent at any given time. Businesses that can't avoid person-to-person contact, including gyms, cinemas and salons, are to remain closed. Minnesota and Mississippi are the latest states to ease coronavirus restrictions in a bid to revive their battered economies despite health experts warning that increasing human interactions and economic activity may spark a new surge of infections Meanwhile in Minnesota, only businesses that don't interact with the public can reopen - including those in industrial, manufacturing and office settings. Retail stores must remain closed. Colorado, Montana and Tennessee have all announced plans to lift restrictions. Georgia, Oklahoma, Alaska, Texas and South Carolina have previously restarted their economies. Despite California's intent to crack down on coronavirus restrictions, Newsom said he would not direct authorities to issue citations to individuals who were just out quietly with their children or walking their dogs. 'I don't want to be punitive,' he said. 'They just want to take a rest on the beach and all of a sudden they get a citation - I don't want to see that. But if there are people thumbing their nose and taking a risk... I think we may have to do a little bit more.' The two counties that opened their beaches are reconsidering their plans after people thronged their shoreline spots, prompting criticism from public health authorities, Newsom said. Two additional states, Nevada and Colorado, have joined with California, Oregon and Washington to develop a Western regional plan for reopening the troubled economy and allowing residents to begin at least some more typical social interactions. Colorado and Nevada joined West Coast states like California to develop a plan for reopening their economies But Newsom warned that fatalities and new cases were still ongoing in California, where 45 people died of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours and 1,300 additional cases were diagnosed. Hospitalizations increased by 1.4 percent, as well. Fortunately, ICU numbers have appeared to flatten, with just one person with COVID-19 hospitalized in ICU as of Monday. 'It doesn't take the weekend off. It doesn't take any time off. It is ubiquitous. It is invisible. It remains deadly,' he said. 'Ask the 45 families who lost a loved one in the last 48 hours. Please, please continue physical distancing.' California has 43,801 confirmed cases and 1,724 deaths. These are trying times, to be sure. Many of us are turning to the kitchen not only for sustenance, but for comfort - especially in the form of baking. Maybe you have a favorite recipe you want to make. You realize you don't have an ingredient, or the store is out of it. You . . . start to lose it. It's OK! I don't blame you. We're under so much stress lately with so little control that even the littlest thing can set us off. (And yes, I speak from personal experience.) Here's your pep talk: Take a deep breath. Know that not all is lost. You can do this. "It's hard," acknowledges Lauren Chattman, the cookbook author behind one of my favorite baking reference books, "The Baking Answer Book: Solutions to Every Problem You'll Ever Face; Answers to Every Question You'll Ever Ask." Even she's taken to rationing ingredients and trading with neighbors to scrape together what she needs. Chattman encourages home bakers to be flexible - and patient - these days, too. "Just don't be wedded to the idea of making a specific recipe," she says. If you can, look at what you have on hand and then pick a recipe that works. Still, there are plenty of smart substitutions you can make, as long as you are realistic about the fact that the result might not be exactly the same. Here are some ideas broken, down by category. Eggs There are a wide variety of options depending on what you're making and what you have. Possibilities include flax, aquafaba (the liquid from canned chickpeas), yogurt and applesauce. Dairy Butter: If you're able and willing to consider shortening (many brands have eliminated trans fat from their formulations) as a substitute, keep in mind that shortening is 100% fat, with no water, whereas butter is about 80% fat and 20% water. You're more likely to notice that difference in something like cookies (they will spread less with shortening) or pie crusts than cake. "The New Food Lover's Companion" by Sharon Tyler Herbst and Ron Herbst suggests using 7/8 cup (14 tablespoons) of shortening or lard to replace 1 cup (16 tablespoons or 2 sticks) of butter. In "Keys to Good Cooking," Harold McGee says that shortening can help cakes rise more and keep longer. Coconut oil, which is also 100% fat and helpful for lengthening the shelf life of baked goods, is another popular butter replacement. Stella Parks of Serious Eats notes that if you use it in its solid form to replace butter, you may find it helpful to chill your dough (scones, cookies) before cutting or slicing, because it liquefies at a lower temperature. Melted coconut oil can replace liquid oil in baking recipes, too, she says. Likewise, Chattman recommends it in place of melted butter, such as in some chocolate chip cookie recipes. Milk: Don't beat yourself up if you don't have the proper percentage of milk that a recipe calls for. Parks says for most general baking, you can use what you have: "Milk is rarely a primary source of fat in a recipe, making the difference between whole and skim almost negligible in the face of heavy hitters like butter, chocolate, cream and egg yolks." The exceptions would be recipes for desserts such as ice cream and custards that rely almost exclusively on milk fat. Likewise, in many baking recipes, it's fine to swap in your nondairy milk of choice. Flour The most important thing to keep in mind when considering flours is understanding the protein content. The gist is that lower-protein flours (cake, pastry) are more suited to tender baked goods, such as some cakes, cookies and pie crusts. Higher-protein flours (bread, high-gluten) are important when structure and chew are desired, most importantly in bread. All-purpose sits right in the middle, which is why it is, in fact, all-purpose, and suitable in many baking applications. Keep in mind that King Arthur Flour is a higher-protein all-purpose than other brands, such as Pillsbury and Gold Medal. Higher-protein flours (bread, whole-wheat) absorb more than lower-protein varieties, so you may need to increase or decrease the liquid to achieve the proper consistency, which is easier with recipes you're already familiar with. All-purpose: If you're making a bread recipe that calls for all-purpose, go ahead and use bread flour if you have it. You may even like the crustier, chewier result better. For scones, muffins or cookies, where a more tender crumb is okay, cake flour might do the trick. The website Joy of Baking says to increase the amount of flour by 2 tablespoons per cup if using cake flour in place of all-purpose. Chattman says she has seen plenty of self-rising flour at her supermarket, which she says could work in muffins and scones. Like cake flour, it's lower in protein, though you also need to account for the fact that it includes salt and leavener. Unless you're very familiar with adjusting recipes, it's best not to replace more than a third of all-purpose with whole-wheat flour, at least the first time around. White whole-wheat is more forgiving. You might be able to get away with a 100% swap in heartier cookies, muffins, scones and quick breads, especially when there are flavors you're relying on that won't make the more pronounced wheat flavor feel out of place, King Arthur Flour says. Gluten-free blends are another option. Bread flour: If you're making a bread recipe that calls for bread flour, Chattman says you can use all-purpose (especially King Arthur or other Northern brands with more protein) instead. Plan on 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose for every 1 cup of bread flour. Don't be surprised if the result isn't as chewy or crusty. And if you happen to have vital wheat gluten (basically pure wheat protein) on hand, you an add a few tablespoons to improve the elasticity and rise of your bread made with all-purpose flour. Cake flour: For cakes that call for cake flour, all-purpose, especially a lower-protein brand, can be used. Parks says the oft-suggested DIY approach that calls for some cornstarch in lieu of a portion of the flour can result in dense, gummy cakes. Self-rising flour: To replace self-rising flour, you can add 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt per cup of all-purpose flour. Whole-wheat: Regular whole-wheat and white whole-wheat are interchangeable in recipes. If you don't have whole-wheat flour, you might be able to get away with all-purpose flour, depending on the recipe; you may want to hold back on some of the liquid, because all-purpose won't absorb as much as whole wheat. Adding some wheat germ to your all-purpose flour can also help replicate the hearty, nutty texture and flavor of whole-wheat. Yeast Unless you've already been dabbling in sourdough - or cultivating your own wild yeast - there's no quick and easy replacement for commercial yeast. Another option, says Chattman, is to just use less yeast to stretch your supply, allowing your dough to rise much longer. This is where a good, clear dough-rising container is helpful, so you can easily track your progress. But you can use one type of yeast in place of the other, within reason. Active dry: You can substitute instant yeast for active dry. Use an equal amount, but add the instant yeast to the dry ingredients instead of dissolving in liquid. If you're resourceful and check in with your local bakery, you may find yourself with cake (or fresh) yeast. Dry yeast is basically cake yeast that has been dried, so using cake yeast in a recipe that calls for dry yeast will give you the same result. Red Star says 2/3 ounce of cake yeast is the equivalent of 2 1/4 teaspoons (a 1/4-ounce envelope) dry yeast. Cake yeast can be added directly to the dry ingredients or dissolved in liquid. Instant: You can substitute active dry yeast for instant, so long as you dissolve the yeast first in some of the liquid called for in the recipe (don't add extra liquid), according to the package instructions. Similarly, cake yeast can be used here as well. Here's an important point from Parks: Do not use yeast labeled as rapid rise in place of instant yeast in recipes that call for a long, slow rise and refrigeration - such as the English muffin recipe I shared from her recently. Rapid rise yeast doesn't have the lasting power for an extended time period, as it has been formulated to work quickly. Similarly, Parks says bread machine yeast might work reasonably well in place of instant yeast, with somewhat less rise, particularly in refrigerated doughs. Sugar Brown sugar: To make dark brown sugar, add 1 tablespoon molasses to 1 cup granulated sugar, and for light, add 1 1/2 teaspoons molasses to 1 cup granulated, says Chattman. Light and dark brown sugars can replace each other in recipes calling for less than 1/4 cup, Cook's Illustrated says. Chattman says you can also use granulated to replace brown, although the end result might taste bland. Brown sugar will also lend more moisture to baked goods. Confectioners' sugar: Cook's Illustrated recommends whirring 1 teaspoon of cornstarch and 1 cup of granulated sugar in a blender to approximate 1 cup of confectioners' sugar. Granulated sugar: Chattman says brown sugar can be substituted in equal amounts for white, although you may taste the molasses flavor come through (not necessarily a bad thing!). "The New Food Lover's Companion" says 1 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar can replace 1 cup of granulated. To use honey, Chattman advises using 7/8 cup honey to replace 1 cup of sugar and then reducing the liquid in the recipe by 3 tablespoons. Honey: You may use 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar for every 1 cup of honey, according to Chattman, adding 1/4 cup of liquid to the recipe as well. Superfine: Use your food processor to process slightly more than your recipe calls for until the grains are finer. Superfine is definitely helpful when you're looking for it to dissolve particularly smoothly, as in meringues or angel food cake. Otherwise, when I see a recipe call for superfine - often in those of British origin, where it may be listed as caster sugar - I just use granulated. Other ingredients Baking powder: Use 1/4 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon cornstarch and 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar per 1 teaspoon baking powder, according to Chattman. She says it's important to get your dough or batter in the oven as quickly as possible using this substitution, as it will begin to work as soon as it is moistened, unlike commercial double-acting baking powder, which is activated by moisture and then again by the heat of the oven. Chocolate: Use 1/2 ounce unsweetened chocolate and 1 tablespoon sugar for 1 ounce bittersweet, and 1/2 ounce unsweetened chocolate at 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar for 1 ounce semisweet, says Chattman. Chocolate chips contain stabilizers that mean they aren't a great swap in a recipe that calls for a lot of melted chocolate. Cocoa powder: For 3 tablespoons natural unsweetened, swap in 1 tablespoon unsweetened chocolate and reduce the fat in the recipe by 1 tablespoon, Chattman recommends. For 3 tablespoons Dutch process cocoa powder, use 3 tablespoons natural unsweetened cocoa powder plus 1/8 teaspoon baking powder, or use 1 ounce unsweetened chocolate plus 1/8 teaspoon baking soda and reduce the recipe fat by 1 tablespoon. Unsweetened chocolate: Use 3 tablespoons of cocoa powder and 1 tablespoon vegetable oil or melted butter to replace 1 ounce of baking chocolate. Vanilla: According to vanilla brand Nielsen-Massey, 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste and 1 vanilla bean can be used to replace one another. Depending on your taste and the recipe, you can use other extracts in place of vanilla. Almond makes a suitable replacement. Food52 suggests using half as much almond extract when replacing vanilla, or using up to twice as much when using something like dark rum or bourbon. WASHINGTON - Some form of social distancing will probably remain in place through the summer, Deborah Birx, the White House's coronavirus task force coordinator, said Sunday - the same day several governors expressed optimism about the course of the virus and outlined their plans for a piecemeal reopening of their economies. It was the latest instance of conflicting signals coming not just from state and federal leaders but also from within the Trump administration amid a coronavirus pandemic that so far has claimed the lives of more than 54,000 Americans. Last week, Vice President Mike Pence predicted that "we will largely have this coronavirus epidemic behind us" by Memorial Day weekend in late May. But on Sunday, Birx said in an interview on NBC News' "Meet the Press" that "social distancing will be with us through the summer to really ensure that we protect one another as we move through these phases." She cited the need for further testing to be developed after a potential scientific "breakthrough." The mixed messages come as Americans are entering a confusing and uncertain new phase in the coronavirus crisis. After weeks of being told to simply stay home to halt the spread of the virus, individuals and business owners are now facing more complex decisions about how to proceed in the absence of clear guidance from their leaders. In places where restaurant dining rooms are reopening, is it safe to go? Is it a good idea to return to the hair salon for a much-needed trim? And for business owners facing a litany of new guidelines about how to reopen without endangering their workers or customers, are the risks worth it? Emily Landon, chief infectious-disease epidemiologist at University of Chicago Medicine, said those calculations are tricky for people in states that are beginning to reopen because of the continued lack of widespread testing and the inability to effectively track people who might have been infected. "It's hard for me to know what I'd do" in one of the states where governors have announced that spas and salons are able to reopen, Landon said. "I wouldn't go. And I wouldn't recommend that my family went. I would recommend that people stay home." Landon said that in her view, it's still not safe for states to fully reopen - or for Americans to try to resume their lives as they were before the pandemic hit. "This is a brand-new virus, and we have to do these things in a measured way," she said. "Without requirements for things like [personal protective equipment], social distancing and really thoughtful policies for how to do these openings, it's not the time to do them." In its broad guidelines for states to follow as they begin a phased reopening, the White House earlier this month recommended that a number of criteria, such as increasing capacity for testing and contact tracing, should be met before proceeding. Across the country, however, some states are already relaxing their social distancing restrictions amid pressure from protesters, business groups and others. On Sunday, several governors defended their decision to do so, arguing that their states' closures have successfully achieved their goal of building hospital capacity, acquiring personal protective equipment and reducing the spread of the pandemic's growth. "The facts in our state are: March 30, we peaked in hospitalizations, with 560 across the state," Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, a Republican, said on "Fox News Sunday." "Today we have 300 across the state in our hospitals. We think it's time for a measured reopening." Stitt said that more than 55,000 Oklahomans have been tested and that the positive rate was 6.3%. He also noted that no one is obliged to reopen a business. "I'm giving guidance. If a restaurant doesn't feel like they're ready to reopen," he said, "they don't have to." On CNN's "State of the Union," Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, a Democrat, also defended his decision to partially reopen his state, and maintained that he is focused on social distancing measures that are sustainable for the coming weeks and months. "We've really been laser-focused on figuring out how we can endure and sustain these kinds of social distancing measures," Polis said. "If we can't succeed in doing that, the stay-at-home was for nothing." Polis said an apparent spike in coronavirus cases in Colorado was attributable to previous tests that were just confirmed and added to the total, and does not reflect the present situation. The debate over reopening in the United States comes as another hard-hit country, Spain, allowed children under 14 to go outside for the first time in six weeks. The country, which has had more than 207,000 coronavirus cases and 23,190 deaths, has been in the midst one of Europe's strictest lockdowns since last month. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, meanwhile, is set to return to work Monday after more than three weeks battling a coronavirus infection. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, who has been standing in for Johnson, told Sky News on Sunday that the prime minister is "raring to go." In the United States, the steps being taken toward reopening vary by state. In some places, such as Florida, beaches have reopened on a limited basis, with police urging visitors to keep moving and avoid congregating. In Oklahoma, Stitt gave salons, barbers and pet groomers the green light to resume business late last week, and restaurants will be allowed to reopen their doors Friday. In New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, said Sunday that construction and manufacturing businesses outside of the New York City region might be able to reopen after May 15, when the state's stay-home order expires. And in Georgia, businesses including bowling alleys, tattoo parlors, gyms and hair salons have already been allowed to reopen, with movie theaters and dine-in restaurants expected to follow suit Monday. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican, has come under fire for the speed with which he has rolled back social distancing restrictions, and on Sunday, former Food and Drug Administration commissioner Scott Gottlieb said the state is opening up too early. "Georgia is certainly jumping the gun, I think here, getting started too early relative to where they are in the epidemic," Gottlieb said on CBS News' "Face the Nation." Asked whether he thinks states such as Georgia and Oklahoma are reopening too quickly, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, chairman of the National Governors Association, said that he was "going to be very cautious" in making decisions about his own state but declined to criticize other governors. "Certain states are in different points of the curve, and they've got different situations on the ground, and I don't want to second guess my colleagues in different states," Hogan, a Republican, said on ABC News' "This Week." While Pence and President Donald Trump have in recent weeks voiced optimism about the speed with which they expect the country to be able to reopen, Birx and Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, have voiced caution. On "Meet the Press" on Sunday, Birx was asked about Pence's remark to a Cleveland radio station last week that "if you look at the trends today, that I think by Memorial Day weekend we will largely have this coronavirus epidemic behind us." She appeared to contradict Pence's comment, projecting that social distancing will continue through the summer, and said the country needs to have a "breakthrough" in testing for antigens - molecules or molecular structures that trigger an immune response - to get on track toward normalcy. After a torrent of criticism sparked by his suggestion at Thursday's coronavirus task force briefing that injecting disinfectants into the human body might help fight the coronavirus, Trump did not appear in public over the weekend. On Saturday night, he questioned in a tweet whether the task force briefings were worth his time, declaring, "They get record ratings, & the American people get nothing but Fake News." On Sunday, his wife, Melania Trump's 50th birthday, the president continued to tweet angrily about the media, lashing out at reporters who he said "have received Noble Prizes for their work on Russia, Russia, Russia, only to have been proven totally wrong." Trump appears to have misspelled the Nobel Prize, though journalists recognized for their coverage of the Russia investigation received a different prize, the Pulitzer. He later deleted the tweets and then tweeted that he was being sarcastic, writing: "Does anybody get the meaning of what a so-called Noble (not Nobel) Prize is, especially as it pertains to Reporters and Journalists? Noble is defined as, 'having or showing fine personal qualities or high moral principles and ideals.' Does sarcasm ever work?" Despite Trump's efforts to change the topic, Democrats continued to hammer him for his remarks about disinfectants as a possible cure for the virus. "You know what they call that? They call that embalming," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said on CNN's "State of the Union." "That's the medical term." - - - The Washington Post's Kim Bellware, Peter Whoriskey and Siobhan O'Grady in Washington and Pamela Rolfe in Madrid contributed to this report. Unionists have hit out at comments made by Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald that the current coronavirus crisis is a greater "accelerant" to a united Ireland than Brexit. Ms McDonald told the Sunday Times newspaper that in her view the pandemic "dwarfs Brexit in terms of reflecting the danger of partition". She also called for an all-island approach to health. Mrs McDonald has recently returned to work after contracting Covid-19. Read More DUP MP Sammy Wilson called for Sinn Fein to "dial down the rhetoric and political point scoring". "This is not the time for constitutional naval gazing," he said. "This crisis should not be exploited for political gain. Mary Lou McDonalds comments that coronavirus is an accelerator for a united Ireland are gratuitous. But they are not in isolation. "Whether closing schools, the purchase of PPE, the MoD increasing bed capacity or cooperation throughout the British Isles, Sinn Fein has reduced almost every decision to a constitutional matter." Mr Wilson said there had been a "remarkable degree" of collective responsibility from ministers across the other four Executive parties, but said Sinn Fein has "stood semi detached, more ready to criticise than to collaborate". "Mary Lou McDonald ignores the fact that the resources available to our hospitals and support measures for our economy are a result of being part of the United Kingdom," he said. UUP leader Steve AIken said it was "utterly shameful" that Mary Lou McDonald should use the pandemic as a "political opportunity". He said: The message from the Health Minister Robin Swann is clear. We cannot afford to be complacent about social distancing otherwise we risk seeing the number of deaths rising. "That should be our focus. It's utterly shameful that Mary Lou McDonald should seek to use this public health emergency to attempt to create selfish political opportunity in a crisis to advance Sinn Fein political ideology, following hard on the heels of Declan Kearney`s ill-judged comments." Mr Kearney was criticised after suggesting that "some unionists" were putting the economy over health during the coronavirus crisis, comments which Mr Aiken described as "ideological waffle". Every single death is a tragedy. Comparisons by some pundits and politicians presented as if it`s a competition in death are utterly grotesque," the South Antrim MLA added. "It isn't helpful, especially as data is not always comparable and not all measure from the same point. This is the first wave of a potentially multi-wave pandemic that we are only seeing the beginning stages of. Using the tragic death of many hundreds of people, especially the most vulnerable in our society, as an opportunity to score political points is perverse. "The peer reviewed epidemiological history of this will be written in years to come, not by pundits and politicians taking skewed snapshots to score political points. Splits have emerged between the DUP and Sinn Fein within the Northern Ireland Executive, with Sinn Fein's Michelle O'Neill speaking out over testing and personal protective equipment, while last week the parties disagreed over whether to reopen graveyards. Mrs McDonald told the Sunday Times newspaper that Ms O'Neill "had to have some pretty tough conversations" over health policy. She said: "When Brexit happened, people said this is an accelerant in terms of the unity debate, because it was so obvious with the danger to the border. "We have an all-Ireland single policy for animal health but not for public health. "Everything we do to keep people safe has to be on the understanding we are a single population on a small island and have to look after each other. "I think the fact that Boris Johnson and the British Government opted early on for the herd immunity approach meant that Michelle O'Neill had to have some pretty tough conversations to get the northern system in tandem with what was happening in the South. "Yet again we see how vulnerable we are when we have two jurisdictions, two systems, on the island." The Bombay High Court on Monday refused to grant relief on a plea challenging the BMC's permission to use 'Bandra Kabrastan' (cemetery) to bury bodies of COVID-19 victims. Justice B P Colabwalla was hearing a petition filed by residents living near the Konkani Muslim Kabrastan in suburban Bandra seeking the court to restrict burial of bodies of COVID-19 patients. The petition, filed by resident Pradeep Gandhy and others, claimed that locals were afraid of community spread of the virus if the burial is not done properly. Advocate Pratap Nimbalkar, appearing for the Kabrastan trustees, on Monday opposed the plea and argued that due diligence was being carried out before disposing of the bodies, and that the petitioners had not placed any scientific reasoning to show the virus spreads through dead bodies. Nimbalkar pointed out a notification, dated March 15 issued by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Affairs on guidelines on COVID-19 dead body management, which stated that transmission of COVID-19 is through droplets. "The notification says there is unlikely to be an increased risk of COVID-19 infection from a dead body to anyone if standard precautions are followed while disposal," Nimbalkar argued. The court accepted the arguments and noted that the petitioners have not submitted any material to show or prove that burial of a body infected with COVID-19 would put at risk residents living in the vicinity. The court also directed the BMC to to remove, with the help of local police, the three locks put up on the gates of the cemetery ground by local residents. The locks were put up on April 13 after they held a protest against burial of a dead body at the cemetery ground. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) ALBANY Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, whose daily coronavirus task force briefings have been broadcast by national television cable outlets, has seen his job performance rating soar to an all-time high of 71 percent, according to a Siena College Research Institute poll released Monday. The rating is a stark contrast from two months ago, when just 36 percent of New Yorkers approved of his performance. The governor also has a 77 percent favorability rating a figure he had only seen once before, a month after he was first inaugurated in 2011. Times Union editor Casey Seiler spoke with Siena College pollster Steve Greenberg on Monday afternoon via Facebook Live. The uptick in his popularity is largely linked to his response to the health crisis. The public overwhelmingly backs Cuomo's decision to extend New York's stay-at-home order until mid-May, as well as his mandate to wear face masks in public. The executive orders had support from about nine in 10 New Yorkers. Mired in middling poll numbers for the last two years, Cuomo is feeling the love from New Yorkers of all stripes in year three of his third term, and his first global pandemic," Siena College pollster Steven Greenberg said in a release. "He is viewed favorably by 90 percent of Democrats, 73 percent of independents and 53 percent of Republicans, his first time favorable with Republicans in more than six years." But while New Yorkers trust Cuomo to make decisions about reopening the economy more so than President Donald Trump, by a 78-16 percent margin they are still anxious about the pandemic and do not see a return to normality in the near future. More than half of those polled said they know someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, and about a third say they know someone who has died though the numbers are far higher in New York City than in upstate. Latest coronavirus-related cancellations, postponements The latest coronavirus numbers in NY Sign up for the Times Union coronavirus newsletter Full coronavirus coverage Fifty-six percent of respondents said they are "not confident America will be back to normal anytime soon," compared to 43 percent who said they anticipate a return to normal in the near future. About two-thirds of voters said they believe it is unlikely that large public gatherings, including concerts and sporting events, will take place in the summer and even if those gatherings did resume, seven in 10 New Yorkers said they probably wouldn't attend. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. The individual impact of the pandemic has also been crushing, with 19 percent of respondents saying they were laid off and another 13 percent reporting that a person in their household had lost their job. Nearly half of New Yorkers are working from home and/or live with someone who is working from home. A little more than a third of respondents said they have received a stimulus check from the federal government. To say the coronavirus has had a tremendously detrimental effect on New Yorks workforce upstate and downstate is a gross understatement," Greenberg said. Separately, respondents favored former Vice President Joe Biden over Trump in the race for the White House, 65-29, though about 45 percent of New Yorkers believe the president will be re-elected. Siena polled 803 registered voters between April 19 and 23. The margin of error is 3.7 percent. Officials on Sunday reported cases of the coronavirus in New Jersey increased to 109,038 statewide while the death toll grew to 5,938 fatalities. While reported cases continue to increase, the total number of New Jersey residents hospitalized dropped to a three-week low with 6,573 patients under treatment for a confirmed or suspected case, according to state Department of Healths tracking website. Earlier on Sunday, Gov. Phil Murphy said the state was still weeks away from starting to roll back any measures as part of the sweeping, near-lockdown order he put in place to slow the contagious virus. The governor is expected to provide a broad blueprint for his reopening plan on Monday. CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live map tracker | Newsletter | Homepage Heres a roundup of coronavirus news: Number of coronavirus patients at N.J. hospitals drops to 3-week low with 5th straight day of declines: The number of New Jersey residents hospitalized for the coronavirus has declined for five straight days and is around the lowest levels they have been since three weeks ago, according to figures from the state health department. Hospitalizations hit a peak on April 14 with 8,293 patients. Our positive test curve has flattened and thats a good thing. More importantly, hospitalizations have started to come down. ICU and ventilator use down a little bit. Those are good signs, but were not out of the woods yet, Gov. Phil Murphy said during a TV appearance Sunday. N.J. says system that handles unemployment benefits is temporarily down: Residents looking to certify their weekly unemployment benefits in New Jersey on Sunday logged in and got a disappointing message: Our application to certify for weekly benefits is not available at this time. We are working to resolve the issue as quickly as possible, and apologize for the inconvenience. Please check back for updates, a message from the states website said. N.J. still a number of weeks away from reopening from coronavirus restrictions, Gov. Murphy says: The state is still a number of weeks away from starting to reopen from the near lockdown restrictions to slow the spread the coronavirus, Gov. Phil Murphy said Sunday morning in a television interview. The governor also said he is still deciding whether the state will reopen as a whole or whether it could be a regional approach. I think best the best understanding of the data right now is that we are still a number of weeks away, Murphy said. Were not of the woods yet. The mandate to stay at home and stay away from each other is still very much in effect until we can break the back of this curve. This N.J. mayor was campaigning door-to-door amid coronavirus pandemic, critics say: Linden Mayor Derek Armstead is disputing claims that he was caught campaigning door-to-door while publicly asking residents of his city to stay home during the pandemic. Coronavirus cases in the United States: There were 963,168 cases reported in the country as of Sunday afternoon, according to information from the the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. NJ Advance Media staff writers Matt Arco, Brent Johnson and Karin Price Mueller contributed to this report. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. (Natural News) The Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) has wreaked deadly havoc around the world for months, and it now looks like it could actually topple a government. Brazil was plunged into political chaos on Friday following the sudden, unexpected resignation of President Jair Bolsonaros celebrity justice minster, Sergio Moro, who was angered by Bolsonaros firing of the countrys federal police chief just hours earlier, Zero Hedge reported. Brazils financial markets immediately tanked after a blistering speech by Moro in which he accused the president of engaging in political interference. But all of this turmoil comes as far-right Bolsonaro is facing a wave of anger about his handling of the coronavirus outbreak. I was promised carte blanche to appoint all advisers, including judicial bodies, Moro said on live TV hours after the sacking of federal police chief Mauricio Valeixo. He, along with Moro, are noted for their suspected involvement in the Car Wash corruption probe. I cant go on without ensuring the federal police its autonomy, Moro said. Zero Hedge added: Immediately upon Moros resignation protests erupted in major cities, even in areas of Rio de Janeiro previously vehemently pro-Bolsonaro, in which people shouted from balconies and through windows: Fora Bolsonaro! Fora Bolsonaro! (Bolsonaro out!). The protests began even as his speech was ongoing, and strikes a deep nerve signaling that the very explosive Trump-style rhetoric and unpredictable behavior which spurred Bolsonaros rise as an outsider in the first place is now a major liability amid the COVID-19 crisis. Roughly one week after Bolsonaro fired his popular Health Minister for following science on the pandemic, his once-heroic Justice Minister, Sergio Moro, just quit on live TV, accusing Bolsonaro of trying to interfere in ongoing investigations of the Federal Police: pic.twitter.com/IKusz70xFB Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) April 24, 2020 Markets blew up as investors saw it as further proof that Bolsonaros administration is crumbling as it muddles its way through the coronavirus crisis, with speculation growing that Economy Minister Paulo Guedes may soon be out as well. The real sank more than 3% to as low as 5.73 per U.S. dollar. That was by far the worst performance among major currencies on Friday and for the year. Stocks tumbled as much as 9.6%, Bloomberg News added. Military not comfortable with the president, either Earlier this week, NPR reported that Bolsonaro attended a protest in the capital of Brasilia that included calls for, among other things, an end to social distancing measures that have been implemented by governors and mayors throughout the country, in a bid to slow the spread of coronavirus. (Related: As covid-19 deaths surpass 50,000 in the USA, at what point do pandemic DENIALISTS become complicit in the ongoing fatalities?) Hes been lambasted by critics for unnecessarily endangering his people by underestimating the potency of COVID-19, one time calling it a little flu while also engaging in calls to end the shutdowns. Instead, Bolsonaro has called for keeping people 60 and above isolated as well as other people who are known to be at greater risk such as those with pre-existing conditions so as to avoid further job losses and business closures. NPR noted that a recent poll of Brazilians found that 68 percent approve of the social distancing measures that have been implemented. But cellphone monitoring data shows that the number of people who are ignoring official stay-at-home guidelines has ticked up in recent days as the president has increasingly criticized them. Political analysts believe the increasingly unpopular Bolsonaro is engaged in a struggle to survive politically, and is positioning himself to divert blame for the vast virus-related damage toward his foes notably governors, Congress, the judiciary and the media, NPR reported. The new political turmoil isnt going to help stabilize the country, thats for certain. But the collapse of South Americas largest country during a pandemic would also be catastrophic, experts believe. Whats more, NPR notes that the recent protest attended by Bolsonaro took place in front of a military base, and while the president has close ties with the armed forces, several ranking members were said to have been uncomfortable with his appearance because it makes the force look political. Sources include: NPR.org ZeroHedge.com NaturalNews.com New Delhi: The Union Health Ministry on Monday (April 27) during the routine media briefing on coronavirus COVID-19 said that at least 1,396 new positive cases were reported in the last 24 hours, taking its total tally to 27,892 in the country. It said that at least 381 patients were recovered in the past one day and so far, 6,184 people have cured of the infection. The ministry said that the recovery rate of patients in India is 22.17 per cent, and is improving regularly. Addressing a press briefing, Health Ministry Joint Secretary Lav Agarwal said 16 districts which earlier had positive cases have not reported any new case of COVID-19 in the last 28 days. Maharashtra's Gondia, Karnataka' Devangere and Bihar's Lakhi Sarai were added to this list on April 24. On the other hand, Pilibhit in Uttar Pradesh and Shaheed Bhagat Singh (SBS) Nagar in Punjab, which did not have any new case in last 28 days, have now reported fresh cases. He added that a total of 85 districts in 25 states and UTs have not reported any fresh case in the last 14 days. He further urged people to ensure that no community or area should be blamed for the spread of the virus and healthcare and sanitation workers should not be attacked as they are helping in bringing the crisis under control. At the briefing, empowered group-5 chairperson Param Iyer said cooked meals are being served to 1.5 crore people daily by the government, NGOs and industry as per data available on April 25. He said that strict restrictions will continue in regions which have been marked as red and orange and authorities will ensure that lockdown violation doesn't take place. Part Two of Oregon Coast's 'Liger King': Tragic Run Ends Like 'Waco' Published 04/26/2020 at 5:54 PM PDT - Updated 04/26/2020 at 5:59 PM PDT By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff (Newport, Oregon) One of the nations most notorious and disturbing animal incidents was the climax of something that had begun two decades before on the Oregon coast. In the 80s, however, Robert Fieber was well known among many Oregonians, frequently making the news for his legal missteps and some amount of hucksterism with a wildlife safari complex in the coast range near Siletz. (Photo above courtesy South Bannock County Historical Museum. This was the aftermath at Bieber's facility in Idaho). This is part two in Fieber's twising, winding story, someone whom you could call a kind of liger king, in light of the popularity of the Netflix mini series Tiger King. In the late 80s he disappeared to Idaho, where he started breeding tiger / lion mixes, though it doesnt appear he did that in this state. Part one of the story looks at several run-ins he had with escaping big cats, including one cat that attacked a family member bit part of his ear off, all starting in the 70s. By the early 80s his wildlife attraction had had several run-ins with the law, which began to pick up heat when he illegally opened the complex to the public for a month in 1985. Read Oregon Coast Had Its Own 'Tiger King' in the '80s: Odd Newport History, Part 1 - part two picks up here. Thus began a series of legal woes. In November of 85, a Lane County judge officially declared him in violation of probation (based on previous charges of animal cruelty and neglect), but at first they went rather easy on him. They tried to get him more time to fix his situation. He complained of getting rail-roaded and that the judge was trying to order the destruction of the big animals, however her statements indicate she was trying to save them. Testimony at that hearing in Newport showed Fieber admitting he didnt have the resources to adequately care for the animals, and that he was trying to depend on volunteers. Somewhere about this time hed aligned himself with friend Dottie Martin, who would later play a bigger role in the tragic ending in Idaho. Further red flags were getting raised by the inspector saying that Fiebers pens and fencing were inadequate, and that the cats posed a hazard. In early 1986, Fieber was accused of violating more points of his probation, one of which was that he not remove any big cats to another location. It was discovered that he had housed 13 lions and one tiger at a spot in Wasco County, telling the property owners he was going to lease land from them and move up there to be with the big cats. They had not heard of his previous legal issues, and the Wasco land owner was cited for having these wild animals. He had duped them. This kind of maneuver would surface again in Fiebers life. Officials found out about this move after he was pulled over twice by police for equipment violations, both times with two wild cats in his truck. At one point, Judge Bernie Smith of Lincoln County ordered Fieber to appear again in court over the Wasco County matter. In March of 86 he was ordered to sell all the animals and shut down. At that hearing, the judge noted the animals were in better condition but security posed a serious risk. The judge also said shed ordered him to sell the animals to make sure he didnt simply move this slipshod operation elsewhere which, of course, he did. Fiebers lawyer told the media and the court the Siletz property was being foreclosed on and the entire matter would be over soon. Another hearing involving Fieber was ordered in the summer after he missed the deadline to get rid of the animals, but by July they issued a warrant for his arrest for skipping out on the hearing. At the time he was also in contempt of court for failure to pay child support, hearings that he also dodged. Its right about this time when he hightailed it to Idaho. He left behind some 16 lions and three tigers, along with wolves and bison. There were some reports filtering in hed taken 18 lions to the east, though at the time no one was sure where he was. In August, it was confirmed Fieber was in Idaho Falls, and an animal dealer there expressed concerns they were not being fed properly. There were also serious concerns the animals would freeze to death when winter came to Idaho. Now, he was wanted by authorities in Portland and Lincoln County. As the Siletz property was being foreclosed on and the animals carted off to a refuge in Bend, a vet from Barnum and Baily, Ringling Brothers Circus showed up at the Bend facility to consider some cats for the act. Through the Bend facility, animal dealer Dave Hanson assured the rest would get a good home elsewhere. Left behind were dozens of elk and some bison, which were able to feed on the grass of the Oregon Coast Range. A year later, in 1987, one animal expert went to check on that herd and was shot at by someone still associated with Fiebers property. At that point, Fiebers Newport lawyer disconnected himself from the case after having been by his side through the 80s. Feiber was by this time firmly settled in Idaho, and apparently at one point he opened up a similar operation in Clearwater. By 1990 he and Dottie Martin started up a wildlife refuge called Ligertown in Lava Hot Springs, Idaho, where his interbreeding of lions and tigers started. There began a series of financial issues when the pair never fully paid the owners of the property in an attempt to purchase the land he was on. He and Martin somehow managed to stay on the property essentially squatters with large, dangerous cats - and the couple that had been selling it wound up losing it to the bank over the sketchy sale. Ligertown is well documented, with witnesses all describing a ramshackle set up with cages made of pallets and other garbage - all rickety means of housing and securing wild animals. Locals said they knew something bad was going to happen. On September 20, 1995 is when the liger droppings really hit the fan. That night, police were called to the area after a local rancher shot a lion on his property, clearly an escapee from Fiebers land. From there, authorities discovered some 15 animals had escaped and spent four days hunting them down. The entire town of Lava Hot Springs was told to keep their kids and pets inside, and even schools were closed. SWAT teams descended on the area to join in the hunt, with a total of 17 cats being killed between locals and law enforcement. Its sometimes referred to as the Waco of animal incidents. More Oregon Coast history in the books Another 25 animals were still in the compound, most of which wound up in an animal refuge in California. Conditions there were filthy and disturbing on many levels, part of which involved heaps of roadkill lying around - primarily how Fieber fed them. Concerned about disease, authorities burned down the compound and according to documentation and retrospectives theres actually no sign of it now. In the end, Fieber and Martin faced heaps of charges for animal cruelty and other crimes, and they were convicted. However, all that was overturned on an appeal. Somehow, Fieber and Martin managed to avoid many of the legal consequences for their actions or inactions. In spite of all the news coverage at the time, his stint on the Oregon coast left little mark, but in Idaho hes a notorious figure. See Oregon Coast Had Its Own 'Tiger King' in the '80s: Odd Newport History, Part 1 Oregon Coast Hotels - Where to eat - Map - Virtual Tour More About Oregon Coast hotels, lodging..... More About Oregon Coast Restaurants, Dining..... Coastal Spotlight LATEST Related Oregon Coast Articles Back to Oregon Coast Contact Advertise on BeachConnection.net All Content, unless otherwise attributed, copyright BeachConnection.net Unauthorized use or publication is not permitted Medical workers carry a patient into an ambulance in New York, the United States, April 6, 2020. Photo: Xinhua) Amid tremendous doubts in the US over the US government's inefficient anti-epidemic measures, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Geng Shuang urged the US government to respond to US people's concerns timely and called for the World Health Organization to start a probe into related issues at a press conference on Mon-day. Doubts have emerged from inside the US regarding when the epidemic started in the US, what the US government had hidden, and why they so urgently try to scapegoat other countries and international organizations for the pandemic, Geng said. The US side should address the concerns of their own people and the international community and the WHO can also help probe these issues, Geng said. Geng's remarks came amid US media's tremendous reports recently doubting the US government's anti-epidemic policy. He stressed that infectious diseases are mutual enemies for the mankind, that both China and the US are victims, and only unity and cooperation among the international community could overcome them. China hopes the US could hold an open, transparent and responsible attitude, and launch practical measures to safeguard US people's life and health and work together with the international society to sustain global public health, Geng said. For example, on April 21, Los Angeles Times reported that the first COVID-19 death occurred on February 6, citing local public health officials, which was nearly one month earlier than the first death case officially confirmed by the US CDC. The report also said that local officials claimed that the earliest COVID-19 infections in California probably happened in December 2019. On April 13 and 19, at White House press briefings, CBS and CNN reporters sepa-rately questioned why the US government had not launched measures in a timely manner if they had known the pandemic would spread globally. On April 14, The Atlantic website released an article claiming that inefficient policies of the US are the main reasons for the outbreak in the US. On April 4, the Washington Post released an investigative report on the US' poor re-sponse in the early stages of the pandemic. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Mon, April 27, 2020 10:47 625 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd46d4ee 2 World Iran,coronavirus,COVID-19,COVID-19-lockdown,pandemic,health Free Iran plans to reopen mosques in parts of the country that have been consistently free of the coronavirus outbreak as restrictions on Iranians gradually ease, President Hassan Rouhani said on Sunday. Iran, one of the Middle Eastern countries hardest hit by the pandemic, will be divided up into white, yellow and red regions based on the number of infections and deaths, Rouhani said, according to the presidency's website. Activities in each region will be restricted accordingly, so an area that has been consistently free of infections or deaths will be labeled white and mosques could be reopened and Friday prayers resumed, Rouhani said. He said the label given to any region in the Islamic Republic could change and he did not specify when the color-coding program would come into force. Deputy Health Minister Iraj Harirchi said in an interview with state TV on Sunday that 116 counties in the country could be considered white at the moment and 134 yellow. Iranians have returned to shops, bazaars and parks over the past week as the country eases coronavirus restrictions, with the daily increase in the death toll below 100 since April 14. The toll rose by 60 over the past 24 hours to 5,710, with 90,481 confirmed cases, Health Ministry spokesman Kianush Jahanpur told state TV on Sunday. Seeking a balance between protecting public health and shielding an economy already battered by sanctions, the government has refrained from imposing the kind of wholesale lockdowns on cities seen in many other countries. But it has extended closures of schools and universities and banned cultural, religious and sports gatherings. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif had a phone call with United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Sunday and discussed the battle against the spread of the coronavirus and regional developments along with passing on a congratulatory message for the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan. When it comes to travel, the world is separated into those of us who travel according to convenience and cost, and those of us who choose to travel in style. Stylish travel is a concept that has evolved over time, focussing increasingly on comfort and appearance at the same time as becoming ever more exclusive - ranging from the upper-class system of commercial travel, through to the evolution of private jets. Yet it is the latter which continues to elude most of the world's population, creating a buzz we often associate with the top end of society. So where did private jets come from, how did they evolve, and when did we first start to see them becoming popular? One could say that the journey of evolution for the private jet started out when aircraft transport really was a private affair; with only a pilot and a passenger or two able to fit into any one plane. Encapsulating the epitome of private travel, the earliest aircrafts were private by size rather than wealth, meaning that ever since, the aim has been to build bigger, stronger, and more powerful planes. The 1950's marked the era when flying became popular with passengers, promising an efficiency that no other travel means could provide. And yet, the concept of the private jet was not truly revered until the 1960's, when the Learjet took off from Kansas and took its maiden voyage, leading to a further three private jet designs taking hold before the end of the 1960's. So, who was flying these jets? While we most commonly associate private jets with the stars of Hollywood and the rich and famous, they are just as popular - if not more so - with business travellers; keen to reach meetings on time without spending vast amounts of their time in airports and queues. Private jet travel promises a convenience that can little be matched by any other mode of transport, and it is this which influenced their rise in popularity after the 1960's - resulting, in 1980, in an entire airport in France being dedicated to the take off and landing of private planes. A monumental moment in the evolution of private air travel, this marked a recognition across Europe that private jets really were the epitome of travelling in style, and so the following decade saw a real boom in growth of the market for private jets, with China creating their own model - a model which has been developed since, with the current model running as the fastest private jet in the world. As time went on, priorities changed, and soon private jets began to become more comfortable; sleeker in design, and able to cover more miles in one journey. In 2008 a private jet set a new record, covering the distance around the globe in just 41 hours and 7 minutes, while that French airport we mentioned before is now the busiest private airport in the world. So, why do you so many people choose to spend their money on private air travel? The evolution of private jets would not have been possible without demand, and ever since they were first designed around 70 years ago, private jets have continued to deliver. One of the primary reasons that those with money opt for private air travel, is status. There is no denying the status and grandeur that comes with travelling in your own private jet, not to mention the promise of comfort, your own dedicated bathroom, and a fridge full of your chosen drinks and snacks. Air shows have become a popular attraction for flight enthusiasts and families alike, and no doubt at any given show, you will find crowds flocking to look at the spectacle of the latest design in private jet - taking in the interiors which resemble the most luxurious of living areas, and the outer body of the aircrafts which are sleek, stylish and impressive to look at. But what's next for the evolution of private jets? Will we see all-electric private jets filling the skies soon; combating environmental impact while still taking the wealthier among us from A to B? Will private airplanes soon be so small that they are almost affordable for the masses, or will private jets always act as somewhat of a symbol of status and wealth? Evolution cannot be predicted, it can only be tracked in hindsight, and so who knows what the future really holds for the private jet industry. STORY LINK Pound Canadian Dollar (GBP/CAD) Exchange Rate Edges Higher as Oil Prices Tumble Pound Sterling Canadian Dollar (GBP/CAD) Exchange Rate Rises as Oil Prices Slump The market is very concerned of a repeat of negative pricing as the Cushing storage and delivery hub saturates. The shift of open interest away from June will have negative consequences for the liquidity of the contract, potentially leading to greater volatility in its price. Reports Britain Will Ease Lockdown Measures Boosts the Pound (GBP) Attention will be on him, and in particular the government more broadly, to announce some sort of pathway out of lockdown, as it becomes increasingly apparent how much economic damage is being done to the UK economy. Pound Canadian Dollar Outlook: Oil Futures and Coronavirus Lockdowns in Focus Like this piece? Please share with your friends and colleagues: The Pound Sterling Canadian Dollar (GBP/CAD) exchange rate edged higher this morning, leaving the pairing trading at around CA$1.7482.The Canadian Dollar suffered some losses today after oil prices fell once again after concerns over small storage capacity and weaker global economic growth dominated markets.Oil futures also marked their third straight week of losses last week, falling for the past eight out of nine weeks.Investors were caught off guard last week after the May West Texas Intermediate contract tumbled into negative territory for the first time ever. The June WTI futures fell by around 14.3% a barrel this morning, which may have been caused by investors moving to later months to avoid the same fate.As US futures led losses, prices slumped by over $2 a barrel as traders feared the storage at Cushing, Oklahoma would reach full capacity soon.Commenting on this, Harry Tchilinguirian, global oil strategist at BNP Paribas in London said:Meanwhile, Sterling edged higher today after an increase in optimism that Britain may soon ease its current lockdown measures.According to national medical director of the countrys health service, the county is now seeing a lower number of people hospitalised due to Covid-19.Risk appetite was also boosted after Italy announced it would begin to lift restrictions imposed around seven weeks ago.Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said measures would be relaxed in Italy from the 4 May.Meanwhile, confidence also improved after reports announced Prime Minister Boris Johnson had recovered from coronavirus and returned to work.He is now expected to find a way towards easing the lockdown measures without triggering a second wave of Covid-19.Commenting on this, Michael Hewson, chief market analyst at CMC Markets UK stated:Looking ahead, the Pound (GBP) could continue to make gains against the Canadian Dollar (CAD) if oil prices continue to slump.If US oil futures continue to decline and traders worry about US oil storage capacity, the oil-sensitive Loonie will continue to suffer losses.Meanwhile, GBP could benefit if risk sentiment improves as further countries including the UK announce the easing of coronavirus lockdown measures.If risk appetite amongst traders improves, the Pound Canadian Dollar (GBP/CAD) exchange rate will edge higher. International Money Transfer? Ask our resident FX expert a money transfer question or try John's new, free, no-obligation personal service! ,where he helps every step of the way, ensuring you get the best exchange rates on your currency requirements. TAGS: Pound Canadian Dollar Forecasts Landra Gould, widow of senator Harry M. Reid, pays respects at his casket at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll/Bloomberg News) The former Senate majority leader was remembered as a pragmatic dealmaker who became a political force across two presidencies. President Akufo-Addo has warned that those who entered the country illegally would be strictly dealt with, likewise Ghanaians who facilitated their entry. He was giving his Eight Update on the measures taken against the COVID-19 Pandemic, in a national broadcast. The President stated: This is the time for sacrifice, so that we do not have to bear a greater cost in the future. Unhappily, there continues to be the worrying news of a few Ghanaians aiding some West African nationals to enter our country illegally, despite the closure of our borders. Even more disturbing is the fact that several of the West Africans, who have been arrested, have later tested positive for the virus. "These are unpatriotic acts, and must stop. We cannot continue to allow a few persons, who are motivated by their own selfish, money-making interests, to endanger the lives of the rest of the population. He reiterated that being a Ghanaian must mean that we look out for each other. President Akufo-Addo said it was important for all to understand that the virus was the enemy, and not one another. We must be resolute in our unity to defeat this invisible enemy," he declared. " No country on earth has been spared the ravages of this virus, and my single minded goal is how to steer the country out of this crisis, protect our population from the virus, and see to the rebuilding of our economy. Nothing else matters for me. The President urged Ghanaians to begin to lift their heads above the parapet, and look at their future with courage and hope; declaring that: I shall be outlining, shortly, the path for bringing the restrictive measures, systematically, to an end, and defining the basket of measures for the revival and growth of our national economy. We have to own our future. It was out of adversity, the President said, that opportunity emerged, adding that, "through this ordeal, we, Ghanaians, have had the opportunity to re-introduce ourselves to one another, showing the best of who we are. Commending the enormous cooperation he had received so far, the President said : I am truly proud, and, indeed, humbled, to stand here today as your President, witnessing the unfettered assistance Ghanaians have given to each other, the help you have offered to those in need, the generosity of your contributions to the COVID-19 National Trust Fund, and the support and understanding you have given to the difficult measures Government has had to undertake. The solidarity and humanity on display in these past days fills me with even more optimism that Ghana will overcome this crisis, and come out even stronger and more resilient". ---GNA Photo: Konrad Hadener/Flickr Missed the most recent top news in Las Vegas? Read on for everything you need to know. Maker of crosses for Oct. 1 victims considered it his calling The man who created crosses for the Oct. 1 Las Vegas shooting victims, and many others around the country, has terminal cancer. Read the full story on Las Vegas Review-Journal. How Las Vegas became Ground Zero for American jobs crisis As the U.S. economy shut down, few places in America were hit harder and faster than Las Vegas. Read the full story on The New York Times. Muted and vacant, Las Vegas struggles to survive shutdown Slot machines are powered down, casinos boarded up and barricaded. Sidewalks are largely deserted and electronic marquees that once flashed neon calls for nightclubs, magic shows and topless revues instead beam somber messages of safety. Read the full story on KGET - TV 17 Bakersfield. This story was created automatically using data about news stories on social media from CrowdTangle, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks in Downing Street as he returns to work following his recovery from COVID-19 in London on April 27, 2020. (Chris J Ratcliffe/Getty Images) Back at Work, Boris Johnson Urges Patience Over UK Lockdown British Prime Minister Boris Johnson urged his lockdown-weary nation to be patient on April 27, arguing that easing social and economic restrictions too soon would create a second deadly spike of the CCP virus infections. On his first day back at work in three weeks after a bout of COVID-19 that left him dangerously ill, Johnson said Britain had reached the moment of maximum risk in its outbreak. Speaking outside his 10 Downing St. office, Johnson said the country was reaching the end of the first phase of this conflict but warned that a quick end to a lockdown due to last at least until May 7 was not in sight. A sign from Haringey Council reminds people to stay at home near Alexandra Palace in London on April 26, 2020. (Ed Smith/Getty Images) I refuse to throw away all the effort and the sacrifice of the British people and to risk a second major outbreak and huge loss of life and the overwhelming of the [health system], said Johnson. The 55-year-old leader appeared thinner but better-rested than when he was last seen in public early this month. As of April 26, Britain had recorded 20,732 deaths among people hospitalized with COVID-19. Thousands more are thought to have died in nursing homes during the pandemic. Runners pass a social distancing sign in London on April 26, 2020. (Alex Davidson/Getty Images) Despite the death toll, Johnsons government is under mounting pressure to set out a blueprint for easing the lockdown that has sharply curtailed business and daily life since March 23. More than 1.5 million Britons have applied for welfare benefits in the past month, and the governments economic watchdog says the economy could shrink by 35 percent by June 1. In signs of lockdown fatigue, the volume of road traffic has begun to creep up, and businesses including construction sites and home-supply stores have begun to reopen after introducing social distancing measures. As other European countries begin to reopen businesses and schools, Johnson said he shared Britons impatience to get back to normality. But, he said, we simply cannot spell out now how fast or slow or even when those changes will be made. A man walks on Millennium Bridge in London on April 25, 2020. (Alberto Pezzali/AP Photo) Johnson indicated that any loosening of the lockdown would happen in stages, as authorities begin gradually to refine the economic and social restrictions and one by one to fire up the engines of this vast UK economy. Johnson spent a week in St. Thomas Hospital in London earlier this month, including three nights in intensive care. When he was discharged on April 13, he thanked medical workers at the hospital for saving his life, saying his condition could have gone either way. During his absence, Johnsons Conservative government has struggled to counter criticism over shortages of protective equipment for medical workers and a lack of testing for the CCP virus, commonly known as the novel coronavirus. The government has promised to conduct 100,000 virus tests per day by the end of April but has yet to reach even 30,000 a day. Countering claims that the government has been secretive, Johnson promised that decisions about ending the lockdown would be made with the maximum possible transparency and in consultation with businesses, regional authorities, and opposition parties. By Jill Lawless The Epoch Times contributed to this report. Your browser does not support the audio element. Many people flocked to enjoy a swim at a beach near Ho Chi Minh City over the weekend, disregarding a beach closure in place to prevent the spread of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Beachgoers were spotted soaking up the sun and water at the beach in Vung Tau City, located in the southern province of Ba Ria Vung Tau, a two-hour drive from Ho Chi Minh City, on Saturday and Sunday. All beaches in Vung Tau have remained closed to the public since March 29, but that did not stop the crowds from gathering in defiance of a prime minister directive telling residents to limit public gatherings and keep a safe distance from others. Many people climbed over the barricades with banners showing messages about the beach closure for COVID-19 prevention and control to make their way to the beach. A man climbs over an embankment to go to a closed beach in Vung Tau City, Ba Ria Vung Tau Province, Vietnam, April 26, 2020. Photo: Dong Ha / Tuoi Tre Reportedly, the beachgoers mostly came from other localities near Vung Tau. They used services of hotels and lodging facilities along the beach, which are in operation despite the beach closure. Pham Khac To, director of resort management in Vung Tau City, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper his staff tried to stop the beachgoers but they were helpless against the crowds who were out in full force. The issue has been reported to the city admnistration, To said. A banner banning beach-going for COVID-19 prevention and control is placed on the embankment of a closed beach in Vung Tau City, Ba Ria Vung Tau Province, Vietnam, with beachgoers spotted afar, April 26, 2020. Photo: Dong Ha / Tuoi Tre Ba Ria Vung Tau vice-chairman Tran Van Tuan told Tuoi Tre the province has ordered Vung Tau City to mobilize more forces to prevent people from going to the beach. At the same time, Tuan advised people to strictly adhere to the authorities COVID-19 prevention and control regulations, and to stay vigilant as there remains a risk for infection. Vietnam has recorded 270 patients so far, with 225 of them having recovered. No fatality associated with the disease has been reported to date. There has been no COVID-19 infection recorded in Ba Ria Vung Tau. A banner banning beach-going for COVID-19 prevention and control is placed on the embankment of a closed beach in Vung Tau City, Ba Ria Vung Tau Province, Vietnam, with beachgoers spotted afar, April 26, 2020. Photo: Dong Ha / Tuoi Tre Beachgoers jump over an enbankment to exit a closed beach after enjoying a swim in Vung Tau City, Ba Ria Vung Tau Province, Vietnam, April 26, 2020. Video: Dong Ha / Tuoi Tre Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! FILE PHOTO: Southern Yemeni separatist security members patrol a street during a campaign to seize unlicensed motorcycles in Aden, Yemen DUBAI (Reuters) - Yemen's leading separatist group has declared self-rule in the south, complicating U.N. efforts to end a ruinous conflict and protect the country's shattered health sector from the spread of COVID-19. The move by the Southern Transitional Council (STC) risks renewed fighting between nominal allies in a Saudi-led coalition that has been battling the Houthi group aligned to Iran for the past five years. [L5N2CF0DJ] The United Nations is racing against time to bring about a permanent ceasefire, aware the new coronavirus crisis could add further misery to what is already the world's worst humanitarian crisis. But Yemen's problems are so complex that even a decisive outcome in the conflict-within-a-conflict between the STC and the Saudi-backed government might not help end the wider war. A COUNTRY DIVIDED Yemen's internal splits have festered for years. North and south Yemen united into a single state in 1990, but southern separatists tried to secede from the north in 1994. Their forces were beaten. More power and resources flowed to the northern capital, Sanaa. Former president Ali Abdullah Saleh had ruled north Yemen since 1978 and the unified state after 1990. His relatives controlled core parts of the army and economy. Critics said corruption was rife. In the far north, some of the Zaydi sect of Shi'ite Islam chafed as their heartland became impoverished. In the late 1990s, some Zaydis formed the Houthi group, which fought Yemen's army and grew friendly with Iran. The Muslim Brotherhood and other Sunni Islamists gained strength, particularly under General Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar, who built a power base in the army. Jihadist fugitives formed al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). ARAB SPRING When pro-democracy mass protests broke out in 2011, some of Saleh's former allies turned on him. The army split. Separatists rallied in the south. The Houthis seized more areas. Yemen's Gulf neighbours persuaded Saleh to step down. Deputy president Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi was elected in 2012 to a two-year term to oversee a democratic transition. Story continues A "National Dialogue" of Yemen's opposing groups began hashing out a new constitution but things soon fell apart. Hadi was widely considered weak and his administration corrupt. Saleh's allies undermined the transition. AQAP set up a mini-state and hit Sanaa with ever bloodier bombings. In late 2014, the Houthis seized Sanaa with help from pro-Saleh army units, forcing Hadi to share power. The Houthis and southern separatist rejected a proposed federal constitution. The Houthis arrested Hadi in early 2015. He escaped and fled to Aden, pursued by the group. Saudi Arabia formed a Western-backed coalition of Sunni Muslim allies and intervened to prevent Iran from gaining influence on its border. They took Hadi to Riyadh, notionally preserving his internationally recognised government. He became a nominal figurehead for southern separatists, northeastern tribes, Sunni Islamists and army remnants loyal to Ahmar. DEADLOCK The Houthis and Saleh's forces were driven from Aden and its environs in south Yemen, and from central Marib in 2015. Years of military stalemate followed with the Houthis holding most of the easily defended highlands and the Red Sea port of Hodeidah. The coalition kept up intense air strikes, aiming to split the Houthis and Saleh. They imposed a partial blockade to stop Iran arming the Houthis, something it denies doing. U.N.-backed talks went nowhere. In 2017, Saleh abandoned his Houthi allies, hoping to cut a deal and regain power for his family. He was killed fleeing Sanaa and his loyalists turned on the Houthis. Cracks in the alliance widened. Southern separatists supported by the UAE clashed with Saudi-backed fighters. The Saudis brought in Ahmar to command forces around Marib - a red flag for the UAE due to his link to the Muslim Brotherhood. The death toll from air strikes and the near famine in Yemen prompted international outrage, making it harder for Western allies to continue military aid. WESTERN PRESSURE To break the Houthis, the coalition in 2018 tried to seize Hodeidah port, the group's main supply line. It failed. Aid groups warned a full assault may disrupt food and aid flows. As military options faded and Riyadh came under intense Western scrutiny over the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, the coalition backed U.N.-sponsored talks in December 2018. The warring sides agreed a troop redeployment deal for Hodeidah that failed to materialise, though a truce there held. Meanwhile regional tensions with Iran escalated after attacks in 2019 on energy assets in the Gulf. The UAE reduced its presence in Yemen, saddling Riyadh with the war. Abu Dhabi maintained influence via southern fighters. After an attack on Saudi oil plants claimed by the Houthis but which Riyadh blamed on Tehran, Saudi Arabia launched back-channel talks with the group. Little progress was made. In November, the kingdom brokered a power-sharing deal between leading southern separatists and Hadi's government to end a standoff in Aden that opened a new front in the south. But on Sunday, the separatist STC announced it would establish self-rule in areas under its control, a move that threatens to renew conflict between it and Hadi's government. The STC was formed in 2017 to push for the revival of the former independent state of South Yemen, saying northerners based in Sanaa had discriminated against the south and usurped its resources since unification of North and South in 1990. (Writing by Angus McDowall and Ghaida Ghantous; Editing by William Maclean) A new series of online workshops will begin in May, led by the Lone Star College-Tomball Community Library, to help local businesses grow and succeed online during the coronavirus pandemic. The initiative is in partnership with Google and is called Grow with Google. The Google trainer, Maria Elena, will lead several online workshops to help participants learn digital skills through the month of May. ON HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: Willowbrook Mall stores among northwest Houston retailers to reopen with curbside pickup This partnership allows LSC-Tomball Community Library and Grow with Google to help Tomball residents increase their digital skills at this critical time, Karen Hiarker, adult program librarian for LSC-Tomball Community Library, said. Google has been a wonderful partner and is committed to helping the Tomball community. Each workshop aims to help businesses by improving their online presence, helping them reach their customers and grow their businesses, as well as teaching them how to manage their business remotely, an LSC-Tomball news release stated. MORE ABOUT HOUSTON AREA BUSINESSES: Abbott announces which Texas businesses can and can't open May 1 Tomball is a community that comes together in tough times. I want to thank our local leaders and collaborators on this critical project Dr. Lee Ann Nutt, Bruce Hillegeist, Miguel Lopez and Kelly Violettefor partnering on this initiative, Janna Hoglund, director of LSC-Tomball Community Library, said. These community leaders are supporting us in bringing the workshops and equipping our community members with crucial skills and knowledge. Together we give back and make an impact in the community we love. Greater Tomball Area Chamber of Commerce President Bruce Hillegeist said his chamber is always looking to help bring new educational opportunities to their member partners. Innovative programming and whatnot, we want to bring it to Tomball, Hillegeist said. I really believe that having Google spearhead this and bring this opportunity to us is amazing for our community. So, were a global community however you might look at it, and we want to bring the newest and best of our community so they can improve their style and succeed. The first workshop is from 11 a.m. to noon May 1. Information on all of the workshops is available on the LSC-Tomball Community Library Facebook page under events at www.facebook.com/tomballlibrary. paul.wedding@hcnonline.com Cenpower Generation Company Limited, the first Project Finance green-field Independent Power Producer (IPP) in Ghana has donated food items to the Kpone Community, a neighbouring community to the Cenpower operation area in the Greater Accra Region. This is part of Cenpowers contribution to support the Kpone Community in particular, to address the impact of COVID-19 on the community. The items were presented on behalf of Cenpowers Board of Directors, Management and Staff by Mr. Samuel N. Brew Butler, Chairman of Cenpower. Mr. Brew Butler said, It is my hope that the items will help provide for some of the aged, vulnerable, needy and deprived members of the community who need it. This, we hope would curtail their moving around and thus reduce their risk of infection. He further advised them that even though the H.E. The President of Ghana has lifted the restrictions imposed on movement, Kpone community members should continue to stay home if there is nothing urgent that requires them to go out as His Excellency the President has said. Mr. Butler also advised community members to always wear nose masks as directed by the President and continue to observe all the guidelines on social distancing, regular use of sanitizers and hand washing with soap for 20 seconds under running water. A Director of Cenpower, Dr. Jimmy Heymann also used the opportunity to remind Kpone community members that the ban on public gatherings are not permanent, but rather temporary measures from the government to help fight the spread of the virus in the country. He said, All these guidelines from government are for our own good so let us all abide by them and together we shall overcome this pandemic. Dr Heymann indicated that it remains Cenpowers commitment to contribute to Ghanas development through efficient and consistent supply of power and also to the development of the Kpone community. Receiving the items on behalf of the community, Mr. Solomon Tettey Appiah, the Municipal Chief Executive of Kpone, thanked Cenpower for the very thoughtful gesture at such a challenging time. Speaking on behalf of the Paramount Chief of Kpone Traditional Area, Mr Alex Nii Anang expressed sincere gratitude to the Management of Cenpower for donating these items to the community to alleviate the hardships that vulnerable persons are going through. We pray that the relationship which exists between Kpone Traditional Council and Cenpower will continue to flourish and resources used to purchase these items for the community will be replenished, he added. Other dignitaries present at the donation were the Chief Executive Officer of Cenpower Mr. Theophilus Sackey, the Plant General Manager Mr. Julio Gomez and other representatives from the Kpone Community. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Copyright 2020 Albuquerque Journal The Great Recession for many seemed like a once-in-a-lifetime event, associated with economic insecurity and sky-high unemployment after years of growth. Just over a decade later, however, a new crisis has emerged that has already begun to dwarf the recession of 2008-09 both in terms of economic activity and of unemployment. Every indication weve seen is that the level of unemployment is going to be much more severe, said Reilly White, associate professor of finance with the University of New Mexicos Anderson School of Management. Since mid-March, when the spread of the novel coronavirus reached New Mexico, the economic impact has been stark. From March 12 to April 15, more than 105,000 New Mexicans filed initial unemployment claims. Thats more than 10% of the states total labor force. Although the economic crisis does not yet meet the traditional definition of a recession, typically recognized as two consecutive quarters of economic decline, experts agree that the economy may functionally already be in a deep recession, the scope of which likely depends on how long it takes to develop a vaccine. This is a crazy situation, and it really does depend on the spread of the virus, said Jim Peach, a professor of economics at New Mexico State University. During that same period, the number of weekly unemployment certifications jumped from a record low to 79,000, the highest total on record, according to numbers provided by the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions. The sudden shock brought memories of 2008 and 2009, when a residential housing market collapse triggered a massive economic slowdown. White said the crisis, precipitated by financial institutions that bought and sold risky mortgage-backed securities, limited lending and undermined trust in banks for years after the crisis ended. In New Mexico, White said, unemployment peaked at 8.3% statewide in 2010. It decreased in the years following, but hasnt fallen below the national unemployment average since. Oil prices dropped precipitously at the start of the recession, as well. Peach said oil dropped from $147 per barrel in June 2008 to around $40 by Christmas the same year. While the recent economic slide has a very different origin story, White said, it could end up having an even more disruptive effect for a state economy that in recent years had begun to grow. We weather recessions with difficulty here, White said. Even though economic activity slowed in 2008 and 2009, White said, the current drop came on more sharply, as New Mexico and other states ordered nonessential businesses to close to slow the spread of the virus. Rules to restrict travel caused flights to the Albuquerque International Sunport to slow, and visits to local hotels plummeted. According to numbers from UNMs Bureau of Business and Economic Research, Albuquerque hotel occupancy stood at 47.2% in March, down nearly 30% from March 2019. Layoffs and furloughs have been concentrated in the leisure and hospitality industry, which accounts for nearly 25% of statewide unemployment claims. But White said he sees the crisis growing to reach all corners of New Mexicos economy, just as the impact of the housing market collapse did during the Great Recession. Although Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham recently said she intends to begin reopening businesses in mid-May, White said consumers could be cautious about returning to normal life without a vaccine in place, meaning once-crowded businesses could continue to suffer. This, in turn, may make it less likely that businesses hire all their laid-off employees back after they are allowed to reopen. The expectation that these people will be hired back is really, really tough, White said. John Garcia, district director of the U.S. Small Business Administrations New Mexico office, said small businesses, which employ 330,000 New Mexicans and typically operate with narrow margins, may bear the brunt of the economic challenges. However, White said, the new economic crisis could provide an opportunity for large lenders to recover some of the goodwill they lost during the last recession. Instead of being a cause of financial strife, White said, they can be part of an economic solution by focusing on helping small businesses through grants or subsidized loans. He suggested either participating in new programs such as the SBAs Paycheck Protection Program or expanding their own slate of financial resources for small businesses. I think technologys going to play a major role, Garcia said. Making matters worse, the lack of activity worldwide has left New Mexicos oil and gas industry in dire straits. Crude oil prices plunged into negative territory last week, which Peach attributed primarily to a lack of demand for gasoline and jet fuel. Peach suggested New Mexicos oil and gas industry could shed around one-third of its workforce, reminiscent of what the state experienced during a similar price plunge between 2014 and 2016. Times have changed, but I would guess well lose, at some point, 30% to 40% of direct employment, Peach said. White added that skyrocketing unemployment and general uncertainty about the state of the world could also cause consumers to hold off on large purchases such as homes and cars. This reluctance, combined with a rise in the number of people postponing their mortgage payments, could cause long-term problems for New Mexicos real estate industry. Were going to see the damage in this industry really hit hard, White said. White said New Mexico was slower than neighboring states to come out of the Great Recession. To avoid a similar fate from this downturn, White agreed with Garcia that the key will be the states ability to stem the spread of the virus, and adapt to changing consumer preferences once the virus is in the rearview mirror. It presents an opportunity for our small businesses to expand and develop and adapt in a way that exceeds other states, White said. The finance edition To read about what New Mexicos lending institutions are doing to try to help local businesses weather the economic crisis, read todays Business Outlook. NEW YORK, April 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- More than one million people have watched Advocacy Anywhere programs since American Jewish Committee (AJC) launched the online series on March 20. "Advocacy Anywhere offers insightful, probing conversations with leading diplomats, political figures, and policy analysts on issues of top concern to Jews and others across the United States and around the world," said AJC CEO David Harris. One-third of the programs to date have featured senior diplomats, including ambassadors to the United States from Austria, India, Italy, and Spain, as well as the UN Secretary General's envoy for dealing with the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. The ambassadors of France and Germany are scheduled for this week's Advocacy Anywhere programs. Registration for AJC Advocacy Anywhere is free and programs can be viewed via Zoom and Facebook. Previous programs are available for viewing on the AJC Facebook page. Programs that aired last week included: Fighting Antisemitism and Hate Speech: Is the UN an Ally or an Antagonist? The April 20 program, featuring Felice Gaer, Director of AJC's Jacob Blaustein Institute for the Advancement of Human Rights, has been viewed by more than 67,000 on Facebook. Gaer, a leading expert on UN human rights mechanisms and religious freedom, assessed the progress, potential, and enduring challenges of the UN's role in the fight against antisemitism. An Intergenerational Yom HaShoah Commemoration, April 21, has been seen by nearly 52,000 on Facebook. Holocaust survivors Halina Peabody and Marian Turski recalled their experiences in a conversation with young American and German AJC staff members. U.S. Special Envoy for Holocaust Issues Cherrie Daniels and AJC Director of International Jewish Affairs Rabbi Andrew Baker also offered their perspectives on the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe. Ambassador of Austria to the United States Dr. Martin Weiss. In a conversation with AJC CEO David Harris, Ambassador Weiss discussed how Austria has handled COVID-19, why Austrian coronavirus cases and deaths have been quite low, compared to other European countries, and why Austria was one of the first European countries to begin easing restrictions. Ambassador Weiss, who before coming to Washington was Austria's immensely popular Ambassador to Israel, also discussed his country's deepening relations with the Jewish state. The April 21 program has garnered more than 54,000 views on Facebook. Ramadan and Muslim-Jewish Relations in the Age of Coronavirus. Two members of the AJC-led Muslim-Jewish Advisory Council, Imam Mohamed Magid, spiritual leader of ADAMS Center, and Rabia Chaudry, an attorney, advocate, podcaster, and author of the New York Times bestseller, Adnan's Story: The Search for Truth and Justice After Serial, discussed challenges and innovations of celebrating the month of Ramadan during the pandemic crisis, as well as the state of Muslim-Jewish relations. The April 22 program, moderated by Ari Gordon, AJC's U.S. Director of Muslim-Jewish Relations, has been viewed by more than 50,000 on Facebook. India and the Coronavirus: A Conversation with H.E. Taranjit Singh Sandhu, Indian Ambassador to the United States, has been viewed by more than 27,000 on Facebook. Ambassador Sandhu, in an April 23 conversation with Jason Isaacson, AJC's Chief Policy and Political Affairs Officer, discussed how the Modi government has been keeping a country of 1.3 billion people safe amid contagion without jeopardizing its long-term economic survival. The ambassador also shared information about the impact of the virus on India's social cohesion, growing pharmaceutical and medical devices industries, relations with neighboring states, and ties to both the U.S. and Israel. Middle East Update: A Special Briefing with Nickolay Mladenov , on April 24, has been viewed on Facebook by more than 40,000. As the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Mladenov is in a unique position to engage with all the parties in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza on every level from political to humanitarian. Mladenov, who memorably addressed the AJC Global Forum when he was the Bulgarian Foreign Minister, assessed the latest developments in the region during the pandemic and three months after President Trump unveiled a detailed "Vision for Peace." The New Israeli Government, featuring David Horovitz, Times of Israel founding editor, has garnered more than 29,000 Facebook views since the program aired yesterday. Horovitz, in a conversation with AJC's Jason Isaacson, provided thought-provoking insights into the efforts to form a durable national unity government, following the third election since the Knesset dissolved in December 2018. Horovitz also discussed Israel's handling of the coronavirus. This week's lineup of Advocacy Anywhere offers programs daily, including: Monday, April 27, 12:00 PM (ET): Coronavirus, Conspiracy Theories, and the Current State of Global Antisemitism. Katharina von Schnurbein, European Commission Coordinator on Combating Antisemitism; Nikita Malik, Director of the Centre on Radicalisation and Terrorism at the Henry Jackson Society; and Holly Huffnagle, AJC's U.S. Director for Combating Antisemitism, will discuss how to combat outlandish, hate-filled myths about Jews, as well as analyze the current state of global antisemitism. Tuesday, April 28, 1:00 PM (ET): A Conversation with H.E. Philippe Etienne, Ambassador of France to the U.S. France has the fourth most COVID-19 infections in the world. As a leader in the EU, France is a key partner for the United States, an important player in Europe's ties with Israel, and a permanent member of the UN Security Council. It is also home to the largest Muslim and Jewish communities in Europe. Wednesday, April 29, 12:00 PM (ET): AJC Academy: AJC as a Jewish Organization with Dr. Steven Bayme. AJC has long believed that Jewish security presupposes active Jewish identification and interest in leading a creative and vibrant Jewish life. In this session, Bayme, AJC's long-time Director of Contemporary Jewish Life, will reflect on AJC's distinctive ethos as a Jewish organization, and how that has expressed itself over his four-decade long tenure with the agency. What has it meant to be a Jewish organization throughout AJC's history? Is AJC an American-Jewish organization or a Jewish-American organization? How have the Holocaust and the State of Israel factored into AJC's Jewish identity and work? How has AJC balanced individual Jewish identity versus Jewish communal life? Thursday, April 30, 3:00 PM (ET): A Conversation with Emily Haber, German Ambassador to the United States. Germany, the only G-20 country whose leader is a scientist, has had a particularly low mortality rate from COVID-19 compared to some other European countries. As a central player in the transatlantic relationship, a key ally of Israel, and an economic powerhouse, Germany plays a critical role on the global stage. Friday May 1, 12:00 PM (ET): AJC Academy: AJC Diplomacy and the Arab World . AJC's Jason Isaacson, Chief Policy and Political Affairs Officer, and Benjamin Rogers, Associate Director for Policy and Middle East Initiatives, will discuss the changing dynamics in the Middle East and AJC's decades-long work to build trust and understanding among Americans, Israelis, and Arabs. The pair will also examine how the formation of the new Israeli government could affect future relations with Arab states. The most viewed programs to date in the Advocacy Anywhere series have been AJC CEO David Harris: An Improbable Jewish Journey, with over 166,000 views; AJC CEO David Harris on the Soviet Jewry Movement (Part I), with over 136,000 views; and Coronavirus on the Eve of Easter and Passover: A Catholic-Jewish Conversation on Faith and Interreligious Cooperation in Trying Times, with New York Cardinal Dolan and AJC's Rabbi Noam Marans, with more than 88,000 views. SOURCE American Jewish Committee Related Links http://www.ajc.org Coronavirus in India: The Delhi High Court asked the Arvind Kejriwal's government to ease the procedure of accessing ration for those needy people who have Aadhaar cards and voter IDs but do not possess ration cards. Coronavirus in India: The Delhi High Court has asked the Delhi government to simplify the procedure for accessing ration by those poor or needy people who have Aadhaar cards and voter IDs but do not possess ration cards. A Division Bench of Chief Justice DN Patel and Justice C Hari Shankar said: If there is any need for change in the policy decision, the same shall be simplified by the respondents looking to the need of the people at large. We also direct the respondents that if any change in the policy decision is carried out for simplification in the procedure to get the ration, the same will be notified and informed to all the fair price shop owners. The court also asked the competent authorities to mention it in their advisory or notes or communication to all the fair price shop owners in the city of Delhi that the ration is made available to the people without ration cards but in possession of their voter ID or Aadhaar card so that the fair price shop owners can implement it and the benefit of the simplified procedure of the authorities can reach the public at large who are in need of ration. More than 133 doctors in the district have agreed to provide their services to people over telephone. People can contact these doctors and get a prescription for their conditions: Tarun Kumar Pithode, Bhopal District Magistrate #MadhyaPradesh pic.twitter.com/sYD3Vg7nRD ANI (@ANI) April 26, 2020 The court was hearing a petition filed by Nayee Soch Society seeking direction to the government authorities to provide ration to the citizens of Delhi by producing Aadhar card or voter card at fair price shops functioning in their area. The petitioner has also sought the details of the number of citizens who have taken the benefit of ration by way of Aadhar card till date during the lockdown period since March 25 by way of applying on the website. Odisha: Mahesh Jena, the 20-year-old migrant worker who rode a bicycle for around 1700km from Sangli, Maharashtra to his native place Jajpur has been released after completing his quarantine. He says, "I started from Sangli on 1st April & reached Jajpur on 7th April". (26.04.20) pic.twitter.com/OuCWiiDKrp ANI (@ANI) April 26, 2020 Blood samples of 4 #COVID19 survivors has tested positive for antibodies. Their plasma will now be used to treat other patients. BMC appeals other also who've recovered to come forward&help others recover by opting for Plasma Donation: Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation.#Mumbai pic.twitter.com/lz8EBic0vp ANI (@ANI) April 27, 2020 For all the latest National News, download NewsX App One of the gangs embroiled in the deadly Drogheda feud has been dealt a massive blow after detectives seized 2.5m worth of cocaine which was "partially destined" for it. Last night, three men remained in custody in two Dublin stations - a 59-year-old from Armagh and two Latvian nationals aged 44 and 48. Senior sources revealed the drugs had been sourced by the Kinahan cartel to be distributed to a number of different crime networks, including the Maguire gang in Drogheda, as well as organised crime gangs based in Northern Ireland. After the murder of its rival and hitman Robbie Lawlor in Belfast earlier this month, sources said the Maguire gang has taken the "upper hand" in the Drogheda feud, which has so far claimed four lives. However, the massive cocaine seizure is "going to hurt their business operations". "The intelligence indicates that the cocaine was brought into the country by the cartel to be distributed among a number of crime organisations based in Co Louth and Northern Ireland," a senior source said. Investigations were still at a delicate stage last night as follow-up searches involving the PSNI took place and gardai tried to carry out full background checks on the two arrested Latvian men who are not resident here. Gardai yesterday announced details of the seizure - one of the biggest drugs hauls of the year. "In the course of an intelligence-led operation, targeting organised criminality, personnel attached to the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau (GNDOCB) stopped and searched three vehicles in the Blakes Cross area of Co Dublin on Saturday afternoon. "The searches that were undertaken by GNDOCB resulted in the discovery and seizure of a quantity of a substance believed to be cocaine with an estimated street value of 2.5m. "Three men were arrested at the scene and detained at two Dublin Garda stations." Detective Chief Superintendent Angela Willis, who is head of bureau at GNDOCB, said An Garda Siochana is committed to disrupting the activities of organised criminals supplying drugs to communities. "This seizure of a substantial quantity of cocaine is significant in disrupting this supply and enabling us to keep people safe," she said. Assistant Commissioner John O'Driscoll, who heads special crime operations within An Garda Siochana, said: "We continue to pursue those who engage in serious and organised crime with a view to dismantling the organised crime groups they are associated with. "This seizure of what is believed to be cocaine and the subsequent arrest of three suspects will assist in achieving that objective". The Maguire gang is led by crime boss Owen Maguire, who is confined to a wheelchair after being shot multiple times, allegedly by Robbie Lawlor, in July 2018. The cocaine seizure follows a separate seizure of 1.24m worth of cannabis herb in Co Laois on Friday. As part of an intelligence-led operation, gardai located the 62kg haul in a ditch along a road on the Carlow/Laois border. PLA sends materials to help Cambodian military battle COVID-19 PLA Daily Source: Xinhuanet Editor: Wang Xinjuan 2020-04-26 18:41:00 BEIJING, April 26 (Xinhua) -- At the request of the Cambodian military and with the approval of the Central Military Commission, the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) on Saturday sent urgently needed COVID-19 prevention and control materials, including nucleic acid testing kits and protective gowns, to the Cambodian military by air force planes. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Sorry! This content is not available in your region KYODO NEWS - Apr 27, 2020 - 18:07 | All, Japan, Coronavirus Japan will deny entry to foreign travelers from a further 14 countries including Russia, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, strengthening its border controls to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Monday. With the ban effective from Wednesday, those who have been to the countries within two weeks of their arrival in Japan will be turned away at the border. Speaking at a meeting of the government's task force on the coronavirus response, Abe also said Japan will extend its suspension of visas issued to foreign travelers to the end of May. Japan has been scrambling to stop a rapid rise in cases of COVID-19, with the population being urged to stay at home and some businesses being asked to temporarily close in order to reduce person-to-person interactions that could spread the respiratory disease. The other countries newly blacklisted are Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belarus, Djibouti, the Dominican Republic, Kuwait, Oman, Peru, Qatar, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Ukraine. The Foreign Ministry last week warned Japanese citizens against any trips to these countries, raising its travel alert to the second-highest level. That brings the total number of countries and regions covered by the entry ban to 87, including China, South Korea, the United States and all of Europe. The stricter border controls have already stopped most foreign travelers from visiting Japan, dealing a massive blow to the world's third-largest economy. Government data for March showed a 93 percent drop from a year earlier, with an even larger decline expected in April. While Japanese citizens are able to re-enter the country, they are required to be tested for coronavirus and self-isolate for two weeks, and to look out for the onset of symptoms such as high fever and coughing. Japan has meanwhile suspended visas issued in more than 170 countries, a measure that was initially put in place until the end of April but has now been extended to the end of May as the outbreak continues to spread globally. Additionally, citizens of countries that have a short-stay visa waiver agreement with Japan will not be able to take advantage of the privilege during this period. Hyderabad, April 27 : Relieved over the declining trend in coronavirus cases in Telangana, Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao on Monday exuded confidence that in the next few days, the state would be totally free from positive Covid-19 cases. He said the decline in the number of cases augurs well for the state. After attending Prime Minister Narendra Modi's video conference with all the Chief Ministers, Rao held a review meeting with Health Minister Eatala Rajender and other top officials. The officials informed the CM that on Monday, 159 samples were tested and out of them only two were found positive. KCR felt that the strict enforcement of the lockdown norms is resulting in the decline in the number of cases. He said the quarantine period of most of those found infected will end on May 8. He, however, said the government will not be complacent in the wake of the drop in the number of cases. KCR said that as announced earlier, the lockdown will continue till May 7. He appealed to people to follow the lockdown norms and the government guidelines. He announced that by Tuesday, 21 districts in the state would not have a single active case, adding that over 97 per cent of the patients were recovering. KCR said with the virus spread being contained, the number of containment zones will also come down gradually. He said the process to identify and test all those who came in contact with the returnees from the Tablighi Jamaat event in Delhi was continuing. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Sensex closes 415 points higher on Rs 50,000-crore liquidity facility for MFs Sensex and Nifty closed higher on Monday, led by strong global cues amid heavy buying in financial stocks. Financials gained after RBI announced special liquidity facility worth Rs 50,000 cr for mutual funds. While Sensex closed 415 points or 1.33% higher at 31,743, Nifty gained 127 points or 1.4% to 9,282. All sectoral indices ended higher. Apart from banking, sectors such as FMCG, healthcare, metal and IT also led the market momentum. Domestic indices followed bullish cues from overseas as investors worldwide banked upon hopes over prospects of ease in lockdowns and more stimulus from central banks worldwide to curb the economic damage from the spread of coronavirus. The domestic market will continue taking cues from the worldwide trend, as per market experts. Financial stocks outperformed in trade today as sentiments were boosted by RBI's announcement of special liquidity facility worth Rs 50,000 crore for Mutual Funds (SLF-MF). Top gainers on both BSE and NSE included Kotak Bank, Axis Bank, Bajaj Finance, IndusInd Bank, HDFC, ICICI Bank and Bajaj Finserv. Expressing his views on closing today, Ajit Mishra, VP - Research, Religare Broking said," The Indian markets had a promising start to the week largely led by a surge in banking and financial stocks following RBI's liquidity support to the stressed mutual funds." Markets globally were trading in positive on Monday, taking positive cues from Wall Street's closing on Friday. Supported by gains in technology shares and stability in oil prices, US indices closed 1% higher each on Friday, amid reports that some states were preparing to ease coronavirus-related lockdowns. Asian markets were ended positive led by Nikkei, ahead of Bank of Japan monetary meet. Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank will meet later in the week, while Bank of Japan has begun the policy meeting today. European markets also opened in green with FTSE rising 1.3%, DAX gaining 1.5% and CAC up at 2%. Traders said investors were also factoring in the March corporate earnings. Companies scheduled to report Q4 earnings today after market hours are Adani Power, Sasken, HDFC Life, Ambuja Cement, IndusInd Bank. " Investors are looking towards earnings results coming out later and during the week for more clarity on the specific sectors", said Vinod Nair, Head of Research at Geojit Financial Services Indian rupee, the local currency, ended higher by 21 paise at 76.24 per dollar. On support and resistance levels for Nifty, Sameet Chavan Chief Analyst-Technical and Derivatives, Angel Broking said," As of now, we are hoping for the breakout to happen in an upward direction (above 9400), which would then propel the rally towards 9500-9700 levels. 9400 on the higher side and 8900 on the lower side are the levels to watch out for." As of today, the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in India stood at 27,892 cases, of which the highest single-day spike of 1,975 cases were reported on April 26. Share Market LIVE: Sensex rises over 700 points, Nifty at 9,350; Cipla, IndusInd Bank, Maruti top performers Angel Broking temporarily suspends crude oil futures trading to protect traders Palm oil tumbles to nine-month low, weaker crude offsets higher April exports Stocks in news: Mindtree, JK Paper, ICICI Prudential, Future Lifestyle, Tata Steel, Bank of Baroda and more Pushkar Banakar By Express News Service NEW DELHI: As calls for evacuations of Indians stranded across the world grow, the Centre has started preparing to bring them back. Indians abroad have been posting videos, writing emails to authorities and doing everything in their power to come back home or to ensure their loved ones return. One such parent is Sridharan, director of a Chennai-based property development company. His son is a student of a top university in the US. We have formed a group of 500 people on WhatsApp and are writing to the Prime Minister and External Affairs Minister regularly to bring back our stranded children from all over the US. There are 18-19 year olds who are stranded and are temporarily living with friends. We hope the government will bring them back soon while duly following all the medical procedures, he said. The WhatsApp group called Airlift for Indian Students has some students and parents of children stranded in the US. Sridharan said the parents were ready to pay for the flights of the students and also for quarantine facilities once they are repatriated. We understand that migrant workers are also stranded and the government should bear their expenses. But we are willing to pay for our childrens return and quarantine. After they return, they can be quarantined in hotels like the Delhi government is doing. If anyone violates their quarantine, their passports should be revoked, he said. Meanwhile, sources said the Centre is planning to operate special flights early next month to bring back stranded Indians from across the world. Similar requests for repatriation has come from around 100 Indians stranded in Saudi Arabia. We are a group of about 100 Indian citizens who are writing from Saudi Arabia. Some of us are on short term business visas, some of us are on Iqama but without a job and income, some of us are elder citizens who have visited their children. Many in this group have been languishing as they have been fired from jobs and have not been paid for a few months. All of us are in Saudi Arabia and wish to be repatriated to India, the letter written by Associate Director of KPMG India Arun Krishnan on behalf of the stranded people stated. The Gulf region is home to around 9 million Indians while the US has around 1.6 million Indian students. Sources said there will be more people not just stranded Indians who will return once the lockdown is lifted. States like Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Tamil Nadu will see a huge influx of people once the restrictions are lifted, sources said and added that a separate control room would be set up to facilitate their return. The MEA operates another 24X7 control room manned by around 75 officials to address the grievances of the stranded Indians. It has received over 3,000 calls and 25,000 emails. Hospital beds and quarantine facilities Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba has asked authorities to make special arrangements of hospital beds and quarantine facilities for those Indians who will be brought back from different parts of the world 100 stuck in Saudi Arabia seek airlifting Repatriation requests have come from around 100 Indians stranded in Saudi Arabia, too. Many in this group have been languishing as they have been fired from jobs and have not been paid for a few months At Campbell Soup Co. in Camden, orders for cases of soup, sauces, and other items skyrocketed 366% one week last month compared with the same week last year. Kraft Heinz macaroni and cheese is a hot seller, too, giving at least a temporary boost to the struggling food manufacturer based in Pittsburgh and Chicago. And sales of Herrs potato chips jumped 20% in March over the same period in 2019, according to the CEO of the Chester County company. Its not just you: Americans are eating more snacks and processed foods as they stock up and hunker down during the coronavirus pandemic. Thats welcome news for some Philadelphia-area and Pennsylvania food manufacturers, and stands out as a bright spot in an otherwise bleak economy struggling with government-imposed shutdowns aimed at mitigating the spread of the virus. Whats behind the change in consumer behavior? No ones eating out, so were cooking more and buying more at the grocery store. Those who were used to eating out are likely to buy easy-to-make meals and canned goods. And in a prolonged global public health crisis, some consumers are seeking comfort in the food they buy. What we see in the research is that when people feel a little bit out of control of the situation theyre currently in, sometimes they like to bring themselves back into control by indulging in a product, said Ernest Baskin, an assistant professor of food marketing at St. Josephs University. Prior to the pandemic, we had been trending away from some of these products, just because people perceive them to be less healthy, he said. Whether the change in consumer behavior endures post-coronavirus, he said, will depend in part on how much of a habit people build up with respect to these products. READ MORE: Reopening businesses during coronavirus is complicated: Im so afraid of letting anybody in the place Darren Seifer, a food and beverage industry analyst at the market research firm NPD Group, said consumers were tending to their mental health a bit: If Im going to be holed up in my house, apartment, wherever you live, for a month at a time, I need to make this experience a little more bearable. That also helps explain the surge in sales of booze. Sales of alcoholic beverages increased 55% for the week ending March 21, according to Nielsen, with online sales up 243%. Pennsylvania saw a record spike in alcohol sales last month before state-run liquor stores closed, as consumers stockpiled for life in quarantine. A survey conducted this month by the International Food Information Council Foundation, which is funded by the food and beverage industry, found that four in 10 people said they were buying more packaged foods. That trend was more pronounced for those under 45. And 27% of survey respondents said they were eating more snacks. GoPuff, the Philadelphia-based convenience delivery service that delivers consumer goods across the country, said sales of chips, chocolate, and candy had all increased since the pandemic. Some brands outpaced category growth, showing that a preference for brands was still a driver for what they purchased, the company said Friday. For example, York County-based Utz Quality Foods Inc. showed more continuous growth than the chip category as a whole, GoPuff said. It added that the Hershey Co. continues to dramatically outpace the chocolate category growth by double digits. FAQ: Your coronavirus questions, answered. Customers are also buying more healthy snacks from GoPuff. Sales of wellness beverages, such as kombuchas and enhanced waters, have increased 115% since the week of March 2, the company said. Herr Foods Inc. which makes five to six tons of potato chips every hour at its Nottingham facility had to increase production last month to meet greater demand, chief executive Ed Herr said. We definitely offer a food that is considered a comfort food, he said. Its also affordable, at a time when many households are squeezed for cash. You can get a pretty good-size bag of chips for a couple bucks, Herr said. Sales came back down to normal in early April, he said, as public health officials encouraged residents to stay home. What were starting to notice now, just with a little bit of warmer weather and people kind of using up their pantry supply were starting to see the stores get a little busier again, Herr said. READ MORE: Coronavirus upends life for a close-knit block in South Philly: Were here for each other Lancaster County-based Turkey Hill Dairy, which makes one of the top-selling ice cream brands in the nation, has also increased production. Online orders increased threefold in the last couple of weeks, said Andrea Nikolaus, a Turkey Hill spokesperson. Turkey Hills ice cream and iced tea, she said, provide a sort of comfort not just for your appetite, but for your soul in a way. A private company that was sold last year by Kroger Co. to a Texas private equity firm, Turkey Hill declined to share sales data. Campbell said last week that it was experiencing significantly higher sales for our retail products in its meals and beverages businesses and in snack products. Campbells snack unit includes Snyder-Lance Inc., which it acquired in 2018 for $6 billion. Lots of those snacks are produced at a York County manufacturing facility developed by the pretzel maker Snyders of Hanover, which merged in 2010 with Charlotte, N.C.-based Lance Inc. An increase in consumer spending on food purchases has more than offset declines in Campbells food service business, which works with restaurants, the company said in a regulatory filing last week. However, Campbell cautioned: The recent higher sales trends of our retail products may lessen or reverse in the coming months if customers or consumers alter their purchasing habits. Campbells stock has been volatile in recent weeks but has outperformed the broader Standard & Poors 500 index. There have been some bumps for other food manufacturers. Shares of Hershey fell last week after the Pennsylvania chocolate giants earnings fell short of Wall Street expectations for the quarter ended March 29. Customers were still buying Hersheys Kisses and other sweet treats: The company reported $2 billion in revenue for the quarter, or 1% over the year-earlier period. But analysts had projected stronger growth. CEO Michele Buck said products like Hersheys Syrup, Baking Chips, and Cocoa all grew about 30% in March, and trends have remained strong as families are spending more time together at home baking. But the company withdrew its fiscal forecast for the rest of the year, citing uncertainty around the pandemic and its impact on consumer behavior. While many consumers have shared how our categories are helping them cope during this time and bond with their families, theyve also shared how their shopping priorities have changed, Buck said during a conference call Thursday. Correction: An earlier version of this article misstated Hersheys quarterly revenue. It reported $2 billion in total revenue for the quarter, an increase of 1% from the same quarter last year. Ten hikers from London who drove 245 miles to Snowdonia were forced to turn around and head home after being stopped by police. The group had driven five hours in two vehicles when they were stopped near their destination on the A5 in Bethesda, North Wales. They told officers they wanted to go walking in the mountainous National Park. Instead, the North Wales Police officers escorted their cars to the A-road back to the south so they could begin the ten-hour round trip home. The force tweeted: 'A group of 10 stopped in 2 vehicles on A5 #Bethesda earlier, having travelled from London with the intent of going for a walk in Snowdonia. North Wales Police officers escorted the drivers of two cars carrying a group of ten hikers back to the A-road so they could begin the ten-hour round trip home to London. Pictured, a sign on the A5 motorway warns 'Wales is closed' 'Told to return home immediately and escorted back to the A55. Reported for breaching #COVID19 legislation.' In a second incident dealt with by police, staff from a hotel challenged a man 'who thought the regulations did not apply to him' when they saw him returning to his car after a hike. He had driven 180 miles from Cumbria to walk up Mount Snowdon at 6am. North Wales police said: 'He was abusive to the informant when challenged and clearly thought the regulations did not apply to him. The group (not pictured) had driven five hours in two vehicles when they were stopped near their destination on the A5 in Bethesda. Pictured, a road block on Rhos on Sea's promenade in North Wales They told officers they wanted to go walking in the mountainous National Park. An empty car park is pictured at Pen-y-Pass In the Brecon Beacons, police stopped people who had driven from Birmingham and Hereford. Pictured, a message warning tourists away is seen at Snowdonia 'Police were called and he was stopped on the eastbound carriageway of the A55 by one of our armed response team who reported him for breaching the legislation. 'We despair - we really do.' The incidents came amid a widespread increase in foot and motor traffic on another sunny day across much of the country. Data from Apple Maps yesterday showed that driving is up 4 per cent and walking has increased 5 per cent among Britons compared to last week. Officers in Merthyr Tydfil found a couple who had travelled nearly 150 miles from Leicester to pick up a rug. In the Brecon Beacons, police stopped people who had driven from Birmingham and Hereford, and two hikers from Bristol who were attempting to walk Pen Y Fan were issued with fixed penalty notices by police. In Pembrokeshire, a driver on a 60-mile round trip to buy tomato plants was reported for non-essential travel. While another driver was stopped at Begelly and issued with a ticket as they were 'looking to get a coffee'. Police said it was not the first time this motorist had been reported. Two people who had travelled from Birmingham for a 'day out' to Broadway Tower in the Cotswolds were issued with fixed penalty notices. While in nearby Bibury, officers issued nine tickets to people visiting from Leicester and London. It comes a week after an angry local confronted a couple who drove 180 miles to rent an Airbnb. The man in Snowdownia, Wales, slammed the pair and accused them of breaking coronavirus lockdown rules - but the venue's landlady claimed the couple were made homeless by the pandemic. The Government has ordered people to stay in their primary residence as the crisis continues. It comes a week after an angry local confronted a couple who drove 180 miles to rent an Airbnb Across Britain, shoppers took advantage of hot an dry conditions yesterday - although wet weather is on the way. Hundreds of people also enjoyed the sun in beaches and parks across the country, with people pictured being told by police to move on in Greenwich Park, Richmond Park and St James's Park in London. Bakers Greggs said they are planning to open a small number of stores after fast food chain McDonald's announced they wish to re-open in May and KFC and Burger King already opened a handful of branches. Thousands of Britons ignored repeated warnings to stay home as part of ongoing efforts to clamp down on coronavirus by heading to DIY stores, parks and beaches on Sunday. Pictured: People walked along the seafront in Bournemouth People seeking the sun were also seen on Brighton's beaches as police officers told people to go home if they weren't out for essential exercise Police speak to sunbathers as they patrol Greenwich Park in London this afternoon. Under guidelines, you are only supposed to leave your home for exercise Queues formed outside B&Q in Watford after the store put in place social distancing measures On Sunday, some DIY shoppers pushed trolleys filled with rolls of carpet while others were seen lifting enormous products into their cars. Many had to wait in enormous queues as B&Q enforced social distancing rules. Some wore masks and made sure they kept apart from others so as not to risk spreading coronavirus. In Greenwich Park, officers drove up to people sunbathing to remind them of rules ordering people to stay home except for essential exercise, to buy food or to go to a place of work if they cannot work from home. Members of the public go out to enjoy the warm weather in Richmond Park, London today, with the park looking extremely busy This family looked to be enjoying the sun in Green Park, London this afternoon despite the lockdown rules still in place Two men were also spoken to by police in Greenwich Park, London this afternoon, as sun-seekers flocked to parks up and down the country despite lockdown rules Members of the public also enjoyed the warm weather on Putney Embankment in South West London In Richmond Park, a police officer on a bicycle spoke to a mother and daughter as they sat under a tree, despite orders from the Government for people to only use parks for exercise once a day Elsewhere, cyclists and walkers flocked along pavements and beach fronts as the sun came out. Latest figures released by Public Health England on Sunday showed that another 413 people have died from the virus - the lowest figure this month. It means that just over 20,000 people have died since the outbreak began and there have been more than 148,000 cases overall. But data from Apple Maps showed that traffic congestion has surged from the start of the month and since the lockdown was announced. Walking in London has picked up markedly in the last three days alone, according to Apple Map's most recent 'Covid-19 mobility trends' data. Dozens of others were seen in long queues as they held trolleys while waiting to go in a B&Q store in Swansea Latest figures collected on Friday showed that driving is up 4 per cent and walking has increased 5 per cent among Britons compared to last week People were also seen sunbathing in St James's Park amid unseasonably warm weather Shoppers were willing to risk catching coronavirus from others as they took the chance to do some DIY. Pictured: A B&Q store in Edinburgh It appears there has been a sharp increase in human traffic as the number of people walking across the country rose by around 8 percentage points on April 23 from last Saturday. The number of people walking, driving, and using public transport networks in the UK took a nosedive in early March, as concern about the spreading coronavirus outside of China - believed to be the country of its origin - intensified and gripped the nation. It plummeted on March 24 - the day after Boris Johnson declared a 'stay-at-home' order. But newly released figures available on Apple Maps indicated the British public are growing restless of life under lockdown as many more take to the roads and the streets. What are you doing here? A police officer stood with his bike as he spoke to a couple in Richmond Park on Sunday The officer patrolled around grassy areas speaking to couples who seemed to be out for more than just exercise Londoners in Green Park also enjoyed the sun. Seven people were pictured sitting near each other as a runner jogged past Crowded: A queue formed to buy ice cream in Battersea, South West London, as people sought to make the most of the good weather They were seen in snaking queues at B&Q in Edinburgh, pictured above Each weekend of April - between the 4th and the 18th - the number of people walking, driving, and 'transiting' steadily climbed, even as police forces across the country became tougher on rule-breakers. Data from sat nav makers TomTom and the AA suggest there has been an increase in car trips around the UK this month. There are more motorists in London, Brighton and Hove, Bristol, Manchester, and Reading out and about this weekend than last week, according to TomTom. B&Q is following steps taken by supermarkets by limiting the number of customers in its stores at any one time. It has also installed screens at checkouts and put markers on shop floors to help with social distancing. Cafes have been told by the Government they can start re-opening for business, while McDonald's said they are hoping to re-open in May. Representatives from the biggest chains, including Costa, Pret a Manger and McDonalds, had asked Environment Secretary George Eustice if they were allowed to start opening up some of their branches again. And it is understood they were told: 'You didn't have to shut in the first place.' The chains explained that it had been unclear from the rules whether they were entitled to stay open. They were also worried about the safety of their staff, and about a negative reaction from the public to their continuing to trade. On Sunday, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab blasted 'irresponsible' critics for demanding the UK government set out how it will ease the nation's coronavirus lockdown. Tory donors, Cabinet ministers and Sir Keir Starmer have all told Boris Johnson he must publish his strategy for loosening restrictions as the Prime Minister prepares to return to work. The shoppers had to keep their distance from each other as they queued to get into B&Q in Edinburgh Basket of goods: Shoppers pushed huge trolleys to put their DIY goods in The most tragic fallout of the COVID-19 lockdown is that it has exposed threadbare the class, caste and religious prejudices pernicious in Indian society. Recently, a 62-year-old woman in Jharkhand died in a bank queue after waiting for more than two hours under the scorching sun to withdraw money from her Jan Dhan account. In the midst of the extended lockdown, millions of poor women across India have been similarly queuing outside banks struggling to withdraw the governments PM Garib Kalyan Yojana (PMGKY) cash transfers. On the other hand, in a public relations faux pas, television channels have aired videos of middle-class women with gold chains around their necks and fire extinguishers in their homes thanking the prime minister for the meagre 500 relief. The most tragic fallout of the COVID-19 lockdown is that it has exposed threadbare the class, caste and religious prejudices pernicious in Indian society. The haunting images of the exodus of penniless migrants fleeing industrial cities, inhuman police brutality and children dying of starvation in Dalit hamlets will be hard to erase from our nations collective memory. More ration shops than banks Even if we limit ourselves only to the banking system in the context of the current parsimonious PMGKY relief package, the acute class bias is evident on four fronts: First, only 29 percent of Indians have these Jan Dhan accounts, though their vision is to bank every adult. More importantly, 53 percent of poor women do not possess these zero balance accounts, as per an estimate by Yale University. Therefore, while on the other hand nearly half of poor households have been deprived, one of every four of these cash transfers to 200 million womens bank accounts, have been dispatched to women who are essentially not poor. Second, the relief package doubles the ration and provides five kilos of free foodgrain over and above existing entitlements only to those families with National Food Security Act, 2013 (NFSA) ration cards. But 21 percent of poor women do not have these precious cards. Since the imposition of Aadhaar, the red tape to procure both ration cards and Jan Dhan bank accounts is largely similar in most states. So some families will receive double rations and cash, while the most marginalised households and migrants are most likely to be excluded from both. Third, there are more fair price shops than bank branches across nearly all states. As per the Yale survey, 26 percent of poor women reported that they lived more than five kilometers from their nearest bank. Universalisation of the Public Distribution System (PDS) with provision of free foodgrain to all families, including migrants and those without ration cards, is therefore the most prudent immediate solution to combat endemic hunger. Fourth, there is a distinct urban bias across the banking infrastructure. In urban areas, there are more bank branches and ATMs (596 per million population) than in rural (102). To compensate in the last decade, more business or banking correspondents (BCs) who undertake transactions with POS (point of sale) machines, have been hired in rural India (534 per million population) than in urban areas (295). But post-COVID19, their operations, which depend on Aadhaar biometric authentication, could spread infection. Future of cash transfers Nevertheless, oddly, the Home Ministry on 25 March sanctioned BCs and ATMs to continue their respective banking operations. Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan have even passed specific orders. The finance minister too encouraged their operation. Despite the lockdown, the RBI has estimated that 80 percent of BCs are functional. However, the ground reality is that BCs are under acute strain with limited transport, police harassment and fear of infection. National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development has advised that BCs should be provided with health insurance given the high risk associated with their jobs. Some banks have sanctioned an extra honorarium to purchase masks, gloves, disinfectants and sanitisers. But, in reality most BCs are not adequately aware or trained in the usage of disinfectants. A pizza delivery employee in Delhi who tested positive for COVID-19 potentially put 72 families at risk. For BCs, the physical interaction and proximity necessary is even greater as customers necessarily need to place their finger impressions on the glass panel. While many studies are being conducted at a feverish pace and estimates vary, most agree that SARS-CoV-2 the novel coronavirus that causes the COVID-19 disease can survive on glass for four days, on surgical latex gloves for up to eight hours and as air droplets for three hours. Therefore, as we enter an era with new waves of infectious global pandemics, it is essential to rethink the operations of BCs. Biometric authentication puts them and their customers at considerable risk of infection transmission even in asymptomatic stages. Recognising this danger, the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) was quick to suspend Aadhaar-based attendance systems across government offices and Karnataka, Jharkhand and Kerala, among many other states, have discontinued biometrics in fair price ration shops. In the near future, it would be wise to altogether discontinue Aadhaar-based fingerprint authentication across welfare programmes and banking operations, which have anyways proved to be cumbersome and error prone. Other suitable technologies with lower risk of such as contactless cards, which also enable offline usage, can be considered as they are touch-free and retained by the customer. In countries like the United Kingdom they are more ubiquitous than even currency notes as tickets for public transportation, identity cards and bank credit cards. Recently, the Indian government too has begun to issue limited RuPay contactless cards. Every crisis presents an opportunity. Immediately, to quell the surge of hunger and unemployment, the food ministry must adopt a universal PDS with free foodgrain for at least six months. India also definitely needs to rethink the modality of cash transfers, BCs and biometric authentication as the world moves to a new normal. Business as usual will no longer be an option. Admiral Group plc 27 April 2020 Admiral Group plc (Admiral, the Company or the Group) provides an update on dividends and its response to the Covid-19 crisis. Admirals priorities throughout this challenging period have been to support and protect customers, staff and the long-term value of the Group. All the Groups businesses are operational with staff working remotely. Amendment to 2019 final dividend proposal In light of the regulatory guidance to insurers urging restraint on the payments of dividends due to the uncertainty of the current economic environment, the Board has decided to amend its recommendation in relation to the final dividend for the year ended 31 December 2019. After careful consideration, the Board is recommending an unchanged normal dividend of 56.3p per ordinary share (payable on 1 June 2020 to all ordinary shareholders on the Company's register of members at the close of business on 11 May 2020), but is suspending the recommendation to pay a special dividend of 20.7p per ordinary share. The Board will review the position in relation to the special dividend alongside the Companys half year results. It currently intends to pay this part of the final dividend later in the year unless there is a significant deterioration in the companys financial position, trading or outlook. Resolution 3 as set out in the Notice of Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Company will be amended at the AGM to reflect the updated Board recommendation. All votes that have already been cast for or against Resolution 3 as set out in the Notice of AGM shall count towards the amended Resolution 3. The Group has significant liquidity and a strong solvency position, well above its target level and regulatory thresholds. Robust stress tests against the Company's financial position support the payment of the previously announced final dividend in full under normal circumstances. However, the Board is mindful of the call for heightened prudence from its regulators and has concluded that suspending the payment of the special dividend is appropriate at this time. An update will be provided when the Company reports its interim results in August 2020. Supporting customers, staff and the community The Boards decision in relation to the final dividend is being taken in the context of a broader package of measures announced by Admiral on 21 April which aim to provide support to customers, staff and Admirals communities during this unprecedented time. These include: Premium rebates worth 110 million to car and van insurance customers in recognition of customers staying at home and driving less during lockdown Committing an additional 80 million to reducing prices and supporting customers, NHS staff and the local community Supporting customers who are in financial hardship as a result of the pandemic. This includes flexibility with customers struggling with monthly payments for insurance and personal loans All employees are being paid their full salary at this time and no staff are being furloughed under the UK Government funded scheme. Admiral does not expect to require support from any other initiatives funded by the Government A 4 million Admiral Support Fund for Covid-19, which is predominantly providing funding and support in South Wales, where Admiral is based, to the NHS, charities, support groups and will also allow the Group to contribute to any insurance industry wide charitable effort David Stevens, Group CEO commented: We find ourselves in extraordinary circumstances, and it has been a very difficult decision to suspend the special dividend as we are aware of the importance and impact to our shareholders and staff. However, the Board and I believe that this is the prudent and right thing to do at this time. We thank our customers, staff and shareholders for their continued support, and we remain committed to making decisions that are in their best interests in the long term. David Stevens has confirmed to Admiral that the normal dividend payable to him and his wife will be donated in full to their charitable foundation to fund support for charities experiencing reduced income and increased needs during the Covid-19 crisis. This announcement contains inside information for the purposes of Article 7 of the Market Abuse Regulation (EU) 596/2014. The person responsible for the release of the announcement is Mark Waters, Company Secretary. For more information, please contact: Admiral Group plc Marisja Kocznur +44 (0) 29 2060 2034 Investors & Analysts FTI Consulting Edward Berry +44 (0) 20 3727 1046 Tom Blackwell +44 (0) 20 3727 1051 The residents of the town of New Milford are united during this time of uncertainty. Charitable efforts are abound. Residents are making masks (see stories, Pages S3 and S10) and donating funds to causes that support the purchase of gear or meals for first responders. Im so proud to be part of this, said Joe Quaranta of New Milford, who is the driving force behind the Mission Its Possible and the Helping Hands for Heroes efforts in town. Theres a monumental amount of love and strength in the community, he said. Through Helping Hands, Quaranta recently secured 16,000 pounds of food for the town, which was delivered last Friday. An trailer from AutoTechnic in town and several New Milford Police Department vans delivered the food to John Pettibone Community Center. Last Fridays food all quality products that can be turned into meals for families will benefit the towns food bank through the Social Services Department, the Community Culinary School of Northwest Connecticut and Camellas Cupboard. Thirty to 50 pounds of deli meat were also delivered and taken to Maggie Colangelo of 9 Main in New Preston, who made sandwiches that were then taken to Camellas Cupboard. The culinary school is working with the senior center to provide meals to the towns elder residents. In addition, Helping Hands, in collaboration with Dino Kolitsas, owner of New Milford Pizza Station and Greca Mediterranean Kitchen + Bar, provided 300 meals for the day and evening staff at New Milford Hospital Monday. They have been wonderful, Angie Chastain of Camellas Cupboard said of Helping Hands. They provided us with yogurt, dairy items, ham that was turned into sandwiches, 50 boxes of chips for lunch bags. They have been phenomenal and so accommodating, Chastain said. Camellas Cupboard provides to children a bag with seven breakfasts, lunch and snack items, and includes fruit, vegetable and dairy products. In addition, families in need is given produce, meat and other extras, such as soap and fabric masks. Chastain said the organization serves about 350 each week. Quaranta said he and his family went on alert when it became clear the towns emergency management departments would be in need of gear during the pandemic. To help, Quaranta spent the past few months reaching out to numerous undisclosed resources and connections to secure sizable amounts of personal protective equipment (PPE). Donations have been made to first responders in town, including the police and fire departments, the ambulance, New Milford VNA & Hospice. Helping Hands recently supplied New Milford Ambulance with 100 isolation suits and reusable P100 breathing apparatuses. In addition, neighboring towns such as Roxbury, Southbury and Danbury also received donations of PPE. The charity is also working with the Harold Leever Regional Cancer Center in Waterbury. Helping Hands for Heroes has been great to us, said Donna Hespe, persident of New Milford Community Ambulance. Nobody was prepared to have the PPE required that is needed for this virus. It was gone before we could get our hands on it. With the perseverance of Joe and his family, they were able to get some Tyvek suits, masks, boot covers, respirators and filters, gloves and even got us some meals for the crews, she said. They have been a tremendous support and we are very thankful for all of their help, she said. Quaranta said Helping Hands has had such a positive response, it will soon work with other institutions in the state. Were blessed to have such an amazing response in our community, but were also receiving donations from outside our community, he said. The sale of Helping Hands merchandise - including shirts, stickers, yard signs hats and more - online at www.helpinghandsforheros.com is tracked, along with donations. Locally raised funds are used for the town. Funds that come in from outside the community will be used to help organizations elsewhere in the state, he said. The website also features a sponsor a meal program. Individuals can sponsor, through a participating local restaurant, a meal for a local hero. As of press time, Greca Mediterranean Kitchen + Bar, Dagwoods, JoJos Deli and Cobblestones American Grille are participating. For more information about Helping Hands, visit helpinghandsforheros.com or visit them on Facebook. For more information about Camellas Cupboard, visit www.camellascupboard.com. Donations can be dropped off at the side door of town hall and at the Catherine E. Lillis Administration Building on East Street Fridays from noon to 4 p.m. The mystery over Kim Jong Uns health continues to intrigue people and the headlines are just adding to the uncertainty. What his actual status is, nobody really knows. But the news has surely popularized Kim Jongs sister, Kim Yo Jong. AFP It is being said that Kim Yo is likely to succeed her brother as North Koreas leader and if that is true, the world will have its first female dictator. Ram Gopal Verma wrote in a tweet, 'Rumour has it that Kim Jong Un s sister will take over if he dies and she supposedly is more brutal than him ..Good news is that world will have its FIRST FEMALE VILLAIN ..Finally JAMES BOND can get REAL'. Rumour has it that Kim Jong Un s sister will take over if he dies and she supposedly is more brutal than him ..Good news is that world will have its FIRST FEMALE VILLAIN ..Finally JAMES BOND can get REAL pic.twitter.com/EAebtPvhK5 Ram Gopal Varma (@RGVzoomin) April 24, 2020 Reports suggest that she is even more brutal than her brother, and that she has aided her brother in ruling North Korea. Kim Jong-Un's sister and potential successor Kim Yo Jong is definitely giving me the vibes pic.twitter.com/91U5syshzS Blooming Indigeneity (@JordenRevels) April 26, 2020 Be careful what you wish for when it comes to Kim Jong Un. Kim Yo Jong is the director of North Koreas Propaganda and Agitation department the driving force behind the propaganda that promotes her brother as a heroic leader. Shell be worse. pic.twitter.com/yMTu0igpv4 Alana Mastrangelo (@ARmastrangelo) April 26, 2020 A recent report from South Korea revealed that the supreme leader Kim Jong-un is absolutely fine. While some are debating the idea of his sister leading North Korea, others are busy making fancams of her. Last week, reports had surfaced saying that China had dispatched a team to North Korea, including medical experts, to advise on Kim Jong-un. The trip by the Chinese doctors and officials came amid conflicting reports about the health and stability of the North Korean leader. Korean government officials and Chinese officials with the health department challenged subsequent reports that suggested that Kim was in grave danger after the surgery. South Korean officials said in a statement that they had detected no points or signs of unusual activity in North Korea. A Nunavut judge is expected to decide soon on whether to allow a class action lawsuit involving a former teacher convicted of sexually assaulting students to go ahead. Justice Paul Bychok held a special chambers hearing on Feb. 14 to hear arguments on whether the class action should be allowed. The lawsuit, filed in 2015, says the governments of Canada, Nunavut and the Northwest Territories did not do enough to protect students from predatory abuse. The governments may have known about the abuse without doing anything about it, the statement of claim says. Maurice Cloughley was sentenced to ten years in prison in 1996 for abusing nine children in six communities spread across Nunavut and the Northwest Territories. The charges to which he pleaded guilty included seven counts of indecent assault and two counts of sexual assault. Cloughley committed the abuses while teaching in those communities between 1959 and 1979. Nick Murray/CBC In 2004, a lawsuit with 31 plaintiffs was filed at the Nunavut Court of Justice against the three governments. In 2008, a second similar lawsuit with 32 plaintiffs was filed against the three governments. But the lawsuits stalled until 2015, when two law firms teamed up and combined the cases into a single new case which is the current case being considered. For the last four years, lawyers from Ahlstrom Wright Oliver & Cooper and Morris Martin Moore have been trying to get this case approved as a class action lawsuit. In Nunavut, there is no legislation that allows for class actions, unlike most other jurisdictions. Class actions can still be pursued, but require special permission from the court. The new combined file had been sealed until earlier this month, when Chief Justice Neil Sharkey lifted the seal after an appeal was made by a member of the media. 3 complainants would represent collective experience The statement of claim says three complainants would testify and their testimony would represent the shared experiences of about 50 complainants between 1969 and 1981. Story continues All complainants experienced sexual abuse by Cloughley while underage, the lawsuit says. The governments "failed to respond to actual or constructive knowledge of acts of sexual abuse committed in its facilities by Cloughley, failed to properly investigate and supervise Cloughley, and failed to ensure the safety of the plaintiffs," the statement of claim says. The statement says Cloughley coerced children with gifts, special attention and extracurricular activities to pose for pornographic photographs, take showers and baths and perform sexual acts on each other, including intercourse. Earlier this year in January, lawyers for the plaintiffs filed an application to have the lawsuit approved as a class action with three representative plaintiffs. "The defendants had not put forth their positions as of the date of this brief," said the document, filed Jan. 28, meaning the three governments have not yet filed any statements of defence. After hearing the application in February, Bychok reserved his decision until early April, according to the court docket. But the decision has not yet been released, according to the Nunavut Court of Justice. Sebastian Stan has played Captain America's loyal friend Bucky Barnes and his one-time enemy The Winter Soldier, but he doesn't mind being passed over for the iconic title. The 37-year-old Avengers: Endgame star opened up in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter on Friday about his co-star Anthony Mackie being named the successor to Captain America. He also delved into the production of their upcoming series The Falcon And The Winter Soldier and how he's been holding up while quarantining in New York City amid the coronavirus pandemic. Passing the torch: Sebastian Stan, 37, revealed to The Hollywood Reporter that he didn't mind Captain America passing his shield on to his co-star Anthony Mackie (Falcon); pictured in January Chris Evans concluded his turn as Steve Rogers/Captain America in Endgame by passing on the torch to his friend and collaborator Sam Wilson/Falcon (Mackie), who was first introduced in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, despite having grown up alongside Stan's character. 'Steve is saying to Bucky "Im not going to put this thing on you. Were both going to live our lives the lives that were actually taken from us back in the '40s when we enlisted,"' Stan said. 'Thats where I felt they were at the end of [Endgame],' he continued. 'I dont think theres a desire or any conflicted thoughts about taking on that mantle.' 'Sam, to me, was always the clear man to take on that mantle for numerous reasons, which also comes with so much more baggage thats going to be explored in the show at the end of Endgame, for either Steve or Bucky, its really not about the shield.' Passed over: Chris Evans concluded his run by giving the Captain America title to Mackie, who first appeared in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, over his old friend Bucky (Stan); shown in 2016 Old pals: 'Steve is saying to Bucky "Im not going to put this thing on you. Were both going to live our lives the lives that were actually taken from us back in the '40s when we enlisted,"' Stan said Although Sebastians time in The Avengers seems to be over after Endgame at least for the near future he's already looking forward to continuing Bucky's quest in the upcoming Disney+ series The Falcon And The Winter Soldier. 'What I loved about it was that, tonally, it was very much in the same world that The Winter Soldier was, which was one of my favorite experiences that Ive ever had, period. So, in a sense, it was grounded and very much in the world as we know it,' he said. 'But, its also really jam-packed with a lot of massive, massive action scenes mixed with deep focus on character,' he continued. 'These characters are getting so much more mileage for all of us to explore them. We can put them in situations that weve never been able to put them in before because you now have six hours as opposed to two.' The Destroyer actor also said that the series feels like a movie, despite being spread out over multiple episodes. The Falcon And The Winter Soldier is slated to hit Disney+ in August, though the series may have to be postponed after halting production in Prague earlier in March due to the coronavirus pandemic. Coming soon: The Destroyer star said his new Disney+ series with Mackie is cinematic like the Marvel movies. It arrives on the streamer in August, assuming a coronavirus shutdown doesn't delay it Change of pace: The actor recently challenged himself with the mostly improvised romantic drama Endings, Beginnings, which he stars in with Shailene Woodley and Jamie Dornan Stan's next project will be the mostly improvised romantic drama Endings, Beginnings, which he stars in with Shailene Woodley and Jamie Dornan. After years of working on the biggest Hollywood blockbusters of recent times, working on an indie drama that required copious improvisation was initially a frightening experience. 'Ive always felt protected by scripts, lines and scenes. I feel like Im one of those people whos opened up much more by scripts. Im not as witty on my own,' he said. 'This was one of those different experiences, and I would certainly do it again. Id be curious to see if I could ever use parts of [improvisation] in a bigger movie. So, maybe this was really a training experience for that.' Same routine: Sebastian has been quarantining in New York City, though he's just been doing things he normally would with time off, like 'watching a lot of movies and just taking advantage of this time to chill out'; shown in January Though he has multiple works in the pipeline, Sebastian has had to put everything on hold like so many others as he quarantines at home in New York City. Despite the change of pace, he seems to be adapting well to life at home. 'If I wasnt working and I had time at home, I would probably be doing what Im doing now. Im writing, watching a lot of movies and just taking advantage of this time to chill out and get back to being present, something that is more and more difficult in our lives.' Numbers are a representation of reality, not reality itself. The point of numbers is to help understand the reality of whats happening. A philosopher once said, the map is not the territory, meaning there is a difference between a description of something and the thing itself. A good example of using numbers but ignoring reality was how some people describe COVID-19 as not much worse than the flu, based on the number of deaths from both. The comparison is inapt; flu deaths are a roughly defined estimate per season derived from multiple projections. In contrast, COVID-19 deaths have actually been observed over a period of weeks, and most deaths are clearly attributable to the virus (though not all). Only rarely has seasonal flu forced the creation of temporary field hospitals and morgues. The coronavirus is clearly not the routine seasonal flu. Tony Holohan said a decision on relaxing lockdown would go to the wire (Leon Farrell/Photocall Ireland/PA) A decision on relaxing coronavirus restrictions at the end of the current lockdown period will go down to the wire, the chief medical officer has said. Dr Tony Holohan expressed concern that rates of improvement on key indicators of the disease had started to slow and said he was growing in his belief that it was still not the time to recommend an easing. But he acknowledged that things may change in the days leading up to the end of the current restriction period on May 5. Dr Holohan chairs the national public health emergency team (NPHET), which will make a formal recommendation to the Government on whether the lockdown can be scaled back. It is down to the wire and I havent made my mind up, he said. Were hopeful that we will continue to see improvements in terms of the experience, but theres still a way to go Dr Tony Holohan The coronavirus death toll in Ireland rose to 1,102 on Monday after a further 18 deaths were reported by the Department of Health. There were 386 new confirmed cases of Covid-19, taking the total in Ireland to 19,648 since the outbreak began. Dr Holohans warning came as the HSE detailed its plans to reach 100,000 Covid-19 tests a week by the middle of May. Meanwhile, on reports that a coronavirus-related syndrome among children may be emerging in the UK, Dr Holohan said there was no evidence of anything similar in Ireland. The chief medical officer also said he did not think that relatively high incidences of the virus in several Irish border counties was linked to people with the infection travelling in from Northern Ireland. Elsewhere, the Rose of Tralee became the latest high-profile event to fall victim to the emergency after it was announced the festival would not take place for the first time in its 61-year history. Dr Holohan told the daily NPHET briefing: I was saying towards the end of last week that if the assessment was being made on any of the days I was with you towards the end of last week that we wouldnt be recommending that we had arrived at a point where we would be lifting those restrictions. Statement from the National Public Health Emergency Team The Health Protection Surveillance Centre has today been informed that a total of 18 people with #COVID19 have died, of which 17 were laboratory confirmed. Department of Health (@roinnslainte) April 27, 2020 If anything, I am more firmly of that view, given what we are seeing. He said ICU admissions were at a small though persistent rate and a further decrease was required. He also said more progress was needed in tackling the outbreaks in the residential settings, such as nursing homes. The number of outbreak clusters in nursing homes rose to 211 on Monday. Of those who have died with coronavirus in Ireland, 546 were nursing home residents. Were hopeful as the week goes on, theres still seven days left until May 5th, were hopeful that we will continue to see improvements in terms of the experience, but theres still a way to go, he said. I might be the chair of a process but I am only one voice in it, we have many different voices, well have a discussion tomorrow, well take further about the kind of measures that are important for us to look at and the levels in relation to those measures and well seek t wait as long as possible before applying those measures. People are getting frustrated, these measures are challenging for people but we need to continue the commitment we have made to try to get as far as we possibly can. Expand Close HSE chief executive Paul Reid said he hoped Ireland would be carrying out 100,000 tests a week by mid May (Leon Farrell/PA) PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp HSE chief executive Paul Reid said he hoped Ireland would be carrying out 100,000 tests a week by mid May (Leon Farrell/PA) Earlier on Monday, the HSE said it hoped to reach a target of 100,000 coronavirus tests per week by the middle of next month. Outlining plans to upscale testing and contact tracing, HSE chief executive Paul Reid described it as a key part of the strategy to enable restrictions to be lifted. This will involve a major plan to scale up our capacity and make some changes in processes, put some new community testing centres in place and ultimately deliver a higher volume, he said. Mr Reid also said the primary focus has been testing staff and residents in all long-term residential care places. He added: This has been a very important programme and Id like to thank the National Ambulance Service in conjunction with our community teams who have over the past week tested over 20,000 residents in those locations. Expand Close (PA Graphics) Press Association Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp (PA Graphics) Were also launching many of our clinical assessment hubs all across the country and 20 clinical assessment hubs are now in place. Mr Reid said the HSE was making good progress on the challenges around sourcing personal protective equipment (PPE), with extra deliveries coming in from China. The organisers of the Rose of Tralee Festival said it will be held again in August 2021. They said: This is the first time in our 61-year history that the festival has been postponed, but it is the right decision as we play our part right now in keeping each other safe and well. Meanwhile, the organisation representing people with intellectual disabilities said it had a positive meeting with Health Minister Simon Harris. The discussions came amid continuing concern about outbreaks of Covid-19 in long-term residential care homes. Inclusion Ireland said 90% of disability services are free from the virus and those that have an outbreak are by and large managing well. There have been 10 deaths in disability services settings. Please register or log in to keep reading. No credit card required! Stay logged in to skip the surveys. [April 27, 2020] BMO Harris Bank and 1871 Launch WMNFINtech, Women's Fintech Mentoring Program Women-led fintech startups from across the U.S. can apply through May 11 CHICAGO, April 27, 2020 /CNW/ - BMO Harris Bank and 1871 today announced a nationwide call to apply for WMNFINtech, a mentoring program for women-led startups and the latest evolution of the BMO Harris / 1871 Innovation Program. This marks the first time BMO and 1871 have partnered on a women's-focused program. Applications will be accepted through May 11. A significant gender gap persists in the startup and tech community. Only 20 percent of global startups raising their first funding round in 2019 had a female founder.1 BMO and 1871 created WMNFINtech to help address this gap and give more women entrepreneurs the opportunity to bring cutting-edge technology and products forward. The program is designed for startups that have created services or solutions for the financial sector, offer insights and advice to customers or help identify customer needs. WMNFINtech will provide selected startups with: A three-month mentoring program with guidance from industry experts at BMO Harris Bank A four-month membership and working space at 1871, the number one private business incubator in the world 2 Curriculum focused on teaching enterprise sales cycles, vendor management, information security and risk and regulatory requirements The opportunity to pitch venture capital investors for feedback, mentoring, continued connections and/or funding Participants will also have access to 1871's new "PYROS" initiative, a 13-week series of workshops, seminars and one-to-one mentoring built for founders to help them gain and grow customers and investor traction. PYROS will offer WMNFINtech participants with a path to scale financial technology or service business. Eligible startups have a woman founder or cofounder and are U.S.-based. Up to five startups will be selected to participate in this year's program. The program includes a pitch day designed for startups to gather feedback from and network with BMO senior executives. Participants may also have a potential future opportunity to pilot their product with BMO. _________________________ 1 Crunchbase, 2019 Diversity Report, https://news.crunchbase.com/news/eoy-2019-diversity-report-20-percent-of-newly-funded-startups-in-2019-have-a-female-founder/ . 2 UBI Global, World Rankings Report, 2019-2020, https://resources.ubi-global.com/hubfs/Publications/Rankings/UBI%20Global%20-%20Rankings%201920%20v2.pdf. "We are so excited to launch our first WMNFINtech cohort, doubling down on women founders focused on solving the hardest finance problems,'' said Betsy Ziegler, CEO of 1871. "The time is now, and BMO Harris Bank is the perfect partner given their strength as a financial institution and their long held mission to provide opportunities for women to come up and be powerful." "Women face unique challenges when running any business, especially startups," said Niamh Kristufek, head of U.S. business banking for BMO Harris Bank. "We designed this year's program to help women innovators and entrepreneurs overcome barriers and bring new ideas to market." Kristufek commented how BMO also benefits from the program, "Working in partnership with the startups enables us to continue advancing our digital strategy and building industry-leading customer experiences. It's a win-win." The program is an important step as BMO continues to build upon its strong digital foundation and invest in technology to transform the banking experience, with customer experience as a top priority. BMO's recent recognition as Corporate Champion at the 12th annual Momentum Awards reflects the bank's commitment to supporting the entrepreneur and innovation ecosystem. WMNFINtech also strongly aligns with BMO's focus on empowering women and breaking down barriers to inclusion within its workforce and the communities the bank serves. Learn more about BMO's support for women entrepreneurs and commitment to "Boldly Grow the Good in Business and Life." WMNFINtech applications are due by May 11, 2020, at 4 p.m. CT. More information and the application can be found here . About BMO Harris Bank BMO Harris Bank provides a broad range of personal banking products and solutions through more than 500 branches and fee-free access to over 40,000 ATMs across the United States. BMO Harris Bank's commercial banking team provides a combination of sector expertise, local knowledge and mid-market focus throughout the United States. For more information about BMO Harris Bank, visit the company fact sheet . Accounts are subject to approval. BMO Harris Bank N.A. Member FDIC. BMO Harris Bank is part of BMO Financial Group, a highly diversified financial services provider with total assets of CDN$880 billion, as of January 31, 2020. About 1871 1871 is Chicago's technology hub and the #1 ranked private business incubator in the world. It exists to inspire, equip, and support founders, growth-scalers and innovators in building extraordinary businesses. 1871 is home to ~450 technology startups, ~400+ growth stage companies, and ~1,500 members, and is supported by an entire ecosystem focused on accelerating their growth and creating jobs in the Chicagoland area. The member experience includes virtual and in person access to workshops, events, mentorship, and more. The nonprofit organization has 350 mentors available to its members, alongside access to more than 100 partner corporations, universities, education programs, accelerators, venture funds and others. Since its inception in 2012, more than 650 alumni companies are currently still active, have created over 11,250 jobs, and have raised more than $1.5 billion in follow-on capital. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bmo-harris-bank-and-1871-launch-wmnfintech-womens-fintech-mentoring-program-301047745.html SOURCE BMO Harris Bank [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] (Support Free Thought) - Urbana, IL In December, University of Illinois police officer Jerald Jerry Sandage, was arrested and charged with official misconduct for allegedly using police resources to look up personal information on women, while both on and off duty. He was let out shortly after and now finds himself back in the same Piatt County jail after being arrested again this time for the rape of multiple women, who were all unconscious at the time of their rapes. Sandage is accused of disgusting acts of rape on unwilling and unconscious victims. Illustrating the extremely depraved nature of his acts is the fact that the victims never knew they had been raped until seeing the photos of it. One of the victims found out from Sandage himself after he showed her the photos and videos of him raping her and then blackmailed her for more sex by threatening to expose an extramarital affair. Because Sandage was a cop, he has managed to escape accountability for his actions for years. In fact, some of the charges Sandage is currently facing stem from a 2018 investigation that originated when one of the victims went to Illinois State Police with her claims of rape. However, according to the News-Gazette, the office of the state appellate prosecutor, appointed at the time because Sandage was still a UI police officer, declined to file criminal charges in that case. They are likely regretting that decision as it allowed Sandage to victimize at least one victim, but potentially countless others. Not until 2019 did his own department find that he was using police resources to look up personal information on his victims to stalk them. Once this was uncovered, States Attorney Julia Rietz filed seven counts of official misconduct against Sandage in December. After his arrest on multiple counts of misconduct, the allegations that were once thrown out due to his blue privilege, received a second look. Other victims were then interviewed and Sandages phone was searched. What they found was an incredibly disturbing profile of a serial rapist with countless victims going back years. They found hundreds of thousands of images and pieces of data going back years, Rietz said. There are still potential victims out there that have not been identified yet. In the midst of the investigation, Sandage resigned in February after being a UI officer for 12 years. In court filings, Rietz described the allegations in each case of the four women who are known: On June 29, 2012, Sandage is accused of committing criminal sexual assault with a woman who was unable to consent. He and the woman were friends and were at a bar together. The victim was intoxicated and went to his home and fell asleep. Photos found on his phone show Sandage allegedly committing a sex act with the woman, who was unaware it happened until she was shown the photos. On March 19, 2016, Sandage is accused of committing criminal sexual abuse with a female friend. Photos on his phone show her apparently unconscious and in states of undress as he allegedly committed a sex act with her. The woman didnt know it had happened until seeing the pictures. On Sept. 22, 2018, Sandage is accused of committing criminal sexual assault on a woman he had met at a bar and invited to another bar to see a band. She went to his apartment with him, had a drink and passed out. She said she awoke to find him on top of her committing a sex act. A search of his phone showed that three weeks earlier, he had looked up information on date-rape drugs. (This was the case where the state appellate prosecutor declined to file charges.) Between November 2017 and November 2019, Sandage is accused of committing criminal sexual assault and intimidation with a woman he knew. He allegedly had sex with her when she couldnt consent and threatened that unless she continued to have sex with him, he would reveal to her husband information about another relationship she was having with a married man. Sandage is currently being held on a $3 million bond. If convicted on all counts, Sandage faces the possibility of spending the rest of his life in prison. Lets hope for his alleged victims, that he doesnt get off with a slap on the wrist, like so many other serial rapist cops. Madhya Pradesh is manufacturing 12,000 personal protective equipment (PPE) kits per day for frontline warriors battling COVID-19, as against its daily requirement of 10,000 kits, a government official has said. Since the coronavirus outbreak, 1.5 lakh PPE kits have so far been manufactured in the state and out of these, about 75,000 each have been sent to Indore and Bhopal, State Industrial Development Centre's Managing Director Kumar Purushottam said. "Madhya Pradesh needs 10,000 PPE kits per day, whereas the state is producing 12,000 kits every day," Kumar said in a release, adding that the state has surplus stock of PPE kits for the 'corona warriors'. About 40,000 kits are available in stock in Bhopal and Indore and are being sent to various districts as per requirements, he said. A large numbers of donors are also coming forward to supply PPE kits in Indore, he added. During a video conference with office-bearers of the Indian Medical Association on Saturday, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said the production of PPE kits in the state was started after an approval from the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). The state government has also started preparations to provide masks to people at reasonable rates. It has begun registration of women who are interested in stitching cotton cloth masks in the state, a public relations department official said. On the first day of registration on Sunday, 4,200 women registered themselves for the task, the official said. The state government will purchase masks made by these women at Rs 11 per piece and make them available to people at a reasonable rate, the official added. Till Sunday evening, Madhya Pradesh reported 2,090 COVID-19 cases and 103 deaths. So far, 302 patients have recovered from the disease and returned home, as per official figures. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) GARY Habitat for Humanity of Northwest Indiana has received a $2,000 grant from the Lake County Emergency Response Fund. The fund is managed and reviewed in partnership by the Legacy Foundation with Crown Point Community Foundation and Foundations of East Chicago. Funds will be used to provide volunteers and staff with personal protective equipment, sanitizers and cleaning products to use on home build sites and at Habitat ReStores in Merrillville and Griffith. In addition to building affordable homes with and for struggling, working families, Habitat for Humanity of Northwest Indiana operates two ReStores in Lake County. Each ReStore helps to support the mission of Habitat, building homes, community and hope. ReStores accept new and gently used home building materials to resell at a deep discount. Cleaning products and personal protective gear have rapidly depleted over the last month. Protection for volunteers, staff and shoppers is of the utmost concern. We are grateful for these funds from the foundations to purchase PPE and disinfectants. These products are crucial as we prepare to be reopened to the public once Gov. Eric Holcomb lifts the stay-at-home order," said Dawn Michaels, Executive Director of Habitat. Washington, April 27 : After witnessing a controversial 'inconclusive' report last week, all eyes are now on preliminary results from a key global trial of US-based Gilead Sciences' remdesivir, a potential antiviral drug to treat COVID-19, that will be out in the next one-two weeks. Dr Andre Kalil, a principal investigator from University of Nebraska Medical Center for the trial sponsored by the US National Institutes of Health (NIH), told CNN on Monday that "we can potentially have some early data in the next one or two weeks". "In the next few weeks, we're going to do the analysis, and we're going to basically know if remdesivir is better or not than placebo," he was quoted as saying. Citing a draft document prepared by the WHO which was accidentally leaked, a report in the Financial Times claimed last week that a Chinese trial showed remdesivir did not improve patients' condition or reduce the virus' presence in the bloodstream. Gilead reacted to the reports, saying that draft document included "inappropriate characterisations of the study" which is "inconclusive". "Importantly, because this study was terminated early due to low enrollment, it was underpowered to enable statistically meaningful conclusions," said the biotech firm. The new study is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. The trial began at the University of Nebraska Medical Center but has since expanded to nearly 70 clinical trial sites globally. "We want to see something that really matters, something that really changed the outcomes of these patients," said Kalil. Earlier, shares of Gilead Sciences surged following a media report that the company's antiviral drug remdesivir showed promise in treating COVID-19 patients in a "closely watched clinical trial" at the University of Chicago Medical Center. According to a report in the health-oriented news website STAT, most of the patients recruited for the studies reported fast recoveries in fever and respiratory symptoms. Gilead's severe COVID-19 study includes 2,400 participants from 152 different clinical trial sites all over the world. Remdesivir by Gilead Sciences is one of several drugs being fast-tracked into trials by the World Health Organization, comparing potential treatments in hospitalised COVID-19 patients in a dozen countries, including Canada. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) MIDDLETOWN Amazingly, the calendar turns from April to May this week in Middlesex County and throughout our great nation. It has now been over six weeks since we all started to collectively deal with this COVID-19 situation, which has caused major damage to public health and to our economy. However, it has also brought out the best in our community, and for that, I am immensely proud. I would like to take a moment to offer my weekly shout out from the chamber to all of those who are working so hard to effectively manage this crisis. From our friends on the front lines at Middlesex Health and other medical facilities, to our first responders and public officials who are working so hard, and friends who are serving the neediest among us, we thank you. On the chamber front, I continue to be so proud of my terrific staff who are providing top-level service to our membership, and to the business community at large, at a time when it is needed the most. Last week, was another busy one, which featured well-run and productive meetings of our East Haddam and Haddam Division, and a number of our industry-based councils and committees. All of these meetings are being held via online portal, or in some cases, via conference call. Our staff also continues to plan, and execute, informative webinars for the benefit of the business community. Last week featured a session on financial planning during a financial downturn led by Pullman and Comley, and a session hosted by the MEWS+, which detailed how the chambers response is helping the entrepreneur community in Middlesex County. Friday afternoon, we were joined by U.S. Congressman John Larson for an interactive webinar on the newly passed federal stimulus bill, which includes, among other measures, over $300 billion for the Paycheck Protection Program. Each of these chamber-led events featured over 50 attendees, and, in the case of the Congressmans session, we had almost 100. The chamber calendar marches on this week with more important content for the benefit of the business community. On Monday, the latest installment of our KeyBank Workshop Series features a session, The Ultimate Guide to Hosting an Online Webinar. Some of the key components include: how to choose between a web meeting and a webinar, the new security features of the Zoom platform, best practices for participating in a web event, alternatives to Zoom, how to effectively livestream, and some best practices with respect to licensing and other product specific information. We continue to appreciate the support of KeyBank, which has been right there with us as we have transitioned from an in-person to virtual workshop series. The chambers very successful Tuesday Tips campaign, which features weekly webinars with top legal professionals, continues Tuesday with a session led by Updike, Kelly & Spellacy, P.C., Positioning Your Business for Success When Connecticut Re-Opens. This webinar, beginning at 2 p.m., will focus on practical considerations for getting back to business including: employment law, making your business safety complaint, navigating the intersection of the SBA and CARES Act relief, relief certification and the False Claims Act, tax law, and obtaining forgiveness under the Paycheck Protection Program. The program will feature an opportunity for questions and answers with UKS attorneys Christopher L. Brigham, Valerie F. Ferdon, Richard M. Dighello, Donald R. Seifel and Richard D. Carella. Wednesday afternoon features another chamber hosted webinar with the Connecticut Small Business Development Center. This session, featuring CTSBDC Associate State Director Matt Pugliese and Middlesex County Business Counselor Jim Jackson, will address the newly passed federal stimulus legislation. The webinar will outline any changes or updates that have or will be made to PPP and EIDL, and will detail what a businessperson should do if they already applied but have not yet received funding. Other chamber meetings on the calendar this week include the Westbrook Division, Chester, Deep River and Essex Division, the Arrigoni Bridge Committee, our Womens Leadership Collaborative, and our Nominating Committee which will select chamber officer candidates for next year. The Arrigoni Bridge Committee meeting will feature updates from DOT and from the contractor, Mohawk Northeast, on not only the bridge project itself, but on the work that is continuing in St. John Square. The main goal of the committee is to make sure that access to the bridge is not compromised during the construction, and that emergency and other critical vehicles can access the construction zones at all times. The chamber is also monitoring the economic impact of the project, and will continue to be a constructive partner until its conclusion. I thank Middletown Fire Chief Rob Kronenberger and Portland Public Works Director Bob Shea, co-chairs of this important committee. On Thursday afternoon, chamber vice presidents Jeff Pugliese and Johanna Bond will represent us on an important 60-minute webinar focused on reactivating the states pandemic-stricken economy. This webinar is hosted by the Connecticut Business and Industry Association. The Reopen Connecticut Advisory Group, established by Gov. Ned Lamont, is busy developing guidelines and recommendations for our state. This webinar will begin with DECD Commissioner David Lehman, who will provide an overview of the administrations approach and priorities. Attendees will also hear from four members of the advisory groups business subcommittee, which includes CBIA President Joe Brennan, Connecticut Retail Merchants Association President Tim Phelan, EBP Supply Solutions CEO Meredith Reuben, and Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce President Garrett Sheehan. I urge the business community to hang in there, and to lean on the chamber and other resources that are available at this time. If you visit the chambers website, you can access the coronavirus tool kit, which includes a survey which will help us help you, along with a number of resources which we are updating on a regular basis as more information becomes available. There, you can access all of the outstanding webinars that we have hosted since the beginning of this crisis. They contain very helpful information on everything from the CARES Act to legal advice, accounting advice, best practices for working virtually, and more. We have also created a social media campaign which allows our members to share the creative ideas they are employing to stay operational and helpful to their fellow community members during this period. Please connect with the chambers Shout it Out! campaign, and let us know what you are up to. This campaign has seen hundreds of posts about economic and community support activity taking place in our region, and has over 1,300 followers as of the end of last week. On the restaurant front, the website has a section dedicated to promoting Middlesex County restaurants open for pick-up orders. This information is also available through our social media platforms. Please support these local restaurants if you are able to do so safely. It is also a good time, if you are able, to support the local business community through the purchase of gift cards. All businesses, large and small, are part of the fabric of this community. It is time to come together, to support each other, so we can weather this storm and come back strong. Finally, I want to take a moment to send out best wishes on behalf of the chamber to our entire community. This is undoubtedly a very difficult and even unprecedented time. However, I continue to believe that we will come through this, together, and we will be stronger on the other side. The sun always shines in Middlesex County, and we will never waiver on that. Stay safe, stay healthy, and keep going. Have a great week. Larry McHugh is president of the Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce in Middletown. [April 27, 2020] Amplify's mCLASS Texas Edition Chosen to Support Texas' Youngest Learners Amplify, a publisher of next-generation curriculum and assessment programs, announced today that mCLASS Texas Edition has been selected as the Texas Education Agency (TEA)-approved alternative free Reading Diagnostic Tool for Kindergarten and as one of the free options for grades 1-2, as legislated by HB3. mCLASS Texas Edition provides a full K-6 assessment solution, enabling Texas educators to leverage and connect valuable student data from the beginning of a student's literacy journey to later grades, reflecting a reliable and valid view of every student's progression. "Amplify is honored to partner with TEA," said Krista Curran, senior vice president & general manager, assessment and intervention at Amplify. "mCLASS Texas Edition helps educators in the state of Texas know how to support their students' journey in becoming confident readers." In addition to English assessments, mCLASS Texas Edition provides screening and diagnostic assessments for Spanish literacy, with Spanish assessment and instruction tools that are unique to Spanish language development and support biliteracy development in dual language settings. mCLASS Texas Edition includes: Efficient one-minute DIBELS 8th Edition and IDEL (Spanish) measures, plus additional Amplify-developed measures that fulfill TEA's Language and Literacy requirements Engaging, personalized instruction to provide remediaton and enrichment for all students A built-in dyslexia screener with a risk indicator that clearly shows at-risk students and meets the state's K-1 requirements Instruction that highlights observed patterns from students' assessment results and recommends activities to target skill deficits Robust classroom and administrator-level reports that give instant results and clear next steps for each student free demo of mCLASS Texas Edition, along with live weekly webinars covering topics such as: Getting Started with mCLASS Texas, Data and Reporting, Dyslexia Measures, and Grouping and Instruction. About Amplify A pioneer in K-12 education since 2000, Amplify is leading the way in next-generation curriculum and assessment. Our captivating core and supplemental programs in ELA, math, and science engage all students in rigorous learning and inspire them to think deeply, creatively, and for themselves. Our formative assessment products turn data into practical instructional support to help all students build a strong foundation in early reading and math. All of our programs provide teachers with powerful tools that help them understand and respond to the needs of every student. Today, Amplify serves more than five million students in all 50 states. For more information, visit amplify.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200427005617/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Contact tracing to rapidly isolate people who could be infected with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) reduced the length of time people were infectious in the community over 4 weeks (from 14 January to 12 February 2020) in Shenzhen, China, according to results from 391 cases and 1,286 of their close contacts, published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal. In Shenzhen, authorities identified who to isolate based on their contact with confirmed cases, as well as isolating people who already had symptoms. The new study finds that contact tracing increased the speed at which new cases were confirmed by 2 days (an average of 5.5 days initially, reduced to 3.2 with contact tracing). It also reduced the amount of time it took to isolate infected people by 2 days (from an average of 4.6 days down to 2.7). There were only three deaths in the study group during the study period. On January 8, 2020, authorities began to monitor travellers from Hubei province for symptoms such as a fever and cough, and after 2 weeks expanded to monitor people without symptoms as well as the wider community. Suspected cases and their close contacts provided nasal swabs, which were tested for coronavirus at 28 local hospital and 12 other centres. People with symptoms were isolated and treated in hospital before their test results were known, and those without symptoms were quarantined at dedicated facilities. Close contacts who tested negative were quarantined at home or in a dedicated facility and monitored for 14 days. During the study period, the reproductive number among observed cases was 0.4, far below the threshold of 1 required for incidence to decline. However, since this was only among traced contacts the true reproductive number was likely higher, though the end of the local outbreak suggests it also was below 1. "The experience of COVID-19 in the city of Shenzhen may demonstrate the huge scale of testing and contact tracing that's needed to reduce the virus spreading," says Dr Ting Ma from the Harbin Institute of Technology at Shenzhen, China. "Some of the strict control measures enforced here, such as isolating people outside their homes, might be unlikely to be replicated elsewhere, but we urge governments to consider our findings in the global response to COVID-19. To achieve similar results, other countries might be able to combine near-universal testing and intensive contact tracing with social distancing and partial lockdowns. Although no lockdown measures were introduced in Shenzhen until the end of our study period, Wuhan's lockdown could have significantly restricted the spread of coronavirus to Shenzhen." [2] For the current study, the authors analysed data from 391 people diagnosed with COVID-19 after they showed symptoms, and 1,286 of their close contacts. The contacts were tested irrespective of whether they had symptoms in order to identify infected people who were asymptomatic. The data gave insights into the type of contact most likely to lead to transmission. Close contacts were defined as people who shared a household with infected patients up to 2 days before they started showing symptoms, or interacted with them socially by travelling or eating together. For people who were isolated because they showed symptoms of COVID-19, it took an average of 4.6 days for them to be isolated following the first signs of infection. Contact tracing reduced this to an average of 2.7 days. For people diagnosed with COVID-19 after being contact traced and tested (87 people), a fifth (17 out of 87 people) had not yet developed any symptoms, and 30% (25 out of 87) did not have a fever. Contact tracing also reduced the length of time between someone first experiencing symptoms and being diagnosed. It took an average of 5.5 days if people were only tested after they reported symptoms, but with contact tracing there was only a delay of an average of 3.2 days between the first symptoms and a confirmed diagnosis. The length of time for which a person remains infectious is not yet known, but reducing the amount of time that infected people interacted with others appears to have helped reduce the virus spreading. In this study, transmission was most likely between people who shared a household, but not all close contacts caught COVID-19, with only 11% of close contacts of this kind developing the disease. Of close contacts who travelled together with an infected person (for example on a plane, bus, train or boat), an average of 6% developed the disease. Of close contacts who shared a meal with an infected person, an average of 9% developed the disease. The authors note that these transmission rates will be higher in other countries, where measures such as isolation outside the home might not be as strict or rapid. These data do not give any insights into why some cases cause higher levels of transmission than others. The study also provided results on the likelihood of infection by age group, the severity of symptoms according to age group, the incubation period before symptoms began, and the recovery time or time to death. The results were consistent with those from previous studies. The authors highlight several limitations to their study, including that it is impossible to trace every potential contact an individual has. Contact tracing therefore focuses on close contacts who are most likely to be infected. They note that some infected travellers to Shenzhen could have been missed if they were only tested due to symptoms such as a fever. Their contacts might also have been missed if they were asymptomatic, because the PCR test is not sensitive enough to pick up every case. Writing in a linked Comment, lead epidemiologist Dr Cecile Viboud (who was not involved in the study) from the National Institutes of Health, USA, says: "As we look towards post-lockdown strategies, we should examine the experience of countries that have successfully controlled SARS-CoV-2 transmission or have low mortality (eg, China, Singapore, Taiwan, South Korea, Germany, and Iceland). Successful strategies include ample testing and contact tracing, supplemented by moderate forms of social distancing. Contact tracing on the scale that is needed for the SARS-CoV-2 response is labour intensive, and imperfect if done manually. Hence new technology-based approaches are greatly needed to assist in identification of contacts, especially if case detection is aggressive. Building on the SARS-CoV-2 experience in Shenzhen and other settings, we contend that enhanced case finding and contact tracing should be part of the long-term response to this pandemic--this can get us most of the way towards control." ### Peer-reviewed / Observational study / People NOTES TO EDITORS This study was funded by the Emergency Response Program of Harbin Institute of Technology, the Emergency Response Program of Peng Cheng Laboratory and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It was conducted by researchers from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Harbin Institute of Technology at Shenzhen, and Peng Cheng Laboratory, Shenzhen. The labels have been added to this press release as part of a project run by the Academy of Medical Sciences seeking to improve the communication of evidence. For more information, please see: http://www.sciencemediacentre.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/AMS-press-release-labelling-system-GUIDANCE.pdf if you have any questions or feedback, please contact The Lancet press office pressoffice@lancet.com [1] https://doi.org/10.1016/S1473-3099(20)30243-7 [2] Quote direct from author and cannot be found in the text of the Article. For interviews with the Article author, please contact: Dr Ting Ma: E) tma@hit.edu.cn T) +86-18825278961 Professor Justine Lessler: E) justin@jhu.edu T) 919-599-2133, or Communications Associate Jon Eichberger: T) je@jhu.edu For interviews with the Comment author, please contact NIH Communications Director Ann Puderbaugh: E) puderba@mail.nih.gov For embargoed access to the Article and Comment, please see: http://www.thelancet-press.com/embargo/contacttracing.pdf For embargoed access to the Appendix, please see: http://www.thelancet-press.com/embargo/contacttracingAPPX.pdf NOTE: THE ABOVE LINK IS FOR JOURNALISTS ONLY; IF YOU WISH TO PROVIDE A LINK FOR YOUR READERS, PLEASE USE THE FOLLOWING, WHICH WILL GO LIVE AT THE TIME THE EMBARGO LIFTS: http://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473-3099(20)30287-5/fulltext Contact The Lancet press office: LONDON Jessica Kleyn, Press Officer Tel: +44 (0) 7342 068540 jessica.kleyn@lancet.com Emily Head, Media Relations Manager Tel: +44 (0) 7920 530997 emily.head@lancet.com Seil Collins, Head of Media and Communications Tel: +44 (0) 7787 222936 seil.collins@lancet.com NEW YORK Aaron van Dorn, Outreach Editor/Press Assistant Tel: +1 212-633-3810 a.vandorn@lancet.com OUTSIDE OF UK HOURS Tel: +44 (0) 207 424 4249 China Hanking Holdings (HKG:3788) shareholders are no doubt pleased to see that the share price has bounced 30% in the last month alone, although it is still down 14% over the last quarter. That brought the twelve month gain to a very sharp 81%. All else being equal, a sharp share price increase should make a stock less attractive to potential investors. While the market sentiment towards a stock is very changeable, in the long run, the share price will tend to move in the same direction as earnings per share. So some would prefer to hold off buying when there is a lot of optimism towards a stock. One way to gauge market expectations of a stock is to look at its Price to Earnings Ratio (PE Ratio). A high P/E implies that investors have high expectations of what a company can achieve compared to a company with a low P/E ratio. See our latest analysis for China Hanking Holdings Does China Hanking Holdings Have A Relatively High Or Low P/E For Its Industry? China Hanking Holdings has a P/E ratio of 8.84. You can see in the image below that the average P/E (9.2) for companies in the metals and mining industry is roughly the same as China Hanking Holdings's P/E. SEHK:3788 Price Estimation Relative to Market April 27th 2020 Its P/E ratio suggests that China Hanking Holdings shareholders think that in the future it will perform about the same as other companies in its industry classification. The company could surprise by performing better than average, in the future. I would further inform my view by checking insider buying and selling., among other things. How Growth Rates Impact P/E Ratios P/E ratios primarily reflect market expectations around earnings growth rates. Earnings growth means that in the future the 'E' will be higher. Therefore, even if you pay a high multiple of earnings now, that multiple will become lower in the future. So while a stock may look expensive based on past earnings, it could be cheap based on future earnings. In the last year, China Hanking Holdings grew EPS like Taylor Swift grew her fan base back in 2010; the 81% gain was both fast and well deserved. The cherry on top is that the five year growth rate was an impressive 106% per year. So I'd be surprised if the P/E ratio was not above average. Story continues 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. Theoretically, a business can improve its earnings (and produce a lower P/E in the future) by investing in growth. That means taking on debt (or spending its cash). Such expenditure might be good or bad, in the long term, but the point here is that the balance sheet is not reflected by this ratio. Is Debt Impacting China Hanking Holdings's P/E? China Hanking Holdings's net debt is 23% of its market cap. That's enough debt to impact the P/E ratio a little; so keep it in mind if you're comparing it to companies without debt. The Verdict On China Hanking Holdings's P/E Ratio China Hanking Holdings's P/E is 8.8 which is about average (9.3) in the HK market. Given it has reasonable debt levels, and grew earnings strongly last year, the P/E indicates the market has doubts this growth can be sustained. What we know for sure is that investors are becoming less uncomfortable about China Hanking Holdings's prospects, since they have pushed its P/E ratio from 6.8 to 8.8 over the last month. 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. Investors should be looking to buy stocks that the market is wrong about. As value investor Benjamin Graham famously said, 'In the short run, the market is a voting machine but in the long run, it is a weighing machine. We don't have analyst forecasts, but shareholders might want to examine this detailed historical graph of earnings, revenue and cash flow. You might be able to find a better buy than China Hanking Holdings. If you want a selection of possible winners, check out this free list of interesting companies that trade on a P/E below 20 (but have proven they can grow earnings). If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading. Hundreds of graduate workers at Columbia University in New York City began a strike on April 24, demanding that the university sufficiently address the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on their lives, scholarship and research. Beginning on May 1, the strike will extend into a rent strike for residents of university-owned housing. The strikers are demanding emergency measures including, according to a graphic released by strike organizer Danielle Carr, cancellation of rent in university housing, extending funding and time to complete degree requirements by one year, the protection of international students, an emergency stipend and the ending of university austerity to schools. Columbia, located in the city with the most confirmed COVID-19 cases in the world, moved to all-online instruction in mid-March. Most students left their dormitories by March 17. However, Columbia also owns non-dormitory housing, which many graduate students rent and for which rent has not been canceled. Graduate teaching assistants are still instructing and grading students remotely as part of their work. Strikers have stopped teaching, but will not submit grades for students as the spring semester nears its end. Beginning on May 1, the graduate students will also begin a rent strike. Housing is a major concern even under normal circumstances. Many stipends amount to little more than rent for a bedroom in a university-owned apartment, which for one student who spoke to New York magazine is $1,400 a month. Students who were relying on subletting their unit during the summer months are out of luck given the cancellation of summer programs. According to the Columbia Spectator, the university will give graduate students on nine-month appointments $3,000, although that is unlikely to be much better than the two months of rent relief it gave small commercial tenants. Many Columbia programs are in danger due to the financial impact of the pandemic, which is expected to decimate tuition, clinical income, government grants and private support. The university has already announced hiring and salary freezes. The Columbia strike follows an earlier strike authorization vote in March which resulted in a resounding 96 percent yes vote. That vote, which was partially held online due to the pandemic, indicated the desire of students to fight. As of this writing, it is not clear whether the strike is officially sanctioned by the graduate students union, the Graduate Workers of Columbia-United Auto Workers (GWC-UAW), or whether the strike is a wildcat action. A general membership meeting of the union voted in favor of striking, but the strike is opposed by the unions bargaining committee. The only mention, as of this writing, of the strike by the UAW is a terse statement which says: The Bargaining Committee voted 53 against calling a strike under the current circumstances. We will continue to fight for a strong contract and fair solutions to problems rising from the COVID-19 crisis. We expect Columbia to respect the student workers rights to engage in collective action. Regardless of whether the strike has the formal sanction of the UAW, it is clear that the strike has broken out against the opposition of the corrupt union apparatus. The last strike at Columbia, in the fall of 2018, was scuttled by the union in a secret deal negotiated between regional union bureaucrats and the university administration. The deal contained a no-strike clause which only expired on April 6. The notoriously corrupt UAW, with over a dozen leading UAW officials indicted or convicted in an expanding federal corruption probe, has worked to sell out one strike after another over the course of decades, including graduate strikes at Harvard and UC Santa Cruz and last years nationwide strike at General Motors. During the pandemic, it closed ranks with management at the US automakers to keep workers on the line, until a wildcat strike wave in mid-March forced the automakers to shut production in North America. The UAW is now working hand in glove to get workers back into the plants as soon as possible . In striking, Columbia graduate workers are joining an international strike wave in defense of workers lives and livelihoods, especially since the coronavirus pandemic began. Workers in auto, appliance manufacturing, grocery delivery, logistics and health care have struck or carried out other job actions demanding personal protective equipment, the end of nonessential production and that the economy is reopened only when it is safe to do so. This strike wave immediately raises the question of who controls societys resources, superseding individual contract struggles. It is clear that, to minimize death and disruption, what is absolutely necessary is the marshaling of resources to ensure safe working conditions for essential workers, conducive educational conditions for students learning remotely and telecommuting for as many workers as possible. Those unable to work remotely whose work is not essential must be made whole economically. Those impacted by the pandemic, including researchers, should receive support to resume when it is safe to do so. The only way to ensure that resources are allocated toward social need, including education and health, rather than private profit, is a political struggle to end the capitalist system. Netanyahu 'Confident' Israel Will Annex Parts of West Bank Within Months By VOA News April 26, 2020 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he is "confident" Israel will be able to annex parts of the West Bank within a few months with backing from the Trump administration. "We will be able to celebrate another historic moment in the history of Zionism," Netanyahu told a group of European evangelical Christians who strongly back Israel. He spoke to the group via video Sunday. Israel plans to declare sovereignty over the strategically vital Jordan Valley and to all Jewish settlements in the West Bank. Israel has occupied the West Bank since capturing it in the Six Day War in 1967. U.S. President Donald Trump gave his backing to the Israeli annexation when he unveiled details of his Middle East peace plan in January, approving giving what Netanyahu calls a "buffer zone" against terrorists. About 500,000 Jews live in settlements in the West Bank many of them Americans who emigrated to what they insist is their rightful biblical home. There has been no reaction from the Palestinians so far to Netanyahu's address Sunday, but they have already declared Trump's peace plan dead. The Palestinians want the West Bank for an independent state with east Jerusalem as its capital. The Trump peace plan includes a Palestinian state, but one that comes with numerous conditions. U.N. and European Union officials have warned against Israeli annexation of the West Bank, calling it illegal and a move that would set off a powder keg across the Middle East. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address A new national study has been launched to look at the impact of social service closures due to coronavirus, on the lives of older people, people with dementia and unpaid carers. An expert team of NHS, voluntary and academic collaborators from across the country have been brought together to conduct this novel UK wide study. The study includes Lancaster University, the University of Liverpool, UCLAN, University of Bradford, and UCL, and it will examine the impact of self-isolation on the wellbeing of older people, those living with dementia and unpaid carers. Dr Siobhan Reilly, Senior Lecturer from Lancaster University, said: "We know certain groups are likely to be affected differently so it is important that as many people take part in this research as possible. "We want to have representation from all groups and all parts of society. The more participation we have, the more relevant our results will be". People living with dementia and older people can be heavily reliant on accessing support groups, social activities in the community, befrienders, day care centres, or singing and dancing groups to stay socially active and get the support that health care services cannot provide. However, due to Covid-19 these face-to-face services are now temporarily closed, leaving huge gaps in support and care needs. Dr Clarissa Giebel of the University of Liverpool said "We want to hear from older people, unpaid carers and people living with dementia, either alone or in a supported context. They can have their voice heard in our research and the results will be put in front of decision makers." The study can be done online or via the phone and requires a commitment of 20-30 minutes three times over a period of 12 weeks and closes to new registrations on 31 July 2020. The project has already gained support from key service providers such as the National Museums Liverpool's award-winning dementia awareness programme - House of Memories is sharing the new study through its networks across the UK to reach people living with dementia, and their carers. Carol Rogers, Director of House of Memories at National Museums Liverpool said: This vital research by the University of Liverpool will helps us to fully understand the impact of Covid-19 on families living with and affected by dementia during this difficult time of social isolation. We want to extend the reach of this study to our audiences to ensure their voices are heard and consider how we can adapt House of Memories' programme based on the research." Anna Gaughan, Chief Executive at Life Story Network said: "As from April 1st local authorities have the power to implement more stringent cuts- further reducing their support for unpaid carers under the emergency Covid-19 Act. "Taking part in this vital research and sharing your experience of the impact of these cuts will help inform the six-month review that the government has committed to undertaking. We want to ensure that the voice of unpaid carers of people with dementia still continues to influence policy, research and practice during this critical time." Turn this small-time indie project into reality by supporting the Kickstarter here , watching the trailer on YouTube here , and visiting the brand new Steam page here . French English Dutch Given the exceptional situation relating to the COVID-19 pandemic, Solvays priority is to maintain the good health and safety of its shareholders, employees and other stakeholders. To this end, in accordance with Royal Decree n4 of 9 April 2020 on various company law provisions in the context of the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic, it has been decided to modify the organisation of the Ordinary and Extraordinary General Meetings of Tuesday 12 May 2020 at 10.30 a.m. Meetings without physical presence of shareholders and with video webcast The new terms and conditions are specified in the updated notice of meeting, which is accessible in the 2020 General Meetings section of the website: https://www.solvay.com/en/investors/financial-calendar-events-presentations/shareholders-meetings/2020-shareholders-meeting Shareholders' Meetings will be held without the physical presence of shareholders, and will be broadcasted live on Solvay's Internet site in the form of a webcast available for shareholders. This broadcast will not allow live voting. Shareholders will only be able to vote remotely before Shareholders' Meetings, by mail or by giving a proxy to Solvay (or a person designated by its Board of Directors). Exercising voting rights Postal voting and proxy forms are available in the 2020 General Meetings: https://www.solvay.com/en/investors/financial-calendar-events-presentations/shareholders-meetings/2020-shareholders-meeting There are no changes related to the agenda items and motions for resolutions. For shareholders who have sent a validly completed proxy with voting instructions for the benefit of a third party, the votes or abstentions expressed in such proxy will be taken into account, without needing the proxy holders presence or the shareholder having to complete an additional form. For shareholders who have not yet sent their voting form or proxy by the date of this press release, we kindly ask them to only use the updated forms available at the above-mentioned website address. Right to ask questions Shareholders are of course still entitled to ask questions, but only in writing prior to the Shareholders Meetings, by ordinary mail or by e-mail to ag.solvay@solvay.com . These questions will be answered orally at the Meetings during the live broadcast. It will not be possible to ask additional questions during the webcast. Proxy forms, postal voting forms and questions relating to items on the agenda must reach Solvay no later than Friday, May 8, 2020. Practical webcast terms As indicated above, shareholders will be able to follow Solvay Shareholders' Meetings on the internet via a webcast. Shareholders wishing to follow the webcast are invited to register to the virtual event in the Shareholders' Meetings 2020 section of the website. The information requested from shareholders to access the video broadcast of the Meetings constitutes "personal data" concerning the shareholders and will be processed by Solvay SA (Rue de Ransbeek 3010, 1120 Brussels), acting as the data controller. To this end, Solvay relies on its legitimate interest in managing and securing the video retransmission mentioned above and will only keep the shareholders' personal data until the next Meeting. Solvay will process the personal data of shareholders in accordance with its Privacy Policy, available online via the following link: https://www.solvay.com/en/information/data-protection-and-privacy-policy.html . This Policy contains in particular explanations concerning your rights relating to the processing of your personal data by Solvay (including the right to access and rectify your personal data as well as, in certain cases, the right to be forgotten , the right to limit processing, the right to data portability and the right to object to processing). This webcast must not be interpreted as an offer, an invitation to offer or a solicitation, or as advice or a recommendation to buy, subscribe, issue or sell Solvay securities. Attachment While the April 21 article on unemployment insurance questions (Q&A on Oregons faulty employment claims system: Whats a laid-off worker to do?) was good to read, regrettably it left out the fact that in Oregon, unlike life insurance payments, employment insurance payments are taxed. At a time when the business community is complaining about paying a 0.57% tax on its sales in excess of $1 million, unemployed Oregonians are paying 5% to 9.9% in income taxes on their unemployment insurance payments. Thats right, in Oregon the tax on unemployment insurance benefits is 10 or more times greater than the tax on business sales exceeding $1 million. An unemployed worker getting the maximum unemployment insurance benefits ($648 a week) will be paying at least $32 each week ($421 for the quarter) in personal income taxes (that comes from the 5% tax lowest bracket). Now is the right time to right this wrong in Oregon's tax system by exempting unemployment insurance payments from the personal income tax. Chuck Sheketoff, Silverton He added: But Ive been very clear with Oklahomans that coronavirus is still in the United States, and its still in Oklahoma. Interviewed on the same show, Dr. Thomas V. Inglesby of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health said the pandemic may be reaching an overall plateau, but the risk of a new spike remained clear, and there should be no sense that the nation had turned a corner. If you go state by state, you see that about half of the country in half of the country, the numbers are still rising day to day, he said. And about another third of the country, there seems to be a leveling off. And only in a minority of the country the numbers are actually coming down day by day. He said the virus would be around until there was a vaccine for it. Everyone needs to be aware that, even as were beginning to open up again, there is a clear chance of a rise in cases in states that are doing that. Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus response coordinator, said Americans should expect social distancing guidelines to continue for months. Social distancing will be with us through the summer, she said Sunday on NBCs Meet the Press. Dr. Birx also said a different type of coronavirus test was required to screen the U.S. population on the necessary scale, saying that it would take a huge technology breakthrough to get there. Whats needed, she said, is a screening test that detects antigens, like the screening tests used for flu, strep and other diseases. Antigens stimulate the body to produce antibodies, and are essentially evidence of an immune response. On CNNs State of the Union Sunday, she also acknowledged that the nation was not using existing testing capacities to the fullest. She said the administration was working with states to identify all their testing sites and supply the needed swabs and chemical reagents. In Michigan, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat whose coronavirus policies have been the target of protests, extended the stay-at-home order until May 15, but relaxed a number of social distancing policies on Friday to allow in-state travel and some recreational activities. Christians urged to call for release of deacon kidnapped, imprisoned for sharing Gospel in N. Korea Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment The Voice of the Martyrs in Korea has launched a global letter-writing campaign urging the release of an ethnic Korean Chinese Christian who was kidnapped from China six years ago, put in a North Korean prison, and sentenced to 15 years in prison for his ministry to North Korean people. Deacon Jang Moon Seok, who is also known by his Chinese name Zhang Wen Shi, is serving a prison sentence for defaming the regime, attempting to incite subversion of state power and providing aid and the Gospel to North Koreans, according to the U.S.-based group International Christian Concern. VOMs Korea representative, Dr. Hyun Sook Foley, said North Korea kidnapped Jang to gather information about VOMs ministry work in that country, particularly their work with Pastor Han who was stabbed to death in Changbai in China (a town on the border between China and North Korea) over a year after Jang's arrest. Though it is illegal to cross into China without permission, North Koreans often visit Chinese border towns to purchase goods for reselling in North Korea, to seek medicine or other help, and to conduct business, explains Deacon Jangs prisoner profile, which is part of the campaign. Near Changbai, North Koreans gather herbs on the North Korean side of the mountain and then take them into Changbai to sell at the market and bring the money back with them to North Korea. Foley described Jang as "a simple man who never did anything political. He just helped North Korean people for many years. That should never be a crime, and Christians should join together to help Deacon Jang and his family. Jang regularly hosted visiting North Koreans in Changbai for days and weeks at a time before they returned to North Korea, giving them warm clothing, feeding them and providing supplies they might need for their return to North Korea. He saw this as his Christian duty to welcome the stranger, clothe the naked and care for the sick. As a believer, he also shared about his faith to those who were willing. A number of North Korean visitors became Christians. Some returned to Deacon Jangs home repeatedly for more Bible training, and Deacon Jang and Pastor Han also taught them how to share their faith with their loved ones," VOM noted. "Their goal was always to see North Koreans return home. The campaign urges Christians to write to the North Korean Ambassador to the United Nations on his (Deacon Jangs) behalf and respectfully ask for his release, using his Chinese name. It notes that North Korea is not part of the international postal system, so letters cannot be sent to North Korea. Credible reports consistently rank North Korea, led by dictator Kim Jong Un, as the worst place in the world for Christians and anyone of any faith in terms of oppression and human rights violations, as was noted by Olivia Enos, a policy analyst in Asian studies at the Heritage Foundation, during the State Departments Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom last July. Communist governments are right to fear religion, Enos said, citing how peaceful religious movements toppled communist regimes in decades past as in Eastern Europe. The Kim regime sees religion as potentially threatening to its leadership. Conservative estimates hold that approximately 80,000 to 120,000 people are presently held in labor and political prison camps inside North Korea, according to Enos. Individuals can be sent to these prison camps for something as simple as having read the Bible, having watched a South Korean drama, listened to K-pop. These are average, ordinary things that we as Americans take for granted. No definitive estimates exist on how many people have died inside North Korean political camps but some believe the number ranges from 400,000 to many millions, Enos elaborated. According to recent reports, North Korean leader Kim has undergone medical treatment by a team of doctors from China, and the White House is closely monitoring the situation. T he Royal Mint is set to manufacture nearly two million medical visors to help protect NHS staff from the coronavirus across England and Wales. The organisation, which is more commonly known for making coins and investment products, transformed its visitor attraction into an emergency production like in late March - making more than 100,000 medical visors per week. Engineers developed a successful prototype in 48 hours, and 150,000 have already been made for hospitals. Initially, engineers were producing 4,000 units a day , but now production has moved to 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at the Royal Mints site in Llantrisant, South Wales. Chancellor Rishi Sunak, who is also Master of the Mint, said: Its vital our brave NHS workers have the protective equipment they need to safely care for those affected by the coronavirus outbreak. I applaud the Royal Mint for refocusing their efforts and working around the clock to play their part during this national emergency. Companies including Brammer, TJ Morgan and Technical Foam Services have worked with the Royal Mint to source the components needed. In addition to producing medical visors, the Royal Mint has worked closely with the NHS to provide other support, including helping to design and print Covid-19 awareness cards for staff at the Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board. Royal Mint to make up to 4,000 visors a day for hospital staff Anne Jessopp, chief executive of the Royal Mint, added: We want to play our part in the fight against coronavirus by providing NHS staff with the protective equipment they need to keep the nation and themselves safe. When people think of the Royal Mint, they think about the coins in their pockets, but weve been making useful products for the nation for 1,100 years and have a team of skilled designers, engineers and production staff. Together they turned a rudimentary visor design into a working model in just 48 hours, and within a week we were manufacturing thousands per day. The news comes as the Government continues to face criticism for a lack of the critical Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for NHS workers. The Government has insisted "every possible option" is being pursued to secure additional kit but said with unprecedented worldwide demand, the situation was "very challenging". Major fashion brands including Burberry and Barbour have also turned over their production lines to produce the vital safety equipment, while a a London hospital trust has opened a 3D printing farm to produce 1,500 face visors a day for frontline staff. Guys and St Thomas NHS trust has teamed up with 3D printing firms and enthusiasts and has more than 200 machines working 24 hours a day to create the protective shields. The operator of a personal care home in Grant Park has confirmed one of its residents died from complications of the novel coronavirus in mid-April. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 26/4/2020 (626 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. The operator of a personal care home in Grant Park has confirmed one of its residents died from complications of the novel coronavirus in mid-April. Revera Inc. chief medical officer Dr. Rhonda Collins said in a statement dated April 24 the resident had lived at the Poseidon Care Centre (70 Poseidon Bay) and died during a stay in hospital. A second case of COVID-19 at the personal care home was also identified on April 6, Collins stated. The resident remains in isolation at the care home. Collins said the company first learned a resident at Poseidon Care Centre had contracted COVID-19 on April 2, and he was in hospital when the diagnosis was confirmed. The centre subsequently instituted "full outbreak protocols." "We are working closely with the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority and are following pandemic outbreak protocols and infection control practices," Collins said in a statement. "All residents are monitored closely for symptoms and all staff are screened at the beginning and end of their shift. "All staff providing care for residents in isolation (positive or symptomatic) must wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) which includes a mask, face shield, gloves and gown. All staff are required to wear a surgical mask in the residence at all times." The company operates seven personal long term care homes in Winnipeg and has facilities across the country. In other parts of Canada British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec especially outbreaks at nursing homes have been significant contributors to the death toll from COVID-19. In Quebec, where one home is under investigation for what that provinces premier alleged is "professional negligence," more than half of deaths have been at care homes. On April 10, provincial chief public health officer Dr. Brent Roussin announced a Winnipeg man in his 70s had died from complications of the novel coronavirus after spending time in a personal care home. During the daily press briefing where the death was announced the fourth in the province Roussin said a public health investigation indicated the man hadnt been infectious while at the facility. No other care home residents were believed to have been exposed to the virus through contact with the man, Roussin said at the time. Six Manitobans who have contracted COVID-19 have died. A Winnipeg staffer with Revera Inc., which is headquartered out of Ontario, also tested positive for COVID-19 on April 7. The worker had been stationed at the companys downtown care home, Parkview Place Long Term Care Home, at 440 Edmonton St. Stay informed The latest updates on the novel coronavirus and COVID-19 delivered to your inbox every weeknight. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. The staff member had last worked on April 2 at the Parkview Place and went into self isolation, the company said. Collins said Friday the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority declared "the COVID-19 outbreak at the Parkview Place Long Term Care Home to be over" on April 17. Shared Health and the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority did not respond to a request Sunday afternoon to confirm the outbreak had been resolved or what measures are used to constitute an outbreak at a personal care home. "We can assure you that we are not letting our guard down now that this outbreak is over," Collins stated. "We are maintaining our vigilance, monitoring residents and screening staff for symptoms, and ensuring that staff wear surgical masks at all times." More than two dozen Revera facilities across Canada have had confirmed COVID-19 cases, so far. danielle.dasilva@freepress.mb.ca Howrah: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee addresses during a meeting over COVID-19 pandemic at Nabanna in Howrah during the extended nationwide lockdown imposed to mitigate the spread of coronavirus, on Apr 17, 2020. (Photo: IANS) Image Source: IANS News Kolkata, April 27 : The West Bengal government has already initiated steps to ensure the return of Bengal students who are stuck in Kota of Rajasthan and they will begin their return journey soon, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced on Monday. Banerjee said she has already instructed her officials to help all those from the state stranded in various parts of the country so that they can come back home. "GoWB will initiate every possible help to people of Bengal stuck in diff parts of the country due to lockdown, in returning home. I've instructed my officers to do the needful," Banerjee said on her Twitter handle. Banerjee assured everybody that she was personally overseeing the efforts and nobody should feel helpless. "Till the time I'm here, nobody from Bengal should feel helpless. I'm with you in these tough times," she said. In another tweet Banerjee said her government will leave no stone unturned in this regard. "I am personally overseeing this & we will leave no stone unturned in ensuring that everyone gets any possible help. The initiation has already started & all students from Bengal stuck in Kota would begin their journey back soon," she added. Financial experts are urging cash-strapped Australians to spend their early-access superannuation only on essentials and avoid unnecessary splurges. Nearly half a million Australians have been approved to take money from their retirement funds under new rules to help those struggling through the economic disaster caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Eligible applicants can take $10,000 of their super between April 20 and June 30 this year, and a further $10,000 until September 24. All the money is tax-free. But Tribeca Financial chief executive officer Ryan Watson said the money should only be used for 'absolute essentials' such as rent, food and household bills. 'Money taken from superannuation now will impact your financial quality of life in retirement unless you want to work until you are 80 years of age,' he told the Herald Sun. Under new rules to help struggling people through the crisis, Australians can take $20,000 out of their retirement funds tax-free. Pictured: a woman works from home in Adelaide amid coronavirus pandemic As part of the government's coronavirus rescue package, workers are able to access their supers to help them stay afloat during the economic downturn Financial adviser Scott Haywood warned accessing superannuation early should be a 'last resort,' but said people could use it to pay off credit card debt. 'You could pay down debt. Super funds normally deliver annual returns of seven per cent so if you have a legacy debt, such as a credit card, it's better to pay down that type of debt first,' he said. Mr Haywood said while paying off credit cards is an option, early access to super is designed to help people stay afloat. Graham Cooke of financial comparison website Finder told Daily Mail Australia that 'taking cash out of your super is a terrible idea'. 'For some people it will be necessary in an emergency situation - but they should only take the minimum that they need,' he said. Financial adviser Scott Haywood warned accessing superannuation early should be a 'last resort,' but said people could use it to pay off credit card debt This is because retirement savings grow cumulatively over time so any money taken out now may significantly reduce the value of your super when you retire, he said. Mr Cooke said the benefits of the cash being tax free are outweighed by the likely loss over time from cashing out. According to calculations by Industry Super Australia, an average 30-year-old who withdrew $20,000 of super in 2020 could have $97,000 less in savings once they retire. Australians are only eligible to apply for early super access to if they have experienced a significant drop in income or have lost their jobs as a result of the coronavirus lockdown. But an alarming poll revealed a large number of Australians are planning to withdraw money despite still having their jobs. Industry Super Australia found that out of a poll of 1,100 people, 30 per cent under the age of 65 were planning to 'incorrectly' access their super and withdraw an average of $13,500. The ATO warned it will review applications carefully and those who are caught fraudulently accessing their super could be slapped with up to $12,500 in penalties. Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced the measures as part of a second stimulus package on March 22, surprising the superannuation industry by allowing people to access their super early. Treasurer Josh Frydenberg last week revealed 456,000 people contacted the ATO asking for $4.4billion of their super savings. The average amount of each withdrawal is around $8,000, totalling $3.8billion, he said. Mr Frydenberg said workers and sole traders could withdraw the money if the number of hours worked or their income fell by 20 per cent or more due to the coronavirus. North Korean leader's train seen at resort town amid speculation about death Iran Press TV Sunday, 26 April 2020 8:07 AM Satellite images released by a US think tank have shown a special train probably belonging to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un parked at a coastal resort town in the east of the country, as speculation rises about his whereabouts, poor health, and even death. The Washington-based monitoring project 38 North said in a report on Saturday that the 250-meter-long train had been spotted at the "leadership station" in the Wonsan resort area on April 21 and 23, adding that the station was specifically reserved for the use of the Kim family. The American think tank said the presence of the train did not mean that Kim was there, nor did it say anything about his health condition. "The train's presence does not prove the whereabouts of the North Korean leader or indicate anything about his health but it does lend weight to reports that Kim is staying at an elite area on the country's eastern coast," the report said. The Wonsan area is believed to be Kim's residence outside the North Korean capital of Pyongyang. There has been speculation about Kim's poor health following his absence from a major event on April 15 that marked the birth anniversary of his grandfather and North Korea's founding father, Kim Il-sung. The last time North Korea's state media reported on Kim's whereabouts was when he presided over a meeting on April 11 and a day later, when he inspected drills by fighter jets at an air defense unit in the capital. Media reports said Kim had undergone a cardiovascular surgery earlier this month and was recovering at a resort in the north of Pyongyang. Reports said the North Korean leader, who is in his mid-30s, needed urgent treatment due to alleged heavy smoking, obesity, and fatigue. Citing an anonymous US official with access to intelligence, the CNN published a report on Monday saying Kim was in "grave danger" after the surgery. But government sources in China and South Korea contradicted the CNN report. Reuters reported on Friday that China had dispatched a team of medical experts to North Korea to advise on Kim. Meanwhile, the Hong Kong TV news channel HKSTV's vice director, Qing Feng, claimed that according to a "very solid source," Kim was dead. Shukan Gendai, a Japanese magazine, also said that the North Korean leader was in a "vegetative state" after a heart surgery that went wrong earlier this month. Pyongyang has released no official statement about Kim's health and whereabouts yet. But North Korea's state Rodong Sinmun newspaper said on Sunday that Kim had sent greetings to the staff working on the construction of Samjiyon City, one of the most ambitious development projects underway in the country. The publication reported that Kim "sent thanks" to workers involved in the rebuilding of what was praised as an "ideal socialist village" by the North Korean leader himself, who officially inaugurated the renovated city in a lavish ceremony in early December last year. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Making its debut in March, EGOVC Jitsi, the video conferencing solution, now has more than 60 users. The solution was developed by the E-government Center at the Authority of Information Technology Application (AITA) under the Ministry of Information and Communication (MIC) on the basis of Jitsi, an open source software. Do Lap Hien, deputy director of the center, said the center decided to work on the solution after realizing that many people could not attend offline meetings organized by AITA when they were away on business. The solutions are even more necessary in the context of the social distancing policy. The solution was developed by the E-government Center at the Authority of Information Technology Application (AITA) under the Ministry of Information and Communication (MIC) on the basis of Jitsi, an open source software. Hien and his co-workers decided to choose Jitsi, which has high security level and feasibility, to develop a video conferencing system. The research and development kicked off late last year. After three weeks, the center set up the system and put it into experiment at AITA. After the Tet holiday, as the epidemic began escalating, the engineers optimized the source code and prepared to build a strong system to be ready to serve distant conferences. In early March,the center joined forces with Bach Kim Company to deploy the conferencing system on infrastructure with strong servers and large bandwidth. In mid-March, EGOVC Jitsi became operational, serving individuals and institutions needs for learning and working from a distance. The great advantage of EGOVC Jitsi is that the whole server system is located in Vietnam, so users dont have to connect with hosts overseas. It doesnt need to connect to international internet channels because many individuals and organizations use foreign conferencing solutions at the same time, creating congestion. Also, the AAG undersea cables broke down on April 2. To use EGOVC Jitsi for free, users need to access https://hoptructuyen.aita.gov.vn, or https://emeeting.mic.gov.vn and follow the steps as instructed. The center has prepared documents to give detailed instructions about how to install the solution on their existing infrastructure. The individuals and organizations that do not have infrastructure of their own still can create meeting rooms on the infrastructure provided by AITA, serving 10 virtual meeting rooms with 50-100 people for each room. According to Google Analytics, the total number of EGOVC Jitsi users has reached 4,800, and 2,437 meeting rooms have been created. The solution on Jitsi platform serves meetings of a small and medium scale (50 connection points). Jitsi is also used by members of the CoMeet alliance to develop online conferencing solutions. Trong Dat Staff at many firms work from home Many enterprises, in an effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19, have asked staff to work from home. After another tie vote Tuesday night, the Boyertown Area School Board abandoned its plan to narrow its seven applicants for a board vacancy down to two finalists, and instead picked from the entire list, thereby choosing Marianne Scott as the newest member. LONDON A pale but vigorous-sounding Prime Minister Boris Johnson returned to work on Monday, declaring that the coronavirus that nearly killed him was like an unexpected and invisible mugger the British people had begun to wrestle to the floor but had not yet fully disabled. For all his determined brio, Mr. Johnsons message to his lockdown-weary nation was somber, underscoring the hard choices that Britain faces as the economy languishes and the death toll from the virus soars above 21,000. Mr. Johnson, who was discharged from the hospital only two weeks ago, signaled that the government would keep some social-distancing measures in place for the foreseeable future. To lift them too soon, he warned, would mean not only a new wave of death and disease but also an economic disaster. This is the moment of opportunity, Mr. Johnson said at Downing Street, before a full day of meetings. This is the moment when we can press home our advantage. It is also the moment of maximum risk. Ten members of Tablighi Jamaat, who attended its congregation and tested positive for COVID-19 have come forward and donated their plasma to treat severally-ill coronavirus patients in the national capital. Sources said those who have come forward to donate their plasma have recovered from COVID-19 at the Sultanpuri and Narela quarantine centres. Many more have volunteered to donate their plasma, they added. The Tablighi Jamaat, a religious organisation in south Delhi's Nizamuddin came under intense attack for the spread of coronavirus after it allegedly organised a congregation after the lockdown and even when the Delhi government had imposed curbs before it. In the therapy, transfusion of plasma from recovered patients to severally-ill COVID-19 patients is conducted. Convalescent plasma is an experimental procedure for coronavirus patients. Sources said several Tablighi Jamaat members at different quarantine centres have also volunteered to donate their plasma for the recovery of COVID-19 patients. The move comes after an appeal was made by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal last week to patients, who have successfully recovered from coronavirus, to donate their plasma for treatment of COVID-19 patients. Kejriwal said the initial results of plasma therapy on critically-ill COVID-19 patients have shown "encouraging" initial results. Last week, Tablighi Jamaat head Maluana Saad Kandhalvi also appealed to the organisation's followers who have recovered from the infection to donate their plasma. A Delhi government official said the process of taking plasma from the Tablighi Jamaat members has started. According to Dr Mohammad Shoaib, who is facilitating the exercise, till now, 10 Tablighi Jamaat members have donated their plasma to help other coronavirus patients. Shoaib said he is not related to the Tablighi Jamaat, but he is acquainted with its followers. He also claimed that the Delhi government requested him to involve Tablighi Jamaat followers to donate plasma. The exercise commenced on Sunday evening after the iftar at Sultanpuri and Narela quarantine centres following which a team from the Delhi government's ILBS Hospital and another private hospital visited the premises, he said. The Tablighi Jamaat congregation which took place in March was attended by nearly 9,000 people, including foreign nationals. After that hundreds of Tablighi Jamaat followers were quarantined at different centres and many were booked for alleged misbehavior with the staff there. On April 18, at a daily media briefing about the COVID-19 situation in the country, Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Health, said, "A total of 4,291 COVID-19 cases or 29.8 per cent of the 14,378 coronavirus infections reported till that day were linked to the Tablighi Jamaat congregation." According to the bulletin released by the Health Department of the Delhi government, on April 10, when the total number of COVID-19 cases were 903 in Delhi, 584 infections were linked to the Tablighi congregation. Since then the Delhi government dropped usage of the "markaz", the centre of the Tablighi Jamaat after the Delhi Minorities Commission raised an objection over it. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) BAGHDAD - Iraq is planning painful cuts in social benefits relied on by millions of government workers. Saudi Arabia will likely have to delay mega-projects. Egypt and Lebanon face a blow as their workers in the Gulf send back less of the much-needed dollars that help keep their fragile economies afloat. The historic crash in oil prices in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic is reverberating across the Middle East as crude-dependent countries scramble to offset losses from a key source of state revenue and all this at a time when several of them already face explosive social unrest. The economies of all the Arab Gulf oil exporters are expected to contract this year, as much as five per cent in Iraq, according to the International Monetary Fund. While some Gulf countries can rely on a cushion of foreign currency reserves, nowhere in the region are the circumstances more dire than in Iraq, where oil sales fund 90 per cent of the state budget. Iraq saw massive protests in the past months by a populace angry over the weak economy and rampant corruption and the turmoil could erupt again. Cutbacks in spending will only add to the pain for a population struggling to get by under coronavirus restrictions. In the capitals Tahrir Square, protesters are still camped out, determined not to let their movement die. Coming into summer the conditions are developing for a perfect storm for the government, said Sajad Jiyad, an Iraq-based analyst. Oil is currently trading at $20 (U.S.) per barrel, dipping even lower some days to levels not seen since 2001. Further constraints will be felt as an OPEC agreement to cut production levels by 23 per cent to stabilize the oil market takes hold. May and June are expected to be particularly difficult as that is when oil storage space will be full, making it harder for countries to market oil, according to Robin Mills, CEO of Dubai-based Qamar Energy. So far its early, and no one has reached a stage where the budget runs out, Mills said. But that is inevitable Iraq will probably hit first. In its draft 2020 budget, Iraq had been counting on revenues from oil prices at $56 a barrel to fund badly needed development projects and the bloated public sector, costing nearly $45 billion in compensation and pensions. Oil Minister Thamir Ghadhban said recently that revenue from crude exports has dropped by 50%. Now officials are debating difficult salary cuts. One proposed idea would defer paying public sector workers part of their social benefits until the financial sector improves, according to three Iraqi officials. The question is how much to cut and from whom; one recommendation is that higher-end earners take a 50 per cent cut. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity so as not to derail ongoing talks. That would save Iraq hundreds of millions of dollars, but risks triggering unrest. Public sector workers receive a host of benefits that effectively add 50-70 per cent to their take-home wages. They include family allowances and so-called danger pay benefits for security forces. Still, experts said that wont be enough if oil prices remain between $20-30 per barrel. Cuts need to be deeper to make a dent in payroll, and even then, if revenues are so low there comes a point where cuts are not enough, Jiyad said . On top of this, expected compliance with OPEC will require Iraq to cut over 1 million barrels per day from production in May and June. Moreover, the country has been left without an effective executive to carry out reforms by an ongoing leadership vacuum since December, when Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi resigned under pressure from protesters. Prime Minister-designate Mustafa Kadhimi is due to present his proposed Cabinet to Parliament next week, but he faces opposition from key political blocs. Until his government is in place, a 2020 budget is unlikely to be approved. This limits Iraqs ability to borrow from international agencies for budgetary support. Across the region, the drop in oil prices will derail future investment and development plans. The regions largest crude producer, Saudi Arabia, plans to cuts spending by five per cent, or about $13.3 billion. Additional cuts and measures are expected as it digs into its roughly $500 billion in foreign reserves. Target dates of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salmans plan for the completion of new cities and mega projects will likely be delayed as businesses suffer and foreign investment dips amid the pandemic. Kuwait has ample reserves as well. But the island nation of Bahrain faces a debt estimated to be equal to 105 per cent of its GDP, even after it received a $10-billion bailout from its neighbours to avoid defaulting on a $750-million Islamic bond repayment in 2018. Other giant global oil producers will have to grapple with job losses and economic shocks. U.S. producers and service companies have laid off thousands of employees, and greater job losses are expected as the pandemic drags on. Many shale producers were already struggling before the pandemic hit, and some have filed for bankruptcy, with more expected. The price crash has dealt a blow to Russia at a time of partial economic shutdown. Russian officials say that the nations solid hard currency reserves can help sustain the shock and insist low production costs allow Russian oil companies to stay profitable. The double shock of the pandemic and dropping oil prices is also expected to hit hard in Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon, which rely on a large diaspora and workers in oil-rich Arab Gulf countries who send foreign currency home. In Lebanon, remittances once made up 12.5% of GDP; in Egypt, they account for 10 per cent of GDP. Coupled with its own economic crisis and financial turmoil, the anticipated losses for Lebanon will be devastating. How are we expected to survive from now on? Hunger is knocking at the doors, a Lebanese man told reporters this week, as he waited in a long line outside a money transfer shop in Beirut, on the last day he would be allowed to collect a wire transfer in dollars from his older brother in Qatar. ___ Associated Press writers Zeina Karam in Beirut; Jon Gambrell and Aya Batrawy in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates; Vladimir Isachenkov in Moscow; and Cathy Bussewitz in New York contributed to this report. Change. I have never liked it, but I know I cannot stop the inevitable, only adjust and grow from it. When I first heard the word Coronavirus in January, I never fathomed it would outbreak in the United States, much less shape the entire way we live our everyday lives. Colleges closed across the nation; being an undergrad student means my senior year as I know it has been ripped from under me. How I learn has to be altered to an online format, and the friends I have come to know and love can only be seen through a screen.I am a creative communicator and, most importantly, storyteller, and this pandemic has not changed that. Although times are dark and confusing, we will see a brighter day, but until then, we can find hints of light breaking through the dark clouds, as long as we keep our heads up and look. The following three weeks, I will share my quarantine stories in Chattanooga and Dunlap, Tennessee: the dark, the light and the in between. Here is my New Normal.Thursday, March 26, 2020Journal Entry #1 - Medical Masks and FlipsThe Bahama waves were crashing, a coconut in my hand and close friends on both sides of me. Life was perfect in that moment, but little did we know life as we knew it back home was coming to an end.The service on the ship was non-existent; headlines from news apps would pop up on my phone, the titles worsening every day, but I was unable to read the stories. We were fine and in our own little bubble on the ship, but fear they would not let us off the boat at port was always in the back of our minds. We were one of the last Carnival cruises before the cruise line shut down for a month.We made it home safe and sound, but paranoia had already crept in our small hometowns. Those who knew we had gone on the trip kept their distance. I was pushed by my family to self-quarantine for 14 days at home, just to be on the safe side, and I have been stuck in my house ever since. Today marks day 13.What was at first all jokes and memes about millenials vs. boomers handling the situation turned out to be a very serious problem of people traveling and spreading the virus. The pandemic has led to mass frenzy, leading to empty store shelves, panic bought toilet paper and medical mask covered faces.We are now living in a time that a cough can send someone over the edge. As the infected account rises to eight in Hamilton county, people have taken serious precautions. My mother, the super hero of cleanliness, has started lysoling the house three times a day. When my sister came home with a sore throat and cough after spending time with a small study group in Chattanooga, the family would not let her enter the house without a medical mask and latex gloves (turns out just to be allergies easily fixed with a Claritin).Although not being able to go to classes to actively debate in intellectual conversation with my friends has been challenging, reconnecting with my family has been the bright side. Spending days at home with my little brother and mother has been the comfort I needed. I find myself never knowing where my phone is, because it is useless when Brother Bear and I are on our outside adventures, hosting flipping competitions on the trampoline, or playing Wii bowling. Social-distancing has allowed me to have time to enjoy and appreciate all the things I have not been able to do in years. It has allowed me to be a kid again. Although my future is uncertain, I am comforted by the fact that my present is full of health and love.Saturday, April 4, 2020Journal Entry #2 - Why are You Crying Amanda Morgan?Why are you crying Amega Morken? I hear a small voice from the top of our den stairs. I look up and force a smile behind the salty tears sliding down my face, trying not to worry the little four-year-old staring at me with concerned baby blues. Fielder Lee walks down the stairs, climbs into my lap and with a sticky finger, wipes the remaining tears from my face. The only words he says are, Its okay, you can hang up the next one.While rummaging around our house during his visit, Fielder Lee came across some Christmas ornaments. Since he couldnt find a tree to place them on, we began hanging them on light switches. That observant little boy thought I was crying because he didnt let me hang up the last ornament when I asked. That of course was not the reason, but you can not fully explain stress and fear and the severity of our national state to a four-year-old. And if we are being honest, I do not know if I could really put into words why I was crying. So I simply responded, That would be awesome. Thank you!Almost a week before that, I was at my Chattanooga apartment gathering the books I need for the rest of my online semester, watering the plants and packing some clothes. My 14 days were over and I was free to leave the house. I was only gone for a day, because I had to be home to celebrate Dads birthday. But just that one day left alone with our mother, must have been hard on Brother Bear. When I stepped on our porch I was greeted by my brother pressed against our giant front window holding a sign with the scribbled words Help, been in quarantine too long, with all the dogs surrounding him and Teresas out-of-key singing to Kenny Chesney in the background. I laughed so hard my sides hurt. Leave it to my brother to be able to find the humor in a bad situation.But do those six simple words not perfectly sum up how everyone is feeling right now? Are we not so sick of seeing the same walls day in and day out? Things I used to take for granted or may have viewed as a task before, I would jump at the opportunity to do now. Like buying a birthday present for my Dad. Hes always been hard to buy for, but this year I didnt even get to accept the challenge and go look for the perfect Brian-ish present. Instead I had to order it online (which has taken over a week to get back, instead of the standard two days, because everything is so backed up; daddy didnt even get it on his birthday). However, there are things still to be grateful for, like being at home all day gave Mom time to make Dads favorite a layered yellow cake with whipped cream and strawberries, something we had not had since I was a child. It reminded me of a simpler time, a happy time. So although the circumstances are scary and terrible, these moments with my loved ones (the birthday celebrations, Wii tournaments, nights around a fire) are all small happy times that I know will turn into great memories.My boys really got me through this week. Brothers sign gave me a much needed laugh, Fielders sticky fingers taught me to dry the tears, not get stuck in worry and to create fun out of whatever I can. They reminded me that through these times we have to remember to laugh at the small things, because as soon as we lose our humor and good spirits, we lose our ability to see the light, and nobody likes the darkness. We decide what our New Normal will be, so make it a good one.Thursday, April 9, 2020Journal Entry #3 My Essential WorkerThe headline Tennessee Gov. Lee signs an order requiring residents to stay at home pops on my phone screen Thursday evening, April 2, 2020.I am in awe when I see it. So many questions run through my mind: What does this really mean? Will it be enforced? When will I get to see the boys again? I look over at the innocent faces next to me, the 1 year old scribbling on his pages, the four-year-old practicing his letter B during the homeschool lesson, not a care in his world other than connecting the little bs hump to its line.* * *When Dad told me two weeks before that he received his official letter of documentation to be allowed to travel in case of a stay at home mandate or martial law, I laughed because it seemed unbelievable, like a part of the storyline of a post-apocalyptic/dystopian movie, but definitely not the year 2020 in the United States. Little did I know this was our reality.His letter of clearance reads, The bearer of this letter is providing emergency communications restoration support to critical communication infrastructures to respond to COVID-19. Dad supplies phone and internet service to businesses in the Tennessee Valley, this includes nursing homes, prisons and hospitals. He is considered an essential worker because it is critical for everyone to stay connected during this time, especially for emergency responders and 911 communication.Every evening he pulls into the gravel driveway in his work van, steps out with a facemask around his neck and sprays down with a sanitizing chemical mixture provided by his work. He has to strip off his clothes on the front porch and put on the new clothes mom has sitting out folded, all before he comes inside. Every day he does this just to be on the safe side, because every day he is out where the virus is lurking.I worry about him. A few of the businesses he has helped have reported cases of the COVID-19. If he works at the hospital, he has to have his temperature checked before going back to his office.I am grateful my father has a job as the unemployment rate continues to increase in this country, but I cant help but fear one day the silent monster will attack him. I can see the tiredness on his face from having to work extra hours to keep up with the demand, but he never complains. He takes pride in doing his part in all of this. He inspires me to do my part, to stay at home and stay positive.* * *I left the boys' house that next day sad, not knowing for sure when I would see them again. They could not understand why I was sad. But when Tucker followed me to the door to wave and blow me goodbye kisses, I felt an overwhelming warmth in my heart that gave me hope. I live for all these feelings: worry, warmth, pride and hope. This is my New Normal.Meet the Storyteller:Amanda Morgan Fann is a photographer, graphic designer and writer, pursuing degrees in communication and English at The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. She is the assistant photo editor and a staff writer for the University Echo. Her passion lies in storytelling and her community, as she constantly works at being the voice for people who may not feel they have one. Amanda has a love for performing and dances on UTCs hip hop majorette team, The Ladies of G.O.L.D. If you have a story you wish to share or want to know more about her, email srn924@mocs.utc.edu. Prisoners' rights advocates taped cardboard signs with messages like "COVID-19 kills" and "Release Saves Lives" to their vehicles and honked their horns Sunday during a drive-by protest outside the Ottawa-Carleton Detention Centre. Similar protests calling for the release of inmates during the pandemic were held in Halifax, Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver. There are now 454 confirmed COVID-19 cases linked to federal prisons and provincial jails, according to the Criminalization and Punishment Education Project. The group is calling for the release of prisoners to keep them from contracting COVID-19, which has killed more than 2,500 people across Canada, including one inmate in British Columbia. "We're pressing governments to release as many people as possible," said Justin Piche, a University of Ottawa criminology professor and member of the project. He said a task force should be created to determine who is suitable for release. "We can't assume just because someone has committed a violent action in their life that they are permanently violent or irredeemable and therefore disposable," he said. Piche said there are 244 prisoners under the care of the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) and 105 CSC employees who have tested positive, as well as one employee with the Canada Border Services Agency and two prison contractors. Piche said Minister of Public Safety Bill Blair should prioritize releasing 700 "elderly and infirm" inmates. Only one federal inmate, however, has been granted early release due to COVID-19 so far. Derrick Snow, 53, was supposed to be released in late July, but was granted a temporary absence by a warden at Ontario's Bath Institution. Snow, who was convicted of breaking and entering and theft, has diabetes, pulmonary disease, and was recently diagnosed with cancer. Snow's case could open the door for other vulnerable prisoners to be released, said his lawyer, Paul Champ. Story continues Champ said he's representing nine inmates seven women and two men who are "medically vulnerable to death from COVID-19." Fewer cases in provincial jails Piche said there are currently 280 inmates at the Ottawa jail, less than half its pre-pandemic capacity, and there are no COVID-19 cases there he's aware of. He credited the province for securing bail quickly for people awaiting trial and allowing low-risk offenders to serve their time in the community. Provincial and territorial jails house more than three times the number of inmates as federal institutions, Piche said, but have less than a quarter of the confirmed coronavirus cases. Seventy-four inmates have tested positive in jails, along with 28 employees, according to his group's numbers. The team at LKCS never seems to disappoint. The outcome is proof of what happens when you work with a true partner from start to finish. We are happy to see them getting recognized for all their work. LKCS has earned two Gold Awards from the Hermes Creative Awards for website design. Selected as winners were the website redesigns for Earthmover Credit Union (Oswego, IL) and First Bank (Carmi, IL). To date, LKCS has been awarded nearly 60 awards for print and web design. Our designers continue to deliver original designs for every project that we have the privilege to work on, says LKCS Director of Digital Services, Karl Ribas. Earning awards like this says a lot about the depth of creativity our team possesses and were honored to be recognized. Earthmover Credit Union (https://www.earthmovercu.com) is an Illinois financial institution with over 23,000 members. This is the fourth website redesign LKCS has done for the credit union. The team at LKCS never seems to disappoint, shared Janel Cabadas, Vice President of Marketing and Business Development at Earthmover Credit Union. They listened carefully to our vision for our new website and helped us bring it to life. The outcome is proof of what happens when you work with a true partner from start to finish. We are happy to see them getting recognized for all their work. The design mixes large visual elements with open space. It brings small animated elements to add interaction. Content is much easier to digest for users by the way it is organized into short paragraphs, bullet points, and supported with icons. The site was migrated to the Sitefinity content management system, which provides an easy environment for the credit union to maintain and make updates as needed. First Bank (https://www.myfirst.bank) dates back to 1893. With nine branches, it provides financial services to communities in southeast Illinois and southwest Indiana. Our goal was to build a site thats a resource for all of our target segments small businesses, farmers and families, says Lori Newman, Chief Marketing Officer at First Bank. Having these three unique audiences made our planning and development a little more challenging. LKCS helped take our vision to the next level by achieving a customized experience by segment. MyFirst.Bank is now a much-improved channel for us and has already resulted in significant increases in cross sales and leads. The Hermes Creative Awards are administered by the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals. Since 1995, the AMCP has been working globally to honor the best creative works in every field from media, to print and to digital. The Hermes is one of the oldest and largest creative competitions in the world. About LKCS Based in Peru, Illinois, LKCS is the leader in providing end-to-end marketing, graphic design, commercial printing, direct mail, web development, and statement processing services to financial institutions. Combined with over 50 years of financial marketing expertise, LKCS leverages the latest technologies and techniques to improve marketing results and return on investment for our clients. We do that. Additional information about LKCS can be found at http://www.lk-cs.com. Mauritius Coronavirus Update - Coronavirus cases climb to 332, Total Deaths reaches to 9 on 27-Apr-2020 In Mauritius total confirmed cases of Coronavirus (COVID-19) have increased to 332, while 9 people died due to the growing infection in the country. Coronavirus (Covid-19) update from around the world: India, 27-April-2020: The Tamil Nadu government announced on April 27 to return 24,000 rapid test kits imported from China. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) after their test asked the states to stop using COVID-19 rapid antibody kits developed by two Chinese companies. These COVID-19 rapid antibody kits were imported earlier for the testing of suspected patients. But now India will not use these kits because it is not giving satisfactory results, said the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). Worldwide, 28-April-2020: Global Coronavirus cases rises more than 3,000,000, while 209,799 deaths reported so far. Nearly one third cases of Covid-19 is reported from United States. In United States over 972,969 confirmed cases have been reported so far. Spain is the second most affected country in the world with a total of 229,422 cases and 23,521 deaths as per the data of Johns Hopkins. Canada, 27-April-2020: The pace for the Covid-19 related deaths slows further in Canada. According to the official data the toll from the coronavirus grew by less than 10% for the eighth day in a row. India, 27-April-2020: In Delhi more containment reported raising total Containment zones to 99. These Containment zones are entire affected areas including Nirankari Gali, Nakshatra Gali,Nala Boring Gali, Ravan Wali Gali, Jameela Masjid Baoli, Dargah Gurudwara Wali Gali, Thane Wali Gali & Terminal Wali Gali' & some houses in Pillanji Village. India, 27-April-2020: Madhya Pradesh reported 2,165 cases of Covid-19 cases, while 110 people died so far in state. In Indore over 1207 confirmed cases and 60 deaths reported. Bhopal reported 428 cases and 12 deaths so far. UK, 27-April-2020: UK reported 360 deaths today raising total deaths to 21,092 so far. India, 27-April-2020: Sudden surge in Covid-19 cases in Aurangabad where 29 new cases of Covid-19 reported on Monday. The total cases rises to 82 in Aurangabad. India, 27-April-2020: Over 190 new confirmed cases of Covid-19 is reported from Delhi today. Total number of confirmed cases rises to 3108 in New Delhi, while 54 people died so far in Delhi: Government of Delhi. France: France is reporting higher number of deaths but but slightly fewer people with severe conditions were admitted into ICU in past fourth day. France reported 315 deaths last day as compared to 345 deaths the day earlier. In France 133,670 confirmed cases and 14,412 deaths reported so far. Here are the latest cases of Coronavirus (COVID-19) infection in Mauritius: Sr. No. Date Total Cases New Cases Total Deaths Deaths 1. 22-Apr-2020 329 1 9 0 2. 23-Apr-2020 331 2 9 0 3. 24-Apr-2020 331 0 9 0 4. 25-Apr-2020 331 0 9 0 5. 26-Apr-2020 332 1 9 0 6. 27-Apr-2020 332 0 9 0 TOP 10 Deaths by country due to Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak: 1. Europe (121,885) 2. North America (60,014) 3. USA (55,415) 4. Italy (26,644) 5. Spain (23,190) 6. France (22,856) 7. UK (20,732) 8. Asia (17,245) 9. Belgium (7,094) 10. South America (6,309) Total Deaths Worldwide (206,997) Globally till now over 206,997 people died due to the outbreak of deadly Coronavirus (COVID-19). The new infection and death cases are increasing fast. Authorities in the Mauritius and other countries are taking proper measures to contain the deadly Coronavirus (COVID-19). As of now Europe is the worst affected country in the world with over 121,885 deaths and 1,276,808 confirmed cases. Check latest update: Coronaviurs Covid-19 cases around the world When Gov. Phil Murphy directed residents to stay at home because of the coronavirus, Assemblywoman Angela V. McKnights goal was to raise $2,000 to feed 200 Jersey City seniors. She figured it would take a couple of weeks to raise that amount. Well, McKnight (D-Hudson) had that and more in three hours, when people gave to AngelaCares, her nonprofit senior service organization. That was in mid-March, and shes now up to $50,000. The money has paid for groceries that have been delivered to more than 2,000 seniors. People really do care about the seniors. People really do want to help, McKnight said. I wanted to make sure we could bring groceries to them to help flatten the curve and to alleviate them from coming outside." Denise Brown, 66, said she was little low on food when volunteers working with McKnight showed up with a bag of goodies. Thank you, I needed that," Brown said. "I dont know if shes touched every senior site, but I know shes been all over the city. I know this because I keep up with her on Facebook. Shes all that and then some. CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live map tracker | Newsletter | Homepage The seniors have been surprised when McKnights team has showed up. Each senior gets those items in a bag filled with peanut butter, milk, bread, cheese, crackers, cookies, Vienna sausages, a can of vegetables, tuna fish and pasta sauce. From her food pantry, McKnight adds chickpeas, a box of mashed potatoes and macaroni and cheese. Theyve received hand sanitizer and tissues, too. Some visits have been heartbreaking, however. We had a few people who passed away from the virus," McKnight said. The money, however, is still coming in, with donations ranging from $5 to $10,000 from Third Point Reinsurance, which has offices in Jersey City. The majority of the funds have come through Facebook, CashApp and PayPal. Its been amazing," McKnight said. Im so grateful to the volunteers and the donors. On Thursday, they spent the morning at ShopRite, then returned to McKnights office to pack 250 food bags. Employees at the store helped McKnights staff and volunteers pick appropriate items. Theyll be doing it again Saturday and plan to continue until the pandemic is over, Knight said. Knowing they (seniors) are vulnerable as they are, its essential that those who are able-bodied and can get out to do good need to do it," said Rob Quinones, a volunteer who runs the center for community engagement at New Jersey City University. Its just sad that it takes this type of environment to bring people together. I wish this was the norm. Subscribe to the #TogetherNJ newsletter to get a weekly dose of these uplifting stories right to your inbox. Have you seen an inspiring story in your community during this troubling time? Tell us about it. Barry Carter may be reached at bcarter@njadvancemedia.com. PR-Inside.com: 2020-04-27 04:10:03 Rosewood Hotel Group Launches Rosewood Raise, a Relief Initiative to Support Associates and Communities Affected by COVID-19 Media: Hong Kong Karim Karouni Rosewood Hotel Group Telephone: +852 6397 1702 Email: karim.karouni@rosewoodhotelgroup.com Mainland China Florence Chan Rosewood Hotel Group Telephone: +852 6039 6653 Email: florence.chan@rosewoodhotelgroup.com Rosewood Hotel Group today announces the launch of Rosewood Raise, a comprehensive relief initiative developed in support of the Groups associates who have been impacted by the COVID-19, as well as the communities in which the Group operates. Rooted on the foundation of Relationship Hospitality, a belief that true hospitality springs from the nurturing and building of strong and lasting relationships with associates, guests, partners and communities, Rosewood Hotel Group has always recognized and revered the power of people in creating the exceptional experiences that drive the industry. Developed in dedication to these very individuals that have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to the Groups hotels and destinations, Rosewood Raise supports an associate relief fund and community-focused efforts, including donated hotel rooms and meal preparation and supplies for essential workers. Rosewood Raise Associate Relief Fund Managed by the Emergency Assistance Foundation, Inc., a 501c(3) charity created to design and operate multiple employer-sponsored disaster relief and employee hardship funds, the Rosewood Raise Relief Fund aims to assist staff in corporate offices and managed hotels across its three brands Rosewood Hotels & Resorts, New World Hotels & Resorts, KHOS. The fund will support associates whose jobs were amongst the first and most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, prioritizing those facing financial difficulties due to health-related needs, as well as local communities that have been especially affected by the pandemic. Upon the containment of the current crisis, the relief fund will continue to support the Groups associates against future adversities and hardships. In its first two weeks since formation, the fund has received initial pledges of close to USD $2 million from Rosewood Hotel Groups corporate executives and associates, including salary contributions and a commitment from the company to match all employees cash contributions to the fund. To learn more about the Rosewood Raise relief fund and to contribute, please visit www.rosewoodraise.com. Rosewood Raise Community Efforts On the property level, several of the Groups hotels and resorts are supporting the local communities in which they operate, engaging in Rosewood Raise efforts across the globe. Among the first properties in the portfolio to be affected by COVID-19, New World Hotels & Resorts hotels in Wuhan and Guiyang saluted their cities medical workers by providing complimentary accommodations. Across the ultra-luxury Rosewood Hotels & Resorts brand, many properties throughout Asia Pacific, Europe and North America are supplying necessities and meals to medical associates, first responders and area hospitals, as well as to local organizations and charities aimed at assisting families and individuals in need. Both Rosewood Bangkok (Bangkok, Thailand) and Rosewood Miramar Beach (Montecito, USA) have created Rosewood on the Move food delivery services to offer complimentary comfort meals to frontline workers in the hotels respective regions. Rosewood Miramar Beach, specifically, has already served over 1,500 meals to essential personnel throughout Santa Barbara, CA, ranging from police officers and fire fighters to waste handlers and grocery store attendants. Additional properties preparing meals for key workers at their local hospitals include Rosewood London (London, UK), Rosewood Hong Kong (Hong Kong, SAR), and Rosewood Abu Dhabi (Abu Dhabi, UAE). I have always believed that people are the beating heart of the hospitality industry, said Sonia Cheng, chief executive officer of Rosewood Hotel Group. Through Rosewood Raise, we wish to stand in solidarity and with gratitude for our associates, and in support of the local communities that are so deeply affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Our hope is that through this initiative we can provide assistance to our associates and communities who are facing serious hardship and let them know their Rosewood family is here to support them through this unprecedented time. Through the launch of Rosewood Raise, Rosewood Hotel Group is committed to continuing to identify and execute future opportunities to support its associates and the global community through multi-layered fundraising activities and community service projects in the years ahead. About Rosewood Hotel Group Rosewood Hotel Group, one of the worlds leading hotel companies, encompasses three brands: ultra-luxury Rosewood Hotels & Resorts in North America, Caribbean/Atlantic, Europe, the Middle East and Asia; upper-upscale New World Hotels & Resorts in China and Southeast Asia; and KHOS, a dynamic global business lifestyle hotel brand. Its combined portfolio consists of more than 44 hotels in 19 countries. For more information, please visit rosewoodhotelgroup.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200426005 Rosewood Hotel Group announces Rosewood Raise, a relief initiative developed in support of the Groups associates and effected communities. Sweden has closed the countrys last coal-fired power station two years ahead of schedule. It becomes the third European country to exit coal completely after Belgium closed its last coal power station in 2016, and Austria ended its final coal-fired energy operations earlier this month. The plant at Vartaverket, in Hjorthagen in eastern Stockholm is owned by Stockholm Exergi, a company part owned by the City of Stockholm and which described the closure as a milestone for clean energy in Sweden. The move will cut the CO2 emissions of the company by half, it said. The Swedish capital is on track for its district heating to be produced entirely by renewable or recycled energy by 2030. District heating, which is used in many European cities, tends to provide higher efficiencies and less pollution than localised boilers in each dwelling. This plant has provided the Stockholmers with heat and electricity for a long time, today we know that we must stop using all fossil fuels, therefore the coal needs to be phased out and we do so several years before the original plan, said Anders Egelrud, chief executive of Stockholm Exergi. Since Stockholm was almost totally fossil-dependent 30-40 years ago, we have made enormous changes and now we are taking the step away from carbon dependence and continuing the journey towards an energy system entirely based on renewable and recycled energy, he added. The company had previously said it would aim to shut down its coal operations in Hjorthagen in 2022, and had already reduced its output significantly in autumn 2019. But a milder winter than expected led to lower demand for electricity, so the decision was apparently made to close the entire power facility early instead of waiting another two years. The coal-fired cogeneration plant KVV6 at Vartaverket has been in operation and supplied heat and electricity to Stockholmers since 1989. Now it is closed, the company said in a statement. France, Slovakia, Portugal, the UK, Ireland and Italy are expected to follow Belgium, Austria and Sweden and exit coal by 2025 or earlier. Kathrin Gutmann, campaign director for Europe Beyond Coal, told industry publication PV Magazine: With Sweden going coal-free in the same week as Austria, the downward trajectory of coal in Europe is clear. Against the backdrop of the serious health challenges we are currently facing, leaving coal behind in exchange for renewables is the right decision and will repay us in kind with improved health, climate protection and more resilient economies. Germany remains significantly behind the curve when it comes to abandoning coal power. Its current plans, which are yet to be legislated for, set out an exit for coal by 2038, leaving it in breach of the Paris climate agreement. By Office of Dale Fowler Apr. 27, 2020 | 10:51 AM | HARRISBURG Views, opinions, positions or strategies expressed by the authors are theirs alone, and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, positions or strategies of West Kentucky Star.com, Bristol Broadcasting or any employee thereof. Bristol Broadcasting makes no representations as to accuracy, completeness, correctness, suitability, or validity of any information in this article and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. Last week, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker announced a modified extension of his stay-at-home order through May 30. While the Governor has yet to announce any plans for a regional re-opening of the states economy, his modified stay-at-home order does include several recommendations from Senate Republicans such as resuming elective surgeries, and allowing parks and some businesses to re-open.On Friday, Illinois State Senator Dale Fowler of Harrisburg issued a statement in reaction to the Governor's extension: On the Net: When Queen Elizabeth wakes up at Buckingham Palace, she starts her day like anyone else. But also, a little different: The queen has the financial privilege to employ a personal bagpiper as well as a an employee to monitor and measure their bath. The worlds longest-reigning monarch enjoys her morning bath at a precise temperature and depth, and thats exactly what she gets. Her Majesty rarely stays up past 11 p.m., she enjoys reading in bed, and she rises at around 7:30 every morning. The queen is a stickler for routine and tends to engage in more or less the same activities every day, explains the UK Daily Mail. The queens perfect morning On any given night, Queen Elizabeth sleeps by herself with a police sergeant stationed right outside her royal bedroom. The security guard used to end his shift at 6:30 in the morning. But after an intruder broke into the palace and disturbed the Queen at 7 a.m. back in 1982, the guard now remains on duty until Elizabeth wakes up and begins her day. Prince Philip spends his nights in a suite of rooms down the hall. At precisely 7:30, the queens royal staffer knocks softly and enters Her Majestys pale green bedroom bearing a silver tray upon which are a pot of the Queens favorite Earl Grey morning tea, a bone china teacup and saucer, a couple of biscuits, and a linen napkin. While Elizabeth sips her tea, nibbles biscuits, and listens to BBC news on the radio, her staffer prepares a bath in the adjoining lavatory. The queen reportedly prefers to bathe at 8 oclock sharp, and her bath must be just so, royal correspondent, Brian Hoey, told the Daily Mail. To ensure an ideal bathing experience every morning, a royal staff member is employed to test the temperature never too hot, never too cold with a wooden encased thermometer, reports Marie Claire magazine. Additionally, the depth of the water must never exceed seven inches, and yes, there is a royal staff member who attends to that, as well. Queen Elizabeths breakfast Queen Elizabeth II | Sean Gallup/Getty Images By 8:30, Queen Elizabeth is dressed, groomed, and ready to enjoy a light breakfast and the morning newspaper with her husband. Usually, she will tuck into a bowl of Special K, corn flakes, or Weetabix cereal with sliced fresh fruit and milk. Queen Elizabeth takes her tea in fine china cups, but prefers to eat her morning cereal from a plastic Tupperware bowl, revealed the Independent. When she wants to change things up a bit, Queen Elizabeth goes for toast slathered with Wilkin & Sons orange marmalade. Once in a while, the Queen opts for scrambled brown eggs (she thinks they taste better than white eggs) topped with a bit of smoked salmon and shaved truffles. The queen is also serenaded with a bagpipe performance At nine oclock, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip are treated to a private 15-minute serenade performed by the official Piper to the Sovereign, Richard Grisdale. When not piping solo for the Queen, Grisdale performs with the Royal Regiment of Scotland. After breakfast, Queen Elizabeth typically spends the remainder of her morning attending to paperwork at her Chippendale desk. She answers a selection of fan mail, writes in her journal, and deals with confidential correspondence sent via red ministerial dispatch boxes. Queen Elizabeths routine hasnt changed much since she ascended to the throne in 1952. She may be slowing down, but the Queen shows no signs of leaving her position. As her former equestrian manager, Sir Michael Oswald, told People magazine, As long as she is able to carry out her duties she will continue. People wait as health workers prepare to take samples during a community CCP virus testing campaign in Abuja, Nigeria, on April 15, 2020. (Kola Sulaimon/AFP via Getty Images) Nigerian Lawyers Are Latest to Sue Chinese Regime Over Spread of CCP Virus A group of Nigerian lawyers has filed a class-action lawsuit against Beijing over the spread of the CCP virus. The lawyers are demanding $200 billion in compensation for the loss of lives, economic strangulation, trauma, hardship, social disorientation, mental torture and disruption of the normal daily existence of people in Nigeria, a statement by professor Epiphany Azinge says, according to several Nigerian media reports. Azinge, a member of the London-based Commonwealth Secretariat Arbitral Tribunal and former director-general of the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, is championing the lawsuit through his law firm Azinge and Azinge. Nigeria, a former British colony, is part of the Commonwealth. The CCP virus, commonly known as the novel coronavirus, originated from the central Chinese city of Wuhan. The virus has since spread to over 200 countries and territories, causing more than 56,000 deaths in the United States alone. Nigeria To date, there are at least 1,273 confirmed cases of the virus in Nigeria, with 40 deaths in connection with COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, according to data collected by Johns Hopkins University. The lawyers have concluded legal procedures for the class action against Beijing, according to the Daily Post. The team of legal experts planned a two-phase line of action: first is with the federal high court of Nigeria and secondly to persuade the government of Federal Republic of Nigeria to institute a state action against the Peoples Republic of China at the International Court of Justice at the Hague, the statement says. Nigeria, a member of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), is one of the worlds biggest oil exporters. The recent tumble in oil prices amid the global pandemic has hurt its economy. Nigerias economy is being threatened by the twin shocks of the COVID-19 pandemic and the associated sharp fall in international oil prices, Kristalina Georgieva, managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), said in a statement published on April 7. The IMF has projected that Nigerias GDP this year would shrink by 3.4 percent. The CCP virus has also devastated Nigerias aviation industry. According to an April 2 press release by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), there were 3.5 million fewer passengers on Nigerian airlines compared to last year, resulting in a revenue loss of $760 million, risking 91,380 jobs and $650 million in contribution to the local economy. Post-pandemic, Nigeria has applied for more than $7 billion in emergency funds from international lenders, including the IMF, World Bank, and the African Development Bank. On March 30, Nigeria President Muhammadu Buhari placed three states, Lagos, Ogun, and the Federal Capital Territory, under lockdown to prevent the spread of the virus. Since then, local media have reported people crying out for food because they dont have enough income. Other Lawsuits In the United States, attorney generals in Missouri and Mississippi have filed lawsuits against the Chinese regime over its coverup of the virus, while U.S. law firms have begun several class-action lawsuits. The Chinese regime initially concealed the virus outbreak, including by silencing eight doctors who took to Chinese social media to warn people about a new form of pneumonia in late December. Many U.S. lawmakers have criticized China for the lack of transparency about the virus outbreak, with some proposing legislation to hold Beijing accountable for the spread of the virus, including the elimination of a legal protection under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act (FSIA) that insulates countries from being sued in the United States. In Italy, local nonprofit ONEurope Onlus, an advocacy group that helps integrate foreigners and immigrants into a new country, is behind a local class-action lawsuit that seeks to take Beijing to local and international courts, seeking compensation for damage caused by the virus. Italy is among the hardest-hit by the virus, with almost 27,000 deaths and more than 199,000 infections. Also in Italy, local consumers association Codacons is currently working with U.S. law firm Kenneth B. Moll to evaluate a possible class action against China, according to an April 23 statement. Hotel de la Poste, a ski resort hotel in the Dolomites mountain range in northeastern Italy, recently presented a legal complaint to a local court, seeking compensation from Chinas Ministry of Health for its loss of business, according to local newspaper Il Sole 24 Ore. In early April, Arab News reported that Egyptian lawyer Mohamed Talaat was filing a lawsuit against the Chinese embassy in Cairo, demanding $10 trillion in damages caused by the virus in Egypt. Haryana home minister Anil Vij termed the people who work in the national capital but stay in Haryana as corona-carriers. He has appealed to the Delhi government to make staying arrangement for such people there itself. Many who work in Delhi and stay in Haryana, are corona-carriers. I appeal to Delhi CM that staying arrangements of people who work in Delhi should be made in Delhi itself. They shouldnt be issued passes to travel to Haryana as this is increasing Covid-19 cases here, said the minister. Coronavirus cases in Haryana rose to 296 on Sunday after nine people, according to a state health department bulletin. Nuh with 57 novel coronavirus cases, followed by Gurgaon (51), Faridabad (45), Palwal (34), Sonipat (20) and Panchkula (18) are among the worst affected districts in Haryana. The minister said it has come to light that many of the coronavirus patients in the NCR districts including Sonipat, Gurgaon and Faridabad have been found to have contracted infection from the national capital and said daily movement of the employees working in Delhi to their residences in Haryana increases the risk of Covid-19 spread. Haryanas Chief Secretary Keshni Anand Arora on Sunday apprised her Delhi counterpart about the situation, saying this kind of movement has to be stopped and Delhi government should not issues passes to these employees for movement, said Vij. According to the bulletin, 199 people have been discharged from hospitals after recovery from the infection, leaving 94 active cases in the state. First, it was Tablighi Jamaat members who led to spike in number of cases in Haryana as 120 of them were found positive. Now, it is the movement of these employees from the national capital to their residences in Haryana which is increasing the threat of infection in the state, Vij said. As on Sunday evening, the state has a recovery rate of 67.22 per cent, fatality rate of 1.01 per cent, COVID-19 positive rate (proportion of positive cases to total tests conducted) of 1.51 per cent, the doubling rate of cases is 18 days, while tests per million being conducted are 846, the bulletin said. In another development, MNCs, BPOs and IT enabled services (ITES) in Gurgaon may have to allow their employees to work from home till the end of July, said Gurgaon Metropolitan Development Authority CEO V S Kundu. Gurgaon, which is part of the National Capital Region, is known as the millennium city and is home to many BPOs, MNCs and technology giants, including Infosys, Genpact, Google and Microsoft. Last weeks collapse of WTI Crude futures to -$37 a barrel left a lot of individual investors burnt. Well-known energy trader Pierre Andurand, for example, warned traders of massive losses, tweeting on Tuesday: This shock is real. Be very careful out there. We are going to hear about crazy losses in the days and weeks to come. Some traders are counting the losses a week after the price crash, which many attributed to the imminent expiry of the May futures contract. Others noted the connection with the lack of oil storage capacity in the United States. The ripple effect of negative WTI Crude prices went far and wide, burning even retail Chinese investors who arent allowed to invest in the international crude oil futures markets directly. One may wonder how Chinas investorsbanned from opening non-Chinese accounts to trade crude oil futuresgot burnt in this market carnage. Heres how. Chinese retail investors cannot directly trade WTI Crude or Brent Crude, but Chinese state-held lenders offer structured products with exposure to the price swings of the two most active international crude benchmarks. For example, Bank of China, one of the biggest lenders, has a paper investment structured product for retail investors linked to international futures contracts, including WTI Crude and Brent Crude. The bank sells this product, Yuan You Bao, to individual clients. Other banks such as Agricultural Bank of China (ABC), Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), China Construction Bank (CCB), and Bank of Communications (BoComm) also have similar crude-linked products. Since March, when oil prices collapsed due to the demand crash and the (temporary) end of the Saudi-Russian partnership in OPEC+, retail clients in China have been increasingly buying crude-linked structured products, betting on buying the dip, and hoping that prices would recover from what they had probably perceived was the bottom of oil prices. But the demand destruction and swelling global inventories, alongside a rather weak pledge by OPEC+ to remove 9.7 million bpd from the market in May and June weak compared to demand loss three times higher led to an unprecedented crash in WTI Crude May futures into negative territory as traders rushed to get rid of the May contract to avoid owning physical oil barrels for May delivery. This left a lot of investors in ETFs linked to oil, such as the United States Oil Fund LP (NYSEARCA: USO), exposed to losses. It also burnt a lot of Chinese retail investors who had bet on buying the dip of crude oil prices by buying and owning the structured crude-price-linked products of the Chinese banks. Last week, following the turmoil in international oil markets, Bank of China suspended the opening of new positions in its product. Investors started complaining that they werent adequately informed of the actual risks of betting on crude oil price swings. University student Stephanie Peng told Reuters she bought the product because she thought it was a safe wealth management product. Sources with knowledge of the matter told Caixin Global that Bank of Chinas Yuan You Bao product alone burnt more than 60,000 Chinese retail investors with a total of US$1.4 billion (10 billion yuan). Premium: 2 Stocks To Consider As Oil Nears $15 Investors cried foul about the insufficient and inadequate disclosure of the banks regarding trading in structured paper products linked to crude oil prices. A staffer at Bank of China, on the other hand, told Caixin that the product was marketed as a normal wealth management product. Bank of China said that it would take responsibility for the losses incurred by individual investors in the crude oil trading product, China Daily reported over the weekend. We will comprehensively review our product design, as well as risk management and its process, and take due responsibility under the legal framework. We and our clients will pull together in times of trouble, and we will do our best to protect their legitimate interests, the bank said in a statement, as carried by China Daily. The fact that even Chinas state-controlled banks are trying to save face with their retail investors goes to show how far and wide the price crash reverberated through the global markets, and how smaller and inexperienced investors were stung while chasing profits in the most unpredictable crude oil market ever. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Philippine Daily Inquirer/Asia News Network) Mon, April 27, 2020 11:08 625 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd46ff72 2 Lifestyle Anna-Wintour,memoir,Andre-Leon-Talley Free Andre Leon Talleys account of his tattered relationship with his one-time boss, Anna Wintour, is getting sniggers after DailyMail.com, the website of the British tabloid, released exclusive snippets from an upcoming memoir by Vogues former editor at large. The Chiffon Trenches: A Memoir, out in September, details Talleys bitterness over being cast aside by Wintour because he was too old, too overweight, too uncool for Wintours tight circle, which includes celebrities like Serena Williams, Roger Federer, and George and Amal Clooney. I have huge emotional and psychological scars from my relationship with this towering and influential woman, says Andre Leon Talley (left) of his former boss and friend Anna Wintour; they are seen together at a fashion show when he was still working for Vogue. Describing Wintour, longtime editor of American Vogue, with whom Talley worked since the 1980s, as ruthless, Talley said he was dismissed without word from his last job hosting a podcast at Vogue, and for his annual role doing red-carpet interviews for the annual Met Gala. This was clearly a stone-cold business decision After decades of loyalty and friendship Anna should have had the decency and kindness to call or send me an email saying: Andre, I think we have had a wonderful run with your interviews but we are going to try something new. Read also: Love your clothes and pass them on, says Vogue supremo Wintour Nuclear Wintour, as fashion insiders have come to call the powerful editor, Talley added, is not capable of simple human kindness. Talley also wrote that there are so many who have worked for her and have suffered huge emotional scarring. His characterization of Wintour, Talley said, was corroborated by former Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter, whom Talley quotes as saying of Wintour: One day she treats me like a good friend and a colleague, and the next day, she treats me as if she had just handed over her keys to an unknown parking valet. I wonder, when she goes home alone at night, is she miserable? Does she feel alone? Talley wrote. Topics : This article appeared on the Philippine Daily Inquirer newspaper website, which is a member of Asia News Network and a media partner of The Jakarta Post Small-business owners and leaders of nonprofit organizations in Pennsylvania are struggling to make payroll and keep their doors open amid the pandemic. So many of them jumped at the opportunity for financial relief when President Donald Trump signed a $2.2 trillion stimulus bill into law on March 19. But upon applying for access to the $350 billion of assistance the legislation provides, some are learning theyll be excluded. And its not just business; its personal. Consideration of an applicants criminal record is front and center of the U.S. Small Business Administrations application forms for COVID-19 relief. On the Paycheck Protection Programs application, for example, questions five and six serve to disqualify a person who was convicted of a felony within the last five years from receiving a federal loan to help pay their workers no matter the nature of the crime, the circumstances of the offense, or the sincerity of their rehabilitation. The program also disqualifies someone who was placed on parole for a felony within the last five years, which means it applies even to people who have served all of their time in prison and a potentially significant period of post-prison community supervision. In fact, if in the last five years a person has merely been accused of a felony, and then participated in a pretrial diversion program to resolve the accusation, they could be denied desperately needed financial support. ASK US: Do you have a question about the coronavirus and how it affects your health, work, and life? Ask our reporters. As leaders of nonprofit organizations that are dedicated to supporting second chances for people who have been in the criminal justice system, these questions stung. We share the belief that the empathy stemming from experience of the justice system leads to some of the best work that is done in our field. Many people who have been in prison or jail choose to found organizations that give back to their communities once theyre out. To refuse them assistance on the basis of past mistakes particularly when those very mistakes are the fuel that fires their ambition to help others is to withhold our collective support from some of the people who need and merit it the most. These application questions dont just affect nonprofits; they also bar relief to owners of restaurants and barbershops and dry cleaners and other small businesses who may have been involved in the justice system in the past. Like all other business owners, these proprietors are anxious to ensure that their employees continue to be paid even as stay-at-home orders and closures of nonessential businesses bring revenue to a halt. To deny them that opportunity is particularly unfortunate because entrepreneurship can be a pathway to economic mobility for people with criminal records who may struggle to access other types of jobs. Millions of Americans are burdened by a criminal record. And even in better economic times, their unemployment rate was almost five times that of people without criminal records. That disparity can be chalked up to a number of factors. For instance, people who have been convicted of a crime may face state-specific restrictions that prevent them from holding certain jobs or accessing required occupational and professional licenses. Others in the justice system may lack access to the education and training that are required to enter higher-skill industries once theyre released, and many are barred from receiving financial assistance to participate in postsecondary programs. And even if they surmount those barriers, employer bias could ultimately prevent a person with a criminal record from being hired. Opening a small business can thus be a viable alternative. Thats why the Small Business Administration itself has supported training and microloan programs for people who are in prison or who have criminal records. The agency should avoid contradicting those efforts and remove all questions related to criminal records from its stimulus loan applications. For people with criminal records, rejection and fear of rejection are common experiences. They have been told no before by banks, by potential employers, by colleges and universities. Along the way, many of them have cultivated resilience, a wellspring of hope, faith, and determination that propels them forward despite the obstacles in their path. People who have made mistakes, learned from them, and proceeded to build small businesses or become leaders of nonprofit organizations deserve our admiration. They also deserve our support as they strive to keep their workers employed and their lights on. They deserve the Small Business Administrations support today and Congress support as it considers a fourth stimulus package. COVID-19 doesnt discriminate among those it harms, and we shouldnt discriminate among those we help. Marsha Banks is formerly incarcerated and now runs Amiracle4sure Inc., a Harrisburg-based nonprofit that prepares people for life after incarceration. Megan Quattlebaum is the director of the Council of State Governments Justice Center, a national organization providing criminal justice assistance to local, state, and federal policymakers. Mark your calendars. Today April 27, 2020 is the day that New Zealand, a country of five million people, has declared it has eliminated coronavirus. The country now has new cases in the single digits, and knows where every single case has come from, meaning there is no uncontrolled community transmission. The country will now be easing (though not entirely removing) restrictions, as they see life return to relative normalcy. On this side of the planet, April 27 paints a very different picture. In the United States, we no longer tally the number of cases (how could we know them, when testing is so sparse and widely unavailable?) Instead, we tally the number of deaths; ours have risen above 55,000 now. Of course, were far larger than New Zealand, and were also far less remote. Still, its worth considering whether or not our approach to solving the epidemic has been a problem regarding its certain and unstoppable escalation. To which I say: of course it has. As cases in the United States continue to rise, President Trump continues to respond to the pandemic with self-aggrandizement. The New York Times tallied the presidents strange responses to a nation in crisis over the weekend, reviewing 260,000 words spoken by Trump over the course of the past months in reference to Covid-19. He has congratulated himself 600 times, blamed others over 100 times, and displayed empathy or attempted national unity a paltry 160 times, which, the Times reports, is only a quarter of the times he complimented himself or a top member of his team. While Trump has placed himself in the center of the maelstrom, New Zealands Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has quietly gone about the business of solving the problem at hand the problem of saving lives out of the limelight. She has held no ludicrous press conference talking about her own superior leadership skills. She has lacked bluster and buffoonery. She has walked the walk, without needing, it seems, to talk the talk. That walk included addressing coronavirus when there were only 102 confirmed cases in her country. That was on March 23. On that same exact date, when the United States had over 33,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus, and had suffered nearly 450 deaths, President Trump said, America will again, and soon, be open for business very soon a lot sooner than three or four months that somebody was suggesting. Is it any wonder protests started rumbling when it became obvious that that would be impossible to do? Back when we had around 150 cases, on March 4, Trump dismissed the disease. Some people will have this at a very light level and wont even go to a doctor or hospital, and theyll get better, Trump said at a briefing with airline CEOs that day. Eleven people died on March 4. We could have shut the United States down then, and, if we had, we could be reopening now, like New Zealand is. But we didnt. And instead of confirmed cases in the single digits, we are looking at deaths that will soon hit the hundred thousand mark. Maybe we dont have the winning strategy after all. But what is Trumps strategy? If Prime Minister Ardern is now an exemplar for how to live our best coronavirus-free lives, we should be doubling down on what New Zealand did right. They acted swiftly, imposing national restrictions, while Trump has largely thrown his hands up, leaving power in the hands of the states (and vacillating between how he feels about how they leverage it, as we saw last week with his back-and-forth with Governor Kemps newly eased restrictions in Georgia). Jacinda Ardern fostered trust by taking a 20 per cent pay cut, leading by example; Trump boasted about how he was rich and knew the economy well enough to get it back on its feet. Since Trump has never seemed to take much issue with the slash-and-burn approach of using executive power, why did he reserve his mighty pen in this moment, when his country needed him most? He could have imposed a federal mandate, requiring all states to enter lockdown. He could have done it at the very beginning, when it was clear that a problem was swelling. Instead, he set up shop for two hours each afternoon on a lectern, pontificating about everything but mostly nothing while New Zealand chipped away at the problem that the United States largely ignored. And now we soldier on, fighting a war that we will continue to lose, while governors in some states act against the interests of all of us, and our president flips allegiances like a weathervane. Are we winning yet? It sure doesnt feel like it. There is a pivotal scene in the 2017 movie Darkest Hour about an event that had a major impact on Winston Churchill's success as prime minister, and it is a must-see for currently beleaguered Americans. In it, Mr. Churchill is besieged by calls from the elite ruling class to negotiate with the Nazis. Most of the British army is trapped on the beaches of Dunkirk, and defeat is all but assured. He finds himself locked in an agonizing battle between his gut and the establishment experts in his war cabinet. Exhausted and worried, Churchill can't find the strength and resolve to do what he always did best lead and inspire the British people and he contemplates surrender. As he is chauffeured to parliament, the P.M. suddenly has a moment of clarity. He hops out of the car and walks down into the London Tube with average working Britons. On the train, he asks people what they think he should do, and they tell him with certainty what he knew all along: to never surrender. While the real-life Churchill likely didn't crowdsource one of the most monumental foreign policy decisions in modern history from a bench on the underground, according to the film's director, the notion is conceivable. He was said to have ventured out to discuss matters of significance with regular citizens. Churchill was a famously colorful, wealthy aristocrat, but he drew his inspiration and strength from being instinctively in tune with average people. The film accurately portrays him as one of history's most famous extroverts, and this scene in particular is the perfect illustration of how a good, extroverted leader operates. Human interaction on a grand scale is what fuels extroverts. Their natural ability to cope with challenges depends heavily on being in large groups of people. When removed from crowds and sequestered in place, extroverts lose their steam, and their gut instincts become harder to discern. Grounded extroverts are not at the top of their game. Like Winston Churchill, Donald Trump is an extrovert. So am I. At the risk of playing armchair psychologist, and in part due to my own current state of extrovert in lockdowninduced stress, I have a message for our own modern-day Mr. Churchill: President Trump, you have been in Washington for too long. It's time to step out of the White House and into the Tube. It's time to flee the swamp. Apart from his short trip to Norfolk to send off the Navy's USS Comfort hospital ship on March 28, the president has spent his time shuffling between meetings in the White House and the briefing room. It is obvious that Trump, like Churchill, gets his inspiration from interacting with regular people. He in turn inspires them. Unfortunately, the president is stuck at home with a bunch of conceited reporters. I can't imagine a worse place for him to be, especially as he grapples with decisions that impact the lives of all Americans. President Trump is at his best when he is with real Americans, not locked down with the preening, out-of-touch elites of Washington, D.C. Human nature is what it is, no matter the job title. From this president to this stay-at-home mom, all extroverts know where we are at our best. And it isn't under house arrest. If President Trump were able to step out of the White House and ask average citizens what they think about the mess we're in, I suspect he would find that the American people are much braver than the experts are giving them credit for. They would tell him to reopen the country and assure him that he can fight the media, the virus, and the saboteurs of American prosperity all at the same time. They would tell him with certainty to never surrender their jobs and their freedom. Laura Walsh is a stay-at-home mother and Millennial living in the suburban South. National Weather Service There is a marginal chance for thunderstorms across San Antonio region and the Hill Country Tuesday night as a cold front comes through, according to the National Weather Service. The storms are possible late Tuesday night and into Wednesday morning as the front rolls in, with much of the region expecting to see showers and severe thunderstorms. Storms are expected to move into the northeastern part of the area by 10 p.m. and hit San Antonio around 4 a.m., according to the latest update from the National Weather Service. Starting April 28, the Assam government will further relax inter-district travel curbs for three days. State health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday said that the government will allow two-way travel for people with own vehicles to pick up children and family members, and return. From Saturday, the government had opened a three-day window for private vehicles to travel one-way provided they had permission from the district administration. Only two persons will be allowed at a time, however -- a driver and a passenger in the back seat. Sarma said over 34,500 people had applied for permit. The state has had 35 positive cases of Covid-19 and one death so far. On Saturday, the government had begun a three-day exercise to transport people stranded across the state to destinations within the state in Assam State Transport Corporation (ASTC) buses. Nearly 41,000 people had registered themselves on our helpline numbers (for this scheme), sadi transport minister Chandra Mohan Patowary said on Sunday. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON North Korean State Media Report on Kim Jong Un's Activities Amid Death Speculation - Yonhap Sputnik News 03:07 GMT 26.04.2020(updated 03:19 GMT 26.04.2020) As the world mulls Kim Jong Un's health, with some suggesting that the leader of North Korea may be dead, guesses continue to be fueled by reports of Kim's alleged heart surgery and his disappearance from high-profile official events. The state radio of the DPRK reported on Sunday that Kim Jong Un had expressed "appreciation" for workers taking part in building the city of Samjiyon amid speculation on the leader's health and possible demise, according to the South Korean state-run news agency Yonhap. There was no elaboration, however, on his health conditions or on Kim's public activities. "Comrade Kim Jong-un sent appreciation to workers earnestly and wholeheartedly supporting in furnishing Samjiyon. Workers are in burning passion to earnestly contribute to the construction of a socialist powerhouse without forgetting about the party's trust and expectation for any moment", the state radio said, cited by Yonhap. On Thursday, Pyongyang's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that Kim had received a congratulatory telegram from the head of Russian Communist Party, Gennady Zuganov, on the anniversary of leader's visit to Russia. On 22 April, KNCA stated that Kim Jong Un had sent a reply to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's congratulations on Kim Il Sung's birthday. No details regarding Kim's whereabouts or health conditions were given. Other state media in North Korea did not report on the leader's activities, and no new photos of the leader have been published, according to Yonhap. His most recent photo appeared on KCNA alongside reports of Kim's inspection of air defence forces in the western part of DPRK on 12 April. Speculation on Kim Jong Un's health began earlier in the month, when CNN reported that he had undergone surgery and was said to be in "grave danger". Kim did not appear at the high-profile annual celebration of his grandfather's birthday, a major and important occasion in North Korea. New reports followed speculation suggesting that the leader might be dead. The allegations have not been confirmed by North Korean officials. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The Trump administration has been accused by producers and politicians of letting masses of American produce rot in fields even as food banks struggle to meet demand during the coronavirus crisis. With the demand for produce down and fresh goods destined for restaurants and private suppliers destroyed Democrats and producers have called on the US Department for Agriculture (USDA) to step up its efforts to stop waste. Every day that passes, fresh produce is being ploughed under and milk is being disposed of while long lines form at many food banks, said Zippy Duvall, president of the American Farm Bureau Federation, in a statement on Friday. Praising the announcement of a new programme to buy up surplus food, he added: USDA is demonstrating a willingness to try a new approach to find solutions to these challenges. We stand ready to help in any way we can. Mr Duvall had written to the USDA last month demanding action, alongside the food bank non-profit Feeding America, which has reported a 70-per-cent rise in usage at its sites since the pandemic began. According to a Politico report, tens of millions of pounds of produce are estimated to have been wasted since start of the outbreak. Critics have said the programme of USDA assistance has come too late and may not go far enough. Under the scheme, the USDA intends to partner with regional and local distributors to buy $3bn-worth (2.4bn) of produce that will be transported to food banks and American non-profit groups. The purchasing plan is part of a $19bn (15bn) Coronavirus Farm Assistance Program to provide financial support to the sector. Florida congresswoman Val Demings, a Democrat, said in a tweet: The USDAs assistance program for farmers is a start, but woefully inadequate. Its too late for many Florida farmers to benefit, and direct payments dont come close to covering losses. This support should be expanded. Those comments were echoed by Floridas agricultural commissioner, Nikki Fried, who said on Twitter that she had serious concerns over payment caps that only cover a fraction of crop losses. In an interview on CNN earlier this month Tom Vilsack, an Obama administration agriculture secretary and current president of the US Dairy Export Council, described the current crisis facing farmers as a significant misalignment of demand and supply. He said at the time that the government couldnt help [farmers] because the USDA was out of money. Some officials and farmers now warn that more fresh produce will be wasted before goods are packed and transported under the USDA scheme. Brittany Lee, a blueberry farmer and executive director of the Florida Blueberry Growers Association, told Politico: By the time that comes through, it wont help Florida. Meanwhile, other producers have taken action and donated produce to those in need. In Idaho, one potato farmer gave away almost 2 million potatoes after demand for his crop fell. In a statement, USDA secretary Sonny Perdue said that the agency had responded effectively to the situation. USDA is committed to maximizing our services and flexibilities to ensure children and others who need food can get it during this coronavirus epidemic, commented Mr Perdue. It comes after more than 26 million Americans claimed unemployment many of whom have turned to food banks for assistance. More than 2.97 million people have been reported to be infected by the novel coronavirus globally and 205,948 have died, according to a Reuters tally, as of 0200 GMT on Monday. EUROPE Italy reported 260 more deaths on Sunday, the smallest daily tally since March 14, and said it plans to allow factories and building sites to reopen from May 4 and permit limited family visits. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to announce plans for easing a month-old lockdown as early as this week after he returned to Downing Street on Sunday night, the Telegraph reported. Death toll in France increased by 242 to 22,856. A group of 25 Dutch high school students arrived back in the Netherlands in a two-mast schooner on Sunday, as airline restrictions forced them to sail it home from the Caribbean. Total cases in Turkey rose by 2,357 in the past 24 hours, and 99 more people have died. AMERICAS Total infections in the United States were more than 970,000 and the death toll stood at 54,822, according to a Reuters tally as of 0200 GMT on Monday. Colorado, Mississippi, Minnesota, Montana and Tennessee were set to join other states in reopening businesses, while Oklahoma governor called on U.S. President Donald Trump to declare the pandemic an "act of God". The U.S. government notified lenders on Sunday that it will cap how much each bank can lend under the emergency loan program. Argentina will extend a mandatory nationwide quarantine period until May 10, while Honduras will extend the blanket curfew by one week until 2100 GMT on May 3. Mexico reported 835 new cases and 46 additional fatalities. It also returned most occupants in government migrant centres to their countries of origin. Confirmed cases in Panama reached 5,779 on Sunday, a rise of 241 from the previous day, and deaths climbed by six to 165. ASIA-PACIFIC China reported three new cases on April 26, down from 11 a day earlier, while there were 25 new asymptomatic cases on April 26. Total cases in mainland China stand at 82,830. Japan's Osaka Prefecture said it will name and shame more pachinko parlour gambling outlets that are defying coronavirus lockdown requests. Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged Indians to comply with a nationwide lockdown and social distancing measures on Sunday, a day after some of the world's toughest restrictions were eased slightly while cases of COVID-19 continued to mount. More than a million Australians rushed to download an app designed to help authorities trace close contacts of COVID-19 patients. MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA Egypt has asked the International Monetary Fund for financial support and will begin talks with it within days. Iran plans to reopen mosques in parts of the country that have been consistently free of the outbreak. Saudi Arabia eased curfews across the country, while keeping 24-hour curfews in Mecca and in neighbourhoods previously put in isolation. Israel permitted some businesses to reopen and said it would consider allowing children back to school. South Africa is seeking 95 billion rand ($4.99 billion) from multilateral lenders to help it fight the COVID-19 pandemic. ECONOMIC FALLOUT Asian shares bounced as the Bank of Japan (BOJ) announced more stimulus steps, while oil took another spill as the world ran short of space to store it all. National Australia Bank Ltd asked investors for A$3.5 billion ($2.2 billion) and cut its dividend. The Bank of Japan ramped up risky asset purchases and pledged to buy unlimited amounts of government bonds. Also read: Coronavirus India Live Updates: PM Modi video conference with states' CMs ends, lockdown extension on cards? Also read: Coronavirus in US: Oklahoma governor asks Trump to declare COVID-19 'act of God' to help oil producers (Natural News) According to the official count, the world is right on the verge of breaching 200,000 deaths associated with the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19). But this number could be short by about 25,000, new data suggest. As reported by The Week, numbers compiled by The New York Times show that an additional 25,000 deaths associated with the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) have been overlooked because some people did not necessarily contract the virus, but rather it impacted their health in other ways. The Times reportedly looked at the recent mortality data from 11 different countries, observing that more people have died in these countries compared to previous years. But the official death count associated with the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) only accounted for a very small portion of these additional deaths. Spain, for instance, saw 7,300 more deaths than usual between March 9 and April 5, while New York City saw its normal death rate almost quadruple during roughly this same period of time. Based on this, the Times concluded that about 25,000 more people than what is being reported have died during this pandemic. Many thousands more people have died in Europe this year compared with a normal year, the Times tweeted. But deaths officially attributed to Covid-19 account for just a fraction of the increase, suggesting many more died from the virus than have been counted. Listen below to The Health Ranger Report as Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, discusses how the antibody tests for the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) are producing a very high number of false positives: Collecting mortality data during a pandemic is not perfect, admits the Times The only way to explain these abnormally high death counts, according to the Times, is to link them to the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19). The Times also contends that its findings undermine the notion that many people who have died from the virus may soon have died anyway. In some cases, people may have died because they refused to, or could not, go to a hospital for treatment. Others may have had pre-existing health conditions that they were used to dealing with, but that the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) unexpectedly exacerbated resulting in early death. Mortality data in the middle of a pandemic is not perfect, the Times also admits, adding that limited testing may also be to blame for these potential undercounts. Similar undercounts are believed to have occurred in communist China, which for months was accused of burying data on the true number of deaths associated with the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19). Back in late February, we reported that the Chinese state media was finally coming around to admit that there was a discrepancy between the death count being publicly reported versus the death count being privately recorded. It was estimated at the time that communist China was lying about the death count using a factor of 50. In other words, for every 50 actual deaths that were recorded, the communist Chinese regime was only reporting one death publicly. In the United States, the official death count associated with the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) has reportedly breached 50,000, while the case total globally is nearing three million. Currently, the U.S. has more than three times the number of confirmed cases than any other country in the world, despite the fact that countries like Spain, Italy, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom all have a higher number of deaths per capita than the U.S., according to data from Johns Hopkins University. In just the New York City boroughs of Queens, Brooklyn, and the Bronx, more than 2,000 residents are said to have died from complications associated with the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19). To keep up with the latest news about the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19), be sure to check out Pandemic.news. Sources for this article include: TheWeek.com NaturalNews.com NPR.org Spain let children go outside and play on Sunday for the first time in six weeks as European countries - battered by coronavirus pandemic - methodically worked to ease their lockdowns and reopen their economies. Over 23,000 people in Spain have died from Covid-19 but on Sunday the country posted its lowest daily death toll in over a month. The children went outside on foot and with bicycles, skateboards and scooters. It was a first step as the government plans a gradual process of easing restrictions. I never thought I would miss school but I really miss it, Lucia Ibanez, 9, out for a walk with her mother told news agency Reuters. Ibanez said she had missed the streets and the park and feeling the air on your face during lockdown. Children have been allowed one hour of supervised outdoor activity per day between 9 am and 9 pm, staying within one kilometre of their home. Many children wearing protective masks were seen strolling the streets in Madrid. As per the relaxation allowed by the government, adults can accompany up to three children who will not be allowed to use playparks or share toys, and must adhere to social distancing guidelines, remaining at least two metres from other people. It was totally necessary after 42 days, said Carla Marquez, out with her daughter near Las Canteras beach in Gran Canaria. It has been super emotional... We have to value the small things in life which apparently we didnt before. Spains health ministry, meanwhile, said that 288 more people had died after being diagnosed with Covid-19, the lowest daily rise in the death toll in the past month. That brought the total number of deaths to 23,190, while the overall number of cases rose to 2,07,634. Spain has registered the third highest number of Covid-19 deaths, after the United States and Italy. The government had declared a state of emergency on March 14 and shut down most public life and economic activity. By West Kentucky Star Staff Apr. 27, 2020 | 09:41 AM | MAYFIELD A Mayfield man was arrested on multiple charges Sunday after he allegedly threatened police officers. According to the Mayfield Police Department, an officer was patrolling the area of Shellwood Drive when he saw a man sitting on the porch of a home. The man, 18-year-old Kenneth J. Hendrix of Mayfield, had an active warrant for his arrest for allegedly assaulting his girlfriend earlier this month. Police said Hendrix is currently on probation after being convicted of two crimes in the past. While taking him into custody, police said Hendrix began to threaten two officers with bodily harm and deadly force. Hendrix was lodged in the Graves County Jail on charges of 4th degree assault, two counts of probation violation and two counts of 3rd degree terroristic threatening. The move is part of wider reforms by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to bring Saudi Arabia into the 21st century - Reuters Saudi Arabias decision to curb its use of the death penalty has raised hopes that a young man sentenced to die for taking part in anti-government protests will be spared execution. Ali Mohammed Baqir al-Nimr was arrested in 2012 at the age of 17 for his role in protests inspired by the Arab Spring and received the death penalty. But on Sunday, Saudi officials said they would no longer execute those who committed crimes while they were minors - defined in the kingdom as those under the age of 18. Instead, the individual will receive a prison sentence of no longer than 10 years in a juvenile detention facility," said Human Rights Commission president Awwad Alawwad in a statement. At the same time, Saudi Arabia said it would also effectively abolish flogging as a punishment for criminals. The reforms reflect a push by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia, to modernise the ultra-conservative kingdom, which has long been associated with a fundamentalist strain of Wahhabi Islam. The kingdom has one of the world's highest rates of execution, with suspects convicted of terrorism, homicide, rape, armed robbery and drug trafficking facing the death penalty. Saudi Arabia executed at least 187 people in 2019, according to a tally based on official data, the highest since 1995 when 195 people were put to death. It is not clear if the latest ruling by King Salman bin Abdulaziz will be applied retrospectively, but human rights groups renewed calls for the release of at least 13 Saudi prisoners currently on death row for alleged terrorist crimes committed as children. They include Ali Mohammed Baqir Al-Nimr who was arrested in 2012 and sentenced to death along with other teenagers who participated in short-lived political demonstrations in the east of the country that were inspired by the Arab Spring. According to a court judgment, Al-Nimr, while aged 17, "encouraged pro-democracy protests [using] a BlackBerry" mobile phone as members of Saudis repressed Shia Muslim minority came onto the streets to demand reform and equal rights. Story continues He was allegedly tortured and forced to sign a confession while being denied access to a lawyer, human rights groups say. Two other protesters, Dawood al-Marhoun and Abdullah al-Zaher, were also convicted for similar offences, while they were aged 16 and 17, and sentenced to death. Another prisoner, Murtaja Qureiris, now aged 20, is also threatened with the death penalty for crimes he allegedly committed when he was just 10 years old. These included leading a demonstration of 30 children on bicycles and throwing Molotov cocktails at a police station after his brother was killed by Saudi forces in a protest in 2011. Political protests are often considered terrorist offences in the Kingdom, which has a harsh record on repressing dissenters, despite recent claims of reform under Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman. The United Nations and human rights groups have condemned Saudi Arabias gratuitous use of the death penalty, including for prisoners who have claimed to be chained, beaten and electrocuted before confessing to crimes under duress. Among 800 executions since 2015, a total of 185 people were executed in the Kingdom last year, including three men who were children at the time of their offences, according to the campaign group Reprieve. Maya Foa, director of Reprieve, welcomed the move to limit the death penalty but added: These will be nothing more than empty words as long as child defendants remain on death row. " Prince Andrew is still dealing with the fallout from his relationship with pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. The Duke of York stepped away from the royal spotlight last fall after a disastrous interview regarding his friendship with Epstein, who took his own life in the middle of a sex trafficking investigation. While Andrews future remains uncertain, royal expert Melanie Bromley is not sure he will ever recover from the scandal. Prince Andrew, Duke of York | Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Prince Andrew refuses to talk about his friendship with Epstein Lifetime recently announced that they are working on a four-part documentary that covers various aspects of Epsteins life, including his business contacts and high-profile friendships. The tentative title of the project is Surviving Jeffrey Epstein. The documentary will reportedly include interviews from several of Epsteins victims, who will no doubt shed more light on his disturbing behavior. Filmmakers reached out to Andrew for an interview but he refused to take part in the project. According to Express, Prince Andrews lawyers have advised against him discussing anything related to Epstein. Moving forward, the Duke of Yorks attorneys will now handle any questions related to the scandal. Andrews legal team have told the Prince to conduct no more interviews after he spoke to BBC, a source shared. The insider noted that anything Andrew says could be used against him in a civil case, which is why his legal team advised him to keep quiet. The FBI is currently investigating Epsteins business partners, and Andrew could easily be dragged into the case. Inside Andrews scandal Andrews friendship with Epstein has been well documented. Although Andrew says their relationship was purely business-related, one of Epsteins victims claims differently. Virginia Giuffre says Andrew had sex with her at the behest of Epstein. Giuffre was underage at the time of her alleged encounter with Andrew, and she has a photo of her and Andrew that proves they met at the very least. Amid mounting pressure, Prince Andrew addressed the Epstein scandal during an interview on BBCs Newsnight. Despite all of Epsteins crimes, Andrew revealed that he does not regret their friendship as it proved useful in opening other opportunities. Andrew also denied getting intimate with Giuffre and says that he does not recall meeting her at all. Although meant to clear his name, the interview completely backfired on Andrew and greatly embarrassed the royal family. A few weeks after the interview, Andrew stepped down from the royal spotlight and has been keeping a low-profile ever since. Will Prince Andrew ever recover from the Epstein scandal? With Andrew on the outs with the royal family, Bromley believes that he may never recover from the Epstein scandal. In a recent interview, Melanie Bromley, who is the E! News Chief News Correspondent, said that Andrews scandal is just too big to turn around. Never say never. Some people recover so things can go on. Its just too big, though. His opportunity was his big interview with ABC last year, she stated. Bromley argued that Prince Andrew could have had better excuses for his friendship with Epstein, including telling the press that he was too naive and ignorant of the situation. He could have really had a good answer for that. I dont know if he can cover it, Bromley added. You know, theres never going to be peace. I dont think [he will be mentioned] without ever mentioning his association with Jeffrey Epstein. Its a situation that will be mentioned in your obituary. Andrew, of course, has not responded to the latest reports surrounding the Epstein scandal. He did, however, recently step out of the shadows, though his public appearance did not go over well with the public. Andrew faces renewed backlash Amid the coronavirus pandemic, Sarah Ferguson was spotted in a series of photos with Andrew packing up gift bags for a local hospice. The images were among Prince Andrews first since he stepped down, and royal watchers quickly slammed him for making a trashy attempt to repair his public image. He should do good works but not seek to win kudos by posting trashy photos, journalist Tom Bower shared. If only they would both accept that their only public duty is to remain invisible from the public. Fans also bashed Andrew and his ex-wife for not wearing proper personal protective equipment in the clip, including gloves and face masks. Andrew has not responded to the backlash. Fergusons assistant, Antonia Marshall, posted the images of Andrew. The Duchess of York shared similar images on her own Twitter account, though none of them featured Andrew. Ferguson has not commented on the photos. She is reportedly isolating with Prince Andrew while the entire United Kingdom is under lockdown. Foreign Minister Marise Payne has slapped down a threat from Beijing that Australia's call for a global independent review into the coronavirus pandemic would result in a Chinese consumer boycott of students and tourists and a downturn in exports. In an interview with The Australian Financial Review, the Chinese ambassador to Australia Cheng Jingye labelled Prime Minister Scott Morrison's push for an inquiry as "dangerous" and predicted it would fail to gain support among global leaders. Marise Payne says Canberra rejects Beijing's suggestion that there would be a Chinese boycott of Australia. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen Mr Cheng also refused to confirm that the virus had started in a Wuhan wet market, in a sign Beijing is ramping up its propaganda campaign into the origin of the virus. He warned the Morrison government that its pursuit of a global review into the COVID-19 pandemic could spark a Chinese consumer boycott of students and tourists visiting Australia, as well as sales of popular agricultural exports like wine and beef. Public Health and Development Consultant, Mavis Ama Frimpong is very optimistic that a united Ghana with proper planning can end the spread of deadly Coronavirus also known as COVID-19. She explained that politicizing the fight against the virus in recent times is unhealthy - after advising that constructive suggestions from even a low-profile person in the country must be considered by authorities. We should stop saying my government did this, our government did that, this wont help the fight, at the end of the day its COVID, and it has no respect for any political colours. She said on UTVs political show, Critical Issues. The former Eastern Regional Minister further noted that the three million COVID-19 infections predicted by the World Health Organization (WHO) can be avoidable. Ghana still has an opportunity to stop the spread. We must wear our developmental lenses to truncate the infection and mitigate the impact. All our hardworking health workers helping in the fight of this virus must also be tested, those we think are at risk. This will get us a better picture of the issue. The aspiring NDC MP for Abirem constituency in the Eastern Region lamented Ghanas COVID-19 caseload now 1,550 COVID-19 cases in Ghana have increased to 1,550, the Ghana Health Service said on Sunday, April 26, 2020. It is, thus, up by 271 more cases. Also, one more person has succumbed, bringing the number of deaths to eleven while 21 more persons have recovered. Of the 271 new cases, 75 were detected through routine surveillance and 196 through enhanced contact-tracing. So far, a total of 100,622 tests have been across the country by the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research and the Kumasi Center for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine. Regional breakdown Greater Accra Region 1,347, Ashanti Region 69, Eastern Region 57, Oti Region 17, Central Region 17, Northern Region 13, Volta Region 10, Upper West Region 8, Upper East Region 8, North-East Region 2, Western Region 1 and Western North Region 1. Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Speculation about Kim Jong Uns health intensified over the weekend after tantalizing -- yet unverified -- reports about a visit by a Chinese medical team and movements of the North Korean leaders armored train. China sent a team including doctors and senior diplomats to advise its neighbor and longtime ally, Reuters reported on Saturday, citing three people familiar with the matter. Meanwhile, a train resembling one long used by North Korean rulers was parked last week near a coastal leadership compound in Wonsan, according to an analysis of satellite imagery released Sunday by the website 38 North. A prominent South Korea adviser also rejected the notion that Kim was ailing or dead. Our government position is firm, Moon Chung-in, a foreign policy adviser to South Korean President Moon Jae-in, told CNN. He has been staying in the Wonsan area since April 13 with no suspicious movements detected. The latest developments shed little immediate light about the 36-year-old ruler, who U.S. officials said they were told had been in critical condition after cardiovascular surgery. Kim -- a heavy smoker who has gained considerable weight since taking power in 2011 -- hasnt appeared in state media for two weeks, and missed April 15 birthday celebrations for his late grandfather, state founder Kim Il Sung, for the first time. The episode renews longstanding questions about the stability of a regime built on iron-fisted authority and a cult of personality for Kim, who has no known successor. Health scares have been a common occurrence over the years, and the leaders medical condition is a closely-guarded subject in one of the worlds most secretive states. Any leadership change in North Korea could increase the threat of instability on Chinas border and raise questions about control of the countrys expanding nuclear arsenal. Kim has also been central to U.S. President Donald Trumps so far unsuccessful efforts to get him to reduce his weapons stockpile. The mystery sent journalists, diplomats and non-proliferation experts scouring satellite images, state news outlets and unverified social media feeds for clues about Kim. The hashtag #kimjongundead was the among the top subjects trending globally Saturday on Twitter. The name of his younger sister Kim Yo Jong -- a potential successor -- was also trending in the U.S. Information about the serious state of health of our Marshal Kim Jong Un is false and malicious, Korean Friendship Association head Alejandro Cao de Benos said in a tweet Saturday. Cao, who was featured in the 2015 documentary The Propaganda Game, didnt say where he got the information and declined further comment when contacted by Bloomberg News. Kim similarly disappeared from state media for six weeks in 2014, prompting speculation that he had been sidelined by gout, an ankle injury or was even overthrown in a coup. He subsequently showed up walking with a cane during a visit to a new residential block. A delegation led by a senior member of the Chinese Communist Partys International Liaison Department -- which manages relations with North Korea -- departed Beijing on Thursday, Reuters said, adding it wasnt able to immediately determine what the trip signaled about Kims health. Officials with the U.S. National Security Council declined to comment on Saturday. Speculation about Kims condition accelerated after Seoul-based news site Daily NK, reported April 20 that the North Korean leader was recovering from surgery, citing one unidentified person inside the country. CNN reported a short time later that Kim was in grave danger. Trump has since said he believed the CNN report was incorrect, saying he heard they used old documents. South Korean officials said repeatedly last week that they believed Kim was conducting normal activities in a rural part of the country assisted by close aides, and that they detected no unusual movements by the regime. The presence of Kims train in Wonsan, about 230 kilometers (143 miles) east of Pyongyang, potentially fits with the South Korean account. The area has received intense interest from Kim in recent years, hosting an expanding leadership compound, a large tourism development project and numerous weapons tests. The train, which Kim took to his failed summit with Trump in Hanoi, arrived at a nearby railway station on or before April 21, 38 North wrote, citing satellite imagery. The train was spotted again at the station on April 23, and appeared to be repositioned for departure. North Koreas eastern coast saw a burst of military activity on April 14, including cruise missile tests and fighter jet maneuvers, that at the time appeared to be timed to coincide with South Korean parliamentary elections. The next day, Kim was absent from events marking his grandfathers birthday, known as the Day of the Sun and North Koreas most politically significant holiday. Although state media has continued to publish messages exchanged between Kim and dignitaries, such as a letter sent to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Wednesday, reports included no fresh images and made no mention of new events attended by the leader. Kim was similarly missing from events Saturday marking the anniversary of the Korean Peoples Revolutionary Army, although he also didnt attend the events last year. By Express News Service COIMBATORE: As many as 113 Sri Lankan nationals, mostly students, returned to their native from Coimbatore International Airport on a special flight, on Sunday morning. The flight was arranged by the Lankan government through its Embassy officials, based on the requests put forth by the students who were studying at various institutions in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The students allegedly showed interest to return to their native after knowing about the prolonged delay in reopening of colleges due to the spread of COVID-19. Sources state that they were also facing difficulties in getting food. Apart from them, families that were staying at Erode, Namakkal, Salem and Vellore districts and in various parts of Kerala also headed to Sri Lanka at 11.10 am on Sri Lankan Airlines on Sunday after they underwent a thorough health check-up. Sources said that all the passengers reached the airport using their private vehicles after getting the required passes from district collectors concerned. "We checked their health and none of the Sri Lanka nationals displayed COVID-19 symptoms," said an official. A four-year-old Indian girl in Dubai, despite her low immune system, has become one of the youngest coronavirus survivors in the UAE after she recovered from the deadly disease last week, according to a media report. Sivani, who is also a cancer survivor, was admitted on April 1 at the Al Futtaim Health Hub after she got infected with the virus passed on by her mother who is a frontline health worker, the Gulf News reported. Follow live developments on the coronavirus pandemic here Both Sivani and her dad were also tested despite not having any symptoms and, unlike her father, Sivani was found to be positive, the report said. Sivani and her mother were kept in the same facility, but extra precautions were made for the girl who had also fought off a rare type of kidney cancer last year called ganglioneuroblastoma. Sivani was discharged from the hospital on April 20, the report said. Sivani had undergone chemotherapy sessions only last year and hence her immune system was still weak, said Dr Tholfkar Al Baaj, group medical director at Al Futtaim Health Hub and the consultant in family medicine who treated Sivani. The doctors were concerned as she was at higher risk of developing a severe form of the disease and therefore, we had put her under close monitoring. Fortunately, she did not develop any complications from the infection, he added. Sivani remained under treatment for 20 days before two consecutive negative swab tests rendered her all clear. She will now undergo 14-days quarantine at home, the report added. Sivanis mother has also completed her treatment but remains under observation and is expected to be released soon. Sivani is believed to be one of the youngest coronavirus recoveries in the UAE. Others were a seven-year-old Syrian girl and a nine-year-old Filipino boy both in Abu Dhabi, the report added. [April 27, 2020] SPIE Defense + Commercial Sensing Digital Forum Launches with Over 600 Presentations SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, will hold its Defense + Commercial Sensing Digital Forum 2020 during the week of 27 April-1 May. Originally set to run in Anaheim, California, from 26-30 April, the symposium will be held completely online via the new SPIE virtual and interactive format. More than 2,300 participants have already registered for the Digital Forum. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200427005605/en/ SPIE Defense + Commercial Sensing Digital Forum Launches with Over 600 Presentations (Graphic: Business Wire) SPIE Defense + Commercial Sensing Digital Forum, an online version of SPIE Defense + Commercial Sensing 2020, will offer a convenient, high-quality, and timely method for researchers, engineers, and government and industry leaders in the photonics community to share emerging research, new results, and technological advances with their peers. Registration for the Digital Forum is free. With more than 600 presenters involved, topical areas of research range from materials and optical devices, imaging and analytics, and advanced sensing and imaging to next generation sensor systems and applications. Registering for the event will give participants full access to all of the SPIE Defense + Commercial Sensing Digital Forum's pre-recorded presentations and over 450 accepted manuscripts. During the Forum, participants can engage with speakers by watching and listening to presentations at their convenience, posting questions and comments, with the presenters monitoring their discussions frequently throughout the week in order to respond and articipate in the conversations. In addition, the SPIE Defense + Commercial Sensing Digital Forum includes a virtual exhibition, allowing participants to connect with nearly 300 exhibitors showcasing products and services that support the optics and photonics community; an engaging industry program; and multiple courses offered. "SPIE Defense + Commercial Sensing is well-recognized for the quality of its technical conferences," said Jenoptik Optical Systems President and Defense + Commercial Sensing Symposium Chair Jay Kumler. "In reviewing the presentations that will be available on the DCS Digital Forum, I am impressed with the resilience of the community and the strong participation within this new format. SPIE has responded quickly to the needs of our community, and I am looking forward to the presentations and enjoying this new 'frictionless' delivery of cutting-edge sensing technology." "In some ways, it offers the ultimate in flexibility," noted Georgia Tech Research Institute's Electro-Optical Systems Laboratory Director and Defense + Commercial Sensing Chair John M. Pellegrino. "With presentations available at whatever time is convenient, our community will get a broad view of science, technology, and applications developments from the comfort of home. To facilitate learning and interaction, we can interact virtually with authors and colleagues, posing questions, providing feedback, and noting topics for further attention. Even during these times of uncertainty, it's inspiring that we can find ways to maintain connections and pursue novel learning experiences." Plenaries include L3Harris' Michael Noble on innovation in the aerospace and defense industry; John Delaney, senior imaging scientist in the scientific research department of the conservation division of the National Gallery of Art, speaking about tri-modal imaging spectroscopy of paintings; Rockley Photonics Vice President of R&D Aaron Zilkie on a multi-micron silicon photonics platform for imaging and sensing; Intel's (News - Alert) Jonathan Doylend on silicon photonics for lidar; Los Alamos National Laboratory's G. Andrew "Andy" Erickson's vision of the future of sensing and imaging systems; and Stuart Young, of the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command, on artificial intelligence for maneuver and mobility (AIMM) essential research project (ERP). The SPIE digital forum platform was developed in response to the inability to hold in-person conferences due to the global spread of COVID-19. The forums ensure the timely continuation of information exchange and discussion opportunities that the optics and photonics community values and relies on to advance research, product development, and collaborations. In early April, the initial SPIE Photonics Europe Digital Forum generated an enthusiastic response with more than 3,700 registered participants from 107 countries, and over 770 presentations and papers. More than 21,500 participants viewed presentations shared by the community, and more than 16,000 papers were downloaded. In addition to the Defense + Commercial Sensing Digital Forum, SPIE is also launching the SPIE Smart Structures and Nondestructive Evaluation Digital Forum 2020 this week. This forum showcases more than 200 presentations and over 200 papers and includes keynotes from Cordt Zollfrank of the Technical University of Munich, Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Yoseph Bar-Cohen, Virginia Tech's Pinhas Ben-Tzvi, and Fuh-Gwo Yuan of North Carolina State University. For this free event, please register here. About SPIE SPIE is the international society for optics and photonics, an educational not-for-profit organization founded in 1955 to advance light-based science, engineering, and technology. The Society serves more than 255,000 constituents from 183 countries, offering conferences and their published proceedings, continuing education, books, journals, and the SPIE Digital Library. In 2019, SPIE provided more than $5.6 million in community support including scholarships and awards, outreach and advocacy programs, travel grants, public policy, and educational resources. www.spie.org View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200427005605/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] The city Planning Commission meeting in Vallejo, Calif., last week followed the same humdrum pattern of so many municipal meetings: There was the Pledge of Allegiance and a roll call, followed by various reports. The commission, like many other businesses and government agencies observing social distancing and stay-at-home rules during the coronavirus pandemic, met on April 20 via a Zoom videoconference. That posed the usual challenges: Commissioners with microphones muted when they were trying to be heard, some of them appearing half offscreen at times or talking over one another. But things took an unexpected turn about two hours and 24 minutes into the session after one of the commissioners, Chris Platzer, was asked if he had any comments after reviewing a project application. China needs to be held accountable for the spread of coronavirus across the world, a top White House official said on Monday, as it accused the Communist nation of profiteering from the situation by exporting low-quality antibody test kits. Over the past few weeks, the Trump Administration has ramped up its rhetoric against China, accusing it of being non-transparent and holding it responsible for the spread of coronavirus across the world. The virus first emerged in the Chinese city of Wuhan before turning out to be a pandemic, China spun that virus. They hid it for six weeks. They could have contained it in Wuhan. They didn't. They seeded the world with this, with hundreds of thousands of Chinese getting on aircraft to Milan, to New York and other places, Peter Navarro, director of the Office of Trade and Manufacturing and National Defense Production Act Policy Coordinator, told Fox During that six-week period, what they did was they vacuumed up the world for personal protective equipment, over two billion masks, depriving public healthcare workers around the world from the defences they need. And today China's profiteering basically from this situation, he said. Navarro was responding to a question on comments made by Microsoft founder Bill Gates that it is not the time to blame China for this. It's not time to talk about that. This is the time to take the great science we have, the fact that we're in this together, you know, fix testing, treatments and get that vaccine. Minimise the trillions of dollars and many things that you can't even dimensionalise in economic terms that are awful about the situation that we're in. So, that's a distraction, Gates told CNN in an interview. I'm all for innovation, but we have to hold China accountable. And now China is even flooding us with these bad tests," Navarro said. "So, Mr Gates and I will differ on the need to hold China accountable. That's certainly the case because the Chinese Communist Party basically inflicted this virus on the world. And we should never forget that here in America, Navarro said. Navarro said that while the US economy is shut down because of the coronavirus, the Trump administration is engaged in the most rapid industrial mobilisation that the country has had since World War II. Struggling to scale up the testing, India has also imported the antibody kits from China. India's apex health research body ICMR on Monday asked states to stop using the COVID-19 rapid antibody test kits procured from two Chinese companies and return them to be sent back to the suppliers. In an advisory sent to chief secretaries of all states and Union Territories on Monday, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said it "evaluated the kits of Guangzhou Wondfo Biotech and Zhuhai Livson Diagnostics in field conditions. The results have shown wide variation in their sensitivity, despite early promise of good performance for surveillance purpose". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The United States on Tuesday recorded its one-millionth coronavirus case as countries including Spain, Russia and Nigeria took tentative steps back towards normal life by preparing to reopen some businesses. Excitement over partial easing of the lockdowns affecting more than half of humanity has been tempered by fear of new outbreaks and growing evidence of the economic devastation wreaked by the COVID-19 pandemic. The US -- where millions of jobs have gone -- reached another grim milestone as it registered 58,351 deaths, a larger loss of life than recorded by the US military in the Vietnam War. The overall US case load rose to 1,011,877 in a public health disaster that could threaten President Donald Trump's re-election chances. But some countries have reported falling infection numbers, and governments have begun to chart their way out of the shutdowns. France said Tuesday that shops, markets and selected schools could reopen next month, with face masks required on public transport and work-from-home orders staying in place for several more weeks. Prime Minister Edouard Phillipe admitted even a gradual return to normal life was "risky." Spain said restrictions would be slowly lifted over the next two months, while Italians will be able to exercise outdoors and visit relatives from next week -- but only if they wear masks and refrain from hugs and handshakes. Italy, Spain and France have been the worst affected countries in Europe, with each reporting more than 23,000 deaths. In Russia, President Vladimir Putin warned that the peak of coronavirus infections still lay ahead, saying "the situation remains very difficult." But he nonetheless said lockdown measures could be eased from next month. Data on infection rates has shown mixed results in Germany, which is being closely watched after allowing some shops to reopen last week. "We all need to take care that we don't end up with more infections," said Lothar Wieler, president of the Robert Koch Institute for disease control. - 'The cries of the people' - Experts have warned of a second wave of contagion if restrictions are lifted too hastily, and the World Health Organization has said reinfection may be possible even among recovered patients. In Nigeria's largest city Lagos, bus driver Taju Olonade told AFP a decision to ease the lockdown showed that authorities had finally listened "to the cries of the people." "For almost one month I have not earned a penny," he said. "I hope life will soon return to normal." The new coronavirus has killed at least 214,451 people since the outbreak first emerged in China in December, according to a tally compiled by AFP at 1900 GMT on Tuesday. More than three million cases have been registered in 193 countries and territories, although the official tally is widely thought to lag far behind the actual figures. The United States, which on Tuesday recorded a further 2,207 deaths in 24 hours, has seen by far the highest number of fatalities. Trump has increasingly sought to blame China, but China pushed back fiercely on Tuesday, accusing US politicians of "barefaced lies." "They have only one objective: shirk their responsibility for their own poor epidemic prevention and control measures," foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told reporters. Beijing and Washington have clashed repeatedly over the outbreak. It seems to be under control in China with no new deaths reported for 13 straight days and the death toll standing at 4,633 -- although much doubt has been cast on whether the numbers are accurate. - Shattered economies - Anger at the global economic paralysis has intensified in recent weeks, and anti-government protesters took to the streets in Lebanon on Tuesday in defiance of a lockdown. "I came down to raise my voice against hunger, poverty and rising prices," Khaled, 41, told AFP, saying he had lost his job selling motorcycle parts and could no longer support his three children. In the latest sign of big business woes, British Airways is set to slash up to 12,000 jobs, its parent company said. The carrier, which has approximately 45,000 employees, has already furloughed nearly 23,000 staff. Despite other European countries moving towards reopening schools and shops, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said it was too early for the UK to follow suit. That was in contrast to New Zealand, where people enjoyed fast food and coffee shop treats for the first time in five weeks after the country lifted its strict lockdown. "We see the difference in other countries and I don't envy them, that's for sure," said Wellington resident Cheryl Robertson, who planned to celebrate her newfound freedom with a curry. In Australia, hundreds of surfers and swimmers rushed back to the waves at Bondi Beach in Sydney, five weeks after police closed the area because of large crowds flouting social distancing rules. "I've been excited for like a week," Diane Delaurens told AFP, dripping after an early-morning surf. However, there is not yet a vaccine for the disease and Britain issued a warning of coronavirus-related syndrome emerging in children -- including abdominal pain and inflammation around the heart. "What I would also stress is that it is rare. Although it is very significant for those children who do get it, the number of cases is small," said Health Secretary Matt Hancock. In Tokyo, organizers said that the postponed 2020 Olympics will have to be canceled next year if the pandemic isn't brought under control. In Latin America, Brazil emerged as a new hotspot with 5,000 deaths so far -- more than China's -- while nine inmates were killed when rioting broke out at a prison in Lima, Peru after two inmates died from COVID-19. burs-bgs/it People wait at a mobile testing station in a public school parking area in Compton, California World toll of coronavirus infections and deaths as of April 28 at 1900 GMT Children in Spain have been allowed out of their homes for the first time in weeks, but strict sanitary measures are in place Russia said it would look at gradually easing quaratine measures Protesters took to the streets of Lebanon in defiance of a coronavirus lockdown US military planes fly over New York in a salute to health care workers FILE PHOTO: The U.S. House of Representatives passes an additional economic stimulus package passed earlier in the week by the U.S. Senate, on Captiol Hill in Washington By Pete Schroeder and Michelle Price WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. banks beginning another chaotic dash to grab $310 billion in fresh small-business aid released by the government on Monday were hamstrung after 11th-hour changes to the first-come-first-served program caused technology issues for many lenders. The Small Business Administration reopened its Paycheck Protection Program at 10:30 a.m. EDT (1430 GMT), allowing lenders to resume processing applications from businesses hurt by the novel coronavirus shutdown. But changes the SBA made on Sunday to the way it accepted loan submissions appeared to cause technology problems for some bankers using its "E-Tran" application processing website, which was not designed to handle huge volumes of traffic. So ETRAN lasted a whole 2 minutes before crashing... Its going to be a long 48 hours, tweeted Alec Downing of First Farmers Bank & Trust in Indiana. Rob Nichols, chief executive of the American Bankers Association, the country's largest bank trade group, tweeted that bankers were "deeply frustrated" with the technology issues, which he had raised "at the highest levels." Even with the issues, the SBA said that by 3:30pm EDT it had processed more than 100,000 loans by roughly 4,000 lenders. Senator Marco Rubio, who has been closely tracking the program as chair of the Senate Small Business Committee, said on Monday that the average loan size was half that of the first round, suggesting smaller businesses and self-employed individuals, who were later brought into the program, were getting the funds. With the nations lenders already sitting on hundreds of thousands of back-logged applications, the fresh funds are expected to be burned through in days - leaving swaths of mom-and-pop enterprises out in the cold again, banking groups said. Bank of America, for example, reported receiving 279,000 applications in the first five days of the program launching, of which it processed at most 15%, based on a Reuters analysis of SBA disclosures. JPMorgan, the top lender in the first round, said it had 300,000 loan applications in train of which it had processed 10% by the time the first round of funds ran out. Everyone pretty much has applications ready to go. It should be a week or so before the money is eaten through, said Paul Merski, an executive vice president at the Independent Community Bankers of America. Story continues He added that it would be very challenging for anyone who has not already applied for a loan to successfully do so this week. Created as part of a $2.3 trillion congressional economic relief package, the program kicked off on April 3 with an initial $349 billion in funding that was exhausted in less than two weeks. Around $2 billion of that money, which was returned by big companies criticized for tapping the program, or which was ear-marked but later denied, will be added into the second pot of cash, SBA head Jovita Carranza said on Monday. The program allows small businesses hurt by the epidemic to apply for government-guaranteed loans with participating banks. Those loans will be forgiven if they are used to cover payroll costs, subject to some conditions. UNEQUAL ACCESS Given the pent-up demand, banking groups had warned that the flood of new applications would strain E-Tran, which ground to a halt several times during the first round. On Sunday, the SBA said it would try to mitigate that problem by allowing banks to submit a minimum of 15,000 applications in a one-off bulk filing, leaving smaller lenders pushing applications through E-Tran one by one. Around lunchtime on Monday, the SBA said it would lower that threshold to 5,000 and imposed a submission deadline of 9 p.m. EDT. This site cant be reached, however, was the message several bankers saw when trying to access the system. In an email, the SBA said that changes to ensure loan submissions were fairly paced would result in some lenders being "timed out" if they tried to submit too many applications. The agency has been working around the clock to try to smooth the submission process for the unprecedented program. But some bankers said the changes may have unintentionally resulted in unequal access to the program. "Fix the system or take everyone off of it to ensure #equitableaccess for all!" tweeted Brad Bolton, chief executive of Community Spirit Bank in Alabama. Amid the rush to get funds out the door, the first round was also hobbled by technology and paperwork issues. The program has also come under scrutiny after some banks channeled money to their larger, more profitable clients, including hedge funds and public companies, prompting some companies to return the money. The SBA and the U.S. Treasury on Sunday tried to address concerns that big banks would suck up the second round of funds by capping the amount a lender can process at $60 billion, although few, if any, banks are likely to hit that high ceiling during the second round. "It means that no single lender is going to be able to come in and take up all the money," Rubio said, adding: "The SBA is doing the best it can." (Reporting by Pete Schroeder and Michelle Price; additional reporting by Ann Saphir; editing by Diane Craft, Lisa Shumaker, Jonathan Oatis Steve Orlofsky and Dan Grebler) After seven consecutive days of recording no new cases of COVID-19, social distancing regulations were eased in Hanoi at midnight on April 23. Daily activities are slowly returning to normal for most citizens after seven consecutive days of recording no new cases of COVID-19 but they still must abide by the Prime Minister's Directive No.15 / CT-TTg on the prevention and control of COVID-19. According to a request made by the city's Peoples Committee, although the social distancing regulations has been eased in Ha Noi since Wednesday, restaurants must separate tables at a safe distance. Commercial centres and supermarkets must also ensure proper distancing while taking people's temperatures and providing hand sanitiser for customers. Streetside tea shops that pose a high risk of the virus spreading remain banned from serving customers. All drivers must keep a safe distance and police have been tasked with reminding drivers of the restrictions when they stop at red lights. VNS Traffic in Ha Noiincreasedon April 23, the first day aftersocial restrictions wereeased. A coffee shop on Trieu Viet Vuong Street has reopened after shutting for days due to social distancing restrictions. Some bus routes in Ha Noi have resumed operations after being closeddue to COVID-19. Restaurants in Ha Noi have started to reopen but still have to abide by disease prevention regulations. Construction workers are pictured on their way to aconstruction site onApril 23. Oxford study finds Vietnam best-placed nation to ease social distancing The country allowed some non-essential businesses in Ha Noi and HCM City to reopen earlier this week, along with other moves to relax some COVID-19 prevention and control measures. Places of worship on first day of social distancing easing Plenty of Hanoians headed to Tay Ho temple and Quan Su pagoda around midday on April 23 the first day after social distancing measures have been relaxed amid the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic. Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex may have exited the royal family in an attempt to have a normal life, but Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge are proof that its possible to have a relatively normal existence. Despite their duties, theyve still managed to escape the fussier notions of royal life, raising their children as normally as possible. Prince William, Catherine Duchess of Cambridge, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis | Comic Relief/BBC Children in Need/Comic Relief via Getty Images Prince William and Kate are giving their children normal experiences Taking a page from Prince Williams mother, Princess Diana, the Cambridges strive to give their kids some normalcy. Princess Diana did just that for Prince William and Prince Harry, exposing them to things like McDonalds and amusement parks. In a 2012 interview with Katie Couric, Prince William explained how Princess Diana impacted their lives. She played a huge part in my life and Harrys growing up, in how we saw things and how we experienced things, he said at the time. She very much wanted to get us to see the rawness of real life. And I cant thank her enough for that, cause reality bites in a big way, and it was one of the biggest lessons I learned is, just how lucky and privileged so many of us are particularly myself, he added. Theyve used Princess Dianas approach and been successful Dubbed the Peoples Princess, Diana was well-loved and relatable. Her desire to give her children normal lives and make connections with everyone she met were enduring qualities that Prince William and Kate continue to honor. Royal commentator Neil Sean explained how the Cambridges have employed Dianas strategies. She [Diana] sort of made sure that William and Harry had normal lives if you like. There was a very famous picture of them queuing in McDonalds in Kensington and then there was the other picture of them at funfairs and amusement parks. Well, Kate has done the same thing, she has taken the same route, he told Australias Today Show. The Cambridges approach to having a normal life definitely has won them fan adoration. According to a royal source, she wants her children to experience the reality of life. There was actually a picture of Kate shopping for Halloween treats with George and Charlotte in a local supermarket near to where they were staying, Sean explained. This really endears people not just to William and Catherine but to the royal family in general. He continued, Although people werent allowed to take pictures, youve got to appreciate and I think Kate is very clever at this that the royal family has to modernize. By that, they have to get within the people, and I think thats a good trade Diana has given to William who passed it on to Catherine. Further, Princess Diana was very unstuffy and wanted William and Harry to fit in with their school friends and experience normality. Thats the baton she handed to Kate, an insider told The Sun. Theyve proven theyre relatable The Cambridges indeed attend formal royal engagements and have a glamorous life in the royal family, but theyve also shown that they are relatable. They continue to win over fans by showing how normal and down-to-earth they can be, as was seen when the couple used video conferencing to speak with people when they were unable to be there in person due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. These Zoom calls really provide this insight into their lives and their personal goings-on that we dont normally see, Rachel Bowie shared during the Royally Obsessed podcast. It is like the unglossy version of them but I still love to see that side of them. The Cambridges had also done a remote interview with BBC during the pandemic and interviewer Tina Daheley explained how normal they are. I think the thing that people sometimes forget is that theyre members of the royal family, they can perform if you like, Daheley noted on the Coronavirus Newscast. She continued, But the thing that always strikes me is how normal they are. It did feel like I was just having a chat with people. A woman in her 40s was allegedly gang-raped after police quarantined her in a school overnight in India. The victim had initially been sent to the educational setting in the state of Rajasthan after getting lost. Police said three men have been arrested in connection with the incident and a junior police officer had been suspended for negligence. The news comes after tens of thousands of Indian workers who lost their jobs in cities due to the pandemic, walked for days in a desperate bid to reach their homes in rural locations. Many of them are now in overcrowded quarantine centres and authorities are struggling to cope. The victim, who was described as a "daily wage earner" sought shelter at a police station last week after walking alone for miles and losing the way to her native village. In the absence of a quarantine centre, local police housed her for the night in a school building, where she was allegedly raped. Deputy Superintendent, Parth Sharma, said Sawai Madhopur police launched an investigation. He added: Three local men who raped the woman inside the school on April 23 have been arrested and sent to jail." Deputy Superintendent Sharma said the woman had subsequently been sent to a local quarantine facility to get tested for Covid-19 and added: We dont know how long she was on her own for, and who she came into contact with, and her test results are not yet known." He said a police officer had been suspended over alleged negligence in connection with the case. The nationwide lockdown in India was imposed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last month and so far it has reported 26,496 cases of coronavirus, and 824 deaths. Experts fear that the worlds biggest lockdown, restricting a population of 1.3 billion people, has not been able to reduce the spread of Covid-19, and the country has begun to see a surge in cases with testing being ramped up. Indian markets extended gains after the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced a special liquidity facility of Rs 50,000 crore for mutual funds to calm investors jittery after the Franklin Templeton fiasco. The Sensex closed the day 416 points, or 1.33 percent, higher at 31,743.08 and the Nifty settled 128 points, or 1.40 percent, up at 9,282.30. "On the domestic front, all eyes will be on earnings announcements and news related to the coronavirus pandemic. Meanwhile, monthly derivatives expiry could further add to the volatility. On the global front, the Fed meeting (April 28-29th) would be on investors radar as an update with respect to its recent actions to combat COVID-19, as well as economic outlook, will be keenly watched," said Ajit Mishra, VP - Research, Religare Broking. We have collated 15 data points to help you spot profitable trades: Note: The open interest (OI) and volume data of stocks given in this story are the aggregates of three-months data and not of the current month only. According to pivot charts, the key support level for Nifty is placed at 9,229.4, followed by 9,176.5. If the index continues moving up, key resistance levels to watch out for are 9,356.15 and 9,430.The Nifty Bank closed 2.52 percent higher at 20,081.15. The important pivot level, which will act as crucial support for the index, is placed at 19,877.66, followed by 19,674.13. On the upside, key resistance levels are placed at 20,254.77 and 20,428.33.Maximum call OI of 25.65 lakh contracts was seen at 9,500 strike. It will act as a crucial resistance level in the April series. This is followed by 9,000, which holds 13.91 lakh contracts, and 9,800 strikes, which has accumulated 13.12 lakh contracts. Significant call writing was seen at the 9,500, which added 3.06 lakh contracts, followed by 9,600, which added 2.36 lakh contracts, and 9,700 strikes that added 2.11 lakh contracts. Minor call unwinding was witnessed at 9,200, which shed 1.55 lakh contracts, followed by 9,100 strikes, which shed 1.48 lakh contracts. Maximum put OI of 32.31 lakh contracts was seen at 9,000 strike, which will act as crucial support in the April series. This is followed by 9,200, which holds 13.84 lakh contracts, and 8,800 strikes, which has accumulated 11.91 lakh contracts. Put writing was seen at the 9,200, which added 7.14 lakh contracts, followed by 9,300 strikes, which added 6.7 lakh contracts. A minor put unwinding was seen at 9,800 strike, which shed 2,025 contracts. A high delivery percentage suggests that investors are showing interest in these stocks. Based on open interest (OI) future percentage, here are the top 10 stocks in which long build-up was seen. 6 stocks saw long unwinding An increase in OI, along with a decrease in price, mostly indicates a build-up of short positions. Based on OI future percentage, here are the top 10 stocks in which short build-up was seen. A decrease in OI, along with an increase in price, mostly indicates short-covering. Based on OI future percentage, here are the top 10 stocks in which short-covering was seen. Bulk deals (For more bulk deals, click here) TVS Motor Company: The board will meet on April 28 for general purposes. Axis Bank: The board will meet on April 28 to release its quarterly result. IndusInd Bank Q4: Profit fell 76.8 percent to Rs 301.84 crore, net interest income rose 5.1 percent to Rs 3,231.19 crore QoQ. HDFC Life Q4: Profit declined 14.4 percent to Rs 311.65 crore, net premium income rose 2.2 percent to Rs 10,476 crore YoY. Adani Power Q4: Loss at Rs 1,312.86 crore against profit of Rs 634.64 crore, revenue down 8.2 percent at Rs 6,172 crore YoY. Ambuja Cements Q1: Consolidated profit stood at Rs 742.59 crore for the first quarter of CY20, a 6.8 percent growth over the same period last year. UPL: Company completed the acquisition of Yoloo (Laoting) Bio-technology. 8K Miles Software: Swasti Bhowmick resigned as Chief Financial Officer. Minda Industries: Company resumed partial production at Pantnagar, Waluj and Clarton Horn manufacturing facilities. DCW: Company partially resumed its operations in Sahupuram plant. Shipping Corporation: Company physically handed over the vessel MT Maharaja Agrasen to the buyer's representative at Galle Anchorage in Sri Lanka. Fund flow Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) sold shares worth Rs 916.42 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) bought shares worth Rs 1,141.97 crore on April 27, provisional data available on the NSE showed.No security is under the F&O ban for April 28. Securities in the ban period under the F&O segment include companies in which the security has crossed 95 percent of the market-wide position limit. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Sausan Atika (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, April 27, 2020 18:54 625 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd487d43 1 City Greater-Jakarta,PSBB,large-scale-social-restrictions,COVID-19 Free The large-scale social restrictions (PSBB) imposed in Greater Jakarta are set to be extended and expanded, leaders of the capital citys satellite cities have said, as the lack of legal certainty and the continued spread of COVID-19 have underlined the policys ineffectiveness in curbing the disease. The PSBB measures in Greater Jakarta officially began in the capital on April 10, followed closely by West Javas Bogor, Bekasi and Depok administrations on April 15 and Bantens South Tangerang and Tangerang administrations on April 18. However, the number of confirmed infections in Greater Jakarta continues to rise in spite of unprecedented social restrictions. As of Monday, Jakarta recorded 3,869 cases and 367 deaths. West Java and Banten, which partly make up the Greater Jakarta region, had registered 951 and 78, and 382 and 40, confirmed cases and deaths, respectively. Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan announced last week that the capital's PSBB status would be extended until May 22, as the number of COVID-19 cases continues to increase at a rate that is relatively constant. The Health Ministry regulation used to impose the measures stipulates that restrictions can be extended beyond the existing period so long as there is proof of a continued outbreak. During the first term of large-scale social restrictions, authorities still found numerous instances of gatherings of more than five people and commuters still flocked to and filled up public transportation. In the case of commuters, many are still expected by their employers to go into the workplace on a regular basis, bypassing official orders to shelter in place. This is partly because the Industry Ministry has allowed hundreds of offices and factories including those outside essential sectors to continue with business-as-usual operations. Such contradictory policies have become a major concern for leaders of Greater Jakarta's satellite cities, in particular the five local administrations, abbreviated as Bodebek, in West Java, which are set to end their first run of PSBB measures on April 28. The deputy mayor of Bogor city, Dedie Rachim, told The Jakarta Post on Monday that Bodebek leaders had agreed to propose an extension of PSBB for each of their regions. The PSBB in Bodebek lacks effectiveness because of the lack of public awareness, unclear regulations and contradictory policies between the central government and the local administrations, he said, citing results of a virtual meeting of Bodebek leaders held on Sunday. Reflecting Jakartas case, PSBB measures had been largely ineffective because of conflicting policies at the ministerial level, Dedie said, noting the recent flip flop in decision making over commuter railway services and business sector closures. They urged the central government to evaluate ministerial policies so they do not overlap. The five leaders of Bodebek will continue to propose to the Transportation Ministry to temporarily cease operations of the commuter railway line during PSBB, or at least to close down certain stations and filter those who are allowed to use the services, he said. Bogor Regent Ade Yasin expressed a similar sentiment. Only around 30 percent of Bogor residents abide by the PSBB rules, while the number of red zones in the regency had increased from 13 to 17, rendering the measures ineffective in breaking the chain of transmission in Greater Jakarta. Many of those who have been infected [continued to] work in Jakarta, she said in a virtual discussion on Saturday, noting that the preferred method of transportation was still the commuter railway. The spread of the virus is massive in the areas served by the commuter line. Ade also criticized the central governments inability to impose clear regulations with regard to the PSBB. One example of this was the Industry Ministrys insistence that physical retailers stay open until 10 p.m., whereas Bogor regency has placed restrictions on opening hours until 8 p.m. We face a dilemmatic situation. One side is trying to implement the PSBB while the other side is loosening restrictions, she said. All we need is legal certainty. Meanwhile, Bekasi Mayor Rahmat Hidayat said that social restrictions in his region were deemed ineffective because of a lack of punitive measures. The city had so far only reprimanded violators. Jakarta's satellite cities in Banten, set to end their PSBB on May 1, have yet to conclude whether to extend restrictions in their regions. Anuradha Shukla By Express News Service NEW DELHI: The suggestion by young Indian Revenue Services officials to propose higher tax for the rich has landed them in trouble after the Income tax department had initiated an enquiry against them. In a policy paper submitted to PM Modi, 50 IRS officers have proposed many measures in the wake of Corona pandemic, including income tax rate to 40 per cent for those above annual income above Rs 1 crore, one-time Covid-19 cess of 4 per cent on taxable income of over Rs 10 lakh, direct cash transfer of up to Rs 5,000 a month for the poor, a three-year tax holiday for all corporates and businesses in the healthcare sector. The paper estimated that the extra revenue generated through COVID cess could add between Rs 15,000 to Rs 18,000 crore to tax kitty. The suggestion was forwarded by the IRS association and they shared it on social media as part of a policy paper titled Fiscal Options & Response to Covid-19 Epidemic (FORCE). However the wealth tax and Corona cess did not go down well with India Inc and it attracted much criticism which was brought to the notice of the Centeal Board of Direct Tax, which order to initiate departmental enquiry against them. "No permission was sought by the officers before going public with their personal views and suggestions, which is a violation of extant Conduct Rules. Necessary inquiry is being initiated in this matter, " Income Tax department said in series of tweets. However, IRS officials called this decision "unfortunate" and "harsh". "The paper clearly mentioned that it is the view of 50 IRS officials and not departmental view. It was done to suggest the ways to increase revenue collection post corona after the PM invited suggestion. The reaction of CBDT is unfortunate and harsh. There are many good initiatives suggested. This will discourage the young officials to come up with any ideation in the future. It has many interesting suggestions, " a senior member of IRS Association said, expressing disappointment over the departmental enquiry. The paper, suggests several steps the officers think are needed to revive the economy, without burdening the common man. The government needs to spend considerably more to revive the economy and it needs to raise additional revenue, but in ways that must not burden the already distressed common man, the paper says adding that In times like these, super-rich have a higher obligation towards ensuring the "larger public good. The paper also suggests re-introduction of the wealth tax for taxpayers with a net wealth of Rs 5 crore or more. The paper also had some interesting suggestions like increasing equalisation levy for e-commerce firms. The proposal is that online companies such as Netflix, Amazon Prime have to pay higher tax from 6 per cent to 7 per cent for their ad services, and from 2 per cent to 3 per cent for e-commerce work as more people are online. Laredo City Council came to an agreement this week on City Manager Robert Eads employment contract, settling on a $270,000 base salary that totals $277,200 a year considering monthly vehicle and cellphone allowances. Eads was appointed to the position on March 4. Within two weeks, the city would have its first confirmed COVID-19 patient and ordered a stop on all gatherings of 10 or more people. In less than two months, City Council would be briefed on a potential $27 million budget shortfall in the general fund and the need to draw down at least $10 million out the reserve fund balance; a general marker of success in a citys finances is the amount leaders can put toward this fund each year. So the performance goals and objectives laid out in Eads contract are going to be atypical until this pandemic is over. In six months or in a year, it probably wont necessarily be based on how many new parks I created or how many streets we paved. In a year from now, what were going to be discussing and what I will be based on is the success of our community at that point coming out of this emergency, he said. Councilman George Altgelt, the lone vote against this contract agreement, said he was doing so only only because the salary Eads was taking seemed like too much in light of the citys financial uncertainty. You do have my support, its just a money thing right now. Its a little bit tight, thats all. I will have to vote in opposition, the councilman said. Eads told LMT that these precarious times are precisely why the city needs a good leader to take charge. The level of decision making and supervisory authority doesnt change, he said. Eads also pointed to the Texas City Management Associations 2019 salary survey, and he said his pay fits in line with cities of a similar size to Laredos. For instance, the city manager of Lubbock makes $298,000; the city manager of Garland makes $300,000; the city manager of Brownsville makes $225,000; and the city manager of McAllen makes $287,000, according to the survey. I think the conversation is fair, Eads said. ... Although its a very commensurate pay, and I wont knock that. I think Im well paid, for sure. But Im definitely giving back whats being asked for that pay in return. Laredos previous city manager Horacio De Leon made a $260,000 salary but had higher vehicle and cellphone allowances, according to his contract, making his annual take home pay $276,200. Then by the time he retired, his base pay had gone up to $268,341 after a cost of living adjustment, according to city records, and was therefore making about $284,500 total. Councilman Alberto Torres notes that Eads contract value is significantly less than De Leons especially when considering severance, health insurance and his deferred retirement plan. De Leon, along with preceding city managers Jesus Olivares and Carlos Villarreal, will receive health insurance through the City of Laredo for the rest of their lives. City Council voted to end this practice about a year ago in order to scale down the golden parachute of any future city manager. Subsequently, Eads will only receive health insurance for 30 days after he ends his post with the city, per his contract. It was also written into De Leons contract that he would receive a lump sum worth three years salary if he were to be let go within a year of the contract. He retired while serving his second year as city manager and received two years salary as severance, worth $569,000. All told, the city has spent over $2 million on unspent vacation days, sick days and deferred compensation payouts for its last three city managers. Eads severance would be a years salary, which is the case for the city managers in cities such as Dallas, Austin, Fort Worth and El Paso, according to information provided to council. The city will also be contributing $10,000 a year toward his deferred retirement plan. It was very crucial for me to ensure that we didnt provide the golden parachute weve been known for, where city managers walk away with over $500,000, Torres said. ... Tax payers and myself have been fed up with that. Eads eventual appointment to this top position was fraught with a very public backlash by some council members and the mayor. But Eads said the negotiation process was very cordial. Torres said City Council is turning a new leaf on city manager negotiations. Im here for the longterm. Im not sitting here wanting to suggest to anybody that Im planning for the divorce and concentrate on that, when we really need to be concentrating on the wedding and the marriage, Eads said. Julia Wallace may be reached at 956-728-2543 or jwallace@lmtonline.com When Gov. Kristi Noem decided this spring to close schools due to the coronavirus, teachers had to immediately turn to remote learning to reach homebound students, which educators say poses obvious challenges. There is recognition that flex learning opportunities are not necessarily offering the same quality as traditional face-to-face instruction, Mary Stadick Smith, deputy secretary of education in South Dakota, wrote to News Watch in an email. For many teachers and students, this is a new world. Stadick Smith said the state has urged school districts to focus on essential learning during the closures. She said academic standards for the states roughly 136,000 public school students remain in place, though the state will not administer annual assessments for English, math or science and has waived its requirement that districts report student attendance levels to the state. Gov. Kristi Noem urged the temporary closure of public schools in mid-March and then on April 6 announced that the states 670 public schools would not reopen for the rest of the school year and that all teaching would occur remotely. The 80 or so private school systems in South Dakota with about 15,500 students followed suit. Concerns over learning loss and online absenteeism are plaguing school districts across the country. School administrators in Sioux Falls and Rapid City acknowledge that a small percentage of students and their parents have not yet been contacted since schools closed. Duke University education professor Harris Cooper, one of the nations foremost experts on the summer learning slide, said learning losses will result from students spending nearly double the amount of time away from the classroom this year in comparison with a typical 10-week break. I cant imagine its going to do anything other than slow down learning; theyre just not going to get the material as well or hold onto it as long, Cooper said. Cooper was the lead author on a 1996 study that confirmed children suffer a loss of learning during the summer break and that the level of loss differs by school subject, age and family income. The study also showed that low-income students were more susceptible to summer learning loss. According to the state, about 36% of South Dakota public school students receive free or reduced-price lunches. Losing classroom instruction time was more detrimental to younger students, who are still developing the skills needed to do well in school, the study found. The other major concern now is whether students are tuned in while learning from home and whether efforts by school districts and teachers to engage with them are effective. Monitoring student engagement and tracking online absenteeism has been difficult for school districts where administrators and teachers had to scramble to develop a remote learning platform and lesson plans. Most districts rely on teachers to make sure families with students were contacted and to monitor whether students are staying engaged. While teachers try to stay in touch with students, there is little they can do to guarantee students are not playing video games, watching television or just hanging around when they would otherwise be in class. As of mid-April, Rapid City Area Schools had no engagement-tracking mechanisms in place but hoped to launch a system soon, district spokeswoman Katy Urban said. In Sioux Falls, officials say that 87% of students were considered to be engaged as of early April, with 82% being reached by teachers through online formats such as Zoom and Google Classroom or by iPhone, and 5% through paper packets that must be picked up daily or weekly by parents, according to Doug Morrison, director of research, innovation and accountability for the district. Morrison said he does not expect that students will suffer long-range learning setbacks from the school closures. He said the educational process for children occurs along a continuum in which teachers are constantly assessing achievement, adjusting teaching methods to reach students as best they can, and helping those who have fallen behind to catch up. We have these kids for 13 years, and we got three quarters of the school year in, he said. Certainly, there is some learning that will be missed or be delivered in a different way in the last two months, but I wouldnt necessarily say the sky is falling. Is it ideal? No, but I look at the positives from my perspective. Morrison said the number of students who are not fully engaged in learning and the 3% who have not been reached at all by the district are in line with chronic absenteeism rates during a normal school year. But the 87% engagement figure reported by the district doesnt provide a full picture of the effectiveness of teaching and learning during the pandemic, said Tony Martinet, president of the Sioux Falls Education Association, which represents about 800 teachers. Martinet said the district is using a relaxed definition of engagement during the school closures, one that may not reflect the difficulty students have in learning from home and the challenges teachers have in working remotely with students. Their standard for engagement has had to be modified at the current time, he said. It means that when students are presented with learning opportunities, that they are trying. Theyve relaxed it a little bit, so for a student to be engaged, are they logging on, or connecting in some way, or turning some work in? Its not that theyre completing every part of the process, but that theyre engaged in some element of that. Martinet said he is most concerned that the current learning environment has worsened inequities in education related to income, family situation or language ability. Some of the frustrations are around equity issues; are we giving the same opportunities to all students? he said. Families that did not have computers or online access were provided devices by the school district, and some internet providers have given free service to families. The Sioux Falls district and its teachers have gone to great lengths to reach students who may be more vulnerable to learning loss during the pandemic, said Teresa Boysen, assistant superintendent of academic achievement. Boysen said teachers are aware that it may take extra effort to reach lower-income students and those whose primary language is not English, which includes about 2,800 of the districts roughly 25,000 students. How do you do a cooking class or a science experiment when you dont have those things at home? she said. And when we think about the lack of access to that second language, they arent having that practice like they were because theres nine weeks loss of daily instruction and just being around that language. Rural school districts face some of the same challenges, but their transition to remote learning may have gone more smoothly in some respects, said Chip Sundberg, superintendent of schools in Gettysburg in Potter County. Parents of the 231 students in the district have been contacted, Sundberg said. A survey right after the school closure found that only five families did not have internet access, so after making some arrangements for service, engaging with students online has been efficient, he said. The district also does not have a great need to teach English as a second language, and while poverty is present in the district 27% of students receive free or reduced-price lunches income issues have not presented serious challenges, Sundberg said. Still, remote learning creates a gap in the ability of teachers to reach rural students who have learning challenges or who may not have strong educational support at home. We typically see our kids seven hours out of the day, so we can see when theyre not getting what is happening with the learning, and weve got kids that are in home situations that arent the best for anybody, he said. The focus on teaching only essential topics and standards will diminish some of the intangibles that come from learning in a classroom, said Valerie Brablec Seales, the director of Teaching, Learning, Innovation for the Rapid City school district. There are students that may end the school year right where they would have had they been in school, self-motivated, self-directed learners who are probably faring better than those students who needed more interaction with their teachers face to face, she said. Rapid City, which is home to a handful of high-poverty schools, has faced challenges in equipping all families with computers and internet access. Furthermore, parents with children of varying ages are finding it difficult to juggle the different types of remote learning that are occurring at different grade levels, said Seales. If youre a parent that has multiple students with multiple teachers, it can be pretty overwhelming, she said. School districts have long been aware of the potential for summer learning loss and have tried to minimize its impact, both through summer-school programs and through assessments and teaching adjustments made at the start of the next school year. She said teachers are aware remediation may be needed when students return to school after the pandemic eases, hopefully by the fall. Certainly, I think were all going to have to bear in mind when we start the next school year the loss of these nine weeks. It isnt going to leave our students in the same starting point had this not occurred, she said. The typical transition into the school year, and the startup where you take the time to try to establish the classroom environment and meet the social and emotional sides of student needs, I think thats going to look different in the next year due to the monumental amount of time that weve been out. For more than 25 years, Zenon Polejowski got up before dawn to bake thousands of muffins, cook hundreds of omelettes, and serve them up to appreciative customers at the downtown restaurant where he worked. Now, Polejowski is at home, bored, frustrated and in shock after having learned that the restaurant Marche Movenpick is closed for good. The news came in two waves one disappointing, and one shocking, Polejowski said. First, Swiss hospitality giant Marche International told employees in a letter March 31 that it would be closing its Canadian operations at the end of May, citing a slowdown in business punctuated by the COVID-19 pandemic; employees would be getting any money owed to them, including salary, severance and banked vacation pay. Then, April 17, came a letter from bankruptcy trustee BDO, saying that the company was issuing a notice of intent to creditors that it intended to give them a proposal. In other words, hed be getting a fraction of what hes owed, if anything. I was in shock. First I got the letter saying Id get the wages, and the severance pay, and the vacation pay. Now, Ill probably get nothing, said Polejowski, who had been expecting 10 weeks severance pay, and roughly the same in vacation pay. Marche International executive Hermann Ircher, in an email to the Star, said the company had decided to focus on its core operations in Europe and Singapore, but that COVID-19 had hastened the departure from Canada. He said the company will try its best to help employees, but its hands are tied. Marche feels a very strong moral responsibility toward its employees. The management will do its best for its employees, but in the current situation it is also obliged to follow the advice of our trustee and comply with the legal rules of the NOI (notice of intent), Ircher said. Polejowski, like his 200 or so colleagues, is now trying to find work. But given the destruction COVID-19 is wreaking on the hospitality industry, many are finding it slow going, particularly those who are in their 50s and 60s. Ive got a friend there whos 62, and she was planning to work for another 10 years. Now, shes saying, Whos going to hire me? said Polejowski, who had worked at the Brookfield Place location since shortly after it opened in 1992 as a franchise. He stayed when the franchise collapsed amid lawsuits over failed U.S. expansion plans, and then was replaced by its former franchisee, Richtree. In 2010, Richtree left, and Marche Movenpick came back, this time as a wholly owned subsidiary of the Swiss company. At its peak, Movenpick had restaurants in several Canadian cities, including Montreal, Toronto and Ottawa. The first one opened on York Street in 1980. The notice sent to creditors, including employees, written by BDO Canadas Josie Parisi, said Marche Restaurants Canada owes more than $1.4 million to a list of creditors ranging from the LCBO to a downtown law firm, and small food suppliers such as HUH Imports Inc. HUH owner Hans Ulrich Herzig, whos owed $4,532.40, was discouraged when he got a March 31 letter about Marche pulling out. He was furious when he got the letter from the bankruptcy trustee. Movenpick is a big, rich company. The first thing you should do is pay your employees and small suppliers. This is shameful, said Herzig, a chef who runs a small business importing cheese and charcuterie, mostly from Switzerland. The restaurant, which includes the Movenpick Cafe, was still placing orders six weeks before the notice from BDO, he said. They were placing orders right up until the end of February and early March. The last one I delivered was for around $2,500 the first week of March, Herzig said. The little guy gets hit. Every thousand matters. Its not fair, but what can I do about it? A spokesperson for the LCBO, which according to the BDO letter is owed $163,813.48, declined to comment. Insolvency expert Bryan Gelman, owner and managing director of Albert Gelman Inc., said filing a notice of intent is usually the first step in restructuring by a company looking to free itself of some debt in order to stay in business. If creditors dont agree to the restructuring and a court doesnt approve it, a company can file for bankruptcy. (That also happens if the company simply doesnt make a proposal within 30 days from the notice). Typically the concept in a restructuring is that you offer creditors more than theyd get in a bankruptcy, Gelman said. If Marche does end up declaring bankruptcy, Polejowski, as well as other employees and creditors, are more than likely out of luck, Gelman said. Typically in restaurants, the underlying value of the equipment is so small that bankruptcy produces very little, if anything, for the creditors, he said. Scientists warn that climate change will slow the movement of hurricanes, resulting in storms hitting areas with strong winds and heavy rains for a longer amount of time. The prediction stems from meteorological data collected since 1950, along with readings from recent storms and future simulations. The models suggest a the rise in global temperatures would create strong currents that blow through mid-latitude areas and push toward the poles. Combined with weaker mid-latitude weather perturbations, storms along the US eastern seaboard and in populated areas in Asia could slow down by two miles per hour. Scientists warn that climate change will slow the movement of hurricanes, resulting in storms hitting areas with wind and rain longer. Pictured is a satellite image of Hurricane Harvey that hit the southern area of the US in 2017 The analysis was led by climatologist Gan Zhang from Princeton University who said: 'This is the first study we are aware of that combines physical interpretation and robust modeling evidence to show that future anthropogenic warming could lead to a significant slowing of hurricane motion.' The team gathered climate trends that were spotted since 1950 and selected six potential warming patterns for the global climate. They then ran 15 different possible initial conditions on each of the six patterns and came up with 90 possible futures. When Zhang and his colleges ran the 90 simulations, they told the computers to assume that global carbon dioxide levels have quadrupled and the planet's average temperature has risen by about 39 degrees Fahrenheit. The team gathered climate trends that were spotted since 1950 and selected six potential warming patterns for the global climate. They then ran 15 different possible initial conditions on each of the six patterns and came up with 90 possible futures This warming level was chosen because experts have predicted it would reach this point at the turn on the century if humans do not take action to limit the use of fossil fuels. 'Our simulations suggest that future anthropogenic warming could lead to a significant slowing of hurricane motion, particularly in some populated mid-latitude regions,' Zhang said. The data revealed that the storms' forward motion would slow by about 2 miles per hour, which is about 10 to 20 percent of the current typical speeds, at latitudes near Japan and New York City. Zhang touched on the powerful storm Hurricane Harvey that barreled through the Atlantic and up into Texas and Louisiana in 2017. It caused catastrophic flooding, killed 68 and cost the area $125 billion in damages. One reason the storm was so destructive is because it moved slower and stayed over land longer, which is a point discovered by Zhang's models. Suzana Camargo, the Marie Tharp Lamont Research Professor at Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, who was not involved in this research, said: 'Since the occurrence of Hurricane Harvey, there has been a huge interest in the possibility that anthropogenic climate change has been contributing to a slow down in the movement of hurricanes.' Zhang found that the rise in temperatures would cause westerlies, which are strong currents that blow through mid-latitude areas and push toward the poles. These can come with weaker mid-latitude weather perturbations. One reason Hurricane Harvey (pictured) was so destructive is because it moved slower and stayed over land longer Zhang found that the rise in temperatures would cause westerlies, which are strong currents that blow through mid-latitude areas and push toward the poles. These can come with weaker mid-latitude weather perturbations all of this can result in a slow down of storms in populated areas in Asia and the eastern seaboard along the US. 'In the debate between 'Everything is caused by climate change' and 'Nothing is caused by climate change' what we are doing here is trying to offer that maybe not everything can be immediately attributed to climate change, but the opposite is not right, either,' Zhang said. 'We do offer some evidence that there could be a slowdown of translational motion in response to a future warming on the order of 4 degrees Celsius. 'Our findings are backed by physics, as captured by our climate models, so that's a new perspective that offers more confidence than we had before.' Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani favoured a gradual lifting of the coronavirus-enforced nationwide lockdown during interaction of CMs with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday through video-conferencing, said an official here. Rupani maintained that interests of daily wage labourers, small as well as big shop owners and self-earning people should be kept in mind if the lockdown is extended beyond May 3, he said. "Lockdown needs to be gradually lifted. The state will follow the Centre's guidelines and lift the lockdown in a gradual and step-by-step manner, depending on the number of (COVID-19) cases going down (in different areas), secretary in the Chief Ministers Office, Ashwani Kumar, told reporters, quoting Rupani telling the meeting via video link. Gujarat, with 3,301 novel coronavirus cases and 151 deaths so far, is second only to Maharashtra on both counts in the country. Kumar said at the PM-CMs meeting, Rupani gave details regarding how Gujarat is fighting the virus and decisions taken to open some sectors of the economy (outside containment zones & COVID-19 hotspots) to bring the life back to normalcy. Rupani presented a detailed picture of how Gujarat is fighting against coronavirus. He said the state is testing extensively and conducting detailed survey and surveillance (to detect positive cases) in big cities, Kumar said. Rupani informed that the state has 61 dedicated COVID-19 hospitals which have 10,500 beds with required number of ICUs and ventilators. "We will increase the number of beds in a week to 22,500 in our COVID-19 Care Centres, he said, quoting the chief minister. The chief minister told the meeting that Gujarat is analysing reasons for high COVID-19 fatality rate as 151 people have died so far, which comes to 4.57 per cent (of total cases), more than the national average of 3.07 per cent. We are analysing the cause of death rate in Gujarat due to COVID-19. The pattern that has emerged is that 85 per cent of those who have died had co-morbid conditions (pre- existing illnesses), Rupani told the meeting. Rupani said three districts of the state have so far not recorded any COVID-19 case, while 18 districts have only single digit cases. So the situation is under control in these 21 districts, the CMO official informed. The chief minister apprised the meeting about the decisions taken by the state government to ease the lockdown, imposed in late March, in select areas, Kumar said. He informed the meeting about relaxations given to farmers for crop harvesting and other activities, and also to fishermen. "Rupani informed about starting industries in rural areas, permission given to construction projects in urban areas with conditions and opening of standalone shops, Kumar said. Modi held a video-conference with the chief ministers of various states and Union territories to discuss the situation arising in the country due to the COVID-19 outbreak and the lockdown imposed to stem its spread. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) D.C. Democratic Mayor Muriel Bowser has enlisted high-profile national figures - including Michelle Obama and celebrity chef Jose Andres - to aid the city's coronavirus response, as the number of covid-19 cases in the District, Maryland and Virginia continues to climb. The former first lady has recorded robocalls and radio ads reminding Washingtonians to stay home to limit the spread of the highly contagious virus and offering information about testing sites. Andres is chairing the restaurant committee of the ReOpen D.C. Advisory Group, which will recommend when it is safe to reopen businesses, schools and other establishments. The group will be led by Susan Rice, who served as national security adviser under President Barack Obama, and Michael Chertoff, who served as Homeland Security secretary under President George W. Bush. "We are dealing with a local, a national and a global pandemic," Bowser said. "We have called on a great mix of people that embody all of those needs and have all of those experiences." The District on Monday reported seven new deaths, including that of a 17-year-old boy. Bowser said officials are waiting to get more information about the youth but believe he died outside the city. The fatalities also included three residents in their 90s. The per capita covid-19 death rate in the nation's capital is the highest in the region: 27.2 deaths per 100,000 residents, according to a Washington Post tally. Prince George's County, a majority-black jurisdiction that has been especially hard hit, had 21.8 deaths per 100,000 residents Monday, compared with 20.2 in Montgomery County, 8.8 in Fairfax County and 11.5 in Alexandria. The total number of deaths across the District, Maryland and Virginia as of Monday afternoon was 1,602, and the total number of cases was 36,958, with 1,522 new cases reported since Sunday. The per capita death rate in the three jurisdictions - in Maryland it is 15.8 per 100,000 residents and in Virginia it is 5.4 - is still dramatically lower than in states that have become hot spots for the virus, according to data from The Post and Johns Hopkins University. The states with the highest per capita death rates per 100,000 are New York with 115, New Jersey with 68 and Connecticut with 54. Officials in Maryland, the District and Virginia say they have not yet seen the downward trend in new cases or hospitalization rates that would allow them to ease the broad economic and societal shutdown, although the rates of increase have slowed. They are warning residents that it is important for them to stay home and continue practicing social distancing. D.C. Health Director LaQuandra Nesbitt said she cannot draw conclusions about where people are contracting the virus because contact tracing is still reserved for high-priority groups, such as health-care workers and residents of homeless shelters. She said household transmissions appear to be a problem. Mike Ricci, a spokesman for Maryland Republican Gov. Larry Hogan, said the administration is not surprised by the increased number of infections reported daily, because the state has ramped up testing. He also said the state expects its death numbers to increase because the tally lags behind infections by about two weeks. On Monday, Hogan directed the Health Department to publish data related to cases at individual nursing homes, after calls for transparency from families who said they were not told about cases at their loved ones' facilities. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has ordered nursing homes to report information on outbreaks to patients and their families and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as the number of cases and deaths spiked at facilities across the country. The CDC has said it would report the data publicly. About 40% of Maryland's deaths are connected to nursing homes, Ricci said. The Maryland county with the highest per capita covid-19 fatality rate is Carroll County, where at least 24 at Pleasant View Nursing Home have died. In Virginia's Henrico County, where 40 people at Canterbury Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center have died, the fatality rate is 27.3 per 100,000 residents. Ricci said Maryland is seeing a decline in the rate of positive tests as it tests a larger number of people. But according to data provided by the state and analyzed by The Post, the rate of positive tests in Maryland has been hovering at around 18 or 19 percent for the past two weeks. The state is opening testing sites at two additional vehicle inspection facilities, in Owings Mills and Prince Frederick, adding to sites already open at inspection facilities in White Oak, Columbia, Waldorf, Glen Burnie and Bel Air. Patients must be Maryland residents and have an order from a doctor. Bowser named a broad range of community figures to the committees advising her how to reopen the District, including some of her longtime political allies and supporters. A committee focused on real estate and construction, for example, is co-chaired by developer and Bowser donor Buwa Binitie; members include lobbyist Rob Hawkins, who is Bowser's former deputy chief of staff, and Chico Horton, a real estate lawyer who chaired a political action committee for the mayor before she disbanded it. Thorn Pozen, a lobbyist who was an attorney for the PAC, is on a committee focused on transportation issues. Marvin Bowser, the mayor's brother, who is active in the arts, serves on a committee focused on entertainment and culture. Democratic operative Donna Brazile is helping lead a committee focused on racial disparities and vulnerable groups. Bowser's political mentor, former mayor Adrian Fenty, who has mostly stayed out of D.C. affairs since losing reelection in 2010 and moving to California, will oversee committees related to open space and health-care work forces. On Wednesday night, the city will hold a virtual town hall on reopening. The advisory group, which also includes health officials on every committee and guidance from Johns Hopkins University's public health program, will issue recommendations by the week of May 11, officials said. Bowser also announced Monday how she would allocate $25 million authorized by the D.C. Council to local hospitals to prepare for a possible influx of covid-19 patients. George Washington University Hospital gets the biggest grant, at $5 million. Howard University Hospital and MedStar Washington Hospital Center will each receive more than $4 million. Sibley Memorial Hospital and the public safety net hospital United Medical Center will get about $3.5 million each. The city awarded nearly $2 million to Children's National Hospital and lesser amounts to MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, BridgePoint facilities in National Harbor and Capitol Hill, and the Psychiatric Institute of Washington. The funding, which hospitals will receive Friday, was part of emergency relief legislation and is split up based on how many new beds the hospitals can provide for a surge in covid-19 hospitalizations. The grants can be used for staff, procuring equipment and building temporary or expanded facilities for coronavirus testing and treatment. Also on Monday, officials said the number of Maryland prison inmates testing positive for the coronavirus had grown to 50, and the number of correctional officers confirmed to have the virus had risen to 157. The prison system has reported one death: An inmate from the Jessup Correctional Institution who was in his 60s and had underlying health issues. Jessup Correctional reports the highest infection total of any facility in the state, with 17 inmates and 22 correctional officers having tested positive, according to state officials. In Virginia, the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department said 12 firefighters have tested positive for the coronavirus, up two since last week. Six of the firefighters have recovered, and two are in quarantine for possible exposure to the virus. Virginia Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam said the CDC is deploying teams of epidemiologists and contract tracers to the Delmarva Peninsula in response to an increase in covid-19 cases among poultry-processing workers. The teams will include staff who speak Haitian Creole, the language spoken by most poultry employees on the Delmarva Peninsula, Northam said. He said the request for help from the federal government was made in conjunction with Hogan and Democratic Gov. John Carney of Delaware. "Because the poultry economy is so interconnected, a coordinated approach is critical," Northam said. The CDC released new guidance for meat processing over the weekend after large-scale outbreaks across the nation, Northam said. He said plant owners have been cooperating with local health departments, which have been recommending mitigation measures, such as screening workers. Virginia has 10 poultry processing facilities, primarily in the Shenandoah Valley and on the Eastern Shore. Covid-19 cases began rising last week in Accomack County, the rural Eastern Shore community where Northam grew up. He said similar spikes are being seen across the Delmarva Peninsula. He did not specify the number of cases but said about 3,000 poultry workers are employed at two plants on the Eastern Shore. The illnesses could threaten meat supplies, Northam said, adding that "the health of the people in these plants is also critically important." He said the workers are "particularly vulnerable" because they live in close quarters in housing provided by the plants. - - - The Washington Post's Justin Jouvenal, Dan Morse and Laura Vozzella contributed to this report. Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close Six family members of Kurnool MP Dr Sanjiv Kumar tested positive for the coronavirus on Sunday. Six of my family members have tested positive for Covid-19 in Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh, Kumar told ANI. Sanjivs father Srirangam, 83, has some health issues. He went to Hyderabad a few days ago for treatment. There he was tested for corona and was found positive for the virus. Sanjivs younger brother Dr Achyuta Rao and his wife Dr Suvarna, younger brother Dr Gangadhar, his wife Dr Padmaja and son Jatin, 13, also tested corona positive. All are in an isolation ward of the Government General Hospital in Kurnool. Kumar said that none of them has any contacts. He said that they were unaware of how they got affected despite following the lockdown absolutely. The MP, however, expressed confidence that all his family members will return safely and healthy soon. Deanes Hair Design in Kildare town is going into liquidation due to a number of factors including Covid-19, it has emerged. The business was founded by sisters Michelle Murray and Karen Fennell who celebrated 15 years trading last year. The salon on Claregate Street also has a training academy. The premises won several awards including salon of the year last year at the Irish Hair and Beauty awards in 2018. A statement announcing the closure said: This is the hardest post we have ever had to write... Our salon,that we have run with all our hearts and energy for 16 years,will be going into liquidation in the next few weeks. This is due to a number of factors but obviously the main one is because of the closure due to Covid-19. "It was out of everybodys control but being closed for a number of weeks means that without any income our bills are going unpaid and will only get worse in the next few weeks,so we are left with very little option but to close. Our hearts are broken with this decision and our staff are the same. We would like to thank each and every member of staff, past and present for their invaluable input into making our salon into the high end salon that it was. As most of you know we are all very close and so it's a very difficult time for us at the moment. We would like to thank each and every client that walked through our doors through the years, thank you for trusting us with your hair , and for letting us into your lives. We have all made friends for life. Thank you to Kildare town for welcoming us into your community,we always felt welcome and supported in this lovely town, and thanks to all the surrounding businesses for their unwavering support also. The salon also added that its landlord has been very understanding during this difficult time. The unit will be up for lease and is being handled by John Conway of Conway auctioneers, Kildare town. The owners added: "So for now it is a very sad goodbye and we all hope to see you all again in the future. "This last few weeks have being very difficult for the whole nation and the main thing at the moment is for all our loved ones to survive this horrible virus. Michelle and Karen SACRAMENTO, Calif., April 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Until a vaccine is developed and approved for COVID-19, millions are vulnerable to sickness and death. In the meantime, the California Immunization Coalition urges parents and caregivers to stay current on their children's immunization schedule in order to protect them from debilitating and potentially deadly diseases like measles and pertussis. At the start of World Immunization Week and National Infant Immunization Week (April 24-May 1), we are now more aware than ever of the serious consequences associated with a disease that currently has no immunization to provide protection. "It is critical to the safety of children, as well as adults, that the recommended childhood immunization schedule is followed," said Catherine Flores Martin, executive director of the California Immunization Coalition (CIC). "Delaying vaccinations for months can leave children vulnerable to preventable diseases while stay at home orders are in place and after they are lifted." The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that childhood vaccines continue to be given, stating "If a practice can provide only limited well child visits, healthcare providers are encouraged to prioritize newborn care and vaccination of infants and young children (through 24 months of age) when possible."1 "The current COVID-19 pandemic has shown us how much loss can be inflicted on our families and communities by an infectious disease when we do not have a vaccine. It is critically important that your child stay up-to-date on their vaccines to have the protection that they provide," said Eric Ball, MD, Statewide Governing Board Member of the American Academy of Pediatrics, California. Physicians across the country are undertaking strategies to ensure patient safety during the pandemic such as seeing fewer patients in-person, using telemedicine appointments, and suspending elective procedures. "Vaccines work best if they're administered on time, every time," said Randy Bergen, MD, President of the CIC. "Your family can safely stay up to date on essential vaccines while practicing social distancing and I urge parents and guardians to contact their pediatricians or local health clinics to determine their options during stay at home orders." Additionally, while millions of Americans are out of work and struggling financially, it is important to note that no infant or child should be denied a vaccine because of insurance status or ability to pay. The CDC Vaccines for Children (VFC) program offers immunizations at no cost to providers who serve eligible children. Children must meet at least one federal VFC eligibility criteria, including Medicaid eligible, American Indian, or Alaska Native, Uninsured, or Underinsured.2 Parents can contact their provider or local health department for information. CIC encourages parents and caregivers to visit the following sites for more information and resources on infant and childhood immunization needs and schedules: About the California Immunization Coalition The California Immunization Coalition (CIC) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit public-private partnership dedicated to achieving and maintaining full immunization protection for all Californians to promote health and prevent serious illness, disability and death. For more information, please visit immunizeca.org and follow CIC on social media @ImmunizeCA. 1 https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/pediatric-hcp.html 2 https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/programs/vfc/parents/qa-detailed.html SOURCE California Immunization Coalition Related Links immunizeca.org Liz Hafalia/The Chronicle The coronavirus and the resulting shelter in place order have upended personal finances for many. Join Chronicle Business Columnist Kathleen Pender live to discuss stimulus payments, unemployment, real estate, mortgages and many of the financial implications of the coronavirus. Kathleen writes the Net Worth column in The Chronicles business section. She explains how the big business and economic news of the day affect a household's net worth. She covers saving, investing, debt, taxes, housing, mortgages, retirement plans, employment and unemployment with a focus on issues specific to California and the Bay Area. April 27, 2020 (Huntsville, Ala.) - Scientists at the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), and the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), have identified a new risk factor for multiple neurodegenerative diseases. "Finding evidence for a risk factor that contributes to multiple neurodegenerative diseases is exciting," said Richard M. Myers, PhD, HudsonAlpha president and science director. "We already know that these diseases share some pathologies. This work shows that the underlying causes of those pathologies may also be shared." In the study, which was published April 23 in the American Journal of Human Genetics, researchers sequenced and analyzed whole genomes of more than 1,100 people. They found that rare variation in the gene TET2 nearly doubled the risk of developing diseases like Alzheimer disease (AD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). "The project wouldn't have been possible without extensive collaboration between institutions," said first author Nicholas Cochran, PhD, a senior scientist in the Myers Lab. "You end up being able to find things that you can't find working alone." Jennifer Yokoyama, PhD, an assistant professor of neurology at UCSF, worked with Cochran on technical details and also was the point person for sample collection. The majority of the samples used for the project were collected over decades at the UCSF Memory and Aging Center and then sequenced and analyzed at HudsonAlpha. Once the research team had the sequence results, they analyzed the genomes of 493 people with either AD, ALS, or FTD and 671 healthy people. Many of the patients had early-onset versions of neurodegenerative disease, which suggests that it is more likely that there would be a genetic component of their illness. During genome analysis, the researchers looked at both coding and non-coding regions of the genome for DNA sequence variants, a strategy that allowed them to be more confident that any possible genes they pulled out were the real deal. "We didn't go in with any suspicions about what we might [get], so we're excited that we did find a new genetic association here," Cochran said. TET2 is especially exciting because it encodes a protein that catalyzes DNA demethylation. Previous work has shown that changes in DNA methylation happen during aging, so the authors hypothesize that mutations in the gene could lead to a faulty TET2 protein that disrupts how the brain ages and contributes to the development of neurodegenerative diseases. "Sometimes we get a hit, and it's hard to understand what it might be doing, but TET2 already has established roles in the brain. So this finding really made sense," Cochran explained. After the team identified TET2, they looked at previously generated genetic data from more than 32,000 healthy people and people with neurodegenerative diseases. This data confirmed that variants in TET2, in both protein-coding and non-coding regions, were more likely to be present in the genomes of people with AD, ALS, or FTD than in people without these diseases. Next steps will focus on how changes in TET2 levels or function could contribute to aging and neurodegenerative disease. ### This work was generously supported by donors to the HudsonAlpha Foundation Memory and Mobility Program, which funded the sequencing and analysis of UCSF-enrolled participants at HudsonAlpha. Funding for genomes sequenced at the New York Genome Center was provided by grant support from the Rainwater Charitable Foundation. The Daniel Foundation of Alabama provided funding for sequencing genomes from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Additional support was provided by the NIH-NIA K01 AG049152, NIH-NIA R01 AG062588, Larry L. Hillblom Foundation 2016-A-005-SUP, the Rainwater Charitable Foundation, NIA P01 AG1972403, NIA P50 AG023501, NIA P30 AG062422, and R01 AG045611. About HudsonAlpha: HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology is a nonprofit institute dedicated to developing and applying scientific advances to health, agriculture, learning, and commercialization. Opened in 2008, HudsonAlpha's vision is to leverage the synergy between discovery, education, medicine, and economic development in genomic sciences to improve the human condition around the globe. The HudsonAlpha biotechnology campus consists of 152 acres nestled within Cummings Research Park, the nation's second largest research park. The state-of-the-art facilities co-locate nonprofit scientific researchers with entrepreneurs and educators. HudsonAlpha has become a national and international leader in genetics and genomics research and biotech education and includes more than 30 diverse biotech companies on campus. To learn more about HudsonAlpha, visit hudsonalpha.org. Media Contact: Margetta Thomas mthomas@hudsonalpha.org 256-937-8210 According to Archbishop Prakash Mallavarapu, the new law is needed to protect the corona warriors who are like angels at this time of the pandemic. By Robin Gomes The Catholic Church of India has welcomed a new ordinance that criminalizes as a punishable offence attacks against healthcare workers during the Covid-19 pandemic. New Covid-19 law The Indian governments amendment to the Epidemic Diseases Act 1897, approved on April 22, stipulates stiff jail terms and fines for violators. "Health workers who are trying to save the country from this epidemic are unfortunately facing attacks, said Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar on April 22. No incident of violence or harassment, against them will be tolerated. An ordinance has been brought in, it'll be implemented after the President's sanction," he told a press conference in New Delhi. Church welcomes measure The law is needed at this juncture as there were reports of corona warriors being attacked in some states, which is very unfortunate as they are risking their lives to save us from this world pandemic, said Archbishop Prakash Mallavarapu of Visakhapatnam. The healthcare workers are like angels at this time of emergency who have put their duty first, not even thinking of the consequences of dealing with such a disease, he told UCANEWS. They are not only putting their lives at risk but their family members as well, said the archbishop who is chairman of the Office for Health Care of the Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI). If we dont appreciate them, the archbishop said, then we dont even have the right to attack them as they are doing their duties religiously. Jail terms, fines, compensation If the injuries are serious, the punishment will range from six months to seven years [in jail] and carry a fine of between 100,000 and 500,000 rupees, Javadekar told reporters. He said that the amended law will also be invoked if healthcare workers face harassment from their landlords. The offence under the amended law will be cognizable and non-bailable, which means the police can arrest the accused and only courts can release them on bail. The minister added that the amended law also has provisions to provide compensation for damage or loss of property of health workers. Healthcare workers under attack The media has been reporting numerous attacks on medical professionals in India, including sexual harassment of female doctors and nurses and police being pelted with stones, that have caused concern among health professionals and the government during the pandemic lockdown. A video on mobs chasing and throwing stones at two female doctors in Indore went viral online. There have also been reports of many other attacks on health professionals in other states, such as Gujarat, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh. Health workers and the families also face harassment and discrimination at home from their landlords and neighbours for fear of infection. Healthcare professionals and workers had planned a nationwide silent protest on April 22-23 against attacks on them. Father Paul Parathazham, director of St. Johns National Academy of Health Sciences in Bangalore, also welcomed the new law saying it was much needed and long due as medical personnel are going through physical as well as mental stress, which could affect their work. (Source UCANEWS) Tokyo officials reported 72 new coronavirus cases on Sunday. It is the first time in about two weeks that the number of infections fell below 100 in the capital. Also on Sunday, Prime Minister Abe Shinzo, health and welfare minister Kato Katsunobu and others were briefed at a coronavirus taskforce meeting that the number of new cases of infection has been decreasing. But government officials say that although newly confirmed cases appear to be stable in the past few days, it's impossible to determine whether they are on the decline. Some experts also pointed out that the number of reported cases per day has not decreased as anticipated. The government plans to carefully decide whether to extend the country's state of emergency beyond May 6, while closely monitoring the number of cases across the nation. It says it remains unpredictable when the situation will be brought under control. The government also plans to increase employment subsidies to protect jobs. Rates of subsidies will be further raised for employees' pay at small- and medium-sized businesses that comply with administrative requests to restrict their facilities' operations. Since the government expanded the scale of the subsidies in mid-February, there had been more than 2,500 applications for the program as of Friday. But just over 10 percent of the applications have been approved. Ireland's forestry industry is facing a serious crisis that could see the country's sawmills run out of wood by mid-June, a senior sector representative has told the Sunday Independent. At least 2,000 forestry jobs are already under direct threat - with workers on short time or furloughed - as a licensing and appeals logjam threatens to bring the entire sector to a halt. Mark McAuley, director of Ibec body Forest Industries Ireland, said the industry, which accounts for 12,000 jobs and 2.3bn worth of economic activity each year, has been hit with the double whammy of slow regulation and objections. The introduction by the Department of Agriculture last year of a new, more stringent licensing system for essential work such as planting, felling and thinning has led to major delays. "The department is only providing about half of the licences that we need as an industry to keep going. There's been a drastic slowdown, with new environmental assessments required on all forestry activity," said McAuley. In a statement, the Department of Agriculture acknowledged there had been delays in issuing felling licences "resulting from new environmental regulations arising from recent Court decisions". "The Department is investing significantly in the recruitment of new ecologists and forestry inspectors as part of its response as well as contracting in significant external ecology expertise to help in progressing files," it said, adding that over 1.3 million m of timber had been licensed this year to date. McAuley said that a new streamlined appeals process had also allowed environmentalists and others to easily submit blanket objections to most forestry projects, with 60,000 tonnes of timber stalled in one week alone this month. "Between the two issues, most of the sawmills around the country are telling me that they'll be out of timber by mid June. So we're a matter of six to eight weeks away from people having to close the doors because there's no raw material," he said. Tom Daly * Provincial govt allots $141 mln to cover interest on loans for metals buying * Yunnan is home to major copper, aluminium, zinc & tin producers * Province to cut power, gas fees to help real economy By Tom Daly BEIJING, April 26 (Reuters) - Chinas Yunnan province said on Sunday it would set aside 1 billion yuan ($141.22 million) to help businesses stockpile 800,000 tonnes of nonferrous metal as part of efforts to boost its real economy following the novel coronavirus outbreak. The funds will be used to cover interest on bank loans taken out for the one-year stockpiling drive, which will include copper, aluminium, lead, zinc, tin, as well as minor metals germanium and indium and other nonferrous metals, the provincial government said on its website. Stockpiling has been suggested by the China Nonferrous Metals Industry Association as a way to ease pressure on smelters hit by a slump in demand and plunging metals prices. Yunnan, in southwest China, is home to major metal producers Yunnan Copper, Yunnan Aluminium and Yunnan Chihong Zinc & Germanium, all of which are under state-owned group Chinalco, as well as Yunnan Tin , the worlds biggest refined tin producer. The money pledged will cover 80% of the interest on loans taken out to stockpile tin, germanium and indium, and 60% of the interest on loans to buy copper, aluminium, lead and zinc, the statement said. Among other economic support measures outlined by the Yunnan government was a reduction in the cost of electricity and gas for some sectors - except high power-consuming industries - from Feb. 1 until the end of the year. Hydropower-rich Yunnan has become a popular destination for Chinese aluminium smelters looking to use a cleaner source of electricity for the energy-intensive smelting process. $1 = 7.0813 Chinese yuan renminbi Reporting by Tom Daly and Min Zhang Ryanair has kicked off an influx of 'I didn't know it was a party' memes mocking Boris Johnson after he was forced to apologise for hosting a 'party' in the Downing Street garden in May 2020. The popular low-cost carrier posted an image of the Prime Minister's face edited onto a popular meme showing dancing party-goers with the caption 'Boris Johnson for 25 minutes on 20 May 2020' and 'I don't know I'm at a party' next to Mr Johnson's face. Mr Johnson today finally admitted he went to a 'party' in the Downing Street garden at the height of lockdown - but argued he thought it was a 'work event' and 'technically' within the rules. At a stormy PMQs, Mr Johnson said he wanted to 'thank' staff at the event in May 2020 but recognised that in 'hindsight' it should not have happened. He said he understood public 'fury' and 'took responsibility', but said he had believed it was a work event. 'I bitterly regret it. I wish we could have done things differently,' he said. Social media erupted into a hive of memes mocking Mr Johnson, with one showing Ant and Dec in a fit of giggles - alluding to the television presenter's previous jibes at the Government. Help India! While the world battles coronavirus pandemic, Kashmir has witnessed deadly gunfights between militants and government forces for the last 30 days and intense cross border shelling between India and Pakistan on the de facto Line of Control (LoC). While the calls for a ceasefire by the United Nations Secretary-General were ignored by the government and armed groups, the civil society has endorsed it, Auqib Javeed, TwoCircles.net reports. Srinagar: On the 17th day of coronavirus lockdown in Kashmir on April 18, an encounter between militants and armed forces in Sopore area of North Kashmirs Baramulla district left one local militant Sajad Nawab Dar dead. Support TwoCircles The funeral of Sajad who belonged to Saidpora village of Sopore and was with Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) militant outfit, saw the participation of hundreds of people chanting pro-freedom and anti-India slogans, a picture of which went viral on social media. With lockdown orders in place, the Jammu and Kashmir Police swung into action and lodged an FIR against unknown people for attending the funeral of the slain militant. Police said those booked had violated government advisories for COVID-19 that barred gatherings. Sopore has many dense apple orchards and alternate routes, lanes and by-lanes, Javid Iqbal, SSP Sopore, told TwoCircles.net. This typical topography, he cited was the reason they couldnt stop the funeral gathering. More than 400 villagers had attended the funeral and police have arrested at least 50 people till now. Despite the United Nation Secretary-General appeal on March 23 to all warring parties in all conflicts around the world to to lay down their weapons in support of the bigger battle against COVID-19, which has claimed the lives of over 203,809 people so far, in Kashmir the call for a ceasefire hasnt received any response from either the government or from militant groups. Since January this year, nearly 50 militants and 13 government personnel have been killed in over 20 gunfights. The number of gunfights since March is higher compared to gunfights in the six months of the shutdown after the government of India scrapped Article 370 of the Indian constitution on August 5, 2019. Explaining the presence of large gathering at the funeral of a local militant in Sopore even during the lockdown, locals said that the sentiment of freedom is more deep-rooted than the fear of the contracting virus. For the police its not for the first time that they have been unable to prevent large gatherings at the funeral of militants. As the Valley grapples with coronavirus pandemic, with positive cases surpassing 500 on Sunday and 7 deaths so far, locals fear the rise in gunfights will increase the risk of contracting the virus due to likelihood of large gatherings at militants funerals. The funerals of militants in Kashmir are usually drawing a huge crowd. People have risked their lives to give farewell to the slain, says Tajamul Islam, a PhD scholar from North Kashmir. He adds that since it is time to fight COVID-19 in unison, the government should stop provoking people by declaring a ceasefire. Mehraj Bhat, a researcher from Srinagars downtown area said that the large presence of people at the local militants funeral in Sopore is an indication of how people revere those who fight oppression, lockdown or no lockdown. If they didnt care about the bullets, why would they care about the virus, Bhat says. In the last few years, many incidents were reported in Kashmir where people rushed to encounter sites to save trapped militants and several civilians got killed while doing so. To contain the spread of the virus, Bhat said mere prohibitory orders wouldnt stop people from joining funerals if more militants are killed. Even lodging of FIRs against people wont stop others from joining, he suggests, adding, If the government is sincere about saving lives of people from the virus and breaking the chain, encounters should be halted. Noted Human Rights activist, Khuram Parvez argues that the governments guidelines wont work when it comes to participation of people in militant funerals. Their calls have been defied in the past when they imposed curfews and even when they killed participants in the funerals, he says. Khurram notes that the presence of large gatherings at the funeral of local militants killed in two separate encounters in South Kashmirs Damhal Hanjipora was also seen on April 5. On April 17, locals at Dairoo village of Shopian in south Kashmir rushed towards the encounter site to save two trapped militants. The gunfight ended with the killing of the two militants, who were later buried in Sheeri, Baramulla, notwithstanding the claims of the two families from south Kashmir that the slain were their kin. While the world battles coronavirus, the Valley has witnessed deadly gunfights between militants and government forces since last 20 days and intense cross border shelling between India and Pakistan on de facto Line of Control (LoC). On April 12, shelling along LoC claimed the life of three civilians in North Kashmirs Kupwara district. Speaking with TwoCircles.net, locals expressed helplessness about the possibility of a ceasefire. Even if we demand the ceasefire, it doesnt matter for the government who are hell-bent to suppress us since years, said Abdul Hameed, owner of the house where the Sopore encounter took place. The house was razed to the ground by the forces. Hameed says it is up to the government to call for a ceasefire amid the growing threat of coronavirus in the Valley. Political observers in the Valley too, see this as a high time that military operations should be halted in Kashmir. Suhail Ahmad, columnist and political commentator says that all the state and non-state actors should heed the clarion call of UN chief wherein he called for a global ceasefire to focus on the true fight of our lives. We should rather be united in this fight against COVID-19, iterates Suhail, reminding that the 2005 Kashmir earthquake saw cooperation between the two sides across the LoC so much so that it came to be known as disaster diplomacy. He added that they are facing a bigger disaster right now so its high time we bury the hatchet and help each other in these testing times. Khurram says the civil society in Kashmir has always advocated for complete cessation of hostilities between India, Pakistan and Kashmiris not just in the present times. Former police chief Ali Mohammad Watali told TwoCircles.net that ceasefire should be announced not only in Kashmir but on the LoC as well. Entire humanity is under trauma and the situation is deteriorating day by day, he said, adding that the need of the hour is for the whole world to unitedly fight the pandemic. Other things can wait. Additional Spokesperson of the regional party National Conference (NC), Sara Hayat Shah said that NC has been advocating for the ceasefire between the India and Pakistan for many years. We (Kashmiris) are the worst sufferers between the hostilities of the two countries and we would be the immediate beneficiaries if there is a ceasefire between them, she told TwoCircles.net. In 2018, when PDP-BJP jointly ruled Kashmir, the Government of India had announced suspension of all military operations against militants in Kashmir during the holy month of Ramadan for the first time in nearly two decades. Former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti who was leading the alliance in the erstwhile state had pushed for the ceasefire. In 2000, Hizbul Mujahidin had announced a unilateral ceasefire for three months in Kashmir. The government had then immediately halted military operation but the truce broke down after talks failed. A top army official, who wished not to be named because he isnt authorized to speak to media, told TwoCircles.net that its not in their domain to declare a ceasefire. The official added that the call for a ceasefire must come from the militants end. Even if we call for a ceasefire, what will be their response? the official questioned, adding that during the Ramadan ceasefire in 2018, the militants still carried out attacks against security forces. He insisted that the onus lies on militants, saying that if they (militants) stop their activities, security forces would also stop. Thali ek hath se thodi bajti hai (It takes two to clap), the official said. Three online entrepreneurs spoke to Saturday Magazine about how the coronavirus pandemic has affected their businesses and how they have adapted to it. I needed a job that was less demanding one that I could do at home whilst taking care of my young children. Also, one that paid better. I went online looking for work and encountered very many sites promising quick money. Other sites demanded upfront payment before getting work. I didnt have much money so I avoided such sites and others that promised instant money. Then I found Elance. The platform offered a wide variety of remote work. I was delighted to discover that the jobs were legit and the Elance support team was very helpful. They guided me through the account set up and gave useful advice when it came to bidding for work. Because of my journalism background, I went straight into content development, journalistic writing, proof reading and editing. I put these down on the list of skills I possessed. But it was not easy. I had to put in a lot of work into research and making good pitches and I ended up becoming a top rated service provider. I started earning more than I did while working full time. I even started an agency to help with the workflow. Later, Elance merged with Odesk and became Upwork. Well, this reduced the amount of workflow and I had to look for other means to supplement my income. I started writing for online media. Because of the pandemic, most organisations have reduced their workload and I have resumed to working online on a full-time basis, and I am already receiving invites for various jobs. For me, it is a great way to supplement my income and I like the flexibility that comes with it. I made Sh2 million on a particular year working only six hours a day. ******************************** The Online Caterer Pauline Kinjah (Pau), 40, Caterer, Pau delicacies and caterers I started my business in 2015. I would cook snacks such as samosa, mandazi and chapati and post in the estate WhatsApp group. From one client, the list grew, which prompted me to start a Facebook group Cooking is a Hobby. The idea was to network and share recipes with other people who enjoy cooking. It turned out to be a great platform to get new clients. With each posting, I got new clients. We are based in Langata but would do deliveries to various locations. One day, a client who had come to pick some snacks asked if I could do catering; I responded in the affirmative and that is how Pau delicacies and caterers was birthed. Since then, I have catered to more than 100 weddings excluding other events. Before the pandemic, we were doing great. All our weekends were fully booked. I have five full-time staff and 38 casuals workers. On several occasions, I had to turn down catering requests because I was swamped. After the first case was announced, the cancelation calls started coming in. We have not worked since March yet we still got bills to pay. To remain relevant and occupied, I started cooking from my house and doing Facebook live shows. Why dont you start offering online cooking classes? one of my clients asked me sometime last month. The next day, I posted online the masterclass offer and I received positive feedback. For starters, I have 70 students on Facebook online classes. To join, I charge Sh1,000 every month. In mid April, I started going to the market, buying food supplies and marketing through WhatsApp groups and Facebook. Interestingly, I also got this idea from someone else my sister. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, April 27, 2020 17:42 625 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd4833bc 1 National Jokowi,KPAI,dismissal,State-Secretariat,child-protection,swimming-pool Free President Joko Jokowi Widodo has signed a decree on the immediate dismissal of Indonesian Child Protection Commission member Sitti Hikmawaty following her scientifically inaccurate claim that strong sperm could impregnate women in swimming pools. [The decree] has been [signed], State Secretariat secretary Setya Utama said on Sunday as quoted by tempo.co. The presidential decree states that Sitti would be dishonorably discharged from her duty as a KPAI member. The dismissal would be carried out through the Womens Empowerment and Child Protection Ministry. KPAI chairman Susanto had called on the State Secretary to promptly dismiss Sitti on Wednesday. The agency's ethical council previously recommended Sittis immediate removal from office, saying that she had violated the commissions code of ethics by making the statement. Read also: Child protection commissioner apologizes for saying strong sperm could impregnate women in swimming pools The ethical council also said that Sitti had been dishonest in claiming that her statement was backed up by scientific studies. Council chairman I Gede Dewa recommended that Sitti resign voluntarily or risk being dishonorably discharged by the President himself. Sitti nevertheless refused to resign and urged the President to reconsider her dismissal from office amid the current COVID-19 pandemic. Allow me to plead to the President that this is a time when every element must work together [for the countrys best interests], she said in a statement on Saturday. Sitti became the subject of controversy in February after saying that women should exercise caution when swimming in public swimming pools for fear of getting pregnant. There is an especially strong type of male sperm that may cause [] pregnancy in a swimming pool, Sitti said in the interview. Even without penetration, men may become sexually excited [by women in the pool] and ejaculate, therefore causing a pregnancy. She initially defended her claim, saying that it was based on scientific journals, but later retracted the statement and apologized. The KPAI itself issued a response saying that Sittis statement did not represent the views of the organization. (rfa) Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald has been accused of using the coronavirus crisis as a political opportunity after claiming it is a greater accelerant to a united Ireland than Brexit. Mrs McDonald has been highly critical of the British Governments approach to Covid-19 and described the lack of a single health policy across the island of Ireland as astonishing. Her comments came after junior minister Declan Kearney accused some unionists in Northern Ireland of putting the economy ahead of public health, claiming there was a push to relax lockdown rules to help the economy. Ulster Unionist Party leader Steve Aiken accused the Sinn Fein president of attempting to advance her partys political ideology. Using the tragic death of many hundreds of people, especially the most vulnerable in our society, as an opportunity to score political points is perverse Steve Aiken, UUP He said: The message from the health minister Robin Swann is clear. We cannot afford to be complacent about social distancing, otherwise we risk seeing the number of deaths rising. That should be our focus. Its utterly shameful that Mary Lou McDonald should seek to use this public health emergency to attempt to create selfish political opportunity in a crisis to advance Sinn Fein political ideology, following hard on the heels of Declan Kearneys ill-judged comments. Every single death is a tragedy. Comparisons by some pundits and politicians presented as if its a competition in death are utterly grotesque. It isnt helpful, especially as data is not always comparable and not all measure from the same point. This is the first wave of a potentially multi-wave pandemic that we are only seeing the beginning stages of. Using the tragic death of many hundreds of people, especially the most vulnerable in our society, as an opportunity to score political points is perverse. The peer reviewed epidemiological history of this will be written in years to come, not by pundits and politicians taking skewed snapshots to score political points. Yet again we see how vulnerable we are when we have two jurisdictions, two systems, on the island Mary Lou McDonald, Sinn Fein Splits have emerged between the DUP and Sinn Fein within the Northern Ireland Executive, with Sinn Feins Michelle ONeill speaking out over testing and personal protective equipment, while last week the parties disagreed over whether to reopen graveyards. Mrs McDonald told the Sunday Times newspaper that Ms ONeill had to have some pretty tough conversations over health policy. She said: When Brexit happened, people said this is an accelerant in terms of the unity debate, because it was so obvious with the danger to the border. We have an all-Ireland single policy for animal health but not for public health. Everything we do to keep people safe has to be on the understanding we are a single population on a small island and have to look after each other. I think the fact that Boris Johnson and the British Government opted early on for the herd immunity approach meant that Michelle ONeill had to have some pretty tough conversations to get the northern system in tandem with what was happening in the South. Yet again we see how vulnerable we are when we have two jurisdictions, two systems, on the island. Only three or four persons are in hospital now. Representative of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP), Metropolitan Klyment has denied that all priests and monks of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra monastery contracted the novel coronavirus. Klyment explained in a comment for the Ukrainian online newspaper Ukrayinska Pravda that the Russian media outlet RBC had quoted him incorrectly. He said he had meant that almost everyone in the Lavra who were ill had recovered. Read alsoUkraine's police open criminal cases over lockdown violations by Moscow Patriarchate church members "All the monks who belong to the Lavra underwent testing for the virus, there were over 200 not 100 monks. But the Health Ministry informed that over 100 people had the infection, however, the information seemed to be two or three weeks old," he said. "And as of today almost everyone has recovered, so saying that there are 100 patients there today is incorrect. Three or four persons are in hospital now." He also said that he was citing data from the Health Ministry. Metropolitan Klyment had earlier told Russia's RBC that all priests in the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra had been infected with the coronavirus. Metropolitan Pavel, who heads the Lavra, was among those who have already recovered. Three have persons died of the coronavirus. It became known on April 13 that the monastery was to be closed for COVID-19-related quarantine. When Nicky Bandera, 35, was growing up, it wasnt uncommon for her mother to be making homemade sauces, adding that her parents had an Italian belly. So, when the coronavirus pandemic hit, Bandera, from Quincy, knew she had to do something immediate to help. I just started cooking, she said. At first, she began making homemade lasagnas for friends and customers whose shops had closed. But that quickly started expanding. We thought that it was going to be like 20, and maybe we would deliver 20 lasagna to friends of ours, she said. And quite rapidly everywhere closed and we were in the situation. So we just kept moving. She now wakes up at 5 a.m. each morning to start making the sauce. She has now delivered more than 300 lasagnas around the Boston area. Shes made the homemade meals for bartenders, DJs, drag queens, undocumented workers and many others. Ryan Brown, a DJ in Boston, received one of Banderas meals. But he knows the lasagna isnt just about the food although he raves about how delicious it is. That feeling of somebody, caring, and just putting a smile on your face, he said. And just being being thought about, which I think everybody can use. Brown left the corporate finance world about six years ago to pursue music full-time. He was loving it, with plans to perform at this years Boston Calling. But the music festival and many of his other gigs have been canceled due to the pandemic. Its a lot of behind the scenes triage in terms of managing your personal cash flow and navigating with clients, he said. Then theres a lot of personal. Youre dealing with what you love going away. Instead hes been trying to channel his creative energy elsewhere. Being on the receiving end of have a treat like that was so nice, just continues to help add fuel to your own fire of doing whatever it is that youre doing, he said. Now hes creating playlists and shares them with fans and he auctions off vinyls on Instagram to raise money for various people, including Banderas lasagna project. Its not just about receiving it, he said. You then also get the opportunity to pay it forward when Bandera asked Brown if he knew of others needing the same home cooked meal. Bandera has a few partnerships, including Red Bull, Tequila Tromba and Narragansett Beer, to help continue to fund her project. But mostly it runs on donations, through her Venmo, @nicky-bandera or on Facebook and Instagram. And its not an inexpensive project. All the ingredients are high quality and thats important. I make the same lasagna that I make for my family on Easter, she said. Related Content: A Pennsylvania man pleaded guilty to bank fraud scheme that funneled more than $1 million through fake businesses identities stolen from state residents. Anthony Innarella, 63, waived his right to an indictment and pleaded guilty on Monday to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. Innarella, formerly of Kunkletown, Pennsylvania, and a co-conspirator were accused of using stolen identities to open fake business bank accounts, which they then used to steal money from their victims actual bank accounts. Fake accounts were opened across a number of states, including Connecticut, Delaware, Virginia, New Jersey and Massachusetts. Through this scheme, more than $1 million was transferred into the fraudulent business bank accounts, and Innarella and the other individual withdrew cash and cashiers checks totaling approximately $363,000 from the accounts, U.S. Attorney for Connecticut John Durham said in a press release on Monday. In April 2017, Innarella was arrested by the Fairfield Police Department in connection to a fraudulent bank account he had opened at a Wells Fargo Bank branch in town. During the arrest, police recovered numerous counterfeit drivers licenses and credit cards in other individuals names, several cellphones bearing sticker labels with the names of different individuals, more than $34,000 in cash, and other items connecting him to a bank fraud and identity theft scheme, Durham said. Innarella faces a maximum term of 30 years and a minimum of two years. The state is also charging Innarella for multiple theft-related charges. He is scheduled to appear in court on June 15. Chinese aircraft carrier maneuver aimed at achieving multiple results ROC Central News Agency 04/26/2020 04:30 PM Taipei, April 26 (CNA) A recent training mission of the Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning, which sailed through waters near Japan and Taiwan and into the South China Sea near Vietnam, has been seen by a Taiwanese defense analyst as a maneuver with the aim of "hitting three birds with one stone." Wang Tsun-Yen (), an assistant research fellow at the Division of Non-traditional Security and Military Missions under the Institute for National Defense and Security Research (INDSR), made the observation in the debut issue of the Defense Security Biweekly April 24. The Liaoning's long-range training mission that began on April 10, taking it through the Miyako Strait near Okinawa, then moving past eastern Taiwan and entering the South China Sea through the Bashi channel, could be in response to two maritime incidents involving Japan and Vietnam, Wang said. On March 30, a Chinese fishing boat collided with the Japanese destroyer Shimakaze in the East China Sea, while on April 2, a Chinese Coast Guard vessel sank a Vietnamese fishing boat in the South China Sea. There were 10 injuries but no loss of life in the two incidents. Beijing's decision to sail the Liaoning and its escort ships through waters near Japan instead of going to the South China Sea directly through the Taiwan Strait, showed that the voyage was clearly targeted at Japan, although it was also designed to exert pressure on Vietnam, Wang said. He speculated that the Chinese fishing boat's collision with Japan's destroyer could be part of an asymmetric move to drive Japan's Self-Defense Force out of the area, citing reports that the Chinese fishing boat was actually a militia vessel. As to the incident in the South China Sea, although it was not the first time China and Vietnam had clashed at sea, judging from the timing, China might have been wanting to teach the Southeast Asian neighbor a lesson for getting too close to Japan and the United States, Wang said, citing the visit of the Japanese helicopter carrier Izumo to Vietnam in June 2019, and a port call of U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt in March 2020. As most U.S. aircraft carriers are currently docked due to the COVID-19 coronavirus, China wants to convey the message that "the U.S. big brother is not reliable" and that the "Chinese People's Liberation Army is not affected by the outbreak and still can go to your doorsteps," Wang said. "With the Chinese navy fleet's sailing routes, it is quite obvious that China wants to show its muscle to Japan, Vietnam and Taiwan with a strategy aimed at hitting three birds with one stone," he said. However, Wang said that China does not want to further escalate tension on two fronts at the same time, as Japan and Vietnam both play important roles in geopolitics and Beijing itself is busy handling internal and external problems, including the coronavirus pandemic. As Japan and Vietnam have strengthened two-way security cooperation, including the signing of several agreements and Japan's donations of patrol boats to Vientam amid China's increased assertiveness, any easing of tension in the region is unlikely in the near future, Wang concluded. (By Emerson Lim) Enditem/J NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address New Delhi, April 27 : As large number of companies and businesses resort to the work-from-home culture for their employees, Ashutosh Limaye of Anarock Property Consultants has said that demand for conventional office space is likely to be impacted to some extent for at least two quarters. He, however, noted that work-from-home is not a "catch-all solution" as many business verticals and functions still require employees to work in an office setting. A large chunk of work needs constant monitoring and professional infrastructure which only an office setting can provide, he said, adding that market dynamics are, nevertheless, changing quickly now. "Commercial real estate has been a reliable mainstay of the Indian real estate sector, remaining vibrant even while residential property remained in the doldrums. Now, the coronavirus has thrown a serious spanner into the works of this lucrative real estate segment, at least for next two quarters," said Limaye, the Director and Head, Consulting at Anarock Property Consultants. He noted that due to the current lockdown situation, more and more companies are discovering the viability of employees working from home (WFH) as an alternative to occupying costly office spaces. Many IT and IT-enabled service companies and other corporates are now warming up to the notion of shifting a significant chunk of work, be it coding or non-client-facing back-office functions, out of offices and into their employees' homes, he said. Outlining the benefits of the work from home trend, Limaye said that companies can save a lot of revenue on office space occupancy and it can also be a major productivity enhancer as employees save the time which they would ordinarily spend on daily commutes. "As a derivative of the second benefit, it can significantly boost employee well-being," he said. On the co-working segment, Limaye said that it is likely to see subdued demand over the next few quarters, but will also see the fastest revival as the pandemic pressures will eventually ease out many businesses who will look to restart in these flexible workspaces. Co-working spaces are not only the most cost effective, but also offer flexibility in terms of time period of rental agreements, he added. Co-working spaces can be rented on a monthly, day-to-day and even hourly basis. Traditional offices, on the other hand, he said, are a source of worry for both tenants and landlords right now. "This is because it is difficult to visualise and plan for a post-pandemic market scenario," he said. When the government's focus shifts back to economic growth and it rolls out business-boosting incentives, that will revive the fortunes of commercial office spaces quickly, Limaye added. Data collated by Anarock shows that average monthly rentals in Grade A office spaces in central business district (CBD) areas like South Mumbai and Bandra Kurla Complex are between Rs 18,000-27,000 per desk per month for co-working spaces, and between Rs 24,500-30,000 per desk per month for conventional commercial Grade A offices. All non-Grade A office spaces in CBD areas are lower by at least 15-20 per cent. In the national capital, average monthly rentals in Grade A office spaces in CBD areas like Connaught Place range between Rs 13,000-19,000 per desk per month for co-working spaces and between Rs 20,000-25,000 per desk per month for conventional commercial Grade A offices. Non-Grade A office spaces in the CBD areas in Delhi are at least 15-20 per cent cheaper, the data showed. remaining of Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. A security guard deployed at the office of OSD to the Union health minister at AIIMS and a nurse working in Dr B R Ambedkar Institute Rotary Cancer Hospital of the facility have tested positive for COVID-19, sources said on Sunday. The security guard, posted at the office of officer on special duty (OSD) to Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan located in the teaching block of All India Institute Of Medical Sciences, was tested positive on Saturday, they said. According to the sources, the entire wing where the OSD office is located is being sanitised and several staffers, including the OSD, is learnt to have been advised self-quarantine. Their samples are also likely to be taken for testing. Two children of the nurse, who was deployed at the daycare facility of the cancer centre, have also tested positive for COVID-19. Contact tracing was initiated at the facility on Sunday and all those who have come in contact with the security guard and the nurse have been advised self-quarantine. Further contact tracing is on, they said. Patients who had come for chemotherapy on Saturday at the daycare facility along with healthcare staff at the hospital who had come in contact with her have been advised self-quarantine. Besides, at least six more staffers, including two from the record section, a lab attendant and the personal assistant of a faculty at the Cardio-Neuro Centre of AIIMS have also tested positive recently, the sources said. Over 70 people from various departments in AIIMS have been advised self-quarantine, they said. On Wednesday, a male nurse working in the gastroenterology department of AIIMS was found positive for COVID-19, following which around 40 healthcare staff, including doctors and nurses working in the department, were advised self-quarantine. However, all the staff who had come in contact with the male nurse have tested negative and the department is fully functional, a doctor said. Last week, two female nurses, one from the cardiology department and one posted in the Trauma Centre of AIIMS had also tested positive for coronavirus. All those who came in contact with these two nurses have been asked to go into self-quarantine. The Trauma Centre nurses child and husband had also tested positive for the infection. Local communities could use open access hardware to help alleviate the burden of COVID-19 on global health systems, according to Sussex scientists Free open source hardware and 3D printing could help to alleviate the burden of Covid-19 on global health systems, according to scientists at the University of Sussex. Free and open source hardware (FOSH) follows an ethos where blueprints for a tool are made freely available so that anyone can study, learn, modify, customize and commercialize them. In a study published by PLoS Biology, Professor Tom Baden and Andre Chagas at the University of Sussex have suggested that this could be a viable option to provide our health services with the tools and equipment they so desperately need. The study provides an overview of the blueprints which are currently available for free online and which could be used to help in the fight against coronavirus, focusing on personal protective equipment, ventilators and test kits. Although some of the designs still need to be tested, many others have already received suitable verification, having been published in peer reviewed papers. The authors therefore believe that FOSH should be seriously considered as a method of quickly providing equipment where it's needed. Tom Baden, Professor of Neuroscience, said: "Now is the time that Open Hardware could really shine and it's so important that we get on board quickly. "Previous studies and experiences have shown that free and open source hardware is a brilliant option in disaster situations. Designs can be shared globally, it has typically lower implementation costs than mass manufacturing and it can be easily adapted to meet local resources. "But the real power - and the way this could really help to tackle Covid-19 - is that once a tool has been designed and tested, anyone can build it. This bypasses the traditional manufacturing and distribution routes and means that it can become a community driven endeavour where anyone with the capacity to do so can help to produce much-needed equipment and supplies for the healthcare services. "Anyone with the necessary knowhow, tools and time can build on this knowledge to meaningfully support their community. At a time when global health systems are facing immense pressure and becoming increasingly overburdened, we need a response not just from frontline workers such as medical staff and scientists, but from skilled members of the public who have the time, facilities and knowledge to meaningfully contribute." The paper describes existing FOSH designs from simple tools like DIY facemasks to 3D printed valves which can regulate airflow in ventilator tubes. Others are far more complex including state-of-the-art scientific instruments for diagnosis, such as an automated pipetting robot, plate readers and a range of other medical tools and supplies. Some blueprints are already being used to provide support to the NHS. A company in Portslade which produce face visors have recently removed their patent and license and asked for support from anyone with a 3D printer in order to produce more to meet demand and provide protection to NHS staff. But for those unverified designs, testing and approval can be a lengthy process. Andre Chagas said: "One thing governments could do right now, is to figure out a process in which we can legitimately fast track the testing and certification of tools which are in short supply." "For instance, in Spain a group is already testing their ventilator designs with support from the government. While each country will have different rules and certifications to meet, this is a crucial moment for us to get together and figure out a single set of certification so that implementation can move faster." Prof. Tom Baden added: "If governments can support this through financial support to ramp up production of the best tools, that would be incredibly useful right now. "But asides from financial support, we also need support from those who actually know about the use of these tools, rather than just their design. To make this equipment properly and safely, we don't just need tech-savvy people building it. We need people in the healthcare sector who know how these tools should work and can actually test them. These people should contact ongoing products to see if they can help." A team at the University of Sussex team recently finished creating 100 face shields which are to be tested within the NHS. Once the design is approved the University will launch a full-scale production operation, hoping to produce 1000 face shields a day by early May. ### By Amina Mohamed NAIROBI Africa is no stranger to epidemics and public-health crises. Ebola is estimated to have killed more than 11,000 people in West Africa in 2014-16, and more recently claimed over 2,000 lives in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Because of their fragile health systems, African countries were able to control this deadly disease only with the sup-port of other governments, the World Health Organization, and nongovernmental organizations such as Medecins Sans Frontieres. Africa has learned the hard way that international cooperation is key to saving lives and extinguishing epidemics. But the mixed global response to the current COVID-19 pandemic suggests that the world is in danger of forget-ting this lesson. Perhaps understandably, governments have focused on their domestic situation and their citizens' needs. Many countries reacted to the outbreak by closing their borders and attempting to solve their own health crises first be-fore helping others. But such an approach will have unintended consequences. And too many governments have paid scant attention to how their preventive measures may negatively affect poor and vulnerable countries in particular. For example, 60 governments have imposed export restrictions on medical equipment such as ventilators and personal protective equipment more than half since the beginning of March. Some countries are limiting exports of essential drugs for treating COVID-19 symptoms. And a growing number are banning exports of food products, including rice, wheat, and eggs, in order to guarantee their own countries' food security. True, the World Trade Organization allows its members to impose trade restrictions such as export bans in certain limited cases. But the proliferation of such measures could negatively affect the food security of countries that de-pend on international trade for the bulk of their needs including many of Africa's least-developed economies. COVID-19 is not only hitting trade, of course. The accelerating pandemic is also exacting a shocking human and economic toll, first and foremost in terms of lost lives, but also as a result of bankruptcies, job losses, and mental-health problems. Faced with this, governments must not be frightened into short-term protectionist fixes. And that applies to African countries, too. Crucially, policymakers must not lose sight of the opportunities presented by the African Continental Free Trade Area, which is expected to become operational later this year. African governments have rightly invested a lot of hope in the AfCFTA. By removing tariffs and other trade barriers, the agreement can foster significant growth in trade, investment, and employment throughout the continent. Such growth is urgently needed, because intra-African exports accounted for less than 17 percent of the continent's total exports in 2017 (the comparable figures for Europe and Asia were 68 percent and 59 percent, respectively). That means African economies' interconnectedness with the rest of the world is vital to their survival during the pandemic, and to their eventual recovery and growth. Africa therefore should be at the forefront of those calling on G20 members and other governments to abide by the letter and spirit of their WTO commitments and eschew protectionism. Unnecessary export restrictions on food, medical equipment, and essential drugs can have far-reaching consequences for the multilateral trading system and the global economy. Such measures will not only impede progress in managing the current crisis, but will also compromise African countries' longer-term efforts to tackle poverty and improve living standards. Now more than ever, therefore, WTO members should give full effect to the WTO Doha Declaration on the TRIPS Agreement and Public Health. This declaration recognizes the fragility of African countries' health systems and pro-motes their access to essential medicines to deal with public-health crises, including HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, and other epidemics such as COVID-19. At the same time, African countries, for their part, should remove tariffs and simplify customs clearance procedures for imports of essential drugs and equipment. And when confronting health crises, they must make full use of information and communication technologies wherever possible, facilitate the exchange of African health experts, and involve the private sector in the same manner as during the Ebola epidemic. By working collaboratively with existing African economic communities and political bodies, governments will ameliorate the impact of COVID-19 and future public-health crises. In a matter of a few weeks, COVID-19 has flattened the world, making everyone vulnerable and fearful, but also reminding us how interdependent we all are. Instead of wasting this crisis, the international community must now seize the opportunity to strengthen global co-operation and facilitate trade. That means rejecting protectionism, which would only prolong the pandemic and deepen the already-severe global recession. Amina Mohamed, a former chair of the International Organization for Migration, is cabinet secretary for sports, culture, and heritage of Kenya. Her article was distributed by Project Syndicate (www.project-syndicate.org). In recent weeks, some have called for a special session to address the urgent challenges facing New Mexico. I share their sense of urgency. New Mexico along with the rest of the world is facing a public health emergency unlike anything we have ever seen. The COVID-19 pandemic has wrought extraordinary economic damage and that reality along with the recent drop in oil prices will require us to consider major questions about our states future. Unfortunately, however, it isnt yet safe to hold a special session of the Legislature. As public health experts have told us time and again, defeating this virus means adopting a four-fold strategy: slowing the spread through physical distancing, testing everyone we can, isolating positive cases and giving our health care system time to build capacity over the longer term. Right now, we are in the middle of that crucial work. State health officials have indicated we havent hit our surge yet, much less our peak. Gathering 112 legislators in one place plus staff, press and members of the public runs counter to every element of our strategy, and it would have serious public health consequences. It would also undo the extraordinary work that our health care workers, childcare professionals and other essential personnel are doing every day. In addition, we dont yet have all the information we need to make smart, forward-thinking decisions for New Mexico. Heres what we do know: businesses and workers across our state are hurting and its heartbreaking. We also know that the last federal stimulus package provided far too little support to businesses and workers in New Mexico. And we know that another federal package is coming and we are working hard to ensure that Congress and the president address New Mexicos true needs. But we dont yet know what that package will look like. We also dont yet know which kinds of targeted economic relief initiatives would have the support of the Legislature. When we have more clarity about exactly what New Mexicos businesses and workers need and what the federal government and our own Legislature will be willing to do to meet them then we will be ready to meet. And if our public health experts tell us its safe, thats exactly what we will do. We look forward to that moment. All of us Republicans and Democrats ran for office because we care about our state and want to serve. And right now, serving means carrying through our public health strategy, keeping our communities safe, listening closely to their needs, and preparing as thoughtfully as we can for a rebuilt and more resilient New Mexico economy. Small businesses are the cornerstone of that economy. Now is the time to start planning, so when the time is safe, we can hit the ground running, moving with great velocity and aggressively reopening business. If we do the work in front of us in the right order defeating the virus first, then rebuilding our economy in a smart and inclusive way then small businesses will be able to reopen with confidence and seize the opportunities in front of them, and our state will be stronger for it. The slayings of two sisters in the Heights remained unsolved for more than three decades until police recently arrested a 57 year-old Houston man in the deaths after a tip and DNA reportedly linked him to the killings. Edmond Beauregard Degan is charged with capital murder in the fatal shooting of Yleen Kennedy, 33, and 23-year-old Lillie Kennedy on Mar. 5, 1984 at 600 East 12th Street near Oxford, according to the Houston Police Department. Police said the women were found shot to death inside Yleen Kennedy's house. The home had been ransacked and items had been stolen. At the time of the slayings, investigators had no suspects in the killings and the case languished unsolved for nearly 31 years. However, in 2009 investigators with the HPD Homicide Division's Cold Case Unit took another look at the evidence collected at the scene, including evidence from a sexual assault of Yleen Kennedy. A DNA profile was developed and entered into the Combined DNA Index System or CODIS, a national database. But no matches were found and investigators had nothing to help point them to the killer. But late last year, a tipster alerted police that Degan might be a possible suspect in the case. Investigators found Degan living in the Houston area. When investigators requested a DNA sample from him, Degan voluntarily gave it to them. They entered it into the CODIS database and a high probablity of a match was found with evidence taken from the scene of the Kennedy slayings. On Wednesday, Degan was arrested as he drove near his home in the 3700 block of Locke Lane and was charged in the case. Degan told investigators he had worked in a wholesale used-clothing business at the time of the slaying and he knew Yleen Kennedy through the used-clothing retail buisness she operated. He had seen her about a week before the killings. Investigators said they were uncertain about what Degan had been doing during the past thirty years, though they said he had spent hime in state prison and state jail for unrelated convictions. When he was arrested, they said he told them he was a construction worker. Piers Morgan has once more slammed Donald Trump for his handling of the coronavirus crisis and launched a fresh attack on his 'lies'. The Good Morning Britain presenter, who previously appeared on The Apprentice during the president's reality TV days, slammed Trump for lacking the 'kind of leadership needed in a crisis'. Morgan, who voiced his support for Trump during the early days of his presidency but has been highly critical of his approach during the coronavirus crisis, said Trump had not shown any 'empathy' or given any 'honest, accurate information' to the American public. Trump unfollowed Morgan on Twitter last week after the presenter used his MailOnline column to attack the president for using his position to air his 'bats**t crazy theories about how to beat the virus' and told Trump to 'shut the f*** up'. Today, on Good Morning Britain, Morgan clashed with CNN commentator, Ben Ferguson, who defended Trump's handling of coronavirus in the US. After Morgan claimed Trump was lying about his 'ludicrous, crazy theories about bleach', Ferguson angrily retaliated. Morgan began by saying how 'terrible' Trump had been during the pandemic and said he was showing 'all the worst traits of Donald Trump'. Good Morning Britain host Piers Morgan clashed with CNN commentator, Ben Ferguson (left), over President Trump's coronavirus response On Saturday, the Good Morning Britain presenter announced that Trump had unfollowed him following his MailOnline column in which was critical of the president He said: 'I think during this crisis he's been terrible. He's shown a complete inability to pivot to the kind of leadership needed in a crisis - which is calm, authoritative, giving the people honest, accurate information. Showing empathy for all those whose lives have been lost. 'We've seen none of that, Instead we've just seen ''rally Trump'', the same guy we saw before. Picking fights with the media, picking fights with he Democrats. Coming out with ludicrous, crazy theories about bleach which he claims were a sarcastic joke. 'We've seen the tape, everyone can see he wasn't being sarcastic or jokey. So now he's lying about that. All the worst traits of Donald Trump have now come to the fore and it's really damaging to him, his presidency and the country.' Trump has come under fire for suggesting to scientific experts during a press briefing last week that ultraviolet light and disinfectant injections could be investigated as potential treatments to help coronavirus patients. The president later claimed via Twitter that he was being sarcastic and was seriously asking for these 'treatment's to be examined. Piers Morgan mocked Trump for referring to the 'Noble' prize instead of the Nobel Prize, when he was actually talking about the Pulitzer Ben Ferguson, who often appears on CNN, defended Present Trump, saying he did not encourage people to drink bleach to treat coronavirus President Donald Trump speaking during a news briefing with members of the Coronavirus Task Force at the White House in Washington DC on Friday Following Morgan's excoriating column, Trump then unfollowed the GMB host on Twitter. Morgan then mocked Trump for misspelling Nobel when incorrectly referring to New York Times journalists' Pulitzer Prizes being taken away in a flurry of angry tweets. In a post sent on Sunday evening, the president attempted to set the record straight on his coronavirus statements and asked: 'Does anybody get the meaning of what a so-called Noble (not Nobel) Prize is, especially as it pertains to Reporters and Journalists? Noble is defined as, 'having or showing fine personal qualities or high moral principles and ideals.' Does sarcasm ever work?' Morgan then wrote: '1) It's Nobel not Noble. 2) You mean Pulitzer not Nobel. 3) 53,000 people have now died of Coronavirus in America, the worst death toll in the world, & rising fast. Focus on that, Mr President - nobody cares about this [pointing to a tweet by Trump criticizing the media].' Following Morgan's tweet, Trump again took to social media to claim he was being sarcastic by retweeting his own previous post. On GMB, Ferguson said he disagreed with the backlash towards Trump's coronavirus remarks and denied any viewers of the president's comments were drinking bleach as a result. Speaking from Houston, Ferguson began by saying that 'many governors would disagree' with Morgan's assessment of Trump's performance. Trump and Morgan had been on good terms and the GMB host had even enjoyed a friendly sit-down interview with the President in June last year He said: 'Many governors that I've talked to have said he has done everything he said he was going to do for the states. 'He did make sure states did get the ventilators they needed. They got the medical attention and care they needed. They got the masks they needed. Morgan responded by accusing Trump of 'self-aggrandizing nonsense' during his daily coronavirus briefing. He said: He originally said it wasn't about the governors, saying he had total authority. That was a lie, he doesn't have total authority. The governors have the authority to decide about lockdowns. He knew that. 'He can't get away from is the fact that the US currently has 55,000 deaths...and many believe as we do with our government here that it's because America was simply too slow off the mark. Trump didn't take it seriously enough.' Morgan went on to ask Ferguson: 'Even you must be cringing at some of the stuff and must look at the bleach comment as just ridiculously dangerous.' The conservative radio host replied: 'That is a lie, Piers, that is not what happened. He did not encourage people to drink bleach. That's a lie. The pair's friendship stretches back to 2007 when Piers won Trump's Celebrity Apprentice show 'If you look at the context of the entire conversation, they were talking about new ideas, from a report by Dr [Deborah] Birx [White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator] about UV light.' After Morgan suggested coronavirus sufferers in the US had drunk bleach to treat the virus, Ferguson hit back. He replied: 'If you are a individual who goes out there and drinks bleach after the White House clarified it and Clorox came out with a response about this...it is completely untrue, he did not encourage anybody. That is a lie.' 'He should not have even been talking about ingesting bleach', Morgan responded. The GMB presenter ended the confrontation by saying: 'Even you can't defend that, but great to see you try.' Morgan's relationship with Trump has opened him up to accusations of 'going easy' on him in interviews, but the journalist has maintained he has been balanced in both his praise and criticism. He has conducted the only UK interviews with Trump and in previews sit down, presented the president with an Arsenal football shirt and a replica of Winston Churchill's bowler hat. The pair's friendship stretches back to 2007 when Piers won Trump's Celebrity Apprentice show. BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany's ruling coalition is divided over whether the state should have a role in running airline Lufthansa in return for a rescue package the company aims to finalise next week, politicians said on Sunday. BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany's ruling coalition is divided over whether the state should have a role in running airline Lufthansa in return for a rescue package the company aims to finalise next week, politicians said on Sunday. Rolf Muetzenich, parliamentary party leader of junior coalition partners the Social Democrats, demanded a say in the running of the company in return for financial aid. "If companies such as Lufthansa receive billions of euros in state aid from taxpayers' money, the federal government must also be guaranteed a say in the matter," he told the Bild newspaper. Joachim Pfeiffer, from Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU), said the company must retain the freedom to make "structural adjustments" to remain competitive worldwide. And Hans Michelbach, from the CDU's Bavarian sister party the Christian Social Union (CSU), said the government should not intervene in the firm's management, but be a silent partner. "The necessary later exit from the state holding will be made even more difficult if the state is involved in the management of the company," he said. Reuters reported last week that Lufthansa aims to finalise a state aid rescue package worth up to 10 billion euros ($10.82 billion) this week, people close to the matter said. The package will consist of equity from Germany's new economic stabilisation fund (ESF), state-guaranteed loans from Germany and debt supplied by Austria, Switzerland and Belgium, where Lufthansa subsidiaries are based, they added. Chief Executive Carsten Spohr this month said that Lufthansa would seek state aid in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Belgium, citing cash burn at a rate of 1 million euros per hour, meaning its 4 billion euro cash reserves will be inadequate. ($1 = 0.9242 euros) (Reporting by Andreas Rinke; writing by Emma Thomasson; editing by Philippa Fletcher) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. NEW YORK, April 27, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pomerantz LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against VMware, Inc. (VMware or the Company) (NYSE: VMW) and certain of its officers. The class action, filed in United States District Court for the Northern District of California, and indexed under 20-cv-02182, is on behalf of a class consisting of all persons and entities other than Defendants who purchased or otherwise acquired VMware securities between March 30, 2019, and February 27, 2020, both dates inclusive (the Class Period), seeking to recover damages caused by Defendants violations of the federal securities laws and to pursue remedies under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the Exchange Act) and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder, against the Company and certain of its top officials. If you are a shareholder who purchased VMware securities during the class period, you have until June 1, 2020, to ask the Court to appoint you as Lead Plaintiff for the class. A copy of the Complaint can be obtained at www.pomerantzlaw.com . To discuss this action, contact Robert S. Willoughby at rswilloughby@pomlaw.com or 888.476.6529 (or 888.4-POMLAW), toll-free, Ext. 7980. Those who inquire by e-mail are encouraged to include their mailing address, telephone number, and the number of shares purchased. [Click here for information about joining the class action] VMware provides software in the areas of hybrid cloud, multi-cloud, modern applications, networking and security, and digital workspaces in the United States and internationally, and sells its products through distributors, resellers, system vendors, and systems integrators. The Complaint alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and misleading statements regarding the Companys business, operational and compliance policies. Specifically, Defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) VMwares reporting with respect to its backlog of unfilled orders was not in compliance with all relevant accounting and disclosure requirements; (ii) the foregoing subjected the Company to a foreseeable risk of heightened regulatory scrutiny and/or investigation; and (iii) as a result, the Companys public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times. On February 27, 2020, during after-market hours, VMWare filed a Current Report on Form 8-K with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), disclosing an SEC investigation into the Companys backlog of unfilled orders. Specifically, that Form 8-K advised investors that, [i]n December 2019, the staff of the Enforcement Division of the [SEC] requested documents and information related to VMwares backlog and associated accounting and disclosures. The Form 8-K also advised investors that, although VMware is fully cooperating with the SECs investigation, it was unable to predict the outcome of this matter at this time. On this news, VMwares stock price fell $15.11 per share, or 11.14%, to close at $120.52 per share on February 28, 2020. The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Paris, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 80 years later, the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomerantzlaw.com CONTACT: Robert S. Willoughby Pomerantz LLP rswilloughby@pomlaw.com Eight of the Sikh pilgrims who recently returned from Maharashtra's Nanded tested positive for coronavirus on Monday, prompting a decision to quarantine and test all those who are brought to Punjab from there. Meanwhile, a 63-year-old woman in Patiala died of coronavirus, taking the death tally to 19 in Punjab, an official said. With the eight pilgrims found infected with the virus, the infection count in the state has gone up to 330. According to a medical bulletin, five of the pilgrims belonged to Tarn Taran while three hailed from Kapurthala. Around 4,000 pilgrims from Punjab, who had gone to pay obeisance at the Gurdwara Hazur Sahib in Nanded, were stuck there because of the coronavirus lockdown. Now, they are being brought to Punjab after the intervention of the Union Home Ministry. "It has been decided to put them in a government quarantine and test everybody," Punjab's special chief secretary KBS Sidhu tweeted. He said around 4,000 people from Nanded and 3,000 from Rajasthan's Jaisalmer have started reaching the state. The Punjab government on Monday also contacted the Delhi authorities for the safe return of 250 Sikh pilgrims stuck at the Majnu Ka Tila gurdwara. About the woman's death, an official said she was undergoing treatment at the Rajindra hospital in Patiala. Twelve coronavirus patients six from Mohali, five from Amritsar and one from Patiala-- were discharged from hospitals, taking the total number of cured patients to 98 in the state, as per the medical bulletin. Jalandhar district continued to lead the COVID-19 tally in the state with 78 coronavirus cases, followed by 63 in Mohali. Of the rest cases, 61 cases were reported in Patiala; 25 in Pathankot; 20 in SBS Nagar; 18 in Ludhiana; 14 in Amritsar; 13 in Mansa; seven in Hoshiarpur; six in Kapurthala; five in Tarn Taran; four in Moga, three each in Rupnagar; Sangrur and Faridkot; two each in Fatehgarh Sahib and Barnala; and one each in Muktsar, Gurdsapur and Ferozepur. A total of 15,516 samples have been taken so far in the state, of which 12,333 have tested negative and reports of 2,853 are still awaited. There are 213 active cases in the state, the bulletin said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Neoconservative publication The Atlantic has published an article authored by two university professors titled Internet Speech Will Never Go Back to Normal, subtitled In the debate over freedom versus control of the global network, China was largely correct, and the U.S. was wrong. The article is actually worth reading in full, not just because its outrage porn for anyone who values human communication that is unregulated by oligarchs and government agencies, but because its actually packed full of extensively sourced information about the way Silicon Valley tech giants are collaborating with western governments to censor speech. The only difference between this article and something you might read on some libertarian website is that this article argues that all of these regulations on speech are a good thing. Heres an archive of the article if you dont want to give clicks to The Atlantic, whose editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg once assured the world that the coming invasion of Iraq will be remembered as an act of profound morality. Do give it a look if this interests you and you have time. In the great debate of the past two decades about freedom versus control of the network, China was largely right and the United States was largely wrong, argue the articles authors, one of whom is a former Bush administration lawyer. Significant monitoring and speech control are inevitable components of a mature and flourishing internet, and governments must play a large role in these practices to ensure that the internet is compatible with a societys norms and values. The article paints an accurate picture of the ways in which supposedly independent social media platforms have been collaborating with governments and with each other to regulate speech and have increased that collaboration during the Covid-19 pandemic, noting how In March 2019, Zuckerberg invited the government to regulate harmful content on his platform and how As in other contexts, Facebook relies on fact-checking organizations and authorities (from the World Health Organization to the governments of U.S. states) to ascertain which content to downgrade or remove. These platforms have engaged in strategic collaboration with the federal government, including by sharing information, to fight foreign electoral interference, The Atlantic reports after outlining ways in which Facebook, Twitter and Youtube have been censoring speech in aggressive but still imperfect steps to fend off foreign adversaries. The harms from digital speech will also continue to grow, as will speech controls on these networks, the articles authors assert. And invariably, government involvement will grow. At the moment, the private sector is making most of the important decisions, though often under government pressure. But as Zuckerberg has pleaded, the firms may not be able to regulate speech legitimately without heavier government guidance and involvement. It is also unclear whether, for example, the companies can adequately contain foreign misinformation and prevent digital tampering with voting mechanisms without more government surveillance. This article comes out days after journalist Whitney Webb published another article worth reading titled Techno-Tyranny: How The US National Security State Is Using Coronavirus To Fulfill An Orwellian Vision. Webb details how FOIA-obtained document by a US government organization called the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence (NSCAI) argues for the need to implement authoritarian measures like increased surveillance more in line with those used in China, in order to prevent the PRC from technologically surpassing the United States. Webb notes for example how the document cites the use of mass surveillance on Chinas huge population base is an example of how Chinas scale of consumer market advantage allowing China to leap ahead in the fields of related technologies, like facial recognition. Were also seeing an increase in surveillance being pushed for in a new report by the think tank Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, arguing that a drastic increase in tech surveillance is a price worth paying in order to fight Covid-19. Which is of course hilarious, because having the think tank of a Bush lapdog Prime Minister argue that more surveillance is a price worth paying to stop coronavirus is a lot like a bunch of muggers arguing that time saved by cutting through dark alleyways is worth the increased risk of mugging. So thats great. Were seeing mainstream narrative managers shriek about the need for new cold war escalations against Chinas bad, bad authoritarian government, while simultaneously arguing that western governments should espouse Beijings worst authoritarian impulses. This as weve discussed previously is because consent needs to be manufactured in order for the US-centralized empire to take drastic steps to prevent China from surpassing it and creating a multipolar world, and the freer people are to think and act and organize, the harder thats going to be. Oligarchs have no business controlling what we can and cannot say to each other. Governments have no business bringing more and more transparency to us while bringing more and more opacity to themselves. This is ugly, it is abusive, and it must end. Freedom of speech is actually about freedom of thought. Speech is the carrying agent of thought; controlling human communication is actually about controlling the spread of ideas. Censorship is about controlling the thoughts that the public think in their heads. Speech control is mind control. ______________________________ Thanks for reading! The best way to get around the internet censors and make sure you see the stuff I publish is to subscribe to the mailing list for my website, which will get you an email notification for everything I publish. My work is entirely reader-supported, so if you enjoyed this piece please consider sharing it around, liking me on Facebook, following my antics onTwitter, checking out my podcast on either Youtube, soundcloud, Apple podcasts or Spotify, following me on Steemit, throwing some money into my hat on Patreon or Paypal, purchasing some of my sweet merchandise, buying my books Rogue Nation: Psychonautical Adventures With Caitlin Johnstone and Woke: A Field Guide for Utopia Preppers. For more info on who I am, where I stand, and what Im trying to do with this platform, click here. Everyone, racist platforms excluded, has my permission to republish, use or translate any part of this work (or anything else Ive written) in any way they like free of charge. Bitcoin donations:1Ac7PCQXoQoLA9Sh8fhAgiU3PHA2EX5Zm2 Regulatory News: EOS imaging (Paris:EOSI) (Euronext, FR0011191766 EOSI PEA-PME eligible), a leader in 2D/3D orthopedic medical imaging and software solutions for 3D anatomical modeling and surgical planning, today announces its consolidated annual results for the year to December 31, 2019 and its revenues for the first quarter of 2020, as approved by the Board of Directors on April 27, 2020. A year 2019 marked by the new commercial cycle 1 and the launch of EOSedge Total revenues of 21.2 million generated in 2019, reduced by provisions and financial adjustments of 1.1 million, representing reported sales of 20.1 million Order book of 14.4 million at end-December 2019, gradually built up over the year Comparable commercial performance 2 of 35.7 million (up 1% over prior year) Launch of EOSedge, the new generation imaging system, in December 2019 Annual cash consumption decreased by 19% compared to 2018 Significant improvement in working capital as a result of change in the commercial cycle Cash position of 8.2 million at December 31, 2019, limited cash burn of 0.5 million in H2 2019 Increase in revenues in the first quarter of 2020 Sales of 3.8 million, representing a 46% increase over the first quarter of the previous year Q1 Sales momentum affected by the COVID-19 pandemic Mike Lobinsky, CEO of EOS imaging, comments: "2019 was a pivotal year for the Company. We started the year implementing the change on our commercial cycle which has aligned our model with industry standards and improved the management of our working capital which continues to benefit our organization. We ended the year with the launch of EOSedge, the new best-in-class imaging system which brings significant advantages to patients and customers. Based on the strong clinical and commercial interest we have received since its launch, we are confident EOSedge will be a big part of the Company's future growth. Like many companies, the COVID-19 health pandemic impacted our Company's activity in Q1. As the coronavirus began to shift our business, we quickly took necessary measures to adapt to the crisis while at the same time prepare for the market recovery. 2019 FINANCIAL RESULTS Annual revenues of 20.1 million Excluding provision and financial adjustment, EOS imaging recorded revenues of 21.2 million in 2019, including: 9.6 million in equipment revenues from the billing of 24 systems. H2 2019 has marked the restart of equipment billing which increased in Q4. from the billing of 24 systems. H2 2019 has marked the restart of equipment billing which increased in Q4. 11.6 million in recurring revenues, +30.5% growth over prior year fueled by the increase in Maintenance revenues to 10.4 million (+32%), and acceleration of Advanced Orthopedic Solutions (AOS). In addition, the Group recorded a provision of 0.98 million on trade receivables from previous years and a restatement of the financial portion of sales as financial income, which reduced sales by 0.16 million. Overall, the reported sales figure for the 2019 financial year is therefore 20.1 million. Over the 2019 fiscal year, EOS imaging booked orders for 56 systems compared with 64 in 2018, for a total value of 24.0 million. This decrease is mainly due to the one-off effect of the launch of EOSedge at the end of Q4, which led some customers to postpone their purchase decision in order to position themselves on the new offer. At year-end 2019, the order book grew to 14.4 million, corresponding to equipment orders received in 2019 (24.0 million) minus equipment delivered in 2019 (9.6 million). The commercial performance2thus came to 35.7 million in 2019 compared with 35.4 million in 2018, an increase of +0.8%. The install base stood at 361 systems at the close of the year, representing annual growth of +17% compared to end December 2018. Finally, EOS imaging is continuing to invest in Research Development, enabling it to benefit from public subsidies and research tax credits totaling 2.1 million, booked as Other Income. Gross margin of 9.1 million The gross margin was 9.1 million in 2019 compared with 17.8 million in 2018. Excluding exceptional items3, the margin rate slipped from 50.2% of sales in 2018 to 49.8% in 2019. This change was essentially the result of a geographical mix effect, as sales cycles are shorter in the Europe-Middle East (EMEA) and Asia-Pacific (APAC) regions than in North America (NAM), where average selling prices are higher than other regions. Expenses and Earnings Operating expenses totaled 27.9 million in 2019, an increase of 2% compared to 2018, marking a stabilization of the organization and expenses, during a year in which the Company launched EOSedge. The operating loss for the year was -16.7 million in 2019, compared with -8.2 million in 2018. This decline is the result of the impact on sales of the transition from the commercial cycle. The financial result was -1.7 million at December 31, 2019, essentially corresponding to interest on the convertible bonds, versus -4.8 million in 2018 where the Company had recorded non-recurring charges related to its refinancing. All in all, the net loss was -18.4 million in 2019 versus -13.0 million in 2018. This deterioration was an automatic consequence of the transition to the new commercial cycle meaning that only a portion of the orders booked in 2019 were delivered in 2019. Cash position at December 31, 2019: 8.2 million At December 31, 2019, EOS imaging had a cash position of 8.2 million, compared with 19.7 million at December 31, 2018 and 8.7 million at June 30, 2019, representing cash burn of 0.5 million over H2 2019. This preservation of cash is mainly the result of the gradual and structural reduction in operating working capital due to the change in the business cycle. Trade receivables, which amounted to 32.7 million at the end of 2018, decreased by 15.4 million after exchange rate effects to 17.7 million at the end of 2019. Inventories, on the other hand, represented 13.5 million compared to 8.8 million at the end of 2018 and 14.6 million at the end of the first half of 2019. Indeed, the change in the commercial cycle initially resulted in an increase in inventories due to the postponement of deliveries, which began to decrease during the second half of the year with the implementation of the new production schedule. These two items should continue to be reduced in 2020. In total, net free cash flow for 2019 is -10.3 million, marking a 19% improvement compared to -12.7 million in 2018. Consolidated income statement Income statement Unaudited4 millions As of December 31 FY 2019 FY 2018 Sales revenues 21.23 35.39 Provision for Accounts Receivable 0.98 Financial restatement 0.16 Turnover 20.09 35.39 Other income 2.13 1.43 Total Revenues 22.22 36.82 Direct cost of sales -10.96 -17.62 Gross margin 9.12 17.77 as a of revenues 45.4%* 50.2% Indirect cost of production and services -4.40 -3.87 Research Development costs -4.80 -4.43 Sales Marketing expenses -11.17 -10.87 Regulatory expenses -1.02 -0.76 Administrative costs -5.92 -6.76 Total operating expenses excluding share-based payments -27.20 -26.68 Share-based payments -0.74 -0,77 Total operating expenses -27.95 -27.45 Operating profit/loss -16.69 -8.24 Financial income/loss -1.74 -4.79 Net profit/loss -18.43 -13.04 Excluding exceptional items, the gross margin was 49.8% Cash flow Cash Flow Unaudited5 millions As of December 31 FY 2019 FY 2018 Net income -18.43 -13.04 Restatement of non-cash items 2.92 2.29 Restatement of cash items -0.04 3.77 Inventories and work-in-progress -4,73 -4,40 Trade receivables 15,38 -2,00 Other current assets -0.95 0.88 Trade payables -3 13 -0.79 Other current liabilities 1,43 4,61 Change in operating WCR 8,00 -1,70 Net cash flow from operating activities -7,55 -8,69 Net cash flow from investment activities -2,75 -4,06 Net free cash flow -10.30 -12.74 Net cash flow from financing activities -1,26 25,48 Cash and cash equivalents at end of period 8,19 19,72 Q1 2020 TRENDS In the first quarter of 2020, EOS imaging booked 6 equipment orders, including 4 EOSedge, for a total of 3.0 million, compared to 15 orders in the first quarter of 2019. Quarterly orders are mainly taken in the last month of the quarter and were therefore strongly impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. Q1 2020 revenue reached 3.8 million, an increase of +46% including forex impact, of which: 0.7 million in equipment sales following the delivery of 2 systems, versus 0.1 million in Q1 2019 where no system had been delivered 3.1 million in recurring revenues, up +21% thanks to the growth in Maintenance revenue (+23%), which are benefiting from the constant expansion of the installed base Order book up by a positive 2.3 million during the first quarter to reach 16.7 million at March 31, 2020 compared to 14.4 million at December 31, 2019 As at 31 March 2020, EOS imaging had cash and cash equivalents of 7.2 million. Q1 2020 orders and revenues by product line Equipment orders Unaudited including forex impact6 millions As of March 31 Q1 2020 Q1 2019 Equipment orders received (over the period) 3.00 6.25 Equipment order book (end of period)7 16.73 6.20 Revenues Unaudited including forex impact millions As of March 31 Q1 2020 Q1 2019 Equipment 0.72 0.05 Maintenance 2.72 2.21 Consumables and associated services 0.33 0.32 Total quarterly revenues 3.77 2.58 Q1 2020 revenues by region Revenues Unaudited including forex impact millions As of March 31 Q1 2020 Q1 2019 EMEA 1.74 1.26 APAC 0.63 0.17 NAM 1.40 1.15 LATAM 0.01 Total quarterly revenues 3.77 2.58 COVID-19 UPDATE The various regions in which the company operates have been gradually affected by the health crisis linked to COVID-19. The initial commercial impact was observed in Asia early January, with a mid-March escalation in Europe and North America. In all regions the primary focus was the safety of employees and customers. Recommendations and directives given by the respective governments where the company operates were promptly implemented such as remote working and a restricting travel. EOS fully trained field staff that were visiting customer sites, before travel restrictions went into effect, were provided with the required protection. With the increasing number of patients being diagnosed with COVID-19, the healthcare systems are taking measures to deal with the increased COVID-19 admissions rates. Certain hospitals and private imaging centers have paused their orthopedic activity. Installations that had been planned during the containment period were delayed and are being rescheduled after the end of the containment. This resulted in a temporary delay in deliveries and the corresponding sales. Equipment orders were slowed down by the restricted access of sales representatives to hospitals, and by the postponement of investment decisions by our customers due to a lack of visibility. The impact on sales is difficult to assess at this stage. Maintenance activities have been reduced to emergencies for open facilities. However, the company has annual flat-rate service contracts with the majority of its customers, including annual preventive maintenance and monitoring, and therefore believes that the impact of the pandemic on maintenance revenues will be limited. Finally, the company modified its production program to align with the delays in its installation schedule. Consequently, the company has reviewed its supply schedule with its major suppliers. It should be noted that EOS imaging key suppliers are in France, Canada and other European countries and that the Company has not identified specific COVID-19 crisis supply related risks at this stage. EOS imaging conducted a comprehensive assessment of the impact of the crisis and took the necessary corrective measures that provide cash visibility until the end of the year. The Company has thus adapted the activity of its European and North American employees with partial unemployment or furlough. These measures will continue to be re-evaluated as the situation evolves. The Company is making full use of the measures to help alleviate the short-term cash pressure: shifting the payment of employer social charges, accelerating payments of research tax credits, and more generally, recourse to the support provided in the context of the health crisis by all the countries where EOS imaging operates. The Company has also implemented a large cost reduction plan. EOS imaging is separately evaluating various operational and structural financing options in addition to the use of factoring already in place and not used since the beginning of 2020. In this context, the Board of Directors' meeting of 27 April 2020 approved the financial statements while maintaining the going concern principle. The Company issued a press release on April 27 at 07:00 a.m. CEST informing that Alphatec Holdings has decided to terminate the tender offer agreement with EOS imaging Shareholders' Meeting: June 10, 2020 The Company will publish details of how to participate at a later date Next financial press release: Revenues for the first half of 2020, on July 21, 2020 ABOUT EOS imaging EOS imaging is a global medical device company that designs, develops and markets innovative, low dose 2D/3D full body and weight-bearing imaging, rapid 3D modeling of EOS patient X-ray images, web-based patient-specific surgical planning, and integration of surgical plan into the operating room that collectively bridge the entire spectrum of care from imaging to post-operative assessment capabilities for orthopedic surgery. With a primary focus on hips, knees, and spine, EOS imaging is targeting a $2 billion annual market opportunity. EOS imaging has over 350 system installations in more than 30 countries generating more than 1 million patient exams annually. EOS imaging has corporate locations in U.S., France, Canada, Germany, and Singapore, and engages more than 175 employees. For additional information, please visit www.eos-imaging.com. EOS imaging is listed on Compartment C of Euronext Paris ISIN: FR0011191766 Ticker: EOSI 1 In order to better meet customer expectations and improve its working capital, EOS imaging made a change in its commercial cycle at the beginning of 2019 by organizing the delivery of EOS systems at the start of the installation phase, and no longer at reception of the equipment order. This evolution has created a transition period during which (i) new received orders build an order book and (ii) sales are recorded according to the pace of delivery of the EOS systems. As installations usually take place 3 to 12 months after the order, a similar lag is expected on deliveries. While 2019 revenues were temporarily impacted by the transition phase, this evolution will lead to improvements in production and logistics management and will help reduce working capital requirements. 2 Commercial performance: Comparable indicator to previous years commercial model, resulting from the addition of recurring sales and equipment orders in the period 3 Provision and adjustment on sales and provision for installation costs, recognized in 2019 corresponding to equipment sold in previous years 4 Audit procedures have been performed on consolidated annual accounts, but audit reports have yet to be issued 5 Audit procedures have been performed on consolidated annual accounts, but audit reports have yet to be issued 6 Forex impact in Q1 2020: +0.11 million 7 Order book at the beginning of the period was 0 in Q1 2019 and 14.4m in Q1 2020. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200427005715/en/ Contacts: EOS imaging Valerie Worrall CFO investors@eos-imaging.com (+33) 1 55 25 60 60 NewCap Investor Relations Thomas Grojean eos-imaging@newcap.eu +33 1 44 71 94 94 Bengaluru, April 27 : A leading private hospital in this tech city has deployed two robots to screen patients and protect healthcare warriors from coronavirus, one of its officials said on Monday. "The 'mitra' robots interact with people using facial and speech recognition and screen them for Covid-19 symptoms like fever, cough and cold. They also protect healthcare warriors from being infected," spokesman of the Fortis Hospital told IANS here. The first robot screens visitors, including patients, doctors, nurses, paramedics and others, in the lounge "The robotic screening is done in two phases. The first robot conducts basic screening, including temperature check, followed by some questions on symptoms of cough and cold. "If the patient's temperature is normal with no sign of cough and cold, the robot prints an entry pass, mentioning the screening results with his/her name and picture," explained the official. The second robot connects the patient with the first robot's screening results to the flu clinic where a doctor diagnoses him/her without physical contact. "The high infection rates among the healthcare workers the world over is hampering the efforts to tackle the pandemic, which has prompted us to consider robotic screening," Fortis zonal director Manish Mattoo said in a statement. The robots screen patients, attendees and the hospital staff to ensure that no one with virus symptoms enter the hospital without being screened. "With our OPDs (out-patient departments) resuming, chances of the virus transmission can also increase. The robots help us minimise the risk through human contact," added Matoo. Category Select Category Apparel/Garments Textiles Fashion Technical Textiles Information Technology E-commerce Retail Corporate Association Press Release SubCategory Select Sub-Category Australia could lose billions of dollars every year under a Chinese boycott of universities, tourism and agriculture as tensions intensify between Beijing and Canberra over the handling of the coronavirus outbreak. Foreign Minister Marise Payne on Monday slapped down China's unprecedented threat of economic retaliation for the Morrison government's push for a global review into the origin and handling of COVID-19, as national security experts warned Australia needed to reduce our economic reliance on our biggest export market. Chinese ambassador to Australia, Cheng Jingye. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen In response to an explicit threat from Chinese ambassador Cheng Jingye that our pursuit of a global COVID-19 review could spark a Chinese consumer boycott of significant Australian services and products, Senator Payne rejected "any suggestion that economic coercion is an appropriate response to a call for such an assessment, when what is needed is global co-operation". In an interview with The Australian Financial Review, Mr Cheng said Australia's diplomatic push would spark Chinese tourists to have "second thoughts" about coming to Australia, while parents of students would also think whether "this is the best place to send their kids here". , We're sorry, this article is not currently available Ryanair could resume 40pc of flights in July, expects face masks and temperature checks to become a fixture of air travel, and says a backlog of cancellations could see refunds taking up to three months to process. Kenny Jacobs, the airlines Chief Marketing Officer, spoke to the Irish Independent as controversy continues over what passengers claim are difficulties contacting Ryanair for refunds. Jacobs, who is set to leave the airline this week, spearheaded Ryanair's Always Getting Better customer service campaign, and helped overhaul its website and digital strategy during a six-year stint in senior management. With 99pc of its fleet grounded due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Ryanair will continue to process refunds, he confirms, while planning for a possible resumption of travel this summer with new hygiene protocols like face masks and airport temperature checks. And there will be sales, he says, "like you've never seen before". Can you explain the voucher and refund situation? "Nothing has changed with the rules. EU Regulation 261/2014,* still applies," Jacobs says. "Were not trying anything new, other than adding a third element to the refund and free-move option, and thats a voucher option. "Earlier this week, we started sending a follow-up email, saying if you'd like to have a voucher, heres a voucher; if you still prefer to have a refund, youre in the queue and that will be processed... and we will process them." *Under EU Regulation 261/2014, airlines must offer passengers on cancelled flights the choice of a refund within seven days, or a re-routing. How long will refunds take? "It should be seven days [under EU261/2014], but I think its going to be about three months. Were still dealing with refunds from the first set of cancellations in the middle of February and look, [this] week were going to be cancelling another big number of flights. The heap just keeps on getting bigger and bigger. Expand Close Ryanair's Kenny Jacobs at the launch of the 2018 AGB Plan in London / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Ryanair's Kenny Jacobs at the launch of the 2018 AGB Plan in London "Its going to take months, and we apologise for that. It is going to take every airline months... but we will get around to them. People will get a refund, were just asking them to bear with us. Its exceptional." Why will it will take so long? "In a typical summer month, [Ryanair] might normally cancel up to 5,000 bookings - for reasons like air traffic control strikes or weather. Were now having to cancel 10 million passenger journeys a month," Jacobs says. Like other airlines, Ryanair's customer service teams are limited by social distancing, he adds, which has inhibited its ability to hire extra staff and process cancellations and refunds. While vouchers and rebookings are "fully automated processes", refunds are more complex, with various audits, manual interventions and sign-offs involved, he says. "So it takes longer, it isn't fully automated, we have less people doing refunds and we have an unprecedented number of cancellations... we're sorry it works that way, but there's nothing more we can do about it other than work as fast as we can." Are airlines stalling for bailouts or changes to EU261? "I guess some airlines, cruise companies and hotel groups that are going to run out of cash in the next two or three months might be sitting on it, trying to stall. But [Ryanair] has a very healthy balance sheet, so thats not going to happen us any time soon." The time taken to issue vouchers and refunds is "not a delaying tactic," he insists. "It's just the process I outlined above." Why are vouchers limited to 12 months? "We think and hope that [12 months] will be an appropriate timeframe for people to use them... If this goes on for six months of really bad restrictions, thats a different matter and we could look at that." Ryanair has grounded 99pc of its fleet. When is it planning to put planes back in the air? "What I think will happen, and what were getting ready for, is that in July, August and September there will be flights, there will be travel, there will be demand that doesnt exist today. "That means getting ready for 40pc capacity operating from July 1, and maybe a 50pc load factor. Hopefully then, in August, that 40pc capacity goes up to 50pc or 60pc and the loads rise to 60pc, and then in September that could be stronger again." All such plans are, of course, dependent on the control of coronavirus as well as the easing of government and European restrictions, which Ryanair fully supports. "As you know, the ground is moving on this daily. We could scale up in two weeks or so to run something like those percentages if government restrictions are on the benign side and theyre saying let's ease the lockdown but that could all change by tomorrow." Will we see sales and discounting? "Like you've never seen before. What will that look like? 4.99s, lots of 9.99s between big airports - Dublin to Malaga, Dublin to Rome, Dublin to Alicante and Dublin to Faro probably for fares in single digits, for example. "The best way to describe it is this Ryanair is an airline with an economic operating model that is designed and works with a 95pc load factor. If weve got a 50pc load factor, you can imagine what that does to the P&L (Profit & Loss statement) of a Ryanair flight. "Some people won't fly for any price. But I think if the Government is saying it's ok to travel from Dublin to Faro, people will respond to the fare stimulation. "Thats not reckless on our part. We will want to fill aircraft, we will want to support tourism, we will want to support jobs. Thats about getting the industry and travel back operating, obviously fully complying with restrictions that are in place by governments." What might happen later this year? "I think a lot of people will just want to have a holiday after the lockdown and before the winter comes. Thats personally where I think peoples heads will be at. Expand Close Kenny Jacobs of Ryanair / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Kenny Jacobs of Ryanair "They'll say, 'look we have the accommodation paid for; the flights are operating'. Were all looking out at sunshine at the moment, and thats helpful, but if we have a pissy May, Irish people will be going: 'Jesus, get me to Spain or Italy'!" Ryanair's winter schedule is likely to arrive early, from October 1 rather than November, operating at "maybe 50pc" of normal capacity, Jacobs says. "Winter will absolutely be challenging for families, for individuals, for communities, for hospitals, for airlines, for hotels, for everybody. "I think thats then when we will all hunker down and hope for a treatment to be found so that in springtime 2021 we can emerge to a better world, as crazy as that sounds. I think thats what we should all be hoping for." Ryanair is working on publishing its summer 2021 schedule as early as possible, he adds, to help customers and travel agents plan. "Well add to it subject to the situation becoming more positive on Covid-19 lockdowns," he says. How might in-flight and airport experiences change? "Definitely masks and definitely temperature checks. I think theyre the two most common-sense measures," Jacobs says. "A mask doesn't need to be the white-and-blue medical mask that we see on TV. Its a face-covering that covers the nose and mouth and, absolutely, this will be a booming industry for the next five years. "We'll all be looking at these... masks will be required either at all times, or at times when the [Covid-19] numbers are going in the wrong direction." Airport temperature checks are likely at security, Jacobs says. "If your temperature is 38C or above, you probably will be turned back. Thats exactly the way it operates in Asia at the moment, and I think Europe will follow that. I can imagine an EU measure put in place whereby, if your temperature is 38C or above, you are turned back from airports, trains stations, tube stations and other forms of events you wont be allowed into stadiums if your temperature is above that." Will middle seats be left empty? "Its an eye-catching headline, but youve flown enough to know it doesnt work. You can keep middle seats empty, but you still have people nearly as close to the seats in front and behind. You need to keep four rows free to comply with the 2m [social distancing] measures. So it doesnt make sense." What about enhanced cleaning? "We use medical disinfectant to clean the flights at the moment, and we have done already. I think everyone will upgrade the quality of disinfectant if they're not using hospital grade disinfectant already. You will see that as well. "Contactable surfaces will be wiped down, and cashless transactions will either be the preferred or the only method of payment well be taking in-flight, because it just removes one of the risks, which is coins and paper." Won't all of this impact on turnaround times? "Well try to stick with our turnaround times. But going back to what I said, we are expecting lower loads. So you will have less people to manage in a queue. "Yes, there will be social distancing in the queues - I think people will do that naturally anyway, I dont think they will stand so close to each other. But the main checks will be before you get to the gate the temperature check and the mask." "As the loads start to rise, we will support that." NB: This conversation has been edited for length and clarity. Sign up for our free travel newsletter! Like what you're reading? Subscribe now to our free travel newsletter. 'Travel Insider' is written by our award-winning Travel Editor, Pol O Conghaile. Studio Ten hosts have gone head-to-head live on air about the 'no mask, no play' rule introduced by an elite private all girls school forcing students to have temperature checks before class. Wenona School, located in North Sydney, implemented the rules from Monday as the school begins to make a staggered return to the campus for term two. Students are being forced to wear face masks and undergo temperature checks and parents are also banned from entering the school grounds. Joe Hildebrand and Natarsha Belling had a heated blow on Monday morning's Studio Ten with Hildebrand claiming the move was 'idiocy'. He also claimed the move sparked a public school versus private school debate which visibly agitated his co-host. Wenona principal Dr Briony Scott penned a letter to parents on Friday warning them of the new school rules, The Daily Telegraph reported. Wenona School (pictured), located in North Sydney, implemented the rules from Monday as the school begins to make a staggered return to the campus for term two. Dr Scott acknowledged it would feel 'awkward' at first but told students it was important to protect students from COVID-19. 'All students must have a mask if there is no mask, there is no class. If there is no mask, there is no play,' the letter reads. 'I appreciate the limitations of masks (handmade or otherwise) but they are a clear reminder to the students about the need to keep distance, and to protect themselves. This will feel awkward to start with, and that's OK.' Hildebrand said Dr Scott was spreading unneeded hysteria and purposely going against government health guidelines. 'To have people going out on their own and just making it up as it goes along does nothing but create more confusion, create more panic and it is precisely this sort of I won't say idiocy but this sort of over-reaction and people thinking that they know better than the experts, which led to a lot of the anxiety that we're seeing has caused so much disruption to families and probably hurt the economy very very deeply,' the host said. Belling reminded her co-host that Dr Scott was one of the most respected school leaders in Australia. 'She may well be, but is it a terrible mistake,' he replied. 'You can't dismiss her as an idiot,' Bishop said. 'I did not, I said 'this is idiocy' and she has made a mistake,' Hildebrand said. Studio Ten hosts Joe Hildebrand and Natarsha Belling have gone head-to-head live on air about the 'no mask, no play' rule introduced by an elite private all girls school Wenona principal Dr Briony Scott (left) penned a letter to parents on Friday warning them of the new school rules The pair continued to talk over each other and raise their voices when the topic turned to a public school versus private school debate. Some parents have slammed the rules claiming they're going overboard with the safety with one mother saying 'it's a bit over the top'. 'If schools are being declared a safe zone by the government, then who are schools to sanction these kind of measures it seems to be counter from what the government is recommending. Sport is going back yet kids are told to (wear masks). I think it's a bit heavy handed,' the mother said. New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the school's new measures were not supported by health advice. Ms Berejiklian told reporters on Monday morning the rules were unnecessary. 'It certainly isn't consistent with what the health advice is telling us,' the premier said. 'If any independent school goes over and above (the health) advice, that's a matter for them.' New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the school's new measures were not supported by health advice Federal Education Minister Dan Tehan also criticised the rules, telling Sky News presenter Sharri Markson there was no need for students to have to wear masks. 'We have been following the advice of the medical expert panel and they have said there is no rationale for this,' Mr Tehan said. 'They have been very clear in their advice that we do not need either teachers or students wearing masks.' Prime Minister Scott Morrison last week said social distancing was not required in classrooms but Mr Tehan said students may worry more about the coronavirus because of the strict rules put in palce by the school. 'I think children would be asking why is it necessary to be wearing masks,' Mr Tehan said. Wenona School is returning to class on Monday with students being schooled at home before a staggered return to the school grounds from May 4. Kindergarten to Year 6 will be on campus one day a week while Year 7 to 10 will be once a fortnight for onsite assessments. Meanwhile, years 11 and 12 will increase from one day a week to two from May 18. Republican governors are facing a new challenge as they fight to stop the spread of coronavirus: pressure from their own right flanks. While the biggest protests calling for an end to stay-at-home orders and business restrictions have hit Democratic governors, conservative activists and groups are intensifying pressure on GOP governors they say are being too deliberative as their economies stagger and jobless rates spiral part of a hyperaggressive effort on the right to reshape the debate over the financial ravages of Covid-19. Across Texas, Arizona, Missouri and Ohio, dozens of conservative and libertarian state leaders and business owners told POLITICO they are planning more demonstrations and agitating to open more businesses, even after President Donald Trump sideswiped Georgia Republican Gov. Brian Kemp last week for including spas, barber shops and gyms in the initial stages of his recovery plan. Tea Party Patriots and other groups are rallying behind Kemp in Georgia, with some activists concerned that national backlash to Kemps orders which includes resuming dine-in service at restaurants could discourage Republicans in other red states from forging ahead. In Texas, where Gov. Greg Abbott announced plans for a phased restart weeks ago and followed up Monday with more details, Texas House Freedom Caucus members contend its ultimately the responsibility of individual Texans to keep themselves safe by wearing protective gear and following social distancing guidelines. Across other red states, conservative activists are pleading with governors not to extend or bolster stay-at-home orders set to expire in the coming weeks. Polls show widespread support for maintaining social distancing guidelines, but Republicans are more aggressive than Democrats about their hopes for the timing and scope of reopening. Local GOP officials in states where demonstrations are occurring said their offices have been inundated with calls and letters from exasperated constituents who are urging swift action. Story continues And with Trump sending mixed messages, theyre turning more sharply to state leaders to press their case about the damages. We need to move faster. Hospitals are ready. Businesses are ready. And Texans are ready, state Rep. Mayes Middleton, chairman of the Texas House Freedom Caucus, said in an interview. He called the outgrowth of protests even in places that are moving ahead with reopening orders a symptom of growing frustration that is also being unleashed in calls and letters to officials. From what I have seen, people have followed the rules and guidelines. Its time to allow people to go back to work, Middleton said. They want to go back and they are ready to go back to work. Trump and political allies are torn over both the precise timing of reopening and the visuals of the demonstrations that swept the country. The president has broadly left it up to individual states to decide their procedures a stance that critics believe allows him to take any side of the coronavirus debate depending on how the circumstances turn. Before slapping down Kemp in successive news conferences last week, Trump positioned himself as a national leader for the reopen side. The president agitated early and has sent supportive tweets calling for the liberation of states. Theyve got cabin fever. They want their lives back, Trump said at one point, swatting away at a question about whether he was inciting violence. Trump met with retail executives and spoke with governors Monday about the virus response and economic revival, an approach that could put the president on firmer footing with his base. Some on the right are distancing themselves altogether from the public demonstrations: Americans for Prosperity the main political arm of the libertarian-leaning Koch network backed away from the protests in favor of engaging policymakers to focus on standards to safely reopen the economy. But the Tea Party Patriots agreed to promote demonstrations to its members, provided they followed social distancing guidelines. Several events are also being showcased by the conservative group FreedomWorks, including rallies in Ohio and across Texas last weekend, and in Arizona and Nevada on Friday along with a big event outside the White House. I think that for the first month, the reason we didnt have protests like this is people were saying, OK, this isnt going to last forever, and we should be able to get through it, said Jenny Beth Martin, co-founder and national coordinator of the Tea Party Patriots. Martin credited business owners in her home state of Georgia with successfully pushing Kemp to act swiftly to get businesses running again, calling the governors order measured and a positive first step. She joined with scores of local leaders in imploring supporters to reach out to Kemp to show their appreciation. Right now, if you dont have the cellphone or email of your elected officials or their staff, it is very difficult to get through with any sort of real, meaningful communication to them, Martin said. A lot of these people who have left their home to go make their voices heard are only doing that because they cannot get through to the government otherwise. Hundreds of protesters have swarmed Ohio, where Republican Gov. Mike DeWine was an early proponent of strict state actions. Theyre worried DeWine and Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Amy Acton who is drawing considerable ire will move too slowly on May 1 when the stay-at-home order runs out. Government has a role, but it should not be overreaching and thats certainly whats going on right now, said Tom Hach, organizer for an Open Ohio Now rally in Columbus. He and several others believe there needs to be more focus on people who had the virus but didnt show symptoms, which Hach said could ultimately show the state and country overreached. Every decision comes with a price, said Hach, a retiree from the Cleveland suburbs who serves on several local boards. We may on the one hand be saving some lives with the stay-at-home order, but were going to cost lives and livelihood and diminish peoples lives in general if the economy tanks. Its all got to be balanced. And I dont think that it is. And that is something Gov. DeWine has to look at. More than 965,900 people have been infected with Covid-19 in the U.S., which has led to nearly 55,000 deaths as of Monday. Guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for states lifting various orders as part of a multiphase process call for downward trends of positive tests over two weeks along with robust testing programs for at-risk hospital workers. Protest organizers hold up Georgia, along with South Carolina, Florida and Tennessee as early Republicans models for states that have moved quickly to begin reopening. Several credited Colorado Democratic Gov. Jared Polis with moving away from a more aggressive stay-at-home order into a new phase with more businesses able to operate and they want every Republican to follow. Kemp, who held a prayer service as restaurants began reopening Monday, has stood by his decision despite not meeting the federal guidelines. Many Georgia business owners say they dont plan to open right away and Kemps moves have already revived political feuds in the state. Rep. Doug Collins (R-Ga.) sided with Trump and accused his opponent in the November Senate special election, GOP Sen. Kelly Loeffler, of taking both Kemps and Trumps side in the fight. Abbott has taken criticism from both sides in Texas, with Democrats accusing him of moving too slow to enact the original safety guidelines. But now facing the drumbeat on the right, and with oil markets tanking, Abbott said Monday that retail locations, including shopping malls, sit-down eateries and movie theaters and museums could but are not required to start opening at 25 percent capacity beginning Friday. If counties dont see a resurgence of cases, they could increase customer capacity to 50 percent around the third week of May. "We're not just going to open up and hope for the best," Abbott told reporters in Austin, defending the phased approach. A more strategic approach is required so that we dont open only to close down again, he added. In Missouri, Republican Gov. Mike Parson similarly moved Monday to issue guidelines to reopen his state early next month. Parson said ahead of a news conference that he would follow White House guidelines. In Arizona, Republican Gov. Doug Ducey said the state would begin assessing data after the stay-at-home order expires at the end of the month. In a recent appearance on a local talk radio show, amid several protests in the state, Ducey struck a cautious note, but suggested several types of businesses, including restaurants, could open in the very near future. I hear them. I understand how they feel, Ducey said of the protesters. I feel the same way. I want what they want. I dont want to lose the gains in public health. I know the losses economically and I know we can rebuild those losses. I think we can be even stronger. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are reportedly celebrating Archie Harrisons first birthday in a special way. Archie, who is living in Los Angeles with his parents, will turn one year old on May 6. The couples spokesperson has confirmed that Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, will share a rare photo of Archie Harrison to mark the exciting day as they start their new post-royal life in the United States. Meghan Markle, Prince Harry, and Archie Harrison | Dominic Lipinski WPA Pool/Getty Images Prince Harry and Meghan Markle step out in LA Harry and Meghan moved to LA at the end of March right before their exit from the royal family became official. The two planned to start their next chapter by launching their new charity, Archewell, but the coronavirus pandemic has shifted their focus. Over the past few weeks, Prince Harry and Meghan have been doing what they can to help out in the current crisis. This includes working with the foundation, Project Angel Food, to pass out essential items to households in need. How Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Secretly Delivered Meals to Los Angeles Residents https://t.co/m7mIroVUx3 E! News (@enews) April 16, 2020 According to Express, sources claim that the couple volunteered with the charity because they felt helpless during the pandemic. An insider revealed that they were reading about everything going on and wanted to get out and contribute. A second source added that Prince Harry and Meghan only leave their house for charity work. The two are currently isolating in LA and will likely continue social distancing until the lockdown order is lifted. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will release new photo of Archie Harrison A representative of the Sussexes has confirmed that they will release a photo of Archie to mark his first birthday. The rep claims that the photo will offer a rare glimpse at Archie, who has remained out of the spotlight for most of his first year. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will give the world a rare glimpse of their son Archie Mountbatten-Windsor next month when they publicly mark his first birthday on May 6, the spokesperson shared. You can expect to see him Prior to the lockdown, sources revealed that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were planning a big celebration in honor of Archies birthday. The two were set on inviting some of their celebrity friends in Hollywood, though those plans have been scrapped. Instead, the couple will reportedly spend Archies birthday at home. Sources say they will also video chat with friends and family in celebration of the big day. This includes calling some of Prince Harrys family in the United Kingdom. Members of the royal family have missed seeing Archie this year. Harry and Meghan spent the first few months of the year living in Canada and briefly returned to the UK before settling down in LA. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle video chat with Queen Elizabeth Although they are now living thousands of miles away from the royals, Harry and Meghan took the time to video call Queen Elizabeth on her 94th birthday. Her Majesty turned 94 on April 21 and spent the day at Windsor Castle with her husband, Prince Philip. The couples spokesperson confirmed that Harry and Meghan chatted with Queen Elizabeth on her birthday. Archie joined Harry and Meghan to talk to Her Majesty, who spent the day video calling other members of her family as well. Prince Harry, Meghan Markle and Archie called Queen Elizabeth for her 94th birthday https://t.co/G2HRBMN5D8 TODAY with Hoda & Jenna (@HodaAndJenna) April 21, 2020 Prince Harry and Meghan did not mention anything about Queen Elizabeths birthday on social media. The two deactivated their Instagram account, Sussex Royal, last month as part of their exit deal. It is unclear how the pair will release the new photos of Archie, but royal watchers cannot wait to see how much he has grown. Here are all the gifts Archie Harrison received on tour There is no telling what kind of gifts Archie will receive on his first birthday, but it is safe to say he wont be in short supply of presents. When the Sussexes took Archie on tour last year to South Africa, he received a slew of gifts from world leaders and high-ranking officials. Some of the presents included a pair of pilots shirts, a logbook, some dungarees, and beaded bracelets, the latter of which were given by Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Meghan and Harrys celebrity friends will likely chip in this year even though they wont be able to visit with Archie face-to-face. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have not commented on the reports surrounding Archies birthday. With coronavirus turning life upside down all over the world, Chinese citizens are facing a double threat. As they grapple like everyone else with how to escape the virus itself, they are also facing growing racism. There has been an alarming rise in anti-Chinese sentiment across the world. In such a charged atmosphere, Zhang Aixi, a Chinese citizen found herself stuck as the lockdown was announced. Zhang had come to India on a solo trip in January. As travel came to a halt worldwide with the outbreak of COVID-19, she realised she was going to be away from her family for a very long time. It became increasingly difficult for her to keep in touch with her mother in China. Zhang felt homeless and restless in a new country and suffered a serious mental and emotional breakdown. Some people even mocker her by calling her China Virus, when she ventured out of the PG. Zhang went into severe depression, and sometimes started having episodes of aggression. With her deteriorating mental state and no medical support, she was soon thrown out of the PG she was living in Gurugram. When the Gurugram police got to know about her condition, they decided to put her up in an NGO. But none of the NGOs or shelters agreed to keep her due to coronavirus scare. Finally, Earth Saviours Foundation, in Bandhwari village in Gurugram, agreed to take her in. Ravi Kalra, founder, says My NGO takes care of people who have been abandoned, depressed or mentally challenged. When Zhang came here, we welcomed her with open arms. I believe in selfless seva. We never discriminate between human beings. Her being Chinese doesnt make her any less of a human being, and mental illness is no taboo. Many other NGOs that look after such individuals refused to her help as she was Chinese. We are glad that here she has found a home away from home, he adds. Zhang cant thank Indians enough for their kindness. As we connected her to Hem Kusum, assistant professor in the Department of Chinese Language and Culture, Visva Bharti University, Santiniketan, West Bengal on phone, she said, I am so grateful to India for all the love that people gave me here. I am so lucky that I got to experience such compassion in this birth. Ravi Kalra has a heart of gold. He helps everyone selflessly, and theres so much positivity here. She also spoke about how badly she misses her mom and wants to be with her soon. Karan Goel, ACP, DLF, Gurgaon, says there is so much negativity and gloom around, and such real life stories of compassion give us strength in these distressing times. We are happy that we could do something good by helping Zhang. Four lady constables have been assigned to ensure the security of the Chinese tourist. Earth Saviours Foundation has the manpower, resources and expertise to host the foreigner. With Zhang Aixi being tested negative for Covid-19, Kalra says, I am happy that she is doing well and there is a lot of improvement in her mental state as well. It is my duty to serve my nation, taking care of our guests has always been our tradition. In this time of crisis, hosting Zhang and ensuring that she takes back happy memories to China is the least I can do. The NGO is in constant touch with the Chinese Embassy and they have assured that they would initiate the process of sending Zhang back to her mother as soon as possible. Kalra has arranged Zhangs meeting with the officials and the process of sending the Chinese girl back to her country in a rare case has been initiated. Subscriber content preview Fremont Bridge Mini Storage, at 319 Nickerson St. on North Queen Anne, has sold for almost $4.8 million, according to King County records. The buyers were two LLCs associated with Saratoga Capital of Los Gatos, California, a very active apartment owner and developer in the Seattle market. . . . The Mumbai Police arrested ten Indonesian nationals who had visited the Tablighi Jamaat at Nizamuddin Markaz in New Delhi in March after they completed 20 days in quarantine. The ten were part of a group of twelve people who had come to attend the religious gathering in Delhi. We traced them on April 1 and two of them tested positive for Covid-19, and were admitted to the Lilavati Hospital in Bandra. The remaining 10 were home quarantined for 20 days. We arrested them after their reports came negative, Mumbai Police spokesperson and deputy commissioner of police (operation) Pranaya Ashok said. The two persons who were admitted in hospital have now tested negative, and are further under home quarantine till May 8, Ashok added. The accused were arrested on April 23 under Section 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease that is dangerous to life) Section 270 (Malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) and Section 188 (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the Indian Penal Code and are in police custody till April 28. Mumbai Police had earlier issued an advisory and warning asking people who had attended the meet at Delhi to come forward failing which an FIR would be registered against them. After attending the religious meet they came to Mumbai on March 7 and were staying at an apartment in Bandra. After attending the religious meet in Delhi, thousands of people who had attended the Tablighi Jamaat travelled to several parts of the country in March due to which the number of cases of Covid-19 increased in several states. During an inquiry, the Mumbai Police learnt that 12 Indonesian nationals had come to India on February 29 and that they had visited Nizamuddin Markaz to attend the meet. From March on, they visited various places in the city, and we have initiated necessary action after conducting the contact tracing, a senior police officer from Bandra police station said. Sara Houlihan 09 has important, challenging role as physical therapist at Michigan Medicine By Anne-Margaret Swary When Sara Houlihan 09 began her career as a physical therapist, she was excited to help people by getting them back to their lives and activities after illness or injury. She never imaged she would be on the front lines of a worldwide pandemic one day. But as a clinical specialist based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, that is where she has found herself in recent weeks as COVID-19 cases have spread throughout the state. Physical therapists have an increasingly important and challenging role to play as patients recover from coronavirus. Before COVID-19, I was spending a lot of time on the general medicine floor doing direct patient care, said Houlihan, who graduated from BGSU with her applied health science degree and is employed with Michigan Medicine at the University of Michigan. Our team works with patients to get them up and mobile. We help them increase their strength, endurance, balance and overall functional health, as well as assess their home setup before they are released. But as the number of COVID-positive cases began to grow throughout the hospital, it became all hands on deck. Weve transferred a lot of sick patients from the Detroit area because we luckily had a significant number of ventilators and ICU beds available as they were running out, she said. During the early stages of coronaviruss spread throughout the state, she was focused on helping get healthy patients stabilized and get them home to eliminate their exposure risk and also free up beds as more units of the hospital were converted to COVID floors. But as COVID-19 cases skyrocketed, her priority shifted to providing therapy to patients as they recovered from the virus. We have had over 100 percent increase in patients that are COVID-positive since this started, she said. Now that patients are getting to the recovery phase, our work is very important. Patients who have been on a ventilator intubated and sedated for weeks at a time are incredibly weak as they emerge from their illness, she said. COVID patients in particular seem to have intense ICU-acquired weakness more so that ordinary ICU or ventilator patients. The trickiest thing that were running into is that theres not one normal thing were seeing in COVID; it affects everyone differently, she said. Some of these patients are fatigued just from sitting up for a few minutes. They also have unique issues that arise from needing to be prone, or on their stomachs, for so long to help aerate their lungs. The other challenging aspect of Houlihans work during the pandemic is helping families of coronavirus patients prepare to care for their loved ones once they are released from the hospital. A lot of my job is family training, and with the visitation restrictions we have in place, Im not able to meet with families face-to-face and give them that critical discharge information first-hand, Houlihan said. So, like many workers across the world, shes transitioned to video chats and phone calls from patient hospital rooms to provide critical post-care training in most cases. But theres also the patients whose entire families have been affected by coronavirus, and no one remains well enough to help them when they get home. We also dont know what kind of outpatient physical therapy is going to be available to them, so we are also trying to create exercise programs and outpatient physical therapy plans for our patients to do at home to ensure they are successful in their recovery, Houlihan said. Her work these days impacts every aspect of her life. From the deep marks etched on her face from face shields at the end of the day, to the new routine she must follow when she gets home to minimize carrying germs inside. Her parents have even taken over care of her dog temporarily so she doesnt have to worry about finding time to walk her or keeping her out of the contaminated area of her house where all dirty hospital clothes and even her lunch box is kept. She only drives her car to work to minimize any cross-contamination. Through it all, she tries to remember lessons she learned during her time at BGSU about connecting with people and overcoming adversity. Even in the midst of this pandemic, I still love what I do because I love what Im able to help people, she said.Its scary, but its also great to meet that challenge and that need, and know that we are helping people. For those who know Houlihan, its no surprise she has risen to the challenge. I met Sara when she was on campus in 2018 as a 10 Under 10 honoree, and I was impressed by the intensity of her commitment to her profession, said Dr. James Ciesla, dean of the BGSUs College of Health and Human Services. Sara has had remarkably accomplished career for such a recent graduate, he added. It didnt surprise me to learn that she was involved right in the thick of the pandemic working directly with hospitalized acute COVID-19 patients given the commitment she has shown to her career and to her alma mater. Sara doesnt do anything halfheartedly. She is a true representation of the Falcon spirit. We are so proud of her. Dominic Cummings arrives at 10 Downing Street. (Getty Images) Health officials have defended Dominic Cummingss attendance at the somewhat secretive scientific meetings that advise the government on the coronavirus outbreak. Attendees of meetings held by the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) are not made public, with minutes from the discussions typically being published once a crisis has passed. The Guardian reported that Cummings Boris Johnsons chief adviser and Tory adviser Ben Warner attended a meeting held the day the UK went into lockdown. This sparked controversy, with the former Brexit secretary David Davis calling for any non-scientist members to be removed from future discussions. The UKs former chief scientific adviser (CSA) Professor Sir Mark Walport has reassured the public, however, nothing sinister is going on. Current CSA Sir Patrick Vallance said government officials have always been at meetings since Sage was founded in 2008. Chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance speaks during a media briefing in Downing Street. (Getty Images) Calls for politicians to be banned from Sage meetings Sage is a panel of medical and scientific experts chaired by Sir Patrick that provides independent advice to the government during a crisis. Sir Patrick has explained how around 20 scientists attend each meeting, not necessarily the same individuals every time. The make-up of the committee is secret, but members can choose to reveal themselves. 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 After The Guardians leaked report, Davis called for Cummings and Warner to be banned from future meetings. We should publish the membership of Sage, remove any non-scientist members, publish their advice in full and publish dissenting opinions with the advice, he said. Sage has been under increasing pressure to release its meetings attendees. Disclosing who has attended Sage meetings could reassure and enhance the standing of the body whose advice is so important to the country at this time, said Greg Clark, the Tory chair of the Commons science committee, The Guardian reported. Story continues It would also allow for a better understanding of the range of disciplines which are shaping advice to government. Ed Davey, acting leader of the Liberal Democrats, added: The public needs to have confidence that it is expert advice that is guiding government decisions. The lack of transparency is unacceptable in this national crisis. Downing Street has stressed it is not true that Mr Cummings or Dr Warner are on or members of Sage. A spokesman said the politicians had attended or listened in to meetings to better understand the scientific debate around the coronavirus. He added they occasionally gave input when scientists mention[ed] problems in Whitehall. Sir Mark Walport speaks at the EuroScience Open Forum conference in Manchester on 26 July, 2016. (Getty Images) Coronavirus: Advice cannot be broadcast through a megaphone Speaking at a Science Media Centre briefing, Sir Patrick said how every Sage meeting is predominantly made up of scientists. Officials at Whitehall listen in and can ask questions, but theyre not part of the general discussion, he said. When asked about Sage meetings prior to the coronavirus, Sir Patrick said officials have always been there. Sir Mark, who chaired discussions on Ebola and Zika, added they were there during my time. Its important to have good transmission between advisers and the government, thats why officials are there, he said. It doesnt work for scientific advisers to broadcast their advice through a megaphone. Nothing sinister is going on. Sir Patrick stressed advice from Sage has to be communicated to government officials before it is made public. You have to be able to give advice directly to ministers so they can make the decisions they need to make, he said. [It would be] very difficult if everything were discussing is immediately public before someone has the chance to consider it and make the decisions. Summing up his stance, Sir Mark current CEO of UK Research and Innovation quoted Sir Winston Churchill. Scientists should be on tap, but not on top, he said. Politicians are on top. Prime minister Boris Johnson makes a statement outside 10 Downing Street. (Getty Images) Outrageous if Cummings took part in meetings Many other experts echoed Sir Patrick and Sir Marks reassurance. I was on a science advisory group for dementia research chaired jointly by Sally Davies and Mark Walport when David Cameron was prime minister, said Professor Derek Hill from University College London. Advisors from No 10 often turned up, but just as observers. They spoke to us over coffee before it started, but never spoke during the meeting. It seemed entirely appropriate to ensure good communication given dementia was a government policy priority and minutes sometimes took a while to finalise. Likewise, No 10 observers at Sage meetings seems both reasonable and appropriate given the importance of the issues. Professor James Naismith from the University of Oxford added: It would strike me as absolutely bizarre were non-scientists not listening in to these debates within Sage. Politicians have to weigh many factors in addition to scientific advice and I would be horrified if they were not taking steps to ensure they were exposed to the full breadth of scientific opinion. NHS Englands medical director Stephen Powis, a member of Sage, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: I have been confident what happens at Sage is a scientific discussion involving the scientists and the experts who are members of Sage. Some experts questioned, however, whether Cummings only observed the meeting. Sage participants told The Guardian the Downing Street advisers actively took part in discussions about coronavirus-related advice. I cant imagine Dominic Cummingss attendance at Sage meetings as an observer would have affected the concentration of our scientists on the issues of how to get us out of a pandemic with as few lives lost, said Professor Dame Til Wykes from Kings College London. If he was not just an observer and took part in those meetings, that is outrageous. We need impartial scientific advice as that boosts public confidence in all political decisions. That can never happen if there is a politician at the table asking questions. Dr Chris Tyler from University College London agreed this would be concerning. Political decisions should be informed by the science; the science should not be informed by the politics, he said. Dr Jennifer Cole from the University of London stressed it all depends on the sort of discussions Cummings may have been involved in. Sage is not a fixed group, but flexible and adaptable depending on the expertise needed for the particular issue at hand, she said. Having a politician there to help explain how the evidence will be utilised, what decisions it will help to inform and also advise when an outcome scientists suggest may not be politically prudent or feasible can help to work through the best alternatives. It should not be taken that he is seeking to influence the scientists, but rather to help them understand exactly what information government needs and how that can be best communicated to the policymakers. Sir David King, former CSA, has also expressed concerns. What we don't know is the influence [Cummings] plays in taking what he interprets from those meetings back to the prime minister, he said. When asked about this at the Science Media Centre briefing, Sir Patrick said: All Im worried about is the prime minister hears scientific advice from me and thats what happens. An Uber delivery man wears a mask in Rome. (Getty Images) What is the coronavirus? The new coronavirus is one of seven strains of a virus class that are known to infect humans. Others cause everything from the common cold to severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars), which killed 774 people during its 2002/3 outbreak. Since the coronavirus outbreak was identified, more than 2.9 million cases have been confirmed worldwide, according to Johns Hopkins University. Of these cases, over 881,600 are known to have recovered. Globally, the death toll has exceeded 207,200. The coronavirus mainly spreads face to face via infected droplets expelled in a cough or sneeze. There is also evidence it may be transmitted in faeces and survive on surfaces. Symptoms include fever, cough and slight breathlessness. Early research suggests the infection is mild in four out of five cases, but it can trigger a respiratory disease called COVID-19. The coronavirus has no set treatment, with most patients naturally fighting off the infection. Those requiring hospitalisation are given supportive care, like ventilation, while their immune system gets to work. Officials urge people to ward off the coronavirus by washing their hands regularly and maintaining social distancing. Watch the latest videos from Yahoo UK Lifestyle Two people were killed and another was seriously injured in a clash between two groups in suburban Govandi in Mumbai on Monday night, police said. An officer said the trigger behind the incident was installing 'sabils' or traditional water stalls in the month of Ramzan. "Each group wanted to install the stalls to provide water to people observing fast near the municipal ground in Shivaji Nagar area," he said. The two groups have been rivals for quite some time. He said the attack took place in the evening in which Rajjab Ali and Prem Singh were killed due to injuries caused by swords and other sharp-edged weapons. The injured person has been identified as Mohammed Ali. Two people were detained for the attack. Further investigation is underway, said Shivaji Nagar police station senior inspector Sudarshan Paithankar. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) For just the second time since it was activated in 2008, U.S. Africa Command is admitting it killed civilians in an airstrike targeting terrorists. On Monday, the command released a first-of-its-kind quarterly report tracking civilian casualty allegations, part of an initiative aimed at greater transparency and a demonstration of good faith. The new report, which spans Feb.1, 2019 to March 31, 2020, assesses 91 airstrikes carried out by AFRICOM on targets in Somalia and Libya. Within that time frame, AFRICOM received 70 allegations regarding 27 different alleged incidents of civilian casualties, charging 90 non-combatants were killed, officials said. While seven incidents remain under review, only one of the other 20 reports was substantiated: a Feb. 23, 2019 strike on a target in Somalia that officials now say resulted in the deaths of two civilians and the injury of three more. Two members of the al-Shabaab militant group were also killed, according to AFRICOM. "While we follow very precise and rigorous standards, in instances where we fail to meet our expectations, we will admit the mistake," AFRICOM Commander Army Gen. Stephen Townsend said in a statement. "Regrettably two civilians were killed and three others injured in a February 2019 airstrike. We have the highest respect for our Somali friends and we are deeply sorry this occurred." Related: Pentagon Denies Causing Civilian Casualties in Airstrikes Over Somalia The last time AFRICOM acknowledged a civilian casualty was last year, in the release of a Pentagon report that found an April 1, 2018 strike near El Buur, Somalia had killed two innocents. The Feb. 23 strike near Kunyo Barrow, Somalia, was first called into question by "online media sources" the day after it took place, officials said. On Jan. 21 of this year, a foreign non-government organization also made an allegation of civilian casualties. "It is assessed the deaths and injuries occurred due to the effects of U.S. munitions or secondary explosions caused by explosives stored by al-Shabaab at the location of the strike," officials said. "The February 23, 2019, airstrike was designed to degrade the al-Shabaab terrorist group and the command's assessment is that two terrorists, the intended targets, were also killed as a result of this airstrike." The government of Somalia and relevant U.S. authorities have been notified, according to the AFRICOM announcement. Unresolved incidents include the following allegations: That seven civilians were killed and one injured in a Sept. 23, 2019 strike near Awdheegle and Dara Salaam, Somalia That one was killed and two injured on Feb, 2, 2020 near Jilib, Somalia That two were injured near Jilib Feb. 17 That one was killed near Jilib Feb. 24 That two were injured near Kunyo Barrow Feb. 28 That four were killed near Janaale March 10 And that two were killed near Buulo Fulaay March 27 The non-government organization Amnesty International, which leveled detailed allegations against AFRICOM regarding the Feb. 2 and Feb. 24 airstrikes still under investigation, released a statement voicing approval for the report but calling on further actions to ensure transparency. "It's a positive step for AFRICOM to give bereaved Somali families the opportunity to self-report civilian casualties via its website," Seif Magango, Amnesty International's Deputy Regional Director for Eastern Africa, said in a released statement. "However, this will not serve the vast majority of impacted civilians who live in remote areas where smartphones are banned and internet access is poor. Alternative means should be made available, including through establishing a mechanism in Mogadishu to allow clan elders or elected representatives to speak on behalf of civilians whose loved ones have been killed by US air strikes." In a statement, Townsend pledged that efforts to foster transparency would continue. "Since taking command I have placed additional focus on increasing the transparency of our process and status of closed and ongoing allegations," he said. "It is important that our partners and the public understand our commitment to minimizing collateral damage while conducting military operations. Where we come up short, we will admit it openly." Globally, U.S. military strikes killed 120 civilians in 2018, according to the most recently released Pentagon report. In Afghanistan alone, 76 civilian casualties were confirmed that year. The watchdog organization Airwars.org says it's tracking 68 civilian casualty allegations for AFRICOM over its 12 years of existence, and between 76 and 149 civilian deaths. -- Hope Hodge Seck can be reached at hope.seck@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @HopeSeck. Read More: Navy Declassifies Its Notorious 'UFO Sighting' Videos Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 27) Suing the Chinese government and its leaders for lapses that led to the global coronavirus pandemic is a tall order, retired Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio said, as states must prove that the outbreak was "deliberate." Apart from the technicalities that limit the options of states to file charges against China, the legal expert said building up the actual charges will prove to be a challenge. Carpio pointed out China's long-standing refusal to be covered by the International Court of Justice as well as the International Criminal Court. However, he cited that Chinese President Xi Jinping did get sued for crimes against humanity courtesy of the tandem of former Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert Del Rosario and former Ombudswoman Conchita Carpio-Morales. China's aggressive island-building activities off disputed waters which the two accused to have led to near-permanent environmental destruction in the West Philippine Sea supposedly happened within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone and continental shelf, which placed Xi under the hold of the ICC. "If you apply this on COVID-19, you will have to show that it was the actions of President Xi Jinping that caused the spread of COVID-19. That's difficult to prove," Carpio said in a media panel organized by the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines. "Unlike in the case of the destruction of the reef, you know the commander-in-chief is President Xi Jinping and he was proud to say that it was his initiative to expand in the South China Sea." Elsewhere, the American state of Missouri took a bold move last week and sued Beijing and its top officials for supposedly covering up crucial information about the novel coronavirus and doing little to stop the spread of the disease. There are close to 3 million COVID-19 infections worldwide, with over 960,000 cases in the United States. Of these, 7,120 patients were in Missouri, which resulted in over 280 deaths as of Monday. The lawsuit accused China of deceiving the public, arresting whistleblowers, and "permitted millions of people to be exposed to the virus," which emanated from Wuhan City in Hubei province of the mainland, CNN International reported. READ: Chinese Embassy rejects call for China to pay for PH's COVID-19 response However, this is easier said than done. "It's a virus that just came from bats. Unless we prove that it was deliberate on their part, it's difficult to sue China or its leaders," Carpio said. There have been allegations that COVID-19 was created in a Chinese laboratory supposedly as a biological weapon. Such claims have not been proven and have been denied by Chinese authorities. Senator Risa Hontiveros has demanded China to pay the Philippines some 200 billion to cover expenses for the local COVID-19 response, saying it's reparation for at least six years' worth of coral reef damage in the West Philippine Sea. On Monday, Hontiveros filed a Senate Resolution 369 to formalize her call. Citing estimates made by the University of the Philippines' Maritime Institute, destruction of reefs costs at least 33.1 billion yearly, on top of other economic and health losses. "If China pays the reparations owed to us, we can further improve our COVID-19 response and help more Filipinos against the disease," the lawmaker said, noting that the East Asian nation has also taken advantage of the pandemic to ramp up its illegal construction activities in the disputed waters. Local officials said last week that cash is running low to fund more relief measures meant to soften the impact of the virus on public health and the economy. The Timeline of the Intentional Coverup We will focus on the Chinese Communist Partys, or CCPs, intentional cover-up. The CCPs under-reporting and delays of information has caused the current worldwide pandemic. For this reason, we call it the CCP Virus. November 17, 2019: Beginning on November 17th, 2019, a 55-year-old person is infected, according to government documents cited in a report by the South China Morning Post released on March 20th. December 1: A Chinese doctor tells the BBC that patient zero appeared on December 1st, a bedridden man in his 70s. He has no connection with the Huanan seafood market. However, CCP officials and World Health Organization reports say the first patient appeared on December 8, one week later than this. Mid-December: Reports from medical journal The Lancet say evidence appeared in Mid December of human-to-human transmission. The same study suggested an origin outside of the seafood market. December 27: While Chinese authorities deny the existence of the disease, A Chinese lab sequences most of the virus genome, but keeps the findings to internal government bodies. December 30: Information is actively restricted when doctors discuss the disease with colleagues on a Chinese chat app. Their hospital reprimands them, saying that discussing the disease was spreading rumors. Later, The Wuhan Health Commission threatens health workers with penalties if they spread information about the infection. December 31: The CCP distorts the severity of the disease when the Wuhan Health Commission says the new disease is preventable and controllable. Chinese Leader Xi Jinping makes a New Year speech, but he does not mention the disease. State media focuses all attention on the Huanan Seafood Market, portraying it as ground zero. This may have been an attempt to divert attention from the real source of the outbreak. January 1, 2020: Officials close the Huanan Seafood Market as state-media continues to claim it is the epicenter. The censorship expands when A Hubei Provincial Health Commission official tells a gene sequencing company to stop testing samples, and to destroy all existing samples. Further, Wuhan police reprimand eight medical workers for rumor-mongering. The workers shared information about the virus online. January 2: A Government-run virology lab obtains the full CCP virus genome. However, they do not make This information public for one week. January 3: CCP censorship becomes national when the The National Health Commission orders researchers to either hand over virus samples to pathogen detection agencies, or destroy them. January 7: Xi Jinping gets involved in the response by issuing the first containment order. However, The order is not made public until February. January 11: Over one week after obtaining the virus genome sequence, Chinese health authorities share it with the WHO. January 14: Chinese authorities claim to have found no clear evidence of human-to-human transmission. The WHO begins parroting all official CCP statements. January 15: Chinese authorities change their claims to a low probability of human-to-human transmission. January 18: with no apparent concern for infection of the public, Wuhan officials hold a large annual potluck banquet for 40,000 families. January 20: China confirms human-to-human transmission. Xi Jinping publicly acknowledges the disease for the first time. At the same time, The CCP orders diplomats to carry out a disinformation campaign on Western social media, displacing blame and suggesting the virus came from outside of China. Nearly two months into the campaign, on March 12, a foreign ministry spokesman suggests the virus came from the U.S. Army. January 23: Wuhan begins a lockdown. However, about 5 million people had left the city without being tested. A March study estimates 86 percent the vast majority of all infections in Wuhan were undocumented prior to the lock down. January 24: Hubei locks down all 13 cities, restricting travel for a total of 56 million people. January 27: The Mayor of Wuhan concedes that disclosures were delayed. However, he skirts responsibility, and blames the central government bureaucracy for the delays. January 31: More than 3,000 health workers have been infected in Hubei. Yet, to maintain the cover-up, this information is not made public until over one month later. February 3: State media begins a propaganda blitz, claiming a successful response to the CCP virus, and lying to the world about Chinas real situation. February 4: The WHO urges for no travel bans. At a WHO briefing, Tedros urged that there be no travel bans, We reiterate our call to all countries not to impose restrictions that unnecessarily interfere with international travel and trade. Such restrictions can have the effect of increasing fear and stigma, with little public health benefit. Where such measures have been implemented, we urge that they are short in duration, proportionate to the public health risks and are reconsidered regularly as the situation evolves. February 5: Xi Jinping makes his first public appearance since the outbreak. His words suggest a cover-up, when he says he knew of the outbreak before issuing warnings. February 6: A Chinese spokeswoman criticizes countries for banning travelers from China by ignoring the WHOs recommendation, We deplore and oppose those countries who went against WHOs professional recommendations. February 7: China has refused a team of U.S. health experts for over a month, denying public assistance and hiding the situation inside its borders. February 12: Top provincial and municipal CCP leaders are fired after a surge in new cases, tarnishing the image of a successful response. March 10: Xi Jinping visits Wuhan for the first time since the outbreak began, portraying an effective response. March 11: After over 100 days of Chinese officials knowing about the disease, the WHO declares a Global Pandemic. The responsibility for the pandemic sits clearly on the CCPs shoulders. Now, its up to the rest of the world to respond. Vijay Deverkonda also announced his foundation's skill development program for youngsters through a video. Actor Vijay Deverakonda took to social media and announced that he will be donating Rs 1.30 crore via his Deverakonda Foundation to those affected by the ongoing coronavirus outbreak. The money will help families buy essential items like groceries, according to the foundation's website. Currently, the team is only working to provide relief to those in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. So far they have been able to fund 52 households. "None of us were prepared for this. But we are fighters. We shall survive this and come out of it strong. This thing hit me hard as well, but I am here now. I am here with my incredible team that never says no to a fight and we are happy to announce a 1.30 crore fund to help as many as we can. All we need is love, kindness and support and I am sending you all, my love and strength," wrote the actor. (Click here to follow LIVE updates on coronavirus outbreak) Here is his tweet Alongside the tweet, Deverakonda shared a video where he spoke about experiencing a financial setback due to the pandemic, especially because he was shouldering the responsibility of his family and 35 employees. While he was not unfamiliar with having less savings, providing the salaries of 35 people was still new to him. The actor said his foundation will be training youth to gain employable skills so they can take up jobs after the pandemic. He revealed that in July 2019 he started a secret project with the aim to employ one lakh people. For this, he hired a team in August 2019 with the goal to make 50 boys and girls job ready. By December they had shortlisted worthy job-seekers from a large pool of candidates, who were later trained to their best potential. While the employment plan had to be deferred due to the national lockdown, Deverakonda said two people had already received their offer letters. The rest were expected to get jobs right after the coronavirus crisis was over. He added his team was ready to enrol more youngsters in their skill development program. He said that he is setting aside an amount of Rs 1 crore for this project. Deverakonda said that he has started a Middle Class Fund and invested Rs 25 lakh to help middle class families affected by the pandemic. He urged those who were struggling to make ends meet to log onto the foundation's website and share their details. Watch the video here New Delhi: Tamil Nadu on Monday (April 27) returned as many as 24,000 Rapid Test Kits following the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) advisory issued to states asking them no to use rapid antibody test kits from two Chinese companies due to quality issue. Earlier in the day, the ICMR issued a revised advisory to state governments regarding Rapid Antibody Blood tests. The states were asked to stop using COVID-19 rapid testing kits procured from China due to their poor quality. The government said that not a single rupee will be lost in cancelling the orders as payments were not made to the Chinese suppliers. India procured around five lakh rapid antibody test kits from the two Chinese firms, Guongzhou Wondfo Biotech and Livzon Diagnostics, and they were distributed to several states reporting rising cases of the coronavirus infection. In a communication to chief secretaries of all states and union territories, the ICMR asked them to stop using the kits saying it found "wide variation" in effectiveness of the equipment supplied by the two Chinese firms despite promise of good performance. "The ICMR has not made any payment in respect of these supplies. Because of the due process followed (not going for procurement with 100 per cent advance amount), Government of India does not stand to lose a single rupee," the health ministry said, in the midst of a raging controversy over the procurement. As many as 81 people were discharged today following recovery from COVID-19 as 52 tested positive for the contagion, including a one-year-old child, taking the number of cases in Tamil Nadu to 1,937, according to the state government. As key urban regions of the state entered the second day of complete lockdown, the active number of cases as on date stood at 809 and those discharged was higher at 1,101. From various hospitals, 81 were discharged and testing of 1381 samples were under process in various labs and the fatalities remained at Sunday's count of 24, a Tamil Nadu government bulletin said. The tests are done in 30 government and 11 private labs all over Tamil Nadu and today alone 6,753 people were tested and cumulatively 86,339 have been tested (RT-PCR test). As many as 94,781 samples have so far been tested which includes repeat specimen from the same persons for confirmatory purposes. Chennai, leading the red zone of Tamil Nadu had nearly all of the new cases today (47) and with this, 570 people had tested positive for the infection in the state capital. Rapid Antibody tests: HealthMin clarifies on controversy over prices Union Ministry of Health clarified on the facts on the controversy around prices of Rapid Antibody tests. It said: The ICMR makes procurement decisions. Testing is one of the most crucial weapons to fight COVID-19 and ICMR is doing everything it can to ramp up testing. This requires procurement of kits and supplying them to states. This procurement is being undertaken when globally, there is a huge demand for these test kits and various countries are applying their full might, monetary and diplomatic, to acquire them. ICMRs first attempt to procure these kits did not elicit any response from the suppliers. Its second attempt got adequate responses. Of these responses, taking sensitivity and specificity in mind, kits of 2 companies (Biomedemics and Wondfo) were identified for procurement. Both had the requisite international certifications. For Wondfo, the evaluation committee got 4 bids and the corresponding quotes received were Rs 1,204, Rs. 1,200, Rs. 844 and Rs. 600. Accordingly, bid-offer of Rs. 600 was considered as L-1. ICMR also tried to procure the kits directly from Wondfo company in China through CGI. However, the quotation received from direct procurement had the following issues: -The quotation was FOB (Free on Board) without any commitment to logistics issues. -The quotation was on the basis of 100% direct advance without any guarantees. -There was no commitment to timelines. -Rates were communicated in US dollars without any clause for accounting for fluctuations in prices. -Hence, it was decided to go Wondfos exclusive distributor for India for the kit who quoted an all-inclusive price for FOB (logistics) without any clause for advance. Notably, it was the first-ever effort by any Indian agency to procure such kits and the rate quoted by the bidders was the only reference point. After receipt of some supplies, ICMR has again conducted quality checks on these kits in field conditions. Based on the scientific assessment of their performance, the order in question (Wondfo) along with the order in respect of another make found under-performing have been cancelled. The ICMR has not made any payment whatsoever in respect of these supplies. Because of the due process followed (not going for procurement with 100% advance amount), GoI does not stand to lose a single rupee. A 53-year-old man who barricaded himself inside his flat has been arrested after making 'threats to kill'. Armed police and officers were called to Birmingham Road, West Bromwich, at 10.30pm on Sunday evening following reports of a 'firearms incident'. Specialist officers had worked to coax the man out of his home. Nearby flats were also evacuated as a 'precaution' and the road was closed at its junction with Beeches road and Bagnall street in the early hours of this morning. Police officers stood down the incident 15 hours later. The man was pictured being led away in handcuffs. A 53-year-old man has been arrested in West Bromwich following a 15-hour stand off with police. He is pictured above being led away in handcuffs The man was placed into a police car and driven away. Officers were first called to Birmingham road at 10.30pm last night to reports of a 'firearms incident' An armed officer pictured at the scene this morning after residents were evacuated from Birmingham road in West Bromwich Officers at the siege in West Bromwich this morning. It ended this afternoon after 15 hours Officers pictured at the scene today. The 53-year-old man has barricaded himself inside a block of flats Police tape cordons off the scene. Specialist negotiators were trying to talk to a 53-year-old man refusing to leave his flat in the area this morning A police van blocks the road towards the property in West Bromwich, Birmingham West Midlands police said just after 2pm the siege had ended. 'A cordon remains around the premises. Residents who'd been evacuated as a precaution will now be allowed back home,' they said on Twitter. 'The suspect has been arrested on suspicion of making threats to kill and is being taken into custody for questioning.' Pictures from earlier this morning show officers armed with guns walking around the area as the road remains closed to traffic. A police van is also shown blocking the street to keep it closed. Officers are seen standing in the road outside the flats in images from last night. A witness said the armed police officers and 15 police cars were at the scene. Bus services operating for essential workers were diverted away from the scene. The West Midlands Network said buses would not stop on the road due to a 'police incident'. Police officers pictured outside a property on Birmingham road, West Bromwich, this morning where a man has barricaded himself inside his house Officers standing on the road this morning as it remains closed due to the incident A witness said that armed police officers and 15 police cars were at the scene "I hate Bill Gates" is a common expression among Windows users, based on the balkiness of Gates's signature Microsoft program. Now he's given everyone a new reason to hate him. According to the Daily Wire: Left-wing billionaire Bill Gates attacked the United States during a CNN interview on Sunday while praising communist China, claiming that China "did a lot of things right at the beginning" of the coronavirus outbreak that originated in Wuhan. CNN's Fareed Zakaria asked Gates: "How would you respond to the charge that the Chinese covered this up, they essentially deceived the rest of the world, and as a result, they should be held in someway responsible for this?" "Well, I don't think that's a timely thing because it doesn't affect how we act today," Gates claimed. "China did a lot of things right at the beginning. Like any country where a virus first shows up, they can look back and see where they missed some things." China "did a lot of things right at the beginning"? Such as throwing infected people alive into furnaces and leaving Wuhan residents screaming in despair from their balconies? Tossing residents into collective sick pens like livestock against their will? Throwing the doctor who sounded the alarm into prison and exonerating him only after he died of the virus in prison? Or was Gates most impressed by China keeping U.S. medical researchers out and scrubbing down the wet markets where the virus was said to originate to paper over the evidence? Was China's buying up of medical supplies worldwide to keep a stash solely for itself, while releasing five million people from the city of Wuhan to spread the virus around the country, and world, what Gates liked best? Or was it China's refusal to share its lab data, and the growing suspicious that the virus was released from a lab, either incompetently or on purpose? It defies belief that anyone could be so out of touch with the atrocious performance of China in the early days of the pandemic. Their mismanagement, in fact, is why it seems to be the only place out there that is regularly releasing pandemics. Whatever it was, Gates is way off base, and it's strange stuff, given that he's usually a rational center-left voice of reason on many issues. Maybe that comes of living the billionaire life and not having to weigh the things that ordinary people do. Maybe it's some kind of profit motive the old "China market" argument. Maybe it's Trump Derangement Syndrome. Whatever it is, to praise China and then to criticize the U.S. demonstrates a profoundly strange and incompetent ability to distinguish something unpleasant from shinola. China has much to answer for for its dishonest and inhuman response to this pandemic, and it probably will have to. To praise China, while blasting the U.S., and then making pious noises about saving the blame for later is the height of hypocrisy. Image credit: OnInnovation via Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0. State-run HIL India is looking for joint venture investments from agro-chemical makers in China, South Korea and Japan after the government asked fertiliser and chemical PSUs to convert the current COVID-19 adversity into an opportunity. Fertiliser and Chemicals Minister D V Sadananda Gowda has advised that "Indian corporates especially PSUs under his ministry should try to convert COVID-19 adversity into an opportunity of attracting investments from abroad." "Following on the advice, HIL, a CPSU under the department, is looking for expanding its business area and has sent proposals to Indian Embassies/Missions in China, Japan and South Korea for inviting interested agro-chemical manufacturers in respective countries for investment in India," an official statement said. HIL is looking for business tie up in areas of contract manufacturing or plan-on-lease arrangement, it said. For smooth running of its Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs), the Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals has taken initiatives to overcome the hurdles posed by Covid-19 pandemic and has suggested them to strengthen their performance by exploring joint ventures with global enterprises looking for investments. Despite facing a lot of hurdles due to COVID crisis, the ministry said HIL is ensuring supply of essential chemicals such as DDT in health segments, while seeds and pesticides in agriculture segments in various parts of the country. The ministry said that production in HIL units has been affected during the lockdown period. However, the company has shown good sales during the last week ended April 24. HIL sold 37.99 tonnes of agro-chemicals, dispatched 97 tonnes of DDT, executed an export order of 10 tonnes of Mancozeb to Peru, it said. HIL has also drafted an agreement, which has been shared with the Ministry of Agriculture, for supply of Malathion Technical for Locust Control Programme, it added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) After controversy around massive profiteering and over-pricing of rapid testing kits sold to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the apex medical research body has clarified that it has not made "any payment" in respect to these supplies. "Because of the due process followed (not going for procurement with 100 per cent advance amount), GoI does not stand to lose a single rupee," an ICMR release said. Testing kits of two companies -- Biomedemics and Wondfo -- were identified for procurement as they had the requisite international certifications. For Wondfo, the evaluation committee received four bids -- at Rs 1,204, Rs 1,200, Rs 844 and Rs 600. Accordingly, the final bid offer of Rs 600 was considered, the ICMR said. Also read: Massive 145% profiteering exposed in coronavirus rapid test kits sold to ICMR In the meantime, the body also tried to procure the kits directly from Wondfo through the Consulate General of India. However, the quotation received from the direct procurement had issues such as "quotation was free on board, without any commitment on logistics issues; it was based on 100 per cent direct advance without any guarantee; there was no commitment on timelines; and rates were communicated in US dollars without any clause for accounting for fluctuations in prices," says the ICMR. Hence, the ICMR decided to go with Guangzhou Wondfo Biotech as its exclusive distributor for the kits, as it quoted an all-inclusive price, without any clause for advance. "It needs to be also remembered that this was the first-ever effort by any Indian agency to procure such kits and the rate quoted by the bidders was the only reference point," the ICMR maintained. Also read: Coronavirus crisis: Congress slams govt for allowing 'hoarding', profiteering on rapid test kits sold to ICMR India is procuring about 5 lakh rapid testing kits from China-based Guangzhou Wondfo Biotech. Notably, the ICMR has issued a revised advisory to state governments to stop using rapid anti-body test kits immediate effect. "Based on a scientific assessment of their performance, the order in question (Wondfo), along with the order in respect of another maker, found under-performing has been cancelled," said the ICMR. The development also comes in the backdrop of a BusinessToday.In report on how a legal dispute in Delhi High Court between the distributor and importer of COVID-19 rapid test kits had unearthed massive profiteering and over-pricing in kits sold to ICMR. The opposition Congress has also blasted the Centre for allowing "hoarding" and profiteering of rapid testing kits at the time of coronavirus crisis. As per Congress leader Manish Tewari, a company named Matrix Labs, on the recommendation of ICMR was given a contract to purchase 5 lakh test kits for Rs 12.25 crore. He said while the import cost per unit was Rs 245, the importer sold these kits to the distributor for Rs 600, earning Rs 7.5 crore. He alleged the distributor supplied these rapid testing kits to ICMR for Rs 30 crore, further earning Rs 9-crore profit. He said these private companies earned Rs 18 crore - over 100 per cent profit -- on the supply of just 5 lakh test kits. Also read: Coronavirus crisis: ICMR asks states to stop use of Chinese testing kits over 'wide variation' in results Despite the rising number of confirmed cases of coronavirus in Oyo State, Governor Seyi Makinde has maintained that there will be no lockdown in the state. Mr Makinde restated this position while speaking in an interview with Fresh FM on Monday morning. He also said that the state will begin the distribution of aid this week while civil servants from level 13 had been directed to resume this Monday. According to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Oyo State has 21 confirmed cases of coronavirus, out of the 1,273 cases in Nigeria as of Sunday night. The economic health of the state is as important as the public health, Mr Makinde said. As I have often said, we have to find a local solution. We cant keep making reference to United States of America, how about other parts of the world? You have to compare what people have done right. America should not always be the point of reference, there are other places in the world doing far better than America. We should only borrow from things that will work for us and that can come from any part of the world. It can come from as near as Ghana. Ghana has just lifted its lockdown, they are moving on with their life. Asked why he had directed senior civil servants to resume work despite the fact that only 610 persons had been tested in the state, Mr Makinde said: We will keep on testing. This (COVID-19) is not going to go away like yesterday and that is exactly what I have been telling a lot of people. Okay, you have given palliatives out and this is the direction that you are going to go, in a manner that you are flipping a switch on and off. No, its not going to go that way. I think we need to look at this in terms of light dimmers where we can turn the knob and the light may be bright or you may turn the light off. READ ALSO: We are in this for a long haul and our output should not be like flipping a switch, our output will be with us for a while. And that is exactly what we are doing. I mean consciously, we are going out saying let this category of people resume, let the market work, let the farmers take advantage of this planting season, the governor said. The governor has consistently argued against lockdown as a measure to stop the spread of coronavirus. The state government had earlier declared mandatory wearing of face masks in public and announced that it had engaged 100 tailors to produce face masks for people of the state. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is "alive and well", a top security adviser to the South's President Moon Jae-in said, downplaying rumours over Kim's health following his absence from a key anniversary. "Our government position is firm," said Moon's special adviser on national security Moon Chung-in, in an interview with CNN on Sunday. "Kim Jong Un is alive and well." The adviser said that Kim had been staying in Wonsan -- a resort town in the country's east -- since April 13, adding: "No suspicious movements have so far been detected." Conjecture about Kim's health has grown since his conspicuous absence from the April 15 celebrations for the birthday of his grandfather Kim Il Sung, the North's founder -- the most important day in the country's political calendar. Kim has not made a public appearance since presiding over a Workers' Party politburo meeting on April 11, and the following day state media reported him inspecting fighter jets at an air defence unit. His absence has unleashed a series of unconfirmed media reports over his condition, which officials in Seoul previously poured cold water on. "We have nothing to confirm and no special movement has been detected inside North Korea as of now," the South's presidential office said in a statement last week. Daily NK, an online media outlet run mostly by North Korean defectors, has reported Kim was recovering after undergoing a cardiovascular procedure earlier this month. Citing an unidentified source inside the country, it said Kim, who is in his mid-30s, had needed urgent treatment due to heavy smoking, obesity and fatigue. Soon afterwards, CNN reported that Washington was "monitoring intelligence" that Kim was in "grave danger" after undergoing surgery, quoting what it said was an anonymous US official. US President Donald Trump on Thursday rejected reports that Kim was ailing but declined to state when he was last in touch with him. On Monday, the official Rodong Sinmun newspaper reported that Kim had sent a message of thanks to workers on the giant Wonsan Kalma coastal tourism project. It was the latest in a series of reports in recent days of statements issued or actions taken in Kim's name, although none has carried any pictures of him. Satellite images reviewed by 38North, a US-based think tank, showed a train probably belonging to Kim at a station in Wonsan last week. It cautioned that the train's presence did not "indicate anything about his health" but did "lend weight" to reports he was staying on the country's eastern coast. Reporting from inside the isolated North is notoriously difficult, especially on anything to do with its leadership, which is among its most closely guarded secrets. Previous absences from the public eye on Kim's part have prompted speculation about his health. In 2014 he dropped out of sight for nearly six weeks before reappearing with a cane. Days later, the South's spy agency said he had undergone surgery to remove a cyst from his ankle. Kim has not made a public appearance since presiding over a Workers' Party politburo meeting on April 11 Every evening at 5 p.m., the denizens of Hudson County get twitchy. They wander out to the urban vortex known as the Jersey City waterfront, creating a jam of joggers, bikers, strollers and wanderers from the Hoboken border to Caven Point, a four-mile stretch in which social distancing is a relative concept. And over the shoulders of the masked masses stands Liberty State Park, an oasis filled with virtually nothing but 600 acres of flora and fauna, which would far better serve those desperate for fresh air and elbow room than a pedestrian pathway. Pause here for cognitive dissonance. New Jerseys state and county parks remain closed because Gov. Murphy believes we cannot relax social distancing measures until we radically ramp up testing and establish a contact tracing program. It is a rational argument because its hard to know the potential of this deadly COVID threat when we have tested less than 3 percent of our 9 million residents. But social distancing is not a fixed reality for everyone in our state. Folks in Allendale and Frenchtown dont need a park. They have something they call backyards. The folks in our cities, however, usually have one option when it comes to stretching their legs, walking the dog, strolling the tyke, or absorbing some Vitamin D. These are called sidewalks. And they become dangerously overcrowded when a town closes its municipal parks, which is happening in most cities. So as the governor prepares to roll out his blueprint for ramping up testing today, which is the first step toward relaxing social distancing measures and business closures, we hope he reconsiders his uniform policy on green space. Jersey City is a good template for this debate for one reason: The unintended consequences we see daily at the waterfront should be the governors cue to follow the lead of mayors, who open their municipal parks with great selectivity and vigilance when they recognize the need for it. Parks and open space in densely populated cities are important for both mental + physical health. We are better off having a controlled environment with parks open than pretending people will sit in their homes for eternity w/no progress. We need to protect health first but pic.twitter.com/JcjSlodJ9G Steven Fulop (@StevenFulop) April 26, 2020 Steve Fulop is one: The Jersey City mayor will open three municipal parks in the next week and police them for violations. But his frustration over the shutdown of the much larger Liberty State Park is palpable because he knows waterfront traffic will get worse when the weather warms up, and LSP is a massive portion of his dense citys footprint. I havent asked the governor specifically about Liberty State Park, Fulop says, but I will say that some of our frustration with his executive orders is that they cant be a one-size-fits-all for the entire state. Whats good for Princeton or East Windsor is not necessarily good for Jersey City. Those things need to be thought through. But will people be responsible if theyre given the breathing room that LSP can provide? Oh, 100 percent, Fulop replied. One hundred percent. Sam Pesin agrees. The president of the omniscient Friends of Liberty State Park, who supported the governors park closures, points out that park regulars had told me there were minimal social distancing violations when LSP was open. Its been more than three weeks since Sen. Declan OScanlon (R-Monmouth) and his colleagues have asked Murphy to rescind his executive order mandating park closures, and he cites the decline in hospitalizations as proof that Murphys methods are working. . @GovMurphy has done much well through this ordeal. The closing of parks is an exception for so many reasons. The mental and physical health of our cooped-up constituents being at the forefront. Im hoping for swift reconsideration. https://t.co/AjYd5NvZC7 Declan O'Scanlon (@declanoscanlon) April 8, 2020 Prior to his order, Murphy said far too many incidents of crowding were reported at state parks. Indeed, violations of social distancing must not be tolerated and should be reported. But closing parks results in the opposite of what you want, OScanlon argues. It just packs more people into smaller spaces. Much smaller, actually: New Jersey has 7 of the 10 densest cities in the nation, so we need to put good minds at work to compensate for the claustrophobic effects of that by opening our parks judiciously. It should not be hard to enforce capacity control as we do in supermarkets, monitor crowds, post warnings about limits and penalties, and police these areas with cops and park rec staff, while encouraging citizens to call violations into a hotline akin to New York Citys 3-1-1. Because if Jersey City is any indication, the park closure is self-defeating. Dont call it a civic reopening. This is merely a recalibration. How do you report places that arent enforcing social distancing? Its simple: just snap a photo and text it to 311-692. #AskMyMayor pic.twitter.com/WQdCcVf1Rl Mayor Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) April 18, 2020 Sign up for text message alerts from NJ.com on coronavirus in New Jersey: 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. Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook. Smithfield Foods, the largest pork producer in the world, is expected to shut down a fifth processing plant where dozens of employees have fallen ill with COVID-19. Virginia-based Smithfield, which is owned by Chinas WH Group Ltd, has now shuttered pork-processing plants in Illinois, Missouri, Wisconsin and South Dakota. Now a pig farmer has revealed to DailyMail.com that the company is shuttering its plant in Crete, Nebraska, spurring fears of a collapse in the beef and pork supply chain that could result in shortages and higher prices for consumers. At least 47 employees at the Crete facility have contracted coronavirus as of Sunday. Last Friday, Smithfield announced plans to suspend operations at its Monmouth, Illinois, facility Smithfield closed its St. Charles facility in Illinois, and in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The news comes after a lawsuit filed Thursday in Missouri federal court accused Smithfield of failing to provide employees at a Missouri plant adequate protective equipment. The lawsuit also alleges that Smithfield refused to give employees time to wash their hands. Smithfield Foods, the world's largest pork producer, has shuttered its fifth pork processing plant - this one in Crete, Nebraska - due to an outbreak of COVID-19 Demonstrators stand outside the closed Smithfield Foods pork plant, the world's biggest pork processor, after it was closed indefinitely due to a rash of coronavirus cases among employees in Sioux Falls, South Dakota on April 17 Several major plants across the US have been forced to reduce operations or close altogether due to outbreaks among their employees. The disruptions have caused a decline in the number of animals being slaughtered because there are not enough plants still functioning for farmers to send their livestock to More than 200 employees became infected with the coronavirus at the South Dakota slaughterhouse, which produces between 4 and 5 per cent of the nations pork. Aaron Doerr, a pig farmer in Nebraska, revealed to DailyMail.com exclusively that as of Monday morning, his usual delivery of 180 pigs to Smithfield's processing plant in Crete, Nebraska, had been cancelled. Just got word that my load for this week got cancelled and it sounds like Crete is shutting down, Doerr said. They (the pigs) weren't supposed to go until Thursday, but we got a message this morning that it's cancelled since they are shutting the plant down tomorrow. Doerr said he was told the dreaded news that Smithfield Foods is suspending operations at that plant so all loads in have been cancelled until further notice. As more and more pig plants are forced to shut their doors because of safety reasons, Doerr, like many other local farmers, is now faced with the challenge of where to send his pigs for processing. According to Doerr, the Smithfield Foods plant in Crete, takes in roughly 10,000 pigs daily. So where are all of these pigs supposed to go? Doerr, who has some 3,000 pigs, says he hasn't quite figured out yet, but for the time being will remain on his farm. Euthanasia is a last resort and no farmer wants to do this, but they may not have a choice. When we combine all the slaughterhouses, we are talking about some 100,000 pigs a day that are being processed, a swine vet who asked to remain anonymous told DailyMail.com. Yes, it would be wonderful if an animal sanctuary could take in a thousand pigs, but it's highly unlikely and it doesn't solve the problem. Employees butcher pork at a Smithfield Foods Inc. pork processing facility in Milan, Missouri, in this 2017 file photo. Employees from the Milan plant are suing Smithfield for what they say are unsanitary work conditions As of April 22, the American Association of Swine Veterinarians (AASV) updated their Recommendations for the Depopulation of Swine, with gunshot, electrocution and manual blunt force trauma added to the disturbing list. According to the swine vet, another solution is feeding the pigs less or halting breeding altogether. What's going on right now is a clusterf**k to put it mildly, Doerr tells DailyMail.com. Most of these packing plants companies have multiple locations, so when one gets closed they try to squeeze some or all of those pigs into other plants. It works fine when only one plant is broke down or something for a day, but when plants are closing by the handful and for weeks at a time it's just too much for the other plants to absorb. Doerr says it's time for the government to step in and help. There's no easy answer, but one good one would be the PRIME Act, which would give local state inspected facilities more ability to move product into stores, Doerr explained. The PRIME Act would allow small farms to sell their pork directly to grocery stores and wherever this is a pork shortage. Aaron Doerr comes from a long lineage of farmers. Farming has been passed down from many generations in the Doerr family. 'The home farm where our pigs are was bought by my great, great grandpa over 100 years ago.' As it stands, all meat and pork sold directly to grocery stores must come from a slaughterhouse that has an onsite federal prosecutor. This law, the Wholesome Meat Act, went into effect in 1967. However the high costs of adhering to the inspection requirements have made it increasingly difficult for smaller places to compete. There were some 10,000 slaughterhouses when Congress passed the Wholesome Meat Act. Now, there are less than 3,000. I don't see why they (the USDA) can't send inspectors to smaller plants since they aren't being used at big plants now, Doerr says. It wouldn't cost the government a dime, and it would help some producers, like myself, take the edge off and help consumers as well. DailyMail.com has reached out to Smithfield Foods for comment. No fewer than four Islamic clerics have been arrested in Lagos State and Federal Capital Territory Abuja for violating the Federal Government-ordered lockdown in the two cities. The culprits were arrested in mosques during Ramadan prayers with their followers. Announcing the arrest on Sunday evening via Twitter, the Lagos State Police Command said the Imam of Sheik Central Mosque, Mile 12 was arrested for holding prayers in the Mosque with a large number of worshippers. The Police said the Imam would be charged to court. Also, the FCT Administration Task Force on COVID-19 led by its Chairman, Ikharo Attah, in a video released via Twitter was seen enforcing the arrest at some mosques where three Imams were seen leading their congregation in Solat. Attah said the erring religious leaders have been sent to one-month imprisonment with community service. Addressing the erring Imams and their congregants shortly before making the arrests, Attah said, We have not come here to do anything against what you believe. We understand clearly that this is the holy month of Ramadan. We also know by Islamic injunction the Quran was clear. Quran 2138 that oh ye who believe fasting by Allah is prescribed unto you as it was unto them before you, that you may seek piety and be righteous. But while Allah gives you the caveat to pray constantly in line with Quranic injunctions, it Allah was also very clear in Quran chapter 4, verses 59 and 60 that oh ye who believe, you must obey Allah subu hana ta Allah. You must obey the messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, and you must obey all those whom Allah has given authority over you. The PUNCH reports that Lagos and Abuja have been on lockdown occasioned by the coronavirus pandemic since 11pm, March 30, as part of efforts to curb the spread of the novel infection. According to the Nigeria Centre for disease control, Lagos and Abuja have recorded the highest number of COVID-19 cases in the country. In case anyone missed it, we're currently in the middle of a global pandemic and almost the entire world is in lockdown. While there's still no vaccination for coronavirus and we still don't know how long it will take for one to be developed, some of the greatest minds in the world are working on it. Turns out, the team that is working on the vaccination at Oxford University also includes a woman from Kolkata. Chandra Datta is a resident of Oxford and part of the university as a quality assurance manager and is reportedly playing a big part in the manufacturing of anti-viral vaccine - ChAd0x1 nCoV-19. TOI The trials for the vaccine in question started last week and if it passes, it could be available to the public by September or October. But, it all depends on the trial data. Coming back to the super intelligent Indian woman, she is originally from Kolkata and went to Gokhale Memorial Girls School. After that, she completed her BTech in engineering and biotechnology from the Heritage Institute of Technology, Kolkata. Later on, she moved to the UK in 2009 to pursue a course of MSc-Bioscience at Leeds University. Reuters While talking to TOI, she said, "After I have checked all the paperwork, the quality professional does certification of the batch that he is happy for the vaccine to go for the clinical trial. That happened on Wednesday with the Covid-19 vaccine." She went on, "It has been an amazing experience. The last one month everyone has been really pressured but we got it done very quickly. There has been a massive team effort. From what I have heard, we are planning to start mass manufacture at the Serum Institute in Pune before the trial passes so as soon as the trial passes, it can go to the market." Reuters She even talked about how crucial it is to try and develop the vaccine quickly during a time like this. She said, "Vaccine development normally takes three to four years and we are trying to get this done in a few months. So far we have made approximately 600 of the vaccines. We are in the process of manufacturing more. I think we can make 1,000 and then it will get mass-produced. They are looking into more manufacturing facilities in the UK which have not finalised yet." Well, all we can hope for is that the vaccine is actually successful and the pandemic gets over soon. Hauwa Mohammed, the 42-year-old female who fled the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital after testing positive for coronavirus, has returned. Salisu Kwayabura, the states commissioner of health, disclosed this, saying the patient fled the teaching hospital after her result came positive on Sunday. He had said a diligent surveillance and investigation team was working very hard to track Mohammed and Abbas Hassan, another patient who also fled isolation. However, Isa Gusau, spokesman of Babagana Zulum, the governor,in a statement on Monday said when Hauwa upon return said she did not receive communication from the COVID-19 team on the need to go into isolation. He said, Bornos commissioner of health and secretary of the states high powered response team confirmed on Monday afternoon, that the patient brought herself in a very responsible and medically professional manner which was highly commendable. Read Also: Almajiri Kids From Kano Among New COVID-19 Cases In Kaduna: Commissioner Dr. Kwayabura also said even though Hauwa was on self-isolation since her sample was taken, a surveillance and investigation team has been deployed to assess risks of infection in line with the protocol of dealing with epidemics and pandemics. With Hauwas return, all COVID-19 patients in Borno state are now fully accounted for. The Borno government had earlier announced that Abbas had returned to the isolation centre. Appeasements damage to education and law enforcement By Michael R. Shannon Americas cultural suicide is gaining momentum. Two professions that are the bedrock of a successful culture are rotting from within. Education informs and civilizes our nations youth and prepares them to assume a productive role in society. Law enforcement helps to ensure graduates stay civilized. Both professions require dedicated, motivated employees with high morale. The politicians who oversee education and law enforcement, and the administrators politicians select to supervise, are driving those employees out. Their defacto National Enforced Apathy Policy culls the wheat from the chaff and then tosses the wheat. Over the last decade the elites who run the culture have moved on from the War on Crime to a War on Police. Crime victims are no longer the people robbed, raped or murdered. Now the victims are the people doing the robbing, raping or murdering. Travis Yates, at LawOfficer.com, writes, [O]fficers are more scared of YouTube than violent criminals and they know that many in leadership roles are either silent or will throw them under the bus for just about anything. And the viral video is just the beginning. Politicians with no idea of what happens on the street will sit in judgement safe in the knowledge they cant go wrong if they condemn the officers actions. Chiefs of Police appointed by those same politicians wait for the high sign from the mayors office before rendering a verdict. And news poodles interview the loudest voices and solemnly announce the community is concerned. With the exception of some members of the community, most of these people sitting in judgement live quiet lives. The closest they come to a physical struggle is when the cork breaks off in the neck of their wine bottle. They have no frame of reference for police work. It often requires violence to force suspects and lawbreakers to comply. If verbal commands were all that was needed, Fauxcahontas could enforce the law. Officers most likely to star on YouTube are officers who are the most proactive. Theyre out of the cruiser and talking to suspicious individuals. They investigate when their instincts tell them something is wrong. They make more traffic stops and have more contact with the public. Each time they set foot outside the cruiser it increases their chances of an encounter that turns violent and cinematic. Even encounters that dont generate video, generate complaints because the high selfesteem community doesnt like cops cramping their style. Yates found officers nearing retirement are leaving at the first opportunity. Officers with 10 to 19 years on are some of the most miserable in our profession. And officers with up to nine years have now realized that they work in the only profession that can ruin you for doing nothing wrong. Formerly proactive officers now are indistinguishable from the departments dead weight. They roll slower to hot calls. On scene they wait for a supervisor before acting. They stay in their cruiser until dispatched. They are reactive at best. They stay in the good graces of the command staff by writing reports that reduce crime rates through creative word processing. The only people shortchanged are the victims of crime that could have been prevented and residents of neighborhoods where the cops have ceded control to the criminal element. The same conditions exist in education. Motivated teachers with standards also cause problems. They assign work. They have creative lesson plans. They want students to pay attention. They take attendance. They expect work to be turned in on time. When students dont do the work, pay attention or show up for class grades suffer and parents complain. That creates administration headaches. Parents complain. Students stomp out of class. Meetings must be held and parents pacified. Just like in police work the good teachers are leaving the profession. What remains are popular teachers who goalongtogetalong. They arent hung up on attendance. They stay behind the desk updating their Facebook page. There are no discipline problems because the teacher doesnt expect a disciplined classroom. Every student gets at least a C regardless of work. Parents are happy. Earbud wearing students are happy. Administrators are happy. The only people shortchanged are students who want to learn. The only real difference between the inert cop and the inert teacher is politicians arent promising to raise the salaries of the inert cops. These two twisted, selfdefeating standards, imposed by our clueless, leftist elites, serve to accelerate cultural suicide. When the actions and attitudes of the criminal element determine law enforcement policy and the actions and attitudes of oppositional students determine education policy you create a dangerous culture dominated by the uneducated and the outofcontrol. Michael R. Shannon is a public relations and advertising consultant with corporate, government and political experience around the globe. He is a dynamic and entertaining keynote speaker. He can be reached at mandate.mmpr (at) gmail.com. He is also the author of Conservative Christian's Guidebook for Living in Secular Times (Now with added humor!). Home Chennai, April 27 : Tamil Nadu Health Minister C.Vijayabaskar on Monday said the state is expecting central government's permission for blood plasma treatment trials in a week's time. Speaking to reporters, Vijayabaskar said the state has applied for starting blood plasma treatment for COVID-19 patients. He said the permission is expected in a week's time. In the meantime necessary activities in that connection is being taken. A total of 1,885 persons (1,279 male, 606 female) have been tested positive for coronavirus in the state till Sunday. So far, 1,020 COVID-19 patients were discharged in the state, health officials added. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- While the Staten Island Ferrys budget was recently cut, resulting in reduced overnight service, the NYC Ferry system has not been subject to similar measures, despite only carrying about one-fourth of the annual number of passengers. Earlier this month, Mayor Bill de Blasio unveiled his Fiscal Year 2021 (FY21) budget proposal, including a reduction in overnight service on the Staten Island Ferry that would save the city $5.5 million and could potentially last until July 1, 2021. What we found, of course, was a massive drop in ridership in the midst of this crisis. I mean, its truly massive and they were running boats with very few people on them. So, were trying to just create a consistent schedule that will be the one people can depend on going forward, de Blasio said. However, despite serving less passengers and seeing a similar drop in ridership percentage, the NYC Ferry system, one of Mayor Bill de Blasios key initiatives in recent years, will retain all existing funding, with neither the budget nor fare expected to change, according to the New York City Economic Development Corporation (EDC). The NYC Ferry system -- which launched in 2017 -- saw just 6.3 million riders in 2019, about one-fourth of the 25.2 million who rode the Staten Island Ferry in Fiscal Year 2019, according to city data. In addition to serving far fewer riders, the NYC Ferry receives much larger subsidies than other mass transit options across the city due to high operating costs and relatively-low fares. Swimming in Subsidies: The High Cost of NYC Ferry, a report released last year by the Citizens Budget Committee, found public subsidies of $10.73 per passenger on the NYC Ferry system, more than ten times the amount of New York City Transits $1.05 per passenger subsidy and nearly twice as much as the $5.46 per passenger subsidy on the Staten Island Ferry. A representative from the Mayors office did not directly respond to questions regarding why NYC Ferry did not see budget cuts similar to those experienced by the Staten Island Ferry, but said the city is trying to keep as many transit options available to essential workers as possible. The ferry system is a vital component of the present and future of our citys transit infrastructure. Our budget reflected the scale of the challenge before us, but were committed to preserving transit options for workers serving on the front lines of the battle against COVID-19," said City Hall spokesman Mitch Schwartz. The NYC Ferry system is currently operating on a reduced schedule, with ridership down approximately 90% since Mar. 20. Riders are asked to only travel when necessary and refrain from all recreational trips. New Yorkers have been doing their part to stop the spread of COVID-19 by staying home and practicing social distancing," said EDC spokesman Christopher Singleton. "NYC Ferry will continue to serve critical workers who must travel, but we ask that at this time people do not ride for recreation. For more information on the new schedule, please visit ferry.nyc. STATEN ISLANDS NEW FERRY ROUTE COULD SEE DELAY The NYC Ferry system -- initially heralded as a five borough network despite no Staten Island connections -- was set to dock on the boroughs North Shore later this year, but its unclear if and how the COVID-19 outbreak will impact the timeline. In January, the EDC vowed to begin the new service to and from Midtown Manhattan before the end of this year, though, an exact date had yet to be determined. Disruptions associated with the coronavirus outbreak could impact the ferrys launch date, though progress continues and no changes have been made to the original schedule to this point, according to the EDC. The new fast ferry service will be situated between the base of the Richmond County Bank Ballpark and Empire Outlets in St. George. Three boats currently under construction will service the route. Commuters are expected to pay $2.75 for the ride, which will take 18 minutes to get from St. George to Battery Park/Vesey Street, and then another 17 minutes to continue onto Midtown West at Pier 79/West 39th Street. Shuttle buses are expected to regularly pick up commuters from the West 39th Street stop. The EDC said it anticipates the new route will be the second most popular in the NYC Ferry system after its East River route, and expects the Island to see 1.9 million annual trips. POTENTIAL BROOKLYN ROUTE? Borough President James Oddo said in January that he would like to see a route to Brooklyn that would connect the North Shore to Brooklyns existing South Brooklyn fast ferry route, which includes stops in Bay Ridge, Sunset Park, Red Hook, Atlantic Avenue and DUMBO. He said he has been working with Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams on the expansion. Adams said it would be a missed connection if the city does not look at additional ways to connect the boroughs. Adams thinks connecting the two boroughs by ferry is something that could happen this year and he is open to suggestions on where the connection, or multiple connections, could go. It would take a substantial amount of decades to build a tunnel under the waterway. It would take a long period of time to add tracks onto the Verrazzano Bridge if that was feasible. Even to open and put bike lanes, all of this would take time. It would take little or no time to build out a dock, create a route for a ferry and to allow the system to be utilized, Adams said. FIGHTING TO RESTORE STATEN ISLAND FERRY SERVICE Meanwhile, the boroughs elected officials are fighting to have full overnight service on the Staten Island Ferry restored as soon as possible, urging the Department of Transportation (DOT) to re-enact full service once the city begins to reopen. Ferry reductions are tied to massive ridership drops and the DOTs ability to staff. Understandable. But the moment Stay Home is lifted and ridership increases is the time Ferry service reductions must be rescinded," said Oddo. Councilwoman Debi Rose (D-North Shore) noted the importance of overnight service for off-peak workers, assuring residents that the Staten Island delegation is working hard to restore service as soon as possible. Overnight service is a crucial connection for many workers who dont adhere to the traditional 9-to-5 schedule. This cut will be a significant inconvenience for Staten Islanders, and my colleagues and I have been fighting and will continue to fight to ensure this is reversed as soon as possible. Frequent service is a necessity, not an amenity, Rose said. Councilman Steven Matteo (R-Mid-Island) referenced issues of overcrowding once the city reduced service to hourly intervals last month, stating that local lawmakers will work tirelessly to ensure full service is restored upon reopening the city. I understand the reasoning behind reducing ferry service, but as a consequence, riders were not able to properly practice social distancing and my colleagues and I had to ask the city for additional boats. Once the city reopens, however, I expect full service on the Staten Island Ferry to resume," Matteo said. I believe the city does not have the legal authority to make these service reductions on the ferry permanent, and my colleagues and I will vigorously oppose any service changes that do not adhere to the letter of the law. Staten Islanders absolutely deserve this modicum of transportation equity, he said. Mexico's homicide rate has seen a surge within the last month. Figures by the government show that killing-related crime rose above 8% from February to March, going from 2,766 to 3,000 homicides, according to a report by the Associated Press. Federal authorities suspect that this rise in violent crimes can be attributed to social isolation and widespread shutdowns against the pandemic. A Rise in Violent Crimes Mexico President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador held the drug cartels accountable for the rise in criminality. Also, he believes that these criminal organizations who continued to fight over turf and routes in drug-trafficking accounted for most of the crime rate. "They're fighting each other constantly," the president said, referring to the drug cartel rivalry that was widespread in the country. The homicide rate was highest in Guanajuato, with 1,163 cases of violent crime from the beginning of the year. Most of the killings happened in the wealthy, industrialized state of Guanajuato, and so Lopez Obrador was convinced that violence would persist even in areas of economic growth. He said that despite that, Guanajuato was flourishing economically, and it was the state with the most violence. He added that the root of the problem was inequality. "For a long time, factories, assembly plants, the automotive industry, auto parts have set up shop there. There are plenty of jobs [in Guanajuato]," he said. "Growth is not synonymous with welfare." Since the beginning of the Lopez Obrador administration, federal authorities followed through the projects that were aligned with his post-neoliberal model. The president acknowledged that their efforts were not made in vain, for he had not seen so many people destined to serve the low-income population. "We said, 'violence cannot be fought with violence,'" Lopez Obrador said. "We say 'Peace and tranquility from the fruits of justice.'" Check these out! Criminal Groups Taking Advantage of the Pandemic While the federal forces are either busy handling the healthcare systems or Lopez Obrador's infrastructure projects, only a few remain to deal with the rising criminality, which was, despite its predictability, larger and more far-reaching than expected. Lopez Obrador repeated time and again the pressure to put on national social programs to guide as many of Mexico's youth as possible so that they will not be misled into recruitment by local criminal groups. The latter target young people from vulnerable communities. According to Reuters, there is currently a $10 million bounty for the arrest of Nemesio "El Mancho" Oseguera Cervantes, the head of the powerful criminal syndicate, Jalisco New Generation cartel. The Drug Enforcement Agency reported that the organization has a strong presence in 24 national states by shipping illegal drugs to the U.S. Lopez Obrador's political platform was grounded on the foundation of solving poverty, inequality, and corruption. Now, during the pandemic, it was difficult to see through to the decline in violence, as he previously expected. The destination of the national budget is funded explicitly for specific projects, and Lopez Obrador is reluctant to spend any more than he has to during this time. For thousands of years, indigenous hunting societies have subsisted on specific animals for their survival. How have these hunter-gatherers been affected when these animals migrate or go extinct? To answer this and other questions, Tel Aviv University (TAU) researchers conducted a broad survey of several hunter-gatherer societies across history in a retrospective study published on January 30 in Time and Mind. The study, led by Eyal Halfon and Prof. Ran Barkai of TAU's Department of Archeology and Ancient Near Eastern Cultures, sheds new light on the deep, multidimensional connection between humans and animals. "There has been much discussion of the impact of people on the disappearance of animal species, mostly through hunting," explains Halfon. "But we flipped the issue to discover how the disappearance of animals -- either through extinction or migration -- has affected people." The research reveals that these societies expressed a deep emotional and psychological connection with the animal species they hunted, especially after their disappearance. The study will help anthropologists and others understand the profound environmental changes taking place in our own lifetimes. Halfon and Prof. Barkai conducted a survey of different historical periods and geographical locations, focusing on hunter-gatherer societies that hunted animals as the basis for their subsistence. They also investigated situations in which these animals became extinct or moved to more hospitable regions as a result of climate change. "We found that humans reacted to the loss of the animal they hunted -- a significant partner in deep, varied and fundamental ways," Halfon says. The new research explores hunter-gatherer societies throughout human history, from those dating back hundreds of thousands of years to modern-day societies that still function much the way prehistoric groups did. Ten case studies illustrate the deep connection -- existential, physical, spiritual and emotional -- between humans and animals they hunted. "Many hunter-gatherer populations were based on one type of animal that provided many necessities such as food, clothing, tools and fuel," Prof. Barkai says. "For example, until 400,000 years ago prehistoric humans in Israel hunted elephants. Up to 40,000 years ago, residents of Northern Siberia hunted the woolly mammoth. When these animals disappeared from those areas, this had major ramifications for humans, who needed to respond and adapt to a new situation. Some had to completely change their way of life to survive." According to the study, human groups adapted in different ways. Siberian residents seeking sustenance after the disappearance of mammoths migrated east and became the first settlers of Alaska and northern Canada. Cave dwellers in central Israel's Qesem Cave (excavated by Prof. Barkai) hunted fallow deer, far smaller than elephants, which required agility and social connections instead of robust physical strength. This necessitated far-reaching changes in their material and social culture and, subsequently, physical structure. Halfon stresses the emotional reaction to an animal group's disappearance. "Humans felt deeply connected to the animals they hunted, considering them partners in nature, and appreciating them for the livelihood and sustenance they provided," he says. "We believe they never forgot these animals -- even long after they disappeared from the landscape." An intriguing example of this kind of memory can be found in engravings from the Late Paleolithic period in Europe, which feature animals like mammoths and seals. Studies show that most of these depictions were created long after these two animals disappeared from the vicinity. "These depictions reflect a simple human emotion we all know very well: longing," says Halfon. "Early humans remembered the animals that disappeared and perpetuated them, just like a poet who writes a song about his beloved who left him." According to Prof. Barkai, another emotional response was a sense of responsibility -- even guilt. "Indigenous hunter-gatherer societies have been very careful to maintain clear rules about hunting. As a result, when an animal disappears, they ask: 'Did we behave properly? Is it angry and punishing us? What can we do to convince it to come back?'" he concludes. "Such a reaction has been exhibited by modern-day hunter-gatherer societies as well." ### American Friends of Tel Aviv University supports Israel's most influential, comprehensive and sought-after center of higher learning, Tel Aviv University (TAU). TAU is recognized and celebrated internationally for creating an innovative, entrepreneurial culture on campus that generates inventions, startups and economic development in Israel. TAU is ranked ninth in the world, and first in Israel, for producing start-up founders of billion-dollar companies, an achievement that surpassed several Ivy League universities. To date, 2,500 US patents have been filed by Tel Aviv University researchers -- ranking TAU #1 in Israel, #10 outside of the US and #66 in the world. New Pacific Metal's CEO, Dr. Mark Cruise, discusses highlights of the company's maiden resource on Market One Minute. New Pacific Metals Corp. (TSX.V: NUAG) (OTCQX: NUPMF) is exploring and developing precious metals properties in Bolivia. The companys flagship property is the Silver Sand project in Potosi, Bolivia. Jim Gordon: Hi, I'm Jim Gordon and you're watching Market One Minute. Joining us today is Dr. Mark Cruise, of New Pacific Metals Corp. Mark, thanks for joining us. Mark Cruise: It's great to be here today. Thank you for having me. Jim Gordon: You're quite welcome. Okay, New Pacific Metals has released their maiden resource. What are some of the highlights in the numbers that investors should be paying attention to? Mark Cruise: Yeah, New Pacific has just released our new resource. It's our inaugural one. The highlights are it's big and it's high-grade. It's measured and indicated of 35 million tonnes at 137 grams per tonne for close to 156 million ounces of contained silver, and inferred close to 10 million tonnes at 112 grams per tonne for an additional 35 million ounces. It's one of the largest new silver discoveries out there globally in the last decade. Mineralization starts at or near surface and certainly the grades are very attractive and may be amenable to open pit extraction. Jim Gordon: And what does the main resource mean to New Pacific Metals, and how does it compare to other silver resources, and the rest of the industry? Mark Cruise: Listen for New Pacific it is huge. The team has been working hard for the last two years on this resource estimate. So, the fact that the team has been able to go on the ground in a relatively short period of time, obviously pinpoint the opportunity, drill it and get the resource out and turn it into what is looking to be a world-class discovery, is massive for any company no matter what size, and to put it into perspective, it is one of the biggest new silver discoveries out there globally and even if we look at the head grade, the average head grade of all silver mines underground mines globally are 180 grams per tonne, whereas we're coming out with a resource that looks like it's going to be open pitable at 137 grams per tonne. So, that's a massive competitive advantage. Jim Gordon: And Mark is the deposit drilled off? Mark Cruise: For the large parts the core of the deposit or the central zone is drilled off. It's drilled off very tightly at 25 metre centers. That allowed us to have these high-quality tonnage there on measured and indicated. Although, it does remain open to the north, it remains open to the south, and it remains open at depth. In fact, the deepest drill hole, or roughly 90 per cent of the drill holes, we've only tested the top 200 to 250 meters. So, we've really only scratched the surface on this one. Jim Gordon: Now New Pacific Metals has other assets in Bolivia. What are your plans in the district and the region? Mark Cruise: Yeah, New Pacific plans are pretty straightforward. We're going to continue with advanced engineering studies on the Silver Sand Deposit itself. District-wise we're going to continue following up on our recent discoveries. Most notably on the Snake Hole zone from December last year, and it is not included in the current resource estimate. We are currently in progress of drilling another 4,000 metres, and this is some of the highest-grade intersections that New Pacific has drilled in Bolivia. So, district-wise, the team feels there's a lot more to be discovered. We classify the potential as excellent, and then when we step back regionally, we really have first-mover status in the entire country, really one of the world's richest silver districts. Jim Gordon: Mark finally, what is the company strategy moving forward for the rest of 2020? Mark Cruise: Yeah, listen it's a combination of things. So, we're going to continue de-risking and developing the Silver Sand Deposit itself. So, more of that's transitioning into more advanced scale studies, whether that's metallurgy, ground conditions, water, social, environmental studies, and we already started them in January of this year. So, we've already got a bit of a head start there, and then also we're going to keep maintaining the exploration. We've got a very experienced exploration team. So, it's taking the lessons we learnt and the skills we've gained at Silver Sand itself and leveraging that out into the regional scale and also countrywide as well, namely our Silverstrike project. Jim Gordon: Mark, thanks for joining us. Mark Cruise: Many thanks for having me here. NEW PACIFIC METALS CORP. IS A CANADIAN ISSUER This presentation is prepared by New Pacific Metals Corp. (TSXV:NUAG/OTCQX:NUPMF) (New Pacific) management and New Pacific is solely responsible for content and format. This presentation is not intended as a solicitation or offering of securities in any jurisdiction and the information contained herein in no way should be construed or interpreted as such. No securities commission or other regulatory authority in Canada or any other country or jurisdiction has in any way passed on the merits of this presentation and no representation or warranty is made by New Pacific to that effect. The information in this presentation is not intended to modify, qualify, supplement or amend information disclosed under corporate and securities legislation of any jurisdiction applicable to New Pacific and should not be used for the purpose of making investment decisions concerning securities of New Pacific. CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This presentation contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and applicable Canadian securities legislation concerning the business, operations and financial performance and condition of New Pacific. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the future price of silver, the estimation of mineral reserves and resources, the realization of mineral reserve estimates, the timing and amount of estimated future production, costs of production, capital expenditures, success of exploration activities, requirements for additional capital, government regulation of mining operations, environmental risks, title disputes or claims and limitations on insurance coverage. Generally, these forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as plans, expects, is expected, budget, scheduled, estimates, forecasts, intends, anticipates, believes or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, might or will be taken, occur or be achieved or the negative connotation thereof. Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of New Pacific to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements; see a list of risk factors in the section titled Description of the Business Risk Factors in New Pacifics annual information form available under New Pacifics profile on www.sedar.com. Although New Pacific has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in such forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. CAUTIONARY STATEMENTS REGARDING ESTIMATES OF MINERAL RESOURCES This presentation uses the terms measured, indicated and inferred resources as a relative measure of the level of confidence in the resource estimate. Readers are cautioned that mineral resources are not economic mineral reserves and that the economic viability of resources that are not mineral reserves has not been demonstrated. The estimate of mineral resources may be materially affected by geology, environmental, permitting, legal, title, socio-political, marketing or other relevant issues. The mineral resource estimate is classified in accordance with the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleums CIM Definition Standards on Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves incorporated by reference into NI 43-101. Under Canadian rules, estimates of inferred mineral resources may not form the basis of feasibility or pre-feasibility studies or economic studies except for Preliminary Assessment as defined under NI 43-101. Readers are cautioned not to assume that further work on the stated resources will lead to mineral reserves that can be mined economically. This presentation contains certain exploration information conceptual in nature. Please note that for such information, there has been insufficient exploration to define a mineral resource, and it is uncertain if further exploration will result in the target being delineated as a mineral resource. CAUTIONARY NOTE TO US INVESTORS This has been prepared in accordance with the requirements of NI 43-101 and the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum Definition Standards, which differ from the requirements of U.S. Securities laws. NI 43-101 is a rule developed by the Canadian Securities Administrators that establishes standards for all public disclosure an issuer makes of scientific and technical information concerning mineral projects. This video content is produced by Market One Media Group Inc. on behalf of New Pacific Metals Corp. New Pacific has reviewed and approved all contents of the video. Maharashtra will be embarking on roadshows abroad from November this year to attract investments into the state in the post-COVID 19 pandemic world, a senior official has said. The state, which claims to be among the most industrialised ones in the country, will be specifically targeting investments from global companies looking to relocate outside of China, Maharashtra's Development Commissioner for Industries, Harshdeep Kamble said at a seminar at the World Trade Centre here. Maharashtra, which has ambitions to more than double the GSDP to USD 1 trillion by 2025, will be targeting to get companies from the automobiles, steel, textiles, agro processing and pharma sectors to invest in the state as part of the strategy, Kamble said, as per a press statement issued by the organisers of the event. Government of Maharashtra is working on special package to attract MNCs looking to relocate from China..The state government will conduct roadshows and market the state in different countries by November 2020 to attract investment, Kamble was quoted as saying. Kamble said Chinese auto major Great Wall Motors has decided to go ahead with its investment in an electric vehicle facility and battery production unit at Pune despite the COVID-19 pandemic. The official said as part of the incentives offered under the state's industrial policy, a company can recover up to 100 per cent of their fixed investments. He said India will have to look at the manufacturing sector more seriously and exuded confidence that companies in the sector will choose his state to invest. Without specifying the dates, the press release quoted Kamble as saying that 6,500 units in Maharashtra have started operation in recent days and 4,000 units have applied for resuming operations. It can be noted that as part of the exit plan mooted by the Centre, industrial units in non-hotspot areas have been allowed to function from April 20. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Dean Smith, a Princeton toy shop owner, said 2020 was shaping up to be his best year in more than a decade. We were like, wow, were finally over the hump and the pain and the remnants of the last financial crisis and the rise of Amazon that had befallen us, Smith said, expecting a banner first quarter. This is going to be our year. That fell apart when the coronavirus pandemic hit and New Jerseys economy ground to a halt. He frantically built out his companys website, expanding his online inventory to 4,000 items from 300. He said he and co-owner Joanne Farrugia gave up their pay. They laid off many of their workers at their two shops but continued to pay their full health care premiums. Smith also applied for a loan under the governments program to help small businesses hammered by the crisis. He didnt get it. Smith now will have another chance at what could be a business-saving loan, as President Donald Trump on Friday signed a second bill aimed at helping business: a $310 billion expansion of the paycheck protection program, known as PPP. The legislation also included a $60 billion emergency loan and grant program for small businesses. The window for lenders to apply for loans reopens at 10:30 a.m. Monday, the Small Business Administration said. Applications already lined up will be processed first, the agency said. The federal money, Smith said, could help sustain his business though the end of the summer. Otherwise, he said, he will have some hard decisions to make come June. If the PPP comes through, then theres definitely some more flexibility for our business," Smith said. "And I think that we would be able to sustain ourselves through the summer without it being an existential financial crisis. Smith is among the tens of thousands of New Jersey business owners who so far were shut out of a program that ran out of money quickly in its first phase. From the beginning of this crisis, experts have sounded the alarm about the risk of indefinite closures to small businesses, which operate on the thinnest margins and have little reserves. Many fear that by the time theyre finally allowed to reopen their doors, they wont be able to. Obviously, the first bill wasnt enough, said Tom Bracken, president of the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce. It was great for the people who got money, but for the people who didnt get money, it was a real gut shot. Thats what happened to Shaghayegh DeNoble, a gynecologist with offices in Ridgewood and Wayne who applied for a loan but didnt get it. Shes basically shut down her five-employee practice, except for some online consultations, but still has rent, equipment payments and other expenses to pay. Im really worried that I will have to shut down, she said. A quarter of businesses polled by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce at the end of March said they were at risk of permanently closing in the next two months. Ten percent said they may not make it another month. This is just the survival stage, Bracken said. CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live map tracker | Businesses that are open | Homepage New Jerseys Economic Development Authority offered help as well, but that, too, evaporated quickly. The state put $15 million into a pair of loan and grant programs that vanished in under an hour. Within 12 hours of the application window opening, there were 2,480 applications requesting $180.1 million in loans, according to Tim Sullivan, who heads the EDA. More than 34,000 of the smallest businesses those with 10 full-time equivalent employees or fewer vied for separate grants between $1,000 and $5,000. But with just $5 million in that pot, only 1,250 to 2,000 grants were awarded. If we had more money, wed be putting it into more programs, trust me, Gov. Phil Murphy said at his daily coronavirus press briefing last week. The EDA recently began soliciting private donations of $100,000 or more to award more grants. On the federal level, 33,519 New Jersey businesses in the state received a total of $9.5 billion in loans through April 16, according to the Small Business Administration. But even those who got help say it cant sustain them for long. After weeks of handwringing over the fate of her small business and pulling $12,000 from her own savings to pay rent and payroll, Patricia Caamano, a Bernardsville mortgage broker, was approved for a federal loan, and $3,000 appeared in her business account from the state EDA. The Small Business Administration loan may buy her two more months, she said, maybe three. And DeNobles husband, Peter, who applied at the same time she did, was able to obtain a federal loan for his orthopedic practice, which has offices in Wayne and Paramus. Thats allowed him to retain his 10 employees for now. The only big question for me is what happens not only two months from now but three or four or five months from now if things dont pick up, he said. There are definitely businesses that are going to go away. Its going to reshape our economy. Jack Haberman, the owner of Modern Auto Body in South Orange, also got federal help. His loan allowed him to keep his 20 employees, a skilled workforce he couldnt rebuild from scratch if he had to let them go. Were the classic case of why it was formed, to keep small businesses like ours afloat and allow us to retain our employees, he said. Those who missed out the first time may be first in line this time around. Thats what Frank Sorrentino, chairman and chief executive of Englewood Cliffs-based ConnectOne Bank, said could happen. His bank processed 1,400 small-business loans during the first round, and has plenty of new applications ready to go again. We have all their paperwork, Sorrentino said. Theyre just waiting for the door to open. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Samantha Marcus may be reached at smarcus@njadvancemedia.com. Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. A source revealed that Beijing demanded a whitewash of an EU report, outlining China's active disinformation concerning the coronavirus, or else they will cut off medical supply. The South China Morning post got hold of an initial version of the EU report that outlined Beijing's effort to sow a "global disinformation campaign" to blame for coronavirus outbreak. The report emphasized the 'overt and covert tactic' to mislead the facts. Sources indicate that this section was removed as Beijing reminded EU diplomats of rescinding necessary medical aid as leverage to maneuver EU countries stricken by the coronavirus. Medical aid will be cut EU diplomats were threatened by China if they published the part which was not favorable to the Sleeping Giant. This made diplomats wary not to anger Beijing which can compromise the fight against COVID-19, sources reveal. China has to influence enough whitewash involvement with the virus because of "its status as the key exporter of strategic products." The report sanitized by Beijing's demands It was a regular update made by the EU's disinformation team which is an integral part of the bloc's diplomacy unit, called the European External Action Service (EEAS). Initially propped up to keep tabs on Russian disinformation and propaganda with Beijing's doubtful activities, the team included its remit to cover doubtful Chinese activities. Part of the recent alleged propaganda of China is contributing to the COVID-19 effort in countries like Spain and Italy, who are suspected propagation point of the virus that led to their outbreaks. Brussel state that it was France and Germany who sent more masks not China. One point is that many China-made PPEs and tests were mostly substandard. Also read: Coronavirus Origin: Patient Zero of Wuhan Market Revealed? On April 1, the section's latest published report said China's state media and government official are promoting unproven theories about COVID-19. They even made outlandish statements that European leaders are ingratiated by the Chinese aid given to their countries. How the report was procured is still being questioned, especially before getting published, with the a question regarding Chinese intent about it. Reuters stated that Yang Xiaoguang, a counsellor of the European department of China's foreign ministry, had a meeting with EU foreign corps about their concerns. Soon after, these diplomats relayed what the mainland government think of the report when sent to Brussels. The New York Times mentioned that Esther Osorio, a communications adviser to Josep Borrell (head EU diplomatic service) stepped in to delay the report. Osorio asked the analysts to lessen what is seen as China and Russian culpability in matters concerned about bias. Beijing's 'heavy pushback' was obvious, and many on the team were against the whitewash. EEAS objected that Beijing forced its dictates, they issued the statement,"We have never bowed to any alleged external political pressure," said the EU Commission foreign affairs spokeswoman Virginie Battu-Henriksson. She said the report cites the use of conspiracy narratives and disinformation from various official, with state sources, that China and Russian are actively doing it. But the original report clearly blamed China that made a 'continued and coordinate push' to shift blame for the crisis. Despite the whitewash, Chinese ambassador Zhang Ming wanted a more sanitized version of the report Reinhard Butikofer, who chairs the European Parliament's China delegation said," If you are picking a fight with the propaganda apparatus of the Chinese Communist Party, you should be prudent about it, choose your words right and stand your ground," If Beijing demanded a whitewash of the EU report, that will be a problem especially with China's determination to change the narrative, one and for all. Related article: Wuhan Lab Scientists Reportedly Created Coronavirus to Be Lethal to Humans, Russian Scientist Says @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. "Here I am sitting on the balcony patiently waiting for the sunrise. Weve just left Ecuador, heading to the Panama Canal and getting very close to coming home. Barbara McNarry penned these words as she reflected on her epic adventure aboard the sumptuous Queen Victoria cruise ship. She and her husband Norman were sailing from their second home in South Africa across the Atlantic Ocean and around the South American coastline. Sharing this amazing experience was, of course, the infamous Mr P, as she dubbed Parkinsons following her diagnosis with the debilitating condition. Yet, despite his unwelcome presence, Barbara was relishing a journey she described as physically beneficial and one filled with emotions that at times have taken me back to the person I once was. The effects of Parkinsons had taken a cruel grip on someone who, like most of us, valued her independence and ability to travel. But, as coronavirus engulfed the globe, little did she and Norman know that the journey home would take 11 days longer than anticipated, albeit in the safe and luxurious surroundings of the Queen Victoria, and a whole new battle awaited. Expand Close Barbara with husband Norman / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Barbara with husband Norman As we neared Florida, the world was rapidly closing down, explains Barbara of her ships change of plans. Airlines were cancelling flights, so we and approximately 700 other passengers had to make a decision; stay on board or disembark. I really wanted to get off, mainly because I had an extremely important neurology appointment. However, following regular updates from the captain, we decided to stay on until Southampton. It was a gamble but we got home in the end. Despite its disruptive conclusion, for Barbara (67) and husband Norman, their dream trip provided a perfect escape from their Parkinsons reality. Expand Close Barbara and her husband Norman on their cruise ship holiday / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Barbara and her husband Norman on their cruise ship holiday Reminiscing on the ship, Barbara recalled: Just last night Norman told me how happy he was to see me laughing again. He hasnt seen me laugh properly for a long time. That was very hard for me to hear, as people [will] know my sense of humour. And as the equator approached it was time for Barbara to become a fully fledged shellback. This whimsical term refers to someone who has crossed the equator and taken part in an initiation ceremony overseen by King Neptune himself. Already a shellback, Norman often wished his wife would join him in this briny baptism. After much deliberation I decided to surprise him, but was very concerned that Mr P might prove problematical, said Barbara. Undeterred, she enlisted the help of Radovan, her on-board concierge, and his colleague Natalie. What struck me about Natalie was her genuine caring nature, which is sadly a trait not everyone displays towards Parkinsons sufferers, Barbara explained. Read More As the day drew nearer my nerves were jangling, but on the morning of March 7 I was up with the lark. The date is significant as it marks three years since I was diagnosed with Parkinsons and just happened to coincide with International Womens Day. She changed into her swimsuit and Parkinsons T-shirt, which she wears with pride on every possible occasion, and waited poolside to surprise her husband. I just wish I could have captured the look on his face when I walked out to the pool for the traditional kissing a dead fish. Its become a bit of a joke that I actually preferred kissing it to kissing him, she laughed. Yet even this seemingly simple ceremony brought with it a raft of difficulties. I was concentrating so much on walking and not shuffling my way around the pool, I was sort of oblivious to the hundreds of people watching it all unfold. Apparently, when I kissed the fish and became a confirmed shellback I got a huge cheer. And that is what has been keeping Barbara going ever since she revealed her diagnosis in these very pages. Initial scepticism turned to relief as friends and strangers sent her good wishes in equal measure. Because of Mr P Ive met some amazing people, and there isnt a single day which goes past without someone giving me loads of encouragement with a thumbs-up or a well done, she said. From the encouragement of the staff aboard her ship to everyone back home, that support has given Barbara many much-needed boosts. She continued: What pleases me most is that Ive been able in some small way to enlighten and educate them on Parkinsons. The Parkinsons motto Change Attitudes. Find A Cure. Join Us. is simple and straight to the point. The majority of people understand what we are saying, but there is so much more to be done to educate those who dont. And as for her decision to board a ship and entrust her fragile health to its team, there was never any doubt. Three different health professionals suggested I shouldnt have made this trip and I must confess I had huge reservations, explained Barbara. However, I have no doubt whatsoever that I made the right decision. No cooking or cleaning for 56 days. Chocolates on our pillow every night. Who else gets the chance to drink rum cocktails in Barbados; fish for piranhas on the Amazon River; tango in Buenos Aires; see glaciers in Chile; round Cape Horn; do tai chi with the sun coming up over the Pacific; transit the Panama Canal, and, of course, become a shellback? Thats exactly what Ive been so privileged to do with the love of my life. And if there was any remaining doubt about the cruel cards that Mr P can deal, Barbara had a stark realisation when she came face-to-face with a fellow sufferer. I met a lady who was in a wheelchair. I was absolutely shocked to see how Parkinsons had taken hold of her life and sadly had the upper hand. Her tremors were the worst Id ever seen and her speech was so affected that, in the end, I suggested she just nod or shake her head. Her daughter told us that she had reached rock bottom. When I left her, I just squeezed her hand and said: Never give up. The tears rolled down her cheeks and sadly I think she already has. Barbaras own message to her unwanted companion remains resolute: Mr P... whilst theres no doubt my condition is deteriorating, and there are times when you have the upper hand, you will not get your way every day and Im certainly not going to let you get the better of me. I will never give up. Fast forward a few weeks and Barbara and Norman have returned to their Comber home and a 12-week period of isolation, based on her own condition and the fact that Norman is 71-years-old. Its a life much changed since her relatively carefree Cape Town departure. We left a world which was quite normal, she recollects. And now its a world which, like my life with Mr. P., has changed beyond recognition, but its one in which we all must play a part in looking out for each other. I miss my family desperately though, but I know its for the greater good of not just Norman and me, but for everyone. So, just over seven weeks to go and we will appraise the situation, but I know that my three children, six gorgeous grandchildren and my sisters will get the biggest hug ever. And Barbaras condition continues to have a significant impact on her daily life. Little did I know that people with Parkinsons, no matter what age, fall into the high-risk category of the dreaded virus. For us its so far, so good. However, it started me thinking about fellow sufferers who have no one to talk to. At the best of times the world with Mr P is often a lonely place. We dont walk the same, talk the same and think the same, which leaves many feeling embarrassed and ashamed. This can lead to staying inside because its an easier option. However, because of the terrifying potential repercussions of going out, their choice has been removed. Some people will enjoy the isolation, but many fear the worst while sitting alone in their homes. And against this backdrop of unrelenting lockdown, coupled with her ongoing battle with Mr P, thoughts of her famous brother are never far away. Expand Close George Best / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp George Best Theres seldom a day when George doesnt pop into my head, especially now when I need a bit of reassurance, she said. Of his own life he said: All the bad times cannot wipe away the good memories. And despite all of the ups and downs, when I look back on my life as a whole, its impossible for me not to feel blessed. Thats how I feel about my life so far and, with sensible precautions, my future life as well. Parkinsons is scary and unpredictable, but this coronavirus is even more so. In our wee country we are very resilient, but this virus needs to be tackled head on. So please stay home and stay safe. Support Parkinsons Emergency Appeal Parkinsons is one of the underlying health conditions identified by the Government as increasing the risk of serious complications from coronavirus, and right now, the 145,000 people living with Parkinsons in the UK need more support than ever. This month, Parkinsons UK launched an Emergency Appeal and must raise 95,000 every week over the next three months so it can deliver critical support services. To donate to Parkinsons UK Emergency Appeal visit www.parkinsons.org.uk/donate A woman is expected to be charged with drink-driving after allegedly driving her car onto the pedestrian overpass at a Melbourne train station. The 21-year-old is believed to have used a pedestrian ramp at Kananook Railway Station in Melbourne's southeast to reach its overpass about 2am Sunday morning. Police say the woman drove her Mitsubishi ASX up the ramp and stopped at the top before remaining stationary for a while. The Malvern East woman then drove down three flights of stairs to return to the ground level The Malvern East woman then drove down three flights of stairs to return to the ground level. She became stuck between steel handrails and needed to be cut out by SES workers. She was breath-tested by police at the scene and returned a reading of 0.158, more than double the legal limit of 0.05. The woman is expected to be charged with drink-driving and careless driving. There were nine Chief Ministers who spoke, at least four of them advocated for an extension of the lockdown. The meeting took place in the backdrop of the coronavirus pandemic, which has forced the government to impose a nationwide lockdown, pushing the economy to the brink. The fourth interaction between the prime minister and the chief ministers lasted for over ... Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance. We, however, have a request. As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed. Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard. Digital Editor The number of COVID-19 cases in New Jersey nursing homes continues to rise, but officials acknowledged Monday they are still unable to give an accurate breakdown of the death toll by facility. State Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli said her department is attempting to reconcile those numbers, noting that in some cases there has been confusion because the number of deaths reported by some nursing homes have included both residents and staff members. The department overall reported 16,277 cases of coronavirus in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities on Monday, up from 14,579 cases on Friday. All together, there were 2,973 deaths attributed to COVID-19, up from 2,696 deaths just three days ago in nursing homes. Questions about the accuracy of the data, though, have been raised since the state first began releasing the numbers last week. Those figures, which New Jersey had been long reluctant to provide, were finally disclosed after federal officials ordered the nations nursing home operators last Sunday to alert patients and their families if there are cases of the coronavirus within their walls. The states numbers last week were repeatedly challenged by some facility administrators as well as employees and family members. In some instances, facilities did not appear to have included deaths known to have occurred. Others complained the state numbers overstated what had been reported. The Department of Health said the data is all self-reported by the nursing homes, but added that the figures may also be a day or more old. In some cases, they said they have been found several facilities still continue to combine staff with patient deaths. The department has said it is working on a revised system that would allow for more up-to date data. But Persichilli repeatedly has reiterated that the overall numbers are directionally accurate. What is not in question is the very real impact the pandemic has had on nursing home residents in this state. About three in ten deaths in New Jersey from the coronavirus has occurred in a long-term care facility if only counting those cases that are lab-confirmed for COVID-19. That statistic jumps to nearly half of all coronavirus deaths statewide, if all the nursing home deaths where viral infection is suspected are included in the grim calculations. There are currently 476 facilities in the state with viral outbreaks, according to the department. Some families also still complain that they are getting little information about their loved ones in long-term care facilities. Last year, Gov. Phil Murphy signed a law requiring nursing homes to notify all facility residents, staff members and visitors within 24 hours of any outbreak in a facility. Health officials said Persichilli issued memos in March to all long-term care facilities reminding them of their obligation under the law. A second reminder notice was sent to facilities on April 4. According to the latest numbers released on Monday, the New Jersey Veterans Memorial Home in Paramus had the highest number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the state, at 241, and the most deaths, with 53. New Jersey Army National Guard medics and other staff have been deployed to the veterans facilities in Paramus and Menlo Park in recent weeks, which are both struggling with depleted staffs and mounting deaths from the coronavirus. There were 37 deaths and 114 confirmed cases reported yesterday at the home in Menlo Park. The state Department of Veterans Affairs operates both facilities, as well as a third nursing home in Vineland. Lincoln Park Care Center, in Lincoln Park, Morris County, was second on the list in terms of total deaths, 48 which had not changed since last Friday. It reported 163 confirmed cases of the coronavirus. Andover Subacute and Rehabilitation Center I and II in Sussex County, which put a national spotlight on the vulnerability of nursing home patients after reports revealed 17 bodies had piled up at the facility over Easter weekend, reported 45 deaths and 190 confirmed cases in the latest report the third most number of deaths in New Jersey. CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live map tracker | Newsletter | Homepage Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Ted Sherman may be reached at tsherman@njadvancemedia.com. It usually begins after the 20th week of pregnancy: The affected women suddenly develop high blood pressure. They excrete increased amounts of protein in their urine (called proteinuria) - a sign that the small blood vessels in the kidneys are damaged. It can also cause life-threatening damage to the liver and bone marrow. Moreover, the unborn baby is not adequately nourished, which can interfere with the baby's growth and development. About five percent of all pregnant women in Western countries suffer from some form of preeclampsia. "Preeclampsia is the most common pregnancy-related disease that today in Germany still causes a significant number of deaths among women, and it is also the leading cause of premature births, with some births occurring between the 24th and 30th weeks of pregnancy," says Dr. Nadine Haase from the Experimental and Clinical Research Center (ECRC), a joint institution of the Max Delbruck Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC) and Charite - Universitatsmedizin Berlin. Haase is the lead author of a study on preeclampsia that is now being published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation. She is a member of the Hypertension-Mediated End-Organ Damage Lab, led by Professors Dominik Muller and Ralf Dechend, the latter of whom is the senior author of the paper. The disease has previously been untreatable There are not yet any medications for treating preeclampsia. "We know that the endogenous renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS), which regulates blood pressure as well as water and electrolyte balance, is disrupted in women with the disease," Haase says. "However, those agents already known to intervene in the RAAS system cannot be administered to pregnant women, because they could harm the unborn baby, especially impairing kidney development." And other antihypertension drugs, such as methyldopa, have only a minimal effect on preeclampsia. "Often the only option is preterm delivery, and many of these premature babies don't survive or have disabilities," Haase says. So, together with colleagues from Berlin, Essen, Hamburg, and Jackson, Mississippi, as well as a team from the Cambridge, Massachusetts-based medical research firm Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Haase began to search for more effective drugs to treat preeclampsia. The researchers wanted to find out if the small interfering RNA (siRNA) molecules developed by Alnylam could alleviate the symptoms of preeclampsia without harming the fetus. "The siRNA we are using slows the production of the hormone angiotensinogen (AGT) in the liver," Haase explains. "AGT is a precursor of angiotensin. As a result, the siRNA acts on the RAAS system in regulatory manner." Alnylam has already successfully employed this mechanism of action to treat other diseases in humans. Two animal models of preeclampsia Haase and her colleagues tested the siRNA on two animal models. In the first model, the team of researchers used female rats that had been genetically altered so that they produced human AGT. They crossed these animals with male rats that produce human renin. Such a procedure leads to hyperactivity of the RAAS system with corresponding symptoms of preeclampsia during the gestation of the female rats. In the other model, which was developed in the United States and goes by the name of reduced uteroplacental perfusion (RUPP), clips that reduce blood flow in the placenta were applied to the gestating rats. This caused the rat fetuses to be undernourished. In addition, the maternal rats treated with the clip developed - as did the genetically altered animals - high blood pressure and proteinuria, albeit at a lower level. Two clinical biomarkers - PlGF and sFlt-1 - that are used in the diagnosis of preeclampsia were also altered in the rats. Lower blood pressure, larger fetuses For the therapeutic experiment, the researchers injected siRNA under the skin of the rats. They had chemically altered the molecules so that they would only act on the liver - i.e., where the hormone AGT is produced. "As hoped, we observed a decrease in the symptoms of preeclampsia in the treated rats, and this was true for both models," Haase says. "Their blood pressure fell and the proteinuria disappeared." Moreover, the biomarker ratio, PlGF/sFlt-1, returned to normal. Consequently, the offspring in the womb were also better nourished. In addition, Haase reports that it was possible to show that the siRNA molecules only blocked the production of the hormone AGT in the liver of the rats. The siRNA was not detectable in the placenta. The researchers also studied whether the treatment administered to maternal rats affected organ development (e.g., brain, lung, heart, kidney) in the offspring. "We did not find any negative effects in the rat fetuses nor in the fetuses that were delivered," Haase says. "The siRNA therapy thus appears to be safe, at least in animals." First clinical trial with pregnant women "Our study provided the data required to take the next step toward a clinical trial," Haase says. But further basic research is also needed. "Developing an RAAS blocker that does not cross the placental barrier and cause harm to the child is one of the greatest challenges in prenatal medicine," says Ralf Dechend, the senior author of the study. He reports that the US company Alnylam is now planning to conduct its first therapeutic trial with pregnant women in which he will be involved in a medical advisory role. Haase, on the other hand, is already contemplating her next research project: a preclinical study in which she wants to test how a peptide (a small protein molecule) affects the treatment of preeclampsia. ### KAMPALA Mr. Simon Peter Kinobe, the President of the Uganda Law Society (ULS) has distanced himself and the Society from a purported certificate of incompetence to Speaker Rebecca Kadaga, making rounds on social media on Sunday. The purported certificate was issued on April 24, bearing Mr. Kinobes signature, describing the House Speaker as dishonourable for shutting down the Attorney General, William Byaruhanga, calling fellow MPs stupid as well as disrespecting court orders and undermining the Judiciary, in the aftermath of the fall out from the UGX 10 billion, allocate to Parliament in the Coronavirus response budget. Mr. Kinobe has now distanced himself from the damning certificate, taking to his Twitter handle to write; Let me use polite language since today is Sunday. The idiot that has the impetus to forge my signature is brave! I will find you. The fake certificate followed a statement issued by Uganda Law Society on Parliaments reaction to a Court Order issued on 24th April 2020 and the subsequent reaction to the opinion of Attorney General, warning MPs against using the UGX. 10 billion as per an earlier court order, pending disposal of main application filed by fellow MP Gerald Karuhanga who is seeking to block parliament from using the allocation. The ULS in its opinion about the clash between Speaker Kadaga and the Attorney General cautioned Parliament that the Judiciary as an institution must be respected it is one of the three arms of Government and so statements meant to undermine it in any way should be avoided. The legal fraternity also reminded Parliament that any person aggrieved by the actions of the Legislature, Executive or a private citizen is required by law to refer the said dispute to the Judiciary as a neutral independent arbiter. Mr. Kinobe in his statement also argued that the Attorney Generals opinion and Parliaments right to disagree with it should be respected adding: However, we urge Parliament to use legally established methods of addressing circumstances where they disagree with such advice. That orders issued by the Courts of law should be respected, they are binding regardless of whether any party finds them unreasonable or otherwise. The statement further said; We continue to advise that, the different arms of government together with the office bearers respect one another. This is important to ensure that the public does not lose confidence in the office bearers or the institutions. We urge all the institutions of government and the office bearers to always respect the Rule of Law,. Related Continue Reading The Saudi-led military coalition on Monday rejected Yemen separatists' declaration of self-rule over the country's south and demanded "an end to any escalatory actions". The separatists' move complicates a long and separate conflict, fought by the coalition and the internationally recognised government, against Huthi rebels who control much of the north. Yemen's separatists signed a power-sharing deal in Riyadh last November that quelled a battle -- dubbed a "civil war within a civil war" -- for the south that had in August seen them seize control of the second city of Aden. "We stress the need to restore conditions to their previous state in the interim capital Aden," the coalition said according to tweets from the official Saudi Press Agency. "Following the surprising announcement of a state of emergency by the Southern Transitional Council, we re-emphasise the need to promptly implement the Riyadh Agreement," it said. The STC, which is backed by key coalition partner the United Arab Emirates, on Sunday declared self-rule in southern Yemen, accusing the government of failing to perform its duties and of "conspiring" against the southern cause. The Riyadh pact had been hailed as averting the complete break-up of the country, but with a lack of implementation, observers have said it is effectively defunct. "The Coalition has and will continue to undertake practical and systematic steps to implement the Riyadh Agreement between the parties to unite Yemeni ranks, restore state institution and combat the scourge of terrorism," the Saudi-led coalition said. "The Coalition demands an end to any escalatory actions and calls for return to the Agreement by the participating parties." Saudi military vehicles patrol Aden after Yemen separatists declared self-rule in the south of the country A 50-year old COVID-19 patient allegedly committed suicide here on Monday, as eight new coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Karnataka, taking the total number of infections in the state to 511. "A fifty-year old male from Bengaluru Urban, COVID positive patient admitted in Victoria on 24-04-2020 with history of pneumonia, known case of Hypertension, HCV positive and chronic kidney disease on regular dialysis. Patient died on 27-04-2020, with non-COVID cause," Health Department said in its mid-day situation update. The patient allegedly jumped from the trauma centre building of the Victoria Hospital here this morning, police said, adding that further investigations are on. "Eight new positive cases have been reported from last evening to this noon...Till date 511 COVID-19 positive cases have been confirmed. This includes 19 deaths & 188 discharges," the update said. Five out of eight newly confirmed positive are contacts of patients already tested positive; while one is with Influenza Like Illness (ILI), the other is with a travel history to Mumbai. Contact tracing of another man from Vijayapura is under process. Among the patients two each are from Vijayapura, Dakshina Kannada and Jamakhandi in Bagalkote district, while one each from Bengaluru urban and Nagamangala in Mandya district. Five patients are men and three are women. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) TEMPE, Ariz. Amkor Technology Inc. (AMKR) on Monday reported first-quarter net income of $63.9 million, after reporting a loss in the same period a year earlier. The Tempe, Arizona-based company said it had net income of 26 cents per share. The chip packaging and test services provider posted revenue of $1.15 billion in the period. For the current quarter ending in July, Amkor Technology said it expects revenue in the range of $1 billion to $1.1 billion. Amkor Technology shares have decreased 22% since the beginning of the year. In the final minutes of trading on Monday, shares hit $10.19, a climb of slightly more than 8% in the last 12 months. _____ This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on AMKR at https://www.zacks.com/ap/AMKR President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky held a telephone conversation with President of the Republic of Lithuania Gitanas Nauseda. The press service of the Ukrainian head of state reported that on April 27. "The interlocutors discussed the situation in countries in connection with the spread of coronavirus and the measures taken in Ukraine and Lithuania to counter and minimize the impact of Covid-19 on citizens," the statement said. In addition, Zelensky spoke about the security situation in the Donbass and expressed gratitude for the continued support of Vilnius for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. "The presidents of Ukraine and Lithuania discussed the state of preparation of important European integration events: the Ukraine-EU summit and the sixth Eastern Partnership summit," the press service added. As we reported before, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky held a telephone conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron, during which heads of the state discussed the situation in both countries in connection with the coronavirus pandemic, as well as the situation in Donbas and the reforms carried out in Ukraine. Harbor Springs school board authorizes May bond proposal During Monday's meeting, the board unanimously adopted a resolution to authorize the bonding proposal, with the election scheduled for Tuesday, May 3. After years of making a dignified living, cleaning, cooking and doing a host of other jobs that make them the backbone of many an urban home, part-time domestic helps are reduced to helpless dependence, unable to go to work and waiting out the lockdown in increasing anxiety. Their employers would love to have them back but the fear of the spread of coronavirus and strict social distancing norms has meant that much of the workforce, comprising mainly women, are stopped from even entering the colony or gated community they work in. Their future depends on the goodwill of their employers, some who might pay salaries for work not done and some who might refuse. The last month and more has spelt despair for the helps who don't know when the lockdown will end and whether they can get back to work even when it does. Sushila Kaushalya Devi, who lives in Madanpur Khadar, nearly 12 km from her area of work in south Delhi's C R Park, said one of her three employers preempted the lockdown (announced on March 24) and gave her an advance to stock up on rations. This would have been okay for the month for her family of four including her husband and two children -- had it not been for the suddenness of the announcement due to which her brother-in-law's two children, who were visiting at the time, are still with her. The food which would have lasted the four of us an entire month got over several days ago and there's no money to buy more, she said, adding that she has been unable to collect her salary from the other two employers due to the restrictions on movement. The money can't be transferred to a bank account because she doesn't have an ATM card and the bank is too far. Married to a vertically challenged man who she said is constantly refused work, Sushila is the sole earning member of the family and struggling to make ends meet with no money coming in for at least another month. There are about 10-15 lakh women like Sushila in the Delhi-NCR region alone, estimates Maya John of the Gharelu Kamgar Union (GKU) that works with domestic helpers in Gurgaon, Noida, and parts of Rohini in Delhi. Since there are no official figures documenting the number of people working in this sector, the actual number is likely to be as high as 10-15 lakh, John told PTI. She said only a few workers were fortunate to receive an advance salary, have access to virtual payment options such as bank transfers, PayTM and Google-Pay, or able to collect their dues from the houses they work in. Their problems are many, including being harassed by police on the way and lack of public transport. For many, their pre-paid sim cards have run out of money and they have no way of recharging their phones. Many employers said they were unable to contact their domestic helpers over the phone. First they face harassment by the police on the way. Even if somehow, through internal lanes and streets, these maids do manage to reach the housing complexes where they work, there is friction with the RWAs. Many are not letting them even collect their salaries, John said. We have been getting in touch with these RWAs and requesting them to provide confidence building measures' to the workers in these difficult times, by allowing the employers to pay them,she added. Several employers have also said they would not pay wages if the maids don't turn up for work. Pinky, who works as a cleaning and cooking help in Noida's Sector 39, has been trying to go and collect her salary from her employers since the first week of April but in vain. Every time I step out, police stops me at the barricades, she said. With her husband, a construction worker, also out of work, the couple has been forced to dig into their nominal savings for day-to-day survival. We were repaying the loan we took for our elder daughter's wedding two years back with whatever money we managed to save. Now we have to depend on that to feed ourselves and the debt is just increasing. It will be difficult for us to survive another month, the mother of three said, hoping that the lockdown will be lifted on May 3. Like Sushila, Pinky too does not have access to an ATM card and is waiting for the restrictions to be relaxed so she can collect her salary. Aditi Yajnik from SEWA, which has been providing relief to the families of domestic workers in different parts of Delhi during the lockdown, said many of the women are migrants and don't have ration cards, or even jan-dhan accounts. While the Delhi government is trying to provide rations to as many people as possible under its Temporary Ration Coupon Service, Yajnik said the e-coupon process is painfully slow. To get rations under the scheme, applicants needs to generate an e-coupon through the government's official website using their mobile number and Aadhar Card number. Most of these people are illiterate, and surfing through a website to download a coupon is not possible for everyone, she pointed out. Yajnik also noted that while food was most essential to survival, there were other needs like access to medicines, baby food, phone recharges and basic toiletries that must be taken care of. She cited the example of a five-month pregnant domestic worker who does not have enough money to buy medicines for herself. She already has three kids and is pregnant with the fourth. The husband worked as a construction labourer, and is out of a job too. There is no money in the family. They had no choice but to wait for food packets to arrive from somewhere, she said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) This special issue of the Wits Journal of Clinical Medicine covers a range of aspects of the pandemic, from the clinical, through ethical, to the social dynamics of its impact For example, do they resuscitate patients even though the prospects of recovery are slim and the risk to the healthcare team high? How should healthcare workers respond? This is one of the topics covered in the COVID-19 Special Issue of the Wits Journal of Clinical Medicine. The journal, published by Wits University Press under open access conditions, presents the first clinical data on COVID-19 published in South Africa. The special issue covers a range of aspects of the pandemic, from the clinical, through ethical, to the social dynamics of its impact. Highlights include: Diagnosis of COVID-19: Considerations, controversies and challenges in South Africa Social dimensions of COVID-19 in South Africa: A neglected element of the treatment plan Clinical ethical challenges in the COVID-19 crisis in South Africa Potential impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection in HIV-positive patients in South Africa COVID-19: The concept of herd immunity - is it a strategy for South Africa? Editor-in-chief of the Wits Journal of Clinical Medicine Professor Pravin Manga says it is important for health professionals and the public to have access to scientific information: "Social media is awash with all sorts of quackery regarding prevention and treatment remedies for COVID-19 and it is during these times that we need to be rational and be guided by science rather than by emotion." Manga is Professor of Internal Medicine, School of Clinical Medicine, in the Faculty of Health Sciences at Wits. In addition to being a public resource, more than 10 articles in this issue aim to guide healthcare workers. These articles address the ethical aspects related to the pandemic. For example, which patients should healthcare workers admit to already-filled intensive care units and who decides this? Associate Professor Kevin Behrens, Director and Head of the Steve Biko Centre for Bioethics discusses such ethical conundrums in his review. Professor Laurel Baldwin-Ragaven in the Department of Family Medicine and Primary Care presents a sobering overview of how some of South Africa's vast social disparities may manifest during COVID-19, and outlines our clinical and social responsibilities. Professor Charles Feldman in the Division of Pulmonology, Department of Internal Medicine at Wits interrogates the aggravating issue of South Africa's additional burdens of HIV and tuberculosis and the risk of COVID-19 infection in HIV-positive patients. Professor Ismail S. Kalla in Pulmonology in Internal Medicine and Professor Abdullah Laher in Emergency Medicine in the School of Clinical Medicine explore whether herd immunity offers possibilities as a strategy for fighting COVID-19 in South Africa. This special issue includes a guide to worldwide Medical Resources on COVID-19, as well as a handy poster-style patient guide for healthcare workers. ### *Covid-19 Resources for Academics and Students: Access the entire Wits University Press eBook collection in your university library through JSTOR and Proquest until 1 July 2020. The blind activist trained as a lawyer in the United States, where he was accepted as a refugee. He reported on forced abortions and sterilisations in Shandong and was imprisoned. The CCP kept silent about the spread of the virus in Wuhan and in the country, manipulated morbidity and mortality figures, and violated peoples rights. Washington (AsiaNews/Agencies) The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is the biggest and most serious virus of all, said Chen Guangcheng, a Chinese dissident who spoke at a forum hosted last Friday by the Faith & Law, in partnership with the Institute for Human Ecology, at the Catholic University of America. Chen, who is blind, pointed out that the CCP kept silent about the spread of the virus in Wuhan and in the country, manipulated morbidity and mortality figures, and violated peoples rights. It is time, he said, to recognize the threat the Chinese Communist Party poses to all humanity. The CCP represses and manipulates information to strengthen its hold on power, regardless of the toll on human lives, Chen Guangcheng trained as a lawyer in the United States, where he was accepted as a refugee in 2012. In China he was persecuted for denouncing the Party's violence in implementing the one-child policy with forced abortions and sterilisations in Shandong, and for making public the blood sale scandal among farmers in Henan, where government officials used infected syringes, spreading HIV. At the forum, Chen warned governments against following the Chinese method for fighting against the coronavirus, citing the unreliability of the data provided by the government and its military style. Whole families have been found dead in their apartments because they could not get out, he said. And now, the authorities are ordering everyone back to work and telling the outside world that they have the virus under control, but lockdowns are currently in force in some places. The resurgence is directly related to the CCP hiding the truth, and cracking down on people who tried to share information on the virus. Chen also stressed that the Communist Party is using the pandemic to target dissidents and is detaining human rights activists under the pretext of quarantine. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Mon, April 27, 2020 09:30 625 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd468445 2 World Saudi-Arabia,coronavirus,COVID-19,COVID-19-lockdown,coronavirus-testing,COVID-19-test,test-kits,China Free Saudi Arabia announced Sunday a $265 million deal with a Chinese firm to ramp up coronavirus testing as the kingdom eased a 24-hour curfew, except in hotspots including Islam's holy city of Mecca. The agreement with China's Beijing Genome Institute (BGI) will provide for nine million COVID-19 tests, the government said in a statement. It said in line with the agreement "500 experts, specialists, and technicians" would come from China to conduct the tests. The deal, which has a total value of 995 million riyals, also includes "the establishment of six large regional laboratories in a number of areas in the kingdom, including a mobile laboratory with a production capacity of 10,000 tests daily", it added. Earlier the government decided to relax a nationwide curfew between 9am and 5pm, with malls and retailers allowed to reopen until May 13, according to the official Saudi Press Agency. But a round-the-clock lockdown will be maintained in some areas including Mecca, where the highest number of infections have been recorded in recent days despite the city being sealed off. Many countries around the Middle East and North Africa have the easing of lockdown restrictions to coincide the holy fasting month of Ramadan which began on Friday. Saudi Arabia, which has reported the highest number of infections in the Arab world, is scrambling to limit the spread of coronavirus at home. On Sunday, the health ministry said the number of deaths from COVID-19 had risen to 139, confirmed infections to 17,522 while 2,357 people have recovered. Last month, Saudi Arabia suspended the year-round "umrah" pilgrimage over fears of the coronavirus pandemic spreading in Islam's holiest cities. Authorities are yet to announce whether they will proceed with this year's hajj, scheduled for the end of July, but they have urged Muslims to temporarily defer preparations for the annual pilgrimage. Last year, some 2.5 million faithful travelled to Saudi Arabia from across the world to participate in the hajj, which Muslims are obliged to perform at least once during their lifetime. The Arab world's biggest economy has also closed cinemas, malls and restaurants and halted flights as it attempts to contain the virus. King Salman has warned of a "more difficult" fight ahead against the virus, as the kingdom faces the economic impact of virus-led shutdowns and crashing oil prices. Britains most prolific criminal is back in jail after being convicted of his 669th offence. Patrick Ryan, 64, has cost the taxpayer an estimated 3million during his 50-year career in crime. He was jailed for 16 weeks at Preston Magistrates Court after breaching his most recent supervision order by failing to attend his probation appointments. Career criminal Patrick Ryan. A man dubbed Britain's most prolific criminal after racking up more than 500 offences, was jailed again after flouting his sexual offender notification Ryan, from Accrington, Lancashire, was previously jailed in June 2018 for 18 months after drunkenly urinating on a bus, exposing himself to passengers and groping a woman. He was allowed to serve half of that sentence on licence before being supervised. An alcoholic who started drinking aged 13, Ryan has served various prison sentences for petty dishonesty and fraud offences, including theft. His criminal record so long that it takes up more than 100 pages and police are warned not to print it out because it wastes so much paper. JPs said Ryan had a flagrant disregard for court orders and the offence was aggravated by his record. He even acquired the nickname 'Rogue n' Nosh' for his tendency to eat at curry houses and then flee without paying. TBILISI -- The Georgian government is hoping some of the credit it has garnered in early efforts fighting the coronavirus pandemic that is ravaging the world can help it later this year during parliamentary elections. Praise was given for the ruling Georgian Dream's early order to lock down the country, where there have been a meager 496 infections and six deaths connected to COVID-19 as of April 27. The plaudits from some quarters for its coronavirus efforts have boosted the image of the battered party ahead of elections that must be held by October. At the heart of the low coronavirus figures seems to have been some early action by authorities, including the government largely allowing Amiran Gakrelidze and his National Center for Disease Control and Public Health to lead the charge against the pandemic. Some critics, however, point to the low number of tests carried out by the government -- just 11,500 as of late April -- as a reason for the comparatively small number of infections discovered in the country. But the battle against the coronavirus has thus far been seen by many to be something of a political gift to the Georgian Dream, whose public standing took several heavy hits in the past two years that were manifested in massive street protests in summer 2018 that were repeated again last year after an ill-advised invitation to a Russian Duma member in June. That decision led to thousands of people pouring into the streets and ensuing chaos when riot police violently dispersed protesters for the first time in Georgian Dreams seven-year reign, resulting in several serious injuries to protesters. Against this backdrop of unpopularity, the unprecedented national emergency necessitated by the coronavirus has proven a balm for the government. It seems like both young people and the opposition have declared some kind of moratorium on criticism [of the authorities], said Iago Kachkachashvili, head of the Institute of Social Studies and Analysis, a Tbilisi-based think tank. Some media is still critical but right now...this is seen as illegitimate by most people. Early Intervention The country has been on high alert and quickly accepted special lockdown measures since shortly after the first confirmed coronavirus case was detected on February 26. That case of a 50-year-old man who had returned from Iran -- an early hotspot of the pandemic -- was also viewed positively by most observers. Neither Iran nor Azerbaijan detected the patient as [having COVID-19], said Paul Stronski, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment's Russia and Eurasia Program. "I would say [that] Georgia has been a genuine world leader," said Alexander Scrivener, a fellow at the Eurasia Democratic Security Network. He compared the country favorably to the Netherlands, which registered its first case one day after Georgia. Although with a much larger population -- there are just 3.7 million Georgians compared to 17.4 million Dutch -- the Netherlands has more than 4,500 deaths and 38,245 infections due to the coronavirus. Georgia's seemingly successful containment of COVID-19 boosted the image of the government in the eyes of many people. WATCH: Thousands Hold Anti-Government Protest In Tbilisi (September 2019) Scrivener said for Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia, who has frequently been accused of authoritarian tendencies, the crisis turned this weakness into a strength. Rightly or wrongly, concerns about civil liberties tend to take a back seat when facing the biggest global crisis since World War II, and Gakharias tough image could be an asset in this context, Scrivener said. But will the goodwill transfer over to the ballot box? Analysts are unsure. Some see the six-month gap to when the elections are likely to be held as more than enough time for the current enthusiasm for Georgian Dream to dissipate or disappear altogether. If the election were one month from now, I think Georgian Dream would win a vast majority [of the 150 seats in parliament], Kachkachashvili said. But by October, dissatisfaction among the voters...will likely emerge. All bets are off as the vote draws nearer, agreed Stronski. It seems people have put polarization aside [during the crisis], but added that this wont "last forever." Kachkachashvili raised another important point: the unenviable task Georgian Dream will have of trying to rebuild an economy shattered by months of a fairly strict lockdown that even banned the general driving of private vehicles. "The state does not have the resources or money to cope with the [economic] disaster that will happen," he said. Poverty, unemployment, [and] destroyed savings is what the government has to look forward to. And before those problems hit in full, the government will have to weather another potential difficult situation. The most contentious topic related to the lockdown were the April 19 Easter ceremonies in a country where the Orthodox Church is one of the most powerful institutions. Although health officials pleaded for Easter services to not be held in churches, Orthodox officials insisted on holding Mass so people could attend. While the government did impose last-minute measures to limit the number of attendees -- including a five-day ban on car travel -- some churches, such as Kutaisis Bagrati Cathedral, still drew massive crowds of worshippers. It is too early to say how much damage the gatherings may have done on efforts to contain the coronavirus, but an Easter-driven explosion of new infections in the coming weeks could erase much of the gains for the Georgian Dream -- not to mention the efforts of the Georgian people. For younger Georgians, whose generation has comprised the lions share of the last two years of protests, the Georgian Dreams response to the pandemic threat has grudgingly won some praise. Researcher Ana Bragvadze, 29, said the governments early reaction to the pandemic was excellent. Like many others, however, she criticized the handling of the Easter ceremonies and acquiescence to Orthodox Church officials. They keep failing to enforce the law equally, Bragvadze said. They are too reluctant to make the church obey the law like the rest of the population. Nini Mtchedlishvili, a 26-year old executive assistant at the Good Governance Institute, largely agreed. The curfew and the professionality of the Georgian medical personnel reflected on the general situation quite well, she said. But the states approach to the churchs absolutely disrespectful behavior to the law has left me disappointed once again. What Happens Next? Even if the results of the Easter mass do not prove deadly, Georgia still finds itself pursuing a flattened curve. An April 20 blog post by statistician Hrant Mikaelian showed that while its neighbors, Armenia and Azerbaijan, have nearly halted their growth in new coronavirus cases, Georgias number of infected continued to climb in the days following Easter before plateauing. The current spread of the pandemic is also what many experts say is the first stage in what could be a drawn-out public health emergency. Other countries that initially fared well with small numbers of infections, such as Singapore and Japan, also saw an upswing in recent weeks. Even if [Georgias government] does well in the first round of the crisis, as it seems to be, who knows about what happens later on, Stronski said. With that in mind, while the initial returns for Georgian Dream in the coronavirus battle seem promising, the government and ruling party have a long way to go to the election and to finish the battle against the pandemic. Sturgeon proposes different lockdown 'exit' strategy from the rest of UK Iran Press TV Sunday, 26 April 2020 6:18 PM Scotland's First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, has once again intervened decisively in the UK's coronavirus crisis by proposing an alternative roadmap for her nation. Sturgeon, who is also the leader of the pro-independence Scottish National Party (SNP), said Scotland could have a "different exit" from the UK-wide lockdown if the British government made "premature" decisions. Speaking to BBC One's Andrew Marr Show, the SNP leader was adamant that her decision to undertake alternative action would not be political "in any way, shape or form". Sturgeon appears to be reacting to mounting speculation that the British government is planning to ease coronavirus-related restrictions once the current lockdown expires on May 09. It is no secret that Scotland's First Minister is in favor of a more prolonged lockdown, or failing that for adequate restrictions to remain in place to avoid a second coronavirus peak. Sturgeon also hinted that under the right conditions she would give consideration to closing the Scotland-England border in order to stem the advance of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. "I don't have the power to close borders but these are discussions of course we want to continue to have with the UK government", Sturgeon told Marr. Sturgeon's combative interview with the BBC came just before the announcement of another 18 coronavirus-related deaths in Scotland, taking the total to 1,267. Across the UK as a whole there have been 20, 732 COVID-19 fatalities in hospitals. However, the real death toll is believed to be much higher as the official statistics omit deaths in care homes and the wider community. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Select the Somerset County Athlete of the Week for Jan. 3-7 KING OF PRUSSIA, Pa., April 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Universal Health Realty Income Trust (NYSE: UHT) announced today that for the three-month period ended March 31, 2020, reported net income was $4.6 million, or $.33 per diluted share, as compared to $4.2 million, or $.31 per diluted share, during the first quarter of 2019. Included in our net income for the three-month period ended March 31, 2019 was a gain of $250,000, or $.02 per diluted share, related to the sale of a parcel of land located at one of our buildings. As calculated on the attached Schedule of Non-GAAP Supplemental Information ("Supplemental Schedule"), our funds from operations ("FFO"), were $11.2 million, or $.82 per diluted share during the first quarter of 2020, as compared to $11.0 million, or $.80 per diluted share during the first quarter of 2019. Favorably impacting our net income and FFO during the first quarter of 2020, as compared to the first quarter of 2019, was a decrease in our interest expense of $383,000, or $.03 per diluted share. The decreased interest expense resulted primarily from a decrease in the average cost of borrowings pursuant to our revolving credit agreement. Unfavorably impacting our net income and FFO during the first quarter of 2020, as compared to the first quarter of 2019, were the previously disclosed vacancies that occurred as of June 1, 2019 and September 30, 2019, at two hospital facilities located in Corpus Christi, Texas, and Evansville, Indiana, respectively. These two properties generated a combined net operating loss of $198,000 during the first quarter of 2020, as compared to generating combined net operating income of $361,000 during the first quarter of 2019. See below for additional disclosure regarding these properties. COVID-19 The COVID-19 pandemic began to significantly impact the United States in mid-March, 2020. As a result of various policies implemented by the federal and state governments, and varying by individual state, many non-essential businesses in the nation were closed. With the exception of the operators of our four preschool and childcare centers, we believe that most of the tenants occupying our hospitals, medical office buildings ("MOBs") and ambulatory care centers are permitted to continue operating should they decide to do so. Since substantially all of the March rental revenue generated from our properties was due and payable at the beginning of the month, COVID-19 did not have a material effect on our operations and financial results during the first quarter of 2020. However, patient volumes at our three acute care hospitals, and likely at our other healthcare properties including the MOBs and ambulatory care centers, were significantly reduced during the second half of March as a result of COVID-19. These significant reductions to patient volumes experienced at our three acute care hospitals, and likely at our other healthcare facilities, have continued into April, 2020. We believe that the adverse impact that COVID-19 will have on the future operations and financial results of our tenants, and in turn ours, will depend upon many factors, most of which are beyond our, or our tenants', ability to control or predict. Below is information detailing the rentable square feet ("RSF") of our properties based upon property type. This information is being provided as a means of summarizing the underlying nature of the businesses operated in these properties as well as certain other information. The RSF data as presented in the table is as of March 31, 2020. The information related to the tenants' businesses, and as disclosed in footnotes 2 and 3, is presented as of April 22, 2020. Percentage Tenants' Number RSF of RSF Businesses of Total Under Under Currently Properties RSF Lease Lease Operating? (4) Hospital Properties McAllen Medical Center (1) 1 422,276 422,276 100% Yes Wellington Regional Medical Center (1) 1 196,489 196,489 100% Yes Southwest Healthcare System-Inland Valley (1) 1 164,377 164,377 100% Yes Kindred Hospital Chicago Central 1 115,554 115,554 100% Yes Evansville, Indiana 1 77,440 0 0% N/A Corpus Christi, Texas 1 69,700 0 0% N/A Subtotal - hospitals 6 1,045,836 898,696 86% Medical Office Buildings aggregate 55 2,590,467 2,165,626 84% Various (2) Ambulatory Care Centers aggregate 4 58,551 58,551 100% Yes Preschool/Childcare Centers aggregate 4 32,561 32,561 100% No (3) Total portfolio 69 3,727,415 3,155,434 85% N/A Not Applicable. (1) Since the bonus rents earned by us on the three acute care hospitals leased to wholly-owned subsidiaries of Universal Health Services, Inc., are computed based upon a computation that compares each hospital's current quarter revenue to the corresponding quarter in the base year, we expect to experience significant declines in future bonus rental revenue earned on these properties to the extent that each hospital continues to experience significant decline in patient volumes and revenues. These hospitals may be eligible for emergency fund grants as provided for by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act ("CARES Act"). Should the hospitals ultimately be deemed qualified for CARES Act funding, a portion of their expected revenue declines could be offset by such funding, to the extent those grants are classified as revenues by the hospitals. Aggregate bonus rental earned on these three hospitals amounted to approximately $5.6 million during the year ended December 31, 2019 and approximately $1.4 million during the three-month period ended March 31, 2020. (2) Tenants in our MOBs include, but are not limited to, physician practices, diagnostic centers, laboratories, dental practices, ambulatory surgery centers, oncology centers, physical therapy clinics, eye care and wound care centers. We believe that the underlying businesses operated by certain of these tenants are either temporarily closed entirely or operating at substantially reduced hours. Given the dynamic nature of the impact of COVID-19, state mandates, and practice elections, we are unable to estimate with certainty the portion of the aggregate rentable square feet under lease at our MOBs that have either closed or substantially reduced their operating hours. As of April 22, 2020, tenants representing approximately 13% of the aggregate rentable square feet under lease at our MOBs had not yet paid their April rent. We have received short-term rent deferral requests from approximately 13% of the aggregate rentable square feet under lease at our MOBs. These requests are under review on a request-by-request basis based upon each tenant's specific circumstances as well as consideration of potential economic benefit available and received by tenants through governmental assistance programs. At this time, we cannot estimate the magnitude of short-term rent deferral requests that we may ultimately agree to provide, or the magnitude of additional short-term rent deferral requests that we may receive in the future. (3) The pre-school/childcare centers, which are all located in Pennsylvania, are currently closed due to governmental regulations. As of April 22, 2020, we had not yet received April rental payments on these properties and short-term rent deferral requests were received for each center which are currently under review. (4) Since the underlying businesses in each of our properties are operated by the tenants, we can provide no assurance that the businesses will continue to operate in the future. Throughout the common areas of many properties in our portfolio, we have implemented COVID-19 risk mitigating actions such as, enhanced cleaning protocols including supplemental cleaning and sanitizing of high-touch points, limiting points of entry at certain facilities, and coordinating with health care providers to assess or screen patients prior to entering certain of our MOBs. Dividend Information: The first quarter dividend of $.685 per share, or $9.4 million in the aggregate, was declared on March 4, 2020 and paid on March 31, 2020. Capital Resources Information: At March 31, 2020, we had $219.2 million of borrowings outstanding pursuant to the terms of our $300 million credit agreement and $80.8 million of available borrowing capacity. The credit agreement has a scheduled maturity date of March, 2022, however, we have the option to extend the maturity date for up to two additional six-month periods. Additionally, our credit agreement includes an option to increase the total facility borrowing capacity up to an additional $50 million, subject to lender agreement. Lease Expirations/Vacancies of Two H ospital Facilities: As previously disclosed, the tenants in two of our hospital facilities had provided notice to us that they did not intend to renew the leases upon the scheduled expiration of the respective facilities. The leases on these two hospital facilities, located in Evansville, Indiana, and Corpus Christi, Texas, expired on May 31, 2019 and June 1, 2019, respectively. Prior to the vacancy of the property on September 30, 2019, the former tenant of the hospital located in Evansville, Indiana, entered into a short-term lease with us, which covered the period of June 1, 2019 through September 30, 2019, at a substantially increased lease rate as compared to the original lease rate. The combined lease revenue generated at these facilities amounted to $363,000 during the three-month period ended March 31, 2019. The hospital located in Evansville, Indiana, has remained vacant since September 30, 2019 and the hospital located in Corpus Christi, Texas, has remained vacant since June 1, 2019. We continue to market each property for lease to new tenants. However, should these properties continue to remain owned and vacant for an extended period of time, or should we experience decreased lease rates on future leases, as compared to prior/expired lease rates, or incur substantial renovation costs to make the properties suitable for other operators/tenants, our future results of operations could be materially unfavorably impacted. New Construction Projects : Behavioral Health Hospital - Clive, Iowa In late July, 2019, a wholly-owned subsidiary of ours entered into an agreement to build and lease a newly constructed 108-bed behavioral health care hospital located in Clive, Iowa. The lease on this facility, which is triple net and has an initial term of 20 years with five, 10-year renewal options, was executed with Clive Behavioral Health, LLC, a joint venture between Universal Health Services, Inc. ("UHS") and Catholic Health Initiatives-Iowa, Corp. (d/b/a Mercy One Des Moines Medical Center). Construction of this hospital, for which we have engaged a wholly-owned subsidiary of UHS to act as project manager, is expected to be completed in late 2020 or early 2021. The hospital lease will commence upon issuance of the certificate of occupancy. The approximate cost of the project is estimated at $37.5 million and the initial annual rent is estimated to be approximately $2.7 million. Medical Office Building - Denison, Texas In September, 2019, we entered into an agreement whereby we will own a 95% ownership interest in Grayson Properties II LP, which will develop, construct, own and operate the Texoma Medical Plaza II, a 75,000 rentable square feet medical office building ("MOB") located in Denison, Texas. This MOB, which is scheduled to be completed in late 2020, will be located on the campus of Texoma Medical Center, a hospital that is owned and operated by a wholly-owned subsidiary of UHS. A 10-year master flex lease was executed with the wholly-owned subsidiary of UHS for 40,000 rentable square feet, representing over 50% of the rentable square feet of the MOB. The master flex lease commitment is subject to reduction upon the execution of third-party leases on up to 20,000 rentable square feet of the first and second floors of the three-story MOB, and 20,000 rentable square feet on the third floor. In April, 2020, a new, 122-month lease was fully executed with a third-party tenant for approximately 26,000 rentable square feet on the first floor of the MOB. As a result, the master flex lease commitment was reduced to 20,000 of rentable square feet on the third floor of the MOB. After giving effect to this new lease, 61% of the rentable square feet of the MOB is under lease agreements. We have committed to invest up to $17.9 million in equity or member loans in the development and construction of this MOB, which may be reduced if a third-party construction loan is obtained on the property. General Information, Forward-Looking Statements and Risk Factors and Non-GAAP Financial Measures: Universal Health Realty Income Trust, a real estate investment trust, invests in healthcare and human service related facilities including acute care hospitals, rehabilitation hospitals, sub-acute care facilities, medical/office buildings, free-standing emergency departments and childcare centers. We have investments in seventy-one properties located in twenty states, including two that are currently under construction. This press release contains forward-looking statements based on current management expectations. Numerous factors, including those disclosed herein, those related to the anticipated impact of COVID-19 on our financial results, as well as the operations and financial results of each of our tenants, those related to healthcare industry trends and those detailed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (as set forth in Item 1A-Risk Factors and in Item 7-Forward-Looking Statements and Risk Factors in our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019), may cause the results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements. Readers should not place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements which reflect management's view only as of the date hereof. We undertake no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements, or to make any other forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Many of the factors that could affect our future results are beyond our control or ability to predict, including the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Future operations and financial results of our tenants, and in turn ours, will likely be materially impacted by developments related to COVID-19. Such developments include, but are not limited to, the length of time and severity of the spread of the pandemic; the volume of cancelled or rescheduled elective procedures and the volume of COVID-19 patients treated by the operators of our hospitals and other healthcare facilities; measures our tenants are taking to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic; the impact of government and administrative regulation and stimulus on the health care industry; declining patient volumes and unfavorable changes in payer mix caused by deteriorating macroeconomic conditions (including increases in uninsured and underinsured patients as the result of business closings and layoffs); potential disruptions to clinical staffing and shortages and disruptions related to supplies required for our tenants' employees and patients; and potential increases to expenses incurred by our tenants related to staffing, supply chain or other expenditures. There may be significant declines in future bonus rental revenue earned on our hospital properties leased to subsidiaries UHS to the extent that each hospital continues to experience significant decline in patient volumes. We believe that the underlying businesses operated by certain of our other tenants are either temporarily closed entirely or operating at substantially reduced hours These factors may result in the inability or unwillingness on the part of some of our tenants to make timely payment of their rent to us at current levels or to seek to amend or terminate their leases which, in turn, would have an adverse effect on our occupancy levels and our revenue and cash flow and the value of our properties, and potentially, our ability to maintain our dividend at current levels. Due to COVID-19 restrictions and its impact on the economy, we may experience a decrease in prospective tenants which could unfavorably impact the volume of new leases, as well as the renewal rate of existing leases. The COVID-19 pandemic may delay our construction projects which could result in increased costs and delay the timing of opening and rental payments from those projects, although no such delays have yet occurred. The COVID-19 pandemic could also impact our indebtedness and the ability to refinance such indebtedness on acceptable terms, as well as risks associated with disruptions in the financial markets and the business of financial institutions as the result of the COVID-19 pandemic which could impact us from a financing perspective; and changes in general economic conditions nationally and regionally in the markets our properties are located resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. We are not able to fully quantify the impact that these factors will have on our financial results during 2020, but developments related to the COVID-19 pandemic are likely to have a material adverse impact on our future financial results. We believe that adjusted net income and adjusted net income per diluted share (as reflected on the attached Supplemental Schedules), which are non-GAAP financial measures ("GAAP" is Generally Accepted Accounting Principles in the United States of America), are helpful to our investors as measures of our operating performance. In addition, we believe that, when applicable, comparing and discussing our financial results based on these measures, as calculated, is helpful to our investors since it neutralizes the effect in each year of material items that are non-recurring or non-operational in nature including items such as, but not limited to, gains on transactions. Funds from operations ("FFO") is a widely recognized measure of performance for Real Estate Investment Trusts ("REITs"). We believe that FFO and FFO per diluted share, which are non-GAAP financial measures, are helpful to our investors as measures of our operating performance. We compute FFO, as reflected on the attached Supplemental Schedules, in accordance with standards established by the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts ("NAREIT"), which may not be comparable to FFO reported by other REITs that do not compute FFO in accordance with the NAREIT definition, or that interpret the NAREIT definition differently than we interpret the definition. FFO adjusts for the effects of gains, such as gains on transactions during the periods presented. To the extent a REIT recognizes a gain or loss with respect to the sale of incidental assets, such as the sale of land peripheral to operating properties, the REIT has the option to exclude or include such gains and losses in the calculation of FFO. We have opted to exclude gains and losses from sales of incidental assets in our calculation of FFO. FFO does not represent cash generated from operating activities in accordance with GAAP and should not be considered to be an alternative to net income determined in accordance with GAAP. In addition, FFO should not be used as: (i) an indication of our financial performance determined in accordance with GAAP; (ii) an alternative to cash flow from operating activities determined in accordance with GAAP; (iii) a measure of our liquidity, or; (iv) an indicator of funds available for our cash needs, including our ability to make cash distributions to shareholders. A reconciliation of our reported net income to FFO is reflected on the Supplemental Schedules included below. To obtain a complete understanding of our financial performance these measures should be examined in connection with net income, determined in accordance with GAAP, as presented in the condensed consolidated financial statements and notes thereto in this report or in our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission including our Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019. Since the items included or excluded from these measures are significant components in understanding and assessing financial performance under GAAP, these measures should not be considered to be alternatives to net income as a measure of our operating performance or profitability. Since these measures, as presented, are not determined in accordance with GAAP and are thus susceptible to varying calculations, they may not be comparable to other similarly titled measures of other companies. Investors are encouraged to use GAAP measures when evaluating our financial performance. (more) Universal Health Realty Income Trust Consolidated Statements of Income For the Three Months Ended March 31, 2020 and 2019 (amounts in thousands, except share information) (unaudited) Three Months Ended March 31, 2020 2019 Revenues: Lease revenue - UHS facilities (a.) $ 5,881 $ 5,793 Lease revenue- Non-related parties 12,842 12,731 Other revenue - UHS facilities 214 213 Other revenue - Non-related parties 270 375 19,207 19,112 Expenses: Depreciation and amortization 6,380 6,708 Advisory fees to UHS 1,016 970 Other operating expenses 5,383 5,210 12,779 12,888 Income before equity in income of unconsolidated limited liability companies ("LLCs"), interest expense and gain on sale 6,428 6,224 Equity in income of unconsolidated LLCs 435 430 Gain on sale of land - 250 Interest expense, net (2,309) (2,692) Net income $ 4,554 $ 4,212 Basic earnings per share $ 0.33 $ 0.31 Diluted earnings per share $ 0.33 $ 0.31 Weighted average number of shares outstanding - Basic 13,736 13,728 Weighted average number of shares outstanding - Diluted 13,758 13,728 (a.) Includes bonus rental on UHS hospital facilities of $1,380 and $1,394 for the three-month periods ended March 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively. Universal Health Realty Income Trust Schedule of Non-GAAP Supplemental Information ("Supplemental Schedule") For the Three Months Ended March 31, 2020 and 2019 (amounts in thousands, except share information) (unaudited) Calculation of Adjusted Net Income Three Months Ended Three Months Ended March 31, 2020 March 31, 2019 Amount Per Diluted Share Amount Per Diluted Share Net income $ 4,554 $ 0.33 $ 4,212 $ 0.31 Adjustments: - - (250) (0.02) Subtotal adjustments to net income - - (250) (0.02) Adjusted net income $ 4,554 $ 0.33 $ 3,962 $ 0.29 Calculation of Funds From Operations ("FFO") Three Months Ended Three Months Ended March 31, 2020 March 31, 2019 Amount Per Diluted Share Amount Per Diluted Share Net income $ 4,554 $ 0.33 $ 4,212 $ 0.31 Plus: Depreciation and amortization expense: Consolidated investments 6,380 0.47 6,708 0.49 Unconsolidated affiliates 286 0.02 283 0.02 Less: Gain on sale of land - - (250) (0.02) FFO $ 11,220 $ 0.82 $ 10,953 $ 0.80 Dividend paid per share $ 0.685 $ 0.675 Universal Health Realty Income Trust Consolidated Balance Sheets (amounts in thousands, except share information) (unaudited) March 31, December 31, 2020 2019 Assets: Real Estate Investments: Buildings and improvements and construction in progress $ 579,161 $ 572,503 Accumulated depreciation (200,306) (194,888) 378,855 377,615 Land 54,892 54,892 Net Real Estate Investments 433,747 432,507 Investments in limited liability companies ("LLCs") 8,411 6,918 Other Assets: Cash and cash equivalents 5,667 6,110 Lease and other receivables from UHS 2,954 2,963 Lease receivable - other 7,468 7,640 Intangible assets (net of accumulated amortization of $25.0 million and $26.5 million, respectively) 13,749 14,553 Right-of-use land assets, net 8,937 8,944 Deferred charges and other assets, net 8,201 9,154 Total Assets $ 489,134 $ 488,789 Liabilities: Line of credit borrowings $ 219,200 $ 212,950 Mortgage notes payable, non-recourse to us, net 60,326 60,744 Accrued interest 349 374 Accrued expenses and other liabilities 16,662 12,888 Ground lease liabilities, net 8,937 8,944 Tenant reserves, deposits and deferred and prepaid rents 11,220 11,155 Total Liabilities 316,694 307,055 Equity: Preferred shares of beneficial interest, $.01 par value; 5,000,000 shares authorized; none issued and outstanding - - Common shares, $.01 par value; 95,000,000 shares authorized; issued and outstanding: 2020 - 13,758,038; 2019 - 13,757,498 138 138 Capital in excess of par value 266,970 266,723 Cumulative net income 665,834 661,280 Cumulative dividends (756,841) (747,417) Accumulated other comprehensive (loss)/income (3,661) 1,010 Total Equity 172,440 181,734 Total Liabilities and Equity $ 489,134 $ 488,789 SOURCE Universal Health Realty Income Trust Jessica Alba danced up a storm in the backyard with her 11-year-old daughter Honor for Tik Tok this Sunday. Mother and daughter wore matching bathing suits and straw hats with similar shirts as they worked through some coordinated choreography. Their song of choice was Hustle & Flow, a song by ZaeHD and CEO featured on last year's album HighDefGang, Vol. 2. Quality time: Jessica Alba danced up a storm in the backyard with her 11-year-old daughter Honor for Tik Tok this Sunday 'Twinning my baby boo #Honorcita #momanddaughter #happyathome #backyardlife #fyp #dance #sundayfunday w my fam bam,' captioned Jessica. Jessica shares Honor as well as two other children, daughter Haven, eight, and son Hayes, two, with her husband of over a decade Cash Warren. Amid the coronavirus pandemic the family are hunkering down at their Los Angeles home which according to Architectural Digest cost $10 million. Family fun: Mother and daughter wore matching bathing suits and straw hats with similar shirts as they worked through some coordinated choreography Only the best: Their song of choice was Hustle & Flow, a song by ZaeHD and CEO featured on last year's album HighDefGang, Vol. 2 Making the best of it: 'Twinning my baby boo #Honorcita #momanddaughter #happyathome #backyardlife #fyp #dance #sundayfunday w my fam bam,' captioned Jessica Jessica's Tik Tok hairdo is the result of a cut she gave herself - with some video conferenced help from coiffeuse to the stars Jen Atkin. The L.A.'s Finest actress went on to give her husband a haircut after figuring out her own hairdo with help from the celebrity hairdresser. Meanwhile Jen, who is famously a mainstay for the Kardashians, also virtually helped Kendall Jenner's best pal Bella Hadid with her self-haircut. Details: Jessica shares Honor as well as two other children, daughter Haven, eight, and son Hayes, two, with her husband of over a decade Cash Warren California sun: Amid the coronavirus pandemic the family are hunkering down at their Los Angeles home which according to Architectural Digest cost $10 million Earlier this week Jessica celebrated her grandmother Isabel's 88th birthday by posting a breathtaking black and white photo of her. She also marked Isabel's 68th wedding anniversary by posting a string of snaps of the big day, including one of the bride with her mother Guadeloupe. In a heartwarming picture Jessica captioned: 'Love this,' Isabel could be seen wearing her wedding dress and feeding her groom a slice of cake. Friends in high places: Jessica's Tik Tok hairdo is the result of a cut she gave herself - with some video conferenced help from coiffeuse to the stars Jen Atkin Family resemblance: Earlier this week Jessica celebrated her grandmother Isabel's 88th birthday by posting a breathtaking black and white photo of her So sweet: She also marked Isabel's 68th wedding anniversary by posting a string of snaps of the big day, including one of the bride with her mother Guadeloupe There are a number of countries running app-based tracking of Covid-19 infections. Singapore was one of the first out of the gates. South Korea has shown that by tracking Covid-19 patients thoroughly, it can put the genie back in the bottle and control coronavirus infections. Some European countries have their own app-based tracking of Covid-19 infections. Yet, there is something unique about the Covid-19 apps made by China and India. So far, these are the only two countries at least the sizeable ones that have come up with something that goes beyond Covid-19 tracking. They not only aim to track Covid-19 infections, but also aim to certify who is not infected, who is at risk and who should definitely stay home. This is dangerous. Several weeks after coronavirus infections spread in China, the country came out with a colour-code system. This was based on self-reporting and some opaque algorithms and it was administered through WeChat yes, this app is everywhere in China. The colour-code system asked people to self-report travel history, location, any cold or flu-like symptoms and so on and so forth. Based on the inputs received, the system gave people a colour code: Green, Yellow and Red. Now, people who get Green are free to go to public places in China. They can ride trains, they can go shopping, they can enter commercial complexes. People who get Yellow are denied access to public places and are told to go home and stay in quarantine for 7 days. People who get Red are also denied all access and are told to stay home for at least 14 days. The Chinese colour-code system has potential for great misuse, and more so, given that it seems to be arbitrary. It is based on some algorithms and the information people are reporting. There is no actual testing of people before they are assigned a colour. Yet, guess who is impressed enough with the system? The Indian government. A few weeks ago, the Indian government updated its Aarogya Setu app to include a new tab called 'e-pass' in it. The feature is yet to be fully functional, but India Today reports that it is going to have colour-coded passes. The passes will be in three colours: Green, Orange, Red. The functionality is similar to what Chinese colour-coded system offers. Green will get all access, Red and Orange will be told to go home, although Orange will likely be allowed to buy essentials at a local store. Black and white, enforced through Green, Orange and Red. (Photo: Twitter/ @SetuAarogya) The potential for misuse is huge, and particularly so in India where rules almost seem non-existent including the privacy protection law which is in the works for like forever and where people tend to underestimate the hardship that opaque directives can bring. Even before the e-pass feature in Aarogya Setu has arrived, there are reports of how the app is causing pain to people. In a way, the story seems similar to Aadhaar, which is voluntary on paper but mandatory if you want to exist in this country. Aadhaar is not to be used trivially; it doesnt need to be shared everywhere, or so say the rules. Yet, there are housing societies, office complexes, courier services that will deny access if you do not furnish a copy of your Aadhaar. If you want to exist, you must have an Aadhaar. Forget about existing. Even if you were to die, your family would still need your Aadhar because without an Aadhar, some hospitals won't even hand them your death certificate. Just like how it pushed Aadhaar, the Indian government is now promoting Aarogya Setu. The app is voluntary to use, but people have started receiving messages from their banks, and for that matter, this organisation and that, that they should install the Aarogya Setu app on their phones. Just a few days ago, a video went viral on social media where a man was denied access to a local chemist shop because he wouldnt show if he had the Aarogya Setu app installed on his phone or not. Organisations like Zomato and Urban Company have mandated that their workers install Aarogya Setu and show their health status. From this point, the slope is indeed slippery. Soon consumers may also be asked to show their status on Aarogya Setu before Zomato and Urban Company offer their services. Once the e-pass is enabled in Aarogya Setu, expect it to be a de facto pass for accessing public places in India. Already there are plans. There are reports that CISF and Delhi Metro will require passengers to show the Green pass on Aarogya Setu app if they want to take a train when the services open. As they say, what can go wrong? At best, this system will create chaos because more than half of Indias population still doesnt use smartphones. At worst, it will lead to a society where people can be arbitrarily denied access to public places, curtailing their physical movement. Want to buy an air ticket? Show your Aarogya Setu status. What to reserve a table at a restaurant? Show your Aarogya Setu status. The risk is real and even more so compared to the Chinese system, because that one at least uses the information that people self-report. Aarogya Setu largely relies on parameters set by authorities, data collected by GPS and Bluetooth, and processed by opaque algorithms. The app is extremely intrusive as far as user data is concerned but on its part, doesnt explain its privacy policy or data retention policies transparently. There is a possibility that Covid-19-tracking apps are going to be part of the society for some time. But just like the world has learnt to manage privacy vs security, we should also learn to manage public health vs privacy. It doesnt necessarily need to lead to a system where people lose their rights and dignity. There are better ideas that the Indian government can borrow. It doesnt need to look at China, effectively an authoritarian country, and bring its all-controlling, all-tracking system to India, theoretically a thriving democracy. If Covid-19 tracking is the goal, maybe the Indian government can look at what Google and Apple are doing. The two companies have created a mechanism on the iPhone and Android phones, using which the government can create Covid-19-tracking apps. Europeans are using this mechanism, including Germany which has a strong emphasis on privacy. Google and Apple have said that these are temporary measures and once the pandemic is over, they will also dismantle the mechanism they have created. This inspires confidence. Most countries are using apps to only track coronavirus infections. They are not expanding the scope of surveillance, and they are very careful in ensuring that people still have some privacy. Just today, the top court in Israel told the government to either stop using the Covid-19 surveillance app or seek a regulatory framework for it by getting approval from the Parliament. Even in this difficult time, countries are trying to balance privacy and public health. Except China. And maybe India. Also read: The pros and cons of Lockdown 2.0 North Carolinas main prison for women has become the site of another major COVID-19 outbreak. As of Monday morning, the state had reported 70 cases of COVID-19 at the North Carolina Correctional Institution for Women in Raleigh. All are in the prisons minimum-security camp known as the Canary Unit. Thats up from less than a dozen last week. More than 160 inmates in the camp were tested over the weekend, according to the N.C. Department of Public Safety. Many tested positive, but nearly 100 tested negative. Fewer than a dozen tests results from the prison are pending, DPS said. Inmates at the prisons minimum-security camp said in phone interviews Thursday that others had tested positive there. They said they were fearful of catching the virus and could not protect themselves because their beds are too close for social distancing. At that time, no mass testing had taken place at the camp. In March, the state prisons suspended their work release program to limit potential exposure to the coronavirus. Before that, however, many of the inmates at NCCIW worked low-paying jobs throughout the city, and rode public transportation to get to them. They now worry those jobs may have brought the virus to the camp. Inmate Pamela Humphrey, 58, said she worked at fast-food restaurants, while Brenda Garner, 49, said she did housekeeping at the Governors mansion. Pamela Humphrey They view their work-release assignments as evidence that they should be sent home to serve the rest of their time on probation. We feel like if we are trustworthy enough to go out on the work program, we should be trustworthy enough to go out on furlough, Humphrey said. State prison officials say they are taking several steps to curb the spread of the coronavirus inside the womens prison. Among them: Separating inmates who have tested positive from those whove tested negative. Isolating all inmates who have tested positive. They are now housed inside two dorms. Quarantining inmates who have tested negative for 14 days, with close monitoring of their health and twice-daily temperature checks. Story continues Ensuring prison employees dont travel between the dorms with infected and non-infected inmates. Prisons spokesman John Bull said a power breezer is also being used disinfect large areas of the womens prison. NCCIW is the second state prison to suffer a major outbreak. At Neuse Correctional Institution, 470 inmates have tested positive for the coronavirus, according to the Wayne County Health Department. Located in Goldsboro, southeast of Raleigh, Neuse houses about 770 minimum- and medium-security inmates. State officials are testing every inmate there, and more results are pending. Inmates at the Neuse Correctional Institution in Goldsboro, N.C. move between buildings Sunday morning. Statewide, more than 550 North Carolina prison inmates have tested positive. That represents more than half of the prisoners tested so far. But more than a third of the states prisons have yet to test a single inmate. State prison officials say all decisions about whether to conduct large-scale testing for COVID-19 are made in consultation with the state Department of Health and Human Services. Virtually all of North Carolinas 16,000 prison employees will soon have a chance to get tested, under a plan announced last week by the State Health Plan and state Treasurer Dale Folwell. The costs associated with that testing will be covered by the State Health Plan. Experts say prisons and jails are especially vulnerable to infectious diseases because inmates live so closely together. Outbreaks inside prisons also pose a danger to surrounding communities, because staff members are likely to become infected and carry the virus to others on the outside. State prison officials say they are working quickly to curb the spread of the virus. Theyve suspended visitation. Theyve begun releasing some inmates early. And they say they are taking the temperatures of all staff members before they enter prisons each day. The Observer is adding reporters who will help cover coronavirus impact and recovery. We need your support. China's top legislature started its regular session Sunday to review multiple draft laws and revisions to laws. Li Zhanshu, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), presided over the first plenary meeting of the session Sunday afternoon. A total of 123 members of the NPC Standing Committee attended the meeting, and 47 others participated in the event through online video connections. A draft revision to the law on the prevention and control of environmental pollution by solid waste returned for its third review. The Constitution and Law Committee of the NPC suggested the draft be submitted to a vote for adoption at the session. Also on the lawmakers' table is a draft law on administrative discipline, which targets supervision over everyone working in the public sector who exercises public power. A draft biosecurity law was submitted for a second reading. It made it clear that biosecurity is an important part of national security. Bills presented to the legislature also include draft revisions to the laws on animal epidemic prevention and on the People's Armed Police Force, as well as draft amendments to the copyright law. Lawmakers are also deliberating a draft decision on the convening date of the third annual session of the 13th NPC, a draft decision to authorize the State Council to temporarily adjust relevant laws and regulations in the Hainan pilot free trade zone and a report on environmental protection, among others. The legislative session will run from April 26 to 29. (Photo : Unsplash) A planning commissioner of Vallejo in California has resigned after throwing his cat and drinking a beer all through a Zoom meeting between city officers that became made public. However, he tendered his resignation this week after a wild teleconference that caught him in the act of swigging out a beer and hurling his feline in jest. We don't tolerate that action, says city officials Throughout more than two-hour teleconference to talk about city business on Monday, Chris Platzer was taking drinks from a mug he has throughout. He was continuously getting up and leaving the meeting several times. At some point, he picks up the laptop he's using and took it over to his kitchen, opened his refrigerator, and pulls out a green bottle, which has been reported as a beer. When it was Platzer's turn to talk, he got up and said: "I'd like to introduce my cat." He picked up his pet before suddenly throwing the animal off-screen, then the people heard a thud. According to the original commission meeting video released by the Northern California city, Platzer was making derogatory remarks after the conference ended. He supposedly hurled a racial epithet during the Zoom conference, too, the City of Vallejo told TMZ. According to the original commission meeting video released by the Northern California city, he said: "I'm going to call bull- on you little b-s." Vallejo spokesperson Christina Lee said that the city "does not" tolerate Platzer's actions. "This type of behavior does not model the core values of the City of Vallejo," she added. Vallejo Mayor Bob Sampayan said Friday that etiquette needs to be observed for every public meeting. He added what happened hurts the credibility of the city. "What happens if a developer is watching the meeting [and sees that]?" Sampayan asked. He added the viewers would obviously have concerns about the city. ALSO READ: Woman Behind Viral Photo Of Duct-Taped Dog Charged With Animal Cruelty: Why Some People Abuse Animals Platzer' regretted' his actions In an email obtained by the Times-Herald on Saturday, Platzer said he has resigned from the Planning Commission, effective immediately. The resignation came days earlier than the City Council was making a resolution removing of him from the seven-person panel, the newspaper stated. I extend my gratitude to those who have supported me during my tenure. I have always felt that serving Vallejo in a voluntary position is honorable because Vallejo is worth serving. We are all living in uncertain times and I certainly, like many of you, 3/ John Glidden (@glid24) April 26, 2020 The former commissioner said he regretted his actions befitting of a planning commissioner and apologize for any harm he could have inflicted. Platzer said he extended his gratitude to those who have supported me during my tenure. He added he "always felt" that voluntarily serving Vallejo "is honorable because [the city] is worth serving." "We are all living in uncertain times and [me] certainly, like many of you, am adjusting to new normalcy," he explained. Lee told the Times-Herald the city is still trying to confirm whether Platzer had formally resigned from the commission. He couldn't be reached for comment as of Saturday. Platzer had been serving the commission since 2016. His term would end on June 20. ALSO READ: Animal Cruelty? Sarah Palin Draws Flak for Using Dog as Stepping Stone in Facebook Photo 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Image of USS America LHA-6 By Wang Shichun The Amphibious Assault Ship USS America LHA-6 recently came to the South China Sea with Americas rare maneuverable troops on the Pacific Ocean. Given the relatively stable South China Sea situation in April and Americas current shortage of maneuverable aircraft carrier troops, the unusual high-profile appearance of USS America demonstrates the US militarys strategic anxiety caused by troops vacuum in this period. As such a period is likely to last for quite a while, the US military finds it necessary to affirm its presence in hotspot areas to forestall the possible military adventures by major countries in those regions. The US deployment of a large surface vessel taskforce has much to do with the current situation in the South China Sea. It must be noted that the region has been in a half-year-long tension because of Chinas legitimate and reasonable geological explorations, but it isnt as serious as the HD-981 stand-off or the South China Sea arbitration in 2016. The interactions between China and surrounding countries are mainly through coast guard ships, fishery administration vessels, and ocean monitoring ships, which seldom engage in conflicts. All governments concerned have kept calm and restrained without hyping their disputes because all parties comply with international laws. The US military approached Malaysias economic zone and oil-drilling ships on April 22, but didnt mention this in its official statement, which only said the move was for the so-called freedom of navigation and supporting its allies and partners. That might be a proclamation of its military presence. Another immediate reason for the moves of US military is that the PLAs aircraft carrier task group Liaoning carried out scientific research training in the South China Sea. The PLA Navy conducted a cross-region maneuver of the Liaoning aircraft carrier task group on April 13, passing the Miyako Strait and the Bashi Channel to relevant waters of the South China Sea, which made the US troops anxious and vigilant. For strategic anxiety, the PLA has at least the Liaoning aircraft carrier task group of the Northern Theater Command and the naval taskforces of the Southern Theater Command in the vast South China Sea, securing the military advantage in the region for the first time in years. This prompted the US military to urgently declare its presence there. For strategic vigilance, the US is eager to understand the deployments and tactics of Chinas aircraft carrier task group. Although no evidence shows that the USS America amphibious assault group approached the Liaoning group, the combination of its F-35B, with a long flight range, and its naval and air reconnaissance forces can still be able to detect Liaonings formation and the shift pattern of the carrier-borne aircraft. The deployment of USS America will collect information to help the US military develop tactics against Chinese carriers. The stalemate of aircraft carriers sounds very intense, but in fact, the confrontation between Chinese and American navies seems still peaceful according to various reports. There is a satellite photo that the USS America is surrounded by eight military ships, where Chinas Type 054A frigates and Type 052D destroyers also showed up in the background of photos released by the US authorities. Rear Admiral Fred Kacher, commander of US Navys Amphibious Force, gave a rare comment on the China-US military standoff that all the confrontations remain safe and professional. This means that both parties have exercised restraint despite the confrontation, which is consistent with the governments reconciliatory attitude lately. Disclaimer: This article is originally published on guancha.cn and translated from Chinese into English and edited by the China Military Online. The information, ideas or opinions appearing in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of eng.chinamil.com.cn. Mutual funds (MFs) are worried that the collapse of six debt schemes of Franklin Templeton India will set off a redemptions crisis in the nations asset management industry. Asset managers are marking down bad investments and seeking bank loans, and a liquidity intervention from Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to contain the fallout of large redemptions. As of April 23, four fund houses had borrowed 4,427.68 crore from banks to manage redemption pressure, as per Association of Mutual Funds in India, or Amfi. While most asset managers claim their debt schemes will be able to meet the redemption pressure at this point, things could get tougher if the lockdown isnt lifted soon. In such a case, managing redemptions would require a direct credit line from RBI. Credit markets in India have been under pressure even before the coronavirus pandemic. The 40-day nationwide lockdown to stem the spread of the virus has only intensified the problems faced by debt markets, which were already grappling with slowing growth, defaults by borrowers and a liquidity squeeze that has left most of Indias non-banks struggling. Franklin Templetons troubles are linked to its aggressive bets on lower-rated company bonds, the worst affected in the current crisis. Debt market would require steps from RBI; there isnt a liquidity crunch, but there is a need to keep the confidence high. Sometimes, it is in the form of a line of credit and sometimes, in an extreme case, central banks have themselves purchased bonds and not relied on banks, Milind Barve, managing director of HDFC Asset Management Co. Ltd, said in an interview with CNBC TV18. RBIs line of credit is the last resort and should not be free money, Dhirendra Kumar, founder of Value Research, said. So far, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi), RBI and the government have not said anything about the crisis in the mutual funds industry. Former finance minister P. Chidambaram, in a statement on Saturday, asked the Centre to act promptly to stop any cascading effect of the unprecedented closure of six debt funds. He referred to the liquidity window opened up in 2008 as a possible solution. The central bank had opened a special window for commercial banks to meet the cash requirements of mutual funds in 2008 and 2013. In 2008, the central bank opened a special 14-day repo window of 20,000 crore to enable banks to raise money and lend to the funds, but received only four bids for 3,500 crore. Similarly, in 2013, RBI opened a special three-day repo window that allowed banks to borrow a total of 25,000 crore at a rate of interest of 10.25% to help mutual funds tide over their liquidity problems. The liquidity window given to mutual funds at that time had calmed the market. It was more of a psychological step, a retired central banker said on condition of anonymity. RBI has allowed banks to avail of cheap funding under the targeted long-term repo operations (TLTRO) and use it to acquire up to 50% of the holdings from primary market issuances and remaining 50% from the secondary market, including from mutual funds and non-banking finance companies (NBFCs). According to Nilesh Shah, managing director of Kotak Mahindra Asset Management Co. Ltd and chairman of Amfi, NBFCs need more funding. There are some AAA, AA, A rated NBFCs and some even lower. Credit flow is available from capital markets to higher-rated NBFCs where a majority of mutual fund portfolios are invested. We have to ensure that credit is available at lower end of credit curve as well, said Shah. Currently, banks are parking over 7 lakh crore in RBIs reverse repo window as they avoid lending citing increased credit risk from companies affected by lockdown. Funds are available at cheaper rates and the banking system is awash with liquidity. Mutual funds need money. Hence, the demand for a credit line. So, we need to create a structure where somebody will take that credit risk away from banks, a private sector banker said on condition of anonymity. TLTRO was announced in March at a time when there was fear of liquidity in the market. However, not more than 1 lakh crore is utilised, which shows that liquidity is not an issue. We saw a similar situation since 2008 and MF industry has been managing risks well under Sebi guidance, said A. Balasubramanian, chief executive officer at Birla Sun Life AMC Ltd. Neil Borate and Nasrin Sultana contributed to this story. Former Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Bac Son stands in court in Hanoi, April 27, 2020. Photo by VnExpress/Pham Du. Former minister Nguyen Bac Son has lost his plea for a lighter sentence in the case involving acquisition of a private TV firm. The appeals court that wrapped up on Monday ruled that the court of first instance had already taken extenuating circumstances into account when it awarded the former minister of information and communications a life sentence. But it handed out reduced sentences for eight other defendants in the case. Son, 67, had asked the court to review the charges and punishment after he was given a life sentence in December for accepting $3 million in bribes to push for the illegal acquisition of private pay TV firm Audio Visual Global (AVG) by state-owned telecom giant MobiFone. Son had said the sentence was "very severe" and asked for a lighter sentence given his old age as well as considerable contributions in the army and other achievements in his career. The court of first instance had rejected the death sentence recommended by the prosecution, saying Son's family had returned the $3 million on his behalf to the state budget. The appeals court maintained Monday that the court of first instance had already given due consideration to extenuating circumstances for the former minister including the return of the money accepted as bribes, his previous service and his status as a war veteran. The judges noted that Son had also influenced Pham Nhat Vu, former chairman of AVG, to compensate the damages recorded in the case, but found that this was not a reason to reduce the sentence for Son because he had not reported it fully during the investigation. They said that Le Nam Tra, former chairman of MobiFone was under the control and direction of Son, and this had resulted in Tra pushing other leaders of MobiFone to buy AVG. The appeals court said the court of first instance had not considered all the circumstances behind Tras actions and reduced his sentence on one charge, "violating regulations on the management and use of public capital that led to serious consequences," from seven to four years. But it did not find reason to reduce the punishment for taking bribes, so Tra is to spend a total of 20 years in prison, down from 23 awarded earlier. Phan Thi Hoa Mai and Ho Tuan, the two former deputy general directors of MobiFone had helped Tra, the judges said, but did not commit any self-serving act. They were also cooperative in making amends for damage done and had a good professional track record prior to their arrest. Therefore, they reduced the sentence for both Mai and Tuan from 30 months to 12 months each. Former deputy general directors of MobiFone Pham Thi Phuong Anh, Nguyen Manh Hung and Nguyen Bao Long also had their sentences from 30 months to 12 months each because the earlier judgment did not issue sentences evenly, the appeals court judges said. Nguyen Dang Nguyen, former deputy general director of MobiFone received the lightest punishment, having his two-year sentence commuted to a 12-month suspended sentence with probation. The judges said Nguyen knew about AVG's weak financial status as well as its prolonged business losses and how it was bought at a highly inflated price. He had protested against the decision and warned about it, the judges noted. Another defendant in the case, Hoang Duy Quang, director of the northern branch of the Appraisal and Investment Consultancy Company Ltd. (AMAX), also got a reduced sentence, from three years to 14 months in prison. The judges also upheld the decision of the earlier court not to seize the house of Nguyen Bac Son in Ly Nam De Street and that of former deputy minister and minister Truong Minh Tuan in Hao Nam Street, Hanoi. The defendants and their families were ordered to pay back their illicit earnings and had done so, the judges said. Son paid back VND66.4 billion (about $3 million); Tuan, VND4.45 billion ($190,000); Tra, VND55.6 billion ($2.37 million); and Hai, VND11.25 billion ($479,000). Contrite, repentant In his last minutes in court before the appeals court ruling was issued, former minister Son expressed regret and remorse for his actions. He said he felt relieved on speaking about the case to the investigators and noted that his family had paid back the exchequer the financial damage caused. Son also said that he had "handed over all the properties that did not belong to" him. While he accepted the sentence given by the court, he said mercy should be shown to people who have shown regret and cooperation, and believed that people would forgive his mistakes. "At the trial today, allow me to apologize to the leaders of the Party, the state and the people for my wrongdoings that have affected the reputation and the people's faith in the Party. Let me send a sincere apology to the Ministry of Information and Communications and the information and communications industry," Son said. Son also noted that that it was a rare case in history because a huge amount of losses caused (nearly VND9 trillion or $383 million) was returned to the authorities in just three months. He said the accepting bribes was not a premeditated act. He asked the judges to consider reducing the punishment for him and other defendants. They must be treated differently from others as they cooperated and compensated 100 percent of the financial damage caused, he said. People with good backgrounds and excellent work performance must be assessed differently from repeat offenders with bad backgrounds, he said. Tra of Mobifone also asked for leniency, saying he was the first person to turn himself in. Six former deputy general directors of Mobifone asked the judges to consider awarding them suspended sentences and waive their punishment, as their roles were not prominent in the case and they had paid VND6.6 trillion ($284.4 million) in damages. Phan Thi Hoa Mai asked the court for bail so she could with her newborn grandchild (a child of her daughter) and her son. Quang of AMAX said he had committed a crime accidentally and requested a suspended sentence. The trial at the appeals court began April 23. No appeal Of the 14 defendants at the trial of first instance, former deputy minister and minister of information and communications Truong Minh Tuan and former MobiFone general director Cao Duy Hai were sentenced to 14 years in prison and and AVGs former chairman Pham Nhat Vu got three years. Pham Dinh Trong, then head of enterprise management under the Ministry of Information and Communications, was given five years while Vo Van Manh, former general manager of AMAX, was given three years and six months. These five defendants did not appeal their sentences. ln 2015, telecom giant MobiFone, under the information ministry, wanted to invest in the pay TV sector. Son promoted the acquisition of AVG and pushed for the deal to be done before his tenure was up. After five rounds of negotiations, under Son's directions, AVG and MobiFone reached an agreement on October 2, 2015 for the latter to acquire a 95 percent stake in the former. MobiFone thus acquired a 95 percent stake at AVG for nearly VND8.9 trillion ($382.6 million), many times higher than AVG's real value, causing losses of nearly VND6.6 trillion ($284.4 million) to the state budget. This was one of the major cases in Vietnam's corruption crackdown, which intensified since it was launched in 2017, snaring a number of high-ranking officials, top military officers and businesspeople. Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, who has been spearheading the anti-corruption campaign, has repeatedly said that the fight would maintain its momentum and spare no one. The meeting will be held without the presence of shareholders based on Article 6a of the Ordinance 2 issued by the Swiss Federal Council on measures to prevent coronavirus (COVID-19) in the version of March 16, 2020 (as amended). The shareholders of Dufry AG may exercise their rights at the Ordinary General Meeting exclusively through the Independent Voting Rights Representative. This measure makes it possible to hold the Ordinary General Meeting despite the current COVID-19 pandemic. 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. Even prior to the COVID-19 outbreak forcing most companies to switch to a digital environment, 4.3 million people in the United States alone worked from home at least half of the time. Because of this, virtual private networks, or VPNs, have become all the more important. VPNs extend a private network across a public network and enables users to send and receive data across shared or public networks as if their computing devices were directly connected to the private network. Per the Ponemon 2018 State of Cybersecurity Study, VPNs are one of the most essential security technologies. Enterprises consider VPNs the best way to secure access for all employees to access resources and data within their organization. Encryption technologies such as SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) and TLS (Transport Layer Security), have been introduced into VPN products to make it easier for corporations to adopt the technology, while not sacrificing privacy and security to allow employees to seamlessly work remotely. Especially given current events, going forward, VPN security and availability will be the focus for enterprise and security teams. However, just as any other technology, VPNs are also vulnerable to attack. Below are details on how VPN services can be vulnerable and some methodologies to detect unusual VPN access. Enterprises can also put in place some best practices to secure VPN services as preventive measures. VPN Vulnerabilities Multiple vulnerabilities can exist in VPNs, according to the CVE database. Each of these loopholes allow adversaries to retrieve sensitive data from an enterprise, including authentication credentials. Attackers can then use these credentials to connect to the VPN and change configuration settings or connect to other internal resources. By gaining access to the VPN, the attacker could also have the ability to run exploits such as what happened to aerospace giant Airbus when they were hit by attackers who targeted VPNs to steal sensitive company data. The Challenge in Securing VPNs Depending on the number of employees and the size of your organizations IT and security teams, there can be many challenges that IT teams face when it comes to implementing VPNs. Security teams can also face tremendous pressure to comply with security controls. Some of the challenges include: 1. Stolen credentials Most VPNs require a traditional username and password combination, which can be easily guessed or stolen. According to the Verizon 2019 Data Breach Investigations Report (p.10), stolen credentials are the number one vector for data breaches. 2. Handling the influx of VPN usage Increasing VPN capacity to accommodate staff can be expensive. Organizations might have opted not to plan for more user licenses or the purchase of additional appliances. 3. Identifying abnormal user access Security teams have to make sure all the rules are in place to track any unusual user access to key company resources. If employees are working remotely, enterprises may have to enforce additional security controls to authorize user access. 4. Addressing vulnerabilities quickly. Many larger organizations may require an employee to either be on the local network or VPNed in to install necessary patches on their machines. If remote employees arent regularly connecting to the VPN, their machines may go unpatched for weeks, if not months. IT/security teams may have to allocate dedicated time to track and call in those employees to upgrade their machines to the latest OS/application patch release or configure machines to automatically update patches from internet resources directly from software vendors. The Role of Behavior Analytics in Protecting VPNs and their Users Security teams need additional tools to help them make sure data privacy and security controls are in place with VPNs. Behavior analytics technology lets organizations detect unusual VPN activity that could represent misuse, and respond effectively to minimize or prevent data loss or other catastrophes to your business. Behavioral analytics can help identify a number of abnormal circumstances which may indicate an unusual activity on a VPN, including: Abnormal VPN connections from the user Abnormal VPN session duration First VPN connection from an unknown device VPN connection from an anonymous proxy Abnormal amount of data uploaded during a VPN session Increase of company-related data files access MFA (News - Alert) from a new device for a user Physical badge access after VPN access Too many failed VPN logins VPN access from a disabled account Source (News - Alert) IP from unauthorized location Malicious VPN source IP The biggest advantage of behavior analytics is its ability to create baselines of normal activity to distinguish abnormal activity that could indicate a breach. Regardless of whether an organization is a small business or an enterprise of tens of thousands of employees, behavior analytics is able to stitch millions of logs including VPN access, endpoint, web access, and firewall, then model the behavior for every user and all machines in an organization Securing VPN Services Despite its challenges, having your workforce working remotely brings an opportunity to validate some best practices to further secure your environment. Below are the best practices summarized to help guide your organization to look at existing or new security tools that your IT/security teams might need to evaluate and reinforce. Incorporate and enforce strong authentication methods Without strong authentication methods, organizations expose themselves to risks where hackers can gain unauthorized access to sensitive data. In addition to enforcing single sign-on (SSO) to access various applications, organizations should evaluate multi-factor authentication (MFA) options. SSO and MFA can deliver secure authentication for all environments, protecting identity and access to data wherever users go. This is extremely pertinent for organizations using VPNs and expanding into the cloud. Have an understanding of points-of-entry Without strong authentication methods, organizations expose themselves to risks where hackers can gain unauthorized access to sensitive data. In addition to enforcing single sign-on (SSO) to access various applications, organizations should evaluate multi-factor authentication (MFA) options. SSO and MFA can deliver secure authentication for all environments, protecting identity and access to data wherever users go. This is extremely pertinent for organizations using VPNs and expanding into the cloud. Re-evaluate rules and threat hunting methods Behavior analytics can alleviate some pain for security teams as they automatically adapt to the environmental changes and make it easy for SOC teams to detect threats. But the SOC team should consider re-tuning any existing rules and threat-hunting queries in their SIEM to look for adversary techniques, since advanced threats usually have no pre-defined indicators for analysts to look for. Rules and threat-hunting queries can help SOC analysts monitor for any unusual access to the environment, privileged accounts, lateral movements, or abnormal data exfiltration. Ensure security is in top-of-mind when incorporating wireless networks. Employees working from home often use laptops connected to a cable or DSL modem through their own wireless access point. Unfortunately, many wireless routers are never configured for security: they are merely connected and turned on. Teach employees how to configure their wireless routers and computers for WPA or WPA2, and why it is important to keep their home networks secure. Also, encourage employees to keep their antivirus software up to date on other personal machines that are joined to their home networks. If their personal machine is compromised by an attacker, and is on the same network as their work machine, that can open up the corporate network to additional risks. VPNs are a powerful tool to connect todays remote worker with the enterprise. When security is properly incorporated, companies can have peace of mind knowing their data is safe while business continues on. About the Author: Pramod Borkar serves as a lead technical marketing team member at Exabeam. In his role, Borkar provides technical guidance and demonstrates product features to prospects and analysts and spearheads competitive intelligence to peel out key product differentiators. In addition, Borkar trains sales teams on how to position the product and owns technical demo webinars. Edited by Maurice Nagle Student activists and union leaders say Stanford University is reneging on a promise to help laid-off janitors and dining staffers employed by independent contractors. The private university in California is reeling from lost revenue, increased costs and a market downturn, like all of higher education. Despite the grim fiscal landscape, Stanford earlier this month pledged support for its workforce. But how the university has chosen to deliver that assistance is creating friction. Instead of paying subcontracted staffers through the end of the semester, the university only guaranteed health benefits to janitors. After student activists last week urged alumni to withhold donations until the university paid subcontracted staff through the end of the semester, Stanford provided The Washington Post with new details of its plan. Over the weekend, Stanford spokesman Ernest Miranda said the university is working with nearly a dozen contractors to provide direct financial support for workers who have been laid off. He said the university is also helping firms navigate state unemployment and federal assistance programs. "Stanford will provide the contractors the funds to give their employees the difference between the amount those employees receive from unemployment insurance and their pay, as well as a continuation of their medical benefits," Miranda said in an email. "In some cases, we were able to find other appropriate work for employees who were going to be laid off." Student activists decried the move as a public relations stunt that ignores the reality of the population Stanford purports to help. They say unemployment insurance is not a viable option for many contracted workers, and the new plan still falls short of the commitment Stanford made earlier this month. "It is clear that Stanford values its image more than the livelihood of those who work on its property," said Hannah Shira Smith, a senior and member of Stanford Students for Workers' Rights. On Thursday, student organizers held a news conference that included laid-off workers, union representatives and alumni urging Stanford to step up for some of the most vulnerable members of the university community. "All of us have an obligation to do what we can to help each other out. That includes big institutions, powerful institutions like Stanford University," Julian Castro, an alumnus and former Democratic presidential candidate, said on a call with reporters Thursday. "There are a lot of people hurting out there right now. Stanford has an obligation to do its best with its . . . endowment." Organizers are calling on the senior class and alumni to withhold donations to the university until the administration agrees to extend pay through June 15 to nearly 200 displaced custodians and chefs. They are also requesting hazard pay for contract workers who are still on campus and two weeks of additional paid sick leave. Stanford has been at odds with student activists over the treatment of displaced service staffers since the university canceled in-person classes in March. Students collected 5,400 signatures on a petition imploring the school to pay the workers and raised $250,000 to provide emergency relief. The university first said it could not afford to help. The provost and the president have taken 20% pay cuts and said the university anticipates a $200 million shortfall. But Stanford appeared to have a change of heart. "With the reduction in on-campus activities, the need for work performed by many of these contract firms has been significantly reduced," Stanford Provost Persis Drell wrote to the university community on April 14, adding that "we will support these contract firms in maintaining income and benefits through June 15 for their employees who normally provide services at Stanford." But the university's subsequent decision to solely provide health benefits to janitors spawned new tensions with student activists. "This is a blatantly dishonest move," said Ethan Chua, a senior and member of Stanford Students for Workers' Rights. "I do not know for the life of me why a university with a $27 billion endowment can't make this commitment." Chua said he was skeptical of the provost's statement because it seemed ambiguous. He also found it odd that the university chose to inform students and faculty members of its decision, not the workers or their union. Denise Solis of United Service Workers West, which is part of the Service Employees International Union and represents the custodians and dining workers, said the union never received any commitment from Stanford, despite repeatedly inquiring. UG-2, which employs the custodians, told the union about the health coverage. While Stanford is under no legal obligation to pay subcontracted workers, Solis argues the university has tremendous power and resources to help. "They have the means to do what is right for those men and women on their campus," Solis said on a call with reporters Thursday. "Rent is coming up the first of the month, and they will have already been a month without work. This is not just about those workers - it is their families." Alex Garcia, a custodian at Stanford who was laid off, expressed disappointment with the lack of communication from the university. "We care about Stanford the way Stanford should care about us, not only as employees but as humans, too," Garcia said on the call Thursday. US Navy Blue Angels and US Air Force Thunderbirds / Contributed STAMFORD The U.S. Navys Blue Angels and U.S. Air Forces Thunderbirds will give Stamford a free air show when they fly over the city on Tuesday afternoon as part of their salute to front-line COVID-19 responders. The elite military flight teams will also fly over New York City, Newark, Trenton and White Plains during their 40-minute trip around metro New York. The pass over Stamford will occur after the crews complete a flyover of Long Island Sound at about 12:30 p.m. - Kenyans who want to return home are required to go for coronavirus testing before May 2 - They will only be allowed on the flight after being declared free from the respiratory disease - Upon arrival, the passengers will be subjected to 14-28 days of mandatory quarantine at their own cost The government has said Kenyans who are stranded in the UK as a result of the fast-spreading coronavirus pandemic will get a chance to travel home on Monday, May 4. Kenya's High Commission in the UK confirmed that national carrier Kenya Airways (KQ) will offer the service from London based Heathrow Airport and encouraged citizens to book the flight. READ ALSO: Mutahi Kagwe hilariously corrects children calling him waziri wa corona, clarifies he's Health CS The KQ plane will leave the UK on Monday, May 4. Photo: Kenya Airways. Source: Facebook READ ALSO: Two men beat Nairobi lockdown by travelling to Kisii using motorbike Those wishing to travel to Nairobi will pay about KSh 96,586 for business class while those boarding economy class will fork out KSh 53,955 for their tickets. "Today, we are delighted to confirm that a Kenya Airways flight destined for Nairobi from London Heathrow Airport will now depart on Monday, May 4. Kenya Airways has loaded on its booking system the flight, which is available for sale on a first come first served basis with tickets selling at GBP 725 for business class and at GBP 405 for economy class per seat," the Kenyan embassy in the UK said in a statement. READ ALSO: Wakazi Vihiga waachwa vinywa wazi baada ya kuona vijeneza vya ajabu READ ALSO: Testing COVID-19 costs KSh 100 in Senegal while Kenyan hospital charges KSh 10k for same service The flight was scheduled to depart from the UK on Friday, April 25, but the arrangement was postponed. Travellers will be required to provide a certificate showing they are COVID-19 free and will also be expected to complete a Coronavirus Quarantine Declaration Form. "Passengers may undertake COVID-19 tests from any accredited laboratory and certification issued at least seven days before travel. Kenya High Commission in London, Kenya Airways or your local General Practitioner (GP) may advise on options for test labs," the statement read in part. Upon arrival, the passengers will be subjected to 14-28 days of mandatory quarantine imposed by the government at their own cost. As of evening of Monday, April 27, the UK, which is one of the countries heavily battered by the virus, had recorded at least 152,840 cases out of which 20,732 were deaths. Kenya, on the other hand, had registered 363 cases which included 14 deaths and 114 recoveries. Globally, over 3,025,000 people had been infected and out of the number, some 209,001 had died while 893,196 others have recovered. 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. He was married to another woman for ten years and I had no idea - Angela Nzilani |Tuko Talks|Tuko TV. Source: TUKO.co.ke A new species of turtles has been discovered by a group of scientists at the Natural History Collections in Dresden, Germany. The team, under Dr. Uwe Fritz, has identified the new type of fringed turtle as matamata. The appearance of the matamata species makes them stand out from the usual turtles. They hide in mud and look look like rocks covered in algae when underwater, the Mashable reported. Their eating habits differ from the usual turtles too. When prey approaches, it's sucked into their large mouths and then swallowed whole. "Until now, it was assumed that there was only one type of [armor-wearer] that was widespread in South America," Dr Fritz was quoted as saying. He said that not much is known about the genetics of this new species and the fringed turtles are known for their odd appearance and eating habits. It was concluded from previous studies that matamatas can vary in appearance hich led Dr Fritzs team to study 75 DNA samples to see if there was a genetic difference. There were differences. The newly discovered matamata can be found in Orinoco and Rio Negro basins in South America, while the previously-known matamata turtles reside in the Amazon basin, according to reports. The findings were released recently where the researchers also said the species does not face any threat of endangerment as of now. LyondellBasell Industries N.V. LYB is set to release first-quarter 2020 results on May 1, before the opening bell. The company has a trailing four-quarter negative earnings surprise of 5.2%, on average. The stock has lost 43.8% in the past year compared with 36.9% decline of the industry. What to Expect in Q1 Recently, LyondellBasell provided an operational update and estimated financial results for first-quarter 2020. The company projects net income in the range $110-$180 million for the first quarter. EBITDA is expected between $610 million and $680 million ($1,055 million to $1,075 million excluding non-cash inventory valuation charges). Factors at Play The impact of coronavirus on the companys global markets and steep decline in oil prices are likely to get reflected in first-quarter results. The pandemic has led to reduced demand for some of the companys products, including those serving the automotive markets, during the March quarter. This may have had a partial impact on the companys first-quarter performance. Nevertheless, the company is likely to have gained from higher demand for its products in medical applications and packaging in the quarter to be reported. What do the Estimates Indicate? The Zacks Consensus Estimate for first-quarter consolidated sales is pegged at $7,507 million, which suggests a fall of 14.5% year over year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for sales in the LyondellBasells Olefins & Polyolefins Americas unit is currently pegged at $1,852 million, which calls for a decline of 12.3% from the year-ago quarters figure. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for sales in the Olefins & Polyolefins Europe, Asia, International segment is currently pegged at $2,085 million, which suggests a decline of 17.8% year over year. The consensus mark for sales in the Intermediates and Derivatives segment is currently pegged at $1,738 million, which calls for a drop of 8.2% from the year-ago quarters tally. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for sales in the Refining segment is currently at $1,829 million, which indicates a year-over-year fall of 2.8% year over year. The consensus mark for sales in the Technology segment is currently pegged at $148 million, which suggests a rise of nearly 5% from the year-ago quarters tally. Story continues Freeport-McMoRan Inc. Price and EPS Surprise Freeport-McMoRan Inc. Price and EPS Surprise Freeport-McMoRan Inc. price-eps-surprise | Freeport-McMoRan Inc. Quote What Does the Zacks Model Say? Our proven model doesnt predict an earnings beat for LyondellBasell this time around. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the chances of an earnings beat. But thats not the case here. Earnings ESP: Earnings ESP for LyondellBasell is 0.00%. The Most Accurate Estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate are both currently pegged at $1.36. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before theyre reported with our Earnings ESP Filter. Zacks Rank: LyondellBasell currently carries a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell). Stocks Likely to Beat Estimates Here are some companies that you may want to consider as our model shows that they have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat this quarter: Franco-Nevada Corporation FNV, scheduled to release first-quarter 2020 earnings on May 6, has an Earnings ESP of +1.38% and carries a Zacks Rank #2. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. Wheaton Precious Metals Corp. WPM, scheduled to release first-quarter results on May 6, has an Earnings ESP of +4.54% and carries a Zacks Rank #2. Yamana Gold Inc. AUY, slated to release first-quarter earnings on Apr 30, has an Earnings ESP of +12.50% and carries a Zacks Rank #3. Just Released: Zacks 7 Best Stocks for Today Experts extracted 7 stocks from the list of 220 Zacks Rank #1 Strong Buys that has beaten the market more than 2X over with a stunning average gain of +24.1% per year. These 7 were selected because of their superior potential for immediate breakout. See these time-sensitive tickers now >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Franco-Nevada Corporation (FNV) : Free Stock Analysis Report Yamana Gold Inc. (AUY) : Free Stock Analysis Report LyondellBasell Industries N.V. (LYB) : Free Stock Analysis Report Wheaton Precious Metals Corp. (WPM) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research About 100 citizens of Armenia based in Los Angeles want to return to Armenia, but cant due to cancelation of flights. A citizen who had contacted the editorial office of Armenian News-NEWS.am and wished to remain anonymous, said all the citizens are in normal conditions, but want to return to their homeland. Were keeping in touch with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia and the Consulate General in Los Angeles, but were told that its impossible to organize a special flight since its a very difficult process, the citizen said. According to the citizen, the only option is the Los Angeles-Amsterdam-Minsk-Yerevan flight to Armenia, but the citizens say the flight is not trustworthy. The citizen also stated that they understand the complication of special flights and ask the Government of Armenia to organize an easier flight. Recent and soon-to-be college graduates are eligible for a rebate at Nissan of Victoria Local dealership Nissan of Victoria has a rebate program available for recent and soon-to-be college graduates. The Nissan College Grad Program is intended to help new graduates get into a reliable vehicle that leads them to their next station in life. Qualifying shoppers will receive up to $500 off the total purchase of select Nissan vehicles in the dealerships inventory. In order to qualify for the Nissan College Grad Program, customers must have graduated in the past two years from an accredited two or four-year college, university or nursing school, or have written confirmation of upcoming graduation within the next six months. Along with the proof of graduation, evidence of current or future employment set to begin within 90 days must also be provided. To claim the rebate, applicants must provide a drivers license as well as a copy of their diploma or college transcripts at the time of purchase. The College Grad Program can be combined with other current incentives for maximum savings. Along with the college grad rebate, Nissan of Victoria also offers other incentives for its customers such as the Nissan Military Program, aimed at U.S. military personnel, retirees and veterans. Those interested in learning more about the Nissan College Grad Program or any other rebate can visit the dealerships website, https://www.nissanofvictoria.com/. For a more personal interaction, interested parties can also speak to a sales representative directly via phone at 361-221-8219 or in person by visiting the dealership at 6003 N Navarro St., Victoria, TX 77904. The Nissan of Victoria sales department is open from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, and from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays. By Kim Bo-eun Central banks around the world are rushing to prepare for the possible issuance of digital currencies, while China has begun testing its own digital tender. According to the People's Bank of China, the country's central bank, internal tests of a central bank digital currency (CBDC), named the digital currency electronic payment (DCEP), began this month in four cities Suzhou, Shenzen, Xiong'an and Chengdu. CBDC is a term used to distinguish the digital currency of central banks from those in the private sector. Chinese media recently reported that Xiancheng District in Suzhou is expected to pay government workers 50 percent of their transport subsidies in the form of DCEP next month. Screenshots of a trial version of the digital currency developed by the Agricultural Bank of China circulated online, following a leak. According to the Hong Kong-based SCMP, a handful of companies in Beijing, including U.S. restaurant chains McDonald and Starbucks, will join a pilot program for DCEP. The currency is expected to make its official debut soon following the pilot test, and China aims to test the currency at 2022 Winter Olympic venues. Sweden is also leading developments in CBDCs, and began testing its Riksbank's e-krona in February. In the United States, efforts to develop a digital currency have been led by Facebook's Libra. Facebook's global reach is considered to have the potential to instantly rival traditional currencies. The Libra Association, the Swiss-based group Facebook created to issue and govern the digital currency, plans to offer a stable coin backed by one country's currency. Facebook said it is also working on digital versions of government-backed currencies. Central banks and regulators around the world have remained skeptical about Libra, due to the absence of a global regulatory framework. The Federal Reserve, meanwhile, is known to be considering developing a CBDC, a shift from its previous stance; and the Bank of Korea said earlier this month it was reviewing the technical and legal aspects of introducing its digital currency. Research is ongoing to set up a pilot system and to conduct tests by next year. Other major economies are also preparing for the possible development of electronic currencies. In January, the central banks of the U.K., the eurozone, Japan, Canada, Sweden and Switzerland agreed to take part in joint research on a CBDC. In a survey conducted by the Bank for International Settlements last year on 66 central banks, 80 percent responded that they are engaging in some sort of work on a CBDC. About 40 percent said they have progressed from research to experiments and 10 have developed pilot projects. Choi Hwoa-in, a blockchain adviser to the Financial Supervisory Service, said the shift toward digital currencies was inevitable. "Central banks have relatively been slow to act, but have accelerated preparations after Facebook unveiled its Libra initiative in June last year," she said. "A CBDC holds many advantages including reduced costs in issuing currency, and enhanced transparency in tracking money-laundering practices. Yet there are also risks such as the possibility of a country's entire financial system being shaken due to a cyberattack." The expert noted that various digital currencies may likely exist in the future, as more leading tech companies are expected to develop their own forms of currency. "The system will likely become more complex as different options become available for people in addition to using their own country's currency," she said. As has long been suggested, crisis not only means danger but also opportunities. Iran was unfortunate to be one of the first countries to face an outbreak of the COVID-19, but this fortunately enabled it to achieve earlier control of the spreading disease. This will definitely boost Iran's standing in the region in a meaningful way. History suggests that the COVID-19 fight will bring about changes in both the global and regional order. Under the usual scenario, those maximizing the benefits accruing from an event can improve their position. In regard to disasters like the COVID-19 pandemic, those who had minimized the cost due to earlier control of the disease have a better chance of emerging as the winner in the competition, especially in improving their standing in the regional arena. Iran, therefore, should be a beneficiary in such a scenario. Iran was among the earliest countries to report a severe outbreak of the disease in late February and early March. Fortunately, it has taken strong and necessary measures to deal with the epidemic. It took very seriously the advice of Chinese experts, and launched massive testing program among the affected people, restricted inter-regional traffic, advised self-isolation at home and constructed temporary hospitals as soon as possible. Although the struggle was a bitter one, these efforts brought Iran meaningful rewards. By mid-April, the growth of new infections in Iran had slowed down, and the number is expected to be reduced to under 1,000 per day by the end of April judging by the current trend. By mid-April, Iran's number one place among infections in the region had been taken by Turkey. While the number of Iran's total infections remained stable at 85,000, that of Turkey was crossing the threshold of 100,000 on April 24. Iran's population is a bit over 80 million, and Turkey's slightly under. Iran's effective control is also visible in the number of infections per million. According to the statistics of April 23, Iran saw 1,027 infections per million, which was lower than those of Turkey (1,162), Israel (1,727), Qatar (2,785) and Bahrain (1,397). According to reports, Iran constructed the largest factory in West Asia producing face masks, with a current level of 1 million per day, and an eventual target of 4 million. A significant proportion of the masks will be exported to the region. According to high-level government officials, Iran will also be able to export testing kits and ventilators in the near future. Hence, it seems likely Iran will become a regional supply source of materials needed in the COVID-19 fight. Worthy of mention is also Iran's immunity to the declining oil prices. As a major source of oil, the Middle East will be one of the regions hit hardest by the pandemic economically. The last months have seen massive suspensions of production, disruptions of international traffic and lockdowns of major cities across the world. This will have a crushing impact on the world economy, and its huge negative impact on oil markets has already been fully exposed as the oil prices have plummeted to an historical low level. Iran is among major oil producers, but due to U.S. sanctions, exports have remained at low level for a long time. Iran used to export 2 million barrels of crude a day, approximately one-fifth the level of Saudi Arabia. However, the number was reduced to about 1 million barrels per day in 2012 during Barack Obama's presidency, and was further reduced when Donald Trump restored the sanctions in 2018. This has seriously reduced Iran's oil income for many years, but, ironically, has made Iran one of the countries least dependent on oil revenues. As the COVID-19 continues to damage the global economy and world demand for oil, Iran may prove to be one of the few countries in the region to be less affected by the global economic recession. Partly due to the relatively successful control of the disease, Iran has renewed its assertiveness in regional affairs, weakened after the targeted killing of General Soleimani. Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Zarif paid a visit to Syria on April 20, promising support for Bashar Assad, and Iran's 11 gunboats confronted six U.S. vessels in the Gulf on April 15, which was described as harassment by Trump. Possibly Iran will achieve more involvement in regional affairs while other major regional powers remain in the virus quagmire. All in all, it seems that the COVID-19 fight could be another milestone in Iran's rise as a major regional power. The last two decades have seen the Iraq war in 2003, "Arab Spring" and the Syrian civil war; Iran has taken advantages of all these crises to improve its regional standing. COVID-19 could be another such opportunity. There is one caveat to this scenario and that is whether Iran can gain full victory over the virus, or whether it might not witness a second outbreak, something many countries fear. Jin Liangxiang is Senior Research Fellow with the Center for West Asian and African Studies, Shanghai Institutes for International Studies. For more information please visit: http://www.china.org.cn/opinion/jinliangxiang.htm Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn. If you would like to contribute, please contact us at opinion@china.org.cn. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Yulia Savitri (The Jakarta Post) Palembang Mon, April 27, 2020 07:00 626 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd45d901 1 National COVID-19,COVID-19-Indonesian-patients,COVID-19-in-Indonesia,Palembang,South-Sumatera,infants,baby Free A four-month old baby girl was among the 13 new confirmed COVID-19 cases announced in South Sumatra on Friday. The baby's mother, a migrant worker, was a resident of Ogan Ilir regency and had worked in neighboring Malaysia. "A swab test revealed that the baby was positive for COVID-19," South Sumatra COVID-19 taskforce head Zen Ahmad said during a press conference on Friday. "The mother tested negative." The baby is currently being treated at the Mohammad Hoesin Hospital (RSMH) in Palembang, South Sumatra. The mother and her baby were among a group of migrant workers who recently flew back home from Malaysia to Medan, North Sumatra, and then traveled to overland to Palembang. On Apr. 13, the task force team confirmed that one person in the group had tested positive for COVID-19 and she was immediately referred to a hospital. Meanwhile, the rest of the group including the mother and the baby were isolated at the Jakabaring athletes village as suspected COVID-19 cases. The baby girl is the second infant to test positive for the virus in South Sumatra. On Apr. 18, another four-month old from Muaraenim regency tested positive for COVID-19 after exhibiting pneumonia-like symptoms. The baby is also currently being treated at RSMH. South Sumatra Governor Herman Deru vowed to keep monitoring travelers at the province's entry points including alternative roads and rivers. He said travelers and migrant workers entering the region would be screened and isolated at the athletes village. (trn) The Director-General of Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Chikwe Ihekweazu, has explained the motive behind his statement that Nigeria is in desperate need of essential materials for COVID-19 testing. Mr Ihekweazu said he requested for the RNA extraction kits which is currently out of supply and not testing kits as reported. On Sunday, Mr Ihekweazu wrote: Were desperately looking for more RNA (Ribonucleic Acid) extraction kits as we expand #COVID19 testing. Product: Total viral RNA extraction kits (preferably spin column and with a lysis buffer). Manufacturers: Qiagen, ThermoFischer, SeeGene, Inqaba, LifeRiver etc. Following his tweet, Nigerians on social media condemned the NCDC boss for publicly requesting for COVID-19 kits after previously saying the country has enough resources to fight the virus. However, Mr Ihekweazu speaking at the daily Presidential Task Force briefing on COVID-19 on Monday said he had to request for the kits to prevent the shutting down of the network of 15 laboratories currently testing for COVID-19 in Nigeria. On my tweet on Saturday, I asked for something called extraction kits. These are not the same thing as the test kits. Sometimes in life, you have to be honest with yourself. We have a supply chain of all the commodities but there are supply chain challenges in things coming into the country now. This is the consequences of the situation we are in now and the global demand for the same thing. So these are things that we had ordered and they were in process of coming in but we suddenly ran out. Rather than shut down a network of 15 laboratories in the country, I put out that tweet, he said. Criticism Mr Ihekweazu said although he received lots of criticisms from the general public, his purpose was achieved. He said some people donated the extraction kits free of any charges. And while we got a lot of criticism which I expected but people came back and solved that problem. People brought the extraction kits and some of them offered to give to us for free. In every adversary, this country will continue to surprise us by its spirit, by its people and by its ingenuity in terms of how to solve that problem, he said. COVID-19 testing Official figures of Nigerias coronavirus infections crossed a thousand threshold on Friday, but there are indications the tally could vastly understate the true spread and toll of the contagion due to poor testing capacity. Nigeria has the worst testing coverage in countries with over 1, 000 cases in Africa and anywhere in the world, based on data from worldometer.info. On April 1, the Nigerian government said the national testing capacity was increased from 500 to 1,500 to expand coverage. During a briefing of the Presidential Task Force for COVID-19 in Abuja last Tuesday, the NCDC chief said that the centre would increase the testing capacity to 4000 per day across the country with 2000 samples to be done per day in Lagos State. But the Nigerian Infectious Diseases Society (NIDS) said the country is not meeting the daily target. They are not meeting the target of 1,500 testings per day, said Usman Abdulrahman, an official of NIDS, a multidisciplinary society of practitioners in the field of infectious diseases. If you are testing 1, 500 on a daily basis for more than three weeks, by now you should have tested over 30, 000 people, he said. As of today, Nigeria has only tested about 11,000 people of its 200million population. Meanwhile, Mr Ihekweazu said the focus is to keep testing as many people as possible. Authorities on Sunday arrested two people and stopped 27 drivers in their latest crackdown on Portland street racing. Ruben Gonzalez was arrested on suspicion of reckless driving, and Nicholas Murphy was arrested on a warrant for first-degree forgery, according to Portland police. The Sunday night effort in North and Northeast Portland also resulted in 10 traffic citations, police said. Two cars were towed, as well. The arrests come a week after authorities arrested four drivers in another crackdown and two weeks after police were called to the Fremont Bridge on reports of dozens of racers blocking southbound traffic and cars spinning circles across the span. After the Fremont Bridge debacle, Portland police announced theyd be partnering with other law enforcement agencies to try to curb such stunting. Street racing has long been a problem in the Portland area, with events occasionally drawing as many as 1,000 spectators. Participants have been known to block freeways and urban arterials like Marine Drive. Gonzalez, 23, has been released from custody on his own recognizance, according to jail records, and Murphy, 22, remains in the Multnomah County Detention Center. -- Jim Ryan; jryan@oregonian.com; 503-221-8005; @Jimryan015 Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) makes a statement about coronavirus disease (COVID-19) economic relief legislation from the Speakers Lobby of the U.S. Capitol Building on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., March 23, 2020. U.S. House Of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi has endorsed Joe Biden for president, joining a list of top Democrats, who have recently thrown their support behind the former vice president. Pelosi's endorsement of the Democratic presidential candidate follows that of U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders, former president Barack Obama and former vice president Al Gore, who all threw their weight behind Biden earlier this month. In a video statement released on Monday, Pelosi cited Biden's experience in government, including his role in passing the Affordable Care Act, as an evidence of his leadership qualities. She said Biden is well-positioned to lead the country amid the ongoing coronanvirus outbreak. "As we face coronavirus, Joe has been a voice of reason and resilience, with a clear path to lead us out of this crisis," Pelosi said in her endorsement. The endorsement comes at an opportune time for Biden, who has struggled to maintain a high profile during the Covid-19 pandemic and sustain the momentum he had built up in his lightning-quick run toward becoming the Democratic nominee. Besides current and past Democratic leaders, Biden has also won endorsements from some other key stakeholders like Washington state Governor Jay Inslee, a prominent climate change campaigner, and the 400,000-member United Auto Workers union. The endorsements have given Biden a series of headlines at a time when his campaign is effectively on hold due to the coronavirus outbreak and when U.S. President Donald Trump has captured media attention with his combative White House briefings. The Democrats are eager to project unity heading into the presidential race against Trump for the Nov. 3 general election. In recent weeks, the more moderate Biden has made attempts to win the support of the liberal backers of Sanders and Warren. A threatened sea mammal has been spotted exploring waters that are now undisturbed thanks to the coronavirus pandemic lockdown. Drone video footage released by the Department of National Parks shows a 30-strong herd of dugongs in shallow waters off Libong island in Trang province. They were feeding on seagrass and occasionally surfaced to breathe. This aerial view screengrab taken by Thailand's National Marine Park Operation Center in Trang shows dugongs swimming in Joohoy cape at Libong island in Trang province in southern Thailand Naturalists report other marine animals are also taking advantage of the tourism slump that is leaving coastal regions tranquil and undisturbed. Human intrusion and marine pollution have made dugong sightings in southern Thailand rare in recent years. 'Its quite unusual,' marine scientist Thon Thamrongnawasawat told The Associated Press on Thursday when asked about the dugongs. 'This species of mammal is very sensitive to speed boats and people. When they are gone, they feel free to gather in a large group and come close to shore.' Dugongs closely related to the manatee or sea cow are officially classified as vulnerable. They can grow up to 11 feet in length. Thailands population is put at around 250. Last year a record number of dead dugongs were found in Thai waters. Five dugongs, part of a larger group of the sea mammals, cruising slowly in the shallow waters of Chao Mai Beach national park in Trang province In this Thursday May 23, 2019, photo, an official of the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources hugs Marium, a baby dugong separated from her mother, near Libong island. She sadly died two months after this photograph was taken as a result of gastritis and blood infection caused by plastic waste in her intestines Their fate captured attention last June after images circulated of Thai vets cuddling an ailing baby dugong and hand-feeding her with milk and seagrass. Despite the care, she died two months later. A post-mortem found a large amount of plastic waste in her intestines that had caused gastritis and blood infection. Mr Thon said there were also reports this week of large schools of sharks coming unusually close to shore in several places in southern Thailand, and a sighting of a pod of false killer whales. Human intrusion and marine pollution have made dugong sightings in southern Thailand rare in recent years. Pictured - Libong island Video from park rangers on Phi Phi island shows 70 to 100 blacktip sharks in the shallow waters of Maya Bay, made famous by the Leonardo DiCaprio movie The Beach. The bay was closed to tourists in June 2018 for ecological recovery, and the islands entire national park has been shut since March to prevent the spread of Covid-19. Park rangers also counted 10 to 15 false killer whales, another protected species, near the popular tourist island of Koh Lanta, the first time they have been seen in that area. A 15-year-old boy is dead after a shooting Sunday in North York, Toronto police say. Shortly after 6 p.m. police were called to the area of Jane Street and Sheppard Avenue West for reports of a shooting. They found the teenager with a gunshot wound. Toronto paramedics rushed him to hospital with critical injuries, and he was later pronounced dead. No suspect information has been released at this time. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 27 Trend: Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has signed an Order to provide funding for the construction works at Khanoba customs post. Under the presidential Order, the State Customs Committee is initially allocated 4 million manats for the implementation of construction works at Khanoba customs post of the General Customs Department for Northern Territories of the State Customs Committee. PARMA HEIGHTS, Ohio -- Parma Heights International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) Local 1690 recently filed an unfair labor practice charge with the State Employment Relations Board (SERB) related to the citys attempt to unify pay periods across all departments. Representing Parma Heights IAFF Local 1690 is Susannah Muskovitz and Arish S. Ali of Muskovitz & Lemmerbrock LLC. The city is holding back one week of pay from all of the firefighters for the whole rest of their career, Muskovitz said. Its a 2 percent wage reduction that was not negotiated. The city is in the middle of negotiations (with Local 1690 regarding a new contract). The city has every right to propose this at the bargaining table -- and in fact they have proposed it at the bargaining table. The union has countered, and there has been a back and forth on the issue. Thats normal -- and how the process is supposed to work -- but then the city one day out of the blue said theyre just going to do it anyway and they unilaterally implemented it. Thats considered bargaining in bad faith, Muskovtiz said. Members of Local 1690 are upset that the convoluted change in pay schedule is moving a weeks pay forward to when they retire or leave the city. Parma Heights Finance Director Katie Iaconis said its been misrepresented that firefighters are losing out on a weeks worth of pay. Its all timing, Iaconis said. Most people have a work week that stops on a Friday and they get paid the following week. With our prior pay period, (the firefighters) have been paid in advance. Now, theyre never going to lose that. Theyll get it on their last paycheck. If they were to retire or go on to other employment, yes, they get it and thats how normally people are paid, she said. "Trust me, I get where theyre coming from. I understand their frustration, but this was something that needed to be done. The changing of the pay schedule is designed to help with the efficiency of the Finance Department. Iaconis said the police and fire pension reporting entities requested the change more than a year ago. The finance director noted that a weeks worth of Parma Heights firefighter payroll is $35,426. Unless the city was going to cover a weeks worth of pay and forgive that -- which is not really something legally we can do -- weve come up with the options using time that wouldnt be paid out until the end (of their tenure with Parma Heights), Iaconis said. They can cash out using vacation, holiday or comp time. So theyre just flip-flopping the time that they feel theyre being shorted. In essence, were just allowing them to use time that will get cashed out at a later date, and replacing it with this week. Its really a one-for-one exchange. They were never going to lose that time that theyre using to make up the check. Muskovitz said the city has been talking about unifying the pay periods for roughly a decade. The concept has been discussed during multiple labor contracts. I dont even understand the timing, Muskovitz said. Were in the middle of a pandemic. These firefighters are very clearly frontline workers answering calls of COVID-19-positive patients, and theyre taking money out of their pockets. It doesnt make any sense to me. As far as firefighters being able to swap out the missing funds with comp time, Muskovitz said: Thats what the city is saying. We want Parma Heights to reverse it and return to the bargaining table and act as they are required to under the law to bargain in good faith. The Local 1690 filing also includes a motion to expedite investigation and a notice of appearance. Muskovitz said the SERB investigation will lead to a probable cause decision, which could result in the issuance of a complaint followed by a scheduled hearing. I know that under the Public Employees Collective Bargaining Act, when an unfair labor practice charge is filed during contract negotiations, the investigation is supposed to be expedited, Muskovitz said. SERB does do that, so we expect the investigation to be expedited, but I dont have a timeframe. Read more news from the Parma Sun Post. France plans to have over 26 million non-medical face masks available for purchase by the end of this week as the country prepares to gradually lift its coronavirus lockdown, deputy finance minister Agnes-Pannier Runacher said Monday. "With the ramped-up production and increased imports, there will be more than 26 million masks for the general public, most of which can be reused 20 times, available each week by end-April," Runacher said during a conference call. Nearly half of the masks, made with washable fabrics, will be made in France by some 240 textile companies that stepped up as officials admitted a shortage of surgical masks for health workers. The masks will have a number indicating how many times they can be washed before losing their effectiveness. Runacher added that French production of surgical and the more protective FFP2 or N95 filtering masks has increased to 10 million a week from just 3.5 million before the COVID-19 outbreak in the country in March. "We are reinforcing the capacities for the four main producers in France with the goal of producing 20 million masks a week by the end of May," she said. But that would still fall short of the 40 million needed each week by health workers and retirement homes alone during the coronavirus fight, which prompted the government to place huge orders with Chinese producers. Significant deliveries are not expected to begin until next month at the earliest. Runacher said French production of medical-grade masks should reach 50 million a week by October. President Emmanuel Macron told French mayors last week that masks will only be "recommended" once the lockdown begins to be lifted on May 11, though they will probably be required when using public transport. Prime Minister Edouard Philippe will present the outlines of the "deconfinement" measures in parliament on Tuesday, possibly including whether masks will be required for students beginning to return to class next month. But the government has already said that restaurants, cafes and cinemas will remain closed for the time being and large public gatherings such as concerts and sporting events prohibited. The epidemic has claimed 22,856 lives in France so far, though the number of deaths and hospitalisations has fallen steadily in the past two weeks. Search Keywords: Short link: W hile the citys galleries are closed, we're delving into the lives of London's favourite artworks. We want to bring you closer to these masterpieces, with the help of the experts and curators who know more about them than most. The week it's Titians masterpiece Bacchus and Ariadne, which is in the permanent collection at the National Gallery. What's the story behind the painting? The painting was executed between 1520 and 1523 for the Duke of Ferrara, Alfonso I dEste, commissioned to decorate the Alabaster Chamber in his palace, a space he used for his own leisure and meditation. To create his masterpiece, Titian drew upon several classic sources, most significantly Ovid, Catullus and Philostratus, says Dr Thomas Dalla Costa, the National Gallerys Harry M. Weinrebe Curatorial Fellow who specialises in 16th century Italian paintings. Returning from a triumphant visit to India, Bacchus, god of wine, and his entourage of revellers happen upon the Cretan Princess Ariadne, abandoned on the island of Naxos by her lover Theseus, whose ship can be seen in the distance. The god is accompanied by his noisy retinue of followers: music-making nymphs clash cymbals and tambourines, a satyr holds a calfs leg aloft, whilst a satyr child drags the calfs head along the ground. Titian paints the moment when Bacchus falls in love with Aridane, at first sight. Aridane is initially afraid of Bacchus, who is jumping unself-consciously from his cheetah-drawn chariot, without caring much where is going to land (as like as every human being who falls in love, indeed, he takes unselfconscious decisions). Soon after, Bacchus offers himself as her husband, and the sky and a constellation of stars, the Corona Borealis, as a wedding gift as suggested by the stars above her head. In one single, colourful image, Titian condensed a long and intricate story, also managing to describe its most dramatic moment through the dynamic poses adopted by his two main actors, and through a masterful use of colours in particular Titians favourite colours, red and blue. Titians palette is incredibly rich and varied: Venice was in an enviable position with regard to supply of pigments, and Titian, an extremely successful painter working with wealthy clients, was in pole position in terms of accessing the best materials and pigments. This is why in his Bacchus and Ariadne he used some of the most expensive pigments available on the market, such as the Afghanistan-mined lapis lazuli, which he extensively used in the sky. An unusual fact about Titians Bacchus and Ariadne This work is a substitute for one by Raphael, to whom the Duke Alfonso I dEste commissioned a Triumph of Bacchus in 1517," according to Dalla Costa. "Raphael was extremely busy in Rome with the Pope and other members of his court, and although he kept promising the Duke he would have supplied the painting, during the next years he had done nothing but a drawing, now lost, in 1519. The painter had also accepted an advanced payment from the Duke. When at 37 years-old Raphael died, unexpectedly, on Good Friday 1520, Alfonso retrieved the payment to Raphaels heir and commissioned a similar subject to the young but emerging Titian, the Bacchus and Ariadne. Another curious fact is the one related to the two animals pulling the chariot of the god of wine, Bacchus. The animals are not leopards, but cheetahs. These animals are impossible to find in any previous work of art or literature relating to this iconography before Titians picture. The possible reasons for their inclusion in the picture are two: Titian may have wanted to make clear that Bacchus was returning from his Triumph in India, the region of the world this specific kind of cheetah is from. More likely, however, another reason for Titian to include these animals is the fact that the painter wanted to gratify his patrons love for exotic animals. In fact, it is known that Alfonso dEste enjoyed collecting wild animals, and he did keep cheetahs in his menagerie. Titian may have therefore seen these animals during one of his journeys to Ferrara. The London story "Bacchus and Aridane left Ferrara in 1598, and it reached Rome where it remained for over two-hundred years and had a tremendous impact on the painters of the next generations," says Dalla Costa. "Acquired by William Buchanan in 1806, the picture was transferred to London, where it entered several collections. Eventually, it was bought by the National Gallery in 1826. Among Titians most outstanding pictures, the Bacchus and Ariadne is also one of the most looked at paintings by the visitors of the National Gallery, of which it represents one of the masterpieces." Titian: Love, Desire, Death at the National Gallery: In pictures 1 /9 Titian: Love, Desire, Death at the National Gallery: In pictures Why we love it The rich colours and expressive movements in Titians masterpiece draw you to it, but it is only on close inspection that you can appreciate its exquisite detail: the flowers and blades of grass in the foreground, and receding mountains in the distance. There is so much to take in, you could cut it into tiny pieces, and each tile would be astonishing on its own. Where you can see it While the National Gallery is closed, Bacchus and Ariadne still hangs in Room 8, alongside works by Michelangelo and Parmigianino, so you can make a beeline when the gallery re-opens. You can also visit the National Gallery virtually here, and learn about all the paintings on display in Room 8 here. Pakistan's anti-graft body has issued an arrest warrant against embattled former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in a 34-year-old land related corruption case. The 70-year-old supremo of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, is currently in London for medical treatment. According to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) officials, Sharif illegally leased the land to Jang Group editor-in-chief Mir Shakilur Rehman in 1986, when the three-time premier was the chief minister of Punjab province. "The NAB has issued arrest warrants of PML-N supreme leader Nawaz Sharif in the land case involving Jang Group editor-in-chief Rehman. Sharif was served notices and questionnaires in this case but no response came from him who is in London for his medical treatment," a NAB official told PTI on Sunday. The three-time premier is facing multiple graft charges. The official said the NAB would move the accountability court to declare Sharif a proclaimed offender over non-cooperation in the investigation. On March 27, the NAB sent a questionnaire to Sharif and summoned him to the bureau office on March 31 to record his statement. Again on March 15, NAB's Lahore office summoned Sharif to appear before the bureau on March 20, but no response came from him, Dawn reported. Jang Group, also known as Geo Group, is a subsidiary of Dubai-based company Independent Media Corporation. On March 12, the NAB arrested Rehman in the case. He is in the bureau's custody on a physical remand till April 28. Rehman, the editor-in-chief of Jang/Geo media group, was arrested on charges that he illegally acquired 54-Kanal (6.75 acres) land on a prime location in Lahore at a throwaway price in 1986 during the tenure of then-chief minister of Punjab Sharif. "Once Sharif is declared a proclaimed offender then we will pursue the process of his repatriation," the official said on Sunday. "The decision to issue Sharif's arrest warrants has been taken on his non-cooperation with NAB in the 54-Kanal land in Lahore he had awarded illegally to Mir Shakilur Rehman in 1986 when he was chief minister of Punjab," the official said. Sharif left for London in November last for treatment after the Lahore High Court allowed him to go abroad on medical grounds for four weeks. According to Sharif's physician Dr Adnan Khan, the top leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) is suffering from complex multi-vessel coronary artery disease and substantial ischemic and threatened myocardium for which he is due to undergo surgery. In a latest tweet, Khan said: "As a high risk patient, former PM #NawazSharif's cardiac catheterisation/coronary intervention was postponed to be rescheduled at a later date amidst COVID-19 pandemic, as public/private hospitals limited their admissions/procedures. Presently managed on aggressive medical therapy." The Lahore High Court had, in October last year, granted bail to Sharif on medical grounds for four weeks, allowing the Punjab government to extend it further in the light of his medical reports. The Islamabad High Court had also granted bail to Sharif in the Al Azizia Mills corruption case, in which the former prime minister was serving a seven-year jail term, clearing his way to travel abroad for medical treatment. Sharif has given an undertaking to the Lahore High Court to return to Pakistan citing his record to face the process of law and justice within four weeks or as soon as he is declared fit to travel. Sharif, who was diagnosed with an immune system disorder, has been advised by a PTI government's panel of doctors to go abroad for treatment. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Victorian Government is reportedly considering scrapping stamp duty in favour of annual land tax payments. Often considered a growth-killer by economists, the lump sum tax is paid to Australian state governments when a home-buyer purchases a property. But with a huge decline in the housing market, Premier Daniel Andrews is examining new ways to stimulate the state's real estate sector. While the price of the tax varies in different states and cities, in Melbourne where the median residential home is $819,611, the cost of stamp duty is $46,383.36, according to Core Logic data. But since the coronavirus crisis began the state's property market has plummeted, leaving a massive hole in their annual $6billion cash cow. The Victorian Government is reportedly considering scrapping stamp duty in favour of annual land tax payments (stock image) Victorian treasurer Tim Pallas told the Age the government is expecting property sales and house prices to fall about nine percent this year, which is likely to bring a similar percentage fall in stamp duty. 'It's a result of buyer resistance to entering into the market and seller reluctance to offer their properties,' he said. 'So, yes, we'll see a considerable drop both in volume and in price going forward.' With all Australian states and territories facing similar COVID-19 slow-downs, the federal government may look at overhauling the taxation system. Even before the coronavirus derailed the property sector a report by the Productivity Commission in 2019 urged Scott Morrison to ditch the 'inefficient' tax in favour of an annual homeowners' tax. 'Shifting from stamp duties to a broad-based property tax could leave New South Wales up to $5 billion a year better off, while also improving housing affordability,' the report said. 'Stamp duties are among the most inefficient and inequitable taxes available to the states and territories. Since the coronavirus crisis began Victoria's property market has plummeted by nine percent, leaving a massive hole in their annual $6billion cash cow All Australian states and territories are facing similar COVID-19 slow-downs and as a result the federal government may look at overhauling the taxation system. Pictured: Medics perform coronavirus checks at drive-through COVID-19 testing centre in Sydney 'In contrast, property taxes which are levied on the value of property holdings are the most efficient taxes available to the states and territories.' Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has flagged that he would be in favour of major tax reform and is keen for the states and national cabinets to discuss the matter. 'When it comes to national reform opportunities, you can always count Victoria in for that discussion,' he told reporters last week. 'Every significant drive or wave of national reform in our country's history, Victoria has played a leading role in it and that won't be changing.' Laois Partnership Company, Local Development Company (LPC) is open for business and supporting the local community and business during the COVID-19 crisis despite the fact that many physical offices are closed to the public. Laois Partnership Company is also a member of the Laois Community Forum which has been convened to co-ordinate the community response to Covid-19 locally. Catherine Cowap, Acting General Manager of LPC, explained that the companys staff are busily adapting its services to meet the changing needs of our communities during this challenging time. Laois Partnership Company operates a comprehensive range of social inclusion, employment services and community development programmes and we know that many of the people we work with are struggling with the isolation, employment or other issues associated with the current restrictions. To help those people, our services are responding rapidly to current circumstances and currently our social inclusion, employment services and community development teams are supporting vulnerable indivduals and community groups wherever needed. Some of the ways we have been assisting include, maintaining contact by phone and texts with individuals and groups, collecting shopping/ prescriptions /fuel for isolated and vulnerable people, liaising with schools to provide children with homework packs, printing and distributing DEASP Covid 19 claim forms to local locations, supporting job match services in a rapidly changing labour market, continuously updating website and Facebook with information and links, leaflet drops to advise of community services and liaising with Laois PPN around volunteering and supports across the county for vulnerable people at this challenging time. Ms Cowap said that in addition to supporting individuals in the communities in Laois, LPC is also there to support businesses and organisations who might be finding it difficult to deal with some of challenges thrown up by the crisis. While many businesses are having to shut down temporarily, others are looking to take on more staff at this time. Because of the employment services we provide, we can help them access skilled and experienced people here in Laois. In addition, many organisations and groups have an urgent need for volunteers and we can assist them to link in with the right people for these roles. We also manage the Laois Volunteer Information Service and can report we have had a huge upsurge in volunteers who want to help in the community during this challenging time. She explained that Laois Partnership Company is one of 49 Local Development Companies that comprise the Irish Local Development Network CLG (ILDN). Like Laois Partnership Company, these are all not-for-profit, multi-sectoral partnerships that deliver community and rural development, labour market activation, social inclusion and social enterprise services across the country. Last year, the network supported more than 15,000 communities and community groups and 173,000 individuals across the country, she said. You can contact Laois Partnership on 057 8661900 or www.laoispartnership.ie, our facebook pages, or at info@laoispartnership.ie BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 27 By Huseyn Safarov - Trend: It is important for Azerbaijan to have international structures operating on its territory, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Director of the Azerbaijan Studies Center of the Ural Federal University (UrFU, Yekaterinburg, Russia) Alexander Nesterov told Trend. Nesterov, who is also the head of the Yekaterinburg representative office of the Baku International Multiculturalism Center, was commenting on the upcoming opening of the affiliate regional center of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Azerbaijan soon. The WEF affiliate regional center will open in Azerbaijan. The corresponding protocol of intent was signed during a meeting between President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and WEF President Borge Brende. Azerbaijan is one of the first countries which signed this document with the WEF. In general, Azerbaijan has great opportunities and prospects, the expert said. "The opening of the WEF affiliate regional center in Baku is another addition to strengthen Azerbaijans positive image as a regional and international hub," Nesterov said. The expert thinks that Azerbaijans own initiatives, such as the creation and activity of the Baku International Multiculturalism Center, which greatly strengthens Azerbaijans image as a tolerant country, successfully combining tradition and modernity and being the humanitarian center of a big region, achieve much more success. In turn, Belarusian political analyst Aleksey Tokarev stressed that the opening of the WEF affiliate regional center will allow Azerbaijan to discuss the economic issues with other participants and strengthen the interstate cooperation. Practice shows that as far as the economy develops and investments are made, the European standards are important. As for the oil sector, I think that the opening of the WEF affiliate regional center in Baku will help attract investments in this sector," he said. Seven persons, including four women, tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday, taking the total number of coronavirus cases in Odisha to 110, officials said. While six fresh cases were reported from Balasore, a 22-year-old male health worker tested positive for COVID-19 from Dasmantpur block in Koraput district. The health worker is the first COVID-19 patient from the tribal-dominated Koraput district as well as south Odisha. A male staff nurse in a government health centre, he was asymptomatic, the official said. The Koraput patient, who had returned from Kolkata on April 14 to join duty, was put under quarantine in view of his travel history and had not joined work. Following COVID-19 test, he was diagnosed with the disease, the official said. With Koraput district reporting a coronavirus positive patient, COVID-19 cases have now been reported in 11 out of the 30 districts of Odisha. Of the six cases reported from Balasore on Monday, four were women and two men. The latest Balasore case was a 32-year-old man who has recently returned from West Bengal. Regarding five others in Balasore district, the Information and Public Relations department said four were women (55 years, 22 years, 23 years and 29 years respectively) and a male patient aged 27 years. The official said all the detected cases from Balasore had mild symptoms and they were under home quarantine. Contact tracing and follow up action is being done. With this, the total number of COVID-19 patients in Balasore district, bordering West Bengal, has increased to 16. The samples of the new patients were collected during the 60- hour complete shutdown imposed in the district from 10 pm of April 23 to 10 am of April 26. Of the state's 110 COVID-19 cases, 72 are active as 37 persons have recovered from the disease. A 72-year-old man from Bhubaneswar died due to the contagion on April 6. Earlier in the day, two COVID-19 patients from Bhubaneswar were declared cured and discharged from hospital. Of the total COVID-19 cases reported in the state so far, 46 were detected from Khurda district, of which Bhubaneswar is a part, followed by 18 from Jajpur, 16 each from Bhadrak and Balasore, six in Sundargarh, two each in Kendrapara and Kalahandi districts and one each in Cuttack, Dhenkanal, Puri and Koraput. A total of 25,103 samples have been tested by April 26 midnight in eight laboratories, an official said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Jharkhand government has decided not to implement till May 3 the Centre's guidelines giving relaxations to some shops due to a sudden spurt in COVID-19 cases, Chief Minister Hemant Soren said on Monday. He said CRPF personnel have been asked to monitor Ranchi's Hindpiri locality, where the first coronavirus case in the state was detected in a Malaysian woman in March, and then more and more cases followed. The CM further said that the borders of Ranchi would be sealed to contain spread of COVID-19. Fifteen people tested positive for COVID-19 in Jharkhand on Sunday, the highest single-day jump in the number of cases so far. "We have taken some important decisions to stop the pandemic in view of the sudden rise in coronavirus cases in the state. The government will not implement the central guidelines to give relaxation to some shops," Soren told reporters on Monday. Stating that no shops will be permitted to open till May 3, the last day of the lockdown, Soren added that shops of essential commodities would continue to operate. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The police officer sister of Harrison Kitt, 20, was the first to be called to the scene of a fatal crash in Adelaide on Saturday which left her brother with life-threatening injuries (Mr Kitt pictured) A police officer who was first to be called to the scene of a car crash which killed two mothers was the sister of one of those involved in the collision. South Australia Police Chief Superintendent Joanne Shanahan, 55, was killed in the crash in southern Adelaide on Saturday after the car she was a passenger in was hit by a ute being driven by 20-year-old Harrison Kitt. The driver of a third car, mother-of-one Tania McNeill, 53, also died at the scene after being involved in the crash at a suburban intersection in Urrbrae. Mr Kitt suffered life-threatening injuries in the crash and is in a serious condition in hospital. His sister - who is also a police officer - arrived on the scene of the horrific crash just moments later . High-ranking police officer Joanne Shanahan (left) was one of two women killed in the horrific car crash. Her husband Peter Shanahan (right) survived the collision Witnesses said a Volkswagen four-wheel drive flew into the air before hitting a streetlight Police are investigating whether the 20-year-old suffered a medical episode before his car collided with the vehicles being driven by Ms Shanahan and Ms McNeill, 9News reported. Floral tributes have been left at the scene to both women while Ms McNeill's husband has shared a public tribute to his wife. He released a photo of the couple holding their son when he was born - adding 'that's her holding her world'. South Australia police commissioner Grant Stevens on Sunday meanwhile choked back tears as he revealed chief-supt Shanahan had been a passenger in a Holden SUV driven by her husband Peter - a former detective - who survived the crash. Mr Shanahan, who now holds a senior leadership role as the general counsel for SA Police, was taken to Royal Adelaide Hospital with minor injuries and later discharged. 'Not only have we lost a beautiful person, we've lost an officer with a wealth of knowledge,' commissioner Stevens told reporters. Ms McNeill's husband shared a public tribute to his wife - while sharing a picture of the pair with their son when he was a baby Chief-Supt Shanahan, a veteran of more than three decades with South Australia Police, received a police medal last year as part of the Australia Day Honours 'Sadly the real tragedy of road fatalities has been brought home to South Australia police yesterday when we lost one of our finest senior police officers.' Chief-Supt Shanahan joined SA Police in 1981 and she received an Australian Police Medal last year as part of the Australia Day Honours. She was only the third woman in the history of the state's police force to rise to the rank of chief superintendent. 'Coming from quite a strict Greek background and going into the police force as a female was quite significant for my family,' she told The Adelaide Advertiser in January 2019 about her Australia Day award. 'They were totally shocked that their daughter wanted to be a police officer. But when I was accepted they were proud as punch.' Witnesses had told the ABC a Volkswagen four-wheel drive flew into the air before hitting a streetlight. Ms Shanahan (pictured) was described as a 'beautiful person' and a 'detective with a wealth of knowledge' by SA Police commissioner Grant Stevens on Sunday Another witness told 9News he saw one of the cars speed through the suburban intersection without its brake lights on seconds before the collision. Pictures taken after the collision showed wreckage and debris strewn across the road and a car on its side. South Australia Police Superintendent Craig Wall said it was a 'horrific scene and tragic for everyone involved'. 'The scene is tragic for not only the families but for the emergency services attending here today.' A Delhi court Monday sent the president of Jamia Millia Islamia Alumni Association, arrested under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in connection with riots in northeast Delhi in February, to 10-day police custody. The police told the court that Shifa-Ur-Rehman, also a member of Jamia Coordination Committee, was involved in a criminal conspiracy along with former JNU student Umar Khalid. It said Rehman gave provocative speeches at various places and appealed to the Muslim minority community gathering to block roads and other other public places during the visit of Donald Trump, USA President, on Feb 24-25 so that a propaganda may be flashed at the in international platform that the Muslim minority community in India are being tortured. Rehman was booked for alleged involvement in the riots and was subsequently arrested by the Special Cell of the Delhi Police on Sunday. The police produced him before Special Judge Sanjeev Kumar Jain and sought his custodial interrogation for 12 days. It told the court that Rehman's interrogation was required to unearth the larger conspiracy and find out the names of his other accomplices. While seeking his custody, the police told the court that Rahman's name popped up after the interrogation of Ishrat Jahan, Khalid Saifi, Meeran Haider, Safora, Gulfisa and Tahir Hussain. Rehman gave hate speeches that lead to the riots in the month of February 2020 at various protest sites i.e. Jamia, Shaheen Bagh, Seelampur, Khureji, Inderlok & Hauz Rani, the police told the court. "We had technical evidence against him which suggests that he incited mobs during the riots. He was also seen in the CCTV footage which was collected from the riot-affected areas. We have checked his call record details and WhatsApp messages and found more evidence which suggests his involvement in the riots," police said. It further trims the court that the interrogation of the witnesses have revealed that that Rehman received funds from the members of ALUMNI of Jamia Millia Islamia based in Middle East countries and he was co-coordinating the protest sites Earlier, Jamia Millia Islamia students Meeran Haider and Safoora Zagar were also arrested under the Act for allegedly hatching a conspiracy to incite the communal riots. While Zargar is the media coordinator of Jamia Coordination Committee, Haider is a member of the committee. In the FIR, police have claimed that the communal violence was a "premeditated conspiracy" which was allegedly hatched by former JNU student leader Umar Khalid and two others. Communal violence had broken out in northeast Delhi on February 24 after clashes between citizenship law supporters and protesters spiralled, 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.) President Trump on Sunday retweeted a post from Fox Business Networks Maria Bartiromo who claims that former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn will be completely exonerated this week. Breaking News: sources tell me [Flynn] will be completely exonerated this week. It was a total fraud. A Set up. More tomorrow,' Bartiromo tweeted on Sunday. Batiromo then posted another tweet with the hashtag #GeneralFlynn. The tweet was copied to several of Bartiromos guests for her morning show on Monday. The president on Sunday also retweeted a clip of a Fox News interview with Devin Nunes, the Republican congressman from California. Nunes said that 'possibly exculpatory evidence' that the government concealed during the investigation into Flynn was submitted to the court on Friday. Nunes also claimed that the evidence shows that the government 'framed' Flynn. Flynns lawyers on Friday claimed that the Justice Department turned over stunning evidence which proves that the former national security adviser was set up and framed by the FBI. President Trump (left) on Sunday retweeted a post from a Fox Business Network host who claims that Michael Flynn (right) will be 'completely exonerated' this week The post retweeted by Trump was from Maria Bartiromo of Fox Business Network. Bartiromo claims that Flynn 'will be completely exonerated this week' The attorneys are asking a federal judge to consider the evidence as part of their request to withdraw Flynns guilty plea during the investigation into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential elections, according to The Washington Post. The material remains under protective order barring the release of the information to the public. Flynns lawyer, Sidney Powell and Jesse Binnall, wrote that the new material proves Mr. Flynns allegations of having been deliberately set up and framed by corrupt agents at the top of the FBI. The government has deliberately suppressed this evidence from the inception of this prosecution knowing there was no crime by Mr. Flynn, according to his lawyers. Earlier this year, Attorney General William Barr ordered an external review into Flynns case headed by Jeff Jensen, the US attorney in St. Louis. Jensen is a former FBI agent with a long background in battling white-collar crime. In December 2017, Flynn pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI during its investigation of ties between the Trump campaign and Russia. The president on Sunday also retweeted a post showing a video clip of Devin Nunes, a Republican member of Congress, who alleges that Flynn was 'framed' by the government Devin Nunes says Michael Flynn was framed by the government pic.twitter.com/eAOSwjrOKJ Acyn (@Acyn) April 26, 2020 A Justice Department official said Jensen is working with Brandon Van Grack, a member of special counsel Robert Muellers team, to review the Flynn case. Last month, Trump said he is considering a full pardon for Flynn. Flynn attempted to withdraw the guilty plea in January, saying federal prosecutors had acted in 'bad faith' and broke their end of the bargain when they sought prison time for him. 'I am strongly considering a Full Pardon!' Trump tweeted. The president also cited an unspecified report that the Justice Department had lost records related to Flynns case. In response, Flynns lawyer, Sidney Powell, tweeted, 'Thank you, Mr. President' and said 'the persecution' of his client 'is an egregious injustice.' Prosecutors had initially said Flynn was entitled to avoid prison time because of his extensive cooperation, but the relationship with the retired Army lieutenant general grew increasingly contentious after he hired a new set of lawyers. Flynn is one of six Trump aides and associates charged in special counsel Robert Muellers investigation into ties between the Russia and the 2016 Trump campaign. Last month, Trump said the FBI and Justice Department had 'destroyed' Flynns life and that of his family, and cited an unspecified, unsubstantiated report that they had lost records related to Flynn He pleaded guilty in December 2017 to lying to the FBI about his conversations with the Russian ambassador during the presidential transition period and provided extensive cooperation to Muellers team of investigators. His attorneys raised repeated misconduct allegations against the government -which a judge has since rejected - and prosecutors have responded by calling into question whether Flynn truly accepts guilt. The US attorneys office for the District of Columbia on Friday told a federal court that it has turned over to Flynn document that were obtained and analyzed by Jensens office as part of an ongoing review and that additional documents may be forthcoming. Flynn has also accused his former attorneys from the law firm Covington & Burling of misleading him by allowing him to plead guilty in order to cover up its own errors. In February, US District Court Judge Emmet Sullivan ordered Flynns sentencing hearing to be canceled until further order of the court. Jeff Jensen, the US attorney in St. Louis, is leading a Justice Department review of the Flynn case He gave both Flynn and the Justice Department more time to submit filings on Flynns request to withdraw his guilty plea, including claims he received ineffective legal assistance from his former lawyers. Following Flynns attempt to withdraw his plea, the Justice Department abruptly offered a more lenient sentencing recommendation. The latest sentencing filing still seeks a sentence of up six months, but unlike before, prosecutors explicitly state that probation would be a reasonable punishment and that they would not oppose it. Trump has not been shy about using his clemency powers in high-profile cases. In February, Trump commuted the prison sentence of former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich and pardoned former New York City Police Commissioner Bernie Kerik. Among the others getting a break from the president were financier Michael Milken and Edward DeBartolo Jr., the former San Francisco 49ers owner. Trump has faced criticism for weighing in on the cases of former aides. When he confirmed his most moves in February, he said he had yet to think about pardoning longtime confidant Roger Stone, who awaited sentencing at the time, or granting clemency to Flynn or former campaign chairman Paul Manafort. But he made clear he was sympathetic to their plight. Somebody has to stick up for the people, Trump said. Saudi Arabia's King Salman has ordered an end to the death penalty for crimes committed by minors. The decision follows another ordering judges to end the practice of flogging, replacing it with jail terms, fines or community service and bringing one of the kingdom's most controversial forms of public punishment to an end. King Salman's son and heir, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, is seen as the force behind the kingdom's loosening of restrictions and its pivot away from ultraconservative interpretations of Islamic law known as Wahhabism, to which many in the country still closely adhere. In the face of some domestic opposition, the crown prince has sought to modernise the country, attract foreign investment and revamp Saudi Arabia's reputation globally. He has also overseen a parallel crackdown on liberals, women's rights activists, writers, moderate clerics and reformers. The 2018 killing of Saudi writer Jamal Khashoggi in Turkey by agents who worked for the crown prince drew sharp criticism internationally. The latest royal decree by King Salman will spare the death penalty for at least six men from the country's minority Shi'ite community who allegedly committed crimes while under the age of 18, including Ali al-Nimr, who participated in anti-government protests. Human rights groups such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have long called on the kingdom to abolish the use of the death penalty, particularly for crimes committed by minors. The president of the Saudi government's Human Rights Commission, Awwad Alawwad, confirmed the latest decision in a statement yesterday, saying it helped the kingdom establish "a more modern penal code and demonstrates the kingdom's commitment to following through on key reforms". He said "more reforms will be coming", and that the two decisions "reflect how Saudi Arabia is forging ahead in its realisation of critical human rights reforms even amid the hardship imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic". The decree expands on a previous order by King Salman issued in late 2018, which set a maximum 10-year prison term for minors in certain cases, except for crimes punishable by death. Now the 10-year maximum applies to all crimes by minors. New Mexico small businesses have hit a crucial time that will determine their future. These businesses have been closed or limited for 40 days. They have had their revenues decreased 60-100 percent, and government programs to support small businesses have been a challenge to obtain. The majority of small-business owners have exhausted their reserves, so 40 days is an ideal opportunity to have a renewal of our economy and a grand reopening, in a safe manner, of course. The challenge is that the governor on Wednesday stated New Mexico would remain in a social distancing mode until May 15, which is 60 days of closures. How many people do you know that can survive on no revenue for 60 days? As for businesses deemed non-essential, who determines what is essential? The definition of essential is absolutely necessary, extremely important. Business owners and their employees livelihoods are essential to our economy and much of New Mexicans well-being. Why can we not go to local retailers observing health recommendations and operating at less than 20 percent capacity? What makes a big-box store a better choice than a small business owner who is passionate about employee and customer safety? Government agencies can raise taxes and issue bonds, while many small businesses that cannot obtain grants or loans will be forced to permanently close or file bankruptcy along with their unemployed employees. Every business is weighing in on how the pandemic will affect its operations, employees and ability to serve customers. The decisions business owners and all levels of government make over the next weeks or months will decide if they will thrive, struggle or fail. Building a plan to get back to a 100 percent open level is what businesses need, so they can plan for tomorrow and New Mexico can reduce unemployment and increase gross receipts tax revenue. Time is of the essence, so we must support an effort to allow businesses to reopen in a responsible manner and have a chance to survive in our new normal economy. Customers are the lifeblood of every business, and small businesses need their customers to create jobs and pay their bills. Many businesses have taken this opportunity to look at their offerings and are prepared to reopen and maintain social-distancing. Conducting business as usual in these unprecedented, uncertain times will indeed be a challenge for us all. Businesses success in this new environment is important to reduce unemployment and save our city, county and state. This pandemic has slowed businesses down for the short-term, but their efforts to deliver outstanding customer service is what separates small businesses from big-box stores. We all miss the service and attention to detail provided by our small businesses. Its time to give them the opportunity to provide their products and services at the same level as big-box stores. Our small businesses are safe to reopen and will follow health guidelines. We need a grand reopening! Shop small; shop local; shop in New Mexico. (Jerry Schalow is the president and CEO of the Rio Rancho Regional Chamber of Commerce.) Most state governments recommended an extension of the lockdown in Covid-19 hot spots, a relaxation of rules to bring back stranded workers, and financial help to cope with a debilitating economic crisis in a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday. The states have urged the Centre to ensure that the new guidelines that will come in after the current lockdown ends on May 3, provide for much more economic activity in non-Covid districts, termed green zones, and stricter norms for Covid hot spots, described as red zones. The Centre is expected to take a call on the lockdown, scheduled to be in pace till May 3, in the next few days after taking into consideration views of different empowered groups and the key Central ministries. On Monday it received feedback from the states. Here is what some of the key states suggested. Bihar Chief minister Nitish Kumar told the PM that it will not be possible to bring back anybody, including students from places such as Kota in Rajasthan and migrant workers stranded elsewhere, till the Central government amended or issued fresh directive in this regard. Bihar is one of the few state to follow the rules. Others, such as Uttar Pradesh have gone ahead and bussed students out of Kota. Kumar reiterated his earlier stand that a move to transfer people from one place to other defeated the very spirit of implementing a lockdown even as the opposition accused him of failing to bring back the stranded students. On the lockdown, he said Bihar will comply with Centres decisions. Kumar said the state government has received over one lakh phone calls and messages from migrant workers and efforts were being made to redress their problems. 7.5 million families have been screened, the CM said, while giving details of the efforts to prevent the spread of the disease. Odisha Chief minister, Naveen Patnaik sought a safe passage for migrant workers from the state stuck in other states and requested other states to test the migrants for Covid-19 and only send back workers who test negative. Around five lakh workers from Odisha are stranded in different states. During todays meeting we stressed on the safe passage of Odia migrants stuck in other states, said Odisha health minister Naba Das. Punjab Chief minister Amarinder Singh wrote to home minister Amit Shah, asking for the opening of all small shops, businesses and industries in all areas except the containment zones. In a letter to Shah, in response to the Centres request for a written submission of issues faced by the state, the CM highlighted the issues that need the urgent attention of the Centre. He also sought special insurance cover for police personnel and sanitary workers, universal basic income of 6,000 per month to industrial and migrant workers and 15 days wages as unemployment allowance to MGNREGA workers for the next three months. Haryana CM ML Khattar asked the Central government to provide clarity on the schedules of various entrance examinations like JEE and NEET for medical and engineering colleges as well as NDA exam for the armed forces. Speaking at a meeting with the PM, Khattar said a large number of students preparing for the competitive exams were anxious because of ambiguity over the exam schedules. Maharashtra Chief minister Uddhav Thackeray is expected to raise the issue of financial assistance from the Centre, the shortage in supply of the PPE kits and issue of stranded workers in a letter to home minister Amit Shah, according to Maharashtra government officials. Maharashtra wants only partial lifting of lockdown from non-Covid districts. The state will announce its decision later this week, the officials said. Kerala Chief secretary Tom Jose attended the meeting. In his letter, CM Pinarayi Vijayan sought staggered removal of the lockdown and an exclusive Covid-19 financial package. Kerala has asked the Centre to expedite the return of 1.8 million migrants from the state from countries in West Asia. Kerala has also asked the Centre to send back around 3 lakh migrant workers housed in 10,000 camps to their respective states. Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh has not made any submission to the Centre. We keep on exchanging views and hold consultations with the Union government. But chief minister Yogi Adityanath did not make any demand at Prime Minister Narendra Modis video conference with chief ministers, said chief secretary RK Tiwari. Chhattisgarh Chief minister Bhupesh Baghel, in the past week, has demanded that states should be allowed to decide on which economic activities should be allowed . He also wanted a scheme for giving food grains in place of money for work done under MGNREGA. He has also sought financial assistance worth 30,000 crore. Jharkhand Chief minister, Hemant Soren, has sought a relaxation of the interstate travel ban so that arrangements can be made to bring back students and migrant workers stuck in other states. Over 9 lakh migrant workers from Jharkhand are stuck in other states. Soren said the state government will explore legal options if the Centre fails to provide financial assistance to the state to deal with the pandemic. North-East Mizoram chief minister Zoramthanga said the states only Covid-19 patient was recovering slowly. Since we are surrounded by Myanmar, Bangladesh and neighbouring states, which also have Covid-19 patients, we cant be complacent, he said, adding that the state will relax the lockdown slightly after May 3 and allow some economic activity slowly. Meghalaya chief minister Conrad Sangma said he proposed an extension of the lockdown beyond May 3. We have mooted to continue with the lockdown post May 3rd with relaxation on activities in green zones or non-Covid affected districts in Meghalaya, Sangma tweeted after the meeting. Meghalaya has recorded 12 Covid-19 positive cases, of which one has died. All the cases are from the state capital, Shillong. Pupils across China have gone back to school after spending more than three months at home as the country continues to ease coronavirus restrictions. Tens of thousands of students in their final year of middle and high schools in Shanghai and Guangzhou returned to the campus on Monday while graduating students in high schools in Beijing also resumed classroom study today. The news comes as Wuhan, where the global coronavirus pandemic began in December, yesterday discharged its last COVID-19 patient, health officials said. Tens of thousands of graduating students in China have returned to the campus after spending three months at home due to coronavirus. Pictured, students wearing face masks line up to have their temperature checked at the entrance of a middle school in Shanghai on April 27 The news comes as the city of Wuhan, where the global coronavirus pandemic began in December, yesterday discharged its last COVID-19 patient, health officials said. Pictured, students wearing face masks have a class at a middle school in Shanghai on April 27 Students in Beijing must have their temperatures checked at school gates and show 'green' health codes on an app that calculates a person's infection risk before being allowed in. Pictured, an official in a hazmat suit greets students returning to classes in Beijing All schools and universities must impose strict preventative measures to stop the disease from spreading, including giving out free face masks, disinfecting the campus and setting up quarantine areas. The government of Guangzhou, which has a population of around 15million, had given each of the 208,000 returning students a nucleic acid test before allowing them to step into the school, reported People's Daily. The test detects if the person currently has the novel coronavirus. 'I'm glad, it's been too long since I've seen my classmates,' 18-year-old Hang Huan said in Shanghai. 'I've missed them a lot.' All schools in Shanghai, the Chinese commercial hub with 24million people, must adopt new tough rules to prevent a second wave, according to education officials. Pictured, students wearing face masks line up to enter a gymnasium at a middle school in Shanghai on April 27 School authorities in Shanghai must provide each student and teacher with one face mask every day and disinfect the canteen, dormitories, classrooms, washbasins and bathrooms daily. Pictured, students wearing face masks sit in a classroom in Shanghai on April 27 Schools in Shanghai must also install screening facilities featuring ultra red thermometers at the gate to monitor students' temperatures when there are more than 100 people on campus All schools in Shanghai, the Chinese commercial hub with 24million people, must adopt new tough rules to prevent a second wave, according to Lu Jing, an official from the Shanghai Municipal Education Commission. School authorities must provide each student and teacher with one face mask every day and disinfect the canteen, dormitories, classrooms, washbasins and bathrooms daily. Schools must also install screening facilities featuring ultra red thermometers at the gate to monitor students' temperatures when there are more than 100 people on campus, Lu added. Students in Beijing, which has a population of more than 21million, must have their temperatures checked at school gates and show 'green' health codes on an app that calculates a person's infection risk, according to the education ministry. Nearly 50,000 students who are in their last year of high school resumed their campus life on Monday in 254 schools in the capital city, People's Daily said. Nearly 50,000 students who are in their last year of high school resumed their campus life today in 254 schools in Beijing, the Chinese capital city, state newspaper People's Daily said. Pictured, students wearing face masks arrive at the Huayu Middle School in Shanghai today Schools have re-opened in 30 provinces, autonomous region and cities in China after the crisis Virus numbers in China have dwindled as the country begins to cautiously lift control measures, although fears remain of a potential resurgence and cases imported from abroad Schools have re-opened in 30 provinces, autonomous region and cities in China. More than one million students in 1,127 schools and universities in north-western Qinghai province had already restarted their lessons by April 24. All graduating students in eastern Zhejiang province have also returned to school. Virus numbers in China have dwindled as the country begins to cautiously lift control measures, although fears remain of a potential resurgence and cases imported from abroad. China's top coronavirus expert Dr Zhong Nanshan (pictured at a meeting on April 15) said the country must find a way to re-open its schools even though it would be a 'very tough road' 'I am in favour of resuming classes,' Dr Zhong Nanshan, the leader of Beijing's coronavirus expert team, said during a meeting on April 20. 'This is a very tough road but [we] must walk it and keep going forward,' Dr Zhong added. Dr Li Lanjuan, another leading epidemiologist, said at the meeting that the most important thing is to ensure that all students are 'clear' of the virus before letting them go back. Graduating students in Chinese universities and colleges are expected to go back to school from May 11, while others in universities, colleges, technical institutes and secondary vocational schools are due to resume classes from May 18, Xinhua reported previously. Wuhan discharges its last coronavirus patient The Chinese city of Wuhan, where the global coronavirus pandemic began, now has no remaining cases in its hospitals, health officials said yesterday. But the country remains on alert for a second possible wave, with Beijing reimposing some of its lockdown measures and other cities seeing new quarantines. Wuhan and the province of Hubei were put in lockdown near the end of January, with roads sealed, trains and planes cancelled and residents unable to move freely for more than two months. A woman who has recovered coronavirus is disinfected as she arrives at a hotel for a 14-day quarantine after being discharged from a hospital in Wuhan The city is still testing residents regularly despite relaxing most restrictions. The city had reported 46,452 cases, 56 per cent of the national total. It saw 3,869 fatalities, or 84 per cent of China's reported, yet disputed, total. National Health Commission spokesman Mi Feng announced: 'The number of new coronavirus patients in Wuhan was at zero, thanks to the joint efforts of Wuhan and medical staff from around the country.' The focus has since shifted to the northeast border province of Heilongjiang, which has seen large numbers of imported coronavirus cases entering from Russia. The border town of Suifenhe, with its 70,000 population, went into lockdown at the start of the month while nearby Harbin, home to 10 million, has become the new battlefront. And 1,000 miles away in Beijing, the authorities opened gyms and swimming pools only to quickly close them again to prevent any spread. The district of Chaoyang is home to many expats and international offices and was put down into quarantine measures after travellers began to return, infecting Beijing locals who had stayed at home. There were no signs of any worry yesterday as people packed into a flower market in Suzhou city, in east China's Jiangsu province. Advertisement Europe's four worst-affected countries all reported marked drops in their daily death tolls, offering hope that the outbreak may have peaked in some places - at least for now. But leaders and experts remain divided on how quickly to revive shuttered economies while maintaining a delicate balance between freedom and safety. Italy and New York laid out partial reopening plans, with France and Spain to follow suit this week. 'There is no widespread, undetected community transmission in New Zealand,' declared Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. Europe's four worst-affected countries, Italy, Spain, France and Britain, all reported marked drops in their daily death tolls. A man is pictured walking past a mural in Marseille, France Primary schools in Norway also reopened on Monday, along with some businesses in Switzerland, such as hairdressers and florists, while New Zealand prepared to begin its phased exit from lockdown in the evening. 'There is no widespread, undetected community transmission in New Zealand,' Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern declared. 'We have won that battle.' In an Oslo suburb, Karine Rabbe brought her seven-year-old daughter Tilde to school in the rain after six weeks of online teaching. 'She was ready at six o'clock this morning, three hours early. She was so excited to go back. No alarm clock, we don't need that,' Rabbe said. People enjoy the sun and sand amid the coronavirus pandemic in Huntington Beach, California More than 205,000 coronavirus deaths have been confirmed across the globe -- over a quarter in the United States. Italy has the second-highest death toll at 26,000, followed by Spain, France and Britain, all at well over 20,000. But on Sunday Britain's daily tally was the lowest since March 31, while Italy and Spain's were the lowest in a month. France's toll was a drop of more than a third on the previous day's figures. Those encouraging numbers blew relief through a continent frustrated by restrictions designed to slow the spread of the disease. More than 205,000 coronavirus deaths have been confirmed across the globe -- over a quarter in the US. Pictured, face masks are sold in a vending machine in a Berlin subway station Hindu devotees bathe in Jabalpur on the occasion of Akshaya Tritiya, a annual spring festival which is believed to bring good luck and success, during the nationwide lockdown in India 'We cannot continue beyond this lockdown -- we risk damaging the country's socioeconomic fabric too much,' said Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte as he unveiled a plan to emerge from Europe's longest shutdown, in place since early March. People will have to wear masks in public and rigorously observe social distancing measures when the country's current restrictions are eased on May 4. Britain's leader, Boris Johnson, returned to work on Monday after being hospitalised by COVID-19, one of nearly three million people known to have been infected worldwide. A woman donates money after receiving bread during the feast of San Giorgio in Caresana, northern Italy The pandemic has forced more than half of humanity into lockdowns, upending lives and tipping the global economy toward a recession of a severity not seen in decades. Millions of Muslims are marking a Ramadan like no other under restrictions for a month of dusk-to-dawn fasting that in happier times involves large family meals. Saudi Arabia partially lifted its curfew, but said it would maintain a round-the-clock lockdown in the holy city of Mecca. In Spain, which has had some of the strictest measures in Europe, children ventured outside Sunday for the first time since mid-March, some wearing small masks and gloves. A healthcare worker collects a nasal swab sample from a migrant worker in Singapore Not every country has enforced social distancing during the pandemic, however. Secretive Turkmenistan, one of the few places not to have reported a single COVID-19 case -- despite bordering virus hotspot Iran -- held festivities to honour its national horse, with spectators packed into a hippodrome. While cases and deaths plateau, the world remains in wait-and-see mode as scientists race to develop treatments and, eventually, a vaccine for the virus. Several countries plan to introduce virus tracing apps to alert users if they are near someone who has tested positive -- technology already downloaded by nearly two million Australians, despite privacy concerns. Medical personnel check temperatures of patients visiting Mpilo Hospital in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe In New York, Governor Andrew Cuomo said a first stage of a reopening would start on May 15 if hospitalisations decrease. But for some conservative-led US states, that timeframe is too long. Rejecting the advice of top disease experts, Georgia has allowed thousands of businesses to resume operations, and Oklahoma will let restaurants and cinemas reopen from May. 'People are still going to get it. But Oklahomans are safe and we're ready for a measured reopening,' Governor Kevin Stitt told Fox News. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 27) - The World Health Organization recommended that the country must prepare its regulatory processes for vaccines, while waiting for the vaccine on COVID-19 to be developed. The vaccine development will really take time. So for the meantime, we would encourage the country to prepare its regulatory processes, in terms of assessment and evaluation of the vaccine, said Dr. Socorro Escalante, acting WHO representative for the Philippines, during the Department of Healths virtual press briefing. Escalante said that by doing so, it would fast-track the distribution of the vaccine for COVID-19 once it becomes available. Para po mapabilis yung pag-receive at pag-register natin ng bakuna na nagawa na sa ibang bansa, at yung pag-deploy sa vaccines depending on how we are going to prioritize the vaccines to the susceptible population, she said. [Translation: It can fast-track the receiving and registration of the vaccines from another country, and the deployment, depending on how we are going to prioritize the vaccines to the susceptible population.] There is no cure or vaccine available yet against coronavirus disease, which have infected nearly 3 million people worldwide, including more than 7,700 Filipinos. Escalante said that there are currently six candidate vaccines for COVID-19 being studied by experts around the world. The doctor added that the country should also increase its capacity to produce a vaccine in the future. I think we have scientists and experts who are world-class, and we have institutions that can undertake the research and development. But the technology should really be adapted for vaccine development, she said. Despite having the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, Escalante said the laboratory only works in a small-scale. Kapag meron po tayong teknolohiya, kailangan natin i-develop yung laboratory para sa safety and quality nung vaccine, she said. [Translation: If we have the technology, we also need to develop the laboratory for the safety and quality of the vaccine.] President Rodrigo Duterte recently placed a P50 million reward for any Filipino who will develop a vaccine against coronavirus. South Dakota's chief justice seeks $5 million for courthouse security In Chief Justice Jensen's State of the Judiciary Address, he mentioned courthouse security, sexual harassment training and a lack of court reporters. Lockdown stops annual migration of deserts dwellers in search of water and fodder for thousands of livestock. A prolonged lockdown imposed by the Pakistani government to check the spread of the novel coronavirus poses a potential threat to the survival of hundreds of thousands of livestock in the countrys southeastern Thar desert, local residents and experts say. The crippling restrictions have not only stopped the traditional annual migration of the desert-dwellers, or Tharis, to adjoining districts in search of water and fodder for the livestock their main source of livelihood, accounting for 80 percent of the local economy but have also barred the transportation of fodder in the region. From April to June, the three driest months in the region, thousands of Tharis migrate to the districts of Mirpurkhas, Badin and Sanghar, where they find water and fodder for their cattle, as well as temporary jobs for themselves as harvesters on farmlands. The Thar desert, which forms a natural boundary with neighbouring India, covers a region of 200,000 square km (77,000 square miles), has a population of 1.5 million and is ranked by the UN World Food Programme as the most food-insecure region in the country. Its annual rainfall is 250mm (10 inches). While the Tharis have been able to struggle through previous droughts, each year makes the situation more desperate as more of their traditional sources of water go dry. 200424073528205 At present, overall conditions are tough, due to the ongoing lockdown. But the situation concerning the livestock is harder, Nashad Samoon, a resident of a remote village in the town of Mithi, told Anadolu news agency. He said the administration was not allowing traditional migrants to move to the irrigated districts, while the unavailability of transport has led to an acute shortage of fodder and water. Many of those who attempted to travel to the nearby districts were forcibly sent back by the security forces, said Samoon. We have been left with no other choice but the rationing of fodder for our cattle, he said. There might be alternative sources of income in other parts of the country. But here for us, there is no alternative source besides livestock, he added. If this [source of income] is wiped out, that means everything is destroyed for us. Khatau Jani, a local journalist, said a lingering drought coupled with untimely rains and a recent onslaught by locusts in the region has led to a severe shortage of water and fodder for the livestock. Thar is one of Pakistans poorest regions, where 95 percent of the population lives in remote villages with only a single source of income, he said. No other area has been affected by this lockdown more than Thar. Breeding of cattle threatened Many Tharis trudged through the hot sand and roads to get to the adjoining districts days before the lockdown was imposed, but thousands are still waiting for the restrictions to ease, according to Samoon. Even those who managed to move are also facing troubles. Some have been forced to return while others are still stranded at different points, he said. Ali Akbar Rahimoo, head of Aware, a local non-governmental organisation which deals with water and livestock issues, fears a water and fodder crisis could affect the breeding of animals in the region in the months to come. 200329140507607 Shortage of fodder and water will have a cascading effect on the breeding of cattle, which will eventually hit the regions already weak economy, Rahimoo told Anadolu. He added that the closure of several cattle markets in Thar and adjoining districts due to the lockdown has compounded the economic hardships of the local communities. Rahimoo said Thars cattle account for 15 percent of the countrys livestock. Wheat harvesting is still continuing [in nearby districts]. They can still find jobs for themselves and fodder for their cattle at the farmlands if the [lockdown] restrictions for them are eased immediately, he said. Livestock is everything for Tharis. Its a source of income, nutrition and property. Immediate actions need to be taken to save that. said Rahimoo. Pakistan has been under lockdown since late last month and will continue until May 9 as the country reported more than 13,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 281 deaths so far. TAMPA, Fla., April 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- In these unprecedented times due to COVID-19, the CEO of Pure Labs wanted to find a way to give back to his employees when an idea struck himwhy not show some employer gratitude to our extended family, our employees, and have some fun while doing so. This idea spawned The Employer Challenge. The Employer Challenge In the video, Pure Labs CEO Jeffrey Stamler calls for fellow business owners, entrepreneurs and corporations to take the Employer Challenge. "There are three simple steps to the Employer Challenge," said Stamler. "Step 1: cash in the reward points on your company credit cards. Step 2: redeem the points for gift cards. Step 3: give the gift cards to your employees. Bonus Karma Points for showcasing your creativity in doing so." The video offers an inside look at how the project came together and also highlights the moment that the Pure Labs employees in the US and around the globe received their Appreciation Boxes. "My goal with the Employer Challenge is to encourage my fellow leaders to step up and do what we all should be doing right nowbeing creative and using the resources available to us to support our employees. The response from my employees has been overwhelming, tears of joy were flowing, and it made me realize that we could all use a little glimmer of hope right now," Stamler continued. "There are many creative and fun ways to accomplish this mission and I challenge each and every employer to find a way to show their support." For more information about The Employer Challenge, to view the video, and to post your response to this challenge, visit the Employer Challenge Facebook page. About Pure Laboratories Operating since 2009, Gainesville-based Pure Laboratories LLC, also known as Pure Labs, is an industry leading manufacturer that produces a broad range of award-winning products in the USA. Pure Labs has a state-of-the-art 110,000-sq. ft. manufacturing and distribution facility in Gainesville, Florida with a 10,000-sq. ft. ISO 7 cleanroom, as well as Headquarters based in Tampa, Florida. For more information about Pure Labs, visit purelabs.com. For media inquiries, please email [email protected]. Media contact: Tavise Morabia [email protected] (888) 270-2449 ext 7777 SOURCE Pure Laboratories Over 3,000 people have been booked so far in Rajasthan for violating the ongoing lockdown, an official said on Monday. More than 1,575 cases have been registered against 3,687 persons for flouting COVID-19 lockdown rules, saidG (Crime) BL Soni. Rajasthan police has also taken effective action against the misuse of social media and 247 people have been arrested, the additional director general said. He said 1.10 lakh vehicles were seized under the MV Act and fine of more than Rs 3.30 crore has been recovered. Action is being taken against shopkeepers found to be involved in black marketing during the lockdown and 111 cases under the Essential Commodities Act have been registered so far, Soni said. In Rajasthan, about one lakh police personnel and home guards are tirelessly working to protect people from the novel coronavirus pandemic, he said. Curfew has been imposed in more than 90 police stations areas in 20 districts of the state where there are COVID-19 hotspots, the official added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Why was the FBI investigating General Flynn? That is a question I posed more than three years ago, in the days immediately after President Trump fired Michael Flynn fleetingly, his first national-security adviser in February 2017. There was never a good answer to that question. That has always been a big problem for the current and former government officials whose actions in the blatantly politicized probes of the Trump campaign and its surrogates are currently under investigation by the Justice Department. The question and the lack of a satisfactory answer are likewise at the root of stunning disclosures the Justice Department has just made to Flynn and his legal team. Even when the government is doing the right thing, you can rest assured that Friday-afternoon information dumps (here, in the middle of a pandemic) are apt to contain news humiliating for the officials involved. So it was that last Friday night, the DOJ provided some so-called Brady material i.e., exculpatory information that prosecutors are required by law to reveal to defendants they have charged with crimes that Flynns lead lawyer, Sidney Powell, has been demanding for months. The information is still not public because it has been produced under a court order that keeps it under wraps, at least for now. But we can glean its outlines from a motion Ms. Powell filed immediately afterward in federal court in the District of Columbia. Thats where she has been trying to convince Judge Emmet Sullivan to vacate Flynns guilty plea and throw out the case based on alleged prosecutorial misconduct. In the motion, Powell argues that the new information proves Mr. Flynns allegations of having been deliberately set up and framed by corrupt agents. She elaborates that the evidence that has finally been communicated to her defeats any argument that the interview of Mr. Flynn on January 24, 2017, was material to any investigation. The government has deliberately suppressed this evidence from the inception of this prosecution knowing there was no crime by Mr. Flynn. Story continues This goes to the point Ive been pressing for years. There was no good-faith basis for an investigation of General Flynn. Under federal law, a false statement made to investigators is not actionable unless it is material. That means it must be pertinent to a matter that is properly under investigation. If the FBI did not have a legitimate investigative basis to interview Flynn, then that fact should have been disclosed as exculpatory information. It would have enabled his counsel to argue that any inaccurate statements he made were immaterial. And that is far from the end of the matter. As Ive noted several times over the years, it has long been speculated that Flynn though he did not believe he was guilty (and though the agents who interviewed him also did not believe he had intentionally misled them) nevertheless pled guilty to false-statements charges because prosecutors from Special Counsel Robert Muellers staff threatened him. Specifically, Flynn is said to have been warned that, if he refused to plead guilty, prosecutors would charge his son with a felony for failing to register with the Justice Department as a foreign agent. Such a so-called FARA violation (Foreign Agent Registration Act) is a crime that the DOJ almost never charged before the Mueller investigation, and it had dubious application to Flynns son (who worked for Flynns private-intelligence firm). Well, Powell now contends that the new disclosures demonstrate that Muellers prosecutors she specifically cites Brandon Van Grack, who now runs Justices FARA unit did indeed promise Flynn that they would not charge his son if Flynn pled guilty. Worse, Powell avers that the prosecutors coerced Flynn and his counsel to keep this agreement secret. That is, this was to be a side deal that would not be written into the plea agreement and therefore would be kept from the court and the public. Under federal law, all understandings that are relevant to a guilty plea must be disclosed to the judge. It would be not merely a serious ethical breach for government lawyers to fail to reveal such an arrangement. It would be a fraud on the court. Of course, if a deal of the kind Powell is alleging had been disclosed, it would have illustrated the hardball that Mueller and his band of activist Democratic prosecutors were playing in an effort to nail President Trump. Youre stunned to hear it, Im sure. There is going to be more on this. But a few more points should be made. First, Sidney Powell had nothing to do with negotiating Flynns guilty plea. To the contrary, she has been intrepid in investigating whether that plea was induced by prosecutorial misconduct. Flynn was originally represented by the very politically connected Washington firm of Covington & Burling. The firms performance has already raised questions: They counseled Flynn on his FARA submissions, filing the FARA documents with the DOJ on his behalf; and they also represented him in his plea negotiations with Muellers staff, which involved the integrity of these same FARA filings. Thats a conflict of interest, and though the DOJ maintains that Flynn waived it, there is a question about whether such a conflict is waivable. Now comes the claim about a side deal not to prosecute Flynns son. Lets stress that nothing has been proved at this point. But if Covingtons lawyers colluded with government lawyers to make such a deal and conceal it from the court, that would raise very serious legal and ethical issues. Second, the Flynn case is so patently disturbing that, weeks back, Attorney General Bill Barr assigned a very well-regarded prosecutor, St. Louiss U.S. attorney Jeff Jensen, to review it. The new disclosures are a result of Jensens investigation. The Justice Departments disclosure to Ms. Powell indicates that more revelations are forthcoming. Third, Powells litigation on Flynns behalf has always been uphill which is why she is to be lauded for pursuing it. The remedy for being bullied into a guilty plea is for the defendant to be permitted to withdraw his plea and fight the charges. In Flynns case, that has been an illusory remedy. He must fear that if he voided his agreement and withdrew his plea, prosecutors would be free to charge his son (and to add any new charges they could conjure up against Flynn himself). Confronted by this dilemma, Powell has pressed a daring strategy: try to so enrage the court about the misconduct that the judge would throw the case out rather than merely vacate the guilty plea and leave Flynn fighting the case from square one. I still do not think, as a matter of law, that a court is going to find that the conduct requires dismissing the indictment tempted as I might be, if I were the judge. More likely, a good judge would vacate the plea and put the ball in the Justice Departments court. Does the DOJ really think this case could be prosecuted or, more to the point, that it should be prosecuted? That it should have been charged in the first place? As Ive said on other occasions, Flynn should never have been prosecuted, and President Trump should long ago have pardoned him. But thats water under the bridge. For General Flynn, it would probably be best if the court vacated the plea and the Justice Department then dropped the charges. Finally, in Ball of Collusion, I included a section about the serial outrages in the baseless investigation of General Flynn, a decorated combat commander. We are going to run it at National Review. I concluded by opining that what happened to Flynn was deeply wrong but not illegal. The new disclosures may call for revisiting the latter conclusion. More from National Review Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-27 23:37:53|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close MOGADISHU, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Somali Health Ministry on Monday confirmed 44 new cases of COVID-19, raising the total number of those who have tested positive to 480. Fawziya Abikar, the health minister of Somalia, said three patients succumbed to the virus, bringing the total number of fatalities to 26. The minister said those who have tested positive from the samples tested in the last 24 hours include 35 males and nine females. According to Abikar, four more people recovered from the COVID-19, bringing the total number of recovery cases to 14. The latest cases came as humanitarian agencies said Monday they have reprioritized and reprogrammed activities in recent weeks to try and avert large-scale community transmission of COVID-19 through enhanced risk communication, surveillance, rapid response and testing in the country. The Horn of Africa nation has instituted measures to contain the possible spread of COVID-19, including closing schools, banning large gatherings and suspending international and domestic passenger flights. Enditem The Congress on Monday alleged a scam in the purchase of rapid testing kits and demanded a probe into the matter, urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi to bring the culprits to book. The party also urged the government to make public details of all purchases made in the last one month to fight COVID-19. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said nobody could imagine one would profiteer from the immeasurable suffering of millions, saying the "scam was an insult to every Indian. "That any human being would try and profiteer from the immeasurable suffering of millions of his brothers and sisters, is beyond belief and comprehension. This scam is an insult to every Indian. I urge the PM to act swiftly to bring the corrupt to justice," he said on Twitter. He said one detests and feels ashamed of such a corrupt mindset in such times of crisis. "The country will never pardon them," he said in a tweet in Hindi. Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari said it was an extremely serious issue that people indulged in huge profiteering in times of crisis, noting that it hurts the fight against COVID-19. He asked the government to ensure that huge profiteering in procurement of equipment for fighting COVID-19 be stopped immediately and action taken against the corrupt. "We would demand an immediate probe into this matter and ask the government to put an end to this kind of profiteering. There seems to be absolute anarchy in procurement of equipment for fighting COVID-19," Tewari said at a press conference via video conferencing. "We would like to demand from the health ministry and the government to make public all procurements made with regard to equipment to fight COVID-19 for testing, PPEs and ventilators. All those transactions must be transparently placed in public domain," he said. Referring to a company engaged in supply of testing kits, the Congress leader alleged that 5 lakh kits purchased at Rs 245 each from China were being sold to ICMR at Rs 600 each, and to Tamil Nadu government at Rs 400 each. He said in a transaction of Rs 30 crore, the arbitrage earned by companies is Rs 18.75 crore, almost two-third of the cost of transaction. Tewari said the matter came to light in a petition before the Delhi High Court by a company supplying such equipment. "This is an extremely serious matter which hurts the fight of India against COVID-19. Our country's resources are scarce and we have to optimise the resources and not allow companies to make arbitrage of over 60 per cent in these transactions, he said. Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said it was "shameful and inhuman" that people were supplying test kits bought for Rs 225 at Rs 600 to the state exchequer. "Corruption in Corona Testing Kits OR Profiteering by duping the Exchequer. Import Price of 1 Testing Kit= Rs 225! Purchase Price of Testing Kit= Rs 600! Profit Margin = 166.66 pc! Shameful and Inhuman! Will PM fix responsibility," he tweeted. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Femi Falana, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, has issued Osagie Ehanire, Minister of Health, seven days to publish the full report of the... Femi Falana, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, has issued Osagie Ehanire, Minister of Health, seven days to publish the full report of the investigation into the mysterious deaths in Kano State. There have been controversies in Kano over the mysterious death of over 600 persons in the state. Falana, in a letter addressed to Ehanire on Sunday asked the federal government to take over the situation of Kano, adding that the state government is overwhelmed. He expressed concern over the burials conducted in the state without any official information from the government. The statement reads in part: During a press briefing held at Abuja a week ago, you announced that the Federal Ministry of Health, the Kano State Chief Epidemiologist, Officials of the Kano Public Health Department and those of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) had commenced investigation into the strange deaths and mass burials currently going on in Kano State. We are disturbed by the burials which have since continued without any official information on the cause of the strange deaths. The people of Kano State and Nigerians, in general, are worried over the worsening health crisis as it may spread to other parts of Kano State not yet affected as well as other parts of the country if not urgently addressed. But since the Kano State Government is completely overwhelmed, we hereby, call on the Federal Government to take over the management of the crisis without any further delay. He further requested for the certified true copy of the report of the joint investigation by the Federal and Kano State Ministries of Health into the strange deaths in the state. Falana mentioned that the request was made pursuant to provisions of the Freedom of Information Act, and Ehanire is required to publish the report, within seven days of the receipt of this letter. The report should include the nature and cause of the deaths, the number of casualties and patients currently undergoing treatment in hospitals as well as an outline of the measures being put in place by the Federal Government to stop the strange deaths involving mass burials. If you fail to accede to our request, we shall not hesitate to invoke the relevant provisions of the law to compel official disclosure of the findings of the joint team constituted to investigate the cause of the strange deaths and mass burials in Kano State, the statement added. A few days after Sacred Games actress Rajshri Deshpande (who played the role of Gaitonde's wife Subhadra) requested Shah Rukh Khan for PPE kits for doctors in Aurangabad, the King Khan of Bollywood has adhered to her request. The Badshah of Bollywood via his NGO Meer Foundation has sent 2500 PPE kits for doctors in Aurangabad, a region classified as COVID-19 hotspot. Twitter Rajshri had first tweeted her request to Shah Rukh Khan on April 18. Dear @iamsrk PLEASE HELP. There are no proper PPE KITS for the DOCTORS in AURANGABAD. Hundreds of our farmers go for check ups EVERYDAY. Aurangabad is a COVID19 hotspot. I am feeling helpless as the SAFETY of our doctors&farmers is our PRIORITY at @Nabhangan5 @MeerFoundation https://t.co/bduLoGEBPV Rajshri Deshpande (@rajshriartist) April 18, 2020 @iamsrk Your contribution in fighting the pandemic & assisting the Doctors in #Aurangabad is phenomenal. May your tribe increase! Thank you my @TwitterIndia family and to each & everyone for spreading the message and supporting @Nabhangan5 good cause! We will win this together! Rajshri Deshpande (@rajshriartist) April 26, 2020 On April 26, she thanked Shah Rukh Khan, Meer Foundation and Rajesh Tope for their speedy response. Rajesh Tope, for the unversed is the Minister of Public Health and Family Welfare of Maharashtra. Magic & miracle are not words we hear very often in these times!But to see the eyes of our doctors light up was nothing short of that. Thank you @iamsrk @MeerFoundation & @rajeshtope11 sir for sending 2500 PPE kits to these warriors so they can save our world and their own lives pic.twitter.com/2nleAkWesj Rajshri Deshpande (@rajshriartist) April 26, 2020 For the unversed, Rajshri Deshpande was born and brought up in farmer's family in Aurangabad. Furthermore, she had sometime ago, adopted a drought-hit village Pandhari in the Marathwada region of Maharashtra. Currently, she is doing everything she can to save the people of her village from coronavirus pandemic. Reportedly, when coronavirus outbreak began in India, Rajshri Deshpande stopped the construction work of her school and started working on her village. According to a report in Mid-Day, the actor is ensuring doorstep delivery of the essentials in the village. When she got to know that the doctors in her hometown Aurangabad are also facing a scarcity of PPEs, she approached a few NGOs and also the authorities. However, they had run out of supply. That's when she approached Shah Rukh Khan for help. Shah Rukh Khan had earlier donated 25,000 PPE kits for healthcare workers in Maharashtra. Social isolation may be the new normal for most of the population, but for one demographic, its simply the normal. For many individuals with dementia, social isolation is the status quo, and it can have devastating consequences. A study from the Alzheimers Association cited social isolation as the biggest contribution to memory loss in patients with dementia or Alzheimers. Amazing Place is a 501(c)(3) charity dedicated to empowering lives disrupted by dementia through both their day program and social connections program. Amazing Place focuses on bracing back against the effects and stigma of dementia through programs that support social interaction. And while the organization has always worked to break up social isolation, the COVID-19 pandemic has made Amazing Places mission more important - and challenging - than ever before. According to Tracey Brown, executive director of Amazing Place, the organization has had to make major changes to its program in order to continue to serve its clients. There are really staggering statistics about how isolation impacts your health, so we knew, right when this crisis hit, that we could not sit idly by, she recalled. We had to figure out how to connect and serve our folks while they were at home. Amazing Place typically operates through two programs. Participants in the day program visit the main campus in Houston. The day program is a social time where clients can engage with one another through creative and cultural arts, civic service, fitness, recreational therapy, pet therapy, off-site excursions and cognitive interventions. The program encompasses cognitive skills. We focus on being healthy. We follow a memory preservation nutrition program in our culinary department, so we're feeding their brains as well as stimulating them, Brown explained. The second facet of the program is the connections program. Through the connections program, patients and caregivers meet in different locations across the greater Houston area, including Katy. Its a more casual environment, but it provides invaluable social stimulus for people with dementia and those who care for them. Sally Davis, connections director described the connections program as a stand-in for other social interactions that have become limited or impossible for older individuals. Folks get a diagnosis of dementia, and oftentimes their normal connections no longer work. Maybe they can't go to church the way they used to. They can't go to restaurants the way they used to. They lose their connections. They need to make new connections in order to manage this journey, and thats what we provide, Davis said. With the COVID-19 crisis, however, both of these social outlets are shuttered. Amazing Place acted quickly to implement social distancing-compliant programs for its clients to avoid mental regression through isolation. Were trying to take what we do onsite and deliver it virtually, said Charlotte McDermott, family services coordinator. This way people living with dementia can still feel connected, looking on the screen and seeing their friends. The team mobilized quickly to find platforms that would be easiest for their clients to navigate, and in early April, they launched their online program. Patients and their caregivers logged on in droves. The response has been tremendous, McDermott said There was some concern over the technology, but really, our caregivers are doing well with it. As the program continues, the team is learning that caregivers are using the platform to connect with each other as well. Some of the concerns the caregivers have expressed is that in this new world of isolation, they just dont have their own time. Its only caring for their loved one, McDermott said. Its important that caregivers feel loved and supported, and we provide that, too. While there is typically a fee for membership, Amazing Place is allowing people to utilize their online resources and interactions for free on Tuesdays and Thursdays during COVID-19. One positive outcome from the pandemic, McDermott said, is that the organization has created new resources to serve their patients even when the coronavirus crisis has ended. It's opened up new avenues for us to serve forever. The ability to serve that working caregiver or the person with dementia who cant leave their home- these are programs that we wouldnt have created if it hadnt been for COVID-19, but theyve given us new ways of empowering lives disrupted by dementia. For more information on Amazing Place or to join the program, visit www.amazingplacehouston.org. claire.goodman@chron.com A High Court judge is to deliver a decision tomorrow on whether two men charged with the alleged assault and false imprisonment of Quinn Industrial Holdings Director Kevin Lunney are to be granted bail. Luke O'Reilly (66), from Mullahoran Lower, Kilcogy, Co Cavan and Darren Redmond (25), from Caledon Road, East Wall, Dublin 3 are charged with false imprisonment and assault causing serious harm to Mr Lunney at Drumbrade, Ballinagh, Co Cavan on September 17, 2019. Both men were joined by video-link from Portlaoise Prison today and were each wearing a face mask. The two men were sent forward for trial to the Special Criminal Court on March 26 last and it is expected that their trial could potentially begin in January 2021. The State had objected to bail on two grounds, arguing that if granted bail the accused men would interfere with the administration of justice and that they were also "flight risks". Aoife O'Leary BL, for the DPP, said there was a strong circumstantial case to be made against both men. "These offences were intimidatory in nature and there is very strong evidence connecting these individuals to these offences," she added. In reply, Michael Bowman SC for Mr Redmond and Mark Mulholland QC for Mr O'Reilly said that there was no evidential basis to justify their clients being refused bail. Mr Justice Paul Burns said he will deliver his decision tomorrow morning, Tuesday at 10.30am. Two other men are also charged with the alleged assault and false imprisonment of Mr Lunney. Alan OBrien (39), of Shelmalier Road, East Wall, Dublin 3 is charged with false imprisonment and assault causing serious harm to Mr Lunney on the same occasion. A fourth accused cannot be named for legal reasons. They will also be tried at the non-jury, three-judge court. Last week, Mr Justice Tony Hunt, presiding at the Special Criminal Court, said it was expected that the trial of all four accused men could be a lengthy one of between eight to 12 weeks and transferred the case from Special Criminal Court 1 to Court 2 for mention there on June 10. The Global pandemic Covid 19 which was discovered last year has disrupted the lives and brought the world to a standstill. On April 24th, Globally, the COVID-19 cases exceeded 2.7 million. India recorded 1,752 fresh cases of Covid 19 cases in the last 24 hours which summed up the total number of confirmed cases at 23,452.In the wake of the Global Pandemic, the government and other officials have come up with innovative and informative ideas to create awareness among the common public. The Police Commissionerate Kochi has launched a campaign with an objective to educate and create awareness among the public on Covid 19. The campaign named 10 Kalpanakal (10 Commandments) has featured eminent actors from the Malayalam Film industry like Tovino Thomas, Jayasurya, Kunchako Boban, Mamtha Mohandas, Anu Sithara, Murali Gopi, Suraj Venjarmoodu, Prayaga Martin, Sijoy Varghese, and Mia George. The videos will be ending with a narration by actor Mohanlal. The campaign is released in association with Bharath Petroleum along with the help of Pepper Awards Trust, Indian AdFilm Makers Association, and Hammer Advertising, Kochi. Speaking about their association on the campaign, P K Natesh, Chairman Pepper awards said, The campaign aims to encourage people to protect themselves and to respect the lockdown. On April 24th, the Ernakulam district has been declared as Orange Zone and the campaign includes the government guidelines which must be followed by the public during the lockdown period. It was a challenging task for us to create a social media and Outdoor campaign within a short span of time. Kochi City Police Deputy Commissioner G Poonguzhali and other higher officials has helped us in conceptualizing 10 Kalpanakal. Thanking the Police Commissionerate Kochi for the opportunity on behalf of the team, Sreenath, CEO of Hammer said This was an assignment that had to be completed within 72 hours, which is tough even during the normal times. But we overcame the shortage of time with the commitment of our team, who worked from their homes across Kerala without a break. Each of us found this a great opportunity to do our part in the fight against COVID-19. Indian Ad Film Maker (IAM) is an organization created in 2015 for the welfare and promotion of artists working in the field of advertising. We have collaborated with FEFKA and released several awareness campaigns previously and been actively involved in flood relief efforts. We are happy that we were able to complete the challenging task of creating the awareness video within 72 hours. The video feature 10 Donts during the lock down. The campaign is released through the social media handles of Police Commissionerate Kochi, said Jabbar Kallarackkal, President and Sijoy Varghese, Secretary, IAM jointly. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 28) The total number of COVID-19 cases in Quezon City is now at 1,261, according to the Department of Health Monday. The city government has recorded 155 recoveries, and 125 deaths from the respiratory disease. The total number of confirmed cases with complete addresses in Quezon City is now at 1033, while the total number of validated cases by the QC Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit and District Health Offices (QCESU) is at 850. Swab tests have been continuously conducted in the citys community-based testing centers, and local government hospitals, as well as by the QCESU. Fifty-four residents were also apprehended for violating quarantine protocols. The DOH recorded 198 new cases of the fatal disease on Monday, as the countrys confirmed cases rise to 7,777. The total number of recoveries nationwide is now at 932, while the death toll increased to 511. Owego, N.Y. A man reported missing from his cottage in Otisco on Friday has been spotted at a hardware store in Owego. Patrick McEwen, 48, was seen at the Valu Home Center, 1149 State Route 17C in Owego, Saturday afternoon, said Sgt. Jon Seeber, Onondaga County Sheriffs Office spokesman. McEwen was reported missing by his family after he left his Otisco Valley Road cottage Friday afternoon. He is believed to still be operating a blue 2011 Hyundai Tucson, license plate number HXF-1353. McEwen is a white male, stands about 6 feet tall and weighs 190 pounds. He has brown hair and was last seen wearing a blue T-shirt, black Scorpion Security jacket and blue jeans. Deputies initially believed McEwen was headed to Greene in Chenango County, but in light of his spotting in Owego, are unsure if he is indeed headed there, Seeber said. Deputies said Saturday that family members are worried about McEwen because he has recently displayed despondent behavior. Authorities ask anyone with information about McEwens whereabouts or has had contact with him to call 911. Contact Jacob Pucci at jpucci@syracuse.com or find him on Twitter at @JacobPucci. Member of Parliament for Gomoa Central Constituency, Hon. Naana Eyiah has donated food items running into hundreds of Ghana Cedis to Muslim Communities in her Constituency as they begin Holy Ramadan Month of fasting and prayers. The items include 50 bags of Sugar, 50 boxes of Milk, 50 boxes of Lipton, 50 packs of Bottled Water and 250 Satchets of Water to support them while in the fasting mood According to Hon. Naana Eyiah who is also the Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, the donation was to cushion Moslems in her constituency as they begin 30-Day Fasting through which they would pray for Ghana and the world Presenting the items at Gomoa Ekwamkrom, Hon. Naana Eyiah urged Moslems to use the Ramadan Month to pray for the total eradication of Coronavirus infections which she noted was draining national economy " I want to use this opportunity to encourage the Muslim Communities to use the Ramadan Fast to pray to Almighty Allah to eradicate Coronavirus from Ghana and the entire Worldwide It is my belief that Allah will hear your prayers and bless us accordingly. We are not in our normal times so there is the need for all of us to pray together for Divine intervention for our land. As we pray for Total eradication, let us also observe all the protocols put in place by His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo, President of the Republic of Ghana. Let us keep to regular hand washing, the use of hand sanitizers, wearing on face masks and above all social distancing" Hon. Naana Eyiah lauded Nananom, Opinion Leaders, Leaders of the various Churches, Leaders if the Muslim Community, Civil Society Groups and Individuals for supporting the public campaign on Covid-19 " A healthy people build a wealthy Nation so let us continue with the education to drive this dreadful disease away for us to build our economy to a sound footing" Alhaji Baba Adam Musa, who received the items on behalf of the Muslim Communities landed Hon. Naana Eyiah for her kind gestures adding the items would be distributed fairly among the over 20 Muslim Communities in the Gomoa Central Constituency to serve the purpose for which they were donated. In a related development, Gomoa Mangoase, Aboso, and Afransi Zone of the Ghana National Tailors and Dressmakers Association has donated 1,000 Face Masks and Gallons of Hand Sanitizers to the Member of Parliament for Gomoa Central, Hon. Naana Eyiah as their Contribution towards the fight against Covid-19 pandemic Madam Florence Benson presented the donation to the Gomoa Central District Chief Executive, Hon. Benjamin Kojo Otoo on behalf of the MP noted that the Association would continue to carry out a campaign against Covid-19 infections in their operational areas Hon. Benjamin Kojo Otoo on his part commended the Association for the donation urging others to emulate this laudable example "Gomoa Central District Assembly in collaboration with Hon. Naana Eyiah have distributed enough PPEs to all our Health Facilities, Communities, Public Institutions, Chief's Palace, Drivers, Artisans and others to protect our people against infections" CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt has asked the International Monetary Fund for financial support to help it deal with the coronavirus crisis and will begin talks with it within days, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said on Sunday. CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt has asked the International Monetary Fund for financial support to help it deal with the coronavirus crisis and will begin talks with it within days, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said on Sunday. The government took the step because the virus is putting pressure on Egypt's tourism sector, an important contributor to the economy, as well as other sectors, Madbouly said. "We will begin discussions with the IMF concerning the new finance within the next few days," Madbouly said. The IMF said in a statement that it expects an Egyptian request for rapid financing to be presented to its board within weeks. "We fully support the government's aim to safeguard the significant gains made under the successfully completed three-year Extended Fund Facility last year," Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director of the IMF, said in the statement. "This comprehensive package of financial support, if approved, would help strengthen confidence in the Egyptian economy, make further progress to protect the most vulnerable and provide the basis for a strong economic recovery," Georgieva added. The crisis has shut down Egypt's tourism industry, which accounts for 12%-15% of gross domestic product, after the country closed its airports to most traffic in March. It is also threatening remittances from Egyptians working abroad, exports of natural gas and income from the Suez Canal. Egypt is seeking funds based on the IMF's Rapid Financing Instrument and its Stand-by Arrangement, a statement released by the cabinet said. The two programmes are designed for countries facing urgent or potential balance of payments needs. "The request for support from the IMF is important during these exceptional circumstances to maintain the stability of Egypt's economic indicators and to guard against negative effects that could hinder its ability to return to economic growth," the statement said. Central Bank Governor Tarek Amer told the joint news conference with Madbouly that Egypt was seeking a one-year support programme. He added that the country nevertheless had sufficient foreign reserves to cope with the impact of the epidemic for one or two years. "It makes perfect sense to build additional cushions given the uncertainty," said Mohamed Abu Basha, an economist with EFG Hermes. Radwa El-Swaify, head of research at Pharos Security Brokerage, estimated that Egypt would seek around $3 billion-$4 billion from the IMF. "The new loan will most likely be used to support the budget deficit and to restructure a number of loans after a fall in Egypt's sources of dollars until after the corona crisis is over," she said. In February, before the virus arrived in the North African country, Egypt had said it was in talks with the IMF about technical assistance on non-financial structural reforms. Egypt signed a three-year, $12 billion Extended Fund Facility with the IMF in November 2016 after allowing its currency to weaken sharply, implementing a valued-added tax and raising fuel prices to reduce its balance of payments budget and deficits. (Reporting by Ehab Farouk and Nadine Awadalla; Writing by Aidan Lewis, Amina Ismail and Patrick Werr; Editing by Hugh Lawson and Gareth Jones) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Agartala, April 27 : Tripura has suffered loss of Rs 250 crore in its natural rubber sector during the past two-and-a-half months due to the novel coronavirus pandemic and subsequent nationwide lockdown, Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb has said. Tripura is the second largest rubber producer in India after Kerala, with over 85,038 hectares of land under plantation, producing 74,139 tonnes of rubber annually. Over 1.50 lakh families are directly and indirectly associated with natural rubber cultivation. A Deb said that Tripura suffered loss as it could not supply natural rubber outside the state as most industries across the country that consume this raw material are closed. The Chief Minister, in a recorded video speech telecasted on local television channels on Sunday night and Monday, said that Tripura earns a revenue of around Rs 1,500 crore annually from the natural rubber sector. "In such a situation, the state government has decided to boost the primary sectors as an alternative to increase the state revenue and strengthen the economic conditions of its people," said Deb, who also holds the Industries and Commerce Department. The Chief Minister said that the primary sectors like poultry, fisheries, animal husbandry, dairy, agriculture, horticulture and floriculture generate swift income with less investment. He said that the state's Bharatiya Janata Party-led government, after assuming office two years back, had started working to strengthen the primary sectors from the beginning but, considering the present situation, the targeted deadline set for self- sufficiency in such sectors has to be extended by one or two years. "The state government will not step back from its goal of transforming Tripura into a model state. We need cooperation from all sections of people in this context. Andhra Pradesh procures fish seeds valued at Rs 150 crore from West Bengal. If Tripura can meet this demand we can increase the income of our fish cultivators substantially," the Chief Minister said. He also mentioned that the state government was already in touch with Andhra Pradesh in this regard. The Chief Minister also pointed out that Tripura produces a large quantity of fruits like jackfruit, pineapple and orange. "Orange is grown in various places of Tripura. The production has to be increased by three times. In horticulture, the Centre and states are working on 'one district, one fruit or one crop' formula. We have planned to apply the formula at the block level," he added. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Marchio Irfan Gorbiano, Ghina Ghaliya and Dian Septiari (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, April 27 2020 Activists have raised the alarm over a growing climate of fear in Indonesia following the arrests of a number of people critical of the government as it scrambles to weather the social and economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic. In Jakarta, a government critic was arrested and questioned for 33 hours after his WhatsApp account, which he claimed was hacked, broadcast an inflammatory message calling for nationwide looting. In Malang, East Java, three students were arrested on charges of vandalism and inciting people to fight against capitalism. The incidents, the activists said, were indications that the state was now more inclined to resort to acts of repression and intimidation to silence critics, a trend that has put President Joko Jokowi Widodos credentials as a democratic leader in time of crisis in question. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,000/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Five members of prison staff and 15 inmates have died of coronavirus across Britain, it was revealed today. A total of 293 prison workers have contracted the virus and 321 inmates, as of 5pm on Saturday. The figures were announced by Justice Secretary Robert Buckland QC, who also admitted prison staff are running short on personal protective equipment (PPE) today. He told the House of Commons justice question time stocks of protective bodysuits are running low, but eyemasks, eye shields and hand sanitisers are in plentiful supply. Rachael Yates, 33, a prison officer who worked in Monmouthshire, Wales, is among the five workers who have died. Rachael Yates (pictured above) is one of the five members of UK prison staff to have died after contracting the coronavirus Mr Buckland said: 'We are currently running low, however, on coveralls. There is a shortfall in the low thousands. We have a large delivery on order and it is expected this week or next.' After Ministry of Justice officials decided to release low-risk prisoners with less than two months remaining of their sentences, Mr Buckland confirmed 33 have been freed so far. He said the freeing of non-violent inmates in that category has been 'careful and slow'. Defending the decision, he added: 'It's a scheme that I did not embark upon lightly. 'It is the result of very careful risk assessment, so that we want to minimise any risk to the public, and of course it's coupled with the reduction that we've seen in prison places and prison capacity of about 3,000, which to my judgement and the judgement of those who advise me, is already making a big difference in creating the space that we need in order to increase compartmentalisation and to reduce the spread of the virus.' His comments came following a question from newly-appointed shadow justice secretary David Lammy MP. Mr Lammy hit out at the idea of 'locking people in their cells for 23 hours a day' in a bid to stem the spread of the virus among Britain's prison population. Mr Buckland responded by saying 2,000 prison staff have been referred for testing, with 'hundreds' who have already gone through the process. He added: Mr Buckland responded: 'Prison staff were made a priority by (Matt Hancock) and I'm grateful to him for that, and that of course includes probation staff as well. 'In addition, HMPPS were invited to use some of the available NHS testing capacity for our prison and approved premises staff, and that is prior to the full roll-out plan. 'So, over the past two weeks we have referred over 2,000 staff for testing and some hundreds have already had direct access to this.' Last week, it was revealed that 33-year-old prison officer Ms Yates was among the five jail staff in the UK to have died of COVID-19. Ms Yates started her role at Usk Prison in Monmouthshire just 18 months ago and had formerly been a post office worker. She died last Monday after becoming ill with the virus and her family have now said she 'put up one hell of a fight' against it. The Prison Officers' Association said her death 'highlights the risks that brave officers' face on a daily basis. Access to PPE for frontline NHS staff is getting worse despite Government promises to increase supplies, a poll of thousands of doctors has found. The Royal College of Physicians said those working in high-risk areas still could not always access long-sleeved disposable gowns and full-face face visors. It said the shortages had worsened in the last three weeks. In a survey of 2,129 college members last Wednesday, 27 per cent reported being unable to access the kit they needed for managing COVID-19 patients. That's compared with just over a fifth (22 per cent) of doctors in a similar poll on April 1. It comes as a separate survey found one in four GPs have seen coronavirus patients face-to-face without PPE due to the dire shortages. The desperate situation has prompted six medical royal colleges, representing more than 166,000 doctors, to write an open letter to the Government's new PPE tsar. In it, they call for an urgent meeting with Lord Paul Deighton to fix 'the impossible situation' clinicians face, 'where they have to choose between protecting their own health, or their patients'.' Access to PPE for frontline NHS staff is getting worse despite Government promises to increase supplies, a poll of thousands of doctors has found. Pictured: NHS staff outside Aintree University Hospital in Liverpool The desperate situation has prompted six medical royal colleges, representing more than 166,000 doctors to write an open letter to the Government's new PPE tsar Lord Paul Deighton (shown) The difficulties in securing PPE stocks were highlighted last week when a Government shipment from Turkey arrived three days late as hospitals ran out of equipment Lord Deighton, who was chief planner of the London 2012 Olympic Games, was appointed a week ago to head up a massive manufacturing effort of PPE. The difficulties in securing PPE stocks were highlighted last week when a Government shipment from Turkey arrived three days late as hospitals ran out of equipment. The shipment, which was due to have 400,000 disposable gowns, is thought to have been well short of the gear that was promised. The Times reports that in their letter, medical leaders write: 'Doctors, nurses and other health and social care professionals are used to managing the unexpected, but they can do that best when they are kept informed and communicated with honestly. 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 'Just as clinicians have a duty of candour with patients and their families, the government must observe the same principle with the profession. We encourage you to be open and frank about the challenges you face, while doing everything possible to get the supplies to where they are needed.' The RCP survey also found 31 per cent of those working in 'aerosol-generating procedure' areas the parts of hospitals with the highest exposure to COVID-19 could not always access long-sleeved disposable gowns and 37 per cent could not get full-face visors. Ninety-one per cent of those with symptoms of the virus said they were able to access testing up from 31 per cent three weeks ago. Two in five doctors said they had struggled to access eye protection and 16 per cent said there were not always masks available. Almost a quarter (23 per cent) said they did not know how to raise concerns about a lack of PPE in their hospital. Andrew Goddard, president of the Royal College of Physicians, said: 'This survey shows the reality of the situation facing hospital doctors. 'The lack of PPE remains their biggest concern and it is truly terrible that supply has worsened over the past three weeks rather than improved. 'Healthcare workers risking their lives couldn't care less how many billion pieces of PPE have been ordered or supplied. If it isn't there when they need it, they are in harm's way.' A separate poll of 675 GPs found that one in four had seen coronavirus face to face without adequate PPE. The survey, carried out by the GP magazine Pulse, also found that more than three-quarters fear for their health or life. Just a third said they had adequate access to face masks and roughly one in 10 13 said they could always get eye protectors and gowns. Only one-third receiving adequate facemasks, and only 13 per cent and 12 per cent say they have received adequate eye protectors and gowns (aprons) respectively. Meanwhile, a Daily Mail investigation found hundreds of 'PPE pirates and profiteers' are exploiting the coronavirus crisis and putting the lives of key workers at risk. Health service leaders accused speculators of flooding the market for protective equipment such as face masks and gowns with vastly overpriced or counterfeit goods. New businesses masquerading as healthcare suppliers are inflating prices by up to 1,000 per cent as some desperate care homes are being forced to pay up to 10,000 per cent more for vital safety gear for their staff. NHS procurement managers are wasting hours of working time ruling out dubious suppliers from the black market, and have accused fraudsters of profiteering that 'beggars belief'. It comes as the British Standards Institution (BSI) warned of a surge in fake safety certificates for protective gear since the start of the crisis as swindlers flog substandard equipment. NHS trusts and care home bosses across the country are battling to secure equipment needed by workers treating coronavirus patients. Healthcare experts said they are being inundated with offers from supposed suppliers 'trying to make a quick buck'. One established UK wholesaler said up to 95 per cent of products being offered by emerging businesses have turned out to be fake. The BSI reported a significant increase in fake safety certificates for PPE equipment, with large numbers now in circulation. They are mostly for disposable face masks, but some have included gloves, protective clothing and eyewear. In most cases, they are used by scammers selling PPE in large quantities to companies such as care homes, wholesalers and retailers. Stephen Hill, from procurement body NHS Commercial Solutions, said he now spends most of his day trying to separate real suppliers from those trying to 'exploit the taxpayer'. The Mail found UK firms selling FFP2 masks for as little as 0.50 before the crisis for 11.95 each. The difficulties in securing PPE stocks were highlighted last week when a Government shipment from Turkey arrived three days late as hospitals ran out of equipment. Care bosses facing severe shortages have had to turn to private companies charging a premium for PPE due to 'unreliable' Government supplies. MHA, a charitable trust which runs 220 care homes, has had to spend 200,000 on masks at five times the usual price. Karl Silvester runs Awarding Care, which looks after 170 adults in their own homes in the Black Country area. He contacted a number of suppliers but found a box of gloves which normally sells at 2 to 3 each was priced at 15, while plastic aprons which were typically 2 pence an item were up to 2 a piece a hike of almost 10,000 per cent. A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: 'It is our absolute priority to make sure that frontline healthcare staff are protected and they feel safe. 'We are working around the clock to ensure PPE is delivered as quickly as possible to those on the frontline of this global pandemic for as long as it is required and have delivered over 1 billion items since the outbreak began.' Maitreyi Ramakrishnan of "Never Have I Ever" poses for a portrait during Netflix YA Press Day at the London Hotel on Feb. 24 in West Hollywood. (Netflix) "I feel pretty normal," says Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, the fresh-faced star of Netflix's new series "Never Have I Ever." "I thought it would hit me when I saw my face on the Netflix homepage. But I'm still like: OK, that's cool. That's nifty ... I'm still me." Ramakrishnan is not used to being recognized at least not yet. This time last year, she was preparing for her role as Velma Kelly in her high school's production of "Chicago." Now, as the 18-year-old star of the streamer's coming-of-age series, which hails from Mindy Kaling and Lang Fisher, the newcomer is poised to become the latest young actor vaulted by Netflix into the global spotlight, following the bona fide celebrities to come out of the "Stranger Things" and "13 Reasons Why" casts. Ramakrishnan beat out 15,000 hopefuls in an open casting call to play Devi Vishwakumar, a first-generation Indian American teenager coping with her father's death and struggling with her identity in the midst of her teenage mission to be popular, lose her virginity and get into Princeton University. The half-hour comedy is loosely based on Kalings own upbringing as an Indian American teen with immigrant parents. Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, left, Ramona Young and Lee Rodriguez in "Never Have I Ever." (Netflix) "Devi, in my mind, is honestly like any teenager guy or girl, Indian or not," says Ramakrishnan (her first name is pronounced My-tray-ee). "She's going through really real struggles and also being very cringe-y at times, but very honest and blunt. What I love about her is that she always has a plan. From the first episode, she has a plan of what she wants to do and what she wants to achieve. And I feel like that's all of us. We all want to have a plan of what would make us happy." Ramakrishnan is sitting in her family's dining room "which is not really a dining room because nobody eats here" and using her mom's laptop for a virtual interview while sheltering at home in Mississauga, Ontario. She exudes a laid-back energy and down-to-earth confidence while sporting a royal blue blouse, hoop earrings and an impressive sweep of quarantine eyeliner across her eyelids: "This was a hustle, I have to be honest." She says "nifty" quite a bit for a teenager in 2020 and flatly states, "Bro, download it," while talking about the addictive appeal of the social simulation video game "Animal Crossing: New Horizons." Oh, and she's been watching a lot of "Community" lately. Story continues Devi, in my mind, is honestly like any teenager guy or girl, Indian or not." Maitreyi Ramakrishnan "I'm a firm believer that sometimes you just have to be a potato," she says. "I'm a potato enthusiast. You don't need to be productive. I did, though, recently paint my drawers ... I decided to paint it and jazz it up by making it look like Van Gogh's 'Starry Night.'" She's not bothered that she'll miss out on the premiere fete that's typical for new shows. Though she is considering putting a red towel on the ground and taking a picture of herself standing on it to post on Instagram on launch day. "What's going on is much more important," she says. "I'd rather we stay safe now, so that, in the long run, we can continue to make more 'Never Have I Ever.' So I can go back onto a set and have that pure love for acting and to have that experience again." ATTENTION DESI LADIES! Im holding OPEN casting calls for leads in my new @netflix show! Im THRILLED to have the opportunity to do this. The parts are so juicy and funny, and Im SO excited to meet you! Full info is here! GOOD LUCK! pic.twitter.com/GGsvfa3a0c Mindy Kaling (@mindykaling) April 12, 2019 Although the series marks Ramakrishnan's first professional acting role and her first time headlining a series, Kaling says the actress has handled the weight of a Hollywood production impressively. "To go from being the lead in your school play to shooting 12 hours a day, five days a week on a Hollywood set, with rehearsals on the weekend, was a big transition for her, but Maitreyis work ethic was incredible," she says. "We had several days of night shoots for the pilot, and Maitreyi is in every scene. Her cheerful and psyched attitude through that was truly amazing." Ramakrishnan was born and raised in Mississauga. Her parents her father works for the Canadian government, while her mom is in marketing communications fled to Canada from Sri Lanka during its civil war. As she tells it, she has one older brother, and her other sibling is the family's Labradoodle, Melody. Ramakrishnan got her start in theater in the 10th grade as part of Meadowvale Secondary's production of "Footloose," playing one of lead Ariel's ditzy friends. Her debut didn't come from deep desire to be on stage: "I didn't take drama as a class even. Literally, it was not on my radar. The drama teacher just needed more people. ... We're a pretty small school. I did it and I loved it. "I always knew I was going to do something in the arts," she adds, noting a brief period when she dreamed of being a Disney animator. "In high school, as soon as I could drop my sciences, I dropped them so fast. I was like, 'Goodbye, bio. See you later, chem. Never liked you, physics.' What I realized is, I would spend hours and hours on rehearsals after school. By the end of high school, I knew acting was the way." Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, left, Poorna Jagannathan and Richa Moorjani in a scene from "Never Have I Ever." (Neflix) But becoming the face of a Netflix series wasn't even in her dreams. Plan A was to attend York University to study theater. But Ramakrishnan's friend, Shaharah, saw Kaling's tweet last spring about the casting call and convinced her that they should both send in audition tapes. "We went to the library community center because it's the only place we knew that had blank walls," Ramakrishnan says. "I definitely did not think anything would happen from it because I really only saw it as time I got to hang out with my best friend. I mean, this is a worldwide casting call. This is Mindy Kaling, who has a bajillion followers. There's people with real credentials and real experience." By contrast, she was someone who had to type in "acting resume templates" online and sent in "head shots" taken by a friend and featuring a brick wall exterior from school: "I was really struggling to keep my eyes open in the sunlight," she recalls. It worked just the same. Producers wanted her to come to L.A. for a screen test and a chemistry test about a week before her first "Chicago" performance. But first she had to tell her parents. "I had to say to my mom: There's a guy who wants me to come to L.A. cause I sent him videos of myself' how wrong does that sound to you? OK, I'll let that sit for a bit," Ramakrishnan recalls. "My parents thought it was fake, right? They had so many questions and fair enough. I did not think it sounded shady, but looking back, yes." "When the call came for Maitreyi to fly to Los Angeles, that is when the mama bear started to awaken," is how her mom, Kiruthiha Kulendiren, recalls it. "It definitely sounded too good to be true. Through the whole process of multiple auditions and submissions, my faith was in that Mindy Kaling would not be associated with something sketchy." To go from being the lead in your school play to shooting 12 hours a day, five days a week on a Hollywood set, with rehearsals on the weekend, was a big transition for her, but Maitreyis work ethic was incredible." Mindy Kaling Once they reviewed the evidence, her parents were on board. A few months later after prom, after graduation, after deferring her acceptance to York Ramakrishnan moved into a family friend's home in Beverly Hills to begin shooting the series. As a die-hard fan of "The Office," Ramakrishnan couldn't suppress the impulse to allude to it. "I tend to make 'Office' references just in my regular speech," she says. "And I noticed [Mindy] sometimes notices that I just say things from the show. For example, you know when people say the phrase 'the tables have turned'? I always use 'The Office' reference of Michael Scott saying, 'Oh, how the turntables.' Other people think I'm messing it up. But I would notice that Mindy got it and was like, 'This kid is a dork.'" Like Kaling has experienced with her own fame, Ramakrishnan is aware of the significance of her presence onscreen and the pressure it carries. "I read all the comments on my TikToks; whenever I get a DM of somebody saying, 'Hey thank you so much. I'm already your fan,' I'm like, 'These guys don't even know if I'm good. They don't even know my acting abilities,' but they already feel so seen, and to me, that's priceless," she says. "I would take all the pressures in the world to just let somebody be seen." Never Have I Ever Where: Netflix When: Any time Rating: TV-14 (may be unsuitable for children under the age of 14) An Indonesian official who claimed women could get pregnant by swimming in a pool where a man with 'strong sperm' had ejaculated has been sacked. Sitti Hikmawatty, a member of Indonesia's child protection commission, made the comments in an interview about teenage pregnancy in February. A three-member panel was established to decide whether she should be punished and the country's president, Joko Widodo, has now signed off an order to 'dishonourably' remove her form her post. In the interview with the Jakarta Tribune, the former university professor insisted that if a man ejaculates in a public pool, it could lead to conception. 'A pregnancy can happen even though there is no sexual penetration,' she said. Sitti Hikmawatty, an Indonesian child protection commissioner, is facing punishment after she claimed that women can get pregnant if they swim in a pool where a man has ejaculated 'There's a certain kind of sperm that is very strong. 'Even without penetration, men may become sexually excited (by women in the pool) and ejaculate, therefore causing a pregnancy. 'If women are in a phase where they are sexually active, (such a pregnancy) may occur. 'No one knows for sure how men react to the sight of women in a swimming pool.' Hikmawatty tried in vain to postpone her sacking on Monday by invoking the COVID-19 pandemic. 'Mr President, there's a common enemy we must face together,' she wrote to Widodo asking that her removal be put off. 'Allow me to finish my child protection efforts during the pandemic.' After her comments two months ago, the child protection commission's new chairman, known only as Susanto, said: 'This should serve as a lesson for all officials to be extra careful when they make public statements.' The head office of the Indonesian Child Protection Office (KPAI) pictured in the capital Jakarta The claims made by Ms Hikmawatty - whose name translates as 'wisdom' - were quickly rubbished by doctors who said semen would quickly die in chlorinated water, while she was also mocked on social media. The Indonesian Doctors Association told the Jakarta Post that women cannot be impregnated in swimming pools. Indonesian blogger doctor, called Blog Dokter, said in response to her claims: 'Once again, I remind you, if you do not understand health problems, it's better to be quiet. Instead of your comments causing anxiety and panic. 'I will emphasise here, swimming with the opposite sex will not cause pregnancy. 'Not all men who swim ejaculate and sperm cannot live in chlorinated pool water, let alone swim into the vagina.' She also faced ridicule on social media. Photos have been uploaded of her shaking hands with a senior commissioner with the reflection of pool water pasted over the top. One Twitter user wrote: 'When there is a flood. Ordinary people: Save ourselves and other valuables. Sitti Wisdom: Please separate men and women so that no one gets pregnant.' A cartoon strip was also posted online showing a women getting pregnant after she entered flood waters with a man. Ms Hikmawatty also faced ridicule on social media. Photos have been uploaded of her shaking hands with a senior commissioner with the reflection of pool water pasted over the top One Twitter user wrote: 'When there is a flood. Ordinary people: Save ourselves and other valuables. Sitti Wisdom: Please separate men and women so that no one gets pregnant' The chairman of the KPAI, Susanto, issued a statement saying her claims did not represent the views of the organisation. 'We hereby state that KPAI's understanding and attitude are not reflected in the online news narrative.' Ms Hikmawatty issued an apology at the time. 'I apologise to the publi for giving an incorrect statement,' she said. 'It was a personal statement and not from KPAI. I hereby revoke the statement. I plead with all parties not to disseminate it further or even make it available.' In January a group of Chinese American pharma professionals in the Philly area sent cash and protective gear to colleagues in Wuhan. Now their Chinese friends are returning the favor From left: Yi Zhang (Temple University Lewis Katz School of Medicine), Maurice Hightower, Johnny Marrero, Angelo Venditti, opthalmalogist Yi Zhang (all of Temple University Hospital), cardiologist Hong Wang (director, Temple Center for Metabolic Disease Research, Holly Meng (Temple University), and Katz school scientists Wenhui Hu, pathologist Jian Huang, Pingping Yang and Xianwei Wang. Read more In the war against the coronavirus, China has been fighting the first half, the world is fighting the second half, and the overseas Chinese are fighting the full course, says Jing Yang, a Bristol Myers Squibb executive who also heads the 4,000-member Sino-American Pharmaceutical Professionals Association Greater Philadelphia chapter. Early in the pandemic, many in the Philly region sent donations to colleagues in China. Now the Chinese are reciprocating as deaths top 50,000 in the U.S. Back in January, as word spread of jammed hospitals in Wuhan, central China, we donated a lot of equipment to China, recalled Jian Huang, a Temple pathology professor. I dont think high-level leadership [in any country] realized at first how contagious this is, he added. But frontline doctors and nurses whose hospitals filled with sick patients spread the word to their international networks and to colleagues at home. At Temple, we have professors from all over China. We collected from our professor friends," including members of the Chinese American Academy of Cardiology, which she heads, and shipped N95 masks worth $170,000 to Wuhan when staff were running critically low in January and February, said Hong Wang, who trained in China, Canada, and at Harvard and now heads the Center for Metabolic Disease Research at Temple. Then in March, as U.S. cases began to soar, came a kind of payback. ASK US: Do you have a question about the coronavirus and how it affects your health, work and life? Ask our reporters. 5 Wangs contacts in Wuhan and friends in Beijing and elsewhere came back to me without asking," she said. "Hundreds of smaller and bigger packages began arriving from China-based medical professionals to friends in Philadelphia and other cities for donation to Temple University Hospital, where staff was using up gear fast. Dr. Daowen Wang, Chair of Department of Medicine at Wuhan Tongji Hospital, which received the N95 masks from the cardiologists when it was hard hit in the initial spread of COVID-19, immediately shipped protective material supply" to Temple after the outbreak in the U.S., Hong Wang added. And there were more. I called it many ants moving, Wang said of the response. They were telling us, We want to pay back, for the training we had at Temple, added her Temple colleague Huang. It is our turn to help our American friends, wrote Yuling Zhang, cardiologist at Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital in Guangzhou, southern China, and one of Hong Wangs past Temple students. Zhang sent several packages of protective gear. A Mr. Ding, friend of Temple opthalmologist Yi Zhang, mailed 50,000 PPE items in 100 personal packages. Doctors tapped China friends to collect more than 70,000 medical, surgical, N95, and KN95 masks, 45,000 exam gloves, plus sanitizer, coveralls, and goggles worth more than $250,000. More drives are planned. The biggest part of Temples donations came from China, Wang said. Helping coronavirus responders is the right thing to do -- and also proves a point for Chinese medical and pharma professionals, says Bristol Myers Jing, who heads the Pan Asian Network for the drugmaker. You must be acutely aware of the alarming cases of anti-Asian incidents blaming Asians for coronavirus since it was first identified in China, Jing said. She called the donations heroic acts of love, ownership, and generosity that speak loudly against recent hostilities against Asians. Some people call this a Chinese virus.' I dont like that," Temples Wang added. "We should investigate where this started in the future. But now is the time to protect our doctors and nurses who face death every day. They lack equipment. Some nurses quit because of the lack of equipment. This is the key thing now. They are also mobilizing in the suburbs. James Zhang, of Chester Springs, helps place Chinese students at U.S. high schools through his Lansdowne firm DENO International Education Consultants LLC. Zhang had joined Chester County business delegations to China. In March he got a call from Chester County Economic Development Council Mike Grigalonis, seeking Zhangs help in getting protective gear from China for police, ambulance, and hospital workers. My heart was touched by his words - saving life, Zhang said, who rallied his employees in both countries. We spent days and nights locating licensed companies certified the masks, negotiating to shorten what makers warned were months-long deadlines, and arranging a total of 1,200 FedEx pickups and deliveries. At one point he had to collect and post $50,000, later reimbursed by the county, to advance needed gear. I was so stressed, he said. It was much harder than I expected." But he said his team was proud to help. Daily FedEx and UPS shipments Zhangs team arranged have been arriving at the countys Public Safety Training Campus in South Coatesville, along with barrels of hand sanitizer made at Red Branch Distillery in Reading and half-gallon jugs from Wawa to put it in, Grigalonis said. Heng You, head of the nonprofit Greater Philadelphia Chinese Cultural Center and the Guanghua Chinese Association, says her group and others in central Bucks County collected cash donations and brought meals from Chinese restaurants such as Jessica Tians Bamboo near Norristown, which remmain open for takeout, to give to staff at COVID-19 testing centers at hospitals in Phoenixville, Lansdale, and East Norriton. The group bought 15,300 surgical masks and 2,800 N95 masks, and gave to medical offices across the suburbs, and Bucks County police. In Philadelphia, Ken Wong and Jeff Ji, from China-America trade consultant NavPac Advisors, planned Friday to donate 5,000 three-ply surgical masks from the Chinese industrial city of Harbin to SEPTA workers via Transport Workers Union Local 234, and invited City Councilmember David Oh along. Local president Willie Brown had threatened a job action this week as drivers and other staff at the reduced-schedule transit network continue to report new cases of coronavirus. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has reportedly granted a fresh extension on a waiver to let Iraq import electricity from neighboring Iran as efforts continue to form a lasting government in Baghdad, but possibly for a shorter period to press the Iraqi administration into greater action. Reuters and AP quoted unnamed sources on the U.S. and Iraqi sides confirming the prolongation of the State Department waiver. But the U.S. source, from the State Department, suggested it would be reevaluated sooner than the 90, 120, or even 30 days that were being granted up to last month. "The secretary [Pompeo] granted this brief extension of the waiver to allow time for the formation of a credible government," Reuters quoted a State Department official as saying, adding that the new waiver would expire on May 26. Washington has been prodding Iraq, which is OPEC's second-biggest oil producer, toward self-sufficiency in the energy sector as it has allowed the import of energy from longtime U.S. foe Iran. AFP quoted the Iraqi source as saying the U.S. waiver "is extended for another 30 days. There are no specific conditions." Iraqi President Barham Salih recently tapped the third person in less than three months, intelligence chief Mustafa al-Kadhimi, to lead a government amid an ongoing crisis that emerged with the onset of deadly anti-government protests last year. Al-Kadhimi has been in tough talks with political parties to form a cabinet and has until May 9 to submit a lineup to parliament for a vote of confidence. "Once that government is in place, the secretary will reassess whether to renew the waiver and for how long, and looks forward to resuming our cooperation with the government of Iraq to reduce Iraq's dependence on unreliable Iranian energy imports," Reuters quoted the State Department official as saying. Based on reporting by Reuters and AFP As Rajasthan prepares for the return of migrants stuck in other states due to the lockdown, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Monday appealed to the people of the state to extend all help and give moral support to those returning home after a very hard period. The Rajasthan government has deputed teams of senior officers to coordinate with other states on the return of migrants. The Gehlot government had announced last week that migrantworkers will be able to move out of Rajasthan or return to the state in a phased manner. Migrant workers have not been able to return home due to the nationwide lockdown to contain spread of coronavirus. These workers will be able to reach their home only after getting necessary permission from state governments concerned and proper arrangements. In a tweet, Gehlot said,After much effort by state government, migrants of Rajasthan will soon be returning home from other states. These people suffered a lot during lockdown. Now when they return, it is our moral duty to take care of them, provide them all help regarding food, medicines and quarantine facilities". My appeal to all is please give moral support to our brothers and sisters returning home after a very hard period.Following the culture of Rajasthan that we never leave our people in distress, take proper care of migrants, he said. Those wanting to return to Rajasthan will have to register on helpline number 18001806127, eMitra Rajasthan portal, e-Mitra mobile app or e-Mitra kiosk. After registration, the Rajasthan government will obtain consent from state governments concerned. The Rajasthan government is also making arrangements for the movement of migrants in the state. Those who have their own vehicles may come in their vehicles after obtaining permission. Migrant workers will be kept in quarantine on return. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) We've lost count of how many times insiders have accumulated shares in a company that goes on to improve markedly. Unfortunately, there are also plenty of examples of share prices declining precipitously after insiders have sold shares. So before you buy or sell China Everbright Greentech Limited (HKG:1257), you may well want to know whether insiders have been buying or selling. Do Insider Transactions Matter? It's quite normal to see company insiders, such as board members, trading in company stock, from time to time. However, rules govern insider transactions, and certain disclosures are required. We don't think shareholders should simply follow insider transactions. But equally, we would consider it foolish to ignore insider transactions altogether. For example, a Columbia University study found that 'insiders are more likely to engage in open market purchases of their own companys stock when the firm is about to reveal new agreements with customers and suppliers'. See our latest analysis for China Everbright Greentech China Everbright Greentech Insider Transactions Over The Last Year There wasn't any very large single transaction over the last year, but we can still observe some trading. You can see a visual depiction of insider transactions (by individuals) over the last 12 months, below. By clicking on the graph below, you can see the precise details of each insider transaction! SEHK:1257 Recent Insider Trading April 27th 2020 China Everbright Greentech is not the only stock insiders are buying. So take a peek at this free list of growing companies with insider buying. Does China Everbright Greentech Boast High Insider Ownership? For a common shareholder, it is worth checking how many shares are held by company insiders. I reckon it's a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. Our data isn't picking up on much insider ownership at China Everbright Greentech, though insiders do hold about HK$1.4m worth of shares. This level of insider ownership is notably low, and not very encouraging. Story continues So What Does This Data Suggest About China Everbright Greentech Insiders? It's certainly positive to see the recent insider purchase. And an analysis of the transactions over the last year also gives us confidence. On this analysis the only slight negative we see is the fairly low (overall) insider ownership; their transactions suggest that they are quite positive on China Everbright Greentech stock. In addition to knowing about insider transactions going on, it's beneficial to identify the risks facing China Everbright Greentech. To help with this, we've discovered 4 warning signs (2 are potentially serious!) that you ought to be aware of before buying any shares in China Everbright Greentech. Of course China Everbright Greentech may not be the best stock to buy. So you may wish to see this free collection of high quality companies. 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. The Korea Society, a New York-based nonprofit organization that promotes cultural exchange with South Korea, is celebrating the chef Hooni Kim, who owns Danji and Hanjan in Manhattan. The food writer Andrew Friedman will interview Mr. Kim about his new book, My Korea: Traditional Flavors, Modern Recipes, on a free webcast Thursday at 6:30 p.m., hosted by the society. Live webcast with the chef Hooni Kim, koreasociety.org. Follow NYT Food on Twitter and NYT Cooking on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest. Get regular updates from NYT Cooking, with recipe suggestions, cooking tips and shopping advice. BAGHDAD, April 26 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese team of medical experts had left Baghdad on Sunday, heading to China after 50 days of hard work of supporting the Iraqi health system to contain the COVID-19 epidemic. At a farewell ceremony held at Baghdad International Airport, Iraqi Minister of Transport Abdullah Luaibi, thanked the Chinese team and offered bouquets for them for their efforts, expressing appreciation for China's assistance to help Iraq to tackle COVID-19. "On behalf of the Iraqi government and the people of Iraq, I extend my thanks and appreciation to the Chinese medical team, which has worked 50 days and has made determined efforts in Baghdad and other provinces to help the Iraqi health system to confront the coronavirus pandemic," Luaibi told at the ceremony with Chinese Ambassador to Iraq Zhang Tao, representative of the Health Ministry and other senior Iraqi officials. "This medical team has played a major role in supporting Iraqi Ministry of Health's efforts to combat this virus," he said. Chinese ambassador to Iraq Zhang Tao said "this team is the second medical team that China had sent abroad to help other countries to cope with the pandemic COVID-19." Zhang said that during the past 50 days in Iraq, the team visited nine Iraqi provinces and conducted 27 training sections for Iraqi health personnel, training around 1,000 Iraqi health providers. On March 7, 2020, the Chinese medical team consisting of seven experts arrived in Baghdad to work with their Iraqi counterparts as part of the Chinese efforts to Iraq to confront the COVID-19 epidemic. The Chinese medical team conveyed the Chinese experience in dealing with the novel coronavirus and methods of treatment, and assisted Iraq to draft a national response plan. On March 25, a PCR lab was built by the Chinese experts in Baghdad, based on Chinese donation of nucleic acid test kits and other equipment. Meanwhile, the team has completed the installation of an advanced CT scanner in Baghdad on Saturday. Montana Free Press A Montana federal court judge blocked the Keystone XL oil pipeline from crossing bodies of water pending further federal permitting on Wednesday, April 15. On Thursday, April 16, the same judge heard arguments in additional lawsuits seeking to halt the pipelines construction. The Wednesday ruling by U.S. District Court Judge Brian Morris revoked a key U.S. Army Corps of Engineers water-crossing permit that a coalition of environmental groups said was granted in violation of environmental laws. Construction of Canadian company TC Energys long-delayed pipeline began earlier this month with a 1.2 mile border-crossing section of the pipeline on remote eastern Montanas frontier with Canada. While some sections of the pipeline, including the border crossing, are unaffected by the ruling, the project cant be completed without the revoked water-crossing permit. Keystone XL has to cross more than 700 bodies of water over the course of its 1,200 mile traverse from the Alberta oil sands to a bitumen refinery hub in Nebraska. One of those water bodies is the Missouri River in Montana. Construction crews clear earth and dig trenches April 14, 2020, for a section of the Keystone XL pipeline that will cross the Canadian border into Phillips County, Montana.Photo by A.J. Etherington / Montana Free Press Morris ruling is another reversal of fortune for TC Energy, whose Keystone XL project was spiked by the Obama administration before being resurrected by President Donald Trump soon after he entered office in 2017. A previous lawsuit by the same environmental groups resulted in a construction ban courtesy of a Morris decision in 2018, but last year Trump issued executive orders rewriting how oil pipelines are permitted, effectively overruling the courts and giving TC Energy the OK to begin construction. This ruling proves, once again, that we are a nation of laws no matter how many times powerful forces seek to undermine bedrock American legal protections, said Dena Hoff, a member of plaintiff Northern Plains Resource Council, in a press release. Trumps executive orders and the border crossing were among the issues in court Thursday, as Morris oversaw a separate hearing concerning two more lawsuits brought against the pipeline by the Fort Belknap Indian Community and Rosebud Sioux Tribe, and the Indigenous Environmental Network and North Coast Rivers Alliance, respectively. According to the tribes, the Trump administration is obligated to honor 19th century treaties requiring the federal government to protect the tribes from depredation. Tribal attorney Matthew Campbell said the threat posed to the tribes by both pipeline construction and the coronavirus pandemic which has stoked fears that out-of-state pipeline workers might spread the virus and overwhelm the sparsely populated regions medical resources present such depredation. Protesters of the proposed Keystone XL pipeline carry an American Indian Movement flag in front of the federal courthouse in Great Falls, Montana, on March 6, 2020. Photo by Hunter Pauli / Montana Free Press The president has a responsibility to protect the tribes, he said. Campbell said the treaties also require tribal consent for projects like pipelines to cross tribal land, which the U.S. government and TC Energy did not seek when planning Keystone XL. Though Keystone XL is not slated to cross the Fort Belknap or Rosebud Sioux reservations, it does cross off-reservation tribal land held in trust by the U.S. Department of the Interior. The trust process was created to return land to tribes after reservation land was taken by the government. Were not just talking about reservation land, Campbell said. Were talking about treaty lands. Campbell said that the treaties require tribal consent for actions, including Keystone XL, that would affect mineral rights on trust lands. Campbell also touched on arguments shared by plaintiffs in the second lawsuit that Trumps re-permitting of Keystone XL last year violated the Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution. According to Indigenous Environmental Network and North Coast Rivers Alliance attorney Stephan Volker, the Commerce Clause gives Congress sole power to regulate foreign trade such as foreign pipelines entering the country. Volker said that while Congress has long acquiesced to the executive branch taking the lead on pipeline certification, with various presidents modifying that process, Trumps executive order re-certifying Keystone XL was incompatible with the will of Congress. Gov. Steve Bullock (D) of #Montana is allowing construction to begin on the Keystone XL Pipeline despite opposition from tribes, who say the work will contribute to the spread of the #Coronavirus. #NoKXL #COVID19 https://t.co/cBhSbAhhUG indianz.com (@indianz) April 7, 2020 Representing the federal government, U.S. Department of Justice attorney Marissa Piropato said Trumps permit isnt solely an issue of commerce, but of foreign affairs and national security as well, over which the president exercises sole discretion. Piropato said Trumps permit addresses only the border crossing, not the entire pipeline route, and that since no water bodies within the area of the border crossing flow into the Missouri River, the risk of the pipeline spilling oil into the Missouri River is pure speculation. She said the court cannot stop Trump from fulfilling his official duties. Luther Hajek, also representing the federal government, said the tribes havent shown any evidence of harm, and that the case should be dismissed. TC Energy is digging a trench on tribal trust lands for a pipeline, not for mining, so mineral rights dont come into play, he said. According to Hajek, the tribes claim presumes the United States is obligated to file trespass claims against TC Energy on behalf of the tribes. Hajek said even if TC Energy were mining, the tribes couldnt compel the U.S. government to act. Furthermore, Hajek said, prior court rulings on tribal treaties have established that the United States duty to defend the tribes against depredation applies only to current tribal lands that is, reservations and not to trust lands. Protesters wave anti-Keystone XL flags on the 1st Avenue North Bridge over the Missouri River in Great Falls, Montana, on March 6, 2020. Photo by Hunter Pauli / Montana Free Press That argument was echoed by attorney Peter Whitfield, representing TC Energy, who has intervened in both cases on the side of the federal government. Whitfield also said Keystone XL does not count as mining, and that this pipeline is designed not to spill. Thats always what they say about every single pipeline, and yet we do have spills, Campbell said during rebuttal. Campbell also accused the defendants of failing to address one of the several relevant treaties that does support a mineral rights argument, and said that, in effect, Trumps border-crossing permit green-lights the entire project, not just the 1.2 mile border crossing. Volker agreed that the plain language of the permit shows it applies to the whole pipeline, not just the border crossing. He also said the defendants must not understand that water flows downhill, as a creek in the vicinity of the border crossing eventually flows into the Missouri River. In his closing remarks, Volker said permits have never been issued unilaterally, as Trumps was, and warned that the nations founders included the Commerce Clause and other separations of powers in the Constitution after observing the danger of unlimited executive power in the form of King George III. Thursdays four-hour hearing in Great Falls federal court was conducted via remote video teleconference, and was plagued by technical issues. Around the hearings halfway mark, Morris noted that 147 people were listening to the proceedings via telephone. At one point, the microphone of the court stenographer, who was working remotely, picked up a barking dog. Morris thanked everyone for their patience, and said he will issue an order in due course. Hunter Pauli is a Seattle-born, Missoula-based freelance investigative reporter and graduate of the University of Montana School of Journalism. Note: This story originally appeared on Montana Free Press . It is published under a Creative Commons license Join the Conversation Related Stories Don't be fooled by any hyped-up headlines you may have read: This week's asteroid flyby poses no threat to Earth or anything on it. The big asteroid 1998 OR2 will zoom within 3.9 million miles (6.3 million kilometers) of our planet early Wednesday morning (April 29). While that's a close shave in the context of the visible universe, which is more than 90 billion light-years wide, there's zero chance that the space rock will hit Earth on this pass, scientists stress. Indeed, at its closest approach , the roughly 1.5-mile-wide (2.4 km) 1998 OR2 will still be about 16 times farther from us than the moon is from the Earth. (The moon orbits Earth at an average distance of 239,000 miles, or 385,000 km.) Video: Asteroid 1998 OR2's April 29, 2020 Earth flyby explained Related: Potentially dangerous asteroids (images) And you can let relief keep washing over you, for we know of no big asteroids that could harm us in the foreseeable future. "There are no asteroids which have any significant chance of hitting the Earth that are of any significant size," Paul Chodas, manager of NASA's Center for Near-Earth Object Studies at the agency's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, said during a pre-recorded "NASA Science Live" webcast today (April 27). "There are none on our list." That list is pretty comprehensive. NASA scientists think they've found and tracked more than 90% of the near-Earth asteroids (NEAs) that are least 0.6 miles (1 km) wide, big enough to pose a global threat to humans should they line Earth up in their crosshairs. But such relief should not breed complacency, said both Chodas and Lindley Johnson, NASA's Planetary Defense Officer and program executive of the Planetary Defense Coordination Office. After all, the number of NEAs out there is enormous, so some big dangerous ones may still lurk out there undetected. And asteroids commonly get jostled this way and that by the gravitational pulls of other objects, making it very difficult to model their orbits over the very long term. Given enough time, these jostles will eventually send a big space rock screaming toward Earth, as the dinosaurs' demise can attest. "Impact of the Earth by an asteroid large enough to do damage at the surface is an extremely rare event, but it's an inevitable event," Johnson said during today's webcast. That inevitability makes asteroid discovery and tracking efforts incredibly important, both he and Chodas said, because we're not as helpless as the dinosaurs. We can do something about an incoming asteroid if we spot it far enough in advance. For example, a lead time of five to 10 years is probably the minimum needed for humanity to mount a kinetic-impactor deflection mission , which would send a spacecraft out to knock the hazardous space rock off course, Chodas said. If we have considerably more time than that, we might be able to employ the nonviolent "gravity tractor" method, slowly nudging the rock away from Earth with a fly-along probe. And if we have very little time at all, we might have to quite literally employ the nuclear option . 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 . British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, on Monday made his first public appearance in nearly a month, after battling the deadly Coronav... British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, on Monday made his first public appearance in nearly a month, after battling the deadly Coronavirus. Recall that the UK Prime Minister was admitted following the advice of his doctor as he continued to show persistent symptoms of the virus. He was later released from intensive care where he was receiving treatment for Coronavirus. Following his recovery and after testing negative for the virus, he was discharged from the hospital. The Prime Minister in a statement outside his Downing Street office, said Britain is beginning to turn the tide in tackling COVID-19. However, he didnt indicate any immediate lifting of the lockdown. Meanwhile, the Nigeria Center for Disease Control, on Sunday, confirmed 91 new cases of Coronavirus in the country. As at 11:50 pm, 26th April, 1,273 confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been reported in Nigeria; 239 have been discharged with 40 deaths. New York Becomes 1st State to Cancel Presidential Primary Over CCP Virus 'Unnecessary and, indeed, frivolous' New York officials canceled the states Democratic presidential primary, which had been set for June 23, in an attempt to curb the spread of the CCP virus. While Democratic members of New Yorks State Board of Elections voted April 27 to cancel the presidential primary, the states congressional and state-level contests will be held on June 23 as planned. It means, however, that New York is the first state to outright cancel its primary after several other states suspended theirs. The primary had already been delayed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo from its original April 28 date. The boards Democratic co-chairman, Douglas A. Kellner, told The New York Times that he ultimately decided that it was time to say that the primary served no real purpose after Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) dropped out of the race weeks ago, leaving former Vice President Joe Biden virtually unopposed among Democrats. What the Sanders campaign wanted is essentially a beauty contest that, given the situation with the public health emergency, seems to be unnecessary and, indeed, frivolous, Kellner said, adding that he read thousands of messages from Sanders supporters who urged against canceling the primary contest. A woman gets off a bus on Flatbush Avenue on April 24, 2020, in the Brooklyn borough of New York. Known as The City That Never Sleeps, New Yorks streets are particularly empty during the CCP virus (COVID-19) pandemic. (Mark Lennihan/AP Photo) Obviously, the intent of the legislature was not to have a primary election where there is no real contest, he added. Andrew J. Spano, another member of the Board of Elections, told the newspaper that a primary could spread the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as the novel coronavirus, to poll workers and the public across New York, which has the highest number of cases and deaths in the United States. We should minimize the risk, he said of his decision. Meanwhile, Cuomo, a Democrat, told reporters at a daily pandemic briefing that he wouldnt go against the states Board of Elections. I know there are a lot of election employees, employees of boards of elections, who are nervous about conducting elections. But Ill leave it up to the Board of Elections, he said April 27. In Wisconson, health officials said about 40 cases of COVID-19 in Milwaukee County were linked to that states April 7 elections, according to WUWM. A week ago, New York Democratic Party Chairman Jay Jacobs suggested that canceling the primary would mean a lower expected turnout and fewer polling stations needed across the state. It just makes so much sense given the extraordinary nature of the challenge, Jacobs said last week, The Associated Press reported. Sanderss campaign condemned the decision. Todays decision by the State of New York Board of Elections is an outrage, a blow to American democracy, and must be overturned by the DNC. Just last week, Vice President Biden warned the American people that President Trump could use the current crisis as an excuse to postpone the November election. Well, he now has a precedent thanks to New York state, Sanders adviser Jeff Weaver said in a statement. While we understood that we did not have the votes to win the Democratic nomination our campaign was suspended, not ended, because people in every state should have the right to express their preference. What the Board of Elections is ignoring is that the primary process not only leads to a nominee but also the selection of delegates which helps determine the platform and rules of the Democratic Party. In a major embaraasment for Uttar Pradesh government, videos of people at a coronavirus COVID-19 quarantine centre in Agra being forced to crowd near the gate to receive essential supplies went viral on Sunday (April 26) forcing the senior officials to probe the matter. In one of the videos a woman can he heard saying that there are no facilities at the quarantine centre and the people who were brought there are not receiving any health facilities. In the video, a man in protective gear can be seen throwing biscuit packets to te people who are inside the quarantine centre. AGRA POLICE (@agrapolice) April 26, 2020 In the video water bottles can be seen kept outside the gates of the quarantine centre and people are reaching out for these bottles from behind the grills without keeping in mind the need for social distancing. The video was shot at the Sharda Group of Institutions, which is one of the quarantine centres in Agra. After the videos went viral, district magistrate Prabhu Narayan Singh went to inspect the centre. He assured that all arrangement have been taken care of now. According to Singh, the Chief Development Officer has been directed to probe the matter and to fix responsibility. It is to be noted that Agra has 372 coronavirus cases, the highest in Uttar Pradesh. The city has already recorded 10 deaths due to coronavirus infection. Congress spokesperson Akhilesh Pratap Singh has attacked the Uttar Pradesh over the condition at quarantine centre and said, This is the role model city of Agra which is now being addressed as Wuhan of India. People are treated like animals in quarantine centres. Whose role model is this city? You can very well guess. SANDARMOKH, Russia The day began, like many others in her childhood years, with hours of tramping through an insect-infested forest with the family dog while her eccentric father, Yuri Dmitriev, wandered off to hunt in vain for corpses buried among the trees. On that day more than 20 years ago, however, Mr. Dmitriev, an amateur but very determined historian, finally found the gruesome prize he had long been searching for burial mounds containing the remains of political prisoners executed by Stalins secret police. Everything started here, said Mr. Dmitrievs 35-year-old daughter, Katerina Klodt, during a recent visit to the forest at Sandarmokh in Karelia, a peninsula in northern Russia. My dads work has clearly made some people very uncomfortable. Mr. Dmitriev is now in jail, awaiting trial on what his family, friends and supporters dismiss as blatantly fabricated charges of pedophilia, an accusation that has frequently been used to discredit and silence voices the Russian authorities do not like. At todays COVID-19 press conference the countrys leaders doubled down on their message for people to stay at home when pressed about the possibility of lockdown restrictions loosening. First Minister Arlene Foster said the collective effort is far from over. Northern Ireland is still in a critical moment during the first wave of the pandemic, she explained, and with one misstep the country faces the prospect of the virus reproduction rate going back above one increasing the spread. She added: Now is not the time for government and businesses to gamble with peoples lives, we need to proceed cautiously and ensure that were doing everything we can to prevent another spike from occurring. Governments around the world are wrestling with the dilemma of when is the right time to lift restrictions, she said. The press conference heard that the decision to open cemeteries was criteria led and based on scientific advice. The Executive will continue that on every decision we reach relating to COVID-19 but you also, the greater Northern Ireland community, have a role to play, the DUP leader said. She acknowledged efforts made by the public through social distancing and isolation and recognised that people want to leave the confines of their homes. But added: Now is not the time for impatience to get the better of us. No-one should act as if coronavirus has been beaten, it hasnt, and we still have some way to go. If people go back to gathering in large numbers in public spaces and if they do not listen to the guidance on social distancing then they run the risk of another spike. Having come so far in containing this disease it would be more than just a crying shame to undo that collective effort, it would be catastrophic for families, for communities and for a society as small as Northern Irelands. The DUP leader referred to the speech made by Boris Johnson this morning when he said that thought must be given to relaxation, the path plotted carefully and if the government moves too fast it may be forced to slam on the brakes again. Arlene Foster said: Thats not what we want to do and we cant afford to get too far ahead of ourselves. She reiterated the point that the government would be led by scientific and medical advice and urged people to stay at home when possible. Deputy First Minister Michelle ONeill said it is disappointing to hear reports that some people have decided to relax restrictions themselves. That kind of attitude is wrong, it is reckless and it is endangering live. Until a vaccine is found it means that we must co-exist with this virus. And that means a radical change to how we live our daily lives for some time. For the most part people have been making personal sacrifices for that greater good. And thank you for that. But we must keep going, we must save lives. There is light at the end of the tunnel, there certainly is light, but we need to keep doing what were doing now in order to save lives and help our healthcare staff cope in our healthcare system. She praised the public and health workers and welcomed news of 6.5m of additional support for care homes which will help with additional staff to care for those in isolation and enhanced cleaning. LOCKDOWN Restrictions will be reviewed up until May 9 but Arlene Foster again asked people to be patient. In terms of contact tracing, a pilot is starting here this week and an App is being developed. Meanwhile, Michelle ONeill welcomed the British government stance, albeit late, of test, trace isolate - a policy endorsed by the World Health Organisation (WHO). The countries which have been most effective are those that have moved on this very quickly. Contact tracing needs to be rolled out right across the community because that is part of our success in being able to counter the position that we could find ourselves in later where, if youre facing a second wave of this, that our ability to stop that will come down to how effective we are in contact tracing, Sinn Feins Vice President added. She encouraged people to keep doing what were doing as it has proven effective. DEATH TOLL Michelle ONeill gave a figure of 412 deaths - 309 announced in total by the Public Health Agency (PHA) based on figures provided by health trusts but said NISRA statistics would bring it up to 412. When questioned about Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonalds comments that the pandemic is an accelerant for a united Ireland, Ms ONeill said an all-island approach to health makes sense and is not a political point. We live on an island and its a natural advantage so its important we use that. While Ms Foster said her priority is saving lives and its regrettable that other leaders are naval gazing at this time. The southern government is planning to publish a report outlining a strategy for the easing of restrictions. When probed about Northern Irelands own lockdown exit strategy the First Minister did not indicate if that would happen in the North or indeed provide any timeframe. Michelle ONeill added that talk of relaxation feeds into public discourse before reinforcing the governments key message for people to stay at home. The Union Ministry of Finance on Sunday (April 26) rejected a report titled 'FORCE (Fiscal Options & Response to the COVID-19 Epidemic') by 50 Internal Revenue Service (IRS) officers that suggested raising tax rate to 40% for those with income above Rs 1 crore, from 30% at present, and levy of wealth tax for those with over Rs 5 crore annual income. The report also proposed charging an additional 4 per cent 'Covid Relief Cess' to meet the government's revenue shortfall and contain the coronavirus outbreak. The Centre junked the report and termed it "irresponsible". An explanation has been sought by the Department of Revenue in the Finance Ministry for what the government has termed as "misconduct" by these 50 IRS officers who had prepared the report. The Centre has also directed the Chairman of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) to seek an explanation from these 50 IRS officers for writing such "ill-conceived views" in public without having any authority to do so. The CBDT has slammed the sugestions and launched an inquiry against the officers claiming that "suggestions on official matters is a violation of extant Conduct Rules." "An ill-conceived report named 'FORCE' put up by a group of officers through IRS Association giving suggestions on increasing the taxes, etc., in the difficult time of Covid-19 pandemic. The release of proposals in the media through the IRS Association's twitter and the website is "an irresponsible act" of few officers. Neither the IRS Association nor any group of officers mentioned in the said report was ever asked by the Government to give any report on the subject," said the Union Finance Ministry. (1/3)There is some report circulating on social media regarding suggestions by a few IRS officers on tackling Covid-19 situation. It is unequivocally stated that CBDT never asked IRS Association or these officers to prepare such a report.@nsitharamanoffc @Anurag_Office Income Tax India (@IncomeTaxIndia) April 26, 2020 The Centre also distanced itself from the recommendations by the IRS officers and added, "It is not even part of their duty to prepare such a report. It is prima-facie an act of indiscipline and violation of conduct rules which specifically prohibits officers to go to media with their personal views on official matters without taking prior sanction or the permission of the government." The Centre swung into action after the the report went viral minutes after it was posted using the Twitter handle of the IRS Association. The controverisal report comes at a time when the Centre is making all efforts to earn the trust of industrialists and corporates, following a long spell of economic downfall followed by the loss of revenue caused due to coronavirus outbreak. Meanwhile, the IRS Association had also disowned the report. "The paper FORCE by 50 young IRS officers suggesting policy measures had been forwarded by IRSA to CBDT for consideration. It does not purport to represent the official views of the entire IRS, or the IT Dept," tweeted the IRS Association. WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump pushed back Sunday evening on reports the White House is considering whether to replace Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar as "Fake News." The Washington Post, along with other news outlets, reported early Sunday that White House officials are discussing possible replacements for Azar as frustrations have grown over his handling of the coronavirus crisis earlier this year, and the uproar that followed his removal of a top vaccine official in his agency last week. Five aides familiar with the talks who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the situation told The Post that the president had not yet weighed in. Trump did that publicly Sunday evening. "Reports that H.H.S. Secretary @AlexAzar is going to be "fired" by me are Fake News," he tweeted at 5:53 p.m. "The Lamestream Media knows this, but they are desperate to create the perception of chaos & havoc in the minds of the public." During the past several weeks, Azar has rarely appeared at the daily White House coronavirus news briefings and has been largely sidelined from the response. He oversaw that effort until Feb. 26, when he was replaced by Vice President Mike Pence amid anger over the continued lack of coronavirus testing and conflicting messages from health officials about the threat of the virus, which has claimed more than 54,000 Americans' lives. His agency remains responsible for crucial aspects of the pandemic response, such as leading the search for treatments and vaccines and distributing $100 billion worth of relief to hospitals that was allocated by Congress. One senior administration official with knowledge of the discussions said Trump has no deep affection for Azar but is unlikely to change secretaries as the coronavirus continues to rage. There is also concern about having a nomination fight in an election year on an issue - health care - that many Trump advisers see as a political weakness. Representatives for the White House and the HHS had denied that Azar's job was in jeopardy. "The Department of Health and Human Services, under the leadership of Secretary Azar, continues to lead on a number of the President's priorities. Any speculation about personnel is irresponsible and a distraction from our whole-of-government response to covid-19," the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, White House spokesman Judd Deere said in a statement. "Secretary Azar is busy responding to a global, public health crisis and doesn't have time for palace intrigue," HHS spokeswoman Caitlin Oakley said in a statement. The Wall Street Journal and Politico first reported discussions about Azar's possible removal Saturday. Azar has long had a tenuous relationship with many White House officials, including battles over the administration's efforts to curb drug prices and his aggressive proposals to address the vaping crisis, which spurred backlash from the president's base. Azar's conflict with his Medicare chief, Seema Verma, grew so acrimonious late last year that Trump and Pence intervened. But presidential and White House frustrations with Azar has been exacerbated by the pandemic and turmoil at the health agency. Trump and White House aides were frustrated at recent reports that Azar's efforts to warn the president about the coronavirus in January went unheeded. On April 12, Trump tweeted, "I was criticized for moving too fast when I issued the China ban, long before most others wanted to do so. @SecAzar told me nothing until later." This month, the White House installed Michael Caputo, a staunch Trump ally, to run communications at the agency. Azar removed Rick Bright as director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority last week and reassigned him to a narrower role at the National Institutes of Health. Trump grew especially angry on Wednesday after Bright issued a statement through his attorneys that he had been pushed out of his job in retaliation for resisting efforts to "provide an unproven drug on demand to the American public," referencing the anti-malarial medications that Trump has repeatedly pushed. Three senior administration officials said discussions about Bright's removal had been underway for months at the HHS because of internal conflicts and his job performance. The Bright saga caught Trump and White House officials off guard, three senior administration officials said, because Azar told them he was promoting Bright. Aides were angry at being blindsided by the fallout. "Dr. Rick Bright will transfer the skills he has applied as Director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority to the National Institutes of Health, as part of a bold plan to accelerate the development and deployment of novel point-of-care testing platforms," the HHS said about Bright's transfer last week. The HHS department Bright's stated reasons for leaving, noting he requested the authorization from the Food and Drug Administration that had enabled officials to add the medications to the national stockpile of emergency medical equipment and medications. On Thursday, Bright's attorneys said he planned to file a whistleblower complaint to the HHS inspector general. Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., chairwoman of the House Energy and Commerce's health subcommittee, said last week that she planned to hold hearings on Bright's departure and call on Azar, as well as Robert Kadlec, Bright's boss and assistant secretary for preparedness and response at the department. Shortly after Trump's tweet Sunday, Azar responded with one of his own: "The media continues to smear @POTUS and his Administration's fight against #COVID19 and grossly overlook the historic whole-of-government response that we've been delivering under the President's leadership," he said. YEREVAN, APRIL 27, ARMENPRESS. Chaired by Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan, another consultation was held in the Office of Government to discuss the Governments anti-crisis policy aimed at curbing the coronavirus-driven pandemics adverse consequences. As ARMENPRESS was informed from the Office of the Prme Minister of Armenia, the meeting first summed up the results of the ongoing activities. Information was provided on the 11th and 12th programs. Work is underway to develop new targeted social assistance measures. Proposals were submitted on amending some activities in a bid to broaden the range of beneficiaries. The Prime Minister told those responsible to finalize and submit them to the government for approval. Food security and sustainable agriculture development-related issues were next discussed, including the need for organizing high-quality wheat seed supplies for the fall sowing campaign and the goals and tools of possible assistance in this field. A number of proposals and recommendations were voiced during the exchange of views that followed. Prime Minister Pashinyan noted that the state is interested in implementing such a program and developing such mechanisms as might change the grain processing culture in Armenia in addition to ensuring market self-sufficiency. The Premier suggested exchanging know-how with Artsakh and instructed to continue the development of the program. The idea of implementing environmental programs with a social bias was discussed during the meeting, which implies providing assistance to needy households through tree planting initiatives. Issues related to the implementation circuit, multiplier effect and monitoring mechanisms were discussed in this context. The idea was approved, as a whole. Stressing the importance of implementing such a program that implies an environmental and a social component, the Prime Minister noted that accountability of the program should be ensured through relevant monitoring tools. Nikol Pashinyan instructed to finalize the proposal based on the results of the discussion and submit it for approval. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Gemma Holliani Cahya (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, April 27, 2020 09:09 625 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd464b06 1 National COVID-19,coronavirus,Papua,health-care,#COVID19,#Papua,#healthcare,#health,#hospital Free I know this might sound harsh for some people but this is the fact; if you do not want to die, do not come to Papua, Silwanus Sumule, a doctor who works in Jayapura, said in a recent phone interview with The Jakarta Post. Silwanus is also the spokesperson for the Papua COVID-19 response team. When the first COVID-19 cases were detected in Indonesia, he knew right away that Papua was not ready to handle the highly infectious disease. There are only seven pulmonologists and 73 ventilators in around 45 hospitals in the province, according to an official count. Papua also has a very limited supply of hazmat suits and only around 10,000 rapid test kits, at least 60,000 short of what is needed, according to Silwanus. We are not ready but we have to be ready with whatever resources we have because the enemy is already here. [] Even in normal circumstances, we have very limited medical infrastructure and a shortage of workers," he said. Papua restricted entry into the nation's easternmost region, closing down airports and seaports in an effort to stem the spread of COVID-19 shortly after the province recorded its first two confirmed cases on March 22. However, the number of cases has continued to increase with the local government struggling to contain the disease partly because of the difficulties tracing new cases with the limited supply of test kits and personal protection equipment (PPE). As of Sunday, Papua had recorded 141 confirmed cases and six deaths, according to the Health Ministry. All were imported cases brought by people who traveled back from Java and Sulawesi. "So, please dont come here, do not give us more new imported cases. Let us deal with what we have right now, Silwanus said. Read also: Papua restricts entry as concerns mount over lack of facilities to treat COVID-19 In stark contrast, the neighboring province of West Papua has recorded just 16 cases and one death. However, Silwanus said the lower number of recorded infections in West Papua could also be a reflection of a lack of tracing and testing. West Papua, according to Silwanus, did not even have a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test machine, leaving it heavily dependent on Jakarta to process both rapid and PCR tests. Papua, on the other hand, has one machine in Jayapura. Another issue is that all major hospitals in Papua are located in big cities. With its challenging geographical terrain and lack of healthcare facilities, there are serious concerns over how people in the highlands can mitigate the outbreak once the virus reaches them. Some cases have been found in several of Papua's remote regions, including one confirmed case in Central Mamberamo regency in the Pegunungan Tengah mountain range and one in Wamena, a city in the Baliem Valley. That means the virus has advanced to several areas in the highlands, but we will not give up that easy. We will try to focus on tracing contacts of these cases. We have recorded 130 contacts of the case in Mamberamo, Silwanus said. If the virus infected more people in the remote highlands, it would be a serious problem for us. Around four weeks ago, Freddy Edowai, 32, a civil servant working in Deiyai regency, also located in the Pegunungan Tengah region, traveled some 130 kilometers to Nabire to visit his wife and child. He could not return to Deiyai because the Nabire administration had enforced a lockdown and closed the roads connecting the regencies. Deiyai and other remote regencies in Papua, such as Paniai, Intan Jaya and Dogiyai, have also carried out similar measures. I think closing the roads is our best option to prevent the virus from spreading to rural areas, Freddy said. People can help authorities by staying at home. Having grown up in Deiyai, he said the regency had long struggled with access to clean water and basic health care. Read also: Jokowi moves Papua's 2020 National Games to next year In Nabire, meanwhile, three confirmed cases have been recorded and authorities are conducting rapid tests on dozens of people under surveillance (ODP). We are really working with limited resources. The hazmat suits we have are only enough for the next couple of days, Frans Sayori, the spokesperson for the Nabire COVID-19 response team, said recently. Nabire Regional General Hospital is now a referral hospital for COVID-19 that covers at least four other regencies in remote mountain areas. A number of medical workers have decided to spend their own money to purchase boots, goggles and even raincoats to protect themselves. My fellow medical workers asked me to conduct tests on them because they are at higher risk as they are in close contact with confirmed patients and ODPs, but we do not have enough rapid test kits. I have to use them for the ODPs first, Frans said. The restrictions on entry into the province have hindered aid distribution in Nabire. Some individuals and organizations have told us that they wanted to send help to us, like hazmat suits, but it was hard to reach us," Frans said. It is understandable to lock down the area. But I hope there will be solutions for aid distribution. Please help us so it can arrive in Nabire." Meanwhile, the number of confirmed cases in Mimika regency has gradually surpassed the number recorded in Jayapura city and Jayapura regency, two areas that were hit the hardest at the beginning of the outbreak. As of Sunday, 41 cases and three deaths had been recorded in Mimika, followed by Jayapura city with 39 cases and three deaths and Jayapura regency with 29 cases and one death, according to the Papua COVID-19 response team. The provincial death toll, however, differed from the Health Ministrys count. John Giyai, 41, a resident of Mimika's capital Timika, has stayed at home for a month and not seen his family in Asmat, Papua. He has tried his best to maintain personal hygiene and avoid contracting the disease while in self-isolation. If I get infected, I think my chances of surviving are very thin because our health facilities are not ready for this, John said. Authorities said we have to clean up with clean water, but I know there are many people [in Timika] who do not have access to clean water," he said. "They told us to wear masks, but masks disappeared in early March in Timika." A lack of information from the local government has left people unaware of the threat posed by COVID-19, with John saying he had noticed that some of his neighbors were continuing to hang out in groups. Read also: 'Political prisoners' turn to UN amid COVID-19 threat While every region in Indonesia has said it was not ready for the pandemic, Papua is among the most vulnerable provinces. At 32.8 percent, it has one of the highest rates of stunting in the country, according to the 2018 Basic Health Research (Riskesdas), an indication of micronutrient deficiencies and insufficient hygiene. Statistics Indonesia data from 2019 also showed that Papua had the highest poverty rate in Indonesia at 27.53 percent. The COVID-19 disease emerged in Papua not long after a deadly outbreak of communal violence occurred late last year, which observers said could worsen the handling of the outbreak. A recent report by the Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict (IPAC) found there was still tension and that many native Papuans portrayed the virus as being brought in by non-native migrants and the military, adding to the hostilities and suspicions. IPAC recommended that the government support the provincial government in its [COVID-19] lockdown efforts, while ensuring unimpeded delivery of humanitarian supplies. In encouraging news amid the coronavirus health crisis, sixteen Indian districts which earlier had Covid-19 positive cases have not reported any fresh cases of the highly infectious disease for the last 28 days. The three new districts which are latest additions to this list are Gondia in Maharashtra, Devangere in Karnataka and Lakhi Sarai in Bihar, data from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare indicated on Monday. A total of 85 districts in 25 states and Union Territories have not reported any Covid-19 fresh case in the last 14 days. The stigma related to Covid-19 patients should be addressed through an intensive campaign. We have to understand that there is no risk of transmission from recovered patients. They, in fact, can be a potential source of healing for antibodies using plasma therapy, Lav Aggarwal, Joint Secretary, Health Ministry told the media in the daily news briefing. ALSO READ | At meet with chief ministers, PM Modis 5 clear messages on Covid-19 battle The health ministry official reiterated that no community or area should be blamed for the spread of the coronavirus disease and healthcare and sanitation workers should not be attacked as they are helping in bringing the coronavirus crisis under control. On the testing capacity in the country, the health ministry official said, At the level of ICMR, we have sufficient amount of kits as far as RT PCR test is concerned. Not only are sufficient amount of kits available but we have also parallelly ensured geographical adequacy so that kits can reach states which need them. Since Sunday morning, there has been an increase of 1,396 positive cases in 24 hours, taking the total number of Covid-19 cases to 27,892 in India. 6,184 patients have been cured or discharged while 872 people have died from the deadly contagion in the country. The official said that a total of 381 people have recovered in the past day and the recovery rate of the country now stands at 22.17 per cent. At the briefing, Empowered Group-5 chairperson Parameswaran Iyer said cooked meals are being served to 1.5 crore people daily by the government, NGOs and industry as per data available on April 25. He also praised the Indian Railways and said it had done a tremendous job in distributing essential supplies and in keeping the supply chain intact. If you look at the movement of rakes, you will see it has gone up from 67% on March 30 to 76% on April 25, Iyer said. Earlier on Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted with various chief Ministers via video-link on whether and how to exit the nationwide lockdown. Kerala was the only state not represented by its Chief Minister in the video-conference. Pinarayi Vijayan did not attend the meeting because he was not among chief ministers listed to speak at the meeting, his office said. From the Malaysian women ministry's comment on how 'women should stop nagging husbands' to Pakistani PM's assistant making sly remarks about clothing - saying the virus can enter 'neeche se', another Pakistani cleric, Maulana Tariq Jamil, went on to claim on live television that the novel coronavirus has been brought to humanity as a repercussion to the wrongdoing of women-- there's been a flood of non-sensical and utterly unnecessary advisories by authorities, across the world. Well, politicians seem to keep jumping on the 'trashy advice bandwagon'. More recently it was the mayor of the western Japanese city, Osaka, who passed a rather sexist remark during a press briefing on COVID-19 response. As reported by the CNN, Osaka mayor, Ichiro Matsui, implied male grocery shoppers would reduce the potential spread of the virus as they would spend less time in stores. Reuters Japans government has declared a nationwide state of emergency at least till May 6 in a bid to stop the spread of the coronavirus. In Osaka, Mayor Ichiro Matsui has been appealing to people to take steps to reduce the risk of virus infections, but his remarks over gender shopping behaviour stirred controversy. "Women take a longer time grocery shopping because they browse through different products and weigh out which option is best," Matsui told reporters at a coronavirus press conference in Osaka, reports Reuters. "Men quickly grab what they're told to buy so they won't linger at the supermarket - that avoids close contact with others," added Matsui. Reuters Matsui, who also said married couples should avoid going shopping together, drew criticism on Japanese Twitter over his remarks, with users saying they were sexist. Japan is a country where these words come calmly out of a mayors mouth. Deplorable, said one user on Friday. Another user said the remark showed politicians dont think enough about what parenting, household work and nursing involve. When I hear remarks like this I feel the need for people with diverse backgrounds to participate in politics, the user said. The comments made by Mayor Ichiro Matsui regarding that men only doing the grocery shopping is disgraceful and disrespecting of women. He needs to take a course on gender equality training. This comment has made worldwide news and he owes an apology to all women. Kris O (@KrisO13704074) April 25, 2020 Matsui actually got things the wrong way around, another user said, saying women needed less time than men when going out shopping. Women are deciding more quickly when shopping, the user said, adding he took longer to find the right aisles for items he needed. Matsui on Thursday also said people should limit how often the go to the supermarket to shop, suggesting people born in months with an even number should only go on even dates and those with odd numbered months should go on odd dates. A similar sexist statement made by the Malaysian women's ministry kicked up a storm earlier this month. One of the campaign posters depicted a man sitting on a sofa and asked women to refrain from being 'sarcastic' if they needed help with household chores. 'Avoid nagging your husband', another poster said; it recommended the use of humour or imitating the infantile voice of Doraemon - a blue robot cat from Japan that is hugely popular across Asia. Soon after the posters went viral, the women ministry was forced to apologize for the insensitive comment. All Inputs Reuters Kacey Tillery, a senior at Franklin High School, has been admitted to the University of Illinois Springfield for fall semester and awarded a $38,000 Capital Scholars Honors Program Deans Scholarship for tuition over four years. She plans to major in accountancy. To receive a Capital Scholars Honors Program Deans Scholarship, the student must earn a 27 to 29 on their ACT or a minimum of 1280 SAT and hold a minimum high school grade point average of 4.0 or above. The scholarship can be renewed for a total of four years if the student maintains college requirements. The Lamp student newspaper at Lincoln Land Community College has won 16 awards, including five first-place awards, during the Illinois Community College Journalism Associations annual student awards presentation. Olivia Hoots of Manchester won second place for feature writing and third place for news story. Several west-central Illinois students will graduate from Western Illinois University in Macomb. About 10% of graduating seniors achieve academic distinction, which is designated as summa cum laude with a 3.9 or higher grade point average, magna cum laude with a grade point average of 3.75-3.89, and cum laude with a grade point average of 3.60-3.74. Beardstown: Parker Carls, honors scholar summa cum laude; Carlinville: Ronald Hannig, honors scholar cum laude; Chapin: Marrion Ore cum laude, Rebecca Stambaugh summa cum laude; Pittsfield: Reese Ramsey cum laude; New Berlin: Nicholas Gorsich cum laude, Kyle Sandhaas summa cum laude. Colton Wadlow of Jerseyville, a junior majoring in math-finance/actuary, has been named to the McKendree University chapter of Sigma Beta Delta international society. Sigma Beta Delta honors students for scholastic excellence in accounting, business administration, economics and finance, management and marketing. Compiled by Laurie Bosworth VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / April 27, 2020 / Mota Ventures Corp. (MOTA.CN)(1WZ1.F)(PEMTF) (the "Company") is pleased to announce that it will be replicating its highly successful business plan and operations in the United States for expansion into the European market with its Sativida brand, acquired on March 26, 2020. Sativida is already one of the top search-ranked online retailers of CBD products in Spain and Mexico, with distribution channels in Spain, Portugal, Austria, Germany, France and the United Kingdom. SUCCESSFUL USA BUSINESS MODEL EXPECTED TO SIGNIFICANTLY BOOST EUROPEAN OPERATIONS Year-to-Date in 2020, Mota Ventures has announced the following significant milestones from its U.S. operations: Interim Record Of 14,388 New Customers For April 1 - 23. Record Of 20,959 New Customers For The Month Of March Revenue Of $4,290,000 In March Revenue Of $2,981,000 In February, Representing Growth Of 832% over same period last year With the Company's e-commerce capabilities and success in the U.S. market, combined with the current search engine strength and distribution channels of the Sativida brand, management is very confident in its prospects for rapid customer acquisition throughout Europe. This confidence is further supported by the Company's successful launch of its immune support product line, as well as, the May 1 launch of its CBD based hand sanitizer, both of which will be included in the European expansion. Much of the Company's success in the U.S. market has been attributed to its' strong supply chain, which has continued to operate uninterrupted despite global turmoil in 2020. The Company has been actively sourcing multiple CBD suppliers in Europe to ensure a supply chain that is as strong and consistent as the North America operations. The Company will be announcing further details of the European expansion in the coming weeks as they become available. "We are excited to announce this European expansion plan. As the world economy begins to awaken, now is the opportune to utilize what we have accomplished in the United States and implement the same strategies in Europe. There are several key market opportunities we have identified in Europe and now is the time to capitalize. I look forward to announcing an official launch date in the coming weeks" stated Ryan Hoggan, CEO of the Company. Story continues About Mota Ventures Corp. Mota is an established eCommerce, direct to consumer provider of a wide range of CBD products in the United States and Europe. In the United States, the company sells a CBD hemp-oil formulation derived from hemp grown and formulated in the U.S. through its Nature's Exclusive brands. Within Europe, its Sativida brand of award winning 100% organic CBD oils and cosmetics are sold throughout Spain, Portugal, Austria, Germany, France, and the United Kingdom. Mota Ventures is also seeking to acquire additional revenue producing CBD brands and operations in both Europe and North America, with the goal of establishing an international distribution network for CBD products. Low cost production, coupled with international, direct to customer, sales channels will provide the foundation for the success of Mota Ventures. About Sativida Sativida is a producer and online retailer of CBD and branded CBD products in various jurisdictions in Europe, including Spain and the United Kingdom. Sativida currently develops and retails a vast range of organic CBD oils and cosmetics across Europe and is currently expanding its distribution network internationally. This News Release is available on the company's CEO Verified Discussion Forum, a moderated social media platform that enables civilized discussion and Q&A between Management and Shareholders. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS MOTA VENTURES CORP. Ryan Hoggan Chief Executive Officer For further information, readers are encouraged to contact Joel Shacker, President at +604.423.4733 or by email at IR@motaventuresco.com or www.motaventuresco.com Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release, which has been prepared by management. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statement All statements in this press release, other than statements of historical fact, are "forward-looking information" with respect to the Company within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including with respect to the expansion of the immune product line in Europe, its plans to become a vertically integrated global CBD brand, its plans to cultivate and extract cannabis to produce CBD and high-quality value added CBD products in Latin America for distribution domestically and internationally and its plans to acquire revenue-producing CBD brands and operations in Europe and North America. The Company provides forward-looking statements for the purpose of conveying information about current expectations and plans relating to the future and readers are cautioned that such statements may not be appropriate for other purposes. By its nature, this information is subject to inherent risks and uncertainties that may be general or specific and which give rise to the possibility that expectations, forecasts, predictions, projections or conclusions will not prove to be accurate, that assumptions may not be correct and that objectives, strategic goals and priorities will not be achieved. These risks and uncertainties include but are not limited those identified and reported in the Company's public filings under the Company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise unless required by law. SOURCE: Mota Ventures Corp. View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/587193/Mota-Ventures-to-Replicate-Successful-US-Businsess-Model-for-European-Expansion-of-CBD-Products-Immune-Product-Line-and-CBD-Hand-Sanitizer Amidst the nationwide COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, the state government has allowed limited commercial activities across the state. In this regard, deputy commissioners of the eleven districts have issued an order permitting limited activities, however, emphasised that specified in the lock down measures, National COVID-19 Directives and Standard Operation Procedure, Protocol for social distancing must be ensured. The government and its agencies and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have also been issuing directives, appeals and taking preventive measures to contain the spread of the deadly virus. Several initiatives have been taken up to create awareness on COVID-19 pandemic. MOKOKCHUNG District Sub-division sensitization on COVID-19 commences: Sub-division sensitization on COVID-19 pandemic commenced Monday at Town Hall Mokokchung and attended by 18 villages and three units from Ongpangkong Range. According to DIPR report, the area-wise (sub-division) sensitization is scheduled till May 3, 2020. Monday sensitization programme was attended by three members representing the village council from every village/unit, pastor from all village/unit and two teachers from every village/unit. Sensitization team on COVID-19 were chief A.H & veterinary officer, Mokokchung, Dr B .M. Sunep, ZLO, Dr Yanger and EAC Ongpangkong (South), Sangpangchang Longkumer. Ozukum, Imnatiba meet DTF; discuss COVID-19 preparedness: Legislators from Mokokchung district, minister for housing and mechanical, Tongpang Ozukum and advisor for industries & commerce, labour & employment, skill development & entrepreneurship, Imnatiba, Monday held a meeting with District Task Force (DTF) COVID-19 headed by the Deputy Commissioner (DC) Mokokchung, Limawabang Jamir. According to DIPR report, the meeting reviewed and discussed on the preparedness of task force in the district in the eventuality of possible outbreak of COVID- 19 in the district. The meeting discussed preparedness activities like COVID Hospital status, quarantine facilities and disposal of dead bodies return of stranded students/people to the district. Wokha District Limited commercial activities allowed: Deputy Commissioner, Wokha, Orenthung Lotha has issued an order permitting several commercial activities in the district. However, the DC has emphasised that specified in the lock down measures, National COVID-19 Directives and Standard Operation Procedure, Protocol for social distancing must be ensured. The following activities are permitted with immediate effect: 1. Shops for trucks repairs along the highways with stipulated minimum distancing. 2. All shops, including shops in residential complexes and market complexes, outside the limits of municipalities and town councils, with 50% strength of workers compulsorily wearing mask and social distancing being mandatory. 3. All shops, including neighbourhood shops and standalone shops, shops in residential complexes within the limits of municipalities and town councils, with 50% strength of workers compulsorily wearing of masks and social distancing being mandatory, except shops in market complexes. 4. Salons, dine-in restaurants, eateries and departmental stores shall continue to remain closed. However, home deliveries from dine-in restaurants, food outlets and delivery of online orders of essential commodities shall be permitted. 5. The proprietors of the shops and establishments which are allowed to open will make arrangements for keeping hand sanitizers or provide facilities for hand washing with soap and water for the public as well as for their own staff/workers. The proprietors of the shops and establishment should also get the door handles. Surfaces and other objects which are frequently touched by people regularly cleaned and disinfected. Minister, Tongpang Ozukum called for cooperation from all section of the society to tackle the pandemic. He also assured to address the grievances, if any. The meeting was also attended by representative from Ao Senden, ABAM, and NGOs. COVID-19 Helpline: In any unfortunate event relating to COVID-19, general public of Mokokchung district have been informed that a dedicated Helpline number has been set up at the Control Room Mokokchung. According to DIPR report, public has been asked to contact dedicated Helpline Number at the Control Room for COVID-19, district headquarters: (0369) 2226231 (landline) & 8131836575 (Whatsapp). Photo: All rights reserved. Boris Johnson U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson called the coronavirus Britain's "biggest challenge since the war" as he returned to work on Monday after successfully battling COVID-19 himself. In a statement to press outside his 10 Downing Street home, Johnson apologized for being "away from my desk" longer than he would have liked, and thanked "everyone who has stepped up," including Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, who had been deputized in his absence. "Every day I know that this virus brings new sadness," he said. "It is still true that this is the biggest single challenge this country has faced since the war. It is also true we are making progress." Insisting that the U.K. is showing signs of having passed "through the peak" of the pandemic, Johnson added that it's vitally important not to lift lockdown restrictions too soon - as that could lead to a disastrous second spike of the virus and also cause lasting damage to the British economy. Instead, the government will only lift the lockdown once it is certain there will be no second peak. But he has confidence Britain can conquer phase two of the disease, as it has conquered phase one. Johnson's statement came after he returned to work for the first time since he was hospitalized on April 5. The day after his admission, he was moved to intensive care when his condition worsened, but on April 9 he was moved out of the ICU and back onto a ward. He was discharged from hospital on April 12, and relocated to his country retreat of Chequers in Buckinghamshire, England to rest. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) speaks to the media after attending a briefing with administration officials about the situation with Iran, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Jan. 8, 2020. (Mark Wilson/Getty Images) Tom Cotton: US Should Deny Visas to Chinese Science and Tech Students Senator Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) suggested on Sunday that the U.S. government should deny visas to Chinese students who want to earn their science degrees from American colleges and universities. Its a scandal to me that we have trained so many of the Chinese Communist Partys brightest minds to go back to China, to compete for our jobs, to take our business, and ultimately to steal our property and design weapons and other devices that can be used against the American people, Cotton said in an interview with Fox News Maria Bartiromo on Sunday Morning Futures. I think we need to take a very hard look at the visas that we give to Chinese nationals to come to the United States to study, especially at the postgraduate level in advanced scientific and technological fields. Cotton added that student visas for Chinese nationals should be limited to those who seeking to study courses in the Humanities. If Chinese students want to come here and study Shakespeare and the Federalist Papers, thats what they need to learn from America, he said. They dont need to learn quantum computing and artificial intelligence from America. As the number of students from China studying in the United States has steadily grown, American colleges and universities have developed a reliance on Chinese student enrollments to balance their budgets, fueled by an increase in international undergraduates who are willing to pay full tuition. However, there are ongoing concerns about certain Chinese students and academics acting as non-traditional collectors of information to advance Beijings interests at the expense of America. Under Chinas National Intelligence Law, which came into effect in July 2017, individuals and businesses are obliged to cooperate with the communist regimes domestic and oversea intelligence work. The law grants intelligence agencies authority to demand organizations or citizens provide needed support, assistance, and cooperation. When you think of the issue of scholars and students, Chinese scholars and students, its an issue of numbers, said former intelligence officer Nicholas Eftimiades at a State Department briefing in November 2019. In the United States there are 363,000 Chinese scholars and students. If only 1 percent are badits 3,600 active cases of intellectual property theft, theft of research, economic espionage. Earlier this January, A federal judge charged a Chinese national with attempting to smuggle biological material for cancer research from a Harvard University medical lab at the behest of the Chinese regime. Zaosong Zheng, who held a Harvard-sponsored visa to study in the United States, has been detained since he was caught at Boston Logan International Airport with 21 stolen vials of specimens. Digital Journal, April 23, 2020 By Ken Hanly Nearly 75 percent of US veterans and almost 70 percent of their family members support a full withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan, a new poll released Wednesday by a conservative activist group shows. The US has about 13,600 troops in Afghanistan. It has already started withdrawing some under an agreement with the Taliban. Within 135 days they are to withdraw down to 8,600. However, the agreement signed the end of February involved a prisoner swap that the Afghan government has so far refused to honor as it was not a party to the agreement. The poll was by Concerned Veterans for America The group has close ties to the conservative Koch network ad the also the Trump administration. The results show an increase in those who want withdraw from the results of an identical survey last year. The group has been leading public efforts to convince lawmakers and the Trump administration to severely cut back military operations. Nate Anderson executive director of the group said: I think this shows the fatigue of almost two decades of war. And I think there is increased awareness among the American public about how long we have been fighting. The poll The survey was across the nation and was conducted April 7 to 10. Those polled were about 700 military veterans and about 800 of veterans' family members. All were chosen at random. About 57 percent of the veterans polled thought that the US should be less involved in military conflicts overseas. This is an increase of about 9 percent from last year's survey. Just 7 percent thought the US should be more involved. As mentioned for Afghan specifically 73 percent favored a full US withdrawal, with 69 percent of family members having the same opinion. In contrast, the 2019 poll was about 60 percent in favor for each group. Over half of veterans favored full withdrawal very strongly. Withdrawal from Iraq also favored 71 percent of veterans and 69 percent of military family members supported a full withdrawal of US troops from Iraq. The Iraqi parliament earlier this year passed a resolution that all foreign troops should leave Iraq. However, the US has refused to discussed the matter. Trump even threatened Iraq with severe sanctions if Iraq forces US troops to leave. Although US troops are supposedly there to fight the Islamic State or ISIS the group has been mostly defeated and is in survival mode control of any territory. The US wants to remain to counter Iranian influence. About two thirds of veterans polled also wanted to see US foreign aid spending reduced. 17 percent even favored an overall decrease in US spending. However twice as many, 34 percent wanted to see an increase. Group director Anderson said he hoped the poll would dispel some presumptions made about the military community's support for overseas operations and help sway policy makers to move away from more open-ended combat operations. Trump supports peace deal with the Taliban Trump has supported the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan as outlined in the February peace deal. However, the deal has been more or less sabotaged by the refusal of the Afghan government to agree to a prisoner swap as outlined in the agreement. Efforts to negotiate the swap with the Afghan government and Taliban have faltered and the Taliban have renewed attacks against the government. As the US defends the government this has involved conflict with the US as well. The situation is exacerbated by the fact that the president Afram Ghani faces a challenger Abdullah Abdullah who also claims the presidency. Since the conflict began in 2001, 2,300 US military personnel have been killed in Afghanistan. In an interview with Automotive News Canada last Thursday, Unifor President Jerry Dias declared he was cautiously optimistic about re-opening Canadian auto assembly and parts plants in early May in accordance with the current plans of the auto companies. As of now, we havent heard this big outcry saying Dont do it, its too early. We havent heard any of that. If the Unifor president hasnt heard an outcry it is because his ear is turned, as always, to the demands emanating from the corporate boardrooms and not the legitimate concerns of the workers he purports to represent or the recommendations of medical-scientific experts, like the World Health Organization. Fiat-Chrysler (FCA) announced last week that it wants to re-open its Brampton assembly facility on May 4, with the intention, according to a communication with its suppliers, to re-start its other Canadian assembly operation in Windsor on May 18. Although General Motors and Ford have thus far been reticent to announce a firm start-up date, it appears that they also are eyeing a mid-May reopening. Toyota Canada, with two large non-union plants in southwestern Ontario, has floated a May 4 return to work. In response to these plans, an outcry has, indeed, been registered on the many Canadian autoworker social media groups and feeds. Refuse to work, Its still unsafe, Union leaders, management and government all in bed together, They care about their profits, not our lives, Dont gothese are just a few of the hundreds of responses from autoworkers. In fact, the current opposition is a direct continuation of job actions that began with a stop-work job action last month at FCAs Windsor Assembly Plant that quickly spread across the border to Detroit Three facilities in the United States and ultimately forced the auto companies to temporarily suspend their operations. Now fearing that an early return to work will place them once again in imminent danger of COVID-19 infection, workers have called for a renewal of the campaign of work refusals that forced the suspension of parts and assembly operations beginning in March. Jerry Dias does not see it that way. Safely ensconced in his work-at-home office, he opined, The impact that we have had has been significant, but we havent had the types of deaths and realities that theyve had to deal with, especially in Michigan. In comparison, only a handful of cases have occurred in Canada. We dodged a major bullet here, for sure, said Dias. The UAW has had a hell of a lot more confirmed cases of COVID-19 and have had deaths, and we havent had the deaths or anywhere near the numbers. Shortly after Dias interview, Ontario health authorities announced an additional 640 cases of COVID-19 across the province as well as 50 deaths caused by the coronavirus that included individuals under 50 years of age. The stunning numbers represented the most new cases reported over the course of a single day since the pandemic began. On Saturday, Ontario health officials announced another 476 more cases, including 48 additional fatalities. Workers at FCA Brampton told WSWS reporters that attempts by management to corral skilled trades back into the plant todayMonday, April 27have met with resistance. The possibility that the company will not be able to drive enough workers back into the plant appears to have given FCA pause. As this article was being completed Sunday afternoon, some workers reported that they had been told that their services would not be needed until later in May. But the company has made no official statement that it is revising its start-up plans. The World Socialist Web Site also received information from workers at Ford and General Motors. A veteran worker at the Ford Oakville plant stated, Through numerous discussions with coworkers about the restarting of the plant, most people are concerned that a May Restart is too early. Although we have been fortunate enough to not have any coworkers test positive for COVID-19 theres always a concern that it will come in on the metal or plastic parts. For us, he continued, its a subject that comes with mixed emotions. Our labour contract expires in September of this year and the longer the company is not producing automobiles the harder it will be to get a decent agreement. With Ford announcing a large first quarter loss, we believe they are already starting their media launch to set the stage for Were broke and we need you to help us get back on track. Its a tactic that we are too familiar with. I actually think Ford of Canada has discussed Chapter 11 to restructure and absolve them of their commitment to the Pension Fund. They are supposed to bring the fund to 100 percent by June 30th this year. Ford has been trying to shed that responsibility for years now. This pandemic may give them the opportunity to do it. A few senior employees are retiring right now and taking the commuted value to avoid going through what happened with US Steel and the Stelco pensioners. Im sure the corporations are communicating daily with government officials to formulate a return to work plan. The corporations want that to be now; the government up here is looking at a 2 to 4 week delay from today. The majority of workers are hoping for a June 1st return. A long-time worker at GMs St. Catharines operation, now retired, said, I have been telling anyone I can that they have a legal right to refuse what they believe is unsafe work and that if there ever was a time to exercise that right it is now. That said under [Premier] Doug Fords [Ontario] Ministry of Labour, inspectors are not responding to refusals by visiting the worksite. They are addressing issues over the phone or by video conference. There needs to be a rash of refusals to force this to change, accompanied by a demand that they come to the worksite. The workers also need to remind their representatives that they have this right to refuse unsafe work. The [union] reps dont want to deal with such situations. The health and safety reps in St. Catharines are tied at the hip to Management. They would not get into a confrontation if their life depended on it One other thing. The leadership at the union hall will be eager to see a return to work because the local is taking a big hit in terms of lost union dues. To successfully open their Canadian facilities, the automakers must revive their supply chains across North America, which include locations in the United States and Mexico. But workers in both countries have been no more willing than their Canadian brothers and sisters to return to unsafe factories where the risk of infection and potential death is high. In Mexico, workers in maquiladora sweatshops have struck and protested against unsafe working conditions amid reports of several worker deaths from COVID-19. In keeping with its reactionary anti-Mexican, Canadian nationalist position, Unifor is once again silent about the courageous resistance of the Mexican workers. (See: Striking against death: Maquiladora workers walk out across northern Mexico .) Autoworkers in Canada must oppose the demand that they go back to work under conditions of a raging pandemic. They must establish rank-and-file factory committees, independent of and in opposition to the Unifor corporatist apparatus, to create links of solidarity with their class brothers and sisters across North America and enforce the complete shutdown of the auto and parts industries, with full pay for all workers impacted. These committees must ensure that any return to work is overseen by workers and medical experts, who must be on hand in every plant. Workers should also fight for the Detroit Three, which have made record profits on the basis of wage-gouging and mass layoffs since 2008, to be transformed into publicly-owned utilities under workers control. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 27) At least 15 senators are seeking amendments to Senate rules that would allow them to hold virtual hearings and sessions amid the COVID-19 crisis. The senators, including Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto, Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Migz Zubiri and Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon, are pushing to modify Senate rules to allow committees to conduct hearings and meetings through teleconferencing or video conference during emergencies. They also want to amend the rules to allow the Senate President to either postpone the holding of sessions or hold sessions by remote means during such emergencies. Senators Sonny Angara, Nancy Binay , Pia Cayetano, Ronald Bato Dela Rosa, Sherwin Gatchalian, Lito Lapid, Imee Marcos, Manny Pacquiao, Grace Poe, Bong Revilla, Joel Villanueva and Cynthia Villar also signed the resolution. A majority of the members of the House of Representatives had attended their special session to grant President Rodrigo Duterte special powers through the video conferencing app Zoom. Members of House committee currently tackling a proposed P1.3-trillion economic stimulus package have also been conducting hearings via the application. The Supreme Court, likewise, has conducted its first virtual en banc session on April 17. Current Senate rules require at least 12 senators to be physically present on the Senate floor before the legislative body can begin its discussions. This means the upper chamber would have to convene in person when Congress resumes sessions on May 4. CNN Philippines Joyce Ilas contributed to this report. Two popular summer celebrations in the Lake Geneva region are being canceled in 2020 because of the need to avoid spreading the coronavirus among big crowds. The annual Big Foot Lions Club Lobster Boil & Steak Fry in Fontana and the Geneva Lake West Rotary Club Corn and Brat Festival in Walworth are the latest events to be disrupted by the public health crisis. The Big Foot Lions Club stated in a press release the charitable group could encounter financial difficulties without the July 31 lobster boil, the groups biggest fundraiser of the year. The club hopes to meet its spending plan for the upcoming fiscal year, but stated that there is a possibility some services may need to be cut without earnings from the lobster boil. We have given this a lot of thought and feel that its in the best of health and safety of our many patrons and the volunteers that help us put on this great fundraiser that we must cancel this year, the club said. The Geneva Lake West Rotary Club also announced the cancellation of its Aug. 1 Brat Fest, with a social media post stating the rotary board saw too many obstacles to hosting a successful festival. The Geneva Lake West Rotary Club hopes everyone will understand the boardss decision was not an easy one, the post stated. With the event likewise being one of the Rotary Clubs largest fundraising opportunities of the year, the post said alternative fundraisers are being considered for the near future. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The Washington Post is providing this news free to all readers as a public service. Follow this story and more by signing up for national breaking news email alerts. CLEVELAND, Ohio - Warmer weather returns to the area, bringing April showers along with it. The National Weather Service forecast for Tuesday calls for a chance of showers in the morning and afternoon for areas of Northeast Ohio along with highs in the sixties. Shower chances will continue into Wednesday along with overnight lows around 50. Cleveland sunrise - 6:27 a.m. Cleveland sunset - 8:22 p.m. Lake Erie water temp: 44 degrees Extended forecast for Northeast Ohio Rain chances are expected to continue throughout the week with highs in the lower sixties or upper fifties. Ohio regional radar A t least 82 NHS workers and 16 social care staff have died after contracting coronavirus, Health Secretary Matt Hancock has confirmed. It came as Mr Hancock announced a new life assurance scheme to pay 60,000 to the families of those frontline NHS and social care workers who have died in the course of their duties. I feel a deep personal sense of duty that we must care for their loved ones," he said. Of course, nothing replaces the loss of a loved one but we want to do everything we can to support families who are dealing with this grief, he said. The Government was also looking at other frontline professions who did not have access to a life assurance scheme, Mr Hancock said. A total of 21,092 patients have died in hospital after testing positive for coronavirus in the UK as of 5pm on Sunday, up by 360 from 20,732 the day before. Englands chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty said the coronavirus epidemic in the UK still has a very long way to run and there was no perfect solution to easing the lockdown, adding there were difficult choices to be made. 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 Some 29,058 tests had been carried out in England, Scotland and Wales in the 24 hours up to 9am on Saturday, according to the latest figures, suggesting the Government is way off its 100,000 a day target set for this Thursday. Mr Hancock said the Government was broadly where we expected to be in terms of testing capacity but admitted there was a lot of work to do to hit the 100,000 a day goal. An ambulance passes an NHS tribute painted on a window in Glasgow / PA As a result of falling hospitalisations, some key NHS services which had been paused due to coronavirus will be restored from Tuesday, starting with the most urgent cases first. A survey of New Yorkers last week found that 1 in 5 city residents carried antibodies to the new coronavirus and in that, Gov. Andrew Cuomo saw good news. If so many had been infected and survived, he reasoned, the virus may be far less deadly than previously thought. But many scientists took a darker view, seeing instead a vast pool of people who are still very vulnerable to infection. Like the leaders of many states, Cuomo has been hoping that the results of large-scale antibody testing may guide decisions about when and how to reopen the economy and reintegrate society. Few scientists ever imagined that these tests would become an instrument of public policy and many are uncomfortable with the idea. Antibody tests, which show who has been infected, are often inaccurate, recent research suggests, and it is not clear whether a positive result actually signals immunity to the coronavirus. On Friday, the World Health Organization warned against relying on these tests for policy decisions. While countries such as Italy have even floated the idea of immunity passports for people who test positive, WHO officials noted that it is not known to what extent people carrying antibodies are immune to the virus. (The WHO on Saturday backed off an earlier assertion that people with antibodies may not be immune at all.) But widespread testing has started nonetheless, and important decisions are likely to flow from the results. The National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and virtually every university with an epidemiology department has begun antibody surveys in communities across the United States. It seems like all of a sudden, everybody just decided that antibody tests are going to give them some grand answer, said Dr. Michael Osterholm, an infectious diseases expert at the University of Minnesota. The goal of most of these projects is to get a handle on the size and nature of the epidemic here rather than to guide decisions about reopening the economy. But now scientists are racing to fine-tune the tests and learn more about what having antibodies actually means, both for the patient and for the community. Many questions raised by these initiatives have no easy answers: When will we achieve herd immunity? How quickly does the virus spread? How long does immunity last, and how strong is it? This is a very difficult problem, and the solutions are not going to be easy, said Natalie Dean, a biostatistician at the University of Florida. Normal is not on the horizon yet. The results in New York state offer an early glimpse of the promise and pitfalls of widespread antibody testing. Public health officials tested 3,000 residents at grocery stores and big-box retailers throughout the state. In New York City, about 21% of participants were found to carry coronavirus antibodies. The rate was about 17% on Long Island, nearly 12% in Westchester County and Rockland County, and less than 4% in the rest of the state. New Yorks survey was reasonably well designed and the results largely credible, experts said. But unlike Cuomo, few saw happy news in the numbers. I just dont see any way to put a silver lining on any of these results, said Carl Bergstrom, an infectious diseases expert at the University of Washington in Seattle. I think that the efforts to spin it that way are irresponsible. If 1 in 5 residents in hard-hit New York City has been exposed to the virus, he and others said, then 4 in 5 are still vulnerable and that underscores how far we are from the pandemics end. New Yorks results suggested a death rate of between 0.5% and 1%, figures some conservative commentators have argued is too low to justify statewide lockdowns. Public health experts like Bergstrom took the opposite view. If the mortality rate is 1%, were looking at 2 million deaths, which is unprecedented in our nations history and unimaginable, he said. Anyone talking about the death rate as only 1% and so we should not worry about it has an extraordinarily callous view. The New York survey confirms what experts have long believed: that because of the lack of tests, the state has undercounted the true number of infections by about a factor of 10. Reopening society with such a huge vulnerable population and without careful consideration could be disastrous, allowing the virus to sweep through the country, Bergstrom and others said. Another lesson from the survey: New York is far from attaining herd immunity a proportion of the community immune to the virus that is so large that the pathogen cannot maintain a toehold. For that to happen, experts have estimated that 60% to 70% of the population would need to be immune. Even then, the coronavirus would continue to spread, just at a slower rate. Honestly, from an ethical vantage point, herd immunity in the absence of a vaccine is not something we should be aiming to achieve, said Maimuna Majumder, a computational epidemiologist at Harvard Medical School. To get there, thats a lot of sick people and a lot of deaths, she added. While these results should not be used to make public health decisions, they can be useful for estimating the size and nature of the epidemic, said Bill Hanage, an epidemiologist at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Antibody surveys can also identify high-risk groups, Dean of the University of Florida pointed out: I think thats very important for policy understanding who are these groups that we need to focus on and work to protect. The shortcomings of antibody testing were on vivid display in two other recent surveys, one in Californias Santa Clara County and the other in Los Angeles County. Both drew sharp criticism from scientists, who said the tests had a rate of false positives too high to be used in places the virus has left largely untouched and therefore may have few true positives. Scientists have also repeatedly cautioned that the presence of antibodies does not signify protection from the virus. Some preliminary evidence suggests, for example, that people who are asymptomatic might not produce enough antibodies to prevent a second infection. To be sure about what quantity of antibodies are needed in the blood, researchers need further tests, both to measure the exact amount which the majority of rapid tests available do not provide as well as more detailed analyses of the antibodies strength. The answers will take weeks to months. Were kind of heavily leaning on these tests when theyre not perfect, said Dr. Saskia Popescu, an epidemiologist at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. And we still have a lot of people susceptible, so its a dangerous thing to heavily rely on them right now. Osterholm said an antibody survey, because it provides historical data on who was infected, is like a smoke alarm that gives out a report once a month. It doesnt work very well if you have a fire right now, he said. Diagnostic tests for the virus offer a better snapshot of the current picture, Osterholm said, and states should focus on acquiring accurate diagnostic tests that can provide timely data on the rise or fall in the number of infections. That should be the data we use to judge opening or not opening the economy, Osterholm said. Apoorva Mandavilli@c.2020 The New York Times Company Earlier, the Cabinet appointed acting chiefs of the two agencies. The European Union and the United States have called on the Ukrainian authorities not to risk long-term reforms, supported by international partners, in the wake of the recent dismissal of customs and tax chiefs. "The EU & US are closely watching @Kabmin_UA_e appointments of high-level officials in the Tax and Customs Service. It is important to follow fair, merit-based competitive procedures and not risk long-term reforms, supported by international partners," the EU Delegation to Ukraine tweeted on Monday, April 27. The EU & US are closely watching @Kabmin_UA_e appointments of high-level officials in the Tax and Customs Service. It is important to follow fair, merit-based competitive procedures and not risk long-term reforms, supported by international partners. EU in Ukraine (@EUDelegationUA) April 27, 2020 As UNIAN reported, the Cabinet at an extraordinary meeting April 24 dismissed head of the State Customs Service Maksym Nefyodov and the head of the State Tax Service Serhiy Verlanov. In addition, Nefyodovs deputies Robert Zeldi, Serhiy Petukhov, and Denys Shendryk were laid off, as well as Verlanov's deputy Dmytro Ventskovsky. Head of one of the customs service departments Ihor Muratov has been appointed acting chief of the agency, while deputy chairman of the State Tax Service Mykhailo Titarchuk will be acting head of the service. Read alsoFinance minister announces "reboot" of tax, customs services, notes loss of confidence in sacked leaders The work of the two agencies had been criticized recently due to the failure to meet the revenue targets of the state budget. On Friday, the Verkhovna Rada set up a Provisional Investigation Commission to probe possible corruption among government officials, which led to significant losses in budget revenues. The state government has responded to Western Australias leading teachers union encouraging parents to keep their children home from school this week by taking out its own full-page advertisement in the Sunday newspaper. The State School Teachers Union of WA took out an ad entitled important message in Fridays paper asking parents to support teachers by keeping your kids home if you can so schools could be made as safe as possible. The state government response to SSTUWA campaign with 'safe to return to school' advert. Credit:SMH Public schools will return from holidays on Wednesday with parents given the choice whether to send their children or not. Remote learning packages will be provided to students who remain at home. The SSTUWA ad was criticised on Friday by Education Minister Sue Ellery who said she was disappointed with it and that it was misleading with incorrect information. In what is believed to be a first-of-its-kind study to evaluate the safety of a type of immunotherapy before surgery in patients with an aggressive form of skin cancer, researchers report that the treatment eliminated pathologic evidence of cancer in nearly half of the study participants undergoing surgery. In patients whose tumors respond, this treatment approach offers the potential to reduce the extent of surgery and may also slow or eliminate tumor relapses that often occur after surgery. A report on the Merkel cell cancer trial, directed by investigators at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy and the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center in collaboration with the University of Washington Seattle Cancer Care Alliance and 10 other medical centers across the U.S. and Europe, will be published April 23 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. An additional review article by Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute experts, published Jan. 31 in the journal Science, also points to the potential strategic value of giving immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy earlier in the course of cancer treatment. Merkel cell carcinoma is classified as an "orphan disease" by the National Cancer Institute, diagnosed in approximately 2,000 people annually in the U.S. It typically appears as a red, blue or flesh-colored lump on the skin in older people and those who have suppressed immune systems. About 80% of Merkel cell carcinomas are caused by a virus called the Merkel cell polyomavirus. The remaining cases are linked to sun or other ultraviolet light exposure and unknown factors. Merkel cell carcinoma can spread to the lymphatic system and other organs. Surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy have been the mainstays of treatment. However, for Merkel cell carcinomas advancing beyond the point of surgery, there were previously no treatment options that could prolong survival. Recently, drugs blocking the immune checkpoints PD-1 and PD-L1 were shown to be effective in advanced inoperable Merkel cell carcinomas, and were approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in this treatment setting. "Merkel cell carcinoma appears to respond very rapidly to anti-PD-1 immunotherapy in some patients with advanced disease," says lead study author Suzanne Topalian, M.D., associate director of the Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy. "This led us to test whether anti-PD-1 could be effective if given for a brief period before surgery, as so-called neoadjuvant therapy. Using this approach, we found that patients who had substantial tumor regressions on CT scans or in pathology studies of surgically removed tumor specimens had extended cancer recurrence-free survival that was statistically significant. Radiographic and pathologic tumor regressions following neoadjuvant anti-PD-1 therapy are therefore potential new, early markers that will help us predict what a patient's long-term outcome will be. This is critical information for oncologists planning treatment strategies for their patients." Nivolumab, the immunotherapy drug used in this study, works against cancers including Merkel cell carcinoma by blocking PD-1, a molecule on the surface of immune cells that suppresses immune responses. Cancer cells often manipulate PD-1 by expressing its partner molecule PD-L1, sending a "stop" signal to the immune system. Blocking that signal with a checkpoint inhibitor such as nivolumab initiates a "go" signal, unleashing immune cells to attack cancer cells. In the phase I/II trial of nivolumab in virus-associated cancers called CheckMate 358, patients with operable Merkel cell cancers received 240 mg of the anti-PD-1 drug intravenously on days one and 15 of the study, with surgery planned for day 29. The trial was designed primarily to assess the safety and tolerability of nivolumab in this treatment setting. Investigators also assessed tumor regression using CT and MRI scans; studied the presence of cancer cells microscopically in surgically removed tumors; and studied pretreatment tumor biopsies to measure the presence of the polyomavirus causing Merkel cell carcinoma, the mutational burden (the quantity of gene mutations found in a tumor) and expression of the PD-L1 protein. Overall, 39 patients with stage IIA-IV Merkel cell cancer (locally advanced or having spread to lymph nodes or internal organs) received at least one dose of nivolumab between January 2016 and March 2019. Among 36 patients who underwent surgery, 17 (47%) achieved a pathologic complete response, meaning that there were no live tumor cells anywhere in the surgical tissue. Among 33 patients undergoing surgery who also had imaging scans, 18 (54.5%) had radiographic tumor reductions of at least 30%. Each of these findings correlated significantly with prolonged recurrence-free survival. Patients were followed for a median of 20 months. "These rates of pathologic and radiographic tumor regression after a brief four-week period of nivolumab therapy are very high compared to other cancer types in which anti-PD-1 treatment has been tried before surgery," Topalian says. "For instance, in lung cancer, the published rate of complete pathologic response after neoadjuvant anti-PD-1 monotherapy is 15%, and in melanoma it is 19-25%. Furthermore, substantial radiographic tumor regression is not common within such a brief treatment period in other cancer types." Overall, among 36 patients who underwent surgery, recurrence-free survival rates were 77.5% at 12 months and 68.5% at 24 months after surgery. However, those with a complete pathologic response had a recurrence-free survival of 100% at 12 months and 88.9% at 24 months, compared with those without a complete pathologic response, who had recurrence-free survivals of 59.6% and 52.2% at 12 and 24 months, respectively. Similarly, patients with substantial radiographic tumor regressions before surgery experienced prolonged recurrence-free survival, compared with the other patients in the study. These effects of neoadjuvant nivolumab on recurrence-free survival in some patients appear to offer an advantage compared to historical reports of conventional care. Three of 39 patients (7.7%) did not undergo surgery, one because of tumor progression, and two because of adverse effects from nivolumab. Treatment-related adverse events occurred in 18 of 39 patients (46.2%) and most commonly included skin rashes. Three patients (7.7%) had a severe adverse event, including immune-related colitis. The characteristics of adverse events were similar to those previously reported for anti-PD-1 drugs in patients with other cancer types. Topalian cautions that the study was a relatively small one, and did not have a control group for comparison. All patients received the same treatment. However, she says, "We think these findings provide a rationale to conduct larger trials of neoadjuvant anti-PD-1 therapy in Merkel cell carcinoma, and have the potential to be practice-changing." "To our knowledge, this is the first attempt to look at the role of anti-PD-1 therapy before surgery in patients with Merkel cell carcinoma who are candidates for complete surgical removal of their tumor," Topalian says. "We know that, historically, many of these patients would subsequently relapse after standard surgical and postoperative treatments. Even if we think we're removing all of the existing tumor at the time of surgery, in many patients the tumor has already spread to other parts of the body, at microscopic sites of metastasis that are too tiny to be detected with scans." Investigators from the Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute co-led this study with researchers from the University of Washington Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, in collaboration with 10 other medical centers in the U.S. and Europe. The Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute team included Topalian; William Sharfman, M.D.; Julie Stein, M.D.; Elizabeth Engle, M.S.; and Janis Taube, M.D., M.Sc. Separately, in a review paper published in Science by Topalian and Johns Hopkins colleagues Taube and Drew M. Pardoll, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, the researchers summarized scientific and medical knowledge about the use of immune checkpoint blockers before cancer surgery. This includes the first published report of neoadjuvant PD-1 pathway blocking antibodies, tested in non-small cell lung cancer at Johns Hopkins and described in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2018, and additional studies of immune checkpoint blockers in melanoma, bladder cancer and brain cancer from other research groups. There are many more neoadjuvant anti-PD-1 studies maturing now in other cancer types including breast and head and neck cancers, Topalian says. When people talk about preventing cancer, they generally mean preventing cancer from forming, she says. "However, these neoadjuvant immunotherapy studies speak to the possibility of preventing early-stage cancers from becoming end-stage. We think this is a very valuable approach. By using immune checkpoint blockers before definitive surgery for cancer, it may be possible in some patients to prevent to the disease from progressing to an inoperable stage. We look forward to a lot more information to come in this area." Preliminary results of the Merkel cell carcinoma study were presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting in 2018. Other centers participating in that trial were the Levine Cancer Institute, Atrium Health, of Charlotte, N.C.; Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, Atlanta; Universite de Paris, Saint Louis Hospital, Paris; Institut Claudius Regaud, Toulouse, France; Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York; H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Fla.; SLK-Clinics, MOLIT Institute, Heilbronn, Germany; University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Hillman Cancer Center; University Medical Center Utrecht, Cancer Center, the Netherlands; and the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Ann Arbor, Mich. Bristol Myers Squibb, which sponsored the trial, also had co-authors. The work was supported by Bristol Myers Squibb and ONO Pharmaceutical Company Limited. Some of the scientific correlative work conducted at Johns Hopkins was supported by The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research and National Cancer Institute R01 grant CA142779. Authors received no financial support or compensation for publication of the study. The Science review was supported by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, the National Cancer Institute (R01 CA142779), the Cancer Research Institute/Stand Up To Cancer-Immunology Translational Cancer Research Grant, Bristol Myers Squibb, the Barney Family Foundation, Moving for Melanoma of Delaware, the Laverna Hahn Charitable Trust, the Melanoma Research Alliance, the Harry J. Lloyd Charitable Trust, the Emerson Collective Foundation, and the Mark Foundation for Cancer Research. Topalian reported stock and other ownership interests for herself or an immediate family member from Aduro Biotech, DNAtrix, Dragonfly Therapeutics, Ervaxx, Five Prime Therapeutics, RAPT Therapeutics, Potenza Therapeutics, Tizona Therapeutics, Trieza Therapeutics and WindMIL; consulting or advisory roles with Amgen, Compugen, DNAtrix, Dragonfly Therapeutics, Dynavax, Ervaxx, Five Prime Therapeutics, RAPT Therapeutucs, Immunocore, Immunomic Therapeutics, Janssen Oncology, MedImmune, Merck, Tizona Therapeutics and WindMIL; research funding from Bristol Myers Squibb, Compugen and Potenza Therapeutics; travel, accommodations and expenses from Bristol Myers Squibb, Dragonfly Therapeutics, Five Prime Therapeutics and Merck; and patent royalties from Aduro Biotech, Arbor Pharmaceuticals, Bristol Myers Squibb, Immunomic Therapeutics, NexImmune, and WindMIL. These relationships are being managed by The Johns Hopkins University in accordance with its conflict of interest policies. ### WESTFIELD George Varelas, a Greek immigrant with a 32-year police career who also spent four two-year terms as mayor, died Sunday at Baystate Medical Center after contracting the coronavirus. Varelas was weeks away from his 89th birthday on May 15, his son, Andrew Varelas, said. George Varelas had been living at The Arbors Assisted Living at Westfield, just a few blocks from City Hall on Court Street in Westfield. Following a fall, he went for physical rehabilitation at Heritage Hall in Agawam, Andrew Varelas said. The former mayor died within a few days of arriving at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield. Andrew Varelas said he and his brother, Dean Varelas, were able to see their father one last time but needed to be escorted into his room wearing protective gowns and other equipment. The death toll from the coronavirus in the United States topped 55,000 Monday with more than 3.000 deaths reported in Massachusetts. Daughter Elaine Varelas Ryan said her father immigrated to the United States in 1956 as a 27-year-old . My father was a very serious person, she said. His childhood was in Greece which was overrun by the Nazis. George Varelas went on to earn a bachelor's degree in criminal science and later a master's degree in psychology from what is now Westfield State University . Elaine Varelas Ryan said her father was forever grateful to English instruction he received here in Westfield as an adult. "He felt all the immigrants should learn the language," she said. That belief landed Varelas, and Westfield, in the national headlines back in 1992 when a group of parents petitioned the public schools to remove a teacher because the parent's thought the teacher's Spanish accent was too strong. Varelas, who spoke with a Greek accent, supported the parents even though many felt the petition was discriminatory. He was not the type to care about press, Varelas Ryan said. He just felt so strongly about education. He took some unpopular stances and he knew it, But his commitment to education was paramount. He only wanted what was best for students, Andrew Varelis described his father as "old school". "He was a law and order guy," he said. Varelas left office at the end of 1993 after bowing out of a race for a fifth consecutive term. He kept silent about his reasons for exiting the race that June, although there was conjecture his candidacy was in trouble because of a challenge by longtime City Council President Richard K. Sullivan Jr. He returned to to the police department for one month and then retired as a lieutenant. At the time of his police retirement, he told The Republican in an interview, he felt no sadness. Life goes on, he said. Varelas went on to serve as president of the Westfield State Alumni Association. Varelas later ran in , but lost , a race Municipal Light Board which oversees the municipal Westfield Gas & Electric. He was eliminated in a Democratic primary for state representative. When running for the state representative seat, Varelas told The Republican he was comfortable being though of as colorful, controversial and often blunt. "One thing I cannot do is pretend to be something I'm not," he said. I have an ability to stand up to private interest groups and call the shots the way they are. I believe I possess the qualities that people admire the most." During that interview, he said, "On the issues that I'm considered confrontational, other politicians are called aggressive or vigorous. (My critics) have perpetuated lies about my being confrontational. The politician who says yes to everything fools himself first, and then fools the people." Varelas Ryan remembers how good a cook her father was, donating and cooking a lamb every September for the Glendi Festival at St. George Orthodox Cathedral in Springfield. He made and donate baklava to a televised charity auction. George Varelas had a vanity license plate that read ZORBA the Greek of the novel and film with Anthony Quinn. He loved everything Greek. He was a U..S patriot who loved the United States and everything the country offered him, she said. And he loved Greek music. He loved Greek dance. George Varelas participated less than a year ago in Westfields 350th anniversary celebrations and parade. His wife, Mary, died three years ago. They had been married 59 years. The couple had three children Elaine, Dean and Andrew and three grandchildren: Jillian Ryan, Dean Varelas and Alex Varelas. Elaine Varelas Ryan said the family is planning a funeral in the fall of 2020, once the coronavirus restrictions on gatherings and travel have passed. Related Content: New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, pictured here on March 13, has announced the easing of the country's coronavirus lockdown. Martin Hunter/Reuters New Zealand is beginning to ease its strict lockdown, saying it has eliminated community transmission of the coronavirus, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced at a public briefing. New cases have slowed almost to a standstill, and the country's top health official Ashley Bloomfield said this "does give us confidence that we have achieved our goal of elimination," the BBC reported. Bloomfield says that any new cases in New Zealand would now be immediately traceable. Most lockdown restrictions, including border closures, will stay in place but non-essential businesses can reopen if they ensure no direct contact with customers. "We are opening up the economy, but we're not opening up people's social lives," said Ardern, according to the BBC. The country has recorded a total of 1,122 confirmed cases and 19 deaths from the disease, Bloomfield said at the briefing. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. New Zealand is easing its strict lockdown after new coronavirus cases slowed almost to a standstill, prompting the country's top health official to claim the country has "achieved our goal of elimination." Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced at a Monday public briefing that the country will begin at midnight Tuesday to de-escalate its stringent lockdown by allowing some non-essential businesses to reopen. "We're now 11 hours away from the lifting of Level 4, and of the strictest constraints placed on New Zealanders in modern history," Ardern said. "It's been nearly five weeks of living and working in ways that just two months ago would have seemed impossible. But we did, and we have done it together." Ashley Bloomfield, the country's Director-General of Health, reported that there was just one new confirmed case of the virus to report that day, and four probable cases, all of which are traceable. Story continues This brings the country's cumulative total to 1,122 confirmed cases, but Bloomfield added that "probable" cases where testing has not yet confirmed a likely infection would bring that total to 1,469. Nineteen people have died of the virus in New Zealand so far. The total number of active cases in New Zealand has been in decline since April 9, according to Worldometer. It now stands at 309, down from a peak of 929. Ardern added that according to modelling from her advisers, the country could have seen up to 1,000 new cases per day if the country had not enacted its lockdown. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern looks on during a press conference at Parliament on April 07, 2020 in Wellington, New Zealand. Hagen Hopkins/Getty This reduction in new cases, said Bloomfield, "does give us confidence that we have achieved our goal of elimination," according to the BBC. He clarified that this means any new cases would be immediately traceable. But, said Ardern, the country "must remain vigilant if we are to keep it that way," the BBC reported. The country has responded to the crisis with some of the strictest measures worldwide, developing a four-tier alert system and entering a full "Level 4" lockdown on March 25. The country had completely closed its border, banned mass gatherings, closed schools and shopping centers, and restricted socializing to "bubbles" of close relatives. Under Level 3, these restrictions will continue, but non-essential businesses will be allowed to trade as long as they have no face-to-face contact. "We are opening up the economy, but we're not opening up people's social lives," said Ardern, according to the BBC. She said that the government will meet on May 11 to discuss the possibility of moving to Level 2. Read the original article on Business Insider Dancing On Ice star Alexander Demetriou has confirmed he has separated from wife Carlotta Edwards after being linked to Maura Higgins. The professional skater, 28, took to Instagram stories on Sunday to confirm the news and revealed to his followers that it had been a 'tough time' for him. It comes amid weeks of speculation that their four year marriage was on the rocks amid reports that he became 'besotted' with Love Island beauty Maura, 29. All over: Dancing On Ice star Alexander Demetriou has confirmed he has separated from wife Carlotta Edwards after being linked to Maura Higgins In a statement posted on Instagram stories, Alexander said: 'I'm Sorry I have been quiet on social media recently but it's been a tough time for me personally. 'Carlotta and I have separated. Although it saddens me that we can no longer be together, I feel this is best for both of us. 'I'm looking forward to what the future will bring but in the meantime let's all say home and stay safe.' While Alexander went public with a statement, Carlotta, 30, has remained silent, and has instead been hauled up in Calgary, Canada with her family. Skate partner: It comes amid weeks of speculation that their four year marriage was on the rocks amid reports that he became 'besotted' with Love Island beauty Maura, 29 It comes after a friend of the former couple recently told their marriage troubles 'came as a shock', as they were so close before the last Dancing On Ice series. A source spoke to The Sun about the visit to reveal: 'Everything has seemed fine and her family thought they were having a good time. 'No one in her family suspected anything was up between them, so obviously this has all been quite a shock.' Earlier this month it was reported that the pair had removed their wedding rings, with Carlotta having flown to her native Canada while Alexander remained in London. Confirmation: The professional skater, 28, took to Instagram stories on Sunday to confirm the news and revealed to his followers that it had been a 'tough time' for him It was said their four-year marriage had 'collapsed', following his pairing with Maura on the ITV contest last year, where Alex allegedly became 'besotted' with the Irish beauty. A source told The Sun: 'Carlotta and Alex are taking a break from their marriage and are trying to work out what they want from the future. 'Isolation is giving them a lot of time to think and both are with their families. 'Alexs friendship with Maura was the first proper crack in their relationship. But now theyre at breaking point.' The insider went on to say that the couple's friends are of the belief their 'marriage is over' due to Alex's closeness with Maura, adding that the 'trust' the pair is 'shattered'. Split: 'Carlotta and I have separated. Although it saddens me that we can no longer be together, I feel this is best for both of us They added that at the start of the furore it was believed to have been 'just a flirtation' between Maura and Alex, but with the two now in 'constant contact', their closeness is now 'obvious' for everyone to see. The source went on to say that Carlotta was initially 'hell bent' on keeping up the 'pretence' of her marriage, but has now come to terms with the situation and is reassessing what to do next. A spokesman for Maura told MailOnline: 'Maura and Alex had a great friendship whilst training for DOI this was always and has always been just professional, she regards him as a close friend and will continue to do so although they have not spoken in a few weeks. 'Maura has been single since splitting with Curtis, and is spending her time focusing on herself and some exciting projects she has lined up in the near future. 'Shock': It comes after a friend of the former couple recently told their marriage troubles 'came as a shock', as they were so close before the last Dancing On Ice series Relationship breakdown: Earlier this month it was reported that the pair had removed their wedding rings, with Carlotta having flown to her native Canada while Alexander remained in London Last month it was reported that Carlotta had jetted to the home of parents Nancy and Peter in Port Edward, British Columbia to escape the furore surrounding her relationship. A source told The Sun: 'Carlotta feels utterly humiliated that Alex has fallen for Maura and seems to have abandoned their marriage. 'She tried to put a brave face on things during the final but she needed to get away from them both. She is now spending time with her family.' They added: 'The fact Alex has since been seen having coffee with Maura and leaving her home speaks volumes.' Close: It was said their four-year marriage had 'collapsed', following his pairing with Maura on the ITV contest last year, where Alex allegedly became 'besotted' with the Irish beauty The reports came after it was claimed Maura split from her Love Island boyfriend Curtis Pritchard earlier this year after rows over her friendship with the skater. Responding to speculation linking Maura and Alex, Curtis recently revealed that Maura forbid him from coming to watch her skate with Alex and that he's sure nothing 'more' happened between the pair. Curtis, 24, said to The Sun: 'I have no proof that anything more has happened between them. I don't like to think about it. 'I don't want to look back over the past few months for warning signs. But it's not nice to read about her relationship with Alex and to see pictures of them together. 'I went to her first three shows, but after that she asked me not to come. She said she had terrible nerves and it was easier without me there. I just accepted that. I wasn't concerned about there being anything romantic between her and Alex.' By Gabrielle Tetrault-Farber MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia could experience a spike in cases of the new coronavirus if people flout lockdown measures during public holidays scheduled for early May, a top health official said on Sunday. The number of coronavirus cases in Russia began rising sharply this month, reaching more than 80,000 on Sunday after a record 6,361 new cases were registered over the past day. Anna Popova, head of Russia's consumer health watchdog, said the country had so far avoided a spike in cases and could continue to do so "if only we do not give up during the holidays". "That is the biggest risk today," Popova said in an interview on state television, Russian news agencies reported. Russia only has a handful of working days between May 1 and May 11 this year, with back-to-back long weekends for the Labour Day and Victory Day state holidays. Many Russians typically take the entire period off work for travel or family holidays. Russia, which has so far recorded 747 coronavirus-related deaths, has declared lockdowns across the country, including in the capital Moscow, the area worst-affected by the virus. Muscovites are only allowed to go out to buy food or medicines at their nearest shop, get urgent medical treatment, walk their dog, or take out the trash. They must apply for a digital permit for any other movement across the city. Popova urged Russians to remain home during the holidays in a bid to help stem contagion. "We owe it to ourselves and our loved ones," she said. President Vladimir Putin announced this month that Russia would postpone its May 9 celebrations, including a massive military parade across Red Square to mark 75 years since the Soviet victory in World War Two. The Ministry of Defence said on Sunday that 874 troops had tested positive for the virus since March, as well as 779 cadets and students of military academies across the country. The ministry said earlier this week it had ordered thousands of troops to remain in quarantine for two weeks after the Red Square military parade was called off. [L8N2C83HF] Next week Putin will address the measures needed to curb the spread of the coronavirus, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Sunday, Russian news agencies reported. (Reporting by Gabrielle Tetrault-Farber and Gleb Stolyarov; Editing by Peter Graff and David Clarke) By Kim Rahn The ethics committee of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) decided to expel former Busan Mayor Oh Keo-don from the party, Monday, over the recent sexual harassment accusation made against him. The decision comes four days after Oh suddenly stepped down from his position, admitting he had made "unnecessary" physical contact with a female subordinate at his office earlier this month. His aides and a counseling center supporting the victim said Oh and the victim had agreed that he should issue a public apology and resign by the end of April. "The allegation is grave and Oh himself admits to it, so the committee members unanimously decided on expulsion," committee head Lim Chae-kyun told reporters at the party headquarters after a meeting. Lim said Oh did not submit any material to the committee to give his account of the incident because "he gave up" defending himself. Expulsion is the heaviest penalty the ethics committee can slap on a party member, with lighter punishments including giving a warning and suspension of party membership. Earlier in the day, DPK Chairman Lee Hae-chan made a public apology over the case, saying, "As the party chief, I offer my deepest apologies to the victim, the citizens of Busan and the people." Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Sunday said his state was Gods waiting room and ground zero for coronavirus deaths given the large senior citizen population in the Sunshine State. DeSantis made the remark during a briefing on the states response to the coronavirus in Orlando on Sunday. Florida is ground zero for the nursing home, we're God's waiting room, the governor said. We have a huge number of facilities, a huge number of residents. Governor Ron DeSantis was criticized online on Sunday after joking that Florida was 'God's waiting room.' He made the remark during a coronavirus briefing in Orlando on Sunday (above) Gods waiting room is a reference to an old joke about Florida being a favored destination for retirees. While the 2020 census has yet to be conducted, Florida estimates that the state population is 21.23 million people. Of those, some 4.46 million are 65 years or older. Florida is one of the most popular destinations for seniors given the relatively warm year-round climate. Florida is also one of nine states that does not tax income. Still, the use of the term Gods waiting room in reference to seniors struck some as inappropriate given the high number of nursing home deaths during the coronavirus pandemic. This is a shameful statement, tweeted one Twitter user. What a lack of decency. The elderly have so much to offer. Their wisdom alone is a gift. Another Twitter user referred to DeSantis as a POS the acronym for piece of s*** and said he should be held responsible for every senior citizen that dies in Florida. This is an awful thing to say, especially now, tweeted another Twitter user. Another Twitter user wrote that the Florida State House has to be Satans waiting room for heartless governors. It is estimated that one in four deaths in Florida from COVID-19 is linked to a nursing home or assisted living facility. The above image shows a patient being loaded into an ambulance from the Freedom Square Seminole Nursing Pavilion in Seminole, Florida, on April 17 I wonder what Floridas seniors think about this, tweeted another Twitter user. One Twitter user defended DeSantis, saying the governor was just joking. If you're a [Republican], you're not allowed to have a personality, apparently, they tweeted. Florida on Friday became one of just 10 states with more than 1,000 deaths from COVID-19. The state has more deaths per capital than larger states like California or Texas. Around one in four deaths from COVID-19 in the state were linked to either a nursing home, assisted living home, or other long-term care facilities, according to The News-Press of Fort Myers. Florida has also surpassed 30,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus. DeSantis asserted on Sunday that parts of the state are now on the other side of the coronavirus outbreak, and said he would soon announce whether he would lift edicts that shuttered much of the states economy because of the pandemic. DeSantis' comment sparked outraged online, with one Twitter user calling him a 'heartless governor' 'I wonder what Florida's seniors will think about this,' tweeted one Twitter user Another Twitter user said DeSantis would be 'responsible for every single senior citizen that dies in Florida' DeSantis made a 'shameful' statement and he 'lacked decency,' according to another Twitter user 'This is an awful thing to say, especially now,' said one Twitter user One Twitter user defended the governor, saying the media misinterpreted his comment In a news briefing at an Orlando medical center, the governor again noted the hysteria in the early weeks of the outbreak has not materialized in Florida, despite dire predictions that speculated many more deaths than the state has recorded so far. As of Sunday, the state had more than 31,500 confirmed cases of COVID-19 AND more than 1,070 deaths. With his safer-at-home order set to expire Thursday, the governor said hed be taking key actions in the coming days as he reviews recommendations from a task force he convened to guide him in his decision-making. DeSantis said that reopening the state would be done methodically to prevent a resurgence of the outbreak. In recent weeks, the governor has tried to boost public confidence in his handling of the crisis, and to assure a restless public the state might soon be able to reopen under the right circumstances. During his weekend briefings, the governor did not devote much to time to discussing the work of the task force, which convened through telephone conferences last week. The panel was due to issue recommendations possibly over the weekend. If it reached a set of recommendations, it was unclear when such a document would be made public. In making his decision to reopen the state, DeSantis said he would be hewing closely to White House guidance, which advocates a multi-phase approach. The criteria includes downward trends in infections and a diminished risk of a resurgence. Even if you could flip the switch, if people dont have confidence, then the economy is not just going to take off. Its not the way it works, DeSantis said Sunday. DeSantis said people should be reassured knowing infections have not risen as predicted and hospitals have comfortably managed the caseload. The governor mentioned central Florida in particular, which includes cities like Orlando and its world-known amusement parks, as a region that is now emerging on the other side of the virus outbreak. DeSantis said long-term facilities have been a priority in trying to head off further infections. State officials said 366 such facilities have had confirmed cases of COVID-19, accounting for more than 2,900 infections among residents and staff - resulting in more than 300 deaths. Since the beginning of the crisis, he said, the Florida Division of Emergency Management has distributed nearly 7 million masks, 1 million gloves and 500,000 face shields to long-term care facilities and nursing homes. But he again pushed back at critics who said he was slow to move on putting social-distancing restrictions in place. Florida has performed better than anyone predicted, the governor said. People should be comforted in knowing that all those predictions of hundreds of thousands of people hospitalized were not accurate, and it has just not been the case so thats a good thing. 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 those with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness and even death. Even as the state education department has announced the cancellation of the last paper of SSC exam, it now has the challenge of planning for the first year junior college (FYJC) admissions with several challenges coming up due to the COVID-19 outbreak and the lockdown. In a meeting that took place between officials from the various boards and the education department a few days ago, the possible issues with respect to FYJC admissions, the process for which usually begins in June, were discussed. The status of all the three key boards- SSC, CBSE and ICSE is different when it comes to Class 10 exams. While the SSC board has cancelled its last papers and the CBSE has completed its main exams, the ICSE is yet to come up with a decision on the remaining papers. This might lead to issues with respect to equivalence of marks for which the government would have to come up with a plan, said an official who was present at the meeting. These are however issues that can be resolved later depending on how things pan out, the official added. Vaishali Bafna, from the System Correcting Movement (SYSCOM), a Pune-based think-tank said that the government would have to come up with a concrete plan to ensure that no students have an added advantage. They would first have to see how the remaining papers for other boards are conducted to take a call. Since students from other boards are only a small percent in the overall application, having a common policy should not be very difficult, said Bafna. Meanwhile, parents from the state are now requesting the HRD ministry to reduce the syllabus for Classes 1 to 12 due to the current situation in the country. Students will be under a lot of pressure to study the entire syllabus once school reopens, said Anubha Sahai, president of the Indiawide Parents Association who wrote to the ministry on Monday. United Airlines has become the first major U.S. carrier to require all of its flight attendants to wear face masks while flying during the coronavirus pandemic. The Chicago-based company said that the 'proactive and aggressive' measure is to keep all staff and customers safe. The directive is in line with the most recent advice from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which has recommended Americans cover their faces when in public. United Airlines flight attendants must now wear face masks while flying United said that masks have been added to all aircraft to ensure flight attendants have access to one mask each per day on duty. The airline told cabin crew that these will be replenished as needed and when supplies permit and that they have worked hard to 'make sure we have enough supply to provide each of you'. Alternatively, flight attendants are permitted to wear their own cloth face covering, so long as the fabric is in a solid, neutral colour. United said that N95 masks (medical-grade masks) should only be worn by customers showing symptoms and 'for the flight attendants providing direct assistance', with the remaining supply of them left on board aircraft. Flight attendants should wear masks at all times, said United, but it pointed out that they can be removed to perform certain duties, such as making an announcement. They can also be removed in decompression situations when it is necessary to don an oxygen mask. All flight attendants at United Airlines will have access to one mask each per day on duty Flight attendants should wear masks at all times, said United, but it pointed out that they can be removed to perform certain duties, such as making an announcement United said the 'proactive and aggressive' measure is to keep all staff and customers safe Beginning in early May face masks will be made available to all the airline's customers as well. A message from United Airlines to its cabin crew employees added: 'True to our mission of connecting people and uniting the world, you all continue to provide essential service and have been at the forefront of supporting communities by helping get people and goods where they need to be, often to the frontline of the Covid-19 crisis. 'At the same time, you continue to be diligent about the safety and social distancing measures we have put into place to mitigate against the spread of the virus and to ensure our people are safe and our aircraft are clean and sanitary. 'This new initiative is in line with the most recent CDC recommendation that says wearing a cloth face covering is advisable when in public and when social distancing is difficult to maintain. 'We understand that many aspects of the flight attendants duties, both on and off the aircraft, can make practising social distancing challenging, which is why this new initiative is so important.' United's announcement comes as the airline industry takes a significant economic hit as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, which has seen travel demand shrink to essentially zero, airport traffic in the US plunge by 95 per cent and airlines lose billions of dollars. Analysts anticipate airline earnings to decline by more than 200 per cent for the first quarter of 2019 - a stark contrast to the $1.8billion (1.45billion) first-quarter profit a year ago. More details on the United mask policy here - www.united.com/keepingyousafe. Understanding China Resources Land Limited's (SEHK:1109) performance as a company requires examining more than earnings from one point in time. Today I will take you through a basic sense check to gain perspective on how China Resources Land is doing by evaluating its latest earnings with its longer term trend as well as its industry peers' performance over the same period. See our latest analysis for China Resources Land Commentary On 1109's Past Performance 1109's trailing twelve-month earnings (from 31 December 2019) of CN29b has jumped 18% compared to the previous year. Furthermore, this one-year growth rate has exceeded its 5-year annual growth average of 18%, indicating the rate at which 1109 is growing has accelerated. What's the driver of this growth? Well, lets take a look at if it is solely because of industry tailwinds, or if China Resources Land has seen some company-specific growth. SEHK:1109 Income Statement April 27th 2020 In terms of returns from investment, China Resources Land has fallen short of achieving a 20% return on equity (ROE), recording 15% instead. However, its return on assets (ROA) of 3.9% exceeds the HK Real Estate industry of 2.9%, indicating China Resources Land has used its assets more efficiently. Though, its return on capital (ROC), which also accounts for China Resources Lands debt level, has declined over the past 3 years from 14% to 12%. What does this mean? China Resources Land's track record can be a valuable insight into its earnings performance, but it certainly doesn't tell the whole story. Positive growth and profitability are what investors like to see in a companys track record, but how do we properly assess sustainability? I suggest you continue to research China Resources Land to get a more holistic view of the stock by looking at: Future Outlook: What are well-informed industry analysts predicting for 1109s future growth? Take a look at our free research report of analyst consensus for 1109s outlook. Financial Health: Are 1109s 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. Working from home on the odd occasion used to be a privilege that companies offered to trusted employees, but it was never intended to be as widespread as it is right now. In fact, when building a case for the NBN in 2010, the Gillard government set a target of 10 per cent of the population working from home half the time. A decade later, things have changed significantly. Technology improvements have made it easier to be productive from anywhere and, in 2019, more than one in three Australian workers already regularly worked from home. In March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic drove organisations to direct all staff to work from home where possible, creating a dramatic spike in the number of people who worked remotely. Unfortunately, many public and private sector organisations werent prepared to have their entire workforce working from home. Organisations were caught out with a lack of hardware and access to the companys data. Furthermore, many employees accustomed to working in the office simply didnt have the required digital mindset to work remotely, so struggled with both working in isolation and required additional IT support to setup equipment and connect to systems. The rapid acceleration to digital transformation that supports a predominantly remote workplace has proven to be a key challenge for Australian and New Zealand organisations. It is essential for organisations to develop strategies that not only address their immediate circumstances but also help them to future proof against unknown events. There are four key steps organisations can take now to be better prepared in the modern workplace: 1. Focus on the employee experience While companies often focus on processes, equipment, and keeping the business running, the most often-overlooked element of success is the employee experience. Any employee survey conducted over the past decade will support the fact that communication is the bedrock of an organisations ability to operate. Therefore, its essential for organisations to put employee communication high on the priority list. To support workplace communication, the tools and platforms employees use to get their work done must be easy to operate, intuitive, and responsive. Organisations can consider using ecommerce portals to let employees shop for their own workplace tools, for example, giving them more ownership over their workday experience. Companies can save costs by giving employees access to the appropriate tools they need to do their job. While some employees will require powerful laptops capable of processing huge amounts of data, others may require lower-specification machines, which reduces outlays. Putting the right equipment in peoples hands for the right purpose can have a dramatic impact on cost reduction and ensures employees are productive in their roles. 2. Accelerate the digital transformation journey This isnt the first time the economy has been subjected to a shock and it wont be the last. Therefore, its imperative that business leaders take this as an opportunity to understand where the gaps in business continuity are, where they really sit in their digital transformation journey, and what they can do to make sure theyre fully prepared the next time the business is subjected to a shock. Organisations that are well into their digital transformation journey have been the ones to transition to 100 per cent remote working seamlessly, while those early in the transformation journey continue to struggle. Its important to remember that digital transformation isnt just about working remotely or overlaying digital technology onto existing processes. Instead, true digital transformation is about being able to improve and change business processes so theyre supported by technology that can be securely accessed at any time, from any device and any location. 3. Invest in innovation rather than cut costs In a stalling economy, organisations often look to cut costs. Historically, businesses that successfully emerge from economic challenges are the ones that take a pragmatic approach to strategy. They maintain staff where possible and invest in technology and innovation that improves process efficiencies and develops new market opportunities. This can be tricky if capital is tied up in fixed infrastructure including IT. There is an opportunity, however, for public and private sector organisations to rethink how they access technology and infrastructure to reduce fixed capital costs and redeploy resources to business growth activities. While this is already happening for most organisations in terms of software as-a-service applications and infrastructure, it creates a more powerful argument to adopt broader as-a-service usage models and managed desktop solutions. For example, a managed desktop solution that can be scaled up and down on demand and paid for via a consumption-based pricing model helps organisations increase process efficiencies and scale their IT costs to better match business needs. To achieve the maximum return on investment for devices that are in their technology fleet, businesses must have visibility and control. Its a concerning fact that many organisations arent certain what devices they have or how theyre being used, leading to underutilisation of assets. Gaining real-time fleet visibility is essential to making informed business decisions. 4. Collaborate effectively Its important that IT and finance managers work together to balance their often-conflicting priorities and get the best results for the organisation. This comes back to everyone collaborating effectively with the overarching strategic business goal in mind. Organisations of all sizes can take advantage of independent financial partners that offer insights into opportunities for cost savings through operational efficiencies during workplace transformation. However, there are no quick fixes and every business has different needs, so its important to work with a partner that can add value to the business with flexible solutions and realistic, pragmatic advice. Despite the rapid and broad-scale adjustment to a remote working environment, organisations are beginning to realise the productivity and efficiency gains that can be achieved in the modern workplace. To capitalise on these gains, organisations must now consider how they can adopt a more stable, digital model that future-proofs the business and reduces their risk exposure to external market challenges. Click here to find out how you can create a digital workspace that offers substantially more freedom and fulfilment for employees. People who have found love often want to shout it from the rooftops - but now some love-birds have revealed why they've decided to keep their relationship under wraps. Writing on anonymous sharing app Whisper, people from around the world revealed the reasons that they've kept being in a relationship from their friends, family and work colleagues. One person said they were hiding their fling from colleagues because they were dating the boss, while another admitted they felt conscious about revealing that their partners was 12 years their senior. Meanwhile others said they feared family disapproval, including one person who said she was worried about introducing her boyfriend to her racist parents. People from around the world revealed the reasons that they're hiding that they're in a relationship, including a woman from Wisconsin, who fears that her racist parents wouldn't approve of her boyfriend Another anonymous individual, believed to be from America, said they were concealing a relationship with their boss from their colleagues and admitted they felt 'crazy about him' A man, from California, confessed he had struggled to end the relationship with his girlfriend, despite her abuse Another woman, believed to be from the US, said she was nervous to tell her family that she was in a relationship with a woman, despite coming out as bisexual five years ago A Christian woman, from Ohio, revealed she is keeping her relationship a secret from friends because her boyfriend is Hindu 'My world would turn upside down': An anonymous woman, believed to be from the UK, said she was terrified if her family would find out she was dating her father's best friend One woman, from Ohio, said she was hiding the relationship because she and her partner had 'screwed up' one but admitted the secret was 'kiling her' Scared to spill the beans: One person, whose location is unknown, said they were 'so scared' of telling their brother they were dating his best friend A big age gap! One anonymous individual, whose location is unknown, confessed that their relationship is a secret because of their 12-year age difference Another woman, from South Carolina, confessed she is hiding her relationship in fear of how her ex-partner would react if they found out Haiti - COVID-19 : The Core Group alongside Haiti in the fight against the pandemic Helen La Lime, the Special Representative of the Secretary General of the United Nations and the members of the international community in Haiti represented in the Core Group (Germany, Brazil, Canada, Spain, United States, France, European Union and the Special Representative of the Organization of American States (OAS)), faced with the progression of the Covid-19 pandemic in the world, including in Haiti https://www.haitilibre.com/article-30626-haiti-covid- 19-daily-bulletin-26-april-2020.html, expresses their solidarity with the Haitian people. The members of the group call on all Haitians "to join in the fight against the pandemic by respecting all preventive measures and to show compassion towards those affected by the disease." Although they are themselves in the grip of the pandemic, the states and organizations represented in the "Core Group" are working alongside the Haitian people and their Government to increase the testing capacity of the country's medical system, identify sources of supply of medical and personal protective equipment and mitigate the impact that the epidemic will have on the most vulnerable populations, such as women and people working in the informal sector. In addition, the Core Group encourages the Haitian government to fully implement the measures adopted to reduce the rate of prolonged pretrial detention and prevent the spread of the virus in prison settings. Recalling that "It is only through a collective and concerted effort, as well as an inclusive and transparent management of the epidemic that Haiti will succeed in minimizing the impact of this crisis on the Haitian people." HL/ HaitiLibre Restrictions on gyms, cafes and pubs could be lifted as early as June by one Australian government as the nation begins to ease social distancing rules. Northern Territory chief minister Michael Gunner said he is looking at relaxing restrictions on businesses deemed non-essential as part of a transition to the 'new normal' over the next five weeks. The NT has just 28 cases of coronavirus, with all of five of them having recovered, and last recorded a new case on April 6. It comes as Mr Gunner on Monday announced the territory is reopening its parks for recreational use - joining Western Australia and Queensland in easing its coronavirus restrictions. Scroll down for video A cafe owner serves a takeaway coffee at Le Petit Tarte Cafe in Sydney on Friday. The Northern Territory government has said restrictions on gyms, cafes and pubs could be eased in the territory in the next five weeks Under the relaxed rules, Territorians will be able to go hiking, swimming and camping in the NT's national parks from Friday. Mr Gunner said the re-opening of businesses like cafes - which have been forced to close since March 23 - would be conditional on them providing a plan detailing how they will stop the spread of the virus. 'Essentially the new normal will be in place during June,' he told ABC Radio. 'There will be a lot of work between now and Thursday. 'I'll be able to catch up with the Chamber of Commerce today to talk about these things about what is a practical set of time frames but we're aiming towards people in the territory going to live the new normal in June.' He said the state government was building a template of what would be the minimum standards restaurants have to follow to re-open their doors. NBL player Mitch Creek works out at his Melbourne home on April 22. Gyms could re-open in the NT within five weeks if they can provide a plan detailing how they will prevent the spread of the coronavirus Taped off tables and chairs in Sydney on March 24 following the national shutdown of non-essential services including restaurants and cafes in Australia 'We'll be asking, businesses, for example, that are going be opening to have essentially their coronavirus plan about how they'll intend to manage their premises safely,' Mr Gunner said. He ruled out though lifting restrictions on mass gatherings - saying do so was 'too risky' at this stage of Australia's fight against the coronavirus. Territorians will be able to go hiking and camping this weekend with national parks in the NT to open on Friday as the government ends its coronavirus lockdown 'I'm still worried about the mass gathering event, like a super spreader type of event but other than that I think pretty much everything can be managed in some way,' he said. 'The last thing I'll be touching is the borders - we're safe but we're not immune. 'I really want people to understand that second waves of these things are possible.' WHAT YOU CAN DO UNDER THE EASED RESTRICTIONS QUEENSLAND (from Friday): - Go for a drive (within 50km of home) - Ride a motorbike, jet ski or boat for recreation - Have a picnic - Visit a national park - Shop for non-essential items WESTERN AUSTRALIA: - Non-contact recreational activities such as picnics, fishing, boating, hiking and camping - Ten people allowed at weddings and ten-person limit remains for funerals - Outdoor personal training up to ten people, provided groups adhere to social distancing NORTHERN TERRITORY (from Friday): Territorians can swim, camp or hike through NT parks and reserves Further announcements will be made later this week about the enforcement of social distancing at communal areas like campsites Advertisement A raft of new measures could be implemented on public transport in Australia to maintain social distancing as the nation returns to work after the coronavirus lockdown. Pictured a bus driver wearing a preventative mask at Sydney's Railway Square on April 1 REDUCED CROWDS IN CINEMAS Seating plan based on a chequerboard to reduce overcrowding in movie theatres Closure of box offices and online payment only Temperature checks for staff Advertisement FEWER SERVICES IN HOTELS High-contact services like hotel buffets could be banned to prevent transmission If they remain in place, staff would have to serve the food COVID-19 training courses for staff Advertisement It comes as Australian pub bosses discuss a raft of rules to minimise social contact ahead of venues re-opening for business - including bans on communal items like pub buzzers, water jugs and plastic laminated menus. A leading tourist board has also warned hotel buffets will not be open for service - with guests turning to in-room dining during the first phase of restriction easing. 'I think there will be a lot more in-room dining. People wont be as keen to eat in the restaurant,' Tourism Accommodation Australia CEO Michael Johnson told the Sunday Telegraph. It comes as the federal government, health experts and state leaders work on plans to restart sport and get Australians back to work ahead of a review of coronavirus restrictions on May 11. Pub buzzers, water jugs and plastic laminated menus could become the new norm in bars and pubs, industry bosses have warned With a vaccine yet to be developed, the Australian Hotels Association said a 'new world order' should be expected when pubs open their doors again. 'They [pub owners] are thinking about anything that people touch water jars at the end of the bar, those laminated menus, the buzzer,' the association's NSW chief executive officer John Whelan said. 'Live music is a real difficult one. Possibly seated. A lot of hotels are giving real consideration to everything. They all accept social distancing is here to stay for a while.' HOW PUBS AND CLUBS COULD RETURN TO BUSINESS Ban on plastic laminated menus and pub buzzers Seated sections only at live music events Maximum 50 per cent capacity to prevent transmission Customers to be temperature checked on entry Sign-in, sign-out procedure for patrons to maintain contact tracing Advertisement SOCIAL DISTANCING ON PUBLIC TRANSPORT Passengers must be sat down at all times Reduced capacity through staggered start times for commuters Users to know whether a bus or train is full via a mobile app Intensive cleaning of train carriages and buses This would include sterilising commonly-touched areas like tap-on pads and hand railings Advertisement Australian National University microbiologist Peter Collignon has told Daily Mail Australia pubs and hotels may not return to normal until September - although they could re-open under strict conditions in July. Sign-in and sign-out procedures to maintain contact tracing and a 50 per cent capacity limit at venues are among those measures being discussed by hospitality industry leaders. The implementation of a staggered return to work could also reduce the risk of transmission on buses - accompanied by a ban on standing and preventing passengers from sitting next to each other. Insurers need to pay out on more claims related to the coronavirus pandemic, according to the head of the UK parliamentary committee that oversees the financial industry. We are concerned that the insurance sector goes the extra mile in meeting claims wherever possible, for example where there may be gray areas within policies, Mel Stride, chairman of the Treasury Committee, said in a statement on Saturday. Strides comments echo the stance taken by the main UK markets regulator, which sent insurance companies shares tumbling last week after it told them to pay valid claims quickly. The issue came to the fore after insurer Hiscox Ltd. rejected claims filed by policyholders who had coverage for business interruptions caused by contagious disease. Those policyholders appealed to the regulator, which is reviewing their case. UKHospitality, an industry group for businesses such as restaurants, bars and hotels that have been hard hit by the governments virus lockdown, told the Treasury Committee that 71% of its members had claims rejected, according to the statement. Separately, UBS Group AG has estimated total insured losses of $30 billion to $60 billion as a result of the pandemic. That would be the biggest on record for a single event, and while the Swiss bank said it remained confident European insurers balance sheets could withstand the hit, the level of uncertainty remained high. Related: Copyright 2022 Bloomberg. Topics Carriers COVID-19 Claims London: Health officials in Britain warn that a potential new coronavirus-related syndrome is emerging in children, with a rise in cases prompting an urgent alert to doctors across the country. The alert revealed an "apparent rise in the number of children of all ages presenting with a multi-system inflammatory state requiring intensive care across London and also in other regions of the United Kingdom". The NHS has issued an alert to doctors about a potential new coronavirus-related syndrome. Credit: Cases have been building over the past three weeks, according to the warning from National Health Service officials and distributed to doctors by the Paediatric Intensive Care Society. "There is a growing concern that a [COVID-19] related inflammatory syndrome is emerging in children in the UK, or that there may be another, as yet unidentified, infectious pathogen associated with these cases," the advisory note said. Americans' support for mail-in voting has jumped amid concerns about the safety of polling places during the coronavirus pandemic, but a wide partisan divide suggests President Donald Trump's public campaign against vote by mail may be resonating with his Republican backers. A new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds Democrats are now much more likely than Republicans to support their state conducting elections exclusively by mail, 47% to 29%. All states conduct elections differently, and only five states automatically mail ballots to every voter. But in response to the virus, some states including Ohio on Tuesday have shifted their primaries to virtually all-mail elections. The effects of the pandemic were seen firsthand by the Chairman of the Lucas County Republican Party. Mark Wagoner Junior's father, Mark Wagoner Senior, was the first person to pass away from COVID-19 in Ohio. Wagoner told The Associated Press that the Ohio primary was scheduled to go ahead on March 17th, until the night before when the governor announced a delay until April 28. University of Cincinnati Professor David Niven says that research on states conducting postal ballots found "it doesn't dramatically affect either party. " The Republican-controlled Wisconsin legislature rebuffed a last-minute request to hold that state's April 7 primary and state court election by mail. Democrats won a contested Supreme Court race, but not before shuttered polling locations left voters in long lines at polling places in Green Bay and Milwaukee, where only five of 183 stations were open. President Trump's campaign against mail voting is having an effect, as a new poll finds a growing partisan split over the practice one that could potentially hurt his party in November. In early April, answering a reporter question on whether every state in the country should be prepared for mail-in voting, Trump said: "No, because I think a lot of people cheat with mail in voting." The increased partisanship in the debate over how America votes comes just as that question has been thrust into the forefront of American politics. As health officials warn about the risk of spreading the coronavirus at polling places, some in the Republican Party have tried to limit the expansion of mail voting, with Trump and others openly fretting that it may enable too many people to cast their ballots for the GOP to win in November. Former head of the Republican National Committee, Michael Steele says the 2020 presidential election will not only decide what party is in power but also what kind of country Americans want to live in. "I think this election puts a lot on the table for us as citizens, and it starts with the question, will I be able to vote," Steele said. In 2018, about half as many Democrats were in favor of their state conducting elections exclusively by mail, and there was little difference in the views of Democrats and Republicans on the question. The survey also found a partisan divide on support for no-excuse absentee voting, the system in place in most states, including almost all the top presidential battlegrounds, even as a majority of Americans say they favor that practice. The poll also shows 60% of Americans support allowing people to vote via absentee ballot without requiring them to give a reason if the outbreak is still happening. That includes 73% percent of Democrats and 46% of Republicans. Some 40% of Republicans are opposed. The partisan differences could have a strong impact across the presidential battleground states. Five of the top seven swing states Michigan, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin have divided government, and skirmishes over voting have already broken out in several. In some, there are signs that Democratic areas are moving faster than GOP ones to embrace mail voting. Republican Wagoner, from Ohio, expects there to "be in-person voting in November," but is signaling flexibility, "we have certainly adapted our skill set." Debates over the primaries may only be a preview of the partisan battles ahead if the virus is still forcing stay-at-home orders and social distancing in November. Politicians and political analysts alike are warning states to prepare for a very different election in November 2020. "We could be looking at instead of 20% of our voting population turning out, requesting an absentee ballot and then processing those ballots, 80% of our electorate requesting an absentee ballot or even 100%, where we don't know what November 3rd will look like in terms of coronavirus, if we all of a sudden start a new trend, as some some doctors and scientists are predicting, because we're back in the cold and flu season." If the coronavirus continues to make in-person voting potentially risky, 60% of Democrats would support holding elections entirely by mail, as opposed to 37% of Republicans, according to an AP-NORC poll. Overall, 48% of Americans would support an all-mail election during an outbreak, compared to 31% opposed. The AP-NORC poll of 1,057 adults was conducted April 16-20 using a sample drawn from NORC's probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for all respondents is plus or minus 4 percentage points. Director-General of the WHO Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus The World Health Organisation has rewritten guidance that suggested coronavirus survivors had no immunity from the disease - now saying survivors can expect some level of protection. The clarification follows concern from scientists about the brief originally issued by the UN agency. It had cautioned against the issuing of so-called "immunity passports", which some countries are considering using as a route out of total lockdown, allowing survivors to resume a normal life and return to work. "There is no evidence yet that people who have had Covid-19 will not get a second infection," WHO said in its original scientific brief. However, the agency issued revised guidance on Twitter yesterday. "Earlier today we tweeted about a new WHO scientific brief on "immunity passports". The thread caused some concern & we would like to clarify. "We expect that most people who are infected with #COVID19 will develop an antibody response that will provide some level of protection. "What we don't yet know is the level of protection or how long it will last. "We are working with scientists around the world to better understand the body's response to #COVID19 infection. So far, no studies have answered these important questions," it wrote. Scientists said the original statement was badly worded and confusing. It was disputed by many, including Paul Hunter, professor of medicine at the University of East Anglia. He told the Guardian: "Almost everyone who recovers from Covid-19 will have developed immunity otherwise they would not have recovered. "What we do not know is how long that immunity will last. It almost certainly will not last for life." The "clarification" is a further blow to the WHO's reputation which has been dented by criticism of its response to the coronavirus pandemic. US president Donald Trump, who accused the WHO of showing a "clear bias" towards China, has suspended US funding of the organisation for 60 days. Story continues Earlier today we tweeted about a new WHO scientific brief on "immunity passports". The thread caused some concern & we would like to clarify: We expect that most people who are infected with #COVID19 will develop an antibody response that will provide some level of protection. pic.twitter.com/AmxvQQLTjM World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) April 25, 2020 "We expect that most people who are infected with #COVID19 will develop an antibody response that will provide some level of protection. "What we don't yet know is the level of protection or how long it will last. "We are working with scientists around the world to better understand the body's response to #COVID19 infection. So far, no studies have answered these important questions," it wrote. Scientists said the original statement was badly worded and confusing. It was disputed by many, including Paul Hunter, professor of medicine at the University of East Anglia. He told the Guardian: "Almost everyone who recovers from Covid-19 will have developed immunity otherwise they would not have recovered. "What we do not know is how long that immunity will last. It almost certainly will not last for life." The "clarification" is a further blow to the WHO's reputation which has been dented by criticism of its response to the coronavirus pandemic. US president Donald Trump, who accused the WHO of showing a "clear bias" towards China, has suspended US funding of the organisation for 60 days. A considerable number of Mexicans say that they support the work done by President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, also known as AMLO, in connection with the country's response with the COVID-19 outbreak. Moreover, these people agree with the country's decision to extend quarantine procedures until the end of May, based on a poll revealed on Sunday, says an article. Telephone Survey According to the results of the telephone survey of 549 Mexicans conducted by Buendia & Laredo from April 17 to April 21, 73 percent of the respondents expressed their positive outlook on the efforts of AMLO while on 17 percent of them revealed an opposite view. The remaining respondents did not share any assessment. Good Job at Reducing the Spread of COVID-19 in the Country Eighty-two percent of the participants stated that the Mexican government had performed well at reducing the spread of COVID-19 in the country. As of the evening of April 25, there are more or less 14,000 COVID-19 cases in the country where 1,300 of those people had lost the battle with the deadly disease. Deaths Double In the past week, the deaths from COVID-19 had doubled in numbers. On Tuesday, the Mexican government had declared the most severe phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. Recently, it had extended the quarantine period in the country to May 30. This decision is supported by 72 percent of the respondents. COVID-19's Economic Impact The government of Mexico had ordered many educational institutions and non-essential businesses in the country to postpone operations. However, it had not implemented strict curfew, unlike other nations in Latin America. The people of Mexico are not that sure about AMLO's economic management regarding the COVID-19 crisis. However, the balance of the respondents' opinions was still in favor of the president. Sixty-two percent of the respondents believe that the Mexican government made the right decisions to activate the economy again, while 32 percent disagreed. The Mexican government is granting millions of loans to businesses to assist them through the COVID-19 pandemic. Also, it had been gradually upgrading its relief measures. However, the scope of the measures is a bit modest compared to other nations. Check these out: Earlier Parts of the Pandemic At the beginning of the Pandemic, AMLO received a lot of criticisms for allowing mass gatherings at large public events. However, since the suspension of mass gatherings in the country, he had been focusing on enforcing social distancing among the public. Seven out of 10 participants in the poll expressed their support for AMLO and that the country does not need to get into debt to handle the COVID-19 crisis. However, two-thirds of the participants stated that the Mexican government should let companies pause tax payments during the economic crisis. Additionally, 71 percent of the respondents stated that it is more relevant to provide support to small and medium-sized businesses than continue with AMLO's flagship project of constructing an oil refinery in Dos Bocas, his home state. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov hold a joint news conference at the State Department in Washington, in this Dec 10, 2019 file photo. [Photo/Agencies] By Yang Songpo After the US unilaterally pulled out of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty, the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) became the only arms control treaty left between the US and Russia. The New START that aims to restrict the number of their nuclear weapons will expire in February next year, but the two countries havent agreed on whether to renew the treaty yet. Moscow recently reaffirmed its willingness of renewal and proposed to incorporate part of its latest weapons in the treaty, but Washington didnt give a positive response to the proposal. Some analysts believed that the Trump administration may continue to go down the path of tearing up and quitting treaties. Russia offers a new option Associated Press reported that the Russian and American presidents mentioned the renewal of the New START in a recent phone call, during which President Putin reaffirmed their willingness to renew the treaty, and offered to put part of their latest weapons in the deal if the US agrees to extend the treaty. Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov also sent the positive message of being willing to renew the New START in his phone conservation with the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Mr. Lavrov said on April 17 that Russia is prepared to discuss with the US about developing a new deal on restricting nuclear weapons, but the current treaty should be observed before a new one is ready. Noting the necessity of taking into account all factors that affect the global strategic stability when discussing nuclear arms control, Mr. Lavrov said it is very important to maintain the current treaty as the bedrock of global security. The new weapons that Moscow mentioned that could be incorporated in the treaty mainly refer to Advanced Hypersonic Weapon (AHW). According to Russias Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, Russias new Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile and Avangard hypersonic missile system can be included in the treaty along with other nuclear weapons. He previously expressed Moscows openness to talks about incorporating prospective weapons in the strategic stability dialogue, including the Burevestnik nuclear-powered cruise missile and the Poseidon nuclear Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (UUV). Washington responds passively Although Moscow has expressed its sincerity for renewing the New START, the Trump administration nonetheless has kept raising the bar toward that goal as it regards this treaty as a terrible deal left by the Obama administration thats obviously more in favor of Russia but seriously restrains Americas nuclear capability. In a recent report it submitted to the Congress, the US Department of State claimed that although Russia complies with the New START, the treaty doesnt cover enough weapon systems. The US government is seeking an arms control system that can provide real security protection for itself, its allies, and partners, but hasnt decided whether to expand the scope of New START and how. American Arms Control Association published an article on its website that the White House and other officials havent provided a timetable for the expansion. Will AHWs be nuclearized? According to the analysis, with the development and deployment of hypersonic missiles by the US and Russia, the nuclearization of AHWs has become a hot topic in the field of arms control. Incorporating such weapons in the arms control negotiation not only demonstrates Russias good faith in renewing the treaty, but also reveals the future trend of arms reduction. Reuters reported that AHWs can elevate nuclear warfare to a new level as they are much faster than existing ballistic and cruise missiles carrying nuclear warheads and their high maneuverability makes them hard to intercept by current missile defense systems. As hypersonic missile technology is getting increasingly advanced, there is a more evident trend of AHW nuclearization, which may exert profound impacts on the international situation of nuclear competition and the arms control system. Some analyst said that given the global strategic stability, incorporating AHWs in arms control negotiation is just a matter of time. Moscow obviously supports this view but Washingtons attitude remains unclear. The US has kept increasing the investment in AHWs in recent years, and the 2021 Budget Request by the US Department of Defense included a 3.2-billion-dollar R&D fund for hypersonic weapons, an increase of 23% over the previous year and setting a decade-long new high. Besides, the US Army and Navy had the first joint land-based test launch of the hypersonic missile in mid-March. Colorado Governor Defends Lifting Restrictions, Says Some Measures Will Stay in Place Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said a decision to let some businesses reopen was based on his stay-at-home order succeeding in flattening the curve, noting some measures will remain in place for the time being. The number of confirmed CCP virus cases in the state appeared to jump to nearly 1,000 on April 23 and 718 on April 24, but those cases didnt actually happen on those days, Polis said during an April 26 appearance on CNNs State of the Union. Those are from weeks before that we finally found and attributed to those two days. So it looks strange on the graph. But we have also released the information that shows the steady trend over time, where this aggressive intervention, which is the stay-at-home, has been effective in leveling and plateauing the curve, which is absolutely critical if were going to have any way to sustain the social distancing, for not just weeks, but likely months, he said. I mean, we dont even have an end date in sight until theres a vaccine or a cure. Royal Rose sits in her tattoo and beauty studio in Greeley, Colo., where she plans to return to work next week after a month-long stay-at-home order is lifted, on April 23, 2020. (Keith Coffman/Reuters) There are no proven treatments for COVID-19. Vaccines for the virus are in development but not expected until next year. Polis is one of the few Democratic governors allowing a partial reopening as the United States begins to emerge from a near-total lockdown. Most modeling predicted widespread transmission and death unless drastic measures were imposed. The projections for deaths and hospitalization in the United States, which took into account social distancing measures, were vastly overestimated, and much remains unknown about the virus. The United States has more than a million confirmed COVID-19 cases and more than 56,000 deaths linked to the disease as of April 27. Nearly half of the deaths are in the New York region. Colorado has 13,441 confirmed cases of the CCP virus. Nearly 2,500 patients have been hospitalized and 680 have died, according to the state Department of Health. United Airlines planes sit parked on a runway at Denver International Airport amid the sharp decrease in flights due to the COVID-19 pandemic, on April 22, 2020. (Michael Ciaglo/Getty Images) Safer at Home The Colorado governors stay-at-home order was amended to a phase called Safer at Home, which loosens some restrictions but keeps many others in place. The Safer-at-Home phase is not a return to normal. This is merely transitioning to a more sustainable level of social distancing that we are going to have to maintain for the long haullikely months, Polis said in a statement last week. The phase includes mandating that older adults and other vulnerable groups stay home unless absolutely necessary, banning gatherings of more than 10 people, and keeping some businesses closed, including nightclubs, gyms, and spas. Other companies, including businesses such as salons, tattoo parlors, and personal training, will reopen on May 1 with precautions in place, such as limits on the number of people allowed inside. Retail businesses are reopening for curbside delivery, and real estate home showings resumed on April 27, while hospitals and other health care facilities are being allowed to resume elective procedures and other medical work deemed nonessential in the previous phase. Offices can reopen at 50 percent reduced staffing capacity starting May 4. Child care facilities are also being allowed to reopen or expand. Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (L) speaks with Vice President Mike Pence as he arrives at Peterson Air Force Base before giving a graduation address at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs on April 18, 2020. (Michael Ciaglo/Getty Images) Denver Denver, Aurora, and some other metro areas arent reopening until at least May 8. This virus is not going away, and we need to be prepared for the long-term impacts, Denver Mayor Michael Hancock said last week. Denver officials are in contact with state officials. They want to make sure they have adequate contact tracing and testing capability, and the time to provide the guidance that our residents and business community need to reopen safely, Hancock said. Contact tracing refers to the practice of identifying people who came into contact with confirmed CCP virus patients. Denver has 2,596 confirmed cases and 136 deaths. Arapahoe, Adams, and Douglas counties, which include Aurora, have 3,780 confirmed cases and 164 deaths, according to the Tri-County Health Department. Many of the areas have a higher caseload, while some remote counties have seen few or no cases, Polis noted over the weekend. Colorado has a proud tradition of responsible local control, and what works for Denver, that has had over 2,300 cases, with the number of positive cases increasing from the day before, may not be the same solution for Bent County, that has zero detected cases so far, he said in a statement. Polis is supporting local officials in their decisions. During his appearance on CNN, Polis cited Mesa County, which has a low number of cases, and Eagle County, which includes Vail and its ski areas. Skiers brought it in from across the world. Its been one of the first to emerge from the stay-at-home phase, through a request by their health community, their hospital, their commissioners, to leave the stay-at-home phase a few days ahead of the rest of the state, he said. Colorado National Guard medical personnel perform a CCP virus test on a motorist at a drive-through testing site outside the Denver Coliseum in Colorado on March 14, 2020. (David Zalubowski/AP Photo) Second Spike Some officials are worried about a potential second spike of the CCP virus in the fall. Polis is among them. That concern led officials to work on plans that loosened some restrictions, he said. Its why we have really been really laser-focused, as an administration, on figuring out how we can endure and sustain these kinds of social distancing measuresour target is about 60 to 65 percent social distancing from the way people used to liveand how we can do that over a period of months in a psychologically sustainable way, and, of course, an economically sustainable way that meets the health goals of the state, he said. Officials will be watching to see if the number of cases rises in certain areas and will adjust guidance based on a range of data, including mobility figures. Polis said officials wish they could get information from the future, but things just dont work that way. Thats not the world we live in. We have to make the best informed decisions, based on data and science, with the information we have, he said. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-27 10:52:35|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close by Xinhua writers Cheng Lu and Yan Yong KUNMING, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Putting up her hair in a bun adorned with an elaborate hairpin and wearing a long gown with embroidery and loose sleeves, 19-year-old Chen Xi might be mistaken for a time traveler from centuries ago if not for her face mask and cellphone. The sophomore of Yunnan Normal University fell in love with hanfu, a type of traditional clothing of the Han ethnic group, when she was 13, and now she stores more than 20 hanfu outfits in her wardrobe. "I was drawn by the beauty of hanfu in costume dramas at the very beginning. They looked fairy-like, and I really liked it," she said. "Entranced by this special garment, many young Chinese like me become more interested in traditional Chinese culture, customs and music." Chen is by no means alone in venerating the traditional Chinese attire. In 2018, the number of hanfu fans reached 2.04 million, up 72.9 percent year on year, according to a report on China's hanfu industry released by iiMedia Research, a Chinese consulting agency. A few years earlier, whenever Chen put on hanfu and walked on the street, passers-by gave her weird looks. Now things are different. Hanfu has seen a growing and more visible presence in the daily life of China. If you walk through the streets and parks in cities such as Hangzhou or Kunming, you may chance upon an individual dressed in the sweeping ropes, crossed collars and wide sleeves of hanfu. Dressed in this way, they aim to keep the apparel and the rich culture behind it alive. In late 2019, a survey released by China Youth Daily showed that around 65.4 percent of the 2,001 respondents are fans of hanfu, while about 44 percent have worn such clothing in the past. A total of 65 percent of the surveyed across the country felt that there were more people wearing hanfu at parks, scenic spots and even on the streets, and 64.5 percent believed the growing popularity of hanfu aroused the interest of more people. Liu Dan, 43, put on his first hanfu suit and stepped out onto the street in 2006 when he returned from overseas to Kunming, the capital city of southwest China's Yunnan Province. He said the hanfu craze started in the early 2000s on online forums and websites, but now the fashion has jumped out of the screen and onto the streets. In 2007, Liu, with an educational background in software engineering, founded the Yunnan Hanfu Association. The number of hanfu enthusiasts in the association has grown from fewer than 10 to more than 10,000. Each weekend, they meet up for themed activities. Amid the COVID-19 epidemic, Liu has moved these cultural activities online. Liu's passion for hanfu carries into his career. He opened a store to sell self-designed hanfu accessories and headwear. His second hanfu store is expected to open this year. The outfits in his store cost from 60 yuan (about 8.5 U.S. dollars) to over 1,000, depending on the style and quality. Many companies have cashed in on the upsurge in hanfu popularity. E-commerce giant Alibaba and livestreaming platform Huya both have launched apps to engage hanfu fans and thereby nurture online shopping sales. Experts believe the resurgence of hanfu, like traditional songs and poems, is part of a larger trend to prize tradition, as the increasingly wealthy and modernized Chinese society sets off to reconnect with its cultural roots. This view is echoed by Chen Xiaoye, a 27-year-old tea art specialist and a diehard supporter of hanfu, and other traditional cultural elements such as embroidery and "guqin," an ancient seven-stringed zither. "Wearing hanfu is more than just an expression of aesthetic taste," said Chen, adding that "its popularity is a sign of the growing openness and inclusiveness of society." Chen's girlfriend is also a hanfu enthusiast. "When we marry, we will choose a hanfu-style wedding," he said. Enditem Vietnam's industrial land prices rose by 12 percent year-on-year in Q1 as the shift in manufacturing from China continued. In the north they rose by 6.5 percent to $99 per square meter, according to a recent report by real estate service firm Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL). In the south the rise was 12.2 percent to $101. The report said companies looking to diversify their manufacturing portfolio outside China are attracted to Vietnam thanks to its proximity to the former. "Industrial park developers remain confident that demand for land will continue to grow and therefore land prices are expected to increase in line with the long-term potential of Vietnams industrial segment," Stephen Wyatt, country head of JLL Vietnam, said. Ready-built factories costing $3.5-5 per square meter per month are favored by businesses as indicated by the high occupancy rates. Multinationals have been setting up operations in Vietnam for a number of years, and this trend has accelerated in the last two years with companies looking to diversify their operations and supply chains, the report said. Although the Covid-19 outbreak could cause a delay in decisions following lease negotiations, the fundamentals of the market remain strong and would recover after the epidemic subsides, it added. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-27 15:13:38|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close GUIYANG, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Southwest China's Guizhou Province has intensified the crackdown on intellectual property right (IPR) infringement through big data, said local authorities. The province has cracked 352 IPR infringement cases and arrested 514 suspects last year, involving 246 million yuan (about 34.74 million U.S. dollars), said the information office of the provincial government at a press conference. Wu Rong, an official with the provincial public security department, said big data has played an important role in cracking down on IPR infringement in the province. At present, a data model has been developed and applied in Guizhou's Zunyi, where China's leading liquor maker Kweichow Moutai's headquarters is located. According to the data collected, over 200 criminal gangs trafficking fake alcohol have been captured. The market supervision departments in Guizhou have also strengthened IP regulation, carrying out 2,150 law enforcement actions and handling 2,662 IPR infringement cases last year, with the fines reaching 6.67 million yuan and the confiscated items worth 3.44 million yuan. Enditem The Irish government should consider copying Australia's plan to force Facebook Inc and Alphabet Inc's Google to share advertising revenue with local media, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said on Friday. Companies like Google, Facebook and Twitter "are sort of free riders on costs incurred by other people," Varadkar, whose country hosts the European headquarters of most of the largest U.S tech companies, told journalists. "I think the new government will want to study that and see if it makes sense to do something similar in Ireland. On the face of it, it is a good idea," said Varadkar, whose party is in talks with rivals on the formation of a new government. (Reuters) Source: www.businessworld.ie The head of the World Food Program says he has been on the phone with leaders of some of the world's richest nations with a critical message: the coronavirus pandemic is not only affecting your economy but is impacting the economies of vulnerable and conflict-torn countries where millions of people will face starvation if you cut the U.N. agency's funding for food. David Beasley said in an interview with The Associated Press he has also been telling leaders that maintaining supply chains is critical and there are many potential obstacles - export restrictions, closed borders and ports, farms not producing and roads closed. "If we have money and access we can avert famine and we can truly avert catastrophic humanitarian death from starvation," Beasley said. "But if we lose our funding, or we lose supply chain, there's going to be disaster." Beasley warned the U.N. Security Council last week that as the world deals with the COVID-19 pandemic it is 'on the brink of a hunger pandemic' that could lead to 'multiple famines of biblical proportions' within a few months if immediate action isn't taken. He said 821 million people go to bed hungry every night all over the world now, a further 135 million people are facing "crisis levels of hunger or worse,' and a new World Food Program analysis shows that as a result of COVID-19 an additional 130 million people could be pushed to the brink of starvation by the end of 2020." WFP is providing food to nearly 100 million people on any given day, including "about 30 million people who literally depend on us to stay alive," Beasley said. And if those 30 million people can't be reached, "our analysis shows that 300,000 people could starve to death every single day over a three-month period" and that doesn't include increased starvation due to the new coronavirus. "In a worst-case scenario, we could be looking at famine in about three dozen countries," and in 10 of them there are already more than 1 million people per country on the verge of starvation. According to WFP, the 10 countries with the worst food crises in 2019 were Yemen, Congo, Afghanistan, Venezuela, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Syria, Sudan, Nigeria and Haiti. In the interview following up on the Security Council briefing, Beasley said support for WFP comes from the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, the European Union, Japan and other prosperous nations. "If their economies deteriorate substantially, that impacts our money, it impacts the local economies in the developing nations in a variety of different ways," he said. He cited the examples of South Sudan, which has faced years of conflict and is 98 percent dependent on revenue from oil whose price has plummeted as a result of COVID-19 and where WFP feeds about 6 million people, Nigeria where 90 percent of the economy is oil, and Ethiopia which has been struggling to feed its poor and where 50 percent of the economy is from tourism that has vanished since the pandemic. Beasley stressed that We can't say it's hunger vs. COVID. "We've got to work this together and look at the whole picture, keep the supply chain going, and minimize the economic impact so that we can make certain that people don't starve to death," he said. "So it's going to be a very delicate balancing act for leaders, and I think they're learning." The WFP executive director said he is asking donor nations to accelerate the $1.9 billion in funding they've already pledged in order to preposition food to protect against the effects of supply chain disruptions, commodity shortages, economic damage and lockdowns. WFP is also seeking a further $350 million to set up a network of bigger logistics hubs, distribution points and transport systems to minimize the risk of supply chain breakdowns, he said. "And if we can do that it will save us money, and it will save us time, and it truly will end up saving lives," he said. But Beasley said he's very concerned some of that money will disappear. "That's why I've been on the phone Skyping, Zooming, literally hours and hours and hours per day, and I have gotten nothing but extremely positive response from the leaders of major donor countries," he said. He said, however, that if leaders are told, for example, that their country will see a 25 percent reduction in revenue for the rest of the year, "you know that all bets are off at that point in time." Beasley, a former governor of South Carolina who has recovered from COVID-19, has spent the past week in Washington speaking to senior figures in the Trump administration, WFP's largest donor. Beasley said he has also been warning leaders that economic deterioration, lack of money and a breakdown in the supply chains will lead to "destabilization and chaos in many countries around the world, which will result in significant financial implications for all regions of the world." Beasley said he's also been stressing to leaders that they can't take a short-term perspective. He said "it's going to be worse" in Africa because in very fragile areas people's immune systems "0are already troubled," and children have poor nutrition and aren't getting lunches with schools closed. "What you see in Africa right now is nothing, nothing, compared to what you're going to see, just like what you were looking at in the United States or the UK just six weeks ago," he said. Vietnam has ended its third consecutive day clear of new infections, keeping the number of active Covid-19 cases at 48. The 48 active patients include eight relapse cases. Three relapses were recorded Monday - two in Ho Chi Minh City and one in the northern province of Phu Tho. All the relapsed patients are being monitored at different hospitals in the country. Of the 48, eight have tested negative once and six twice. The eight relapses exclude one patient, a Brit who has left Vietnam and was confirmed negative in the U.K. Three of the eight relapsed patients tested negative again Monday, including two in the northern province of Quang Ninh and one in the central province of Binh Thuan. All three were in stable health, doctors said. While there is no definitive answer yet on why the relapses are occurring, Nguyen Trong Dien, Director of Quang Ninh's Health Department said: "It's possible that the patients' immune system has weakend, causing the virus to flare up again because there is still no specific medicine to treat the novel coronavirus." Doctor Nguyen Thanh Binh, deputy head of the general planning department at the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases in Hanoi, said doctors have only confirmed that the patients have tested positive again but there was not enough evidence to confirm they have been reinfected. The National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology and the Pasteur Institute in Ho Chi Minh City are cultivating viruses from relapsed patients to further study the cause of the phenomenon. Vietnam have recorded 270 coronavirus patients so far, of whom 222 have been discharged from hospitals. By last Friday morning, the country had gone eight straight days without a new infection, but the evening saw two new cases, both students returning from Japan. They were quarantined on arrival and are now under treatment in Hanoi. There have been no cases of community transmission since April 16. The country has 52,000 people in quarantine at present - 323 in hospitals, 11,000 in quarantine facilities and the rest at home. The Covid-19 pandemic has spread to 210 countries and territories, with almost 207,391 deaths reported so far. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-27 14:01:41|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Equatorial Guinea's ambassador to China German Ekua Sima Abaga has spoken highly of China's efforts to contain the COVID-19 outbreak. In an interview with Xinhua, the ambassador said China had adopted a series of comprehensive, strict and thorough measures, which have been effective in reducing transmission risks. "We salute the Chinese government's efforts to contain the COVID-19 outbreak," he said. The ambassador said China and Equatorial Guinea have supported each other since the start of the outbreak. "China and Equatorial Guinea have always been good friends, good partners and good brothers and our friendship is based on sincerity and mutual support," he said. In response to the unreasonable criticisms made by some Western politicians and media against other countries' containment efforts recently, the ambassador said these criticisms are "inappropriate and unnecessary," and the international community should be more united than ever to fight this common enemy of COVID-19. China and Africa have stayed in close communication and the authorities of south China's Guangdong Province have implemented a series of new measures regarding some African countries' concerns on the situation of Africans living in Guangdong. "The pandemic prevention is irrespective of border or skin color and all people should be treated equally," said the ambassador, adding that a few individual cases should not affect the harmonious relations between China and Africa. Equatorial Guineans in China have been complying with the Chinese government's epidemic control measures since the outset of the epidemic, he said. Enditem VisiGuard Face Shields The rapid development of this product is a tribute to all the employees of our company, from each and every discipline in the organization. All working efficiently together with one common goal. We have an incredibly dedicated and talented group of people here at Sinclair & Rush. As the threat of Covid19 swept across the United States, VisiPak joined the ranks of manufacturing facilities across the country that began converting their production lines into manufacturing hubs for personal protective equipment, also known as PPE. No stranger to tough times, Sinclair & Rush, Inc. (the parent company) has been in business since 1950 and, recognizing the need for a shield that could be ready quickly and available for mass production, was more than ready to jump in with solutions. When asked about how they got the idea, Director of Sales & Marketing Jeffrey Barket shared that watching the news and seeing organizations within our community begging for more PPE so they can do their job safely, it really gets to you. I knew that the face shield was definitely something we could make and when I pitched the idea to our CEO, Brad Philip, he was 100% on board. Action was swift, from the Director of Marketing & Sales pitching an idea for a shield on Friday March 27th to a finished design completed by Monday March 30th, thanks to the Thermoforming Design Lead working through the weekend. The designer, Chris Kubicek, shared These days, plastics have kind of a bad reputation, but this is an example of how they can be used responsibly to offer fast and safe solutions. I think a lot of our existing customers will be able to use these on their own lines to keep their workers safe; it feels good knowing were helping other American companies keep their doors open as long as its safely possible. Kubicek, who has over 15 years of thermoforming design experience, enthusiastically accepted the challenge to design the shield and have it ready to release to the public as quickly as possible. All departments of the Sinclair & Rush team worked closely together so that by Friday April 3rd, tooling was complete, and they were ready to release the VisiGuard Face Shield to the public on Monday April 6th. In one short week, VisiPak pulled together to offer a patent pending face shield to the public that could be produced on a large scale, helping to make sure that those who needed personal protection equipment in our country would be prepared. The rapid development of this product is a tribute to all the employees of our company, from each and every discipline in the organization. All working efficiently together with one common goal. We have an incredibly dedicated and talented group of people here at Sinclair & Rush. Having said that, what our company accomplished pales by comparison to what our nurses, doctors and first responders are doing each and every day. Saving thousands of lives while putting their own lives at risk. If our company has helped them and others having a need for PPE, even in some very small way, then we have done a very good thing. Brad Philip, CEO of Sinclair & Rush, Inc. The shields themselves are different than most others commonly found on the market. Striving to come up with something unique, the revolutionary design created by VisiPak allows the shield to be used without foam or other unsanitary materials that may harbor contaminants. Trying, even in these difficult times, to keep our environment in mind, the shields are made from recyclable PET material and are marked with the #1 PET logo. An added benefit of using recyclable PET is that it is also resistant to Isopropyl Alcohol, Hydrogen Peroxide, or Bleach, many of the common cleaning agents found in medical environments. The simple design requires only seconds of minimal labor, attaching the strap to the plastic shield, and comes with instructions if needed. The shields pack densely, minimizing storage space and transportation costs. Keeping their customers safety in mind, VisiGuard shields are manufactured in a clean room environment where operators are required to wear hair nets, face masks, and gloves and the parts are sealed inside of a plastic bag before being sealed in the box. As of Monday April 6th, the link on their Ecommerce site is live and staff are prepared to begin shipping these from the production facility just outside of St. Louis, Missouri. For over 70 years, Sinclair & Rush has strived to offer quality plastics products to the world and today they add another product to that extensive lineup, the VisiGuard Face Shield. A 62-year-old Hopedale motorcyclist died Saturday after he lost control of his bike and crashed while riding with a group of bikers on Route 7 in Great Barrington. Great Barrington police said Glen Sault, a member of the Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association of Massachusetts, was riding with the group when he crashed at about 2:25 p.m. Western Mass News reported. Sault was transported to Fairview Hospital by ambulance then airlifted to the Baystate Medical Center by helicopter where he later died of his injuries. Police said video of the crash obtained from a motorcycle mounted camera indicated no other vehicles were involved in the crash. Great Barrington police, State Police detectives attached to the Berkshire District Attorneys Office and the Massachusetts State Police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section are investigating the incident. Live Streamed Conference Against Socialism/Communism to Include Citizen Oath to the Constitution NEWS PROVIDED BY STAND (Staying True to America's National Destiny) April 27, 2020 RICHMOND, Va., April 27, 2020 / Christian Newswire / -- Bishop E.W. Jackson, Founder and President of STAND (Staying True to America's National Destiny) will host the STAND Against Socialism/Communism Event live-streamed on Friday, May 1 from 12 Noon ET to 2 p.m. Speakers include investigative journalist - Jerome Corsi; researcher, author and filmmaker - Trevor Loudon; former CIA operations officer - Clare Lopez; Rev. Rafael Cruz - escapee from Cuba and father of Senator Ted Cruz; and former Congressman Allen West (Lt. Col. Ret.). The event could not come at a better time, according to Jackson. He sees evidence that the coronavirus pandemic is an excuse for far left elected officials to use draconian "lockdown orders" to deprive Americans of liberty without due process of law. "Some Governors and Mayors are acting like socialist/communist dictators," he says. Trevor Loudon alleges that some public officials are getting indirect support from and giving cover to the Communist Party of China, which is responsible for the coronavirus pandemic. Jackson says, "Any American official who is carrying water for Communist China should be tried for treason. We will address this on Friday." Jackson points to New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy as an example of an official disregarding the Constitution. Murphy, was asked whether he considered the Bill of Rights in crafting his lockdown "orders." He said "no" and that it is "above my paygrade." Bishop Jackson asks, "How can an elected official who swears an oath to the Constitution consider it above his pay grade to protect the fundamental rights of the people?" On May 1 during the live streamed event, there will be a symbolic swearing in to a Citizen Oath to the Constitution. "Most Americans would gladly swear an oath to the Constitution," says the Bishop, "not by government 'order' but as a voluntary show of patriotism. We're going to give them that opportunity. Too bad some of our politicians don't respect the Constitution as the American people do." The STAND Against Socialism/Communism live streamed event will take place May 1 from 12 to 2 pm ET and can be seen on Facebook @ewjacksonsr , the E W Jackson YouTube Channel and other websites to be announced. SOURCE STAND (Staying True to America's National Destiny) Related Links Copyright 2020 Albuquerque Journal SANTA FE Just three weeks ago, state officials released projections showing New Mexico hospitals could face severe shortages of beds and ventilators at the peak of the coronavirus outbreak. Their statistical model showed the state might have just 63% of the hospital beds it needed at the peak of the pandemic and just 38% of the ventilators shortages of each exceeding 1,000. But Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and her top executives shared a startlingly different picture last week. They no longer projected a shortage of general beds or ventilators. In fact, they said, it was time to accelerate planning to reopen more of New Mexicos economy. The dramatically different projections illustrate the uncertainty policymakers face while trying to combat a newly discovered coronavirus that has proved highly contagious and deadly. The differences have fueled skepticism about the states modeling, especially as frustration builds over the states stay-at-home instruction and closure of nonessential businesses. State officials have shared numbers from the modeling sporadically usually in public briefings broadcast from the Capitol. But skeptics have questioned why the projections arent published regularly online, like forecasts by the University of Washington and Los Alamos National Laboratory. Families all across our state have more questions than answers from leaders in Santa Fe, and they deserve better, said Larry Behrens of Power the Future, an advocacy group for energy workers. Power the Future and the libertarian-leaning Rio Grande Foundation have urged the state to share its disease modeling with the public. State officials say they are preparing to post their projections online regularly and share more information about how the modeling works. Just last week, they said, the states modeling team which includes representatives from Sandia and Los Alamos national laboratories, the state Department of Health and Presbyterian Healthcare Services agreed to publish weekly projections and explanatory material. Jason Mitchell, a physician and chief medical officer for Presbyterian, said the projections have been incredibly helpful in day-to-day decisions for where to deploy resources, such as ambulances. It allows you to plan in a really meaningful way, he said. Health care leaders, Mitchell said, are using the near-term projections, for the most part, not looking at the longer-term projections for how many people might die over, say, the next 12 months. Such a forecast grabbed public attention April 3, when the state released a projection estimating that 2,100 to 4,700 New Mexicans might die, depending on the effects of social distancing. Behavior praised Mitchell and state Human Services Secretary David Scrase, also a physician, say New Mexicans own behavior is the driving force in the changed projections. Even small changes in the transmission rate of the disease, they said, create enormously different projections because the math works exponentially. Its a much different outcome, for example, if each person with the coronavirus infects three other people, who in turn infect three other people and so on rather than just a transmission rate in which 1.3 other people are infected. And thats the scope of the change health care leaders say they have seen in New Mexico. Mitchell said New Mexicans appear to have reduced the transmission rate to just under 1.3, down from roughly 2.5 to 3.0 earlier in the outbreak. Youre talking about catastrophic life loss hinging on small changes in the transmission rate, Mitchell told the Journal. Every little bit you bring it down markedly reduces that. New Mexicans deserve credit, he said, for their commitment to staying home and engaging in social distancing. Projected demand for medical beds, consequently, has fallen throughout the month while medical resources are increasing, Mitchell and Scrase said. Hospitals have converted respiratory equipment into ventilators, they said, and health systems have retrained personnel to staff more beds. And the old Lovelace hospital in Southeast Albuquerque is being prepared to add to the states bed capacity. Patient surges likely Scrase said some of the earlier projections for substantial bed and equipment shortages were based on higher transmission rates. They were always intended to be subject to change, he said, depending on how successful New Mexicans social isolation proved to be. State officials, Scrase said, had to prepare for moderately bad scenarios rather than just hope for the best. The 1.3 transmission rate, for example, was actually the lowest possibility that had been programmed into the model at one point as they built various what if forecasts. Even so, Scrase said, the current transmission rate isnt enough to end the pandemic. Hospitals still face the prospect of surges in patients, he said, until the transmission rate falls below 1. Scrase didnt commit to a particular date for putting the state model online. He said the states modeling team wants to publish weekly updates and share regular information going forward. Were very proud of it, Scrase said. Its very uniquely New Mexican. Three Leaving Cert students from across the country share their thoughts and opinions on the upcoming exams. Students around the country respond to the postponement and cancellation of state exams. 'The mental well-being of young people is not being given strong enough consideration' Jennifer Flynn (19) from Sacred Heart Secondary School, Clonakilty Thousands of Leaving Certificate students are currently consumed by a feeling of betrayal as our voices have been ignored by the Government. The postponement of the Leaving Certificate was announced on April 10 by An Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar. This decision, which impacts 61,053 of us, was made without extensively consulting a single student. I recognise the overwhelming pressure that the Government is under but I am left with no choice but to write this open letter in the hope that this decision is revoked. I appreciate the necessary and extreme actions that the Irish Government has had to take in its attempts to flatten the curve of Covid-19. However, since the announcement of the closure of all secondary schools on March 12, young people have felt forgotten. We have received no information or direction. The decision to cancel orals and award all students 100pc was by no means a perfect solution, but it did at least ease the immediate concerns of worried students. Following on from this, the April 10 announcement that the summer exams would be delayed came as a shock to many. It soon emerged that we, the students, had not been adequately consulted. In fact, we had been ignored. In a students union (ISSU) survey, 49pc of Leaving Cert candidates who took part were in favour of 'cancelling the upcoming exams and using a predicted grade model'. Only 18.9pc opted for the exams to be rescheduled to a date later in the summer. The disappointment currently felt by students towards Minister for Education, Joe McHugh, is palpable. The emotional health and mental well-being of young people is not being given strong enough consideration. I sincerely hope that this terrible approach does not have devastating consequences for students and their families. It has been said that this year's Leaving Certificate candidates must be treated the same as candidates from every other year. This feels particularly harsh at a time when we, along with the rest of society, face an unprecedented global crisis. Upon announcing the postponement of the exams, Minister McHugh said: "Great work is being done by schools and teachers to connect with students and to keep them learning." These words created an image of hope and reassurance. Unfortunately, this image is a work of fiction. In this pandemic, effective and sustained teacher engagement through remote learning is crucial to all students. Sadly, some teachers have not engaged with students sufficiently. Moreover, any student fortunate enough to receive comprehensive teacher engagement is at a significant advantage to others. Some students have a weak internet connection, so online teaching isn't even a possibility for them. The Government's response to the predicted grade model proposed by the majority of students is unreasonable. Last year, while under the scrutiny of some media outlets, the State Examination Commission (SEC) actually defended its practice of awarding hundreds of estimated grades to students. Internal records show that the SEC takes this approach when some or all of a student's work is not available for marking due to "unique, unforeseen and exceptional circumstances". So, there clearly is a precedent for awarding predicted grades, but the truth is somehow overlooked and the Government has chosen to senselessly uphold tradition rather than sensible reasoning. As the Taoiseach said: "The truth is that these are extraordinary times." Surely the extraordinary nature of life today demands extraordinary action in all sectors, including that of education, and specifically the Leaving Certificate examinations. I strongly believe that the postponement of the Leaving Certificate exams, of which we still have no details, is unjust. It fills me with disappointment. 'Cancel the exams, give us predicted grades and usher in a bright, new era of continuous assessment' Emily Erskine (18) from Donegal Town, Co. Donegal I am a sixth-year student in county Donegal and, just like the majority, I am at home in lockdown. At present, I am studying hard for a Leaving Cert that has been postponed. Most of my day is taken up with trying to finish coursework and revising what has been completed. Expand Close Emily Erskine (18) from Donegal Town, Co. Donegal / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Emily Erskine (18) from Donegal Town, Co. Donegal I urge the Minister for Education, Joe McHugh, to listen to the vast amount of students pleading for the Leaving Certificate to be cancelled. The Leaving Cert exams cause a great deal of stress for young adults. We are told that everything we have done in our education up to this final year is for our Leaving Cert. What if this pandemic stretches on longer then anticipated? Is the Government really going to allow students to go and sit an exam when they know that they could potentially be infectious? Postponing the Leaving Cert is making students feel more anxious and stressed. It feels like we are running a race and the finishing line was in sight, but it has now been picked up and moved out of sight again. All of this pressure is still looming over our heads. Our teachers are doing the best they can in challenging circumstances to try and accommodate us, but this arrangement doesn't work for some students who find it easier to learn in a classroom environment and not online. Many students have such a bad WiFi connection that they cannot engage in online classes. Teachers will be giving up their time to try and facilitate our needs. What about their families and their health? They have done so much to try to make everything as easy as possible for us, but who's making sure things are easy for them? They will have to go into school for two weeks, where they will of course be surrounded by students. This will put them and their families at risk. We need to think not only of the mental and physical health of students, but of the teachers too. Reading comments online, some say that we are being selfish. They believe that we only want the Leaving Cert cancelled because we won't be getting a summer. The reality is that we aren't going to get the summer we wanted anyway, although we do deserve some sort of summer (even if it consists of students living with their families in quarantine). We need to relax our brains from all the stress and pressure built up over the last six years. Does the minister expect us to go straight from a stressful exam in July, into college, without a break? There are so many reasons why these exams shouldn't go ahead, but the main ones relate to releasing the stress, anxiety and pressure. Visit our Covid-19 vaccine dashboard for updates on the roll out of the vaccination program and the rate of Coronavirus cases Ireland Please give the Leaving Cert students of 2020 predicted grades. Keep the teachers and students safe this summer. Trust the professionalism of the teachers and their knowledge of their students to give us a just grade for our Leaving Cert. There is time to assess the predicted grades before the summer, thus making it possible for college places to be secured and accepted. I know this isn't the traditional method, but it might set a new precedent for continuous assessment in exams in the future. We hear of the stress being caused by the Leaving Certificate every year. It makes headline news. Maybe this is the time, this is the year, to make a change for the better. Continuous assessment is the fairest way to showcase a student's ability. 'The worry I have for my family is enough without the added pressure of the exams' Ciara Gallagher (18) from Carrickmacross, Co.Monaghan I completely disagree with the decision made regarding the Leaving Cert. At a time when the whole world is in a state of panic, it is unfair that 17- and 18-year-olds are somehow expected to be immune from that intense feeling of anxiety. Expand Close Ciara Gallagher (18) from Carrickmacross, Co.Monaghan / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Ciara Gallagher (18) from Carrickmacross, Co.Monaghan It is a sad fact that some of us have and will lose loved ones, yet we are expected to just keep going as normal. Many of us don't have classes now because the internet connection at home isn't strong enough. We haven't finished our courses and, in the case of some students, we have to take care of younger siblings. Countries around the world have cancelled their exams but we haven't. Why is this so? Even the Olympics are cancelled! The uncertainty is cruel and very damaging to our wellbeing. It is quite clear that students' opinions aren't valued. The Leaving Cert is already stressful enough without a global pandemic to deal with. I believe that postponing the Leaving Cert is very wrong. This year already feels endless, yet somehow it has been made longer. Of course there are more pressing issues, such as people becoming unemployed. However, this adds to our stress as the people becoming unemployed are our parents. I believe predictive grades is the most fair solution. It is deeply disheartening to witness the voice of students being ignored. Postponement was the least popular option, according to the ISSU survey. If exams go ahead in August, sixth year will have spanned 12 months, which is ludicrous. Sixth year is commonly referred to as "the most stressful year in your life". With this in mind, how can it be expected of teenagers to keep going this long while the world faces a global trauma? We should be allowed to spend quality time with our families, time during which we try and get through the lockdown together. As soon as the announcement about the postponement of exams was made, all of my friends were distraught, as was I. I have a twin sister, so there is double the stress in my house. As well as this, if my brother contracted coronavirus he would be at a high risk of becoming critically ill. My Dad also happens to be a frontline health worker. It is all too much to bear. The worry I have for my family is enough without the added pressure of the exams. I have worked since first year but now I know I won't reach my potential due to the mental strain this is having on me and the fact that we are not being taught. This is why, for the mental and physical health of students, I believe predictive grades is the only way to go. We are living history. The challenges posed by Covid 19 are similar the world over but everybodys experience of this emergency will be different. In this special series, Lockdown Letters' gives our readers at home and across the globe an opportunity to share their stories about how the Coronavirus and the measures to tackle its spread are impacting their lives in these unprecedented times. Please email your submission (400 words max.) to stories@independent.ie along with a photograph. We will publish as many letters as possible on Independent.ie and a selection in print every week. More than 90% of restaurants are closed (Brian Lawless/PA) The Restaurants Association of Ireland (RAI) has warned 120,000 jobs are at risk in the sector in the months ahead due to the Covid-19 pandemic. With more than 90% of restaurants currently closed since restrictions were announced in March, it has launched a nine-point recovery plan for the Irish restaurant sector. The association said immediate support is needed to help its members. RAI chief executive Adrian Cummins said: Our plan, which is the only viable solution for restaurants, is on the desks of ministers and departments. Our plan, which is the only viable solution for restaurants, is on the desks of Ministers & Departments." Read more about the @RAI_ie's #COVID-19 Crisis Recovery Plan below. The 9-point plan aims to help save and recover the restaurant industry. https://t.co/apJytEdHzh Restaurants Association of Ireland (@RAI_ie) April 27, 2020 We are seeking urgent action to save and recover our industry, as nine out of 10 restaurants face permanent closure in the months ahead without urgent action. Mr Cummins said there should be a 0% VAT rate for tourism and hospitality for the period of the crisis, and for 12 months thereafter. The measures the RAI is calling for include: Waiver of licences for outdoor tables and chairs for one year to enable businesses to reopen and adapt to social distancing using outdoor spaces A ban on utility providers cutting off services and demanding payments when businesses are closed. Review of standing charges for closure period No banking fees for hospitality until a vaccine is found. It also said a package of measures from the Department of Business should be put together to cover outgoings in the first six months following the return of normal trading. A 64-year-old woman is dead and a man remains in critical condition following a violent incident in Perth's north on Sunday afternoon. Police were called to a home on Lotherton Way in Hocking about 4pm where they found two people with "significant injuries". The street was cordoned off by officers and a major investigation launched. A 34-year-old man was taken into custody and has since been charged with murder. The man has also been charged with attempted unlawful killing as a result of injuries caused to a 65-year-old man. WASHINGTON, April 27, 2020 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ -- Wells Fargo & Company and the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC) are proud to announce the expansion into five new markets represented by dynamic Hispanic Chamber of Commerce members of the USHCC for the Avanzar Small Business Accelerator Program, making it a total of seven American cities in 2020 receiving small business assistance. Avanzar ('advance' in Spanish) is an eight-month business accelerator designed for Hispanic small businesses that are ready to take their businesses to the next level. Each Latina and Latino entrepreneur participates in courses that are aimed to help develop business plans, strategy, and the leadership skills needed to scale their small businesses. Course topics include building financial plans, streamlining operations, lowering expenses, marketing, leveraging social media, and obtaining access to capital for each business. Subject matter experts, from Wells Fargo, will provide the access to capital training. Throughout the Avanzar Program the USHCC Chambers will track and monitor certain performance metrics with the Hispanic Business Enterprises (HBEs) in the Avanzar Program, including jobs created, access to capital and access to contract opportunities. In 2019, Wells Fargo and the USHCC piloted the Avanzar program in partnership with the Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce in Albuquerque, New Mexico and the Latin American Chamber of Commerce of Charlotte in Charlotte, North Carolina. "Wells Fargo is proud to be the founding sponsor of the Avanzar program. We fundamentally believe that capacity building, access to capital, and effective mentoring are critical ways to ensure that Hispanic-owned businesses grow and scale. The Avanzar program is about empowering Hispanic business owners to grow sustainable firms that create jobs in communities all across the United States," said Regina Heyward, Senior Vice President and Head of Supplier Diversity at Wells Fargo. During COVID-19, the USHCC and Wells Fargo have been working diligently and collaboratively to ensure that Hispanic businesses have access to the information and resources they need to get past these difficult times. By leveraging technology to deploy capacity-building programs, USHCC and Wells Fargo will make assistance available to help small diverse businesses grow, scale and rebuild. In 2020, five new market regions have been selected to invest and expand the Avanzar program by partnering with five local Hispanic Chambers of Commerce. The five local chambers selected by the USHCC as partners are: Los Angeles Latino Chamber of Commerce Latin Chamber of Commerce of Las Vegas Nevada Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Metro Orlando & Prospera "We are very excited to expand Avanzar to five new cities thanks to the support from Regina Heyward, on behalf of Wells Fargo, and the great results from our first pilot thanks to Rocio Gonzalez, President and CEO of the Latin American Chamber of Commerce of Charlotte and Ernie C'De Baca, President and CEO of the Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce," said Ramiro A. Cavazos, USHCC President and CEO. "Wells Fargo's investment in Avanzar proves their commitment to helping support Latina and Latino entrepreneurs, America's fastest growing business group, and our Hispanic Chambers across the country." Questions may be submitted to [email protected]. About Wells Fargo Wells Fargo & Company is a diversified, community-based financial services company with $1.98 trillion in assets. Wells Fargo's vision is to satisfy our customers' financial needs and help them succeed financially. Founded in 1852 and headquartered in San Francisco, Wells Fargo provides banking, investment and mortgage products and services, as well as consumer and commercial finance, through 7,400 locations, more than 13,000 ATMs, the internet (wellsfargo.com) and mobile banking, and has offices in 31 countries and territories to support customers who conduct business in the global economy. With approximately 263,000 team members, Wells Fargo serves one in three households in the United States. Wells Fargo & Company was ranked No. 29 on Fortune's 2019 rankings of America's largest corporations. News, insights and perspectives from Wells Fargo are also available at Wells Fargo Stories. SOURCE United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Related Links http://www.ushcc.com Ambassador Cheng Jingye has done Australia a great service. He has taken off the mask. China's ambassador has shown us the true face of the Chinese government's feeling for Australia. The Chinese Communist Party for years has been working systematically to undermine Australia's sovereignty. To "take over" our political system, in the words of Australia's former national security adviser and ASIO chief, Duncan Lewis. But the Chinese regime always kept the smiling mask of friendship in place. President Xi Jinping told Australia's Parliament in 2014 that the two countries should "be harmonious neighbours who stick together in both good times and bad times". A well-known cleric in Pakistan has said the coronavirus pandemic has been unleashed on humanity because of lies, deceit and dishonesty of people among other things during a telethon to raise funds for for victims of the respiratory disease. According to news agency ANI, Maulana Tariq Jameel made the comments during the Ehsaas Telethon fundraising event on Thursday, during which Prime Minister Imran Khan was also present. The religious leader spoke for nearly an hour and said the goal was not to fight against the coronavirus pandemic but to be humble in front of God. He went on to blame the pandemic on the prevalence of lying, dishonesty and betrayals in society, lack of honour and people accumulating wealth through fraudulent means. Also Watch | Pakistan planning to export COVID-19 patients to J&K: DGP Dilbag Singh Jameel had also condemned the media for what he said was disseminating lies. The prime minister is here, anchors are sitting here... Do we consider how we are going to face the day of judgement due to our deceitfulness? he asked. The owner of a very big channel asked me for some advise; I told him to abolish all lies from his channel. The owner replied that the channel would be close but lies would not end... This is not just here, but media the world over is the same, he said. He later apologised for that remarks, saying it was a slip of tongue. Who has torn honour to pieces in my country? Who makes my countrys daughters dance? Who is asking them to wear skimpier clothes? Whom should I hold accountable for this sin? he said. I seek forgiveness from Allah that I could not make my community understand. When a Muslims daughter choose the path of indecency and the youth choose vulgarity The biggest curse of God was on the people of Lut as they crossed all boundaries of indecency and were cursed five times, he said. The Human Right Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has pulled up the cleric for his statement against women. HRCP is appalled at Maulana Tariq Jamils recent statement inexplicably correlating womens modesty to the Covid19 pandemic. Such blatant objectification is unacceptable and, when aired on public television, only compounds the misogyny entrenched in society, the commission tweeted. The country widely-read newspaper Dawn wrote in an editorial that statements like this are troubling, adding they are also aired, unchallenged, from a very high-profile platform. Dawn said that it is a shame that the cleric was not corrected when he made these offensive comments. Cases of domestic abuse cases have soared during the coronavirus pandemic as women are forced to stay home for extended periods with their tormentors. Pakistan has reported 11,940 cases of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), including 253 deaths across the country. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Turkey lifted a four-day curfew as of midnight Sunday which had been imposed in 31 provinces to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus. The government enforced its third weekend stay-at-home order, which included the national April 23 holiday and its following day. "Our citizens in 31 provinces obeyed the curfew by and large staying at their homes, said the Interior Ministry in a statement. "Judicial or administrative proceedings were applied to 35,422 people who did break the curfew between 0 a.m. (1000GMT) Wednesday till Sunday 8 p.m. (0600GMT), it added. It was also stated that quarantine was lifted in 177 settlements in 44 cities on Sunday. The ministry underlined that regulations to curb the spread of the virus, such as compulsory wearing of masks and keeping social distance in markets, square and streets, will be strictly monitored over the next week. The country's first curfew was implemented on April 11-12. The curfew was imposed in the capital Ankara as well as in Adana, Antalya, Aydin, Balikesir, Bursa, Denizli, Diyarbakir, Erzurum, Eskisehir, Gaziantep, Hatay, Istanbul, Izmir, Kahramanmaras, Kayseri, Kocaeli, Konya, Malatya, Manisa, Mardin, Mersin, Mugla, Ordu, Sakarya, Samsun, Sanliurfa, Tekirdag, Trabzon, Van and Zonguldak provinces. Before the first curfew, 35% of the coronavirus cases in Turkey were among people 65 years old or older, while the percentage has since dropped to 18%, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said Friday. The coronavirus death toll in Turkey reached 2,805 as of Sunday, with 110,130 cases, according to the country's Health Ministry. After originating in Wuhan, China last December, COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, has spread to at least 185 countries and regions across the world, with Europe and the U.S. currently the worst hit. The pandemic has killed over 205,900 people with total infections exceeding 2.96 million, while more than 861,500 have recovered from the disease, according to figures compiled by U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University. Image Credit: AA The Delhi High Court has upheld the cost imposed on a trust, which had sought contempt action against AAP government officials for not issuing it travel passes for relief work, saying it constituted an obstruction of officials work. A bench of Justices Manmohan and Sanjeev Narula said the contempt plea filed by the Civilian Welfare and Development Trust "not only constituted an obstruction in the carrying out of the relief work by government officials, but was also against public interest". The bench said if officials of the trust were allowed to move in or out from a containment area, as was sought in its plea, they would have spread the highly contagious disease to other individuals and areas. The trust, in the contempt plea before the single judge, had sought action against the authorities and a district magistrate for alleged wilful disobedience of an April 8 order of the high court in which an undertaking was given by the government that movement passes have already been issued to the volunteers of the trust for relief work. The single judge in his April 15 order had directed the trust to pay the cost into the PM CARES Fund. In the contempt plea, the trust alleged that its offices are located within Chandni Mahal area in Central Delhi and due to the containment order, they are unable to provide ration to needy persons there. After the April 8 order, the Chandni Mahal area was declared as a containment area on April 10 and the trust officials were denied entry there. In its appeal against the single judge's April 15 order, the trust contended that the Delhi government had never said the passes would not be valid for containment zones. It also said that the government had undertaken to extend the passes for the lockdown period. The Delhi government, in its defence, said there were 160 COVID-19 positive cases, which included nine police officials, in the Chandni Mahal area and 12 out of the 54 deaths in the national capital have occurred there. After hearing both sides, the bench said while there was an undertaking to renew the passes, it was overridden by a supervening event -- declaring of Chandni Mahal as a containment area on April 10 -- and that order of the government has not yet been challenged. The bench also noted that the April 10 order directed cordoning off the area to prevent movement of persons to stop spread of COVID-19 and restrained residents of the containment area from moving out of their houses. "Consequently, in view of the subsequent order dated April 10, this court is of the view that the curfew passes, if any, issued to the residents of the containment area stood eclipsed," the bench said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine jointly with the Ministry of Infrastructure are launching a pilot project to introduce an electronic consignment note in Ukraine. "Companies will be able to quickly, without additional paperwork and the use of special software, take advantage of electronic consignment note thanks to API (application program interface when one computer program can interact with another)," the Ministry of Digital Transformation said on Monday on Telegram. According to the Ministry of Digital Transformation, the launch of electronic consignment note will allow the government to effectively counteract the overload of vehicles that destroy the road surface, minimize corruption in the transportation, and create big data to make decisions on priorities for the development of Ukrainian infrastructure. The ministry also said that the introduction of electronic consignment note will accelerate business processes and reduce idle periods for vehicles due to the possibility of access to a single database of documents in real time for regulatory authorities. Chief executives at 18 FTSE 100 listed companies furloughing thousands of staff raked in over 300million, or over 3million each, in pay and rewards since 2015, new findings from the High Pay Centre claim. There are mounting calls for highly paid executives to play a bigger part in shouldering the financial burden stemming from the crisis, which will end up hitting taxpayers hard in the pocket. The Government's Job Retention Scheme looks set to cost British taxpayers over 40billion in just the first four months of its existence, while some experts think the economy could shrink over a third this quarter. 'It is highly questionable whether companies in receipt of public money should continue to disproportionately channel private gains to a small number of often very rich people, in the form of very high chief executive pay and dividend payments', the High Pay Centre said. Responses: FTSE 100 and 250 companies' responses to the Covid-19 pandemic It added: 'It is right to question the resilience of companies that have lavished billions on shareholders and executives in recent years, but now depend on public funding to cover their costs throughout what will hopefully be a brief pause in economic life.' As well as furloughing staff, companies can also apply for a loan via the Government's Corporate Finance Facility, and like some airlines including billionaire Richard Branson's Virgin Atlantic, plead for a taxpayer-backed bailout. Virgin Atlantic is reportedly now racing to win over new private investments to stay afloat. Fair furlough? To date, around 18 per cent of companies listed on the FTSE 100 index have used the Government's Job Retention Scheme to furlough staff, according to the High Pay Centre. For the FTSE 250 index, the figure is 26 per cent. But, this figure could be higher as some companies would not reveal to the High Pay Centre whether they planned to furlough staff or not. According to the High Pay Centre, in the last five years, the chief executives at FTSE 100 companies which have confirmed they have furloughed staff received over 320million in pay and rewards, amounting to over 3million each a year. So far, companies on the FTSE 100 index which have furloughed staff include the likes of Primark owner Associated British Foods, easyJet and Melrose Industries, the owner of aerospace group GKN. Closed: Primark owner Associated British Foods has furloughed over 30,000 people Grounded: Budget airline easyJet has furloughed 7,500 people in its workforce Costly: The Job Retention Scheme looks set to cost taxpayers at least 40billion Primark-owner AB Foods has furloughed around 30,000 staff, while embattled easyJet has furloughed 7,500 people, but still dished out a 174million dividend last month. Some companies who have furloughed staff have also cut pay for their top executives. The Government's Job Retention Scheme, which is designed to ensure people keep their jobs, means taxpayer money is being used to pay up to 2,500 a month for staff furloughed by their employers. The FTSE 100 companies known to have furloughed staff have dished out 26billion in dividends and raked in 42billion worth of profits since 2015, the High Pay Centre's research revealed. Meanwhile, the FTSE 250 companies who told the High Pay Centre they had furloughed staff have forked out around 1.9million a year to their chief executives, doled out 14billion worth of dividends and generated 18billion worth of profits. So far, around 435,000 companies have applied to use the Job Retention Scheme, with over 3.2million workers affected. Fat cat pay cuts Up to 22 April, around 37 per cent of chief executives at FTSE 100 listed companies had had their pay cut as a result of the pandemic, according to the High Pay Centre. For FTSE 250 listed firms, this percentage is lower, at around 31 per cent. AB Foods boss George Weston will get a temporary 50% pay cut When chief executives are taking a pay cut in response to the pandemic, the reduction is generally between a third and a fifth. But it is not always clear whether this is an annual base salary reduction or on a pro-rata basis for the duration of the lockdown. The High Pay Centre thinks that out of all the companies on the FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 indices, only 13 per cent have scraped or reduced bonuses or lucrative long-term incentive plan payments, which are often based on performance metrics and can amount to huge sums. Plus, when bonuses have been scrapped, they often only relate to cash bonuses, meaning bonuses in the form of shares could still be in the pipelines. The inclusion of bonus cuts could have a marked difference on whether of not a fat cat's pay reduction offers any 'meaningful demonstration of solidarity' with their staff, the High Pay Centre said. Taking an example, a chief executive on an annual base salary of 850,000 and an annual bonus of 1.4million, which is fairly standard for bosses on the FTSE 100, a 20 per cent salary cut lasting three months would represent a loss to the boss of around 42,500. But, if the same chief executive had their annual base salary reduced by 30 per cent and their annual bonus scrapped, this would amount of a pay reduction of 1.65million. Apply these reductions to all top brass at major companies, and the impact would be substantial. 'Temporary salary cuts do not represent a particularly generous sacrifice in the context of median FTSE 100 CEO annual pay of 3.5million', the High Pay Centre said. Dividends demolished To date, 33 per cent of companies listed on the FTSE 100 index have withdrawn proposed dividend payments to shareholders or opted not to offer them as a result of the pandemic. Within the FTSE 250 index, around 47 per cent of firms have altered their dividend plans. Across all indices these percentages look set to rise as more companies announce their annual results in the next few weeks. No divi here: Banks like Lloyds Banking Group have scrapped dividends for investors Banks were among the first to take action on the dividend front. Barclays, the Royal Bank of Scotland, HSBC and Lloyds Banking Group have all suspended dividend payments this year as a result of the crisis. The banks took the decision after a request from the Bank of Englands Prudential Regulation Authority, who has also called on top brass to take a pay cut. According to The High Pay Centre, decisions to withdraw or withhold dividend payments 'should be welcomed' in this period of uncertainty. But, on the other side of the coin, the mass dividend dry-up has left thousands of investors with a small number of shares in big-name brands without a vital source of income for the year ahead. Coronation Street's Julie Hesmondhalgh has said she would not take the part of Hayley Cropper today, and hopes she would not be offered it. The actress played the first trans character in a British soap when she arrived on the Coronation Street cobbles in 1998. She transformed trans visibility in the UK, but the character was controversial because she was played by a cis woman. She told The Guardian: There was a really great trans rights group, Press for Change, who were really, really p*ssed off and I totally understood why. I met them and I assured them that I was their ally, that I would play the part with as much sensitivity and empathy as I could, that I would listen to them. And, honestly, I think I did a decent job. Asked if she would take the part today, she said: I would hope that it wouldnt be offered to me as a cis woman. I definitely wouldnt take it. I left Corrie because it was time for me to go personally, but it was also time for Hayley a trans woman played by a cis woman to go, too. I was about to become an absolute anachronism, because there were then trans actors to play those parts, and even more now. Hesmondhalgh won widespread acclaim, including several awards, for her portrayal of Hayley. The character died in 2014. The actress said she is still in awe of how much Hayley and her relationship with cafe owner Roy Cropper changed public perception. She said: Even now, I cant quite believe the power of it. Literally within weeks, people were saying to me in the street: When are you and Roy getting married? Id be like: Were not allowed to its against the law, and theyd be like: Oh, never mind that! I knew then that something was shifting. If you want to fight prejudice, you put somebody likeable in the living room and people can see beyond what makes them different to what makes them the same. Tollywood is on a challenge mode, and the celebrities are totally winning the hearts of the people amid the lockdown. The #BetheREALMAN challenge has caught all the attention it needed, which was initiated by Arjun Reddy Director Sandeep Reddy Vanga. The challenge has now almost covered all the top actors of the industry except the Stylish Star, Allu Arjun. The actor has not been nominated by any one so far, which is surprising and disappointing at the same time for the Allu fans. Well, we would tell his fans to not get disheartened, and wait for the mass entry of their favourite actor in the trending challenge. The #BetheREALMAN challenge requires the stars to do household chores and post a video of the same on social media. The celebrities who jumped on the bandwagon in taking up the challenge are Rajamouli, Jr NTR, Ram Charan, Chiranjeevi, Koratala Shiva, Sukumar, Anil Ravipudi, Boyapati Srinu, Shobu Yarlagadda, Krish Jagarlamudi, Venkatesh, MM Keeravani, and Varun Tej. Coming back to Allu Arjun, the actor is waiting for the Coronavirus lockdown to get lifted so as to resume the shoot of his next venture Pushpa. Directed by Sukumar, the makers released the Stylish Star's first look poster on his birthday. Bankrolled by Mythri Movie Makers and Muttamsetty Media, Pushpa will hit the theatres next year. However, the release date has not yet been confirmed by the makers. Music composer Devi Sri Prasad will be scoring the music for the much-awaited movie, which will also feature Rashmika Mandanna, Dhananjay, Prakash Raj, Jagapati Babu, Harish Uthaman, Vennela Kishore, Anasuya Bharadwaj, and Anish Kuruvilla in supporting roles. Recently, it was reported that Nivetha Thomas might be roped in to essay the second female lead alongside Allu Arjun, but later, the makers rubbished the rumours. As per the latest rumours, Anasuya Bharadwaj will no longer be a part of the film. It is said that, as the makers are aiming for a pan-India approach, they want to cast a more popular face. Mahesh Babu Refrains From Taking Up #BetheREALMAN Challenge After Venkatesh Nominated Him Kishori Pednekar, the mayor of Mumbai, put on a nurses uniform and visited the Brihanmubmbai Municipal Corporation (BMC)-run BYL Nair Hospital on Monday morning in a bid to encourage and enthuse the staff, who are in the front line to combat the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak. Pednekar, a former nurse, mingled with the hospitals nursing staff and enquired about the difficulties they are facing while dealing with the pandemic. A BMC official said Pednekar ensured that social distancing norms were adhered to during her visit to the hospital. Ive worked as a nurse and Im acutely aware of the professional challenges. I put on my uniform to convey a message to the nursing fraternity that Im one of their own. I interacted with the nursing staff to encourage them in their valiant fight against the pandemic. These are hard times. We need to stand by each other to fight this pandemic together, she told HT. Pednekar, who was born to a mill worker father, started her career as a nurse before she took to politics and joined the Shiv Senas womens wing in 1992. Initially, she worked for the Sena in Raigad and Sindhudurg districts in western Maharashtra. She was elected a BMC councillor in 2002 and has since been re-elected twice in 2012 and 2017. She had quarantined herself at her official residence in Byculla for a week after 53 Mumbai-based journalists recently tested Covid-19 positive at a health camp organised by the BMC authorities. Pednekar, who was present at the health camp, had announced that she would quarantine herself for two weeks but decided to get back to her public life after she tested Covid-19 negative for the second consecutive time. I stepped out after both my swab samples tested negative. Im Mumbais first citizen and I need to work for the Mumbaikars, she added. On Tuesday, Pednekar plans to make a similar visit to the BMC-run Sion Hospital. Mumbai reported 5,407 Covid-19 positive cases and 204 deaths till Sunday. MIDDLETOWN One Middletown family has generously taken in a Bryant University sophomore from Lebanon who couldnt return home to Beirut when the physical college closed recently due to the coronavirus. For the past five and a half weeks, Jamil Mansour, 20, has been staying with the Clemmey household, taking classes online in anticipation of hopefully returning to Lebanon once exams are over. Im very very thankful. I feel like I owe a big one to Ben. Its nice to know theres someone I can count on, Mansour said. Benjamin Clemmey, 19, expected his friend to visit for a week this summer. We had that a little bit early, [but didnt expect to] make it a few months long. Were happy to have him. Once he arrived in America, Mansour got used to the way of life quickly. When Im back home, everything I did as a kid comes back on the first day. Lebanons coronavirus outbreak has placed the whole country into lockdown, similar to the situation in New York, Mansour said. His father owns a milling company. They sell their products to bakeries throughout Lebanon, he said. Luckily, its not really affecting the business, because people need food, so theyre buying flour from us. Its much tougher to get high-quality health care there. Since Lebanon is a third-world country as people call it we dont really have the medical advances needed to treat the virus as well as here, but theyre managing, Mansour said. Both men are international business majors at the college; Mansour with a concentration in management and minor in communications, and Clemmey a concentration in accounting with a minor in Spanish. After college, Mansour hopes to stay in the United States for a few years, then take a job in sales or join a trading firm in the United States. He plans to eventually move home to work at the family business. There are six living in the Clemmey household on self-quarantine. Mansour expects to fly home once final exams are over in early May. The duo knew Bryant would move to virtual learning after finding out, while on spring break, all their professors received training for online classes. We were sitting in a hotdog stand. At that point, we knew they were going to call school. We were just waiting for the official word, Clemmey said. The living situation was agreed upon after the two and a classmate returned from a 10-day trip to Puerto Rico March 16. Thats when COVID-19 restrictions began to be imposed. We expected to go back to school, but the whole thing happened, which saw Bryant closing up campus March 27, Clemmey said. By that time, Ben offered me to stay with them, said Mansour, who feels greatly indebted to the Clemmeys. Theyve all been very friendly to me. Since Im staying here, Ive been trying to help as much as I can getting nice chocolates and food for them, and helping around the house a bit. My dog has come to look to Jamil, too, so if thats not an indication that somebody is part of the family, then I dont know what is, Clemmey said, as the two chuckled. They spend afternoons doing online classwork, and different things to keep occupied in the evening. Every night, the family enjoys a meal together. Normally, my dad cooks, but there have been a couple nights where we say take the night off, and well make tacos, Clemmey said. Mansour cooked during a recent Lebanese-themed dinner. The Clemmeys usual meals are either Polish- or Italian-inspired. I really like Lebanese food, said Clemmey, who enjoyed it another time when Mansour cooked for a college event. Its super good. My sister Abbey wasnt sure she would like it. She loved it, and Jamil was happy to see that, he added. This is not Mansours first time away from his hometown. Since about 15, hes been going to summer camps anywhere from two weeks to a month without his parents. That prepared him for college. I still miss them a lot, but its been difficult. I know my family can take of themselves. His mother still worries. She keeps texting every day: Make sure you wash your hands, Mansour said. His family has assured him they are safe. Dont worry, mom. We havent left the house in two weeks, Clemmey said with a laugh. They are getting restless, however, he admitted. Mansour is thankful the family has a gym in the basement. That gets our blood moving a little bit. I feel like were going a bit crazy, but we have each other to talk to, and keep having fun. Clemmey has friends who are only children. Theyre telling me that theyre going absolutely crazy. I feel about a quarter as crazy as you, he tells them, because I have five other people in my house to keep me occupied. Im banging my head against the wall, but, for young people like us, its not the best-case scenario to stay inside for a month straight. Both will room together during the second semester of the 2020-21 academic year to study abroad in France. International business students are required to take a semester outside the United States, as well as complete an internship out of the country to encourage them to learn a foreign language. Mansour already speaks fluent Arabic, French and English. He keeps in touch with family back home using FaceTime every couple of days, checking in to see theyre faring. Staying in Connecticut is a safer bet for him, Mansour said. Of course, my main priority is to be with my family right now. Even though its bad, or even worse, over there, I would prefer to be around my family and my home, he added. Advertisement By West Kentucky Star Staff Apr. 27, 2020 | PADUCAH By West Kentucky Star Staff Apr. 27, 2020 | 05:50 PM | PADUCAH Paducah Police are asking for the public's help finding a man wanted on an assault charge. Police were called to a convenience store last Tuesday afternoon (April 21) and spoke to a Hopkinsville man who was bleeding from wounds to his head. He was taken to Mercy Health Lourdes for treatment of his injuries. The victim told officers he was assaulted by 54-year-old Erich L. Sternberg, but didn't know why. However, a short time later, police say Sternberg called 911 and told a dispatcher he assaulted the man because his wallet had been stolen. Police say an officer called Sternberg and was told that the victim had stolen money from him. A warrant has been issued for Sternberg's arrest, charging him with 2nd degree assault. Anyone with information on Sternberg's whereabouts is asked to call Paducah Police at 270-444-8550. Information also may be provided anonymously through West Kentucky Crime Stoppers by texting WKY and your tip to 847411 (tip 411) or by downloading the app WKY Crime Stoppers from the Apple Store or Google Play. Tipsters also may access the online tip form through the City of Paducah website at http://paducahky.gov/west-ky-crime-stoppers. Information leading to an arrest or indictment may result in a reward of up to $1,000. British farmers could benefit from measures included in a new 80m package of support for the EU agri-food sector impacted by the Covid-19 crisis. The UK could apply to take part in one measure included in the support package - the private storage aid (PSA) scheme. The European Commission proposed to grant private storage aid for dairy and meat products, such as beef, sheep and goat meat. While the UK left the bloc on 31 January 2020, it still participates in certain policies which will expire at the end of the Brexit transition period on 31 December. The PSA scheme would allow the temporary withdrawal of products from the market for a minimum of 2 to 3 months, and a maximum period of 5 to 6 months. It would lead to a decrease of available supply on the market and rebalance the market on the long-term. For the dairy sector, this primarily means the opening of private storage aid for skimmed milk powder, butter, and cheese, AHDB dairy analyst Katherine Jack explains. The allocation for how much UK product would be eligible for this is yet to be announced, though some reports suggest that for cheese it would be around 4.5 thousand tonnes. Other measures announced include an exceptional derogation from EU competition rules for the milk sector, as well as flowers and potatoes. This means the milk sector will be allowed to collectively take measures to stabilise the market, for example, collectively planning milk production, Ms Jack explains. The European Commission are also allowing flexibility in the EU school milk, fruits and vegetables scheme to allow reprioritisation of funding towards crisis management measures. The EU aims to have these measures adopted by the end of April, at which point full details of the proposals will be revealed. The Ulster Farmers Union (UFU) welcomed the proposed support package for the agri-food sector as an 'encouraging first step'. The union's president Ivor Ferguson said: The agri-food sector has taken a serious hit due to the coronavirus pandemic and all financial support to help sustain our industry is welcome." However, since the package is mainly to encourage the storage of dairy and red meat products, it does not provide direct support for farmers, he warned. The Commission has stated that the storage aid will fund processors, allowing them to store products for a minimum of two months and a maximum of seven. "The thinking behind this is that it will allow the market to find a better balance after experiencing a serious plunge in product demand when the hospitality sectors closed due to Covid-19. But Mr Ferguson said the market downturn is 'most acute' and is already being felt by farmers: "We hope that this proposed package by the Commission will deliver, improving farmgate prices and having a knock-on-affect on family run farming businesses. "However, it is important that the Commission monitors the effectiveness of the measures and be ready to come forward with additional measures as necessary. According to this report by Business Insider, a former neighbor of Tara Reades says that Reade told her about Bidens alleged assault way back in the mid-1990s. Lynda LaCasse, who lived next door to Reade in the years shortly after Reade left Bidens employ, says this happened, and I know it did because I remember talking about it. LaCasse, who says she plans to vote for Biden, told Business Insider: I remember her saying, here was this person that she was working for and she idolized him. And he kind of put her up against a wall. And he put his hand up her skirt and he put his fingers inside her. She felt like she was assaulted, and she really didnt feel there was anything she could do. She was crying. She was upset. And the more she talked about it, the more she started crying. I remember saying that she needed to file a police report. Actually, the fact that Reade told LaCasse about an assault doesnt mean it happened. However, it provides additional corroboration of Reades story. Moreover, coupled with the evidence that already has come to light, it is more corroboration than MeToo movement types require to accept a story like Reades as the gospel if the villain of the piece is a Republican or an expendable Democrat. And theres more. Business Insider reports that Lorraine Sanchez, who worked with Reade in the office of a California state senator in the mid-1990s, says she recalls Reade complaining at the time that her former boss in Washington DC had sexually harassed her, and that she had been fired after raising concerns. Feminist liberals like Ruth Marcus, who argued unconvincingly that Reades claim against Biden is weaker than Christine Blasey Fords claim against Brett Kavanaugh, need to go back to the drawing board. Indian-American Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal on Monday endorsed Joe Biden's 2020 White House bid, saying the former vice president is a deeply dedicated public servant with the ability to unite the American people. Biden, 77, is the presumptive nominee of the Democratic party. Jayapal, the first Indian-American woman to be elected to the US House of Representatives, has been a traditional supporter of senior party leader Senator Bernie Sanders, who has now dropped out of the race in support of the former vice president. "Today, I am announcing my endorsement of Vice President Joe Biden for President of the United States. Vice President Biden is a deeply dedicated public servant with the ability to unite the American people," Jayapal said in a statement. Jayapal, who is co-Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, said that she believes wholeheartedly that government can and must be a force for good expanding access to healthcare and education, fighting the climate crisis, passing humane immigration reform, and looking out for working people instead of corporate interests. "I started this campaign as an ardent and vocal surrogate for Bernie Sanders, and while I have not always agreed with Vice President Biden on matters of policy, I am ready to work with him to craft and then implement the most progressive agenda of any candidate in history, she said. Jayapal was elected to the House of Representatives in 2016 from 7th Congressional District of Washington State, which encompasses most of Seattle and surrounding areas. She served as National Health Policy Chair and Washington State Campaign Chair for Sanders' 2020 presidential campaign. She has been a strong critic of President Donald Trump. "As President, Donald Trump has consistently sided with the wealthy and well-connected over working families and regular Americans, fostered racism and xenophobia and undermined democratic norms and the rule of law. "He and his administration have demonstrated repeatedly and most recently in their disastrous response to COVID-19 an inability to govern, make tough decisions, speak the truth and unite the country in common purpose. Any progress toward a better future requires defeating him this November, she said. The number of COVID-19 cases in the US are more than 965,000 and 54,877 deaths have been reported so far. "We are ready for a President who will encourage us to be as big as we can be, with compassion and bold leadership. That President must be Joe Biden, and I will do everything I can to help him win back the White House, take back the Senate, and preserve our House Majority. Together, I am confident we can build a more perfect union, Jayapal said. Congressman Dr Ami Bera was the first Indian-American lawmaker to endorse Biden for president during his primary elections. Indian origin Senator Kamala Harris has also endorsed Biden early this month. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A group of five former employees of Wipro in the United States has filed a class action lawsuit accusing the Indian IT company of employment discrimination against individuals who are not South Asian and who are not of Indian origin. Headquartered in Bangalore, Wipro has over 160,000 workers worldwide, including over 14,000 employees in the United States. The lawsuit filed in a District Court in New Jersey claims that while only about 12 per cent of the United States' IT industry (the industry in which Wipro operates) is South Asian, at least 80 per cent (or more) of Wipro's United States workforce is South Asian (primarily from India). "This grossly disproportionate workforce results from Wipro's intentional pattern and practice of employment discrimination against individuals who are not South Asian and who are not of Indian national origin, including discrimination in hiring, promotion, and termination decisions, and its use of employment practices that result in a disparate impact on those same groups, alleges the lawsuit. When contacted, the company said: "Wipro does not comment on pending litigation". All the five former employees are US citizens. Three of them Gregory MacLean (a resident of California), James Gibbs (Tennessee) and Ronald Hemenway (Florida) are of Caucasian race. Rick Valles from California is from Hispanic race, while Ardeshir Pezeshki from California is of Iranian origin. Demanding a trial by jury, the class action lawsuit seeks Wipro to adopt a valid, non-discriminatory method for hiring, promotion, termination, and other employment decisions. The lawsuit alleges that Wipro operates under a general policy of discrimination in favour of South Asians and against individuals who are not South Asian and not Indian. This general policy of discrimination manifests itself in the same general fashion with respect to Wipro's hiring, staffing, promotion, and termination decisions, the lawsuit alleges. "To fulfill its employment preference for South Asians and Indians, Wipro seeks to maximize the number of visas it receives each year from the federal government, it says. Wipro is consistently one of the top five H-1B visa recipients. Wipro submits visa petitions for more positions than actually exist in the US in order to maximize its chances of securing the highest number of available H-1B visas from the lottery process, it alleges. "In this way, Wipro has been able to secure visas for far more individuals than it actually has a present need for. For example, in 2015, Wipro received 5,968 new visas, while in 2016, it received 6,831 new visas far more positions that could actually exist given that Wipro employs less than 15,000 individuals in the United States, the lawsuit says. Alleging that Wipro gives preference to South Asian and Indian applicants located in the US over non-South Asian and non-Indian applicant, the lawsuit says that on information and belief, both Wipro's internal recruiters and its third-party recruiters give preference to locating and recruiting South Asian and Indian candidates, who are then given preference throughout the hiring process. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Before COVID-19 hit in full and shelter-in-place orders were issued, Springfield, Ill., was like most cities taking a holistic approach to digital inclusion, trying to boost the numbers of students in area schools who had access to the Internet at home.And like most cities, obstacles such as infrastructure and available resources were challenges. Then the pandemic hit, and suddenly the schools were closed, students were home, and teachers were moving to online instruction. Connecting those students went from a long-term project to a necessity, and it needed to be done in days not in weeks, months or years.Tom Chi, who is the central Illinois citys telecommunications manager and acting chief innovation officer, said there was no time to build out infrastructure, and no time to wait for resources. The city wanted to buy Wi-Fi hot spots to give to students during the crisis, he said, but even that was a challenge because nationwide demand had the tech on month-long backorders.So Springfield reached out to Verizon, and through the companys contacts, the city was able to overcome supply chain issues caused by the crisis to acquire 1,000 Wi-Fi hot spots to give to public school students. To do this, Verizon connected Springfield with Connected Solutions Group , in Mechanicsville, Va.And Springfield is not the only city that has been forced to take this immediate, whatever-it-takes approach to digital equity during the crisis. In fact, cities all over the country are working to find new and agile ways to bridge the digital divide, even if those ways are often temporary.As the vice president of business and development for the gov tech company UrbanLeap , Rich Lechner has helped convene a discussion and resources network of more than 200 cities from 37 states during the crisis. In a recent Zoom conversation, Lechner described rapidly bridging the digital divide the way Springfield did as a frequent topic of discussion.He said for many cities, the work has long involved creating resources at physical locations such as libraries or community centers, and it now has to change to helping residents get online access without having to go out in public.Angelina Panettieri is the legislative manager for information technology and communications with the National League of Cities , a professional network for civic leadership. Panettieri is also involved with efforts to connect cities with each other so they can share lessons learned during the crisis, and she, too, pointed to digital inclusion as one of the more pressing matters currently facing local leadership.Its a challenge that faces both the public and private sector as well as city hall itself how can organizations get devices into peoples hands so they can conduct all their business online?What might have been a three- or five-year timeline has now been pushed into three weeks, Panettieri said of the rapid acceleration of need.To this end, there are several communities across the country that have converted unused school buses into Wi-Fi hot spots, so users in need can park beside them and get online from portable devices in their cars. While this works in the short term, the cost and logistical hassle of the connections hardly make it an endgame solution.Thats happening because we have fallen down on the job as a country, she said, because we have failed at providing adequate broadband infrastructure at a price where people can afford it. Thats happening because we messed up.While Panettieri said shes been heartened to see bi-partisan support for action taken by the FCC around digital equity during these times to make programs flexible and to secure volunteering commitments from Internet service providers, she said legislation aimed at fixing underlying digital equity issues namely poor broadband infrastructure and prohibitive service pricing is best remedied by legislative action. Bills such as the Digital Equity Act and the LIFT America Act are currently in existence and would be immensely helpful, provided they come to fruition.We just have to get it together and actually pass those bills, Panettieri said. A bunch of them have been sitting around for a while.Panettieri is also one of a chorus of voices in the local government and adjacent spaces voicing optimism that the crisis has illustrated the pressing and tangible needs for nationwide connectivity, doing so as it did with the school kids in Springfield and in other parts of the country with capabilities such as telehealth.In the meantime, cities are doing what they can, aided by public-private partnerships in their communities. In Kansas City, Mo., for example, the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City has teamed with both the city and the business community on a program called the Employer Laptop Challenge An outgrowth of digital equity work the bank has been involved with for some time, the challenges verbiage notes that it would take at least 5,000 computers to meet the needs of the most at-risk families in metro Kansas City, and more to help nonprofits struggling to operate virtually.The basic idea behind the Employer Laptop Challenge is to organize a community effort for businesses to donate discarded computers to be refurbished and given out to those in need, said Jeremy Hegle, senior community development adviser for the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City.The bank itself discards hundreds of computers each year, most of which could be refurbished and repurposed. Computers donated as part of the challenge will go to Connecting for Good , a Kansas City-based nonprofit that works to provide low-income communities in the city with Internet access, devices and digital literacy training the big three of digital inclusion.We see this as a low-cost, immediate way to support the schools in communities, Hegle said.In addition to helping the kids continue their learning, there is also a public health benefit to keeping households online. If they have Internet at home, they wont have to leave the house as much to accomplish basic tasks, and therefore wont be at risk of spreading or catching the virus.Its a rare obstacle that brings the public, private and nonprofit sectors together to take action in a matter of days, but with everything at stake, thats exactly whats happening with digital inclusion efforts in many cities nationwide.Government TechnologyGoverning LONDON, April 27, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Eyeota , the leading audience technology platform enabling the intelligent use of data, today announced the expansion of its data partnership with YouGov PLC , a leading international research data and analytics group, headquartered in London. Eyeota now enables activation of audiences built on YouGov data in France, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Hong Kong and Australia. Marketers in the United States, the United Kingdom and Germany have been leveraging YouGov / Eyeota audiences since 2016. YouGov is delighted to strengthen our partnership with Eyeota, said William Ullstein, commercial director at YouGov. We have had tremendous success in the U.S., U.K. and Germany over the years and we are excited about expanding our global capability footprint. With our combined data and technology, YouGov and Eyeota offer advertisers and their agencies a crucial bridge between planning and execution that ultimately delivers better business outcomes. Eyeotas audience technology platform delivers a consumer-safe, privacy compliant and globally consistent approach for data owners to transform their data into audiences for marketers to reach targeted customers. Eyeotas direct integration with leading global demand-side platforms (DSP) and data management platforms (DMP) guarantees that audiences are accessible on all leading buying platforms. This new expansion allows marketers and agencies to seamlessly activate YouGovs audiences in new Asia-Pacific and European countries through Eyeotas platform and consistent modeling technology. With a proprietary panel of over 8 million people globally, YouGov has one of the worlds largest research networks, providing a continuous stream of accurate data and insights. This data is used to fuel YouGovs huge existing taxonomy, which can be further expanded by connecting bespoke surveys to fit each clients and campaigns individual needs. Through the YouGov and Eyeota partnership, marketers can use research data tailored to audience-specific metrics across their entire campaign lifecycle from audience insight and planning to activation. Eyeotas globally consistent modeling technology encourages the activation of privacy-compliant audiences built with the attitudes, beliefs, and opinions of their desired target customers, at scale. For example, Eyeota worked with an audio brand to overlay results from a YouGov custom survey with its syndicated data to build bespoke audiences. The audiences were modeled using Eyeotas unique globally consistent process and the campaign exceeded all core KPIs: 9% increase in brand consideration, 4% increase in brand adoption and an 8% increase in recalling core brand attributes among target consumers. We are excited to strengthen our partnership with YouGov and to expand its powerful audience offering in Europe and across the APAC market, said Marc Fanelli, SVP of strategic partnerships and global data supply at Eyeota. With their data, our technology platform and globally unified methodology we empower brands to use research-based data to personalize their outreach to highly targeted audiences. To learn more about Eyeota, please visit: https://www.eyeota.com/ . About Eyeota Eyeota is an audience technology platform that enables the intelligent use of data. We work with marketers, data owners and research companies to provide distinct, comprehensive and qualified audience data. Our technology platform transforms audience data so that organizations can make smarter business decisions, understand customers and enrich marketing strategies. Eyeota was founded in 2010 and operates in Europe, Asia, Australia, and the Americas. For more information, please visit http://www.eyeota.com . About YouGov YouGov is an international research and data analytics group. Our mission is to supply a continuous stream of accurate data into what the world thinks, so that organisations can better serve the communities that sustain them. Each day, our highly engaged proprietary global panel of over 8 million people provides us with thousands of data points on consumer opinions, attitudes and behaviour. We combine this continuous stream of data with our research expertise to provide insights that enable intelligent decision-making and informed conversations. With operations in the UK, North America, Mainland Europe, the Nordics, the Middle East and Asia Pacific, YouGov has one of the worlds largest research networks. For further information visit yougov.com . Media Contacts Lacy Talton Blast PR on behalf of Eyeota lacy@blastpr.com 252-467-5220 Todays Headlines The most important news stories of the day, curated by Post editors and delivered every morning. Email address By signing up you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Welcome, DISH customer! Please note that we cannot save your viewing history due to an arrangement with DISH. Watchlist and resume progress features have been disabled. ACCEPT The Jenner Institutes vaccine effort is not the only one showing promise. Two American companies, Moderna and Inovio, have started small clinical trials with technologies involving modified or otherwise manipulated genetic material. They are seeking both to demonstrate their safety and to learn more about dosing and other variables. Neither technology has ever produced a licensed drug or been manufactured at scale. A Chinese company, CanSino, has also started clinical trials in China using a technology similar to the Oxford institutes, using a strain of the same respiratory virus that is found in humans, not chimps. But demonstrating the effectiveness of a vaccine in China may be difficult because Covid-19 infections there have plummeted. Armed with safety data from their human trials of similar vaccines for Ebola, MERS and malaria, though, the scientists at Oxfords institute persuaded British regulators to allow unusually accelerated trials while the epidemic is still hot around them. The institute last week began a Phase I clinical trial involving 1,100 people. Crucially, next month it will begin a combined Phase II and Phase III trial involving another 5,000. Unlike any other vaccine project now underway, that trial is designed to prove effectiveness as well as safety. The scientists would declare victory if as many as a dozen participants who are given a placebo become sick with Covid-19 compared with only one or two who receive the inoculation. Then we have a party and tell the world, Professor Hill said. Everyone who had received only the placebo would also be vaccinated immediately. If too few participants are infected in Britain, the institute is planning other trials where the coronavirus may still be spreading, possibly in Africa or India. Well have to chase the epidemic, Professor Hill said. If it is still raging in certain states, it is not inconceivable we end up testing in the United States in November. Carl Zimmer contributed reporting. Hiram G. Thornton, farmer,section 2, Jerome Township, was born in Monroe, Ashtabula Co., Ohio, April 9, 1840, and is the son of Isaac and Rachel (Goodsell) Thornton. The parents were natives of Massachusetts, and the father died in Erie Co., PA. The mother is living in Ashtabula Co., Ohio. When Mr. Thornton was 12 years old, the family moved to Erie Co., PA, and settled in Greene Township, where his father bought 80 acres of land, having sold his farm of 80 acres in Ohio. On this Mr. Thornton remained until he was of age, when he was engaged as a farm laborer by the month. Five days after he reached the period of his legal freedom, the assault on Fort Sumter sent a thrill of amazement around the world,and five months later, in September 1861, he enlisted in Co. E, 29th Ohio Vol. Inf., and was mustered out during the last days of December, 1863, within the year he re-enlisted, or veteranized, and was in the service until June, 1865. His first battle was at Winchester, under Gen. Shields, followed by the engagements at Port Republic, Cedar Mountain, Bull Run (2nd),South Mountain, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville,and Gettysburg. The regiment was then assigned to the corp of Gen. Hooker, Maj. Gen. Sherman commanding. Mr. Thornton was in the battles of Lookout Mountain, and Buzzard's Roost. In the latter engagement he was wounded below the right knee, and in falling, broke three ribs. He was in the siege of Atlanta and started with Sherman for the sea, but three days later was captured and held prisoner at Florence until near the close of the war. He was pardoned about the time of the surrender of Gen. Johnston, and was kept in the woods about two weeks at Goldsboro, NC. He went thence to Wilmington, NC, where he proceeded to Annapolis, and from there he was sent home on a furlough. He was so much emaciated that on leaving Annapolis he was removed from the boat on a stretcher. On reaching home he became ill from smallpox, which he survived as he had done the privation of prison life. On recovery he returned to Camp Chase, Ohio, where he received his discharge. He bought a small farm in Ashtabula County, which he continued to manage five years,and in 1874 moved to Midland County, where he entered a homestead claim of 80 acres in the township of Edenville. On this he resided six years and received his patent from the United States. He then removed to the place known as the "Ox-Bow Farm," which he worked one year, and at the expiration of that time he returned to his own property. He now owns 136 acres, with 30 acres improved. Mr. Thornton is a Republican and has served four terms as township treasurer. He was married about the last of December, 1865 to Tasa M.,daughter of J.C.D. and Tasa (Brown) Hinkle. Her father was born Jan 27, 1803, in Maryland,and died in February, 1881,Kentland, Newton, Co., IN. Her mother was born Oct. 5, 1809, in Onondaga Co., NY, and died in December 1879. Mr. and Mrs. Thornton have become the parents of six children, recorded as follows: Nettie M, Dec. 31, 1867; Tasa A.,June 27, 1879 (died when three years old); Clare B., Sept. 21,1874; Charles D., Oct. 12, 1879; Hattie M., Nov. 6, 1882. EDITOR'S NOTE The Midland County Historical Society is partnering with the Midland Daily News for "A Window to Midland's Past," which will feature historical pieces in print and online at ourmidland.com. This particular piece was compiled by retired historical society director Gary Skory from the 1884 Biographical Album. It was originally published on Sept. 2, 1993. As Ghana sustains its measures to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, on Sunday, cautioned those smuggling aliens into the country to desist from such unpatriotic acts. He warned that those who entered the country illegally would be strictly dealt with, likewise Ghanaians who facilitated their entry. President Akufo-Addo was giving his Eight Update on the measures taken against the COVID-19 Pandemic, in a national broadcast. The President stated: This is the time for sacrifice, so that we do not have to bear a greater cost in the future. Unhappily, there continues to be the worrying news of a few Ghanaians aiding some West African nationals to enter our country illegally, despite the closure of our borders. Even more disturbing is the fact that several of the West Africans, who have been arrested, have later tested positive for the virus. "These are unpatriotic acts, and must stop. We cannot continue to allow a few persons, who are motivated by their own selfish, money-making interests, to endanger the lives of the rest of the population. He reiterated that being a Ghanaian must mean that we look out for each other. President Akufo-Addo said it was important for all to understand that the virus was the enemy, and not one another. We must be resolute in our unity to defeat this invisible enemy," he declared. " No country on earth has been spared the ravages of this virus, and my single minded goal is how to steer the country out of this crisis, protect our population from the virus, and see to the rebuilding of our economy. Nothing else matters for me. The President urged Ghanaians to begin to lift their heads above the parapet, and look at their future with courage and hope; declaring that: I shall be outlining, shortly, the path for bringing the restrictive measures, systematically, to an end, and defining the basket of measures for the revival and growth of our national economy. We have to own our future. It was out of adversity, the President said, that opportunity emerged, adding that, "through this ordeal, we, Ghanaians, have had the opportunity to re-introduce ourselves to one another, showing the best of who we are. Commending the enormous cooperation he had received so far, the President said : I am truly proud, and, indeed, humbled, to stand here today as your President, witnessing the unfettered assistance Ghanaians have given to each other, the help you have offered to those in need, the generosity of your contributions to the COVID-19 National Trust Fund, and the support and understanding you have given to the difficult measures Government has had to undertake. The solidarity and humanity on display in these past days fills me with even more optimism that Ghana will overcome this crisis, and come out even stronger and more resilient". Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video CHICAGO (AP) Illinois Republicans renewed demands Monday for more information on inmates who have been released because of the coronavirus pandemic, claiming some have violent criminal histories and could threaten public safety. Gov. J.B. Pritzker, a Democrat, signed an order earlier this month allowing furloughs for elderly inmates or those with health conditions, who are considered medically vulnerable to contracting and spreading COVID-19. Roughly 36,000 people are incarcerated in Illinois facilities and civil rights advocates have raised concerns about inmate welfare. House Republicans hosted a video news conference Monday, saying their requests for information have been ignored, including details on how many have been freed and how the Illinois Department of Corrections determines who gets released. Our concern is that the governor and IDOC are using this pandemic as a way to push their political agenda of releasing inmates, rather than actually looking out for the public safety, said Rep. Avery Bourne of Morrisonville. State officials have not been specific on the numbers. Illinois' prison population has been reduced by about 1,300 inmates, Pritzker said Monday during his daily coronavirus news conference. He said that includes commutations and those included in his order but didn't specify a timeline or a detailed breakdown. He directed further questions to the IDOC. In response to an Associated Press public records request for the names of inmates released because of the pandemic, IDOC sent a document with all inmates released since March 1. The list of roughly 3,900 inmates doesnt include the reasons for their release. An IDOC spokeswoman didn't return a message seeking comment Monday. There have been coronavirus outbreaks at the state's correctional facilities. State data show 153 inmates have tested positive for COVID-19, with the vast majority at Stateville Correction Center in Crest Hill, where there have been 10 deaths. Overall, 147 corrections employees have also tested positive, with 74 at Stateville. For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or modest 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 life-threatening illness, including pneumonia. Illinois officials reported 50 new deaths related to COVID-19 Monday, bringing the total statewide death toll to 1,983. The Illinois Department of Public Health also reported 1,980 new cases, for a total of 45,883 in Illinois. ___ Associated Press writer John O'Connor in Springfield contributed to this report. Adidas reported Monday worldwide sales plummeting in January-March, but lively demand for its striped flip-flops as a low-effort shoe for around the house has offered a slap of relief. Known as "Adilettes", the German brand's ultra-casual footwear are more usually seen around the pool or in gym locker rooms, or on the street by fashionistas. But as coronavirus lockdowns slammed into effect around the world, demand for flip-flops surged by "triple-digit" percentages in April compared with the average in recent months, chief executive Kasper Rorsted said. The leap is "probably because people find that this is a super product to wear at home," Rorsted mused about the footwear, which starts from around 20 euros ($21.7). Adidas also booked "record sales" of yoga mats during the first three months as practitioners look to stay limber under lockdown. Around the world, the group's online sales leaped 55 percent in March, as stores in Europe and North America shut down just as Chinese branches reopened following a month of closure. But across the first quarter, profits slumped 95 percent, to 31 million euros, and Adidas was unable to offer financial forecasts for the full year. The humble flip-flop has turned in an unlikely smash hit for Adidas This month, Philadelphia transit police officers violently forced a man off a bus for not wearing a mask. In New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo raised the maximum fine from $500 to $1,000 for breaking social-distancing protocols, and Mayor Bill de Blasio has deployed Police Department officers to enforce them and make arrests. In Kentucky, judges are ordering people who have tested positive for the coronavirus and have broken quarantine to be fitted with ankle monitors with the threat of arrest if they leave their homes. In Florida, a judge ruled that people arrested for breaking quarantine can be held without bail. Punitive responses like these will unfairly burden the black and Latino communities that have already been hit hard by the coronavirus. There are smarter and fairer ways to encourage compliance with social-distancing practices. Aggressive enforcement risks a replication of patterns weve seen before. The war on drugs resulted in black and Latino people arrested at much rates higher than white people for the same low-level offenses. The reliance on law enforcement to address addiction ignored the underlying health, social and economic issues minority communities face and, if anything, exacerbated them. Deploying police officers to enforce social-distancing rules could do the same. This will be the case even if fines are used instead of arrests. Its well documented that police departments have targeted black communities with fines which can quickly result in jail times for lack of payment as a way of supplementing income for municipalities. Black people are already disproportionately targeted for infractions like jaywalking and loitering. In an incident which shows how addictive online video gaming is for teenagers, a boy in Patiala, Punjab has allegedly committed suicide being scolded by parents playing too much PUBG. He allegedly killed himself by jumping into Bhakra canal, which is almost 500 metres from where he lived, as per a report in Mumbai Mirror. He hailed from Bharat Nagar colony and was a in a private school. Police recovered his body from the Bhakra canal near Shutrana on Nabha-Patiala road. Polygon Model town police station in-charge Ronnie Singh said that he was chided by his family members for playing PUBG for several hours in a day. His father told the police that since the imposition of the lockdown, he used to stay engrossed the online video game. On April 20, he got filled with rage after getting rebuked and left home at around 1:30. However, his family members found him and brought him back. Polygon On the same day, he again left his house in the evening. The family members lodged a missing complaint with Model Town Police after they failed to trace him. The police immediately swung into action and began scanning footage from CCTV cameras installed in the area. A recording showed the boy marching towards the Bhakra canal. The investigating officials called a team of divers but they were unable to find the boy, according to a report of the Hindustan Times. Polygon On Sunday, the police were informed that a childs body had been recovered from the canal near Shutrana. Police officials and the now-deceased boys family members rushed to the spot and ascertained the identity of the body. Based on the statements of the deceased boys family members, the police have initiated inquest proceedings under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC). Estelle Gold Exploration and Drilling Update Melbourne, April 27, 2020 AEST (ABN Newswire) - The directors of Nova Minerals Limited ( ASX:NVA ) ( FRA:QM3 ) ( OTCMKTS:NVAAF ) are pleased to announce the resource development drilling program at the Estelle Gold Camp in Alaska has resumed. A diamond rig has commenced drilling operations on Pad 3, aka Block 2 "starter pit" area of the Korbel Deposit (Figure 1*), at the company's district scale Estelle Gold Project.The company's objective for 2020 remains to significantly increase the current 2.5Moz resource in both size and confidence. The maiden 2.5Moz Inferred Resource announced in September 2019 was achieved using and average drill depth of less than 100m. Induced Polarisation chargeability results show that the mineralisation is present to at least 300m below surface and remains open. Historical deep drilling results confirms continuous mineralisation beyond 400m depth. The current program will test down to 500m level or five times the current depth of the Resource area.Project Highlights:- Drilling underway at Block B (Starter Pit) with the goal of substantially increasing the size and upgrading the Resource to Measured & Indicated status to expedite project feasibility studies. (ASX Announcement: 9 December 2019)- Second diamond drill rig currently being mobilised to the project.- RC infill and scout drilling to also commence at Korbel in the near term.- Phase one Resource Upgrade scheduled for release mid-year.- Established 2.5Moz inferred gold resource at Korbel Blocks A and B (one of fifteen known occurrences) open in all directions- Exceptional gold leach recoveries averaging 76% at the Korbel Deposit (ASX Announcement: 30 December 2019)- Permanent expansion camp construction ongoing, completion expected in coming weeks for year-round drilling.The diamond drill campaign is targeted at adding significant mineral resources at Blocks A and B. The Induced Polarisation (IP) chargeability modelled to 300m shows mineralisation remains open at depth. Drill hole SE11-001 which intersected 0.40 g/t Au over 460 metres (ASX Announcement: 16 July 2019) goes beyond the lower iso-surface boundary demonstrating that the mineralisation extends to 400 metres depth and beyond as outlined in (Figure 1*).Nova looks forward to the ongoing announcement of results throughout the duration of the drill program as they are returned from the ALS laboratory and reviewed internally.The Nova team has significant technical expertise, which has unlocked 2.5Moz inferred resource at the Estelle Gold Camp at a discovery cost of less than $1 per resource ounce and plans to maintain this run rate with drill layout, high level efficiencies, technical abilities and tier one quality controls.Nova continues to exercise caution with regard to managing the risk of COVID-19, with the priority being to protect our employees, contractors, consultants, their families and communities. The Company has enacted protocols in accordance with the guidance by the US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other relevant health organisations and will keep them in place whilst site works are underway.As announced on 9 December 2019, the resource development drilling program will initially target the "Starter Pit" at Korbel Block B on Pads 3 and 4 (Figure 2*). The location of Pad 3 is within the vicinity of a high grade intercept of 27.6 g/t Au over 1.5 metres returned from hole OX-RC-16 drilled in the summer of 2019. The company is focused on identifying these higher grade pods within the larger deposit area to assist in planned feasibility and ore sorting works. In addition, re-sampling of hole SE12-004, also in the vicinity of Pad 3, returned a broad intercept of 1.20 g/t Au over 70.1m (ASX 02 September 2019). Drilling from Pad 3 will continue to expand the Resource laterally and at depth by targeting mineralisation down to the 500m level. The additional data density from drilling Pad 3 and 4 will also increase confidence in the Resource and shift tonnes from Inferred into the Measured & Indicated categories. The global objective is to push the "Starter Pit" towards a feasibility study in 2021 (ASX announcement: 02 September 2019 and 9 December, 2019) on the path to production.The company is now set to push forward with the drilling program designed to significantly upgrade the Korbel Resource to the higher confidence Measured and Indicated categories whilst concurrently increasing the size of the resource.NOVA Chairman, Mr. Avi Kimelman said: "To the credit of our CEO Chris Gerteisen and the field crew, we have got off to a great start with our 2020 exploration program with all things considered at these very difficult and testing times. We have now safely and efficiently mobilised our field crews and have boots on the ground with the drill bit turning. I again take this opportunity to thank our entire team including contractors, consultants and stakeholders working vigorously to rapidly progress our district scale Estelle Gold Camp. We have had to adapt quickly in this current COVID-19 environment and are pleased to have the team that can make this happen both technically and safely with multiple plans in place to give us flexibility in our efforts. We have never been more excited in relation to the Estelle Gold Camp and the scope we see at the project to significantly increase the resource and confidence level to measured and indicated categories.We remain committed to demonstrating that the Estelle Gold Camp is of global significance on par with Donlin Creek in terms of size and Fort Knox in terms of geology.Like I have said many times in the past not all that many opportunities come around to drill a system this large such as what we have at Estelle, with an established 2.5Moz inferred gold resource on a small area, open significantly in all directions and this is one of 15 known targets. Our exploration efforts to date have produced results at an extremely low cost per discovered ounce and we intend to maintain this run rate.Our project development efforts in 2020 are centred to significantly increasing the current 2.5Moz resource in both size and confidence. Most importantly our 2.5Moz Inferred Resource was achieved using and average drill depth of less than 100m. Induced Polarisation chargeability results show that the mineralization is present at 300m below surface. This program is now planned to test down to 500m level or 5 times the current depth of the current Resource area. Additional to that, we anticipate moving the Korbel starter pit to development stage during the course of 2020 on the path to production.The Company looks forward to this program and is confident with our prioritised systematic exploration strategy, the team's local experience and commitment, we are now well on track and confident to solidify the Estelle Project as the next emerging major global gold camp."*To view tables and figures, please visit:About Nova Minerals Limited Nova Minerals Limited's (ASX:NVA) (FRA:QM3) (OTCMKTS:NVAAF) vision is to develop North America's next major gold trend. The company is focused on exploration in Alaska's prolific Tintina Gold Belt, a province which hosts a 220 million ounce (Moz) documented gold endowment and some of the world's largest gold mines and discoveries including Victoria Gold's Eagle Mine and Kinross Gold Corporation's Fort Knox Gold Mine. The company's flagship Estelle Project has a current total estimated JORC gold resource of 9.6Moz (3Moz Indicated and 6.6Moz Inferred). Estelle is a 45km long string of 15 identified gold prospects bracketed by the Korbel deposit in the north and the RPM deposit in the south. These two deposits are currently host to extensive exploration programs. Additionally, Nova has an indirect interest in the Canadian Thompson Brothers Lithium Project through a substantial stake in Snow Lake Resources Ltd (NASDAQ:LITM) and holds a 12.99% interest in Torian Resources Limited (ASX:TNR), a gold exploration company based in Western Australia. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-27 01:42:32|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close The undated photo shows Chun Wai Chan, a principal dancer with Houston Ballet, interacting with social media followers during an online class amid COVID-19 pandemic in Houston, the United States. At 11 a.m. sharp, Chun Wai Chan turns on his camera and begins to dance with music while live-streaming an online class. At the other end of the Internet, hundreds of people across the world follow him, stretching and jumping. Since March, the one-hour free ballet class from Monday to Friday has become Chun Wai Chan's "new job." As a principal dancer with Houston Ballet, Chun Wai Chan has to stay at home like others in the country to help slow the spread of COVID-19. (Xinhua) by Xinhua writer Gao Lu HOUSTON, April 26 (Xinhua) -- At 11 a.m. sharp, Chun Wai Chan turns on his camera and begins to dance with music while livestreaming. At the other end of the Internet, hundreds of people across the world follow him, stretching and jumping. In the past weeks, the one-hour free ballet class from Monday to Friday has become Chun Wai Chan's "new job." As a principal dancer with Houston Ballet, Chun Wai Chan has to stay at home like others in the country to help slow the spread of COVID-19. Encouraged by his fans from social media, Chan came up with the idea of online ballet class. "I was among the first to offer free online dance class in the United States," Chan told Xinhua during a recent phone interview. "I said yes when some followers in social media asked me if I can do that." "Trust me," wrote Chan on Instagram. "I am an expert at taking ballet class at home." Dance Magazine promoted Chan's virtual lessons on its website, along with other distinguished dancers. His first class on March 18 attracted more than 500 followers worldwide. Chan's ballet dream began at age 12 when he joined Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts in south China's Guangdong province, where he was born. In 2010, Chan entered the Prix de Lausanne, an international competition for young dancers held annually in Switzerland. After finishing as a finalist in the contest, he received a full scholarship offer from Houston Ballet Academy to study at Houston Ballet's second company HBII. Chan rose quickly in the company and was promoted to principal dancer in 2017, one of the four in the position. Like so many of his generation around the world, Chan loved to connect people via social media. Some say Chan dances up a storm on Instagram, where he has more than 42,000 followers. Chan may be an influencer on social media, but online teaching is brand new to him. "I can't see my students while teaching, this is the biggest obstacle," Chan said. A traditional face-to-face dancing class usually has only a few students, but there is virtually no limit on the number of people taking an online class. Helping students with different abilities and backgrounds, Chan has no choice but to communicate with them one by one after class. "Everyone is different and it's impossible to take care of everyone's need in one-hour class. Therefore, I'll respond to my student's questions after class. It at least helps me adjust my next lesson," said Chan. Every day, Chan spends around three hours on social media, recording, livestreaming and chatting with students. Although tiring, he enjoys the process and learns from it. "It's like playing video games by interacting with my students. The more time you spend, the more you gain," he said. The coronavirus may keep people physically isolated, but no one should feel the distance emotionally. For Chan, the online class has opened a new window, bringing him closer to his followers. "I have students all over the globe. Some have difficulties learning dancing in their country, but they can follow me online," he said. The young artist has never felt his life so meaningful. "Some parents said their children's dancing skills have improved a lot. Others said I brought them sunshine and happiness during this difficult time." Chan said all the feedbacks he got were positive, making him confident to continue. There is an "invert relationship" between mind and body, said Houston-based psychotherapist Moni Tang. "Dancing or other exercise from home can not only maintain blood flow and keep us physically active, but also calm down our mind and reduce anxiety in this pandemic." Teaching online has now become an important part of Chan's life. "Thinking about someone has changed and is waiting for me in front of a computer gives me strength and determination," he said. Chan has decided to keep up his free online classes even when the difficult situation ends. "I'll probably have classes on weekends since I need to train seven hours every day at Houston Ballet. But I'll definitely keep doing this because this is the future," he said. A statement provided to the Tribune noted that PPE, typically for medical workers and first responders, has not been recommended for CPS employees based on public health guidance. When the district found out that cloth face coverings were likely to become an official recommendation starting May 1, they will be required in public in Illinois CPS officials said they quickly ordered some, which theyve started distributing to essential workers, including principals. More than 10,000 had been given to employees by Thursday, according to the district. A customer contacted me to share some frustrations. Until recently, Tom (as Ill refer to him) had been working from various office locations across the United States all sites were connected to a Silver Peak Unity EdgeConnect SD-WAN. Following a decision to temporarily move back to the UK to be closer to his family, Tom not only found his work environment had dramatically changed, but so too had his network experience. He was no longer able to directly benefit from being part of the corporate SD-WAN, and his frustrations were soon confirmed. After listening to Tom, I realized we could not only help him, but, in the process, potentially help many others who are faced with similar frustrations while trying to adapt to the new normal of working remotely from home. Tom couldnt identify the root cause of his poor network performance, so he asked for my help. The problem was quickly demonstrated by connecting remotely (VNC via corporate VPN) to a corporate server in San Francisco and then running a speed test to a regional server. Tom commented that the bandwidth available from the majority of company locations was 250 Mbps internet connections. All results followed a consistent pattern. After logging out from the corporate server, the speed test was repeated. As you can see, the source network was now being provided by BT, whereas in the first test the underlying network was provided by AT&T. Clearly there was a marked difference in the results when running the same test to the same server from two different locations. The first panel shows the download speed, the second the upload speed, with the third panel showing a combined result and other key metrics that will be discussed later. Tom went on to explain that compared to most of the company locations he typically worked from, he had effectively increased his home bandwidth 10-fold. Now connected via a 1Gbps internet connection, the results made little to no sense to him. Observed results Host located in San Francisco to a server hosted in San Jose ~80Mbps from a 100mbps-capable, end-to-end connection or 80% utilization 12ms roundtrip local latency ~50/80 miles/km Host located in London to a server hosted in San Jose ~15Mbps from a 1Gbps-capable, end-to-end connection or 1.5% utilization 153ms roundtrip international latency ~5,349/8,609 miles/km Tom was experiencing a well-known, but often misunderstood, networking phenomenon. It relates to how the majority of TCP-based applicationsor, in other words, 95% of all applicationsintrinsically work over wide area networks (e.g., the internet). Application performance is always negatively impacted when having to contend with latency; packet loss compounds the situation. This is a common, everyday problem that relates to the way the TCP protocol works and the inability for routers, computers, mobile phones, and tablets to recognize the problem and adapt accordingly. In response, I spun up a test lab to first isolate the problem and then demonstrate how Silver Peak not only resolves the problem but can also significantly improve Toms work-from-anywhere experience. The test lab comprised the following components: Two EdgeConnect appliances to emulate the two locations (San Jose and London) 2 x 50Mbps links to provide an aggregate 100Mbps when bonded A WAN emulator to inject real-time link impairments such as loss and latency A speed test server in San Jose, similar in function to the test already conducted A web browser to perform the speed test from London To replicate the tests, I used a WAN emulator to introduce 12ms of round-trip-delay, aka latency. As you can see from the image below, the results were more than acceptable for a TCP/Web-based application with a 100Mbps end-to-end connection and only 12ms of latency. For the second test, I replicated similar conditions (latency=153ms Loss=1.7 percent) to those observed when the test was executed from London. Using the WAN emulator again, I added 150ms round trip delay / latency and then introduced one percent loss to the first link and 0.5 percent loss to the second link to simulate the loss seen, slightly less than was seen in Toms initial speed test. Silver Peak Note 75ms = 1-way delay, roundtrip this equates to 150ms A second iteration of the test was then run with the following results. There was a substantial deterioration in the expected performance. The results of the second test clearly demonstrate why it is so important to eradicate the effects of latency and loss for all applications for which performance would otherwise be adversely affected by their presence. However, imagine trying to manage the inadequacies of all the intermediate networks between you and your applications with a legacy router or basic SD-WAN product. The conundrum only worsens when contemplating the internet as a primary transport. VPN clients simply secure your data, they have no inherent way to enhance an applications performance when confronted with latency and loss. A common misconception is that if you add more bandwidth this will resolve the problem. This is simply not true, and no matter how much bandwidth (1G, 10G, or 100G) you throw at this particular problem, absolutely no improvement can be realized. Up to this point the Silver Peak Unity EdgeConnect SD-WAN edge platform appliances were not utilizing any of the advanced techniques designed to mitigate the effects of latency or eliminate packet loss, hence the resultant inconsistent performance benchmarks. Silver Peak provides many advanced features and capabilities that go to making the EdgeConnect SD-WAN platform not only the most mature solution in the marketplace, but also the most complete. Path Conditioning is a key component of the Silver Peak SD-WAN feature set. It employs two techniques known as Forward Error Correction (FEC) and Packet Order Correction (POC), which, when combined with application acceleration techniques, can remediate the challenges associated with how packet loss and latency negatively impact application performance and, ultimately, the end-user experience. Reconstructing lost packets (FEC) Reordering any out of sequence packets (POC) These advanced path conditioning features are standard with every Silver Peak SD-WAN, enabling customers to confidently use the internet as a primary circuit for all their applications, including voice. TrialCard gains network stability, improves quality and reliability of business-critical VoIP services with Unity EdgeConnect SD-WAN Edge Platform Application acceleration is an optional software performance pack called Unity Boost, which can provide dramatic improvements to application performance where latency or physical distance are key factors. Boost combines two functional areas that comprise unique features and capabilities, all designed to improve the everyday quality of experience (QoE) for users as they connect to and work with business applications. Boost is enabled with a single mouse click. By centrally configuring the appropriate settings of the corresponding Business Intent Overlay (BIO) within Orchestrator and then pushing the changes to the EdgeConnect appliances deployed across the WAN, Boost can be enabled on a per location or BIO basis. A BIO is an intuitive grouping of applications that perform optimally when served by the required network resources. The following image shows the LatencyDemo BIO. This BIO with current settings will simply load balance all traffic on a per-packet basis across all available interfaces, MPLS, and INET. To demonstrate how TCP-based applications can perform with a Silver Peak SD-WAN when loss and latency are present, the following changes were made to enable FEC, POC, and Boost for the LatencyDemo BIO. A third and final iteration of the same test was then executed. The results of the third test immediately convinced Tom of the problem he was facing; his concern now was that he didnt have a Silver Peak appliance at home to connect to the corporate SD-WAN. After a short discussion, I suggested he install an EdgeConnect Ultra-Small appliance in his home network. Once installed and the configurations were pushed from the central Orchestrator, Tom was able re-join the corporate SD-WAN and continue his work from home but now with a quality of experience that exceeded that of working from a branch office in the USA. Be sure to watch the testing scenario video here. Watch this webcast to learn how TrialCard extended its SD-WAN to support 400+ remote workers, going live in under two weeks, all while maintaining business productivity and continuity. More state grants for smallest firms OLYMPIA The Washington State Department of Commerce announced Thursday a doubling of funds available to very small businesses impacted by COVID-19 through the Working Washington Small Business emergency grant program. New funds are from the state's $200 million emergency response fund approved by the Legislature in March, the department said in a press release. The program launched April 7 with $5 million from the Governor's Working Washington economic development strategic reserve fund. The grants offer up to $10,000 to businesses with a maximum of 10 employees for rent, utility bills, supplies, inventory and other operating expenses. The program received an estimated 25,000 applications and subsequently closed to applications. The department said it will not reopen it to new applications at this time, but can fund more requests with the additional money. Depending on the individual grant amounts, at least 1,000 businesses should receive funding, it said. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-27 14:22:37|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, April 27 (Xinhua) -- China's National Intellectual Property Administration (NIPA) has launched an online platform to provide English patent information related to COVID-19 for scientists and the public. The platform was jointly developed by the China Patent Information Center and the Patent Examination Cooperation (Beijing) Center, two bureaus under the NIPA. The English website of the platform is https://ncp.patentstar.cn/en/. Website visitors can read more than 7,000 pieces of Chinese and foreign patent information related to epidemic prevention, mainly in the fields of drugs, diagnostic reagents, medical equipment, protective products, medical disinfectants, waste treatment, artificial intelligence and big data applications. Access to the website is free of charge. It also offers scientists and research institutions data analysis reports about the latest patent achievements in COVID-19 research. Since its launch last week, the Chinese and English versions of the platform have received more than 173,000 hits, with visitors from the Republic of Korea, the United States, Switzerland, Japan, the Netherlands and other countries and regions, a source of the NIPA said Monday. Enditem After Donald Trumps ridiculous and dangerous suggestion last week that household disinfectants injected into peoples bodies might be a treatment for Covid-19, Republicans intensified their hand-wringing over whether his daily briefings were doing more harm to his political fortunes and theirs than good. The coronavirus has completely reshaped the coming election. The economy is in dire straits. Trumps polls have taken a dip. People are anxious and afraid. The outlook isnt good at the moment. As The New York Times reported last week, some in the Republican Party see similarities to 2006: In 2006, anger at President George W. Bush and unease with the Iraq war propelled Democrats to reclaim Congress; two years later they captured the presidency thanks to the same anti-incumbent themes and an unexpected crisis that accelerated their advantage, the economic collapse of 2008. The two elections were effectively a single continuous rejection of Republican rule, as some in the G.O.P. fear 2018 and 2020 could become in a worst-case scenario. But I would caution all those who take this fear as encouragement that Trump is weakened and vulnerable: Trump is not George W. Bush. This is not the Republican Party of 2006. This is not a cultural environment in which social media is in its infancy. Experts have predicted that this is the year the U.S. Latino population will comprise the majority of new household formations and, correspondingly, new home purchases. The last decade has seen the U.S. Latino population emerge as the fastest-growing demographic in an increasingly diversifying nation. We know that the 59.9 million Latinos who currently call the U.S. home account for one in every five members of the U.S. population. Thanks to anticipated continued growth, Latinos will comprise one in every three members of the U.S. population by 2050. Along with population growth comes an escalating and formidable financial impact. Weve already seen it happening nationwide, with significant increases in savings and buying power and a dominant growth rate in labor force participation. For most of us, our ultimate financial goal is home ownership, and more Latinos than ever before are participating in the housing market. Their participation will only increase as the population continues to grow. Research data from the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP) bears this out. In 2018, Latinos represented a net gain of 362,000 new homeowners. This raised the rate of new Latino homeownership to 47.2 percent of all new homeowners, compared to 46.2 percent in 2017. Over the past decade, Latinos have accounted for 62.7 percent of all new U.S. homeownership gains, NAHREP reports, growing from 6.3 million homeowners during the period to nearly 7.9 million homeowners by 2018. By 2030, researchers anticipate that 56 percent of all new homeowners will come from the Latino market, which will then dominate the sector. Plainly put, this is a sea of change in the market that could sink mortgage lenders who are not prepared to tap into it. Credit unions, known for working with their members, may be in a better position than other lenders to ride the wave to increased success. However, not all institutions are well prepared in reaching out to Latinos in meaningful ways. Lose enough of these opportunities among Latino borrowers, and rest assured their other business will follow. To reach this growing market, you must understand and respect the ways in which the Latino community differs from the more traditional market your credit union may already be serving. And even within the Latino market, there is diversity based on age, family structure and country of origin. My team analyzes geographical Latino markets to determine potential-member product needs and growth strategies to attract what is often an underserved or unbanked community. Understanding is the key to everything from marketing approaches to operational success. The more specialized your efforts are, the more successful they will be. The basics, of course, include involving bilingual staff at all levels who are well trained and culturally sensitized to the needs of Latino members. Creating a corporate culture from the board of directors to the teller line that not only accepts, but embraces this market is a necessity for success. For a more nuanced approach to marketing, NAHREP again offers some research-based observations. Research data has shown that Latinos believe advertising is meant for them when it includes people who look like them (52 percent), reflects their cultural values (59 percent), and recognizes their cultural background (61 percent). Integrating those sensitivities in all member communications as well as exploring other operational alternatives [including making loans using Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers (ITINs)] are critical steps in reaching this market. Not every credit union is comfortable making such changes at first, but those that do are already seeing an increase in Latino home mortgage business. Reach out to your Latino community to help more members join the swell of new homebuyers. Explore holistic secondary market options like Inclusivs Mortgage. Create an environment in which everyone lenders and members can ride the wave of financial success. The Australian air force has sold 46 retired F-18A twin jet fighters to a commercial firm, Air USA that uses retired jets and retired fighter pilots to carry out pilot and air combat training for the military. This sort of thing has become a big business and began with the American military and spread to a growing number of other nations as well because the training is excellent and cheaper than using active-duty pilots and their aircraft to do it. Because the training aircraft are unarmed, and without any top-secret gear, its practical to use older jets to represent the types of aircraft an enemy might use. Australia obtained 75 F-18A/B fighters in the 1980s to replace older French Mirage III fighters. The F-18As are often used to represent a number of different Russian jets during training. Mirage type fighters are also sought for air combat training. In 2017 Mirage F1 fighters were being retired from active service and most of these retired Mirages were bought by ATAC and Draken, the two major American firms that provide adversary aircraft to train combat pilots, mainly for the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy. The most recent Mirage F1 sale was to Draken International, which bought 22 of them from the Spanish Air Force which had retired its Mirage F1M (M is for modernized, in the 1990s) in 2013 but kept them in good condition because these aircraft have been very popular on the used-fighter market. Earlier in 2017, France sold 63 retired Mirage F1s to Drakens major competitor ATAC (Airborne Tactical Advantage Company). In both cases, the Mirage F1 was to be used as adversary aircraft to train combat pilots. Most recent sales of Mirage F1s have been to these commercial firms like ATAC and Draken that will modify, or even refurbish the Mirage F1s for combat training. The retired Mirages sold for a few hundred thousand dollars each. The F-18As were not much more expensive. ATAC (a division of Textron) and Draken (independent) are two of about a dozen American and foreign firms that, in the 1990s, pioneered the business of providing flight and combat training mainly to the American military (air force, navy and marines) as well as foreign customers. This is a rapidly growing business for the simple reason that it is cheaper and more effective than even large air forces doing it themselves. Air USA is one more successful private firms hiring retired combat pilots and using much less expensive aircraft for this training. A Mirage F1, for example, is much cheaper (about one fifth the cost) to operate per flight hour than F-16s or F-18s. Using more experienced retired pilots is also cheaper and more effective because the adversary aircraft are being operated by pilots with a lot more combat flying experience. The use of contractors for military functions proliferated after the Cold War ended in 1991, especially in the United States and Europe. This was nothing new. The CIA, and later SOCOM (Special Operations Command) have long used contractor firms for logistics and air transport, especially in parts of Asia, South America and Africa where even civilian charter airline service was not available, or simply because the missions were classified. ATAC and Draken are the largest commercial firms providing military flight training because they were pioneers and have taken on a wide range of training. This began with basic flight training but then both firms expanded into training for combat pilots and that included adversary training that uses Western aircraft and veteran military pilots or accurately represent potential enemy warplanes. In the past, the American A-4 and F-5 were popular for this task. But potential foes are using more capable fighters and the Mirage F1, which entered service in the mid-1970s and often were upgraded, became a popular choice for adversary training. The Spanish Air Force Mirage F1Ms have radars and fire control systems that were modernized in the mid-1990s and remain competitive with those found in the most capable hostile aircraft American fighter pilots can expect to encounter. France retired the last of its Mirage F1s in 2014 but this aircraft is still used by some countries (Gabon, Iran, Libya and Morocco) and the manufacturer long provided refurbishment and upgrade services for the 720 built through 1992. The Mirage F1 is a 16 ton interceptor that can only carry two tons of weapons. With modern electronics and missiles, it is still a formidable air defense aircraft. ATAC got the Mirage F1s for a few hundred thousand dollars each and France will have them demilitarized (all classified or strictly military equipment removed) and ATAC will then have about half of them modified to act as various types of potential enemy fighters. The rest of the Mirage F1s will be used for spares which will enable ATAC to use some of the Mirage F1s for a decade or more. Draken paid more for the Spanish Mirage F1Ms mainly because these aircraft had more modern electronics from the 1996 upgrade that cost over $4 million per aircraft. The 23 ton F-18A is now popular for its ability to emulate late-model Russian 34 ton Su-27/30 aircraft. The F-18A entered service in 1983, 13 years before the Su-30 arrived to provide competition for the F-15 and 30 ton F-18E that showed up in 2001. The F-18A is a bit smaller than the F-18E but is an affordable stand-in for the Su-30. Since the late 1990s, the use of retired combat personnel as "adversary pilots" became more popular and contractors soon expanded that that to supply adversary aircraft as well. In the 1990s civilian instructors were already being used for part of military flight training. But with so many pilots getting out, the navy and air force could no longer afford to provide military pilots to play the role of the bad guys in "Top Gun" type exercises. Former military pilots were hired to play the bad guys and were very good at it became many had done that sort of thing before they retired. A coalition of Nigerian legal practitioners has dragged the Peoples Republic of China to court over the effects of the Coronavirus outb... A coalition of Nigerian legal practitioners has dragged the Peoples Republic of China to court over the effects of the Coronavirus outbreak on the West African giant. The lawyers are demanding $200 billion as damages for the loss of lives, economic strangulation, trauma, hardship, social disorientation, mental torture and disruption of the normal daily existence of people in Nigeria. This was contained in a statement on Sunday by the lead prosecutor, Prof. Epiphany Azinge (SAN) Azinges law firm, Azinge, and Azinge, is championing the legal action, stressing that they had concluded pleadings for the class action against the Chinese government. The statement added, The team of legal experts planned a two-phase line of action-: first is with the federal high court of Nigeria and secondly to persuade the government of Federal Republic of Nigeria to institute a state action against the Peoples Republic of China at the International Court of Justice at the Hague The legal experts will be claiming damages to the tune of 200billion dollars, the Chinese Government will be served through its Embassy in Nigeria. Azinge is currently a member of the Commonwealth Arbitral Tribunal London, representing Nigeria and Africa. Hyderabad, April 27 : When a bomb blast orphaned this Muslim infant girl 13 years ago, a Hindu couple came forward to adopt her and today she is taking care of her three step-siblings as their parents are cooling their heels in prison. Seventeen-year-old Sania Fatima is looking after her step-siblings Ekta (12), Umanand (8) and Pardhana (4) in the house of their father's friend in the old city of Hyderabad where they have taken shelter during the lockdown. Her foster-parents Papalal Ravikanth and Jayshree were sent to jail by a court last month in a case relating to the dispute with neighbours in Begum Bazar. With no one to take care of them, Sania, along with her step-siblings, took shelter in the house of their father's friend near Charminar. "After the arrest of our parents, I was cooking whatever was available at home but now we had to take shelter in Mustafa uncle's house," Sania told IANS. A student of Class 10, she is taking good care of the step-siblings, who all were born to Papalal and Jayshree after they adopted Sania. On a request by Balala Hakkula Sangham, a NGO working for child rights, the police sent groceries to the house. In a letter to Telangana Director General of Police Mahender Reddy, Balala Hakkula Sangham's honorary President Achyuta Rao urged him to ensure proper care and protection of the children. He also requested that the police take steps to facilitate bail for their parents. Sania was found abandoned after the bomb blast in Gokul Chat, a popular eatery in the city, on August 25, 2007. The Hindu couple came forward to adopt her. The couple had complained many times that some people from both the communities were harassing them for adopting the girl. Papalal, a painter of Hindu deities for temple walls, was arrested in 2011 following a complaint by his brother that he had attacked him and made an attempt to rape his wife. The painter had said a false allegation was made against him for adopting the girl. He had threatened to commit suicide if the girl was forcibly taken away from them. In 2018, Papalal was injured in a stabbing attack by two youngsters. Though he claimed that he was attacked for adopting a Muslim girl, police found that one of the attackers Balakrishna bore a grudge against him for threatening to lodge a police complaint for moving closely with a girl in the locality in the name of love. Chile said last week that it would start distributing "health passports" to people who were considered recovered patients, allowing them to return to their jobs. Before receiving passports, they were to be screened to determine whether they had developed antibodies. "Some governments have suggested that the detection of antibodies to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, could serve as the basis for an 'immunity passport' or 'risk-free certificate' that would enable individuals to travel or to return to work assuming that they are protected against reinfection," the WHO said. "There is currently no evidence that people who have recovered from COVID-19 and have antibodies are protected from a second infection," it added. The WHO issued the warning in a scientific brief as it confirmed cases of coronavirus worldwide topped 2.8 million. Worldwide fatalities have now exceeded 200,000, according to Johns Hopkins University statistics. Johns Hopkins said late Saturday the global death tally was 202,831. The World Health Organization warned Saturday that there was "no evidence" that recovered COVID-19 patients with antibodies were immune to a second coronavirus infection. 'Fresh Outbreak' Warning in Iran Other countries were also taking action to reopen their economies, even amid fears of new outbreaks. Iran, the hardest-hit country in the Middle East, warned Saturday of a "fresh outbreak" at the start of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan in the mostly Shiite country. Iran's ministry of infectious diseases said there were "signs of a fresh outbreak" in northern and central provinces "where we made great efforts to control the epidemic." The warning came after Iran began reopening some businesses that had been closed on April 11 because of the virus. Other countries were moving ahead with plans to ease travel restrictions and reopen businesses to jump-start their economies, including the U.S., the world leader by far in coronavirus infections and fatalities. The southeastern U.S. state of Georgia has become the center of debate over when to lift lockdown orders that have kept hundreds of millions of people indoors. On Friday, Georgia became the first U.S. state to launch a widespread reopening effort, allowing some nonessential businesses to reopen "on a limited basis." The businesses were permitted to reopen their doors before the states monthlong shutdown is lifted on April 30, despite warnings from some elected officials in the state that it could spark a new surge in coronavirus infections. Oklahoma also allowed some retail businesses to reopen Friday, and Florida opened some of its beaches to visitors a week ago. South Carolina eased some restrictions on Monday, and other states plan to relax guidelines next week. While U.S. President Donald Trump voiced opposition to Georgia's reopening after initially supporting it, he has pushed to reopen the U.S. economy sooner than most health experts have recommended. Soaring U.S. Deficit The U.S. Congressional Budget Office said Friday that the economic hardship caused by the coronavirus in the U.S. would last through next year, as the pandemic wreaks havoc on the financial health of countries around the world. The nonpartisan agency said the U.S. budget deficit would nearly quadruple from $1 trillion to $3.7 trillion this year and the unemployment rate would soar from 3.5 percent in February to 16 percent in September. The CBO predicted that unemployment would fall after September but would remain in double digits through 2021. The report intensified pressure on the Trump administration as it tries to balance concerns about the ballooning federal deficit with the provision of stimulus money to offset the outbreak's economic effects. Trump signed a $484 billion relief package Friday for small-business loans and help for hospitals in expanding COVID-19 testing. The money was part of more than $3 trillion the U.S. government has spent to boost the economy. The coronavirus has had a devastating effect on the global economy, but the International Monetary Fund and other organizations warn that developing countries will be the worst hit. The UN food agency projects that 265 million people could experience acute hunger this year, twice as many as last year. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on governments to ensure health care is available to all people and that economic aid packages help those most affected. A report released this week said Spain, which is second to the U.S. in number of confirmed cases, had more health care workers infected with COVID-19 than anywhere else in the world. The European Center for Disease Prevention and Control, citing available official data, said 20 percent of the more than 200,000 registered coronavirus cases in Spain had been confirmed among its health care workers. The report found that 10 percent of Italy's cases and 3 percent of the U.S. cases had been detected in those who work in the medical field. Spain's Medical Colleges Organization said the high rate of infections in health care workers was due to the lack of "essential safety measures." Spain has seen the number of recovered cases outnumber new infections in recent days, and the government announced Saturday that children under 14 would be allowed to go outdoors Sunday for the first time since March 15. G20 Raises Funds The G20 group of industrial and emerging-market nations called Friday on "all countries, international organizations, the private sector, philanthropic institutions and individuals" to contribute to its funding efforts to fight COVID-19, setting an $8 billion goal. The G20, an international forum for the governments and central bank governors of 19 nations and the European Union, said it had previously raised $1.9 billion. Saudi Arabia, the current holder of the G20 presidency, contributed $500 million. As of Saturday afternoon EDT, the U.S. had more than 924,000 COVID-19 cases, nearly one-third of the world's total. There had also been more coronavirus deaths in the U.S. than in any other country in the world, with more than 53,000, more than one-quarter of the world's coronavirus-related deaths. Paris, April 27, 2020 (AFP) France on Monday condemned Iran over the executions this month of two young offenders who it said where minors at the time of their crimes, accusing Tehran of violating its international obligations. The French foreign ministry said that Shayan Saeedpour was executed on April 21 and Majid Esmailzadeh on April 18, noting they were both "minors at the time of the facts". "The executions are contrary to the international obligations that Iran has signed up to itself, in particular the international convention on the rights of the child," it said. Amnesty International had already condemned the execution of Saeedpour, 21, at the central prison in Saqqez, in Iran's Kurdistan province, "as vengeful and cruel." It said the conviction was in connection with the fatal stabbing of a man during a fight in August 2015 when Saeedpour was 17. He had a history of mental illness. It said Saeedpour was among dozens of prisoners who had escaped from the central prison in Saqez in late March amid riots over Iran's response to the coronavirus outbreak and fears it could spread to prisons. Amnesty said it "believes his execution may have been an act of retaliation by the local prosecution authorities, intended to deter other prisoners from attempting similar escape plans." Reports said that Majid Esmailzadeh was executed in Ardabil prison in the northern Ardabil Province. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet had already condemned both executions as "absolutely prohibited under international human rights law." The French statement also "expressed concern" over reports that another young offender, Danial Zeinolabedini, who had also been condemned to death, had died in prison. Amnesty has said Zeinolabedini, who was on death row for a crime committed when he was under the age of 18, died "under suspicious circumstances". His family were told he had committed suicide but Amnesty said examination of a photograph of Zeinolabedini's body showed "signs that are consistent with torture." Iran is one of the world's most prolific users of the death penalty, with Amnesty saying it carried out at least 251 executions in 2019. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-27 16:13:08|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close SEOUL, April 27 (Xinhua) -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in offered Monday to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) resuming inter-Korean cooperation by jointly tacking the COVID-19 outbreak. "(The South Korean government) will go and find the most realistic and practical way for inter-Korean cooperation. The COVID-19 crisis can be a new opportunity for inter-Korean cooperation as it is the most urgent and desperate task to cooperate in as of now," Moon said in a meeting with his senior secretaries on the day to mark the second anniversary of the Panmunjom Declaration. The declaration was signed by Moon and top DPRK leader Kim Jong Un during their first summit on April 27, 2018 at the inter-Korean border village of Panmunjom. The two leaders agreed to the complete denuclearization of and the permanent peace settlement in the peninsula. "The Panmunjom Declaration opened an irreversible gate of peace, but the past two years from then on was a time to realize once again that peace does not come in a single day," Moon noted. Moon said the implementation of the declaration had not gained speed, not because of the lack of will of the two Koreas but because of "international restrictions," referring to UN Security Council sanctions towards the DPRK. The president said his government will not wait until conditions get better, pledging to find and implement anything the two Koreas can do under the current restrictions. He proposed that South Korea and the DPRK could start with cooperation in jointly tackling the COVID-19 before expanding inter-Korean cooperation into jointly dealing with infectious disease in domestic animals, natural disasters in border areas, and climate change. "An inter-Korean life community can be a foundation to move towards a peace community," Moon noted. In his New Year address, Moon vowed to seek realistic ways for a broader inter-Korean cooperation while continuing efforts for the success of the DPRK-U.S. denuclearization negotiations. The DPRK leader and U.S. President Donald Trump held the first-ever DPRK-U.S. summit in Singapore in June 2018, but their second summit ended without any agreement in February 2019 at the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi, leading to the stalled denuclearization talks. The South Korean president advocated a virtuous cycle of improved inter-Korean relations enhancing Pyongyang-Washington denuclearization talks. To reconnect railways across the inter-Korean border, Moon vowed to do what South Korea can do first. Earlier in the day, a ceremony was held in the northeastern border town of Jejin to launch the construction of the South Korean section of the inter-Korean railway along the east coast of the Korean Peninsula. The single-track railway reconnection spans 110.9 km from the east coastal city of Gangneung to Jejin. It is expected to cost about 2.85 trillion won (2.3 billion U.S. dollars). The Gangneung-Jejin railroad is the southern section of the Donghae Bukbu Line, which was built during the 1910-1945 Japanese colonization of the peninsula but was severed during the 1950-1953 Korean War. Moon and Kim agreed in their Panmunjom summit to modernize and re-link inter-Korean railways and roads along the eastern and western peninsula. The Donghae Bukbu Line construction project was pursued since 2000. South Korea and the DPRK held a groundbreaking ceremony for the inter-Korean railway reconnection in December 2018, but construction works had been delayed amid the international sanctions toward Pyongyang. The Moon government hoped to reconnect railways across the inter-Korean border, eventually connect to Europe through the Trans-China Railway (TCR) and the Trans-Siberian Railway (TSR). Every Michigan voter has right to vote from home by mail To the editor: In 2018, Michigan passed a ballot amendment that significantly expanded the accessibility and security of elections. Here's what's important: Every Michigan voter now has the right to vote from home by mail. Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson also instituted automatic voter registration for all citizens that apply for driver licenses and ID's, and created an online voter registration system so residents of Michigan can easily register and check voter registrations to make sure they are up to date. Normally to check one's registration, or request an absentee ballot, one can go to the city clerk, or township clerk, depending on your residence. With the current pandemic, those offices are closed, and voters may go to the Secretary of State website (www.michigan.gov/vote) to check their registration, register to vote, and sign up to have an absentee ballot application mailed to them for every election. Due to the pandemic, the security and credibility of our democratic process may be at risk in the coming election. Vote by mail should be the right of every citizen in every state, and we should let our legislators know that this option should be enacted soon, for every state. In addition, no mail-in process can work without a functioning US Postal System. Currently the US Postal Service is struggling due to the pandemic. Voters should insist on full support for America's mail, and US postal workers. Recent surveys have shown that large majorities of Americans -- Democrat, Republican, and Independent -- support a universal mail-in voting option. The League of Women Voters recently recommended that all states, U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia expand no-excuse absentee voting and mail-in ballots for the duration of the 2020 election cycle, and added, "the time to act is now." PETER SINCLAIR And RON PARMELE Midland, Michigan Center for Progressive Public Policy The Action Democratic Party ADP has announced the demise of it Oshodi Isolo Chairman, Mr. Taiwo Atotileto, describing him as a man of brilliant qualities. Prior to his demise,late Atotileto was said to have made immense contributions to the development of ADP within his locality. In a statement made available to newsmen by Prince Adelaja Adeoye, ADPs National Publicity Secretary, Atotiletos demise was a huge loss to grassroots political evolution. God is the giver and taker of life, and he alone knows why Atotileto can no longer be with us. Late Taiwo Atotileto was a very vast politician, academician, and a very peaceful man as we know. He contributed in no small amount, alongside his other LG excos, but very hugely, to the development of our party in his Oshodi Isolo local government in Lagos. No doubt, he will seriously be missed by all of us. It is our prayers that, his soul meet with Almighty Allah. Until his death, Taiwo Atotileto was a devoted Muslim, who left behind wives and Children. Our condolences and prayers are with his immediate and political family. ADP said. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-27 05:12:44|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TRIPOLI, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Badr Addin Al-Najjar, director general of the National Center for Disease Control of Libya, on Sunday stressed the importance of social distancing during the holy month of Ramadan to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. "We must continue to maintain social distancing and not establish any human gatherings, especially during the month of Ramadan, because we have not passed the stage of danger to defeat the global epidemic," Al-Najjar told Xinhua. Al-Najjar also said that no COVID-19 infections have been detected in the country over the past 48 hours. The number of total confirmed COVID-19 cases in Libya reached 61, including 18 recoveries and one death. Libyan authorities have taken a series of measures against COVID-19, including imposing a curfew, closing airports, border crossings, mosques and educational institutions, and banning mass gatherings and movements among cities. Libya reported its first COVID-19 case on March 24. Enditem A man was struck and killed by a New Jersey Transit train Sunday night. New Jersey Transit spokesman Jim Smith said Raritan Valley Line Train 5532 had left Raritan at 7:16 p.m. was traveling eastbound, scheduled to arrive at Newark Penn Station at 8:15 p.m. At approximately 8:10 p.m., the train struck an adult male trespasser near the Peddie Street Bridge. The man was pronounced dead. There were ten people on board the train at the time of the accident, and no injuries were reported among them. New Jersey Transit Police is the agency that is leading the investigation into the cause of the accident. Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription. Chris Franklin may be reached at cfranklin@njadvancemedia.com. Watertown, NY (13601) Today Some mixed winter precipitation possible early. Light snow this evening, tapering to a few snow showers late. Low near 25F. Winds light and variable. Chance of snow 70%.. Tonight Some mixed winter precipitation possible early. Light snow this evening, tapering to a few snow showers late. Low near 25F. Winds light and variable. Chance of snow 70%. Chrissy Teigen took to Twitter on Sunday to fire back at online trolls who publicly shamed her 'square' shape. 'Everyone [is] used to...surgically enhanced curves. I've been a square my whole life and let me tell you, it's paid off nicely in many ways,' wrote Teigen, in response to a fan defending the 36-year-old model's body. The flood of critical comments first appeared on Saturday evening after Teigen posted a clip of herself sporting a plunging swimsuit to her Instagram Story. Owned: Chrissy Teigen took to Twitter on Sunday to fire back at online trolls who publicly shamed her 'square' shape Body shaming: The flood of critical comments first appeared on Saturday evening after Teigen posted a clip of herself sporting a plunging swimsuit to her Instagram Story In the clip, a noticeably makeup-free Chrissy stood before her bathroom mirror with her brunette tresses pulled up into a bun. 'I never post thirst traps,' joked Teigen, who had her cellphone camera pointed at her bathroom mirror as she attempted to show of the the suit's fit. Teigen continued: 'Imagine if one day I showed up with hips and an ass. Ooooo you guys would be pissed then too! I'm happy, John's happy, we all happy and doing a-okay!' Coming to her defense: Actress and activist Jameela Jamil quickly chimed in, tweeting: 'I loved the video. Didn't see a shape. Just saw fire' The fan who came to Chrissy's aid marveled at how 'the world went on attack' and immediately began hurling insults in the model's direction after the video was posted. Actress and activist Jameela Jamil quickly chimed in, tweeting: 'I loved the video. Didn't see a shape. Just saw fire.' After seeing Jamil's support, Teigen thanked The Good Place star and admitted to her that over time she 'has gotten used to [her] right angle bod.' 'You'd think people have seen it enough that it doesn't shock them anymore but nope lol,' conclude the wife of John Legend with a heart emoji. Confidence: 'Everyone [is] used to...surgically enhanced curves. I've been a square my whole life and let me tell you, it's paid off nicely in many ways,' wrote Teigen, in response to a fan defending the 36-year-old model's body on Twitter Happy: 'You'd think people have seen it enough that it doesn't shock them anymore but nope lol,' conclude the wife of John Legend with a heart emoji Chrissy has been holed up at home with John, 40, in Los Angeles amid the coronavirus pandemic. The couple are parents to two children, four-year-old daughter Luna and one-year-old son Miles. When Chrissy is not owning trolls on Twitter, the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue covergirl is busy entertaining her tots and coping with the stresses of lockdown. On Sunday, she shared a selfie mode video to her Instagram Story where she explained how a planned Zoom party with a close pal went wrong. Quaranteam: Chrissy has been holed up at home with John, 40, and their two children, four-year-old daughter Luna and one-year-old son Miles, in Los Angeles amid the coronavirus pandemic; the family pictured on Legend's Instagram on Friday Hilarious: On Sunday, she shared a selfie mode video to her Instagram Story where she explained how a planned Zoom party with a close pal went wrong 'I planned a Zoom party with my friend...and we were going to pretend to be in Paris because we were supposed to go to Paris for my friend's birthday,' said Teigen. 'So, I ordered all this fun stuff that I could wear for my Parisian Zoom party. And f**king Amazon was supposed to send me the Mona Lisa...and THIS is what I got.' Chrisy held up a canvas print of Euro Disneyland - which was clearly not what the model ordered - as John cackled in the background. (Bloomberg) -- Speculation about Kim Jong Uns health intensified over the weekend after tantalizing -- yet unverified -- reports about a visit by a Chinese medical team and movements of the North Korean leaders armored train. China sent a team including doctors and senior diplomats to advise its neighbor and longtime ally, Reuters reported on Saturday, citing three people familiar with the matter. Meanwhile, a train resembling one long used by North Korean rulers was parked last week near a coastal leadership compound in Wonsan, according to an analysis of satellite imagery released Sunday by the website 38 North. A prominent South Korea adviser also rejected the notion that Kim was ailing or dead. Our government position is firm, Moon Chung-in, a foreign policy adviser to South Korean President Moon Jae-in, told CNN. He has been staying in the Wonsan area since April 13 with no suspicious movements detected. South Koreas Unification Ministry on Monday reiterated a government assessment made last week that there has been no unusual movement spotted inside North Korea. The latest developments shed little immediate light about the 36-year-old ruler, who U.S. officials said they were told had been in critical condition after cardiovascular surgery. Kim -- a heavy smoker who has gained considerable weight since taking power in 2011 -- hasnt appeared in state media for two weeks, and missed the April 15 birthday celebrations for his late grandfather, state founder Kim Il Sung, for the first time. State media Rodong Sinmun newspapers front page on Monday carried a story of Kim Jong Un expressing gratitude toward his construction workers in Wonsan-Kalma, a tourist beach resort zone that the leader has made one of his signature projects. Its not unusual for state media to report on activities associated with the leader during an absence from the public. The episode renews longstanding questions about the stability of a regime built on iron-fisted authority and a cult of personality for Kim, who has no known successor. Health scares have been a common occurrence over the years, and the leaders medical condition is a closely guarded subject in one of the worlds most secretive states. Story continues Any leadership change in North Korea could increase the threat of instability on Chinas border and raise questions about control of the countrys expanding nuclear arsenal. Kim has also been central to U.S. President Donald Trumps so far unsuccessful efforts to get him to reduce his weapons stockpile. The mystery sent journalists, diplomats and non-proliferation experts scouring satellite images, state news outlets and unverified social media feeds for clues about Kim. The hashtag #kimjongundead was the among the top subjects trending globally Saturday on Twitter. The name of his younger sister Kim Yo Jong -- a potential successor -- was also trending in the U.S. Kim similarly disappeared from state media for six weeks in 2014, prompting speculation that he had been sidelined by gout, an ankle injury or was even overthrown in a coup. He subsequently showed up walking with a cane during a visit to a new residential block. The presence of Kims train in Wonsan, about 230 kilometers (140 miles) east of Pyongyang and the site of a palatial family compound, potentially fits with the South Korean account. Under Kim, Wonsan has seen a building boom for tourism facilities and lodgings for the states elite. The area has been a hotbed for missile tests, which are easy for Kim to view when hes at the family compound. The train, which Kim took to his failed summit with Trump in Hanoi, arrived at a nearby railway station on or before April 21, 38 North wrote, citing satellite imagery. The train was spotted again at the station on April 23, and appeared to be repositioned for departure. North Koreas eastern coast saw a burst of military activity on April 14, including cruise missile tests and fighter jet maneuvers, that at the time appeared to be timed to coincide with South Korean parliamentary elections. The next day, Kim was absent from events marking his grandfathers birthday, known as the Day of the Sun and North Koreas most politically significant holiday. Kim was similarly missing from events Saturday marking the anniversary of the Korean Peoples Revolutionary Army, although he also didnt attend the events last year. A delegation led by a senior member of the Chinese Communist Partys International Liaison Department -- which manages relations with North Korea -- departed Beijing on Thursday, Reuters said, adding it wasnt able to immediately determine what the trip signaled about Kims health. Officials with the U.S. National Security Council declined to comment on Saturday. Speculation about Kims condition accelerated after Seoul-based news site Daily NK, reported April 20 that the North Korean leader was recovering from surgery, citing one unidentified person inside the country. CNN reported a short time later that Kim was in grave danger. Trump has since said he believed the CNN report was incorrect, saying he heard they used old documents. (Updates with South Korea government statements and North Korea media) For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. Gardai stop and question people at a checkpoint on O'Connell Street in Dublin as the Covid-19 crisis continues (Niall Carson/PA) A decision on relaxing coronavirus restrictions at the end of the current lockdown period will go down to the wire, the chief medical officer has said. Dr Tony Holohan expressed concern that rates of improvement on key indicators of the disease had started to slow and said he was growing in his belief that it was still not the time to recommend an easing. But he acknowledged that things may change in the days leading up to the end of the current restriction period on May 5. Dr Holohan chairs the national public health emergency team (NPHET), which will make a formal recommendation to the Government on whether the lockdown can be scaled back. "It is down to the wire and I haven't made my mind up," he said. The coronavirus death toll in Ireland rose to 1,102 on Monday after a further 18 deaths were reported by the Department of Health. There were 386 new confirmed cases of Covid-19, taking the total in Ireland to 19,648 since the outbreak began. Dr Holohan's warning came as the HSE detailed its plans to reach 100,000 Covid-19 tests a week by the middle of May. Read More Meanwhile, on reports that a coronavirus-related syndrome among children may be emerging in the UK, Dr Holohan said there was no evidence of anything similar in Ireland. The chief medical officer also said he did not think that relatively high incidences of the virus in several Irish border counties was linked to people with the infection travelling in from Northern Ireland. Elsewhere, the Rose of Tralee became the latest high-profile event to fall victim to the emergency after it was announced the festival would not take place for the first time in its 61-year history. Dr Holohan told the daily NPHET briefing: "I was saying towards the end of last week that if the assessment was being made on any of the days I was with you towards the end of last week that we wouldn't be recommending that we had arrived at a point where we would be lifting those restrictions. "If anything, I am more firmly of that view, given what we are seeing." He said ICU admissions were at a small though "persistent" rate and a further decrease was required. He also said more progress was needed in tackling the outbreaks in the residential settings, such as nursing homes. The number of outbreak clusters in nursing homes rose to 211 on Monday. Of those who have died with coronavirus in Ireland, 546 were nursing home residents. "We're hopeful as the week goes on, there's still seven days left until May 5th, we're hopeful that we will continue to see improvements in terms of the experience, but there's still a way to go," he said. "I might be the chair of a process but I am only one voice in it, we have many different voices, we'll have a discussion tomorrow, we'll take further about the kind of measures that are important for us to look at and the levels in relation to those measures and we'll seek to wait as long as possible before applying those measures. "People are getting frustrated, these measures are challenging for people but we need to continue the commitment we have made to try to get as far as we possibly can." Earlier on Monday, the HSE said it hoped to reach a target of 100,000 coronavirus tests per week by the middle of next month. Outlining plans to upscale testing and contact tracing, HSE chief executive Paul Reid described it as a "key part" of the strategy to enable restrictions to be lifted. "This will involve a major plan to scale up our capacity and make some changes in processes, put some new community testing centres in place and ultimately deliver a higher volume," he said. Mr Reid also said the primary focus has been testing staff and residents in all long-term residential care places. He added: "This has been a very important programme and I'd like to thank the National Ambulance Service in conjunction with our community teams who have over the past week tested over 20,000 residents in those locations. "We're also launching many of our clinical assessment hubs all across the country and 20 clinical assessment hubs are now in place." Mr Reid said the HSE was making "good progress" on the challenges around sourcing personal protective equipment (PPE), with extra deliveries coming in from China. The organisers of the Rose of Tralee Festival said it will be held again in August 2021. They said: "This is the first time in our 61-year history that the festival has been postponed, but it is the right decision as we play our part right now in keeping each other safe and well." Meanwhile, the organisation representing people with intellectual disabilities said it had a positive meeting with Health Minister Simon Harris. The discussions came amid continuing concern about outbreaks of Covid-19 in long-term residential care homes. Inclusion Ireland said 90 per cent of disability services are free from the virus and those that have an outbreak are by and large managing well. There have been 10 deaths in disability services settings. Rights activists and members of civil society have condemned the remarks made by religious leader Maulana Tariq Jamil on national television during Prime Minister Imran Khan's telethon on 23 April to raise funds for the people affected by COVID-19 Lahore: A prominent Pakistani cleric has stoked controversy after his bizarre remarks relating to the coronavirus pandemic which he claimed was due to God's wrath in view of increasing obscenity and nudity. Rights activists and members of civil society have condemned the remarks made by religious leader Maulana Tariq Jamil on national television during Prime Minister Imran Khan's telethon on 23 April to raise funds for the people affected by COVID-19. Maulana Jamil, who has a huge following in Pakistan, said, "Obscenity and nudity are the reasons behind God's wrath in the form of coronavirus." Who is making my nations daughters dance. Their dresses are getting shortened. Allah sends his wrath when obscenity is common in the society, he said. The remarks have been called "callous and demeaning" to women who make up half of the Muslim majority country. Barrister Maleeka Bokhari, parliamentary secretary of law and justice, tweeted: The spread of a pandemic must never and under no circumstances be correlated or linked to a womans piety or morality. It is dangerous to make this correlation as violent crimes against women/girls continue to take place with impunity. Federal Minister of Human Rights Shireen Mazari said: We will not accept the targeting of women on the pretext of such ludicrous accusations. We in Pakistan have fought hard for claiming our rights as enshrined in the Constitution of Pakistan. Criticising the cleric for his "ludicrous" remarks about women in Pakistan, she said: Simply absurd for anyone under any guise to even suggest the COVID-19 pandemic is a result of women wearing short sleeves or because of private schools/universities misleading the youth. This simply reflects either ignorance about pandemics or a misogynist mindset which is absolutely unacceptable. Nida Aly, director of the Asma Jahangir Legal Aid cell, said while women under lockdown needed security from the community, the government trotted out Tariq Jamil on a broadly televised programme who not just objectified women but declared them and their individualist actions to bring the wrath of God and punishment in the form of COVID-19." The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan said: We are appalled at Maulana Jamils statement which inexplicably correlated womens modesty to the COVID-19 pandemic. Such blatant objectification is unacceptable and, when aired on public television, only compounds the misogyny entrenched in society. In Pakistan, nearly 12,000 people have been infected with the novel coronavirus while the toll has reached 253. (@FahadShabbir) Japanese Ambassador to Pakistan, H.E. MATSUDA Kuninori has expressed his deep grief and sorrow over the loss of precious lives of the Pakistan Army soldiers who embraced martyrdom during an operation against the terrorists in North Wazirstan ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 27th Apr, 2020 ) :Japanese Ambassador to Pakistan, H.E. MATSUDA Kuninori has expressed his deep grief and sorrow over the loss of precious lives of the Pakistan Army soldiers who embraced martyrdom during an operation against the terrorists in North Wazirstan. Paying rich tributes to the sacrifices of the Pak army soldiers, Ambassador MATSUDA expressed his heartfelt condolences to the families of the martyred soldiers and wished for the early recovery of those injured in the operation, said a press release. "We are greatly indebted to the sacrifices of all those who lay down their lives in the line of duty to establish peace and stability and I am sure that their commendable sacrifices will not go in waste," said Ambassador MATSUDA. The ambassador reiterated that the Government of Japan condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and was extending assistance and cooperation to the international community to establish peace and stability in the world. Inside Hook Some Tesla employees have been asked to return to the electric car-makers California factory a little earlier than expected, or advised. The company has requested that some workers return to the Fremont, California factory on Wednesday, four days before a shelter-in-place mandate in the area is scheduled to end, Bloomberg reported. Dozens of employees have reportedly received the summons from Tesla, despite the countys shelter-in-place order limiting the company to minimum basic operations only at the plant through May 3. No COVID-19 cases have been reported yet at state-owned Food Corporation of India (FCI) whose more than 1 lakh employees are working tirelessly on the frontline in distribution of foodgrains to over 81 crore beneficiaries in the country, Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan said on Monday. "Thankfully, we don't have any COVID-19 cases in FCI so far. Our staff is reporting for work amid all risks. They are our Corona Warriors ensuring that foodgrains reach the poor in this pandemic situation," Paswan told PTI. However, the government will provide a life insurance cover of up to Rs 35 lakh per person to over 1 lakh FCI officials and labourers in case they succumb to COVID-19 after six months of performing duty from the day of lockdown on March 24, he said. "The government is committed to protecting Corona Warriors who are risking their lives and serving the nation," Paswan added. Currently, there are a total of 1,08,714 workers and officers at FCI, including 80,000 labourers. Paswan also said there is enough foodgrains stock with the government to meet the demand of the poor in the country. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A security guard deployed at the office of officer on special duty to the Union health minister at All India Institute of Medical Sciences and a nurse working in Dr B R Ambedkar Institute Rotary Cancer Hospital of the facility have tested positive for COVID-19, sources said on Sunday. IMAGE: Union minister for health and family welfare, science and technology and earth sciences, Harsh Vardhan chairs a high-level review meeting with the state health ministers and health secretaries regarding the steps taken on COVID-19 through video conference in New Delhi. Photograph: PTI Photo The security guard, posted at the office of officer on special duty to Union health minister Harsh Vardhan located in the teaching block of All India Institute Of Medical Sciences, was tested positive on Saturday, they said. According to the sources, the entire wing where the OSD office is located is being sanitised and several staffers, including the OSD, is learnt to have been advised self-quarantine. Their samples are also likely to be taken for testing. Two children of the nurse, who was deployed at the daycare facility of the cancer centre, have also tested positive for COVID-19. Contact tracing was initiated at the facility on Sunday and all those who have come in contact with the security guard and the nurse have been advised self-quarantine. Further contact tracing is on, they said. Patients who had come for chemotherapy on Saturday at the daycare facility along with healthcare staff at the hospital who had come in contact with her have been advised self-quarantine. Besides, at least six more staffers, including two from the record section, a lab attendant and the personal assistant of a faculty at the Cardio-Neuro Centre of AIIMS have also tested positive recently, the sources said. Over 70 people from various departments in AIIMS have been advised self-quarantine, they said. On Wednesday, a male nurse working in the gastroenterology department of AIIMS was found positive for COVID-19, following which around 40 healthcare staff, including doctors and nurses working in the department, were advised self-quarantine. However, all the staff who had come in contact with the male nurse have tested negative and the department is fully functional, a doctor said. Last week, two female nurses, one from the cardiology department and one posted in the trauma centre of AIIMS had also tested positive for coronavirus. All those who came in contact with these two nurses have been asked to go into self-quarantine. The trauma centre nurse's child and husband had also tested positive for the infection. Argentine Ministry of Health Enlists Red Hat to Help Establish a National Digital Health Network Red Hat (News - Alert), Inc., the world's leading provider of open source solutions, today announced that the Argentine Ministry of Health has implemented a National Digital Health Network to vastly improve accessibility of universal healthcare coverage services and initiatives using Red Hat open hybrid cloud technologies. With a complete digital transformation to modernize its healthcare system and infrastructure, the Argentine Ministry of Health has increased access to imperative healthcare information and services, with more than 2.4 million people currently registered on its network and a goal to reach 15 million by the end of this year. This has been especially critical as the government has used this system to help keep Argentinians up-to-date on pandemic developments and track local and global COVID-19 cases. The Argentine Ministry of Health is the public entity responsible for the accessibility and quality of medical attention to approximately 44.27 million people across Argentina. It also covers extensive health-related functions, including border health control, epidemiology, vaccination campaigns and more. In an effort to allow care centers to more securely access patient data and reduce healthcare quality gaps, they wanted to institute a flexible, scalable and stable IT infrastructure based on container and microservices technology that could integrate openly between provider databases. By engaging with Red Hat, the Argentine Ministry of Health has been able to deploy a cloud-native infrastructure while modernizing applications to make clinical records, prescriptions and public information more easily available. Today, the Argentine Ministry of Health runs 21 apps on its Red Hat OpenShift-based cloud infrastructure, including its epidemiology surveillance network and related dashboards. The IT organization has realized faster infrastructure services with hybrid cloud infrastructure and expects to see an increase in the number of transactions by roughly 1200% by the end of 2020. Providing the backbone for the National Digital Health Network are: Red Hat Enterprise Linux , the world's leading enterprise Linux Platform, for a more stable, consistent and more secure operating system footprint , the world's leading enterprise Linux Platform, for a more stable, consistent and more secure operating system footprint Red Hat OpenShift , the industry's most comprehensive enterprise Kubernetes platform, provides the foundation for implementing the National Digital health network while facilitating compliance with the country's health security policies , the industry's most comprehensive enterprise Kubernetes platform, provides the foundation for implementing the National Digital health network while facilitating compliance with the country's health security policies Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform to implement enterprise-wide automation to implement enterprise-wide automation Red Hat 3scale API Management to facilitate the administration of API clients and the onboarding of new healthcare institutions with documentation and sandbox spaces to facilitate the administration of API clients and the onboarding of new healthcare institutions with documentation and sandbox spaces Red Hat Consulting for hands-on mentoring aimed at building experience in integrating enterprise systems with open source technology and Red Hat Training to speed up technology adoption and maximize return on investment while improving productivity and improving innovation for hands-on mentoring aimed at building experience in integrating enterprise systems with open source technology and to speed up technology adoption and maximize return on investment while improving productivity and improving innovation Container Adoption Program (CAP) implementation has started in an effort to guide the Ministry of Health through a transformation journey aimed at changing the culture, platform and practices required to adopt and realize the benefit of DevOps-charged container management With the National Digital Health Network built on Red Hat technologies, the Argentine Ministry of Health has improved fair access to health coverage by improving the exchange and access of information to all of Argentina. Initiatives like a National Family Medicine plan and incentives for more quality coverage can now take flight and providers are equipped to enhance diagnosis procedures while limiting potential issues caused by insufficient or unintegrated patient data. In the future, patients will no longer need to bring hard copies of clinical records and electronic prescriptions, further smoothing the patient experience at both the provider and pharmacy level. Beyond Red Hat's technologies, the Argentine Ministry of Health has also worked to implement an open source mindset based on the training and expertise of Red Hat Consulting. This has given the ministry a greater ability and capacity to more freely share ideas and best practices across the organization, encouraging internal peer-to-peer learning. Thanks to open source technology and organizational strategy, the Argentine Ministry of Health has been able to avoid vendor lock-in while embracing new ways of working with both internal and external stakeholders. Supporting Quotes Ashesh Badani, senior vice president, cloud platforms, Red Hat "Modernizing healthcare systems requires a higher level of interoperability and flexibility paired with a commitment to infrastructure security, all while being user friendly and scalable to address changing demand. Combining Red Hat's powerful open hybrid cloud technologies and our expertise in driving open source across the technical and organizational landscape has helped the Argentine Ministry of Health transform to better meet constituent needs and we look forward to continuing our support as the National Health Network System expands." Daniel Rizzato Lede, M.D., health IT specialist and development director, Argentine Ministry of Health "Open source is collaboration without borders. When a person creates code in any part of the world, it's available to others who have the same problems and people can work as a team to find a better solution. We are excited to be working with Red Hat to make an enormous impact to solve critical problems." Additional Resources Connect with Red Hat About Red Hat, Inc. Red Hat is the world's leading provider of enterprise open source software solutions, using a community-powered approach to deliver reliable and high-performing Linux, hybrid cloud, container, and Kubernetes technologies. Red Hat helps customers integrate new and existing IT applications, develop cloud-native applications, standardize on our industry-leading operating system, and automate, secure, and manage complex environments. Award-winning support, training, and consulting services make Red Hat a trusted adviser to the Fortune 500. As a strategic partner to cloud providers, system integrators, application vendors, customers, and open source communities, Red Hat can help organizations prepare for the digital future. Red Hat, Red Hat Enterprise Linux, the Red Hat logo, Ansibler and OpenShift are trademarks or registered trademarks of Red Hat, Inc. or its subsidiaries in the U.S. and other countries. Linux is the registered trademark of Linus Torvalds in the U.S. and other countries. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200427005060/en/ Protesters call for an end to coronavirus social distancing measures. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times) When the Spanish flu erupted in Los Angeles in the fall of 1918, health officers had few means of warning the city's half-million residents. With a wartime ban on civilian radios in place, officials relied on newspapers, posters and crowded public meetings to urge Angelenos to keep their kids out of school, skip church and stay home. Now, as the world battles an entirely new pandemic, city and county officials have vastly more ways to communicate with a population of roughly 10 million. Television, radio, electronic billboards, email, social media and cell phone alerts are all being used to deliver the official line on social distancing, business closures and home sheltering. But this fractured media landscape may prove to be a messaging nightmare as California enters its second month of lockdown. While officials say the public's adherence to health messaging has shown quantifiable results in "flattening the curve" of new COVID-19 cases, they caution that we are nowhere near the end of this emergency and that we cannot become complacent. Some residents are losing patience, however. Already, small groups of protesters complaining of lockdown fatigue have demanded an end to restrictive health measures, while Ventura and Riverside counties have announced plans to ease stay-at-home restrictions. To confuse matters further, President Trump has called on some states to "liberate" themselves from coronavirus lockdowns. "As of right now there's a very small but vocal minority," said Los Angeles Emergency Management Department spokeswoman Kate Hutton. "The vast majority of our people are at home ... and we thank them profusely for it because it's saving lives." In years past, both the county and city have struggled to effectively communicate with the public during emergencies. During the Woolsey fire in 2018, Los Angeles County relied too heavily on social media, and left many older residents in the dark about the approaching fire. A year later, a computer coding error prevented city staff from using emergency notification software to warn people of the Saddle Ridge fire. Story continues Now, facing a much slower-moving disaster, officials are working to keep the public listening. They must balance grim news of deaths and infections with seeds of hope, but not over-promise results. "People have a tendency to tune out especially if you instill fear without a solution. Then why listen?" said Wandi Bruine de Bruin, provost professor of public policy, psychology and behavioral science at USC. "But if you start people with too much optimism then people expect big outcomes quickly. And if those outcomes don't happen, then they feel that their efforts were a waste and why continue to do this?" Working together in a joint information center, emergency management officials from the city and county have so far struck the right tone about the threat and what Angelenos can do to stay safe without sowing irrational fear into the community, experts say. In March, the county hired two communication firms at a cost of $400,000 and reorganized its emergency management plan so that what the public hears is consistent across departments. It also created a digital billboard campaign and COVID-19 website and hosted weekly briefings with media organizations serving minority communities, said Helen Chavez, the countys Joint Information Center spokeswoman. The city, meanwhile, has sent out a dozen messages to more than a million email addresses, cell phones and landlines with quarantine and mask-wearing guidance and rules about essential travel and where to get tested. On March 27, the city sent an Amber Alert-style message to all cellphones in the county, and virtually every day, Mayor Eric Garcetti and county health officials host daily press conferences broadcast live on TV and social media. You need to communicate with people using what they use. It takes a multimedia approach to reach people, said Craig Fugate, who served as a top emergency manager for Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and then as the administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency under President Obama. And a consistent messaging from local communities' leaders. When that message is undermined by a dissenting voice within the group, it ripples down into the public's psyche, experts say. There is a huge impact in terms of how people interpret these messages, said Jose Rodriguez, a professor of communications studies at California State University Long Beach. Notice that in Florida, there [was] an incoherent, inconsistent message. When you get a mixed signal, people then do one of two things: They think that is not important, or they go into confusion, which is understandable human behavior. Empathy also helps a message resonate, Rodriguez said, like when California Surgeon Gen. Dr. Nadine Burke Harris at a press conference squashed a pernicious rumor that the coronavirus did not infect black people and followed that up by encouraging Californians to maintain human connections, even if its just online. People are starving for connection, attention, relationships. Its just confirming what people are already feeling in their bodies, Rodriguez said. And in that way, its a huge statement of collective empathy. Were all feeling alone, afraid, and now our state government has said, We hear you. Los Angeles and the state as a whole have had some success in slowing the virus' spread, officials say. Though the number of new cases and deaths reported each day continues to increase, Gov. Gavin Newsom said social distancing has been successful in helping to flatten the curve here. About 95% of the countys residents supported the existing stay-at-home order as of early April, according to a Loyola Marymount poll. But since that poll, the rhetoric from the federal government and surrounding communities has shown public patience is waning. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said last week the city won't consider amending its quarantine restrictions until at least May 15. But any easing of restrictions will have to be done with extreme caution, according to experts. We continue to make progress, and the spread of COVID-19 has leveled out, but relaxing physical distancing measures very suddenly would negate and reverse all of that progress weve made to date, Los Angeles Department of Health services Director Dr. Christina Ghaly cautioned at a press conference Thursday. Such was the city's experience in 1918. Los Angeles was one of the few major metropolitan cities then that wisely canceled its Liberty Day parade that year. But the city's closures also werent as strict as todays or as long-lasting, said Alex Navarro, assistant director of the University of Michigans Center for the History of Medicine. After local officials thought theyd endured the worst of the outbreak, they relaxed the rules. I cant speak to whether going out in public was more or less popular then, but I can say that we read numerous stories across many American cities where there was a flood of people who went out as soon as the social orders were removed, lines around the block for theaters, Navarro said. It led to another spike of cases ... that was deadlier than the first. IRAQ: A woman wearing a protective mask and colored contact lenses holds her cat as she poses for a picture during a protest against corruption in the Iraqi government in the southern city of Basra on Feb. 27. (Hussein Faleh / AFP via Getty Images) Around the world, animal shelters are emptying out because of the coronavirus outbreak. People who are confined to their homes are adopting or fostering animals en masse. According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), the benefit of having a companion animal is tangible. The nonprofit is seeing an increase in people interested in fostering and adopting animals. It has managed to find temporary foster homes for most of its animals. When you cant leave your home to socialize, and touch has become taboo, many have felt a need for animal companionship. Considering how anxiety-inducing isolation can be, a mood boost will not go amiss. Having a pet around the house may also help you stick to the strategies likely to help you through this period, like daily exercise and structure. Even if you live with other people, a companion animal can be a better distraction. Sheltering at home can be the perfect time to bring a shelter animal into your home. In California, where 40 million residents were ordered to stay home except for essential jobs or trips, such as getting groceries, Gov. Gavin Newsom noted an important exemption. You can still walk your dog, he said. Shelters need the help. Some animal rescue centers in big cities are closing their doors to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus between people, but the animals still need care. Many organizations, hoping to find foster homes for their remaining charges, are still processing requests and handing off animals while closed to the public. Here is a look at some of the lucky animals and their owners as they shelter in place around the world. PRAGUE: A man pets a dog that sits in a window in downtown Prague, Czech Republic, on March 24. (Petr David Josek / AP) WEST BANK: Hiba Junaidi, wearing protective gloves and a mask amid the coronavirus outbreak, poses with one of the stray cats she cares for in her house's backyard, which she had turned into a shelter, near the West Bank city of Hebron, on April 7. (Hazem Bader / AFP via Getty Images) U.S.: Cheddar looks through a hole in his box before being taken home by his new family at the Animal Humane Society in Golden Valley, Minn., on March 22. Hundreds of pets get new homes before shelters pause adoptions due to the coronavirus. (Evan Frost / AP) U.S.: Lex Taylor, a veterinarian assistant, checks in a Yorkshire terrier named Gabby on March 26 in Roanoke, Va. Angels of Assisi has started offering its low-cost vet clinic on a curb outside the clinic to reduce people's exposure to the coronavirus. (Heather Rousseau / AP) U.S.: Ooltewah Veterinary Hospital Dr. Micah Woods holds Izzy as owners Ken, center, and Zoe Leslie look on at the Leslies' home March 27 in Ooltewah, Tenn. Because of the coronavirus outbreak, Ooltewah Veterinary Hospital began to offer house calls for clients who are unable to leave their homes. (C.B. Schmelter / AP) PERU: Zulema Aguinaga smiles at her pet cat as she starts the day April 3 in her small room she shares with her son and elderly aunt, in a deteriorated house nicknamed "Luriganchito," or "Little Lurigancho," after San Pedro de Lurigancho, the country's most populous prison, in Lima, Peru. (Rodrigo Abd / AP) UKRAINE: A woman in a face mask to prevent the coronavirus spread walks a dog in Kyiv, Ukraine, on April 6. (Efrem Lukatsky / AP) NEPAL: A Nepalese volunteer feeds monkeys March 31 at Pashupatinath temple, the country's most revered Hindu temple, during the lockdown in Kathmandu, Nepal. Guards, staff and volunteers are making sure animals and birds on the temple grounds don't starve during the country's lockdown. (Niranjan Shrestha / AP) NEPAL: A Nepalese volunteer feeds an ox March 31 at Pashupatinath temple, the country's most revered Hindu temple, during the lockdown in Kathmandu, Nepal. Guards, staff and volunteers are making sure animals and birds on the temple grounds don't starve during the country's lockdown. (Niranjan Shrestha / AP) COLOMBIA: A monkey sits on the shoulder of zookeeper Jorge Mogollon on April 21 at the Santacruz Zoo, which is closed amid a lockdown to help contain the coronavirus spread in San Antonio near Bogota, Colombia. (Fernando Vergara / AP) VENEZUELA: A man wears a face mask March 20 while he carries his dog with a protective suit as a preventive measure against the coronavirus spread in Caracas, Venezuela. (Federico Parra / AFP via Getty Images) INDIA: A man wearing a facemask feeds pigeons on a empty street during a 21-day government-imposed nationwide lockdown as a preventive measure against the COVID-19 coronavirus in Kolkata on March 26, 2020. (DIBYANGSHU SARKAR / AFP via Getty Images) LEBANON: Zaynab Razzouk, head of the animal protection NGO Carma, hugs a dog at the shelter in the area of Koura, north of the Lebanese capital Beirut on April 3, 2020. - According to Razzouk, dogs and cats are getting dumped every day as a result of the outbreak of Covid-19. (JOSEPH EID / AFP via Getty Images) PALESTINE: A shepherd wearing a protective mask and gloves, tends to his sheep near the village of Tarqumia near the West Bank town of Hebron, on April 5,2020, amid the novel coronavirus pandemic crisis. (HAZEM BADER / AFP via Getty Images) CHINA: A man (R) wearing a facemask amid the concerns over the COVID-19 coronavirus holds a dog as he walks at a shopping mall in Beijing on April 9, 2020. (NICOLAS ASFOURI / AFP via Getty Images) HONG KONG: April 14, 2020, French osteopath Etienne Simonnet wears a face mask as a precautionary measure against the COVID-19 coronavirus while saying goodbye to his foster dog Ah Po, whose case was originally handled by Hong Kong Dog Rescue (HKDR) and now by another group, before heading out to work in Hong Kong. (ANTHONY WALLACE / AFP via Getty Images) THAILAND: A street food vendor (C) and a customer (L) in face masks, as a preventive measure against the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus, have their photo taken with their dogs in Chinatown in Bangkok on April 17, 2020. (LILLIAN SUWANRUMPHA / AFP via Getty Images) RUSSIA: A woman wearing a face mask holds her dog as she visits "ZooAcademy" veterinary clinic in Moscow on April 21, 2020, during a strict lockdown in Russia to stop the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus. (YURI KADOBNOV / AFP via Getty Images) RUSSIA: A woman looks at her dog during a treatment procedure at "ZooAcademy" veterinary clinic in Moscow on April 21, 2020, during a strict lockdown in Russia to stop the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus. (YURI KADOBNOV / AFP via Getty Images) PALESTINE: A worker wearing protective gear feeds a peacock at the Qalqilya Zoo in the occupied West Bank, after the animal park was completely closed to visitors due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, on April 21, 2020. (JAAFAR ASHTIYEH / AFP via Getty Images) CALIFORNIA, USA: Chad Robbins and Tracey Robbins (R) kiss wearing face masks and holding their dog Huggy after their wedding ceremony officiated by a clerk recorder at the Honda Center parking lot on April 21, 2020 in Anaheim, California. - The County of Orange Clerk Recorder employees implemented a variety of social distancing techniques to safely issue licenses and marry couples during the novel coronavirus pandemic. (APU GOMES / AFP via Getty Images) NEW YORK, USA: A man walks with his dog in a bag in the nearly empty streets in lower Manhattan on March 20, 2020 in New York City. Schools, businesses and most places where people congregate across the country have been shut down as health officials try to slow the spread of COVID-19. (Spencer Platt / Getty Images) 36 percent of Indians have internet access out of which only a third are women. This is not a digital divide anymore; this is a digital ditch. In the mid 90s, Bill Gates released his first book, The Road Ahead, and it blew our minds. Or at least one part of it did (I never managed to read much of it). In it, Gates described the Seattle home he was then building with inlaid fiber optic cables where each room would have its own unobtrusive touchpad to control the lights, music and temperature. Best of all, as you entered a room, itd automatically customise those elements and even wall paintings (via LCD screens) based on personal preferences, all pinged via an electronic pin everyone in the house would wear. I was reminded of that moment from a quarter century ago as I listened to a recent webinar on access to the internet in India, organised by Agami, the law and justice organisation where I work. Much of Gates fantastic vision has become widely available today in the form of mobile phones, smart devices and apps all of them powered by the internet, and what he then romantically called the Information Highway. Now in our elastically wrenching world, Gates is having another moment of prescience (as well as right-wing data hacks and conspiracy theories), this time with brighter sweaters and a thinner, papery voice. Whatever you think of him, he did baldly predict in his 2015 TED talk that the greatest risk of global catastrophe was not nuclear war but most likely a highly infectious virus...not missiles but microbes. The march of the internet into our lives, taking over every aspect and every hour, is so ubiquitous it doesn't need much emphasis or spelling out. And concurrently, neither does the fact that as more than a fifth of humanity frets under some form of lockdown and the rest practices swivel-eyed social distancing, we are all keeping up some semblance of normalcy by going online. A recent survey found that internet browsing shot up by 72 percent in the first week of lockdown in India. Online is where we are all talking and conferencing and texting, sharing parody videos, moving our money, dropping out of online courses, asking doctors about pulse oximeters, damning house cleaning bloggers, thanking recipe writers for using metric measurements, rediscovering celebrities for their shenanigans and, of course, unquenchably consuming the news and ordering more and more supplies even as we feel all Zoomed out. The new economy is not so new anymore, and its vital to say this aloud: Our economy is now vastly inaccessible without the internet. All the platforms, gateways and content are useless without it. Yet according to government data by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), only about half of Indians have access to the basic broadband speed of 512 Kbps or more. Last years IAMAI-Nielsen study found an even wider gap of only 36 percent of Indians having internet access in the first place. And only a third of them are women. This is not a digital divide anymore. This is a digital ditch. Which means, half to two-thirds of the country are in an economic ditch. Much of the high speed and reliable networks have been first laid in urban centres, and the work on Digital India programmes has not kept pace with the gradually devolving economy or the current COVID-19 crisis. Perhaps some of this slowness is due to decision makers still not quite accepting that the internet has moved this fast from being a useful luxury to an essential resource? Or is it more of a lingering bias that rural or disadvantaged Indians just don't need as much internet as people like us? Either way, the numbers tell a different story. Of all regular users in India (who accessed the internet in the last 30 days), 40 percent are actually rural users and that base is growing much faster than the urban one. More than 50 percent of rural customers are willing to go online to buy goods. Two thirds of all existing Indian internet users are in the 12-29 year age group, and in general this age group resides much more in rural than urban India. Data usage in rural India increased by almost 100 percent during the lockdown. And all this when rural internet penetration stands at only 27 percent (versus 51 percent in urban areas). In January, the Supreme Court declared access to the internet a fundamental right under Article 19 of the Constitution. This was in response to a plea on the internet blockade in Jammu & Kashmir since last summers revoking of Article 370. Since then, there has been only partial lifting of the digital ban there only 2G speeds for postpaid mobiles while prepaid sims still have to get verified despite mounting reports that lack of high-speed internet is hobbling the medical community and accelerating the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in the region. Justice Badar Durrez Ahmed, retired Chief Justice of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir, as well as Rahul Matthan, Partner at Trilegal law firm, criticised such internet shutdowns at the Agami webinar. They both cited similar metaphors comparing the internet today to essential services like water and electricity, and how authorities dont switch them off to some citizens when convenient. Now, the internet has thankfully been deemed an essential service by the Home Ministry during the national lockdown, but there doesnt seem much more on the governments agenda here. I don't think the [central] government has realised how critical this infrastructure is, Aruna Sundararajan, former Telecom Secretary of India, said at the webinar. I served on the COVID taskforce in Kerala and we devoted a whole chapter to seeing how to ensure internet services wouldnt get disrupted, how thered [actually] be a 30-40 percent increase in availability. We put in suggestions that people who normally dont have access somehow need to be given it because theyre the ones who need it the most. Governments and companies worldwide are hustling to ensure that their citizens remain online. Chile is offering a solidarity plan" for affordable internet in partnership with private companies, while Thailand has granted 10 GB of free data to mobile users. Egypt has given free SIM cards to students and borne the cost of a 20 percent increase in all subscribers' monthly downloads. In the US, the telecom regulator negotiated with more than 50 major internet providers to get them to agree to suspend data and speed caps, suspend shutoffs and late fees, waive installation fees, provide free service and other schemes for low-income users and open Wi-Fi hotspots for the public. Meanwhile, the major telecom and broadband companies in India have offered some initiatives like free incoming calls to low-income users, Airtel and BSNL have provided extended mobile validity and Rs 10 talktime free, while Jio Phone users have got 100 minutes and 100 SMS free. Meanwhile, ACT Fibernet has offered free upgrades of unlimited data and 300 Mbps speed, Jio Fiber has offered free 10 Mbps connections to new users and double data to existing ones, and Jio has offered free broadband in some places. Some say that in this crisis, the Indian government needs to pitch in much more such as reduce red tape to enable telecom companies to build capacity fast, incentivise them to increase data limits and subsidise costs, and even use disaster relief funds to build public Wi-Fi zones. There were a host of other solutions proposed at the webinar as well. Sundararajan said the government must build the infrastructure for 4G access for all Indians and pointed out that this is actually possible in just 6-12 months as well as finish the incomplete project to lay fiber optic cables for 2.5 lakh gram panchayats. Sundararajan and Apar Gupta, Executive Director of Internet Freedom Foundation, also recommended that the pending Data Protection Bill be enacted to address cybersecurity concerns as citizens go online. Justice Ahmed suggested engaging the local Legal Services Authorities across the country to provide internet and justice access to their constituencies, while Matthan emphasised the right to broadband rather than just internet as a more realistic need today. Gupta recommended voluntary pledges by telecom companies to not disconnect connections for non-payment during this crisis, actualising a network neutrality enforcement mechanism in telecom licenses for private entities, and regulatory reform in telecom suspension rules to guard against internet shutdowns. The non-profit Jan Sahas has reported that a significant proportion of the distress calls theyre receiving are actually requests to recharge mobile phone accounts. In the next 12-24 months well have restrictions of some kind, said Sundararajan, and the need for internet is only going to exponentially accelerate. We cant meaningfully talk about justice for the offline world anymore, given its sharp marginalisation from most mainstream social, political and economic activity. The fact is that those of us in the information or service economies are not the only ones who need the internet, not anymore. For most of this century, all Indians have needed it to lead fuller and fully connected lives; the big difference in the last few years is that we now also need it to be fuller consumers. And in a landscape that promises to be socially distanced for the next one to two years, all of us need it whether we are in the organised or unorganised sector. There is the case of access to justice, and there is the case for access to a healthy life. Getting all citizens online is surely the one reliable way to unite them in following mandates for the greater good while giving them a way to access basic needs. And getting everyone online would also surely create a permanent resource to help the Indian economy leap away from the cliff its getting overfamiliar with. Gaurav Jain is a writer, editor and entrepreneur who co-founded the digital feminist portal The Ladies Finger and the award-winning boutique media house Grist Media. He works at Agami, an organisation that inspires and enables ideas for law and justice. PR-Inside.com: 2020-04-27 22:23:02 (In United States dollars, except where noted otherwise) TORONTO, April 27, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- First Quantum Minerals Ltd. ("First Quantum" or the "Company") (TSX:FM) today reported for the three months ended March 31, 2020 (Q1) comparative loss1 of $79 million ($0.11 per share1), net loss attributable to shareholders of the Company1 of $62 million ($0.09 loss per share1) and cash flows from operating activities of $473 million ($0.69 per share1). The COVID-19 pandemic has brought unprecedented challenges to communities, industries and the global economy. Our priority continues to be the health and safety of all of our employees and the communities where we work. We are managing the restrictions and protocols implemented in each country where we operate to assist in the protection of all and particularly those most vulnerable, commented Philip Pascall, Chairman and CEO. We have reduced our operating costs and capital spending to deal with the current environment and have hedges in place to mitigate the uncertainty of the copper price. With the support of our banking group, we have improved our flexibility and liquidity. We will continue to make the changes necessary to deal with this global crisis. FIRST QUARTER SUMMARY: Operational Highlights: 195,285 tonnes of total copper production 2 for Q1, an increase of 43% from the comparable period of 2019 including a contribution of 56,240 tonnes from Cobre Panama. for Q1, an increase of 43% from the comparable period of 2019 including a contribution of 56,240 tonnes from Cobre Panama. 68,788 ounces of total gold production for Q1, an increase of 39% from the comparable period of 2019. Q1 cost of copper production 3 : All-in sustaining cost (AISC) of $1.64 per lb, cash cost (C1) of $1.30 per lb and total cost (C3) of $2.19 per lb. : All-in sustaining cost (AISC) of $1.64 per lb, cash cost (C1) of $1.30 per lb and total cost (C3) of $2.19 per lb. Cobre Panamas production was impacted initially by unplanned downtime on the crushing circuits, which was resolved, followed by the impact of COVID-19 restrictions described below. Kansanshi and Las Cruces achieved higher copper production for the quarter compared to 2019. Despite Sentinel achieving record throughput in Q1, production was down 2% compared to 2019 due to lower grade and recovery. Kansanshi smelter processed 329,946 dry metric tonnes of copper concentrate, produced 80,280 tonnes of copper anode and 315,000 tonnes of sulphuric acid. Ravensthorpe continued operational readiness work resulting in the restart of the acid plant and the atmospheric leaching operations in March 2020. The first high pressure acid leach (HPAL) circuit was brought online mid-April and the second HPAL circuit is scheduled to come online thereafter. Nickel mixed hydroxide product drying and containerizing also commenced in April. Three months ended March 31 (U.S. dollars where applicable) 2020 2019 COPPER - Production2 (tonnes) 195,285 136,969 - Sales4 (tonnes) 189,953 130,262 - Cost of production3: o AISC (per lb) $ 1.64 $ 1.77 o C1 (per lb) $ 1.30 $ 1.34 o C3 (per lb) $ 2.19 $ 2.21 - Realized price (per lb) $ 2.56 $ 2.79 GOLD - Production (ounces) 68,788 49,357 - Sales (ounces)5 73,782 46,790 Financial Highlights Sales revenues for the quarter of $1,182 million, an increase of 38% from the comparable period of 2019 boosted by Cobre Panama production. Realized price for copper of $2.56 per lb for the quarter was 8% lower than the same period in 2019. This compares to a decrease of 9% in the London Metal Exchange (LME) average copper price for the same period. The Companys copper sales hedge program contributed $26 million ($0.06 per lb) to sales revenues in the quarter, compared to a $8 million sales hedge gain ($0.03 per lb) in the same quarter of 2019. $473 million of cash flows from operating activities ($0.69 per share 3 ) generated during the quarter, an increase of over 197% from the comparable period of 2019. ) generated during the quarter, an increase of over 197% from the comparable period of 2019. Gross profit of $147 million for the quarter. Comparative EBITDA 1 of $434 million for the quarter. of $434 million for the quarter. At April 27, 2020, the Company had unmargined copper forward sales contracts for: 175,525 tonnes at an average price of $2.59 per lb outstanding with periods of maturity to January 2021; zero cost collar unmargined sales contracts for 127,500 tonnes at weighted average prices of $2.66 per lb to $2.92 per lb outstanding with maturities to January 2021; unmargined nickel forward sales contracts for 11,000 tonnes at an average price of $6.76 per lb outstanding with maturities to February 2021; and has hedged 180 million litres of Ultra Low Sulphur Diesel at an average price of $0.32 per litre as part of the Companys cost management strategy. Approximately half of expected remaining copper sales in 2020 are hedged to unmargined forward and zero cost collar sales contracts, at an average floor price of $2.62 per lb. The Company issued $750 million in Senior Notes in January 2020, using the proceeds to repay and cancel the remaining $300 million of 7.00% Senior Notes due February. Ended the quarter with $1,145 million in net unrestricted cash and cash equivalents and in full compliance with all financial covenants. On April 22, 2020, the Company announced the amendment of financial covenants under the senior term loan and revolving credit facility in response to uncertainty related to COVID-19. The Net Debt to EBITDA ratio has been increased and the Debt Service Cover Ratio has been decreased, for the remainder of 2020 and 2021. (see the Companys release dated April 22, 2020 for more detail) Three months ended March 31 (U.S. dollars millions, except where noted otherwise) 2020 2019 Sales revenues 1,182 857 Gross profit 147 185 Net earnings (loss) attributable to shareholders of the Company (62) 53 Basic and diluted earnings (loss) per share ($0.09) $0.08 Comparative EBITDA1 434 368 Comparative earnings (loss)1 (79) 95 Comparative earnings (loss) per share1 ($0.11) $0.14 Cash flow from operating activities 473 159 Cash flow from operating activities per share1 ($0.69 ) $0.23 1 Net earnings (loss) attributable to shareholders of the Company has been adjusted to exclude items which are not reflective of underlying performance to arrive at comparative earnings (loss). Comparative earnings (loss), comparative earnings (loss) per share, comparative EBITDA and cash flows per share are not measures recognized under IFRS and do not have a standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS. The Company has disclosed these measures to assist with the understanding of results and to provide further financial information about the results to investors. Refer to the Regulatory Disclosures section in the MD&A for the quarter ended March 31, 2020 for further information. 2 Production is presented on a copper contained basis and is presented prior to processing through the Kansanshi smelter. 3AISC, C1 and C3 costs per pound are not recognized under IFRS. Refer to the Regulatory Disclosures section in the MD&A for the quarter ended March 31, 2020 for further information. C1, C3 and AISC costs exclude third-party concentrate purchased at Kansanshi. 4 Copper sales exclude the sale of copper anode produced from third-party concentrate purchased at Kansanshi. Sales of copper anode attributable to third-party concentrate purchases were nil for the three months ended March 31, 2020 (1,182 tonnes for the three months ended March 31, 2019). 5Excludes refinery-backed gold credits purchased and delivered under precious metal streaming arrangement. COVID-19 impacts On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic. The virus has brought unprecedented challenges to communities, industries and the global economy. First Quantums priority is the health and safety of its employees and communities. Efforts by countries to control and mitigate the spread of the virus include travel restrictions, temporary border restrictions, and closure of non-essential business operations. The Company is managing the necessary country-by-country restrictions in order to assist in the protection of those most vulnerable. At its mine sites, preparations are in place for control, isolation and quarantine as necessary. On April 6, 2020, Ministry of Health of the Republic of Panama (MINSA) ordered the temporary suspension of labour activities at the Cobre Panama operation, as a sanitary control measure due to COVID-19. The Company decided to place the Cobre Panama operation onto preservation and safe maintenance from April 7, 2020 until MINSA are satisfied that the quarantine conditions are appropriate. The heightened quarantine conditions require that mining and processing operations be halted. The port and power plant have continued operations in order to supply essential electrical power into the Panama national grid, and to sustain the preservation and safe maintenance activities. Temporary costs are estimated at between $4 and $6 million per week assuming the suspension of labour contracts and other variable and fixed costs. In light of the preservation and safe maintenance period, production guidance for Cobre Panama for 2020 has been reduced to 210,000 to 235,000 kt of copper and 90,000 to 100,000 koz of gold. Production guidance for production at all other operations remains unchanged from previously disclosed. Cobre Panama updated copper and gold guidance range is dependent upon receiving approval from MINSA to end the preservation and safe maintenance shutdown and to commence the restart of operations before or by the end of May. Normal production levels would be expected to return in late June 2020 to early July 2020. A delay to this timeline would have an impact on the guidance range. Mining operations at Las Cruces were shut down on March 30, 2020 following an order by the Spanish government, which designated mining as a non-essential operation. The plant continued to process the surface ore stockpile, sufficient for an expected two months of production at current levels. Las Cruces resumed operations on April 13, 2020, following the end of the government imposed shutdown on non-essential services on April 9, 2020. Production guidance for Las Cruces is unchanged. With the closure of the South African and Zimbabwean borders, the export of the Companys Zambian production is currently being managed through alternate routes. To date, there has not been any significant disruption to sales, supply chains and product shipments at the Companys other operations, however, its exploration programs have been affected by international and local travel restrictions associated with COVID-19. With the slowdown of global economic activity, commodity prices have weakened. The copper LME price fell to a low of $2.08 per lb in late March before recovering somewhat in April to $2.32 per lb on supply disruptions and expectations of stronger demand. The Companys copper hedge program, which utilizes both unmargined copper forward sales and unmargined zero cost collar sales contracts, mitigates some of the price volatility in the near term. The Company also has nickel hedges in place for a large proportion of its Ravensthorpe forecast 2020 production at prices significantly above current LME prices. Gold market prices have increased from $1,520/oz at the end of 2019 to $1,720/oz during April 2020. Under the assumption of an extended period of health protocols, travel restrictions and depressed commodity prices, the Companys main overall priority is the active management of all capital spending and operating costs while maintaining a high level of safety and productivity. Within this context, capital expenditure guidance for 2020 has been reduced by $175 million, reflecting the deferral of some initiatives and AISC guidance for 2020 has been reduced by $0.05 per lb. 2020 GUIDANCE REVISIONS Production guidance has been reduced for copper by 75,000 tonnes to 755,000 805,000 tonnes and gold by 30,000 ounces to 250,000 270,000 ounces as a result of a reduction in production expectations at Cobre Panama following its response to COVID-19. Production guidance at all other operations remains unchanged from expectations previously disclosed. For cash costs, AISC guidance range has been reduced by $0.05 per lb and the upper end of the guidance range for C1 costs has been reduced by $0.05 per lb. Capital expenditure guidance has been reduced by $175 million. Guidance is based on a number of assumptions and estimates as of March 31, 2020, including among other things, assumptions about metal prices and anticipated costs and expenditures. Guidance involves estimates of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results to be materially different. (Please see the Companys release dated January 9, 2020 and the Management Discussion and Analysis for the period ending March 31, 2019 for additional detail.) Production Guidance 000s 2020 Copper (tonnes) 755 - 805 Gold (ounces) 250 - 270 Nickel (tonnes) 15 - 20 Cash Cost and All-In Sustaining Cost Copper ($/ lb) 2020 C1 1.20 - 1.35 AISC 1.65 - 1.80 Capital Expenditure $ million 2020 Capitalized stripping 225 Sustaining capital and other projects 450 Total capital expenditure 675 Guidance for the Companys sustaining capital and other projects includes expenditure relating to Cobre Panama for construction work for the tailings management facility and development work associated with the expansion to 100 mtpa capacity. Other projects in 2020 include the Shoemaker Levy deposit at Ravensthorpe, and some spend on the fourth crusher at Sentinel. Reduction in capital expenditure includes moving construction work on the fourth crusher at Sentinel into 2021 as well as deferring some development project capital expenditure and some process improvement and sustaining maintenance program at operations. Underlying sustaining capital expenditure is expected to be approximately $200 million in 2020. CONFERENCE CALL & WEBCAST Conference call and webcast details are as follows: Date: April 28, 2020 Time: 9:00 am (EDT); 2:00 pm (BST); 6:00 am (PDT) Webcast: www.first-quantum.com Dial in: North America (toll free): (877) 291-4570 North America and international: (647) 788-4919 Replay: Available from noon (EDT) on April 28, 2020 until 11:59 pm (EDT) on May 12, 2020 North America (toll free): (800) 585-8367 North America and international: (416) 621-4642 Passcode: 4315239 COMPLETE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND MANAGEMENTS DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS The complete Consolidated Financial Statements and Managements Discussion and Analysis for the quarter ended March 31, 2020 are available at www.first-quantum.com and should be read in conjunction with this news release. For further information visit our website at www.first-quantum.com North American contact: Lisa Doddridge, Director, Investor Relations Tel: (416) 361-6400 Toll-free: 1 (888) 688-6577 United Kingdom contact: Clive Newall, PresidentTel: +44 7802 721663E-Mail: info@fqml.com CAUTIONARY STATEMENT ON FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION Certain statements and information herein, including all statements that are not historical facts, contain forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. The forward-looking statements include estimates, forecasts and statements as to the Companys expectations of production and sales volumes, and expected timing of completion of project development at Enterprise and post-completion construction activity at Cobre Panama and are subject to the impact of ore grades on future production, the potential of production disruptions, potential production, operational, labour or marketing disruptions as a result of the COVID-19 global pandemic, capital expenditure and mine production costs, the outcome of mine permitting, other required permitting, the outcome of legal proceedings which involve the Company, information with respect to the future price of copper, gold, silver, nickel, zinc, pyrite, cobalt, iron and sulphuric acid, estimated mineral reserves and mineral resources, First Quantums exploration and development program, estimated future expenses, exploration and development capital requirements, the Companys hedging policy, and goals and strategies. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements or information can be identified by the use of words such as plans, expects or does not expect, is expected, budget, scheduled, estimates, forecasts, intends, anticipates or does not anticipate or believes or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, might or will be taken, occur or be achieved. With respect to forward-looking statements and information contained herein, the Company has made numerous assumptions including among other things, assumptions about continuing production at all operating facilities, the price of copper, gold, silver, nickel, zinc, pyrite, cobalt, iron and sulphuric acid, anticipated costs and expenditures and the ability to achieve the Companys goals. Forward-looking statements and information by their nature are based on assumptions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or information. These factors include, but are not limited to, future production volumes and costs, the temporary or permanent closure of uneconomic operations, costs for inputs such as oil, power and sulphur, political stability in Zambia, Peru, Mauritania, Finland, Spain, Turkey, Panama, Argentina and Australia, adverse weather conditions in Zambia, Finland, Spain, Turkey, Mauritania, Australia and Panama, labour disruptions, potential social and environmental challenges (including the impact of climate change), power supply, mechanical failures, water supply, procurement and delivery of parts and supplies to the operations, the production of off-spec material and events generally impacting global economic, political and social stability. See the Companys Annual Information Form for additional information on risks, uncertainties and other factors relating to the forward-looking statements and information. Although the Company has attempted to identify factors that would cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those disclosed in the forward-looking statements or information, there may be other factors that cause actual results, performances, achievements or events not to be anticipated, estimated or intended. Also, many of these factors are beyond First Quantums control. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. The Company undertakes no obligation to reissue or update forward-looking statements or information as a result of new information or events after the date hereof except as may be required by law. All forward-looking statements and information made herein are qualified by this cautionary statement. A Nigerian anti-corruption agency, ICPC, has secured an interim forfeiture of properties traced to a former Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, Dibu Ojerinde. In a public announcement published in a national daily paper, on Friday, the commission said the seizure of the properties followed an ongoing investigation against the ex-JAMB registrars excessive properties. The Commission is investigating a matter involving Prof Dibu Ojerinde of Faculty of Education, Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife, Osun State; wherein certain Immovable properties owned by the said Dibu Ojerinde, the publication said. The commission said it is of the opinion, based on the investigation, that the immovable properties owned by Mr Ojerinde are excessive, having regard to his income and other relevant circumstances. The ICPC said the seizure of the properties is in pursuant to section 45(4)(a)-(b) of the Commissions 2000 Offence Act. The ICPC said, The immovable properties owned controlled by Mr Ojerinde either by himself or through his attorneys, agents, and proxies listed under, are seized. a) Trillion Learning Centre along Yidi Road Ilorin Kwara State. b) MRS filling station, Sango Road Ilorin Kwara State. c) Sound Bar Club House located at GRA Ilorin Kwara State. d) Kiddies Cove Educare located at Buddon close, GRA Ilorin Kwara state e) Cheng Marble factory, Ganmo Ilorin Kwara State. f) 5 bedroom detached duplex located at House no 42 EFAB city Abuja Estate. g) 4 bedroom bungalow located at House no 7 EFAB city Estate Abuja. h) 5 bedroom detached duplex located at House no 46 EFAB city Abuja Estate. i) one unit of two bedrooms semidetached bungalow located at House no 9 EFAB City Estate Abuja. j) three-bedroom bungalow located at House no 4 Kadu Estate Abuja. k) Parkan filling station located along Ife road Ibadan Oyo State. l) Oke-Afin Hostel located opposite Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Ogbomosho Oyo state. m) 1 unit of three bedroom bungalow located at House 4 Achimota phase 2 Accra Ghana. However, a court document seen by PREMIUM TIMES on Monday, in a suit between the Nigerian government and a lawyer, Peter Oyewole, showed that the Federal High Court in Abuja had granted an interim forfeiture of other properties belonging to the former Jamb registrar to the ICPC. READ ALSO: According to the court documents, in suit no: FHC/ABJ/CS/191/2020, the judge said the properties were likely acquired with public funds and thus represent proceeds of unlawful corrupt activities. Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu. who gave the order on March 16, directed Mr Oyewole to disclose information of the real identity of the beneficial owners of the properties including: Sapati International School Buildings and Premises located at Ajase Ipo Road, Ilorin, Kwara State. Doyin Filling Station along Lagos Ibadan Expressway, Doyin Gas, Ibadan, Soka Filling Station, Lagos Ibadan Expressway, Gravity FM Radio Station, Igboho, Tejumola House, Ikeja, Mansion at No 14 Yobe close, Maitama Abuja. Advertisements Mr Ojerindes Probe Mr Ojerinde was JAMB chief between 2007 and 2016. After his exit, his successor, Ishaq Oloyede, remitted unspent funds of about N5 billion leading many to suspect Mr Ojerinde of corruption, especially as he returned a far less sum in his nine years as JAMB chief. The highest amount that JAMB had ever remitted into the consolidated revenue fund before this management was N3 million, Kemi Adeosun, Nigerias former finance minister, said in 2017. This year, so far, they have done N5 billion and the Minister of Education reported that they have an additional N3 billion that they are ready to remit which will take this years figure alone to N8 billion and they have not increased their charges, they have not increased their fees. So, the question the council members were asking was, where was all this money before? Mrs Adeosun said. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-28 06:19:31|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close SANAA, April 27 (Xinhua) -- UN Special Envoy for Yemen, Martin Griffiths, on Monday expressed concerns over the declaration of self-rule by the Yemeni Southern Transitional Council (STC) in the southern port city of Aden. "Now, more than ever, all political actors must cooperate in good faith, refrain from taking escalation actions, and put the interests of Yemenis first," Griffiths said in a statement. He called for "expediting the implementation of the Riyadh Agreement, with the support of the coalition led by Saudi Arabia." "The Riyadh Agreement provides for the participation of the STC in consultations on the final political solution to end the conflict in Yemen and serve the interests of Yemenis nation-wide," Griffiths stressed. On Sunday, the STC declared establishing a self-ruled administration and a state of emergency in Aden and southern provinces. The Saudi-led coalition called on the STC to cancel its "escalating move" and abide by the Riyadh Agreement. The agreement was reached between the STC and the Yemeni government last year, ending months of stand-off between both sides in Aden. As part of the Arab military coalition that intervened in Yemen in March 2015 to restore power to the government of Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, the STC turned against the Yemeni government last August. Enditem The chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee announced Monday he is opening an inquiry into the Trump administration's decision to withhold funding to the World Health Organization. In a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Rep. Eliot Engel wrote that the administration's explanation for suspending the US contribution in the midst of a pandemic was 'inadequate.' The New York Democrat said his committee 'is determined to understand the reasons behind this self-defeating withdrawal from global leadership.' Engel said the State Department had provided to Congress 'a one-page talking points 'fact sheet' that contains few facts, no plan, and no explanation of how suspending funds for the WHO will save lives here at home or around the world' by way of justification for suspending the funds. In his letter, he requested a number of materials from the State Department, including 'any and all documents' related to the decision and its impacts, lists of interagency meetings and officials consulted on the funding, and 'a complete and unredacted list of United States government personnel who worked at or were detailed to the WHO, in which WHO office they worked, and for how long they served there.' The House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman said that if the materials were not received by May 4, 'the Committee will consider all other measures at its disposal to compel their production.' A State Department spokesperson told CNN that 'as a general matter, we do not comment on correspondence from Congress.' President Donald Trump announced on April 14 he would halt funding to the WHO pending a review, which he said would cover the agency's 'role in severely mismanaging and covering up the spread of coronavirus.' The US contributes approximately $500 million to the WHO annually, according to administration officials. Pompeo has said the organization has failed to deliver on its mission during the deadly pandemic. Both the President and the secretary of state have accused the WHO of not being critical enough toward China, with Trump calling the organization 'China-centric.' In his letter Monday, Engel acknowledged that the WHO 'made mistakes during the course of this unprecedented emergency,' noting that he 'would support reforms to strengthen the organization.' 'But, certainly, cutting the WHO's funding while the world confronts the COVID-19 tragedy is not the answer,' he wrote. 'Diplomatic, development, and global health professionals have warned that cutting the WHO's funding at this time will only hurt the global response and provide another opportunity for China to exert its influence.' The administration's review of the WHO is expected to last 60 to 90 days. John Barsa, the acting administrator of the US Agency for International Development, told reporters last week that it 'is going to be all-encompassing, getting to all manners of management and operation questions.' Administration officials have not offered clear answers on what specifically the World Health Organization must do to have its funding restored. Behind the scenes, there are efforts to permanently reprogram the funds, and last week, Pompeo said, 'it may be the case that the United States can never return to underwriting having US taxpayer dollars go to the WHO.' One of the possible resolutions listed in the letter, received by the board April 20, is that Eineman returns as superintendent and receives a letter of apology for the school boards actions as well as their pledge to honor and abide by School Board Oath of Office and Indiana School Boards Associations Code of Ethics. The NHS' near-empty multi-million pound Nightingale hospitals are a 'waste of resources' because they are 'cherry-picking patients less likely to die' from coronavirus, senior doctors claimed today. Experts have alleged the reason why only dozens of people are being treated in the temporary wards set up in warehouses and exhibition centres is because they lack the specialist staff and equipment. One medic told the Financial Times the ExCel facility was 'meant to exist to offload patients' from permanent hospitals in the capital but this has never happened, adding: 'When you've got something that doesn't do that it's a waste of resources. It feels like they're just cherry picking those patients less likely to die'. Another intensive care doctor claimed that the same Nightingale hospital can only care for people requiring a ventilator, but if they require any other specialist support they would need to go elsewhere. It came as the fifth of seven planned Nightingale hospitals opened in Bristol today and it emerged that not a single patient has been treated at the Nightingale 100 miles away in Birmingham while the hastily constructed facility in Sunderland may never open at all. Yesterday it was revealed that just 26 patients were treated at the flagship Nightingale in east London last week, down from a peak of 41 - it can take 3,600 people - and there are growing calls for the elderly to be moved there from hospital to recover from Covid-19. The 3,600 capacity Nightingale in London, built by the Army (picture), had 26 patients last week with doctors claiming the setup has made them a 'waste of resources' The new NHS Nightingale Hospital Yorkshire and Humber in Harrogate opened last week - but Five of the seven Nightingales have opened, including Bristol today, with Sunderland and Exeter yet to come online MPs call for elderly coronavirus patients in care homes to be treated in empty Nightingale hospitals Elderly coronavirus patients in care homes should be evacuated to the empty Nightingale hospitals, MP demanded yesterday. At least 7,500 elderly residents have died from coronavirus amidst warnings that the virus was a potential disaster for the caring sector. Labour's shadow minister for care and older people, Liz Kendall, is urging the Government not to waste any more time and to use empty Nightingale hospitals to stop the virus spreading among 500,000 residents and staff. Ms Kendall said: 'We have to provide alternative care. There's a real urgent need to look at any spare capacity there is at facilities like the Nightingale hospitals to see if they can care for residents. 'Care home staff are being asked to do extraordinary things. They're very skilled - but we need to make sure that care homes are not turned into hospices because that's not what they are there for.' Advertisement The NHS denied the seven hospitals - five of which are now open - will become 'white elephants' insisting that they will help if there is a second spike in coronavirus cases. But doctors based at the Nightingale in east London say they do not have the staff or facilities to deal with the most serious cases, meaning that patients are sent to permanent hospitals instead. An NHS spokesman said they 'don't have specific numbers' for patients at the five sites, adding: 'Looking out over the coming months we expect to sustain the Nightingales and also deploy them to support recovering patients and others, as the rest of the NHS re-establishes routine services.' But earlier this month David Rosser, chief executive of University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, cautioned: 'Is it as good as a bed in a hospital? No, not by a long stretch. It remains fundamentally a warehouse with beds in it.' The Sunderland Nightingale has been fitted out with space for 460 beds, but it may never be used. Martin Wilson, chief operating officer at Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: 'If people can all play their part in social distancing, if a vaccine comes along, my hope is that we don't need to open.' And the facility that opened in Glasgow a week ago may also never be needed, according to the Scottish Government. Beds and chairs at the NHS Nightingale Hospital Birmingham at the National Exhibition Centre, which has not treated a single person Rows of beds on a ward at the Nightingale Hospital North West in Manchester last week Not a single patient has been treated at Birmingham's Nightingale hospital, it emerged yesterday. The temporary hospital, which was built in eight days and has the capacity for 4,000 patients over a 75,000 sq ft area, opened on April 10. But West Midlands Mayor Andy Street admitted it has 'not needed to be used'. The facility is one of seven that have either opened recently or are due to open shortly at a cost of millions to treat coronavirus patients. There is growing speculation that some will never be used after regular hospitals cancelled operations and cleared wards to make space for the anticipated surge in sick people. MPs yesterday called for the facilities to broaden their intake of patients to include care home residents with Covid-19. Around 7,500 care home residents are believed to have died from the disease during the outbreak amid claims of a growing scandal that they are being left to die. Shadow Minister for Care and Older People Liz Kendall told the Sunday Mirror: 'We must ensure the elderly with Covid-19 can go and be properly cared for. 'They mustn't just be sent back into a care home to spread the virus to more frail, vulnerable people.' Another Labour MP, Peter Kyle, warned of the difficulty isolating virus victims with dementia in care homes. 'They need to be distanced effectively in this time of crisis. If that means using Nightingale hospitals, what's stopping us?' he said. Defence Secretary Ben Wallace last week suggested the sites could be 'repurposed' to treat non-virus patients to tackle the growing backlog of operations cancelled as a result of the pandemic. The West Midlands accounted for one in five of all coronavirus-related deaths in the UK at the end of March. Erecting Birmingham Nightingale involved 400 civilian contractors, military personnel and 500 clinical staff. The London Nightingale has been beset by claims that a chronic nursing shortage was preventing some patients from being transferred there. There are also concerns that the type of coronavirus patient it can take is hampered by rules that state it can only admit those who need full ventilation but no other support. This would exclude anyone with multiple organ failure and pregnant women. More than 50 patients have been turned away from the ExCel site in London's Docklands since it opened two weeks ago - 30 of them due to a lack of staff. All of the patients are being treated in just one ward, Bedford B. 'It is a very expensive business, with all the staff being encouraged to stay in hotels near the hospital,' a source told the Mail on Sunday. 'While there is a shortage of clinical care nurses, which means those on shift work extremely hard, all other categories of staff are idle most of the time.' The source said the problem was exacerbated when clinical care nurses failed to arrive for shifts last week, meaning critically ill patients could not be moved there from other hospitals. There has also been an alleged dispute with managers over a stage managed discharge of the first patient. Carers had to line the road outside and applaud as an ambulance took the man away. Footage of the scene was released. But the insider claimed it was a PR exercise, saying: 'The patient was still very ill and he wasn't going home. He was simply being transferred to another hospital for treatment. 'The managers wanted a PR hit so we went outside and clapped to order. A lot of us felt bad about it.' Sunderland's temporary hospital, which will have 20 wards with 460 beds for patients in the North East of England when it opens later this month, may never be used, a hospital boss admitted. Martin Watson, chief operating officer at Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: 'If people can all play their part in social distancing, if a vaccine comes along, my hope is that we don't need to open.' Harrogate, with 500 beds, was officially opened by NHS fundraiser Captain Tom Moore on Thursday. Bristol, with 300 beds, has been ready to take patients since Saturday but officially opened today. Manchester opened on April 17. Work on Exeter is due to start in a few days after a last-minute change of venue to a former retail unit on the outskirts of the city. NHS England didn't provide up-to-date figures for the number of beds in use at each facility. A spokesman said they were intended as a back-up if hospitals lacked the capacity to take Covid-19 patients. He added not operating at full capacity would be a 'mark of success... because that will mean that the rest of the NHS has managed well and because the public have helped slow the spread of the virus'. Reach key decision makers with sales-ready leads that shorten your sales process. Move the needle by delivering funnel qualified leads to your sales team. Learn more Zooms paying customers will be able to choose the region they want to use for their virtual meetings, the company announced Monday. Starting Saturday, paying customers can opt in or out of a specific data center region, although they wont be able to change their default region, which for most customers is the United States. Zoom has data centers in the U.S., Canada, Europe, India, Australia, China, Latin America, and Japan/Hong Kong. The move comes after the University of Torontos Citizen Lab earlier this month released a report that found Zoom generated encryption keys on servers in China, even though all the people on a call were located outside of the country. Although free service users wont have the opt-in or -out options of paying customers, Zoom said it would not route data of any users located outside of China through the country. Avoiding Unsafe Servers The data routing changes are a positive, observed Colin Bastable, CEO of Lucy Security, a security awareness and training company located in Zug, Switzerland. All those free users should be happy that no data is routed through China, and paid users will be happy with the choices being offered, he told TechNewsWorld. Allowing customized routing will appeal to some companies that must meet compliance requirements for their industries. There are certain government and cybersecurity standards that require traffic remain within the U.S., explained James McQuiggan, security awareness advocate at KnowBe4, a security awareness training provider located in Clearwater, Florida. For organizations who do not wish to accept the risk of traffic leaving the U.S., this will mitigate and resolve that risk, he told TechNewsWorld. Managing a call path lets a meeting planner avoid potentially unsafe servers, said Justin Kezer, managing consultant at nVisium, a Falls Church, Virginia.-based application security provider. A D V E R T I S E M E N T That limits the risk of someone listening to an active call through a missing application security feature, like a lack of password and access controls, or siphoning the data directly from a vulnerable server, he told TechNewsWorld. However, customized routing doesnt address another flaw Citizen Lab found with Zoom, noted Charles Ragland, security engineer at San Francisco-based Digital Shadows, a provider of digital risk protection solutions. This does not mitigate the risk posed by the lack of true end-to-end encryption or weak encryption that was discovered by Citizen Lab, he told TechNewsWorld. Passwords for Sale Zooms popularity skyrocketed with the spread of the COVID-19 virus and resulting increase of home workers. It appears its newfound popularity attracted more attention from hackers. Information on more than 500,000 Zoom accounts has shown up for sale on the Dark Web and in hacker forums, priced at a penny for each, or less, Bleeping Computer reported Monday. The data was compiled through credential stuffing attacks. Logins from prior data breaches were tried on Zoom, and the ones that worked were bundled together and sold to other hackers, BC explained. Criminals will always seize an opportunity to raise their profile or stay relevant. This would be more of the same, Digital Shadows Ragland observed. Zoom is the current focus of the security industry, and plenty of in-depth discussions have been done around it, making it a prime target for criminals, he explained. There are billions of credentials being hawked on the Dark Web 500,000 makes no difference, said Lucy Securitys Bastable. Of course, the danger is that users are using the same passwords for other logins, which we know they do. The sale of the Zoom accounts on the Dark Web demonstrates how bad password hygiene is, observed Joseph Carson, chief security scientist at Thycotic, a Washington D.C.-based provider of privileged account management solutions. A D V E R T I S E M E N T Once someone is of age and able to connect to the Internet, they should be educated on how to use a password manager or, to be honest, it should be the default settings in our browsers, he told TechNewsWorld. The sale of the Zoom accounts raises questions for some solutions on whether or not users should even be allowed to choose their own passwords, Carson said. Security-Minded Management Although Zoom has found itself under the security magnifying glass, it hasnt dropped the ball, maintained nVisiums Kezer. Zoom is doing an excellent job reacting to the security issues. However, like most companies, proactive security measures and testing would have prevented these issues, he said. They are quick to accept the vulnerability and promptly issue a patch that is the most we can ask of any company, Kezer continued. Frankly, I am impressed that they have put all their development efforts towards security. That is a sign of a solid security-minded management team. They are now being proactive. Despite those security efforts, there are signs of anxiety in the Zoom community. Twelve percent of the 4,000 professionals who responded to a recent survey had stopped using Zoom, including 100 percent of Tesla professionals. Blind, an anonymous workplace network of professionals based in San Francisco, released the results last week. More than a third of the professionals surveyed (35.2 percent) said they were worried their information may have been compromised. Although Zoom had great intentions, they were attempting to accommodate the workforce during a pandemic quickly, wrote Fiorella Riccobono, author at Blind Workplace Insights. That rapid growth left the platforms vulnerabilities exposed. Yet some companies are comfortable with Zoom. As a security company, we use Zoom every day, said Ameesh Divatia, CEO of Baffle, a data protection company in San Francisco. Were comfortable with it because we make sure that our users are educated about how to set up meetings and make sure they know who is participating, he told TechNewsWorld. One feature Baffle doesnt use is passwords for meeting participants. It uses the waiting room feature. Meeting participants remain in a virtual waiting room until the meeting organizer clears them. That way the organizer need not worry about a participants password being compromised and an unwanted party crashing the meeting. That feature has its problems, too. During our analysis, we also identified a security issue with Zooms Waiting Room feature, states the Citizen Lab report on Zoom. Assessing that the issue presented a risk to users, we have initiated a responsible vulnerability disclosure process with Zoom. We are not currently providing public information about the issue to prevent it from being abused. We intend to publish details of the vulnerability once Zoom has had a chance to address the issue. (Natural News) Americas next civil war is quickly taking shape not on the basis of typical social justice issues, but rather under the guise of so-called public health and corresponding mass vaccinations, which blue areas of the country like Chicago are busily ramping up in response to the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. During a recent press conference, Allison Arwady, the Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health, openly admitted that her deep-blue city is so far along in the deep planning stages of a future mass vaccination campaign that it has already purchased the syringes that will be used to administer them. Not only that, but the city of Chicago, she added, has also already selected the locations where Chicagoans will be mass vaccinated in accordance with whatever public health officials decide is the best course of action for tackling the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19). and then finally well be moving towards this mass vaccination campaign, continuing to follow, and I want you to know, the CDPH is already deep in the planning stages around vaccination, Arwady stated during the press conference. Weve already bought the syringes. We already know where its going to happen. Were thinking about what thats going to be. Its all part of this plan, she added. Those who refuse coronavirus vaccines could be forced into indefinite lockdown with no freedom to work Arwady has reportedly been seen quite a bit lately, often appearing alongside Mayor Lori Lightfoot and regularly hosting live Q&A sessions on Chicago Public Healths social media pages. You might say that Arwady has largely been the face of Chicago during this pandemic, which is deeply unsettling considering how gung-ho she is for a future Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine. In her earlier plans for reopening Chicago, Arwady did not mention this vaccination campaign. Now, however, we know that it has been part of the plan all along, or at least ever since eugenicist billionaire Bill Gates announced plans to introduce vaccines for the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) and corresponding digital certificates to serve as proof of jabbing. As potential vaccine candidates for the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) are being rushed through the development and approval process, very few are asking questions about the safety of these vaccines. Vaccines for viruses are notorious for not actually working as claimed, so what will make this one any different? Gates has already indicated that, at least as far as he is concerned and has the power to influence public policy, the world will not be released from lockdown anytime soon until pretty much everyone has been vaccinated with a vaccine that does not even yet exist. Once it does exist, however, you can almost be sure that cities like Chicago will be lining people up en masse to jab them. And those who refuse will be told that they must remain in indefinite lockdown, and be disallowed from making a living and feeding their families. Chicago is among the largest cities in the U.S., therefore it is assured that other major cities are doing the same, so this really should come as no surprise, warns Alex Pietrowski from Waking Times. It does, however, dismiss all doubt that the mass vaccination campaigns are already in progress, indicating that government is fully invested in a vaccine as the solution to the pandemic problem. More of the latest news about the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) is available at Pandemic.news. Sources for this article include: Twitter.com WakingTimes.com NaturalNews.com The Innocence Files is a Netflix original documentary series, based on the efforts of the Innocence Projectthe US legal organization dedicated to exonerating individuals who have been wrongfully convictedand its networks in Pennsylvania, Northern California and Michigan. The nine-episode series focuses on the cases of eight framed-up men, each of whom spent decades in prison and/or death row. In recent weeks, The Innocence Files has shown up on the list of the top 10 most popular films or series on Netflix. The production of and interest in the documentary are part of growing opposition in the US both to the death penalty and to mass incarceration. The Innocence Files (2020) In regard to the latter phenomenon, the Prison Policy Initiative pointed out in March that the American criminal justice system currently holds almost 2.3 million people in 1,833 state prisons, 110 federal prisons, 1,772 juvenile correctional facilities, 3,134 local jails, 218 immigration detention facilities, and 80 Indian Country jails as well as in military prisons, civil commitment centers, state psychiatric hospitals, and prisons in the U.S. territories. Imprisoning human beings is a thriving industry in the US, a society afflicted by vast social misery and inequality. The great socialist Rosa Luxemburg wrote that all crimes, as all punishments, are indeed always rooted ultimately in the economic conditions of society. The co-founders of the Innocence Project in 1992, Peter Neufeld and Barry Scheck, are consulting executives on The Innocence Files, which was executive produced and directed by Liz Garbus (The Farm: Angola, USA ), Alex Gibney and Roger Ross Williams. Jed Rothstein, Andy Grieve and Sarah Dowland also directed episodes. There is much moving material here, many genuinely heart-breaking stories. The documentary series points to three major causes of wrongful conviction: the use of flawed forensic evidence, such as the pseudo-science of bite marks; the misuse of eyewitness identification; and prosecutorial misconduct. Over the course of nine hours (the parts range between 50 and 85 minutes), each of the documentarys three sectionsThe Evidence, The Witness and The Prosecutiondemonstrates that wrongful convictions are widespread and systemic, as Neufeld and Scheck contend. Franky Carrillo in The Innocence Files The Innocence Project has helped free more than 2,500 wrongfully convicted people in the US over the past three decades. Some 3,000 inmates write to the organization annually, and at any given time the Project is evaluating 6,000 to 8,000 potential cases. And all this, most likely, is only the tip of the iceberg. To begin with, The Innocence Files exposes the fact that dozens of eventual exonerees were convicted based on the fraudulent use of so-called bite mark evidence. The cases include those of Levon Brooks, Kennedy Brewer and Keith Harward. Brooks, an African American, served 16 years in Mississippi prisons for a 1990 rape and murder of a three-year-old girl he did not commit. In 2008, DNA testing cleared another African American man, Brewer, who had been sentenced to death for a nearly identical murder that happened in the same town less than two years after the crime for which Brooks was convicted. Harward, a white man, was convicted of a 1982 rape and murder in Newport News, Virginia, and served more than 33 years in prison. In an interview with Crime Story Daily, Neufeld asserted: When we dealt with junk science, the one area that weve really been litigating hardest at for a number of years, where weve proven again and again and again with exonerations that the use of bite marks to convict people is a travesty of enormous order, so we thought bite marks would be good. One of the strengths of the series is its willingness to go beyond the facts of the convictions and delve into the lives of the victims. The poverty-stricken Brooks and Brewer did not stand a chance against a racist officialdom and their key witness, forensic odontologist Michael West, a Confederate-flag loving dentist who played a major role in their convictions with his supposed certainty about bite marks. Both men spent time in Mississippis notorious Parchman Prisona former plantation. At 24 years old, Brewer was sentenced to die by lethal injection and remained in Parchman on death row for a torturous seven years. Kenneth Wyniemko in The Innocence Files (Courtesy of Netflix) Latino youth Franky Carrillo was 16 years old in 1991 when he was arrested for a gang-related, drive-by murder in Lynwood, California (in Los Angeles County). The Innocence Files details how Carrillos case epitomizes the fallibility of witness testimony when it is subject to manipulation by corrupt police and law enforcement. Carrillo served 22 years before four witnesses recanted their false testimony. Another horrific case is that of Texan and African American Alfred Dewayne Brown, who was freed from nearly a decade on death row in 2015, but was never declared actually innocent. He was convicted of the 2003 murder of a Houston police officer, Charles Clark, during a botched robbery. Phone records found in the prosecutions possession, but not shared with the defense at trial, supported Browns alibi that he was at his girlfriends house at the time of the crime. In the same interview cited above, Neufeld pointed out: In the area of prosecutorial misconduct, were looking at some pretty nasty players. People who are sworn to uphold the law and do justice who really wanted to win at any cost. The person who prosecuted Brewer and Brooks in Mississippi was a Bible-thumping white guy who was reported to have put more men on death row than any active prosecutor in the whole state of Mississippi. He was putting up witnesses who he knew were lying. Its not a pretty picture. Brown suffered a grotesque miscarriage of justice, in which prosecutor Dan Rizzo coerced and threatened Browns girlfriend and withheld exculpatory evidence. Since 1970, there have been 16,000 findings of prosecutorial misconduct in the US. Fewer than 2 percent of those responsible have faced public sanctions of any kind. Rizzo has yet to be held legally accountable, according to The Innocence Files . Kenneth Wyniemko, a white man from Michigan, claims in the documentary that when he was arrested, police officer Thomas Ostin termed him a million-dollar man, cynically explaining that it would cost Wyniemko that amount of money to get out of the clutches of the law. Wyniemko was wrongfully convicted for a 1994 rape/robbery solely based on a composite sketch, even though the victim stated she had little opportunity to view her assailant. In 2003, his conviction was dismissed based on DNA evidence establishing his innocence. In the documentary, Ostin, the arresting officer, oozes venom from every pore. Levon Brooks and Kennedy Brewer in Noxubee County, Mississippi in 2015 (Photo- Isabelle Armand) The main thing were trying to do here, Neufeld explained in Crime Story Daily, is to get across that these cases are not one-off cases. That they all represent systemic failures in criminal justice. The Innocence Project co-founder goes on to suggest that American societys failures, in health care, education and housing, are largely bound up with race, because, for example, COVID-19 is affecting black people and brown people way disproportionately to their numbers in the population. Neufeld continued, And thats not a surprise, because the quality of healthcare theyve had all along has been so much worse, that they do have more other underlying medical problems, that there is a greater unwillingness to give those people the care that is handed out more routinely to white people. Black Americans are dying from the coronavirus at a rate of more than twice their population share because in certain urban areas in particular they make up large portions of the impoverished working class. Likewise, although race certainly plays a role in given instances and in some of the cases highlighted by The Innocence Files, the framing up, victimization and railroading to jail of men and women takes place principally on a class basis and for reasons of ruling class policy and interests. To detain, intimidate, abuse and even wrongfully punish is not an aberration under capitalism. It is the function of the state to oppress the working class on behalf of the financial oligarchy, with all the consequences that follow. What unites the eight racially and ethnically diverse men featured in The Innocence Files is that they all come from the working class and the poor. The Innocence Files should be welcomed and widely viewed. The series is a devastating antidote to the lies of the media and politicians about the greatness of American democracy. Taking on the legal system to fight for the liberation of innocent human beings is thoroughly principled and courageous. It should be remembered that even if every dishonest prosecutor and thuggish police officer were exposed and driven out, as they should be, millions of people would still be languishing in American prisons. The guilty too, in the final analysis, are victims of class society. Justice remains a hollow concept unless there is social equality, which is only possible with the eradication of capitalism. After being freed from prison by the German revolution of November 1918, Rosa Luxemburg, with the harsh experience fresh in her memory, reminded her readers about the wretched inmates who still languish in those gloomy dwellings, who had been entirely forgotten. No one has thought, she wrote, of the thousands of pale, emaciated figures who have been incarcerated for years behind the walls of the gaols and penitentiaries in expiation for petty offences. Bourgeois class justice has again proven to be like a net, which allows the predatory sharks to escape, while the little sardines get caught. The Department of Health has released the latest COVID-19 case numbers for South Africa. South Africa has recorded a total of 4,793 cases, up from 4,546 cases the day before. 178,470 COVID-19 tests have been conducted to date in the country, with 9,827 done in the past 24 hours. Three more deaths attributed to COVID-19 have also been reported, bringing the total number of deaths in the country to 90. The latest deaths were: A 79-year-old man with multiple comorbidities, including chronic kidney disease and cardiac disease. A 58-year-old man who was HIV positive and obese. A 54-year-old man who had diabetes. Provincial breakdown The department also provided a breakdown of the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases per province. This is detailed in the table below. Province Case Numbers Western Cape 1,737 Gauteng 1,353 KwaZulu-Natal 902 Eastern Cape 588 Free State 111 Limpopo 31 North West 28 Mpumalanga 26 Northern Cape 17 Lockdown damage Business organisation Sakeliga has stated that South Africas current lockdown regulations are fatally flawed and need to be changed. Sakeliga made the statement as part of its submission to the government on proposed COVID-19 restrictions, public consultations, and regulations. Sakeliga is concerned that, more than six weeks since the initial declaration of a state of disaster on 15 March, the public consultation process lacks essential elements, it said. This includes no new draft regulations to comment on in terms of the 5-level lockdown system, and the model which will determine the level of restrictions in place not being made available. The Supreme Court ruled on Monday that the government has to pay a $12 billion debt owed to insurance companies that participated in a program that existed in the first years of the Affordable Care Act, the health-care overhaul law known as Obamacare. The court voted 8-1 to allow insurance companies to seek payments owed to them via Obamacare's "risk corridors" program, which aimed to limit the risk insurance companies faced when signing onto online health-care exchanges in their first years of operation. The 2010 law called for the Department of Health and Human Services to pay insurers who suffered losses under the program between 2014 and 2016, while taking payments from those that made large profits. The program never took in as much money as it was required to pay out, leading Republicans to liken it to a "bailout fund" for insurers. In 2014, the program owed nearly $3 billion to insurers, while it was only entitled to about $360 million. In 2015, the deficit was $5.5 billion. In 2016, the deficit was nearly $4 billion. Republicans, who have fought against Obamacare since its inception, inserted language into appropriations legislation starting in 2014 that restricted HHS' ability to use funding to make the risk corridor payments. Citing that language, a federal appeals court had repeatedly ruled in the government's favor, against the insurers. But the Supreme Court rejected that reasoning. Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote that the congressional riders "neither repealed nor discharged" the government's obligation to pay. By failing to appropriate money for debts already owed, "Congress simply did that and no more." "These holdings reflect a principle as old as the Nation itself: The Government should honor its obligations," the Obama appointee wrote. In dissent, Justice Samuel Alito wrote that the majority opinion "has the effect of providing a massive bailout for insurance companies that took a calculated risk and lost." Alito wrote that he would have scheduled the case to be reargued next term, with a focus on when individuals and corporations are permitted to seek damages from the government. The case, known as Maine Community Health Options v. United States, is separate from another case over Obamacare that the justices have agreed to hear next term. In that case, a coalition of red states and the Trump administration have asked the court to declare the entire law unconstitutional. MILFORD - Two New Haven men have been arrested in connection with a car fire in the rear of the old K-Mart Shopping Center on Bridgeport Avenue last February. On Friday, Milford police took into custody Johnnie McFadden and Gary Brown, both 35 years old and residents of Truman Street in New Haven in regards to active warrants for their arrests. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-27 15:12:37|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close KUNMING, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Two suspects were captured with over 26 kg of drugs seized in a recent drug trafficking case in southwest China's Yunnan Province, local authorities said Monday. After receiving a tip-off on March 18, border police in the city of Tengchong set up a task force to investigate the case. At around 11:00 p.m. on the same day, police found two suspects riding motorcycles. They caught a suspect surnamed Xiong who had attempted to escape and seized 26.4 kg of opium from his abandoned motorcycle. The other suspect surnamed Ma was nabbed by the police the next day. Further investigation is underway. Yunnan is a major front in China's battle against drug crime, as it borders the Golden Triangle known for its rampant drug production and trafficking. Enditem Coronavirus India: In a video interaction with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday, Chief Ministers of different states were in favour of extending the lockdown but also demanded relaxations for economic revival. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday interacted with the chief ministers different states via video conferencing on COVID-19 situation and chalk out the post-lockdown plan. Chief Ministers of 9 states, primarily, Meghalaya, Puducherry, Mizoram, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Odisha, Bihar and Gujarat expressed their views on lifting the lockdown after May 3. Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma weighed in favour of extending the lockdown post May 3. He said the state would like to continue lockdown post May 3 with relaxation on activities in green zones and non-COVID-19 affected districts. Puducherry CM V Narayanasamy said that they want to permit industrial work to begin after May 3. He also sought financial aid, PPEs and other medical equipment from centre. The Chief Ministers of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh Trivendra Singh Rawat and Jairam Thakur also expressed their eagerness to permit businesses and industries to open in a phased manner. Uttarakhand CM Trivendra Singh Rawat said that economic revival is the key to move forward and they should work towards bringing normalcy into peoples lives. On the meeting of CMs with PM Modi, Uttarakhand CM Office later said that a committee of ministers and experts has been formed for the economic revival of the state. CM Trivendra Singh Rawat has also suggested increasing the duration of MNREGA wage employment from 100 days to 150 days. Prime Minister Narendra Modi holds video conference with the Chief Ministers of all States on COVID19 situation. pic.twitter.com/D9kiiXk4XK ANI (@ANI) April 27, 2020 At the video conference called by the Honble PM @narendramodi ji and Honble Home Minister, @AmitShah ji. We have mooted to continue with the lockdown post May 3rd with relaxation on activities in Green Zones or Non-Covid affected districts in #Meghalaya.#CovidUpdates pic.twitter.com/rMrS6j3cPP Conrad Sangma (@SangmaConrad) April 27, 2020 For the economic revival of the State, a committee of ministers& a committee of experts has been constituted. CM has suggested that duration of MNREGA wage employment be increased to 150 days from the present 100 days: Uttarakhand CM Office on the meeting of CMs with the PM ANI (@ANI) April 27, 2020 Also Read: Coronavirus in India: HC asks Delhi govt to provide ration to those without ration cards Himachal Pradesh CM Trivendra Singh, on the other hand, said that decision to relax the lockdown should be taken after considering the issues of other states as well. Mizoram CM Zoranthanga expressed they would go with what the Centres decides after May 3. Other chief ministers who also marked their presence in the meeting were Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray, Telangana CM K Chandrashekar Rao, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot, Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath, Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar, Andhra Pradesh CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, Karnataka CM BS Yediyurappa, Assam CM Sarbananda Sonowal, Tamil Nadu CM E K Palaniswami and Tripura CM Biplab Kumar Deb. Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir GC Murmu and Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh RK Thakur also attended the meeting. Also Read: COVID- 19: Indias first coronavirus patient treated with convalescent plasma therapy recovers, Delhi hospital says its an encouraging news for the country Chief Minister of Karnataka BS Yediyurappa attends video conference meeting of Chief Ministers with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on COVID19 situation. pic.twitter.com/hCmi5hYgCy ANI (@ANI) April 27, 2020 Tamil Nadu CM Edappadi K. Palaniswami attends video conference meeting of Chief Ministers with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on COVID19 situation. pic.twitter.com/J0hrRCKYi7 ANI (@ANI) April 27, 2020 Chief Minister of Delhi Arvind Kejriwal attends video conference meeting of Chief Ministers with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, on COVID19 situation. pic.twitter.com/1ZwTHyruzW ANI (@ANI) April 27, 2020 In the meeting, Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasised that the lockdown has helped in curbing the spread of coronavirus in the country and save thousands of lives in the past few months. India has a large population as compared to other countries and it is important to prioritise economy along with the fight against coronavirus. Highlighting the importance of technology, PM Modi also said that more and more people should download Aarogya Setu app to strengthen Indias fight against coronavirus. Addressing the issue of bringing back Indian citizens who are currently overseas, PM Modi said that it needs to be done without causing them any kind of inconvenience and putting their families health at risk. He also warned the state heads to consider factors like the changes in weather and illnesses that come in this weather while strategising ahead. On the way ahead, PM Modi said that the impact of coronavirus will be seen in the months to come in the form of masks and face covers, which will become a part of our life. PM underlined Lockdown has yielded positive results as country has managed to save thousands of lives in the past 1 1/2 months. He added Indias population is comparable to that of the combined population of several countries: PMO https://t.co/gQtqp19s0z ANI (@ANI) April 27, 2020 PM Modi emphasized on the significance of ensuring that more people download the AarogyaSetu app to bolster the efforts of the country in the battle against COVID-19: PMO on PM's meeting with CMs https://t.co/2npnupDKsU ANI (@ANI) April 27, 2020 On the issue of getting back Indians who are overseas, PM said that this has to be done keeping in mind the fact that they dont get inconvenienced and their families are not under any risk: PMO on PM's meeting with CMs 1/2 ANI (@ANI) April 27, 2020 Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan skipped the meeting but submitted his suggestions in writing. Kerala Chief Secretary Tom Jose attended the meeting in place of him. Chief Minister of Kerala, Pinarayi Vijayan (in file pic) is not attending video conference meeting of CMs with Prime Minister Narendra Modi today on #COVID19 situation. Kerala has given its suggestions in writing. Kerala Chief Secretary is attending the meeting: Sources pic.twitter.com/nd0LgW8Bho ANI (@ANI) April 27, 2020 Soon after the meeting, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee promised to extend all possible help of people of Bengal struck in different parts of the country due to lockdown. She tweeted that nobody from Bengal should feel helpless till the time she is here. Government of West Bengal will initiate every possible help to people of Bengal stuck in different parts of the country due to lockdown, in returning home, tweets West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee pic.twitter.com/laIGF1cP8M ANI (@ANI) April 27, 2020 The ongoing lockdown in the country, which is called Lockdown 2.0, will come to an end on May 3. Now, all eyes are on the Centre to know whether the lockdown will come to end on May 3 or will pave way for Lockdown 3.0. The total number of coronavirus cases in the country has jumped up to 27,892. Out of the 27,892 cases, there are 20,835 active cases, 6184 cured/discharged/migrated and 872 deaths. Also Read: Coronavirus update: 1,396 fresh cases in India in last 24 hours, total cases near 28,000 with toll at 872 For all the latest National News, download NewsX App David Horowitz, who was more than a little familiar with the ways of the extreme left, famously said: "Inside every progressive is a totalitarian screaming to get out." They're getting out. Let's take a look at the latest lunacy from the blue coasts. From Breitbart: A clip from a 1993 episode of CNN's Larry King Live featuring the mother of Biden accuser Tara Reade has seemingly been removed from the Google Play catalog. The clip is an important piece of information in Reade's allegation that Biden sexually assaulted her in the same year, as it supports her claim that she told her mother about the incident. In the clip, Reade's mother appears to be discussing an incident involving her senator and her daughter, without naming either. Obviously, someone, with power, wants to erase history, drive it all down the memory hole, and hope no one notices. It's not very different from Josef Stalin erasing human beings from pictures once the fell out of favor. It follows some of the crazy creeping fascism going on in New York. Today, I wrote about the case of nursing homes there being commanded to accept COVID-19 patients, along with the body bags they were bringing with them, or else. In Southern California, they've made the beaches, of all places, the flashpoint, commanding people not to enjoy them, even though there was little risk of any disease spreading so long as social distancing was practiced. It's as if they're enjoying their power trip. Don't forget that also in Los Angeles, Mayor Eric Garcetti vowed to cut off water and power to nonconformists. Remember this from March? The mayor of Los Angeles on Tuesday threatened to cut the water supply and power for any non-essential business that doesn't comply with the city's coronavirus shutdown measures. These businesses could also face misdemeanor charges for violating the "safer at home" emergency orders. "We're still getting reports each day of non-essential businesses continuing to operate as normal," Mayor Eric Garcetti said in his daily coronavirus briefing earlier this week. "This behavior is irresponsible and selfish." "You know who you are," the mayor added. "You need to stop it. This is your chance to step up and shut it down, because if you don't, we will shut you down." He also urged citizens to report any non-essential businesses that are still operating as usual during the lockdown using this online form. As the mayor noted, the snitch lines, another feature of fascism, are already in place. This is who the Democrats are. Controlling information. Cutting off water and power to nonconformists. Initiating irrational rules for rules' sake. Siccing the snitches. All of these are well known features, not bugs, of fascism and any totalitarian system of government. Now we are seeing, very swiftly in fact, how it's all piling up here, from the acts of the supposedly democratic progressives, their inner totalitarians screaming to get out and actually getting out. Photo illustration by Monica Showalter with use of public domain pictures. The Government excluded over-66s who lost their jobs due to the coronavirus crisis from the 350-a-week emergency unemployment payment due to legal advice that all pensioners would have to be paid the same sum. The explanation for the denial of the Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (Covid-19 PUP) was provided by junior minister Ciaran Cannon to one family who were affected. Christy and Mary Ruane, of Glentane, Co Galway, had to close their family pub due to the coronavirus restrictions. Left with the their State pension as income, they have had to dip into savings to meet ongoing bills related to their business. The State Pension of around 240 a week is 100 less than the Covid-19 PUP. The Ruanes are among several people in the over-66 age group who raised the issue with Independent TD Denis Naughten, who has been at the forefront of highlighting the exclusion of older workers as "totally unacceptable". Their son Shane also contacted local junior minister Mr Cannon. The Fine Gael minister sympathised with their situation. But he responded saying he had consulted with Social Protection Minister Regina Doherty and over-66s were left out of the scheme for two reasons. Firstly they already had access to an income in the form of the State pension. Secondly, he also said that the legal advice to Ms Doherty was that if the 350-a-week payment was extended to over-66s, it would have to be extended to every pensioner, which was not affordable. So far the Government has given no indication that it is willing to budge on the issue. That is despite a series of TDs raising the issue in the Dail on Thursday. Fianna Fail deputy leader Dara Calleary was among those who highlighted the issue, saying such workers "want their incomes to be brought up to 350 and are willing and want to go back to work as soon as possible". Social Democrats TD Roisin Shortall argued that the situation was "very unfair" and said the State pension should be topped up to 350 for such workers. Independent TD Michael Collins asked: "Why are the people over the age of 66 who worked hard all their lives and continue to work hard beyond the retirement age being penalised?" The Department of Social Protection did not respond directly to Mr Cannon's explanation for why the over-66s were excluded. It defended the level of the State pension, saying analysis from the EU and others has shown that older people in Ireland are less at risk of poverty than any other group. A statement said pensioners also had automatic access to other income supports not available to unemployed people, including the Fuel Allowance, free travel and the free TV licence. It also pointed out that the over-66s were not required to pay PRSI contributions. It said the over-66s were entitled to be paid under the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme if their employers were signed up to it. It said the payment rate for a two-person household on the State contributory pension was 470.80 and for the non-contributory pension was 393.60. "Therefore, compared like for like, two-person pensioner households are still receiving a higher income support than the rate of a single-earner, two-person household, under the Covid payment," it said. The health minister, Osagie Ehanire, and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control chief, Chikwe Ihekweazu, met President Muhammadu Buhari behind closed doors on Sunday, to brief the president on the latest development on coronavirus and the reported deaths in Kano State. With the 14-day extension to the lockdown in Lagos, Ogun and Abuja set to expire Monday, Mr Ehanire told State House correspondents the meeting was convened to advise the president, based on the findings of Presidential Task Force on COVID-19. In the span of a month, Nigerias coronavirus cases rose from 42 to 1,273. The minister said the cooperation among relevant health institutions in the country shows it is winning the fight against the pandemic, Punch Newspaper reported. We have developed a strong strategy as we are working with other expert groups like the NCDC and relevant health organisations. So, we are also working with the states and the governors, Mr Ehanire said. Last week, Kano recorded a series of mysterious deaths, which the state government said were unrelated to COVID-19 but from hypertension, diabetes, meningitis and acute malaria. While speaking on this, Mr Ehanire said the health ministry was liaising with the relevant agencies and the Kano State government to investigate the situation. We will continue to build up our testing strategies. At the moment, 14 testing centres have been activated across the country, the health minister said. We want to bring the test closer to every state. Everybody is working very hard to solve this problem. I can see that some people are already procuring Rapid Diagnostic Test Kits. They dont work as far as we know. So, I will really recommend that we all stick to the national strategy, build on it, support its expansion and together we will get on top of the pandemic. Nigerias COVID-19 tally as of Sunday stands at 1,273, of which 239 have been discharged and 40 have died, according to the nations disease control agency. When most of Afghanistan was under Taliban rule in the late 1990s, the fundamentalist regime drafted a new constitution. The document was never officially ratified, and it was unclear how much of it was ever implemented before the U.S.-led invasion in 2001 toppled the extremist Islamic group from power. But the constitution offers a glimpse into what kind of government the militant organization envisages as it prepares to negotiate a future power-sharing arrangement with the current Afghan government led by President Ashraf Ghani. A political settlement made by the disparate Afghan sides is a key component of the peace deal signed by the United States and the Taliban on February 29 that is aimed at ending the 18-year war. Under the deal, foreign forces will leave Afghanistan in exchange for counterterrorism guarantees from the Taliban, which has agreed to launch direct negotiations with Afghan officials for a permanent cease-fire and a power-sharing formula to rule the country. Since 2001, the Taliban insurgency has vowed to drive out foreign forces and overthrow the Western-backed government in Kabul. But even as it seemingly pursues peace, it been vague about what kind of postwar government it envisions in Afghanistan. Radical Islamic Seminaries The Taliban emerged in 1994 following the end of the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan. The predominantly ethnic Pashtun group first surfaced in ultraconservative Islamic seminaries in Pakistan, where millions of Afghans had fled as refugees. The seminaries radicalized thousands of Afghans who joined the mujahedin, the U.S.-backed Islamist rebels who fought against the occupying Soviet forces. The Taliban appeared in the southern city of Kandahar, Afghanistans second largest, in 1994, two years after the mujahedin seized power in the country. Infighting among mujahedin factions fueled a devastating civil war that killed more than 100,000 people in Kabul alone. The Taliban promised to restore security and enforce their ultraconservative brand of Islam. They captured Kabul in 1996 and two years later controlled some 90 percent of the country. In 1998, Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar assembled some 500 Islamic scholars from across the country to draft a new constitution for the country. After three days of deliberations, the scholars drafted a 14-page document -- the first and only attempt by the Taliban to codify its views on power and governance. 'Intensely Religious Roots' In the document, power was centralized in the hands of an "Amir ul-Momineen," or leader of the faithful. This supreme leader was the head of state and had ultimate authority. This was Mullah Omar, the Talibans spiritual leader and founder. The constitution did not describe how such a leader would be selected or for how long he could serve. But it said the supreme leader must be male and a Sunni Muslim. An Islamic council, handpicked by the supreme leader, would serve as the legislature and implement laws and policy. The government, headed by the head of the council of ministers -- a quasi-prime ministerial position -- would report to the Islamic council. Under the constitution, Sunni Islam was to be the official state religion, even though some 15 percent of the population are Shiite Muslims. The document stated that no law could be contrary to Islamic Sharia law. The constitution granted freedom of expression, womens education, and the right of a fair trial, but all within the limits of the Talibans strict interpretation of Sharia law. It is unclear how the document shaped the Talibans draconian laws and brutal policies during its Islamic Emirate, the official name of the Taliban regime that ruled Afghanistan from 1996-2001. The Taliban banned TV and music, forced men to pray and grow beards, forced women to cover themselves from head to toe, and prevented women and girls from working or going to school. The Taliban amputated the hands of thieves, publicly flogged people for drinking alcohol, and stoned to death those who engaged in adultery. Executions were common. Andrew Watkins, a senior analyst for Afghanistan at the International Crisis Group, said the draft constitution reflects the Taliban's intensely religious roots and reveals the importance placed on a centralized authority for a group that was founded on a mission of restoring order to the country. The document was littered with contradictions and was never ratified. It was republished in 2005, a year after Afghanistan adopted a new constitution. But the document has disappeared from Taliban discourse in recent years. That may have been due to internal debate over certain articles, or just reflective of the group's inclination to remain flexible in its policies, in part perhaps to prevent internal divisions over policy differences, said Watkins. 'Monopoly On Power' As an insurgent group, the Taliban has preserved some of its key principles since it was overthrown in 2001. Power is still centralized in the hands of an all-powerful leader, who oversees a shadow Taliban government in Afghanistan. The Taliban still enforces its strict interpretation of Islam in areas under its control. And it still regards Sharia as the supreme law. But analysts say the past two decades have changed how the Taliban views power. The Taliban overcame a succession crisis after the death of Mullah Omar, has fended off competition from the global appeal of the Islamic State (IS) extremist group, and has remained a relatively coherent fighting force despite its 18-year war against foreign and Afghan government forces. The group now operates in a strange combination of increasingly centralizing its control over its own membership, while also allowing it to decentralize in other ways, said Watkins. The Taliban has claimed recently that it is not the same group that ruled Afghanistan in the 1990s. In a public statement, the Taliban said it does not want to reestablish its Islamic Emirate and has attempted to project a more reconciliatory image. But the Talibans ambiguity on womens rights, free speech, and elections -- key democratic tenets introduced in Afghanistan since 2001 -- has raised fears among many Afghans that the extremist group will attempt to restore its severe regime. The Taliban said in January 2019 that they are not seeking a "monopoly on power" in a future administration in Afghanistan but are looking for ways to coexist with Afghan institutions, in what was seen as the militants most conciliatory statement to date. A month earlier, Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said if peace comes and the Taliban returns, then our return will not be in the same harsh way as it was in 1996. The Taliban said in February 2019 that it is committed to granting women their rights and allowing them to work and go to school, but only as long as they do not violate Islam or Afghan values. But in the same statement, the Taliban also suggested it wants to curtail the fragile freedoms gained by women, prompting a wave of concern from rights campaigners. Analysts said the Talibans great ambiguity on key issues reflects the divisions within the group. The Talibans political leadership based in Pakistan is believed to be more open to an accommodation in assuming power under a peace deal. Meanwhile, hard-line military commanders on the battlefield in Afghanistan are reluctant to budge on their demands for a full restoration of the Islamic Emirate. There is a cocktail of views among the Taliban on power and governance, said Javid Ahmad, a senior fellow at the Washington-based Atlantic Council. More than anything, Taliban leaders need an intra-Taliban dialogue to settle their conflicting views about a future Afghan state, Ahmad added. There are also intense differences among the Afghan political elite. Pashtuns, the largest ethnic group in Afghanistan, generally support a centralized state that guarantees their control of the government. But non-Pashtuns, which constitute a majority of the population, believe too much power of the state is left in the hands of one individual, and support decentralization because it would enshrine a more inclusive and equitable distribution of power. 'Incredibly Difficult' Direct talks between the Taliban and an Afghan negotiation team over a permanent cease-fire and a power-sharing arrangement were expected to start on March 10. But the launch of the negotiations has been delayed due to disputes over the release of Taliban prisoners and the formation of Kabuls negotiating team. Even when intra-Afghan negotiations begin, many expect them to be complex and protracted, possibly taking years, considering the gulf between the sides on policy and distributing power. It will be incredibly difficult to get the two parties to come up with compromises on every issue of governance, Ahmad said, although he added that there were also reasons for hope. WATCH: Afghan Women Fear Taliban Peace Deal Will Erode Freedoms Both the Talibans political vision and the Afghan political system are modeled on the centralization of power and the supreme role of Islam. Afghanistans 2004 constitution prescribes that "no law can be contrary to the beliefs and provisions of the sacred religion of Islam" and sometimes appears at odds with more liberal and democratic elements within it. Power is in the hands of a heavily centralized government. The president has the right to appoint and fire governors, mayors, police chiefs, district governors, and senators and has a tight grip on the countrys finances and how funds are spent and distributed. There is much more common ground in the legal and governance systems of these two than many of their supporters, on either side, care to admit, said Watkins. Kyiv mayor Vitaliy Klitschko has fired Volodymyr Slonchak, the Deputy Head of Kyiv city state administration. This was his reaction to the incident that took place in the Ukrainian capital last night, April 26. Klitschko said so during the online briefing boradcasted by 112 Ukraine TV channel. "(...) I think you watched the news and you're aware of what happened last night. I will not let anyone discredit the municipal authority - above all, by those who represent it", the mayor claimed. The official apologized to law enforcers and citizens for his deputy's actions. "I have repeatedly said I would not cover for anyone's actions. And Volodymyr Slonchak should be held liable for his actions - like every citizen of Ukraine", Klitschko said. Last night, April 27, Slonchak, the deputy head of Kyiv city state administration was detained by the police in Kyiv. Law enforcers stopped the Mercedes he was in, as the driver forgot to turn on the lights. The driver appeared to be Lyudmyla Kostenko, the member of Kyiv City Council and Deputy Head of the Council Committee for Budget and Social and Economic Development. Both acted inadequately during the conversation with the police and refused to pass the test for alcohol use. Slonchak was taken in, and Kostenko refused to pass any tests for alcohol use. The car was taken to an impound lot. The operative team of Kyiv police reached the site and compiled a protocol about the event. Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden renewed his party unification efforts Monday with bookend endorsements from Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the leader of the House progressive caucus that sometimes battles the speaker from the left. The twin announcements from Pelosi and Washington Rep. Pramila Jayapal highlight Bidens effort to avoid a repeat of the 2016 presidential election, when tensions between establishment Democrats and the partys progressive flank hobbled Hillary Clinton in her loss to President Donald Trump. Pelosi, a longtime friend of Bidens, is a face of the Democratic establishment and boasts perhaps the widest network across the partys wealthiest donors. Jayapal, who had previously backed Bernie Sanders for president, is co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, whose members want sweeping expansion of the federal governments role in the economy, notably through a single-payer Medicare for All insurance plan that Biden and Pelosi do not favor. The two women reflected those varied approaches Monday as they explained their common conclusion that a Biden administration is the best chance for Democrats to advance a liberal agenda, even if in degrees. Pelosi, speaking in a video, said Biden offers hope and courage, values, authenticity and integrity. She said hed be a voice of reason and resilience amid the coronavirus pandemic. The 80-year-old speaker also cited Bidens work as President Barack Obamas vice president during the 2010 health care overhaul and the economic recovery acts after the 2008 financial collapse. Jayapal, in her own statement, noted she has not always agreed with Vice President Biden on matters of policy. Yet she struck a pragmatic bottom line about the prospects of a second Trump term. Any progress toward a better future requires defeating him this November, Jayapal, 54, said. Further, the congresswoman echoed a claim Biden has repeated often amid his recent outreach to progressives. She framed his agenda as the most progressive for any Democratic nominee in history. In particular, the 77-year-old Biden touts his preferred health care path, a public option government plan to compete with private insurers but not outlaw them, as a major leap forward. Hes also moved toward the progressive flank, though not all the way to Sanders and Jayapal, with proposals to ease student loan debt and waive public college tuition for poor, working-class and many middle-class households. Sanders proposed forgiving all student loan debt and making all public college tuition-free. Pelosis support wasnt unexpected now that Biden is the presumptive Democratic nominee. Her backing nonetheless reinforces Bidens contention that he is the partys best chance to keep the House majority and regain Senate control from Republicans. As House minority leader in 2018, Pelosi spearheaded Democrats midterm House victories. The party won more than 40 Republican-held seats to take the majority and hand Pelosi a second turn as the first female speaker in U.S. history. Most of the partys gains came in battleground districts anchored by suburbs and exurbs, places where the Biden campaign believes he can outpace Trump in November. Biden campaigned for many of the current House freshmen, and he often cited their victories during his primary campaign against progressive presidential rivals. He argued that Democrats succeeded in the 2018 midterms because they did not move too far to the left in historically Republican-leaning districts. Pelosi has said repeatedly that Democrats win when they recruit candidates who fit their district. Bidens alliance with Pelosi, paired with his ongoing outreach to progressives, is not without political irony and risk. The former vice president has worked for decades to cultivate his image as a working-class ally born in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Meanwhile, Pelosi, though mistrusted by the left as an establishment figure, has been a favorite target of Republicans who caricature the wealthy San Francisco Democrat as out of touch with most Americans. Republicans have doubled down with a similar strategy on Biden as hes picked up more endorsements from progressives, including Sanders. Ultimately, those dynamics will test what is more persuasive to voters: the Republican contention that Bidens proposals are a government expansion that threatens taxpayers or Bidens contention that a liberal agenda is what would boost the middle class and overall economy. ___ Catch up on the 2020 election campaign with AP experts on our weekly politics podcast, Ground Game. Advertisement Antibodies from Corona survivors reportedly help in treating coronavirus infection.Prof Tulika Chandra of the KGMU medicine department, said, "The doctor from Orai was transfused with 200 ml plasma on Sunday night. And the donor was the first Corona patient of Lucknow. A patient transfused with 200 ml plasma should display response within 24 hours. If not, a second unit of 200 ml of plasma is transfused after 24 hours."The Orai doctor's condition was extremely critical which led KGMU doctors to conduct the therapy.The patient, who is father of a MBBS student of the university, had high fever for eight days and also had difficulty in breathing. He came to Lucknow in an ambulance on Friday and was admitted in the isolation ward's ICU.Swab samples of the patient and his wife were sent for testing on Saturday and the reports confirmed infection.The woman has mild symptoms and has been admitted to the isolation ward," said Dr Himanshu, in charge of infectious disease unit, KGMU.Prof Tulika Chandra said, "While the therapy works faster on moderately affected patients, we decided to go for plasma therapy after consultation with the family."Source: IANS LANSING, MI Gov. Gretchen Whitmers stay-at-home order has blocked most birth parents from visiting their children in wake of coronavirus outbreak. Janet Reynolds Snyder is an executive director of the Michigan Federation for Children and Families, a Lansing-based association that has about 60 family support and child welfare service agencies in the state. She said the directive supports good health, but it is important for foster children to have access to their biological parents, the Associated Press reports. We understand that all families are under strain, Snyder said. Those who have children who are out of their homes right now are understandably worried. Cynthia Johnson, an Oakland County resident, is caring for children ages 1, 5 and 6. She is helping the two oldest with their school curriculum because the governor's order has closed school districts, AP reports. Johnson and her husband, Michael, keep contact with the children's relatives frequently. My job is to make sure that these kids are safe, Johnson said. We have to look out for ourselves, and we both have to look out for the kids. SAN ANTONIO - The San Antonio Restaurant Association, Culinaria, Visit San Antonio and The CE Group are teaming with local restaurants to raise much-needed funds for the San Antonio Food Bank while also supporting area eateries. To Go For Good is a dining-out program that invites the community to enjoy a meal while supporting the Food Bank, which is feeding 120,000 food-insecure people per week during the coronavirus pandemic, more than double what it did before COVID-19. "To Go For Good" planners hope to raise $150,000 for the Food Bank. By buying a dinner for two for $250, for instance, guests will cover the cost of 500 meals from the Food Bank. For more details on donating and participating restaurants, visit https://safoodbank.org/togoforgood/. To Go For Good comes on the same day WOAI-TV and KABB Fox 29 announced that their Feeding San Antonio on-air fundraiser will take place from 5 p.m.-9 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday. The first 1,000 telethon donors each night will receive a free No. 1 Whataburger meal. A $95 million rescue package is on its way to more than 100 zoos, wildlife parks and aquariums that are struggling after closing their doors to visitors last month due to coronavirus restrictions. The government funding will replace some of the lost visitor revenue, helping with the cost of feeding and housing animals over the next six months. Australian Reptile Park director Tim Faulkner said he'd made "tough decisions" to keep the business healthy over the lockdown. Credit:Australian Reptile Park. Tourism Minister Simon Birmingham said the sector would be important to the economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic for major cities and regional centres. "It's absolutely crucial our iconic zoos and aquariums can still operate on the other side and play a major role in helping our tourism industry to recover from this," he said. Your browser does not support the audio element. Three out of 45 active novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases in Vietnam are still in a critical condition, but they have exhibited slight improvement. Vietnams COVID-19 tally remained at 270 on Monday morning, of which 225 have recovered, accounting for 83.3 percent, according to Ministry of Health statistics. The 45 active cases are being treated at eight hospitals and medical centers in the country, while no death from the disease has been recorded. Among the active patients, two have tested negative for the novel coronavirus for three times, one has tested negative twice, and 13 have tested negative once since receiving treatment, according to Luong Ngoc Khue, head of the Medical Examination and Treatment Management Department under the health ministry. Khue also heads the treatment subcommittee of the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control. Five patients who recently tested positive again for the virus following their recovery are continuing their treatment at hospitals in Hanoi, the northern province of Quang Ninh, and the south-central province of Binh Thuan. Three patients are still seriously sickened by COVID-19, of whom two are receiving care at the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases in Hanoi and the Hospital for Tropical Diseases in Ho Chi Minh City. Despite their critical condition, doctors have noticed some slight improvement in all three patients. Patient No. 20, a 64-year-old Vietnamese woman, is still on a ventilator. Her lungs are still damaged but blood oxygenation has improved, while blood pressure is stable. She no longer has a fever and is able to communicate and aware of her surroundings. Patient No. 161, a 88-year-old Vietnamese woman, still requires support from a ventilator but she has exhibited improvement in her lungs, while her cardiovascular readings and blood pressure are in a normal state. She is able to communicate slowly, and has tested mildly positive for the novel coronavirus. Patient No. 91, a 43-year-old British pilot, is still on a ventilator but he has stopped bleeding and no longer has a fever. Echocardiography showed a good cardiac cycle. He tested negative for the novel coronavirus for three times on April 22, 23 and 24, but the result came back positive on April 26. The novel coronavirus, which first emerged in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in December 2019, has infected over 2.99 million people and killed more than 206,900 globally, according to Ministry of Health statistics. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! LIMERICK City and County Council has confirmed a pre-qualification process to select contractors for the OConnell Street revitalisation has taken place. Despite the lockdown due to the coronavirus crisis, a spokesperson for the council said work is continuing on the 9m project which will see huge swathes of Limericks main thoroughfare with less traffic access. The long-awaited plans, unveiled last year, will see a shared traffic surface through the streets heart, with a reduction in traffic lanes. This move was controversial, given many feel the original proposals for the revitalisation should have included a complete car ban. Planners also proposed the laying of street furniture in OConnell Street, which will include seating areas, bicycle stands and lighting, as well as features such as sculptures, pedestrian plazas and water installations. A tree planting programme will be kicked off, with 11 trees proposed to be introduced beside the planned rugby museum. Its anticipated overall in the scheme, 22 trees will be planted. Other features of the scheme include the relocation of parking and loading spaces from O'Connell Street to adjacent side streets, with the speed limit on the main street cut to 30km pr hour. A central plaza at Thomas Street beside Brown Thomas will offer the potential for a future artwork to be installed to create a further focal point for pedestrian gathering. A council spokesperson this Tuesday confirmed plans were being finalised for the multi-million euro development, with work continuing on the final tender document. Chamber chief executive Dee Ryan welcomed the move, saying: Its more critical than ever we get OConnell Street sorted out. At least 255 nursing homes in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia had novel-coronavirus cases as of last week, nearly double the number from April 11. According to data provided by officials, more than 2,000 residents and workers at these long-term care facilities have been infected. Fifty-seven residents at the 92-bed Regency Care of Silver Spring, Maryland, have tested positive for the coronavirus, a spokeswoman for the Montgomery County Health Department said, and nine have died. Twenty-eight staff members have also contracted the virus. In Fairfax County, Virginia, 29 nursing facilities have confirmed coronavirus cases, according to an email from the county health department obtained by The Washington Post. In Prince George's County, 308 residents and employees at 18 nursing homes have tested positive and 34 have died. And in D.C., 13 nursing homes have reported 199 infections and 15 fatalities. "We are beginning to see some of the cases cluster around our long-term care facilities and our immediate-care facilities," D.C. Health Director LaQuandra Nesbitt said. Officials across the region have promised to ramp up testing at facilities and take every possible precaution. But in the meantime, many relatives of residents say they remain in the dark about cases and fatalities where their loved ones live. D.C. last week began publishing information about infections at facilities. But Maryland and Virginia refuse to do so, citing patient privacy. They defer to local health departments and individual facilities, which may or may not tell relatives of patients - or the public - when outbreaks occur. Patients' families say the lack of comprehensive information makes it difficult to decide how to care for loved ones and can compound their grief when relatives die. Advocates warn that a lack of transparency may allow outbreaks to go undetected and shield facilities that respond poorly to the crisis. "It is frustrating. There's no other word to describe it," said Montgomery County, Maryland, Council member Evan Glass, a Democratic member of the Health and Human Services Committee and former CNN journalist. "It's a delicate balancing act," he said, referring to privacy concerns. "We're in a health crisis and need to figure out how to share information in a timely way." The federal government issued guidelines earlier this month requiring nursing homes to regularly update patients' families on coronavirus cases. But enforcement details have not been announced. While Maryland and Virginia say they will not start publishing lists of nursing homes with coronavirus cases, a spokeswoman for the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which regulates care facilities, said the agency will soon release weekly data that includes the names of nursing homes with known outbreaks. Herman Taylor, a former Maryland state delegate, said he was told April 15 that his sister, a resident at Regency Care of Silver Spring, had tested positive for the virus. As of Thursday, he had not received any updates on her condition. All of Taylor's calls to the facility have gone unanswered, he said, and Regency employees refuse to tell him how many residents have been infected or whether any have died. "It's the worst thing you can imagine," he said. Regency did not respond to calls or emails seeking comment. The nursing home has an overall rating of two out of five stars from Medicare and a one-star rating based on recent health inspections. The report from its most recent health inspection included accounts of staff shortages, including instances in which there were just two or three nurses left in charge of nearly 60 patients. "They've mistreated patients and their families for a long time, and the government's done nothing," Taylor said. "Now's their chance." Raman Tuli, a geriatric doctor based in Montgomery, said at least 11 of her patients at Rockville Nursing Home have tested positive for the virus and three have died. Total numbers for the facility are higher, she added. The facility's website said in a statement dated April 16 that seven residents had tested positive, but it did not mention fatalities. A receptionist at the nursing home told a reporter that no one was available to provide official numbers and hung up. The facility's medical director, Thomas Joseph, declined to comment. "I just want a picture of things, to know what it was like for my brother," said Jan Hirschfeld. Her brother, Steve Joltin, moved into Rockville Nursing Home in November and died April 11, one day after testing positive for the coronavirus. She said staff members have refused to say how many others at the facility are sick or have died. "It's just so difficult to understand," Hirschfeld said. "We want to know how many people were affected by this." Employees at 10 other facilities in the region with known coronavirus cases either did not respond to calls seeking information on the cases or hung up when the virus was mentioned. David Sherman learned Thursday that his 89-year-old mother, Marie Dowden, who lives at the Stoddard Baptist Nursing Home in D.C., had tested positive for the coronavirus and was running a fever. The next day, he called the facility eight times to try to see how she was doing. "It's been hell getting information," he said. "For all I know, she could be hospitalized or - God forbid - deceased." A staff member called him back late Friday afternoon with an update, he said. In its recent memo, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said facilities must report positive cases to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in addition to local and state health authorities. They must also inform residents and their representatives within 12 hours of an initial confirmation of the coronavirus and update them once a week or each time there is an additional confirmed case of the virus among residents and staff members. Facilities that fail to do so will face penalties that the federal agency will release "in the coming days," a spokeswoman said. Nesbitt, the D.C. health officer, said the city has told all facilities to comply with the updated federal requirements. Clinicians who violate regulations can have their licenses revoked, she added, and providers who do not comply may have their Medicare or Medicaid funding rescinded. Maryland and Virginia require nursing homes to report cases to local and state authorities but do not demand that they release information to relatives of other residents or the general public. Maryland recommends that facilities "coordinate" communication to the public with state and local authorities. Montgomery County Health Officer Travis Gayles said the county also has encouraged nursing homes to disclose cases to other residents of the facility and their representatives. Gayles said that although a majority of long-term care facilities "have been very forthcoming," the county is asking its "action teams" of county nurses to help communicate with patients and their representatives, in addition to assisting facilities with medical response, contact tracing and other logistics. "The hope is that through this process, we can improve care and service delivery, but also improve reporting," said Montgomery County Council member Gabe Albornoz, a Democrat who chairs the Health and Human Services Committee. The Virginia health commissioner announced last week that long-term care facilities can share information on coronavirus patients with other providers, including the identities of patients. This shift in policy was intended to protect nursing home employees, who often work at multiple facilities, an agency spokeswoman said. On Wednesday, the Fairfax County Health Department emailed the directors of the county's long-term care facilities a list of 29 sites that have confirmed coronavirus cases. Facility directors will receive an updated list three times a week, the email said. Charlie Gischlar, spokesman for the Maryland Department of Health, said disclosing which long-term care facilities have infections "serves no public health purpose and could lead to the identification of specific persons who have tested positive for the disease." Asked about the new federal reporting requirement, Gischlar said, "MDH follows Maryland law." - - - The Washington Post's Fenit Nirappil, Antonio Olivo, Laura Vozzella and Rachel Chason contributed to this report. Bank of Baroda (BoB) rose 1.08% to Rs 46.9 after the bank said its board approved raising up to Rs 13,500 crore. The board of BoB on 24 April 2020 approved raising an additional capital of upto Rs 13,500 crore by 31 March 2021 (FY21) and beyond if found expedient. The fund raising will comprise of Rs 9,000 crore through common equity capital by various modes including qualified institutional placement (QIP), etc. in suitable stages and Rs 4,500 crore by way of additional tier I / tier II capital instruments with an inter-changeability option, issued in India / overseas in suitable tranches. This will be subject to applicable statutory regulatory approvals. The bank said fund raising will be subject to applicable statutory and regulatory approvals, the bank said in an exchange filing made after market hours on Friday (24 April 2020). BoB reported a net loss of Rs 1406.95 crore in Q3 December 2019 as against net profit of Rs 471.25 crore in Q3 December 2018. Total income rose 49.58% to Rs 21,809.08 crore in Q3 December 2019 as against Rs 14,562.85 crore reported in Q3 December 2018. BoB is a public sector bank. The Government of India held 71.60% in the bank as on 31 March 2020. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Australian doctors who delivered a coronavirus carrier's baby say they have achieved what could be a world first by keeping an infected mother together with her newborn. Overseas, infants and mothers with the disease have been physically separated for 14 days after a scheduled caesarean section and prevented from breastfeeding. But when a 31-year-old woman with coronavirus gave birth at the Gold Coast University Hospital last month, obstetricians said they were able to keep the family together in an isolation room, despite both parents testing positive to the infection. Gold Coast University Hospital director of obstetrics Dr Benjamin Bopp, who helped plan Australia's first coronavirus delivery. Doing a caesarean section and taking someone's baby away for two weeks is a pretty radical step, the hospitals director of obstetrics, Dr Benjamin Bopp, said. Loudmouth politician, Kennedy Agyapong, who is the Member of Parliament (MP) for Assin Central, has taken his 'war' against controversial pastor Prophet Daniel Obinim to another level, by saying the leader of the International God's Way Church is an occultist. According to Mr. Agyapong, he has countless evidence to buttress his wild claim including a video of Obinim, where the pastor, who claims to be an angel of God and goes to heaven frequently, openly admitted that indeed he was into occultism. In a recent interview on his own private television station, NET2, in Accra, Mr. Agyapong claimed that Obinim had been using human parts for sacrifices and said he would continue to expose what he called the 'evil' and 'criminal' deeds of Obinim. Devoting Resources He said he was devoting his resources to get Obinim apprehended and also ensure the permanent closure of his church to stop his 'criminal' activities. He said characters like Prophet Obinim, a known occultist, who hides behind the holy Bible, to spill the blood of innocent human beings for sacrifices, is not fit to live in society, and he would ensure that he is locked up soon. According to him, it was never his intention to delve into the 'evil' works of Prophet Obinim, but he had decided to do so now because Obinim's wife, Florence Obinim, had stepped on his toes and got him angry. Ken's Prophecy Mr. Agyapong said Prophet Obinim's hands are 'soaked deep in human blood', prophesying that Obinim would go mad and walk naked in the streets of the country before he dies, if he refuses to confess his sins. Occultist Acts According to Mr. Agyapong, people have been bombarding him with hardcore evidence of Obinim's alleged occultist acts, vowing to release them in bits anytime that Florence would provoke him. The MP said he has time and resources to run Bishop Obinim down, stating that by the time he completes his attacks on him, not a 'single sound-minded' person would visit his church again. Human Placenta Food Kennedy Agyapong alleged that a Guinea-based Ghanaian pastor, identified only as Pastor Ken, once visited Obinim to help him become powerful and Obinim ended up leading Pastor Ken to become a cannibal. Obinim contacted a nurse at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra, who provided a placenta, which he (Obinim) mixed with rice to prepare food for Pastor Ken to eat, he alleged, adding that this guy is ready to testify. Obinim, he said, explained to Pastor Ken that the food prepared with placenta would give him commanding powers also known as Do as I say to enable Pastor Ken to control his congregation like 'fools'. Yelling unprintable words at Obinim for being evil, he said he suspected Obinim uses his so-called commanding powers to lure pretty-looking girls into his church to warm his bed even though he is married. Human Skull Soap Mr. Agyapong also alleged that Obinim has a Mallam friend at Akyem Tafo in the Eastern Region, who provides Obinim with human skull for sacrifices. He took this same Pastor Ken to Mallam Abedina, who provided a human skull to Obinim to grind and prepare soap that he (Obinim) has labelled as 'Crowd Puller' for the pastor to use to draw crowd to his church, he claimed. Mr. Agyapong said he believes Obinim and his Mallam friend killed an innocent person and used his skull for the 'Crowd Puller' soap, indicating that Obinim and his Mallam friend should be arrested and investigated. Cats Blood Sacrifice He also displayed a picture of Obinim and four other people, who he claimed were initiating one Kwame Ottoo into occultism, saying they followed with a strange cat sacrifice around 1am when everybody was asleep. After the initiation ceremony, which took place in 2004, Obinim and his cohorts killed two cats and mixed their blood with lots of coins, which Kwame Otoo and Osofo Kwame sprinkled in the streets in Kumasi at 1am. Do you call this occultist as man of God? the MP fired and indicated that Obinim's 'time is up.' Human Parts Sacrifice The outspoken lawmaker also played a video on NET2 which captured a man he says is Obinim, bragging about how the blood of fresh born babies, from two weeks to three months, could be used to help people to become fabulously rich overnight. In the same short video, the supposed Obinim also stated emphatically that human eyes, human fingers, fresh babies and pregnant women could be effectively used as sacrifices to enable someone to become very rich, saying in the video that you will bury the pregnant woman alive and the money will start flowing. You will see a lot of money in your washroom without working for it. Bonking Sister He also said Obinim once ordered a pastor, who had visited him for spiritual help, to sleep with his own sister, and that pastor wiped the sperm with a white handkerchief and gave it back to Obinim for sacrifice. According to Mr. Agyapong, Obinim, who seemed to have hypnotized his congregation and the people he comes into contact with, told the same pastor to sleep with a man before he (Obinim) could help him. The Assin Central lawmaker stated that the pastor, who all this while was being remote-controlled by Obinim, suddenly came back to his senses and refused to sleep with a man as Obinim had ordered him to do. In a clear response to Mr. Agyapong, Obinim has said in an audio recording that he has ceased the 'war' with the MP and refused to react to the wild allegations made against him. ---Daily Guide Huawei has announced the appointment of David Shi to the position of Regional Enterprise Business Group (EBG) President. The move is effective immediately and builds on the companys plans to help shape the future of digital infrastructure using advanced ICT solutions, the company said. Shi has more than a decade of experience working within the Middle East starting from 2007, and over 15 years of experience in the information and communications technology (ICT) sector, including technical sales, marketing, and business development. Having been with Huawei since 2005, he has held several roles for the company based in the region, helping the Huawei Enterprise Business Group to support the digital transformation plans of its customers across various industries. Prior to his current position, Shi led Huaweis Enterprise Group in Saudi Arabia as General Manager starting in 2017, driving the companys continued success across the Kingdom. He has previously held the role of Marketing and Solution Sales Vice President for Huawei Middle East (2015-2017) and CTO of Huawei Saudi Arabia (2013-2015). Charles Yang, President of Huawei Middle East, said: In the enterprise business, we continue to be fully committed to our Huawei Inside strategy, collaborating with our partners and sharing the value of digitalization with our customers. Today our Enterprise Business Group serves a diverse range of public and private sector organizations and their requirements. Someone with as strong a background and solid experience in the region as David is ideal to head this divisionleading the growth of not only our Enterprise Business Group, but helping businesses to lay the foundations for a digital Middle East. Now more than ever, organisations are looking at their ICT needs to help them to futureproof their operations, while also providing possibilities to keep things moving in the current challenging times, said Shi. I am eager to step into this role at Huawei EBG and work with more of our customers across the Middle East to cultivate new opportunities. The trust of these partners and customers has been essential to our companys success, and will continue to be moving forward. As of 2019, more than 700 cities and 228 Fortune Global 500 companies have chosen Huawei as their digital transformation partner. In addition, Huawei's enterprise business has a network of more than 28,000 partners worldwide, which contribute up to 86% of the global revenue of the business group. Huawei has already established 13 OpenLabs worldwide to focus on the enterprise market. At these OpenLabs, Huawei supports partners in joint solution innovation, marketing, talent cultivation, finance, supply chains, and IT systems to continuously strengthen their capabilities and drive their digital transformation to achieve success. In the enterprise business, Huawei follows a Platform + AI + Ecosystem strategy where we fully leverage the potential of AI technology to build platforms while creating a thriving ICT ecosystem. I look forward to working with our customers and partners to embrace multiple new ICT technologies that can bring digital to every person, home and organization for a fully connected intelligent world, Shi added. - TradeArabia News Service Veteran actor Anupam Kher, who is spending his quarantine interacting with his fans and sharing some thought-provoking posts on his Twitter, shared a message for all. The actor shared a series of pictures on his Twitter handle along with a beautiful message for his fans. Anupam Kher shares a motivational message on Twitter Anupam shared his monochrome pictures on the micro-blogging site where he can be seen making several facial expressions. Apart from the pictures, the actor shared a message for his fans as well amid the lockdown. In one of the pictures, the Dilwale Dhulhaniya Le Jayengey star can be seen smiling while looking at the cameras while in the second pictures he can be seen staring in an astonishing manner. Read: Anupam Kher Hits 16 Million Followers On Twitter, Thanks Fans For 'love And Warmth' Read: Anupam Kher Terms Physical Attack On Arnab Goswami 'utter Cowardice'; Peers Echo Veteran While captioning the pictures, Anupam wrote that no matter how angry life may get, staying happy is one of his habits. Several fans praised him for his motivational message and thanked him for spreading positivity on the Internet with his post. One of the fans wrote, "Well said sir." Another user sent his love from Pakistan and wrote, "Awesome cool buddy love from #Pakistan Keep shining for India." A third user chimed in and expressed his love for the actor. He commented upon Anupam's sense of humor and wrote that Anupam is such a great actor that whatever he says shows the humorous side in him. Sometime back, the actor celebrated 16 million followers on the micro-blogging site. He shared a tweet where he thanked his fans for the support and termed them his strength. Well said sir akshaykumar (@akshaykumaraks) April 27, 2020 Awesome cool buddy love from #Pakistan Keep shining for #India Safi Khan (@SafiKhanMagical) April 27, 2020 Bharat soni (@Bharat45495565) April 27, 2020 Kya batau sir apko Kuch logo ki aadat h kisi ko khush ni dekh sakte h. Isly aapse jalne walo ki kami ni na h. Keep it up sir. Amitesh (@Amitesh85695989) April 27, 2020 Anupam shared a picture on his Twitter where the actor can be seen standing with a board that says, 16mn and 1mn friends in just 50 days. #JaiHo. The actor started his lockdown series on Twitter 'Call People Who Make You Happy'. As part of it, he calls different people from the film industry who he thinks are positive and will spread happiness. Read: Anupam Kher Starts New Series 'When Bittu Meets Anupam' Amid Lockdown, Hopes Fans Like It Read: Anupam Kher Welcomes Kapil Dev In 'Baldies Club' With A Heartfelt Message; Read Here PR-Inside.com: 2020-04-27 08:00:23 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 633 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 LONDON, UK / ACCESSWIRE / April 27, 2020 / SDX Energy Plc (AIM:SDX), the MENA-focused oil and gas company, announces that it will hold its annual general meeting ("AGM") on 22 May 2020 at 10:00 am (UK time). The notice of AGM and form of proxy have today been posted to shareholders, and copies have been uploaded onto the Company's website ( www.sdxenergy.com) and on SEDAR ( www.sedar.com) Whilst shareholder participation at the AGM is important to the Board of Directors, the Board fully supports the current UK Government requirements for people to avoid both gatherings of more than two people who do not live together and all non-essential travel and social contact (the "Stay at Home Measures"). As such, shareholders should not attempt to attend the AGM in person which will be held at Choumert Grove Car Park,13 Choumert Grove, Peckham, London SE15 4RB. Any shareholders who attempt to seek admission to the AGM will be denied entry while the compulsory Stay at Home Measures (as revised from time to time) continue to be in force. The Company is taking these precautionary measures to safeguard its shareholders', stakeholders' and employees' health and make the AGM as safe and efficient as possible.Shareholders wishing to vote on any of the resolutions are urged to do so by appointing the chairman of the AGM as a proxy to vote on your behalf. You can appoint the chairman as proxy by: Logging on to www.signalshares.com and submitting your proxy appointment online; or Completing and returning the proxy form by post to Link Asset Services at The Registry, 34 Beckenham Road, Beckenham, Kent BR3 4TU; or Submitting (if you are a CREST member) a proxy appointment electronically, by using the CREST voting service.Proxy appointments, whether submitted electronically or by post, must be received by Link Asset Services by no later than 10.00 am on 20 May 2020.If the Stay at Home Measures are revised with effect before the AGM in a manner which, in the view of the Board, permits shareholders to attend in person, the Company will make an announcement by RIS if the Board decides to change the above arrangements.About SDXSDX is an international oil and gas exploration, production and development company, headquartered in London, United Kingdom, with a principal focus on MENA. In Egypt, SDX has a working interest in three producing assets. In the South Disouq gas field in the Nile Delta, the Company is operator and has a 55% working interest. In the Eastern Desert, adjacent to the Gulf of Suez, the Company has two non-operated oil interests; 50% in North West Gemsa and 50% in Meseda. In Morocco, SDX has a 75% working interest in the Sebou concession, situated in the Gharb Basin. These producing gas assets in Morocco are characterised by exceptionally low operating costs and fixed price gas contracts making them particularly resilient in a low oil price environment. SDX's portfolio also includes high impact exploration opportunities in both Egypt and Morocco.For further information, please see the Company's website at www.sdxenergy.com or the Company's filed documents at www.sedar.com For further information:SDX Energy PlcMark ReidChief Executive OfficerTel: +44 203 219 5640Stifel Nicolaus Europe Limited (Nominated Adviser and Joint Broker)Callum StewartSimon MensleyAshton ClanfieldTel: +44 (0) 20 7710 7600Peel Hunt LLP (Joint Broker)Richard CrichtonDavid McKeownCantor Fitzgerald Europe (Joint Broker)David PorterTel: +44 207 7894 7000Camarco (PR)Billy Clegg/Owen Roberts/Violet WilsonTel: +44 203 757 4980This information is provided by RNS, the news service of the London Stock Exchange. RNS is approved by the Financial Conduct Authority to act as a Primary Information Provider in the United Kingdom. Terms and conditions relating to the use and distribution of this information may apply. For further information, please contact rns@ lseg.com or visit www.rns.com SOURCE: SDX Energy PLC Alex Kurth switched back to food delivery for the first time in three years after his work as a live music technician and bartender dried up last month with Torontos COVID-19 lockdown. But while he is making between $30 and $40 an hour delivering by bicycle for Uber Eats during the prime evening-meal window, hes not happy about it. The moneys good, but Im very worried about exposing myself to and potentially spreading the virus right now, said Kurth, who said two-thirds of his customers still want their food delivered directly to their condo or apartment door. A big part of his dilemma is that much of what he delivers does not seem essential. It seems absurd that bicycle food delivery is considered an essential service when Im mostly delivering junk food, cheesecake and bubble tea to rich people in highrise condos rather than needed meals to vulnerable or disabled people, he said. Kurth is considering stopping work and instead relying on federal government relief funds, but has so far been unable to navigate the system. He applied for Employment Insurance (EI) sickness benefits in late March, after cutting short an Australian vacation and going into two weeks of mandatory self-quarantine. But that application has gotten stuck, with the system requiring him to call a 1-800 number to explain his travel and why his last work date was earlier than when COVID-19 impacts started being felt. Hes been trying to reach someone for two weeks. Its completely impossible to get through, and until I manage to talk to anybody my application cant proceed at all, he said. So Im not receiving any money. Ottawa later launched the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB), offering $500 a week for four months to those who lost all income due to COVID-19. The benefit has evolved over time, including with the addition last week of part-time, contract and seasonal workers to the list of those eligible and the allowance of earnings of up to $1,000 a month. The government has advised those who had already applied for EI, like Kurth, not to put in a second request for CERB. Ivan Ostos, a spokesperson for the Foodsters United labour group seeking to certify Foodora riders, said Ottawas CERB expansion means most of the services riders could now choose to self-isolate, but that some have to keep working, including those who may not have a valid social insurance number. If youre a migrant, a student or something and you are here for working or studying you may not get CERB, he said. Ostos also said he worried that riders are ill-equipped to protect themselves and that the Canadian Union of Postal Workers union which the Ontario labour board said in February could represent Foodora workers as dependent contractors was pushing the company to make no-contact delivery mandatory. That infringes on our own right to have a safe workplace, to refuse unsafe work, he said. Foodora spokesperson Sadie Weinstein did not directly respond when asked why the company has not done so. She said they wrote to customers on March 12 to let them know they could choose to request a lobby drop-off and made contactless delivery the default option at the end of March. She also said the company had looked into providing riders with personal protective equipment but it was not possible at this time. Weinstein declined to provide order volume data, but said Foodora has more than 5,000 riders delivering across major Canadian cities. Courier companies that mostly service corporate and business customers have been particularly hard hit by the shutdown of office life, although theyve also found a way to fill different customer needs. Our bicycle couriers are the worst hit, said Barry Rapps, the president of United Messengers Ltd, who had to let half of them go when COVID-19 and the resulting shutdown cut same-day rush delivery volumes in half. The company uses a fleet of 300 owner-operator drivers and bikers, it says on its website. Rapps did not disclose how many of them were cyclists. He said the company cant call on the federal governments wage subsidy program, since its driver delivery services remain in demand to get things to workers living in suburbs or further afield and its overall revenue has not fallen by the 30 per cent required. Volumes at Sendit Courier, a fully bike-based workers collective, plunged around 60 per cent early on in the lockdown, but has since evened out to about 40 per cent below normal, said worker-owner Tam Nguyen. The type of goods moved has also changed: out with corporate catering, legal documents and architectural drawings, and in with delivering office equipment to enable work from home, as well as alcohol and groceries. We have gained a lot more flower and pharmacy deliveries, said 28-year-old courier Alex BG. But while he is still pedalling for Sendit and is ineligible for CERB or other government supports, the reduced workload is starting to bite. Im spending less on groceries and have approached my landlords about paying less rent or delaying payments, he said. Reno Omokri, a popular social media commentator has described the duo of President Muhammadu Buhari and Kaduna state governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai as Twin Evils. Read Also: Omokri Reacts As Ogun Moves To Penalize Residents Who Move Without Nose mask Speaking via his official Twitter handle on Sunday, he said there is no significant difference between the duo. He wrote: The main difference between General @MBuhari and Nasir @elrufai, is that Buhari is often short of words, while El-Rufai is regularly short in height. Other than that, there is no significant difference between the two of them. They are twin evils! Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Hailey Waller (Bloomberg) London, United Kingdom Mon, April 27, 2020 12:42 625 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd474186 2 Business COVID-19,Virgin-Atlantic,bankruptcy,bailout Free Richard Branson is seeking a buyer for Virgin Atlantic Airways as he struggles to secure a 500 million pound ($618 million) government bailout, the Telegraph reported. Branson has set an end-of-May deadline to save the UK airline from collapse and is focused on securing new private investment from more than 100 financial institutions, the newspaper quoted people familiar as saying. Houlihan Lokey has been appointed to assist the process, focusing on private-sector funding, a Virgin Atlantic spokeswoman said. Discussions with a number of stakeholders continue and are constructive, meanwhile the airline remains in a stable position. Virgins application for government aid has effectively been shelved, though negotiations could be revived if investment cant be found elsewhere, the newspaper reported. About 50 investors have asked for information and they will be narrowed down to a handful of bidders, according to the report. Centerbridge Partners, Cerberus Capital Management, Lansdowne Partners, Singapore sovereign wealth fund Temasek and Northill Capital are among those in the running. Delta Air Lines, which owns a 49 percent stake in Virgin Atlantic and is consumed with its own pandemic-related problems, has already bumped up against U.K. limits on foreign airline ownership, the US companys chief executive officer, Ed Bastian, said Thursday. Branson, 69, has become the highest-profile victim of an airline-industry crisis thats only just getting started. Virgin Australia, another carrier he founded, entered administration last week after failing to obtain a state bailout. Two million chickens will be killed in Delaware and Maryland and not processed for meat because staff are calling out sick amid coronavirus. The Delmarva Poultry Industry said that every poultry plant on the Delmarva Peninsula has struggled with a reduced worker attendance. Workers out sick with the coronavirus and people following guidance to stay home if displaying symptoms has heaped increased pressure on the facilities. The Baltimore Sun reported Friday that the plants are unable to keep pace with the number of birds that are ready for harvest. They had been placed into poultry houses as chicks several weeks ago. Trade group Delmarva Poultry Industry said that one company has become the first to do what's called 'depopulation'. The Delmarva Peninsula includes parts of Delaware, Maryland and Virginia It said the company was unable to find other options, such as allowing another company to take the chickens. Two million chickens will be killed in Delaware and Maryland and not processed for meat because staff are calling out sick amid coronavirus. A farm in Shelltown, MD, is pictured Workers on a chicken farm on Maryland's Eastern shore. The Delmarva Poultry Industry said every poultry plant on the Delmarva Peninsula has struggled with reduced worker attendance The trade group said that the extermination methods have been approved by the American Veterinary Medical Association for handling cases of infectious avian disease. But animal activists are raising concerns. Save Delmarva Chickens said it's inhumane to use measures designed to control avian flu on healthy birds. The former Chief Veterinary Officer for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, John Clifford, said in 2016 'the fastest way and probably the most humane way to take care of' a need for depopulation amid avian flu was to 'shut off ventilation systems'. Depopulation is 'when large numbers of animals must be destroyed in response to an animal health emergency', the United States Department of Agriculture says. They added: 'With depopulation, the welfare of the animals is given as much consideration as practical, but the situation is understood to be extenuating. 'Euthanasia, however, involves transitioning an animal to death as painlessly and stress-free as possible. While euthanasia is preferable to depopulation, it is not always possible during an animal health emergency because of the need to move quickly to slow or stop disease spread.' It is understood the chickens in this instance will be depopulated. The USDA said in 2016: 'There are two main methods we use to depopulate HPAI-affected flocks: water-based foam for floor-raised birds and carbon dioxide gas for caged birds. These are the most humane and effective options available in an emergency situation involving mass numbers of birds. 'If our preferred methods dont allow us to depopulate the flock as quickly as neededwithin 24 hourswe must consider other options. These may include shutting off the facilitys ventilation fans.' DailyMail.com has contacted USDA for additional comment. Allen Harim said they were forced to depopulate chickens because they have too many birds than they can handle on their inventory in a letter sent to chicken growers on April 8 In a letter sent to chicken growers on April 8, Allen Harim said its plant in South Dakota was now only at 50 percent of its normal operation because of continuously declining employee attendance because of illness and coronavirus concerns. They said they were forced to depopulate chickens because they have too many birds than they can handle on their inventory. Allen Harim said in their April 8 letter that it has implemented measures to decrease the number of livestock it needs to process in the future by reducing the eggs and chicks placed with its chicken growers. The effects of this reduction will not be felt for another six weeks, however, and so the company said it had made the 'difficult decision' to 'depopulate' certain flocks on its growers farms in Delaware and Maryland. 'We are no longer able to harvest the amount of birds needed daily or weekly to maintain target weights and ages,' said the letter, signed by the company's Director of Live Operations Michele V. Minton. 'When we started noticing the downward trend in attendance, we reduced the number of eggs set and chicks placed. 'Unfortunately, reduced placement will not make an impact for another six weeks and with the continued attendance decline, and building bird inventory daily, we are forced to make a very difficult decision. The company supplied no information on the flocks chosen or how the chickens would be killed. The U.S. food supply chain is generally considered robust and well protected, with America producing enough domestically to feed its entire population. But disruptions in processing and distribution could cause temporary shortages of some items, or higher prices on grocery store shelves. Tyson Foods chairman John Tyson warned Sunday that 'the food supply chain' is breaking after coronavirus outbreaks forced the closure of their plants. The businessman, who chairs the largest U.S. meat supplier, said 'millions of pounds of meat' will fail to reach stores and there will be a 'limited supply of our products available in grocery stores' until they are able to reopen facilities currently closed. Tyson said Sunday: 'We have a responsibility to feed our country. It is as essential as healthcare. This is a challenge that should not be ignored. Our plants must remain operational so that we can supply food to our families in America. 'This is a delicate balance because Tyson Foods places team member safety as our top priority.' While COVID-19 has put a halt on most film and television productions, the motto for Mickey Rourke and his Warhunt team was "the show must go on." Shooting on the World War II fantasy-horror movie continued amid the pandemic and just wrapped up, Variety reported Sunday. The actor stars in the film, which was shot in Riga, Latvia. Also featuring Robert Knepper and Jackson Rathbone, Warhunt follows an elite squad of American soldiers on a secret mission during WWII. Trapped behind enemy lines in Germanys Black Forest, the men then come face-to-face with a coven of witches. I came to Riga to work, and this thing (COVID-19) was so out of control, but everyone was so great," Rourke told Variety. Still, the pandemic caused Rourke's schedule to be adjusted. "We had to rearrange the schedule for Mickey Rourke as the country was closing its borders, and luckily he agreed to fly early to beat the closure, and we rescheduled his shoot days to accommodate this change," producer Yu-Fai Suen said. The Warhunt crew continued working during the health crisis, following the government's guidelines like wearing masks and gloves, performing twice-daily temperature checks, disinfecting equipment, and social distancing. Suen also said each actor had a dedicated makeup kit with tools just for them, and makeup artists wore facemasks while applying makeup. Gregg DeGuire/WireImage He added that the Latvian government gave him the green light to shoot more film and TV productions under the same guidelines. The producer's past positions have included chief operating officer at Elton John's Rocket Pictures and senior vice president at Momentum Pictures. Director Mauro Borrelli said the current situation actually helped move the production along. "It was surreal at the beginning, but the cast and crew quickly adjusted to the masks and other precautions, so we ended up even more focused and efficient," the Italian filmmaker said. Story continues In Latvia, the government closed schools and banned mass gatherings until May 12. Like in the U.S., numerous concerts and cultural events have been canceled or postponed. There are currently about 812 reported cases of coronavirus in the European country of 1.9 million, with 12 total deaths. Rourke, who scored an Oscar nomination with 2009's The Wrestler, most recently starred in the films Night Walk, Berlin, I Love You, and Nightmare Cinema. Related content: WhatsApp says that highly-forwarded messages have plunged since it introduced new rules. Earlier this month, in a major change, the company announced that it would prohibit people sending on "highly-forwarded" messages in an attempt to stop the spread of viral posts. The new rules mean that if a message has already been sent on in bulk, users have to go to extra effort to forward it on more. If a message has been forwarded enough to get a "highly-forwarded" tag, users can only send it on to one person at a time, rather than five. Now the company says those new rules have worked, and the number of such messages being forwarded on has dropped 70 per cent since the new features were introduced. The update was intended partly to address the wide spread of misinformation, and arrived as WhatsApp and other social networks aimed to deal with an influx of false stories and rumours related to the coronavirus pandemic. Gadget and tech news: In pictures Show all 25 1 /25 Gadget and tech news: In pictures Gadget and tech news: In pictures Gun-toting humanoid robot sent into space Russia has launched a humanoid robot into space on a rocket bound for the International Space Station (ISS). The robot Fedor will spend 10 days aboard the ISS practising skills such as using tools to fix issues onboard. 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Receiving a host of mass forwarded messages can feel "overwhelming" as well as helping spread misinformation, it said when the new rules went into place. "We believe its important to slow the spread of these messages down to keep WhatsApp a place for personal conversation," it wrote in a blog post alongside the announcement. The new feature followed an update introduced in January 2019, which added a set of arrows to any message that had been forwarded on enough times, with a similar aim of "constraining virality". WhatsApp said after that update that it had reduced the number of forwarded messages by 25 per cent. When we begin one strategy, we are very poor at converting it to Plan B, or even thinking of Plan B, because thinking of Plan B is a sign of admitting the failure of Plan A, Iwata said. And lots of people who are in charge of infection control, particularly the bureaucrats, really dislike the possibility of failure. TORONTO - Food delivery app Foodora is closing its Canadian operations in May, just months after a key labour board decision laid the groundwork for the company's workers to push for unionization. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 27/4/2020 (625 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. A Foodora courier picks up an order for delivery from a restaurant in Toronto, Thursday, Feb. 27, 2020. Foodora says it is making plans to cease operations in Canada on May 11. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette TORONTO - Food delivery app Foodora is closing its Canadian operations in May, just months after a key labour board decision laid the groundwork for the company's workers to push for unionization. The subsidiary of Berlin-based Delivery Hero SE said Monday that it has not been able to reach a level of profitability in Canada thats sustainable enough to continue operations, so it filed a notice of intention and will exit the country on May 11. "We're faced with strong competition in the Canadian market, and operate a business that requires a high volume of transactions to turn a profit," said David Albert, Foodora Canada's managing director, in a release. "We've been unable to get to a position which would allow us to continue to operate without having to continually absorb losses." Foodora has operated in 10 Canadian cities over the last five years and has racked up 3,000 restaurants on the platform, even in a "highly-saturated market" with stiff competition from Uber Eats, SkipTheDishes and DoorDash. The announcement was a blow for couriers who have been busy dealing with surges in orders amid COVID-19 and grappling with new policies around no-contract delivery. "It's devastating," said Jennifer Scott, who has worked as a Foodora bike courier for two-and-a-half years in Toronto. "We are in the midst of a global pandemic and this job is how we make a living wage. It's how we survive, and it's just gone, which is very scary for many of us." She expects she will be able to make up her Foodora losses with work from Uber Eats and DoorDash, which she already does deliveries for, but isn't sure others will be so lucky. Before the closure, couriers were already fretting because they don't qualify for some of the federal government's recently-announced relief measures, she said. "I've been a courier a long time and I've been able to figure out how to make it work for me no matter what's going on...but I'm not so certain about many of my co-workers who are only working for Foodora, Scott said. "I don't know what they will do." The shutdown news was extra tough for couriers like Scott because they had been part of Foodsters United, which had long been fighting for rights and protections for Foodora couriers and other gig economy workers. They alleged that the company was using the independent contractor model to avoid giving workers health and safety supports. Foodsters wanted fair compensation for the work completed by couriers because it said the pay-per-order model meant that during slow periods workers receive wages lower than minimum wage, while still covering costs like gas, phones and vehicle or bike repairs. Foodora long boasted about its app offering flexibility so people just trying to earn some extra cash or between jobs could easily make money, but Foodora workers said that flexibility bred instability and left them with little protection. Foodsters garnered attention in February following an Ontario Labour Relations Board ruling that decided Foodora couriers are dependent contractors of the food-delivery company because they more closely resemble employees than independent contractors. The ruling was considered a massive hurdle to clear that could have helped the couriers unionize and give growing numbers of gig economy workers the inspiration to follow suit. Jan Simpson, the national president of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers, called the two-weeks notice that has been provided to Foodora workers "grossly unfair and unreasonable" and said the union was reviewing its legal options. Try our Dish The latest on food and drink in Winnipeg and beyond from arts writers Ben Sigurdson and Eva Wasney. Dish arrives in your inbox every other Friday. See sample. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Foodora and Delivery Hero must be held accountable to the workers," said Simpson, in an email to The Canadian Press. "Couriers have made millions for this company and deserve to be treated with dignity and fairness. In the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, they are considering numbers over human lives. Despite the closure news, Foodsters' efforts still have merit, said Scott. "There's no way that this could be fruitless," she said. "The win that we celebrated at the labour board is precedent setting and has the ability to pave the way for other workers in other gig economy type jobs to begin the unionization process." Meanwhile, Foodora said it is working on devising a proposal to provide additional help to employees and other creditors. Albert said, "I thank them for the continued support over the last five years. Supporting them during this transition phase is our main priority." This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 27, 2020. Chinese enthusiasm for 5G rollouts has helped Huawei to weather the first quarter of 2020 despite the Covid-19 pandemic and trade blocks in the US. Since the start of 2020, China Mobile has awarded Huawei CNY28.4 billion ($4.01 billion) worth of contracts as it increases capex to push 5G deployments. The operator is the worlds largest, and this year plans to deploy 300,000 5G sites across China. In order to achieve this objective, China Mobile has boosted its capex by 8.3% to CNY180 billion, in line with the two other major Chinese players. Collectively, the three have significantly increased their projected capex for 2020 over 2019, with an expected collective total of CNY 335 billion between them. Huawei has been the main beneficiary of this spending drive, winning 57.3% of China Mobiles phase two 5G tender in late March this year granting it CNY21.3 billion to deploy around 132,000 base stations as well as 56% of the operators data transmission network contract, worth CNY5.6 billion. China Mobile has split a CNY1 billion data management deal between Huawei and fellow vendor ZTE, and already this year the operator has put in an order for 70,000 5G smartphones and 140,000 5G Wi-Fi devices from Huawei. With China Unicom and China Telecom due to announce the results of their 5G tenders imminently, Huawei may stand to benefit from these as well. The vendors CEO and founder Ren Zhengfei said last month that the ongoing pandemic had not deterred Huaweis bid to become less reliant on US imports, with the vendor increasing its R&D budget for this year by $5 billion to $20 billion in order to create new technologies. Nonetheless, the current circumstances have forced Huawei to take a hit. Revenue growth for the first quarter this year was just 1.4% compared to 39% for the same period in 2019, despite the vendor winning 91 commercial 5G deals and selling over 600,000 5G antennas. Huaweis chief domestic rival ZTE has also benefited from China Mobiles trend towards increased reliance on local vendors. ZTE won 28.7% of the operators phase two 5G contracts, having received less than 10% of two 5G core network contracts issues in June 2019. At the time, Finlands Nokia was still a supplier for China Mobile, and the operator claimed that it would continue working with overseas as well as Chinese vendors despite the US placing trade sanctions on Huawei. However, it has now dropped Nokia from its partners list and granted larger contracts to the major Chinese vendors, suggesting that the operator may be looking to work more closely with its compatriots. The coronavirus pandemic has created waves in the Jersey Shore rental business, just as it has everywhere else in the state. From high schoolers looking to celebrate their senior years to families hoping for a summer getaway, normally routine vacation plans have grown complicated. A group of students who rented a Wildwood house for prom weekend next month is trying to get its money back, since it seems likely a no-renting order will remain in place a while longer for Cape May County. Others are creating lease agreements with COVID clauses. With summer fast approaching, renters and property owners are scrambling for guidance. Two attorneys with Fox Rothschild LLC, Danielle Liberman and Bridget Sykes, offered answers to various questions regarding issues faced by renters and property owners. Renter concerns Q: What should renters do if they have booked a property in the upcoming weeks when restrictions on visiting beaches and renting shore properties are still in place? What should they do if the rental property owner refuses to issue a refund? A: Renters should first review any restrictions that have been put in place by the particular municipality or county. Many of these executive orders, resolutions and proclamations make it illegal for the property owner to allow the tenant to take possession and include penalties such as the loss of the property owners right to a rental license in the future, fines and even prosecution as a disorderly persons offense. Renters should then contact the owner and/or real estate broker that arranged the rental to find out how the owner is handling the situation. Given the owners liability and often prohibition on being able to perform their end of the contract providing the property they have an interest in coming to an agreement with renters as well. If the rental property owner refuses to issue a refund or if the parties cant come to some other agreement, such as offering the property on a different date, renters should have a discussion with a lawyer to determine if this situation is covered by the terms of the rental agreement or if they have other legal rights or defenses that may entitle them to a refund. Q: In some cases, owners have offered to book renters for different dates. Is that an acceptable compromise when the renter really just wants a refund? A: That is a personal decision of the renter. Ultimately, whether the renter is entitled to a refund will depend on the specific terms of the rental agreement. Renters who anticipate a dispute should have the terms of their agreements reviewed by a lawyer to determine their legal right to pursue a refund. Q: Apart from hiring a lawyer, are there any state or local resources a renter can contact for help in a dispute of this sort? A: While only a lawyer can provide a legal opinion based on an individuals particular contract and circumstances, there are many resources a renter can turn to for more information. Renters who believe they have been a victim of fraud may report the behavior to the State Attorney Generals office. The Short Term Rental Advocacy Center, created by a group of internet-based rental platforms, also has information and resources on restrictions for short term rentals. Renters can also pursue their own legal rights by filing a claim in state Superior Court. For the majority of rentals, the amount of money in dispute will qualify for disposition in the Law Division, Special Civil Part, which handles claims under $15,000. Cases in the Special Civil Part are heard on an expedited basis. The court generally requires that the parties participate in mediation with a court-appointed mediator before being heard by a judge. These mediators are skilled in helping parties reach a common resolution. Information on how to file a claim can be found here. There are also many resources and articles authored by attorneys and other experts. Fox Rothschild launched a Coronavirus Resources section on its website that provides a variety of information about navigating issues related to COVID-19. CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live map tracker | Newsletter | Homepage Q: When it comes to those still looking to book a property for the summer, what should they consider, since its not clear when these restrictions on rentals and visiting beaches will be lifted? What precautions should you take before booking? A: If a contract is entered into after the imposition of rental restrictions, a court would likely find that the parties reasonably should have expected that the rental restrictions may interfere with the purpose of the contract. As a result, the failure to address it may preclude defenses that exist outside the contract itself. In contract disputes, courts will closely review and interpret the specific language used in the agreement. Therefore, it is strongly recommended that parties have a lawyer assist in drafting these provisions or review proposed contract terms prior to entering into an agreement to ensure that the partys intent is properly reflected. For those still hoping to enter into a rental contract, parties should incorporate detailed provisions with respect to the right of cancellation and return of security deposits, prepaid rental fees and rental commissions. Timing of cancellation of the lease, who has the right to cancel the lease, and what specific events related to COVID-19 constitute a right to cancellation should also be set forth with as much specificity as possible. For example, while governmental orders restricting rentals may be lifted, parties still may not be comfortable staying in a rental property due to health concerns. Property owners may also not want to risk the liability of infection being spread at their property. Property owners and renters will both have to consider how much risk they are willing to bear when agreeing to these terms. Property owner concerns Q: How should a property owner handle someone trying to cancel and get a refund who is concerned about restrictions or traveling? A: To resolve any uncertainties, parties should first attempt to enter into an addendum or amendment to address these issues. If an amicable resolution cannot be reached, property owners should work closely with an attorney to review their obligations under the terms of the contract as well as their potential liability under the government order in place in the municipality where the property is located. Property owners should also consider their liability if someone were to be exposed to the virus at their property, keeping in mind whether they own the property individually or through a business entity. This would include reviewing insurance policies to determine if such an incident is covered or if coverage could be purchased. Finally, property owners should consider their ability to enter into a new rental agreement where the risks can be better allocated. Q: Do relief options exist for those who were counting on these bookings to pay mortgages and fund repairs to their shore properties? A: Some internet-based rental platforms used to list properties for rent by owner have created funds to cover some costs of coronavirus cancellations. If a rental was booked using an online service, property owners should check with the service provider. Gov. Phil Murphy has also worked with a variety of lending institutions to implement uniform policies to provide mortgage relief. Property owners should immediately contact their loan servicer to request assistance to see if they are eligible. Property owners should also consult a lawyer or accountant regarding possible tax implications and the availability of small business loans depending on how they own their rental properties (individually or through a business entity). Q: Is there an insurance option that can protect renters and property owners in these situations? A: Generally, travel insurance will not cover or will have limited benefits for problems related to the coronavirus outbreak. Some travel insurance companies have recently loosened restrictions on claims related to the coronavirus to accommodate if you become ill with COVID-19 before or during your trip. Property owners of rental housing should have rental property insurance, which typically provides coverage for loss of rental income. However, these policies often require the loss to be tied to a physical loss to the property or have exclusions for communicable diseases. Property owners should review the specific terms and definitions in the policy to see if coverage is available and should contact their insurance agents to see if they can purchase coverage for future rentals. In both instances, it will be important to follow early court decisions interpreting policies in light of COVID-19 related claims, which will create a precedent for future challenges. Parties should always file a claim to protect their right to challenge a denial later. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Matt Gray may be reached at mgray@njadvancemedia.com. A recent court case has revealed that the Indian government paid double the price for Chinese rapid antibody test kits for COVID-19. The information comes within days of several state governments suspending the use of these kits over irregularities in data, which can topple efforts to contain the spread of the deadly pathogen. An NDTV report stated that the Chinese test kits were sold at an exorbitant rate to the government by Real Metabolics the Indian distributor. The news came to fore following a legal dispute between the importer and the distributor that landed the details of the deal in the Delhi High Court. For live updates on coronavirus, click here An order for 5 lakh rapid antibody test kits was placed with the Chinese company Wondfo via the Indian Council of Medical Research on March 27. On April 16, Vikram Misri, the Indian Ambassador to China, had taken to Twitter to inform that the kits had already been dispatched to India. Matrix the importer had bought these from China at Rs 245 per piece. However, the distributors Real Metabolics and Aark Pharmaceuticals decided to sell them at a 60 percent higher rate of Rs 600 per kit to the government. The massive profit margin would have gone unnoticed had the Tamil Nadu government not procured the same kits at Rs 600 per piece from Shan Biotech another distributor. This deal irked Real Metabolics, who moved the High Court and claimed they are the sole distributors of the kits imported by Matrix. That is when the court took note of the mark-up that was on the higher side and sought the price of rapid antibody test the kits be brought down to Rs 400 per kit. 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 Explained | Role of WHO and impact of US funding halt The Delhi High Court observed: The economy is virtually at a standstill for the last month. There is an element of disquiet apropos ones safety. For people to be assured that the pandemic is under control and for governments to ensure and for agencies engaged in the frontline battle to safeguard peoples health, more kits/tests should be made available urgently at the lowest cost, for carrying out extensive tests throughout the country. Public interest must outweigh private gain. The dispute between the parties should give way to the larger public good. In view of the above, the kits/test should be sold at a price not beyond Rs. 400/ inclusive of GST. Coronavirus pandemic | Global CEOs see U-shaped recession due to COVID-19: Survey Meanwhile, ICMR has claimed that the approved price range for the test kits was from Rs 528 to Rs 795, depending on technical specifications, supply capacity, etc. Saudi Arabia has ordered an end to the death penalty for crimes committed by minors, according to the countrys Human Rights Commission. The decision comes two days after the kingdom said it would ban the practice of flogging, replacing it with jail time, fines or community service, thereby bringing one of the countrys most controversial forms of public punishment to a close. Citing a royal decree by King Salman, the latest announcement orders prosecutors to review cases and replace executions with a maximum penalty of 10 years in a juvenile detention centre. The 10-year maximum applies to all crimes by minors, with the possible exception of terrorism-related offences. Human Rights Watch said dozens of people could potentially be taken off death row, but warned it was difficult to determine whether the new law would be applied to those adults who had allegedly committed crimes while under the age of 18. This has to be applied retroactively, to people on death row right now who were sentenced when they were minors, Adam Coogle, a Middle East researcher at HRW, told The Independent. It was not immediately clear when the new law would come into effect. The decree helps us in establishing a more modern penal code and demonstrates the kingdoms commitment to following through on key reforms, said Awwad Alawwad, president of the state-backed Human Rights Commission, in a statement published on Sunday. Saudi Arabia is one of the worlds biggest executioners after Iran and China, Amnesty International said in its latest annual report, and has one of the worst human rights records. The kingdom executed 184 people in 2019, including at least one person charged with a crime committed as a 16-year-old. Abdulkareem al-Hawaj was found guilty of offences related to his participation in anti-government protests. Such activity carries terrorism-related charges in the kingdom for disturbing order and disobeying the ruler. At least three men who were children at the time of their alleged offences were among the 37 victims of a mass execution in April last year, according to human rights group Reprieve. Activists met the latest decree with cautious optimism, having long called for a complete overhaul of the kingdoms justice system. I hesitate to give them too much praise, added Mr Coogle. This isnt the completion of the justice sector reform, this is just the beginning. Theres a long way way to go if this new decree sticks. Maya Foa, director of Reprieve, told The Independent: These will be nothing more than empty words as long as child defendants remain on death row. Mohammed Bin Salman has been promising to minimise the death penalty for years, but the Kingdom continues to execute people convicted of attending demonstrations while they were still in school. The Saudi regime assured the UK Government they would not execute Ali al-Nimr, Dawood al-Marhoun and Abdullah al-Zaher four years ago [all sentenced to death when they were children], but they remain at risk of execution. If the Saudis are serious about reform, their death sentences should be commuted immediately. Capital punishment for crimes committed by people under the age of 18 runs contrary to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which Saudi Arabia has signed. King Salmans son and heir, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has tried to be regarded as a modernising force in Saudi Arabia, having helped lift the driving ban on women in 2017 and spearheaded efforts to open up the country to foreign investment. However, the crown prince has also overseen a parallel crackdown on liberals, womens rights activists, writers, moderate clerics and reformers. The 2018 killing of Saudi writer Jamal Khashoggi in Turkey by agents who worked for the crown prince drew sharp criticism internationally. Two years since the leaders of South and North Korea met in the border truce village of Panmunjom, hopes of comprehensive progress in relations have been cruelly dashed. North Korea has ignored all overtures from the South since February last year, blaming it for the collapse of leader Kim Jong-un's summit with U.S. President Donald Trump in February. President Moon Jae-in meets senior secretaries in the afternoon and is expected to express a forlorn commitment to implementing the agreement he and Kim struck at the summit, as well as calling for cooperation in the fight against coronavirus. Geneva, April 27 : In yet another warning to nations that the coronavirus pandemic is far from over, the World Health Organization (WHO) Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Monday called for the world to unite to fight Covid-19 together. In a virtual news briefing, the WHO chief said that they "continue to be concerned about the increasing trends in Africa, Eastern Europe, Latin America and some Asian countries". "As in all regions, cases and deaths are underreported in many countries in these regions, because of low testing capacity," Ghebreyesus said. "This virus will not be defeated if we are not united. If we are not united, the virus will exploit the cracks between us and continue to create havoc. Lives will be lost," Ghebreyesus added. Last week, the WHO had said that the coronavirus continues to be extremely dangerous and will remain for a long time. "Make no mistake: We have a long way to go. This virus will be with us for a long time," Ghebreyesus had said during a daily briefing on coronavirus. The fresh remarks came as the global infection tally inched towards the 3-million mark and the death toll exceeded 207,000, according to data issued by the Johns Hopkins University. "We are continuing to support these countries with technical assistance through our regional and country offices and with supplies through Solidarity flights. In the past week, we have delivered supplies to more than 40 countries in Africa and more are planned," the WHO chief informed. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text A California state official says he has resigned after a Zoom meeting in which he threw his pet cat and appeared to guzzle beer was made public. Chris Platzer, a planning commissioner for Vallejo, was taking part in the teleconference last week when he told colleagues, "I'd like to introduce my cat", before throwing the animal off-screen. In footage of the incident released by Vallejo city council, a cat can be heard meowing shortly before it is picked up by Mr Platzer. He is also seen drinking what appears to be a beer then making derogatory comments once the meeting ends. Im going to call bull**** on you little b*****s, he says. In an email to the Times-Herald on Saturday, Mr Platzer said he has resigned from the planning commission, effective immediately. The resignation came days before the city council was set to consider a resolution removing him from the seven-person panel, according to the newspaper. I did not conduct myself in the Zoom meeting in a manner befitting of a planning commissioner and apologize for any harm I may have inflicted, Mr Platzer wrote. I serve at the pleasure of the council and no longer have that trust and backing. I extend my gratitude to those who have supported me during my tenure. I have always felt that serving Vallejo in a voluntary position is honorable because Vallejo is worth serving. "We are all living in uncertain times and I certainly, like many of you, am adjusting to a new normalcy. How coronavirus lockdowns changed the world's most polluted cities Show all 6 1 /6 How coronavirus lockdowns changed the world's most polluted cities How coronavirus lockdowns changed the world's most polluted cities Milan, Italy REUTERS How coronavirus lockdowns changed the world's most polluted cities North Jakarta, Indonesia REUTERS How coronavirus lockdowns changed the world's most polluted cities Jakarta, Indonesia REUTERS How coronavirus lockdowns changed the world's most polluted cities Venice, Italy REUTERS How coronavirus lockdowns changed the world's most polluted cities New Delhi, India REUTERS How coronavirus lockdowns changed the world's most polluted cities Islamabad, Pakistan REUTERS Vallejo spokesperson Christina Lee said the city was still attempting to confirm if Mr Platzer had officially resigned from the commission. Vallejo mayor Bob Sampayan said on Friday that decorum needs to be followed for each and every public meeting. This hurts the credibility of the city, Mr Sampayan added. What happens if a developer is watching the meeting (and sees that)? They would obviously have concerns about the city. Additional reporting by AP A Supreme Court Police officer walks up the steps at the U.S. Supreme Court on March 16, 2020 in Washington, DC. The Supreme Court said Monday that it will not issue a ruling in a closely watched case over a New York gun regulation that barred transport of handguns outside the city, including to second homes and firing ranges. In an unsigned opinion, the court said that the rollback of the rule by city and state officials after the court agreed to hear the case effectively ended the dispute without the justices needing to intervene. It was the first Second Amendment case to reach the top court in nearly a decade. The justices have not waded into the highly charged debate over gun rights since expanding the reach of the Second Amendment in a pair of cases in 2008 and 2010. Conservatives were hoping the court, which has a new 5-4 conservative majority, would use the New York case to limit regulations on firearms further. But the outcome of the case was telegraphed in December during oral arguments, when the court spent little time addressing the underlying constitutional questions raised by the New York regulation. Justice Brett Kavanaugh, a President Donald Trump appointee who's known to have an expansive view of gun rights, wrote separately to say he agreed with the court's handling of the "procedural issues" raised by the case, but urged his colleagues to hear another Second Amendment case "soon." Three of the court's Republican appointees, Justices Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch and Clarence Thomas, said they would not have dismissed the case. Alito, in an opinion joined by Gorsuch and in part by Thomas, wrote that by declining to rule in the case the court allowed itself to be "manipulated." While New York City had previously defended its gun regulation in court, once the Supreme Court agreed to review it, both city and state "sprang into action to prevent us from deciding this case," Alito, a George W. Bush appointee, wrote. He added the the city's easing of the regulation did not necessarily grant the gun owners who brought the case all the relief that they had sought. He said the new measure still requires trips outside the city to be direct. "What about a stop to buy groceries just before coming home? Or a stop to pick up a friend who also wants to practice at a range outside the City? Or a quick visit to a sick relative or friend who lives near a range?" Alito wrote. Alito's comments echoed lines of argument raised in December. The attorney for the gun owners, Paul Clement, had said during arguments that his clients could still be prosecuted for a simple coffee stop under the city's new rule. But Richard Dearing, who argued on behalf of New York, said there would be no such prosecutions. The court's unsigned opinion explicitly declined to address controversies relating to the "new rule" over coffee stops and bathroom breaks. The opinion also did not engage with the argument raised by the gun owners that they could seek financial damages based on the old rule, instead noting that those new issues would have to be raised first in the lower courts. The case is New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. City of New York, No. 18-280. CVS and the United Parcel Service will start using drones next month to deliver prescription medications to residents in a Florida retirement community in an effort to maintain social distancing measures, UPS announced Monday. Starting early May, the 135,000 residents in The Villages can receive their medications via Matternet's M2 drone system, in cooperation with the Federal Aviation Administration. The drones will drop off prescriptions to a location near the community and a truck finish the delivery, UPS said. The company said it may expand its service to include deliveries from two more local CVS pharmacies. "Our new drone delivery service will help CVS provide safe and efficient deliveries of medicines to this large retirement community, enabling residents to receive medications without leaving their homes," Scott Price, UPS chief strategy and transformation officer, said in a press release. "UPS is committed to playing its part in fighting COVID-19, and this is another way we can support our healthcare customers and individuals with innovative solutions." The new measure is aimed to help support a vulnerable community amid the Covid-19 pandemic. The state issued a stay-at-home order earlier this month. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said that senior citizens should take special care to stay at home. There are at least 31,520 coronavirus cases in Florida as of Monday, and at least 1,073 deaths. CVS and UPS partnered last year to explore drone delivery. UPS Flight Forward and its partner Matternet were the first drone delivery services to receive full certification from the FAA to operate a drone airline. Subscribe to CNBC on YouTube. A pensioner with significant mobility issues has raised over 3,000 after a walk in aid of local health workers battling coronavirus. Inspired by Captain Tom Moore, Ken Turner from Portadown walked one kilometre around his neighbourhood. Ken, who suffers from Parkinson's disease, completed the walk using a frame, after being inspired by Captain Moore's fundraising efforts. The 85-year-old, who lives in Enniscrone Park, completed the challenge on Saturday while being cheered along at a distance by neighbours and relatives in the street where he has lived together with his wife Sandra for 57 years. Describing the act of generosity and his resilient spirit as "so typical of him", his family have now helped the Co Armagh man launch a funding page online, with the money raised going towards local health and social care workers. Speaking to the Belfast Telegraph, the remarkably modest Mr Turner explained the amount raised so far had exceeded all expectations. "I was impressed by Captain Tom Moore raising almost 30m and I didn't think I could raise any sort of money. I set my eyes on 100 originally from the people just in Enniscrone Park," he said. "We originally gave out a leaflet around the street explaining what I was hoping to do and even just after that I had 150. Then it really took off. "From my house down to the end of one of the cul-de-sacs at the end of the park is around 250 metres. If I did that and back again I have done half. So my original intention was to do it four times. However, when we came to give out the leaflet, we found many people said they would like me to walk past their house as well, so we ended up probably doing more than the one kilometre overall. "So far we are at over 3,000 raised in total. I am speechless at that. "Lots of people came out on Saturday and stood outside their houses from a distance. I think people in the street were just glad to get outside for a bit to support me. "Hopefully the money for the health service should help them to buy something that will be useful." To donate, visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/parkinsons-health-service-and-carers?utm_source=customer&utm_medium=copy_link-tip&utm_campaign=p_cp+share-sheet A surge in reports of healthy young coronavirus patients suffering deadly strokes has sparked fears the killer illness may cause blood clots in the brain. Doctors at hospitals in New York City and Philadelphia say they have 'never seen so many' young people suffer large vessel occlusions, the deadliest type of stroke. A study in 15 medical centres over three weeks found 40 per cent of LVO admissions were in COVID-19 patients under 50 - the average age for the severe stroke is 74. Separate research, not yet peer-reviewed, looked at 214 COVID-19 patients treated at three hospitals in Wuhan, China. It found 36 per cent had neurological symptoms like impaired consciousness or blood clots in the brain. Once thought to be disease that primarily attacks the lungs, doctors are now starting to believe many coronavirus deaths are caused by blood clots. Clots that start in the lower body can migrate to the lungs, causing a deadly blockage called a pulmonary embolism - a common killer of COVID-19 patients. Blockages near the heart can lead to a heart attack, another common cause of death in infected people. And clots above the chest can cause strokes. Scientists aren't sure why the virus causes clots - some say it could be the result of a an immune overreaction called a 'cytokine storm'. Others believe the unique shape of COVID-19 allows to latch onto blood vessels when it invades the body, damaging them and causing leaks. 29-year-old Chinese anaesthetist Dr Dong Tian (left), died in March after suffering a stroke following a 35-day battle with coronavirus. Dr Dong performing a surgery with his colleagues (right) before falling ill himself Cytokines are chemical-signaling molecules which guide a healthy immune response. They tell immune cells to attack viral molecules in the body. But in some patients, this process goes into overdrive and immune cells begin destroying healthy tissues, known as a cytokine storm. This can lead to damaged blood vessels which leak and cause blood pressure to plummet, driving up the chance of clots forming, according to Dr Jamie Garfield from Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia Dr Garfield, a pulmonologist who cares for COVID-19 patient, told Science Magazine this was 'probably' the real reason behind many coronavirus deaths. Other scientists say the surge in strokes may be a byproduct of the way COVID-19 invades the human body. HOW CAN COVID-19 LEAD TO STROKES? The coronavirus appears to cause blood clotting which can lead to deadly strokes. While experts are unsure why the virus causes the blockages, there are three main theories: CYTOKINE STORM Some say it could be the result of a an immune overreaction called a 'cytokine storm'. Cytokines are chemical-signaling molecules which guide a healthy immune response. They tell immune cells to attack viral molecules in the body. But in some people, this resonpse goes into overdrive and immune cells start attacking healthy tissue as well, known as a cytokine storm. As blood vessels become damaged they can leak, causing blood pressure to drop and driving up the chance of clots forming. BYPRODUCT OF INFECTION Other scientists say the surge in strokes may be a byproduct of the way COVID-19 invades the human body. Professor Ian Jones, a virologist at the University of Reading, told MailOnline: 'Covid binds to an enzyme called ACE2 which is on the surface of the cell. 'It simply uses it as a way of attaching itself but in doing so the enzyme function of ACE2 is reduced. 'The consequence of this is an imbalance of hormones called Angiotensin I and Angiotensin II which together regulate blood pressure. 'It could be related to the increase in strokes reported.' VIRUS' UNIQUE SHAPE Dr Robert Bonow, a professor of cardiology at Northwestern University, said it may be the coronavirus' unique shape that is causing the bloodclotting issues. He said the virus' spikes, which latch onto receptors in cells, can also attach to blood vessels. Once they dock onto these blood vessel cells, the viral particles can trigger damage to these as well as to heart muscle, Dr Bonow says. Advertisement Professor Ian Jones, a virologist at the University of Reading, told MailOnline: 'Covid binds to an enzyme called ACE2 which is on the surface of the cell. It simply uses it as a way of attaching itself but in doing so the enzyme function of ACE2 is reduced. 'The consequence of this is an imbalance of hormones called Angiotensin I and Angiotensin II which together regulate blood pressure. It could be related to the increase in strokes reported.' Dr Robert Bonow, a professor of cardiology at Northwestern University, said it may be the coronavirus' unique shape that is causing the blood clotting issues. He told MailOnline: 'With COVID specifically, what you see that you don't with the flu, is because under a microscope, coronavirus has all these spikes coming out of it, and those spikes are little proteins that are looking for receptors on the cells that they attach onto,' 'It's specifically looking for receptors in the lungs, but those same receptors sit on blood vessels, so it can attach on the lungs but also on blood vessels.' Once they dock onto these blood vessel cells, the viral particles can trigger damage to these as well as to heart muscle, Dr Bonow says. They can trigger 'hypercoagual states,' causing blood clots that lead to heart attacks. If COVID-19 targets blood vessels, it could explain why people who already have damaged vessels - such as diabetes and high blood pressure patients - are more likely to fall critically ill. Exactly how the virus attacks the blood vessels remains a mystery, but several scientific paper and pre-prints have shown the deadly side effect is common. Heart damage was discovered in 20 per cent of patients hospitalised in Wuhan according to a March 25 paper in JAMA Cardiology. Another study in the outbreak's epicentre found 44 per cent of those in ICU suffered heart arrhythmias. Thirty-eight per cent of Dutch ICU patients had blood clotting in a April 10 study published in Thrombosis Research. Between 20 and 40 percent of COVID-19 patients at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, have developed blood clots - even after being put on anticoagulants. Once thought to be disease that primarily attacks the lungs, doctors are now starting to believe coronavirus deaths are caused by blood clotting. Pictured: Body bags of COVID-19 victims at Maryland Cremation services in Millersville One of the medics behind the latest US study, Dr Thomas Oxley, said that over the last 12 months, the Mount Sinai Hospital had treated just an average of 0.73 LVO patients under the age of 50. That's fewer than two people a month, stark contrast to the five they have treated in the last two weeks. The neurosurgeon said all five patients were in their 30s and 40s, and either had mild or no symptoms of the infection. He said one had died, while the others are in either rehabilitation units, the stroke unit or in intensive care. One patient has been allowed home but will require 24/7 care for the rest of their life. The research, which is yet to be scrutinised, is to be published in the New England Journal of Medicine next week. Doctors have said younger patients are less likely to call for an ambulance because they have heard how overwhelmed hospitals are with coronavirus cases, but have urged them to do so if they show symptoms of the virus or of a stroke. When a blood clot reaches the brain, brain cells die as they are not getting the necessary oxygen. The longer a blood clot is in the brain for, the more cells die and the damage to the brain becomes more widespread. It is vital, therefore, that treatment is sought quickly. 'The most effective treatment for large vessel stroke is clot retrieval, but this must be performed within six hours, and sometimes within 24 hours,' Oxley said. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-27 15:18:01|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, April 27 (Xinhua) -- When countries worldwide are racing to save lives threatened by COVID-19, some ultra-conservative U.S. politicians have been trying to politicize the pandemic for their own gains. Of their many insidious China-smearing plots, one is to hype up the theory that China should be blamed for the global public health crisis, and should pay for related losses. There are three brazen motivations behind the demagoguery. The first is to divert public criticism of the U.S. administration's slow and botched handling of the pandemic. "Bashing China is always good politics in the U.S.," Susan Thornton, a former assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, recently commented during a webcast organized by think tank the New America Foundation. A recently leaked GOP memo also stressed the same strategy by advising Republican candidates to address the COVID-19 pandemic by aggressively attacking China. The second is to seize the moral high ground, denying China's achievements in the pandemic fight and preventing Beijing from becoming more influential geopolitically. Conservatives in the West tend to believe that Beijing is seeking to promote its governance model in other countries, and to elevate its international standing by actively providing assistance to other struggling countries in the pandemic. Thus, they have gone to great lengths to portray China as the origin of the virus, and to accuse the country of causing the deterioration of the pandemic, offering extremists in some economically overwhelmed countries a handy excuse to shift blame. The third is using the pandemic as an opportunity to boost the drive to contain China, such as lobbying U.S. allies to ban Chinese enterprises. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told the Fox Business Network earlier this month that countries should rethink their development of telecommunications infrastructure, including the adoption of China-based Huawei's 5G technology, given China's way in tackling the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the escalating China-smearing campaign, their compensation plot will never succeed. Beijing will not pay because of such fabricated reasons, while there was also no such precedent in previous pandemics. The ravaging pandemic is the common enemy facing the human race. To defeat it, all nations need to work together in good faith. The U.S. conservatives' moves to cover up their own failures by shifting blame and public attention will only harm those still struggling in the pandemic, and render the global fight much harder. The Nigerian customs service has disagreed with the Oyo state government that the rice it released to the state was unfit for human consumption. According to ASC1 Abdullah Lagos, the Commands Public Relations Officer, Oyo state government officials were on ground when the rice was shared and no complaint was made at the instance. Also, other states that received the same rice did not make any complaint. Representatives of Oyo, Ekiti and Osun states were on the ground together with representatives of Humanitarian Affairs to inspect in our warehouse twice on Monday. Read Also: Defying Lockdown Order Suicidal: LASTMA Oyo State came to evacuate their rice on Tuesday and everybody was there. It was not as good as they claimed, all of us would have been able to see it right there. In the process of evacuating, some of the bags fell down and got torn and no weevil or any other insect came out of them. Oyo State even selected the ones they wanted themselves. Of all the states, which collected the rice, only Oyo State is saying all the 1,800 bags of rice given to them are infected. What we gave out are not infected and are fit for human consumption and we cannot give out infected rice, he said. Lagos said the command would not receive any infected rice from anybody who wanted to return it because it could not join the bad ones with the good ones in its warehouse. While many state offices are closed with employees working remotely due to the coronavirus pandemic, Monday is an official state holiday Confederate Memorial Day. Confederate Memorial Day falls on the fourth Monday of the month, this year coming on April 27. On a typical Confederate Memorial Day, state offices and courts, including license and car tag offices, are closed. Most city and county offices and courts are open, though the COVID-19 stay-at-home order has stopped many operations. This year, state offices will be closed for Confederate Memorial Day though some phone operations will be available. Mail will run and banks will be open though many are offering only drive-thru services. Alabama is one of only two states that have official holidays honoring those who died in the Civil War. Mississippi commemoration takes place on the last Monday of the month; South Carolina celebrates Confederate Memorial Day on May 10. Two other states Texas and Tennessee also commemorate the day but its not a state holiday. Texas marks Confederate Heroes Day in Jan. 19; Tennessee marks Confederate Decoration Day on June 3. Alabama has three Confederate-related holidays: Robert E. Lee's birthday on third Monday in January (celebrated along with birthday of civil rights leader Martin Luther King); Confederate Memorial Day on fourth Monday in April; and birthday of Confederate President Jefferson Davis on the first Monday in June. Confederate Memorial Day traces its roots back to 1866 when the Ladies Memorial Association of Columbus, Georgia passed a resolution to set aside a day to honor Confederate soldiers who lost their lives in the Civil War. Almost 260,000 Civil War soldiers were killed in the line of duty. The holiday is typically observed in late April to mark the surrender of the last major Confederate field army at Bennett Place on April 26, 1865. The medical stop loss insurance market has experienced a surge in recent years as more employers in the United States attempt to save costs by offering self-funded health benefit programs and using medical stop loss insurance as a financial backstop. Employers who self-insure can use medical stop loss insurance in one of two ways. They can either use it to hedge against a single catastrophic claim, for example an employee with a rare cancer who needs a new very expensive cancer drug, or they can use it to cover aggregate loss above and beyond the expected cost of their plan demographic. Success in the self-insurance arena requires strong partnerships between the employers, the plan administrators, and the insurance brokers and stop loss carriers. Brokers play a pivotal role in fostering long term relationships between these parties. The broker has to be knowledgeable and have a good understanding of the medical stop loss market, explained Theresa Galizia (pictured), chief underwriting officer, Ironshore Medical Stop Loss. Its also important for the broker to be able to demonstrate the value of a long-term partnership. Too often, we see brokers market stop loss placements year after year. But if you think about the way medical stop loss insurance is designed to work, its really more of a smoothing mechanism. A client might have a catastrophic claim in the first year of its relationship with a stop loss carrier, but that doesnt necessarily mean the stop loss carrier is going to triple its rate upon renewal. The goal is to price the program for long term sustainability. Stop loss carriers address adverse loss development on cases through medical underwriting. Rather than penalizing the entire group with high overall premiums or more conservative structures, stop loss underwriters can introduce lasers, where they exclude (or laser out) a certain claimant (someone deemed too high risk) from a policy, or they cover that claimant but at a higher deductible than the rest of the plan participants. While lasers offer an opportunity to address targeted, ongoing medical liability, they do potentially create a gap in coverage for the self-funded employer who has a high-risk claimant in its population. This creates an added financial burden to the self-funded employer. However, in the last five years, medical stop loss carriers have started offering whats known as a No New Laser (NNL) contract in order to reassure self-funded groups that they will maintain protection, at least for the next foreseeable renewal cycle. Under an NNL contract, the carrier agrees not to impose any further exclusions or lasers to the policy (other than those imposed at inception of the contract). Further, the NNL provision is typically accompanied by a rate cap, where underwriters agree upfront not to increase first year renewal premium by more than a pre-determined percentage. The percentage varies, but on average is within 35% to 50%. However, over the last 12 to 18 months, medical stop loss carriers started feeling the burn from that strategy, Galizia commented. Carriers are tightening underwriting controls with respect to those types of coverage enhancements and being a little bit more diligent and careful around when they offer those types of provisions. For example, weve instituted minimum premium and minimum attachment point requirements. We also make sure that the benefit is properly accounted for in our pricing models. There was a misconception in the market that NNL contracts would be evergreen provisions, when the language really didnt support an evergreen provision. In actuality, the language really only creates a one-year commitment (at renewal). It said we would only take up to a certain amount of rate action and/or not impose any new lasers at the first renewal. Clearly demonstrating that and making the true intention of the language known to brokers and clients is essential. To the extent that we renew the policy, we dont need to continue offering those provisions if were not comfortable doing so. With respect to new and emerging exposures that can carry a very high price tag, such as cell and gene therapies, stop loss carriers typically allow these expenses as eligible under the stop loss policy, provided the services meet the plans definition of medical necessity. Its currently abnormal for a medical stop loss carrier to include a blanket exclusion on a policy for these types of services, explained Galizia. One of the main reasons why self-funded employers buy medical stop loss insurance in the first place is to secure a financial backstop for unexpected claims with severe cost, such as a sick employee that needs a new gene therapy or a new cancer drug that could cost $1 million or more. Were not yet in a position where we would introduce blanket exclusions for some of these expensive new therapies and drugs, Galizia commented. For example, the expected frequency of a claim involving a brand-new gene therapy is very low, at least at this time. If that were to change and it became the new normal to expect a high frequency of gene therapy claims, then thats going to shift the way that clients and brokers structure programs. Deductibles will have to be a lot higher, carriers may introduce terms that include a retrospective-rate provision, or maybe a tiered funding mechanism where clients share in more of the risk at certain thresholds. All of these things are yet to be seen. [Photo/Xinhua] A vice-chairman of China's top political advisory body told Hong Kong on Sunday that "two systems" is possible only under "one country". Tung Chee-hwa, vice-chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and Hong Kong's first chief executive, noted that quite a few people in the city mention only "two systems" but are coy about "one country". He made the remarks at a media luncheon also attended by Leung Chun-ying, vice-chairman of the National Committee of the CPPCC, and Tam Yiu-chung, a member of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, the nation's top legislature. "The 'one country, two systems' principle is of paramount importance to Hong Kong," Tung said. The setup is well-designed and well-conceived, and it has brought the city many benefits, he added. But the principle praised and admired by many politicians in other places and regions went wrong in implementation, Tung said. Insufficient emphasis has been given to "one country" in the past, he said. Without "one country", there would be no "two systems" to begin with, Tung said. Agreeing with Tung, Leung placed high importance on the principle to Hong Kong. The city will lose its stability if it has no "one country, two systems", rule of law and solidarity. Nor will Hong Kong have any future, Leung added. Tung and Leung are jointly launching an alliance to help Hong Kong start afresh after the city has been rocked by months of street violence and the COVID-19 pandemic. Over 1,000 civic leaders from various sectors and age groups have thrown their weight behind the alliance, which Tam will lead. Only solidarity can lift Hong Kong out of the current unprecedented crisis, Tung said, adding that this was his original goal of the alliance. Unlike some people who intend to take the city down with them, the alliance, an open platform to attract those who want stability for Hong Kong, aims to bring Hong Kong stability, Leung said. Another high hope for the alliance is finding a solution for the city's beleaguered youngsters, Tung said. The youth is our future, and providing opportunities to them in an ever-changing time is a complex issue, Tung said. But it is a question that society would do well to ponder, he added. The alliance will also center on helping the youngsters become employed in this turbulent time, Leung said. According to an official web page pertaining to the soon-to-be-rolled-out alliance, revealed earlier, it will help Hong Kong to get a fresh start in various areas by sticking to "one country, two systems", reviving the city's battered economy, and restoring its rule of law. Other civic leaders weighing in included business leader Li Ka-shing, and Maria Tam Wai-chu, deputy director of the Hong Kong SAR Basic Law Committee of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 27 Trend: The Azerbaijani Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Population has transferred a lump sum payment in the amount of 190 manat ($111.7) to another 50,000 unemployed and informally working low-income citizens who lost their jobs due to the special quarantine regime, Trend reports referring to the ministry. In accordance with President Ilham Aliyevs order, the lump-sum payment programs coverage was tripled, in result of which these payments will be transferred to 600,000 people, the ministry said. After obtaining the SMS permit to leave home, these persons will be able to apply for the payments to any bank branch or post office of Azerpost LLC, in accordance with the instructions in the SMS, noted the ministry. The process of transferring the lump-sum payments has begun from April 9 and continues daily. Over the past few days, the ministry transferred 76 million manat (44.7 million) to 400,000 people of the above-mentioned category via local post offices and bank branches. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-27 15:23:56|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close MUMBAI, April 27 (Xinhua) -- India's central bank has announced a special liquidity facility of 6.57 billion U.S. dollars to ease liquidity pressure on mutual funds in anticipation of redemption pressure amid the COVID-19 pandemic, a bank statement said Monday. The liquidity initiative to the mutual fund industry also aims to support them after Franklin Templeton fund house halted withdrawals from six debt fund schemes last week. "Heightened volatility in capital markets in reaction to the COVID-19 has imposed liquidity strains on mutual funds (MFs), which have intensified in the wake of redemption pressures related to closure of some debt MFs and potential contagious effects therefrom," the statement by India's Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said. Banks can lend these funds under liquidity initiative to mutual funds by extending loans, and undertaking outright purchase of and/or repos against the collateral of investment grade corporate bonds, commercial papers (CPs), debentures and certificates of Deposit (CDs), the statement said. "In light of Franklin Templeton MF closing six debt funds schemes last week, debt markets were on the edge especially with higher yields on Friday for lower-rated papers. As expected, RBI's liquidity initiative announced Monday will ease pressure and help mutual funds to finance the redemptions using this facility rather than selling exiting papers at a discount and denting its Net Asset Value. We believe that this measure will stabilize the performance of short-term debt funds and improve investor sentiment about the debt market," said Amit Singh, chief executive officer of Investica, an online platform for investing in mutual funds. As of March 31, 2020, Indian mutual fund industry had assets under management worth 324.9 billion U.S. dollars, of which the debt fund schemes constitute around 20 percent of the total asset under management, industry sources said. Enditem With an increasing number of healthcare workers testing positive in the national capital, the Delhi governments health department has requested the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to do an assessment and audit of implementation of guidelines and standard operating procedure (SOPs) followed at seven city hospitals. Delhi recorded a huge jump in cases on Sunday with 293 people testing positive for Covid-19, taking the total to 2,918. Fifty-four people have died of the disease so far. The seven hospital where the audit will be done are: All India Institute of medical Sciences (AIIMS), Safdarjung Hospital, Ram Manohar Lohia, Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya, Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality hospital, Max hospital in Saket and Indraprastha Apollo hospital. With several healthcare workers and patients visiting various hospitals in the city testing positive for Covid-19, district authorities raised the issue of hospitals becoming a major source of infection in a meeting with Delhis lieutenant governor Anil Baijal held on April 21. We havent received any such letter yet. We do inspect the quarantine facilities etc sometimes but not hospitals. In case of such complaints, the health ministry constitutes special teams of which NCDC officers might be a part for inspections like it is happening in other states, said Dr Sujeet Singh, director, National Centre for Disease Control. Central teams have been sent to states like Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Telangana among others. This comes on a day when at least 29 healthcare workers including12 doctors and 11 nurses -- tested positive for Covid-19 in Baba Saheb Ambedkar hospital in Rohini. Earlier this week, 57 people from the hospital had been quarantined after they came in contact with a suspected Covid-19 patient, a 40-year-old woman from Jahangirpuri, where six of the eight containment zones from North district are located. In another hospital in Jahangirpuri the non-Covid-19 Babu Jagjivan Ram Memorial hospital -- at least 44 healthcare workers had tested positive for the infection. On Saturday, a security guard and a nurse from the cancer centre of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) tested positive for Covid-19. So far, at least eight healthcare workers all from the non-Covid-19 areas of the hospital have tested positive for the infection. Two of the children of nurse also tested positive for the infection. South Delhi district magistrate BM Mishra told HT, Nearly 30% of the cases reported in my district are of healthcare workers. The chemotherapy area had to be shut for a couple of hours for sanitisation on Saturday after the nurse got her report. Several of the 40 chemotherapy patients who visit the centre in a day have also been advised home quarantine. At least 70 healthcare workers from the hospital are in quarantine. There is a team that is contact tracing and will advise home quarantine or testing to colleagues and patients who might have come in contact with the nurse, said Dr DK Sharma. All the patients from gastroenterology department of the hospital, where another nurse had tested positive, tested negative for the infection. A staff of Batra hospital tested positive on Sunday. The woman, who lives in Malviya Nagar, was employed in the hospitals pharmacy. Four of her family members have been put in institutional quarantine and one low risk contact has been put in home quarantine, said a senior district official. In a letter to NCDC director, dated April 24, Delhi governments health secretary Padmini Singla referred to the above mentioned hospitals and wrote, It has been reported that doctors, nurses and other support staff (of the above mentioned hospitals)are getting themselves infected with COVID-19 and becoming a source of infection in the society when they go to their respective homes. It is suspected that proper guidelines and SOPs may not be properly followed in these hospitals. The government requested the NCDC to carry out a quick assessment and audit of implantation of various guidelines, SOPs and other measures in these hospitals to prevent the spread of the infection to doctors etc. The increase in the number of health care workers, those posted at hospitals and their contacts testing positive is a cause of concern. It might be that adequate measures for protection are not being taken by hospital authorities, including those which are not treating Covid-19 cases. There is an urgent need to fix these lapses, said a district magistrate (DM), requesting anonymity. (Photo : Lucrativeness of Academic Writing) Call it unethical or illegal, outsourced academic writing is now a lucrative business that experienced educators and academic writers are excellently thriving on. A section of American students has now found a cheaper and easier way to get their auspicious 4.0 GPA's. Essay mills and essay-for-hire companies have sprung up in the last decade, thanks to globalization and the internet. A quick search on Google finds tons of essay mills and bots that offer academic writing services at affordable rates, from explanatory essays to argumentative essays, and even dissertations. For example, a 1,000 word essay can be fully completed within a turnaround of two to four hours, meeting guidelines like MLA outline or APA outline. Contracting Academic Writing Outsourcing academic writing has been debatable for quite some time among scholars, educationists, and researchers. Aside from the admissions scandals that the U.S. has been trying to solve, safeguarding the integrity and dignity of education is a huge problem now. Most colleges have online classrooms and blackboards where learners are taught by their instructors: just like the typical classroom environment, except it's done online. Weekly assignments, homework, discussion questions, quizzes, and even lab work have been entirely shifted to an online working environment. With students having the comfort of handling their assignments online and having open books take away tests, cheating and student impersonation have taken place. They outsource their tasks to essay mills that have perfected the art of academic writing. A quick look at some of these sites shows that their clients have a complete money-back guarantee, and their confidential information is impressively protected. These companies have writers, from college students looking to earn extra money for college expenses to professionals who are versed in the qualities of academic writing, like research, assignment structures like APA, Chicago, Harvard, and MLA format essays. Lucrative Industry As studies show, over 10% of currently enrolled students outsource their academic work to oversees countries that are still developing. India, Ukraine, Nigeria, and Kenya are the leading developing countries that lead in offering online academic writing. Kenya, for example, has many graduates who are unemployed and need to earn a living. They have tens of thousands of students who successfully graduated from their various universities and colleges. They get exposed to a thin employment market where the available jobs cannot satisfy them all, which makes academic writing a viable option seeing as they are qualified in their various fields of study. Estimated Earnings An entry-level Kenyan graduate has an estimated monthly income of $500. It is challenging to make a decent living with such an amount, which makes them turn to online jobs like academic writing where they are able to make more and usually never catch the eye of their internal revenue agencies and authorities. As reported by the New York Times, an academic writer is estimated to make as much as $2000 a month and as low as $500 a month. The business is lucrative since the writers work in the comfort of their home and are able to plan their own hours. The availability of work and their ability to take as much work as possible determines their earning capabilities. With a little hard work and determination, the booming online academic writing is now becoming a fulltime job for such individuals who are able to live a comfortable life with the earnings from the industry. Research shows that even students who have ongoing classes choose to engage their knowledge and skills on the tasks that, for sure, pay well as compared to their entry-level graduates. Another reason why academic writing is thriving is that there is little to no set regulations and laws that govern the industry. Academic and essay writing is a source of pain for academic institutions, and as a result, such incidents face severe consequences, including suspension and expulsion of students. Essay mills have competitive packages and are highly applied for. Writers undergo several interviews, including video calls on skype, their academic qualifications, certificates, and even transcripts requested before they are hired. This shows how serious the business is in finding the right writers with regards to writing quality and education level. These individuals have high standards of education and are trying to make ends meet amidst their challenging economic lives. Academic essay writing will undoubtedly continue to pay bills for many individuals who are finding it hard to be formally employed despite being qualified. It is a no brainer that academic writers are making a kill in this business, making a decent living, buying or building homes, and educating their children from the proceeds of an industry deemed as the personification of academic dishonesty. Illegal and unethical it might seem, the business is continuing to thrive overseas. CHICAGO See how much of this sounds familiar. A man develops a loosely organized roadside zoo. It becomes an area attraction for the likes of visiting Brownie troops and curious journalists, and at the same time it draws the ire of animal-rights activists. Yes, the man has tigers. Yes, he allows himself to be photographed with a big one climbing up on his shoulders. But along the way it all starts to go south for the man, ending in his conviction for hiring someone to murder a rival. There has been no documentary yet about Lorin Womack, whose Land OLorin Exotic Wildlife Haven was at least a Batavia curiosity and in some eyes an attraction in the waning years of the 20th century. But the parallels between the story of Womack and of Joe Exotic, the contemporary Oklahoma zookeeper chronicled in the current hit Netflix documentary series Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness, are in so many other ways remarkable. I have not seen Tiger King. My kids have, and they tell me I should watch, said Tony Brasel, the Kankakee lawyer who defended Lorin Womack in his two trials. Sure, it sounds similar to a certain extent. Eerily similar, actually. Womacks story has its own peculiarities: He never ran for Illinois governor, for one thing. And when authorities dug up his zoo property, they werent searching for adult tigers killed because they had grown too costly to feed, but for a human body they thought Womack may have buried there. But there is so much in common that if you lived through the Lorin Womack saga, you couldnt help but be reminded of it in recent weeks as Joe Exotic become an anti-hero for a nation trapped indoors during coronavirus imposed social isolation. My wife and I binge-watched Tiger King, said Ted Gregory, the former Chicago Tribune reporter who covered much of Womacks downfall, from the federal government shutting down Land O Lorin in 1997 to news that Womack had faked a bloody attack to impress a woman to the two murder-for-hire trials. I think he is a backwoods Illinois version of Tiger King, Gregory said. I remember him as being an eccentric character, not anywhere near as colorful as Joe Exotic. And nowhere nearly as well groomed or tattooed. Early on, though, Land O Lorin like Joe Exotics G.W. Zoo in Wynnewood, Okla. was more an oddity. Womacks 10-acre backyard farm featuring some 130 animals was open to the public Sunday afternoons, and folks could pay what they wanted to visit one of the most popular places around, noted a Tribune feature story from 1990, a year after Womack began inviting the public in. When I was a kid, I always had whatever animals you could have monkeys and snakes, you know without special permits. But I always wanted more, said Womack, then 39 and a self-employed tree trimmer. The menagerie, writer Christi Parsons noted, included African pygmy goats, bison, Asian mountain sheep, silver foxes, llamas, hairless pigs and porcupines. But that was not all. There was a black bear he had raised from infancy, and a caption that ran with a photo that same day placed big cats in the tale: Lorin Womack cheerfully wrestles with a Bengal tiger and two African lions at his exotic animal farm in west suburban Batavia, it said. The allure of Womack was strong. A year later, the Tribune published what is known fittingly in this case as wild art, pictures that stand on their own, with no accompanying story. They showed Womack with an unspecified monkey in his lap as he rode a motorcycle and then a shot of the diaper-clad animal which certainly looks like a young chimpanzee holding Womacks hand. In 1994, Womack was in the paper again. He said he drove 8,400 miles round trip to the Yukon to buy a reindeer that had starred in the 1989 movie Prancer. Admission to see him at Christmastime was $3 for adults, $1 for children. A different story that year noted that he let a baby cougar and a river otter have the run of the first floor of his farmhouse. I would like to find a wife, he told the reporter of that story, presaging the romantic woes that would land him in court and, ultimately, prison. When Chicago animal control personnel found a mountain lion being kept in a South Side auto garage in 1995, they removed it and passed it along to Womack for its care, in part, they said, because they wanted to be able to visit the cougar. Womacks collection also caught the attention of tougher-minded authorities and animal rights activists. Beginning in the mid-90s, the U.S. Department of Agriculture flagged Womacks unaccredited zoo for violations of the Animal Welfare Act, including inadequate nourishment of his charges. Womack acknowledged his woes in the concluding paragraph of Steve Mills 1997 Tribune look at his and other roadside zoos: If I could afford a bigger cage, Id do it, he said, standing in front of a zonkey half zebra and half donkey. I would love to make this place better. I can only do so much. Really, Im just doing the best I can. By mid-1997 Womack had been fined more than $50,000 in the previous two years and agreed to turn over the zoo to a nonprofit board. I went out to his place after they closed it and walked around with Lorin, said Gregory, the longtime Tribune reporter, whose coverage of Womack began then and would grow more intense as criminal authorities became interested, too. And I remember that of course, it was closed I remember thinking of it as something akin to a ragged roadside zoo, not anywhere near as well kept as what I could see in Tiger King. He was an eccentric fellow, colorful, liked to talk. He didnt always follow a train of thought that well but was surprisingly willing to show me around. Womack didnt seem to have the kind of rivalry with animal rights activists that Joe Exotic had in the Netflix documentary with Carole Baskin, the big cat advocate Exotic was convicted of trying to have killed. But they were definitely on his case. Debbie Leahy, president of Illinois Animal Action Inc., called the agreement to turn over the zoo a joke and said she planned to go ahead with a protest of the zoo. By the end of 1997, the new board had planned to move some of the 70 remaining animals to the Detroit Zoo and renamed it Deerpath Animal Haven & Zoological Society. And that might have been that. Former zoo owner charged in murder plot, said the Dec. 1998 headline, charged with hiring a man to kill the husband of his new girlfriend, the story explained. Later, it would be revealed that the hit man was a cop, and the woman had lived with Womack for about a month before reconciling with her husband. Initially he sort of strikes you as harmless, Gregory recalled. But the incident in Elgin from a few years before was really kind of unsettling. He walks in to the Elgin police department and hes kind of blood smeared, claiming that he had somehow or other vanquished two knife-wielding men who tried to attack some women. It wound up being a complete hoax he orchestrated to impress a girlfriend, and he was fined for that. A few months after Womack was charged for allegedly hiring a killer, a Kane County Sheriffs Department investigator acted on his belief that Womack had something to do with the disappearance, a decade earlier, of Kenneth King, of Wayne, who shortly before he disappeared began dating a woman who was living with Womack, the investigator said. Three backhoes, a bulldozer, six sheriffs investigators, a deputy coroner and seven dogs excavated 12 sites on the 10-acre zoo and one spot just northwest of the establishment, said Kane County Sheriffs Capt. Michael Anderson, who called for the dig, wrote Gregory in the Tribune. But none of the holes produced a body. Womacks first solicitation of murder trial, in 2000, resulted in a hung jury. The type of defense that we used was entrapment, remembered Brasel, the lawyer. I just didnt think Loren was the type of person that would really go out and seriously want to hire somebody to murder somebody. Two jurors agreed in the first trial. I like to think we had a fairly good presentation, Brasel said. It was enough to get a hung jury on a guy who had been taped basically admitting to the crime. But in the retrial, he said, prosecutors had the advantage of having seen Womacks defense. And Brasel said he also thought the first jury just liked Womack better than the second one did. The first jury liked Lorin and I think they kind of thought like me, said Brasel. But still, he was on the tape They had him on tape attempting to have a policeman go out and murder what he thought was his girlfriends husband. In one last sour note for Womack, it came out in the trial that the woman was not actually that into him. On Feb. 20, 2001, Gregory, who had covered both trials, got to write the kind of first paragraph reporters dream about: Lorin Womack, the exotic zoo owner whose love for another mans wife led him to hatch an ill-conceived murder-for-hire scheme, was sentenced to 26 years in prison Tuesday. It was remarkably similar to the 22-year sentence Joseph Maldonado-Passage, aka Joe Exotic, received in January for hiring somebody to murder Baskin, a solicitation that he had also been caught on tape making. Maybe its time to watch Tiger King, Brasel said. We started watching. My wife didnt like it, so Ill just watch it by myself. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Burma Eight Test Negative for COVID-19 After Contact with Infected Myanmar Factory Interpreter Yangon factories Yangon Eight people who came into close contact with a coronavirus-infected interpreter at a shoe factory with 9,000 employees in Yangon have tested negative for COVID-19, according to the regional minister of immigration and human resources, Daw Moe Moe Su Kyi. There were fears of a coronavirus outbreak at Tsang Yih factory in Hlaing Tharyar Township and across the wider community. The factory owner, a doctor and nurse at the factorys clinic, a doctor and radiographer at a private clinic, two taxi drivers and the interpreters two roommates were tested for the virus. The regional health department has officially informed us that those eight tested negative, Daw Moe Moe Su Kyi told The Irrawaddy. Another 38 factory employees, who live in the same quarters as their infected colleague, have also been tested and the results are not yet available. The accommodation block has been placed under lockdown. Head of Hlaing Tharyar Township health department Dr. Khin Yu Par Soe confirmed that around 150 people, who came into contact with the infected employee, will be tested for the virus. The results will be available in a couple of days, she told The Irrawaddy on Sunday. According to the Ministry of Health and Sports, the 24-year-old interpreter the 144th confirmed COVID-19 patient in Myanmar had traveled overseas but had no recorded contact with other cases. He developed a cough on April 4 and returned to his home in Mohnyin in Kachin State using a rented car on April 15. The shoe factory closed from April 10-19 for the Thingyan holidays and resumed operations last week after it met health ministry requirements to prevent the spread of coronavirus. However, following the report of the interpreters infection, the factory was again closed temporarily. The ministry said Myanmar had 146 COVID-19 cases on Sunday, 10 recoveries and five deaths. Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko You may also like these stories: Almost Half of Myanmars Shoe Factories in Danger of Shutting Down, Manufacturer Warns Latest COVID-19 Developments in Myanmar: April 9, 2020 Sumi Khatun, a 'business correspondent' of State Bank of India moves around several villages in West Bengal's Birbhum district to help people make modest withdrawal or deposit money during the COVID-19 induced lockdown. Sumi, who has been given permission by the administration to cover around 50-km of distance in the district having a large number of farmers, day labourers travels in an e-rickshaw criss-crossing Lohapur-Nalhati-areas. On being chosen as the business correspondent in the first week of April, to help the small savings holders in their hour of need and getting permission for outsourcing, Sumi saw how the elderly and infirm had to wait for hours at her kiosk in the scorching heat and decided to herself reach out to them at their households. "That is allowed by our bank and after having word with our bank manager, I decided to reach the doorsteps of our customers on my own," she told reporters on Sunday. The 30-year old carries a laptop, fingerprint scanner and around Rs 50,000 in cash during her travel and is never scared of her security "as I know I am within my family." Shamima Begum, a 65-year old woman who works as a maid in a house said, "she has turned out to be another daughter of mine. When I was desperately in need of Rs 1,000 but could not go all the way to the SBI branch due to physical hurdles, I was contacted by Sumi who promised to visit my dwelling. And she came on Saturday."Shamima was among the 70 villagers who were benefitted by Sumi's service so far, more noteworthy since 100-day projects have come to nought due to lockdown causing serious hardships to the villagers, a sizeable number of them Muslims, in the month of Ramzan. Kabita Das, who works as an ayah in Mohispota in North 24 Parganas said, "since I am attending an ailing 88-year old woman I could not go to the bank branch, two km away, to withdraw Rs 500. I went to the nearby kiosk manned by a young man and got prompt service." State Bank of India, West Bengal Circle, Chief General Manager R K Mishra said there are about 5000 such people, called business correspondents, across West Bengal who supplement bank branches to reach closer to customers and unbanked areas. "The mandate for them is to sit at bank service kiosks. However, The bank encourages them if they visit doorstep banking," Mishra told PTI. The bank also offers them incentive to do so, he said. The incentives include giving Rs 3000 extra for working beyond 21-days in the lockdown period, extra incentive for higher number of transactions than a threshold number. The business correspondents are also insured up to Rs 2 lakh for any theft and loss of money. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An Afghan asylum seeker stands with two of his childern at a reception centre in Fylakio, Greece, in February 2020. UNHCR/Achilleas Zavallis With the world mobilizing to combat the spread of COVID-19, many countries in Europe and beyond have adopted exceptional measures to manage their borders, limiting air travel and cross-border mobility. UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, has called today on European countries to safeguard the many good practices and redouble their efforts to strengthen asylum systems in Europe in these trying times. It is encouraging that nearly two thirds of European countries have found ways to manage their borders effectively while allowing access to their territories for people seeking asylum. Medical screenings at borders, health certification or temporary quarantine upon arrival are some of the measures put in place by European countries. These are important positive precedents for other States in Europe and beyond. With refugees and asylum-seekers at the centre of our efforts, we have prepared a series of practical recommendations in support of national asylum systems as we continue to provide our expertise to governments, said Pascale Moreau, UNHCRs Regional Director for Europe. Measures to mitigate a COVID-19 spread, such as physical distancing and restrictions on movements and gatherings, have impacted the functioning of asylum systems in Europe, be it the registration of new asylum claims and documentation, status determination or judicial reviews. Consequences can be serious for individuals concerned as well as States. For example, where new asylum claims are not registered, peoples stay is not regulated, and they have no access to basic assistance and health services. Where asylum procedures are suspended, national asylum authorities will face significant challenges upon resumption, or worse, risk to lose or even reverse past investments in national asylum systems. Recognizing the risks of such adverse consequences, the majority of European countries have at least in part adapted their asylum systems to the current situation. Registration procedures have been simplified, adjusted to permit written or electronic submissions, or frontloaded to coincide with medical screenings, while automatizing the issuance of documentation. Others have adjusted the physical infrastructure in interviewing facilities or are testing and upscaling remote interviewing techniques, such as through video-conferencing, to continue with asylum procedures. Reception capacities for new arrivals in a number of European states have been under pressure for some time a situation now aggravated by the COVID-19 emergency. Virus transmission risks are particularly high in overcrowded reception facilities or confined spaces, such as in immigration detention facilities. A number of States have begun to release detained asylum-seekers into safer reception conditions. States have also taken a variety of proactive measures to improve conditions in reception facilities with a view to reduce transmission risks. Some have quickly created additional temporary reception capacity by populating unused facilities or empty hotels to decongest crowded facilities, prioritising the move of at-risk groups, such as older persons. Recognizing enormous challenges posed by the health crisis, we urge States to also continue their life-saving efforts in rescuing refugees and migrants in distress at sea, said Moreau. There should be no delay or hesitation in our actions when it comes to saving lives. When people desperately searching for safety arrive at our borders, whether on land or at sea, we must never turn our backs or return people back to the danger from which they fled. Reception capacity constraints are also a main reason challenging the disembarkation of refugees and migrants who have been rescued after harrowing journeys across the Mediterranean. However, while increasing reception capacity in receiving European countries is an important starting point, more efforts are needed, including stronger intra-EU solidarity in the form of relocation. As Europe starts to shift measures in its response to COVID-19, there lie risks but also opportunities. Measures taken at a time of adversity, may contribute to building more resilient asylum systems for the future. We should collectively identify and embrace such opportunities, for example the digital means to register asylum claims, the use of remote means of interviewing or efforts to make asylum procedures faster while remaining fair, said Moreau. UNHCR remains appreciative of host communities and States for their efforts to protect the asylum space in Europe at the times of heightened public health risks for all. Harnessing the good practices deployed across Europe, UNHCRs Regional Bureau for Europe has issued a compilation of good practices and practical recommendations. These offer practical support to States in ensuring access to territory and asylum, addressing movement restrictions or in communicating effectively with asylum-seekers and refugee populations on COVID-19 risks. For more information on this topic, please contact: Irelands restaurant industry could be devastated by the Covid-19 crisis, with nine out of 10 establishments facing permanent closure in the coming months. The Restaurants Association of Ireland (RAI) has warned 120,000 businesses are at risk of permanent closure in the coming months. Some 90% of restaurants are currently closed due to Covid-19 restrictions, with most facing an uncertain future. Even if they are in a position to reopen in the coming months, many are likely to face severe restrictions such as physical distancing, putting further pressure on the sector. RAI, the trade representative body, has issued a nine-point plan to save the sector. Its CEO Adrian Cummins said it is the only viable plan. We are seeking urgent action to save and recover our industry as nine out of 10 restaurants face permanent closure in the months ahead without urgent action. Chief among its recommendations is the call for a 0% VAT rate for tourism and hospitality businesses for the period of the crisis and the 12 months thereafter. This would revert to 9% for a period of five years. It also calls for a commercial rates write-off for restaurants until a Covid-19 vaccine is found, and the introduction of rent supports similar to those in place in France, where government would supplement rent by 60%, the landlord reduces rent by 20% and the tenant pays the remaining 20%. The RAI recommends the removal of banking fees, a moratorium on existing loan repayments, continued wage supports for the sector until a vaccine is found, and a specific Government grants scheme to cover outgoings in the first six months after the return of normal trading. In addition, it is seeking a waiver on licences for use of outdoor tables and chairs, currently paid to local authorities, and a ban on utility providers cutting off services. Finally, the RAI document identifies insurance as an issue, particularly companies not paying out for business interruptions. The judge said he had not committed a further offence with his latest behaviour Paedophile Gary John Tipping, 33, is set to once again be freed from jail A notorious South Australian child sex offender who breached the conditions of his release within weeks last year is set to once again be freed from jail. Gary John Tipping, 33, breached his extended supervision order by accessing online chat and dating services despite being directed not to use the internet at all. It prompted his return to custody with prosecutors applying for him to be detained for another four and a half years. But in a Supreme Court judgment on Monday, Justice Kevin Nicholson said while Tipping plainly remained a person who required close and frequent supervision, he had not committed a further offence with his latest behaviour. Gary John Tipping, 33, had previously been jailed for abusing boys as young as eight. He then breached his extended supervision order by accessing online chat and dating services despite being directed not to use the internet at all The judge said in his view, the risk to the community posed by Tipping had not increased since the earlier assessment that he be released. 'Indeed, that risk may well have been reduced by the fact that the breach or breaches of the extended supervision order committed by the respondent have caused him to be detained in custody for a further approximately four months,' Justice Nicholson said. 'In fact, the respondent has now spent more than 12 months in custody not having committed any offence and not subject to any outstanding charges.' The decision to release Tipping last year drew widespread criticism after the court heard he remained unwilling to control his sexual urges and would be at significant risk of reoffending. He had previously been jailed for abusing boys as young as eight. But an application at the time by Attorney-General Vickie Chapman to have him jailed indefinitely was knocked back on the basis home detention monitoring could ensure the safety of the community. Justice Nicholson said he expected Tipping now had a keen understanding of the 'fragility' of his freedom and the importance of complying with the terms of his release. 'I take the view that the respondent ought to be given another opportunity to comply with the ESO and to remain out of custody,' he said. However, the judge said before arriving at a final conclusion and before making final orders he would stand the matter over for a short period to allow for arrangements to be made for Tipping's future accommodation and supervision in the community. He said counsel would also be permitted to apply to vary the terms of Tipping's extended supervision order. Sri Lanka's Opposition parties on Monday urged President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to summon the dissolved parliament while pledging cooperation to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic. "We urge the president to respond positively to this offer of responsible cooperation by us at this critical time and revoke the proclamation dated 2 March 2020 dissolving parliament so that all of us can jointly fight to eradicate this virus," said a joint statement issued by the opposition parties. President Rajapaksa on March 2 dissolved the Parliament, six months ahead of schedule, and called a snap election on April 25 to elect a new 225-member house. However, the election commission last week postponed the parliamentary elections by nearly two months to June 20 due to the coronavirus outbreak in the island nation. The new date clashed with the constitutional imperative that the new parliament has to meet within three months since its dissolution, ie June 2. The joint statement was signed by United National Party (UNP) leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) leader R Sampanthan, Sri Lanka Muslim Congress leader Rauff Hakeem, Tamil Progressive Alliance leader Mano Ganesan and All Ceylon Makkal Congress leader Rishard Bathuideen, Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU)'s Patali Champika Ranawaka and former Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa. The statement followed Rajapaksa's assertion made at a meeting with the powerful Buddhist clergy on April 25 where the president told the monks that he would not at any cost recall the dissolved parliament. "Getting appropriate and new legislation passed in order to meet the public health crisis and obtaining parliamentary sanction to the utilization of monies from the consolidated fund are some such important and urgent functions of parliament," the statement asserted. The opposition argues that Rajapaksa has no power to draw public finances after April 30, the date up to which the dismissed parliament had approved expenditure. Therefore, the action to recall parliament would allow the governance proper and lawful in compliance with the constitution. In a related development, the military announced on Monday that the 120-member police team at the parliamentary complex would be replaced by an army contingent. The opposition expressed concern over the deployment of army at the parliamentary complex. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Colombo [Sri Lanka], April 27 (ANI): India on Monday gifted a consignment of medical gloves to Sri Lanka in a bid to assist the island nation in its fight against coronavirus. The consignment was handed over by Indian High Commission in Colombo to the Sri Lankan government, the high commission said in the statement. The island nation has so far reported over 550 coronavirus cases and seven deaths from the deadly virus. Earlier this month, India had sent about 13 tonnes consignment of essential life-saving medicines to the Government of Sri Lanka. Last month, during the SAARC Leaders' Video Conference, India conveyed that it would offer online training capsules for the emergency response teams of the neighboring countries to assist them in their efforts in dealing with the COVID-19, the statement read. Accordingly, the Ministry of External Affairs of India is conducting e-ITEC short training live webinars for healthcare professionals on COVID Management Strategies and related aspects. The first such webinar "COVID-19 Pandemic: Prevention and Management Guidelines for Health Care Professional" was successfully organized at All India Institutes of Medical Sciences, Raipur from April 17-21 where 11 Medical Officers of the Ministry of Health of Sri Lanka participated. The second online ITEC course named "Managing Covid-19 Pandemic: Experience and Best Practices of India" is being conducted by the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh from April 27 to May 1, and more such courses will be organized in coming days. (ANI) Mumbai, April 27 : Since there is no stepping out due to the nationwide lockdown, actress Sunny Leone celebrated a date night in the dining room with husband Daniel Webber. Sunny took to Instagram, where she shared a photograph posing with Daniel and sipping on red wine. "Date night with @dirrty99 !! Lol in the dining room," she captioned the image. On Sunday, Sunny shared a picture of her "lockdown piece of art", which she has called "broken glass -- sort of like our lives at the moment". She had also tried out some eighties fashion for a retro aerobics workout. Sunny had shared a video where she is seen wearing a high-cut leotard, crop top and a big bow on her hair. Sunny, whose real name is Karenjit Kaur, married Daniel in 2011. In 2017, the couple adopted their first child Nisha from Latur, a village in Maharashtra. In 2018 the couple announced the birth of their twin boys -- Noah and Asher -- through surrogacy. Latest updates on Lockdown diaries -- Syndicated from IANS A bank is entitled to an order for possession of an apartment at Pembroke Road, Dublin 4, the High Court has ruled. Mr Justice Garrett Simons said AIB plc was entitled to a possession order against Richard Finbarr Fitzgerald, with an address at South Mall, Cork, arising from a 1995 mortgage and the terms of loan facilities accepted by Mr Fitzgerald in September 2015. A 2003 lease agreement granted by Mr Fitzgerald under which Ms Eileen Daly has lived in the apartment at Baruva House, Pembroke Road, is not valid against the bank because the bank's consent was not sought for the lease, he held. Subject to submissions on the precise form of order, he proposed to put a six month stay on the possession order to allow Ms Daly an opportunity to find alternative accommodation, he said. The normal stay is three months but, in light of the practical difficulties posed by the coronavirus pandemic and the fact Ms Daly has been residing in the premises for almost two decades, he was proposing a six month stay. Final orders will be made later arising from the judgment delivered electronically on Monday. The judge noted Mr Fitzgerald was granted a mortgage over the apartment in 1995 and the bank sought to enforce that under a debt alleged to be outstanding under loan facilities advanced in September 2015 to restructure existing debt owed by Mr Fitzgerald to AIB. It was intended Mr Fitzgerald would dispose of certain lands, including the apartment and, if the sale proceeds met certain asset disposal targets, the outstanding balance was to be written off. AIB, represented by Roland Rowan BL, claimed Mr Fitzgerald had failed to sell the apartment within the required 18 month period. The judge said it appeared a lease was entered into between Mr Fitzgerald and Ms Daly and an agreement dated 2002 indicated the term of the lease was to be 35 years, commencing in April 2002 with rent payable of 800 a month, to be paid by a set-off of a sum of 800,000 said to be due by Mr Fitzgerald to Ms Daly. The judge said Mr Fitzgerald was declared bankrupt in January 2020 and the Official Assignee in bankruptcy had not objected to the possession order as sought by AIB as a creditor of Mr Fitzgerald. Mr Fitzgerald was not represented at the High Court hearing last month and did not attend it, he said. Notice of the proceedings had been served on Mr Fitzgerald and the occupant of the apartment. AIB had exhibited statements of account indicating the outstanding balance on the 2015 loan facilities was some 4.2m under one facility and 85,329 on a second. The bank also said the apartment had not been sold as Mr Fitzgerald was required to do under the second facility. The uncontested evidence before the court was the principal monies secured on the mortgage are due for payment and, under the facility letter, the 2015 loans are payable on demand by the bank at any time at its absolute discretion, he said. In any event, the principal monies were to have been paid by specified dates which have passed without repayment. Mr Fitzgerald has also failed to dispose of the apartment as required and the power of sale would be ineffective without vacant possession of the premises. He was satisfied the bank was entitled to possession. There was also nothing in the papers before the court to suggest the bank had consented to the lease in favour of Ms Daly and that lease was therefore void against the bank, he held. Highlights On 5 March 2020 Strata-X announced a Heads of Agreement with BotsGas Pty Ltd (Botsgas) for a staged farm-out program designed to de-risk the Serowe CSG Project and, if successful, to prove sufficient reserves to secure a foundation Gas Sales Agreement. Due to execution complexities surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, the parties have agreed on a revised structure for Botsgas to farmin to the Serowe CSG Project. The revised Heads of Agreement (which replaces the terms announced on 5 March 2020): requires Botsgas to pay SXA AUD$300,000 by 30 June 2020 (JV Payment). provides for Strata-X and Botsgas to enter into a definitive joint operating agreement on or before 30 November 2020 pursuant to which Botsgas is required to sole fund USD$4.6 million of joint venture expenditure within 2 years of the JV Payment; and requires Strata-X to transfer a 49% interest in its tenements in Botswana to Botsgas upon entry into the definitive joint operating agreement. In addition to the $300,000 JV payment, Botsgas has agreed to a private placement of 5,000,000 CDIs (with attaching options) at a price of A$0.06 for gross proceeds of A$300,000 (Placement), to be completed 31 May 2020. ASX disclosure note - 5.28.2 - Prospective Resources - The estimated quantities of petroleum that may potentially be recovered by the application of a future development project(s) relate to undiscovered accumulations. These estimates have both an associated risk of discovery and a risk of development. Further exploration appraisal and evaluation is required to determine the existence of a significant quantity of potentially moveable hydrocarbons. Brisbane, Australia and Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 27, 2020) - The directors and management of Strata-X Energy Ltd. (TSXV: SXE) (ASX: SXA) ("Strata-X" or the "Company")are pleased to announce that Strata-X has negotiated a revision of the terms upon which Botsgas Pty Ltd ("Botsgas") will participate in the development of the Company's Serowe CSG Project in Botswana ("Project"). These new terms replace those previously announced to the market on 5 March 2020 ("Previous Announcement"). Story continues As a result of global travel restrictions due to the COVID-19 crisis, Strata-X and Botsgas have reviewed the exploration program and timing contemplated under that Heads of Agreement and have reached agreement to revise the structure of Botsgas's participation in the project. The result of this review is that Strata-X and Botsgas have agreed to replace the farmin structure as outlined in the Previous Announcement with a new structure for proceeding to a joint venture to develop the Project ("Revised HOA"). Under the Revised HOA, the parties will proceed directly to the negotiation and entry into a joint operating agreement for the development of the Project with Botsgas receiving a 49% interest and Strata-X retaining a 51% interest (and the role of Operator). None of the terms as outlined in the Previous Agreement carry over to the Revised HOA. In conjunction with the Revised HOA, Botsgas has also agreed to make a A$300,000 investment into the Company through a private placement of ASX CHESS Depository Interests ("CDIs")(with attaching options) at an issue price of A$0.06 ("Placement"). Completion of the Placement is a condition precedent to progression with the restructured farmin arrangements under the Revised HOA. Placement Botsgas has entered into a Subscription Agreement to subscribe for a Placement of 5,000,000 Units issued by the Company at a price of A$0.06 per Unit for gross proceeds of A$300,000. Each Unit consists of one CDI and one half of one option. Each option will be unquoted and exercisable into one CDI at an exercise price of A$0.07 up until 22 May 2022 ("Option"). Each Placement CDI will represent one common share of Strata-X and will rank equally with existing CDIs. All CDIs issued pursuant to the Placement are to be fully tradable and listed on the ASX, subject to the necessary approvals by the TSX-V and ASX, respectively. Completion of the Placement is due on (or before) 22 May 2020. Funds raised from the Placement will be used primarily for progression of the Surat Basin (Queensland, Australia) CSG project, ongoing exploration, environmental and development studies of the Serowe (Botswana) CSG Project, lease maintenance and general working capital purposes. Upon issue, the Units will be subject to a restriction agreement preventing Botsgas from disposing of the Units until 31 May 2022. The CDIs and Options will be issued under the Company's existing ASX placement capacity as follows: 5,000,000 CDIs issued under Listing Rule 7.1; and 2,500,000 Options (unquoted) issued under Listing Rule 7.1A.2. Further information in relation to the Placement is contained in the Appendix 3B lodged in conjunction with this announcement. Revised Heads of Agreement The key terms of the Revised HOA are as follows: Placement Progression of the Revised HOA is subject to completion of the Placement by Botsgas on or before 31 May 2020. If Botsgas does not complete the Placement, the Company may either waive this requirement or terminate the Revised HOA. Exclusivity Strata-X cannot deal with any third parties in relation to the Botswana Tenements until at least 30 November 2020. Joint Venture Payment The Revised HOA requires Botsgas to pay Strata-X the sum of AUD$300,000 by 30 June 2020. SXA is entitled to use this sum for the Serowe CSG Project with input from Botsgas. Any work produced from such expenditure will remain the property of Strata-X until such time as the parties enter into the Joint Operating Agreement. Joint Operating Agreement The parties must enter into a Joint Operating Agreement with respect to the development of the Serowe CSG Project by no later than 30 November 2020. Upon receipt of the Joint Venture Payment and entry into the Joint Operating Agreement, the Company will transfer to Botsgas a 49% interest in the Botswana Tenements. Strata-X will retain a 51% interest of the Botswana Tenements upon commencement of the Joint Operating Agreement. Pursuant to the Joint Operating Agreement, Botsgas must solely fund USD$4.6 million of joint venture expenditure within 2 years of the Joint Venture Payment being paid to SXA ("Expenditure Deadline"). Strata-X will be the Operator of the Project under the Joint Operating Agreement and will determine the joint venture budgets and use of funds in consultation with the management committee. If Botsgas does not meet the USD$4.6 million obligation by the Expenditure Deadline, then its interest in the Botswana Tenements will be reduced to the percentage of the expenditure target which has been satisfied. For example, if the expenditure met is only USD$3.8 million (ie. 82% of the targeted expenditure), the earned interest will be reduced to 40%. The Expenditure Deadline can be extended by the Company by an additional 6 months if insufficient cash calls have been made by the Company during the initial two-year period. Future cash calls will otherwise be funded by Strata-X and Botsgas in accordance with the terms of the Joint Operating Agreement. The terms of the Joint Operating Agreement must otherwise reflect provision for the usual terms of such arrangements, including with respect to (without limitation): contributing to the expenses of the joint venture in accordance with their respective participating interest (other than where there is a Botsgas sole funding requirement); dilution of interest in the event of a failure to meet on-going funding commitments; formation of a management committee to develop work programmes and budgets for all exploration, development and production activities of the joint venture and to the agree, oversee and manage those work programmes and budgets, although with use of funds and budgets to be at the sole discretion of Strata-X in consultation with the management committee; otherwise in accordance with AMPLA Model Petroleum Joint Operating Agreement except to the extent such provisions are inconsistent with these key terms. The terms of the Joint Operating Agreement remain to be negotiated by Strata-X and Botsgas and will be announced to the market once an agreement has been reached. If the terms of the Joint Operating Agreement cannot be agreed between the parties, the terms will be referred to expert determination. If a Joint Operating Agreement is not entered into by 30 November 2020 because Botsgas does not wish to proceed with the Joint Operating Agreement, then the Revised HOA may be terminated. In such event, the Placement and Joint Venture Payment must still be completed (if not already completed) and remain to the benefit of the Company. Transfer of Interest to Botsgas As noted above, by complying with the Revised Heads of Agreement, and upon the Joint Operating Agreement coming into effect, Botsgas will earn a 49% interest in the Botswana Tenements - which interest will be reduced proportionately if Botsgas does not meet its funding commitment over the first two years of the Joint Operating Agreement. Thereafter, the retention of the interest by Botsgas (and also by Strata-X) will be dependent upon meeting future contributions to funding requirements as required under the Joint Operating Agreement. By order of the Board of Strata-X Energy Limited About Strata-X Strata-X is a Brisbane, Queensland, Australia based company and is engaged in the business of CBM exploration and appraisal in Queensland, Australia and the Republic of Botswana. Strata-X has 107,538,318 common shares outstanding and trades under the symbol "SXE" on the TSXV and "SXA" on the ASX. About Botsgas BotsGas Limited is an Australian oil and gas exploration and development company focused on opportunities for natural gas in the form of coal-bed methane (CBM) in Botswana. BotsGas and SXA share the same vision of gas underpinning a transition to cleaner energy solutions within southern Africa. www.botsgas.com The Company's target is to establish material gas reserves while jointly pursuing off-take agreements for the Strata-X/Botsgas joint ventures gas resources in Botswana. BotsGas plans to list on the ASX in 2021 with a CBM off-take agreement in place with IK Holdings (a CBM-to-power company), targeting Botswana's domestic market hungry for reliable clean energy as well as market gas and power to neighboring South Africa in the future. For further information please contact: Colin Christenson Investor Relations colin@strata-x.com This announcement was made in Canada for the TSX.V and in Australia for the ASX. Public documents for Strata-X Energy Ltd. can be found at SEDAR (Canada) (www.sedar.com) and ASX.com.au (Australia). (1) Prospective and Contingent Resources figures are from an audit report prepared by Timothy Hower of MHA Petroleum Consultants, a qualified independent reserves auditor, dated and effective 10 May 2019 following MHAs audit in accordance with the COGE Handbook of the available technical data including the geological interpretation, information from relevant nearby wells, Company drilled wells, analogous reservoirs and the proposed program for the Project, prepared and presented to MHA by Strata-X. Tim Hower is a member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers and has consented to the resources estimates in the context they appear. Stated Prospective and Contingent Resources are based on, and fairly represents, information and supporting documentation prepared and/or audited by, or under the supervision of Timothy Hower. Prospective Resources are those quantities of petroleum estimated, as of a given date, to be potentially recoverable from undiscovered accumulations by application of future development project. Prospective Resources have both an associated chance of discovery and a chance of development. A high level of uncertainty exists with the Prospective resources given the lack of historical drilling, available data and other productivity factors that limit the economic viability of coal seam gas deposits. The reports Prospective and Contingent Resources are over Prospecting Licenses Strata-X holds for methane production the Republic of Botswana. Actual sales from the Prospecting License cannot begin until converted by Strata-X election and environmental filings to the Republic of Botswana. Stated Prospective Resource figures are Best Estimate estimated using deterministic method unrisked, undiscovered natural gas quantities and net of a royalty and are shown at a 100% working interest in the Project and are derived from coal characterization data from the 19B-1 well comprised of 10 net metre of coal, gas saturation yields of 120 cubic feet per ton, coal density of 1.7g/cm and using a 75% recovery factor. Stated Contingent Resource figures are Best Estimate natural gas quantities and net of a royalty and are shown at a 100% working interest in the Project and are derived from coal characterization data from the 19B-1 well comprised of 10 net metre of coal, gas saturation yields of 120 cubic feet per ton, coal density of 1.7g/cm and using a 75% recovery factor. Contingent Resources stated are estimated using low, best and high analytical inputs, using deterministic method. Contingent Resources were extrapolated over an area of 15km2 using the coal characterization of the 19B-1 well which area assumes consistent coal characterization as seen in the 19B-1 well over this area. Contingent Resources stated are prevented from being reserves until sufficient production tests are carried out and to date these tests have not been carried out. The total costs associated with establishing the commerciality of this project are unknown at this time given the early stage of the Projects development. There is no certainty that any portion of the Prospective Resources will be discovered, if discovered, there is no certainty that it will be commercially viable to produce any portion of the resources. The 19B-1 well is located at Long22.9541/Lat-22.1804 and the fully cored historical Botswana government well named ML-1 is located at Long 25.9299/Lat-22.1793. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This news release contains forward-looking statements, which relate to future events or future performance, including but not limited to, the completion and size of the Placement, receipt of regulatory approvals and timing thereof, the Corporation's business strategies and plans for the use of such Placement proceeds, capital expenditure programs and estimates relating to timing and costs, and reflect management's current expectations and assumptions, including, but not limited to the timing and receipt of necessary regulatory approvals and third party approvals and completion of the Placement and stability of general economic and financial market conditions. The use of any of the words "anticipate", "continue", "estimate", "expect", 'may", "will", "project", "should", 'believe", and similar expressions is intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements reflect management's current beliefs and are based on assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company. Readers are cautioned that these forward-looking statements are neither promises nor guarantees, and are subject to risks and uncertainties , including imprecision in estimate capital expenditures and operating expenses, stock market volatility, general economic and business conditions in North America and globally, risks associated with liquidity and capital resource requirements, that may cause future results to differ materially from those expected and the forward-looking statements included in this news release should not be unduly relied upon. See also "Risks Factors" in the Company's Annual Information Form available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Those factors are not, and should not be construed as being exhaustive. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances save as required under applicable securities legislation. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell securities and the Company is not soliciting an offer to buy securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of such jurisdiction. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/54904 Member of the Midlands Transition Team, and Fine Gael councillor, Noel Cribbin, has expressed grave concern for 200 Bord Na Mona workers as the fate of their jobs hangs in the balance due to the Covid-19 crisis. An Bord Pleanala (ABP) was due to make a decision on whether or not to grant planning permission for the go-ahead of the 2020 peat harvest on March 12 but the decision date has now been pushed out to May 12 in light of Covid-19, leaving a question mark over the future of the 200 workers Bord na Mona announced last week that up to 230 workers in the Energy Business Unit are to be temporarily laid off from the company from May 1 as a direct result of the crisis. Cllr Cribbin expressed his concern about the situation saying: "I raised my concerns with Minister Bruton over the phone pointing out that mid-May could be too late and that leaving the workers in this state of limbo is unjust. The Minister reassured me that a decision is forthcoming but ultimately it is down to An Bord Pleanala. "We are all suffering as a result of this virus and strict health and safety measures would need to be implemented to allow the workers to commence the harvest. That said, I believe that it is possible for this work to go ahead while prioritising public health. For those 200 workers affected by the lack of a decision, a simple yes or no answer is all they need." Cllr Cribbin went on to express his frustration at the implications of not commencing the peat harvest will have on future employment in the Midlands. He said: "The power plant in Edenderry has a licence to burn peat for two more years only. If the decision by ABP is a no, I would view the closure of the plant as a certainty. I am calling on Government, Minister Bruton and the Just Transition Commissioner, Kieran Mulvey, to immediately begin exploring options around allowing the available bio-mass from West Offaly and Lanesboro plants, following their closures which have already been announced, to be transferred to Edenderry Power Plant. "Such an action has the potential to make Edenderry Power Plant the only 100% green energy power plant in Ireland. The existence of such a Green Energy Plant would be appealing to a range of multi-national companies and would increase the offering of the Midlands as a location for foreign direct investment. It has the scope to support the delivery of much-needed employment for the area. "Now is the time to act on this. Making this happen would involve an intricate planning process but by looking to the future now we can ensure that we are working towards increasing the economic strength of the Midlands and building a pipeline of future employment," Cllr Cribbin continued. Edenderry has provided the peat and electricity needs for much of Ireland for the last 75 years. Now is the time for the people of the area to be given the consideration they deserve and the provision of a road map for their future prosperity by the powers that be," Cllr Cribbin concluded. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-27 16:28:03|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close URUMQI, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Elite runners can easily finish 800 meters within two minutes. For residents of Hongxin village in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, northwest China, it took six decades. 2,580 METERS Gazing up from the foot of the mountain, it is easy to understand how Hongxin earned its former name "Tarkeqik," which means narrow and small in Kirgiz. Starting from an opening in the mountains on the Pamir Plateau, the settlement reaches deep into the mountains. The deeper it gets, the narrower it becomes. The village had been home to the Kirgiz community for as long as anyone could remember. In 1956, the governing seat was established in a former residence at altitude of 2,580 meters. "At that time 270 herders from 70 households lived here," said Usman Tomur, 62. Having held the position of village chief for 22 years, Usman knows Hongxin like the back of his hand. Life was never easy here, with thin air and scarce arable land. The idea of relocation was easily sown. 2,340 METERS Just two years after the governing seat was established, the new village administration moved five kilometers down the mountain to an altitude of 2,340 meters. "Our population began to increase, so the area became too small," Usman recalled. This move down the mountain was not to be the last. The village kept moving. The former administration office at the altitude of 2,340 meters is now a corn field. All that remains is the office gate. 2,020 METERS Just half a year later the community moved to an altitude of 2,020 meters. People settled here, focusing on improving their livelihood. The population had increased to 1,000 in 2015. With roads built, some villagers were able to leave the mountains. The current settlement was not without its problems, such as the occasional floods. 2,000 METERS In 2015, villagers resettled on a stretch of open ground in a valley at an altitude of 2,000 meters. A community center and a clinic were built. As a part of the country's poverty reduction campaign, new homes with red roofs and white walls were built for underprivileged families to replace their mud brick houses. Herders moved into what they called 50 Houses, 36 Houses and 48 Houses -- three relocation communities that took on the number of residencies. "These houses are safe and comfortable," said Usman. Herders finally got access to tap water and Internet. Some bought refrigerators. 1,810 METERS In 2018, the village administration moved their office near the herders' new home at an altitude of 1,810 meters. A former barren patch of land became a square with a community center, a clinic, a supermarket, restaurants and a kindergarten. At the end of the year, 164 families were removed from the list of households living under the poverty line, the last families in the area to have been classed as poor. The village name was changed from Tarkeqik to Hongxin, meaning a happy, modern village. "We have sent more than 80 children to college," said Usman. Herder Hesen Tohti's flock is bigger than any of his predecessors -- 260 sheep and 35 yaks, and he earns good money. Just last year, he put down the horse tack for good and bought a four-wheel-drive vehicle. Every morning, with music blasting out of his car speakers, he sets off to pastures. Some other villagers have ended their nomadic life to become farmers and workers. "Over the past half a century, the lower we moved, the higher income we earned, and the better our lives became," said Jarhen Ahati, a village official. He said that they plan to renovate the five relocated office sites into a village history museum to commemorate the development of Hongxin. Enditem Dubai, United Arab Emirates, April 27, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Heriot-Watt University today announced the launch of a new scholarship scheme that will run only for the duration of the holy month of Ramadan. Called the Heriot-Watt University Dubai (HWUD) Community Awards, these special scholarships offer students the opportunity to receive a fee reduction of AED 8,000. Speaking on the occasion, Claire Roper-Browning, Head of Marketing and Student Recruitment of Heriot-Watt University Dubai campus said,Ramadan is a time of spiritual reflection and self-improvement, but equally, it is about the importance of giving back to the community. The HWUD Community Awards are therefore our way of supporting those in need during this annual observance and we hope these awards will help deserving students build their future. The HWUD Community Award will be awarded to any student (foundation, undergraduate or postgraduate) applying and paying the tuition fee deposit by the required deadline of June 1, 2020. To avail of this discount, students must apply and pay 10% of their tuition fees as a non-refundable, advance payment against their tuition fee. UAE based students must also provide the required post-dated cheques for their tuition fees. The award is applicable for students who have received an Unconditional Offer Letter or a Conditional Offer Letter from Heriot-Watt University. Students who have received the Conditional Offer Letter must provide the remaining documents in order to proceed with receiving the Unconditional Offer Letter before the start of the academic year. Heriot-Watt University Dubai Undergraduate students completing their degree by January 2020 are also eligible to apply for this discount when applying for a postgraduate programme. The Community Award amount will be distributed equally across the Instalment plan for the first year of study and the deadline for availing the discount is 23rd May 2020. For more details, visit https://www.hw.ac.uk/dubai/study/fees/scholarships.htm Story continues Heriot-Watt University was invited to open a campus in Dubai 14-years-ago courtesy of its international reputation for delivering first-class education, particularly in science and engineering, and producing globally employable graduates. For more information on the courses currently available at Heriot-Watts Dubai campus visit https://www.hw.ac.uk/dubai.htm -END- About Heriot-Watt University Dubai As the first British university to set up a campus in Dubai in 2005, and the only one with a five-star accreditation by the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), Heriot-Watt University Dubai has established itself as a pioneer in the higher education market in the UAE. The Universitys reputation for world-class teaching and practical, leading-edge research combined with its strong links to business and industry, has seen it attract a thriving population of undergraduate and postgraduate students. Heriot-Watt University Dubai offers an extensive range of programmes and disciplines, spanning postgraduate and undergraduate courses. Heriot-Watt graduates are highly employable and sought after by the best organizations worldwide, with over 90% in graduate level jobs or further study within six months of graduation. For more information, please visit https://www.hw.ac.uk/dubai.htm Attachments Reem Dabat Heriot-Watt Dubai +97145610323 r.dabat@hw.ac.uk Two children aged one and three have been stabbed to death in a knife attack in east London. A one-year-old girl and a three-year-old boy were stabbed at a property in Ilford on Sunday. Police were called at about 5.30pm to reports of a man and two children injured at a home in Aldborough Road North. Two children were stabbed to death at a property in Ilford, east London, on Sunday. (PA) The toddler was pronounced dead at the scene, while the boy died in hospital where he was being treated for his injuries, said the Metropolitan Police. A 40-year-old man has also been taken to hospital for treatment. Police are dealing with an incident in #Ilford #Redbridge this evening. Two children aged one and three have died; man taken to hospital with stab injuries. All parties known to each other. Police not seeking anyone else at this time. https://t.co/lAyGoHsp2n Metropolitan Police | #StayHomeSaveLives (@metpoliceuk) April 26, 2020 Police said all three suffered knife injuries and that they are all known to each other. Read more: Police turn away walkers who drove from London to Snowdonia A murder investigation has been launched, although police are not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident. Earlier today there was an incident in Ilford. Two young children have passed away & an investigation is ongoing. My thoughts are with the family and wider community who are grieving this unspeakable tragedy. (1/2) Jas Athwal (@Jas_Athwal) April 26, 2020 Thomas Dodds, 78, who lives around 20 yards from the scene, told the PA news agency he heard a woman screaming for about five minutes before police cars and ambulances arrived. Story continues He said: It sickens me, a young baby and a three-year-old. Someone who did that doesnt have a heart, to put a knife into a baby. A passing nurse who lives on the road said she heard a woman screaming and screaming inside before police arrived and officers went rushing in. The woman, who declined to give her name, said: After about five minutes they took the woman who was screaming out. The air ambulance came and thats when I knew it was serious, that something nasty had happened. Police at the scene in Aldborough Road North, Ilford, east London, where two children were stabbed to death on Sunday. (PA) It has absolutely shook me, I couldnt sleep last night. I knew something terrible had happened but when it came out that two children had died, I was shaken. Redbridge Council leader Jas Athwal tweeted: Earlier today there was an incident in Ilford. Read more: Coronavirus death toll passes 20,000 in UK Two young children have passed away and an investigation is ongoing. My thoughts are with the family and wider community who are grieving this unspeakable tragedy. The London Ambulance Service and Londons Air Ambulance also attended the incident. Police are continuing their investigation into the circumstances behind the stabbing. QuaranTunes @Noon will feature Lon Eldridge with a free streaming concert on Friday. Review for Lon Eldridge: Lon Eldridge is often said to have talent and style well beyond his years. Lon has toured both the USA and Europe, taking his unique blend of traditional pre-war blues, ragtime, and swing to whole new audiences. This is a show (and a mustache) you definitely don't want to miss. Lon began playing guitar at the age of 13, and it quickly grew into a passion and an obsession. Lon's playing style is one of intricate fingerstyle guitar work, evoking the spirits of Mississippi John Hurt, Robert Johnson, Blind Blake and countless other musical masters. Alongside this is a calm, cool stage demeanor that would lead you to believe he's actually sitting in an arm chair in your living room, rather than on a stage. An avid collector of 78rpm records, Lon spends most of his free time tucked away with his ear glued to a Victrola horn. The WoodSongs Dalton 2020 Concert series is working with regional and national musical artists to produce QuaranTunes @Noon, a livestreaming performance via the WoodSongs Dalton Facebook page. Upcoming performances will feature Aubrey Eisenman May 8, Nu-Blus Daniel and Carolyn Routh May 15, Anthony Quails May 22, and Kelli Johnson on May 29. The concerts can be accessed at https://www.facebook.com/woodsongsdaltonconcerts/ at noon EDT on Fridays during May. The concert series, now in its tenth year has provided the greater north Georgia area with family friendly music while benefiting local non-profits. Proceeds from the concert will benefit the DEO Clinic, a 501(c)3 that provides medical care to low income uninsured individuals. Donations to the DEO Clinic can be made online at www.deoclinic.org or mailed to the DEO Clinic at P.O. Box 814 Dalton, GA 30722. The concert series is sponsored in part by the Dalton Convention and Visitors Bureau, Friends of WoodSongs, and numerous local business sponsors. As China and some European countries slowly begin to reopen schools and shops that were closed because of the pandemic, the situation across the U.S. is still dire. Governors are seeking medical equipment and supplies from all corners -- including private assistance and other countries. As many as 10,000 National Guard members have also been activated by governors to help state efforts against the coronavirus pandemic. As scholars of military efforts in humanitarian and disaster responses around the world, we believe that the federal military could offer additional help. Already, two U.S. Navy hospital ships have joined the coronavirus response. USNS Mercy went to Los Angeles, where some patients are being treated on board and 40 sailors are expected to help on shore at a local nursing home. USNS Comfort went to New York City, where it treated a number of patients and is presently preparing to relocate to other U.S. cities that may need help. There are legal limits on what the armed forces can do on U.S. soil, and there arent unlimited personnel or supplies. But there is plenty the military could do to help protect public health, such as preparing areas that have not yet been hit hard, moving supplies to where theyre needed and providing personnel to do other important tasks -- including direct patient care. Responding overseas The U.S. military has a lot of experience in crisis response, particularly in other countries. Between 1970 and 2000, American troops provided international humanitarian assistance and disaster relief 366 times. For instance, in the aftermath of super Typhoon Haiyan hitting the Philippines in 2013, more than 13,000 U.S. military personnel helped clear roads, delivered food and water, and airlifted thousands of people to safety. The USS George Washington Carrier Strike Group also helped with search and rescue operations and medical care. The U.S. military also knows how to respond to an infectious disease outbreak. In 2014, troops went to Liberia to help deal with an Ebola outbreak there, building treatment and patient isolation spaces and helping keep supplies flowing. That included providing personal protective equipment and lab services. Helping at home In general, the U.S. military does not conduct formal operations on American soil. The 1878 Posse Comitatus Act specifically bars the Army and, after a later amendment, the Air Force from carrying out law enforcement activities on U.S. territory. The laws aim is to confine the military to foreign defense and effectively curb any meddling in domestic affairs. Technically speaking, the Posse Comitatus Act does not apply to the Coast Guard, Navy or Marine Corps, and federal courts have generally agreed with that interpretation. However, Defense Department policy extends the ban on domestic operations to the Navy and the Marines. Yet the U.S. military can help at home if ordered to do so by Congress, or when offering emergency aid and humanitarian assistance. For instance, Congress has charged the Army Corps of Engineers with managing and regulating rivers, wetlands and other waterways around the country. The Army Corps of Engineers played a major role in draining floodwaters in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005. So there is precedent for using the military to help in the effort against a massive disaster such as the coronavirus outbreak. The military has enormous transport capability in ships, trucks and aircraft. Troops could deliver medical supplies, food or other material -- and even patients. For instance, two physicians from Boston and Baltimore have suggested the military could airlift patients who dont have COVID-19 out of New York City to other cities that have hospital space, leaving room for the flood of coronavirus patients. Military doctors and nurses could bolster civilian capacity; military medical students at the Uniformed Services University are already receiving COVID-19 training as part of their coursework. Military field hospitals can be set up quickly. The military also has the equipment and staffing to help collect and transport dead bodies if needed. Affecting readiness? Some European countries have mobilized troops, sparking fears that as many as 20% of the personnel could catch the virus. Similar concerns apply in the U.S. Four crew members of the USNS Comfort tested positive for the coronavirus but have recovered. The military is affected anyway: Even though the USS Theodore Roosevelt was not involved in virus response, the aircraft carriers crew has been devastated by the disease. The crew of a destroyer fighting drug trafficking off the coast of South America has also been hit. But in our assessment, the benefits of using the military to respond to COVID-19 outweigh the risks. In addition to delivering much-needed medical care and humanitarian assistance to communities in need, the military would get even more experience dealing with pandemics and other public health crises. That would make the troops even more effective when serving overseas and at home. This article was first posted on The Conversation. Commuting hurdles faced by employees and problems in transporting goods are hampering the restart of businesses despite measures to ease the nationwide lockdown, a survey by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) found. In the survey, 36% of the respondents said that the industry is facing issues with daily movement of employees, while another 31% mentioned that in addition to the entire industry, companies which they represented also faced these problems. Around 39% had to face delays and disruption in moving finished goods or raw material, while 23% stated that materials were not available at all. Only 15% businesses surveyed said the movement of goods was timely. The survey responses indicate the need to facilitate daily commute of employees without any hurdles on a priority basis. Among various measures, the government should specify the guidelines for individual vehicles (4-wheeler, 2-wheeler and bicycle) for commuting between the residence and factory, CII said. Among the respondents, 39% said they could be booked under criminal charges if any covid-19 positive case was found in their premises; however, 27% felt that there was no such possibility. Indias economy is expected to slow significantly in the current financial year due to the negative impact of the pandemic on manufacturing and service industries. The findings indicate the business sentiments and priorities for policymakers to create a conducive business climate for industries, as companies battle the unprecedented disruptions to daily operations and finance activities brought on by the coronavirus, the survey noted. The coronavirus crisis has left many Luxembourgish would-be travelers scratching their heads. Many of them are unsure they will travel at all during the summer. Officials said it's still too early to give perspectives for the summer holidays. Germany's Foreign Minister Heiko Maas for instance believes normal summer vacations as we know them to be an impossibility for the time being. Luxembourg's population also seems to be largely sceptical about making plans for summer vacations. It remains unclear when borders within the EU will open again. Officials nevertheless do not exclude the possibility to open borders again during the summer for tourists. Restrictions are likely to apply. Based on the current situation, it is unlikely that you will be able to simply hop on a train or plane to head to any given destination. Tourism in hard-hit countries like Italy or Spain may not be possible. When asked by RTL, many Luxembourg residents explained that they are focusing their travel hopes on autumn. Many of them have already postponed their summer plans. German officials have stressed that the pandemic will remain an integral part of daily life for a longer period of time. Germany's government did not yet want to comment on the impact of the ongoing restrictions on summer vacations. Austria's government, meanwhile, expects that limitations will persist until a vaccine becomes available. Video in Luxembourgish: Corona-Restriktioune warend Summervakanz Mir hunn nogefrot, mat wei enger Situatioun d'Leit an de Summermeint rechnen. Summer at home? Many people enjoyed the warm weather at the Kinnekswiss in one of Luxembourg City's most popular parks Some of Chinas largest cities have donated 40,000 face masks to Cork hospitals thanks to an almost 20-year twinning link. There are hopes of further deliveries of PPE and vital medical equipment from Shanghai, Wuxi, Hangzhou and Shenzen in the weeks ahead. The value of donations could be worth up to 500,000. Up to 21,000 masks have been given to Cork University Hospital (CUH) by Cork City Council, on behalf of the Shanghai Foreign Affairs Office and another 19,000 masks have been presented to the Mercy University Hospital (MUH) on the behalf of Wenzhou Chamber. The masks will be used by both frontline healthcare staff and patients. The HSE has also been made aware of the new supply route in the hope that it could explore additional PPE and medical equipment supply chains. Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr John Sheehan, said the masks donation illustrates the depth of the relationship between Cork city and China. "We are truly appreciative of this support and it once more underlines how challenges like Covid-19 can only be overcome by people working together," he said. Cork City Council has been developing ties with China since 2002 and in 2005, Cork became the first Irish city to twin with a Chinese city when it signed a Sister City agreement with the Shanghai Municipal Peoples Government - a city of around 25m people. It covers education, local government, culture and in recent years, public health and has been one of Corks most active and successful twinning links. It led to the signing of other partner city links, including in 2011, with the Hangzhou Municipal Peoples Government and the Wuxi Municipal Peoples Government, and in 2013, with the Shenzhen Municipal Peoples Government. PPE donations have also been made by the Ireland Cork Chinese Business Association, the government of Hangzhou, CAJ Senior Care Beijing, and the Ireland China Science and Technology Association for use in acute hospitals and other care settings including nursing homes. It comes as Google Ireland announced a 1m grant fund yesterday to help Irish NGOs deal with the fall-out of the Covid-19 pandemic. The grants, from Google Irelands philanthropic arm, Google.org, will be split evenly to fund certain groups and local communities as the country emerges slowly from lockdown. Among the NGOs to benefit are FoodCloud, ALONE, A Lust for Life, and the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, with Google Irelands local communities in Ringsend/Pearse St and Clondalkin/Tallaght also in line for a funding boost. Funding will also be provided to groups helping job seekers and SMEs as they and the economy try to recover. University of North Georgia (UNG) alumna Madelyn Beacham wants to attend graduate school in Turkey. UNG senior Candace Seabolt wants to step out of her comfort zone and into a foreign country. UNG alumnus Bernhard "Benny" Purk wants a cultural teaching experience to help determine his career path. Their dreams have turned into reality. The trio along with two alumnae Karley Mathews and Emile Phommavongsy have been selected as finalists for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program. The highly competitive and prestigious program enables graduates to pursue research activities, become English Teaching Assistants, or enroll in graduate school. UNG's five Fulbright finalists are: Fulbright also selected two alternates from UNG's 11 semifinalists. They include: Mark "Sam" Millwood, a December 2019 graduate from Ball Ground, Georgia, with a degree in strategic and security studies. He hopes to teach English in Bulgaria. Ashlynn Nash, a senior from Athens, Georgia, pursuing a degree in music education. She hopes to teach English in Indonesia. "Once again, UNG students have demonstrated our commitment to excellence and leadership, especially in a global context, said Dr. Anastasia Lin, assistant vice president of research and engagement. "I remain very impressed by each of this year's outstanding applicants, and I look forward to watching our students support the Fulbright mission of mutual understanding while abroad." Lin pointed out a few firsts among the Fulbright finalists. Beacham is the first UNG student to be awarded the scholarship for graduate school. The grant will pay for her tuition and living expenses. Seabolt and Nash are the first two students who started their collegiate careers on UNG's Blue Ridge and Oconee campuses, respectively. Seabolt is also the first Blue Ridge Scholar to earn a Fulbright scholarship. "I thought, 'Oh my goodness. This is really happening. I am going to be in another country for 11 months,'" said Seabolt, who has lived in Blue Ridge for most of her life. "Now, I am showing younger people that there is more to life than being in a small town and that we can step out of our comfort zone." Purk, however, will feel right at home in Germany. The 22-year-old's mother was born there and he has traveled there several times to visit family and friends for a few months. Now, Purk is looking forward to the nearly yearlong stay, especially since he didn't win the Fulbright scholarship last year. "After being disappointed last time, it is amazing to achieve this goal at the right time," Purk said. "Fulbright is a great step in the right direction for me. And if I enjoy the teaching experience, I may try it for another year." Phommavongsy is looking forward to immersing herself in the Laotian culture. The Lao-American said she has never been to the country that her parents called home. "Winning this scholarship is like a calling to home," Phommavongsy said. "I get to finally immerse myself with my parents' beautiful language, culture and rich history. Overall, I am super excited to connect with the community." The EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement is slated for adoption by Vietnams National Assembly this summer. On March 30, the Council of the European Union adopted a decision on the conclusion of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) after the European Parliaments ratification on February 12. It has paved the way for the deal to come into force in the early summer this year if the Vietnamese National Assembly also ratifies the agreement in May. The council adopted the decision on the conclusion of the EVFTA using a written procedure, not via a face-to-face meeting, as a result of the ongoing coronavirus outbreak. While the pandemic spreads and causes huge damage in almost every country in Europe, the EU council still worked out and offered a decision on the adoption of the EVFTA. The fact showed that the agreement was considered as a priority and important task of the council. Accordingly, the deal provides for the almost complete (99 percent) elimination of customs duties between the two blocks. Some 65 percent of duties on EU exports to Vietnam will disappear as soon as it enters into force, while the remainder will be phased out gradually over a period of up to 10 years. As regards Vietnamese exports to the EU, 71 percent of duties will disappear upon entry into force, the remainder being phased out over a period of up to seven years. The EVFTA will also reduce many of the existing non-tariff barriers to trade with Vietnam. Besides the foreseeable economic advantages, Vietnams intellectual property (IP) legal system is compulsory to make amendments to actively adapt to the new agreement. Articles on IP in the EVFTA adjust all subjects from copyright and industrial property rights to plant varieties. In general, the current Vietnamese legal system meets the requirements of the EVFTA. However, there are some new regulations regarding the IP rights that Vietnam must change to meet high-standard-requirements from the agreement. We would like to highlight points on IP under the agreement that may affect and offer opportunities for doing business in Vietnam in the coming time. Trademarks The highlight in trademarks concentrates on well-known marks and regulation on cancellation of a registered mark based on five-year non-use. Firstly, the EVFTA clearly states that for the purposes of giving effect to protection of well-known trademarks... the parties shall give consideration to the Joint Recommendation Concerning Provisions on the Protection of Well-Known Marks. Vietnamese IP law has stipulated criteria to define a well-known trademark. However, such criteria are quite vague and in practice, up to now, an official mechanism for recording a list of well-known marks does not work yet. In practice, both the owners of marks and trademark examiners have troubles in determining whether a mark is considered as well-known or not to take the same as a cited mark to refuse the other similar mark for protection. The requirements to specify and establish the identifying system applied for well-known marks are ordered and shall be based on the Joint Recommendation. Regarding cancellation of a registered trademark based on a five-year non-use ground, the trademark owner must to provide with evidence of genuine use (real use or actual use) to keep its trademark validity under the EVFTA. In the fifth footnote, the agreement explains that genuine use implies real use for the purpose of trading in the goods or services in question so as to generate goodwill. In general, this implies actual sales and there must have been some sales of the goods or providing of the services during the relevant period of time. Use in advertising may amount to genuine use. However, mere preparatory steps are not to be regarded as genuine use of a mark. Genuine use is opposed to token or artificial use designed solely to maintain the trademark on the register. The use of a trademark is one of the obligations of the trademark owner stipulated by the IP law of Vietnam, and the law just only lists which activities shall be considered as the use of trademark. The legal term genuine use/actual use has not yet been mentioned and defined. Therefore, it should be clarified in the next amended law to comply with the EVFTA. Accordingly, for business owners, to avoid cancellation by a third party, they must actually use their registered trademarks, namely the products or services bearing the trademark must be available in the market, within five years after the registration date. Geographic indicators There are 39 Vietnamese geographic indicators (GIs) and 169 EU GIs that will be protected under the agreement. For example, after 10 years from the validity date of the EVTFA, the current use of Champagne for wines by entrepreneurs and consumers in Vietnam must be stopped since this name shall be protected as a GI. Similarly, the use of four Asiago, Fontina, Gorgonzola, and Feta as names for cheese in Vietnam is only granted for those who made actual commercial use in good faith of those indications concerning products in the class of cheeses before January 1, 2017. The Vietnamese enterprises which are trading in wines and cheese should note these new regulations for their business. Patents Like the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), the EVFTA regulates the compensation patent owner for the reduction in the effective patent life resulting from unreasonable delays in the granting of the first marketing authorization in Vietnam territory. However, if the CPTPP allows the delay within five years from the filing date of patent into Vietnam or three years from the request date of substantive examination, depending on which comes later, the EVFTA regulates the stricter compensation that the patent examiner must issue the first notice/result on granting/refusing protection within two years from the filing date of patent into Vietnam. In practice, the duration for the authority to issue the first notice is more than two years from the patent filing date in Vietnam. This new content puts higher responsibility on the authority and patent examiners, since the overload currently at the Vietnam Intellectual Property Office while the number of patent examiners is limited. Considering some aspects, the earlier the patent has been granted, the more benefits the patent owner gains and this regulation is more favourable for the EU applicants because of their large number of patents sought to be protected. Design According to the agreement, a part of a product or a partial design in which its appearance is visible from use, regardless of the part is separable or inseparable, shall be protected. Currently, under the IP law of Vietnam, the design to be protected in the country must be a product or a part of the product that can be independently circulated in the market. For a part of products, it must be assembled physically to others. It means that a partial design or a design of an inseparable part of a product is not protected under the current IP law of Vietnam. Thanks to the EVFTA, a partial design shall be recognized and protected, giving the broader and deeper rights for design owners. The agreement also requires the protection of a design under copyright, and this content shall be recorded specifically in the law. Moreover, one of the obligations on design in the EVFTA is to join the Hague Systems, and this was completed by Vietnam in September 2019. Vietnamese enterprise action The EVFTA is a doorway for opportunities for both the IP legal system and businesses. Accordingly, the IP system can compete at a higher level based on the reference to the experience and regulations of the developed countries. Businesses can broaden their IP rights to the EU market with more convenience and optimal mechanisms, especially agricultural products of Vietnamese origin. On the other hand, the legal system also faces significant changes in operations to comply with the EVFTA. Businesses importing and using products under the licensing agreement may pay higher fees as well as encounter difficulties in approaching cheap products. Therefore, to attain the chance effectively as an early bird, businesses should consider immediately taking several measures. First, Vietnamese exporting enterprises should actively register the intellectual property assets such as trademarks, patents, and designs in the EU from now to ensure the legality for exporting products into the EU market. Normally, registering to obtain protection in the EU takes around a year. Once the articles of the EVFTA come into effect, the enterprises are already willing to catch the opportunities timely. Second, business owners should register the IP subjects in Vietnam to create their IP rights as well as a competitive advantage for doing business with foreign investors. Next, business owners in Vietnam should update the geographic indicators recognized by the EVFTA to avoid conflict of use or cause any confusion regarding the origin of products, especially if the products are produced by the order of the EU partners. Fourth, enterprises must seek a network with other Vietnamese companies in the same field to create a large and strong business community to share legal experience for import-export products from or into the EU. Finally, it must avoid violation or infringement upon intellectual property rights of other IP owners, which would lead to being punished and paying huge compensation. The EVFTA has created a modern playground with a huge market of about 500 million people and GDP estimated at $18 trillion for Vietnamese enterprises. In short, if all the advantages of the EVFTA are taken up, this is an undeniable chance for Vietnam to promote the economy and join the high-potential EU market. The main elements of the EVFTA * Removal of customs duties: 65 per cent of EU exports to Vietnam will be immediately duty free, with the rest - including motorcycles, cars, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, wines, chicken and pork - gradually liberalised over 10 years. Seventy-one per cent of Vietnamese exports to the EU will be duty free on day one, with the rest catching up in seven years. Duty-free Vietnamese exports of sensitive agricultural products, such as rice, garlic or eggs, will be limited; * Non-tariff barriers will be eliminated in the automotive sector, export and import licensing, and customs procedures. Vietnam accepted the Made in EU marking, beyond national markings of origin, for non-agricultural products; * Geographical indications: 169 emblematic EU products such as Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, Champagne, or Rioja wine, will enjoy protection in Vietnam, as will 39 Vietnamese products in the EU; * Services: EU companies will have improved access to business, environmental, postal and courier, banking, insurance and maritime transport services in Vietnam; * Public procurement: EU firms will be able to bid for contracts with Vietnamese ministries, state-owned enterprises, as well as with Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City; * Sustainable development: There are legally-binding rules on climate, labour and human rights. The agreement commits Vietnam to apply the Paris Agreement. Vietnam scheduled the ratification of two remaining bills on the abolition of forced labour and on freedom of association by 2020 and 2023, respectively. vir Tran Tuyen and Dieu Linh The thorny path of bringing cloth face masks to America, Europe As foreign partners have stopped placing orders, some textile and garment companies have shifted to producing cloth antibacterial face masks. However, not all have succeeded. By Online Desk The Centre has issued a warning against the use of plasma therapy on a day when the COVID-19 tally inched towards 30000. This includes over 22000 active cases. Meanwhile, top infectious disease experts and virologists welcomed the Centre's move to allow those who are pre-symptomatic or showing very mild symptoms to isolate themselves at home under certain conditions. "The move will allow people to take charge of their lives and it's good to let communities ensure quarantine. Trust is a key to controlling this epidemic," said virologist Dr Shahid Jameel, CEO of the Wellcome Trust India DBT Alliance. "The outbreak is a public health problem that has so far been treated like a law and order problem." Radio host Kyle Sandilands and his ex-girlfriend Imogen Anthony won't be selling their $3million farm in the NSW Southern Highlands, despite their break-up. They will be keeping the sprawling property because their 100 rescue animals still live there, a spokesperson for the former couple said on Monday. 'Kyle and Imogen will never sell the property,' the representative said when asked about the 61 hectare estate in Robertson, 90 minutes south of Sydney. Not for sale! Radio host Kyle Sandilands (left) and his ex-girlfriend Imogen Anthony (right) won't be selling their $3million farm in the NSW Southern Highlands, despite their break-up Home away from home: They will be keeping the sprawling property because their 100 rescue animals still live there, a spokesperson for the former couple said on Monday 'The farm is home to over 100 rescue animals who'll continue to be cared for,' they added. Imogen is currently self-isolating at the rural home, which the exes purchased two years ago, during the coronavirus pandemic. The pair had named the property 'Crimson Peak' after its red A-line roof structure. Home: Imogen is currently self-isolating at the rural home, which the exes purchased two years ago, during the coronavirus pandemic During their eight-year relationship, Kyle and Imogen had also rented a $5,000-per-week mansion in Mosman and a 3,000-per-week home in Hunters Hill. Kyle has amassed a considerable fortune thanks to his radio career and various business interests, and once confessed to earning $45,000 a day. Previously, it was reported he was earning $8million annually at KIIS FM. (He has since taken a pay cut due to the COVID-19 recession.) In the money: Kyle has amassed a considerable fortune thanks to his radio career and various business interests, and once confessed to earning $45,000 a day Kyle announced the couple's split on air in November last year. 'We haven't been with each other for quite a few months now. Unfortunately it's run its course,' he told listeners. He is now dating his former personal assistant Tegan Kynaston. A man walks inside a conference room used for meetings between military commanders of China and India, at the Indian side of the Indo-China border at Bumla By Aftab Ahmed and Aditya Kalra NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India plans to fast track the review of some investment proposals from neigbouring countries such as China following concerns new screening rules could hit plans of companies and investors, three sources told Reuters on Saturday. To avoid opportunistic takeovers during the coronavirus outbreak, India said this week that all foreign direct investment from countries sharing a land border would require prior government clearance, meaning they can't go through a so-called automatic route. Advisers to Chinese firms have said they are concerned the process could take several weeks and hit deals and investment timelines. Auto firms such as SAIC's MG Motor and Great Wall, and investors Alibaba and Tencent have placed major bets on India. The Chinese Embassy in New Delhi has called the new screening policy discriminatory. A senior Indian government source who is involved in policymaking told Reuters that New Delhi will try to approve any investment proposal in a non-sensitive sector within 15 days when the stake being bought is not significant. The official declined to elaborate on which sectors would be considered sensitive and what threshold of investment would be deemed significant. "We will try to fast track investment proposals as soon as possible. It may be faster for some (sectors) and in others we might take some time," said the official, who did not want to be named due to the sensitivity of the discussions. Two other sources familiar with the government's thinking confirmed that a fast track mechanism was being considered, with possible approval timelines of seven days to four weeks. India's ministry of commerce and industry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 'CHINA IS CONCERNED' While the fast track mechanism would be open to all India's neighbours with a land border, China would be the main beneficiary. Unlike Pakistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal and Bhutan, it has major existing and planned investments in India, which the Brookings research group estimated at $26 billion. Story continues Dipti Lavya Swain, a partner at Indian law firm HSA Advocates which advises Chinese companies, said sectors such as telecoms, financial services and insurance were likely to be deemed more sensitive than others such as automobiles and renewable energy. "Approvals should be a seamless process and anything between two to four weeks could still be bearable," Swain said. "Sectors which are already under severe financial distress and do not concern national security should also receive faster approvals." The new Indian screening rules are designed to prevent fire sales of corporate assets during the coronavirus outbreak but government sources have said they will also apply to greenfield investments, as well as investments from Hong Kong. Responding to Reuters questions this week, China's foreign ministry said it hoped for a better business environment as India had set up more barriers for some investors. "China is concerned. In the face of the economic downturn caused by the epidemic, countries should unite to overcome difficulties," it said in a statement dated April 22. (Reporting by Aftab Ahmed and Aditya Kalra; Additional reporting by Aditi Shah and Beijing newsroom; Editing by David Clarke) Editors Note: Longtime readers of the Winnipeg Free Press might remember a regular feature called Answers, where, in a time before Google, we answered readers questions. Since even Google does not have all the answers regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, reporter Alan Small will attempt to answer your novel coronavirus queries. Send your questions to coronavirusquestions@freepress.mb.ca. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 27/4/2020 (625 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Editors Note: Longtime readers of the Winnipeg Free Press might remember a regular feature called Answers, where, in a time before Google, we answered readers questions. Since even Google does not have all the answers regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, reporter Alan Small will attempt to answer your novel coronavirus queries. Send your questions to coronavirusquestions@freepress.mb.ca. QUESTION: Must people who visit their cabin at Lake of the Woods or anywhere in the Kenora, Ont., area quarantine for 14 days after returning to Manitoba? What if they visit cottages in Manitoba? Also, should people visit their cottages at all, even if they self-isolate and follow social-distancing recommendations? ANSWER: The province has issued a public health order requiring anyone coming to Manitoba from outside the province to self-isolate for 14 days. The order exempts Manitoba residents who regularly travel outside Manitoba to areas that are close to the border to work, access health services or for other essential purposes. Those purposes include accessing property or businesses. Public health officials advise Manitobans including those who have a cottage or second residence to stay home as much as possible to prevent the spread of COVID-19. If people must travel, they are encouraged to: only travel with family members; not visit with others upon arrival; avoid stopping for gas or other supplies on the way; and only visit local health-care providers if there is an emergency. QUESTION: There are plans to expand Manitoba's COVID-19 testing program. Will the program be open to any Manitoban or is there a priority list? ANSWER: Testing criteria will continue to expand and change as Manitoba develops testing capacity and identifies populations at risk, says the province's health department. Current criteria can be found on the provinces website (www.gov.mb.ca/covid19/locations.html). QUESTION: How long should those who have tested negative for the coronavirus self-isolate? ANSWER: Provincial health officials say if someone has had a possible or known exposure to COVID-19 which includes travel outside Manitoba in the last 14 days or contact with someone who has tested positive that person is required to self-isolate for the full 14 days from the exposure date, even if a COVID-19 test result is negative. QUESTION: How long does it take to recover from COVID-19? ANSWER: The amount of time varies, depending on the severity of the symptoms, say provincial health officials. There are no specific treatments for COVID-19. Most people with COVID-19 will recover on their own. However, some may require medical treatment. The recovery period for those patients depends on how sick a patient gets and what treatment doctors prescribe for COVID-19 symptoms. People who develop COVID-19 need to isolate for a minimum of 14 days, and that period may be longer if they continue to have symptoms. Jen Zoratti | Next A weekly look towards a post-pandemic future delivered to your inbox every Wednesday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. QUESTION: If someone contracts COVID-19 and recovers, do they become immune to the virus? ANSWER: Provincial health officials and infectious disease experts around the world are uncertain about whether immunity can be gained in this manner. In the meantime, officials continue to monitor and gather information about the novel coronavirus. Current evidence about other similar diseases suggests an individual with COVID-19 cannot get it again, but that is yet to be verified. Health officials also have yet to determine how long any immunity will last. QUESTION: Will COVID-19 become dormant once warm weather reaches Manitoba, in the same way many flu viruses do? ANSWER: Provincial health officials need to learn more about COVID-19 because it's such a new virus. There is no information about how the novel coronavirus will react to different kinds of weather. coronavirusquestions@freepress.mb.ca A spokesperson for Prince Charles has confirmed that nearly 200 members of staff working for The Princes Foundation had been furloughed, however the heir to the throne is privately funding their salaries - rather than turning to the governments furlough scheme. It was reported by the Daily Mail over the weekend that salaried staff working for the Prince would receive 100% of their wages, whereas variable hours employees would receive 80% - all of which would be funded by The Princes Foundation. The governments scheme sees furloughed employees earn 80% of their wages, funded by taxpayer money. Prince Charles working from home during lockdown / Clarence House Other companies such as Victoria Beckhams namesake fashion brand have applied to the scheme. The spokesperson said, The Prince's Foundation has put a number of staff on furlough. However, it is not accessing financial support from the Government's job retention scheme. Where possible, some staff are continuing to work from home. The Prince's Foundation is paying the salaries of its staff, they continued. It is also believed that Michael Fawcett, who leads The Princes Foundation, has taken a pay cut. Charles and Camilla pose for a photo with their dogs Beth and Bluebell / AP The Princes Foundation was created in 2018 - merging together a number of organisations under Prince Charles' remit - with the aim to champion a sustainable approach to how we live our lives and build our homes. The charity also oversees properties such as Dumfries House and the Castle of Mey, which contribute to funds via visits, events and fees according to the Daily Mail. Buckingham Palace before (below) and after (above) the coronavirus lockdown / AP With many royal properties closed to the public over the lockdown period, a Royal Collection Trust spokesperson said to the Daily Mail that there were no plans to furlough Royal Household colleagues. Amid the gloom of the Covid-19 outbreak, five-year-old Karan Bansals cancer recovery has brought a cheer to his family and his village, Budhlada. Karan, who won the battle against cancer on April 24, finally went back to his village with his parents after undergoing chemotherapy sessions for six months at the Dayanand Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) here. Karan was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma, a cancer that starts in the lymphatic system and occurs when the body produces too many abnormal lymphocytes, a type of white blood cells. While his condition was detected in September last year, his chemotherapy sessions started on November 26. His father, Suresh Kumar Bansal, who runs a small cosmetic shop in his village, said he, along with his wife Raj Rani, was always with Karan in Ludhiana while his two daughters Khushi and Dwanshi stayed back with their grandmother Urmila in the village. These six months were the toughest phase of over lives. Only a parent can understand how it feels when you learn that your four-year-old son is in the fourth stage cancer. But Im glad that all that is over now and my son is healthy, laughing and playing with his sisters, said Bansal. After completing his session on April 18 and follow-up on April 22, he was given clearance by the team of doctors, who had been treating him, last week. The curfew, imposed by the government to contain the spread of coronavirus, has also affected Bansal family and their small business, but the joy of having their son back has overshadowed every distress for now. Due to my sons treatment, I have kept my shop closed for the past eight months. We have already exhausted all our savings and are surviving on the money that we borrowed from our relatives. We are in a tough spot, but the joy of having our son back after winning a battle against cancer has overshadowed even the distress caused by the pandemic. We thank God every day for healing our son and also the hospital staff and NGO, CanKids, that helped us financially and emotionally throughout the whole process, said Suresh. Karan also celebrated his 5th birthday by cutting a homemade cake made by his mother. On his birthday, Karan wanted a bicycle, but due to lockdown and our current financial condition, I cant afford it, but he is a really sweet kid. He was happy with cake and balloons and being back with his family, Suresh added. For people suffering from coronavirus, Suresh said recovery from all deadly diseases depended on willpower. Faith in God and strong willpower are the strengths in such times. Even though my son was fighting cancer, his smile and our faith in God were our strengths. I want to advise the Covid-19 positive patients not to lose hope and keep fighting with faith in God, he added. Alabama businesses can again apply for special loans from the federal government because of the coronavirus pandemic. The Small Business Administration resumed accepting Paycheck Protection Program loan applications this morning. However, the Alabama Bankers Association said banks were having problems using the SBAs system for taking applications. Related: Small business loan applications not going through, bank association says Congress replenished the funding for the program, which ran out of money on April 16. Before that, financial institutions issued 28,000 paycheck protection loans totaling $4.9 billion in Alabama. Here is the link to the SBA for information. Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey urged Alabama small businesses to take advantage of the program in a press release this morning. Alabama small businesses are the lifeblood of our states economy, and I am grateful to the Small Business Administration and the federal government for offering them a critical lifeline during these uncertain times, Ivey said. The Paycheck Protection Program has been an effective tool for us in Alabama, and I am proud that the SBA is once again accepting PPP applications. As we work to gradually phase back in our business operations, I urge all small businesses to quickly take advantage of this assistance and to contact your banking institution or financial planner today. Updated at 7:19 p.m. to say there were problems with the SBA loan application process. With AirAsia resuming its flight services for selected domestic routes on 29 April 2020, the airline has implemented a new round of safety measures to avoid the spread of the Covid-19 virus. One of the new safety measures in place is the reduction of AirAsias cabin baggage allowance from 7kg to 5kg. To facilitate social distancing especially during embarkation and disembarkation, we will allow only one piece of cabin baggage not exceeding 5kg for each guest, said AirAsia in an email on these new measures. The cabin baggage can either be a laptop bag, handbag, OR a small bag passengers are not allowed to bring more than one piece of carry-on luggage. This will help minimise unwanted contact between you and another guests baggage and vice versa, the airline explained. AirAsia has also changed the maximum size of your allowed carry-on bag from 56cm (height) x 36cm (width) x 23cm (depth) to 40cm x 30cm x 10cm. Passengers will be required to wear a face mask before, during, and after the flight including during check-in and bag collection. Those without a mask will be denied boarding, and it is your responsibility to bring your own mask to the airport. This measure is similar to the one implemented by Malaysia Airlines, which also requires its passengers to bring and wear their own masks while travelling. Besides that, AirAsia passengers are reminded to arrive early at the airport to allow for enough time for all necessary safety processes to take place preferably 3 hours before departure. It is also your responsibility to ensure that you are eligible to travel before booking a flight, taking into account any travel restrictions and special requirements. In its email, AirAsia further expanded on its other on-ground and in-air measures to ensure the highest standards of safety and hygiene, including aircraft cleaning and special pre-flight, in-flight, and arrival procedures. Most of these measures were already in place before AirAsia suspended its flights due to the movement control order (MCO). 1 1 vote Article Rating SHARE UK households are expected to lose 515 in post-tax income each month, April to June, as a result of attacks on their living standards during the coronavirus pandemic. Consultancy firm, the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR), found that households will suffer an overall 43 billion lossequating to a 17 percent reduction in monthly household disposable income (income adjusted for taxes and benefits.) The CEBR bases its estimate on several factors: increased unemployment, cuts to income and reductions in working hours. The reality is that the impact on millions of workers goes much further and deeper than the study outlines. The report cites Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) data showing there were 950,000 applications for universal credit (UC) between March 16-31almost 10 times the number in a typical two-week period. The universal credit helpline was flooded by newly unemployed workers during March, with 5.8 million calls in seven days, and 2.2 million calls in a single day on March 30. Panicked callers reported on Twitter waiting hours on the phone over many days. The CEBR report is premised on the Office for Budget Responsibility estimates that job losses could reach up to 2.1 million in the second quarter. According to data issued last week, the number of UC claims had already hit 1.8 million by April 12. The report notes, Benefits claims will replace some of the lost disposable income, but not all of it, leaving UK households 1.5 billion out of pocket per month. For payrolled employees, the governmentin a bailout worth hundreds of billions for corporationshas agreed to pay 80 percent of wages through its furlough scheme. The CEBR states that one in three private sector workers could be furloughed and the impact of the furlough scheme on incomes varies depending on what is agreed between employers and employees, but in the majority of cases workers will see at least a 20% fall in their gross earning. The report notes that even though the scheme will save many from redundancy, there will still be a sizeable hit to disposable incomes, which we estimate to stand at 3.9 billion per month. The CEBR states, Without the governments furlough scheme, the cost to households of coronavirus would easily be double what we have estimated. However, the scheme will only last until the end of June, after which the future of many furloughed workers, under conditions of a deep recession, is perilous. According to Guardian economics editor Larry Elliott, the furlough scheme could simply delay a massive rise in unemployment. Furloughed workers are really an army of the hidden unemployed, he says, who will become more visible once state subsidies end. As the world economy attempts to recover from what the International Monetary Fund says is its biggest hit since the Great Depression, many of these jobs may no longer exist, with a greater burden placed on the remaining workforce. Millions of self-employed people will receive no support at all until June, when it will be judged if they are eligible for a grant of 80 percent of their average earnings. This means sole traders such as drivers, childminders, beauticians and cleaners, whose income suddenly stopped with the lock-down, must attempt to find a way to survive on savings, loans or benefits for at least three months. The CEBR points out that this dire situation will significantly affect household finances, adding a further hit of 3.5 billion to disposable incomes per month. Devastating for many, the government is exploiting a technicality in the structure of umbrella company contracts. Those freelancers, contractors and agency workers who are employed through umbrella companies will be not be eligible for 80 percent of their average earnings but only for 80 percent of the minimum wage. Many workers in some of the most precarious financial situation, on flexible or zero hours contracts, face destitution. The CEBRs report says, The nearly 4 million workers in the UK on flexible hours or zero-hours contracts have also inevitably been hit by this crisis, as it is easy for companies to reduce costs by scaling back their hours. Analysis has shown that people with variable hours expect to earn only 59% of their usual income as a result of the coronavirus shutdown. Even this is a gross underestimate of the real situation. A new survey by AppJobs, an online platform that compares app-based jobs around the world, reports that almost 70 percent of gig economy workers have no earnings at all now. Only 23 percent have any savings and as a result 89 percent are looking for a new source of income. Many workers in the grey economy, from cash-in-hand builders to home hairdressers, risk contracting and spreading the virus as they attempt to keep working in order to survive. This hidden workforce is mostly made up of young, low-income households earning less than 10,000 a year. John Philpott, of the Jobs Economist consultancy, said, They are going to be very tempted to keep going. They are people who are living from hand to mouth constantly, who are going to have to scrimp for whatever they can get They are going to be pretty desperate. Facing an impossible situation, many employees are being told they must choose between taking further pay cuts or losing their job altogether. The CEBR report highlights the losses suffered by employees of corporations such as Heathrow Airport and the Grant Thornton accounting firm, which have been asked to accept wage cuts of up to 40 percent while the coronavirus impacts their business. The CEBR reports that these examples are part of total wage reductions and scaling back of working hours for people with variable hours contracts that are estimated to result in a further 5.3 billion monthly hit to households disposable incomes. Trade unions, such as Unite and GMB, acted well ahead of the corporations latest cuts in assisting the slashing of workers incomes. In February, the unions sanctioned a 10 percent cut in salary and allowances for their members at Heathrow, under the cynical guise of fighting to ringfence as many jobs in the future and play our part in protecting as many colleagues as possible. Workers livelihoods are not being protected but are being handed over by the unions to ensure the continued profitability of billion-pound corporations. All this is only a hint of the major restructuring that is taking place, of both the labour market and the social position of the working class. Conservative Chancellor Rishi Sunak warned that money given to corporations as part of the 350 billion due to the pandemic will need to be paid back at some point as part of chipping in together to right the ship. The reality is that the corporations and super-rich are getting a massive bailout and the working class are being forced to pay whatever is required to reimburse any losses incurred by the ruling elite. They are paying with deep cuts to their income and working conditions, further destruction of their public services and social protections, and if necessarytheir livesas the drum beat for a return to work and production for profit grows ever louder, while the pandemic continues to rage. The reported 515 monthly loss per household represents the tip of the iceberg. The colossal collapse in workers income in Britain is being experienced by workers across the world. This is the situation just a few weeks into a crisis that has transformed daily life for almost everyone, with no end in sight. As banks, corporations and their shareholders are gifted with trillions, struggling workers everywhere are confrontedsuddenly and starklywith the reality of who is going to pay. City officials in Worcester condemned the decision of the Adams Square Baptist Church pastor to have an in-person service Sunday. Pastor Kristopher Casey announced last week on Facebook that he would be conducting service on Sunday after much consideration and prayer. The post said he sent a letter of his decision to Gov. Charlie Baker and Mayor Joseph Petty. The service had 56 people attend the service on Sunday. Im deeply disappointed as mayor that Pastor Kristopher Casey chose to violate the order of the governor and city manager and chose to endanger his parishioners and the city as a whole by holding services, Petty said Monday. Across Massachusetts men and women of faith have chosen to follow the best medical advice from professionals and conduct worship services virtually. Police arrived at Adams Square Baptist Church on Sunday but it was after the service ended, City Manager Edward Augustus Jr. said. A letter from Augustus was hand-delivered by Worcester Police Chief Steven Sargent to Casey informing the pastor to comply with the governors order. Sargent also reminded the pastor he is required to follow the order. Augustus said the pastor intends hold future services, including one on Wednesday. It is not optional. It is an order the governor has issued that applies to every faith equally, Augustus said. Augustus said the church has been warned after Sundays service. Future violations could result in fines. Were hopeful that theyre going to see the light as it were and make the decision to do the right thing by both their parishioners and the wider community and do what every other faith based group in Worcester and the state of Massachusetts has done, which is protect the public health, Augustus said. Weve come this far, we cant back off now. In his Facebook post, Casey said churches should be essential considering businesses such as liquor stores remain open at this time. The governors order also doesnt prohibit the closings of churches. It would seem that religious services are the only essential function whose core activity association for the purpose of worship has been basically eliminated, Casey said. Such a shut-down of religious services violates clear Constitutional rights under the 1st and 14th Amendments. In the Augustus letter, he states the governors order doesnt discriminate against or favor any religion. Augustus also said the Tenth Amendment allows for an order to exercise power to protect public health. On Monday, the city announced 55 new cases of coronavirus pushing the total number of cases to 1,806. On a state level, the Department of Public Health announced 1,524 new cases and 104 more deaths, pushing the total number of lives claimed by the virus to more than 3,000 within the state. It really is important for all of us to do what we can because the consequences may not only be for your parishioners, they may be for the wider community, for other vulnerable people in our community and it sets back the progress were making in all of us doing our part in complying with the social distancing orders, Augustus said. Since April 1, Worcester has averaged more than 60 new cases a day. Ninety-four percent of the cases in the city have occurred in April. As of Monday night, 259 patients were hospitalized in Worcester with COVID-19 with 98 in the ICU. At the DCU Center, 31 homeless individuals had tested positive with 19 other individuals being cared for where Reliant Medical Group began caring for patients over the weekend. Related Content: Luan Parle is due to perform at Whale Theatre in Greystones on Saturday, May 16. Tickets are 18 or 16 concession at whaletheatre.ie. Meteor & Tatler Award winner Luan Parle has had numerous hits and accolades, including Meteor Award for Best Irish Female. Her top 10 hit single 'Ghost' spent three months in the Irish charts and was the most played Irish single of that year. Parle signed her first record deal at just 12 years of age before later signing with Sony Music and Elton John's management company Twenty First Artists. She has written and recorded with some of the world's most successful songwriters and producers, including Grammy award-winning Bill Bottrell (Sheryl Crow, Michael Jackson, Prince, Travelling Wilburys, Elton John) and Billy Steinberg (Madonna, Roy Orbison, Cyndi Lauper, The Pretenders, Whitney Houston, The Bangles, Celine Dion). Luan will be playing songs from her new album 'Never Say Goodbye', which was released in February. The album features 10 original tracks, including two co-writes with Dire Straits guitarist Hal Lindes. This is the fourth album release from the Wicklow-born songstress. She will be accompanied by renowned guitarist Clive Barnes. Researchers at the University of Louisville have discovered an application for their research in fighting the novel coronavirus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic. Researcher Paula Bates, John Trent, and Don Miller developed a therapeutic drug that could potentially block the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic. Their research was initially aimed at helping patients suffering from multiple types of cancer. Like many scientists, as soon as I heard about the new coronavirus, I wanted to help and started to think about how my area of research might intersect with coronavirus research efforts, said Dr. Bates. Thats when I realized that maybe the work I had been doing in the past toward developing anti-cancer drugs could actually be useful to treat coronavirus. She partnered with fellow researcher Kenneth Palmer to adapt her research against the coronavirus. Palmer is the director of UofLs Center for Predictive Medicine for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases (CPM). Hes been involved in other COVID-19 related projects, including one named Q-Griffithsin. Aptamers and COVID-19 Dr. Batess research is designed around a piece of artificial genetic code, called an aptamer. Also called artificial antibodies, or nucleic acid antibodies, these are small single-stranded bits of RNA or DNA which fold to form to complex structures. They then bind to a prespecified target like proteins with high affinity and specificity. DNA Molecule Model. Image Credit: UGREEN 3S / Shutterstock The specificity is because of a variable region that consists of about 40 nucleotide bases, which confers both the unique structure and ligand binding capability. They are capable of selecting between targets with a difference of just one functional group. The binding between aptamer and target is primarily because of electrostatic interactions, which, of course, depends on the variability of the sequences in different aptamers. Aptamers bind differently to small and big molecules. While they engulf the small molecules, they typically interact only with the external surface of big molecules. Aptamers can work under a variety of physiological conditions and can be modified to accommodate labels such as biotin or fluorescent labels. This makes aptamer production highly controlled and reproducible. The importance of aptamer technology is the ability of aptamers to bind to viruses, cells, and tissues. This makes them suited to applications like drug discovery, diagnostic, and therapeutic applications. The role of nucleolin Aptamers that bind to a specific protein called nucleolin are important as potential therapeutic agents against cancer cells. Nucleolin is a protein found in abundance in the nucleolus, accounting for 10% of nucleolar protein. The nucleolus is concerned with protein synthesis, being the site of ribosomal RNA production. In a metabolically active cell, and therefore within proliferating cells, the nucleolus is large and prominent. Nucleolin is found in the nucleolus within the nucleus, cytoplasm, the inner side of the cell membrane, and even on the cell surface in some situations. It is found at higher than normal levels on the cell surface and the cytoplasm in most cancer cells and seems to be linked to cancer progression. Nucleolin has several different functions, involving protein synthesis by ribosomal RNA production, ATPase activity, and cell cycle regulation. Inhibition of nucleolin causes disruption of the nucleolus, the arrest of the cell cycle, and defective centrosome duplication. Viruses such as SARS-CoV-2 work by hijacking nucleolin to make use of its functions to bring about viral replication inside the host cell. The aptamer developed by the UofL researchers can help to prevent this from happening, binding to nucleolin to prevent the virus from reproducing in cells. Will this work against SARS-CoV-2? Palmer has conducted proof-of-concept experiments showing that relatively low doses of the drug are effective against the coronavirus. Even better, the treatment has already been tested in these doses on cancer patients, showing few adverse side effects. It might speed things up a bit, Bates said. It might allow us to get into clinical trials with the coronavirus faster than trying to find a new drug from scratch. Dr. Bates says theyre lucky to have access to University of Louisianas facilities, which include one of the few biocontainment labs in the U.S.A, and the only one in Kentucky. It complies with federal safety and security regulations and was established by the NHS to conduct research on infectious pathogens. This lab has stringent safety measures and has a Biosafety Level Three safety rating. All this is what enables researchers to work with the SARS-Cov2 virus while minimizing risk both to themselves and the populace. Dr. Bates and her team are trying to expedite the process of getting approval to test their drug on COVID-19 patients who are severely ill. This process includes an application to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA. She says shes cautiously optimistic that theyll get the green light in the near future. Boston Mayor Marty Walsh on Monday said May 4, the day Gov. Charlie Bakers executive order closing businesses statewide is set to expire, is too soon for Boston to start doing business again. There is no question May 4 is too early, Walsh said during a press conference. His comments come just hours after Baker told reporters that his administration will decide on whether to reopen the state or extend the order later in the week. I can tell you right now Boston will not reopen on May 4. Walsh said the city now has at least 8,159 cases of coronavirus, up 249 cases from Sunday. So far, 302 Boston residents have died of COVID-19. The city has recently been identified as a hotspot for the virus. Researchers at Northeastern University said that there may have actually been up to 2,300 infections in Boston on March 2, when officials reported a second case of the virus. Walsh urged residents to continue to social distance and stay inside as warmer spring weather approaches. Id have serious concerns if we start relaxing some of the measures weve taken in Boston and across the commonwealth on May 4, especially if its done without clear and thoughtful plan," Walsh said. This week, 1,000 Boston residents will participate in an MGH study to evaluate community exposure to the virus. Hospital officials will collect data of 1,000 asymptomatic Boston residents this week by administering testing for both the COVID-19 virus and COVID-19 antibodies. The sampling will focus on residents living in East Boston, Roslindale and within parts of Dorchester. Related Content: An 'inseparable' elderly couple died from coronavirus within a day of each other after a life devoted to West Ham United and the Royal British Legion, it emerged today. Betty Hill passed away at Newham University Hospital, east London, the morning after husband Ken died at home. The couple, 72 and 69, from Plaistow had been together for 42 years but were married for 15 years. They were lifelong West Ham United fans and had teamed up with the Royal British Legion to arrange the Hammers' Remembrance Day memorial. Betty Hill passed away at Newham University Hospital, east London, the morning after husband Ken died at home (pictured together) Sharon Stevens, one of Mrs Hill's two daughters from a previous marriage, told the Evening Standard: 'They were inseparable. Their life was the Legion.' The 50-year-old added: 'They loved organising the trips and services, everyone there loved them. 'It's been incredibly hard to lose them both in this way. We will be organising a big memorial when this is all over to give them the send off they really deserve.' The couple, 72 and 69, from Plaistow had been together for 42 years but were married for 15 years Mrs Hill, who was a cleaner for Newham Council, was put on a ventilator after being rushed to hospital on March 22. Mr Hill, a former Royal Corps of Transport serviceman, had been suffering with a cough and tested positive for coronavirus. But he was discharged from hospital because his health did not appear to be deteriorating. He died at home on April 2. Mrs Hill was taken off a ventilator and died the next morning. A West Ham spokesman said the club was 'deeply saddened by the passing of lifelong Hammers Betty and Ken Hill'. The UK today announced a further 350 people had died of coronavirus - the lowest daily count recorded since March 30. Jaipur, April 27 : Rajasthan Tourism Minister Vishvendra Singh on Monday said that these are unprecedented times and all need to work together to rejuvenate the tourism sector in the desert state. He was speaking at the Rajasthan Revival Summit here. The meeting witnessed multifarious suggestions on reviving tourism in Rajasthan in these times of global pandemic and post-corona. At the meeting, he brainstormed with various tourism stakeholders. Rajsamand BJP MP, Diya Kumari who is also a member of the Parliament Consultative Committee on Tourism was present. The minister said all parties have to work together. The minister said that an aggressive marketing campaign will be undertaken to project Rajasthan as the preferred tourist destination for domestic tourists. He said new circuits will have to be worked on focusing on spiritual, wildlife and adventure tourism. The Palace on Wheels which had 98 per cent foreign travellers will also focus on the domestic tours. The itinerary will also be changed accordingly. Singh also suggested that the website of the Department needs to be revamped and social media be made more innovative and creative. He also informed that a committee on the health and hygiene issues has been formed within the Department. They will focus on the various health guidelines informed by the Health department to be followed. On a suggestion made by internationally acclaimed Kalbeliya dancer, Gulabo, the Minister replied that craftspersons and folk performers need to be looked after during these times and a package will be organised for them as well. Diya Kumari said that the fixed prices for electricity need to be reconsidered in these trying times. The industrial rates should be levied. She said that the Tourism Department needs to undertake a proactive advertising campaign in the leading newspapers and channels. She also urged that the Palace on Wheels should tie up with private museums and monuments. This will give them a boost as well. She also emphasised on a proper health guideline to be given for the visiting tourist after the lockdown is lifted. Representative of Indian Heritage Hotels Association (IHHA) and Federation of Hospitality and Tourism of Rajasthan (FHTR), Randhir Vikram Singh said that there should be a toll-free number for the tourists so that they can get immediate information about the state. He also emphasised that film shooting was another potential area in which the government needed to support waiving the fee and making the required permissions for shooting easier. He said a Domestic Tourism Mart should be immediately planned in Jaipur with familiarisation tours of the travel agents organised all over the state. Other suggestions discussed pertained to the GST rates for hotels, reduction of GST rates, and improvement in hygiene. Also a part of the meeting were heritage hoteliers, General Managers of leading luxury hotel chains, and conservationists, among others. JACKSON, MI Two more deaths have been reported in Jackson County due to the novel coronavirus, health officials said Monday. The county death toll is now at 18, according to the Jackson County Health Department. There have also been 14 new cases of COVID-19 reported bringing the total to 337. State numbers, released at 3 p.m. have Jackson County at 341 confirmed cases. Some cases are reassigned after the state requests provisional data at 10 a.m. each day, so that could account for the discrepancy. McDevitt Avenue in Summit Township closing through August Updated information from Henry Ford Allegiance Health is not available. The hospital is keeping track of how many cases of COVID-19 it is treating, how many patients are under investigation for COVID-19 and how many have recovered and been discharged here. The hospital shared a graph of admitted positive coronavirus patients from March 23 to April 24 on Facebook Saturday. A downward trend is occurring in the curve, and the hospital encourages Jackson County residents to stay home to help that continue. Michigan extends personal protection orders during coronavirus crisis Of all Jackson County cases, 153 are men, and 184 are women, per the Jackson County Health Department. Eighteen percent of Jackson Countys cases are people between age 50 and 59, while 20 percent are people 40 to 49. The percentage of people 60 to 69 with COVID-19 is at 18 percent. Browser does not support frames. Positive COVID-19 results from the prisons in Jackson County are not included in the health departments data. No new coronavirus-related deaths have occurred at Parnall Correctional Facility leaving the death toll at seven, per Michigan Department of Corrections. No more inmates have tested positive for COVID-19 at the Parnall Correctional Facility, leaving the total at 170 confirmed cases, 30 negative tests and eight results pending, per MDOC. Of the inmates who tested positive, 63 have recovered and been moved to a step-down unit where the prisoners arent in contact with others, according to MDOC. It has been 30 days since 10 of those inmates started having symptoms of COVID-19. They are considered recovered by MDOC. No additional Parnall employees tested positive for COVID-19 and the total remains at 70, according to MDOC. Jackson District Court will hold virtual hearings during coronavirus pandemic The G. Robert Cotton Facility has 108 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 68 negative results. No deaths have occurred due to COVID-19, per MDOC. There are 15 employees with the virus. There are 27 confirmed cases of COVID-19 at the Duane Waters Health Center with 31 negative cases and one result pending. Two inmate deaths have occurred, but no employees have tested positive for coronavirus, according to MDOC. Michigan has 38,210 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 3,407 deaths caused by the disease as of 3 p.m. Monday, April 27. Monday, April 27: Latest developments on coronavirus in Michigan Read all of MLives coverage on the coronavirus at mlive.com/coronavirus. Additional information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus. 31 December / 13 January . . (439). . ( 2015). . , . (1646). . ., . (1945) (.). . (1937); . (1938). , . . 2020 was a year marked by hardships and challenges, but the Fauquier community has proven resilient. The Fauquier Times is honored to serve as your community companion. To say thank you for your continued support, wed like to offer all our subscribers -- new or returning -- 4 WEEKS FREE DIGITAL AND PRINT ACCESS. We understand the importance of working to keep our community strong and connected. As we move forward together into 2021, it will take commitment, communication, creativity, and a strong connection with those who are most affected by the stories we cover. We are dedicated to providing the reliable, local journalism you have come to expect. We are committed to serving you with renewed energy and growing resources. Let the Fauquier Times be your community companion throughout 2021, and for many years to come. Kangana Ranauts Thalaivi Will Not Reign If Rains Wreck Havoc On Set, Film Incurs Huge Loss Republic TV editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami was questioned by police here on Monday in a case against him for allegedly making defamatory statements against Congress president Sonia Gandhi in shows on the recent mob lynching incident in adjoining Palghar district. Goswami's questioning took place at the NM Joshi Marg police station, central Mumbai, where the case against him has been filed by a local Congress member. After coming out of the police station, Goswami claimed he was questioned for over 12 hours over his remarks against the Congress president, whose party is a constituent in the Shiv Sena-led government in Maharashtra. Talking to reporters, Goswami stood by his comments against Gandhi and added "whatever I have said is absolutely correct". The TV journalist said he told the police his side of the story and they were "completely satisfied". Goswami he was served a notice by the police on Sunday asking him to appear on Monday morning for questioning. "Facts and evidence have been presented and truth will prevail," he said. I am grateful to the Mumbai police for hearing me... I stand by every single comment. We do not have any pressure and we will work more on the Palghar lynching incident," he said. His lawyer Sujoy Kanthawala said, Statement recording started around 9.30 in the morning. The TV programmes (where alleged anti-Gandhi remarks were made) were shown and Arnab fully cooperated in the investigation. DCP (zone 3) Avinash Kumar said, "We have recorded his statement and further investigation was on." The Supreme Court on Friday protected Goswami for three weeks from any coercive action in FIR lodged against him for making alleged defamatory statements against Gandhi. The alleged statements were made during shows on the recent mob-lynching of three persons, including two sadhus, in Palghar district. Except for one FIR lodged in Nagpur city against Goswami, the top court had stayed further proceedings in three FIRs and 11 complaints lodged in different states, including Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand. Goswami has said in his plea in the SC that the FIRs which have been registered are in relation to the broadcasts aired on Republic TV on April 16, and R. Bharat, its Hindi wing, on April 21. These broadcasts were in connection with the comments given by a member of the Congress in relation to India's COVID-19 testing measures and the unfortunate lynching of three individuals in Palghar on April 16, he had said in the plea. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Africas largest oil producer, OPEC member Nigeria, has yet to figure out how and from where to cut production as part of the OPEC+ deal, and this has led to a delay in the May and June crude oil export plans of Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), trading sources told Reuters on Monday. The new OPEC+ production cut deal to remove a total of 9.7 million bpd from the market in May and June enters into force on May 1. Nigeria will be producing 1.412 million bpd in May-June 2020, 1.495 million bpd in July-December 2020, and 1.579 million bpd between January 2021 and April 2022, as part of the OPEC+ agreement, Nigerias Ministry of Petroleum Resources said in a statement after OPEC+ sealed the deal on April 12. This is in addition to condensate production of 360,000 bpd to 460,000 bpd from which Nigeria is exempt from the cuts, the ministry noted. According to OPECs secondary sources in its official production figures for March 2020, Nigeria pumped 1.853 million bpd of crude oil in March, up by 65,000 bpd compared to February. Since NNPC operates many of the oilfields in Nigeria in joint ventures with international oil majors, including Exxon, Chevron, Shell, and Eni, the Nigerian state oil firm is still negotiating the cuts with oil majors. This is the reason why the crude oil loading program for June and the official selling prices (OSPs) for May have been delayed, a trading source told Reuters. According to other trading sources who spoke to Reuters, Nigerias flagship Bonny Light crude grade has been recently offered at a discount of $5 a barrel to dated Brent, while it would have fetched a premium of $3 a barrel over Brent if market conditions were normal. There are April and May cargoes of Nigerian oil that have not been sold yet, other sources saya sign that demand is so depressed that no one wants even oil at $15 a barrel or less. In these circumstances, Nigeria has no other choice but to cut its production. We have to cut down, whether with or without OPEC output cut deal. We have to reduce our oil production level because we do not have where to take the oil to, till the situation improves. The impact of the crisis is global and not on Nigeria alone, Mele Kyari, Group Managing Director at NNPC, told Nigerias Premium Times last week. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: BUENOS AIRES, Argentina, April 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Banco BBVA Argentina S.A. (NYSE & BYMA & MAE: BBAR; LATIBEX: XBBAR), today announced the filing of its Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year 2019 Banco BBVA Argentina S.A. informs that it has filed its Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year 2019 with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). This document is also available in the company's Investor Relations website: ir.bbva.com.ar/en, in the 20-F section under Financial Information. Hard copies of the company's Audited Consolidated Financial Statements and Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year 2019, are available upon request, free of charge, by contacting Ines Lanusse in the Investor Relations Department. Contact Details Ines Lanusse Investor Relations Officer (+54) 11 4341 5040 [email protected] About BBVA in Argentina Banco BBVA Argentina (NYSE, BYMA, MAE: BBAR; LATIBEX: XBBAR) is a subsidiary of the BBVA Group, the principal shareholder since 1996. In Argentina, it is one of the leading private financial institutions since 1886. Nationwide, Banco BBVA Argentina offers retail and corporate banking to a broad customer base, including: individuals, SME's, and large-sized companies. Banco BBVA Argentina's purpose is to bring the age of opportunities to everyone, based on our customers' real needs, providing the best solutions, and helping them make the best financial decisions, through an easy and convenient experience. The institution rests in solid values: "Customer comes first, we think big and we are one team". At the same time, its responsible banking model aspires to achieve a more inclusive and sustainable society. SOURCE Banco BBVA Argentina There are now over 3.01 million confirmed COVID-19 cases in the world and over 207,500 patients have lost their lives. There are now over 3.01 million confirmed COVID-19 cases in the world and over 207,500 patients have lost their lives. Boris Johnson, the UK Prime Minister, returned to work today after spending several nights in the ICU suffering from the disease. Here are some other major developments from today. Various countries loosen lockdown measures Australia, New Zealand, Iran and Spain and Italy announced that they would ease lockdown measures. Italy has said that manufacturing can resume by the 4th of May, however, schools will not reopen until September. Spain saw fewer than 300 deaths in a day for the first time in weeks on Saturday; children under 14 will now be allowed to go outside to play for the first time since mid-March. Previously, some non-essential workers were allowed to resume work as well. In New Zealand, the courts and Parliament will reopen, and some 400,000 people will return to work. Restaurants will reopen on Tuesday as well. Various US states such as Minnesota, Colorado, Montana also announced they would be lifting restrictions. Afghanistan to free a large number of prisoners fearing an outbreak Afghanistan has said that it will release over 22,000 prisoners, out of a total of 36,000, given the threat of COVID-19. So far, just over 1,700 cases have been confirmed, but this is considered a gross undercount. Of these, 172 were confirmed in the last 24 hours, the largest single-day jump seen in the country so far. Returning workers from Iran are considered a health risk, given that Iran has been hit much worse by the pandemic. The war-torn country has limited healthcare facilities and an outbreak could be devastating. According to officials, Afghani prisons are over capacity and freeing prisoners will assist in physical distancing measures. Chile to introduce immunity passports Chile will introduce release certificates to citizens who have recovered from COVID-19 so that they can return to work and the country can return to normalcy. The WHO has warned that there is no guarantee that those who recover from the disease cannot be reinfected. More research needs to be conducted on the degree of immunity that is gained after clearing the disease. Critics also say that the certificates could confer a false sense of security and exacerbate outbreaks. Chilean health authorities acknowledged that while full immunity is not guaranteed, it is reasonable to assume that people are immune at least in the short term. Again, there is no evidence to back up this claim. Preliminary results from Remdesivir clinical trial to be released next week It has been a topsy-turvy couple of weeks for Remdesivir, the antiviral drug that the WHO had previously dubbed the greatest hope against COVID-19. Earlier in the month, some studies had shown that the drug had improved the outcomes of some of the patients on it. Then, late last week, a draft that was uploaded by mistake on the WHO website showed that the drug failed to deliver for patients who were on it. Gilead, the manufacturer, has since commented saying that those results were based on incomplete data and should not be taken into consideration. Preliminary results of a randomized controlled trial by the National Institutes of Health will be released next week. Over 572 participants are a part of this study, and the findings of the study are eagerly awaited as they may give an indication of the effectiveness of the drug. The finals results of the study will be released mid to late May. For more information, read our article on WHO Solidarity Project to find a treatment for COVID-19. Health articles in Firstpost are written by myUpchar.com, Indias first and biggest resource for verified medical information. At myUpchar, researchers and journalists work with doctors to bring you information on all things health. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, April 27, 2020 13:04 625 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd474d8e 1 National shuttle-buses,mudik,Purbalingga,Central-Java,COVID-19,coronavirus,virus-korona-indonesia Free A 57-year-old woman who was suffering breathing difficulties was left lying on the side of a public road in Purbalingga regency, Central Java, after the driver of the shuttle van she was riding dropped her off. The passenger, identified only as YT, was returning from Jakarta to her hometown in Sumingkir, Kutasari district, ahead of the Idul Fitri holiday. En route, she began to experience shortness of breath a known symptom of COVID-19. She then asked the driver to drop her off on the side of Jl. Raya Kutasari, saying her family would pick her up instead. YT, who was still struggling to breathe, was then left lying on the side of Jl. Raya Kutasari along with her luggage. None of the locals helped her because of virus fears. Later, a medical worker clad in a protective suit arrived and rushed the woman to the emergency unit at Siaga Medika Hospital in the neighboring Banyumas regency. They arrived at the hospital at 11:25 a.m. Kutasari Police Chief Adj. Comr. Agus Amjat Purnomo said the shuttle van driver a Purbalingga native identified only as KM was brought in for questioning not long after YT was evacuated. We tracked [the driver] down as soon as we received the report. We got his phone number and called him in for questioning, Agus said as quoted by kompas.com on Sunday. Read also: COVID-19: 'Mudik' ban catches travelers flat-footed KM was taking 10 passengers from Greater Jakarta to Purwekerto, Purbalingga and Banjarnegara in Central Java, Agus said. The driver did not know that the passenger was having breathing difficulties when he dropped her off, Agus said. Purbalingga Health Agency head Hanung Wikantono said YTs symptoms were not linked to COVID-19. She was conscious during the evacuation. There were no seizures. She has a history of asthma, Hanung said, adding that the patient was in stable condition. The government has officially banned the Idul Fitri tradition of mudik (exodus) to stem the rapid spread of the novel coronavirus throughout the country. However, a recent survey by the Transportation Ministry showed that 7 percent of citizens had already left for their hometowns ahead of the Islamic holiday. Some residents of Greater Jakarta participated in mudik despite the ban. Within the first five hours after the ministry's travel restrictions were officially enacted, the Jakarta Police stopped more than 1,000 motorists attempting to leave Greater Jakarta. (rfa) US Navy faces another major COVID-19 outbreak aboard warship in Pacific Iran Press TV Sunday, 26 April 2020 1:52 AM The US Navy is reportedly fighting a new coronavirus outbreak on yet another one of its warships as 33 American sailors aboard the guided missile destroyer USS Kidd have tested positive for the disease so far. The Navy further announced in a statement on Saturday that the number of sailors currently infected on the warship stationed off the Pacific coast of South America have nearly doubled since a day earlier, when 18 service members were confirmed as testing positive for the contagion. According to the Navy statement, an embarked medical team continues testing US sailors on the warship, two of whom have so far been medically evacuated to the United States. The Navy further added that the amphibious assault ship USS Makin Island is en route to meet with Kidd in case medical support is required at sea, noting that the Makin Island warship has a fleet surgical team, intensive care capacity and ventilators as well as additional testing capability. "We are taking every precaution to ensure we identify, isolate, and prevent any further spread onboard the ship. Our medical team continues coordinating with the ship and our focus is the safety and well-being of every sailor," said the commander of US Naval Forces Southern Command/US 4th Fleet, Rear Admiral Don Gabrielson, in a statement on Friday. Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman further added on Friday that the Kidd is preparing to return to port, where a portion of the crew will be transported ashore while the warship is cleaned. Hoffman, however, was unable to say how the disease came aboard the US warship or how long the Kidd would be in port. "Keep your fingers crossed," he said. "The Navy is doing everything they can and we're going to hope for the best outcome but we're going take all the prudent steps that we possibly can." The destroyer with its crew of 350 is part of the Trump administration's deployment of Navy warships and aircraft to the Caribbean in a purported US "counter-narcotics" operation, which many observers view as a persisting military scheme to bring further pressure against Venezuela with the aim of toppling the government of President Nicholas Maduro. Announcing the deployment earlier this month, Washington claimed the additional warships and aircraft were also aimed at preventing "corrupt actors" like Maduro from exploiting the coronavirus pandemic to smuggle more narcotics. Maduro's government, however, has denied such allegations and accused the Trump administration of trying to distract the public from its poor handling of the outbreak. Meanwhile, the USS Kidd is the second Navy ship at sea to report an outbreak of the coronavirus. American officials say the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt has reported more than 850 cases of infection among its nearly 5,000 crew members. Most of its crew has been moved ashore to quarantine on Guam. More than 25 US warships have sailors infected with coronavirus This is while the Navy has previously confirmed cases on at least two dozen other ships that are all in port. US-based media outlets cited a Navy official as saying last week that sailors on 26 Navy ships have the coronavirus now and 14 other ships have had confirmed cases of illness, though crew members have recovered. According to the official who spoke on the condition of anonymity, all the ships are in port and none of the 90 ships at sea have cases of the virus. The Navy has 297 warships. The Navy official would not say which ships had cases of the virus or how many sailors were infected, only that it was small numbers. The Navy has been the hardest hit of US military services by the coronavirus with 997 cases now. In total, 1,298 sailors have been infected by the virus. The aircraft carrier was deployed to the Pacific last month when it first reported cases of COVID-19 among its crew, and it eventually had to dock in Guam and quarantine its crew ashore to slow the spread of the virus. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address ONE of Limericks most renowned industrialists Dr Tiede Herrema has died just a few days after his wife Elisebath. The Dutchman, who died at the age of 99, was kidnapped by the Provisional IRA almost 45 years ago, while going to the factory he ran in Limerick, leaving him involved in a two-week standoff. The Ferenka wire factory which was the citys biggest employer in the 1970s with 1,400 workers on its books. President Michael D Higgins has led the tributes to the businessman. He said: I had the privilege of meeting Tiede and Elisabeth on many occasions, including at Aras an Uachtarain during their regular trips to Ireland. It was on the morning of October 3, 1975 when Dr Herrema was abducted by two members of the Provisional IRA, where he was held hostage. The kidnappers demanded the release of three IRA prisoners, including Rose Dugdale in return. After a massive security operation, they were eventually traced to a house in Monasterevin, Co Kildare. After a further two-week-long siege, Dr Herrema was released, shaken but unharmed. He left Ireland soon after. President Higgins noted how Dr Herrema, despite enduring such a traumatic kidnapping harboured no bitterness with his abductors and had maintained a strong bond with Ireland. Both he and Elizabeth accepted honorary Irish citizenship. They will be missed, and fondly remembered by their many friends in Ireland, the President added. Dr Herrema later received the Freedom of the city. May he rest in peace. Germany recorded just 1,018 new coronavirus cases today in the smallest jump for more than six weeks. The latest figures bring the total number of cases from 154,175 to 155,193, an increase of just 0.7 per cent which is the lowest since the crisis began. The 1,018 new infections are the fewest since March 14, when the figure was last in the hundreds. Many countries have seen lower figures immediately after the weekend because of delays in reporting cases, but today's rise is still lower than on previous Sundays and Mondays. The death toll in the last 24 hours was 110, the joint-smallest since April 6, taking the total from 5,640 to 5,750. This graph shows the daily number of coronavirus cases added to the tally in Germany. Today's figure of 1,018 is the smallest since the figure was last in the hundreds on March 14 This chart shows the daily death toll in Germany. The latest figure of 110 is the joint-lowest since early April and the peak has never reached the levels it has in Britain, Italy or Spain German medic claims virus is 'comparatively harmless' Coronavirus is a 'comparatively harmless' disease which is only deadly in 'exceptional cases', a German medical examiner has claimed. Klaus Pueschel said the dead patients he had examined in Hamburg all had underlying conditions and many 'would have died in the course of this year, even if that sounds harsh'. The professor said the 'astronomical economic damage' caused by the lockdown was 'not proportionate' to the danger posed by Covid-19. Speaking to local media, he said: 'Everyone we've examined had cancer, a chronic lung disease, was a heavy smoker or very overweight, suffered from diabetes or had a cardiovascular disease. 'Covid-19 is only a deadly disease in exceptional cases, in most cases it's an overwhelmingly harmless viral infection. 'This virus is influencing our lives in an excessive way. It does not correspond to the danger that the virus poses. 'We don't have Italian conditions in Germany. We have a good health system and I'm convinced we can master this pandemic.' Coronavirus victims who were otherwise thought to be healthy may actually have had underlying conditions which they did not know about, he said. 'What you can say for Hamburg is that weve only had deaths among people who generally had several underlying conditions and an average age clearly the other side of 70,' he said. 'Healthy people will get through this comparatively harmless viral infection within one or two weeks and quickly forget about it,' he said. 'We can't prevent people from being infected.' Advertisement Germany's mortality rate - 5,750 deaths from 155,193 cases, or 3.7 per cent - is far lower than in Italy (13.5 per cent), Spain (11.2 per cent) or Britain (13.6 per cent). The country's relative success has allowed it to start edging out of lockdown already, but experts have warned against complacency. 'This is a bit like playing with fire now,' said virologist Stephan Ludwig of the University of Munster. 'Just because one can go into shops again does not mean that one need no longer adhere to all other restrictions and hygiene rules.' Retailers with floor space of up to 800 square metres (8,600 square feet) are now allowed to open under a gradual easing of restrictions. Many schools will start opening from May 4, with priority for final-year students, although some states have started already. Angela Merkel has similarly urged caution, saying that even a small increase in the rate of transmission could leave Germany's hospitals overburdened. German health officials have a keen eye on the rate of reproduction (R), which shows how many people each virus patient is infecting. The Robert Koch Institute currently estimates the rate at 0.9, meaning that nine out of ten patients infect one other person, on average, and the tenth does not. Germany has identified a rate below 1 as a key indicator that the outbreak is receding and that life can begin to return to normal. The Koch institute also says that daily cases will have to fall into the low hundreds before the lockdown can be eased further. All of Germany's 16 states have ordered mandatory mask-wearing on public transport in order to stop the spread of the virus. In addition, the federal government is backing a smartphone tracing app which would alert people when they may have come into contact with an infected person. Merkel has said the aim is to be able to return to a stage where infection numbers are low enough to allow contact chains to be traced and isolated. All of Germany's 16 states have made masks compulsory on public transport. Commuters are seen here at a station in Cologne today Doctors and paramedics wearing protective gear treat a coronavirus patient at a clinic in Hanau in western Germany earlier this month Privacy and surveillance are highly sensitive subjects in Germany, but the government says it is willing to introduce a voluntary app. 'Our goal is for the tracing app to be ready for use very soon and with strong acceptance from the public and civil society,' health minister Jens Spahn and Merkel's chief of staff Helge Braun said in a joint statement. Berlin had previously supported a pan-European app known as PEPP-PT, but it faced criticism over its plan to store data on a central server. In an open letter last week, some 300 leading academics urged governments to dismiss the centralised approach, saying it risked undermining public trust. The letter warned that a centralised database would allow 'unprecedented surveillance of society at large'. Now, Germany is backing a 'decentralised' system which would see data stored only on people's own devices. People could choose to share their phone number and details of their symptoms with health authorities, but only if they want to. Germany's reversal brings it into line with a proposal by Apple and Google, who said this month they would develop new tools to support decentralised contact tracing. People walk past market stalls in Berlin over the weekend as Germany begins to exit the lockdown after keeping its death rate relatively low Meanwhile, Germany is performing tens of thousands of antibody tests in the hope of issuing 'immunity passports' for people who have developed defences against the disease. Many governments are keen on the idea, but health experts have warned that the tests are not yet reliable enough. Scientists are not yet sure whether everyone who recovers from the virus becomes immune or for how long. Matthias Orth, a board member of the Professional Association of German Laboratory Doctors (BDL), said inaccuracies are a big problem. Tests so far show that people can test negative for antibodies even if they have had Covid-19, he said. 'There are also quite banal coronaviruses that do not cause serious illness, and they can give a positive result,' he said. More accurate tests will come within weeks, he said, but he stressed that 'it's a little too early to give patients a clear statement that they are definitely immune'. Nonetheless, current studies are being closely watched, including a random sample of 3,000 households in Munich which started over the weekend. A separate study is ongoing in the district of Heinsberg where Germany's first major cluster of infections was uncovered in February. So far, researchers have determined that 14 per cent of the population in Gangelt, a sub-district of Heinsberg, had previously been infected. Exactly how much is China's FDI into India? Nobody really knows--including the governments at both ends! It is this ambiguity that may have prompted Centre's swift move to curb investments from China by tweaking FDI norms right after People's Bank of China raised its stake in leading housing finance firm HDFC beyond 1 pc. Government of India believes cumulative FDI from China is $2.3 billion. This is as per the FDI statistics released by DIPP which say between April 2000 and December 2019, cumulative FDI inflow from China was $2.3 billion. This is barely 0.5 pc of all the FDI India has attracted during this period. As opposed to this, China believes its firms have invested $8 billion as FDI into India. But actual investment may not just be entirely different but also substantially higher. Because a significant part of investments from China are routed through other destinations like Hong Kong and Singapore. Chinese investors led by Alibaba, Tencent and Ant Financial have also been very active in the fledgling Indian startup ecosystem. According to Venture Intelligence, China invested $ 3.9 billion in startups in India in 2019 alone. But acccording to a Brookings report, investments by China could be to the tune of $26 billion. Cumulative FDI from Singapore stands at $94.6 billion, and from Hong Kong $4.2 billion. Use of different destinations and various instruments to route investments makes it difficult to get a fix on the exact amount of investments made by China in India so far. It is this lack of transparency that may have pushed the government into panic mode. These are also under the scanner with SEBI asking its custodians to investigate the level of control Chinese firms command in the investee companies. It is a precursor to more stringent provisions in the future. India's move invited an angry response from China's embassy in Delhi. "The impact of the policy on Chinese investors is clear. The additional barriers set by the Indian side for investors from specific countries violate WTO's principle of non-discrimination, and goes against the general trend of liberalisation and facilitation of trade and investment. More importantly, they do not conform to the consensus of G20 leaders and trade ministers to realise a free, fair, non-discriminatory, transparent, predictable and stable trade and investment environment, and to keep our markets open," said Chinese embassy spokesperson counsellor Ji Rong. India stays firm though. "It does not violate any WTO guideline in anyway. We are well within our rights to formulate or tweak any policy," says a senior government official. Flush with cash, there are fears Chinese firms are looking to get their teeth into Indian companies suffering from the financial fallout of the coronavirus pandemic. Various other nations including Australia, Spain, Italy, US, Germany, UK and Canada also fear the same and have taken steps to ring fence their firms from unsolicited or opportunistic acquisitions. Also Read: Sensex closes 415 points higher on Rs 50,000-crore liquidity facility for MFs Also Read: Coronavirus fallout: 3.5% fiscal deficit for FY21 challenging target, says Shaktikanta Das VANCOUVER, British Columbia, April 27, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pretium Resources Inc. (TSX/NYSE:PVG) (Pretivm or the Company) announced today that the Board has appointed Jacques Perron as President and Chief Executive Officer, effective April 27, 2020. Mr. Perrons career of more than 35 years in the global mining industry has included extensive technical and operational experience. Most recently Mr. Perron was President, Chief Executive Officer and Director of Thompson Creek Metals Company Inc. until it was acquired by Centerra Gold Inc in 2016. He joined Thompson Creek as Chief Executive Officer in 2013 and took on the additional role of President in 2014. Among his previous senior executive positions in mining, he was President and CEO of St. Andrew Goldfields (2007-2013), Senior Vice President of Iamgold (2006-2007) and Senior Vice President Canada of Cambior Inc. (2004-2006). Mr. Perron has been a director of the Canadian Mineral Industry Education Foundation since 2007. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Mining Engineering from l'Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal. Mr. Perron succeeds Joseph Ovsenek, who was Pretivms President and CEO since 2017, President since 2015 and Executive Vice-President and Chief Development Officer from 2011 to 2015. The Board thanks Joe for his commitment to Pretivms success as the Brucejack Mine advanced from discovery through development and financing and into profitable operations, said Board Chair Richard OBrien. We welcome Jacques and look forward to working with him as he brings his operational experience and professional insights to drive the continued success of Pretivm. I am excited to be joining the team at Pretivm, stated Mr. Perron. l look forward to the significant opportunities we have as we continue to improve operational performance at Brucejack, advance the exploration potential at the companys properties and create value for all our stakeholders and shareholders, said Mr. Perron. Pretivms Board of Directors intends to appoint Mr. Perron as a director following the Companys annual general meeting of shareholders, effective May 1, 2020. About Pretivm Pretivm is an intermediate gold producer with the high-grade gold underground Brucejack Mine. For further information contact: Troy Shultz Manager, Investor Relations & Corporate Communications Pretium Resources Inc. Suite 2300, Four Bentall Centre, 1055 Dunsmuir Street PO Box 49334 Vancouver, BC V7X 1L4 (604) 558-1784 invest@pretivm.com (SEDAR filings: Pretium Resources Inc.) Forward-Looking Information This news release contains forward-looking information and forward looking statements within the meaning of applicable Canadian and United States securities legislation (collectively herein referred to as forward-looking information), including the safe harbour provisions of Canadian provincial securities legislation and the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 21E of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and Section 27A of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended. Wherever possible, words such as plans, expects, guidance, projects, assumes, budget, strategy, scheduled, estimates, forecasts, anticipates, believes, intends, modeled, targets and similar expressions or statements that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, might or will be taken, occur or be achieved, or the negative forms of any of these terms and similar expressions, have been used to identify forward-looking information. Forward-looking information may include, but is not limited to, information with respect to Board of Directors composition and membership. Forward-looking information is subject to a variety of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results, actions, events, conditions, performance or achievements to materially differ from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking information including, without limitation, those set out in our Annual Information Form and From 40-F, each dated February 21, 2020, for the year ended December 31, 2019, our MD&A for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018, and our other disclosure documents as filed in Canada on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and in the United States through EDGAR at the Security and Exchange Commissions website at www.sec.gov (collectively, the Pretivm Disclosure Documents). Our forward-looking information is based on the assumptions, beliefs, expectations and opinions of management on the date the statements are made, including, without limitation, those set out in the Pretivm Disclosure Documents, many of which may be difficult to predict and beyond our control. Forward-looking information is not a guarantee of future performance. There can be no assurance that forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. Forward-looking information involves statements about the future and is inherently uncertain, and our actual achievements or other future events or conditions may differ materially from those reflected in the forward-looking information due to a variety of risks, uncertainties and other factors. For the reasons set forth above, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. We do not assume any obligation to update forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, other than as required by applicable law. For the reasons set forth above, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Neither the TSX nor the NYSE has approved or disapproved of the information contained herein. The northern region of Veneto, one of Italys early coronavirus hotspots, broke ranks with the national government on Monday and announced it would lift some lockdown restrictions a week ahead of schedule. Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte on Sunday set May 4 as the long-awaited start date to begin rolling back the coronavirus curbs, which are among the toughest in the world. Deaths from the epidemic in Italy climbed by 333 on Monday against 260 the day before, the Civil Protection Agency said, but the daily tally of new cases declined to 1,739 from 2,324 on Sunday, the lowest count since March 10. Contes plan is for a gradual easing of measures over the coming month, which dashed the hopes of many Italians confined to their homes for seven weeks and hoping for a more rapid reopening. This is the best way to fuel social conflict, Veneto governor Luca Zaia said, referring to the governments softly-softly approach. We cant become a laboratory or guinea pigs, we also have to live, said Zaia, a veteran politician with the far-right League party, which rules a swath of northern Italian regions but is the main opposition party in the national parliament. Using his powers as a regional chief, Zaia who has previously opposed LGBT adoption, supported a referendum over Venetian independence and said Chinese people eat live mice said he was authorising residents in Veneto, which includes the cities of Venice and Verona, to leave their homes from 6pm (16:00 GMT) on Monday and exercise freely, including going for bike rides. Previously, people were able only to go for walks or jog in the close vicinity of their own homes. From Tuesday morning, people would be able to travel around the region to visit second homes, if they had them, or to carry out maintenance work on boats, if they needed to. Drive-through takeaway outlets will also be able to open. The approach must be a bit more rational and understand that sacrifices can be made but without prolonging them in this way, Zaia said, explaining his decision to speed things up. Almost 27,000 people have died in Italy after contracting the coronavirus since the contagion first came to light in Veneto and neighbouring Lombardy on February 21 the second-highest death toll after that of the United States. Researchers believe the virus may have arrived in Italy weeks before it was officially recognised. After an initial surge, the number of cases rapidly slowed in Veneto, while Lombardy has struggled to contain the spread. As of Monday, Veneto had registered 17,579 cases against 73,479 in Lombardy, which is also run by a League administration. Conte has warned repeatedly about the need for caution, saying a rapid easing of restrictions could lead to a new outburst, which Italy could ill-afford to tackle. No other governors appeared ready to join Zaia in removing some curbs immediately. However, Conte faced tough criticism from other quarters for his highly circumspect approach, including from the Roman Catholic Church, which was upset over his decision to maintain a ban on religious services, including masses. In a strongly worded statement, Italys bishops said they could not accept seeing the exercise of freedom of religion being compromised and accused the government of arbitrarily excluding mass from the rollback timetable. This is the terrifying moment a small plane falls from the sky as it performs an aerial stunt in western Mexico. Four occupants miraculously survived when the plane crashed in the Culiacan town of Villa Adolfo Lopez Mateos last Friday. A bystander recorded the moment the Cessna XB-PLV ascended and made a sharp right turn, before suddenly nosediving and crashing in a farm field. Four men miraculously survived a horrific plane crash last Friday in Culiacan, Mexico, after the pilot made an aerial stunt and suddenly nosedived into a farm. The four occupants were taken to a local hospital. Authorities are still investigating the cause of the accident Authorities in Culiacan, Mexico, investigate the site of last Friday's crash site. The Cessna XB-PLV took a sharp right turn as it ascended before it made sudden and rapid descent and crashed in an farm in the town of Villa Adolfo Lopez Mateos The small plane ended up on its roof with its landing gear in the air and its engine and nose gear torn away. According to newspaper El Sol de Sinaloa, residents rushed to the aid of the three passengers and pilot and rushed them in a vehicle to a local hospital. They were identified as Jesus Ramon, 18; Sergio David, 22; Sergio Alberto, 23, and Cecilio Humberto. It is unknown which of the four occupants was piloting the aircraft when it crashed. The Culiacan Municipal Police said authorities were looking into what caused the aircraft to crash. A resident the Culiacan town of Villa Adolfo Lopez Mateos recorded the moment the small aircraft ascended as its pilot performed a mid-air stunt before nosediving into a farm We'll be talking to Hugh Son on the show today about his weekend piece ("Public companies took far more small business loans than first thought"), which was "Drudged" yesterday and is one of the most-read stories on CNBC.com. People are clearly up in arms over "big corporations" "taking" money that was "meant for small businesses." I don't share the outrage. The PPP ("payroll protection program") is one of dozens of programs the government has rolled out since the pandemic caused a nationwide economic shutdown. The simple intent is to get as much government money as possible to businesses as quickly as possible to keep the whole economy as intact as possible throughout Covid-19. The intent is to help companies of all sizes. For those with more than 500 employees, the Fed's "Main Street" loans are supposed to kick in--and also be distributed through the banking system. Unfortunately, the program isn't up and running yet. Fed vice chair Randy Quarles on April 10th said it should be running "in two to three weeks," providing up to $600 billion in loans for companies with up to 10,000 employees. But it's not up and running yet. So if you're a company that needs cash--Shake Shack, Ruth's Chris, a large hotelier, etc.--and the government says here, please take this money to keep your business going, and you were perfectly eligible to receive PPP support, now you're suddenly to blame for taking it? Seems a little unfair. The real problem is that (a) the PPP program was capped in size when it started, even though the intent was to hand out as much money as needed. So when Congress didn't reauthorize more funds immediately, suddenly the money "ran out," creating panic along with winners and losers. If you're a small biz that needs help and hasn't gotten it, because your banking relationships aren't as solid as the bigger companies', you're understandably resentful*. And (b), my guess is a lot of the critics think the PPP is the only government rescue program and that the government only wanted to help small businesses. Which is wrong. It was just the quickest to get off the ground. Government officials are actually confusing the matter further by apologizing that bigger companies got money, when in fact they want bigger companies to get money, too. The whole point is to get cash to companies--any and all companies except the very, very largest--as quickly as possible to keep their workers on payroll and their companies intact. Frankly, the PPP program has been much quicker to get money into the economy than the Fed's program, so instead of apologizing for that, government officials should have just routed all of the money through the PPP program and opened it up to companies of up to 10,000 employees. If the Fed's Main Street program is going through the banks anyhow, why not just stick with one distribution program instead of two**? And for those small businesses who have been completely shut out because they can't get a banker on the phone, why not redirect them to the disaster loan portal? That is supposed to provide up to $10,000 immediately, which is sufficient for many of the smallest businesses for a short while. But the portal has been plagued by problems and the cash isn't getting disbursed. This is the third real problem vexing the PPP process. And by the way, even with the $870 million that public companies reportedly took--before they started returning the funds--that's not even $1 billion out of $349 billion that has been distributed, so far, into the economy. See you at 1 p.m! Kelly *Watch this interview with Frost Bank, in Texas, to see who's really getting the PPP funds versus what you see in the headlines. **As imperfect as routing funds through the banks has been, it's also been surprisingly efficient. For the first time ever trying something like this--cash relief from the government via the banks to American businesses--it's shown the approach can work. Still, you wonder if some kind of national business directory will ultimately come out of this, perhaps via the IRS, that would allow direct deposits into business checking accounts in the future. Twitter: @KellyCNBC Instagram: @realkellyevans Light has the power to heal, but the wrong type or dosage can be dangerous, warns UB light therapy expert There is growing evidence that specific amounts and types of UV light are beneficial to health, but we have to be careful not to mislead the public. BUFFALO, N.Y. Ultraviolet (UV) light has the ability to improve immune responses and promote health, but dont rush out to sunbathe or purchase UV lamps, warns UB light therapy expert Praveen Arany. A powerful form of radiation, UV light is capable of use as a disinfectant to kill bacteria, viruses and other pathogens. However, prolonged exposure is linked to an increased risk of skin cancer. We need to be cautious about UV light, says Arany, DDS, PhD, assistant professor in the UB School of Dental Medicine. There is growing evidence that specific amounts and types of UV light are beneficial to health, but we have to be careful not to mislead the public. Arany is president of the World Association for Photobiomodulation Therapy (WALT), which promotes research, education and clinical application of laser photostimulation world-wide. His comments come after President Donald Trump suggested that ultraviolet and other forms of light might be used to treat COVID-19 patients. Costs and benefits of UV light The sun emits three wavelengths of light, UVA, UVB and UVC rays. Each type emits radiation, but there is a delicate relationship between the wavelengths ability to heal and its role as a skin carcinogen, says Arany. UVA is the most abundant wavelength in sunlight that is perceived on Earth. Safe in small amounts, it offers the most promise for use in photobiomodulation therapy, a form of low-dose light therapy, says Arany. Although UVA is the weakest carcinogen among the three, prolonged exposure such as through excessive sunbathing or artificial tanning poses risks for skin cancer. In the middle is UVB, of which less than 10% reaches the Earths surface, says Arany. This invisible wavelength is the bodys primary tool in the creation of vitamin D, but poses a higher risk for the development of cancer than UVA. Both UVA and UVB are routinely used in dermatological clinics for skin disorders, as well as in tanning beds. UVC may be used in sterilization, but is a strong carcinogen. This wavelength is only safe when used to disinfect inanimate objects, says Arany. Nearly all UVC in sunlight is absorbed by the Earths ozone layer. Understanding the differences in types of UV is crucial in light of recent news on its potential use in the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the wide availability of UV lamps, the public should consult a health care professional before the medical use of any UV light. Prolonged exposure to UVA or UVB or any use UVC can be detrimental to health, says Arany. Healing in small doses At a high power, light, often in the form of a laser, is used in medicine to cut or destroy tissue. But at low doses, it has the ability to relieve pain and promote healing. Light therapies have existed for decades, but improvements in the technology have made its therapeutic use more affordable and available, says Arany. The effectiveness of photobiomodulation in treating pain and stimulating healing has been documented in hundreds of clinical trials and thousands of academic papers. The treatment is used widely across Europe, Canada, Australia and several other nations. However, precise dosing for a broad range of clinical applications are still being investigated, says Arany. The Arany lab leads numerous studies demonstrating the success of light therapies, including in supportive cancer care, relieving skeletomuscular pain, reducing inflammation, and promoting wound healing and tissue regeneration by harnessing stem cells. UV light as a therapeutic has been, unfortunately, somewhat controversial, says Arany. It has received bad press because of its excessive use in tanning booths and its connection to skin cancer. While we do need to be cautious with its use, in moderation, light is good for you. About Praveen Arany Arany is an advocate for wider use of photobiomodulation treatments in the United States. He is chair of the mechanisms of photobiomodulation conference for the Society of Engineers for Optics and Photonics (SPIE). Arany also took part in the first Congressional briefing on photobiomodulation before the House Science, Space and Technology Committee in Washington, D.C. The briefing, held on Oct. 11, 2018, invited a panel of international experts on the therapy to discuss the potential of photobiomodulation to improve health care and lower dependence on opioids. WASHINGTON, April 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Ballard Partners, one of the top lobbying firms in the United States, is opening an office in Tel Aviv to assist clients with government relations in Israel as well as assisting Israeli companies needing representation in the United States. The office will be headed by former World Bank Group executive Oscar Chemerinski and former Congressman Robert Wexler. "Oscar Chemerinski has had a distinguished career in international development in both the public and private sectors, and is uniquely qualified to join Robert in opening our office in Israel," said Brian Ballard, the firm's President and founder. "Before, during and since his time in Congress, Robert Wexler has been one of the leading advocates for Israel in the United States. His knowledge of the country and its political system is unparalleled, and he will bring that depth of knowledge and experience to bear on behalf of our firm's clients there." Chemerinski, based in Tel Aviv, served as the Director of the Global Corporate Coverage Group for the International Finance Corporation, the private sector arm of the World Bank Group. He was responsible for developing, managing and expanding relationships with strategic clients across the globe. Prior to that he served as Director for Manufacturing, Agribusiness and Services for Latin America and Africa, and Global Director for Agribusiness, with overall responsibility for strategy, portfolio and investment operations. He also has extensive experience as an advisor to Boards, CEO's, equity funds and investment banks on emerging markets, cross-border financing and economic development. Oscar is fluent in Spanish, English, Hebrew, Portuguese and French, and received his MBA in Finance and International Business from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business. Wexler served as a Democratic Member of Congress from 1997 to 2010, representing Florida's 19th district in the House of Representatives. Wexler was named to the Forward 50 list as one of the most influential leaders in the American Jewish community. In 2008, Congressman Wexler served as an advisor on Middle East and Israel issues to President Barack Obama during his presidential campaign. In 2012, he served on the President's reelection Steering Committee and addressed the Democratic National Convention outlining the President's policies related to Israel. Throughout his tenure in Congress, Wexler was an outspoken advocate for the unbreakable bond between the United States and Israel. He traveled on numerous congressional delegations to the Middle East and met with the leaders of Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, Kuwait, Turkey, Syria, Morocco, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman, and the Palestinian Authority. At President Clinton's invitation, he was the only member of the House of Representatives present during the signing of the Wye River Peace Agreement. The Ballard Partners Tel Aviv office is located at the Rothschild Center, Rothschild Boulevard 22, Tel Aviv, 6688218. About Ballard Partners Ballard Partners has been named by state and national publications as the leading government affairs firm in the Sunshine State. The Florida-based firm, with offices in Washington, D.C., Tel Aviv, Tallahassee, Jacksonville, West Palm Beach, Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, Orlando and Tampa, combines extensive experience in government affairs with unwavering advocacy to maximize results for the clients they serve. Visit www.ballardpartners.com for more information. Contact: Justin Sayfie [email protected] 202-800-5620 SOURCE Ballard Partners Related Links https://ballardpartners.com/ Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 27) - Two lawmakers from the House of Representatives are calling on the national government to boost spending for infrastructure projects instead of slashing the funding despite the pandemic crisis. This was after House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano slammed the Department of Budget Managements circular which would stop the release of funds for certain infrastructure projects. Ang sabi ng economic team under [Carlos] Dominguez tsaka si Sec. Vince Dizon, ipa-pump prime ang economy through infrastructure. Pero sa circular, binabawasan niya ng 35 percent ang capital outlay, said Deputy Speaker LRay Villafuerte. [Translation: The economic team under [Carlos] Dominguez and Vince Dizon, the infrastructure will pump prime the economy. But the circular orders the slashing of 35% from the capital outlay.] Villafuerte said the government should enhance instead its flagship infrastructure program, Build, Build, Build and include the construction of more facilities for health and agriculture. Kailangang i-enhance natin ang Build Build Build. Pero magfo-focus tayo sa areas ng health, gawa tayo ng mga rural health units, ospital, then agriculture, he said. [Translation: We need to enhance the Build, Build, Build. But we will focus on the areas of health, wherein we can build rural health units, hospitals, then agriculture.] For his part, House Ways and Means Committee chairperson Joey Salceda said that projects which are of high economic value, can generate jobs, and can be finished within the term of President Rodrigo Duterte must continue. We estimate that every P200 billion in infrastructure can create up to 463,000 jobs in the year it is spent. Conversely, since the government is now the sole driving force of demand, a P200 billion cut in infra will [lose] 463,000 jobs, said Salceda. Salceda also said that the crisis should be a stress test on the infrastructure vulnerabilities of the country. We should assess where public medical facilities were unable to meet the full demands of Covid-19, and how these hospitals can be improved, he said. CNN Philippines' Correspondent Xianne Arcangel and Multi-Platform News Writer Vince Ferreras contributed to this report The National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) COVID-19 testing centre in Kano will resume operation on Monday, an official has said. The minister of health, Osagie Ehanire, disclosed this on Sunday during an interview on Channels televisions Sunday Politics which focused on the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria. Mr Ehanire said: the testing centre should be back on stream tomorrow (Monday) because the team has gone in there from NCDC. Most have arrived there today (Sunday). And they should be able to resume screening tomorrow (Monday). Mysterious deaths Speaking on the mysterious deaths in Kano, the minister explained that a delegation will be sent to the state to thoroughly investigate the circumstances surrounding the loss of lives there. The death pattern there does not appear (as) what will be normal for a period of time. But the fact finding mission will be able to help us to diagnose what the situation is. It is not really clear they are coronavirus or COVID-19 related. We are really treating it like a special case, and looking more specifically at processes and what actually happened in detail. Kano has not had much of an experience of coronavirus and rapidity which has exploded now, (this) is a source of concern. On Saturday, the head of COVID-19 testing centre in Kano, Nasiru Magaji, told PREMIUM TIMES that there is no definite date for resumption of testing. PREMIUM TIMES, on Wednesday, reported how a member of Kano Task Force on COVID-19, Isa Abubakar, said the testing centre in Kano suspended its operations due to shortage of testing kits. On Thursday, Mr Ehanire said the centre was temporarily closed because some staff of the laboratory were reportedly infected with COVID-19. He also comfirmed the centre ran short of some testing reagents. The NCDC on Sunday announced 91 new cases of COVID-19 in Nigeria, and none was reported from Kano possibly due to lack of testing facility. The state, however, recorded over a dozen deaths of prominent persons on Saturday and Sunday. Among the dead were five professors, a former Grand Khadi, a former state chairman of the State Universal Basic Education (SUBEB), a former commissioner of education, and a former editor of the state-owned Triumph newspapers. The governor had last week dismissed the reports of mysterious deaths in the state as fake news. However, in a dramatic volteface, Sunday, he acknowledged recent deaths in the state and directed the ministry of health to investigate. Despite the disciplinary action meted out to police officers who flogged a woman in Osun state for violating lockdown, the victim, Adetola AbdulAzeez has through her lawyer,Pelumi Olajengbesi demanded a public apology as well as N200 million compensation. Also, the victim demands the prosecution of the police officers involved in the act. Statement below: We commend the swift intervention of the Inspector General of Police and that of other top Nigeria Police Force hierarchy, condemning the unprofessional conduct of the officers involved and the assurance of disciplinary action. While we recognise the authority of the Nigeria Police Force in containing the movement of people during this COVID-19 crisis, we believe strongly that same must be done in compliance with the rule of law. Read Also: Lagos Police Help Lady Recover Phone From Hoodlums (Photo) The video of the disgraceful act meted out on our client has since gone viral on the internet and has ridiculed her publicly, as she was seen being battered like a common thief by men of the Nigeria Police Force. We hereby demand that the Nigeria Police Force should address a letter of apology to our client personally showing honest concern and contrition to begin to ameliorate the continuous sadness and depression she continues to suffer. That the payment of N200 million be made to our client as general damages for all the pain, trauma, bodily inconveniences and public ridicule amongst others, caused her and her family during this period, he said. Copyright 2020 Albuquerque Journal SANTA FE New Mexico crossed a grim threshold Monday more than 100 dead in the coronavirus outbreak, just 35 days after the first fatality in Artesia. The death toll reached 104 on Monday as the state announced five more deaths, all men, ranging in age from their 60s to their 80s. For the most part, New Mexicos 104 virus victims were older adults with underlying medical conditions such as diabetes or heart problems. At least 34 lived in group care facilities, where virus outbreaks have proved deadly and difficult to contain. But otherwise healthy New Mexicans in their 30s through 60s also have died, some without first having been hospitalized, according to demographic data released by the state. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said last week that the state is stepping up its testing in nursing homes and long-term care facilities even before anyone is sick to catch the disease before it spreads in a fragile population. The quicker we get ahead and know whats happening, she said, the more lives we save. One-third of New Mexicos counties have endured at least one death in the outbreak. But the burden is especially heavy in San Juan and McKinley counties in the northwestern part of the state where the Navajo Nation has been hit hard. Through Monday, the death rate in San Juan County about 30 virus fatalities for every 100,000 people was six times higher than the state as a whole. New Mexicos death rate was just under 5. A Journal analysis of demographic data released by the state through Monday showed: At least one-third of New Mexicos virus deaths were residents of group living facilities, such as retirement communities or skilled-nursing centers in Albuquerque and Farmington. Human Services Secretary David Scrase, a geriatrician, suggested last week that the states internal data estimates an even higher figure that closer to 45% of New Mexicos deaths were residents of group living centers. About 83% of the fatalities were people with underlying medical conditions. The state hasnt revealed which medical conditions are reflected in its totals, but the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has warned that those at risk include people with severe obesity, diabetes, serious heart problems or lung, kidney and liver diseases. Two-thirds of those who died were in their 70s or older. Most of the dead had been hospitalized with the illness. At least one victim a Bernalillo County man in his 40s, with an underlying health condition was found at his home. More cases New Mexico health officials said Monday that testing throughout the state had confirmed 101 more cases of COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the coronavirus. The cases announced Monday also included some positive results from Sunday, when some laboratories reported only partial totals because of a technical lapse. The overwhelming bulk of the new cases 79 of the 101 came from McKinley and San Juan counties. Altogether, the state now has confirmed 2,823 cases of the virus since the first positive tests emerged March 11. Health officials said the number of actual infections is likely higher because not everyone with the virus has actually been tested or had their results come in. About 49.8% of the reported cases so far are among Native Americans, though they make up just 11% of the population overall. The number of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 is now 155, up from 148 on Sunday, and 666 people are now classified as having recovered. State health officials have repeatedly urged New Mexicans to stay home unless absolutely necessary and have ordered the closure of nonessential businesses. In public briefings, Lujan Grisham has said that state officials are considering how to slowly reopen more of the economy, but that it isnt safe to do so yet. She said she expects to extend New Mexicos public health orders through May 15. But there are signs of optimism. The growth in new cases has flattened, state officials said last week, and the transmission rate of the disease has fallen because of New Mexicans willingness to stay home and embrace social distancing. An amublance at the NHS Nightingale hospital in London ahead of the new coronavirus figures being published. (PA Images) The number of deaths related to coronavirus in UK hospitals has risen by 360 the lowest daily rise of recorded fatalities since March. There are now also 157,149 confirmed COVID-19 cases, a rise of 4,310, according to health secretary Matt Hancock. The increase of deaths reported in the last 24 hours though not necessarily taking place in the last day takes the UKs total to 21,092. It is the lowest recorded daily increase since March 30. Mondays have usually provided lower death tolls than other days of the week. The number of coronavirus deaths in Englands hospitals has risen to 18,749, an increase of 329 from Sunday. Most of the newly-recorded deaths took place between 24 April and April 26, while 40 happened between 1 and 23 April and 19 occurred in March. Scotland has recorded an increase of 13, taking its total to 1,262, while Wales has reported a further eight for a total of 796. Northern Ireland had not posted its newest figures. Their combined numbers vary from the Department of Healths UK-wide total due to differences in accounting. Globally, there are now more than 2.9 million cases and 206,000 deaths, while 868,000 people have recovered, according to Johns Hopkins University in the US. Latest coronavirus news, updates and advice Live: Follow all the latest updates from the UK and around the world Fact-checker: The number of COVID-19 cases in your local area 6 charts and maps that explain how COVID-19 is spreading Boris Johnson has said the country is moving through its peak of infections and deaths and is beginning to turn the tide in the nations struggle against the virus. In his first speech at Downing Street since leaving hospital after contracting COVID-19, the prime minister said: Once again I want to thank you, the people of this country, for the sheer grit and guts youve shown and are continuing to show. Every day I know that this virus brings new sadness and mourning to households across the land. Story continues He went on: It is still true that this is the biggest single challenge this country has faced since the war and I in no way minimise the continuing problems we face. Boris Johnson said the country was moving through its peak of infections and deaths. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein) And yet it is also true that we are making progress with fewer hospital admissions, fewer COVID patients in ICU and real signs now that we are passing through the peak. And thanks to your forbearance, your good sense, your altruism, your spirit of community, thanks to our collective national resolve, we are on the brink of achieving that first clear mission to prevent our National Health Service from being overwhelmed in a way that tragically we have seen elsewhere. And that is how and why we are now beginning to turn the tide. Johnson was taken ill after becoming infected with coronavirus and moved to the intensive care unit of St Thomas hospital in London after his symptoms worsened. He returned to Downing Street on Sunday and spoke at a podium in front of Number 10 on Monday morning. If this virus were a physical assailant, an unexpected and invisible mugger which I can tell you from personal experience, it is then this is the moment when we have begun together to wrestle it to the floor, he said. And so it follows that this is the moment of opportunity, this is the moment when we can press home our advantage, it is also the moment of maximum risk. I know there will be many people looking at our apparent success, and beginning to wonder whether now is the time to go easy on those social distancing measures. But he reiterated government statements that easing up lockdowns restrictions too early risked a second peak, which he said would result in economic disaster. Widespread testing and tracking to follow infections and keep the outbreak manageable as restrictions are eased up is planned. The government last said it has capacity to run 40,000 tests a day, but professor Peter Horby, the chairman of the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (Nervtag), which advises the government, said up to 100,000 daily tests may be needed. He told BBC Radio 4s Today programme: The test and trace capabilities are really going to be critical as we come out of lockdown. People may be asked to download an app that they can use to declare they are displaying COVID-19 symptoms. We will have to be able to test all those people and it is really a matter of scale and speed, prof Horby said. One issue is how many tests we need, and if we are looking at 1,000 to 5,000 new cases per day of people with symptoms, of which maybe 5% 25% may have COVID, then you are talking about 25,000 to 100,000 tests per day. Coronavirus: what happened today European markets closed higher Monday as investors await central bank meetings this week that could decide further stimulus measures to reboot economies deeply damaged by the coronavirus pandemic. The pan-European Stoxx 600 provisionally closed up by 1.6%, with autos adding 4.6% to lead gains as all sectors and major bourses traded in positive territory. Investors in Europe are watching how the region gradually exits lockdown strategies that have crippled economies in Europe. Central bank meetings this week are also in focus as further stimulus measures could be announced. The U.S. Federal Reserve has a two-day meeting starting Tuesday this week and the European Central Bank (ECB) meets Thursday. Stocks in Asia Pacific rose on Monday, with the Bank of Japan due to kick off its monetary policy meeting. Investors are watching for policy moves from the central bank to grapple with the economic impact of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The total number of coronavirus infection cases around the world is now more than 2.98 million and at least 207,431 people have died, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. The U.S. has the most reported infections, with more than 965,933 cases in the country and over 54,800 deaths, Hopkins data showed. On Wall Street, stocks rose amid hopes for a reopening of the economy. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 300 points while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq indexes were also positive. Earnings in focus The COVID-19 pandemic has harmed hundreds of thousands of individuals and our national economy, and it has dramatically altered our way of life. In Connecticut, Gov. Ned Lamont and other elected officials have focused admirably on the broad range of economic, employment, and fiscal issues that threaten the well-being of all residents, especially those most vulnerable to the pandemics horrific impact. At the same time, we are profoundly grateful for the dedicated individuals in health care, public safety, and other critical arenas who risk themselves hourly in service to others. Inspired by them, we must also work together now to protect our countrys single most important and enduring asset the engagement of we the people in determining who holds our elected offices. Just as COVID-19 has attacked our health, jobs and way of life, it also threatens our democracy by undermining our ability to vote. To preserve everyones right to vote, we must ensure that all eligible Connecticut citizens can cast their votes easily, safely, and securely. That is why SAM-CT, part of SAM (Serve America Movement), supports the recent request by Secretary of State Denise Merrill for Gov. Lamont to issue an Executive Order to expand the use of absentee ballots by all voters in the Aug. 11 primaries and the Nov. 3 election. Our support of the order is based on SAM CTs core goals of enhancing competition among candidates, encouraging voter participation, and ensuring that voters have genuine choices at the polls. Fully recognizing the concern for the potential for fraud and security lapses with an expansion of the absentee ballot, our April 13 letter to Governor Lamont strongly urges him to appoint a Voter Participation Commission by May 15 to conduct a review of these critical issues and identify the actions and protocols required to ensure the integrity of the expanded use for both the Aug. 11 primaries and the Nov. 3 election. The Commission will first review the actions and protocols in place for the Aug. 11 primaries and specify any additional steps needed to address the legitimate concerns of potential fraud and security lapses concerns that, if left unaddressed, undermine voter confidence in the integrity of election results. The Commission will then conduct a prompt and public review of the Aug. 11 primaries with respect to any issues of abuse, accuracy of tabulation, fraud, and timing of results, and identify any further actions and protocols needed for the Nov. 3 election. This review will also specify Connecticuts use of its $5.2 million share of the CARES Act funding for the 2020 Federal Election Cycle. SAM recommends that the Governor appoint to the Commission Secretary Merrill, the leaders of the Democratic and Republican parties, one or more respected academics with election expertise, and appropriate private sector representatives, and appoint two co-chairs who are respected statewide for their experience and commitment to achieving common sense solutions to challenging issues. Following Nov. 3 and most importantly, the Commission will provide the Legislature and the public with a definitive report by Dec. 31 that will serve as the foundation for the legislation, infrastructure, and any Constitutional amendment necessary to establish the vote-by-mail option for all future federal and state elections. The Commissions report will include its conclusions and recommendations based on its reviews of the Aug. 11 and Nov. 3 elections along with a thorough evaluation of the experiences of the five states that have already adopted the vote-by-mail option. This report will also detail the capital and operating costs and the timetable for the purchase, installation, and ongoing maintenance of the equipment and systems needed for the option. Many things will be different on the other side of COVID-19 and rebuilding a modern civic and political infrastructure that focuses on we and not me will be a critical component of constructive change. Election reform that enhances greater candidate competition and more voter participation and choice is the cornerstone of that infrastructure, and the vote-by-mail option is an ideal place to start the effort. Oz Griebel chairs the SAM CT Task Force, a nonpartisan effort to enhance candidate competition and voter participation and choice via the establishment of open public primaries, ranked-choice voting, and term limits. Japan will deny entry to foreign travelers from a further 14 countries, including Russia, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, strengthening its border controls to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said. With the ban effective starting Wednesday, people who have been to the listed countries within two weeks of their arrival in Japan will be turned away at the border. Speaking at a meeting of the government's task force on the coronavirus response Monday, Abe also said Japan will extend its suspension of visas issued to foreign travelers to the end of May. Japan has been scrambling to stop a rapid rise in cases of COVID-19, with the population being urged to stay at home and some businesses being asked to temporarily close in order to reduce person-to-person interactions that could spread the respiratory disease. The other countries are Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belarus, Djibouti, the Dominican Republic, Kuwait, Oman, Peru, Qatar, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Ukraine. The Foreign Ministry last week warned Japanese citizens against any trips to these countries, raising its travel alert to the second-highest level. That brings the total number of countries and regions covered by the entry ban to 87, including China, South Korea, the United States and all of Europe. He is currently a fan favourite on MasterChef: Back To Win. And just before Hayden Quinn briefly relocated to Melbourne to film the show this year, he moved into a new home in Sydney with his model girlfriend, Jax Raynor. The longtime couple, who have been together for five years, started leasing a $900-a-week cosy two bedroom unit in Manly. Congrats! MasterChef's Hayden Quinn and girlfriend Jax Raynor (pictured) moved into a new home together in Sydney shortly before he filmed the show in Melbourne earlier this year The beachside apartment boasts two bedrooms and two bathrooms. It features an immaculately white and recently refurbished kitchen, which Hayden often shares content to social media from while cooking up a storm. The interior is very beachy, with pale cream and cane furniture and features. The apartment was last sold to a property investor for $1.5million in November 2019, and leased out to the couple for $900-a-week shortly afterwards. Beachy! The longtime couple, who have been together for five years, started leasing a $900-a-week cosy two bedroom unit in Manly Cosy! The beachside apartment boasts two bedrooms and two bathrooms, and features an immaculately white and recently refurbished kitchen Jax shared a picture of Hayden working on their balcony to Instagram on Sunday. The couple have both been self-isolating at the property during the COVID-19 pandemic, with Jax recently posing for a bikini picture in front of their lounge. It doesn't look like Hayden progresses very far on MasterChef as he's been sharing content at home in Sydney for weeks, despite the show still filming in Melbourne. Professional! Hayden regularly shares live videos to Instagram and Facebook in the kitchen Model! The couple have both been self-isolating at the property during the COVID-19 pandemic, with Jax recently posing for a bikini picture by their lounge Hayden has been in a relationship with American model Jax since 2015. The Northern Beaches native, who grew up in Dee Why, recently shot down the idea of proposing to the beauty any time soon during an interview with Now To Love. 'We're still very young and living our lives and enjoying being who we are and hanging out cooking and living together, travelling, there's no rush,' he said. 'She's a lot younger than me and we're just cruising.' Primeste notificari pe email Contractare si Achizitie Bunuri Anunturi de Angajare (Premium) Granturi - Finantari (Premium) Burse de studiu Stagii Profesionale Oportunitati de voluntariat Toate Articolele The changes to government security practices wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic are unlikely to dissipate when the virus does, current and former government officials said during a recent webinar. Public safety and in particular the intelligence community has access to more data than they ever had, former FBI Assistant Director Kevin Brock said. The question becomes should they collect it and can they collect it constitutionally. He spoke during one panel an April 23 webinar titled Flattening the Curve, hosted by Carbyne, a public-safety technology firm. The event gathered state, local and federal officials to discuss how governments response to the virus has revealed areas for improving cybersecurity, data sharing and emergency preparedness. Because public-safety data is usually highly sensitive, officials have been reluctant to use it, but technological advances such as cloud security are making it easier to share securely -- and just in time. Public-safety data can be useful for contact tracing -- or monitoring the people potentially exposed to the coronavirus. To achieve this -- and protect privacy -- companies are looking to anonymize the data collected by apps that run in the background on smartphones. Still, because the data is medical in nature, it falls under Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act rules. There is technology that can be leveraged to do this type of contact tracking, but its going to involve a large national conversation about the limits of prudence, Brock said. Another double-edged sword in pandemic-response is bandwidth. The United States is in better shape to deal with a national emergency because of the amount of bandwidth available allows people to work from home, said Michael Chertoff, former secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. But I think it reveals two vulnerabilities. One is our infrastructure is being strained by the new volume of traffic that is entering the networks, Chertoff said. The other issue is security. Most companies and certainly the government operate a reasonable degree of security on their official endpoints for people getting into the network either through a [virtual-private network] or at the office. All of a sudden you have people using their home devices to get onto the network, and that has dramatically increased the surface area for attacks. The number of cyber threats against the government and the public have indeed spread along with the pandemic. The World Health Organization reported a five-fold increase in cyberattacks, while DHS Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and the U.K.s National Cyber Security Centre issued a warning on April 8 about a growing use of COVID-19-related themes by malicious cyber actors. From a technology standpoint, the impact is clearly how do we enable a remote workforce, Brock said. Even law enforcement is finding that theyre having to do more work from home -- patrol officers are still out on patrol, detectives are doing work remotely and making connections in a secure way, he said. However, law enforcement and public safety agencies were largely unprepared for a wholesale shift to remote work. They were making some strides, but this pandemic has become a forcing function for law enforcement to come to grips with that. Local emergency response centers are also grappling with different levels of telework preparedness. In Fairfax County, Va., solid continuity-of-operations plans (COOP) enabled 911 dispatchers to quickly begin working from home, said Steve Souder, director emeritus of the countys Department of Public Safety Communications. For others, the experience is revealing holes. We thought we had a very good plan in place, but this has made us think outside the box, said Katye Vogt, director of Fayette County, Ga., 911 Communications. Whats more, now that most all emergency response agencies are overwhelmed, they cant rely on one another to provide mutual aid as they normally would. As a result, emergency response officials must re-evaluate their COOP, said Tyrell Morris, executive director of Orleans Parish Communication District, which handles 911 and 311 calls in New Orleans. A lot of our plans were built heavily on failures of infrastructure, of space or equipment. A lot our plans failed to address the humanistic side, Morris said. This is an opportunity to redefine what efficient and effective government looks like. Douglas County Sheriff Joshua Blackwell and Indian Motorcycle Central Illinois co-owner Jill Owen teamed up to raise money for the Illinois Military Family Relief Fund and an Illinois Sheriff's Association scholarship fund for law enforcement and military families. WINNIPEG, ManitobaPlans underway to restart the economies of Canadian provinces do not depend on presuming people who become infected with coronavirus develop immunity to it, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Saturday. The World Health Organization said earlier that there was no evidence that people who have recovered from COVID-19 and have antibodies are protected from a second infection. I dont believe there are any plans that hinge on certain people being immune to COVID-19, Trudeau said in his daily briefing in Ottawa, adding that provincial plans focus on preventing the spread through social distancing and protective equipment in workplaces. [Immunity] is something we need to get clearer answers to and until we have those clear answers, we need to err on the side of more caution. In a scientific brief, the United Nations agency warned governments against issuing immunity passports or risk-free certificates to people who have been infected as their accuracy could not be guaranteed. New Brunswick is the first Canadian province to begin reopening parts of its economy and Saskatchewan has outlined a plan to start reopening in May. Trudeau met with provincial premiers on Friday to discuss their restart plans. Measures will differ as infection rates vary among provinces, but require national coordination, he said. Canadas death toll from COVID-19 rose 7 percent to 2,350 from a day earlier. Cases reached more than 44,000. Some 80 percent of Canadas cases are in Quebec and Ontario, where there are numerous outbreaks in nursing homes. Even so, a small protest outside the Ontario legislature on Saturday demanded the easing of public health measures. Its irresponsible, reckless and its selfish, Premier Doug Ford said of the call to loosen restrictions, speaking at a briefing. It burns me up. Such protests have been smaller in Canada than in the United States, where Republican politicians and individuals affiliated with President Donald Trumps re-election campaign are organizing or promoting anti-lockdown protests. Also Saturday, Trudeau announced funding for the countrys fish and seafood processors whose businesses were harmed by the coronavirus pandemic. The government will provide C$62.5 million in financing to buy protective equipment for workers or storage space for products to sell them later. Finance ministers of opposition- ruled states and senior leaders of opposition parties said on Monday that they feared the country was moving towards a financial emergency amid the coronavirus disease pandemic (Covid-19) and accused the Centre of failing to address their mounting troubles. The opposition figures were participating in a webinar hosted by the Thiruvananthapuram-based Gulati Institute for Finance and Taxation (GIFT) Participants in the webinar demanded that the Centre take an immediate loan from the Reserve Bank of India and transfer the money to the states to help them tide over the coronavirus crisis. If the situation is allowed to worsen and people begin to suspect that the country is headed for a financial emergency, they cant be blamed, the participants said. With their revenues falling by up to 80% during the Covid-19 lockdown that came into effect on March 25, several states have informed the Centre that they are almost broke and cant even afford to pay salaries unless they borrow heavily and receive interim compensation from the Centre, Hindustan Times reported on Monday. There is an undeclared emergency in the country. The country is going through a difficult situation and the economy is in the doldrums. We dont want mere slogans now. The Centre is yet to come up with a concrete plan to revive the economy, said senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh. Participants in the webinar urged all states to come together and fight what they called unilateral decisions being taken by the central government. Despite a dire situation, Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman is yet to call a meeting of state finance ministers at a time when the states are confronting a a major fiscal crisis, they said. Kerala finance minister Thomas Issac, who took the initiative in arranging the webinar, accused the Centre of discriminating against the states even in the midst of the pandemic. As an example, he cited the fact that company contributions to the newly launched PM-CARES fund were counted as corporate social responsibility spending, but not donations made to the Chief Ministers Relief Fund in the states. We have been asking for the state FMs meeting for quite some time. But it is yet to take place. We have been hearing only monologues. We dont need mere self-praise or kudos. We need ...money to tide over the crisis, said Issac. Delhis deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, Punjab finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal, former Jammu and Kashmir finance minister Haseeb Drabu, Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, and Communist Party of India secretary D Raja attended the webinar. Delhi is in dire straits. If the situation continues like this, even the health sector will also be affected. Being a consumerist state, we are suffering heavily due to loss of economic activities. We need immediate help, said Sisodia. Badal said Rs 1,000 crore was due to be paid to by the Centre as its share of the Goods and Services Tax , but the Centre was not willing to part with the amount. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-27 19:11:38|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, April 27 (Xinhua) -- The second national contest on traditional Chinese culture will be launched in May, according to China's Ministry of Education (MOE) on Monday. The contest, initiated by the MOE and the State Language Commission, is aimed to guide the public, especially Chinese youth, to learn about Chinese classics and improve their language application ability, as well as foster patriotism. Divided into four parts involving Chinese classics, poetry, calligraphy and seal cutting, the contest will be held online from May to October this year. Enditem The gradual easing of lockdown measures in the capital, Abuja, Lagos and Ogun states will take effect on May 4. Nigeria has announced plans to ease movement restrictions imposed late last month on three key states in a bid to contain the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. In a televised speech on Monday, President Muhammadu Buhari said he had approved a phased and gradual easing of lockdown measures in FCT, Lagos and Ogun states effective from Monday, May 4, 2020. FCT stands for Federal Capital Territory and includes the national capital, Abuja. Buhari said the federal and state governments have jointly and collaboratively worked hard on how to balance the need to protect health while also preserving livelihoods, leveraging global best practices while keeping in mind our peculiar circumstances. But the president also announced new measures including a nationwide 8pm-to-6am curfew, compulsory wearing of facemasks and a ban on non-essential travel between different regions. He also announced an immediate two-week lockdown in Kano, the countrys most populous state, after officials said they were investigating a series of mysterious deaths. The government in the northern state said preliminary investigations revealed the deaths were caused by complications from hypertension, diabetes, meningitis and acute malaria. A volunteer carries food parcels to distribute to vulnerable residents during a lockdown by the authorities in efforts to limit the spread of the coronavirus disease in Lagos [Temilade Adelaja/Reuters/Reuters] Economic burden Nigeria, Africas most populous country with some 200 million people, has recorded 1,273 cases of coronavirus and 40 deaths. The country first introduced measures to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus on March 30 by announcing a total lockdown of the commercial capital, Lagos, neighbouring Ogun and Abuja. The decision has taken a toll on economic activities, inflicting financial pain on millions of informal labourers who rely on daily pay to survive. The president acknowledged that this had partly informed the decision to ease the restrictions. Many of our citizens have lost their means of livelihood. Many businesses have shut down, Buhari said. No country can afford the full impact of a sustained lockdown while awaiting the development of vaccines, he added. We reviewed how our farmers can safely plant and harvest in this rainy season to ensure our food security is not compromised. In an effort to help the second hardest-hit country on the African continent, more than 200 Cuban doctors have arrived in South Africa to help overwhelmed hospitals deal with the spread of the coronavirus. The 217 doctors, including epidemiologists, public health experts, general practitioners and healthcare technology engineers, were met by a group of South African ministers on arrival Monday. South Africa's official figures on Monday stood at 4,546 cases of Covid-19 and 87 deaths. The doctors will be tasked with aiding the door-to-door screening campaign that started in April. Some 168,000 people have already been tested, including 13,500 in Gauteng province, where the majority of cases are located. This is Cubas second mission of medical support for the region since the Covid-19 pandemic began. More than 250 doctors were sent to Angola earlier in April to help combat coronavirus. South Africas sober 26th anniversary As South Africa grapples with stopping the spread of the virus, the country marked its 26th independence anniversary on Monday. Politicians spared no words to highlight the glaring socio-economic disparity between the classes and races in dealing with Covid-19. The corona outbreak has brought into sharpest focus, the ... inequalities that exist between black and white people in South Africa, said Julius Malema, the head of the populist opposition party Economic Freedom Fighters. According to inequality trends in South Africa released in November 2019, whites earned three times more than blacks, 25 years after apartheid. Malema frequently points the finger at the white elite, but he himself has been accused of being part of South Africa's growing black elite. Even when they want to be in self-isolation, our people do not have spacious houses to isolate into because they stay in shacks. Even when they want to keep maximum hygiene ... they do not have access to clean water, he added. Boris Johnson has warned of a huge loss of life if lockdown measures are lifted too soon, as he urged Britons to contain their impatience during the fight against coronavirus. In his first address to the nation since returning to work after being treated in intensive care, the prime minister said the UK is now beginning to turn the tide in the battle against COVID-19, but that Britain is also now at the moment of maximum risk. Johnson, speaking outside 10 Downing Street on Monday morning, said that while Britain has begun to wrestle coronavirus to the floor, he was not prepared to risk a second peak by easing government guidance too early. The prime minister said: Im sorry Ive been away from my desk for much longer than wouldve liked, and I want to thank everyone who has stepped up, in particular Dominic Raab who has done a terrific job. Prime Minister Boris Johnson makes a statement outside 10 Downing Street, London, as he resumes working after spending two weeks recovering from Covid-19. Prime Minister Boris Johnson makes a statement outside 10 Downing Street, London, as he resumes working after spending two weeks recovering from Covid-19. Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaking in Downing Street, London, as he resumes working from his office after spending two weeks recovering from Covid-19. But once again I wanted to thank you, the people of this country, for the sheer grit and guts youve shown and continue to show every day. I know this virus brings new sadness and mourning to households across the land, and its still true this is the biggest single challenge this country has faced since the war. He later added: If this virus were a physical assailant, an unexpected and invisible mugger, which I can tell you from personal experience it is, then this is the moment we have begun together to wrestle it to the floor, so this is the moment of opportunity when we can press home our advantage. Latest coronavirus news, updates and advice Live: Follow all the latest updates from the UK and around the world Fact-checker: The number of COVID-19 cases in your local area 6 charts and maps that explain how COVID-19 is spreading Its also the moment of maximum risk because there will be many people looking at our current situation and success, and beginning to wonder, whether now is the time to go easy on social distancing measures. I know how hard and stressful it has been to give up, even temporarily, those ancient and basic freedoms not seeing friends, not seeing loved ones, working from home, managing the kids, worrying, about your job and your firm. Story continues MP's Social distancing as Foreign secretary Dominic Raab speaks during Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons, London. So let me say directly to British business, to entrepreneurs, to shopkeepers, to the hospitality sector, to everyone on whom our economy depends, I understand your impatience and share your anxiety, and without our private sector there will be no economy to speak of, no cash to pay for our public services, no way of funding our NHS. I can see the long-term consequences of lockdown as clear as anyone and I share your urgency, but we must also recognise the risk of a second spike, or losing control of the virus and letting the reproduction rate go over 1, because that would mean a new wave of death and disease but also economic disaster and wed be forced to slam on the brakes on the country and the economy. In a direct plea to the nation, Johnson said: I ask you to contain your impatience, because we are coming now to the end of the first phase of this conflict and inspire of all the suffering we have nearly succeeded. We defied so many predictions, we did not run out of ventilators or ICU beds, we did not allow our NHS to collapse, and on the contrary we have so far collectively shielded our NHS so our incredible doctors, nurses and NHS staff have been able to shield all of us. Johnson said: I want to get this economy moving as fast as I can but added: I refuse to throw away all the effort and the sacrifice of the British people and to risk a second major outbreak and huge loss of life. The prime minister has resumed full-time duties at the head of the government, three weeks after he was admitted to hospital with the disease. He will chair the regular morning meeting of the governments COVID-19 war cabinet before heading into a series of meetings with senior ministers and officials. Johnson who spent a week in St Thomas Hospital in London, including three nights in intensive care is said to be determined to ensure that there is no second peak. The pressure to begin easing the restrictions came from a series of wealthy Tory backers who called over the weekend for the government to allow the economy to restart. The prime minister has less than two weeks before the next major decision point comes up, with the next three-week review of the lockdown restrictions due on 7 May. Foreign secretary Dominic Raab has said the government is doing its homework in preparation for when the rules could be eased. It is thought that among the first moves could be a re-opening of schools, although Raab said that would be inconceivable without some further measures in place. Coronavirus: what happened today The number of people infected with novel coronavirus is rising in Hungary, but the curve of the epidemic can be kept flat thanks to the effective controls, the chief medical officer said on Sunday. The number of Covid-19 patients being treated in hospital is increasing, with 927 people hospitalised out of 2,500 confirmed cases, 56 of whom are on ventilators, Cecilia Muller told an online press conference of the operative board coordinating the response to the epidemic. Fully 57% of those diagnosed are women and 43% are men, she said. The number of fatalities has increased to 272. Fully 256 were above the age of 60 and most of them suffered from chronic underlying diseases. Eight of the people who deceased were between the age of 50 and 59, six were 40-49 and two 30-39, she added. The recommendations of the World Health Organisation on repeat tests are being followed, she said, adding that most people are tested twice but those working in critical infrastructure such as health care are tested more often. Outpatients are released only after two negative test results and if there are no longer any symptoms of the virus, she said. She added that the reproduction rate of the virus in Hungary was below 1.0 thanks to the measures introduced. MTI Photo: Attila Balazs I will not, he said of releasing numbers. We respect that private business that nursing home that is operating under our regulations. Thats where the reality exists. And, by the way, we have taken a few extra steps to make sure if thats not than we are going to intervene. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-28 01:25:36|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Monday that the Chinese side stands ready to join Iran and the rest of the international community in boosting anti-pandemic cooperation and achieving the ultimate victory over COVID-19. Xi made the remarks during a telephone conversation with his Iranian counterpart, Hassan Rouhani. On behalf of the Chinese government and people, Xi expressed his sincere sympathy with and firm support for the Iranian government and people who are fighting the COVID-19 outbreak, saying that the two countries, by helping each other and sharing weal and woe, have fully demonstrated the deep friendship between the two countries and their peoples in the battle against the disease. The Chinese people, said Xi, always concern about the Iranian people's epidemic fight, adding that the country has sent to the Iranian side several batches of anti-epidemic materials and its first team of experts to foreign countries. He also said that the Chinese side stands ready to continue working with Iran in enhancing cooperation to battle the epidemic, share related experience, and offer help within China's ability, adding that he believes that the Iranian people, under the leadership of Rouhani, will score the victory over the virus at an early date. Xi stressed that in the face of the global public health emergency, the international community can only form a concerted drive to win over the epidemic by strengthening coordination and cooperation, saying that unilateral sanctions only hinder the efforts of Iran and the international community to contain the COVID-19 pandemic. The Chinese side firmly supports the development of the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership, and Iran's efforts to safeguard national sovereignty and dignity, said Xi, adding that the Chinese side stands ready to join Iran and the rest of the international community in boosting anti-pandemic cooperation, so as to achieve the ultimate victory over the disease and contribute to the preservation of the world's public health security. Rouhani, for his part, said he is delighted to see China's success in controlling the COVID-19 pandemic, and its anti-virus experience is worth learning from by other countries. In the face of the pandemic, Iran and China have been supporting each other and the friendship between peoples of the two countries has been deepened, Rouhani said. The Iranian side is deeply grateful to China for its timely offering of precious material supplies to the Iranian people's pandemic fight, he said, noting that his country is ready to strengthen cooperation in the field of health and other areas, and further develop the bilateral strategic partnership. Under the current situation, the illegal unilateral sanctions imposed on Iran should be lifted immediately, Rouhani said, noting that Iran hopes to work with other countries in jointly safeguarding multilateralism and defending international fairness and justice as well as the legitimate rights of Iran. By PTI LAHORE: Pakistan's anti-graft body has issued an arrest warrant against embattled former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in a 34-year-old land related corruption case. The 70-year-old supremo of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, is currently in London for medical treatment. According to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) officials, Sharif illegally leased the land to Jang Group editor-in-chief Mir Shakilur Rehman in 1986, when the three-time premier was the chief minister of Punjab province. "The NAB has issued arrest warrants of PML-N supreme leader Nawaz Sharif in the land case involving Jang Group editor-in-chief Rehman. Sharif was served notices and questionnaires in this case but no response came from him who is in London for his medical treatment," a NAB official told PTI on Sunday. The three-time premier is facing multiple graft charges. The official said the NAB would move the accountability court to declare Sharif a proclaimed offender over non-cooperation in the investigation. On March 27, the NAB sent a questionnaire to Sharif and summoned him to the bureau office on March 31 to record his statement. Again on March 15, NAB's Lahore office summoned Sharif to appear before the bureau on March 20, but no response came from him, Dawn reported. Jang Group, also known as Geo Group, is a subsidiary of Dubai-based company Independent Media Corporation. On March 12, the NAB arrested Rehman in the case. He is in the bureau's custody on physical remand till April 28. Rehman, the editor-in-chief of Jang/Geo media group, was arrested on charges that he illegally acquired 54-Kanal (6. 75 acres) land on a prime location in Lahore at a throwaway price in 1986 during the tenure of then-chief minister of Punjab Sharif. "Once Sharif is declared a proclaimed offender then we will pursue the process of his repatriation," the official said on Sunday. "The decision to issue Sharif's arrest warrants has been taken on his non-cooperation with NAB in the 54-Kanal land in Lahore he had awarded illegally to Mir Shakil ur Rehman in 1986 when he was chief minister of Punjab," the official said. Sharif left for London in November last for treatment after the Lahore High Court allowed him to go abroad on medical grounds for four weeks. According to Sharif's physician Dr Adnan Khan, the top leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) is suffering from complex multi-vessel coronary artery disease and substantial ischemic and threatened myocardium for which he is due to undergo surgery. In a latest tweet, Khan said: "As a high-risk patient, former PM #NawazSharif's cardiac catheterization/coronary intervention was postponed to be rescheduled at a later date amidst COVID-19 pandemic, as public/private hospitals limited their admissions/procedures. Presently managed on aggressive medical therapy." The Lahore High Court had, in October last year, granted bail to Sharif on medical grounds for four weeks, allowing the Punjab government to extend it further in the light of his medical reports. The Islamabad High Court had also granted bail to Sharif in the Al Azizia Mills corruption case, in which the former prime minister was serving a seven-year jail term, clearing his way to travel abroad for medical treatment. Sharif has given an undertaking to the Lahore High Court to return to Pakistan citing his record to face the process of law and justice within four weeks or as soon as he is declared fit to travel. Sharif, who was diagnosed with an immune system disorder, has been advised by a PTI government's panel of doctors to go abroad for treatment. The South Korean government has denied rumors that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is dying, AP reported. Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul told a closed-door forum in Seoul on Sunday that South Korea has enough intelligence to confidently say that there are no unusual developments in rival North Korea that would back up speculation about Kim Jong Un's health, according to his ministry. Rumors that Kich Jong-un is not healthy, is in a vegetative state and even died after heart surgery, appeared after he missed the celebration of the 108th anniversary of his grandfather, the founder of North Korea, Kim Il Sung, on April 15. Pyongyang does not comment on these allegations. North Korean media report that the country's leader works with documents, receives and sends messages to international leaders. Utica, N.Y. Oneida County executive Anthony Picente says the county has a golden opportunity to be allowed to begin opening back up in a few weeks if its coronavirus numbers remain low. But Picente was unhappy that there were 37 new coronavirus cases reported over the weekend along with three more deaths from COVID-19. Picente today issued an executive order through the health department requiring stores in Oneida County to enforce rules requiring customers to wear masks. "If you're a business that's open, you must require masks," Picente said during his daily coronavirus briefing. He added that storeowners could be charged with a misdemeanor for continued violations. READ MORE: Oneida County coronavirus dashboard New positives for coronavirus were back down today, with five new cases returned overnight, but another resident died from the virus, bringing the countys total to 15. The county executive said he toured around the county over the weekend and saw a number of customers in stores without masks. That needs to stop, he said. "There's no excuse. Whether you're picking up food or going to get gas," he said. "It needs to be done everywhere." Picente referred to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's remarks about allowing certain regions around the state to begin slowly reopening some businesses or services before other parts of the state, depending on the numbers, after May 15. He said Oneida County, along with many others in Central New York, is among the areas who could qualify when decisions are made in the near future. "It's an executive order. This is a basic cloth mask. It's easy to put on," he said, pulling one out and putting it on. Picente added that the county has secured 50,000 new cloth masks that it will begin to distribute to the public. MORE ON CORONAVIRUS Coronavirus in NY: Cases, maps, charts and resources Gov. Cuomo on reopening schools, summer school, remote learning and district budgets As coronavirus deaths in NY fall below 400, Cuomo gives some details about phased reopening The week we went from defense to offense; CNYs coronavirus fight turns a corner Complete coronavirus coverage on syracuse.com Nolan Weidner is a reporter for the Syracuse Post-Standard and Syracuse.com. Got a comment or idea for a story? He can be reached by call or text at 315.247.7419 or via email at nweidner@syracuse.com. 27.04.2020 LISTEN Members of the Ghana Federation of persons with disabilities in the Garu district of the Upper East Region are calling on Government to absorb their wards school fees and other basic bills. This according to Mr. Asaari Awindaug, local chairman of the chapter, will help reduce the financial trauma that its members go through in caring for their wards in school. The disability common fund that is supposed to be disbursed quarterly to members of the Ghana Federation of persons with disabilities so as to cushion their plight, is said to be deep-drowning, entangled with either late or selected disbursement as well as less disbursement. Mr. Awindaug noted that the truth of the matter is that, the percentage that is supposed to come from central government hardly come. Our members are suffering. It is supposed to be quarterly, but sometimes it can take a year. He added that upon the delay in disbursement, the amount is nothing to write home about. Sometimes the amount given to us is too small. You cannot do anything with it. It will be good if the government takes a second look at that. Worried Awindaug, who was observing the famous stay at home mantra to avoid the spread of the dreaded novel Coronavirus, told this reporter from his naturally moist-shaded mongo tree in Garu, that I will humbly appeal to government to consider absorbing the school fees of our wards. Some of our children are unwilling to go to school because they know that we are jobless and therefore cannot pay their fees. Now that the percent allocated for us is very little, it will be good, if Government will absorb our wards fees and other basic bills. Mr. Awindaug disclosed that the association do present proposals for projects but it does take a long time before they are attended to. Adding that most of the time, they dont get a response. Sometimes they will tell us that there is no money. He also called on its members to religiously observe all protocols and guidelines issued to stop the spread of Covid-19. If the able are not speared, how much more we the disabled? He said amidst laughter. He called on the government to consider its members when distributing subsidized fertilizer ahead of this years rainy season. Atampugri Robbert, a mobile money vendor and a member of the disabled society, told this reporter that most of their members are unable to further their education after the second cycle level due to financial difficulties. My brother, it is not easy for us. After secondary school, most of us dont further. There is no money. The government should consider us. He said as he struggled with difficulty to frequently reposition himself to balance. Twenty five fishermen reached their native place in Odisha's Ganjam district on Monday after taking a sea voyage from Chennai where they were stuck due to the lockdown, officials said. They landed at Ramayapatna beach and were immediately taken to a hospital for isolation, said Chikiti block Tehsildar Haraprasad Bhoi. Twelve of them are from Ramayapatna, eight from Pati Sonepur and five from Markandi villages, he said. Preliminary screening of their health was conducted and they were provided food, Bhoi said. The wooden boat they used to travel 1,100 km was seized, he added. Total 39 fishermen, including 14 from Andhra Pradesh, started their journey from Chennai on April 24, Bhoi said. They rented the boat in Chennai, the tehsildar said, adding that those from Andhra Pradesh got down at Dankuru. On April 20, 27 fishermen, including 10 from Ganjam district, had sailed to the state and landed near Ichhapurma in Andhra Pradesh. Further, 38 fishermen had landed at the Pati Sonepur coast on Saturday. All of them are now in institutional quarantine in different villages, official sources said. State Transport Minister Padmanabh Behera has directed the police to maintain a strict vigil on the coastal area as more and more people are taking the sea to return to the state after failing to other modes of transport due to the lockdown. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) China's President Xi Jinping has instructed Beijing's coronavirus expert team to leave Hubei after all of its COVID-19 patients were discharged from the province. The government officials, led by the Chinese Vice Premier, returned to the capital on Monday after fighting the outbreak in the former ground zero for three months, according to state media. The city of Wuhan, where the global coronavirus pandemic began, has no coronavirus patients left in its hospitals, health officials said yesterday. But the country remains on alert for a second possible wave, with Beijing tightening lockdown measures on some cities that are dealing with new regional outbreaks. The government officials, led by the Chinese Vice Premier, have returned to the capital on Monday after fighting the outbreak in the former ground zero for three months, reports say. The picture shows Sun Chunlan, a Chinese Vice Premier, visiting a hospital in Wuhan Firefighters prepare to conduct disinfection at the Wuhan Tianhe International Airport on April 3 before the former epicentre lifted its travel restrictions China's 'central guiding group', led by Vice Premier Sun Chunlan, was dispatched to Hubei province in late January to supervise the local government's efforts on tackling the crisis. President Xi permitted the team to leave Wuhan today after the epidemic prevention and control work in Hubei has been relaxed from 'emergency' to 'regular', according to state media Xinhua. Some of the assembly's key members included Ding Xiangyang, deputy secretary-general of the state councilI, and Sun Lijun, former deputy public security minister. But the total number of officials in the expert team remains unclear. The news comes as health authorities reported on Sunday that Wuhan hospitals have no more coronavirus patients. The picture taken on February 16 shows a doctor looking at an image as he checks a COVID-19 patient at the Wuhan Red Cross Hospital The news comes as health authorities reported on Sunday that Wuhan hospitals have no more coronavirus patients. National Health Commission spokesman Mi Feng announced: 'The number of new coronavirus patients in Wuhan was at zero, thanks to the joint efforts of Wuhan and medical staff from around the country.' Hubei province also reported zero active confirmed cases today and a total of 63,616 patients have recovered from the deadly disease. The city of Wuhan had reported 46,452 cases, 56 per cent of the national total. It saw 3,869 fatalities, or 84 per cent of China's reported, yet disputed, total. The infection tally in Hubei province now stands at 68,128 while the death toll remained at 4,512. More than 82,000 people have been infected with the killer bug in mainland China and at least 4,632 patients have died. The city of Wuhan had reported 46,452 cases, 56 per cent of the national total. It saw 3,869 fatalities, or 84 per cent of China's reported, yet disputed, total. Workers are pictured at a breakfast restaurant in Wuhan making steamed pork dumplings on April 24 The country's focus has since shifted to the northeast border province of Heilongjiang, which has seen large numbers of imported coronavirus cases entering from Russia. A staff member is seen keeping watch at a checkpoint in the border city of Suifenhe on April 21 The country's focus has since shifted to the northeast border province of Heilongjiang, which has seen large numbers of imported coronavirus cases entering from Russia. The border town of Suifenhe, with its 70,000 population, went into lockdown at the start of the month while nearby Harbin, home to 10 million, has become the new battlefront. Meanwhile, Beijing has banned 'uncivilised' behaviour such as not covering the mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing, the city government said. The new set of regulations is an attempt to improve public hygiene amid the coronavirus outbreak. The laws claim to promote 'civilised behaviour' and relate to combating the pandemic which has infected nearly 3 million people worldwide. Rule-breakers will be slapped with fines for offences including not wearing a mask in public when ill, the municipal government said on its website. The laws claim to promote 'civilised behaviour' and relate to combating the pandemic which has infected more than 82,000 in China alone. Pictured: People wearing face masks as they record on the street on April 25 It comes as pupils across China have gone back to school after spending more than three months at home as the country continues to ease coronavirus restrictions. Tens of thousands of students in their final year of middle and high schools in Shanghai and Guangzhou returned to the campus on Monday while graduating students in high schools in Beijing also resumed classroom study today. All schools and universities must impose strict preventative measures to stop the disease from spreading, including giving out free face masks, disinfecting the campus and setting up quarantine areas. Someday, Im going to die. This, I grudgingly accept. I have no idea how its going to happen. Maybe I will die of having a tree fall on me, of eating tainted shellfish, or of being struck by lightning. But this much I guarantee. I will not die of having wagered my life that TV carnival barkers, political halfwits and goobers in MAGA hats know more than experts with R.N.s, M.D.s, and Ph.D.s after their names. In other words, I will not die of stupid. Not that there arent plenty of opportunities to do so. Indeed, in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic and the question of when and how the nations economy should be reopened, we seem to have tapped the U.S. Strategic Stupid Reserve. The result has been a truly awe-inspiring display of Americas matchless capacity for mental mediocrity. Surveys show, for instance, that a solid majority of Americans (63 percent according to a CBS News poll) are more worried about reopening the country too fast and worsening the pandemic than opening it too slowly and worsening the economy. Yet a noisy minority of protesters is furious at government for trying to keep them healthy. They demand their right to life, liberty and the pursuit of acute respiratory distress. Meantime, theres Dr. Phil, opining on Fox News that 45,000 people a year die from automobile accidents, 480,000 from cigarettes, 360,000 a year from swimming pools, but we dont shut the country down for that. Turns out hes off a smidge on the number of drownings, which is actually fewer than 4,000. And who knew swimming pools, car accidents and cigarettes were contagious? Then you have governors like Brian Kemp of Georgia and Ron DeSantis of Florida rushing to reopen their states in defiance of medical advice. COVID-19 is not here, bro, one surfer assured a Jacksonville TV news crew. Doesnt that take a load off your mind? And lets not forget Las Vegas, where Mayor Carolyn Goodman went on CNN to demand the reopening of casinos, suggesting her town could be a control group to find out if social distancing works the gambling capital playing craps with the lives of its own people. Not that Goodman would wager her own life. Asked by Anderson Cooper if she would visit the reopened casinos, she demurred, saying she has to get home to her family. But heres the thing. Theres been a lot of talk over who has the power to reopen Americas economy. Well, it doesnt belong to the president, nor to the governors. It doesnt even belong to business owners. No, ultimately, it belongs to me. And to you. It belongs to us, as consumers. After all, the president and the governors can issue all the orders they want, the owners can remove all the padlocks, but none of it matters if customers are too afraid to walk back through the doors. And I am. I have no idea how many consumers I represent, but I suspect its more than a few. I get that businesses are suffering. But I refuse to eat in a crowded restaurant, sit in a packed movie house or fly on a full flight again until I feel I can do so safely. . No, I need to hear from serious, credible people. I need to know sufficient testing has been conducted and that they feel the virus is no longer a threat. If other people want to die of stupid, I cant stop them. But if America wants its economy back this part of its economy, at least it better do whatever is necessary to persuade Dr. Anthony Fauci its time to give the all-clear. Look for me two weeks after that. Leonard Pitts is a columnist for The Miami Herald. Readers may contact him via e-mail at lpitts@miamiherald.com.) Love 16 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 1 The Oyo State Fire Service says a total of 191 fire incidents occurred in the state between January and February 2020 alone. The Chief Fire Officer of the state, Moshood Adewuyi, said this in Ibadan while addressing reporters. He appealed to residents of the state to be cautious in the handling of cooking and electrical appliances to minimise incessant fire disasters. In many instances, carelessness of our people gave room for avoidable fire disasters, he said. Majority of these disasters are caused when people leave electrical appliances unattended to. Many people leave cooking gas unattended to, resulting in many of the disasters that we have experienced over time. Dugbe inferno On the recent fire incident at Dugbe market in Ibadan, Mr Adewuyi said a welder, who was working close to where an highly inflammable content was kept, ignited the fire. Mr Adewuyi said in 2019 alone, 567 fire calls were received with 44 of them false while 18 lives were saved with 20 others lost. He said property saved stood at N255.912 billion, while estimated loss was N689.590 million Mr Adewuyi added that 266 calls were received between January 1 and April 20, 2020, with 11 false, adding that, property saved stood at N767,550 billion, while estimated loss was put at N375.460 million. He appealed to residents to stop the habit of using phones to record disasters instead of making calls to appropriate agencies to alert them on the need to respond swiftly to emergencies. (NAN) Federal Australian authorities yesterday rolled-out COVIDSafe, a mobile phone tracking application produced by the Liberal-National Coalition government with the support of the Labor Party opposition and state and territory governments. The app is a central component of the ruling elites drive to force workers back onto the job, under conditions in which the coronavirus continues to circulate within the community. At a press conference after a meeting of the expanded national cabinet on April 16, Prime Minister Scott Morrison touted the app as one of three policies that will enable the easing of social distancing measures. The other two were an expansion of testing, which has been severely restricted since the pandemic began, and military-enforced lockdowns of local areas where outbreaks of the virus occur. The stated purpose of the program is to enable health authorities to track the spread of COVID-19. It will supposedly do this by logging the mobile phone details of individuals with whom registered users are in close proximity for 15 minutes or more. If somebody contracts the virus, the records of those they have been near for a quarter of an hour or longer will then be scoured by state medical officials, as part of contact tracing. As numbers of commentators have stated, even if taken on face value, the application is destined to fail its purported mission. Because of its highly contagious character, COVID-19 can be spread between people who have only the most fleeting contact. The application would do nothing to trace the spread of the virus from an individual who coughs as they walk by several people in a supermarket, for instance. Medical experts have stated that the virus can be transmitted through surfaces and inanimate objects and that it appears to stay in the air longer than was previously known. The real purpose of COVIDSafe is to legitimise the profit-driven suspension of lockdown measures and to exploit the crisis to dramatically escalate state surveillance of the population. Significantly, the application is modelled on similar programs introduced by authoritarian governments in a number of Asian countries, particularly the police-state regime in Singapore. In response to widespread public skepticism, federal government ministers have claimed that the data collected by COVIDSafe will be encrypted, stored securely. They have said that it will only be accessible to state health authorities and will not be shared with the police or any other branch of the state. Federal officials were forced to backtrack on suggestions that the application could be made compulsory, after it provoked substantial opposition. The dubious character of the government claims that privacy will be respected are epitomised by its decision to hand control of all of the data to Amazon. There is no indication that any tender or bidding process was conducted before the massive US corporation was given the government contract. Aside from operating a global network of warehouses, whose labour practices harken back to the dictatorial factory regimes of 19th century Britain, Amazon is known for having the closest ties to the American state apparatus. The US intelligence agencies are feared throughout the world for their mass spying operations, targeted assassinations and other violations of international law. In 2013, Amazon secured a US government contract worth $600 million to build and operate a private computing cloud for all 17 American intelligence agencies. This year, it has been involved in a bitter court battle with Microsoft, over which company will receive a $10 billion contract to manage cloud services for the Pentagon. Under American law, US police and intelligence agencies are able to obtain information from US-registered companies, regardless of its origin. After this was widely reported, the Australian government absurdly claimed that those provisions will not apply to COVIDSafe, because it is being operated by Amazons Australian brand and the data will be stored within Australia. Amazons intimate ties to the US state, however, render these assurances completely worthless. Central to the companys success, moreover, is that it constantly operates in conjunction with the US government. Moreover, the various branches of its business are globally-integrated and interconnected. On Saturday, a group of more than 75 Australian academics and computer experts issued an open letter, demanding transparency from the government regarding the app. They called for the government to release its source code and design specifications prior to its public release; for technical experts at universities and in industry to be given at least five days to examine its privacy provisions; and make expert recommendations to be adopted. The appeal was answered by the governments hurried release of the app yesterday, before it had been subjected to any independent scrutiny. This is of a piece with a broader assault on civil liberties, conducted by Labor and Liberal-National Coalition governments over the past two decades. During the past several years alone, Labor and the Coalition have come together to pass legislation empowering law enforcement to break encryption. They have imposed foreign interference measures which provide for the illegalisation of anti-war activities and organisations, along with extended prison sentences for whistleblowers and anybody who receives or publishes classified information. The government, with the tacit support of Labor, has spearheaded the prosecution of whistleblowers who have exposed wrongdoing by the military, tax agencies and other branches of the state. It oversaw a police raid against Newscorp political editor Annika Smethurst last year, who was targeted for revealing government plans to formally enable the Australian Signals Directorate to conduct mass spying on the population. The government, with the support of the Labor Party and the media, are exploiting the present crisis to escalate those plans. If the application is widely taken up, there is every reason to suspect that it will be used by the police and intelligence agencies to map social interactions as part of the preparations to suppress widespread social and political opposition. The app has been hailed by publications that function as the mouthpieces of the financial elite. The Australian and the Australian Financial Review both published editorials this morning championing the program, and dismissing any concerns about privacy and democratic rights. The Australian was particularly forthright, declaring that the app would open the economy. It stated that the prerequisites for winding back restrictions are now in place. The editorial was a crude expression of the motives of the back to work campaign, providing detailed financial calculations about the impact of lockdown measures on economic growth. In reality, the government and the ruling elite are seeking to force workers back onto the job in unsafe conditions. Their sole concern is to ensure the resumed flow of corporate profits, and to use the crisis to intensify a decades-long assault on workplace rights and conditions. That the governments useless and intrusive app is a centrepiece of this campaign underscores its fraudulent character and the fact that it is indifferent to the health, safety and rights of working people. Next in line: Who will be the next CM of Uttarakhand At the meeting with the PM, here is what the Chief Ministers said India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Apr 27: The Chief Ministers during a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed their views on the ongoing situation due to the coronavirus outbreak. At the meeting that lasted 2.5 hours, the Chief Minister of Meghalaya said that he was in favour of extending the lockdown. States better acquainted with ground realities: PM Modi tells CMs Let us take a look at what the CM's told the PM: Meghalaya CM says that the state will continue with the lockdown after May 3, with restrictions on inter-stay movement, inter-district movement and relaxation of essential and medical services. The Puducherry CM sought the Centre's intervention for providing PPEs and other medical equipment. Apart from financial aid, the CM also sought permission to start industries post the lockdown and also sought grants from the Centre. The Chief Minister of Uttarakhand said that the economy must be revived urgently. Business and trade must start in a phased manner. All necessary precautions must be taken and we should come up with a plan of easing the lives of people by making the situation normal. The revival of the economy is the key in moving forward, the CM also said. The Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh said that the state is in a position to start economic activities. The lockdown, however, should continue as there are issues with other states. He indicated that while economic activity should open up, inter-state travel should continue to remain barred. The CM of Himachal Pradesh while referring to inter-state travel said that these restrictions should be lifted only after consulting with the other states. CM of Odisha has sought for a national standard operating procedure for the lockdown. This would help in initiating measures to kickstart the economy. We will work together. Niti Aayog should come up with transformative ideas. While the national lockdown should continue, important activities must be allowed. We have to completely stop public gatherings, religious and educational institutions. Economic activities must be restricted within the state only, he also said. Chief Minister of Bihar said that door to door screening similar to the polio campaign has been taking place. Till now 4 crore people have been screened, he also said. The Bihar CM also said that the state did not have the resources to bring back migrant labourers from other states. We have to devise measures to ease the lives of people in the green zones, he also said. The Chief Minister of Gujarat has said that the state would abide with the decision of the Centre on the extension of the lockdown. The Centre should take a decision on this in the interest of the country. We need to extend the lockdown post-May 3, but at the same time ease the situation in a phased manner. KEY HIGHLIGHTS The $3 per test SARS CoV-2 Antibody test kits are being imported from China's Wondfo Its landed price, including air freight (Rs 20), to importer Matrix Labs is Rs 245 per test ICMR placed an order to buy 5 lakh kits on March 27, 28 @Rs 600 (plus GST) per test Importer Matrix Labs sells to distributor Rare Metabolics Life Sciences at Rs 400 per test Rare Metabolics contracted to ICMR at the government approved rate of @Rs 600 (plus GST) 2.76 lakh have been delivered to ICMR; remaining 2.24 lakh tests are about to land Rare Metabolics intends to sell 1 million kits; order was placed with Matrix for 5 lakh kits Matrix Labs has an order to supply 50,000 kits to Tamil Nadu through dealer Shan Biotech and Diagnostics at Rs 600 per test Of this, 24,000 have already been supplied; 26,000 more are yet to be delivered A legal dispute in Delhi High Court between the distributor and importer of COVID-19 rapid test kits being shipped from China has unearthed massive profiteering and over-pricing in kits sold to Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). Observing that 61 per cent mark-up on such test kits is on the "higher side" but "more than sufficient", the Delhi High Court single bench of Justice Najmi Waziri disallowed a 145 pc mark-up from landed price of Rs 245 to ICMR's purchase price of Rs 600 per test. Instead, Justice Waziri slashed price for every kit by 33 per cent from Rs 600 to Rs 400 per test. The order was against a petition by Rare Metabolics, the sole distributor of rapid antibody test kits imported by Matrix Labs, the respondent in the case, from China's Wondfo Biotech. ALSO READ:Coronavirus crisis: After Delhi, 5 more states bat for lockdown extension The dispute was over release of the remaining 2.24 lakh kits--of the 5 lakh imported from China--to be sent to ICMR. Importer Matrix Labs had argued that it had only been paid Rs 12.25 crore of the Rs 20 crore (plus GST) or Rs 21 crore import. As per the agreement, the balance amount of Rs. 8.25 crores had to be first paid to the importer before any monies received from ICMR. Rare Metabolics filed a petition before the Delhi High Court seeking release of the remaining 2.24 lakh test kits so that they can be supplied to ICMR as per the agreement. The petitioner argued that under its bi-partite agreement with Matrix Labs, no other company can market them in India. The company also said that it has already paid Rs 12.75 crore, which cover the freight cost for 5 lakh test kits. Rare Metabolics assured that payment due to Matrix Labs will be remitted as soon as it is received. Dispute arose after Matrix Labs demanded upfront payment, whereas the petitioner maintained that the payment could only be made after ICMR released the funds. The petitioner informed the court that the consignment of 2.76 lakh rapid antibody tests has already been supplied to ICMR for which payment is still awaited. ALSO READ:Post-COVID, 75% of 4.5 lakh TCS employees to permanently work from home by '25; from 20% This payment will be made after the tests meet ICMR's standards. ICMR has put the rapid tests on hold after detecting faulty results from the Wondo kits. The Chinese firm has denied that they were faulty kits. Matrix Labs countered that the agreement based on the understanding that the payment will be upfront, especially with regards to the consignment supplied to ICMR. Rare Metabolics stated that the "communication was under duress and contrary to the understanding between the parties". The respondent also informed that court that it has received an order for 50,000 antibody test kits from Tamil Nadu government through dealer Shan Biotech and Diagnostics, of which 24,000 kits have already been supplied. ALSO READ:Bravado! IndiGo, Vistara, SpiceJet, GoAir start bookings violating govt orders "The Court is of the view that a profit mark-up of Rs. 155, i.e. 61 per cent on the landed cost price of Rs. 245, is much on the higher side and in any case more than sufficient for the seller, for the kits/tests to be made available in India for urgent extensive tests through the country, especially in these present extraordinary circumstances of the worldwide pandemic... Public interest must outweigh private gain. The lis between the parties should give way to the larger public good. In view of the above, the kits/test should be sold at a price not beyond Rs. 400 per kit/test inclusive of GST," the Delhi High Court ordered. Following the Delhi High Court order, both parties have agreed to sell antibody test kits in India at the court-mandated price of Rs 400 per kit, inclusive of GST. After listening to both parties, Delhi High Court decided that 2.24 lakh tests shall be delivered to ICMR, the moment it land in India. The balance amount of Rs. 8.25 crore has to be first paid to importer Matrix Labs within 24 hours of petitioner receiving monies from ICMR, before they are adjusted for any purpose. The court also ordered remaining 26,000 kits from the Tamil Nadu government's order to be provided directly to the stated the moment they reach India. "So, from the other 5 lakh kits/tests, 50,000 shall be excluded for the State of Tamil Nadu and the remaining 450,000 would be available to the respondent to be disposed-off in terms of the above, directly to any Government or governmental agency or any private entity which has received due approval to carry out such tests," the court ordered. Former Bigg Boss 13 contestants Rashami Desai and Arhaan Khan's relationship officially began as well as ended during their stint on the reality show Bigg Boss 13. Now, Arhaan reveals that his family was against his relationship with Rashami. In an interview with Times Of India, Arhaan told, Let me make it clear that my family has never stayed at Rashamis house. The reason is that they were against my relationship with her. I have maintained silence on the topic because I didnt want to wash dirty linen in public. For Rashami, it could be a way to be in the limelight. She announced the break-up in the media, rather than being mature about it and telling me first. While Rashami was inside the Bigg Boss 13 house, Arhaan was accused of betraying her, using her money and his family staying in Rashami's house in her absence. However, Arhaan has denied all the accusations. The actor in his defense told the portal, She mentioned that we were in a live-in relationship. So, why was she quiet when the discussion about her house keys came up on Bigg Boss? Why didnt she announce that we were living together? I was accused of taking advantage of her, even my family was dragged into the controversy. During a live Instagram chat, the actress had revealed that she was in a relationship Arhaan for over a year. She also said that falling in love with him was her biggest mistake. Follow @News18Movies for more Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday that the state is exploring more aggressive enforcement of its COVID-19 coronavirus shelter-in-place order after residents in coastal areas flouted the order over the weekend by going to the beach. Newsom led off his daily briefing on the coronavirus by chastising residents in places like Orange and Ventura counties who flocked to local beaches, particularly on Saturday, during a wave of warm weather across the state. Newsom argued that the state is weeks, rather than months, away from beginning to loosen shelter-in-place orders due to the coronavirus as long as people abide by physical distancing and other public health practices to avoid spreading the virus. That won't be the case if people continue leaving their homes just because the weather is nice. "As we change our behavior, we can impact the science, the health and the data," Newsom said. "This virus doesn't take the weekends off, this virus doesn't go home because it's a beautiful, sunny day around our coasts." Newsom said similar images of crowded beaches weren't as abundant from other areas like Los Angeles, San Diego and San Mateo counties because local governments followed state directives for enforcing stay-at-home orders. San Mateo County had previously issued an order allowing people to only do recreation activities within 5 miles of their homes. On Linda Mar Beach in Pacifica, that city's police officers contacted 853 beachgoers and ordered 535 off the beach after learning they lived more than 5 miles away, police said. State officials are collaborating with the California Highway Patrol, state park patrols and other agencies to enhance enforcement provisions against people who leave their homes for non-essential reasons. "We will avail ourselves to more aggressive enforcement of the stay-at-home order, of the social distancing, of the guidelines and procedures that we expect to be followed all across the state of California," Newsom said. Newsom also announced that Nevada and Colorado joined California, Oregon and Washington in the Western States Pact, allowing all five states to collaborate on a strategy to combat the coronavirus and, eventually, begin re-opening their economies and societies. Health officials around the state have confirmed a total of 43,464 coronavirus cases, including 1,755 deaths, according to Newsom. In addition, 1,185 people are in intensive care due to the virus and 3,372 are currently hospitalized across the state. 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. Nervous market-watchers arent ready to call it a housing crisis yet, but the echoes of 2008 can already be heard. The economy has been placed in shutdown, but rent and mortgage payments are still due and hundreds of thousands of households across Connecticut have no idea how theyll make their next payment. Only the federal government can provide aid at the scale necessary to prevent another housing crisis, and the window of opportunity is closing. The first stimulus bills have not provided the aid needed to prevent the mass evictions, foreclosures and homelessness that would result from a second housing crisis. As discussion on a next stimulus bill continues, the Trump administration and Congress must act to subsidize rent and mortgage payments for the millions of households that need them. Weve already experienced a massive economic shock as a result of coronavirus-related closings, and the economy is unlikely to fully open up before the summer. Over 350,000 Connecticut residents have filed for unemployment in the last month nearly twice as many filings as there were in all of 2019. Many businesses across the state have already announced permanent closures. Rather than deluding ourselves into believing these jobs will all come back in a three-month time span, we need to build a safety net to mitigate the worst risks of a protracted recession. Stable, healthy housing has always been a human necessity and our economy is strongest when quality housing is affordable and accessible to all. The COVID-19 crisis makes that point even more obvious. A stable housing market is needed to guide America through COVID-19; unfortunately, early reports suggest that the current situation is anything but stable. One report from the National Multifamily Housing Council found that over 30 percent of renters nationwide were unable to pay Aprils rent in the first week of the month. Meanwhile, Reuters has reported that requests to delay mortgage payments rose by over 1,900 percent in the second half of march March. The housing market is like an ecosystem in distress the fates of renters, landlords and homeowners are all connected. If renters are unable to pay their rent, it increases the likelihood that rental property owners will be forced to go into foreclosure, potentially taking affordable housing units off the market forever. To be clear, the state of Connecticut has taken extraordinary steps to ensure housing stability during COVID-19 and should be lauded for doing so. Gov. Lamont and the Legislature have worked to provide deferrals on rent and mortgage payments, a moratorium on evictions and foreclosures, and decompression of homeless shelters (i.e. moving homeless people to hotel rooms and affordable housing units in order to ensure proper social distancing). The state of Connecticut, working with shelter providers and property owners, has done an unbelievable amount of good on housing in the last few weeks. But no state not Connecticut, nor New York, Texas or California is able to avert a housing crisis on its own. Renters and homeowners need direct financial support to stay afloat, and only the federal government can provide the resources at the scale necessary to do so. Analysis from the Urban Institute estimates that, in a worst-case scenario, 29 million households nationwide will need financial assistance to remain stably housed for the next six months. The price tag for doing so is $162 billion less than half of what the government spent on small-business loans in the last stimulus package. Weve recognized that keeping local business afloat is a good idea during an economic downturn. Keeping households afloat is just as necessary. In more normal times, the state wisely collaborates with nonprofit providers and advocates in its efforts to end homelessness in Connecticut. Likewise, it has made investments in the billions over the last decade to finance the construction of affordable housing and the provision of mobile housing vouchers. We are far from finished in ensuring all of Connecticut is stably housed, but the state knows how to get it done and will know how to avert a COVID-19 real estate crisis. But it needs more resources than Connecticut taxpayers can provide. Sean Ghio is policy director at the Partnership for Strong Communities, a Hartford-based policy and advocacy nonprofit dedicated to ending homelessness and promoting housing affordability in Connecticut. No one ever expected a pandemic to sort out Canadas eternal, federal-provincial power struggles. But the COVID-19 crisis has become a case study in the power of provinces in this often-fragmented federation especially now that the nation is talking about how to emerge from lockdown. Who speaks for Canada? At other turning points in this countrys history, that has been a very controversial question. In this pandemic, the answer is clear and decidedly non-contentious. Its the provinces. The provinces have the authority to determine what is in their best interest, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Monday, as Ontario and Quebec became the latest provinces to roll out their staged recovery plans. Its not up to the federal government to check or oversee the provinces and there are areas of jurisdiction and much of this falls within their areas of jurisdiction. They have the responsibility to do what is right for their citizens. Every province is in different situations. Regions within the province are in different situations and I have full confidence in the premiers of the provinces and territories to move forward in a way that is right for them. Veterans of Canadas long constitutional battles might recall how Trudeaus father, Pierre, stood up for strong central government in his time saying that Ottawa should be more than a head waiter to the provinces and that Canada was not simply a community of communities. But it would be difficult for any of the premiers to argue right now that big bad Ottawa is forcing pandemic-relief plans on the provinces. Quite the reverse is true, in fact provinces are successively stepping forward with their own plans for coming out of the pandemic, even before the federal government has issued anything like national guidelines or standards. This reality stands in contrast to what weve seen south of the border, where Donald Trump issued federal guidelines first, only to see states such as Georgia casually reopening on its own anyway, blithely heedless of the Trump plan. Here in Canada, it appears that national standards remain a work in progress, with Trudeau saying on Monday that they would probably be out in a matter of days. In the meantime, though, Saskatchewan, New Brunswick trotted out their recovery road maps on Friday, and Ontario and Quebec unveiled their strategies on Monday. The Saskatchewan and New Brunswick plans were released before premiers talked on their weekly phone call with Trudeau on Friday. Canadas two largest provinces held off until after that conversation, which was all about how the country would emerge from a virus that is playing out in very different ways all over the country. The COVID-19 virus may not respect borders or even national constitutions, but it has developed a knack for highlighting what a diverse country we are. Team Canada, in a pandemic, is Team Many Canadas. Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said on Monday that Canadas national guidelines for pandemic recovery (or pandexit, as some are now calling it) would be based on three overall principles: the plans must be gradual, based on science and collaborative. Like the Ontario road map issued on Monday, its unlikely that Ottawa will ever issue dates or timelines, even rough ones. Rather, were more likely to see a set of national conditions under which citizens and businesses can emerge from lockdown. These conditions are likely to include: Evidence of a significant decline in the cases of COVID-19 in the preceding days and weeks. Adequate testing: Make sure youre doing enough testing for your situation and have a plan to do more, Trudeau said on Monday. Workplace safety guidelines plans in place to ensure that physical distancing can be maintained in reopened businesses or public areas. Discussion is apparently still going on about requirements for masks, according to Howard Njoo, the deputy federal public health officer, who said that Ottawa and provincial health officials were talking about this question on Sunday. Its probably not quite accurate to see these as conditions, since Ottawa is in no position to enforce the guidelines, as Trudeau himself said on Monday. Trump is similarly powerless in the U.S. to dictate how the states are going about the business of getting back to post-pandemic business. Besides, in Canada, no government seems to be in a mood to get into a tug-of-war over national standards, as they often do about the Canada Health Act, or the environment, for that matter. Theres an old saying that Canada works in practice, but not in theory. The COVID-19 crisis is an eminently practical one, which may explain why theoretical power struggles just arent happening right now. It only took a virus and a national lockdown to sort out that epic, very Canadian constitutional battle. Susan Delacourt is an Ottawa-based columnist covering national politics for the Star. Reach her via email: sdelacourt@thestar.ca or follow her on Twitter: @susandelacourt Read more about: Express News Service Asif Ahmed reached Delhi in March after her sister was referred to AIIMS for a bone marrow transplant from Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences in Srinagar, just days before the Janta Curfew was announced. We took the necessary appointments at AIIMS and were about to leave the city when the Janta Curfew was announced which was soon followed by the lockdown. Since then, we have been stuck in a rented accommodation with a cancer patient. All we want is to go back, Ahmed told The Morning Standard. Ahmed said he has approached the authorities but has not received any help yet. We dont know how long we can survive in this city. We just want to go back home, he added. People who had travelled to the national capital to seek medical treatment or visit family members studying in the city were suddenly left stranded when the country went into a lockdown on March 24. Thirty-three days later, these travellers continue to have a hard time managing resources and money to survive in a new city. Vijay Sahay, a farmer from Panna district in Madhya Pradesh, came here with his 13-year-old son who has been diagnosed with blood cancer. The wait for treatment is endless. I have been here since March 15. The doctors at AIIMS prescribed certain medicines but they are very expensive. Somebody told me that since I have a BPL card, I dont have to bear the cost. I want to get my BPL card. But how do I go back? he asked helplessly, looking at his ailing son,a Class 7 student who doesnt know when he will go back to school. Arifa Bhat (name changed), a young mother from Srinagar, had come to visit her sister, who is studying in city, but is now stuck here with her two-year-old baby. I have exhausted all my energy and efforts to go back home but to no avail. My ticket was booked on April 30. My sister is here to help me but my son is not accustomed to this weather. Staying indoors is becoming a challenge for us, Bhat said. Students suffer Hundreds of students from different states who study in Jamia Millia Islamia, Delhi University and Jawaharlal Nehru University are stranded inside hostels as well as in rented accommodations. Even though the state government had asked landlords to wave off the rent during the lockdown, students are facing financial crunch.Gyaan Vikash from Delhi School of Economics missed a train to his hometown in Bihar, a day before the lockdown was announced. I tried to leave the city but had no means to do so. There are many other students stuck here with me. Our landlord has not asked for rents from two months but getting food and other essential services is becoming a challenge, Gyaan said.A student of Delhi University, Abhishek Yadav from Prayagraj is living in a rented accommodation near University Enclave. We didnt even have food when the lockdown began and had little money. After a few days, our teachers helped us buy basic essentials and food items which we have rationed for the days to come. I am waiting for the lockdown to be lifted, Yadav added. Around 11 students who had come to prepare and appear for entrance exams In Delhi area also stuck in the city, having to lodge with four to five people in a single room. We are cooped up like chickens and worried about contracting the virus in such conditions, one of them said. Alakh Ranjan, a former student of Jamia who is working with a think tank in Delhi, was unable to go home before the lockdown. A day before lockdown was announced, I had planned to leave for my home in Bihar but I decided to wait for my flatmates to return from their homes. Now I am stuck in my flat alone. The isolation is taking a mental toll on me. My productivity is suffering and with each passing day, it becomes harder for me to focus on my work. I try to work out to keep my body active but being all alone and away from home is becoming stressful for me, he added. No work or money Daily wage workers or people from lower income groups who had come to the city to work are also left with little to no resources. Hasan Khan, a DU student from Bundelkhand is stranded in the capital with his brother and parents. After I came to study in Delhi University, my father found work at a shop nearby and my brother got a job too, but now with everything shut down we are facing financial troubles. We do not know how long we can manage to live here like this, he said. A native of Uttar Pradeshs Etah, Ashu Yadav is a truck driver in Ghaziabads Koshambi. I have been trying to keep in touch with my family over the phone. Food is being provided to us but we are told that till the lockdown is in effect, we will have to wait here with our trucks, Yadav said. Amit Shah, a local vendor who sells kachori outside the north campus of DU, is stuck with his two children and wife in the city with hardly any means to support his family. No way back home Fearing long term isolation and monetary challenges, some people have also tried to take a desperate trips to return home but to no avail.Working in Delhi for the past four years, Shahabudin from UP tried to return home on his bike but was turned back by Uttar Pradesh Police. I had requested my landlord to give me some time to pay my rent but he refused. My salary was also cut. After failing to go home, I went to live with my cousin in who is also struggling to survive in these troubling times but I have no other option, he said. The Rajasthan government is identifying people above the age of 60 in Covid-19 containment zones and will track their medical history for targeted attention and care and to save their lives, said officials. In Rajasthan, most of the coronavirus disease deaths in containment zones have been among this age group. Rohit Kumar Singh, additional chief secretary of medical and health department, said: Through the Ayushman Bharat-MGRSBY database, we have identified people in the age group of 60-plus living in the containment zone in the Ramganj area of Jaipur and all other large outbreak zones in the state. He said that the department was tracking the history of their treatment under the health insurance scheme from the data available for last four years. The objective is to quickly identify them for respiratory and other vulnerabilities like kidney, hypertension, diabetes or such similar conditions. We are focusing on them for targeted attention and care, Singh said. The primary objective, he added, is to save lives of the vulnerable, to the maximum possible extent. Meanwhile, two people, who were declared dead on arrival at SMS Hospital on April 24 and April 25, tested positive for Covid-19 on Sunday. Singh said in Ramganj, the large outbreak zone in Jaipur, there are about 10,140 people in the target age group; 6,366 of them in 60-69 group, 2,866 in 70-79 group, 794 in 80-89 group and 114 in 90-100 group. In Jaipur, which had 808 Covid-19 cases on Sunday evening, more than 80 per cent cases have been reported from Ramganj neighbourhood. A 45-year-old man, who returned from Oman on March 13 and tested positive on March 26, has been the superspreader, causing infection to at least 232 people. Meanwhile, the number of Covid-19 tally in Rajasthan on Sunday evening reached 2,185. There have been 41 deaths in the state due to the disease. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Truck Driver Charged Over Melbourne Police Collision The Melbourne truck driver allegedly responsible for a multi-car collision on April 22 has been charged on four counts of culpable driving. The fatal crash between the truck, two police cars, and a Porsche on Eastern Freeway resulted in four police officers dying at the scene. Mohinder Singh Bajwa, 47, was charged following a joint investigation between Homicide Squad and Major Collision Investigation Unit (MSIU) detectives. Bajwa has been remanded in custody to appear at Melbourne Magistrates Court on April 27. Bajwa, a Cranbourne resident, had been in hospital since the crash around 5.30 p.m. on April 22. He had experienced a medical episode, blacking out after the crash, and was held in hospital where he remained in a non-life-threatening condition until April 26. The Collision On April 22, the multi-vehicle collision occurred near Chandler Highway moments after police had stopped a Porsche driven by Richard Pusey for allegedly speeding. Originally two police officers were on the scene but they soon requested back up after it is alleged that Pusey was in possession and under the influence of drugs. On April 24, the court heard that as the four police officers searched his car, Pusey took a moment to relieve himself away from the vehicles. Moments later a semi-trailer driven by Bajwa veered across multiple lanes and collided with the four officers and three cars. Leading Senior Constable Lynette Taylor, Constable Glen Humphris, Senior Constable Kevin King, and Constable Josh Prestney lost their lives in the line of duty that evening. It was the greatest loss of life in a single day in Victorian police history. Pusey, who survived, allegedly fled the scene and was arrested the following day. He has been charged with nine offenses including failing to render assistance, drug possession, driving at a dangerous speed, and reckless conduct endangering life. As well as facing criminal charges, Pusey faces challenges with his mortgage brokering business Switch Now Home Loans. According to The Australian, corporate regulators are looking at deregistering his business on account of expired licenses, failing to submit documents, and unpaid fees. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) speaks during a campaign rally at the Altria Theatre on February 29, 2020 in Richmond, Virginia. Sen. Amy Klobuchar and 21 other senators on Monday urged the Trump administration to take more steps to ensure the small businesses devastated most during the coronavirus pandemic do not get shut out of a key government lifeline. In a letter to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Small Business Administrator Jovita Carranza, the lawmakers urged the administration to publicly disclose the measures it will put in place to make sure loans are not "unjustly enriching" companies in less dire financial need. The senators' outreach follows reports that some loans from the first round of $350 billion in funding for the Paycheck Protection Program, designed to keep employees on small business payrolls while the firms are shuttered, went to hedge funds and public companies. "Every loan that provides a windfall for an applicant who does not truly need it results in one fewer loan made to a struggling small business owner whose employees could be truly helped by this funding," the senators wrote. - The woman from Nkporo in Ohafia, Abia state, Nigeria, lost her life during childbirth - Patience Eze Chukwu, who gave birth to twins, died on Thursday, April 23 - Her husband, Evangelist Eze Chukwusaid, said she passed away one year after their wedding An African woman identified as Patience Eze Chukwu recently died during childbirth. The woman, who hailed from Nkporo in Ohafia, Abia state, Nigeria, died on Thursday, April 23. READ ALSO: Diamond Platnumz denies Tanasha Donna's claims that she dumped him over cheating Patience, her twins and her husband. Photo: Within Nigeria Source: UGC READ ALSO: Utawezana: Rev Lucy Natasha admits she's also Femi One, Okonkwo's fan According to Within Nigeria, the woman gave birth to twins, a boy and a girl, both of whom are in good health. The deceased's husband, Evangelist Eze Chukwu, said his wife passed away one year after their wedding. TUKO.co.ke learnt she was buried in a ceremony attended by only a few people due to the COVID-19 lockdown in Abia state. Eze, who mourned his wife, shared her picture in her wedding gown and of her burial online and wrote: READ ALSO: Stivo Simple Boy donates food to Kibra residents affected by coronavirus: "God bless you" The twins survived but their mother passed on. Photo: UGC Source: UGC READ ALSO: Wataalamu wanasema kuna hatari kubwa katika kulala sana, jihadhari hasa kipindi hiki cha coronavirus Today is a year, three months and few days I got married to you. Rest in peace. I will always love you. In another post, Eze wrote: Who did you leave these children for honey? We planned to raise them together. My love is gone too soon. 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 SOUTHFIELD, Mich., April 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- During this awful pandemic, State authorities ought to remember that the people of the State of Michigan are citizens of a Republic, not subjects of a Monarchy. In 1887 Lord Acton observed that "power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely." Unfortunately, the State's exercise of absolute power in response to our terrible ordeal, proves the rule rather than the exception. Executive edicts by the Governor exponentially restrict personal autonomy and interfere with constitutionally protected liberty. The only thing more contagious than the virus is abuse of power. Emboldened by the State's draconian decrees, some in Michigan's judiciary unapologetically issue general warrants, broadly authorizing police to arrest anyone suspected of being sick. All these government actions substantially infringe upon numerous liberty interests protected under the U.S. and Michigan Constitutions. Government actions must not violate constitutional provisions protecting individual rights and liberty. One of the State's most egregious constitutional violations is its restriction on the free exercise of religious conscience. Dismissively, the State claims current health and safety concerns justify its infringement of this cherished constitutional liberty. Rather than identifying what is safe and what is not during the pandemic, however, State authorities deem for us, in their view, what is essential. Thus, the State considers abortion clinics, marijuana distribution sites and liquor stores essential, while churches and synagogues are not. They say listen to science, yet, science tells us that the unborn child in a mother's womb is a human being, that marijuana adversely affects your brain cells, and that alcohol impairs your judgment. Yet, due to political considerations, that science is ignored. Churches and synagogues provide an essential service to many. Ironically, perhaps at a time when we need God the most, the State considers the Church's work non-essential. The State's decree expressly prohibits "all public and private gatherings of any number of people occurring among persons not part of a single household." Thus, the executive edict expressly makes it a crime for anyone to meet at a church to worship, or even to gather a few staff to livestream a religious message. Under the disingenuous pretense of protecting an individual's religious liberty, the edict offers a fictitious religious exemption that, by its express terms, does not apply to any religious person. Why all the hostility toward religious people? Studies from some of our most prestigious universities show that great benefits come from prayer, meditation, and fellowship with God and others who follow Him. It strengthens our immune system and brightens our emotional state. It prevents terrible outcomes like suicide. Our state government, and parts of the medical establishment, fail to understand that we consist of more than a physical body. Both the U.S. and Michigan constitutions clearly understand the import of this truth. Both guarantee that all citizens hold a God-given Right to worship and assemble. Listen to the words of Thomas Jefferson, "Can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis?" Or Teddy Roosevelt who wrote, "In this actual world, a churchless community where men have abandoned or scoffed at or ignored their religious needs is a community on the rapid downgrade." The State's shutdown of churches is dangerous and unconstitutional. Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness is essential. Will our government's response to the pandemic destroy our most precious freedom? Ben Franklin said, "If you give up essential liberty for temporary safety you deserve neither." Bishop Keith Buttler is Pastor, Word of Faith International Christian Center Prof. William Wagner is President of the Great Lakes Justice Center SOURCE Word of Faith International Christian Center Church The Ring Stick Up Cam, now in its third generation, can be deployed indoors or out. It operates on battery power, which means you can deploy it just about anywhere your Wi-Fi network can reach, and it can be connected to an optional but inexpensive solar panel. Its virtually identical to the Ring Indoor Cam I reviewed a little more than a week ago, both in form factor and specs, but the Stick Up Cams battery and weatherized enclosure adds $40 to the price. There are higher-quality indoor/outdoor, battery-powered, Wi-Fi security cameras on the market, but the Ring Stick Up Cam costs half as much as the Arlo Pro 3 that tops our list, and youll need to buy that camera in a $500 two-pack that includes a smart hub (add-on Arlo cameras cost $200 each). There are major upsides to Arlos product for sure, but they dont matter if you cant afford the product in the first place. On the other hand, youll need to sign up for a subscription to access the Ring Stick Up Cams motion-triggered video recordings ($3 per month/$30 per year for one Ring camera, or $10 per month/$100 per year for an unlimited number). Without a subscription, you can only stream live video from the camera, and only to the Ring app. The Arlo Pro 3 records video to its 2TB of local storage. Arlo offers subscription plans to unlock additional features, but you dont need one just to view recorded video clips. This review is part of TechHives coverage of the best home security cameras where youll find reviews of competing products, plus a buyers guide to the features you should consider when shopping. I discussed Rings new privacy protections and the manner in which Ring cameras tie into the broader Ring home security ecosystem in my review of the Ring Indoor Cam, so I wont repeat myself here other than to say few competitors can beat itespecially at these prices (click here if you want to read more about that). Michael Brown / IDG The socket at the top of the Ring Stick Up Cam is for connecting the optional solar panel. The socket below that is for mounting the camera to a wall. (The battery compartment is open in this shot.) Ring Stick Up Cam Battery features The Stick Up Cam is very slightly bigger than its indoor cousin, measuring 3.82 inches tall and 2.36 inches in diameter without its stand (compared to 2.95 inches and 1.81 inches respectively for the indoor model). It can operate on any flat surface, like a tabletop, or you can detach its swivel base and re-attach it to the back so you can mount it on a wall. You will need a $20 accessory to mount the camera on a ceilingthats pricey, even if it does come with all the screws and tools youll need. Twisting a bayonet-style base provides access to the camera's removable battery, and Ring provides a set screw that will prevent a thief from casually nicking it. A second set screw can be used to make it more difficult to remove the camera from its mount when its attached to a wall. Unlike Rings Video Doorbell 2, however, both screws have a Philips head. The companys doorbell uses a Torx-head screw, requiring a tool that thieves are less likely to have in their pockets. Michael Brown / IDG The Ring Stick Up Cam has crude motion detection zones compared to other Ring camera models. The indoor/outdoor model delivers the same 1080p resolution as the cheaper indoor model, but it has a slightly narrower field of view: 110 degrees horizontal and 57 degrees vertical, compared to 115 and 60 degrees respectively for the Indoor Cam. But its motion-detection zones are more crude: You can toggle three wedge-shaped detection zones on or off, and you can adjust the sensitivity of the active zones as a whole, but you cant adjust the width or depth of the wedges. The Stick Up Cam Battery has the same single-band (2.4GHz) Wi-Fi adapter onboard, but that frequency band generally delivers longer range. Thats important if youre installing the camera outdoors, so I wont complain about it. As you might have guessed, there is no option for hardwired ethernet (or power, either). Ring says the Stick Up Cam Battery can go months between recharging with normal use, but lets be real; even if it does, Murphys Law dictates that the battery will fail at the worst possible momentright before an intruder steps foot on your property, for instance. And the more time that passes between recharges, the more likely you are to forget to monitor it. Fortunately, Ring sells an inexpensive solar panel ($50) that you can mount near the camera that will keep its battery perpetually topped off, and thats how I tested it. Rings solar panel measures 7.75 high and 5.5 wide and is 0.5 inches thick. It connects to the camera with a weatherproof barrel connector at the end of a 13-foot cable. (If youre comparing the Stick Up Cam to the more sophisticated Arlo Pro 3 security camera, its worth noting here that Arlos solar panel costs $80.) Michael Brown / IDG Rings $50 solar panel will keep the Ring Stick Up Cams battery charged, so you can deploy the camera almost anywhere. Being part of the Amazon family, it goes without saying that Rings cameras are compatible with Amazons Echo smart displays, so you can stream video from the camera just by asking Alexa. If youre a Google Home user, Rings cameras are also compatible with Google Assistant. Bottom line I was able to deploy the Stick Up Cam Battery on the private road in front of my house, which is 125 feet from my mesh Wi-Fi routers closest node. Thats probably the hairy edge of what the camera can deliverthe Ring apps Device Health reported RSSI (Received Signal Strength) of -67, compared to -30 for the Indoor Cam mounted in my garage, which is less than 10 feet from my router (lower numbers are better on this scale). Michael Brown / IDG Resolution takes a hit when the Ring Stick Up Cam is installed as far from home network as it is here, but Ill know when deliveries arrive. The Stick Up Cam didnt deliver perfect resolution at that distance, and its two-way audio was a bit garbled, but colors were vivid, its night vision was impressive, and the camera had no problem sending me motion alerts and recording motion-triggered events. Ring recommends having 2Mbps of upload bandwidth for optimal performance, which should be an easy bar for users with cable or fiber broadband to clear. DSL subscribers will find that requirement much more challenging to meet. If you dont need the high-end sophistication of the absolute best security cameras that can be deployed outdoors (the Arlo Pro 3, Arlo Ultra, Deep Sentinel, or Nest Cam IQ), or if you just cant afford that pricey hardware, the Ring Stick Up Cam is an unbeatable valueand I highly recommend picking up Rings solar panel to go with it. You wont get the super-high resolution or flashy AI features, but you will get a very good productand that goes double if you already have other Ring devices deployed around your home. More than 40 people killed amid days of clashes between armed groups and the army in the countrys east. At least 43 people have been killed during three days of fighting between armed groups and soldiers in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, according to government and army officials. The deadliest clash occurred on Friday when attackers armed with guns and knives killed 21 civilians in Mahagi, Gilbert Tsale, a senior regional official in the eastern Ituri province, told AFP news agency on Monday. Fighting has raged since Sunday in Lisey between the army and groups in the neighbouring Djugu area. According to Colonel James Ngongo, the army spokesman in Ituri, two soldiers died, the attackers killed two civilians while fleeing and the army killed 12 assailants. On Sunday, an attack by the Allied Democratic Force (ADF) group claimed the lives of five men and one woman, said John Kambale, the local head of Malambo, near the eastern town of Beni in North Kivu province. ADF fighters are accused of killing more than 1,000 civilians in the Beni region since October 2014. Its members stepped up killings last November in reprisal for the military offensive, at a cost of almost 400 lives, according to experts. The ADF movement originated in neighbouring Uganda, opposed to the rule of President Yoweri Museveni, but swiftly moved in 1995 into the DRC, which became its base of operations. The rebels have carried out no attacks inside Uganda for years. London, April 27 : "Venom" star Riz Ahmed has revealed he has lost two family members to COVID-19. "I have lost two family members to Covid. I just want to believe their deaths and all the others aren't for nothing. We gotta step up to re-imagine a better future," Ahmed, who was born in London to a British Pakistani family, told GQ Hype, reports dailymail.co.uk. "I'm seeing reports of India, where the government are calling it 'corona-jihad' and they're trying to blame it on the spread of Muslims and they are segregating hospitals between Muslims and non-Muslims," the 37-year-old added. "Trump is using it as an excuse to try to ban immigration and the Hungarian government is centralising power off the back of this. "I'm looking at the fact it's hitting African-Americans twice as hard; I'm looking at the fact that 50 per cent of NHS frontline workers - is it 50 per cent? - are ethnic minorities." People from black, Asian or ethnic minority backgrounds make up 44 per cent of NHS medical staff according to the most recent figures, reports dailymail.co.uk. "Who are the people who, for every moment of crisis in this country, have kept this country together? "It's the people at the bottom of the barrel; the people being hit hardest by this pandemic," he said. "We say we love the NHS more than the royal family, more than the Army, but do we love the people who keep the NHS alive? 'Because every time we tell people to f*** off back to where they came from, that's not what we're saying. 'So I really hope that this revelation, this awakening, opens our minds to that reality, to the stupidity of our prejudice." Ahmed continued: "Coronavirus is on some level an alien invasion, isn't it? It's bringing humanity together against the common enemy. "So there is this potential for this momentous, unique-in-the-history-of-our-species moment, of us all going through this crazy challenge together and only being able to get through this together. "And yet, in the midst of that, insofar as any crisis is a mirror, reflecting your priorities and patterns, this crisis is reflecting and revealing the faultlines in our society, the broken records that are stuck in our head, the f***eries and the power plays that are still dominating how we are running our planet, the rising intolerance." Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) T he Duke of Sussex has helped launch a new mental fitness platform aiming to help servicemen and women manage their mental health. Harry appears in a video on the HeadFIT website, which offers self-help tools to improve mood, motivation and confidence, and reduce stress. In the clip, the former soldier urges members of the armed forces to train their mind and body as one. The project, led by the duke, has been three years in the making. Prince Harry's military career 1 /14 Prince Harry's military career Harry quits A TV crew films the prince as he makes early morning checks on his Apache helicopter (Picture: WPA Pool/Getty Images) Harry quits Scrambling to his Apache helicopter at Camp Bastion in November 2012 (Picture: AFP/Getty Images) Harry quits Laying a poppy wreath with British troops and service personnel in Afghanistan on Remembrance Sunday last year (Picture: Getty Images) Harry quits Placing a wreath at the tomb of the unknown soldier in a cemetery in Virginia Harry quits Kitted out in service dress during an event at Lydiard Park (Picture: Jeremy Selwyn) Harry quits Walking through the British controlled flight-line at Camp Bastion during his four months from September 2012 as an Apache Helicopter Pilot/Gunner with 662 Sqd Army Air Corps (Picture: WPA Pool/Getty Images) Harry quits Giving a thumbs-up to press after checking over his Apache helicopter during his stint at Camp Bastion in Helmand Province, Afghanistan (Picture: Getty Images) Harry quits Harry salutes during a rendition of the Last Post at a Remembrance Sunday service in Kandahar last year (Picture: Getty Images) Harry quits As a 23-year-old in 2008 during an early tour in Helmand (Picture: AFP/Getty Images) Harry quits Sat in the front seat of the cockpit of an Apache Helicopter Pilot/Gunner at Camp Bastion in 2012 (Picture: Getty Images) Harry quits Concentrating during a mission briefing (Picture: Getty Images) It was due to be unveiled in June but its launch was brought forward to help members of the armed forces tackle new challenges during the coronavirus pandemic. Today, when we talk about fitness, we dont just mean how fast you can run or how much weight you can carry, Harry says in his message. This is about mental fitness, strength and resilience, not just while wearing a uniform, but for the rest of your life. If you want to be truly fit, strong and healthy, you need to train your mind and body as one. Some people run, others swim, cycle or lift weights in order to be physically fit. But what do you do to stay mentally fit? Think about what you can do to unlock your potential, and to perform at the highest level. HeadFIT has been developed in partnership with The Royal Foundations Heads Together campaign, the Ministry of Defence and Kings College London, with clinical advice from psychologist Dr Vanessa Moulton. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex left the joint Royal Foundation with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge last year, but it was said at the time that there would be future collaboration on Heads Together. Harry and Meghan have since stepped away from the monarchy to pursue a life of personal and financial freedom in the US with their son Archie. The dukes military appointments, including his position as Captain General of the Royal Marines, have been put on hold for the next 12 months. In a statement, Harry said: Ive long believed the military community should lead the way for the rest of society. For too long we have been waiting for problems to arise and then reacting to them. HeadFIT is a proactive approach to mental fitness, focusing on our own potential to increase our performance, using proven methods in sport science. This is about optimisation of self. This is about being the best you can be. Defence People and Veterans Minister Johnny Mercer stressed the importance of helping troops with their mental health during the coronavirus crisis. We train our armed forces to be both physically fit and mentally fit, he said. And right now mental resilience has never been more important as our defence community works tirelessly to support the UKs public services during the coronavirus pandemic. Survey Aims to Help UW Departments Buy Locally University of Wyoming employees involved in purchasing are invited to take a survey aimed at identifying ways in which UW can help departments buy from Wyoming vendors. The survey, created by the UW Trademark Licensing Office, is available here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScPwEtS7IHuVNjA6gB2P7rvBxt9T96rCKgx3uukijyj9wamqA/viewform. The survey is part of UWs BUY-WY initiative, which formalizes the universitys commitment to support Wyomings economy. I would challenge our university community to find ways in which it can expand the involvement of Wyoming suppliers in its purchasing activities, Acting President Neil Theobald says. The university averages about $600,000 in procurement card purchases each month on general goods, services and contracts. It is estimated that, for every dollar spent locally, the community is positively impacted with an additional 50 cents in economic activity. Even a small increase in purchases by university departments will make a positive impact on Wyomings economy. For more on the BUY-WY initiative, go to www.uwyo.edu/buy-wy. By Terje Solsvik and Victoria Klesty OSLO (Reuters) - Norwegian Air could run out of cash by mid-May unless its proposed financial rescue plan is approved by creditors and shareholders, the budget carrier warned on Monday. If bondholders, leasing companies and shareholders give a green light, the plan may help Norwegian survive the coronavirus outbreak, which has grounded 95% of its fleet, leaving just seven aircraft in operation. But the planned swap of up to $1.2 billion worth up debt into equity will hand majority ownership of 53.1% to the company's lessors, while bondholders would own 41.7%, leaving current shareholders with just 5.2%, the airline said. The move would allow Norwegian to tap government guarantees of 2.7 billion crowns ($255 million), which are dependent on the company reducing its ratio of debt to equity, and which would come on top of 300 million crowns it has already received. It is "critical to get access to the state aid package by mid-May before the company runs out of cash," Norwegian said in a presentation to investors. It warned that taking the company through an alternative route of bankruptcy proceedings in Norway would destroy much of the value left in the firm and that most creditors would likely recover little of their claims. The state package of guarantees should be sufficient to cover liquidity needs until the end of the year, although the high degree of uncertainty could lead to a further need for cash before operations normalise, Norwegian cautioned. Currently only paying invoices vital to its minimum operation, such as salaries for staff still employed and critical IT infrastructure, Norwegian has put payments for ground handling, debt and leases on hold. 'RIGHT DIRECTION' "This restructuring plan points in the right direction in saving the company from bankruptcy, and of course the dilution of the existing shareholders will be massive, but nonetheless that is I think what is appropriate and needed," Sydbank analyst Jacob Pedersen said. Story continues Rapid growth has made Norwegian Europe's third-largest low-cost airline and the biggest foreign carrier serving New York and other major U.S. cities. But with the expansion came debts and liabilities of close to $8 billion by the end of 2019. Last week, the company reported that four Swedish and Danish subsidiaries had filed for bankruptcy and it had ended staffing contracts in Europe and the United States, putting some 4,700 jobs at risk. Norwegian's shares were down 4.6% at 1100 GMT on Monday, and have plunged 85% year-to-date. The company aims to gradually emerge from the COVID-19 crisis with a reduced short-haul and long-haul network, and is targeting a return to normal operations in 2022, it said. After the crisis, the aim will be to operate 110-120 aircraft, down from 147 currently, while its earlier plans had been to expand to 168 planes. But the plan requires backing from bondholders in each of four separate votes planned for April 30, from shareholders at an extraordinary general meeting scheduled for May 4, and from leasing firms. The airline also plans to raise 400 million crowns from selling new shares. Sydbank's Pedersen said it was difficult to tell whether the different stakeholders would support the plan, but there were signs of hope. "It seems there are constructive negotiations going on ... it's not over yet for Norwegian, but I think we have to wait and see." (Editing by Jan Harvey and Mark Potter) Its over: Donald Trump has un-followed Piers Morgan on Twitter. The cosiest connection in social media history was severed after the Good Morning Britain host attacked the presidents bats*** disinfectant theory. And now, the former best chums are trading online jibes. Morgan corrected Trumps spelling of the Nobel Prize, telling the president: its Nobel not Noble. Trump later sub-tweeted Morgan, writing: Noble is defined as, having or showing fine personal qualities or high moral principles and ideals. Does sarcasm ever work? I doubt Morgan is shedding many tears. Although he often took pride in the fact he was one of just 40-odd people the Potus followed on Twitter, the development is ideal for Morgans coronavirus brand as the leader of the opposition. From the moment the pandemic hit the UK, the breakfast host has doggedly held the government to account over its catastrophic handling of the coronavirus crisis. While most mainstream broadcasters have been servile and lost, Morgan has been fiery and focused. When a string of hapless Tory ministers appeared on his show, he didnt so much grill as eviscerate them. Its been a good reminder that, when he is backing a righteous cause, Morgan is a potent force for good. He was, after all, a rare voice of morality and caution during the war on terror. As Mirror editor, he brought the heroic John Pilger back in from the cold, and produced a front-page splash declaring: The war against terrorism is a fraud. And sure, he did publish those questionable Iraqi torture photos, but that cant detract from the fact that his anti-war stance, a rare one in the mainstream media, has been absolutely vindicated. When he joined CNN, he courageously took on the US gun lobby. After viewing figures dipped and he lost the gig, Morgan said his very polarising stance on guns was probably to blame. Having lost two big jobs over principled campaigning journalism, he changed tune. When Trump decided to run for the White House, Morgan, who met Trump on Celebrity Apprentice, told us we were silly to worry about it. He wrote that: Ive spent a lot of time around Trump and he is quite moderate and insisted the president-in-waiting was cool, calm and collected. Even once Trump took office and showed how hopelessly wrong those descriptions were, Morgan refused to hold his hands up. He said protests against Trump were pathetic, intolerant and fuelled by endless hysteria. He called us snowflakes and insisted that Trumps judgement is spot on. For this, he was rewarded with two sit down interviews with the president, but he blew both opportunities. In the first, he presented him with an Arsenal shirt, in the next one he gave him a hat. David Frost must have turned in his grave. How coronavirus lockdowns changed the world's most polluted cities Show all 6 1 /6 How coronavirus lockdowns changed the world's most polluted cities How coronavirus lockdowns changed the world's most polluted cities Milan, Italy REUTERS How coronavirus lockdowns changed the world's most polluted cities North Jakarta, Indonesia REUTERS How coronavirus lockdowns changed the world's most polluted cities Jakarta, Indonesia REUTERS How coronavirus lockdowns changed the world's most polluted cities Venice, Italy REUTERS How coronavirus lockdowns changed the world's most polluted cities New Delhi, India REUTERS How coronavirus lockdowns changed the world's most polluted cities Islamabad, Pakistan REUTERS As an unofficial member of Team Trump, Morgan transformed from a journalist who took brave moral stances to one that mocked people who took a moral stance. He spent hours on Twitter unimaginatively trolling feminists, vegans and progressives. As well as enabling Trump, Morgan also played a part in Boris Johnsons elevation to high office. In his best-selling diary books, he penned flattering snippets about the Tory, helping to build the cult of Boris that allowed this chancer to rise to the top of the tree. In 2007, Morgan asked in GQ magazine whether Johnson was a prime minister in waiting, and although he criticised some aspects of Johnson in that article, he proudly voted for him at last years general election. So yes, Morgans backlash against the very weak response to coronavirus from two poor crisis leaders is welcome. But it cant undo the damage hes already done by failing to properly acknowledge their weaknesses earlier in their political careers. It was always obvious that Johnson and Trump would be disastrous leaders. If they had faced more scrutiny and less sycophancy, their march to the top could have been stopped. Its thought that thousands have died unnecessarily because of Boris and Trumps poor leadership. Long may Morgan hold them to account. Hes got a lot to make up for. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-27 11:51:00|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close DAMASCUS, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Syrian air defenses on Monday defeated attacks over the capital of Damascus, the state news agency SANA reported. The air defenses have downed several rockets, an "Israeli aggression" from Lebanese airspace, said the report. No immediate damage or casualties have been reported. On Tuesday, the Syrian air defenses responded to an Israeli strike in the central province of Homs by using big fire power to intercept the missiles. Enditem We attempted to send a notification to your email address but we were unable to verify that you provided a valid email address. Please click here to update your email address if you wish to receive notifications. Otherwise, you may click here to disable notifications and hide this message. Resona Bank and transcosmos Resona Bank and transcomos will further leverage this collaborative scheme in online advertising and call centers, as well as the corporate website for successful digital initiatives even more. Resona Bank (President: Kazuhiro Higashi) and transcosmos inc. hereby announce that the two companies will apply process mining*1 to Resona Bank's corporate website from April, 2020, with the aim of offering a more customer friendly website experience than ever before. *1 Process mining is an analytics methodology designed to automatically visualize business processes and identify problems by analyzing a vast amount of event logs. Two companies will offer an easy-to-navigate, easy-to-search website for Resona Bank customers With the power of process mining techniques that automatically visualize website access logs*2, the two companies will identify web pages that are not customer-friendly and then upgrade the pages at speed (the process has been tested and proven to be successful). With this process in place, Resona Bank, in collaboration with transcosmos will deliver easy-to-use corporate web pages for Resona Bank customers. *2 Website access logs used for process mining are Google Analytics data which do not contain any personal information. https://www.resonabank.co.jp/util/sitepolicy.html#ga Resona Bank and transcosmos collaborative scheme Resona Bank and transcosmos have been collaborating in building Resona Bank's corporate website and have a collaborative office. There, the collaborative team engages in multiple active discussions and executes end-to-end processes that range from content planning to page upgrades with the aim of offering Resona Bank customers a new service experience via the website. Going forward, two companies will further leverage this collaborative scheme to collaborate in online advertising, call centers and more, in addition to creating the Resona Bank corporate website. Ultimately, the companies seek to deliver successful digital initiatives more than ever before. Corporate overview Company name: Resona Bank Limited. Headquarters: 2-2-1, Bingomachi, Chuo-ku, Osaka city, Osaka 540-8608 Representative: President and Representative Director Kazuhiro Higashi Website: https://www.resona-gr.co.jp/holdings/english/index.html Company name: transcosmos inc. Headquarters: 3-25-18, Shibuya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-8530 Representative: President & COO Masataka Okuda Website: https://www.trans-cosmos.co.jp/english/ Media Contact Corporate Communications Division, Resona Holdings Inc. (Tokyo Head Office) +81-3-6704-1630 (Osaka Head Office) +81-6-6264-5685 Public Relations & Advertising Department, transcosmos inc. Tel: +81-3-4363-0123 Email: pressroom@trans-cosmos.co.jp Belagavi, April 28 : Shocked over the brutal display of raw power by the men in khaki (uniform), Karnataka ordered an inquiry into the alleged thrashing and chaining of a CRPF elite commando by the local police for reportedly not wearing a mask amid the lockdown in the state's northwest region last week, an official said on Monday. "State Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai ordered an inquiry into the incident as sought by CRPF Additional Director General of Police, Sanjay Arora, and book the constables who arrested, bashed and chained its CoBRA unit cadet Sachin Savant at Sadalga in Chikkodi taluk in Belagavi district," the official told IANS on phone. Sadalga is about 590km northwest of Bengaluru. Though the incident occurred on April 23, it came to light on Monday when a video clip of it went viral on social media and caught the attention of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPFP) headquarters in New Delhi. "Sawant was thrashed, handcuffed and dragged in chains barefoot to the local police station for not wearing a mask while washing his motorbike outside his home in the village in violation of the lockdown norms and for allegedly assaulting the constables on duty," said Arora in a letter to state Director General of Police Pravind Sood. Sawant was at home on extended leave from the 207 Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA), one of the 10 elite units of the CRPF formed for guerilla tactics and jungle warfare. "The unpleasant situation could have been avoided if the local police had taken the CRPF hierarchy into confidence before arresting Savant. CRPF is a reputed force with high standards of discipline and has the institutionalised mechanism for taking care of such situations. "Keeping in view the gravity of the incident and its impact on relationship between two police forces, we request you to get the matter inquired and provide justice," Arora said in the letter. According to Belagavi Superintendent of Police Laxman Nimbargi, the scuffle broke out when Savant asked the constables who they were to question him, as he was also a jawan in the CRPF and was at home on leave. "When the constables informed Savant that the lockdown norms were same for all and he too had to follow them, he lost his cool and assaulted the constable duo. He was arrested under various sections of the IPC," Nimbargi recalled. Terming the incident unfortunate and seems to have occurred in the heat of the moment under testing times, Bommai told reporters in Bengaluru that action would be taken if the constables are proved guilty. State Water Resources Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi also condemned Savant's arrest and sought action against the accused police personnel. "Such treatment cannot be meted to a solider and he should be released from custody forthwith," said Jarkiholi. China imported 31 percent more oil from Russia last month while its intake of Saudi crude slipped by 1.8 percent compared to March 2019, Reuters reported, citing calculations based on official customs data. Overall crude oil imports rose by 4.5 percent on the year to 9.68 million bpd. Of the total, Russian oil accounted for 1.66 million bpd while Saudi oil accounted for 1.7 million bpd. The Russian oil average for March, while higher on the year, was lower than the average for January and February, the data showed. Imports from the United States were close to zero, and imports from Venezuela were at zero. Imports from Iran, however, were up 11.3 percent from a year ago at over 625,000 bpd. Reuters earlier reported China's oil imports in March would likely be lower than in previous months as refiners cut run rates amid the sluggish demand for fuels even though they continued buying oil to build their stocks. Indeed, Reuters' calculations of imports suggested an average daily intake rate of 10.47 million bpd for January and February. Run rates continue to be reduced at state refiners, but independents are ramping up, Reuters reported. In addition, over the last two months, China was said to have been building its crude reserves, thanks to the cheapest oil in years. Even so, the rate of filling storage was expected to be lower than in previous years because of limited storage capacity, lending less support to oil prices this time around than in past years, Wood Mackenzie said at the end of last month. A lot of oil industry players relied on China to buy a lot of oil to fill its reserves and push prices up. The country is the largest importer of crude, which makes it the natural focus of attention for oil producers when prices crash. However, this time the coronavirus changed everything, including Chinese demand. With storage space being finite, even reserve-filling could not help prices, which are now increasingly likely to remain below $20 a barrel for a long while. Story continues By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Read this article on OilPrice.com Even as people are now being forced to social distance to avoid contracting coronavirus -- a situation considered stressful for many -- some people avoid social situations even under everyday circumstances. Social avoidance is a hallmark of a variety of psychiatric illnesses, including depression and anxiety disorders as well as autism. Effective treatments for these symptoms remain elusive, with most therapies working for only a fraction of people that suffer from these illnesses. University of California, Davis, researchers studied the role of oxytocin, a neurotransmitter produced in the hypothalamus, which is known to play an important role in social behavior across species. By analyzing the behavior of mice receiving different treatments, they gained insight into whether oxytocin may be a good target for future pharmacological therapies that could alleviate social withdrawal in mental illness. Curiously, oxytocin sometimes reduces social anxiety-related behaviors, but other times increases social anxiety, researchers said. In this study, researchers focused on identifying brain pathways that mediate the anxiety-reducing effects of oxytocin. To do this, researchers tested the effects of different pharmaceutical compounds that either activated or blocked the activity of oxytocin in the nucleus accumbens, a part of the brain known to control motivation. "Unlike SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, a class of anti-depressants), which take at least four weeks to show positive effects, pharmacological compounds changing oxytocin activity show rapid-acting effects on behavior," said Alexia Williams, a doctoral student who is the lead author of the study. "This makes oxytocin an exciting neurotransmitter to study. Our goal was to understand more about oxytocin's potential anxiety reducing properties." The study was published last month in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology and highlighted by a commentary. Researchers found that after California mice experienced negative social interactions, they had less expression of the oxytocin receptor gene. Typically, these negative interactions also create a state of social anxiety, with mice avoiding other mice. In this study, researchers show that when oxytocin activity was blocked, mice showed social avoidance, even though they had not experienced negative social interactions. When studying mice that had experienced negative social interactions, researchers found that increasing oxytocin activity reduced social avoidance behaviors. Although these mice had been exposed to stress, the pharmacological treatment led to normal social behaviors as if they had not been exposed to stress. Mice, Williams explained, are a social species and normally prefer to interact with other mice. "This contributes to a clearer picture of how the neural circuits that affect social behaviors are affected by stress. Changes in neural circuits may be leading to some behaviors that have proved difficult to treat for many people struggling with mental disorders," she said. Findings from basic science studies such as this one may guide the development of pharmacotherapies to effectively treat individuals suffering from anxiety disorders, the researchers said. "We hope that by elucidating the role of oxytocin in anxiety-like behaviors on a molecular level, that we may begin to understand it's realistic potential as a novel therapeutic" said Williams. ### Co-authors include, from UC Davis, Brian Trainor, professor of psychology and affiliated faculty member with the Center for Neuroscience, and also director of the Behavioral Neuroendocrinology Lab at UC Davis; researchers Natalia Duque-Wilckens, Stephanie Ramos-Maciel, Katharine Campi, Shanu K. Bhela, and Christine K. Xu, all in the Department of Psychology; Kenneth Jackson, microbiologist, and Patricia A. Pesavento, professor in the Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, School of Veterinary Medicine; Bice Chini, Institute of Neuroscience of National Research Council and NEUROMI Milan Center for Neuroscience, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy. The study was funded by the National Institute of Mental Health. Read the study here: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41386-020-0657-4.epdf?author_access_token=mJeHOVAo-xH0VMzkelqL99RgN0jAjWel9jnR3ZoTv0MhhVu4xJkkjYPU4oRdNWNrLukkI7Z6SjZVDYxmavH9xduSzpp57Znwn0RhNgtRuIcqH8p2RObPB_OAtSorSjg0cAD16xIwU10jhdiq8zY5JA%3D%3D One of the hardest things for a leader to do is lead with the right mindset during a moment of crisis. Its not easy. During my military career, I led through many crises and Ive made plenty of mistakes in those moments. In 2004 when we were in Afghanistan, one of my best friends was a company commander who had taken several of his detachments into combat in a Southern province. Their helicopter was literally shot out from underneath them. It changed the nature of the whole operation. We had a chopper down. We had pilots on the field. We had men wounded. Now we were looking at a recovery mission. I knew all of the guys on the field that day, but what kept creeping in was the thought that my best friend was out there. It was creating not only a distraction, but it was informing my behavior in a way that wasnt necessarily helpful. It completely altered my mindset. The way it manifested with me, was that I kept over-communicating to him in the initial moments, trying to get feedback, trying to get updates, and just trying to let him know I was there until he said, Brother, you have got to give me space to work this. He had to call me off. I realized in that moment that I had allowed my friendship and the fear of losing my friend to cloud my judgment. I was allowing my primal brain to dominate in a complex situation that required a different, more advanced level of thinking. I heard him, I backed off, and I reassessed and reoriented myself to start trying to work on what I could control. Where could I be a value of assistance to these guys now? Where could we be of value in the operation center? They needed me to be on my game, and thats what I did. There were lessons learned that day that I have carried with me through every crisis since. How do we adopt the most effective mindset to lead through these difficult moments and look at past situations when leaders made mistakes and learn from them? In many situations like this pandemic, we have to lead ourselves and those around us, so lets have that conversation. The first mistake is an overreaction to the event. Our mindset needs to be strong, unwavering, and calm. When a crisis unfolds, we need to sort out the immediate threat, and we need to figure out if were safe, just like we have all done now with COVID-19. Thats a primal reaction of the amygdala in our brain. Then once we do that, we can step back and really take an assessment and attune to our new environment. Too many leaders during this unfolding crisis are overreacting in the moment with each news brief. What happens when we do that as leaders? We take ourselves out of the fight. Were no longer credible. Weve overextended, weve overreached, and now were in the churn so deeply that we become emotionally invested and we cant lead with clarity. That overreaction mindset is a dangerous thing. We have to remember that we dont see the full picture. We cant, at least not in the beginning. And we wont if we surrender to primal fear. More facts are going to come in. Some things will be irrelevant. Some things will go away. Some new things will emerge. The second mindset mistake I have seen far too often over the last few weeks is leaders going inside their own heads and getting trapped. We have to mentally step away and focus on the people around us to get outside of ourselves. If we can do that, then we start to become relevant and relatable again. Being stuck in your own head during a crisis breaks down trust and incites panic around you. The third mindset mistake is one I see leaders fall into all the time without even being aware they have done it, and thats relying on instinct instead of skill. In the initial moment of crisis, if theres an immediate threat on you, instinct is everything, especially if instinct is informed by training. But once youve ascertained that you are not facing an immediate life or death threat, but rather a complex threat, like the collapse of the market, an angry customer, or someone close to your organization has gotten sick, then its absolutely important that we rely on our training and our skill. We cannot allow ourselves to fall into a mindset that relies on instinct beyond those moments. You can trust your gut, but weve got to allow your training and experience to take lead at some point. We cannot rely on the mindsets of instinct and emotion as the singular default during this crisis. It is up to us as leaders to make the decision know to stand up and lead strong for our ourselves, our families, our teams, and our communities. Remember fear is contagious, but so is leadership. Scott Mann is a former Green Beret who specialized in unconventional, high-impact missions and relationship building. He is the founder of Rooftop Leadership and appears frequently on TV and many syndicated radio programs. For more information, visit RooftopLeadership.com Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 27) Reports that members of the New People's Army are hijacking relief goods amid the COVID-19 crisis do not merit the declaration of martial law, retired Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio said Monday. The legal expert said President Rodrigo Duterte has other options to stop the illegal activities of armed rebels, whose attacks have been a security concern even before the local coronavirus outbreak. "I think martial law is an overkill," Carpio said during an online forum organized by the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines. "I think it will really be terrible if you declare martial law when there is a pandemic. You are just compounding the problem, we have now difficulty in getting supplies to urban centers. If you impose martial law, you aggravate this difficulty. I don't think that's the proper solution," he added. Duterte on Friday threatened to declare military rule following repeated incidents of NPA attacks in the middle of the COVID-19 crisis, saying that some of them have ambushed government personnel and troops who were bringing relief goods to poor communities. However, Carpio said the President can leave lawless elements to the police and military. He added that martial law is only meant to curtail insurrection, rebellion or invasion, according to the 1987 Constitution. "We have to look at the gravity of the situation. I don't think that just because the NPA hijacked some of the relief goods, that's already a ground for declaring martial law. That rebellion has been going on, but it has not merited any martial law declaration in Luzon because it can still be addressed by calling out the Armed Forces," the long-time Supreme Court justice said. In his hour-long speech last week, Duterte accused NPA rebels of stealing government aid to remote communities. The President earlier asked government troops to stand down so government can focus on COVID-19 relief efforts. The government ceasefire ended April 15. The Communist Party of the Philippines, however, extended their truce until April 30. The President also vowed to "finish" all members of the left-wing rebels in the last two years of his term. Two soldiers manning the distribution of cash aid in Aurora were reportedly killed and three were wounded in an hour-long standoff with NPA guerillas last week. Prior to that, there was a reported encounter in Rodriguez, Rizal and a supposed hacking of members of a tribe in Surigao. Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, Jr. said last week that there are now more calls to end the ceasefire due to numerous violations. Attempts at peace talks between the Duterte government and the communist party have fallen apart so far. "Ang sinabi naman po ng Presidente na ang martial law ay gagamitin kapag nagpatuloy ang NPA doon sa kanilang pag-atake sa mga sundalo, lalung-lalo na 'yung mga nagbabantay lang naman sa nagbibigay-ayuda sa ating mga taumbayan. 'Yan po ay nasa Saligang Batas," Roque said in his Malacanang press briefing. [Translation: The President said that he will implement martial law if the NPA mounts more attacks on soldiers, especially those who are guarding the distribution of aid to our fellowmen. That is in the Constitution.] For more than two years, the entire Mindanao had been placed under martial law as the national government sought to retake Marawi City from Maute rebels and eventually restore peace and order in the island group. The military rule, which involved heightened patrol of armed personnel and checkpoints in provinces and cities, only ended last December. A New York Police Department cop has been killed on his way to work after the motorcycle he was riding was rear-ended by a 'drag racing' BMW. Off-duty cop Richard Holt, 34, was thrown from his Harley Davidson Motorbike after the 'racing' car clipped the rear of his bike on Saturday evening in Bayside, Queens, New York City, sources told New York Daily News. He was rushed to New York-Presbyterian Queens Hospital but could not be saved. The driver of the 2014 BMW, who was reportedly drag racing with another BMW at the time of the crash, remained on the scene on the Cross Island Parkway near 17th Avenue and was questioned by police - it is not known if they will face charges. Off-duty cop Richard Holt, 34, was thrown from his Harley Davidson Motorbike after the racing car clipped the rear of his bike on Saturday evening in Bayside, Queens, New York City 'Hardworking' Mr Holt had been part of the NYPD coronavirus response team but usually served on the homeless outreach scheme. In his spare time the motorcycle enthusiast was president of the Unwanted LEMC (Law Enforcement Motorcycle Club) and was due to lead this year's 9/11 Memorial Parade. Members from the group paid tribute to 'Rick', calling him a 'loving friend' and 'a brother to all'. They explained how Mr Holt had given up a career in public safety with NASA in Florida after his father asked him to return home to New York City where he was needed, and said that he shared a close 'bond that couldn't be explained' with his father. The scene of the crash where a BMW, who was reportedly drag racing with another BMW, clipped the rear end of Mr Holt's bike 'Hardworking' Mr Holt had been part of the NYPD coronavirus response team but usually served on the homeless outreach scheme Writing in a post to Facebook: 'A loving Friend, Rick has left his lasting impression of being a Brother to all, always ready to have a good time, kind hearted with good spirits. 'Positive memories are all that we can remember because he was supportive, upbeat & cheery. Such a courageous young man that impacted his department with commitment to keeping the safety of the general public his life's choice.' Adding that Mr Holt and his father 'shared a mutual respect for each other as some could only read in books'. Al Castro, 58, a retired NYPD officer and friend to Mr Holt, told New York Daily News: 'He loved being a cop. He was well respected. He loved helping people, that's the way he was. Mr Holt rides his bike through New York during a parade with LEMC while wearing a mask In his spare time motorcycle enthusiast Mr Holt (left) was president of the Unwanted LEMC (Law Enforcement Motorcycle Club) and was due to lead this year's 9/11 Memorial Parade Members from LEMC paid tribute to 'Rick', calling him a 'loving friend' and 'a brother to all' Adding: 'He's the type of guy that would help you in any way he can. He was very involved in the motorcycle community doing toy runs for kids or breast cancer motorcycle runs to help get the word out. He's going to be missed by all of us.' The NYPD Dragon Boat Racing team also paid tribute to their 'loving' colleague and friend. Writing in a Facebook post: 'It is with a heavy heart we announce the passing of NYPD Police Officer Richard Holt. 'He was involved in a motor vehicle collision yesterday on his way to work. Members of our team had the distinct pleasure working with him. 'His memory was one of a blue warrior, a friend and a loving brother. Thank You for the precious moments on and off the job. We will never forget you. May you Rest in Eternal Peace.' Working in a grocery store during a pandemic is a high pressure experience, but for Matthew Simmons, an added challenge presented itself with people wearing masks and covering their mouths. The Trader Joe's employee is deaf. For the last two years, Simmons has worked at Trader Joe's in Vancouver, Washington on the weekends and during the summer while on break from his job as an assistant teacher at the Washington State School for the Deaf. Simmons loves interacting with customers, but said when people started following guidelines to cover their faces, it created a new obstacle for him at work that led to more "anxiety." Matthew Simmons is pictured working the Trader Joe's register at his store in Vancouver, Washington. Download the TODAY app for the latest coverage on the coronavirus outbreak. "When customers (wearing masks) come up to me to ask a question on the floor, I always said, 'I am Deaf and need to read your lips so I can help you,'" Simmons told TODAY Food in an email. "Some of the times, customers didnt want to lower down their masks and shook their heads 'no' and walked away from me. It made me upset because I couldn't help and left me feeling defeated." When Simmons was stationed as a cashier, he said customers wearing masks would sometimes attempt to strike up a conversation, but were "unaware that I was not ignoring them or being rude, but simply did not know they were speaking to me." Related: The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has put grocery store workers on the front lines of an unprecedented situation. "A main component of my job is customer service and assisting them in whatever they may need," he said. "How can I assist them if I have no idea what it is they are asking for?" Even talking to his co-workers was a challenge. They would lower their masks or try to use signs he taught them, but it was still a barrier. "When wearing a mask it cuts off 55% of facial communication and even if using ASL it is heavily based on facial expressions in order to make sure the communication is understood clearly," Simmons said. "It is almost similar as the hearing world would say 'tone of voice.' So clearly people wearing masks hugely impacts ALL communication for a Deaf person regardless if the person is speaking or even using ASL." Story continues Simmons and his mate, which is the lingo Trader Joe's uses for assistant manager, discussed solutions to make sure he could feel comfortable and effectively help customers during such an unprecedented time. At first, they stationed another team member with him at the register to help communicate. While it was effective, Simmons said it still made him feel "truly different or disabled having to depend on someone to do my job that I am completely capable of doing and was hired to do." He decided to look for other solutions. Simmons found a shirt online that said "I'm deaf" on the front and "tap on the shoulder" on the back. He collaborated with his manager to print the messages on one of his Trader Joe's black shirts, making sure it was "more visible and accessible." His manager also bought three small white boards for him to carry while he was on duty around the store. Simmons is using a white board to make sure he can still assist customers with questions while they wear masks. "In case any customers had questions, they could write it down for me and not have to lower their masks making communication no longer a problem," he said. "After the shirt was done, I wore it and when it was time for me to be on a register, I was given permission to write on the plexiglass saying, 'Hi My name is Matthew. I am deaf and read lips.'" He also wrote an arrow to a white board in case customers wanted to write down any questions. "When I opened the register, the first customer read it and wrote down on the small white board stating, 'It must be hard with everyone wearing masks! Thank you for your help. :),'" he said. "This made me feel better and I was able to start smiling again!" It's a "crazy" time for all essential workers, Simmons said. But he truly loves interacting with customers and is happy to share his story. Related: During a recent podcast, Trader Joe's vice president of marketing explained why the chain won't be offering popular services. In early April, Trader Joe's faced backlash from crew members who felt unsafe about their work conditions after a New York employee died from coronavirus. Trader Joe's responded with various measures it has taken in the past few weeks with regards to employee safety, including more frequent store cleanings and $2 (per hour) raises for crew members working on the front lines. "I just hope that my experiences during this pandemic will make people be more compassionate toward each other. Working together towards a common goal, breaking down barriers....showing compassion to one another instead of prejudices," he said. "I am a proud member of the Deaf community who also has acquired skills to navigate in the hearing world and yet both of those worlds often collide or have their own stigmas. If I can help educate or inspire others during this very unique time then that is amazing and I have faith and am hopeful because to see the lengths that my fellow TJ team went to so that I would feel supported and no different then[sic] any other employee really shows the human kindness we have for one another." Kabul, April 27 : More than 500 civilians were killed in Afghanistan in the first three months of the year, according to a UN report released on Monday. Between January 1 and March 31, the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) documented a total of 1,293 civilian casualties - 533 killed and 760 injured - in the country, reports Efe nnews. Children accounted for 417 casualties - 152 killed and 265 injured - while 60 women lost their lives and 108 were injured during this period. Anti-government forces were responsible for 55 per cent or 710 civilian casualties - 282 killed and 428 injured - of which 39 per cent were attributed to the Taliban, 13 per cent to the Islamic State and the remainder to other militant groups. Pro-government forces were responsible for 32 per cent or 412 civilian casualties - 198 killed and 214 injured - mainly through airstrikes and indirect fire during ground engagements. UNAMA attributed 21 per cent of civilian casualties to the actions of the Afghan national security forces, 8 per cent to the international troops and the remainder to other pro-government armed groups. Overall, the figures represent a 29 per cent decrease in civilian casualties compared to the same period last year, during which UNAMA recorded a total 1,822 casualties, including 604 deaths and 1,218 injured, and the lowest figure for the first quarter of a year since 2012. However, the UN body expressed concern about a resurgence of violence in March, when the Afghan government and the insurgents were expected to hold peace talks, following a reduction in violence towards the end of February that paved the way for a US-Taliban peace agreement. The peace deal, signed in Doha on February 29, included a prisoner swap agreement between the Taliban and the Afghan forces, which would serve as a precursor to the commencement of intra-Afghan talks to usher in peace in the country after nearly 20 years. However, the process was affected by a disagreement between the insurgents and the government, leading to the Taliban negotiating team pulling out of the prisoner exchange talks earlier this month. Although both sides have unilaterally released some prisoners in an attempt to adhere to the Doha agreement, violence has continued unabated in the country, resulting in civilian casualties. The UN body said the latest report reflected that the conflict in Afghanistan continues to be one of the deadliest in the world for civilians, especially at a time when the "potential impact of COVID-19 poses a threat to all individuals in Afghanistan". -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text First Bank Nigeria PLC has confirmed that COVID-19 killed one of its staff, Abdullahi Lawal in Kano State. Family sources had on S... First Bank Nigeria PLC has confirmed that COVID-19 killed one of its staff, Abdullahi Lawal in Kano State. Family sources had on Saturday said that the late banker fell ill on Friday and was first admitted at a private clinic. The deceased who was in his early 50s, was rushed to a private clinic after he suffered high fever, cough and respiratory hiccups without getting medical care. Confirming the development, a statement issued by the groups Head, Marketing and Corporate Communications, Folake Ani-Mumuney, urged customers who had been in contact with the deceased to self-isolate themselves. The bank also stated that it has shut the branch where the deceased worked. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family at this time as we do all that is necessary to support them. We ask that all necessary courtesies be extended to the family, so they can grieve privately. It added that a precaution response plan as part of measures to help contain the virus has been activated. MBABANE - The First National Bank (FNB) has confirmed that one of their own has tested positive for COVID-19. In a press statement released yesterday, the bank stated that the employee was attached to one of its technical areas in Matsapha, which it explained was non-customer facing. According to the bank, this is the first known case at the bank and the affected employee was part of the national list communicated by the Ministry Health on April 25, 2020. The confirmed case was a contact of a previously confirmed case, who is a non-employee, and had only joined the bank as a short-term contractor at the beginning of April 2020, reads part of the statement which was issued by Head of Human Capital Lobesutfu Nkambule. Worth noting is that last week, social media was abuzz after a statement to the effect that one of the banks employees had tested positive. Closed It was alleged that the Matsapha branch had closed operations after the female employee had tested positive. The employee was linked to Member of Parliament, Macford Sibandze, who had been registered as the first legislator to have tested positive for the coronavirus. Following the social media reports, the bank came out to state that it was not aware of any of its employees who had tested positive and further clarified that the aforementioned branch had not been closed. In the statement issued yesterday, the bank said after being notified that the staff member was a contact of a confirmed case, it took all the precautionary measures as guided by the Ministry of Health. These included isolation of the individual while awaiting results. The bank has maintained contact with the staff member and wishes her a speedy recovery. Her family also remains in our thoughts as they recover, the bank said. The financial institution said it had also undertaken further precautionary measures to ensure the safety of its staff and these included deep cleaning and fumigation of the affected areas which it said was completed yesterday. The testing of all staff members within the affected area is expected to be done today. Affected The bank will also ensure that staff members who have been in immediate contact with the affected employee self-isolate after going through testing and only return to work after receiving medical clearance. The bank said it would conduct a further decongestion of affected areas as a means of increasing the already defined social distancing requirements. Monitoring of social distancing requirements will continue in our premises alongside frequent hygiene and cleaning protocols, it was stated. Another measure stated by the bank is the continuation of the work-from-home (WFH) programme which it started in March 2020. FNB has achieved a 40 per cent WFH capability and this will likely be maintained for the next several months and beyond. As cases emerge nationally, we shall continue to promptly deal with those that directly impact the bank. The collaboration and support from health officials, our national health workers and the State is sincerely appreciated. Every effort shall continue to be made to protect our staff and customers, the bank emphasised. Last Thursday, Nedbank Swaziland revealed that two of its staff members had been confirmed to be positive for the virus. The Saudi-led military coalition on Monday rejected Yemen separatists' declaration of self-rule over the country's south and demanded "an end to any escalatory actions". The separatists' move complicates a long and separate conflict, fought by the coalition and the internationally recognised government, against Huthi rebels who control much of the north. Yemen's separatists signed a power-sharing deal in Riyadh last November that quelled a battle -- dubbed a "civil war within a civil war" -- for the south that had in August seen them seize control of the second city of Aden. "We stress the need to restore conditions to their previous state in the interim capital Aden," the coalition said according to tweets from the official Saudi Press Agency. "Following the surprising announcement of a state of emergency by the Southern Transitional Council, we re-emphasise the need to promptly implement the Riyadh Agreement," it said. The STC, which is backed by key coalition partner the United Arab Emirates, on Sunday declared self-rule in southern Yemen, accusing the government of failing to perform its duties and of "conspiring" against the southern cause. The Riyadh pact had been hailed as averting the complete break-up of the country, but with a lack of implementation, observers have said it is effectively defunct. "The Coalition has and will continue to undertake practical and systematic steps to implement the Riyadh Agreement between the parties to unite Yemeni ranks, restore state institution and combat the scourge of terrorism," the Saudi-led coalition said. "The Coalition demands an end to any escalatory actions and calls for return to the Agreement by the participating parties." Two shows from the one production company, Endemol Shine Australia, battled it out for timeslot honours last night. Lego Masters won its slot with 1.17m and topped the demos. MasterChef Australia followed with 968,000 from 7:30pm, both down a little on last Sunday. House Rules was up slightly at 640,000. Grand Designs NZ drew 451,000 for ABC. 60 Minutes led after 8:30pm with 629,000, ahead of Mystery Road (576,000) and Seven News: Family of Suspects (367,000). Nine network won Sunday with 32.3% then Seven 24.1%, 10 20.4%, ABC 15.3% and SBS 7.9%. Nine News drew 1.14m for Nine. A late edition was 354,000. Seven News was #1 at 1.27m for Seven. The Sunday Project was 588,000 / 354,000. 10 News First drew 374,000 / 284,000 then FBI: Most Wanted (289,000). ABC News led for ABC at 826,000 then The Virus (608,000). Killing Eve drew 223,000 and Compass was 193,000. On SBS it was Scotland: Romes Final Frontier (291,000), SBS World News (280,000) and Mediterranean With Simon Reeve (181,000). The Unsung Heroes Of Apollo 11 was 104,000. Bluey topped multichannels at 203,000 OzTAM Overnights: Sunday 26 April 2020 Mosney Holidays PLC, which runs the former holiday camp as a centre for asylum seekers, was paid 10.8m. Photo: PA The Department of Justice paid more than 131m last year to accommodation providers and hotel owners to house asylum seekers in direct provision. A log of all department payments over 20,000 - released under freedom of information - gives a detailed picture of expenditure on the direct provision system, which is currently the subject of a Government review. Three firms, East Coast Catering, Millstreet Equestrian Services, and Mosney Holidays PLC, were each paid in excess of 10m during 2019. Millstreet Equestrian Services was paid 11.6m, according to the Department of Justice database. The company has provided direct provision accommodation at its Millstreet centre in Cork, as well as other centres in Kerry, Tipperary, and Waterford, during the time in which it has been contracted by the department. East Coast Catering was paid 11.1m last year. Among the accommodation it has been involved in providing is the reception centre at Balseskin in north Dublin and the now closed centre at Hatch Hall in Dublin city centre. Mosney Holidays PLC, which runs the former holiday camp as a centre for asylum seekers, was paid 10.8m. The centre in Co Meath is the largest in the country and had a contracted capacity for 600 people, according to the most recently available figures from the Reception and Integration Agency. Other companies to be paid significant amounts by the Department of Justice included Fazyard Ltd, which was paid 7.93m, Bridgestock Care Ltd, which received 7.04m, and Campbell Catering Ltd, which got 6.5m. Fazyard Ltd has provided accommodation in the largest direct provision centre in Dublin, at the Clondalkin Towers Hotel centre, and at other locations around Ireland. Bridgestock Care Ltd has been involved in running two centres in the west of Ireland, while Campbell Catering has provided services at State-owned accommodation including Knockalisheen in Clare, Kinsale Road in Cork, and in Athlone, Co Westmeath. Hotel chains were also in receipt of seven-figure sums from the Department of Justice, according to the records. A total of 2.9m in payments were listed to Clayton Hotel Liffey Valley, while Clonea Strand Hotel Ltd in Waterford was paid 1.99m. According to the figures, Maldron Hotel Limerick received payments of 700,341, while Maldron Hotel Newlands Cross in Dublin received just over 291,000. Vesta Hotels Ltd, which runs the 111-person-capacity Grand Hotel in Wicklow, received 1.48m while Travelodge was paid 1.68m without further detail provided on where that accommodation is. The latest details, on which providers are still providing services and how many spaces, are not available as the Department of Justice ceased monthly publication of detailed statistics relating to direct provision last year and has not yet resumed. A spokesman for the Department of Justice said the direct provision system had been established at a time when asylum seekers were "vulnerable to exploitation and homelessness". He said: "More than 65,000 vulnerable people have been assisted by the system." The spokesman said Ireland had legal obligations to provide certain services to asylum seekers, including food, accommodation, laundry and other items. "Much of our use of emergency accommodation could be eliminated if the more than 1,000 people who have been granted permission to remain in the State but continue to reside in direct provision accommodation could relocate into mainstream accommodation," he said. For the New World Order, a world government is just the beginning. Once in place they can engage their plan to exterminate 80% of the world's population, while enabling the "elites" to live forever with the aid of advanced technology. For the first time, crusading filmmaker ALEX JONES reveals their secret plan for humanity's extermination: Operation ENDGAME. Jones chronicles the history of the global elite's bloody rise to power and reveals how they have funded dictators and financed the bloodiest warscreating order out of chaos to pave the way for the first true world empire. Watch as Jones and his team track the elusive Bilderberg Group to Ottawa and Istanbul to document their secret summits, allowing you to witness global kingpins setting the world's agenda and instigating World War III. to Ottawa and Istanbul to document their secret summits, allowing you to witness global kingpins setting the world's agenda and instigating World War III. Learn about the formation of the North America transportation control grid, which will end U.S. sovereignty forever. Discover how the practitioners of the pseudo-science eugenics have taken control of governments worldwide as a means to carry out depopulation. View the progress of the coming collapse of the United States and the formation of the North American Union. Never before has a documentary assembled all the pieces of the globalists' dark agenda. Endgame's compelling look at past atrocities committed by those attempting to steer the future delivers information that the controlling media has meticulously censored for over 60 years. It fully reveals the elite's program to dominate the earth and carry out the wicked plan in all of human history. Endgame is not conspiracy theory, it is documented fact in the elite's own words. By Akbar Mammadov Azerbaijani and Lithuanian presidents have discussed Azerbaijan-European Union relations, as well as economic and trade relations in a video meeting held on April 27. During the meeting, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda asked President Ilham Aliyev to share his views on the Eastern Partnership Program and the state of Azerbaijan-EU relations, in general, in the preparation period for the Eastern Partnership Summit planned to be held in June of 2020. President Ilham Aliyev said that along with participating in the Eastern Partnership Program, Azerbaijan attaches great importance to the development of bilateral relations with the European Union, and has signed documents on strategic partnership with nine countries of this organization. The "Partnership Priorities" document initiated between Azerbaijan and the European Union in 2018 covers political, economic, trade, energy, transport and other areas. The presidents noted the good level of political relations and the importance of raising economic and trade ties to this level, and stressed the need to hold a meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission after the end of the pandemic. They also exchanged views on measures taken to combat the coronavirus pandemic. Kitanas Nauseda said Azerbaijan has made significant progress in the fight against the pandemic. In turn, President Ilham Aliyev stressed that Azerbaijan has been in close contact with the World Health Organization since the early days of the coronavirus pandemic and supports the country's international efforts and cooperation in combating the pandemic. --- Akbar Mammadov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AkbarMammadov97 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz WASHINGTON The Supreme Court ruled Monday that the federal government must live up to its promise to shield insurance companies from some of the risks they took in participating in the exchanges established by President Barack Obamas health care law, the Affordable Care Act. Justice Sonia Sotomayor, writing for the majority in the 8-to-1 ruling, said the courts decision vindicated a principle as old as the nation itself: The government should honor its obligations. The health care law had promised the insurers that they would be protected, she wrote, and it did not matter that Congress later failed to appropriate money to cover the insurers shortfalls. The Affordable Care Act established so-called risk corridors meant to help insurance companies cope with the risks they took when they decided to participate in the laws marketplaces without knowing who would sign up for coverage. Under the program, the federal government would limit insurance companies gains and losses on insurance sold in the marketplaces from 2014 through 2016. Recently in Indore, a man driving a high-end Porsche convertible car was made to do sit-ups as punishment for violating lockdown rules. The nationwide lockdown has extended till May 3 owing to the increase in the number of coronavirus cases and sadly, many people are still flouting the rules without understanding the gravity of the situation. He was stopped by Municipal Security Committee personnel for cruising in the yellow two-seater car on the open roads, which are free of traffic due to the lockdown. Members of the city Security Council soon spotted and stopped him. The city Security Council has retired personnel from the Army, paramilitary and the police as volunteers who are attached with police stations across Indore. Madhya Pradesh: In a viral video (in picture - a screengrab from the viral video), a man was seen being made to do squats, by Indore's security committee personnel after he was flagged down by them yesterday while he was driving his luxury car Porsche amid lockdown. pic.twitter.com/qRXCmIwZHX ANI (@ANI) April 26, 2020 The man identified as Sanskar Daryani told the news agency that the incident happened when he was returning home from company. As per the reports, the 20-year-old Sanskar Daryani is the son of Indore businessman Deepak Daryani, who owns Asha Confectionery. His family said Sanskar Daryani has a curfew pass and driving license, but the city Security Council officials allegedly misbehaved with him. I was returning home from work when I was stopped. I showed them my pass but they verbally abused me and asked me to do sit-ups. I tried to talk to them but they didn't listen. I then followed their orders. They filmed it, cracked jokes and then asked me to leave. I wish Indore police took action against this, he said. I was returning home from company when I was stopped. I showed them my pass but they verbally abused me and asked me to do sit-ups. I tried to talk to them but they didn't listen. I then followed their orders. They filmed it,cracked jokes & then asked me to leave: Sanskar Daryani pic.twitter.com/9Dby04mPPx ANI (@ANI) April 26, 2020 The incident garnered mixed reactions on Twitter. Look at this clown who is roaming around the city in his Porsche in Indore.#lockdownindia #Indorelockdown #Covid_19india pic.twitter.com/T6YYzsjDSp Heisenberg (@urgoddamnright_) April 25, 2020 ! Jagdish Ahir (@IJagdish_Ahir) April 26, 2020 Sanskar Daryani I like it bro you followed order without any abusive words or behaviour.Ameer hone ke saath tmhare sanskaar bhi wade acche hain. NO ONE (@aayush__jainn) April 26, 2020 However, what's interesting about Daryani is that he lives a quintessential luxury lifestyle and has an impressive collection of luxe cars. Here, check them out: The pandemic situation has halted life for everyone in the country and it is imperative that we adhere to the strict guidelines laid down for us. Our safety is in our own hands. Source: Mensxp Hindi - Health workers around the world are working long hours and some have even lost their lives on the front lines of the battle against the coronavirus; - Medical staff have made important contributions to curbing the pandemic, and they are "the most beautiful angels" and "messengers of light and hope"; - Guided by the vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind, China has been more than ready to share its good practices and provide assistance in its capacity to countries hit by the pandemic. BEIJING, April 26 (Xinhua) -- "My babies are too young to read it now. And they'd barely recognize me in my gear. But if they lose me to COVID I want them to know Mommy tried really hard to do her job," Cornelia Griggs, a New York pediatric surgeon, wrote in an emotional post to her toddlers in March. A mother on the frontlines of the coronavirus pandemic, Griggs is using her sacrifice and courage as a powerful teaching moment for her children. The viral tweet received about 103,000 retweets and 530,000 likes within 24 hours. According to the latest figure of Johns Hopkins University, coronavirus infections have risen to nearly 2.9 million worldwide along with more than 200,000 deaths. Griggs, along with thousands of fearless medical workers across the world, has been putting up an arduous and brave fight against COVID-19, trying to turn the tide on the pandemic which knows no borders and recognizes no races. Many are working long hours, with their own lives upended by the unprecedented health crisis; some have volunteered to help out without any second thoughts; some have even lost their lives on the front lines of the battle against the coronavirus. A medical staff member takes samples of a child at a COVID-19 testing point in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, April 15, 2020. (Photo by Chong Voon Chung/Xinhua) GREAT SACRIFICE Roberto Stella, a general practitioner aged 67, died on March 11, the first of many doctors to succumb to the coronavirus in Italy. He lived in Busto Arsizio in Lombardy, an Italian region that has been hit particularly hard by the outbreak, and had planned to step down from his job as a doctor and president of the Order of Physicians in Varese, a city just north of Milan, at the end of this year. Stella was among the first to urge the government to pay attention to the inadequate personal protective equipment for healthcare staff. He asked his medical staff to be careful and press on with their work when they had run out of face masks and gloves. He was a true doctor who worked hard until the end, said Alessandro Colombo, a colleague and friend of Stella. Medical staff work in the ICU of Istituto Clinico Casalpalocco in Rome, Italy, March 25, 2020. (Photo by Alberto Lingria/Xinhua) "His death got the attention of Italian doctors ... It made doctors realize that the coronavirus was something to be taken seriously," Angelo Testa, president of the National Union of Independent Doctors, told Xinhua. The coronavirus has claimed more than 26,000 lives in Italy, one of Europe's worst-affected countries. A total of 144 medical workers have died of the coronavirus in Italy to date, according to doctors' associations and unions. About 17,000 health care workers have been infected, more than two-thirds of whom are women, according to the country's public health institute. Also in Europe, Serbian doctors observed a minute of silence on April 15 to mourn Miodrag Lazic, a famous surgeon who had died from an infection related to the coronavirus. Lazic, 65, director of the Emergency Center in the City of Nis, had been on a ventilator because his condition was serious. Members of Chinese medical expert team to Serbia visit a clinic in Belgrade, Serbia, April 11, 2020. (Chinese medical expert team to Serbia/Handout via Xinhua) The Municipality of East Sarajevo fulfilled his last wish by playing the Serbian military song "March on the Drina" to honor their beloved doctor. Lazic was "on the front line, until the very end ... until the moment when he found out that he himself had contracted the virus that, for months, had been relentlessly taking people's lives," said a statement issued by the Clinical Center of Nis. "A man who was honorable, courageous and proud, side by side, on the front lines, stood by the Serbian army, in all the wars that struck our country and our people. A man, a doctor, a soldier who saved more than 1,000 lives on the battlefield," the statement added. The specialist in surgery was a volunteer during the wars in former Yugoslavia in the early 1990s, and had written a book entitled "The Diary of a War Surgeon." So far, Serbia has reported 6,630 cases with 125 deaths, with the country being in a state of emergency since March 16. Photo taken on April 1, 2020 shows a ward of the upgraded Wilkins Hospital in Harare, Zimbabwe. (Photo by Wanda/Xinhua) FORGING AHEAD Across the Mediterranean, Soman Mudariki, who works at Wilkins Hospital in Harare, is among Zimbabwe's frontline medical workers who are risking their lives to care for the sick. Two weeks after the coronavirus pandemic reached the landlocked country in southern Africa, Mudariki tested four confirmed cases. He said never before has his family been as worried about his safety at work. "My son and daughter are not at ease. They keep asking questions and want to understand how dangerous coronavirus really is," Mudariki said, adding that his family has remained a strong pillar of support. A medical worker of a test station takes samples of a woman for COVID-19 infection test in Johannesburg, South Africa, April 3, 2020. (Photo by Shiraaz/Xinhua) After reporting its first case on March 20, Zimbabwe has recorded 31 cases to date. The government has extended the country's lockdown by a further two weeks to May 3. With the virus not sparing anyone in its path, Mudariki knows the importance of medical workers being properly equipped when tending to patients. "It is a hot zone that we are working in and it requires a meticulous process, from donning, doffing, to testing patients. The process needs to be thorough to make sure you do not carry the virus to other patients or workmates," said Mudariki. Nurses are also exposed to these risks. Among them is Cynthia Shatei, leader of the Zimbabwe Young Nurses' Association. Medical workers take care of COVID-19 patients at a hospital in Barcelona, Spain, April 7, 2020. (Photo by Francisco Avia/Xinhua) "We value the sanctity of human life, but at times we fear for our dear life because the monster (COVID-19) is real. We believe that nursing is a calling, so we had to step in as nurses," she told the state-run Sunday Mail newspaper. Shatei said her efforts against the virus were motivated by patriotism, while the disease needs to be confronted head-on for the common good. Medical staff have made important contributions to curbing the pandemic and they are "the most beautiful angels" and "messengers of light and hope," said Chinese President Xi Jinping, while inspecting the command center of Huoshenshan Hospital in Wuhan, the once hardest-hit central Chinese city. At a media briefing on COVID-19 earlier this month, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO), called nurses and midwives "the backbone of every health system" and asked everyone to protect themselves. Staff unload the medical supplies from China at the airport in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, March 22, 2020. (Xinhua/Wang Shoubao) UNITED FRONT As coronavirus infections surged across Ethiopia and the African continent, a 12-member Chinese medical team arrived in Ethiopia's capital of Addis Ababa on Thursday, bringing with it urgent medical supplies, including protective equipment and traditional Chinese medicine. Noting that Africa is experiencing an upward trend in new cases, Zeng Zhiyong, a team member who specializes in infection control, said that "now is the moment to effectively contain the spread of the virus before its further spread." Africa registered a 43-percent jump in reported cases last week, highlighting a warning from the WHO that the continent of 1.3 billion could become the next epicenter of the global pandemic. The team will share its experiences and give local hospitals advice on coronavirus prevention and control, said Zeng, who is also head of the infection control department at the West China Hospital of Sichuan University. National Health Service (NHS) staff members applaud outside the Royal Liverpool University Hospital during the weekly "Clap for Our Carers" campaign in Liverpool, Britain, April 23, 2020. (Photo by Jon Super/Xinhua) "The highly trained experts and professionals who have been active in COVID-19 response in China and with frontline experience came here along with support from the Chinese government," said Ethiopian Minister of Health Lia Tadesse. Guided by the vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind, China has been more than ready to share its good practices and provide assistance in its capacity to countries hit by the pandemic, Xi said at the Extraordinary G20 Leaders' Summit in March. China is continuing to provide supplies to 127 countries and four international organizations, and has sent expert teams to 15 countries, Ma Xiaowei, minister in charge of the National Health Commission, said last week. A message of thanks for healthcare workers is displayed on the window of the Brooklyn Hospital Center in the Brooklyn borough of New York, the United States, April 24, 2020. (Photo by Michael Nagle/Xinhua) "It is a precious gesture of brotherhood and togetherness demonstrated by the Chinese government in general and the 12 medical professionals in particular," said Mahlet Dinku, an Ethiopian medical science student. According to China's National Health Commission, there are some 1,000 Chinese medical personnel working in Africa, tasked with helping local health organizations contain the coronavirus. The frontline medical workers have taken on the most arduous missions and they are "the most admirable people in the new era" who deserve the highest commendations, Xi said. A key government official in charge of Japan's economic response to the coronavirus outbreak called off his public appearances on Saturday to work from home after it was discovered that he had been in contact with a member of staff who tested for the coronavirus. The Cabinet Office said that Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura had cancelled a media briefing scheduled for 2 p.m. and did not attend a separate meeting later in the day. In a statement, the office said that it had discovered that Nishimura had visited a university hospital last week with an office staff member who later tested positive for the virus. In past weeks, the minister has become the face of Japan's economic efforts to deal with the coronavirus. "Neither the minister nor the staffer who tested positive for the virus has shown any symptoms, but as a precaution, the minister will remain at home until he receives further notice on his condition from health authorities," the office said in a statement. Nishimura later on Saturday made a scheduled appearance on public broadcaster NHK remotely, rather than in person, saying he had not been in close contact with the staff member and was working from home just as a precaution. GODFREY A new series of Solar Power Hour presentations has begun. Grow Solar Metro East is launching the fourth year of its group-buy program begun in 2016. Lewis and Clark College and the Midwest Renewable Energy Association are partnering with the Glen Carbon Cool Cities Committee and Sierra Club Piasa Palisades in supporting the bulk solar group-purchase program for residents and businesses in Madison, Monroe and St. Clair counties. Since 2016 the Grow Solar program has helped 175 home and business owners install solar arrays that are calculated to reduce 2.8 million pounds of carbon emissions by avoiding 1.4 million pounds of coal consumption in their first year alone. The systems installed through the 2019 Grow Solar Metro East program will yield an average yearly utility savings of $1,217 in the first year for the property owners, according to the program. My husband and I took advantage of the Solarize Godfrey group buy and have had our rooftop array online since October of 2016, said Virgina Woulfe-Beile of Godfrey. Our system offsets approximately 90% of our electricity charges. We are seeing real savings on our Ameren bill and receiving Solar Renewable energy credits as well. The Solar Power Hours by Grow Solar Metro East are designed to provide prospective participants with information on how solar energy works, the financial costs and incentives and where to get started in the solar installation process. The programs website, GrowSolarMetroEast.org, includes a sign-up form where people can elect to receive an estimate or general program updates. We like to think that most people want solar power because of its environmental benefits, said Kevin McKee, of Collinsville, a program volunteer. But we know that price still matters, and thats why we work to bring this program to the Metro East. Solar power clearly is becoming more popular and accepted as the prices drop, and as folks see friends and neighbors adopt solar power. More Information Solar Power Hours Four free Zoom programs will share solar power advice for local residents: Tuesday, April 28 - noon Thursday, April 30 - 1 p.m. Monday, May 4 - 3 p.m. Friday, May 8 - 4 p.m. See More Collapse Midwest Renewable Energy Association has facilitated 34 in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois and Iowa, with solar installations on more than 1,600 properties. Because so many people are working from home now, lowering electricity bills is more important than ever, said MREA Solar Program Director Peter Murphy said. Theres a huge demand for information about solar, and were demonstrating that solar and energy efficiency can help lots of people lower their bills and improve their quality of life. StraightUp Solar, based in St. Louis, was chosen as the installer for Grow Solar Metro East. For more details, contact Lewis and Clark Community College Sustainability Director Nate Keener at 618-468-2782 or nkeener@lc.edu. The Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) has started listing of the government of Abu Dhabi's $7-billion multi-tranche global medium term notes issued early this month. The offering is part of Abu Dhabis medium-term strategy aimed to optimise the capital structure of the emirate, tapping into diverse funding sources whilst maintaining the current credit ratings, said a statement from ADX. With orders coming from over 100 new accounts and the orderbook of $45 billion, the issuance was more than 6.3 times oversubscribed, marking a record for Abu Dhabi. The 30-year bonds were particularly well received by international investors, who accounted for 98 per cent of the final geographical allocation in this tranche, showcasing trust in Abu Dhabis ability to deliver sustained, long-term economic growth. In October 2019, Abu Dhabi had issued $10 billion multi-tranche bond that likewise received overwhelming global investor response, reflecting the strong investor confidence in the emirate's solid credit fundamentals, underpinned by modest levels of debt and a solid asset base, including two of the worlds largest sovereign wealth funds.-TradeArabia News Service I work for a recruitment agency which places people in temporary positions, one after the other. While the model is risky in that no work means no pay, work has always been available and this system works for me. My last assignment as a personal assistant to the CEO of a business firm began in October 2019 and came to an end on 21 February when the company hired a permanent employee. I was given one week's notice - which is normal in this line of work. Covid-19 has challenged both employers and employees across Britain - (stock image) However, the agency has been unable to place me ever since and the search has now come to a complete stop - which I think is a direct result of the situation around Covid-19 worsening. As this means I have no income I have asked to be furloughed but they are claiming the reason for no work is not related to the coronavirus, and therefore I am not eligible. I don't think this is right. I am trying to argue that my final salary was paid on 6 March, and from my understanding after reading guidance from the government website, I can be furloughed if I was employed and on the payroll as of 28 February 2020. I am now left without an income though I am still technically employed by the agency. Please can you clarify and confirm whether I am entitled to be included in this scheme? Jayna Rana, of This is Money, replies: The coronavirus pandemic has created numerous challenges for both employers and employees across Britain. In response, the Government has provided assistance where it can, including through grants, loans and the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme which allows firms to furlough their staff. Your situation is unique in that you work for an agency under a zero-hour type contract, meaning if there is no work, you have no income. According to the latest figures available from the Office for National Statistics, there were 974,000 Brits on zero hour contracts in December 2019 - a record high. Your last position - which you were placed in by the agency which employs you - came to an end on 21 February. This is before the 28 February, which is the date from which the Government has stated employees who were made redundant or stopped working can be re-hired and put on furlough. That said, because you were still on the payroll in March, it may be possible to argue that this applies to you. This is Money spoke to two employment experts to find out what the legal position might be for you and whether you can be furloughed. Clare is a partner in the employment team at London law firm Goodman Derrick LLP Clare Gilroy-Scott, a partner in the employment team at London law firm Goodman Derrick LLP, said: There is no requirement under the coronavirus job retention scheme for a worker to have been working on 28 February 2020. The requirement is that the worker must have been on the recruitment agency's payroll on or before 19 March 2020 and that it must have made a real time information submission notifying HMRC of a payment in respect of that worker on or before 19 March 2020. Normally an agency worker will remain 'on the books' - ie. on the payroll - until the agency issues a P45 and notifies HMRC so it is possible that you are still on the payroll, despite not being on a live assignment on that date. The guidance on gov.uk does not state that an agency worker has to have been working on an assignment on any particular date. Indeed, the purpose of the cut-off date appears to be to prevent employers adding employees to the payroll after 19 March and then putting them on furlough in order to claim the grant. The Treasury Guidance to HMRC of 15 April 2020 indicates that the scheme will cover employment costs relating to an employee 'to whom the employer made a payment of earnings in the tax year 2019-20 which is shown in a return under Schedule A1 to the PAYE Regulations that is made on or before a day that is a relevant coronavirus job retention scheme day (either 28 February or 19 March) and, in relation to whom the employer had not reported a date of cessation of employment on or before that date' if they are furloughed. Again, there is no express requirement for the employee to have actually worked in an assignment on 28 February, simply that they had been on the payroll and the employer had not reported to HMRC that the employee was no longer on the payroll. Can zero-hour contract workers be furloughed? Those on zero-hour contracts are also eligible employees under the coronavirus job retention scheme and again, do not have to have been actually working on 28 February. Unless it was your employers practice to take you on and off the payroll in respect of each period of work, you may well have been on the payroll at the relevant time and therefore eligible for furlough. Why won't your agency furlough you? There are a number of costs to a business in furloughing an employee. Direct costs include holiday pay, national insurance and apprenticeship levy costs. Holiday entitlement will accrue during furlough and holiday taken must be paid at the normal rate of pay (or, where pay varies, paid at the average pay received by the employee over the previous 52 working weeks) so the employer will have to 'top up' the 80 per cent contribution received through the coronavirus job retention scheme. There will be employers national insurance contributions to be paid on the topped up holiday pay as these are not covered under the scheme. On a normal assignment, the agency would receive a fee from the client to cover such costs but there will be no fee during furlough. Other costs may include the administrative burden of making the claims under the scheme in respect of each agency worker on the payroll. With permanent and directly engaged employees, these costs are generally outweighed by the value of the grant received. The difficulty with agency workers and zero-hours workers, is that the employer would not normally have to pay them at all when not on assignment or not working. Chris Weaver is a senior associate at London-based law firm Payne Hicks Beach Chris Weaver, senior associate at law firm Payne Hicks Beach, adds: Agency workers are eligible to be furloughed like other employees, if they are paid through PAYE. However, it should be remembered that it is the employer who decides which employees (if any) to place on furlough leave. Even if certain ex-employees are eligible to be rehired and furloughed, the employer is under no legal obligation to do so. Can I ask my employer to furlough me? An employee can request to be put on furlough leave, but the employer does not have to agree. The Government has stated that the purpose of the coronavirus job retention scheme is to reimburse employers for the costs associated with the furloughing of employees arising from the health, social and economic emergency resulting from coronavirus. This requires some connection between the consequences of the coronavirus crisis on the employers business and the need to furlough employees. It is not clear how this purpose would be met where an employee is rehired solely to allow them to be furloughed and access funds from the scheme. Although arguably the fact there are no jobs to place you on currently is because of the current crisis, the fact the agency has taken the view that there is no work is unconnected to coronavirus is also problematic as, ultimately, it is for the agency to decide whether to furlough. Movie-makers have long been turned on by tales of corporate wrongdoing and economic calamity. And the 2008 global financial crisis was a particularly powerful spur to creativity, tossing up insights that have plenty to say about the fix were in today. A host of films examined the crisis from an assortment of angles and all of them vividly evoke the wonder, as well as the fear, that people feel when societys institutions fail them. No one can quite comprehend the speed with which their lives are changing or get a grip on the cause. Christian Bale plays an eccentric financial wiz in The Big Short. Sometimes the filmmakers become a little too excited, gussying up the complexities and double talk of the financial world with the overworked trappings of a suspense movie, but the best prove to be pretty skilled at translating exposition into drama without having to dress up or dress down the facts by simplifying them to the point of distortion. American business writer Michael Lewis is a master of the genre and his adaptation of his 2010 non-fiction book The Big Short (2015) is the most popular of the films made about the GFC. But its also one of the most hyperactive, packed with cinematic tricks more dizzying than the convolutions of the stockmarket itself. By PTI KOLKATA: Taking exception to West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar's "minority appeasement" accusation against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the apex body of the state's Imams has requested him to retract his comment. Bengal Imams Association (BIA) chairman Md Yahya also urged the state and central governments to take steps to thwart efforts by some to "vilify the entire minority community as lockdown violators, which is the farthest from the truth". In a letter to Banerjee on March 24, in which he had levelled several charges against Banerjee, Dhankhar had said, "Your appeasement of the minority community was so explicit and awkward that as regards a question about the Nizamuddin Markaz incident by a journalist, your reaction was 'Do not ask communal questions'." Objecting to the comment, the BIA wrote to Raj Bhavan that the Nizamuddin Markaz incident was related to the Delhi police and the Centre. A large number of novel coronavirus cases reported in the country are linked to a religious congregation organised last month by the Tablighi Jamaat in Delhi's Nizamuddin. Many foreigners who attended the event were also afflicted by the disease. "I hope as a governor you know very well who are the authorities who provided VISA for foreigners and gave permission for such program. You know who allowed lakhs of people to enter in India after knowing the COVID-19 issue worldwide [sic]," Yahiya said in the letter. Alleging that the Centre and the BJP are trying to communalise the issue by blaming only the Muslim community for the spread of the coronavirus, the BIA letter wondered what was wrong with the chief minister's reply to the journalist. "By giving that opinion and avoiding such question in her Press Meet how it is appeasement to Muslims of Bengal [sic]," the letter sent to the governor on April 25 read. A chief minister has the right to freedom of expression, it said. Stating that they would have gone to Raj Bhavan to register their protest against his statement if there was no lockdown, the Imams' body requested Dhankhar to "clarify or retract (the statement) publicly". Asserting that Muslims of India in general don't have any links to the Nizamuddin event, the letter said if the Jamaat authority had committed a mistake, the law will take its own course. "We were hurt by the comments of the honourable governor on the issue involving Muslims. The association unanimously decided to send the protest letter after knowing the contents of his letter to the CM. But we don't want to be drawn into any political controversy," Yahya told PTI on Monday. "Certain videos showing gatherings during Ramzan are shared on WhatsApp which are fake, taken years back. The administration should take note of this and find out those spreading such hate messages at a time when all communities should stand together to fight COVID-19," he said. Shafique Qasmi, the Imam of Nakhoda Mosque, one of the most prominent Muslim shrines of Kolkata, said he was not aware of the details of the governor's comments. "There should not be any division among communities, either during normal times or during emergencies like coronavirus pandemic. Rather than talking about any single community, we should all educate and caution all members of the public to strictly follow the safety precautions," Qasmi said. He acknowledged that a gap in federal law had made it legally difficult to compel the White House to go beyond captioning, as states have. But it is a moral imperative, he said, especially when every person must know what to do to avoid infecting everyone else. President Trump has indicated that he is backing away from the briefings, saying they are no longer worth his time. Into this whirl has come Ms. Burton, a Chicago-born former teacher of K-12 deaf children who agreed on March 13 to help interpret public health news briefings for Los Angeles County. The local updates, usually right after Gov. Gavin Newsoms noon briefings, have become must-see viewing as infections have soared in the county to 42,425 cases, with 1,677 deaths. I didnt know the scope of what I was getting into, Ms. Burton says. A whole new lexicon has come with this pandemic, often requiring on-the-fly interpretation: bend the curve, personal protective equipment and social distance the term Americans have adopted for keeping clear of friends, neighbors and strangers alike. Then there is a new phrase that was widely circulated as a precaution after Mr. Trump raised some unorthodox, and potentially dangerous, suggestions about potential virus treatments: Dont drink Clorox. I dont know how Im going to do that one, Ms. Burton said, bemused. Ill probably have to spell bleach, and then for clarity sign use for laundry, makes clothes white, smells bad dont drink and dont put on your body. The Israeli authorities are alerting organizations in the water industry following a series of cyberattacks that hit water facilities in the country. The Israeli government has issued an alert to organizations in the water sector following a series of cyberattacks that targeted the water facilities. Israels National Cyber Directorate announced to have received reports of cyber attacks aimed at supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems at wastewater treatment plants, pumping stations and sewage facilities. As of this morning, reports have been received in the National Cyber Arrangement about assault attempts on control and control systems of wastewater treatment plants, pumping stations and sewers. reads the alert issued by the Israeli government. The system calls on companies and entities in the energy and water sectors to immediately exchange passwords from the Internet to the control systems, reduce Internet connectivity and ensure that the most up-to-date version of controllers is installed. Organizations are recommended to implement supplementary security measures to protect SCADA systems used in the water and energy sectors. The government urges to immediately change the passwords of control systems exposed online, ensure that their software is up to date, and reduce their exposure online. The good news is that according to the report from the Israels Water Authority, the attacks did not impact operations at the facilities. Government worldwide are warning of hackers targeting water utilities and urge the operators to secure industrial control systems (ICS). In January the Israeli Public Utility Authority suffered one of the largest cyber attack that the country has experienced, Minister of Infrastructure, Energy and Water Yuval Steinitz said on Tuesday. In March 2016, the Verizon breach digest reported a number of cyber attacks including one against an unnamed water utility, described in the document as the Kemuri Water Company (KWC). The operator behind the water utility hired Verizon to assess its systems, during the investigation the experts discovered evidence of cyber attacks. The experts discovered a desolating situation, a number of systems affected by critical vulnerabilities were publicly exposed on the Internet and the overall architecture was including outdated operation technology (OT) systems. Experts discovered that the KWC facility was targeted by hacktivists had that breached the internal architecture by exploiting a vulnerability in the payment application web server. In 2016, BWL Electric and Water Utility shut down following a ransomware attack. Please give me your vote for European Cybersecurity Blogger Awards VOTE FOR YOUR WINNERS https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe8AkYMfAAwJ4JZzYRm8GfsJCDON8q83C9_wu5u10sNAt_CcA/viewform Pierluigi Paganini (SecurityAffairs water facilities, hacking) In January, Chinese provincial and central leaders failed to act over several crucial weeks as the coronavirus spread throughout the city of Wuhan and eventually worldwide. On February 10, President Xi Jinping called for a peoples war, including a central role for the Peoples Liberation Army, that eventually helped bring the virus under control. Seven thousand miles away, US President Donald Trump similarly played down the threat throughout February, squandering critical weeks. Finally, in mid-March with deaths mounting and states pleading for help, he launched an uneven all of society response that included a somewhat hesitant Pentagon in a supportive role it wasnt designed for. Even as societies and economies are tested worldwide, the coronavirus is challenging the worlds militaries, which are being called on to assist overwhelmed civilian authorities. The PLA and the US military are very different forces, operating under vastly divergent systems and expectations. But the crisis has afforded an opportunity for the two increasingly adversarial forces to assess their own and each others responses under real-world conditions against a pernicious new enemy. The coronavirus outbreak is a great battle and a major test for the whole armed forces, Xi wrote in mid-April, commending the PLA. They have displayed the dauntless spirit of the Chinese military. We've got to take a hard look at how we as a military, we as the Department of Defence, conduct operations in the future so that we can continue to be effective in a post-Covid world, the US Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, General Mark Milley, said the same week at a virtual press conference. The PLA has assumed a more central role than its US counterpart in its nations crisis, one that has played to its strength as a peoples military with extensive domestic experience. This, say analysts, has made it easier to deliver people and equipment to the Wuhan hotspot. As an expanding regional power, it also has fewer competing missions to juggle. Story continues The crisis has also provided a key test of PLA reforms enacted in 2016 that created a centralised, tech-driven logistics arm known as the Joint Logistics Support Force, coincidentally based in Wuhan. A military maxim is that logistics win wars, and the restructuring was aimed at reducing internal competition for resources in order to better project Chinese power overseas. Theres a lot of evidence they coordinated pretty well. The military was able to get lots of doctors from bases to ground, said Joel Wuthnow, a Chinese military research expert at the National Defence University. Reforms seem to have paid some dividends. But experts add that PLA secrecy makes it difficult to fully assess its performance. In recent weeks, even as the virus infected French and US aircraft carriers and ravaged bases globally, the worlds largest military with 2 million active soldiers boasted a perfect record. The PLA claims its had zero casualties from the virus. Thats laughable, said Wuthnow, author of the book Chinese Diplomacy and the UN Security Council: Beyond the Veto. Its hard to judge failure. Were not going to see any of that. In contrast, the Pentagon has seen early confusion over its use of naval hospital ships and response to shipboard infections play out in real time. Its less robust response compared with the PLA also reflects a very different Western military tradition focused almost exclusively overseas, answerable to the nation not one political party, wary of getting bogged down in ways that might undercut its readiness against foreign military threats. And with some 67,000 US Air Force and 155,000 US Army personnel stationed overseas in multiple conflict zones, it is juggling many more moving parts than the Chinese military. While the PLA has historically responded first when domestic authorities are overwhelmed, the US military has generally responded last, after state governments, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the business community and state-directed National Guard units. The US is an expeditionary force. We dont fight at home, said Rebecca Hersman, a programme director at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies and a former Defence Department expert on biological, chemical and nuclear threats. Thats the challenge for the US military in situations like this. The deployment of two US Navy hospital ships Comfort to New York and Mercy to Los Angeles, which are configured for combat trauma underscored some of this discomfort as commanders initially resisted allowing Covid-19 patients aboard, leading to early criticism of the militarys and Trumps as commander in chief underwhelming response. Questions over what role the US military should take became more pointed when outbreaks aboard three US aircraft carriers in the Pacific coincided with provocative actions by Russia, Iran and North Korea within a 24-hour period even as China flexed its muscles in the South China Sea. Bad guys are not taking any time off, Lieutenant General Bradford Shwedo said during a mid-April press briefing. The US military will defend this country from anyone who would mistakenly try to exploit this current situation. The pandemics timing also favoured the PLA. Large-scale military exercises in China generally run from April to November so most forces were housed at bases around China, close to Wuhan and able to take preventive measures to stem infection in the ranks. Chinese President Xi Jinping speaks to military hospital staff at Huoshenshan Hospital in Wuhan on March 10. Photo: Xinhua via Reuters The US, which does not have much of a training hiatus, was forced to cancel major European and Korean exercises, halt travel, suspend training exercises and delay boot camp but still suffered thousands of infections. The US military, already wary of becoming too entangled domestically, also has struggled to find its place amid a national response characterised by indecision, disjointed leadership and political sniping. Just stay calm, Trump said of the pandemic as late as March 10. It will go away. Trump waited until March 22, when there were already 32,000 coronavirus cases and 400 deaths, before designating New York and California disaster areas, freeing up funds for stretched National Guard units. Further confusing the command structure was Trumps claims of total power over state governors even as he insisted they solve their own problems. Were not a shipping clerk, he snapped at one point. China and the PLA attacked it as a peoples war, said Dennis Blasko, an independent analyst and former US Army attache to Beijing and Hong Kong. We still dont have a whole of government strategy. The more domestically focused Army Corps of Engineers and National Guard were initially deployed to help convert convention centers into makeshift hospitals and unload grocery trucks. But up to one-fifth of National Guard medical staff also works in civilian hospitals, hampering their ability to assist elsewhere. With desperate states calling for military hardware and expertise, the Pentagon released millions of N95 masks and thousands of ventilators from its strategic reserves, but demurred on contributing many assets or traditional capability beyond the hospital ships. Im not sure how many outside teams have gone into our most hardest-hit areas, I dont see that going on, said Blasko. Its sort of like youre on your own, buddy. US President Donald Trump has a history of firing and publicly humiliating senior defence and intelligence officials. Photo: AFP Also giving military leaders pause is Trumps history of firing and publicly humiliating senior defence and intelligence officials and second-guessing commanders. Trump initially expressed support for the acting Navy secretarys decision to fire the commander of the aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt after his urgent concerns over shipboard infections leaked. But as public opinion turned against the acting Navy secretarys decision, which Trump claimed he had no role in, the president indicated he might reinstate the vessels commander. I like to solve problems, he said. While the PLA appeared to pass an early logistical test, analysts say the challenge was relatively limited without an enemy trying to disrupt supply lines, communications systems or databases. Also unclear from the crisis is the PLAs ability to cooperate across its geographical and functional units. This is a problem that exists everywhere, but its a particular problem in China because of how the system was set up, said Helena Legarda, a military analyst with Germanys Mercator Institute for China Studies. Theres still a fair bit of duplication. Adding to the PLAs challenge is tension between a traditional, highly centralised command structure under the Chinese Communist Party and pressure driven by modern technology and military doctrine to bolster autonomy at the unit level. Most Chinese troops spend little time outside their home province. Even as peacekeepers in Africa, they tend to be consigned to barracks, which doesnt necessarily encourage initiative. As the crisis intensified, Beijing sent a top discipline inspection official to Wuhan, apparently fearful that PLA forces might resist being exposed to the disease. We dont know about the morale in the field itself. These guys probably don't want to be going out there and doing this and why would they? said Wuthnow. You need big brother to watch over their shoulders every step of the way. The US military, meanwhile, has faced several tests of its own from this global health crisis, analysts said. Despite having carried out several pandemic exercises and a 2014 Ebola mission in Africa, it was not prepared for an adversary that so widely infected its own ranks. How can the military protect America when it cant protect itself? The Atlantic magazine asked. It underestimated its vulnerability, reacted slowly and failed to protect sailors at sea where social distancing is difficult, analysts say. In the same way the federal government did not take this risk seriously enough in January and February, it seems to have occurred across the military as well, said Hersman. Then you add in an environment where its incredibly difficult to deliver bad news. The Theodore Roosevelt had bad news to deliver, but it was not able to engage in proper procedures to address it. The crisis also has challenged the Defence Departments and likely the PLAs ability to work remotely. US contractors had trouble accessing servers even as a government oversight report found that Pentagon staff were poorly trained in following the safe online practices they demand of suppliers. Even as the US military braces for more pandemics and the impact of global warming, analysts say they dont expect it to change its relatively hands-off approach to domestic missions. Theyre really not pushing the envelope, Hersman said. Carrying out some sort of quarantine enforcement, that would be a bad day. And hopefully we never even have to think about that. I expect in China, thats commonplace. Sign up now and get a 10% discount (original price US$400) off the China AI Report 2020 by SCMP Research. Learn about the AI ambitions of Alibaba, Baidu & JD.com through our in-depth case studies, and explore new applications of AI across industries. The report also includes exclusive access to webinars to interact with C-level executives from leading China AI companies (via live Q&A sessions). Offer valid until 31 May 2020. More from South China Morning Post: This article Pentagon and PLA size up their battle readiness in the war on coronavirus first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2020. Veteran highlife musician, Abrantie Amakye Dede, and the former MP of Agogo, Kwadwo Baah Agyemang, have jointly donated personal protective equipment (PPE) and other items to the Agogo hospital and Juansa Government hospital in the Ashanti Akim North District in the Ashanti Region to combat covid-19. The items donated included Veronica buckets and bowls, boxes of sanitizers, gloves and boxes of nose mask. Presenting the items, Amakye Dede said the gesture was a joint contribution from him, Mr Agyemang and Dr Edusei to the two health institutions to support the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. Amakye Dede, who is also the Okyeredomhene of the Agogo Traditional Area with stool name Berima Okyeredom Amakye Dede I, expressed the hope that the items presented will help in protecting the staff of the hospital as they go about their work. The highlife musician also used the occasion to call on Ghanaians to adhere to government's call to stay at home and prevent the spread of the disease. He appealed to businesses in the region to support the fight against the pandemic and explained that the earlier the virus was eradicated, the better; to bring normalcy to businesses in the region. He warned of economic consequences, if efforts were not made urgently to make Ghana a Covid-19 free nation. The management of both hospitals after receiving the items expressed appreciation to Amakye Dede and others for their donation. ---Daily Guide Italys top insurer, Assicurazioni Generali, said on Saturday it was confident of being able to rebuff a potential takeover bid, thanks to a solid group of core domestic shareholders and a strong capital and financial position. In answers to investors posted on its website ahead of next weeks annual general meeting, the insurer said it was very solid from an operational and financial point of view as well as in terms of capital and governance. Generalis smaller market capitalization has fueled speculation in the past that it could become an acquisition target for larger rivals such as Frances AXA or Switzerlands Zurich Insurance. Sources told Reuters last month that a parliamentary committee on security was looking into the ownership structure of Italys top financial groups with a focus on possible changes at UniCredit and Generali. By driving down Italian stock prices, the coronavirus pandemic has heightened concerns that top financial institutions could fall into foreign hands, prompting the government to broaden special powers it has over sectors deemed strategic to include banks and insurers. Generali, whose biggest shareholder is Milanese financial group Mediobanca, is 28.5% owned by a group of Italian investors including eyewear billionaire Leonardo Del Vecchio. Del Vecchio is also the top shareholder in Mediobanca. Generali reiterated that there was no reason to doubt the groups stability, even if the final impact of the COVID-19 crisis was still uncertain. (Reporting by Gianluca Semeraro; editing by Valentina Za and Kevin Liffey) Topics Generali Life Assurance (Thailand) Plc. LOS ANGELESAfter four consecutive delays, the coronavirus pandemic has led to yet another new date for the pre-trial hearing in the sexual abuse cases against Mercedes Carerra and her husband Daemon Cins, according to documents on file with the San Bernardino County Superior Court. The hearing had been set for Friday of this week, May 1. But according to the court documents, the new date is set for June 26, at the Superior Courts Rancho Cucamonga district before Judge Katrina West. The countys courts have been closed except for emergency matters since March 17. The courts had been scheduled to remain closed at least until April 30. The May 1 date for the Carrera and Cins pre-trial hearing had been set at a court appearance by the pair on February 14, but the state of emergency in California due to the coronavirus crisis has upended most scheduled court proceedings. Carrera is being held at San Bernardino County Sheriffs Central Detention Center in San Bernardino. At least as of April 12, no coronavirus cases had been reported in that facility, according to The San Bernardino Sun. One case had been reported at West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga, where Carrera was initially held, finally moving in October of last year. Cins is reportedly held in Adelanto Detention Center, another San Bernardino County location that is also used as an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center. According to a report by The Orange County Register, a federal judge recently ruled that some of the ICE detainees must be released to ease overcrowding there that prevents social distancing measures during the pandemic. Carrera and Cins were arrested on February 1, 2019, and charged with multiple counts of sexual abuse against a nine-year-old girl who Carrera has since acknowledged to be her daughter. Both have denied the charges and entered pleas of not guilty. PARIS On a recent weekday, while France was still under one of Europes tightest lockdowns, mammoth six-foot tractor tires were rolling off the assembly line at a Michelin factory in northeast France. Farther south, other Michelin plants turned out tires for ambulances and fire trucks as fast as small skeleton crews could make them. Michelin is an early starter among global manufacturers seeking to revive business safely in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. A gradual reopening is being tested after the outbreak temporarily shuttered plants in China, Europe and the United States, affecting 127,000 employees. We cant stay confined forever, Florent Menegaux, Michelins chief executive, said by telephone recently. Just after the health crisis, were going to have an economic crisis looming which will have huge social consequences. We have to learn how to live with Covid-19. As states and territories weigh up their options in terms of relaxing coronavirus restrictions, Western Australia made a significant move on Monday, implementing a series of changes for its residents. Premier Mark McGowan announced the commencement of a cautious relaxation on Sunday which rolls out today. The big change across the state is the removal of the two-person gathering rule, which has now been eased to a maximum of 10 people. Two women walk past a sign at Scarborough Beach, Perth. Source: AAP The new restriction is in place for indoors and outdoors, however Mr McGowan stressed social distancing rules, where people need to remain 1.5 metres from others, must remain, alongside good hygiene. The 10 person rule really requires people just to do the right thing and don't have wild parties, don't do stupid things that mean we have to clamp down again, just do the right thing for your neighbours and your community, he said. "The focus and thinking behind these decisions is to ensure family and friends can remain connected during the COVID-19 pandemic. The rule will now also apply for weddings, doubling capacity at such events, and will be in effect for house viewings and auctions. WA's restriction changes as of Monday. Picnics, boating, hiking, camping and group exercise return Western Australians will now also be allowed to leave home for non-contact recreational activities. Activities such as picnics, boating, hiking, camping and group exercise are examples given by the state government. Public playgrounds, outside gyms and skate parks will remain closed however. Other restrictions related to the hospitality industry and travel bans remain in place. On Sunday, Western Australia recorded no coronavirus cases for a 24-hour period, with just five cases recorded over the last nine days. "Our numbers may be low but we need to keep it that way," he told reporters. The state has confirmed a total of 549 coronavirus cases, but only 55 remain active. Story continues There are currently 16 people in Perth hospitals, including four in intensive care. Elective surgery returns nationally Hospitals will also recommence elective surgeries postponed because of coronavirus on Monday as the rate of new infections continues to drop. Category two and some category three elective surgeries will recommence as of today. It includes IVF, dental work, screening programs, all child surgeries, joint replacements, eye procedures, endoscopies and colonoscopies. Elective surgeries were postponed last month to free up beds and save personal protective equipment amid fears the coronavirus would overwhelm the hospital system. Queensland restrictions to ease next weekend Family picnics and weekend drives are back and national parks will reopen in Queensland from next weekend after a reduction in confirmed cases over the weekend. The state confirmed just three new cases on Monday, with 1033 cases overall. Premier Annastacia Palaszcuk says the easing of stay-at-home restrictions would start at midnight on Friday. It means from Saturday, people can travel 50km from their residence to visit parks, have a picnic and jet ski, while shopping for non-essential items is also permitted. However, the premier has warned that movement was "limited to members of your own household". "We will be able to lift some of the stay-at-home restrictions and...we really need the public to 100 per cent co-operate." she told reporters on Sunday. "If we do see mass gatherings, I will not hesitate to clamp back down." She said the 50km limit was to avoid large scale movements of people between places like "Cairns to Townsville" and borders would remain closed. Northern Territory parks to reopen Parks and reserves across the Northern Territory will reopen from the coming weekend as Chief Minister Michael Gunner begins lifting restrictions imposed because of the global coronavirus pandemic. Mr Gunner will reveal more details on other moves later this week which is expected to include a reopening of some businesses in June, including cafes and gyms, but under strict rules. "In the coming weeks, the Territory will gradually transition to a new normal where Territorians can get back to business, back to work, and back to enjoying the Territory lifestyle, while also staying safe from coronavirus," he said on his Facebook page on Monday. "Territorians will have the opportunity to safely spend this weekend camping, swimming or walking through our beautiful parks and reserves and enjoying the Territory lifestyle that we all love. NSW residents can shop if stores are open While NSW recorded only two additional cases on Monday, Premier Gladys Berejiklian stressed the state would not be following suit with others which have begun relaxing restrictions. "Yes we want to ease restrictions, yes we want people to have a greater sense of normality in their lives, but that comes with obvious consequences," she said. Ms Berejiklian clarified shopping other than groceries can be essential. Souce: AAP Yet clarifying essential trips, she noted those in NSW were free to visit shops and make purchases where possible. "We've essentially said if a shop is open you can go and buy something as long a you practice social distancing," she said. "It's not for me to decide what's essential for you to buy. "If you need to buy a new bed for your child or new shoes, that's for you to make that decision." Victorias current restrictions until at least May 11 On Monday, Victoria recorded one new case of coronavirus amid ramped up testing, as authorities warn there will no lifting of restrictions until May 11. The state's total infections remain at 1349 cases after one positive case was transferred to New South Wales. Premier Daniel Andrews announced on Monday Victoria will not follow in the footsteps of other states in easing some social distancing measures, despite a falling infection count. with AAP 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. On Friday, President Donald Trump signed into law a fourth emergency package to respond to the coronavirus pandemic's health and economic crises. All four deals passed with overwhelming bipartisan support, but that cooperation is beginning to fray. Although many believe more relief is needed, lawmakers are already sparring over priorities and costs - as competing party priorities and internal disagreements emerge. In this case, the $484 billion measure replenishes a fund to help small businesses stay afloat, supports hospitals treating coronavirus patients and ramps up funding for testing to detect the virus. Across the four packages, Congress has committed about $3 trillion for emergency aid. Here are four takeaways from Congress's latest effort last week. 1 .Parties go to battle, even in a crisis A crisis can motivate congressional parties to cooperate, lest the public blame one of the parties for a stalemate. As enactment of four coronavirus packages attests, when the costs of inaction are salient and increasing - millions filing for unemployment benefits, tens of thousands dying - Congress can move swiftly. But that doesn't mean partisans lay down their swords. This deal took shape only after Senate Democrats blocked Republicans from adopting a measure that would only replenish funds for small-business loans. Senate Republicans then promptly derailed Democrats' preferred bill, which added funding for hospitals and state and local governments on top of Small Business Administration funds to help cover company payrolls. But Republicans did not pin blame on the Democrats, even after the SBA committed all of its money. Instead, Democrats negotiated with the administration to combine the Democrats' funding priorities with additional SBA funding in a final deal. 2. Centralized bargaining, on steroids In recent years, party leaders have tended to dominate negotiations on big-ticket items, often with the support of rank-and-file lawmakers who believe leaders will secure deals they can endorse and sell to their constituents. Although congressional committee chairs do occasionally still orchestrate negotiations on major measures, party leaders far more often call the shots. Negotiations on this fourth emergency package centralized power even more tightly in leaders' hands. Legislating during a crisis - when the public expects Congress to act fast - increases most lawmakers' willingness to allow party leaders to bargain on their behalf. The unique health risks of the coronavirus, which has isolated most lawmakers in their districts, further concentrates leaders' power. The speaker called members back to Washington only after the parties had inked a deal. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) probably expected that the House would vote to authorize "proxy voting" to allow absent members to record their votes. She called lawmakers back to vote after Republicans objected, derailing that plan. Across the Capitol, just a few senators showed up for the Senate's pro forma session. Senators passed the bill on a voice vote by unanimous consent, meaning that a single senator could have blocked passage, if he or she were present on the floor to object. But no senator wanted to bear the blame for blocking emergency relief, although a pair of Republicans showed up to criticize the process. As Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) said on the chamber floor, "This crisis is too big to leave up to a small handful of people." The prospect that a single senator could derail a voice vote on a future package might help explain Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's vow to ice future aid bills until senators come back to Washington. 3. Policy outcomes matter in a crisis Political scientist David Mayhew once observed that voters reward lawmakers for the positions they take, rather than for the policies that result. In most cases, blame or credit for those outcomes does not stick to individual lawmakers - mostly because a single lawmaker's vote rarely determines the result. That means it is in lawmakers' electoral DNA to take popular positions and worry less about what might result in months or even years. But in this pandemic, the news media reports daily about how well Congress's policy solutions are working. Nurses wearing trash bags for protection, large companies such as Shake Shack securing forgivable loans intended for small businesses, universities with large endowments such as Harvard and Princeton receiving federal aid: Reports such as these catch the public's and lawmakers' attention. It is no surprise then that party leaders rushed to replenish the fund for genuinely small businesses, pushed the Treasury Department to tighten program guidelines and added more money for hospitals. Such course corrections aim to produce better policies, of course, but also to avoid embarrassing headlines. 4. Pandemic politics could turn even more partisan But a battle between the parties is already forming over the next emergency deal. Will rising costs of government relief and stimulus overwhelm the federal government's debt capacity? Republicans are starting to show signs of bailout fatigue. But Democrats dismiss Republicans' newfound debt wariness, arguing that the GOP's 2017 tax cuts added nearly $2 trillion to the federal deficit, mainly to benefit the affluent. Who deserves additional relief? Democrats want more aid for individuals and hospitals. And Pelosi has drawn a line in the sand: The next bill must also include aid for state and local governments, which are in trouble as tax revenue falls while pandemic costs rise and as the collapsing stock market rocks public pension funds. But Republicans don't agree, even among themselves, about whether to aid state and local governments: Although some support doing so, others agree with McConnell, who calls such aid "Blue State Bailouts." Meanwhile, the virus is now emerging in rural Republican hot spots, and more pain and layoffs are in the immediate forecast. As a result, Congress will continue to face public pressure to act. But lawmakers will probably need to come back to Washington to consider another measure, and no one knows yet when that can safely happen. What's more, the closer we get to the presidential election, the less accommodating lawmakers will be of their partisan rivals' priorities. Congress may yet fall back into its more familiar pattern of inaction. - - - Binder is a professor of political science at George Washington University and a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. She has written or co-written four books on legislative politics. For other commentary from The Monkey Cage, an independent blog anchored by political scientists from universities around the country, see www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/monkey-cage COLUMBUS, Ohio, April 27, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Yesterday, Intellinetics, Inc. (OTCQB: INLX) was mentioned in an article in the New York times entitled Large, Troubled Companies Got Bailout Money in Small-Business Loan Program. For clarification, Intellinetics Inc. is a very small public company. As a small Midwestern business, we believe we are exactly the type of business the CARES Act was designed to help. Intellinetics previously announced that it had received a PPP loan in the amount of $838,700. Intellinetics intends to use this money to fund the payroll of its employees in order to permit the company to continue to conduct business during this pandemic despite the economic consequences of COVID-19. We are not a large public company that has ready access to capital. Microcap public companies in general, and Intellinetics in particular, have a difficult time raising needed capital, even in good economic times. Under the current economic situation, raising outside debt or equity capital is likely impossible or would involve significantly detrimental terms. Current economic uncertainty resulting from the COVID-19 crisis made the PPP loan request necessary to support the reinstatement of as many of our employees as possible and allowed us to continue our ongoing operations. As soon as the state of Michigan, which drives a substantial portion of our revenues, went under lockdown for non-essential business, we moved quickly to secure the long term future of our 86 employees companywide by cutting executive and board compensation immediately. We have been obligated to scale back our operations by state law in Michigan, where we are processing only those projects which qualify as essential under state guidance. Our liquidity at the start of this pandemic was not sufficient to absorb an extended reduction in our operations, thus driving the need for PPP money to enable us to continue to pay our essential employees and bring back as many employees as possible when permitted by law. Unlike large companies mentioned in the article, Intellinetics does not have a traditional line of credit with a bank. Every dime received under our award for PPP will be used solely for its intended purposes: payroll, rent and utilities and will be subject to repayment and forgiveness criteria. Story continues No cash from the PPP loan will be used to repay any loans to insiders. As disclosed in our public filings, we converted the vast majority of our insider loans into equity before the outbreak of COVID-19, and as a result, we currently have only $47,728 outstanding on these loans. It is important to note that no cash has ever been used to satisfy that obligation to date. The receipt of the PPP loan had nothing to do with the initiation or the funding of the CEO Image acquisition. Discussions regarding that transaction predated our application for PPP funds. In fact, the pandemic caused us to reevaluate the CEO Imaging transaction. Although we now operate in a new climate of economic uncertainty that did not exist when we first contemplated this acquisition, we still felt going forward with the combination made the resultant company stronger and safer. We did this by structuring most of the purchase price to be tied to certain CEO Imaging revenues in future years in an earn out, a win for both companies employees. As disclosed in our public filings, we paid an upfront purchase price for CEO Imaging of just $130,000. We believe the future 2020 payments of $170,000 for the CEO Imaging assets will come from the operations of the business that we acquired. No PPP money has been or will be used for the acquisition. Intellinetics is a small, community employer with a diverse employee base, primarily in Michigan and Ohio. Our goal is to get back to full staff and operations as soon as we are able and permitted by the State of Michigan. We have deep cleaned and reorganized our offices to enable social distancing with the goal of maximizing the safety of each employee. Further, we partner with a local human services provider to provide training for individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities, with the goal of enabling the individuals to seek gainful employment with local businesses. We are proud of our employment practices and our employees. James Desocio, CEO of Intellinetics, made the following statement, We appreciate the fast actions by legislators and administrators to enact this program, designed for small companies exactly like us. On behalf of the employees, the management and the shareholders of Intellinetics, we are thankful it exists and we assure you that it will preserve American jobs. About Intellinetics, Inc. Intellinetics, Inc., located in Columbus, Ohio, is a cloud-based document services software provider. Its IntelliCloud suite of solutions serve a mission-critical role for organizations in highly regulated, risk and compliance-intensive markets in Healthcare, K-12, Public Safety, Public Sector, Risk Management, Financial Services and beyond. IntelliCloud solutions make content secure, compliant, and process-ready to drive innovation, efficiencies and growth. Through its Image Technology Group and production scanning department, hundreds of millions of images have been converted from paper to digital, paper to microfilm, and microfiche to microfilm for business and federal, county, and municipal governments. Its operations in Madison Heights, Michigan, also provides its clients with long-term paper and microfilm storage and retrieval options. For additional information, please visit www.intellinetics.com . Cautionary Statement Regarding Intellinetics, Inc. Statements in this press release which are not purely historical, including statements regarding future momentum; future operations; execution of Intellinetics business plan, strategy, direction and focus; and other intentions, beliefs, expectations, representations, projections, plans or strategies regarding future growth and other future events are forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties including, but not limited to, the effect of changing economic conditions, trends in the products markets, variations in Intellinetics cash flow or adequacy of capital resources, market acceptance risks, technical development risks, and other risks, uncertainties and other factors discussed from time to time in its reports filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission, including in Intellinetics most recent annual report on Form 10-K as well as subsequently filed reports on Form 8-K. Intellinetics cautions investors not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements contained in this press release. Intellinetics disclaims any obligation and does not undertake to update or revise any forward-looking statements in this press release. Expanded and historical information is made available to the public by Intellinetics on its website at www.intellinetics.com or at www.sec.gov . [April 27, 2020] Siyata Mobile Launches UR5 Rugged Smartphone Device for the Enterprise and First Responder Mobile Workforce MONTREAL, April 27, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Siyata Mobile Inc. (TSX-V:SIM / OTCQX:SYATF/ FRA: WK3D) is pleased to announce the launch of the 4G/LTE UR5 rugged device for the first responder and enterprise mobile workforce. The UR5 is Rugged and Ready to handle the most vigorous work environments encountered by enterprise workers and first responders on the front line of defense. The UR5 is an ultra lightweight, handheld rugged Android smartphone, with integrated Push-To-Talk (PTT) and the ability to easily switch PTT channels with its unique rotary channel selection knob to navigate various PTT groups. With a dedicated SOS button, first responders can immediately signal an emergency on a broad scale with a single touch of a button which meets Alyssas Law protocol.* The UR5 comes with an IP68 Mil Spec rating for protection against liquid, dust, drops and other physical shock. The device also boasts a unique connector which allows to physically connect a PTT headset to the device without the worry of the headset falling out when workers or first responders are on the move. The UR5 can be integrated with third party Command & Control software which allows medical units (and other land forces) to speak to entire teams; displaying their real-time locations and their zones of operation; visually categorizing hospital beds according to severity; and uses artificial intelligence to automatically manage workloads, identifying teams that are inactive and allocating them to where they are needed most. The current COVID-19 crisis is making hygiene essential to front line workers and to minimize risk of infection, the UR5 can be rigorously cleaned and disinfected with soap, water and other sterilizing liquids or solutions, time and time again. When equipped with the UR5, vehicle drivers can stay connected, in real time to its various designated PTT groups, even while they are outside of the vehicle making this a highly complementary device to Siyata's in-vehicle portfolio and cellular booster systems. Marc Seelenfreund, CEO of Siyata states, We are very excited to be launching our next generation UR5 rugged device. It is a highly complementary product to our unique in-vehicle and cellular booster portfolio and gives our taret market a complete offering for first responders and enterprise workers. The UR5 rugged device enhances our sales opportunities, without the need for additional sales staff, as we empower them with more critical communication devices to sell through our carrier and distribution partners to the end customers. UR5 Rugged Device Features: IP68 rating for protection against liquid and dust Mil spec- 810G rating for protection against drops and other physical shock Android Operating System for access to thousands of apps Dedicated physical SOS button for immediate emergency alerts Integrated with leading PTT applications for instant communication to groups or individuals at the push of a large, physical PTT button Unique rotary channel selection knob, to easily navigate PTT groups Extra loud speaker and extended battery life 2.8 LCD touch display with glove mode operation Front and Rear cameras to capture video and photographs during crisis Supports hands free bluetooth for no-touch communication *Alyssas Law would require K-12 Public Schools across the United States to have a panic alarm that is linked directly to local law enforcement. Alyssas Law is critical legislation addressing the issue of law enforcement response time when a life-threatening emergency occurs because time equals life. The law calls for the installation of silent panic alarms that are directly linked to law enforcement, so in case of any emergency they will get on the scene as quickly as possible, take down a threat and triage any victims. About Siyata Siyata Mobile Inc. is a B2B global vendor of next generation Push-To-Talk over Cellular (PTT) devices and cellular booster systems. Its portfolio of in-vehicle and rugged smartphones enable first responders and enterprise workers to instantly communicate, over a nationwide cellular network of choice, to improve communication, increase situational awareness and save lives. Its portfolio of enterprise cellular booster systems enables first responders and enterprise workers to amplify its cellular signal in remote areas, inside structural buildings where signals are weak and within vehicles for maximum cellular signal strength possible. Siyatas customers include cellular operators, commercial vehicle technology distributors, and fleets of all sizes in Canada, the U.S., Europe, Australia, and the Middle East. Visit www.siyatamobile.com and http://www.unidencellular.com/ to learn more. On Behalf of the Board of Directors of: SIYATA MOBILE INC. Marc Seelenfreund CEO Investor Relations: Arlen Hansen Kin Communications 1-866-684-6730 SIM@kincommunications.com Sales Department: Glenn Kennedy, VP Sales Siyata Mobile Inc. 416-892-1823 glenn_kennedy@siyatamobile.com Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release may include forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. All statements within, other than statements of historical fact, are to be considered forward looking. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include market prices, continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. There can be no assurances that such statements will prove accurate and, therefore, readers are advised to rely on their own evaluation of such uncertainties. We do not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements except as required under the applicable laws. A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/4b9643b9-6f46-4343-ae72-9a9376c9e4cb Its too soon to be talking about whether China deserves blame for the coronavirus outbreak and efforts to shift the focus onto Beijing are a distraction, according to Bill Gates, who criticized incorrect and unfair things said about the Communist-run country. China did a lot of things right at the beginning, like any country where a virus first shows up,' the Microsoft co-founder told CNN on Sunday. They can look back and say where they missed some things. Gates, one of the worlds richest men, said that the US handled its COVID-19 response particularly poorly compared to other countries that have minimized the economic damage. Bill Gates on Sunday defended China and said criticism of the government in Beijing over the coronavirus pandemic is a 'distraction' Bill Gates claims that criticisms of how China lied and covered up the coronavirus is a distraction: China did a lot of things right at the beginning they avoided the incredible economic pain I think theres a lot of incorrect and unfair things said This is all a lie pic.twitter.com/RlbwV0fUcA Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) April 26, 2020 You know, some countries did respond very quickly and get their testing in place, and they avoided the incredible economic pain, he said. Its sad that even the US that you would have expected to do this well did it particularly poorly. But its not time to talk about that. Gates continued: This is the time to take the great science we have, the fact were in this together, fixed testing, treatments, and get that vaccine, and minimize the trillions of dollars and many things you that you cant even dimensionalize, in economic terms, that are awful about the situation were in. So, thats a distraction. I think theres a lot of incorrect and unfair things said, but its not even time for that discussion. Unnamed US officials said earlier this month that intelligence agencies were investigating whether coronavirus emerged from a lab in Wuhan. While the American government has ruled out the conspiracy theory that coronavirus was unleashed by China as a bioweapon, some officials have speculated that the pathogen may have been allowed to escape from the Wuhan Institute of Virology. China has denied this allegation and international governments and agencies say there is no evidence to support this claim. The broad scientific consensus holds that SARS-CoV-2, the virus official name, originated in bats. Gates on Sunday also defended the World Health Organization, the United Nations-run agency that has been accused of being soft on China. Republicans have been critical of China, saying that it has not been transparent with what it knows about the origins of the coronavirus. China's president, Xi Jinping, is seen above in Xi'an on Wednesday He called the WHO phenomenal and said that the US is highly dependent on it. In the retrospective, well see things that WHO could have done better, just like every actor in this whole picture, he said. But the WHO has a strong connection with one country. That country is the United States. The number of CDC people who are there, people who used to work for the CDC, theres no UN agency more connected to a country than WHO is to CDC. As of Sunday, the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported 987,590 cases of new coronavirus. The number of deaths had risen to 55,519. China and the WHO have emerged as the biggest targets of criticism from President Trump, Republican Party officials, and their supporters. Trump this month announced that the US would cease to provide funding to the WHO. The president said that the organization 'failed in its basic duty' in allowing the pandemic to take hold. Since stepping down as CEO of Microsoft in 2008, Gates has shifted his focus to philanthropy. He and his wife together run the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Melinda Gates this month slammed Trump's decision to halt funding to the WHO. Gates also defended the World Health Organization. Gates' philanthropic foundation which he co-chairs with his wife, Melinda, is the second largest donor to the agency behind the United States. Melinda Gates is seen left alongside her husband on April 18 Announcing an extra $150million of funding from The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to help speed the development of treatments, vaccines and public health measures to tackle the new coronavirus outbreak, Melinda Gates said the WHO was 'exactly the organization that can deal with this pandemic.' 'De-funding the WHO makes absolutely no sense during a pandemic. We need a global coordinated response,' Melinda Gates told Reuters. 'When youre in a crisis like this, its all hands on deck.' The Gates Foundation is the second largest donor to the WHO behind the United States. Melinda Gates said earlier that cutting WHO funding in a health crisis was 'as dangerous as it sounds.' The WHOs Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he regretted Trumps decision. He said the organization was still assessing the impact and would 'try to fill any gaps with partners.' The philanthropic Gates Foundations new $150million commitment brings its COVID-19 funding for the international response to date to $250million, but Gates said any gap left in the WHOs funding would be very hard for others to fill. Alongside support for new diagnostics, drugs and vaccines, the Gates money is primarily aimed at helping poorer countries and vulnerable populations handle the oncoming and spreading pandemic and the poverty it will cause. 'We really as a global community need to address what is now just beginning in African and South Asian countries. We see a huge need, and thats why we have more than doubled our commitment,' she said. Praising what she described as 'heroic work' by local leaders and healthcare workers in poorer countries seeking to protect vulnerable communities and slow the spread of COVID-19, Melinda Gates said the worlds response to the pandemic 'will not be effective unless it is also equitable.' 'Whenever a health crisis hits like this, its the people on the margins that it hits the very most,' she said. 'Theyre the ones we need to help to ensure things like cash transfer payments are made and they have access to primary healthcare.' There are currently no effective vaccines, drugs or other immune system treatments approved to treat COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus. The $150 million of extra funding adds to an initial $100 million from the Gates Foundation designed to kick-start scientific and public health projects. Gates said the Foundation is backing eight projects seeking potential solutions for COVID-19 vaccine development and has co-funded enhanced virus detection capacity in Africa as well as contributing to the response in China. A 42-year-old man has been jailed after a horrific domestic violence attack on his wife while she was pregnant with his seventh child. The man was sentenced in Rockhampton Magistrates Court, in North Queenland, on April 23, after pleading guilty to three charges. The charges, relating to two separate incidents, included common assault, breaching a domestic violence order and assault occasioning bodily harm while armed, according to Sunshine Coast Daily. A 42-year-old man has been jailed after a horrific domestic violence attack on his wife while she was pregnant with his seventh child (stock) In December 2019 the defendant threw a brick at his neighbour's head, which hit him in the arm, while on parole for hitting the man with a bat in March 2019. He also headbutted his wife after they got into an argument while shopping. The couple's 11-year-old daughter tried to intervene and her father punched her in the ribs. He left his wife with an eye so swollen she couldn't see out of it as a result of the vicious attack. Magistrate Jeff Clarke slammed the defendant during sentencing. 'At the time of the attack on your wife, she was pregnant with your seventh child,' he said. 'Your behaviour is disgusting. 'It's reprehensible.' Prosecutor Jess King said the man's wife was a 'textbook domestic violence victim' where she relied on her husband and made excuses for his behaviour. The man's defence lawyer Jack Blackburn said his client had been sober for many months until the day of the attack. In December 2019 the defendant threw a brick at his neighbour's head, which hit him in the arm, while on parole for hitting the man with a bat in March 2019 (stock) He said his client was in a bad car accident two decades prior, where his friend died and he lost his arm. Mr Blackburn said the children have since been taken out of the woman's care. The magistrate ordered the man to serve 18 months in jail, which would be served in addition to the remainder of his previous conviction. He was also sentenced to two years for breaching the domestic violence order. The man has been jailed for assaulting his wife and neighbour on numerous occasions. He is eligible for parole on September 23, 2020. Chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People Refat Chubarov urges participants in the Normandy format video conferencing meeting at the level of foreign ministers scheduled for April 30 to discuss the human rights situation in the occupied Crimea. In view of the aggravated repressions against Crimean Tatars and ethnic Ukrainians in Crimea, which is temporarily occupied by Russia, the outright refusals of Russian occupants to release Crimean political prisoners, and the ultimatum statements of Russian officials that the matter of Crimea is settled, we call on the participants in the ministerial video conferencing meeting scheduled for April 30 to discuss the human rights situation and the situation of the Crimean Tatar people in the temporary occupied Crimea, Chubarov posted on Facebook. According to the Mejlis Chairman, the ban on activity of the highest executive-representative body of the Crimean Tatars is one of Moscow's criminal acts aimed at suppressing the will and unity of the indigenous people of Crimea who have openly opposed the Russian invasion. The ban on the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People demonstrated the occupying powers blatant disregard and violation of fundamental norms of international law, including the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Chubarov stressed. The politician stated that the Mejlis members in the temporarily occupied Crimea were being persecuted: "The Russian Federation defiantly ignores the order of the International Court of Justice of April 9, 2017, which obliges Russia to refrain from maintaining or imposing limitations on the ability of the Crimean Tatar community to conserve its representative institutions, including the Mejlis, as well as to ensure provide unimpeded entry and exit to Crimea for the leadership and members of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People." In this regard, Chubarov called on the international community to further strengthen sanctions against Russia "until the restoration of the state sovereignty of Ukraine over Crimea, the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov." As reported, on April 26, 2016, the Russian-occupation "Supreme Court of Crimea" declared the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People an extremist organization and banned its activities in the Russian Federation. On September 29, 2016, the Supreme Court of Russia, the highest court of the occupying power, upheld this unlawful decision. ol April 27, 2020 Before handling financial investments on behalf of others, a person has to invest a considerable amount of time and effort into securing the proper license to do so. But not all licenses are made the same it depends on the type of investments a person plans to deal in. There are several different licenses that are administered by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), notes Aaron Heiden of Hales Corner, Wisconsin. Passing an exam to obtain a license is integral to practicing as an investment advisor or a registered representative, he adds. However, in some cases an advisor may have to earn a combination of the licenses to perform certain securities transactions. Licensing Under FINRA This organization is independent, but it also has been authorized by the government to oversee regulations when it comes to registered brokers and the (more than 3,700) related firms in the country to protect investors using their services, notes Aaron Heiden. Although self-regulatory, the FINRA has the power to penalize brokers and firms and even ban them from practicing if they bend the rules. In fact, the independent body handed out more than $39 million in fines in 2019 alone, while barring almost 350 people. With that being said, there are three main licenses issued by FINRA. They include the Series 3 (National Commodities Futures Examination), allowing representatives to sell commodity futures contracts, which outline all of the details for a binding commodity transaction in the future including the price and date. There is a high level of risk involved with these contracts because they speculate on the future value of a key product such as oil/gas or precious metals. The Series 6 license allows representatives to sell mutual funds and other "packaged" investments. While required to handle certain investments, it's also required by insurance agents who sell variable annuities, which are anchored by securities. The Series 7 license is earned through a difficult exam that is nearly four hours long. However, while it is the most challenging license of the three to obtain, it allows a licensee to deal in the widest range of individual securities including stocks and bonds (but not commodity futures). The Series 9/10 exam grants the licensee to supervise transactions at a securities branch office. The exam helps to ensure competency of General Securities Sales Supervisors when it comes to the sale of securities including mutual funds and variable annuities. In order to be eligible to take this exam, the applicant must have also earned a Series 7 license. Licensing Exams Created By NASAA Some securities licensing exams were developed by the North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA), which has a mission to protect investors from fraud, explains Aaron Heiden. While investigating potential violations of the rules, the organization also aims to educate the public about potential pitfalls. It is comprised from regulators from across every state (and U.S. territory) as well as Mexico and Canada. Among the licensing exams created by NASAA (and administered by FINRA) is the Series 63, also known as a Uniform Securities Agent license, to ensure the licensee is familiar with particular state laws. However, in order to sell securities, a representative must have also earned a Series 6 or 7 license. Meanwhile, the Series 65 license must be obtained by any professional that provides financial advice that's fee-based but not based on commission. There are some similarities to the Series 7 exam, but this license does not grant the person permission to operate as a broker as with a Series 7 license. Applicants can also take the Series 66 exam, which essentially covers both the Series 63 and Series 65 exams, and will qualify someone to become either a securities agent or an investment advisor. However, the applicant must also earn a Series 7 license. Aaron Heiden on Investing in Financial Licenses While there are a wide variety of financial securities licenses available, choosing which exams to take is completely up to the goals of the individual, notes Aaron Heiden. The exams for each license range in difficulty and may require another license as a prerequisite. There are also fees attached to the exams, but there are some tools to help review the exam content before trying to obtain the particular license. Smiling for the camera, murder accused Jordan Kennedy poses with his mother, who he has been charged with stabbing to death. The seemingly normal family photograph, similar to any which can be found on the mantelpieces of most homes, was taken 18 months ago. That image has now been shattered, irreparably broken in the early hours of last Wednesday morning when Emma Jane McParland was killed at her home off Belfast's Ormeau Road. Charged with killing the pretty blonde 39-year-old is her only son Jordan Kennedy, who she gave birth to aged 18. Now aged 21, he was remanded in custody at Belfast Magistrates' Court the following day, appearing via video-link from Musgrave PSNI station. Kennedy, who is a member of a large family from the Markets area of the city, spoke briefly to confirm that he understood the single charge of murdering his mother. Senior investigating officer, Detective Chief Inspector Darren McCartney, said he could connect the accused to the alleged offence. Expand Close Police at the murder scene. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press E / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Police at the murder scene. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. No further details were disclosed, and defence solicitor Adrian Harvey did not question the officer or make a bail application for his client. He told the court Kennedy is now in breach of his release on licence for a previous driving offence. District Judge Mark McGarrity remanded Kennedy in custody to appear again by video-link in four weeks' time. One key focus of the investigation is that Emma McParland was stabbed to death following a row over money. In a statement which was released following Kennedy's court appearance, DCI McCartney said: "My thoughts go out to the victim's family and friends at this tragic time. "I am keen to speak to anyone who was in the area of Haywood Avenue at around 1.30am (on Wednesday) and saw or heard anything suspicious to contact detectives from the Major Investigation Team at Ladas Drive Police Station on 101 quoting reference 106 22/04/20. Expand Close Emma McParland / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Emma McParland "Alternatively, information can also be provided to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111, which is 100% anonymous and gives people the power to speak up and stop crime." In 2016, when he was aged 16, Jordan Kennedy survived a car smash which claimed the life of his 18-year-old best friend Conal Daly, whose father Paul Daly was shot dead by the IRA in 2001. The crash happened near the village of Carryduff on the outskirts of south Belfast where he was living at the time. Also seriously injured in the head on collision was a 74-year-old nun who was travelling in a separate car. Images which are on Jordan Kennedy's Facebook profile show him standing next to Daly's grave. cbarnes@sundaylife.co.uk Scott Greenberg, property developer of Gans building, said the notice given to Gans and other tenants was a standard form that is used when rent payments are late in a normal world. But, he said, the property manager handing out the recent notices told tenants that it should be seen as a friendly reminder to pay rent. ofee screen shot The goal of the platform is to connect online friends (aka ofees) via live video and enjoy personalized activities which were not previously possible. Ofee.com, an online experience marketplace, announces its official launch. The first-of-its-kind category-defining service was started by three teenagers with an idea to help millions of people during the coronavirus lockdown. Striving to make a change in the world during the time of great need and suffering, an outlet has been created for people to meet online friends who enjoy new experiences (a.k.a. ofees) and expand their knowledge in a wide variety of online activities. The platform leverages online experiences by utilizing live video, messaging, and other-state-of-the-art communication technologies. Hosts have an option to donate some of their proceeds to one of several reputable charities. Online experiences are available from multiple categories. Whether you are drawn to virtual tours through the streets of New York City, youre a foodie craving an online ceviche cooking class, or you're a parent trying to entertain your kids with a magic show, now you can stay engaged with the new online world. Thanks to the enthusiasm of our hosts, these unique experiences are now available for you. Hosts have the flexibility to make some experiences free of charge, although tipping is allowed and recommended. While social gatherings and travel may be limited, discovering new hobbies with your friends or with people across the globe doesnt have to be. Our hosts love sharing their interests and passions. Join a yoga class, learn to bake cookies from scratch, meet exotic animals, and moreall while meeting new people. Thanks to our dedicated hosts, you can take on new adventures even when youre staying at home! The company is now inviting additional talented hosts to apply and join the marketplace. This is a truly unique opportunity to join us at an early stage and grow together! Jonathan Yuz, one of Ofee co-founders said: Whether it is learning to play chess with an online teacher, bartending classes with a licensed bartender, or learning to cook meals from various cultures, the goal of the platform is to connect online friends (aka ofees) via live video and enjoy personalized activities which were not previously possible. Jacob Frumkin, another co-founder, stated: We have created a marketplace utilizing the latest technologies to make these experiences as simple, realistic and immersive as possible. Sharon Yuz, Ofee.com, a third co-founder added: We believe that connecting with each other through online experiences will bring everyone even closer together. If you are a host who believes that you may have the kind of talent and personality that our users are looking for, we strongly encourage you to apply. In short, if you stand out from the rest, and you are different, now is the perfect time to join Ofee.com! About Ofee.com Ofee is an online experience marketplace with the purpose to enjoy remote experiences or learn new skills from the comfort of your home. The service was co-founded by 3 teenagers amidst the COVID-19 pandemic during times of global lockdown. Ofees goal is to connect people, enable them to help each other and earn a living in times of record unemployment rates. The company and its hosts donate a portion of the proceeds to one of several reputable charities that have been aiding people and hospitals since the start of the outbreak. These charities include the United Nations Foundation, Project Hope, the Direct Relief organization and Boys & Girls Clubs of America. For more information please contact info@ofee.com or visit our website http://www.ofee.com. New hosts offering unique experiences are encouraged to apply! Please watch our video or register here: http://www.ofee.com/talent Kashmir appears to be the focus of the 2020 edition of an internal publication of the Pakistan Army, with its chief Gen Qamar Bajwa describing last years Balakot air strike and the scrapping of Jammu and Kashmirs special status as events that impacted regional geo-politics. A majority of articles in the latest edition by army officers, former diplomats, academics and journalists reference the Kashmir issue, and offer suggestions ranging from creating a Kashmir Fund to support people in the Indian Union Territory, and adopting information and cyber warfare by establishing communications links inside the Kashmir Valley. The Green Book 2020, a biennial publication of the Pakistan Army with essays by both serving and retired officers that reflect the militarys overall strategy and objectives, also has a message by Bajwa that describes Kashmir as a nuclear flashpoint. In his message in Green Book 2020, posted on the website of Pakistans National Defence University (NDU), Bajwa says the environment in South continues to be complex, with the lines getting blurred between different types of warfare. Year 2019 witnessed two significant events which will have lasting imprint on the geopolitics of this region; first, the unwarranted Balakot Strike by Indian Air Force on 26th February and second, the unilateral annexation of Indian Occupied Jammu & Kashmir by [Prime Minister Narendra] Modi on 5th August, through abrogation of Article 370 and 35A, Bajwa wrote in the message issued as patron-in-chief of the publication. Former was a coercive attempt to carve out space for war under nuclear overhang and enforce compellence; adroitly denied by Pakistan Air Force the very next day, through a calibrated and proportionate response Indian craving for establishing a New Normal was stymied comprehensively. The latter, despite condemnation by the world at large, continues to haunt the lives of over eight million Muslims of [Kashmir], he added. Kashmir is a nuclear flashpoint and in total disregard to international norms, Mr Modi has not only endangered the immediate neighbourhood, but has also raised the ante for the entire World. The scholarly discourse in current edition of Pakistan Army Green Book has accordingly spotlighted the implications of these events from diverse perspectives and dimensions, Bajwa further wrote. Some recent editions of the Green Book had focused on the internal threat posed by terrorist groups but this years edition marks a return to the traditional focus on India as Pakistans greatest threat. Several articles in the Green Book dwell at length on the Pulwama terror attack by the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) in February last year that triggered a fresh stand-off between India and Pakistan, the Indian Air Force strike on a JeM facility at Balakot and the retaliatory action by the Pakistan Air Force. The articles make references to other events such as the 1999 Kargil conflict and the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, which led to face-offs between the two countries, but make no mention of the role of Pakistan-based elements in triggering these events. Lt Gen (retired) Raza Muhammad Khan, a former Corps Commander and former president of NDU, in his article, The prospects and panacea of peace in South Asia, recommended the creation of a domestic and international Kashmir Fund, saying it could crowd sourced and the Pakistan government should provide tax incentives for donations. The federal government, in the absence of resources, must encourage the provinces to allocate at least one percent of their NFC [National Finance Corporation] shares and earnings and the Kashmir Fund should be controlled by the prime minister to prevent human rights violations in Kashmir, informing the Indian masses and liberal intellectuals about the colossal costof enslaving nine million Kashmirisand exposing the lies of the Indian government, Khan wrote. Khan also recommends that Pakistan must make any dialogue with India conditional with the reversal of all illegal measures taken by it in August, and inclusion of third party, preferably UN mediators in the process. Journalist Farzana Shah, who focuses on defence issues, wrote in her article National security & emerging geopolitical scenario: Post Article 370 obliteration, that Pakistan should adopt am out of the box solution by taking the war into non-kinetic domains such as information and cyber warfare and electronic warfare. Pakistans establishments must provide support to diplomatic efforts being done by government through operations in these two domains with focused goal of extracting authentic information from stakeholders in [Kashmir], most importantly from general publicOnce information [is] gathered, FO [Foreign Office] must disseminate it with proper narrative of the state of Pakistan, she wrote. A single video clip or picture can change the perception of India, which it has built so painstakingly over the years. Pakistan needs to keep world attention on [Kashmir] and in order to do that communication links inside the [Kashmir] valley must be establishedPakistans response in these two domains will be purely non-kinetic, denying any involvement of arms. If executed properly and a local uprising occurs inside [Kashmir], it will make it extremely difficult for India to keep selling the terrorism card. Only a native uprising will be just and politically defendable for Pakistan on international forums. Even such an uprising will need support in the information domain, she added. Lawmaker Mushahid Hussain, chairman of the parliamentary committee on China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), wrote that Pakistan needs to pursue a multi-pronged strategy with regard to India and Kashmir with the kind of clarity and commitment that Pakistani policy-makers demonstrated while building the Nuclear Bomb. Such a strategy should target Modi and his RSS Gang, and separate them from the broader Indian society and polity that opposes Modi, along with a united front of all Kashmiris and the linkup of the Kashmiri resistance with other insurgencies inside India, he added. Former foreign secretary Shamshad Ahmad Khan, in his article India-Pakistan relations in perspective, wrote that Indias continued ascendancy in Afghanistan will remain a danger of no less gravity to the already volatile security environment of this nuclearised region than the Soviet presence in Cuba in the early 1960s. Our main concern has always been to offset Indias superior conventional strength. The only credible response has to be a counter force which in the dreary India-Pakistan scenario could only be tactical warheads, he added. The former diplomat wrote that US President Donald Trumps offer during Prime Minister Imran Khans visit to Washington in July 2019 to play a facilitating role in resolving the Kashmir issue was the best-ever position taken by an American president in recent history on India-Pakistan issues. While continuing to support the Kashmiris freedom movement, Pakistan should resume the composite dialogue with India to build trust and develop mutually beneficial cooperation, he wrote. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON SOUTHFIELD, Mich., April 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Nyman Turkish PC, a Southfield-based national disability and litigation law firm, will later today serve Michigan Secretary of State, Jocelyn Benson with a federal lawsuit it has filed on behalf of Michael Powell and Fred Wurtzel, two blind Michiganders seeking to bring the state's absentee voting system into compliance with the Federal Americans with Disabilities Act. Mr. Powell, the President of the Michigan Affiliate of the National Federation of the Blind (NFBMI), and Mr. Wurtzel, former President of the NFBMI are lifelong advocates for the rights of individuals who are blind or suffer from other disabilities. The lawsuit alleges that Michigan's absentee voting system, which only offers traditional paper ballots that must be completed by hand, is unusable for blind Michigan voters. With the expectation of historically-high absentee voting in upcoming elections due to COVID-19, Mr. Powell and Mr. Wurtzel demand that blind voters are provided a fair and equal opportunity to access the ballot box. "Voting is the most fundamental right, and the current absentee system leaves behind those who are blind or who otherwise cannot use traditional print materials," Mr. Wurtzel said. "In light of the pandemic, the urgency to bring Michigan's absentee voting system into the 21st century is more critical than ever." Michigan's Constitution was amended by statewide ballot proposal in 2018guaranteeing every Michigan voter the right to vote absentee for any reason. Despite urging from various individuals and disability rights organizations, the state of Michigan has yet to provide an accessible option for absentee voting, relying solely on traditional paper ballots that must be completed by hand, resulting in many individuals with disabilities being deprived of their right to vote in an accessible, private, and independent manner. "It is time for the State of Michigan to follow the lead of numerous other states who have implemented accessible absentee voting measures for their blind citizens," said Attorney Jason Turkish, President and Managing Partner of Nyman Turkish PC who is representing Mr. Powell and Mr. Wurtzel. "There are numerous options available to the state to guarantee individuals who are blind are able to vote absentee in a way that guarantees their privacy and independence in doing so." The Americans with Disabilities Act requires states to offer critical services, including access to voting, in a manner that guarantees equal access for individuals with disabilities. The Lawsuit asks the Federal Court to order the State of Michigan to immediately implement one of the available methods for accessible absentee voting before the May Primary and other future elections, including November's Presidential Contest. "The notion that we will elect the next President of the United States without making our elections accessible to all voters is unacceptable, inexcusable, and at variance with long-standing State and Federal Law," said Attorney David Mittleman, Partner of Grewal Law PLLC who is serving as co-counsel for the Plaintiffs. "With Covid-19 the stakes could not be higher," said Turkish, adding "the last thing we need during this unprecedented pandemic is Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson forcing vulnerable populations to choose between exercising their sacred right to vote in an accessible and independent manner, or remaining in the safety of their own homes. We are asking a Federal Judge to intervene before a blind person is needlessly infected with this virus as a result of the de facto requirement that they travel to the polls to receive an accessible ballot." "We are not asking for a penny of damages in this Lawsuit," said Mr. Powell. "All we are asking for is the opportunity to vote in a manner that is safe, private, and accessible, the same way Michiganders without disabilities are able to." Nyman Turkish PC is a nationwide litigation and disability law firm with over 100 years of collective experience representing individuals with disabilities in vindicating their legal rights. To learn more, please visit our website: http://www.nymanturkish.com or call Toll Free 877.529.4773. SOURCE Nyman Turkish PC Related Links http://www.nymanturkish.com Two days after a four-month-old baby was 'brought dead' to a government-run hospital in Greater Noida, officials on Monday confirmed that his father has tested positive for the infection. However, the authorities at the Government Institute of Medical Sciences (GIMS) denied that the child died due to coronavirus as his sample was declared negative on Monday. The child's mother has also tested negative for the infection, they said. The boy was brought dead to the hospital, which has a dedicated facility for treating COVID-19 patients, at 10 am on April 25, senior GIMS officials said. PTI could not immediately confirm the cause of the child's death. Sample for COVID-19 was taken from the baby and the body was kept in a mortuary at the GIMS. The test report of the baby was received on April 26 and found negative. The body was handed over to parents for the last rites after they refused for a post-mortem, hospital Director Brig (Retd) Rakesh Gupta said in a statement. He said samples of the child's parents were also taken for testing and their results came on Monday. The mother has tested negative for the virus while his father was found infected with it, Gupta said. The father has been admitted to the isolation ward, Gupta added. Gautam Buddh Nagar District Magistrate Suhas L Y also confirmed the death was not related to coronavirus. The district adjoining Delhi in western Uttar Pradesh has recorded 129 positive cases of coronavirus, of which 71 patients were cured and discharged till Monday evening, he said. No deaths due to Covid-19. Please do not spread rumours, he said on Twitter. He added that as part of measures being taken to check the virus from spreading, extra caution was being taken at all hospitals while the GIMS and World Health Organisation (WHO) teams were training staff in hospitals for management of non-COVID-19 cases. Contract tracing of infected persons is being done while strict measures are being taken to ensure sealing of hotspots in the district, he added. As of Monday, there are 46 hotspots across Noida and Greater Noida, according to officials. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Free trade agreements, including the latest one signed between Vietnam and the EU, will benefit the domestic fertilizer sector, with more diverse import and export markets, experts said. browser not support iframe. The EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), once effective, will lead to reductions in fertilizer export and import duties. According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, fertilizers from EU make up 5.5 percent of Vietnams total fertilizer import volume and value, or 0.22 million tonnes and 73 million USD. Meanwhile, Vietnam ships abroad around 0.75 million tonnes of fertilizer valued at 240 million USD to 47 countries and territories annually, including five EU nations Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Slovenia and Portugal./.VNA When I first started really getting into comics, my favorite wasI wanted to learn as much as I could about those characters, and began hunting around for back issues and picking up other titles when they would show up for guest appearances. Soon after I started getting to know the characters, I also realized I wanted to get to know more about the world they inhabited. But, by the nature of the FF's adventures, their "world" was the entire Marvel Universe. Within the first year of reading their books, I was introduced to Galactus, the Watcher, dozens of alien races like the Skrulls and the Shi'ar, and the living embodiments of Death and Eternity! The team regularly had adventures with other dimensions, time travel, and alternate realities. I eventually came to realize that if I were to understand the Fantastic Four's "world" I had to understand the entire Marvel Universe!So I spent the next couple of decades try to learn and absorb as much as I could about the Marvel Universe. I obviously didn't have enough money to buy every comic Marvel published, so I had to be judicious in my selections. Especially when it came to (often expensive) back issues. So I tried to focus on the bigger, more significant events. "Wait, here'sreference to the Kree-Skrull War. I should probably see if I can get that." And even though "continuity" wasn't a thing back in the 1940s, I found myself looking to dig up what I could on those as well since the Sub-Mariner was in regular orbit with the FF and the Human Torch's namesake was a 1940s hero as well.All of which is to say that I knew a fair amount about the Marvel Universe. Maybe not the specifics of each and every event, but I knew most of how the history of the entire universe was put together. (At least however much had been relayed through the comics.) Even the stuff that had been retconned and re-retconned several times. Up until I stopped reading Marvel Comics after, I was pretty knowledgeable about the Marvel Universe.My interest in coming tois two-fold. First, I'm curious to see what might have happened in the decade or so since I've been paying attention. Second, I'm curious to see how much of what I did know has been changed. I've gotten the sense that Marvel has largely had at most a casual disinterest in their continuity beyond a few key stories, so I suspect more than a few things had been added that unintentionally ran counter to whatever we had already seen. I know writer Mark Waid to be a huge continuity buff, so I was interested to see what he included and how he was able to reconcile potentially disparate histories.The book opens with a framing device of Galactus and Franklin Richards at the very end of time and space. Galactus' energy will be used to kickstart a new universe and Franklin will be reborn as its first inhabitant, so he asks Galactus to remind him of the history of everything so that he might carry it forward into the next universe. The book, then, is Galactus relaying the history of the Marvel Universe to Franklin. It's a heavily abridged version, of course, with everything from the Big Bang up through the start of the 20th century covered in 20 pages. Most of the rest of the story covers the next 120 years with a handful of pages dropped in to remind readers this is a discussion between Galactus and Franklin, and an additional three pages to cover all the future stories. (Killraven, the birth of Kang, etc. I was surprised there was no reference to the 2099 stories at all though. Limited space, I suppose.)I'll start by saying that I was impressed how much ground was covered in a fairly short amount of space. Even though things were abridged (every Western comic Marvel ever produced was summed up in a single panel) it touched on enough different elements of Marvel's history that someone who wasn't knowledgeable could have their interest piqued by a passing mention of a story or character. And the annotations in the back readily point to some of the specific issues in question. The teenage me who was just beginning to explore the Marvel Universe would have loved, loved,having a book like this back in the day!I was also pleasantly surprised that there hasn't been nearly as much retconning as I would've guessed. There were only a handful of elements that had been changed since I was last paying attention, and some of them were in fact just changed in this very comic so I hadn't actually missed them previously. But that brings us to one of the problems: Siancong.I recall hearing a bit about this when the monthly issue first came out , but one of the things that Waid has done was retcon several of the characters' backstories to have them fight in the fictional country of Siancong instead of whatever wars they originally might have fought in. I get the idea behind this change. Mr. Fantastic and Ben Grimm were originally veterans of World War II, but that becomes problematic if you say their first rocket flight only occurred 10-15 years ago. If the Punisher had served in Vietnam, he'd have to be at least in his 70s today. So Waid has created a war for the Marvel Universe that can move along with its own floating timeline, and is no longer tied to real-world events. You can provide characters with a backstory of military service, but it doesn't have to keep getting modified or appended from Germany to Korea to Vietnam to Afghanistan to wherever the next conflict is. I get that from the sense of streamlining the continuity. But it creates a couple of other problems.First, it's now conflating very different types of wars and very different types of experiences. War is hell regardless of when/where it's fought, but the veterans from Vietnam had a vastly different experience from veterans from Afghanistan. Both on the battlefields and upon returning home. You could argue that different regiments fought on different fronts of this Siancong War, and that could account for those different experiences, but that leads us to the second, more problematic issue. That is that this new war is presented specifically as a broad-based but geographically localized "yellow peril." That is, they've mashed together several different Asian cultures into a general demonization of the entire hemisphere, concentrated in a single, small country. Siancong was originally a stand-in for Vietnam, but assigning Chinese and Japanese characters to the same conflict while wrapping in elements of Cambodia and Korea effectively says to readers, "Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, whatever. Those Asian countries are all the same! They're all bad guys!" Further, shoe-horning Lady Lotus -- a character who was created in the late 1970s to expressly serve as a WWII era villain and thus did not have any continuity problems tied to her being in that war -- into this Siancong War seems to underscore the issue. "Let's just throw all our Asian bad guys in here!" The conflicts in those various countries at various times were different; their cultures are different; they're being papered over here and trying to be dismissive of the racism that permeated those original stories. (You can't be racist against a fictional culture, right?) And given that this was created under the leadership of an editor-in-chief who spent years writing in yellow-face -- an act which has had zero repercussions for him after it was discovered -- it's really not a good look.I get the intent they had here with a 'floating' war, and I'm cool with that. It's a clever idea. But the execution is a bit off the mark. Had they made it a broader conflict that perhaps included parts of Europe and/or the Middle East -- a kind of World War Two-and-a-Half -- they could have included a range of conflicts that allow for very different experiences and not focus on the "evil Asian" stereotypes. As it is, they solved a continuity "problem" but doubled down on the racism present in those older stories. Even the art on the page in question has been compared to the decidedly racist movie poster forThere are two other things I'll mention; neither of which are a big deal, but they are things that struck me. As a history, the story flows more or less chronologically, which makes sense. But there were a couple instances where some retcons were placed here when they were introduced, and not when they were supposed to have happened in continuity. The most noticeable examples I saw were the introductions of Sentry and Jessica Jones. Both characters were introduced in the early 2000s and they're presented here around the time other circa-2000 stories are cited. However, both characters were given back stories that go back to the 1960s -- Sentry is shown interacting with the Avengers from their first dozen or so issues and Jessica went to high school with Peter Parker and is expressly shown to have witnessed the events from the Galactus Trilogy. Other recent retcons -- like the First Line, a super team created also in the early 2000s and designed to fit in the nebulous time period between the end of WWII and#1 -- were placed according to when they would have happened; but why not all of them? It just seemed a little disconnected, like an afterthought.The other thing I'll mention is more a curiosity: namely that this largely is not comics. The handful of pages of Galactus and Franklin interacting are, but the majority of the book is basically illustrated prose. That's not a criticism -- I think you'd be hard-pressed to present this type of information as comics and still keep any sense of story flow. This is more of an updated (and, again, abridged) version of the oldthan comic retelling of Marvel's history. Mind you, this is much more attractive a package thanas that used a mish-mash of images lifted from a wide variety of sources and here Javier Rodriguez drew everything fresh specifically for this book. There are a lot of really gorgeous page layouts here, and Rodriguez's illustration skills are top notch. But, strictly speaking, I don't think they qualify as comics for the most part.I'm genuinely surprised Marvel chose to develop this project. This sort of Gruenwaldian approach to continuity hasn't seemed to be a concern at all in the past couple decades. Like I said, though, the teenage me would have loved to have a book like this back in the day! Today, I'm obviously a little more critical of things, but I still found it refreshing to see that much of what I had spent decades learning about the Marvel Universe was still considered in-continuity, and it had not been whole-cloth dismissed as I thought it might. Do today's readers care about this kind of thing any more? I couldn't tell you. But I suspect any older fans who were into comics the way I was would enjoy learning about the state of the Marvel Universe as it stands now. Myanmar & COVID-19 Myanmar Military to Lend State-of-the-Art Machines for Public COVID-19 Testing Military spokesman Brigadier General Zaw Min Tun at the military press conference on April 25. / Htet Naing Zaw / The Irrawaddy YANGONThe Myanmar military will assist with laboratory testing for COVID-19 using two high-capacity machines, each of which can process 1,400 samples per day, Myanmar military spokesperson Brigadier General Zaw Min Tun said at a press conference in Naypyitaw on Saturday. The military, known as the Tatmadaw, already has two Cobas 6800-model machines at two 1000-bed military hospitals in Yangon and Naypyitaw and recently purchased reagents to test for the coronavirus from abroad. We will assist in testing members of the public. Thats why we have installed them separately, the brigadier general said, adding that the machines are now ready to operate following test runs on Thursday. The Myanmar government formed the National-Level Central Committee for COVID-19 Prevention, Control and Treatment, headed by State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, after the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus a pandemic on March 11. On March 30, the government formed another committee, the COVID-19 Control and Emergency Response Committee, led by military-appointed First Vice President U Myint Swe. The committee is comprised of the military-appointed ministers of defense, border affairs and home affairs as well as the civilian ministers of labor, immigration and population, religious affairs and culture, transport and communications and social welfare, relief and resettlement, as well as the minister of the Office of the Union Government. Myanmar pharmaceutical company AA Medical Products Co Ltd has also donated a Cobas 6800 machine to the Ministry of Health and Sports. The machine is now being installed in Yangon. Brig-Gen Zaw Min Tun said Saturday that the Tatmadaw now has a total of 2,000 reagents1,000 bought from abroad and another 1,000 donated by AA Medical Products Co Ltd. He said the Tatmadaw also plans to obtain up to 10,000 pieces of reagent. The Cobas 6800 machines are manufactured by Switzerland-based Roche Diagnostics Co, Ltd and are currently in use worldwide. The military spokesperson said Saturday that the Tatmadaw also plans to send a machine with a capacity to process 200 samples per day to a 300-bed military hospital in eastern Shan States Kengtung in May. The Tatmadaw has reported no cases of COVID-19 inside its barracks so far. According to a military statement on April 20, 18 military personnel and nine of their relatives are in hospital quarantine, 196 military personnel and 106 relatives are in home quarantine and 345 military personnel and 170 relatives are in government facility quarantine. As of Monday morning, Myanmar has reported 146 COVID-19 cases with five deaths and ten recoveries since the first cases were confirmed on March 23. Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko. A railway employee from Ahmedabad in Gujarat who tested positive for coronavirus on Monday claimed local health officials were not testing his wife and three children despite his father having died of COVID-19 and his mother being on ventilator support after getting infected. Refuting the allegations, Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation officials said, in fact, it was the family which failed to respond after health teams approached them following the 36-year-old man's father testing positive on April 23. "My father tested positive on April 23 and died in a civil hospital on April 25. My mother too got infected and has been on ventilator support since she was admitted on April 24. In fact, after attending my father's last rites, I myself went to hospital to get tested and my report returned positive today," the railway employee, a resident of Saraspur, said. "I fear my wife and three children may have also got infected as we live together. They are in home quarantine. But no AMC health official has reached out to us as yet to conduct tests," he claimed over phone from hospital. However, Dr Vijay Desai, Medical Officer of Saraspur ward, said, "The family did not respond when approached by the health team. After the father tested positive, we asked the family to get tested. I made three calls on April 25 to this man but did not get a response. Even his brother refused to tell us anything, including travel history." Desai said health officials will approach the family again to get them tested. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Vice Health Minister Kim Gang-lip, left, holds an electronic bracelet equipped with a location-tracking system before a regular meeting on the coronavirus at the government complex in Sejong, April 24. /Yonhap By Bahk Eun-ji People who broke self-quarantine rules began wearing electronic bracelets, Monday, as the government steps up measures against those who could possibly spread the coronavirus, according to Korea's top infectious disease official. The number of violators reached 286. The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters introduced the controversial plan on April 11 because the number of cases of people breaching self-quarantine has raised public concerns. An electronic bracelet to be worn by violators of self-quarantine rules to prevent further spread of COVID-19, starting Monday /Yonhap A brand new scheme from the RSC will see famous actors help students in lockdown. Tamsin Greig, Noma Dumezweni and Patrick Stewart have launched RSC Homework Help a new way for students to understand Shakespeare's works. As part of the scheme, students will be able to submit their Shakespeare-related questions to the actors (with David Bradley, Charlotte Arrowsmith, Paapa Essiedu, Niamh Cusack and David Tennant also involved) online, with custom-made responses following afterwards. RSC director of education, Jacqui O'Hanlon said: "As a result of the COVID-19 outbreak and the closure of UK schools, many young people will be working from home. We know this can feel isolating and demotivating and we want to ensure we do everything we can to support and inspire them. "Every year, RSC Education reaches over 500,000 young people who experience, first-hand, the extraordinary power of Shakespeare's language in their school and the local community. "As children and parents across the UK adjust to their new virtual classrooms', this gives us a new challenge and opportunity to extend our support and to work with artists from the RSC's performance history. They will answer any questions young people want answered about Shakespeare and theatre generally." Those willing to be involved should share their questions using the hashtag #RSCHomeworkHelp on Twitter or Instagram by no later than Sun 10 May. Alternatively they can email them to [email protected] The initiative is in partnership with BBC Bitesize Daily, who will host a new Teaching Shakespeare week from 11 May. Watch a launch video here: By Akbar Mammadov The Turkic Council has said that some countries are using as a pressure mechanism against Turkey the so-called Armenian genocide, namely the deaths of Armenians in eastern Anatolia when some sided with invading Russians and revolted against Ottoman forces. The allegations and claims made against the Republic of Turkey in connection with the so-called "Armenian genocide" based on the hostile dogma of Armenian ideologues, and supported by some states, are aimed at achieving political goals by falsifying history, the Turkic Council said in its website on April 27. Political and legal assessments of events and passing judgments without examining historical facts especially when these were carried out with instigating hatred, historical animosity and revenge in the collective consciousness, intimidate humanity, conscience and compassion and jeopardize the right of the peoples to live in mutual understanding and peace, the council said. The council praised Turkeys initiative to establish a Joint Historical Commission to study the events of 1915 by historians and to this end to open archives, saying that "contemporary international relations and all tragedies that have taken so far need to be studied in a transparent and fair manner." "We are convinced that the unbiased study and evaluation of historical facts by scientists and researchers will shed light on the events of 105 years ago", the statement concluded. __ Akbar Mammadov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AkbarMammadov97 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz After Sussane Khan shared a candid picture of sons Hrehaan and Hridaan with Hrithik Roshan, a user tweeted the picture asking if the actor is smoking a cigarette with his sons. "Does @iHrithik have a cigarette in his hand or am I seeing wrong? I hope you dont @iHrithik. It makes me very very sorry, she wrote. Responding to the same, the actor tweeted, I am a non smoker.:) and if I was Krrish, first thing Id do after eradicating this virus would be to decimate every last cigarette from this planet. Read: Hrithik Roshan Responds to Fan Asking if He's Smoking Cigarette in Pic with His Sons South Korean rapper Min Yoon-gi aka Suga, who is also a part of K-Pop boyband BTS. has given fans an exciting update on the group's new album. Even during the ongoing pandemic, the K-pop group is hard at work on the follow up to Map Of The Soul: 7, which was released in February. Suga appeared in a livestream where he spoke to the Army, Suga said of the comeback, "We're already working on a new album again. Before we started, we decided who was in charge of what. Who would oversee everything, who would oversee the visuals, who would oversee the musicwe split that up. We discussed it amongst ourselves and made the decision. A video about that will be released soon, so please watch it." Read: BTS Member Suga Releasing Single with IU, Reveals K-Pop Band is Working on New Album Already Actor Firoz Khan, who's known by the moniker Arjun, is happy to see the present generation watching Mahabharat again. He says even his grandchildren are watching the show and are amused to see him shoot arrows. He also explained why he changed his name to Arjun professionally. "Whenever I used to call up a producer, they would think that I'm Feroz Khan. When I would explain to them who I was, they would ask me to call back later and I felt insulted. Chopra saab and Dr Raza recommended that Arjun should be my new name. It went on to give me everything that I dreamed of. And even my mother began to address me as Arjun eventually," he says. Read: Mahabharat's Arjun Firoz Khan Says Changing His Name Gave Him Everything He'd Dreamed of Telugu superstar Vijay Deverakonda has raised over Rs 40 lakh through his Middle Class Fund and says he has "reset" the goal of his charity, what with such generous donation coming in from fans. While he had earlier planned to help 2000 families, Vijay now hopes to help over 4000 families. The Arjun Reddy star took to Twitter, where he shared a spreadsheet showing the amount of donation that has come in, and how many households have so far been helped. Read: Vijay Deverakonda Raises Rs 40 Lakh Through Fan Donations Tollywood superstar Allu Arjun's recent endearing bonding session with daughter Arha won hearts online. His wife, entrepreneur Sneha Reddy uploaded an image featuring her better-half along with their daughter. The candid click shows the father-daughter duo in workout mode together. Sharing the photo with her online family, she wrote, #MorningStretches (sic). Read: Allu Arjun Finds His Workout Partner in Daughter Arha Follow @News18Movies for more I nterContinental Hotels Group, behind the Holiday Inn and Crowne Plaza chains, on Monday forecast a big sales drop but said it has secured 600 million from the Governments coronavirus aid scheme. The FTSE 100 hotelier has had to close hundreds of its 5600 hotels since the outbreak, in line with government guidelines in different countries. IHG, led by Keith Barr, today moved to reassure shareholders it has secured more headroom to cope with business disruption. The firm said it has qualified to get 600 million from the UK government via the Covid Corporate Financing Facility scheme. It has also secured further breathing space. It added that its banks have agreed to waive the next three covenant tests due, with the next one nowoccurring in December 2021. The new funding, coupled with existing loans, means IHG now has $2 billion (1.6 billion) in liquidity. Shares in IHG increased 169p, or 5%, to 3531p. Todays update comes ahead of the hotels giant reporting results on May 7 for the quarter to March 31. It expects to record a 25% fall in revenue per room, led by a 55% decline in March. Around 50% of its hotels in the Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia division remain closed. In Britain, only around 100 of its 355 sites here are currently open, mainly to be used by key workers. But the firm said trading in greater China, where restrictions have eased, continues to steadily improve. At its peak, IHG had 178 of its 478 China hotels closed. Today just 12 sites are still shut. IHG last month outlined plans to cut costs by around 130 million. Some countries and U.S. states are shifting their focus away from stay-at-home measures and toward fixing ravaged economies. But some worry that prematurely lifting restrictions could spark a resurgence in coronavirus infections. For many its the most agonizing of delicate balancing acts imaginable. Perhaps less so in Georgia, where reopening in the U.S. state is set to continue apace with restaurants and movie theaters, as more restrictions against the coronavirus are loosened in the big U.S. southern state. An earlier easing saw many establishments gratefully opened their doors after a monthlong closure, but others didnt feel ready yet and remained shuttered. A similar mixed response is expected from the businesses allowed to reopen today. Here's an update on all developments. Scroll or swipe further for in-depth coverage. The number of dead in the U.S. has reached about 55,000 close to the 58,000 U.S. troops killed during the Vietnam War. The official death toll topped 200,000 worldwide, with about 3 million confirmed infections, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University. The race is on for small business owners across the country to access billions in emergency funding through the Small Business Administration. The loan program relaunches at 10:30 a.m. ET this morning, and many lenders have a backlog of applications ready to upload into the system. On his first day back at work in three weeks after a bout of COVID-19 that left him dangerously ill, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Britain had reached the moment of maximum risk in its outbreak and urged patience. Americans support for mail-in voting has jumped amid concerns about the safety of polling places during the coronavirus pandemic, but a wide partisan divide suggests President Donald Trumps public campaign against vote by mail may be resonating with his Republican backers. The novel coronavirus has sickened thousands of Americas first responders and killed dozens more. But many have recovered, and theyre going back to work back to the crime scene, back into the ambulance, back to the jail. The historic crash in oil prices in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic is reverberating across the Middle East as crude-dependent countries scramble to offset losses from a key source of state revenue. Wuhan, the city at the center of Chinas coronavirus outbreak, has no more hospitalized patients after the last 12 were discharged, the Hubei province health commission said. --- For more summaries and full reports, please select from the articles below. Scroll further for some tips for working from home, interactive maps tracking COVID-19 and more. --- Working from home? Here are some tips if you're working remotely during the pandemic: --- Some inspiring photos The coronavirus pandemic has brought an outpouring of messages from stranger to stranger in windows, on front doors, across walls, and colored onto driveways and sidewalks. See a collection of inspiring images in the gallery below: --- This coverage is being provided free as a public service to our readers during the coronavirus pandemic. Please support local journalism by subscribing. Your guide to COVID-19 New Delhi: Kashmir appears to be the focus of the 2020 edition of an internal publication of the Pakistan Army, with its chief Gen Qamar Bajwa describing last years Balakot air strike and the nullification of Jammu & Kashmirs special status as events that impacted regional geo-politics. A majority of articles in the latest edition of the publication by army officers, former diplomats, academics and journalists reference the Kashmir issue, and offer suggestions ranging from creating a Kashmir Fund to support people in the Indian Union territory, and adopting information and cyber warfare by establishing communications links inside the Kashmir Valley. The Green Book 2020, a biennial publication of the Pakistan Army with essays by both serving and retired officers that reflect the militarys overall strategy and objectives, also has a message by Bajwa that describes Kashmir as a nuclear flashpoint. In his message in Green Book 2020, posted on the website of Pakistan's National Defence University (NDU), Bajwa says the environment in South Asia continues to be complex, with the lines getting blurred between different types of warfare. Year 2019 witnessed two significant events which will have lasting imprint on the geopolitics of this region; first, the unwarranted Balakot Strike by Indian Air Force on 26th February and second, the unilateral annexation of Indian Occupied Jammu & Kashmir by [Prime Minister Narendra] Modi on 5th August, through abrogation of Article 370 and 35A, Bajwa wrote in the message issued as patron-in-chief of the publication. Former was a coercive attempt to carve out space for war under nuclear overhang and enforce compellence; adroitly denied by Pakistan Air Force the very next day, through a calibrated and proportionate response Indian craving for establishing a New Normal was stymied comprehensively. The latter, despite condemnation by the world at large, continues to haunt the lives of over eight million Muslims of [Kashmir], he added. Kashmir is a nuclear flashpoint and in total disregard to international norms, Mr Modi has not only endangered the immediate neighbourhood, but has also raised the ante for the entire World. The scholarly discourse in current edition of Pakistan Army Green Book has accordingly spotlighted the implications of these events from diverse perspectives and dimensions, Bajwa further wrote. Some recent editions of the Green Book had focused on the internal threat posed by terrorist groups but this years edition marks a return to the traditional focus on India as Pakistans greatest threat. Several articles in the Green Book dwell at length on the Pulwama terror attack by the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) in February last year that triggered a fresh stand-off between India and Pakistan, the Indian Air Force strike on a JeM facility at Balakot and the retaliatory action by the Pakistan Air Force. The articles make references to other events such as the 1999 Kargil conflict and the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, which led to face-offs between the two countries, but make no mention of the role of Pakistan-based elements in triggering these events. Lt Gen (retired) Raza Muhammad Khan, a former Corps Commander and former president of NDU, in his article The prospects and panacea of peace in South Asia, recommended the creation of a domestic and international Kashmir Fund, saying it could crowd sourced and the Pakistan government should provide tax incentives for donations. The federal government, in the absence of resources, must encourage the provinces to allocate at least one percent of their NFC [National Finance Corporation] shares and earnings and the Kashmir Fund should be controlled by the prime minister to prevent human rights violations in Kashmir, informing the Indian masses and liberal intellectuals about the colossal costof enslaving nine million Kashmirisand exposing the lies of the Indian government, Khan wrote. Khan also recommends that Pakistan must make any dialogue with India conditional with the reversal of all illegal measures taken by it in August, and inclusion of third party, preferably UN mediators in the process. Journalist Farzana Shah, who focuses on defence issues, wrote in her article National security & emerging geopolitical scenario: Post Article 370 obliteration, that Pakistan should adopt an out of the box solution by taking the war into non-kinetic domains such as information and cyber warfare and electronic warfare. Pakistans establishment must provide support to diplomatic efforts being done by government through operations in these two domains with focused goal of extracting authentic information from stakeholders in [Kashmir], most importantly from general publicOnce information [is] gathered, FO [Foreign Office] must disseminate it with proper narrative of the state of Pakistan, she wrote. A single video clip or picture can change the perception of India, which it has built so painstakingly over the years. Pakistan needs to keep world attention on [Kashmir] and in order to do that communication links inside the [Kashmir] valley must be establishedPakistans response in these two domains will be purely non-kinetic, denying any involvement of arms. If executed properly and a local uprising occurs inside [Kashmir], it will make it extremely difficult for India to keep selling the terrorism card. Only a native uprising will be just and politically defendable for Pakistan on international forums. Even such an uprising will need support in the information domain, she added. Lawmaker Mushahid Hussain, chairman of the parliamentary committee on China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), wrote that Pakistan needs to pursue a multi-pronged strategy with regard to India and Kashmir with the kind of clarity and commitment that Pakistani policy-makers demonstrated while building the Nuclear Bomb. Such a strategy should target Modi and his RSS Gang, and separate them from the broader Indian society and polity that opposes Modi, along with a united front of all Kashmiris and the linkup of the Kashmiri resistance with other insurgencies inside India, he added. Former foreign secretary Shamshad Ahmad Khan, in his article India-Pakistan relations in perspective, wrote that Indias continued ascendancy in Afghanistan will remain a danger of no less gravity to the already volatile security environment of this nuclearised region than the Soviet presence in Cuba in the early 1960s. Our main concern has always been to offset Indias superior conventional strength. The only credible response has to be a counter force which in the dreary India-Pakistan scenario could only be tactical warheads, he added. The former diplomat wrote that US President Donald Trumps offer during Prime Minister Imran Khans visit to Washington in July 2019 to play a facilitating role in resolving the Kashmir issue was the best-ever position taken by an American president in recent history on India-Pakistan issues. While continuing to support the Kashmiris freedom movement, Pakistan should resume the composite dialogue with India to build trust and develop mutually beneficial cooperation, he wrote. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON In a blog released by the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) earlier this month, the non-partisan think tank revealed that some 9.2 million people lost their health insurance coverage over the previous four weeks due to the coronavirus pandemic and the nationwide economic shutdown. Up to 35 million Americans could lose their coverage in the next few weeks. EPI generated their projection using data from unemployment insurance (UI) claims that have been filed due to an unprecedented number of layoffs and furloughs that resulted from businesses closing. The institute estimates that 45 percent of the workers who received health benefits from their employers lost coverage either immediately or over subsequent weeks. On April 2, the institute released its first estimated track of lost health coverage, reporting 3.5 million had lost health benefits as a result of 8.7 million UI claims. Its current approximation demonstrates that this number has almost tripled in just two weeks, as more Americans are finding themselves without health insurance as a result of layoffs and hours reductions. Since the week of April 2, 17 million UI claims have been added, bringing the total UI claims to 26 million by April 20. Moreover, the number of individuals receiving coverage from an employer could decline by 12 million to 35 million, according to the consulting firm Health Management Associates. This would include both workers and their family members who are covered through the same plan. Roughly 58 million non-elderly people earning $50,000 a year who receive coverage through their employers would have their health coverage adversely affected. The acceleration of unemployment claims has increased the desperation of Americans for health insurance. In mid-March, more than 3,700 Maryland residents had signed up for public and private health insurance about a week after the state opened its special enrollment period due to the coronavirus. The uptick in health insurance purchases has also been fueled by fears of the virus infection itself, with many individuals and families who have contracted COVID-19 facing unbearable financial circumstances due to exorbitant medical bills. A joint analysis conducted by the Peterson Center on Healthcare and Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) found that the cost of treatment for severe cases of COVID-19 could top $20,000. Dr. Steffie Woolhandler, a lecturer at Harvard University, said regarding the historic rise of terminated employer-provided health care that the epidemic highlights the folly of tying health coverage to jobs. She told the commondreams.org, Our health care system saddles people with medical bills when theyre least able to afford them because theyve been laid off or are too sick to work. In West Virginia alone, more than 30,000 people are expected to become uninsured, according to the forecast made by the Health Associate consulting firm. West Virginia Health Right, a charitable foundation that provides free health services to the states poorest residents, has had its clinic be inundated with calls from distressed families seeking care. The clinic has received 15 to 20 calls a day since late March from newly uninsured people, some of them members of the middle class who have never sought out charitable relief. Although the state has mandated limiting health-related visits that arent emergencies, the clinic has had to accept 113 patients over the past month, a jump from 72 that were serviced a year ago around this time. Demands for health care coverage and treatment on a mass scale is more significant given the projected number of severely ill COVID-19 cases. A KFF study released this week analyzed data from the 2018 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Alliance System and discovered 4 in 10 American adults, some 92 million people, have a high risk of developing serious illness if they become infected with the coronavirus. Access to testing for COVID-19 is also severely limited for the uninsured. Studies have found that over half of uninsured people do not have a regular doctor or clinic to go to when medical care is needed, which leaves many not knowing where to go for testing if they think they have been exposed to the virus. In certain states, nearly half the population is susceptible to serious illness, such as in West Virginia (49.3 percent). In some of the states with the highest number of reported coronavirus cases, the share of adults developing extreme symptoms is relatively high, including in Louisiana and Florida (42.1 percent each) and Michigan (41.2 percent). It is estimated that 5.1 million adults who are at a higher risk of getting a serious illness if they become infected with coronavirus are uninsured. Despite increasing public pressure on the Trump administration to allow a new enrollment period for the health care exchanges under the Affordable Care Act, the administration has remained firmly opposed to it. The annual enrollment period allocates time between November and January for people to enroll in health insurance. Health care advocates across the country have protested this inhumane policy, highlighting that nearly 30 million people in the US remain uninsured. Combined with the rising number uninsured due to job loss, this is leaving many at risk of contracting COVID-19 and facing crippling medical fees or the threat of death. Many adults who are uninsured also face a great risk of being exposed to the novel coronavirus. A significant segment of the occupations deemed essential, therefore requiring workers to show up, tend to provide minimal to no health care coverage. These include workers in service-oriented jobs such as grocery workers and food delivery services. Uninsured workers who are forced to take time off due to illness or having a family member become sick will likely suffer significant financial consequences as a result of missing work, as there exists no official program to offer assistance for individuals without paid sick leave. In 2018, only an estimated 26 percent of workers said they had paid sick leave. This has forced many low-wage workers to avoid taking time off, putting their health at significant risk. The recent trillion-dollar economic stimulus package passed by Congress in response to the pandemic crisis, known as the CARES Act, included no provision authorizing assistance for the millions of uninsured, with unfathomable sums of money handed to the major corporations and banks. Uninsured people are vulnerable to paying the full cost of care and often at higher rates than those with insurance, whose insurer would be able to negotiate with hospital chains to lower payment rates. Although some in the uninsured population can get care at community health centers and charitable institutions, these providers are vastly underfunded and have limited resources. Also, not all uninsured individuals have geographic access to a safety net provider, making low-cost care essentially impossible. Due to the domination of the health care market by for-profit providers, and the lack of public options for care, many uninsured individuals are left to bear the burden of a medical bills without any prospect of relief. AMERICAN CANYON Its been a month since American Canyon City Hall went virtual, and its working so well, some of it might stay that way, even after the coronavirus shelter at home order is lifted, officials said. American Canyon is collaborating with the City of Napa on ways to increase efficiency, as well, according to a Napa city spokeswoman during a virtual interview last week. American Canyon and Napa officials met virtually April 17 for that purpose, said City of Napas Public Information Officer Jaina French. Napa officials have been scrambling to find cost-cutting measures as the city faces a roughly $30 million revenue loss between now and June 2021 due to coronavirus. Public Works and Community Development already are in contact with American Canyon so we can collaborate. We might not offer exactly the same services, but collaboration is already under way, she said. American Canyon City Manager Jason Holley said city officials value the ongoing collaborative relationships developing between American Canyon and the City and County of Napa. Its about continuously improving and also its a response to the pandemic, to keep things going, and doing it in a different way, he said. Well get through this together. American Canyon officials were already working on ways to streamline the delivery of various city services before the COVID-19 pandemic hit and forced the process into high gear, said spokeswoman Jen Kansanback and Jon Barilone of the consulting firm of Tripepi Smith & Associates. The pandemic has been the catalyst for making things work (faster), but its been in the process for more than two years, Barilone said, adding that certain functions that cant be done remotely, like most Public Works projects, will continue to be done in person. Holley agreed that the international health crisis that has driven people to shelter at home, triggered the need to speed up the process of creating a virtual City Hall. We wanted to be able to continue to deliver services, but in a different way, Holley said. Now, almost all of the processes someone might come down to City Hall in person to do, can be done in our virtual City Hall. For instance, days have been shaved off the time and trouble it takes to get a building permit in the city, he said. Applications can be submitted electronically, as digital versions of all our forms have been made, Holley said. And these can be routed to wherever the appropriate city staff person happens to be, Kansanback said, thus reducing mis-routed paperwork, as well as the amount of actual paper used. Another advantage is not having to transport loads of paper documents, American Canyon Community Development Director Brent Cooper said. No more printing paper, making copies the whole system works better, faster and with less greenhouse gas emissions, he said. Theres no technical reason that paper is better. The digital forms and documents are automatically filed in the citys library system, so, they can be found later, if needed, Holley said. We always had utility services available online, but now more people know that everything is online now, Holley said. In person is less convenient for everyone now, and this will likely stay true. Were working with DocuSign which was approved two weeks ago by the City Council and I signed my first DocuSign document (Monday). Holley said its doubtful that the more efficient, more digital-based City Hall will wind up costing jobs. We are already a lean organization, and we dont have extra staff, he said. Theres a lot of plans for the future and a lot of work to do. This is a process improvement. Cooper said paper plans were having to be digitized daily, and now theyre digital to begin with. This frees up our employees time from doing low-level jobs like copying, and allows them to expand their skills to do jobs that are more valuable to the community Contractors who work in the city are reportedly pleased with the changes, said Building Permit Technician Taresa Geilfuss. Im working 100% from home, now, and Im hearing a lot of positive things about doing things electronically, she said. Over-the-counter permits, for instance - we only have to call the contractors for payment, and it saves them time. Also, plan reviews usually take going to two or three different departments, where now that theyre electronic, we can notify reviewers who can get them done without having to wait for mail or in-person deliveries, and it saves days and a lot of paper and thousands of dollars in printing fees. Only the final plans need to be printed now. Were getting positive feedback, especially from people who would normally come in with armfuls of plans. The system is not perfect and there are still some minor bugs mostly with software that need to be worked out, officials said. For those who are technically challenged or prefer do conduct their city business in person, staff will still answer the phone, and can input information for them, Kansanback said. And some of the old City Hall functions will likely return, Holley said. City Council meetings will go back to being in person again when this is over, and will be recognizable, he said. 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/ A team of Jammu and Kashmir administration officials visited camps of Kashmiri migrants here on Monday. Led by Relief and Rehabilitation Commissioner (Migrant), Jammu, T K Bhat, the team went to five camps -- Purkhoo, Muthi, Butta Nagar, Nagrota and Mini Township Jagti -- and reviewed the facilities there, a spokesperson said. Bhat also took stock of the supply of essential commodities in these camps, he added. The camp commandants were directed to remain vigilant so that any difficulty faced by the inmates during the lockdown period is mitigated on time, the spokesperson said. The camp officials were informed that a portal has been made available for the migrants which can be visited on for registration of grievances related to cash assistance, ration, sanitation and electricity, he said. Till date, around 65 such complaints have been received and promptly redressed, the spokesperson said. The relief commissioner stressed on the need of ensuring round-the-clock sanitation and cleanliness in all the camps, he said. At Muthi camp, the relief commissioner and assistant director, Planning, distributed packets of ration to some families, the spokesperson said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-27 14:39:30|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close HEFEI, April 27 (Xinhua) -- For Li Junchang, a 58-year-old poor resident working in a workshop in Yingshang County in eastern China's Anhui Province, a newly set-up phone holder, a reflector that used for livestreaming and the word "livestreaming" itself were both brand-new. Although it was hard for him to understand the mode or even get the hang of livestreaming, Li can feel the faster work pace and benefits brought by it. "Sometimes I would work overtime when the orders poured in," said Li, who worked together with his wife in this workshop manufacturing socks. The workshop, established in 2017 by a couple, was one of the 90 workshops in the county aiming to lift poor families out of poverty. However, the sudden COVID-19 epidemic has posed challenges to the selling of the products and thus to the income of those poor workers. "We have employed 33 workers, 25 of whom are from poverty-stricken families, and their lives would be greatly affected if the socks are unmarketable," said Gu Changchang, owner of this workshop. The booming livestreaming industry amid the epidemic inspired Gu to foray into livestreaming marketing after the factory resumed production in February. Gu's debut was unsatisfactory, with only 70 viewers and one order during the two-hour livestreaming session. Although upset, Gu kept her chin up. "I was kind of shy at first, but now I'm gradually familiar with the tricks and know-how to better present the products and interact with the audience," said Gu, who was deftly showcasing the newly produced socks via livestreaming and answering customers' questions. Support from the local government gave Gu more confidence. "The officials help contact the supplier of raw materials and provide employment subsidies to the poor," Gu added. Driven by livestreaming marketing and local policies, Gu's workshop embraced an upturn, with the number of daily orders increasing from about 200 in February to around 1,300 in April, among which the sales via livestreaming account for about 30 percent. Li Junchang, who used to worry about sock sales, is now reassured. "I never thought that I could sell socks over the phone. I don't worry about my salary now," Li said. "Although those poor households don't know much about the livestreaming, they all extol my wife as they know the livestreaming can guarantee their income," said Ma Xiaofei, Gu's husband. As of April 21, all of the 90 workshops in the county have resumed production, offering jobs to 2,839 people, among whom 1,384 are impoverished. Many grassroots officials have also joined livestreaming sessions to promote local agricultural products. In March, senior officials from six poor counties in Anhui sold 246,000 agricultural products via livestreaming, with sales reaching 20.1 million yuan (about 2.8 million U.S. dollars). "I hope to sell more socks via livestreaming and help more poor people shake off poverty," said Gu, adding that livestreaming has become her daily routine now. Enditem By Express News Service VIJAYAWADA: As many as 12 police officials, including an additional deputy commissioner of police (ADCP)-rank officer and a sub-inspector (SI), working in Vijayawada police stations reportedly tested positive for COVID-19 in rapid tests conducted on Sunday. Officials said their swab samples would be sent for confirmatory tests. A day after an SI attached with Krishna Lanka police station tested positive, city police commissioner Ch Dwaraka Tirumala Rao ordered a departmental inquiry to ascertain as to how the cop got infected. In preliminary probe, it was found that the cop was deployed at Ranigarithota, a red zone, and had come in contact with numerous persons. Following this, the CP instructed station house officers in the city to conduct rapid tests on all personnel currently working in their jurisdiction. "In the tests, an ADCP-rank officer, a woman SI, eight police constables and two other staff attached to Nunna, Machavaram and Ajit Singh Nagar stations have tested positive,'' said a senior police official. "Their swab samples will be collected and sent for testing to a virology lab for confirmation. To stop the further transmission of virus, samples of the officials' primary contacts will be tested too," the official added. Police conduct vehicle march in red zones, intensify surveillance With the rise in number of COVID-19 positive patients in Krishna Lanka, Karmika Nagar and Khuddus Nagar in Vijayawada, the city police have sounded a high alert in these areas and conducted a vehicle march in all the red zones on Sunday. Police Commissioner (CP) Ch Dwaraka Tirumala Rao, District Collector A Md Imtiaz and Deputy Police Commissioner (DCP- 1, Law and Order) Vikrant Patil took part in the vehicle march at Krishna Lanka from M Hotel to Satyam Gari Hotel. Similarly, West zone police also conducted a march with 30 vehicles in Vidyadharapuram. Addressing mediapersons, Tirumala Rao said as many as 25 positive cases were reported from Gurrala Raghavaiah Street in Krishna Lanka and added that whole area has been put under strict surveillance. The Police Commissioner expressed his displeasure over violation of lockdown norms and said people were not cooperating with the police. "People who are roaming unnecessarily are a threat to the society," Tirumala Rao said. Seoul, April 27 : North Korean leader Kim Jong-un expressed his gratitude to workers building a tourist zone in the east coast region of Wonsan, state media said on Monday, amid persisting speculation about his health. "Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un has sent his appreciation to the workers who devoted themselves to building the Wonsan-Kalma tourist zone," Yonhap News Agency quoted Rodong Sinmun, the North's main newspaper, as saying in a report. The Korean Central Broadcasting Station also carried a similar report. The reports came amid lingering speculation that something might be wrong with Kim's health since he missed an important annual ceremony on April 15 commemorating the birthday of late state founder and his grandfather, Kim Il-sung. Some unconfirmed media reports have speculated that Kim could be "in grave danger" after surgery. But South Korean officials have dismissed such speculation as untrue, saying nothing unusual was going on in the North and Kim Jong-un was believed to be staying in the Wonsan region. Corroborating the intelligence was a report by the US monitoring website 38 North that satellite imagery showed what appeared to be Kim Jong-un's special train parked at a station in "his Wonsan compound since at least April 21". "The train's presence does not prove the whereabouts of the North Korean leader or indicate anything about his health, but it does lend weight to reports that Kim is staying at an elite area on the country's eastern coast," it added. Moon Chung-in, a special security adviser to South Korean President Moon Jae-in, also said Sunday in an interview with Fox News that Kim Jong-un was "alive and well", reports Yonhap News Agency. On Monday, South Korea's Unification Ministry on Monday reaffirmed no unusual signs have been detected in the North. "We have nothing to confirm in regards to speculation over leader Kim Jong-un's health. However, our stance that there is no unusual activity currently in North Korea, as announced by the National Security Council, is still in effect to this point," Cho Hey-sil, the Ministry's deputy spokesperson, told the media. The Wonsan-Kalma tourist zone is one of Kim Jong-un's key pet construction projects. The leader, who sent a similar thank-you message to the workers in February, has sought to develop the North's tourism in an effort to beef up an economy faltering under international sanctions. Kim Jong-un was last seen in state media on April 11 presiding over a political bureau meeting of the ruling Workers' Party, calling for strict measures against the coronavirus. But his absence from a key ceremony commemorating the 108th birth anniversary of Kim Il-sung on April 15 has sparked speculation over his health. He has never skipped his trip to the mausoleum since taking office in late 2011. North Korean state media have recently put out reports on Kim sending diplomatic letters and conveying gifts to honoured citizens. But no reports on the leader's "field guidance" trips or photos on his public activities have been released by state media for more than two weeks. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text SARATOGA SPRINGS A potential 20 percent cut to state school aid is leading area school administrators to make some hard decisions for 2020-21. And for Saratoga Springs City School district, that will likely look like a tax increase of up to 3.14 percent, the postponement on a vote for its $129.7 million capital project and cuts to programs that Superintendent Michael Patton calls devastating. Im very concerned, said Patton who expected his 2020-21 budget was to be an estimated $132 million. We went through this back 10, 12 years ago. Everybody saw the effects it had on the reduction in programs and staff, reduction in services to kids. Its really scary to think about the impacts this will have on the programs and opportunities for our students. Because the economy is still shut down by the COVID-19 pandemic, the state has not made a firm decision on state aid. Originally, foundation aid was to be flat with a slight increase, Patton said, in some reimbursable aid. Then Gov. Andrew Cuomo said there could be cuts, up to 20 percent, in all types of aid. With nothing guaranteed, Patton said school officials cant really say what, if anything, they will need to eliminate to balance their budget. Without a firm grasp on revenues, its impossible to say what districts can spend and impossible for boards of education to adopt budgets. And as the state is still on its pandemic pause, it's impossible to schedule the budget and board candidate vote. Patton said he expects that will take place in June, but again it's unknown. We are continuing to wait for guidance as to when and how the vote will take place, Patton said. A school board candidate needs 100 signatures, but we are not encouraging folks to go out and collect signatures now. The district already faced a budget gap in 2019-20 school year. Patton said the district managed the $1.5 million shortfall by, among other things, pulling students out of the School-to-Work program, restructuring professional development so fewer substitute teachers would be needed and filling vacancies instead of paying overtime to staff. If all state aid is cut by 20 percent, that would cause a $6.7 million budget gap in 2020-21 for the district. If only foundation aid is cut, that could result in a $4.5 million budget shortfall. At this point, Patton and other school officials said they are hoping that the federal government will provide some assistance and are writing elected officials in Washington to press for funding that will go to the state. "We want them to know what the economic impact will be on the local level," Patton said. Some of the shortfall can be made up by a tax increase. He said over the years, the district has asked for modest increases, averaging 2.7 percent over the past five years. While 3.14 percent is a higher than average increase to the tax rate, Patton said its still below the districts tax cap and will not need a supermajority to approve. The capital project, dubbed the Legacy Project that will add security and safety measures to the school buildings as well as repair the roof, replace boilers and upgrade cafeterias, kitchens and classrooms, will have to wait until the fall. Though the project has no impact on taxes, Patton said, he felt it is necessary to have an opportunity to get in front of the public to educate them. We want to promote it face-to-face, he said. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. WSWHE BOCES Superintendent of Schools James Dexter, who provides services and advice to 31 districts in five counties including Saratoga, said the news on state aid is serious. He said the high-need and average-need districts, like Saratoga Springs, will get hit the hardest. Dexter also said in addition to tax increases and cuts to programs and staff, districts will also be spending down their fund balances and increasing class sizes. All extracurricular activities and field trips are also on the chopping block. He also said this is just the beginning. This is a fiscal cliff," Dexter said. "If the economy doesnt start back up and the revenues dont start coming back to the state, its going to be very bad. I really worry a lot about the 2021-22 budget. Thats what has got me not sleeping at night. Patton, however, is simply worried about getting through 2020-21. We are trying to preserve and maintain all of our programs and curriculum, Patton said. But there are potential sacrifices across the board. Noted for her eye-catching saris, Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar on Monday turned heads for a different reason - when she donned the sparkling white uniform of a caring nurse with a cap, much like the iconic Italian-born British nurse, Miss Florence Nightingale. The move - coming barely a fortnight before the world celebrates the 200th birth anniversary of Nightingale on May 12 - was intended to boost the morale of the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) healthcare workers, particularly the contingent of nurses who brave great risks in the fight against Covid-19 pandemic. A former nurse turned politician, Pednekar (57) is a four-time Shiv Sena Corporation from G-South Ward which covers large parts of Worli. Years ago, she had worked as a nurse, giving the healing touch to patients in the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust Hospital in Uran, Raigad before plunging into politics. "We are all aware that we are passing through a crisis. Nurses are on the job. Even 2nd and 3rd year nursing students are working now. I have come to be with them to boost their morale," Pednekar told media persons from behind her masked face. She took rounds of the BYL Nair Hospital & TN Medical College in Mumbai Central, casually interacting with the care-givers, chatting up with them while maintaining a 'social distance'. "It is the need of the hour that citizens should be at home. Anything for Mumbai. We (nurses) can't do work from home, we are on the field for you. Stay at your home, take care," Pednekar assured. Born in 1962 into a poor mill-worker's family in Worli, she later married Kishore Pednekar and shifted to nearby Lower Parel. In order to boost the family's resources, she took up a job as a nurse in 1992. Inspired by the Shiv Sena founder-patriarch the late Balasaheb Thackeray, that year she also joined the party and worked her way up the rungs to become the 77th Mayor of Mumbai unopposed in November 2019. Last week, she had played a key role in organizing a Covid-19 testing camp for mediapersons in Mumbai, but after several of them were found positive, Pednekar voluntarily retreated into self-quarantine. Healthcare workers carry a patient to an ambulance outside Mount Sinai Beth Israel hospital during the coronavirus pandemic in New York, the United States, April 8, 2020. (Photo by Michael Nagle/Xinhua) "Don't defend Trump, other than the China Travel Ban -- attack China," the 57-page strategy document, exposed by Politico on Friday, has advised, urging Republican candidates to address the COVID-19 pandemic by aggressively attacking China. NEW YORK, April 26 (Xinhua) -- As the ruling party in the United States, the Republicans should win voter support by focusing on fighting the vicious coronavirus. However, it chose to paint China as an enemy to divert public attention. A leaked memo, which was sent by the National Republican Senatorial Committee to GOP campaigns, provides answers as to why the White House has been so devoted to attacking China and why the coronavirus situation in the United States has deteriorated. "Don't defend Trump, other than the China Travel Ban -- attack China," the 57-page strategy document, exposed by Politico on Friday, has advised, urging Republican candidates to address the COVID-19 pandemic by aggressively attacking China. The memo includes advice on everything from how to tie Democratic candidates to the Chinese government to how to deal with accusations of racism. The United States is suffering heavily from the coronavirus pandemic, with over 930,000 confirmed cases and more than 54,000 deaths so far, both figures the highest in the world. In this time of life and death, the GOP memo has breached the bottom line of human ethics with a thick book of blatantly fabricated charges and accusations against China. It also turns a blind eye to the suffering of the American people. The ruling party of the world's sole superpower shouldn't behave like this. One of the three main lines of assault listed in the memo is that China caused the virus "by covering it up," which has been debunked by a clear timeline of when and how China has informed the World Health Organization and the world. The White House wasted some two months' time by doing nothing valuable in fighting the pandemic. It belittled the virus at first, and fell into chaos later. Many Chinese and U.S. senior officials and experts have repeatedly expressed the idea that the two countries should cooperate instead of fight. Several issues facing the world, including the novel coronavirus pandemic, will not be solved without cooperation among major countries, especially China and the United States. The memo will unlikely result in what the GOP expects. More and more Americans will eventually wake up to the truth. As one Twitter user wrote: If the 57-page memo is about measures against COVID-19, the 50,000 may not have died. U.S. President Donald Trump (Front) addresses a news conference at the White House in Washington D.C., the United States, on March 13, 2020. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) Mainstream U.S. media such as The Boston Globe have largely been critical of Washington's clumsy response to the virus, saying the White House "unfit" for handling the crisis. Other major press outlets including New York Times and Washington Post, have published their own investigations and found similar results: the White House responded too late and too slow, and missed a number of critical turning points against the virus. U.S. citizens have begun to lose patience. A recent Pew poll found that nearly two-thirds of Americans say Washington responded too late to the coronavirus outbreak. Polls have shown that an increasing number of senate seats the Republicans are defending have become competitive, and in some states they face the risk of losing seats to the Democrats. During the past few months, the White House has strictly adhered to the memo's script, and the Republicans have failed to gain public support as a result. It's high time the Republicans devise a new strategy to win over the public, one that doesn't involve foolishly pointing the finger at China. The American people just don't buy it. File image As a lockdown is underway across the country, India's largest bank State Bank of India (SBI) has come up with six key tips in the letter titled, 'A letter for your safety' for customers to follow while banking online. Coronavirus India News LIVE Updates In a tweet, SBI said, "The key to safe banking is vigilance. SBI has laid out six important protocols that our customers must follow in order to safeguard their personal information from fraudsters. Be Safe. Bank Safe,". The key to safe banking is vigilance. SBI has laid out six important protocols that our customers must follow in order to safeguard their personal information from fraudsters. Be Safe. Bank Safe.#SBI#StateBankOfIndia#BeSafe#BankSafe#SafetyTipspic.twitter.com/3ofVr9v25y State Bank of India (@TheOfficialSBI) April 23, 2020 State Bank of India asked customers to avoid clicking on unofficial links that ask for OTP or bank details in regards with EMIs or DBT or Prime Minister Care fund or any other Care fund. Bank also requested its account holders to beware of bogus schemes that claim to offer cash prizes or job opportunities through SMSes, e-mails, phone calls or advertisements. Keeping changing bank's password Customers to keep in mind that SBI or its representatives never send email/SMS or call their customers for personal information, password or OTP. Do not rely on any bank information available on internet search results. Always use only SBI's official website for contact number and other details. Report immediately to local police authorities about fraudsters and inform the same to your nearest SBI Branch. 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 Follow our full coverage of the coronavirus pandemic here Jerusalem, April 27 : Israel's Labour party voted to join a government headed by its long-time rival, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Members of the left-wing Labour's central committee on Sunday approved to join the unity government being formed by Netanyahu and his right-wing Likud party and Benny Gantz and his centrist Blue and White party, Xinhua news agency reported. Some 64.2 per cent of members of the central committee voted in favour of joining the government, the party said in a statement. Labour's leader Amir Peretz announced last week that he agrees to join the new government. Local media reported that Peretz is planned to serve as the economy minister while another Labor lawmaker, Itzik Smhuli, will serve as labour and social services minister. The power of the Labour, once Israel's ruling party, has shrunk dramatically over the past years. In the March 2 election, it ran in a unity with Meretz and Gesher, two other left-wing parties. Altogether, they won seven seats in the 120-seat parliament. Meretz, which refused to join a government headed by Netanyahu, has split out of the unity and will take the seats of the opposition. During their elections campaign, Peretz and the Labour had repeatedly vowed not to seat in a government with Netanyahu due to a series of criminal cases in which the long-time leader is a suspect. Netanyahu's corruption trial is scheduled to begin on May 24. The new governing coalition will apparently include also Shas and United Torah Judaism, two Jewish ultra-Orthodox parties, and Yemina, a far-right pro-settler party. Under the power-sharing deal signed a week ago between Netanyahu and Gantz, Netanyahu will serve as a prime minister for 18 months before rotating with Gantz. Despite not being able to perform to a live audience these days because of the restrictions in place as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, comedian Jason Byrne is finding new ways to keep his fans entertained - and has also shown his more serious and reflective side with his new podcast on mental health and keeping and maintaining a positive mind and a healthy body through exercise. Fingal resident, Jason (48) has also revealed he would have loved to have become a counsellor or a keynote speaker instead of the path he took to become an international comedian. His exciting new venture is in the world of podcasting and his podcast, entitled 'Mind Your Loaf' is being run in partnership with a charity called turn2me.ie - a free, online counselling service. In this six part series, Jason Byrne and his co-host Mar Cusack, in conjunction with online mental health service turn2me.ie, have a look, a chat, a cry and a laugh on the areas of well-being and mental health. With a new expert guest each week, Jason finds out how to tackle all sorts of problems, from happiness to grief. Explaining the background to his podcasts, Jason told Fingal Independent: 'I started reading different self-help books and books on mindfulness and now it's like a hobby. 'I really started getting into it. Then I met a friend called Jennifer Griffin, who studied psychotherapy and she started working for the website turn2me.ie, a free counselling service online.' 'I then thought I would love to do some sort of keynote speaking - as a performer I am already good at talking but I am not qualified in the area of psychology or mental health,' he explained. 'So then I thought, I know what I will do, I'll do a podcast. I'll get a co-host in,' he said, adding that his co-host is Mar Cusack. 'We get guest experts each week and I am actually the student and the guest that comes in for the podcasts are the experts. So I get to learn loads for free,' he laughs. He said the idea for the podcasts came from his interest in mental health issues. 'In fact, if I knew I was into this so much I wouldn't have become a comedian,' he revealed. 'I would have become a counsellor or a keynote speaker on the subject. It's such an interesting subject.' As well as working on his new podcast, Jason is also encouraging people to join him on his tri-weekly training sessions on his Instagram Live page with his personal trainer Adrian Harrington. The training/exercise sessions take place on Monday, Wednesdays and Fridays at 11am on his social media page. Each session is 25 minutes long. 'I was doing a lot of exercise and my trainer Adrian Harrington, from Curragha in Co Meath, also got me into medication,' Jason said. 'So now every Monday, Wednesday and Friday on my Instagram Live I do exercise sessions with Adrian and I am encouraging people to watch and join in. 'It's good to keep healthy and keep active during this isolation period,' he explained. 'It is so great that nowadays, in this new situation we are all in that everyone is doing things such as trainers doing exercise sessions for free. Hundreds of them are doing it on line,' he said. Jason got into meditation and encouraged by his personal trainer, he now meditates daily. 'Adrian taught me meditation. When he first suggested it, I said I'm not doing that!! 'Now, with the situation we are in, especially because we all have to isolate, I meditate every day. 'I listen to Wim Hof, the Ice Man. He is great craic so my best advice for people who haven't meditated before is go on YouTube and do guided meditation.' With all his new interests and social media live sessions, Jason hasn't forgotten about the children. Each evening he reads a chapter from his series of children's books ' The Accidental Adventures of Onion O'Brien' on his Instagram page called Onion O'Brien, which is especially for children. 'That instagram page Onion O'Brien is just for kids so they can listen to me read a chapter from my books each evening,' said Jason. And how is he coping with self-isolation? Jason explained that being a comedian, he is on his own most of the time.' 'I was a guest on Des Bishop's podcast the other day and we spoke about being comedians amongst other things. We are on our own most of the time. Our brains are already trained for this isolation,' Jason explained. 'We travel on our own, we are on stage on our own, we are in the dressing rooms on our own. 'We don't have a crew, we are our own bosses. Like when we are on tour, doing something like 38 dates, we are in different towns on our own, a different hotel each night, on our own.' And during the 'lock down' Jason says his comedy work hasn't stopped - despite his tour of Australia being cancelled, and the cancellation of one of the biggest comedy festivals around - The Edinburgh Fringe Festival. 'I am actually exhausted,' he laughed. 'I am so busy with the podcasts, training sessions etc and because I am sitting in my house, I am finding old comedy stuff, putting subtitles on it and putting little comedy clips on my Facebook page. I am also doing sketches every day and also putting them up on Facebook too. I am also doing Facebook Live sessions so fans can talk to me - that's a bit of craic, actually it's great craic,' he said. Jason also opened up about the heartbreaking and sad loss of his father Paddy, towards the end of February, just days before widespread COVID-19 restrictions were put in place. Speaking to his friend Des Bishop on his podcast, Jason opened up about how he was at his dad's side when he passed away two days after suffering a huge stroke. Jason said: 'I didn't know anything about grief. I know nothing about it. One thing I got from it is that I'm not afraid of death anymore. 'I see it as a peaceful thing because I've seen it happen.' He added: 'I watched the energy leave his body. It was literally like a lilo. It was like someone took the air out of him. 'It was like he shrunk as his breath stopped. Then I didn't recognise him at all. 'If you get the chance to be with someone when they're going to pass, be with them. It's good for you.' Jason - who regularly jokes about his dad in his comedy shows - told how he believes the memories keep loved ones alive after they're gone. He said: 'They're not in that body. I saw and felt something come out of him. Paddy Byrne left his body.' He told the Fingal Independent, that although he, his mother, sisters and family are grieving the loss of Paddy and they are all mourning separately for Paddy because of the COVID-19 restrictions, he is also trying his best to 'go the other way' with his grief. 'My dad only passed away six weeks ago. But I have gone the other way,' he said. 'Instead of sitting here and being really upset - my mam is in Ballinteer and my sisters are too far away so we are all basically mourning separately. 'But what I haven't done is gone into bed and put my head under the pillow. 'I always say take advantage of this situation -and try and make it positive.' he said. And his last bit of advice for people in self-isolation is: 'Don't be lowering the booze and chocolate into yourself - go the other way.' 'I am no expert but I have been reading all the psychotherapy and philosophy books so what I am saying to people is, if you are stuck don't be lowering the booze and chocolate into you. 'Go the other way. Learn something new, try to get more healthier. 'If you are more healthier and positive, then your mind is more healthier and thus your immune system is strong. 'Again, I am not the expert on this though,' he said. Baxter International Inc. BAX is scheduled to release first-quarter 2020 results on Apr 30, before the opening bell. In the last reported quarter, the company delivered a positive earnings surprise of 10.2%. Further, it has a trailing four-quarter positive earnings surprise of 10.6%, on average. Q1 Estimates Currently, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for first-quarter revenues is pegged at $2.75 billion, suggesting growth of 4.5% from the year-ago reported figure. The consensus mark for earnings is pegged at 73 cents per share, indicating a decline of 3.9% from the prior-year quarter. Factors at Play New product launches, including PrisMax in the United States, and rising global demand for the companys continuous renal replacement therapies is likely to have contributed to Baxters Acute Therapies business. This, in turn, is likely to have driven the segments first-quarter performance. Moreover, the top line is anticipated to have benefited from Baxters strong product portfolio, and the planned launch of therapies and products. In fact, sales growth for first-quarter 2020 is projected in the range of 4-5% on a reported basis, and 5-6% on both cc and operational basis. Baxter International Inc. Price and EPS Surprise Baxter International Inc. Price and EPS Surprise Baxter International Inc. price-eps-surprise | Baxter International Inc. Quote The companys six global business units is likely to have contributed to the first-quarter sales. Further, growing demand for Baxters Spectrum IQ and Evo IQ infusion pumps is likely to have positively impacted the fourth-quarter performance. Rising demand of its hospital pharmacy compounding services, generic injectables and anesthesia products are likely to have driven the companys international sales. However, it is important to note that the high-degree of uncertainty surrounding the coronavirus outbreak (particularly since late February) might have impacted Baxters performance in the to-be-reported quarter. Nonetheless, during fourth-quarter 2019, the company introduced the Sharesource 2.0 clinical portal that provides the healthcare providers better insights to patients home PD treatments while offering improved clinic workflow. Additionally, the company introduced Clinolipid (20% Lipid Injectable Emulsion), which is Baxters proprietary olive oil-based lipid emulsion, in the United States. Additionally, the company expanded its injectable pharmaceuticals portfolio with the U.S. launch of Myxredlin (Insulin Human in 0.9% Sodium Chloride Injection), the first and only ready-to-use insulin for IV infusion in the hospital and other acute care settings. The company also introduced a ready-to-use eptifibatide, a first-of-its-kind premix presentation of a platelet aggregation inhibitor that prevents platelets from sticking together and clotting. During fourth-quarter 2019, the company received FDA approval for faster preparation of FlosealHemostatic Matrix. This next generation of Floseal has 20% lesser components and steps to prepare, making it easier and faster for nurses in the operating room to provide surgeons with Floseal to help stop bleeding during procedures. Moreover, the company achieved substantial milestones in its innovation pipeline, which includes U.S. and Canadian launches of PrisMax, U.S. launch of Myxredlin, European launch of Finomel and U.S. launch of Clinolipid. These developments are likely to have positively impacted the companys performance in the to-be-reported quarter. However, intense competition in the renal care market might have weighed on Baxters margins. What Our Quantitative Model Suggests Per our proven model, the combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the odds of an earnings beat. This is not the case here as you will see below. Earnings ESP: Baxter has an Earnings ESP of -2.44%. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before theyre reported with our Earnings ESP Filter. Story continues Zacks Rank: Baxter carries a Zacks Rank #3. Stocks Worth a Look Here are a few medical stocks worth considering as they have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat this quarter. Chemed Corporation CHE has an Earnings ESP of +0.42% and a Zacks Rank of 2. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. Haemonetics Corporation HAE has an Earnings ESP of +2.76% and a Zacks Rank of 3. DexCom, Inc. DXCM has an Earnings ESP of +139.12% and a Zacks Rank of 2. Just Released: Zacks 7 Best Stocks for Today Experts extracted 7 stocks from the list of 220 Zacks Rank #1 Strong Buys that has beaten the market more than 2X over with a stunning average gain of +24.1% per year. These 7 were selected because of their superior potential for immediate breakout. See these time-sensitive tickers now >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Baxter International Inc. (BAX) : Free Stock Analysis Report Haemonetics Corporation (HAE) : Free Stock Analysis Report DexCom, Inc. (DXCM) : Free Stock Analysis Report Chemed Corporation (CHE) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research South Korea, the country with the fourth-largest commercial storage capacity in Asia, has just run out of room to store more oil, sources familiar with the matter told Bloomberg on Monday, as available storage capacity everywhere in the world in shrinking fast amid the demand collapse. South Koreas total commercial storage capacity on land, at around 38 million barrels, is fully booked, Bloombergs sources say, while storage capacity is also depleting fast in India, a key oil consumer in Asia and the worlds third-largest importer of crude oil. While South Koreas land storage capacity has been filled up, the Singapore Strait is full of tankers carrying fuel as demand has slumped and as land storage in the region has diminished, analysts and analytics firm tell Bloomberg. Elsewhere in Asia, in Indias nationwide lockdown to contain the pandemic, demand for oil in the country has plunged while storage capacity fills up. Due to plummeting fuel demand and overflowing storage capacity, at least three oil refiners in India have asked for lower crude oil imports for May from the Middle East, including from the worlds top exporter, Saudi Arabia, officials at the refiners told Reuters last week. With demand collapsing, Indias oil refiners have already filled 95 percent of their combined storage capacity for fuel of 85 million barrels, officials at three state oil refiners told Bloomberg last week. Even the tanks at the 66,000 fuel stations in India are full, as more than a billion people are under lockdown and not driving. In the first two weeks of April, Indias consumption of gasoline and dieselmore than half of the countrys oil demandcrashed by over 60 percent, according to Bloomberg estimates. According to Goldman Sachs, the oil market is set to test the limits of the global storage capacity within three to four weeks. As much as 20 percent of the worlds oil production needs to be shut in so that supply and demand could balance in the short term, Goldman Sachs said in a note carried by Bloomberg. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: By Lambert Strether of Corrente. Patient readers, this is a bit short. I had a household issue to deal with, and I have a post to finish. Still, I think theres plenty to discuss! #COVID19 At reader request, Ive added this daily chart: The data is the John Hopkins CSSE data. Here is the site. I have changed to a logarithmic scale for US States and territories. New Yorks growth regresses from 1.0 back to 1.02. * * * See Vice, How to Read the Coronavirus Graphs: Quantities that grow exponentially, when depicted on a linear scale, look like curves that bend sharply upward, with the curve getting constantly steeper. On a log scale, exponentially growing values can be depicted with straight diagonal lines. Thats the beauty of plotting things on log scales. Plots are meant to make things easy to understand, and we humans are much more adept at understanding linear, straight-line behavior. Log plots enable us to grasp exponential behavior by transferring the complexity of constantly steepening curves into the simplicity of an exponentially increasing scale. On a log scale, we want to constantly be making the line more and more horizontal. The general concept of flattening is still a good one, but its never going to curve down. And so what we should be looking, and hoping for is a trend toward horizontal. Politics But what is government itself, but the greatest of all reflections on human nature? James Madison, Federalist 51 They had one weapon left and both knew it: treachery. Frank Herbert, Dune They had learned nothing, and forgotten nothing. Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Perigord * * * 2020 Biden (D)(1): Im truly baffled by this video: Jill Biden: "I've seen the heart of this nation. And though it's been tested and tried by division it still beats with generosity, kindness, and courage." pic.twitter.com/IqgE6urZqW The Hill (@thehill) April 26, 2020 What message does this convey other than that Biden cant function without being propped up by his wife? (Also, the heart of this nation is a category. Nations are not sentient beings, any more than governments are households. Trump (D)(1): Focus group: Ohio swing voters want Trump to act more like a governor [Axios]. Asked for the leadership qualities they admire in other governors around the country managing the crisis, these voters offered words including patience, sympathetic and sincere and praised leaders who appear to fight passionately to protect their constituents. By contrast, they described Trump as lackadaisical with his words, not always sounding the most educated, and being all over the place. These voters hadnt entirely abandoned Trump they signaled they wouldnt blame him for an economic recession triggered by the virus. Lackadaisical. Ouch. Trump (D)(2): "The transcripts show striking patterns and repetitions in the messages he has conveyed, revealing a display of presidential hubris and self-pity unlike anything historians say they have seen before." @jwpetersNYT @elainaplott @maggieNYT https://t.co/ODj16YOonB pic.twitter.com/PKqn6UoXTt John Schwartz (@jswatz) April 27, 2020 Ya know [lambert blushes modestly], I was color coding Obamas speeches back in 2013 (example). If the Times had put a similar level of effort into doing the same thing back then, this might be a happier, safer, saner world. * * * Brenda Jones Took Illegal Campaign Cash from Donors Doing Business with the City of Detroit [The Intercept]. DETROIT CITY COUNCIL President and former U.S. Rep. Brenda Jones accepted campaign contributions that violate state rules against pay-to-play activity, according to a review of campaign finance records and interviews with ethics experts. During her 2017 bid for reelection to city council, Jones accepted $5,500 in campaign contributions from then-First Independence Bank Chair and CEO Barry Clay, and an additional $4,000 in campaign contributions from First Independence Bank board member Douglas Diggs. The donations occurred as First Independence had a contract with the Detroit police and fire pension fund, of which Jones, as president of the city council, is a trustee. First Independence runs a loan program for the pension fund. Now, Jones is running in a competitive race against incumbent Rep. Rashida Tlaib. The Democrats are just trolling us, arent they? Realignment and Legitimacy Believe Science Is a Bad Response to Denialism [Kate Aronoff, The New Republic]. However steady and reassuring their tone of voice, the technocrats in chief liberals are now lusting after dont offer a path away from right-wing plutocracy. Besting the likes of Mitch McConnell and the Koch apparatuswhether on Covid-19 or the climatewont come down to proving them wrong with enough science. Itll mean calling out and taking on the corporations whose best interests are served by spreading doubt and disinformationa task the Andrew Cuomos and Angela Merkels of the world have never seemed up to. Yup. See The New Yorker article I linked to this morning; Trust the PMC! is the unmistakable message. Now, as it happens, following the progress of scientists on #COVID-19, I mostly do (within reason). But in general? Like macro-economics departments? Really? Anyhow, which science? Aronoff is a bit more forthcomine in her tweet: I wrote about the cringe authoritarianism of liberals being horny for expert manager-types and "Science" https://t.co/I2rtKWMSwV Kate Aronoff (@KateAronoff) April 27, 2020 Cringe authoritarianism of liberals. Ouch. Hertzberg walks it back: As somebody or other once said, I was being sarcastic. https://t.co/taWin3O4bx Hendrik Hertzberg (@RickHertzberg) April 27, 2020 First, Hertzberg very well knows he was being ironic, not sarcastic. So were dealing with bad faith snark, not a clarification for engaged readers. Second, see Biden immediately below; I would bet that Hertzbergs tweet is, as it were, The Talk of the Town, at least in the Manhattan liberal Democrats circles which Hertzberg frequents and for which he speaks. Third, liberal Democrats have form: What on earth was RussiaGate, from the very beginning, but a soft coup that failed? * * * Biden Steps Up Warnings of Possible Trump Disruption of Election [New York Times]. Mark my words, I think he is going to try to kick back the election somehow, come up with some rationale why it cant be held, Mr. Biden said at a fund-raiser, according to a news media pool report. Mr. Trump, he suggested, is trying to let the word out that hes going to do all he can to make it very hard for people to vote. Thats the only way he thinks he can possibly win. And: It very much is reflecting the fear that a lot of people have about how President Trump is going to respond later in the year to this election, especially if he continues to see his polls drop, and if he continues to flail and lash out, said Chuck Hagel , who served as defense secretary in the Obama administration and before that as a Republican senator from Nebraska, and who hosted Mr. Biden at a fund-raiser this month. Chuck Hagel should know! From Mother Jones, Diebolds Political Machine, back in the stone ages of 2004: While Diebold has received the most attention, it actually isnt the biggest maker of computerized election machines. That honor goes to Omaha-based ES&S, and its Republican roots may be even stronger than Diebolds. The firm, which is privately held, began as a company called Data Mark, which was founded in the early 1980s by Bob and Todd Urosevich. In 1984, brothers William and Robert Ahmanson bought a 68 percent stake in Data Mark, and changed the companys name to American Information Services (AIS). Then, in 1987, McCarthy & Co, an Omaha investment group, acquired a minority share in AIS. In 1992, investment banker Chuck Hagel, president of McCarthy & Co, became chairman of AIS. Hagel, who had been touted as a possible Senate candidate in 1993, was again on the list of likely GOP contenders heading into the 1996 contest. In January of 1995, while still chairman of ES&S, Hagel told the Omaha World-Herald that he would likely make a decision by mid-March of 1995 . On March 15, according to a letter provided by Hagels Senate staff, he resigned from the AIS board, noting that he intended to announce his candidacy. A few days later, he did just that. A little less than eight months after steppind down as director of AIS, Hagel surprised national pundits and defied early polls by defeating Benjamin Nelson, the states popular former governor. It was Hagels first try for public office. Nebraska elections officials told The Hill that machines made by AIS probably tallied 85 percent of the votes cast in the 1996 vote , although Nelson never drew attention to the connection. Hagel won again in 2002, by a far healthier margin. That vote is still angrily disputed by Hagels Democratic opponent, Charlie Matulka, who did try to make Hagels ties to ES&S an issue in the race and who asked that state elections officials conduct a hand recount of the vote. That request was rebuffed, because Hagels margin of victory was so large. As might be expected, Hagel has been generously supported by his investment partners at McCarthy & Co. since he first ran, Hagel has received about $15,000 in campaign contributions from McCarthy & Co. executives. And Hagel still owns more than $1 million in stock in McCarthy & Co., which still owns a quarter of ES&S. Again, the Democrats are just trolling us. And as always, the question of who counts the votes is paramount and oddly, never raised in the vote-by-mail discourse. Vote by Mail in Wisconsin Helped a Liberal Candidate, Upending Old Theories [New York Times]. The liberal candidate in Wisconsins hard-fought State Supreme Court race this month prevailed in voting by mail by a significant margin, upending years of study showing little advantage to either party when a state transitions from in-person to mail voting. The gap suggests that Democrats were more organized and proactive in their vote-by-mail efforts in an election conducted under extraordinary circumstances, with voters forced to weigh the health risks of voting in person against the sometimes unreliable option of requesting and mailing in their ballots. Note the lack of agency in forced to weigh, which carefully airbrushes Bidens role in encouraging voters to vote in person (40, at least, were likely to have been infected) and then flip flopping immediately afterwards, saying his gut, apparently inoperative before the primary, told him that was a bad idea once he had collected his delegates. States rush to prepare for huge surge of mail voting [Politico]. A huge surge in voting by mail is coming whether states prepare for it or not and without clear direction from the federal government, states are preparing to muscle through their own changes to get ready for the glut of mail ballots coming their way in November. But election experts warn that states dont have time to wait for Congress to appropriate more money for election aid, so secretaries of state have started seeking advice and guidance from counterparts in states that run predominantly mail-in elections, like Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon, Utah and Washington. * * * Its George Wallaces World Now [Jonathan Rauch, The Atlantic]. His loyalty is to himself, not to his party or any ideology. He glories in violating political norms. [Excellent invective omitted.] The politician I speak of is, of course, George Corley Wallace. Today more than ever, Trumps outrageous style, unprecedented rule-breaking, and sheer weirdness make him seem a radical discontinuity, a bizarre anomaly who came out of nowhere. Although that interpretation is not entirely wrong, it is not really right, either. Equally true, if not more so, is that Trump is a radical continuity, merely the most florid and successful avatar of a white-populist movement that has built strength and solidarity over more than half a century, mostly under elites radar. In that sense, Trumps basethe base that catapulted him from reality TV to the most powerful office in the worlddoes not really belong to the Republican Party. In fact, it does not even belong to Trump. Rather, he is renting itor perhaps it is renting him. Either way, he is not the first in the series, and he wont be the last. We can foresee that unless something changes in American political culture and civil life, says Dan Carter, a historian and Wallace biographer, were doomed to deal with Trumps, whether theyre this Donald Trump or future Donald Trumps, for the next generation. Thank George Wallace for that. Unless something changes. As it surely will, in a Biden White House. Stats Watch At reader request, I added some business stats back in. Please give Econintersect click-throughs; theyre a good, old-school blog that covers more than stats. If anybody knows of other aggregators, please contact me at the email address below. * * * The Fed: A useful index? Rereading Philip Mirowski's 'Never Let a Serious Crisis Go to Waste', I'd forgotten about this brilliant graph on the frequency of (possibly nervous) laughter in meetings of the Federal Reserve in the lead-up to the financial crisis of 08-09: pic.twitter.com/IsCln5Ln4Z Politics Theory Other podcast (@poltheoryother) April 19, 2020 Makes me wonder what wed get if we cranked CalPERS transcripts through the same software. * * * Todays Fear & Greed Index: 42 Fear (previous close: 38 Fear) [CNN]. One week ago: 41 (Fear). (0 is Extreme Fear; 100 is Extreme Greed). Last updated Apr 27 at 1:31pm Rapture Index: Closes up 1 on Oil Supply/Price. Oil traded with a negative price for the first time ever. [Rapture Ready]. Record High, October 10, 2016: 189. Current: 186. Remember that bringing on the rapture is a good thing. The Biosphere Plate tectonics may have started 400 million years earlier than we thought [Science News]. Modern plate tectonics may have gotten under way as early as 3.2 billion years ago, about 400 million years earlier than scientists thought. That, in turn, suggests that the movement of large pieces of Earths crust could have played a role in making the planet more hospitable to life [I]t is clear that plate tectonics is currently closely tied to the biosphere, he added. It promotes chemical reactions between once-buried rocks and the atmosphere that can modulate the planets climate over millions to billions of years. So if [plate tectonics] happened on the early Earth, these processes were likely playing a part in the evolution of life, Brenner said. The Arctic Ocean May Not Be a Reliable Carbon Sink [Eos]. Historically, scientists have believed that the Arctic Ocean will be an important carbon sink in the coming yearsice melt will increase the surface area thats exposed to the air, facilitating carbon uptake from the atmosphere, and cold Arctic waters can store more carbon dioxide (CO2) than warmer waters. Or at least thats what was supposed to happen. But scientists have begun to suspect that this might not be the case, and new research suggests that the Arctic Ocean is, in fact, not as reliable a carbon sink as we thought. Using data from three research cruises (in 1994, 2005, and 2015), scientists were able to chart how the physical properties of the Arctic Ocean (including total alkalinity, temperature, and dissolved inorganic carbon) changed over time. Over the course of the past 20 years, the amount of dissolved inorganic carbon in Arctic waters has unexpectedly decreased. Health Care Both these systems approaches are worth reading in full. Frankly, Im not sure that Federalism, as we understand it, is suitable for handling pandemics. America Is Not Set Up For This [HuffPo]. Americas political institutions had all the information they needed to avert disaster. So why didnt they?. Patrick Roberts, a Rand Corporation researcher and the author of Disasters and the American State, pointed out that Americas disaster response infrastructure has always conceived of disasters as local, short-term events But its not just the number and size of disasters that explains Americas sluggish response to the coronavirus. It is their increasing complexity. Federal disaster relief is split between 17 agencies and 300 programs. And thats disaster preparedness in general. Pandemic preparedness is even harder to track due to its intersection with Americas for-profit health care system. As market competitors, hospitals have little reason to collaborate on stockpiles or staff training. Due to the lack of centralized data, federal officials dont know which clinics have which equipment. The Democrat theory of the case is that poor leadership (i.e., Trump) is the problem. I dont buy it. If the Democrats as an opposition party were capable of forming a functional team to address the crisis, they would already have done so. And I dont buy that the Democrats bring anything to the table other than better public relations. I mean, Larry Summers. Again. Really? Why The Warning That Coronavirus Was On The Move In U.S. Cities Came So Late [National Public Radio]. To speed the project along, the CDCs plan was for cities to piggyback on their well-established flu-tracking programs. Patient samples were already being tested for influenza strains. The agency would provide coronavirus tests for a subset of those patients to see if the coronavirus outbreak was spreading undetected. But that quick start to the project was far from quick in most places. Fully five weeks later contrary to statements from top CDC officials only one of those cities had in hand any results from completed coronavirus tests, according to an investigation by NPR. Challenges with the CDCs coronavirus tests, struggles with logistics, clashes between federal and state officials and even hospitals fears of being stigmatized as a source of infection all cost valuable time in controlling the spread of the coronavirus across the U.S., sources tell NPR. * * * How Denmark Dumped Medical Malpractice and Improved Patient Safety [Pro Publica]. Hamberg, the head liver specialist at Rigshospitalet, the Danish national hospital, soon found something troubling. The hospitals electronic prescribing system was mistakenly prompting doctors to give the drug, methotrexate, for daily use when it is safely taken only once or twice a week. Patients throughout Denmark were being poisoned, Hamberg learned, thanks to the medical error. At his hospital, Hamberg made sure prescribing protocols were fixed and doctors and patients were informed. The problem quickly abated. Hamberg was able to rapidly see a dangerous pattern because of something that doesnt exist in the United States: A comprehensive national program to compensate victims of patient harm and to learn from them by collecting and analyzing the data their experiences provide. Yeah, but how would we upcode? Games Water Groves of Academe Maybe I should have filed this under Guillotine Watch: Harvard Law School Dean of Students is threatening to punish, suspend, or expel students who participated in a silent protest for a prison divestment campaign. Please sign here to support: https://t.co/Cg6nyCrdmu derecka (@dereckapurnell) April 25, 2020 Guillotine Watch Denver Health Executives Get Bonuses 1 Week After Workers Asked To Take Cuts [CBS Denver]. Top executives at Denver Health Medical Center received significant bonuses this month for their performance in 2019, ranging from $50,000 up to $230,000, one week after frontline hospital workers were asked to voluntarily take leave without pay or reduce their hours as the hospital dealt with the financial downturn resulting from the coronavirus pandemic. On April 3, Denver Health CEO Robin Wittenstein emailed hospital workers noting the current situation will stress us financially.' Us, lol. Class Warfare Why Americans Dont Vote Their Class Anymore [Eric Levitz, New York Magazine]. [O]nce workers stop organizing into unions, and stop voting on the basis of class identity, they cease to be many in the operative sense. Both major parties become intra-class coalitions in which working peoples interests as workers are either balanced against those of corporate coalition partners (as in the Democratic Party) or ignored (as in the GOP). Meanwhile, absent the concentration of working people into one dominant partisan coalition, Americas veto-point-laden legislative institutions and the tendency of staggered presidential and midterm elections to produce divided government render large-scale reform of any kind a Herculean task. Put all these considerations together, and it seems less than coincidental that the decline of class-based voting in the U.S. (and Britain and France) has corresponded with an upsurge in income and wealth inequality. So, the left is right to lament class depolarization. But some left-wing accounts of how this development came about, what implications it has for contemporary electoral politics, and how the working class can be brought home are less convincing. Interesting read I have to think about. Once again, however, I think that the post mortems for the Sanders defeat, as opposed to the distinct lack of post mortems for the Clinton defeat I mean serious post mortems, not propaganda exercises like RussiaGate shows that the political culture of the left is healthier than that of liberals. FWIW, since nobody ever took power on the basis of their heatlhy political culture. The Amazon Lockdown: How an Unforgiving Algorithm Drives Suppliers to Favor the E-Commerce Giant Over Other Retailers [Pro Publica]. At a time when much of the retail sector is collapsing, Amazon is strengthening its competitive position in ways that could outlast the pandemic and that could raise antitrust concerns. Increasingly, manufacturers of in-demand products are catering to Amazon, while competing retailers take the leftovers, consultants and brand executives told ProPublica. Amazon has the power to bury sellers and suppliers if they dont comply, said Sally Hubbard, director of enforcement strategy at Open Markets Institute, a think tank that has been critical of Amazon and other big tech companies. It might be automated through an algorithm, but its still the wrath of the monopolist that they are afraid of. Amazon is able to cut off its competitors access to inventory by leveraging its monopoly power.' Last I heard, the United States did just fine in the days of the Sears, Roebuck catalog when offices ran on paper. Why dont we just go into Butlerian Jihad mode and take Beff Bezoss computers away from him. But we wouldnt be able to run our complex global supply chain! Yes, and? https://aeon.co/essays/meet-jack-tar-the-sailor-with-a-nation-in-his-calloused-hands News of the Wired Good for him: Hey all I'm a busboy laid off due to the pandemic. Before all this, I wrote an ebook of poems about low wage work in Cleveland, Ohio. I'm on week six of filing for unemployment and none has come, so if you want a quick read about capitalism from a worker's perspective, buy it! brendan joyce (@nicetryofficer) April 23, 2020 This seems to be a sample: I wrote this for my fellow addicts, and I want you to have it whether you get the book or not pic.twitter.com/CsNKx4En3W brendan joyce (@nicetryofficer) April 27, 2020 Ive read a good deal of modern academic, workshopped poetry. This, thankfully, is not that. * * * Readers, feel free to contact me at lambert [UNDERSCORE] strether [DOT] corrente [AT] yahoo [DOT] com, with (a) links, and even better (b) sources I should curate regularly, (c) how to send me a check if you are allergic to PayPal, and (d) to find out how to send me images of plants. Vegetables are fine! Fungi and coral are deemed to be honorary plants! If you want your handle to appear as a credit, please place it at the start of your mail in parentheses: (thus). Otherwise, I will anonymize by using your initials. See the previous Water Cooler (with plant) here . Todays plant (Carla): Carla writes: April snow. Beware! * * * : Water Cooler is a standalone entity not covered by the annual NC fundraiser. So if you see a link you especially like, or an item you wouldnt see anywhere else, please do not hesitate to express your appreciation in tangible form. Remember, a tip jar is for tipping! Regular positive feedback both makes me feel good and lets me know Im on the right track with coverage. When I get no donations for five or ten days I get worried. More tangibly, a constant trickle of donations helps me with expenses, and I factor in that trickle when setting fundraising goals: Here is the screen that will appear, which I have helpfully annotated. If you hate PayPal, you can email me at lambert [UNDERSCORE] strether [DOT] corrente [AT] yahoo [DOT] com, and I will give you directions on how to send a check. Thank you! Senior IAS officer Amit Khare on Monday took charge as the secretary of the Information and Broadcasting (I&B) ministry, a vital move, as the government is increasingly focussing on adopting the right communication strategy as the country prepares to move into the next phase in the battle against coronavirus. This is the second time that the Jharkhand-cadre 1985-batch IAS officer will work at the helm of the I&B ministry. He had occupied the position before being made Secretary (School Education) in the Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD). At present, Khare also holds charge as Secretary (Higher Education) in the HRD ministry. On Monday, Khare took charge of the ministry in the afternoon and met all the key officers. The return of the veteran officer to the I&B ministry, which decides the Union governments communication outreach, is important as the government has been trying to spread awareness about the tough decisions it has been forced to take following the Covid-19 outbreak. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been at the forefront of this information outreach as he has repeatedly made television addresses and held interactions to communicate the governments perspective on the situation. On Sunday, in his Mann Ki Baat address, PM Modi had once again focussed on coronavirus and warned against any complacency. With the government focussing on hotspots and devising different strategies for different districts depending upon their situation, the I&B ministry is also working to tweak its strategy to localized needs, which considering the diversity is a challenge. Another challenge that the ministry has been facing is the unending stream of fake news and untruths that have swamped social media sites. The appointment of Khare also comes at a time when the media, be it newspapers, broadcasters or the cinema industry have all been hit hard. Representatives of these sectors have repeatedly approached the government about the adverse impact their advertisement revenues as well as circulation mechanisms have suffered. In an order on Sunday, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) headed by the prime minister made several key changes including bringing Khare into the I&B ministry in place of Ravi Mittal, who has been made secretary sports. CBSE chairperson Anita Karwal has been made School Education secretary in the HRD ministry, a charge Khare held. SACRAMENTO, Calif. Colorado Governor Jared Polis and Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak announced their states are joining California, Oregon, and Washington in the Western States Pact. The pact is a group of western state governors that share a vision for modifying stay-at-home orders and fighting the coronavirus. COVID-19 doesnt follow state or national boundaries, and it will take every level of government, working together to get the upper hand on this virus, Governor Gavin Newsom said. RELATED: Washington, Oregon, California announce coronavirus pact Gov. Newsom, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown, and Washington Gov. Jay Inslee recently announced they would be working together under a shared vision for gradually modifying their states stay at home orders and fighting COVID-19. They listed three shared principles as foundational to the agreement: First, residents health comes first. As home to nearly one in five Americans and gateway to the rest of the world, the West Coast has an outsized stake in controlling and ultimately defeating COVID-19, said Gov. Newsom. Secondly, health outcomes and science not politics will guide the governors' decisions. Modifications to their states stay-at-home orders must be made based off their understanding of the total health impacts of COVID-19. RELATED: Local leaders send California governor letter to reopen 6 North State counties Thirdly, the states will only be effective by working together, the governors said in a press release. Each state is set to work with its local leaders and communities within its borders to understand whats happening on the ground and adhere to our agreed-upon approach. Fifteen people tested positive for COVID-19 in Jharkhand on Sunday, the highest single-day jump in the number of cases so far, officials said. The total number of COVID-19 positive cases in the state has now gone up to 82, they said. The Director of the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences, Dr D K Singh, said 15 samples tested positive during the day. For latest updates and live news on coronavirus, click here Thirteen people have been cured so far, while two patients have died. One person died after testing negative due to comorbidity or other reasons, but before being discharged, according to the state health department. Of the 15 fresh COVID-19 cases, 13 are from Ranchi and two from Garhwa, officials said. Ranchi Deputy Commissioner Rai Mahimapat Ray said, "There are some rumours regarding the positive cases that came up today... among the cases, three are connected with Hindpiri, one is a nurse from Sadar hospital, one is a district administration employee and another is a labourer hired by administration, who works in the Command and Control Room." Contact tracing was on, Ray said, adding that inquiry of all the people who had come in contact with the person employed in the Command and Control Room had concluded and they were quarantined. He said secondary contact tracing was also on and they would also be asked to go into home quarantine. The DC said Ranchi has come under the Red Zone for COVID-19, adding that the district administration is waiting for instructions from the state government following the Union home ministry's guidelines on relaxation during the lockdown. Perhaps your reason for wanting to remove the sash yourself is to avoid the risk of exposure during the coronavirus pandemic. There is no way for a glass company to remove the sash from outside of your home. It would be a security risk if windows were made to come apart that way. But you could minimize risk by leaving a map by the front door that shows which windows have problems and asking the window person to wear a mask and gloves. That way, you can stay out of the way while he or she works but not so far away that you cant say thanks as the person leaves. In view of the COVID-19 situation, the Maharashtra cabinet on Monday decided to offer some relaxation to GST payers by amending the state Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017 on the lines of the Centre. The Cabinet cleared the proposal to include Article 168-A in the Maharashtra GST Act, 2017 on the lines of the Centre's move dated March 31 this year. "This would enable the state to extend the deadline of payment of the tax," a statement said. The cabinet also decided to convert four lakh litres of milk into powder form, with an outlay of Rs 127 crore, it said. "The milk powder and butter will be sold from NCDFI (National Cooperative Dairy Federation of India) portal as well. The state would offer Rs 25 per kg for milk to powder conversion and Rs 15 per kg for packing of butter," it said. In a respite for farmers, the state government decided to provide further credit supply to farmers, although some of them have failed to repay their previous crop loans, for sowing ahead of the monsoon season. The cabinet also allowed restructuring of loans and extending repayment deadline to March 31, 2021, it said. The council of ministers also decided to borrow Rs 12,000 crore from the Contingency Fund for the ongoing loan waiver scheme, which will benefit 11.59 lakh more farmers in the state. The cabinet also decided to postpone elections for the posts of mayor and deputy mayor of Nanded-Waghala municipal corporation. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Your tax-deductible gift today powers our reporters and keeps us independent. We rely on you, our reader, not paywalls to stay funded because we believe important news and information should be freely accessible to all. Start your day with LAist Sign up for the Morning Brief, delivered weekdays. Subscribe A teacher in Washington, D.C., holds virtual office hours at his apartment to help his sixth-grade students with assignments on April 7, 2020. (Photo: Alex Edelman/AFP via Getty Images) Our news is free on LAist. To make sure you get our coverage: Sign up for our daily coronavirus newsletter. To support our non-profit public service journalism: Donate Now. On April 13, high school math teacher Sonia Farassati went on a hunt for a motherlode of missing homework. At the time, almost half of Farassati's students had failed to turn in at least three assignments -- a rate way higher than normal, especially at a magnet school such as Kennedy High in Granada Hills. So Farassati sent text messages to the parents of 57 students with missing work. In response, she said one parent offered an explanation for her son: "His older sibling told him he doesn't need to do anything because they're going to pass regardless." 'HOW ARE WE GOING TO MOTIVATE THESE KIDS?' Farassati got this message on the same day the Los Angeles Unified School District announced its new student grading policy: None of the district's 472,000 students will get an "F" this semester. No overall grade will drop lower than where it stood in March, when the coronavirus pandemic forced campuses to close. "Students can work to improve their grades," LAUSD Superintendent Austin Beutner said in a televised speech. "But we don't want to penalize those who may not have access to technology, or maybe experiencing difficulties at home." icon DON'T MISS ANY L.A. CORONAVIRUS NEWS Get our daily newsletters for the latest on COVID-19 and other top local headlines. Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Most California colleges -- both public and private -- have already decided to accept "pass-fail" grades from classes disrupted by the pandemic. With that assurance, many school districts -- including LAUSD -- have opted to relax their grading policies, nodding to the uncertainty faced by both students and teachers. Farassati, who's taught for 21 years, understands that this is a tough time. But she also wondered: by instituting a "no-fail" grading policy, did LAUSD effectively end her students' semester? "A lot of teachers are concerned about this," she said. "How are we going to motivate these kids to get anything done?" 'I TAKE CARE OF MY BROTHER HERE' On the other hand, Brent Smiley, a teacher at LAUSD's Sherman Oaks Center for Enriched Studies, said grades are the last thing on many of his students' minds. Smiley invited KPCC/LAist to log into a Zoom meeting of his eighth grade history class. After Smiley assigned the week's work, several of his students weighed in on LAUSD's new grading policy. "Both of my parents are still working," said one eighth grader, "and I take care of my brother here... and there is..." As the student spoke, her Zoom connection started to lag. Her words distorted and digitally frayed -- and not for the first time, Smiley said. (We're withholding the names of Smiley's students to protect their privacy.) "I'm suddenly coming to understand that her internet connectivity is shaky at best," Smiley observed. Between shaky internet, caring for siblings, stressful home environments, unclear academic expectations and calamity in the world, Smiley said many of his students face too many barriers to meaningfully participate in distance learning. "When the kids are in my classroom, I can level the playing field," Smiley added. "I can make sure that everyone at least has the same opportunity in the classroom. I can't do that when they're at home." "Some of these kids are trapped," he said. "That's what the 'no-fail' [grading system] is about." A gate is locked at Huntington Drive Elementary School, an L.A. Unified campus in northeast Los Angeles on April 22, 2020. The campus has been closed since March 13 due to the coronavirus. (Kyle Stokes/LAist) THE DILEMMA Grading students has always created dilemmas, said LAUSD Chief Academic Officer Alison Yoshimoto-Towery. Even in normal times, scholars have argued that the traditional grading system locks in achievement gaps and subjects students to implicit bias. During the pandemic, various districts are navigating the dilemma of grading in different ways: Long Beach Unified elementary students will not receive report cards at all this semester. Middle and high school students will receive pass-fail grades. Corona-Norco Unified students grades' can only improve from their March level -- similar to LAUSD's hold-harmless policy. students grades' can only improve from their March level -- similar to LAUSD's hold-harmless policy. Santa Ana Unified will likely revisit its grading policies soon. While details are still in the works, Superintendent Jerry Almendarez told students in a video update: "We don't want you stressing out about your grades." will likely revisit its grading policies soon. While details are still in the works, Superintendent Jerry Almendarez told students in a video update: "We don't want you stressing out about your grades." On the other hand, San Bernardino City Unified has not changed its grading policies or practices, spokeswoman Linda Bardere said in an email. LAUSD's Yoshimoto-Towery said all of these choices come with trade-offs. "I can almost guarantee you," she recently said on KPCC's AirTalk, "that if we went with a 'fail' policy, we would have an equal number of people that would be questioning that." STUDENTS WEIGH IN Smiley's students understand the dilemma, too. As one of his eighth graders put it: There are healthcare workers that are just trying to help us all out. [Their] kids don't have the chance to get their work done -- and the workload is just a lot more in total than what it was when we went to school ... At the same time, I think it's bad because ... the kids who don't even try are getting the credit. "People shouldn't take it as a get-out-of-jail-free card," one of her classmates added. Another student in Smiley's class said LAUSD's decision to hold grades harmless was particularly important: If people who were doing their work earlier in the year and they get sick, or they aren't able to do it for some reason ... their grades won't go down. Smiley agreed that this decision was important. "To me, this is an insurance policy," Smiley said, "just to make sure nobody slips through the cracks." A student comes with their parent to pick up food at the Hollenbeck Middle School Grab and Go Food Center. (Chava Sanchez/Laist) 'WE'LL FIX IT WHEN WE'RE BACK' In mid-April, at around the same time Kennedy teacher Sonia Farassati was hounding parents, she also sent a long text message to her students. She pleaded with them to keep up in her math classes. "It's not just the grade," she told them. "You need to learn these materials to be successful in the next math class. "Even if you pass and get so-called A's and B's," she warned, "it's going to catch up to you very soon." In the two weeks since, Farassati says many of her students have caught up on their work, cutting the rate of students with missing assignments in half. (No doubt part of the reason why: she's increased the portion of their grade tied to homework.) Farassati also found some peace of mind in an email sent by her union. The message: Don't focus on things you can't control. "Let's focus on teaching," the email said, "and if our students found out about the grading policy and choose to check out, then that is theirs and their parent's problem to deal with." And if students do check out? "We'll fix it in August," Smiley said. "When we get back, we'll fix it. "We do this," he said. "We're teachers." The Straits Clan Community Kitchen. (PHOTO: Straits Clan) SINGAPORE Many of Singapores top restaurant chefs including Daniel Sia (The Lo & Behold Group) and Damian DSilva (Kin Restaurant) are leading a community kitchen with support from a team of volunteers from the Straits Clan team to prepare 450 meals per day for migrant workers. Migrant workers comprise the largest community in Singapore with the most urgent need for food support due to the impact of COVID-19. The workers that this community kitchen will feed are currently housed in Goldmine Energy Tuas factory-converted dormitory. Named the Straits Clan Community Kitchen, its volunteer operations are funded by donations to the #HomeForAll campaign, received by the Collective of Migrant Efforts (COME), a part of Hope Initiative Alliance (HIA) which is a registered charity in Singapore. Donations are used to purchase ingredients for the 450 meals which will be prepared daily for a week from today (7 April) until 4 May. Volunteers prepare potato pirattal. (PHOTO: Straits Clan) Other chefs from The Lo & Behold Group who are contributing include Julien Royer (Odette), Keirin Buck (Le Bon Funk) and Shigeru Koizumi (Esora) and the wider Singapore F&B community such as chefs Jason Tan (prev. Corner House), Annette Tan (FatFuku), Willin Low (Relish, Roketto), LG Han (Labyrinth) and Rishi Naleendra (Cloudstreet, Cheek Bistro) who are kindly sharing recipes and expertise. The meals are prepared with balanced nutrition and comforting, familiar tastes to bring comfort to the migrant workers. Each meal prepped costs no more than S$2, which follows the budget set by the government in order to qualify meal supplies for funding. Straits Clan Community Kitchen worked with a partner, Ugly Food, a sustainable company that aims to reduce food wastage in supply chains to make this happen. For more information, visit the Straits Clan Community Kitchen page here. Migrant labourers in Hisar are getting trained in utility and repair works under the skill development training programme, officials said on Monday. Eighty-seven migrants are learning how to repair air-conditioners, plumbing and carpentry among other utility works. They are being provided with food at Surya Palace in Hisar city. Hisar deputy commissioner Priyanka Soni on Monday visited the shelter house and interacted with the migrant labourers. While talking with mediapersons, Soni said, The migrant labourers are getting many facilities like TV, yoga classes, proper food and drinking water. Besides, they are being taught plumbing, carpentry and AC repairing with the help of Industrial Training Institute (ITI) experts. These migrants who mainly belong to Uttar Pradesh (UP), Bihar and Rajasthan had been working in different parts of Haryana and Punjab. They are staying in shelter homes after the nationwide lockdown was announced. DC Soni said, After getting proper training, they will able to earn a better living. At the shelter home, we told everyone to implement social distancing and take preventive measures amid the coronavirus pandemic. Raj Kumar, a migrant labourer from Uttar Pradesh said, This is a good initiative by the local administration. When the lockdown period is over, we will be able to put this knowledge into practice and earn a better living. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has described President Muhammadu Buhari as a shy person who dislikes public show. ... The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has described President Muhammadu Buhari as a shy person who dislikes public show. Amaechi made the remark while disclosing why Buhari has not commissioned Itakpe-Warri rail line after it was completed. He spoke during an interview with Dele Momodu, Publisher of Ovation Magazine. According to Amaechi: Now the project is ready for Commissioning but because of Coronavirus everything is on hold. And you know the President is a shy person. He doesnt like public show. What he said is that lets just focus on our achievements and by the time we leave office people will see what we have done but some of us are insisting that we commission some of our projects. We have decided to name it after former President Goodluck Jonathan. " " Wikimedia Commons/CC BY 4.0 This 16th-century painting by Hieronymus Bosch shows an angel leading a soul to hell. What do you believe about heaven and hell? Even if you're not religious, it's hard to escape the pull of these two opposing fates awaiting mankind after death: eternal paradise and joy in the clouds or eternal damnation and despair in the fiery depths. The concept of hell is present in many religions such as the Mesopotamian religions from the third century B.C.E., as well as in Roman and Greek mythology (Hades, anyone?). Islam, Buddhism and Hinduism all acknowledge the existence of a hell, too. But for the purposes of this article, we'll concentrate on the Judeo-Christian concept of hell. Where did our collective Western image of hell come from? And has it always been the same since the very beginning? Not at all, says Jeffrey Trumbower, a professor of religious studies at St. Michael's College in Burlington, Vermont and author of "Rescue for the Dead: The Posthumous Salvation of Non-Christians in Early Christianity." "There's hardly any conception of the afterlife in the Hebrew Bible," says Trumbower, referring to the books that largely comprise the Old Testament in Christianity. Compared to the ancient Egyptians, whose 'Book of the Dead' and 'Book of Gates' present robust visions of what awaits us after death, the people of Palestine hardly gave it a thought. In rare passages, the Hebrew Bible gives glimpses of Sheol, the Hebrew underworld, as a dull shadowy existence, a neutral storage place for all of the dead, both good and evil. In the book of 1 Samuel 28:7-24, for example, a troubled Saul wants to speak to the dead prophet Samuel, so he consults a witch or medium who can summon the dead. "The woman said, "I see a ghostly figure[a] coming up out of the earth." "What does he look like?" [Saul] asked. "An old man wearing a robe is coming up," she said. Then Saul knew it was Samuel, and he bowed down and prostrated himself with his face to the ground. Samuel said to Saul, "Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?" For Trumbower, it's striking that Samuel, "a great prophet and certainly a righteous person," was not living in some kind of heavenly paradise, but instead grumpily arose "out of the earth" as if he'd been awoken from a long nap. In the ancient Hebrew imagination, Sheol was a single dumping ground for all the world's dead. So where do we first get the idea of divine judgment, of God separating the good from the evil and sentencing them to opposing fates? The earliest biblical mention is in the book of Daniel 12:2 written around 165 B.C.E., in which the prophet is given a vision of the Day of Judgment. "Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt." Rather than a neutral afterlife, Daniel gives us the first description of what historian Alan Bernstein calls "moral death," where your eternal fate depends on how you lived your life. Trumbower says that by the first century C.E., the idea of a final judgement where God metes out different rewards and punishments was widespread within Judaism. "When you have the Jesus movement [Jews who decided to follow Jesus], they're already steeped in this kind of stuff," says Trumbower. Advertisement A New Kind of Hell In the New Testament, Jesus and his disciples introduce a new term for hell, the Hebrew word Gehenna. According to Jewish tradition, Gehenna was a valley outside of the city walls of Jerusalem that doubled as a trash dump, where garbage was continually burned. "It was a foul, dank, smelly place, so it became a word used for this hellish fiery pit where people are tormented," says Trumbower. But when the New Testament talks about hell, it still mostly envisions hell as the place where evildoers are sent only after the Day of Judgment, not directly after death. Take the Gospel of Matthew, for example, in which Jesus shares the parable of the sheep and the goats, in which the "King" separates the good and the evil in the last days as a shepherd separates his sheep from the goats. "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels." There is, however, one striking example in the gospels of hell as the place where the bad guys are sent right after they die to be tortured for their sins. It's the story of the rich man and the beggar Lazarus found in Chapter 16 of the Gospel of Luke. In the tale, the rich man feasts while Lazarus subsists on the scraps that fall from his table, dogs licking his open sores. When both men die, Lazarus the beggar is "carried to Abraham's side" in heaven and the rich man is sent the opposite way. "In Hades, where he was in torment, [the rich man] looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.' "But Abraham replied, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony.'" " " Hell is often depicted as a place of fire in the popular imagination. But do we know what it really is? tombud/pixabay.com The first real graphic descriptions of hell and its torments come outside of the New Testament canon in the Christian apocryphal texts of the second century C.E. One of the most colorful visions of hell is recorded in the Apocalypse of Peter, which was widely known in Christian circles at the time, though not considered part of the biblical canon. After describing heaven as "exceeding bright with light... and the earth itself blooming with unfading flowers and full of spices and plants, fair-flowering and incorruptible and bearing blessed fruit," the author gets into the juicy stuff. Each punishment in hell is fitted to the crime. Murderers were "cast into a certain strait place, full of evil snakes, and smitten by those beasts" while the souls of the murdered looked on with satisfaction. Those who blasphemed and slandered the righteous were forced to "[gnaw] their own lips... and [receive] a red-hot iron in their eyes." The rich who refused the orphans and widows were made to wear "tattered and filthy" garments and to walk endlessly over "pebbles sharper than swords or any spit, red-hot." In modern times, many theologians have downplayed the images of horror and stressed that the worst part of hell is not the snakes and the fire (which are likely not literal) but rather, being separated from God. Advertisement And What About Satan? Satan wasn't always a red demon with horns, cloven feet and a pitchfork. When we first meet him in the Old Testament Book of Job, he's presenting himself to God along with several "sons of God" and comes up with the idea of testing the faith of Job by stripping him of everything he possesses. To the ancient Hebrews, Satan was an adversary, tempter and an accuser of man, but not pure evil, says Trumbower. That later view of Satan, he says, was probably borrowed from Zoroastrianism, the religion of Persia, which ruled over the Jewish people for 200 years from 530 to 330 B.C.E. " " An illustration from "The Vision of Hell," the first part of "The Divine Comedy" (La Divina Commedia) by Dante Alighieri. Many people attribute the image of Satan with a pair of bat wings to this book. Artist: Gustave Dore. Photo by The Print Collector/Getty Images "The Persian religion was dualistic," says Trumbower, "with an ultimate good and an ultimate evil constantly at war. The Persians also believed in an 'end time' and a final conflagration." By the time of Christ, Jesus' Jewish followers would have absorbed this Persian version of Satan as the source of all evil and the chief opposition of God. As for the horns and hooves, that imagery was likely borrowed from pagan gods like Moloch and Pan, and medieval authors like Dante gave Satan bat wings in his "Inferno" to contrast with the feathered wings of the angels. Now That's Interesting In 1031, the Catholic Church formalized the existence of purgatory (from the Latin "to purify"), a temporary place of punishment for "venial" sins not repented for while alive. The Eastern Orthodox Church never accepted purgatory. Nationally, farmers are estimated to plant nearly 97 million acres of corn in 2020, which is up 8% from last year. An analysis released by the National Corn Growers Association this past week showed cash corn prices have declined by 16% on average, with several regions experiencing declines of more than 20%, since March 1 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The analysis projects a $50 per acre revenue decline for the 2019 corn crop. Based on this report and further analysis from the Nebraska Corn Board, corn prices have declined by 20% in Nebraska as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Projections show an average loss of $52 per acre in Nebraska, or nearly $512 million. The COVID-19 pandemic is being felt across all sectors of our economy, said NCGA President Kevin Ross. This analysis clearly illustrates its impact on corn growers and will be beneficial as we work to ensure they have the resources needed to navigate these very difficult times. On Sunday, the official [North] Korean Central News Agency finally published a report claiming that Kim "thanked" construction workers at a new model town in Samjiyon in the northeast but published no pictures to go with it. As speculation ran riot, North Korea neither made an official statement nor published any picture of Kim that would set minds at rest. Kim disappeared from the radar after a meeting on April 11 and has since been rumored to be in a coma after emergency cardiovascular surgery. He was conspicuously absent from an annual ceremony marking the birthday of nation founder Kim Il-sung, and over the weekend what appears to be his personal train was spotted on a satellite picture of Wonsan. North Korea has made no effort for the last two weeks to dispel rumors that leader Kim Jong-un is at death's door. Rumors were fueled by a report in Japan's Asahi Shimbun that Song Tao, the head of the Communist Party of China's International Liaison Department, was in North Korea with around 50 medical experts. But the daily cautioned that there was no proof that the trip was related to Kim's health and may have had to do with combating a possible coronavirus epidemic in North Korea. Some North Korean defectors and experts have said that something clearly appears to be wrong with Kim's health, but they seem no better informed than any other bystanders. Kim is overweight and may suffer from hereditary cardiovascular diseases that also did for his father and grandfather. Other news reports speculate that Kim has gone into isolation due to coronavirus. The quarantine hypothesis is supported by the fact that China has not deployed a huge number of troops along its border with North Korea. If Kim was in critical condition and his grip on power was under threat, Beijing would have bolstered its military presence along the border to maintain stability in the buffer state. But in that event it might have been safer for Kim to stay in Pyongyang, which has better facilities than Wonsan. The website 38 North, which is dedicated to analysis of North Korea, spotted Kim's train parked in Wonsan since April 21, and the South Korean government last week said it believes Kim to be in Wonsan. 38 North cautioned that the train's presence "does not prove the whereabouts of the North Korean leader or indicate anything about his health." Kim has a luxury compound in Wonsan. Some news media have reported that Kim was spotted walking on a beach there, but that could be a stand-in or another portly person. Cheong Wa Dae and the Unification Ministry on Sunday insisted that "no unusual signs" like troop movements have been spotted in North Korea. Vi, a leading national developer, owner and operator of luxury continuing care retirement communities, has been recognized by Chief Learning Officer magazine as a recipient of the 2020 LearningElite designation, as well as the Editors Choice Awards for Learning Impact and Best Small Company. Named among 52 top global organizations honored for excellence in employee development and corporate education, Vi was ranked 3rd overall, alongside companies such as AT&T, Ernst & Young, KPMG and New York Life. This marks the 10th consecutive year that Vi has been named a LearningElite organization by Chief Learning Officer, and the fifth consecutive year that Vi has been recognized among the top five highest-ranked companies. We are honored to celebrate our 10th year of recognition by Chief Learning Officers LearningElite awards, said Judy Whitcomb, Vis Senior Vice President of Human Resources, Learning, and Organizational Development. At Vi, we are deeply committed to providing opportunities for our employees to realize their career goals and professional potential. It is our goal to enable our passionate, hardworking team members to reach their career aspirations and develop their talents through a wide range of learning and developing tools and resources. By investing in our employees, we are able to attract, develop and engage employees. An established developer, owner and manager of high-end senior living communities, Vi has cultivated an award-winning employee learning and development strategy for its nearly 3,000 team members across the U.S. A comprehensive program of training courses and educational opportunities across its resident service, nursing and professional service departments enables Vi to recruit, retain and advance team members company-wide, contributing to high levels of employee satisfaction and superior quality of care for residents. From tuition reimbursement, management and leadership programs, to Rosetta Stone language classes, Vi equips employees with the tools, learning opportunities and support they need to excel in their respective fields. Chief Learning Officer magazines LearningElite program honors the leading organizations for learning and development. This robust, peer-reviewed ranking system recognizes those that employ exemplary workforce development strategies to ensure career satisfaction and deliver significant business results. LearningElite uses advanced evaluation methods to identify global organizations that implement highly effective enterprise education and workforce development practices that measurably move the needle for their business. This comprehensive program allows companies to quantify if workforce development is a driver of employee performance and thus a competitive advantage in the market. More information about the LearningElite awards can be found in Chief Learning Officers June issue, available online at http://www.chieflearningofficer.com. The awards were announced at Chief Learning Officer magazines Spring Symposium on April 22, 2020. To learn more about employment opportunities at Vi, visit http://www.viliving.com. ### About Vi Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, Vi operates 10 continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs) across the United States. With more than 30 years of experience as the owner and operator of residential communities for older adults, Vi continues to work toward providing quality environments, services and programs to enrich the lives of those they serve. Vi is proud to be the recipient of a number of best workplace awards, including Glassdoors 2020 Best Places to Work, and Great Place to Work and Fortunes Best Workplaces for Aging Services. It was a double victory against Covid-19 for a three-month-old child and his 30-year-old mother in Gorakhpur. First, the baby was cured of the deadly disease. Second, the mother managed to keep herself infection-free despite staying with the child in hospital for two weeks, breastfeeding and cleaning him regularly. Doctors said the childs natural immunity, boosted by breastfeeding, helped him win the battle. Except for an initial dose of paracetamol for fever, no medicine was given to the baby, they said. Doctors and officials greeted the mother with cheers and applause, hailing her as a winner, as she stepped out of the Baba Raghav Das Medical College hospitals isolation ward with the child in her lap on Sunday. Gorakhpur district magistrate K Vijyendra Pandian, divisional commissioner Jayant Narlikar and BRD Medical College principal Dr Ganesh Kumar were among those who hailed the womans courage in winning the Covid-19 battle for the baby and keeping herself safe by avoiding infection despite regularly breastfeeding the child. The baby belongs to the family of a 25-year-old Basti grocer, who was the first patient from UP to die of coronavirus on March 30. Thirteen contacts of the grocer, including the baby, tested positive. The mother and baby were tested twice on arrival in hospital on April 12. The woman tested negative while the infant was found asymptomatic but Covid-19 positive. He had no serious complications, except fever. The baby tested positive while the mother was negative when they came to hospital on April 12. The major challenge before the doctors was to cure the baby while ensuring that the mother does not contract the infection. Breastfeeding posed a high risk of infection to her. Thankfully, she remains (Covid-19) negative as she took every preventive measures, he said. Nigeria is desperately in need of testing materials to expand the daily testing capacity for the coronavirus, the director of Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, Chikwe Ihekweazu, said on Sunday. Mr Ihekweazu, who disclosed this on Twitter, also gave specification of the test kits Nigeria was looking for and preferred manufacturers. He wrote: Were desperately looking for more RNA (Ribonucleic Acid) extraction kits as we expand #COVID19 testing. Product: Total viral RNA extraction kits (preferably spin column and with a lysis buffer). Manufacturers: Qiagen, ThermoFischer, SeeGene, Inqaba, LifeRiver etc. The NCDC DGs call for more kits followed growing concerns over the countrys slow-paced testing amid a lockdown that has paralysed economic activities. Official figures of Nigerias coronavirus infections crossed a thousand threshold on Friday, but there are indications the tally could vastly understate the true spread and toll of the contagion due to poor testing capacity. Nigeria has the worst testing coverage in countries with over 1, 000 cases in Africa and anywhere in the world, based on data from worldometer.info. On April 1, the Nigerian government said the national testing capacity was increased from 500 to 1,500 to expand coverage. During a briefing of the Presidential Task Force for COVID-19 in Abuja last Tuesday, the NCDC DG said that the centre would increase the testing capacity to 4000 per day across the country with 2000 samples to be done per day in Lagos State. But the Nigerian Infectious Diseases Society (NIDS) said the country is not meeting the daily target. They are not meeting the target of 1, 500 testing per day, said Usman Abdulrahman, an official of NIDS, a multidisciplinary society of practitioners in the field of infectious diseases. If you are testing 1, 500 on daily bases for more than three weeks, by now you should have tested over 30, 000 people. READ ALSO: Health authorities have conducted over 10,000 tests out of a population of nearly 200 million and found 1, 273 infected persons, including 40 health workers, and 40 deaths. Simply put, one in ten people who get tested for the coronavirus is found to have it. Experts said the country has high test-positivity-rate, meaning that testing is limited for only people with a very high probability of having the infection while those with milder symptoms or none at all could possibly go undercounted. Controversy in Kano over the suspension of testing due to scarcity of test kits and contamination of workers at the states newly established testing centre also painted a picture of poor coverage and gave an insight of what could happen if the contagion is not carefully managed. Although the health minister, Osagie Ehanire, said the testing materials had been made available and the centre will resume operations on Monday, the state has no recorded case for three consecutive days despite being one of the countrys hotspots. Kano, the third hardest hit state, reported 73 infections in about two weeks of confirming its index case, fueling concerns the state could become the countrys new ground zero due to its dense community population. This is especially after scores of unexplained deaths were reported in the ancient city last week, which many suspected to be caused by the coronavirus. None of the persons who died were tested for COVID-19 and majority have already been promptly buried with residents saying some exhibited symptoms of the disease. A 38-year-old Philadelphia man has admitted in federal court to crimes stemming from two voicemails he left last summer threatening to totally destroy Lehigh County and a private law firm in the county, the U.S. Attorneys Office announced Monday. Samuel Meeker pleaded guilty via video teleconference in Reading to two counts of interstate communication of threats. U.S. District Judge Jeffrey L. Schmehl presided over the teleconference. Meeker and the U.S. Attorneys Office agreed to a sentence of time served and three years of supervised released, according to court documents. On July 22 and Aug. 9, Meeker left voicemails at the county solicitors office. In the first voicemail, per investigators, he stated the county is responsible for crimes that allegedly victimized his father. Investigators said the second call was more violent. For my desire for the County of Lehigh to be (stutters) swept from the map, erased from history ... totally destroyed. I mean, absolutely, I mean genocide. The entire County of Lehigh, I desire not to exist," he says, according to a transcript of that voicemail. Later the caller adds expletives and says hes heading to the county office and kicking butts. In an Aug. 11 voicemail left on voicemail at the unidentified law firm, Meeker allegedly threatened force against his fathers personal and estate lawyer and others at the firm. Specific threats of violence like the ones made here must be taken very seriously and deserve an immediate response from law enforcement, said U.S. Attorney William M. McSwain said in a news release. Meeker made vile threats against multiple innocent people, including a public servant. I am thankful to the FBI for their swift handling of this potentially explosive situation. Meeker was initially charged in Lehigh County Court with making terroristic threats and harassment, but the threat charge was upgraded to federal court on Aug. 22. Meeker, who acted as his own attorney, was incarcerated ahead of the guilty plea. Please subscribe now and support the local journalism YOU rely on and trust. Nick Falsone may be reached at nfalsone@lehighvalleylive.com. A last resort against COVID-19 At just 30, Nick Wilson was so sick with the coronavirus that even a ventilator wasnt enough. His San Antonio doctors had to improvise against an unpredictable disease. A last resort against COVID-19 At just 30, Nick Wilson was so sick with the coronavirus that even a ventilator wasnt enough. His San Antonio doctors had to improvise against an unpredictable disease. April 26, 2020 Dora Wilson had just brought her husband home from the hospital, oxygen tank in tow, when their son appeared at the back door, looking ill. Paul, a 71-year-old military veteran, had spent nearly two weeks at Brooke Army Medical Center with COVID-19. Dora, 68, also tested positive for the coronavirus and felt miserable, but she was well enough to remain at home with Nick, their son. About this author Lauren Caruba covers health care and medicine for the San Antonio Express-News. To read more from Lauren, become a subscriber. lcaruba@express-news.net | Twitter: @LaurenCaruba Although Nick had developed a fever and other symptoms, Dora hadnt heard much complaint from him while he cooked for her and left the meals at her bedroom door, even as her appetite vanished. But now Nick was telling her that he needed to go to an emergency room. I cant breathe, he said. At 30, with no serious health problems, Nick seemed in the best position of any of them to fight off the virus. Instead, he would become the sickest of them all. Over the next few days, as Nicks breathing deteriorated and his oxygen levels plummeted, he would be treated at four hospitals in San Antonio as doctors sought to save his life. His case would illustrate the lengths to which health care workers have to go to fight an aggressive viral pneumonia that has proved an unpredictable, formidable opponent. It would also become a testament to the challenges and limitations they face. With no proven treatments for COVID-19, medical teams have been left to improvise. They have turned to oxygen and ventilators, to experimental drugs and therapies. What works for one patient wont necessarily work for another. In Nick's case, when even medications and a ventilator werent enough, he was given extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, or ECMO, which allowed his lungs to rest as a machine took over the job of filtering oxygen into his blood. Such devices are even scarcer than ventilators, and they're more invasive, coming with their own risk of complications. But other options had been exhausted. It was his best chance of survival. *** The virus came first for Nicks father. When Paul, a ride-share driver, began feeling ill in March, he went to BAMCs emergency department, where he was given antibiotics and a test for COVID-19. The results came back positive March 23. Within two days, his breathing worsened, and he was back in the hospital. This time, he was transported there by emergency responders in protective gear. It came next for Dora. While Paul was in the hospital, the semi-retired speech pathologist was at their Northwest Side home with Nick, who had been laid off from his job at a car wash after the pandemic hit. Dora developed a fever, fatigue, diarrhea and a headache so severe it woke her up in the middle of the night. The two kept to separate areas of the house. When they were about to enter common areas like the kitchen, they would call out to each other as a warning. But in the end, it came for Nick, too. He was hit by fever, chills and diarrhea in late March. Still, he could fetch meals and fluids on his own. About that time, his father was transferred to the intensive care unit. But so far, he hadnt needed a ventilator. On April 6, a day after Doras symptoms resolved, Paul was ready to be released from the hospital. Dora picked him up and drove him home. As they got out of the car, she could see how ill her typically happy, upbeat son looked. She was shocked since he hadnt complained about, or even mentioned, how badly he was feeling. Nick was, too. He knew he was infected, but he thought hed be back on his feet after a week or two in bed. The breathing problems developed so quickly that it caught him by surprise. Suddenly, walking 5 feet to the bathroom left him winded. As he told his mother he needed medical care, she could hear him pausing to catch his breath before he spoke. She watched as one sick family member replaced the other in the car. *** Dora drove Nick to the nearest hospital, a freestanding emergency room in the Baptist system. The doctors admitted him. By phone, one told Dora that her son wasnt doing well and needed supplemental oxygen. Over the next few days, the calls grew more alarming. On April 9, Dora learned that Nick was receiving the maximum amount of supplemental oxygen, and his fever was nearing 103 degrees. He needed to be transferred to a facility where he could be put on a ventilator, if it came to that. Dora began to despair. Nick was taken across town to Northeast Baptist Hospital, where the hospital system had centralized care for its critical COVID-19 patients. When Dr. Tamara Simpson, a critical care pulmonologist, met Nick in the ICU, she was struck by how young and frightened he looked. On top of that, she learned he had fallen ill while taking care of his parents. The conventional wisdom is that the coronavirus poses the most risk to the elderly and those with chronic health problems. But that wasnt Nick, she thought. He had a history of mild asthma and high blood pressure nothing serious enough to justify his dire state. Why was it that his parents were recovering, but their young, previously healthy son was doing so poorly? To Simpson, it was inexplicable. If this could happen to a guy like Nick, it could happen to her, to her colleagues. Already, Simpson felt stretched thin, and she worried what that meant for her own immunity against the horrible disease she was exposed to on a daily basis. The work of caring for these patients had proved physically and emotionally taxing. The days were long, stressful and, at times, overwhelming. With limited understanding of the virus, hospital workers had to be flexible, learning along the way. Despite their best efforts, the outcomes weren't always positive. On one particularly bad day, the units staff broke down in tears. It felt like all their patients were dying. With physical distancing measures in place, doctors, nurses and respiratory therapists at Northeast Baptist had to take on a more intimate role in the lives of patients and family members who were isolated from each other. Doctors were regularly calling and texting with spouses and relatives who had no other way to get information about their loved ones. Nurses were holding the hands of patients as they died so they wouldnt be alone at the end. You just see the love, and the hurt. Dr. Tamara Simpson In the rare instances that family members did come to the hospital to see a dying patient, conversations that normally were private had to be facilitated by medical workers. In those cases, the patient would be rolled to a glass door, their loved one on the other side. Hospital staff would hold up two-way radios so they could communicate. They are saying what they want to tell their loved ones, where we can all hear it. And theres not a dry eye in the ICU, Simpson said. You just see the love, and the hurt. Simpson didnt want that to happen to Nick. *** The week that Nick arrived at Northeast Baptist was a particularly busy one for the hospital. At one point, 18 COVID-19 patients were simultaneously on ventilators the most of any hospital in the city. Nick would soon be among them. On an X-ray, the lungs of a healthy person appear black. Images of Nicks lungs had shown an accumulation of ground glass hazy, white patches that were evidence of spreading inflammation in the delicate tissue. Simpson knew things were not looking good for him. He was on antibiotics and hydroxychloroquine, a controversial anti-malaria drug being used to treat some COVID-19 patients. His oxygen levels were low. A ventilator was the next step. Before sedating and intubating him, Simpson told Nick he could briefly talk with one family member. She reminded him to sign off with see you later, rather than goodbye. He chose his mother. On the phone, he told her he was scared. Sick with worry, Nicks parents drove to the hospital. They waited in the parking lot until they had confirmation that the procedure had gone smoothly. It had. But Simpson hoped she could do more for him. Clockwise from top: Dr. Tamara Simpson removes her gloves after performing a procedure on a COVID-19 patient at Northeast Baptist Hospital. (Bob Owen | Express News) ; Simpson, tired and sweaty, removes the air pack for her protective hood before attending to another patient. (Bob Owen | Express News) ; Simpson and two nurses wheel a coronavirus patient through the halls of Northeast Baptist Hospital. (Bob Owen | Express News) ; After a COVID-19 patient is moved through Northeast Baptist Hospital, the environmental services team disinfects the area. (Bob Owen | Express News) *** Simpson knew Methodist Hospital was the only place in San Antonio treating COVID-19 patients with ECMO, which replaces the function of the lungs, and in some cases the heart too, for patients with a high chance of dying. Initially used only with pediatric patients, ECMO had increasingly become a method of last resort for drowning victims, people with pneumonia, those suffering from heart attacks and for a small number of COVID-19 patients. Simpson began talking with the doctors in Methodist's program, making her case for Nick to be accepted as a patient. Weeks earlier, when the Methodist system had begun planning for the coronavirus pandemic, the ECMO staff was unsure whether the machine could be used to treat COVID-19 patients. Much was unknown about the novel coronavirus and the virulent respiratory illness it could cause. If the hospital had too many coronavirus patients, ECMO might not be feasible. It demands the attention of many specialists: lung, heart, kidney, perfusion, infectious disease. There were ethical considerations, too. The procedure can lead to serious complications, including bleeding, infection, damaged blood vessels, the formation of clots and kidney damage. For patients considered for ECMO, the benefits have to outweigh those risks. It's also offered at few hospitals, so it would not be available to every patient. Still, Methodist had more capacity and expertise than most hospitals. In the past few years, it had rapidly grown into a high-volume ECMO center, treating nearly 150 patients the previous year, compared with just 27 two years before that. And the devices had played a major role during the 2009 H1N1 flu pandemic. The ECMO team drew up plans for infection control and the admission of multiple patients at a time. They scrounged up a few extra machines. And they formed a committee to assess patients for whom nothing else had worked. They decided the procedure would be reserved for younger people without other health issues those who stood the greatest chance of benefiting. As coronavirus hospitalizations began to tick up in San Antonio, evidence began to emerge that ventilators were not the answer for some of the sickest coronavirus patients. Many ventilated patients were still not getting enough oxygen. They were dying. A ventilator works by mechanically forcing air into the lungs, which are not accustomed to such pressure. Patients can usually tolerate some amount of this, but over time, ventilation can stretch and damage small tissues in the lungs. And in some patients with respiratory failure, including a subset of those with COVID-19, it doesn't matter how much oxygen is forced in. The lungs can be so damaged that the oxygen does not make its way to the rest of the body, to the cells and tissues that need it. With ECMO, the lungs are removed from the equation. Large tubes are fed into arteries and veins so a machine can remove blood from the body and oxygenate it directly before returning it. Under the right conditions, it allows doctors to hit the pause button, giving a patients organs time to rest and recover. After Nicks intubation, Simpson called Dora and told her she was considering him for other treatments. She had ECMO in mind, but she was intentionally vague, careful not to raise Dora's hopes in the event that he wasnt accepted by Methodist as a patient. She was relieved when the hospital agreed to take him. In the meantime, Dora wanted to see her son. So Simpson donned protective gear and, with her cellphone in a bag, placed a video call to Dora and held the phone in front of Nick. The doctor encouraged Dora to talk to Nick, who was still under sedation, sure that he would be able to hear her. Dora relayed every encouragement she could think of. He was strong, he could fight this, he was going to be fine. They were counting on him to pull through. The following day, Easter Sunday, things took a turn. Nick hadnt taken well to the ventilator. He was getting worse by the hour. Over the phone, Simpson explained ECMO to Dora and got her permission to transfer Nick to Methodists care. He arrived at the hospital later that day. Like Simpson, Dr. Jeff DellaVolpe, co-medical director of Methodists ECMO program, was struck by how young Nick was, and how ill. He was receiving close to 100 percent oxygen from the ventilator, yet that was not improving his oxygen levels. He wanted to give someone like him, someone sickened while caring for his family, a fighting chance. Clockwise from top: Nurse Keri Ginger, left, and Dr. Charles Burch, center, and another nurse wait to intubate a patient at Methodist Hospitals COVID-19 unit on April 23, 2020. (Bob Owen, San Antonio Express-News | Express News) ; Alexsandra Morales, a nurse in Methodist Hospitals COIVD-19 unit watches intensely as doctors work on a patient. (Bob Owen | Express News) ; A nurse checks a patients medication April 23, 2020, at Methodist Hospitals COVID-19 unit. (Bob Owen | Express News) ; A Methodist Hospital nurse, right, wipes down a doctor as part of the hospitals sanitization procedures. (Bob Owen | Express News) DellaVolpe knew the coronavirus behaved differently than other respiratory viruses. Usually, viruses would interfere with the delivery of oxygen by causing a persons lungs to grow stiff, making them hard to inflate with a ventilator. That wasnt happening with this virus. The lungs of these patients still were flexible, yet they had dangerously low oxygen levels. The reasons were not yet known, but it was clear to DellaVolpe that medicines traditional assumptions might not apply to these patients. Maybe ECMO could help. It had been less than a week since Methodist had begun treating COVID-19 patients with ECMO. Nick would be among the first. That evening, as DellaVolpe was preparing to hook Nick to the ECMO machine, he called Dora. He asked about her sons medical history and whether she understood how rapidly he was deteriorating. Then he went to work. *** For hours, Dora didnt hear anything. Then, in the middle of the night, her phone pinged with a text. It was from Nick. Hey mom. Feeling better today. Worried that it was a prank, some horrible joke, she called the nurses station. Oh yeah, hes awake, the nurse said. They had just extubated him, so she wasnt sure if he could talk yet. Dora wrote back: Oh my son!!! Please get better! Keep being strong & fighting this disease! Then, Nick said, BTW, I could hear you earlier. He was referring to Doras conversation with him while he was sedated. When Dora sent Simpson a screenshot of the exchange, she couldnt believe it. *** Over the next few days, Nick steadily improved. Some patients can remain on ECMO for weeks or even months, but he was weaned from the machine after only three days. He needed supplemental oxygen, but he was breathing on his own, a major step forward. He was moved to Methodist Ambulatory Surgery Hospital, where many of the systems coronavirus patients were being treated. Nick is among a tiny subset of coronavirus patients to have been treated with ECMO. According to a registry created by the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization, which tracks data from ECMO centers around the world, hospitals reported its use on more than 500 COVID-19 patients, including nearly 400 in North America. Finished with one procedure on a COVID-19 patient, Dr. Tamara Simpson heads to another patient at Northeast Baptist Hospital on April 24, 2020. Simpson got Nick Wilson into the ECMO program at Methodist. Finished with one procedure on a COVID-19 patient, Dr. Tamara Simpson heads to another patient at Northeast Baptist Hospital on April 24, 2020. Simpson got Nick Wilson into the ECMO program at Methodist. Photo: Bob Owen, San Antonio Express-News Photo: Bob Owen, San Antonio Express-News Image 1 of / 18 Caption Close A ventilator wasn't enough for this 30-year-old COVID-19 patient, so San Antonio doctors improvised. 1 / 18 Back to Gallery Simpson is thrilled by Nicks recovery and the collaboration that led to it. She has sent a handful of her patients to Methodist, which has treated about a dozen coronavirus patients with ECMO. She now touches base with the team daily. In her conversations with DellaVolpe, she pre-emptively advocated for herself if she gets sick, she told him, she would want the same medical care Nick received. She feels forever connected to the Wilson family. It was heartening to be involved in a successful case, to see a COVID-19 patient in such a severe condition make it through. Her experiences treating him and other coronavirus patients have solidified her belief that it is too soon to ease lockdown restrictions. She has never seen a disease strike multiple members of the same family the way COVID-19 has. On ExpressNews.com: She was released from a hospital in San Antonio with coronavirus still in her system. Weeks later, she doesnt appear to have infected anyone. For DellaVolpe, cases like Nicks illustrate the gravity with which the coronavirus should be taken. Ive been struck by how many young, previously completely healthy patients really are to the point where they almost die. Its a scary thing, he said. Its something that we should be aware of and have respect for. *** On Wednesday evening, Nick was discharged from the hospital and wheeled out of the ambulance entrance. He was wearing the same protective equipment as the medical personnel accompanying him gloves, a gown, a mask and a face shield. His mother was so happy, she could not stop crying. Nick and his family are grateful, to the health care workers who cared for him, and for the friends and family who kept him in their prayers. By text, he said he is ecstatic to be back home with a mostly clean bill of health. Right now, Im feeling blessed just to be able to walk around. He has an arduous recovery ahead. He remains weak and has trouble walking, standing and sitting. His body is covered in wounds from IV lines and the enormous ECMO tubes. His family will keep a close eye on him for signs of regression or blood clots, a serious complication in some COVID-19 patients. After everything he has been through, he feels it is too soon for daily life to return to what it was. I may have gotten past this, but people need to understand that I was on deaths doorstep several times, and its only through the grace of God that I survived. I got lucky, Nick said. Most people wont. Design by Joy-Marie Scott Subscribe Real news. Real trust. Real community. Subscribe to the San Antonio Express-News to support quality local journalism. Today's Paper Prince William and Kate Middleton have been secretly bracing themselves to become the monarchy's new faces, according to a royal source. The Duke of Cambridge's responsibilities as a senior member of the royal family are expected to increase due to the departure of his brother, Prince Harry. However, according to royal experts Rachel Bowie and Roberta Fiorito, in the next 6 to 8 months, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will also be preparing to be the next generation of the British royal family. Prince William, 37, and Kate Middleton, 38 have been married since 2011. Before their marriage, a gift from Prince William could have symbolized that Middleton was already working up to be Queen in the early stages of their relationship. Prince William is second in line to the royal throne meaning the duchess will be Queen Consort one day. The duke was the first royal family member to speak out amid the current COVID-19 outbreak which was seen that he is ready to be king. He gave a rousing speech to the country as Britain unites amid the coronavirus pandemic. The Cambridges have come to the fore during the global crisis and showcased themselves to be a big hit with the British public. They delighted fans on Thursday night with a surprise appearance on national television. Meanwhile, Kate Middleton has recently remarkably altered her behavior and wardrobe. Royal expert Rebecca Long claimed that the duchess is taking steps to become Queen of England. Also Read: Prince Harry, Meghan Markle Rumored to be Going Broke? The initial changes in Middleton's wardrobe have been noticeable by everyone. She incorporated in her wardrobe trousers and hats that come in thick hairbands. The royal expert also claimed that the duchess and Queen often drink afternoon tea together before the lockdown. Another source among the encirclement of the royal palace said that Queen Elizabeth II has begun preparing her to become the queen. As they appeared together in ceremonies, people noticed the warmth in their communication. "She's really taken Kate under her wing," another source said. "The two of them will often spend hours discussing royal life and the future of the monarchy." Prince William seems to be gearing up to take the royal family under his wing as he is currently acting as a "placeholder" for Queen Elizabeth II. With Her Majesty, Prince Charles, and Prince Phillips calling off royal duties to undergo quarantine in the wake of the coronavirus, Prince William is receiving more responsibility on his shoulders. According to royal expert Nigel Cawthorne, "It is entirely sensible for Prince William to act as placeholder for the Queen." "There has to be a physical presence to the monarchy, not just a virtual one. He's third-in-line to the throne and in robust health like his brother, and COVID-19 is unlikely to be any serious threat for him or his wife or children. He will do a great job." Bowie and Fiorito on the "Royally Obsessed" podcast also noted that Prince William behind the scenes has been playing a larger role in the royal family and the role will continue to grow. Related Article: Prince Harry Secretly Met With Former Girlfriend Chelsy Davy @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. JK Paper soared 9.03% to Rs 99.60 after the company said its board will meet on 28 April 2020 to consider a share buyback. On the technical front, the stock's RSI (relative strength index) stood at 58.401. The RSI oscillates between zero and 100. Traditionally, the RSI is considered overbought when above 70 and oversold when below 30. The stock was trading above its 50-day moving average (DMA) placed at Rs 98.89 and below its 200-day moving average (DMA) placed at Rs 115.75. JK Paper is a leading paper manufacturing company in India. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) [April 27, 2020] Sixgill's Darkfeed Now Available in Anomali APP Store TEL AVIV, Israel, April 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Sixgill , a leading cyber threat intelligence company, today announced that as part of its partnership with Anomali, its new Darkfeed automated threat intelligence is available in the Anomali Preferred Partner (APP) Store. With access to this new intelligence stream, joint customers can integrate a real-time, automated feed of deep and dark web indicators into their existing security infrastructure and operations via Anomali ThreatStream. With a comprehensive set of indicators of compromise (IOCs) from Darkfeed, organizations can quickly respond to and even anticipate active threats against their organizations. "If your company isn't ahead of the curve, it's behind it. To stay secure, you need automated threat intelligence drawn directly from the dark web, where malicious attackers live," said Sharon Wagner, CEO of Sixgill. "Darkfeed offers contextual and advanced warnings on emerging threats, delivered directly into organizations' existing security platforms so that security teams can take action before an attack." Darkfeed is a blacklist of malicious IOCs extracted from Sixgill's real-time, comprehensive collection of deep, dark and surface web intelligence. Structured in STIX format, Darkfeed seamlessly integrates into SIEM, SOAR, or any other security platforms, which gives users the ability to better anticipate attacks and proactively protect their organizations. "Bad actors operate in every corner of the deep and dark web. Organizations that lack viibility into the wide range of attacks emanating from it are going to fall victim to ransomware, data breaches, IP theft and other forms of cybercrime," said John Callon, Anomali VP of Solutions and Partner Marketing. "Our partnership with Sixgill expands our customers' access to automated sources of threat intelligence that help them understand and respond to the most serious threats they face." Anomali ThreatStream customers can access Darkfeed through a free version that offers a select IOC stream and via the premium version, which includes all IOCs, use cases, and types. Existing Anomali customers access Darkfeed via the APP Store. Learn more about the how to access Sixgill via Anomali at: https://www.anomali.com/app-store. About Sixgill Sixgill is a cyber threat intelligence company that helps organizations protect their critical assets, reduce fraud and data breaches, protect their brand, and minimize attack surface. Sixgill's platform empowers security teams with contextual and actionable insights as well as the ability to conduct real-time investigations. Rich data feeds such as Darkfeed harness Sixgill's unmatched intelligence collection capabilities and delivers real-time intel into organizations' existing security systems to help proactively block threats. Current customers include global 2000 enterprises, financial services, MSSPs, government and law enforcement entities. To learn more, visit www.darkfeed.com and follow us on Twitter: @cybersixgill and LinkedIn. Contacts: Matt McLoughlin GregoryFCA for Sixgill +1-609-385-2058 [email protected] Laurie Ben-Haim Director MarCom, Sixgill +1-646-300-9549 +972-52-7831911 [email protected] View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sixgills-darkfeed-now-available-in-anomali-app-store-301047588.html SOURCE Sixgill [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] COMRADES COME RALLY, MAY DAY 2020 When the Communist Party of Australia Secretariat met on 19th April it agreed to call on all Party members, workers, left and progressive organisations, union and community activists to become active and vocal in support of May Day this year as part of the ongoing resistance and fight for Workers Health and Rights during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Our fight is for socialism as the only political and economic system that is committed to looking after all the people in the community. The CPA will promote its Health, Workers Rights and Socialism campaign and will not allow the COVID-19 social constraints to stand in the way of working-class defence of health, safety and working conditions. Comrades and workers will find new ways to organise during this crisis. The CPA gives its full support to Trade Unions, Worker Solidarity and left progressive actions on 1st May across Australia and calls all comrades nationally into action. In Sydney and Melbourne, the CPA calls for full support of the May 1 Movement to get behind planned actions. All Party members should be involved in these activities through their branches. The CPA demands the best health and safety for all workers who have to work during the crisis and protection of workers rights. The Party absolutely opposes workers paying once again for another crisis through government austerity being applied to a significant number of services and jobs in the community and employer aggression both now and when the medical crisis has abated. Workers must not pay for the ongoing economic crisis that the ruling class will force on workers. We will fight this attack all the way. Capitalism and its market-based response to the current crisis continues to be unable to meet the needs of the people. This pandemic highlights those contradictions that seek profits, not solutions that respond to the needs of the people. The CPA seeks to build the fight to remove these negative features of society that are based on greed and massive private accumulation of wealth. May Day 2020 will be a day of international worker solidarity and unity. Let our comrades take up the Party struggle on this day by calling to confront the crisis and achieve real change. The Secretariat considered the changes to industrial relations being introduced by the Morrison government, especially with regard to employers capacity to make variations to agreements (EBAs) under the cloak of the Coronavirus pandemic and rejects them. Employers must not be granted a greater ability to erode the rights and conditions of workers. Any EBA variation must be voted on by workers and the capacity of employers to manipulate this process with only one days notice is unacceptable. Workers of the World Unite! CPA Secretariat 19th April 2020 Vietnamese citizens arrive at Can Tho Airport in southern Vietnam after a repatriation flight from Indonesia, April 26, 2020. Photo courtesy of Vietjet Air. The Vietnamese Embassy in Indonesia worked with local authorities to bring home more than 100 Vietnamese citizens stranded by the Covid-19 pandemic Sunday. Their flight landed at the Can Tho International Airport in the Mekong Delta and all passengers and the plane crew underwent health checks before being transferred to quarantine facilities on the same day, the Foreign Affairs Ministry said. The flight was operated by Vietjet Air and the passengers paid their own fares. The passengers were said to be people in difficult circumstances like children under 18, senior citizens, and students without a residence visa due after dormitories were shutdown in Indonesia, as well as those whose visas had expired but could not leave the country due to the pandemic. Indonesia is currently the second largest Covid-19 hotspot in Southeast Asia, following Singapore. The country has recorded nearly 8,900 Covid-19 cases and 743 deaths. As the pressure on isolation facilities in Vietnam eases, the government is planning to repatriate Vietnamese abroad who want to return home. The country has brought home nearly 5,300 citizens from pandemic-hit areas since early February. Since mid-April, Vietnam has worked with many countries like the U.K., Italy and Japan to organize flights to bring Vietnamese home after countries suspended commercial routes as a safety and containment measure. On Thursday, national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines said it will deploy 10 flights to repatriate Vietnamese citizens from Canada, France, Japan, Russia, Spain, Thailand, UAE and the U.S. Bamboo Airways is scheduled to operate one flight to bring back those stuck in the Philippines while budget carrier Vietjet Air will operate one to bring home Vietnamese citizens from Singapore, besides the Indonesia flight Sunday. The number of passengers and the date of their return have not been disclosed. They will also pay their own airfares. Starting March 22, Vietnam also suspended entry for all foreign nationals, including those of Vietnamese origin and family members with visa waivers. Only Vietnamese nationals and foreigners having diplomatic and official passports such as business managers, experts and high-skilled workers will be allowed to enter the country at this time, and all entrants will be quarantined for 14 days. Referring to the coronavirus outbreak as a war to be fought may deter people in a mental health crisis from seeking help, a charity has warned. Suicide Crisis said the Covid-19 lockdown is causing extreme mental suffering, but chief executive Joy Hibbins said those the charity is supporting dont want to burden the NHS at this time. The charity has seen a marked increase in levels of distress and those seeking support, with a 40% rise in people getting in touch after it was announced that the lockdown would be extended. Ms Hibbins said: There is a sense in which we are all trying to pull together in the national interest and in particular to defeat the virus. For some people, that will help create a feeling of unity and shared purpose. However, some people may feel that they are letting the side down if they acknowledge that they are struggling and need help. There are lots of references to being strong. If we are all feeling that we need to be strong, then it can make it harder to seek help or show vulnerability. People can start to have feelings of guilt and shame about being in crisis. Clic is a new online community here for everyones mental health Join today to connect with others for mutual support, share your thoughts and find helpful information. Visit https://t.co/PRIx0NPtvz to create your free account and join the conversation! pic.twitter.com/d3lLlQqYW3 Rethink Mental Illness (@Rethink_) April 27, 2020 The Gloucestershire-based charity said it is seeing an increase in people having thoughts of self-harm, as well as people who have become newly depressed during the lockdown. This includes a young woman who had previously enjoyed a fulfilling life which included voluntary work and access to mental health support groups. Ms Hibbins said: All of that had instantly disappeared. She felt completely isolated, and felt that she had lost her purpose in life. Within a space of a few weeks, she had deteriorated to such an extent that she was contemplating suicide. She is now receiving support from our team. Ms Hibbins called for greater national recognition of the mental health toll the lockdown is taking, with fewer psychiatric staff available and community mental health services operating at a reduced level. It comes as a survey by the charity Rethink Mental Illness found that 80% of respondents with mental illness said the Covid-19 outbreak had caused their mental health to deteriorate. Almost half (47%) of 800 respondents said their mental health had worsened because they are now receiving less support from mental health services. And more than a third (36%) said they had not booked or attended medical appointments which they felt they should have done due to worries about catching the virus, burdening the NHS, or because appointments were unavailable. The charity is launching Clic, a free, online support community to help respond to the increased demand for mental health support across the country Rethink chief executive Mark Winstanley said: Aside from the terrible risk to life, coronavirus has quickly become of the most dangerous threats to the nations mental health we have ever faced despite what the heroes in the health and social care workforce are doing. This survey reinforces the reality that, because of the crisis, people simply cant access what they could before and so we need the whole mental health sector to step in to help people whose problems are escalating and are becoming isolated and remote. Supporters of a Porsche driver accused of taunting four police officers and filming them as they lay dying after they were hit by a truck have set up a Facebook group to share graphic footage of the crash. Richard Pusey, 41, is accused of fleeing the scene after a chicken truck ploughed into a group of police standing at the roadside on Melbourne's Eastern Freeway on Wednesday. Senior Constable Kevin King, Constable Glen Humphris, Senior Constable Lynette Taylor, and Constable Josh Prestney were all killed in Wednesday's crash. The officers had pulled over Pusey while he was allegedly high on meth and marijuana and travelling at 140km/h in Melbourne about 4.50pm on Wednesday. Pusey - who was unharmed as he was urinating by the roadside at the time of the crash - then allegedly took photos of the devastating scene including dead and dying officers before posting them online. Facebook groups have emerged since the crash where supporters have defended the 41-year-old former mortgage broker. Supporters have rushed to defend Richard Pusey, 41, the driver at the centre of a crash that killed four police officers Facebook groups have emerged since the crash where members defend the 41-year-old former mortgage broker Members of a social media group supporting Pusey appeared to be sharing footage of the incident - with one asking others 'who's got the actual vids' In a post shared in one of the forums, one user asked 'who's got the actual vids' - to which one responded 'I got a short vid - pm [personal message] me'. In other exchanges, users express support for the motorist - who faced court on Friday charged with speeding, failing to assist at a crash scene and drug offences. Victoria Police said it was aware of the groups and was working to remove them. 'We are actively working with social media account administrators to have any graphic images/footage removed,' a spokesperson for the force said. A court heard Pusey berated Leading Senior Constable Taylor over the damage to his car as he filmed her clinging to life. 'There you go. Amazing. Absolutely amazing. All I wanted to do was go home and have my sushi,' he said in the footage. Pusey allegedly took photos of the devastating scene including dead and dying officers, then posted them on online and fled on foot (his mangled Porsche 911 is pictured) 'And now you f**ked my f**king car.' Pusey was arrested at a Chemist Warehouse in Collingwood about 9.30am on Thursday more than 12 hours since the incident. On Monday morning, his mother appeared on the radio to disassociate the Pusey family from the 41-year-old's alleged actions. His mother, who asked not to be named, said her family had been estranged from the disgraced mortgage broker for many years. 'We were incredibly shocked and deeply ashamed by the events surrounding the accident and thereafter,' she said on 3AW on Monday morning. 'We are disgusted, he doesn't reflect any other member of the family at all in his behaviour.' Pictured from left to right: Senior Constable Kevin King, Constable Glen Humphris, Senior Constable Lynette Taylor, and Constable Josh Prestney, were killed in Wednesday's crash The woman said the family wanted to 'disassociate' themselves from Pusey and the crash and express it 'deepest sympathies' to the victims and their families. She understood that the public needed answers about Pusey's 'motivations' for his actions, but he was so estranged they had 'no insight'. 'We feel the same sense of devastation as the community,' she said. 'The pain and sense of loss at this time is beyond comprehension and there is little that can be said to ease the suffering of those who have lost someone special. 'It was an unimaginable and horrific accident that has left us all with many questions and as yet few answers.' Richard Pusey (left) pictured with his ex-girlfriend Bonnie Wang Her statement revealed the family name is pronounced pew-see. Pusey's mother's comments came just hours after Mohinder Singh Bajwa, 47, the driver of the truck, was charged with four counts of culpable driving. He was initially taken to Royal Melbourne Hospital under police guard after detectives said he suffered a 'medical episode' in the wake of the crash. Police pulled over a speeding driver at 4.50pm on Wednesday, then proceeded to call for backup from highway patrol when they decided to impound the car. By 5.40pm, the refrigeration truck had ploughed into the three cars and four officers, killing them all On Sunday night, four days after the tragedy, Bajwa was interrogated and though 'reluctant to talk' was charged, facing up to 20 years in jail if found guilty. Few details of Pusey's family have been revealed in the past five days he has been under a national microscope. Pusey's current wife gave the finger and told reporters to 'f**k off' as she left her home wearing a mask hours after his arrest. Press Release 27 April 2020 In the first analysis of full profit-and-loss performance since the COVID-19 pandemic swept through the global hospitality industry, March was expectedly a brutal month, with the U.S., Europe, Asia and Middle East all recording year-over-year profit drops of 100% or more, according to HotStats data, as the virus' spread continued unabated, all but shutting down travel. Advertisements To date, there are more than 2.7 million cases of COVID-19 globally, a third of which are in the U.S., where hotel performance predictably nosedived in March, after a mostly banal February. Gross operating profit per available room (GOPPAR) was down 110.6% YOY to $-12.71. The triple-digit drop was by far the largest percentage decline ever recorded by HotStats since it started charting U.S. data. The previous high was -10.4% in March 2015. March 2020 also marked the first time in the HotStats database that the U.S. recorded a negative GOPPAR value. The decrease in GOPPAR was a result of mammoth drops on the revenue side. RevPAR for the month was down 64.4%, heavily influenced by a 48.8-percentage-point drop in occupancy to 31.5%. The presumption is that April occupancy will suffer even more, as many hotels were still open in early March. The decline in RevPAR, combined with a more than 65% drop in total F&B RevPAR, led to a 62.1% decrease in total revenue (TRevPAR), the greatest decrease since January 2016, when TRevPAR was down 8.2% YOY. As the top line dried up, expenses in March receded, too, on a per-available-room basis, but still ate into the already attenuated revenue. All undistributed expenses came down, while total labor costs on a per-available-room basis were down 21% YOY. However, savings in payroll did not match drops in revenue, since many hotels still had to maintain certain levels of staffing, even amid shuttered hotels. Profit margin for the month turned negative, down 52.8 percentage points to -11.6%. Europe Profit Drop Greater Than GFC Performance in Europe inevitably nosedived, too. While February data was unremarkable, March saw GOPPAR for the month fall a record 115.9%, the biggest YOY decline since April 2009, when GOPPAR dropped 37.9% in the thick of the Global Financial Crisis. It was the first time since HotStats began tracking monthly European data in October 1996 that GOPPAR as a value turned negative at -8.33. RevPAR was down 66.2% YOY, the result of a 44.6-percentage-point drop in occupancy, combined with an 11% YOY drop in average rate. As all ancillary revenue plummeted, it brought TRevPAR down 61.6%, again the largest YOY drop in the KPI since April 2009, when TRevPAR declined 23.5%. The data show that COVID-19 is hitting revenue and profit ~3x harder than the Global Financial Crisis and ~4x harder than 9/11. Sinking revenue was accompanied by double-digit expense drops, the product of hotel closures, scaled-back operations and lighter staffing. Labor costs were down 28.8% YOY on a per-available-room basis. Total overhead costs were down 25.3% YOY. Profit margin was down 45.7 percentage points to -13.1%, the first time HotStats has recorded a negative profit margin for the region. Photo: HotStats Limited Asia-Pacific Still Down Hotel industry punditry looked at February performance results from Asia-Pacific as a sign of what was to come for the rest of the world, since the region, particularly China, was impacted multiple weeks prior to the U.S., Europe and the Middle East. The good news out of parts of the region is that the disease's advance is slowing. Still, the region as a whole could not escape a baneful March, marked by a 117.8% decline in GOPPAR, another record drop, besting the record only set a month earlier, when GOPPAR was down 98.9%. After a breakeven February in GOPPAR as a value, it turned negative in March at -$11.22. The intensified loss in March is a likely predictor of amplified losses for both the U.S., Europe and Middle East in April. Following the trend, TRevPAR in the month was down a record 75.3% YOY, besting its previous record of -52.5% YOY achieved a month earlier. Rooms and F&B revenue declines dragged total revenue down, with the former declining 76.2% YOY. Total overhead costs on a per-available-room basis were down 40% YOY. Profit margin for the month fell into negative territory at -27.4% after scratching out a narrowly positive margin in February at 0.9%. China, the recognized genesis of the coronavirus, continues to suffer negative performance across the breadth of KPIs month to month, but there are signs of improvement. Occupancy in March inched up 7.3 percentage points over February, and while GOPPAR was still in the red, it was 64% higher in March over February in dollar value. In Hubei province, where the coronavirus was first detected, occupancy in March was already up to 58.9%, only an 11-percentage-point decrease from the same time a year ago. Though much of that occupancy is likely a function of medical workers using the hotels for accommodations, GOPPAR was positive for the month at $22.60, after a negative month of February. Middle East Not Immune The Middle East, too, was not spared in March. Though GOPPAR didn't suffer the ignominy of turning negative on a dollar basis, it was down 98.4% YOY, a record for the region and highest since it was down 74.3% YOY in July 2013, a time of civil unrest that included the Egyptian coup. TRevPAR was also down a record 61.7% in the month, the highest YOY negative turn since June 2015, when the metric was down 43.9% YOY. RevPAR was down 62.7% YOY, led by a 41.5 percentage point drop in occupancy to 34.2%. Expenses followed a similar trajectory as the other regions, dipping YOY, but still taking up a large chunk of revenue. Labor costs came down 25.8% YOY but were up 23.6 percentage points as a percentage of total revenue. Total overhead costs on a per-available-room basis were down 27% YOY. Profit margin for the month was barely positive at 1.5%. Outlook As COVID-19 conceivably lessens or peters out in the ensuing weeks and months and hotels reopen, expectations are that hotel performance will pick up from the depths it is in currently. But with demand tied closely to GDP growth and expectations of double-digit drops in the second quarter across the globe, hoteliers will be hard-pressed to generate a modicum of revenue throughout the rest of the year and likely will have to wait until there is a vaccine to see profits normalize. Rajasthan government has decided to give Rs 50 lakh ex gratia compensation to the dependants of sanitation workers in case of death due to COVID-19 while discharging duties. The kin of employees of autonomous bodies, boards and corporations of Rajasthan, who are on duty during novel coronavius pandemic, will also be given the ex gratia compensation of Rs 50 lakh in case of death. The state Finance department on Monday issued a revised order in this regard. Earlier, the state government had issued an order on April 11 announcing a similar ex gratia grant to the family of the state government employees. The department said dependents of a state employees, contract workers and workers on honorarium will be given Rs 50 lakh ex gratia compensation on death due to coronavirus. Meanwhile, the Local Self Government department has released Rs 521.63 crore for April, May and June salaries of the municipality personnel. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Beverley Knight has opened up about her connection with the NHS, which led her to feature on a new charity single, aiming to raise money for NHS charities. Speaking on video series Up Close And Socially Distant, Beverley told host Kate Thornton that she had very close ties with our health service. My history with the NHS runs deep, the chart topper said. Beverley Knight is fronting a new charity single Lean On Me, which aims to raise money for NHS charities READ MORE: Matt Lucas to take 'Mr Potato' NHS feeding scheme national As well as her mother, a retired nurse who specialised in eyes and worked for the NHS for decades, Beverley has two aunts and two uncles, all working for the NHS. And then theres my sister, she told Kate, who is right at the forefront of it all, on the NHS 111 so we have, as a family, a deep connection to the NHS. The single, a cover of Bill Withers Lean On Me features over 100 artists including Joss Stone, Escala, Omar and Dr Ranj, is raising money for the NHS Relief campaign, which aims to boost the much needed morale of our NHS staff while raising money for NHS charities. The video, which Beverley calls really moving features footage of the nation clapping for frontline workers, as well of COVID-19 survivors leaving hospital the latter of which, Beverley identifies with a little too closely. The West End star said theyve had to rely on the NHS recently, after her mum and brother both came down with, what doctors suspect, was COVID-19. READ MORE: UK should have new bank holiday to celebrate NHS workers, think tank suggests They were both really very ill, particularly my mum, she revealed. It was scary, I don't mind telling you. You know, there were tears shed They didn't have to actually get admitted to hospital, I'm thrilled to say, and they were able to go home and take their medication at home and recover from home, but it took a long time. As well as downloading the track, Beverley said that people at home can help by donating directly to NHS Relief, something she thinks is very important Story continues She told Kate: I would never ask people to donate to something that I hadnt first gone out and donated to, so Ive done the donation bit already! You can donate to NHS Relief here. Up Close And Socially Distant is hosted by Kate Thornton and features weekly video catch-ups with people who are all doing whatever they can, in whatever unique and special way they can, to help those around them get through lockdown. This week Kate speaks to actress and singer, Beverley Knight, who features on the charity single Lean On Me, co-founder of the NHS Million campaign, Dr Katie Rogerson, and co-founder of the Bite Me Burgers food distribution initiative, Jo Hart. MHLAMBANYATSI - While many pupils are trying to follow through the newly-launched home learning, some scholars and their parents are clueless about its existence. What is home learning? This was the question, in a confused state, that was asked by Zodwa Dvuba (54) of Emaplazini in Mhlambanyatsi, when asked if her grandchildren were coping with the newly-implemented home learning system. This question is no surprise as Emaplazini is an informal human settlement with no civilisation. The community, with over 15 homesteads, does not enjoy the privileges of electricity and running water and this is attributed to the fact that they are not registered and/or recognised by Urban Settlement. Media Early this month, the Ministry of Education and Training introduced home learning programmes on broadcast media (TV and radio), the internet (YouTube) and national newspapers (Times of Eswatini and Eswatini Observer). The lessons cover primary to high school syllabuses, mainly for external classes. The people in households at Emaplazini have no frequent access to television, radio and any technology because there is no electricity. Also, buying newspapers is a mammoth task as there are no shops nearby. The nearest one is about four kilometres away, at Mhlambanyatsi Village. Dvuba has stayed for over 30 years at Emaplazini since she relocated from Nhlangano, her hometown, to work at Foresters Arms. Since her stay after getting married there, the place has not enjoyed the pleasures of civilisation. Silence At the homestead, and in other surrounding ones, this journalist observed that there was complete silence that had a sting-the silence of lack, no pleasures and of being deprived of the necessities of life. Only one homestead has a satellite dish and that is due to the solar system that they use to generate power. The people of the community have to walk for close to two kilometres to fetch water at Mhlambanyatsi River. Some homesteads resorted to having tanks, just to have water nearby. Dvuba, a widow who is now heading her household, admitted that she was not aware of the new learning system. When asked if her children were aware, she said she assumed they were not as there was no mention of it. Dvubas household has four children who are attending school. Two are doing Grade VI and one Grade VII at Jabavu Primary School in Mhlambanyatsi and only one is attending Form I at Bhunya High School. Books The Grade VII pupil was the only one who had been noticed by Dvuba opening his books. The one who has been studying is in an external class and I reckon that is the reason behind his motivation. Otherwise, the others barely open their books and no one really makes a follow-up. I personally think being in the classroom is the best way for them to learn, said Dvuba. The household head easily discarded any idea of using TV or radio as a method of keeping their children up-to-date with their syllabuses. Besides having no electricity, they just do not have any TV set or radio in any of the houses, she said. Dvuba also said they bought newspapers once in a blue moon. She said the only convenient way for her grandchildren to catch up was by getting hold of newspapers every day, with the assistance of government as they could not afford to buy them. The government would have assisted so much if we got a daily supply of newspapers because there are no hopes of using radio or TV, she said. When asked if anyone in her home owned a smart cellphone which could also access lessons on the internet, Dvuba stared back clueless. I do not know what you are talking about. Maybe you can ask the children, she said. Besides her worry of not being up to speed with the new learning system, the widow expressed great concern on the hunger wave that was about to hit hard on her family, mainly due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to the limited agricultural practices in the area, most of the homesteads rely on buying food, including mealie-meal. The maize that they harvested did not last them the whole year. Like many residents of the area, the 54-year-old woman worked at Foresters Arms Hotel. She worked in the landscaping department and with her income, she was able to feed her family. Unemployed I fear that we will be told to stay home in no time. There is not much activity at the hotel and if the situation persists, we will be home unemployed, she said, in a worried state. The family has 17 members and 12 of them stay there fulltime. With children staying at home and not getting any meals from school, their food stock has almost depleted. We are already hungry and the sad part is there is no hope of replenishing the food. The situation was already dire and with this new flu (coronavirus), things are about to get worse, she said. Minister of Education and Training Lady Mabuza said the ministry was aware there was a population that could not access the home learning initiative and something was being done. We are making means of reaching the population that does not have access to home learning and it might be ready by next week. This pandemic is new to us and there will obviously be loopholes to the various means we are making to keep the children educated. However, this does not mean that we will not attend to the people who know nothing about this new system, said Mabuza. Patient Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT) Secretary General Sikelela Dlamini said people should be patient with the Ministry of Education and Training in this regard. It goes without saying that home learning will not be equally effective as going to class. This is a new situation to everyone. There will be remedial when schools open and the education sector should be preparing a system to close the gap, said Dlamini. He said this type of learning was put in place so that pupils would not lie idle while at home. Dlamini said this system was meant to contain pupils. ronda mcintyre Good morning, everybody. I hope you had a great spring break. We are starting a new book today, and it is called Same Sun Here by Silas House and Neela Vaswani. I think youre really going to like it. Its written as a series of letters between two characters. And Im going to go ahead and get started. Dear River. I cannot tell from your name if youre a boy or a girl. So Ill just write to you like youre a human being. [music] ronda mcintyre You are the first American I know whose name means something, so I think maybe youre not from this country. My brother says you are. He says all people in Kentucky are Americans not like in New York City, where most people are from everywhere in the world. michael barbaro From The New York Times, Im Michael Barbaro. This is The Daily. ronda mcintyre My brother is 17 years old. He has a big smile and strong legs because hes a bike messenger. michael barbaro Today ronda mcintyre All the girls love him, which makes him very conceited. michael barbaro as the school year comes to a close, a conversation with Ronda McIntyre, a fifth grade teacher in Ohio, about the struggle to educate from afar. Its Friday, June 12. ronda mcintyre Hey. michael barbaro Hi there. ronda mcintyre (LAUGHS) michael barbaro So I feel like I should be calling you Mrs. McIntyre. ronda mcintyre Actually, no. We have an informal philosophy at our school, and I have always been called Ronda. michael barbaro Really? ronda mcintyre The kids call me Ronda. So when somebody calls me Mrs. McIntyre, it makes me feel really old. [laughter] ronda mcintyre So no, Ronda perfect. michael barbaro OK. OK, this is very progressive, not at all like when I was a student. But I will participate. ronda mcintyre Great. michael barbaro So I wonder if you can tell me about the school where youre teaching now. ronda mcintyre So the name of my school is Indianola Informal K-8. And its in Columbus, Ohio. michael barbaro Mm-hm. ronda mcintyre We are in a neighborhood in Columbus called Clintonville. But we draw from every corner of the city. Were 100 percent lottery. michael barbaro Meaning, literally, people get their names pulled out of a hat, or its by merit? ronda mcintyre They do. I mean, now its by computer. And I teach fourth or fifth grade. michael barbaro So I wonder if you could describe your classroom. ronda mcintyre My classroom is its a pretty typical informal classroom. We have a little library nook area, a bookshelf surrounding it, and pillows. Weve got posters hanging around the room and student work displayed. michael barbaro Mm-hm. ronda mcintyre And the hub of the classroom is our rug space. The rug space is where we meet as a group for instruction. Kids bring their materials to the rug. We do not have desks. michael barbaro Wow, so you teach the kids for a lot of the day, basically, on a rug seated around you? ronda mcintyre Yeah, the rug is the center. They come to the rug for the lesson, and then they often return to tables in table groups or in other spaces around the room. Its important to me because of the proximity. I can look into their eyes. I mean, I can do classroom management easier when theyre on the rug, but I can also connect with them in a more personable way than I can if Im standing and theyre all seated around the room. And I think that it helps their focus and their attention span as well. michael barbaro Do you have anything in your classroom, whether its an object or a sign, something that kids really love or are attached to? ronda mcintyre Well, something that really is has resonated with this group is something that I have called the calming caddy. And its a literal caddy with a handle that is large enough to hold many objects little stuffed animals, smooth river stones, scented lotion, a battery-operated candle. michael barbaro Wow. ronda mcintyre And the idea being you pick it up, you find a spot in the room, you try and deal with your powerful emotions that are creating you distraction, or maybe driving you to anger. Kids, they come in from recess. Theres been a friend issue. Theyre not over it. And they might come in and grab the calming caddy and try and get over it. We share a lot in my classroom, and kids would talk about when a relative died, or something happening in their family. And it got to the point where there were kids that would zero in on someone that was you could tell they were struggling. They were having a hard time with something. And they would walk the calming caddy over to someone. michael barbaro They knew how to use it. ronda mcintyre They did. And there are some people that just took it upon themselves to be a helper in that way. michael barbaro And does it work? ronda mcintyre You know what? It does work. I mean, its not 100 percent, but it does work. michael barbaro Given everything youve just described and how powerfully intimate a lot of these interactions are, I have to imagine that it was very alarming to you, and disruptive, to suddenly have to go from regular teaching to the kind of remote teaching of this pandemic. ronda mcintyre Very much so, because this is a group and not just socially and emotionally, but academically, they needed a lot of support. And I have seen the results of not being able to be there and check in with the kids I know I need to check in with to make sure youre getting this done, that done, and the other thing. I mean, its just tragic. I mean, its tragic whats not happened since this not being in a physical school building happened. michael barbaro I wonder if you could take me through that whole process, starting with when you first realized that the school was going to be sending kids home. ronda mcintyre Well, initially, we learned on Thursday, March 12, that school would be closing for three weeks and that our districts last day would be Friday. We had 24 hours notice, so we were making it up as we went along, basically. It was each teacher, each school was making their plan for those first three weeks. So I said, everybody, go to the bookshelves and take some books. And we tried to send them home with their math books. We were not operating with any kind of, this is the plan. It was each teacher, each school was making their plan for those first three weeks. michael barbaro So there really was no formal structure for distance learning, for virtual classrooms? ronda mcintyre No, there wasnt. I think it blindsided everyone. michael barbaro What were the first couple of days and weeks of trying to teach remotely, once you realized that this was not going to be an extended spring break, this was going to be a kind of new reality? What did that look like for you? ronda mcintyre So the main issue was we were trying to develop curriculum. We were trying to develop a routine. And it became clear that teaching saying, Hey, everybody, be in front of your computer at 11 oclock for this, that, or the other thing, was not going to work. michael barbaro What do you mean? ronda mcintyre I mean I was interacting with parents by email. I was interacting with parents via a phone app that I have. michael barbaro Mm-hm. ronda mcintyre And I was getting some feedback that, Im working 14 hours a day now, and Im not able to oversee. Or, So and so is sharing a device with their sibling. I mean, just these sorts of things. So it was not going to be a situation where you could teach online. michael barbaro Once youve done your best to try to get as many students as possible on a device and it sounds like not all of them could how many students are actually there on the other end, as best you can tell, in these early days participating? ronda mcintyre Very few. So in the early days, I would say maybe six to eight. michael barbaro Wow. ronda mcintyre Yeah. michael barbaro Out of 25? ronda mcintyre Out of 25, yeah. michael barbaro Hmm. ronda mcintyre And then I started hearing from parents about how, My child doesnt have any motivation. They have nothing to look forward to. I totally get this. michael barbaro Mm. ronda mcintyre Thats how I started, then, talking on the phone with people weekly. And one of the students I checked in with was Axel. ronda mcintyre Hi, Axel. axel Hi. ronda mcintyre Axel is a really hard worker, but very reserved, shy, oftentimes wont ask a question if he has one. ronda mcintyre Hey, buddy, how you doing, man? Its the home stretch. axel I dont like it. ronda mcintyre His mother was working so hard to manage four boys, one in high school, two identical twins in eighth grade, and Axel in fifth grade, while she was furloughed as a massage therapist. michael barbaro Wow. ronda mcintyre And she reached out to me and she said, I am completely overwhelmed, and so is Axel. axel's mother And hell go through the first part of it, and hell be like, OK, OK, Ive got it. Ive got it. And then he does the test, and the test is harder than the material. ronda mcintyre It is. axel's mother And axel Not just like a little bit harder, like 50 times harder. axel's mother Yeah, and axel And whenever I click on the answer, it says, Nope! ronda mcintyre He hated the platform that the district was using called i-Ready. It gives you this test, and then, if you dont earn the passing score, it says, Try again! Well, try again is pretty demoralizing. And he had had it. Like, he was done. ronda mcintyre I mean, the computer doesnt really know you as a person, as a student. And you are just so good at giving your best effort, Axel. And do you think if you did half the lesson, that you could give it better focus? axel No because I hate it. ronda mcintyre And so we talked about it, and I told him that, you know, I have been hearing this from other kids too. And it sounds like youre really, really struggling, so lets just forget i-Ready. michael barbaro So you just erased it from his curriculum? ronda mcintyre Yes. I could tell that he needed something that was going to seem more applicable to real life. And we were studying economics. ronda mcintyre Have you taken a look at any of the economics lessons? axel No. ronda mcintyre Some of them are kind of fun. One of them is about shopping for groceries. axel What I want to buy is probably going to be Skittles. ronda mcintyre (LAUGHS) ronda mcintyre So we struck a bargain. ronda mcintyre OK, so Axel, you feel OK about looking at the economics? Its under social studies. axel OK. ronda mcintyre And he did those things. ronda mcintyre Well, its always good to hear your voice, and its good to see you on the Zoom meeting. axel Yeah. axel's mother Thank you. It was great to talk to you. ronda mcintyre And I did that with several kids. And it just needed to happen. I mean, I learned to back off, and I started assigning less. And I could just tell that they needed a lot of grace and that the academics had to be secondary. I mean, I always felt that. But when you have a parent basically telling you, look, this is michael barbaro Im overwhelmed. ronda mcintyre this is crushing my child. This is crushing their spirit, and Im so overwhelmed. It just really informed me. michael barbaro Mm-hm. ronda mcintyre I mean, because I have not felt like Ive been able to be there for everyone in the way that they need. And I always questioned, am I doing enough? I mean, am I doing enough? [music] ronda mcintyre I mean, I think thats a teachers existential dilemma michael barbaro (LAUGHS) ronda mcintyre always, but this has taken it to a whole new level. michael barbaro Well be right back. Ronda, have you been back to your classroom since the school closed because of the pandemic? ronda mcintyre Yes. And it was really startling. ronda mcintyre Its Tuesday, May 19. Im heading into my classroom because I opened my email first thing in the morning, and I saw an email that talked about getting our students belongings out of our classrooms and out of their lockers and closing down our classrooms which is a very lengthy process by this Friday. So as I look around my room, the things that strike me are just the mundane, ordinary things. When I think about, how are we going to do this as a class again? I have this lovely, brand new rug. The rug even has multicolored circles which can actually be a spot for kids to sit. Those circles are about an inch apart. That is going to need to change. Im just getting a little (SIGHS) emotional thinking about all the changes. I look at my tables. I have six of them. I have a class of 25 this year. If were going to socially distance in classrooms, the only way I can see this working is one at each end. Thats 12 kids. We have a caddy on every table. It has markers. It has colored pencils. It has glue sticks. Because we have communal supplies. One of the things I have to pack today is the math area. Pattern blocks, fraction kits, how we cant share them anymore. I have to find a way for everyone to have their own kit, but I dont have enough for everyone to have their own kit. This is a city school district. We have to share things. Oh, my gosh. The calming caddy. This is a real loss, not being able to use things like this. [music] ronda mcintyre Ive been reading that, as schools are opening in Europe, some of the safeguards that theyre taking. And one is teaching with the windows open year-round. I have two windows in my room that open, and they open about 6 inches. The rest of the windows dont open. (SIGHS) Im afraid. Im just really afraid. I am not a spring chicken. Im 57 years old, and I want to be safe, just like everyone else. So I guess my biggest takeaway, as I look around this room, is how Im going to do this. And theres so much ambiguity. We dont have a plan yet. Ohio does not have a plan yet for next year. (SIGHS) All right. michael barbaro So as youre touring, your classroom youre realizing that it is designed for a pre-pandemic form of teaching. ronda mcintyre Yes, it is. (LAUGHS) Most definitely. Basically, the whole structure of my classroom is set up for sharing michael barbaro Mm. ronda mcintyre sharing items, sharing spaces. And it was really overwhelming. michael barbaro Lets pretend that you attempt to impose these kinds of restrictions something like a 6-foot distancing system, and, perhaps, you yourself as a teacher physically being further apart from the students than youve ever been before. What do you think the impact of all that would be on your students? ronda mcintyre I think its going to have a numbing kind of effect. It just its going to be a loss. And when youre heading into middle school, your peers, theyre central. And telling a child, you need to stay this far away from your peers, having to do that on top of teaching michael barbaro Mm. ronda mcintyre But then, walking in the hallway, using the restroom Im not able to picture how this is going to work. I just Im having a lot of angst about it. michael barbaro It seems possible that some hybrid scenario like youre describing would be in place. Maybe its not a full classroom, but its a half a classroom. Some distance learning, some in-classroom learning with social distancing. And I wonder if you think that teaching is ever going to really feel the same. ronda mcintyre No, its not going to feel the same, by a long shot. michael barbaro But if that takes a while if that takes years, the foreseeable future what does that mean? ronda mcintyre I dont know. I am in the latter part of my career, and my fulfillment is really tied to those personal connections. michael barbaro Mm-hm. ronda mcintyre So if Im not getting that, then I have to re-evaluate, I think. michael barbaro Right what does it mean to teach, and is this teaching? And is that what you set out to do a few decades ago? ronda mcintyre Yeah, that will be a question that I will ask myself if this extends beyond next year. michael barbaro And what do you think the answer will be? ronda mcintyre I think the answer will be that, if I can handle it financially, that I will leave, because it is its a calling. And without the day-to-day intimacy of connecting with children, and colleagues, and their families, it just it leaves a lot of emptiness. michael barbaro Mm. ronda mcintyre For someone else, it might be a good fit. For me I dont think it would be. [music] michael barbaro It would be a shame to lose you as a teacher, though. I can say that, and Ive only known you for an hour or so. ronda mcintyre Oh, well, thank you very much. michael barbaro Well, Ronda, thank you. I do hope that under the safest possible conditions that we can resume the kind of classroom environment that you care so deeply about, and that I grew up with, and that so many of us treasure. ronda mcintyre Yeah. Yeah, you and everyone else, I think. (LAUGHS) michael barbaro Yeah, thank you very much. We really appreciate your time. ronda mcintyre Thank you. ronda mcintyre P.S. My brother says there was a famous movie star who died a long time ago with your name. Is this true? P.P.S. We live five blocks away from the East River in New York City. Do you live near a river too? Also, what kind of music do you like? Thats where were going to stop for today. All right, Im going to sign off, because its almost time for the Monday Zoom meeting, and Ive got to go get ready. Ill see you guys soon. Bye. michael barbaro Well be right back. Heres what else you need to know today. archived recording (derrick ollie scott, jr.) I need those officers to be convicted and charged, because my dad, he did not have to die. michael barbaro The family of Derrick Scott, a black man who died in the custody of Oklahoma City police, are demanding that police there be investigated and charged in his 2019 death after a video showed Scott telling officers, quote, I cant breathe as they pinned him to the ground. The video, recorded by police body cameras, captures one of the officers responding to Scotts plea by saying, quote, I dont care. Scott died a short time later. A medical examiner found that his arrest contributed to his death. And archived recording (mark a. milley) As senior leaders, everything you do will be closely watched, and I am not immune. michael barbaro on Thursday, the countrys top military official, Gen. Mark Milley, apologized for participating in a photo-op in which President Trump walked across Lafayette Square in Washington in order to hold up a Bible in front of a church. archived recording (mark a. milley) As many of you saw, the result of the photograph of me at Lafayette Square last week, that sparked a national debate about the role of the military in civil society. michael barbaro To prepare for that walk, federal authorities deployed tear gas and rubber bullets on mostly peaceful protesters, prompting former military officials to criticize Milley for taking part. archived recording (mark a. milley) I should not have been there. My presence in that moment and in that environment created a perception of the military involved in domestic politics. As a commissioned, uniformed officer, it was a mistake that Ive learned from. michael barbaro Barr said he believes there is a sufficient basis for social distancing rules that have been put in place, but he has cautioned that there may be concern if the restrictive measures continue too long. He has said the U.S. must find a way to allow business to adapt and reopen. TWO truck drivers have been charged after gardai intercepted the alleged "handover" of 2.5 million worth of cocaine in a garage carpark in north county Dublin at the weekend. Charlie Coyle (58) and Dmitrijs Venskovics (44) both appeared in Dublin District Court on drugs charges following the seizure. Judge Gerard Jones adjourned their cases to Friday after hearing Mr Venskovics allegedly drove a truck from which cocaine was handed over to a lorry driven by Mr Coyle. Mr Coyle of Boug, Cootehill, Co Cavan was granted bail subject to a 25,000 surety, while Mr Venskovics, with an address in Neretas Novads, Latvia, deferred a bail application. They are both charged with possession of cocaine with intent to sell or supply at Blake's Cross on Saturday, April 25. The court heard neither accused made any reply to the charges after caution. Detective Garda Redmond O'Leary told Judge Jones the value of the drugs involved was two and a half million euros. Mr Venskovics was not making any bail application today but would on his next court date, his solicitor Michael French said. He would provide an address in this jurisdiction before then, he said. Det Gda O'Leary told the judge it was alleged Mr Venskovics was the driver of a truck observed by officers after a planned operation was put in place by the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau. A "handover" to a second truck was observed by the gardai. The second vehicle was stopped and a large quantity of drugs found in it, Det Gda O'Leary said. Three people were arrested and two were before the court, he said. Der Gda Michael Ormond said the alleged involvement of Mr Coyle, was that he was the driver of the second truck, and took possession of the cocaine from the co-accused in the car park of a garage. There was CCTV footage and this was also observed by gardai carrying out surveillance, he said. It was alleged after being a patricipant in the handover, he left the scene in the lorry and was later arrested. Objecting to bail, Det Gda Ormond said the accused lived outside the state, in Northern Ireland. He had family living in Cavan, but he had been living in the north of Ireland for five to six years and the garda believed he was a flight risk. Mr Coyle was an "innocent man," was entitled to bail and could reside at the family home address, his solicitor Fiona D'Arcy said, applying for bail. Det Gda O'Leary said he understood Mr Coyle was not welcome at that address. No bail conditions would allay his fears, he said. Ms D'Arcy said Mr Coyle was welcome at the family home and would abide by bail conditions. He was "not a man of means" but friends and family could assist him in getting together 3,000 if he was granted bail, she said. Det Gda Ormond said Mr Coyle's behaviour had been "perfectly fine" since he was arrested. Judge Jones said the allegation was that the accused was "effectively caught red-handed." He granted Mr Coyle bail in his own bond of 100 but with a 25,000 independent surety, to be approved by the court. Under conditions, he is to sign on three times weekly at Carrickmacross Garda Station. The court heard his passport was lost and if it is found, it is to be surrendered to the gardai. If not, it is to be cancelled. He is also to provide a mobile phone number to gardai. Mr Coyle was remanded in custody with consent to bail and both men will appear in Cloverhill District Court on Friday. Gardai have said a third man arrested has been released without charge, with a file now being prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions. Exchange students traveling home to Kiev expressed their excitement before boarding a flight at the Miami International Airport on Monday, April 27, with some dancing in the terminal. This video, shared by the Ukrainian Embassy, shows secondary-school students from the FLEX Program celebrating their long-awaited trip back home. Sponsored by the State Department Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, the program offers students in Europe and Eurasia the opportunity to study in the United States. The Ukraine International Airlines flight brought 259 of its countrymen home to Kiev from Miami, including 119 students, in the fourth diplomatic mission to bring Ukrainians abroad back home, the embassy said. The embassy wrote on Facebook that more than 1,200 Ukrainians have been brought home safely through these efforts so far. Thanks everyone who made this possible despite current pandemic challenges, the embassy wrote in a tweet. Credit: Ukrainian Embassy via Storyful Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson became two of the most famous people to be diagnosed with coronavirus. Luckily, the Hollywood couple appears to have recovered from COVID-19. However, this pandemic affects all of usin myriad different ways. For a boy in Australia named Corona, its getting pretty tough; hes getting bullied for his name. The kid recently wrote a letter to Hanks, who lived up to his reputation of Americas Dad. The actor wrote a lovely response to his young fan. After he and his wife were diagnosed with COVID-19, Hanks receives a letter from a boy named Corona Tom Hanks in 2016 | Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images Corona De Vries is an 8-year-old boy from Australia. He wrote a letter to movie star Tom Hanks after Hanks and his wife, Rita Wilson caught COVID-19 in the boys home country. I heard on the news you and your wife had caught the coronavirus, De Vries wrote to Hanks. Are you OK? While the child shared with Hanks that he loved his given name, at school, kids were calling him coronavirus. I get very sad and angry when people call me this, he continued. Butnever fear, Tom Hanks is here. Tom Hanks writes amazing letter back to his young fan amid coronavirus pandemic Dear Friend Corona, Hanks began his reply. The famous actor contracted coronavirus while shooting a movie in Australia. He was there filming an upcoming Elvis Presley film, with Baz Luhrmann directing. However, both he and Wilson have returned to their home in the U.S., and seem to be recovering well. Your letter made my wife and I feel so wonderful! Hanks continued to De Vries. Thank you for being such a good friend friends make friends feel good when they are down. Hanks also made sure to tell the kid how unique his name is. Rita Wilson and Tom Hanks attends Rita Wilsons Star Ceremony on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame | Presley Ann/WireImage You are the only person Ive ever known to have the name Corona like the ring around the sun, a crown, the Saving Private Ryan star wrote. Movie star Tom Hanks gifts typewriter to 8-year-old Corona The De Vries family shared the whole story with Nine News, a local TV station. Young Corona knows Hanks voice from the Toy Story franchise. Hes hilarious, the boy gushed. I always watch him on the TV when Im sick. In Hanks own handwriting at the end of the letter, he added: PS! You got a friend in ME! As if that werent enough, the Toy Story actor decided to gift the 8-year-old one of his typewriters. (If you werent aware, Hanks is a huge typewriter nerd). But it wasnt just any typewriter from Tom Hanks. The brand of the device was: Corona. I thought this typewriter would suit you, Hanks wrote to the child. I had taken it to the Gold Coast, and now, it is back with you. Ask a grown up how it works. And use it to write me back. That typewriter meant a lot to Tom, and for him to give it to Corona is very, very special, Kevin De Vries, Coronas father, told Nine News. A number of doctors in Ghana have been infected by the deadly Coronavirus, according to the Ashanti Divisional Chairperson of the Ghana Medical Association, Dr. Paa Kwesi Baidoo. Ghana has so far recorded 1,550 cases with 11 deaths and 155 recoveries. Dr Baidoo, who was speaking on Hello FM, disclosed that thirteen (13) doctors have so far been infected but did not give further details. Meanwhile, he has advised Ghanaians who are 'joking' with the virus to stop because 'it is real'. Listen to him in the video below Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video / -- Strengthening the fight against COVID-19, employees of Bajaj Finserv and its subsidiaries have voluntarily decided to contribute a part of their salary to the PM-CARES fund. The collective effort of around 32,000 employees resulted in an amount of Rs 5,07,66,716/- (Rupees five crore seven lakh sixty-six thousand seven hundred sixteen) being contributed by employees of Bajaj Holdings & Investments and Bajaj Finserv, along with its subsidiaries - Bajaj Finance, Bajaj Housing Finance, Bajaj Allianz General Insurance, Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance, Bajaj Finserv Direct and Bajaj Finserv Health. The Bajaj Finserv companies have decided to match this contribution, thereby doubling the amount to Rs 10,15,33,432/-, (Rupees ten crore fifteen lakh thirty-three thousand four hundred thirty-two) which will be donated to the PM-CARES fund. The Bajaj Group had earlier pledged Rs 100 crore in the fight against COVID-19, of which close to 40 crore is already operational through various projects in multiple geographies. The group along with its partners, is providing cooked meals daily to more than 40,000 homeless and underprivileged people in Pune and its immediate surrounding areas. The group has also provided more than 12,000 PPE to the government hospitals in Uttarakhand, Pune and it's other operational areas, and is working towards procuring more. In addition to safety equipment, the group is actively working towards upgrading rural healthcare facilities, providing ventilators to multiple hospitals and raising awareness in rural pockets to fight COVID-19. Commenting on the initiative Sanjiv Bajaj, Chairman and Managing Director, Bajaj Finserv said, "It is a matter of great pride for us that our employees have voluntarily come forward to donate a part of their salary to the PM-CARES Fund. We remain committed in the fight against COVID-19 and are supporting the government and communities in tackling this pandemic." About Bajaj Finserv Limited Bajaj Finserv Limited is the holding company for the businesses dealing with financial services of the Bajaj Group. Its insurance joint ventures with Allianz SE, Germany, namely Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance Company Limited and Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Company Limited are engaged in life and general insurance business respectively. Its subsidiary Bajaj Finance Limited is a deposit-taking Non-Banking Finance Company engaged in consumer finance, SME finance and commercial lending and wealth management. To know more, please visit www.bajajfinserv. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) When it comes to medical advice, As seen on TV isnt necessarily the gold standard. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 27/4/2020 (625 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Editorial When it comes to medical advice, "As seen on TV" isnt necessarily the gold standard. Its worth questioning whether those who make their living as doctors for a studio and TV audience should get a wide platform to expound on the COVID-19 pandemic. Chris Pizzello / The Associated Press FILES Talk-show host Dr. Phil McGraw U.S. celebrities such as Dr. Mehmet Oz (Dr. Oz) and Phil McGraw (Dr. Phil), who were introduced to the public on Oprah Winfreys popular daytime show before being elevated to their own TV programs, have weighed in to media anchors on whether jurisdictions in the United States should ease physical-distancing policies and end lockdowns of businesses, schools and other public organizations. Dr. Oz is a thoracic and cardiac surgeon. Mr. McGraw has a doctorate in psychology but is not a licensed psychologist. Neither has expertise in pandemics or infectious disease. Yet Dr. Oz told Fox News host Sean Hannity that given the low fatality rate of two to three per cent for COVID-19, the prospect of reopening schools is "appetizing." Some viewers interpreted Dr. Ozs remarks to mean either a percentage of Americans who might die, or even a percentage of children who might die, when he was referring to the fatality rate of COVID-19 cases. Public backlash forced him to apologize and walk back his remarks that reopening schools would be advisable. The question remains, however: why didnt his lack of expertise preclude him from being asked for his opinion in the first place? What, in fact, was the justification for seeking his view, aside from the fact he is known to millions of TV viewers across North America? Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. In an interview by Fox News host Laura Ingraham, Mr. McGraw emphasized the risks to mental health posed by the lockdowns in place to slow the spread of the coronavirus. He went on to say that the resulting problems, including depression and poverty, pose a greater threat to peoples lives over time than the actual virus. While it is certainly true these problems will be magnified by the pandemic, his argument that attempts to mitigate the viruss spread are worse than the deaths it could cause fly in the face of advice from experts who actually know what theyre talking about. Mr. McGraw also compared COVID-19 deaths to fatalities from other causes, such as auto accidents, cigarettes and swimming pools, "but we dont shut the country down for that." He was later caught out for claiming swimming deaths numbered 360,000 a year when the actual figure from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is less than 3,600. He acknowledged his error on a subsequent YouTube video. Closer to home, most Manitobans rely on regular updates on the COVID-19 pandemic from trusted public health experts, such as Manitobas chief public health officer Dr. Brent Roussin and Canadas chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam. The announcements they make are based on the latest reliable medical data, and are subject to public scrutiny through the media. The public deserves access to accurate, timely information about the coronavirus, its risks, and the best practices for dealing with it. Its unfortunate, and troubling, that professional celebrities such as Dr. Oz and Mr. McGraw command such a huge audience, given the wide access provided by cable TV, and that their lack of expertise is overshadowed by the misplaced trust their audiences have in them. When peoples lives and public policy depend on accurate information, thats a dangerous combination. The next time somebody starts complaining about excessive government regulations, you might want to look behind those politically charged words and see just exactly what theyre referring to. Some regulations really are excessive and burdensome, and serve no good purpose. Oftentimes, though, those excessive regulations arent. Sometimes, theyre nothing more than government regulators telling a government-sanctioned monopoly that it cant charge its customers for $500,000 in moving costs to relocate to posh new office space. Or for purchasing a 65-inch Samsung TV and a 1.15-carat diamond ring yes, a diamond ring to reward its employees. Those regulations unfavorable regulatory environment was actually the term used in this case could simply be telling a business itll have to make do on a guaranteed profit of just 7.46%, rather than the 10.7% it wanted. For selling a sometimes inferior product to customers who are not allowed to buy the product in this case, tap water from a different company. Thats precisely what a Blue Granite spokesman was referring to when he complained that the S.C. Public Service Commission was creating a regulatory environment that makes it very difficult for private utilities to invest dollars in this state, and noted ominously that Private investment means jobs, which are critical for our states economic future. To which most of the companys 28,300 water and sewer customers in the Midlands and Upstate likely would respond: Fine. Go somewhere else. Yes, Blue Granite which was formerly known, and loathed, as Carolina Water is an outlier. In fact, the whole regulated monopoly sector is an outlier, because it isnt part of our free-market economy. Electricity and water companies in South Carolina have a guaranteed customer base other companies arent allowed to compete for business in their territory and a guaranteed rate of return on investments. The job of state utility regulators is to try to make up for the lack of consumer choice by limiting which expenses the utilities can make that profit on. And as The Post and Couriers Avery Wilks reports, the Public Service Commission voted this month to slash in half the 55% rate increase Blue Granite requested, set the utilitys guaranteed profit margin at the lowest rate S.C. utility regulators say they have ever seen and strip out a host of expenses the commission didnt think customers should pay. On its face, this seems like a positive move from a regulatory agency that historically has been far more interested in protecting utilities than protecting the public. So thats encouraging. At the same time, though, we have to recognize that theres a difference between coming down hard on Blue Granite and coming down hard on, say, Dominion or Duke Energy. Indeed, under intense criticism, the PSC reversed course in 2018 after initially allowing the company then called Carolina Water to charge customers for defending a pollution case that it eventually lost. So in that sense, the latest decision was no surprise. What will be a surprise is if the PSC becomes consistent in acting to serve and protect the public interest. But its what our legislators have to demand, and ensure. Because a system of regulated monopolies only works if you have good regulations and good regulators who understand that their job is not just to ensure that we have companies providing those essential services but also to provide the protection for customers that the free-market provides in most cases. WOONSOCKET, R.I., April 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- CVS Health (NYSE: CVS) will join other pharmacy chains and retailers at the White House today to announce the next phase in COVID-19 testing. In addition to the large-scale test sites the company has been operating since March, CVS Health will utilize its expansive community presence to bring testing closer to home while maintaining strict safety standards. "Our industry has been united by the unique role we can play in addressing the pandemic and protecting people's health," said Larry J. Merlo, President and CEO, CVS Health. "We all share the same goal, and that's dramatically increasing the frequency and efficiency of testing so we can slow the spread of the virus and start to responsibly reopen the economy when experts tell us it's safe." Beginning in May, CVS Health will offer self-swab tests to individuals meeting Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria. Testing will be scheduled online and take place at select CVS Pharmacy locations in parking lots or at drive-thru windows; no testing will take place in-store. Employees participating in the test collection process will maintain safety using personal protective equipment and follow sanitization protocols after each test. The company expects to have up to 1,000 locations across the country offering this service by the end of May, with the goal of processing up to 1.5 million tests per month subject to availability of supplies and lab capacity. CVS Health's COVID-19 testing strategy is driven by science, but also by the reality that minorities have been disproportionately impacted by the virus. The company has partnered with several organizations, including the National Medical Association, to improve access to testing and necessary care for historically underserved communities. CVS Health is also developing mobile solutions that will allow health care professionals to bring testing capabilities to these communities, and those same services can be utilized for businesses that will begin to re-open in the coming weeks and months. CVS Health currently operates large-scale COVID-19 rapid test sites in five states, which were opened in a matter of weeks through partnerships with the Department of Health and Human Services and governors in Connecticut, Georgia, Massachusetts, Michigan and Rhode Island. Most of the parking lot sites can accommodate up to 1,000 tests per day, and sites are overseen by licensed health care providers from MinuteClinic, the retail medical clinic inside CVS Pharmacy locations, with assistance from CVS pharmacists and other employees. "The selflessness displayed every day by the health care professionals at CVS Health and around the world is inspiring beyond words, and we owe them a debt of gratitude," Merlo continued. "The same is true for frontline workers everywhere who continue to provide essential goods and services when we need them most." More information on steps CVS Health has taken to address the COVID-19 pandemic, including support for health care providers and clinicians facing financial and administrative strain, is available at the company's frequently updated COVID-19 resource center. Contact: T.J. Crawford, [email protected], 212-457-0583 SOURCE CVS Health You probably dont remember the day the White House issued its 2013 open access memo, but Ill never forget it. Thats the rule that requires any research funded by the federal government to be made available to the public one year (at most) after publication. I was working back then at Creative Commons, an organization that advocates for strong open access policies. I remember saying to a colleague, Well, time to find a new cause. An oversimplification? Sure, myopia is an occupational hazard in my field. But I believed then that the right to knowledge was the panaceathat if we could remove the legal and institutional barriers between those who could access the worlds research and those who couldnt, then everything else would fall into place. After all, restricting access to knowledge is one of the most obvious ways that those in power have historically protected that power. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I thought wed won. I was wrong. The fight wasnt overit was just moving into a different battlefield. Today, patent abuse undermines that goal of letting the public fully enjoy the innovation that it pays for. In light of the race to develop treatments and vaccines for COVID-19, governments and other funders of science must make a change. Take remdesivir, one of several experimental drugs being tested for treating COVID-19. The U.S. government helped fund the research that led to the development of the drug. But in March, pharmaceutical giant Gilead received an unfair monopoly on it in the form of orphan drug status. The orphan drug designation grants special rights to the owner of a patent on treatments for a disease that affects fewer than 200,000 people in the United States. The idea is that if a pharmaceutical company offers a treatment for a disease that affects only a small number of people, it may not be able to recoup its costs if it has to compete with generic manufacturers. The absurdity of using orphan drug status in the current crisis should be obvious. There were fewer than 200,000 COVID-19 cases in the U.S. when Gilead asked for orphan drug status, but we blew past that number weeks ago. It took a public outcry to force Gilead to ask the U.S. government to rescind the orphan drug designation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Remdesivir may or may not be the key to treating COVID-19, but suppose it is. What would have happened if Gilead hadnt relinquished the orphan drug status? To put the question more bluntly, why should our chances at fighting COVID-19 depend on one companys public relations department? After all, the research that led to the development of remdesivir was partially funded by the federal government. Advertisement Advertisement Scientific research that is funded by the public should be available to the public. That commonsense principle is no more apparent than in the middle of a public health crisis. And for the most part, researchers and journal publishers are doing what they can to make papers related to COVID-19 available to the public. Several countries have committed to making the coronavirus-related research they fund available to the public. Even the big academic publishersnotoriously reluctant to adopt open access policiesare making COVID-19-related research available to the public without the embargo period allowed under current law. Advertisement But a series of administrative and legislative decisions has led to an odd disparity in which patents on inventions that arise from government-funded research are treated very differently from published papers that arise from that same research. Over the past decade, new rules at the federal and state level have guaranteed that the bulk of government-funded scientific research is available to the public that paid for it (albeit with that pesky one-year embargo period). But over that time period, universities and other government grantees have ever more aggressively filed patents on that same body of research. And unfortunately, some of those patents have fallen into the hands of bad actors. Even as open access has made strides toward becoming the default for government-funded research, patent trolls have made it more difficult for practicing companies to use that knowledge. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As researchers around the world work together to bring a coronavirus vaccine to market, the governments and institutions that fund them should adopt policies that prioritize access for everyone, not exclusive licenses for one manufacturer or country. But thats not enough. This moment in history doesnt just demand that a few new treatments be opened to generic manufacturers; it demands a major shift in how governments and other funders approach patents altogether. Advertisement Its not enough that the government ensure that new treatments or vaccines for COVID-19 be made affordably available to a broad public. Old patents can do just as much damage as new ones. Remember Theranos, the scammy blood-testing company that the Securities and Exchange Commission investigated for fraud? In mid-March, the patent troll that ended up owning Theranos old patents used them to sue a practicing company that plans to administer COVID-19 tests. In other words, a company with no business model besides legal bullying sued a company at the front lines of the fight against the coronavirus, using the patents from a defunct outfit whose product never worked in the first place. Advertisement We can do something about this kind of abuse without changing the law. A neglected section of patent law allows the government to step in and grant others a license to a U.S. patentthus making itself, rather than the medical industry, the defendant in an infringement suit over that patent. Advertisement Its not only biotech patents that can create obstacles for public health, either. A patent troll called My Health sued numerous companies that provide services for doctors and patients to communicate with each other over the internet. Its patent simply described routine processes in the telehealth industry. My Health kept demanding payments until a company had the gutsand resourcesto go to court and have the patent invalidated. Advertisement Like many medical technology patents, the My Health patent was originally issued to a research universityin this case, the University of Rochester. Once again, academias relentless push toward more aggressive patentingand its failure to ensure that those patents would be used ethicallycreated obstacles for the public and undermined a universitys social mission. Which brings us back to the current pandemic. The government must exercise the legal tools already at its disposal to stop patent abuse against health care companies, providers, and researchers working to provide tests and treatment to the public. It also must take steps now to keep the research it funds from becoming a tool of abuse. Advertisement Advertisement A global group of intellectual property experts recently launched the Open COVID Pledge, a license that lets the public use all of the licensors material and inventions covered by copyright, patents, or other IP rights, for the purpose of fighting COVID-19. The license ends one year after the World Health Organization says that the pandemic is over. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But it takes more than an opt-in pledge. Governments, universities, corporations, and other institutions that fund research should immediately make a broad license like the Open COVID Pledge a condition of their funding. Whats more, the U.S. government should exercise the legal tools already at its disposal to stop patent abuse against health care companies, providers, and researchers working to provide tests and treatment to the public. At its core, the patent system is about sharing knowledge and encouraging innovation. A patent represents a societal bargain: You share information with the public about how an invention works, and in return, the public gives you temporary, limited rights to get compensation from others who use that invention. But the patent system can be abusedand is being abused to take advantage of this global crisis. Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society. Education Montgomery County Community College will present the spring installment of the interview/talk show program Issues and Insights April 20 from 12:30 to 2 p.m. in Science Center room 214, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The programs will be simulcast to the Colleges West Campus in South Hall room 216, 101 College Drive, Pottstown. Dr. Kolsky will offer a humorous presentation, Carrots, Sticks and Politics: A State of the Nation and the World Message. In this speech, he will provide his interpretation of domestic and international politics and then welcome questions from the audience for discussion. Issues and Insights, is free and open to the public. For information, contact Dr. Thomas Kolsky, professor of political science, at 215-641-6380 or tkolsky@mc3.edu. Montgomery County Community Colleges STEM Scholars Program will host a STEM Jam! open house April 25 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the Advanced Technology Center at the Colleges Central Campus, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The drop-in event is designed for students interested in learning more about careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Activities will include STEM program information and career advising, STEM speakers throughout the day from industry and academia, micro-helicopter and robotics competitive obstacle courses and demonstrations and static models of STEM student and faculty work. For more information about STEM Jam! or STEM programs at MCCC, contact William Brownlowe at wbrownlowe@mc3.edu or 215-641-6644, or Robin Zuhlke at 215-619-7440 or rzuhlke@mc3.edu. Temple Ambler, located at 580 Meetinghouse Road, presents the following events: International Club Global Bazaar April 15 from 5 to 8 p.m. The Ambler Campus International Club invites all students, faculty, staff and the community to celebrate a multitude of diverse cultures, which will be showcased at the organizations Global Bazaar. This family friendly event will highlight cultural traditions and celebrations in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, South American, North America and Africa through music, entertainment, food and informative displays developed and presented by students at the Ambler Campus. Young visitors will be provided with passports, which they may get stamped at each country they visit. Prizes will be awarded to world travelers who talk to cultural representatives, answer questions about the countries theyve visited and take part in fun-filled activities designed to help them learn about the rich diversity of cultures found throughout the world. Refreshments will be served. The event is free. For more information, call 267-468-8108 or e-mail tuc36466@temple.edu. EarthFest 2011 April 29 from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. More than 75 exhibitors, including the Philadelphia Zoo, The Franklin Institute, the Academy of Natural Sciences, the Elmwood Park Zoo and the Insectarium, will take part in EarthFest 2011. School students of all ages are invited to attend and develop displays of their own. EarthFest partner the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society also offers its Kids Grow Expo, featuring the Junior Flower Show, as part of the event. For more information, call 267-468-8108 or e-mail duffyj@temple.edu. Annual Spring Plant Sale May 7 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The plant sale an Ambler Campus tradition dating back to the early 1900s will feature woody plants and perennials in portable sizes, hardy trees, shrubs, and vines, native plants that are attractive to wildlife, herbs, and hanging baskets. There will also be numerous special plants for sale to highlight Amblers special anniversary year. Garden books and garden tools will also be available for sale. Students, staff, and volunteers from the Department of Landscape Architecture and Horticulture and the Ambler Arboretum Advisory Committee will be available to answer questions. All proceeds from the Spring Plant Sale will support the Ambler Arboretum Fund and the Pi Alpha Xi National Honor Society. Information: 267-468-8001 or judy.shatz@temple.edu. Learn more at www.ambler.temple.edu/anniversary. June Homecoming/Louise Bush-Brown Garden Dedication June 5 from 12:30 to 2 p.m. (June Homecoming), Bright Hall Lounge; 2 p.m. (Garden Dedication), Ambler Campus Formal Perennial Gardens. Tickets June Homecoming: Participant $18 per person; Sustainer $25 per person; Benefactor $40 per person. The 2011 June Homecoming, sponsored by the School of Environmental Design Alumni Association, will include the Alumni Association annual meeting and luncheon. June Homecoming will be followed by the formal dedication of Temple University Amblers Formal Perennial Gardens as the Louise Bush-Brown Formal Gardens. During this 100th anniversary of the campus, Temple University Ambler and the Ambler Arboretum of the Temple University is honoring Louise Bush-Browns many contributions to the history of the campus by formally dedicating the gardens in her honor. During the program, campus Executive William Parshall will welcome guests, Ambler Arboretum Director Jenny Rose Carey will speak about the Bush-Browns and the history of the garden, and an official ribbon cutting will be held for the Louise Bush-Brown Formal Garden. Following the ribbon cutting, guests are invited to take a tour of the gardens, which will wend their way to the Campus Greenhouse for the School of Environmental Designs annual Plant Auction. Information (Garden Dedication): 267-468-8001 or judy.shatz@temple.edu. Information (June Homecoming): 215-482-0722. Learn more at www.ambler.temple.edu/anniversary. Northview Garden Tour and Fundraiser for the Ambler Arboretum June 12 from noon to 5 p.m. Call for reservations. Tickets: $15 per person or $20 at the door. In addition to the gardens of the Ambler Arboretum of Temple University, Arboretum Director Jenny Rose Carey has a garden oasis all her own right in Ambler Northview. Visitors will have the opportunity to take self-guided tours throughout the many gardens, where garden experts will be available to answer questions about the various designs. The Ambler Keystone Chapter of the Womans National Farm and Garden Association will also provide tea and refreshments. All proceeds from the tours will support the Ambler Arboretum of Temple University. Information or to register: 267-468-8001 or judy.shatz@temple.edu. Learn more at www.ambler.temple.edu/anniversary. The Senior Adult Activities Center of Montgomery County, 536 George Street, Norristown, will hold the following events: SAAC Adult Day Care, an alternative to Nursing Home Care is available for information call 610-275-1960 Volunteers are needed for Meals on Wheels Program (call the number above) SAACs Fifth Avenue Boutique opens Monday through Friday from 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Exercise with Theresa will be held every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 1 p.m. Dance class is held every Monday at 10 a.m. Tai Chi is held every Monday at 10 a.m. Yoga is held every Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. Line Dancing is held every Thursday at 10:30 a.m. Dancing with Joan is held every Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. Sculpture Class is held Wednesdays from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Why Should I Learn Spanish? will be held Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m. Generations On-Line computer classes for seniors will be held Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. 4 p.m. computers are available during those hours. Health Living will be held every Tuesday at 1 p.m. Boomer U will hold the following events. Boomer U is located at 45 Forest Avenue, Ambler. Registration & payment is required for all events: 215-619-8863. Pilates Class is held Wednesdays and Fridays at 9:30 a.m. First class is free; please bring a mat. For information call 610-291-5376. Blue Bell School of Dance, 921 Penllyn Blue Bell Pike, Blue Bell, hosts Argentine Tango Classes and a Milonga dance party every Friday evening. Lessons start at 8:30 p.m. followed by dancing at 9:30 p.m. Andrew Conway, master Argentine Tango dancer, instructor and performer and his partner Linda Chase will instruct. All levels welcome and no partner is needed. Refreshments will be served. Fee is $12 per person and includes lesson and dancing. Information: 215-634-1101 or www.amoretango.com. The Montgomery Hospital Medical Center will offer the following classes: Childbirth Education Class- all parents are invited to participate, including those who are delivering at other hospitals. For more information on maternity services or classes, call 610-270-2020. CPR and First Aid Courses are offered for beginners to experiences health care providers. Call 610-270-2313. The Ambler SAAC (Senior Adult Activities Center), located at 45 Forest Ave in Ambler will hold the following events: Tai Chi every Monday and Thursday at 11 a.m. Yoga is every Tuesday at 1 p.m. and Friday at 10:30 a.m. Strength and balance training every Wednesday at 10 a.m. Armchair Aerobics is held every Monday at 10 a.m. Gourmet Weight Wise every Thursday at 12:30. Fitness Center and Pool Room open daily 8 a.m.-4 p.m. The Diabetes Education Center will offer day and evening classes each month. Health insurance pays for diabetes education classes. Preregistration is required. Call 610-270-2301. For Kids & Families The Ambler Kiwanis Club will host its annual Easter Egg Hunt April 26 at 10 a.m. in Ambler Borough Park, located just off of the intersection of Hendricks Street and Valley Brook Road. Members of the Wissahickon Key Club will assist Kiwanians in hiding thousands of wrapped chocolate eggs in a designated area of the park. Also hidden will be plastic colored eggs, which are redeemed for prizes. Elementary school children are separated by age. Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation will hold its 21st annual Storybook Egg-Stravaganza April 15 fom 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Upper Dublin Township Building. Toddlers and preschoolers love this annual event where photo opportunities with favorite friends abound! Treasures are collected from UDP&Rs assortment of lifesize cutouts of favorite cartoon characters from Disney, Sesame Street, Nickelodeon and other well-known animation. Children can have their picture taken with Bugsy OHare; bring your own camera. And dont forget a basket for goodies! $7 for UD residents; $12 for non-residents. Pre-register at 215-643-1600 ext. 3443. Splash Week is a free week-long program that teaches children and families basic swimming skills and water safety practices. All YMCA branches will host multiple classes each day from April 11 to 15. For more information, contact the Ambler Area YMCA at 215-628-9950. Healthy Kids Day is April 16 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The day is filled with fun, engaging and artistic activities that cultivate healthy living as part of the YMCAs larger efforts to help more kids and families become physically active. All activities are free and open to the community. For more information, contact the Ambler YMCA at 215-628-9950. No reservation is required. The Ambler Area YMCA has added several new programs for area youngsters. Classes are held late afternoons or evenings on various weekdays. For more information, visit philaymca.org or call 215-628-9950. Basic Beading: Ages: 10+. Wednesdays 7 to 7:45 p.m. This class will teach you the fundamentals of wiring and stringing along with how color can be used to create unique and vibrant beadwork design. You will create various jewelry including earrings, bracelets, charm pendants and much more! Supplies will be provided. Bringing your own jewelry pliers or tools would be a plus. Messin with the Masters: Ages: 8-12. Thursdays 7 to 7:45 p.m. Learn about some of the worlds greatest artists. You will be inspired to create your own Starry Night with oil pastels and tempera paints, a tissue paper painted Monet garden, a Picasso head using scraps of paper, a Georgia OKeeffe clay flower bowl and a Rousseau jungle collage. Super Scientist: Ages: 5-7. Mondays 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. Well be concocting chemistry experiments such as making slime, mixing potions and having fun with magnet magic. Your budding little scientist will enhance his/her creative thinking and motor skills and to top it off will learn that science can be serious fun. Wacky Junk Art: Ages: 8-12. Thursdays 6 to 6:45 p.m. Why throw it away! Instead join us to make household junk into aliens from outer space, wacky specs, crazy hats, body masks or a recycled train. Globe Trotters: Ages: 4-6. Tuesdays 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. Youre never too young to start thinking globally. Each week, we explore a new country through crafts, games, music, stories and even some taste-testing. A perfect introduction to our great big world! Crazy about Crafts: Ages: 5-7, Thursdays 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. Let your childs creative juices flow with our fun arts and crafts projects each week. Fine motor skills and creative thinking skills will be enhanced with this crafty class. Come out and join the Ambler Area YMCAs Teen and Junior Leaders Club. Participants are given the freedom to plan community service projects year round and truly make a difference in the lives of people in need. Those in Teen and Junior Leaders also attend leadership retreats all along the East Coast three times a year and meet other leaders who are doing the same great work in their respective areas. Dont miss out on this inspiring opportunity. Teen Leaders, ages 13-17, meet every Wednesday from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Junior Leaders, ages 10-12, will begin in the spring and will meet every Monday. For more information, contact Mike Miles, Teen Director, 215- 628-9950 x 1540 or mmiles@philaymca.org. Did you know that the new Ambler Area YMCA holds childrens birthday parties at its site for members and non members as well. The Ambler Y does all the work from start to finish and birthday parties include a personalized cake, ice cream, beverage and paper products. Parties are held on Saturday and Sunday afternoons and include two party hosts to lead activities, set-up, clean-up and assist with serving. You can have a Splash Party for children ages six to 12 in the new zero depth entry pool with water slide and spray fountains. Up to 25 children have exclusive use of the pool area with 30 minutes in the party room. Sports Parties are offered for kids ages four to 12 with age appropriate activities and games, and sports such as floor hockey, soccer, basketball or dodge ball. Children ages three to five years of age will enjoy parties in the Family Active Center with use of the Moon Bounce and organized activities, such as parachute play and songs. For information, 215-628-9950 ext. 1583. Community Events at the Ambler Y: -YAchievers YMCA Achievers is a developmentally based, extracurricular, educational and team mentoring program designed to help students in grades five through 12 prepare for fulfilled livelihoods in college and beyond. Participation is free and all students in this program receive a free YMCA membership. Registration for the 2009 program begins now. You do not need to be a YMCA member to utilize these special services. Call 215-628-9950 to register. Greater Norristown Art Leagues Childrens Weeklong Summer Art Camps will be held at 800 West Germantown Pike in East Norriton, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday throughout the summer. The cost per session is $125 per student for ages 6 and up. Jo Ann Cooksey Bono teaches an introduction to basic drawing skills and techniques from 10 a.m. until the lunch break each day. In the afternoon sessions, Mary Vogel Lozinak involves the students in hands on projects such as collage, papermaking, T-shirt printing, 3D design and sculpy clay. Fridays Graduation Day includes an art show, awards ceremony and reception for parents, siblings, grandparents and friends. All supplies are included. Students provide their own lunch. A refrigerator is available and the building is air-conditioned. This is the 15th year to run this successful program. Both instructors are professional artists with State Police and Child Abuse Clearances. To register, call Jo Ann at 610-279-1008, or register on-line at www.gnal.org. Health Dresher Physical Therapy is hosting an interactive seminar discussing its Golf Assessment Progam April 30 from 10 a.m. to noon at Dresher Physical Therapy, 1075 Virginia Drive, Suite 200, Fort Washington. Physical therapist Chris Miller, certified through the Titleist Performance Institute, will discuss why your body may be the most important piece of golf equipment you invest in and how this can drastically improve your game. $10 in advance; $15 at the door. Call 215-619-4545 to reserve your spot. The Chestnut Hill Center for Enrichment, Center on the Hill and Chestnut Hill Hospital will host a Senior Health and Resource Fair April 14 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Chestnut Hill Presbyterian Church, 8855 Germantown Ave. The event is free. For more information, call 215-248-0180 or e-mail chseniors@cavtel.net. The Ambler Senior Adult Activities Center is hosting Help Yourself to Health, a new six-week workshop for older adults with ongoing health conditions such as arthritis, diabetes, high blood pressure, anxiety, heart disease and others. The free workshop will take place at the Ambler Senior Adult Activities Center, 45 Forest Ave. on six Thursdays, May 12 through June 16 from 9:30 a.m. to noon. Although there is no charge to participate, registration is required. To register, call 215-619-8863. The Ambler Senior Adult Activities Center is sponsoring an eight-week program called A Matter of Balance: Managing Concerns About Falls. Presented by the Montgomery County Health Department, this workshop will be held on Tuesdays, May 3 to June 21 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Ambler Center, 45 Forest Ave. If you pre-register by April 27, the fee is only $5! Registration at the first class is $10. (Checks should be payable to SAAC and will benefit our Meals on Wheels program that serves homebound seniors.) A workbook will be provided and refreshments will be served. Call 215-619-8863 to register or for more information. Fort Washington Wellness Center classes are ongoing. There are several offered during lunch or right after work, for your convenience: Boot Camp from noon to 1 p.m. on Monday; Zumba is MWF from 11 a.m. to noon and Friday at 4 p.m.; there are 25 cycling classes; Ashtanga and Vinyasana Yoga and Pilates; and a group Womens Strength Training class M-F from 10 to 11 a.m. Questions, call Cathy DeMarco at 215-641-1245. Following the success of other local area programs, Impact Sports and Upper Dublin Parks and Recreation are delighted to team up again to offer a spring program for the 2011 season! Upper Dublin area children ages 3-5 years old can attend a Sports Program featuring their favorite sports games; soccer, rugby, hockey, track and field, basketball, and more. The program will start on April 27 and run through June 1. Cost for the program is $85 for the six weeks. The classes will be running 12- 1 p.m.; 1- 2 p.m.; 2- 3 p.m. For more info or to register, call Upper Dublin Township on 215 643 1600 or visit their website a http://www.upperdublin.net. Spring Aquatic Programs UDHS Pool: -Summer is just around the corner Community Aquatic Programs at the UDHS Pool can help get you into shape! Programs begin in March; preregistration is required. Shallow Water Aerobics Two 5-week programs, Wednesday nights, 8-8:45 p.m., $40R/$50NR. Adult Swim Instructions Two 5-week programs, Wednesday nights, 7-8 p.m., $50R/$60NR -Open Rec Swims are fun for the whole family! Come out on Fridays from 7-9 p.m. or Saturdays from 1-4 p.m. and enjoy use of the pool and diving area. Fridays are offered through June 17; Saturdays are offered March 12-May 21. -Join a growing group of adult lap swimmers and water walkers. Lanes are set aside evenings and weekends for use; lanes are shared. Monday Thursday from 7:30-9:30 p.m.; Fridays from 7-9 p.m. and Saturdays (March 12-May 21) from 1-4 p.m. -Private Swimming & Diving Lessons for ages 3-adult are offered at the UDHS Pool through a partnership with the Upper Dublin Aquatic Club (UDAC). Visit the UDAC website for more information, www.udac.us, and click the link to UDHS Private Lessons. -Looking for local programs for US Masters Swimming (adults) or Water Polo (all ages)? UDAC and UDSD are working together to develop programs that will be offered at the UDHS Pool. Add your name to Interest Lists by emailing slohoefer@upperdublin.net. emails will be sent about clinics and program start dates. Questions about Community Aquatic Programs at the UDHS Pool, group use of the pool or pool rental? Contact Susan Lohoefer, Facility & Community Affairs Manager at slohoefer@upperdublin.net or call 215-643-8800 x8994. SilverSneakers Fitness Program. The Healthyways SilverSneakers Fitness Program is a result-oriented program that enables older adults to take charge of their health. The program is an innovative blend of physical activity, healthy lifestyle and socially oriented programing. Members of the program are eligible for a free YMCA membership, with use of the pool and exercise equipment, along with customized classes designed for older adults who want to improve their strength, flexibility, balance and endurance. If you are a subscriber to Independence Blue Cross (Personal Choice 65 PPO) or Keystone 65 HMO, Bravo Health, or Health Options Programs (HOP), call the Ambler Area YMCA, 215-628-9950 or Hatboro Area YMCA, 215-674-4545. You can also visit www.silversneakers.com. Zumba Fitness offers Zumba dance/fitness classes at Academy of Dance and Music/BBAD Studio located at 1524 DeKalb Pike in Blue Bell (behind Sherwin Williams). Classes are offered three times a week: Tuesdays at 6 p.m., Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. and Saturdays at 8 a.m. For a free trial pass for your first class, email us at info@danceandmusic.biz or call 610-277-2557. For more info, visit our site at www.academyofdanceandmusic.org. Chestnut Hill Health Systems presents the following Health Education Programs: FITNESS CLASSES Golden Yoga: A Breathing, Stretching and Relaxation Class. Fridays, 2:30-3:30 p.m. Lea Auditorium, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave. Registration for four classes at a time required. Golden Yoga is Classical Yoga, adapted by the SKY Foundation, to accommodate those who have difficulty getting up and down from the floor. The program includes postures, breathing, relaxation and meditation techniques, all performed while sitting in a chair and standing. Registration required. Call 215-247-3029. Cost: $20 for 4 classes per month. Tai Chi: Tuesdays & Thursdays, 8:30 9:30 a.m. Springfield Residence, 8601 Stenton Ave. Classes, for the novice or beginner/intermediate student, are designed to improve balance, power, posture, coordination, flexibility and mental focus. Slow, gentle movements are modified to most everyones abilities. For more information or to sign up for a free introductory class, call 215-882-2804. Cost: $8 per class/paid monthly. SUPPORT GROUPS Weight Loss Surgery Support Group: Fourth Wednesday of the month, 7-8 p.m. Williams Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia. Join us for a monthly get-together where well share information for those interested in weight loss surgery, learn from guest speakers discussing current news on issues including lifestyle modification, nutrition and exercise and provide ongoing support for those who have completed surgery. Registration required. Call 215-753-2000. Breast Cancer Networking Group: Fourth Tuesday of the month 5:30 7 p.m. Williams Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia. A free, confidential support group for women living with a diagnosis of breast cancer designed to provide a forum for sharing information, feelings and concerns associated with breast cancer. Facilitated by Tish Wakefield, LCSW, Oncology Social Worker. Registration required. To register or for more information, call 215-248-8047. New Moms Support Groups Tuesdays 10:30 a.m. 12 p.m.; contact Jeanine ORourke, MSW or 2:30 4 p.m.; contact Susan Schack, Ph.D Volunteer Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave. The Center for Postpartum Depression at Chestnut Hill Hospital is pleased to offer two new support groups to support new moms. Both groups will be run by experienced mental health professionals who really get it when it comes to new motherhood and juggling relationships, extended family, work/family balance and self-care. If you are experiencing new mom challenges that often heighten anxiety and involve hormonally driven depression, join us for an informative and supportive forum to connect with other moms. Infants are welcome. $30 per session (flexible based on need). Registration is required. Call Dr. Schack, 646-265-2484, or Ms. ORourke, 215-206-2931. Man to Man Prostate Cancer Support Group Third Thursday of the month 8-9 a.m. Williams Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave. A networking group for men diagnosed with prostate cancer designed to provide education, support and encouragement. Spouses and partners welcome. Harry M. Baer, MD, Chief, Urology Division, will host Ask the Doctor. Registration required. Call 215-248-8325. Contact the Senior Center by phone 215-248-0180 or email (chseniors@cavtel.net) with your questions about these programs or any of our on-going activities and classes. Holy Redeemer HomeCare and Hospice seeks compassionate and emotionally mature volunteers to provide support to local hospice patients and their families in Bucks, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties. Volunteers may also assist with pet therapy and administrative work within the hospice department and are requested to have daytime availability. Hospice patient care volunteers visit with patients in their homes or nursing facilities once a week for two to three hours. They provide emotional support and companionship to patients and family members, assist with errands or provide respite for caregivers. Bereavement volunteers support the families of hospice patients following the loss of a loved one, while administrative volunteers assist with typing, mailings and/or filing. Hospice care workers provide a great service to families and loved ones of hospice patients. Many volunteers also report a great deal of personal satisfaction as a result of their services. Patient care and bereavement volunteers complete an application and attend an 18-hour volunteer training program that covers the medical, psychological and spiritual aspects of hospice volunteering. Day and evening training programs are offered. To sign up for volunteer opportunities in Pennsylvania, contact Holy Redeemer Volunteer Coordinator Jean Francis at 215-698-3737 or email jfrancis@holyredeemer.com. Librarytalk Upper Dublin Public Library, 805 Loch Alsh Avenue, Ft. Washington, 215-628-8744 www.upperdublinlibrary.org APRIL CHILDRENS PROGRAMS: Storytimes: Please register in the library. o Wee Ones: 0 to 23 months Thursdays and Fridays 10:30 to 10:50 a.m. o Tiny Tots: age 2. Wednesdays 10:30 to 10:50 a.m. and Fridays 11 to 11:20 a.m. o Jr. Book Lovers: ages 3 to 6. Tuesdays 10:30 to 11 a.m. o Bedtime Storytimes: 7 to 7:30 p.m. April 20 and 27. Wear your jammies, bring your teddy & hear Miss Barbara read bedtime stories! For ages 3 to 6. APRIL TEEN PROGRAMS: North Hills Library Teens April 28 from 4 to 6 p.m. Movie Matinee APRIL UDPL ADULT PROGRAMS: NEW! ESL Conversation Group. Tuesdays from 7 to 8 p.m. Interested in practicing your English in a safe and caring environment? Come to our conversation group and improve your skills! Please register with Kay Klocko at 215-628-8744 or kklocko@mclinc.org. One-on-One Computer Mentoring. Get personalized assistance from experienced computer volunteers! Sign-up for a one-hour session. Limit one session per month. Please register contact info above. Book Groups Please register with Kay Klocko 215-628-8744. o Daytimers: April 21 at 1:30 p.m. Tired of book groups where you all read the same book? Read any fiction or non-fiction book on this months theme: Explorers. Please register. Meetings: Annual Meeting of the Friends of UDPL: April 14 at 1 p.m. Board of Directors: April 20 at 7 p.m. Blue Bell Library www.wvpl.org Upcoming Events: The Wissahickon Valley Public Library, 650 Skippack Pike (Route 73) in Blue Bell, is diagonally across from the Blue Bell Inn. Call 215-643-1320 or visit their website at www.wvpl.org. For children and teens at Blue Bell: * Story times with guitar music by Miss Michelle, the singing librarian. * Mondays at 10:30 a.m. for all ages. * Wednesdays at 4:30 p.m. for all ages. * Fridays at 10:30 a.m. for all ages. * Family Movies, new releases, second Saturdays of the month at 1:30 p.m. * May 14 Despicable Me * June 11 Alpha and Omega * Special Events * April watch for date of spring/Easter events * April 14 at 4:30 p.m. Junior Lego Club for children ages 3 through 5. Parents and caregivers need to stay with children. * April 14 at 7 p.m. Jeopardy for ages 11 to 18. Test your book and library knowledge for prizes. Sign up to be a contestant. No sign up to be in the audience. Snacks provided. * April 16 at 1 p.m. Adult Mystery Book Group discussing The Beekeepers Apprentice by Laurie King. * April 16 at 1:30 p.m. Childrens event for One Book, Every Young Child celebration. Story and craft for book Whose Shoes? * April 19 at 7 p.m. and April 26 at 1:30 p.m.- Adult book group discusses The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester. Group led by Adam Button. * April 30 through May 3 Friends book sale with about 10,000 items for sale for children, teens and adults. * May sign up for Science in the Summer * June sign up for Enrichment Programs for Elementary-Age children * June sign up for Summer Reading, all ages For adults at Blue Bell: * Daytime Book Discussion Group fourth Tuesday, Jan April at 1:30 p.m. * April 26 The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester * Night-time Book Discussion Group third Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. o April 19 The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester * Art Series with Dr. Sheldon Weintraub, docent at The Barnes and speaker at local colleges o April 27 at 2 p.m. The Art of Looking at Art-Is She Nude or Is She Naked? *Mystery Book Discussion Group, third Saturday of the month at 1 p.m.; new mystery theme each month; www.wvpl.org/programs * Yoga on Mondays at 1:30 p.m. $20 for eight classes; $5 per drop-in class. * Tai Chi on Mondays at 3 p.m. with Dr. Kurt Findeisen. $20 for eight classes; $5 per drop in class. * Philadelphia Museum of Art presents class on their Marc Chagall exhibit, April 13 at 2 p.m. * Giant Book Sale, April 29 May 3 o Starts with almost 10,000 items for children and adults! o Held during library hours. o Preview for members of the Friends of the Library, April 28 at 7 p.m. o Join the Friends and attend the preview sale. Modest fee to join. * Blooms at Blue Bell Gardening Series o May 11 at 1 p.m. Summer Bulbs by PA Horticultural Society * Knitting group Mondays and Wednesdays at 10 a.m. Work on your project or observe and learn. The groups continue year-round in the community room. * Socrates Cafe discussion group every Monday at 7 p.m. You pick the topic to discuss each week. No sign-up, nothing to read. * Bridge every Friday at 12:30 p.m. New players welcome. * Mah Jong every Wednesday at 1 p.m. New players welcome. *Chess every Wednesday at 7p.m. for adults and teens 14 and older. * Movie Matinee showing recent releases every Thursday at 2 p.m. April 14: Maos Last Dancer; April 21: Welcome to the Rileys; April 28: Conviction; May 5: Inception; May 12: Inside Job; May 19 The Kings Speech; May 26 The Fighter; June 2 Rabbit Hole; June 9 Black Swan; June 16 127 Hours * Ongoing like-new, year-round book sale for adults & children during library hours * Library opening at 10 a.m. Monday through Saturday! Ambler Library, a branch of the Wissahickon Valley Public Library, 209 Race St., 215-646-1072. www.wvpl.org. All the following events occur at the Ambler Library. * Story times with guitar music by Miss Michelle, the singing librarian. * Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m. for all ages. * Thursdays at 4:30 p.m. for all ages. * For adults: * Beading Group meets the first and third Monday of every month at 1 p.m. Work on your own projects or come to watch and learn. * Free Family History Lookup with Connie Briggs. Email Connie for an appointment at the Ambler Library. conniebriggs@comcast.net * Special Events: * April 14 at 1:30 p.m. Book Group discusses Skeletons at the Feast by Chris Bohjalian. * April 19 at 7 p.m. Travel to Paris with world traveler Harry Balin. Tea and scones at 6:30 p.m. * April 21 at 7 p.m. Art with Sara for children in fourth through seventh grades. *May 2 at 6:30 p.m. Discuss the movie Lone Star with Temple Professor Lisa Hawkins. Watch the movie ahead of time. *May 10 Robert Capucci discusses Art into Fashion. Tea and scones served at 6:30 p.m. Program at 7 p.m. *May 12 at 1:30p.m. Book Group discusses The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman. *May 17 Tour the gardens of Devon and Southwest England with Lois McMullen. Tea and Scones at 6:30 p.m. Program at 7 p.m. *June 13 at 6:30 p.m. Discuss the movie Blade Runner with Temple Professor Lisa Hawkins. Watch the movie ahead of time. Meetings and Lectures The Unisys Blue Bell Retiree Group will meet in the Church on the Mall in the Plymouth Meeting Mall April 14 at 1:30 p.m. Kathy Sacket Young, director/trainer with the North Penn YMCA, will speak on Keeping Fit in Retirement. For more information, contact Membership Committee Chairperson Jerry Feldscher at 610-275-3538 or President Al Rollin at 215-368-4833. The next FWBA meeting will be April 28 at the Hilton Garden Inn Fort Washington. Networking begins at 11:30 a.m.; meeting from noon to 1 p.m. Leon Singletary, Principal, First Contact HR and FWBA Executive Board, will present: Social Media: How to Use It To Get More Business. Lunch is provided courtesy of the Hilton Garden Inn Fort Washington. Members are welcome to bring a guest. An RSVP is requested by return email or 215-628-0313. Big Brothers Big Sisters Southeastern PA is hosting a information sessions over the next few weeks on how to become a Big Brother. The information sessions will take place: April 16 at noon, April 19 at 8 a.m. and April 28 at 6 p.m. All sessions will be held at the groups Norristown Office,t 530 DeKalb St., Norristown. For more information, call 610-277-2200. The North Penn Chapter of the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA) normally meets on the third Tuesday of each month from now until May. Meetings are held at the William Penn Inn on Route 202 and Sumneytown Pike, Upper Gwynedd, PA. Social hour starts at 5:30 p.m., dinner is served at 6:30 p.m., and the technical program begins at 7 p.m. Cost with reservation is $28 for members. Members without reservations and guests pay $30. Students with reservations pay $15. Reservations may be made by noon on the Monday preceding the meeting by phoning 215-371-1854 or emailing the reservation to northpennima@yahoo.com northpennima@yahoo.com. Information about the North Penn Chapter is available at http://northpenn.imanet.org/. LeTip, a professional organization of men and women who are dedicated to the highest standards of competence and service meets every Tuesday at Cedar Brook Country Club, 180 Penllyn Pike, Blue Bell at 7 a.m. -meeting officially starts at 7:16 a.m. and ends at 8:31 a.m. Our purpose is the exchange of business tips, leads, and referrals. Each business category is represented by one member and conflicts of interest are disallowed. Guests are welcome to visit any of our breakfast meetings. Every third Thursday of month, Sunrise Assisted Living of Blue Bell (795 Penllyn Pike, Blue Bell, PA 19422, 215-619-2777) serves as a satellite site to 148th Legislative district PA congressman Mike Gerber from 10 a.m. to noon. Stop by for help needed with things such as disability placards and license plates, vehicle registration, utilities issues, birth/death certificates,property tax/rent rebates, etc. Notary services arranged by appointment. The Eastern Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce is an action-oriented organization dedicated to promoting its members and the economic health of eastern Montgomery county. The Chamber is committed to serving as a catalyst by uniting business, community agencies, government and education to make our county a great place to live and work. For information, call 215-887-5122 or visit www.emccc.org. Do you have a fear of public speaking? Blue Bell Toastmasters Club can help. We meet from 7 to 9 p.m., on the second and fourth Tuesday at the Marriott Courtyard, located on Route 202, directly across from the Montgomeryville Mall. Learn how to improve communication and leadership skills in a friendly and supportive environment. Guests are welcome. Admission fee: $5. For more info, visit www.bbtoast.org. The PennSuburban Chamber of Commerce will hold the following meetings (for reservations to any of the following, email info@PennSuburban.org) -Breakfast News Network, 7:30-8:45 a.m. at Normandy Farm Hotel (1401 Morris Road, Blue Bell, PA 19422) $15 members, includes full buffet breakfast. Join us for a networking program at Normandy Farm Hotel every Thursday morning for breakfast, business news, informative speakers, and plenty of networking. The cost includes a full breakfast buffet. Copies of the business cards will be made available to those who would like them. The BNI, Fort Washington Chapter meets every Monday at The Hilton Garden Inn, 520 Pennsylvania Ave., Fort Washington for a networking meeting. Meetings are from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. Visitors are welcome. The only cost to attend is the cost of your meal. For information or a reservation to attend, please call Luanne Cram at 215-947-7784, or visit our Internet site at: http://www.BNIDVR.Com and click on the menu item Find a Chapter. For the past seven years, people have enjoyed participating in WVWAs Adopt-a-Tree program. Individuals can support the Association in its reforestation efforts by purchasing native trees to be planted. Supporters can plant their adopted tree or have WVWA volunteers will plant it. Trees cost $30 each. If you would like to volunteer or purchase a tree(s), please contact: Bob Adams at Bob@wvwa.org or call: 215-646-8866 for more information. Check www.WVWA.org for directions and maps. Sustainable Upper Dublin, http://sustainableupperdublin.org, meets the first Thursday of each month at 6:30 p.m., at the Upper Dublin Township Building, 801 Loch Alsh Avenue, Fort Washington, PA 19034. Please send any questions to suec@sustainableupperdublin.org or call 610-996-6316. To learn more about Sustainable Upper Dublin, view or join the discussion at http://googlegroups.com/group/sustainableupperdublin. Special Events The Mattie N. Dixon Community Cupboard will hold its first nutrition class April 19 at 10 a.m. at the Community Cupboard, 150 N. Main St., Ambler. Lynne Sinclair, a nutritionist from Abington Memorial Hospital specializing in diabetic nutrition, will conduct the class. Topics will include healthy eating, beneficial foods, recipes, making meals with every day foods, and how to use unfamiliar produce. A healthy snack will be provided.The class is is open to all residents in Montgomery County. The Historical Society of Fort Washington presents The History of Conshohocken April 19 at 8 p.m. at the Clifton House, 473 Bethlehem Pike, Fort Washington. Jack Coll will present an illustrated program on the history of the Borough of Conshohocken. Coll is a longtime resident of Conshohocken and a member of the Conshohocken Historical Society. He is co-author with his son, Brian, of the Arcadia Then and Now Series book Conshohocken. He has also done books Conshohocken and West Conshohocken Sports and Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Italian Feast. He has taken many photos for the Conshohocken Record and the Norristown Times Herald. This program is free. Refreshments will be served. For additional information, call 215-646-6065. Taste of the White House Soiree featuring former White House Chef Walter Scheib will take place April 29 at 6 p.m. at Manufacturers Golf & Country Club in Fort Washington to celebrate HealthLinks 10th anniversary and honor its founders, the Eugene Jackson Family. The evening will heat up with a Chef Meet & Greet, followed by a specially selected presidential menu. Gala tickets are $150 per person. Proceeds benefit HealthLink, a free clinic providing compassionate, quality medical and dental care to uninsured, working adults in Bucks and Montgomery counties who fall in between the health care cracks. Go to http://tasteofthewhitehouse.charityhappenings.org to make reservations online or lend support through sponsorship. For event information, call 267-699-0124 or email jmarushak@healthlinkmedical.org. The Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association will hold an open house at the Evans-Mumbower Mill April 17 from 1 to 4 p.m. The Mill is at the corner of Swedesford and Township Line Roads in Upper Gwynedd. The open house is free but donations are welcome. For more information, call 215-646-8866 o email info@wvwa.org. The Eastern Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce will host Breakfast With Your County Commissioners and State Representatives April 21 from 8 to 9:30 a.m. at the Holiday Inn Fort Washington, 432 W. Pennasylvania Ave. Commissioners: James R. Matthews (Chairman), Joseph M. Hoeffel (Vice Chair), State Representatives: Todd Stephens (District 151) and Josh Shapiro (District 153). Register onlineat www.emccc.org. $10 for EMCCC member; $20 for non-members. Upper Dublins Districtwide Allied Art Show will be held April 27 from 5:30 to 9 p.m. in the Upper Dublin High School Athletic Complex. The Rev. Alfred Muli, chaplain at Fort Washington Estates, will be the featured speaker at the Kiwanis sponsored breakfast observing the National Day of Prayer May 5 at 7 a.m. at the William Penn Inn. The breakfast is open to the public ($15). Reservations can be made by calling 215-646-4356 or by emailing georgesaurman@Juno.com. The Upper Dublin Shade Tree Commission invites people to participate in its spring bare root planting events, sponsored in part by Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation and Friends of Robbins Park. On April 9, zix trees will be planted at the Evelyn B. Wright Park & Community Pool, 401 Logan Ave., North Hills, at 9 a.m., followed by the planting of 10 trees at Sheeleigh Park, Loch Alsh Avenue and Douglas Street, Ambler, at 10:15 a.m. On April 29, students from Upper Dublin High School will join the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society to plant 16 trees in Robbins Park, Butler Pike and Meetinghouse Road, Ambler, to help launch the societys Million Trees campaign. This event will occur in conjunction with Temple Amblers EarthFest. Experienced tree-tenders are sought to assist the students. For more information,contact Ron Ayres at 215-653-0421 or 215-483-4348. The Friends of the Wissahickon and the Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association are teaming up once again to clean the Wissahickon Creek from top to bottom April 30 from 9 a.m. to noon. This spring marks the 41st anniversary of Wissahickon Valley Watershed Associations annual Creek Clean Up, and the second year that FOW has teamed up with WVWA. Volunteers of all ages will clean the creek, the surrounding trails and the many tributaries of the Wissahickon Creek. Armed with bags, volunteers will be assigned to sections of the creek. Following the clean up, all volunteers are invited to WVWAs Talkin Trash picnic in Fort Washington State Park, with food provided by Whole Foods Market of North Wales. The pavilion is located on Mill Road in Flourtown. To help out in Montgomery County, all volunteers must be pre-assigned a section of the Wissahickon Creek to clean. Please contact Bob Adams, WVWA director of stewardship, at 215-646-8866 ext. 14 or bob@wvwa.org. To work with the Friends of the Wissahickon in Philadelphia, meet at the pavilion along Forbidden Drive, a short distance south of the intersection of Forbidden Drive and Northwestern Avenue. Limited parking is available along Northwestern Avenue and other nearby streets. Volunteers are encouraged to bike or carpool to the event. To participate, register at www.fow.org. Contact Kevin Groves with questions at 215-247-0417 ext. 105 or groves@fow.org. Montgomery County Community Colleges International Club invites the community to the second annual International Festival April 20 from 5 to 9 p.m. at the Central Campus, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The rain date is April 26. The International Club will transform the outside quad area into multicultural celebration with various performances by dancers, singers and musicians. Artists will share their artwork at various display tables. Activities include games, raffles, Easter egg decorating and henna tattoos. Students will have samples of international cuisine at tables representing different countries and will serve food from various local ethnic restaurants. Throughout the evening, volunteers will accept donations and will raffle gift baskets and prizes to raise funds for Habitat for Humanity. Donations of food, international clothes and prizes are needed. Volunteers, including artists and performers, are welcome. For more information or to sponsor an activity, contact Gillian Nel, International Club president, at gnel9277@students.mc3.edu or 267-974-0163. The Arts and Humanities Division at Montgomery County Community College is partnering with the Philadelphia Writers Conference to host Memoirs Matter: How Life Stories (Including Yours) Can Transform Your Relationship to Literature April 23 from 1 to 3 p.m. in Advanced Technology Center room 101, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The event is free and open to the public. In the first part of this two-hour seminar, professor and author Robert Waxler will explain how writing his two memoirs affected his life as well as his relationship to literature. In the second part, blogger and workshop leader Jerry Waxler will present a sequence of steps to help writers find their own story. For information, contact Dana Resente at dresente@mc3.edu. The Maple Glen Garden Club will hold its fourth annual Plant Sale on May 7 from 8 to 11 a.m. Perennials, shrubs, vegetables and native plants grown by the club members will be sold. The club uses the plant sale proceeds to fund community projects, a college scholarship and community plantings. The sale will be held in the 500 block of Coach Road, Horsham, as part of a neighborhood garage sale. Plants will be sold at bargain prices. For more information, email MapleGlenGardenClub@gmail.com. The Relay for Life Craft Show is looking for local crafters to participate in show, which will be May 21 from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the Wissahickon High School track, 521 Houston Road, Ambler. There is a $10 entry fee, and 20 percent of sales are donated to the American Cancer Society. Participants will receive a 6-foot table under a tent. For information, contact Joanne at joannescoles@comcast.net or Mindy at mcamsilver@comcast.net. Spring House Estates is hosting its annual book fair on April 18 from 4 to 7 p.m. and April 9 from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Included will be hardback and paperback used books. Spring House Estates is located at 728 Norristown Road, Lower Gwynedd. The PennSuburban Chamber of Commerce will present the Penn Suburban/Hatfield Joint Business Card Exchange April 20 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Univest Bank Lansdale Area Financial Service Center, 120 Forty Foot Road, Hatfield. The event is free. To make reservations, visit PennSuburban.org/Events. Join Univest National Bank and Trust Co. for a spring-inspired Business Card Exchange at its newest office in the Hatfield Pointe Shopping Center. Come out and meet members of Univests executive management team while enjoying fine food and beverages. 13th Annual Community Reading Day Kick-off Breakfast Get Together April 26 from 8 to 9:30 a.m. at the North Wales Area Library, 233 Swartley St., North Wales. The event is free. To make reservations, visit PennSuburban.org/Events. For more information, contact the chamber office at 215-362-9200 or info@pennsuburban.org. Join presenting sponsor Verizon, chamber staff and fellow members for the Community Reading Day volunteer get together. The Community Reading Day program allows volunteers to read a designated book to second-grade students throughout 38 area public and private schools and present the book as a gift to each class. Even if you are not a volunteer, you are cordially invited to stop by to network, enjoy coffee and pastries. Ambler Mennonite Church is hosting a Spring Craft Show and Flea Market May 21 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Rain date will be May 28. The community is invited to shop the great craft booths, find some gifts and deals, as well as enjoy home baked goods and tasty lunch specials. Childrens activities are planned. All vendors are encouraged to contact the church at 215-643-4876 or AmblerMennonite@verizon.net. Advertising, signage, customer parking and a shuttle to auxiliary parking at nearby lots for vendors will be provided. 10 foot by 10 foot spaces can be rented for $5 each and tables for an additional $5 each. All proceeds from space and table rentals go toward school kits for children around the world. The church is located at the corner of East Mt. Pleasant Avenue and North Spring Garden Street, Ambler. The Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association presents The Life & Times of Aquatic Insects in the Wissahickon Creek April 16 from 1 to 3 p.m. Join WVWA for a hands-on program. RSVP required: www.wvwa.org or 215-646-8866. WVWA member fee: $5 per person / $15 per family. Non-WVWA member fee: $10 per person / $20 per family. The photography exhibition Natures Palette by photo-artist Judy Miller will run March 18 to May 19 at the Art in the Storefront gallery, 41 E. Butler Pike, Ambler. JPRN Networking For People in Transition & People Who Can Help Them Unemployment remains high. JPRN, the Jarrettown Professional Relationship Network can help. Are you trying to network your way to a new job? Do you have expertise or contacts that can help people in transition? Is your company or organization looking for people in the area? This is a free outreach program to support those seeking work, involve people with contacts and networking know how, and involve local companies. Meetings held monthly at Jarrettown United Methodist Church, Limekiln Pike. Pennsylvanias Low-Income Home Energy Assistance (LIHEAP) grant program is now open for the 2010-11 heating season. Grants are based on income, family size, type of heating fuel and region. Additional information, such as specific income limits, and applications for LIHEAP grants are available online via the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Access to Social Services (COMPASS) website at www.compass.state.pa.us. Applications are available at most public officals district offices, county assistance offices, local utility companies and community service agencies, such as Area Agencies on Aging or community action agencies. Begin your holiday shopping at Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation! Entertainment books for 2011, Philadelphia North, are now on sale at $30 each. Regal/United Artists movie tickets are on sale for just $7.50 each, and tickets to the Adventure Aquarium, Baltimore Aquarium, and the Philadelphia Zoo are also available. Discounted ski vouchers to area mountains will be arriving in December; call 215-643-1600 x3443 for more information. Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation office hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. RSVP of Montgomery County and the Wissahickon Valley Public Library have partnered again to offer the public their popular free mock interview sessions. The mock interviews are conducted by RSVP volunteers who are retired professionals, some of whom were in hiring positions themselves. Packets of information which include a sample employment application and interviewing tips with mock interview questions are available at the library to pick up prior to a scheduled mock interview or will be sent via email once the interview is scheduled. To schedule your interview, please contact Janis Glusman at RSVP 610-834-1040, ext. 16. The library is also offering a free resume review service. Bring in your current resume and the professional reference staff will assist you with hints and tips on capturing your work history accurately. Registration for Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation summer playgrounds, Camp B.I.G. and Small Folks, X-Zone, and sports camps has began. Register online at www.upperdublin.net/store, or at the UDP&R office, 801 Loch Alsh Avenue, Fort Washington. Call 215-643-1600 x3443 for more information. Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation and Danielles Espresso Cafe presents Mornings at Mondaug Bark Park April 16 and May 21 from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. Meet fellow dog lovers. These events include complimentary coffee, treats for people and pups and raffles/giveaways. Upper Dublins Annual Spring Flea Market will be held June 4 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Reserve a table, or come and shop. Tables are $15 for UD residents, $20 for non-residents. This successful event occurs rain or shine. Refreshments available. Call 215-643-1600 ext. 3443 to register for a table. Regal movie tickets available for purchase at Upper Dublin Township Parks & Recreation. Reduced rate: $7.50 per ticket. Some restrictions apply. Call 215-643-1600 x3443. Whitpain Township Parks & Recreation movie tickets $7.50 Regal Cinemas, United Artist & Edwards Cinemas on sale throughout the year Monday Friday from 9 a.m. 4 p.m. Whitpain Township Parks & Recreation Camp Sign-ups for Stony Creek Day Camp Stony Creek Tracers and Park n Tots. Register on-line at www.whitpaintownship.org OrCome to Township Building with check or Visa MasterCard Monday Friday from 9 a.m. 4 p.m. For additional information call 610.277-2400 ext. 374 Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation offers exciting new programs for the fall: -Returning favorites include UK Elite Petite Soccer, Tiny Dancers, Kiddie Tennis, Fun-nastics, Messy Playtime, Little Chefs, and more. Babysitters Training will be offered in November and December. Continuing Adult Fitness Classes include Cardio Circuit, Core & More, Yoga, Boxing, and Adult G.Y.M. For more information call 215-643-1600 x3443. Register for programs online at www.upperdublin.net/store. Music and Theater The community is invited to a Cantors Concert April 16 at 8 p.m. Congregation Beth Or, 239 Welsh Road, Maple Glen. Listen and hum-along to the Yiddish, pop tunes and classical music performed by Congregation Beth Ors own Cantor David Green and his special guest, Cantor Irvin Bell, from Temple Beth Israel in Deerfield Beach, Fla. The cantors will be accompanied by Mark Sobol and his Klezmer musicians. Tickets are $18 in advance and $25 at the door. RSVP with payment to Barb Murtha, 239 Welsh Road, Maple Glen, PA 19002, or call 215-646-5806 ext. 220. Gwynedd Friends Coffeehouse will host the Jameson Sisters May 14. Doors open at 7:30 pm, performance at 8:00 pm. Gwynedd Friends Coffeehouse is located at the corner of Rte. 202 & Sumneytown Pike, Gwynedd. $5 suggested donation. Light refreshment available at a modest cost. For further information, call 215-393-9576 or visit gwyneddmeeting.org/coffeehouse.html. Celebrate patriotism through song with Gwynedd-Mercy Colleges choir, the Voices of Gwynedd, as it presents Hear America Singing April 15 at 8 p.m. The choir will perform song selections from all over the country, including Georgia on My Mind, New York State of Mind, and a medley including Philadelphia Freedom and Allentown. The performance will end with When the Saints Go Marching In to acknowledge the choirs upcoming tour in New Orleans. Hear America Singing will take place in the Julia Ball Auditorium, located in St. Bernard Hall. Parking is available in lots A, C and D. Admission is free. The Choristers will present Anton Dvoraks Stabat Mater April 16 at 7:30 p.m. at Upper Dublin Lutheran Church in Ambler. The choir will be accompanied by a 41-piece orchestra. Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for senior citizens, $10 for students and children are free. Tickets will be sold in advance or at the door. For more information, call 215-542-7871 or visit TheChoristers.org Religious News The Staircase Gallery at Or Hadash: A Reconstructionist Congregation in Fort Washington will feature the work of Emily Ennuat-Lustine. The artist will be showing paintings and graphics inspired by her own personal spiritual journey and quest for meaning. Some of the works to be shown have been inspired by Biblical Psalms and writings. Her work has been shown at Abington Art Center, Cheltenham Arts Center and Old City Gallery of Jewish Art among others. The exhibition is open Friday evenings starting Feb. 18 after Shabbat services. Gallery hours are: Mondays through Thursdays 10-4:30, Fridays 10-3 and following Shabbat Services and Sundays 10-1. The synagogue is located at 190 Camp Hill Road in Fort Washington. For additional information contact the synagogue office at 215-283-0276. Reunions St. Matthews High School Conshohocken Class of 1961 is looking for classmates. For details, contact Greg Marincola at 215-646-2239, 215-740-1296 or gregcola@comcast.net. Olney High School Class of 1971 is Lloking for classmates for a 40th reunion Oct. 28. For details, contact Judy at ohsclassof71@yahoo.com or 215-870-7572. Abington High School Class of 1961 is seeking classmates for a 50-year reunion to be held Oct. 14-15, 2011.Visit the website, www.abington61.com, for details or call 215-947-1779. Overbrook High School class of January 1956 is having a 55 year reunion on May 22, 2011 at the Bala Golf Club in Philadelphia. For information please contact overbrookreunion56@comcast.net Germantown High School Class Of January 1961 is looking for classmates for 50th year reunion to take place in May of 2011. Please contact: 215-362-9148, 856-577-0659 or samdelcomo@comcast.net The June 1961 class of Germantown High School is holding their 50th reunion on May 15, which will be a brunch. For further details please contact Linda Dorfman Alten at lindaalten@yahoo.com or call 215-441-8411. Support New Life Presbyterian Church in Dresher, will host GriefShare, a special seminar and support group which will run on Monday evenings from 7 to 9 p.m., from March 7 through June 6. At each meeting there will be a DVD about the grief process, discussion and reference to a grief workbook. Preregistration is required to secure a place in the group and to purchase a GriefShare notebook (for a one-time fee of $15). The notebook goes along with the 13-week schedule covering such topics as: living with grief, the effects of grief, and stuck in grief. For more information or to register, call: Sandy Elder at 215-884-5149. PUPS (People Understanding Parkinsons) A self-help group for those adjusting to a new diagnosis or dealing with the early stages of Parkinsons Disease. Meets fourth Tuesday of the month from 1 to 2:30 p.m., at Abington Health Center, Schilling Campus, Willowood Building, 2510 Maryland Road, Suite 251, Willow Grove. For more information or to RSVP, contact Lorna at 215-542-2931. The North Penn Visiting Nurse Associations Meals on Wheels program is looking for volunteers to pack or deliver meals to the elderly and infirmed. Meals are packed and delivered mornings, Monday through Friday. You can volunteer for as many days per week or month as you would like. Packaging meals requires approximately 2-1/2 hours of your time each day and involves making sandwiches, packaging food into individual serving containers and packing coolers with the meals. Delivering meals requires approximately 1-1/2 hours of your time each day and involves loading coolers into your car and delivering a route of approximately 10 to 15 stops. The Meals on Wheels program is also in need of emergency, winter-weather volunteers to pack and deliver meals in bad weather. North Penn VNA is located at 51 Medical Campus Drive in Lansdale and delivers meals in the Lansdale, North Wales and Blue Bell areas. For more information or to volunteer, please call Bridget, North Penn VNA Meals on Wheels coordinator at 215-855-8296. Elkins Park Area CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) meets the first Tuesday of every month, 7- 8:30 p.m., at Einstein at Elkins Park Hospital in Elkins Park. For information on CHADD or ADHD, please see our website www.chadd.net/249 or call Claire Noyes at: 215-779-6656. Center for Loss and Bereavement, 3847 Skippack Pike, Skippack (610-222-4110) www.bereavementcenter.org Offers professional counseling for individuals, couples, children and families dealing with issues of loss and bereavement. Six-week adult support groups: Newly forming young adult grief support group every other Wednesday, 7 8:15 p.m. (free of charge); Monthly loss of child support second Mondays, 7-8:15 p.m.; Six-week young loss of spouse/partner Thursdays, 10-11:15 a.m.; Other groups scheduled as interest is shown for suicide loss support, adult loss of parent, motherless daughters, adult loss of sibling, coping with chronic illness and disability and mens loss of spouse. Nellos Corner Family Bereavement program offers peer grief support groups for ages 4 through teen and their caregivers Every other Tuesday or Wednesday (free of charge) Local chapter of Parents of Murdered Children also meets at the Center. Registration required. Call for further information. CHADD is a national organization for children & adults with Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder, providing education, advocacy and support for individuals and their families with AD/HD. Einstein at Elkins Park Hospital, 60 Township Line Road, Elkins Park, PA 19027, will host children & adults with Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder on the First Tuesday of each month 7 8:30 p.m. Free, no childcare provided. The Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphias Kehillah of Old York Road is sponsoring a free Caregiver Support Group for individuals who care for an elderly person with cognitive and/or physical impairments. The group meets at SarahCare Adult Day Care Center, 101 Washington Lane, Suite G-6, Jenkintown, Pa., on the first Wednesday of each month. Patty Rich, Political science instructor Andy Stock of Lincoln said ensuring resources go directly to the people who need them is crucial in the virus pandemic. We need to make sure doctors and hospitals have everything they need, Stock said. We also need to make sure people have the economic resources to weather this storm. We should stop relying on the false promise of trickle-down economics. Larry Marvin of Fremont, a retired volunteer fireman, said hes passionate about health care and reducing national debt. This year is Marvins fifth time running for U.S. Senate, according to Marvins Facebook page. Dennis Macek of Lincoln said the majority of his platform is dedicated to the issues of climate change and national security. We cant afford to be the worlds cop, nor should we be, he said. The U.S. doesnt need most of the 700-plus military bases we have in 70 countries or territories. Our navy can exercise its might close to home. The retired HVAC technician, who has previously run for U.S. Senate twice, said hes running solely for the people. I am standing for the U.S. Senate primarily because of love, Macek said. Love for Nebraska, love for the land with my hope for sustainable futures for our kids and their kids and for all kids everywhere. I wouldnt do this otherwise. President Nana Akufo-Addo has sternly warned Ghanaians assisting persons to enter the country illegally to desist from such behaviour. The President expressed strong disapproval over the character of some citizens who have decided to help people to get into the country using illegitimate routes despite the closure of borders, stating emphatically culprits will be seriously punished. Delivering his 8th update on COVID-19, President Akufo-Addo advised the citizenry to be nationalistic and note that it will take the sacrifice of each individual to curb this life threatening pandemic. ''This is the time for sacrifice, so that we do not have to bear a greater cost in the future. Unhappily, there continues to be the worrying news of a few Ghanaians aiding some West African nationals to enter our country illegally, despite the closure of our borders. Even more disturbing is the fact that several of the West Africans, who have been arrested, have later tested positive for the virus.'' He wondered why some citizens have chosen to perpetrate evil against the nation. ''These are unpatriotic acts, and must stop. We cannot continue to allow a few persons, who are motivated by their own selfish, money-making interests, to endanger the lives of the rest of the population. Not only will persons who enter our country illegally be strictly dealt with, but so will Ghanaians who facilitate their entry. As I have said before, being a Ghanaian must mean that we look out for each other'', the President cautioned. Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video In a bid to prevent the influx of people from Andhra Pradesh, authorities of Tamil Nadus Vellore district sealed its borders by building makeshift walls on the state highway amid the growing concerns over the spread of the coronavirus disease. According to a report in Hindustan Times, the walls were erected without taking the Chittoor district authorities into confidence, thus sparking a row. The walls, measuring three feet in width and five feet in height, was constructed at Gudiyattam village in Vellore district, which shares its border with Chittoor districts Palamaner block. Chittoor districts joint collector D. Markandeyulu confirmed erection of the two walls. Markandeyulu alleged that the Vellore district authorities didnt consult with their Chittoor counterparts before making the decision. Chhitoor district collector N. Bharat Gupta was informed about the erection of the walls by Palamaneru revenue officials on Sunday evening, said Markandeyulu. 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 Vellore is an important town in neighbouring Tamil Nadu and borders Chittoor. Many Telugu-speaking people live there. No inter-state transport or movement of people is being allowed due to the ongoing lockdown restrictions. Besides, there is an inter-state check-post between Vellore and Chittoor. In this context, the abrupt construction of these concrete structures between the two states is strange, unusual, and also unwarranted, Markandeyulu said, adding that vehicles carrying essential commodities are being allowed between the two states, despite the ongoing lockdown restrictions. Asked the reason behind the construction of walls, Vellore District Collector A. Shanmuga Sundaram said it was mainly to check unauthorised entry of people like migrant labourers, who use vehicles to enter Tamil Nadu without any valid permission. Sundaram further said the walls are makeshift and not permanent. "They would be demolished after the lockdown restrictions are lifted," he said. The walls were built amid the nationwide lockdown restrictions, which were initially enforced for 21 days from March 25 and then further extended for another 19 days till May 3, to rein in the pandemic.moneycontrol Kurdish intellectuals have met to discuss ways of bringing together the different Kurdish groups and working towards common goals writes Jesr. A group of Kurdish intellectuals from Ayn al-Arab met with Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) Commander Mazloum Abdi as part of an initiative to bring the Kurdish political sides together, and unite the divide between Kurdish parties, according to Kurdish news agency Rudaw. The initiative to unite the Kurdish class in Syrian Kurdistan is going well, and all the Kurdish sides, people and Kurdish forces have expressed their support, Abdi said. We are optimistic that these attempts will be successful. The delegation of intellectuals included Farhad Baqr, a lawyer; Omar Atti, a lawyer; Hussein Muhammad Ali, a retired teacher; Bakhtiar Hussein, a doctor; Mahieddin Ismail, a lawyer; and Jalal Sheikho, a lawyer. After the meeting Abdi told reporters, A committee of civil society organizations visited us as part of an initiative to bring together differing views and unify the Kurdish class. There is great progress in this aspect, and a good response from the Kurdish sides. Abdi called on all Kurdish parties and sides to accomplish this task in order to bring good results to the people, adding that in the coming period there will be satisfactory results. The delegation is set to meet today with representatives from the Kurdish National Council and the Democratic Union Party, separately. The families of the eight officers who were kidnapped by the Democratic Union party released a statement one week ago requesting that their fate be revealed, after Abdi launched a number of initiatives to unify the [Kurdish] class and bring the Syrian Kurdish sides together. They appealed to the president of Iraqi Kurdistan to intervene in the issue. This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. Infill and Expansion Drilling at Goliath Gold Project for Upcoming PFS Progressing According to Plan for Treasury Metals Posted by Publisher Internet Interview from PDAC 2020 with Commodity-TV: Treasury Metals: New C-Zone Will Increase Production and Resource Profile Like most projects around the world, Treasury Metals (TML.TO, TSRMF.US) has temporarily slowing down and shutting down drilling at their Goliath Gold project in Ontario, caused by the omnipresent COVID-19 pandemic, but as it has been completing over half of their drilling program before the virus broke out, it has been reporting several sets of drill results so far this year, and still has a few batches to come. Most of the intercepts are solid, nothing spectacular, but in line with the existing resource. The goal has predominantly been to prove up the Measured and Indicated resource to Proven and Probable for the upcoming Pre Feasibility Study (PFS), and this is proceeding well. The company is also looking to add ounces to expand the resource, but these will not be eligible for the PFS reserves, but will indicate future potential for production. I asked management several questions regarding exploration, advancements and adjustments because of the pandemic, and it seems despite the inevitable delays, Treasury Metals is still firmly on track.? ?? All presented tables are my own material, unless stated otherwise. All pictures are company material, unless stated otherwise. All currencies are in US Dollars, unless stated otherwise. Treasury Metals reported two sets of drill results in the first quarter, and a last one on April 2, 2020, all of which will be discussed in this update. In between, the company also sold several claims and royalties on the Shining Tree Gold property to Platinex (PTX.CSE) for equity on March 11, 2020. Treasury Metals is excited to work with Platinex on Shining Tree. Their Chairman and CEO James Trusler is arguably one of the most experienced geological engineers in the sector with 5 discoveries throughout his career primarily in Canada.? He spent many years at Teck and Inco and therefore has seen most projects at some point in his career. According to CEO Greg Ferron, Jim has a strong technical team and they are very excited about the opportunity at Shining Tree. Investors will most likely see the adjacent Juby Gold project change hands in the short term which will see a mid-tier gold produce immediately next door. It has been a long time since, but I do hope Trusler will handle his corporate communications with the First Nations a bit different compared to the 1999-2009 case. I ran into a pretty entertaining article about the issue. After a decade of disagreements and court cases, Platinex tried to force the issue in 2009 after Ontario took too much time, at least in their view, to make a decison on the matter. Trusler, already being the Platinex CEO at the time, was on the floatplane that tried to land at the lake nearby the project, however it was unable to as First Nations Chief Donny Morris was blocking the landing trajectory of the plane by dragging debris through the water with a small boat. Morris did this since Platinex didn?t consult with his tribe about the visit, as Platinex repeatedly failed to consult them over the years, troubling relations to an absolute low. Since then, Platinex received $5M and a 2.5% royalty for returning the Crown Land claims to Ontario in 2009, thus emerging victorious in the end, after they were allowed to do small scale exploration by the Supreme Court in 2007. This case received widespread attention, and formed the cornerstone of updating many mining acts nationwide with regards to timely and effective communication with Indigenous people like the First Nations.? According to Trusler, the royalty is on one of the best green field platinum projects in the world, and he is actively working with all level of governments to encourage development of the project located near the Ring of Fire area in Ontario. ?Treasury will assist as it has a strong permitting track record. So far for a bit of entertaining history on the side. Let?s have a look at the actual transaction between Treasury and Platinex, which was announced on March 11, 2020. Both companies entered into a non-binding heads of agreement between the two companies to create a substantial gold focused property package in the Shining Tree District in northern?Ontario. The highlights are: Treasury will transfer a 100% interest in its 280 claim unit 5,045 Ha. Shining Tree Fawcett East property to Platinex, to create a significant gold focused property package in northern?Ontario? Treasury will transfer to Platinex several royalties comprising four?Ontario?and?Chile?based exploration projects covering gold, PGM?s and base metal opportunities In consideration for acquiring the Shining Tree East Property and the Royalties, Platinex will issue to Treasury 12,500,000 common shares of Platinex and 5,000,000 non-transferable warrants of Platinex.? Each warrant will be exercisable at a price of?$0.05?per share for a period of three years from the date of issuance, provided that if the closing price of the Platinex shares is equal to or greater than?$0.30?for a period of 20 consecutive trading days, Platinex will have the right to increase the exercise price of the warrants by giving a written notice to Treasury that the exercise price shall be increased to?$0.15?per share on the date that is 10 days from the date of such notice. In addition, Treasury shall not exercise the warrants if such exercise would result in Treasury owning 20% or more of the issued and outstanding Platinex Shares. As Platinex was trading at 2.5c at the time of announcement, the Platinex share consideration had a value of $312.5k. Considering the early stage of the properties, it has only seen mapping, sampling and very limited near surface drilling, it is hard to assign any value to the package. The remotely interesting thing about this claim package is, that the Shining Tree Gold Camp is located in the southwest portion of the Abitibi Greenstone belt along the projected extension of the Larder Lake-Cadillac Break, next to the Juby Gold Project owned by Pan American Silver, and in between the operating Young-Davidson Mine owned by Alamos Gold and the advanced development Cote Lake project owned by IAMGold:?Figure 2. Of course these last two deposits aren?t at the doorstep of the Shining Tree project, but the trend is a very, very prolific one. I view the equity holding of Treasury in Platinex as a wild card at these times of rising gold prices. I am not sure if Platinex can raise sufficient funds to adequately drill out their project, but at least it is a risk-free option for Treasury on any hits. However, the stock is starting to see more volume since the transaction was announced. After Treasury announced this deal, they followed with some pretty nice drill results on April 2, 2020. Their Main Zone drilling produced the following interesting highlights: TL20-523 intersected?6.3?g/t Au over?19.5?m?including 9.7?g/t Au over?12.0?m?in the Main Zone Central Shoot TL20-525 intersected?4.8?g/t Au over?9.0?m?including 10.1?g/t Au over?4.0?m?in the Main Zone East Shoot TL20-522 intersected?2.9?g/t Au over?4.9?m?in the Main Zone Central Shoot Holes 523 and 525 are located close to hole 522 and 524, which can be seen in the map below (see light green box), which indicated only a few of the drilled holes unfortunately:?Figure 3. As far as the highlights of the drill results of the current campaign go, I put them together in a table, with the green marked intercepts being the most interesting as far as economic intercepts go:?Figure 4. Intervals do not indicate true widths, with inclinations ranging -65 to -80?, meaning most intercept lengths are about 60-80% of reported lengths. A number of holes were left out that generated larger intervals with a lower grade at depth, being hardly economic at grades ranging between 0.5-1.5g/t Au below 200m. TL20-522 had two different results as the assays were divided over two batches. What to make of these results? It seems compared to earlier resource drilling, that the infill results show solid continuity of the mineralized zone in the proposed mining areas, and show very good potential for the upgrade of mineral resources into the Measured category, without meaningful loss of grade and/or tonnage.?Management added this statement in one of their news releases: ?A portion of the program has been focused on upgrading specific areas of the Main Zone shoots to the ?Measured? classification for inclusion as potential estimate ounces for the initial mine life years and for grade control purposes.?Each of the reported holes have shown very good continuity of the mineralized areas with high grade.? This sounds good, but I also wondered why they are after a higher degree of confidence for the resource just for the initial mine life years, as I (and certainly financiers of capex) would like to see equal confidence for at least the first 8 (repayment of debt usually is on 7-10 year schedules) of the 13 2017 PEA life of mine (LOM) years, if not simply all 13 years. CEO Greg Ferron answered in fact, as noted, primarily for the project financiers that require this level of spacing in those early years to ensure their capital is repaid on a quick repayment schedule if desired. The early years are extremely important at the Goliath as the cash flow from the open pit and first few years of the underground continue to fund required sustaining capital for continued underground development.? Once the debt is repaid and first few years of the underground is developed the free cash flow will kick in. On a side note, if the C Zone underground exploration continues to show promising results, Treasury may have a more robust second UG production centre. The ongoing proving up of continuity is quite an achievement, given the fact that Goliath Gold is a pretty complex deposit. As a reminder, it is basically 2 lenses, which are build up around high grade pods. A basic 3D visualization of the lenses looks like this:?Figure 5. The high grade pod structure surrounded by lower grade mineralization can be seen here in conceptual long sections of both lenses, called the Main Zone and the C-Zone. The C-Zone can be seen here:?Figure 6. The Main Zone can be seen here:?Figure 7. To me this is the most interesting picture of the entire data set available by the company, as it indicates 475,000 oz gold potential at depth, hypothetically substantially adding to the already NI43-101 defined 1.46Moz AuEq resource. I asked Adam Larsen, Exploration Manager why they think exactly there could be this kind of potential. He answered this: ?The lithological units which host the Goliath deposit are consistent down dip and drilling to date has given evidence that this host rock and the mineralized zones should continue at depth. The main issue is that adding resources at depth is pretty costly, as drilling at this time would need to be performed from surface and these expansion holes range from 600 to 1000m in length.? As costs of drilling is estimated by the company at about $200-250/m, just one hole could easily cost a few hundred grand. What is often done in these situations is proving up Inferred potential, and leave up further resource delineation to the party that brings the deposit into production. During production there could be drilling from platforms at depth, which would obviously be much cheaper and faster. See below for a schematic overview alongside strike regarding potential at depth for the various targets and resource zones:?Figure 8. Following the most recent exploration updates (news releases dated?April 2, March 10,?March 5?and?January 13, 2020), Treasury has now completed approximately?10,000?metres of the 15,000 metre program. Treasury also worked on the second phase of the Soil Gas Hydrocarbon program, involving surface sampling exploration. Company geologists have collected 1700 samples covering approximately 5 kilometres of strike length east of the Goliath Gold Deposit. Here is a map showing the sampling targets:?Figure 9. Below is a 3D visualization of the SGH program results, analogous to the results found across the current resource area, and given a confidence rating of 4.0 out of 6.0 (as a comparison, the resource area survey scored 5.0 out of 6.0), the target areas Fold Nose and East Limb appear to resemble the current resource for mineralized potential quite well:?Figure 10. Of course this is only surface sampling, but considering the established close relation between the current resource and this sampling method, management has hopes of finding economic mineralization in the target areas. I consider this method not to be more accurate than other surface methods, like gravity/magnetic surveys or metal sampling. According to Larsen, the team has been testing regional exploration techniques which pick up gold mineralization similar to the deposit at depth.? Soil Gas Hydrocarbon sampling was first tested on the resource area and showed promising results. The main reason to use this technique is that it helps the geologists vector in on a potentially prospective area to focus with more detailed field work.? Conventional soil samples were also collected during the program and will be interpreted and compiled with the SGH results where they can be incorporated into future exploration programs. The results so far bode well for more expansion drilling at these target areas. According to Larsen, the next steps for regional exploration include an expanded field program to continue soil sampling across the remainder of the property, infill sample and map the anomalous areas identified in the recent program, and potentially plan a regional drill program for Q3/Q4 2020 if warranted by favourable results. Regarding current drilling activities, everything has come to a halt unfortunately, caused by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, as can be read in the news release: ?The company?s main priority during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is the safety of employees, contractors and communities. As such, we have implemented precautionary measures and adapted operations to aid in the containment of the virus. Drilling operations have been deferred for the time being, all non-essential travel has been suspended, and employees in both the project office in?Dryden, Ontario?and corporate head office in?Toronto?work remotely wherever possible and actively ensure physical distancing while our Company follows official health and safety guidance from the World Health Organization, Health Canada, Government of?Ontario?and local health regions. As a Company, we are committed to working together and assisting local communities where possible to stay informed and safe.? As several countries across the globe are already talking about relaxing measurements, I asked management if they have any clues about returning to action. Ferron stated that they can?t do anything else but follow guidance as stated above, but they are ready to scale up activities as soon as the situation allows it. At this point, the company has sufficient funds, and currently has about C$2M in the treasury, and a convertible debt of C$4.5M, carrying an 8% interest. The debenture is held by two of the largest equity holders in the company, Extract Capital and DSC, which are supportive. The share price of Treasury Metals looks like this:?Figure 11. Share price; 1 year time frame The big COVID-19 sell-off around March 20, 2020 left scares on the chart for Treasury Metals as it did for almost any actively traded company worldwide. However it completely recovered at impressive volumes, as did almost all other companies, on the back of massive, global central bank stimulus programs to the tune of trillions, in turn triggering gold reaching almost US$1,800/oz recently. Personally I view this as a potential dead cat bounce for the markets with further downside potential, as I see the pandemic setting off a recession earlier than expected, with the financial figures forecasting mayhem for the coming 3-6 months. For now the recovery and especially the large volumes accompanying this for Treasury show strong support, and the recently hit 15c seems to be the low point here, probably caused by panic selling. That low was a no-brainer for investors, as Treasury Metals is already severely undervalued at C$0.31. To establish this, let?s first rehash a few numbers of Goliath Gold. ? The current Goliath resource stands at 1.46Moz AuEq, consisting of 83koz Au Measured, 1.14Moz Au Indicated and 220koz Au Inferred, with an average grade of 1.40g/t Au M&I for the open pit component, and 5.39g/t Au for the underground component. The operation will be a combination of open pit and underground mining, with a low capex of C$133M (plus a C$20M reclamation bond, so in fact C$153M). At a gold price of US$1650/oz, the estimated after-tax NPV5 is no less than C$600M, the estimated after-tax IRR is 41%. Keep in mind the current market cap of Treasury is just C$51.7M, which is just about 1/12th of the current NPV5. Usually, a PEA stage company with an economic project is valued at 10-20% of NPV5, with the environmental approvement in hand it is probably more adequately valued to the high side of this range. This is the PEA sensitivity for Goliath:?Figure 12. As the company is very close to completing a Pre Feasibility Study (PFS), the reliability of Goliath Gold numbers will increase a great deal compared to the 2017 PEA. As a consequence, the intrinsic value of the project increases substantially as well. According to management, they expect the PFS to deliver PEA comparable figures, which would be impressive, as a PEA routinely errs to the upside. As the current annual production profile of Goliath Gold involves 87,850 oz Au and 160,000 oz Ag, I would like to see the company increase gold production for the PFS to the magical threshold (for mid tier producers) of 100,000oz Au annually on average. This would for example need an adjustment of the life of mine from 13 years to 11 years, to get to an average of 103,823oz Au per annum (pa). ?Maybe drilling could include more ounces as a second option, but these need to be converted into reserves as well, and this would need an additional resource update and lots of drilling, which I deem highly unlikely in the short term. If the PFS indeed delivers according to these ideas, Treasury Metals would become pretty interesting as a take over target, as 100koz pa / 1Moz+ Au deposits with good PFS/FS economics, environmental permit granted and exploration upside have become very rare. For further comparison, I updated my peer comparison with various companies, all having at least a PEA, all of them in Canada or the USA, gold-focused, and with different mining methods, as Treasury has a fairly unique combination of a small part open pit and largely underground:?Figure 13. And:?Figure 14. On a EV/oz and P/NAV basis, the company seems to be valued in the same range as companies with projects sporting very high capex and low IRR (Falco and Midas) aka leveraged plays, or companies with a fairly good project but failing management (Eastmain, however a turnaround is happening, results of this need to be seen). None of this is happening with Treasury, so I consider it solid value, flying under the radar of many investors. 5.?Conclusion Despite the COVID-19 pandemic being responsible for halting current exploration programs at Goliath Gold, Treasury managed to get out various sets of solid drill results, on both infill and expansion levels, and positive sampling. As a consequence, the Pre Feasibility Study (PFS), expected this quarter, could likely contain the same economics as present in the 2017 PEA, making Treasury even more undervalued than it already is, based on various metrics, and the environmental approval in hand. Adjusting the life of mine in favor of annual production figures would be something well-liked by various interested parties for sure, likely also improving economics btw. I like the upside resource potential of almost a half million ounces of gold a lot, as Goliath could go to 2Moz AuEq that way. With gold rising to multi-year highs in the last weeks, the case for Treasury Metals becomes stronger and stronger. I hope you will find this article interesting and useful, and will have further interest in my upcoming articles on mining. To never miss a thing, please subscribe to my free newsletter on my website www.criticalinvestor.eu, in order to get an email notice of my new articles soon after they are published. Disclaimer: The author is not a registered investment advisor, and currently has a long position in this stock. Treasury Metals is a sponsoring company. All facts are to be checked by the reader. For more information go to www.treasurymetals.com and read the company?s profile and?official documents on?www.sedar.com, also?for important risk disclosures. This article is provided for information purposes only, and is not intended to be investment advice of any kind, and all readers are encouraged to do their own due diligence, and talk to their own licensed investment advisors prior to making any investment decisions.?Figure 15. ? Can I let you in on a secret? Typing two spaces after a period is totally, completely, utterly, and inarguably wrong. So began former Slate writer Farhad Manjoos infamous 2011 tirade. And while Manjoos impassioned case for the single space certainly snapped more than a few readers out of their two-spaced stupor, the Great Spacing Debate has continued over the past decade. Now, the 800-pound gorilla in the world of word processing has weighed in. On Friday, the Verge reported that Microsoft has started updating Microsoft Word to flag two spaces after a period as an error. (The suggested correction goes without saying.) Microsoft is currently testing the update on the latest desktop version of Word and plans to roll out the change to everyone in the next few months. Luckily for double-spacers, the Editor feature in Word will allow users to dismiss the suggestion. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We know this is a stylistic choice that may not be the preference for all writers, which is why we continue to test with users and enable these suggestions to be easily accepted, ignored, or flat out dismissed in Editor, Kirk Gregersen, the partner director of program management at Microsoft, told the Verge. But despite being easily dismissed, those pesky red squiggly lines are making typographical history. Word processors have long been agnostic on post-period spacing. (Microsoft Words major competitor, Google Docs, still accepts both.) Microsofts judicious application of the squiggles aligns word processing, at long last, with the major style guides, such as the Associated Press Stylebook, the Modern Language Association Style Manual, and the Chicago Manual of Style. Advertisement While most people now type with just one space, double spacing has proved difficult to nixespecially for those of the typewriter generation. Typewriters use monospace fonts, where every character occupies the same amount of horizontal space. That made it harder to see the spaces between sentences, so two spaces became the norm. However, as Manjoo explained, proportional fonts came to the fore in the 1970sfirst with electric typewriters, then with computersand rendered that extra space obsolete. Still, typewriter users passed that habit down, largely through high school classrooms, so its not just a generational quirk. (One of my high school teachers would dock points on papers for not double spacing, which still occasionally nags at the back of my mind as I typeand Im a millennial.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement These days, the Great Spacing Debate centers on aesthetics and readability. While typographers tend to prefer the single space for this reason, a 2018 eye-tracking study appeared to finally lend some weight to the two-space argument, concluding that an extra space provides an easier reading experience and increases reading speed by 3 percent. But the study was soon picked apart: There were only 60 subjects (all college students), the extra space didnt affect comprehension, andperhaps most gallingthe researchers used Courier New, the rare monospace font thats still in use today. No further (and actually convincing) studies have been done. Advertisement Advertisement Beauty and legibility aside, one space also requires less work, which, as Manjoo pointed out, isnt nothing. At the very least, this means Microsoft is on the side of grammarians, typographers, and efficiency. Advertisement Advertisement The emphasis on that last point particularly grates on Jordan Ellenberg, a math professor at the University of Wisconsin, Slate contributor, and dedicated double-spacer. The idea that you should change your way of typing because its more efficient to type one fewer character is profoundly depressing, Ellenberg wrote me in an email. Its like microwaving things for 55 seconds instead of a minute to avoid wasted finger motion. If youre rationing your time that severely, you need to ask yourself some hard questions about your life. (Ellenberg also noted that LaTeX, a document preparation system thats used widely in the sciencesand, that he believes, is a higher authorityputs extra space after a period in a document, whether you type it or not.*) Ellenberg may be right about the space being an odd place to try to find a little extra efficiency. But since Slate, like most other magazines, follows the AP Stylebook, Ive edited out the extra spaces in the above reply to make it, in Manjoos words, simpler, cleaner, and more visually pleasing. Sorry, Jordan! *Correction, April 28, 2020: This article originally misstated that LaTeX puts a double space after a period. After a period, LaTeX puts extra space, which varies in size. Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society. As Tony nominee Nick Cordero continues the fight of his life in the hospital, his castmates from the Broadway musical Waitress reunited remotely Sunday to help raise funds for his medical expenses. Kimiko Glenn, Jessie Mueller, Sara Bareilles, and Keala Settle were among the top talent belting the Canadian 41-year-old's 2018 song Live Your Life in a four-minute The Show Must Go On Show video. Many of Nick's former castmates held up supportive signs with the hashtag #WakeUpNick because he's been in a medically-induced coma since checking into the ER on March 31. Bravo! As Tony nominee Nick Cordero (M) continues the fight of his life in the hospital, his castmates from the Broadway musical Waitress reunited remotely Sunday to help raise funds for his medical expenses (pictured in 2016) Sending their love: Kimiko Glenn, Jessie Mueller, Sara Bareilles, and Keala Settle were among the top talent belting the Canadian 41-year-old's 2018 song Live Your Life in a four-minute The Show Must Go On Show video Cordero - who's now testing negative for COVID-19 - has been plagued with coronavirus-related complications including having his right leg amputated and having a temporary pacemaker inserted into his heart. On Monday, the Mob Town star will have his ventilator removed and undergo a tracheostomy, but he remains on a dialysis machine. Nick's wife of two years, Amanda Kloots is not allowed inside the ICU, but she visits him daily outside Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. The 38-year-old fitness trainer wrote last Thursday: 'I talk to Nick, I pray, I play his song and I sing to him! It's the closest I can get to him on a daily basis.' Thoughts and prayers: Many of Nick's former castmates held up supportive signs with the hashtag #WakeUpNick because he's been in a medically-induced coma since checking into the ER on March 31 Health battle: Cordero - who's now testing negative for COVID-19 - has been plagued with coronavirus-related complications including having his right leg amputated and having a temporary pacemaker inserted into his heart (pictured in 2016) Baby steps: On Monday, the Mob Town star will have his ventilator removed and undergo a tracheostomy, but he remains on a dialysis machine (pictured February 14) The Irishman dancer and the Inside Game actor - who are parents to 10-month-old son Elvis - originally met in 2014 while performing in the musical Bullets Over Broadway together at the St. James Theatre in Manhattan. As of Sunday, Cordero's GoFundMe page has raised $438K from a $450K goal to help with the considerable and ongoing medical expenses. Kloots - who used to be a Radio City Rockette - also launched a $9.99/month subscription service for her workout videos via her website as a way to make money. There have been 19,159 confirmed coronavirus cases in Los Angeles as of Sunday, which has led to 896 deaths - according to Johns Hopkins University. 'It's the closest I can get to him': Nick's wife of two years, Amanda Kloots is not allowed inside the ICU, but she visits him daily outside Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles (pictured Thursday) Remaining positive: The 38-year-old fitness trainer and the Inside Game actor - who are parents to 10-month-old son Elvis - originally met in 2014 while performing in the musical Bullets Over Broadway (pictured Sunday) Many Z-list reality stars, including former Love Island contestants, are selling pornographic videos on subscription-based website OnlyFans. And in response to this trend, the Australian government has issued a warning to young people who might be curious about making their own X-rated content. Australia's eSafety Commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, reminded OnlyFans creators that their accounts could easily be hacked and their content leaked online. Scroll down for video Why you shouldn't sign up for OnlyFans: The Australian government has warned against joining the amateur porn site made famous by Z-list reality stars including Rhyce Power Data obtained by News Corp revealed more than 5,000 Australians have registered as content creators on OnlyFans in the past year. Ms Inman Grant said: 'Australians who share explicit images on the Internet can place themselves at risk of wider circulation of those images across the Internet.' There has already been a case in Queensland of an OnlyFans creator having her personal information leaked online by an unhappy customer. The woman, 21, had her real name, age, phone number and location posted alongside pornographic images in fake prostitution advertisements. Content theft: There has already been a case in Queensland of an OnlyFans creator having her personal information leaked online by an unhappy customer (stock image) Safety measures: OnlyFans has 'technical measures' in place to help protect its users from content theft and the company takes legal action against those who distribute stolen content Revenge porn is a crime in Australia and the law carries a maximum possible sentence of three years in jail and fines of up to $18,000 for those who share or threaten to share intimate images without consent. OnlyFans marketing chief Steve Pym said that almost 60 per cent of creators on the website shared adult-only subscription content. The platform has 'technical measures' in place to help protect its users from content theft, he added, and the company takes legal action against those who upload stolen content on third-party sites. Wealthy: Rhyce Power, who shot to fame as Jessika Power's 'hot brother' on Married At First Sight last year, is currently one of the top creators on OnlyFans Reality stars like The Bachelorette's Paddy Colliar and Love Island's Vanessa Sierra charge users a monthly fee for explicit photos and videos - ranging from suggestive selfies to hardcore pornography. Rhyce Power, who shot to fame as Jessika Power's 'hot brother' on Married At First Sight last year, is currently one of the top creators on OnlyFans. The former carpenter, 28, recently shared his earnings from the site on Instagram, revealing he had made more than $50,000 in just one month. Australian Instagram model Jem Wolfie is currently the biggest star on OnlyFans, raking in millions of dollars since joining the platform in 2018. The Perth native, 28, can earn up to $30,000 per day by sharing exclusive photos that aren't much different to the content on her Instagram page. 'People complain and say, "Where's the nudity?" But where are you going to go from there - you'll be in full-blown porn before you know it,' she told Perth Now last year. While Jem's photos are quite tame, she does upsell her subscribers racier content, including topless selfies, if the price is right. Expensive: Australian Instagram model Jem Wolfie is currently the biggest star on OnlyFans, raking in millions of dollars since joining the platform in 2018 Pornography: Love Island's Vanessa Sierra and her YouTube star boyfriend Luke Erwin sell explicit content on their joint OnlyFans page Former Love Island Australia star Vanessa Sierra is another creator who uses the upsell method. For $20 a month, her subscribers can access the kind of sexy bikini photos that fill her Instagram page, but Vanessa will then send private messages to her fans offering more risque content for cash. 'Tip for ti**ies,' she wrote in one message, which offered users the chance to pay another $20 to unlock an extra photo. The content on the OnlyFans page she shares with her YouTube star boyfriend Luke Erwin is far more explicit, and features the couple engaging in sex acts. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-27 15:16:10|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ISLAMABAD, April 27 (Xinhua) -- A clash between security forces and terrorists has left four terrorists including a commander, and one security personnel killed in Pakistan's southwest Balochistan province, intelligence sources said on Monday. The militants belonging to a Baloch insurgent group were hiding in a compound in Panjgur area of the province, when the paramilitary troops Frontier Corps raided their hideout on receiving a tip-off from intelligence agencies, on Sunday, sources told Xinhua on condition of anonymity. The militants opened fire at the security forces upon being cornered during the raid, triggering off a shootout, which resulted in the killing of all four militants hiding in the compound, the sources said, adding that a member of the Frontier Corps was killed and another member got injured during the exchange of fire. The militants including two brothers were later identified by the security forces as the insurgents belonging to Balochistan Liberation Front, a militant group involved in terrorist attacks on civilians, security forces in the province, the sources said, adding that the security forces also found arms and ammunition from the custody of the militants. There is no official word on the incident yet. Enditem Even before the coronavirus swept through Latin America and the Caribbean, the region was ailing. With sluggish commodity prices and massive debt, economic growth was anemic averaging just 0.7 percent annually over the last six years. The coronavirus is threatening to turn that economic malaise into a full-blown disaster. Latin America has not been doing well over the last half decade, said Jerry Haar, an international business professor at Florida International University. This is like a kick to the groin to someone who already has a double hernia. The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean has been scrambling to revise its economic forecasts downward as the severity of the pandemic has come into view. The group now expects South American economies to shrink 5.2 percent this year, the Caribbean to contract 2.5 percent, and Central American GDP to slump 2.3 percent. Overall, the region could see its economy fall by 5.3 percent. The effects of COVID-19 will cause the biggest recession that the region has suffered since 1914 and 1930, ECLAC Executive Secretary Alicia Barcena said this week. A sharp increase in unemployment is forecast, with negative effects on poverty and inequality. The usually staid World Bank described the regions situation as going from lackluster to calamitous. Commuters wearing protective masks ride their bicycles in Bogota, Colombia, on March 16, 2020. Officials in Colombias capital have expanded bike routes, encouraging people to abandon crowded public transportation and lower their risk of catching the coronavirus. It comes as no surprise that the pandemic will be particularly cruel to countries that were already suffering. Venezuela the regions oil-addicted basket case, which is also facing tough Washington sanctions is expected to see its economy collapse an additional 18 percent this year. Argentina and Ecuador, both burdened by huge debt, will see their economies shrink by 6.5 percent, according to ECLAC projections. Haiti was still recovering from last years political turmoil that forced businesses to shutter for weeks at a time when the coronavirus hit. Since March, the country has been on lockdown, and the ECLAC now expects the hemispheres poorest nation to see an economic contraction of 3.1 percent. Story continues Bernard Millien, the owner of a 16-room bed and breakfast and a mens clothing store in Haitis capital, said the crisis would be nothing short of catastrophic for Haiti and for him personally. People do not come to buy anymore, he said of his clothing shop. You may see one person in three days, and they are buying $100 worth of merchandise from me. No one wants to buy clothes, only food, Millien said. If you buy clothes, where are you going to go? Things are even worse for his bed-and-breakfast, where he has no guests but is forced to keep seven employees on payroll to keep the business from being ransacked or vandalized. Other hoteliers have also temporarily closed. Our economy in Haiti depends on the U.S., and with so many people losing their jobs, they are not going to send money to Haiti anymore, he said from Miami, where he has been stranded since the pandemic shut down airports. Meanwhile, the local economy is so poor, its affecting everyone. Health Ministry personnel test a woman for COVID-19 in the Samanes 7 residential complex in northern Guayaquil, Ecuador, on April 19, 2020. Guayaquil, Ecuadors largest city, has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic. The tiny South American nation of Ecuador has 11,183 coronavirus cases more than any other nation in the region except Brazil and Chile. Despite being a producer of crude oil, the country is facing the pandemic with an empty war chest, said Jose Hidalgo, an economist and general director for Ecuadors Corporation for Development Studies, a think tank. We didnt have conservative fiscal policies like Peru, for example, so we dont have a single dollar saved. ... We didnt save anything during the golden era of high commodity prices, he said. Now oil prices and tax revenue have collapsed just as the countrys health costs are soaring. Ecuador, in particular, is the most vulnerable country in the region along with Venezuela, and were getting hit from all sides, he said. President Lenin Moreno is pushing for tax increases on the wealthiest to get through the crisis, but hes facing push-back. We all want the government to be able to subsidize the payroll of companies ... or provide direct transfers to the neediest without more taxes, Hidalgo said. But with Ecuadors fiscal situation thats not possible. A couple of youths wearing masks to protect themselves from the spread of the new coronavirus walk in the streets of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Monday, March 23, 2020. The vast majority of people recover from the COVID-19 disease. In many ways, Latin America and the Caribbean are stuck in an unenviable middle: too poor to effectively respond to the crisis but too rich to take advantage of some global initiatives. Earlier this month, finance ministers of the G20 the worlds largest economies agreed to halt debt collection through the end of the year for the worlds poorest and least developed countries. That move is expected to free up some $20 billion that would otherwise go to debt payments. Coronavirus is hurting the Caribbeans tourism economies. Why no one is offering a bailout But the only country in the region that might benefit from that measure is Haiti, said Eric LeCompte, a United Nations finance expert and director of the Jubilee USA Network, a religious development group that has been a longtime advocate for debt forgiveness. Many of the Latin American and Caribbean countries dont qualify for any type of debt relief measure because they are considered too wealthy, LeCompte said. Wed like to see it extended to Ecuador, Bolivia, Grenada, Jamaica and other countries that could benefit from a debt standstill but need even more relief. And even what might be offered to Haiti isnt enough, donors said, given the nations fragile economic state. During a recent emergency meeting of the CARICOM bloc of Caribbean countries, leaders agreed to lobby the G20 and international finance institutions for full-fledged debt write-offs and emergency funding for the rest of the Caribbean. Also this month, the International Monetary Fund began offering below-market-rate emergency loans that might allow some countries to bolster health services or provide U.S.-style stimulus packages to keep workers employed. For many nations its simply piling debt on top of unsustainable debt, LeCompte said, but its better than nothing. Tyrant fuel? The looming COVID-19 economic crisis could also have deep political implications. Almost half of all workers in Latin America are part of the informal economy living hand to mouth. For them, the lockdowns and quarantines have been devastating. Already in places like Haiti, Colombia, Venezuela and Bolivia, there have been protests sometimes near riots against the measures. The uncertainty, desperation and anger are creating a toxic stew. FIUs Haar said he fears that gangs will see their ranks swell in places where theyre already powerful like Honduras and El Salvador. If youre marginally employed as it is ... and your country doesnt have a social safety net, whats going to happen? he asked. In other hard-hit countries, the economic malaise makes them ripe for the pickings for a demagogue to come to power. As the coronavirus grips the Americas, Venezuelan migrants feel the pain To complicate matters, no one knows how long the economic crisis will last. Luis Fernando Nieto is the general manager of Don Eusebio Flowers outside of Bogota, Colombia, which usually produces about 50 million stems a year 95 percent destined for export. His company started feeling the effects of COVID-19 early this year as buyers in China, Japan and Korea got hit by the virus. Things only got worse as the COVID-19 crisis moved west. In Europe, business has died completely Spain, Germany, Holland, Italy [buying] in those countries shut down almost 100 percent, he said. And now, for the last two weeks, were feeling the whiplash from the United States. Production is at about 30 to 40 percent of normal, and the company has had to reduce hours for its employees. Nieto said Colombian flower farmers were hopeful that the Asian markets might recover soon, but have been alarmed by news of fresh coronavirus outbreaks in China and Japan. The situation is incredibly complicated and I dont think were going to see a rapid recovery, he said. Were selling a product thats not necessary for survival, were not like bread, milk or meat. Even if the world rushes out a vaccine or effective treatment against COVID-19, consumers are likely to be spooked for some time, Haar said. And that will be particularly true for Latin America. People are not going to just forget about this and go out and spend, he predicted. I dont see a spark and a quick recovery I see a slow crawl out of this. Amid the coronavirus outbreak, SpiceJet on Monday said it operated a freighter flight carrying approximately 18 tonnes of medical supplies from Shanghai to Delhi New Delhi: Amid the coronavirus outbreak, SpiceJet on Monday said it operated a freighter flight carrying approximately 18 tonnes of medical supplies from Shanghai to Delhi. The flight was operated on Sunday night, it said. India has been under lockdown since March 25 to curb the spread of coronavirus. All commercial passenger flights have been suspended for this period. Click here to follow LIVE updates on coronavirus outbreak However, cargo flights, medical evacuation flights and special flights permitted by the aviation regulator DGCA are allowed to operate. "SpiceJet freighter carrying COVID-19 medical supplies from Shanghai landed in Delhi late last night (SG 7017). The aircraft carried approximately 18 tons of medical and emergency supplies," the airline said in its press release. The budget carrier said it has operated close to 522 cargo flights since the lockdown began, carrying more than 3,993 tons of cargo. ALBANY, N.Y. U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer says there are now several unregulated, at-home coronavirus test kids available online, and he is calling on the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to better monitor and inspect these products. While the coronavirus itself continues to risk infecting people, varying at-home test kits for the viruss antibodies, and even the disease itself, are now infecting the internet and the consumer marketplace. However, the vast, vast majority of these kits are unproven, untested and totally unregulated by the FDA, and thats dangerous, said Schumer. That is why I am publicly calling on the FDA to institute a crackdown on these kits now exploding across the internet. The agency (FDA) must raise the bar, move heaven and earth and stand up for consumers who are vulnerable, uncertain and anxious with all that is going on. While faulty tests that can be purchases online are a risk to public safety across the country, Schumer says New York residents are some of the most vulnerable. The authenticity and accuracy of any at-home testing kits must be paramount at the FDA, because consumers are not only willing to buy them, but they are willing to rely upon them. Shoddy tests could spell disaster for hot spot states like New York because if there is anything New York and other places will require to turn the page on this virus, its rooted in testing accuracy, and these unregulated kits pose serious risk to the overall recovery, he said. Schumer wrote the following letter to FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn to address his concerns: Dear Commissioner Hahn: The array of misinformation about the coronavirus is a danger to public health and an impediment to a swift and full re-opening of our country. One of the most dangerous elements of this misinformation is the volume of unapproved COVID-19 tests available online, many of them claiming they are able to conduct an authentic test at home. As you very well know, these tests are not currently approved. I have grave concerns that New Yorkers, understandably frustrated and desperate because of the broad testing shortage across the country, are turning to these unapproved tests. If such a test is unreliable or administered incorrectly, and a person falsely believes they do not have COVID-19 or have antibodies, that presents a danger to their family and their community. I appreciate the work that FDA has done thus far, including in its March 20 announcement, in pushing back against these unauthorized tests. However, more must be done. A simple online search, as well as anecdotal evidence from people in New York City, shows that these tests are still easily available and people are buying them. Given how high the stakes are right now, the administration must use all its resources and authority to immediately get these tests off the market. I request answers to the following questions: What is the FDA doing since its March 20 announcement to continue to crackdown on these tests? Does FDA have sufficient resources to monitor and respond to the availability of these unauthorized tests? What is FDA doing, in coordination with the White House and its press efforts, to educate the public that authorized tests should not be used? Sincerely, U.S. Senator Charles Schumer This is to the gentleman responsible for Let me explain: He says that Trump did not say that COVID-19 was a hoax. So, I went back on my TV and into my tapes and this is what President Trump said: This is another Democratic hoax. Now those are the words that he used. You say that its quite clear that he was meaning something else. Well, if it was so clear for him to mean something else, why didnt he say it? He doesnt seem to be able to talk what it means. He said it was a hoax. Those were his words. You can try to rearrange them anyway you like, but that is what he said. You say the disease was never called a hoax, Im sorry. You are wrong. Chestnut Appointed UWs VP for Student Affairs Kim Chestnut Kimberly Chestnut, who has led the University of Wyomings Division of Student Affairs on an interim basis since the start of this academic year, has been named UWs vice president for student affairs. The appointment, subject to approval by the UW Board of Trustees, was made by Acting President Neil Theobald, in consultation with incoming UW President Ed Seidel. Dr. Chestnut has done an exceptional job of leading Student Affairs this year, and her contributions during the difficulties related to COVID-19 have been invaluable, Theobald says. Im delighted that Dr. Seidel has agreed we should remove the interim label from her title, so she can continue to serve in this role to advance our efforts to serve our students. Before being named interim vice president in September, Chestnut was UWs dean of students, a position to which she was appointed in 2018. She came to UW from West Chester University (Pa.), where she was the assistant vice president for student affairs. She also has held positions at the University of Colorado-Boulder, Temple University in Philadelphia, Berkeley College (N.J.), Antioch University Midwest (Ohio) and Widener University (Pa.). Chestnut holds a doctoral degree in human sexuality education and a masters degree in education, both from Widener University; a masters degree in psychology from George Washington University in Washington, D.C.; and a bachelors degree in psychology from the University of Colorado-Boulder. She is a member of the American College Health Association; National Association of Student Personnel Administrators; American College Personnel Association-College Student Educators International; Association of Title IX Administrators; Advanced Sex Educators and Trainers; American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists; and Delta Gamma fraternity. The number of COVID-19 cases climbed to 28,380 and the death toll due to it rose to 886 in the country on Monday, registering a record increase of 60 deaths in 24 hours, according to the Union Health Ministry. There has been a spike of 1,463 cases since Sunday evening. The number of active COVID-19 cases stood at 21,132, while 6,361 people have recovered, and one patient has migrated, the ministry said. Thus, around 22.41 per cent of patients have recovered in the country so far. The total number of cases includes 111 foreign nationals. A total of 60 deaths were reported since Sunday evening, of which 19 fatalities were reported from Maharashtra, 18 from Gujarat, eight from Rajasthan, seven from Madhya Pradesh, two each from Karnataka, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh, and one each from Punjab and Tamil Nadu. Of the 886 deaths, Maharashtra tops the tally with 342 fatalities, followed by Gujarat at 151, Madhya Pradesh at 106, Delhi at 54, Rajasthan at 41, and Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh at 31 each. The death toll reached 26 in Telangana, 24 in Tamil Nadu while West Bengal and Karnataka have reported 20 deaths each. Punjab has registered 18 fatalities so far. The disease has claimed six lives in Jammu and Kashmir, four in Kerala while Jharkhand and Haryana have recorded three COVID-19 deaths each. Bihar has reported two deaths, while Meghalaya, Himachal Pradesh, Odisha and Assam have reported one fatality each, according to the ministry data. According to the Health Ministry data updated in the evening, the highest number of confirmed cases in the country are from Maharashtra at 8,068, followed by Gujarat at 3,301, Delhi at 2,918, Rajasthan at 2,185, Madhya Pradesh at 2,168, Uttar Pradesh at 1,955 and Tamil Nadu at 1,885. The number of COVID-19 cases has gone up to 1,177 in Andhra Pradesh and 1,002 in Telangana. The number of cases has risen to 649 in West Bengal, 523 in Jammu and Kashmir, 511 in Karnataka, 469 in Kerala, 313 in Punjab and 289 in Haryana. Bihar has reported 277 novel coronavirus cases, while Odisha has 108 cases. Eighty-two people have been infected with the virus in Jharkhand and 51 in Uttarakhand. Himachal Pradesh has 40 cases, Chhattisgarh has 37 and Assam has registered 36 infections each so far. Andaman and Nicobar Islands has 33 COVID-19 cases while Chandigarh has 30 cases and Ladakh has reported 20 infections so far. Meghalaya has reported 12 cases, Puducherry has eight cases while Goa has seven COVID-19 cases. Manipur and Tripura have two cases each, while Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh have reported a case each. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) F ormer deputy prime minister Lord Heseltine today leads a chorus of business leaders and grandees urging Boris Johnson to feed the hunger for hope in locked-down Britain by mapping out a clear route back to prosperity. Writing exclusively for the Evening Standard on the day the Prime Minister returned to work, Lord Heseltine called on him to set out how a multi-billion-pound investment programme could be used in partnership with mayors, businesses and universities to revive Britain. The ideas that such a proposal would involve would be an important contribution to the hunger for hope that grows with every locked down day, he writes. The Evening Standard today launches London after Lockdown a major project looking at how the capitals economy can be kickstarted safely. We will examine the evidence and get the best ideas from key figures in business, health, politics and civil society. Richard Walker, managing director of frozen food chain Iceland, urged: It is vital that we get the economy back up and running. We need to focus on the long-term economic health of the nation without jeopardising the health of individuals in the short term. Johnny Hornby, chief executive of advertising firm The & Partnership and chairman of Prince Harrys Sentebale charity, said: Its becoming more and more difficult to say to business and the public we cant talk to you at all even hypothetically about what an exit from this lockdown might look like. Lord Heseltine, whose Cabinet career included breathing new life into the Thames Estuary and Merseyside, spells out the huge scale of the recovery challenge ahead. I have spent a political lifetime working at the frontiers of urban regeneration, he writes. This government faces challenges far in excess of anything I remember. He argues that the Prime Minister cannot delay a plan until it is safe to end lockdown but should begin the investment it has promised to promote balanced growth. I can appreciate the Governments reluctance to stimulate the growing hunger for dates and policies that signal at least a glimmer of hope that an end might be in sight, he says but warns: The reluctance has a serious downside. The longer it prevails the more the demand will grow to get the money spent, and the less time there will be to think, and plan the best ways, to maximise the outcome of that huge public borrowing. A senior Cabinet minister such as Michael Gove should be put in charge, but the Lord Heseltine warns: To succeed, it will need the enthusiastic support of the Prime Minister. The plan, he argues, should harness the community spirit that coronavirus has revealed among Britons and be planned locally, led by mayors. Mr Gauke said a staged return to work, with mass intelligent testing, would reassure the public. Business leaders said they needed to see the route ahead to begin planning how to stay afloat in the crisis. Institute of Directors policy chief Edwin Morgan said: No one is expecting everything to go back to normal instantly, but people making crunch decisions about whether or not their company can stay afloat need something to go on. Directors have to be able to see the path out of this crisis to do the planning that will enable their organisations to survive. Agent Jonathan Shalit, chairman of InterTalent Rights Group, said: Business and individuals desperately need a clear exit strategy. However no one knows what happens next, so the Government has to reduce conjecture to the minimum. I would expect to see the beginnings of an exit strategy in early May. He said construction and farming should be priority, with schools opened as soon as possible to allow parents to return to work. Listen to The Leader: Coronavirus Daily podcast Kutztown Community Partnership is a nonprofit dedicated to preservation and economic revitalization of the borough. Its normally a conduit for information on the annual community block party, the Kutztown Kruizz car show, Dinner on Main and Christmas in Kutztown. In recent weeks, the partnerships newsletter has been transformed into a go-to location for information on coping with the COVID-19 pandemic. Along with the Kutztown borough website and online presence of Kutztown area churches, the KCP newsletter is part of a communitywide effort to keep people informed. This is another way of saying were here to help, said Sandra Green, community liaison to the partnership. For people whove been advised to avoid public places, a recent KCP newsletter carried information on the Northeast Berks COVID-19 Collaborative. Organized by several Kutztown area churches, collaborative volunteers offer to shop for groceries and other supplies and deliver them to the homes of shut-ins. To use the service, email a grocery list to northeastberksrelief@gmail.com or call 484-366-2614. In addition to information on distance dining and educational resources for children through the Scholastic Learn At Home Program, the newsletter carried updates on borough services impacted by COVID-19. The Kutztown Rotary Club is sponsoring Food For Friends, an initiative to feed community members in need. Coordinated by Friend Inc., it offers $25 gift certificates to Weis and Giant supermarkets. The Rotary Club is accepting donations to the program through May 31. Additional information is available at information@kutztownrotary.org. Mindful of the impact of the pandemic on small business, the partnership newsletter posted a guide and checklist on applying for coronavirus emergency loans. It also contained information on assistance for small businesses through the U.S. Small Business Administration and Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development. Tips to small businesses from Main Street America include offering digital buy-now-use-later gift cards, enhancing online shopping opportunities and maintaining a social media presence. Mayor Jim Schlegel credits KCP with playing an important role at a critical time in the boroughs history. For his part, Schlegel posts historic photos of Kutztown and surrounding areas on Facebook as a way of bolstering community spirit. On March 27, amid the sound of church bells and fire sirens, Schlegel rode through the borough and greeted residents on their front porches. The show of support was dedicated to first responders and medical workers on the front lines of the battle against coronavirus. On May 3 at 7 p.m., Schlegel said, church bells in Kutztown will join others across the state in Bells Across Pennsylvania Day, a three-minute bell ringing observance organized by the Pennsylvania Mayors Association. Residents, he said, are encouraged to go out on their porches and join in by ringing their own bells. Prague's mayor said on Monday that he was under police protection, but stopped short of confirming Czech media reports that he had been targeted by Russia for removing a statue of a Soviet war hero. Zdenek Hrib clashed with Moscow earlier this month after he oversaw the removal of a controversial Cold War-era statue dedicated to Soviet general Ivan Konev, a move Russian diplomats called an "unfriendly" act of "vandalism by unhinged municipal representatives." Regarded as a hero in Russia, many Czechs see Konev as a symbol of Soviet-era oppression. "Protection was simply granted to me by the Czech police," Hrib told independent Russian radio station Echo of Moscow on Monday. "It was their decision, I am unable to comment on the reasons" behind this decision, he added. The comments came on the heels of a Monday report in the Czech weekly news magazine Respekt claiming that a Russian national using a diplomatic passport had recently arrived in Prague carrying ricin, a toxic poison that can be used as a biological weapon. According to the Czech Denik N newspaper, "this information was one of the subjects raised by the Czech foreign minister (Tomas Petricek) with the Russian ambassador Alexander Zmeyevsky, who was warned not to take any actions against Czech politicians". Czech police and government officials refused to comment on the matter. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, speaking to reporters in Moscow on Monday, said the claims made in the Respekt report were "misinformation". Known for his pro-Russian stance, Czech President Milos Zeman criticised the removal of the Konev statue as a "ridiculous and miserable" gesture. The Czech foreign ministry has raised the possibility of sending the Konev statue to Russia, according to Czech media reports. General Konev led the Soviet Red Army troops that liberated Prague from the Nazis in 1945, but he was also in charge of Operation Whirlwind, which crushed the anti-Soviet Hungarian Uprising of 1956. Konev, who died in 1973, also played a role in the 1968 Soviet-led crackdown on the Prague Spring, a democratic movement in then-Czechoslovakia. The controversial statue of Soviet general Ivan Kone, which Prague's mayor removed to Moscow's outrage 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). At present, there are no health checks at airports or ports for passengers arriving into the UK. Other countries have already put this regulation in place, and it's proved successful. After acting early, New Zealand has lowered its new daily cases to single figures - there was just one new COVID-19 case on Sunday, while Norway put the mandatory two-week quarantine in place in mid-March and in early April the country announced it had the virus under control, lowering its number of new cases from 425 on March 27 to 59 on April 25. Coronavirus hits the UK - In pictures 1 /81 Coronavirus hits the UK - In pictures A deserted Westminster Bridge PA A man wearing a face mask or covering due to the COVID-19 pandemic, walks past customers sat outside a restaurant AFP via Getty Images Boris Johnson addresses the nation on the Coronavirus lockdown Andrew Parsons Runners pass cardboard cutouts of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and Prince William during the London Marathon in London AP An empty escalator at Charing Coss London Underground tube station Jeremy Selwyn Electronic bilboards displays a message warning people to stay home in Sheffield PA A sign is displayed in the window of a student accommodation building following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Mancheste Reuters People take part in a 'We Do Not Consent' rally at Trafalgar Square, organised by Stop New Normal, to protest against coronavirus restrictions, in Londo AP People sing and dance in Leicester Square on the eve on the 10PM curfew Reuters Hearts painted by a team of artists from Upfest are seen in the grass at Queen Square, following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Bristol Reuters Graffiti reads 'good luck and stay safe', as the number of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases grow around the world, under a bridge in London Reuters A sign is pictured in Soho, amid the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in London Reuters Prime Minister Boris Johnson gestures, during a coronavirus briefing in Downing Street, London AP A person runs past posters with a message of hope, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues in Manchester REUTERS Riot police face protesters who took part in a 'We Do Not Consent' rally at Trafalgar Square, organised by Stop New Normal, to protest against coronavirus restrictions in London AP An image of The Queen eith quotes from her broadcast to the UK and the Commonwealth in relation to the Coronavirus epidemic are displayed on lights in London's Piccadilly Circus PA Military vehicles cross Westminster Bridge after members of the 101 Logistic Brigade delivered a consignment of medical masks to St Thomas' hospital Getty Images Durdle Door in Dorset Reuters Captain Tom Moore via Reuters Mia, aged 8, and Jack, aged 5, take part in "PE with Joe" a daily live workout with Joe Wicks on Youtube to help kids stay fit who have to stay indoors due to the Coronavirus outbreak PA An NHS worker reacts at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital during the Clap for our Carers campaign in support of the NHS Reuters Goats which have taken over the deserted streets of Llandudno @AndrewStuart via PA Tobias Weller PA Novikov restaurant in London with its shutters pulled down while the restaurant is closed London Landscapes: Hyde Park and the Serpentine, central London. Matt Writtle A newspaper vendor in Manchester city centre giving away free toilet rolls with every paper bought as shops run low on supplies due to fears over the spread of the coronavirus PA Theo Clay looks out of his window next to his hand-drawn picture of a rainbow in Liverpool, as the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continue Reuters A young man cuts another man's hair on top of a closed hairdresser in Oxford Reuters General view of the new NHS Nightingale Hospital, built to fight against the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in London via Reuters Jason Baird is seen dressed as Spiderman during his daily exercise to cheer up local children in Stockport, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues Reuters A woman wearing a face mask walks past Buckingham Palace Getty Images A man holds mobile phone displaying a text message alert sent by the government warning that new rules are in force across the UK and people must stay at home PA Medical staff on the Covid-19 ward at the Neath Port Talbot Hospital, in Wales, as the health services continue their response to the coronavirus outbreak. PA Prime Minister Boris Johnson taking part in a virtual Cabinet meeting with his top team of ministers PA A shopper walks past empty shelves in a Lidl store on in Wallington. After spates of "panic buying" cleared supermarket shelves of items like toilet paper and cleaning products, stores across the UK have introduced limits on purchases during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some have also created special time slots for the elderly and other shoppers vulnerable to the new coronavirus. Getty Images People on a busy tube train in London at rush hour PA Mia, aged 8 and her brother Jack, aged 5 from Essex, continue their school work at home, after being sent home due to the coronavirus PA Children are painting 'Chase the rainbows' artwork and springing up in windows across the country Reuters Social distancing in Primrose Hill Jeremy Selwyn A general view of a locked gate at Anfield, Liverpool as The Premier League has been suspended PA Homeless people in London AFP via Getty Images A piece of art by the artist, known as the Rebel Bear has appeared on a wall on Bank Street in Glasgow. The new addition to Glasgow's street art is capturing the global Coronavirus crisis. The piece features a woman and a man pulling back to give each other a kiss PA The Queen leaves Buckingham Palace, London, for Windsor Castle to socially distance herself amid the coronavirus pandemic PA A general view on Grey street, Newcastle as coronavirus cases grow around the world Reuters Matt Raw, a British national who returned from the coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan in China, leaves quaratine at Arrowe Park Hospital on Merseyside PA Britain's Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty (L) and Chief Scientific Adviser Patrick Vallance look on as British Prime Minister Boris Johnson gestures as he speaks during a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) news conference inside 10 Downing Street Reuters The ticket-validation terminals at the tram stop on Edinburgh's Princes Street are cleaned following the coronavirus outbreak. PA Locked school gates at Rockcliffe First School in Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear PA A sign at a Sainsbury's supermarket informs customers that limits have been set on a small number of products as the number of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases grow around the world Reuters Jawad Javed delivers coronavirus protection kits that he and his wife have put together to the vulnerable people of their community of Stenhousemuir, between Glasgow and Edinburgh AFP via Getty Images A sign advertising a book titled "How Will We Survive On Earth?" Getty Images A man who appears to be homeless sleeping wearing a mask today in Victoria Jeremy Selwyn A pedestrian walks past graffiti that reads "Diseases are in the City" in Edinburgh AFP via Getty Images Staff from The Lyric Theatre, London inform patrons, as it shuts its doors PA A quiet looking George IV Bridge in Edinburgh PA A quieter than usual British Museum Getty Images A racegoer attends Cheltenham in a fashionable face mask SplashNews.com A commuter wears a face mask at London Bridge Station Jeremy Selwyn A empty restaurant in the Bull Ring Shopping Centre Getty Images A deserted Trafalgar Square in London PA Passengers determined to avoid the coronavirus before leaving the UK arrive at Gatwick Airport Getty Images The UK is one of the only countries which hasnt closed its borders. Last week, health secretary Matt Hancock said the equivalent of 105,000 travellers were still landing in the UK each week, equating to 15,000 people per day. All of whom have no screening for coronavirus and no enforced quarantine, including the 200,000 or so Brits who have been repatriated from Spain. How would the mandatory quarantine work in the UK? The new quarantine regulations would see any passengers who arrive in the UK (either by air, rail or sea) self-isolate for 14 days at a prearranged address. Passengers would need to give this address to authorities who would conduct spot checks to ensure they are remaining at said location. How likely is it that it will be introduced? While the regulation is still under consideration, transport secretary, Grant Shapps said a policy could be introduced when COVID-19 cases were beginning to drop in the UK as the regulation would help to prevent a second spike in infections. The Independent reports that we could be waiting until mid-May for it to be introduced and, if it is, these quarantine regulations would likely last for months not weeks. Why has this policy not been introduced sooner? By not closing its borders, the UK has set itself apart from the 130 countries who have. Analysis from the Pew Research Centre found that 90 per cent of the global population lives in countries with restrictions on travellers entering the country, while 39 per cent of the global population live in countries that have been completely closed to foreign entrants. Professor Gabriel Scally, president of epidemiology and public health at the Royal Society of Medicine, told the FT: The UK is an outlier. It is very hard to understand why it persists in having this open borders policy. It is most peculiar. What would the implications be for the travel industry? With a two-week mandatory quarantine upon arrival to the UK, it could certainly deter foreign travellers from visiting as well as stop domestic travellers from making trips overseas once lockdown and travel bans ease. WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A majority of U.S. companies expect to stay afloat for more than six months without government assistance, according to a survey on Monday, even though the novel coronavirus outbreak has severely disrupted economic activity and hit cash flow. The National Association for Business Economics (NABE) business conditions survey also found that a third of firms expected to resume normal business operations within five to eight weeks. State and local governments have shut or limited operations of nonessential businesses, to control the spread of COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the virus, grounding the country and throwing millions out of work. The federal government is making loans available to mostly small businesses, through a nearly $3 trillion rescue package. The survey of 107 NABE members ranging from single-person companies to large corporations with more than 1,000 employees was conducted from April 13 through April 16. "Respondents report that last quarter was the worst since the global financial crisis for sales, profit margins, prices, and capital spending," said Megan Greene, chair of NABE business conditions survey and senior fellow at Harvard University's Kennedy School. "A third of respondents say their firms' operations have been severely impacted, including a few firms that have had a full suspension of operations." Still, three-quarters of respondents expected their firms could survive for over six months without federal assistance. Some 46% of all respondents said they would not seek government assistance through the stimulus package, while 31% in the service sector said they would. Companies in the goods producing and services industries led the 31% of all respondents who said they had furloughed workers. Just under two-thirds reported freezing hiring, spread across all sectors. Respondents from the goods-producing sector were more optimistic about reopening businesses, with half suggesting that normal operations will resume in six weeks or less, compared to less than one-third of respondents from other sectors. Sixteen percent of respondents indicated normal operations would require longer than six months. The coronavirus disruptions are expected to have resulted in the sharpest decline in gross domestic product in the first quarter since the Great Recession, according to a Reuters survey of economists, effectively ending the longest economic expansion in U.S. history. The Commerce Department will publish its snapshot of first-quarter GDP next Wednesday. (Reporting By Lucia Mutikani; Editing by David Gregorio) Airbus is 'bleeding cash' and its 'very existence threatened, the chief executive has warned. Guillaume Faury issued the warning in a letter to the aerospace giant's employees late on Friday, as demand for air travel has collapsed due to the coronavirus pandemic. According to various reports, he wrote: 'We're bleeding cash at an unprecedented speed, which may threaten the very existence of our company.' He added that it must 'act urgently' to survive. The lockdown has decimated the aviation industry and several airlines are on the brink of collapse. Virgin Atlantic has already called for a 500million state bailout. CEO of Airbus Guillaume Faury (pictured right) and Chairman of China Aviation Supplies Co. (CASC) Jia Baojun (pictured left) shake hands during an agreement signing ceremony at the Elysee Palace in Paris on 25 March 2019 Passenger numbers have plummeted since the Foreign Office advised against all except essential travel. It is estimated that 140million fewer passengers will take to the air this year, hitting the sector with an estimated 21.1billion in lost revenue. A spokesman for Airbus said the firm does not comment on internal communications. The coronavirus pandemic has led to airlines grounding the majority of their fleet. Earlier this month, Airbus announced a plan to cut its aircraft production rates by around a third. EasyJet has reached an agreement with the manufacturer to defer the delivery of 24 new aircraft. Barnwell House, the headquarters of Airbus in Filton, Bristol Airbus employs 13,500 people in the UK, including in Broughton, North Wales, and Filton, Bristol, where wings for commercial aircraft are designed, tested and built. The company is due to issue its financial results for the first quarter of the year on Wednesday. It comes just days after budget airline Wizz Air has become the first to restore flights from London to Europe. Flights will be leaving London Luton for Tenerife, Lisbon, Budapest and other major cities from May 1. Seats are priced from 16.99 but many of the countries they are flying to will refuse entry to foreign nationals. The continent-wide coronavirus lockdown has seen European air traffic plummet by at least 90 per cent, according to IATA, as countries battle outbreaks. The top two trade groups representing major retailers such as Walmart, Target and Best Buy are calling on governors to adopt uniform reopening standards as the coronavirus pandemic subsides. Read more The top two trade groups representing major retailers such as Walmart, Target and Best Buy are calling on governors to adopt uniform reopening standards as the pandemic subsides, including allowing warehouses and distribution centers nationwide to reopen all at once, rather than state-by-state. As states, cities, and companies big and small struggle over when and how to restart the economy, the Retail Industry Leaders Association and the National Retail Federation have some ideas. On Monday, they are sending a six-page memo to governors outlining a three-phased plan for how stores can maintain public safety once they are allowed to reopen their doors to customers. The guidelines call for stores to have "robust" health and safety protocols in place, including sanitation and social-distancing procedures. Measures include ensuring regular handwashing, use of gloves and face masks to protect customers and employees, in addition to limiting occupancy in some cases "to no more than 5 customers per 1,000 square feet of shopping space," or half the national fire code requirement. The retailers recommend that stores defer to governors on timing. States have been making those decisions by evaluating whether the number of new infections is declining and whether testing is adequate to prevent upticks in new cases. "The governors have a difficult decision ahead of them," RILA president Brian Dodge said in an interview. "We want to demonstrate to them that when they decide to restart the economy in their states that retailers are prepared" to keep their customers safe. The retail trade group is adding to the growing number of industry voices seeking to influence how and when the government permits normal business to resume as the coronavirus shows signs of plateauing in some regions. Businesses and policymakers have struggled to coalesce around a single strategy to save the struggling U.S. economy and minimize the spread of the disease. President Donald Trump earlier this month unveiled a reopening plan that puts most decisions in state hands. The president recommends that states document a "downward trajectory" in cases of coronavirus and flu-like illnesses for two weeks before beginning a three-phase process to curtail lockdown and social-distancing rules. Under RILA's proposal, all states should allow retailers' warehouses to open so long as they follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's social-distancing, hygiene and sanitization guidelines. Many states have already adopted this policy, Dodge said, so that retailers can offer in-home delivery and curbside pickup. The memo cites the need for "a fully functioning supply chain with all distribution centers operational," rather than piecemeal reopenings, which could prevent goods in warehouses in locked-down states from moving to stores in states that have lifted their restrictions. RILA said currently most distribution centers are open since federal guidelines call for treating them as essential. Some have been shut down in states where local orders conflicted with state directives or in states where warehouses didn't house essential goods, including in Indiana, Missouri, Massachusetts, and Colorado, RILA said. The first phase should also allow pickups and in-home deliveries, the memo said. These operations should allow a limited number of employees in stores that are closed to the public "to fulfill online orders and deliver purchases to customers who drive or walk up, observing appropriate social distancing," according to the memo. In the second phase, the memo from RILA and NRF said states could permit more stores to open while establishing safety guidelines, such as ensuring that employees stay six feet apart when practical, establishing special shopping hours for high-risk individuals, and limiting the number of customers in a store at the same time. In the third and final phase, the states would eliminate pandemic-related shopping restrictions but stores would maintain certain cleanliness standards, such as requiring employees to wash their hands often and disinfecting high-trafficked spaces. FAQ: Your coronavirus questions, answered. Dodge said the trade group based its proposed safety guidelines on existing state regulations, recommendations from the CDC, and safety measures that stores that have remained open already adopted. Notably, RILA's memo avoids some of the trickiest questions facing governors, such as how to coordinate store and school reopenings. If schools stay closed, stores that call workers back might find themselves short-staffed. States have varied widely in their approach to determining when and under what circumstances normal business and social life can resume. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, one of the last governors to issue a statewide shutdown, on Friday allowed nail salons, hairdressers, bowling alleys and gyms to reopen. Kemp said shops must follow safety protocols, but some Democratic mayors and even Trump said he was moving too fast. Other governors are emphasizing the need to conduct widespread testing to minimize a second round of infections. New York, for example, is building a "tracing army" with thousands of workers to track the origin of individual cases and reduce the virus's spread so the state can focus on reopening, Governor Andrew Cuomo has said. The state is also working with neighboring New Jersey and Connecticut to increase testing. Likewise, Pennsylvania Health Secretary Rachel Levine said on Saturday that testing and isolating people who are positive will be "very very important" for reopening. She said the state will be "ready this week," ahead of a partial reopening, and is planning to trace people who have come into contact with an infected person. RILA isn't the only trade group trying to shape states' reopening plans. The Business Roundtable, which counts the chief executives of major U.S. companies as its members, has also urged a phased reopening, with the states coordinating with the federal government. In an April 24 letter signed by Walmart CEO Doug McMillon, the group's chairman, the roundtable suggested testing and health screening of employees in accordance with CDC guidance, and in some cases as a condition of entering the workplace. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has also issued a document it said was meant to spur discussion of such issues as employer liability over health privacy, securities litigation and safety issues. WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. Purdue Universitys International Programs in Agriculture (IPIA) and Purdue Cooperative Extension Service will administer and manage the USAID John Ogonowski and Doug Bereuter Farmer-to-Farmer (F2F) program implemented by Purdue University in Trinidad and Tobago over the next three years. A United States Agency for International Development (USAID) funded program, F2F provides technical assistance from U.S. volunteers to farmers, farm groups, agribusinesses, and other agriculture sector institutions in developing and transitional countries. The Purdue F2F program, in collaboration with the University of West Indies St. Augustine (UWI), proposes a dual approach to build capacity for the public and private extension community and empowers farmers by providing them with an array of technical expertise. This expertise will help enhance nutrition and health, increase food safety, protect the environment by promoting proper handling and disposal of agriculture chemicals, add value to produce and marketing, help farmers respond to the changing environment and address many other challenges. The program facilitates the technical assistance trainings by U.S.-based academics, graduate students, Extension experts, business professionals, and farmers to the host country, in this case Trinidad and Tobago. These volunteers develop hands-on trainings to improve food and nutrition security through increased productivity, safety, and profitability while strengthening the Extension service through capacity building. The Purdue F2F program focuses on identifying the needs within Trinidad and Tobagos extension system and agricultural industry and finding volunteers that are willing to travel on a two- to four-week technical assignment to help address those needs, said Amanda Dickson, international extension specialist for IPIA. We have three missions here in the College of Agriculture: learning, discovery, and engagement, said Kashchandra Raghothama, associate director of IPIA. This really hones in on the engagement component. Purdue is increasing its engagement worldwide and IPIA is proud to play a crucial role in that. The Purdue team brings documented experience in executing complex international projects, including F2F programs across the globe. This is IPIAs fourth time managing a F2F program, having previously administered the program in Ethiopia, Costa Rica and Colombia. The Colombian project, which ended in 2017, focused on helping farmers in a rural, mountainous region increase the yield and nutritional value of their crops. In Trinidad and Tobago, we are starting from a position of strength. We already have a good working relationship with UWI, and the Ministry of Agriculture and they have a mandate to revitalize their Extension system, Raghothama said. Dickson and Raghothama added that Purdue Extension faculty and staff are some of the most capable in the country and they are eager to draw from the pool of expertise within the college and outside of it to participate in this F2F project. Project organizers are looking to fill volunteer assignments. People interested in learning more about the program or becoming a volunteer with the new Purdue Farmer-to-Farmer project in Trinidad and Tobago can contact Amanda Dickson at dicksona@purdue.edu. Source: Amanda Dickson, 765-494-0795, dicksona@purdue.edu Writer: Emma Ea Ambrose, 765-494-2406, eeambros@purdue.edu Note to Journalists: A photo of chili peppers is available to use on Google Drive. Agricultural Communications: 765-494-8415; Maureen Manier, Department Head, mmanier@purdue.edu Agriculture News Page Prince Charles expressed his agony as he paid tribute to a young boy who passed away due to COVID-19. The heir to the throne, who is still at his Balmoral estate in Scotland alongside his wife Camilla Parker-Bowles, shared an emotional speech to mark the start of the holy month of Ramadan when Muslims fast from dawn until sunset. In his video, Prince Charles recognized the British Muslim community and acknowledge the NHS frontline staff and key workers for their sacrifices during this ongoing pandemic. "To everyone on the front line, of whatever religion, I offer my profound admiration and heartfelt gratitude for everything they are doing - for all of us," he mentioned. Prince Charles "Utterly Heartbroken" The 71-year-old royal went on but became emotional as he was "utterly heartbroken" after hearing the "tragic story" of 13-year-old Ismail Mohamed Abdulwahab, who died alone in the hospital at Brixton, London after contracting the coronavirus. According to reports, Abdulwahab was admitted to London's King's College Hospital on March 26 and tested positive for COVID-19 the following day. "I was utterly heartbroken by the tragic story of Ismail Mohamed Abdulwahab, a previously healthy 13-year-old boy, who passed away without the comfort of having his family by his side," Prince Charles expressed. Due to the lockdown and government-mandated stay-at-home policy, the boy's family was not able to attend the funeral and say goodbye to him for the last time. "Every bereavement, from whatever cause, is made even harder for families by the current restrictions on funerals," the heir to the throne added. Prince Charles also expressed his "enormous sense of grief" for those who were affected by the pandemic as he also experienced being a victim of the dreaded virus. "I can only too well understand how agonizing this must be for those affected and I know their enormous sense of grief will be shared by countless others - including myself." Prince Charles Diagnosed With COVID-19 Last March, the Clarence House announced that the Prince of Wales had tested positive for COVID-19 after displaying "mild symptoms." The Duchess of Cornwall, on the other hand, has tested negative and both remained in Birkhall, Scotland as they underwent self-isolation separately. Although Prince Charles was diagnosed with COVID-19, a spokesperson from the Clarence House confirmed that he remained in good healt and was "in good spirits" while working and doing his royal duties virtually. The U.K On Extended Lockdown Currently, the death toll in the U.K due to the coronavirus pandemic has neared 20,000 while confirmed cases have peaked at over 153,000. As Britain enters its fifth week on lockdown, President Boris Johnson faces calls from labour regarding concrete plans about lifting the stay-at-home order. However, U.K officials warned that the health crisis might intensify as it remained at a "delicate and dangerous" stage. 27 Apr Although she previously expressed her desire to try for a baby in 2020, Taiwanese actress Ariel Lin admitted that the plan may not be fulfilled this year due to COVID-19. As reported on Epoch Times, the actress who spoke to the media at an event recently, smiled when asked about her baby plans, and responded, "Do you see any progress? It seems nothing is happening yet." Ariel, whose husband Charles is based in the United States, shared that she has not seen him for the past several months since her return to Taiwan in January. When asked if her husband will be returning to Taiwan anytime soon seeing the severity of the pandemic in the United States, Ariel said that she would rather he stay put than risking himself on the plane. "Taking care of yourself and not moving around is much better. It's difficult to pass customs anyway. Maybe after the summer vacation," she said. As to how they communicate with each other, Ariel stated that the two of them would video call one another several times a day. (Photo Source: Ariel Lin Instagram) Ask a community college president about what school will look like in the fall and be prepared for an eye roll, lots of shrugging and even a baffled look or two. They've got no clue, really. That's not their fault. In the coronavirus era of rapidly changing information and restrictions, the presidents have no idea what they'll be allowed to do, much less how they are going to instruct students. That will be the million-dollar question. Im not sure we know yet, said Martha Parham, the senior vice president for public relations for the American Association of Community Colleges. A lot depends on how the economy bounces back. "The unknown is if we're still in the online [learning] environment in the fall," added Tracy D. Hall, president of Southwest Tennessee Community College in Memphis. It's not just administrators who are in limbo. Students find themselves wondering how school will work, if they will be safe going back and if they will have enough money to afford school this fall. Coronavirus and schools: Students are weary of online classes, but colleges can't say whether they'll open in fall 2020 Many community college leaders remain hopeful that their schools have the flexibility and affordability to play an integral role in the effort to help the country transition from stay-at-home orders to get-back-to-work optimism. Until then, though, the picture that can be drawn by looking at enrollment for upcoming summer sessions isn't pretty for most schools. A good case study can be found at Washtenaw Community College in Ann Arbor, Michigan. For several years, its enrollment has remained steady, with only slight losses, even as other community colleges have seen percentage decreases of around double digits. Washtenaw has been a bit of an anomaly amid an old truism when the economy is good, as it had been before now, community college enrollment drops. When the economy is bad, enrollment in community colleges grows. That's because community colleges are heavily involved in workforce development and skilled trade training. By those indications, the cratering of the economy should be good for enrollment. Story continues Ummm, not so fast. Mix in a pandemic and everything goes crazy. Washtenaw will start its summer term on May 8, and all classes will be online only. And even Washtenaw will start with significantly fewer students. On March 12, registration was down 11% for summer classes compared with the same time last year. At that point, the college was planning to offer face-to-face instruction. On April 3, after the school said it would go online only, registrations were 36.5% behind 2019's number. By April 15, that had clawed back some, leaving enrollment registration down 26%. The percent lost is mirrored in the number of credit hours students are planning to take. "We're seeing that same trend for the fall," Washtenaw President Rose Bellanca said. "This is unheard of. We're ready for a hurricane, a flood, a tornado. We even did an active shooter drill. We never did a pandemic drill. It's hard to tell what is going to happen." That unpredictability can be found all across the country. "We're preparing for an increase in students in the fall. That's just what history tells us about what happens in a downturn," said Paul Feist, the vice chancellor for communications for the California Community Colleges system, which includes 115 schools and 2.1 million students. "I don't know that it will be different this time. We don't have any history with a pandemic." Students on community college campuses can generally be broken into two groups those who are working toward transfer to a four-year school and those learning some sort of skilled trade, from culinary to welding. Those latter programs are among the most highly hit by enrollment drops. Some have been outright canceled. It's hard to teach welding online only. Coronavirus and colleges: Stunned by coronavirus, a college town slowly awakens to a surreal world Washtenaw is far from alone. Michigan's Grand Rapids Community College is also looking at a steep decline for the summer, said Bill Pink, its president. The school is waiving fees and pushing workforce-oriented classes into the second seven-week summer session at the end of summer. The fall schedule is up in the air. "I think any institution would be foolish if they aren't planning for a very irregular delivery of classes this fall," Pink said. "I do think community colleges have a great role to play. As a region and a state, we are going to be asking how do we get people back to work. We have an important role to play in that." Flexibility has long been a strength of community colleges, which can move more quickly than universities typically can to meet changing employment needs in a region, said Parham with the American Association of Community Colleges. By design, community colleges reflect the needs of their local communities, she said. Thats not a coincidence. Community colleges' flexibility and affordability could help them bounce back from anticipated summer enrollment declines once states begin opening up the economy again, said Martha Parham, senior vice president for public relations for the American Association of Community Colleges. Southwest Tennessee's Hall agreed. "That's exactly what we're supposed to be good at: being flexible," she said. "Our populations are diverse and their needs are diverse, so we need to be diverse in our offerings." The possibility that colleges won't be ready to return to in-person learning by the fall has many educators bracing for enrollment declines. Four-year universities might be particularly vulnerable, Syd Kitson, chairman of the Florida state university systems board of governors, said Wednesday during a conference call with members of a state panel looking into how to reopen Floridas schools and colleges. Fall semester enrollment may be reduced as returning students, particularly from at-risk populations, decide to stop or postpone work on their degree due to personal hardships or other concerns, Kitson said. Community colleges could see the same effect. But they might also benefit by picking up cost-conscious students who balk at paying full price for online-only classes at four-year universities, which are more expensive than community colleges on average by more than one-third, according to data from the American Association of Community Colleges. It makes financial sense (to switch temporarily to a community college), especially if youre going to be taking classes online anyway, Parham said. Contributing: Derek Catron, USA TODAY. Follow David Jesse on Twitter: @reporterdavidj This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Coronavirus at community college: Will students do fall 2020 online? West-central Illinois colleges will share in almost $14 million being made available through the U.S. Department of Education and the White House in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Among the colleges receiving funding are: Illinois College, $1.2 million; MacMurray College, $677,656; Lincoln Land Community College, $2.7 million; Western Illinois University, $7.9 million; and John Wood Community College, $1.2 million. President Trump after signing the latest coronavirus relief package in the Oval Office on Friday. The need at food banks has skyrocketed. But some farmers still dont know what to do with excess produce. Even as eateries across the country have closed or switched to takeout-only because of the pandemic, food banks have reported a huge surge in demand causing many of them to experience hourslong lines and fears of potential shortages. But thats not because of a lack of food available. Tens of millions of pounds of produce are withering on the vine quite literally in American fields. In mid-April, Dairy Farmers of America estimated that farms were dumping as many as 3.7 million gallons of milk each day. But for weeks, as the public need escalated at the peak of produce season, the Department of Agriculture ignored calls to help connect farmers with federal food-distribution programs so that surplus fruit, vegetables, dairy and meat wouldnt go to waste, according to a report published Sunday in Politico. Maria Van Kerkhove had never held a World Health Organization (WHO) press briefing before January. Now, people in countries across the globe tune in almost daily to watch the American epidemiologistalong with WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and Health Emergencies Programme Executive Director Dr. Mike Ryanbreak down the latest updates in the ever-evolving COVID-19 pandemic. The job is not easy, particularly given recent criticism of the WHOs handling of COVID-19 in its earliest days in China. The Trump Administration pulled U.S. funding to the WHO earlier this month, alleging that it was too accepting of Chinese data and that the group concealed key information about the early days of the virus spread. The WHO has also sparred openly with government officials in Taiwan, who said the group ignored their early questions about human-to-human transmission. Van Kerkhove spoke recently with TIME about the challenges of balancing science, public relations and politics, and the inherent uncertainty within any outbreak. The conversation has been condensed and lightly edited for clarity. How have you adapted to your role as a WHO spokesperson? I take briefings very seriously, as we all do, and feel a tremendous responsibility to articulate these very complicated matters in a way thats open, honest, truthful, and also captures the uncertainty. I do have some practice. I have a nine-year-old and one-year-old. Just before Christmas, I went to my nine-year-olds school to describe what I do, and the kids were a tough audience. Sometimes tougher than journalists. What is really critical right now is to say what we know, say what we dont know, andjust as importantlyto say what were doing to find out what we dont know. How is COVID-19 different than past pandemics? The difference with this one is the speed. Its been mind-blowing. When we got the first notification of this on Dec. 31, I was still in the U.S. with my family for Christmas. I was doing teleconferences at 3:00 in the morning, because we were doing calls with our headquarters in Geneva, our Western Pacific office in Manila, and our China office in Beijing. Within one week, a novel virus was identified. A couple of days later, the first [genetic] sequence was made available. Everyone was able to start to detect these cases quickly. Story continues Are you optimistic that speed will also lead to faster drug and vaccine development? Yes. Im incredibly inspired by the collaborative nature in which people are working on clinical trials. There were a number of therapeutics in development through clinical trials for MERS. We were able to kick that into gear. The first clinical trials that were done in Wuhan were done with a protocol that was shared by colleagues in Saudi Arabia [who were researching MERS]. That level of collaboration and camaraderie between peers is really quite heartening for me. Theres all this politics in the way right now, but scientists are scientists. The world of infectious diseases is actually quite small. We talk to each other regularly. I think the vaccine is going to be accelerated. I dont think we have a choice. Are politics making your job harder? It is distracting, and it is difficult. It would be hard to say [that its] not. As a scientist, I dont normally deal with politics. I try to stay focused on the work we need to do. I am focused on what we need to accomplish, and I need to maintain that focus for myself and for the teams and to make sure that we save as many lives as we can. Its a simple goal; its incredibly hard to carry out. How do you respond to criticism that the WHO was slow to share information about person-to-person spread? The thing that is the most challenging for me is that people keep referring to this one tweet on Jan. 14, [in which the WHO said there was no clear evidence of human-to-human transmission, on the same day Van Kerkhove warned of the possibility during a press briefing]. What is said publicly or what is said through Twitter is very different than what is discussed between our countries and collaborators. When you hear of a cluster of pneumonia, anyone in the infectious-disease community would be lying if they didnt say there could be human-to-human transmission. Thats what we acted on. You worry about how a respiratory virus transmits and the efficiency with which it transmits. From day one, weve been talking about all of the types of scenarios that transmission could look like. We warned against aerosol transmission, airborne transmission. We had lots of discussions with our networks, which include U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention scientists and scientists all over the globe. Even with all of this politicsand Im a proud AmericanU.S. scientists are incredible partners and will continue to be so no matter what. Its important that we acted as we believed this virus would transmit, and thats exactly what we did. Can we do better? Always. But thats true for everyone, everywhere. Was the WHO too reliant on Chinese data? As an organization, we are reliant on data that comes from all of our member states. Theres an international set of rules that governments have agreed upon to share this information with us. We never publicly criticize our member states, but we actively push back in discussions with them for more information, always, always, always. In addition to the data thats reported to us, we have our networks of experts on the ground. Therere lots of other ways in which we try to gather information, and this is no different. We dont blindly accept data as-is. Things are reported to us, and then we scrutinize and ask and kick the tires. We always ask for more. I dont know any epidemiologist that doesnt come back with at least 10 or 12 questions. But again, thats not unique to the situation and thats not unique to China. Was the WHO too slow to call COVID-19 a pandemic? The declaration we did make, a public-health emergency of international concern [PHEIC], was our highest level of alert. I know people will criticize as too late or early or whatnot, but the fact is the PHEIC was on Jan. 30. We dont declare pandemics; we described [the situation] as a pandemic [on March 11]. We can go back and look at all the epidemic curves and say whether or not that was done too early or too late, but the bottom line was the description of this as a pandemic didnt change the actions. How will this pandemic change the world? We will have a new normal. I dont know exactly what that will look like yet. This virus has shown the vulnerability everywhere, and not just in low-income countries. Weve seen enormous impact in Europe, the U.S., and Asia. Many countries that thought they could handle this have really been caught off-guard. Many countries didnt think it would reach them. They thought this was something that was happening only in Asia, it was something happening far away. If you look at any of the news, you can hear many countries saying that. I think that surprised people. The public health workforce, the people who actually go out and do contact tracing, doesnt exist at the level that it needs to exist in many countries. I have to say, the work thats done in Africa and the resilience of the African people [is a great example]. They really react very quickly when something happens, in terms of finding cases and contact tracingwhereas in Europe, people gave up very, very quickly. I think the future will look different in terms of preparedness. I hope there will be more investment in that so this never, ever, ever, ever happens again. How can people deal with their anxiety and fear about all the unknowns? Anxiety and fear are normal. Its important that we turn that fear into something positive. Make sure that you are well-informed from reliable sources. Make sure youre following what is happening in your area and following guidance from your leaders, and be patient. This is going to take some time, but we will get through it. Find time to talk with your family. Find joy in something every day, whether that is music or reading or exercise or your family or your pets or whatever. Even though youre physically distant from your loved ones, make sure youre socially connected to them. We cant predict exactly what is going to happen. It is going to take some time. Let yourself laugh. Let yourself find some joy every single day. Your tax-deductible gift today powers our reporters and keeps us independent. We rely on you, our reader, not paywalls to stay funded because we believe important news and information should be freely accessible to all. Start your day with LAist Sign up for the Morning Brief, delivered weekdays. Subscribe Our news is free on LAist. To make sure you get our coverage: Sign up for our daily coronavirus newsletter. To support our non-profit public service journalism: Donate Now. California's top officials are being ordered to address a lawsuit that demands the state dramatically reduce the population in county jails and juvenile halls at a time when COVID-19 outbreaks are hitting the incarcerated disproportionately hard. The California Supreme Court has given Gov. Gavin Newsom and Attorney General Xavier Becerra until Tuesday to respond to a petition filed Friday by the American Civil Liberties Union. UPDATE: Within hours of filing, the @CASupremeCt has given @GavinNewsom and @AGBecerra until Tuesday to respond to our petition demanding drastic reduction of juvenile hall and county jail populations. #FreeThemAll @ACLU_SoCal https://t.co/vCyeJphkzT pic.twitter.com/7yLpf7Ig4Z Marcus F Benigno (@mfbenigno) April 25, 2020 The ACLU also on Friday sued state officials to stop the transfer of people in state and county custody to Immigration and Customs Enforcement during the pandemic. ICE has five facilities in California, all but one operated by private prison companies. The state Supreme Court has not yet responded to that petition. Peter Eliasberg, chief counsel at the ACLU of Southern California, said filing the pair of petitions on the same day was intended to show the scope of the problem: Social distancing is impossible to achieve whether it be at county jails or immigration detention centers. "People are sleeping in rows of bunks a couple of feet apart, right on top of each other," Eliasberg said. "The numbers of people in those dorms can be 15, 30. It can be up to 85." Bunk beds at Theo Lacy Facility, a maximum-security jail in Orange. (Disability Rights California) The governor has started to lower the state's prison numbers with efforts like granting early release for 3,500 inmates, but the ACLU says in its suit that he "has not taken uniform action to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in county jails or juvenile facilities." Eliasberg said removing the most medically-vulnerable from jails would go a long way toward reducing the population, where upwards of 65 percent are awaiting trial and the remainder are serving time for misdemeanors and non-violent, non-sexual felonies. Another way to lower the jail population, Eliasberg said, is to book fewer people. Officers could "cite and release" individuals, instead of arresting them, he said. The governor's office did not respond to questions on Sunday about the ACLU's demands. Rather it turned attention onto the federal government and its immigration detention centers. The governor's office provided this statement from spokeswoman Vicky Waters: "This Administration has been clear on our stance against abuses in immigration detention centers. We call on the Department of Homeland Security to use the administrative discretion it has under federal law to work with public health authorities to implement appropriate actions to protect individuals in its custody, staff and local communities." Jennifer Pasquarella, who worked on the petition calling for a stop to ICE transfers, said that the onus is on the state to keep people from going into federal custody in the first place. She said transfers from California agencies are the primary source of ICE bookings, rather than community arrests by immigration agents. The ACLU argues the transfers to ICE custody are voluntary, and only move people from one dangerous setting to the next. "The most important thing that the state can do now is to ensure that more people are not put into those death traps," Pasquarella said. Inmates do a deep cleaning in a cell pod to prevent the spread of COVID-19 at the San Diego County Jail on April 24, 2020. (Sandy Huffaker/Getty Images) She said time is running out. An outbreak at the Otay Mesa Detention Center in San Diego affecting 57 detainees is the worst in the ICE system. Throughout the system, detainees have reported difficulty getting medical attention or testing despite showing possible COVID-19 symptoms, and being left to get protective equipment, cleaning supplies or soap on their own. Pasquarella said that bringing down the number of individuals who are incarcerated is not just for their sake. "If you allow the virus to spread within jails and detention facilities, then it will spread into the communities and it will continue to spread," Pasquarella said. Read the ACLU suit calling for a reduction in jail and juvenile center populations here: MORE ON CORONAVIRUS A consultant working in the private sector has claimed that the Governments proposed public contract for private doctors is a bad deal for taxpayers. Dr Crochan OSullivan, consultant cardiologist at the Bons Secour private hospital in Cork City, said the deal agreed a number of weeks ago is not good value for money. Last month the Government reached an agreement with private hospitals to use all of their facilities during the Covid-19 crisis. Some 19 private hospitals are being used to treat public patients throughout the outbreak for a three-month period. The deal is costing taxpayers 115m a month. Thread on how the policies of lame @SimonHarrisTD and @roinnslainte inverted the 2-tier hospital system leaving insured patients in limbo & confused. @susmitchellSBP https://t.co/ZTcr1CumjG Crochan O'Sullivan (@coscardio) April 26, 2020 Dr OSullivan told RTEs Morning Ireland: The Private Hospitals Association deal for us, as private consultants, our thought is that this is a bad deal for the taxpayer, a bad deal for the doctors and a bad deal for patients. Last Thursday (Minister for Health) Simon Harris confirmed, for example, that there were 3,400 patients treated in the private hospitals in April, which works out at 24,000 per patient, per episode. That is not good value for money. Dr OSullivan, who is now a temporary HSE employee after signing the contract, said he has had to cancel his own patients until he becomes an independent practitioner again later this this year. He added: In the meantime, I will be seeing patients on HSE waiting lists who will be seen based according to need, which Im very happy to do. But it must be realised that this contract was unilaterally imposed upon us by the Department of Health. We would like a service level agreement where we could give our some time to the HSE and work with public patients, but then we'd also like our own time to deal with our own patients and be able to meet the obligations on our own patients There are other options for consultants for example a Type B or Type C or service level agreement, which many consultants will sign up to in a heartbeat. But we are not being offered this because of the intransigence in the Department of Health. As part of my contract I could be moved to Bantry in the morning because there is a redeployment clause in my contract. My ongoing costs are 10,000 per month and I am being paid a public salary of 6,000 per month so Im actually paying 4,000 to go to work in the morning. We would like a service level agreement where we could give our some time to the HSE and work with public patients, but then wed also like our own time to deal with our own patients and be able to meet the obligations on our own patients. The coronavirus outbreak and the lockdown have left the fintech sector reeling but the insurance business seems to be growing in these times of economic uncertainty. Policybazaar, the largest online insurance aggregator in the country, has seen a 40% spike in term and life insurance policy sales in March and April compared to the same period in 2019 and consumer interest is only growing. At a time when a lot of our competing channels-- the bank branch network and the agent network--found it harder to do business, we continued to get customers. Further, we have continued to be very aggressive on television and other media channels to tell our customers that we are open for business, chief executive Sarbvir Singh told Moneycontrol in an interview. Term insurance saw the largest growth, said Singh, who took up the corner office in the Gurugram-headquartered startup in December 2019. April has been one of the better months for business, even though a large number of people might have income stress because of pay cuts and job losses. COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show The government on April 14 extended the nationwide lockdown to May 3 though some of the restrictions have since been eased to resume partially economic activity in places that free of the highly contagious virus. Policybazaar doing good business is important at a time when the slowdown has hit fintech businesses. Lending and payment startups are looking at massive slowdown as income levels fall and consumption has taken a hit. Singh thinks perhaps the fear of a deadly disease and increasing awareness was helping the insurance sector find more takers in Indias under-penetrated market. The company has also been seeing many inquiries on insurance cover for senior citizens, but most drop off looking at the high prices. Besides insurance, Singh said the savings business, too, had seen a 10 to 15% growth, indicating that consumers were expecting a quick economic recovery. Given most of the offline channels were closed, online sales picked up. Many people looked at Policybazaar as a front-end lead -generating entity but the company was a comprehensive sales and service partner to the customer as well, the former venture capital investor said. Right from introducing the customer to the policy, to explaining the policy to the documentation process and even medical checkup, everything is offered by us, he said, adding it was this end-to-end process that had held the platform in good stead. Given the strong financial situation, the company is worth more than billion dollars, Policybazaar would not go for specific salary cuts due to the coronavirus outbreak but would look to streamline business and rationalise costs, the CEO said. We will be very mindful of the costs and will be careful on all spendings, hirings, cost to vendors, etc but we are thinking more structural and long-term in that matter, Singh said. The remote-working experience during the lockdown could change the way the company works. The management realised that 30 percent of the staff could work from home and this would rationalise real-estate spends and enable the company to expand to newer places, Singh said. Ninety-five percent of my workforce is in Gurugram, we can now have small offices in other locations and ask our staff to work remotely, for training, they might have to come to the office, he said. The cost we save can perhaps be used to incentivise our agents better. Policybazaar is a part of ETechAces, which owns multiple businesses other than the insurance marketplace. It includes lending marketplace Paisabazaar, doctor consultation platform Docprime and software as a solution company Zphin. At a group level, the company has more than 13,000 employees, with offices in Gurugram, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune and Dubai. The company is backed by Tiger Global, Softbank, Chiratae Ventures, InfoEdge, Tencent and some other marquee investors. DENVER Parts of Colorado began allowing elective surgeries and other activities Monday after Gov. Jared Polis eased some restrictions aimed at stopping the spread of the coronavirus. But the Denver area remained under strict stay-home orders imposed by local officials. The safer at home order issued Sunday by Polis allows the surgeries, real estate showings and curbside pickup from retail stores. Those stores can fully re-open Friday along with hair salons and barber shops. On May 4, offices can re-open but only with half the usual staff to allow for social distancing. Working from home will still be encouraged. Businesses with more than 50 workers in one location will be required to have symptom screening and cleaning protocol. Polis thanked residents on Monday for adhering to the stay-at-home order issued March 27, saying it had slowed the growth of new coronavirus cases, produced declining virus-related hospitalizations and allowed the state to build hospital bed capacity, recruit health workers and seek medical equipment. Safer at Home is designed to produce a safer, sustainable environment that allows people to return to work, take care of other medical needs and their mental health, he said. Strict measures remain at senior facilities, which have accounted for a great number of coronavirus cases and deaths. Your success is the only reason we are where we are today, Polis said, adding it means weve avoided a catastrophe. He reiterated that if any surge in cases appears, restrictions will be re-imposed. And he warned that any municipality that relaxes statewide guidance without permission is breaking the law and risking its emergency preparedness grants. For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death. The vast majority of people recover. State and federal guidelines say counties can ask the state to ease restrictions if they can prove new cases are low or declining for 14 days or more; have an early warning system to detect new outbreaks; and have the approval of local health agencies, hospitals and county commissioners. Eagle County has received a waiver and Mesa County will get one shortly, he said. Polis said no one can be compelled to return to work if it involves close contact with others, or if it can be done remotely. Employers need to accommodate workers under a variety of conditions, including those who need to stay home to provide child care, he said. Polis asked citizens to help authorities enforce safety measures by reporting businesses to local health agencies and the attorney generals office. In other developments: Colorado and Nevada on Monday joined a pact with California, Oregon and Washington to coordinate how to begin reopening. Leprino Cheese announced that its plant in Fort Morgan will be closed for at least five days after an unspecified number of its 350 workers tested positive for the coronavirus, including some who were asymptomatic. Workers will be paid during the closure and those 65 and older will stay at home with pay until further notice. A Walmart in suburban Denver where a virus outbreak was linked to the deaths of three people reopened Sunday, after getting approval from health officials. The Tri-County Health Department said the Aurora store has good social distancing measures, an enhanced system of keeping track of customers, one-way aisles and a strong worker illness screening and reporting process. PORTLAND, Ore., April 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Initiative Petition 34 (IP 34), the measure that would bring a licensed and supervised psilocybin therapy program to Oregon, announced today that the campaign had gathered more than 130,000 signed petitions. This positions IP 34, also known as the Psilocybin Therapy Initiative, as well on its way to a goal of 145,000 signatures needed to ensure IP 34 will qualify for the ballot in November. The imminent signature-gathering deadline of July 2, however, comes at a particularly challenging time for the democratic process in Oregon and around the country, as COVID-19-related social distancing requirements have prevented campaigners from engaging in face-to-face conversations and other traditional in-person signature-gathering methods. "Even before COVID-19 hit, Oregon was dealing with sky high rates of mental illnesswhich is why we started campaigning to advance this uniquely effective therapeutic option," said Tom Eckert, a psychotherapist and one of the two Chief Petitioners for IP 34. "The stressors associated with the pandemic will undoubtedly push those rates even higher, which further highlights the importance of this initiative. The pandemic also presents real challenges for our campaign in collecting the remaining signatures we need to make the ballot in November. Thankfully, our networks and supporters are energized and mobilizingthey understand what is at stake here, and we're counting on that enthusiasm to overcome the obstacles we face." Rising to the challenge, IP 34 petitioners will use alternative outreach methods to attempt to gather the remaining petition signatures needed. These methods will require more diligence from voters than if they were asked for their signatures in person. Mail-in and online petitions, group video chat organizing calls, texting networks, social media communications, as well as old-fashioned phone calls will all be used instead of face-to-face in-person signature gathering. Petitioners are committed to getting the word out and encouraging voters to send in petitions despite the lengthier and more burdensome process. "Qualifying for the November ballot will require a concerted effort from a broad base of volunteers and partners, as well as from Oregon voters who will have to step up and put a little more time in than would typically be necessary to sign this petition," said Sheri Eckert, Co-Chief Petitioner of IP 34 and a therapist. "We've been working for years to build a formidable coalition of healthcare professionals, veterans, and advocates of all kinds who believe that this psilocybin therapy initiative offers an important therapeutic option for many Oregonians and we will not let the current challenges discourage our efforts." A broad-based consensus is emerging that sees IP 34 as a critical therapeutic option for Oregonians living with trauma, depression, and other mental health challenges, some of which have been caused or exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Various consequences of this pandemicincluding prolonged isolation and confinement, unemployment, loss of loved ones, and uncertainty about the futurecan pose mental health challenges for many, making access to licensed psilocybin therapy important now more than ever. "The Oregon initiative is so critically important. It's time to create the structures within society for safely using psilocybin in a responsible manner for maximum benefit, as this is a uniquely powerful tool for healing," said famed mycologist Paul Stamets, who sits on IP 34's Advisory Board. During this unprecedented time in Oregon electoral history, organizers of the Psilocybin Therapy Initiative are relying on the commitment of Oregon voters to assert their participation in the democratic process in new and creative ways. For more information on how voters can download and sign the IP 34 petition, visit: www.YesonIP34.org . About IP 34 IP 34 will give those suffering from depression, anxiety and trauma a new treatment option by creating a licensed and supervised psilocybin-assisted therapy system. Rigorous studies at leading medical research institutions such as Johns Hopkins, UCLA, and NYU show that psilocybin therapy is uniquely effective in treating depression, anxiety, PTSD, and addition. This promising research has prompted experts in Oregon to advance IP 34 for the November 2020 ballot. IP 34 will create a licensed psilocybin therapy program so Oregonians in need have the best treatment options available. SOURCE IP 34 Campaign Related Links http://www.yesonip34.org B usinesses are giving schoolchildren virtual work experience placements to prevent them from missing out on opportunities during the crisis. The programme, run by the charity Speakers For Schools, aims to give state school students the same access to top jobs and networks as those from fee-paying schools. The scheme was due to be launched at the end of this year but has been brought forward. More than 180 schools have signed up, as well as employers including Cisco, the Opera Holland Park, Marie Curie and BP. The charity is also launching a virtual talks programme where speakers address schoolchildren via technology such as Skype or Zoom. Thousands of UK jobs could be at risk after Airbus warned it is 'bleeding cash' and may not survive the coronavirus crisis. Chief executive Guillaume Faury told the plane maker's 135,000 staff to brace for a major shake-up and potentially sweeping job cuts to slash costs. The stark warning throws into doubt the future of the firm's 13,500- strong workforce in the UK, where it makes the wings for its jets. Making changes: Guillaume Faury (pictured) told 135,000 Airbus staff to brace for a major shake-up and potentially sweeping job cuts to slash costs Airbus said yesterday it will apply to the Government's job retention scheme to furlough 3,200 workers, or more than half the staff, at its Broughton site in North Wales where it assembles aircraft wings. It is understood the furlough periods would be staggered and last for at least three weeks. It is also expected to top up staff salaries between 85 per cent to 90 per cent. Faury told staff in a letter: 'We're bleeding cash at an unprecedented speed, which may threaten the very existence of our company. We must now act urgently to reduce our cash debt, restore our financial balance and, ultimately, to regain control of our destiny.' The European manufacturer announced weeks ago it would slash the number of planes it produces by a third. Widespread travel restrictions to contain the coronavirus pandemic have grounded hundreds of thousands of flights and wreaked havoc on global airlines. It has also virtually eliminated the need for new aircraft with airlines such as Easyjet scrabbling to renegotiate orders so that they can save their own cash. Faury said: 'In just a couple of weeks we have lost roughly one-third of our business. And, frankly, that's not even the worst-case scenario we could face.' Although analysts have mostly spoken of the pandemic triggering a downturn that would last between three to four years, Airbus is also considering more painful scenarios where demand for its jets would only return after five to 10 years. Airbus has started to use government-supported schemes, such as furloughing 3,000 employees in France, and is thought to be in talks for other financial support such as state-guaranteed loans. It is understood it will seek to furlough staff in the UK, but it is unclear how many staff this would cover. But Faury said Airbus 'may now need to plan for more far-reaching measures' than furloughing and is exploring 'all options' as it waits to see how much demand there will be. Airbus is expected to reveal more details tomorrow as it releases its first-quarter results. Trade union Unite said Faury's warning 'must serve as a wake-up call' to the UK and other European governments that the aviation sector will need support. Although it has operations in the UK it is headquartered in Toulouse and its largest shareholders are the French, German and Spanish governments. Unite's national officer for aerospace, Rhys McCarthy, said: 'Government support to the aviation industry must include strict conditions that include the retention of current orders and the mothballing of older planes for newer, more efficient aircraft and engines. 'A do-nothing approach will not only threaten tens of thousands of jobs, but make an economic recovery that more difficult and will result in the UK forfeiting its leading role in aerospace.' Television actor Karanvir Bohra is a proud father to twin daughters Bella and Vienna. While the cute toddlers feature often on his social media profiles, a recent post showed the moral teachings the children were being given. Shared on the actors Twitter and Instagram handles, the short video was shot during the evening azaan. Hearing the sound on the loudspeaker, both Bella and Vienna come out. When Karanvir asks them what it was, they reply saying it was azaan and pray by joining their hands. Explaining the context, the Naagin actor wrote in the caption, We hear the #azaan everyday from my building, when my children heard it the first time they asked us what is it? We said it's called "azaan" and told the 5 time significance of it.... Let's is all pray for the well-being of the world. The Shararat star also wished fans personally later on Ramzan 2020 through a message of unification. Mother of the twins, actor-TV presenter Teejay Sidhu shared multiple pictures of the whole family celebrating Ramadan 2020, writing that love was the religion they followed. Here is the happy family posing together as they stay at home, protected from coronavirus threat. The actor also shared that he was becoming a more patient father during the lockdown. The family has been exercising together as well. Follow @News18Movies for more BEIJING (Reuters) - China is dropping a requirement that a number of key virus care products get domestic regulatory approval before export, as long as they are approved in the importing countries, the commerce ministry said on Saturday. BEIJING (Reuters) - China is dropping a requirement that a number of key virus care products get domestic regulatory approval before export, as long as they are approved in the importing countries, the commerce ministry said on Saturday. China had been stipulating such extra approval at home since the end of March after several European countries complained that Chinese-made test kits were inaccurate, in effect hampering many firms' efforts to supply global efforts against the coronavirus pandemic. The new ruling applies to products such as coronavirus tests, medical masks, protective suits, infrared thermometers and ventilators. "Tonight's new rule is a revision to (the older rule)," said Zhang Shuwen, the CEO of Liming Bio-products, a biotech firm offering coronavirus tests targeting the overseas market. "It's wrong to have a one-size-fits-all policy..." "Each country may have different criteria for medicines and medical devices. The priority is to meet the requirement in the countries where the product will be sold, instead of where the product is made," Zhang said. The previous ban vexed medical device firms in the cities of Hangzhou and Shenzhen, who tried to seek help from local governments, Zhang added. Many countries around the world have been scrambling to buy or make enough personal protective equipment for medical staff and care workers at risk of infection, and also tests to trace contagion and identify people who can leave quarantine. (Reporting by Roxanne Liu, Shanghai Newsroom and Se Young Lee; Editing by Gareth Jones and Kevin Liffey) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. A group of 369 students, hailing from different districts of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, reached here on Monday from Kota in Rajasthan onboard 15 SRTC buses, officials said. Soon after their arrival, they were screened for COVID-19 and later allowed to proceed to their home districts in the two Union Territories where they would undergo administrative quarantine before joining their families, the officials said. They said six students from Kargil, who also completed their quarantine period of 14 days in Kathua, also joined the group from Ladakh. "The Jammu and Kashmir government had dispatched 15 SRTC buses three days back to bring back 369 students who were left stranded in Kota due to the lockdown. The students entered Jammu and Kashmir this (Monday) morning, District Development Commissioner, Kathua, O P Bhagat, who himself received the students, said. He said all the students were screened by the special team of doctors and later allowed to move towards their respective districts. "Eight buses with students of Kashmir and Ladakh left for Srinagar. Six students of Kargil, who had completed administrative quarantine in Kathua, also boarded the Ladakh-bound bus," he said. Officials said a group of 57 students from Ladakh is travelling from Kota to their home districts. Bhagat said all the students would go through mandatory administrative quarantine as a precautionary measure after reaching their home districts . (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An ambulance pulls into the DMC Sinai-Grace Hospital emergency entrance amid an outbreak of the coronavirus disease in Detroit, Michigan, on April 14. Emily Elconin / Reuters Deborah Gatewood died from pneumonia last week after reportedly being refused coronavirus testing on four separate occasions by the hospital she worked at for 31 years. According to Fox 2 Detroit, the 63-year-old phlebotomist first went to Beaumont Hospital, Farmington Hills on March 18 and requested a coronavirus test, but was sent home. She visited the hospital three more times as her condition worsened but was reportedly denied testing each time. She died at Sinai-Grace Hospital on April 20. Her daughter, Kaila Corrothers, told Fox 2 Detroit: "The fact that she got infected by doing the job she did for 31 years and she couldn't get taken care of by her own family, meaning Beaumont, it's sad. It is disheartening to say the least." Visit Insider's homepage for more stories A 63-year-old healthcare worker was reportedly denied coronavirus testing four times from the hospital where she worked before she died, despite exhibiting worsening symptoms related to the virus. Deborah Gatewood spent 31 years working at Beaumont Hospital, Farmington Hills, in Detroit, as a phlebotomist. According to Fox 2 Detroit, Gatewood first went to the emergency room of Beaumont Hospital on March 18 and requested a coronavirus test, but was sent home. Her daughter Kaila Corrothers told NBC News: "They said she wasn't severe enough and that they weren't going to test her." Corrothers kept track of each time Gatewood went to the emergency room, according to Fox 2 Detroit. When Gatewood developed a cough on March 19, she went to Beaumont hospital again but was once more denied a coronavirus test and was instead given cough medicine and sent home, Corrothers said. On March 21, Gatewood developed a high fever and returned to the hospital, Corrothers said. On that visit, Gatewood was told she was "showing signs of [COVID-19]" but was again not tested. "They sent her home saying 'you are showing signs of COVID.' So they were confirming that she most likely had COVID, but they did not test her," Corrothers told Fox 2 Detroit. Story continues Gatewood visited Beaumont Hospital for the last time on March 23, NBC News said. Corrothers told NBC News that she found her mother in bed unresponsive on March 27. She decided to take her to a different hospital, but before she could get her there, she had collapsed. An ambulance took Gatewood to Sinai-Grace Hospital. According to Fox 2 Detroit, she had developed bilateral pneumonia at that point and had a fever of 106 degrees Fahrenheit. She was intubated for over two weeks and died on April 20 after her condition deteriorated. She was two years from retirement at Beaumont Hospital. It is unclear whether Gatewood tested positive for COVID-19 before her death. The hospital outlined its coronavirus testing protocol in a statement to Fox 2 Detroit: "As patients come to Beaumont for care during this pandemic, we are doing everything we can to evaluate, triage and care for patients based on the information we know at the time. We grieve the loss of any patient to COVID-19 or any other illness." Corrothers said those with symptoms should not be discouraged from seeking medical attention, though she called her mother's experience "disheartening." "The fact that she got infected by doing the job she did for 31 years and she couldn't get taken care of by her own family, meaning Beaumont, it's sad," Corrothers told Fox 2 Detroit. "It is disheartening, to say the least." Read the original article on Business Insider New Delhi, April 27 : At least 33 health care workers of Max Hospital at Patparganj tested positive for COVID-19. The hospital in a press statement on Monday said a total of 581 healthcare workers were tested at the Patparganj branch under the mandatory testing policy initiated by the central administration of the hospital, of which 33 turned out to be positive for the disease. "32 are presently admitted in the Saket branch and one patient has been discharged. All the patients admitted in the hospital are stable and in wards not requiring oxygen or ICU support. We believe this is because of early diagnosis and pro-active intervention," stated the hospital. The tests were conducted on the health workers over the past two weeks. The hospital further clarified that its mandatory testing policy will lead to a greater number of Covid patients being identified, isolated and treated. The hospital further elaborated that close to 3,000 healthcare workers have been tested across different branches of the hospital and approximately 2 per cent have come positive. "This is significantly below the average incidence of the disease reported in the general population in Delhi. The incidence in Patparganj Hospital is a little higher as it is surrounded by hotspots, where many of our healthcare workers live," said the hospital. Yoruba actress, Adunni Ade took to her Instagram page to reveal that she feels fulfilled since she returned to Islam after being a Christian for about four years. The actress shared a lengthy post via the photo-sharing app on Sunday which reads; Do you know why I hardly talk about Religion on here? It is quite sensitive to me. The prejudgment that comes with it and all. Youve gotta be extremely close to me know what I practice. So for the curious ones who have been asking, Yes I am a Muslim. Born into a Muslim home and was raised as one. If you care to know, B2 in my WAEC Examination. I have a loving Muslim Father who has given his children the free will to choose any religion they like be it Christianity or Islam. My Mom is a Christian, though not a practising one. My Stepmom is a Christian, My stepsisters are Christians, my Stepbrothers are Muslims. Have I been to a Church before? Plentyyyyy of them. I once converted, name the Church, MFM, RCCG, CLAM, CAC sure been there but one thing was certain, Islam never left me. My ways of dealing, my upbringing, all I learnt was from a Muslim and was what I truly knew. I was scared what folks would think about me if I went back to Islam and this went on for years. About 4 years ago, dec 31st 2016 I decided I would live my life for ME. Me alone! I came back to Islam. I feel fulfilled. Im happier. I have received more Blessings this way. My Oldest son practices Islam prays and Fasts as well. Yes, I wear what I like, be it modest or not. Who are you to decide my inner intentions? You know, its easy for you to type on your keypads and make assumptions, but folks who know me will say otherwise. Islam I was taught teaches me that we are judged on our intentions by Allah alone. Whats within, not what you see. Not looking for acceptance from anyone. I want people to live their lifes to its full potentials. Worry less of what the next fellow is doing. Judge less, focus on you and you alone and watch great things happen to you. As Muslims do know, during the month of Ramadan, the Heavens are opened to accept our supplications and prayers and Hell is Closed and satan is caged down there. Lets use this time wisely! I experienced Allahs Greatness this time last year. I am looking forward to receiving my Blessings this year and every other day afterwards. I hope Ive been able to clarify a few things. yall have a lovely night rest. Read Also: Actress Funlola Aofiyebi Mourns Late Yomi Obileye See screenshots of the post below: Dear Donald, On Friday evening, you unfollowed me on Twitter, which given you only follow 47 accounts was not an insignificant decision. It came a few hours after I posted a column in which I lambasted you for using your daily coronavirus press briefings to air batsh*t crazy cure theories like injecting or ingesting bleach into patients with COVID-19. I used very forceful language to convey my dismay at such reckless, shocking and woefully irresponsible behavior. Indeed, the column began with the words SHUT THE F**K UP, PRESIDENT TRUMP! And for that, I make no apology. You are the most powerful person in America and your words carry enormous weight and consequence. Within hours of you suggesting it might be a good idea to use bleach, one public health hotline in one state Maryland received 100 phone calls asking about whether they should use household detergent to combat the virus, and was forced to issue an alert warning people not to try it. Scroll down for video Piers Morgan announced on Saturday that President Donald Trump had unfollowed him Trump and Morgan are pictured together attending the celebration of Perfumania and Kim Kardashian's appearance on NBC's 'The Apprentice' at the Provocateur at The Hotel Gansevoort on November 10, 2010 in New York New York Citys Poison Control Center took 30 similar calls from the moment your briefing last Thursday night ended to 3pm the next day - and was also forced to release an alert saying that using bleach can put people at great risk. This latest debacle came after you previously and repeatedly hyped up an anti-malaria drug, hydroxychloroquine, as another cure - until it turned out to cause more deaths in COVID patients than those who werent treated with it. This is a terrifying illustration of how dangerous your rhetoric can be. So yes, I think when it comes to floating mad ideas about potential cures for coronavirus, you should shut the f*ck up. I can understand why such direct language from a long-time friend may have offended you, and I understood that when I wrote it. You have a notoriously thin skin and take any criticism very badly. (Though, from personal experience, I dont think youre a stranger to deploying such profane terminology yourself when something angers you.) Trump is seen above addressing the media during the daily briefing on the coronavirus Friday But Ive always believed the best friends are ones unafraid to offer blunt unvarnished criticism to someone who is behaving in a shockingly self-destructive way, especially when that person is the President of the United States during a global pandemic. Weve known each other 15 years, and Ive always tried to be fair and balanced when its come to your presidency. I criticize you when I think you deserve it (Ive written 55 critical columns about you) and I support you if I think youre right. That makes me an outlier in current media, the vast majority of whom either implacably criticize you or blindly support you. But if you cant handle my criticism, and our friendship is over, then let me mark the end of our relationship with a few home truths about your spectacularly bad handling of this crisis that may yet, if you heed them, still enable you to get re-elected in November. 1) Get serious, very serious. The world leaders that are seeing their approval ratings soar including Germanys Angela Merkel, New Zealands Jacinda Arderne and Frances Emmanuel Macron - are the ones who realized early on this was going to be the biggest crisis in their countrys modern history and have adjusted their behavior accordingly. Nobody wants to see or hear their leader playing the buffoon when thousands are dying from a terrible virus. They want a gravity that reflects the reality. 2) Show some damn empathy and compassion. Youve barely mentioned, in any of your long rambling briefings, the terrible impact of this coronavirus on the American people. In fact, the Washington Post calculated that youve spent just 4.5 minutes expressing any condolences, in over 13 hours of talking from the podium. More than 55,000 Americans have now died. Their relatives, friends and co-workers want to hear that you care about them. So, show them that you do, every day. Tell some of their stories, and those whove survived too. We need hope amid the despair. 3) Stop warring with the media. There can be no more important job for any journalist than holding a governments feet to the fire during such a massive crisis where so many lives are dependent on the right decisions being made. The way youve been abusing the media during your briefings is repulsively rude and undignified. Remember the words of President John F. Kennedy about freedom of the press: Without debate, without criticism, no Administration and no country can succeed. That is why our press was protected by the First Amendment - the only business specifically protected by the Constitution not primarily to amuse and entertain, not to emphasize the trivial and the sentimental, not to simply give the public what it wants but to inform, to arouse, to reflect, to state our dangers and our opportunities, to indicate our crises and our choices, to lead, mould, educate and sometime even anger public opinion. If you want the press to show you respect, then start showing them some. 4) Cut the briefings to a maximum of 45 minutes and dont speak yourself for more than 10 minutes. Nobody wants to hear a daily free-wheeling campaign rally other than you and your die-hard base supporters. In a hideously unedifying way, you keep boasting about your brilliant ratings for the briefings, but the only reasons so many are tuning in are because either theyre scared and want accurate information and reassurance. Or because they love car crash television. At the moment, youre offering plenty of the latter and none of the former. More than 55,000 Americans have died from coronavirus. Pictured above, funeral director Omar Rodriguez makes a count of 30 bodies set for cremation to be picked up from the Gerald J. Neufeld Funeral Home by David Penepet, who has been helping area funeral homes overwhelmed by the number of people who have died in NYC 5) Tell the truth. In a public health disaster of this magnitude, truth matters more than ever. Yet youve offered false or misleading information in 25% of your remarks. This is completely unacceptable in a president during the best of times, but during a crisis like this its outrageous. Its particularly self-defeating when you lie about something that weve seen with our own eyes like the bleach moment. It wasnt sarcasm, as you claimed later, and you werent addressing it to the fake news - we could see you asking your experts. So, when you try to excuse your horrendous error like that, you reveal yourself, ironically, to be the purveyor of fake news. 6) Stop constantly praising yourself. Its nauseating at a time like this. Apart from the fact you dont deserve much praise for your performance in this crisis due to Americas horribly slow response to the virus and chronic lack of preparedness, it is so diminishing for you to stand there for hour after hour telling us how great you are and what a perfect job youre doing as Americas death toll rockets ever higher. Macron admitted to his people that his administration had made mistakes in the preparation for this kind of pandemic, and the French people loved his candour. Learn from that; a little humility in your case would go a very long way right now. 7) Leave medical statements to the experts. There have been few more absurd spectacles than watching you at the podium theorizing about any new crazy coronavirus theory youve just heard, like youre Dr House. Youre not a doctor, as you admitted last week. So, stop pretending to be one. 8) Cut tweeting so much irrelevant crap. Last night you embarked on a cringe-making and pitifully petty tweet storm (much of it now deleted) against the media, demanding journalists give back their Noble prizes. As I pointed out in my reply, its Nobel and the prizes you were alluding to are Pulitzers. But who the hell cares anyway? There is only one thing you should be laser-focused on right now and its how to defeat coronavirus before it slaughters more Americans. 9) I dont want to hear any more from you about how hard youre working. I expect, and every American will assume, that the President of the United States is currently working as hard as he possibly can on the biggest crisis to hit the country in modern times. Again, reign in the overly-defensive self-justification and self-aggrandizing, it just irritates people who are suffering massive problems. The president mistakenly mixed up Nobel prizes with Pulitzers and also misspelled Nobel in a trio of tweets that has now vanished Trump continued to target The New York Times for a story that suggested he wasn't doing much work 10) Forget about the bitter and twisted partisan politics that dominated and scarred your presidency to the point when coronavirus erupted. Everythings changed. We all have a common enemy now, and its one that doesnt recognize a republican from a democrat. You should be bringing your opponents to the White House and presenting a united front, not continuing to mock and belittle them. Mr President, nobody pretends that any of this is easy. There cant be anything worse for any leader than seeing a new, wicked virus ravage the country, killing tens of thousands of people, and the economy suddenly tank to the worst levels in US history. These are scary times and millions of people are suffering very badly. But youre making it worse with your dangerously erratic conduct. And if you continue, it will cost you the election. Several hours after he posted the trio of tweets, President Trump said he was just being sarcastic Piers Morgan interviewing Trump as he marks his first anniversary in the role as President Chancellor Merkel is someone whose crisis leadership is a template for what you should be doing. Germanys top coronavirus scientist Christian Drosten explained her popularity today in the Guardian: Shes extremely well-informed, it helps that shes a scientist and can handle numbers. But it mainly comes down to her character her thoughtfulness and ability to reassure. Maybe one of the distinguishing features of a good leader is they are not using this situation as a political opportunity. They know how counter-productive it would be. Exactly. Youve dug yourself into a horrible hole, Donald, and youre making it deeper with everything you do and say. However, if you heed my advice, and begin to guide the country through its darkest hour with a more serious, consistent, determined and empathetic style, then I believe there is still a chance the American people will forgive you and reward you with re-election later this year. You dont have to re-follow me Donald, but for old times sake I would urge you to listen to me. Yours respectfully, Piers. A 57-year-old man has been arrested for attempted rape just 10 days after he was released from the notorious Rikers Island. Robert Pondexter had been let out of the New York jail on April 15 amid efforts to improve social distancing and prevent the rapid spread of coronavirus in correctional facilities, the New York Post reported. But just 10 days later, police sources told the paper Pondexter grabbed a 58-year-old woman by the collar and dragged her into a school parking lot as he was crossing the street from the supportive housing development Concern Heights Apartments. The woman, who did not know Pondexter, claims he choked her and forced her to perform oral sex before demanding she remove her pants, but she was able to kick him away and escape. Earlier this month district attorneys from Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island accused de Blasio of backtracking on a promise not to release violent and sexual offenders from Rikers Island (pictured) The woman was taken to a hospital and Pondexter was arrested at the scene. Police discovered him with a crack pipe at around 5:45 a.m. on Saturday on East New York Avenue in Brooklyn. He faces charges of attempted rape and sexual assault, among others, sources told the Post. Pondexter had previously been detained at Rikers on a prior rape charge relating to a separate attack on a different woman. He had allegedly known that victim and used drugs with her. Charges were later dropped when the victim became uncooperative, sources said. He was in jail on an unrelated parole violation when he was released on April 15 as part of an effort to reduce the spread of the virus at Rikers, which is one of the largest jails in the world and houses around 5,300 inmates. The New York Post reported that Pondexter was still awaiting arraignment in Brooklyn Criminal Court on Sunday evening. De Blasio said it was 'unconscionable just on a human level that folks were shown mercy' when released from Rikers Island and 'this is what some of them have done' Overcrowded state prisons in New York - the epicenter of the virus in the US - have struggled to contain the spread of the infection. New York has 282,000 known cases of coronavirus and close to 16,600 deaths recorded. New York mayor Bill de Blasio revealed a staggering 2,000 inmates have been released since mid-March due to the pandemic as the virus pummelled correctional facilities. About three per cent of those released have since reoffended. In 2019, the New York City Council approved an $8 billion plan to permanently shutter the jail complex by 2026 Earlier this month district attorneys from Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island accused de Blasio of backtracking on a promise not to release violent and sexual offenders from Rikers Island. A letter obtained by Fox News said: 'We were assured that the release would not include those serving time for domestic violence or sex offenses, given the risks to victims. Unfortunately, we later learned that such individuals were indeed included in the ranks of those to be released.' The letter said that while they agreed to release hundreds of people due to health concerns, they had serious concerns with some of those recommended for release by de Blasio's administration. 'Even at this difficult time, our society must have the ability to safeguard those who are incarcerated, to avoid violating their rights or endangering the community,' the prosecutors said. 'In short, we should not have to make release decisions that we know will put communities at risk.' Earlier this month district attorneys from Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island accused de Blasio of backtracking on a promise not to release violent and sexual offenders from Rikers Island Earlier this month, a convicted murderer released from Rikers Island amid the viral outbreak was rearrested for bank robbery. Speaking at a press conference last week De Blasio said: 'I think it's unconscionable just on a human level that folks were shown mercy and this is what some of them have done. 'We're going to just keep buckling down on it, making sure there's close monitoring and supervision to the maximum step possible. And the NYPD is going to keep doing what they're doing.' 'Some have done the wrong thing and they'll pay the consequences. The vast majority haven't,' de Blasio told Fox News on Sunday. De Blasio's representatives said reoffenders would be tried for their alleged crimes. One said: 'The justice system will and should take its course here and hold these individuals accountable.' In 2019, the New York City Council approved an $8 billion plan to permanently shutter the jail complex by 2026. De Blasio's office was contacted for comment. A police officer has died and another is fighting for his life after a shooting in Louisiana. A man opened fire against a Swat team in the state capital Baton Rouge after he shot at two officers and barricaded himself inside a house. Police were then involved in a stand-off with the suspect,lasting for four hours. The suspect, later named as Ronnie Kato, 36, was taken into custody later on Sunday evening. An officer salutes a motorcycle escort and a coroner's van carrying the body of a Baton Rouge police officer who was fatally shot / AP Baton Rouge Police Chief Murphy Paul told The Advocate the two officers were shot in a northern residential district in the city, and that one of the officers later died from his injuries. Police said the officers who were shot had responded earlier in the day to reports of gunfire in the area. Baton Rouge Police Chief Murphy Paul said two officers were shot in a northern residential district in the city / AP At a news conference on Sunday evening, the police chief said the killed officer was a 21-year law enforcement veteran, according to WBRZ-TV. He said the wounded colleague had seven years of police work. The chief did not identify the two officers and did not immediately say what charges Kato might face. Mr Paul said: "Our officers - talk about being public servants and the responsibility that comes along with being a law enforcement officer. "This is a call no chief wants to get." Nine-year old Alexandra Castillo's wants to show other children that "Kids can change the world" with her free food pantry. "I explained to her how difficult it was becoming to find food and the shelves were going empty," said Julie Castillo, Alexandra's mom. ON HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: Texas-made Big & Mini site helps young people hang out with seniors stuck in isolation Alexandra wanted to find a way her neighbors could have access to a little food pantry, and after seeing ideas on Pinterest, the vision grew from there. "I went on Nextdoor and Facebook to see if anyone had materials to donate," said Castillo. With the help of Brady Burnett, who donated a cabinet door and built the pantry with his dad, Alexandra's idea became a reality. "It consists of canned goods, toilet paper, paper towels, mouth wash, toothpaste, soap, hand sanitizer, bubbles, chalk, reusable water bottles, and any snacks and food people want to donate," said Castillo. "Take what you need, give what you can. It is always open for anyone," said Castillo. MESSAGES OF HOPE: Houston balloon artist creates displays with positive messages to inspire her community Aside from adding a free food pantry, Alexandra has been busy sewing masks. "Her list for donated masks has officially hit over 1,000 with over 600 already distributed to essential workers, families, anyone that wants one," said Alexandra's mom. Alexandra also has a platform called Alexandra's Secret Smiles, where she hosts kindness challenges, surprises children with gifts, and encourages others to help the community. "She wants to show other children that kids can change the world. It doesn't matter how small you are, anyone can make a difference even if it is just smiling at someone." said Castillo. "She sends everyone virtual hugs." STAY INFORMED: Sign up to receive breaking news alerts delivered to your email here. R enters groups are calling on the Government to implement a rent freeze for a year, after the housing minister confirmed on Friday that rent increases were permitted during coronavirus lockdown. Christopher Pincher said a ban on rent rises was not being considered by the Government and that the Coronavirus Act 2020 already contained measures to protect private and social tenants. These include an extension of the time before a landlord is allowed to file an eviction notice against tenants from two months to three, rent holidays and the unfreezing of the Local Housing Allowance. Landlords are also being supported with three-month mortgage holidays available on buy-to-let loans. However, many renters looking beyond lockdown are concerned about falling into debt to pay back missed rent, while campaign groups predict a spike in homelessness as tenants could be evicted as a result of arrears. A significant number of private tenants have also fallen through the gaps for both the furlough scheme and Universal Credit, finding themselves with no income and no access to government support. Caitlin Wilkinson, policy manager at campaign group Generation Rent, said: Landlords should not be allowed to raise rents in the midst of a pandemic. The Governments own advice is to stay home and avoid moving house if possible meaning tenants faced with a rent hike have very little choice but to stay put and accept it. The Government should introduce a 12-month freeze on in-tenancy rent increases, to ensure tenants are able to stay in their homes for the duration of this crisis. Housing minister Christopher Pincher Responding on Friday to a written question from Labour MP for Huddersfield, Barry Sheerman, Mr Pincher said: The Government has no plans to ban rent increases during the Covid-19 outbreak, as we have already announced extensive measures to protect renters affected by coronavirus. Through the Coronavirus Act 2020 we have introduced legislation to delay when landlords are able to evict tenants. All tenants remain liable for their rent and those who can afford to should continue to pay it. At the end of this period, if arrears have built up, landlords and tenants will be expected to work together to establish an affordable repayment plan, taking into account the tenants individual circumstances. Mr Pincher also mentioned other measures including the Job Retention Scheme and a 7 billion boost to Universal Credit. The funeral service for the Utah couple who were murdered in cold blood while their children were asleep in the house was livestreamed online over the weekend due to the state's coronavirus lockdown. Tony Butterfield, 31, and his wife Katherine, 30, were laid to rest at Herriman City Cemetery in Utah on Saturday and the emotional service was livestreamed for friends and family who couldn't attend due to Utahs stay-at-home order. On Saturday the Butterfields were remembered as a fun-loving, goofy, hardworking couple. The West Jordan couple were murdered in the early morning of April 18 when intruder suspect Albert Enoch Johnson, 31, allegedly entered the home and shot the couple dead while their three young children, all under the age of four, were asleep in the upstairs bedroom. Utah couple Tony, 31, and Katherine Butterfield, 30, were laid to rest in an emotional funeral service on Saturday that was livestreamed for friends and family who couldn't make it due to coronavirus lockdowns The West Jordan couple was murdered in the early morning of April 18 when intruder suspect Albert Enoch Johnson, 31, (above) allegedly entered the home and shot the couple dead while their three young children, all under the age of four, were asleep in the upstairs bedroom. Johnson pictured in his mugshot Police found Tonys body in the backyard and his wife near the front door. Two days after the killings Johnson was arrested in California on a murder charge. He suffered a knife cut or stab in the struggle with the couple. Police have not revealed a motive for the killings. Prosecutors said that Johnson, who also lived in West Jordan, had once applied with the Butterfield and their landscaping business. Johnson's wife Sina Anne Johnson, 29, was also charged with obstruction of justice as police say she helped her husband get rid of evidence in the murder including her husbands bloody clothes, shoes and a sheet. On Saturday close family members gathered for a funeral service where loved ones honored the Butterfields as a loving couple dedicated to their children. Two caskets were presented at the funeral service, one in dark blue for Tony and one in light pink for Katherine. A screenshot of the livestreamed service pictured above Tony's mother (left) and relatvies pictured sharing tribute to the couple at the funeral service One of Katherine's favorite a capella groups GENTRI shared a Zoom tribute song to her at the funeral service that was displayed on a screen at the gathering Cameron Crane, Katherine Butterfield's brother, said that the family has no ill will for the suspect. 'Our families believe in the laws of mercy and justice and we are confident that the laws of justice will prevail. But we will focus on the loss of mercy. We pray that the family of the perpetrator will feel the same mercy in their lives.' 'We invite all to live like Tony and Katherine Be the light, spread the light,' he added. The family has been overwhelmed with the outpouring of support from the community as a GoFundMe page for the family has raised over $240,000, money which will be used to support the three young Butterfield children. Tony Butterfield had the nickname T-money for his hard work and ability to save money and support his family, Katherines sister Emily Hurst said according to their obituary. Katherine and Tony Butterfield pictured together above A GoFundMe page for the family has raised over $240,000 and will be used to support the Butterfield's three young children, all under the age of four 'Tony helped many people with employment and often joked with family members that we should quit our jobs and work for him. I had the privilege of working alongside Tony, and though problems would arise, I never once saw him complain or raise his voice. He was a well-balanced man,' Katherines brother Aaron Crane said. 'Tony worked hard for his family and had already taught his children the value of working,' Hurst said. 'He never spoiled the kids and never had to. They knew how much their daddy loved them, because he was always there for a hug and a kiss, or to be goofy with them.' At the funeral service family members vowed to take care of the couples three children Rusty, four, Brooklyn, two, and six-month-old Brighton. Cameron Crane, Katherine Butterfield's brother, said that the family has no ill will for the suspect. 'Our families believe in the laws of mercy and justice and we are confident that the laws of justice will prevail. But we will focus on the loss of mercy. We pray that the family of the perpetrator will feel the same mercy in their lives' Following the funeral service close family members gathered outside for the graveside ceremony where they brought colorful balloons Bishop Craig Christensen speaks during the graveside service for Tony and Katherine Butterfield in the Herriman, Utah on Saturday. Tony's casket pictured left in dark blue and Katherin's right in light pink Rusty Butterfield looks down at his parents' caskets as he is carried by a family member after the funeral The Butterfield's caskets pictured being brought out during their graveside service Saturday Kathy and Mark Butterfield, parents of Tony Butterfield, and their granddaughter Brighton Butterfield, stand by as family spokesman Cameron Crane reads a statement following the graveside services Marshall Crane, father of Katherine Butterfield, hands his granddaughter Brooklyn Butterfield flowers to place on her parents' caskets while his wife Rebecca Crane carries granddaughter Brighton at the Saturday service Family members said in their speeches Saturday that the Butterfields were dedicated to their children and didnt go on any vacations for five years in order to save for their retirement and buy a home away from their city. 'Tony and Katherine were dedicated and loving parents who strove to teach their children to be like Jesus by being kind, caring and polite. In their home, they experienced creativity, hard work, along with a lot of cuddling and demonstrations of love,' Katherines brother Cameron Crane told reporters after the funeral service. Following the funeral a graveside service took place at Herriman Cemetery where family members held colorful balloons. Two caskets, one pink and the other blue, were placed at the grave site. Family members at the funeral were seen trying to practice social distancing to abide by the state's lockdown rules as there are over 4,000 cases of COVID-19 and 41 deaths in Utah as of Monday. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 27) The government has released some 245 billion in savings from canceled programs and special purpose funds for its COVID-19 response, President Rodrigo Duterte revealed in his fifth report to Congress on the administration's efforts to address the crisis. The bulk of the funding, around 196 billion, went to the Department of Social Welfare and Development, which is spearheading the distribution of cash aid to some 18 million poor families to cushion the impact of quarantine measures. As of April 24, Duterte said in his report that only 6.27 million of the target 18 million families have received cash aid from the government, leaving some 65 percent of the target beneficiaries still without financial relief more than a month since the enactment of the Bayanihan to Heal as One Law. The DSWD said it has already disbursed 96.85 billion for cash aid. It had earlier entered into agreements with local government units to fast track the distribution of assistance to indigent families. The Department of the Interior and Local Government said on Monday that local government units, who are now at the frontlines of the distribution of cash aid, have until April 30 to do so, or face charges. After the DSWD, local government units received the next biggest chunk of government savings realigned for efforts against COVID-19, receiving a total of 36.91 billion from the so-called Bayanihan Grant. The Department of Agriculture, meanwhile, obtained the third-largest cash allocation, with 8.5 billion. The Department of Health also received a 1.8-billion cash allocation from the pooled savings, while the Department of Labor and Employment got 1.5 billion from the same funding source. The Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines also received an additional cash allocation of 93.1 million and 150.7 million, respectively. Cash allocations amounting to 10.44 billion have also been released from existing programs, projects and activities of various departments, with the DOLE getting the biggest share of the realigned funds at 5.07 billion. It was followed by the DSWD which received a 3.9-billion cash allocation, the DOH with 600 million, the DILG with 520 million, and the Department of National Defense with 230 million. In his previous addresses to the public, Duterte lamented how the battle against COVID-19 has drained the government of cash. He even floated the possibility of selling government assets to generate more funds. In his two previous reports to Congress, Duterte said the Philippine Guarantee Corporation and the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corporation have both submitted inventories of its real properties which may be used for COVID-19 projects, programs and activities. In a taped briefing aired Friday, Budget Secretary Wendel Avisado admitted that the government has already spent 352 billion of the 397 billion which can be realigned for the governments COVID-19 response. Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III, however, said that the countrys needs are currently being financed through loans from the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank amounting to 310 billion. The Bayanihan to Heal as One Act allows Duterte to reshuffle funding within the executive department towards the governments efforts against the disease. The same law also requires him to submit to Congress a weekly report on how he has so far utilized these powers and the governments response to the pandemic. An image released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency on Aug. 14 shows North Korean communist dictator Kim Jong-Un while inspecting the Command of the Strategic Force of the Korean People's Army at an undisclosed location. (STR/AFP/Getty Images) Kim Jong Un Sends Thanks to Workers at North Korean Zone Amid Health Rumors North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un sent a letter to workers building a tourist site in the Wonsan area, where his train was spotted in satellite photos, amid speculation about his health. Over the weekend, several Asia-based news outlets reported, citing unnamed sources, that Kim was either dead or in a vegetative state, coming days after reports earlier in the week said he was in grave health after undergoing surgery. However, top South Korean officials have disputed those reports and insisted hes still in control of the impoverished, communist country. State-run media offered a message from Kim, 36, in a news bulletin. But it didnt confirm or deny the reports about his health. Respected Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un has sent his thanks to the workers and officials at the construction site of the Wonsan-Kalma tourist resort, a newsreader said on the Korean Central Broadcasting Station, according to news reports. Kim Jong Un and Ri Sol Ju in a file photo (KCNA) A similar statement was published in North Koreas mouthpiece, the Rodong Sinmum, reported South Koreas Yonhap News Agency on Monday. No pictures were released of Kim to accompany the report. The speculation about Kims health has swirled since April 15, when he missed the commemoration of his grandfather and North Koreas founder, Kim Il Sung. The Associated Press noted that Kim has yet to miss the yearly commemoration since he took power in 2011, and meanwhile, he was last seen in public on April 11. U.S.-based website 38 North also published satellite photos over the weekend, showing what appears to be Kims signature train at the station in Wonsan since April 21. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un delivers remarks at a military parade in Pyongyang, North Korea, on Oct. 10, 2015. (Wong Maye-E/AP Photo) The trains presence does not prove the whereabouts of the North Korean leader or indicate anything about his health, but it does lend weight to reports that Kim is staying at an elite area on the countrys eastern coast, 38 North said on its website. South Korean presidential officials have stated that Kim is still alive and staying outside Pyongyang in Wonsan. South Koreas Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul on Sunday said that South Korea has enough intelligence to confidently say that there are no unusual developments in North Korea, according to his ministry. Also Sunday, Chung-in Moon, a foreign policy adviser to South Koreas President Moon Jae-in, told Fox News: Our government position is firm. Kim Jong Un is alive and well. Moon said that namely, the dictator has been staying around the Wonsan area since April 13 and added that no suspicious movements have so far been detected. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visits a multiple rocket launcher site on Sept. 10, 2019. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP) President Donald Trump also dismissed the claims about his demise or poor health last week. I think the report was incorrect, Trump said at a White House briefing on the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus on Thursday, adding that his administration has a good relationship with North Koreaas good as you can have. I mean, we have a good relationship with North Korea. I have a good relationship with Kim Jong Un, and I hope hes OK. Several days ago, a Hong Kong broadcast network claimed on Saturday that Kim died and cited a very solid source who was not identified. A Japanese magazine, meanwhile, reported that Kim is effectively brain dead and in a vegetative state, and it also used unnamed sources. In the absence of an official statement from North Korean state media or its ruling party, its nearly impossible to verify any reports about Kims heath, which is considered a matter of national security. The curfew comes a week after a four-day lockdown weekend, including the national April 23 holiday and start of Ramadan. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said a three-day lockdown would be imposed in 31 cities as of Friday, and similar weekend restrictions would continue until after the Eid al-Fitr holiday in late May. Speaking to reporters through a video link following a cabinet meeting, Erdogan said on Monday that a schedule for returning to normal would be announced soon. The upcoming extended curfew comes on the heels of a four-day lockdown weekend, which included the national April 23 holiday and the start of Ramadan, Islams holy month, last week. By overcoming COVID-19, Turkey hopes to have a double feast at the end of Ramadan, when the Eid al-Fitr holiday will take place, the Turkish president said. Eid al-Fitr is the festival marking the end of Ramadan. Erdogan also said that for the Muslim holy month, Ankara was evacuating 25,000 Turkish nationals from dozens of countries worldwide, adding to some 40,000 already brought back from pandemic-hit regions. Health ministry data showed on Monday that Turkeys confirmed cases of COVID-19 increased by 2,131 in the past 24 hours, bringing its total to more than 112,000. The death toll stood at 2,900, with 95 new fatalities registered, while more than 4,650 recoveries were recorded bringing the total to 33,791. Erdogan pointed out that the number of new patients and the death toll continued falling, saying that seeing more recoveries from the coronavirus than new cases was an important turning point. As of 27 April, 2020, 21:45, the current situation regarding #COVID19 in Turkey and around the world: A total of 918,885 tests have been performed. There are currently 112,261 confirmed cases, 2,900 related deaths, and 33,791 discharges in #Turkey. pic.twitter.com/V9jXjHwUSB Republic of Turkey Directorate of Communications (@Communications) April 27, 2020 Medical gear to US 200423083547252 Separately, the president announced that Turkey would send medical gear including protective suits and masks to the United States to help its efforts to contain the coronavirus outbreak. At a time when even developed countries are asking for Turkeys support, we have offered our support to a wide geography, from the Balkans to Africa, he said. Most recently, we are sending medical aid to the United States on Tuesday, consisting of surgical masks, N95 masks, hazmat suits and disinfectants, Erdogan said, adding that the shipment would be delivered via a Turkish military plane. Turkey in April started carrying out weekend lockdowns in 31 cities, as part of measures imposed to curb the spread of the coronavirus. People above 65 years of age or those with chronic medical conditions are subject to obligatory confinement. The government has also imposed a partial curfew for those under the age of 20, excluding workers, and it has also been sending free masks to citizens via mail. This is part of a series of questions posed by The Oregonian/OregonLive to May 19 primary election candidates seeking the seat on the Portland City Council currently held by Commissioner Chloe Eudaly, who is seeking reelection. Surveys were also sent to candidates running for Position 1, Position 2 and Mayor. Why should Portlanders vote for you? Sam Adams: Portland deserves a city commissioner who will bring a renewed sense of energy, compassion and purpose to City Hall. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, our city was at a critical point. Portlanders felt we were losing too many opportunities to tackle our most urgent challenges. I agree. I led the city through the Great Recession, setting up one of the strongest local economic recoveries in the country. We made deep cuts in the citys budget while investing $42 million for houseless and housing services, an increase of 30%. We created a jobs program by fast-tracking $400 million in city construction projects. We created the citys first neighborhood economic development strategy, and the Neighborhood Prosperity Network to implement it in our poorest main streets. I offer hands-on experience with a proven track record of bringing Portlanders together to get the tough stuff done. Chloe Eudaly: My motivation and commitment stem from my lived experience. While running an independent bookshop, I co-founded the Independent Publishing Resource Center, a makers space for self-publishers. As the parent of a child with a disability, I became a disability advocate, which led to me spearheading a district-wide special education parent-teacher association. And as a cost-burdened renter, when City Council failed to address our housing crisis, I became a housing activist and created an online housing justice forum that grew to more than 2,000 members. In 2016, I ran for City Council because we were facing an unprecedented rent crisis. Renters were facing exorbitant rent increases and mass displacement through no-cause evictions. I promised that if I were elected, I would do something about it. And I did. I led the Portland City Council to unanimously adopt a relocation ordinance that required landlords to pay relocation costs for renters facing no-cause or economic evictions. I have fought for and won historic renter protections, transformational improvements to our public transit system, universal immigration defense and significant environmental protections. Im running for re-election because Portland City Council is the place where I can do the most good for my community. Mingus Mapps: I have the background and vision needed to make City Hall and Portland work better. I am a dad, a political scientist and a public servant. I have deep roots in Portland. Im a transparent, evidence-based policy maker. My vision for Portland includes healthy, vibrant, diverse neighborhoods. Every Portlander should have access to affordable housing and public transportation. Portland should embrace growth and diversity, while also protecting our green spaces. My goals for my first term on City Council include: Leading the citys economic recovery from the COVID-19 crisis. Reducing homelessness. Increasing the supply of affordable housing Making City Hall more accountable by changing the way we elect members of City Council. Lets use neighborhood based electoral districts, instead of at-large elections. Making government more efficient by hiring a city manager to coordinate services provided by the city. Keith Wilson: The bureaus I am assigned will be run well, and the council decisions I make will take into consideration and be respectful of the people they are going to impact. The only reason my company has survived two recessions, thriving after each, is that I rarely make a decision by myself. I have a five-person senior management team that reviews all decisions in depth, like council. Before any decision is made, we always take input from the staff it will affect. They are the experts, and bringing their experience into the decision always improves the outcome. As a result, with the support of my entire team, we have transformed Titan into one of the most modern, safe and technologically advanced carriers in the nation. I expect to do the same for Portland. I sweat the small stuff. If I see a pothole in a neighborhood, I want it filled. If I see trash on the side of the road, I want it picked up. If I see an abandoned car on a street, I want it removed. Seth Woolley: Im the scientific and good-government-advocating environmentalist in the race. I believe in evidence-based policies, anti-corruption reform and deep, grassroots democracy. Ten years ago I brought commissioner reform to the Charter Review Commission, and the commissioners blocked it. Recently, I brought a slew of air quality issues to Portland leadership. They failed to address the issues meaningfully, despite overwhelming evidence about how bad the problem is, especially dirty diesel fleets and industrial air pollution. I would push for a Charter Review Commission that is going to tackle deep issues in city government by supporting an inclusive idea-generating process that is similar to a primary election, where we ask the public to submit ideas and gauge interest using digital petitioning and scientific polling. Working groups of interested parties would hammer out the details for later analysis. Multiple alternatives from the working groups would be offered as alternatives for approval voting at a primary election sent to a statistical subsample of voters. Winners of approval on every subject would then be forwarded on for plenary votes at the next general election. -- Everton Bailey Jr. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 27 By Elnur Baghishov - Trend The Ministry of Health of Iraq has allowed import of products to the country in accordance with health protocols, and the decision is expected to be implemented in the near future, member of Iran-Iraq Joint Chamber of Commerce Hamid Hosseini told Trend. According to Hosseini, the decision was announced in the Iraqi provinces. However, the border customs have not been opened yet, and in some provinces, the decision is being implemented with delay. Hosseini added that efforts are being made through the Iranian embassy in Iraq to open the customs following the implementation of health protocols. The official said that it is necessary to wait for the opening of Mehran, Shalamcha and Chazzaba border customs in Iran to export cargo stored at the borders. Hosseini added that there are no problems in the payments for the trade between the two countries. "Earlier, it was reported that the coronavirus passed from Iran to Iraq. However, there is a shortage of detergents, medical supplies and food in Iraq, and therefore, with the opening of the borders, these goods can freely delivered to Iraq," he said. According to the official, Iran's trade with Iraq continues through Iraq's Kurdish autonomy, and as many as 700-800 trucks move through Kermanshah and Bashmaq customs of Iran every day. With the activation of the Siranband customs, 300-400 trucks more will transport cargo to Iraq. The official added that at the same time, it is not economically profitable to transport products from the Kurdish autonomy to Baghdad and the cities in south of the country. Meanwhile, Iran's electricity exports to Iraq will continue with the extension of US the sanctions' grace period on Iraq's purchase of gas and electricity from Iran, Hosseini said. "Iraq has announced that there will be no alternative to Iranian electricity for the next four years. Therefore, the US has extended the sanctions' grace period for Iraq's gas and electricity imports from Iran for another month," he said. Iran exported 25 million tons of products worth $8.9 billion to Iraq in the last Iranian year, (from March 21, 2019 to March 20, 2020). The US imposed new sanctions on Iran in November 2018. Over the past period, the sanctions affected Iranian oil exports, more than 700 banks, companies and individuals. April 27 (Reuters) - Tesla Inc has called off having at least some employees return to its Fremont, California plant this week and plans to bring them back the day after a local shelter-in-place order is scheduled to lift, Bloomberg News reported on Monday. A paint department supervisor told employees in an email on Sunday that there was no need to come back to the factory this week, according to the report. (https://bloom.bg/2W1ouff) Tesla did not respond to Reuters' request for comment. San Francisco Bay Area's stay-at-home order is scheduled to expire on May 3. However, San Francisco Mayor London Breed said on Friday that it was likely the Bay Area's stay-at-home order will get extended beyond the current expiration date of May 3, according to the Los Angeles Times. (Reporting by Akanksha Rana in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D'Silva) The global drop in travel demand due to the coronavirus outbreak has also squeezed Norwegian Airlines cash flow. The United Kingdoms airlines want the governments coronavirus wage support scheme to be extended beyond June, maintaining the assistance for longer with a slow recovery in air travel expected. Airlines UK, the industrys representative body, wrote to the finance minister requesting an extension of the scheme, which airlines including British Airways and easyJet have used to furlough workers. Under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, the government pays 80 percent of the wages of staff who are temporarily laid off, up to 2,500 pounds ($3,107) a month. Airlines, many of which have grounded the majority of their fleets, have used the scheme to avoid making staff redundant in the hope that when travel restrictions are eased and demand returns, they can restart operations. The scheme runs until the end of June, but the airlines want it to be extended to avoid aviation facing a cliff-edge post-June, whilst services are scaled-up, Airlines UK said in its letter. Global industry body IATA has predicted a slow recovery in air travel and warned that many airlines could go out of business, with European traffic currently down by 90 percent. UK-based airline Virgin Atlantic is in talks with the UK government about a bailout package to help it survive. Air travel faces a further headache as the government said it was considering the possibility of requiring passengers to go into quarantine for two weeks once they arrive in the UK. Asked about the extension of the job retention scheme for airlines, junior health minister Edward Argar told Sky News on Monday that he knew the finance minister Rishi Sunak was keeping the schemes under review. I know that the Chancellor is very, very aware of how important the airline industry is, he said. Running out of cash Across Europe, Norwegian Air warned on Monday that it could run out of cash by mid-May unless its proposed financial rescue plan is approved by creditors and shareholders. If approved by bondholders, leasing companies and shareholders, the plan may help the budget air carrier survive the coronavirus outbreak, which has grounded 95 percent of its fleet, leaving just seven aircraft in operation. But the planned debt-to-equity swap will hand majority ownership of 53.1 percent to the companys lessors, while bondholders would own 41.7 percent, leaving current shareholders with just 5.2 percent, it said. The move would allow Norwegian to tap government guarantees of 2.7 billion kroner ($255m), which are dependent on the company reducing its ratio of debt to equity, and which would come on top of 300 million ($28.4m) kroner it has already received. It is critical to get access to the state aid package by mid-May before the company runs out of cash, Norwegian said in a presentation to investors. Rapid growth has made Norwegian Europes third-largest low-cost airline and the biggest foreign carrier serving New York and other major cities in the United States, but with the expansion came debts and liabilities of close to $8bn by the end of 2019. Last week, the company reported that four Swedish and Danish subsidiaries had filed for bankruptcy and that it had ended staffing contracts in Europe and the US, putting some 4,700 jobs at risk. Norwegians shares opened 8 percent lower on Monday and are down 86 percent year-to-date. The company aims to gradually emerge from the COVID-19 crisis with both a short-haul and long-haul network in place, and is targeting a return to normal operations in 2022, it said. The plan requires backing from bondholders in each of four separate votes planned for April 30, from shareholders in an extraordinary general meeting scheduled for May 4, and from leasing firms. It maintained plans to raise up to 400 million kroner ($37.9m) in cash from owners. Dr Tiede Herrema on a visit to the University of Limerick in 2005 Dutch industrialist Tiede Herrema - who was kidnapped and held hostage by the IRA for 36 days in the 1970s - has passed away, exactly a week after his wife. He passed away on April 24, a week after his wife Elisabeth who died on Friday April 17. On October 3, 1975, Dr Herrema was kidnapped by IRA members Eddie Gallagher and Marian Coyle and held for ransom for 36 days. The crime came to international attention. Expand Close Honorary citizens: Tiede and Elisabeth Herrema visited Ireland regularly despite their ordeal / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Honorary citizens: Tiede and Elisabeth Herrema visited Ireland regularly despite their ordeal Gardai learned of their location and for the final 18 days of the incident, there was a siege that also involved the Army at the house in Monasterevin, Co Kildare. It came to an end when he was released unharmed on November 7, when the IRA members threw their guns out the window of the house. Both Dr and Mrs Herrema were made honorary citizens after the kidnapping. "I had a very long and happy friendship with them. I was very lucky to have known to them and admired them both," said Joe Brennan, who was deputy to the Irish ambassador at the Hague at the time and was a good friend of the family. Expand Close The house in which the gang was cornered / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The house in which the gang was cornered Read More The couple had been married for 72 years. "They both had the greatest dignity and courage," added Mr Brennan. He died on Friday and the funeral is on Wednesday in Arnhem in The Netherlands. President Michael D Higgins paid tribute to the couple today, who had made several trips to Ireland and Aras an Uachtarain during their lives. "It is with deep sadness that I have learned of the death earlier today of Dr Tiede Herrema, so soon after the death of his beloved wife Elisabeth, he said. "I had the privilege of meeting Tiede and Elisabeth on many occasions, including at Aras an Uachtarain during their regular trips to Ireland." He said that Dr Herrema had endured a "traumatic" kidnapping but held no grudges towards his kidnappers. "Dr Herrema, who had endured such a traumatic kidnapping, harboured no bitterness towards his abductors and had maintained a very strong bond with Ireland. Both he and Elisabeth accepted honorary Irish citizenship. "They will be missed, and fondly remembered by their many friends in Ireland. Sabina and I send our deepest condolences to their four sons, wider family and friends," the president added. Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan also extended his sympathies to Dr Herrema's family as he recalled his own memories of the kidnapping. "The memory of the ordeal that Tiede Herrema endured at the hands of a breakaway IRA faction in 1975 is indelibly imprinted on the memories of many people in this country. The terrifying spectacle of a businessman being kidnapped by terrorists was a truly shocking event at the time. "I have vivid personal memories as my father was then a TD and parliamentary secretary and Dr Herrema was held near my hometown of Mountmellick for a time by his captors. The 1975 kidnapping of Dr Herrema represented not just a personal tragedy for the Herremas, but a direct attack on the State by terrorists. The then Taoiseach, the late Liam Cosgrave, bravely faced down that threat with the full support of the late Elisabeth Herrema," Mr Flanagan said. "I believe we all have much to learn from the ordeal that Tiede Herrema endured and the great magnanimity and courage he and Elisabeth always embodied. Their passing, just a short time apart, is a loss to both The Netherlands, and Ireland." Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney also paid tribute to the Herremas as he spoke about their legacy today. He said: "Tiede and Elisabeth were determined that their ordeal would not undermine their love of Ireland and its people. They maintained these close connections to the end. "The dignity, bravery and courage shown by Tiede and Elisabeth continue to inspire. Their actions over the years epitomise the true spirit of forgiveness and reconciliation which are needed to move beyond conflict and adversity. "We are honoured that that the Herremas chose not to let such a terrible life-changing experience colour or define their relationship with Ireland. Both Tiede and Elisabeth will always have a special place in the hearts of the Irish people. Ireland and the Netherlands are the poorer for their passing." The Maharashtra cabinet, in a meeting presided over by deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar on Monday, decided to write to Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari reiterating its earlier recommendation to process the nomination of chief minister Uddhav Thackeray to the legislative Council at the earliest. The CM was not present for the meeting. A decision was taken to reiterate the recommendation to nominate Uddhav ji to the legislative Council. A reference to the recommendation of the cabinet will be made in the new letter. Keeping politics aside, the Governor should nominate the CM to the upper house, a cabinet minister said. Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) ministers said that Pawar will write to the Governor to speed up the procedure as there should be no political or constitutional uncertainty in the state at a time when it is fighting coronavirus. The state is fighting Covid-19 and the government and administration are working round-the-clock. The situation is aggravating day-by-day. At this stage, the uncertainty should be eliminated and the honourable Governor should take a decision at the earliest on our recommendation, Pawar said in a statement after the cabinet meet. Meanwhile, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar, Thackeray and Ajit Pawar reportedly had a meeting at the mayors bungalow late on Monday evening. State NCP chief Jayant Patil, revenue minister Balasaheb Thorat and transport minister Anil Parab were also present at the meeting.The meeting assumes significance in the wake of the current political situation. The leaders are said to have discussed the issue of the CMs nomination. Thackeray, who is not a member of either house of the state legislature, took oath as the CM on November 28 and as per Article 164 (4) of the Constitution states, could lose the post if he is not elected with six months (May 27). As the polls for the legislative Council, scheduled for April 24, were postponed due to the outbreak, the cabinet had on April 9 recommended the Governor to appoint Thackeray as a member of the legislative Council (MLC) to avoid a constitutional crisis. However, the Governor has not taken a decision so far, leaving the three-party MVA alliance of Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress government on tenterhooks. The Shiv Sena has been building pressure on the Governor. Sena leader Sanjay Raut in his weekly column on party mouthpiece Saamana had on Sunday said, If the Governor decides to sign the nomination file, he can do so instantly. But he would have to ask the BJP [Bharatiya Janata Party] leaders in Delhi. Thackeray also had said that politics should be kept aside during the ongoing war against Covid-19. (with inputs from Faisal Malik) Maintain Social Distance Floor Sign - Mighty Line Mighty Line is a ShieldMark Inc. brand that is known for producing the most durable floor tape and floor signs on the market. They specialize in making floor tape that is several times thicker than their competition and also peels off of the floor easily and cleanly. Mighty Line, a ShieldMark Brand, Releases Virus Prevention Floor Marking Floor Tape, Signs and Shapes. In light of the COVID-19 outbreak, Mighty Line has added new and informative floor signage for their various customers. Much like their other floor marking products, this new line of signs comes in many varieties and with several important safety messages. This news has been welcomed by various stores that are using makeshift signs to warn their customers about the need for social distancing within their buildings. Unlike the handmade signs that many are placing on their floors, the products released by Mighty Line are designed to capture a customers or workers attention with Mighty Lines heave duty floor sign material or patented industrial floor tape. Fortunately, the products released by Mighty Line are powerful enough to withstand the foot traffic in the busiest warehouses and stores. Not only are they informative and colorful, but they will last as long as the social distancing guidelines require. That way, businesses dont have to repeatedly make or purchase signage to be compliant with state laws and company policies. The new floor signs offer messages that are specific to many business types including supermarkets, warehouses, transportation, general retail, and manufacturing. One of the most basic signs reminds customers to stand 6 feet apart from each other while they are shopping in a grocery store. Not only does that keep customers informed, but it also functions to save workers time explaining to customers that they need to maintain a difference. So, these floor signs save time, money, and effort on the part of the workers and customers. The new Mighty Line COVID-19 floor signage comes in many different colors, acting as a perfect contrast to your existing floor space so as to garner the attention of anyone passing through. That way, the signs will surely be noticed, and any company can show that they did due diligence about informing workers and customers of new safety policies. Mighty Lines new products are designed to fit in the space allocated by any business, big or small. Companies with a broad entrance could get floor signs that are up to 36 inches wide. There are signs that could fit into specific aisles of a store, too. The 16-inch variety of floor signs are readable and can convey a message in a relatively small space that is available to them. Big or small, Mighty Line has more than enough variety in size and shape to suit the needs of every business. The new Mighty Line floor marking products also include various messages that are specific within the context of certain businesses. After all, a grocery store has different needs for consumer information and social distancing than a warehouse; thus, the floor signs reflect the needs of that industry. One of the products that could be broadly deployed by every grocery store is the Please Dont Panic Buy floor sign. This sign asks customers to think of others while another sign could provide tips on how to practice good hygiene while in the presence of others. The applications of the new Mighty Line products are nearly endless during this virus outbreak. The signage can be used to mark off areas, keep customers in a straight, orderly, and socially distanced line. The variety of floor signs can provide a wide variety of beneficial messages to customers and workers in every industry. Now more than ever, its crucial for business owners to be responsible for providing safety measures for their workers as well as their customers. Thats precisely what Mighty Line aims to do with its latest virus-oriented floor marking line. Mighty Line is a ShieldMark Inc. brand that is known for producing the most durable floor tape and floor signs on the market. They specialize in making floor tape that is several times thicker than their competition and also peels off of the floor easily and cleanly. All of these products are proudly made in the United States. Their wide network of distribution and dealers can fulfill orders in mere days where it takes competitors weeks. Both Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates would benefit from two weak states kept in perpetual conflict, expert says. The announcement by Yemens secessionists that they will establish southern self-rule in regions under their control may have placed the war-ravaged country on an irreversible path towards perpetual conflict. The announcement by the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC) does not establish new realities on the ground because it has unilaterally governed the southern provinces and Yemens key port city of Aden since 2015, after it expelled the internationally recognised but powerless government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi. In a statement on Sunday, the STC declared a state of emergency and said it would self-govern Aden and other southern areas. Yemens civil war erupted late in 2014 when the Iran-aligned Houthi rebels seized the capital, Sanaa, along with much of the countrys north and overthrew Hadis government. Nominally, both the Hadi government and the STC are part of the Arab coalition fighting against the Houthis. However, Hadis government is mainly supported by Saudi Arabia, where it operates, while the STC and its leaders are based in the United Arab Emirates. The STCs move shows how divergent the objectives of Saudi Arabia and the UAE are in Yemen. Both are the main members behind the military alliance that has waged war in Yemen to drive the Houthis from power since early 2015. A Saudi statement on Monday rejected the separatist groups declaration of self-rule in Yemens south, demanding an end to escalatory actions and a return to a peace deal signed in November last year. It urged all parties to honour the power-sharing Riyadh agreement signed between Hadis government and the STC in the Saudi capital in an effort by Saudi Arabia to halt fighting between the two nominal allies. Conspicuously absent from the statement, however, was any reference to Yemens territorial unity indicating Riyadhs lack of opposition to the ultimate division of Yemen. Different visions On the surface, Saudi Arabia and the UAE share the strategic objective of preventing their archenemy Iran from securing a foothold in their back yard on the Arabian Peninsula through their Houthi allies. Both, however, have different visions of Yemens future. Yemen was unified in 1990 when the Arab Republic of Yemen (North Yemen) was merged with the Marxist Peoples Democratic Republic of Yemen (South Yemen), after the collapse of its main backer the Soviet Union. A civil war four years later resulted in North Yemen occupying the south to keep the country intact. As a unified nation of about 28 million people, Yemen is the second-most populous country in the Arabian Peninsula after Saudi Arabia. With proven oil reserves and strategic ports, it has the potential of becoming a regional power if it stabilises, becomes democratic, and reduces its dire poverty, analysts say. Despite its potential, Yemen remains the poorest Arab nation and state functions especially its war-devastated healthcare system are teetering on the brink of collapse. Yemenis throughout the country are suffering from desperate poverty and lack the ability to fight the spread of coronavirus because of the five-year conflict. Yemeni separatists declared self-rule of the countrys south as a peace deal with the government crumbles [Mohamed Abdelhakim/AFP] The UAE shares Saudi Arabias fear of a long-term Iranian presence on their borders through Tehrans Houthi allies. The UAEs sub-strategy, however, appears to be to eventually recreate a south Yemen state by pumping money and weapons, along with providing military training and political support, to its southern separatist allies. Gamal Gasim, a Yemen analyst and professor of political science at Grand Valley State University in Michigan, said the UAE has two main strategic objectives in Yemen. The first is to divide Yemen and the second is to destroy the al-Islah party, he said of the largest Islamist political faction in Yemen with ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, which is currently the main group fighting the Houthis in the north. None of the Gulf nations was really supportive of Yemens unity in 1990, especially Saudi Arabia, Gasim told Al Jazeera. Unlike the UAE, Saudi Arabia cannot extract itself from Yemen so easily because it considers it part of its sphere of influence in the region. Saudi Arabias main objective in Yemen is to maintain it as a weak state beholden to its objectives. The best Saudi Arabia can hope for now is to keep Yemen in a low-grade conflict that will maintain its weakness and prevent it from threatening Riyadhs regional hegemony, Gasim said. The self-rule declaration by the STC complicates the long conflict with Houthi rebels who control much of the north [Saleh al-Obeidi/AFP] Southern dream STC spokesman Nizar Haitham told Al Jazeera over the phone from Aden the south has had a cause since 1994, when the nascent secessionist movement was crushed by the north and unity was enforced. Since the Islah party [the main faction of Hadis government] failed to liberate the north, it now tries to invade the south and this is unacceptable to the southerners, he said. Commenting on the latest self-rule announcement, Haitham said the move would bring southerners closer to their objective of establishing an independent state. We are determined to restore sovereignty over our territories and any step on the ground that brings us closer to that goal would be welcomed by the people of the south, he said Gasim said the current fighting presents a golden opportunity for the UAE to realise its goal and divide Yemen. The UAE wants to create a vassal state in the south and prevent the port of Aden from becoming a hub for international shipping lanes jeopardising the viability of its own ports in the contentious Gulf, he said. Follow Ali Younes on Twitter: @ali_reports [April 27, 2020] Bodo Uebber Joins Evercore as Chairman of Evercore Germany Evercore (NYSE: EVR) announced today that Bodo Uebber has joined Evercore Germany as the Chairman of its Supervisory Board, effective April 2020. In this role, he will work closely with Eduard Kostadinov, Head of Evercore's German Advisory business, and Walter Kuna, Vice Chairman. Mr. Uebber was previously the Chief Financial Officer of Daimler between 2004 and 2019 where his responsibilities included Finance, Mergers & Acquisitions and the Daimler's Financial Services business unit, including Digital Mobility Services. He held numerous senior leadership roles at and on behalf of Daimler, including Daimler Financial Services AG, BAIC Motor Corporation and Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix. In addition to Daimler, Mr. Uebber was Chairman of the Board of Directors of Airbus SE (formerly: EADS (News - Alert)) between 2007 and 2012. He currently serves on the Supervisory Boards of Bertelsmann and Adidas. Ralph Schlosstein, Evercore's President and CEO, said, "Germany is an important market for the Firm and we are delighted to welcome Bodo to our team. His deep roots in the region and strong reputation will help strengthen our team's client relationships and help Evercore Germany grow. Bodo's record for excellence and integrity align well with our Core Values and we are confident he wll be a very strong addition to the Firm." Eduard Kostadinov, Senior Managing Director, added, "We are committed to bringing high quality, differentiated and independent advice to our clients. We are truly excited as Bodo brings significant industry expertise and invaluable insights as a senior leader of blue-chip organizations to our company. Bodo has successfully navigated the full array of strategic, financial and operational issues through the perspective of our clients." Bodo Uebber commented, "Evercore is the leading global independent investment bank due to its unwavering focus on its clients, its deep expertise across products and sectors and the quality of its people. I am excited about the opportunity to join the Evercore team and to help the Firm continue to advance on its growth path." Mr. Uebber has a diploma in industrial engineering from the Karlsruhe University of Technology. About Evercore Evercore (NYSE: EVR) is a premier global independent investment banking advisory firm. We are dedicated to helping our clients achieve superior results through trusted independent and innovative advice on matters of strategic significance to boards of directors, management teams and shareholders, including mergers and acquisitions, strategic shareholder advisory, restructurings, and capital structure. Evercore also assists clients in raising public and private capital and delivers equity research and equity sales and agency trading execution, in addition to providing wealth and investment management services to high net worth and institutional investors. Founded in 1995, the Firm is headquartered in New York and maintains offices and affiliate offices in major financial centers in North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. For more information, please visit www.evercore.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200426005063/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] THERE will be no cattle displayed, fences jumped or prizes for the best rice krispie buns in County Limerick, or just over the Cork border, this year. Limerick, Cappamore, Newcastle West and Charleville Shows have all been called off due to coronavirus. Richard Kennedy, chairperson of Limerick Show, said they couldnt go ahead with the show under the present circumstances. There is a real acknowledgment that our supporters - exhibitors and sponsors - are going through very difficult times. All we want for those people is that they are able to continue in business. We feel that it would be unfair to be out looking for sponsorship to run a show because it is very difficult for all those people. It is difficult for everybody, said Mr Kennedy. The former IFA deputy president said, Our dearest wish for everybody is that things will come back to as near as normal as possible. And we will be able to go forward in 2021 with a show. We wish everybody the best, people stay safe and please God we will get back again in 2021, added Mr Kennedy. Limerick Show was due to take place on Sunday, August 23 in the Racecourse. Cappamores date was eight days earlier on Saturday, August 15. Long-serving secretary, Paddy Ryan Luke said shows are important to every locality, parish and region but theres no point in holding the show with the likelihood of lives being lost. Another aspect is we don't know how long the restrictions are going to remain in place. I believe that when they are relaxed it will be on a phased basis. Come August you'll have some people that might be hesitant to go where there are numbers of people congregating. At the moment organisers and committees can't meet to plan and we want a decent timeframe in advance to make preparations, said Mr Ryan. Like Mr Kennedy, Mr Ryan is very mindful of the business community. Lots of businesses are closed due to the restrictions and unfortunately some of them may never again open. They are all taking a financial hit. A lot of those local businesses were sponsoring the local shows around the country. It would be an insult to go knocking on their doors looking for sponsorship, said Mr Ryan. After Cappamore Show was cancelled in 2001 due to foot and mouth disease, Mr Ryan said they regrouped and came back with renewed vigour. And they will do so again 20 years later. The simple things in life will be more greatly appreciated. Maybe what was regarded as a necessity two months ago is a luxury nowadays. Hopefully, people will more fully appreciate the value of those events, said Mr Ryan. Charleville Show PRO Billy Biggane said they would be going to sponsors now for their two day event scheduled for June 27 and 28 but you couldnt go to them. Id like to thank past sponsors, organisers and patrons for their support and we look forward to seeing them next year. We will be back as good as ever, said Mr Biggane. The Newcastle West Show committee issued a statement. We would like to thank everyone for their continued support, and we hope to see you all in 2021. We will come back stronger than ever. We hope you are all staying safe and well, it reads. Prior to Covid-19, we took a lot of things for granted, including agricultural shows. That will never happen again. Im sure bumper crowds at local shows in 2021 will reflect that mood. The AIPEF had strongly condemned the timings of the power ministry's move to bring back the Electricity Amendment Bill 2020 when the whole country is fighting against the COVID-19 pandemic. New Delhi: The power ministry on Monday extended the deadline for submission of stakeholders' comments on the draft Electricity Amendment Bill by four weeks till 5 June. The ministry had circulated the draft bill on 17 April 2020 with a deadline to submit comments in three weeks till 8 May. "This ministry has received requests from various stakeholders for extension of time for submission of comments on the draft Amendments. Accordingly it has been decided to extend the time period for submission of comments/ observations/ suggestions on the draft Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2020 to this Ministry till 5 June 2020," a ministry order said. Earlier last month the All India Power Engineers' Federation (AIPEF) had shot off a letter to power minister RK Singh demanding that the proposed date of receipt of comments on the draft bill should be extended to 30 September as no discussion can take place due to the lockdown. Last month, the ministry has come out with fourth draft of the Electricity (Amendment) Bill since 2014, which seeks to set up an Electricity Contract Enforcement Authority (ECEA) having power of a civil court to settle disputes related to power purchase agreement between discoms and gencos. The draft provides that the ECEA will have sole authority to adjudicate matters related to specific performance of contracts related to purchase or sale of power, between power generation companies (gencos) and distribution companies (discoms). The decision of the ECEA can be challenged at the Appellate Tribunal For Electricity (APTEL) and, subsequently, at the Supreme Court. Currently, state electricity regulatory commissions and Central Electricity Regulatory Commission settle state-level and inter-state PPA disputes, respectively. The AIPEF had strongly condemned the timings of the power ministry's move to bring back the Electricity Amendment Bill 2020 when the whole country is fighting against the COVID-19 pandemic. The body was view that the bad experience from the COVID-19 crisis should have led to nationalise all sectors, including power, across India. The ministry had brought first draft in 2014 that was introduced in the Lok Sabha seeking separate carriage and contend electricity distribution business. The Bill could have given option to consumers to change their service providers like they do for their mobile phone service. But, unfortunately, that Bill lapsed after dissolution of the Lok Sabha. The second and third drafts were circulated in 2018 and 2019. The AIPEF had also demanded to put the bill on hold. WhatsApp limited the number of times a frequently forwarded message can be sent further to only one chat at a time. This resulted in 70% plunge in viral forwarded messages globally, WhatsApp told GoI. Highly forwarded messages of WhatsApp have reduced 70 per cent after the company further limited the number of times people can send such messages, the firm has informed the central government. An official at the ministry of electronics and information technology (MeitY) confirmed they had been informed and said: WhatsApp is saying that their limit of one per forward for viral messages has brought down the spread of such messages. Earlier this month, WhatsApp limited the number of times a frequently forwarded message can be sent further to only one chat at a time. This limit kicks in once a message has been previously forwarded five times or more. WhatsApp is committed to doing our part in tackling viral messages. "Since putting into place the new limit, globally, there has been a 70 per cent reduction in the number of highly forwarded messages sent on WhatsApp. "This change is helping keep WhatsApp a place for personal and private conversations, a WhatsApp spokesperson said. The government had raised concerns about a fresh spate of fake messages and forwards pertaining to the COVID-19 pandemic. Information Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has time and again called upon social media firms to deal responsibly with misinformation. Earlier this month, in a letter written to TikTok, Helo, and Facebook, MeitY had asked for daily reports to be submitted by the platforms detailing the measures they were taking to prevent the spread of misinformation. The requirement for daily reports was supposed to be in place for a few days in light of the misinformation being spread related to the COVID-19 pandemic. WhataApp also has a partnership with the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN), as part of which users can double-check any information directly with IFCNs partner organisations. In India, IFCN has at least 12 fact-checking partners, the highest in any other country. If users arent sure about the information they receive in WhatsApp, they can get in touch with any of these organisations through numbers provided on WhatsApps website. These fact-checking organisations include AFP, Alt News, Boom, Digit Eye, Fact Crescendo, India Today, Newschecker, Newsmobile and Vishvas News. WhatsApp, which has over 400 million users in India, has also acknowledged reports that it is working on a way to allow users to find out more information around messages that may be spreading misinformation and are being shared multiple times by users. This is however, still in the works. In a whitepaper released last year, WhatsApp said it uses artificial intelligence to identify suspicious behaviour from accounts. It removes over 2 million accounts per month globally for bulk or automated behaviour. As part of their efforts to help disseminate authentic information about coronavirus and COVID-19, WhatsApp and other platforms are working with agencies and governments globally and in India. In India, WhatsApp launched the MyGov Corona Helpdesk on the service in partnership with the the Indian governments crowdsourced ideas platform. Anti-Brexit campaigner Raymond McCord has lost a Court of Appeal action against the Government over the Irish border. He claimed the Northern Ireland Secretarys failure to set out circumstances in which he would direct the holding of a poll on unifying both parts of the island breached constitutional issues. Mr McCord has taken a series of separate proceedings concerning the alleged impact of EU withdrawal on the peace process and the 1998 Good Friday Agreement. The court said: We consider that it is for the respondent to decide what is, or is not relevant to the decision-making process depending on the prevailing circumstances. Rather the exercise of those powers involve political judgment in the context of differing and unpredictable events Court of Appeal The court said there was no requirement for a policy in either the 1998 Belfast Agreement or in the legislation enacting it, the Northern Ireland Act. Rather the exercise of those powers involve political judgment in the context of differing and unpredictable events. Accordingly, the court considered that a flexible response is required in accordance with the interpretative approach to the Northern Ireland Act. It said the Governments discretion to direct the holding of a border poll was unqualified. Mr McCords 22-year-old son, Raymond junior, was murdered by the Ulster Volunteer Force loyalist paramilitary organisation in Belfast in 1997. Expand Close The victims campaigner has expressed concern about the impact of Brexit on the peace process (Brian Lawless/PA) PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The victims campaigner has expressed concern about the impact of Brexit on the peace process (Brian Lawless/PA) The victims campaigner has expressed concern about the impact of Brexit on the peace process. Last September Mr McCords legal action challenging the legality of a no-deal exit was dismissed. His lawyers were also allowed to speak at the Supreme Court as part of a case arguing that Prime Minister Boris Johnsons decision to suspend Parliament was unlawful. The trial judge in the lower court concerning this Court of Appeal case said it was clear that a border poll in Northern Ireland to produce the outcome of a united Ireland would have to be replicated by a vote producing the same outcome in the Republic of Ireland. In a written summary of the judgment, the Court of Appeal said: The court agreed with the trial judge that there is such an inter-relationship which must involve both governments and that any decision as to the holding of a border poll will involve extremely complex political considerations and if not carefully handled, taking account of prevailing circumstances, could give rise to great instability. It said the law did not specify any matter which should be taken into account or anything which should be disregarded in deciding to call a poll. The exercise of discretion must be preceded by the respondents assessment of the prevailing circumstances which have and will change over time. That discretion must be exercised honestly and based upon the Governments assessment, using political judgment, of whether a border poll was in the public interest, the court added. It dismissed the appeal. (L-R) Kyle Duble, Forrest Rosenbloom, and Marlon Johnson of LAI inspect a face shield during the manufacturing process. The fantastic associates at LAI were able to leverage our waterjet and laser technology to help provide an impactful resolution to the men and woman that are helping us fight COVID-19. LAI International, a global leader in advanced manufacturing technology for the aerospace, defense, medical, and industrial sectors has manufactured and delivered medical face shields to Baltimore area hospitals and private medical practices. LAI worked with a local Ear, Nose and Throat physician in Maryland, Dr. Alan H. Shikani, who is the Chief of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at MedStar Union Memorial Hospital and LifeBridge Sinai Hospital and founder of The Airway Company, to develop the clinically tested reusable face shield. The LAI team was able to design, retool manufacturing equipment, complete R&D, and conduct clinical trials to deliver 1500 shields to seven hospitals and medical centers in less than two weeks. Solving complex problems is what LAI does day after day, so it was natural for our engineering team to produce a product thats reusable and light weight, said LAIs CEO Marlon Johnson. The fantastic associates at LAI were able to leverage our waterjet and laser technology to help provide an impactful resolution to the men and woman that are helping us fight COVID-19. With the surge of COVID-19 patients, hospitals across the country have been experiencing a dangerous shortage of personal protective equipment (PPEs) for healthcare workers such as face shields, masks, gowns, and gloves. Dr. Shikani partnered with LAI and the Airway Company in order to design an optimal face shield that would protect health care providers who are potentially exposed to the coronavirus. LAI International is proud to help support our local communities. The health and safety of our employees and their families is our number one priority, said Mr. Johnson. We worked hand in hand with Shannon Van Deren, President of Layered Manufacturing, to retool our aerospace and defense facility to produce face shields. It was no easy task, and our team stand ready to assist our country in any way it can. We greatly appreciate this timely donation as we continue to have supply chain concerns regarding personal protection. This gear is a big help in protecting our team, said Dr. Dave Eisele, Professor of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery at the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions. The face shields were delivered to Medstar Union Memorial, Good Samaritan, and Georgetown Hospitals; LifeBridge Health Sinai and Carroll Hospitals; Johns Hopkins University Medical Institutions; and University of Maryland Medical Institutions. Donna Clare, Director of Development, Orthopaedic Surgery and Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery at Johns Hopkins Medicine commented, Your donation no doubt will save lives of our healthcare colleagues. About LAI International LAI International is premier provider of highly-engineered, mission-critical components since 1979, and is renowned for our cutting-edge precision component manufacturing and solutions. LAI is AS9100 Rev D certified and meets our customers production goals by delivering high quality complex components for the aerospace, defense, and medical industries on time, every time, at the right value. For more information, please visit http://www.laico.com. About The Airway Company Inc. The Airway Company is dedicated to designing innovative products for tracheotomy patients, in order to make speech attainable, make breathing easier, restore pulmonary health, and improve the tracheotomy patients quality of life. For more information, please visit https://www.theairwaycompany.com/. About Layered Manufacturing and Consulting Layered Manufacturing and Consulting offers consulting, and project management, services in the Additive Manufacturing space for varying markets including automotive, aerospace, medical, and more. For more information, please visit https://www.layeredmanufacturingandconsulting.com/. Despite the rising number of coronavirus infections in Canada, the Justin Trudeau led government is reportedly looking forward to gradually easing the restrictions. This comes as amidst mounting pressure from large provinces who are now demanding to resume economic activities. The COVID-19 pandemic has till now claimed 2,560 lives across the North American nation. As of now, Canada has recorded a total number of 46,895 positive cases out of which 17,321 have recovered. Meanwhile, Ontario and Quebec, two of the largest provinces in the country, are now planning to open up more businesses. According to reports, other provinces like Saskatchewan, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island are also considering 'return-to-near-normalcy' in some sectors. Read: Justin Trudeau Praises Sikh Community On Vaishakhi For Their Important Contribution Read: Justin Trudeau Joins Forces With Ryan Reynolds & Justin Bieber For COVID-19 Relief Show Commenting on the issue, Candian PM Justin Trudeau, in a statement said that he had discussed the matter with premiers of provinces. He added that they acknowledged the importance of restarting the economy through a gradual and phased approach, based on the advice of public health experts". The statement further added that all the states have agreed that protecting the health and safety of all Canadians should remain the top priority while restarting the Canadian economy. Reopening of economy Trudeau also added that Canadas approach to reopening the economy would not depend on the widespread immunity development to the COVID-19 for a certain section of the population, but would instead be cautious. While speaking at a daily news briefing, Trudeau said that he had no plans that hinged on individuals being immune or having immunity to COVID-19. Further, he said, that the government needed to be on side of the caution, and immunity was something that needed clearer answers. He added that there was no evidence that the people could build immunity towards the COVID-19 disease. Meanwhile, the WHO reportedly warned on April 25 that the patients that recovered from the coronavirus might not be immune to the disease and there was a risk of relapse. Therefore, Trudeau emphasized, that for now, Canada would continue the social distancing measures and provide more personal protective equipment (PPE) to the healthcare workers. Read: Justin Trudeau's Hair Flip Takes Internet By Storm, Netizens Call It 'God's Glory' Read: Justin Trudeau Says 'Canada's Approach To Reopen Its Economy Won't Rely On Immunity' (Image credits: AP) UN Says Consequences Remain More Than Three Decades After Chernobyl Disaster By RFE/RL April 26, 2020 The United Nations says persistent and serious long-term consequences remain more than 30 years after the explosion and fire at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine. The warning came as the UN marks International Chernobyl Disaster Remembrance Day on April 26, the 34th anniversary of the accident that spread a radioactive cloud over large parts of Belarus, Ukraine, and Russia. More than 1,000 firefighters were working on April 26 to try to put out brushfires and forest fires that have been burning the past three weeks within the 30-kilometer exclusion zone around the plant -- raising concerns about the potential release of radioactive particles into the air. The firefighters on April 26 were focusing on trying to contain fires in two separate areas where trees and brush are smoldering, Ukraine's State Emergency Service said. Ukrainian officials have attributed smoky air in Kyiv in recent days to fires in the nearby Zhytomyr region, assuring residents that radiation levels in the Ukrainian capital are within an acceptable range. Background radiation in Kyiv is "stable" and does "not exceed the permissible values," the State Emergency Service said on April 26. The 1986 reactor meltdown and explosion at Chernobyl is considered the worst civilian nuclear disaster in history. Dozens of people, particularly firefighters and other first responders, died as a direct result of the disaster. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy honored the memory of those who risked their lives to help contain radiation at the site in the months after the explosion and fire at the nuclear power plant in 1986. "On this day we bow our heads to the blessed memory of those heroes who saved the future from the danger of radiation," Zelenskiy said in a statement for the anniversary. Zelenskiy also expressed "deep respect" for the firefighters and others currently working in the zone to "protect these lands from new natural disasters." The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution in December 2016 designating April 26 as a day to recognize the consequences of the Chernobyl disaster. Its statement says that while progress has been made, "There is still a great deal of work that needs to be done in the affected region." The UN says the completion of a confinement structure over the reactor most heavily damaged in the accident was a major milestone of 2019. It noted that the project received more than 2 billion dollars in funding from 45 donor nations through funds managed by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). The scope of the project in terms of international cooperation is one of the largest ever seen in the field of nuclear safety, the UN said. The UN's involvement in Chernobyl recovery efforts dates back to a resolution passed in 1990. UN agencies continue to work closely with the governments of Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine to provide development assistance to the communities affected by the disaster. The UN's statement on Chernobyl remembrance day does not mention the forest fires and brushfires that have been burning in the exclusion zone for three weeks. The largest of several blazes was extinguished last week. Smaller fires continue to burn in the zone, the authority that administrates it said on April 24. Video showing plumes of smoke billowing from the charred landscape earlier this month alarmed environmental activists, who said the burning of contaminated trees and other vegetation could disperse radioactive particles. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) says the increase in levels of radiation measured in the country was very small and posed "no risk to human health." The Vienna-based IAEA, which acts as the UN nuclear watchdog, said it was basing its assessment on data provided by Ukraine. There have been "some minor increases in radiation," the IAEA said, adding the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine found the concentration of radioactive materials in the air remained below Ukraine's radiation safety norms. With reporting by Reuters Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/un-says-consequences -remain-more-than-three-decades-after- chernobyl-disaster/30577128.html Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Opinion Article 27 April 2020 The restaurant industry is not dead. It just became a temporary tragic victim within a global traumatic condition that threatens its very survival. Advertisements There is a difference. There will be many restaurants that will end up closing permanently due to how they handle the overwhelming challenges now facing them and the industry. However, there will also ultimately be survivors and some of those survivors will once again thrive as vibrant hospitality operations. They will find a ways to navigate these crippling conditions and make their way back to dry land where they can begin to securely build up their businesses again. The recommendations below obviously are not in any way a guarantee for success. However, they certainly can be used as a guide and platform to begin to fight back and stay relevant in an already tough marketplace. These recommendations are in no way sequential. You need to operate on many tracks at once. Declare Leadership: The first step is for you to look to yourself to own the responsibility of willing to do whatever is necessary to make it through. To move from being a victim to "Somehow I will figure this out no matter what." This will be the fuel for your relentless pursuit of creating a way forward. Network , Network, Network: Time to connect to so many great industry resources. Local industry associations, industry professionals such as other operators, consultants, attorneys, CPA's who are willing to help and share best practices. This is a very generous community. Tap into it and also become a valuable resource for others. Educate Yourself in Terms of Best Restaurant Practices During the Crises: There are a myriad of free seminars and great industry newsletter articles on the ways other restaurants have pivoted to create some new streams of income. Examples are: becoming grocers, developing meal kits, selling alcohol to go (where it's legal), promoting their delivery and take out with edited viable menus and selling gift cards. This allows at least for some stream of income and continues to make your brand relevant. It also keeps part of your staff employed and continues the momentum of your business going. Become Knowledgeable about all Relevant Federal and Local Relief Programs: There's a lot out there and much of it is not geared for restaurants or only partially helpful. Learn to navigate the PPP, the SBA Loans and numerous local grants and programs. Your local restaurant support association, local attorney or your accountant should be able to be very helpful with this. Jump in as soon as possible. You have nothing to lose. Create a Short and Long Term Game Plan: In the short term, you have to survive the crises. You need to minimize all your expenses and try to find some way of bringing in some income. Be realistic about how long you will need to do this, realizing you're dealing with a moving, volatile target. Understand that in between your short term plan and your long term plan there will be a transition where customers will be hesitant to go back to restaurants and ramp up will be gradual over time. Create clear ramp up strategies based on consultation with trusted industry people and the volume of information available from different states and countries where restaurants have started to open up. Always be asking," What would it take for my customer to be confident eating in my restaurant?" Your long term plan should involve a rethinking of your concept in a possible new restaurant environment. Consider more diversification into take/out delivery and possibly retail. Perhaps putting on unique events will help differentiate your concept and give you another avenue of income. It is essential to look 5-10 years out and realize your success will come if you grow strategically and manage operations efficiently over time. Try not to let the present short term major challenges dampen the belief in your long term success. Negotiate, Negotiate , Negotiate: All your expenses are up for negotiation. If you've been a good operator who has paid bills in a timely manner, you're a big asset to any landlord or supplier. A smart landlord will realize that to pressure you for full rent is not in their own best interest. What will they do? Kick you out and then who's coming in now to replace you. In addition, they probably will have to put up thousands of dollars in support build out costs to bring in a new operator. So be proactive and come up with a rent game plan that you present to your landlord that will work for you over the next critical months. In many ways you have the leverage. Use it wisely. Communicate and Take Care of Your Staff: Utilize those you can and stay in touch with those you can't. Be a resource for them in their own trying times as they try to survive. Help them with unemployment or food supplies. It will be appreciated and when you get up and fully running again and hopefully many will remember the respect and care you provided and return. Communicate with your Customer Base: Be a valuable resource for your customers. If you're open in any capacity, reassure them of the steps you are taking to insure their safety and the safety of your staff. Share your possible new menu ideas or give them tips on their own home cooking. Keep your brand relevant in their eyes. Rethink Your Safety Model: Create systems and practices to minimize risk and provide customer confidence in your operations. We very well may be a changed industry when this is all over and you want to be prepared and proactive. Educate yourself and adapt what the leading large chains are doing since they have the capability to fund and research innovative best practices. Give Back: Find at least one avenue for you to impact your community in an uplifting way during the crises. For example, for every meal bought, donate a meal to a first responder, or create an informal food bank for those in need. Even though you are struggling to survive, giving to others supports your own sense of purpose and can help fuel you through these unprecedented times. The challenges facing restaurant operators is certainly overwhelming. Those who survive and ultimately thrive will look at this as an opportunity to become infinitely more resourceful and competent as restaurateurs. That skill set will bode very well towards your future success. The new multiplex cytokine and cytotoxicity assays as a part of the Opto Cell Therapy Development 1.0 workflow will help users of the Berkeley Lights' platform develop cancer immunotherapies faster EMERYVILLE, California, April 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Berkeley Lights, Inc., a leader in Digital Cell Biology, launched new capabilities to empower the Opto Cell Therapy Development 1.0 workflow. The workflow consists of a collection of software capabilities, reagents, and protocols to be run on the Beacon and LightningTM systems. With the new capabilities researchers can now perform multiple functional assays on thousands of individual T cells in just days, allowing them to recover live cells for downstream genomic analysis. This ultimately enables Berkeley Lights' customers to link T cell phenotype and function to genotype on individual cells, consolidating the T cell functional analytic process into one innovative platform. T cell-based therapies have shown great promise for cancer treatment, but developing these therapies is challenging because the process of killing cancerous tumors by T cells relies on studying and screening multiple cell-to-cell interactions-a time-consuming and complex procedure. Current techniques to assess T cell function don't allow scientists to collect all of the required data from the same cell. The new multiplex cytokine assay and the cytotoxicity assay, along with the recently launched TCRseq Well Plate Kit allow scientists to define and test the function of individual T cells. These applications enable simultaneous functional interrogation of thousands of individual T cells as they interact with antigen-presenting cells or tumors. Live, individual clones can be recovered for downstream expansion or genomic analysis. The Opto Cell Therapy Development 1.0 workflow enables CAR-T cell phenotypic and functional screening, and the discovery of T cell receptors (TCRs) associated with specific T cell behaviors. "With the Opto Cell Therapy Development 1.0 workflow, users of Berkeley Lights' platform can now tailor the development of cell therapies that mediate the rapid destruction of multiple tumor cells to the few T cells that really do all the work," said John Proctor, Ph.D., Senior Vice President of Marketing at Berkeley Lights. "The cytotoxicity assay visualizes killing activity from single T cells, such as multiplexed and serial killing, followed by live cell recovery for genomic analysis. This new assay avoids common problems associated with traditional killing assays, which measure average target cell lysis at fixed time points, obscuring kinetic details and ignoring the heterogeneity present in T cell subsets." Berkeley Lights will continue to release more cell therapy related capabilities to the Berkeley Lights platform in the coming months. Email info@berkeleylights.com for more info. About Berkeley Lights Here at Berkeley Lights, we think cells are awesome! Cells are capable of manufacturing cures for diseases, fibers for clothing, energy in the form of biofuels, and food proteins for nutrition. So the question is, if nature is capable of manufacturing the products we need in a scalable way, why aren't we doing more of this? Well, the answer is that with the solutions available today, it is hard. It takes a long time to find the right cell for a specific job, costs lots of money, and if you have picked a suboptimal cell line, has a very low process yield. The Berkeley Lights Platform delivers and links deep phenotypic, functional, and genotypic information at the single cell level. This is a new way to capture and interpret the qualitative language of biology and translate it into single cell specific digital information, which we call Digital Cell Biology. Using our platform, customers have the complete solution to find the best cells by functionally screening and recovering individual cells for antibody discovery, cell line development, cell therapy development, and synthetic biology. Using our systems and solutions, scientists can find the best cells, the first time they look. For more information, visit www.berkeleylights.com. Berkeley Lights' Beacon and Lightning systems and Culture Station instrument are for research use only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1078159/Berkeley_Lights_Logo.jpg Brent settled at $20 while WTI plunged almost 23 percent to settle at $13 as analysts warn of drawn-out market saga. Oil prices plunged again on Monday as storage capacity in the United States continues to fill up, fuelling concerns that last weeks historic market carnage could repeat itself. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude for June delivery fell 23.14 percent, or $3.92 to settle at $13.02. Brent crude, the global benchmark, settled down $1.43, or 6.67 percent, at $20.01 a barrel, after touching a session low of $19.11. The June Brent contract expires on Thursday. The drama of last week was simply rolled over from the May contract into the June 2020 contract, Louise Dickson, oil markets analyst at Rystad Energy, told Al Jazeera. Last Monday, prices dipped into negative territory for the first time in history when WTIs May contract plummeted to -$40.32 before clawing back to settle at -$37.63. US oil futures once again led losses today, fuelled by continuing concerns that storage at Cushing, Oklahoma, the delivery hub for WTI, could reach full capacity by mid-to-late May. The deadline to sell June contracts is May 19. The coronavirus-induced slump in prices and hit on demand has battered the US shale oil industry particularly hard. US oil producers continue to shut in wells and have already laid off tens of thousands of workers. The pain is reverberating beyond US borders. Brent crude took a dive last week as well, falling to 1999-level lows. The global benchmark has lost 70 percent in value since the beginning of 2020. Storage hubs around the world cannot handle the oversupply, not in May, not in June, Dickson told Al Jazeera. The WTI saga can be repeated next month traders will be in the exact same predicament, if not worse, as the storage situation becomes more dire. The same script can play out in other parts of the world. The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies led Russia, a grouping called OPEC+, earlier this month committed to cutting output by a historic 9.7 million barrels per day (bpd) in May and June. But analysts say that the curbs are not nearly enough to offset the estimated 30 million bpd drop in demand from the coronavirus pandemic. Oil-producing countries that rely on crude for the lions share of their state revenue have found themselves in a tight fiscal squeeze. Some countries are scrambling for ways to move even more supply off the market. Kuwait and Azerbaijan are coordinating their own oil output cuts. Russia is set to reduce its western seaborne exports by half in May. Saudi Arabia has also signalled that it would be open to additional production cuts. And analysts say that even those measures are unlikely to help. Nothing can be done on the producer side, and there is little that can be done to change the radical limits to storage, Laura James, senior Middle East analyst at Oxford Analytica, told Al Jazeera. She added that the historic supply and demand shock will prompt oil-producing countries to redouble their efforts to diversify their economies away from fossil fuels. This crisis will have every single oil producer in the world making the same calculation they see the shock hit to their oil budget and will make diversification an even bigger priority, James said. In the US, the federal government has limited power to order output cuts. And state regulators in oil-producing Texas, North Dakota, and Oklahoma, who can call for production to be reined in, last week postponed voting on mandated cuts. With shale firms shutting down operations and no bottom to oil prices, the options seem to be decreasing by the day. On Saturday, Oklahomas Governor Kevin Stitt asked President Donald Trump to declare the coronavirus pandemic an act of God to allow oil companies to halt operations without risking the cancellation of land leases for stopping production. Meanwhile, tankers carrying 50 million barrels of Saudi crude are headed for US shores, sparking backlash from government officials and the shale industry, which are urging Trump to ban imports of Saudi crude. Those following the markets, however, say that the White House is unlikely to act on those calls. The US and Saudi Arabia have a special and long-lasting economic and energy relationship, Dickson added. It would not behoove either party to alter the current status quo over a few barrels of oil. YEREVAN, APRIL 27, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian sent a congratulatory letter to His Majesty King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands on his birthday and the National day of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Presidential Office told Armenpress. The message reads in particular: Your Majesty, I would like to convey my warm congratulations on the occasion of your birthday and National Day of the Kingdom of Netherlands. We attach high importance to the Armenian-Dutch relations developing in an atmosphere of friendship and mutual trust, and we are interested in deepening and enhancing the mutually beneficial cooperation with the Netherlands in all possible fields. Using this opportunity I would like to convey our sincere gratitude for supporting Armenia in the fight against the spread of coronavirus, both through bilateral and multilateral channels. I believe that through our joint efforts we will overcome this challenge. I am convinced that the constructive dialogue between our countries will continue to develop and deepen for the sake of our peoples welfare. In these difficult times full of challenges for all of us I would like to wish you and the friendly people of the Netherlands health and stamina. If youre a worthy person in dire need, TJ Crossman has a car for you. Over the next two weeks, the Vista auto shop owner is accepting nominations for the person most worthy to receive a free, newly refurbished 2008 Ford Fusion. A team of judges will choose the winner, who will be announced at 2 p.m. Aug. 5 at the Vista Rod Run in downtown Vista. This will be the fourth year in a row that Crossman has given away a car to a needy local individual. He was inspired to start the program in 2015 after discovering Wheels to Prosper, a nationwide collective of 66 independently owned auto shops that fix up cars and give them away. TJ Crossmans Auto Repair is the only participant from San Diego County. This gray 2008 Ford Fusion will be given away next month by Vista mechanic TJ Crossman as part of the Wheels to Prosper program. (TJ Crossman) Advertisement Crossman, 44, said hes been motivated to give back to the community ever since he survived a bout with cancer 15 years ago. Recent efforts have included supporting Vista Teen Outreach, which provided Thanksgiving meals to 190 families last fall, and offering his time to the Girl Scouts council in Vista. But the car giveaway program has provided the most satisfaction. Last years car recipient, 18-year-old Vista High School and ROTC graduate Juan Soberanes, was especially deserving. In spite of challenging circumstances, the teen earned a 4.5 grade point average and a scholarship to an Air Force Academy prep school in Crestline. Crossman said he broke down in tears last summer when he handed over the keys to the stunned Soberanes, who had no idea hed been nominated for the prize. He was such a great kid. I could barely get through my speech. I was just crying, Crossman said. Its really emotional and its humbling and its an honor that Im able to do it. Not only did Soberanes get a free car that day, people in the crowd that day were so impressed by his achievements that they donated enough cash to pay for one year of car insurance and $500 in gas cards. Crossman is a single dad his wife passed away six years ago to two daughters, ages 12 and 17. Because of this experience, he said he knows that everyone goes through lifes ups and downs. Hes happy he can use his training and connections to help someone through a rough patch with a free car. Each year he starts by looking for a reliable car to give away. This years gray Ford Fusion, which has 130,000 miles on it, was donated by Adams Towing in Vista. Crossman said his crew invests about 40 man-hours and $2,000 in parts going over all of the cars systems, brakes, transmission and other parts to make sure its ship-shape. Many of the items and services are donated by other local businesses. From now until July 31, people can submit a letter describing why they or someone they know deserves the free car to Crossman either via email, at tj@tjcrossmansautorepair.com, or by mail at TJ Crossmans Auto Repair, 1148 N. Melrose Drive, Suite A, Vista CA 92083. The contest receives about 75 applications each year. Most are local residents but some applications have come from as far away as Ireland. This years winner will be chosen by a three-member committee of judges that includes last years winner, Soberanes, Vista Councilman Joe Green and Channel 8 TV reporter Jeff Zevely. If Crossman can find more sponsors, he would like to expand the program next year to give away a second car for a local military family in need. For more information, visit tjcrossmansautorepair.com. pam.kragen@sduniontribune.com The feeling is 'as if your head is shut in a vice, with hundreds of worms crawling around inside your skull', says migraine sufferer Donna Cox, describing her attacks. 'It's like your whole brain is on the move and all the time there is this utterly unbearable pain,' adds the 57-year-old, who lives in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, with her husband Richard, 57. 'I would lose my vision completely for several minutes everything would go black. 'Each attack would last for up to four days, then after maybe one day of respite, it would start up again. It was a life of absolute misery.' But after decades of suffering, Donna, an English literature lecturer, has been almost completely migraine-free for two years, thanks to a drug that experts are hailing as the biggest breakthrough in migraine management in 30 years. Donna Cox, 57, (pictured) has been completely migraine-free for two years due to the drug Fremanezumab Fremanezumab is injected into the arm, stomach or leg once every three months by doctors or even by patients themselves at home. It is designed to prevent migraine attacks, or at least reduce their duration and severity, and it belongs to a new class of medicines called calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) inhibitors. These block the effects of a protein called CGRP, found in nerves around the head and neck which relay pain signals to the brain. Studies suggest that CGRP levels in nerves rise during a migraine attack, adding to the pain. The new drug, which costs about 5,000 a year but is being made available to the NHS at a discount, works by occupying the receptors on the surface of nerve cells where the proteins normally gain access. With their path blocked, the CGRP proteins can't heighten pain signals and migraine attacks are prevented or their severity is much reduced. Last month, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) approved fremanezumab for use in the NHS, giving hope to some 900,000 people in the UK who suffer from severe migraines. Initially, the drug will be available only to patients with chronic migraine those who get headaches on at least 15 days a month and other symptoms, such as nausea, flashing lights or sensitivity to light, noise or smells, on at least eight days a month. More than seven million people in the UK have migraines and women are three times more likely to be affected than men, possibly as attacks may be influenced by menstruation. Physiotherapist Chani Montaque, 28, (pictured) from Hull, says she was virtually suicidal before fremanezumab. Her migraines began when she went to university and gradually worsened To qualify for the new medication, patients must also have failed to respond to at least three other migraine medicines, such as over-the-counter painkillers, an anti-epilepsy drug called topiramate, and triptans the most widely used drugs, which work by raising levels of the brain chemical serotonin. Clinical commissioning groups, which decide how NHS cash is spent in local areas, have until mid-July to finalise plans to make the new drug available. Migraine specialists say they have a backlog of patients desperate for fremanezumab. 'I have around 275 patients in my clinic who are suitable for treatment,' says Dr Fayyaz Ahmed, a consultant neurologist at Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. 'This is the biggest breakthrough in migraine treatment in 30 years and in terms of migraine prevention, it may be the biggest ever.' Treating migraines has been a challenge for scientists, partly because the causes of attacks are still largely unclear. Some people have triggers such as dark chocolate or caffeine but that doesn't mean these cause their migraines. The Migraine Trust says the condition runs in families but no single gene is responsible. Instead, it is probably a combination of genes acting together, which again makes it harder to treat. 'With many of the drugs we use for migraine, the benefit was discovered by accident they include medicines for epilepsy, depression, blood pressure and even botulinum toxin for cosmetic surgery,' says Dr Ahmed. 'These were all found to work by chance.' But all these drugs are of limited use because they are not migraine-specific. Dr Mark Weatherall, chairman of the British Association for the Study of Headache, adds: 'We have waited a long time for this new class of drug to be made available in the NHS.' Donna started getting migraines in her teens. 'At first they were manageable with painkillers, but they worsened over time and really escalated in my 40s,' she says. Fremanezumab is injected into the arm, stomach or leg once every three months by doctors or even by patients themselves at home. It is designed to prevent migraine attacks, or at least reduce their duration and severity (file image) 'The attacks would often start in the middle of the night. On many occasions Richard would rush me to hospital, where doctors would dose me up on the sleeping pill temazepam. 'I would get 12 hours' sleep, but when I woke up, the migraine would still be there.' When triptans became available in the Nineties, they eased some of Donna's pain, but she ended up needing higher doses to ease the attacks, which led to rebound headaches. The Migraine Trust says this is a common feature with overuse of triptans and other painkillers, as patients have to use them more than two or three times a week. Its website states: 'This overuse causes the medicine to stop helping the pain and actually start causing headaches.' Donna says: 'It got to the point where I was only pain-free for two or three days a month.' Although relief came from botulinum toxin the wrinkle-busting jab that also blocks the chemicals (neurotransmitters) that carry pain signals through nerves to the brain the three-monthly jabs left her with side-effects including muscle weakness and neck pain. Then, in May 2018, she was offered the chance to take part in a trial for fremanezumab. Within weeks, she could feel the benefits. 'It's a wonder drug,' she says. 'I have a very mild migraine every now and then, which I can get control of by taking just a quarter of a triptan pill.' Physiotherapist Chani Montaque, 28, from Hull, says she was virtually suicidal before fremanezumab. Her migraines began when she went to university and gradually worsened. 'There was a six-month period in 2017 when they were unbearable and I just didn't want to go on living,' she says. But after enrolling on the fremanezumab trial, Chani says she has 'clawed some of my life back and the number of attacks have dropped sharply'. The Migraine Trust says it 'warmly welcomes' the NICE decision but not all experts believe the new drug is necessarily a miracle cure. 'It may be a game-changer for some people,' says Dr Andrew Dowson, a consultant neurologist at Princess Royal University Hospital in Orpington, Kent, 'but I have patients who tried it and stopped because it didn't work.' Under NICE rules, patients can stay on the drug after three months if they see a 30 per cent improvement in symptoms. It is unclear if they will need to stay on it for life. By the time the trial ended, Donna had found that her severe migraines were gone and she has opted to remain off fremanezumab, controlling her infrequent, mild attacks with standard painkillers. L Brands (NYSE:BBWI) thought it had unloaded the anchor that has been its Victoria's Secret brand after Sycamore Partners agreed to purchase it for $525 million. But the two are now locked in a battle after the private equity firm tried to back out of the deal due to the coronavirus pandemic. The retailer is pressing its case in court to force Sycamore to complete the deal, contending the hedge fund was well aware of the actions that were taken to conserve cash and even agreed with them. So assuming L Brands is successful in shedding Victoria's Secret (it's actually selling a 55% stake to Sycamore, and will retain a minority interest in the company), investors should consider whether Bath & Body Works' candle and hand soap business is enough to make it a growth stock. Skimpy returns Bath & Body Works has pretty much been the only thing that has grown for L Brands, reporting same-store sales growth for the past few years while Victoria's Secret has declined. Last year, comps jumped 10% at the soap company but tumbled 7% for the lingerie business, an even worse spread than the year before. Even so, Victoria's Secret still represented the majority of L Brands revenue, accounting for over 52% of the total. Although that's slightly worse than the 56% it represented in 2018, it still means that after selling the lingerie company to the private equity firm, L Brands will lose a good portion of its revenue, though it will still have Bath & Body Works' $5.2 billion in sales. What investors need to decide is how much more that can grow. Smelling like roses The fragrance business has grown revenue at a near-10% compound annual rate over the past five years, achieving a dominant market position in body care, home fragrances, and soaps and sanitizers. It has grown to almost 2,000 stores globally, split 53% to 47% between its namesake stores and the White Barn chain. It also possesses significant mindshare with consumers and enjoys a lot of repeat business. Yet almost all of its business is in North America, with a small but growing component in international markets, where its stores are franchised. That means most of L Brands sales and profits come from its domestic business, with its North American stores generating around $5 billion in revenue and almost $1.2 billion in operating income from Bath & Body Works. Its international division is responsible for some $400 million in sales and $30 million in operating profits. Yet it's in the international markets where L Brands sees most of its future opportunity. Looking overseas There's a good argument to be made for that. Although Bath & Body Works has locations in 30 foreign markets, it is not in some of the biggest, such as the U.K., Germany, Japan, or even China. Pursuing a mostly franchised model overseas, L Brands can more readily expand in a cost-effective manner. During the retailer's fourth-quarter earnings conference call with analysts, CFO Stuart Burgdoerfer noted that the margins it realizes from the international stores run around 70%, while its sales are expanding at a 30% clip. It's not neglecting the domestic market, either, despite its maturity. Back on the home front... The shopping mall is dying, and the pandemic may be hastening its demise, so Bath & Body Works is looking beyond the enclosed mall for expansion. Currently, 55% of the retail stores are in shopping malls while the other 45% are in strip malls and other off-mall locations. As L Brands closes underperforming stores, it is concentrating the closures in lower-tier and mid-tier malls, and is opening new stores in off-mall spots. Almost all of Bath & Body Works future openings will be in what Burgdoerfer calls "power strips with a very strong economic profile." And then there is the expansion of e-commerce and digital opportunities. It is piloting the buy online, pickup in stores (BOPIS) model, which has become a key initiative for retailers of all stripes. And it is developing a mobile app, which seems to be a shocking lapse to not have done so yet in today's marketplace. Progress delayed The key to all of this remains completing the Victoria's Secret deal with Sycamore Partners because L Brands plans to use the proceeds to reduce its debt load. Shedding the lingerie business eliminates $3.5 billion worth of long-term debt and lease obligations, though it would still leave behind a somewhat substantial $5 billion worth of debt. There is a case to be made that with less drag from Victoria's Secret, L Brands can realize better returns for shareholders. But the economy still needs to emerge from its lockdown, and that can defer any hoped-for gains from the deal for quite a while. A 57-year-old head constable attached with the Kurla traffic division of Mumbai Police, who was denied admission in four civic hospitals died of Covid-19 on Monday. He was undergoing treatment at Parels King Edward Memorial Hospital. This is the third death due to coronavirus from the Mumbai police force in the last 48-hours. Over 50 policemen from the city police have tested positive for Covid-19 so far and are undergoing treatment at various hospitals. He is the third Mumbai police constable to succumb to Covid-19. A senior police officer confirmed the development to HT. Mumbai Police on Monday evening informed about the demise of the head constable through Twitter. The head constable had tested positive for Covid-19 on Friday and was admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of KEM Hospital. He had medical history of blood pressure, a senior police officer said. On April 21, he was allegedly denied admission by four civic hospitals despite having coronavirus symptoms. The head constables 25-year-old son rushed him to Rajawadi Hospital around 2 pm after he had developed fever. The doctors conducted preliminary analysis and recommended home quarantine for him. When I asked them to admit him, they claimed there was no bed available and asked me to take him to Kasturba Hospital, the head constables son earlier speaking with HT said. He then took his father to Kasturba Hospital, where doctors supplied oxygen to the head constable. They asked me to take him to Nair Hospital and didnt even take my fathers swab for testing, the 25-year-old alleged. At Nair Hospital, too, the authorities did not admit him stating they had no beds and that they did not test patients. On their recommendation, I took my father to KEM Hospital, where doctors refused to admit him. After I contacted the police, my father was admitted to the ICU at 11pm, the youth said. My father has given 28 years to police service. If anything goes wrong, the doctors are responsible, an emotional son had said. The deceased cops brother is also a policeman attached with the Mumbai Crime Branch. The head constable lived with his wife, two sons and two daughters at Kurlas Kamani slums. His elder son works as a CCTV operator at Mantralaya for a private firm on contract basis. A 35-year-old constable, also attached with the Kurla traffic division, has tested positive for Covid-19, and has been admitted to Thanes Kaushalya Hospital. It is suspected that he contracted the virus from the head constable. Dr Daksha Shah, deputy health officer, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), on Friday had said that the constable was stable and the hospitals dean will speak to his family about their complaint. Jerusalem, April 27 : Shops across Israel have reopened as the country eased the lockdown restrictions imposed to counter the coronavirus pandemic that has so far killed 200 people and infected 15,882 others. During the first working day of the week in the country, most stores on Sunday reopened and people went shopping as the country regained a feeling of normality, reports Efe news. Shopkeepers sported protective face masks and customers queued outside the stores in a bid to respect the rules imposed by the Health Ministry to prevent the spread of the virus and maintain social distancing. The Police distributed masks and asked those who did not wear the protective gear to do so if they wanted to avoid the 200 shekel ($57) fine. The decision the government took to reopen practically all businesses, including barbershops and beauty salons, and to allow restaurants to provide takeaways has sparked controversy. Several analysts and even Health Ministry senior officials questioned the rush and denounced a lack of clear planning to relaunch the economy. Critics have urged for the social distancing rules to be strictly implemented. Others, including sellers at the market of the Jerusalem neighbourhood of Mahane Yehuda, criticized that megastores such as Ikea were allowed to reopen a week ago. In the meantime, over 200 chain stores announced they would not reopen until they were granted government subsidies. The shops argued that reopening would only aggravate their losses given the economic situation the country faces. The move to relaunch the economy was also criticized because it coincides with a curfew the government has imposed during Memorial Day for the Fallen Soldiers of Israel and Victims of Terrorism, which begins on Monday evening and ends the following evening. The government also decided to close cemeteries as many chose to mark the occasion by visiting loved ones who died in war, terror attacks or while serving in the military. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Your tax-deductible gift today powers our reporters and keeps us independent. We rely on you, our reader, not paywalls to stay funded because we believe important news and information should be freely accessible to all. Start your day with LAist Sign up for the Morning Brief, delivered weekdays. Subscribe Our news is free on LAist. To make sure you get our coverage: Sign up for our daily coronavirus newsletter. To support our non-profit public service journalism: Donate Now. Orange County decided to keep its beaches open (but with parking lots closed), and people decided they would go there. But people got too excited about getting some sun, packing beaches this weekend, and now Newport Beach is looking at shutting things down. The Newport Beach City Council's holding a special meeting Tuesday afternoon on the city's response to coronavirus, and one of the items on the agenda is possibly closing its beaches down on the weekend. One proposal being considered: The beach would remain open during the week, but close down Saturday and Sunday for the next three weeks. Gov. Gavin Newsom said during his daily coronavirus press conference on Monday that California is weeks, not months away from starting to reopen -- but that being able to reopen requires continued physical distancing. "We can't see the images like we saw, particularly on Saturday in Newport Beach and elsewhere in the state of California," Newsom said. People at Corona del Mar State Beach on Saturday in Newport Beach. (Michael Heiman/Getty Images) icon DON'T MISS ANY L.A. CORONAVIRUS NEWS Get our daily newsletters for the latest on COVID-19 and other top local headlines. Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Most of the people at the beach were practicing physical distancing, according to Newport Beach, but the huge number of visitors -- while parking lots remain closed -- meant huge numbers of visitors parking in local neighborhoods, including many from outside the area. That goes against guidance from California State Parks to stay close to home -- "This is not the time for a road trip to a destination park or beach." An alternate plan being considered by the city council: shutting down the roads leading to popular beach spots at the Peninsula and Corona del Mar. People at Little Corona del Mar Beach on Saturday in Newport Beach. (Michael Heiman/Getty Images) "The beach was completely packed full of people," a caller who identified himself as an ER doctor told KPCC AirTalk host Larry Mantle. "It was just like the Fourth of July. I'd never seen so many bikes parked at the end of the street." While people were mostly social distancing in their groups, nobody was wearing masks, the caller said. "And if people keep staying out at the beaches on the weekend like this, we're going to have a second peak," the caller said. But, he added, he would be OK with the beach being open if people are good about physically distancing. "I think it's actually one of the better places to be able to social distance, and get some relief from your house," the doctor said. Newport Beach notes that state and county public health officials, as well as the California Coastal Commission, have encouraged them to keep beaches open. The city says keeping beaches, parks, and other open spaces accessible is important for its residents' mental and physical wellbeing. As of Sunday, Orange County had 2,074 confirmed cases of coronavirus, with 94 of those from Newport Beach. And if restrictions are put in place at the beach, don't go making alternate plans to ride a Ferris wheel -- the Orange County Fair was also just officially cancelled. This story has been updated. Correction: Newport Beach never fully shut down beaches, though parking lots and some surfing locations have been closed. Another 13 migrants, including a toddler, have arrived in the UK after a huge search and rescue operation was launched earlier today. The migrants were spotted this morning in a boat off the Kent coast, sparking a rescue mission involving a coastguard helicopter, lifeboats and Border Force vessels. All 13 were taken to Dover to be processed by Border Force officials, who were seen wearing facemasks due to the coronavirus pandemic. The latest arrivals brings the total number of migrants to enter the UK this month to 476 - the highest monthly figure ever recorded. None of the migrants are being tested for coronavirus and are instead being observed for symptoms, the Home Office has confirmed. Another 13 migrants, including a toddler, have arrived in the UK after a huge search and rescue operation was launched earlier today. Pictured: Border Force officials help the migrants off a boat this morning One of the 13 migrants rescued today was a toddler, who, pictured here, was carried away from the water by a Border Force official A total of 76 migrants in five boats were rescued on Friday, while another 35 crossed the Channel on Saturday. This month's figure makes up more than half of the estimated 850 migrants who have made the dangerous crossing this year. The figure is also fast approaching half of the 1,850 who made it to Britain throughout the whole of 2019. In today's rescue operation, the Coastguard helicopter assisted the Dover Lifeboat, two lifeboats from nearby Walmer, and two Border Force vessels. The total number of migrants to enter the UK this month is nearing 500 - the highest monthly figure ever recorded. Pictured: Migrants are escorted on to land by Border Force officials A total of 76 migrants in five boats were rescued on Friday. Another 35 migrants crossed the Channel from France on Saturday. Pictured: Several officials wait shore-side for the arrival of the migrants Pictures show how the migrants were brought into Dover on board a Border Force vessel. A Border Force official is seen carrying a child, wearing a life-jacket, in her arms. The Home Office: 'Migrants will not be tested for Covid-19' The Home Office will not test migrants for coronavirus when they are brought into the UK, MailOnline revealed last month. Rather than test asylum seekers, the Home Office say doctors and nurses will examine migrants for any symptoms of Covid-19. Any person showing symptoms will be isolated, including those in detention centres, where special isolation areas have been set up, the Home Office has confirmed. A spokesperson said the policy is in line with guidance from Public Health England (PHE). Speaking following the arrival of a group of migrants earlier this month, a Home Office spokesperson said: 'All individuals were brought to Dover and, in line with established processes, will be assessed to establish whether there are any medical requirements. No issues reported. 'All will be transferred to immigration officials. They will be interviewed and their cases will be dealt with in line with the immigration rules, transferring to detention where appropriate. 'In line with Public Health England guidance, Border Force and all operational staff have the relevant personal protective equipment available to them.' Advertisement On Friday, 76 migrants - including a young girl wearing Disney-style 'Happily Ever After' pyjamas - were bought into Dover. The migrants arrived from locations including Iran, Yemen, Syria and Kuwait. On Saturday, 35 more migrants successfully crossed the English Channel in four inflatable boats. The first boat, carrying 14 men and a woman from Iran, Kuwait and Iraq, was found off the Kent coast at 3.40am. By 6.35am another rigid-hulled inflatable boat (Rhib) arrived at Dover. Some 13 men, who said they were Iraqi and Iranian, were detained. Two hours later, at 8am, seven men from the same two countries were stopped. A fourth boat was also being dealt with by the Border Force on Saturday evening. More than 60 migrants crammed in four small boats were also stopped earlier this month. But as previously reported by MailOnline, none of the migrants stopped since the outbreak of coronavirus have been tested. Instead, the Home Office says it will observe asylum seekers for symptoms of the virus and isolate those were necessary. That is despite reports that some of those living in migrant camps in France have been infected with the deadly virus. Rather than test asylum seekers, the Home Office say they will instead be examined by nurses and doctors for any symptoms of Covid-19. Any person showing symptoms will be isolated, including those in detention centres, where special isolation areas have been set up, the Home Office say. This month's figure of almost 500 migrants makes up almost half of the estimated 950 migrants who have made the dangerous crossing this year. Pictured: The migrants on board a Border Force vessel The Home Office says migrants are not being tested for coronavirus on arrival, in line with PHE guidance. Pictured: A toddler who arrived with the group of the migrants is led to shore A spokesperson said the policy is in line with guidance from Public Health England (PHE). A charity boss has previously described the situation as 'heartbreaking'. Stephen Hale, the chief executive of charity Refugee Action, said: 'It's heartbreaking that people including young children are having to risk their lives to seek refuge in the UK due to a lack of safe and legal routes to get here. How are migrants dealt with when they arrive in the UK? The Home Office say that when migrants are stopped in the Channel and brought into the UK they are first assessed to see if they have any medical need. Those who arrive in Dover are taken to a special intake unit near the Kent town, where officers make immigration checks on those claiming asylum. To be eligible for asylum, the person must have left their country and be unable to go back because of fear of persecution. Those who are likely to be eligible are moved into asylum accommodation, while those who are not, or are deemed a security risk, are moved to a detention centre, where immigration officers explore grounds for removing them from the UK. Advertisement 'The Government must stop talking tough and start thinking smart. 'More routes for people to claim protection in the UK must be created, including a long-term commitment to resettle 10,000 refugees every year.' Meanwhile, Minister for Immigration Compliance and the Courts Chris Philp said earlier this month that the government will 'not stand by whilst malicious criminals prey on the vulnerable'. He said: 'Criminal gangs are using false promises to take advantage of desperate situations and illegally smuggle people into the UK. 'We are determined to stop this criminal trade and stop these crossings. 'We will enforce the law and we will seek justice. 'The Home Secretary and her French counterpart have reaffirmed their joint commitment and dedication to tackling this exploitative crime. 'We are continuing to support the French to deploy extra patrols on French beaches, drones, specialist vehicles and detection equipment to stop these boats leaving European shores. 'To the criminals we say this your heinous crimes will not be tolerated and we will work tirelessly to bring you to justice.' Around 60 migrants, including two young girls (one above), were brought into Dover on Friday Four boats (one shown above) carrying 35 migrants arrived in the port of Dover on Saturday Minister for Immigration Compliance and the Courts Chris Philp said earlier this month that the government 'will not stand by whilst malicious criminals prey on the vulnerable', while Dover MP Natalie Elphicke has called for those attempting to enter the country illegally to be sent back to France or be put in an immediate 14 day quarantine. Earlier this month, Home Secretary Priti Patel said she was 'determined' to stop illegal Channel crossings, adding: 'I will not stand by whilst malicious criminals prey on the vulnerable.' Meanwhile, Dover MP, Natalie Elphicke, has called for those attempting to enter the country illegally to be sent back to France or be put in an immediate 14 day quarantine. She said: 'France's lockdown means people need permission just to walk the dog. So how come hundreds of migrants can still pile into small boats and illegally motor into Britain? 'We know that the coronavirus has infected the French camps. 'The French have been paid tens of millions of pounds to stop these dangerous journeys being made - it's vital the Home Office make the French honour their obligations in order to stop the further spread of the virus into Britain. 'I have long said that anyone seeking to break into Britain should be immediately returned to France.' The coronavirus pandemic is creating overwhelming needs. Most urgent are the health problems threatening so many lives. Next is the economic fallout from the abrupt halt in much business activity. But along with restarting businesses, consumers and households need direct support and protection right now. Here are some key things we know: Vulnerable consumers living at the margin, inevitably, are badly hurt by any recession. Already almost 3 million Californians have filed new unemployment claims in less than a month. The self-employed and hourly workers felt the pain most immediately. But all those who cannot easily work from home are being hit hard by this sharp, sudden recession. For many, the loss of jobs and wages will lead to further losses, including loss of health insurance, creating new financial problems for many families and a broader demand for consumer financial protection. About 40% of households without substantial savings face an imminent threat of losing their housing either by eviction or foreclosure. This happened with devastating results in the last financial crisis 12 years ago. The widening inability to make rent or mortgage payments is causing mortgage servicing problems and potential homelessness to spike. The Cares Act allows mortgage payment deferrals for about half the market, and Gov. Gavin Newsom has ably negotiated with national banks to secure even broader relief for many California homeowners. But strong oversight is necessary to make sure the mortgage lenders and servicers perform well so that people get the promised help to address these issues. New initiatives are springing up to help people deal with loan delinquencies and defaults across the entire spectrum of consumer credit. These initiatives must be simple and easy to access; complexity was the Achilles heel of many such programs a decade ago. Public officials can lay out reliable guidance in accessible language to help people navigate these unfamiliar programs. The more people understand their rights, the more likely they are to actually receive the intended assistance and support. Scam artists are developing novel illegal schemes designed to take money out of peoples pockets just when they need every penny. This kind of despicable conduct taking advantage of the misfortunes of others must be monitored closely and prosecuted harshly to deter imitators. Fortunately, Attorney General Xavier Becerra is taking proactive steps to protect those most at risk seniors, rural communities, and new Americans. But steady vigilance is required of all public officials throughout this crisis. We learned from the last financial crisis that Main Street feels the pain more than the big banks and large corporations. Families whose lives are upended by economic distress need help right now. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau was established to do that, but it is now in retreat, under new leadership that eased oversight of the financial industry. That is why Gov. Gavin Newsoms budget proposal to strengthen these efforts in California was remarkably prescient. He has proposed to overhaul the existing Department of Business Oversight to give it broader authority in the form of a new Department of Financial Protection and Innovation. In the current crisis, the case for that proposal has become far more powerful. What started out as a desirable set of reforms has now become an urgent solution to confront broad-based consumer distress. We are now seeing how much difference it makes when our government is working effectively for the middle class and our families. Addressing the challenges facing consumers strengthens our economy from the ground up. If it is not done well, our communities will suffer for years to come. Lets buckle down while we still can, by putting consumers first. Richard Cordray was the first director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. His new book Watchdog discusses the importance of protecting people in the financial marketplace. Songwriter Mikayel Margaryan, who was protesting against power outage in front of the government building today, has been released and is celebrating his daughters 6th birthday under a candlelight. He went live on Facebook and said there hasnt been power in his house since morning. The songwriter said he and his wife are employed, but cant work due to the state of emergency declared in the country. We havent been earning money since January. My childrens benefits and my mothers pension are only enough for food. I also have a mortgage, and the power went out this morning. I came to the government building to express my protest, he said. Mikayel Margaryan said how he was apprehended and taken to the police station. I went live near the government building, after which policemen approached me and said I couldnt hold a demonstration, but I told them it wasnt a demonstration. After that, they applied force against me. I noticed MP Sasun Mikayelyan and shouted out to him, but he turned away and left. I said I wasnt rebelling, but they handcuffed me and my children and took us to the police station. I have participated in dozens of demonstrations, but police have never taken my mobile phone from me and handcuffed me. He thanked the members of Kamq NGO and MP Anna Kostanyan. Im not thanking the police. Im going to sue them for unlawful and disproportionate force. Im not thanking the Ombudsmans Office either. I addressed the Office, but there was no response, he said. MUZAFFARABAD, Pakistan - Cross-border fire from Indian troops along the disputed border with Kashmir killed one woman and wounded an eight-year-old girl, Pakistans military said on Monday. The military said in a statement that a combination of mortars and heavy fire hit the villages of Jandrot and Khuiratta in the Pakistani-held part of Kashmir. It accused Indian forces of deliberately targeting civilians. There was no immediate comment from New Delhi. Pakistans foreign ministry said it summoned an Indian diplomat to lodge a protest over what it called the latest in a string of ceasefire violations by India. Pakistan and India often trade accusations of violating the ceasefire in Kashmir. The Himalayan region is divided between them and claimed by both in its entirety. According to Sardar Masood Khan, the top regional official in Pakistans part of Kashmir, Indian troops have stepped up ceasefire violations since the coronavirus outbreak was first reported in the region. So far, at least 59 people have been tested positive for the virus there. Sinn Feins Michelle ONeill and Gerry Kelly with Arlene Foster, PSNI Chief Constable Simon Byrne and Anne Connolly, chair of the NI Policing Board, at the launch of the PSNI recruitment drive earlier this year Increasing the number of Catholic police officers in the PSNI could be solved by first encouraging people from the community to join the force as civilian staff, chief constable Simon Byrne has said. In an interview with The Irish News, Mr Byrne said one way of tackling the issue would be to recruit people "into the police family". "So you could attract somebody quicker for example as a call taker in a contact centre, as police staff they then like the feel of the organisation, realise that there are risks, yes, but then apply to become a police officer. "So it is looking at all opportunities to make the organisation more accessible", he said. Catholic officers make up 32% of the PSNI, however this drops to 19% for civilian staff. Between 2002 and 2009 the proportion of Catholic officers increased from 8% to 30% after 50/50 recruitment was introduced. Mr Byrne, who is from Surrey, said that he discussed the issue of officer diversity in his interview for the job almost a year ago. Expand Close PSNI Chief Constable Simon Byrne PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp PSNI Chief Constable Simon Byrne "Of course the context is slightly different, but I equate the representation issue here in terms of community background with the issues I had recruiting black officers into London," he said. In Feburary, Sinn Fein's Michelle O'Neill and Gerry Kelly attended the launch of the PSNI recruitment campaign for the first time. This led to threats from dissident republicans to both politicians. "Recently when we had that event in Garnerville, when Sinn Fein stepped in the room I described it then as 'seismic' and historic I think it was," Mr Byrne said. "Now that one event in itself does not mean that all our problems are over, and we've got a raft of stuff, things like a safety and secure environment so people don't feel sometimes compelled to hide their occupation. "Having to take steps everyday about checking routes to work and is there a bomb under the car. These are all issues people take really seriously when they think about joining an organisation like this. "So it's about development of specialist teams and promotion right through the ranks." The chief constable said that he has had meetings with senior people from GAA and people from the Catholic church to discuss the issue. He added: "I came here almost a year ago and I'm still trying to understand the hurt and harm caused during the Troubles. "Neighbourhood policing is the route to showing we are human beings, we're not biased, we are here just to police all of the country to make every community safe and secure and we're here to protect people." Mr Byrne said that he was not in favour of a return to 50/50 recruitment but said it would be "foolish to rule it out". The chief constable apologised after a Christmas day tweet which showed him posing for a photo outside Crossmaglen police station with officers holding rifles. Expand Close Simon Byrne (centre) outside Crossmaglen PSNI station, a picture that he posted on Twitter / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Simon Byrne (centre) outside Crossmaglen PSNI station, a picture that he posted on Twitter He was criticised by some nationalist politicians, saying the image was offensive to the the local community. In a statement issued at the time, Mr Byrne said his message was "never meant as a comment on the community of Crossmaglen in South Armagh. I am sorry for any offence that has been caused". Earlier this month is was reported Superintendent Gerry Murray planned to set up a Catholic Police Officers Guild to provide "pastoral care" for Roman Catholics in the PSNI. Mr Byrne said that formal discussion about the guild have yet to take place but there area other networks in the service. "That might be Women in Policing network or the network for LGBT officers and staff. So Gerry's proposal would come into that sort of space. "He has to go through a checking and assurance process. He can't just set one up. And we are going through that at the minute to ensure he meets the policy for doing that. "So that is as far as our conversation has gone, so I'm not ruling it out but we have to have a formal conversation", he added. Under normal circumstances, Golden Week is a time many look forward to in Japan. Consisting of a loose string of national holidays starting from April 29 to May 6, Golden Week sees a large influx of travel as people spend the week vacationing or visiting relatives in more rural parts of Japan. However, with the rise of COVID-19, the Abe administration has been pleading for citizens to stay indoors, with many unfortunately ignoring the government. For some islands that are known to attract droves of tourists, such as Miyakojima in Okinawa prefecture, the arrival of travelers could mean disaster, heightening the possibility of an increase in local COVID-19 cases and a shortage of essential resources. As a countermeasure, the Miyakojima Restaurant Business Association has made a new decision to discourage travelers. - soranews24.com April 27, 2020 - Hospitals facing a growing population of COVID-19 cases need a coordinated approach with a multidisciplinary team to increase efficiency, conserve PPE and protect staff. In "Hospital Preparedness for COVID-19: A Practical Guide from a Critical Care Perspective," - published online in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine - experts from Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center share their roadmap for meeting challenges posed by the pandemic, including an influx of critically ill patients. As one of the nation's largest academic medical centers, Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center has a highly experienced team of specialists and robust resources, and physicians there used early lessons from existing data to help plan for a surge. More than anything, hospitals should plan early, said Lindsay Lief, MD, lead author of the guide and medical director of the medical intensive care unit at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, and assistant professor of clinical medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine. "Plan early for beds, equipment and people. Listen to predictions from epidemiologists about the numbers to expect. Plan for daily remote communications platforms. Support front line staff. Food, scrubs, hand lotion, mental health support--it all counts." The authors wrote, "Given rapidly evolving data on the infectiousness of COVID-19, including from asymptomatic or paucisymptomatic patients, initial highest priorities included obtaining an adequate supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) for the staff and evaluating/expanding intensive care unit and ventilator capacity, among numerous other measures." "Although having appropriate PPE has been a concern for all health care personnel across the country during the COVID-19 crisis, Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell worked diligently to provide adequate PPE to protect our staff," Dr. Lief said. "In addition, as a hospital that regularly provides specialized, complex care, we have incredible resources as far as nurses, respiratory therapists and physicians in diverse specialties." Dr. Lief and her colleagues, with the support of medical center administrators, called upon those resources to care for COVID-19 patients. The usual protocols were amended to expedite training of clinical staff to care for patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome, a disorder characterized by a build-up of fluid in the air sacs of the lungs, which deprives the body's organs of oxygen. Physicians (including residents and fellows), nurses, respiratory therapists, as well as essential non-clinical staff began sharing responsibilities. Critical care doctors needed help and got it. "For example, physical and occupational therapists have incredible expertise," said Dr. Lief. "But when there aren't a lot of patients well enough to exercise, we collaborated with them to make a 'proning team' using their expertise on body positioning with the patients we have to flip on to their bellies to increase their oxygen levels." The bottom line: "We learned that daily, clear communication is key, especially in a rapidly changing environment where we are learning more every day," noted Dr. Lief. "Hospital communication regarding infection prevention and control, PPE, state and CDC guidelines provides not only information but relieves staff anxiety. In addition, daily phone conferences among physicians caring for patients with COVID helps remind us of the essential and ideal care for respiratory failure and to put in context what we are learning from colleagues around the world and new research as it comes to light. " ### About the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine The AJRCCM is a peer-reviewed journal published by the American Thoracic Society. The Journal takes pride in publishing the most innovative science and the highest quality reviews, practice guidelines and statements in pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine. With an impact factor of 16.494, it is one of the highest ranked journals in pulmonology. Editor: Jadwiga Wedzicha, MD, professor of respiratory medicine at the National Heart and Lung Institute (Royal Brompton Campus), Imperial College London, UK. About the American Thoracic Society Founded in 1905, the American Thoracic Society is the world's leading medical association dedicated to advancing pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine. The Society's 15,000 members prevent and fight respiratory disease around the globe through research, education, patient care and advocacy. The ATS publishes three journals, the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, the American Journal of Respiratory Cell and Molecular Biology and the Annals of the American Thoracic Society. South Korea is confident that there is nothing unusual about the situation in North Korea, following reports that its leader Kim Jong-un is dead or gravely ill, a senior South Korean official said Sunday. Our government has enough information-gathering capabilities to say confidently that there is nothing unusual about Kims status, Kim Yeon-chul, South Koreas unification minister, said on Sunday, adding that the circulation of rumors amounted to an infodemic. South Korea has continuously denied reports that Kim is seriously ill, with President Moon Jae-ins spokesman saying earlier this month that South Korea has so far detected no special signs inside North Korea, after Daily NK, a South-Korean online newspaper, reported that Kim had undergone a cardiovascular procedure on April 12. Kim Jong-un was last seen publicly on April 11, with speculation growing after he was absent from state celebrations for North Koreas biggest holiday, the April 15 birthday of Kims paternal grandfather, Kim Il-sung, the founder of the country. Last week, CNN cited U.S. officials who said Kim is in grave danger after a botched surgery, but President Trump then slammed the story, saying Thursday that it was a fake report done by CNN. On Wednesday, General John Hyten the vice chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff said he did not doubt that Kim was still in full control of the Korean nuclear force and the Korean military forces. I want to emphasize that when officials say such things, they dont do it idly, Kim said Sunday, referencing Hytens comments. They say them based on assessment of information. More from National Review Three men were arrested outside a pricey Hoboken steakhouse when they arrived to pick up the meals they purchased with a fraudulent credit card, authorities said. Isaiah Baptiste, 20, of Bushkill, Pennsylvania, and Kaya Findlay 20, and Jason Palmer, 18, both of Brooklyn, New York, were charged Friday with fraudulent use of a credit card, credit card theft, theft of identity, uttering, theft by deception, conspiracy to commit credit card fraud, and committing an unauthorized act during a state of emergency. Del Friscos Grill reported to Hoboken police that an Oregon man alerted the restaurant about an unauthorized purchase that was made on his credit card, Hoboken Lt. Danilo Cabrera said. Hoboken detectives Michael Losurdo, Adam Colon and Fabian Quinones responded and found that order had not yet been picked up. Under the command of Lt. Ranaldo Gonzalez, police arrested Baptiste, Findlay and Palmer when Baptiste attempted to pick up the order made with the victims credit card. The three men were issued summonses and given Hudson County Superior Court dates. During a coronavirus task force briefing in the White House last Thursday, Trump had an exchange with William Bryan, who works at the Department of Homeland Security as the head of the science and technology directorate. Bryan's department presented the results of the study that sunlight, humidity, and temperature might be essential to reduce the rate of infection of the coronavirus. He also proposed that bleach and isopropyl alcohol could kill the virus in saliva or respiratory fluids. Remark Taken Out of Context The remark in question was: "I see the disinfectant where it knocks it out in a minute," Trump said. He continued by asking if there was something similar that could be done safely for individuals to ingest to cleanse the system of the traces of the virus, referring to the bleach as a comparison. He added, "...You're going to have to use medical doctors. But it sounds interesting to me." "He likes to talk [new information] throughout and have that dialogue," Dr. Birx said in Watter's World. She was with the president at the briefing. While Trump has clarified, his comments were meant to be sarcastic; he did suggest further research into the study during the task force briefing. White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said that Saturday, the media was quick to irresponsibly take Trump out of context and "run a story with negative headlines." She added that Trump repeatedly reminded people on television to consult with medical professionals about coronavirus treatment. Trump's remark about injecting disinfectants sparked controversy on social media platforms and was a subject for sensationalism. Birx said that Trump was talking out loud as he was thinking since it was his first time hearing the results of the study. "He was still digesting that information." Check these out! Politicians Who Posted Misinformation Earlier this month, Facebook and Instagram deleted a video posted by Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro, who not only announced an end to social distancing measures but also claimed that hydroxychloroquine was useful for the treatment of patients with COVID-19. Brazil's Federal Council of Medicine, or otherwise known as CFM, released a caveat last March announcing there was nothing conclusive yet about the effectiveness of hydroxychloroquine for the treatment of COVID-19. CFM President Mauro Luiz Britto Ribeiro added, "There is no perspective and randomized clinical trial, carried out by groups of respected researchers, published cutting-edge journals, pointing out any benefit from the use of hydroxychloroquine in the treatment." Just recently, Bolsonaro has already thanked Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for permitting the exportation of raw materials to Brazil for hydroxychloroquine. Another political leader who seemed to be misled by fake news was Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who was of the mind that some homemade "antidote" would "eliminate the infectious genes" of the coronavirus and announced it on his social media account. Twitter management "censured" posts to reduce harm by spreading misinformation. They cited that it was for the public interest, adding on the blog that they would take down fake news in consideration of the pandemic. Although the bases of this rapid and far-reaching misinformation are obscure, analysts suspect they originate from the same source because of key similarities. Amid widespread speculation over the health and absence of North Korea's Kim Jong-un, South Korea has stepped in to refute reports of the 36-year-old leader's poor health, saying he is "alive and well." Earlier on Sunday, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported via a US monitor citing commercial satellite imagery that a train presumed to belong to the North Korean leader was spotted at a station in Wonsan even as some US outlets speculated that he had succumbed following a botched heart operation 'No suspicious movements' "Kim Jong-un is alive and well. He has been staying in the Wonsan area since April 13. No suspicious movements have so far been detected," Moon Chung-in, the top foreign policy adviser to South Korean President Moon Jae-in, told CNN. Last week, Seoul officials had disputed recent media reports about Kim, saying there have been no unusual signs from North Korea. Some said that Kim is presumed to be staying in Wonsan for unspecified reasons. According to 38 North -- a website devoted to analysis about North Korea, the imagery showed a train "probably belonging to Kim Jong-un parked at the Leadership Railway Station servicing his Wonsan compound since at least April 21." READ | COVID-19 Crisis: 440 New Cases & 19 Deaths Reported In Maharashtra Amid 342 Casualties "The approximately 250-metre long train, although partially covered by the station's roof, can be seen at a railway station reserved for use by the Kim family. It was not present on April 15 but was present on both April 21 and 23," it said. "The train's presence does not prove the whereabouts of the North Korean leader or indicate anything about his health, but it does lend weight to reports that Kim is staying at an elite area on the country's eastern coast," it added. The report of Kim's illness started doing rounds following his absence at the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun in Pyongyang on the birthday of late state founder and his grandfather, Kim Il-sung, earlier this month. READ | Tej Pratap Flouts Lockdown To Perform 'Sadbuddhi Mahayagna' For Bihar CM Nitish Kumar Thereafter, CNN intensified the speculation by reporting earlier last week that the US is looking into intelligence that Kim Jong-un is "in grave danger" after surgery. Later on Saturday, other media reports stated that China has dispatched a team of medical doctors and officials to North Korea "to advise on" Kim Jong-un, citing multiple unnamed people familiar with the situation. North Korea's state media, however, has not made any mention of Kim's public activity for two weeks since he was last seen on April 11 presiding over a major party meeting, though it has reported on his handling of routine state affairs, such as sending diplomatic letters. READ | '150 Students Stranded In Kota On Their Way Back To Punjab,' Says CM Capt Amarinder Singh READ | MoS PMO Jitendra Singh Slams Cong's Criticism Of DA Freeze, Cites Example Of State Govts (with ANI inputs) Amid the lockdown and coronavirus crisis, celebration of Indian festival Akshay Tritya was largely subdued. The occasion is typically observed by purchasing some gold, as it is considered auspicious. However, Ramayan (2012) actress, Mahika Sharma found a new way to mark the occasion. As she is stuck in UK due to lockdown, she decided to help some people back home. She adopted two families from the streets of Mumbai, who do not have shelter and access to medical care during this crisis. The FIR actress says, "Buying gold or jewellery has been a ritual from years to celebrate Akshaya Tritiya. But this year with the time and scenario around, I have tried helping the people in need. I'm stuck in London, but I got to know from my acquaintances, that two families in Mumbai are badly affected and are in need of shelter, medical treatment. After getting the facts verified, I decided to take care of these families for a year." The television actress has arranged for an accommodation in the city, funds for their medical treatment and food for the coming year. The former beauty queen 'Miss Teen Northeast' will be next seen in bollywood movie along with adult film star, Danny D. Also Read: Mahika Sharma On Being Stuck In UK Amid COVID-19 Outbreak: 'People In India Will Think I'm Infected' A French family stranded at a village here for over a month because of the coronavirus lockdown is getting to know the local way of life, including daily visits to the temple. Motor mechanic Patrice Pallarez, his wife Virginie, daughters Ophelie and Lola and son Tom were on a multi-nation trip, travelling and sleeping in their camper, when they were grounded at Maharajganj's Singhorwa village on March 21. The authorities had sealed the Nepal border even before the nationwide lockdown to fight coronavirus was declared. The five now stay in the camper parked near the Shiv Ramjanaki temple and are regulars there, the priest said. The family folds hands and greets others with 'Ram-Ram, Sita-Ram'. They come daily to the temple during the sunrise and sunset prayers and participate in chanting mantras and worshipping the deities," priest Udairaj said. Their dedication is surprising as they chant 'Om Namah Shivay' daily and also pray to the deities to eradicate coronavirus from the world, he said. They now mostly eat dal-rice and rotis, he said. Earlier they were not able to mix with us. But now they have developed a liking for Indian culture and have become a part of the village, he added. Sanjay, a man from the neighbouring village, talks to them in English and they say that they will continue worshipping Shiva, Parvati, Ganesh and Hanuman even after returning home, according to the priest. Pallarez said they have picked up Hindi. We can now understand what the local people say,'' he said. The French family said it is overwhelmed by the villagers' hospitality. ''We are like their family members,'' he said. The travellers and the villagers follow social distancing and wear masks when they interact, local residents said. Nautanwa sub divisional magistrate Jasveer Singh said the family from Toulouse in France is on tour since February. They were about to enter Nepal when the border was sealed. So they stayed close to the village temple, near the Laxmipur forest. The administration is providing them groceries and other essential commodities, and they were found healthy during a medical check-up, the SDM said Travelling on their home-on-wheels, the five entered India from Pakistan's Wagah border. They also planned to visit Nepal, Myanmar, Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia before heading back home. ''We do not know if we can now complete our tour, Pallarez said. "Let's see. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Washington, DC After earlier exhausting $350-billion in funds provided through the federal CARES Act, Congress approved an additional $310-billion for the Paycheck Protection Program. In response to the coronavirus pandemic, companies with fewer than 500 employees can apply for loans up to $10-million at 1-percent interest to help cover payroll and overhead expenses. If the company keeps all employees on the payroll, at the current wages, the government will forgive most of the loan and repay bank lenders. Speaking on the House Floor late last week, Congressman Tom McClintock stated, When we (initially) passed the Paycheck Protection Program I warned that serious flaws would deliver a windfall to businesses that did not need it, at the expense of those that do. That is exactly what happened, exhausting the fund within days. Now it is imperative to replenish this program to assure that small businesses that desperately need these funds, receive them. The second round of Paycheck Protection Program funding was approved by Congress and signed by the President. McClintock concluded by speaking about regulations and restrictions placed on businesses, arguing, Unprecedented and unconstitutional government edicts have deliberately destroyed the livelihoods of millions of Americans, and it set in motion both an economic depression and government insolvencies that threaten the very survival of our nation. They must end now. You can view McClintocks speech by clicking the video box. Samsung is usually not the one to follow when it comes to new design technologies, but it appears the company will be doing so very soon by introducing its first pop-up camera phone -- a feature that was seen quite a lot on smartphones all through last year. U until now, the phone maker has been focusing on a variation of notched displays to keep its phones looking fresh and in-line with the times. However, it is now given that up and introduces moving parts in its design for what could be possibly a new Galaxy A series phone that the company is tipped to launch in the future. The information has been shared by tipster, @OnLeaks, who has shared renders of this upcoming Samsung device with Pigtou. The renders show a design approach that Samsung had tried with the Samsung Galaxy A80. The renders show a phone with a clean front showing no notches or punch holes. Interestingly, there's very little in terms of the bezels too, with only the bottom bezel really visible. The phone has a pop-up camera which remind one of the Galaxy A80, however, it is very different from the device as it doesn't appear to be one that rotates as seen on the A80. The new device instead appears to use a conventional pop-up camera much like we've seen on phones such as the OnePlus 7 Pro, Redmi K20 Pro, Realme X, Honor 9X, OPPO Reno 2Z, and many more. The phone is also said to come with a rear fingerprint scanner and as such give up on an in-display fingerprint scanner that we've seen on a number of Samsung phones in the past. Apart from this, the renders also reveal a triple rear camera setup and curved side edges on the back. As per @OnLeaks the phone could come with a USB Type-C port and an IR Blaster but no 3.5mm headphone jack on the back. The phone's dimension's are said to be 183.5 x 77 x 9.2 mm. Everything else about the phone is unknown, including its name. 1. Yes. The downtown area needs a good draw. Some quality taverns would be a plus. 2. Yes. Too many storefronts are vacant. Bars could help to bring in needed revenue. 3. No. Putting a number of bars downtown is just asking for trouble. Dont change things. 4.No. Several churches have located downtown. Putting bars close by would be a bad fit. 5. Unsure. It would depend on how the law is written and what standards are enacted. Vote View Results A spurned lover who posted a Christine Keeler-style nude photograph of his ex-girlfriend on Facebook is facing jail. Matthew Hey, 51, posted the image which showed his ex-partner 'sitting on a chair covering her breasts' in a style similar to one posed by model Keeler - who was involved in the infamous Profumo affair. Hey, from Westminster, London, uploaded the picture to a fake female Facebook profile. He also bombarded his ex-partner, a teacher, with threatening voicemails telling her youre vile, Im coming after you, Im going to bury f***ing you, causing his victim to be 'scared for her safety'. After posting the picture, he then went to the roof of his apartment building and attempted suicide. He was arrested when he left hospital on February 23 and released on bail April 4 when he allegedly pestered the victim again in breach of a non-contact condition. Hey, of Gilbert Street, Westminster, appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court, where he admitted one count of sending offensive messages and one count of disclosing private sexual photographs with intent to cause distress Jonathan Bryan, prosecuting, said: The complainant and defendant were ex partners. Theyve been in an intermittent relationship starting December 2017 but had broken up in December last year. 'The malicious communications were a series of messages, telephone calls and emails which are aggressive, abusive and threatening, including threats to kill. Some contain threats to cut her throat.' Mr Bryan also spoke in court about the pictures emulating the famous pose by model Christine Keeler, who was thrust into the spotlight after enjoying a secret romance with Cabinet minister John Profumo in 1961 at the height of the Cold War. Scandal engulfed the government after later it emerged that the then 19-year-old Keeler had also been sleeping with Eugene Ivanov, a Soviet naval attache at the Russian Embassy in London. Keeler who lived largely as a recluse under the name Sloane in the years following the scandal, died in December 2017. Speaking about the Keeler-style photograph, Mr Bryan said: Hey set up a Facebook page and on that page there are two images of the complainant. He accepts he posted the images and created the Facebook page and posted the photos without her permission. 'He said he only did it because he was being ignored by her and didnt mean to cause her harm or distress.' Edward Atkinson, defending, said of the picture: It is in the style of the famous Christine Keeler where she is sitting on the chair covering her breasts. He had other photos of her that would be of much more highly sexually revealing in nature but he did not use those photographs. He put the photo up and almost immediately after went up to the roof of the building and attempted suicide. One of his friends called the police and he was taken to hospital. The following day he left and took the offending images down from the Facebook account. The Facebook account had not been created for this purpose but had been in existence for some time for a completely innocent purpose. He said the account had been set up so he could speak to a relative in Turkey. Hey, of Gilbert Street, Westminster, admitted one count of sending offensive messages and one count of disclosing private sexual photographs with intent to cause distress. He was remanded into custody ahead of sentence at Westminster Magistrates Court on May 12. Delaware River Watershed Initiative Could Slow Regions Recovery From COVID-19 Lockdown Commentary Government-led efforts to suppress the CCP virus through a nationwide lockdown have had the predictable consequence of bringing the previously booming U.S. economy to a screeching halt. Sudden and widespread unemployment (30 million and rising), collapsing demand for commodities, and supply chain interruptions are just a few of the challenges facing businesses, large and small alike. As the Trump administration and governors ponder when and how to reopen the country, businesses, manufacturers, retailers, farmers, meat processors, service providers, and others must figure out how to get back on their feet in a post-COVID-19 world. While each sector and region will have its own unique challenges, the road to recovery in one area of the country may be much rockier because of a well-funded regionwide environmental initiative designed to restructure the economic foundations of the Delaware River watershed. Home to more than 15 million people in parts of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware, the 13,500-square-mile watershed is composed of its namesake river and its tributaries, the Delaware Bay, and other bodies of water, along with the adjacent land. Adoption of Green Infrastructure Even before the outbreak of the CCP virus, commonly known as the novel coronavirus, businesses in the region were chafing under the Delaware River Watershed Initiative (DRWI). Launched in 2014 by the Philadelphia-based William Penn Foundation, the DRWI is spearheaded by organizations funded by the foundation to accelerate the protection of important landscapes, restoration of degraded areas, and adoption of green infrastructure and responsible farming practices. By its own account, William Penn disburses $30 million a year to more than 50 organizations in the four-state area, including such groups as the Open Space Institute, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Institute for Conservation Leadership, Audubon Pennsylvania, Brandywine Conservancy, Brandywine Red Clay Alliance, Chester County (Pennsylvania) Water Resources Authority, Delaware Highlands, Delaware Riverkeeper Network, New Jersey Conservation Foundation, School of Environmental Design Pennsylvania University, the Nature Conservancy, and the Trust for Public Lands. Noting that the Delaware River watersheds land-use regulations are determined by myriad state and local jurisdictions, the William Penn Foundation seeks to overcome this fragmentation by adopting a watershed-wide conservation strategy. Its focus is on the land-use activities of thousands of landowners, developers, and farmers as they affect water quality, commonly referred to as nonpoint source pollution. As a private funder unconstrained by geographic or political boundaries, we can be nimble and strategic in applying our funding while considering the needs of the basin as a complete system, William Penn says on its website. The foundation has put more than $100 million into the DRWI, and its activities havent gone unnoticed. Lucrative Real Estate Deals The DRWI involves some legitimate activities, such as rehabilitating streams and measures to enhance flood control, says Tom Shepstone, president of SMC Inc., a Pennsylvania-based planning and management company. But behind this facade, the Penn Foundation is laying the groundwork to buy as much land as possible through groups such as the Open Space Institute. OSI and its various affiliates buy land on the cheap, have it appraised high, and then either sell it or donate it to states or to related land trusts, pocketing significant profits that allow them to create government-funded preserves around their private estates. They have a direct interest in anything that raises the price of land they employ in these scams. Natural gas development, for this reason, is a huge threat. Noting that the Penn Foundation actively opposes oil and gas development in the region, as do the DRWI groups it funds, Shepstone says he finds it particularly egregious that the foundation simultaneously funds both the Delaware Riverkeeper Network and the Delaware River Basin Commission, which are on opposite sides in a lawsuit involving natural-gas development. The Penn Foundations financial support for the DRWI is augmented by its donations to the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC). Dating to 1961 legislation signed by President John F. Kennedy, the DRBC is a compact among the same four states for the purpose of managing water quality in the Delaware Basin. All four of the commissions state governors serve as members along with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. In December 2019, the commission, expanding its efforts to steer regulatory policy throughout the region, announced the creation of an advisory committee on climate change. That year, it received a $530,000 donation from the Penn Foundation, the most recent of several such donations over the past decade, according to Big Green Inc., a grant-tracking database operated by the Washington-based Institute for Energy Research. This step follows the DRBCs 2010 moratorium on hydraulic fracturing (fracking) in northeastern Pennsylvanias Wayne and Pike counties, which sit atop the natural-gas-rich Marcellus Shale. The moratorium is now being challenged in court by the Wayne Land and Mineral Group LLC. Rural counties in the watershed, caught between the land-use policies pursued by the DRWI and the regulatory burdens imposed by the DRBC, were already suffering from outmigration before the pandemic struck. Delaware County, New York, for example, has seen its population decrease 8 percent between 2010, according to census estimate released in late March. Adjacent counties in the watershed, such as Ulster and Sullivan in New York and Greene and Wayne in Pennsylvania, have undergone similar declines over the past decade. While other rural areas in the country are facing population loss, the situation in the Delaware River watershed, with its unfriendly business climate, appears to be particularly acute. Environmental protections are essential to ensuring Pennsylvanias natural resources and beauty are available to future generations, notes Tirzah Duren, a policy analyst at the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania-based Commonwealth Foundation. However, she cautions, those protections should not choke of the availability of homes and jobs to local residents. Bonner R. Cohen is a senior fellow at the National Center for Public Policy Research, where he concentrates on energy, natural resources, and international relations. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Fresh coronavirus cases continued to pour in Gujarat, where 247 new infections were detected - most of them in Ahmedabad - taking the tally to 3,548 on Monday, while the fatalities increased to 162, a health department official said. As many as 11 more COVID-19 patients died in the state, taking the toll to 162, Jayanti Ravi, Principal Secretary (Health), said. Ahmedabad reported 197 new cases, taking the total in the worst-affected district to 2,378, while in Surat, the count rose to 556 with 30 new infections, she said. Out of the 11 deceased patients, five were from Ahmedabad, four from Surat, and one each from Vadodara and Banaskantha, she told reporters. Of them, seven suffered from co-morbid conditions (pre-existing illnesses), Ravi said. With this, the number of deaths in Ahmedabad rose to 109, while in Surat, the toll went up to 19. Among other districts that reported new cases on Monday are: Anand (2), Botad (1), Dang (1), Gandhinagar (5), Jamnagar (1), Panchmahal (3), Rajkot (1) and Vadodara (6). As many as 81 patients were discharged on Monday, taking the number of cured people to 394. Gujarat currently has 2,992 active cases, of which 31 are on ventilator, Ravi said. Gujarat has so far conducted coronavirus tests on 53,575 people - 2,848 of them in the last 24 hours. As many as 8,908 samples have been tested using rapid testing kits, Ravi said. Thirty out of the 33 districts in Gujarat have reported COVID-19 cases so far. Apart from Ahmedabad and Surat, districts that have reported a number of cases are Vadodara (240), Rajkot (46), Anand (51), Bhavnagar (40), Bharuch (29), Gandhinagar (30), Patan (17), Panchmahal (20), Banaskantha (28) and Aravalli (18) among others. Gujarat COVID-19 figures are as follow: Positive cases: 3,548, new cases: 247, deaths: 162, discharged: 394, active cases: 2,992; people tested so far: 53,575. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An artist in Tamil Nadu has come up with the idea of modifying his autorickshaw to look like coronavirus to spread awareness about the infection, which has claimed several lives. The pictures of his 'corona auto' went viral and Twitter users started sending in their comments calling the initiative, 'Auto-immune', 'good work', and 'innovative', while some others questioned where he would take his auto amidst the ongoing lockdown. This is not the first time when someone has done something like this in Chennai. Previously, a police officer in Tamil Nadu had taken the pandemic prevention to a whole new level. Rajesh Babu, an officer who patrolled the streets of Chennai, went viral on social media for wearing a helmet that looked just like coronavirus. He was eventually called the 'Corona-man' by netizens. At the moment, the country, which has a population of 1.3 billion, is under lockdown to prevent the spread of the virus. Prince Georges, one of the nations wealthiest majority-black counties, has reported the most coronavirus infections and some of the highest death tolls in the Washington region. In the hardest-hit neighborhoods, African American and Latino residents make up more than 70 percent of households. The grim statistics mirror data showing black Americans are more likely than white Americans to be infected with the novel coronavirus and more likely to die of it. Physical distancing is changing sex as many of us know it. But just because you cant touch, it doesnt mean you cant connect. The Kit has put together a special three-part Sex Talk series on sex from a distance. Next up: sexting Im doing my duty and practising social distancing, but its definitely messing with my sex life. How can I connect with partners when were supposed to stay six feet apart? Helena, Edmonton Its excellent that youre prioritizing pleasure in these trying times! Soldiering on through a pandemic is stressful, so its all the more important that we continue to take advantage of what small human joys remain right now. That includes orgasms, whether its solo or, if you dont have a co-isolation partner, with others at a safe distance. Sexting is a great way to reach out and connect with someone from afar, and Toronto-based sex and pleasure educator Luna Matatas is here to help newbies text dirty. Digital sexy communication tools are a great addition to relationships because they stimulate our erotic imagination, which is a huge source of arousal, she says. Phone sex, sexting and video-chatting facilitates a different form of sexual communication that can help us explore fantasy, learn about our partners erotic intentions, play with voyeurism and exhibitionism and spice up our erotic creativity. Here are her best sexting tips. Make sure theyre into it: The first thing to remember is that consent is an important part of any sexual interaction including ones where youre not in the same room. Make sure to ask the other person if theyre in the mood to sext. You can tell them youre having some sexy thoughts, and ask if it would it be a good time to share it with them, Matatas says. Always ask before sending sexy photos and let your partner know its OK to not be in the mood to receive them right now. Look back for inspo: Not sure where to start? If youre texting with an ongoing partner, mine the past for some gems. What memories do you have of sex with yourself or with your partner that you can share? says Matatas. How does it make you feel to remember those sexy moments? What does it feel like to ache for them to happen again? Discussing things that have already happened will make it easier to ease into dirty talk. When you get going, focus less on abstract compliments and more on describing specific erotic sensations; they might send you off in some hot directions to explore together. Play a game: Matatas suggests asking your partner if theyd like to take turns giving instructions. One person can tell the other what theyd like them to do, then the other person complies and describes what it feels like, or shares photos to show how theyre following the instruction. Read up: A great way to build your bank of sexting material is to read erotica lots of it. There are great crowdsourced erotica websites to help you build your erotic vocabulary, Matatas says. My own personal fave is Literotica, which has been around forever and has categories for every taste. Ask questions: Sexting is a great opportunity to shift the focus onto your partner. Sometimes we get stuck in writing statements and forget to add in the allure of someone elses desires, feelings and seduction, Matatas says. Think about what would make your partner aroused and ask them directly this is an excellent way to learn more about your partners sexual fantasies. Sexting is a chance to use distance to delve into conversations about sex that might feel awkward in person, says Matatas. She suggests asking about their likes, dislikes, turn-ons and turnoffs. If they have trouble articulating, give them options. Contrast can often teach us a lot about how to describe what we are into, she says. For example, you could say, Would you rather have sex in front of someone, or watch someone else have sex? The answer can be a great jumping-off point for a sexting scenario: Custom content is king. Meghan and husband Prince Harry announced last year they were cutting back on their royal duties. The Suits actress and her royal hubby relocated first to Canada, then to LaLa Land, but Markle didnt leave behind her disdain for salacious press coverage of a rift between her and her father. NASA employees haven't sat idle, binge watching Netflix, while working from home. If you tell a rocket scientist to stay at home, its amazing what they will do while they stay at home, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine told media. Rather than building rockets, they've taken to medical devices, with the government agency working on ventilators, oxygen hoods and decontaminates that could help combat COVID-19. Its high-pressure ventilators are made specifically for COVID-19 and require fewer parts than traditional ventilators. The goal is to keep costs low, manufacturing quick and to not stress the supply chain that provides parts to traditional ventilator manufacturers. How the coronavirus is affecting NASA missions: Coronavirus pandemic puts pressure on time-sensitive space missions The ventilators were designed by engineers at NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California and tested at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York. The Office of Technology Transfer and Corporate Partnerships at Caltech, which manages the Jet Propulsion Laboratory for NASA, will offer a free license for the ventilator and is reaching out to the commercial medical industry to find manufacturers for the device. When we started stay-at-home, a couple of our engineers were just really frustrated with wanting to help, said Dave Gallagher, associate director for Strategic Integration at NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Im inspired by the ingenuity and intellect of my colleagues at NASA. Also in California, NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center helped develop an oxygen helmet that forces air into the lungs of a COVID-19 patient with mild symptoms, ideally saving the ventilators for more critical patients. I hope this will keep patients off ventilators as much as possible," said Mike Buttigieg, an engineer at NASAs Armstrong Flight Research Center, "and ultimately save lives. NASA developed the oxygen hood with Antelope Valley Hospital, the City of Lancaster, Virgin Galactic, The Spaceship Company, Antelope Valley College and members of the Antelope Valley Task Force created to solve possible shortages of medical equipment. The helmet was tested by doctors at Antelope Valley Hospital and The Spaceship Company, Virgin Galactics aerospace-system manufacturing organization, began producing 500 helmets this week. Both the oxygen helmet and high-pressure ventilator have been submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration via an emergency use authorization, a fast-track approval process developed for crisis situations that takes just days rather than years, according to a NASA news release. And in Ohio, NASA is conducting additional research to see if a decontamination system it previously helped create with Ohio company Emergency Products and Research could be used to fight COVID-19. More on NASA's efforts to combat COVID-19: NASA seeking to help fight the coronavirus pandemic Looking farther out, the government agency is trying to create a breathalyzer test than can instantaneously identify if someone has COVID-19. This would be based off technology used on the International Space Station. These innovations are separate from the agency-wide call launched April 1 seeking ideas for how the agency could use its expertise and capabilities to help combat the new coronavirus. Within two weeks, 250 ideas were submitted. Edhin Campos a member of the First Transitional Criminal Chamber of the National Superior Court of Special Criminal Justice who imposed the sentence deemed the information about an alleged release published by some media outlets, as well as on social media as false. "The news that has been spreading for a few days has caused us plenty of outrage. People call to ask me if it is true, but it is not true," the magistrate remarked. The judge specified that after the sentence of life imprisonment was issued the convicts filed an appeal for annulment, which is still pending before the Supreme Court of Justice. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday held a meeting with chief ministers of different states through video conference on the Covid-19 lockdown, and their wishlist if the restrictions are to be eased. And except Meghalaya and Himachal Pradesh, all other states have so far express willingness to lift the Covid-19 lockdown. While all the chief ministers were present at the meeting, the fourth between PM Modi and the CMs on the coronavirus pandemic since March 20, nine of them got to speak due to time constraints. These were chief ministers of Meghalaya, Mizoram, Puducherry, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Odisha, Bihar, Gujarat and Haryana. Other chief ministers were asked to send their submissions in writing. Watch | PM Modi discusses lockdown exit strategy with CMs: All the key details Also Read: People with Covid-19 shouldnt be seen as criminals, says PM Modi The first to speak was Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma who said that the state will continue with lockdown beyond May 3 with restrictions on inter-state and inter-district movement. However, essential services and travel due to medical emergency will be allowed, he said. Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga talked about how religious they have become during the lockdown and will go buy what the Centre decides. Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy sought Centres intervention for providing Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) and other medical equipment for the states healthcare warriors. He also expressed willingness to start industries when the lockdown ends on May 3, and sought financial aid from Government of India to fight Covid-19. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat said that business and trade activities should start in a phase wise manner, with focus on all precautionary measures. We should look towards easing peoples life by turning the situation to normal. Economic revival is key to moving forward, Rawat said at the meeting. He also said that Uttarakhand, which is a tourism and pilgrimage destination, has been greatly affected by the lockdown. Also Read: 300 districts with no Covid-19 case sacred, says PM Modi Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jairam Thakur said that the state government is now in a position to start economic activities. However, lockdown should continue considering with the issue with other states as well. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said that lockdown will continue in the state till May 3. We will not dilute the guideline, and will enforce the same, Kumar said. Giving details about the measures taken by Bihar government, Kumar said, We have started door-to-door screening, like the polio campaign. Four crore people have been screened. Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said he is in favour of continuing the lockdown, but said that it is important that economic activities should be allowed. I sincerely urge the Union government to initiate measures to kickstart economy as we work together to curb the disease, said Patnaik. Union health minister Harsh Vardhan had said on Sunday that there were 300 disease-free districts in the country and another 297 districts did not have any hotspots or small areas having more than five cases. He had said that only 127 districts in the country have Covid-19 red zones. The Union health minister had said this indicated that the disease has been contained largely to hotspots. On Saturday, cabinet secretary Rajiv Gauba held a meeting with state chief secretaries, in which he indicated that there is a need to focus on containment, even while relaxing restrictions further, hinting at the Centres broad strategy after the lockdown. Warriors fans of a certain age fondly recall the Run TMC era, though Tim Hardaway, Mitch Richmond and Chris Mullin played together for only two seasons. On April 27, 1991, Mullin scored 27 points, Hardaway had 20 points and nine assists, and the Warriors rolled to a 111-98 win at San Antonio to even their best-of-five first-round playoff series at a game apiece. Mullin went 14-for-15 at the foul line. Richmond contributed 16 points. Crises are often telling indicators of an institutions fitness. The Coronavirus pandemic is currently putting governments and regional institutions like the EU under profoundly challenging stress tests. Another such regional institution is the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU), which Russian President Vladimir Putin and its champions have claimed is organized along the lines of the EU. Whatever the EUs successes or failures, it is clear that the EEU has failed to display even a semblance of the EUs cohesion. Moscow has simply disregarded the interests of its partners and pursued a sharply unilateralist policy that seriously complicated if not threatened its partners economies, particularly in Central Asia. BACKGROUND: First, Russia and Saudi Arabia jointly launched an oil price war to grab market shares from each other and throw U.S. producers to the wall. The ensuing crash of energy prices represents a serious blow to EEU member Kazakhstan, as well as Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan. These governments had to come up quickly with economic rescue plans to counter the effects of a sharp and potentially protracted fall in energy prices. The Coronavirus then began to hit them and Russia with its full force. Once again, Moscow threw them under the bus. With great fanfare, Putin dispatched a plane full of supplies to the U.S. without consulting or notifying his partners as stipulated by the EEUs rules. Russia also sent 2 million masks to China, on a similar basis. It did send Kazakhstan equipment for Corona virus testing, however, there have been no reports of subsequent dispatches of aid to Central Asia. Finally, in mid-March, Moscow shut its borders to Central Asian migrants. Russia was not alone Uzbekistan also closed its borders to Tajiks and other Central Asians. Yet while these moves may have represented sound epidemiological principles, they also came at the start of the high season for migrants looking for work in Russia and Moscow offered no compensatory gestures. Thus, for an unspecified duration, Central Asian governments and families will lose a significant amount of critical foreign earnings and remittances. The common denominator in all these events is Russias telling lack of concern for or interest in alleviating the repercussions of these moves for other members of the EEU. Even though the Coronavirus was already raging abroad, very much at the behest of Rosneft head Igor Sechin, Russia deliberately opted for an energy war with Saudi Arabia in the belief that it could outlast its rival. Apparently, no thought was given to how this would rebound on Central Asia and how that might affect Russian interests there, or to the statutes and spirit of the EEU. Predictably, given the coincidence of the Coronavirus, the ruble collapsed along with energy prices, leading to clear signs of panic in Moscow due to its profound miscalculation of the real energy market situation. Similarly, the flights to the U.S. and an equally well-publicized flight and shipments to Italy, which turned out to be largely junk, were staged for propaganda purposes and in Italys case for possible intelligence reconnaissance of NATO chemical and biological capability sites. While Central Asian states do not need Russian throwaways, the EEU is mandated to consult among its partners and there is little evidence of Russian medical or economic help to its fellow members. Lastly, the unilateral shutdown of borders with no offsetting policies also bespeaks a profound lack of interest or concern for the EEU, which Putin claimed was the cornerstone of his foreign policy when he ran for president in 2012. It is almost as if having established the EEU, Russian officials now believe they do not have to think about it or take its members interests and concerns very seriously. Russian analysts were telling Azerbaijan and by extension other regional energy producers that they expected OPEC to meet and with President Trumps influence, Riyadh and Moscow would reach a deal that raises prices. While such a deal indeed took place, it was too little and too late to rescue the oil price. Thus, Russian policy has either been wishful thinking or utterly autistic regarding its partners if not both. IMPLICATIONS: Edward Luttwak has written of great powers autism, their insensibility to the interests of other powers, not least the interests of their partners or clients. It is very clear that Russian elites have not and possibly cannot relinquish their imperial proclivities. They think about Central Asian governments as mere dependencies and second or third-rate states. Real politics and real policy therefore only occur in relationship to the U.S., China or major European governments and institutions like NATO and the EU, not Central Asia or the Caucasus. Therefore, when Russian interests, or those of a major oligarch like Sechin, are at risk these states are sacrificed. As is typical of the Putin kleptocracy, Sechin clearly thought only about what he perceived as Rosnefts interests and not those of other energy producers or of the Russian states overall economy. Yet his repeated miscalculations do not seem to have impaired his standing. For the EEU, this stress test shows once again that it is largely an institution erected by Russia to protect its imperial interests against the EU and Chinas economic power. When Russia devalued the ruble in 2014-15, it also gave little or no thought to the interests of the EEUs members and they suffered accordingly. Obviously, this kind of policymaking continues and will not stop. Yet it also vitiates any claim that the EEU operates along lines similar to that of the EU for the mutual benefit of all its members. The other EEU members all know this and are clearly looking to expand their trade and investment horizons to the West and China. The predominance of Central Asian trade with states and markets other than Russia underscores that determination to look elsewhere for other credible, real, and effective partners. Their quest for effective and genuine partners will likely continue even during the present crisis and certainly afterwards. China remains the economic powerhouse in Central Asia, but the recent U.S. and EU strategies suggested, at least before the current crisis, that they might intensify their economic presence in Central Asia. Since Central Asias needs for recovery during and after this crisis will likely grow by a factor of magnitude, the opportunity is there for all interested players to include not just China, the U.S., and he EU but also South Korea, Japan, and India to increase their economic presence in Central Asia through greater trade and investment. It should be clear from this and past episodes that Moscow is essentially an obstruction to Central Asias progress and neither can, nor will provide either the tangible or intangible resources for the region to move forward except regarding energy and weapons. Even in these areas, Russia is encountering stiff competition. The current crisis has also brutally exposed the shortcomings of institutions like the UN and the EU, not to mention regional organizations and governments elsewhere, not least the U.S. government. While most states and organizations have responded by unilateralism and an attitude of me first, it is noteworthy that Uzbekistans President Mirziyoyev has accurately read the tea leaves and is pushing for enhanced regional cooperation, including with Afghanistan, to meet this crisis. To be sure, these actions represent a continuation of what has been his consistent policy since becoming president in 2016. However, it is arguably a correct insight into what the region needs because other Central Asian states have followed suit and there is visibly more interest in regional cooperation than as late as 2015. CONCLUSIONS: The examples offered here of Russias callous disregard for Central Asian interests not only extend a long-standing Muscovite political mentality; they also are a spur towards further regional cooperation. Since Russia cannot be relied upon and Chinese help, though necessary, comes with too many strings attached, Central Asian states need not only to continue diversifying their foreign affairs portfolios, they must find ever increasing ways to work together to confront common challenges. Many institutions have found themselves weighed in the balance in this crisis and have failed to rise to the occasion. These visible failures are already driving commentators to call for a return to economic nationalism. That was tried in the 1930s and the results are all well known. Given their experience with Russia in this crisis, Central Asian governments might find creative new ways to meet challenges by innovative and deeper forms of regional cooperation. If they follow this course, not only will they profit thereby, they will be an example to the rest of us. AUTHOR'S BIO: Stephen Blank is a Senior Fellow with the Foreign Policy Research Institute (www.fpri.org). Image Source: Wikimedia Commons accessed on 4/27/20 The city will follow up with the owner of the property and attendees to ensure any health risks that could have arisen from this party are monitored and mitigated. The Department thanks the surrounding community members and Alderman Villegas for their partnership in this investigation, Agostini said. Appendix 4C - quarterly Brisbane, April 27, 2020 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Anatara Lifesciences Ltd ( ASX:ANR ) is pleased to release its Appendix 4C for the quarter ending 31st March 2020. The Company's cash plus term deposits at the end of the quarter stood at $3.3m (31st December 2019: $4.3m). On 31st March 2020, the Company had cash at bank of $2,808,802 and $500,000 in term deposits.Expenditure during the quarter was lower than forecast primarily due to timing of payments for R&D expenditure plus 11% lower than forecast non-R&D expenditure. Administration and Corporate cash outflow was reduced by 26% (Quarter) and 36% (Financial Year to Date) in March 2020 compared to the previous corresponding periods.Forecast expenditure for the June 2020 quarter is anticipated to be in line with March 2020 with a reduction in administrative, staff and corporate costs offsetting an estimated 20% increase in R&D costs as activities for development of the Company's Gastrointestinal Reprogramming (GaRP) over-the-counter (OTC) medicine advance. Cash remuneration paid to Directors and the CEO during this period will be materially reduced.Anatara made three notable announcements during the quarter; reporting the achievement of key milestones for its GaRP OTC medicine development program: (1) summary of successful preclinical data; (2) registered office moves to Melbourne reducing expenditure on the Brisbane office; (3) COVID-19 market update.The Company remains highly encouraged by the successful in vitro and in vivo preclinical data reported for its GaRP OTC medicine to date. Anatara anticipates a delay, to late second half of 2020, for commencement of its clinical trial in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Anatara has designed a decentralised trial allowing participants to be recruited and participate remotely. It is anticipated that this trial design will enable recruitment of participants and higher retention rates than traditional centralised trials. Anatara has initiated partnering discussions with multinational consumer health companies.In parallel, the Company continues to advance licensing discussions with potential animal health partners for our core animal asset, Detach(R), with the aim of meeting our partnering milestone of end Q2 2020. We do not anticipate a material delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Anatara will monitor developments around COVID-19 and if needed, will update the market accordingly.Anatara CEO, Mr Steven Lydeamore said, "During these uncertain times, the Company remains optimistic that the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic will be limited to medium-term delays in accomplishing our corporate objectives."To view the full report, please visit:About Anatara Lifesciences Limited Anatara Lifesciences Limited (ASX:ANR) is developing and commercialising innovative, evidence-based products for gastrointestinal health where there is significant unmet need. Anatara is a life sciences company with expertise in developing products for animal and human health. Anatara is focused on building a pipeline of human gastrointestinal health products. Underlying this product development program is our commitment to delivering real outcomes for patients and strong value for our shareholders. For more information, please visit www.anataralifesciences.com. Bhubaneswar, April 27 : Odisha Health Minister Naba Kishore Das on Monday said that the COVID-19 lockdown should be extended for another month. "There is a need for the extension of lockdown and it should further be extended by one month," said Das after attending the video-conferencing of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Ministers of all states. The Health Minister also said that the Central government should come up with specific guidelines for migrant labourers. "We have stressed on the safe passage of Odia migrants stranded in other states. A clear guideline regarding treatment and transportation of the stranded migrants is likely to come up by April 30," he added. The Minister said other states have agreed to the state's demand of conducting the COVID-19 test of stranded labourers in the respective states before sending them back to the state. He said that almost all districts are equipped to handle the return of migrants. Das assured that the situation in Odisha is under control as compared to other states. WSU Summer Semester Offers Incentives for Students April 27, 2020 OGDEN, Utah When life changed suddenly for Weber High graduate Anderson Clements, he decided not to delay his educational pursuits, so he enrolled in summer semester at Weber State University to begin a degree in engineering. Clements is one of thousands of missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who returned home as a result of the coronavirus outbreak and who must now determine the next course of action. Although Clements originally had planned to live and attend college away from home, he decided it was a better option to enroll immediately and get started toward the career hed always planned. The choice is temporary as I plan to return to my mission, Clements said. But it feels like the saying, When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Life has given me this weird slot of time, and I want to find the best way to use it and make the best of my situation. Summer semester begins May 4, and all courses will be offered online or in a virtual format, which allows students flexibility to attend, no matter where they are living during the COVID pandemic. Enrolling in the summer has always offered some attractive advantages. Summer classes tend to have fewer students, allowing for more time to interact with faculty to pursue individual academic interests in depth. The Financial Aid & Scholarship Office offers many summer scholarships and other financial aid incentives to encourage students to get a step ahead in their education by getting in additional credits during one academic year. Summer 2020 scholarships are still available, and students are encouraged to apply. Out-of-state students also pay in-state rates for summer courses. In addition to the pandemic, we understand that church missions, military service and other volunteer opportunities such as the Peace Corps interrupt education, said Jed Spencer, financial aid director. We want to make it as convenient and welcoming as possible for students to continue their education. Summer is a great option to consider. Summer courses are offered with three options: 14-week full semester (May 4Aug. 7); first 7-week block (May 4June 19); second 7-week block (June 22Aug. 7). For Clements the choice to enroll was easy; much of his family graduated from Weber State, including his mother who graduated in communication and his father who earned an engineering degree. He also has nearly a years worth of credit with Concurrent Enrollment and Advanced Placement courses. Depending on how long the mission break lasts, Clements may be able to complete an associate degree before he goes back out. Many things could happen from here, Clements said. But I feel as if Ive been thrown a lot of curveballs recently, and getting enrolled in summer lets me be in charge of my life. Visit weber.edu/summer for more information about enrolling in summer. Hundreds of InterContinental Groups hotels have been closed across the world (Nick Ansell/PA) The owner of Holiday Inn has said that around half of its hotels across Europe and other regions have closed as the coronavirus sweeps across continents. InterContinental Hotels revealed that 50% of its hotels in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Australia have shut their doors, with 10% of its US hotels are also currently closed. And the group said the sites that remain open are struggling, with an occupancy rate in the low-to-mid 20% range. The company has tried to shore up its financial position ahead of a meagre set of results, due early next month. It has tapped into the Bank of Englands lending scheme designed to help struggling larger businesses through the crisis. InterContinental said it had issued 600 million in commercial paper short-term loans designed to fund companies day-to-day business as part of the Covid Corporate Financing Facility. It has also committed to keeping 400 million US dollars (322 million) in assets that are easy to sell off to convert into cash until June 30 next year. Bosses warned that this would take a serious chunk out of the businesss financial results for the first quarter. They expect to show investors a 55% drop in global revenue per available room, a key measure in the hotel sector, when results are released on May 7. It will contribute to a 25% drop across the three months as a whole, InterContinental warned. However, there is light at the end of the tunnel for the hotel giant in China, where all but 12 of its hotels have reopened. Last month InterContinental reported that revenue per available room was down 90% in the February, as dozens of its 470 sites in the country closed. As she handed over a cheque of Rs 5,000 for the chief minister's relief fund for COVID-19 on Monday at her modest home here, 28-year-old Shabina Saifi presented a picture of pride and fortitude. Stricken by polio at the age of two, Shabina was unable to walk and later suffered vision loss. She was interested in studying music and now takes care of her mother and brother by giving musical performances. And though the ongoing lockdown has affected her livelihood, she decided to donate the money she collected from her 'disability pension' of Rs 500 per month for the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. "It may not be a big addition to the CM's fund, but I want to give a message that if anyone wants to help, he or she can do that in any circumstances. Our daily needs are unending. We have to put a brake somewhere if we really want to help," said Shabina, who has never been to a school. At a time when everyone is anxious due to the prevailing uncertainty, wasn't it difficult to give away the money she had collected for 10 months? How will she run her house? "Uparwala chalayega. Hum thodey mein kaam chala lengey (God will help. I will manage in less amount)," she told PTI while replying to the queries. "I have some savings also that I have earned by giving music performance. People do help me but due to the lockdown, it is not possible. Let this coronavirus problem be over, that's what we all want," she added. State Bank of India officials including the branch manager of Sahadatganj visited her on Monday and received the donation. "I could never go to school. When I was two years old, I was stricken by polio and I also became blind. As I wanted to do something, I requested my father to provide me training in music. I did 'Prabhakar' (degree) in music and participated in competitions in Yuva Mahotasava in Lucknow from 2006 to 2016," she said. "I have given performances in various districts of Uttar Pradesh and performed for All India Radio also," she said. Shabina has received various awards, citations, certificates of excellence and also State Award from UP government in 2018. For her inspiring achievements in the field of music, the National Award for Role Model 2019 under the category multiple disability was conferred upon her by the Vice President. Shabina also appealed to other people to come forward and help in the efforts to fight the pandemic, saying "it gives a great feeling". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) New Jersey could be looking at a regional approach to gradually reopen from the near lockdown restrictions put in place by the coronavirus outbreak. For North Jersey residents who commute into New York City on mass transit, for example, could they be treated differently than people in other parts of the state? Yes, says Gov. Phil Murphy. All considerations are on the table without question, Murphy said Monday during an appearance on CNBC Monday morning. His appearance came a few hours ahead of when he plans to unveil a broad blueprint on how he will plan to slowly lift restrictions put in place to mitigate the spread of the virus. Murphy has already joined a seven-state regional approach including New York and Pennsylvania to rolling back coronavirus restrictions. We not only have a regional council, ... but were going to announce a council that is advising us explicitly for New Jersey matters within the next day or so, and those are the sorts of issues and questions were talking about, Murphy said. "We are part of the metro New York saga," says @NJGov @GovMurphy on #COVID19. "How we handle [commuting] will be a big piece of this." pic.twitter.com/LAxPZZnzGK Squawk Box (@SquawkCNBC) April 27, 2020 New York state has led the country with coronavirus infections and deaths, and New York City has emerged as a national epicenter of the outbreak. New Jersey ranks second in cases nationally. Were part of the metro New York saga here, and that includes the six counties that are northeast that contribute the most amount of commuting in and out of New York, Murphy said. And how we handle that will be a big piece of this without question. What the answer is, Im not sure yet at this point, but without question thats thats one of the challenges weve got. CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live map tracker | Newsletter | Homepage On Sunday night, Murphy tweeted a logo touting The Road Back: Restoring Economic Health through Public Health" with the promise of more details at a noon briefing in Trenton, when state officials will also detail the latest status of the outbreak that has infected 109,038 and killed 5,938 New Jersey residents. Murphy has previously referred to the plan as a broad blueprint and warned last week that it would likely lack firm dates. Instead, the plan is expected to outline specific benchmarks including declines in cases or hospitalizations, expanded testing capacity and contact tracing that would trigger the gradual unraveling of the lockdown. As of Sunday night, New Jersey had 6,407 patients being treated in hospitals for coronavirus or with suspected cases, the lowest in at least three weeks. Thats also down 23% from the peak on April 14 of 8,293 patients and marked the sixth consecutive day of declines. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Matt Arco may be reached at marco@njadvancemedia.com. In the current climate of coronavirus fear, even the start of a mild cough can be cause for concern. The fact that young children may be unable to describe other, less obvious symptoms can make the start of a cough even more worrying. But a cough doesn't necessarily mean Covid-19, of course. As well as being caused by other less serious respiratory illnesses such as a cold, a cough may be caused by asthma, which is diagnosed in around one in 11 children and, unlike other lung diseases, has a far higher incidence in children than in adults. But, as World Asthma Day (May 5) approaches, how can you tell the difference between an asthma cough and a coronavirus cough? Here, the experts answer questions about spotting the difference. My child has started coughing - what should I do? GP and respiratory expert Dr Noel Baxter, medical adviser at Asthma UK, says: "If your child has a new cough or their cough is getting worse, you should contact your GP to get the right advice and find out what to do next. You shouldn't try to diagnose your child on your own." What are the main differences between an asthma cough and a Covid-19 one? The Asthma Society of Ireland (asthma.ie) says: "The respiratory symptoms associated with Covid-19 are similar to asthma - shortness of breath, and cough. The symptom which differentiates asthma from Covid-19 is experiencing a new fever. Fever is the symptom that has been most common of any symptom in confirmed cases of Covid-19." Baxter adds: "Are other people in the home having temperatures and coughs? This could be Covid-19, but remember this could also be other bacterial or viral infections of the respiratory system that are still around at this time of year. "If your child is having a cough because of asthma, they may also be wheezing. This is a faint whistling sound that comes from your child's chest. The cough will tend to be dry with sometimes a small amount of pale yellow phlegm." My child already has asthma - how do I tell if it's causing her cough? Baxter advises parents to look at their child's written personal asthma action plan, made with their health care professional. "This will refresh your memory about what your child's asthma symptoms are normally like," he says. "This is by far the best place to start. After the pandemic, this asthma action plan will continue to help you and your child whenever they get respiratory symptoms in the future. "Covid-19, just like any other winter cold virus, can trigger an asthma attack. This would be the most likely impact of Covid-19 in a child with asthma. That's good news because we have rapidly effective treatments for an asthma attack, which will be detailed in your asthma action plan. "Although this is less common, your child may have a cough because the Covid-19 virus has caused an airways infection, which includes the more serious situation of pneumonia. So, it's possible to have an asthma cough and a Covid-19 cough at the same time." What normally triggers your child's cough? Baxter says parents of children who already have asthma should ascertain whether the child has been exposed to any of their usual asthma triggers. "For example, did the cough start after walking through the park where the grass has just been mown," he asks. "Are they being more exposed than usual to the air freshener in your home? Have they been stroking a cat? If the cough seems to be linked to any of their usual triggers, it's more likely to be asthma." What does your child's cough sound like? It's not easy for doctors to tell what's causing a cough just by its sound. "There are a few situations where we can, such as croup, which sounds like a loud barking noise. While doctors might get some clues, it's quite hard to tell what's causing the cough just by sound," explains Baxter. How long have they had the cough for? Asthma coughs may develop over weeks, whereas with Covid-19, the cough starts and gets worse in hours or days, not weeks, says Baxter. "If your child has had an asthma attack before, you will probably remember that the cough tends to be worse in the morning and at night," he adds. "This variation depending on the time of day is quite common with asthma. You wouldn't expect this with the Covid-19 cough as much." What should I do if I think my child's cough is asthma? Make an appointment with your GP. Also try to keep a diary of their symptoms and take it to the appointment, advises Baxter. "Getting a confirmed asthma diagnosis for your child can be worrying for many parents," he adds. "But your doctor will give you a personal action plan for your child. If your child takes their medicines regularly, goes for asthma reviews and uses the correct inhaler technique, they and you can feel confident that having asthma won't hold them back from doing anything. "Remember, if your child is coughing or their asthma symptoms are worsening, make an urgent appointment to talk to your GP. Getting their symptoms under control cuts the risk of an asthma attack." SHELTON The citys coronavirus-related death toll rose by five with two laboratory-confirmed and three more listed as probable COVID-19-associated deaths. The Naugatuck Valley Health District released information Monday that has laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 deaths, which stand at 74, as well as probable coronavirus associated deaths. That number stands at 15, meaning Shelton could have 89 total deaths related to the pandemic. Our thoughts and prayers are with their families, said NVHD Director Jessica Stelmaszek. Stelmaszek stated that the addition of probable COVID-19 associated death data is now being reported in response to the state of Connecticut now reporting probable death data. Our condolences continue go out to the families and friends of those who have passed away, said city Public Safety Director Michael Maglione, adding that, beside the vast number in the nursing homes and assisted living facilities, there are more than 140 different spots with individuals testing positive throughout Shelton, with varying age ranges. The latest two laboratory-confirmed deaths were residents of nursing homes in the city. Data show that 258, or 26 percent, of the 978 confirmed cases among Valley residents are individuals who currently reside in a nursing home, assisted living facility, group home or similar setting. Overall, 165 of Sheltons 376 confirmed COVID-19 cases are residents of nursing or assisting living facilities. According to NVHD data, 87, or 33 percent, of the 258 individuals have died due to COVID-19 complications. Overall, there are 978 positive cases in the Valley and 98 laboratory confirmed COVID-19 related deaths with 19 in Seymour, two each in Derby and Ansonia, and one in Naugatuck. In all, 81 of those deaths were residents of nursing homes or assisted living facilities. Including the probable COVID-19-related deaths brings the Valley total to 116, with the 15 in Shelton and one each in Seymour, Naugatuck and Ansonia. In all, using the state numbers, some 35 percent of the 476 nursing home residents in Shelton have at least tested positive for COVID-19. No records are released on hospitalizations. Statewide, positive cases sit at 25,269 10,529 of those in Fairfield County with 1,924 deaths from COVID-19-related complications. Overall, there are 1,766 people a drop of more than 40 in 24 hours hospitalized with COVID-19. The numbers have prompted Gov. Ned Lamont to order that all residents wear masks or facial coverings when in public while also maintaining social distancing if leaving their home is necessary. For public health surveillance, laboratory-confirmed COVID-19-associated deaths are defined as patients who tested positive for COVID-19 around the time of death, said Stelmaszek, adding that this is not a determination of the cause of death. Area health district officials are continuing to urge residents to stay home as much as possible and practice social distancing by keeping six feet between you and others if you must go out. To minimize the amount of people who can be exposed, Stelmaszek said families should designate one person per household to do grocery shopping or other necessary errands. Of the Valley laboratory-confirmed COVID-19-related deaths, 72 were people 80 and older, 20 were between 70 and 79, five were between 60 and 69 years of age, and one was between 40 and 49. Beside Sheltons 376 positive cases reported Monday, there were 167 in Naugatuck, 163 in Ansonia, 145 in Seymour, 94 in Derby and 33 in Beacon Falls. Positive cases cover a wide range of ages, with Valley data showing that 188 people are 80 and older; 89 are between 70 and 79; 155 are between 60 and 69; 157 are between 50 and 59; 148 are between 40 and 49; 132 are between 30 and 39; 89 are between 20 and 29; and 10 between 10 and 19 years of age. Lamonts executive orders have shuttered all schools until at least May 20 and directed employees at nonessential businesses to stay home until further notice. Gatherings of more than five people are prohibited. The governor has stated that schools may remain closed until the fall. Residents should continue to heed the advice of their chief elected officials and stay home as much as possible and continue to practice social distancing to avoid exposure and further spread of the virus, Stelmaszek said. The state Department of Public Health now publishes a report at ct.gov/coronavirus that breaks down positive COVID-19 cases by town. brian.gioiele@hearstmediact.com Beijing's state media has blasted US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo as 'an enemy to world peace' after he warned that China will 'pay a price for what they did' over the country's coronavirus cover-up. State-run Global Times responded to Pompeo's remarks yesterday by suggesting that Pompeo 'is poisoning US diplomacy with his personal hatred of the Chinese political system.' The comment came after Pompeo declared on Thursday that Americans are angry over China 's handling of the coronavirus outbreak, saying that the country caused an 'enormous amount of pain' by 'not sharing the information they had.' The news comes as Wuhan, where the global coronavirus pandemic began in December, yesterday discharged its last COVID-19 patient, health officials said. The picture taken on March 24 shows staff members lining up as they prepare to spray disinfectant at Wuhan Railway Station before the city lifted its lockdown Beijing's state media has blasted US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo 'an enemy to world peace' after he boasted that China will 'pay a price for what they did' over the country's coronavirus cover-up during an interview with FOX The Chinese state media outlet wrote in an opinion article on Sunday: 'Despite being the chief diplomat of the US, he totally betrayed the basic responsibility with which he is entrusted to promote international understanding. He has become the enemy of world peace.' Pompeo made his claims while speaking on Fox News Thursday, asserting that President Donald Trump also blamed China for the global pandemic. 'China caused an enormous amount of pain, loss of life and now a huge challenge for the global economy and the American economy as well by not sharing the information they had,' Pompeo said. Pompeo declared on Thursday that Americans are angry over China 's handling of the coronavirus outbreak, saying that the country caused an 'enormous amount of pain' by 'not sharing the information they had.' FILE: Chinese President Xi Jinping at 2018 APEC forum Pompeo continued by expressing worry that there was a lot that the Chinese government had not disclosed about its handling of COVID-19 outbreak. The picture shows a patient who recovered from the coronavirus donating blood in Wuhan on February 18 The US official continued by expressing worry that there was a lot that the Chinese government had not disclosed about its handling of COVID-19 outbreak. 'I'm still concerned there are things we don't know. We don't know the history, and we haven't been able to get our team on the ground to do the work it needs to do,' Pompeo said. 'This is an ongoing challenge in that the Chinese Communist Party and the World Health Organization have failed to do the things they have the responsibility to do when they have a pandemic inside of their country.' Pompeo warned that China will 'pay a price for what they did' and said that the administration was working towards tackling the virus after its delayed response. '[Americans] know this is a result of the virus that originated in Wuhan, China, and they know the Chinese government didn't do the things it needed to do,' he claimed. In an opinion column published on Sunday, Global Times commented on Pompeo's remarks and slammed him as 'an enemy to world peace'. 'He is playing with fire, making the 21st century an era of major power confrontation and undermining the foundations for peace,' the paper asserted. 'Geopolitics cannot dominate the world anymore. Pompeo and his like are desperately pulling the world backwards. They are unable to handle a diverse and complicated new century and so they attempt to resume the Cold War. They can only 'realize their ambition' in polarized confrontation.' In an opinion column published on Sunday, Global Times commented on Pompeo's remarks and slammed him as 'an enemy to world peace'. The picture shows a worker wears a face mask with a sticker of the Chinese flag at the Tianhe Airport in Wuhan after it reopened on April 8 Pompeo made his remarks while speaking on ' Hannity ' Thursday, making the assertion that President Donald Trump also blamed China for COVID-19 The state media also called the US official 'delusional' and 'foolish' by attempting to 'drive a wedge' between the Communist Party and Chinese people. 'Under the leadership of the CPC, China quickly controlled the epidemic after the outbreak, while the Chinese people witnessed the US medical system collapsed with a climbing death toll that meant a much higher cost in lives than China,' Global Times said. 'Lies may fulfill Pompeo's personal ambition, but they will never accomplish the US dreams to be 'great again.' Pompeo is not only a figure harmful to world peace, but also should be listed as the worst US secretary of state in its history,' the state media concluded. Pompeo boasted that China will 'pay a price for what they did' and said that the administration was working towards tackling the virus after its delayed response. Firefighters and paramedics assist a potential COVID-19 patient onto the stretcher on April 25 in Maryland Pompeo has also told his Southeast Asian counterparts that China is taking advantage of the worlds preoccupation with the coronavirus pandemic to push its territorial ambitions in the South China Sea. 'Beijing has moved to take advantage of the distraction, from China's new unilateral announcement of administrative districts over disputed islands and maritime areas in the South China Sea,' he said in a meeting Thursday via video to discuss the outbreak with the foreign ministers of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations. 'Its sinking of a Vietnamese fishing vessel earlier this month, and its 'research stations' on Fiery Cross Reef and Subi Reef.' Pompeo also accused China of deploying militarised ships to intimidate other claimant countries from developing offshore gas and oil projects. FILE: The picture taken on April 12, 2018, shows Chinese President Xi Jinping reviewing the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy fleet in the South China Sea China is taking advantages of the coronavirus pandemic to push territory ambitions, Pompeo says US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has told his Southeast Asian counterparts that China is taking advantage of the world's preoccupation with the coronavirus pandemic to push its territorial ambitions in the South China Sea. During a meeting with the foreign ministers of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations on Thursday, the American official said that Beijing has used the health crisis as a distraction to make moves on disputed islands in the South China Sea. Beijing's expansive territorial claims in the South China Sea conflict with those of ASEAN members Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Indonesia. Pompeo also accused China of deploying militarised ships to intimidate other claimant countries from developing offshore gas and oil projects. FILE: The picture taken on September 14, 2014, shows Chinese tourists taking souvenir photos with the Chinese national flag as they visit Quanfu Island, one of Paracel Islands of Sansha prefecture of southern China's Hainan province in the South China Sea China's recent actions in the South China Sea are a continuation of its more aggressive approach to asserting its territorial claims but are provoking ever more outrage among its Southeast Asian neighbours, says Greg Poling, director of the U.S. Council for Strategic and International Studies' Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative. Incidents such as the sinking of a Vietnamese fishing boat in the Paracel island group and the deployment of a Chinese survey ship to Malaysian waters 'aren't exactly new,' Poling told The Associated Press in an email. 'But whats new is the outrage Southeast Asian states feel over seeing this business-as-usual intimidation at a time when they're struggling with a pandemic that is at least partly Beijing's fault,' Poling wrote. China's response to their outcries has been to 'double down on nationalism, seemingly in-line with the broader 'Wolf Warrior' chest-thumping we're seeing from authorities in Beijing recently,' he added in reference to a pair of jingoistic Chinese action films that have become a byword for a muscular Chinese foreign policy. Advertisement China is facing a public relations catastrophe after the anger is growing globally at the country's apparent cover-up over the true scale of its coronavirus epidemic. World leaders including President Donald Trump, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Emmanuel Macron, Australia's Foreign Minister Marise Payne have expressed concerns over Beijing's transparency amid the outbreak. Tensions between the US and China have heightened during the pandemic as politicians from both countries fire at each other with conspiracy theories about the origins of COVID-19. The state of Missouri has filed a lawsuit against the Chinese government over the coronavirus crisis on April 21, claiming that China's officials are to blame for the devastating outbreak that's sweeping the globe. China has blasted the lawsuit 'ridiculous' and 'malicious', asserting that Missouri's accusation against China 'has absolutely no facts or lawful evidence'. "You're held by love." This hand drawn note is one of many hospital chaplain Claire Bohman leaves for Covid-19 patients in the ICU. She hopes the message brings comfort to those who awaken from a medically induced coma without their family beside them. "It's my calling to show up and be a presence in the face of human suffering," says Bohman, executive director of the Sojourn Chaplaincy at San Francisco General Hospital. "And right now, that suffering is compounded by Covid." The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted how we grieve and heal. Families are forced to stay apart to stay healthy. It is in this space hospital chaplains have become intermediaries providing messages of love, support and compassion during a time of physical distancing. "I'm so grateful for the technology that we have," says Bohman, who coordinates with family members over the phone about the spiritual support they wish to provide their loved ones. "I've been drawing pictures and notes for patients in the ICU for their family members, so that when they're awake, they're going to see a drawing from their family, even though their family can't physically do the drawing for them." The Sojourn Chaplaincy also works with a sewing group that makes blankets for newborns. Now, they donate blankets to Covid-19 patients as a way of offering support and connection. "It's scary to do this work right now," says Bohman. "But there's nowhere else I would be." Love looks like staying six feet away After long days of providing emotional support in the ICU, Laurent LeBien comes home to his family. And he weeps. "We have notions of what a 'good death' might look like," says LeBien, a staff chaplain at East Jefferson General Hospital near New Orleans. "That might be a peaceful passing in my sleep, with loved ones and friends around. All of the sudden, this is not possible." To help minimize the spread of coronavirus, hospitals have placed restrictions on visitors. Waiting rooms, hallways and cafeterias once filled with patients' family and friends can be eerily quiet. While exceptions can be granted, many patients are hospitalized without ever having loved ones beside them. LeBien has been a hospital chaplain for five years. He's used to helping others find their resiliency, strength and gifts that help them navigate the gravest of circumstances. But now, he must do so from six feet away. "Every fiber of my being would want to go comfort that person, hug that person, put a hand on a shoulder," says LeBien. "I try to explain as best as I am able, here are the reasons that we cannot do that." But what he can do is be a "family surrogate" to both Covid and non-Covid patients, a role LeBien sees as an honor. He arranges phone calls and FaceTime meetings between patients and their families. He stays in regular contact with their loved ones so that when patients awake, he can offer encouraging updates. Touchstones like "your granddaughter says hello; your two daughters are thinking about you; the folks you work with, they've been calling your wife and checking up on you." But the hardest calls LeBien has to make are when a family member has died. "I may be calling you within half an hour, and you really haven't even had the time to process that grief, and I'm saying, 'Can you tell me the name of the funeral home?'" These were calls LeBien never had to make before the age of coronavirus, before the nation's healthcare system became overwhelmed. This acute strain on hospital staff is something LeBien also tries to help relieve. He brings power bars and pins up inspirational notes in break rooms, ranging from prayers to encouraging letters from elementary school children. "Love is the bottom line. Love is what matters. Regardless of all the great faiths, somewhere, one of their cornerstones is you love your neighbor," says LeBien. "What a time for us to be able to do that." 'I can't touch you, but I can hear you' Death served as the bookends to Stephanie Welsh's Wednesday. Her morning began with it, when she was called to provide grief support to a mother who didn't yet know her son had died. And then later, when a man soon to celebrate his 65th wedding anniversary lost his wife. "When he was told, after it registered he broke down," says Welsh, a chaplain with the University of Chicago Medicine. "There was no way that I could let this 80-something year old man just break down without, at minimum, me putting my hand on his shoulder to provide some level of comfort to him." She wasn't alone, she says. The doctor did the same. Welsh supports the hospital's surgical and cardiac ICUs, burn unit, and family birth center, as well as its trauma service line. In addition to being a spiritual guide, chaplains often help people navigate the inner workings of a hospital. But they can also be a friend. Before coronavirus, Welsh wouldn't hesitate to offer a hug to those in need. These days, she has to stop herself. "It becomes very difficult to offer compassion just with words and not provide gentle touch when it's apparent that's something an individual needs," says Welsh. "I have to force myself to do something that is absolutely counter to who I am." While a warm embrace is no longer a safe option, Welsh has found other ways of offering support. She sets up phone calls and FaceTime meetings between patients and their families. And she sits with them to bear witness to their experience. "I can't touch you, but I can hear you. I can listen to you," says Welsh. "I can listen to the patient and normalize their feelings of loss ... I can affirm their grief in that moment and help them understand, 'Look, what you are feeling is OK to feel.'" The emotional struggles that physical distancing creates can be overwhelming. But if we reflect on this, Welsh says, it offers some important themes. "Spend(ing) some time in contemplation on this pandemic, I think one of the themes will be that of how short life is, and how important it is not to take life for granted. And how important it is not to take those who are close to you for granted." LONDON - Boris Johnson, perhaps the world's most famous coronavirus patient, was back at work Monday - after spending the worst of Britain's epidemic sidelined, first in self-isolation, then struggling to breathe in the hospital, and later in recovery in the countryside. Johnson has been absent for most of the six weeks of lockdown he ordered in March. Almost all of the coronavirus deaths that Britain has seen - more than 21,000 in total - took place after the prime minister himself entered the hospital and disappeared from public view. Nearly four million workers were furloughed while Johnson was sick and struggling to get well. His illness rattled the country, and even those who disliked him cheered for his return. But he may not get much of a grace period. Tough questions have been raised about why his lockdown didn't come sooner, and why his government has struggled to deploy testing and provide protective equipment for frontline health workers. There is also growing pressure from some quarters to loosen the lockdown and reopen the economy. On Monday morning, the prime minister appeared outside 10 Downing Street and apologized for being "away from my desk for much longer than I would have liked." He thanked the ministers who stood in while he was away, as well as the people for their "sheer grit and guts." "If this virus were a physical assailant, an unexpected and invisible mugger - which I can tell you from personal experience, it is - then this is the moment when we have begun together to wrestle it to the floor," he said, standing at a lectern in a blue suit and red tie, with his yellow mop of hair as artfully askew as ever. But he urged Britons not to lose patience with the lockdown, saying this was still a "moment of maximum risk." "I know it is tough, and I want to get this economy moving as fast as I can, but I refuse to throw away all the effort and the sacrifice of the British people and to risk a second major outbreak and huge loss of life," he said. Although aides and colleagues stressed that Johnson was "in good spirits" during his illness, the prime minister has conceded he could have been one of the dead. Upon his release from the hospital, Johnson said it "could have gone either way" while he was in intensive care. His aides say he was given "oxygen therapy" but never put on a mechanical ventilator. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, who served as leader of the country for the past three weeks, said Sunday that his thoughts had always been for Johnson and his family, "particularly when we knew it was touch and go." The prime minister's father, Stanley Johnson, told broadcasters, that his son "almost took one for the team." Monday was the first time Britons had seen their prime minister in public since March 26, three days after he ordered the lockdown. In that last public appearance, when he stood outside 10 Downing Street to applaud National Health Service workers, he was already sick and suffering from a persistent cough and high temperature. The next morning, his official spokesman revealed that Johnson had tested positive for the coronavirus. For 10 days, as Johnson isolated himself in the prime minister's residence and had his meals left on a tray at the door, his aides insisted he was continuing to lead the country's response to the virus via telephone call and videoconference. During that time, Johnson posted several short videos, in which he looked drained and pale. Even after he was hospitalized on April 5, Johnson's aides maintained he was working from his bed. But after he was moved to the intensive care unit the next day, he officially handed control to Raab. When Johnson went into the hospital, there had been 555 coronavirus deaths recorded in England and Wales, and fewer than 100 in Northern Ireland and Scotland. By the time he returned to his leadership role on Monday, more than 21,000 people had died of the virus - meaning he was out-of-commission for more than 97 percent of the deaths. While Johnson was recovering, a Sunday Times article, headlined "38 days when Britain sleepwalked into disaster," criticized his administration for being slow to act. The article said that even before Johnson became sick, he had missed five of the government's emergency "COBRA" crisis meetings on the novel coronavirus. In January, the article said, Johnson was focused on Brexit. In February, he was distracted by his personal life. In mid-February, Johnson agreed to a divorce settlement with Marina Wheeler, with whom he has four children. At the end of the month, Johnson and his 32-year-old partner, Carrie Symonds, announced their engagement and said they are expecting a baby in early summer. In mid-February, Johnson was criticized for going on a "working holiday" with Symonds to Chevening, a grace-and-favor mansion, instead of attending to the threat of the coronavirus or visiting flood-hit communities in Yorkshire and Wales. "WhereIsBoris" trended on social media in the United Kingdom. Jeremy Corbyn, who was then leader of the opposition Labour Party, labeled Johnson a "part-time" prime minister. Britain is looking for Johnson's leadership now. While he has been sidelined by illness, businesses and workers have been flogged. Economists estimate that the coronavirus lockdown might be sapping almost $3 billion a day out of the British economy. But while many countries around the world begin to lift strict stay-at-home measures and reopen businesses, Johnson signaled that Britain was not ready to ease up. A second spike in infections would, he said, be an economic "disaster." "I ask you to contain your impatience, because I believe we are coming now to the end of the first phase of this conflict, and, in spite of all the suffering, we have so nearly succeeded." SEOUL, South Korea South Korea is confident that there is no basis to the recent swirl of rumors that the Norths leader, Kim Jong-un, is gravely ill, the Souths chief policymaker on the North said in comments reported on Monday. Our government has enough information-gathering capabilities to say confidently that there is nothing unusual about Mr. Kims health, Kim Yeon-chul, South Koreas unification minister, said during a forum on Sunday. Video footage of his comments was made available on Monday. The comments were South Koreas most categorical rebuttal yet of the recent reports about the North Korean leader, some of which said that he was in grave danger or had become brain-dead or was in a vegetative state after botched heart-valve surgery. It is highly unusual for a senior South Korean official to publicly dispute news reports about what is happening inside North Koreas secretive leadership. Normally, South Korean officials maintain a neither-confirm-nor-deny policy, at least on the record, for fear of disturbing sensitive relations between the two Koreas. Tonya Pace was pleased when Safeway started implementing safety measures last month to protect employees and customers from the spread of COVID-19, but she remains worried that those steps wont be enough to prevent her from contracting the virus. Pace, a Safeway cashier in Forest Grove, said some customers dont maintain social distance as they move through the narrow aisles of her store and others ignore guidelines entirely. Some customers have grown angry when they are asked to pack their own reusable bags. Others dont wear face masks and cough or sneeze while she rings them up. I have considered taking a leave of absence because I am high risk, but financially I cant do that, said Pace, 42, who has an autoimmune disease. I pretty much live paycheck to paycheck. I wouldnt qualify for unemployment if I suddenly left my job. After the death of a Whole Foods employee in Portland was attributed to COVID-19 last week, grocery workers around the Portland area expressed concerns about how customers are reacting to safety measures and questioned whether enforcement of those policies is adequate. Grocers have reduced hours to give employees more time to restock shelves and deep-clean heavily trafficked areas, they have installed plexiglass barriers at checkout lines to protect cashiers, and supermarkets have mandated that employees wear store-provided safety gear. New Seasons Market and World Foods also recently announced they will require customers to wear face masks while shopping in their stores. Some grocery stores have been flexible with assigning hours and have implemented measures to ensure that employees can take paid time off if they exhibit COVID-19 symptoms as well. Mary Marcella, a part-time cook at New Seasons Market in Lake Oswego, said that she was paid for working 24 hours a week over the last month, though she only worked four hours a week. The store allowed her time off to care for her twin boys after schools closed. She is now returning to a 24-hour weekly schedule, but the store will allow her to work away from the public in the kitchen or complete her shift before the store opens. Theyve been so accommodating...if you dont feel comfortable or if any of your normal shifts would have put you in the line of fire, Marcella said. They are moving people around daily, letting them work in departments that they dont usually work in, shifting hours, shifting days. Its like whatever you need, theyre doing it. But new measures and special accommodations havent eased the concerns of all grocery store workers, especially among those who interact with customers. Grocery stores have drawn the third-largest share of Oregon complaints about working conditions during the COVID-19 crisis. (The healthcare sector has drawn the most complaints of any industry, by far.) The total number of Oregon grocery store workers who have contracted or tested positive for COVID-19 is unclear, although several chains have announced positive tests. Whole Foods announced last week that an employee at its Pearl District location in Portland had died from COVID-19 on April 20. The company would not identify the employees role or say when that employee last worked, citing privacy concerns. A 65-year-old Multnomah County man with underlying medical conditions was the only person reported to have died in Oregon on April 20. Whole Foods also announced an employee at its Hollywood location in Northeast Portland had tested positive for the virus. WinCo announced earlier this month that three workers in two Oregon stores had tested positive for the virus as well. Fred Meyer, New Seasons and Safeway have each announced positive coronavirus tests among their employees. I certainly applaud the steps that the stores have taken, but I think there are two or three steps that need to be taken for us to end up where these essential employees in these stores deserve to be, said Dan Clay, the president of United Food and Commercial Workers, Local 555, which represents Safeway, Albertsons and Fred Meyer employees. I think social distancing needs to be better enforced and customers need to wear masks because everybody needs to be protected from everybody else at this point, Clay said. Three Fred Meyer employees who asked to remain anonymous to speak freely about their company expressed concerns about the number of customers being allowed in their stores. Fred Meyer announced earlier this month that it would limit the number of people allowed inside stores to one person per 120 square feet to ensure that customers could adhere to proper social distancing. A spokesman for the retailer said that the number of people allowed inside at one time would be based solely on the square footage of a stores food department. But the three Fred Meyer employees said that they still feel that too many people are being allowed into their stores and called for safety measures to be actively enforced throughout stores to ensure that customers adhere to the regulations. A 24-year-old employee at the Hollywood Fred Meyer in Northeast Portland said that leadership at the store had been slow to adhere to safety measures and she had seen supervisors improperly using face masks by wearing them on their chins. A 33-year-old employee at a Fred Meyer in Hillsboro said she was stocking mushrooms on the produce wall when a customer reached directly over her to grab an item, touching her on the head. I have been wearing a mask, but Ive been around so many people that havent, like customers that are coming in, she said. I see people who come in every day, not just when its essential. Ive been around people who are coughing and sneezing. I think about the fact that its something that is completely and utterly out of my control, no matter how much I try to protect myself, Im still at risk for what other people decide to do. -- Jamie Goldberg | jgoldberg@oregonian.com | @jamiebgoldberg Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. A magician who captivated audiences with a swish of his wand not so long ago and had more than a dozen members in his travelling troupe is now being forced to sell vegetables in the congested lanes of his home in Rajasthan. R J Samrat Jadugar, the king of magicians, on stage and simply Raju Mahor off it, the 38-year-old father of three says the COVID-19 pandemic and the prolonged lockdown left him with no option but to turn vegetable vendor in his home in Dholpur. The coronavirus crisis has shut down my entire business. Over a dozen staff members who worked with me are now sitting at home due to the lockdown. I thought about how I would pay house rent and run my family, and I did not see any other option but to sell vegetables, Mahor told PTI. Mahor, who has three sons aged seven, 13 and 18, said he has been a magician for 15 years, using his carefully honed craft to perform vanishing acts and transformation acts among other tricks. The magician said he has done hundreds of shows in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan in the last 15 years. I would do 8-10 shows a day in fairs organised throughout the year across India. My last show was in Bhind and Morena in Madhya Pradesh. My props are now lying with one of my staff members in Bhind due to the lockdown, he said. The pan India lockdown came into effect after Prime Minister Narendra Modis speech on March 24 and has now been extended till at least May 3. Mahor, one of the many whose lives have taken a hit due to the spread of the coronavirus and the subsequent nationwide lockdown, said this is an unprecedented crisis and asked the government to take measures to provide work to people facing difficult times. He expressed the hope that life will get back to normal after India defeats the disease. Its not only about me but other people too. God knows when the situation will become normal and people will step out to watch shows. I can only pray the good times come back soon, he said. Mahor, who said he learnt the art of magic from Swamu Prakash in Gwalior, is desperate to get back in front of an audience. It is the only skill he has, he said. But it is not one he wants to pass on to his children. This is not the right line, he said, adding that it doesnt provide a steady income. He would like his children to take up regular jobs. The death toll due to COVID-19 rose to 824 and the number of cases climbed to 26,496 in India on Sunday, according to the Union Health Ministry. (This story has been published from a wire agency without modifications to the text) Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter GUILFORD Joining its neighboring towns of Madison and North Branford, Guilford has approved a program that aims to ease the financial burden of the coronavirus. The program will give residents an extra 90 days to pay taxes, according to a release from First Selectman Matthew Hoeys office. But the town is encouraging residents who are able to make payments on time to do so. After discussing several options to ease the immediate the tax burden, the Board of Selectmen voted unanimously to approve a deferment program, according to minutes from last weeks meeting. Later in the week, the town announced the details of the program, which pushes the property and motor vehicle tax deadline from July 1 to Oct. 1 for taxpayers, per the town release. Taxpayers do not need to apply to be eligible to make a late payment unless they serve as landlords, the release said. Hoey expressed concern during the meeting that instituting an application process could be unwieldy and might result in a group having to make subjective decisions about who does and doesnt qualify, the according to the meeting minutes. Hoey has encouraged residents who are able to pay their taxes on time to do that for the sake of the towns financial stability and to protect those who are struggling. He said he thought this was likely to happen due to the giving nature of the community, according to the meeting minutes. Hoey reiterated that sentiment in the release. It is my expectation that a significant number of our residents, not adversely impacted by this crisis, will be able and willing to pay their taxes on time, he said. We urge those residents do so in order to protect the ability of those less fortunate to take advantage of the extension thereby diminishing the impact on the towns cash flow and financial health. Landlords need to submit applications by July 1 to be eligible to make a late payment, according to the release. Landlords must provide documentation that shows their property is facing significant income decline or that they have offered forbearance to their tenants, the release said, adding that Guilford is working to create an application. The measure is intended to provide and incentive for landlords to allow tenants to defer their rent payments, Pam Millman, an attorney for Guilford, told the Board of Selectmen, according to meeting minutes. Guilford is in good enough financial shape to weather the impact of the deferment program, Hoey said at the meeting, per the minutes. meghan.friedmann@hearstmediact.com Bethesda, MD - Researchers report evidence that the compounds in e-cigarette liquid could potentially cause the body's tissue repair process to go haywire and lead to scarring inside the lungs. The new study, conducted in cell cultures, also suggests that inhibiting a certain nicotinic receptor could help promote the death of overactive fibroblast cells and thus slow scar formation, called fibrosis, in affected individuals. "Prior studies strongly and consistently suggest that vaping is harmful for human health and linked to development of various types of human diseases," said lead study author Richard Nho, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Medicine and graduate faculty in the Department of Pharmacology at the University of Minnesota. "Our study further supports the concept that the use of e-cigarettes is not safer than smoking conventional cigarettes and that vaping is a potential risk factor to promote lung fibrosis." Nho was scheduled to present the research at the American Society for Investigative Pathology annual meeting in San Diego this month. Though the meeting, to be held in conjunction with the 2020 Experimental Biology conference, was canceled in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, the research team's abstract was published in this month's issue of The FASEB Journal. Vaping is known to cause lung tissue injuries. While the study was not designed to uncover the mechanisms behind the serious lung injuries and deaths that have been linked with vaping, the findings shed light on how e-cigarettes may affect the crucial cell type that repairs lung injuries when they occur. Nho and colleagues studied lung tissue samples from 14 people, including seven people without lung fibrosis and seven people with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a disease that causes severe scarring in the lungs. They examined the activity of fibroblasts, a type of cell that repairs damaged tissue. In normal conditions, fibroblasts activate and proliferate when they are needed to heal a wound and then die off when no longer needed. In the case of lung fibrosis, fibroblasts become overactivated and then fail to die off, leading to a damaging buildup of scar tissue. In the first set of experiments, the researchers treated fibroblasts with e-cigarette aerosol and tobacco smoke extracts. They found that when fibroblasts were exposed to e-cigarette aerosol extract, they were significantly more viable than those exposed to smoke extracts, suggesting that vaping--to a greater extent than tobacco smoking--could contribute to fibrosis by helping fibroblasts stay alive for an abnormally long time. The researchers then experimented with e-liquids containing different amounts of nicotine, an active component of e-cigarettes. In those studies, fibroblasts exposed to nicotine-free e-liquids underwent cell death while those exposed to nicotine-containing e-liquids showed increased viability, with higher concentrations of nicotine leading to a greater increase in viability. These cells also super-charged their expression of a protein that binds to nicotine, called the alpha 7-nicotinic acetylcholine receptor. Taken together, these findings suggest that e-cigarettes containing nicotine can potentially cause lung fibroblasts to become overactive and ultimately create scarring. The results further suggest this can happen both in healthy people and in people whose fibroblasts already have a tendency to grow out of control, such as those with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. "These results imply that the exposure to e-cigarette vapor may initiate the fibrotic process in people who do not have lung fibrosis, and that the exposure to e-cigarette vapor in patients with lung fibrosis may worsen the outcomes," said Nho. Because the overactive fibroblasts were found to also increase the expression of a certain nicotinic receptor, Nho said finding a way to inhibit the pathological functions of the receptor that is abnormally regulated by nicotine in e-cigarettes could help to de-activate the fibroblasts and reduce scar formation. Further research can help to test this idea and determine whether different e-cigarette brands or components have different effects on fibroblast activity. ### Contact the media team for more information. Images and animations available. About Experimental Biology 2020 Experimental Biology is an annual meeting that attracts more than 12,000 scientists and exhibitors from five host societies and more than two dozen guest societies. With a mission to share the newest scientific concepts and research findings shaping clinical advances, the meeting offers an unparalleled opportunity for exchange among scientists from across the U.S. and the world who represent dozens of scientific areas, from laboratory to translational to clinical research. http://www.experimentalbiology.org #expbio About the American Society for Investigative Pathology (ASIP) ASIP is a society of biomedical scientists who investigate mechanisms of disease. Investigative pathology is an integrative discipline that links the presentation of disease in the whole organism to its fundamental cellular and molecular mechanisms. ASIP advocates for the practice of investigative pathology and fosters the professional career development and education of its members. http://www.asip.org About The FASEB Journal Receive monthly highlights from The FASEB Journal by e-mail. Sign up at http://www.faseb.org/fjupdate.aspx. The FASEB Journal is published by the Federation of the American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB). It is among the most cited biology journals worldwide according to the Institute for Scientific Information and has been recognized by the Special Libraries Association as one of the top 100 most influential biomedical journals of the past century. Find more press materials at: https://www.eurekalert.org/meetings/eb/2020/newsroom/. Horowitz Names Top Staffer to Oversee Trump Administrations Pandemic Response The top watchdog at the Department of Justice (DOJ) said Monday that a new executive director has been named to the panel that oversees the Trump administrations pandemic response efforts. DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz appointed Robert Westbrooks as executive director of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC), a new federal entity set up under the CARES Act, the COVID-19 relief bill. President Donald Trump signed the bill into law on March 27, and with it established PRAC to conduct and support oversight of the federal governments response to the outbreak of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) virus, the novel coronavirus that emerged in Wuhan, China, late last year. The virus has spread aggressively across the world, with a Johns Hopkins tally noting over 3 million infections and more than 209,000 deaths, with the true figures likely higher due to asymptomatic cases, lack of testing, and the Chinese regimes suspected undercount. Westbrooks, a veteran inspector general, will coordinate oversight of the $2.4 trillion in federal funds earmarked for efforts to contain the economic and social fallout from the pandemic. I look forward to working with the entire oversight communityfederal, state, and localto coordinate and conduct independent oversight over these critically important emergency relief programs, and help ensure that funds are used effectively and efficiently and major program risks are addressed, Westbrooks said in a statement. Today, Robert A. Westbrooks was appointed as Executive Director of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC). Mr. Westbrooks will lead the PRAC to coordinate oversight of the $2.4 trillion in federal funds provided to address the pandemic response. pic.twitter.com/AEwc2bJzEt Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (@COVID_Oversight) April 27, 2020 Horowitz was required by law, as explained by the Congressional Research Service in a note (pdf), to name a PRAC executive director by April 26, and will have to nominate a deputy executive director by June 25. The top job on the PRAC panel, that of chairperson, remains vacant. Acting Pentagon Inspector General Glenn Fine served as PRAC chairperson until he was removed from his Defense Department (DOD) post, making him ineligible to continue to serve as head of the pandemic response panel. The DOD inspector generals office has also confirmed that Fine is no longer the PRAC chairperson, according to the Congressional note. In the meantime, Horowitz is serving as the acting chairperson of PRAC. The House Committee on Oversight and Reform praised Westbrooks appointment. As a former Inspector General, accountant, and auditor, Mr. Westbrooks will help the committee conduct strong oversight that is urgently needed, committee members said in a statement. Americans across the political spectrum want the trillions of dollars being spent in response to the coronavirus crisis to be used effectively and efficientlywithout waste, fraud, abuse, or profiteering. The pandemic response panel has also launched several platforms, including a Twitter profile and a website, to inform the public about its work. Bahrain's private sector companies have started disbursing April salaries to employees registered with the General Organisation for Social Insurance (GOSI). The move is in line with the royal directives to launch financial and economic stimulus packages in support of Bahrainis working in the private sector and ensure the payment of their salaries for April, May and June, amid nationwide efforts to combat the novel coronavirus (Covid-19), said a Bahrain News Agency report. Labour and Social Development Minister Jameel bin Mohammed Ali Humaidan said that most GOSI-registered citizens working in the private sector have been paid their wages for this month. The minister extended thanks to the private sector companies for their cooperation and commitment to paying their Bahraini employees salaries. The Ministry of Labour and Social Development has announced the opening of communication channels with the concerned citizens, in order to report and register complaints in the event of non-receipt of the wages of the current month of April. WSU Invites Community to Virtual Star Party April 27, 2020 OGDEN, Utah Weber State Universitys Ott Planetarium is hosting a virtual star party to help people learn about the night sky. The event will be held via Facebook Live from 6-8 p.m. on May 6. People of all ages are encouraged to tune in to the free star gazing event. A link to the live stream will be posted on weber.edu/ottplanetarium. Hosted by WSUs physics department, the star parties are usually held at the observatory on the fourth floor of Tracy Hall Science Center. Although COVID-19 has prevented in-person events, the planetarium staff still wanted to share their passion for astronomy with the community. With everything going on, we wanted to find a way to help all of the parents and kids learning science at home with something they could do from their own backyards, said John Armstrong, physics professor. We want to share with the community our love of astronomy and the experience of gazing at deep-space objects We want to help people learn a little about what they can see and encourage them to keep looking up. Held after dark, the events give attendees an opportunity to turn their gaze upward and view different astronomical objects, such as planets and galaxies, in the night sky. Participants will be able to tune in to the live stream and join a discussion on finding astronomical objects and using sky display software. Planetarium staff will also be on hand to answer questions. Astronomy is one of the few sciences where the laboratory is in everyones backyard, Armstrong said. We want to help people take advantage of the close proximity to areas with very dark skies. Dark skies belong to all of us, and we should all know what is up there. If there is enough community interest, planetarium staff hope to hold more virtual star parties in the coming months. For more information about the Ott Planetarium, visit weber.edu/ottplanetarium Visit weber.edu/wsutoday for more news about Weber State University. [April 27, 2020] Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas Reports First Quarter 2020 Operating Results The Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas (Bank) today reported net income of $51.6 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2020. In comparison, for the quarters ended December 31, 2019 and March 31, 2019, the Bank reported net income of $61.7 million and $58.4 million, respectively. Total assets at March 31, 2020 were $83.8 billion, compared with $75.4 billion at December 31, 2019. The $8.4 billion increase in total assets for the first quarter was attributable primarily to an increase in the Bank's advances ($9.8 billion), partially offset by a decrease in the Bank's short-term liquidity holdings ($2.4 billion). Advances totaled $46.9 billion at March 31, 2020, compared with $37.1 billion at December 31, 2019. The Bank's mortgage loans held for portfolio totaled $4.3 billion at March 31, 2020, as compared to $4.1 billion at December 31, 2019. The carrying value of the Bank's long-term held-to-maturity securities portfolio, which is comprised substantially of U.S. agency residential mortgage-backed securities (MBS), totaled approximately $1.2 billion at both March 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019. The carrying value of the Bank's long-term available-for-sale securities portfolio, which is comprised substantially of U.S. agency debentures and U.S. agency commercial MBS, totaled $17.5 billion at March 31, 2020, as compared to $16.8 billion at December 31, 2019. At March 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, the Bank also held a $0.1 billion long-term U.S. Treasury Note classified as trading. The Bank's short-term liquidity holdings are typically comprised of overnight interest-bearing deposits, overnight federal funds sold, overnight reverse repurchase agreements, U.S. Treasury Bills, U.S. Treasury Notes and, from time to time, may also include cash held at the Federal Reserve. At March 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, the Bank's short-term liquidity holdings totaled $13.4 billion and $15.8 billion, respectively. The Bank's retained earnings increased to $1.267 billion at March 31, 2020 from $1.233 billion at December 31, 2019. On March 30, 2020, a dividend of $15.0 million was paid to the Bank's shareholders. Additional selected financial data as of and for the quarter ended March 31, 2020 (and, for comparative purposes, as of December 31, 2019, and for the quarters ended December 31, 2019 and March 31, 2019) is set forth below. Further discussion and analysis regarding the Bank's results will be included in its Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2020 to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. About the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas The Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas is one of 11 district banks in the FHLBank System, which was created by Congress in 1932. The Bank is a member-owned cooperative that supports housing and community development by providing competitively priced loans (known as advances) and other credit products to approximately 805 members and associated institutions in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico and Texas. For more information, visit the Bank's website at fhlb.com. Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas Selected Financial Data As of and For the Quarter Ended March 31, 2020 (Unaudited, in thousands) March 31, 2020 December 31, 2019 Selected Statement of Condition Data: Assets Investments (1) $ 31,034,986 $ 33,918,055 Advances 46,922,518 37,117,455 Mortgage loans held for portfolio, net 4,282,180 4,075,464 Cash and other assets (2) 1,567,769 270,631 Total assets $ 83,807,453 $ 75,381,605 Liabilities Consolidated obligations Discount notes $ 43,953,217 $ 34,327,886 Bonds 34,186,393 35,745,827 Total consolidated obligations 78,139,610 70,073,713 Mandatorily redeemable capital stock 6,779 7,140 Other liabilities 1,944,809 1,502,784 Total liabilities 80,091,198 71,583,637 Capital Capital stock - putable 2,700,176 2,466,242 Retained earnings 1,267,039 1,232,677 Total accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) (250,960 ) 99,049 Total capital 3,716,255 3,797,968 Total liabilities and capital $ 83,807,453 $ 75,381,605 Total regulatory capital (3) $ 3,973,994 $ 3,706,059 For the For the For the Quarter Ended Quarter Ended Quarter Ended March 31, 2020 December 31, 2019 March 31, 2019 Selected Statement of Income Data: Net interest income (4) (5) $ 45,592 $ 90,811 $ 71,978 Other income (loss) 35,390 2,299 16,977 Other expense 23,668 24,572 24,065 AHP assessment 5,734 6,858 6,494 Net income $ 51,580 $ 61,680 $ 58,396 (1) Investments consist of interest-bearing deposits, securities purchased under agreements to resell, federal funds sold, trading securities, available-for-sale securities and held-to-maturity securities. (2) At March 31, 2020, the Bank's cash and other assets included excess cash of $1.090 billion that was held at the Federal Reserve. (3) As of March 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, total regulatory capital represented 4.74 percent and 4.92 percent, respectively, of total assets as of those dates. (4) Net interest income is net of the provision for mortgage loan losses. (5) The Bank records hedge ineffectiveness associated with fair value hedging relationships in net interest income in accordance with the provisions of ASU 2017-12, "Targeted Improvements to Accounting for Hedging Activities." Prior to the adoption of ASU 2017-12, these amounts were recorded in other income (loss). During the quarters ended March 31, 2020, December 31, 2019 and March 31, 2019, fair value hedge ineffectiveness increased (reduced) net interest income by $(36.890) million, $13.335 million and $(9.340) million, respectively. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200427005681/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday slammed U.S. cities and states seeking billions of dollars in more federal aid to offset huge losses amid the coronavirus outbreak as lawmakers spar over the next round of potential economic relief along sharp party lines. Democrats are calling for more aid to help beleaguered municipalities left out of recent stimulus measures. But some Republicans have balked at the price tag, while the Senate's top Republican said he would back state bankruptcy before giving them more U.S. funding. "Why should the people and taxpayers of America be bailing out poorly run states (like Illinois, as example) and cities, in all cases Democrat run and managed, when most of the other states are not looking for bailout help? I am open to discussing anything, but just asking?" Trump, a Republican, tweeted. Mayors and governors have spent billions in recent weeks as U.S. coronavirus cases topped 960,000 and led to more than more than 54,700 COVID-19 related deaths as of this weekend. Social distancing and stay-at-home orders implemented across most of the nation to curb the spread of the highly contagious virus have also triggered a surge in unemployment, curtailed consumer spending and depressed local tax revenue. Congress previously allocated $150 billion for governments, but governors have asked for another $500 billion while cities and counties are seeking $250 billion, saying the money is needed to cover the costs of responding to the outbreak as well as revenue lost while residents shelter in place. Trump, who is seeking re-election in November, appeared to back Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who last week told a conservative talk-radio host that he "would certainly be in favor" of letting states enter bankruptcy. But other Republicans, including Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, who chairs the National Governors Association (NGA), and some Republican senators, have backed funding for state and local governments. Democratic governors, including NGA Vice Chairman and New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, have blasted McConnell's idea, saying their states have an outsized role in filling the nation's coffers and allowing bankruptcy would upend financial markets. Around 60 per cent or more of students are expected back in school tomorrow, Education Minister Sue Ellery has confirmed. While not all parents responded to a survey from principals, about 60 per cent of respondents indicated they were intending to send children back and the actual number returning is expected to be a bit higher. Education Minister Sue Ellery said education was of critical importance. Credit:Kaye Waterhouse Carine Senior High School expects about 80 per cent of its 2000-odd students back, with parents encouraged to stay out of the grounds, use carparks all around the school rather than a single access point, and to leave immediately once pickup and dropoff were complete. Speaking to press at the school campus, Ms Ellery said the Education Department had recruited additional cleaners and increased the hours of existing cleaning staff to get intensive cleaning done across all schools. They would remain in place to continue cleaning throughout the school day. Students will not be expected to maintain 1.5-metre social distancing from each other; only adults will be observing the rule. About 1300 teaching and other staff were unable to return to school, being unwell or at-risk, Ms Ellery said. They were either on personal leave, COVID-19 leave or working from home, according to individual circumstances. They had been replaced, either with relief teachers from the existing pool, part-timers with increased hours, or new Department employees, following a successful recruitment drive. Year 11 and 12 students were strongly encouraged to attend school but ultimately the choice is up to parents. Ms Ellery said schools, depending on individual circumstances, were still providing hard copy learning packs, online learning or a combination, with additional staff recruited to facilitate this. The situation will be reviewed in three weeks, around May 18. The 40km/h zones will also be back in place. I know this has been a difficult time, Ms Ellery said. Staff have been concerned and worried and I want to thank them for the work they have done. This has been an enormous effort. Closing businesses, schools and government buildings cost Fort Bend County between $11 million and $14 million in lost revenues, County Auditor Ed Sterling told County Judge KP George and County Commissioners at special meeting April 21. The budget hit comes not from a loss of property taxes but from fines and fees normally collected by clerks and the Fort Bend County Sheriffs Department, Sterling said. He asked for direction as to what kinds of cuts should be made to the existing budget. The answer? Form a committee. Fort Bend County Commissioner Andy Meyers said a two-person committee should be formed to meet with budget office officials to identify potential budget cuts which would be brought before the county in the coming weeks for final approval. Meyers suggest he and Commissioner Grady Prestage serve as committee members, which George said was a beautiful idea. The measure was approved by unanimous vote. In the same way the county government has taken a hit to their bottom line, many residents lost their jobs or missed paychecks and are facing higher property taxes. Agenda items considered at the special meeting included a resolution calling on state lawmakers to hold a special legislative session to mandate property values be re-evaluated. County Judge George also introduced a resolution supporting financial relief for county tax payers. The power to revert property appraisals to their 2019 levels lies solely in the hands of our state elected officials, such as our governor, our comptroller and our legislature, Fort Bend George said. I will work with any public official from any side of the aisle to better this process for our residents. The resolution urges state lawmakers to gather for a special session to mandate property values be re-evaluated and extend the deadline for property tax payments, among other things. The measure was approved by unanimous vote. Each year, property owners receive a tax bill calculated based on property values set each year by a five-member board of directors for the Fort Bend Central Appraisal District. The board members are elected by various taxing jurisdiction including Fort Bend County-area school districts, cities, the county and special districts. The Fort Bend County Tax Assessor/Collector serves as the groups director and a non-voting member of the board. The current board members include chairman Jim Kij, vice-chairman Paul Stamatis, Jr., financial officer Al Abramczyk, Mike Rozell, Carrie Surratt and Pamiel Gaskin. knix@hcnonline.com When appointing heads of the tax and customs services by the Cabinet of Ministers it is important to adhere to fair and level officials in the Tax and Customs Service. It is important to follow fair, competitive procedures and not risk long-term reforms, the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine and the EU Delegation to Ukraine have said. "The EU & US are closely watching Cabinet appointments of high-level officials in the Tax and Customs Service. It is important to follow fair, merit-based competitive procedures and not risk long-term reforms, supported by international partners," the U.S. embassy and the EU delegation said in their Twitter blogs. (CNN) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, World Health Organization Director-General said, the coronavirus pandemic isn't over. The pandemic is far from over, he said at a news conference. He said the World Health Organization "continues to be concerned about the increasing trends in Africa, Eastern Europe, Latin America and some Asian countries." As in all regions, cases and deaths are underreported in many countries in these regions, because of low testing capacity, Tedros said. This virus will not be defeated if we are not united, if we are not united, the virus will exploit the cracks between us and continue to create havoc. Lives will be lost, Tedros added. At a time when political consensus has been the norm, not the exception, the debate over schools has become a flashpoint like no other. With about 1 million students in Victoria participating in an enormous social experiment in remote learning, that should hardly be surprising. What is surprising is the ongoing Punch and Judy show it has become between the federal and state governments. While most disagreements have been kept within the four virtual walls of the national cabinet, from the get-go there has been public bickering. Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Commonwealth Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy have advocated strongly for schools to stay open for all students, while Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews, with the backing of the state's Chief Health Officer, Brett Sutton, has pushed back hard. Schools have been a flashpoint for debate during the COVDI-19 outbreak. Against advice from Canberra, Mr Andrews shut down Victoria's schools four days before end-of-term holidays, and is now playing hardball in refusing to set a timeframe for opening them for students beyond those who are vulnerable or are children of essential workers. In contrast, New South Wales has given the green light for students to be in the classroom at least one day a week from May 11, and in Western Australia schools will be open from Wednesday, despite protests from teacher unions. Of the other states and territories, only Tasmania and the ACT have not yet outlined a plan to return to classes in term two. Previously The Age has strongly backed Victoria's right to make the call on schools. The state government's success in dramatically lowering the COVID-19 infection rate surely gives it the runs on the board and credibility to have the final say. But that support comes with a caveat. At the heart of Victoria's ability to flatten the curve has been a pact of trust between the government and the community. In most part, people will do the right thing if a directive is put to them in a rational and reasonable way. The arguments must be made, the explanations clear and concise. That is not a one-off. As we go through this pandemic, that trust must be fortified on a continuing basis. It may not be unusual for the Andrews government and its health advisers to resist the will of Canberra. It is certainly not unusual for them to ignore the state opposition, which has ditched its bipartisan position on remote learning and proposed the resumption of regular classes alongside a bolstering of safety measures. The Premier needs to understand the pressure that his restrictions are putting on families, Opposition Leader Michael OBrien said last week. Other states are moving to get kids back to school safely and Victoria must do the same. Loading Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray is likely to demand special travel arrangements for over 5.7 lakh stranded migrant workers in the state when Prime Minister Narendra Modi chairs a crucial meet with CMs of all the states and union territories via videoconference on Monday morning. The PM is likely to seek key inputs from various states in a bid to compile a comprehensive plan regarding the lifting from the second phase of the nationwide restrictions, which were imposed on April 15 after the initial 21 days ended and extended it for another 19 days till May 3, to contain the spread of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak. Maharashtra is expected to extend the lockdown, especially in the urban areas, beyond May 3, and CM Thackeray and deputy CM Ajit Pawar have written to the central government for arranging special trains for the migrant workers safe passage to their respective native places, including Uttar Pradesh (UP), Bihar and Madhya Pradesh (MP). Thackeray is also likely to draw the PMs attention to the non-payment of central funds, as the state, like many others, is yet to receive them. The state has lodged 5.7 lakh migrant workers in 4,620 shelter camps in various districts, especially near the interstate borders, since the nationwide lockdown was announced on March 25. Most of the migrant workers are anxious to return to their respective states, despite the state government making adequate arrangements for their food, shelter, and health services. In some camps, the migrants have displayed violent behaviour for not being allowed to go back to their native places, according to the reports received by the state government. Pawar wrote to Union Minister of Railways Piyush Goyal last week, expressing his concerns over a backlash if the special trains are not arranged for the migrants. Pawars fears are likely to prompt CM Thackeray to demand special travel arrangements for over 5.7 lakh stranded migrant workers during the videoconference with the PM. The stranded migrant workers belong to at least 10 states, including UP, MP, Bihar, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, and Rajasthan, and have become restless and homesick after living in these camps since the lockdown restrictions were imposed. It has become impossible to keep them cooped up in the camps after the second phase of the nationwide lockdown ends on May 3. The CM is expected to raise this issue during the meeting with the PM, said a senior state government official. Thackeray is also likely to raise the demand for the central assistance, clarity on the central policy on the personal protective equipment (PPE) kits and their adequate supply to the state, which tops the list for both the maximum number of Covid-19 positive cases and deaths, and also suggest the extension of the lockdown in the hotspots beyond May 3. There has been a spike in the number of Covid-19 positive cases in the state over the past few days. On Saturday, 811 new cases were reported --- the highest single-day rise after April 23 when 778 fresh cases were recorded. On Sunday, Maharashtra crossed the mark of 8,000 Covid-19 positive cases, a day after crossing 7,000 and just two days after recording 6,000. Earlier, the state had taken 30 days to cross the first 1,000-case mark on April 7, and then it doubled within six days on April 13. On Sunday, Maharashtra reported 440 new Covid-19 positive cases and 19 fresh deaths, taking the total count to 8,068 cases and 342 fatalities. Mumbai tops the state chart with 5,407 Covid-19 positive cases and 204 deaths to date. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Ghanaian Canadian Association of Waterloo Region in Canada has donated Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to the 37 Military Hospital and the Ghana Armed Forces COVID-19 Treatment Centre in Accra. The support is to enable the two institutions to contain and fight the spread of COVID-19. Madam Patience Adzo Emeiabo, presenting the items on behalf of the Association, said it was to complement government's efforts in the fight against the pandemic. Other items presented include hand sanitizers and soaps. Ghanaians in the Waterloo Region of Ontario Canada believe these items will help reduce the stress on government a little in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic," she said. Brigadier-General Nii Adjah Obodai, the Commander of the 37 Military Hospital, who received the items commended the Association for the gesture and urged other Ghanaians in the diaspora to emulate the gesture. We are hopeful that these items will go a long way to help protect our frontline staff in the fight against COVID-19, he said. Nana Yaw Ameh, the President of the Association, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, said the donation was the contribution of Ghanaians in the Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge areas of Ontario, Canada. He said the Association would continue in its small way to contribute to the development of the country. The Association is made up of Ghanaians in the Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge areas of Ontario. Source: Eddie Ameh, Canada Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Each year, the Community of Automotive Professionals has hosted CarFest: Unity in the Community, an event that typically draws 13 to 15,000 attendees and gives back to the community in a big way. This year, concerns surrounding coronavirus will alter the dynamic of the event, but the charitable giving goals will remain. Five years ago, Mark Colaw banded together with several other automotive professionals in the San Antonio area David Bippert, Candy Baumann, Darla Pundt, Bob Gomez, James Jim Olson, George Meketa and Louie Sirianni to plan the first CarFest. Our first meeting was Jan. 28, 2015, and we met every Thursday for 60-odd weeks to put together the first event, held on April 15, 2016, Colaw said. For the past four years, CAP members and affiliates 25 shops in total have banded together to fix 25 cars for those members of the community, nominated by local nonprofits and shelters, whose vehicles are in desperate need of repairs. Theres a lot of value to this, but one of the pieces of logic to it is this: In a lot of cases, the only thing these people they own are the shirt on their back and their car, Colaw said. And if you take that car away from them, you just drilled another hole in their heart. We want to show them that we can restore things and make them right. All those involved with CAP give back to the community freely, with no financial incentive. We are an all-volunteer organization and we have no paid employees, said Colaw. This is a 100 percent volunteer organization. Some of the repairs to cars in the past have been valued at as much as $20,000, he added. Most years, sponsors of CarFest like Ford, Toyota, BG, Jasper Engine and Transmissions lease spots to set up trade booths, and CAP donates the money earned from this at least $100,000 to eight trade school campuses for youth to educate future automotive professionals. Typically, cars are also given away at CarFest every two hours as well in a random drawing. This year, due to public health concerns surrounding COVID-19, the festival portion has been canceled but CAP continues with plans in the works to fix the 25 vehicles for those in need, as well as fulfill its financial promise to the trade schools. Plans are in place to privately subsidize the cars that would normally be given away in the festival drawings, and the proceeds will be donated to the trade schools to fulfill CAPs annual promises. And, though the vehicles in need of repairs will be repaired in private this year, CAP will undertake the charitable task in the coming weeks. Meetings for next year are already underway. We have over 300 volunteers from all walks of life, said Colaw. He noted that the greatest thing about CAP and CarFest: Unity in the Community is definitely the heart. When you can warm your heart and have the dynamic of a two-and-a-half-day window where youre changing lives and watching lives change in front of your eyes, where you have the opportunity to impact the community and be able to measure the good, and do that with other people of my industry its pretty amazing, added Colaw. He added that even though the structure of the event will be different this year due to public health concerns, the heart is still the same. We get knocked over but we get back up, and were still going to help the people who need help, he said. We dont want to stop our giving, because were coming back full force next year and having a bigger and better event. We planned to keep on growing this thing, and thats what were going to do. For more information and updates, visit www.carfestsa.org. T he leading US doctor who was caught on camera grimacing during Donald Trump's disinfectant remarks has avoided criticising the president as she sought to play down his comments. Dr Deborah Birx, the president's coronavirus response coordinator, appeared horrified last week when he suggested injecting disinfectant as a possible Covid-19 treatment at the daily White House news briefing. The US president quickly faced an onslaught of criticism as international health experts rushed to warn people not to drink or inject anything. Mr Trump then tried to claim his comments were "sarcastic", adding that he made them, "just to see what would happen". In a series of media appearances on Sunday, Dr Birx attempted to downplay his dangerous suggestion before cautioning that social distancing measures were likely to stay in place throughout the summer. Speaking on CNN's State of the Union, she said she had made it clear to Mr Trump that injected disinfectant was not a treatment. US President Donald Trump answers a question as Dr. Deborah Birx and HHS Under Secretary for Science and Technology William Bryan listen / REUTERS But she also added that the presidents comments should be viewed as a kind of dialogue" that inevitably happens between scientists and politicians. When asked if she was bothered about the backlash against the president's remarks, she expressed frustration that Mr Trump's injection comments were still in the headlines. President Trump clarifies his 'sarcastic' disinfectant comments Dr Birx said: It bothers me that this is still in the news cycle, because I think were missing the bigger pieces of what we need to be doing as an American people to continue to protect one another. As a scientist and a public health official and a researcher, sometimes I worry that we dont get the information to the American people that they need when we continue to bring up something that was from Thursday night. In a later appearance on NBC News, Dr Birx also responded to claims made by Vice-President Mike Pence that US would largely have this coronavirus epidemic behind us by Memorial Day, on May 25. Dr Birx said that while downward trends in infections and deaths in certain locations such as Houston and Detroit gives us great hope, social distancing "will be with us through the summer. It comes as Mr Trump threatened to stop the daily coronavirus press briefings as the backlash continues. He tweeted on Saturday: What is the purpose of having White House News Conferences when the Lamestream Media asks nothing but hostile questions, & then refuses to report the truth or facts accurately. Bharat Forge Ltd is quoting at Rs 274.25, up 4.18% on the day as on 12:54 IST on the NSE. The stock is down 41.93% in last one year as compared to a 20.42% slide in NIFTY and a 34.53% slide in the Nifty Auto index. Bharat Forge Ltd is up for a third straight session today. The stock is quoting at Rs 274.25, up 4.18% on the day as on 12:54 IST on the NSE. The benchmark NIFTY is up around 2.13% on the day, quoting at 9349.5. The Sensex is at 32006.1, up 2.17%. Bharat Forge Ltd has gained around 11.33% in last one month. Meanwhile, Nifty Auto index of which Bharat Forge Ltd is a constituent, has gained around 17.09% in last one month and is currently quoting at 5377.25, up 1.67% on the day. The volume in the stock stood at 16.85 lakh shares today, compared to the daily average of 35.23 lakh shares in last one month. The benchmark April futures contract for the stock is quoting at Rs 277.6, up 5.21% on the day. Bharat Forge Ltd is down 41.93% in last one year as compared to a 20.42% slide in NIFTY and a 34.53% slide in the Nifty Auto index. The PE of the stock is 14.48 based on TTM earnings ending December 19. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Health Minister Simon Harris reached an agreement with private hospitals to use all of their facilities during the Covid-19 crisis (Leon Farrell/Photocall Ireland/PA) A consultant working in the private sector has claimed that the Governments proposed public contract for private doctors is a bad deal for taxpayers. Dr Crochan OSullivan, consultant cardiologist at the Bons Secour private hospital in Cork City, said the deal agreed a number of weeks ago is not good value for money. Last month the Government reached an agreement with private hospitals to use all of their facilities during the Covid-19 crisis. Some 19 private hospitals are being used to treat public patients throughout the outbreak for a three-month period. The deal is costing taxpayers 115 million euro a month. Thread on how the policies of lame @SimonHarrisTD and @roinnslainte inverted the 2-tier hospital system leaving insured patients in limbo & confused. @susmitchellSBP https://t.co/ZTcr1CumjG Crochan O'Sullivan (@coscardio) April 26, 2020 Dr OSullivan told RTEs Morning Ireland: The Private Hospitals Association deal for us, as private consultants, our thought is that this is a bad deal for the taxpayer, a bad deal for the doctors and a bad deal for patients. Last Thursday (Minister for Health) Simon Harris confirmed, for example, that there were 3,400 patients treated in the private hospitals in April, which works out at 24,000 euro per patient, per episode. That is not good value for money. Dr OSullivan, who is now a temporary HSE employee after signing the contract, said he has had to cancel his own patients until he becomes an independent practitioner again later this this year. He added: In the meantime, I will be seeing patients on HSE waiting lists who will be seen based according to need, which Im very happy to do. But it must be realised that this contract was unilaterally imposed upon us by the Department of Health. We would like a service level agreement where we could give our some time to the HSE and work with public patients, but then we'd also like our own time to deal with our own patients and be able to meet the obligations on our own patients Dr Crochan O'Sullivan There are other options for consultants for example a Type B or Type C or service level agreement, which many consultants will sign up to in a heartbeat. But we are not being offered this because of the intransigence in the Department of Health. As part of my contract I could be moved to Bantry in the morning because there is a redeployment clause in my contract. My ongoing costs are 10,000 euro per month and I am being paid a public salary of 6,000 per month so Im actually paying 4,000 euros to go to work in the morning. We would like a service level agreement where we could give our some time to the HSE and work with public patients, but then wed also like our own time to deal with our own patients and be able to meet the obligations on our own patients. Tullamore Hospital has moved to deny suggestions that it confiscated a number of devices donated for use in the hospital during the current Covid-19 pandemic. "The hospital refutes the suggestion that these donations were confiscated. This is not factually correct," a statement read. Cllr Ken Smollen claimed in recent days that the donation of an iPad, five Bluetooth radios and a headset from Expert Electrical in Tullamore were confiscated by hospital management because "they were not donated in the right way." Cllr Smollen said these devices were to enable nurses to let patients see and talk to family members as no visitors can visit the hospital. In a statement to the Offaly Express, a hospital spokesperson denied the confiscation of the devices in this manner although it is understood they are not currently in use. "The Midland Regional Hospital Tullamore has been kindly donated a huge range of gifts and support since the very beginning. Each and every donation is catalogued and acknowledged. These donations mean a lot to our frontline and management teams, as it shows the solidarity within our communities in this very difficult time," the statement continued. "A local donation of one Ipad, five radios and one headset was received by ward staff. The use of these donations is being considered as part of our communication and engagement initiatives for our inpatients and potentially within the ICU setting and for outreach support," the hospital said. "The challenges being addressed include access to safe ICT platforms, adherence to the ICT Digital policies within the organisation and adherence to Infection, Prevention Control Guidelines. Many other hospitals in recent weeks are using these technologies and we are learning from them," the spokesperson added. "The hospital would like to again take the opportunity to graciously thank those businesses in the community who are being so supportive of our response efforts and our frontline staff," they concluded. Cllr Smollen said on Monday: "With no visitors being allowed into hospitals during the Covid-19 lockdown, nurses at Tullamore Hospital, while already under severe pressure, were simply trying to make life a little easier for patients and their families by appealing for an iPad so that they could see each other while communicating. Hopefully, sense will prevail and the devices that were so generously donated by Expert Electrical in Tullamore will find their way back onto the wards." A doctor who contracted coronavirus in Russia's Star City where cosmonauts are trained has died after falling from a hospital window. Natalya Lebedeva had been accused of failing to stop an outbreak of Covid-19 inside the restricted city, colleagues claimed. Her death comes after Dr Yelena Nepomnyashchaya fell from a window at a hospital in Krasnoyarsk after allegedly complaining about medical shortages. She is now fighting for life. Lebedeva had been directly involved in the treatment of Star City's 'patient zero' - a top trainer who had been in direct contact with cosmonauts, it is believed. Lebedeva was being treated in Moscow and fell from the sixth floor of the Federal Biomedical Agency in an apparent suicide. A doctor who contracted coronavirus in Russia's Star City (file photo) where cosmonauts are trained has died after falling from a hospital window Star City's 'patient zero' was one of the heads of the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre, according to Moskovsky Komsomolets (MK) newspaper. All cosmonauts and astronauts are based in the city before flying to the International Space Station. Lebedeva had been head of the emergency department at the Medical-Sanitary Unit No 2 in Star City and was involved in treating the first patient, reports say. After the initial infection, coronavirus is believed to have spread among health workers linked to Lebedeva. By early last week, six people had developed the virus in Star City, although unofficial accounts say the number was 22. Colleagues say Lebedeva had faced 'accusations from her superiors that she had not taken sufficient measures to ensure the safety of her employees which resulted in the infecting of several health workers', according to Russian media. Among those infected was Olga Minina, head of the Star City hospital where Lebedev worked. It is unclear whether the initial 'patient zero' had any contact with cosmonauts who have since flown to the space station. The latest crew to travel to the space station - NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy plus Russian cosmonauts Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner - left Star City on March 24 before travelling to Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. In a separate case, another doctor - Yelena Nepomnyashchaya, pictured - fell from a hospital window in Krasnoyarsk. She survived but is fighting for her life in a different hospital Lebedeva's death comes after different doctor fell from a window at a hospital in Krasnoyarsk after allegedly complaining about medical shortages. Dr Yelena Nepomnyashchaya survived the fall but is fighting for her life in a different Krasnoyarsk hospital. Aleksey Podkorytov, the deputy head of Krasnoyarsk's regional government, played down claims that her fall was linked to medical shortages. 'So many things could have happened,' he speculated. 'It could have been because it was spring, the overall stress, something in her family. 'It's difficult to say what could have happened. 'There was nothing extraordinary happening at the time, just a routine conference call with doctors' reports. 'If we were to fail after each routine conference call this would have not led to anything good.' Gov. Phil Murphys press conference on Monday to provide updates on the ongoing coronavirus pandemic will begin an hour earlier than usual at noon. The governors YouTube channel will broadcast it from the Trenton War Memorials George Washington Ballroom. In addition to press conference regulars the state health commissioner Judy Persichilli and State Police Superintendent Colonel Pat Callahan, Murphy will also be joined by U.S. Rep. Tom Malinowski (D-7). Malinowskis district includes all of Hunterdon County, and parts of Essex, Morris, Somerset, Union, and Warren counties. New Jerseys death count from COVID-19 is likely to climb above 6,000 on Monday. On Sunday, health officials announced 75 additional deaths to push the total to 5,938. The total number of residents hospitalized dropped to a three-week low, with 6,573 patients under treatment for a confirmed or suspected case. The governor also had two morning television appearances Monday. After being interviewed on CNBCs Squawk Box," at 8:10 a.m. Murphy took questions on MSNBCs Morning Joe. at 8:30 Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Last year, Regina Todorenko, a Ukrainian-born pop star and host of a popular TV travel program was voted Woman of the Year by readers of Russian Glamour. Last week, she was stripped of that title by the magazine, after a televised interview in which she appeared to blame women for violence inflicted upon them by their partners. Toderenko apologized, saying she was opposed to all domestic violence and had used an incorrect formulation. The controversy was the latest reminder of how Russia and Ukraine continue to grapple with the fallout of the #MeToo movement against sexual harassment and sexual assault of women that spread across the world beginning in 2017. Long a subject in Russia considered suited for behind closed doors, domestic violence has gained new public attention in recent years, fueled by a new generation of women pushing back against many male-dominated norms in Russia, Ukraine, and elsewhere. The #MeToo movement, which emerged from several major journalism investigations in the United States in 2017, further inspired activists to publicize, and shame, men in powerful positions in Russia. Among those who faced public allegations of harassment or abuse were Leonid Slutsky, a member of Russias lower house of parliament; and Stanislav Govorukhin, a top film director. But efforts to raise awareness of the problem have often run up against a backlash from conservative politicians, as well as the Russian Orthodox Church. The same holds true for legislation: Russian lawmakers largely decriminalized domestic violence in 2017, and conservatives and the church have beat back efforts to reverse that legislation ever since. The coronavirus pandemic, which has resulted in sweeping lockdown orders in Moscow and other major Russian cities, has resulted in uptick in calls to domestic-violence hotlines, according to the newspaper RBK. For many women in Russia and Ukraine, Todorenko was a symbol of a younger, influential public figure who espoused progressive values. A native of the Black Sea port of Odesa, Toderenko began to rise to prominence in 2014 as the presenter on a Russian-language travel program called Heads Or Tails. A year later, she recorded a hit pop song called Hearts Beating. Her blogging, and social-media posts, earned millions of followers for her Instagram account, and media rankings put her among the top 10 influencers among Russian-language Instagrammers. In December 2019, readers of Glamour magazines Russian edition voted her Woman of the Year. On April 23, Todorenko participated in a video interview with Laura Dzhugelia, a founder of Peopletalk, a celebrity news outlet. Seated alongside her husband, Vlad Topalov, Todorenko mused out loud about why women would talk publicly about spousal or domestic abuse. You need to be such a psychologically ill person, yes, who goes before a camera and says God, my husband is beating me, Todorenko said. What are you doing? What is going on in your brain then? Then comes the critical moment. My husband beats me. But why didnt you think about it? And what did you do to prevent him from beating you? she asked. What did you do to make him hit you?" The reaction was fierce. What kind of an example are the publications that make her films and the brands that collaborate with her setting when they give her awards? a woman named Katya Fedorova wrote in a post to Facebook. Dont you feel sorry for all these girls who will thenthink that being beaten means love, and [they are] to blame? By April 25, Glamours Russia edition put out a statement decrying Todorenkos comments, and saying she would be stripped of her title as Woman of the Year. Glamour categorically does not support Reginas position. We want to emphasize that we are against violence of any kind, including bullying, the magazines editorial board said in a post to Instagram. Later on April 25, Todorenko took to her own Instagram account to apologize. Dear friends, I want to apologize for my incorrect formulation regarding domestic violence, she said. Once again, I want to emphasize that I am against domestic violence, and any violence in general. In a subsequent post, she said she did not understand the scale of the problem of domestic violence but that in previous days, she had received "thousands of stories from real women." "Yes, I stumbled and made a mistake. But I am grateful that my stupid language has become a trigger that helped tens of thousands of women speak out," she wrote. Other commentators responded online with laments that Russian society had changed little over the past three decades, and women are still judged -- by consumer brands, by advertisers, by media -- as merely appendages to a marriage. "Thirty years have passed, and little has changed in our society. We still judge the success of a woman by having a man. I know that we are not you. But advertisers and big companies -- yes. They all need a sweet picture...a couple, wedding rings on their hands, a child playing three musical instruments, " another woman, Anna Sedokova, wrote in her post to Instagram Written by Mike Eckel and based on reporting by RFE/RLs Russian Service A federal judge has shot down another request for release by accused eco-saboteur Joseph Dibee but this time took the unusual step of directing prosecutors to provide her weekly updates on the status of any COVID-19 cases at the jail where Dibee is in custody. There have been no reports of anyone who has tested positive in the Multnomah County Inverness Jail, where Dibee is being held, or at the downtown Portland jail aside from a report of a county sheriffs employee who has the virus. While the Court recognizes that the Multnomah County Sheriffs Office has taken steps to keep COVID-19 at bay, the Court is also concerned with reporting regarding COVID-19 cases and testing availability in its facilities, U.S. District Judge Ann Aiken wrote in a ruling Friday. Should there be a significant change in those cases, the Court will reconsider defendants motion for release. Aiken called her decision rejecting his release a close call, adding the government had not proved Dibee remains a danger to the community but she believes theres a risk he wont return to court if released. She noted he has a wife and son in Russia and wasnt arrested until he was caught in 2018 in Cuba on a 12-year-old federal warrant. Dibee, 52, is accused of taking part in environmental sabotage in Oregon, Washington and California. While in custody, he suffered a broken jaw during an assault and is still recovering from surgery. Hes being held in the Inverness Jails medical unit. Dibees lawyer, Paul Hood, had cited an Oregonian/OregonLive article from April 14, in which the county corrections health director reported three coronavirus tests of inmates in the county and no positive results for the disease. Dr. Michael M. Seale also said the countys jails also were screening new inmates for possible virus symptoms. This Court should have little to no confidence in the ability of the Inverness Jail to protect Mr. Dibee, Hood argued. The nearly sixty-day delay in getting him a physical therapy appointment following his surgery to correct an injury he received from an assault at the jail demonstrates the limitations of the Multnomah County Sheriffs Office, and arranging a physical therapy appointment seems far simpler than protecting a jail population from the spread of COVID-19. Coronavirus in Oregon: Latest news | Live map tracker |Text alerts | Newsletter Prosecutor Geoffrey Barrow said Inverness has no known cases of the virus and that the defense has presented no evidence that the jails staff is unprepared to address such cases if they should arise. Dibees proposed release to home confinement with his sister, a doctor in Seattle, could increase his chances of contracting the disease because the city is one of the epicenters of the COVID-19 outbreak and wouldnt ensure he would return to court as required, Barrow said. The government also presented new evidence, arguing that Dibee threatened violence during a phone call from the federal prison in Sheridan when he was held there last year. During the call on June 11, he instructed her to only speak to him in Arabic. According to an interpreters translation provided to the government, Dibee complained that a woman employee in the prison was delaying delivery of his personal and legal mail to him. I want you to sue her personally not the FCI but for her only I want to destroy her house. I want to ruin her life. Understand what I mean? the translation said, according to the government. Dibee and his lawyer, at a recent hearing, said the translation was inaccurate and argued that Dibee has every right to pursue litigation against someone. The Federal Bureau of Prisons, based on its standard protocol, no longer has the recording of the phone call, according to the government. Though Dibee and his lawyer argued that Dibees passport and Russian residency permit are expired, the government countered that he could still flee to Canada, obtain a Syrian passport and enter Russia. The judge said that risk is what convinced her to keep Dibee behind bars to await trial. The Court also notes that while he has ties in the Washington area, he also has admittedly strong ties to Russia, stronger than those when he secretively left the country over a decade ago, Aiken wrote. Dibee was indicted in 2006 in Oregon on charges of arson, conspiracy to commit arson and destruction of an energy facility. Dibee is accused of helping destroy the Cavel West Inc. meatpacking plant in Redmond on July 1, 1997, and destroying a Bonneville Power Administration tower near Bend on Dec. 30, 1999, though his attorney said Dibee didnt play a role in the tower vandalism and called that charge bogus. Dibee also faces charges of conspiracy to commit arson and possession of a destructive device in federal court in Washington and conspiracy to commit arson, arson of a government building and possession of a destructive device during a crime of violence in California. -- Maxine Bernstein Email at mbernstein@oregonian.com; 503-221-8212 Follow on Twitter @maxoregonian Subscribe to Facebook page Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. Miriam Margolyes has opened up about how much she is missing her partner of 52 years while separated during the lockdown. On Monday, the Harry Potter star appeared on This Morning via video chat to speak with co-hosts Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield. During their conversation, Margolyes was asked whether she would have preferred to live with her partner during the lockdown, as the pair are currently living apart. The actor and voice artist has been with her partner, retired professor Heather Sutherland, for 52 years. I would have loved that actually, Margolyes said on the notion of being in lockdown together amid the coronavirus pandemic. I dont know whether she would because shes an introvert, so she likes to be quiet and get on with her work, which is shes writing a book about Indonesia. But I would have loved that. Margolyes added that she is not afraid of the idea of staying at home with Sutherland, stating that they will really try to be together from now on because thats what lifes about, loving someone. I was lucky enough to find someone who was prepared to love me. Im not that lovable, you know, Im smelly and noisy and all that sort of thing, the 78-year-old said. But she loves me and I want to be with her for the rest of my life. Thats all I want. Miriam Margolyes speaks to Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield on This Morning (Twitter/@thismorning) Several people praised Margolyes for her openness when describing her feelings for her partner. Oh my goodness, I love her. Its so refreshing to see someone being open about their love for someone, not being afraid to put it out there, one person wrote on Twitter. So heartfelt to hear Miriam talk about her partner of 52 years together and how lucky she is to have found someone like her, another said. Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies Show all 15 1 /15 Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies A rose is delivered by drone to a woman on Mother's Day in Jounieh, Lebanon AFP/Getty Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies Women dance on their balcony as a radio station plays music for a flash mob to raise spirits in Rome Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies A skeleton stands on a balcony in Frankfurt, Germany AP Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies The film Le ragazze di Piazza di Spagna is projected on a building in Rome AP Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies A woman uses a basket tied to a rope to pull a delivery of groceries up to her balcony in Naples, Italy EPA Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies DJ Francesco Cellini plays for his neighbours from the rooftop terrace of his flat block in Rome Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies A woman gestures from her balcony in Barcelona EPA Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies Cellist Karina Nunez performs for her neighbours at the balcony of her flat in Panama City Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies DJ Nash Petrovic live streams a set from his roof in Brooklyn Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies People applaud medical workers from their balconies in Modiin, Israel Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies A Brooklyn resident relaxes in a hammock hung on their balcony Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies Residents toast during a "safe distance" aperitif time between neighbours in Anderlecht, Belgium Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies Musician Adam Moser plays for neighbours from his balcony in Budapest, Hungary Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies A man and his son on their balcony in Brooklyn Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies A man sits alone on a roof terrace in Rome Reuters Following the announcement of a nationwide lockdown on Monday 23 March, deputy chief medical officer Jenny Harries said that couples who do not live together should either stay apart or test the strength of their relationship by moving in together. The issue here is that we do not want to have people switching in and out of households. It would defeat the purpose of the reduction in social interactions and would allow transmission of disease, Ms Harries said. So perhaps test really carefully your strength of feeling and stay with the household either together or apart, but keep it that way while we go forward because otherwise we will not all be working towards achieving our outcome. The National Commission for Women on Monday asked the Rajasthan police to conduct animmediate investigation in the alleged gang rape of a woman in Jaipur and sought strict action against theculprits and the erring police officials. According to a media report,a 40-year-old woman had been unable to make her way back to her home in Jaipur for over a month from Dausa district due to travel restrictions amid the countrywide lockdown. She was allegedly raped on the night of April 23-24 by three men at a school in Sawai Madhopur district whereshe was put up by the local authorities. The Commission has written to Bhupendra Singh Yadav, Director General of Police, Rajasthan, for immediate investigation and strict action against theculprits and erring police officials as per the law, the NCW said in a statement. The Commission is concerned about the safety and security of women despite the enactment of the Criminal Law Amendment Act, 2013, that made laws against sexual crimes stricter, it said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) New case against ex-culture official transferred from St. Petersburg to Moscow RAPSI, Vladimir Burnov 16:54 27/04/2020 ST. PETERSBURG, April 27 (RAPSI, Mikhail Telekhov) - A new case against ex-Deputy Culture Minister Grigory Pirumov over the 800 million-ruble embezzlement allocated for restoration of the Hermitage Museum has been transferred from St. Petersburg to Moscow, the United press service of St. Petersburg courts has told RAPSI. The Kuibyshevsky District Court of St. Petersburg, where investigators had sent the case, changed its jurisdiction and forwarded it to the Nikulinsky District Court of Moscow. Pirumov and head of Rospan company Nikita Kolesnikov are charged with creating an organized criminal group to steal budget funds on a large scale using their job position. The gang, according to the charges, included financial director and senior engineer of the company Horizont Yulia Begeza and Valery Rogov, chairman of the Oil Alliance banks board Oleg Grigor. They also face trial. One more defendant, ex-director of the Culture Ministrys department of property management and investment policy Boris Mazo, fled abroad. He was put on the international wanted list and later arrested in Austria. A court in Vienne in February granted his extradition to Russia. However, Spain also seeks for his extradition. According to case papers, in 2015, the Hermitage Museum and MechStroyTrans company controlled by the defendants signed a contract for construction amd reconstruction of the museums facilities. During the execution of the contract, alleged accomplices stole more than 900 million rubles allocated from the budget for these works. Using various financial operations and transactions the defendants legalized 800 million rubles of the embezzled money, according to the courts press service. The accused persons plead not guilty. Other cases The Moscow City Court has repeatedly extended house arrest of Pirumov for 3 months as part of a 450-million-ruble (about $7 million) embezzlement case. Investigators believe that Pirumov, Kolesnikov, Mazo and their accomplices have stolen at least 450 million rubles (about $7 million) allocated for the construction of the Hermitage Museums buildings. The defendants have pleaded not guilty. In the first case against Pirumov, the Dorogomilovsky District Court of Moscow found him guilty of stealing more than 100 million rubles and sentenced the former culture official to 1.5 years in a penal colony in October 2017. The court took into consideration the time Pirumov spent in detention and freed him in the courtroom. Prosecutors repeatedly appealed against the sentence. In December, the Moscow City Court imposed a 1-million-ruble (about $15,000) on ex-official and deprived him of the second-class medal of the Order of Merit for the Motherland. In January, his punishment was toughened up to 3 years behind bars. Investigators claimed that between 2012 and 2016 Pirumov, currently wanted ex-director of the Culture Ministrys department of property management and investment policy Boris Mazo and several other defendants embezzled over 160 million rubles ($2.4 million) allocated on restoration of the Novodevichy Convent in Moscow, Ivanovsky Convent in Moscow and other objects across Russia. On August 8, 2019, Moscows Preobrazhensky District Court granted parole to Pirumov as part of this case. The family reunion was going to be in a city that has come to be special to the Clintons. (No relation to those other Clintons.) Cathleen, Chuck, their sister Caroline and their late sister Connie grew up in Cleveland. In the 1970s, first Chuck and then Cathleen moved to Washington. They sunk their roots deep. Developing innovative venture capital projects is rapidly becoming an essential element of the U.S. health systems strategy to ensure long-term financial viability. In the past five years, healthcare venture capital programs and innovation labs have become essential tools for health systems. These programs can be used to respond to market disruption, as well as to pressures to control cost and the shift to value-based payments. They will become even more important in the wake of todays COVID-19 pandemic, when health systems will need to double down on new revenue approaches that can be scaled to rebuild their balance sheets. As health systems move into the realm of venture capital projects, whatever their strategy, they can benefit from applying eight core principles and lessons learned from organizations that have achieved success with value-added venture capital management. (See the sidebar, 3 strategies for venture capital investing.) 1. Make venture capital a health system strategic priority The most successful healthcare venture capital players develop a clear strategy that links their investments to key organizational priorities such as improved patient care or greater operational efficiency. Many health systems also see venture capital as an organizational priority critical to dealing with externally driven pressures on their cash flows. Ascension Ventures, for example, which was launched in 2001, focused on medical devices, technology and healthcare services. The venture fund, which is an important contributor to the revenues of St. Louis-based Ascension, currently manages $550 million in assets invested in early- to late-stage companies with more than 300 hospital and health facility investing partners. It shares its portfolio companies solutions with its investing partners while generating financial returns that support its mission to support care for the poor and vulnerable. Given the slim margins earned by most health systems, developing venture capital investments is simply a prudent strategy. 2. Clearly align corporate and venture capital investment goals Aligning corporate goals with investment goals is critical. Organizations therefore should develop a consensus around an investment approach in which venture capital investments conform with the parent organizations overall business strategy. Most investors will choose between primarily strategic goals, such as the improvement of patient care, and more financially focused venture capital goals, such as investments aimed primarily at revenue diversification. Strategic investments are generally qualitative in nature and tend to focus on funding startups with new business processes and/or technology to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of clinical operations. For example, Kyruus is an industry-leading provider of search, scheduling and data management software that matches patients with the right providers to optimize patient experience across all channels of patient access. Providence St. Joseph Health headquartered in Renton, Washington, and Irvine, California invested in Kyruus in 2015 and has since rolled out the software throughout its system. Financial goals can include a focus on monetizing internal intellectual capital, such as inventions developed by researchers or practitioners or resources developed through investments. Because innovation generally emerges in a space removed from the investment arena, it also is important to create a consensus on how investment and clinical goals are to be aligned. 3. Make collaboration and coinvesting key parts of the strategy Whether the objectives of venture capital investments are strategic or primarily financial, most successful programs put a premium on collaboration and coinvesting. Relatively few health systems take the lead in investments, relying instead on outside venture capital firms to help in sourcing deals, due diligence and contracting. Health systems often coinvest with at least one like-minded organization on investments of any size, thereby allowing for diversified risk and a broader customer base for startup. 4. Separate venture investing from operations Venture capital units typically are organized in teams of four to 10 professionals separate from line operations. The teams should safeguard their ability to review projects independently, have frank discussions on the trade-offs of various project merits and weigh their potential contribution to overall corporate goals. If their venture capital program is large enough, some health systems differentiate venture units based upon the types of investments they manage. Intermountain Healthcare in Utah, for example, has an accelerator program that supports early-stage in-house ideas. This program has an innovation fund, which invests in and manages syndicated ventures, and a separate business development unit, which spins out new companies and provides opertional oversight to new initiatives within the system. Creating defined, separate venture funds is another way to protect venture investments from fluctuations in operating income, and it is useful for recruiting high-quality investment professionals. Not all health systems have defined venture funds. The Cleveland Clinic, for example, believes a fund structure places artificial constraints on its investments (e.g., the need to invest all funds and liquidate investments in three to seven years). Instead, it funds investments directly from its balance sheet to avoid these fund constraints. In 2000, the Cleveland Clinic launched a formal venture investing unit called Cleveland Clinic Innovations, which has issued more than 1,000 patents and licenses and helped launch more than 70 companies. In 2017, the Clinic created a separate unit, Cleveland Clinic Ventures (CCV), to manage its venture investments. About 90% of CCVs portfolio is invested in the health systems own intellectual property. 5. Build a culture that is reasonably tolerant of failure Despite the allure, venture financing can be an unforgiving world, with at least 30% of early-stage companies going out of business within two years, according to a 2016 hfm article.[a] The authors stressed that a corporate venture capital fund can thrive only if its parent organization is one that is reasonably tolerant of failure. Each project proposal should include analysis of the expected benefits of the investment and the projects fit within the overall corporate strategy, as well as estimates of the expected strategic qualitative benefits, projected financial returns and operational and cash flow time horizon. 6. Make sure to groom 'venture champions' The most critical role to fill within the venture team is the venture champion, or executive sponsor of each venture capital initiative. Without appropriate internal leadership, venture deals have a far lower chance of success. The venture champion role is critical for managing transitions given that the strategic and financial goals have different timelines. All systems feel pressure to make investment decisions efficiently, which includes having the patience to gather all the customer input they need to properly evaluate deals. It therefore is critical that investment objectives be clear and supported from the top down to ensure investment champions have the guidance they need to foster successful venture innovations. 7. Focus on scale and implementation from the start Venture activities are generally integrated into operations first by performing dry runs through pilot programs, allowing innovation projects to demonstrate their ability to create greater systemwide value. However, although pilots are essential for testing and refining ventures, organizations should be careful to avoid letting pilots run longer than is necessary. A significant fraction of new deals, of course, will not make it past the first or second round of funding. Thus, most mature venture funds avoid early-stage investments and focus on investments in products they can use and scale internally. In short, if you cant imagine the large-scale rollout of a venture activity, dont bother to pilot. 8. Engage health system leadership It is essential that line managers be involved along with senior leadership in the venture selection process and in investment decision-making. Investment objectives that are clear and supported from the top down are critical for providing venture champions with the organizational direction and backing they need to succeed with innovative ventures. Senior executives play a critical role in ensuring the venture investment approach stays within the framework of the organizations overall business strategy (e.g., risk tolerance, readiness to embrace disruption and level of startup investing deemed best based on the organizations circumstances). Finally, scaling investments through partnerships, planning product rollouts and managing key development transitions such as capitalization or syndication requires engaged leaders. Senior executives should be prepared to devote considerable time to identifying new approaches to extend the health systems brand into adjacent industries, new ways of investing in startup businesses and the potential ROI of every inch of hospital space that could support a venture capital project. Checklist for an effective venture capital process Do we have diverse ventures from multiple channels? Are line managers involved in the selection process? Is there a clearly defined vetting process for deals? Do we have a process for identifying and grooming venture champions? Are there frequent forecast updates to support tactical shifts? Is there a process for addressing pilot pain points? Is there a roll-out plan for implementation that balances need and speed of execution? Are we developing a culture of continuous improvement? 3 strategies for venture capital investing According to the American Hospital Association, as of 2017, 72% of the large 400+ bed hospitals in the nation had innovation centers to support venture investing or were planning to do so.[b] The Silicon Valley Bank, one of the largest players in the healthcare venture funding market, reports that U.S. healthcare venture fundraising reached an all-time high of $10.7 billion in 2019, a 10% increase over the previous year.[c] Venture investments in the Healthcare Tech sector were particularly robust, cementing its position as the fastest growing sector in healthcare, with growth largely attributed to alternative care and provider operations. Traditional strategies. Traditionally, venture investing has predominantly been the domain of large academic medical centers, such as Johns Hopkins Medicine, Stanford Health Care or Partners Healthcare (now Mass General Brigham), the Mayo Clinic and the Cleveland Clinic. These organizations have developed commercialization programs for internally developed intellectual property and invested primarily to monetize staff and faculty inventions and to provide seed money for promising start-ups. "Outside-in" strategies. An emerging approach to developing innovation opportunities involves sourcing diverse deals from various channels. Recently, some health systems have pioneered an outside-in investment strategy, which involves developing a corporate venture capital program run by outside investors that looks for innovations to test, refine and scale with the goal of bringing them to market. These corporate venture offices are staffed by investment professionals, and their goal is to create beta environments in the health systems to stimulate innovation and then to be the initial customers for the new technologies they are testing. Organizations pursuing this strategy include Ascension, Providence St. Joseph Health, Dignity Health, Intermountain Healthcare, MemorialCare and Cedars-Sinai. Other strategies. Other organizations are exploring innovative investment opportunities that are internally generated. For example, NewYork-Presbyterian Ventures seeded the development of NYP OnDemand to transform its clinical delivery systems through the widespread use of telehealth visits. Likewise, Houston Methodists Center for Innovation has created a Technology Hub in the wing of a clinical building that provides a comprehensive environment to test innovations such as voice technology and natural language processing, with the long-term goal of offering the hub to vendor partners and researchers who want to collaborate in new health technologies. Footnotes [a] Potter, M.J., Wesslund, R., Provider venture capital funds: Investing in innovation, hfm, May 2016. [b] AVIA and American Hospital Association, Digital Innovation Survey: Executive Summary, 2017. [c] Norros, J., Vig, D.K., and Harris, K., Healthcare Investments and Exits: 2020 Annual Report, Silicon Valley Bank, 2020. The new White House standard for reopening the economy in various states is rigged to severely prolong the economic strangulation under the current lockdowns. The criterion has been defined as a 14-day period of declining volume in new cases or a 14-day period of declining rates of positivity of those tested. Testing is ramping up in every state, which if the epidemiologists are right, will produce a lower percentage rate of positivity on the tests since the curve has been bent. But there is a new factor which throws all of these calculations off so far off that the 14-day standard should be abandoned. Drive through screening (US Air Force photo) That factor is the likelihood that there are an enormous number of asymptomatic cases out there that have never been counted (nor tested so far). Early estimates based on sampling in Iceland suggested maybe half of all those infected were asymptomatic. Dr. Fauci estimated 25% of cases might be asymptomatic. Now we have much higher estimates. The Stanford sampling study in Santa Clara County testing for antibodies, a similar study in Los Angeles County, a study in a town in Germany, a study just done in New York State, and testing in an Ohio prison and a Boston homeless shelter, suggest the number of asymptomatic cases are in fact many multiples of the number of cases already tested positive so far. This is good news and bad news. The good news is it means many more people have already had the virus or are experiencing it in very mild or totally asymptomatic fashion. This means the real death rate for the virus has a much larger denominator when you divide total deaths by total infected, and hence a lower death rate. It means the country is closer to herd immunity in some places, assuming having had the virus provides some future immunity, so far not known. The bad news is that it could also mean that some of these many asymptomatics could still be spreading the virus, since how long someone can be a spreader is also not known. However, because of the now rapid ramp up in testing, which has been the battle cry and demand of epidemiologists and critics of the steps taken by the Administration so far, many of these asymptomatics will now get tested and their positive infection status added to the daily count of infected in states across the country. Many of those tested will have antibody tests which do not tell you when someone was infected. That is a huge problem for compiling a daily number of new positive cases. This almost certainly means that even if the real curve of the number of newly infected in a state has leveled off, the change in the daily testing volume and the huge pool of asymptomatics and others testing positive with the antibody test available for testing will provide a big boost to case counts and drive them up. It could also drive up the positivity rate if many of those who tested positive with the antibody test had the virus a while back. As a result, this will cause states to delay ending their strict quarantines and partially reopening their economies, since the number of new positive cases reported each day is going up, rather than down. Asymptomatics may test positive on either an antibody test or the standard virus identification test or both. Those who test positive on antibody tests may not be a risk to anyone, but their number will not be separated from others who test positive and will impede a state from showing the decline in overall new case volume that is the current standard. There are now many voices calling for a relaxation of the lockdowns in place. If the test for doing that is the one outlined so far, 14 days of declining case volumes or declining positivity test rates, the tests seem rigged, and states will have an excuse for not doing so, claiming that they are following the advice of the scientists, and the epidemiologists who established the 14 day standard. The cost of delaying reopening parts of the economy or sections of the country because states cannot meet a standard that may be impossible to meet could be a death blow to the American economy and many of the people out of work and businesses which are shut down. Sunday, April 26, 2020 A look at control banding Typically used to protect workers from chemicals, the process has potential use in other areas David Zalk first became acquainted with control banding in the late 1990s as an industrial hygienist. When his work shifted to environmental, health and safety management in 2007, he started thinking that it could have uses beyond its usual realm of bulk chemicals. At its heart, control banding a qualitative system of risk assessment is about using what is known to try to manage the unknown. It's often used for potential hazards surrounding chemicals almost 99% of which do not have occupational exposure limits, according to NIOSH because of the regular production of new chemicals. "I thought there must be a way to take that mindset and see how else it can apply," said Zalk, deputy EHS team leader at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and member of the American Industrial Hygiene Association's Exposure and Control Banding Committee. Since then, Zalk has proposed ways to use control banding in areas such as construction and nanomaterials. How it works Source credits: https://www.safetyandhealthmagazine.com/articles/19704-a-look-at-control-banding UNDERSTANDING CHANGING GUIDANCE ON MASK USE Kirsten Koehler and Ana Rule, faculty experts from the Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, answer questions about the revised CDC guidelines on masks and gloves In First Month of COVID-19 Guidance, the California Regional Water Quality Control Boards Have Issued Hundreds of Approvals for Compliance Extensions Submitted by Regulated Entities Thursday, April 23, 2020 On March 20, the California Water Boards issued guidance about complying with regulatory requirements during the COVID-19 shelter-in-place orders. We summarized that guidance here . In short, the guidance directs regulated entities to "immediately" notify the Board if compliance is not possible and to seek appropriate relief. Water Board staff committed to "do their best to respond within 24/48 hours." It has now been a month, and preliminary data about the extent to which regulated entities have sought relief, and how the Regional Water Boards have responded is available. The following information was presented today in a Bar Association of San Francisco's Environmental Law Section Master Series Roundtable providing detail about extension requests and delays by regulated entities as of the week of April 20 (i.e., at the conclusion of the first month of the policy): Source credits: https://www.natlawreview.com/article/first-month-covid-19-guidance-california-regional-water-quality-control-boards-have Authorities in Georgia have arrested a 19-year-old girl who was accused of shooting dead her pregnant stepmother and attacking her 11-year-old stepbrother on Sunday. Deputies from the Bibb County Sheriffs Office were sent to a home in the 1000 block of Radio Drive just before 6.40am and found 36-year-old Melanie Powers in bed dead from a gunshot wound to the head. It was reported that Powers 11-year-old son ran from the home to get help after he was awakened by his step-sister, Passion Watkins, assaulting him and his mother. Passion Watkins, 19 has been charged with malice murder, aggravated assault, cruelty to children and feticide in the killing of her step-mother, Melanie Powers, 36 (pictured) Watkins was arrested in a park in Macon, Georgia, on Sunday night, hours after the killing After following up on leads, deputies tracked down Watkins sitting in a park on Pansy Avenue just before 6pm. Following an interview with investigators, the 19-year-old was booked into the county jail on charges of malice murder, aggravated assault, cruelty to children and feticide, stemming from the death of Powers' unborn daughter. The victim's son was taken to a hospital to be treated for non life-threatening injuries. He was later released into the custody of family members. A friend of Powers with a purported knowledge of the incident described Watkins in a Facebook post as 'the face of evil,' saying that she murdered 'an amazing person' who took her into her home to save her from her abusive father, and who loved the girl as if she were her own child. A friend wrote that Melanie (pictured) was scheduled to undergo a C-section and welcome her daughter this week. Her step-daughter, Watkins, allegedly shot her from a point-blank range Melanie Leigh Bongiorno also revealed in the status update that Powers was due to undergo a scheduled Cesarean section within three days and welcome her baby daughter. Bibb County Coroner Leon Jones has corroborated that information, telling 41NBC that Powers was eight-months pregnant and scheduled for a C-section this week. According to Bongiorno, Watkins shot her step-mother from a point-blank range and attempted to strangle her 11-year-old step-brother, who had lost his biological father to diabetes six years prior. 'I hope Passion Watkins from Macon, Ga gets the death penalty for what she did!' Bongiorno wrote. 'This is horrible, and the worst kind of evil there is!!' MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico has almost entirely cleared out government migrant centres over the past five weeks to contain the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, returning most of the occupants to their countries of origin, official data showed on Sunday. In a statement, the National Migration Institute (INM) said that since March 21, in order to comply with health and safety guidelines, it had been removing migrants from its 65 migrant facilities, which held 3,759 people last month. In the intervening weeks, Mexico has returned 3,653 migrants to Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador by road and air, with the result that only 106 people remain in the centres, it said. The institute's migrant centres and shelters have a total capacity of 8,524 spaces, the INM said. Victor Clark Alfaro, a migration expert at San Diego State University, said the announcement went hand in hand with the Mexican government's readiness to keep migrant numbers in check under pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump. "Today, Mexico's policy is to contain and deport," he said. There are dozens of other shelters run by a variety of religious and non-governmental organizations throughout the country that continue to harbor migrants. Among those who remained in the INM centres were migrants awaiting the outcome of asylum requests or judicial hearings, and others who had expressly sought permission to stay, a migration official said. The vast majority of those sent back were migrants detained by authorities because they were in Mexico illegally, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. Some no longer wished to stay in centres because of the risk of coronavirus infection, the official added. Most of the migrants passing through Mexico to reach the U.S. border are from Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador. More than 80 Guatemalan migrants deported to their homeland from the United States have tested positive for the coronavirus. (Reporting by Dave Graham and Diego Ore; Additional reporting by Sofia Menchu in Guatemala City; Editing by Daniel Wallis and Peter Cooney) Wooga CEO and founder Jens Begemann is departing the company at the end of June after 11 years at its head. Begemann founded the studio back in 2009 alongside Patrick Paulisch and current CTO Philipp Moeser. The German developer has since made its name as a developer of free-to-play, and recently story-driven, mobile games. The company was ultimately acquired by Playtika (reportedly for over $100 million) in late 2018, and Begemann notes in an interview with PocketGamer that the stability and success Wooga has seen since that acquisition is part of the reason hes announced plans to exit. "I'm an entrepreneur at heart. Wooga is strategically set in the right direction and I miss the early days. I had that realization. I wanted to be more involved with that. Secondly, I wanted to have more time for my family, says Begemann. As a founder, I think it's best to leave when things are going better than ever. Nai Chang, Googles previous global head of games on growth consulting, is set to take over as Wooga CEO following Begemanns departure in June. The two Chinese men caught illegally mining in Zamfara The Zamfara State Police Command has arrested 2 Chinese Nationals for illegally conducting mining activities in the state. SP Mohammed Shehu,the PPRO of Zamfara State Police Command Gusau,said in a statement on Monday that the foreigners were arrested based on information received on their activities. The Command had On 19th April, 2020 recieved information that some foreigners in concert with other unpatriotic Nigerians engaged in illegal mining activities in Kwali, Bukkuyum LGA of the state. On the strength of the information, On 20th April, 2020, the Commissioner of Police ,CP Usman Nagogo psc+ led a special taskforce team to Kwali mining sites to assess and see things for himself. The information proved to be credible one as hundred of miners scattered as soon as they saw the team. Two labourers were however arrested who confirmed the presence of Chinese and Bulkinabe Nationals among others. On 25thth April, 2020 information had it that a Chinese and Bulkinabe Nationals are taking shelter somewhere in Nasarawa Burkullu. On 26th April, 2020 the Commissioner of Police led another team to the same Village where two Chinese Nationals were seen with all the chemicals necessary for making gold. The two Chinese Nationals ,Mr WANG and Mr CHUN are being interrogated to get more information that could help the course of investigation, they said. The Federal Government of Nigeria had banned all mining activities in Zamfara state in 2019,as part of measures to reduce crime and banditry in the state. PR-Inside.com: 2020-04-28 00:16:03 Immediate Action is needed from the U.S. and allies New York,New York, April 27, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- After the terrorist attacks on March 25, 2020 in Har Rai Sahib Kabul Gurdwara, the Sikh Diaspora moved swiftly to condemn the persons, organizations and governments responsible. UNITED SIKHS immediately asked the United States to take action and protect religious freedoms. Within moments of the cowardly attacks against women and children;UNITED SIKHS rallied support from the international community, the U.S. Administration, Afghanistan authorities and Sikh Afghans on the ground to ensure that these attacks do not happen again. ISIS has taken responsibility for multi-day terrorist shootings that left more than 50 people dead. On March 28th, after back to back days of terrorist attacks directed at the Sikh community; Afghanistan immediately issued by decree a 10-day ultimatum for Sikhs to leave the country. The choices given were to convert, flee the country or face further attacks until all Sikhs are dead or gone. These threats are being taken seriously by UNITED SIKHS and have deemed the decree or fatwa as an affront to the Sikh Nation. UNITED SIKHS strongly asserts that the Islamic state attacks that took place in retaliation to the Feb. 2020 US/NATO/Coalition - Taliban agreement, the March military withdrawal and the withholding of aid to Afghanistan contributed to this violent and deadly outburst. UNITED SIKHS started their campaign in the U.S. with the State Department and the American Sikh Caucus Committee to bring the Afghan Sikhs and Hindus to a safe haven. Wanda Sanchez, Chief Legal Counsel and Acting Legal Director said, "President Trumps commitment and resolve to protect religious freedoms around the world is at this moment being tested. Sikhs, Hindus and other ethno-religious and religious groups, who during the past 18 years were protected by the United States, NATOs military and Coalition forces. That presence of stability has now come under terrorist attacks in the area after the February 2020 agreement with the Taliban. The agreement should now rightfully include protections for these minorities who were supporters during the occupation. Those protections should include granting refugee status and political asylum. The protections should also not be undermined by the administration's internal, protective, immigration agenda. The day after the first attack, UNITED SIKHS began working on obtaining security and safety for Sikhs in Afghanistan. UNITED SIKHS has partnered with the American Sikh Caucus Committee to move the issue of their safety and their migration forward. Harpreet Singh Sandhu, Executive Director, American Sikh Caucus said, "UNITED SIKHS was the first organization to reach out after the incident and we immediately reached out to the members of the Sikh Caucus. Our team quickly made contact with Congressmen , John Garamendi, Jim Acosta, Eliot Engel, House Foreign Affair, Senator Dick Durban and several international bodies of governance." Sandhu also added, "We are thankful to Congressman Jim Acosta and others we have personally asked to assist with this urgent issue." Gurvinder Singh, International Humanitarian Aid Director said, " Numerous discussions have taken place in which multiple options were discussed with the State Department by UNITED SIKHS . Sam Brownback, Ambassador on Religious Freedoms has been key in having a direct dialogue with India and Pakistan. We now call upon President Trump, to order an executive action to provide safe harbor to Sikh Afghans in the USA immediately. UNITED SIKHS is thankful to Ambassador Sam Brownback and the Afghanistan government in enhancing their immediate security. We hope the U.S. can keep the minority community safe from further attacks. The future for Afghan Sikhs is dim and changing daily. The wishes of the Afghan Sikhs and Hindus is towards India as a first choice because of extended families residing in India. If India cannot accommodate them, then Pakistan as an interim country to apply as refugees to Canada, UK and the United States. UNITED SIKHS, Executive Director Jagdeep Singh, reported, Humanitarian crises such as the one recently endured by Afghan Sikhs should not be mistaken as someone elses problem. Left unchecked in any country, these types of massacres manifest themselves in other parts of the world. UNITED SIKHS will continue to work with the United Nations, and other world governments and Sikhs in Afghanistan by providing necessary advocacy and humanitarian needs towards their resettlement in other countries. About UNITED SIKHS: UNITED SIKHS is a U.N. affiliated, international non-profit, non-governmental, humanitarian relief, human development and advocacy organization, aimed at empowering those in need, especially disadvantaged and minority communities across the world. UNITED SIKHS is registered: as a non-profit tax exempt organization pursuant to Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code in the USA; as a Registered Charity in England and Wales under the Charities Act 1993, Charity Number 111 2055; registered in Australia as a not for profit NGO (ABN 24 317 847 103); and is a registered NGO in Belgium; as a non-profit organization in Canada; under the Societies Registration Act 1860 in Panjab and as a tax exempt organisation under section 80G of the Income Tax Act 1961; under the French Association Law 1901; under the Societies Registration Act 1860 in Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa, Pakistan; as a registered society under the Registrar of Societies in Malaysia (registered as UNITED SIKHS Malaysia Humanitarian Aid Organisation- Regn No: PPM-015-14-06042015); and an NGO pending registration in the Rep of Ireland.: In the wake of Bernie Sanders abject capitulation to Joe Biden, the presumptive presidential candidate of the Democratic Party, leading supporters of the Sanders campaign, including the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), have tried to maintain that despite the predictable outcome, all was not in vain. Sanders, they claim, shifted the debate, bringing vital issues previously regarded as peripheral into the mainstream of politics. With the narrative of these would-be political alchemists in ruinsnamely, that Sanders would take the leadership of the Democratic Party and turn it in a progressive or even socialist directionthey have shifted their line to the delusion that Sanders can lead a successful pressure campaign to shift Biden to the left. For its part, the Biden camp, recognising the hostility to its candidate, especially among younger voters, says it is reaching out to the progressive constituency. The veil was lifted on this dog and pony show last Thursday, when Bloomberg Newsrevealed that the treasury secretary in the Clinton administration, Larry Summers, was a key adviser to Biden in the formulation of economic policy. Larry Summers and then President Barack Obama in 2013. (Image Credit: Pete Souza/The White House) Summers has a long history, going back almost three decades, of supporting all the measures leading to the financialization of the American economy and the institutionalization of mechanisms that have siphoned off wealth and income to its upper layers. He was one of the key architects of policies that have resulted in the greatest levels of social inequality in history, the lowering of wages for millions of workers, and the gutting of essential services such as health care. He also has a record of opposing action to deal with climate change. Organizations backing Sanders have responded to the news of Summers key role in the Biden campaign with expressions of shock and outrage, demonstrating once again their own political bankruptcy. Two pro-Sanders organisations, Justice Democrats and the Sunrise Movement, issued a joint statement that Summers was unfit to carry out a progressive agenda and that Biden had a major trust gap, which he would have to overcome with progressives and voters under the age of 45 to win against Trump. Larry Summers legacy is advocating for policies that contributed to the skyrocketing inequality and climate crisis were living with today. We hope Biden publicly rejects Summers role as an economic adviser to better earn the trust of our generation, they wrote. In other words, please throw us a bone to help us take up our new task of promoting illusions in BidenObamas vice president during eight years of the greatest transfer of wealth from the bottom to the top in US historyjust as we did for Sanders. The Biden camp issued a statement that his campaign would present the most progressive agenda of any president in generations, and that he looked forward to his continuing engagement with progressive leaders. It described Summers as part of a large and well-rounded informal network of experts who did not hold formal positions on the Biden team. Summers played his part in this new pantomime, issuing a statement that he and Biden had been friends for a long time, but he did not have any formal relationship with his campaign. Given the role the Summers has played in the leading circles of the Democratic Party and in both the Clinton and Obama administrations, whether he has a formal role in Bidens team is very much a semantic point. Summers public career began as staff member on the Council of Economic Advisers from 1982-1983, during the Reagan administration. In 1988 he was an economic adviser to the Democratic Michael Dukakis presidential campaign. In 1991 he left his position at Harvard to become chief economist for the World Bank. While there, he signed a memo, authored by another economist at the bank, Lant Pritchett, which said that the economic logic behind dumping a load of toxic waste in the lowest wage country is impeccable and we should face up to that. When the memo was leaked, creating a storm of controversy, Summers and Pritchett said it was intended as sarcasm and it had been doctored to discredit both Summers and the World Bank. In 1993, Summers was appointed undersecretary for international affairs in the Clinton administration and then moved to the Treasury Department. In 1995, he was promoted to deputy secretary of the treasury under his political mentor, the banking executive (Goldman Sachs and Citigroup) Robert Rubin. The 1990s was a crucial decade in the development of American finance capital. In the 1980s, it might have been argued that criminal activity in the financial system was the product of rogue individuals such as Ivan Boesky and Michael Milken, recently pardoned by US president Trump. What took place in the following decade was the institutionalization of the methods they had pioneered. Following the stock market crash of October 1987, the Federal Reserve Board, under its newly appointed chairman Alan Greenspan, took on a new role. Its task was not to prevent financial bubbles, but to pour money into Wall Street when they burst, facilitating the creation of the next one. This led to a series of bailouts, stretching from the Mexican crisis in 1994 to the collapse of the hedge fund Long-Term Capital Management in 1998 and the hi-tech meltdown of 2000-2001. Summers was at the very center of this process. Taking over as treasury secretary from Rubin in 1999, he helped steer through legislation that repealed key sections of the Glass-Steagall Act of 1933, which had imposed restrictions on banking activities, separating commercial banking from investment banking. Hailing the new legislation, Summers declared: Today Congress voted to update the rules that have governed financial services since the Great Depression and replace them with a system for the 21st century. This historic legislation will better enable American companies to compete in the new economy. The 21st century rules played no small part in helping to create the conditions for the financial crisis of 2008, as did another initiative of Summers. He played a leading role in shooting down proposals to regulate financial derivatives, which also played a significant part in setting off the financial meltdown of 12 years ago. But Summers role was hailed by the political and media establishment, and on February 15, 1999 his picture appeared on the cover of Time magazine, along with those of Rubin and Greenspan, under the headline The committee to save the world. While serving in the Clinton administration, Summers was the one of the leading advocates of the privatisation of the economy under the Yeltsin regime in Russia, which created the wealth of the post-Soviet oligarchs while impoverishing the working class of the former USSR. But Summers role did not end there. He also counselled against the US playing any leading role in action on climate change and opposed the US signing up to the Kyoto Protocols. In the California energy crisis of 2000, Summers, together with Greenspan and Enron chief executive Kenneth Lay, told California Governor Gray Davis that the problem was caused by excessive government regulation and demanded that he relax environmental standards to reassure the markets. Every year at the end of August, central bankers from around the world come to Jackson Hole, Wyoming for a conclave to discuss banking and the role of finance. The 2005 gathering was to be a very auspicious occasion as it was the farewell for US Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan, the supposed maestro of central banking. However, there was a dissenting voice from the chorus of hosannas. The International Monetary Fund chief economist and director of research, Raghuram Rajan, had intended to present a paper explaining how the changes made under Greenspan had made the world financially safer. However, his research found that new instruments, such as credit default swaps enabling financial firms to rake in big profits, could lead to a collapse. The interbank market could freeze up, and one could have a full-blown financial crisis, he wrote. Summers was in the front ranks of those who piled in against this prescient warning about what was going to take place just three years later. He told the gathering that he found the basic, slightly Luddite, premise of this paper to be largely misguided. One might have reasonably expected that, given what subsequently took place, this would have spelled the end of Summers career as an economic adviser. Not at all. In January 2009, he was appointed as the head of Obamas National Economic Council, a post he held until November 2010. In his new position he was a key figure in organizing the massive bailouts for Wall Street while opposing measures to ease the plight of millions of families that could not meet their home mortgages payments. In April 2009, a controversy arose when it was revealed that the previous year he had been paid millions of dollars by financial firms. He had received $5 million from the hedge fund D.E. Shaw and $2.7 million in speaking fees from Wall Street firms that had received government bailout money. But this did not prove an obstacle to his continuing in the post. His record has now provoked mouse squeaks of opposition from Sanders supporters about his role in the Biden campaign because it makes their job of burnishing the progressive credentials of the Democratic nominee more difficult. But they will fall into line. After all, Sanders himself has said it would be irresponsible not to back Biden. Founded by a legendary oncologist in 1973 and later named after him, the Saroj Gupta Cancer Centre and Research Institute at Thakurpukur on Kolkatas southern fringes was forced to stop most of its services in the last ten days because of acute staff shortage triggered by social ostracism. This happened soon after a patient admitted with lung cancer on April 17 was referred to Bangur Hospital, the state-run nodal hospital for Covid-19 patients, after he tested positive for coronavirus. Follow coronavirus latest updates here. Soon after the patient left the hospital, local residents and neighbours of many of our workers stopped them from coming to work, visiting markets or even collecting water from street outlets. It is extremely unfortunate that this happened, despite repeated appeals from the Union health ministry. Relatives of some staff members were also threatened, said Dr Arnab Gupta, director of the institute and the founders grandson. I contacted the state health department and moved the police administration. The situation started improving since this morning, Dr Gupta told HT on Monday afternoon. Equipped with 310 beds and modern amenities, the non-profit institute, which is run by a trust, has 850 staff members. There are more than 180 doctors on its panel. Recognized by the World Health Organisation, the institute is a member of the Union for International Cancer Control, Geneva. We had to stop several services and defer chemotherapy sessions and operations. Despite our efforts, many patients were compelled to go home. We kept around 55 patients, some of whom are in critical condition and the rest are children. said Dr Gupta. On April 19, there were only 15 staff members on duty. I had to join them, he added. The police campaigned in the local neighbourhoods and told people that they should appreciate the efforts being put in by health workers and doctors. We said cancer patients need special care, as much as Covid-19 patients do, an officer at Thakurpukur police station said on condition of anonymity. Popularly known as Thakurpukur cancer hospital, the institute was Bengals first private cancer hospital to boast of modern facilities but treat patients at a nominal cost. It was first known as Cancer Centre Welfare Home and Research Institute. Dr Saroj Gupta was helped by a handful of doctors and social workers to set up the facility with 25 beds. They raised the earliest funds by staging a play scripted by the oncologist (Dr Saroj Gupta) who also played a cancer patient. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Chinas Tianwen-1 Mars rover undergoing thermal vacuum testing. Credit: CCTV/frame grab HELSINKI China has named its first independent interplanetary mission Tianwen-1, with the combined Mars orbiter and rover spacecraft apparently proceeding towards launch in July. The name and mission logo were unveiled at a China National Space Administration online ceremony to mark the 50th anniversary of the launch of the countrys first satellite. DFH-1 launched on a Long March 1 rocket from Jiuquan April 24, 1970, making China the fifth country to independently launch a satellite. Tianwen-1, meaning questions to heaven, is taken from the name of a long-form poem by Qu Yuan, a poet born in the fourth century B.C., according to CNSA chief engineer Ge Xiaochun. The Lanxingjiutian logo includes representations of the Latin letter c, referring to China, cooperation, and the cosmic velocity required to undertake planetary exploration. Further Chinese planetary missions will also carry the Tianwen name. China is understood to be planning a Mars sample return mission, a Jupiter orbiter and considering possible missions to icy giants and interstellar space. A joint near-Earth asteroid sample return and comet rendezvous mission has also been proposed. Spacecraft delivered, rocket engines tested Few details of the Tianwen-1 mission have been released so far. The Tianwen-1 spacecraft is expected to have a wet mass of around 5 metric tons. Launch on a Long March 5 launcher is expected from Wenchang early in the short launch window to Mars open in late July and early August. The YF-77 liquid oxygen-liquid hydrogen engines for the Long March 5 passed tests in January. The same engines were the cause of the failure of the second Long March 5 launch in 2017. Comprehensive software and hardware tests of the spacecraft were completed in March. The spacecraft has apparently been delivered to Wenchang Satellite Launch Center. The test launch of the Long March 5Bcurrently expected in early Maywill likely need to succeed for the Tianwen-1 mission to proceed. Following that mission, the Yuanwang-21 and -22 cargo vessels will collect the components of the Long March 5 for Tianwen-1 from Tianjin, north China, for delivery to Wenchang on the southern island of Hainan. Tianwen-1 orbiter, lander details The Tianwen-1 orbiter will be equipped with a high-resolution camera comparable to HiRise on board NASAs Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. It also carries a medium-resolution camera, subsurface radar, mineralogy spectrometer, neutral and energetic particle analyzers and a magnetometer. The orbiter will also play a relay role for the mission rover. The roughly 240-kilogram solar-powered rover is nearly twice the mass of Chinas Yutu lunar rovers. It will carry a ground-penetrating radar, multispectral camera, a Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy instrument and payloads for detecting the climate and magnetic environment. The rover has a mission design lifetime of three Earth months. The rover will receive a name through a public vote closer to launch. China has outlined two landing areas, with a candidate landing site in Utopia Planitia. The landing ellipse is understood to be around 100 x 40 kilometers. Site selection was driven by a range of factors including flight system engineering constraints and the challenges of entry, descent and landing (EDL) on the Red Planet, and the science goals of the mission. The Tianwen-1 spacecraft is expected to reach Mars around February 2021. However, the rover landing attempt may not take place immediately. There are suggestions that the landing segment of the mission will be conducted months later, in April. This would allow mapping and observation of the landing site, despite the availability of high-resolution NASA imagery from HiRise. The Tianwen-1 mission will join NASAs Perseverance Mars 2020 rover and the United Arab Emirates Hope Mars orbiter, which this week shipped to its launch site in Japan, in launching during the July-August Mars launch window. ESAs Rosalind Franklin ExoMars rover has been delayed to the next opportunity in 2022. Map indicating two preliminary landing areas for Chinas 2020 Mars rover presented at the sessions of COPUOS in Vienna, Austria in June 2018. Credit: CNSA HOUSTON - New data from the Phase III EMBRACA trial led by researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center found the PARP inhibitor talazoparib did not demonstrate a statistically significant overall survival (OS) benefit for patients with metastatic HER2-negative breast cancer and mutations in the BRCA1/2 genes. Most patients included in the study went on to receive subsequent systemic therapies, which may have affected the survival outcome analysis. The research confirmed previous results showing talazoparib improved patient reported quality-of-life measures over available chemotherapies and had a tolerable safety profile. The secondary endpoint results from the EMBRACA trial were presented today at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) annual meeting by Jennifer Litton, M.D., professor of Breast Medical Oncology. The primary analysis results previously were published in the New England Journal of Medicine and found that patients treated with talazoparib had significantly prolonged progression-free survival (PFS) when compared with chemotherapy, with a median PFS of 8.6 months versus 5.6 months, respectively. This led to Food and Drug Administration approval for talazoparib in 2018. EMBRACA is the largest trial of PARP monotherapy to date in patients with germline BRCA-mutated HER2-negative advanced breast cancer. The final OS analysis was performed using the intent-to-treat population after 324 deaths had been observed. After a median follow-up of 44.9 months for talazoparib and 36.8 months for chemotherapy, 216 patients in the talazoparib group and 108 patients in the chemotherapy group had died. The effect of treatment with talazoparib also was similar regardless of BRCA status. "Overall survival is always an important endpoint, but also a challenge for metastatic breast cancer patients as there are many treatment options available," said Litton. "Many of these patients also received subsequent therapies, including PARP inhibitors and platinum-based therapies, which could have potentially influenced these results." Mutations in the BRCA1/2 genes, which account for 5 to 10% of all breast cancers, cause defects in normal DNA damage repair. PARP inhibitors block an additional DNA repair pathway, and the anti-tumor effects of PARP inhibitors can be intensified in patients with BRCA mutations. Talazoparib works by not only inhibiting the PARP enzyme, but by trapping the enzyme on DNA to further prevent DNA repair. The international Phase III clinical trial, EMBRACA, enrolled 431 patients with locally advanced or metastatic and hereditary BRCA1/2 gene mutations. Patients with HER2-positive disease were excluded as there are approved targeted therapies for those cancers. Patients were allowed up to three previous chemotherapies, including platinum-based therapies. Participants were randomized 2:1 to receive either talazoparib (287) or physician's choice of treatment (PCT) of single-agent therapy (144), either capecitabine, eribulin, gemcitabine or vinorelbine. Fifty-four percent of participants had HR+ disease and 46% had triple negative breast cancer; BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations were split at 45 and 55%, respectively. Almost half of patients in the talazoparib group received a subsequent PARP inhibitor or platinum therapy compared with almost 60% of patients in the chemotherapy group. When looking at PARP inhibitors specifically, approximately a third of patients in the chemotherapy group received a subsequent PARP inhibitor, which became increasingly available to patients either through trials or commercially during the course of this trial, compared with only 4.5% of patients who received talazoparib. Subsequent platinum therapy was received by around 46% of patients in the talazoparib group compared with approximately 42% of patients in the chemotherapy group. Interpretation of the OS results may have been confounded by subsequent treatments, so two sensitivity analyses accounting for subsequent PARP inhibitor and/or platinum therapy were carried out. The analysis suggests that the OS analysis underestimated the treatment benefit of talazoparib. Patient-reported quality-of-life measures revealed a prolonged time to deterioration of overall health, 26.3 months in the talazoparib arm compared to 6.7 months for the chemotherapy arm. "Talazoparib remains an option for patients with advanced breast cancer and a germline BRCA mutation due to its improvements in progression free survival," said Litton "Other advantages include it being an oral once-daily option, as well as the demonstrated improvements in quality of life for metastatic breast cancer patients." Grade 3-4 hematological adverse events (AEs) occurred in 56.6% of patients receiving talazoparib and 38.9% of those on chemotherapy. Most grade 3-4 AEs reported in the talazoparib group were hematologic and most were successfully managed by supportive care and dose modifications. The most common hematologic AE in patients receiving talazoparib was anemia, which was reported in 54.9% of patients receiving talazoparib compared with 19.0% of patients receiving chemotherapy. Correlative studies currently are underway and analysis using the EMBRACA population to explore the effect of tumor BRCA zygosity and genomic loss-of-heterozygosity on efficacy outcomes also is being presented at AACR's annual meeting by Lida Mina, M.D., associate director of Breast Programs at Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center. ### The study was funded by Medivation, which was acquired by Pfizer in September 2016. Litton has research funding from Novartis, Pfizer, Genentech, GSK, EMD-Serono, AstraZeneca and Zenith Epigenetics, and she has served on advisory boards for AstraZeneca, Pfizer, and Ayala Pharmaceuticals, all uncompensated. ABSTRACT: CTO71 Read what is in the news today: Society Vietnam reported no new novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) case on Monday morning. The tally remains at 270, with 225 recoveries. Ha Nam Province and Hai Phong City in northern Vietnam became the countrys first localities to begin handing out money to citizens affected by the COVID-19 pandemic on Sunday, as part of a state stimulus package worth VND62 trillion (US$2.6 billion). The Supreme Peoples Court of Vietnam has caused controversy for its decision to honor 11th-century Vietnamese Emperor Ly Thai Tong as the symbol of justice and judicial activities and a proposal to erect statues of the late leader at courts across Vietnam. Emperor Ly Thai Tong is credited with enforcing Vietnams first-ever written penal code the Hinh thu in 1042. Four were killed and one injured when a car moving on National Highway 2B in the northern province of Vinh Phuc crashed into a motorbike and plunged off a 200-meter-deep cliff on Sunday afternoon. More than 100 Vietnamese citizens from disadvantaged backgrounds such as children, elderly people, and students were brought home from Indonesia on Sunday on a Vietjet Air flight that landed at Can Tho International Airport in the namesake Mekong Delta city. Business Vietnam is due to export its first batch of fresh lychees, farmed in Yen The and Luc Ngan Districts in the northern province of Bac Giang, to Japan in late May, the Vietnam News Agency reported. Vietnam had imported more than 46,402 metric tons of pork and pork products this year by April 13, an over 300-percent increase from the same period last year, according to the Department of Animal Health under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. Vietnams Hoang Anh Gia Lai Group on Sunday presented nearly $50,000 worth of medical equipment, including 150,000 face masks, 3,500 bottles of antiseptic solution, 35,000 pairs of medical gloves, and 2,000 sets of protective gear, to Cambodias Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries to support the countrys COVID-19 fight. Education Students, mostly ninth- and twelfth-graders, in nearly 30 provinces and cities in Vietnam returned to school for the first time on Monday after months of school closure owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. World News The novel coronavirus has infected over 2.99 million people and claimed more than 206,900 lives around the world as of Monday morning, according to statistics. About 878,700 people have recovered from COVID-19. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! After three failed IVF attempts, a 68-year-old Nigerian woman and her 74-year-old husband fulfilled their dream of having their own children this month, by giving birth to healthy twins. Margaret Adenuga is thought to be the oldest first-time mother in Africa, after she welcomed a pair of twins at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, almost two weeks ago. It was reported that she and her husband, 77-year-old Noah Adenuga first tried having children soon after getting married in 1974, but despite spending their life savings and travelling to a number of places both in Africa and in Europe, they couldnt conceive for 46 years. Still, they never lost hope, and last week, their prayers were answered. Photo: Tembinkosi Sikupela/Unsplash I am a dreamer, and I was convinced this particular dream of ours will come to pass, Noah Adenuga, a retired stock auditor, told CNN. The babies, a boy and a girl, were delivered via C-section at 37 weeks, on April 16, but doctors only announced it last week, to give the elderly mother time to recuperate. Dr. Adeyemi Okunowo, who delivered the babies, said that Margaret was lucky to got through the delivery without major issues, but warned that other would-be mothers in their later years should be aware of the risks. There are age-related medical complications that come with being pregnant at that age such as the baby being born preterm. Shes lucky but many may succumb to other complications during or after having a baby, the doctor told CNN. Interestingly, at 68, Margaret Adenuga is not the oldest woman to give birth. That title goes to Mangayamma, who last year gave birth at the age of 74. "Now look what's happening," he said, quietly. "It's coming sundown and darkness will soon be here. See those birds on the aerial, on the antenna there. They will gather. There may be a hundred on those rods. Yeah. And I enjoy watching them because pretty soon, as darkness consumes I will see them do something which I am sure you never saw them do. "And here's what they will do. They will huff up to lodge quiet air in their feathers and quiet air is a good thermal insulator so it retains their body heat." The mynahs suddenly flapped away into the gloom as a bigger bird landed. "....and there's a currawong there. That bigger one. He sings with quite a force. So you see what it all is, Mister Waugh. I don't think much of anything. I don't think much of anything. Indeed I don't believe we shall ever he able to uncover the real nature, with a small 'n' of Nature, with a capital 'N'... everything in the Great Scheme... everything in tied together and we shall likely never know the entanglement because it's too, too, too tightly woven." Until that moment he had given the impression that he had all the answers. In his professional wiseman role he doesn't suffer fools gladly. Anyone who does not understand him or has the temerity to question him is either too young to know or too stupid, or both, as two BBC executives learnt to their cost after he had told them he was burn in 1909 in "Billerica, Massachusetts, USA." Where is that? they asked. " ... Gentlemen that is the worst question you could ask me," he claims he replied. "The very worst question. It's next to Lexington and Concord where we put the British to rout that's being being the third chapter in a book I'm writing called How to Alienate Friends and Disaffectionate People." Turning directly to me and staring threateningly from under bushy eyebrows, he went on, "You may be a chapter in there Mr Waugh." "That affection grew." Professor Julius Sumner Miller and his wife Alice celebrating their 46th wedding anniversary. Pictured at the Sebel Town House. April, 1980. Credit:Bob Pearce Julius Miller may be retired, famous and wealthy now - he was in Australia to do a commercial for a chocolate manufacturer - but life has not always been easy for him. He was the last of nine children of a migrant small-farmer and one of only two in the family to get a tertiary education. "I'm a little old farmboy," he said proudly, almost like a politician proclaiming he is still one of the people. "I still have manure on my boots. "... Feel that mister," he shouted, when I apparently looked sceptical as he flexed his strongly muscled arm. "Feel that!" I did. It was as firm as a 20-year-old's. "Now feel my head. Soft, you see, soft. "My momma was from Lithuania and my poppa from Latvia: absolute peasants. My father was a farmer of small scale, as in New England, and my mother, a fair creature, commanded 12 languages. "She didn't learn to read English until her 60th year and then complained that it was too difficult. She was reading The Life of the Hohenzollerns [sic] by Emil Ludwig. I couldn't read it and I was at university. Not only that, she complained the English was irrational." From the beginning the interview with the Professor was difficult. I had knocked on his door at the Sebel Town House, and after being introduced to his wife of 46 years, Alice - who went right back to reading her book - I was attacked by Professor Miller for the suit I was wearing. He was lying on his bed in a shirt and trousers. "You look fettered and constrained," he said. "Take off your vest and coat. I think you are constrained by the modern demands of dress. "Do you think I would be constrained by modern demands of dress, Mr Waugh?" "... so don't put any constraints, or fetters or shackles on me, Mr Waugh," he went on, "because I become rather irreverent and rather acidic in my tongue. "You see a man must be free. I don't believe in fettering and shackling a man. If he is incompetent, get rid of him. Have nothing more to do with him." That brought him to the subject of Australian unemployment and the fact that he had been collecting situation vacant columns from the newspapers while here. Noting that there were "thousands" of jobs vacant and "great unemployment," he said the obvious reason - to him at least - was: "The young men and women who are now seeking employment have not been schooled with the same old-fashioned rigour I was and therefore they're ill-equipped to do the job. "They've been made into parasites by the education system. But we'd better escape this discussion of education mister because you see my violence will increase and I could chew you up and spit you out as blood and bones." American Scientist & Education Professor Julius Sumner Miller arrived today for Sumner School, accompanied by his wife. August 16, 1977. Credit:Antony Matheus Linsen The phone rang, stopping his train of thought, and he turned to answer it. In the hiatus I asked Mrs Miller how she put with the constant barrage of super-charged energy. She smiled quietly. "I close my ears, I read," she said pointing to her book and then turning to the professor who was on the phone joyfully arranging a Chinese dinner - his favourite meal - "You've got a television program to do tonight. You can't keep track of anything!" Alice Miller met her future husband on January 9, 1928, fifty-two years ago, when he was working at his first job after graduating from high school as a labourer for a hay, grain, lime and cement merchant. "I ran into her and she looked good to me and I said 'Would you like to go to the movies with me,' and that was it. That affection grew." The couple went together for six and a half years during the Depression while she studied the violin and worked as a housemaid and he went to university. "We used to walk four miles to Chinatown in Boston to get a full meal for 35c." he said. "There was a delicatessen in the slums of Boston where we got a pastrami sandwich and cup of coffee for 15c and you could eat all you wanted at the counter." When Alice eventually married him he had two degrees, in philosophy and physics, but no job. "My classmates went home to live with their parents on the dole. Alice and I got married and worked as a maid and butler in a wealthy doctor's household where for two and a half years we got $30 a month. "In those two and a half years - shining the silver, wiping off the cars, shining the shoes in the morning and serving dinner and drinks - I wrote 700 letters for jobs. Being a man-servant obviously did not really suit the Miller temperament. "The lady of the family was decent but the doctor..." "They were a little older than we were. I was a servant although on intellectual grounds I knew my physics as well as he knew his medicine. It was a master of the house and butler relationship." Professor Miller then described some of the differences he had with his master Miller seemed to win all the battles - and then noted he had never bowed or scraped to anyone since. "Oh, mark you," he said "I hold in respect those who deserve it from me. I was not really under the thumb. I did that which was required by the nature of the job. "It has been my philosophy of life to do best what I'm doing and if I cannot do it I withdraw because I would be a fraud to do otherwise. It would be like committing sin by silence when one should be heard." Eventually he did get a job at a Connecticut boys' school Alice and he split up for the year - before moving on to a Negro university in New Orleans and then back into the mainstream of physics with a fellowship at the University of Idaho. Professor Miller described the major influences on his life as his "momma and poppa, his teachers, Alice and the beauty of learning." As a child I was interested in everything," he said. "Why the sky is blue. Why the sunset is red. How a worm crawls back into the earth when he is ploughed up in a furrow. Why a brook gurgles. "As a matter of fact in my later years I published a paper in physics entitled, Old Questions Stated. Anew, and one of them was 'Why does a brook gurgle'?' "I had many scientific answers but the best answer I got was from a nun, a professor of physics. She said,'I think a brook gurgles for my special pleasure.' That was the best answer I got because I knew all the other answers were wrong." He got up to close the window as a number of papers blew off his table. "You see I'm not worried about that," he said. "The wind was doing its thing. You wouldn'texpect me to put a shutter on the wind." Alice looked up from her book. "You would be concerned if your papers blew out the window," she said with some asperity. "Yeah, that might trouble me," he grinned like a small boy caught doing something wrong. It was time for the education question, while he was still out of step. Describing his own teaching career he said he was glad he had been retired by the State of California in 1974 "because the academic scene ain't what it used to be. "If at the beginning of the school year I started with a class of 40, four would take the final exam. The rest I either drove out, or they decided to quit on their own because I would show no compassion unless they performed." "The young are going to inherit the republic (his word for the Western World)," he said. "They do not know the old-fashioned ingredients of what is right, proper and dignified. "Our social structure has been in decay for sometime. The home is no more what it used to be. It doesn't control the children. It doesn't demand any responsibility from them, or if it does, the boys and girls go their own way without regard for the views of their parents. The children of today are not morally responsible. "There's a solution and a very immediate one: return to the old-fashioned vigour of my school days. That's what's needed most. "Otherwise we will almost certainly see a new dark age. All the signs are there." But all was not darkness in the professor's sad conclusion. He does know of at least one school where education is being conducted on the right lines: the USAF Academy in Colorado where he runs a number of classes. "This may be the last sanctuary of intellectual and academic rigour," he said, "because the boys in the classes are being schooled with a firmness quite uncommon. They are also being well-schooled in their profession to fly planes." Still talking about the imminent collapse of Western civilisation, he said he believed the Americans should have paid someone to assassinate the Iranian groups holding American hostages as soon as they were taken. "They could have been poisoned or gassed to death and the hostages rescued," he said. "They have got to be rescued ... and now we have got the infamy of Afghanistan, and the Soviet Union is laughing at us." Royal Dutch Shell PLC RDS.A is set to report first-quarter 2020 results on Thursday Apr 30, before the opening bell. The current Zacks Consensus Estimate for the to-be-reported quarters earnings is pegged at 51 cents, having been revised 4.08% upward in the past seven days. Against this backdrop, lets delve into the factors that might have impacted the companys March-quarter performance. Key Q1 Predictions By now, we all know that the oil price is trending in the bear market following the coronavirus pandemics adverse impact on global energy demand. As a result, the outlook for all industries in the energy sector seems dull. However, management assured that the company is likely to have faced a relatively minor impact from the coronavirus-induced soft demand for oil products. It further envisioned its post-tax impairment charges between $400 million and $800 million for the first quarter. Upstream Management projects first-quarter upstream production between 2,650 and 2,720 thousand barrels of oil equivalent per day (boe/d). The year-ago production level was 2,901 thousand boe/d. However, the earlier prediction for upstream volumes was in the band of 2,625-2,775 thousand boe/d. Downstream Shell estimates first-quarter oil product sales in the range of 6,000-7,000 thousand barrels per day, indicating an 8.2% increase from the year-earlier reported number assuming that the upper end of the forecast will be matched. This Netherlands-based company anticipates its refinery availability between 93% and 96%. Moreover, its chemicals sales volumes are predicted between 3,700 and 4,000 thousand tons, suggesting a marginal fall from the year-ago reported figure. Nonetheless, chemicals cracker and intermediate margins are expected to have seen an improvement in the first quarter from the prior-year reported figure. Integrated Gas The company expects its first-quarter LNG liquefaction volumes to expand to 8.8-9.2 million tons from its previous years reported quarterly output of 8.74 million tons. Moreover, its segmental production is anticipated in the 920-970 thousand boe/d bracket. The year-earlier production came in at 851 thousand boe/d. Story continues What Does Our Model Say? The proven Zacks model does not conclusively predict an earnings beat for Shell this time around. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the chances of beating estimates. But thats not the case here. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before theyre reported with our Earnings ESP Filter. Earnings ESP: Shell has an Earnings ESP of 0.00%. This is because the Most Accurate Estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate are pegged at 51 cents per share each. Zacks Rank: Shell carries a Zacks Rank #3, which increases the predictive power of ESP. However, the companys 0.00% ESP makes surprise prediction difficult for the stock this earnings season. Highlights of Q4 Earnings & Surprise History Europes largest oil company Shell reported fourth-quarter earnings per ADS (on a current cost of supplies basis excluding items, the markets preferred measure) of 74 cents, below the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 80 cents and the year-ago profit of $1.38 as well. This underperformance mainly stemmed from lower oil and gas prices. Moreover, Shell reported revenues of $85.1 billion, down 19% from fourth-quarter 2018 sales of $104.6 billion. As far as earnings surprises are concerned, this Hague-based companys bottom line trumped the Zacks Consensus Estimate in two of the trailing four quarters while missed the same in the other two, the average positive surprise being 1.8%. This is depicted in the graph below: Royal Dutch Shell PLC Price and EPS Surprise Royal Dutch Shell PLC Price and EPS Surprise Royal Dutch Shell PLC price-eps-surprise | Royal Dutch Shell PLC Quote Stocks to Consider While earnings beat looks uncertain for Shell, here are some firms worth considering from the energy space on the basis of our model, which shows that these have the right combination of elements to beat estimates this reporting cycle: Transocean Ltd. RIG has an Earnings ESP of +0.56% and a Zacks Rank of 3. The company is scheduled to release earnings on Apr 29. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. Southwestern Energy Company SWN has an Earnings ESP of +3.90% and a Zacks Rank #2. The firm is scheduled to release earnings on Apr 30. Laredo Petroleum, Inc. LPI has an Earnings ESP of +2.50% and is Zacks #3 Ranked. The firm is scheduled to release earnings on May 6. Just Released: Zacks 7 Best Stocks for Today Experts extracted 7 stocks from the list of 220 Zacks Rank #1 Strong Buys that has beaten the market more than 2X over with a stunning average gain of +24.1% per year. These 7 were selected because of their superior potential for immediate breakout. See these time-sensitive tickers now >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Transocean Ltd. (RIG) : Free Stock Analysis Report Southwestern Energy Company (SWN) : Free Stock Analysis Report Royal Dutch Shell PLC (RDS.A) : Free Stock Analysis Report Laredo Petroleum, Inc. (LPI) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Netflixs new series, Never Have I Ever, comes from creator, writer, and producer Mindy Kaling. The show tells the coming of age story of Devi, a book-smart Indian-American teen whos short temper lands her in a variety of difficult social situations. Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, the young actress who plays Devi, might be a newcomer, but it feels like shes here to stay. Maitreyi Ramakrishnan | Lara Solanki/Netflix Who is Never Have I Ever star Maitreyi Ramakrishnan? Ramakrishnan is a Canadian actress who grew up in Mississauga, Ontario. The 17-year-old actresss family fled the war in Sri Lanka and immigrated to Canada as refugees. But when talking to Now Toronto, Ramakrishnan said she prefers to be described as a Tamil-Canadian because of her culture and heritage. I made it very clear to my agent and publicist that Tamil-Canadian is very, very important to me, she said. My identity isnt being Sri Lankan. Thats not my country. My country is Canada. But my culture is definitely Tamil. How she got the role in Never Have I Ever In April 2019, Mindy Kaling announced she was holding auditions for her new Netflix series and was looking for actors to fill the lead roles. ATTENTION DESI LADIES! Im holding OPEN casting calls for leads in my new @netflix show! Kaling wrote in a tweet. Im THRILLED to have the opportunity to do this. The parts are so juicy and funny, and Im SO excited to meet you! Full info is here! GOOD LUCK! Upon seeing the post, Ramakrishnan told Flare that she thought, Why not me? and sent in an audition tape. I didnt see many South Asian role models in film when I was growing up, she said. And Im a firm believer that if you dont see what you want [to see] in the media or in the world in general, go be it. Thats your time to make that space. When she finally learned that she was chosen for the part of Devi, Ramakrishnan said she was more than thrilled. The moment I got the call, it was just pure shock, the actress revealed. It was just so surreal, but all I knew was my life was totally going to start changing, and I was just filled with happiness. Mindy Kaling based the show on her childhood In Never Have I Ever, Ramakrishnan plays Devi, a young Indian-American teen whos just trying to live her best life. According to Kaling, the characters development was both purposeful and personal. As reported by Variety, The Office star said she and Netflix executive Bela Bajaria wanted to create a show that represents their experience. Our show is about a Tamil Indian girl, and typically theyre South Indians and theyre dark-skinned, Kaling said at a Netflix event. I felt lucky to be able to do a show about an Indian nerd whos also badly behaved, to show that because Im deeply familiar with it. Bela was also interested in seeing Indian characters who are not all like Princess Jasmine. Two of Australia's top education officials have warned the nation's universities could suffer for generations to come if they do not receive more funding from the federal government, in a Q+A episode featuring some of the tensest sparring yet over the reopening of schools. NSW Department of Education secretary Mark Scott and University of Sydney deputy vice-chancellor Lisa Jackson Pulver urged the federal government to bolster its support for the tertiary education sector, which was handed an $18 billion rescue package by Education Minister Dan Tehan two weeks ago. NSW Department of Education secretary Mark Scott said the education sector should be treated like an industry needing a bail out. Credit:ABC "To have us in the type of strife we're in at the moment will have consequences for how we consider ourselves the 'clever country'," Professor Pulver said. "And for how we consider ultimately generations of people to come." Mr Scott, who was ABC managing director for 10 years before becoming NSW Department of Education secretary, said the university sector should be given the same attention as essential industries under threat. London, April 27 : In his first briefing to the nation after recovering from the novel coronavirus, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday said that the country was at the moment of maximum risk in the pandemic, and urged people not to lose patience with the ongoing lockdown. Speaking outside No 10 after he returned to Downing Street on Sunday evening, Johnson said "we are now beginning to turn the tide" on the disease, the BBC reported. Johnson thanked his colleagues who stood in while he was away, as well as the public for their "sheer grit and guts". The Prime Minister said he understood concerns from business-owners who were impatient to end the lockdown, but said: "I refuse to throw away all the effort and sacrifice of the British people," and risk a second peak of the outbreak which could lead to "economic disaster". "I ask you to contain your impatience," he added. He said there were "real signs now that we are passing through the peak" - including with fewer hospital admissions and fewer COVID-19 patients in intensive care. And comparing the fight to someone being attacked, ohnson said: "If this virus were a physical assailant, an unexpected and invisible mugger - which I can tell you from personal experience, it is - then this is the moment when we have begun together to wrestle it to the floor. "And so it follows that this is the moment of opportunity, this is the moment when we can press home our advantage, it is also the moment of maximum risk. "I know there will be many people looking at our apparent success, and beginning to wonder whether now is the time to go easy on those social distancing measures." Johnson said the UK has "so far collectively shielded our National Health Service (NHS)" and "flattened the peak" - but he could not yet say when or which restrictions would be lifted to ease lockdown, the BBC reported. Once the UK is meeting the five tests for easing restrictions - including a consistent fall in the death rate and making sure the NHS can cope - "then that will be the time to move on to the second phase" in the fight against the outbreak, he said. He added the government would make decisions with "maximum transparency". Johnson was diagnosed with the virus on March 27. He was admitted to St Thomas' Hospital in central London on April 5 and spent a week there, including three nights in intensive care. The UK leader was discharged on April 12. He has not been doing any official government work during his convalescence at his country residence, Chequers, although last week he did speak to the UK's Queen Elizabeth II and US President Donald Trump, as well as meeting senior ministers. As of Monday, the official COVID-19 death toll for the UK has increased to 20,795, with a total of 154,037 cases. -- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has expanded its list of possible symptoms of the coronavirus, a step that reflects the broad variation and unpredictability in the way the illness can affect individual patients. Echoing the observations of doctors treating thousands of patients in the pandemic, the federal health agency changed its website to cite the following symptoms as possible indicators of Covid-19, the infection caused by the coronavirus: chills repeated shaking with chills muscle pain headache sore throat and, new loss of taste or smell. Previously it had listed just three symptoms: fever, cough and shortness of breath. The C.D.C. added the six symptoms earlier this month after new recommendations were issued by an organization of public health epidemiologists that is responsible for defining which infectious diseases are tracked and reported to the agency. The organization, the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists or C.S.T.E., recommended that Covid-19 be considered a nationally reportable illness and gave guidelines about how cases should be defined and identified. The groups recommendations say that cases should be reported if there are positive lab tests, but also if there are clinical symptoms that meet one of several thresholds. One category involves people who have cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing. Another involves people with two of the following symptoms: fever, chills, shivers, muscle pain, headache, sore throat or new dysfunction of taste and smell. Cases of people in both categories should be reported as likely Covid-19 only if there is no other more plausible diagnosis, the recommendations say. While people who become seriously ill from coronavirus infection primarily have acute respiratory distress, other symptoms that accompany the disease can vary widely, doctors and researchers have reported. Boeing's head said Monday that restoring the dividend could take three to five years as the company girds for a slow air travel recovery in the wake of the coronavirus crisis. The comment from Chief Executive David Calhoun was a signal that paying back debt and keeping up Boeing's manufacturing supply chain were bigger priorities than paying dividends for the forseeable future. Speaking at the company's annual meeting, Calhoun offered a sober outlook on the near-term prospects for commercial air travel in the wake of the virus that is projected to cost the airline industry an estimated USD 314 billions in 2020 revenues, potentially felling some carriers. "Based on what we know now, we expect it will take two to three years for travel to return to 2019 levels and an additional few years beyond that for the industry's long-term trend growth to return," Calhoun said. Even before COVID-19 broke out, Boeing was already under pressure after two crashes of its 737 MAX killed 346 people, leading to a global grounding since March 2019. Boeing is expected to soon initiate talks with the US Treasury on potential federal support for the aviation giant. Boeing has not said definitively whether it will take federal aid. Around USD 17 billion aimed at Boeing was included in the giant federal relief bill approved in late March under the CARES act, which restricts dividends and share buybacks from companies that take aid. Families of the MAX crashes' victims have petitioned US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to withhold funding for Boeing unless it meets stringent safety and governance standards, according to lawyers who are representing the victims in suits against Boeing. The annual meeting was held remotely in light of the social distancing policies and included brief remarks from shareholders who put forth proposals to reign in executives after the MAX disasters. Proxy advisor Institutional Shareholder Services had recommended "no" votes on four longtime Boeing directors in the wake of the problems, citing a failure to adequately oversee management strategy and corporate culture. But all Boeing directors were re-elected by shareholders. A narrow 52 per cent majority of investors did vote against making the chairman an independent member of the board. Boeing has divided the roles of CEO and chairman as it navigates its current crisis. Calhoun defended the company's withdrawal from a USD 4.2 billion deal with Brazilian company Embraer, which has said it will sue Boeing following the move. Calhoun predicted the airline industry would have a strong recovery once the COVID-19 crisis is contained, but warned of a tough road ahead. The coronavirus will compel airlines to reconsider the way they manage flights, putting greater emphasis on hygiene. During a question and answer session with investors, Calhoun was asked whether Boeing expects planes to be reconfigured to meet social distancing guidelines. "Our customers without a doubt are going to have to create a new relationship with the flying public," Calhoun said, adding that "for all of us, it's going to be an education." Airline clients are deferring deliveries, suspending payments to Boeing and retiring older aircraft, which hits the company's services business. All those effects are on top of more than a year of lost revenues tied to the 737 MAX. "We know we're going to have to borrow money in the next six months," Calhoun said, adding that repaying debt will occupy the company for the next while, impeding its ability to return cash to shareholders. He also identified maintaining the company's supply chain as a priority, saying "without the supply chain, there will be nothing to assemble." Shares of Boeing fell 0.6 per cent to USD 128.20 shorty after midday. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) CRAWFORD COUNTY, MI Michigan State Police troopers located an autistic 10-year-old boy shortly after he went missing in Crawford County. The search for the non-verbal child began after troopers from the MSP Houghton Lake Post were called to the boys residence in Maple Forest Township on Monday. MSP canine units from the Houghton Lake and Gaylord Post responded to the scene to assist in the search. The canines followed a track leading north from the residence through a wooded section of land. Troopers followed and located a set of child footprints on a dirt road approximately one-half mile away. From the home. While the trooper was waiting for the second canine, a truck pulled up and the driver asked the trooper if he was looking for a child. The driver advised they had just passed a child approximately one-quarter mile down the road. Troopers responded to the area and located the missing child, who was in good health and was reunited with his parents. Troopers and deputies were assisted at the scene by Michigan Department of Natural Resources officers and the Grayling City Police Department. On Sunday, a cleric was diagnosed with the Wuhan Coronavirus after he led Ramazan prayers on Saturday for nearly 24 people at a Mosque in Adadanga village in Magura district, Bangladesh. The local administration is now preparing a list of all those people who attended the prayers at the mosque so that they can be tested for possible symptoms of Coronavirus. Lockdown has also been imposed in the Bagharpara Pashchima village where the cleric lived. Bangladesh cleric tests positive for coronavirus after leading Ramzan prayers https://t.co/vhd2pPM8Zk Republic (@republic) April 27, 2020 The Ramzan prayers at the mosque were conducted by the cleric in violation of the emergency notice issued on April 6 by Bangladeshs Ministry of Religious Affairs that barred religious congregation at Mosques in the wake of the Wuhan Coronavirus outbreak. The order allowed a maximum of 10 people to attend Friday Namaaz in mosques. As of April 27, Bangladesh has reported 145 deaths and 5,913 cases of the Chinese virus infection. The Islamic country had initially announced a nationwide holiday on March 26 for a period of 10 days. With the rising number of cases in the country, the Government was forced to extend the lockdown till May 5. Chinese human rights attorney Wang Quanzhang was reunited with his family in Beijing on after his wife got sick, three weeks after his release from jail, but it was unclear whether he would be allowed to remain with them. Wang was allowed to return to his family home after being held first under 14 days' quarantine in his birth town of Jinan in the eastern province of Shandong, then warned not to travel to Beijing. "I don't know how many times I've dreamed of us being reunited during the past five years," his wife Li Wenzu said as the couple hugged. "Now it feels as if I'm dreaming." "Dad, we're having dumplings this evening," the couple's young son Wang Guangwei told his father in a video made available by the family via social media. "Great, can I have a hug now?" Wang replied, before sitting with his arms around his wife and child on the family sofa. But questions remain over whether the authorities will allow Wang to move back to Beijing, where he won his reputation as a human rights attorney representing farmers whose land had been snatched from them by local officials, and members of the banned Falun Gong spiritual movement. "I'm not actually sure right now," Wang answered, when asked by a journalist if he would have to go back to Jinan. The police officers who escorted him to the apartment left after being told emphatically they couldn't come in by the couple's friend Ye Jinghuan. Wang Quanzhang (C), his wife Li Wenzu (L), and the couple's young son Wang Guangwei smile in Beijing during their first family reunion since Wang was released from prison this month after serving five years, April 27, 2020. Li Wenzu 'Constant psychological pressure' An officer who answered the phone at Jinan's Shengjing police station which was overseeing Wang's surveillance declined to comment on the matter when contacted by RFA on . "I don't know about this," the officer said. Li was clearly unwell in the video, and will need surgery for appendicitis soon, Ye told RFA. "She is currently under observation, but they could operate at any time if she gets any worse," Ye said. "She has been under constant psychological pressure for the past five years, and she hasn't been able to do anything since the day Wang Quanzhang was released from prison." Wang's appearance back at the family home came after he was stopped by police en route to Beijing after he set out in defiance of warnings from the authorities not to go there. He had earlier told RFA that he had been told he could travel anywhere in China except for Beijing. But he made a bid to join his family anyway on after Li was taken to hospital with stomach pains during an outing with friends. He was hauled in by police on the expressway and sent back to Shandong, where his local police station arranged for him to travel to visit his family under police escort. Wang, who was released on from Shandong's Linyi Prison after serving a four-and-a-half jail term, was finally allowed to see his family after undergoing more procedures at the local police station in Changping, the suburb of Beijing where the family once lived together. He was sentenced on Jan. 28, 2019 by the Tianjin No. 2 Intermediate People's Court, which found him guilty of "subversion of state power." The verdict and sentence followed repeated delays, resulting in Wang being held in pretrial detention for more than three years with no access to a lawyer or family visits. Rights groups have expressed concern that he was tortured, although Wang has declined to talk about these reports until he can do so in a carefully thought out manner. In a recent interview with the South China Morning Post, Wang spoke freely of the emotional pain he suffered while incarcerated, however. "I was suddenly isolated from the whole world and I was totally consumed by the pain that I was separated from my wife and son," he said. "As it went on, I had no choice but to force myself to give up my emotional reliance on them and become indifferent," he said. Li Wenzu had previously said her husband was a changed man after visiting him at Linyi Prison. Reported by Gao Feng for RFA's Mandarin and Cantonese Services. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. More than 700 people died in Iran after ingesting toxic methanol, erroneously thinking it can cure the new coronavirus. More than 700 people have died in Iran after ingesting toxic methanol, erroneously thinking it can cure the new coronavirus. The national coroners authority said that alcohol poisoning killed 728 Iranians between February 20 and April 7. Last year there were only 66 deaths from alcohol poisoning, according to the report. Alcohol poisoning has seen a 10-fold increase in Iran in the past year, according to a government report released earlier in April, amid the coronavirus pandemic. Iranian health ministry spokesman, Kianoush Jahanpour, said 5,011 people had been poisoned from methanol alcohol, adding that some 90 people have lost their eyesight or are suffering eye damage from the alcohol poisoning. Hossein Hassanian, a health ministry adviser, said the final tally of people who lost their eyesight could be much higher. Iran is facing the worst coronavirus outbreak in the Middle East with 5,806 deaths and more than 91,000 confirmed cases. Methanol cannot be smelled or tasted in drinks. It causes delayed organ and brain damage. Symptoms include chest pain, nausea, hyperventilation, blindness and even coma. On Thursday, US President Donald Trump raised the possibility of injecting disinfectant into patients, causing an international uproar with manufacturers, doctors and government agencies rushing out warnings against consuming disinfectants like bleach. In Iran, the government mandates that manufacturers of toxic methanol add an artificial colour to their products so the public can tell it apart from ethanol, the kind of alcohol that can be used in cleaning wounds. The Telangana government is doing its best to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus and the situation is under control, Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan has said. She also said that the "positive cases' curve has almost started flattening in the last few days" in the state. Telangana has reported 1,002 COVID-19 cases so far, with 280 persons cured or discharged. The death toll in the state is 26, according to Union Health Ministry data. In three of the 33 districts in the state, there has been no new cases in the last few days, the governor, who is a doctor, told PTI over phone on Sunday. "Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao's government is doing its best to contain the disease. The spread of the infection is under control and the positive cases' curve has almost started flattening in the last few days," Soundararajan said. The government had deputed some secretary-level Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers as in-charges to supervise actions to contain the spread of COVID-19 in the three districts when more cases were being reported, she said. "The chief secretary and the IAS officers took a helicopter journey to Suryapet and some other districts to personally monitor the control measures, Soundararajan said. The governor thanked the Centre for helping and cooperating with the state government in its fight against COVID-19. On Thursday, a mobile virology research and diagnostics laboratory, a testing facility developed by the DRDO, was launched by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh through video conference in Hyderabad, she said. The ESI facility in Hyderabad will work with state authorities in the project and the mobile lab can test 1,000 samples in a day, Soundararajan said. On adopting plasma treatment for COVID-19 patients, she said experts state that first sufficient anti-bodies should have been formed in cured patients. Plasma treatment is given by taking blood plasma from a cured COVID-19 patient to treat positive cases to effectively strengthen the immune system. Only if adequate anti-bodies are formed it will be effective for treatment. In our Indian set up it is difficult for the formation of adequate anti-bodies they say, the governor added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Most of us in Majorca know Bianca. She is one of the beautiful faces behind Radio One Mallorca. At least she was, until she gave up her flat, left her job and headed off with a backpack into the great unknown in December 2019. Hang on a minute I can hear you say, wasnt she the lovely lady who got stranded in the Gambia in 2017? Yes, a constitutional crisis in the Gambia started after the presidential elections on 1 December 2016, and ended with the outgoing president Yahya Jammeh being forced to step down in favour of his elected successor Adama Barrow on 21 January 2017. Right in the middle of Biancas holiday. The adventure of trying to get back home in all the civil unrest was enough to put a traveller off. That was not going to happen as the urge to go, do and experience, was already in her brain and winter 2019 was the time to go. Her definition of the decision goes something like this in order to go on this soul searching trip I have to find a way to screw my head back onto my body if that makes sense.' 'When you are constantly running and stressed it feels your head and body are 2 separate entities. Your head is just going 100 miles an hour and the only thing that your body does is being the vehicle that does all the hard work.' 'On top of that I smoke, eat the wrong food and dont say no to a glass of wine or two/three, dont exercise enough and oh, did I mention I hardly sleep because my head is always ticking. So yeah, basically Im a heart attack waiting to happen.' 'I need exercise, healthy food, rest, and I need to be re-tuned like a broken radio with a lot of Reiki. This story begins, after spending time in Amsterdam with her family. She stood in the airport remembering that 29 years ago she stood there on her own with a suitcase on her way to the Canaries for six months then went to Majorca and never came back. Now she stood there again, not even with a suitcase but with a 10 kilo back pack. Nerves kicked in whilst sitting at the gate waiting for the flight to Abu Dhabi then onto Kochi in India. What am I doing? A hotel overnight and then a driver to take her deep into the Indian mountains to meet a Reiki master and live with him and his family for 2 weeks. There to be trained up to be a Reiki practioner. She has always been fascinated in energy healing and even helped a few people, but decided she would love to truly understand the skill. It wasnt easy to find a real master but after much research had chosen a teacher. She was ready for the adventure now bring it on. The Master and his family were welcoming and this was now her place in the universe for the next two weeks. She wasnt quite ready for day one but it went something like this Master Aji puts some loud Indian music on (dont forget its 5.30 am) and tells me to hop up and down with my feet firmly on the ground for 15 minutes. Guys this is material for a reality programme, Im hopping up and down like I need to go to the toilet for 15 minutes. Then he says 15 minutes of free dance, so Master Aji and I are having a rave at 5.45 in the morning Welcome to the first day of training! The noises of the night from chipmunks to cockroaches and my brain wondering what I am doing is my feeling as I drifted off to sleep. I am also missing my lovely boy on his birthday in Majorca.' 'The days spin past and I am learning so much and loving observing such a different way of life. No freedom of movement for me as a single white woman is just a strange object here. The family take pity on me and take me to the Temple. I am confused about the Gods and they way it all works but I am equally enchanted. There is lighting of oil lamps, a lot of shouting of priests and wild throwing of water. I am getting pushed around a lot because Im always in the wrong place at the wrong time but I am loving every minute of it. Biancas Humans of Majorca story next week will take you from this point to Corona lockdown in the jungle. Our Bianca is definitely living a gold star adventure this time Last week was painful for California, with daily deaths reaching a record of 115 on Wednesday. On that day, more than half the deaths 66 were recorded in Los Angeles County. Thats a reflection of the difficulties Los Angeles has faced during the pandemic. Los Angeles County accounts for just over a quarter of the states population, but it has nearly half of Californias confirmed coronavirus cases (19,528 out of 43,645 statewide) and more than half the deaths (913 out of 1,717). Cases and death tolls leveled off in the Bay Area at a much lower rate, even accounting for the smaller population. The nine counties that make up the Bay Area account for 19% of the states population but only 17% of California cases and 15% of statewide deaths. A key factor, experts say, was the Bay Areas early shutdown, though this may not fully explain the different trajectories. San Francisco and five other Bay Area counties issued aggressive public health measures on March 16, effective the next day, which permitted only essential businesses to operate on their physical premises. Los Angeles County was slower to fully shut down, though it too was ramping up distancing measures. On March 15, the Los Angeles mayor ordered many bars, clubs, and other businesses such as gyms and bowling alleys to close, and barred dine-in service at restaurants. But some activities could still continue. On March 19, Los Angeles County barred gatherings of 10 or more people and ordered shopping malls and other nonessential retail closed the same day Gov. Gavin Newsom shut down the whole state. San Francisco certainly acted faster and more aggressively, said Robert Siegel, an infectious disease expert at Stanford. I think thats a key factor. It would mean San Francisco succeeded in spreading out the curve. A Los Angeles County representative told The Chronicle that the virus had become the leading cause of death locally, with the daily toll far higher than flu or heart disease. Because we are still seeing a significant increase in new cases and deaths, we ask that you continue to stay home as much as possible, Barbara Ferrer, the county director of public health, said in a statement Saturday. Hospitalizations have risen slowly over the past week in Los Angeles County 1,845 people were hospitalized with confirmed cases as of Saturday, up from 1,709 a week earlier while those in the Bay Area have begun declining (369 Saturday, versus 391 a week earlier). Los Angeles County has 10 million people, compared with the Bay Areas 7.7 million. Lee Riley, an infectious disease expert at UC Berkeley, said there could be several possibilities causing the divergence of fates between San Francisco and Los Angeles. 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 any given region, if we say that 10% of the population isnt complying with public health directives, places with more people will see more cases, he said. The virus may be spread among and by people who may not be able to observe social distancing by virtue of their work, like first responders, health care workers and people involved in essential businesses, like grocery store workers, Riley said. It could then be spreading to family members of these groups, he said. Almost 40% of COVID-19 deaths in Los Angeles County were in institutional settings in nursing homes and assisted-living facilities, county Department of Public Health Department records show. The county cleared a large backlog of tests last week, leading to a surge in the number of positive results. The countys number of new cases was down significantly on Saturday and Sunday, however, and just 18 deaths were reported Sunday a far cry from the countys record high of 81 deaths on April 18. But it is unclear whether weekends may bring lower numbers. Shwanika Narayan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: shwanika.narayan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @shwanika by Vladimir Rozanskij The clergy of the patriarchal cathedral subjected to medical controls: the protodiacon Yevgeny Trofimov has died, after the parish priest Aleksandr Agejkin. Days earlier they had concelebrated the liturgy with Patriarch Kirill and other bishops and priests. The spread of the infection in the Lavra of St Sergius, in the Kiev Caves. For some faithful this is a "punishment from God"; for others, the dead are martyrs. Moscow (AsiaNews) - Another member of the clergy of the patriarchal cathedral of Elokhovo, the protagonon Yevgeny Trofimov (photo 2), died on April 25 due to coronavirus infection. The first among the cathedral deacons was 61 years old and was a professional nurse by training; in 1990 he had been ordained a deacon by the patriarch Aleksij II (Ridiger), shortly after his election to the patriarchal throne, and since then he was the most recognizable voice in the solemn catholic church liturgies. The death of the parish priest of the cathedral, Father Aleksandr Agejkin, which occurred a few days earlier, aroused much emotion and great concern about the fate of the Russian Orthodox clergy. His funeral took place in the same patriarchal cathedral behind closed doors on April 22nd. The patriarchate of Moscow issued a condolence statement, recalling the great suffering of the 48-year-old priest in Lapino's clinic before his death. Until the last minute, however, all news about his coronavirus infection had been denied. At the beginning of April, Agejkin himself had given an interview to the Pravda.ru website in which he affirmed his confidence in divine assistance in the event of an infection. On April 3 he had celebrated together with Patriarch Kirill (Gundjaev), before the patriarch completed the "purifying" procession with holy water on the streets of Moscow by car. Several other bishops and priests had concelebrated on the same day, and almost all of them are now struggling with virus infection. The news on the priests affected by the pandemic are now decidedly hidden, so as not to impress the faithful too much, to whom very few priests remain available for celebrations in the churches of the capital. On April 23, a special commission was formed at the patriarchate, but in the last few days it has stopped publishing of information on the number of infected priests. A statement from the patriarchal spokesman Vladimir Legojda denies any censorship, and affirms the patriarchate's willingness "to coordinate with all the other information agencies". In the meantime, another close associate of the patriarch, the 71-year-old protoierej Vladimir Veriga (photo 3), also died from the coronavirus. Veriga was the director for the distribution of humanitarian aid to the patriarchate in the 1990s, and spiritual director of the Aleksandria iconographic school. He also served as a spiritual father to the nuns of the Kotkovo Protection monastery, where the epidemic has infected almost all the nuns. On April 24, the first collaborator of the patriarchal administration, Metropolitan Dionisij (Porubaj), who also directs the coronavirus committee, was urgently transported to the hospital from Novospassky monastery. The remaining members of the committee ensure that Dionisij continues to lead the group also from the hospital. In the monastery many have tested positive for the virus, as there is also a strong spread of the infection in several other monasteries, especially in Lavra of St Sergius (the main Russian monastery) and to that of St. Seraphim in Diveevo, which houses the remains of St. Seraphim of Sarov, the most famous 19th century starets. The Moscow Theological Academy, which is located in St Sergius, has been placed under strict quarantine. Even more disturbing news comes from the Ukrainian monasteries of the Moscow Patriarchate, starting with the Lavra of the Kiev Caves, and from those of Belarus, where the virus is denied by President Aleksandr Lukashenko himself. The Minsk Theological Academy is also under the strictest quarantine. The general feeling is of apocalyptic bewilderment; the many declarations on divine protection from infection now make one think of a "divine punishment" on the Russian Church, as commented by several faithful on social media: "We must have done something wrong, if the Lord has decided to intervene so severely" . Other voices instead invoke the proclamation of deceased priests as strastoterptsy, "martyrs of the passion" for the coronavirus. Email To : Multiple e-mail addresses must be separated with a comma character(maximum 200 characters) Email To is required. Your Full Name: (optional) Your Email Address: Your Email Address is required. Three of the most prominent faces behind the Breeders Crown and Hambletonian telecasts -- Dave Brower, Moira Fanning and Gary Seibel were featured on the Sunday evening (April 26) episode of COSA TV. Hosted by Greg Blanchard and produced by Curtis MacDonalds CUJO Entertainment, the trio revisited some of their favourite and most memorable moments throughout the years and discussed the history behind the prestigious events and also informed viewers on how they are staying busy during unprecedented times. Dave Brower, one of the faces behind the Hambletonian on network TV, filled fans in on how he has been keeping busy during the COVID-19 pandemic by trying his luck in the kitchen. Ive got a couple things in the pipeline that I havent tried yet, like a tuna noodle casserole but were doing okay food wise. My schedule consists of lots of TV, watching press conferences of our governors in New York and New Jersey. A couple nights a week, I also night manage a supermarket. Am I putting myself at risk? Yeah I am. But, we havent been overrun and were staying in good shape, so between that and playing with the cats, that's how I get through my day. Moira Fanning, who is getting settled into her new position as the C.O.O. of the Hambletonian Society, filled guests in on how orchestrating events like the Breeders Crown and Hambletonian are still possible while still practicing social distancing. Were fortunate to have a small office where we can all take turns going in during the week so that we aren't all there at the same time. I think the worst part of all this is not knowing when racing is going to resume. We just put April 15th stake payments to bed and have had to refund the Dexter Cup and Lady Suffolk, the stakes races have not been totally affected yet but it all works in a domino effect, we need to have a date in mind so that we can move forward. The horses and the people are raring to go. We just need an official word to resume. Gary Seibel filled viewers in on why the decision was made to suspend racing at Cal Expo, which was the last Standardbred track in North America to shut down due to COVID-19. It was odd to be the only harness racing track going in North America, maybe you feel like you have a little more weight on your shoulders because you want your races to be good and your race calls to be good, you just want to show the audience watching you that you are doing the right thing social distancing and that everyone at the racetrack is doing their part to stay safe. When I would arrive at the track I would get out of my car and get to the announcer's booth without seeing one human being. In the end, I think as hard as it is to completely social distance at the racetrack, when youre dealing with racehorses there are certainly times where you would have to be within six feet of one another and theres nothing that can be done about it. The Sacramento Department of Health were the ones who came in and shut racing down. It was a very difficult matter. The trio continued to discuss how they first dipped their feet into the world of harness racing which was followed by revisiting some of their favourite races and historical moments throughout the history of the Breeders Crown and the Hambletonian. A memorable moment in time for Seibel is the 1988 Breeders Crown where a trotter named Valley Victory made quite the name for himself as the underdog of the field. Even though his record did not necessarily show it, and he had the least amount of money made and the least amount of starts in the field, his performance in the Breeders Crown for two-year-old colt trotters, you couldn't help but think that here is a future superstar or a current superstar. He was just unbelievable, that horse, and he was simply amazing on that particular night. Fanning continued the conversation heaping praise upon the great Artsplace when recalling memorable moments in history. A horse that could put together three years of racing like he did...Delvin Miller told me once before that the fastest horse will always be a two-year-old because they dont know their limits and Artsplace proved that to be right. He rain into roadblocks as a three-year-old and still put forth a very good year and then came back at age four to go undefeated -- those things just rarely ever happen in harness racing. Artsplace was just such a special animal. Brower revisited memorable moments such as the 1996 Breeders Crown with Doug Brown and His Mattjesty and the 2001 Breeders Crown with Varenne. Brower also gave credit to Varenne for setting the stage for European horses to ship to North America for the prestigious Breeders Crown event. Fanning also added to the conversation of European imports attesting to their true greatness being able to overcome a tiring ship overseas among many other things. It's a grueling trip over here for them. They have to be in quarantine and they have to be away from other horses, there is a lot to overcome and it certainly is the measure of a great horse when they overcome those types of minor inconveniences. My personal favourite was Varenne up until last year with Bold Eagle. Seibel switched gears from the Breeders Crown to the Hambletonian, reflecting on the first Hambletonain dead heat between Probe and Park Avenue Joe in 1989. It was just phenomenal, the photo was out for a long time and Tom Durkin said that it was too close to call, it was a spectacular day and and it was amazing to be a part of and to this day is the only dead heat in the Hambletonian. The engaging episode which featured many fabulous trips down memory lane is available for viewing below. Sydney, Australia, April 27, 2020 - (ABN Newswire) - Christopher Gerteisen is the CEO and Executive Director of Nova Minerals (OTCMKTS:NVAAF), an exploration company based in Australia and listed on the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX:NVA.AX - News) and the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (HAM:QM3.F - News). Nova is focused on gold exploration in two highly prospective regions, the Tintina Gold Province in Alaska and the Northern Territory in Australia. What's your journey in becoming a CEO? I joined the company as CEO as the company was gearing up towards expanding its resource and progressing the Estelle Gold Camp to production. I've always considered this my area of specialization advancing projects from the resource development phase, where Estelle is positioned now, into mine planning and production. Certainly, my experience in both the technical and management realm reflects success in this arena. What's exciting for me personally, is with the Estelle Gold Project I'm able to put my skills to work in my home state here in Alaska where I was born and bred, and working with an Australian company, a place I consider my second home where, as I like to say, I was reborn and rebred. Up top meets down under, a recipe for success. With over 25 years of experience as a professional geologist in technical and corporate roles, I have an extensive record of managing and advancing complex and challenging resource projects across North America, Australia, and Asia. My experience spans greenfields through to production stage projects focussed on a wide range of commodities, including gold and copper. I have worked as a geologist on the Carlin Trend in Nevada and on exploration in Alaska with Newmont. Have held senior positions at several projects throughout the goldfields of Western Australia. As a research geologist with Newmont I worked on the Batu Hijau Porhryry Cu-Au deposit in Indonesia. Most recently, through my technical contributions and management skills, I played a leading role in the successful start-up, operations, and exploration which resulted in further mine-life extending discoveries at several prominent projects in the Australasian region, including Oxiana's Sepon and PanAust's Phu Bia in Laos. Story continues A few years ago, I took the opportunity to finally return to Alaska. I've come full circle. Alaska is a resource-based economy. It's a safe jurisdiction and ticks all the positive boxes for development of a project on the scale of Estelle. I'm based in my hometown where I grew up. Life doesn't get any better than this, building a mine here for my state and bringing jobs and economic benefits to my community. This could be my last stop in what's been a long rewarding journey. But I am now in gold miners heaven! Tell us a bit about your business and how you are commercializing? We are in a self-imposed race to build a senior gold producer. Over the past two years we have been steadily proving up our gold resource, with the results to date going way above and beyond our original expectations. Now we plan to capitalize on this success by fast tracking the resource development. The drilling program currently underway is designed to significantly increase the total resource, adding millions of ounces to our inventory, but also it's aimed at converting a large portion of the resource to the higher confidence Measured and Indicated categories. The Estelle Gold Project is shaping up to be one of the most significant resource endowments, both in terms of quantity and quality, in the world today and the investment community is really starting to tune in to this project. We are seeing the smart money get in early, getting in now. These investors are taking note of resource, as discussed, but are also seeing a capable management team focussed on a fast track towards production at Estelle. The resource development drilling program currently underway will produce results shortly and we plan to release a mid-year JORC compliant resource update. Based on this, we plan to commence the feasibility studies on the path towards production. We are focussed on this objective like a laser, with our internal budgets and schedules moving us to commission a mining operation in the 2023-2024 time frame. I should mention, the production ambitions we are discussing, is only for our Korbel deposit, which on projection shows may host upwards of 10Mozs of gold, not uncommon in the Tintina Gold Province neighbourhood, see Fort Knox, Dublin Gulch, Pogo, etc. In addition, we have 15 other known prospects across our 220km2 claim block, at various stages of advancement. We are steadily progressing this pipeline of opportunities as we are really start unlocking and developing a district here. All of these additional prospects and further upside will provide the resources as we build the next world-class mining district over the next several decades. As a note to investors, I want to make it very clear that Nova Minerals is not building itself to be sold; it's building itself to be a major. How are you managing with the current COVID-19 pandemic on both business and personal front? The health and safety of our people and the safe operation of our site is of paramount importance. Keeping our operation running is critical for jobs, our communities and for the Alaskan economy. We are not a business that can do all of our work remotely and we are fully focused on action to reduce the risk of transmission at our sites and in our offices. In light of COVID-19, we know the situation is difficult and we are encouraging our workforce to look out for each other, their families and communities as we manage through this together. Operations at Estelle continue with additional monitoring and procedures in place to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission among our workforce. As things currently stand, there have been no material impacts on our operations or supply chain with our workforce able to access our safely and operate effectively. Nova's supply chains are still open and we currently have adequate supplies to operate and maintain critical equipment. The Estelle Gold Camp and offices across the world are monitoring local conditions and have plans in place designed to maintain workforce safety and business continuity. These include procedures to move quickly to isolate anyone who may require medical treatment or testing as well as additional information and resources to support the wellbeing of our workforce. What's the most exciting thing about running your business? As I said previously, Alaska is a safe jurisdiction and my hometown; life doesn't get any better or exciting building a mine here for my state and people. I want to make it very clear that Nova Minerals is not building the Estelle Gold Camp to be sold, it's building itself to be big, create jobs and opportunity for the state of Alaska and my people, that's what excites and drives me every day. There are lots of good reasons for that; I would like the Estelle Gold Project to live beyond my lifetime as a very large gold producer and developer. That's something that I'm working hard to try to create, along with all our fine management team and crew on the ground. How do you measure success? Success is measured differently for each stakeholder in Nova Minerals, and my success is when each of those stakeholders is successful. For our investors, it is the share price and resource growth. For the staff, it's doing work they love and which makes them grow professionally, and which rewards them with the upside of the business as we grow the resource and move the project into production. What do you think is the most important quality of being a CEO of a listed company? For any CEO, its resilience, hands down. Ability to problem solve as the challenges come up. Progressing the project regardless what is thrown at you and most importantly looking after your people and all stakeholders each step of the way. The listed aspect adds the dimension of your performance judged by the market each day and it remains your job to run the business and communicate the value to the investors the best you can. What is your favourite book? The Bible, besides all the time-tested lessons to live by and stories of overcoming adversity, up, downs, etc. Here's the takeaway as pertains to the subject at hand, the Estelle Gold Project. When you truly believe in something, put all your heart, mind and soul into it, never give up, never give in. In business we call that perseverance, which has been shown time and again, in research as well as just plain old common sense, as the most critical key ingredient to success in any business endeavour. And that's what we have at Nova Minerals, unshakeable perseverance, and a management team on a mission to develop the next world-class gold district. The Art of War by Sun Tzu is another which gives great insight into strategy to rank and discipline and, as they say, a little bit of luck doesn't hurt either and to quote Sun Tzu "Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity." So the massive gold resource we have at Estelle, that continues to be wide open in all directions, helps our mission immensely. It also helps to have a bunch of committed, capable, and like-minded colleagues in the trenches along the way. I'm so proud to be a part of the Nova Minerals team as we push forward and get the results expected by our stakeholders. What message do you want to send to our readership in Asia? To keep it simple, view us as the Fortescue Metals Group of the Gold space in Alaska and how fast we move. In 2019, we went out to prove the concept in the initial phase of fieldwork. From the first stage of metallurgical test work at the Korbel deposit, we had a 76 per cent average recovery. That result is exceptional when compared with our peers who average 55-60 per cent recovery, in this type of gold operation, even a one or two per cent recovery upgrade has a large impact on overall profitability. Not only have we defined the major resource at 2.5 million ounces, but we managed to do it at a discovery cost of less than US$1 per ounce [A$1.7], which is why we're fast tracking this project. To give some perspective, anything less than US$10 [A$17] per ounce discovery cost is off the charts" and currently US$30 or $40 [A$52 or A$69] an ounce is more realistic. Every time we drill, we're adding millions of ounces to the resource inventory. Our gold is very liberated throughout the ore body, so we have a high recovery, which keeps the recovery cost low, Our 2020 target is to recover somewhere between the 5-10 million-ounce range. Adopting advanced ore sorting technology is also an exciting possibility thanks to the style and mineralisation of our rock, which will further improve our recovery. We believed in the project and now we've proved it. We have 15 other known prospects at various stages of advancement and Korbel, which is developing into a super pit scenario, so our future is very exciting. Republished by permission of www.stockpal.asia To view the article, please visit: https://stockpal.asia/2020/04/the-ceo-mindset-christopher-gerteisen/ About Nova Minerals Ltd: Nova Minerals Limited (ASX:NVA.AX - News) (FRA:QM3.F - News) is an ASX-listed minerals explorer focused on lithium, gold and mineral exploration in Canada, Alaska and Australia. The company plans to create shareholder value through two-pronged strategy: - Capitalise on the growing demand for energy storage and the resulting demand for lithium, cobalt and nickel by fast-tracking exploration and development activities in our North American assets with particular focus on our flagship lithium project and prospective Chip-Loy Nickel Cobalt Sulphides project. - Diversification by gaining exposure to base and precious metals through our farm-in JV at our district scale Estelle gold copper silver project and our Northern Australian gold exploration assets. Contact: Nova Minerals Ltd P: +61-3-9614-0600 F: +61-3-9614-0550 WWW: novaminerals.com.au Source: Nova Minerals Ltd Copyright (C) 2020 ABN Newswire. All rights reserved. Storyful A cat owner in Sao Paulo may need to pack for vacations in private from now on, as it appears their kitty is quite fond of curling up in a suitcase.Natalia Cara de Medeiros, who runs an Instagram account dedicated to her pet cat Jazz, shared footage of the feline sitting happily in her half-full suitcase to her YouTube channel.In a caption for the video, de Medeiros said Jazz was abandoned along with four other cats.They all got adopted and she was the only one left. One of the neighbors tried to take her in, but she didnt want to; she had chosen us and slowly made her way into our home, she wrote.And it looks like de Medeiros home isnt the only thing Jazz has made her way into: Like all cats, she is very curious and loves enclosed spaces, so of course, she couldnt resist it when she saw an open suitcase lying around, de Mederios added. Credit: Natys Adventures via Storyful UK Scraps China from Official COVID-19 Death Tally Graphs in Snub over 'Cover-Up' Claims Sputnik News 07:14 GMT 26.04.2020 Earlier, China revised its official COVID-19 fatality count to 4,632, adding some 1,290 deaths registered in Wuhan, while rejecting a chorus of accusations that it was covering up the true scale of the epidemic. The UK government has removed China from graphs and charts used to compare British coronavirus deaths to the fatalities in other countries, reported the Daily Mail. The move by Downing Street is suggested as being triggered by a chorus of voices accusing Beijing of playing down the true scale of the epidemic in China. A chart shown at a Downing Street press briefing on 22 April compared the overtime coronavirus deaths of the UK, the US, France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Sweden, South Korea, and China, while China had been removed from an updated graph shown the following day, Thursday. The figures presented in previous charts suggested that China's death tally was lower than that of other countries, such as the US, Italy and Spain. Earlier, China's fatalities were shown to have reached a plateau at an early stage in the coronavirus outbreak, along with countries like Germany, Sweden, and South Korea. Beijing recently revised the fatalities tally, adding some 1,290 deaths from the city of Wuhan, where the epidemic is believed to have originated from. The addition boosted the nationwide death toll by nearly 40 percent, to 4,632, the National Health Commission said on Friday, with a majority coming from Hubei province where Wuhan, a city of 11 million, is located. After Wuhan added cases in revision, the total confirmed number of people testing positive for the virus rose to 82,692, reported state news agency Xinhua. China's updated death toll is still around a fraction of the deaths registered across Europe and the United States. Over 53,900 have died in the US so far, according to Johns Hopkins University, while the deaths from the coronavirus in Italy and Spain are over 26,300 and 22,900, respectively. The UK Government has set up a China Research Group to "promote debate and fresh thinking" over the country's relationship with China in light of the allegations, as some Conservative MPs were cited as being apprehensive lest inaccurate figures could impede the UK's response to the coronavirus. "This data is used to judge the effectiveness of our own response, whether good or bad. It's important we are comparing like with like, otherwise our own responses could be distorted, leading to more deaths in the UK," Conservative chairman of the foreign affairs select committee and founder of the research group, Tom Tugendhat was quoted by the outlet as saying. He added: "Clearly No 10 believes the same as the rest of the world that China's data is unreliable and possibly false." As the chorus of voices urging to call out Beijing on its response to the pandemic gathers strength, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, has been fending off criticism for extolling China's response to the health crisis, and its "commitment to transparency". Recent allegations were spearheaded by US President Donald Trump, who branded the WHO as "China-centric", vowing to "look into" that stance by the agency, and threatening to suspend US funding to the organisation until a probe has been carried out. The latest developments come amid a flurry of speculation that China had procrastinated in raising a global alarm over the outbreak, and covered up the scale of the epidemic. The UK media recently posted photos showing huge stacks of urns being delivered to funeral homes in Wuhan, China, and queues of people waiting outside to collect remains. Some Wuhan residents reportedly cast doubt on the official toll when speaking to Radio Free Asia. "It can't be right because the incinerators have been working round the clock, so how can so few people have died?" one resident was suggested by the Daily Mail as saying. China's foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said at a briefing on 16 April that data revision is a common practice around the world and rejected allegations that the country has intentionally downplayed the scope of its outbreak. "There has never been any cover up and we do not allow cover ups. China, in response to Covid-19, has done nothing that should be criticized." Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address By PTI ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Monday summoned a senior diplomat from the High Commission of India and registered its protest against the alleged ceasefire violations by Indian troops along the Line of Control (LoC) in which a woman was killed. According to Pakistan Foreign Office, Director General (South Asia & SAARC) Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri summoned Indian Charge d'Affaires Gaurav Ahluwalia and registered a "strong protest over the ceasefire violations" by the Indian troops in Jandrot and Khuiratta Sectors on Monday. "Due to indiscriminate and unprovoked firing" in Jandrot sector, a 36-year-old woman was killed, while a nine-year-old sustained serious injuries in Khuiratta Sector," Chaudhri said. The Indian forces along the LoC and the Working Boundary (WB) have continuously been targeting civilian populated areas with artillery fire, heavy-caliber mortars and automatic weapons, the Foreign Office alleged. It claimed that India has committed 882 ceasefire violations this year. Pakistan also urged India to allow the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) to play its mandated role as per the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolutions. India maintains that the UNMOGIP has outlived its utility and is irrelevant after the Simla Agreement and the consequent establishment of the LoC. Earlier in the day, Indian officials in Srinagar said Pakistani troops violated ceasefire along the LoC in Uri sector of Jammu and Kashmir by resorting to unprovoked firing. The Pakistani troops targeted Indian positions by using both small and heavy firearms in Silikote, Churunda and Tilawari areas of Uri sector in Baramulla district, they said. There were no reports of any casualties so far, the officials said. Republicans should think about this in political terms, he said. The chances for Republicans to get reelected in November to a large degree are going to be correlated with the success of the economic recovery. And the economic recovery will not be very strong if all of the blue states are in economic peril. New York election commissioners voted Monday to cancel the states Democratic presidential primary that had been delayed until June 23 because of the coronavirus pandemic. The states congressional and state-level primary elections will still be held on June 23. All New York voters will have the option of voting by mail with an absentee ballot. The Democratic election commissioners said it was no longer necessary to hold the presidential primary because former Vice President Joe Biden is the only candidate and the partys presumptive nominee. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders suspended his campaign for president and endorsed Biden on April 14. A law passed April 3 allowed New Yorks Democratic elections commissioners to remove from the ballot any candidate who had publicly suspended their campaign for president. All told, almost a dozen Democrats had qualified for New Yorks presidential primary election, originally due to be held on April 28. Some Sanders supporters had urged the New York Board of Elections to move forward with the presidential primary election. The New York primary would have allowed Sanders to pick up more delegates to the Democratic National Convention in August, giving his supporters a bigger voice in developing the partys platform. MORE ON CORONAVIRUS Coronavirus in NY: Cases, maps, charts and resources Gov. Cuomo on reopening schools, summer school, remote learning and district budgets As coronavirus deaths in NY fall below 400, Cuomo gives some details about phased reopening The week we went from defense to offense; CNYs coronavirus fight turns a corner Complete coronavirus coverage on syracuse.com Got a tip, comment or story idea? Contact Mark Weiner anytime by: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 571-970-3751 Vietnamese women in and around Seattle are making face masks for health care workers who face a shortage of protective equipment in Washington state. Katie Nguyen is a tailor from Spanaway, Washington. She decided to start sewing masks when state officials ordered nonessential businesses like hers to close. The order was part of the public health effort to contain the new coronavirus. Now, with the help of a few volunteers, Nguyen has made thousands of masks. Phung Vo works in the pharmacy at EvergreenHealth Medical Center in Kirkland, Washington. He received about 200 masks directly from one of the volunteers, Loan Ngo, a few days ago. Vo estimates he and his co-workers use about 20 masks a day. I showed the masks to my supervisor who said Perfect, he told VOA Vietnamese. Vo added he and others at the pharmacy are required to wear masks and are so grateful for the cloth mask donation. Our Evergreen hospital is the most crowded with COVID-19 patients in the state." Washington has suffered more than most states from COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. The first COVID-19 case in the United States was confirmed there on January 21. The patient had recently returned from Wuhan, the Chinese city where the virus was first identified last year. The first U.S. COVID-19 death took place in Kirkland, a city near Seattle. One day later, Washington Governor Jay Inslee declared a state of emergency. The virus spread at a speed that would surprise many people. As the crisis grew, Katie Nguyen and her friends cut pieces of cotton cloth and sewed the pieces into face masks. We have answered pleas from hospitals, doctors and nurses who are so desperate for personal protective equipment amid the coronavirus pandemic, Nguyen told VOAs Vietnamese language service. She turned the workshop in her home into a mask-making center that followed health guidelines for social distancing. Members of the Vietnamese community dropped off supplies, and friends in Vietnam sent fabric. Volunteers who did not know how to sew came here to learn and later they did it on their own at home, Nguyen said. Late in March, she told the volunteers to stop working in her home because of Washingtons stay-at-home order. The volunteers continued sewing and making masks, but from their own homes. Loan Ngo and An Lam, both from Seattle, live together and continued to sew together. Were still healthy, we need to do something, said Ngo. A mask is still better than nothing, right? And our doctors, nurses and health care workers are on the front lines of the battle. I delivered masks to Valley Medical Center in Renton, Ngo told VOA. Sitting in my car with masks on my hands, I cried when I saw medical workers and ambulances. She said these workers are the most likely to get infected. Two weeks ago, Lam set up a Facebook page so Vietnamese women could share information about where to get fabric that can be used for hospital masks. Now Vietnamese volunteers in California, Texas, Oregon and Georgia are sewing masks. My neighbor and I have made over 200 masks so far, said Lam, who came to the United States from the Mekong Delta area. I feel happier to know that health care workers wear my masks, Lam told VOA while operating her sewing machine. Nguyen said that she and her group have made and donated more than 10,000 face masks. She added that as long as the supplies keep coming, the group will keep sewing. We may stop when hospitals in the region receive enough masks from [the] federal governments medical supplies, she said. Im Mario Ritter, Jr. Mario Ritter Jr. adapted this VOA News story for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story tailor n. a person who makes and adjusts clothing for people sewing n. to use a needle and thread to make or repair fabric such as clothes nonessential adj. not necessary pharmacy n. a place in a hospital or a store where drugs and medicines are prepared and given out grateful adj. feeling or showing thanks, being thankful fabric n. a material that is woven or knitted, cloth is an example desperate n. having a strong need or desire for something ambulance n. A vehicle equipped for taking sick or injured people to and from the hospital A Queensland man sentenced to life in prison for fatally stabbing a drunk German backpacker has had his murder conviction overturned on appeal. Jamie Douglas Saxon, 36, was found guilty in October after he knifed Dominik Schulze during a Brisbane road-rage incident two years earlier. The incident occurred on Milton Road. Credit:Gabi Harris The 30-year-old - who was in Australia on a working holiday - was skylarking on an inner-city road after a night of drinking when the men clashed. Mr Schulze had his pants down and was waving his genitalia about when he was clipped by a car driven by Saxon's girlfriend, Jessica Wilkes. By William Schwartz | Published on 2020/04/26 As a melodrama featuring older actors, "When My Love Blooms" was always a questionable addition to tvN's weekend lineup, seemingly working very much against the network's brand. And yet the drama has done surprisingly well for itself, opening its first episode with an average rating of 5.4%. This is slightly higher than the 5.1% close for its predecessor "Hi Bye, Mama!". Advertisement "When My Love Blooms" tells the story of two persons played by Yoo Ji-tae and Lee Bo-young reuniting in their forties. While much of the drama takes place in flashback with younger actors, "When My Love Blooms" is a fairly specific form of romantic melodrama that tends to appeal to older audiences. Consequently, it's little surprise that the drama's ratings for the younger 20-49 year old demographic are much lower, in the 2.7% range. What is surprising is that "When My Love Blooms" is doing as well as it is. The relatively safe subject matter of the project featuring minor stars gives it all the appearance of a placeholder project. With "The King: Eternal Monarch" long known to be premiering in April and "The World of the Married" giving off an outstanding performance in the ratings, "When My Love Blooms" had little obvious hope of competing on hype. But much like how "The World of the Married" was able to grab audience attention with strong performances and setpieces, so too has "When My Love Blooms" distinguished itself in this department. While not especially famous, the stars of "When My Love Blooms" have brought a resigned veterans' edge to the production. Director Son Jeong-hyeon as well has brought sharp visuals to the production, giving it a very dreamlike look that is nevertheless grounded in reality. Written by William Schwartz ___________ "When My Love Blooms" is directed by Son Jeong-hyeon, written by Jeon Hee-young, and features Yoo Ji-tae, Lee Bo-young, Jeon So-nee, Jinyoung, Han Jee-won, Ko Woo-rim. Broadcasting information in Korea: 2020/04/25~Now airing, Sat, Sun 21:00 on tvN. 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From enterprise mobile risk assessments to mobile GDPR compliance to continuous security testing in the DevSecOps toolchain to expert mobile app penetration testing, NowSecure ensures confidence that you are protecting your mobile app users, customers, partners and employees. NowSecure is positioned as the worldwide leader in two 2019 IDC MarketScapes for Mobile Application Security Testing. http://www.nowsecure.com Queen Letizia and King Felipe of Spain paid their respects to the victims of coronavirus today in their first public outing since lockdown. The royal couple, who have been working from home for more than six weeks, paid a visit to Madrid's 112 Emergency Center where they wore masks as they observed a minute's silence in memory of the 23,521 Spanish victims of COVID-19. The couple were joined by Regional President Isabel Diaz Ayuso and Madrid's Regional Vice President Ignacio Aguado, as they stood for the silent tribute. Social distancing was strictly observed throughout the visit. The Royals who were joined by Madrid's Regional President Isabel Diaz Ayuso, Madrid's Regional Vice President Ignacio Aguado and Spanish Home Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska, wore protective face masks and gloves for the visit King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain (pictured) visited the 112 Emergency Center today in Madrid, for their first public appearance since lockdown began Mother-of-two Letizia donned a navy suit and white blouse, coordinating with King Felipe VI who wore a black suit with a navy tie. Pictured: The Spanish royals at the 112 Emergency centre Queen Letizia opted for a toned-down look, cascading her hair over her shoulders with a slightly off-centre parting. She avoided drawing attention to herself by wearing minimal make-up and small earrings to accessorize. King Felipe VI looked equally well groomed in a suit that coordinated perfectly with the colours worn by Letizia. The royal couple showed appreciation for the work of the emergency services during their visit, as Spain continues its nationwide lockdown in the hopes of slowing the spread of coronavirus. Queen Letizia and King Felipe presided over the daily meeting held by the 112 operation. The Spanish royals spoke to representatives of the emergency services as they showed their appreciation for the work done throughout the pandemic. Pictured: King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia with Madrid's Regional President Isabel Diaz Ayuso The pair then spoke to the Minister of Justice and the director of the Madrid 112 Security and Emergency Agency, in addition to representatives of the Fire Department of the Community of Madrid. They completed their visit with a tour of the premises and was given an opportunity to see the work of the 112 operators. The coronavirus pandemic has taken the lives of over 207,000 people around the world, as scientists race to find a vaccine. Spain who has some of the strictest lockdown restrictions in Europe, is set to ease its guidelines to allow children to play outside for the first time in six weeks. Queen Letizia and King Felipe VI seemed understandably cautious as they practised social distancing throughout their momentous visit. King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia were given a tour of the 112 Emergency Centre during their visit, which comes as Spain prepares to ease their lockdown restrictions. Pictured: King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia with Madrid's Regional President Isabel Diaz Ayuso A North Side woman shot her two children and her mother before turning the gun on herself, according to the San Antonio Police Department. Chief William McManus said the woman had recently lost custody of her children shortly before the incident. Tragic beyond words, McManus said. Two little children, a grandmother, and a mother. On Monday morning, San Antonio police responded to a report of a dead person within the Sedona Ranch apartment complex, located at 17655 Henderson Pass. Inside one of the residences, officers found four bodies. FRIENDLY FIRE: Suspect accidentally shot himself after threatening ex-girlfriend McManus said police believe a woman, 38, shot her 5-year-old daughter, 3-year-old son, and 68-year-old mother. According to the father, she had lost custody of the children very, very, very recently and this was the terrible end result of that, McManus said. The father of the children, who had been trying to contact the woman, peered in through a crack in the blinds at the rear of the apartment. He saw the bodies, in two different bedrooms, and called the police. The estranged husband told police that the woman had no history of violence. McManus dismissed any link between the shootings and stress caused by the coronavirus quarantine. The chief noted that police have seen past instances of parents resorting to murder-suicide after losing custody of their children. Ed Gardner, who lives in the apartment complex, was on his morning walk around 9 a.m. when police cars flooded the complex. NEW SYMPTOMS: CDC identifies six new possible symptoms of COVID-19 Gardner did not know the family but said he had surely seen the boy and girl among the children at the complex playing outside during the lockdown. Its crazy that youre going to hurt your own kids," he said. "They looked up to you to protect them. Not kill them, and then your mother. Just crazy. Its just crazy." Police have yet to determine how long the bodies had been there. The Medical Examiners Office was investigating the scene. This is a developing story. Check back for updates. Treasurer Josh Frydenberg will use the day he was due to deliver the federal budget to explain how efforts to control the coronavirus have punched huge holes in the nation's economy and finances. Just days after playing down calls to release an economic update, Mr Frydenberg will deliver a ministerial statement to Parliament on May 12 outlining the impact of the outbreak. Josh Frydenberg's statement will be the first official insight into the economy and budget since the mid-year update in early December. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen The budget, which was due to be released that day, has been pushed back to October 6 as governments everywhere grapple with the pandemic's impact on jobs, incomes and businesses. Mr Frydenberg's statement will be the first official insight into the economy and budget since the mid-year update in early December. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi would take part in the video-conference of the BRICS Foreign Ministers' meeting on the COVID-19 to be held on Tuesday, his aide said. The novel coronavirus, which first emerged in China's Wuhan city in late December, has killed more than 200,000 people worldwide and infected over 2.9 million others, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University. State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang will attend BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) Foreign Ministers' Extraordinary Conference on COVID-19 on April 28, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said in a statement here on Monday. The meeting, to be held by the rotating chair Russia, will be convened via video conference. Wang will discuss with his counterparts the impact of the COVID-19 on international relations, concerted efforts to address global challenges, deepening BRICS cooperation and other topics, the statement said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) It is Microsofts turn now to release their COVID-19 tracker, which has been integrated via its search engine, Bing. The Bing COVID-19 tracker has a few new features that will be helpful for Indian users like an Apollo Hospitals bot for self-assessment and a hub for telemedicine support from reputed healthcare organizations. Unlike Googles and Apples COVID-19 tracking tool, Microsofts Bing COVID-19 tracker is designed to be a one stop place for all COVID-19 related information for its users. There is information available about the COVID-19 infections across the globe and India at a hyperlocal level, that is, information like infection numbers, recoveries and fatalities. Similar to the self-assessment tool found on the Government released app, Aarogya Setu, Microsoft has partnered with Apollo hospitals to develop a bot that can help users with conducting a self-assessment. It is based on the guidelines released by WHO and the MoHFW, Government of India and will be available in 4 languages. Microsoft has also created a telemedicine support hub that will offer online consultations with leading healthcare service providers in India like Apollo Hospitals, Practo, 1mg, Mfine, etc. The Bing COVID-19 tracker is available in 9 Indian languages, namely Hindi, Bengali, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Gujarati, Marathi, Malayalam, and Kannada and to access the tracker,click here. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Hailey Waller and Lucca de Paoli (Bloomberg) Mon, April 27, 2020 16:07 625 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd47d339 2 Health pandemic,vaccine,Bill-Gates,united-states,coronavirus,COVID-19 Free Billionaire Bill Gates is funding production of the seven most promising ideas for a vaccine as he refocuses his philanthropic work on the deadly coronavirus. If everything went perfectly, wed be in scale manufacturing within a year, Gates said on CNNs Fareed Zakaria GPS. It could be as long as two years. The worlds second-richest man said vaccine production will probably not start in September, as some have said. Dr. Fauci and I have been fairly consistent to say 18 months to create expectations that are not too high, Gates said, referring to Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a member of the White House coronavirus task force. The availability of testing for the coronavirus has been a sore spot in the US for months. President Donald Trump tweeted on Saturday that the US just passed 5 million Tests, far more than any other country. Just looking at raw numbers misses the true picture, Gates said. This focus on the number of tests understates the cacophony and the mistakes weve made in the testing system, Gates said. The wrong people are being tested, and any time you dont get results in less than 24 hours, the value of the test is dramatically reduced. The philanthropist and co-founder of Microsoft Corp. said his best-case scenario for a phased reopening of the economy is to pick the high-value activities like school, manufacturing and construction, and figure out a way to do those with masks and distancing. Read also: Bill Gates leaves Microsoft board to focus on philanthropy Schools If we can figure out how to do K-through-12 in the fall, that would be good, Gates said, adding that the US may even be able to open colleges if were creative about it. It will probably be in August where we know whats the protocol, how many schools are opening up, and we wont really know enough until pretty close to the start, he said. Gates also warned that trying to rush a reopening and generating exponential growth in COVID-19 cases will be seeding other parts of the country, comparing it to the infection spreading via international travel in early 2020. Microsoft shares, at around $174, are up about 10% for the year to date, even though major market indexes are down and some companies stocks have been hammered. Tech companies in some ways benefit from an acceleration of a move towards digital approaches, even though the next few years theyll have a lot of customers that theyll be helping out, giving free licenses to, where things wont be as strong, Gates said. Earlier, in an interview with the Financial Times, Gates said that his Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, with an endowment exceeding $40 billion, will give total attention to COVID-19. The foundation has contributed $250 million to help counter the coronavirus so far, and is re-purposing units dedicated to fighting other diseases to join in the battle against the pandemic. Gates defended the World Health Organization against accusations from Trump that the body had mishandled the virus response. WHO is clearly very, very important and should actually get extra support to perform their role during this epidemic, he told the FT. Brandt Building--Historical Markers Hansford County No. 2 The Hansford County Historical Commission will feature the Historical Markers located in Hansford County in a series of stories and photos. No. 2 Brandt Building--Marker No. 489 201 Main Street in Spearman Latitude & Longitude: 36 12' 3.79239999984", -101 11' 37.0159500012" This frame commercial building with decorative sheet metal siding was constructed in 1918. D. E. Dillow built the structure for the mercantile partnership of P. M. Maize and his brother-in-law Fred Brandt (c. 1962). Originally, located in the nearby community of Hansford (6 miles west), then the county seat, it was moved to this site in 1920. Brandt became sole proprietor of the business nine years later and continued the operation until the 1950s. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1980. In the Main Street Sidewalk Renovation Project, the Historical Commission with the help of Donna McCubbin at Hansford Abstract Office, identified all the owners of the properties listed in the records. The Brandt Building owners are: Joe T. and Linda Venneman are the current owners of the building using it in during the season as a farmer's market UPDATE: July 21, 2020 Venneman's daughter Holly Gifford will open Hansford Pie Society and Dana Trill will open Prime Coffee in the historic building The Hansford County Historical Commission will feature the Historical Markers located in Hansford County in a series of stories and photos.No. 2Brandt Building--Marker No. 489201 Main Street in SpearmanLatitude & Longitude: 36 12' 3.79239999984", -101 11' 37.0159500012"This frame commercial building with decorative sheet metal siding was constructed in 1918. D. E. Dillow built the structure for the mercantile partnership of P. M. Maize and his brother-in-law Fred Brandt (c. 1962). Originally, located in the nearby community of Hansford (6 miles west), then the county seat, it was moved to this site in 1920. Brandt became sole proprietor of the business nine years later and continued the operation until the 1950s. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1980.In the Main Street Sidewalk Renovation Project, the Historical Commission with the help of Donna McCubbin at Hansford Abstract Office, identified all the owners of the properties listed in the records.The Brandt Building owners are: Hansford County Courthouse " Hansford County, on the northern edge of the Panhandle , is bordered on the north by Oklahoma, on the west by Sherman County, on the south by Hutchinson County, and on the east by Ochiltree County. Hansford County, on the High Plains , ranges from 2,950 to 3,300 feet in altitude [and covers 907 square miles]. "In 1876 the Texas legislature marked off Hansford County from land previously assigned to Young and Bexar districts; the new county was administered by authorities in Wheeler County. The county was named for John M. Hansford. In 1889, when the county was politically organized, Hansford outpolled Farwell in a county-seat election. In "The arrival of farmers led to major changes in the economy and structure of the county. In 1920 the North Texas and Santa Fe Railway built a line from Shattuck, Oklahoma, to its new townsite of Spearman in southeastern Hansford County, and more and more farmers arrived to buy promising lands. Spearman soon became the leading town in the county; it absorbed both Farwell and Hansford by the mid-1920s, and in 1929 it became the county seat. "By the 1980s Hansford County had a diversified economy based on agriculture, oil, and transportation. In 20 02 the county had 290 farms and ranches covering 593,063 acres, 54 percent of which were devoted to cropland and 45 percent to pasture." Handbook of Texas Online , H. Allen Anderson, "Hansford County" READ MORE HERE Hansford County Historical Marker Progress In a meeting held January 3, 2017, the Hansford County Historical Commission was sworn in by Judge Benny Wilson. Among the agenda items was the progress of the historical marker that is being moved from Hwy. 15 to the lawn of the Hansford County Courthouse. Contractor Archie Smith poured the foundation for the marker as seen in the photos by clicking MORE. The next phase will be to level the marker and place it on the base. This step will take place when the base is cured. to see more photos click (more) In a meeting held January 3, 2017, the Hansford County Historical Commission was sworn in by Judge Benny Wilson.Among the agenda items was the progress of the historical marker that is being moved from Hwy. 15 to the lawn of the Hansford County Courthouse.Contractor Archie Smith poured the foundation for the marker as seen in the photos by clicking MORE.The next phase will be to level the marker and place it on the base. This step will take place when the base is cured.to see more photos click Hansford County Granite Marker Hansford County Marker No. 2366 Erected 1936 by TxDOT, relocated and restored by Hansford County Historical Commission May 2017 (By Bill Kirchner, March 16, 2016) Notice bullet hole and missing star Inscription Formed from Young and Bexar territories Created, August 21, 1876 Organized, March 11, 1889 Named in honor of John M. Hansford came to Texas in 1837 Member of the Texas Congress Judge of the Seventh Judicial District, 1840-1842 Died in 1844 Hansford, the county seat Location. 36 13.71 N, 101 9.527 W Marker is near Spearman, Texas, in Hansford County on State Highway 15 E (By Bill Kirchner, March 16, 2016) Note Missing Star Medallion (By Bill Kirchner, March 16, 2016) Hansford County Historical Markers--Stationmaster's House Museum No. 12 No. 12 Santa Fe Railroad Stationmaster's House Latitude & Longitude: 36 11' 52.72224", -101 11' 53.2012700004" Marker Number: 4581 Marker Title: Santa Fe Railroad Stationmaster's House Address: 30 S. Townsend City: Spearman County: Hansford UTM Zone: 14 UTM Easting: 302371 UTM Northing: 4008147 Subject Codes: railroads; houses, residential buildings Year Marker Erected: 1978 Designations: Recorded Texas Historic Landmark Marker Size: Medallion & Plate Marker Text: When Spearman was founded on a branch of the Santa Fe Railroad in 1920, this cottage was built for the stationmaster. As local agent for the railroad, he represented a business vital to the economy of this area. He supervised passenger and freight service, operation of the telegraph, and loading of the U.S. mail. In the 1920s, the station here was especially busy, handling supplies and equipment for oil and gas fields in the Panhandle. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark, 1978. No. 12Santa Fe Railroad Stationmaster's HouseLatitude & Longitude: 36 11' 52.72224", -101 11' 53.2012700004"Marker Number: 4581Marker Title: Santa Fe Railroad Stationmaster's HouseAddress: 30 S. TownsendCity: SpearmanCounty: HansfordUTM Zone: 14UTM Easting: 302371UTM Northing: 4008147Subject Codes: railroads; houses, residential buildingsYear Marker Erected: 1978Designations: Recorded Texas Historic LandmarkMarker Size: Medallion & PlateMarker Text: When Spearman was founded on a branch of the Santa Fe Railroad in 1920, this cottage was built for the stationmaster. As local agent for the railroad, he represented a business vital to the economy of this area. He supervised passenger and freight service, operation of the telegraph, and loading of the U.S. mail. In the 1920s, the station here was especially busy, handling supplies and equipment for oil and gas fields in the Panhandle. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark, 1978. Spearman Hotel--Hansford County Historical Markers No. 13 No. 13 Latitude & Longitude: 3612'1.87462", -10111'38.96422" Marker Number: 5005 Marker Title: Spearman Hotel Index Entry: Spearman Hotel Address: 502 S. Davis St. City: Spearman County: Hansford UTM Zone: 14 UTM Easting: 302733 UTM Northing: 4008421 Subject Codes: inns, hotels, motels Year Marker Erected: 1967 Designations: Recorded Texas Historic Landmark Marker Size: Medallion & Plate Marker Text: Built 1909, by Bert O. Cator, J. H. Wright and S. B. Hale, Hansford County pioneers. Cator had built first dugout in the Panhandle, 1873; Hale was first druggist in Old Hansford; Wright promoted town of Hansford, now abandoned. Victorian architecture. This was first hotel erected in Hansford. In 1920 building was moved 6 miles east to Spearman, after railroad came into county at this point. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark, 1967. Marker Number: 5005Marker Title: Spearman HotelIndex Entry: Spearman HotelAddress: 502 S. Davis St.City: SpearmanCounty: HansfordUTM Zone: 14UTM Easting: 302733UTM Northing: 4008421Subject Codes: inns, hotels, motelsYear Marker Erected: 1967Designations: Recorded Texas Historic LandmarkMarker Size: Medallion & PlateMarker Text: Built 1909, by Bert O. Cator, J. H. Wright and S. B. Hale, Hansford County pioneers. Cator had built first dugout in the Panhandle, 1873; Hale was first druggist in Old Hansford; Wright promoted town of Hansford, now abandoned. Victorian architecture. This was first hotel erected in Hansford. In 1920 building was moved 6 miles east to Spearman, after railroad came into county at this point. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark, 1967. Mr. and Mrs. Roy L. Bulls bought the Hotel from Don Cates in 1977 and renovated the building and gave it its Texas Historical Marker. The Hotel was built in the Old Town of Hansford. Construction was started in 1908 on Lots 27 Blk 53, Old Town of Hansford. It was built by a company known as the Hansford Hotel Company. Trustees were Bert O. Cator, J.H. Wright, and S.B. Hale. The building was completed in the spring of 1909. The first manager was C.R. Thomas, moving to Hansford with his family from Indiana in May 1909. At this time there was a railroad boom in the county known as the EW&O. Many people were moving into the area. The hotel filled a real need for the little town of Hansford. There were many different managers. C.R. Thomas, Mrs. Bessie White, Davie Foley, Paddy Doyle, W.H. Marney, and was finally sold to Ora F. Dacus. He was the owner at the time the Hotel was moved to Spearman in 1920, and located on lots 7 and 8 Blk 11 Original Town of Spearman. Mr. Dacus managed the Hotel until it was sold to H.M. Wiley in 1924. Mr. Wiley sold it to J.C. Lee, February 22, 1930, Lee to R.H. Cooke, February 2, 1933; et al sold it to Sid Beck. Bullish On Spearman From the Amarillo Globe News by Bruce Romia 1977. It is impossible to pinpoint the exact time that the City of Spearman shook off some of is lethargy, glanced around, and decided to make itself one of the fastest growing and most progressive towns in the Texas Panhandle area. It is equally difficult to give any one person or group of persons credit for the transformation since everybody in Spearman seems to have had a part in making things click. Perhaps one of the guiding forces behind the rejuvenation is the Bulls family, formerly of Amarillo, who have given their time and talents to create things of beauty and economic value for the city and its people. Their latest ventureconversion of the old Spearman Hotel into a first class, multi storied shopping centercame to life this past summer with the opening of Bulls Inn in downtown Spearman. The product of the imagination and artistry of Charlene Bulls, plus a lot of help from her husband Roy, and the couples five children, was formerly dedicated last August. The new enterprise occupies an old building that has been designated an historical landmark by the State of Texas. It is one of two buildings moved into Spearman from Old Hansford. The other building has also been renovated and restored by the Bulls and is doing a business as Saks 3rdAvenue. A lot of labor, planning, and materials have gone into converting the old hotel into a shopping center. Today the new structure houses a variety of shops and eating facilities including The "N Place, The General Store, Queens Cupboard, ETC. Shop, Chambers Accessories, and offices and lounge area. Parts of the dilapidated building were utilized in remodeling. Old dresser from the rooms were used as receptacles for sinks and mirrors in the rest rooms, and brick from the old flue were used to build entry ways. Beams and the front porch railing were made from the many walls that were torn down. the old hotel fell into disrepair and the marker was removed Later is was burned in a controlled fire by the Spearman Volunteer Fire Department Cator Buffalo Camp--Historical Markers Hansford County No. 10 Marker No. 4867 Erected in 1967 Site of Cator Buffalo Camp Latitude & Longitude: 36 8' 18.09200000004", -101 26' 27.9201500016" Established by James H. and Bob Cator in the spring of 1872 while hunting buffalo in the fall of 1875. The camp became a trading post known as Zulu. 1936 The camp became a trading post known as Zulu. 1936 In 1875, a large, two-room pole building furnished with staple groceries and ammunition became the first trading post in Texas above the Canadian River. The stockade, located in Indian-infested country, was fittingly named for the fierce Zulu tribe of Africa. It began as a buffalo camp which crack hunters Jim and Bob Cator (from England) had made the first permanent Panhandle residence at Christmas, 1873. In 1876 Zulu became a major depot on the Ft. Dodge-Ft. Bascom military road, and it eventually received a post office contract. It was finally abandoned, 1912. (1968) In 1875, a large, two-room pole building furnished with staple groceries and ammunition became the first trading post in Texas above the Canadian River. The stockade, located in Indian-infested country, was fittingly named for the fierce Zulu tribe of Africa. It began as a buffalo camp which crack hunters Jim and Bob Cator (from England) had made the first permanent Panhandle residence at Christmas, 1873. In 1876 Zulu became a major depot on the Ft. Dodge-Ft. Bascom military road, and it eventually received a post office contract. It was finally abandoned, 1912. (1968) No. 10Marker No. 4867Erected in 1967Site of Cator Buffalo CampLatitude & Longitude: 36 8' 18.09200000004", -101 26' 27.9201500016"Established by James H. and Bob Cator in the spring of 1872 while hunting buffalo in the fall of 1875. Oslo Community--Hansford Historical Marker No. 9 Photo by Donna Barnes No. 9 Latitude & Longitude: 36 25' 51.59093999988", -101 31' 40.5880200012" Marker Number: 3857 Marker Title: Olso Community City: Gruver County: Hansford UTM Zone: 14 UTM Easting: 273387 UTM Northing: 4034724 Subject Codes: cities and towns; Norweigan settlement; land surveys, land companies, promotional towns Year Marker Erected: 1981 Marker Location: from Gruver take S.H. 136 about 6 miles north; head west on F.M. 2535 about 6 miles; turn north on F.M. 1262, continue for 5 miles, then turn west on F.M. 2349 to Oslo Community Marker Size: 27" x 42" Photo via Rob Shields Marker Text: In 1908 Anders L. Mordt, a native of Norway, secured form R. M. Thomson and R. T. Anderson the sales rights to 100 sections of Hansford County land he named Oslo. The first settlers were recruited from existing Norwegian colonies in the midwestern United States. To promote the development, Mordt advertised his inexpensive Texas land in major Norwegian language publications across the nation. He also published a weekly newspaper, The "Oslo Posten", and organized an annual Norwegian Independence Day celebration, "Syttende Mai" (May 17), which attracted crowds from surrounding towns in Oklahoma and Texas. Community worship services were first conducted at the Oslo schoolhouse in 1909 by the Rev. Christian Heltne. Officially organized the following year, the Olso Lutheran Church became the center of the farming settlement. Mordt's land sales ended in 1913 as a result of a severe drought. When the Denver and Gulf Railroad decided to bypass the area, the townsite of Oslo (2.5 miles south) declined. Although many settlers moved away, more than thirty families remained. Today the Olso Lutheran Church serves as a remainder of the area's Norwegian Heritage. (1981) Photo via Rob Shields No. 9Latitude & Longitude: 36 25' 51.59093999988", -101 31' 40.5880200012"Marker Number: 3857Marker Title: Olso CommunityCity: GruverCounty: HansfordUTM Zone: 14UTM Easting: 273387UTM Northing: 4034724Subject Codes: cities and towns; Norweigan settlement; land surveys, land companies, promotional townsYear Marker Erected: 1981Marker Location: from Gruver take S.H. 136 about 6 miles north; head west on F.M. 2535 about 6 miles; turn north on F.M. 1262, continue for 5 miles, then turn west on F.M. 2349 to Oslo CommunityMarker Size: 27" x 42"Photo via Rob ShieldsMarker Text:Photo via Rob Shields Gruver Cemetery--Hansford County Historical Marker No. 8 No. 8 Marker Number: 17096 Marker Title: Gruver Cemetery City: Gruver County: Hansford UTM Zone: UTM Easting: UTM Northing: Year Marker Erected: 2012 Marker Location: Gruver, FM 278, 2 miles east of intersection SH 15 & SH 136 Marker Size: 18" x 28" with post Marker Text: GRUVER CEMETERY IN 1907, JOSEPH HEZKIAH GRUVER (1863-1962), HIS WIFE, ADDIE REED GRUVER, AND THEIR SON, LAWRENCE, MOVED FROM MISSOURI AND SETTLED IN THIS AREA. A POST OFFICE WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1927 AND SOON BUSINESSES FOLLOWED. IN 1929, AT THE REQUEST OF CLARENCE WINDER, MR. J.B. DULIN DONATED TEN ACRES OF LAND TO BE KNOWN AS GRUVER MEMORIAL PARK, NOW GRUVER CEMETERY. ADDITIONAL ACREAGE WAS ADDED BY CECIL AND MARGARET RALSTON IN 1970. ON MARCH 9, 1929, WILLIE A. WINDER, CLARENCES MOTHER, BECAME THE FIRST PERSON BURIED IN THE CEMETERY. THE LANDSCAPE OF THE CEMETERY IS TRADITIONAL WITH JUNIPER TREES SURROUNDING GRANITE AND MARBLE HEADSTONES THAT DOCUMENT THE HISTORY OF THE GRUVER AREA. No. 8Marker Number: 17096Marker Title: Gruver CemeteryCity: GruverCounty: HansfordUTM Zone:UTM Easting:UTM Northing:Year Marker Erected: 2012Marker Location: Gruver, FM 278, 2 miles east of intersection SH 15 & SH 136Marker Size: 18" x 28" with postMarker Text: GRUVER CEMETERY IN 1907, JOSEPH HEZKIAH GRUVER (1863-1962), HIS WIFE, ADDIE REED GRUVER, AND THEIR SON, LAWRENCE, MOVED FROM MISSOURI AND SETTLED IN THIS AREA. A POST OFFICE WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1927 AND SOON BUSINESSES FOLLOWED. IN 1929, AT THE REQUEST OF CLARENCE WINDER, MR. J.B. DULIN DONATED TEN ACRES OF LAND TO BE KNOWN AS GRUVER MEMORIAL PARK, NOW GRUVER CEMETERY. ADDITIONAL ACREAGE WAS ADDED BY CECIL AND MARGARET RALSTON IN 1970. ON MARCH 9, 1929, WILLIE A. WINDER, CLARENCES MOTHER, BECAME THE FIRST PERSON BURIED IN THE CEMETERY. THE LANDSCAPE OF THE CEMETERY IS TRADITIONAL WITH JUNIPER TREES SURROUNDING GRANITE AND MARBLE HEADSTONES THAT DOCUMENT THE HISTORY OF THE GRUVER AREA. Lindberghs Land at Spearman--Hansford County Historical Markers No. 7 Marker located just outside of Spearman on Hwy 207 No. 7 Lindberghs Land at Spearman--Marker No. 3086 Latitude & Longitude: 36 10' 42.31251999984", -101 12' 49.2688000008" At ten minutes before 11:00 a.m. on Monday, September 24, 1934, a small monocoupe airplane landed in a pasture about 1/4 mile west of this site. The pilot taxied his craft to a stop near a windmill, deplaned, and asked the curious resident, "Lady, can I park my plane in your back yard?" The day proved a momentous one for Spearman residents. The pilot was Charles Augustus Lindbergh (1902-1974), traveling from California to New York with his wife, Anne. With about one hundred miles worth of fuel left in his plane, Lindbergh chose to stop in this small community to refuel in order to avoid the inevitable crowds his arrival would cause in a larger town. A passing motorist was sent into town to purchase fuel for the airplane while the Lindberghs rested, enjoyed refreshments, and gave their hostess a tour of the airplane. Original photo of Lindbergh's landing near Spearman As news of the Lindberghs' landing spread, school children were excused from classes to see the famous aviator and watch the plane depart two hours later. Although brief in duration, the visit by Charles and Anne Morrow Lindbergh to this small rural community was a significant local event. (1989) recommended reading Old Farwell--Historical Markers Hansford County No. 6 No. 6 Old Farwell--Marker No. 3727 Latitude & Longitude: 36 14' 37.67764999992", -101 22' 22.1139099984" Marker Text: Established 1886 about 1/2 mile northeast of this site. Intended to be county seat of Hansford County, created 1876, organized in 1889. Lost election to town of Hansford, which served till 1928 but is also now non-existent. Named for early surveyor John V. Farwell and members of his family, Chicago department store executives who operated XIT Ranch in this and 9 other counties - their fee in payment for building of the Texas State Capitol, 1882-86. Stones here are from the casing of a 200 foot well dug by hand to supply water to the town. (1964) Established 1886 about 1/2 mile northeast of this site. Intended to be county seat of Hansford County, created 1876, organized in 1889. Lost election to town of Hansford, which served till 1928 but is also now non-existent. Named for early surveyor John V. Farwell and members of his family, Chicago department store executives who operated XIT Ranch in this and 9 other counties - their fee in payment for building of the Texas State Capitol, 1882-86. Stones here are from the casing of a 200 foot well dug by hand to supply water to the town. (1964) From the Hansford County History Book 1876-1979 In 1880, the first town of the county was established and was named Farwell. The town was begun by a family who moved to the area from Illinois named Canott. The town was quite thriving for that day and time. Located in the center of the county, Farwell stood some three miles to the east of the present town of Gruver. The towns buildings included a livery stable, store, hotel, saloon and butcher shot. The post office for Farwell was established in September of 1887 with Robert Rosenthal, postmaster followed by Lizzie Pierson, Aaron Canott and Nellie Croxton. The post office was discontinued in August of 1894 and move to Hansford. The first newspaper was the Farwell Graphic Hansford County Bridge Funded by Grant for Disaster Relief To read past story (above title) on this bridge click (more) No. 6Old Farwell--Marker No. 3727Latitude & Longitude: 36 14' 37.67764999992", -101 22' 22.1139099984"Marker Text: Established 1886 about 1/2 mile northeast of this site. Intended to be county seat of Hansford County, created 1876, organized in 1889. Lost election to town of Hansford, which served till 1928 but is also now non-existent. Named for early surveyor John V. Farwell and members of his family, Chicago department store executives who operated XIT Ranch in this and 9 other counties - their fee in payment for building of the Texas State Capitol, 1882-86. Stones here are from the casing of a 200 foot well dug by hand to supply water to the town. (1964)Established 1886 about 1/2 mile northeast of this site.Intended to be county seat of Hansford County, created 1876, organized in 1889. Lost election to town of Hansford, which served till 1928 but is also now non-existent.Named for early surveyor John V. Farwell and members of his family, Chicago department store executives who operated XIT Ranch in this and 9 other counties - their fee in payment for building of the Texas State Capitol, 1882-86.Stones here are from the casing of a 200 foot well dug by hand to supply water to the town. (1964)From the Hansford County History Book 1876-1979Hansford County Bridge Funded by Grant for Disaster ReliefTo read past story (above title) on this bridge click Hansford County Courthouse - Spearman--Historical Markers Hansford County No. 5 No. 5 Hansford County Sheriff Robert E. (Bob) Martin Marker No. 2367 No. 5Hansford County Sheriff Robert E. (Bob) Martin Marker No. 2367 Latitude & Longitude: 36 12' 9.52120000008", -101 11' 48.4262900016" Killed while assisting United States Marshall making arrest in boundary line dispute in the northwestern part of county. Like many frontier sheriffs, he was a cowboy and farmer chosen for office out of regard for his standing as a good citizen. Came to Hansford, 1906, bought a section of land. Eager to see area develop, he ran a livery stable. This provided for land prospectors from the north and east the only means of travel to seek out and buy property. He married Sophia Snowden; had 10 children. He was sheriff from 1908 until his untimely death. (1965) Hansford County Latitude & Longitude: 36 13' 45.71771999988", -101 9' 32.02056" Formed form Young and Bexas territories. Created, August 21, 1876. Organized, March 11, 1889. Named in honor of John M. Hansford; came to Texas in 1837. Member of the Texas Congress, Judge of the Seventh Judical District, 1840-1842. Died in 1844. Hansford, the county seat. (1965) The annual Heritage Days Celebration takes place each year on the beloved lawn of the Hansford County Courthouse (more) to view "He Stole My Courthouse" by David J. Murrah, Ph.D. please click Hansford Cemetery-Historical Markers Hansford County No. 4 http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=cr&CRid=1919341&CScn=hansford Hansford Cemetery--Marker No. 2365 Spearman vicinity, TX, USA No. 4 Latitude & Longitude: 36 11' 40.90891999992", -101 17' 42.3557000016" First burial ground set aside in this county. Earliest grave (1890) was that of Mrs. Alfie P. Magee, wife of the first sheriff. Also, buried here: the Cator brothers, founders of Zulu Stockade; and the Wright brothers, early ranchers. Only official cemetery in county until 1928; is still in use. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark, 1967. First burial ground set aside in this county. Earliest grave (1890) was that of Mrs. Alfie P. Magee, wife of the first sheriff.Also, buried here: the Cator brothers, founders of Zulu Stockade; and the Wright brothers, early ranchers.Only official cemetery in county until 1928; is still in use. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark, 1967. This map was drawn by J.B. Buchanan This map was drawn by J.B. Buchanan Quanah Parker Arrow Installed March 17 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quanah_Parker A group of interested volunteers gathered in the chilly March 17th wind, to install the Quanah Parker Arrow at the Triangle Park in Spearman. This arrow is a 20 foot tall granite historical maker that is donated to communities that have a connection to Quanah Parker and included on the Quanah Parker Trail. There will be an official dedication of the marker later in the spring. Quanah Parker (Comanche kwana "smell, odor") (ca. 1845 or 1852 February 23, 1911) was Comanche/English-American from the Comanche band Quahadi ("Antelope-eaters"), strictly related also to the Nokoni band ("Wanderers" or "Travellers"), his mother's people, and emerged as a dominant figure, particularly after the Comanches' final defeat. He was one of the last Comanche chiefs. The US appointed Quanah principal chief of the entire nation once the people had gathered on the reservation and later introduced general elections. Quanah was a Comanche chief, a leader in the Native American Church, and the last leader of the powerful Quahadi band before they surrendered their battle of the Great Plains and went to a reservation in Indian Territory. He was the son of Comanche chief Peta Nocona and Cynthia Ann Parker, an English-American, who had been kidnapped at the age of nine and assimilated into the tribe. Quanah Parker also led his people on the reservation, where he became a wealthy rancher and influential in Comanche and European American society. Quanah Parker (Comanche kwana "smell, odor") (ca. 1845 or 1852 February 23, 1911) was Comanche/English-American from the Comanche band Quahadi ("Antelope-eaters"), strictly related also to the Nokoni band ("Wanderers" or "Travellers"), his mother's people, and emerged as a dominant figure, particularly after the Comanches' final defeat. He was one of the last Comanche chiefs. The US appointed Quanah principal chief of the entire nation once the people had gathered on the reservation and later introduced general elections. Quanah was a Comanche chief, a leader in the Native American Church, and the last leader of the powerful Quahadi band before they surrendered their battle of the Great Plains and went to a reservation in Indian Territory. He was the son of Comanche chief Peta Nocona and Cynthia Ann Parker, an English-American, who had been kidnapped at the age of nine and assimilated into the tribe. Quanah Parker also led his people on the reservation, where he became a wealthy rancher and influential in Comanche and European American society. Quanah Parker (Comanche kwana "smell, odor") (ca. 1845 or 1852 February 23, 1911) was Comanche/English-American from the Comanche band Quahadi ("Antelope-eaters"), strictly related also to the Nokoni band ("Wanderers" or "Travellers"), his mother's people, and emerged as a dominant figure, particularly after the Comanches' final defeat. He was one of the last Comanche chiefs. The US appointed Quanah principal chief of the entire nation once the people had gathered on the reservation and later introduced general elections. Quanah was a Comanche chief, a leader in the Native American Church, and the last leader of the powerful Quahadi band before they surrendered their battle of the Great Plains and went to a reservation in Indian Territory. He was the son of Comanche chief Peta Nocona and Cynthia Ann Parker, an English-American, who had been kidnapped at the age of nine and assimilated into the tribe. Quanah Parker also led his people on the reservation, where he became a wealthy rancher and influential in Comanche and European American society. Dodge City-Tascosa Trail--Historical Markers Hansford County No. 3 Dodge City - Tascosa Trail--Marker No. 1238 No. 3 Hansford County 1876-1979 History Book---This road was surveyed during the Civil War to haul military supplies to Fort Bascom, New Mexico Territory to Dodge City and points east. Then came the buffalo hunters using the trail to haul hides and buy supplies. Tascosa became a town in the early 1880's. Oxen teams and mule teams hauled freight for the Cowboy Capital of the Panhandle and ranches that ran into hundreds of thousands of dollars annually. Herds from all over the Panhandle trailed into Dodge City over this route for a number of years. Stage coaches ran weekly carrying mail and passengers over the 242 mile stretch. Brick for the court house at nearby Hansford was hauled from Dodge. Later freight came over this trail from Liberal. Ranchers continued to use portions of this trail until 1920 when the railroad was built across the county and Spearman was built. Thus another old and historic trail was fenced and plowed under. Marker Number: 1238 Marker Title: Dodge City - Tascosa Trail City: Spearman/Gruver County: Hansford UTM Zone: 14 UTM Easting: 292118 UTM Northing: 4008214 Year Marker Erected: 1964 Marker Location: from Spearman take SH 15/207 about 6.5 miles west Marker Size: large red granite, irregular shape, adopted as state marker in 1964 Dodge City - Tascosa Trail--Marker No. 1238No. 3Hansford County 1876-1979 History Book---Marker Number: 1238Marker Title: Dodge City - Tascosa TrailCity: Spearman/GruverCounty: HansfordUTM Zone: 14UTM Easting: 292118UTM Northing: 4008214Year Marker Erected: 1964Marker Location: from Spearman take SH 15/207 about 6.5 miles westMarker Size: large red granite, irregular shape, adopted as state marker in 1964 The Rocket Slide Park The Rocket Slide Park is located at E. 11th Avenue just across the street from SHS. The land was donated to the City by C. Ralph Blodgett for a park in the southeast part of Spearman in 1963. (more) Swimming Pool Park Most longtime Spearman residents will remember the Swimming Pool Park being located on what is now the sand volleyball court between the Fire Department and the OLoughlin Center. Those were the daysCoach Allen Simpson managed the swimming pool with a firm hand.no cannon balls anywhere except off the diving board, melting your Reeses Cup in the summer sun, the smell of Coppertone.no such thing as a SPF numberjust plain Coppertone. March 20, 1973, a letter was sent to the citizens of Spearman asking for a bond election to build a new pool. The vote carried on April 7 of that year and the new pool was built. (more) Gruver City Park The City of Gruver has one park that is located in the heart of the community. Here lies the swimming pool and two sand volley ball courts with playground equipment and two covered public gathering areas. Each year, the park is used for many events which include Christmas and decorating a tree in the memory of a lost loved one. The Catholic Church uses the park for its annual Jamica Fundraiser The annual Halloween Carnival is there each year also. "We have currently applied for a grant to put in a walking park around the outside, and if we do not receive the grant we hope to be able to put in walk anyway," said city secretary Lynn Vela. Brick Streets--Hansford County Historical Markers No. 1 Longtime historical commissioner, J.D. Wilbanks, shows an original brick during the marker dedication September 29, 2009 Marker No.15930 The Hansford County Historical Commission will feature the Historical Markers located in Hansford County in a series of stories and photos. No.1 Brick Streets in Spearman This marker is the most recent project of the HCHC The Hansford County Historical Commission will feature the Historical Markers located in Hansford County in a series of stories and photos.This marker is the most recent project of the HCHC The bricks of Main Street have been enjoyed for many years and lend a nostalgic feel to our quaint little community Legend says that the bricks were shipped in via rail road and unloaded at the west end of Main. John R. Collard shared that as a young boy, they were told there were quarters hidden within the piles of brick that could be kept if found while they were moving the bricks to where they were to be laid. Legend says that the bricks were shipped in via rail road and unloaded at the west end of Main. John R. Collard shared that as a young boy, they were told there were quarters hidden within the piles of brick that could be kept if found while they were moving the bricks to where they were to be laid. Eska Park Eska Park is located at the 900 Block of Archer/Evans It was created and dedicated in 1954 by the Glover Family. Eska Park is located at the 900 Block of Archer/EvansIt was created and dedicated in 1954 by the Glover Family. Site of Hansford County Courthouse Near Spearman in Hansford County, Texas Site of Hansford County Courthouse Marker No. 14068 36 11.834 N, 101 17.803 W (photo by Bill Kirchner, March 16, 2016) Site of Hansford County Courthouse Erected by State Historical Survey Committee Inscription. This court house was located one fourth mile northwest of here and built in 1891. It was made of red brick brought overland in wagons from Dodge City, Kansas. It was the first court house in the county .Hansford County. Surveyed in 1876 and organized in 1889, was named for John M. Hansford a Texas Congressman and Judge. Marker is near Spearman, Texas, in Hansford County. Marker is on State Highway 15/207 0.1 miles west of Farm to Market Road 19, on the right when traveling west. Marker is in this post office area: Spearman TX 79081, United States of America. (photo by Bill Kirchner, March 16, 2016) Site of Hansford County Courthouse Marker (photo By Bill Kirchner, March 16, 2016) Site of Hansford County Courthouse Marker This page originally submitted on March 30, 2016, by Bill Kirchner of Tucson, Arizona. M ore deadly pandemics are likely to follow the coronavirus outbreak in future unless nature is protected, experts have warned. In a note published on Monday, four leading biodiversity experts said human activities such as deforestation, intensive farming, and exploitation of wild species had created a perfect storm for diseases to spread. They warned that future pandemics would "spread more rapidly" and "kill more people" unless measures are put in place to prevent the rampant destruction of the natural world. "There is a single species that is responsible for the Covid-19 pandemic - us," Professors Josef Settele, Sandra Diaz, Eduardo Brondizio and Dr Peter Daszak said. "Future pandemics are likely to happen more frequently, spread more rapidly, have greater economic impact and kill more people if we are not extremely careful about the possible impacts of the choices we make today." As many as 1.7 million unidentified viruses of the type known to infect people are believed to still exist in mammals and water birds, any of which could be more disruptive and lethal than Covid-19, their note added. Professors Settele, Diaz and Brondizio led last years United Nations-backed planetary health check, which culminated in a major report published by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). The 2019 report found up to a million species of animals and plants were at risk of extinction as a result of human activity, and concluded that our management of the planet was "eroding the very foundations of economies, livelihoods, food security, health and quality of life worldwide". Dr Daszak, meanwhile, is president of the EcoHealth Alliance, which aims to prevent pandemics and promote conservation. In Monday's note, the quartet said the coronavirus crisis, like the climate and biodiversity crises, was a "direct consequence" of our "global financial and economic systems, based on a limited paradigm that prizes economic growth at any cost". We have a small window of opportunity, in overcoming the challenges of the current crisis, to avoid sowing the seeds of future ones," they said. Earth Day 2020 - In pictures 1 /26 Earth Day 2020 - In pictures A view of the Earth as seen by the Apollo 17 crew traveling toward the moon,a translunar coast photograph extending from the Mediterranean Sea area to the Antarctica south polar ice cap, taken on December 7, 1972, by the crew of Apollo 17. - Fifty years ago, on April 22, 1970 NASA/AFP via Getty Images Members of the Asian Citizen's Center for Environment and Health, wearing masks depicting the COVID-19 coronavirus, perform during an Earth Day event against climate change at Gwanghwamun square in Seoul AFP via Getty Images The Northern Lights, the Milky Way and Lyrid meteors falling through the sky at the Bathing House near Howick, Northumberland, as the Lyrid meteor shower reached its peak PA Environmental activist Greta Thunberg talks via video link with Professor of Environmental Science Johan Rockstrom in Germany, during a live chat on International Earth Day where they discussed the coronavirus pandemic and the environment, at the Nobel Museum in Stockholm, Sweden AP An empty freeway intersection is seen two days before Earth Day Reuters Environmentalists read an oath for 'climate action' during an event to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day against climate change in Seoul AFP via Getty Images A man places his hand on the parched soil in the Greater Upper Nile region of north-eastern South Sudan, Africa. The world must "show the same determination and unity" against the accelerating problem of climate change as against coronavirus, UN experts have urged. PA A boy plays in dirty water surrounded by plastic waste in Jakarta AFP via Getty Images Members of the Asian Citizen's Center for Environment and Health perform during an Earth Day event against climate change at Gwanghwamun square in Seoul AFP via Getty Images View of pollution foam on the Santiago river, considered by the UN as the "most polluted river in Mexico", in Juanacatlan, Jalisco state, Mexico AFP via Getty Images Staff members of the the Gujarat Science City wearing facemasks stand in front of a planet earth model on the eve of World Earth Day at Gujarat Science City during Indian government-imposed nationwide lockdown as a preventive measure against the COVID-19 coronavirus, on the outskirts of Ahmedabad AFP via Getty Images An activist performs on the roof during an action connected with the Earth Day in Wroclaw, Poland via Reuters A farmer burns wheat waste stubble in a field on Earth Day, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues, on the outskirts of Ahmedabad, India Reuters A message in Chinese reads Earth Day 50th Anniversary on the Taipei 101, a 508-meter high commercial building, in Taipei AFP via Getty Images Environmental activists hold banners as Greenpeace has called on Poland's conservative government to focus on its citizens' wellbeing and the environment rather than on the GDP growth as the coal-reliant economy looks to unfreeze after the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) lockdown in front of the Polish Prime Minister Chancellery in Warsaw, Poland Reuters Ricardo Souza, 23, works at a seed nursery for a reforestation project in Itapua do Oeste, Brazil, Reuters A man rows a makeshift raft in the Yamuna river on the Earth Day, during a lockdown to slow spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in New Delhi, India Reuters A man walks through a garbage dump on Earth Day, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues, on the outskirts of Ahmedabad, India Reuters A man carries a thermocol box on his shoulders while walking amidst water hyacinths in the Yamuna river on Earth Day, during a lockdown to slow spreading of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in New Delhi, India, Reuters Birds fly as smoke billows from a burning garbage dump on Earth Day, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues, on the outskirts of Ahmedabad, India, Reuters As such, stimulus packages aimed at rebooting economies ravaged by the Covid-19 pandemic should only be deployed if they offer incentives for more sustainable and nature positive activities, the experts suggested. "It may be politically expedient at this time to relax environmental standards and to prop up industries such as intensive agriculture, long-distance transportation such as the airlines, and fossil-fuel-dependent energy sectors, but doing so without requiring urgent and fundamental change, essentially subsidizes the emergence of future pandemics," they said. New Delhi, April 27 : Two days after the North Delhi Municipal Corporation temporarily shut down its biggest hospital, Hindu Rao, at Malka Ganj after one of its nurses tested COVID-19 positive, the hospital resumed its emergency services on Monday, bringing much needed relief to the patients. "Emergency services were resumed after we have traced every person who came in contact with the nurse. We have also sanitised the hospital compound," a senior official in North DMC said. "The hospital is closed for entry and exit to ensure that no identified contacts are left. We do not want any new patients to come till everything is fully sanitized," North DMC Commissioner Varsha Joshi said. She said the nurse's contacts have been identified and are being tested. They will be kept in isolation ward. "Other contacts who were not in the hospital will also be screened and quarantined separately," Joshi added. A farmer in China has got the fright of his life after finding a spider with a lump that looks like a stamp on its abdomen. The 'unbelievable' arachnid is a Chinese hourglass spider and extremely rare, according to an expert. These spiders, a type of trapdoor spider, use their protruding bellies to protect themselves against their enemies and all of them bear 'mysterious' markings, the expert adds. The Chinese hourglass spider (above) was caught by a farmer, named Ai Xianhong, in the township of Caoba in the south-western city of Ya'an on April 20, according to scientist Zhao Li These spiders, a type of trapdoor spider, use their protruding bellies to protect themselves against their enemies and all of them bear 'mysterious' markings, the expert adds The Chinese hourglass spider is one of the earliest spiders to have been documented in China Different from other spiders, Chinese hourglass spiders don't spin webs. Instead, they live in underground nests which they make using their silk threads and mud, scientist Zhao Li explains. They feed on bugs that pass their burrows. Whenever there is danger, they would protect themselves by blocking the entrance of their nest using their 'stamp'. Formally known as Cyclocosmia ricketti, it is one of the earliest spiders to have been documented in China and has been sighted for just eight times in the country since 2000, Zhao says. This particular Chinese hourglass spider was caught by a farmer, named Ai Xianhong, in the township of Caoba in the south-western city of Ya'an. Ai was working in his field when he found the extraordinary creature on April 20. Stunned by its terrifying appearance, Ai contacted Zhao who is the director of the Insect Museum of West China in Chengdu. The spiders protect themselves by blocking the entrance of their nest using their 'stamp' Different from other spiders, Chinese hourglass spiders (right) don't spin webs. Instead, they live in underground nests which they make using their silk threads and mud. Zhao holds a specimen of the spiders' nest (left), which is exhibited in the Insect Museum of West China Zhao told MailOnline: 'This type of spider has "incredible" looks and habits. It rests in the day and comes out at night. It does not weave webs in the air but digs holes under the ground. 'It uses a "shield" bearing a mysterious pattern as a way of defence.' The senior biological engineer added: 'It is different from all other types of spiders we see in our daily lives and surpasses all our understanding of spiders.' Farmer Ai has released the spider back to nature after catching it in his field on April 20 Zhao says the spider fits the descriptions of a type of arachnid mentioned in an ancient book called Er Ya. Published between the fifth century and the second century BC, Er Ya is said to be the oldest surviving Chinese dictionary, dating back as far as the fifth century BC. In contemporary times, the earliest mention of the Chinese hourglass spider can be traced back to Thailand in 1901. It reappeared in China in Ya'an in 2000, and this is the first time such a spider has been spotted again in the city since then. Farmer Ai has released the spider back to nature. Britain faces a shortfall in seasonal agricultural labour. (Dan Kitwood/Getty Images) The UK government will step up its campaign to recruit furloughed workers into agriculture, with ministers warning the coronavirus has sparked serious shortages in migrant labour just as demand has soared. The number of seasonal migrant farm workers in Britain stands at around a third of its typical level at this time of year, according to environment secretary George Eustice on Sunday. UK farms are heavily reliant on both permanent and seasonal workers, mainly from Europe, to pick fruit and vegetables, with migrants filling around 60% of horticultural jobs. Around 70,000 seasonal staff are needed a year. The sector faced recruitment problems before COVID-19 hit, with Brexit and sterlings decline discouraging workers from the EU. Now many would-be migrants are either unwilling or unable to move for such jobs because of the virus and restrictions on travel, despite UK and EU efforts to facilitate seasonal workers movement. READ MORE: UK faced perfect storm picking fruit and veg even before COVID-19 hit With almost four million UK workers absent from their workplaces on furlough and unemployment soaring as Britains economy has ground to a halt, the industry hopes many will help fill the agricultural gap. Furloughed staff cannot work for their employers, but can take up temporary work elsewhere. We are working with industry to identify an approach that will encourage those millions of furloughed workers in some cases to consider taking a second job, helping get the harvest in in June, Eustice said in the Downing Street coronavirus briefing on Sunday. Its not an issue at the moment since the harvest has barely begun, but we do anticipate that there will be a need to recruit staff for those sectors in the month of June. The government has already co-launched a Pick for Britain recruitment site alongside industry, warning the sector is struggling to cope with increased demand for fresh fruit and vegetables. READ MORE: Prezzo gives 3,000 furloughed workers cash early as they away grants Story continues Some in the farming industry are sceptical about the recruitment drive however, warning some British applicants have not turned up to interviews or shifts. Ali Capper, an apple farmer and chair of the National Farmers Union (NFU)s horticulture board, told Yahoo Finance UK before the current crisis that she tried to recruit locals every year. One of recruitment drives took in every college within 30 miles of her farm, but yielded only 15 new recruits and just three turned up to work. Watch the latest videos from Yahoo UK As we work to free ourselves from the grip of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Miami community has my sincerest gratitude for its extraordinary commitment to public safety against the backdrop of this global crisis. Even as many businesses have closed their doors and thousands of residents have lost their jobs, Miamians remain committed to keeping one another safe. There were no murders in the city of Miami from Feb. 17 until April 12. This was the longest our city had gone without a homicide since 1957, when Miamis population was 60 percent smaller. The total number of homicides this year to date in Miami is also lower compared to 2018 and 2019, both of which were already historically low years for murders and other violent crime. Not all large cities across the country are experiencing similar declines in violence amid the pandemic, and some are even seeing increases in homicides and shootings. While the variables influencing crime rates are complex, and it is impossible to point to a definitive cause for the consistent decline in violence we have seen in our community over the past two years, I think our success has been largely because of three key factors: innovations in our workforce; enhanced cooperation with strategic partners; and increased engagement between the Miami Police Department and the public it serves. Since 2018, MPD has made major investments in technology and personnel to improve the efficiency with which it addresses crime. We used public-private partnerships to expand Real Time Crime Center resources into neighborhoods that want enhanced coverage while minimizing impacts to local taxpayers. Our new Crime Gun Intelligence Center has reduced our turnaround time to link shooting incidents from several months to under 48 hours, revolutionizing our ability to rapidly investigate gun crime. We have used federal grant funding to modernize our Crime Analysis Unit and focus on a data-driven approach to crime. We have pivoted from a police culture that encouraged indiscriminate arrests to one which is laser-focused on the relatively small number of people who cause real harm to our community. To that end, we increased the number of Problem-Solving Team officers in higher-crime areas and expanded our Gang Unit to work seven days a week. We have also implemented a civil-citation program to give individuals who have committed minor offenses a pathway to accountability outside of the traditional criminal-justice system. This has freed up internal resources to focus on violent crime. Story continues None of these new initiatives would succeed, however, if we did not have highly committed, responsible and professional officers making up our ranks. To illustrate that commitment, sick callouts in our patrol force have actually decreased since the beginning of the pandemic crisis. I am humbled by the continued courage our officers show in the face of this unprecedented threat. The energy in our workforce is reflected in the enthusiasm with which new recruits are drawn to MPD. While the department was in a staffing crisis just a few years ago, staffing levels today are at historic highs. Many major city police departments struggle to get people to fill vacant police positions while we consistently reach target application numbers within hours of opening our recruitment drives. We have also aligned crime-reduction efforts with strategic partners in the law-enforcement and justice communities to achieve shared goals. We work with neighboring jurisdictions to coordinate new initiatives and ensure that we do not develop intelligence silos. We have redoubled our engagement with prosecutors in both the Miami-Dade State Attorneys Office and the U.S. Attorneys Office to present cases at trial and bring about the most just outcome possible for victims of crime. Thanks to the collaborative opportunities created by initiatives like the National Public Safety Partnership and Project Safe Neighborhoods, MDPs relationship with federal partners has never been stronger. We have particularly benefited from our collaboration with the ATF, which has loaned us ballistics experts and given our personnel advanced training in tracking gun-crime cases. Most of all, however, I believe the consistent decline we have seen in violent crime over the past two years has been because of our communitys commitment to safety. At some point, residents decided that they did not want to live in neighborhoods plagued by violent crime. Rather than move away, they made the radical choice to make those neighborhoods safer. They chose to communicate their safety needs to their police department and to hold that department accountable for meeting those needs. They chose to stop wringing their hands in frustration and start ringing their local commanders ears with concerns. Most important, they chose to stop accepting violence as a given in their community. It seems like they made the right choice. Our residents and businesses may be keeping their doors closed, but their eyes are open. As the Miami Police Departments chief of police, I am deeply grateful for the communitys continued vigilance and commitment to public safety, especially as we navigate through these trying times. By continuing to work together, I am convinced that we can make Miami the safest city in America. Jorge Colina is chief of police of the city of Miami Police Department. Chief electoral officer Virginia McVea said more phone lines should have been used (Rui Vieira/PA) More phone lines should have been used ahead of the general election in Northern Ireland, the chief electoral officer said. The Electoral Office received an unprecedented 13,775 applications to vote on the deadline for registration last November. It has faced criticism in some quarters over how the election was conducted amid claims people had been denied a vote in the December 12 poll. The first phase of this is complete and the only systemic issues emerging were that more phone lines would help and a request to make the Register easier to read Virginia McVea Chief electoral officer Virginia McVea said: The most telling piece of data perhaps of all is that 46% of all those applications for the parliamentary election were received in the last six days. This compares to 15% of all applications in the last six days of the local election which totalled 7,199 compared to over 40,000. This huge rush at the end was unprecedented for Northern Ireland. After every election she said the organisation reviewed all polling station logs to learn lessons. Ms McVea said: The first phase of this is complete and the only systemic issues emerging were that more phone lines would help and a request to make the Register easier to read. Expand Close After every election Virginia McVea said the organisation reviewed all polling station logs to learn lessons (Liam McBurney/PA) PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp After every election Virginia McVea said the organisation reviewed all polling station logs to learn lessons (Liam McBurney/PA) The office received under 200 complaints, fewer than at previous elections. This is for an eligible electorate of around 1.3 million. The Electoral Office has been waiting to set up a new telephone system for some time. Ms McVea said: The number of unplanned elections in the last three years interrupted this work but now that we believe we have a period between elections which will enable us to do the work on the phone system we are currently awaiting contractors who will as part of their work put more lines in to the office. During one day in the lead up to the election BT phone lines were down in part of Belfast. This was an issue with BT and not the Electoral Office Northern Ireland. We followed best advice during those hours which involved using mobile devices. She issued a report on alleged administrative irregularities to the Northern Ireland Office. Deaths keep falling in N.Y. and N.J. as reopening plans take shape. Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said on Monday that 337 more people had died of the virus in New York State, and Gov. Philip D. Murphy of New Jersey reported an additional 106 deaths. The one-day tolls were less than half of what the two states reported at their peaks. With both states showing progress in fighting the virus, Mr. Cuomo and Mr. Murphy have begun to offer details on reopening in the months ahead. On Sunday, Mr. Cuomo said that after May 15, when his order shutting down New York is set to expire, businesses in what he called low-risk industries like construction and manufacturing might begin to reopen in parts of the state that have been less affected. The shutdown order will be extended beyond May 15 in many parts of the state, Mr. Cuomo said on Monday. (Newser) Margaret "Peggy" Beck was serving as a counselor for the first time at a Girl Scout camp in Colorado on the night of Aug. 18, 1963, when her tent mate got sick and went to the infirmary for the rest of the evening. So Beck, 16, was alone in the tent when someone else entered itand then raped and killed her. When she didn't show up at breakfast the next morning, her tent mate ultimately found her dead in the tent. For 57 years, the murder has remained unsolved. But thanks to DNA evidence that was preserved from the crime scene, officials announced last week that a suspect has been identified, KDVR reports. But so far the sheriff's office has had no luck tracking down James Raymond Taylor, who would be 80 by nowif he's still alive. story continues below "Nothing would give us greater pleasure than to actually put the handcuffs on" Taylor, the Jefferson County sheriff says, but after months of fruitless searching, it's not clear whether he's already dead. "We have no ideas where hes at," an investigator says, per CBS Denver. He was last seen in 1976 near Las Vegas. As for the DNA evidence, it was used to connect detectives with relatives of Taylor. A former Denver DA says, "Nowhere in the world have they solved a case this old with genetic genealogy," but that has not been confirmed. "Peggy was a beautiful young girl who loved life," her family says in a statement cited by 9 News. "She was loving and protective of her family and we will cherish the memories we have of her forever." (Read more cold cases stories.) Karl Stefanovic has hit back at his rivals at Sunrise after they accused him of copying a segment to help small business owners during the COVID-19 crisis. The Today host announced his 'Karl's Classifieds' initiative last month, the week after Sunrise weatherman Sam Mac launched what he called 'Plugapalooza'. Both segments were designed to promote small businesses hit by coronavirus by offering them a platform to advertise their goods and services for free. Sam took a swipe at Karl's Classifieds on March 26 when he began another Sunrise campaign called Healthcare Heroes to recognise medical professionals' hard work during the pandemic. Today host Karl Stefanovic (pictured with co-host Allison Langdon) has hit back at his rivals at Sunrise after they accused him of copying a segment to help small business owners during the COVID-19 crisis 'We did Plugapalooza last week, Healthcare Heroes this week. You can see it next week on the Today show as well!': Sunrise weatherman Sam Mac took a swipe at Today show host Karl Stefanovic for 'copying' his coronavirus campaign' During a live cross, the Gold Logie-nominated presenter read aloud supportive messages for medical staff submitted by grateful members of the public. He then told hosts David Koch and Natalie Barr: 'We did Plugapalooza last week, Healthcare Heroes this week. You can see it next week on the Today show as well!' David and Natalie burst into laughter back in Channel Seven's Sunrise studio. 'That did surprise us... Anyhow. Imitation is the greatest form of flattery,' David said before moving on to another news story. Karl said he had been unaware of Plugapalooza before launching Karl's Classifieds and had not heard of the segment until told about Sam and David's comments by Daily Mail Australia. 'I don't know anything about it,' Karl said of Plugapalooza. 'That's the first time I've heard of it. 'What I'd say is people can be competitive if they want to be in times like this. 'But at the end of the day I think we should all be doing what we can, if it's Sam Mac's idea or if it's Sarah Harris's idea on Channel 10 or Mel Doyle's idea on Channel 7. 'I'm not doing it for notoriety. I'm doing it to try and help people - that's where it comes from.' The Gold Logie winner said Karl's Classifieds, which he continued to promote via Facebook and Instagram, had been a successful and satisfying project. 'The response has been incredible,' the 45-year-old said. 'It's a huge worry this virus to small businesses. Karl Stefanovic (left, with co-host Allison Langdon) launched his Karl's Classifieds initiative to promote businesses doing it tough amid coronavirus shutdowns and social-distancing measures Is that really necessary? Sunrise hosts Natalie Barr (left) and David Koch (right) chuckled as Sam joked that his latest campaign would be appearing on Today the following week 'I think there are five million small businesses around Australia and they don't have the attention and the money that a lot of other businesses have and they're right in the firing line with this COVID-19. 'So whatever I can do to try and help give them a little bit I will. I think it's time for people like me with profile to try and do whatever we can to help people through this. 'The next couple of months are going to be difficult but I think if we can be there it's what we need to be doing. 'I see it as a job. Obviously I've got a job with Channel Nine but it's more than that. This is a responsibility to the Australian people. 'I have a profile, so I should do something with it and I implore every person in the country who's got a profile to do the same to help in whatever capacity you can.' WASHINGTON An American military airstrike in Somalia more than a year ago killed two civilians and injured three others, U.S. Africa Command acknowledged in a new report on Monday. The deaths, confirmed by an internal investigation, mark only the second time Africa Command has determined that civilians were killed in a military strike in Somalia. The decision comes even as U.S. airstrikes against the al-Qaida linked al-Shabab extremist group this year are increasingly outpacing 2019 totals. Already there have been 39 airstrikes in 2020, compared to last years total of 63. Maj. Gen. William Gayler, director of operations for Africa Command, told The Associated Press in an interview that the strike on Feb. 23, 2019, in Kunyon Barrow, targeted and killed two members of al-Shabab. When online allegations of civilian casualties in that strike were received soon afterward, the command investigated, but the review dragged on for more than a year. After another similar allegation about that strike came in early this year from a non-governmental organization, the military continued its assessment, and it finally determined that at least one other person was killed or injured. Gayler said the command could see video showing a person an apparent civilian being carried from the site. We didnt see the other individual or the wounded individuals. But because were trying to be transparent and as open as we can, when we know that weve more likely than not killed the one male, why would we dispute the other killed and three wounded, he said. So, officials decided to substantiate the allegations in total. He said the deaths and injuries were likely due to secondary explosions from munitions stored at the site by al-Shabab. The extremist group controls parts of central and southern Somalia and often targets the capital, Mogadishu, with suicide bombings. Asked why the investigation took so long, Gayler said it was an effort to be thorough and some of the means we use to assess dont normally happen quickly. He did not provide details but noted information is gathered through classified means. He added, however, that theres no reason it should take that long. And he said Gen. Stephen Townsend, head of Africa Command, is adamant that investigations must be wrapped up more quickly in the future. Townsend also ordered quarterly reports on civilian casualty allegations, much like U.S. Central Command does for Middle East military operations. While we follow very precise and rigorous standards, in instances where we fail to meet our expectations, we will admit the mistake, Townsend said. We have the highest respect for our Somali friends, and we are deeply sorry this occurred. Africa Commands first civilian casualty report, released Monday, covers the time period from February 1, 2019, to March 31, 2020. According to a copy reviewed early by the AP, there were 91 airstrikes in Somalia and Libya during that time. The command has completed reviews of 20 alleged incidents of civilian casualties during that time and substantiated only the February 2019 one. In many of the claims the command found that the U.S. military had conducted no airstrikes on the day in question. In other cases, it determined that those killed or injured were only al-Shabab targets. Gayler also said that al-Shabab and its backers often make false claims on social media sites. And, like many militant groups, al-Shabab also often blends in with local citizens, using civilians as shields or including members that also masquerade as regular business people. Civilian deaths, however, have been a persistent problem for the military in war zones around the world. And watchdog organizations routinely complain that the U.S. and other militaries dont acknowledge civilian deaths as quickly or completely as needed. The Eastern Africa deputy director for Amnesty International, Seif Magango, called the report a welcome glimmer of transparency after more than a decade of military operations. Now there must be accountability and reparation for the victims and their families, he said. In a report early this month, Amnesty International said two airstrikes in Somalia in February killed two civilians and injured three others. The group said that one airstrike, on Feb. 2, struck a home in the Middle Juba region, killing an 18-year-old woman and wounding her two sisters and her grandmother. The second strike, on Feb. 24 near Jilib, killed a farmer who also worked for Hormuud Telecom, Somalias largest telecom company. Gayer said those two are among seven other cases still being investigated. The only other substantiated instance of civilian casualties in Somalia was acknowledged by the command last year and occurred on April 1, 2018. In that case, two civilians were mistakenly killed by a strike near El Buur. The growing threat in Africa from terrorist networks is significant and impacts not only Africans but also the U.S. and our international allies, said Townsend, adding that the strikes follow a strict, disciplined and precise process. There are between 6,000 and 7,000 U.S. forces on the continent at any time, including about 4,000 who are at the U.S. base in Djibouti. Other forces train and advise local forces and conduct counterterrorism missions against militants, such as al-Shabab in Somalia and other al-Qaida-linked groups and Islamic State affiliates in west and north Africa. , . - ... The Negelah quarantine hospital announced on Monday it is still operating normally, denying reports suggesting that the hospital has been isolated or that there is a coronavirus outbreak among the medical team following the death of two staff members this week. The hospital continues to operate as a quarantine hospital," Deputy Manager of the Negelah hospital Mohamed Taleb told Ahram Online on Monday. We will also receive a kidney patient from Alamein city for dialysis, as there is no single case detected in our kidney unit. A senior nurse at the hospital, Sayed Mohamed El-Mohsenawy, 47, died on Monday from coronavirus complications. Taleb told Ahram Online that El-Mohsenawy had diabetes which made him prone to coronavirus complications. He praised El-Mohsenawy, saying he insisted on being on the front lines of the coronavirus battle since day one. Taleb explained that the late nurse contracted the virus after being in contact with a positive case. He asserted that infections among the hospital's team were the result of human error while treating positive cases. On Saturday, the hospital announced the death of one of its workers, inventory keeper Nagi Saleh El-Garary, 51, who according to Taleb suffered from high blood pressure before contracting the virus. Only a few members of our team have contracted the virus, and that is normal when dealing with a highly infectious disease like coronavirus, Taleb added. Many infected team members have recovered and will be returning to work shortly, he added. Taleb refused to disclose the number of positive cases in the hospital or among the team saying that he is not authorised to do so. He stressed that the numbers circulating in the media are only speculations. The Negelah hospital in the Mediterranean governorate of Marsa Matrouh was the first hospital appropriated for isolating coronavirus cases in Egypt. The hospital was used for quarantining Egyptians repatriated from the Chinese city of Wuhan, the epicentre of the coronavirus, in early February. Egypts first confirmed coronavirus case, a chinese national, was also admitted to the Negelah hospital in February and later recovered and was discharged. On Monday, Egypt's health ministry reported 248 new coronavirus cases, a new daily record since the initial discovery of the virus in the country in mid-February, bringing the total number of infections to 4,782 nationwide. Mondays number was 16 cases higher than the previous highest single-day rise reported on Friday. Twenty fatalities were also recorded on Monday, which is also the highest single-day coronavirus death toll, bringing the total number of coronavirus fatalities in the country to 337. Search Keywords: Short link: A young woman holds a globe aloft at a rally at Pershing Square during last fall's Global Climate Strike. College students on a coronavirus fall break could turn climate activism to getting out the vote of 18-to-29-year-olds in November. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) On the theory that no crisis should go unused, let me make a not-so-modest proposal to all the college students out there who are about to be told that their campuses will be shut down for the fall semester. Your classes are either going to be canceled, or your professors will switch to online courses in lieu of the face-to-face learning environment. If offered the latter option, let me suggest that you reject it and take a leave of absence. Online courses, in my opinion and as you probably learned this spring, are wholly inadequate replacements for the on-campus experience. Paying full tuition for less learning is a bad bargain. So what do you do instead? I propose that you connect with as many local and far-flung friends as humanly possible, using the hashtag UsNow. There are maybe 20 million students in U.S. colleges and universities. If only a fraction of you opted to take a coronavirus fall break, you could rival the number of students worldwide who participated in the Global Climate Strike last September. Your goal would be to re-create a domestic version of that movement, this time linked to the pandemic-safe mobilization of your generation to produce a record turnout in the November election. Historically, the youngest voters in presidential elections have the lowest turnout rate. Unless something happens to change that pattern, even though you have the most at stake, your generation will have only a small impact on the most consequential election in modern American history. For the sake of the climate and more, we need a tsunami in November that raises the 18-to-29-year-old vote to at least 60%, and you and your cohort possess the power and knowledge to reach that goal. This is not a sentimental fantasy in the If you build it, they will come" genre. We know that there is a nearly unanimous consensus in your age group that climate change is an existential threat to the survival of civilization. (SARS-CoV-2 is to global warming as beanbag is to nuclear war.) We also know that there is a clock running. If we dont begin to make the major changes necessary to reduce carbon in the atmosphere during this decade, all future efforts are likely to prove futile. This is the time of your times. Story continues Based on my experience teaching undergraduates for more than 40 years, there is latent energy lurking in your souls, searching for an outlet larger than yourselves. Im convinced you are carrying a benevolent, highly contagious activism virus that, once released in the current political atmosphere, will spread faster and further than we have seen since the civil rights movement. There are at least a thousand Greta Thunbergs out there waiting to emerge. Guys are invited to join. Fifty years from now, when youre my age, you will be able to look back and say that the most educational experience of your college years was the semester you took a leave of absence and helped to make American history. By then, historians will be teaching seminars on your movement, whatever you decide to call it. And Mar-a-Lago will be underwater. Joseph J. Ellis, emeritus professor of history at Mt. Holyoke College, is a Pulitzer Prize-winning American historian. He also taught at West Point, Williams College and the Honors College at the University of Massachusetts. His latest book is American Dialogue: The Founders and Us. An Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT) has expressed its concern that doctors, vegetable vendors and shopkeepers, who come in contact with a number of people each day, have been infected with the coronavirus in Maharashtra's Pune, a senior official said on Monday. The team, headed by an additional secretary-rank officer and comprising experts from the healthcare and disaster management verticals, has also found that the doubling rate of COVID-19 in Pune, the second-largest city in Maharasthra after state capital Mumbai, is higher than the country's average and social-distancing norms are not being followed properly in slums, markets and other places in the city. Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) Punya Salila Srivastava told reporters that the IMCT, dispatched to assess the ground situation of the pandemic in the metropolis, has suggested that high-risk people should be identified quickly and surveillance, testing and contact-tracing should be increased. In Pune, the team visited the containment zones of Pimpri-Chinchwad, Kharadwadi and Baramati, apart from shelter camps for migrant labourers, vegetable markets, PDS shops, the municipal corporation control room and hospitals, she said. It found out that in Pune, the COVID-19 doubling rate is seven days, which is slightly higher compared to the rest of the country, Srivastava said. While the country's average is one positive case of coronavirus among 23 samples, in Pune, it is one positive case in nine samples, she added. In slums, markets and other places, where social-distancing norms are not being followed properly, protocols need to be enforced strictly, Srivastava said, citing the IMCT recommendations. Rather than home quarantine, institutional quarantine is essential in slums, she said. Doctors, paramedics, police personnel, vegetable vendors and other essential services-providing shopkeepers have been found to be COVID-19 positive in Pune and it is a matter of concern as they come in contact with many people every day, Srivastava said. The central team suggested that it should be ensured that protocols are followed strictly by these people on the ground so that they do not contract the virus or become its carriers in the course of their duty. Srivastava said the team also held a video-conference with the chief minister and other senior officials of Maharashtra. She also briefed the press about another IMCT's visit to Rajasthan's capital city Jaipur. The team went to hospitals, quarantine centres, containment zones and relief camps for labourers, she said. The team met the chief secretary of Rajasthan and other officials, and suggested that strict steps should be taken so that the lockdown is not violated in the walled city during the evening hours. The team suggested that ration and other supplies should be more systematic, quarantine camps should be taken away from residential areas and asked state government authorities to increase the speed of test results. It also suggested that non-COVID-19 hospitals be identified so that people can get other healthcare facilities, Srivastava said. "The IMCTs found out that the local administration in both the districts (Pune and Jaipur) is working with dedication and with these suggestions, they will be able to better the situation," she added. Srivastava said the IMCTs were constituted by the MHA under the Disaster Management Act and the aim is to share their expertise so that the Centre and the states can jointly make successful efforts to combat the coronavirus. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) SINGAPORE - Media OutReach - 27 April 2020 - Ireland headquartered IT company, Arkphire, has today announced its acquisition of Generic Technologies, a leading Singapore based IT Solutions and Services company. This is a landmark acquisition for Arkphire following the opening of its regional office in 2019 and will support the Group's expansion in the Asia Pacific market. Generic Technologies is a specialist Apple Authorised Reseller and an Adobe Gold partner with annual turnover of $9 million (Singapore dollars). The company supports a growing network of partners and customers across South East Asia. With the combined resources of both companies, Arkphire can scale their unique service delivery model to meet the needs of the Singapore and Asia Pacific markets with a stronger and more comprehensive IT solution offering to existing and new clients. Commenting on the latest acquisition, Chris Ambler, Head of Arkphire's Asia Pacific business said, "We're very excited about how we can further support our clients with the expansion of our business in Singapore. Generic Technologies business is a natural fit for our ambition in the Asia Pacific region. This latest development will allow us to better support the global requirements of our customers and will enable us to leverage Generic's existing customer and partner relationships." He added "The current global pandemic has regrettably created unprecedented business disruption and challenges for all of us. Arkphire is working hard to play our part in supporting our customers in this difficult time by using our expertise to provide secure and effective technology solutions and services to enable and empower their workforces to work remotely as required." Generic Technologies was founded in 1992 on the back of growing demand from businesses requiring Apple and Adobe technology and support services. The business has an established base of customers covering a number of multinational firms, businesses in the digital and creative sector and local SMEs. Story continues About Arkphire Arkphire is a leading IT product procurement and IT services company, serving customers internationally across more than 90 countries. Arkphire provides integrated technology solutions that span desktops, networking, cyber security, cloud and data centre, enabling the digital workspace and supporting businesses on their digital transformation journey. Following its acquisition of Trilogy Technologies in 2020, Arkphire is now positioned as the largest and fastest growing Irish headquartered IT procurement and IT managed services business. Arkphire Group has an unrivalled network of partnership accreditations with leading global IT vendors and is a Check Point 3-Star, Cisco Gold, Citrix Platinum, Dell Technologies Titanium, HP Platinum, IBM Gold, Lenovo Platinum and Microsoft Gold Partner. Arkphire is also the only Apple Authorised Enterprise Reseller (AAER) in Ireland. Arkphire group employs over 240 people and generates revenues of over 150m. Web: www.arkphire.com NEWTOWN A Stamford man was arrested over the weekend and charged in connection with a 2018 home invasion on Meadow Brook Road. Logan Buckner was arrested on an outstanding warrant for home invasion, first-degree robbery, sixth-degree larceny and conspiracy to commit home invasion charges following a Saturday night traffic stop in Danbury. Danbury police pulled the 21-year-old over at the intersection of Beaver and Spring streets for a stop sign violation and discovered he had an outstanding arrest warrant out of Newtown. The warrant stemmed from a years-long Newtown police investigation into a complaint of an armed robbery at a Meadow Brook Road residence back in October 2018. This was a very extensive years-long investigation on what would be best described as a planned robbery, drug deal gone bad, said Lt. Aaron Bahamonde. Police said the robbery victim was struck in the head with the butt of a gun but was not seriously injured. This investigation involved multiple search warrants of phone records and other physical evidence records, Bahamonde said. Buckner was one of three suspects and warrants were obtained for all of their arrests. One of the suspects was a juvenile, and the other suspect who has yet to be charged is being held in a New York correctional facility on drug and gun-related charges, according to police. Buckner was taken into Newtown police custody early Sunday morning and held on $250,000 bond. His arraignment was scheduled for Monday at state Superior Court in Waterbury. Last April, Buckner was arrested by Connecticut State Police and charged with first-degree larceny, third-degree larceny and conspiracy for a 2018 incident on Ball Pond Road in New Fairfield. Start-up leaders are warning that the Scottish tech sector faces a serious threat from the pandemic (Dominic Lipinski/PA) Start-up leaders are calling for more support for the tech industry as they warn many companies are under immediate existential threat due to the coronavirus pandemic. A survey of more than 100 technology start-up founders and senior executives in Scotland found that more than nine in 10 (95%) said the pandemic had already had a negative impact on their businesses. More than half (53%) said they were experiencing a significant or severe impact. Asked what measures they would need to take due to the impact of the virus, 38% said furloughing staff, half (50%) said freezing or scaling back hiring, while one in five (21%) said redundancies. Tech start-ups can play a key role in rebuilding Scotland's economy after this pandemic passes, but unless there is immediate intervention from the Scottish Government, many start-ups will not survive Brian Corcoran, Turing Fest More than half (52%) of those questioned in the Turing Fest survey said the Scottish Government is currently doing too little to support entrepreneurs. Alongside the survey results, in an open letter to the Scottish Government, more than 50 Scottish start-up chief executives and founders said that the current interventions, from both the Scottish and UK governments, will not adequately address the unique needs of high-growth Scottish tech companies. In the letter they called on the Scottish Government to act now to protect Scotlands entrepreneurial future so we do not lose a generation of high-growth start-ups to Covid-19. Brian Corcoran, chief executive of Turing Fest, said: Tech start-ups can play a key role in rebuilding Scotlands economy after this pandemic passes, but unless there is immediate intervention from the Scottish Government, many start-ups will not survive and the ecosystem that the Government, and others, have worked so hard to cultivate could be decimated. In the letter they warn that many of Scotlands tech companies and the thousands of high value jobs they provide are under immediate existential threat due to the economic shock from the pandemic. Asked what kind of support the tech sector needs, survey respondents called for more direct financial support. Almost eight in 10 (79%) said they wanted to see the government offer bridge grants to help businesses maintain their operations, 67% called for expanded research and development/innovation grants, and 59% identified employee wage subsidies as a key support mechanism. Turing Fest said Scotlands digital economy businesses employ almost 100,000 people and contribute 6.6 billion to the economy. The survey questioned 106 founders and executives of start-up and scale-up technology businesses based in Scotland, with survey results collected between April 13 and 22 2020. Chancellor Rishi Sunak last week announced businesses driving innovation and development will be helped through the coronavirus outbreak with a 1.25 billion UK Government support package. A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: We recognise the importance of the tech sector to Scotlands economic growth and future recovery and are engaging with the sector and our enterprise agencies to establish what specific challenges the sector is facing and the actions we may take to assist the sector through the current crisis. We are determined to help keep companies in business and have offered a package of support worth 2.3 billion. A part of this is 45 million targeting pivotal enterprises. By Jung Min-ho Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun has urged Jeju officials to stay alert for a possible new wave of coronavirus infections during the upcoming holiday weekend. "I have been told that plane and train tickets to major tourist attractions were almost sold out. I urge all officials on Jeju and Gangwon provinces to stay alert," Chung said at Monday's meeting in the Seoul government complex. "The outcome would be seen as a litmus test of whether our society can handle this health crisis while maintaining normal activities of daily living." Despite Jeju Governor Won Hee-ryong's call for people to refrain from visiting the island, more than 170,000 visitors are expected to spend time there during the holiday from late April to early May, including Buddha's Birthday (Apr. 30), May Day (May 1), Children's Day (May 5) and a weekend in between. With the number of daily new cases hovering around 10 and social distancing eased, many people opt to enjoy their holidays in famous tourist destinations such as Jeju. According to the Jeju Tourism Association, reservations at the Shilla Jeju and Lotte Hotel Jeju have increased by about 70 percent from a month earlier. Speaking to reporters on the same day, Jeju Mayor Go hui-beom implored tourists to follow social distancing rules and wear face masks. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a meeting with several chief ministers on Monday morning and nine of them will speak to him on issues from another extension of the lockdown to an exit plan and how it should be implemented. Chief ministers of all states are expected to be present at the meeting through video conferencing, the fourth between PM Modi and the CMs on the coronavirus pandemic since March 20, and nine of them will get to speak due to time constraints. These are chief ministers of Meghalaya, Mizoram, Puducherry, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Odisha, Bihar, Gujarat and Haryana. Also Watch | PM Modi discusses lockdown exit strategy with CMs: All the key details The Prime Minister had talked about limited time at an earlier meeting and urged the CMs to feel free to either write to him or call him and promised to take into consideration their views. The interaction between PM Modi and the chief ministers is expected to focus on the next move in Indias plan against the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) as well as a graded exit from the 40-day lockdown. Several states want restrictions under the national lockdown to be eased in regions that have not witnessed local outbreaks of Covid-19 amid demands for curbs to remain in place in hotspots. Union health minister Harsh Vardhan said on Sunday there were 300 disease-free districts in the country and another 297 districts did not have any hotspots or small areas having more than five cases. He said only 127 districts in the country have Covid-19 hotspots or red zones. In the last one week, there are 66 districts from where no case has been reported and 56 districts from where no case reported in the past 14 days, he said. The Union health minister said this indicated that the disease has been contained largely to hotspots. The states have said there should be a continued ban on mass gatherings; educational institutions must remain closed; interstate transport prohibited, except in cases of enabling the movement of migrant workers, and social distancing must be strictly observed. However, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal indicated that ending the lockdown will not be easy and a top medical expert advising the Delhi government arguing for the extension of the lockdown beyond May 3. Maharashtra health minister Rajesh Tope has also said the state will like to continue with the lockdown in containment zones in Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur and Thane the major hubs of the disease. The states are also expected to demand a financial package from the Centre, and an amendment to the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) Act. Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar has written to the Prime Minister, seeking a generous financial package for Maharashtra, the worst-hit state, and enhancing the borrowing limit under the FRBM Act. Another key issue expected to be discussed at the meeting is a clearer policy on migrant workers and the chief ministers of Rajasthan, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Bihar are expected to seek relaxation on interstate transport for allowing stranded labourers to return home. Hyderabad: Meat prices in Hyderabad are likely to soar with the city's civic authority barring imports from Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh as a precaution to stop the spread of coronavirus infections. According to Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) officials, Hyderabad gets much of its meat from sheep and goats sourced from Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. Since Covid-19 positive cases have increased alarmingly in those two neighbouring states, the Telangana state government has decided not to import them any more. On Sunday, the peak consumption day for mutton in Hyderabad, butchers ran out of stock by 11 am. The beginning of the month of Ramzan also sparks a spike in meat consumption in Hyderabad. Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) officials said prior to the lockdown, meat consumption was 10 metric tonnes on weekdays and 12-15 metric tonnes on weekends. Until Friday, slaughter of about 600 sheep and goats was sufficient to meet the city's needs but from Saturday demand has increased enormously. The end of the state's coronavirus lockdown on May 7 is likely to increase demand further. And since import of sheep for slaughter from Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh is banned, that demand is not likely to be met, and prices are likely to soar. A civic official said butchers have been warned not to hike prices. From the oversized collar shirt to the green neon seersucker dress, some Ganni products are such major hits they fly off the shelves within weeks. Those looking to get their hands on a Ganni blast from the past normally have to head to the brands archive store Ganni Postmodern in Copenhagen, which opened its doors back in 2015. But this week the Danish cool-girl label has taken its archives online with a five-day Ganni Postmodern pop-up. The archive sale, which goes live tomorrow, on Tuesday April 28 at 6am GMT, features 400 styles (many of them past season bestsellers) going way back to Autumn/Winter 17s Love Society collection, all discounted by up to 70 per cent. "Right now, were apart, but weve never been more connected. So many people ask us about the GANNI POSTMODERN store in Copenhagen. Its such a popular destination, people go there to treasure hunt. We wanted to finally give our worldwide community the chance to ac- cess our archive in support of a good cause, says Gannis creative director Ditte Reffstrup of the sale. Twenty per cent of profits from the sale will go to UN Womens solidarity funds which supports women whose lives are most impacted during COVID-19. Its been so nostalgic looking back through the archives, she continues. You can really go explore and find the one that got away!" Hospitals in New York have been quietly testing a heartburn drug as a treatment for coronavirus after doctors in China found that elderly survivors were taking it. Northwell Health had tested famotidine, sold in oral form under brand name Pepcid in the US and the UK, on 1,1174 patients - including 187 who were critically ill - as of Saturday as part of an American trial. Interim results from 391 patients should be available in 'a few weeks' Kevin Tracey, a former neurosurgeon in charge of Northwell's research told Science magazine. Interest in the drug amid the pandemic developed after doctors in Wuhan found that although one in five COVID-19 patients over the age of 80 were dying, of the survivors, many were taking pills for heartburn. Northwell Health had tested famotidine (sold in oral form under brand name Pepcid) on 187 critically ill patients out of an intended 1,174 as of Saturday as part of an American trial. Pictured in this file image, is Lenox Health Medical Pavilion part of Northwell Health system in New York on March 28 Doctors in Wuhan found that some elderly patients in China who were on famotidine (pictured) were surviving coronavirus They discovered that the poor elderly people had a higher survival rate. The poor patients used famotidine because it was cheaper than omeprazole. Famotidine is sold under the brand name Pepcid and omeprazole is sold as Prilosec. In a review of 6,212 medical records, with many patients on ventilators, the doctors in China found that only 14 percent of the elderly people using famotidine died while 27 percent of elderly people on omeprazole passed away. Scientists suspect that in COVID-19, famotidine binds to the papainlike protease, an enzyme which helps viruses replicate in the body and stops them replicating. US scientists have used the 3D structures of 2003's SARS coronavirus to predict the behavior of the new coronavirus, COVID-19. WHAT IS FAMOTIDINE? Famotidine is an antacid and antihistamine which blocks certain receptors that trigger the release of stomach acid. Its known as an H2 (histamine 2) blocker and is sold under the brand name Pecid or Pepcid AC. As well as treating heartburn caused by acid indigestion, it is also used to treat stomach ulcers and gastroesophageal reflux disease. Advertisement Testing 2,600 compounds on the new protease, they found several dozen that proved promising in how they interacted with the protease but pharmacists have narrowed it down to three, one of which is famotidine. After getting approval from the FDA, Northwell which runs 13 hospitals in New York used its own money to start a blind double trial. On April 14, the US Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), which operates under Kadlec, gave Florida-based Alchem Laboratories, a $20.7 million contract for the trial. The money is reported to cover most of Northwell's upfront cost. Doctors have only been able to gather enough patients to test on because many are undergoing trials of anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine. A group of patients on hydroxychloroquine and famotidine will be compared to those on just hydroxychloroquine as well as hundreds treated early on in the COVID-19 outbreak. 'Is it good science? No,' Northwell's Tracey told Science magazine. 'It's the real world.' David Tuveson, director of the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Cancer Center, recommended famotidine to his sister, who had coronavirus. The 44-year-old New York City hospitals engineer's lips wee blue with hypoxia but after taking her first megadose of famotidine her fever broke the following day and her oxygen saturation level returned to normal. Tuveson said five of her colleagues who had the new virus also recovered after taking over-the-counter versions of famotidine. Those over 80 with heartburn issues and that used the cheaper drug, Pepcid (left), had a higher survival rate than those using the expensive alternative, Prilosec (right). Pepcid contains famotidine and Prilosec contains omeprazole Scientists suspect that in COVID-19, famotidine binds to the papainlike protease which helps pathogens replicate in the body and stops them replicating Michael Callahan, a doctor based at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, returned from Wuhan with the famotidine information and now it is being used with hydroxychloroquine They kept trials under wraps as after President Trump called the anti-malarial drug a 'gamechanger' in a coronavirus task force briefing, people have rushed to hoard it. 'If we talked about this to the wrong people or too soon, the drug supply would be gone,' Tracey said. Timothy Wang, head of gastroenterology at Columbia University Medical Center, is also helping Northwell's efforts by retrospectively reviewing records of 1,620 COVID-19 patients. Northwell is also testing Regeneron's sarilumab and Gilead Science's remdesivir. There's not enough evidence to suggest any drug as an effective COVID-19 treatment. Michael Callahan a doctor based at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston who returned from Wuhan with the famotidine information has since evacuated Americans off two cruise ships with coronavirus outbreaks. He said: 'No amount of smart people at the [National Institutes of Health] or Harvard or Stanford can outclass an average doctor in Wuhan.' Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has said on April 26 that country would reopen mosques and Friday prayers in the areas that have been consistently showing a flat curve of coronavirus spread. Indicating towards gradual ease of the lockdown, Rouhani mentioned the governments plan to label the areas in colours white, yellow and red based on the number of COVID-19 cases and infections with white being used to showcase safe area for mosques to open. However, according to reports, the Iranian President did not specify when the colour-coding would be functional. With the daily death toll of coronavirus-related patients remains less than 100 since April 14, Iran has already opened shops, parks and other bazaars last week. In the last 24 hours, according to reports, the number of people who died of COVID-19 infections rose by 60. As of April 27, the total death toll of the coronavirus outbreak in Iran is 5,710 and 15,114 active cases. The Iranian government has refrained from imposing any wholesale lockdowns on its cities, a measure that is incorporated by the majority of the world to curb the drastic spread of the disease. However, Iran closed schools, universities and banned large gatherings. Read - CEC Kargil Thanks Centre As Pilgrims Safely Return From Iran, Amid COVID-19 Scare Read - Iranian President Says Tehran Closely Follows US' Activities, But Won't Initiate Conflict Italy outlines plans to re-open While Iran was the epicentre of its region and Rouhani briefed about the plan to re-open more activities, Italy was Europe's most-affected area of coronavirus outbreak. Now, along with Iran even Italy is planning to gradually ease the restrictions and return life to normalcy as coronavirus cases drop. Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said on April 26 that the government is working in a bid to re-open one of the worst-hit countries of COVID-19 outbreak after May 4. Conte called it a complex challenge to cautiously ensure the businesses in the country resume without generating a second wave of infections. As of April 27, Italy has the third-highest death toll of the fatal disease in the world with 26,644 fatalities and 106,103 active COVID-19 cases. Meanwhile, after originating from Chinas wet markets, the Coronavirus has now claimed 207,024 lives worldwide as of April 27. According to the tally by international news agency, the pandemic has now spread to 210 countries and has infected at least 2,996,678 people. Out of the total infections, 881,903 have been recovered but the easily spread virus is continuing to disrupt many lives. Major cities have been put under lockdown in almost all countries and the economy is struggling. Read - Ramadan Begins In Iran Amid Virus Read - 2 Indian Evacuees From Iran Left On Their Own In Jaisalmer; Don't Have Rs 60k For Cab Home (Image Source: AP) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Apriadi Gunawan (The Jakarta Post) Medan, North Sumatra Mon, April 27, 2020 15:11 625 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd4795c6 1 National Indonesian-navy,TKI,Indonesian-migrant-workers,Malaysia,return Free The Indonesian Navy intercepted 20 undocumented Indonesian migrant workers returning from Malaysia trying to sneak past border authorities through illegal routes in the early hours of the morning on Sunday. The migrant workers, who consisted of seven women and 13 men, boarded a fishing vessel and were caught in Asahan regency, North Sumatra. Officers also found a toddler in the vessel. The commander of Tanjung Balai Asahan Naval Base (Lanal), Com. Dafris Datuk Syahrudin, said the undocumented migrant workers were currently being tested for COVID-19. "We have secured a group of undocumented Indonesian migrant workers from Malaysia. They are now being tested for COVID-19," Dafris told The Jakarta Post on Sunday. He said the migrant workers appeared healthy and did not show any symptoms of COVID-19. "We'll hand them to the Tanjung Bali COVID-19 task force for further treatment," he said. Read also: Migrant workers repatriated from Malaysia to get construction jobs at home Belawan I Naval Base commander Adm. Abdul Rasyid said he had been deploying more routine border and intelligence patrols amid the influx of Indonesian migrant workers returning from Malaysia. According to government data as of April 21, more than 64,000 Indonesian migrant workers an estimated 46,000 of whom traveled by sea had returned from Malaysia amid the countrys ongoing COVID-19 lockdown. On April 20, authorities also caught a fishing vessel carrying 22 undocumented Indonesian migrant workers from Malaysia in Tanjung Tumpul, Asahan regency. "We don't want to take any chances in this difficult time, as the country is on alert for the COVID-19 pandemic and its transmission especially from overseas. The Indonesian Navy will increase border patrols, especially in suspected illegal routes," Abdul told the Post on Sunday. "In recent weeks, we've caught many undocumented Indonesian migrant workers returning from Malaysia through illegal routes. We have tried to catch them so that they don't enter the country without going through medical check-ups. It's important to curb the spread of COVID-19 from overseas," he said. (nal) Sweden has taken a controversial approach to the coronavirus pandemic, imposing fewer restrictions than neighbours. Swedens ambassador to the United States has said the capital of the Nordic country could reach herd immunity by May a result of a controversial response to the coronavirus pandemic involving few public restrictions. About 30 percent of people in Stockholm have reached a level of immunity, Karin Ulrika Olofsdotter told National Public Radio (NPR). To date, close to three million people have been infected by the new coronavirus, which has caused more than 206,000 deaths worldwide. We could reach herd immunity in the capital as early as next month, Olofsdotter said in the interview published on Saturday. So-called herd immunity occurs when a large enough percentage of a population becomes immune to a virus, either through infection or vaccination, thus preventing further spread throughout the group. While that percentage changes based on the pathogen, the United Kingdoms chief scientific adviser has said models indicate about 60 percent of a given community would need to be immune to reach herd immunity for the new coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2. However, questions remain how immune a recently recovered coronavirus patient actually is, and how long that immunity lasts. The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned against governments issuing so-called immunity passports to those who have recovered from the disease caused by the coronavirus, COVID-19, in light of the unsettled science. South Korea reported recently 222 patients of COVID-19 have again tested positive after being told they were clear of the virus. Authorities there are working to determine if the tests failed to recognise the virus was still present in those patients, or if the individuals were indeed reinfected. In the interview with the NPR, Olofsdotter agreed that more research and testing are needed to answer the questions surrounding immunity, adding the Swedish government is ready to change its strategy should the situation require it. There are currently no plans to switch course, she said. Controversial approach While countries throughout Europe, including neighbours Denmark and Norway, have imposed strict lockdowns that have largely disrupted normal life, Sweden has been far more hands-off in its response to the pandemic. Epidemiologist Anders Tegnell, who is leading the countrys response, has said the chosen approach stresses long-term sustainability over drastic short-term tactics. Schools, restaurants and malls have remained open, while the government has issued social distancing guidelines, banned gatherings of more than 50 people, moved most high school and university teaching online and advised residents not to take unnecessary trips. The government has also warned that restrictions would increase if residents did not follow social distancing, and said it would shut restaurants and bars not following the guidelines. But critics have said the policy is causing unneeded deaths. More than 18,600 people have been infected in the country of about 10 million, and nearly 2,200 have died. Neighbouring Denmark, with a population of nearly six million, has seen more than 8,700 cases with at least 400 deaths, while Norway, with a population of 5.3 million, has reported 7,500 infections and just over 200 deaths. In March, 2,300 academics signed an open letter to the government of Sweden, calling for tougher measures to protect the healthcare system. Olofsdotter, in the NPR interview, said Swedens approach best suited the needs of the country, adding it would eventually help Swedens economy recover faster than others once the pandemic is under control. We share the same goal as all other countries, and that is of course to save as many lives as possible and protect public health, she said. So we face the same reality as everyone else. But whats different, and I think its important to underline that all countries are different, is that politicians take the measures that they think works best for their country and their general public. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-27 17:38:00|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close KIGALI, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Ambassador to Rwanda Rao Hongwei on Monday said the Chinese people stand firm with the Rwandan people at the trying times when Rwanda is battling with COVID-19. Rao's remarks came one day after the Chinese government handed over donated medical supplies to the Rwandan counterpart in Kigali, capital city of Rwanda. The donated materials, including protective face masks for medical use, surgical masks, disposable protective clothing, infrared thermometers, medical protective goggles, disposable sterilized rubber surgical gloves and medical isolation shoe covers, show China's determination and solidarity with Rwanda at this special moment, Rao told Xinhua in a written interview. It is China's traditional virtue to repay goodwill with greater kindness, said the envoy, adding that China "will never forget" the assistance and support from Rwanda during China's "most difficult" period to defeat the virus. The epidemic risk in China is approaching low level and socio-economic performance is gradually brought back onto the right track, according to him. "While continuing the fight at home, China is willing to support and help other countries to the best of our ability," he said. Being the world's largest producer of protective suits and medical masks, China's production capacity of medical materials is rapidly recovering and enhancing, which provides guarantee for the security and stability of global industrial and supply chains, as well as support for the fight against the pandemic across the world, Rao noted. China will continue to cooperate with the international community including African countries like Rwanda, and contribute the Chinese wisdom and strength to better addressing global challenges and promoting the health and well-being of all mankind, the ambassador said. The second batch of the materials for Rwanda is already in transit, according to the embassy. Rwandan health minister Daniel Ngamije at the handing over ceremony expressed his gratitude towards the Chinese government and the Chinese people for the donation of the needed materials when Rwanda's anti-epidemic fight is at the crucial stage. Close cooperation across the world holds the key to defeating the pandemic and Rwanda is willing to continuously deepen the cooperation with the Chinese side in the prevention of the virus, said Ngamije. The minister also expressed confidence in Rwanda's success in the battle against the COVID-19 with the support of the international community including China. As of Sunday evening, Rwanda reported 191 confirmed cases with 92 recoveries. China has been supporting Rwanda's anti-coronavirus efforts since its first case was confirmed. Earlier this month, Chinese experts shared anti-epidemic experience in hospital management, emergency response and medical staff training with frontline doctors in Rwanda through a webinar. Chinese Enterprise Association in Rwanda had donated funds, while Chinese companies including China Star donated medical supplies. The Chinese medical team to Rwanda are also assisting their Rwandan counterparts in the fight against the virus. Enditem Tattoobox.net scored 40 Social Media Impact. Social Media Impact score is a measure of how much a site is popular on social networks. 2/5.0 Stars by Social Team This CoolSocial report was updated on 24 Jan 2013, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want. The total number of people who shared the tattoobox homepage on Google Plus by a google +1 button. The total number of people who shared the tattoobox homepage on StumbleUpon. This is the sum of two values: the total number of people who shared, liked or recommended the tattoobox homepage on Facebook + the total number of page likes (if tattoobox has a Facebook fan page). The total number of people who shared the tattoobox homepage on Delicious. This is the sum of two values: the total number of people who shared the tattoobox homepage on Twitter + the total number of tattoobox followers (if tattoobox has a Twitter account). Basic Information PAGE TITLE Tattoobox DESCRIPTION Tattoobox - Tattoo Review Site and Blog KEYWORDS Tattoobox, Tattoo Review Site and Blog OTHER KEYWORDS tattoo, tattoos, people, there, read more, about, getting CoolSocial advanced keyword analysis tool is able to detect and analyze every keyword on each page of a site. The title found in the head section of the homepage. The URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is the address of the site. The description meta-tag found in the head section of the homepage. The keywords meta-tag found in the head section of the homepage. Domain and Server DOCTYPE XHTML 1.0 Transitional CHARSET AND LANGUAGE English (United States) UTF-8English (United States) DETECTED LANGUAGE English English SERVER Apache OPERATIVE SYSTEM Linux Linux The language of tattoobox.net as detected by CoolSocial algorithms. Character set and language of the site. Represents HTML declared type (e.g.: XHTML 1.1, HTML 4.0, the new HTML 5.0) Type of server and offered services. Operative System running on the server. Site Traffic trend during the last year. Only available for sites ranked <= 100000 in the world. Referring domains for tattoobox.net by MajesticSeo. High values are a sign of site importance over the web and on web engines. Facebook link FACEBOOK PAGE LINK NOT FOUND The type of Facebook page. The URL of the found Facebook page. The description of the Facebook page describes website and its services to the social media users. A Facebook page link can be found in the homepage or in the robots.txt file. The total number of people who tagged or talked about website Facebook page in the last 7-10 days. The total number of people who like website Facebook page. Facebook Timeline is the new layout of Facebook pages. Twitter account link TWITTER PAGE LINK NOT FOUND Financiers of poverty, malnutrition and death Part 2 By Paul Driessen Its easy to farm organically in the wealthy, advanced EU and USA, where consumers can afford much more expensive organic meats, eggs, fruits and vegetables. Its much harder if you have to deal with the insects and crop diseases that plague African farmers on constant massive levels and locusts that bring true catastrophes every few decades and then sell your meager crop yields to impoverished families. That modern pesticides might save billions of dollars of crops every year and stop locusts before they can swarm by the tens of billions or that bioengineered crops might feed more people, from less land, with less water, with greater resistance to insects, with less need for chemical pesticides (natural or manmade) never seems to occur, or matter, to those who demand nothing but organic for Africa. Many African farmers are women, who today have almost no right to choose when it comes to which crops they will plant. They labor sunup to sundown on mostly 2 to 5-acre plats, yet rarely have enough produce to feed their own families, much less sell for extra money. Millions live on a few dollars a day. A 2005 Congress of Racial Equality biotechnology conference in the United Nations General Assembly hall and a related video documentary, Voices from Africa: Biotechnology and the subsistence farmer, dramatically highlighted the difficulties facing the continents farmers and the ways GM/biotech crops can improve their lives, especially crops enhanced with Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) genes that enable plants to kill insects that feed on the crops, while leaving beneficial insects unharmed. Maize (corn) is much of Africas most important crop. But because of drought, poor soil, multiple plant diseases, voracious insects, and lack of modern fertilizers, irrigation and mechanized equipment, average yields per acre in Sub-Saharan Africa are about the lowest in the world. Other crops suffer similar fates. I grow maize on a half hectare (1.25 acres), South Africas Elizabeth Ajele explained in the video. The old plants would be destroyed by insects, but not the new biotech plants. With the profits I get from the new Bt maize, I can grow onions, spinach and tomatoes, and sell them for extra money to buy fertilizer. We were struggling to keep hunger out of our house. Now the future looks good. If someone came and said we should stop using the new maize, I would cry. Countryman Richard Sithole shared her excitement. Now I dont have to buy chemical pesticides. With the old maize, I got 100 bags from my 15 hectares. With Bt maize I get 1,000 bags. Now I have money to buy better food and send my children and grandchildren to school and even university. It was the same story with cotton. With the new Bt cotton, I only spray pesticides two times, instead of six. At the end of the day, we know the crop wont be destroyed and we will have a harvest and money, South African widow, school principal and mother of five Thandi Myeni explained. I sprayed five times a season with pesticides, but sometimes the insects still destroyed my entire crop, Kenyan Alice Wambuii said. We would get pesticides all over our bodies. Last year, I got 3,000 shillings for my cotton, but I had to spend 5,000 shillings for sprays. Bt cotton changed that for her, too. Biotech maize and cotton enabled these South African farmers to triple their profits, cut their pesticide use up to 75% and save 35-49 days per season working in fields mostly spraying pesticides by hand. That was just 15 years ago. Life looked much better. But then the cabal of anti-biotech, anti-pesticide, agro-ecology pressure groups launched new attacks, aided by the growing network of ideologically like-minded donors that helped magnify anti-technology programs and messages often while insulating the big financiers from direct connections to the radical, callous, eco-imperialist pressure groups. The hopes and dreams, livelihoods and farming preferences of these African farmers mean nothing to the cabal. The Swift Foundation was founded by an heir to a major stockholder in United Parcel Service, from monies created by UPS going public. Endowed with over $60 million, it awards grants of over $2 million a year and has been a major supporter of pro-organic, anti-agricultural technology organizations in the USA and abroad. They include: Greenpeace, the Pesticide Action Network, the Center for Food Safety (long a promoter of radical anti-GMO activist Vandana Shiva), and AgroEcology Fund (AEF). The Christensen Fund was created in 1957 by heirs of a wealthy industrial engineer. Its $300 million in assets support biocultural diversity and fund projects like its Rift Valley Program, which funds stewards (subsistence farmers) who want to maintain culture-based livelihoods on their ancestral lands and adapt their resource management systems in innovative ways that advance food sovereignty and resilience. (Resilience until they are confronted by droughts, locusts and other insects.) The New Field Foundation (NFF) was founded in 2002 with money from San Francisco based real estate developers Barbara and D. Thomson Sargent. It claims to support the efforts of rural women to overcome poverty, violence and injustice in their communities. But it opposes biotech crops and other modern agricultural technologies, and gives hefty sums to La Via Campesina and other activists in Africa. The NFF supports and works with the AEF and is a grantor to the Tides Center/Foundation. With assets of nearly $200 million, Tides helps philanthropies manage and direct their giving, but has been described as behaving less like a philanthropy and more like a money laundering enterprise. The Center also receives funding and support from major US foundations, including the NFF, Wallace Global Fund, Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, Rockefeller Brothers Fund, and David and Lucille Packard Foundation. The Schmidt Family Foundation (SFF) was established in 2006 by Wendy and Eric Schmidt, former executive chairman of Google. Its estimated assets of $178 million, including Google stock primarily help finance advancing the wiser use of energy and natural resources to support efforts worldwide that empower communities to build resilient systems for food, water and human resources. (Resilience again.) The SFF has donated directly to radical domestic and global agro-ecology groups like the Center for Biological Diversity, Center for Food Safety, Environmental Working Group, Friends of the Earth, Pesticide Action Network and Greenpeace, an implacable opponent of Golden Rice. This miracle rice could prevent some 500,000 children from going blind and save 250,000 lives every year from Vitamin A deficiency and malnutrition. But opposition to Golden Rice caused the loss of at least 1,424,680 life years in India alone just between 2003 and 2013. Greenpeace couldnt care less. To date, the AgroEcology Fund (discussed in Part 1) has provided more than $6 million dollars to organizations that promote subsistence farming as a supposed alternative to far more productive modern farming technologies and methods. This includes over $500,000 over the years to the Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa, as well as $200,000 to La Via Campesina and GroundSwell International. In the USA, AEF and NFF donors and advisors have included the Packard Foundation, Ben & Jerry Foundation, Swift Foundation, Wallace Global Fund and many others around the world. A representative of the radical anti-technology Pesticide Action Network Asia sits on AEFs advisory board, and the global network of financiers finds ways to support PANA and many other ultra-radical groups. Other callous foundations supporting Friends of the Earth (a core member of AFSA, along with La Via Campesina) has come from the Packard Foundation ($600,000), Foundation for the Carolinas ($5,000,000), Charles Stewart Mott Foundation ($500,000), Ford Foundation ($328,500), Rockefeller Brothers Fund ($300,000) and Schmidt Foundation ($125,000). These financiers and the radical organizations they support perpetuate what many would justifiably call crimes against humanity. They use their tax-exempt status and clever terminology (like agro-ecology, sustainability and food sovereignty) to advance programs that deny people access to modern agricultural technologies that would improve crop yields, increase family wealth, prevent blindness and save lives. They should be condemned and deprived of their tax-exempt status, for eco-imperialism and making false and ultimately lethal claims about the farming methods they promote and the modern methods they prevent African, Asian and Latin American farmers from practicing. Paul Driessen is senior policy analyst for the Committee For A Constructive Tomorrow (www.CFACT.org) and author of Eco-Imperialism: Green power -- Black death and other books and articles on energy, environment, climate and human rights issues. Home The death toll from the COVID-19 pandemic in the Republic of Ireland has reached 1,063, as a further 52 deaths were announced over the weekend. The 377 new cases of COVID-19 take the total to 18,561 confirmed cases in the Irish Republic. A further 294 people have died in Northern Ireland. As is the universal experience internationally, bus drivers and other public transport workers, who ferry those employed in the health sector and other essential services, have been forced to battle for proper personal protective equipment (PPE). Hundreds of bus drivers are risking their lives due to the coronavirus. Data released by the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) last week attests to the highly dangerous situation drivers face every minute of the day. The HPSC notes that Dublin is the main hotspot of coronavirus cases, with 9,010 (50 percent of all cases). Irelands second largest city, Cork, accounts for just 1,103 cases (6 percent). Of those for whom transmission status is known, community transmission accounts for 48 percent, close contact (a major issue for bus drivers and transport workers) accounts for 48 percent while travel abroad accounts for 4 percent. Workers at the state-run Dublin Bus company, and the newer private operated Go Ahead Ireland (GAI) transport companyset up in 2018 with the collaboration of the trade unionshave been forced into withdrawing their labour and not taking buses out due the lack of PPE on Dublin buses and country routes. At GAI, which in 2018 took over a large number of routes formerly run by Dublin Bus, two drivers were suspended in early April for refusing to work due to the lack of adequate PPE. One of the GAI drivers, Paul Gannon, was suspended after being in isolation for two weeks on doctors orders for refusing to drive the bus without proper PPE. Another driver told Irish news site Extra.ie that drivers in Kildare and Offley had no screen protection, no masks and no onboard sanitizer. Bus workers at GAI have not only had to endure a threat to their lives due to cross infection but have also had to battle against the complicit and collaborationist Services Industrial Professional and Technical Trade Union (SIPTU). In the face of opposition from bus drivers, SIPTU, in cooperation with the state-sponsored National Transport Authority, was one of the unions who in 2018 negotiated the privatisation of over 10 percent of the state-run servicewhich led directly to the setting up of GAI with fewer rights and conditions for drivers. SIPTU moved quickly to ensure that new employees at GAI would be represented by them. Ed Wills, Managing Director of GAI, issued a statement which gave a clear indication of the cosy relationship where unions and bosses cooperate to secure workers compliance: After a detailed consultation process GAI is pleased to announce an agreement with SIPTU. The agreement ensures our drivers and general operatives are represented in a mutually beneficial manner. We look forward to working alongside SIPTU now and into the future on matters relating to collective bargaining. On April 13, drivers represented by SIPTU and the National Bus and Rail Union (NBRU) at Dublin Bus walked off the job despite union opposition. This succeeded in getting a driver reinstated after he had been suspended without pay for refusing to work under conditions in which his life was threatened by the coronavirus. The driver was suspended without pay by Dublin Bus on April 11 for insisting that passengers board at the back of the bus because of the lack of protective screens and protective masks at the front. Pickets comprising 20 workers were placed on the main Broadstone depot in Dublin in defiance of the union. The result of the short action was the reinstatement of the suspended driver and the forcing of Dublin Bus to introduce proper protective masks and screens to safeguard drivers. Stephen Nugent, an official with the NBRU, responded by denying that the strike action ever took place. He told the Daily Star , No driver has been stood down. We have commenced issuing face visors to the drivers, while we continue to explore options for protective screens in the drivers cab area for those that dont already have them. WSWS reporters interviewed a driver at Dublin Bus who works out of Donnybrook garage. He outlined the conditions at the depot and the reason for the action taken by bus workers. WSWS: What was the fear of bus workers for their health and safety before all-out strike action was threatened and pickets were placed on the main depot? Driver: Many of the drivers were very worried about the fact that when people were boarding the bus, they were coming in close contact with us. There was a real fear of getting the virus and bringing it in to our families. We were demanding proper screens and masksnot just basic masks but proper visors to cover the face. We had heard about bus drivers getting the virus in London and Bradford, and the lack of protection for workers on London transport. We had also heard reports that 20 bus drivers in Britain have died after contacting COVID-19. Many were aware that one of the drivers at Dublin Bus already has a suspected case of the deadly virus. WSWS: Did the union instigate any action to support the drivers demands? Driver: No. The driver refused on Friday, April 11 to let passengers board from the front of the bus because of the threat to his health and the lack of proper protective screens and masks. When he was suspended a group of drivers over the weekend set up a WhatsApp group with the aim of getting him reinstated. A lot of drivers were going to refuse to take cash and were going to load passengers from the rear of the bus. WSWS: Was there any support from the union? Driver: No. There is a general feeling the union doesnt act in the interests of the bus workers. They said a few years ago that they would not allow the privatisation of bus routes by the government. Then they went ahead and negotiated over 10 percent of the routes to be hived off to private companies where the conditions are even worse for drivers than at Dublin Bus. We have been fighting for protective screens for a long time, as there are half of the buses without them. Pickets were mounted on April 13, on Monday morning, by 20 drivers to demand the drivers reinstatement and proper screens and protective masks. The union was not involved. I work out of Donnybrook garage and many drivers were angry and supported the action at Broadstone. WSWS: Has the situation for drivers improved since the action? Driver: Well, the situation is still dangerous, but now after the pickets were mounted and all-out strike threatened we are getting the screens we demanded as well as protective masks, and they are going to carry out deep cleaning of the buses. WSWS: What would you say is the main lesson that drivers have learned from the actions taken by workers over the lack of PPE? Driver: It is our lives that are on the line. We have had to fight for proper protection. Its up to drivers to demand protection because the unions will only work with what management wants. They always sell out on wages and conditions. This time our lives are at risk, and we cant afford the unions complacency. BRUSSELS -- The European Union is discussing a new aid package for the Western Balkans to help the region cope with the coronavirus pandemic and its economic fallout, according to a document seen by RFE/RL. The document, a first draft of a declaration expected to be adopted after a videoconference of EU and Balkan leaders scheduled for May 6, states that the bloc has mobilised very swiftly a package of over EUR x.x billion to the benefit of the region. EU officials familiar with the matter told RFE/RL that the amount of the package isnt known as all contributions havent been made yet. The draft states that the package includes immediate support for the health sector, in particular through delivering essential supplies to save lives and significant support for the social and economic recovery needs of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia. The aid would come on top of the 38 million euros ($41 million) pledged by Brussels in March in immediate support for the six EU hopefuls to tackle the health emergency caused by the coronavirus. The money would also add to a 750-million-euro ($812 million) package announced last week of macro-financial assistance to the Balkans. The document also calls on the European Commission to come forward (in the autumn) with a robust economic and investment plan for the region aiming to restart the economies while improving the competitiveness of their economies, to better connect them within the region and with the EU. At the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak in Europe, there was criticism that the EU had been slow to help the Balkans, with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic slamming the bloc for "abandoning his country and praising China for its assistance during the crisis. Restrictions of exports of medical equipment from the EU to the region, which have since been lifted, were also criticized. The four-page EU draft declaration reads that the blocs support and cooperation goes far beyond what any other partner has provided to the region. But it cautioned that increased assistance will be linked to tangible progress in the rule of law and in socioeconomic reforms, as well as on the Western Balkans partners adherence to EU values, rules, and standards. The draft declaration also reaffirms the EUs unequivocal support for the European perspective of the Balkans countries, which in turn reiterate their commitment to the European perspective as their firm strategic choice. The videoconference next week will replace an EU-Western Balkans summit that had been scheduled to be held in Zagreb on May 6-7. 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. The vast majority of restaurants nationwide could face "permanent closure" with a loss of 120,000 jobs unless the Government cuts the sector's Vat rate to zero and subsidises rental costs. The Restaurants Association of Ireland (RAI) warned today that 90pc of its members - representing 2,700 restaurants, cafes and gastropubs would not be able to reopen unless the Government adopts the groups nine-point rescue plan. Our plan, the only viable solution for restaurants, is on the desks of ministers and departments, said RAI chief executive Adrian Cummins. We are seeking urgent action to save and recover our industry as nine out of 10 restaurants face permanent closure in the months ahead without urgent action. The RAI seeks: - a zero percent Vat rate for 12 months, then a 9pc rate for the next five years - legislation to protect commercial leaseholders with rent subsidies modelled on Frances emergency supports - a moratorium on bank fees, loan repayments and commercial rates bills until a Covid-19 vaccine is confirmed - insurance payouts for business disruption cover and a moratorium on policy suspensions - new State grants to cover restaurants first six months of operating costs once they reopen - a ban on utility cut-offs and a review of current standing charges on closed firms - a one-year waiver on licence requirements for outdoor tables to enable businesses to reopen and adapt to social distancing. Mr Cummins said Ireland could adopt the kind of rent relief scheme already launched in France, where taxpayers cover 60pc of bills and the tenant 20pc, while the landlord absorbs a 20pc income loss. He said the at-risk 2,700 outlets directly employ 120,000 people. South Africas financial sector has undergone a significant change following the coronavirus outbreak. Due to self-isolation and an extended national lockdown period, major banks have needed to adapt to remote working while maintaining operational efficiency as an essential service. This has resulted in a perspective shift, with some banks learning that many of their employees are capable of working from home. Other banks which already had advanced work-from-home strategies in place have seen the advantages of expanding this programme, including increased productivity and reduced costs. This will result in major South African banks revisiting their remote working strategies following the COVID-19 pandemic, with many allowing more employees to work from home going forward. MyBroadband spoke to major South African banks about their perspective on working from home and how their strategies will change going forward. Nedbank Nedbank said it has seen an increase in productivity during the lockdown period, but also noted that it is more difficult for employees to switch off, which may lead to burnout over time. For staff that are able to work from home, we have generally seen an increase in productivity with decisions being much quicker, said Nedbank Group HR Executive Deb Fuller. However, weve also seen a deterioration of work-life balance with many staff suffering from an inability to switch off as the lines between work and home become blurred. This is likely to lead to burnout which may have a negative impact on productivity over time. Fuller said that following the lockdown, Nedbank was taking a risk-based approach to bringing staff back to work. Staff are likely to continue to work from home, where possible, for an extended period. When asked whether the national lockdown and coronavirus pandemic had changed Nedbanks perspective on remote working, Fuller said this was true to an extent. To a certain extent yes, as only a few staff used to work from home on an ad-hoc basis before the lockdown, but now its evident that the majority of staff can work from home and productivity levels can increase in certain instances as indicated above. This practice could continue with a large workforce working from home going forward, Fuller said. Working remotely can bring benefits of employee well-being, productivity, and the reduced damage to the environment, Fuller said. This period presents an opportunity to transform our workplaces and the way we work. It also presents an opportunity to rethink how we can service our clients in ways that best serve their evolving needs, with lots of learnings and many more to come. What remote working cannot make up for is some of the loss of social interactions so, in a perfect world, a balanced approach to remote and office working will be optimal, Fuller said. FNB FNB said it has seen a boost in employee productivity, but noted that it was still processing and understanding this data. Initially we saw increased productivity, but the information still needs to be further unpacked to understand it properly, said FNB HR Executive Shamala Moodley. After the lockdown, FNB will return some employees to work while allowing others to work from home. We will have a combination that works for our employees as we enter the new world of work, essentially offering choices that are most suitable to optimising productivity and keeping employees engaged, Moodley said. When asked whether the need to implement remote working had changed the companys perspective on the practice, FNB said that it had not, but it has provided more insights on how the bank can practice remote working better. FNB added that it would most likely allow more employees to work from home after the coronavirus pandemic is over. We are learning lessons from the lockdown that we can implement more effectively, Moodley said. In line with our business continuity plans, FNB has put the necessary measures in place with respect to staff mobility. The bank has already adopted flexible working arrangements in most areas of its business and continues to reinforce the adoption of remote working arrangements, Moodley said. Absa Absa said that the lockdown has accelerated its digital adaption, with the bank moving quickly to allow employees to work digitally. Examples include the accelerated adoption of Microsoft Teams as a meeting and collaboration tool. A number of alternative tools are in place, including Jabber, Absa said. In the past few weeks, Absa implemented large-scale upgrades to our virtual private network (VPN). We are now running a state-of-the-art, high-speed, low maintenance VPN that can accommodate up to 60,000 connections at any given time (compared to a capacity of around 8 000 immediately prior to lockdown), the bank said. Absa said that it has also launched a counselling service and related app to provide employees with support while working from home. A phased approach will be deployed to return to work following the end of the lockdown period, Absa said. This will help us to reduce the number of people in a building at any given time and protect the wellbeing of our employees. With fewer people in buildings, greater individual work distances can be maintained between employees and cleaning protocols can be carried out frequently and with limited hindrance. The bank added that immediately following the end of the lockdown period in South Africa, working from home will be the preferred option. Where work can be delivered remotely and virtually, these practices will be retained and expanded across different areas of our business. This arrangement will typically apply to non-client-facing roles and head office environments, Absa said. Longer term, there will likely be further positive changes in the ways we work, although it is too early to finalise detailed plans. The Washington Post analyzed hours of transcripts from these briefings and found this: Over the past three weeks, the tally comes to more than 13 hours of Trump including two hours spent on attacks and 45 minutes praising himself and his administration, but just 4 minutes expressing condolences for coronavirus victims. He spent twice as much time promoting an unproven antimalarial drug that was the object of a Food and Drug Administration warning Friday. Trump also said something false or misleading in nearly a quarter of his prepared comments or answers to questions, the analysis shows. Adeeb Abdelrahman al-Dhamad, who reconciled with the government and joined the Air Force Intelligence, was found dead on the highway with a gunshot to the head reports Horan Free League. The body of a man named Adeeb Abdelrahman al-Dhamad was found on Saturday evening dumped near the junction of the town of al-Yadoudeh on the Daraa-Tafas highway in rural western Daraa. He had been shot in the head. Dhamad was kidnapped on Saturday from his hometown of Ibtaa in rural central Daraa. He had joined the Air Force Intelligence branch after he underwent settlement [with the government]. He also worked as a trader of banned goods. Daraa governorate is witnessing a state of ongoing tension between forces and reconciliation personnel, due to the regimes sporadic arrests targeting leaders and other personnel involved in the settlements agreement. The arrests come amid assassinations against members of both sides. This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. B oris Johnson seized back control of the Governments faltering lockdown message today with a dramatic statement warning Britons: This is the moment of maximum risk. Making his first public speech in a month, the Prime Minister asked families and businesses to be patient and not throw away all the effort and the sacrifice of the British people. I know it is tough and I want to get this economy moving as fast as I can, he said. But I refuse to throw away all the effort and the sacrifice of the British people and to risk a second major outbreak and huge loss of life and the overwhelming of the NHS. And I ask you to contain your impatience because I believe we are coming now to the end of the first phase of this conflict. Boris Johnson said it was not the time to ease up on social distancing measures / Jeremy Selwyn Looking thinner following his own brush with death after receiving intensive care treatment for coronavirus and in need of a haircut, the Prime Minister emerged from the door of No 10 Downing Street at 9am to address the nation from a podium. He appeared to be fizzing with energy, but his breathing was audible on the microphones. Attempting to lift the spirits of the nation, Mr Johnson joked about his own illness and compared Covid-19 to a mugger being overpowered by honest citizens. If this virus were a physical assailant, an unexpected and invisible mugger which I can tell you from personal experience it is then this is the moment when we have begun together to wrestle it to the floor. Mr Johnson said there were real signs now that we are passing through the peak and thanked the public for their grit and guts so far. But his core message was that it is too soon to go easy and relax the lockdown. Mr Johnson said difficult judgments still had to be made about phase two, when the country will start one by one to fire up the engines of this vast UK economy. Prime Minister Boris Johnson - In pictures 1 /82 Prime Minister Boris Johnson - In pictures Boris Johnson speaks during Prime Minister's Questions session Via REUTERS Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his partner Carrie Symonds enter Downing Street as the Conservatives celebrate a sweeping election victory Jeremy Selwyn Boris Johnson greets Joe Biden at Cop26 Getty Images Queen Elizabeth II welcomes newly elected leader of the Conservative party Boris Johnson PA Britain's New Prime Minister Boris Johnson is welcomed into 10 Downing Street by staff AP New Prime Minister Boris Johnson's girlfriend Carrie Symonds outside No10 Getty Images Boris Johnson back in Downing Street today after recovering from Coronavirus Jeremy Selwyn Boris Johnson waves as he enters No10 Reuters Boris Johnson delivering his first speech as PM from outside No10 AFP/Getty Images Boris Johnson's girlfriend Carrie Symonds at No10 today as he assumes the post of Prime Minister Getty Images Mr Johnson walks along Downing Street to address the nation Reuters Boris Johnson arrives at Buckingham Palace to meet the Queen PA Mr Johnson was overwhelmingly backed to lead the Conservative Party PA Britain's New Prime Minister Boris Johnson is welcomed into 10 Downing Street by staff AP Boris vowed to serve the people as he took office AP Britain's New Prime Minister Boris Johnson enters No10 AP He is due to announce who will form his government later today AP Boris Johnson waves to the crowd after being appointed Prime Minister Jeremy Selwyn Queen Elizabeth II welcomes newly elected leader of the Conservative party Boris Johnson during an audience in Buckingham Palace PA Boris Johnson waves as he leaves Buckingham Palace PA Boris Johnson is driven into Buckingham Palace Reuters Prime Minister Boris Johnson talks with ambulance crews during a visit to Pilgrim Hospital in Boston, northeast England AFP/Getty Images British Prime Minister Boris Johnson (R) meets with King Abdullah II of Jordan (L) at 10 Downing Street EPA UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Justice Secretary Robert Buckland and HMP Leeds governor Steve Robson are shown a torso and body scanner by a member of prison staff during a visit to Leeds prison Getty Images Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks next to Youth Justice Board Adviser Roy Sefa-Attakora during a roundtable on the criminal justice system Reuters British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and German Chancellor Angela Merkel attend a joint press conference following Johnson's arrival at the Chancellery on August 21, 2019 in Berlin, Germany Getty Images British Prime Minister Boris Johnson (C) and German Chancellor Angela Merkel (R) attend a guard of honor upon Johnson's arrival at the Chancellery on August 21, 2019 in Berlin, Germany Getty Images Prime Minister Boris Johnson takes questions from school children at Downing Street Jeremy Selwyn Prime Minister Boris Johnson attends a roundtable at Downing Street in London, Britain, September 19 Reuters Prime Minister Boris Johnson adresses Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani during their meeting at Downing Street in London, Britain September 20 Reuters British Prime Minister Boris Johnson walks from 10 Downing Street to welcome the Emir of Qatar Getty Images Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks at the House of Commons Reuters Prime Minister Boris Johnson holds a Cabinet meeting in Downing Street, London PA Prime Minister Boris Johnson as he leaves his official residence in London's Downing Street ahead of an audience with Queen Elizabeth II and the formal start of the General ElectioN Getty Images Prime Minister Boris Johnson prepares a pie at the Red Olive catering company while on the campaign trail, in Derby AP Prime Minister Boris Johnson arrives at Cardiff airport ahead of a visit to IG Design Group in Hengoed, on the last day of General Election campaigning PA The Queen's Equerry, Major Nana Kofi Twumasi-Ankrah (right), watches as Boris Johnson leaves Buckingham Palace PA Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson is greeted by staff as he returns to 10 Downing Street, London, after meeting the Queen at Buckingham Palace and accepting her invitation to form a new government AP Prime Minister Boris Johnson poses with newly-elected Conservative MPs at the Houses of Parliament Reuters Prime Minister Boris Johnson visits the Pavegen stand, a company that converts footsteps into energy, at the Innovation Zone during the UK-Africa Investment Summit at the Intercontinental Hotel London PA Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex with Prime Minister Boris Johnson, as they attend the UK-Africa Investment Summit at the Intercontinental Hotel London PA Prime Minister Boris Johnson reacts as he prepares to paint the eyes on Chinese Lions, as he hosts a Chinese New Year reception at 10 Downing Street AFP via Getty Images Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks flanked by his new Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak (4th R) following a reshuffle at Downing Street Getty Images Boris Johnson visits the Mologic Laboratory in the Bedford Technology Park Reuters Boris Johnson addresses the nation on Coronavirus lockdown Andrew Parsons Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak applaud outside 10 Downing Street during the Clap for our carers campaign in support of the NHS London Boris Johnson speaks to the Queen on the telephone for her weekly audience amid the coronavirus crisis PA Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson participating in a video conference call with other G20 leaders in the study of 10 Downing Street 10 Downing Street/AFP via Getty Prime Minister Boris Johnson announcing he has tested positive for Coronavirus AP Prime Minister Boris Johnson gives a statement in Downing Street in central London on April 27, 2020 after returning to work following more than three weeks off after being hospitalised with the COVID-19 illness Jeremy Selwyn Prime Minister Boris Johnson (R) and his fiancee Carrie Symonds participate in a national "clap for carers" to show thanks for the work of Britain's NHS (National Health Service) workers and other frontline medical staff around the country as they battle with the novel coronavirus pandemic, in the doorway of 10 Downing Street 10 Downing Street/AFP via Getty Prime Minister Boris Johnson, sporting a new haircut, during a visit to the Siemens Rail factory construction site in Goole PA Prime Minister Boris Johnson, wearing a face mask or covering due to the COVID-19 pandemic, visits the headquarters of the London Ambulance Service NHS Trust Getty Images The Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his partner Carrie Symonds with their son Wilfred in the study of No. 10 Downing Street speaking via zoom to the midwifes that helped deliver their son at the UCLH. Andrew Parsons/No10 Downing St Sky News Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson holds up a beer during a visit to The Mount Tavern Pub and Restaurant on the local election campaign trail in Wolverhampton, West Midlands REUTERS Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson visits North Wales REUTERS Andrew Parsons / No10 Downing Street Downing Street said Boris and Carrie Johnson had complied with coronavirus rules over Christmas (Jacob King/PA) PA Wire PA PA He promised to say more in the coming days and to be transparent about his thinking and also to involve Labour and other opposition parties. But it was still too early to set out any plans in detail. Mr Johnsons return to the fray comes after a weekend when many walkers, joggers and cyclists openly broke lockdown rules in parks and on pathways, while traffic levels continued to rise. At Westminster, pressure for a route map to recovery increased, with one senior Tory grandee attacking some lockdown rules as illogical and silly. Loading.... Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the Conservative backbench 1922 committee of MPs, told BBC Radio 4s Westminster Hour that people were reaching their limit. He urged the Government to only maintain those restrictions which are necessary and if there is a question over whether something is necessary or not, I think we should err on the side of openness and trying to make sure that more people can get on with their lives and more people can get on with getting back to their jobs. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has called for the Government to set out an exit strategy explaining how lockdown will eventually be lifted. His deputy Angela Rayner tweeted after Mr Johnsons speech that the Government didnt lockdown early enough, didnt provide the PPE & didnt test & trace. She added: This cost us lives as we have one of the worst death rates worldwide. Loading.... Health Secretary Matt Hancock tweeted: Great to see the boss back and on top form. After his statement, Mr Johnson turned inside to chair the daily war Cabinet of senior ministers. The Prime Minister has less than two weeks before the next major decision point arrives, with the three-week review of the lockdown restrictions due on May 7. There were no more coronavirus home testing kits available to order as of 9.10am today, according to the Governments website. But as of 10.40am key workers could still get tested by visiting a regional test site in England and Scotland, but not in Wales or Northern Ireland. Mr Hancock has set a target of 100,000 tests a day to be carried out by the end of this month. No 10 sources played down weekend reports that an antibody test is ready. More than 20,000 people have died from Covid-19 in UK hospitals, with estimates that another 10,000 to 20,000 have died in homes. Listen to The Leader: Coronavirus Daily podcast 3 1 of 3 Robin Jerstad /Contributor Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Robin Jerstad /Contributor Show More Show Less 3 of 3 The San Antonio Restaurant Association, Culinaria, Visit San Antonio and The CE Group are teaming up with local restaurants to raise funds for the San Antonio Food Bank while also supporting area eateries. Aiming to raise $150,000, To Go For Good is a dining-out program that invites the community to enjoy a meal while supporting the Food Bank, which is feeding 120,000 people weekly during the coronavirus pandemic, more than double what it did before COVID-19. Pompeo Renews US Waiver for Iraq to Import Electricity From Iran for 30 Days Report Sputnik News 23:25 GMT 26.04.2020 Following the 2018 unilateral withdrawal of the US from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal and the reimposition of sanctions against Iran, Washington has been issuing special waivers that permit some countries and companies to conduct business with Tehran. The US Department of State has extended a waiver for Iraq to continue receiving Iranian electricity for 30 days, a time significantly shorter than previous exemptions that varied from 90 to 120 days, Reuters reported on Sunday, citing an unnamed US State Department official. "The Secretary granted this brief extension of the waiver to allow time for the formation of a credible government," the official said, referring to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, according to the outlet. The official reportedly said that the waiver would expire on 26 May, noting that the Trump administration would reassess renewing the exemption again once a "credible government" is formed in the Middle Eastern country. On 9 April, Iraqi President Barham Saleh named intelligence chief Mustafa al-Kadhimi as the country's prime minister-designate, following the resignation of the previous prime minister, Adnan al-Zurfi. The nomination of Mustafa al-Kadhimi, Iraq's intelligence chief since 2016, as prime minister, will be Iraq's third attempt in 10 weeks to break a political deadlock that has lasted since former Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi resigned in the wake of violent anti-government protests in December 2019. "Once that a government is in place, the Secretary will reassess whether to renew the waiver and for how long, and looks forward to resuming our cooperation with the Government of Iraq to reduce Iraq's dependence on unreliable Iranian energy imports," the State Department official said. The official noted that the new permission applied only to electricity supplies. He said that Baghdad should refer to the US Treasury Department for transactions related to Iranian natural gas imports. As Iran is under US economic sanctions, Iraq has been obligated to obtain Washington's permission for importing crucial Iranian power supplies in order to avoid falling under US sanctions over its dealings with Tehran. Relations between the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran deteriorated after US President Donald Trump in 2018 unilaterally pulled Washington out of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, or the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), in May 2018 and reimposed harsh economic sanctions against Tehan. Relations deteriorated further following the targeted assassination of top Iranian general Qasem Soleimani by a US drone strike in Baghdad on 3 January 2020. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The stretch of highway close to the Mehatpur border in Una was chock-a-block on Monday as thousands of residents that had been stranded in different parts of the country during the lockdown queued up to enter state. The Himachal Pradesh government had opened its borders on Sunday. Approximately, 3,000 people entered the state on Sunday and around 3,000-4000 people had crossed the border till Monday afternoon. The queue stretched 3km into Punjabs border as people waited to enter the state. The cops posted at the border have had a hard time controlling the crowd and more police personnel had to be deployed at the border. Social distancing went for a toss as people jostled to get screened before entering the state. Vehicles lined up Himachal Pradeshs Mehatpur border as state government allowed the residents to enter the state. Around 4,000 residents had entered the state till the afternoon. (HT PHOTO) Una deputy commissioner Sandeep Kumar also went to the border to oversee the arrangements. Una sub-divisional magistrate Suresh Chand Jaswal said the situation had been controlled by the afternoon. Adequate police force has been deployed at the border. Extra screening booths have also been set up for scanning people entering the state, said Jaswal. The Aarogya Setu app is being downloaded on the phones of people entering the state and they have been directed to stay quarantined, he said. CONSCIENTOUS CITIZENS PITCH IN Meanwhile, many social organisations have also come forward to help authorities facilitate people entering the state by putting up food stalls and providing water to those queued up. Many people have also entered the state from Gagret. The state had earlier implemented a strict lockdown and nobody was allowed to enter the state. However, after resentment build-up over the governments move to bring back students stuck in Kota, Rajasthan, the state authorities allowed all Himachalis stuck outside the state to return. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Purchases made via links on our site may earn us an affiliate commission The Bexar County Medical Examiner's Office has identified the teenager who was shot and killed last week on the East Side. Police said 16-year-old Larry DeSean Jackson was killed after he was shot in the head last Thursday. FIND OUT FIRST: Get San Antonio breaking news directly to your inbox At around 1:30 a.m., Jackson was in the passenger seat of a white sedan with two other males stopped at an intersection near Whispering Creek and Argonne Drive when they saw a vehicle with multiple people inside drive past them and park some distance away, police said. Immediately after, police said an unknown person or persons on foot began shooting at the sedan and hit Jackson. The man in the rear passenger seat got out of the car and ran, and the driver sped off to a nearby Circle K on East Houston Street to call for help. The teenager was transported with life-threatening injuries to the hospital, where he died an hour later. The driver of the sedan told police at the scene that he didn't know any of the males in his car nor could he describe the shooter. Police are still searching for those in connection with the case. Taylor Pettaway is a breaking news and general assignment reporter for MySA.com | taylor.pettaway@express-news.net | @TaylorPettaway More than a month after schools across the nation shut their doors, educators face a choice: Do they teach virtually in real time, or let students learn on their own? Proponents of "synchronous" learning argue that live video instruction allows teachers to do regular check-ins, ensuring that students stay on track. But some warn that live sessions are vulnerable to privacy and security breaches, a worry that has proved well-founded. "Asynchronous" learning avoids those issues, advocates say, while granting flexibility to families and teachers whose lives are in chaos or who lack consistent access to online resources. In Virginia, two school districts are taking opposite approaches: Alexandria City Public Schools is offering synchronous learning, while Arlington Public Schools chose asynchronous instruction. The Washington Post tracked a teacher and student from each division through one day of class in the new world order. - - - 6:30 a.m. - Alexandria Colleen McEnearney's iPhone still goes off at 6:30 a.m. At the sound of the alarm, she still showers, dries her hair, dresses for work. But rather than drive 20 minutes to school, she walks 30 steps to her dining room table, alongside which she keeps a cart filled with pens, papers and device chargers that she snagged from her desk before schools closed. By 8:15 a.m., she's seated before two computers: one she will deploy to share her screen with students, one she will keep to manage access to the Zoom call. In the 45 minutes left before class, she ignores her inbox, which fills swiftly with links to Zoom meetings and parent queries, and inspects her lesson plans. She mouths each sentence of the day's slide show. She checks for typos. She tests every hyperlink. "I want it to work as smoothly as humanly possible," McEnearney said, "although I know my Zoom is going to freeze at least once, and so are my students' Zooms." It's about then that her student Madeline Arnold, 13, wakes up. Madeline used to rise early, to allow time for the walk to school. Now, she gets up an hour before her first class. The first thing she does is make her bed, which she never used to do. That's because her bed never used to be seen by her math teacher, let alone dozens of her classmates. Madeline changes into leggings and a sweatshirt, grabs a yoga mat and embarks on a half-hour of required physical therapy to treat a bone-growth issue. She remains on the floor with a foam roller until her phone pings with a reminder. Five minutes until Algebra I. - Arlington Fourth-grade teacher Maria White doesn't use an alarm anymore. She wakes about 7 a.m., an hour and a half later than she did pre-virus. Her kids, 3 and 6, follow soon after. White's husband, an IT specialist, taps at his computer. White ambles to the kitchen to sip coffee and make pancakes. As her children eat, White opens her laptop. She scans her inbox to see whether students are having technical troubles. If not, she checks answers to a daily question she posts on Google Classroom: "What is your favorite breakfast?" "Where is your favorite place to read in your house?" White pauses, frowning at a row of emoji. Weeks ago, she set a 15-emoji cap. (Otherwise, Google glitches.) It hasn't stopped the flood of chocolate bars and sunglass-adorned smiley faces. White's own children finish eating. She closes the laptop, starts clearing the dishes. Her student Kaitlin Reilly, meanwhile, is facing a tight schedule. Wake-up is at 6 a.m. Breakfast is strawberries, banana bread and her daily vitamin, inhaled in the kitchen alongside Mom, Dad, an au pair and three younger siblings. Kaitlin, 10, brushes her hair and teeth, yanks on clothes and lines up in front of the television. Together, the family finishes a seven-minute YouTube workout video. By 9 a.m., per the "Reilly Academy" schedule developed by her parents, it's time for a morning meeting in the living room. They sing "The Hello Song" and recite the Pledge of Allegiance. They discuss the day ahead: who will do what, where, when. Wrapping things up, 3-year-old Mikey Reilly opens the door to the porch and pokes his head out. Speaking extra loud and extra clear, the way he used to announce the weather at preschool, he delivers the forecast. "Usually he's pretty good," Kaitlin said, "but sometimes, if it's warm out, he'll just say it's VERY COLD." - - - 9 a.m. - Alexandria McEnearney used to be at school from 8 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. Now, her teaching day is 90 hectic minutes. Between 9 and 10:30 a.m., she must teach Algebra I to more than 70 eighth-graders, split into three 30-minute "ClassZooms." She guides them through a slide show whose colorful pages declare a daily learning target. On a recent Friday, it was to "write the equation of a line in slope-intercept form given slope and a point." McEnearney displays the problem "1 = -1/2(-4) + b" and asks her gallery of pixelated students how to solve it. There are too few participants, McEnearney knows: She hasn't heard from roughly 30 of her 109 students since the shutdown, which she attributes to poor Internet connectivity, a dearth of devices or unstable home situations. "Some of our class is missing," she said, "but that's OK." A boy named Evan unmutes himself to suggest subtracting two from each side. McEnearney nods and asks a girl named Abigail for the next step. But Abigail, whose empty black rectangle means she forgot to turn on her camera, can't say. "Sorry," Abigail said. "I haven't been paying attention. I had to do something." Madeline Arnold knows the answer, but her microphone isn't working. Her technological troubles continue when McEnearney splits the class into breakout groups - videoconferences of three to four people - and asks them to tackle a sheet of problems. Madeline's group can't find the link to the sheet. Maybe, the three girls ask each other, a classmate named Ruth has it? Madeline messages to check: She doesn't. "Well, if Ruth doesn't know," said one girl, "then I don't know if anyone knows." A notification pops up: "Breakout room will close in 58 seconds." Madeline clicks out of math class without locating the worksheet. She checks the clock: 73 minutes until science. After that, just enough time to make lunch before a choir elective at 1 p.m. Madeline launches a new Web page. If she works quickly, she figures, she can finish all of her Chinese assignments before she has to get back on Zoom. - Arlington If none of her fourth-graders need help, Maria White likes to spend the morning with her kids. She guides her son through readings and gives him BrainPop quizzes on science and math. She takes her daughter outside for a walk or helps her write her name. Around noon, White's husband takes a break from work so the couple can make lunch: chicken nuggets or Bagel Bites for the kids, sandwiches and salads for the grown-ups. "It's nice," she said, "because now I have some freedom with my kids." Her student Kaitlin Reilly, meanwhile, is staring at her iPad. Per the Reilly schedule, she must complete assignments for White's class, language arts, and geometry by midday. White assigns three types of homework: Students listen to a prerecorded video of White reading a book and comment their best guess at the text's theme, or they study an excerpt of a text, then write a post distinguishing between "main ideas" and "details." The third kind is Kaitlin's favorite: writing mini-essays to answer questions such as, "Why is learning at school more fun?" She calls the period between 9:15 and 1o a.m. her "Writer's Workshop." Writing, which she does cocooned at the desk beneath her loft bed, makes her calm, Kaitlin said. She gets so focused on her sentences that she forgets why she is mad at her siblings. Forgets even the virus. Other things are harder to forget. "There's more people in your classroom than at your house," she writes. "You get to see your teachers and friends, you get to talk [and] work with them." "I think," she concludes, "that learning at school is better." - - - 1 p.m. - Alexandria Virtual class done, McEnearney begins Zooming with colleagues - comparing virtual curricula, debating how to assess students fairly. Between 1 and 3 p.m. comes McEnearney's favorite part of the day: student conferences. Her eighth-graders can sign up for one-on-one Zoom sessions, ranging from 15 minutes to an hour, to discuss anything they want. Some raise academic concerns. But one A student, who has been signing up weekly, almost never mentions school. "We talk about her siblings, the food she's been making with her mom, how she's mad at her younger sibling," McEnearney said. "All the things she used to tell me before school, or during those little moments in the day that now we don't have." She keeps working until 4, around when she used to arrive home from school. Then she forces herself to close both laptops. She slips in EarPods, picks a podcast and wanders outdoors. Madeline Arnold's day is done much earlier than it used to be. By 1:30 p.m., she has attended all her online classes and, usually, finished all her homework. Before the virus, she would have headed to Holy Cow in Del Ray for burgers with her three best friends. She wiles away each afternoon a little differently these days: episodes of "Grey's Anatomy," running laps on a track, video games with her parents, writing songs. And reading. She is almost done with Jennifer Niven's "Holding Up the Universe," which she was always too busy to start before. "It's kinda weird," she said, "because you have more free time, but you don't have anything to do." - Arlington Maria White's husband finishes work at 3 p.m., allowing hers to begin. She plunges into virtual staff meetings, heading to her bedroom and closing the door to ensure quiet. She examines students' responses to the day's assignments, offering feedback in comments she hopes they read. She develops homework for the next day. She videotapes herself reading books. (She is terrible, she has learned, at doing voices.) She messages parents: Could you access Google Classroom today? How did your child feel about the workload - too much? Too little? "The hardest thing is not being able to individualize instruction," she said. "Some kids need extra review on certain skills, and in a classroom, you would just pull them over." That's impossible now. White likes the convenience of asynchronous learning, she said, but she is planning optional 9:30 a.m. video calls. Kaitlin Reilly would like that, she said. It would be good to see her friends. And she is used to video calls: That's how she visits with her grandparents. In evening FaceTimes, she tells them about her day and what she is learning. She tells them that she loves them, and that they have to stay healthy. Later, she confides to her journal, which she started a few weeks ago. "This is like a piece of history," Kaitlin said, "so I thought I should keep a diary." She writes until she's too sleepy to hold the pen. Then, she turns off the lights. Christina Paxson, the president of Brown University, argues in a New York Times op-ed that reopening college campuses this fall "should be a national priority." Why it matters: Paxson says university administrators around the country have found that the financial impact of the pandemic has already exceeded the $14 billion set aside for colleges and universities in the coronavirus stimulus package. What she's saying: "The basic business model for most colleges and universities is simple tuition comes due twice a year at the beginning of each semester," Paxson writes. "Most colleges and universities are tuition dependent. Remaining closed in the fall means losing as much as half of our revenue." "Institutions should develop public health plans now that build on three basic elements of controlling the spread of infection: test, trace and separate." Paxson warns that students, especially those from low-income households, face financial psychological barriers when they try to learn remotely. They might not have reliable internet access or private study spaces. "If they cant come back to campus, some students may choose or be forced by circumstances to forgo starting college or delay completing their degrees," she writes. Go deeper: Coronavirus sends American universities over a cliff A swathe of US states were set to reopen businesses this week following mandatory lockdowns that have thrown nearly one in six American workers out of jobs. Colorado, Mississippi, Minnesota, Montana and Tennessee are among the states preparing to ease restrictions, despite disquiet among health experts about the risk of fuelling a second wave of infections. It comes as the number of confirmed US cases was expected to reach one million today, with more than 55,000 fatalities. Meanwhile, in New York, a common heartburn drug is being tested on Covid-19 patients following signs that it may have helped survivors of the virus in China. Nearly 200 patients have enrolled in the clinical trial of famotidine and doctors are hoping to produce preliminary results within weeks. New York's Coronavirus outbreak - In pictures 1 /34 New York's Coronavirus outbreak - In pictures The Supermoon rises behind the Empire State Building while it glows red in solidarity with those infected with coronavirus as the outbreak of the disease (COVID-19) continues in the Manhattan borough of New York City Reuters A nearly empty Times Square AFP via Getty Images Riders, some wearing masks and gloves as a protective measure over coronavirus concerns, enter a New York City subway train AP People try to keep a social distance while they enjoy a sunny day at Central Park Reuters Nadia, a 4-year-old female Malayan tiger at the Bronx Zoo, that the zoo said on April 5, 2020 has tested positive for coronavirus disease WCS/Handout via Reuters People wear face masks AFP via Getty Images A man crosses a nearly empty 5th Avenue in midtown Manhattan Reuters US President Donald Trump looks on during the daily briefing on the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, in the Brady Briefing Room at the White House on March 31, 2020, in Washington, DC AFP via Getty Images Felix Hassebroek waves to his classmates, who he has not seen in 2 weeks through a livestream video meet up during the outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Brooklyn, New York Reuters Friends and neighbors, Sarah and Elizabeth, talk about their weekends from opposite sides of the road as they maintain social distance in a neighborhood in Syracuse, New York Reuters Light morning traffic seen on the FDR drive on March 24, 2020 in New York City AFP via Getty Images A subway customer uses a tissue to protect her hand while holding onto a pole AP Workers construct what is believed to be a makeshift morgue behind a hospital during the outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in the Manhattan borough of New York City Reuters Beds separated by black fabric are set up as a temporary field hospital for Covid-19 patients in Queens, New York AFP via Getty Images New York's Hart Island where the department of corrections is dealing with more burials Reuters Medical workers wait for patients at a special coronavirus intake area in New York Getty Images Patients wear personal protective equipment while maintaining social distancing as they wait in line for a COVID-19 test at Elmhurst Hospital Center AP The One World Trade Center tower in Manhattan is seen illuminated in blue light Reuters Pictures drawn by children as part of the Quarantine Rainbow Project in Brooklyn, New York Reuters U.S. Army National Guard personnel load boxes of free food provided by multiple New York City agencies into a taxi for distribution to local residents in the Harlem neighbourhood of Manhattan during the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID19) in New York Reuters Traders work during the closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on March 17, 2020 at Wall Street in New York City AFP via Getty Images A man in a wheelchair crosses a nearly empty 7th Avenue in Times Square in Manhattan Reuters Getty Images Getty Images Getty Images REUTERS The trial is being carried out by Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, the research arm of Northwell Health, which runs 23 hospitals in and around New York. Loading.... What happened It's a new week -- and another week of disruption in the oil market. Oil prices are tumbling in Monday trading, with WTI crude prices down 28.3% by noon at $12.15 a barrel (for June delivery) and Brent down 9.5% at $19.58. The stock prices of oil tanker transport companies, on the other hand, are surging: Teekay Tankers NYSE:TNK) Teekay Corporation NYSE:TK) Tsakos Energy Navigation NYSE:TNP) And Nordic American Tankers NYSE:NAT) What gives? So what A survey of headlines makes clear what's going on with oil shipping stocks right now -- and it has little to do with actual shipping of oil. Right now, the Singapore Strait is currently jammed with oil tankers -- five dozen of the beasts -- none moving, all floating at anchor and stuffed to their gills with oil. "Some" of these tankers, reports Bloomberg, "are being used to hoard fuel at sea" while waiting for oil prices to improve. "Others" are "parked" in hopes they can find a buyer -- any buyer -- willing to take their oil at a reasonable price today. Traditional onshore oil storage sites are full to the brim with oil, forcing oil traders to find unconventional locations to hold their oil while seeking someone to buy it. On Friday, OilPrice.com reported that Energy Transfer is petitioning the Texas Railroad Commission for permission to stop using two of its pipelines for oil delivery, and convert them into temporary storage -- extremely elongated oil tanks -- for 2 million barrels of crude instead. And of course, oil tankers make for another great place to store oil. Speaking to CNBC on Friday, Nordic American Tankers CEO Herbjorn Hansson confided that his company is making "tons of money" as oil traders bid up the charter price on his tankers in order to use them for oil storage. Now what And this should be great news for investors in Nordic American -- and in Teekay Corporation, Teekay Tankers, and Tsakos Energy as well. Why? Consider the example offered by Nordic American. This company -- unprofitable over the last 12 months -- is heading into a global recession with $400 million in debt and only $50 million in cash to service it (at last report). That may sound problematic, but with cash pouring in from oil traders seeking ships in which to store their product, Hansson says his company's balance sheet is improving to the point where, pretty soon, Nordic American could be entirely debt-free. When you consider that Teekay Corporation and Tsakos are also both unprofitable and carrying heavy debt loads ($4.6 billion net of cash, and $1.4 billion, respectively), the parallels are obvious. And Teekay Tankers carries more than $900 million in net debt, too, but was already returning to profitability last quarter (according to data from S&P Global Market Intelligence). With the oil market winds now blowing firmly in its favor, Teekay Tankers stock could perhaps perform best of all. Representative image The Tamil Nadu government on April 27 announced that it will be returning the 24,000 rapid test kits imported from China. The announcement came hours after the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) asked states to stop using the COVID-19 rapid antibody kits procured from two Chinese companies, calling for the same to be sent back to the suppliers. Read More | ICMR advises states against using antibody test kits of Guangzhou Wondfo Biotech, Zhuhai Livzon Diagnostics The government and opposition DMK clashed over the pricing of the kits, with the latter demanding 'transparency' while the ruling dispensation asserted that the procurement was done based on rates fixed by the Centre. The ICMR, the country's apex health research body, had told states it "evaluated the kits of Guangzhou Wondfo Biotech and Zhuhai Livson Diagnostics in field conditions". "The results have shown wide variation in their sensitivity, despite early promise of good performance for surveillance purpose", it said. "As per the ICMR order, all 24,000 kits received by the Tamil Nadu government are being returned," Health Minister C Vijaya Baskar said in a statement. 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 There was no "expenditure incurred" by the state government, he said, adding that all remaining orders were also being cancelled in line with the ICMR directive. However, DMK President M K Stalin, who has been raising the pricing issue, questioned the rationale behind the 'sky-high' rate of the kits, purchased at Rs 600 per unit by the state government. He recalled that the DMK had earlier too alleged the kits were procured at higher rates and said some private entities made a profit out of this. However, the government only 'defended' itself on the matter, he said in a statement. "What reply is the AIADMK government going to give for purchasing the kits at the sky-high price," the Leader of the said. There was "lack of transparency" in the matter, he alleged. Further, Chief Minister K Palaniswami should clarify whether the results of tests done using these kits were accurate, Stalin demanded. The government should not dismiss DMK's questions as "politics", he added. Hitting back at Stalin, Vijaya Baskar said the kits were procured from companies enlisted by the ICMR at rates fixed by the Centre, which he said was Rs 600, excluding taxes. Also Read | Coronavirus pandemic: Centre paid exorbitant price for 'faulty' Chinese rapid antibody test kits While ICMR approved the purchase of these kits early this month, all sections wanted to increase the number of tests by using them, the Minister said. "When the global demand was high, it was even difficult to buy them. But with the sole aim of ensuring more tests to protect the people," a particular dealer of the equipment was selected as per the Tender Transparency Act, he said. During this time, Andhra Pradesh (Rs 730) and Kerala (Rs 699) paid more per kit and even ICMR did the same for its second procurement order, by buying them at Rs 795, but Tamil Nadu stuck to Rs 600, he said. "But the opposition in those states (apparently Kerala and Andhra Pradesh) did not make cheap politics out of it. It is a fact they aided the government(s) in (their) life-saving efforts," Vijaya Baskar added. Hitting out at Stalin, the Minister said it was "weird" that he questioned the pricing of Rs 600 for Tamil Nadu and charged him with carrying out a "campaign of lies." "These campaign of lies will be useful only for mudslinging against the state government. It will never slow down its resolve to end the pandemic (by working) on a war footing," the Minister added. He said Tamil Nadu made an early start in its fight against COVID-19 by procuring the required medicines and medical equipment and that was the reason it has ensured a recovery rate of 56.8 percent, the "highest" in the country. Further, the fatality rate was 1.2 per cent, he pointed out. Political parties should ponder over whether this was the time to gain "publicity" by targeting the government out of "vendetta", Vijaya Baskar said. The government, he said, was working on a 'war-footing' to stem the spread of the contagion and urged that attempts to make "baseless allegations" against the government be stopped forthwith. On March 18, as states sent nonessential workers home and companies prepared to cut costs, the fitness influencer Paige Hathaway posted a message to her more than 4 million followers on Instagram. I know its tough with the quarantine especially for those who are unable to work so I wanted to do a giveaway for someone to receive $5,000 DOLLARS, she wrote. The post, which was removed from Instagram shortly after this article published, featured Ms. Hathaway fanning out a stack of $100 bills. Her fans began tagging friends and commenting about how desperately they could use the money. I could use a miracle right about now, one woman wrote. Several users posted prayer emojis. As the coronavirus has continued to disrupt American lives and livelihoods, Instagram has been overrun with cash giveaways like Ms. Hathaways. Several popular personalities have offered cash to their fans in exchange for tags, follows and comments, including Harry Jowsey, a star of the new Netflix reality show Too Hot to Handle; the lifestyle influencers Caitlin Covington and Laura Beverlin; and the rapper and social media star Bhad Bhabie. Bengaluru, April 27 : A 50-year-old man infected with the novel coronavirus committed suicide by jumping off a building here, police said on Monday. According to the health department, the man was suffering from Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI). Deputy Commissioner of Police Rohini Katoch Sepat said the 466th positive case was on dialysis for the past few years and was also suffering from kidney ailments. He was a resident of Tilaknagar in Bengaluru and his Covid positive status surfaced on Friday, Sepat added. Israeli warplanes flying over Lebanon fired missiles toward areas near Damascus early on Monday, according to reports from the Syrian military, who said the country's air defences shot most of them down. In a statement broadcast on Syrian state media, the military said that some of the missiles that made it to their targets near the Syrian capital, inflicting material damage but causing no casualties. The Syrian military gave no further details about the attack or what it targeted specifically, but Syrian state TV said the attacks occurred near Damascus. Israel has not commented on the Syrian report. Israel has acknowledged carrying out scores of airstrikes in the past, most aimed at alleged Iranian weapons shipments believed to be bound for Hezbollah. In recent months, Israeli officials have expressed concern that Hezbollah is trying to establish production facilities to make precision guided missiles. Iranian and Lebanese Hezbollah forces in Syria are fighting alongside Syrian government forces. Israel has also in the past used Lebanon's airspace to launch attacks on Syria. Last week, an Israeli airstrike targeted Iranian and Iran-backed fighters in the desert near the historic central Syrian town of Palmyra. A Syrian opposition war monitoring group said the strike killed nine fighters, including six who were not Syrians. An Indian-origin general practitioner, who came to the UK in 1973 after completing his medical training in India and was working as a doctor in East Africa, has died of COVID-19, his National Health Service (NHS) Trust in Essex, south-east England, said in a tribute. Dr Kamlesh Kumar Masson, 78, described as an "excellent clinician", lost his fight against the deadly virus at University College London. "We were very sad to hear of the passing of Dr Masson, he was a well respected and liked general practitioner (GP) in Thurrock, with a significant contribution over the last 30 years in the Borough caring for patients and providing support," said Dr Kallil, a fellow GP and Chair of the NHS Thurrock Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG). "Later he provided GP services in both Thurrock and Basildon. We extend our heartfelt thanks to Dr Masson for his commitment and passion and our condolences to his family for their loss," he said. Masson worked across the UK in Ashby De La Zouch, Kings Lynn and other parts of the country before settling down with his family in the locality of South Essex in 1975, where he established his career in General Practice. Kamlesh founded Milton Road Surgery, Grays, in 1985 and worked there continuously until 2017. He then went on to do locum work across Thurrock and Basildon until his last working day of March 12 this year. "He was an excellent clinician whose drive to constantly improve his clinical skills and knowledge with passion and enthusiasm will remain with us all as a reminder to always try to be the best. He was recognised in the locality by patients, colleagues and peers as a dedicated, determined, positive individual who would always do his utmost to help in all endeavours," his family said in a tribute statement. "Dr Masson was an honest, kind and generous man who was deeply respected by anyone who was privileged to cross paths with him. He was jovial, funny and kind, always wanting to make the best of any situation," it noted. Masson contracted COVID-19, which caused bilateral pneumonia requiring admission to Basildon Hospital and then University College London Hospital on March 31, which marked his 78th birthday. "Dr Masson fought bravely, but tragically lost his battle with COVID-19 on April 16th 2020. Our lifelong thanks will go to the doctors and staff at University College London Hospital who fought tirelessly to save a hero's life. "Dr Masson was taken from us too soon and still had so much to give. He had practised medicine for over five decades and was a dedicated servant to the NHS for 47 years. He would have wanted to practise medicine for many more years to come. He was a true gentleman who will be missed, but not forgotten," his faily said. A number Indian-origin medics, aged between 58 and 80, have lost their lives on the frontline of the COVID-19 fightback in recent days, including Dr Manjeet Singh Riyat, the UK's first Sikh emergency medicine consultant, Dr Rajesh Kalraiya, a consultant paediatrician originally from Nagpur, Dr Jitendra Kumar Rathod, originally from Gujarat, and Birmingham-based Hamza Pacheeri. The novel coronavirus has claimed 20,732 lives in the UK. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Matt Hancock has announced the government will pay 60,000 to the families of NHS workers and social care staff who die from coronavirus in the course of essential frontline work. The health secretary told the Downing Street Covid-19 press conference that 82 NHS staff and 16 social care workers had lost their lives after contracting the disease during the pandemic. Speaking on Monday, the cabinet minister revealed the new life assurance scheme funded by the government and said ministers were looking at other frontline professions who do not have access to similar schemes. He said: Today Im able to announce the government is setting up a life assurance scheme for NHS and social care frontline staff. Families of staff who die from coronavirus in the course of their essential frontline work will receive a 60,000 payment. How coronavirus lockdowns changed the world's most polluted cities Show all 6 1 /6 How coronavirus lockdowns changed the world's most polluted cities How coronavirus lockdowns changed the world's most polluted cities Milan, Italy REUTERS How coronavirus lockdowns changed the world's most polluted cities North Jakarta, Indonesia REUTERS How coronavirus lockdowns changed the world's most polluted cities Jakarta, Indonesia REUTERS How coronavirus lockdowns changed the world's most polluted cities Venice, Italy REUTERS How coronavirus lockdowns changed the world's most polluted cities New Delhi, India REUTERS How coronavirus lockdowns changed the world's most polluted cities Islamabad, Pakistan REUTERS Of course, nothing replaces the loss of a loved one but we want do everything we can to help these families dealing with grief. Mr Hancock continued: As a government, we are looking closely at other professions that work on the front line against coronavirus, who also do not have access to such schemes, to see where this may be required. Asked whether overseas workers will qualify for the scheme, the health secretary said: The answer is yes. This is for frontline staff working in the NHS and social care who die and are employees within NHS and social care. It comes after ministers faced significant criticism in recent weeks over whether NHS frontline staff have adequate supplies of personal protective equipment an issue highlighted following a delayed shipment of vital materials from Turkey. Responding to the announcement, Donna Kinnair, the chief executive and general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), said: On the eve of the silence to remember those who paid the highest price, this announcement will bring reassurance to families in difficult situations. No amount of cash can make up for a family member who passes away but financial security should never add to the worries of those in grief. The RCN and other health unions fought for this government announcement and we will examine the detail closely. It must be easily accessed, open to those in social care and primary care too and be paid promptly no family should face a lengthy or complex process. Mr Hancock also announced that some NHS services which had been paused due to the coronavirus outbreak will be restored from Tuesday, adding: As the number of hospitalisations from coronavirus begins to fall, I can announce that, starting tomorrow, we will begin the restorations of other NHS services starting with the most urgent, like cancer care and mental health support. The exact pace of the restoration will be determined by local circumstances on the ground, according to local need and according to the amount of coronavirus cases that that hospital is having to deal with. Despite its limited resources, Vietnam has supported many other nations worldwide in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, proving itself as a responsible member of the international community, especially when the country is holding the ASEAN Chairmanship 2020. Vietnam continues to play a major role in the sub-region in beating COVID-19. (Source: The Diplomat) While being preoccupied with containing the coronavirus in its own territory to some considerable success thus far Vietnam has also made efforts to raise the ASEAN flag, Hoang Thi Ha, Lead Researcher (Political & Security Affairs) at the ASEAN Studies Centre, ISEAS Yusof-Ishak Institute, Singapore, wrote in an article posted on The Diplomat. It issued the ASEAN Chairs statement on the outbreak on February 14, highlighting the urgency of the problem and committing to ASEANs collective response. The statement listed measures which, if implemented, could complement ASEAN member states national responses to the epidemic, she wrote. Vietnam has also made efforts to raise the ASEAN flag. (Source: The Diplomat) Vietnam is trying to lead by example, contributing medical supplies to Laos and Cambodia, as well as testing kits to Indonesia, Ha noted. The provision of such aid from Vietnam is not surprising and Vietnam continues to play a major role in the sub-region including through assistance to Laos and Cambodia, wrote journalist Prashanth Parameswaran, a Senior Columnist at The Diplomat. Besides the regional nations, Vietnam also presented 650,000 face masks to six European countries, namely France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the UK and Sweden, to support their fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. The new coronavirus assistance highlights Vietnam-EU relations amid COVID-19, Parameswaran wrote on The Diplomat. The aid illustrates Hanois continued willingness to assist other countries on a bilateral and multilateral basis to the best of its abilities even as it continues to remain vigilant about managing its own coronavirus challenge at home, he added. In addition, Vietnam also donated 200,000 antibacterial cloth face masks to the US government and people. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc also presented 50,000 medical face masks to the White House. By donating hundreds of thousands of face masks to its Southeast Asian neighbours and European countries as well as selling protective equipment to the US, Vietnam has earned the gratitude and trust of world leaders, journalist John Pennington wrote in article posted on the ASEAN Today. The face mask diplomacy could further boost Vietnams economy as well as its diplomatic standing in the region. (Source: ASEAN Today) The face mask diplomacy could further boost Vietnams economy as well as its diplomatic standing in the region, Pennington added. "Vietnams handling of the coronavirus pandemic, as well as its diplomacy amid crisis, will enable it to demonstrate its value-added to the world, said Derek Grossman, a senior defense analyst at the US-based RAND Corporation. Sharing Grossmans view Prof. Alexander Vuving, at the Daniel K Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies in Honolulu, Hawaii, was quoted by David Hutt as saying in an article run by the Asia Times that: The coronavirus pandemic has been a great opportunity for Vietnam to enhance its soft power, as it helped to broadcast Vietnams generous behavior toward the international community./.VNA The discovery of new, still unnamed animal species in a well-researched European region like the Alps is always a small sensation. All the more surprising is the description of a total of three new to science species previously misidentified as long-known alpine moths. During a genetic project of the Tyrolean State Museums in Innsbruck (Austria), Austrian entomologist and head of the Natural Science Collections Peter Huemer used an integrative research approach that relies on molecular methods to study four European moths. Despite having been known for decades, those species remained quite controversial, because of many unknowns around their biology. At the end, however, it turned out that the scientist was not dealing with four, but seven species. The three that were not adding up were indeed previously unknown species. Therefore, Huemer described the moths in a paper in the open-access, peer-reviewed journal Alpine Entomology. Curiously, all three species were given the names of legendary alpinists: Reinhold Messner, Peter Habeler and David Lama. Tribute to three legends in alpinism "The idea to name the new species in honour of three world-renowned climbers was absolutely no coincidence," explains Huemer. One of the newly described species, Caryocolum messneri, or Messner's Curved-horn moth, is dedicated to Reinhold Messner. Messner is a famous alpinist who was the first to reach Mount Everest without additional oxygen, but also the first climber to ascend all fourteen peaks over 8,000 metres. For decades, he has been inspiring followers through lectures and books. His is also the Messner Mountain Museum project, which comprises six museums located at six different locations in South Tyrol, northern Italy, where each has the task to educate visitors on "man's encounter with mountains" by showcasing the science of mountains and glaciers, the history of mountaineering and rock climbing, the history of mythical mountains, and the history of mountain-dwelling people. "So what could have been a better fit for a name for the species that flutters on the doorstep of his residence, the Juval Castle in South Tyrol?" says Huemer. The second new species, Caryocolum habeleri, or Habeler's Curved-horn moth, honours another extraordinary mountaineer: Peter Habeler. Having joined Messner on his expedition to Mount Everest, he also climbed this mountain without additional oxygen in a first for history. Another achievement is his climbing the famous Eiger North Face in mere 10 hours. Additionally, together with the study's author, he sits on the advisory board of the nature conservation foundation "Bluhendes Osterreich". However, the species' name is also a nod to Peter Habeler's cousin: Heinz Habeler, recognised as "the master of butterfly and moth research in Styria". His collection is now housed in the Tyrolean State Museums. The third alpinist, whose name is immortalised in a species name, is David Lama, specially recognised by Huemer for his commitment to conservation. Once, in order to protect endangered butterflies along the steep railway embankments in Innsbruck, Lama took care to secure volunteers in a remarkable action. Nevertheless, Lama earned his fame for his spectacular climbing achievements. His was the first free ascent of the Compressor route on the south-eastern flank of Cerro Torre. "Unfortunately, David lost his life far too soon in a tragic avalanche accident on 16 April 2019 in Banff National Park, Canada. Now, Caryocolum lamai (Lama's Curved-horn moth) is supposed to make him 'immortal' also in the natural sciences," says Huemer. Many unresolved questions The newly described moth species are closely related and belong to the genus Caryocolum of the so-called Curved-horn moths (family Gelechiidae). As caterpillars, the species of this genus live exclusively on carnation plants. Even though the biology of the new moths is still unknown, because of their collection localities, it could be deduced that plants such as the stone carnation are likely their hosts. All species are restricted to dry and sunny habitats and sometimes inhabit altitudes of up to 2,500 m. So far, they have only been observed with artificial light at night. While Messner's Curved-horn moth occurs from northern Italy to Greece, the area of ??Habelers Curved-horn Moth is limited to the regions between southern France, northern Switzerland and southeastern Germany. On the other hand, Caryocolum lamai, only inhabits a small area in the western Alps of Italy and France. Research on alpine butterflies and moths has been an important scientific focus at the Tyrolean state museums for decades. In 30 years, Peter Huemer discovered and named over 100 previously unknown to science species of lepidopterans. All these new discoveries have repeatedly shown the gaps in the study of biodiversity, even in Central Europe. "How could we possibly protect a species that we don't even have a name for is one of the key questions for science that derives from these studies," says Huemer in conclusion. ### Original source: Huemer P (2020) Integrative revision of the Caryocolum schleichi species group - a striking example of a temporally changing species concept (Lepidoptera, Gelechiidae). Alpine Entomology 4: 39-63. https://doi.org/10.3897/alpento.4.50703 By PTI NEW DELHI: Leading skin care brand Nivea India has partnered with online food aggregators Swiggy and Zomato to deliver its hygiene products at consumer's door steps during the lockdown. The service, which was initially started in Mumbai last week, has now been extended to over 30 cities, including Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Jaipur, Bhopal, Indore, Raipur, Kanpur, Nivea India said in a statement. "The brand aims to scale this up to more than 100 cities in the coming week," it said. "As a responsible skincare brand, this initiative reinforces our commitment to ensuring that our consumers have uninterrupted access to their daily hygiene essentials. In times of crisis, we stand together and work together to ensure safety of the consumers by delivering products safely & directly to their doorsteps," Nivea India Sales Director Sailesh Viswanathan said. According to the company, consumers can place their orders for Nivea's essential hygiene products through Zomato or Swiggy app on their phones by going to 'Nivea Care Shop' under the market or groceries section. This would allow multiple cashless transaction options to get a safe and contactless delivery to their doorsteps in 60-90 minutes, it added. During the lockdown, several FMCG companies has partnered online aggregators to deliver their range of essential products at the consumer's door step. MIDDLETOWN Middletown officials are taking a wait-and-see approach to devising a plan to begin lifting some restrictions imposed by the city once coronavirus cases begin to decline. We want to do it only when it is prudent to do so, Mayor Ben Florsheim said. The question now is less what it would look like, more what are the green shoots (signs of recovery) were looking for in terms of testing ability, the rate of infection going down. We need to see those signs first before we can start imagining what a reopening date would look like, he said. As of Monday night, the city reported 293 (increase of 15) confirmed cases of the coronavirus, 35 (up 2) fatalities and 37 hospitalizations (no increase). The city is anticipating cases will peak sometime in mid-May. Florsheim was pleased to see the majority of residents following social distancing guidelines, by staying home for the most part, avoiding large crowds and wearing protective face masks. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention previously said the practice of wearing masks for the general public may instill a false sense of security. It later recommended using masks, but also cautioned the practice is more for the protection of others, as only N95 masks are the most effective way to contain COVID-19. This was something we probably should have started sooner than we did, Florsheim admitted. Other countries around the world commonly use PPE to protect against illness and the effects of air pollution. Thats a big cultural shift in America. Its not something that was done up until recently, he added. The mayor was reassured knowing the state has partnered with leaders of neighboring states to determine a path forward. Even if the state were to begin a gradual loosening of contraints on businesses and public gatherings, Florsheim and his administration would consider those recommendations and craft a plan tailored for Middletown. That might mean certain rules would be kept in place, he said. Lamonts executive orders pertaining to the coronavirus were imposed on a rolling basis, with school closed first, followed by nonessential businesses. Florsheim expects openings to take place in reverse fashion. Lamonts Stay Safe, Stay Home initiative, which urges people to only go out for necessities, and practice good hygiene and the wearing of PPE, is now entering its sixth week. If the state were to decide to reopen schools before we feel it is safe, and say dont worry about occupancy limits or public gatherings, the (city) health department would come up with its own guidance, he said. Florsheim thanked those abiding by the rules, as difficult as it has been. This is so incredibly hard, said the mayor, who said he is experiencing the same feelings of isolation and anxiety. It becomes harder when you have kids at home, are not able to work, are waiting for unemployment to be approved, caring for family members and dealing with loved one in a nursing home, Florsheim said. These are all things people are dealing with sometimes one on top of the other. Its not like life was super easy before any of this happened. People are working hard, he said. So many are struggling. To those people, I say, please hang in there. It is a lot to ask of people, Florsheim acknowledged. The biggest, overarching, macro-level thing we can be doing to be helpful is to tell you what we know, which is to keep doing this, as hard as it is. Any reopening plan would mean working closely with the Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce, assessing the needs of small businesses, many of which are experiencing great financial upset. In the works is a request to the Common Council for a $250,000 disbursement to help small businesses recover from financial hardships once restrictions begin to loosen. The allocation, according to Common Councilor Ed McKeon, amounts to a revolutionary act. Officials hope to secure $1 million in aid to support various programs. Approximately $250,000 would come from the general fund, and, hopefully, another $750,000 from other sources. Public health remains a top priority in Middletown. We need to make sure were not putting the cart before the horse in terms of reopening strategies. If we dont get the public health element of it right, the reopening will totally backfire, Florsheim said. Thats a situation we want to avoid most of all. If we pull back on social distancing now, we could create an even worse spike in infection rates in the fall and winter, when youve also got the regular flu to worry about. A top priority is to prevent a second wave of the virus toward the end of the year. Then youre creating a situation where you really are going to be overwhelming the medical facilities and extending the crisis for months. The research shows us (social distancing is) already saving thousands and thousands of lives just in Connecticut, Florsheim said. Its likely difficult for people to hear that restrictions and the use of masks and other such protective measures could continue for the foreseeable future, until widespread testing is available or a vaccine created, he said. For information on COVID-19 in Connecticut, visit portal.ct.gov/coronavirus. The citys website can be accessed at cityofmiddletown.com. Haryana's Jhajjar district reported its first COVID-19 case on Monday, after remaining coronavirus-free for so long despite falling in the National Capital Region, which has a large number of hostpots or 'red zones'. Five more people tested positive for the virus in the state on Monday, taking the total to 301, officials said. Of the fresh cases, two were reported in Sonipat and one each in Jhajjar, Faridabad and Ambala, they said. With this, the number of confirmed cases in Sonipat, which borders the national capital, rises to 22. Sonipat now has the maximum number of active cases in Haryana at 18, followed by Gurgaon (15) and Nuh (13). The worst affected districts of the state so far are Nuh with 57 cases, Gurgaon with 51, Faridabad with 46, Palwal with 34, Sonipat with 22 and Panchkula with 18 cases. State Health Minister Anil Vij had on Sunday said it had come to light that many of the coronavirus positive cases in the NCR districts, including Sonipat, Gurgaon and Faridabad, had contracted the infection from the national capital. Daily movement of the people working in Delhi to their residences in the NCR regions of Haryana increases the chances of the infection to spread, Vij had said and appealed to Arvind Kejriwal to make arrangements for their stay in the national capital. According to the state Health Department's daily bulletin, the number of active cases in Haryana stands at 85, while 213 people have recovered. The state has recorded three COVID-related deaths, it said. As on Monday evening, the state further improved its recovery rate from 67.22 per cent to 70.76 per cent. The fatality rate also came down from 1.01 per cent to 0.99 per cent, the bulletin stated, adding that the rate of doubling of cases was 19 days, while the number of tests conducted per million of population was 907. As many as 22,993 samples have been tested so far, out of which reports of 1,990 samples are awaited. Among the foreign nationals who tested positive, 14 were Italian tourists and later 13 of them were discharged, while one elderly woman in the group passed away recently even though she had recovered from COVID-19. The other 10 foreign nationals found positive are from Sri Lanka, Nepal, Thailand, South Africa and Indonesia, according to the bulletin. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Just because a business does not make any money, does not mean that the stock will go down. For example, although software-as-a-service business Salesforce.com lost money for years while it grew recurring revenue, if you held shares since 2005, you'd have done very well indeed. Having said that, unprofitable companies are risky because they could potentially burn through all their cash and become distressed. So should Nevada Energy Metals (CVE:BFF) shareholders be worried about its cash burn? For the purposes of this article, cash burn is the annual rate at which an unprofitable company spends cash to fund its growth; its negative free cash flow. We'll start by comparing its cash burn with its cash reserves in order to calculate its cash runway. Check out our latest analysis for Nevada Energy Metals How Long Is Nevada Energy Metals's Cash Runway? You can calculate a company's cash runway by dividing the amount of cash it has by the rate at which it is spending that cash. When Nevada Energy Metals last reported its balance sheet in December 2019, it had zero debt and cash worth CA$707k. In the last year, its cash burn was CA$717k. So it had a cash runway of approximately 12 months from December 2019. To be frank, this kind of short runway puts us on edge, as it indicates the company must reduce its cash burn significantly, or else raise cash imminently. The image below shows how its cash balance has been changing over the last few years. TSXV:BFF Historical Debt April 27th 2020 How Is Nevada Energy Metals's Cash Burn Changing Over Time? Nevada Energy Metals didn't record any revenue over the last year, indicating that it's an early stage company still developing its business. Nonetheless, we can still examine its cash burn trajectory as part of our assessment of its cash burn situation. Over the last year its cash burn actually increased by 32%, which suggests that management are increasing investment in future growth, but not too quickly. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but investors should be mindful of the fact that will shorten the cash runway. Admittedly, we're a bit cautious of Nevada Energy Metals due to its lack of significant operating revenues. We prefer most of the stocks on this list of stocks that analysts expect to grow. Story continues How Hard Would It Be For Nevada Energy Metals To Raise More Cash For Growth? Given its cash burn trajectory, Nevada Energy Metals shareholders should already be thinking about how easy it might be for it to raise further cash in the future. Companies can raise capital through either debt or equity. Many companies end up issuing new shares to fund future growth. We can compare a company's cash burn to its market capitalisation to get a sense for how many new shares a company would have to issue to fund one year's operations. Nevada Energy Metals has a market capitalisation of CA$471k and burnt through CA$717k last year, which is 152% of the company's market value. Given just how high that expenditure is, relative to the company's market value, we think there's an elevated risk of funding distress, and we would be very nervous about holding the stock. Is Nevada Energy Metals's Cash Burn A Worry? We must admit that we don't think Nevada Energy Metals is in a very strong position, when it comes to its cash burn. Although we can understand if some shareholders find its cash runway acceptable, we can't ignore the fact that we consider its cash burn relative to its market cap to be downright troublesome. Considering all the measures mentioned in this report, we reckon that its cash burn is fairly risky, and if we held shares we'd be watching like a hawk for any deterioration. On another note, we conducted an in-depth investigation of the company, and identified 4 warning signs for Nevada Energy Metals (3 make us uncomfortable!) that you should be aware of before investing here. Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of companies insiders are buying, and this list of stocks growth stocks (according to analyst forecasts) If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading. No capital punishment for those under the age of 18 when they commit a crime. Instead, up to a maximum of 10 years in a juvenile prison. Last year 184 people were put to death; over 800 since the rise to power of King Salman. A prominent human rights activist dies in prison. Riyadh (AsiaNews / Agencies) - Saudi Arabia will no longer impose the death penalty on people who, at the time they committed the crime, were still minors. This was announced by the National Human Rights Commission, stressing that the decision follows a royal decree by King Salman and the decision - taken over the weekend - to abolish flogging as a form of punishment, particularly in cases of violation of Sharia law. The UN Convention for the Rights of the Child, which Riyadh has signed, states that the death penalty should not be applied for crimes committed by minors. A common practice in the Wahhabi kingdom, among the nations with the greatest number of repressions of human rights in the world, perpetrated also and above all by state apparatus. Awwad Alawwad, president of the Saudi Commission, writes in a note that the royal decree cancels executions in cases of crimes committed by minors. In place of the executioner, penalties of up to 10 years in a juvenile prison will be imposed. "The decree - he adds - helps us to implement a more modern penal code". However, at the moment there are no official indications on the timing of the entry into force of the provision. In the Saudi monarchy of King Salman and number two (but real strong man) Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), the Supreme Court abolished flogging over the weekend, because it was considered a form of condemnation that "stains" the "reformist" image impressed by the Wahhabi leadership. The Arab nation holds a record in human rights violations, amid the complete disinterest of the international community, which is more attentive to the economy and petrodollars. From the death in prison of opponents to the record of executions in a year, up to the displacement of over 20 thousand people to satisfy the grandeur of the crown prince, who wants to build a metropolis 30 times the size of New York from scratch. Despite the proclamations of modernity, according to Amnesty International data, in 2019 Saudi Arabia carried out a record number of 184 death sentences, the highest in a single year. The executioner executed 178 men and six women, over half of whom were foreigners. In 2018, executions stopped at 149. The executions figure confirms a growing trend in the five year reign of King Salman - but a trend that has accelerated with the rise of MBS with over 800 people put to death. This is a "double" figure compared to the previous five years when the predecessor king Abdullah was in power, under which between 2009 and 2014 423 individuals were executed. Opponents and critical voices are not silenced only with capital punishment, because they often end up dying in prison following illnesses and denied medical treatment. This is evidenced by what happened last week with the death in prison of Abdullah al-Hamid, 69 year-old figure in the country and founder of the Saudi Association for civil and political rights. He had been in prison since 2013 following a 10-year sentence for his work in favor of freedoms and rights; NGOs and movements at home and abroad had long been calling for his release. The activist, who died of a stroke, had been in precarious health for two weeks but no doctor was able to visit him. The government continues to discuss programs to neutralize the consequences of coronavirus under the PM chairmanship Nikol Pashinyan, the governments press service reported. The current results of the implementation of activities have been summarized. Then, specific proposals were presented for finalizing some of the approved measures, which, according to the authors, will expand the circle of beneficiaries of economic and social aid. The PM instructed to prepare them and submit to the government for approval. Then issues related to the food security of Armenia and the sustainable development of agriculture have been discussed. The participants touched upon the organization of the process of supplying high-quality wheat seeds to farms for winter crops, the goals of possible aid, and tools. Nikol Pashinyan noted that the state is interested in implementing such a program and introducing mechanisms that, along with ensuring market self-sufficiency, will also change the grain processing culture in Armenia. In this context, the PM found it interesting to exchange experiences with Artsakh and instructed to continue work on the development of the program. The idea of environmental protection measures with a component of social support has been discussed, namely: providing aid to people with social problems because of the coronavirus in exchange for tree planting. Issues related to the implementation chain of the program, the multiplier effect, monitoring, etc. have been raised. The idea as a whole was approved. Highlighting the importance of implementing such a program, which has both an environmental and a social component, the PM noted that it is necessary to ensure accountability of the program with monitoring tools. Nikol Pashinyan instructed to finalize the proposal following the discussion and submit it for approval. Oil prices have fallen to multi-decade lows as the COVID-19 pandemic has brought economic and industrial activity to a halt around the world. Oil consumption has plunged by 30% and is expected to decline by an average of 10% for the full year. As a result, the world is awash in a massive oversupply of crude oil that's expected to keep oil prices low for many months, and that's expected to cause it to take much longer for the oil industry to benefit from the eventual recovery of economic activity. That's made a massive swath of the oil patch uninvestable. We have already seen companies start to file bankruptcy, and the number that becomes insolvent is only going to grow longer in the weeks and months ahead. In other words, it's likely to get worse for many companies in the oil and gas industry before it gets better. But there are companies that have the financial strength and high-quality operations to ride out the downturn and emerge on the other side in fine shape. To help investors get started finding the best companies in the oil industry that can survive the oil crash, we asked four Motley Fool contributors to weigh in. They identified the following oil stocks for you to consider: Global oil production giant ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP), Big Oil giants Royal Dutch Shell (NYSE:RDS.B)(NYSE:RDS.A) and ExxonMobil Corp (NYSE:XOM), and midstream, refining, and petrochemicals giant Phillips 66 (NYSE:PSX). Built with a downturn in mind Matt DiLallo (ConocoPhillips): Oil giant ConocoPhillips has spent the past several years repositioning its business for another oil market crash. It found itself a bit underprepared for the market downturn of 2014, which drove its desire to make sure it was able to withstand another swoon. It made several changes over the years, including selling higher-cost assets and using the proceeds to strengthen its balance sheet. Because of that, ConocoPhillips entered this crash in a much better position than most peers. Not only does it have one of the lowest-cost operations in the sector, but it also has one of the strongest balance sheets. It started this year with $5.4 billion of cash and another $3 billion of short-term investments, which it paired with the second-lowest leverage ratio in the oil industry. That fortress-like balance sheet will help keep it afloat during the current market slump. The company also stress-tested its long-term business plan to assume three years of low oil prices with no mitigations. Even in that scenario, its balance sheet held up. However, it built a lot of flexibility into that plan so that it could adjust to market conditions. That allowed it to act quickly during this downturn to ensure it survives. Recently, ConocoPhillips has suspended its share repurchase program, slashed capital spending, and reduced other expenses. Those moves will preserve $5 billion in cash this year. These factors enhance ConocoPhillips' ability to survive 2020's oil market crash. Furthermore, its financial strength positions it to potentially take advantage of the situation by acquiring a rival at a depressed value. The rest of the best Jason Hall (Phillips 66): I agree with Matt that ConocoPhillips is the rare pure-play oil producer built to ride out the current environment. But I think the other part of the business that was separated in a 2012 spin-off -- Phillips 66 -- is the better business to own right now. While ConocoPhillips certainly has the financial strength to ride out the current extreme-low-price environment, the refining, petrochemicals, and pipeline business that makes up Phillips 66 should prove less impacted and be quicker to see the benefits of the eventual economic recovery. Phillips 66's core business is a little more insulated from the oil crash. It doesn't produce any oil, so it's not caught in the same boat as companies with oil production, selling their product for less than it costs to produce it. Next, its petrochemicals business has held up relatively well. Much of its demand is exclusive of transportation, with the feedstocks it makes being used for products like fertilizers and plastics for medical, industrial, and consumer products. Additionally, much of its pipeline business is focused on natural gas, which is used for petrochemicals and energy production. Neither of those demand sources have seen anything like the collapse that oil has. So yes, its refining and fuel marketing businesses will feel a big pinch. Gasoline and jet fuel demand has fallen by half and inventories of refined products are starting to fill. But with more than $5 billion in cash and liquidity it can tap in a pinch, the company will survive even a protracted downturn when other companies will fail. Most importantly, its businesses are more likely to see a quicker increase in demand when the economy does start coming back online. Size matters John Bromels (Royal Dutch Shell): Some of the best-positioned companies to weather the oil price crash are, of course, the integrated oil majors. Thanks to their size and the comparative strength of their balance sheets and credit ratings, they simply have more financial flexibility to power through a prolonged period of low oil prices. And because they all have extensive downstream (refining and marketing) operations, they aren't 100% dependent on energy prices the way smaller exploration and production companies are. In particular, Royal Dutch Shell looks strong right now. The company's best-in-class dividend yield has soared to 11.1%, which might make investors a bit nervous, but Shell did an admirable job of managing its finances through the last oil price downturn of 20142017 without a dividend cut, and looks poised to do so again. As of the end of 2019, Shell had $18.1 billion in cash and equivalents on its balance sheet. Meanwhile, its long-term debt load of $65.9 billion is on the lower end of the spectrum compared to its mega-oil peers, at 1.2 times EBITDA compared to a range of 0.9 times to 2.3 times. It has a high-grade credit rating of AA-/Aa2 from the major ratings agencies, which should ensure it can access additional capital if needed. Finally, Shell was quick to announce a 2020 capital and operational spending cut of about 20%, coupled with a suspension of its share buyback plan, which will help free up additional cash. Things may be rough in the oil industry in the coming months and years, but there's little doubt that Shell will make it out the other side intact. Size really matters Travis Hoium (ExxonMobil): I'm not a big fan of Big Oil in a lot of ways, but if we're talking about surviving the oil crash then there's no better place for your money to be. ExxonMobil's diversified business with refineries, chemical products, and pipelines, as well as its sheer scale is what I would bet on in the oil industry. You can see in the chart below that ExxonMobil's scale is something that can't be matched in most industries, whether you're looking at revenue or earnings. What ExxonMobil hasn't done is keep a big cash cushion on the balance sheet, as you can see, with just $3.1 billion of cash and equivalents. But that's because debt markets are typically open to the highly rated oil giant and it has big levers it can pull to cut expenses. It did just that earlier this month, cutting capital spending by $10 billion in 2020 and reducing operating expenses by 15%. Diversity plays a big role in why I think ExxonMobil is going to survive the oil crash, but the scale is the company's real advantage. It may be too big to fail, and right now that's an advantage in a cratering oil market. Wyoming is one of just four states around the country able to safely begin lifting restrictions on businesses imposed to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, a new analysis by the investment bank Raymond James said Friday. However, the report warned that no state is ready to fully lift pandemic restrictions, arguing a true reopening of the economy without a vaccine or an effective form of treatment would require a robust test, trace, and isolate strategy that our country does not yet have the infrastructure to execute. The report analyzed states ability to reopen based on criteria outlined in guidelines released by the federal government on April 16, which provide a three-phase plan for states to gradually lift social distancing restrictions imposed on businesses, schools and large public gatherings. Wyoming, which is considering lifting some restrictions on businesses like fitness centers, barbershops and beauty salons, already meets a number of the necessary criteria to begin entering into phase one of the federal governments recovery plan, including benchmarks for: numbers of hospitalizations and emerging antibody testing for health care workers; a downward trajectory of cases over a 14-day period; and a downward trajectory of patients exhibiting symptoms of influenza or COVID-19 over a 14-day period, among others. While 16 states have already begun lifting restrictions on businesses, only three others Kansas, Montana and Washington have met all of the guidelines recommended by the federal government before entering into phase one, which allows for the resumption of things like elective surgeries in hospitals while keeping social distancing guidelines and shelter-in-place recommendations intact. Phase one guidelines also allow some businesses like gymnasiums and large venues such as restaurants, places of worship and movie theaters to open if theyre able to maintain strict sanitation and social distancing guidelines. Caveats apply The analysis itself has numerous caveats. While the report does grade states as a whole, the reports authors are careful to note that many restrictions will need to be judged on a county-by-county basis based on region-specific conditions. This has been a point of emphasis for the state as it begins the process of reopening, introducing a new dashboard for counties to determine where they fall on six separate criteria. Further, the report argues that no states are truly ready to reopen according to the Opening Up America Again criteria, as many states still dont have widespread antibody testing available. This is true for Wyoming: In a news conference Thursday, state health officer Dr. Alexia Harrist urged caution in rolling out antibody testing across the state, saying some tests still lack scientific rigor and cannot gauge the scope of current cases the states priority right now. Meanwhile, recent figures suggest Wyoming still has a ways to go. While Wyoming has reached a point where it is stabilizing on four of its own criteria as of Thursday, total COVID-19 admissions reported by hospitals and the percent of cases that are attributable to community spread have remained concerning, according to Wyomings COVID-19 dashboard. As Ive said many times before our transition will be gradual with incremental steps, Gov. Mark Gordon wrote in a tweet accompanying the numbers. Our goal is to minimize public health risks and prevent clusters of new cases. The lack of testing has not stopped many states from considering reopening, particularly in the face of mounting public pressure and the immense strain that closures have had on governments and their economies. Wyoming, facing a significant drop in revenues due to the simultaneous downturn in its energy sector and the shutdown of much of its economy, has played host to a several small protests urging Gordon to re-open the economy. The governor has been quick to note the state never issued a shelter order, but a limited minority of conservative lawmakers have grown increasingly and publicly critical of the governor. These factors were noted by the analysts in their report, which while underlining unmet needs that continue to present a barrier to reopening has caused some states to move forward anyway. As we have said, these criteria seem warranted, but stringent, the report reads. Notably, they require all states to have ample capacity of antibody tests available for healthcare workers, yet these are newer and less available than diagnostic tests, and the data currently is less accessible. As people itch to return to normal life, states are beginning to ease up on mitigation protocols as several governors release timelines for reopening. Gordon, meanwhile, has continued to be clear on the guidelines for what will ultimately push the state to begin lifting restrictions: data and public safety. The health of our communities must come first in any plan to ease restrictions, Gordon wrote in a Facebook post on Friday. So, while we are anxious to invigorate our local economy, we are taking a measured approach. Not everything will open at once nor will business be the same. Social distancing remains an important component as we take the next steps. 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. An April 16 report by activist groups Athena and Hedge Clippers estimates that at approximately 75 of Amazons 110 fulfillment centers in the United States, at least one worker has tested positive for the coronavirus. This figure indicates that the coronavirus has spread to more than two thirds of Amazons warehouses. Considering the absence of systematic testing, the lack of adequate protection for employees and Amazons refusal to track and report cases, the report likely underestimates the extent of infection at the companys facilities. To draft their report, the groups, which are affiliated with trade unions and the Democratic Party, analyzed government health data and reports from local and national news sources. The analysis correctly notes that infection will spread dramatically in Amazons warehouses in the absence of necessary protective measures. This spread will endanger the lives of Amazons workers, Flex drivers, subcontracted delivery personnel and customers. Other analyses have arrived at different figures. United for Respect, a group that calls for policy changes to improve conditions for retail workers, states that the coronavirus has been detected at more than 130 Amazon warehouses in the US. This number includes fulfillment centers and smaller hubs. Some warehouses have had more than 30 cases, the group reports. The true number of coronavirus cases among Amazon workers is unclear, but it is undeniable that the virus has spread at an accelerating pace to facilities across the country. On Sunday, an Amazon warehouse in Jeffersonville, Indiana reported its third confirmed case of coronavirus. On April 11, two more workers tested positive at a warehouse in Charlotte, North Carolina, bringing the total of cases at facilities in the area to five. Recently, a worker reported the first confirmed case at his warehouse in Pennsylvania. As would be expected, Amazon disputed the conclusions of the report by Athena and Hedge Clippers. 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, said Amazon spokesperson Kristen Kish in an interview with Vice. The record demonstrates that this statement is false. As a public relations tactic, Amazon posted on its blog a list of steps it has taken to protect workers. The company boasts that it has distributed masks and has begun to check employees temperatures using thermal cameras when they report for work. The company also claims to provide paid time off to patients diagnosed with the virus, although many workers say that they have not received it. Amazon officials statements aim to conceal the companys criminal neglect. The first case of coronavirus in Washington, the state where Amazons headquarters is located, was reported on January 21. For weeks, the company did not provide gloves, masks or any kind of personal protective equipment to its workers. A full two months elapsed before CEO Jeff Bezos even mentioned masks in public. In a March 21 letter, the billionaire told his employees that they would have to wait their turn for masks. Furthermore, checking workers temperatures at the gate does not prevent transmission of the infection, since fever does not arise until days after infection. Workers who are infected but asymptomatic can unknowingly transmit the disease to their coworkers. The putatively benevolent practice of temperature screening also stigmatizes workers. It costs the company next to nothing and is purely cosmetic, as are all the measures Amazon has taken so far. A worker at an Amazon warehouse in Baltimore provided the World Socialist Web Site with a truer picture of the companys protective measures. Containers of sanitizing wipes recently appeared at the facility, each adorned with a notice that admonishes workers to use a wipe to sanitize your station at the start of your shift and when changing stations only. The companys stinginess and the inadequacy of this measure would be laughable if the potential consequences were not so severe. The worker also shared a photo of a wooden post to which two broken dispensers of hand sanitizer had been attached. One of the dispensers seemed in danger of falling from the post. A high majority of these are either broken or empty, the worker said. [Its] been this way for weeks. These broken dispensers show what Amazon means when it claims to have made ensuring the health and safety of its employees its top concern. In addition to being inadequate and largely token, these measures place the responsibility of avoiding infection on workers shoulders. The implied message is that workers are dirty and must clean themselves before they are fit to work for the company. Andrea Houtsch, who works at a fulfillment center in Hazleton, Pennsylvania, told local news that about three dozen cases of the coronavirus had been identified at her workplace. Despite all of Amazons talking points about our health and safety issues being top priority, the simple fact is that keeping the facilities open is in itself endangering workers lives, she said. This expanding public health crisis is a preview of what the whole country faces as President Donald Trump, presumptive Democratic candidate Joe Biden and other figures clamor for workers to be sent back to work. These conditions have compelled workers to fight. Workers shut down the Amazon facility in Queens, New York and have walked out of the Staten Island, New York facility twice. This week, more than 300 workers are calling in sick at facilities across the country. In the tradition of the robber barons, Amazon has fired workers who organized strikes, and has even fired a worker who had simply planned to strike. In the context of a historic pandemic, the companys silence about infected employees is sinister and downright criminal. Workers may get infected while they are not on the job, but Amazons negligence is increasing the risk of transmission at its warehouses and fulfillment and sortation centers. As Amazons share price reaches an all-time high, workers are risking their health and their lives simply by showing up at these facilities. The International Amazon Workers Voice (IAWV), published by the World Socialist Web Site , urges all workers to build rank-and-file committees to demand that information about coronavirus infections at Amazon facilities are made available to all Amazon workers. Workers rank-and-file committees must be independent of the trade unions and of activist groups affiliated with the Democratic Party, such as Athena, which received $15 million in funding from billionaire George Soros Open Society Foundation. These organizations oppose the independent mobilization of the working class, aiming instead to divert workers anger into fruitless appeals to the capitalist class. Workers must demand the immediate closure of all nonessential workplaces and the guarantee of full income to affected workers. Where essential work must continue, Amazon must ensure that workers receive the necessary protective measures, based on the best available medical evidence, to safeguard their health and lives. Immediate Action is needed from the U.S. and allies New York,New York, April 27, 2020immediately asked the United States to take action and protect religious freedoms. Within moments of the cowardly attacks against women and children;UNITED SIKHS rallied support from the international community, the U.S. Administration, Afghanistan authorities and Sikh Afghans on the ground to ensure that these attacks do not happen again. ISIS has taken responsibility for multi-day terrorist shootings that left more than 50 people dead. On March 28th, after back to back days of terrorist attacks directed at the Sikh community; Afghanistan immediately issued by decree a 10-day ultimatum for Sikhs to leave the country. The choices given were to convert, flee the country or face further attacks until all Sikhs are dead or gone. These threats are being taken seriously by UNITED SIKHS and have deemed the decree or fatwa as an affront to the Sikh Nation. UNITED SIKHS strongly asserts that the Islamic state attacks that took place in retaliation to the Feb. 2020 US/NATO/Coalition - Taliban agreement, the March military withdrawal and the withholding of aid to Afghanistan contributed to this violent and deadly outburst. UNITED SIKHS started their campaign in the U.S. with the State Department and the American Sikh Caucus Committee to bring the Afghan Sikhs and Hindus to a safe haven. Wanda Sanchez, Chief Legal Counsel and Acting Legal Director said, "President Trump's commitment and resolve to protect religious freedoms around the world is at this moment being tested. Sikhs, Hindus and other ethno-religious and religious groups, who during the past 18 years were protected by the United States', NATO's military and Coalition forces. That presence of stability has now come under terrorist attacks in the area after the February 2020 agreement with the Taliban. The agreement should now rightfully include protections for these minorities who were supporters during the occupation. Those protections should include granting refugee status and political asylum. The protections should also not be undermined by the administration's internal, protective, immigration agenda." The day after the first attack, UNITED SIKHS began working on obtaining security and safety for Sikhs in Afghanistan. UNITED SIKHS has partnered with the American Sikh Caucus Committee to move the issue of their safety and their migration forward. Harpreet Singh Sandhu, Executive Director, American Sikh Caucus said, "UNITED SIKHS was the first organization to reach out after the incident and we immediately reached out to the members of the Sikh Caucus. Our team quickly made contact with Congressmen , John Garamendi, Jim Acosta, Eliot Engel, House Foreign Affair, Senator Dick Durban and several international bodies of governance." Sandhu also added, "We are thankful to Congressman Jim Acosta and others we have personally asked to assist with this urgent issue." Gurvinder Singh, International Humanitarian Aid Director said, " Numerous discussions have taken place in which multiple options were discussed with the State Department by UNITED SIKHS . Sam Brownback, Ambassador on Religious Freedoms has been key in having a direct dialogue with India and Pakistan. We now call upon President Trump, to order an executive action to provide safe harbor to Sikh Afghans in the USA immediately. UNITED SIKHS is thankful to Ambassador Sam Brownback and the Afghanistan government in enhancing their immediate security. We hope the U.S. can keep the minority community safe from further attacks." The future for Afghan Sikhs is dim and changing daily. The wishes of the Afghan Sikhs and Hindus is towards India as a first choice because of extended families residing in India. If India cannot accommodate them, then Pakistan as an interim country to apply as refugees to Canada, UK and the United States. UNITED SIKHS, Executive Director Jagdeep Singh, reported, " Humanitarian crises such as the one recently endured by Afghan Sikhs should not be mistaken as someone else's problem. Left unchecked in any country, these types of massacres manifest themselves in other parts of the world. " UNITED SIKHS will continue to work with the United Nations, and other world governments and Sikhs in Afghanistan by providing necessary advocacy and humanitarian needs towards their resettlement in other countries. About UNITED SIKHS: UNITED SIKHS is a U.N. affiliated, international non-profit, non-governmental, humanitarian relief, human development and advocacy organization, aimed at empowering those in need, especially disadvantaged and minority communities across the world. UNITED SIKHS is registered: as a non-profit tax exempt organization pursuant to Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code in the USA; as a Registered Charity in England and Wales under the Charities Act 1993, Charity Number 111 2055; registered in Australia as a not for profit NGO (ABN 24 317 847 103); and is a registered NGO in Belgium; as a non-profit organization in Canada; under the Societies Registration Act 1860 in Panjab and as a tax exempt organisation under section 80G of the Income Tax Act 1961; under the French Association Law 1901; under the Societies Registration Act 1860 in Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa, Pakistan; as a registered society under the Registrar of Societies in Malaysia (registered as UNITED SIKHS Malaysia Humanitarian Aid Organisation- Regn No: PPM-015-14-06042015); and an NGO pending registration in the Rep of Ireland.: US farmers may have to kill millions of animals and create mass burial graves across the heartland because of COVID-19. The coronavirus pandemic is pushing the food supply chain to its limits. Plant shutdowns are leaving Americans dangerously close to seeing meat shortages at grocery stores. Meanwhile, farmers are facing the likely culling of millions of animals and mass burial graves could soon be dug across the heartland. The food supply chain is breaking, said John Tyson, chairman of Tyson Foods Inc., the biggest U.S. meat company. Outbreaks are forcing the closure of some of the countrys biggest slaughterhouses, where tens of thousands of animals are processed daily. As the plants shutter, producers are left with nowhere to sell their livestock. Its forcing farmers to make gut-wrenching decisions to dispose of their animals. The situation is so severe that the U.S. government is setting up a center partly to assist on depopulation and disposal methods. Millions of pounds of meat will disappear as plants close, Tyson said in a blog post on the companys website. In addition to meat shortages, this is a serious food waste issue. Farmers across the nation simply will not have anywhere to sell their livestock to be processed, when they could have fed the nation. Millions of animals chickens, pigs and cattle will be depopulated. His comments echoed warnings from Smithfield Foods Inc., the worlds No. 1 pork producer, and JBS SA, the biggest global meat company, that consumers are likely to see meat shortfalls. Almost a third of U.S. pork capacity is down, and JBS said Sunday it will shutter another beef production facility in Wisconsin. Brazil, the worlds No. 1 shipper of chicken and beef, saw its first major closure with the halt of a poultry plant, and key operations are also down in Canada, the latest being a British Columbia poultry plant. While hundreds of plants in the Americas are still running, the staggering acceleration of supply disruptions is alarming. Taken together, the U.S., Brazil and Canada account for about 65% of world meat trade. Its absolutely unprecedented, said Brett Stuart, president of Denver-based consulting firm Global AgriTrends. Its a lose-lose situation where we have producers at the risk of losing everything and consumers at the risk of paying higher prices. Restaurants in a week could be out of fresh ground beef. Meat prices are surging on the supply disruptions. U.S. wholesale beef has surged to a record, and wholesale pork soared almost 30% last week. Jersey Mikes Franchise Systems Inc., which has 1,750 stores across the U.S., is working with its ham supplier Clemens Food Group to ensure its supply of pork, something they sell quite a bit of in their sub sandwiches. Were backing it up already because of the coming we feel the coming shortages, said Peter Cancro, chief executive officer. To be sure, some plants have restarted after testing workers and improving conditions, and most Brazilian facilities are still operating. Another point to consider: There havent yet been big shutdowns in Europe. The European Union accounts for about a fifth of global meat exports, U.S. government data show. It should be noted that the output from a plant where infection pops up doesnt pose health concerns because by all accounts Covid-19 isnt a food-borne illness. Products from a farm or a production plant with a confirmed case can still be sent out for distribution. But a production halt means that theres no new supplies. And these shutdowns are happening at a time when global meat supplies were already tight. China, the worlds top hog producer, has been battling an outbreak of African swine fever, which destroyed millions of the countrys pigs. Plus the virus is hitting production after some meat companies had already taken steps to slow output because of the closure of restaurants around the world. Inventories can provide some cushion, though they may not last long. Total American meat supplies in cold-storage facilities are equal to roughly two weeks of production. With most plant shutdowns lasting about 14 days for safety reasons, that further underscores the potential for deficits. Meanwhile, plants are also facing a labor crunch as employees fall ill. Its been reported that a large chicken-processing company was forced to kill 2 million of its birds earlier this month because of worker shortages. Some North American hog producers are also disposing of their animals. A farmer in eastern Canada eastern culled fully grown animals that were ready for the slaughterhouse while a Manitoba producer is looking to euthanize 3,000 piglets this week, said Rick Bergmann, chair of the Canadian Pork Council. The situation is even more challenging in the U.S. amid a significant wave of shutdowns, and our hearts go out to our American neighbors that are going through such a deep, dark time, he said. Its a horrific topic, Bergmann said in an interview with Bloomberg TV. Its something that we just dont want to do and we just dont know how else to deal with this because of the processing-plant challenge. The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced it will establish a coordination center to help livestock and poultry producers hurt by plant closures. The USDAs Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service will offer direct support to producers whose animals cannot move to market and work with state veterinarians and other public officials to help identify potential alternative markets as plant shutdowns increase, according to a release posted on the agencys website. Its hard to say exactly why the virus is spreading so fast among meat-plant employees. Some analysts have cited the fact that these are usually low-paying jobs that are often filled by immigrants and migrants. That means workers can live in cramped quarters, with sometimes more than one family sharing the same dwelling so if one person gets sick, the disease can spread quickly. Employees are also in close proximity on the job, with the work on some processing lines being described as elbow-to-elbow. Even if line speeds are slowed, workers spread out and shifts are staggered, theres still the chance of mingling in break rooms, hallways and shared transportation to often far-flung sites. These plants see thousands of people coming in and out every day its basically the opposite of social distancing. At the same time, U.S. federal employees responsible for inspecting meat plants are falling ill. More than 100 inspection-service employees have tested positive for Covid-19, the government confirmed. At least two deaths of inspectors have been reported. U.S. inspectors travel among facilities. Thats adding to fears that shutdowns will keep occurring if a sick federal employee brings the infection to plants where theres not yet an outbreak. During this pandemic, our entire industry is faced with an impossible choice: continue to operate to sustain our nations food supply or shutter in an attempt to entirely insulate our employees from risk, Smithfield said in a statement Friday. Its an awful choice; its not one we wish on anyone. For more coverage, visit our complete coronavirus section here. A Paris hospital network study suggests that regular smokers may be safer from COVID-19 infection than the general public, according to reports by Radio France Internationale and the Guardian. Researchers from multiple institutions found that of the roughly 11,000 patients hospitalized in the citys public hospitals for the coronavirus at the start of April, only 8.5 percent were smokers, compared to 25.4 percent of the general public. But the studys authors warned that the findings should not be viewed as a carte blanche to start smoking cigarettes. The dangers of the habit are well-documented: It causes heart disease and lung cancer, and kills half of those who take it up. Moreover, the smokers who did catch COVID-19 often developed more severe symptoms because of the cumulative damage caused by tobacco smoke to the lungs. French researchers intend to test nicotine patches on coronavirus patients and frontline health care workers, according to the Guardian. Clinical trials are planned but must be approved by French health officials first. The study took a closer look at 482 patients at the Pitie-Salpetriere hospital who tested positive for the coronavirus. Of those, 343 were hospitalized with the remainder, whose symptoms were less serious, being sent home. The smoking rate of the hospitalized patients, whose median age was 65, was 4.4%. Of those treated at home, whose median age was 44, 5.3% smoked. Those figures might not be that surprising in the United States, where only 14 percent of adults smoke. In France, however, about 40% of those aged 44-53 and between 8.8% and 11.3% of those aged 65-75 are smokers, according to French health authority Sante Publique France. Our cross-sectional study strongly suggests that those who smoke every day are much less likely to develop a symptomatic or severe infection with Sars-CoV-2 compared with the general population, the Pitie-Salpetriere report authors wrote. The effect is significant. It divides the risk by five for ambulatory patients and by four for those admitted to hospital. We rarely see this in medicine. The Guardian reported that French neurobiologist Jean-Pierre Changeux, who reviewed the study, suggested the nicotine might stop the virus from reaching cells in the body, preventing its spread. Nicotine may also inhibit the bodys immune system from overreacting in the cytokine storm effect found in the most serious cases of COVID-19 infection. But the chief of Frances national health agency, Jerome Salomon, cautioned that the nicotine link is only an unproven hypothesis at this stage. The findings confirmed those of a Chinese COVID-19 study published last month in the New England Journal of Medicine. That report found that 12.6% of 1,099 of COVID-19 patients were smokers, while the smoking rate in China is around 28%. MORE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE: Sign up for 'The Daily' newsletter for the latest on coronavirus here. Mike Moffitt is an SFGATE Digital Reporter. Email: moffitt@sfgate.com. Twitter: @Mike_at_SFGate Just 41 deaths due to the coronavirus were reported on Sunday afternoon, one day after nearly 200 were reported. That pushes the total number of deaths to 3,315 for Michigan, keeping the state ranked third in the number of fatalities, behind only New York and New Jersey. In terms of the number of confirmed cases, Michigan ranks seventh with 37,778. The number of new cases was 575, similar to Saturdays update, when 562 new cases were reported. Last Sunday, April 19, the state reported 633 cases, and then the next day had 576, but on Tuesday and Wednesday, April 21-22, the state added 967 and 999. On Thursday and Friday, the number of new cases rose to 1,325 and 1,350. A new rule for businesses The Sunday update came as Gov. Gretchen Whitmer defended her extension of the stay-at-home order, stretching it to May 15 but lifting some restrictions, allowing some outdoor activities and businesses to operate. That is our best weapon to defeat this enemy, she wrote in an editorial in The Detroit News. Every unnecessary trip out of the house, and any unnecessary close contact with people could help spread the virus. She said all businesses must provide masks or face coverings to employees to keep the workplace and consumers safe, noting that medical-grade masks should be saved for healthcare workers and first responders. While this is an executive order, signed Sunday by the governor, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said she is asking law enforcement to consider the good faith efforts of businesses that have tried, but been unsuccessful, in obtaining appropriate face coverings when deciding whether to take criminal enforcement action against a non-compliant business. The attorney general said the Monday deadline for businesses to provide masks or face coverings could be a difficult task for some businesses given limited supplies. New cases The hardest hit area remains Wayne County, with Detroit adding 65 cases and the rest of the county adding 135 cases. Detroit and the rest of Wayne County each added 10 new deaths on Sunday. Oakland County added just 47 new cases and eight new deaths. Macomb County added 64 cases and three deaths. In Mid-Michigan, there were no new cases or deaths reported in Isabella, Clare, or Gratiot counties. In the past two weeks, since April 12, the state has seen its total case load jump by 13,140, or a 53.3% increase. In that time, the number of deaths has increased from 1,487 by 1,828, an increase of 123%. Where we stand now Overall, Detroit remains the community with the most cases, standing at 8,613 with 922 deaths. The rest of Wayne County has 7,135 cases with 658 deaths. Next is Oakland County, with 6,928 and 620 deaths. Macomb County stands at 5,203 deaths and 520 deaths. Genesee County has 1,467 cases with 161 deaths, adding 15 cases and four deaths. Washtenaw County has 1,001 cases with 50 deaths. The Michigan prison system has 1,031 cases with 32 deaths, adding just five cases and one death. Three counties crossed thresholds on Sunday: * Kent County added 102 cases to reach 1,031 cases, with 32 total deaths * Ingham County now has 406 cases with nine deaths, adding 11 new confirmed cases * St. Clair County added just five cases but reached 302; the county also has 18 total deaths * Calhoun County added 11 cases to reach 202, having 10 total deaths. Breaking down the data The coronavirus remains most dangerous to older people, especially men. The average age of those killed is 74.3 years with the median age standing at 76 years. While men make up just 45% of the total cases, they make up 55% of the deaths. The breakdown of overall cases by are is fairly even, with: * 50-59 year olds making up the biggest group (19%), * 60-to-69 year olds (18%) * 40-to-49 year olds (16%) * 30-to-39 year olds (13%) * 70-to-79 year olds (12%) * 80-and-older (11%) * 20-to-29 year olds (10%). However, those 80 and older make up 39% of deaths, and the 70-79 year olds make up 28%. Then those between 60 and 69 make up 19% of deaths. Overall the state says its fatality rate is 9%. The big picture Worldwide, the number of deaths has topped 205,000, and the number of cases is nearly 3 million, according to John Hopkins University of Medicine. In the United States, the total number of confirmed cases is approaching one million, standing on Sunday at 956,292 total cases with 54,175 deaths, both leading the world. Spain, Italy, France, and the United Kingdom are the other countries with at least 20,000 deaths confirmed to have involved COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. Their number of cases ranged from 150,000 to 228,000. By Troy Stangarone More than 2.9 million people have contracted the coronavirus and over 207,000 have died as of April 27. The vast majority of those infections and deaths have been in the United States, Europe and China. While developing countries have so far been spared the worst of COVID-19, they often lack the resources needed to deal with the crisis and are seeing an increasing number of infections. A situation they share with many developed countries. One of the characteristics of this crisis has been the shortage of personal protective equipment. In the United States, individuals have been encouraged to make their own face masks at home. Similarly, the United Kingdom would not have enough face masks if it required its citizens to wear them outside. Medical gowns and gloves have also been in short supply around the world. For those who contracted COVID-19 and are hospitalized ventilators are often required. In Italy, the shortage of ventilators forced doctors to make the difficult choice about who might be responsive to treatment and which patients should be sent home without care. Dealing with the health crisis, as South Korea has demonstrated, also requires access to an adequate supply of test kits to track and trace COVID-19's progression in society. For countries hoping to avoid the types of economic lockdowns seen in Italy, and to a lesser extent the United States; or to restart economic activity this is also a necessity. While shortages of personal protective equipment have been a challenge for many countries, the shortage of ventilators is especially severe in some African countries. According to the International Rescue Committee, the Central African Republic has just three ventilators. South Sudan has only four ventilators, while Sierra Leone has 13. For countries lacking in the equipment to deal with the coronavirus, this is unlikely to be just a short-term challenge. The head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the U.S. has noted that there could be a second wave of COVID-19 infections in the fall that is worse than the current outbreak. In the absence of a vaccine or drugs that can treat COVID-19, countries will need access to tools such as test kits, face masks, medical gowns, gloves, and ventilators to deal with the crisis. The development of a vaccine or a drug that can successfully treat COVID-19 may be a year away, making preparations for the months ahead more urgent. The coronavirus may be with us for the foreseeable future. As the crisis has eased in South Korea, it has played an increasingly important role in helping other countries manage COVID-19. In early April, South Korea hosted 400 health professionals from 13 countries to explain its containment measures. The South Korea government has also helped to arrange commercial purchases of test kits by governments and private entities, including the purchase of over 100,000 test kits by Morocco. While commercial transactions will help to meet some of the need in developing countries, providing humanitarian assistance will also be necessary in dealing with the crisis. At the emergency ASEAN + 3 summit, President Moon Jae-in said that South Korea would respond to the fullest extent possible to the humanitarian needs of ASEAN and others. South Korea has also had discussions with the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees about how it can provide assistance. Some of this is beginning to take shape with South Korean offers of assistance to Indonesia, Iran and other countries, but more than 120 countries have sought South Korean produced test kits for purchase or donation as a result of the success Seoul has had in managing COVID-19. With concerns over the quality of aid provide by China to European countries, South Korea may become a preferred destination for the supply of test kits and other medical supplies. The most direct way to provide aid to countries in need is to appropriate funds for government assistance as part of a new special budget. This aid could even have a small benefit for South Korea's struggling airline industry. Aid could be flown to its recipients by Korean Air and Asiana Airlines. While delivering aid shipments won't resolve the challenges Korean Air and Asiana face, it would be a commercial means to provide a degree of support to both airlines as they deal with the collapse of international air travel. There is also a need to think longer-term. In 2018, the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) spent $112.5 million on healthcare. If the COVID-19 crisis has highlighted any issue, it's the need for improved healthcare. Providing additional funding for KOICA to build healthcare capacity in developing countries will be a critical task in lessening the impact of future health crises. South Korea's success in managing COVID-19 has opened up new commercial opportunities, but the crisis is also creating humanitarian needs. South Korea can play an important role in that space as well. Troy Stangarone (ts@keia.org) is the senior director of congressional affairs and trade at the Korea Economic Institute. Covid-19 frontline warrior, sub-inspector Harjeet Singh, whose hand was dismembered by a group of Nihangs (warrior order) on April 12 in Patiala, is a proud man today because of the enthusiastic response to the #MainBhiHarjeetSingh social media campaign launched by Punjab police on Monday to show solidarity with him. I had never thought or imagined that I would get such a huge reward, Harjeet Singh said in a phone call with Hindustan Times from his bed at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh. As top policemen and others in khaki replaced their name badges with his, the sub-inspector said it was not just pride but an emotional moment for me. I and my family will cherish this reward throughout our lives. The thought that the entire police force is standing by my side will keep me and my family in high spirits and help us emerge from these trying times, he added. He said he also wanted to share this reward with all the police personnel who were present when they were attacked by the Nihangs and gave a befitting reply to them. What added to his joy, Harjeet Singh said, was the news of security forces from across the country enthusiastically participating in the campaign. I will always be grateful to Punjab director general of police Dinkar Gupta and Patialas senior superintendent of police Mandeep Singh Sidhu for supporting me and my family in these hard times, Harjeet Singh said. Where his medical condition is concerned, he is now able to feel movement in his left hand. Thanking doctors and other medical staff at PGIMER for putting all their efforts in saving his life, he says he is eager to rejoin duty and serve Punjab police with high spirits and honesty. Patiala SSP Sidhu said campaigns such as #MainBhiHarjeetSingh will help boost the morale of the entire police force fighting the Covid-19 battle as frontline warriors. I have never witnessed in my career such a campaign launched to give respect to the forces heroics. It gives a clear message to the force that Punjab police will always stand by its personnel through thick and thin, the SSP said. Terming it a great and proud moment for the family, Harjeet Singhs brother Gurmeet Singh said, We will never forget the respect shown to Harjeet not only by Punjab police but also by the people of Punjab in praying for his health. The family, which was in deep shock after the attack on the sub-inspector , felt its spirits uplifted because of the support from top Punjab police officials, he added. Harjeet Singhs 24-year-old son Arshpreet Singh said his fathers act of exemplary courage and bravery had been recognised by the police force across the state. The family will always be thankful to Punjab police for being with and supporting the family through these hard times, he said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Comite Champagne reveals free online course for drinks trade professionals Comite Champagne has launched an official online learning course for those in the drinks trade. The platform (www.champagne-mooc.com) offers insight designed for anyone who wants to improve their knowledge of presenting, tasting and selling Champagne. The courses are aimed at sommeliers, wine merchants, buyers and sales representatives. There are two versions available: the Classic Version and the Premium Version. The Classic version, which is free, provides access to four educational modules: the Champagne making process; the Champagne terroir; the history and economy of Champagne; and diversity and tasting. The Premium version costs E49 and has the same four education modules offered on the Classic course, but with additional content including: extra videos, a test to assess the delegates knowledge and the option to receive an official statement of completion. The total course runs for less than five hours and the platform is available 24 hours a day, every day, with the option to start and pause at any time. The platform is available in French and English with the possibility of subtitles in German, English, Chines, Spanish, Italian, Japanese and Russian. Francoise Peretti, director of Champagne Bureau UK, said: At a time when we find ourselves in great need of control over our own lives, the Champagne MOOC provides the ideal tool to learn and acquire new skills while being entertained and travelling virtually to the most famous wine region in the world." Comite Champagne also has a 360 degree virtual reality Champagne experience available. Related articles: TELEMMGLPICT000215296659.jpeg Ministers have pledged to prevent alleged killers using the fifty shades defence of rough sex to counter murder charges. The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and Home Office are preparing to enshrine in law that consent cannot be used as a defence to actual bodily harm. We have committed to ensuring the law is clear that this defence is unacceptable. We are looking at options on how to achieve this, said the Ministry of Justice in a statement to The Daily Telegraph. It will be debated today (Tues) as part of the Government's proposed new domestic abuse bill where three amendments have been put forward as options to prevent a defendant using a murder victims prior agreement to violent sex as an excuse for their subsequent death. They are being submitted by a cross-party group of MPs including former deputy Labour leader Harriet Harman and the Conservative MP Mark Garnier. The first would enshrine in law a House of Lords ruling, known as R v Brown, where a group of men who willingly engaged in sado-masochistic sex were convicted of wounding and assault despite their defence claims that it was consensual. The second would require the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to be consulted before any decision was taken to reduce a charge from murder to manslaughter because of a defence of rough sex. The third would give someone killed in a sex session the same right to anonymity in court as a living rape victim, a move that would ease the suffering of family or relatives forced to listen to lurid claims by the defence about the sex life of their deceased loved one. At least 60 British women have been killed in episodes of so-called "consensual" sexual violence since 1972, with at least 18 women dying in the last five years, according to the advocacy group We Can't Consent To This. In 45 per cent of those killings, the claim that a woman's injuries were sustained during a sex game "gone wrong" resulted in a lesser charge, a lighter sentence, an acquittal, or the death not being investigated, they say. Story continues Earlier this year police criticised the rough sex defence in the trial of the killer of Grace Millane, the 21 year old Essex backpacker murdered in New Zealand, warning that the term retraumatises victims and their families. Ms Harman, a former solicitor general, said failure to change the law would be a missed opportunity and it would not be enough simply to amend prosecution and sentencing guidance to prevent the defence being used. No one doubts the Governments recognition of this problem and their commitment to tackling it but the stark reality is that nothing except legislation will stop this horrific crime, she said. We want it to be in statute alongside all the other measures on domestic violence. Mr Garnier has campaigned on behalf of Natalie Connolly, 26, whose killer, millionaire property developer John Broadhurst, was convicted of manslaughter by gross negligence after insisting she had died because of rough sex she had consented to. He was jailed for less than four years. Her reputation was dragged through the mud, said Mr Garnier. This was quite brutal to the family. What we are trying to do is to find a way in which we can have anonymity for the victim in this type of case. During the election, Boris Johnson was asked by campaigners led by Ms Harman, Mr Garnier and Victims'Commissioner Dame Vera Baird to reintroduce the domestic abuse bill with an amendment outlawing the rough sex defence. To which Mr Johnson replied: Yes, absolutely like many others I was frustrated that this bill couldnt progress because of the gridlock in Parliament. If we are elected with a majority, well bring this Bill back as soon as possible. I agree with Harriet Harman that the 50 shades defence is unacceptable and well make sure the law is clear on this. Barbara Corcoran of ABCs Shark Tank has been on the reality show panel since its premiere in 2009. Hearing countless pitches over the years, the real estate mogul has learned which aspiring entrepreneurs have the potential to make successful business partners. Corcoran recently revealed which one of her deals has brought in the biggest return on her investment, and which pair of entrepreneurs are the most fun. Barbara Corcoran of Shark Tank | Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images Shark Tank star focuses on the entrepreneur rather than the business As a sought-after Shark, Corcoran tends to go with her gut on making deals. The millionaire investor pays more attention to the pitcher than the product when an entrepreneur is in the Tank. When Im sitting on the Shark Tank set, Im looking for something far more important than a good business, she told Parade. Im looking for someone I can trust and Im shopping for talent. When it comes to choosing a partner, Corcoran isnt interested in fancy degrees or credentials but rather wants a business owner who is resilient when times get tough. I want to buy into the entrepreneur who can take a hit and keep on ticking, the real estate guru shared. They dont have to be the smartest person, but they have to be the most persistent. When I choose the right entrepreneur, the business always works out. And when I dont, I lose my money. Shark Tank success story When Brian and Michael Speciale appeared in Season 9 on Shark Tank, they were seeking a $50,000 investment for 20 percent of their blanket-sweatshirt hybrid company, The Original Comfy. After receiving offers from Robert Herjavec, who wanted 50 percent of the business, and Corcoran who was asking for just 30 percent, the brothers went with the real estate icon. Corcorans investment paid off big time, where the product is now the most profitable of all her deals. My most successful company to date is The Original Comfy, the Shark Tank star said. Its an oversized blanket-sweatshirt created by two smart brothers and comes in a bunch of colors. At $39.99 each, everyone seems to want one, so weve made $150 million dollars so far. Despite having to relinquish more equity than they anticipated, the Speciale brothers have no regrets. Even though we ended up giving up 30 percent of the business, it was well worth it, Brian explained. There is nothing like having the power of a Shark behind your company. Our goal was to get a deal, and we got it. Barbara Corcoran prefers the company of Cousins Always up for a good time, Corcoran has a soft spot for a pair of entrepreneurs she invested in during Season 4 on Shark Tank for their food truck business specializing in a seafood delicacy. I have the most fun with Jim [Tselikis] and Sabin [Lomac] of Cousins Maine Lobster, Corcoran revealed. They are smart, energetic, super hardworking and theyve made me a lot of money. On top of that they are young, good looking and always flirtatious! What more could a girl want? Corcoran struck a deal with the cousins in 2012, investing $55,000 into the company for a 15 percent equity stake. Four years later, the company brought in $20 million in sales and has grown into franchising, kiosks, and restaurants. Barbaras influence on the company was felt from day one, Tselikis said, according to CNBC. Our relationship with Barbara went way beyond the short segment on TV, becoming a true, long-term partnership. With many small businesses facing major drops in sales due to the coronavirus crisis, Corcoran has been encouraging her entrepreneurs to think of innovative ways to reach their customers. She recently praised Tselikis and Lomac for pivoting their business to focus on neighborhood delivery after a serious decline in foot traffic. Their sales were off almost 70%, the Shark Tank investor said, according to Yahoo! Finance. Now, theyre off 40%, thats a sizable difference. Cousins Maine Lobster also created take-home kits for people to make their own lobster rolls at home and is consistently donating meals to hospital staff. My Shark Tank companies are making me very proud right now, Corcoran wrote in Business Insider earlier this month. They continue to blow me away with their creativity and dogged efforts to reinvent themselves and change their business models. Watch ABCs Shark Tank on Friday nights! (HedgeCo.Net) The Commodity Futures Trading Commission has announced that the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York entered a consent order of permanent injunction against defendants Simon Jousef of Ontario, Canada and his business, FuturesFX, imposing more than $1.7 million in civil monetary and equitable relief. The injunction and sanctions resolve a CFTC enforcement action filed on September 10, 2019 [See CFTC Press Release No. 8006-19]. The CFTCs complaint charged the defendants with fraudulently soliciting members and prospective members in the United States and other countries to subscribe to a trading system that included a supposedly live foreign exchange (forex) and commodity futures online trading room, educational videos, and online support. The CFTC also charged Jousef with making false or misleading statements to the National Futures Association (NFA). The consent order requires the defendants to pay jointly and severally restitution of $1.3 million to defrauded members and a $450,000 civil monetary penalty. The order also imposes certain permanent trading and registration bans against all defendants and a permanent injunction prohibiting them from further violating provisions of the Commodity Exchange Act and CFTC regulations, as charged. The order finds that from at least July 1, 2014, to on or about January 31, 2016, Jousef and FuturesFX fraudulently promoted and sold access to the trading system ostensibly to provide, among other things, a methodology for determining when to enter and exit forex and commodity futures contracts. According to the order, to induce members and prospective members to purchase subscriptions to the trading system, defendants made numerous materially false and misleading statements and omissions on the companys websites, in the online trade room, and in email advertisements. The order also finds that, as a result of the fraudulent solicitation scheme, defendants received approximately $1.3 million in subscription fees from more than 300 members located in the United States and abroad. In addition, the order finds that Jousef knowingly made false or misleading statements regarding material facts to the NFA when he submitted annual CTA registration updates concerning FuturesFXs predecessor company. New Delhi, April 27 : At least 64 staffers, including doctors and nurses, of Delhi's Babu Jagjivan Ram Memorial Hospital have tested positive for coronavirus so far. According to the hospital - a non-Covid establishment, some family members of the staffers have also reported positive, although the total list of relatives was not available with the hospital administration. "As of Monday, the total numbers staffers who tested positive for coronavirus has reached 64. Also, the relatives/families of our staffers tested positive. However, their information is not available with the hospital," a hospital source told IANS. About 70 per cent of the staffers who tested positive for Covid-19 were asymptomatic. Among the staffers IANS contacted on Sunday, a doctor and a nurse confirmed that their family members have tested positive for coronavirus. Also, the family of one more staffer has also tested positive on Monday, along with the security staff. Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Monday said about 80-90 health workers in the national capital have tested positive for coronavirus, with majority from the non-Covid hospitals. Addressing the media, he said the cases are not being reported from the Covid-dedicated hospitals. "We have found that in the Covid-dedicated hospitals the staffers are not testing positive. The health workers from the non-Covid hospitals are testing positive," Jain said. The Health Minister also said that the health workers in a non-Covid hospital should believe that any person can be a carrier of coronavirus. "Masks and hand gloves are important. Also, a minimum distance from all the patients is also important," he said. He also said that the cases of health workers becoming infected has also to do with the location where the health workers are staying."In the Babu Jagjivan hospital, a large section of the people were living in Jahangirpuri -- which is already a Covid hotspot." In the North district, total seven containment zones have been formed so far by the administration. Out of these, six locations are in densely populated Jahangirpuri -- in B, C, H, G, K Blocks and Sanjay Enclave. The 100-bed city government hospital, located in Jahangirpuri, has about 500 staffers, including the doctors, para-medics, nurses, sanitation workers, security staff and non-medical staff. Delhi's total Covid patient count has reached about 3,000. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) The Chinese city of Wuhan, where the global coronavirus pandemic began, now has no remaining cases in its hospitals, health officials said yesterday. But the country remains on alert for a second possible wave, with Beijing reimposing some of its lockdown measures and other cities seeing new quarantines. Wuhan and the province of Hubei were put in lockdown near the end of January, with roads sealed, trains and planes cancelled and residents unable to move freely for more than two months. The city is still testing residents regularly despite relaxing most restrictions. A woman who has recovered coronavirus is disinfected as she arrives at a hotel for a 14-day quarantine after being discharged from a hospital in Wuhan The city had reported 46,452 cases, 56 per cent of the national total. It saw 3,869 fatalities, or 84 per cent of China's reported, yet disputed, total. National Health Commission spokesman Mi Feng announced: 'The number of new coronavirus patients in Wuhan was at zero, thanks to the joint efforts of Wuhan and medical staff from around the country.' The focus has since shifted to the northeast border province of Heilongjiang, which has seen large numbers of imported coronavirus cases entering from Russia. The border town of Suifenhe, with its 70,000 population, went into lockdown at the start of the month while nearby Harbin, home to 10 million, has become the new battlefront. Staff members line up at attention as they prepare to spray disinfectant at Wuhan Railway Station on Friday And 1,000 miles away in Beijing, the authorities opened gyms and swimming pools only to quickly close them again to prevent any spread. The district of Chaoyang is home to many expats and international offices and was put down into quarantine measures after travellers began to return, infecting Beijing locals who had stayed at home. There were no signs of any worry yesterday as people packed into a flower market in Suzhou city, in east China's Jiangsu province. A worker inspect facilities on an upstream oil drilling platform at the Total oil platform at Amenem, 35 kilometers away from Port Harcourt in the Niger Delta in 2009. As international oil companies (IOCs) grapple with a historic plunge in crude prices, a rise in piracy is also poised to threaten supply chains. The first quarter of 2020 saw a spike in piracy around the world, with 47 attacks compared to 38 for the same period last year, according to the International Maritime Bureau (IMB). The Gulf of Guinea, a key production hub surrounded by eight oil exporting countries in West Africa, has emerged as a global hot spot, accounting for 21 attacks so far this year and 90% of all kidnappings at sea in 2019. Most attacks still occur in Nigerian waters, but piracy is expected to rise in 2020 and 2021 and expand further into neighboring states, posing serious concerns for shipping and international oil companies, according to research by political risk consultancy Verisk Maplecroft. The number of crew kidnapped off the Gulf of Guinea climbed 50% to 121 in 2019, up from 78 in 2018, and the Gulf has now surpassed more well-known areas such as the Strait of Malacca a waterway which separates Malaysia and Singapore from Indonesia to become the global hotspot. "This trend will continue into 2020 and into 2021 as regional security forces, hampered by security hot spots across the continent, and a lack of adequate equipment, continue to be unable to effectively tackle piracy," Alexandre Raymakers, senior Africa analyst at Verisk Maplecroft, said in a research note. "The prospect of international assistance is equally remote as international shipping routes avoid the Gulf of Guinea. Both regional shipping and oil and gas operators should expect further disruptions to supply chains, export routes and increased costs as more ransom payments will be necessary to liberate crews." Around 60% of incidents in 2019 occurred in Nigerian territorial waters, specifically in the areas surrounding the Niger Delta and, to a lesser extent, the shipping hub of the Port of Lagos. Raymakers highlighted that the socio-economic factors underpinning these incidents were unlikely to change. If you consume what the mainstream media dishes out, then you are probably aware of claims by many of its outlets that the Trump administration tapped a dog breeder, Brian Harrison, to run its response to the Wuhan coronavirus. Special Report: Former Labradoodle breeder was tapped to lead U.S. pandemic task force, Reuters blared. Not a Joke: The Trump Admin Hired a Dog Breeder to Run Its Coronavirus Task Force, claimed Vanity Fair. The Daily Beast chimed in with a report that Azar Tapped Ex-Dog Breeder to Lead Early Federal Coronavirus Task Force. MSNBC demanded to know Why would a former dog breeder help oversee a pandemic? These claims are grossly misleading. Harrison briefly owned a family business raising Labradoodles. However, he has served in important posts at HHS, the White House, and the Pentagon. In addition, his private sector experience includes work as a director at an independent public affairs firm, where he helped oversee its healthcare portfolio Moreover, Harrison never ran the Trump administrations pandemic task force. Rather, he was assigned a typical role for a cabinet secretarys chief of staff, serving as aide de camp on a task force run by HHS Secretary Azar, until Trump replaced Azar with Vice President Pence. Harrisons predecessor as Azars chief-of-staff explained Harrisons role as follows: Your job is to keep the trains moving. Its not being the guy who comes up with the idea about what HHS does about testing. People have this idea that its some kind of czar job. Youre staff. Harrisons background in government, as set forth by the Dallas Morning News, is precisely that of a typical high level government staffer. During the Bush 43 administration, when Azar was Deputy Secretary of HHS, Harrison served on Azars staff. Vice President Cheneys team noticed Harrison and snatched him up to serve on the VPs staff at the White House. After that, Harrison moved on to the Pentagon, where he remained for the first two years of the Obama administration. None of this experience would qualify Harrison to formulate the administrations response to the coronavirus. But this was never Harrisons role. For better or for worse, the likes of Dr. Fauci, Dr. Birx, and Dr. Redfield, along with Azar and then Pence, did the formulating, subject to sign off by President Trump. The mainstream media cant attack the paper credentials of the medical professionals who advised the administration. Thus, its organs go after the top staff guy. And to make this work, they must distort its portrait of him. Sickening, but par for the course. On April 19th, ex-Bigg Boss contestant and actor Ajaz Khan had been arrested by Khar police for allegedly making hate speech comments that could result in religious disharmony. TOI However, it is now being reported that Ajaz Khan has been granted bail and was released yesterday. He was booked under section 153 A for promoting enmity between religious communities with his statements during a Facebook live. Immediately after, the actor didn't spare time to celebrate his release on Twitter by thanking his fans for their supposed prayers as well as his lawyers. "Thank you for all your prayers & good wishes. Justice has prevailed. My gratitude to my lawyers Nazneen Khatri and Zoheb Shaikh. #LoveYouAll," Ajaz Khan wrote. Thank you for all your prayers & good wishes. Justice has been prevailed. My gratitude to my lawyers Nazneen Khatri and Zoheb Shaikh. #LoveYouAll Ajaz Khan (@AjazkhanActor) April 24, 2020 The actor was released by the Bandra Metropolitan Magistrate Court against a surety of Rs 1 Lakh. But a probe and further investigation will continue. Indiatimes The real question on everyone's mind is how does getting out on bail equal to justice served? Nobody should be allowed to get away with making any statement that can give rise to feelings of indifference and violence among religious communities. Ajaz Khan has done this several times before, so a strict punishment should be in place to make an example for others to not follow along the same lines. Chennai, April 27 : Drone-as-a-Service (DAAS) provider Garuda Aerospace has bagged four more drone based sanitisation orders including Rourkela Smart City Ltd, Odisha and corporate group Godrej, said a top company official. He also said Garuda Aerospace will also focus on the facility management sector for disinfecting the premises in their portfolio for future. "We have bagged the mandate from one more city - Rourkela Smart City - for drone based sanitisation. The other major order is from Godrej group for sanitising their office in Mumbai. We have also bagged orders from Waddepally Municipality and Nirmal Municipality, both in Telangana," Agnishwar Jayaprakash, Managing Director of city-based Garuda Aerospace, told IANS on Monday. "Our team in Telangana will move to Rourkela. Similarly the team from Bhopal will move to Mumbai for Godrej project. We have also got an order to carry out sanitisation operations in Mohali in Punjab," Jayaprakash added. For Garuda Aerospace, Rourkela will be the fifth smart city order. It has already bagged anti-coronavirus drone based sanitisation orders from smart cities like Varanasi, Raipur, Chennai and Hyderabad. Varanasi is a star Parliamentary constituency that has sent Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the Lok Sabha. The sanitisation operations in Varanasi have begun. "The Covid-19 has done two things - firstly it showed the importance of sanitisation and secondly, it underscored the importance of agriculture. Both augurs well for Garuda Aerospace," Jayaprakash said. He said many corporates have started enquiring about our services as they plan to carry out sanitisation operations at their premises regularly. That apart, there will be increased focus on agriculture and spraying of pesticides using drones. "The government gives subsidy to farmers for hiring tractors and manual pesticide spraying. Similarly, a subsidy could be given to the farmers for using drones. This will help in precision farming," Jayaprakash added. Despite air superiority for nearly a year, Khalifa Haftars forces have been halted in Tripoli and are now in retreat. Misrata, Libya It has been more than a year since renegade general Khalifa Haftar launched his military campaign to capture the capital Tripoli. Now the commander is scrambling to maintain control of his eastern stronghold. The dramatic turn of events can be attributed to one major development: support from Turkeys military, particularly its drone force that has successfully pushed back Haftars self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA) from Libyas skies. Haftar was portrayed by his allies as a strongman who could bring stability to Libya, a country engulfed in chaos since the revolution that toppled Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. After successfully taking control of eastern Libya, Haftar was courted across European and Middle Eastern capitals as an integral partner for any political solution to the Libyan conflict. Emboldened by support from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Egypt, Russia and France, Haftar made his move to take Tripoli on April 4, 2019, weeks before a UN-sponsored peace conference, and while Secretary-General Antonio Guterres made an official visit to the country. Guterres urged Haftar to pull back, but the eastern commander ignored the request after receiving what he perceived to be an American green light. News reports emerged of then-US National Security Adviser John Bolton telling Haftar in a phone call If you are going to attack, do it quickly were widely circulated. Sacrificed our brothers Supported militarily and promoted politically by his allies, many believed Haftars attack on the capital would achieve its goal in days. His successful bid to seize control of the coastal cities of Sabratha and Surman, west of Tripoli, as well as the strategic city of Gharyan to the south further cemented those beliefs. However, forces loyal to the internationally recognised Government of National Accord (GNA) mobilised and halted Haftars advance on Tripolis southern outskirts. Adam Alburki was one of the thousands who came from Misrata, 210km (115 miles) east of the capital, to join the fight against Haftar. We fought and sacrificed our brothers and friends to bring down a dictator in 2011. We will not allow Haftar to enter Tripoli and turn Libya back to a military state. I will die before I let that happen, he told Al Jazeera. Alburki was wounded in battle in November of last year. After receiving treatment in Italy, he returned to continue the fight against Haftars troops. He said there has been a visible change in recent weeks because of the shift in air supremacy in favour of the GNA. We used to be afraid of air strikes by the UAEs drones. It stopped us from making any significant counter-offensives because they were extremely accurate, said Alburki. Despite having air superiority over the Libyan skies for nearly a year, mostly because of UAE-purchased Chinese drones, Haftars forces became bogged down in southern Tripoli and are now on the retreat, having lost the city of Gharyan in June last year. Shifting tide Nearly four months after a mandate by Turkeys parliament to execute a security and maritime agreement signed by the GNA and Ankara, a direct impact is being witnessed on the ground in Libya. After this agreement, the Turks began to build up the military force of the GNA to create a balance. The GNA force that is present today is much different in their capabilities, planning, and strategy than before, Mohamed Buisier, a Libyan political researcher based in Dallas, Texas, and a former adviser to Haftar, told Al Jazeera. While the GNA and LNA both welcomed international calls for a ceasefire so health officials could focus on combatting a possible coronavirus outbreak, continued LNA shelling of Tripoli prompted the GNA to launch a military operation at the end of March. Orders were issued to respond forcefully to repeated terrorist attacks on civilians. We are a legitimate, civilian government that respects its obligations to the international community, but is committed before that towards its people and it has an obligation to protect them, the head of the GNA, Fayez al-Sarraj, said in a statement. Since the launch of the offensive, a significant rise in GNA air attacks has occurred across all fronts, with Turkish drones relentlessly targeting Haftars critical supply lines to his ground forces. On April 14, GNA forces with air cover recaptured several western coastal cities including Sabratha and Surman within hours, dramatically changing the situation on the ground. The GNA now has control of the entire western coast, stretching from Tunisia to the city of Abu Grein, about 500km (220 miles) to the east. Removing Haftar The GNA also began an offensive against Haftars largest stronghold in western Libya, the city of Tarhouna. Tarhouna 70km (30 miles) southeast of Tripoli is Haftars command centre for his westward advance, as well as being a critical supply hub for his forces. GNA troops have been on the outskirts of Tarhouna and launching attacks for nearly two weeks. GNA-aligned forces in the Salahaddin neighbourhood south of the capital, Tripoli [Amru Salahuddien/Anadolu] Turkeys military support has shifted the tide in fighting, noted Buisier. It is becoming clear that Haftars advance on Tripoli has failed. He is now politically and militarily trying to maintain his position in eastern Libya, he said. Many say there is no military solution to the Libya conflict, only a political one. I agree but we must also say there is no political solution without removing Haftar from the Libyan scene. Kodak Black requested a meeting with President Donald Trump in an Instagram post Sunday, to present the commander-in-chief with a 'brilliant idea' he feels is critical to share. The Pompano Beach, Florida native, who remains in custody in a federal detention center in Miami, tagged his lawyer Bradford Cohen atop the text block, which was in typewriter font against a burgundy background. Kodak wrote: @lawronin, tell donald trump to pull-up on me, i got a brilliant idea. I thought of something back in miami but i dismissed it kuz i be thinking i'm crazy sometimes, The latest: Kodak Black, 22, requested a meeting with President Donald Trump, 73, in an Instagram post Sunday, to present the commander-in-chief with a 'brilliant idea' The 22-year-old rapper said the idea 'keeps following' him though, and even told Trump, 'You can kill me,' if he didn't determine the idea to be of any value. Kodak said, '@realdonaldtrump if it's not worth anything you can kill me! I'm ill forreal' The Tunnel Vision artist, whose legal name is Bill Kapri, assured the president that the issue was not linked to his personal legal problems; and implied he'd practice proper social distancing practices amid the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. 'This ain't got nothing to do with my wrongful conviction, come see me I got my corona mask on,' the If I'm Lyin, I'm Flyin performer said. Post: The Pompano Beach, Florida native, who remains in custody in a federal detention center in Miami, tagged his lawyer Bradford Cohen atop the text block, which was in typewriter font against a burgundy background Confident: The 22-year-old rapper said the idea 'keeps following' him though, and even told Trump, 'You can kill me,' if he didn't determine the idea to be of any value Adjusting: The rapper promised that the issue was not a personal one, and that he would wear a mask amid the coronavirus pandemic Kodak remains in custody after he received a three-plus year sentence in federal prison last year in connection with weapons charges he entered a guilty plea to. (A separate guilty plea to a gun charge out of New York last month tacked another year onto the sentence.) Kodak told the court last summer he lied on federal forms twice in order to purchase four weapons, including a semi-automatic weapon and multiple handguns. One of the aforementioned weapons was subsequently discovered at a shooting site in March of 2019. His sentence is slated to run through October 7, 2022, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Choosing the right hospital or birthing center is also important, Dr. Lothian added. Mothers-to-be should look for a hospital where staff actively work with parents to ensure their birth goes according to their plans. Preparing at the very beginning means there are fewer surprises on delivery day. Write a birth plan. A birth plan is a document that outlines your labor and delivery preferences before giving birth. According to a report presented at the 2016 Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine meeting, women who go into labor with a birth plan are nearly 10 percent more likely to have a vaginal delivery than those who do not; and about 2 percent less likely to have their newborn admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit. [Read our guide on how to make a birth plan thats right for you.] To write a birth plan, start by thinking about what is most important to you on delivery day. Keep it short, keep it simple and talk about it with your health care provider before you give birth so theres no disappointment, Dr. Bailey said. She recommended asking questions like: Is this plan realistic in a hospital setting? Who is going to be in the delivery room? Will there be physicians in training? Will I know the physician attending? Will there be a midwife? How many nurses should I expect? Make sure your birth plan is clear and define what you mean by unmedicated or no interventions. Hu-Stiles learned that lesson the hard way during the birth of her second daughter. My water doesnt break in advance, so my second daughter was born in the water sack, she said, which can be a more painful experience. It may have been less painful if her midwife had broken her water manually, but she didnt because Hu-Stiles had said no intervention. Their ideas of intervention were different. Be very clear about defining what you mean, Hu-Stiles recommended. Your birth plan should include both a plan A and a plan B in case things dont go as expected during labor, which can often be the case. If it is not unfolding naturally, if there are complications requiring painful intervention, she should have a plan B so shes following her birth plan, said Penny Simkin, a certified doula who has been practicing for 50 years and founder of the doula training program DONA International. Its also important to discuss your birth plan with your health care providers as early as possible. You dont want to spring this on them the week before the due date and find out that this is not how they do birth with the practice youve decided to work with, said Dr. Bailey, the midwifery service director at Michigan Medicine. My deep belief is that hospitals and delivery units want the folks that give birth there to be happy with their care. The more patients communicate whats important to them, the happier they are with their care, she added. Have a code word. A code word can give laboring mothers the opportunity to ask for interventions if theyve reached their pain threshold or need something that hasnt been outlined in their birth plan. Decide on and communicate your code word to your medical provider before you go into labor. Simkin suggested picking a word thats unrelated to labor, like peanut butter or supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. This way, you have the freedom to say, I hate this, I want an epidural, while youre in labor without having to worry that this will be seen as an actual request for pain medication if you havent deployed the code word, Simkin said. Circumstances come up where you have to change your plans, Simkin said. I think the code word is the best way to go. She never loses her agency if she has that code word at her command. China is set to release an ambitious 15-year blueprint that will lay out its plans to set the global standards for the next-generation of technologies. The move could have wide-ranging implications for the power Beijing wields on the global stage in areas from artificial intelligence, to telecommunications networks and the flow of data, experts told CNBC. "China Standards 2035" is set to be released this year after two years of planning. Experts said it is widely seen as the next step, following the "Made In China 2025" global manufacturing plan but this time, with a much larger focus on technologies that are seen as defining the next decade. "The diagnosis is, we are entering an era that will be defined by new technological systems and networks and technologies and the leaders in those are yet to be determined and this gives China the opportunity to determine that," Emily de La Bruyere, co-founder of consultancy Horizon Advisory, told CNBC in an interview. "That means power in the world is up for grabs." What are standards? Technologies and industries around the world have standards that define how they work and their interoperability around the world. Interoperability refers to the ability for two or more systems to work together. The telecommunications industry is a good example. New networks such as 5G aren't just turned on. They take years of planning and development. Technical standards are created through collaboration between industry bodies, experts and companies. Those technical specifications are adopted and integrated into what becomes known as standards. That ensures that standards are as uniform as possible, which can improve the efficiency of network rollouts and ensure they work no matter where you are in the world. Technical standards is not a topic that is simply abstruse but a concrete way to shape the playing field and landscape for the future of these technologies. Elsa Kania Center for a New American Security (CNAS) Standards are behind many of the technologies we use every day, such as our smartphones. Major American and European technology companies, such as Qualcomm and Ericsson, have been part of standards setting across various industries. But China has played an increasingly active role in the past few years. What do we know about the plan? In March, Beijing released a document which translates as "The Main Points of National Standardization Work in 2020." Bruyere and Horizon Advisory co-founder Nathan Picarsic said this gives us an insight into what might be found in the final blueprint for China Standards 2035, particularly when looking at Beijing's plans internationally. Some of the points in the plan from March include a push to improve standards domestically across various industries, from agriculture to manufacturing. But one section of the document highlights the need to establish a "new generation of information technology and biotechnology standard system." Within that section, there is a focus on developing standards for the so-called Internet of Things, cloud computing, big data, 5G and artificial intelligence (AI). These are all seen a crucial future technologies that could underpin critical infrastructure in the world. The document also outlines the need to "participate in the formulation of international standards" and that China should put forward more proposals for international standards. One expert said the move is a dual play to strengthen standards domestically and boost the economy, and to have influence globally. "China domestically is trying to up its standards game. One of the big weaknesses in the economy is the fact that nothing happens in a standard normalized way across time, distance and space. You have different requirements in this city, different requirements from day to day from month to month," Andrew Polk, partner at Beijing-based research and consultancy firm Trivium China, told CNBC. "(China Standards 2035) is a combination of domestic exigencies and the need to improve their own economic performance and efficiency and their desire to set the standards, literally and figuratively, abroad." As Beijing began researching for China Standards 2035, an official reportedly said it was the country's opportunity to "surpass" the rest of the world. Dai Hong, director of the second department of industrial standards of China's National Standardization Management Committee, was quoted by state-backed publication Xinhua as saying at that time that many of the patents and technical standards for next-generation technologies had not yet been formed. China's standards push China Standards 2035 gives the country a new impetus but over the past few years, the influence of the world's second-largest economy was already growing. "5G is a prominent example in so far as, 5G is the case we have seen the most aggressive companies not just to set standards at home but to actively shape global standards setting," Elsa Kania, adjunct senior fellow with the technology and national security program at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS), told CNBC. 5G refers to next-generation mobile networks that are seen as critical in supporting future infrastructure. Chinese firm Huawei, one of the leading players in 5G networking equipment, has also been a key player in standards setting. It has the highest number of patents related to 5G, and is ahead of its closest European rivals Nokia and Ericsson, according to intellectual property analysis firm IPlytics. In addition, it has been a key part of forming the technical specifications for 5G via an industry body known as 3GPP. Also known as 3rd Generation Partnership Project, it brings together standards organizations that seek to develop global standards for cellular networks. "Technical standards is not a topic that is simply abstruse but a concrete way to shape the playing field and landscape for the future of these technologies," Kania said. "The decision made on standards can have commercial consequences while also shaping the architecture to the advantage or disadvantage of companies." China's national standards push is already underway. Beijing has already formed a new committee focused on creating standards for blockchain technology. The world's second-largest economy is looking to become a leader in the nascent space after President Xi Jinping last year urged the country to "seize the opportunities" presented by the technology. Some of China's major technology companies including Huawei and Tencent are part of that committee. Belt and Road Launched in 2013, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is a massive infrastructure project that seeks to link more than 60 countries from Asia through to Africa and Europe in a complex network of roads, rails and ports. But last year, Xi expanded the scope of the BRI to include technology. The BRI is also seen as one way China is able to spread its standards and influence. The more technical and technology standards are defined by Beijing, the more associated data will become subject to the Chinese government's various data localization and access policies. Nathan Picarsic co-founder, Horizon Advisory "The PRC (People's Republic of China) makes diplomatic agreementssuch as memorandums of understanding incorporating PRC technical standards extensively within the BRI realm as a major policy component of its action plans," Ray Bowen, senior analyst at Pointe Bello, said in a written testimony last month to the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission. Adam Segal, director of the digital and cyberspace policy program at the Council on Foreign Relations, noted in a testimony to the same committee that standards have been written into memorandums of understanding with a number of nations. Developing economies such as Vietnam and Indonesia are likely to adopt those Chinese standards because "they are cheaper than Western alternatives and the draw of the Chinese market," Segal said. Data flows As China's influence on global technology grows, more and more questions about its access to data will emerge. "China's standards play overlaps with and intends to expand its strategy of asymmetrical access to data," Horizon Advisory's Picarsic said. "The more technical and technology standards are defined by Beijing, the more associated data will become subject to the Chinese government's various data localization and access policies." Some legislations in China appear to compel any company to comply with government requests for help with vaguely-defined "intelligence work." This is one reason that the U.S. and other countries have raised concerns about Huawei. They feel that should Huawei be allowed in their 5G networks, data running through those pipes could be accessed by Beijing. Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei has repeatedly said that Huawei would never hand customer data over to the Chinese government. US approach Standards are certainly on the agenda right now in Washington. The U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission is due to hold a hearing on Monday titled "A 'China Model?' Beijing's Promotion of Alternative Global Norms and Standards." It had to be postponed because of the coronavirus. But in general, there is no unified effort from the U.S. to this point. President Donald Trump has even proposed funding cuts to the National Institute of Standards and Technology. "Standards, it's probably the least sexy thing you can think about," Trivium China's Polk said. "And it takes sustained long term effort, attention and investment. That is why you worry about western governments being behind the ball on this and having the capacity to have as sustained focus (as China) on these issues." The coronavirus pandemic has also distracted governments from this issue. While China may be able to balance dealing with the fallout and their long-term focus on standards, it may not be as easy for the U.S. "It seems like the Chinese are preparing themselves to try to walk and chew gum at the same time, in terms of addressing the short-term challenges and keeping their long-term goals in check. I don't see the balancing of long-term and short-term objectives as much in the U.S.," Polk said. Challenges ahead TEHRAN, Iran, April 27 Trend: The main concern of the ministry is combating the corona epidemic, and its main strategy at this stage is extensive disease detection by performing 1.5 million outpatient tests of suspected individuals, Iran's Deputy Health Minister said. "Our biggest concern is not the virus itself, but normalization of the situation, Alireza Raeisi said on April 27 during a press conference, Trend reports citing IRNA. He urged people not to think that the country can overcome the disease without observing the health protocols. "We should not compare the situation in Iran with that in European countries," Raeisi said adding that people shall continue to keep social distancing and observe health protocols. Raeisi went to say that the national mobilization plan against coronavirus is a success of the country's health care system and that Director General of the World Health Organization highly praised this initiative. The plan allowed identifying and treating people with mild symptoms in the early stages, so the number of infected people has decreased," Raeisi said. "The main strategy of the national model for combating COVID-19 is the activation of outpatient laboratories in health centers. To date, we have conducted 35,000 outpatient tests, which are approved by the World Health Organization," said the deputy minister. We have 369 sampling centers in the country, and we'll have to perform 1.5 million tests, Raeisi added. Bowling Green State University continues its commitment students and making education accessible. BGSU is planning to reduce the domestic, non-resident surcharge to $1 per credit hour for out-of-state students who have completed a bachelors or masters degree in Ohio from an Ohio institution and who enroll in a degree-seeking graduate program for the 2020-2021 academic school year, starting with fall 2020. The goal of this new benefit is to provide additional options for non-resident students who choose to pursue a graduate degree. "BGSU is committed to supporting students," said Dr. Joe Whitehead Jr., provost and senior vice president for academic affairs. "This is even more critical during these uncertain times. Making education affordable is an important part of that commitment." The reduction of the non-resident surcharge does not apply to students entering a fully online program and all Master of Business Administration programs. Additional changes to the admissions process for graduate school at BGSU include: Waiving the $45 application fee for graduate applicants Waiving test requirements, including the GRE and GMAT, for students applying to any of the Universitys graduate certificate and masters degree programs for summer 2020 and fall 2020 Providing a deferral process for international students should they be unable to join us for the upcoming fall semester The Graduate College has been offering several virtual options for prospective students to connect while on-campus visits are postponed. Interested students can schedule a virtual 1:1 advising session or participate in a Virtual Admissions Information Session at 1 p.m. on Fridays. Airlines set to return as ban on domestic flights ends PHUKET: AirAsia and Nok Air are both set to resume domestic flights to Phuket on Friday (May 1), the day after the ban on all domestic flights is due to end. The move to relaunch services came before any clear resolution by the Phuket Governor whether or not he intended to lift the Tambon Lockdown, banning all non-essential travel between the 17 subdistricts on the island. CoronavirusCOVID-19transporttourism By The Phuket News Monday 27 April 2020, 07:07PM A worker repaints the runway centerline at Phuket airport this past week. Photo: Phuket International Airport As of today (Apr 27) it has been confirmed Nok Air is to fly one daily flight to and from Don Mueang International Airport Bangkok. Flight DD7505, provided by a B737-800, is to depart Don Mueang at 11:25am and land in Phuket at 12:45pm. The return flight is to take off from Phuket at 1:20pm and land in Bangkok at 2:40pm. AirAsia is to initially provide four flights a week: Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. The regular flight from Bangkok was to depart Don Mueang at 7:35am and land in Phuket at 9am, at ticket prices from just over B2,000. The return flight was to take off from Phuket at 9:30am and land at Don Mueang at 10:55am, at ticket prices starting from just over B1,700 to just over B3,300. Earlier bookings saw starting prices fall just under B1,500. A customer service staffer at Nok Air told The Phuket News that Nok Air intends to operate its daily flight regardless of the Tambon Lockdown in effect in Phuket the only province in the country with such a restriction. The customer must figure out what the Phuket Governor has ordered. We cant tell what each customer needs to account for as the [COVID-19 health] requirements depend on each provinces policy, she said. Staff will be at the check-in counters at Phuket International Airport on the day the flights resume service, the staffer said. Customers can check flight status on our website. Currently we have not issued a press release specifically announcing the Phuket flights, she added. AirAsia was more difficult to obtain confirmation from. The AirAsia office at the Phuket airport was closed when the Phuket News called on Monday. Calls to the airlines call centre at 02-515-9999 saw enquiries redirected to the chat bot AVA on the airlines main website. AVA was unable to confirm or clarify the status of any flights to or from Phuket from May 1 onwards. In announcing the relaunch of domestic flights, AirAsia Thailand CEO Santisuk Klongchaiya last Friday (Apr 24) said, after closely monitoring the pandemic situation and a relaxation in government controls, AirAsia has decided to resume domestic operations from 1 May 2020 providing services for guests who need to travel, whether for personal or business reasons. The decision was reached after consultation with the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand as well as other carriers, he added. The airline will be observing strict health controls in compliance with the regulations set by the Ministry of Public Health and Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand, including seat distancing onboard, mask wearing throughout flights and suspension of food and beverage service. AirAsia will also be disinfecting all airplanes and shuttle buses daily to ensure the highest level of safety for all guests and staff. Our highest priority in returning to service is the health and wellbeing of our guests and staff, with strict hygiene controls in place, against the spread of COVID-19. For the sake of our passengers and personnel, we are implementing additional measures and regulations to ensure their safety when traveling with us, Mr Santisuk said. Among the additional measures are: 1. Guests will be distanced with alternate seating and appropriate controls right from booking. The airline will sell a limited number of seats on every flight in accordance with social distancing measures. Social distancing will also be enforced on the shuttle bus as well as in the service counters. 2. Guests will be required to wear their own face masks throughout their journey including during check-in and baggage claim. 3. Strictly no consumption of food and beverage onboard. AirAsias meals service will be temporarily discontinued. 4. Guests are to be screened in accordance with airport regulations, including body temperature scan during boarding. Passengers with a body temperature above 37.3C or exhibiting symptoms including sneezing or coughing will be denied travel. 5. Only one piece of personal baggage such as a laptop bag or a ladies handbag or a small bag weighing no more than 5 kilograms will be permitted as carry-on baggage. The size must not exceed the dimension of 40cm (H) x 30cm (W) x 10cm (D) and fit under the seat in front of the passenger. For other additional baggage within allowed 7 kilograms will be checked in with no additional cost. This is to facilitate social distancing especially during embarkation and disembarkation. 6. Guests are recommended to perform self-check-in via the AirAsia mobile app or kiosks to reduce personal contact. In addition, the cabin crew and other involved operational staff performing duties on the flight will be checked for body temperature every time before and after the duty, including wearing protective equipment such as masks, goggles and gloves throughout the service. AirAsia will disinfect its airplanes, shuttle buses, service counters and check-in kiosks on a daily basis. All AirAsia aircraft are fitted with hospital-grade HEPA Filters that protect against 99.999% of particles and airborne contaminants such as viruses and bacteria Guests may check and book available flights via www.airasia.com, the AirAsia mobile application or at AirAsia sale-counters at airports across Thailand. More than 200 Europeans mostly Swiss nationals stranded in India, following the nationwide lockdown were evacuated by a special plane of Swiss International Airlines, Kerala Tourism department said on Sunday. The plane took off from Kochi late Saturday night and landed at the Zurich airport on Sunday morning (10 am IST), it said in a release here. Besides the 164 passengers who had boarded from Kochi, the flight carried 49 others from Kolkata from where it had a stopover in the Kerala city. Earlier, a Cochin International Airport spokesman said the aircraft had arrived here after picking up 62 Swiss nationals stranded in Kolkata. This is the fourth flight that repatriated tourists from the state to Europe since the international airports were closed on March 23 to contain spread of Covid-19 disease. At the airport here, Swiss Consul-General to India (Bangalore) Sebastien Hug oversaw the repatriation mission along with Syed Ibrahim, Honorary Consul of the German Honorary Consulate in Thiruvananthapuram. Besides 115 Swiss citizens, the flight carried tourists from Germany, Austria, Norway, Denmark and France. Most of the passengers from Kochi were tourists in Kerala, while the others were brought in from neighbouring states, the release said. Kerala had earlier facilitated the return of 268 tourists to the UK when a London-bound British Airways departed from Kochi on April 15. Prior to it, an Air India aircraft with 232 passengers had left for Germany on March 31, and, four days later, a flight to France (112 people). Kerala Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran said most of the foreign tourists stuck in the state have been repatriated. There were messages from the returned guests appreciating the excellent arrangements that the government had made for their care and health during their stay after the lockdown. Secretary of Kerala Tourism, Rani George said most of the guests who returned had used the registration portal of the Swiss consulate, while others sought the help of the Kerala Tourism's help desks. All the returnees were transported to the airport from different places by the tourism department. "Providing them care is always our top priority," she said. Director of Kerala Tourism, P Bala Kiran said the tourism help desks would continue to function and any tourists who are still held up in the state could seek their assistance. "Our focus now will be to prepare to receive the tourists immediately once the situation normalizes," Kiran said. A team of Kerala Tourism officials, led by Joint Director Raj Kumar, had worked for the transportation and repatriation of these foreigners by completing the mandatory requirements. The Punjab government on Monday contacted the Delhi authorities for the safe return of 250 Sikh pilgrims stuck at the Majnu Ka Tila gurdwara due to the coronavirus lockdown. On directives of Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Satish Chandra wrote to Nidhi Srivastava, Deputy Commissioner (Central), seeking expeditious permission from the Delhi government for the return of the pilgrims in Punjab government buses, said an official release here. Meanwhile, 152 students stranded in Rajasthan's Kota were brought back in specially hired buses up to Punjab's Bathinda, from where they were taken to their destinations in state government buses. Apart from these, 2,900 labourers from Punjab are returning to the state in 60 government buses from Jaisalmer, where they were stranded in five relief camps. They are expected to reach Punjab on Tuesday morning through the Ganganagar entry point, the release said. The state government also announced an ex gratia of Rs 10 lakh for the family of the bus driver who died because of heart attack on Sunday. The driver of the state-owned public transport undertaking PRTC was on his way to Nanded in Maharashtra to bring back the pilgrims stuck there. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) There has been a lot of buzz around the successor of the Poco F1. Fans have been asking about it, while the internet is flooded with leaks and rumours. Earlier this year the company did some scrambling and launched the Poco X2, a rebranded version of the Redmi K30. Now there were rumours that the company would bring the Redmi K30 Pro, the real flagship, to India as the Poco F2. But it seems that the company has other plans. According to a report, the Redmi K30 Pro could go on to be called the Poco F2 Pro. The info was spotted by XDA Developers that cites a Google Play device listing suggesting that the Redmi K30 Pro and the Poco F2 Pro have similar codenames. However, they will launch under different branding depending on the region. The Redmi K30 Pro Zoom Edition which was launched with the Redmi K30 Pro might also launch in India. Both the Redmi K30 Pro and the Zoom Edition feature similar specifications. Theres a 6.67-inch Full-HD+ (1080 x 2400) AMOLED display offering 1,200 nits of peak brightness, support for HDR10+ and 5,000,000:1 contrast ratio. As mentioned above, both the phones come with an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 processor paired with up to 8GB of LPDDR5 RAM and UFS 3.1 storage. Notably, the 6GB + 128GB variant of the Redmi K30 Pro comes with LPDDR4X RAM and UFS 3.0 storage. As for the cameras, the Redmi K30 Pro and the Zoom Edition feature quad cameras at the back highlighted by a 64-megapixel Sony IMX686 sensor with OIS (Optical Image Stabilisation). Other cameras include a 5-megapixel macro camera, a 13-megapixel wide-angle camera with 123-degree field of view, and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. The Zoom Edition swaps out the macro camera for a telephoto lens offering 3x optical zoom and 30x hybrid zoom. For selfies, there is a pop-up camera with a 20-megapixel sensor. Also Read Redmi K30 Pro Could Possibly Launch in India as the Poco F2 Other features include a 4,700mAh battery with support for 33W fast charging. The phones are also equipped with dual-mode 5G (NSA+SA), Wi-Fi 6, NFC, USB Type-C port, NFC, and 3.5mm headphone jack. Both the handsets will come in Moonlight White, Sky Blue, Star Ring Purple, and Space Gray colour options. The Redmi K30 Pro was launched in China at CNY 2,999 (Rs 32,500 approx) for the 6GB + 128GB variant, and 3,399 CNY (Rs 36,000 approx) for the 8GB + 128GB model. The 8GB + 256GB version was launched for CNY 3,699 (Rs 40,000 approx). The Redmi K30 Pro Zoom Edition starts at CNY 3,799 (Rs 41,000 approx) for the 8GB + 128GB variant, while the 8GB + 256GB version costs CNY 3,999 (R. 43,000 approx). Julie Gammon Wyatt at her Initial This Shop on April 24, 2020, in Hendersonville, Tenn. Julie Gammon Wyatt works three to four hours a day meeting online orders and sets the products outside her store's front doors for customers to come to pick them up. NASHVILLE Small business owners, hard-hit by the pandemic, are anxious to re-open. But that is tempered by the concern of when they actually can and what they will have to do to make their businesses safe for customers and employees alike. It clearly will not be business-as-usual in the coming weeks. Gov. Bill Lee said Tennessee restaurants are able to reopen Monday at 50% occupancy. Additionally, Tennessee retailers are able to reopen on Wednesday at 50%. The most populous counties Davidson, Shelby, Hamilton, Knox, Madison and Sullivan are excluded from the reopening guidelines and will determine their own strategy. Mayor John Cooper released a four-part plan for Nashville Thursday which would require 14 days of sustained decrease or flat cases of COVID-19 before moving forward. "I think most businesses are relying on the governor's office as well as the counties that they live in regarding those reopening guidelines," said Shawn McKeehan, deputy district director of the U.S. Small Business Administration Tennessee District. iPhone delays?: Apple reportedly pushing back production of its 2020 iPhones Plastic shields, capes: How salons, gyms plan to re-open after coronavirus closures Plans to reopen Many business owners have started to prepare so they can return to work as soon as they are allowed. "Lord, yes. I'm ready to get going again this quarantine is getting to me," said Julie Wyatt, owner of Initial This embroidery shop in Hendersonville. "I've been closed six weeks. Week one was very nerve-racking with a lot of emotions. Week two became the new normal and I don't like the new normal." Julie Gammon Wyatt packages items together for a customer at her Initial This Shop on April 24, 2020, in Hendersonville, Tenn. Julie Gammon Wyatt works three to four hours a day meeting online orders and sets the products outside her store's front doors for customers to come to pick them up. The new way of doing business for Wyatt, who opened her store 11 years ago, has been to continue meeting online orders by going in a few hours each day. She sets the finished product outside her store for the customer to pick up. "I have the most loyal customer base you could ask for and I am so thankful many of them have continued to place orders by keeping up with us on social media," Wyatt said. Story continues Still, business is down 75% and Wyatt looks forward to reopening her 2,000-square foot store. Wyatt said she will require customers and employees to wear masks. She will also limit the number of customers to whatever guidelines are set by Sumner County officials. Different dates Cooper's plan calls for gyms not to open again until phase three of the overall plan. Gyms in other counties may be allowed to reopen before that which doesn't sit well with Mark Johnson, owner of Competitive Edge Gym in Hermitage. Johnson's facility is located just a few miles from the Wilson County line. If Wilson County allows gyms to open before Davidson County, Johnson believes it will hurt his business. Thats the part that disturbs me the most," Johnson said. "We have a base of members we have had for a long time and people are doing anything they can to stay in condition right now... They want to work out. I'm sure people will leave the Davidson County gyms and go out of county to the gyms that are open. Thats really going to hurt a lot of the Davidson County gyms." Johnson said he expects to be able to open again at some point between May 7- 20. He is already preparing. "We're already known as one of the cleanest gyms in Nashville...," Johnson said. "But were going to be even more over the top. Were going to have people in here constantly wiping stuff down. Were going to probably require people to wear masks for a while. We have about 8,000 square feet and all it takes is for one person who's infected to come in and sneeze and you could infect everybody in here at one time. Limited customers Johnson also said he is prepared to limit the number of people who work out at one time. That all depends on the mayors regulations," Johnson said. "Ive heard five people per thousand feet so that would maximize us at like 38 people. Then Ive heard maybe no more than 10 at a time and if we have to do that Ill keep it open 24 hours and well just schedule slots. Well have hour slots for people to sign up and come in. Johnson said he will also require members to practice social distancing (staying six feet from each other). "I think people are doing that anyway; it's coming natural to them now," he said. "You see them at Kroger or Home Depot. They will be coming toward each other and then turn and go in different directions." Starting over The Candle Station in Mt. Juliet opened eight months before the pandemic hit. Shutting down was especially difficult for owner Amy Hammer, who felt her business was finally gaining some traction. It was just starting to get to the point where people were noticing me and it was getting busy," Hammer said. "I feel like I am going to be starting all over again. Hammer expects to be able to reopen on Friday. Starting over will mean limiting her candle-making sessions from 24 to 10 people at a time, Hammer said. "The city wanted some advice on what we planned on doing and so I emailed them and told them about the grouping for 10 or less," she said. "And I told them I would wash everything down. I already washed everything down with alcohol anyway thats how I clean the wax and stuff." Where to meet Alan Banks, senior partner and vice president of Peachtree Planning in Goodlettsville, said he looks forward to scheduling in-office meetings again with clients after spending more than a month offering financial advice over the phone. Banks also conducts a lot of meetings outside of his office and that's where it could be tricky. "We have to be careful about where we go," Banks said. "We have to know that where were going is sanitized and safe. Do we go to a restaurant like we probably would have before? Not necessarily, so where do we schedule those meetings? Reach Mike Organ at 615-259-8021 or on Twitter @MikeOrganWriter. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Coronavirus: Nashville small business workers ready to return to work The United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson returned to Downing Street to resume his duties on April 26 after recovering from the COVID-19 infection. Johnson took almost two weeks to recover from the virus and is now back to his normal schedule. The British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, who was working in the capacity of deputy PM, held his last press briefing on Sunday. READ: Raab: UK Lockdown To Remain For Some Time Over 152,000 COVID-19 cases After contracting the virus, Johnson spent three days in intensive care of a London hospital. The prime minister's return to work comes as pressure intensifies on his government over its handling of the pandemic. According to the Worldometer website, the UK currently has more than 152,000 confirmed coronavirus cases and the deadly virus has claimed nearly 20,732 lives in the country. READ: Coronavirus Death Toll In UK Surpasses 20,000, Total Cases At 148,377 Meanwhile, UK Environment Secretary George Eustice at a press briefing said, There are encouraging signs of progress, but we will not adjust our social distancing measures until our five tests are met -- that the daily death rate falls sustainably and consistently. The rate of infection is decreasing, operational challenges have been met, and that there is no risk of a second peak. He further also added, For now, the most important thing we can all do to stop the spread of the coronavirus is to stay at home, to protect the National Health Service (NHS) and save lives. (With ANI inputs) READ: UK PM Boris Johnson Returns To Face Growing Virus Divisions READ: UK Removes China's 'unreliable' Coronavirus Data From Its Daily Briefings Bill Gates may have predicted COVID-19, but it doesnt mean hes right about specifics By Rachel Alexander Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has been in the news a lot lately for having warned how bad the COVID-19 pandemic would get. In April 2018, he said there is a significant probability of a large and lethal, modern-day pandemic occurring in our lifetimes. He cautioned, even in the U.S., our response to a pandemic or widespread bioterror attack would be insufficient. He suggested it might be an unknown pathogen like SARS or MERS, that is capable of killing millions of people, bringing economies to a standstill, and casting nations into chaos. In January, the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, in partnership with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and World Economic Forum, conducted Event 201, which simulated a global pandemic caused by a new coronavirus. The Center for Health Security strangely claimed that it was not meant to predict COVID-19. On February 28, Gates published an article suggesting COVID-19 could be a once-in-a-century pandemic. But just because Gates predicted COVID-19, doesnt mean he must be trusted on the specifics. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation funds the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, which provided a model at the University of Washington with predictions. Derek Hunter, writing for Townhall, observed that the IHME predicted on April 4 that between 120,963 and 203,436 Americans would require hospitalization. In reality, there were only 18,998 (missing a few numbers from a handful of smaller states that had not been counted yet). Similarly, the model predicted 31,057 ICU beds would be needed on April 4, but only 4,686 were. The IHME was forced to drastically cut its predictions. On February 28, Gates wrote, [t]he data so far suggests that the virus has a case fatality risk around 1%. The case fatality rate represents the proportion of deaths compared to the number of people diagnosed with the disease. Now we know that percentage was too high, its below 1%. Eran Bendavid, an infectious diseases physician, and Jay Bhattacharya, a professor of medicine, believe the mortality rate is 0.01%. This is one-tenth of the flu mortality rate of .1%. Part of the reason mortality estimates were too high is they were based off samples, not taking into account full populations. This may have been deliberately done to overhype the pandemic. Gates further angered people by calling for a national tracking system. He wrote on his website, Eventually we will have some digital certificates to show who has recovered or been tested recently or when we have a vaccine who has received it. This is no surprise, considering in January 2019 Gates expressed support for a worldwide biometric ID. He praised Indias national biometric ID, and was excited to see it expanding to other countries. He said India has the worlds largest biometric identification system and has become a valuable platform for delivering social welfare programs and other government services. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation recently funded an MIT study which explored implanting vaccination information into a childs skin. The project came about due to a direct request from Gates himself. One of Gates main projects in recent years has been funding mass vaccinations. He wants to reduce the size of the earths population through that and abortions. In regards to the worlds population being 6.8 billion, he said in 2011, Now, if we do a really great job on new vaccines, health care, reproductive health services, we could lower that by, perhaps, 10 or 15 percent. Apparently his reasoning is that if parents think their children will have a better chance at surviving until adulthood due to vaccines, they will choose to have fewer kids. And thats not all of the offensive statements hes made. Gates said earlier this month that he doesnt think large gatherings will be able to resume until widespread vaccination has taken place. But he doesnt predict a vaccine becoming available until fall of 2021. Gates criticized President Trump for halting funding to the World Health Organization while the administration investigates the U.N. entitys dismal handling of the pandemic. The WHO was told by Taiwan on December 31 that COVID-19 could be transmitted from human to human, but hid this information until January 22. Trump also had a problem with the WHOs advice against curtailing international travel. Trump disagreed and halted travel from China and then Europe, which is widely considered to have decreased the severity of the pandemic in the U.S. Trump didnt like the WHOs praise of China, especially since China has very likely issued false, lower numbers of deaths than really happened in the country. The WHO hid and diminished Chinas culpability. Gates said the move to cut off WHO funding is "as dangerous as it sounds." Gates claimed in a tweet that no other organization can replace the WHO for slowing the spread of COVID-19. The U.S. contributes $400 to $500 million to the WHO each year. China contributes only $40 million. Yet bizarrely, the WHOs treatment of the pandemic has seemed more favorable to China than toward the U.S. Gates approach to the pandemic would have been a lot more draconian than Trumps had he been calling the shots. While its true he knew enough about viral epidemics to see this coming, it doesnt mean his advice is better than the top experts advising Trump. Gates is a globalist who trusts the U.N. and has no problem letting the WHO dictate the terms of how countries handle the pandemic. His values and goals do not represent those of the U.S. because they are clouded by his internationalism. Rachel Alexander and her brother Andrew are co-Editors of Intellectual Conservative. She has been published in the American Spectator, Townhall.com, Fox News, NewsMax, Accuracy in Media, The Americano, ParcBench, Enter Stage Right and other publications.mericano, ParcBench, Enter Stage Right and other publications. Home Several thousand disposable face shields arrived at Conroes Habitat for Humanity in Montgomery County last week to help protect health care workers from the coronavirus. Out of this first shipment, 100 of the face shields went to the Lone Star Family Health Center, 100 to St. Lukes in The Woodlands, and 900 to Memorial Hermann in The Woodlands. But another large shipment with thousands more are expected this week for Houston hospitals. The face shields were made by Boston Scientific which has a relationship with a national group called GetUsPPE. When it was time to distribute the donations, the organization began to reach out to groups in cities nationwide seeking local groups with local hospital contacts to assess the need and help deliver shields. Volunteer effort Thats when they found the recently launched volunteer group Houston Helpers Taking on COVID 19, which started as a Facebook page seeking volunteers after a conversation between Vogt Engineering Vice President Amanda Van Dusen and Dr. Stacy Strehlow I never could have imagined that we would be where we are today managing this kind of quantity, Dusen said. When she contacted me, I thought we might make 50 masks. Now Dusen has been negotiating with the group GetUsPPE, which will stop the free face shields program on April 30, to get more masks for Houston area hospitals directly to their distribution centers. Within the next week we have requested from them and they have said they will do everything they can to honor the commitment of 6,000 masks for Harris Health Systems, 3,000 masks for Memorial Hermann, 3,000 masks for Houston Methodist, 3,000 for Baylor College of Medicine, 3,000 masks for MD Anderson. Filling a need Now the mission is to effectively facilitate the making, gathering and distribution of supplemental Personal Protective Equipment to help medical staff, police and fire departments, first responders, grocery store staff, staff and residents at senior living facilities, daycare workers and others risking their health to save lives. We manage requests so that all of our makers, when they run out of supplies, they send us a request, we get the supplies to them so they can just continue making, Dusen added. Houston Helpers Taking on COVID 19 makes various cloth masks, headbands with buttons that masks can be hooked to give the ears a rest, scrub caps and 3D-printed face shields. Since starting the Facebook group on March 19, Houston Helpers Taking on COVID 19 has made around 4,700 items that has been distributed in the region. At the beginning the majority were going to Montgomery County but now requests have come from around the Houston area. We are really seeing need from all over, Dusen said. The need has changed. It has kind of progressed. When we first started there were several hospitals systems, some of the hospitals here in The Woodlands, that were not asking for cloth masks. As time has gone on, they are now asking for cloth masks, so it definitely has changed over time, Dusen said. Helping the helpers When the helpers needed help themselves to be able handle and store the large quantity of face shields from GetUsPPE for distribution, Dusen reached out to Habitat to Humanity in Montgomery Countys Restore team, which welcomed the large shipment on Wednesday at its location at 9407 Texas 242. The Restore staff separated the equipment, marked packages, and prepared the limited supplies for distribution across Montgomery County. Once the face shields were ready to go, Dusen arrived with a few team members and Strehlow. Two Men and a Truck and Restore Manager Billy Fuller assisted with the delivery. The faces on the people on the dock, when we went to the truck docks to unload these, they were just so thankful, Fuller said. They werent even the ones who were going to use it, but these were the people that knew they were in short supply or that the people working up with the patients in that needed these. mellsworth@hcnonline.com Nigerias President, Muhammadu Buhari, on Monday night, said the containment measures put in place by the federal government have so far yielded a positive outcome in the fight against COVID-19 in the country. Mr Buhari during his third presidential address on the virus said despite the increase in the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases recorded in the past two weeks, the country is not doing badly in combating the spread of the virus. Mr Buhari said the initial models had predicted that Nigeria will record an estimated 2,000 confirmed cases in the first month after the index case. As of the time of reporting, Nigeria has recorded 1,273 cases across 32 States and the FCT, with 40 deaths from the virus. READ ALSO: Mr Buhari said despite the numbers, the measures put in place thus far have yielded positive outcomes against the projections. To contain the spread of the disease, the federal government had earlier directed the lockdown of three major cities (Lagos, Ogun and the FCT) for four weeks. The government had also closed the land borders, air space and restricted entry from the seaports. While some of the restrictions still hold, Mr Buhari said the measures have also reduced imported cases of COVID-19 into the country to about 19 per cent of the total cases. The first sets of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country had been from travellers who returned to the country. For the past four weeks, most parts of our country have been under either Federal Government or State Government lockdown, Mr Buhari said. As I mentioned earlier, these steps were necessary and overall, have contributed to slowing down the spread of COVID-19 in our country, he said. He added that the government will continue to enforce land border arrival protocols as part of the containment strategy While the president in his address announced that the lockdown in the three states will be relaxed from next Monday, he has directed a total lockdown of Kano State. Mr Buhari expressed worries over the situation in Kano state. I am gravely concerned about the unfortunate developments in Kano in recent days, he said. Although an in-depth investigation is still ongoing, Mr Buhari said the federal government has decided to deploy additional manpower, material and technical resources to strengthen and support the Kano State governments efforts, with immediate effect. In the meantime, Kano State is to be on total lockdown for two weeks, he said. Community transmission Nigeria is now experiencing community transmission and this has warranted the government to amend its tactics of combating the outbreak. Mr Buhari said the use of face masks or coverings in public has become mandatory in addition to maintaining physical distancing and personal hygiene. Furthermore, the restrictions on social and religious gatherings shall remain in place, he said. Elisabeth Hasselbeck is coming for The View co-host Meghan McCain after the latter shaded her. The conservative women are at odds with each other following Hasselbecks appearance on the ABC talk show. McCain has blasted her on TV for saying she would pray the coronavirus away. Hasselbeck is now breaking her silence and firing back at McCain. Elisabeth Hasselbeck and Meghan McCain | Lou Rocco/Walt Disney Television via Getty Images) Why did Meghan McCain blast Elisabeth Hasselbeck? McCain was the biggest fan of Hasselbeck for being a conservative voice on The View panel. McCain was the most excited when it was announced the OG would return to the show to guest co-host. On the day of her appearance, social distancing was starting to take place and the show went audience-less for the first time. One of the topics laid out for debate was how Donald Trump was handling the pandemic. Joy Behar said the president was clueless, and Hasselbeck pushed back saying he was being a strong leader. There can be a fine line between what is taking precaution and what is panic, she said. Yes, were going to take precautions, were going to Purell, pray that Gods got us in our tomorrows, right? We pray that this coronavirus is extinguished, that its stopped in its tracks. As a Christian woman, Hasselbeck seeks prayer to help her get through situations. I think we should prepare. I think we should pray. Im not going to let coronavirus rule me! she added. Meghan McCain shades Elisabeth Hasselbeck Days later on The View, the ladies were talking about how Fox News anchors had been minimizing the coronavirus outbreak. McCain pointed out that it was not only the cable network that had TV personalities not giving the pandemic the importance it deserved. Although she didnt name Hasselbeck, it was clear McCain was alluding to her previous comment. By the way, we had it happen on this show as well, not with me, McCain continued. We had it happen on this show, lest we forget, some Republican saying that we should wash our hands and pray it away. It wasnt just on Fox News that it was happening, it happened right here on The View. During an appearance on Watch What Happens Live, McCain was asked by a fan to give her thoughts on Hasselbecks way of handling the coronavirus. McCain doubled down on her stance calling it dangerous. Someone actually sent me a screenshot of my face when she said that, McCain said. I took this virus seriously from the very beginning and I thought a lot of this rhetoric was really dangerous. I think its really, really unfortunate and dangerous that she said that. McCain pushed even further saying she doesnt want to co-host with Hasselbeck again. I dont need to co-host with her again, she added. Its unfortunate because Ive been a huge fan of her a long time. Anybody who is screwing around with this virus and putting out misinformation, I just dont really have a lot of time for right now. Elisabeth Hasselbeck claps back at Meghan McCain After McCains opinion made waves on social media again, Hasselbeck clapped back on Instagram at her fellow Republican. I dont like being misrepresented, so were going to talk this out right here, Hasselbeck said in her video. On her post, Hasselbeck said she would call McCain to handle this. We are all just doing our best, and I dont know why you are taking an opportunity to be so aggressive toward me during such a stressful time, Hasselbeck wrote. The former Fox & Friends co-host said that we shouldnt be judging one another and that prayer would always be her first response and best defense. We have had a family member hospitalized and I have asthma, she continued. This is all hard and stressful enough turn off the meanness as the world needs more togetherness and kindness. Im praying today that you can lay off throwing the social darts at me. I am not sure why you decided to do this. Im a momma on my knees in prayer like many others lets get back in the same side and be in this together, she ended. McCain has not publicly reacted to Hasselbecks latest statement. The View airs weekdays at 11 a.m. ET and 10 a.m. CT/PT. The mystery over Kim Jong Uns health continues and headlines are just adding to the uncertainty. Is he dead, serious or just fine? No one knows. But the news has surely propelled Kim Jongs sister Kim Yo Jong to the limelight. It is being said that Kim Yo is likely to succeed her brother as North Koreas leader and if that is true, the world will have its first female dictator. Rumour has it that Kim Jong Un s sister will take over if he dies and she supposedly is more brutal than him ..Good news is that world will have its FIRST FEMALE VILLAIN ..Finally JAMES BOND can get REAL, filmmaker Ram Gopal Verma wrote in a tweet. Not sure if a female dictator is good news, particularly when reports say she is even more brutal. Rumour has it that Kim Jong Un s sister will take over if he dies and she supposedly is more brutal than him ..Good news is that world will have its FIRST FEMALE VILLAIN ..Finally JAMES BOND can get REAL pic.twitter.com/EAebtPvhK5 Ram Gopal Varma (@RGVzoomin) April 24, 2020 For some, Kim Yos looks have taken precedence over everything else. Why the frick is Kim Jong Un's sister hot in like a scary sort of way??? pic.twitter.com/yIKm2xtDMR Sogeking's homie (@snipeboi_usopp) April 22, 2020 Kim Yo Jong is the director of North Koreas Propaganda and Agitation department and fears are that she is going to be worse than her brother. Be careful what you wish for when it comes to Kim Jong Un. Kim Yo Jong is the director of North Koreas Propaganda and Agitation department the driving force behind the propaganda that promotes her brother as a heroic leader. Shell be worse. pic.twitter.com/yMTu0igpv4 Alana Mastrangelo (@ARmastrangelo) April 26, 2020 Kim Jong-Un's sister and potential successor Kim Yo Jong. By her looks, she seems not to be different from her brother. Is #KimJungUn really dead? Or is faking it?#KIMJONGUNDEAD pic.twitter.com/5FTIBdjLLe Prince of West (@mukinga_manuel) April 26, 2020 Some are even finding parallels to her from TV series and anime. Kim Jong-Un's sister and potential successor Kim Yo Jong is definitely giving me the vibes pic.twitter.com/91U5syshzS Blooming Indigeneity (@JordenRevels) April 26, 2020 While some people have been pointing out that Kim Yong is going to be more brutal and that she has aided her brother in ruling the North Korea, other are busy making fancams for her. Fancams are short video clips of K-pop artists performing on stage edited by fans with different effects and transitions. Last week, reports had surfaced saying China had dispatched a team to North Korea including medical experts to advise on Kim Jong Un. The trip by the Chinese doctors and officials came amid conflicting reports about the health of the North Korean leader. South Korean government officials and a Chinese official with the Liaison Department challenged subsequent reports suggesting that Kim was in grave danger after surgery. South Korean officials said they had detected no signs of unusual activity in North Korea. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin looks on as President Donald Trump signs the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act in the Oval Office of the White House on April 24, 2020. (Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images) Mnuchin: US Economy Will Really Bounce Back in Summer Months Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on April 26 said that he expects the U.S. economy will really bounce back after the United States begins to reopen the economy in the coming months. Mnuchin said he predicts that the trillions of dollars in federal rescue funds in response to the CCP virus pandemic will pay off as the economy comes roaring back in the summer months. I think as we begin to reopen the economy in May and June, youre going to see the economy really bounce back in July, August, September, Mnuchin told Fox News. And we are putting in an unprecedented amount of fiscal relief into the economy, he said. Youre seeing trillions of dollars thats making its way into the economy, and I think this is going to have a significant impact. The Senate on April 21 negotiated a $484 billion CCP virus relief package, which includes aid for small businesses and hospitals, and funds for increased virus testing. The nearly half-trillion-dollar package was added to the $2.2 trillion rescue package passed by Congress in March to mitigate the economic effects of the pandemic. Mnuchins assessment downplayed a prediction from Goldman Sachs that the overall global impact of the CCP virus will be four times worse than the economic crash of 2008, as well as Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projections of high unemployment16 percent in the third quarterand low GDP. The CBO sees next years jobless rate still averaging above 10 percent. A record 26.5 million Americans have filed for jobless benefits since mid-March, and retail sales, homebuilding, and consumer confidence have cratered. Before the pandemic, the U.S. jobless rate had been hovering at a 50-year low of 3.5 percent. All these models are based on health assumptions, how quickly we reopen, so well see, Mnuchin said. As businesses begin to open, youre going to see demand side of the economy rebound. His comments came amid warnings from White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett about the impact and long-term effects of the pandemic lockdowns. Make no mistake, its a really grave situation, Hassett told ABCs This Week on April 26. This is the biggest negative shock that our economy, I think, has ever seen. Were going to be looking at an unemployment rate that approaches rates that we saw during the Great Depression, he said. Hassett added that debt levels have reached a point where it can be a long-term negative for growth, which should be dealt with along with short-term stimulus in the next phase of legislative action. Again, you have to understand that this is an unprecedented shock to the economy, that were going to be looking at second-quarter negative GDP growth thats probably north of minus 15, minus 20 percent, he said. Its the biggest negative shock that weve seen since the World War II, and with that kind of emergency, the good news is weve got this bipartisan action, this build-a-bridge-to-the-other-side, but theres still going to be a heck of a lot of other problems that pop up. President Donald Trump said on April 22 that the U.S. economy would come back stronger than ever before and pouring money into fighting the CCP virus was a move necessary to be able to reopen the economy. We had the greatest economy in the history of the world and we had to close it. Now were going to open it again, Trump said. Were going to be just as strong or stronger. But you have to spend some money to get it back open. Reuters contributed to this report. The latest edition of Adgullys flagship property #TwitterChat dwelled on Potential of Online Communities Unleashed. Held on Friday, April 24, 2020, the #TwitterChat discussed how online communities are mobilising people to support those who are stranded during the COVID-19 lockdown. It also explored how content and social platforms can be leveraged to drive community driven campaigns. Joining us for the discussion were esteemed leaders of online communities, mobile marketers and influencer marketers who led the discussion. Deepak Kumar, Executive Vice President, C LAB (@kumardeepak0304) Moderator C LAB is the influencer marketing arm of Dentsu Aegis Network. Aditya Maheshwari, Leads Strategic Growth & Customer Success, AppsFlyer India (@mahe_adi) AppsFlyer is a leading mobile attribution platform. Mahita Nagaraj, Community Leader, Caremongers India (@MahitaNagaraj) Caremongers India is a 37K+ strong online community on Facebook. The name is meant to be an antithesis to scaremongers. From cooked meals to transport for doctors visits to grocery runs, this group of 'caremongers' is ready to go the extra mile for senior citizens stuck at home, expecting mothers, the physically challenged, people with medical conditions and even those who are financially precarious. Meghdut Roy Chowdhury, Community Leader, #Eksaath - Support Group for Quarantine Heroes, (@meghamind_7) #EkSaath - Support Group for Quarantine Heroes is an online community on Facebook catering to the people who are practicing social distancing. The group brings engaging content for its members inclusive of friendly banter, learning a new craft, educating and raising awareness with like-minded communities online. Neela Kaushik, Founder & CEO, GurgaonMoms (@gurgaonmoms) GurgaonMoms is 34K+ strong community for women on in Delhi-NCR. The Facebook community aims to create a safe space for women to be able to discuss various topics, ask away doubts and celebrate their stories . It is also the nurturing ground that supports women with resources to pursue their dreams or goals. The community regularly conducts online and offline events where members meet and network. They have an annual event 'The Mom Achievers Summit' which is very well received and attended by close to 500 women in the NCR area. Shishir Joshi, Founder & CEO, Project Mumbai (@projectmumbai1) Project Mumbai is an non-profit organisation on Facebook that has stepped in to address the healthcare and grocery needs of the home quarantined by delivering medical supplies and groceries through a doorstep service. Key drivers that led to formation of online communities during Covid-19 What cause did online communities gather around? How did they reach operational efficiency and reach by communicating through social platforms? Shishir Joshi explains, It is transparency in operation, ability of outreach and scale and the cause resonating with people that led to rapid growth of online communities. Aditya Maheshwari adds, A lot of people are feeling helpless and if brands/communities choose to be helpful and make utility their purpose, you will see an automatic connection and uplift, which is something fundamental that communities we are trying to build. Neela Kaushik says, There are different pockets of society requiring different form of aid. Getting organised as communities can greatly help in structuring and delivering relief and support. Mahita Nagaraj opines I would say addressing critical need, integrity of operations, fulfillment of requirements, and finding a cause that resonates with the community. Matching supply and demand with honesty of purpose. Tone of message, critical? How are online communities communicating authenticity of purpose? What are the learnings for brands? Mahita Nagaraj says, This brings us back again to honesty of purpose. If there is integrity in purpose, it will translate to integrity in content. Or delivery. Or operations. MeghdutRoyChowdhury adds, I think consumers can spot the difference between genuine heartfelt communication and brand propaganda fairly easily. I've seen a lot of BIG brand alignment campaigns fall through because they were tone deaf and not just during the crisis. Content marketing and community building How do communities remain engaged and motivated to follow through on the purpose of the operation? Hint: Content has a role to play. Mahita Nagaraj says,More than ever, people are realising the effectiveness of social media and its ability to bring together communities for the greater good. The ability to be able to help people from remote locations when the need arises. Shishir Joshi adds, Content helps spread the virus of good deeds. A better virus to spread in these times. It inspires others. A larger community gets built. MeghdutRoyChowdhury shares an example, The Global Citizen concert curated by Lady Gaga and supported by WHO brought in more than $150M for frontline workers by bringing in the biggest names in music together for a huge virtual concert. That's my pick for the best use case for the importance of media during the crisis. Aditya Maheshwari shares another example, AB InBev joined thousands of museums and performing arts organizations in offering virtual performances, sponsoring the Bud Light Dive Bar Tour: Home Edition featuring live musicfrom popular artists livestreamed on YouTube, while Chipotle hosted Zoom hangouts where 3,000 fans could virtually mingle with celebrities. That's the kind of content brands want to create! Top Guest Tweet While there is a pressure to be sensitive, for organisations of today, the basic ethics / purpose of the business and humanity will be the key. Brands will take up social issues in most messaging, echoing the collective economic, political and social interests of the society. Anup Sharma B'Harry (@TweetsAnup) April 24, 2020 Do social platforms need to transform to aid online communities? Do platforms and businesses need to adapt to the current scenario and address the New consumer needs? Aditya Maheshwari says, Not just platforms but even businesses need to adapt. Cutting edge startups are adapting to the need, are transforming to cater to the most essential needs at scale, like Rapido started delivering essentials. Emergence of New Age community builders Role of technology and digital savvy audiences in transformation of the nature of online communities. Mahita Nagaraj says, New age community builders will continue to focus on work getting done, rather than building the community. This automatically will continue to build the community. And this is where the shift will be most tangible. Aditya Maheshwari concludes New age community builders will leverage Internet and online tools like they have not done ever before. Those who do, will build communities that will stick together through times like these. The Kaduna State Government has warned the people against resorting to self-help in settling communal disputes. The states Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, gave this warning on Sunday at Kajuru during a meeting between the government, security officials and local leaders over renewed violence in the area on Saturday. Kajuru is the epicentre of the crisis between herders and farming communities in Kaduna State. On the eve of the general elections in 2019, the state government said 66 people were killed in a clash between Fulani herders and Adara farming communities. A special report by PREMIUM TIMES in 2019 also revealed how homes, businesses were razed down in reprisal attacks. Also in March 2019, the Miyetti Allah group said over 130 of its members were killed by Adara youth in Kajuru villages. Speaking on recent clashes in the area, Mr Aruwan said: If Fulani while grazing come under attack, they must not take the laws into their hands but rather they must recourse to the law and government. Similarly, should Adara, in the course of farming and other activities come under attack, they must recourse to the law and not engage in jungle justice. This is not a banana republic. The commissioner further warned that operatives are working round the clock and will not waver for a second should anyone be found wanting in the unfortunate situation we find ourselves. As a government, we will not shy away from confronting threats to peace, law and order. We will also not shy away from taking hard decisions that will better common good and public interest. As a government working for the peace, security, unity and progress of Kaduna State, we will not toy with our constitutional and statutory responsibility, he added. According to Mr Aruwan, the government and security agencies had been working to stem the tide of incessant bloodshed in Kajuru local government. As a serious-minded government, together with the security agencies, we have had cause to meet with the Adara and Fulani youths, District Head, Ward Heads and Ardos at different meetings to appeal for peace and restraint from self-help, he said. The commissioner recalled that the parties had made different narratives and counter-accusations at such meetings, each exonerating itself. Mr Aruwan said from security reports and intelligence gathering, bad eggs are everywhere and responsible for our predicaments. We must work hard to free our humanity from the clutches of evil-minded individuals who want violence and killings to be entrenched in our communities. There is no justification for killings and maiming people on their farms or homes. People in their huts or while grazing are attacked and killed for no reasons but sheer cruelty and evil. We must rise and support government and security agencies in tackling this unwholesome trend. What we are experiencing here is inhumanity perpetrated by criminals, and criminals must not be shielded with religious and ethnic identities. They must be identified as criminals and treated as such via retribution as contained in the law. Criminality is not related to religion, ethnicity or any affiliations but is simply borne out of wicked intentions of the villainous elements amongst us, he said. He said the government, security agencies and people of conscience would continue to work for peace, law, and order and appealed to the youths o deepen peace because the future is ours and we must first guarantee our today. Speaking at the event, the State Director, State Security Service (SSS), Idris Koya, urged stakeholders to always contact security agents with vital information at their local government offices or visit the state office. Also speaking, the Commissioner of Police in Kaduna State, Umar Muri, promised to look into issues of logistics and personnel, adding that 10,000 police recruits passed out recently and Kajuru will be highly considered in their posting. The Commander of 1 Div. Garrison, O S. Abai, a brigadier-general, advised stakeholders to identify trouble makers even before a crisis. He appealed for unity among people in the community. The Executive Chairman of Kajuru local government, Cafra Caino, reminded the gathering of the ban on hunting expeditions. He pleaded with the state government to construct roads in some interior parts of the local government to give security personnel access to communities in case of emergencies. It took just about 40 days for Haryana to cross the 300 mark as the state registered five new Covid-19 cases on Monday. It was on March 16 that states first positive case was reported from Gurugram. With the state government launching a search for Tablighi Jamaat attendees and their contacts from March 31, a spurt in new cases was seen, which reached 96 by April 6. The next day, the count swelled to 119 and by April 10, it was 162. By April 16, the tally had crossed the 200 mark. The next 100 cases surfaced within next 11 days only. Among the five new cases reported on Monday, one is from Jhajjar, the district which had so far managed to keep itself virus-free, but now lost its green zone tag. The remaining infections were reported from Sonepat (2), Ambala (1) and Faridabad (1). Notably, though state health bulletin mentioned only one case from Jhajjar, the local administration confirmed five cases. Jhajjar civil surgeon Dr Randeep Punia said among those infected are a pharmacist from Bahadurgarh, a vegetable seller and three family members of an infected Delhi constable, who hails from Saloda village in the district. Jhajjar DC Jitender Kumar said all of them have a Delhi connection. In Sonepat, whose tally is now 22, civil surgeon Dr BK Rajoura said, one of the patients is a man from Khubdu village who had come in contact with an infected Haryana policeman of the same village, while the other is a Haryana cop, a resident of Nuh, who was posted at Kakroi checkpost. Ambala CMO Dr Kuldeep Singh said, A 63-year-old woman from Ratangarh area has been tested positive for the disease. She is diabetic and has been suffering from some kidney-related ailment for last three years for which she undergoes dialysis twice a week. She is admitted to GMCH-32 in Chandigarh. Ambala has so far recorded 14 Covid patients, of whom three are undergoing treatment at Chandigarh, while one died earlier this month. VIJ FOR SEALING BORDERS WITH DELHI Health minister Anil Vij said the state government, which had sealed its Sonepat district borders with Delhi, was seriously contemplating to seal the Jhajjar, Gurugram and Faridabad borders with the national capital as well. It is clear from the Covid-19 cases reported from Sonepat and now Jhajjar that all these patients have a Delhi connection. They were either themselves working or frequenting Delhi or were in contact with Delhi residents, Vij said. Referring to virus spread in Haryana, he said, The Delhi administration should itself have immediately quarantined the Tablighis and stopped them from going to other states. RECOVERY RATE OVER 70% Though there have been 301 positive cases in Haryana, the number of active patients is 85 and the recovery rate is 71%. Till date, as many as 213 patients have been cured. On Monday, 14 persons walked out of hospitals, including eight from Faridabad, five from Nuh and one from Gurugram. More than 200 Cuban doctors and health workers arrived in South Africa on Monday to help the fight against coronavirus, the presidency said. South Africa has the highest number of coronavirus cases on the continent with 4,546 infections, of which 87 have been fatal. The delegation was met by a group of South African ministers as they landed in the early hours of the morning. 217 Cuban health specialists and workers have arrived in South Africa today to assist with the fight to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, the presidency said in a statement. They include epidemiology and public health experts, family physicians and healthcare technology engineers. South Africa is in the final days of a strict nationwide lockdown that will be gradually eased from May 1. The Cuban family physicians will help with a mass door-to-door screening and testing campaign launched at the beginning of April. Over 168,000 people have been tested so far, including more than 13,500 in South Africas most populous province Gauteng where the majority of cases have been recorded. South Africa is the second country in the region to receive medical support from Cuba. More than 250 Cuban doctors were sent to Angola earlier this month to help authorities combat the spread of COVID-19. Angola has recorded 25 coronavirus cases, including 2 deaths. SOURCE: AFP In April of last year, the cherry trees were blooming as Tory Burch and Robert Kime arrived in Tokyo in search of inspiration. In the days that followed, the duo would scour the country for antique textile samples, the basis of their new collection, all the while visiting some of Japans famed temples and shrines. Twelve months later, that kind of enriching travel may feel like a faraway memory, as COVID-19 restrictions have settled in worldwide. However, the fruits of that foray11 fabrics and two wallpapersare now poised for the comfort of your home. The two met several years ago when Burch, a self-professed Kime fangirl, called the AD100 Hall of Famer for help warming up her now-husband Pierre-Yves Roussels manor house in Normandy. It was an immediate connection, the fashion designer says of her friendship with Kime, whose fabrics she has long used in her own homes. Their mutual affection is evident during a conference call this past March, at which point Kimes scheduled trip to New York City has been canceled due to escalating coronavirus concerns. Coos of I miss you and promises to reunite soon are parried back and forth as the two reminisce on their collaboration. Robert is able to look at the world as a very small place, tying in elements from England to France to Syria to Turkey and now Japan in a way that seems so seamless, praises Burch. There is no one better. Photo by Noa Griffel for Tory Burch. Photo by Noa Griffel for Tory Burch. Neither had collaborated with another designer on a product line before they joined forcesnor had Kime, despite long-held global influences, based a collection on a single locale. When Burch initially proposed a brainstorming trip to Bhutan, he replied that he had always dreamed of visiting Japan. By chance, Burch was planning a trip for the reopening of her Tokyo flagship. Kime tagged along, joining her at a rather wonderful party before embarking on their hunt. Story continues On a journey from Tokyo to Kyoto to Nara, the two found themselves drawn not to formal kimono work, with its embroidered brocade, but rather the simple dyed cottons used for everyday Japanese attire. Endless indigo, reflects Kime, describing the inky hue that reigns as Japans universal color. Accordingly, blue forms the basis for almost all of the Nara collection, named for the ancient city, which Burch first visited as a college student on Semester at Sea. Patterns range from the ornate flora and fauna of Takeyabu (Bamboo Forest) to the more graphic, diagonally striped Tazuna, inspired by the decorative ropes used on horse bridles. Photo by Tim Beddow. Photo by Tim Beddow. Burch and Kime are coy about revealing their sources, but he describes his favorite shop, no larger than a cupboard and tucked on a Tokyo side street, as an incredible mess. Kime collected more than 100 antique fabric scraps, some smaller than a handkerchief. The majority, he says, have yet to be mined for inspiration. So will a second collection follow? A third! he answers brightly. Images courtesy of Robert Kime and Tory Burch. Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest Of lately, Kerala was shocked after the news of the ace filmmaker and Kerala State Chalchithra Academy Chairman Kamal being accused of sexual harassment surfaced. The serious allegations were made by a young actress of Mollywood, who complained that he had promised the lead role in his next venture, Pranaya Meenukalude Kadal in return for the disgraceful act. She also claimed that Kamal took her to a flat and abused her, and added that the account had taken place during the shoot of Ami, starring Manju Warrier. Well, responding to the reports, Kamal has rubbished all allegations against him and has called it a mere cooked up story. Calling it baseless, he added that there is a clear conspiracy behind the allegation, and suspects an employee who was expelled from the Chalchitra academy behind it. He has also said to have received a legal notice from the actress a year back and he informed his advocate about the same.Kamal said that the advocate had advised him to wait until a follow-up action comes from the other party. In an interview with TOI, Kamal was quoted saying, "This is a baseless allegation. It is true that I had received a legal notice, a year ago. When I contacted my advocate, he said since it was a false allegation, I needed to wait for follow-up action from the other party. That did not happen and so I ignored it. I suspect a former employee of Chalachitra Academy is behind bringing this up now. He had quit his position due to some internal conflicts. Only my advocate and the former employee knew about the legal notice that was received a year ago. However, I do not have enough evidence to prove that he is behind it, at the moment." He alleged that this case is intended to defame him personally and as the chairman of the prestigious Chalchitra academy. Talking about the Malayalam channel that unveiled the news about the same, he said that the politically biased channel was trying to defame him citing his religion. Director Kamal Accused Of Sexual Harassment By Woman, Says Promised A Lead Role In A Movie Shelley Davies waits for her delivery at Plants and Friends./Douglas Zimmerman/SFGate LATEST April 27, 5:45 p.m. The number of coronavirus patients in Bay Area hospitals hit its lowest mark since the state started recording county-by-county hospitalization data. Here are the previous seven days' worth of data reflecting the total number of confirmed and suspected COVID-19 patients hospitalized across the nine counties that comprise the San Francisco Bay Area: - Monday, April 20: 619 (2.1 percent increase from previous day) - Tuesday, April 21: 640 (3.4 percent increase from previous day) - Wednesday, April 22: 629 (1.7 percent decrease from previous day) - Thursday, April 23: 659 (4.8 increase from previous day) - Friday, April 24: 610 (7.4 percent decrease from previous day) - Saturday, April 25: 606 (0.6 percent decrease from previous day) - Sunday, April 26: 584 (3.6 percent decrease from previous day) For reference, April 7 marked the day of the most reported hospitalizations with 831. Data was first made available on April 1, and the region had 758 hospitalizations that day. April 27, 5:20 p.m. Bay Area counties announced new coronavirus cases on Monday; as other counties report their latest numbers, the list below will be updated throughout the day. San Francisco County announced one additional death and 16 new cases to increase its death toll to 23 and total case count to 1,424. San Mateo County reported 61 new cases, bringing its total to 1,080. The death toll remains 41. Alameda County reported 30 new cases, bringing its total to 1,498. The death toll remains 52. Contra Costa County reported three new cases, bringing its total to 820. The death toll remains 25. Santa Clara County reported 23 new cases and three new deaths, increasing the case count to 2,105 and the death toll to 103. Napa County reported four new cases, bringing its total to 64. The death toll remains two. Marin County reported one new case, bringing its total to 224. The death toll remains 12. Solano County reported 27 new cases, bringing its total to 226. The death toll remains four. Sonoma County reported two new cases, bringing its total to 220. The death toll remains two. April 27, 3:40 p.m. A study of COVID-19 outbreaks in China earlier this year found that the virus is spread far more easily indoors than outdoors. The findings raise the possibility that when authorities begin to relax shelter-in-place restrictions, some services for example, restaurants or gyms could resume at first as outdoor venues, assuming physical distancing measures were maintained. For the study, which is not peer-reviewed, researchers from three universities identified 318 COVID-19 outbreaks involving three or more people between Jan. 4 and Feb. 11. The large majority of the outbreaks occurred at home (79.9%). Strikingly, only one instance of outdoor transmission was found among our 7,324 identified cases in China with sufficient descriptions. Read the entire story by Mike Moffitt here. April 27, 2:50 p.m. White House officials released details on a national plan to ramp up coronavirus testing across the country during a Rose Garden press conference Monday. Dr. Deborah Birx and Admiral Brett Giroir unveiled the three-stage plan that has eight total steps. Checkmarks were inserted after the first seven steps, indicating the administration believes it has completed those steps. Here's an overview of the plan: Stage 1: Launch Step 1: Build the foundation for diagnostic testing. Step 2: Mobilize the private sector to develop tests. Step 3: Issue Emergency Use Authorizations (EUAs) for tests. Step 4: Galvanize commercial and research laboratories and professional associations to ramp up testing capacity. Step 5: Facilitate State efforts to access and utilize all available testing capacity. Stage 2: Scale Step 6: Identify and expand public and private-sector testing infrastructure. Step 7: Strengthen testing supply chain. Stage 3: Support Opening Up Again Step 8: Coordinate with governors to support testing plans and rapid response programs. April 27, 2:25 p.m. In a Monday press conference, Mayor Breed corrected remarks she made on Friday regarding a PPE shipment she had said was confiscated by FEMA and redirected to another location. Breed said the third-party company fulfilling the order had given city officials that information, but FEMA since reached out to deny the claim. We found out when the director of FEMA here reached out [that] not only was this not true, but [FEMA] are now investigating the third party that we were working with to ensure that accurate information is provided. Providing incorrect information is not only irresponsible, its also dangerous in light of what we are all dealing with. Breed apologized to FEMA, but also added that the city is still having difficulties securing PPE equipment. SFPD Chief Bill Scott also gave an update on crime in the city over the weekend, noting that broadly there has been a decline in violent crime (19% drop), property crime (4% drop) and part I serious crimes (23% drop) over the week previous. There has been a slight uptick in burglaries, and the SFPD is continuing to work with the District Attorneys office on those cases, he added. To date, SFPD has issued 17 citations eight to businesses and nine to individuals and formally warned 78 others for violating shelter-in-place orders. Enforcement has been an option of last resort, he said, and weve mainly gotten compliance. April 27, 1:15 p.m. Starting Tuesday at 6 a.m., a portion of John F. Kennedy Drive in Golden Gate Park and John F. Shelley Drive in John McLaren Park will be closed to vehicles 24 hours a day throughout the duration of San Franciscos stay-at-home order, which is being extended through May, S.F. Mayor London Breed announced Monday. JFK Drive in Golden Gate Park will be closed to vehicular traffic from Kezar Drive to Transverse Drive; it's the same closure that happens every Sunday. The entire Shelley Drive loop in McLaren Park will be cut off to traffic. The new closure is part of the Slow Streets program announced last week on select streets. Find a map of all closed streets at sfmta.com. We know that people need to go outside, whether to get exercise or just clear their head, and closing JFK and Shelley Drive to cars will make it easier for people who choose to leave their home to stay six feet apart from others, Mayor Breed said in a statement. That said, we all need to work together to keep slowing the spread of COVID-19 in our community. Everyone must continue to stay home as much as possible and follow all public health recommendations. Read the full story on the JFK Drive closure by SFGATE Digital Editor Amy Graff. April 27, 1 p.m. California Gov. Gavin Newsom provided an update on the state's coronavirus situation Monday and said there are now 43,464 confirmed positive cases with 3,372 patients hospitalized. Of those, 1,185 are in intensive care units. Hospitalizations increased 1.4% over the past 24 hours and ICU patients remained flat. He said over the weekend, the state saw a "modest decline" in numbers compared to last week's peak, but he said this with caution and encouraged residents to continue to follow the shelter-in-place order with vigilance. "Your actions impact the lives of others," he said. "Stay home. Practice physical distancing." Since March 15, the state has distributed $4.5 billion in unemployment insurance claims. In the last week alone, 15 million calls requesting insurance were made. To support the number of calls, 600 new employees were added to the Employment Development Department, on top of the 1,340 people already deployed. A new chat box is being added to the website to reduce the call volume. April 27, 11:45 a.m. In a joint statement released Monday morning, six Bay Area counties said their current shelter-in-place orders will be extended and revised mandates will be issued shortly. The counties of Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, and Santa Clara, as well as the City of Berkeley, all have orders set to expire on May 3. The counties said the extension will last through May. Last week Solano County pushed its order to May 17. "The Health Officers of these seven jurisdictions have been working closely together in leading a unified, regional approach, to protect the health and safety of our residents," the statement said. "Details regarding this next phase will be shared later in the week, along with the updated order." Health officers from each jurisdiction will also release a set of broad indicators that will be used to track progress in preparedness and response to COVID-19, in alignment with the framework being used by the State of California. California Gov. Gavin Newsom previously shared in press conferences six indicators the state is monitoring to guide its decision to modify the stay-at-home order. Those include increased testing and contact tracing; systems for protecting the most vulnerable populations such as seniors; ensuring hospitals are equipped to handle a patient surge; engaging research partners to develop therapeutics; and issuing new social distancing guidelines for businesses, schools and childcare facilities. Read more about the six indicators in this SFGATE story by digital editor Amy Graff. April 27, 11:20 a.m. Alameda County opened a new drive-thru coronavirus testing site Monday at the Alameda County Fairgrounds for residents in Livermore, Pleasanton and Dublin. In order to be tested individuals must meet the following criteria: Fever above 100 degrees Shortness of breath or other respiratory symptoms Recent exposure to confirmed or suspected coronavirus Other chronic diseases or conditions, such as blood disorders, kidney or liver disease, diabetes, heart, lung or neurological disease, and compromised immune system Over the age of 65 Homeless Pregnant or recently pregnant Test results may take up to 72 hours but may be available sooner. For more information on the new testing site, click here, and for a complete list of testing sites in Alameda County, visit acdph.org. April 27, 10 a.m. UCSF launched an effort over the weekend to offer free, voluntary COVID-19 testing to every resident in a densely populated section of the Mission District, a neighborhood with among the highest number of coronavirus cases in San Francisco. UCSF had tested 1,734 individuals in the neighborhood as of Monday morning and that number is growing. The study is meant to reveal the invisible spread of the virus and help inform future testing efforts in other communities. All our public health decisions, including when it will be possible to relax regional and statewide shelter-in-place orders, are driven by rough assumptions about how this virus behaves based on very limited data, said Dr. Bryan Greenhouse, an associate professor of medicine at UCSF, in a statement. Read the full story by SFGATE digital editor Amy Graff. April 27, 7:40 a.m. Last week, San Francisco Mayor London Breed said the city's shelter-in-place order would "very likely" be extended. The mandate is set to expire on May 3 and will likely be extended this week. Solano County was the first Bay Area county to extend its order to May 17 and other Bay Area counties are expected to follow. April 27, 7:35 a.m. Eight new coronavirus deaths were reported in the Bay Area on Saturday and Sunday. Four deaths were reported in Alameda County, two in Contra Costa County and two in Santa Clara County. The state of California reached 1,723 deaths in all as of Monday morning, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. New coronavirus cases were reported in counties throughout the greater Bay Area. San Mateo was the fourth Bay Area county to cross the 1,000 case threshold. -- Alameda County saw the largest increase in additional cases with 103 reported, bringing its total to 1,468. -- San Francisco County reported 68 cases to increase its total to 1,408. -- Santa Clara County reported 66 cases to increase its total to 2,084. -- San Mateo County reported 30 cases to increase its total to 1,019. -- Contra Costa County reported 31 cases to increase its total to 817. -- Marin County reported 11 cases to increase its total to 223. -- Monterey County reported 14 cases to increase its total to 183. -- Santa Cruz County reported five cases to increase its total to 120. -- Sonoma County reported one additional case to increase its total to 218. Cumulative cases in the greater Bay Area (due to limited testing these numbers reflect only a small portion of likely cases): ALAMEDA COUNTY: 1,498 confirmed cases, 52 deaths For more information on Alameda County cases, visit the public health department website. CONTRA COSTA COUNTY: 820 confirmed cases, 25 deaths For more information on Contra Costa County cases, visit the public health department website. LAKE COUNTY: 6 confirmed cases For information on Lake County and coronavirus, visit the public health department website. MARIN COUNTY: 224 confirmed cases, 12 deaths Fore more information on Marin County cases, visit the public health department website. MONTEREY COUNTY: 183 confirmed cases, 4 deaths For more information on Monterey County cases, visit the public health department website. NAPA COUNTY: 60 cases, 2 deaths For more information on Napa County cases, visit the public health department website. SAN BENITO COUNTY: 47 confirmed cases, 2 deaths For more information on San Benito County cases, visit the public health department website. SAN FRANCISCO COUNTY: 1,424 confirmed cases, 23 deaths For more information on San Francisco County cases, visit the public health department website. SAN MATEO COUNTY: 1,080 confirmed cases, 41 deaths For more information on San Mateo County cases, visit the public health department website. SANTA CLARA COUNTY: 2,205 confirmed cases, 103 deaths Fore more information on Santa Clara County cases, visit the public health department website. SANTA CRUZ COUNTY: 120 confirmed cases, 2 deaths For more information on Santa Cruz County cases, visit the public health department website. SOLANO COUNTY: 226 confirmed cases, 4 deaths For more information on Solano County cases, visit the public health department website. SONOMA COUNTY: 220 confirmed cases, 2 deaths For more information on Sonoma County cases, visit the public health department website. In California, 1,723 coronavirus-related deaths have been reported, according to Johns Hopkins University. For comparison, New York has 22,269, New Jersey 5,938 and Illinois 1,933. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS: MORE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE: Sign up for 'The Daily' newsletter for the latest on coronavirus here. [April 27, 2020] Gateway First Bank Named to the 2019 Top Originators List by Scotsman Guide Gateway (News - Alert) First Bank is proud to announce 14 of its team members have been named Top Originators by Scotsman Guide. The most comprehensive and intensely verified list in the mortgage industry, the ranking recognizes the nation's top producing mortgage loan originators. For the last 12 years, Scotsman Guide has ranked thousands of the nation's top-producing residential mortgage originators across ten categories, including Top Dollar Volume, Most Loans Closed and Top Purchase Volume. The longevity, verification process and comprehensive scope of this list have positioned it as a benchmark for the industry. Supporting this strong growth, Gateway recognizes the loan officers who made this year's list, including: Paddi Bailey Toby Binkley Todd Binkley Chris Doke Jack Little Lisa Mathews Scott Robinson Thomas Rosser Jeffery Schmidt Michael Steele Jill Taylor Steve Thompson Teri Treadway Chris Wilhelm "We are incredibly proud of our team members and are pleased they are being recognized as Top Originators by Scotsman Guide," said Scott Gesell, CEO at Gateway. "Through our team members' commitment to exceptional service, Gateway continues to achieve strong momentum. We are fortunate to have such an exceptional team. With their dedication, I am confident in the future." To view the full list from Scotsman Guide, visit: https://www.scotsmanguide.com/rankings/top-originators About Gateway First Bank In May of 2019, Gateway Mortgage Group merged with an Oklahoma community bank to create Gateway First Bank. With bank roots dating back over 100 years and a 20-year mortgage history, a new kind of financial institution emerged. Gateway First Bank is a leading financial institution that provides digital banking and mortgage services for consumers and commercial customers. Headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Gateway funds over $7.7 billion in mortgages annually, maintains $1.5 billion in assets, and operates six bank branches in Oklahoma and 160 mortgage centers across America. With over 1,300 employees, Gateway is one of the largest banking and mortgage operations in the United States. Learn more at www.GatewayFirst.com. Member FDIC, Equal Housing Lender (NMLS 7233) Follow Gateway First on Facebook (News - Alert) (https://www.facebook.com/GatewayFirstBank/), LinkedIn (News - Alert) (https://www.linkedin.com/company/gatewayfirst/) and Twitter (News - Alert) (https://twitter.com/Gateway1st). View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200427005424/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] COLFA's Johnson and Wiersema will each receive $60,000 to support their research. APRIL 27, 2020 Two UTSA faculty will be recipients of National Endowment for the Humanities awards, part of $30.9 million in grants to support 188 humanities projects in 45 states and the District of Columbia. Julie Johnson, associate professor of art history, was awarded $60,000 for her project Hiding in Plain Sight: Maria van Oosterwyck in the Habsburg Collections, research and writing that will lead to a book about Dutch Golden Age painter Maria van Oosterwyck (16301693). Juliet Wiersema, associate professor of art history, was awarded a $60,000 fellowship to pursue her research project Spanish Colonial Cartography from Colombias Pacific Lowlands, 17101810, which will lead to a book of unpublished maps depicting the economic life of free and enslaved Africans in Nueva Granada (modern-day Colombia) during the 18th century. These two faculty members are breaking new ground through their research and telling the stories of people that might otherwise be lost, said Rhonda M. Gonzales, interim dean of the College of Liberal and Fine Arts. Were so proud of all of their achievements, but an NEH grant really signifies what a high level of scholarship these two women have achieved. They bring a lot to their students and the College of Liberal and Fine Arts. Congratulations to Drs. Johnson and Wiersema! said Kimberly Andrews Espy, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs. The NEH awards are among the most competitive in the U.S. Having our UTSA faculty competing with the bestand winning these awardsis a great marker of excellence for the university and benchmark goal for the National Research University Fund. These two faculty members are breaking new ground through their research and telling the stories of people that might otherwise be lost. Johnsons grant was one of 15 totaling $790,000 that was given in support of advanced research in humanities by those working at historically black colleges, Hispanic serving institutions and tribal colleges and universities. Her teaching addresses the history of art and architecture in Vienna 1900, women artists and modern and contemporary art. She is the author of The Memory Factory: The Forgotten Women Artists of Vienna 1900 (Purdue University Press, 2012). Johnson said her research into Van Oosterwyck, who was once more famous than her contemporary Jan Vermeer, is meant to address the lingering problem of women artists and cultural memory. Her work focuses on the lives and afterlives of Van Oosterwycks signature painting of 1668, in which the artist represents herself at work in a reflection in a bottle of red liquid. My project addresses topics related to memory, framing and display in museum studies and media theory, Johnson said. It focuses very tightly on the dramatic narrative story of Van Oosterwyck and her key work, the 1668 Vanitas Still Life, now hanging adjacent to Jan Vermeers The Art of Painting in Viennas Kunsthistorisches Museum. Wiersemas fellowship grant was one of 81 totaling $4.4 million given by the NEH to support advanced research by college and university teachers and independent scholars, according to a press release from the endowment. Her expertise is in the visual and material culture of the pre-Hispanic and late Spanish Colonial Andes, specifically Peru and Colombia. Her first book, Architectural Vessels of the Moche: Ceramic Diagrams of Sacred Space in Ancient Peru (University of Texas Press, 2015) investigates questions of scale, modes of visuality and monumental architectural remains attributed to the Moche, one of the most powerful groups living in South America before the formation of the Inca empire. Wiersemas research examines the critical economic and social role that Africans played in the early modern history of the Pacific lowlands. However, their stories are largely obscured in colonial documents from Nueva Granada. My project, which works from manuscript maps and archival repositories, brings these buried stories to light and argues that Africans skillfully adapted to local conditions and carved out opportunities for themselves, she said. A critical examination of these maps highlights the pivotal place that Africaas miners, overland porters and canoe polersheld in the local, regional and global economy. Furthermore, these cartographic worksstudied in conjunction with 18th century archival documents, 19th century explorers accounts and surviving historical mapsenable us to reconstruct the history of this isolated and marginalized colonial frontier during the final century of Spanish rule. NEH chairman Jon Parrish Peede told recipients that in more than 50 years the federal agency has underwritten hundreds of the nations most significant humanities projects through its fellowship programs. Applications were selected for support after completing a rigorous three-step review process. These new NEH grants will expand access to the countrys wealth of historical, literary and artistic resources by helping archivists and curators care for important heritage collections and using new media to inspire examination of significant texts and ideas, Peede said. In keeping with NEHs A More Perfect Union initiative, these projects will open pathways for students to engage meaningfully with the humanities and focus public attention on the history, culture and political thought of the United States first 250 years as a nation. In the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the number of coronavirus-infected people has increased to 44. The press service of the Medical Forces Command of Ukraines Armed Forces informed about that. Coronavirus has already killed two people, another 18 have been cured. "There are 361 people on isolation (including self-isolation). The number of staff whose isolation period is expected to end within the next three days is 117. Six new cases of acute Covid-19 respiratory disease have been reported over the past 24 hours," the message reads. It was also pointed out that the infection was most often spread during meetings with loved ones. As we reported before, Russia's Armed Forces put thousands of soldiers on lockdown after they participated in rehearsals for the Victory Day parade in Moscow. "The defense ministry said it would be sending the soldiers, estimated to number 15,000, back to their bases, where they would be put under a two-week quarantine. The ministry did not indicate that any of the soldiers had been infected with the coronavirus. The announcement came days after Vladimir Putin postponed celebrations for Victory Day on 9 May, a significant holiday in Russia usually marked by a military parade in Red Square and events where Russians pay respects to victims and veterans of the second world war," writes the outlet. W ell, here we are, another new year. Another new variant in the coronavirus. And with the new year, the wine trade in Italy and America is ... After video conferencing with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Uttarakhand CM Trivendra Singh Rawat has said the state is undertaking steps to improve the economic situation. A committee of experts has also been formed for the economic revival of the state. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat on Monday said that he is following Prime Minister Narendra Modis mantra of Jaan Bhi Jahan Bhi as the state government is gradually working on improving the economic situation while adhering to coronavirus guidelines.His remarks came after attending the meeting of Chief Ministers with the Prime Minister over the prevailing COVID-19 situation. Now we are working on the mantra Jaan Bhi Jahan Bhi given by the Prime Minister. While strictly following the guidelines of the Government of India, we are gradually working on improving the economic situation. Pharma, food processing units are working, many industries have started under the guidelines, Rawat said, according to a release by Uttarakhand CMO Nine hill districts of the state are free from the influence of Corona. The works of National Highway, MNREGA have been started keeping in mind everything. For the economic revival of the state, a committee of cabinet sub-committee and experts has been formed, whose report will be received soon, he said. Also Read: Coronavirus India: HD Kumaraswamy urges Centre to lower cost of living, suggests imposition of COVID cess on ultra-rich The Chief Minister said that it should be looked at and which economic activities can be started while adhering to all guidelines to combat COVID-19. Rawat said that Uttarakhand being a tourism and pilgrimage destination has been greatly affected by the lockdown. But I am confident that under the leadership of the Prime Minister, the situation in the state will improve again, he added. For the economic revival of the State, a committee of ministers& a committee of experts has been constituted. CM has suggested that duration of MNREGA wage employment be increased to 150 days from the present 100 days: Uttarakhand CM Office on the meeting of CMs with the PM ANI (@ANI) April 27, 2020 Also Read: Coronavirus India: PM Modi interacts with CMs to chalk out post-lockdown strategy, CMs seek relaxations for economic revival He said that the gates of Gangotri and Yamunotri have been opened on Akshaya Tritiya while maintaining all precautions. The Chief Minister also suggested that the duration of employment in MNREGA be increased from 100 days to 150 days. Also Read: Coronavirus in India: HC asks Delhi govt to provide ration to those without ration cards For all the latest National News, download NewsX App Health officials reported under 300 deaths during the same period. New official guidance means coronavirus testing will now be carried out on all staff and all residents in care homes in Northern Ireland if they have been identified as having a potential outbreak or cluster of infections. The previous approach was to test staff and residents displaying symptoms. Health Minister Robin Swann announced the revised guidance as the number of coronavirus-related deaths in hospitals in Northern Ireland was expected to hit 300 today. He also announced 6.5m in additional funding for care homes here. Under the support package, homes will receive a payment of 10,000, 15,000 or 20,000, depending on their size. Mr Swann said the new guidance provides up-to-date advice on how "to support care homes and their staff to keep themselves, and the vulnerable people they care for, safe and well". He said: "I am also taking steps to ensure that homes can continue to operate at this difficult time. Health and social care trusts will continue to work in partnership with care home providers to help deal with staff shortages. "Where people have responded to our Workforce Appeal, those with the right skills will be prioritised for deployment with independent care home providers. "Trust staff have already been redeployed to care homes and will continue to be." The updated guidance means all patients being discharged from acute hospital care to a care home are to be tested 48 hours before discharge. In addition, all patients or residents being transferred into a care home from any setting - whether from hospital, supported living or directly from their own home - will be tested 48 hours prior to admission. This will help care home staff to understand each resident's status and to plan their care effectively, the Department of Health said. The new guidance makes clear that all patients discharged from hospitals into care homes - whether they have tested negative or not - should be isolated for 14 days. In addition, all care homes are asked to make sure they check residents and staff twice a day for symptoms of coronavirus. The Department of Health yesterday said a further five people here had lost their lives to Covid-19. It brings the total number of deaths to 299 since the start of the outbreak. According to the latest official figures, a total of 20,732 patients had died in hospital after testing positive for coronavirus in the UK as of 5pm on Saturday, up by 413 from the day before. The Irish health department said there had been an additional 26 deaths in the Republic, bringing the total there to 1,087. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-27 21:31:05|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close GUIYANG, April 27 (Xinhua) -- China's leading liquor maker Kweichow Moutai saw its net profit rise 16.69 percent year on year to 13.1 billion yuan (about 1.85 billion U.S. dollars) in the first quarter of 2020. The company also said in its first-quarter earnings report that it generated operating revenue of 24.4 billion yuan, an annual increase of 12.76 percent. Enditem Nollywood actor, Yul Edochie has charged President Muhammadu Buhari not to read from a prepared speech when he addresses Nigerians on Monday. The popular actor charged him to rather speak to Nigerians from his heart. He made this known via a tweet he sent out on his official Twitter handle on Monday, 27th April. Read Also: Abba Kayari Was One Of The Most Effective Members In Buharis Cabinet Omokri He is scheduled to address Nigerians at exactly 8pm on Monday. See what he wrote below: Dear President @MBuhari drop paper. Dont read speech today. Speak to Nigerians from your heart. New Delhi, April 27 : A virtual classroom created by students from Government College of Engineering in Kannur, Kerala, to make learning easier and intuitive in COVID-19 times has won $10,000 (approx Rs 7.6 lakh) as winner of the 72-hour online hackathon called CODE19. The hackathon was organised by California-based Motwani Jadeja Foundation this month to find solutions to India's challenges against the new coronavirus pandemic and the foundation awarded $34,000 in total to various teams from across the country. iClassroom has been created by 19-year-old Abhinand C and 20-year-old Shilpa Rajeev. "With iClassroom, students and teachers can interact with each other, clear their doubts, mentor others and conduct online classes," said Abhinand. Shilpa added: "We built this platform as a practical solution for all learning communities to interact with each other, share resources and keep track of progress in selected courses. We now intend to enhance iClassroom's functionality by integrating several useful apps". Code19 was held in collaboration with Bengaluru-based HackerEarth. The Association of Designers in India (ADI) helped in providing mentors through its network. "I believe that the qualitative, open-source projects created at this hackathon would help mitigate the impending Corona-inflicted challenges in India," said Founder-philanthropist Asha Jadeja Motwani. The second price worth $5,000 went to TeleVital, a solution for contactless health assessment of a patient created by a 6-student team from Manipal Institute of Technology. The solution records a patient's heart rate, respiratory rate, body temperature, etc. without any contact-based measurement tool. Three teams won $3,000 each at third place. The projects were SoloCoin from a team from various colleges across India, led by project lead Arbob Mehmood of UPES University, Dehradun; Covid19 Fact Checker created by a team from AISSMS College of Engineering, Pune; and Grape Community, created by Ranjoy Sen, a 35-year-old software professional from Bengaluru. In addition, 10 best innovative solutions were awarded $1,000 each. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Last week, Gigi Hadid celebrated her 25th birthday in quarantine, and while this year's festivities may not have included members from the supermodel's star-studded squad, there was one VIP guest: boyfriend Zayn Malik. As evidenced on Instagram, the former One Direction star has seemingly been self-isolating with Gigi and her family at her mother Yolanda Hadid's farmhouse in Pennsylvania and may have helped orchestrate his girlfriend's memorable birthday celebration. Posting several latergrams to her feed on Saturday, Gigi shared one snap of the pair getting cozy for a photo-op a rare instance for the notoriously low-key couple. Had the sweetest day celebrating my 25th birthday with my quarantine family, who made it so special for me, along with all the love I felt from all over the world, Hadid captioned a slideshow of images from the at-home party. I am grateful and lucky that my family and friends - near and far - are healthy and safe, and although I missed loved ones I wish I could have celebrated with, know that these times will make us even more grateful for togetherness to be had in the future. Story continues The next day, Gigi posted another photo of the pair from her special day holding up balloons alongside sister, Bella Hadid. In their cozy "farm" fits, the trio huddled together with Zayn posing in the middle. RELATED: Gigi Hadid Went Off on Jake Paul After He Dissed Zayn Malik on Twitter The on-again, off-again couple reunited late last year, and Gigi appeared to confirm that they were back together with a sweet Valentine's Day shout-out on social media. While neither Gigi nor Zayn have publicly commented on their current relationship status, it's safe to assume these two are very much back on and will leave quarantine even stronger than before. Boris Johnson returns to work for the first time in a fortnight with one key item at the top of his in-tray: when will he let Britain do so? The prime minister will chair the governments Monday morning meeting to coordinate efforts to tackle the virus. He spent the last two weeks recuperating at Chequers, his grace-and-favor countryside house, after contracting Covid-19 himself and spending three nights in intensive care. With the nation recording its lowest daily death toll since March and lockdowns being partially lifted on the European continent, Johnson is facing increasing pressure to explain how his administration will move Britain onto the next phase. Businesses are clamoring for information, the Institute of Directors said. A survey of more than 1,000 business leaders showed fewer than one in four were optimistic for their prospects over the next 12 months. How and When Six business leaders, including Conservative Party billionaire donors Michael Spencer and Peter Hargreaves, have written to the government asking them to ease restrictions, according to the Sunday Times. Opposition Labour leader Keir Starmer wrote to Johnson calling for an exit strategy, while his partys senior spokeswoman Rachel Reeves told the BBC the public should be treated as adults. We should really begin to offer a narrative of how and when its going to stop, Spencer told the newspaper. Three unidentified Cabinet ministers told the paper they questioned how much more voters would stand. The Daily Telegraph reported Monday the premier could ease the lockdown as early as this week. Citing unidentified allies of the prime minister, the paper pointed to May 7 as a possible date. Johnsons office rejected the report. On Sunday, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, whos been deputizing for Johnson while the premier was out of action, rejected the calls for an early easing of the lockdown, telling Sky News the outbreak was still at a delicate and dangerous stage. On Sunday, the U.K. reported 413 hospital deaths from the previous day, taking the tally to almost 21,000, the fifth highest in the world. More than 150,000 people have tested positive for the virus. In a series of television interviews on Sunday, Raab wouldnt be drawn on how and when the U.K. would scale back restrictions. Until we can be confident -- based on the scientific advice -- that we are making sure-footed steps going forward that protect life, but also preserve our way of life, frankly it is not responsible to start speculating, he told Sky. Domestic Violence Its not just the economic impact that Johnson needs to weigh. The cross-party Home Affairs committee called for action against rising cases of domestic abuse, citing higher levels of violence and coercive control. Pressure group Counting Dead Women calculated that between March 23, when the lockdown began, and April 12, there were at least 16 domestic abuse killings of women and children, according to the report. In the daily televised news briefing on Sunday, Environment Secretary George Eustice said workers are taking advantage of the governments furlough program -- where up to 80% of their salary is paid by the taxpayer -- will be asked to take second jobs in the agricultural sector to help farmers bring in the harvest, as migrant numbers are down.Meanwhile, second home owners in Wales could be ordered to leave their properties under measures being considered by the Welsh Government, the nations First Minister Mark Drakeford said. Doctors in rural areas, where there are fewer health resources, appealed for second home owners to stay in their primary residence. If we are going to get to that position, we have got to do it and be confident that the law is secure under our feet, Drakeford told BBC Wales on Sunday. Advertisement A new study of coronavirus antibody tests that are currently on the market revealed that at least eight out of 14 had an accuracy rate of more than 95 percent and three of those were more than 99 percent accurate, but doctors remain concerned that more work needs to be done before they can be solely relied upon to restart the world's economy. There are dozens of tests being sold to the US from manufacturers including some in China which tests the blood for antibodies that scientists hope reveal an immunity to COVID-19. But none have received FDA approval and there are growing questions over how reliable they really are. Many return false positive results and it remains unconfirmed that even when antibodies are accurately detected, that they offer long-term immunity to the virus. Two separate studies of 14 antibody tests carried out by a team of 50 researchers working for the Covid Testing Project in San Francisco, who were partly funded by Mark Zuckerburg's charity, the Chan Zuckerburg Biohub, and others at Massachusetts General Hospital found that only three - Sure Biotech, Wondfo Biotech and and one in-house made by the researchers - had an accuracy rate of more than 99 percent. Sure Biotech's test had the most promising results with 100 percent specificity. The company has labs in Hong Kong, mainland China and the US. The study results found its test to be even more accurate than it claims it is on its own website. The others include tests by Bioperfctus, BioMedics, DecomBio, DeepBlue, Epitope ELISA, Innovita, Premier, UCP Bioscience and VivaDiag. Eight out of 14 had an accuracy of more than 14 percent. All of the 12 tests studied by the Covid Testing Project were at least 84 percent specific. Data for the other two that were studied by Massachusetts General Hospital has not yet been published but The New York Times included it in a survey of all 14 this weekend. The antibodies were found most often more than 20 days after the onset of symptoms in all of the tests A breakdown shows how prevalent the two types of antibodies - IgM and IgG - were in each of the tests and how it changed over time A table from the researchers' study reveals the specificity of 12 tests found that they ranged from being 84.3 percent to 100 percent specific in identifying COVID-19 antibodies They sampled blood from 80 people known to be infected with the coronavirus along with 108 samples donated before the pandemic and 52 samples from people had other viral infections but tested negative for COVID-19. A data table reveals they ranged from 84 percent to 100 percent in identifying the two types of antibodies that researchers want to see in order to detect coronavirus immunity. TEST ACCURACY These are the specificity percentages for each test in detecting both the IgG and IgM antibodies; Sure Biotech - 100% Wondfo Biotech - 99.1% In-house ELISA - 99.1 % UCP Bioscience - 98.1% Premier - 97.2% Innovita - 96.3% Bioperfctus - 95.2% VivaDiag - 95% Epitope ELISA - 89.8% DecomBio - 89.7% BioMedomics - 86.9% DeepBlue - 84.3% Two other tests were examined by Massachusetts General Hospital but it is unclear which they were. Those researchers have not yet released their findings, but they were discussed by The New York Times. Advertisement The tests also varied in when they detected antibodies among all of the samples. In some, they did not appear for more than 20 days. The research has not been peer reviewed yet. Some of the researchers say that so long as the data is being read properly by well-trained scientists, it can work as a tool to beating the pandemic. They herald it as a promising new piece of information. 'There are multiple tests that look reasonable and promising. Thats some reason for optimism,' said Dr. Alexander Marson, one of the leading scientists on the project, said. However others say more work is needed before they can be lied upon. 'Those numbers are just unacceptable. 'The tone of the paper is, Look how good the tests are. But I look at these data, and I dont really see that,' Scott Hensley, a microbiologist at the University of Pennsylvania, said. He added: 'If your kit has a 3 percent false-positive, how do you interpret that? Its basically impossible. 'If your kit has 14 percent false positive, its useless.' There remains the enormous problem that it has not yet been proven that having the antibodies gives a person immunity to the virus. 'It seems like all of a sudden, everybody just decided that antibody tests are going to give them some grand answer,' Dr. Michael Osterholm, an infectious diseases expert at the University of Minnesota, said. 'We're kind of heavily leaning on these tests when theyre not perfect. Antibody tests are being produced all over the world in a race to find one that is 100 percent reliable despite it still not being proven that they provide immunity 'And we still have a lot of people susceptible, so its a dangerous thing to heavily rely on them right now,' Saskia Popescu, an epidemiologist at George Mason University, added to the Times. WHO: ANTIBODIES DO NOT GUARANTEE IMMUNITY The World Health Organization gave the grave warning on Friday that recovering from coronavirus does not necessarily give a person immunity to it. 'Some governments have suggested that the detection of antibodies to the SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, could serve as the basis for an 'immunity passport' or 'risk-free certificate' that would enable individuals to travel or to return to work assuming that they are protected against re-infection. 'There is currently no evidence that people who have recovered from COVID-19 and have antibodies are protected from a second infection,' the organization wrote in a briefing on Friday. Chile has announced it will give citizens so-called immunity passports to try to get them back to work. The WHO said it is premature. 'No study has evaluated whether the presence of antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 confers immunity to subsequent infection by this virus in humans,' it said. Advertisement Last week, a study of 3,000 people across the state of New York found that more than 21 percent of people tested in New York City had the antibodies. The percentages were far lower in more rural parts of the state and the findings have bolstered Gov. Cuomo's plan to reopen parts of upstate before New York City. Other states, where there are fewer COVID-19 cases, are reopening without an antibody testing plan. The federal government has repeatedly said that the country is a long way off from finding a reliable-enough antibody test to reopen the economy. They are yet to produce one or distribute one on a mass-scale, and instead have decided to allow companies to sell their tests to the public without FDA approval. It created the 'wild west' scenario that is now unfolding. The World Health Organization gave the grave warning on Friday that recovering from coronavirus does not necessarily give a person immunity to it. 'Some governments have suggested that the detection of antibodies to the SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, could serve as the basis for an 'immunity passport' or 'risk-free certificate' that would enable individuals to travel or to return to work assuming that they are protected against re-infection. 'There is currently no evidence that people who have recovered from COVID-19 and have antibodies are protected from a second infection,' the organization wrote in a briefing on Friday. Chile has announced it will give citizens so-called immunity passports to try to get them back to work. The WHO said it is premature. 'No study has evaluated whether the presence of antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 confers immunity to subsequent infection by this virus in humans,' it said. The military said Syrian air defenses shot down some of the missiles in the attack, which happened around dawn. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a group that tracks the Syrian civil war, said the missiles hit positions belonging to Iran and its regional proxies, killing four fighters and causing damage south of Damascus. It did not give the nationalities of the dead gunmen only saying that they were not Syrians nor members of Lebanon's Hezbollah group. By Geoffrey Smith Investing.com -- Gold prices edged lower on Monday as the sight of U.S. and European states preparing to reopen their economies supported appetite for risk assets. By 11:30 AM ET (1530 GMT) gold futures for delivery on the Comex exchange were down 0.6% at $1,725.30 an ounce, while spot gold was down 1.0% at $1,712.32 an ounce. Silver futures were also moderately lower, down 0.1% at $15.31 an ounce, while platinum futures edged up 0.5% to $777.40 an ounce. Trading was relatively muted ahead of a week in which both the Federal Reserve and European Central Bank will hold policy meetings. The Bank of Japans announcement that it had scrapped its self-imposed limit on buying Japanese government bonds had little effect, despite playing to the narrative of general fiat currency debasement. A more optimistic mood settled on markets on Monday after New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte outlined plans to restart their economies after the ravages of the coronavirus pandemic. U.S. Treasury yields rose by between two and five basis points. European sovereign yield spreads also narrowed further and ultra-safe German Bunds traded weaker in the wake of Standard&Poors decision not to downgrade Italys credit rating after the closing bell on Friday. The frenzy of protection-seeking seen in recent days, with daily flows into gold-backed ETFs easing well off their highs, and net speculative positions, as reported by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, falling to their lowest since July, according to data released on Friday. Net longs in silver are also trading close to a nine-month low. Analysts at JPMorgan (NYSE:JPM) note that the implied volatility of put and call options on gold has also shifted in the last week to a position to show more demand for puts than calls, suggesting that for many, the time has come to lock in profits after a 13% rally in only four months. Even so, the market is still showing pockets of extreme tightness. Bloomberg quoted Robert Higgins, chief executive officer at Argent Asset Group LLC in Wilmington, Delaware, as saying that premiums for the U.S. Mints Gold Eagle coins have reached unprecedented levels, with customers now paying $135 per ounce over the equivalent bullion weight. Story continues Related Articles Resilience of independent oil firms faces hedging, debt tests China asks banks to halt new sales of products that may lead to unlimited losses: sources Gold Buyers Are Forking Over Lofty $135 Premiums for U.S. Coins Sweden's foreign minister said on Monday that prolonging Brexit negotiations is "nearly unavoidable" given delays in talks, related to the coronavirus pandemic. Ann Linde said there remain "profound differences" between the European Union and the United Kingdom, describing the talks as being "very difficult". "And it's not the same to do negotiation via video," she said. Given the difficulties of meeting in person, Sweden would support talks being prolonged after the end of the year, she said. Linde was speaking after a press briefing where the minister outlined the country's efforts at tackling the economic fallout caused by the coronavirus. The Musahar community of Bhaluwaha of Kamala municipality-5 of Sindhuli district survives on daily wages. Now, its members are at a high risk of famine due to lockdown restrictions. Mukta Devi, who became a mother a fortnight ago, has been going to bed hungry every night. Similarly, Rajani Devi Sada, a member of the community, says the people of Bhaluwaha are yet to receive any relief support initiated by the municipality. She says the people are surviving on the insects they collect from the riverbanks. There are around 10 pregnant women in our community now, she says, They are all dependent on the insects for nutrition. Jivachhi Devi Das of Dhanushas Bisanbhora, Sahid municipality-8, returned home 15 days ago after giving birth at the provincial hospital in Janakpur. She has not received adequate nutritious food. Her mother-in-law Ashadevi says that she was saving her pregnant daughter-in-law by asking for food materials from neighbourhood. No relief team has reached Bisanbhora yet. The government data shows that 48 per cent of the people in Province 2 are living with multidimensional poverty. Most of the Dalits and Muslims, who make up around 70 per cent of the population, are living with poverty. There is an immediate need of relief in almost all of these communities. The worsening condition of the poor In Province 2, most of the new mothers have not been able to get enough to eat. They have complained that food materials distributed by the provincial and local governments have not reached the impoverished settlements. Pregnant women needing nutritious food have not been able to eat normal food supplements. Adequate milk and vaccinations for newborns have not been provided. According to experts, the lack of nutritious food and vaccines is one of the main causes of maternal and infant mortality. Children who have grown up with a lack of nutrition and vaccines are more likely to have anemia and disability. Province 2 is still the second most malnourished region in Nepal after Karnali. According to government data, 59 per cent of children between the ages of six months and 59 months are anemic. Similarly, 58 per cent of women aged 15-49 years have anemia and 36.8 per cent of children have low birth weight. The worse can be feared for the marginalised community as the condition of malnutrition will automatically increase if proper care is not given to the baby born during the lockdown and nutritious food is not provided to the pregnant and child up to five years of age. The Secretary at the Provincial Ministry of Social Development, Ram Prasad Ghimire, says while fighting against Covid-19, attention could not be given on the new mothers in the marginalised areas. He says, Even though attention has been paid to the quarantine sites and women coming to the hospitals, no attention has been paid to those of the communities. Malnutrition vulnerability spiking: Public health experts The ongoing lockdown in Nepal has the left wage earners and the extremely poor in a state of famine. Public health expert Raj Kumar Mahato says pregnant women, newly mothers, and children under the age of five are at a high risk of malnutrition. He is of the opinion that the lockdown adopted to avoid one pandemic has increased the risk of other epidemics such as hunger and malnutrition. He says that this situation came about due to the inability to manage the food materials required during the lockdown. For this, the government at all three levels has to make the relief distribution very effective, says Mahato. All Wuhan patients discharged Global Times By Zhao Yusha in Wuhan Source:Global Times Published: 2020/4/26 23:10:25 'Long-term positive cases' should be closely observed All COVID-19 patients in Wuhan's hospitals were cured as of Sunday, said China's national top health authority, an achievement that has been hailed by Wuhan doctors and residents as a milestone in the city's hard-fought battle against the coronavirus, and a sign that the city is returning to normal at an unparalleled speed. The good news was delivered by Mi Feng, a spokesperson for the National Health Commission (NHC), at a Sunday conference. The number of COVID-19 patients in serious condition in Wuhan, Central China's Province, has been brought down to zero, Mi said on Friday. The last group of patients discharged were those with underlying diseases, which made their treatment more difficult than for other patients, Peng Zhiyong, director of the intensive care unit of the Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, told the Global Times on Friday. Surnamed Ding, the last patient discharged was a 77-year-old man treated at Wuhan Pulmonary Hospital. Zhu Qi, a doctor at the hospital, told the Global Times that after Ding's symptoms disappeared in early March, doctors conducted nucleic acid tests on him every three to five days, but even after more than 10 tests, the result was still positive. The patient was finally released following twice results of negative on Friday and Sunday. Also released with Ding, a 31-year-old man surnamed Liu told the Global Times that after more than 70 days of treatment, he feels "the air outside the hospital is sweet." "Thanks to my country for saving my life," he said. Many Wuhan doctors believed this achievement signals a decisive victory in the city's battle against the coronavirus. "Maybe it won't be long before Wuhan people can take off their masks," said a doctor surnamed Zheng. The last patient in serious condition in Wuhan was declared cured on Friday, reducing the number of such patients in the city to zero, said Mi at a press conference in Beijing. However, Peng and other Wuhan doctors told the Global Times that this doesn't mean the pressure on medical workers will be greatly eased in the near future. "We are now focusing on screening of asymptomatic patients, and we are doing nucleic acid test for every patient admitted to our hospital, in order to prevent the further spread of the virus in Wuhan hospitals," said Peng. Jinyintan Hospital, an infectious disease hospital and one of the earliest battlefields against the coronavirus, discharged all its patients and started disinfection work on Sunday. The hallways were silent in mild sunshine and the hospital will accept patients again after the disinfection is completed. Hospital President Zhang Dingyu told the Global Times that a zone will be preserved to treat COVID-19 patients, since sporadic cases may occur in the future. Some experts said that it is necessary to be prepared for possible cases where people retest positive. There may be many "long-term positive patients", based on experience, they said. Yuan Xiaodong, a Beijing-based infectious disease expert who has aided Wuhan, told Chinanews.com that patients discharged from the hospital should be closely observed to see if there is any live virus in their bodies. If there are fragments of dead virus, it is not infectious. "This is the good news I've been waiting for since February, and if more countries report such good news, the whole world will be able to announce a victory in fighting the virus and get back to normal," said Chen Xu, a Wuhan resident. Seeing this good news, many Wuhan residents said the figure of zero did not come easily it was achieved with medical workers' arduous contributions, Wuhan people's sacrifices, and persistence and nationwide support. "I will cook pork soup for dinner to celebrate the good news," said a net user on China's Twitter-like Sina Weibo. Pork soup with lotus root is a typical dish in Wuhan. According to the Wuhan health commission, the city recorded 20 new silent carriers of the virus on Friday, with 535 suspected patients under medical observation. Mi stressed that the next step for Wuhan is to prevent domestic and imported infections, and resume normal medical services to meet Wuhan's patients' needs. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Washington: Something remarkable happened over the weekend in the United States: President Donald Trump was not seen or heard. Since early March, Trump has appeared almost every day at the White House to brief the nation on his administration's response to the coronavirus pandemic. Donald Trump speaks as Vice-President Mike Pence looks on. The White House is moving against the WHO on several fronts. Credit:Bloomberg Often stretching over two hours, the rambunctious affairs have shown Trump jousting with reporters, bragging about his administration's response, hyping unproven treatments and attacking his Democratic rivals. As the weeks went on, heath experts such as Anthony Fauci and Deborah Birx received increasingly little airtime as Trump dominated the podium. Five Costco employees at a location in Vaughan have tested positive for COVID-19, according to a tweet by the citys mayor on Sunday. Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua tweeted at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, saying that York public health officials inspected the Costco location at Highway 7 and Weston Road twice, after learning that multiple employees tested positive for the coronavirus. A third inspection is planned for this week. Bevilacqua said they are working with Costco management to ensure appropriate infection prevention and control measures are being taken, including cleaning and disinfecting. The store remains open. Costco is limiting the number of staff in a staff room, has security guards enforcing physical distancing and reminding customers to obey physical distancing over the PA system. Staff are also being screened before their shift begins, according to the mayor. Bevilacqua said the risk to shoppers is considered low. Costco did not immediately reply to the Stars request for comment. Read more about: The Hindu Rao Hospital (HRH), capitals biggest municipal corporation-run health facility, will partially resume services on Monday after being temporarily shut down following a hospital nurse testing Covid positive. The 980-bed facility which is run by the North Delhi Municipal Corporation caters to 5,000 patients daily and is one of the designated Covid screening centres in Delhi. All the entry and exit points to the hospital were sealed on Saturday night after the test reports of the 30-year-old nurse, who has been suffering from high fever the last one week, came positive. We will resume services of casualty and emergency wards, including the flu clinic and the three OPDs (gynecology, paediatrics and medicine) with a restricted entry of patients and attendants from tomorrow, i.e, April 27, said the north body commissioner, Varsha Joshi. Complete sanitisation of the hospital premises, with sodium hypochlorite spray, was carried out on Saturday, she said. At least 250 doctors, nurses, patients, their attendants, sweepers and even canteen workers were held back for testing on Saturday, who could have come in contact of the infected nurse. Most of the staff workers had come for the night shift (8 pm to 8 am) and were told to stay back Sunday morning. They already had segregated duty rooms with beds to take rest and were provided food the entire day. The existing 170 patients were also taken care of, a resident doctor, who didnt wish to be named, said. Also, more doctors and nurses, who had worked closely with the affected nurse but were not present in the hospital on Saturday night, were summoned for testing. Contact tracing of 52 staff members here, who have been in contact with the nurse, has been completed. In the case of seven contacts, the collection of samples has been done and they are currently in institutional quarantine. Rest are in home isolation and their sample collection will start tomorrow, Joshi said. An enquiry has been initiated by the civic body on who asked the nurse to come for work in spite of symptoms. There appears to be definite negligence at some level and we will take action against those responsible, a corporation official, who didnt wish to be named, said. Meanwhile, over 1,000 doctors, who are now apprehensive for their safety, presented a new charter of demands to the civic body. We definitely need more Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) here. Besides, the administration must book rooms for us to stay in nearby hotels. The accommodation provided in the New Hostel Block here for doctors attending to suspected COVID patients is not sufficient, and we dont want to go back home and transfer any possible infection to our families, a resident doctor, who requested anonymity, said. Drones that are part of the 28 million scheme to get medical supplies to hospitals during the coronavirus lockdown have seen their first test flights. These are the first photos of the scheme's drones, of different shapes and sizes, being tested in Hampshire. Solent Transport want to find the best way to get time-critical medicines like chemotherapy kits and blood samples to NHS hospitals. Once the drones are tested they will be used to deliver hospital supplies to Lee-on-the-Solent in Hampshire, Binstead on the Isle of Wight and Portsmouth's QA Hospital. Solent Transport tested drones that will be used to fly hospital supplies to NHS hospitals in Hampshire today Solent Transport is testing different types of drones with different shapes and sizes to see which fly best and can carry the most supplies 'We are very excited to support this ground-breaking trial of aerial drone delivery of medical supplies, which will help improve access to healthcare and save lives,' said the chair of Solent Transport Joint Committee the Jacqui Rayment. The first-of-its-kind scheme was funded by the Department of Transport last month but transport minister Grant Shapps fast-tracked it to start this week. The drones can carry up to 40kg of supplies and will be flown between the three hospital sites using a Windracers ULTRA UAV. A Windracers spokesman said 'We are very pleased that we are able to contribute to helping the NHS fight Covid-19. The drones can carry up to 40kg of supplies and will be flown between the three hospital sites using a Windracers ULTRA UAV 'Our aim has always been to provide a fast, cost effective service to transport humanitarian aid, medical supplies or other critical supplies over long distances, over land or water or hostile terrain or to deliver where other vehicles or aircraft are unable to.' This scheme comes at a time where coronavirus is stretching the NHS's resources and supplies. Cancer Research UK has warned that 2,700 cancers a week are currently going undiagnosed. The NHS has linked with private hospitals to help with the thousands of cancer patients that are not being treated. NHS hospitals are short on ventilators and were told to work out how many of their ventilators they could safely use at once. 40.9 per cent of NHS general acute beds were unoccupied at the end of the first week in April because people without coronavirus are not being treated. NHS medical staff said their supplies of the sedative propofol as well as the painkiller fentanyl and circulation-boosting noradrenaline are getting low. Chinook helicopters from 27 Squadron Royal Air Force are also testing methods of patient transferral from the Isle of Wight to the mainland Other transport sectors have had to step in to deliver hospital supplies too. British Army helicopters were drafted to get equipment to Isle of Wight's only emergency facility. Transport Minister Grant Shapps also started a new Transport Support Unit which is a group of thousands of volunteers with vehicles on standby. Highway England has been given permission to use control vehicles as potential mobile testing centres. Network Rail's 8.500 vans and lorries are available to use to transport hospital supplies. Mumbai, April 27 : To ease liquidity pressures on Mutual Funds, the Reserve Bank of India on Monday decided to open a special liquidity facility (SLF-MF) worth Rs 50,000 crore. Accordingly, under the facility, the RBI shall conduct repo operations of 90 days tenor at the fixed repo rate. The apex bank said that SLF-MF is "on-tap and open-ended", and banks can submit their bids to avail funding. Besides, the scheme is available from April 27 till May 11, 2020 or "up to utilization of the allocated amount, whichever is earlier". The Reserve Bank further said that it will review the timeline and amount, depending upon market conditions. "Heightened volatility in capital markets in reaction to COVID-19 has imposed liquidity strains on mutual funds (MFs), which have intensified in the wake of redemption pressures related to closure of some debt MFs and potential contagious effects therefrom," it said in a statement. "The stress is, however, confined to the high-risk debt MF segment at this stage; the larger industry remains liquid." Last week, Franklin Templeton Mutual Fund shut down six of its funds due to credit issues. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text MORRISSONVILLE State Rep. Avery Bourne, R-Morrisonville, wants more information on correctional center inmates recently released into her district by Gov. J.B. Pritzker. Illinois House Republicans on Monday requested more transparency and open communications from the Illinois Department of Corrections and the Pritzker administration on policy changes and communications regarding prison furloughs or inmates released early during the coronavirus pandemic. As a co-equal branch of government, we should not have had to learn through news reports that these inmates had been released into the general population, said Bourne. Gov. Pritzker, his staff, and Acting Director Jeffreys have ignored our repeated requests for information. None of them have been forthcoming with facts or the rationale behind to their decision-making, and today we renew our request. Additionally, we want to know why the governor is being so secretive about these furloughs. On April 9, Bourne and 21 other House Republican members sent a letter to Jeffreys with their questions and concerns. On April 27, Bourne said the group has received no response from Jeffresy. The April 9 letter to Jeffreys requested information on how decisions were made on which inmates qualified for furloughs or early release, what oversight is in place to monitor furloughed inmates and if victims and communities were notified before each prisoners release. They also requested a complete list of furloughed offenders and any inmates released early due to coronavirus, and the crimes for which they were serving time. State Rep. John Cabello, R-Machesney Park, suggested Pritzker is using the coronavirus pandemic to further his cause of releasing criminals, many of whom were given multiple chances and received sentences as repeat offenders. I will hold Gov. Pritzker personally responsible if any of the murderers or other violent felons he has released hurt another person, said Cabello. If they do, I will make it my mission in life to make sure the victims, their families, and the public know that offender was back on the streets and able to victimize them because of Gov. J.B. Pritzkers actions. The letter is online at https://drive.google.com/file/d/17KI3LMc9kIHPAejMoEV7Yl2z2W00UbVi/view?usp=sharing. Issaiah Reynoso, of Santa Ana, tries to beat the heat in the splash pad during the 2019 Orange County Fair in Costa Mesa. The 2020 fair has been canceled. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) Orange County Fair enthusiasts will have to wait until next year to enjoy cuddly baby farm animals, dizzying carnival rides and outrageous fried foods. The OC Fair & Event Center board of directors on Monday voted unanimously to cancel this year's event, which was scheduled to run July 17 through Aug. 16, over concerns that large crowds could create unsafe conditions amid the coronavirus outbreak. Nearly 1.4 million people visited last year's summer festival an annual event that's equal parts community celebration, carnival and homage to California's deeply rooted agricultural history. Board members said large numbers of people flocking to the Costa Mesa locale would make social distancing nearly impossible. They also raised concerns that the state could see a resurgence of the virus from events bringing people together too soon. "At the end of the day, our number one priority is the safety of the public and everyone who enters the fairground," director Robert Ruiz said. "It breaks my heart, but at the end of the day ... we don't know what this is going to look like two months from now, six months from now. As much as it hurts, it's the right decision and it's the responsible thing to do." During a phone call with fair staff prior to Monday's meeting, Orange County's Public Health Officer Dr. Nichole Quick advised officials that it would be prudent to consider canceling the event. She emphasized, as she has in the past, that mass gathering regulations will probably be in place for many months. The Orange County Fair was canceled between 1942 and 1947 during World War II, but otherwise has been a summer staple for the region since 1890. Staff is continuing to look into moving some events online, such as the craft competitions and the youth livestock auction. "We are going to do everything we can to keep the spirit of the fair alive," director Ashleigh Aitken said. Story continues Orange County isnt the only region where events have been upended by the pandemic. County fairs across California have been canceled, postponed or downsized amid statewide social distancing mandates. Fairs in San Mateo, San Diego, San Bernardino and Calaveras counties have already been slashed from the calendar as state officials continue to warn the public not to expect large-scale gatherings anytime soon. Absent a vaccine, Gov. Gavin Newsom has said that Californians should expect to continue to wear face coverings or masks, and to visit restaurants with fewer tables, disposable menus and waiters wearing masks and gloves when the state slowly transitions back to normal. The prospect of mass gatherings is negligible at best until we get to herd immunity and we get to a vaccine, Newsom said earlier this month. Meanwhile, fairs in El Dorado County and Ventura County are continuing as scheduled. The Los Angeles County Fair, scheduled to run Sept. 4 through Sept. 27, is also expected to go forward as planned, according to event organizers. Times staff writer Luke Money contributed to this report. In the quiet of the University of Saskatchewan's shuttered campus, there is one constant beacon of light and hope. Dr. Volker Gerdts and his team of researchers are working in shifts around the clock to find a vaccine for the novel coronavirus and feeling the pressure to move even faster. "There is a real sense of urgency," Dr. Gerdts says. "We have a highly motivated team, and everybody is willing to step up and do as much as they can. And so this is really, you know, a race against the disease." Gerdts is the director and chief executive officer of the University of Saskatchewan's Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization - International Vaccine Centre (VIDO-InterVac). The lab in Saskatoon is one of the most advanced infectious disease research facilities in the world and has been evaluating COVID-19 vaccine models for several weeks. A recent $28-million funding boost from the federal and provincial government to enhance its COVID-19 research capacity to test antivirals, drugs, and therapeutics has been helping fast-track that research even more. And on April 23, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a $1.1 billion national strategy for medical research to fight COVID-19, including: $115 million for research into vaccines and treatments being developed in hospitals and universities. $662 million for clinical trials in Canada. $350 million to expand national testing and modelling for COVID-19. An immunity task force focused on blood-based tests used to determine if someone has been exposed to the virus. VIDO-InterVac is already at the forefront of an extraordinary global effort to halt the spread of the deadly novel coronavirus. It's one of a handful of labs in the world with a potential vaccine at the animal testing phase. The new federal funding includes $23 million to support pre-clinical testing and clinical trials of a potential COVID-19 vaccine, essential steps to ensuring that vaccines are effective and safe for human use. Story continues "What was my reaction? Ecstatic," Gerdts says. "Good to see the commitment from the Government to fund a Canadian vaccine for Canadians." Next month could be a turning point for VIDO-InterVac, when ferrets chosen because their respiratory system is similar to that of humans are exposed to the novel coronavirus to see if the lab's vaccine candidate works. VIDO-InterVac is also testing other researchers' vaccines on hamsters. Gerdts says the research is moving at an accelerated rate, and everyone is looking for a breakthrough before the pandemic's next potential wave of infections. "The concern that we all have at the moment is whether there is another phase to this or not. And so having a vaccine for the next phase is absolutely critical. It will allow us to improve what we call herd immunity, to get more people vaccinated more people with an immune response in the population, and the better we all are protected in the future." International network Gerdts' team is part of the World Health Organization's pandemic vaccine network, made up of expert groups of nearly 200 scientists and researchers from around the world. They're working in tandem and exchanging notes in real time on medical servers and through weekly phone calls. There's even a vaccine tracker built by the Vaccine Centre at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine that monitors the 60-plus COVID vaccines in development and their progress. It's a remarkable coordinated effort that is breaking down scientific borders and academic bragging rights. "The most important thing in all of this is not to be first," says virologist Paul Duprex from the University of Pittsburgh, who is part of the WHO vaccine braintrust. Duprex says scientists usually compete to publish their findings first, for the credit that comes with it. The new virus has changed that, and there will be plenty of time to publish later. "Let's just cut the crap and move forward and work together and be collegial. This is a worldwide problem, and this is a worldwide issue that we should solve together," he says. Centre for Vaccine Research, University of Pittsburgh Duprex adds that the WHO collaboration is speeding up the process to find a successful vaccine among the dozens in development. "I'm really glad that we've got lots and lots of different options, because you know what's going to happen. Those vaccines are going to faIl at different stages in the testing process," says Duprex. "So therefore, if we have backups upon backups and backups, that allows us to get something across the finish line." Infectious disease researcher Allison McGeer says this new, faster pace of global research means a vaccine could be developed more quickly and that could save lives. "It's critically important to do it faster," says McGeer, who is with the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, part of Sinai Health in Toronto. McGeer says that doesn't mean shortcutting safety trials, but rather streamlining research processes to get a safe and effective vaccine into people's arms faster. "That allows a certain amount of creativity about how to do that. Whereas normally people would say, 'well, you know, I'm just not sure about that and I want to be absolutely sure about it.' Now there's a good reason for doing it differently and you can make processes for developing vaccines faster in general, which we all agree would be a good thing." A Canadian team At VIDO-InterVac, Gerdts says if his team's potential vaccine passes the animal test next month, human trials will follow in the fall and pave the way for a possible vaccine in a year. The new government funding is also building manufacturing capacity in Canada, including at VIDO-Intervac, which hopes to be in a position to produce up to 20 million doses of new vaccine during a pandemic. And while all the work behind finding a vaccine is part of a global effort, Gerdts says it's a uniquely Canadian one, too. "We're a Canadian team making a vaccine for Canadians, and so it's our highest priority to make sure that this vaccine will be available for Canadians. And we have received funding from the federal government and the provincial government to do this kind of research, so it's important that we make sure that Canadians will have access to our vaccine." Debra Marshall Photography And while this pandemic is still in its early stages, Gerdts is already looking ahead to the next one. He says good science can simulate the evolution of a pathogen in the lab, to help predict the next deadly virus and give the world time to prepare. The lessons of this pandemic, Dr. Gerdts says, are already too harsh. "We're still talking about a year before we have a vaccine ready. People are dying right now, and the cost to the global economy is already in the trillions. We need to have vaccines ready for whatever the next pathogen might be. And this is where we have to push the envelope." Concerns continue to be raised about what is happening in Dealgan Nursing Home and similar facilities in Louth, with Sinn Fein TD Ruairi O Murchu revealing he has submitted a series of Parliamentary Questions about the situation. The Dundalk deputy says the issue of Dealgan House, the operational control of which has been taken over by the RCSI Hospital Group since April 17, continues to cause huge anxiety in the community. Mr O Murchu said he had been informed that staff and patients at the Dundalk home had been tested for Covid-19 a number of days ago and there were positives among the results. There are, he said, increasing worries this week that as Covid-19 results come back for staff there may be shortages at facilities, which could spark an ancillary crisis. He said: This is because, I have been informed by nursing home owners, that there are no concrete plans in place from the HSE to deal with staff being off with Covid-19. The lack of clear communication with some families has also been raised by Mr O Murchu who cited two cases where relatives of those in Dealgan Nursing Home contacted his office seeking assistance because they felt they were not getting enough information from the hospital group about what was happening. He said: In one instance, the family told me that their loved one, who is aged in their eighties, had been treated at a hospital earlier this week for an illness not related to Covid-19 and had tested negative for the virus. However, the family was deeply concerned about the situation their relative was going back into Dealgan when they are discharged from hospital. They had sought advice about what their options were. In the second case, the family contacted our office to raise concerns about the segregation of residents who had tested positive for the virus. The relative concerned had a negative result, but told me their room was on the same corridor as those who have the virus. They were also concerned that they were told the same staff were looking after both negative and positive patients. Mr O Murchu said he had written a number of times to the CEO of the RCSI Hospital Group, Ian Carter, about the families and other general concerns. In an email to Mr O Murchu, Mr Carter said: This involved the RCSI Hospital Group being responsible for ensuring necessary model of care through provision of appropriate nursing and medical staff, thereby ensuring residents wellbeing. The TD said he hoped this meant that every and all measures were being taken by the hospital group to ensure the very best care for residents. Mr O Murchu said: The RCSI are now responsible here and I will continue to seek the answers to the concerns raised with me by staff and families. After everything that has gone on here, the very least that families, staff and residents can expect is clear communication from those who are now in charge of the situation. People shouldnt have to come to a TD to try to get clarity about what is happening with a loved one at Dealgan, or any other nursing home. That has been one of the huge problems in this situation the lack of clear, precise communication not only between nursing home management and families, but also between the HSE, and the private nursing home sector. The newly-elected TD said he had spoken to owners of other private nursing homes in Louth over the last few days and it was clear that some had to take their own steps to ensure they had enough Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and to close the facilities to visitors, ahead of the HSE advising them to. In addition, Nursing Homes Ireland have raised concerns about how older people were transferred out of acute hospital settings into care facilities and whether a comprehensive testing regime was in place at that early stage. There are, he said, a number of serious outstanding issues including testing regimes, the supply and use of PPE and staffing levels when carers and nurses are off sick. He said there had been ample warning from other states experiences of Covid-19 which showed that older people were at a much higher risk but it was clear the HSE and the Department of Health had not prioritised nursing homes early enough. Mr O Murchu said: Last week, figures from the National Public Health Emergency Team showed a rise in the numbers of people who have died in nursing homes in the State from the virus it rose from 276 on Monday April 20 to 348 on April 22. A further 102 residents were also suspected to have died from Covid-19. These numbers highlight the severity of the situation that has been allowed to develop in our nursing homes. The Chinese word crisis consists of the characters for danger and opportunity. The unprecedented situation in global energy markets has provided traditional producers with an opportunity to displace incumbents in primarily the U.S. The price war Saudi Arabia started after Russia refused to reduce output in early March has decimated budgets of energy-dependent countries and oil companies. Riyadh and Moscow are playing with fire. The world's no. 2 and 3 producers of oil are devastating America's energy industry where prices went negative a week ago for the first time. Just before OPEC+ agreed on a historical deal, U.S. senators were threatening to remove American troops from Saudi Arabia if Riyadh didnt adhere to plans to reduce production. Despite the political risks, Aramco has sent dozens of ships with 40 million barrels of oil to its refineries in the U.S. Furious lawmakers are calling it an economic Pearl Harbor. It is a bold move for a country heavily dependent on Washingtons security umbrella. According to Christian Malek, the head of EMEA oil and gas equity research at J.P. Morgan, The Saudis recognize that they have one last big cycle coming, they want to make sure they position for that but equally they have a very important relationship with the U.S. and particularly Trump. Despite the risks, one could argue that Riyadh reached two of its goals after starting the price war. First, it got most producers on board to bear the burden and proportionately reduce production cuts. Second, the accord reaffirmed Riyadhs leadership of OPEC and energy geopolitics. However, it is to be seen whether the victory is Pyrrhic. COVID-19s devastating effects on the global economy has reduced demand significantly. China and Europe are the largest net importers of oil in the world, making it extremely important markets for producers. Russias refusal to support Saudi Arabias proposal to reduce production in early March was partly caused by countries perception of risks concerning their essential markets. Riyadhs energy industry was hit much harder by Chinas draconian measures when most of the country was closed for business during the first three months of this year. While Chinese buyers are also very important to Russian energy companies and Moscow has vested political interests in Beijing, most of its oil heads west instead of east. Approximately a third of the EU's oil imports originate in Russia. Premium: 2 Stocks To Consider As Oil Nears $15 Moscow only agreed to reduce production after European markets were hit equally hard by COVID-19. Saudi Aramco, in response, has been targeting buyers aggressively in Russias backyard. To lure customers, Aramco is offering discounts and payment deferrals for up to 90 days. While Russian and Saudi negotiators provide cooperative statements in the OPEC+ context, market share is highly contested. Riyadhs aggressive position in the European market is somewhat offset by the structural advantages of Russian exporters. Due to historic reasons, European markets are connected to Moscow's oil fields by pipelines which significantly reduces transportation costs and provides flexibility. While Aramco is bound to the availability of tankers, Russian producers have fewer constraints. Also, European refiners have contracts to import certain levels of oil from Russia. Besides Europe, Riyadh is also upping the ante in Asia where Aramco has cut prices by $3 to $5 per barrel, which is the second drastic cut in two months. Concerning East Asia, Russia again has a structural advantage over Saudi Arabia. The ESPO pipeline with a daily capacity of 1.6 million barrels in Eastern Siberia ends in the port city of Kozmino and a second branch leads into China to service clients directly. As in Europe, pipeline imports are cheaper, more flexible, and have shorter transportation times compared to Middle Eastern oil. The importance of Chinese buyers in the current climate is only exasperated by Europe's drop in demand. Shipments of Russian oil that are already in European ports are diverted to mainland China. Some 800,000 tons were loaded from Baltic ports in the second half of March and 500,000 tons in early April. China is buying a record 1.6 million tons of Russian oil in April. The Saudis are making good on a promise they made: flood the market with oil. It is a risky strategy in a world where storage capacity around the world could be full in a couple of weeks. While the energy industry seems to be heading full speed towards a cliff, exporters in Russia and Saudi Arabia prefer to maintain their market share instead of saving the industry. Only time will tell where this strategy will lead to. By Vanand Meliksetian for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Coronavirus Outbreak Updates: With 729 new coronavirus cases recorded in Maharashtra , count reaches 9,318; with 31 deaths, toll mounts to 400, says state health department. Auto refresh feeds The Union health ministry, in its evening update, said there has been a spike of 1,463 cases since Sunday evening, taking the case count to 28,380. The number of active COVID-19 cases stood at 21,132, while 6,361 people have recovered, and one patient has migrated, the ministry said. The total number of cases includes 111 foreign nationals. With 60 deaths reported in the past 24 hours, the toll rose to 886. India on Monday recorded its highest single-day spike in toll due to COVID-19 as 60 deaths and 1,463 new infections were reported in the last twenty-four hours, taking the countrywide total to 28,380 and the number of deaths to 886. Those in the orange zone are South 24 Parganas, Hooghly, Paschim Medinipur, Purba Bardhaman, Paschim Bardhaman, Kalimpong, Nadia, Jalpaiguri, Darjeeling, Murshidabad and Malda. The eight districts in the green zone are Alipurduar, Cooch Behar, Uttar Dinajpur, Dakhin Dinajpur, Birbhum, Bankura, Purulia and Jhargram. Howrah, North 24 Parganas and Purba Medinipur districts have been declared as red zones, besides Kolkata. Eleven districts have been identified as orange zones, while eight are in the green zone, as per the list released by the state government. The West Bengal government on Monday released a list, saying four districts, including Kolkata, have been declared as red zones in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak, and 287 areas in the metropolis identified as containment zones. After the US, Europe has been the worst hit by the virus. In India, mainly because of the early and aggressive preventive measures, the fatalities have remained low at 886 and infections at 28,000. The deadly virus, which originated in China in mid-November has so far killed more than two lakh people and infected over 30 lakh globally. The largest number of them are in the US: more than 56,000 deaths and over 10 lakh infections. Germany is looking at things and we''re looking at things and we''re talking about a lot more money than Germany is talking about, Trump told reporters at his White House news conference Monday. The United States is doing a "very serious" investigation against China, President Donald Trump said, indicating his administration is looking at a lot more money as compensation from Beijing than euro 130 billion being sought by Germany. Following the COVID-19 test, he was diagnosed with the disease, the officials said. The male staff nurse in a government facility is the state's first health worker to get infected with the deadly virus, the officials said, adding that he was asymptomatic. The Koraput patient, who had returned from Kolkata on April 14 to join duty, was put under quarantine in view of his travel history, and had not joined work. The patient from Koraput is a 22-year-old male health worker from Dasmantpur block, the first COVID-19 case reported from the tribal-dominated district as well as south Odisha. Eight people, including four women, tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday, taking the total number of cases in Odisha to 111, officials said. While six fresh cases were reported from Balasore, one each was detected from Jajpur and Koraput districts, they said. United States of America (USA) recorded 1,303 COVID-19 deaths in the last 24 hours as per Johns Hopkins University tally The child's mother has also tested negative for the infection, they said. The boy was brought dead to the hospital, which has a dedicated facility for treating COVID-19 patients, at 10 am on 25 April, senior GIMS officials said. PTI could not immediately confirm the cause of the child's death. However, the authorities at the Government Institute of Medical Sciences (GIMS) denied that the child died due to coronavirus as his sample was declared negative on Monday. Two days after a four-month-old baby was 'brought dead' to a government-run hospital in Greater Noida, officials on Monday confirmed that his father has tested positive for the infection. Patients were seen in the emergency wards and the three OPDs, with 21 of those being seen in out-patient departments, and 12 in the emergency department. NDMC Commissioner Varsha Joshi said, complete sanitization at the hospital premises was done on Sunday. The largest municipal hospital run by the North Delhi Municipal Corporation was closed down on Saturday. Sources said the authorities will be examining the inquiry report in the wake of an allegation by her coworkers that the nurse continued on her job despite complaining of having symptoms. Services in emergency wards, including flu clinic, and three OPDs at the civic-run Hindu Rao Hospital were resumed from Monday, days after the facility was closed down after a nurse there had tested positive for COVID-19, authorities said. The Delhi Government on Monday had lifted the bar on veterinarians, plumbers, and electricians after reviewing the COVID-19 situation in the national capital. In the order, Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) also allowed inter-state travel of health workers, lab technicians, and scientists, ANI reports. He said the facility is practically closed due to this severe crisis. According to a senior official, "Sixty-eight more samples were tested, whose reports came out on Monday. Five out of those came out positive, and some samples were sent to another lab, out of which one tested positive. So, a total of 65 people from the hospital are affected by coronavirus now". One more doctor and five other staffers of the Delhi government's Babu Jagjivan Ram Memorial Hospital in Jahangirpuri tested positive for coronavirus on Monday, taking the total number of COVID-19 cases at the facility to 65, officials said. Till Sunday, the number of staffers infected with the virus stood at 59. According to the latest WHO data, 85,530 new cases of infection have been registered globally over the past day, with 4,982 deaths. The overall number of COVID-19 cases worldwide increased to 2,878,196 and the death count reached 198,668. The global death toll from the novel coronavirus has increased over the past 24 hours by nearly 5,000 to top 1,98,000, said the World Health Organisation (WHO). On Tuesday, seven new COVID-19 cases were reported in Odisha, taking the total number of cases to 118. A total of 37 patients have been cured/recovered, with 1 death reported to date, said Odisha Health Department. The number of dead in the US from COVID-19 surpassed 55,000, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University. Trump said the nation has lost a lot of people. Trump was asked during a White House news conference on Monday whether an American president deserved to be re-elected after losing more Americans in six weeks than died in the Vietnam War. Approximately 58,000 U.S. troops were killed during the Vietnam War. Trump has at times this month cited 60,000 as the estimate of how many people would die from COVID-19. President Donald Trump is projecting that coronavirus deaths in the United States could reach 70,000 but says original projections were much higher as he explained why voters should consider re-electing him in November. The number of containment zones in the national capital rose to 99 on Monday. After an increase in the number of patients recovered last week - more than 800 in a week - the day saw no fresh recovery of patients. So far, 54 people have died of coronavirus in the city, officials said. Two Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) volunteers engaged in food distribution at a Delhi government-run centres in Mehrauli also tested positive, following which several localities in the area have been declared as containment zones. The cases also include the private secretary of southwest Delhi District Magistrate Rahul Singh, prompting the IAS officer to go into self-quarantine, an official said. With 190 fresh cases reported in Delhi, the total number of coronavirus cases climbed to 3,108 in the city on Monday, but no fresh death was reported for the second successive day, according to Delhi government authorities. The reported active COVID-19 cases in India now stand at 21,632 and as many as 6,869 COVID-19 patients have been cured and discharged so far, the Union Health Ministry has said in its latest update. Total confirmed COVID-19 cases in India have risen to 29,435, according to the latest update from the Union Health Ministry on Tuesday morning, with the toll in the country due to the novel coronavirus pandemic rising to 934. With 8,590 confirmed novel coronavirus cases, Maharashtra remains the worst-affected state in the country. According to the latest data from the Union Health Ministry, the state has reported 369 COVID-19 deaths so far. As many as 1,282 patients have recovered. With 3,548 confirmed novel coronavirus cases, Gujarat remains the second-most affected state in the country. According to the latest data from the Union Health Ministry, the state has reported 162 COVID-19 deaths so far. As many as 394 patients have recovered. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures skidded by as much as 16% and were off 14.7%, or $1.88 cents, at $10.90 a barrel as of 0158 GMT. WTI plunged 25% on Monday. Brent crude futures fell to a low of $18.97 and were last down 4.1%, or 82 cents, at $19.17 a barrel. Oil prices slumped on Tuesday, extending the previous session's slide, on worries about the limited capacity to store crude worldwide and expectations that fuel demand may only recover slowly as coronavirus pandemic restrictions are gradually eased US. Sneed traveled throughout the United States early in his career to sing the gospel with the Georgia Mass Choir. He arranged music on their albums and appeared with the choir in 1996 film The Preachers Wife, starring Whitney Houston and Denzel Washington. Sneeds publicist Bill Carpenter said the singer died early Monday at a hospital in Jacksonville, Florida. Sneed earned a Grammy nomination for his work on the Youth For Christs 1999 album Higher. Grammy-nominated gospel singer Troy Sneed has died from complications with the coronavirus. He was 52. After five asymptomatic people who returned from Shri Hazur Sahib in Nanded, Maharashtra, tested positive for COVID-19 in Tarn Taran district, all those returning from the pilgrimage will be put in quarantine facilities of the district administration, and be tested for COVID-19, said Department of Health in Punjab. "The Maharashtra government has decided to bring back the students who had gone to Kota. We will send some 100 buses from Dhule to Kota for the purpose, Parab said. A number of students from Maharashtra have been staying at Kota to take coaching classes for the preparation of various competitive entrance examinations after Class 12. Buses of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) will be sent to Kota in the next two days, Parab said late Monday night. The Maharashtra government has decided to send about 100 buses to Kota in Rajasthan to bring back nearly 2,000 students stranded there due to the lockdown, Maharashtra Transport Minister Anil Parab has said. According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, there are 697 coronavirus cases in West Bengal including 20 deaths. The doctor's wife has also tested positive for COVID-19 and is undergoing treatment. Dr Biplab Kanti Dasgupta, Assistant Director of the West Bengal Health Services, is the first doctor to die of COVID-19 in the state. The 60-year-old doctor had tested positive last week and was admitted to a hospital in Kolkata. West Bengal Orthopaedic Association has demanded state honour for a 69-year-old doctor, who died due to COVID-19. The deceased, named Dr Sisirkumar Mandal, was a senior Orthopaedic surgeon. Health and Family Welfare Ministry has issued guidelines for home isolation of people who either have very mild COVID-19 symptoms or are in the pre-symptomatic phase. Such patients with requisite self-isolation facility at their residence will now have the option for home isolation. Guterres told the Security Council that even before the current crisis, young people were facing enormous challenges. We can already see such groups taking advantage of the COVID-19 lockdowns, intensifying their efforts on social media to spread hatred and to recruit young people who may be spending more time at home and online, he said. The UN Secretary-General made the remarks on Monday during a video conference to review the five years since its adoption of a landmark resolution on youth, peace and security. UN chief Antonio Guterres has warned that extremist groups are taking advantage of the COVID-19 lockdowns and intensifying efforts on social media to recruit youths online by exploiting their anger and despair, asserting that the world cannot afford a lost generation due to the unprecedented global health crisis. A doctor has tested positive for COVID-19 in Uttar Pradesh's Bijnor district on Tuesday. He has been admitted to isolation ward hospital in Meerut. A total of 28 cases have been reported in Bijnor, to date, said District Magistrate, Bijnor. One more COVID-19 case was reported on Tuesday in Mohali, taking the total number of cases to 64, out of which 27 are cured. The district has reported two deaths to date, said Girish Dayalan, DC Mohali in Punjab. Seven out of 596 samples tested positive for COVID-19 in Lucknow on Tuesday. Six people are from Lucknow while one is from Sitapur, according to King George's Medical University (KGMU), Lucknow, reports ANI The curfew violators were produced before the concerned magistrates. A total fine of 91,200 was imposed on Sunday and Rs 1,07,800 on Monday. Police said strict action will be taken against those who continue to violate the restrictions. In all, 889 violators were detained with 731 vehicles on Sunday. Police also detained 769 curfew violators with 762 vehicles on Monday, said L Kailun, the Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) in-charge of law and order. The Manipur Police detained 1,658 people for violating the curfew and the lockdown norms over the past two days and collected fines amounting to Rs 1.99 lakh, officials said on Tuesday. The Thai Nationals, who possessed tourist visas engaged themselves in Islamic preaching despite suffering from COVID- 19, police said. The arrest was effected at the hospital days after cases were registered against them under relevant sections of IPC. Police personnel were posted outside the isolation ward of the hospital. The action was taken based on a complaint by local Tahsildar lodged with the police. They were shifted to Puzhal prison in Chennai after being discharged from the Perundurai IRT Government Medical College Hospital in the district. All the six were shifted to Puzhal prison on Monday night with police security, they said. Six Thailand nationals were arrested for violating their visa norms and were undergoing treatment for coronavirus at a government hospital near Erode after recovering from COVID-19, police told PTI on Tuesday. With no COVID-19 positive case in Thiruvananthapuram, the city has been removed from the list of hotspots in Kerala, reports ANI. Foreign minister S Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi will be among those to take part in the BRICS Foreign Ministers Extraordinary Conference on the coronavirus pandemic on Tuesday, reports ANI. India will participate in a key meeting of the Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa (BRICS) foreign ministers on Tuesday to discuss the fallout of the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. The meeting, to be held by the rotating chair Russia, will be convened via video conference, reports Hindustan Times. Some locals got angry after a PCR (police control room) van reached a locality in Dindoli area to enforce the lockdown in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, he said. Five persons were detained for the attack on the policemen, Surat's Deputy Commissioner of Police RP Barot said. A policeman was injured when some locals allegedly threw stones at the security personnel who were trying to enforce lockdown in an area of Gujarat's Surat city on Tuesday morning, an official said, PTI reports. The total number of positive cases in Delhi stands at 3,108 now, of which 190 cases were reported on Monday. 877 patients have been cured, while 11 are on a ventilator. The toll stands at 54 with the doubling rate of COVID-19 cases in Delhi at 13 days, Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain told ANI. Eight more persons have tested positive for COVID-19 in Agra on Tuesday, taking the total number of cases to 389, which includes 54 cured/discharged cases. "We are tracing the contacts of positive cases," District Magistrate Prabhu N Singh told ANI. According to the scientists from the University of California (UC) San Diego Health in the US, patients who reported loss of smell were 10 times less likely to be hospitalised for COVID-19 compared to those without the symptom. The findings, published in the journal International Forum of Allergy & Rhinology, follows an earlier study that validated the loss of smell and taste as indicators of infection with the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2. People who experience loss of smell as one of the COVID-19 symptoms are likely to have a mild to moderate clinical course of the disease, according to a study which may help health care providers determine which patients require hospitalisation. The rupee opened weak at 76.33 at the interbank forex market and then fell further to 76.40, down 15 paise over its last close. The rupee had settled at 76.25 against the US dollar on Monday. Forex traders said the weakness in the rupee was largely due to muted domestic equities and strengthening of the US dollar. Moreover, rising coronavirus cases in the country also weighed on the local unit. The rupee depreciated 15 paise to 76.40 against the US dollar in opening trade on Tuesday, strengthening American currency overseas and volatility in domestic equities. The rapid spread of coronavirus continues in Andhra Pradesh as 82 fresh cases were reported on Tuesday, the state's case count is now at 1,259. There have been no reports of new deaths, according to the latest government bulletin. This is the first individual in CBP custody to test positive for COVID-19, the agency said. The Indian national, who was not identified, displayed flu like symptoms, following which he was evaluated by medical personnel and placed in quarantine. He was tested for the COVID-19 and his evaluation came back positive. While the three Mexican nationals were returned to their country, the Indian was transported to a border patrol facility for processing, CBP Acting Commissioner Mark Morgan said. The US Customs and Border Protection (USCBP) said that on 23 April, a border patrol agent apprehended three Mexicans and the Indian national suspected of having illegally crossed the US-Mexico border near California. A 31-year-old Indian man, who was apprehended on the suspicion of illegally crossing into America through the US-Mexico border, has tested positive for the COVID-19, becoming the first individual in the border protection agency's custody to be infected with the virus, reports PTI. He also said, "For the last 14 days, our doubling rate is 8.7, while for the last 7 days, it is 10.2 days. In the last 3 days, it is 10.9 days roughly." Health Minister Harsh Vardhan while addressing the media on coronavirus pandemic on Tuesday said, "No fresh case reported in 80 districts for last 7 days. In 47 districts, no case has been reported in the last 14 days, while 39 districts have not reported a case for the last 21 days. 17 districts have not reported a case for the last 28 days." "Because of their age, these police personnel are at a higher risk. Therefore, we are allowing them to take leave during these days," the official said. "In view of this, we have decided to protect our policemen and officers - who are above 55 years of age and having some pre-existing ailment and asked them to take leave," he said. During an analysis, it came to light that the three deceased and the other police personnel currently undergoing treatment for coronavirus disease were above the age of 50, a senior Mumbai Police official said on Tuesday. The move comes after COVID-19 claimed lives of three Mumbai Police personnel in the last three days. Mumbai Police have asked their personnel who are above 55 years of age and having some pre- existing ailment to go on leave, in a bid to protect them from the coronavirus infection. 8 new COVID-19 cases were reported in Karnataka from Monday 5:00 pm to Tuesday noon. This takes the total number of cases to 520, according to the Karnataka government's latest bulletin. He further said: "I am concerned about the challenges faced by Indian seafarers in these testing times and I appreciate their work for moving the supply chain in the world." "I am trying to get the details of stranded seafarers. Based on it, the Shipping Ministry will chart out a plan for evacuation of stuck seafarers," Shipping Minister M L Mandaviya told PTI. Thousands of Indian seafarers are currently stuck aboard cruise ships and cargo vessels in far off waters, and maritime bodies have been demanding from the government strategies for bringing them home fearing that delays might result in a disruption in the supply chain. The government will chart out a plan for evacuation of seafarers stuck on international waters amid COVID-19 pandemic, Union Minister Mansukh L Mandaviya said on Monday. But the report said that there accuracy were found to be around 5 percent. India has cancelled orders for around half a million rapid testing kits from China after they were found "faulty" in field conditions. A BBC report said that after finally allowing the use of imported rapid test kits after initial reluctance, the government has paused its use, and has also cancelled further shipment of the product. State's were building pressure on ICMR to allow their use amid concerns that India was not testing enough samples to stop the spread of the virus. The device developed by IIT Guwahati functions as an aerosol obstruction box which can be placed atop the patient's bed on the head-side, limiting the flow of virus-laden droplets from the patient to the doctor, especially during the process of intubation. Intubation is the process of inserting a tube, called an endotracheal tube (ET), through the mouth and then into the airway. It is done so that a patient can be placed on a ventilator to assist with breathing during anaesthesia, sedation or severe illness. Students at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) have developed low-cost intubation boxes for dealing with COVID-19 patients facing breathing issues and requiring assistance in the form of endotracheal intubation. A police official said the helpline will serve as an additional source of information for the family members to check on the well-being of their relatives at this hour. While healthcare workers are fighting the battle against coronavirus inside hospitals, police personnel are manning the roads to enforce the lockdown. The helpline number 011-27491208' with STD facility was started on Monday to enable the family members of Delhi Police officials to know about the well-being of the security personnel, officials said on Tuesday. The Delhi Police has launched a helpline number for family members of its personnel who are working round-the-clock to ensure effective implementation of the nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of coronavirus. The notification said "action taken report" by the schools should be intimated to the state government. Commissioner Education (School) T Ranjit Singh in a notification on Monday said class 11 examination for the academic year (2019-20) be done away in view of outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic and students be promoted to class 12 based on term test performance, the official said. The Manipur government has approved the promotion of class 11 students of state schools to the next class, a senior Education Department official said on Tuesday. The bench, also comprising Justices SK Kaul and BR Gavai, was dealing with an application seeking provision for PPE for health workers including doctors, nurses, ward boys, medical and para-medical professionals who are working in non-COVID treatment areas keeping in view that fact that coronavirus infection from asymptomatic patients is reported to be on the rise. A bench headed by Justice NV Ramana, hearing the matter through video-conferencing, passed the direction after it was informed that asymptomatic COVID-19 patients are reported to be on the rise in India. The Supreme Court has directed the Centre to make suggestions in the guidelines for rational use of personal protective equipment so that the PPE kits are provided to all medical professionals who are working in non-COVID treatment areas in the country. A 16-year-old girl from Salmara Bongaigaon in Assam, who is a secondary contact of a Markaz attendee, has tested positive for COVID-19. The number of COVID-19 patients in Assam now stands at 36, said health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. "We are following necessary protocol and the health ministry has been informed and all the due processes will be followed. So, we are closed for 48 hours," Kumar added. He further said that those who came in contact with the person have been asked to go on self-quarantine. "A director-level officer working at NITI Bhavan has been tested positive for COVID-19. Today at 9 am, he got his report, and then he informed authorities," Alok Kumar adviser at NITI Aayog told PTI. The NITI Aayog building in the National Capital has been sealed for 48 hours, after a director-level officer tested positive for coronavirus, a senior official said on Tuesday. Taking a serious view of the 'ill-treatment' meted out to its Cobra Commando, the CRPF has written a letter to the Karnataka police demanding an investigation into the matter. According to the information shared on social media, Sawant was washing his bike when a police team reached the spot and started beating him up for not wearing a mask during the lockdown. State DGP Praveen Sood has ordered an inquiry into the incident, which has triggered a row after a video of it went viral. In the clip, some police constables are purportedly seen hitting CRPF soldier Sachin Sawant with sticks in Belagavi. A CRPF jawan has been arrested in Karnataka for allegedly defying the COVID-19 lockdown norms with the paramilitary force taking strong exception to his 'ill-treatment', following which an inquiry has been ordered by the state police. After hearing the complaints that people of a community were selling vegetables after contaminating them with saliva in an attempt to spread coronavirus, I advised them to not purchase from them if they have any doubts in their minds. After the situation gets normal then decide what they want, he told Indian Express. Tiwari reportedly made this statement during his visit last week to the Barhaj Nagar Palika. Suresh Tiwari, who is the MLA from Deorias Barhaj constituency, was allegedly heard telling people, Keep one thing in mind, I am telling everyone openly, no one should purchase vegetables from miyas (Muslims). A video of BJP MLA from Uttar Pradeshs Deoria district, in which he is seen allegedly telling people not to buy vegetables from Muslim vendors, has been circulated widely online. However, they shall always remain available on phone and electronic means of communication and shall attend office physically as and when required, it said. According to the office order issued by the NGT, the section heads/in-charge of all sections shall prepare rosters of staff required to attend office physically by rotation and the staff members not required to present physically at the office. As for the remaining staff, up to 33 percent of the strength will physically attend the office as separately notified from time to time, the NGT said. The National Green Tribunal Tuesday issued instructions regarding its functioning from 4 May, when the COVID-19 lockdown is slated to be relaxed, stating that the Chairperson, members, and officers (Deputy Registrars and above) will attend the Office with 100 percent attendance. 19 inmates of Central Jail of Indore, who are currently lodged at a temporary jail, have tested positive for coronavirus on Tuesday, Chief Medical and Health Officer Indore Praveen Jadia told ANI. A flower vendor in the Koyambedu wholesale market for vegetables, fruits and flowers, which caters to the metropolis, also tested positive, another official said. As on Monday, Tamil Nadu had 809 active cases. "A writer and a constable attached to the Nungambakkam police station" here tested positive for the deadly virus, a senior police official said. Already, some police personnel in Coimbatore and other cities in Tamil Nadu have been affected by the virus. Authorities have taken up disinfection work and testing of those associated with the trio who become the latest COVID-19 patients, taking the total in the state to 1,940, they said. Two city police personnel and a flower vendor at the Koyambedu market here on Tuesday tested positive for the coronavirus, officials said. The current nationwide lockdown, imposed to contain the spread of coronavirus, will be in force till 3 May. "To restrict the movement of people is the easy part of the job. The Centre should give some guidelines on how to unlock," Sule said in her address via Facebook. Sule, the Lok Sabha member from Baramati in Maharashtra's Pune district, also said that it is her personal opinion and such a decision should not be taken in a hurry, but by adhering to social distancing norms with military-like discipline. NCP leader Supriya Sule on Tuesday urged the Centre and the Maharashtra government to initiate together the process of ease the lockdown in a phased manner in areas which are not or less affected by COVID-19, to bring the economy back on track. On Tuesday, Rajasthan has reported seven new cases out of which 6 are from Jaipur and one from Jodhpur. This takes the total positive cases on Tuesday to 73 in Rajasthan while total positive cases in the state stand at 2335, according to Rajasthan Health Department With this, the number of positive cases reported on Monday touched 69 the biggest-ever spike witnessed in the state where the contagion has now spread to 25 out of 38 districts According to Principal Secretary, Health, Sanjay Kumar, test reports of the woman, a resident of Nepura village adjoining the district headquarters of Bihar Sharif, came late on Monday. She had recently returned from Delhi. A 26-year-old woman has tested positive for COVID-19 in Bihar's Nalanda district, taking the total number of cases in the state to 346, a top official said here on Tuesday, reports PTI. Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan on Tuesday said that India will be able to produce RT-PCR and antibody test kits in India by May. "All processes are in advanced stage and production will start after getting approval from ICMR. It will help us in meeting our target of 1 lakh tests per day by 31 May," he added. Indian government handed over on Tuesday a consignment of medical supplies to the Health Minister of Bhutan Dechen Wangmo, including Hydroxychloroquine tablets. India would continue to extend all possible support to Bhutan to minimize the health and economic impact of COVID-19 pandemic, said the Indian embassy there. "According to experts, we need to increase the periphery of sealed areas in Delhi to fight COVID-19 better," he added while reviewing meeting on coronavirus situation in Delhi. In Delhi, 4.11% health workers (including 13 paramedics, 26 nurses, 24 field workers, 33 doctors) are affected by COVID-19, said Union health minister Dr Harsh Vardhan on Tuesday. "This is worrying and there are currently about 100 hotspots in Delhi. This number should go down," said he said reports ANI. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday held a discussion with Indonesian President Joko Widodo over the coronavirus situation in the two countries. A Bandra court on Tuesday granted bail to accused Vinay Dubey on a personal bond of Rs 15,000. He was arrested in connection with the gathering of migrant workers at Bandra on 14 April. "The guidelines also adds that the patient should regularly inform his health status to the district surveillance officer for further follow up by the surveillance teams. The caretaker and all close contacts of such cases should take Hydroxychloroquine as a preventive medication according to the protocol and as prescribed by the treating medical officer," the report said. The Indian Express quoted the new guidelines as saying that "medical officers can recommend home isolation to those patients who have been clinically categorised as a very mild case or pre-symptomatic case, provided they have the requisite self-isolation facility at their residence so as to avoid contact with other family members." Reports said that the new guidelines issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Tuesday said that coronavirus patients "with mild coronavirus symptoms" can opt for home isolation. The Asian Development Bank on Tuesday said, "$1.5 billion loan approved to Government of India to help fund its response to COVID-19 pandemic, incl support for immediate priorities such as disease containment and prevention, as well as social protection for poor and economically vulnerable sections of the society." The Karnataka government is likely to allow shops in the state's green zones to open from Wednesday, with 50 percent of the workforce, India Today reported. However, this relaxation doesn't apply to malls, the report said. The Maharashtra government on Tuesday ordered the sanitation of the state secretariat after COVID-19 cases were reported in the office. The building will remain shut for two days, reports said. At least 112 policemen have tested positive for coronavirus in Maharashtra, out of which three head constables from Mumbai have succumbed to the virus last week. In Tuesday's briefing of the various central ministries, ICMR was absent again. Only the MHA and health ministry are present at the briefing. "IMCT held discussions with various stakeholders including textile and diamond industries, who are major employers of labourers. Most labourers have received the pay for last month. Central team has told Surat administration to prepare future plans as well," she added. MHA joint secretary PS Srivastava said that the IMCT visiting Surat found that "the administration is conducting extensive testing so that COVID-19 cases are identified in the initial stages itself". "Plasma therapy is being experimented with, however, there is no evidence yet that this can be used as a treatment. National level study has been launched by the ICMR to study the efficacy of the method," the statement said. Union health ministry joint secretary Lav Aggarwal reiterated that although there is a lot of speculation around the effectiveness of plasma therapy to treat COVID-19 patients, it's necessary to be cautious with the possible method of treatment until there is concrete information after proper research. "Our recovery rate is now 23.3 percent. This is a progressive increase in recovery rate," said Lav Agrawal, joint secretary, Health Ministry With 1,543 new cases in the last 24 hours, the total COVID-19 cases in the country are now at 29,435. Meanwhile, 684 patients have recovered in the last 24 hours. "Until ICMR concludes its study and robust scientific proof is available, plasma therapy should be used only for research or trial purpose. If plasma therapy is not used in proper manner under proper guideline then it can also cause life threatening complications," said Union health ministry joint secretary Lav Aggarwal. "It's still in experimental stage, right now even ICMR is doing it as an experiment to identify and do additional understanding of this therapy. Till it is approved no one should use it, it'll be harmful to patient and illegal," he said. Gadkari also suggested that state transport ministers should explore operationalising app-based two-wheeler taxis especially in rural areas which will assist farming communities with smoother movement. Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday called for urgent action to facilitate inter-state movement of trucks and lorries carrying essential goods to ease public life during COVID-19 pandemic. "There has been progress in COVID-19 recoveries in the state. We are also increasing our capacity to do COVID-19 tests. In one week's time, we will be able to do 10,000 tests per day," the statement said. Rajasthan government on Tuesday said that so far, there are 2,328 COVID-19 positive cases in the state. Health Ministry joint secretary Lav Agarwal on Tuesday said that the doubling rate of COVID-19 cases in India now stands at 10.2 days. An Inter-Ministerial Central Team on Tuesday inspected different locations in Darjeeling to assess the ground situation, in wake of COVI-19 pandemic. India Today reported that Tamil Nadu chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami is likely to meet with the state's medical expert committee on Wednesday to take a decision regarding the extension of the lockdown. The state has a total of 1,937 coronavirus cases, with 570 being in Chennai alone. Hindpiri is put under large containment zone category while remaining 14 are in micro-zone category. One or two positive cases reported from micro zones. The Ranchi district administration on Tuesday said that 15 containment zones have been made in Ranchi, including the previous Hindpiri area, which was the hotspot. The Karnataka government on Tuesday said, "As of 5 pm on 28 April 2020, cumulatively 523 COVID-19 positive cases have been confirmed in the state, it includes 20 deaths and 207 recoveries. Also, one death due to non-COVID-19 cause." The force also asked all personnel above 52 years of age with previous medical conditions like diabetes, hypertension to stay at home. The Mumbai Police on Tuesday told all personnel above 55 years of age to stay at home, after the deaths of three personnel due to coronavirus. The Jammu and Kashmir government said that 19 new COVID-19 positive cases have been reported in the union territory in the last 24 hours. All the new cases are from Kashmir division. The total number of cases in the union territory stands at 565, which includes 381 active cases. Assam minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that a person from the Goalpara district, a secondary contact of a Markaz attendee, has tested COVID-19 positive. The number of COVID-19 patients in Assam now stands at 37. Active hospital cases are at nine. Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that four more people tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday, taking the total number of cases in the state to 485. Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia on Tuesday said, "It will not be possible to conduct the remaining exams of CBSE 10th and 12th, hence the children should be promoted on the basis of internal exams only as it was done for the students of class 9 and 11." "For the next year, the entire syllabus should be reduced by at least 30 per cent and the entrance examinations of JEE, NEET, and other higher education institutions should also be taken on the basis of the reduced syllabus," Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia said. He said, "Shared Indias experience and underlined our commitment to international cooperation and reformed multilateralism." External Affairs minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday said that he had taken part in the BRICS Foreign Ministers meeting on the coronavirus pandemic. News18 Delhi reported that a 55-year-old CRPF jawan died due to coronavirus in Delhi's Safdarjung hospital on Tuesday. He was reportedly posted in the 31st batalion in Noida and hails from Barpeta in Assam. Mumbai's Dharavi saw the highest jump in coronavirus cases on Tuesday, with 42 new cases reported. Four deaths were also reported, taking the toll up to 18. In the last 24 hours, 226 COVID-19 positive cases were reported in Gujarat, taking the total number of positive cases in the state to 3,774, the Gujarat health department said. Maharashtra health minister Rajesh Tope on Tuesday said, "I have not heard what exactly ICMR has suggested today on plasma therapy. But I know that we are doing it on experimental basis after ICMR allowed us to do so. I want to tell you that we have seen good results on two patients." Reports said that a Delhi Police crime branch constable on Tuesday tested positive for coronavirus. India Today reported that he was part of the team attached to the Nizamuddin Markaz. Additionally, no new COVID-19 cases were reported in 32 districts of the state on Tuesday. The 121 new COVID-19 positive cases reported are from Chengalpattu (12), Chennai(103), Kallakurichi(3), Kancheepuram(1), Namakkal (2) districts. The Tamil Nadu health department said that 121 new COVID-19 cases were reported in the state on Tuesday, taking the total number of cases in the state to 2,058. The CRPF said that 12 more jawans have tested positive for COVID-19 in Delhi. The total number of CRPF jawans who tested positive stands at 47, which includes one jawan who passed away on Tuesday. Union health secretary Preeti Sudan wrote to chief secretaries/sdministrators of all states and union territories stating that private hospitals and clinics should remain functional for non-COVID-19 patients. Also said that that no patient should be denied any essential services like dialysis, blood transfusion etc. Eighty more samples from Uttar Pradesh's Muzaffarnagar district tested negative for COVID-19, PTI quotes an official as saying. Had a warm exchange with PM @JustinTrudeau . Thanked him for looking after Indian citizens in Canada in these difficult times. Collaboration and partnership between India and Canada is vital to fighting the pandemic including through medical research and supply chain management. They agreed on the importance of global solidarity and coordination, maintenance of supply chains, and collaborative research activities, the statement said. Modi thanked the Canadian prime minister for the assistance and support extended to the Indian citizens, especially students, in Canada. Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau appreciated the support provided by the Indian government for Canadian citizens in India. PTI A statement said Prime Minister Modi conveyed the assurance that India's productive capabilities in the pharmaceutical sector would remain available for assisting the citizens of the world, including those of Canada, to the best of New Delhi's abilities. The two leaders agreed that the partnership between India and Canada could contribute meaningfully to the global effort to fight the pandemic, especially through collaboration in research and technology aimed at finding a vaccine or therapeutic solutions to COVID-19. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India's productive capabilities in the pharmaceutical sector would remain available for assisting the citizens of the world as countries fight the COVID-19 pandemic. He told Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau that the partnership between India and Canada is vital to fighting the pandemic. It is a clinical trial for which ICMR has given permission to various states&Karnataka is one of earlier states to have applied&get the permission. We will make a clinical trial, based on results of the trial, we will scale it up to the efficacy level: Dr K Sudhakar https://t.co/3FoRRll5tW Karnataka will conduct a clinical trial on convalescent plams therapy, ANI quotes state medical education minister K Sudhakar as saying. "Convalescent plasma transfusion is one of the therapies that medical world is looking forward because a person who had recovered from the coronavirus infection would have developed the antibodies fight against the disease," he said adding that the state was given permission by the ICMR to conduct such a trial. Greece has so far registered 2,566 coronavirus cases including 138 deaths, much fewer than many other European nations, thanks partly to the swift imposition of its lockdown on March 23. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Tuesday restrictions on citizens movements would be lifted and more shops allowed to reopen from 4 May in a gradual easing of a lockdown imposed to curb the spread of the new coronavirus, reports Reuters. Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Tuesday hinted at lockdown relaxations on the basis a report to be submitted by an expert panel formed to draw an exit strategy, reports PTI.The issue will come up for a discussion at a state cabinet meeting on 30 April. He, however, said the lockdown was necessary to delay the coronavirus spread as the Centre has indicated on the basis of inputs and studies that the number of cases will continue to rise till July. The chief minister was interacting with MLAs during a video conference when he made the remarks. The CM indicated that his government could go for certain relaxations, while taking all precautions, based on the report of the expert committee formulating the state's coronavirus curfew exit strategy, according to a government statement here. 729 new #COVID19 positive cases reported today in the state taking the total tally to 9318. 106 patients discharged today, 1388 discharged till date. 31 deaths reported today, total 400 deaths reported in the state till date: Public Health Department, Maharashtra pic.twitter.com/mhY6yJUC9F The state health department put the number of cases at 6,169 and toll at 244. Maharashtra registered 729 more positive cases on Tuesday, taking the total to 9,318. 31 deaths were also reported today, pushing the toll to 400. However, 106 patients were discharged after being cured of the virus. A total of 1,388 [persons have been discharged till date, according to the state public health department. Stating that the mode of treatment in COVID-19 is still at an "experimental stage", Gileria stressed on the need to have good and well conducted research trials before its benefit and this mode of therapy can be recommended for routine use in coronavirus patients. "AIIMS is working with the ICMR to conduct a clinical trial on the efficacy of convalescent plasma therapy in COVID-19 patients," he said. The All India Institute Of Medical Sciences is planning to conduct a clinical trial of the convalescent plasma therapy in the treatment of COVID-19 patients, PTI quotes AIIMS Director Dr Randeep Guleria as saying. The modalities of taking the approvals from the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) is being worked out, official sources said. of samples were not being done. Fuad Halim, a doctor and a CPI(M) leader, who claimed before the court that the guidelines issued by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) for tackling the COVID-19 pandemic were not being adhered to by the State of West Bengal and that adequate tests The Calcutta High Court directed the West Bengal government and the Union of India to file affidavits disclosing the availability and utilisation of personal protection equipment (PPE) and COVID- 19 testing facilities in terms of ICMR guidelines in the state by 30 April, reports PTI. Passing the order, a division bench comprising Chief Justice TBN Radhakrishnan and Justice Arijit Banerjee observed that unless the Union of India and the governments of various states work hand in hand, the desired results in controlling the novel coronavirus would be difficult to achieve.The bench passed the directions on a PIL by petitioner The decline in COVID-19 cases in Telangana continued on Tuesday with only six fresh cases being reported as Health Minister E Rajender hoped the trend would continue and the pandemic would soon end in the state without more deaths. With these six cases, the total number of positive cases in the state has risen to 1,009. No fresh death occurred and the number of people who died due to the virus continued to remain at 25, Rajender said. Forty two people were discharged today, taking the number of people discharged after recovery to 374, he said. The number of active cases in the state stood at 610. "In coordination with the Governments of Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat, facilitated the safe return of 3800 fisherman belonging to AP, who previously went for fishing - for livelihood purpose, to Gir. The Gujarat govt has arranged for buses to ferry them to Andhra, where theyll have a home to stay safe," said MoS home G KIshan Reddy. Coronavirus Outbreak Updates:With 729 new coronavirus cases recorded in Maharashtra , count reaches 9,318; with 31 deaths, toll mounts to 400, says state health department. Delhi recorded a total of 206 positive cases today, taking the total number of COVID-19 cases in the National Capital to 3,314, including 1,078 recoveries and 54 deaths. 393 more test positive for coronavirus in Mumbai, taking count to 5,982; 25 patients die, raising toll to 244, PTI quotes BMC as saying. Total number of COVID-19 positive cases Madhya Pradesh has reached 2,387 of which as many as 1,372 positive cases have been reported in Indore, 458 in Bhopal and 123 in Ujjain. Gujarat reported 226 new coronavirus positive cases, taking the total number of the affected people in the state to 3,774, a health department official said. With 19 fatalities, all from Ahmedabad, in the last 24 hours, the death toll in the state rose to 181. Mumbai's Dharavi saw the highest jump in coronavirus cases on Tuesday, with 42 new cases reported. Four deaths were also reported, taking the toll up to 17. The Union health ministry's 5 pm update said that 1,594 new coronavirus cases and 51 deaths were reported in the last 24 hours. India's total number of coronavirus positive cases rose to 29,974. This includes 22,010 active cases, 7,027 cured/discharged/migrated and 937 deaths. China on Tuesday said it was "deeply concerned" over the evaluation result of the COVID-19 rapid testing kits supplied to India by two Chinese companies and subsequent decision by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to not use the equipment, and hoped that New Delhi will resolve the issue "reasonably and properly". The ICMR on Monday asked states and union territories to stop using the test kits procured from the Chinese companies Guangzhou Wondfo Biotech and Zhuhai Livzon Diagnostics due to "wide variations" in their performance. "We are deeply concerned with the evaluation results and the decision made by the Indian Council of Medical Research. China attaches great importance to the quality of exported medical products," Chinese embassy Spokeperson Ji Rong said. Health Ministry joint secretary Lav Agarwal on Tuesday said that the doubling rate of COVID-19 cases in India now stands at 10.2 days. With 1,543 new cases in the last 24 hours, the total COVID-19 cases in the country are now at 29,435. Meanwhile, 684 patients have recovered in the last 24 hours. "Our recovery rate is now 23.3 percent. This is a progressive increase in recovery rate," said Lav Agrawal, joint secretary, Health Ministry Union health ministry joint secretary Lav Aggarwal reiterated that although there is a lot of speculation around the effectiveness of plasma therapy to treat COVID-19 patients, it's necessary to be cautious with the possible method of treatment until there is concrete information after proper research. "Plasma therapy is being experimented with, however, there is no evidence yet that this can be used as a treatment. National level study has been launched by the ICMR to study the efficacy of the method," the statement said. The Asian Development Bank on Tuesday said, "$1.5 billion loan approved to Government of India to help fund its response to COVID-19 pandemic, incl support for immediate priorities such as disease containment and prevention, as well as social protection for poor and economically vulnerable sections of the society." Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan on Tuesday said that India will be able to produce RT-PCR and antibody test kits in India by May. 'All processes are in advanced stage and production will start after getting approval from ICMR. It will help us in meeting our target of 1 lakh tests per day by 31 May,' he added. Two police personnel and a vendor in Koyambedu market in Chennai tested positive for coronavirus, officials told PTI. Meanwhile, 8 new COVID-19 cases were reported in Karnataka from Monday 5:00 pm to Tuesday noon. This takes the total number of cases to 520, according to the Karnataka government's latest bulletin. The NITI Aayog building in the National Capital has been sealed for 48 hours, after a director-level officer tested positive for coronavirus, a senior official said on Tuesday. Mumbai Police have asked their personnel who are above 55 years of age and having some pre-existing ailment to go on leave, in a bid to protect them from the coronavirus infection. One officer in NITI Aayog has tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan said no fresh case has been reported in 80 districts since last seven days. The rapid spread of coronavirus continues in Andhra Pradesh as 82 fresh cases were reported on Tuesday, the state's case count is now at 1,259. Meanwhile, the rupee depreciated 15 paise to 76.40 against the US dollar in opening trade on Tuesday. The total number of positive cases in Delhi stands at 3,108 now, of which 190 cases were reported on Monday. 877 patients have been cured, while 11 are on a ventilator. The toll stands at 54 with the doubling rate of COVID-19 cases in Delhi at 13 days, Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain told ANI. A doctor has tested positive for COVID-19 in Uttar Pradesh's Bijnor district on Tuesday. He has been admitted to isolation ward hospital in Meerut. The Health and Family Welfare Ministry has issued guidelines for home isolation of people who either have very mild COVID-19 symptoms or are in the pre-symptomatic phase. Such patients with requisite self-isolation facility at their residence will now have the option for home isolation. The Maharashtra government has decided to send about 100 buses to Kota in Rajasthan to bring back nearly 2,000 students stranded there due to the lockdown, Maharashtra Transport Minister Anil Parab has said. Buses of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) will be sent to Kota in the next two days, Parab said late Monday night. India records 62 deaths and 1543 new cases in last 24 hours due to coronavirus, which is the sharpest ever increase in death and cases in India so far. Total confirmed COVID-19 cases in India have risen to 29,435, according to the latest update from the Union Health Ministry on Tuesday morning, with the toll in the country due to the novel coronavirus pandemic rising to 934. The Delhi government on Monday had lifted the bar on veterinarians, plumbers, and electricians after reviewing the COVID-19 situation in the national capital. In the order, the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) also allowed inter-state travel of health workers, lab technicians, and scientists. India on Monday recorded its highest single-day spike in toll due to COVID-19 as 60 deaths and 1,463 new infections were reported in the last twenty-four hours, taking the countrywide total to 28,380 and the number of deaths to 886. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a video conference with chief ministers said the lockdown has been successful as thousands of deaths had been prevented but cautioned that the crisis was far from over. In another significant development, the Indian Council of Medical Research has asked states to stop using the COVID-19 rapid antibody test kits procured from two Chinese companies. India reports highest daily jump in COVID-19 toll The Union health ministry, in its evening update, said there has been a spike of 1,463 cases since Sunday evening, taking the case count to 28,380. The number of active COVID-19 cases stood at 21,132, while 6,361 people have recovered, and one patient has migrated, the ministry said. The total number of cases includes 111 foreign nationals. With 60 deaths reported in the past 24 hours, the toll rose to 886. However, on the positive side, more than 6,300 patients have been discharged, pushing the recovery rate to over 22 percent, according to the Union Health Ministry. Among major cities, Mumbai alone has reported 5,589 cases, while Delhi has more than 2,900 and Ahmedabad more than 2,100 cases. Besides, more than 200 have died in Mumbai, over 100 in Ahmedabad and at least 54 in the National Capital. These three major urban centres also impact a significant part of the country's overall economic activities. Of the nationwide toll of 886, Maharashtra has reported the most fatalities (342), followed by Gujarat at 151, Madhya Pradesh at 106, Delhi at 54, Rajasthan at 41, and Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh at 31 each. The death toll reached 26 in Telangana, 24 in Tamil Nadu while West Bengal and Karnataka have reported 20 deaths each. Punjab has registered 18 fatalities so far. The disease has claimed six lives in Jammu and Kashmir, four in Kerala while Jharkhand and Haryana have recorded three COVID-19 deaths each. Bihar has reported two deaths, while Meghalaya, Himachal Pradesh, Odisha and Assam have reported one fatality each, according to the ministry data. According to the health ministry data, Maharashtra also has the maximum number of confirmed cases at 8,068, followed by Gujarat at 3,301, Delhi at 2,918, Rajasthan at 2,185, Madhya Pradesh at 2,168, Uttar Pradesh at 1,955 and Tamil Nadu at 1,885. The number of COVID-19 cases has gone up to 1,177 in Andhra Pradesh and 1,002 in Telangana. Andhra Pradesh chief minister YS Jagan Reddy asked people to take precautions to prevent the infection as he warned, "We cannot eliminate it, so we have to live with it." On the positive side, the Health Ministry said 85 districts have not reported a single positive case in the last 14 days, while 16 districts have not witnessed even one case in the last 28 weeks. Separately, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said five Northeastern states Sikkim, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Tripura are now completely coronavirus-free and the other three Assam, Meghalaya and Mizoram have not added any new COVID-19 positive case in the last few days. Narendra Modi holds video conference with chief ministers As the final week of the second phase of lockdown began, Modi conveyed to chief ministers that the country will have to give importance to the economy as well as continue the fight against the novel coronavirus. In his fourth video conference with the chief ministers over the pandemic, Modi also underlined that the nationwide lockdown has "yielded positive results as the country has managed to save thousands of lives in the past one and a half months." "The prime minister said that the country has seen two lockdowns till now, both different in certain aspects, and now we have to think of the way ahead. He said that as per experts, the impact of coronavirus will remain visible in the coming months," according to an official statement. The first lockdown was announced by Modi on 24 March in a bid to combat the coronavirus endemic. It was later extended till 3 May. Reiterating the mantra of 'do gaz doori' (six feet distance),Modi said masks and face covers will become part of people's lives in the days ahead. He emphasised on the importance of the use of technology as much as possible, and also on a need to embrace reform measures. He, however, forewarned that the danger of the virus is far from over and a constant vigil is of paramount importance. Several news reports said that the prime minister had also hinted at extending the lockdown in red-zones or coronvairus hotspots after 3 May while asking the chief minister to prepare a graded exit plan depending on the situation in each state. During the virtual interaction, chief ministers also put forth their concerns and suggestions. Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik sought framing of a national standard operating procedure (SOP) for smooth movement of lakhs of people stranded across the country due to the lockdown imposed to combat COVID-19. On similar lines, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar said it would not be possible for the state to bring back students from places like Kota until the Centre amended its lockdown guidelines. Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani favoured a gradual lifting of the coronavirus lockdown, while the chief ministers of Himachal Pradesh, Goa and Meghalaya favoured extending the lockdown. Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, after his interaction with the prime minister, asked state officials to make specific plans for the period after 3 May, when the second phase of the lockdown is scheduled to end. West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, however, alleged that the Centre was making contradictory statements on enforcement of the lockdown, and wanted greater clarity on the recent union home ministry order on reopening shops. Claiming that many states were not allowed to speak during Modi's video conference with chief ministers owing to the rotation system, Banerjee said given a chance she would have raised several questions, including the need to send central teams to Bengal. Tamil Nadu chief minister K Palaniswami sought more RT-PCR kits for COVID-19 screening to help the state ramp up its testing capacity to 10,000 a day against the existing 7,500. Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh, in a written submission to the Centre demanded that GST arrears of over Rs 4,000 crore be released and also demanded a grant due to meet the revenue deficit. Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who did not participate in the interaction, said that the state government favours a partial lockdown in the state till 15 May and sought aspecial financial package from the Centre for various sectors, including rehabilitation of expatriates who wish to return. ICMR asks states to stop using China-made antibody testing kits In the meantime, the country's apex health research body ICMR asked states to stop using the COVID-19 rapid antibody test kits procured from two Chinese companies and return them to be sent back to the suppliers. States are advised to stop using these kits procured from the two companies (Guangzhou Wondfo Biotech and Zhuhai Livzon Diagnostics kits) and return them to be sent back to the suppliers: Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) #COVID19 https://t.co/aGgEOpibuN ANI (@ANI) April 27, 2020 Some states including Rajasthan had flagged issues with results given by these kits. Citing media reports, Opposition Congress leader Rahul Gandhi alleged that some people were indulging in profiteering while supplying rapid test kits for COVID-19 to the government. That any human being would try & profiteer from the immeasurable suffering of millions of his brothers & sisters, is beyond belief & comprehension. This scam is an insult to every Indian. I urge the PM to act swiftly to bring the corrupt to justice.https://t.co/04KJqALs80 Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) April 27, 2020 However, the health ministry explained the procedure followed for procuring the kits and clarified that no payment had been made for them. "The ICMR has not made any payment in respect of these supplies. Because of the due process followed (not going for procurement with 100 per cent advance amount), Government of India does not stand to lose a single rupee," it said in a statement. Uttar Pradesh brings back migrant workers Over 12,000 workers from Uttar Pradesh who were stranded in Haryana due to the coronavirus lockdown have been brought back to the state and are now being sent to their home districts, reported PTI. Within Uttar Pradesh, the state government is preparing to send nearly 10,000 students stranded in Allahabad to their home districts in a phased manner. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court sought a reply from the Centre on a plea seeking direction to authorities to allow migrant workers across the country to return home after conducting coronavirus tests. With inputs from agencies #BetheREALMAN challenge has become a social media rage among Tollywood celebrities. The challenge which requires the stars to do household work and post a video of the same on social media was kicked-off by the Arjun Reddy director Sandeep Reddy Vanga. Looking at the latest celebrities, actor Venkatesh Daggubati shared his video of the #BetheRealMan challenge. In turn, he challenged Mahesh Babu, Varun Tej, and Anil Ravipudi. Well, out of the three, Varun Tej announced the acceptance of the senior actor's challenge, whereas Anil Ravipudi completed the challenge and shared the video on Twitter. Surprisingly, Mahesh Babu, who is usually seen sharing glimpses of his life and projects through the micro-blogging site didn't respond to Venkatesh's request. Looks like the actor is not interested in the starry challenge as the world is in a serious situation due to the Coronavirus pandemic. The actor is generally seen sharing posts related to the pandemic on his social media handle. There are also chances that the actor might be shooting for the #BetheREALMAN challenge.The other celebrities, who jumped on the bandwagon in taking up the #BetheREALMAN challenge Rajamouli, Jr NTR, Ram Charan, Chiranjeevi, Koratala Siva, Sukumar, Anil Ravipudi, Boyapati Srinu, Shobu Yarlagadda, Krish Jagarlamudi, and MM Keeravani.Coming back to Mahesh Babu, the actor has donated Rs 1 crore to the CM relief fund of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. The Bharat Ane Nenu star has also donated Rs 25 lakh for the TFI workers. On the career front, Mahesh will next be seen in director Parasuram's yet-to-be-titled movie. He will also join hands with SS Rajamouli for the filmmaker's next big project after RRR. Koratala Siva has also announced a movie with the reigning star of Tollywood. SS Rajamouli Confirms Next Venture With Mahesh Babu After Roudram Ranam Rudhiram A whirlwind of problems will be created for people with a chronic breathing disease who delay seeking medical help for fear that they may catch Covid-19 in hospital, a respiratory expert is warning. There are around half a million people in Ireland with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease COPD and they are more at risk of serious illness if they contract the novel coronavirus. Consultant respiratory physician, Prof JJ Gilmartin, who is chairman of COPD Support Ireland, says hospitals are taking every precaution to ensure patients maximum health protection. I think there is going to be an awful whirlwind of problems for patients with COPD who neglected their health, not deliberately, but out of fear, says Prof Gilmartin. Physicians like Prof Gilmartin are relying on phone and video consultations for routine check-ups because of Covid-19. However, they are anxious that early signs of a disease flare-up may not be immediately apparent through these virtual clinics: I would strongly urge people with COPD to pay close attention to their own signs and symptoms. Patients should be reassured that doctors are not going to ask them to come into hospital unless its absolutely necessary and in their best interests. A new information pack is now available to support people with COPD during the pandemic. Called Cocooning with COPD, it has been developed by the HSE National Clinical Programme Respiratory and the COPD Adviceline. It can be downloaded at copd.ie or can be ordered free of charge by texting the word COPD together with a name and address to 51444. There is no cure for COPD but it is treatable and can be managed. (Warning: The following story contains major spoilers for the series finale of Homeland) Showtime ended Homeland by giving Carrie (Claire Danes) one last, probably permanent, mission sending her to spend the rest of her life publicly as an American pariah, and secretly as a spy for Saul. For co-showrunner Alex Gansa, that was the most fitting way to end her eight-season journey, in what Gansa described as not entirely tragic. Well let him explain. We didnt want to see her end in a way that killed hope, Gansa told TheWrap. We decided to give her a mission and decided to give her a guy, but also decided to make it clear that she sacrificed a hell of a lot to get there. Also Read: How 'Homeland' Reached 8 Seasons by Re-Inventing Itself Carrie certainly sacrificed quite a lot over her eight years. She has virtually no relationship with her sister and daughter and ends the show branded as an Edward Snowden-like outsider. Most importantly, she loses the one person who has stood by her all throughout the entire series run, even to his own determent. But Carrie, after first trying to make it seem like she would assassinate her mentor to get him to give his decades-long Russian asset, is able to find out her identity and give her up herself. All it took was a visit to Sauls sister and telling her that her brother had died. And then there was the actual death of said asset, who was very high up in the Russian government. Geo-politically, Carries plan works. The Russians are satisfied enough that they reveal the contents of the Black Box from the plane crash that killed President Warner and the Afghanistan president Daoud, proving that it was not a terrorist attack by Jalal Haqqani but a simple equipment failure. It ends a standoff between the U.S. and Pakistan that threatened to lead to war. But it cost Carrie everything, forcing her to flee to Moscow with Yevgeny (Costa Ronin), where at first it seems like shes content to live out her days in Russia until the very end when she sends a coded message to Saul buried in her tell-all book about the CIA, using the same spycraft methods her predecessor used. Story continues She was trying to repair the relationship that she had severed forever, Gansa said. She replaced the person that he said was irreplaceable. Of course, Carrie had to make it appear as if she turned her back on her own country. She has to find a way to convince him that shes not a threat to the Russian government anymore, Gansa said. She writes this Ed Snowden-like book and what shes hoping is that that is literally her cover, that will take the suspicion off of her Saul has no idea this is happening, until the book arrives. Read original story Homeland Showrunner on Giving Carrie One Final Mission and Her Ed Snowden-Like Turn At TheWrap Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 27) Healthcare workers account for majority of active COVID-19 cases in Baguio City, Mayor Benjamin Magalong said on Monday. Speaking to CNN Philippines, he said 10 out of the 16 active COVID-19 cases in the city are medical frontliners. He warned this can increase as the city prioritizes testing medical workers. We like to find out the real situation because in the past weeks, all these data that we're getting are practically artificial considering the fact that we don't have any expansive testing, he said. In Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center alone, two doctors, two nurses, a hospital clerk, and two other hospital workers have tested positive for COVID-19. The hospital on Sunday announced it will stop admitting patients, but Magalong said the hospital can still entertain life-threatening cases and mild and severe COVID-19 cases. There are special wards set up at the Baguio General Hospital, he said. The mayor added non-emergency and non-COVID cases will be referred to the St. Louis University. There are 29 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the city, 16 of which are active. Twelve have recovered and one patient has died. Early this month, Baguio City had a 13-day streak of no recorded cases. Magalong appealed to the Department of Health to provide the city with more test kits so it can ramp up its testing capacity and finally get the complete picture of how widespread the transmission is in the city dubbed as the summer capital of the Philippines. We are ramping up testing up to 200+ a day. We are hoping that in the next few days, hopefully we can get more test kits from DOH and we'll be able to go as high as 300-400 tests a day. That's the only way we'd be able to determine the actual situation. Just like in the battlefield, you have to have situational awareness, he said. Nationwide, the number of COVID-19 cases rose to 7,294 on Saturday with 494 deaths and 792 recoveries. Of this number, more than 1,000 are healthcare workers. Twenty-six of them, including 20 doctors, succumbed to the viral illness. The WHO raised the alarm over the number of infected healthcare workers in the country. Dr. Abdi Mahamud, WHO-Western Pacific Region COVID-19 incident manager, said he is working with the DOH to find out if a possible shortage of personal protective equipment is causing this trend. The DOH has maintained that it is following protocols on the use of PPE sets for medical frontliners. The agency is also working with local manufacturers to produce more of these protective gear. We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form Congress leader Manish Tewari has blasted the Centre for allowing "hoarding" and profiteering on rapid testing kits at the time of coronavirus crisis. While seeking full disclosure of all documents related to big purchases on rapid testing kits, Tiwari said a company named Matrix Labs, on the recommendation of ICMR, was "given a contract to purchase 5 lakh test kits" for Rs 12.25 crore. He said while the import cost per unit was Rs 245, the importer sold these kits to the distributor for Rs 600, earning Rs 7.5 crore. He alleged the distributor supplied these rapid testing kits to ICMR for Rs 30 crore, further earning Rs 9-crore profit. He said these private companies earned Rs 18 crore - over 100 per cent profit -- on the supply of just 5 lakh test kits. The same company, Matrix, had sold the same testing kits to Tamil Nadu for Rs 400 each, he said. As per the ICMR, nine of the rapid antibody kits validated by it are manufactured in India, and that it was working towards validating diagnostic kits for COVID-19 testing and screening. The Congress reaction comes a day after BusinessToday.In reported how a legal dispute in Delhi High Court between the distributor and importer of COVID-19 rapid test kits being shipped from China had unearthed massive profiteering and over-pricing in kits sold to Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). Coming down heavily, the Delhi High Court's single bench of Justice Najmi Waziri disallowed a 145 per cent mark-up from landed price of Rs 245 to ICMR's purchase price of Rs 600 per test. Also, Justice Waziri slashed price for every kit by 33 per cent from Rs 600 to Rs 400 per test. Also read: Massive 145% profiteering exposed in coronavirus rapid test kits sold to ICMR The order was against a petition by Rare Metabolics, the sole distributor of rapid antibody test kits imported by Matrix Labs, the respondent in the case, from China's Wondfo Biotech. The dispute was over release of the remaining 2.24 lakh kits -- of the 5 lakh imported from China -- to be sent to ICMR. Importer Matrix Labs had argued that it had only been paid Rs 12.25 crore of the Rs 21-crore import. As per the agreement, the balance amount of Rs 8.25 crores had to be first paid to the importer before any monies received from ICMR. Dispute arose after Matrix Labs demanded upfront payment, whereas the petitioner maintained the payment could only be made after ICMR released the funds. The petitioner informed the court the consignment of 2.76 lakh rapid antibody tests had already been supplied to ICMR, for which payment was still awaited. Notably, ICMR has put the rapid tests on hold after detecting faulty results from the Wondo kits. The Chinese firm has denied that they were faulty kits. After listening to both parties, Delhi High Court decided that 2.24 lakh tests shall be delivered to ICMR, the moment it lands in India. The balance amount of Rs 8.25 crore has to be first paid to importer Matrix Labs in 24 hours of petitioner receiving monies from ICMR, before they are adjusted for any purpose. The court also ordered that the remaining 26,000 kits from the Tamil Nadu government's order to be provided directly to the state, the moment they reach India. ALSO READ:Bravado! IndiGo, Vistara, SpiceJet, GoAir start bookings violating govt orders Soldiers allied to Yemen's internationally recognized government fly the South Yemen flag at the port of Aden in Aden, Yemen. (AP File Image) Riyadh: The Saudi-led military coalition on Monday rejected Yemen separatists' declaration of self-rule over the country's south and demanded "an end to any escalatory actions". The separatists' move complicates a long and separate conflict, fought by the coalition and the internationally recognised government, against Huthi rebels who control much of the north. Yemen's separatists signed a power-sharing deal in Riyadh last November that quelled a battle -- dubbed a "civil war within a civil war" -- for the south that had in August seen them seize control of the second city of Aden. "We stress the need to restore conditions to their previous state in the interim capital Aden," the coalition said according to tweets from the official Saudi Press Agency. "Following the surprising announcement of a state of emergency by the Southern Transitional Council, we re-emphasise the need to promptly implement the Riyadh Agreement," it said. The STC, which is backed by key coalition partner the United Arab Emirates, on Sunday declared self-rule in southern Yemen, accusing the government of failing to perform its duties and of "conspiring" against the southern cause. The Riyadh pact had been hailed as averting the complete break-up of the country, but with a lack of implementation, observers have said it is effectively defunct. "The Coalition has and will continue to undertake practical and systematic steps to implement the Riyadh Agreement between the parties to unite Yemeni ranks, restore state institution and combat the scourge of terrorism," the Saudi-led coalition said. "The Coalition demands an end to any escalatory actions and calls for return to the Agreement by the participating parties." President Trump retweeted a 'deep fake' GIF of Joe Biden in a series of late night messages after cutting short his coronavirus media briefing. Trump last night shared an animation of the Democrat presidential hopeful repeatedly sticking his tongue out with the caption 'Sloppy Joe'. The post came as the president also retweeted himself three times, denying he called the virus a hoax back in February and claiming he is the 'hardest working president in history'. The Twitter account Trump retweeted appears to make similar allegations about the president as those leveled at Biden in recent weeks. Last month Tara Reade accused Joe Biden of sexually assaulting her in 1993. Reade said she is shocked that several mainstream TV news anchors have failed to ask the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee about the allegations. A 'deep fake' GIF of Joe Biden sticking his tongue was circulated on social media and retweeted by President Trump President Donald Trump speaking at a news briefing with members of the Coronavirus Task Force at the White House in Washington DC, flanked by Vice President Mike Pence President trump retweeted himself three times in which he denied calling the virus a hoax back in February and claiming he is the 'hardest working president in history' She came forward more than a month ago, alleging that Biden forcibly kissed, groped and digitally penetrated her when she served as an aide to the then-senator from Delaware in the early 1990s. Since then, Biden has done nearly a dozen TV interviews with news anchors including NBC News' Chuck Todd, ABC News' George Stephanopoulos, and CNN's Anderson Cooper - none of whom brought up Reade. Reade was among the women who came out last year alleging Biden acted inappropriately, but did not make her allegation of sexual assault until appearing on journalist Katie Halper's podcast on March 25. Reade told Halper that the assault occurred after she was told to deliver a gym bag to the then-senator. Over the weekend, Trump said he was canceling the White House virus press briefings because they were not 'worth the time and effort' because the 'Lamestream Media asks nothing but hostile questions'. It came after he cut short a press conference without taking any questions from the media shortly after CNN reporter, Kaitlan Collins, reportedly refused to move to the back of the room. Trump also retweeted himself with the caption 'so true!', during a flurry of posts defending his earlier comments about the media President Trump blamed others for not understanding the concept of sarcasm after a flurry of tweets were sent by the president on Sunday afternoon Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden speaking about the coronavirus in Wilmington, Delaware, earlier this month Moments after she refused to move, Trump entered the room for the briefing but cut it short after 22 minutes. On Saturday, Trump tweeted: 'What is the purpose of having White House News Conferences when the Lamestream Media asks nothing but hostile questions, & then refuses to report the truth or facts accurately. They get record ratings, & the American people get nothing but Fake News. Not worth the time & effort!' Following the outburst, Trump then retweeted three of his own previous posts. One said: 'The people that know me and know the history of our Country say that I am the hardest working President in history. I don't know about that, but I am a hard worker and have probably gotten more done in the first 3 1/2 years than any President in history. The Fake News hates it!' In another retweet Trump wrote: 'I never said the pandemic was a Hoax! Who would say such a thing? I said that the Do Nothing Democrats, together with their Mainstream Media partners, are the Hoax. They have been called out & embarrassed on this, even admitting they were wrong, but continue to spread the lie!' Another tweet Trump reposted read: 'Remember, the Cure can't be worse than the problem itself. Be careful, be safe, use common sense!' President Donald Trump at a signing ceremony for H.R.266, the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act last week In the caption the president said of his own remarks, 'so true'. Trump's coronavirus briefings have become increasingly contentious as he clashes with reporters and contradicts scientific experts. After suggesting the use of disinfectant be tested by researchers using a briefing, Trump posted another series of tweets backtracking and claiming he was being 'sarcastic'. The president tweeted that 'people that know me' believe that he is the 'hardest working president in history'. He flew into a rage on Sunday and railed against reporters who had written about the Russia investigation last year and referred to journalists who had received Pulitzer prizes for their efforts. Trump called for their awards to be rescinded, but incorrectly referred to them as a 'Noble Prize'. In a tweet sent on Sunday evening, the president attempted to set the record straight on his statements and asked: 'Does anybody get the meaning of what a so-called Noble (not Nobel) Prize is, especially as it pertains to Reporters and Journalists? Noble is defined as, 'having or showing fine personal qualities or high moral principles and ideals.' Does sarcasm ever work?' Ricky Gervais has been praised by This Morning viewers after revealing that he would not complain about his world tour being cancelled while NHS nurses endure 14-hour shifts fighting the coronavirus. The comedian, 58, appeared on the show to promote his new series of the hit Netflix show 'After Life', and said that while some of his work has been postponed as the world recovers from the coronavirus crisis, he's completely 'fine'. One NHS nurse who was watching while at home suffering with coronavirus praised the comedian, admitting his comments raised her spirits, while another viewer said his interview on the show was 'going down a storm'. This comes after the star publicly ridiculed stars such as Sam Smith, 27, who caused a furore when he broke down in tears on Instagram from self-isolation in his 12million London home. Ricky Gervais, 58, appeared on This Morning today and insisted that while some of his work has been postponed while the world recovers from the coronavirus crisis, he's completely 'fine' Last month Sam Smith appeared to be crying after spending time inside the house amid the coronavirus pandemic When asked whether he was busy with work, Ricky said: 'My world tour is postponed, so I've got to fit that in somehow, so it's all up in the air at the moment. 'But as I said before, you won't hear me complaining when there are nurses doing 14-hour shifts, I'm fine'. Responding to his interview, one nurse said: 'Love Ricky, I'm a frontline NHS nurse and I'm home with coronavirus, feeling pretty poo, Ricky has been cheering me up with his videos and of course afterlife 2 x thank you'. Another agreed: 'Ricky Gervais on this morning its going down a storm.' One NHS nurse who was watching while at home suffering with coronavirus praised the comedian, insisting his comments have raised her spirits, while another viewer said his interview on the show was 'going down a storm' A third added: 'After a long and tough week at work, and with a weekend off, I binge watched After Life. What a gem it is. Went through every emotion possible. Thank you Ricky. What a true genius you are. Cannot wait for series 3.' Prior to these comments, the writer hit out at celebrities for whining about having to self-isolate while NHS staff risk their lives to battle Covid-19. Ricky told The Sun: '[NHS staff] are doing 14-hour shifts and not complaining. Wearing masks, and being left with sores, after risking their own health and their families' health selflessly. 'But then I see someone complaining about being in a mansion with a swimming pool. And, you know, honestly, I just don't want to hear it.' In an interview with BBC Radio 5 Live, the comedian slammed the the infamous Imagine video filmed by Gal Gadot and her A-list pals. Out of touch: The 58-year-old comedian began with looking back at the infamous Imagine video filmed by Gal Gadot and her A-list pals such as Will Ferrell The actress had enlisted a host of stars to sing the John Lennon classic with her, in a stunt that was branded 'out of touch' by many social media users. 'It was an awful rendition, but they might have been doing it for good reasons, to help these normal nobodies. 'But they're going "My film's coming up and I'm not on telly - I need to be in the public eye", not all of them but some of them. 'You can see in their eye - "I could cry at the beauty of my personality, I'm just so beautiful for doing this" and everyone sees that - we get it.' He then turned his attention on stars such as Sam Smith, who have lamented having to self-isolate in their mansions during the crisis. Referencing celebrities who have publicly wallowed in sadness about the lockdown, Ricky said: 'There are people in high rise blocks with three kids - I can't complain, this is why millionaires in their mansions with their gym and going for a swim can't lecture people. He concluded: 'People are sick of being lectured, multi-millionaires telling them to clean out their coffee jar and put it in the right bin - they know those celebs are taking private jets to their private islands. They are sick of it.' Ricky is currently promoting the second season of his hit Netflix comedy-drama, After Life, where he plays a grieving widower called Tony Ricky is currently promoting the second season of his hit Netflix comedy-drama, After Life, and he explained that while there is pressure being the sole creator of the series, he's had a great response from those going through grief currently. 'Ten years ago if someone was offended you'd say, okay I'll look into it, now you just say - well yeah everyone is, don't worry about it. 'Because I don't believe half the people are offended, I think they just want to be heard, just because you're offended it doesn't mean your right. 'Some people are offended by equality, it doesn't mean your right. And some people are just offended because they're taboo subjects. 'People who are grieving love this show, because they want to recognise something in TV. No harm comes from discussing taboo subjects, it's how you do it.' By Aoife Moore, Daniel McConnell, Paul Hosford, and Ken Foxe Private firms have been paid over 1.3bn to provide direct provision accommodation, with several contractors earning more than 100m from the taxpayer. Figures obtained by the Irish Examiner from the Department of Justice reveal that the Government spend on direct provision, introduced as a temporary solution in 2000, has more than doubled in the past five years from 53.2m in 2014 to 130m in 2019. The revelations come as former Labour minister Aodhan O Riordain claims he faced strong resistance to delivering change to the direct provision system when in office. As of March 1, 5,645 people were being accommodated in the 39 direct provision centres nationwide. Today, for the first time, we publish the total amount of monies paid to private operators since the system began in 2000 and reveal the identities of the biggest earners who have rolling contracts with the State. The largest earner in terms of government-contracted accommodation is Mosney Holiday PLC. Director Phelim McCloskey and his wife Elizabeth are the owners of the former Butlins holiday camp, and were paid just under 140m between 2000 and 2018. In 2019, they were paid a further 10.8m; East Coast Catering, owned by Canada-based Irishman Patrick OCallaghan, running direct provision centres in Dublin and Dundalk, was paid 130m up to 2018 and received a further 11m in 2019; Bridgestock Ltd, which has housed more than 500 asylum seekers in Ballyhaunis, Co Mayo, and in Sligo was paid 109,457,663 between 2002 and 2017 and a further 7m in 2019. Millstreet Equestrian Services, with an address in Tipperary, provides accommodation under the direct provision system in Cork, Tipperary, and Waterford, with directors listed as Noel C Duggan and Thomas A Duggan. The company was paid 77,244,129 by the State from 2000 to 2017. In 2019, it was paid a further 11.6m. The full cost of running the facilities will vary from centre to centre, depending on capacity, among other factors, and are tendered out to other operators, meaning the bill for the direct provision system is much higher than 1.3bn. Mr O Riordain, a Labour TD and a former minister with responsibility for direct provision, said he faced strong resistance from Fine Gael and officials in the Department of Justice from reforming the system. Have to say that not every official in the department was the same, but certainly, I felt that it was an unsympathetic department when it comes to this issue, he told the Irish Examiner. Its a big department that deals with a lot of things the guards and security and so on and this just felt like a small stone in the shoe of the department. They never seemed to have the feel for it. They had a feeling that any moves to make direct provision more humane or anything in that direction would create what they called a pull factor and they would use that phrase all the time. So we launched a report in the National Library and I remember being asked by the press our response to it, and I said this is going to be implemented, but the minister [Frances Fitzgerald] said it was food for thought. I knew then this wasnt going to happen. Last week, ombudsman Peter Tyndall, in his annual report for 2019, reported that 168 complaints were received, up from 152 in 2018. In response, the Department of Justice said it established an expert group on the provision of support, including accommodation, to persons in the International Protection Process (Asylum Seekers). That group is due to report this year. Since it was created, more than 65,000 vulnerable people have been assisted by the system. The offer of accommodation from the department is voluntary and residents can source their own accommodation at any time, said a spokesman. The department pointed to the fact that the ombudsman has welcomed the sustained improvements being implemented in the direct provision system. We recognise that our programme of improvements must be continuous and that there is much more for us to do, a spokesman said. Prince Harry has led the way in a new mental fitness tool aimed at helping people in the military with their well-being. It comes as his older brother, Prince William and his wife Kate, launch their own 60 second support series, teaming up with celebrities including Katie Piper and Professor Green for a national mental health campaign. Harry, 35, who is now in Los Angeles, has been working with the Ministry of Defence for three years on a project called HeadFIT, which has been designed to give round-the-clock access to self-help tools to enhance mood, drive and confidence The former solider, who served in Afghanistan as Captain Wales, urges others in the military to train their mind and body as one. In footage released today, Harry says: Today, when we talk about fitness, we dont just mean how fast you can run or how much weight you can carry. This is about mental fitness, strength and resilience, not just while wearing a uniform, but for the rest of your life. If you want to be truly fit, strong and healthy, you need to train your mind and body as one. Some people run, others swim, cycle or lift weights in order to be physically fit. The Duke of Sussex during a visit to Exercise Clockwork in Bardufoss, Norway. (PA images) But what do you do to stay mentally fit? Think about what you can do to unlock your potential, and to perform at the highest level. Read more: Coronavirus: Prince William and Kate launch 'Our Frontline' to support key workers' mental health The programme has been developed with The Royal Foundations Heads Together campaign, the Ministry of Defence and Kings College London, with clinical advice from psychologist Dr Vanessa Moulton. The Royal Foundation is now just representative of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, but for a while did include the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. We know we need to keep our bodies fit. We need to keep our heads fit too. HeadFIT, launching today, provides easy-to-use tools like breathing exercises and relaxation techniques to help Defence personnel stay mentally fit. Visit https://t.co/7CLOsHh9AQ to try them. pic.twitter.com/KiBkXAdZou Ministry of Defence (@DefenceHQ) April 27, 2020 When Harry and Meghan split from the foundation, they did announce collaboration on Heads Together, the mental health initiative. Story continues HeadFIT had been scheduled to launch in June but was brought forward because of the coronavirus pandemic. Harry said: Ive long believed the military community should lead the way for the rest of society. For too long we have been waiting for problems to arise and then reacting to them. HeadFIT is a proactive approach to mental fitness, focusing on our own potential to increase our performance, using proven methods in sport science. This is about optimisation of self. This is about being the best you can be. Read more: Duchess of Cambridge encourages charity staff to 'pull together' amid coronavirus pandemic Harry's military connection is an important part of his work. (Getty Images) Harrys announcement comes as his brother William launched a daily 60 second support radio series. William and Kate have said they will make the mental health of those on the frontline of the coronavirus response their priority over the new few months. Katie Piper and Professor Green have appeared on the first episode, and they encourage people to talk more openly about their mental health. Katie Piper is the first person to give advice on the 60 second series. (Getty Images) Piper said: When we are going through a difficult time, not quite feeling ourselves, it can be difficult to tell others how were doing. But the more we talk about it, and ask others how theyre doing, the more normal the conversations will start to feel. And those conversations, they can be the first step to better mental health. So next time youre chatting to someone close to you, just let them know how youre coping, and remember to ask them how theyre doing too. From today, @Heads_Togethers daily #60SecondSupport radio series will be offering daily tips and advice to help support the nations mental health. Listen to the first episode now https://t.co/OIA2TbO0Xj Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) April 27, 2020 Read more: Coronavirus: Prince William and Kate lend voices to NHS mental health film as lockdown is extended Last week, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge launched a new initiative from leading charities and organisations to provide round-the-clock mental health support to everyone from teachers and nurses to bus drivers. Called Our Frontline, it is a combination of one-to-one support and online resources for any NHS workers, carers, emergency services personnel and key workers whose psychological wellbeing comes under pressure. The HeadFIT platform includes breathing exercises, body posture and relaxation techniques and was designed for all defence personnel from new recruits, long-serving personnel and veterans to civilian staff and those in uniform. Mental health has been a key theme of both the Cambridges and the Sussexes work. As senior royals the Cambridges and Prince Harry launched Heads Together in 2016, and work on it continued despite the split of the royal households. Sidetrade, (Euronext Growth: ALBFR.PA) the B2B Artificial Intelligence platform, is publishing a first-of-its-kind B2B unpaid invoice tracker. The weekly tracker is based on statistical analysis of 26 million invoices, representing 54bn of B2B transactions. The payment behaviour of over 3.7 million businesses is tracked week by week. For the first time, an in-depth study lifts the veil on late payment. Unsurprisingly, unpaid invoices have shot up since lockdown measures went into effect. In the present context of a global health emergency combined with an economic crisis of historic proportions, how are businesses behaving with their suppliers? Are they really showing solidarity, as they have been urged to do so since the start of the crisis? To provide objective insights, Sidetrade is launching the very first unpaid invoice tracker, which will be published weekly. Freely accessible to all private and public sector decision-makers, the tracker serves as a score card to remind the business community of the importance of paying suppliers responsibly, so as not to worsen the effects of the crisis on businesses already in difficulty. Pan-European tracking of late payment for decision-makers and public authorities Week after week, the Sidetrade tracker reveals the payment behaviour of over 3.7 million enterprises in six European countries: the U.K., France, Spain, Italy, Belgium and the Netherlands. Since 1 January 2020, Sidetrade has analysed over 26 million invoices, amounting to 54bn in B2B transactions. This is a large-scale study, commensurate with the importance of the issue. According to the experts, overdue invoices in Europe oscillate from year to year at around 10 days. In their study, Sidetrades data scientists considered only payment delays that were greater than this mean, i.e. payments more than 10 days overdue. They then retroactively calculated the ratio of late invoices to all outstanding invoices, week by week, since 1 January 2020, and determined the average unpaid invoices from the start of the year to 11 March 2020, when the Covid-19 epidemic was officially declared by the WHO. Deviation from this arithmetic mean up to 11th March is highlighted by the Sidetrade tracker. An overview of unpaid invoices from the tracker From 1 January through 11 March 2020, the Sidetrade tracker shows relative stability in late payment- around 20% for all of the countries analysed. Slight deviations in the pre-pandemic period are largely due to the timing of company invoicing and order-to-cash processes (e.g. start of month, end of month, decade). Average unpaid invoices for the period 1 January to 11 March 2020 is used to show how payment behaviour for a given week compares with that before the pandemic. Needless to say, since 11 March 2020, payment delays have been skyrocketing. Rate of increase in unpaid invoices have shot up +23% in UK, +26% in the Netherlands, +44% in Belgium, +52% in Spain, +56% in France and +80% in Italy. The economic fallout for businesses corelates closely with the development of the pandemic. Check out the Sidetrade tracker every week at https://invoice-tracker.sidetrade.com/ . An ongoing problem made worse Let us recall that inter-company credit is a major factor in the economy. Across Europe, businesses are facing insolvency due to declines in revenue and delayed payment. One UK report argues a fifth of SMEs in the UK will collapse due to a lack of cash because of Covid-19. Separate research by the Federation of Small Business says 50,000 businesses a year go under because of delayed payments. Delays in B2B payment have been an ongoing issue across sectors. Due to Covid 19, the problem has been exasperated. Research from Bacs , and commissioned by Pay.UK in 2019 found that the UK SME late payment debt has risen to a staggering 23.4 billion, up 10.4 billion on the 13 billion owed in 2018. On top of that, the research showed that UK SMEs are now facing a total bill of 4.4 billion a year, just to collect money they are owed. The average late payment debt burden has also increased to 25,000 per company, up from just over 17,000 in 2018. The statistics were largely based on B2B payments. The UK Governments Department for Business (BEIS) introduced new measures to tackle late payment in June 2019, including new powers for the Small Business Commissioner, and a dedicated fund to help SMEs purchase technology to help with payments. The Governments Cabinet Office has also written to public sector bodies recently, telling them to pay suppliers despite the Coronavirus pandemic. Attachment A U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer from Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., and F-16 Fighting Falcons from Misawa Air Base, Japan, conducted bilateral joint training with Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) F-2s and F-15s off the coast of Northern Japan, April 22, 2020. (Japan Air-Self Defense Force) US Bomber Showcases New Strategic Trick After Vanishing Act in Pacific Last week, for the first time in 16 years, the U.S. Air Force left the key strategic Pacific island of Guam with no heavy bombers. The vanishing act wasnt a sign of weakness, but a new trick that the Pentagon is practicing to keep adversaries on their toes: dynamic force employment. A few days later, a U.S. B-1 bomber was in the Pacific on a 30-hour round trip from North Dakota to Japan, precisely to showcase the new strategy at work. In demonstration of the U.S. Air Forces dynamic force employment model, a U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer bomber flew from the continental United States and integrated with the Koku Jieitai (Japan Air Self Defense Force or JASDF) to conduct bilateral and theater familiarization training near Japan April 22, a statement by the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command reads. This operation showcases our unwavering commitment to the security and stability of the Indo-Pacific region through the employment of strategic forces from around the globe, said Gen. C.Q. Brown Jr., Pacific Air Forces and INDOPACOM Air Component commander. From confronting invisible threats of a global pandemic to addressing military aggression and coercive activities, we remain a lethal, innovative, and interoperable force focused on a shared vision of upholding a free and open lndo-Pacific. A U.S. Navy MH-60S Knighthawk, U.S. Air Force RQ-4 Global Hawk, Navy MQ-4C Triton, Air Force B-52 Stratofortress, and KC-135 Stratotankers stationed at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, perform an Elephant Walk April 13, 2020. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Michael S. Murphy) The Navy and Army have also been experimenting with a similar strategic shift. The aim is to avoid the predictability of fixed rotations or of permanent presence, stretching the same forces further, and keeping adversaries off balance. The strategy isnt easy, however, as it requires higher levels of readiness overall, which brings a higher cost. In 2018, for the first time in a decade, the Arabian Gulf was left without an aircraft carrier strike group, as the USS Harry Truman sailed to the Arctic Circlethe first carrier to patrol there since the Cold War. The aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman transiting the Arabian Sea on March 18, 2020. (U.S. Navy photo by Aircrew Survival Equipmentman 1st Class Brandon C. Cole) This was the Navys first taste of dynamic deployment. The new strategy follows the demands of the 2018 National Defense Strategy for the military to be strategically predictable, but operationally unpredictable, Bryan Clark, senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, previously told The Epoch Times. U.S. allies and adversaries know that U.S. forces will be deployed overseas and will respond quickly if theres a crisis. But day-to-day, they wont know whether U.S. force deployments are going to happen. The Armys deployments to Europe and the Pacific Pathways are also linked to dynamic force concepts. National Defense Strategy aims to pivot the military away from counterinsurgency to primarily focus on modernizing and adapting to pushing back on Chinas newfound military muscle. Chinese military spending has increased around tenfold over the past two decades, with the Communist Party building up the largest arsenal of long-range missiles in the worldprecisely to hold U.S. aircraft at bay. The intermediate-range D-26 missilefielded while the United States was still bound by the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treatywas even dubbed the Guam killer because of its potential to reach the U.S. island territory, a key strategic position in the western Pacific. The consistency and predictability of the [Guam] deployment raised serious operational vulnerabilities, Timothy Heath, senior international defense researcher with the RAND Corp. think tank, told CNN. A planner in Chinas military could have easily plotted ways of destroying the bombers due to their well-known presence. Dynamic force deployment doesnt mean that bombers wont return to Guam, just that they will no longer be a permanent feature for Chinas military strategists to rely on. COVID-19 is a global health emergency, but it is also a massive humanitarian challenge for which no precedent exists. It does not discriminate. It is blind to borders and boundaries. As the coronavirus spreads, forcibly displaced populations are at heightened risk. As of 23 Apr 2020, there are more than 6,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the Philippines, and 2.5 million around the world. Around the clock, UNHCR is racing to protect the forcibly displaced from this pandemic. With your support, massive efforts are underway to deliver life-saving supplies, protection, and assistance to forcibly displaced communities. Since the beginning of this pandemic, UNHCR has been engaging in monitoring, preparedness and contingency planning, particularly in countries hosting large refugee populations and with weaker health systems. With disease prevention hinging on firmly entrenched WASH practices, UNHCR and partners are working on the provision of such services in refugee and host community settings around the world. In the Philippines, UNHCR recently gave hygiene kits to the local government unit of Cotabato City, upon its request. Together with its partners, UNHCR also provided tarpaulins that will be used as emergency spaces for the medical frontliners. With your continued support, we plan to reach out to more forcibly displaced communities. We are also planning for the rehabilitation of WASH facilities, the provision of medical equipment to government health facilities, and community level health awareness campaigns. Photos: CFSI In Syria, UNHCR is reaching people of concern through primary health care centers, health worker dedicated outreach refugee volunteers, and mobile teams. Outreach activities emphasize hygiene promotion, distribution of soap and proper hand-washing, respiratory hygiene, the training of rapid response teams, health staff and community health workers in case definitions, isolation procedures, and referral mechanisms for suspect cases. Photos: UNHCR Syria In Zataari and Azraq camps in Jordan, UNHCR has been conducting awareness campaigns and temperature screenings. Essential services including hospitals, clinics and supermarkets remain open, and crowd control measures have been put in place, with dedicated distribution lines and provisions for the most vulnerable. Procurement and pre-positioning of consumables for refugees has taken place centrally to be distributed in-kind, including for those with special needs, specifically diapers and sanitary materials. Photos: UNHCR Jordan In the Islamic Republic of Iran, UNHCR airlifted 4.4 tons of medical aid, including face masks, gloves and essential medicines, to help address critical shortages in the health care system in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. Further flights will transport additional aid-items, medicine and PPEs for health workers. In Iraq, UNHCR is procuring personal protective equipment, masks with filters and disposable shoes to use at borders and in refugee camps. Photos: UNHCR/Farha Bhoyroo/Shaza Shekfeh In Brazil, UNHCR and partners established an isolation area in Boa Vista to host suspected cases and are distributing 1,000 hygiene kits, hand sanitizer gels, and COVID-19 monitoring kits to indigenous populations of Venezuelan refugees. In Colombia, our colleagues are assistance local partners in building a quarantine facility to help the hospital cope with coronavirus patients. Photos: UNHCR/Paulo Lugoboni/Fernando Hernandez Parada In Uganda, UNHCR is placing handwashing and thermal screening facilities, strengthening communication with refugees on hygiene and sanitation, increasing soap distributions, and training health workers. In Kenya, along with our health partners, we are distributing core relief items, conducting thermal screening and promoting hygiene measures and social distancing at distribution points. Photos: UNHCR/Fred Muno/Samuel Otieno UNHCR has been providing refugees with information about COVID-19 and how to protect themselves, including via numerous hotlines; strengthening infection prevention and control, distributing soap and other supplies, reinforcing our stocks, assessing local health needs, training trainers, advocating with governments for inclusion in national health systems, establishing isolation areas, creating more distancing between people. Download PDF version Protecting the Most Vulnerable Given the rapidly changing nature of the situation, UNHCR is assessing and responding to emerging needs in an agile manner and looks to maximum flexibility in terms of pre-defining interventions and areas where resources are allocated. As part of a wider UN Global Humanitarian Response Plan, UNHCR is appealing for US$255 million globally, for its urgent push to curb the risk and lessen the impact of COVID-19 outbreaks in the vulnerable communities over the next nine months. Over 80% of the worlds refugee population and nearly all the worlds internally displaced people are hosted in low to middle-income countries, many of which have weaker health and water and sanitation systems. Many of them live in camps or similar settings, or in poorer urban areas with limited public health facilities. We will continue to expand our critical interventions on the ground. But to do this, we need timely and unearmarked financial support now, including this ongoing humanitarian operations. Coordinated international support is in our common interest and absolutely critical, said Filippo Grandi. The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is the biggest threat humanity has faced in a lifetime, and it is accelerating we dont have a moment to lose. We need to work faster to reach more families, prevent the spread of COVID-19, and save lives. DONATE NOW Share on Facebook Share on Twitter SISKIYOU COUNTY, Calif. -- A Happy Camp man reported missing by the Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office over the weekend has been found safe in Medford, according to the agency. The Sheriff's Office said on Sunday that it was looking for missing Happy Camp man, 80-year-old Ronald Richard Boren. Boren was last seen in the Walmart parking lot off Center Drive in Medford on Saturday, wearing a white shirt and khaki pants. Boren was described as standing five-foot, eight-inches tall and weighing 165 pounds. He has gray hair and blue eyes. The Sheriff's Department said that Boren is associated with a white 2003 GMC Sierra with Oregon plates ZUJ020. ANN ARBOR, MI An online, day-long celebration for its 2020 graduates is being scheduled for May 2 by the University of Michigan. The universitys in-person commencement ceremony was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. And, although this is not an online commencement ceremony, the day is designed to include interactive opportunities for graduates, their families and the university community to enjoy on their own time, a university release states. University of Michigan cancels spring commencements amid fight against coronavirus spread UM created a new website specific for the celebration, which will serve as a central location for activities, links and other surprises, officials said. UM is currently looking at some time in the spring of 2021 for the official in-person ceremony for 2020 graduates, according to its website. Commencement is a very special time for all of us at UM, President Mark Schlissel said in an email to students earlier this month. We all recognize how great an accomplishment this is and share the goal of making a commencement ceremony as meaningful as possible when we are able. The day kicks off at 8 a.m. with an email to graduates from Schlissel which will include a video from him and other university leaders, according to the release. There will also be a video message from former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, who was scheduled to deliver the commencement address this year. Other events include a graduate where you are" photo album featuring images collected from the class of 2020 on UMs Facebook page, a video of the Michigan marching band performing The Victors and more, the release said. Events already scheduled on the UM commencement website include: Virtual maize out where UM community members can post photos on social media wearing maize and blue and congratulating graduates using #MGoGrad. Reflecting on time as a UM student by sharing photos, videos and stories capturing memorable moments at UM. Customize a cap using a downloadable mortarboard from the Stamps School of Art and Design. Suggestions for the future in-person ceremony can be emailed to springcommencement@umich.edu. COVID-19 PREVENTION TIPS In addition to washing hands regularly and not touching your face, officials recommend practicing social distancing, assuming anyone may be carrying the virus. Health officials say you should be staying at least 6 feet away from others and working from home, if possible. Carry hand sanitizer with you, and use disinfecting wipes or disinfecting spray cleaners on frequently-touched surfaces in your home (door handles, faucets, countertops) and when you go into places like stores. Read more Michigan coronavirus coverage here READ MORE: Michigan State, Wayne State planning for online fall classes. University of Michigan still hopeful to be back University of Michigan invents device to increase ventilator abilities during coronavirus pandemic University of Michigan imposes hiring, salary freezes to face anticipated losses of $400M to $1B University of Michigan, Eastern Michigan University making alternate plans to celebrate 2020 graduates MBABANE Government has announced a lockdown in Manzini. This was revealed by the National Commissioner of Police William Tsintsibala Dlamini at Cabinet Offices yesterday. Dlamini stated that they would mount roadblocks in many parts of the hub where they would scrutinise the movement of people going in and out of the region. This comes after Minister of Health Lizzie Nkosi stated that judging from the current trends, Manzini was the epicentre of the virus. Of the 59 positive cases confirmed in the country, Manzini has the highest, at 38. The national commissioner of police advised that people who would travel around and to Manzini would be turned back if they did not have a valid reason for their travel. It was stated that it was only people with permits who would be allowed through the city. He also said the three security forces of the country, which are the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS), The Umbutfo Eswatini Defence Force (UEDF) and His Majestys Correctional Service (HMCS) would conduct the operation jointly. Dlamini further mentioned that they would do the same in other regions, cities and towns, however, for now they were paying particular attention to Manzini as it had proved to be the epicentre of the pandemic. If your reason of travelling is not valid, you will be requested to turn back, he reiterated. He said people who would be found moving about for no particular reason would be charged for loitering. It was stated that the police would act jointly with the Ministry of Health in screening people as they (police) were going to use thermometers and should a person be found to have a high temperature, health practitioners would be called to put that individual in isolation. In fact, Dlamini said all three forces would be visible in all parts of the country and would be strict on peoples movement. He clarified that they, as forces, would monitor adherence to the newly-amended regulations and guidelines that were put forth by the Ministries of Health, Public Works and Transport and Commerce, Industry and Trade. He said they would visit businesses, as they heard that some were not complying, to see if they were following the guidelines. The same will apply for public transport as the security personnel would be moving around to ensure compliance. Dlamini stated that businesses which had their permits revoked were supposed to remain closed until further communication from the relevant ministry. Some efforts to help are underway. Google recently announced it will launch an emergency fund to help local news outlets that are struggling to maintain operations in the face of the pandemic. It didnt provide a specific figure but said it would offer grants ranging from the low thousands of dollars for the smallest operations to low tens of thousands for larger newsrooms. Facebook last month said it would donate $100 million to support news organizations globally hurt by the pandemic. Critics of Facebook and Google are quick to note that their dominance of online advertising is one of the factors that have made life harder for local media outlets, but thats not a reason to reject their help. Report for America, a nonprofit that places journalists in local newsrooms by sharing salary costs, last week announced it was responding to the crisis with the largest expansion of its program placing 225 journalists into 162 newsrooms since its launch in 2017. The oil market is in freefall. The sector collapsed into pandemonium this week when the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) oil price benchmark fell below zero for this first time in history, making U.S. oil not only worthless but a liability, closing at -$37.63 a barrel on Monday. While WTI has since recovered considerably, but its future is uncertain. If this week has taught us anything its that all bets are off. Now the question on the mind of many is, if it was possible for U.S. oil to go so deeply negative, is the same historic nosedive in store for Brent Crude, the international oil price benchmark? The answers vary. One leading oil economist told Energy Voice that it would require something cataclysmic for the Brent benchmark to follow U.S. crude into negative pricing. But when Bloomberg posed the question Can Brent crude oil follow WTI into negative territory? the answer was an unequivocal: You bet. The negative prices are the result of a monthslong crisis in oil markets, beginning with a plummet in oil demand around the globe thanks to the spread of the novel coronavirus. As economies around the world shut down, the leading OPEC+ members of Saudi Arabia and Russia were pressured to find a solution, but instead, their talks quickly devolved into an all-out oil price war, flooding the international oil market with a huge glut of crude oil to the tune of about 10 million barrels of oversupply per day. This week, the glut reached critical mass when the volume of oil on the market maxed out oil storage capacity around the globe, driving the nosedive of oil prices all the way below zero (well below) in the United States and Brent hit an 18-year low at just $20 a barrel. Related: Shale's Decline Will Make Way For The Next Big Thing in Oil In an article published on Tuesday, Energy Voice reported that despite Brents dire straits, Professor Alex Kemp of Aberdeen University does not foresee it going down the same path to zero or negative pricing. The petro-expert told reporters that The two prices, WTI and Brent, are in some ways linked but, to some extent, they are separate. The main reason being that Brent reflects the world balance of supply and demand and WTI reflects the position inside America. [...] We wouldnt get negative prices for Brent because Brent is the world market and it would require something cataclysmic for the world economy to get a negative Brent price. Other experts, however, are taking the opposite view and preparing for Brent to go negative. ICE Futures Europe Ltd. confirmed on Tuesday night that its preparing various Brent prices for just that possibility if theres the demand to do so -- even if theres still a long way to go before that happens since June contracts are trading at about $20 a barrel, reported Bloomberg on Wednesday. Beyond the mechanistic side of negative pricing theres also a market reality: the worlds storage sites are filling with crude fast -- the precise concern that caused West Texas Intermediate to turn negative. Brent does not function in the same way as WTI, however. While the Brent futures contract is cash-settled against the value of the Brent index price, the WTI contract is physically settled, meaning a trader must take delivery of barrels of oil at Cushing in Oklahoma, hundreds of miles from the coast. This does not change the fact that oil storage is filling up around the globe, and filling up fast. Well over 100 million barrels of oil is now being held in floating storage -- by another estimate more than twice that. [...] With on-land sites either completely booked up or filling fast, theres still pressure on Brent. Were not out of the woods yet. By Haley Zaremba for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Meghan Markle recently enjoyed her first television appearance since leaving the royal family. Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, had a cameo on Good Morning America where she promoted her new documentary, Elephant. Royal watchers were eager to see Meghan return to the public spotlight, but there is one expert who believes her choice of clothing was very meaningful. Meghan Markle on Good Morning America | ABC News/Frame Grab via Getty Images The Duchess of Sussex enjoys first TV appearance since Megxit Meghan Markles first television appearance happened on Good Morning America on April 20. The Duchess of Sussex was shown in a pre-recorded video discussing her documentary and the important cause it highlights. Meghan narrated the nature documentary last summer, though it did not premiere on Disney+ until after her exit from the royal family became official. Trending: Meghan Markle's Gold Necklaces in GMA Elephant Interview | POPSUGAR Fashion https://t.co/HXXMS1HZpa, see more https://t.co/qkCkWUPRf6 Dress with Style (@dresswithstyle) April 20, 2020 In the video, Meghan Markle wore a simple white shirt complete with some personalized jewelry. This includes a horoscope pendant from Suetables, a company that specializes in sustainable accessories. The pendant included the Virgo star, which is from Harrys birth month. She also displayed a necklace that featured a Taurus charm, which is a reference to her son, Archie Harrisons, birthday. Meghans fashion choices for the video were very modest and completely different from what she would have worn during a public engagement as a senior member of the royal family. Inside Meghan Markles new look Style expert Susie Hasler, who owns Styled By Susie, revealed why Meghan chose that particular outfit for her first TV appearance. According to Daily Mail, Hasler believes Meghans look was very masculine and that she was sending a subtle signal that shes in charge. Meghan choosing to wear a white shirt for her charity appearance marks a conscious shift away from the typical, conservative royal look, Hasler explained. Its a masculine style, which shows shes in charge, and asserting her power. Hasler added that Meghan Markle did not wear anything flashy because she did not want to take attention away from the charity. Instead, she wanted viewers to know that her sole focus moving forward is charity work. Her modest style also reflects the line of clothing she launched last year with the charity Smart Works. The initiative was created with the goal of empowering women who are looking to start a career. Although Meghan and Harry are both dealing with the coronavirus pandemic, the Sussexes will continue their charitable work in the years to come. They recently announced the name of their new foundation, Archewell, which replaces Sussex Royal. What are Prince Harry and Meghan Markle doing in LA? Meghan and Harry flew to Los Angeles at the end of March. They had been living on Vancouver Island and moved right before the United States and Canada shut down their borders (there is a debate on exactly when they landed in LA). The Sussexes departure from the monarchy became official on March 31. Before the pandemic, they planned on launching their new charity and moving forward with new projects. The current crisis, however, has delayed all of their plans. How Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Secretly Delivered Meals to Los Angeles Residents https://t.co/m7mIroVUx3 E! News (@enews) April 16, 2020 At the moment, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry and helping out in the coronavirus pandemic by giving back to people in need. According to Harpers Bazaar, the two recently handed out food packages to individuals who are immunocompromised. Meghan said is she wanted to show Harry Los Angeles through the eyes of philanthropy. Theres obviously a great deal of love and selflessness between them, Richard Ayoub, the director of Project Angel Food, revealed. An inside source added that Meghan and Harry spend most of their evenings at home with Archie. The two have not invited any guests to their house due to the lockdown. The Sussexes video call Queen Elizabeth on her birthday While Harry and Meghan are starting their new lives in LA, the rest of the royal family has been hunkering down in the United Kingdom. Queen Elizabeth is currently staying at Windsor Castle with her husband, Prince Philip, while Prince Charles is at his Balmoral estate with Camilla Parker Bowles. With the Sussexes being thousands of miles away during a crisis, fans have been wondering if they are staying in contact with the royals. According to Town and Country, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been video chatting with his side of the family and even wished Queen Elizabeth a happy 94th birthday. Prince Harry, Meghan Markle and Archie called Queen Elizabeth for her 94th birthday https://t.co/G2HRBMN5D8 TODAY with Hoda & Jenna (@HodaAndJenna) April 21, 2020 Harry also reportedly reached out to Her Majesty ahead of her speech in March about the coronavirus pandemic. Sources say that he offered his support ahead of the broadcast. The couple subsequently watched Queen Elizabeths speech and were moved by her warmth, reassurance, and comfort. Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are currently laying low in LA, and it has been confirmed that they will release a new image of Archie Harrison in honor of his first birthday on May 6. Over 200 members of the Tablighi Jamaat who have recovered from the Covid-19 infection have pledged to donate plasma to help those admitted to city hospitals with severe infections. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday urged everyone who has recovered from Covid-19 to donate plasma without thinking on religious lines. The people have been tested; the collection will begin now, a senior official from Delhis health department said. Of the over 2,300 people evacuated from the Nizamuddin Markaz in March-end, 1,080 had tested positive for the infection; many have now recovered. So far, 869 people have recovered from the infection in the city. I was wondering, what if any patient, who is a Hindu, and is in a serious situation, is saved by the plasma extracted from the blood collected from the body of a Muslim person (who has been cured of Covid-19)? What if we come across cases in which plasma extracted from the blood of a Hindu person is found to have saved the life of a Muslim person? Kejriwal said in a video media briefing. He further said, God did not differentiate between individuals. It is us who have started to differentiate between humans based on faith. Coronavirus disease can happen to anyone irrespective of ones faith A Hindu persons blood plasma can save a Muslim persons life and a Muslim persons blood plasma can save a Hindu persons life. But, why have we created walls? At least, the virus has taught us that if we stand united, nothing can defeat us. And if we are divided among ourselves, we shall lose the battle. While donating plasma, one should not think on such (religious) lines. So far, the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS), which handles plasma collection, has received about nine donations, with a few more scheduled to take place on Monday. Delhi needs a bank of around 200 Covid-19 plasma donations; we cannot wait for donation when a sick person comes to the hospital. Anybody who has recovered from the infectiontwo consecutive samples have tested negativeand has completed two more weeks of quarantine can donate plasma. People who have recovered can donate plasma every seven to ten days, Dr SK Sarin, director, ILBS, said. The person has to be healthy to donate plasmanormal weight, haemoglobin of over 12, with no history of diabetes or hypertension. The doctors have found good levels of antibodies around three weeks after the infection. The government currently has limited approval to conduct a randomised control trial of the therapy for 20 critical patients, half of whom will receive the antibody-rich plasma and the other half a placebo (which is devoid of any therapeutic value). This will help test whether the plasma actually helps heal those with Covid-19. The therapy will be administered to those with a respiratory rate higher than 30 (normal is 20), have an oxygen saturation of less than 90% (normal is 95 to 100%), or those who have pus in their lungs. The plasma will be able to save critical Covid-19 patients, Kejriwal highlighted, citing an example of a Covid-19 patient in serious condition, who was administered the therapy and has improved in the last 24 hours. Convalescent plasma therapy uses a blood component called plasmawhich contains virus-fighting antibodiesfrom people who have recovered from the infection to treat those who are severely ill with Covid-19. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON During this time of crisis, the insurance companies are helping their customers by offering refunds. However, drivers who are looking to save more money on their insurance can do that after making some wise decisions, said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. Although many insurers are already offering refunds during the COVID-19 pandemic, there are other ways that can help drivers pay lower premiums. Drivers are still required to carry car insurance in 48 out of 50 states, even though millions of US drivers have cut down on driving and are following orders to stay home. As auto insurance claims decline along with traffic in a time of social distancing, drivers should contact their insurers regarding potential refunds in the coming months. Major car insurance companies such as Allstate, Geico, Nationwide, Progressive, and others have already committed to offering premium refunds. Although canceling the policy might be tempting during this crisis, drivers are advised to not do that to avoid paying a penalty. Instead, they can follow the next steps to lower their premiums: Save money with comparison shopping. Insurance providers use their own formulas to calculate premiums for their drivers. The same driver can receive different premium prices from different providers for similar insurance policies. Drivers can save even $1,000 per year by just comparing different offers. Switch to pay-per-mile insurance. Drivers who are using their cars to drive fewer miles than the average driver should look for an insurer that offers a pay-per-mile insurance plan. Based on their driving behavior and the number of miles driven, drivers who choose these types of plans can see a huge drop in the amount they pay on their insurance. Drivers who drive less than usual should contact their insurers. One of the factors insurance companies use when calculating monthly premiums is the estimated annual mileage. If their policy is up for renewal, drivers should update their insurers about their lower mileage estimates. However, insurance companies have different methods of evaluating this factor and there is no guarantee that the premiums will be lowered. Make changes to the coverage. There are some situations in which drivers may have too much coverage. Drivers who own older cars with little value should avoid paying for unnecessary coverage like collision and comprehensive insurance. In this time of crisis, drivers should avoid paying more than the state's minim required insurance. Check the discounts. Drivers should contact their insurers and check if they are eligible for discounts. Students can get a discount if they have good grades, while older drivers can get a senior discount. Consider comprehensive-only insurance for extra vehicles. Families that own two or more vehicles, should consider storing the extra vehicles and cover them with comprehensive-only insurance. By doing so, the vehicles will be covered against incidents that occur while not driving, such as theft, or weather and fire damage. Insurance companies will require drivers to keep their cars in storage for a designated period of time that is usually at least 30 days. During this period, drivers are not allowed to take their cars for a drive. For additional info, money-saving tips and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.org/ Compare-autoinsurance.org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. Warren Buffett famously said, 'Volatility is far from synonymous with risk.' So it seems the smart money knows that debt - which is usually involved in bankruptcies - is a very important factor, when you assess how risky a company is. We note that Billington Holdings Plc (LON:BILN) does have debt on its balance sheet. But is this debt a concern to shareholders? What Risk Does Debt Bring? Generally speaking, debt only becomes a real problem when a company can't easily pay it off, either by raising capital or with its own cash flow. Part and parcel of capitalism is the process of 'creative destruction' where failed businesses are mercilessly liquidated by their bankers. While that is not too common, we often do see indebted companies permanently diluting shareholders because lenders force them to raise capital at a distressed price. Of course, plenty of companies use debt to fund growth, without any negative consequences. The first thing to do when considering how much debt a business uses is to look at its cash and debt together. Check out our latest analysis for Billington Holdings What Is Billington Holdings's Debt? The image below, which you can click on for greater detail, shows that Billington Holdings had debt of UK1.50m at the end of December 2019, a reduction from UK1.75m over a year. But on the other hand it also has UK17.9m in cash, leading to a UK16.4m net cash position. AIM:BILN Historical Debt April 27th 2020 A Look At Billington Holdings's Liabilities According to the last reported balance sheet, Billington Holdings had liabilities of UK21.7m due within 12 months, and liabilities of UK187.0k due beyond 12 months. On the other hand, it had cash of UK17.9m and UK7.35m worth of receivables due within a year. So it can boast UK3.30m more liquid assets than total liabilities. This surplus suggests that Billington Holdings has a conservative balance sheet, and could probably eliminate its debt without much difficulty. Succinctly put, Billington Holdings boasts net cash, so it's fair to say it does not have a heavy debt load! Story continues And we also note warmly that Billington Holdings grew its EBIT by 19% last year, making its debt load easier to handle. There's no doubt that we learn most about debt from the balance sheet. But it is Billington Holdings's earnings that will influence how the balance sheet holds up in the future. So when considering debt, it's definitely worth looking at the earnings trend. Click here for an interactive snapshot. Finally, a business needs free cash flow to pay off debt; accounting profits just don't cut it. Billington Holdings may have net cash on the balance sheet, but it is still interesting to look at how well the business converts its earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) to free cash flow, because that will influence both its need for, and its capacity to manage debt. Over the last three years, Billington Holdings actually produced more free cash flow than EBIT. That sort of strong cash generation warms our hearts like a puppy in a bumblebee suit. Summing up While we empathize with investors who find debt concerning, you should keep in mind that Billington Holdings has net cash of UK16.4m, as well as more liquid assets than liabilities. And it impressed us with free cash flow of UK10m, being 107% of its EBIT. So is Billington Holdings's debt a risk? It doesn't seem so to us. The balance sheet is clearly the area to focus on when you are analysing debt. However, not all investment risk resides within the balance sheet - far from it. Case in point: We've spotted 2 warning signs for Billington Holdings you should be aware of. If you're interested in investing in businesses that can grow profits without the burden of debt, then check out this free list of growing businesses that have net cash on the balance sheet. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading. Two sailors aboard the destroyer, which was deployed to the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, have been evacuated to the United States and the ship is returning to port. More than a dozen sailors have been sent to a nearby warship for monitoring. So far, nearly 50 percent of the crew have been tested for the virus. The Theodore Roosevelt, an aircraft carrier that is currently docked in Guam, has 955 active cases of the virus, according to the Navy, and is set to return to its deployment in the western Pacific in the weeks to come. Preliminary results for an arthritis drug as a treatment are disappointing. Doctors trying to save patients who are seriously ill with the virus have been giving them arthritis drugs that can squelch immune responses. The theory was that many were dying because their immune systems went into overdrive, creating a fatal storm that attacked their lungs. But preliminary results on treatments with one of these drugs, sarilumab, which is made by Sanofi-Regeneron, indicate that it does not help patients who are hospitalized but not using ventilators. The rush to treat patients with arthritis drugs began with a tiny study that ended optimistically in China in February. Sanofi-Regeneron immediately started a clinical trial that randomly assigned 457 hospitalized patients to receive 400 milligrams of sarilumab, 200 milligrams or a placebo. The patients fell into two groups severe, meaning they required oxygen but did not need a ventilator or so-called high-flow oxygen, and critical, who needed a ventilator or high-flow oxygen or were in intensive care. Although the drug reduced c-reactive protein, which rises in severe inflammation, it did not help the severely ill patients, the companies reported on Monday. Many of those patients recovered on their own. Eighty percent were discharged from the hospital, regardless of whether they got the drug. Ten percent remained hospitalized, and 10 percent died. Authorities have arrested a newspaper correspondent and councilman linked to last month's murder of a journalist in Mexico. Maria Elena Ferral was shot multiples times after leaving a notary's office in Papantla, a city in the Gulf coast state of Veracruz on March 30. Jose Cardenas, who has written for La Opinion de Poza Riza and digital news outlet Al Calor Politico de Xalapa, and Efrain Rivera, a member of the Papantla city council, were apprehended in separate operations Saturday. Cops also arrested at least three more individuals connected to Ferral's murder following a shootout Monday. It's unknown what charges Cardenas, Rivera and the other individuals may face. According to Mexican news outlet La Silla Rota, Ferral, Cardenas and another reporter attended a meeting with Donanciano Cobos, the owner of the notary office, minutes prior to the attack. Maria Elena Ferral was shot five times the afternoon of March 30 in Veracruz, Mexico, before dying after undergoing an emergency surgery. Ferral had just left a meeting at a notary office when two men aboard a motorcycle opened fire outside a building Jose Cardenas, who has written for La Opinion de Poza Riza and digital news outlet Al Calor Politico de Xalapa, was arrested Saturday in connection to the March 30 assassination of Maria Elena Ferral in Veracruz, Mexico Efrain Rivera, a member of the Papantla city council, was apprehended Saturday and is being investigate by authorities in Mexican Gulf coast state of Veracruz for his alleged role in the murder of journalist Maria Elena Ferral on March 30 The Veracruz state prosecutors said two men approached Ferral on a motorcycle and fired four shots at her, striking her in the leg, abdomen and buttock. She was rushed to a Papantla Regional Hospital and underwent surgery to remove the bullet fragments. She was then transferred to Poca Riza Regional Hospital and placed in the intensive care unit before she was pronounced dead that night. On March 31, Cardenas attended the funeral service for Ferral, whom he knew for about 15 years. He shared on his Facebook page a photo of himself and another woman standing next to Ferral's coffin. 'I never thought it would be the last time [I would see you],' Cardenas wrote. Cardenas recalled joking with Ferral at the meeting over her formal work attire that day because he was used to seeing her wearing jeans and sneakers along with a reporter's vest. 'About fifty minutes later I receive a message from about an injured person on Mina Street, I came in running in a hurry looking for a photo because our work asks for it, but I was not prepared for what followed,' he added. Multiple videos posted by Mexican news outlets showed Cardenas in handcuffs at a local precinct as he proclaimed his innocence while several voices in the background shouted that they were there to support him. Cardenas is due back in court May 1. Both he and Rivera remained in custody. Jose Cardenas (center) proclaimed his innocence after he was arrested Saturday Efrain Rivera is a councilman for the Veracruz city of Papantla Ferral was based out of the municipality of Papantla, where she reported on crime, local news and politics for El Diario de Xalapa newspaper, co-founded El Quinto Poder, a digital news site, and wrote on a personal Facebook page, La Polaca Totonaca. Mexican news radio station Radio Reforma reported that Ferral had sent three emails in 2017, 2017 and 2018 to a journalist, whom she trusted, and said that if anything was to happen to her, local politician Camerino Basilio Picazo Perez would be held liable. 'If I am assassinated, I want the politician Camerino Basilio Picazo Perez to be held responsible for the crime,' wrote Ferral, who in the past had been harassed and threatened. Jose Cardenas (pictured front left) attended the March 31 funeral for fellow Mexican journalist Maria Elena Ferral a day after he attended a meeting a notary office in Veracruz, Mexico, before she was shot outside the building. Cardenas is one of two men arrested in connection to her murder Picazo Perez had been eyed - but never charged - for the May 2005 assassination of Miguel Alfonso Vazquez, a former trustee of the Coyutla city council. Family members then told authorities Picazo Perez had threatened to kill Vazquez due to political disagreements the pair had. Ferral also wrote that Picazo Perez has received 'favorable treatment' from former governor Fidel Herrera Beltran during the investigation, which included the removal of a search warrant. According to Reporters Without Borders, 12 journalists have been killed in Mexico - including 10 last year - after President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador entered office in 2018. The Azerbaijan Tourism Board (ATB), together with the State Tourism Agency (STA) of the Republic of Azerbaijan and in cooperation with Food Safety Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan (AQTA), has announced the launch of an innovative program called Sahman (Sanitation and Hygiene Methods and Norms). Sahman, meaning immaculateness in Azerbaijani, is a nationwide campaign set to transform Azerbaijans existing health, safety and hygiene standards. Supported by the UNWTO, it also reaffirms the countrys commitment towards providing a world-class tourism destination for its citizens and future visitors alike in the post-pandemic world. ATB is finalising talks with international firm PwC to audit and certify these standards. As part of the countrywide measures to contain the spread of Covid-19, Sahman is founded upon safety, transparency, social responsibility and inclusivity. The programme will adopt a holistic approach to fuel innovation across the tourism industry, ensuring the involvement of all relevant public and private partners, and the safety of those working in the sector. It will culminate with the launch of Azerbaijans Domestic Tourism Campaign this summer. Florian Sengstschmid, CEO of Azerbaijan Tourism Board, commented: The current global pandemic has brought to light the need to reassess and enhance our standards across the industry. The Sahman programme calls upon all stakeholders in Azerbaijan to adopt even better practices in their businesses in the interest of safeguarding public health and supporting the regrowth of the industry. With this long-term shift in behaviour, we aim to ensure that these higher standards will be upheld beyond the current crisis. To launch the campaign, ATB and STA have partnered with the Azerbaijan Hotel Association (AHA), Food Safety Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan (AQTA), regional municipalities and DMOs, with plans to also invite other government sectors to commit to maintaining top-quality standards across the country. The programme will focus on accommodation, F&B and touristic transportation providers three key aspects of the tourism value chain. Stakeholders will be expected to commit to sector-specific checklists introducing initiatives such as mandatory precautionary measures, safe distancing, disinfection, quarantine areas, cleaning methodology, and more. Participants will be supported and incentivised through three primary support programmes Training, Amenities and Promotion all of which will be financed by the STA. Implementation will be carried out in four phases, by: enrolling on the programme through www.sahman.az; participating in online and onsite trainings and certification; labelling; and validation. PwC will lead the audit and certification process. Commenting on this campaign, Movlan Pashayev, country managing partner of PwC Azerbaijan, said: This crisis has presented unprecedented challenges for the world, yet it is also a good opportunity to accelerate the transformation of many industries. PwC is looking forward to playing a pivotal role in assisting ATB to roll out this new campaign and contributing to the tourism and hospitality sectors in Azerbaijan. The programme guidelines will continue to evolve, based on recommendations and regulations set by the World Health Organisation (WHO), whose agenda includes adapting best-in-class practices across global industry players. These guidelines will be communicated to participating partners by ATB in a number of ways, including educational materials, trained ambassadors, online platforms (e.g. webinars), a dedicated website and social media. ATB is working to provide innovative solutions to support the industry through this challenging time. It is our endeavour to bolster public confidence in local Azerbaijani businesses, with a view to reviving the economy as we prepare to launch our domestic tourism campaign, hopefully by this summer. When the world is ready to travel again, we will be ready and waiting, added Florian. - TradeArabia News Service Mourners carry the coffin of Glen Osborne at his funeral in Dublin There were many tears shed for tragic stab victim Glen Osborne when his funeral took place on Saturday. The 20-year-old, from Ballybough, was brought to his final resting place by a horse-drawn carriage and his coffin was draped in a Liverpool FC flag. A speaker played You'll Never Walk Alone as his coffin was removed from the house to a round of applause from mourners. Red and white balloons were released in honour of the young man. He died on April 15, and his death notice said that Glen, or 'Ossie' as he was known to some of his friends, would be sadly missed by his mother Rose, fiancee Lauren, his family and a wide circle of friends. Before his death, the dad-to-be had shared a heart-warming message online, telling his unborn son "You'll never have me out of your life" less than two hours before his death. Glen was found critically injured at Ballybough House on Poplar Row, and was rushed to the nearby Mater Hospital, where he died. Ultrasound Earlier in the evening, he posted a message on his Facebook page, sharing a picture of an ultrasound scan of his son. "I just can't wait till you're born to see you to get a father and son bond," he wrote. "I'll be there for you no matter what. "You'll never have me out of your life the love I have for you it's just mad what's going on but I'll still stand by you no matter what. A little boy you mean everything to me." Many people took to social media to extend their condolences to his heartbroken family. "May he rest in peace. I remember him as being such a lovely lad with a big warm smile," said one person. Another said: "I'm saddened and shocked at the death of Glen, he was a great young man he was very funny and very respectful, down to earth type of person." Former lord mayor of Dublin and north inner city councillor Christy Burke previously told the Herald how his heart went out to Glen's family. "All I can do is offer my sincerest sympathies," he said. A Dublin teenager, who cannot be named, has been charged with murdering Glen Osborne at Ballybough House, Poplar Row on April 15. He thanked the firefighters and foresters for the work. Ukrainian Interior Minister Arsen Avakov has reported that all fires in the Chornobyl exclusion zone have been extinguished. "Jointly with Volodymyr Zelensky, we've inspected how they have been putting out fires in the Chornobyl exclusion zone. All sources of fire have been extinguished. There are no threats. Firefighters are working on smoldering peatland areas. A wave of fires has been brought down," Avakov said on Twitter on April 26. Read alsoZelensky says over 11,000 ha damaged by forest fires in Chornobyl exclusion zone He also thanked the firefighters and foresters for the work. As UNIAN reported earlier, first forest fires in the Chornobyl exclusion zone began on April 4, covering 20 hectares then. On April 7, the area affected by the fires expanded to 35 hectares. On April 14, they were reportedly extinguished but resumed on April 16. As of 07:00 Kyiv time on April 26, 2020, operations to extinguish the fires were under way in the Lubianka, Paryshiv, Dytiatky, and Denysovychi forestry areas in the exclusion zone. Two major smoldering spots were areas near the villages of Kryva Hora and Rudky-Buriakivka. For the first time in more than two centuries, patrons can no longer enjoy a meal and a drink at 'Ireland's highest pub' due to Covid-19. However, that hasn't stopped the owners of Johnnie Fox's pub in Glencullen from bringing its fare down from the Dublin mountains. The popular pub and restaurant has been in operation since 1798 and the only time it was forced to close its doors was for three days during the 'Beast from the East' blizzard in 2018. Comfort Instead of shuttering its doors due to the pandemic, the establishment set up its 'At Home' delivery service on April 9. Since then it has been delivering around a hundred partially-cooked chilled meals a day, which customers can finish off at home For a 3.50 delivery charge to anywhere in Dublin, Bray and Enniskerry, patrons have been ordering bottles of beer and wine and "family comfort food" favourites, such as beef and Guinness pie, and chowder - all while adhering to social-distancing guidelines, according to business manager Kaitlin McMahon. Whether its for people who are growing tired of their own cooking during the lockdown, or couples who want a special 'date night' meal, the concept is not only keeping the business afloat during these challenging times, it is keeping people in their jobs, she said. "The whole purpose is to keep people in employment," she said. While 74 staff remain in limbo with the normal operations on hold, 11 staff are currently employed in the takeaway service, with another 12 due to come on stream later this week. The lack of traffic means it takes less than half an hour to drive from Glencullen to Dublin 1, Ms McMahon said. "And the further out we get, the more staff we can bring in," she added. Meanwhile, The Brock Inn in Broughan, north Co Dublin, is also running a drive-through meal service, in which staff push pre-ordered meals down a chute to the customer. Drivers can pull up and retrieve their food while observing social distancing, using online orders and contactless payment. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said April 26 that he was confident that President Donald Trump will enable the Israeli government to apply Israeli sovereignty over parts of the West Bank within a few months. Netanyahu, addressing by video a conference organized by the European Coalition for Israel lobbying group, said, Three months ago, the Trump peace plan recognized Israels rights in all of Judea and Samaria [the biblical name of the West Bank]. And President Trump pledged to recognize Israels sovereignty over the Jewish communities there and in the Jordan Valley. A couple of months from now, Im confident that that pledge will be honored. Netanyahu is currently busy passing legislation at the Knesset that would allow the Likud and Blue and White to form a new government. So why was the prime minister in such a rush to bring up the controversial annexation issue again? One reason is a domestic one: Netanyahu wants to lock Blue and White into an annexation policy, even though the party is hardly enthusiastic about this. The unity agreement says that Netanyahu can raise the issue in the near future and that any such proposal would be brought to the Knesset for approval, with each coalition party free to vote as it deems appropriate. This was the escape path Blue and White leader Benny Gantz guaranteed for himself and for his party. On the international level, Netanyahus statement was made just a few days after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the decision on annexation is in Jerusalems hands. "That's [annexation] an Israeli decision. And we will work closely with them to share with them our views of this in [a] private setting," Pompeo said. Palestinians saw the two statements as being coordinated. Palestinian and Jordanian leaders also recently launched a diplomatic blitz against Israels intention to assume sovereignty over parts of the West Bank. According to reports, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi spoke with counterparts from Russia, Germany, Egypt, Japan, Sweden and Norway in an effort to engage them in the Palestinian anti-annexation campaign. The United Nations and the European Union have warned Israel on several occasions in recent weeks not to annex parts of the West Bank. UN special Middle East envoy Nickolay Mladenov warned April 24 that such a move would be a "devastating blow" to the internationally backed two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Netanyahus April 27 statement evidently shows that Jerusalem is engaged in a blitz of its own, designed to put the issue on the international table several months ahead of any concrete move. Some see this an effort to exhaust the international community and to make clear that Israel and the United States have already decided to go ahead with annexation, no matter what. The construction industry has joined with charities and welfare groups to push for a post-COVID-19 social housing boom to stimulate the economy, create more jobs and head off a potential increase in homelessness. The nation's leaders are being urged to prioritise large-scale home-building investments in the months ahead to help aid economic recovery by incentivising new investment in the market and maintaining and upgrading existing social housing. The construction sector is calling on governments to invest in social housing, kick-start the economy and helping deal with rising homelessness. Credit:Joe Armao The Master Builders Association has urged governments and the private sector to partner to fill the gap as market demand softens, saying the way out of COVID-19 could be accelerated by investment into affordable supply, while boosting vital trade and valuable flow-on market activity. Intrapac Property chief operating officer Max Shifman said the nation was suffering from the effects of decades of chronic under-investment from all sides and levels of government. At a time when the number of coronavirus (Covid-19) cases in India is touching 28,000, and death toll is nearing 900, the countrys first patient, from Keralas Thrissur, who reported positive on January 30, shares with Shine Jacob her experience, her road to recovery and future plans: I am a medical student at Wuhan University. It was on January 23 that the government of China had imposed a lockdown in Wuhan and other cities of Hubei. The lockdown was supposed to start at 10 am. We had a small window to leave the city as our train to Kunming was at 8 am, the same ... Economy Mazhar Mohammad "The white cat or black cat, it doesnt matter as long as it catches the mice Deng Xioping The then premier of China Deng Xioping, the chief architect of the economic reforms was very clear in his mind and vision when he came out with the above quote on what he wanted. Countries need not bother about any ism as long as it brings in economic prosperity and increases the standards of livings of its people. True to his vision and words, the economic reforms which the dragon economy introduced in 1979 are believed to have pulled around 800 million people out of poverty. According to world bank estimates, Chineses GDP consistently registered an average growth rate of 9.5 percent per annum from the year 19792018, which is miraculous as no other large economy in the world has consistently recorded and sustained such high growth. Large capital investments driven by substantial domestic savings and high productivity levels of its masses paved the way for its sustained growth. In fact, when reforms were introduced, savings to GDP ratio in China was 32 percent. As most of these savings were from the profits of state-owned enterprises, there was no difficulty for the government in reinvesting them for productive use. As new investments produced desired results, they boosted the household savings enormously and the introduction of economic decentralisation as part of reforms tremendously increased private corporate savings too. This rapid growth in savings eventually made China the net lender to the world. This metamorphosis from a closed-door socialist economy to economic superpower has eventually increased its clout in international affairs. Its relations with world superpowers like the USA strengthened thereby, boosting the trade. As a result, China emerged as a third-largest export market for the USA. Inturn with substantial forex reserves in its kitty, China emerged as the largest investor in US treasuries and indirectly finances the budget deficit of the latter. It is estimated that China invested over $1 trillion in US treasuries by 2019. With huge growth rates, China over a period of time emerged as a favourite destination for FDI flows. Such flows have been a major source of rapid economic expansion. Reportedly there were 4,45,244 registered foreign-invested enterprises in China by employing 55.2 million workers, or 16 percent of urban workforce, by the year 2010. Moreover, these enterprises were responsible for 41.7 percent of exports and 43.7 percent of imports by the year 2018. In 2018 itself, China attracted around $139 billion which is the second-largest FDI investment after the United States. With a massive growth rate, it amassed a foreign exchange reserve of $3 trillion and slowly started changing its strategy from being an attractive destination for FDI to go global in the year 2000 with the intention of producing global brands and MNCs from China. This is also regarded as a preferred route for acquiring, IPRs, innovative technology and managerial skills. It encouraged state-owned enterprises to spread its wings beyond China by making overseas investments. This was done not only to diversify their huge dollar reserves but also to make more profits rather than investing them in low yielding assets like US treasuries. For this purpose, it promoted China Investment Corporation in September 2007 with a corpus of $200 billion which is regarded as the worlds largest sovereign wealth fund. Post-2005, FDI outflows (overseas investment by China) accelerated and by the year 2015 its FDI outflows exceeded FDI inflows and peaked with an investment outflow of $196 billion in the year 2016. Now it emerged as the second-largest source of FDI outflows to the world after Japan. Remarkable progress from being a capital-starved economy in the 1980s to be the largest source of FDI investor to the world. It is also important to note that China hugely bought US treasury bonds specifically issued to buy troubled assets to stem the global financial crisis of 2008. It also invested in sovereign debts of European countries to stabilise their economies in 2012. Weeks back when President Trump refused to fund WHO over differences in tackling the COVID-19 crisis China jumped in and ceased the opportunity by announcing a donation of $30 million dollars. How is India placed India and China were almost at the same place on their economic journey until the dragon economy embraced economic reforms with the pragmatic approach in 1979. While China was dreaming big by introducing reforms in the 1980s India was struggling with its Hindu rate of growth. Moreover, in the 1980s it was trying to tame MNCs by curtailing their ownership rights and with other severe economic restrictions. This showed the exit door for some MNCs like Coco-Cola and IBM sending wrong signals to the rest of the world. However, the economic crisis of 1991 paved the way for big bang reforms which not only pulled out the economy from the crisis but also paved the way for a high growth rate. India rightly capitalised on the IT boom and emerged as one of the key players in the world economy. But somehow India failed to grow at a rapid pace and attract enough FDI flows on par with China. While China emerged as the worlds largest manufacturer with around 29 percent of its GDP by the year 2016 India completely neglected the manufacturing sector which is essential to provide mass employment opportunities to its vast semi-skilled or unskilled/uneducated population. Despite the grand announcement of Make in India it failed to take off. In the year 2018 Indian Manufacturing attracted an FDI of $28 billion up from $4 billion of 2014. Critics still highlight the need for land and labor reforms which seems to be discouraging the overseas investors. Moreover, policy uncertainty of recent times with self goals like demonetisation and GST, deep bureaucratic hurdles at grass route levels, retrospective tax clauses also appears to be discouraging MNCs from looking at India. At this juncture It is noteworthy to look at Vietnam, Philippines and Indonesia which appears to be emerging as winners out of the US-China Trade war as some of the production are shifting to those countries from China but not to India. So, if someone is of the view that the COVID-19 crisis will automatically redirect Chinese manufacturers or businesses into India that will not happen unless India makes efforts to improve its business climate, infrastructure and regulatory framework as they will get better terms elsewhere in the world. (The author is Chief Strategist Technical Research & Trading Advisory, Chartviewindia.in) 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. This is our most critical time. The first time in our history when the current connectivity and healthy competition levels that Europes citizens benefit from are about to evaporate if we do not act now. The European Regions Airline Association (ERA) pleads for urgent and swift help from European institutions to save air transport in Europe and to avoid total collapse. ERA calls EU institutions and member states to ensure that financial support is timely, and provided also to smaller and medium-sized airlines to ensure these support packages do not distort competition. If this help is not made available immediately, many airlines will disappear, creating a huge void in the sector that will ultimately destroy the competition levels we have enjoyed until today. Air travel in Europe as we have known it will cease to exist. ') } else { console.log ('nompuad'); document.write(' ') } // --> ') } else if (width >= 425) { console.log ('largescreen'); document.write('') } else { console.log ('nompuad'); document.write('') } // --> The ramifications of Covid-19 are not over-exaggerated when it comes to the likely outcome it will have on the air transport industry in Europe. It is a myth that airlines are cash happy and wealthy and that most will be able to survive this crisis. The reality is the majority will not, most especially the regional operators. ERA represents more than 60 European airlines, most of which are small to medium-sized enterprises, providing vital connectivity in and around the regions of Europe, including peripheral regions and remote islands. Many European territories and local communities rely heavily on aviation for their tourism and economic well-being, as well as essential connectivity for the people living there. High levels of healthy competition have allowed aviation to provide this with modern, compact and efficient fleets, ensuring the most sustainable model of commercial aviation today. A truly single European transport model with nearly 30 years of continuous improvement and success (since the EUs Internal Market for Aviation was born in 1992) can be eroded in a matter of months, and now more than ever, needs to be guaranteed and protected. European regional aviation is instrumental to ensure healthy competition in the European aviation market and is a key player in the economic recovery. It cannot be allowed to fail as a result of this silent killer. Europes travel and tourism industry, as well as business travellers, rely on airlines to provide flights for passengers to keep their local businesses alive. The very consideration that the airline industry and consumer choice will diminish so significantly, to the likes experienced 30 years ago, and which will affect generations to come, is unthinkable and unnecessary. Failure of this sector would ultimately lead to higher prices, which will prevent access to travel to lower-income families and smaller businesses, and to less cohesion between regions, therefore increasing the breach between the richer and poorer communities in Europe. There are measures that can be taken now to stop this happening and we urge them to be implemented. The help we need is to support small and medium-sized airlines which are haemorrhaging cash rapidly most especially with access to state aid and public loans and allowing deferment of other payments including EU261 refunds. Our airlines creditors need legal certainty to see the viability of the airline business. Liquidity measures, including state aid and back up loans, are urgently required and it is essential that this financial support reaches also Europes smaller airlines to avoid distortions in competition. We welcome the public loans and backup guarantees recently announced by certain member states to their larger national airlines, but only if this help reaches all players equally, and especially does not overlook the most vulnerable operators in all member states to avoid competitive disadvantages. Big airlines will indeed survive thanks to state aid that only larger wealthy states will be in a position to offer, and small airlines, in the best-case scenario, will be acquired by them in the medium term. Please support the regions of Europe, and the citizens who live there, by providing support to their local airlines. Give them the opportunity to rebuild and restructure their businesses in the months and years to come and continue to operate vital connectivity. Relaxation of Lockdown for the Over 70s The Cabinet met today and decided to relax the lockdown rules which apply to those persons over 70. This is based on medical and public health advice and it follows consultation between the Chief Minister and the Leader of the Opposition. It is also entirely voluntary for those affected to take advantage of the opportunity. There is no obligation to go out. Indeed, the advice remains that they should stay at home. The position at the moment is that those over 70 can already leave home for the purposes set out in the law. This includes shopping for food or medicines, walking the dog, going to the bank, going to the doctor and going to work. The data collected from other countries has shown that those in the over 70 age group will be worst affected in the event that they contract COVID-19. There are eight people in this cohort who have contracted COVID-19 in Gibraltar so far although thankfully all have survived. Government said that the reason for this is because they moved swiftly and decisively to recommend self-isolation. However, there are a small number of over 70s who have contacted the Government and expressed a desire to go out to exercise, in the same way as everybody else. In addition to this, the advice to the Government is that after weeks of confinement, outdoor exercise for certain persons over 70 could prove beneficial. The Government has therefore decided the following: 1. The advice remains unchanged. Over 70s are most at risk from this virus. The risk of catching it can be mitigated, but it cannot be eliminated completely. Therefore going outdoors constitutes a risk and it is safer for those over 70 to remain at home. 2. A degree of mitigation from the risks of going out will be provided at defined locations on specific days and times. Eastern Beach, Camp Bay, the Victoria Stadium and Commonwealth Park will be reserved for persons over 70 only on weekdays from 10.00am until 12 noon. Bank Holidays are excluded. Entry and exit will be controlled by the Royal Gibraltar Police and other officials. It will be necessary to show a document like a health card which shows the age of the holder. The elderly will be expected either to walk to the area nearest to them, or to drive to the car parks at Eastern Beach or at Camp Bay next to the Nuffield Pool. They can be accompanied by an adult member of the same household. This means that in the event of using a car, they can only share a vehicle with an adult who lives with them. They can then walk in their chosen area for an hour and go back home afterwards. The different areas will be cleaned and disinfected before 10.00am on the relevant days. This is the Golden Hour scheme. 3. In addition to this, over 70s who wish it will be able to exercise with no restriction in the same way and at the same time as everybody else. The Government considers this to be the option which carries the most risk. Those persons over 70 who decide to take advantage of the Golden Hour scheme or to exercise when and where they wish, are taking a risk by leaving home. Gibraltar has been successful so far precisely because this category of persons has remained in self-isolation all this time. No matter the precautions that are taken, the virus is invisible and may be present in the least expected of places. Those who leave home are urged to be extra careful. They should not touch anything like lift buttons, door handles or handrails in communal stairs. They should maintain social distancing and must not use the opportunity to leave home as an excuse to meet or walk with friends and family. They must not touch their mouths, eyes or nose and on returning home must wash their hands thoroughly with soap and water for at least twenty seconds. The Government wishes to remind everyone that we are dealing with a virus that has killed tens of thousands of people all over the world, and that continues to do so on a daily basis. It is important to note if there is a change for the worse in the prevalence of COVID-19 in Gibraltar, these measures of relaxation will be reconsidered and possibly withdrawn. This will also happen if the system is abused. The workings of these measures will be monitored closely. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-27 22:49:44|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BUCHAREST, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Romanian President Klaus Iohannis announced on Monday that schools across the country will no longer open in the current school year, which ends on June 12. "It has been decided today that for most students, in this school year, kindergartens, schools and universities will not reopen," the president said in a televised statement after a meeting at the Cotroceni Presidential Palace with Prime Minister Ludovic Orban and several other cabinet officials involved in fighting the epidemic. According to him, social distancing could not have been respected if schools were reopened now when the coronavirus epidemic is on. Students will continue the forms of distance learning until June 12, when the current school year ends, the president said. Iohannis specified that pupils in graduating years may return to school, between June 2 and June 12, in order to prepare for the national exams, but under strict conditions of social distancing. "There will be a maximum of 10 pupils in a classroom, they will be there for a maximum of two to three hours," he stressed. Romania closed all schools and universities, as well as kindergartens across the country on March 11, soon after the east European country reported its first case on Feb. 26 and after several teenagers in a school in western Romania tested positive for COVID-19 infection. At present, the number of diagnosed patients in Romania is increasing by some 300 per day. The authorities announced on Monday that the total number of confirmed cases reached 11,339 and fatalities rose to 631. Enditem Sausages were used to conceal a 19,240 drugs stash in the boot of a car speeding past Mitchelstown towards Dublin yesterday the driver and frontseat passenger were jailed for the drug run. Detective Sergeant James OShea said investigating gardai also found three mobile phones, a walkie-talkie two-way radio, and 1,000 in cash in the car on January 30 last, along with the sausages and almost 1kg of cannabis. The drugs were in two separate bags. Gardai had stopped the car because it was found to be speeding on the M8 motorway near Mitchelstown. Sergeant John McNamara then got a strong smell of cannabis coming from the car. The driver later claimed he was paid 200 to drive with the drugs that day. The frontseat passenger had organised the drug run, which he was carrying out because he was under duress to repay a non-drug-related debt. Latvian driver Aleksandrs Landzars, aged 27, and his accomplice and fellow national Jurijs Savcuks, aged 38, who was in the front seat, both pleaded guilty at Cork Circuit Criminal Court to possessing the drugs for sale or supply at Kilshanny, Mitchelstown, on the day in question. Judge Sean O Donnabhain differentiated between them on the basis that Savcuks was the organiser of the crime. He gave Landzars a sentence of five years in jail with the last two years suspended and sentenced Savcuks to six years in jail with the last one year suspended. Det Sgt OShea told how the pair had travelled from Dublin to Cork and were returning to Dublin when they were stopped by gardai. Landzars, who was living with his parents at Patrickstown, Ballinlough, Kells, Co Meath, and Savcuks, who was living at Chapelton, Hollystown, Dublin 15, could have faced a mandatory 10-year sentence but the judge said he could depart from that. In effect, neither man had criminal convictions. Judge O Donnabhain said the co-operation and the early guilty pleas in each case gave him the discretion not to impose the 10-year sentence for having over 13,000 worth of drugs. Mahon Corkery, defending Landzar, put it to Det Sgt OShea that his client had a good work record since coming to Ireland in 2012. Mr Corkery said Landzars had strong family support and his parents were shocked to learn of his involvement in drugs. He said the role of the accused was minimal. Ronan Barnes, defending Savcuks, said his client got involved to pay off a non-drugs debt after he had borrowed money to set up his own business and was under pressure to repay the money. Savcuks apologised for his crime through Mr Barnes as the barrister asked for leniency, pointing out that his client had co-operated with gardai and had entered an early guilty plea to the offence. Judge O Donnabhain said initially it looked as if Landzars was the more culpable as he owned the car and gardai also found various paraphernalia associated with drug dealing such as mobile phones, a walkie-talkie and 1,000 in cash in the vehicle. However, he was satisfied from Det Sgt OSheas evidence that Landzars had a lesser role in the crime. Gov. Greg Abbott told Texans on Monday that many of them will be allowed out of their homes this week to shop, dine and take part in other aspects of daily life as the state begins to reopen amid the global pandemic. With testing for COVID-19 on the rise and the percent of positive tests falling, the governor said the state has effectively stunted the spread of the virus, and cities and counties should begin allowing residents to safely return to work. Starting Friday, he said, most businesses will be able to reopen at limited capacity, and pockets of the state where cases are especially low can open even more, with nonbinding guidelines in place to continue social distancing. We're not just going to open up and hope for the best," said Abbott, a Republican. Retail businesses, restaurants, movie theaters and malls across the state will be allowed to reopen May 1 at 25 percent capacity, as will museums and libraries. Bars, barber shops, gyms and hair salons will remain closed, likely until mid-May, Abbott said. Masks and other strategies to contain the virus will be encouraged but not mandated. HARRIS RESTRICTIONS SCRATCHED: Gov. Abbott strikes down Harris County facemask fines, closures of restaurants, malls, theaters More Information What's opening May 1 Retail stores Restaurants Movie theaters Malls Museums Libraries Churches What's not: Gyms Bars Barber shops and hair salons Nail salons Summer camps See More Collapse The announcement, which comes as a 30-day statewide stay-at-home order is set to expire Friday, immediately put Abbott at odds with authorities in some of its hardest hit cities, which have issued their own emergency restrictions. Abbott said his edict supersedes those, though no one will be forced to go outside. I know there are people who are still concerned about this, he said. There is no requirement that those people leave their home. If you want to stay at home, continue to stay at home. Some health experts have suggested greater access to testing before rolling back restrictions, and Democrats were quick to call the governors plans for testing insufficient. They also questioned the scope of the governors plan for tracing down contacts of those who test positive for the disease, a key to reducing its spread. We all want the state to get back on track, we all want the economy to get back on track, but it has to be done safely, said U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-El Paso. Without robust testing, we remain in the dark. The number of cases in the state continues to grow, but new daily cases a measure of how quickly the outbreak is spreading have remained mostly stagnant over the past week, even as testing capacity has expanded. Democrats. The virus has infected more than 25,000 Texans and killed 663, according to state data. The governor said his phased reentry plan, which allows for larger re-openings as the outbreak continues to slow, was guided by medical professionals and vetted by the White House. Businesses that violate the new capacity guidelines can be fined or lose their licenses. FOR THE LATEST: Interactive maps, charts show spread of coronavirus in Texas Abbott said he hopes hands-on businesses such as gyms, hair and nail salons can work out a plan with medical professionals to safely reopen by May 15. Summer camps are also on hold for now, he said. The new order recommends minimizing social gatherings and in-person contact with people who are not in the same household, but sets no limits on crowd size. Instead, it emphasizes social distancing. Outdoor noncontact sports such as golf and tennis involving no more than four people will be allowed. Churches and other places of worship will be able to expand capacity as long as participants stay six feet apart. The governors plan sets a goal of 30,000 tests per day. The state is currently administering about 14,000 daily tests, on average. The governor is still not recommending people without symptoms get tested. Department of State Health Services Commissioner John Hellerstedt said the federal government has committed to solving some of the supply chain problems that have been limiting some of our ability to test. He said when those scarcities ease, Texas will be able to ramp up testing faster. Public health experts have said robust testing and contract tracing tracking down contacts of those who have been infected will be pivotal to preventing new outbreaks as states begin to roll back restrictions. Abbott said the state has deployed more than 1,100 contact tracers already, and plans to bring on nearly 3,000 more by May 11. Some public health experts said they liked the governors phased approach, saying it allows for time to see if restrictions need to be added back if new outbreaks occur. Dr. Paul Klotman, president of Baylor College of Medicine, said the public should be prepared to adjust, for there to be two steps forward and one step backward as outbreaks occur. In Harris County, which has seen the biggest outbreak, the number of new daily cases varied, though the percent of people testing positive has declined recently. The county is now up to more than 5,700 cases. Several rural counties still have tested few if any people, according to the most recent preliminary testing data. Abbott said Monday that counties with five or fewer cases of the virus will be able to open at 50 percent capacity as of May 1, as long as they show they are ready if outbreaks occur and are helping people access testing. For more detail on Abbotts plan, you can read it at https://gov.texas.gov/organization/opentexas. Todd Ackerman contributed reporting from Houston; Taylor Goldenstein contributed reporting from Austin. Food banks are running out of food but farmers are letting it rot in the fields. What's going on. Politico reports Tens of millions of pounds of American-grown produce is rotting in fields as food banks across the country scramble to meet a massive surge in demand. Images of farmers destroying tomatoes, piling up squash, burying onions and dumping milk shocked many Americans who remain fearful of supply shortages. At the same time, people who recently lost their jobs lined up for miles outside some food banks, raising questions about why there has been no coordinated response at the federal level to get the surplus of perishable food to more people in need, even as commodity groups, state leaders and lawmakers repeatedly urged the Agriculture Department to step in. Tom Vilsack, who served as agriculture secretary during the Obama administration, put it this way: Its not a lack of food, its that the food is in one place and the demand is somewhere else and they havent been able to connect the dots. Youve got to galvanize people. Coronavirus Forces Farmers to Destroy Their Crops The Wall Street Journal reports Coronavirus Forces Farmers to Destroy Their Crops As the coronavirus pandemic disrupts supply chains, American farmers are dumping milk, throwing out eggs and plowing under healthy crops. Produce suppliers are especially vulnerable to surpluses because fruits and vegetables are perishable and cant be stored. Lettuce producer Mark Borba, in Huron, Calif., said he has had to plow under 230 of 680 acres of recently harvested lettuce since the pandemic swept the country a month ago. He said demand fell off so sharply from restaurants, schools and other large customers that his crews had to unpack 9,000 cartons of lettuce from a warehouse where they had awaited shipment and dump them back in the fields to be plowed under. The demand [from the large customers] just went to zero, said Mr. Borba, who manages 10,000 acres under his Borba Farms. And not only did we lose restaurants and schools, but people were going to the grocery store buying nonperishable stuff to put in the pantry. They were not buying leafy greens. Pork and Beef Shortages On April 12 Reuters reported Smithfield shutting U.S. pork plant indefinitely, warns of meat shortages during pandemic. Since then, things have gotten much worse. On April 23, the Wall Street Journal reported Grocers Hunt for Meat as Coronavirus Hobbles Beef and Pork Plants. Covid-19 outbreaks among employees have closed about a dozen U.S. meatpacking facilities this month, including three Tyson Foods Inc. plants this week. Other plants have slowed production as workers stay home for various reasons. Tyson, the biggest U.S. meat company by sales, on Thursday temporarily closed a Washington state beef plant, after closing two Midwestern pork plants on Wednesday that produce millions of pounds of meat, together slaughtering nearly 35,000 hogs daily. Smithfield Foods Inc., Cargill Inc., JBS USA Holdings Inc. and Hormel Foods Corp. have closed plants over the past month, leading to significant declines in overall U.S. meat production. Meat companies are trucking poultry and livestock to be processed at other plants, and bringing in welders to install shields between processing-line work stations. On farms, some pigs now are being euthanized because slaughterhouses have closed, farmers said. Meat companies are trucking poultry and livestock to be processed at other plants, and bringing in welders to install shields between processing-line work stations. Six-Point Synopsis of What Going On The USDA normally buys food that can be stored for a long time. It cannot easily deal with Fresh fruits and vegetables and things that do not store easily. Grocery stores stores stock 1-2 pound packages. of cheese. A pizzeria might buy 50-pound containers. It is expensive to retool plants to package things differently for what is supposed to be a temporary disruption. People eat vegetables more often when eating out than they do at home. There is a collapse in demand for many items. With diminishing need for raw milk to produce cheese farmers are dumping it. The same is in play for many fruits and vegetables. Strawberries are rotting in the fields and farmers are plowing under beans. At the meat packing plants, the workers work very closely to each other. Covid-19 is spreading rampantly. Plants had to be closed. Store shortages are mainly meats, dried foods and canned foods. Price of beef has soared in the past week due to closure of processing plants. At times I have had a hard time finding canned tomato sauce. I see holes where boxes of au gratin potatoes should be. People hoard items that store well. Demand Shift and Supply Chains It is easy to blame the USDA or Trump but the problem is quite a bit more complicated due to Covid-related demand shifts and supply chains. One of my readers, Jdog1, summed up the above 6 points succinctly: "Farmers who sell to the restaurant industry do not have a direct supply line to the grocery stores, so their perishable goods go bad before they can find new customers and mechanisms to get their goods to market." What to Do? It is not clear how to stop it or whose responsibility it should be to stop it. Is the dept of Ag supposed to buy strawberries with no place to store them and no way to distribute them? If people eat less broccoli at home and restaurants stopped buying should govt step in? https://t.co/LGSWXxI0q7 Mike "Mish" Shedlock (@MishGEA) April 26, 2020 People want government to do something about this. But what? I see no sensible action and government never solves anything, anyway. Mike "Mish" Shedlock San Francisco mayor London Breed has said that orders of personal protection equipment (PPE) have been diverted to other locations in the US and abroad. Speaking at her daily coronavirus press conference on Friday, Ms Breed said that some protective items have been diverted before they have reached the US. Weve had issues of our orders being relocated by our suppliers in China, she said. For example, we had isolation gowns on their way to San Francisco and they were diverted to France. Ms Breed added that in some cases, protective equipment was taken away from the city after it went through US customs. Weve had situations when things weve ordered that have gone through Customs were confiscated by FEMA to be diverted to other locations, she said. The mayor revealed in her briefing that the orders of PPE have been auctioned off to the highest bidder, and added that it blows my mind that US cities are having to compete with each other to get the equipment they need. We know everyone is dealing with a serious challenge, she said. Through Customs, weve had situations where those items have been taken and put out on the market for the highest bidder, putting cities against cities and states against states. Ms Breed warned that the loss of purchased PPE has left the city without the necessary equipment for healthcare workers to safely tackle the coronavirus pandemic. Recommended Thousands flock to California beaches as temperatures soar According to the Hill, San Francisco has ordered 15 million pieces of PPE, and Ms Breed revealed that she wanted the public to know that city officials are doing what they can to get protective equipment for those who need it. We wanted to make sure as you hear about some of these challenges, youre aware of why they are challenges, she said. I know it seems as though it should be a lot simpler: We have the money to purchase the PPE, why cant we purchase the PPE? The San Francisco Bay Area was the first part of the state to issue a stay-at-home order for all its residents, but California as a whole is still struggling to contain the spread of the outbreak. During his briefing on Thursday, California governor Gavin Newsom said that yesterday was the deadliest day for this virus in this state. 115 human beings lost their lives, families torn apart, he said. Its also a reminder were not out of the woods yet. Googles dedicated coronavirus page shows that California has upwards of 41,317 confirmed cases and at least 1651 deaths. According to a tracking project hosted by Johns Hopkins University, nationally there are upwards of 968,203 people who have tested positive for coronavirus. The death toll has reached at least 54,948. NEW HAVEN Rabbi Daniel Greer, who last September was convicted on four counts of risk of injury to a minor and in December was sentenced to 20 years in prison, has been released to house arrest because of the threat of the coronavirus. We live in extraordinary times, wrote New Haven Superior Court Judge Jon M. Alander in his ruling. Extraordinary times require extraordinary measures. Alandar, who presided over Greers jury trial and sentenced him to 20 years, to be suspended after serving 12 years, noted Greer is 79 and has chronic asthma. His age and his medical condition result in a higher risk for developing more serious complications from COVID-19 illness, Alander wrote. The virus is present in the Connecticut prison system at a rate substantially higher than in the states general population. According to its website Monday, the state Department of Correction as of Sunday had recorded 291 staffers who had contracted COVID-19; 372 inmates had contracted the virus. Two of them have died. Alander issued his ruling Friday. Greer was back home in Westville by Friday night. The judge termed his order a temporary release from prison until the crisis abates. The release will continue for 45 days, until June 8, unless extended or terminated by the court. The conditions of the release include: electronic monitoring, intensive pretrial supervision, and house arrest except for visiting his attorneys office, medical appointments and religious services. The synagogue must be located in Greater New Haven. In addition, Greer is not allowed to travel outside Greater New Haven, was ordered to surrender his passport and have no contact with male children under age 16. Greer was on trial last September in connection with allegation he had repeatedly sexually abused a student at Yeshiva New Haven, which Greer had founded, as well as at other locations, including a motel. The alleged assaults occurred in 2002-03 when the victim, EliyahuMirlis, was 15. Because of the statute of limitations, the sexual assault charges against Greer were dismissed, but he was convicted on the four lesser counts. Mirlis has said he wants his name made public. He could not be reached Monday for comment on Alanders order. Alander wrote that the DOC apparently lacks an adequate supply of personal protective equipment for its staff, including masks, a shortfall which further impedes its ability to limit the infection rate of the virus. Alander noted he had previously denied Greers request for a bond pending his appeal of the conviction because I was convinced there existed a serious and substantial risk that the defendant would flee during the appeal process. That risk remains, though it has been lessened to some degree by the stay-at-home orders issued in Connecticut and in the tri-state area and by current domestic and international flight restrictions. But Alanders order contrasted with his statement during Greers sentencing hearing: There is no greater incentive to flee than the cold realization that he might spend the rest of his life in prison. Greers attorney, David Grudberg, who had requested Greers release, said in a statement Monday: We are exceptionally grateful that Judge Alander reconsidered his prior decision and allowed Daniel Greer to be under house arrest until the current pandemic threat abates, instead of a life-threatening situation within the correctional system. Grudberg added: I hope that the state of Connecticut and DOC will take similar action to release the most vulnerable and most low-risk inmates from custody, even on a temporary basis, who have a stable alternative to incarceration. This will help protect not just those prisoners but also their fellow inmates and the brave DOC employees who continue to carry out their duties every day. In his request for Greers release, Grudberg wrote: The virus is currently exploding within the state prison system. The defendant, at nearly 80 years of age, is at heightened risk of severe, life-threatening illness from COVID-19. Grudberg asserted Greer is squarely in the crosshairs of the potentially fatal virus currently sweeping the prison system. Grudberg wrote Greer does not pose a flight risk because electronic monitoring effectively tracks a persons movements. Grudberg also noted Greer has lived in New Haven for 46 years and is tethered to New Haven in his personal and professional life. There is no reason to expect that would change if he is released. However, Senior Assistant States Attorney Maxine Wilensky, who prosecuted Greer, said in her court brief opposing Greers release that Greer indeed might flee. There are many Jewish orthodox communities, given their insular nature and distrust of outside authorities, that may be willing to help secret the defendant, Wilensky wrote. She also questioned the claim Greers health was in danger in prison. She noted there were no reported cases of COVID-19 at the Cheshire Correctional Center where Greer was being held. The defendant is housed in protective custody, complete with his own sink and has the cell to himself, she wrote. The only contact with other people are DOC guards and other inmates, who are also in protective custody, should he choose to interact with them. Wilensky said that if Greer were at home, he would risk exposure to the virus given the need for food shopping, doctors visits and possible religious gatherings for prayer. Wilensky could not be reached for comment Monday on Alanders ruing. Contact Randall Beach at 203-865-8139 or randall.beach@hearstmediact.com. Writing in the latest issue of JAMA Oncology researcher Coral Olazagasti along with her Dr. Nagashree Seetharamu from Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra, Northwell Health, Hempstead, New York, spoke about her experience being pregnant during the present COVID-19 pandemic. Olazagastis chronicle is titled Facing a pandemic while pregnant. Beginning Olazagasti was a second-year hematology-oncology fellow when on the 15th of December 2019, she realized she was pregnant. There was no hint of what was to come in terms of the COVID-19 pandemic. She was bracing herself to face the challenges that a pregnancy, along with a fellowship entails. She was expecting an uphill task with her work and her pregnancy. What was unexpected in late December, were rumors about the spread of an unknown virus in China. The virus was identified to be associated with a seafood market at the end of December, and a cluster of patients was found to have developed pneumonia-like symptoms, which were unexplained. Things start to come into focus In time, the virus was identified as the novel coronavirus called severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus that causes COVID-19 or coronavirus disease 2019. While initial cases were linked to the seafood market in Wuhan, soon there were reports of person-to-person transmission of the infection. By the end of January 2020, the virus had spread to at least 21 countries and numbers of cases were on the rise in these nations with a rapid spread from one individual to another. The first physician dies of the infection Olazagasti recalls that on the 7th of February, the 33-year-old doctor who had first raised the alarm regarding this new virus and the unexplained respiratory distress it causes had died from the disease. He was persecuted initially for spreading false rumors when he had tried to bring the disease to the attention of the authorities. The United States had its first confirmed case of the infection on the 20th of January in a 35-year-old male who had returned from Wuhan, China the epicenter of the infection. The patient was admitted to a care clinic in Washington State. He had a cough and fever on admission. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) obtained nasopharyngeal and oral swabs from the patient and tested it to be positive for the virus. Information regarding the virus and its transmission disseminated Olazagasti states that soon, the virus was all they could talk about and more and more information came into the forefront. The transmission of the virus was found to be aerosol borne, and it led to severe complications in some individuals. This included severe pneumonia, respiratory distress syndrome, and respiratory failure. People started dying. Along with this information, starting the second week of February, Olazagasti began her three-month rotation duties of inpatient consult rotations. She was terrified that she would come in contact with a COVID-19 positive patient during her rotations. She reassured herself that since the disease seemed to be dangerous for the elderly and those with other serious ailments, she, a healthy 31-year-old was relatively safe. What was at the back of her mind at the time was the fact that because she was pregnant, she was in an immunosuppressed state. She wrote, Despite not wanting to, I started fearing not just for myself, but also for my unborn, still-developing baby who I had already grown so attached to. New York records first case On the 29th of February, New York recorded its first case. Over the next few days, she wrote, the cases started multiplying and soon the numbers doubled. Olazagasti started feeling paranoid as 89 people were tested in quarantine in Nassau County. The hospital she worked with was located here. Dilemma doctor vs. mother She faced a moral dilemma around this time. She wrote, My thoughts kept fluctuating between a feeling of fear and my almost-reflexive sense of altruism, which is the very reason I chose this profession over others. I, like many others in my profession, have over the years developed a mindset that compels me to choose work over anything else. She writes about how she had felt guilty earlier if she took sick days and worked through patient care despite minor ailments. Thus she kept working through overwhelming anxiety, and the number of cases continued to rise. In her brain, her maternal instincts fought with her physicians instincts she wrote, and this was happening daily as the situation remained grim and worsened every day. She almost wanted her one of her supportive colleagues and co-fellows to take over from her during this period, but one part of her told her that if she took necessary precautions, she would be safe. Were necessary precautions enough? She goes on to write that hospitals were running out of surgical masks and gowns and other protective equipment, and thus there was no hope that she would be able to take all the needed precautions not to catch the infection from a patient or a colleague who was COVID-19 positive. She remembers that the protective N95 masks were not easy to come by, and despite their disposable status, people were writing their names on them and reusing several times over. Less number of tests During this time, countries like South Korea were screening large populations for the infection, but the United States lagged in testing with a significant shortage of the testing kits, and the CDC had thus issued guidelines to test only a select few based on guidelines. Institutions were testing for influenza and other diseases before they were allowed test for COVID-19, she wrote. But there were reports of patients being infected by both influenza and COVID-19. She spoke of a female patient reported by the Vienna International Centre, who had influenza in early March and later was positive for COVID-19. Limited evidence of COVID-19 in pregnant patients She wrote that since the virus and its effects were still being studied, there was little evidence of what it was causing to pregnant women and their unborn babies. An earlier study had shown that nine pregnant patients with COVID-19 did not develop severe symptoms and also gave birth to healthy newborns. More such, albeit small, studies were published. Olazagasti wrote, For a moment, I would like to believe that neither I nor my baby will get really sick from the virus based on these reports, but I cannot ignore the real chance that I or any of my colleagues working in health care might become a vector for the virus with minimal or no symptoms. Conclusions She concluded that these were uncharted territories and some more than others, are at risk. She wrote, Living and working in this era of horrific pandemic while pregnant is definitely not easy, but faith in God and support from my family, friends, cofellows, and institutional leadership has gotten me this far, and I hope it will continue as I tread along. She went on to say that this would surely pass, and this journey about how we learned, united, overcame, and grew together, would be remembered later when it does. Chinese students and tourists could stop coming to Australia if Prime Minister Scott Morrison pursues an inquiry into the beginnings of coronavirus, a leading Chinese official has warned. The stern warning was issued by Chinese Ambassador Cheng Jingye who labelled a push for an independent COVID-19 inquiry by the federal government as 'dangerous'. Mr Jingye warned that if Australia continued to be 'unfriendly' to China, its people - in particular its students and tourists - may have second thoughts about travelling. While admitting that his country had not handled the COVID-19 outbreak 'perfectly' he said the reaction by nations like Australia had left the Chinese people 'dismayed'. Scroll down for video Chinese Ambassador Cheng Jingye (pictured) labelled a push for an independent inquiry into the origins of COVID-19 by Prime Minister Scott Morrison as 'dangerous' and warned it could affect the number of tourists and students arriving in the country Ambassador Jingye refuted allegations the virus had originated from a wet market in Wuhan (Pictured are workers at a different market in the city on April 15) 'I think in the long term... if the mood is going from bad to worse, people would think 'Why should we go to such a country that is not so friendly to China? The tourists may have second thoughts,' he told The Australian Financial Review. 'The parents of the students would also think whether this place which they found is not so friendly, even hostile, whether this is the best place to send our kids.' Education is Australia's third biggest export and is worth more than $30 billion to the economy every year. The ambassador refused to comment on whether key exports such as iron ore, coal and gas would be affected by perceived anti-China sentiment. But he did claim that consumers may take matters into their own hands on products such as beef and wine. Ambassador Jingye refuted allegations the virus had originated from a wet market in Wuhan. He also slammed the federal government for 'pandering' itself to the United States in its calls for an inquiry. 'Resorting to suspicion, recrimination or division at such a critical time could only undermine global efforts to fight against this pandemic,' he said. Australian foreign minister Marise Payne called for an independent review of the coronavirus outbreak and said she agreed with the view the disease originated in a wet market in the city of Wuhan Australia's is the eighth biggest donor to the World Health Organisation by voluntary contributions, while China is 21st, 2018 financial figures show But the ambassador's tough talking was refuted by Australia's foreign minister Marise Payne, who said 'global co-operation' not 'economic coercion' was required. 'Australia has made a principled call for an independent review of the COVID-19 outbreak, an unprecedented global crisis with severe health, economic and social impacts,' Senator Payne said. 'This would be undertaken at an appropriate time, fully acknowledging that many countries are continuing to deal with the challenges of the virus. 'A transparent and honest assessment of events will be critical as we emerge from the pandemic and learn important lessons to improve our response in the future. 'We hope all members of the WHO would co-operate in such an effort, including to strengthen the WHOs role in responding effectively to a pandemic.' But the ambassador's tough talking was refuted by Australia's foreign minister Marise Payne, who said 'global co-operation' not 'economic coercion' was required WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom had praised China for its 'transparency' and handling of the outbreak after travelling to the country in January. 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 paid the UN agency $54.5 million in 2018 - the eighth 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. The Ludhiana childline (1098) has received and responded to around 200 distress calls in the last one month since the curfew was imposed. This is a five-fold increase for the childline, which receives 40 to 60 calls a month in normal times. Of the total, 90% of the calls were related to shortage of food. The childline officials are, however, anticipating more cases of child abuse and violence to surface once the lockdown is over. Earlier, almost all the calls were related to missing or abused children. But, this time, around 90% of the callers were those who were facing a shortage of food while 5% of callers demanded education-related services, said Kuldeep Singh Mann, director, Childline Ludhiana. He added that the childline had also received some panic calls during the initial stage of lockdown. Some were silent calls and 1% of the calls related to violence on children. Arshdeep Singh, coordinator, Childline Ludhiana district, said, The calls about help for food were from the migrant labourers residing in different areas of the district. About help for food, he said, When a team visits the house of the caller to provide food, we first check the quantity of ration being stored by them, the number of children in the house and provide them food accordingly. We also check the availability of food in nearby houses before providing ration. During the visit to these houses, we also counsel the children. The Childline of Ludhiana Railway Station is also extending help to the district Childline during the lockdown. Kulwinder Singh, coordinator, Childline Ludhiana Railway Station, said, During initial days of lockdown, there were some distress calls from children of well-off families and these children were counselled. The children were anxious and annoyed as they were forced to stay home. The children from poor families, who knew about the Childline and had taken help earlier also, demanded stationery items for school projects, he added. CHILD ABUSE CALLS MAY INCREASE AFTER LOCKDOWN Childline director Kuldeep Singh Mann said, Many children must be facing violence nowadays but, as they cannot move out of houses and are staying 24 hours with parents and guardians, they may be not able to call for help. If domestic violence, as reported, has increased by over 20% during the lockdown period, it means that the mental health of those children, witnessing violence at home, is also being affected. So, when lockdown is over, it is likely that there will be a sudden increase in the number of complaints regarding child abuse or missing children. A special workshop is going to be conducted soon to guide the coordinators about the steps to be taken to counsel the children and the family members, Mann added. He added, At present, there are 20 employees of then Childline in the district (including Childline of Ludhiana Railway Station) and, apart from them, there are around 65 volunteers. So, there is enough strength to deal with cases if these complaints will increase in coming days. The Cambodian Ministry of Health said Monday there were no new cases of the novel coronavirus, marking the 15th day without an infection, with health officials warning against complacency and calling the situation alarming. The World Health Organization (WHO) additionally said Cambodia needed to prepare for a long-term battle because the threat of the novel coronavirus was not going away soon. The Health Ministry reported no new cases of the viral disease on Monday, making it the 15th consecutive day there was no new incident of the virus. The national tally remains at 122 cases, with 119 recoveries, leaving only three people in the hospital receiving treatment. At the Health Ministrys weekly press conference, Minister Mam Bunheng said there was no scope for complacency as Cambodians and businesses attempted to return to normalcy. Dont get confused that Cambodia has no more COVID-19, he said. Only be vigilant to prevent community transmission. Or Vandine, a Health Ministry secretary of state, said the viral respiratory disease can spread very fast, calling on people to continue to be vigilant despite no new reported cases. We are still in an alarming situation that we need to be vigilant as always, she said. World Health Organization country representative Dr. Li Ailan said Cambodia was likely in the early stage of the pandemic, calling Cambodia to be ready for a long-term battle. Dr. Ailan said there were five factors when considering restoring businesses and public activities: control over new transmissions, preparedness in the public health system, lowering the risk of new outbreaks, workplace preventive measures, and lowering the risk of imported cases. Moving forward, we are talking about reopening businesses and lifting the restrictions, I do see the risk of importation of cases if we do not manage it well. And we do see the risk of local transmission, she said. Dr. Ailan said the Cambodian population needed to continue to maintain social distancing and hygiene recommendations, even if there were no new cases. WHO was also working with stakeholders to scale up testing capabilities at provincial facilities, in preparation for a potential increase in new cases. Dr. Laurence Baril, head of the Institut Pasteur du Cambodge, asked citizens to adapt to the new normal, adding that failure to follow health and safety guidelines could lead to a second wave of infections. I think it is important to understand that there will be no [going] back to normal. Even if we have zero cases there will be no [going] back to normal, she said. If we forget that we will have a difficult second wave. We have the experience of other countries. Ministry figures showed that 11,576 tests had been conducted since January, up from the 9,792 tests reported last week. This shows that only 1,700 tests were conducted last week, despite having the capacity to conduct up to 600 tests a day. Ly Sovann, spokesperson for the Health Ministry, said Cambodia was conducting 723 tests per million people, calling it moderately high. He added that Cambodia had early warning systems to trace potential infections. So far we havent seen any unusual increases of the respiratory disease, he said. We dont have community transmissions. We barely have [COVID-19] since we dont have any positive cases. Duong Sreypov, a coffee seller in Phnom Penhs Daun Penh district, said on Monday that she has reopened her stall last week because it was now safe and there were no concerns from the disease. "I think it is safe enough. My customers told me to come back, she said, adding that she had closed her stall on April 1. But Pin Nary, a noodle and rice porridge seller, said despite concerns over the virus, she had no option but to open. This was due to the financial strain her family was experiencing. Energetic trio Local Sound are culture creators who support the work of the local church in the lives of young adults in Nashville, Tennessee. Their new single 'Heartache' beautifully approaches the subject of pain and reminds us that Jesus knows, feels, empathises and most of all, is with us through it all. "Oh You know what this pain feels like On the cross You laid down Your life And now forever You're seated high So I will rise" Founded and led by Jared Runion, Local Sound, which also includes Garrett Tyler and Emily Wyant, grew out of the Nashville college and young adult ministry MyLocal615 and sees itself as culture creators who support the work of the local church in the lives of young adults. "The 'Local' within Local Sound speaks to the roots of who we are and why we do what we do," Runion has previously publicized. "We fully back God's dream of the local church and we believe that God, the original culture creator, has designed the local church as 'Plan A' - to immerse the world in His culture. We were never intended to be the products of temporary culture. We were made to be distributors of an eternal one." "The 'Sound' portion of our name is a reflection of our heart and our passion to unite the Word of God with high energy, innovative music that reaches the world," he adds. "We believe we have been called to spread the Gospel through relevant and inspiring message-driven songs that express the joy found in a life fully devoted to Christ and the realization of the deep love that the Shepherd has for us." Tags : Local Sound "Heartache" local sound local sound news Integrity Music Gambia Coronavirus Update - Coronavirus cases climb to 10, Total Deaths reaches to 1 on 27-Apr-2020 In Gambia total confirmed cases of Coronavirus (COVID-19) have increased to 10, while 1 people died due to the growing infection in the country. Coronavirus (Covid-19) update from around the world: US, 27-April-2020: The United States recorded 1,330 Coronavirus deaths in past 24 hours. In US over 54,841 people died due to the Covid-19 infection and over 964,937 confirmed cases of Covid-19 infection is recorded in the country. India, 27-April-2020: Congress leader and Ahmedabad corporator Badruddin Shaikh died due to Covid-19 infection. He had been admitted to SVP Hospital in Ahmedabad in Gujarat for the past eight days for the treatment of Covid-19. United Kingdom, 27-April-2020: UK PM Boris Johnson recovered from Covid-19 and arrives at 10 Downing Street (UK PM's Office) in London. Nepal, 27-April-2020: Covid-19 cases rises 52, Nepal extends countrywide lockdown till May 7 Due to increase in the Covid-19 cases, Nepal Government decided to extend the nationwide lockdown till May 7. Three new cases of Covid-19 infection reported in Nepal raising the total cases rose to 52. UK, 27-April-2020: United Kingdom records month's lowest daily Coronavirus toll at 413 in past 24 hours. France: France is reporting higher number of deaths but but slightly fewer people with severe conditions were admitted into ICU in past fourth day. France reported 315 deaths last day as compared to 345 deaths the day earlier. In France 133,670 confirmed cases and 14,412 deaths reported so far. Here are the latest cases of Coronavirus (COVID-19) infection in Gambia: Sr. No. Date Total Cases New Cases Total Deaths Deaths 1. 22-Apr-2020 10 0 1 0 2. 23-Apr-2020 10 0 1 0 3. 24-Apr-2020 10 0 1 0 4. 25-Apr-2020 10 0 1 0 5. 26-Apr-2020 10 0 1 0 6. 27-Apr-2020 10 0 1 0 TOP 10 Deaths by country due to Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak: 1. Europe (121,885) 2. North America (60,014) 3. USA (55,415) 4. Italy (26,644) 5. Spain (23,190) 6. France (22,856) 7. UK (20,732) 8. Asia (17,245) 9. Belgium (7,094) 10. South America (6,309) Total Deaths Worldwide (206,997) Globally till now over 206,997 people died due to the outbreak of deadly Coronavirus (COVID-19). The new infection and death cases are increasing fast. Authorities in the Gambia and other countries are taking proper measures to contain the deadly Coronavirus (COVID-19). As of now Europe is the worst affected country in the world with over 121,885 deaths and 1,276,808 confirmed cases. Check latest update: Coronaviurs Covid-19 cases around the world Key Highlights: Shapoorji Pallonji Infra sells 317 MW of operational solar assets 169 MW in Maharashtra and 148 MW in Tamil Nadu KKR's second infra deal in India SP Group was recently in news for unconfirmed plans to pledge shareholding in Tata Sons Shapoorji Pallonji Infra, part of Tata Son's major shareholder Shapoorji Pallonji Group, has sold its 317 megawatt(MW) of five operational solar energy assets to global investment firm KKR for Rs 1,554 crore ($204 million). These are operational assets of 169 MW in Maharashtra and 148 MW in Tamil Nadu. Further details of the deal were not disclosed. KKR makes its investment through its infrastructure fund. "This deal further demonstrates SP Infra's continued track record of developing high-quality infrastructure assets in its chosen spaces, creating value for further growth in its businesses, and be the partner of choice for high-quality international investors like KKR," said Mukundan Srinivasan, Managing Director of SP Infra. Given the government's ambitious target of achieving 175GW of renewable energy capacity by 2022, KKR believes this is an attractive time to invest in this portfolio and provide even greater solar energy solutions to communities across India, says Sanjay Nayar, CEO of KKR India. "Looking ahead, we are excited to explore even more renewable energy opportunities in India and overseas," said David Luboff, Head of Asia Pacific Infrastructure at KKR. Recently, KKR-backed India Grid Trust (IndiGrid) had acquired transmission assets from Sterlite Power for ?1,050 crore. KKR and Singaporean sovereign wealth fund GIC, had earlier acquired up to 57 percent of IndiGrid for about $400 million. Mumbai based Shapoorji Pallonji Infrastructure Capital Company focuses on power, roads and ports. The $5 billion Shapoorji Pallonji Group with a legacy of 154 years, operates in over 70 countries with a global turnover of over $5 billion. Flagship Shapoorji Pallonji & Co was recently in the news for repaying-refinancing debt worth Rs 3,000 crore of bank dues as on March 31. There were reports that the group was planning to pledge it's 18.5 per cent stake in Tata Sons, which controls the Tata Group. Reportedly, the Mistry family which owns the SP Group, had infused over Rs 2,500 crore over the past 18 months. Its solar power company Sterling & Wilson Solar had raised Rs 1,900 crore from a recent IPO. Reports say the Group had assured lenders to sell its land bank and solar, road and overseas assets to reduce its standalone debt of over Rs 9,000 crore as of September 2019. The group has presence in engineering and construction, infrastructure, real estate, water, energy and financial services. Also Read: Oil prices plummet on oversupply, storage fears Also Read: Providing uninterrupted power supply despite lockdown, says NTPC The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) on Friday reported that no new cases of the coronavirus had been observed over the past week. Health Minister Ali Pilli said 2,868 tests had been conducted during the past a week, with none testing positive. Pilli said 546 people had been tested on Friday alone and that the last positive case was confirmed on April 17. The virus was first seen in the TRNC in a German tourist on March 10, with 108 cases since reported in the country, with four losing their lives. A total of 8,423 people have been tested. Virus cases rise above 800 in Greek Cypriot administration The Greek Cypriot Administration announced nine new cases of COVID-19, with one person dying of the virus. The total number of cases has risen to 804, while the total number of deaths is at 14. After originating in China last December, COVID-19, the disease caused by coronavirus, has spread to at least 185 countries and regions across the world. Europe and the U.S. are currently the worst-hit regions. The pandemic has killed over 195,000 people, with total infections exceeding 2.78 million, while more than 765,00 have recovered from the disease, according to figures compiled by the US-based Johns Hopkins University. Image Credit: AA Asian News International In order to support the frontline workers in the fight against Covid-19, Samsung and Google will be offering free phone repairs to health care workers and first responders. The two companies will be offering the repairs in partnership with phone repair company uBreakiFix, The Verge reported. All those eligible for these free phone repairs will just need to visit a uBreakiFix location or mail in their Galaxy phone to get the free repair. Samsung will also be offering a 30 percent discount off any purchase at Samsung.com to first responders and health care professionals. "Samsung's program, called 'Free Repairs for The Frontline', will be providing free repair services for Samsung smartphones, including cracked screen and battery replacement, to all first responders and healthcare professionals through 30 June," the company said. The free Pixel repair program is similar to Samsung's. "An emergency responder or healthcare professional with a Google Pixel smartphone will be able to present his or her ID badge at any of uBreakiFix's US locations to receive one free repair, regardless of the device model or type of damage," according to a uBreakiFix press release. This program will last through 30 June. The Lagos State government has identified sleep as a way of tackling Coronavirus. Prof. Akin Abayomi, the State Commissioner for H... The Lagos State government has identified sleep as a way of tackling Coronavirus. Prof. Akin Abayomi, the State Commissioner for Health advised infected COVID-19 patients to sleep a lot. Abayomi said sleep was a major immunity booster against Coronavirus. The Commissioner spoke while featuring on Channels Televisions programme, Sunrise Daily, yesterday. He said: One of the best ways to raise your immune system is sleep. As the body rests, it allows the immunity to do its job. If you get sick with the flu or with Coronavirus, the best thing is to stay in bed, rest and allow your bodys energy to be consumed by the immune system which is trying to do the curing. A MAN who is accused of stealing a substantial amount of cash after breaking into a pub in Limerick city more than seven years ago has been refused bail. Martin Ward, 41, of no fixed abode appeared before Limerick District Court last month after he was extradited from the UK to face a number of burglary charges. One of the charges relates to the theft of 4,500 during a burglary at Bobby Byrne's pub during the early hours of January 27, 2013. Another relates to the theft of around 20,000 from a hotel in Bandon, County Cork in 2013 while the other charges relate to burglary offences in Dublin and Meath on dates in 2012 and 2013. Opposing bail, Detective Garda Gary Laide said it will be alleged Mr Ward entered a private office at Bobby Byrnes before taking the cash. He said the money stolen from the hotel in Bandon had been in a safe which was located in a private office The detective told Judge Carol Anne Coolican he had concerns the defendant would abscond and possibly leave the jurisdiction if granted bail. He said he believed he had travelled to Northern Ireland a number of months after the alleged offences to avoid a apprehension. In his evidence, Mr Ward said he has visited his mother in Dublin regularly since traveling to Northern Ireland and that he was unaware that gardai were seeking to locate him. I didnt know they were looking for me, he insisted adding that he would comply with any conditions if granted bail and that he would live with his mother if required. While accepting the defendant is entitled to the presumption of innocence, Judge Coolican said she had concerns and was refusing bail. Gov. Greg Abbott sent Texans into a tizzy Monday afternoon as he announced that stay-at-home orders will expire by week's end. Starting Friday, businesses like dine-in restaurants, movie theaters, malls and retail stores will be allowed to reopen under a 25 percent occupancy limit. Abbott said the Phase 1 edict gives businesses the go ahead to open, but does not require owners to do so. The governor said the reopening of Texas will be "strategic" and if data shows no flare ups for two weeks after Phase 1 goes into effect, the state can move into the second phase on May 18. Residents started live-tweeting their reactions to the easing of restrictions that have kept Texans home for a month or more. The reactions, debates and concern shared online spiked so much that terms and phrases related to the news conference quickly became Twitter trending topics for the area. Some seemed hesitant to the return to public dining areas, shopping and theaters in just a few days. "I do not trust it," one Twitter user shared. "RIP to Texas," another chimed in. Texas is currently testing about 14,000 daily, on average. Abbott expects testing to increase to 25,000 tests a day by mid-May. See some of the online conversation below. India needs to be brave and bring about reforms that touch the lives of common citizens, prime minister Narendra Modi said after his interaction with chief ministers to plan a road ahead for tackling COVID-19. "We have to give importance to the economy as well as continue the fight against Covid-19," the prime minister said after the meeting. This was the fourth such interaction that the prime minister had with the chief ministers, the earlier ones had been held on March 20, April 2 and April 11. Prime minister said that the economy needed to be given importance even as the fight against COVID-19 continued. "We have to be brave and bring in reforms that touch the lives of common citizens, Modi said. COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show He also suggested that people associated with universities can be integrated on devising ways to fight the pandemic and strengthen research as well as innovation. The COVID-19 pandemic has come at a time when there are a number of sectors where reforms are pending. India's labour laws have been variously accused to be archaic. A parliamentary standing committee on April 23 gave its consent to the idea of allowing companies with up to 300 workers to fire people or close down units without prior approval of the government, a three-times increase from the current number. The panel also advised the government to state this explicitly in the Industrial Relation Code bill. The Committee note(s) that as per Clause 77(1), the special provisions relating to lay-off, retrenchment and closure shall apply to an industrial establishment having not less than 100 workers or such number of workers as may be notified by the appropriate government. In this context, the committee notes that some state governments like Rajasthan have already increased the threshold to 300 workers, which according to the ministry has resulted in an increase in employment and decrease in retrenchment," the standing committee on labour said. Recently, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) sent some key suggestions on reviving the economy; land reforms was one of them. Land acquisition is a difficult process in India, that is enmeshed in a number of laws. Stakeholders have long been asking the government to simplify the processes. At a time when economic activity is at its lowest,there is a need to reduce the overall cost of doing business, including reforms in the labour market, to attract investment investment again and spur growth. India's financial markets also need bold reforms in order to be able to lend more efficiently. Instead of an overall recapitalisation of banks, the government and regulators could put specific fund related capital. The already beleaguered non-banking financial companies (NBFC) are bracing for another crisis. NBFCs are bracing to repay banks at a time when their cash flows have taken a hard knock due to the coronavirus pandemic. With the demand for funds drying up in a hostile economic environment, their cash flows have been hit and they are also staring at the possibility of a rise in non-performing assets. Banks are offering credit at rates above 8 percent depending on the tenor while borrowing funds from the RBI at 4.4 percent. NBFCs and HFCs have to give a three-month moratorium to their consumers on term loans, as suggested by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in March. But, the majority of the banks are yet to decide on granting a moratorium to the NBFCs and HFCs that are availing credit like any other borrower. LONDON, April 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- As social distancing measures have changed the way the nation functions, experts across the internet, communications and tech sectors have been working with government to make sure the shift to virtual living is as smooth as possible, with no one being left behind. The Parliamentary Internet, Communications and Technology Forum (PICTFOR) is the All Party Parliamentary Group on tech their new report entitled: How can the tech sector support SMEs, the nation, government and Parliament throughout the Covid-19 pandemic?, features contributions from BCS, BT, Ericsson, Facebook, Fujitsu, Good Things Foundation, Google, ICAEW, Internet Association, Nominet and TikTok and has been sent to government to feed into the help the national effort to support business throughout the pandemic. Additional contributions have also been made by Dell, Facebook, the Federation of Small Businesses, Lloyds Banking Group, McKesson UK, Nodes & Links, Renfrew Group and SAP. Commenting on the report, PICTFOR's parliamentary officers said: "This report shows the significant efforts being made by the tech community to help us combat some of the big issues facing us all during these unprecedented times. From reducing loneliness and isolation, to repurposing tech to help fight COVID on the NHS frontline and making the internet more secure - I'm proud that PICTFOR continues to play such a crucial role in facilitating the Westminster-tech world relationship at such a challenging time." - Darren Jones MP, PICTFOR Co-chair "Government have called for everyone to play their part in defeating the COVID-19 pandemic and the response from the internet, communications and technology community to this ask is one of which we can be immensely proud. This report details the best of UK innovation and tech resolve, highlighting the successful dialogue between Government and industry." Baroness Neville-Rolfe DBE CMG , co-opted acting PICTFOR Co-chair "COVID-19 has asked a great deal of us all, and all sectors of the UK economy this report highlights the significant response from the tech sector and proves the calibre and force of UK innovation." - The Rt Hon Lord McNally, PICTFOR Treasurer Commenting on their response to the call for evidence, industry said: "Government advice for everyone to work from home where possible was issued on 17th March. Since then, we've seen daytime traffic effectively double. A notable increase, but one we can manage as it is still significantly below the average evening peak we often see. We've also noticed less of a 'peak and trough' pattern of usage throughout the day." - BT "We are developing a new quantum inspired drug discovery platform working with an SME called PolarisQB that significantly improves the speed and quality of small molecule lead discovery from 2-4 years down to just 8 months." - Fujitsu "As the government works to address the challenges of COVID-19, many elderly and vulnerable people find themselves isolated in their homes with limited means of communicating with the outside world, or getting access to vital services such as health, food or banking. The tech sector must help to provide emergency support to get the most vulnerable online during the COVID-19 crisis." Good Things Foundation "Google's mission has been to organise the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful. Helping people get the right information to stay healthy is more important than ever in the face of a global pandemic like COVID-19. This briefing outlines the work that Google has undertaken to help people in the UK stay safe, informed and connected. We have adapted our existing programme of support for businesses, schools and families to reflect the changed circumstances." - Google "It is vital that small businesses get the right information and the tech sector can help to push out government communications, and / or provide information direct to their small business customer base about the help available. Where needed, these communications should be prioritised to ensure that help reaches the right people in a timely manner." - ICAEW A copy of the report can be found at: https://pictfor.org.uk/covid-19-stakeholder-report/ Notes to editors PICTFOR as the APPG on tech has continued to provide a forum for discussion for its members, calling for collaboration between the tech sector and government to respond to the difficulties posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Continuing to operate as a forum for discussion between Parliamentarians, industry, academics and other stakeholders on strategic issues facing the tech sector. The Stakeholder Input Report is the first activity in a succession of projects through which PICTFOR will continue to facilitate the sectors response to COVID-19, including facilitating further discussions between Westminster and the internet, communications and technology sectors through virtual events. The following organisations fed into the report: PICTFOR members BCS BT Ericsson Fujitsu Good Things Foundation Google ICAEW Internet Association Nominet And contributions from the following non-members Dell Facebook The Federation of Small Businesses Lloyds Banking Group McKesson UK Nodes & Links Renfrew Group SAP SOURCE PICTFOR Related Links https://pictfor.org.uk/covid-19-stakeholder-report/ The Arole Oduduwa & Ooni of Ife, Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi Ojaja II has urged Muslim faithfuls across the world especially in Nigeria to remember health workers and Coronavirus patients as they fast and pray in the holy month of Ramadan. The African foremost monarch in a statement signed by his Director of Media and Public Affairs, Comrade Moses Olafare, explained that the world is being confronted by the Coronavirus pandemic that could be better described as the deadliest enemy against mankind which is squarely being fought by the army of health officials across the globe. "Let us ask for God's protection over them because they are risking their lives to ensure that we do not get swept away by this angry flood of COVID-19. They are our warlords and we must continue to support them with prayers while we equally wish the patients speedy recovery. "Although it is heartbreaking to realize that we are welcoming the holy month of Ramadan silently without the usual large gatherings of prayers, lectures and others, we must remain grateful to Allah for preserving our lives up till this moment as we await the better days ahead. "In the same vein, I commend the matured understanding of our Islamic leaders, Muslim brothers and sisters towards combating this enemy. We must not get tired, we must not relent in our efforts until this pandemic is defeated". Ooni said. Ooni Ogunwusi who doubles as the Natural Head of Oduduwa race globally and Co-Chairman of National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria(NCTRN) concluded his statement reminding Nigerians on the principle of social distancing, regular hand washing and maintenance of high personal hygiene as necessary measures to contain the spread of Covid-19. "As we fast and perform other worships to our creator in this holy month, let us not forget the principle of social distancing, regular hand washing and maintenance of high personal hygiene. Equally, we must help ourselves and others around us by reporting any health challenge to the appropriate medical facilities. Ramadan Kareem!!! Ooni concluded. Islamabad/IBNS: When the world is battling a continuous war against COVID-19, Pakistan, which is itself struggling to contain the highly infectious disease, has doubled the number of terrorists waiting to infiltrate into Kashmir from its 14 operational launch pads, media reports said. Our information is that there are about 450 terrorists affiliated to different Pakistan -backed terrorist groups at these launch pads, a senior government official told Hindustan Times. The new estimate, powered by new intelligence inputs received by national security planners in Delhi, indicates that Pakistan has doubled the presence of terrorists at the launch pads in just about a week or so, the Indian newspaper reported. The situation has changed vastly over the last 2-3 weeks, the official told the Indian newspaper. According to information available with national security planners, the 450 terrorists include 244 from the Lashkar-e-Taiba, 129 from the Jaish-e-Mohammed and 60 from the Hizbul Mujahideen. Smaller groups such as the Al Badr make up for the rest, reported Hindustan Times. Available intelligence inputs with security agencies indicate that out of 16 terror camps, 11 are functioning in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), two in Punjab, Pakistan and three in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) region, reported the Indian newspaper. Seven of the 11 terror camps running out of PoK are reported to be hybrid camps where the trainees include recruits of various terrorist groups. The existence of such mixed terror camps is evidence that there is one force that oversees them; the Pakistani deep state, a counter-terror official in Delhi told Hindustan Times. Three other camps are dedicated to train Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and one for training Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) group. In the KPK region, the Hizbul Mujahideen runs two camps and the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) runs one. The LeT and JeM share one camp each in Punjab province of Pakistan, reported the newspaper. This is the first summer in Kashmir since Article 370 was scrapped last year by the Indian government. Article 370 provided special status to Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistan Army has no option but to continue with jihad in Kashmir else the public will start focusing on the poor domestic situation on the economic and Covid-19 response front and start questioning the leadership, senior Indian general was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times. Punjab: Suspected Pakistan intruder shot dead along IB in Amritsar sector A suspected Pakistani intruder was shot dead on Sunday by BSF personnel while he was trying to cross the international border along Amritsar sector, reported Indian news agency UNI. An intruder was noticed moving into this side by 88 bn of BSF in the area of responsibility, a spokesperson for the Punjab Frontier's Head Quarter of the BSF here. The troops challenged him to stop but he did not pay heed to the warning, post which they fired few shots, leading to his death. Prime Minister Boris Johnson returned to work and moved to stamp his authority on a government under pressure over its handling of the U.K. coronavirus outbreak, warning that to lift a nationwide lockdown now would risk both a health crisis and an "economic disaster." Speaking exactly one month after he went into isolation with a case of covid-19 that would go on to put him into intensive care, Johnson said the U.K. is close to having the outbreak under control, and urged people not to relax the social-distancing efforts that had achieved this. He compared the virus to a mugger, and said the nation had "begun together to wrestle it to the floor." "This is the moment of opportunity," he said outside his Downing Street office. "This is the moment when we can press home our advantage. It is also the moment of maximum risk." Johnson warned that easing restrictions too soon could trigger a "second spike" of infections. The prime minister has returned to find mounting public weariness with a lockdown that has closed most shops and all pubs and restaurants, and prevented people from meeting friends. There are growing calls for a path to restarting the economy among business owners and members of his own Conservative Party. They point out that country has recorded its lowest daily death toll since March and that lockdowns are being partially lifted in countries around Europe. The government is due to review the restrictions on May 7. But businesses are already "clamoring" for information, according to the Institute of Directors. A survey of more than 1,000 business leaders showed fewer than one in four were optimistic for their prospects over the next 12 months. Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak is due to make a statement to Parliament on Monday on the economic impact of the lockdown. Six business leaders, including Conservative Party billionaire donors Michael Spencer and Peter Hargreaves, have written to the government asking them to ease the restrictions, according to the Sunday Times. But the prime minister was clear there will be no imminent relaxation of the current rules. Though he pointed to signs of success, including falling hospital admissions, he said it was important to be cautious. "I want to get this economy moving as fast as I can, but I refuse to throw away all the effort and the sacrifice of the British people and to risk a second major outbreak and huge loss of life," Johnson said. "I ask you to contain your impatience because I believe we are coming now to the end of the first phase of this conflict. In spite of all the suffering, we have so nearly succeeded." To move too early, he said, would risk not only "a new wave of death and disease, but also an economic disaster" if the government was forced to once again "slam on the brakes." Johnson promised that, once officials are sure the virus is under control, there would be a "second phase" in which restrictions will be eased -- even as efforts continue to suppress the disease. He said he couldn't offer more details on this, but promised to bring in opposition political parties and make decisions with "maximum possible transparency." That was an apparent acknowledgment of mounting criticism of ministers' handling of the pandemic. Though the National Health Service hasn't been overwhelmed, the hospital death toll exceeds 20,000 -- the level the government said would be considered a good outcome. The government is trying to ramp up testing and begin a mass program of tracking and tracing covid-19 cases to keep the outbreak under control once social-distancing rules are eased. Jerusalem: Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday said he was confident he will be able to annex large parts of the occupied West Bank this summer, with support from the U.S. Speaking to an online gathering of evangelical Christian supporters of Israel, Netanyahu said president Donald Trumps Mideast plan envisions turning over Israels dozens of settlements, as well as the strategic Jordan Valley, to Israeli control. A couple of months from now, Im confident that that pledge will be honored, that we will be able to celebrate another historic moment in the history of Zionism, Netanyahu said. Israeli annexation of West Bank territory would be highly controversial, drawing widespread international condemnations and extinguishing any lingering hopes of establishing a viable independent Palestinian state alongside Israel. The Palestinians, with wide international backing, seek the entire West Bank as part of an independent state. They have already threatened to cancel existing peace agreements if Netanyahu moves forward with his plan, while the European Union foreign policy chief said annexation would be a violation of international law and force the bloc to act accordingly. The U.N.s Mideast envoy said such a step would ignite the region. But Netanyahu and his hard-line base are eager to move ahead while Trump remains in office. Annexation would be popular with Trumps evangelical base as he seeks to shore up support ahead of a difficult reelection battle. In Washington, a U.S. official said the American position hasnt changed. The official said the U.S. is prepared to recognize Israeli actions to extend Israeli sovereignty in parts of the West Bank, and that the U.S. is consulting closely with Israel on the timing and scope of those actions. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter with the media. Netanyahu last week reached a power-sharing deal with his main rival, Benny Gantz. Although Gantz, a former Israeli military chief, has given only lukewarm support for West Bank annexation, their coalition agreement allows Netanyahu to present the plan to his Cabinet and to parliament for fast-track approval. Israel captured the West Bank in the 1967 Mideast war, and its settlements are now home to some 500,000 Israelis, in addition to over 200,000 Israelis living in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem. After Trump unveiled his Mideast plan in January, Netanyahu pledged to begin annexing territory immediately. But the Trump administration quickly delayed the plan, and the sides set up a joint committee to formulate a plan together. Netanyahu addressed a conference marking the 100th anniversary of the San Remo Conference, a post-World War I gathering in Italy that helped lay the foundations for Israels establishment in 1948. - Source: Stock photo gettyimages 27.04.2020 LISTEN Tracking people infected with COVID-19 has become an important weapon in global responses to combatting the virus. Through the use of geo-location, mobile technology offers a simple solution for tracing people possibly exposed to COVID-19. With big data analytics there is the potential for tracking the pandemic's spread, and employing analytics to forecast future patterns of contagion. But at what cost? These are exceptional times calling for extraordinary measures. But do they justify the wholesale sacrifice of our rights? Concerns loom large across the globe. More than 100 civil society signatories and intergovernmental organisations have already warned as much in a joint letter . The mobile phone industry is reportedly exploring the creation of a global data-sharing system that could track individuals around the world. For now, however, monitoring appears to be happening at national-level. South Africa has joined several governments in passing regulations that allow the collection and storage of data from mobile companies. It has also appointed a former Constitutional Court Justice, Kate O'Regan, as the COVID-19 Judge . Her job will be to oversee data collection for the country's contact-tracing database led by the Director-General of Health, Dr Anban Pillay. The appointment of O'Regan indicates that the country is taking seriously concerns about the risks that monitoring can pose for human rights. Nevertheless, concerns remain about the ability of the Judge (or Parliament, which ultimately has oversight) to ensure that data, once collected, is not abused. Global responses A set of principles and ' best practices ' have emerged internationally to guide data collection in disaster conditions. These include that: measures are transparent and accountable; the limitations of rights are proportional to the harms they are intended to prevent or limit; data collection is minimised and time constrained; data is retained for research or public use purposes and unused personal data is destroyed; data is anonymised in such a way that individuals cannot be reidentified; and third party sharing both within and outside of government is prevented. However, South Africa's data protection framework is not yet in place. Large parts of the Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013 have not yet come into force. The Office of the Information Regulator has been established. And three years ago Advocate Pansy Tlakula was appointed Chairperson. But key sections of the Act are not in play. Thus, her powers to act are constrained. There is synchronicity, however, between the principles and requirements of the COVID-19 regulations, and the lawful data processing principles the Act describes. The Regulator has issued guidelines for the collection of data to manage and curb the spread of COVID-19. These guidelines are contained in the Disaster Management Act (Regulations). And she has called for proactive compliance by responsible parties when processing personal information of data subjects who have been tested for, or are infected with, COVID-19. The guidelines confirm the powers of the state to conduct mass surveillance of both COVID-19 carriers, and potential carriers through the sharing of data by mobile operators. They also include reference to some of the privacy touchstones in data collection, particularly when consent is not obtained. The scope Amendments to the disaster management regulations empower the Director-General of Health, to direct without prior notice, an electronic communications service provider to provide him with information for the COVID-19 tracing database to facilitate COVID-19 monitoring. But these powers are circumscribed. The regulations allow for the collection of location data of any person (and their personal identifiers) reasonably suspected to have contracted COVID-19, or that may have come into contact with someone who has. The commencement date is 5th March 2020. The contents of the communication may not be intercepted by the Director-General or anyone else. The regulations state that the Department of Health will keep the information 'confidential'. But big questions remain about the practical realities of ensuring that data remains secure, especially considering the Department's own tenuous history in relation to data protection . The regulations empower the Director General to instruct a mobile operator to provide the information mentioned. But the actual modalities of the data collection by the Health Department is less clear - particularly how the data is collected and transmitted to the database securely. For instance, once a request for the data from an operator is made and provided to the Director-General, who will receive the information to inform the contacts? Who will ensure they are tested? Importantly the regulations limit the collection of data only to the purpose of addressing, preventing, or combatting the spread of COVID-19. The data collected may only be disclosed by authorised persons for this purpose. The Director-General is required to file weekly reports stating the number, names and details of all persons whose location or movements were obtained to the designated Judge. This will contribute to the oversight of collection. It will also go some way to constraining data collection to what's strictly necessary. The duration of data collection is circumscribed and terminates with the end of the national state of disaster. And within six weeks of it lapsing, the Director-General is required to file a report with the COVID-19 Judge detailing steps taken to de-identify the data. This includes providing notifications to every person whose information was obtained. The regulations require that all information on the COVID-19 Tracing Database, which has not been de-identified, be destroyed once the state of disaster has ended. But de-identification is not defined. This is a major concern, given the very real possibility of re-identification with the use of other publicly available, or hacked, databases. Possible improvements These measures go some way to safeguarding South Africans' individual rights while acting in the public interest to contain the virus. But the regulations could be improved by: requiring that data subject be informed as soon as they are tracked, but no later than six weeks after the termination of the state of disaster; explicitly empowering the Judge to appoint technical experts to assist her in reviewing the use of data. This could include helping to ensure its security; explicitly giving the Judge access to the database and the data supplied by the cellular providers to verify reporting. This could also assist in monitoring security and other data processing protection measures; requiring immediate notification of all compromises of privacy or security of the data to the persons whose data is compromised; and clearly prescribing data processing standards that respect the principles set out in the Act. Alison Gillwald receives funding from the International Development Research Centre. No funding from anyone who would benefit from this article. Anri van der Spuy is affiliated with Research ICT Africa as a senior associate. Gabriella Razzano does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. By Alison Gillwald, Adjunct Professor, Nelson Mandela School of Public Governance, University of Cape Town And Andrew Rens, Senior Research Fellow, Research ICT Africa, American University And Anri van der Spuy, PhD Researcher, London School of Economics and Political Science And Gabriella Razzano, Lawyer and Researcher, London School of Economics and Political Science After postponing rapid testing due to inaccurate results in different states, ICMR has issued a revised advisory to state governments to stop using rapid anti-body test kits immediate effect. The ICMR said it evaluated the testing kits of Guangzhou Wondfo Biotech and Zhuhai Livzon Diagnostics in field conditions and the results showed "wide variation" despite promise of "good performance for surveillance purposes". "In view of this, states are advised to stop using these kits procured from the above-mentioned companies and return them to be sent back to the suppliers," the ICMR said. The apex medical body has said RT-PCR throat or nasal swab test was the best for diagnosis of COVID-19. "RT-PCR test detects the virus early and is the best strategy to identify and isolate the individual," it added. The ICMR has also clarified that since several states procured rapid antibody test kits, it has given clear instructions that they were to be used only for surveillance purpose. Also read: Coronavirus crisis: Congress slams govt for allowing 'hoarding', profiteering on rapid test kits sold to ICMR The development comes in the backdrop of a BusinessToday.In report that stated how a legal dispute in Delhi High Court between the distributor and importer of COVID-19 rapid test kits being shipped from China had unearthed massive profiteering and over-pricing in kits sold to Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). Dispute arose after Matrix Labs demanded upfront payment, whereas the petitioner maintained the payment could only be made after ICMR released the funds. The petitioner informed the court the consignment of 2.76 lakh rapid antibody tests had already been supplied to ICMR, for which payment was still awaited. India is procuring about 5 lakh rapid testing kits from China-based Guangzhou Wondfo Biotech, while Zhuhai Livzon Diagnostics will provide 2 lakh testing kits. Two leading Chinese companies had on April 23 expressed surprise at the reported malfunctioning of the rapid testing kits that they supplied to India and claimed the products were approved by ICMR and National Institute of Virology. The government of India has placed orders for about 37 lakh rapid anti-body testing kits with companies based out of China and South Korea. Out of these orders, only about seven lakh kits have reached India till date. Most consignments till now have come from China and distributed among states including Tamil Nadu, where they were found to be faulty. Also read: Massive 145% profiteering exposed in coronavirus rapid test kits sold to ICMR Town of Clay, N.Y. When Moyers Corners volunteer firefighters were called to a house fire early Saturday in Bayberry, they didnt immediately realize whose house it was until a lieutenant told them. He came up to me and said, Its my house, First Deputy Chief Colin Bailey said, recalling the moment Moyers Corners Fire Lt. Steve Rush approached him during the fire. Bailey said he was surprised when he found out. Rush, a lieutenant at Moyers Corners Station 2, and his family were forced out of their home, and lost nearly all of their personal belongings and family mementos in the fire, according a GoFundMe page. The family was able to call 911 and get out of the house, at 205 Blackberry Road in the town of Clay, after the fire started in an upstairs bathroom at 1:52 a.m., Bailey said. Moyers Corners, Clay, Liverpool and Lakeside firefighters, Northern Onondaga Volunteer Ambulance (NOVA), state police, Onondaga County sheriffs deputies and Onondaga County fire investigators responded. When police and firefighters arrived, they saw smoke pouring out of the home. We had to open up the roof, and cut a hole in it to ventilate it because there was an awful lot of smoke, Bailey said. Although they couldnt see any flames from outside, he said there were flames inside the home. While firefighters battled the fire, NOVAs emergency medical services helped Steve Rush who had a cut on his hand, Bailey said. Rush did not go to a hospital, he said. A Moyers Corners volunteer firefighter suffered heat exhaustion during the fire, Bailey said. The firefighter, who had been helping on the roof of the house, was taken to a local hospital for evaluation and released. Bailey said the firefighter is OK. Firefighters reported the fire was under control in less than 30 minutes. Fire investigators determined the fire started in a second-floor bathroom and the cause was purely accidental, Bailey said. Someone in the home had been soldering copper pipes when the insulation caught fire, Bailey said. The fire then spread to the second floor and attic. There was moderate smoke, water and fire damage upstairs. The American Red Cross is helping the family, who could not return home immediately after the fire. The community also has stepped up to help the Rush family, raising more than $6,300 in a day. All of the money raised will help the Rush family replace basic health/life necessities for the family while they are unable to live in their home and help keep them afloat while things get sorted out, according to the online fundraiser. Their whole lives have been turned upside down, their family displaced and almost all of their personal belongings and family mementos were destroyed in the fire," a Moyers Corners firefighter wrote on the GoFundMe page. For a couple/family who is always giving and truly never asking for anything in return, this is our chance to show our support. Have a tip or a story idea? Contact Catie OToole: cotoole@syracuse.com | text/call (315) 470-2134 | Twitter | Facebook The opposition Zoram Peoples Movement (ZPM) asked the state government on Monday to deploy more police personnel along the inter-state and international borders so that volunteers of village task forces can be relieved from guarding the boundaries. In a statement, the ZPM said the state has eight armed police battalions, of which one is in neighbouring Assam. It said the remaining seven armed battalions should be deployed along the borders with Assam, Manipur, Tripura, Myanmar and Bangladesh and they should strictly follow the Centres guidelines while checking the movement of vehicles. The government should ask the Centre for deployment of security forces or paramilitary forces along the borders if the state police have manpower crunch, the statement signed by party president Lalliansawta said. Mizoram shares 284 km inter-state borders with Assam, Manipur and Tripura. It is also sandwiched between Myanmar and Bangladesh, sharing 722-km-long international borders with the two countries. ZPM said that volunteers of village or local level task forces, who are guarding the borders, should be relieved of the arduous task. Village or local level task forces are keeping vigil in at least 18 entry points along the Mizoram-Assam border and several entry points along the borders with Manipur, Tripura, Myanmar and Bangladesh. The state's main opposition party said all village or local-level task forces should instead be allowed to guard their respective villages or localities and must thoroughly be briefed about the standard operating procedure (SOP) framed by the state government to ensure uniform operation during the lockdown. The party also urged the people to understand the financial crisis being faced by the state government. It appealed to all concerned parents and families to send money to their children and relatives who are stranded in different parts of the country, instead of seeking help from the state government. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) County Education Task Force Pitching Plan for Remote Learning Platform PITTSFIELD, Mass. The Berkshire County Education Task Force unanimously decided Saturday to move forward with a plan members hope will address a short-term need and bolster its argument for a long-term solution to problems confronting the county's school districts. The task force endorsed a framework for a countywide online learning management system for remote learning that it hopes to present to school superintendents and school committees in the next couple of weeks. The ambitious plan would have an online platform for course delivery, teacher collaboration and training in place this summer, in time for the 2020-21 academic year. The immediate impetus for the project is the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced the closure of school buildings and for districts to develop remote learning programs on the fly and on their own. The BCETF believes that a countywide structure would help support local schools and teachers, giving them tools to more effectively teach in a remote environment. "We would own a space in which content is available," said Howard "Jake" Eberwein, who was tasked by the panel with developing the LMS proposal. "Teachers would exchange content. We would put up professional development videos, tutorials, courses. "That, in my estimation, is one of the most powerful parts of what we're proposing. It is the link and highway between which teachers in the county can exchange information and share in this time of some significant challenges. If a teacher is building online content, many haven't been trained in online instruction other than what they've received the last couple of weeks in crash courses. "Many are trying to find content online, and a lot of that content has already been created and can be used and borrowed" Since 2015, the BCETF has been focused on studying how to the county's schools can address the "challenge of eroding educational quality due to declining student enrollment and revenues that are not keeping pace with costs." Two years later, the task force recommended that the county's school districts aspire to forming a unified Berkshire County school district within 10 years, That recommendation was met with strong resistance in many quarters, but the task force has continued to espouse formal cooperation mechanisms among districts that it argues will build economies of scale. Eberwein, the former superintendent of Pittsfield Public Schools and a former administrator at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, noted that building a remote learning platform would mark a departure from the task force's past work. "We haven't been an action-oriented group, and I say action in the sense that we haven't been implementing programs and managing programs or particular solutions," Eberwein said. "This particular memo is suggesting that we move into the action side of the work, specifically this first step would be moving into supporting this online remote learning platform across the entire county. "We historically were not set up to do action work. We were set up to do planning and modeling, which we'll continue to do. That won't stop, but we're discussing today the possibility of moving into some actionables." Eberwein reminded his colleagues that the task force has $20,000 available to help finance collaborative programs that districts bring to the countywide body. The program it advanced Saturday shifts that model to potentially funding a program generated by the BCETF itself. It was not lost on the members participating in Saturday's virtual meeting that something like the LMS could demonstrate the benefits of cooperation across town and district lines. "I'm not delusional, thinking that every district is going to get all excited and jump in," Eberwein said. "I think we'll have some interest among some districts. Part of our intent as a group is to demonstrate that we can work across districts. That's another motive for this project in addition to trying to solve a problem, it's also to create connections and build a proof of concept in terms of what we're trying to do." The task force agreed that gauging interest from the county's school districts will be an important first step in advancing the LMS. Eberwein recruited a couple of other members of the group at Saturday's meeting to review and revise his four-page memo by Tuesday with the intention of putting it before school officials later this week. In addition to the $20,000 in BCETF pilot project funds, additional state grants (including, potentially COVID-19 recovery funds) and private grants, implementation would rely on funding from county school districts who choose to participate in the online learning platform. Eberwein did some "back-of-the-envelope" calculations that show creation of a central platform with the needed software licenses would cost anywhere from $20,000 to $100,000, depending on the number of schools involved. He also did some rough estimates for the personnel costs needed $40,000 for a central manager for the platform and, potentially, a $5,000 stipend for an in-house trainer on the faculties of specific schools. "We'll probably need someone to manage this at some level, countywide working with Canvas, setting it up, being a liaison to the various districts and whoever their tech point people are," Eberwein said. "Then I'm suggesting we'd stipend people at each of the schools. With the number of schools we have, at $5,000 apiece, that actually ends up being your biggest cost at $230,000. "Again, that's just me shooting from the hip and throwing out an idea that can be absolutely criticized." Eberwein's draft proposal generated some critiques from task force members, who mentioned that while online tools have proven effective at the secondary level, the jury is still out about their usefulness for elementary schools. Cynthia Brown, a former interim president at MCLA and current official with the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education, said online learning platforms work best for highly motivated students and may not help students of all abilities. "To the extent that an online platform that's available, paid for, trained on is an element of a remote learning, mixed modality solution to what's going on right now with schools, I'd be in favor," Brown said. "A second comment I made that would be backed up by the research I presented last spring is that if you don't have access and the right tools in the hands of every household, every student that would need them, we are only replicating some of the inequities we already know exist and, in some cases exacerbated, frankly, by the closure of schools and the scramble to try to get things in the hands of students and educators in order to continue with some kind of educational framework this spring. "I think a platform project is a great project, but it's a partial build. I think we could get some better information, or some additional information about what it would take and districts could put their hands up and say, 'We will participate and we will provide some additional devices. We'll get Spectrum and Verizon and whoever else to pay for Internet access through the end of June, whatever it is. But I wanted to remind folks that the data on digitally-mediated remote learning shows that its effectiveness tends to be in a couple of very specific directions." Eberwein pointed out that his draft proposal notes some of the challenges to instituting a countywide online platform, and he hastened to add that he never saw it as a replacement for schools. He was "surprisingly impressed" by the elementary school tools he reviewed with representatives from Utah-based Instructure, the creator of learning management system Canvas. And, while not optimal, students underserved by the internet could take advantage of downloadable content that could be delivered on thumb drives or, "you can literally send your buses around on Friday to pick up devices, load them and deliver them on Mondays." But a countywide online learning platform also could be an incentive for making sure all communities have access to broadband and residents can afford it. "Even when we have access do families have the funds available to access it," Eberwein said. "That would be the second part of that question. I would expect that would be part of our deliberation. And, to be honest with you, our jumping into this space and saying that we need this to provide educational solutions to kids will only strengthen the argument to get this done. "I know from a quick conversation we had earlier with the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission and other folks, the issue of broadband quickly has risen up the priority chain to the top, A) because of education and B) because the area is thinking about how people are going to work remotely and can we position the county as a destination for remote learning in the post-COVID economy?" That leads to another potential challenge for the BCETF initiative: the possibility that the task force spends the spring and summer building a solution to a problem that does not exist in the fall. "We could get through the summer and what does September look like?" asked Andrea Wadsworth, the chairman of the Lee School Committee. "It may look like what it normally does, or we may have to socially distance. Maybe one half [of students] goes to school one week and then the other half goes and the first half has to remotely learn the second week." And even if the immediate crisis does pass, there are other remote learning needs that could be addressed by the LMS platform, including help for home-school families, maintaining educational continuity on snow days or creating elective courses that could be shared across districts, expanding educational opportunities for students in all the county's high schools. Throughout Saturday's meeting, the members of the task force emphasized that the remote learning platform will not get off the ground if the districts it is meant to serve do not buy in. "Teachers lead this charge," Eberwein said. "This is about equipping them with tools, training and a network but letting them really lead and work on this. I am arguing that this is not a solution. This is what I'm calling a 75 to 80 percent solution, and I don't even know if that's not overly ambitious. I'm talking about access gaps, specialized and differentiated needs gaps, some of the equity questions that [Brown] raises. "But then I'm arguing that if we can get our 75 to 80 percent up and going, we can really concentrate our resources and our teams on digging in and solving the needs of the remaining students who will need more intensive supports." BERC Online Platform Proposal by iBerkshires.com on Scribd Giving is not just about making a donation, it's about making a difference, most importantly, in the time a crisis. Lady Gee Foundation has donated personal hygiene kits to the Ningo Prampram community in the Greater Accra Region to help fight the coronavirus pandemic. The items include; nose masks, veronica buckets, hand sanitizers, liquid soaps, tissue papers amongst others. Donating the items, Founder of the foundation, Lady Gee said, the move was to "help the wonderful people in our communities in need in these difficult times". She said, "the donation is to also aid as preventative measures against the spread of COVID-19". Receiving the donation on behalf of the people, the elated Queen mother of Prampram, Naana Osabu Abey I, thanked Lady Gee for the kind gesture. Ghanas COVID-19 cases have increased to 1,550. This is according to the Ghana Health Services latest update on Sunday, April 26, 2020. The updated case count comes after 271 more persons tested positive for the virus. Meanwhile, President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has extended the ban on social gatherings to the next two weeks. -- ghanaguardian Flash The death toll from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on the African continent has reached 1,374 as confirmed positive cases reached 30,329 as of Sunday, the Africa Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said. The Africa CDC, a specialized agency of the 55-member African Union (AU), in its latest situation update issued on Sunday also disclosed that the confirmed COVID-19 cases were spread across 52 African countries. The Africa CDC revealed that the number of confirmed positive cases across the continent rose from 29,053 on Saturday to 30,329 as of Sunday, eventually registering some 1,276 new confirmed COVID-19 cases across the African continent. The Africa CDC also disclosed that some 9,106 people who have been infected with the COVID-19 have recovered across the continent as of Sunday, marking about 742 new recoveries from the center's previous report of 8,364 on Saturday afternoon. Amid the rapid spread of the virus across the African continent, figures from the Africa CDC also show that the highly COVID-19 affected African countries include South Africa with a total of 4,361 confirmed cases, Egypt with a total of 4,319 confirmed cases, Morocco with a total of 3,897 confirmed cases as well as Algeria with a total of 3,256 confirmed cases as of the stated period. The death toll has also increased from 1,331 on Saturday to 1,374 on Sunday, registering about 43 new COVID-19 related deaths during the past 24 hours across the continent, according to the Africa CDC. The continental disease control and prevention agency also disclosed that the Northern African region is the most affected area across the continent both in terms of positive COVID-19 cases, as well as the number of deaths. The three Northern African countries Algeria, Egypt and Morocco also reported a combined 495 new confirmed COVID-19 cases 129, 227, 139, respectively, according to the Africa CDC. The Africa CDC had last week emphasized the crucial need to strengthen COVID-19 precautionary measures across the continent so as to halt the spread of the virus. Syracuse, N.Y. St. Lucys Church in Syracuse each spring presents its annual Dorothy Day awards. This year, the annual dinner announcing the awards was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic, but the awards have been announced. The awards go to people who exemplify the life and actions of the late Dorothy Day, a journalist and political activist who helped create the Catholic Worker Movement and its network of houses of hospitality for the poor. Now, more than ever we need to celebrate those who care for others, those who give a voice for others and those who welcome others, said Eileen Clinton, public relations director for the Dorothy Day Award Committee. Maybe after hearing their stories you will be inspired to call someone in isolation that is lonely, donate to a food pantry, or drop off food to a neighbor. Here are this years award recipients: (Text submitted by Eileen Clinton.) Felicia Castricone Felicia runs Catholic Charities Resettlement program assisting immigrants freeing their countries due to war, or ethnic cleansing. She and her dedicated staff welcome them to Syracuse and assist them with services, employment opportunities and help them work towards citizenship. As I interviewed Felicia she made it clear that the folks she serves were separated from their family members through no fault of their own. They are resilient people and so courageous. I have so much to learn from them, she said. Felicia was a Jesuit volunteer at Vincent House and then worked with the North Side CYO. At the CYO she worked at the neighborhood center with refugees. Her passion to be a voice for those who have no voice is embedded in her lifes work. For Felicia, with the current administration, her dedicated staffs work with immigrants is more important than ever. As Dorothy Day formed hospitality houses for the poor, Felicias life work welcoming refugees is why she is well deserving of this award. Marie Cullen Marie is the type of person you want around when you really need to get things done! She grew up in the Tip Hill area and was part of the Rosary Society at St Charles. While there she met an older couple who wanted to form a food pantry. Marie raised her hand and has been running the Pantry and contributing to other pantries (St Lucy, St Anthony) for over 36 years and is still going strong! Her dedication, determination and spirit are summed up in this story she told me. Marie received a call to visit a young family on Fitch Street. She stopped off to buy food for them on the way there. When she arrived, she met a young mother with seven children and saw no beds, no toys a real tough situation. The husband, a veteran, was in the hospital. Marie rallied in her usual fashion. She called her neighbors to keep meals coming. She found seven beds at Van Duyn. When the husband returned in a lot of pain, she rallied again and remembering seeing a hospital bed in the basement of St. Charles. She and some helpers brought this bed to the house for the husband to use. Marie remembers the husband looking like Jesus and he said thank you for doing all of this for me and my children. Marie shows her love for God in her love and work for others. What we need to do is to change the world to make it simpler for people to find food, clothing, and shelter as God intended them to do. - Dorothy Day Ron Jaworski and Debbie Gibson-Jaworski Ron and Debbie met at Unity Kitchen and have been living out their faith ever since. Debbie and Ron say they were involved in a lot of little things but there mark on our community is anything but little. As a social worker at Exceptional Family Resources, Deb worked with the disabled or challenged members of our community. They befriended a single mom and made a member of the Larch community feel like he was one of their family members. They are a voice for those who had none. Ron and Deb believe strongly in social justice. They were and are very active volunteers with the Eastern Farm Workers and have been for years. Ron can fix just about anything and many people turned to him for help, Deb said. This is who we are. As a couple and individually, they meet Gods call. Ron even recalls being at the same Mass with Dorothy Day in the South Bronx in 1979. Dorothy Day once said By fighting for the rights of workers, the poor, the destitute, the rights of the worthy and unworthy, we can change the world. Ron and Debbie are always eager to meet this call and work to change the world, one brick at a time. Skeleton remains have been found at a remote property close to where police have been searching for a missing woman. A man cutting down trees at a property off Tea Tree Road in Bindoon, 80 kilometres north of Perth, made the grim discovery on Sunday. The remains were found near the area police were searching for missing grandmother Mary Nix, Nine News reported. Mary Nix, 69, (pictured) was last seen in April 2019 in Bassendean, Western Australia The 69-year-old was last seen on April 1 last year in a post office in Bassendean, officers conducting a three month search to find her. Ms Nix, who was a widow and had no children, was reported missing by neighbours on April 3, after they noticed her dogs hadn't been fed. Her burnt orange Chrysler PT Cruiser was found by police a week later in Bindoon, 70km from where she was seen, prompting them to launch an immediate search. The search went for two weeks involving SES volunteers and members from the police air wing. After three months of attempting to find her, police chose to call off the search. Ms Nix's cousin Tammy Page at the time said in a statement that it was out of character for her to leave, saying her dogs 'were like her children'. The search was called off after three months when 75 police officers scoured the area of Bindoon where her footprints were last found (pictured) Her burnt orange Chrysler PT Cruiser was found by police a week later in Bindoon, 70km from where she was seen, prompting them to launch an immediate search 'We are very, very worried about where she is, it's very important that we find her,' she said. 'Inquiries will be conducted to identify the deceased person,' WA Police Sergeant Alice Cockram said on Monday. 'The death is not being treated as suspicious and a report will be prepared for the Coroner. ' Dhaka: Hundreds of Bangladesh's garment factories defied a nationwide coronavirus lockdown to reopen on Sunday, raising fears the industry's vulnerable and largely female workforce could be exposed to the contagion. Big-name international brands have cancelled or held up billions of dollars in orders due to the pandemic, crippling an industry that accounts for nearly all of the South Asian country's export earnings. Factories shut their doors in late March but some suppliers said they were now being pushed by retailers to fulfill outstanding export orders. "We have to accept coronavirus as part of life. If we don't open factories, there will be economic crisis," said Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association vice president Mohammad Hatem. He said his MB Knit company had reopened part of a factory that makes clothing for Britain's Primark and several other retailers. Factories were "under pressure" from brands to meet export deadlines and feared the risk that billions in orders could be diverted to competing operations in countries like Vietnam or China, Hatem added. More than four million people work in thousands of garment factories across Bangladesh, which last year shipped out $35 billion of apparel to retailers such as H&M, Inditex and Walmart -- second only to China. Hundreds of those factories had resumed operations over the weekend in the industrial areas of Gazipur and Ashulia, just outside the capital Dhaka. Some 200,000 workers were likely back at work just in Ashulia, police spokeswoman Jane Alam told AFP. Mofazzal Hossain said he felt compelled to return to his factory, where he earns $115 a month. "The fear of coronavirus is there," he told AFP. "But I am now more worried about losing my job, wages and benefits." Labour rights leaders said they were fearful the return to work could spark an explosion of COVID-19 cases. "Its impact could be worse than Rana Plaza," said activist Kalpona Akter, referring to the collapse of a garment factory complex in 2013 that killed 1,130 workers. Bangladesh, a nation of 168 million people, has almost 5,500 confirmed COVID-19 infections and 145 deaths according to the government. Experts say the real number is likely much higher due to a lack of patient testing by authorities. E urovision lovers, despair no more. The inaugural Isolation Song Contest, set up to recreate the magic of the Eurovision Song Contest with performers at home, will take place in May. Comedian TomTaylor, who came up with the idea, has corralled 14 contestants to represent different countries, and Graham Norton, Konnie Huq, Clare Balding and Scott Mills are among those supporting the initiative. Its sort of through-the-looking glass, Taylor told the Londoner. Were parodying something thats already become a parody. Im wondering if two negatives will actually make a positive and some great content will come out of it. On the Contests Just Giving page, Taylor explains theyre hoping to raise funds for three charities, The Trussell Trust, Crisis and Refuge. Taylor randomly assigned countries to his contestants, who include former Great British Bake Off presenter Mel Giedroyc, drag queen Divina de Campo and comic Tim Vine. Taylor says Vine has already texted to manage my expectations. I think we can expect 100 per cent naff. Giedroyc said: I am as excited as Conchitas wurst to be taking part. Who will get nul points? --- Tough crowd: David Nicholls (Photo: Leonardo Cendamo/Getty Images) / Getty Images One Day author David Nicholls recalls the best sly dig that he ever received. As a student actor I worried out loud that I might not be attractive enough to make it as a professional, Nicholls tweeted, continuing and my friend told me not to worry, there are LOADS of successful ugly actors. With friends like these... --- Baroness Hale of Richmond is using lockdown to pen her memoirs. She said: Mine is not a rags-to-riches story but how a little girl from a little school in a little village in North Yorkshire became the most senior judge in the UK when all the previous holders had been men from public school backgrounds with stellar careers as barristers. SW1A Struggling with virtual spaghetti: Robert Halfon (Photo: ISABEL INFANTES/AFP via Getty Images) / AFP via Getty Images Harlow MP Robert Halfon has too many WhatsApp groups: Its like being drowned by virtual spaghetti. I sent my wife my computer passwords for log in and my team details about supermarket deliveries. We sympathise. --- Dorset MP Simon Hoare reveals: With the help of Mrs H, we can now announce that cattle/sheep/horse clippers are also usable as Hoare Clippers. The results are impressive. The new lockdown barnet formula? Heart times when you work on the weekend SHENZHEN, China, April 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Nam Tai Property Inc. ("Nam Tai" or the "Company") (NYSE Symbol: NTP) today announced its unaudited results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2020. KEY HIGHLIGHTS (In thousands of US dollars, except per share data, percentages and as otherwise stated) Quarterly Results Q1 2020 Q1 2019 YoY(%)(a) Revenue $ 699 $ 581 20.3% Gross profit $ 82 $ 345 (76.2)% Net loss from operation $ (3,722) $ (3,264) % of revenue (532.5)% (561.8)% per share (diluted) $ (0.10) $ (0.09) Consolidated net loss $ (3,175) $ (1,791) % of revenue (454.2)% (308.3)% Basic loss per share $ (0.08) $ (0.05) Diluted loss per share $ (0.08) $ (0.05) Weighted average number of shares ('000) Basic 38,841 38,192 Diluted 38,841 38,192 Notes: (a) Percentage change is not applicable if either of the two periods contains a loss or no amount. Financial Position As of March 31, As of December 31, As of March 31, 2020 2019 2019 Cash and cash equivalents(a) $ 121,340 $ 130,218 $ 85,365 Restricted cash $ 790 $ $ Short-term bank deposits(b) $ 4,090 $ 2,166 $ 12,273 Prepaid expenses and other receivables $ 26,419 $ 9,338 $ 7,615 Real estate properties under development, net $ 262,937 $ 251,685 $ 186,457 Property, plant and equipment, net $ 25,290 $ 25,950 $ 27,554 Right of use assets $ 9,707 $ 4,078 $ Deferred income tax assets $ 2,170 $ 2,011 $ Total assets $ 460,557 $ 430,410 $ 322,150 Accounts payable $ 36,308 $ 36,676 $ 88,551 Advance from customers $ 71,220 $ 67,642 $ Lease liabilities $ 9,560 $ 4,171 $ Long term bank loans $ 122,137 $ 95,942 $ Total shareholders' equity $ 211,614 $ 214,738 $ 229,864 Total number of common shares issued 38,935 38,632 38,193 Notes: (a) Cash and cash equivalents include all cash balances and certificates of deposit having a maturity date of three months or less upon acquisition. (b) Short-term bank deposits include all highly liquid investments with original maturities of greater than three months and less than 12 months and investments that are expected to be realized in cash in the next 12 months. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION (UNAUDITED) IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF 2020 Key Highlights of Financial Position As of March 31, As of December 31, As of March 31, 2020 2019 2019 Ratio of cash(a) to current liabilities 1.07 1.16 1.06 Current ratio(b) 1.34 1.25 1.15 Debt ratio(c) 54.1% 50.1% 28.7% Return on equity (6.0)% (3.0)% (3.1)% Ratio of total liabilities to total equity 1.18 1.00 0.40 Notes: (a) Cash in this financial ratio includes cash, cash equivalents and short-term bank deposits. (b) Current ratio is calculated with all current assets divided by all current liabilities. (c) Debt ratio is calculated with all total liabilities divided by total assets. FINANCIAL RESULTS Revenue Revenue for the first quarter of 2020 was $0.7 million compared to $0.6 million in the first quarter of 2019. Revenue for the first quarter of 2020 mainly consisted of rental income of $0.7 million from existing factory buildings located on the sites of Inno Valley, Wuxi and the leased space at Nam Tai - Tang Xi Technology Park. Revenue for the first quarter of 2019 mainly consisted of rental income of $0.6 million from the existing factory buildings located on the sites of Inno Valley and Wuxi. Gross Profit Gross profit for the first quarter of 2020 was $0.1 million compared to $0.4 million in the first quarter of 2019. Gross profit for the first quarter of 2020 mainly consisted of revenue of $0.7 million, offset by rental cost of $0.6 million for the period. Gross profit for the first quarter of 2019 mainly consisted of revenue of $0.6 million, offset by rental cost of $0.2 million for the period. Net Loss from Operations Net loss from operations for the first quarter of 2020 was $3.7 million compared to $3.3 million in the first quarter of 2019. Net loss from operations for the first quarter of 2020 mainly consisted of general and administrative expenses of $3.0 million and selling and marketing expenses of $0.8 million, offset in part by our gross profit of $0.1 million for the period. Net loss from operations for the first quarter of 2019 mainly consisted of general and administrative expenses of $2.9 million and selling and marketing expenses of $0.7 million, offset in part by our gross profit of $0.3 million for the period. Consolidated Net Loss Consolidated net loss for the first quarter of 2020 was $3.2 million compared to $1.8 million in the first quarter of 2019. Consolidated net loss for the first quarter of 2020 mainly consisted of net loss from operations of $3.7 million and other net loss of $0.1 million, offset in part by interest income of $0.4 million from time deposits and deferred income tax benefit of $0.2 million. Consolidated net loss for the first quarter of 2019 mainly consisted of a net loss from operations of $3.3 million, offset in part by interest income of $0.8 million from time deposits and other net income of $0.6 million. Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-term Bank Deposits Cash, cash equivalents and short-term bank deposits decreased by $7.0 million in the first quarter of 2020 from $132.4 million as of December 31, 2019 to $125.4 million as of March 31, 2020. The decrease was mainly due to payment of $13.9 million for real estate properties under development, prepayment of the price of a land parcel in Dongguan City of $16.9 million, repayment of $7.3 million for bank loan, decrease in accrued expenses and other payables of 6.8 million and purchase of trading securities of $2.8 million, which were offset by proceeds from shares issued for option exercise of $2.0 million, advance from customers of $4.6 million and long-term bank loans of $34.9 million obtained in 2020. Restricted Cash Restricted cash increased by $0.8 million in the first quarter of 2020. No Restricted cash existed at the end of 2019. The increase was mainly due to $0.8 million pledged deposits at Bank of China for a loan with the bank. The deposits are not allowed to be withdrawn until November 2020. No significant risk is expected on such deposits. Prepaid Expenses and Other Receivables Prepaid expenses and other receivables increased by $17.0 million in the first quarter of 2020 from $9.4 million as of December 31, 2019 to $26.4 million as of March 31, 2020. The increase mainly consisted of the prepayment of $16.9 million for the price of a land parcel in Dongguan City. Real Estate Properties under Development, Net Real estate properties under development, net increased by $11.2 million in the first quarter of 2020 from $251.7 million as of December 31, 2019 to $262.9 million as of March 31, 2020. The increase was due to progress of the construction of Nam Tai Inno Park and Nam Tai Technology Center. Right of use assets Right of use assets increased by $5.6 million in the first quarter of 2020 from $4.1 million as of December 31, 2019 to $9.7 million as of March 31, 2020. The increase was mainly due to the recognition of right of use assets for Nam Tai - U-Creative Space (Lujiazui), which were $5.8 million, in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC") 842 Leases. Deferred income tax assets Deferred income tax assets increased by $0.2 million in the first quarter of 2020 from $2.0 million as of December 31, 2019 to $2.2 million as of March 31, 2020. The increase was mainly due to current loss of $0.7 million incurred during the construction of Nam Tai Technology Center, which is expected to be utilized in the next five years. Accounts Payable Accounts payable decreased by $0.4 million in the first quarter of 2020 from $36.7 million as of December 31, 2019 to $36.3 million as of December 31, 2020. The decrease mainly consisted of payment of $0.4 million for the completed construction of both Nam Tai Inno Park and Nam Tai Technology Center. Advance from Customers Advance from customers increased by $3.6 million in the first quarter of 2020 from $67.6 million as of December 31, 2019 to $71.2 million as of March 31, 2020. The increase was mainly attributed to $4.6 million in prepaid rent received from customers of Nam Tai Inno Park offset by foreign exchange loss of $1.0 million as a result of depreciation of RMB against the US dollar in the first quarter of 2020. Lease liabilities Lease liabilities increased by $5.4 million in the first quarter of 2020 from $4.2 million as of December 31, 2019 to $9.6 million as of March 31, 2020. The increase was mainly due to the recognition of lease liabilities for Nam Tai - U-Creative Space (Lujiazui), which were $5.6 million, in accordance with ASC 842 Leases. Long-term bank loans Long-term bank loans increased by $26.2 million in the first quarter of 2020 from $95.9 million as of December 31, 2019 to $122.1 million as of March 31, 2020. The increase was mainly due to loans of $3 million from Bank of China and $15.5 million from Xiamen International Bank for Nam Tai Inno Park, and a loan of $16.4 million from Shenzhen Rural Commercial Bank for Nam Tai Technology Center, which were offset by repayment of loan of $7.1 million to Bank of China and foreign exchange loss of $1.6 million as a result of depreciation of RMB against the US dollar in the first quarter of 2020. Liquidity and Capital Resources As of March 31, 2020, the Company had a total cash, cash equivalents and short-term bank deposits of $125.4 million. As of December 31, 2019, the Company had a total cash, cash equivalents and short-term bank deposits of $132.4 million. As of March 31, 2020, the Company obtained a credit facility of RMB2.2 billion (equivalent to $310.29 million) with RMB931.2 million (equivalent to $131.3 million) withdrawn. Zastron Electronic (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. entered into a project loan agreement with the Zhuhai Branch of Xiamen International Bank ("Xiamen International Bank") in January 2020 for a loan facility of RMB110 million (equivalent to $15.5 million) with the full balance withdrawn as of March 31, 2020. According to our project development plan, project investment for the second quarter of 2020 is estimated to be $16.0 million. The total project investment for 2020 is estimated to be $92.1 million. In 2020, the Company plans to continue to acquire asset-heavy development projects in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and other first and second tier cities in China through means including bidding, auction and listing, merger and acquisition, or urban renewal. Please see the Company's Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income for further details. The information contained herein has also been published on the Company's website at https://www.namtai.com/quarterly/index.html. BUSINESS OVERVIEW Impact of COVID-19 The recent outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has not had a significant impact on our liquidity and financial condition. While the pandemic continues in China and around the globe, we will continue to assess its impact on our business and take necessary actions. With respect to business invitation and leasing, the Nam Tai Inno Park Industrial Showroom was temporarily closed in February 2020 due to the pandemic. due to the pandemic. With respect to financial impact, as a socially responsible company, we have reduced the rent by half for the month of March 2020 for our tenants that met certain criteria in the Nam Tai Inno Valley and Nam Tai - Tang Xi Technology Park. Meanwhile, we also received a rent concession of 50% for the month of March 2020 from the lessor of Nam Tai - Tang Xi Technology Park. for our tenants that met certain criteria in the Nam Tai Inno Valley and Nam Tai Tang Xi Technology Park. Meanwhile, we also received a rent concession of 50% for the month of from the lessor of Nam Tai Tang Xi Technology Park. With respect to the construction work, the construction of Nam Tai Inno Park and Nam Tai Technology Center was suspended in February 2020 . When construction resumes, we expect to be able to increase its pace so that the schedules of the projects will not be significantly affected. During the times of severe outbreak of the pandemic in China, we attached great importance to providing employees and tenants with a safe and sanitary working environment. A series of measures were adopted to prevent the spread of the pandemic: Prompt preparation: we commenced the anti-pandemic work before the Spring Festival by distributing with masks, hand sanitizers and disinfecting alcohol. We also disinfected and cleaned public areas of our office and projects. Anti-pandemic plans and crisis management team: the Company has established a crisis management team and formulated a pandemic prevention and control plan for each of our projects and has continuously monitored the status of our projects. Active monitoring: we conduct active monitoring in a "24/7 mode (24 hours on all days of the week)". The monitored data includes the number of disinfection activities, food deliveries and personnel travel, etc. In addition, we also conduct strict inspections on automobiles, drivers and passengers accessing our parks. Cleaning and disinfection: our cleaning staff carries out disinfection and cleaning in various areas of our premises where employees may stay or touch, including elevators, door handles, parking spaces and outdoor green belts, and other public areas. Progress of Leasing and Business Invitation As of March 31, 2020, we pre-leased or leased a total of approximately 127,625 square meters in our projects, of which 60.2% of the leased area was in Shenzhen and 39.8% was in Wuxi. Given Nam Tai - U-Creative Space (Lujiazui) was in the early stage of operation, we did not include the project in the calculation. Leased Area as of March 31, 2020 Shenzhen Nam Tai Inno Park 39,954 Nam Tai Inno Valley 33,055 Nam Tai - Tang Xi Technology Park 3,788 Wuxi Wuxi facilities 50,828 Nam Tai Inno Park continues to be widely recognized by high-tech enterprise tenants. In March 2020, we signed an industrial R&D space lease contract with an enterprise tenant in the chip distribution industry. The tenant, founded in Shenzhen, is expected to move into Nam Tai Inno Park in the fourth quarter of 2020. By bringing the new high-tech enterprise tenant to our park, this lease contract reflects the market's recognition of our project and operational capabilities, and also strengthens our brand image as a technology park operator. Project Construction and Operation Progress For Nam Tai Inno Park , we successfully filed the construction acceptance record in March 2020 , which reflects the Company's ability to continuously proceed with the development of our projects even during tough times of the pandemic. It is expected that some of the industrial office spaces will be put into use from the second quarter of 2020. , we successfully filed the construction acceptance record in , which reflects the Company's ability to continuously proceed with the development of our projects even during tough times of the pandemic. It is expected that some of the industrial office spaces will be put into use from the second quarter of 2020. For Nam Tai Technology Center, we accelerated the construction progress after resuming the construction in March 2020 . At present, the landscape reconstruction of the exhibition area has been completed with its fine decoration approaching completion. We are currently carrying out pile foundation construction. In order to enable stakeholders who are interested in the project to understand the construction progress, we plan to upload project pictures regularly under the "Nam Tai Technology Center" section of our Company's website from the second quarter of 2020. . At present, the landscape reconstruction of the exhibition area has been completed with its fine decoration approaching completion. We are currently carrying out pile foundation construction. In order to enable stakeholders who are interested in the project to understand the construction progress, we plan to upload project pictures regularly under the "Nam Tai Technology Center" section of our Company's website from the second quarter of 2020. As a technology park operator dedicated to providing high-quality operation services, we organized an online live broadcast industrial event with the theme of "how do enterprises rescue themselves after the pandemic" in February 2020 . The invited guest speaker provided the tenants of Nam Tai Inno Valley and Nam Tai - Tang Xi Technology Park with suggestions on how to deal with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and strengthen corporate management. Project Resources In March 2020, we participated in the public auction for the land use right of a land parcel in Machong Town, Dongguan City ("Dongguan Machong Land Parcel") organized by Dongguan Natural Resources Bureau and Dongguan Public Resources Trading Center. We successfully won the parcel through bidding over a number of competing real estate developers. The land parcel covers a capacity floor area up to 84,408 square meters with a non-capacity area including 25,863 square meters of parking spaces. As a condition of acquiring the land parcel, we will need to build a commercial floor area of 20,000 square meters on the plot at the standard of roughcast house to be handed over to an institution designated by the Machong Town Government for free upon completion. We have paid a deposit of RMB120 million (equivalent to approximately $16.93 million) on March 17, 2020 and are expected to settle the remaining land price of RMB585.48 million (equivalent to approximately $82.58 million) in the second quarter of 2020. The Dongguan Machong Land Parcel will be developed under the temporary project name of Nam Tai - Longxi. We believe that the potential future income and profits of the project will contribute to the Company's long-term sustainable development needs. Further details of the project will be disclosed in due course. The development of the project is of great strategic significance to the Company's sustainable development as it will help: to increase the Company's saleable area and broaden the source of potential income and profit; to diversify the Company's products and optimize the income structure; to strengthen the Company's brand awareness and potential clientele in the Greater Bay Area; and to diversify the Company's access to land resources through the way of public auction. Dongguan is one of the fastest growing cities in the Greater Bay Area. It is located between Shenzhen and Guangzhou with significant geographical advantage. According to the Dongguan Statistics Bureau, the GDP of Machong Town in Dongguan increased by 7.8% year-on-year in 2018, totaling RMB 26 billion. The average transaction price of local commercial housing in 2019 was approximately RMB 17,600 per square meter, an increase of 14.7% year-on-year, according to CRIC Research. The Dongguan Machong Land Parcel is currently an open space located in the central area of Machong Town and surrounded by a beautiful landscape and high-quality supporting facilities. To the north of the land, we can find the picturesque Machong River and Xinhua College of Sun Yat-sen University; to the south is the Machong Avenue; and to the west are Shuixiang Central Hospital and Nanfeng Times Square. We will build high-quality residential and commercial properties, and provide potential customers with high-quality residential and commercial space. Macro Trend Update The COVID-19 pandemic in China has gradually come under control. According to the website of China's National Health Commission, as of April 14, 2020, there were only 1,170 existing confirmed cases of COVID-19 infections in China, which represented a dramatic reduction from its peak of over 60,000 confirmed cases in mid-March. China's manufacturing activities dropped significantly in February 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic but recovery was observed in March 2020. China's official Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) fell to 35.7% in February 2020 from 50% in January 2020 but rebounded to 52% in March 2020, according to the website of the National Bureau of Statistics. In addition, as of March 25, 2020, the resumption rate of large-and-medium-sized enterprises reached 96.6% in the national procurement manager survey. China's real estate market has cooled down in the first quarter of 2020 with its subsequent development remaining to be seen. From January to February 2020, China's commercial housing sales area was 84.75 million square meters, a decrease of 39.9% year-on-year, among which the sales area of residential buildings decreased by 39.2% and that of office buildings decreased by 48.4%, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. The existing floor area of the office market in Shenzhen expanded by 1.2% quarter-on-quarter to 7.38 million square meters in the first quarter of 2020, during which the net absorption floor area in the city was only 13,000 square meters, according to Savills's research. Policy Update In March 2020, five national ministries and commissions in China, including the Ministry of Science and Technology and National Development and Reform Commission, have jointly issued the "Strengthening 'From 0 to 1' Basic Research Work Program", in which the concept of "Shenzhen Comprehensive National Science Center" was first proposed. In April 2020, the Shenzhen Municipal Government issued "Several Opinions on Supporting Guangming Science City to Build a World-Class Science City" (the "Several Opinions"), which showed strong support to Shenzhen's Guangming Science City for the goal of building a world-class science city with high standard and high quality and put forward corresponding policies and measures throughout the entire chain of technological innovation. The "Several Opinions" proposed that by 2035, Guangming Science City will be developed into the core of a comprehensive national science center, forming a major world-leading scientific and technological infrastructure cluster and cultivating a number of emerging industrial clusters that will lead to future development. The policies promote the improvement of urban supporting facilities such as transportation, education, medical care, and culture, and the development of science and technology industry in Guangming District, Shenzhen. As certain of our technology parks are located in Guangming District and other parts of Shenzhen, we will continue to observe the policy developments and take advantage of the opportunities that may arise. In April 2020, in order to increase the supply of commercial housing in Shenzhen and maintain market stability, the Shenzhen Housing and Construction Bureau and Shenzhen Planning and Natural Resources Bureau jointly issued the "Notice on Responding to New Coronary Pneumonia Epidemic and Promoting Urban Renewal and Related Work" (the "Notice"). The Notice stipulates that, valid through December 31, 2020, a commercial housing project of high-rise buildings with completion of more than half of the total number of floors is allowed to apply for pre-sales. This is a relaxation of the requirement of pre-sales which formerly only could be applied for commercial housing projects with seven floors or above that have completed at least two-thirds of the above-ground floors under the "Regulations of Shenzhen Municipality on the Supervision of the Real Estate Market". OPERATING RESULTS As of March 31, 2020 (in square meter) Project Completed - Project Under Development 526,427 Project For Future Development 280,471 Total 806,898 Project Portfolio - As of March 31, 2020 Projects Nam Tai Inno Park Nam Tai Technology Center Nam Tai Inno Valley Nam Tai - Longxi(a) Location Shenzhen Shenzhen Shenzhen Dongguan Type(b) Office and Dormitory Office and Dormitory Office and Dormitory Residential and Commercial Property Site Area (sq.m.) 103,739 22,364 22,367 33,763 Capacity GFA 269,159 139,746 N/A 84,408 Total GFA (sq.m.) 331,832 194,595 170,200(c) 110,271(d) Total GFA Completed - - - - Under Development (sq.m.) 331,832 194,595 - - Future Development (sq. m.) - - 170,200(c) 110,271 Interest Attributable To Us 100% 100% 100% 100% Address Fenghuang Community, Guangming District, Shenzhen Namtai Road, Baoan District, Shenzhen Dongtai Village, Machong Town, Dongguan Notes: (a) The relevant land authority has confirmed our successful bidding of the land parcel in the auction result pending the land use right transfer contract expected to be signed with the authority during the second quarter of 2020. (b) The types of our projects are based on our planning or certificates issued by the relevant authority and may be changed subject to the relevant authority's final approval. (c) The gross floor area and type assume that we will receive M-0 zoning approval for the entire Inno Valley site prior to its redevelopment. If we do not receive the M-0 zoning approval, we will be required to develop Inno Valley under the M-1 zoning requirement. In that case, appropriate adjustments to our plan will have to be made. The existing gross floor area of Inno Valley is 41,927 square meters. According to "Shenzhen Industrial Block Range Line Management Measures", the location of Nam Tai Inno Valley is within the designated industrial block range, within which the government strictly controls the proportion of M-0 zoning on industrial land. Therefore, the proportion of M-0 zoning, floor area ratio and construction area of Inno Valley are subject to the final approval of the government with uncertainty. We cannot guarantee that we will be able to develop the Inno Valley according to the floor area currently disclosed. (d) The above figures are subject to adjustment upon the final approval of the relevant authority. Properties Under Development The table below sets forth certain information of our property projects under development as of March 31, 2020, comprising properties under development with the land use right certificate and construction permits obtained but the construction work not completed. Project Nam Tai Inno Park Nam Tai Technology Center City Shenzhen Shenzhen (Estimated) Total GFA (sq. m.) 331,832 194,595 (Estimated) Leasable GFA (sq. m.) 265,000 - (Estimated) Saleable GFA (sq. m.) - 125,572 Commencement Time of Main Structure June 2018 July 2019 Status of Pre-sale Permit Not eligible To be obtained Estimated Completion Time 2020 Q4 2022 Q1 Interest Attributable to Us 100% 100% Properties for Future Development The table below sets forth certain information of our property projects held for future development as of March 31, 2020, comprising properties for which we have obtained the land use right certificate while the construction work commencement permit of main structure is not yet obtained, or the relevant land authority has confirmed our successful bidding in a public auction. Project Nam Tai Inno Valley Nam Tai - Longxi Location Shenzhen Dongguan Estimated Total GFA(1) (sq. m.) 170,200 110,271 Estimated Completion Time 2025 2022 Note: (1) The estimated total GFA is based on our planning and is subject to the relevant authority's final approval. Projects for Operation and Management The table below sets forth certain information of our projects leased from third parties for operation and management as of March 31, 2020. Project Location Contracted Floor Area (sq. m.) Operation Model 1 Nam Tai - Tang Xi Technology Park Shenzhen 7,500 Tenant Recruitment and Operation 2 Nam Tai - U-Creative Space (Lujiazui) Shanghai 3,981 Tenant Recruitment and Operation The information contained in, or that can be accessed through, the website mentioned in this announcement does not form part of the announcement. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS AND FACTORS THAT COULD CAUSE OUR SHARE PRICE TO DECLINE Certain statements included in this announcement, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "may", "might", "can", "could", "will", "would", "anticipate", "believe", "continue", "estimate", "expect", "forecast", "intend", "plan", "seek", or "timetable". These forward-looking statements, which are subject to risks, uncertainties, and assumptions, may include projections of our future financial performance based on our growth strategies and anticipated trends in our business and the industry in which we operate. These statements are only predictions based on our current expectations about future events. There are several factors, many beyond our control, which could cause results to differ materially from our expectation. These risk factors are described in our Annual Report on Form 20-F and in our Current Reports filed on Form 6-K from time to time and are incorporated herein by reference. Any of these factors could, by itself, or together with one or more other factors, adversely affect our business, results of operations or financial condition. There may also be other factors currently unknown to us, or have not been described by us, that could cause our results to differ from our expectations. Although we believe the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance, or achievements. You should not rely upon forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. These forward-looking statements apply only as of the date of this announcement; as such, they should not be unduly relied upon as circumstances change. Except as required by law, we are not obligated, and we undertake no obligation, to release publicly any revisions to these forward-looking statements that might reflect events or circumstance occurring after the date of this announcement or those that might reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. SCHEDULE FOR RELEASE OF QUARTERLY FINANCIAL RESULTS FOR 2020 Announcements of Financial Results Quarter Date of release Q1 2020 April 27, 2020 (Monday) Q2 2020 July 27, 2020 (Monday) Q3 2020 November 2, 2020 (Monday) Q4 2020 February 1, 2021 (Monday) ABOUT NAM TAI PROPERTY INC. We are a real estate developer and operator, mainly conducting business in Mainland China. Our main land resources are located in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area ("Greater Bay Area") and Wuxi, China, of which the three plots in Shenzhen will be developed into Nam Tai Inno Park, Nam Tai Technology Center and Nam Tai Inno Valley technology parks respectively. We plan to build these technology parks into landmark parks in the region, and provide high-quality industrial offices, industrial service spaces and supporting dormitories to the park tenants. Based on the experience of developing and operating technology parks and the industrial relationship network accumulated over the past 40 years, we have also exported the operation mode of technology parks to other industrial properties, using the asset-light model to rent industrial properties for repositioning and business invitation. We will also expand the commercial and residential property business in China as an auxiliary development strategy for the Company. As the growth prospects of China maintain, we will actively seize development opportunities in the Greater Bay Area and other first- and second-tier cities in China, and continue to strengthen and expand the business of industrial real estate, and commercial and residential properties. Nam Tai Property Inc. is a corporation registered in the British Virgin Islands and listed on the New York Stock Exchange (Symbol: "NTP"). Please refer to the Nam Tai website (www.namtai.com) or the SEC website (www.sec.gov) for Nam Tai press releases and financial statements. NAM TAI PROPERTY INC. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME FOR THE PERIODS ENDED MARCH 31, 2020 AND 2019 (In Thousands of US dollars except share and per share data) Three months ended March 31, 2020 2019 (Unaudited) (Unaudited) Revenue (1) $ 699 $ 581 Cost of revenue (617) (236) Gross profit 82 345 Expenses General and administrative expenses (3,003) (2,948) Selling and marketing expenses (801) (661) (3,804) (3,609) Net loss from operations (3,722) (3,264) Other (expenses) income, net (2) (57) 639 Interest income 411 834 Loss before income tax (3,368) (1,791) Deferred income tax benefit 193 Consolidated net loss (3,175) (1,791) Other comprehensive (loss) income(3) (2,737) 3,601 Functional currency translation adjustment (2,737) 3,601 Consolidated comprehensive (loss) income $ (5,912) $ 1,810 Loss Per Share Basic $ (0.08) $ (0.05) Diluted $ (0.08) $ (0.05) Weighted average number of shares ('000) Basic 38,841 38,192 Diluted 38,841 38,192 Notes: (1) The property of Inno Valley at Gushu has been rented out since July 2019. The property at Wuxi has been rented to a third party lessee with a term of 12 years ending in October 2030. (2) Other income (expenses), net, includes exchange gains of $0.1 million and $0.6 million for the three months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019 respectively. (3) Other comprehensive loss was due to foreign exchange translation. NAM TAI PROPERTY INC. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS AS AT MARCH 31, 2020 AND DECEMBER 31, 2019 (In Thousands of US dollars) March 31, 2020 December 31, 2019 (Unaudited) (Audited) ASSETS Current assets: Cash and cash equivalents(1) $ 121,340 $ 130,218 Restricted cash 790 Short-term bank deposits(1) 4,090 2,166 Trading securities 2,726 Accounts receivable 1,039 1,032 Prepaid expenses and other receivables 26,419 9,338 Total current assets $ 156,404 $ 142,754 Rental deposits 417 243 Real estate properties under development, net(2) 262,937 251,685 Property, plant and equipment, net 25,290 25,950 Right of use assets 9,707 4,078 Deferred income tax assets 2,170 2,011 Prepaid expenses 3,542 3,598 Other assets 90 91 Total assets $ 460,557 $ 430,410 LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY Current liabilities: Short-term bank loan $ 1,374 $ 1,410 Current portion of long term bank loans 2,901 2,081 Accounts payable 36,308 36,676 Rental deposits from customers 363 343 Accrued expenses and other payables 4,227 5,699 Advance from customers 71,220 67,642 Current portion of lease liabilities 604 529 Total current liabilities $ 116,997 $ 114,380 Long term bank loans 119,236 93,861 Rental deposits from customers 191 178 Financing lease payable 21 13 Other payables 3,542 3,598 Noncurrent portion of lease liabilities 8,956 3,642 Total liabilities $ 248,943 $ 215,672 EQUITY Shareholders' equity: Common shares $ 389 $ 386 Additional paid-in capital 263,080 260,295 Accumulated losses (29,695) (26,520) Accumulated other comprehensive loss(3) (22,160) (19,423) Total shareholders' equity $ 211,614 $ 214,738 Total liabilities and shareholders' equity $ 460,557 $ 430,410 Notes: (1) According to the definition of "Balance Sheet" under the Financial Accounting Standard Board ("FASB") Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC") 210-10-20, cash equivalents are short-term, highly liquid investments that are readily convertible to cash. Only investments with original maturities of three months or less when purchased would qualify under such definition. Therefore, the fixed deposits maturing over three months in the amount of $4.1 million as at March 31, 2020, are not classified as cash and cash equivalents but separately disclosed as short-term bank deposits in the balance sheet. (2) Capitalization on project investment was $11.2 million for the first quarter of 2020 and accumulated project investment was $262.9 million as of March 31, 2020. (3) Accumulated other comprehensive loss was due to foreign exchange translation. NAM TAI PROPERTY INC. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS FOR THE PERIODS ENDED MARCH 31, 2020 AND 2019 (In Thousands of US dollars) Three months ended March 31, 2020 2019 (Unaudited) (Unaudited) CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES Consolidated net loss $ (3,175) $ (1,791) Adjustments to reconcile consolidated net loss to net cash provided by operating activities: Depreciation and amortization 394 430 Amortization of right of use assets 408 Unrealized gain of trading securities 97 Share-based compensation expenses 739 129 Unrealized exchange gain (44) (602) Deferred income tax benefit (159) Changes in assets and liabilities: Increase in accounts receivable (7) (165) Increase in prepaid expenses and other receivables (12,080) (1,107) Increase in deposit (174) (Decrease) increase in accrued expenses and other payables (6,802) 248 Decease in lease liabilities (654) Increase in advance from customers 4,627 Increase in rental deposits from customers 376 486 Total adjustments $ (13,279) $ (581) Net cash used in operating activities $ (16,454) $ (2,372) CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES Payment for real estate properties under development $ (13,948) $ (11,916) Purchase of property, plant & equipment (33) (247) Purchase of trading securities (2,823) (Increase) decrease in short-term bank deposits (1,924) 34,679 Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities $ (18,728) $ 22,516 CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES Repayment of bank loans (7,263) Proceeds from bank loans 34,886 Proceeds from shares issued for option exercise 2,049 34 Net cash provided by financing activities $ 29,672 $ 34 Net (decrease) increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash $ (5,510) $ 20,178 Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of period 130,218 62,919 Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash (2,578) 2,268 Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of period $ 122,130 $ 85,365 SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION ON CASH FLOWS Cash and cash equivalents $ 121,340 $ 85,365 Restricted cash $ 790 $ NAM TAI PROPERTY INC. NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE PERIODS ENDED MARCH 31, 2020 AND 2019 (In Thousands of US dollars) 1. These financial statements, including the consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2019, which was derived from audited financial statements, do not include all of the information and notes required by U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles for complete financial statements and should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes included in the Company's annual report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019. 2. In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting of normal, recurring adjustments) considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included. Operating results for the interim periods presented are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the full year ending December 31, 2020. 3. Accumulated other comprehensive loss represents foreign currency translation adjustments. The consolidated comprehensive loss was $5.9 million for the three months ended March 31, 2020 and the consolidated comprehensive income was $1.8 million for the three months ended March 31, 2019. 4. A summary of the operating income, other (expenses) income, net, net loss and long-lived assets by geographical areas is as follows: Three months ended March 31, 2020 2019 OPERATING INCOME WITHIN: -PRC, excluding Hong Kong $ 699 $ 581 OTHER (EXPENSES) INCOME, NET: - Gain on exchange difference $ 44 $ 602 - Others (101) 37 Total other (expenses) income, net $ (57) $ 639 NET LOSS FROM OPERATIONS WITHIN: - PRC, excluding Hong Kong $ (1,695) $ (1,576) - Hong Kong (1,480) (215) Total net loss $ (3,175) $ (1,791) March 31, 2020 December 31, 2019 LONG-LIVED ASSETS WITHIN: - Real estate properties under development in PRC, excluding Hong Kong $ 262,937 $ 251,685 - Property, plant and equipment in PRC, excluding Hong Kong 25,002 25,624 - Hong Kong 288 326 - Right of use assets in PRC, excluding Hong Kong 9,297 3,597 - Hong Kong 410 481 Total long-lived assets $ 297,934 $ 281,713 SOURCE Nam Tai Property Inc. Related Links http://www.namtai.com Burma New Mon State Party Agrees to Close Thai-Myanmar Border Crossings to Curb COVID-19 A group of eight migrants arrive in Guu Bar Village in the Three Pagodas Pass area on April 22, 2020. / Aung Soe / Facebook In an effort to boost cooperation with the Myanmar government to prevent the spread of coronavirus in the country, the New Mon State Party (NMSP) has asked migrants returning from Thailand to re-enter Myanmar via Myawaddy in Karen State, and will keep all of the border crossings under its control in the Three Pagodas Pass area closed. About 20,000 migrants who have lost jobs in Thailand are expected to return to Myanmar at the end of this month. The government is preparing facilities for their return in Myawaddy, so all migrants must return via the border checkpoint there, the NMSP said in a statement on Saturday. To control the coronavirus and prevent an epidemic, we inform migrants that they need to come back via the Myawaddy border crossing. For border crossings [under the partys control], be sure not to let anyone cross and keep them locked, the NMSP instructed its border officials in the statement, which was issued by the partys headquarters. Some migrants have continued to re-enter Myanmar via border checkpoints controlled by the NMSP in Palangjapan and Guu Bar villages, even after the crossings in the Three Pagodas Pass area were officially locked down. The Mon State government earlier instructed the NMSP to keep its border crossings closed, and ordered migrants to return via Myawaddy, as the government wants all migrants to return via a single route. We heard that many migrants crossed the border illegally, without obtaining permission from the government, in the Three Pagodas Pass area. Now our priority is to prevent coronavirus; to ensure they return legally, therefore, we ask the NMSP to cooperate by informing migrants that they must come back via Myawaddy, the state government told the NMSP in a letter dated April 21. Several times, the party has negotiated with the government to allow migrants to return via border crossings under its control. The partys image suffered recently, as the government accused the NMSP of allowing migrants to cross the border illegally in exchange for payments. Nai Banyal Leir, a leader of the NMSP, said via a video chat service that the party was doing its best to negotiate with the government on behalf of migrants crossing the border in the Three Pagodas Pass area. After the government shut down the border crossings in Myawaddy and Three Pagodas Pass, there were still some migrants arriving at our border crossings, he said. Some 160 migrants returned this month via the NMSP-controlled border villages of Palangjapan and Guu Bar. Unable to cross the border at first, they spent many nights in a rubber plantation, short of food. They had big problems when they arrived at the border. The local villagers they did not want those migrants to stay in the village. The authorities did not allow them to cross the border so they could go and stay in Three Pagodas Pass. We had to negotiate with the government on their behalf, he said. The government thought the NMSP was allowing migrants to pass through in exchange for money, Nai Banyal Leir said. This hurt our partys image and dignity, he said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday held a meeting with the chief ministers to form a strategy to find a way ahead in the countrys fight against the coronavirus lockdown. As several issues were discussed by the Prime Minister and the heads of states, Kerala was the only state not represented by its chief minister in the video-conference. A government spokesperson said Pinarayi Vijayan had spoken in detail and this time a chance was given to those who could not speak the last time. So, the states chief secretary Tom Jose attended the meeting instead. In the meeting, the southern state sought a staggered removal of the lockdown and an exclusive Covid-19 package. Another issue Kerala raised was the return of the migrant population from the Middle-Eastern countries. It wants the Centre to expedite the evacuation. Reports had said West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee would only attend the meeting briefly and then ask a senior bureaucrat to represent her. But Mamata Banerjee, who was said to be upset she was not given a chance to speak, did attend the meeting. As the nationwide lockdown is about to end on May 3, PM Modi underlined the key challenge of balancing lives and livelihood in the country. The Prime Minister has already held three such meetings with chief ministers to discuss the situation in the country as it tackles a rising number of infections. Former Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker says in a new interview that America has been able to hold elections in previous difficult times in our history, so we should be able to do so now amid the novel coronavirus outbreak. [Theres] got to be a national push to make sure that this election doesn't just happen, but that it is viewed by all as legitimate, Pritzker said to me. That's what this democracy is about. We've been able to do it in other times of crises. There's no reason we can't do it now. In an interview last Friday, Pritzker, a member of the billionaire Pritzker family and brother of Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, also spoke of her support for former Vice President Joe Biden, whom she endorsed early in the election cycle. We just have to get organized Pritzker, who served under Barack Obama, addressed concerns the election might be delayed or that it might be difficult for voters to get to the polls because of the novel coronavirus pandemic. Penny Pritzker speaks to Yahoo Finance. We can do online voting, we can do voting by mail, we can do in person voting with the appropriate social distancing and safety for the polling judges, she said. We just have to get organized, and we have to be committed to it. And we need to make sure that every American who feels that their opportunity to express themselves in this democracy is easy. It's easy for them to do that, that they can. There are no barriers and that we're not discouraging them and we're not making it impossible. We're not throwing them off the voting rolls. A high-profile Chicagoian with strong ties to the Obamas, Pritzker could be in line for a top administration job if Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee, goes on to win the election. Americans need to feel secure in the upcoming election, Pritzker thinks. I think we as a country and both at the state level and the federal level need to assure that every American has the opportunity to vote, Pritzker said. And we need to make it a safe process. And there's no reason we can't use all of the capabilities this country has. Election day 2020 is 190 days away. Story continues Andy Serwer is editor-in-chief of Yahoo Finance. Follow him on Twitter: @serwer. Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance Read more Emerson, a global automation technology and engineering company, said its Plantweb digital ecosystem, which enables manufacturers to realize the benefits of digital transformation, has won top honours at 2020 Edison Awards in the Innovative Services category. The Edison Awards, named after inventor Thomas Alva Edison, recognize and honor the worlds best innovations that are at the forefront of new product and service development, marketing and human-centered design. The award recognizes Plantwebs expertise, consulting and IIoT-powered services capabilities that leverage decades of technology leadership, enabling Emerson to partner with companies to develop and implement effective digital transformation initiatives, said the company in a statement. Emerson serves customers in life sciences, food and beverage, chemical, power, energy and other critical infrastructure industries that increasingly rely on digital transformation strategies to improve operations, it stated. The Plantweb digital ecosystem is designed to help companies realize measurable performance improvements in production, reliability, safety and energy management so they can better meet their business needs around the world, said the statement from Emerson. Its expanding portfolio of transformational technologies, software and services include smart sensors and measurement devices, the industrys most comprehensive offering of operational analytics as well as consulting and remote monitoring services, it added. Stuart Harris, group president for Emersons digital transformation business, said: "As industrial manufacturers seek to realize the full potential of digital transformation initiatives, its critical to deliver practical and scalable solutions that drive measurable business impact." We are grateful for this recognition of our industry-leading technology, domain expertise and proven commitment to drive tangible value for our customers, he added. Among over 400 nomination entries comprising the best products, services and businesses in innovation, Emersons Plantweb was chosen as a winner by a panel of more than 3,000 business executives from the fields of product development, design, engineering, science, marketing and education, said Frank Bonafilia, executive director of the Edison Awards. After a thorough review, the judges panel recognised Emersons Plantweb digital ecosystem as a game-changing innovation, standing out among the best in its category, he added.-TradeArabia News Service Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, April 27, 2020 17:59 625 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd4843d9 1 City PSBB,Ramadan-2020,ramadan,COVID-19,pandemic,religious-gathering,mass-prayer Free A group of teenagers vandalized a house in Jati subdistrict, Pulogadung, East Jakarta allegedly because the owner, a man named Aselih, reported a mass tarawih (evening Ramadan prayer) at a nearby mosque to Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan via social media. A video of the assault, which shows the teenagers destroy Aselih's fence and throw firecrackers at his house, went viral on social media. Pulogadung district head Bambang Pangestu said the attack took place on Thursday after Aselih, who lives next to the Al Watsiyah mosque, recorded a mass tarawih at the mosque and posted it on his son's Instagram account, tagging Anies' official account. "Aselih took pictures and video footage of the mass tarawih. The teenagers found out after checking the mosque's CCTV. They were angry at his family so they decided to throw firecrackers at his house, destroy his potted plants and fence," Bambang told kompas.com on Monday. Jakarta, the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak in the country, has been implementing a large-scale social distancing policy (PSBB) since April 10 to curb the spread of the virus. Read also: Indonesian Muslims hold congregational Ramadan prayers despite COVID-19 warnings On Wednesday, The Jakarta administration announced that the large-scale social restrictions (PSBB) would be extended until May 22 as the outbreak had yet to subside. Anies urged residents to conduct Ramadan rituals, such as tarawih, at home with their families rather than in congregations. He also said that anyone found violating the PSBB measures, such as individuals participating in public gatherings and offices of nonessential companies remaining open, would be punished to educate the public. Bambang said Aselih's family and the teenagers had settled the problem through mediation with local stakeholders and religious leaders. "Aselih's son has deleted the report and locked his Instagram account. The teenagers also demanded that Aselih apologize to locals," Bambang said. The teenagers, he said, had also been advised not to repeat their actions. "They will be reported to the police if they carry out a similar action in the future," he said. Bambang said he had urged all residents to comply with PSBB rules including worshipping from home. "Before Ramadan, we had urged all residents not to perform mass tarawih. We plan to intensify our efforts [to educate residents] so such an incident doesn't occur in the future," he said. (nal) Kishori Pednekar, the mayor of Mumabi, put on a nurses uniform and visited the Brihanmubmbai Municipal Corporation (BMC)-run BYL Nair Hospital on Monday morning in a bid to encourage and enthuse the staff, who are at the frontline to combat the coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak. Pednekar, who herself is a former nurse, mingled with the hospitals nursing staff and enquired about their work and the difficulties they are facing while dealing with the outbreak. A BMC official said Pednekar ensured that social distancing norms were adhered to during her visit to the hospital. Ive worked as a nurse and Im acutely aware of the professional challenges. I put on my uniform to convey a message to the nursing fraternity that Im one of their own. I interacted with the nursing staff to encourage them in their valiant fight against the pandemic. These are hard times. We need to stand by each other to fight this pandemic together, she told HT. She went to the hospital today and offered to work but she is 57 and thus cannot serve as a nurse. Nevertheless, she has signed up saying she would like to join if needed,said a senior Shiv Sena leader. On Tuesday, Pednekar plans to make a similar visit to the BMC-run Sion Hospital. Pednekar had quarantined herself at her official residence in Byculla for a week after 53 journalists were recently tested positive for Covid-19 at a health camp organised by the BMC, which Pednekar also had attended. She had announced that she would quarantine herself at home for two weeks, but cut short the isolation after her test came negative for the second consecutive time. I stepped out after both my swab samples tested negative. Im Mumbais first citizen and I need to work for the Mumbaiites, she added. Pednekar, who was born to a mill worker father, started her career as a nurse before she took to politics and joined Shiv Senas womens wing in 1992. Initially, she worked for the Sena in Raigad and Sindhudurg districts. She was elected a BMC councillor in 2002 was re-elected in 2012 and 2017. Energy firms agreed to support any customer who was in financial distress during the coronavirus pandemic. (Getty) Energy suppliers in the UK have continued to use debt collectors, even after they agreed with the government to support customers in financial distress during the coronavirus pandemic. According to the Guardian, customers have been targeted by debt collectors and warned that action may be taken against them if they dont pay their bills. In one letter, Shell Energy warned a customer that arrangements could be made for a collection agent to to visit their home to recoup an outstanding balance of 78.51 ($97.58). The letter, which was sent several weeks after the government and the energy industry issued a joint statement pledging to support vulnerable people during the crisis, told the customer that their details could be shared with credit reference agencies. READ MORE: European stocks rise as countries discuss easing coronavirus lockdowns Many customers will have been financially impacted by the coronavirus, so it is concerning to hear that any energy supplier is using debt collectors to place pressure on customers who could be struggling during this difficult time, said Natalie Hitchins of consumer group Which? In a statement to the Guardian, Shell Energy (RDSA.L) said that the issuance of a letter from a debt collection company was a last-resort attempt to engage with a customer and only after weve repeatedly asked them to get in contact to see how we can help. British Gas (CNA.L) and Ovo Energy, the UKs largest energy suppliers, told the Guardian that they would continue to use debt collectors, noting that they had instructed them to offer financial help on their behalf. E.on UK (EOAN.DE) said that, while debt collectors acting on its behalf would continue to pursue long-standing debts, the company would not hand over new customer details to debt collection agencies. In March, suppliers and the government agreed that customers who may not be in a position to add credit to pre-payment meters could discuss ways to continue being supplied with energy, benefitting four million customers. Story continues READ MORE: Furloughed staff urged to harvest fruit and veg to fill migrant labour gap More generally, the firms agreed to support any energy customer in financial distress, noting that debt repayments and bills could be reassessed, reduced or paused where necessary. Disconnection of credit meters was also completely suspended under the agreement. The guidance is quite clear that energy suppliers must consider whether their customers are in financial difficulty and whether they can offer assistance, said Ed Dodman, a director at the Energy Ombudsman. This is not a carte blanche for customers to avoid paying bills but suppliers should be sensitive to the circumstances of their customers on a case by case basis. For Kim Kardashian West, intense scrutiny is par for the course. But, she isnt the only one under a microscope, her kids often bare the brunt of fame as well. Together with her husband, Kanye West, Kardashian West has four children. North West (six), Saint West (four), Chicago West (2), and Psalm West (11 months.) Having two extremely famous and controversial parents means that there are millions of eyes on these kids and people are constantly finding issues with Kardashian Wests parenting choices. North West and Kim Kardashian West | Mehdi Taamallah/NurPhoto via Getty Images Because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Kardashian West has had tons of extra time with her kids. And while shes openly admitted that theyre driving her crazy, she grateful that shes been able to have more family time than usual. In a recent Instagram post, she also shared that shes been using the time to go through the old photos of her kids on her phone. Kim Kardashian West shared how shes been spending the extra time in her house The best thing Ive been doing is organizing all of the pictures in my phone and making folders for each of my children, Kardashian West captioned a picture of her youngest daughter, Chicago. In the photo, a focused Chicago is building a block tower. She is also sporting camouflage shorts, a black tank top, and a black choker necklace. The photo is quite innocent, but some people were quick to offer their criticism. Critics took offense to the fact that Kardashian West was letting Chicago wear a choker necklace and told the 39-year-old that she was going overboard. A choker on a baby?! Cmon now you doing way too much! one Instagram user exclaimed in the comments.True!! I feel there is fashion that should wait until a certain agelooks to me like she has a dog collar on she is still super adorable, another chimed in. Critics believe a choker is not appropriate for young kids Others cited that kids that small should never wear jewelry like that because it is a safety hazard. Never a good idea to put anything around a babys neck. I guess they do anything for fashion even though its extremely stupid and careless, another person shared. Others felt that Kardashian West should be allowed to dress her kids in whatever ways she wanted. They jumped to her defense and stated that the choker was probably high-quality and that Chicago was clearly being monitored. But, critics werent willing to entertain that argument. Its perfectly normal to be worried about another childs safety. The fact of the matter is, putting a choker on a baby is extremely hazardous. Regardless of if its an expensive choker. There is still a risk. Safety over fashion. Especially when it comes to children, another Instagram user added. Kylie Jenner has also received similar criticism Of course, critics on Instagram will hardly stop Kardashian West from dressing and accessorizing her kids the way she wants. In fact, the KarJenner family has a history of going over the top with dressing their kids. Back in February, Kylie Jenner received backlash from allowing her two-year-old daughter, Stormi, to wear large gold hoops. Its clear that the KarJenners will dress their kids however they see fit. We just hope nobody gets hurt for the sake of fashion. Children in China's two most important cities went back to school Monday after more than three months at home, as coronavirus restrictions eased and governments around the world began charting a path out of the pandemic lockdown. Europe's four worst-affected countries all reported marked drops in their daily death tolls, offering hope that the outbreak may have peaked in some places -- at least for now. But leaders and experts remain divided on how quickly to revive shuttered economies while maintaining a delicate balance between freedom and safety. Italy and New York laid out partial reopening plans, with France and Spain to follow suit this week, while tens of thousands of final-year students returned to school in Shanghai and Beijing after months of closures. 'There is no widespread, undetected community transmission in New Zealand,' said Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. By Mark Mitchell (POOL/AFP) "I'm glad, it's been too long since I've seen my classmates," 18-year-old Hang Huan said in Shanghai. "I've missed them a lot." Students in Beijing must have their temperatures checked at school gates and show "green" health codes on an app that calculates a person's infection risk, according to the education ministry. Virus numbers in China -- where the disease first emerged late last year -- have dwindled as the country begins to cautiously lift control measures, although fears remain over a potential resurgence and cases imported from abroad. A man walks past a mural in Marseille, southern France. By Anne-Christine POUJOULAT (AFP) Primary schools in Norway were also set to reopen on Monday, along with some businesses in Switzerland such as hairdressers and florists, while New Zealand prepared to begin its phased exit from lockdown in the evening. "There is no widespread, undetected community transmission in New Zealand," Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern declared. "We have won that battle." 'Keep your distance' People enjoy the sun and sand amid the novel coronavirus pandemic in Huntington Beach, California. By Apu GOMES (AFP) More than 205,000 coronavirus deaths have been confirmed across the globe -- over a quarter in the United States. Italy has the second highest death toll at 26,000, followed by Spain, France and Britain, all at well over 20,000. But on Sunday Britain's daily tally was the lowest since March 31, while Italy and Spain's were the lowest in a month. France's toll was a drop of more than a third on the previous day's figures. Face masks are sold in a vending machine in a Berlin subway station. By Tobias Schwarz (AFP) Those encouraging numbers blew relief through a continent frustrated by restrictions designed to slow the spread of the disease. "We cannot continue beyond this lockdown -- we risk damaging the country's socioeconomic fabric too much," said Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte as he unveiled a plan to emerge from Europe's longest shutdown, in place since early March. Hindu devotees bathe in Jabalpur on the occasion of Akshaya Tritiya, a annual spring festival which is believed to bring good luck and success, during the nationwide lockdown in India. By Uma Shankar MISHRA (AFP) People will have to wear masks in public and rigorously observe social distancing measures when the country's current restrictions are eased on May 4. "If you love Italy, keep your distance from others," he said. Britain's leader, Boris Johnson, was to return to work on Monday after being hospitalised by COVID-19, one of nearly three million people known to have been infected worldwide. Hide and seek A woman donates money after receiving bread during the feast of San Giorgio in Caresana, northern Italy. By MARCO BERTORELLO (AFP) The pandemic has forced more than half of humanity into lockdowns to stop the virus from spreading -- upending lives and tipping the global economy toward a recession of a severity not seen in decades. Millions of Muslims are marking a Ramadan like no other -- under restrictions for a month of dusk-to-dawn fasting that in happier times involves large family meals. Saudi Arabia said it would partially lift its curfew but would maintain a round-the-clock lockdown in the Muslim holy city of Mecca. A healthcare worker collects a nasal swab sample from a migrant worker for testing for the COVID-19 novel coronavirus in Singapore. By Roslan RAHMAN (AFP) In Spain, which has had some of the strictest measures in Europe, children ventured outside for the first time since mid-March on Sunday, some wearing small masks and gloves. "We played hide-and-seek, we raced. We found a ladybird that was lost," said six-year-old Ricardo, who ran around with his younger sister. Not every country has enforced social distancing during the pandemic, however. Secretive Turkmenistan, one of the few places not to have reported a single COVID-19 case -- despite bordering virus hotspot Iran -- held festivities to honour its national horse, with spectators packed into a hippodrome. Vaccine race Medical personnel check temperatures of patients visiting Mpilo Hospital in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. By ZINYANGE AUNTONY (AFP) While cases and deaths plateau, the world remains in wait-and-see mode as scientists race to develop treatments and, eventually, a vaccine for the virus. Some governments are studying measures such as "immunity passports" to get people back to work -- but the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that people who survive COVID-19 cannot be certain they will not be hit again. Deborah Birx, the doctor who coordinates the US coronavirus response, said the WHO was being "very cautious". Several countries plan to introduce virus tracing apps to alert users if they are near someone who has tested positive -- technology already downloaded by more than one million Australians, despite privacy concerns. In New York, Governor Andrew Cuomo said a first stage of a reopening would start on May 15 if hospitalisations decrease. But for some conservative-led US states, that timeframe is too long. Rejecting the advice of top disease experts, Georgia has allowed thousands of businesses to resume operations, and Oklahoma will let restaurants and cinemas reopen from May. "People are still going to get it. But Oklahomans are safe and we're ready for a measured reopening," Governor Kevin Stitt told Fox News. burs-kaf/axn Officer Oler arrived just in time to assist with a vehicle fire at the Taco Bell drive through today. Great job Officer Oler!! Posted by Stafford Township Police Department on Sunday, April 26, 2020 A police officers actions likely saved a fast food restaurant from burning down Sunday, officials said. An SUV caught fire Sunday in the drive-thru of a Taco Bell on Route 72 East in Manahawkin, and started to spread to the lower part of the building, Stafford Township Police Department spokesman Capt. James Vaughn said. Stafford Officer Keith Oler arrived and used his police SUV to push the vehicle away, preventing more damage to the building. Vaughn said Olers actions were a credit to the agency and the law enforcement community. A bystander filmed the action and posted it on Facebook. Neither Oler nor the people whod been in the vehicle were injured. The cause of the fire is believed to have stemmed from a mechanical issue and is not deemed suspicious, police said. The vehicle was later towed from the area. Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription. Chris Franklin Here may be reached at cfranklin@njadvancemedia.com. The Zongo Development Fund has donated hygiene products to Imams and Zongo chiefs in Kumasi as part of efforts to combat the coronavirus Pandemic in Zongo communities. Among the beneficiaries were the Ashanti Regional Chief Imam, the Kumasi Zongo chief, Tafo Zongo Chief and the Council of Zongo Chiefs. Alhaji Baba Sadiq Yakub, the Deputy Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of ZDF who presented the items, said the initiative formed part of government's commitment to support communities observe COVID 19 Infection Prevention and Control measures He said the target was to reach out to the less privileged and vulnerable in society through community leaders. He disclosed that the donation was going to be extended to various Zongo communities across the country. We have in all 200,000 bottles of soap and hand sanitizers and about 1 million face masks that we intend to distribute across the country, Alhaji Yakub emphasized. The Director of Projects, Mr. Abdul-Majid Adam, said it was important to support Imams and Zongo chiefs in the fight against coronavirus as community leaders. He was also glad to disclose that indigenous people in Zongo communities were engaged in the production of all the sanitary items as a way of creating employment in the Zongos. Well, as you might imagine, in a time of national lockdowns, countrywide state of emergencies, 'indefinite' international travel bans, and social distancing, writing an upbeat holiday and tourism column might seem a challenge! Yet just as we are inspired by stories of individuals who find inner strength and courage when facing what might seem insurmountable challenges, so too we can feel uplifted by how our families, communities and also businesses have come together in this time of crisis. This is also true of the travel sector, where sudden and dramatic changes, although damaging to this important part of the world economy, have become a catalyst for innovation. So this month I speak with travel entrepreneurs about their businesses here in Southern Spain, discovering how they are dealing with the present crisis, and their insights into how they anticipate travel will look in the near future. Hope and optimism I am lifted by the optimism I feel within the sector, despite the obvious hardships that many small travel business owners are experiencing, with a sudden decline in revenue and in many cases, a tsunami of cancellations. Manni Coe, founder of boutique tour operator, Toma & Coe, is feeling bullish: "Looking at current recovery trends in China, as travel bans begin to lift, I am encouraged to be optimistic. I believe we will begin to see a return of visitors by the end of the summer. Obviously, it will take a while for travel confidence to bounce back but Andalucia is a reference in worldwide tourism and will therefore recover more quickly. Am I being unrealistic? I hope not..." As residents in Andalucia we are more fortunate than most, since we have one of Europe's most compelling and diverse holiday destinations right on our doorstep Sam Lister, founder of Tailormade Andalucia, agrees, "the travel industry will regain its strength faster than we expect". But he sees changes: "Initially there may be a trend for holiday durations to be shorter, for the overall balance of a holiday to be more rural, with less time in densely populated cities; and people will book their trips closer to travel dates." Eduardo Blanco, a high-end travel designer based in Seville, is cautiously hopeful too. "Travel will take off slowly but will recover faster than expected. People will search for more local experiences far from crowds and favour domestic travel. Regarding luxury travel, I believe the trend will be shorter trips, off-the-beaten-path." Lynsey Drake, the founder of La Rosilla, provider of rural Malaga food and culture day trips and experiences, has been maintaining a positive attitude during the lockdown "by sharing recipes, food videos and menu plans with online followers and past guests". She continues, "In the near future, should we not be able to travel far, there are always new places to explore locally and with the myriad traditions and flavours in Andalucia it will be an exciting and uplifting time for us all. For the future we plan to extend our services to included hiking tours in the Malaga mountains with delicious picnics; and go back to our roots with our famous 'Supper-club on the Terrace' where La Rosilla all began." Domestic travel As residents in Andalucia we are more fortunate than most, since we have one of Europe's most compelling and diverse holiday destinations right on our doorstep. Earlier this month Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said in a televised address that from May, "we will begin taking the first steps towards a new normality". Although government ministers have been tight-lipped about confirming any timescales for the return of non-essential travel, I truly hope it will be possible to travel domestically by the summer. Once couples and families have the freedom to travel together in a car, Andalucia will be waiting for us - and the trend will surely be towards rural pursuits away from the crowds. Manni Coe (back left) on a Toma & Coe rural adventure. / SUR Manni Coe continues, "We already have a focus on rural Andalucia, our first love, but after the lockdown, we will concentrate a lot more on all our rural activities; walking, wine tasting, bird watching, nature reserves, and white villages. Of course, we love the cities, but we feel our strength is in the mountain villages and rural experiences, focusing on areas that have not been affected by coronavirus." Independent travel will increase, and this can only be good news for these business owners I spoke to. Victor Garrido, owner and Malaga guide at We Love Malaga confirms, "We will see a growth in independent travellers, where they arrange their own transportation, accommodation and tours." In the new age of social distancing, the types of trips and holidays these independent travellers will seek will be different from before. For our first tentative adventures, we might skip the opportunity to board an aircraft for a long-haul flight or stay at mega resort. Instead short-haul and intimate will be preferred. Family and friends Nicky Morris Goodman, who has fallen in love with the "timeless, ravishing beauty of Seville" is the creative energy behind the renovation of some characterful properties in the city, which she offers for private holiday rentals. She says of near future travel, "I think that we will have an appetite to spend time and share experiences with those that we love and care for, with a renewed vigour for life. We will have a fresh appreciation of our liberty and the joy of freedom of movement. Private vacation rentals offer a sense of comfort and intimacy that allow us time and space to relax and reconnect - the perfect antidote to the difficult days." I am tempted to agree. The intimacy and security of a family trip, staying in a single property and sharing travel experiences looks set to be the 'new normal'. Annie, of Annie B's Kitchen, also anticipates changes in booking habits for her food, wine and culture experiences. "I see my tours and classes becoming 100% private, for families, couples or friends travelling together rather than being open to people joining together," she explains. Read more The directoryLets save future travel Lindsay Gregory, creator of The Luxury Villa Collection believes, "there will be a tendency away from massive hotel resorts and cruises, towards more private home rentals and single-family residences as a 'safer' option, at least until the nerves die down". Like many in the sector, she remains optimistic that the travel will bounce back once restrictions are lifted. She continues, "Everyone has been so understanding and yet deeply disappointed at having to put on hold their much-needed family time away (as well as weddings, family birthdays, and corporate events...) so we have high hopes that the industry will spring back as soon as it is safe to travel again: after all, the world will need desperately to top up its vitamin D levels!" My Local Concierge is a Marbella-based luxury lifestyle and property management company. Director Fay Wallis sees that the virus has divided travellers into those who will "have a fear of travelling; and then others for whom it will be the first thing that they want to do once restrictions are lifted. Nonetheless, I do think the trend for leisure will be towards shorter distance travel rather than long-haul for a time. That's why we're redoubling our effort in our property management services and the My Local Concierge App for owners here in Southern Spain," she says. Meaningful and authentic Ian Rutter and Andrew Watson, owners of the boutique Bed & Breakfast Casa Higueras in the Granada village of Moclin have created the MyTravelPledge.com campaign offering free short-stays to nominated, and selected healthcare workers, once the health crisis subsides. Ian explains, "Our Bed & Breakfast, high in the hills above Granada, is a perfect place to forget about coronavirus, and we have offered a number of free stays to NHS hospital staff as a gesture of thanks." Going forward he sees the trend in travel to be, "culturally based and experience-focused travel. For Spain, this might be a good time to concentrate actively on attracting high value experience travellers to come and discover the stunning treasures of inland Spain. For our holiday creative courses, the core philosophy is to provide an immersive cultural and creative experience." If staying in a uniquely stylish private home, luxe villa or charming B&B doesn't appeal, then maybe hitting the road in a motorhome does. Even before Covid-19 spread and changed our lives, campervan holidays were experiencing a huge surge in popularity as travellers sought the freedom of this most independent way of travel. Gonzalo Ros, who runs the family firm Flamenco Campers, based near Malaga, says, "Slow tourism is going to grow, travelling independently away from the crowds, discovering wonderful natural, rural places. The focus will be on more responsible and sustainable tourism." Hotels, guest houses, holiday rentals and campervans will all need to revaluate their approach to cleaning and disinfecting. For example, Gonzalo continues, "For the safety and confidence of our travellers, we have implemented new cleaning and disinfection procedures in the vehicles of our fleet, using disinfectant and antimicrobial cleaning products that are certified by the Ministry of Health, as well as offering comprehensive interior disinfection using portable Ozone/UV light machines." Travel professionalism will be the guarantee that travellers look for. Eduardo Blanco, says, "I believe travellers will be increasingly cautious. They will value more than ever the role of a travel advisor, to offer expertise and security. They will also use comprehensive travel insurances too." Making a difference Authenticity and mindfulness are certainly recurring notions in these conversations with the travel entrepreneurs. The crisis will mean that the way we travel, and our expectations may never be the same. Ignacio Soto, the talent behind Nature Tarifa, truly believes we will all be looking to the "experiential side of travel; travel that helps us understand and appreciate the essence of life, and our role in today's world." Ivan Ricoy, travel planner and owner of Genuine Andalusia agrees, "I personally feel that more people will search for meaningful journeys," he says. "I also believe that travellers will want to make a positive impact on communities, families and businesses that have suffered because of the coronavirus. That will influence clients' travel style," he adds. "People will want to see that they are helping others through their travels. At Genuine Andalusia, we design and conduct tours that generate interaction with the local community. This has allowed me to appreciate the very positive impact that my guests' travel has in southern Spain. We will see much more of this in the future." Sam Lister (left) of Tailormade Andalucia. / SUR The temporary 'freezing' of travel has also given small businesses time to revaluate their way of working. The travel sector has in the past shown itself to be amazingly resilient when faced with challenges such as economic downturns, natural disasters, and even terrorism. There is an inherent strength in the human spirit, that when the going gets tough, the tough get going. For small businesses owners, it has provided the time to take a fresh perspective to prepare for the future. Sam Lister explains, "We're using this time to become a more 'modern' company, incorporating new apps and products that will enrich our travellers' experiences whilst never losing our personal touch. We are always looking at ways of introducing our travellers to real people, artisans, locals and interesting individuals whilst they are here in Andalucia. Many monuments are must-sees, but it is the people that make a trip unforgettable." Despite the temptation to feel anxiety about the future, I am positive. Confinement will end and we will be able to celebrate our freedom by heading to the mountains, walking on the beach, seeing families and loved ones, and of course going on a trip. Ignacio Soto, of Nature Tarifa, will head out onto the water once the lockdown is relaxed. He tells me, "I'll sail and navigate the waters of the Strait, to breathe in the fresh air, and feel and listen to the sea again!" Here's to future travel, and that wonderful feeling of freedom! LENIN: A DEFINING LIFE IN HISTORY Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov, later to be known as Lenin, was born in the Russian city of Simbirsk (renamed in Soviet times as Ulyanovsk in his honour) on the 22nd April, 1870. Last Wednesday, we celebrated his 150th birthday. Lenin studied law in Kazan and Samara, took an active role in revolutionary student groups, and studied the works of Marx and Engels and other revolutionary theorists. Already in those days he drew the attention of the Tsarist police and won respect from his peers with his theoretical and leadership abilities. In 1893, he moved to St Petersburg (later called Leningrad) and began promoting Marxism amongst workers and intellectuals. By 1895 he united the various small Marxist groups in the city into one, the League of Struggle for the Emancipation of the Working Class. Lenins leadership directed the Leagues work towards the primary task of uniting the theory and practical struggle of socialism with the working-class movement, conducting extensive propaganda and organisational work amongst the workers. He consistently promoted the truth of Marxs theories and their relevance to Russian conditions, refuted opposing ideological tendencies such as Narodism and Economism, and revisionist tendencies such as the so-called Legal Marxism. In December 1895, Lenin was arrested by the Tsarist police and spent the entirety of the next four years in prison and exile in Siberia. Nonetheless, he managed to stay in secret contact with his comrades and gave important advice, as well as writing the significant work The Development of Capitalism in Russia. This book hammered the final nail in the coffin of Narodism and paved the way for Marxism to become the leading ideology of the working class movement in Russia. It is also during this period that, inspired by Lenins St Petersburg group, Leagues of Struggle also arose in other cities, as well as other Social-Democratic groups (at that time, Social-Democratic was the usual term for socialist). In 1898, these groups united into the Russian Social-Democratic Labour Party (RSDLP) which would eventually become the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and held its First Congress. While in exile, Lenin developed a plan for the organisation of the Party and the creation of a political newspaper for the entire country, which would serve to help unite the Party and bring the Party into closer contact with the people. Once he was freed in 1900, Lenin immediately put this plan into action, founding the newspaper Iskra. Owing to Tsarist censorship, the paper had to be printed abroad and smuggled into Russia with great effort. Although the Party had been formally founded, it still existed as a coherent body more on paper than in practice. Lenin thus devoted his attention to the question of how to build the Party organisationally and theoretically. To this end, in 1901 he published the famous work What Is To Be Done?, in which he advocated for a highly disciplined Party, with a unified and robust grasp of theory, representing the most advanced section of the proletariat, as necessary to lead the struggle to end the rule of the exploiters. Iskra popularised these theories within the Party and amongst the people. In 1903, the Second Congress of the RSDLP was held. The Iskra trend within the Party had already come to dominate the Party ideologically. However, within this trend, two different groups emerged with seemingly minor differences of interpretation. These groups broke into open hostility during the Second Congress. The group led by Lenin became known as the Bolsheviks, while the group led by Martov (another member of the Iskra editorial board) became known as the Mensheviks. The major point of conflict which emerged at this Congress was whether membership and activity in a Party organisation should be a requirement for Party membership (supported by Lenin) or not (supported by Martov). Martov proposed that the Party should accept a broader membership who did not necessarily have to join and work in Party branches or other Party organisations. Lenin, however, correctly identified that this question is no minor issue, and in fact would determine the nature of the Party and its future; that the Party must require that all members be trained as revolutionaries through practical Party work. After the Congress, the split between these two factions grew deeper. They began to act as separate parties, acting independently and holding separate congresses. Lenin wrote his classic work One Step Forward, Two Steps Back, further solidifying the Leninist, Bolshevik theory of Party building, and rejecting the Mensheviks turn to opportunism. Iskra was overtaken by Mensheviks, and Lenin resigned from its board; the paper then ceased publication in 1905. The Bolsheviks set up new newspapers of their own. In 1905, a revolutionary situation emerged in Russia. Both the Mensheviks and Bolsheviks recognised the nature of this revolution as bourgeois-democratic. However, the Mensheviks promoted the dogmatic view that the Russian bourgeoisie must lead the bourgeois-democratic revolution in Russia as it had done in Western European countries in the previous century or earlier, and the proletariat should seek a tactical alliance with the bourgeoisie. Lenin, most famously in his work Two Tactics of Social-Democracy in the Democratic Revolution, argued that the Russian bourgeoisie was economically and politically underdeveloped, and would fail to carry out the full tasks of the democratic revolution, and would instead seek compromise with the Tsar. He argued that the proletariat must build an alliance with the peasantry, who comprised the majority of the population, and in common with the proletariat were horribly exploited by the existing system. Lenins analysis was proven correct when the revolution failed to achieve its full aims, with the Tsar instead making limited compromises to the bourgeoisie. Despite this, the revolutionary struggle succeeded in establishing revolutionary committees (later to be known as Soviets) of workers, peasants and soldiers. After the failure of the first Russian Revolution, a period of intense repression and reactionary policy by the Tsarist regime followed. The revolutionaries were forced underground. Lenin was forced to spend more and more of his time outside of Russia. But regardless of these difficulties, his leadership was unanimously upheld by his comrades. The Bolsheviks became skilled at combining legal and illegal forms of work, dynamically adapting to the changing circumstances, and tightened their discipline and theoretical foundation. In 1912, the Bolsheviks formally declared themselves an independent Party, and founded the renowned newspaper Pravda, and further extended and deepened their presence amongst the working people. By this time, the contradictions of imperialism around the world were intensifying, and there began a new revolutionary upsurge. However, with the outbreak of the First World War, the European Social-Democratic parties of the Second International, which had already been severely criticised by Lenin for many years for their opportunism, completely abandoned principle and openly sided with their respective imperialist governments in the war. Lenin instead made the correct Marxist analysis of the war as an inter-imperialist conflict, which should be opposed by the proletariat of all countries. A split occurred in the socialist movement across the world, and Lenin and the Bolsheviks played a major role in organising the 1915 Zimmerwald Conference of European socialist groups opposed to the war and subsequent such conferences. In 1916, Lenin wrote Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism, in which he clearly analyses the nature of the imperialist stage of capitalism and its significance to Marxist theory and practice, and showed how the development of imperialism initiates the era of proletarian revolution. The contradictions intensified by the war led to a surge in sympathy for the Bolsheviks among the Russian workers and peasants. A new revolutionary situation emerged, and Lenin was quick to identify it and calculate a course of action. In early 1917, several major strikes broke out around Russia. On several occasions, the army was sent in by the Tsarist government to fire on crowds of striking workers. But this brutality only further radicalised the workers and turned the sympathy of many soldiers against the government. On 12th March, soldiers in St Petersburg refused to fire on the workers and instead joined them in protest. The news spread rapidly. Workers, peasants, and soldiers around the country united against the Tsar. New Soviets of Workers and Soldiers deputies were established, with leadership contested by the Bolsheviks, Mensheviks, and the petty-bourgeois Socialist-Revolutionary party. The Tsar abdicated on 15th March, and the next day a Provisional Government was announced. This government was supported by, and included representatives of, the Mensheviks and Socialist-Revolutionaries. However, Lenin declared that this government was, in fact, an organ of bourgeois rule, which was proven correct when it pledged to continue the imperialist war and took measures to preserve the privileges of the capitalists and landlords. Lenin correctly analysed that the situation Russia faced was a struggle between two powers: the dictatorship of the bourgeoisie, represented by the Provisional Government; and the dictatorship of the proletariat, represented by the Soviets. In April, Lenin was able to return to Russia, and wrote his April Theses, in which he demanded that the war end, and described a plan to surpass the bourgeois-democratic revolution and proceed immediately to the socialist revolution. He advocated for all power to be given to the Soviets, and the Provisional Government to be disbanded. He also recommended that the Party no longer be called Social-Democratic, but instead a Communist Party, to mark clearly the schism between the opportunist parties who had betrayed the proletariat and the firm Marxist parties who consistently upheld the proletariats interests. This change would be made at the 7th Party Congress in 1918. Likewise, Lenin advocated for a new International to be formed of these Communist Parties of all countries, which would be done in 1919 named the Communist International. The struggle over the next few months developed rapidly and took many turns, which Lenin capably navigated. The consistency of the Bolshevik Party and servility of the other parties to the bourgeoisie led to a steady increase of support for the Bolsheviks and their policies by the people. Eventually, the October Socialist Revolution broke out and was swiftly victorious, with the undisputed leadership of the Bolshevik Party. Lenins thought and practice, and his leadership of the long struggle to achieve the victory of the socialist revolution, are a vast treasury of knowledge, eternally relevant to our struggle. His subsequent leadership of the building of the Soviet state, the first socialist state, and the beginnings of socialist economic construction for the last years of his life (tragically cut short on 21st January 1924 due to a stroke) are likewise of incalculably great value. For these reasons, and especially for his further elaboration and development of, and unshakeable commitment to, Marxism in the era of imperialism and proletarian revolution, we proudly call ourselves Marxist-Leninists. Taiwan needs new medium-range missile: analyst ROC Central News Agency 04/26/2020 08:58 PM Taipei, April 26 (CNA) The development of the "Yun Feng" (Cloud Peak) medium-range surface-to-surface missile is strategically important to Taiwan as a deterrent, a defense analyst told CNA amid reports that the weapon system had been tested recently. "The aim of developing the missile is not to neutralize the enemy but to reduce its ability to attack," said Su Tzu-yun (), a senior researcher at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research. The Yun Feng, said to have a range of 1,500-2,000 kilometers, is capable of hitting strategic targets such as airports, harbors and command centers in inland China, Su said, adding that the missile forms an important part of Taiwan's asymmetric warfare. China's air force is considered the biggest threat to Taiwan. If China's air bases can be destroyed, then Taiwan will have a better chance of defending itself, Su said. Su made the comments after local media speculated that the Yun Feng missile was tested earlier this month. According to a UDN report on Sunday, the missile could be among several weapons being tested by the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST), Taiwan's state-owned weapon system development institution, on April 14-15 at the Jiupeng base in southern Taiwan. The report made the speculation judging from a NCSIST notice of live-fire tests that described the alert level as "unlimited." There was no comment from the NCSIST. The government has yet to confirm the existence of any such missile, but according to local and foreign media reports, it has been under secret development since the 1990s and is designed to strike land-based targets inside mainland China. (By Matt Yu and Emerson Lim) Enditem/J NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Mumbai, April 27 : Actress Saumya Tandon has urged people to contribute towards healthcare kits for frontline workers fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. The initiative was started by a young student who lives in her building and Saumya was more than willing to help out in all ways possible. "A boy who stays in my building has started this initiative and we must support it wholeheartedly. In times like these, humanity must rise to the occasion and I'm sure we will raise enough funds to procure the kits," she said. Image Source: IANS News "Every drop counts in such efforts and the response has been very encouraging. We still need more funds and I hope that the citizens will leave no stone unturned to expressing gratitude towards these brave hearts who risk their lives daily to keep us safe," she added. Saumya has been appealing, through her social media, asking people to donate towards the cause. Her fans have tweeted in support of the initiative. Image Source: IANS News "Truly mam commendable n highly appreciable job by Ryan n his team. N huge #Respect for u mam. U r trying your level best to give a helping hand from your own way u could. Proud of u mam. Such a Sweet , pure n kind heart + soul u have," commented a fan. Another wrote: "That's a brilliant effort by Ryan and your support is applaudable too ma'am." -- Syndicated from IANS As many as 92 fishermen from Srikakulam and Vizianagaram in Andhra Pradesh were stranded in their boats near an island off Krishna District due to rough sea conditions and were rescued on Monday, officials said. The fishermen had set out from Chennai on April 24 to Srikakulam and got stuck near Edurumondi island in view of rough weather on Monday. Officials brought them to the shores and accommodated in a government high school in Edurumondi village. They would be allowed to return to their native places after the weather became normal, Machilipatnam Revenue Division Officer N S K Khaja Vali said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) (Corrects Italy has world's second, not third, highest death toll, paragraph 6) * Italy to allow factories and building sites to reopen * Thousands of New Zealanders allowed back to work * British PM, back at work after hospital spell, keeps guard up * By Giselda Vagnoni and Guy Faulconbridge ROME/LONDON, April 27 (Reuters) - Countries from Italy to New Zealand have announced the easing of coronavirus lockdowns but Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson, back at work on Monday after being hospitalised with the disease, said it was too early to relax restrictions there. Nearly 3 million people have been infected by the coronavirus across the world and 205,948 have died, according to a Reuters tally of official figures. But many countries are looking to ease lockdowns as rates of infections fall and fears of economic ruin rise. The world's worst pandemic in a century, which started in China in December before creeping across the globe, has forced a dilemma upon governments. People cooped up in their homes for weeks on end are growing frustrated and anxious about what the future holds. And with economic activity from shops and bars to factories and tourism severely curtailed, prolonged recessions are forecast for many countries. But with no antidote yet found for the coronavirus, leaders are also acutely aware that a second wave of infections could sweep over their countries just as life gets back to some kind of normal. Italy, which has the world's second-highest rate of coronavirus deaths at more than 26,000, will allow factories and building sites to reopen from May 4 and permit limited family visits as it prepares a staged end to Europe's longest coronavirus lockdown, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said on Sunday. Italy is looking ahead to a second phase of the crisis in which it will attempt to restart the economy without triggering a new wave of infections. "We expect a very complex challenge," Conte said. "We will live with the virus and we will have to adopt every precaution possible." Story continues New Zealanders will be able to go fishing, surfing, hunting and hiking this week for the first time in more than a month as it begins to ease its way out of a strict lockdown. About 400,000 people will return to work after the country shifts its alert level down a notch at midnight on Monday, but shops and restaurants will remain closed. New Zealand's 5 million residents were subjected to one of the strictest lockdowns in the world, with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern closing offices, schools, bars and restaurants, including take away and delivery services, on March 26. In Norway, school children from first to fourth grades returned to schools for the first time since mid-March, while a range of small businesses, including hairdressers, were allowed to open. "I feel like a burden has been lifted," said Abi Qadar, a 36-year-old artist, after dropping off his seven-year-old daughter at school in central Oslo. "It was tough." Germany's economy minister urged its 16 states on Monday to reopen slowly. As the number of new infections has fallen, many businesses like smaller stores or car dealerships have been allowed to reopen and some students are returning to schools. 'UNITY AND DETERMINATION' In Spain, one of the worst-hit countries, children went outside on Sunday, emerging from their homes for the first time after six weeks of living under one of Europe's strictest coronavirus lockdowns. Israel on Sunday allowed some businesses to reopen and said it was considering letting children return to school. Croatia on Monday began easing curbs, allowing smaller shops, libraries and museums to reopen. Serbia allowed small businesses and food markets to open their shutters, eased an overnight curfew and allowed elderly to venture outside three times a week. Romania said it would not extend the current state of emergency past May 15, when people will be able to move around with documentation. British Prime Minister Johnson, 55, speaking outside his Downing Street residence a month and a day since testing positive for the virus, compared the disease to a street criminal that the British people had wrestled to the floor. Johnson, who spent three nights in intensive care at a public hospital in London, said he understood the concerns of business and would consult with opposition parties - but he made clear that there was to be no swift lifting of the lockdown. "If we can show the same spirit of unity and determination as we've all shown in the past six weeks, then I have absolutely no doubt that we will beat it," he said. But he did say the government would outline plans for an easing of curbs in coming days. In the United States, which has recorded the world's highest infection and death tolls, critics have accused President Donald Trump of mixed and confusing messages on the coronavirus as states have bickered with the White House over how to handle the outbreak and when to reopen the economy. Georgia, Oklahoma and several other states took tentative steps at restarting businesses on Friday, despite disapproval from Trump and medical experts. The Chinese city of Wuhan, where the virus originated in December, now has no remaining cases in its hospitals, a health official said. The city is still testing residents regularly despite relaxing its lockdown. Nearly two million Australians rushed to download an app designed to help medical workers and state governments trace close contacts of COVID-19 patients, while Prime Minister Scott Morrison's approval rating soared on his pandemic response. Australia has been one of the most successful countries in fighting the coronavirus pandemic, recording just 83 deaths and 6,700 cases, because of border closures, movement restrictions and a stay-at-home policy. It has lowered the daily infection growth rate to less than 1%, down from the 25% seen in March. (Additional reporting by Reuters bureaux; Writing by Nick Macfie; Editing by Angus MacSwan) WEBB, N.Y. Town of Webb police and New York State forest rangers are reminding hikers to avoid certain trails or trailheads when social distancing is not possible because of overcrowding. Officers were issuing tickets over the weekend to people who parked illegally on Rondaxe Road at the Bald Mountain Fire Tower trailhead, because there were too many people trying to hike at the site. Police say while trails are still open, for everyones safety, people should not try to hike in areas were there are already several people. This could put first responders at risk if there is an injury that requires a rescue. For more information on trail locations, visit: parks.ny.gov or cnyhiking.com. Nouakchott, Mauritania (PANA) - Hundreds of Mauritanian families stranded at the borders with Senegal and Morocco for about two months due to the global coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic Monday demonstrated here at the presidential palace to demand the repatriation of their relatives, PANA reported Dear Mayor Goodman: Enclosed is an article I clipped from the Elko Daily Free Press about the plight in Las Vegas and I would like to respond: The enemy is the Wuhan coronavirus, and our politicians in order to wage war have restricted our fundamental freedoms which are supposed to be temporary. But how long is "temporary? Also, even if they lift these controls, how long will it be before such controls are again imposed, if not in response to a virus, but to some other crisis, real or perceived? And even if they lift these infringements on our constitutionally protected rights, the damage done to this economy will be long-lasting. Unless the economy is powered up again without delay after delay, we will all see more impoverishment. I am delighted that you have been an outspoken critic of Governor Sisolak; however, the root cause of the problem is that Sisolak was put into office in the first place, and voted in by the major areas of Las Vegas and Reno-Carson. So, you are getting just what you bargained for: A Governor who looks to the Governor of California for support and guidance, a Democratic-authoritarian SEIU, all compounded by being a sanctuary city which is in violation of Federal law. None of us know the long-term consequences of lockdowns but beware of the propaganda in the press used to create a frightened population. Actually, your (our) businesses are now under the control of the government; President Trump is vilified at every turn of the page and much of this is being done to carry out the impeachment, the failed Russian collusion, and the coup, for those who still want to destroy him. Hate is all-encompassing, but they dont care as long as their mission to liquidate his White House is accomplished, and they dont give a damn for you or me or reviving our economy. This is their last chance after having failed in the Russian collusion farce, the impeachment trial and relentless criticism. They will extend this as long as is possible until the public revolts! I would suggest you obtain the latest issue of The New American: "Coronavirus, Freedom is the Cure. Its a special report and can be ordered by calling 1-800-342-6491 or Online: www.ShopJBS.org. It is invaluable for understanding the political consequences and media fear-mongering leading up to the future of this totalitarian agenda. Good luck, Thelma M. Homer Elko Love 3 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 5 Van Buren, N.Y. When state troopers pulled over a driver on the New York State Thruway in northern Onondaga County this weekend, they found more than 13,000 untaxed cigarettes inside the vehicle. Troopers also said 41-year-old Franklin H. Jourdanais Jr., of Waterford in Saratoga County, was also driving with a suspended license at about 8 p.m. Saturday on Interstate 90 in the town of Van Buren, state police said in a news release Monday. State police seized about 34 cartons and 37 bags of loose cigarettes, totaling 13,000 untaxed/unstamped cigarettes, from the vehicle, police said. Troopers took Jourdanais into custody and brought him to their barracks near the Syracuse airport, where he was charged with willfully possessing, transporting or selling more than 10,000 unstamped cigarettes under the New York State Tax Law; a felony, and second-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, a misdemeanor. Jourdanais was released with appearance tickets. He is scheduled to answer the charges at 2 p.m. June 3 in Van Buren Town Court. Have a tip or a story idea? Contact Catie OToole: cotoole@syracuse.com | text/call (315) 470-2134 | Twitter | Facebook Ardeshir Zahedi: U.S. proved to be "real terrorist" by assassinating General Soleimani 03/29/20 Source: Mehr News Agency Ardeshir Zahedi, a former Iranian foreign minister and ambassador to the United States from the Pahlavi regime era, said Washington's breach of the international law and assassination of the top Iranian anti-terror commander Major General Qassem Soleimani showed who is the real terrorist. "I have always been and will always be proud of Qassem Soleimani; he was the one who sacrificed his life for his country unlike those who sell themselves for money," Zahedi told BBC on Sunday. : . pic.twitter.com/fgrMRbHM45 BBC NEWS (@bbcpersian) April 26, 2020 Lauding the Iranian armed forces' great might and commitment to the country and nation, the former diplomat said, "Since they [the US] were opposed to Iran's military and Generals, they acted contrary to the international law." "Now, they [US government] call others terrorists, while themselves trample the international law, commit terrors and announce it proudly," he added. On January 3, the US assassinated General Soleimani, commander of the Quds Force of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the second-in-command of Iraq's Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), and a group of their companions in Baghdad. The operation was conducted with the authorization of Trump. The Pentagon took responsibility for the assassination. Ardeshir Zahedi Commenting on the United States' policy of regime change in Iran Zahedi said, "The US and its allies, such as the Israeli regime and the Saudis, have failed in their plots against Iran." He called those pushing for regime change as traitors. "Many of these anti-revolutionary groups living outside of Iran who seek regime change are kind of corrupt. They receive money from the foreigner, work against their own people, I would call them traitors." Zahedi served as Iran's foreign minister from 1966 to 1971. He served two stints as ambassador to the US from 1960 to 1962 and from 1973 to 1979. Authorities say Foster flew from Atlanta to Chicagos OHare International Airport and then rented a car and drove to Des Plaines, intent on confronting the 26-year-old man they say was dating Fosters former girlfriend. Prosecutors allege Foster approached the man on the street, hit him in the head with a tire iron, carved initials into his leg and then cut off his penis. COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Hours before Gov. Mike DeWine rolled out his plan to gradually roll back Ohios coronavirus restrictions, a group of GOP state lawmakers pre-empted the governor by rolling out their own plan proposing a full and immediate re-opening of all state businesses. The GOP plan, titled the Open Ohio Responsibly Framework," as of Monday afternoon was signed by 33 Republican state representatives, generally a sampling of the House GOP caucus more conservative members, many of whom represent rural areas. There are 61 GOP House members overall. It calls for businesses to voluntarily follow safety guidelines by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, and for the governors office to issue guidance to local health departments, which would be responsible for carrying it out. It was posted to Facebook on Monday by one legislator who signed it, state Rep. Nino Vitale, an Urbana Republican. Also before DeWines announcement, House Democratic leaders released their own more cautious plan, which called for a focus of increased testing and an emphasis on providing protection and childcare for workers. House Minority Leader Emilia Sykes, an Akron Democrat, said its too soon to begin re-opening businesses, since Ohio still hasnt fully expanded its capacity to perform needed COVID-19 tests. The White Houses guidelines for re-opening states call for 14 days of a decreasing number of positive tests. Ohio has seen its number of cases plateau, but has seen only four consecutive days of decreasing cases, in part likely do to a surge of testing in state prisons. Without having that information we are operating blindly and leaving ourselves susceptible for a second surge, Sykes said. DeWine ended up announcing a phased re-opening plan, under which offices, retailers and manufacturers will re-open this month but movie theaters, restaurants, bars gyms and salons will remain closed indefinitely. Asked why he didnt follow the approach recommended by the Republican House members, DeWine said it would be irresponsible of him to open everything at once. There is nothing that has changed, other than ohioans have done a bang-up job, but if Ohioans go back to business as usual this thing is going to go straight back up, he said. The curve is going to go back up. Well have more Ohioans die. And im not going to do that. House Speaker Larry Householder, of Perry County, said House Republicans are frustrated, and feel the closures as structured have allowed big chain stores to operate while closing small businesses. As long as small retailers continue to be shut down while national chains are allowed to remain open, government is assisting in the demise of many great small businesses. The big get bigger and the small go away, Householder said in a text message. The Ohio House has asked to work with the Administration to come up with common sense solutions to resolve this, but have been met with deaf ears. Ohios three branches of government are to be separate but equal, our members feel disrespected that their opinions have been largely disregarded by the Administration. DeWines plan requires businesses to have their employees wear masks among other safety requirements laid out in CDC guidelines. But the GOP House plan calls for guidelines to be strong recommendations, and doesnt describe a phased-in approach. It also leaves it up to local health departments to interpret enforcement, rather than setting a statewide standard. We believe it is time to trust Ohioans. They have respectfully followed the guidelines and NOW is the time to responsibly open all businesses, it reads. Only two Northeast Ohio representatives had signed the plan by Monday afternoon. They are state Rep. Diane Grendell of Geauga County and Rep. Bill Roemer of Richfield. Among those who signed the plan is Rep. Paul Zeltwanger, a Warren County Republican who has been leading a House coronavirus recovery task force, although Zeltwanger said the plan is not an official task force document. Zeltwanger said the new plan wasnt meant to conflict with DeWines rollout. He said House members hope the governor will take it under consideration as he puts the finishing touches on his own plan. Were moving to another stage from my perspective, and a lot of people that I represents perspective, he said. He said the Republican plan represents the reality that many Ohio businesses have remained open under the coronavirus health orders, and that Ohio hasnt seen the same degree of outbreak as other states. Even though the plan calls for a full re-open, Zeltwanger said he imagines many businesses wont re-open for weeks, if at all. As a business person or an organization, they all know the last thing they want is to re-open early, he said. If we went with this plan, not all of them will re-open. There has to be some trust there." The Democratic plan includes a requirement that shoppers wear masks while gathering indoors, among other protections for workers and customers. Sykes said she understands businesses impatience to re-open, but called the House GOP plan dangerous. Not all businesses are created equal, and not all business models are the same, she said. A business in my home where I can ship out supplies is not the same as a movie theater, for example. Meanwhile, a new poll released Monday found DeWine enjoys broad support among Ohioans for his approach to dealing with the coronavirus. It also found found that while about 52% of Ohioans said they support DeWines plans to start re-opening on May 1, when asked about specific businesses, they said the time isnt right yet to open up. The House Republican plan: The House Democratic plan: Read recent coverage from cleveland.com: Ohio reports 728 deaths, 15,963 positive coronavirus cases; lowest percentage increase since record keeping began New poll: Ohio likes Mike DeWine much more than Donald Trump; governor gets high marks on coronavirus Ohioans wary of re-opening economy, new poll finds Big 6 Ohio business groups press Gov. Mike DeWine on urgent need to re-open economy with May 1 approaching Iraq's government is considering salary cuts in a revised 2020 budget, after oil prices crashed last week. In its draft 2020 budget, Iraq had been counting on revenues from oil prices at $56 a barrel to fund badly needed development projects and the bloated public sector, which costs nearly $45 billion in compensation and pensions. Now officials are debating difficult salary cuts, with the possibility of deferring paying public sector workers part of their social benefits until the financial sector improves, according to three Iraqi officials. One recommendation is that higher-end earners take a 50% cut, according to officials who spoke on condition of anonymity, so as to not derail ongoing talks. The move would save Iraq hundreds of millions of dollars, as public sector workers receive a host of benefits that effectively add 50-70% to their take-home wages. But experts say that won't be enough if oil prices remain between $20-30 per barrel. "The priority for the Iraqi government or any future one is to maintain payments but at the same time, justice must be applied in this matter. Some of these payments are very large while other payments are small. The scenarios or the scenes that are open to the Iraqi state, is to achieve justice in these divisions in order to maintain payments for the nine million Iraqis", said Mudher Saleh, financial adviser to the Prime Minister. Expected compliance with OPEC will require Iraq to cut over 1 million barrels per day from production in May and June. Moreover, the country has been left without an effective executive to carry out reforms by an ongoing leadership vacuum since December, when Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi resigned under pressure from protesters. Prime Minister-designate Mustafa Kadhimi is due to present his proposed cabinet to Parliament next week, but he faces opposition from key political blocs. Until his government is in place, a 2020 budget is unlikely to be approved, limiting Iraq's ability to borrow from international agencies for budgetary support. Across the region, it's thought the drop-in oil prices will derail future investment and development plans. The region's largest crude producer, Saudi Arabia, plans to cut spending by 5%, or about $13.3 billion. Additional cuts and measures are expected as it digs into its roughly $500 billion in foreign reserves. 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' Coronavirus crisis: Bhilwara model to help Madhya Pradesh's Indore fight COVID-19 India oi-Ajay Joseph Raj P Bhopal, Apr 27: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan claimed that the state government would be able to bring the coronavirus crisis in the state's Indore city under control by following the well-known 'Bhilwara model' containment. According to a media organisation, Chauhan said his government would also adopt the 'IITT' formula (Identification, Isolation, Testing and Treatment) to deal with the coronavirus outbreak in the state's industrial hub. Coronavirus outbreak: How Bhilwara containment zone sets an example in fighting COVID-19 "We have decided to adopt the Bhilwara model to tackle the coronavirus situation in the city. We are trying to ascertain the health status of all residents of Indore. For this, we are going to conduct screening of every citizen of Indore," CM Chauhan said. Reacting to the possibility of lifting lockdown or curfew in Indore, the Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister said that a suitable decision would be taken in the interest of the city after looking into the situation. Coronavirus outbreak: Here is how Uttar Pradesh is planning to fight COVID-19 "A decision to lift the lockdown can be taken when the risk of coronavirus infection in Indore starts decreasing, when the number of infected persons starts coming down and the situation seems to be under control," he said. With the population of more than 30 lakh, Indore has emerged as a coronavirus hotspot, not just in the state but in the entire country. On Sunday, as many as 31 new coronavirus cases were reported in the city, taking the total number of positive cases in the district to 1,207. Coronavirus outbreak: Authorities toss water, biscuits outside Agra Quarantine Centre, watch video According to the Health Ministry, Madhya Pradesh has 2,096 coronavirus cases, including 210 cured, discharged or migrated and 99 deaths. By PTI BENGALURU: Former Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy on Monday suggested imposing "COVID cess" on the ultra-rich to offset the loss of revenue, as he called for citizen-centric measures and lower the cost of living, to help those affected by the lockdown. Cautioning the state and Central governments about the impact of COVID-19 lockdown on economy and people in turn, the JD(S) leader advised for measures like partial waivers of EMIs, rents, school fees, cut in petrol and diesel prices. "According to RBI and international economic assessment agencies, the GDP growth rate of the country is expected to fall to a historic low. Such a dire situation calls for citizen centric measures like full or partial waivers of EMIs, rents, school fees and other levies," Kumaraswamy tweeted. Stating that the economy won't bounce back within a very short period, he said, it is important to lower the cost of living as spending power of the consumer has depleted. "The govt must cut the petrol and diesel prices. The loss of revenue may be offset partially by imposing COVID cess on the ultra-rich," he added. Further, Kumaraswamy said, it is high time the government announced schemes to save livelihoods of people, especially those in the unorganised sector. The government must provide immediate relief to farmers, construction workers, cab and auto drivers, garment workers, etc, he added. India's GDP is likely to range between a decline of 0.9 per cent and a growth of 1.5 per cent in the current financial year, with the economy undergoing a "turbulent" phase caused by the coronavirus-induced lockdown, according to a recent report by CII. A paedophile has become the 35th member of an Asian grooming gang to be jailed as part of a major police investigation. Manzoor Akhtar, 31, has been jailed for four years for raping a young girl he had groomed when she was just 13. Another man, Shaqeel Hussain, 36, has had 12 months add to a previous sentence after admitting indecent assault on a 16-year-old girl. He had previously received an eight-year prison sentence at his last trial for raping a 14-year-old girl. The latest convictions mean 35 men have now been jailed as part of Operation Tendersea, a multi-agency investigation into historic child sexual exploitation in Huddersfield, West Yorks. The group have been jailed for a total of 380 years between them. Manzoor Akhtar (left), 31, has been jailed for four years for raping a young girl he had groomed when she was just 13. Shaqeel Hussain (right), 36, has had 12 months added an eight-year prison sentence handed out at a previous trial for raping a 14-year-old girl Leeds Crown Court heard that Akhtar, of Crosland Moor, Huddersfield, sexually assaulted the victim during 2005 and 2006. Meanwhile, Hussain, 36, of Dewsbury, West Yorks, can now be named as reporting restrictions were lifted after he pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl. Detective Chief Inspector Richard McNamara of the Kirklees District CID, said: 'Akhtar richly deserves the prison sentence he has been given after being found guilty and convicted for the dreadful sexual abuse of this young victim. 'He thought nothing of this girl's obvious very young age as he raped her and treated her in a fashion which can only be described as callous in the extreme.' DCI McNamara said he was also pleased that Shaqeel Hussain could now be named. The latest convictions mean a total of 35 men have now been jailed as part of Operation Tendersea, a multi-agency investigation into historic child sexual exploitation in Huddersfield, West Yorks. Pictured: Leeds Crown Court He said: 'Hussain was convicted for rape in an Operation Tendersea trial in February 2020 but at the time we were not able to release his identity. 'He has now been sentenced after pleading guilty to an indecent assault on a 16 year old victim, and can be named as reporting restrictions have been lifted. 'He will face a total of nine years in prison in total for both of these depraved offences in which he showed no regard whatsoever for his victims.' DCI McNamara said: 'A repeated feature of these cases has been the stunning bravery of the now young women who have come forward to tell us about the abuse they suffered and then doing everything they can to support the police and CPS in taking action against those who abused them. What is Operation Tendersea? Six men were jailed today for the rape and sexual exploitation of teenagers in Huddersfield. A seventh is due to be sentenced tomorrow. It means that a total of 34 men have now been convicted following West Yorkshire Police's Operation Tendersea investigation into child sexual exploitation in the town, with prison sentences totalling more than 300 years. So far, six cases have been heard through the operation, leading to multiple convictions and total sentences of 377 and a half years. It is the single biggest group of convicted rapists in the same area. Another trial stemming from the operation is due to start in April. DCI Richard McNamara of Kirklees District, West Yorkshire Police said today: 'Operation Tendersea should send a very clear message that the Police and our Partners at Kirklees will not hesitate to pursue those who sexually abuse children and we will do all we can to seek justice for the victims, no matter when, or how long ago the abuse took place. 'I would urge anyone who may have been the victim of child sexual abuse in Kirklees or elsewhere who has not contacted us to come forwards.' Advertisement 'The courage of victims is helping us take dangerous predators such as Manzoor Akhtar and Shaqeel Hussain off our streets, show them for what they are, and put them behind bars where they belong.' As previously reported by MailOnline in February, six men who were convicted of raping two vulnerable schoolgirls were sentenced to a combined 55 and a half years in prison. Usman Ali, Banaras Hussain, Abdul Majid, Gul Riaz and two other defendants were sentenced after a four-week trial at Leeds Crown Court. The sickening abuse took place between 1995 and 2011 in Huddersfield and the girls were aged just 13 and 14 when they fell victim to the vile gang. The court heard that the schoolgirls were 'made to feel special' by the 'vile and wicked' predators who then treated them as 'objects to be used and abused at will'. By the time she was 15, the first victim had been raped by 300 men. The defendants were convicted of nine counts of rape and two counts of indecent assault after the sixth trial to come from the Tendersea inquiry. Ali, 34, of Huddersfield, was jailed for eight years after being found guilty of two offences of rape against one victim. Riaz, 43, also of Huddersfield, was sentenced to 15 years after being found guilty of rape and two indecent assaults against one girl and rape against the other. Banaras Hussain, 39, of Shipley, was jailed for nine and a half years after being found guilty of raping one of the schoolgirls. Abdul Majid, 36, of Huddersfield, was sentenced to 11 years after being found guilty of raping one victim twice. A fifth, 30 and also from Huddersfield, was jailed for four years for raping one of the girls. The sixth was Hussain, who could not be named at the time. Charlie Munger, vice chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, will not be taking questions at the company's annual shareholder's meeting alongside Warren Buffett as the coronavirus pandemic forces changes to the widely anticipated event. Instead, it will be Greg Abel, Berkshire's vice chairman of non-insurance operations, taking previously submitted questions with Buffett. Abel was promoted to his post in 2018 and is thought to be a contender to succeed Buffett one day. At last year's meeting, Abel answered some questions from shareholders in a rare occurrence. Buffett and Abel will be the only ones physically attending the meeting, which is scheduled for Saturday. Others will have the option of streaming it via Yahoo Finance. For decades, Buffett and Munger fielded questions from shareholders at the company's annual meeting without sharing the stage. Those questions ranged from their thoughts on political issues to Berkshire investments along with the future of the company's leadership. New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday (April 27) held a meeting with Chief Ministers of different states through video conference to discuss the situation arising due to the coronavirus COVID-19 lockdown in the country, and their wishlist if the restrictions are to be eased. The Chief Ministers who attended the meeting included Delhi's Arvind Kejriwal, Kerala's Pinarayi Vijayan, Uttar Pradesh's Yogi Adityanath, Maharashtra's Uddhav Thackeray, Tamil Nadu's E K Palaniswami, Meghalaya' Conard Sangma and Uttarakhand's Trivandrum Singh Rawat. Among the Union Ministers, Home Minister Amit Shah, Health Minister Harsh Vardhan and a few top officials from the PMO and Union Health Ministry were present at the meeting. According to the report, except Meghalaya and Himachal Pradesh, all other states expressed their willingness to lift the COVID-19 lockdown. This is Modi's fourth such interaction with state chief ministers since March 22 when he first spoke to them on the coronavirus situation and steps taken, both by Centre and the states, to contain the epidemic. In a tweet on Monday, the Prime Minister's Office said Modi and the chief ministers will be discussing aspects relating to the COVID-19 situation. The Balakot airstrike and the abrogation of Article 370 of the Indian Constitution to bifurcate Jammu and Kashmir are the two significant events that will have a "lasting imprint" on the geopolitical situation of South Asia, according to Pakistan Army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa. In an article in the 'Green Book 2020', a research journal of the Pakistan Army which is recognised by the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan and published biennially, Gen Bajwa also describes Kashmir as a nuclear flashpoint. General Bajwa being the Patron-in-Chief of the journal expressed his view in a Note at the first page of the publication. "Year 2019 witnessed two significant events which will have lasting imprint on the geopolitics of this region; first, the unwarranted Balakot Strike by Indian Air Force on 26th February and second, the unilateral annexation" of Jammu and Kashmir on August 5, through abrogation of Article 370 and 35A, the Pakistan Army chief said. "Former was a coercive attempt to carve out space for war under nuclear overhang and enforce compellence; adroitly denied by Pakistan Air Force the very next day, through a calibrated and proportionate response Indian craving for establishing a New Normal was stymied comprehensively. "The latter, despite condemnation by the World at large, continues to haunt the lives of over eight million Muslims" of Kashmir..." he wrote. General Bajwa goes on to say: Kashmir is a nuclear flashpoint and in total disregard to international norms, Mr (Narendra) Modi has not only endangered the immediate neighbourhood, but has also raised the ante for the entire World. The powerful army, which has ruled Pakistan for more than half of its 70 plus years of existence, has hitherto wielded considerable power in the matters of security and foreign policy. Pakistan and India were almost on the brink of a war following the Pulwama terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir in February 2019 that killed dozens of CRPF soldiers and prompted India to carry out air strikes on terror camps in Balakot city in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The strained ties between India and Pakistan further nose-dived following the abrogation of Article 370 in August to withdraw the special status of Jammu and Kashmir. The move angered Pakistan, which downgraded diplomatic ties with India and expelled the Indian High Commissioner stationed in Islamabad. India has categorically told the international community that the scrapping of Article 370 was its internal matter. It also advised Pakistan to accept the reality and stop all anti-India propaganda. In the 'Green Book 2020' editorial, Editor-in-Chief Lt Gen Sher Afgan made a case for the changing global order due to the impact of the latest technologies and revolutions in the military and strategic thoughts. "New players like China & Russia are pushing the US led International Liberal Order towards an era of more multipolar power centres. Regionalism is gaining currency, Populism sentiment is high and traditional power centres are grappling to remain atop, he wrote. He said that South Asia, due to its strategic location and role in world politics, is also under a great impact of this rapid transformation in the geo- and geo-economics and Pakistan armed forces had superbly tackled through cross-domain responses. Former diplomat Shamshad Ahmad Khan in his article, 'India-Pakistan Relations: In Perspective', wrote that Pakistan has been living with a lingering suspicion that India had never reconciled to the sub-continent's partition and facing India's hostility and belligerence. He said that as one of the oldest unresolved international conflicts, Kashmir is today "a nuclear flashpoint." There are other articles in the 'Green Book 2020' about the regional and global situation. However, disclaimer by the publisher reads that the view by authors do not imply the official policy of the Pakistan Army as an institution. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) CENTRAL, Louisiana A pastor who previously has defied Louisianas stay-at-home order and currently is under house arrest after being accused of threatening to run over a protester with his vehicle still led a service at his church on Sunday. The Rev. Tony Spell showed off his ankle monitor while preaching Sunday at Life Tabernacle Church, telling those in attendance Im not hiding anymore, NBC News reports. Spell was greeted by cheers from congregants, some of who held signs saying, I stand with Pastor Spell, the Advocate reports. Im not hiding anymore, Spell said, according to NBC News. Its a dirty, rotten, crying shame when you have to hide in America." CBS News reports nearly all of the estimated 100 congregants were not wearing masks and that social distancing was not being practiced. The states stay-at-home order bans gatherings of more than 10 people. Spell was cited in late March for continuing to hold services despite the ban on large gatherings. Last Sunday, he was cited after he reportedly began backing a bus toward a protester holding a sign, reports say. The Advocate reports Spell had planned to turn himself in to the parish jail after the service. However, District Attorney Hillar Moore III tells the Advocate he would not pursue the issue because his office was working on a case involving the fatal shooting of a police officer on Sunday in Baton Rouge. Another officer was wounded in the incident. The Advocate reports at least one church member has died of the coronavirus. A lawyer for the church has become infected. It is unknown how the men became infected. The Louisiana Health Department on Sunday reported that at least 26,773 coronavirus cases and at least 1,670 deaths from it had been confirmed in the state. More coverage on cleveland.com: IRS says its made improvements to Get My Payment online tool Recession or depression? Heres how this economic crisis compares with other big ones Cleveland records 3 more COVID-19 coronavirus deaths, 4 more cases Mapping Ohios 15,963 coronavirus cases, Sundays update, trends Ohio reports 728 deaths, 15,963 positive coronavirus cases; lowest percentage increase since record keeping began ACLU sues ICE to release detainees from Morrow, Butler county jails due to coronavirus Cuyahoga County Jail officers union seeks hazard pay, more PPE due to coronavirus outbreak A Melbourne psychiatric clinic at the centre of a coronavirus outbreak has been shuttered and its patients transferred to The Alfred hospital as another positive COVID-19 case linked to the cluster is confirmed. The Albert Road Clinic's closure for cleaning comes as Victoria's peak medical body reveals it tried to warn the state government about the heightened risk of coronavirus outbreaks in mental health facilities almost two weeks before details of a cluster in a psychiatric clinic emerged. The Albert Road Clinic, which was at the centre of a coronavirus outbreak. Credit:Eddim Jim In a statement on Monday, the Albert Road Clinic said it was working closely with The Alfred hospital on the transfer of dozens of patients. Further decontamination of the clinic will be undertaken after patients have been transferred. It also confirmed another recently discharged patient had tested postive to COVID-19. CAMBRIDGE, Mass., April 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Planetary Emissions Management Inc. (PEM) today announces the publication of a study describing established universal scientific methods for forest carbon accounting, endorsing direct measurement of CO 2 over estimation protocols for forest carbon credits. "The Direct Measurement Forest Carbon Protocol: A commercial system-of-systems to incentivize forest restoration and management," described in the journal PeerJ, illustrates how the problems of existing protocols, which are uncertain, expensive and biased against landowners, can be resolved with innovative use of existing technology. "The upshot of the study is that it calls into question the validity of estimation-based commercial forest carbon credits worldwide, absent a full carbon accounting that can be verified by direct CO 2 measurementanything less accelerates deforestation and devalues forest ecosystems, biodiversity and Indigenous People," said Bruno D.V. Marino, CEO and lead author of the study. Existing forest carbon credits have been questioned by journalists, scientists and Indigenous Peoples, but improvements in the protocols have stalled. A video abstract is available here. An infographic is available here. The problem is that existing protocols cannot fully account for net forest carbon, a metric of benefit to the atmosphere that balances carbon uptake by photosynthesis and carbon release by respiration. Limited measurements of forest biomass, exclusion of actual CO 2 measurements and reliance on vegetation growth models are employed worldwide, including by the California Air Resources Board, the Climate Action Reserve, the American Carbon Registry, and the UN Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (UN-REDD+), despite the risk of invalidation by direct measurement, according to a recent study, also co-authored by PEM. "We have lost our way in the forest, blinded by large-scale umbrella policies devoid of mandates for actual measurement of forest CO 2 and truly independent verification of net CO 2 reduction claims; scientific challenge to these protocols and policies appears to be the only way to lay bare the issues," remarked Marino. Solutions to slow and stop deforestation are hiding in plain sight, including universally accepted forest carbon science and measurement methods, such as eddy covariance, deployed worldwide in over 600 locations, to determine net carbon sequestration, or net ecosystem exchange. However, established research methods have not been used for commercial applications as illustrated by the study. About PEM: Planetary Emissions Management Inc. is an American research and development company focused on direct monitoring, measurement and verification of greenhouse gases to manage climate change now and for future generations. Media Contact: Bruno D. V. Marino +1 617-517-3178 Photos: https://www.prlog.org/12820068 Press release distributed by PRLog SOURCE Planetary Emissions Management Inc. Related Links http://pemcarbon.com BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 27 Trend: On April 27, President of the Republic of Lithuania Gitanas Nauseda, and President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev had a video call on the initiative of the Lithuanian side. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda congratulated the President of Azerbaijan on the occasion of Ramadan. President Ilham Aliyev thanked for the congratulations. Touching upon bilateral relations, the heads of state hailed the good level of political ties between the two countries and noted the importance of raising economic and trade relations to the same level. They stressed the necessity of holding a meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission after the end of the pandemic. President of Lithuania Gitanas Nauseda asked President Ilham Aliyev to share his views on the Eastern Partnership Program and the current state of Azerbaijan-EU relations in general in the run-up to the Eastern Partnership Summit in June this year. President Ilham Aliyev said that along with participating in the Eastern Partnership Program, Azerbaijan attaches importance to the development of bilateral relations with the European Union and has signed documents on strategic partnership with nine countries of this organization. The "Partnership Priorities" document initialed between Azerbaijan and the European Union in 2018 covers political, economic, trade, energy, transport and other areas. During the conversation, the sides exchanged views on measures being taken to combat the coronavirus pandemic. President of Lithuania Gitanas Nauseda said that Azerbaijan had made great strides in the fight against the pandemic. President Ilham Aliyev underlined Azerbaijans close contact with the World Health Organization since the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, adding that the country has supported international efforts and cooperation in combating the pandemic. Mukesh Khanna, who played Bhishma Pitamah in the epic 1988 television series Mahabharat, has reacted to the viral pictures from the show in which he appears to be sitting in front of an air cooler. Though he admitted that he did use a cooler due to the heavy costumes and long beard, he said that creator BR Chopra was meticulous with the editing and could not have made such a glaring mistake. In an interview with The Times of India, Khanna said, I had been hearing about a picture of mine from the sets of Mahabharat going viral where I am shown sitting in front of a cooler, for the past few days. I want to know yeh picture aayi kahan se and secondly yeh kisne spot kiya (where did this picture come from and who spotted it)? The actor added, I doubt if this picture is from a still from the show. And if it is, it is a huge mistake. But from what I can say after seeing it is that it appears to be clicked in between shots. I dont think such a glaring mistake would have happened from BR Chopras side. He was too careful with the making and the editing of Mahabharat. Bhishma Pitamaha using cooler is a proof that #Mahabharata was way ahead of its time. pic.twitter.com/cNky1qgDTE The Beard Guy (@TheBeardestGuy) April 23, 2020 However, Khanna admitted that he did use a cooler, despite shooting in Film City, which was fully air-conditioned. Since I had such heavy costumes and to top it all a long beard which I had to wear most of the day I used to feel extremely hot. Especially because of the beard. So, I requested BR Chopra ji to allow me to use an air-cooler. The beard was such that after shots I used to sweat a lot and it used to irritate me, he said. Also read | Rajeev Khandelwal: My films are an achievement which is just for myself, theyre not to prove a point to anyone It turns out that Khanna was right about the shows makers being careful with the editing. The cooler spotted behind him in Mahabharat turned out to be a pillar with an elaborate design. Pictures shared by Twitter users from different angles confirmed the same. Bhishma Pitamaha using cooler is a proof that #Mahabharata was way ahead of its time. pic.twitter.com/cNky1qgDTE The Beard Guy (@TheBeardestGuy) April 23, 2020 Mahabharat is being re-telecast on DD Bharati, as existing shows cannot shoot for new episodes, with a nationwide lockdown in place. The rerun has garnered high ratings and is one of the most-watched Hindi series on television right now. Follow @htshowbiz for more KYIV -- Ukraine's Supreme Court has postponed a review of a lower court decision on whether state-owned PrivatBank has to pay back more than a billion hryvnyas ($37 million) to two brothers who lost their savings in the 2016 nationalization of the financial institution. The Supreme Court's press service said on April 27, the day the hearing had been scheduled, that the decision to postpone the hearing was made due to pressure imposed on judges by media reports and comments on social networks in recent days. Ukraine's central bank had recognized the tycoon brothers, Ihor and Hryhoriy Surkis, as related parties and included money from their deposits at PrivatBank in a bail-in when one of Ukraine's largest privately owned banks was nationalized. The Surkis brothers, known as associates of the former owner of PrivatBank Ihor Kolomoyskiy, challenged that decision in court, forcing the central bank to defend its actions. Kolomoyskiy lost control over PrivatBank when the central bank took it over after it failed stress tests and was deemed to be undercapitalized. Two years later, an independent audit concluded that PrivatBank had conducted large-scale and coordinated fraud for at least 10 years before its takeover by the state. U.S.-based corporate investigative firm Kroll and attorneys at AlixPartners also found a hole of at least $5.5 billion in the banks balance sheet. Kolomoyskiy has denied wrongdoing and maintains that he is the rightful owner of the bank, which he has vowed to regain control over. Kolomoyskiy faced investigations and government pressure in Ukraine during the presidency of Petro Poroshenko. He lived in self-imposed exile for nearly two years and returned after President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's election in April last year. In late March, Ukrainian lawmakers approved the first reading of a bill preventing the former owners of banks that were nationalized or liquidated in recent years from regaining ownership rights or receiving monetary compensation. With reporting by Reuters With disruptions in Chinas manufacturing and production operations and delayed delivery of goods as a result of the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, many global companies are seeking alternative destinations to diversify their supply chains. With low labor costs, incentives and regulatory relaxations for manufacturing, and a reduced corporate tax rate, India has emerged as an alternative hub for global manufacturing. India is already building its local supply chain capacities, which is key to manufacturing firms relocating from China or expanding their operations into the country. Due to its relatively cheap land and labor, factories equipped with the latest technology, and favorable policies for foreign investors, China is a leading manufacturing hub for companies worldwide. However, the ongoing trade tensions with the US and now the COVID-19 outbreak has completely disrupted Chinas supply chain. The subsequent closure of Chinese factories during the outbreak heavily impacted sectors as diverse as automobile, pharmaceuticals, and electronics across the globe. As a result, more global companies are now actively looking to diversify their manufacturing and production dependencies to be better prepared for any future emergencies. India certainly has an edge to be an alternative manufacturing site of choice for instance, according to industry experts, the entry level salaries for workers in India start between INR 12,000 (US$157) and INR 15,000 (US$196), while in China the salaries are about three times higher. Apart from low cost of labor, India also offers lower operating costs, competitive infrastructure, special economic zones (SEZs) that offer duty free exports among other benefits, incentives to boost domestic manufacturing, and business-friendly policies. Plus, while China is engulfed in a trade war with the US, India has a comparatively good relationship with the US with both countries currently engaged in bilateral trade talks. Further, businesses in India have started building up local supply chain capacity in order to de-risk from China and lower manufacturing costs. This development will definitely be of interest to foreign companies who are looking to exit China or expand their manufacturing operations. Here we spotlight a few reasons why India is the best suited destination to replace China as the next global manufacturing hub. Large market According to the World Economic Forum, India is expected to be the third largest consumer market by 2025, just behind the US and China. In the report, it was said, Indias top 40 cities will form a USD 1.5 trillion opportunity by 2030, many thousands of small urban towns will also drive an equally large spend in aggregate. In parallel, there will be an opportunity to unlock nearly US$1.2 trillion of spend in developed rural areas by improving infrastructure and providing access to organized and online retail. Rising affluence is the biggest driver of this growth, followed by the change in consumer behavior and spending patterns, especially in lower-tier cities. Growth in digital connectivity, infrastructure development, coupled with rising household incomes and an increase in Indias consumer spending represent massive opportunities that lie in the Indian market. Corporate tax rate To encourage investment in the manufacturing sector, the Indian government has taken proactive steps, including offering competitive tax rates. Last year, the corporate tax rate was reduced in India for the first time in three decades, and the manufacturing sector benefited the most from the slashed taxation rate. For manufacturing firms incorporated after October 1, 2019 and beginning operations before March 31, 2023, the corporate tax rate has been slashed from 25 percent to 15 percent (this will amount to an effective tax rate at near 17 percent, including surcharge and cess). This lower tax rate has allowed India to compete with ASEANs emerging economies like Vietnam, Thailand, and Indonesia for foreign investment more effectively. India, however, has an edge over these nations due to its larger market, cheap labor pool, and quick availability of labor. Boosting domestic manufacturing Under the Make in India initiative that encourages companies to manufacture their products in India, the government announced several incentives for foreign firms looking to set up here. For instance, last month, it was announced that about US$6 billion is now allocated to boost domestic manufacturing to attract investment, incentivize local electronics and components manufacturing, and export-based production in the country. Under this program, India is intent on setting up more local manufacturing and assembling units taking advantage of tax and industry-wide incentives, easing foreign direct investment (FDI) rules, and raising import duties. Encouraging forecasts In a report published in February 2020 by UBS, a financial services company based in Switzerland, analysts remarked on initial signs that India was becoming a preferred destination for companies looking to shift from China, and to diversify their supply chain. The UBS report added, given Indias competitive advantage in terms of land and labor availability, exports has always been a big hope historically but it is now seeing a turn as global manufacturers long settled in China are looking to diversify their manufacturing base. India has scale advantage and key success factors locally are also improving. Foreign firms in China are talking to India Around 1,000 foreign firms are presently engaged in conversations with Indian authorities, and at least 300 are actively pursuing production plans in India in sectors such as smartphones, electronics, medical devices, textiles, and synthetic fabric. A government official was quoted in a media report saying, We are hopeful that once COVID-19 is in control, a lot of things will fructify into actual relocation. And India will emerge as an alternate manufacturing destination. Many countries like Japan, US, and South Korea are over-dependent on China and that is now very apparent. With this latest development, the government is expected to focus its efforts on reducing the cost of production and manufacturing to attract foreign firms in India. Slovak government approves defense treaty with US US senators unveil bill to impose sanctions against Russia EU wants to help Lebanon avoid economic collapse CSTO to approve Kazakhstan peacekeepers withdrawal order German president calls for thorough discussion on mandatory vaccination Andranik Hovhannisyan elected UN Human Rights Council vice-president Aliyev: Peace treaty with Armenia not a guarantee for avoiding war Russian Foreign Ministry: Further NATO enlargement involves risks Barcelona name their starting lineup 7 main causes of metabolic disorders Aliyev not to let OSCE deal with the Karabakh conflict Ex-Mayor of Yerevan invited to police Real Madrid name their starting lineup Boris Johnson apologizes for attending party during lockdown Global COVID-19 cases rise by 55% percent, deaths stable Thailand introduces $9 tourist fee Erdogan vows to tame Turkish inflation as scepticism grows Turkey's Turkic world ambitions face reality check in Kazakhstan Teacher in Baku beats student NEWS.am daily digest: 12.01.22 Roma midfielder set to join Getafe Turkish FM expresses concerns to Chinese counterpart OSCE Chairman-in-Office speaks on situation along Armenia-Azerbaijan border Iran cancels travel ban on common borders Zayn Malik is on WooPlus now! CSTO defense ministers council special session to be held Thursday Foods that may be bad for skin Dollar loses value in Armenia Which NGOs, extra-parliamentary forces to be included in Armenia Constitutional Reform Council? PSG intend to sign Paul Pogba 4,391 foreign nationals visit Artsakh in 2021 China calls on US to immediately close Guantanamo prison State Department says more progress must be made to salvage nuclear deal Measure ensuring implementation of law on addendum to law on Armenia state border is approved Davit Minasyan is sworn in as new mayor of Armenias Parakar enlarged community World Bank: Armenia economic growth expected to be 4.8% in 2022 and 5.4% in 2023 Azerbaijani Defense Minister receives new commander of Russian peacekeepers in Karabakh Kanye West rep denies reports on cooperations with Azerbaijani president ex-son-in-law Biden names Kamala Harris as US president during Atlanta speech Ombudsman: Azerbaijan is launching provocations in Armenia territories where it earlier invaded Russia-NATO Council meeting kicks off in Brussels Serdar Kilic is appointed Turkey special representative for Armenia Armenia ambassador to Georgia informs Switzerland envoy about Azerbaijan's gross ceasefire violation Economy minister: Armenia government was guided by political considerations when lifting sanctions on Turkey goods Eric Cantona: I don't really care about the next World Cup Turkey defense minister expresses support for Azerbaijan in another military aggression against Armenia Pochettino in talks with Manchester United Pashinyan, Putin discuss Karabakh, Kazakhstan Toivo Klaar: Deeply worried by reports of renewed incidents and casualties on Armenia-Azerbaijan Germany: A record 80,430 COVID-19 cases detected per day 3 more persons die of coronavirus in Artsakh Atletico Madrid not extending Luis Suarez's deal Criminal case launched into 3 Armenia soldiers killing by Azerbaijan shootings 76 children born in Armenia thanks to infertility overcoming program Copper rises in price One of main tasks of Armenia peacekeepers in Kazakhstans Almaty is to prevent water supply system poisoning The Oscars to have a host after a 3-year hiatus 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 Fati, De Jong and Araujo are ready for game against Real Madrid 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 Karen Khachanov reach quarterfinals 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' What are health risks of toothpaste? US concerned about EastMed natural gas pipeline project Giant fish sold at auction for over 16 million yen Mourinho invites Ndombele to Roma Xavi: Match with Real can be turning point for our team 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 Vaccination may prolong menstrual cycle 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 Porto midfielder to move Roma Defense Ministry confirms Armenian side has 2 victims Satanovsky on sending Armenian servicemen to Kazakhstan Unofficial data: 2 servicemen killed as a result of Azerbaijan provocation CSTO and Kazakh Defense Ministry developing plan WHO thinks it's too early to consider COVID-19 pandemic Fabio Cannavaro refuses to lead the Polish team European Commission to require Poland to pay fine of nearly EUR 70 million White House announces $308 million humanitarian aid for Afghanistan Vahan Bichakhchyan starts training with Pogon Erdogan angry at minister after efforts to strengthen lira failed Armenian FM has phone call with US Assistant Secretary of State India imposes one-week quarantine even for vaccinated tourists Armenian ex-president expresses condolences on poet Razmik Davoyan's death Traction Programme to showcase 8 startups during the Digital Demo Day Azerbaijan uses artillery and UAVs, 3 Armenian soldiers wounded Adelaide, Australia, April 27, 2020 - (ABN Newswire) - Resolution Minerals Ltd (ASX:RML.AX - News) is highly encouraged by these first results from a green fields exploration program. The results confirm the exploration model and will be invaluable in determining future drilling. Summary: - Initial assays and logging of drill core increase confidence of a Pogo-style IRGS mineral system present at the Aurora Prospect, 64North Project - Alaska. - Encouragingly the gold present is associated with strong alteration, with arsenopyrite (As) and bismuthinite (Bi) sulphide-bearing quartz veins with elevated tellurium (Te) and is present in the same host rock as the nearby Northern Star (ASX:NST.AX - News) Pogo Gold Mine. - These are the first results from the previously undrilled Aurora Prospect, which is a 2km x 5km high priority target zone, with host rocks, surface geochemistry, structures and geophysical signature that make it a look-alike to Northern Star's Goodpaster Discovery and Pogo Gold Mine. - Resolution plans to resume drilling on the Aurora Prospect in the second half of May after spring thaw. - Access will then be possible, enabling the drilling of the highest priority target on the Aurora Prospect. - Assays pending downhole from 323m to 462m (Hole#1) and for Hole #2 are due in 2 weeks. - Resolution is fully funded for the next drill program. Resolution Minerals Ltd (RML, Resolution or the Company) has received (partial) assays from surface to 323m of recently completed hole #1 at the Aurora Prospect. In March 2020 drilling was completed at the Company's first diamond drill hole (20AU001) to a depth of 462m (Figure 6* and Figure 7*). The first hole was designed to test structural and geophysical signatures as an orientation to the project geology. Encouragingly the rock type, quartz veining, intense alteration and very high levels of arsenic and bismuth correlating to gold in assays intersected, support the sulphide mineralisation typical of a Pogo-style mineral system. Story continues Due to spring thaw, drilling was halted and scheduled to recommence on the compelling Aurora Prospect in the second half of May. The Aurora Prospect is adjacent to Northern Star's world class high grade operating Pogo Gold Mine, see Figure 7* and Figure 8*. RML's continued drilling will pick up on the initial program that, due to logistical considerations, did not test our highest priority target, see Figure 1* and Figure 7*. Managing Director Duncan Chessell commented: "These assays increase our confidence that we are drilling in the right neighbourhood and confirm a Pogo-style mineral system is present at Resolution's Aurora Prospect. The large 2km x 5km scale potential of the target is compelling and we look forward to drilling across more areas of the target zone in the coming summer season and testing our highest priority drill targets. "Our next task is to vector in on the zones that contain higher grade gold." *To view tables and figures, please visit: https://abnnewswire.net/lnk/77360Z6B About Resolution Minerals Ltd: Resolution Minerals Ltd (ASX:RML.AX - News) is a mining company engaged in the acquisition, exploration and development of precious and battery metals - such as gold, copper, cobalt, and vanadium. The company is led by Managing Director Duncan Chessell and an experienced team with proven success in corporate finance, marketing, metallurgy and geoscience. This equips Resolution Minerals with the tools to meet the changing demands of the mining markets. Resolution Minerals Ltd Listed on the ASX in 2017 with a focus on the exploration of the Wollogorang Copper Cobalt Project. It has since aquired the Snettisham Vanadium Project and more entered into a binding agreement witth Millrock Resources to earn up to 80% of the highly prospective 64North Gold Project. Contact: Resolution Minerals Ltd Duncan Chessell T: +61-8-8120-0456 E: info@northerncobalt.com.au WWW: www.resolutionminerals.com Source: Resolution Minerals Ltd Copyright (C) 2020 ABN Newswire. All rights reserved. VANCOUVERJust under half of Canadians have reservations about sitting next to a Chinese or Asian person on a bus if the person was not wearing a mask, according to an advocacy group. One in five Canadians asked in a poll taken in Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal dont think it is safe at all and 24 per cent of respondents said they were uncertain about the idea, according to a poll conducted by the Chinese Canadian National Council for Social Justice. The group asked Corbett Communications to conduct the poll after several high-profile attacks against people of East Asian descent in Vancouver and Toronto, said Amy Go, president of the organization. The poll was conducted April 24 among 1,130 adults living in Canadas three largest cities. Its margin of error is plus or minus by three per cent. Go, a long-time advocate, said the results were disappointing but reflect what many Chinese Canadians have experienced since the pandemic started making headlines in January. Its disheartening and disturbing, said Go in an interview. We knew it was bad, but its far worse than we had anticipated. When asked whether they believed all Chinese or Asian people carry the COVID-19 virus, four per cent of respondents answered yes and 10 per cent responded that they were uncertain. It is just simply mind-boggling to me to have even one person think that, said Go. About one in five respondents believe it isnt safe to eat at a Chinese restaurant. The poll was conducted just days after Vancouver police reported what it described as a racially motivated and despicable attack on a 92-year old man who was assaulted and shoved to the ground outside a convenience store. That incident is only one in a long list of examples of coronavirus-related racism in Canada, said Go. In March, Canadian actor Russell Yuen said he was accosted by a man who yelled, among other things, You and your f---ing virus, go back to where you came from. In April, a Toronto nurse said she was spat on and called racial slurs. Last week, a woman wrote that she was waiting to buy eggs at Whole Foods in Markham when the person in line in front of her yelled at her to stay away. Go, who has done advocacy work for more than 30 years, acknowledged most Canadians are tolerant and that much progress has been made. After all, according to her organizations own poll, about half of Canadians have no problem sitting next to an Asian person on a bus. And in a poll conducted in mid-March, Research Co. found three in five Canadians believe it is unacceptable to refer to COVID-19 as the Chinese virus. But there are signs anti-Asian sentiment has become less taboo since the pandemic started, even in mainstream politics, said Go. Last Tuesday, Conservative MP Derek Sloan published an open letter that questioned the loyalties of Canadas chief public health officer, Dr. Theresa Tam. Does she work for Canada or does she work for China? said Sloan in a video posted to Facebook. Go said political leaders should instead be setting an example by denouncing racism and taking action against it. Toronto police have repeatedly said they are not experiencing any notable increase in hate crimes since the pandemic started. But spokesperson Meaghan Gray acknowledged hate-related incidents often go unreported. Im not sure our numbers would accurately reflect the possible lived experiences for some members of the community, said Gray. Meanwhile, Vancouver police have seen a spike in reports of anti-Asian hate-motivated incidents and criminal behaviour. Out of 11 hate crimes reported to police in March, five of those reports (45 per cent) had an anti-Asian element. So far in 2020, there have been nine anti-Asian hate crimes reported to police, in comparison to 12 cases in all of 2019. We know that hate crimes and hate-motivated incidents are generally under-reported. We believe the increase in March is indicative of a larger issue, said Vancouver police spokesperson Const. Tania Visintin. Go said racism against people of Asian descent in Canada has existed since Chinese labourers worked on the Canadian Pacific Railway in the late 1800s. This whole portrayal of Chinese as a disease carrier, as dirty, as responsible for spreading germs, is not new, she said. Go is calling on bystanders and allies to speak up if they witness a racist incident. Lets openly discuss this; we need every one of us to fight this, she said. The burden should not be on the shoulders of just Asian people and people of colour. With files from Joanna Chiu Read more about: Marchs issue of East Asian Science, Technology and Society is a themed issue, edited by Catelijine Coopmans & Karen M. McNamara. The theme for this issue is Care in Translation: Care-ful Research in Medical Settings. Here are the abstracts: Repair in Translation (open access) Jenna Grant In this article, the author juxtaposes writing and conversation about care for, with, and in spite of technology in Cambodia. The scene is medical care, and the actors are radiologists, engineers, cadres, and X-ray machines. A radiologist is forced to repair an X-ray machine for doctors of the revolution; the pressure and constraints are almost unreal, yet his skill in repair affirms his humanity and the specialized knowledge and creativity required for problem solving. An engineer teaches repair as he fixes an old X-ray machine. He finds words and necessary tools are missing in Phnom Penh, a familiar story of lack, yet repair is material practice that enables improvisation in spite of linguistic and epistemic challenges. A radiologist, the same one from before, in the twilight of his life, questions the dominance of technologies within medical care and the deskilling of doctors. Juxtaposing these stories bolsters attention for the mundane and creative work of keeping things going in a broken world, in line with the ways that care and repair are mobilized in STS. It also shows how the radical potential of broken world thinking is circumscribed when a broken world is the one from which people are struggling to distance themselves. What we are left with are multiple, overlapping, fraught stories of modernity in which need, choice, and pleasure of repair all have a place. Data Reporting as Care Infrastructure: Assembling ART Registries in Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea (open access) Chia-Ling Wu; Jung-Ok Ha; Azumi Tsuge Collecting and reporting national data has become a routine practice for assisted reproductive technology (ART) governance. This article compares the building of national registries, the making of health statistics, and the utilization of these data in Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea. Instead of viewing data registries as tools for health surveillance or monitoring, we approach them in terms of their effectiveness in generating care. Conceptualizing ART data reporting as care infrastructure, built on Maria Puig de la Bellacasas matters of care, allows us to compare the extent to which data are collected for strengthening a communitys ethical obligation, presented as indicators that could reflect quality of care and inform evidence-based policy making that promotes clinical practices for healthy outcomes. We find that sociotechnical imaginaries for ART were shaped by the fact that, in its early stages, in vitro fertilization was considered controversial in Japan, a source of nationalist glory in Taiwan, and a marginal procedure in South Korea. This in turn led to different trajectories of designing national registries in these countries, resulting in different care outcomes. We also point to the importance of mediators, including reflexive medical practitioners, care-centered state bureaucrats, and activists, in translating registry data into better ART health care. Rhythms of Care: Medical Travels beyond the Borders of Bangladesh (open access) Karen M. McNamara This article examines the experiences of Bangladeshi patients and their families as they travel transnationally within Asia for medical care. I explain how failures of biomedicine in Bangladesh feed into idealized expectations of care abroad. This medical imaginary is fueled by the hope that more expensive treatment in wealthier countries will result in better care, and it is sustained by the way the medical tourism industry operates and the way Bangladeshi patients and their families make choices and engage in the doing of care abroad. A detailed case study of a Bangladeshi cancer patients prolonged care in Singapore illustrates the tensions and ambivalences in the quest for the best treatment. These tensions are exacerbated by the linguistic, monetary, and emotional challenges faced in traveling back and forth between countries. While patients feel at times betrayed by experiences of care that do not meet their expectations, they also feel compelled to carry on. I capture this dynamic in the term rhythms of care, understanding these as the way the medical imaginary shapes care practices that become a scaffolding for hope to be maintained and further travel to be undertaken. I also reflect on how I become part of these rhythms by acting as the familys interpreter as they navigate health care in Singapore. Translating Guanai in the Peoples War on Drugs: Enacting Relations of Care in Chinas State-Run Methadone Maintenance Treatment Program (open access) Chaoxiong Zhang; Priscilla Song Chinas state-run methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) program was launched in 2003 in response to the growing HIV/AIDS epidemic and increasing criticism of compulsory rehabilitation centers. In conjunction with providing methadone replacement therapy, the Chinese state began promoting a politicized discourse of guanai (care and love) as a more effective and humane method for dealing with drug users. While the medicalization of addiction as a chronic brain disease requiring long-term pharmaceutical treatment marked a watershed moment in the debate over drug control in China, the affective recasting of addiction as a social condition worthy of care is potentially even more revolutionary. But to what extent has this project transformed Chinese drug users into a legitimate target of (state) care? Based on ethnographic fieldwork conducted in Yunnan province from 2013 to 2019, we examine how various stakeholders in Chinas MMT program (including methadone recipients, clinicians, public health officials, police officers, and the general public) have attempted to translate the discourse of guanai into workable practices and relationships based on divergent understandings of how to care for and about Chinese drug users. Our analysis shows how attending to the everyday dynamics of guanai in the Peoples War on Drugs provides a novel approach to theorizing the fraught politics of care. Navigating the Body Multiple: Biomedicine, Genetics, and Sex/Gender in the Lives of CAH Patients (open access) Mathangi Krishnamurthy In this article, the author is interested in understanding how forms of care deployed for people with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) engage with ambiguously sexed bodies. CAH is a collection of inherited genetic conditions affecting the adrenal glands that in its classic form clinically manifests itself by way of atypical genitalia in newborn infants. It is mainly seen in females, but also in males, and often results in surgical intervention to produce a more typically sexed appearance. In this article, the author traces the ways in which genetic technologies, in cohort with clinical diagnoses and consultation sessions between geneticists, general practitioners, endocrinologists, surgeons, psychiatrists, and parents, assign sex to CAH patients and evaluate normality and abnormality vis-a-vis sexuality and gender. This project locates itself at the interstices of, on the one hand, surgical and other interventions suggested for the body to conform to genetic certainty in relation to sex, and, on the other hand, a range of cultural contexts, norms, and consequences. The author investigates how different forms of biomedicine help practitioners produce care regimes in response to the specific local, gendered, cultural, and class contexts of the CAH patient, and very specifically asks how these may or may not push the boundaries of a sex/gender binary. In the process, the author also speculates on the gendered futures available for CAH bodies. Understanding Technology in Birth Care from the Experiences of Taiwanese Obstetricians (open access) Chen-I Kuan Childbirth in Taiwan is characterized by the use of intensive technological and surgical interventions. Taiwanese cesarean rates are among the highest in the world, fetal monitoring is standard, and interventions such as episiotomy and labor augmentation are routinized practices during childbirth. In this Research Note, I describe the sociopolitical context that has given rise to this situation. More specifically, based on ethnographic research concerning birth care, I explore the ways obstetricians navigate this context and highlight the values and considerations that produce and shape care on the ground. I argue that understanding how interventionist birth care has come about, and how it is sustained as obstetricians manage care in daily practice, is vital to inform ongoing feminist activism for womens self-determination and the de-medicalization of childbirth in Taiwan. Share this: Share Email Facebook Twitter Reddit Tumblr LinkedIn [view academic citations] [hide academic citations] In a significant development, sources informed Zee Media that medical reports of some of the accused in Palghar mob lynching case have revealed that they were drunk when they lynched saints Kalpavriksha Giri Maharaj and Sushil Giri Maharaj in Maharashtra on April 16. In a related development, Palghar police has provided security to Chitra Chaudhary, sarpanch of Gadchinchle village, in Palghar. Two armed constables have been appointed to provide round-the-clock security to Chitra. It is to be noted that Chitra was receiving constant threat for her life because she is one of the few eyewitnesses in the case. While the Maharashtra Police is trying hard to arrest those responsible for the heinous crime, Zee News ground report on the incident points to a bigger conspiracy behind the victims killing. Zee News Editor-in-chief Sudhir Chaudhary, in his extremely popular show DNA, raised several answered questions related to the alleged killing of the three men in Maharashtras Palghar. The Zee News show also gave an eyewitness account to ascertain the truth behind the whole incident. The Zee News team spoke to Chitra Chaudhary, the Sarpanch of Garh-Chinchle village of Dahanu area, an eyewitness of the gruesome incident. She had first reached the place where two sadhus along with their driver were beaten to death in front of the police on that day. "Around 8:30 pm, we came to know that a vehicle has been stopped at the check post where she reached in 15 minutes to see that the sadhus sitting inside the car," she told Zee News while adding that they greeted her from inside the car. Chitra said she also asked them who are they, and where do they want to go. While trying to collect evidence, the Zee News team came to know that liquor plays an important role in this tribal region and most political parties use it as a tool to mobilise popular support. All those, including social workers and seers, who oppose this are treated as ''enemies'' by those who have massive influence and control liquor trade in the region. CEO sends message to financial community regarding business outlook beyond the current challenging economic environment Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - April 27, 2020) - EuroLife Brands (CSE: EURO) (FSE: 3CMA) (OTC PINK: EURPF) ("EuroLife" or the "Company"), a vertically integrated enterprise focused on the pan-European health and wellness sector, today reported Mr. Shawn Moniz, Chief Executive Officer has exercised over 1.5 million share purchase warrants at a price of $0.05, a price that is currently above market offer. This brings open market purchases by Mr. Shawn Moniz to over 2 million shares in the past 60 days. "In my opinion EuroLife Brands' current share price is NOT reflective of the potential of its business plan and the long-term outlook for the health and wellness markets in the European Union," said Shawn Moniz, CEO of EuroLife. "We have made two important announcements regarding pending transactions that my team is working to close as soon as possible. The latest announcement of the acquisition of a chain of health and wellness retail locations in Germany and Luxembourg will put EuroLife Brands on the European map. It will allow us to gain the distribution and revenue segment of the business model for end-user products we have been working so hard to achieve. As we navigate these uncharted economic conditions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I believe the health and wellness product category will become more evident and more important moving forward. In addition to not having sold a single share in the company thus far, I am also voluntarily putting these exercised shares in escrow for a period of 12-months as a show of confidence in the future of Eurolife Brands." About EuroLife Brands Inc. EuroLife Brands (CSE: EURO) (FSE: 3CMA) (OTC PINK: EURPF) is a vertically integrated enterprise focused on the pan-European health and wellness sector. For additional information: Story continues Contact: ir@eurolifebrands.com or visit EuroLifeBrands.com No stock exchange or securities regulatory authority has reviewed or accepted responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Some of the statements contained in this release are forward-looking statements, such as estimates and statements that describe the Issuer's future plans, objectives or goals, including words to the effect that the Issuer or management expects a stated condition or result to occur. Since forward-looking statements address future events and conditions, by their very nature, they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. For a description of the risks and uncertainties facing the Company and its business and affairs, readers should refer to the Company's Management's Discussion and Analysis and other disclosure filings with Canadian securities regulators, which are posted on www.sedar.com. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/54922 Chennai, April 27 : A total of 52 persons, including a one-year-old boy, from Chennai, Madurai and Villupuram districts tested positive for coronavirus in Tamil Nadu while 81 Covid-19 patients were discharged on Monday, the Health Department said. In a statement issued here, the Health Department said 52 persons (33 male, 19 female) tested positive taking the total tally to 1,937 persons. Forty-seven of the new Covid-19 patients are from Chennai, taking the total number of such patients here to 570 while four are from Madurai and the one-year-old boy from Villupuram. On Monday, 81 patients were discharged from various hospitals in Tamil Nadu taking the total number Covid-19 cured to 1,101. The death toll continues at 24 with no new death reported on Monday. Greater Chennai Police Commissioner A.K. Viswanathan warned the wholesale traders that the Koyambedu Vegetable and Fruits market would be closed with more than four persons tested positive for Coronavirus. He said two retail traders who had come to the market are infected with Coronavirus. A team of officials met the representatives of the wholesale market for shifting some of the shops to a different place to avoid huge crowds. He said social distancing norms were not maintained in the market despite the lockdown to prevent the virus spread and the traders are into retail sale. Meanwhile the team from the Central government headed by V.Thirupugazh met Chief Minister K.Palaniswami and other senior officials and reviewed the measures taken in the state to prevent the spread of coronavirus. Earlier the team inspected the JJ Stadium where rice, oil, and pulses were stored. The team also went to a child centre and checked out the safety measures implemented against the virus infection there. The team also inspected a ration shop, maintenance of social distance in a bank and also enquired about the process of issuing the e-pass for vehicles. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Authorities in Uttar Pradeshs Agra scrambled to contain criticisms after at least two videos of people at a quarantine centre were seen crowding to receive essential supplies like food and water being tossed at them. In one of the videos, which are being shared widely, a man in a blue protective gear is seen throwing packets of biscuit near the gate as people from the other side gather to take them. The video was shot at the Sharda Group of Institutions, which has been turned into a Covid-19 quarantine centre by the administration. It also shows people crowding and reaching out for water bottles kept outside the gates without following social distancing norms. This is what is being done to people who have been isolated. We were told we will get medical check-ups but nothing of that sort has happened. Everyonedoctors and administration peopleis being negligent. There are no proper arrangements for food and water, a woman is overheard saying in the second video. Agras district magistrate Prabhu N Singh said, according to news agency ANI, they held inspection at the quarantine centre at Sharda Group of Institutions after receiving complaints about food distribution. The top officials of the team have been asked to look into the matter and fix the responsibilities. The team has been directed to identify the loopholes and be more careful in rendering services at the Covid-19 quarantine centre, Prabhu N Singh said, according to ANI. The city of the Taj Mahal, which was praised for the Agra model of containment, has reported the highest number of Covid-19 cases in Uttar Pradesh at 372. Congress leader Akhilesh Pratap Singh criticised the treatment meted out to the people in the video. Loo at this role model city of Agra. It is now being addressed as Wuhan of India where people are being treated like animals in quarantine centres. Whose role model is this city? You can very well guess, Singh tweeted. U.S. COVID-19 cases top 900,000, research shows hidden outbreaks likely occurred "far earlier" People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 09:44, April 26, 2020 WASHINGTON, April 25 (Xinhua) -- More than 900,000 people were infected with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) as of Saturday in the United States, with the death toll exceeding 52,000, while a new study indicated that the virus was likely to be spreading in multiple U.S. cities "far earlier" than Americans knew. The number of COVID-19 cases in the country reached 905,364 as of 10:30 a.m. (1430 GMT), and a total of 52,042 deaths related to the disease were recorded, according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University. New York remains the hardest-hit state, with 271,590 cases and 21,411 deaths. New Jersey follows, with 102,196 cases and 5,683 deaths. Other states with over 40,000 cases include Massachusetts, California and Pennsylvania. Worldwide, more than 200,000 people died of the disease as of Saturday, among over 2.8 million cases, showed the CSSE data. The United States suffered the most fatalities. Italy followed with 26,384 deaths. Spain reported 22,902 deaths, France and Britain also reported over 20,000 deaths. STRUGGLE TO BALANCE HEALTH RISK & ECONOMIC COST The U.S. states and federal government are trying very hard to balance the public health risk posed by the virus with the severe cost of month-odd shutting down of the country's economy. The Congressional Budget Office said Friday that the unemployment rate around the country, which was near a 50-year low before the coronavirus struck, will surge to 16 percent by September as the economy withers under the impact of the outbreak. More than 26 million Americans have applied for unemployment benefits since March. White House unveiled on April 16 three-phase guidelines for reopening the U.S. economy, putting the onus on governors of making decisions about their states' economies. Over a dozen states, including Georgia, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Mississippi, Texas, Colorado and Iowa, are moving toward restarting their economies this weekend with some restrictions. Many other states remain hesitant to take such steps without more robust testing capacity. New York, California, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Michigan have already extended their stay-at-home orders. Several states have announced plans to coordinate their response with neighbors. California is moving forward in coordination with Washington and Oregon while governors from New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware and Rhode Island announced plans to form a joint task force. A CBS News poll published Thursday said that 70 percent of respondents believed the country's top priority should be trying to "slow the spread of coronavirus by keeping people home and social distancing, even if the economy is hurt in the short term." HIDDEN OUTBREAKS LIKELY TOOK PLACE FAR EARLIER The virus was likely to be spreading in multiple U.S. cities "far earlier" than Americans knew, according to a new research. "Even in early February -- while the world focused on China -- the virus was not only likely to be spreading in multiple American cities, but also seeding blooms of infection elsewhere in the United States, the researchers found," said a report by The New York Times on Thursday. In the five major U.S. cities -- New York City, Boston, San Francisco, Chicago and Seattle, as of March 1, there were only 23 confirmed cases of the coronavirus. However, according to a model of the spread of the disease by researchers at Northeastern University, "there could have actually been about 28,000 infections in those cities by then," the report said. The virus spread on the West Coast of the United States weeks earlier than initially believed, according to new information released by Santa Clara county, California on Tuesday. Patricia Dowd, a 57-year-old San Jose woman, died at home on Feb. 6. Jeffrey V. Smith, Santa Clara county executive, told Xinhua in an email interview that "so far, this is the earliest death in the United States." Dowd and another 69-year-old man who died at home on Feb. 17 had no "significant travel history," and they presumably caught the virus through community spread, said the county's public health officer Dr. Sara Cody. "These patients apparently contracted the illness from community spread. This suggests that the virus was circulating in the Bay Area in January at least, probably earlier," Smith told Xinhua. Previously, the first known U.S. death from the virus was on Feb. 29 in Kirkland in Washington state. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Weekends. Nights. Eighteen-hour work days. These, believe it or not, have become the new bankers hours amid the economic crisis thats arisen this spring from the coronavirus pandemic. While medical professionals do battle with COVID-19 in hospitals and nursing homes, bankers and lenders have found themselves on an economic frontline, helping businesses navigate uncertain futures under public health restrictions and closure orders. Were the first responders to help salvage and restore the economy, said Sheila Mathews, president and CEO of Four Corners Community Bank in Farmington. For weeks, Mathews staff has worked nearly around the clock to gather information to help their business clients prepare to apply for federal stimulus loans intended to bolster small businesses. Each day new guidelines were released, her staff had to scramble to gather the necessary documents and signatures. I think the greatest analogy that somebody used is that we are building a plane while in mid-flight, Mathews said. Joe Christian, president and CEO of Nusenda Credit Union, told a similar story. (My staff members) were working 18-hour days just to gather the information and consult with our business members, because this was a new process and some people needed some guidance to understand what the requirements were, Christian said. The need has been clear. In the last six weeks, many New Mexico businesses have laid off or furloughed staff, stripped operations to bare bones or closed their doors all the while hemorrhaging the profits that allow them to pay salaries and bills. Prepared, flexible While the economic turmoil seems to be far from over, several financial experts say lenders are generally better equipped to handle their clients needs than they were the last time a major financial struck. Today, this is a public health crisis where we have this virus that were fighting against, said Reilly White, an associate professor of finance at the University of New Mexicos Anderson School of Management. But in the couple of months preceding this, the economy was humming along well. Banks were well-capitalized. Their loans and balance sheets were quite strong. The economic stability that preceded the pandemic has allowed banks to take a more flexible and individualized approach when dealing with borrowers. White said he has seen an increased willingness of local banks to work with their borrowers throughout the crisis. Robert Chavez, president and CEO of Sandia Laboratory Federal Credit Union, said his bank had to quickly adapt and find ways to help keep their clients afloat like offering payment relief, loan deferment, and offering personal relief loans for members. The needs of our business members have changed quite significantly over the last 30 days where a lot of them are really in more of a survival mode, Chavez said. Weve done more skip-a-payments in the last three days then weve probably done in the last three years combined. Its just been that hefty of a situation. The State Employees Credit Union took a similar approach, taking steps like waiving fees and trying for flexibility, according to president and CEO Harold Dixon. Some of the things we did immediately was an up to a two-payment deferral on (a clients) loan and then 90 days of interest-only on their loan just to kind of give them a good five months of relief until things kind of get back on track, Dixon said. PPP woes Still, hurdles have been significant including helping small businesses navigate the Paycheck Protection Program. The PPP a multi-billion-dollar emergency loan program funded through Congress Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act aimed to provide funding to small businesses to help them keep workers on their payroll. The loans are forgivable by the U.S. Small Business Administration if several requirements are met. The program was originally funded at $349 billion, but ran out in less than two weeks as hurting businesses from across the country rushed to apply. Congress and the White House agreed on a deal last week to replenish the depleted fund program. For lenders, the PPPs rollout was rocky. Paul Stull, president of the Credit Union Association of New Mexico, said the lack of guidance from the federal government combined with quickly drafted legislation has led to confusion for both lenders and borrowers in recent weeks. Its kind of like working with one hand tied behind your back to meet the needs of the borrowers, Stull said. Its frustrating because the borrowers feel that we should be the experts and be able to help them and wed really like to be but were not dictating what the federal government does. Its frustrating to the borrower because they have a right to believe that we should be able to help them and do it quickly and do it efficiently. Even those in the lending world who felt prepared for the PPP had difficulties when the rubber hit the road. Alan Shettlesworth, president and CEO of Main Bank, said his organization was anticipating the passage of the CARES Act and began gathering any financial information they could in an attempt to get their clients prepared to apply. But even with that prep work, the application system proved challenging. We had absolutely no idea what we were doing when it came to completing the applications online with the SBA e-tran system, he said of the online portal where loan applications were submitted. Shettlesworth said calls and questions to the agency went unanswered, and even when the PPPs funding ran out April 16, his bank wasnt notified he only learned the money was gone because applications could no longer be filed. Need persists White said the high volume of PPP applications shows what dire straits U.S. small businesses are in. They have just been overwhelmed by applications, which speaks to the need in this, he said. That need isnt going anywhere. In New Mexico, business restrictions and stay at home orders are expected to stay in place for weeks yet. The fate of the oil and gas industry, which employs tens of thousands in the state, remains a question mark. Meanwhile, the virus itself isnt beat yet. Mathews said the demand of lenders to step up to the plate has been so great that, at her bank in Farmington, she feels her staff has hardly had time to consider the health crisis from a personal standpoint. We dont have time to worry about the virus, she said. Were worrying about our customers. Were worrying about the economy. A month ago there was much ado about a slight uptick in Trumps job-approval numbers. But the real story was the slightness: Past presidents had experienced greater bumps during crises, when Americans tend to rally around their leader. For Trump there was no such rallying just a grudging, incremental benefit of the doubt. A fleeting one, too. His uptick quickly took a downturn, reuniting him with his anemic norm. According to the polling average at FiveThirtyEight as of late Friday afternoon, 52.5 percent of Americans disapprove of his job performance. Only 43.4 percent approve. True, his favorability ratings werent any better in 2016 in fact, they were worse and he got to the White House regardless. But the dissonance of that victory could be explained partly by what he represented: a protest against the status quo. Now he is the status quo, and voters have had a chance to sample the disruption that he pledged. It tastes a lot like incompetence. Other numbers tell an even scarier story for Trump. In all three of the battleground states that enabled his Electoral College victory three and a half years ago, hes currently behind Biden by 6.7 percentage points in Pennsylvania, 5.5 in Michigan and 2.7 in Wisconsin, according to the averaging of recent polls by RealClearPolitics. That website also puts him behind by 3.2 points in Florida, a state he won in 2016 and must win again. Wisconsin alone should terrify Trump. In 2018, the Republican governor was ousted by a Democrat. So were the Republican lieutenant governor and attorney general. Then, this month, Wisconsin voters replaced a conservative incumbent on the states Supreme Court with a liberal challenger, her victory not just surprising but resounding. Theres no way to spin that in Trumps favor. According to monthly polling by Gallup, the percentage of Americans who indicated satisfaction with the way things were going in the country plummeted to 30 percent in mid-April from 42 percent in mid-March. Only twice before in the past two decades has there been a one-month decline that precipitous. Maybe this drop was less a referendum on Trumps stewardship than a recognition of the coronaviruss devastation. But maybe not: Surveys reveal that a significant majority of Americans believe that he acted too late to stem the viruss spread. Hes also out of step with most Americans appraisal of what will and wont be safe in the immediate future. Southern separatists in Yemen have staged a takeover of Aden the seat of the countrys government and declared self-rule, in a move decried by Saudi Arabia led military coalition and the countrys recognised government as a coup. The Southern Transitional Council (STC), whose forces have been funded and trained by the United Arab Emirates, deployed troops to the southern port on Sunday. In an accompanying statement, it declared it would self-govern parts of the south, deepening the complex fault-lines of the country ravaged by a five-year civil war. The government of the president Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi and the STC are supposedly allies in the Saudi coalitions war against Houthi rebels, who control vast swathes of the countrys north. The coalition, which includes the UAE, on Monday demanded the STC adhere to an existing peace deal, warning the escalatory action undermined the countrys efforts to battle coronavirus recently detected in the south of the country. Authorities in five southern provinces in Yemen on Sunday also rejected the separatist groups claim to self-rule, further heightening tensions among the allies. The government said local authorities in the southern provinces of Abyan, Shabwa, al-Mahra, Socotra and Hadramawt where the countrys first Covid-19 case were detected dismissed the move as a clear and definite coup. Some of the provinces issued their own statements condemning it. The STC, which has a stronghold in Yemens de-facto capital Aden, claimed it was motivated by rising concerns over the governments failure to perform its duties. Both sides traded accusations. The organisation also claimed the government had failed to pay military and security salaries, to deliver support to the frontline, and to provide basic infrastructure such as electricity and water. The statement also accused the Hadi administration of supporting terrorism groups, including al-Qaeda. Saleh al-Noud, a spokesman for the group, told The Independent it intended to abide by the Gulf coalition-brokered peace deal in the south but that the government was undermining it. The government has so far only actively sought out to undermine the process. This context needs to change, and moving forward any implementation will need to take in account developments on the ground to ensure its a credible and viable process that meets the needs of the southern people, he said. The Yemeni authorities, meanwhile, called the announcement open rebellion against the legitimate government. They also accused the separatists of trying to evade the repercussions of failing to deliver anything for the citizens of Aden, who they said were deprived of services because the STCs actions prevented the government from operating properly. Yemens foreign minister, Mohammed Al-Hadhrami, said the move constituted a resumption of its armed insurgency and a rejection and complete withdrawal from the Riyadh agreement, a deal which ended a previous armed standoff between the separatists and the government last year. The STC will bear alone the dangerous and catastrophic consequences for such an announcement, he said in a statement. The separatists overran Aden, the temporary seat of Hadis government, and key southern provinces in August 2019 saying Hadis administration was not managing the country properly. The group, which does not enjoy the support of all the southern provinces, seeks the return of the independent state that existed in the south until 1990. In November, the government and the STC reached a Gulf-brokered power-sharing deal called the Riyadh agreement intended to end the infighting and unify ranks against the Houthis. But the agreement has yet to be implemented. Yemens civil war erupted in 2014 when the Houthis took control of the countrys north, including the capital, Sanaa, forcing Mr Hadi to flee and sparking fears of the encroachment of Iranian influence the region. A Saudi-led military coalition intervened against the rebels on the side of the government in March of the following year. The conflict has killed over 100,000 people and created the worlds worst humanitarian crisis. According to the United Nations, three quarters of the country rely on aid to survive, while millions have been pushed to the brink of famine. The UNs food agency warned last week that there could be a famine of biblical proportions caused by the coronavirus pandemic in several conflict riddled countries singling out Yemen as among the worst affected. MEXICO CITY The senior nurse went on national television to make a plea on behalf of her fellow health care workers: Please stop assaulting us. Nurses working under her auspices had been viciously attacked around Mexico at least 21 times, accused of spreading the coronavirus. Many were no longer wearing their uniforms as they traveled to or from work for fear of being hurt, said the official, Fabiana Zepeda Arias, chief of nursing programs for Mexicos Social Security Institute. We can save your lives, she said, addressing the assailants. Please help us take care of you, and for that we need you to take care of us. In many cities, doctors, nurses and other health care workers have been celebrated with choruses of applause and cheers from windows and rooftops for providing the front-line defense against the pandemic. TEL AVIV (Reuters) - Israel's Corsight AI, which has developed technology to recognize faces concealed by masks, goggles and plastic shields, raised $5 million from Awz Ventures, a Canadian fund focused on intelligence and security technologies. Corsight said on Sunday it will use the funds to market the platform and to continue development. In March, China's Hanwang Technology Ltd said it has come up with technology that can recognize people when they are wearing masks, as many are today because of the coronavirus. Corsight said it offers a facial recognition system able to process information captured on video cameras and can address difficulties resulting from the outbreak, where a large portion of the population is moving about with faces partially covered. The technology can be used to issue alerts of people who are in violation of quarantine and have gone outside to public areas while covering their faces with masks, Corsight said. If a person is found to have COVID-19 within an organization the system can quickly produce a report of people who were near the sick individual, the company said. Corsight said it has permanent systems installed in European airports and hospitals, Asian cities, South American police departments and border crossings, and African mines and banks. Tel Aviv-based Corsight was founded in late 2019 and has 15 employees. It is a subsidiary of Cortica Group, which has raised over $70 million to develop artificial intelligence technology. (Reporting by Tova Cohen; Editing by Steven Scheer) (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 28th Apr, 2020) ABU DHABI, 27th April 2020 (WAM) Burj Khalifa in Dubai was illuminated in the Dutch flag colours on Monday night in celebration of Kings Day in the Netherlands. The Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Abu Dhabi and the Consulate General in Dubai were delighted to see the Burj Khalifa light up as a token of friendship, said a statement issued by the embassy to Emirates news Agency, WAM. Kings Day, also known as the Dutch National Day celebration, marks the birth of King Willem-Alexander on 27th April. Ambassador of the Kingdom, Lody Embrechts, expressed his gratitude for the UAEs friendly gesture, especially during these unprecedented times where people cannot meet and celebrate together. "I would like to sincerely thank the United Arab Emirates and Emaar for this heart-warming token of our friendship," he said. "The Burj Khalifa symbolises the UAEs strong ambition, the many cultures present in the UAE and the nations long-term vision. It is a privilege to have our national colours presented on this iconic building," Embrechts stressed. The envoy continued to say, "I would also like take this opportunity to wish you all a Ramadan Kareem. I hope this holy month will build upon the spirit of dedication and collective effort that has emerged in the UAE and around the globe. "We will get through this and the Netherlands look forward to share an exciting future with the UAE," the ambassador said. Kings Day is a national day in the Netherlands, during which the country is covered in orange and celebrations abound. For many Dutch citizens abroad the annual celebration is a festive high point. It is the perfect opportunity to meet and catch up with each other. Kings Day is also a unique moment for Dutch diplomatic missions to thank local authorities and businesses for the enjoyable collaboration. In light of the global COVID pandemic, the Netherlands Minister of Foreign Affairs, Stef Blok, had decided to cancel Kings Day at all of the more than 150 Dutch embassies and other Dutch diplomatic missions abroad. "Given the rapid spread of the Corona crisis around the world, it is only logical to cancel the usual festivities this year," Blok said. In the Netherlands, the Dutch celebrated from home and online via a dedicated website where the King spoke and citizens were encouraged to share videos with music, poetry, theatre performances, games and other initiatives. The platform showed pupils singing the Dutch National Anthem, Wilhelmus, together online; international choreographer Annabelle Ochoa Lopez teaching dance moves, as well as citizens playing traditional games while respecting social distancing rules and youngsters cooking for the elderly, said the statement. Find all our Lessons of the Day here. Lesson Overview Featured Article: New York and Boston Pigeons Dont Mix by Joshua Sokol In this lesson, you will learn about a new study that identified genetic similarities and differences among pigeons and about how geography may play a role. Youll then design your own research proposal in the Going Further section. Warm Up Elizabeth Carlen, a biologist at Fordham University, wanted to know if the pigeons that live in the Boston-Washington corridor, which includes cities like Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York and Providence, are all one interconnected population. In other words, do the birds in all these cities interbreed? To answer this question, Ms. Carlen caught pigeons with a net gun and took their blood samples during a series of road trips across the region. Make a prediction about what her findings reveal. Do you think the pigeons from all these cities are members of one pigeon supercity? Or, do you think these pigeons just stay in their home city and dont mix? Why? Two terrorists who raised funds for fighter brothers in the Middle East laughed as they were jailed for a total of more than 14 years. Ayub Nurhussein, 29, helped raise 2,699.19 for jihadis in Iraq while sharing footage of military beheadings on social media between 11 April and 11 July last year. Eritrean-born Nurhussein was caught on CCTV with his friend, Said Mohammed, 31, transferring 1,300 to a contact purportedly acting as a high-ranking ISIS soldier. The pair exchanged messages via encrypted messaging app Telegram and arranged to send money through a European go-between in Denmark. They worked with the contact, referred to only as Wassim, while making plans to travel together to join him in the Middle East. Nurhussein (left) was caught on CCTV with his friend, Said Mohammed (right), 31, transferring 1,300 to a contact purportedly acting as a high-ranking ISIS soldier. A second transaction of 599.19 was made by Nurhussein on June 5 to the same bank in Copenhagen and collected by another man, Ali Aga, who was accompanied by a woman known as Rwan Ebrahim. The process was repeated again - with Nurhussein transferring 800 to the Danish bank - on July 2. Mohammed admitted entering into a funding arrangement to support terrorism on 13 January while armed robber Nurhussein denied the charge until midway through his Old Bailey trial. The fanatic - who in 2012 robbed a City worker at gunpoint - then admitted entering into the charge after the prosecution had opened the case to a jury. He earlier admitted four counts of possessing terrorist documents and three counts of disseminating terrorist publications A special further hearing rejected Nurhusseins basis of plea after he maintained he had never intended to support terrorism. Nurhussein and Mohammed appeared together via video-link from HMP Wandsworth on (fri) and giggled throughout the hearing, guffawing loudly as they were described as deeply radical. Prosecutor Alistair Richardson said: The prosecution case is that both defendants are deeply radical. They supported the Islamic state in whatever ways they could. They wished to travel to Islamic state territory to join them. From the United Kingdom the two of them together offered their support financially. They arranged for the provision of funds for the mujahideen or fighter brothers who remain in Iraq fighting for that organisation.' The prosecutor said voice notes sent by Wassim were forwarded onto Nurhussein encouraging the pair to find a route from the UK to the Middle East. Mr Richardson said: He spoke about speaking to the immigration bureau, the need for a permanent name to make a transfer, that its difficult to make a transfer because of the questioning and documents, that they should agree on the amount, and how many brothers would be involved, and that information could then be sent to the bureau. We say the references to bureau and office are clear references to the organisational structure within the Islamic State. Wassim went on to remind Mohammed that this is the greatest jihad.. Messages continue in April including references to jihad and an image from Islamic State media sent from Said Mohammed. Wassim told Said Mohammed to co-ordinate with other brothers, see how many of them are and agree so that they can get on with the matter. Jurors at The Old Bailey, pictured, were told Nurhussein made three bank transfers to a woman in Denmark after contacts in Iraq said: 'This is a time of seriousness and this is a time when the Mujahedin (fighters) really need you' Mohammed expressed rejection of moderate, mainstream Islam in favour of the perversion of it advanced by the Islamic State.' Nurhussein robbed a man with what the victim described as a black handgun which was pointed at him which was pointed at the victims face and Mr Nurhussein demanded his property at which the victim complied. He pleaded guilty to the offence of robbery in 2012 and the firearm count was left to lie on file and he received a sentence of 42 months. The court heard Mohammed was a refugee who had entered the UK through Calais. He grew up in wartorn Eritrea where his home was burnt down with him inside after his father expressed political dissent, the court heard. Nurhussein was jailed for nine years and six months. Mohammed was given five years and three months. Passing sentence Judge Rebecca Poulet said: It is quite clear that both men were whole-hearted supporters of this terrorist cause and that both wished the funds to go to support the fighters of that organisation. These substantial materials set out in explicit detail how to make various types of explosive devices. Several are obviously created and prepared for those who support the cause of opposition to anti-terrorism. The videos shared by Nurhussein were professionally produced and edited film showing beheading and the execution of enemies of Islamic State as well as tracts of spoken words encouraging others to the cause. I found he intended to encourage terrorism by forwarding these videos to his landlord. I have concluded there is a significant risk to the public as a result of Ayub Nurhusseins commission of further specified offences. I am of this view in light of his involvement in three types of terrorist offence in the course of the same period, his longstanding commitment to IS, and a previous conviction for robbery involving an imitation firearm. In my judgement this material appears to be the most grave and alarming aspect of Ayub Nurhusseins conduct. This is particularly so when I view it in the context of his other activity and beliefs. Overall, I have concluded that the defendant is dangerous. The judge said Mohammed appeared to have very impaired intellect and was easily compliant. Judge Poulet said: You were actively engaged with a number of others and some of those it appeared you duped into this arrangement. I take into account the content of a psychological report. On testing, the psychologist found that both his reasoning, intellectual functioning and memory were very impaired. In addition, she found he is easily compliant. Nurhussein, from southwest London, admitted entering into a funding arrangement providing funds for the purposes of supporting terrorism, four counts of possession of a document or record containing information of a kind likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism, and three counts of dissemination of terrorist publications. Mohammed, of Longsight, Manchester, admitted arranging funds or property for the purposes of terrorism. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemps decision to open some nonessential businesses this week was embraced by some while drawing protests from others. WSJs Cameron McWhirter reports from on the ground near Atlanta as business owners weigh saving their businesses and safety concerns. Photo: Ron Harris/AP President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky held a telephone conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron. During the call, the heads of state discussed the situation in both countries due to the coronavirus pandemic, as well as the situation in Donbas and the reforms carried out in Ukraine. The press service of the Presidents Office reported that. "Ukraine is making its contribution to the fight against the pandemic. As part of the NATO strategic transportation program, the Ukrainian cargo planes Mriya and Ruslan are involved in the delivery of humanitarian and medical assistance around the world, including to France," Zelensky said. The heads of state agreed on the need for close coordination of efforts to overcome the consequences of the pandemic and to restore economic activity. Volodymyr Zelensky also informed Emmanuel Macron about the course of negotiations with the International Monetary Fund about the launch of a new cooperation program with Ukraine. The law on banks is a priority for us. Im sure that will vote for it because it is important for us and it opens up opportunities for cooperation with the IMF, the President of Ukraine emphasized. Emmanuel Macron praised the progress in implementing reforms in Ukraine, and also noted the importance of further EU macro-financial support for Ukraine. He expressed hope for a quick decision at the EU level to provide Ukraine with macro-financial assistance of 1.2 billion Euros to overcome the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic. Special attention was paid to the situation in eastern Ukraine and the implementation of the agreements reached during the Paris Summit in the Norman format. The French president also congratulated Volodymyr Zelensky on the release of the detainees on April 16. The parties noted mutual interest in restoring the dynamics of bilateral cooperation after the normalization of the epidemic situation. Volodymyr Zelensky also reminded Emmanuel Macron of his invitation to visit Ukraine. I know that you wanted to visit Ukraine. I will be glad to welcome you as soon as the coronavirus epidemic ends and as soon as this visit becomes possible, the President of Ukraine said. Emmanuel Macron confirmed his intention to visit Ukraine. As we reported before, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky met with representatives of the State Emergencies Ministry of Ukraine, who took part in extinguishing a large-scale forest fire in the Chornobyl exclusion zone. He handed 22 state awards to the rescuers. A Bank of England scheme designed to provide banks with cheap money to lend to small businesses has handed out an enormous 6billion in its first week, official figures reveal. In an announcement which revealed the speed and scale of the economic crisis caused by the coronavirus, the sum pumped into banks in the first week of the new Term Funding Scheme was just under a third of the 20.7billion its predecessor handed out in its first six months following its launch after the Brexit vote in 2016. The news Britain's central bank was restarting the scheme, which opened for applications on 15 April, in conjunction with a base rate cut to a record low of 0.1 per cent, led to fears already low savings rates could collapse over the next few months. Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey announced it would relaunch its Term Funding Scheme in April, to help provide banks with cheap money to lend to small businesses The new TFSME is designed to provide banks with money at rates very close to the record low base rate to keep them lending to small businesses in need of cash. The availability of this money means banks could in theory rely less on savers. Many experts have blamed a previous scheme, Funding for Lending, launched after the financial crisis for heavily contributing to a near-decade of low savings rates. But although only a small snapshot, the first week's figure of 6billion in drawdowns is almost certainly from applications from Britain's biggest banks, which will continue to make heavy use of the scheme. Bank of England data from the previous TFS, launched in June 2016, showed the likes of Barclays, Lloyds and Royal Bank of Scotland borrowing 4billion - or even 6billion - at a time, although this was usually over the course of a three-month period not one week. Those big three by themselves ended up drawing just under half of the 107billion handed out in the previous funding scheme. Drawings from the big banks shouldn't materially affect savings rates, as they don't feature in the top part of the market. Industry insider from a small bank And these banks, while at the forefront of government attempts to hand out loans to businesses to stop them from going bust due to the virus, already pay savers pitiful rates. Data from analyst Savings Champion found Barclays, HSBC, Nationwide Building Society, RBS and Santander have pledged 345 cuts to savings rates between now and July. Of those, just 63 will pass on the full Bank of England chop of 0.65 per cent, as the rates are already so low, although that won't stop hundreds of accounts paying just 0.01 per cent interest very soon. One senior banker at a smaller savings bank said the 6billion figure 'would suggest the drawings are mostly from the big banks as only they have the capacity to absorb that kind of volume so quickly. 'Drawings from the big banks shouldn't materially affect savings rates, as they don't feature in the top part of the market.' The Bank of England's Funding for Lending scheme launched in the aftermath of the financial crisis, and was blamed for helping drive down savings rates throughout the last decade Building societies can tap into it too But as the scheme goes on banks and building societies big and small will seek to access funding, including ones which pay savers decent rates. Yorkshire Building Society, which drew 2.9billion from the last scheme, told This is Money it had submitted an application to access money from the Bank of England. It said: 'We will consider utilisation of the facility among the other forms of retail and wholesale funding sources available to the society in the context of our needs and the market environment. 'As an organisation that's owned by our members our priority is to deliver competitive rates and quality service for our savers and borrowers while managing accounts responsibly and maintaining financially sustainability. 'The drive for deposits is dependent on a number of factors including demand and strength of mortgage lending, political and economic status along with our regulatory funding requirements.' While it is likely big banks like Barclays which have drawn the initial 6bn from the first week, smaller banks and building societies like Yorkshire plan to get involved And even though the last scheme handed out more than 107billion in total, it is not quite as simple as looking at the total sum of cheap money sloshing around in the banking system and automatically inferring savings rates will fall. While the big banks gorged themselves on billions in cheap money, many of the banks which appear in our best buy tables also tapped the scheme, but it was never used to fund most of their lending. Aldermore Bank, which frequently tops This is Money's tables, drew 1.275billion between January 2017 and the end of the previous TFS the following February. But at the same time, it held 5.2billion in deposits from everyday savers. The Bank of England cash ultimately made up 14 per cent of a 9billion loan book, not insignificant, but not enough to completely negate its need to offer decent rates to attract savers' money. And Yorkshire Building Society drew 2.9billion from the scheme at the same time it held as much as 29billion from everyday savers. While it may mean the UK's major high street banks don't need savers' money for a while, there will be plenty of savings providers that still do. Will easy-access best buy rates drop below 1%? 'None of the challenger banks were using the TFS to fund major parts of their books that I'm aware of', industry expert James Blower said. But every 1 paid out from the Bank of England at 0.1 per cent is still 1 a bank does not need from a saver at 1.5 per cent, and the money, and the historically low base rate, is likely to be around for a while. It is early days and difficult to make judgments based on one number after one week, and if previous schemes are any indication, cheap funding schemes don't necessarily bode well for savings rates. Funding for Lending, which launched in 2012 after the last financial crisis, did coincide with a big drop in easy-access rates. 'In the longer term, the only data we have is from the last TFS issuance and based on that we might well see savings rates decrease', the banker said. But, he added, 'we're living through such unusual times it's a brave person who'd forecast beyond the next week or two with any degree of confidence.' It remains to be seen how many banks are able to access the scheme and how much they are able to draw. And it is possible the scheme weighs more on the ability of savings rates to rebound after the crisis rather than causing them to collapse even more, given how low they already are. But whatever happens, if there's one thing savings experts are united on, it is that rates will continue to fall for now, with easy-access rates perhaps falling to as low as 1 per cent. In the meantime then, if you spot a top savings rate, snap it up. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Apr. 27 By Ilkin Seyfaddini - Trend: The Embassy of the Uzbekistan in Seoul has attracted humanitarian aid from the Republic of Korea within the framework of international cooperation in the fight against coronavirus, Trend reports citing the Uzbek media. The humanitarian cargo for the needs of the Ministry of Health of Uzbekistan with a total weight of about 34 tons was formed with the support of South Korean companies and organizations such as Evergreen Motors, Hanshin E&C, Shindong Resources, BOMI E&C, GM Korea, Automotive Parts Suppliers Association, UNICO Logistics, Chung Hospital, Myung Sung Placon, Suwan TPL, Union Korea Pharm, Century, Infinity Co. Ltd., LH, and Hyundai Engineering and Shinhan University, the report said. In addition, 20,000 sets of test-systems of PCR diagnostics of PCL Inc. for $250,000 were purchased via funds allocated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of South Korea. On April 26, first part of the humanitarian cargo, including high-tech medical equipment, medical beds with automatic mechanism and test-systems of PCR diagnostics with a total weight of 6.2 tons worth about $900,000 was sent to Tashkent by charter flight of Uzbekistan Airways JSC, the report said. The rest of the humanitarian cargo with a total weight of over 27.6 tons will be delivered to Uzbekistan by the next cargo charter flight. --- Follow author on Twitter: @seyfaddini Introduced on the continent for the first time, the Swiss brands legendary collections, including Speedmaster, Seamaster, Constellation and De Ville, can now be purchased directly through the companys website. Over the past several years, the introduction of Omegas e-commerce has proven to be a huge success within the USA and UK, the first two markets to provide the platform. Now, the same excellent service and diverse choice of timepieces will be offered to European customers, bringing them closer to Omega than ever before. Raynald Aeschlimann, President and CEO of Omega, is excited about the many advantages for the brand and its clients. He says, This evolution of Omegas e-commerce is all about the customer. We want to give them direct access to our watches and accessories from the comfort of home, and from any corner of their country. Weve developed exciting tools along with our exceptional standards of customer service, enabling them to connect with us and shop with total confidence. In addition to online sales, Omega will continue to develop its global network of location-based boutiques, which are still considered to be an important part of the shopping experience. However, the rollout of e-commerce will add an extra opportunity for consumers to fulfil their needs. Although Europe has been chosen as the latest market to welcome Omegas online sales, the brand expects that more countries will follow in the near future. www.omegawatches.com/shopnow The Alameda County Sheriffs Office seized nearly 600 hens, chicks and razor-wielding roosters Saturday after busting a large suspected cockfighting ring in rural Pleasanton. About 6:30 p.m., deputies responded to a report of a potential cockfighting event taking place at 10577 Dublin Canyon Road, where about 50 to 60 people had gathered inside a barn, sheriffs officials said Monday. Cockfighting usually involves people placing bets on roosters that are forced to fight to the death. Deputies enlisted an Oakland police helicopter to fly over the structure, which prompted dozens of people to scatter outside. Some fled in cars and others abandoned their vehicles, instead escaping on foot into a nearby wooded area, according to Alameda County Sheriffs Office Sgt. Ray Kelly. Sheriffs deputies, along with officials from Dublin police and the California Highway Patrol, descended on the scene, where about 10 individuals remained. Kelly said the suspects acknowledged they were onsite to view the cockfights, and said several were detained and cited. Officials took custody of 123 fighting birds, 59 hens, about 400 chicks and 200 incubating eggs, Kelly said. Two fighting birds were found dead at the scene. Several of the roosters were outfitted with razor blades affixed to their claws, and may have been juiced up with steroids or other performance-enhancing drugs before their fights. Investigators also found various hypodermic needles and vials left at the scene. The case is under investigation, and potential charges could include animal abuse and animal trafficking. Cockfighting is illegal in all 50 states, and could be charged as either a misdemeanor or felony in California. Kelly said those at the scene also were violating the countys shelter-in-place orders, but that investigators are focusing more on the higher level crimes. 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. Were going to worry about animal abuse and animal cruelty, and the fact that this is illegal bird trafficking, he said, adding that theres typically illegal gambling associated with cockfighting cases. Theres a lot of money involved in these birds. A spokeswoman for the Alameda County district attorneys office said investigators have not yet presented any information for charging. Investigators are speaking with the owner and sublessee of the property, Kelly said. Cockfighting isnt unheard of in Alameda County and elsewhere in Northern California, and most of the events take place in rural areas. In 2017, nearly 80 dead roosters were discovered at dump sites in Santa Cruz County. Investigators said they believed the birds were victims of a recent cockfight. Most of the birds still wore leg bands that the cock fighters use to attach knives or spurs to the animals legs. A cockfight in Petaluma turned deadly for a human in 2018, when one of the men in attendance was fatally shot. Megan Cassidy is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: megan.cassidy@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @meganrcassidy Retail investors cant seem to get enough of gold during the coronavirus crisis, and they are willing to pay staggering amounts to get their hands on it. Consumers who want to buy gold coins typically have to pay more than the per-ounce prices quoted on financial markets in London and New York. That premium has jumped to $135, more than tripling from two months ago, said Robert Higgins, chief executive officer at Argent Asset Group LLC in Wilmington, Delaware. There has never been a time for American Gold Eagles at this premium level, Higgins said in an interview, referring to the popular U.S. bullion coin. The surge is being exacerbated by coronavirus-related lockdowns, which have led to a squeeze in the supply of coins and bars available for shipment around the globe. At the same time, bullions status as a haven is luring investors rattled by worldwide market and economic turmoil. Until the world catches up with the imbalance and gets back to a normal balance of supply and demand, the premiums will stay, Higgins said. Gold-coin premiums tracked by Certified Coin Exchange are at the highest levels in six years, data from the bourse show. Last year, bar and coin demand fell by 20% to the lowest level since 2009, hurt by costlier prices that discouraged retail bullion buying globally, according to the World Gold Council. That began to reverse in 2020, with investors snapping up coins sold by the U.S. Mint in March at the fastest pace in more than three years. Higgins, a 40-year industry veteran, operates a wholesale business that typically deals with an average of 1 million to 1.5 million ounces of gold each month. That jumped to more than 6.5 million ounces in March as premiums surged, he said. As some refiners of the metal resume partial operations, he expects market tightness to subside in coming weeks. Mish International Monetary Inc., a dealer in precious metal bullion and coins, based in Menlo Park, Calif., has been selling gold coins at highly elevated levels for three to four weeks. The company told customers Thursday its offering one-ounce coins in its inventory for a 7% premium, or at almost $1,851 an ounce based on Fridays closing spot price of $1,729.60. Its crazy, said Mish president Robert Mish. There is a factor in the market that many of the buyers do not trust the system anymore and want to get their metal in their hands for certain. While fans are eagerly looking forward to Pawan Kalyan's comeback film, Vakeel Saab, the Power Star of the Telugu film industry will also be seen in filmmaker Krish Jagarlamudi's upcoming directorial venture, which is tentatively titled, Virupaksha. The movie is said to be a period drama, wherein we hear Kalyan will be seen doing some high-octane action sequences. In fact, if the latest buzz is true, then fans will also get to see Kollywood hero, Sivakarthikeyan, in the film. Yes, according to cinejosh.com, the makers want to dish out a movie that appeals to a wider section of the audience, and hence, the Rajini Murugan actor has been brought on board for a crucial role. Apparently, Sivakarthikeyan has already sealed the deal and though his role in the movie is more like an extended cameo, reports suggest that his character makes an entry at an important juncture in the film. That's not all! It seems Krish wants his movie to have a pan-India appeal, and therefore, he is also in talks with Bollywood actress Jacqueline Fernandez. Though it's still unclear whether Jacqueline is considering the offer or not, for now, it's pretty much confirmed that Pawan Kalyan and Sivakarthikeyan will be sharing screen space in Jagarlamudi's Virupaksha. Having said that, an official announcement regarding the same is still awaited. Talking about Sivakarthikeyan, the actor currently has two Kollywood projects on his plate, R Ravikumar's sci-fi fantasy film Ayalaan and Nelson Dilipkumar's Doctor. As for the Telugu actor-turned-politician, we hear he has said yes to three more filmmakers, Harish Shankar, Gowtam Tinnanuri, and Puri Jagannadh. Ram Charan Comes To Pawan Kalyan's Rescue: Actors To Unite For Virupaksha? Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), shown speaking at an American Conservative Union Conference in 2014, led efforts to stop funding for health insurers participating in the state Obamacare exchanges. (Brendan Smialowski / AFP / Getty Images ) Looks like health insurers will get their "bailout" after all. The Supreme Court ruled Monday that Congress muffed the effort, led by Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Rep. Tim Griffin (R-Ark.), to deny insurers the money Congress promised to pay them if they wound up shouldering an unexpected amount of risk in the fledgling Affordable Care Act insurance exchanges. Rubio famously labeled the law's "risk corridors" arrangement a bailout, even though it cut both ways: For the first three years of the new exchanges, insurers whose customers were disproportionately healthy had to pay the government their excess earnings, while those whose customers needed a disproportionate amount of treatment were entitled to recover some of their losses. You might not find health insurers to be a very sympathetic plaintiff. But what Rubio and company did here really is outrageous, and it's gratifying to see the justices push back (albeit for reasons that seem kinda technical). The point behind the risk corridors was to encourage insurers to take part in the state exchanges that the ACA set up. The exchanges sought to make it easier for the roughly 20 million Americans not covered by employer health benefits or public insurance programs to buy coverage, in part by offering subsidies that held down premiums. But the exchanges also represented a leap into the void for insurers, because they had to offer a policy to anyone who wanted one, regardless of the person's prior conditions, and couldn't charge sick people more than they charged healthy ones. Until insurers had a couple of years' worth of experience in the exchanges, setting premiums involved a lot more guesswork than usual. That was especially true for the first open enrollment period in late 2013, and insurers counted on temporary provisions like the risk corridors to help them survive the transition. But as an industry, insurers underestimated just how much care their new customers would need, while also fighting for market share by underpricing some of their competitors. That was a good thing for consumers, by the way, because the ACA required policies to be more comprehensive, and thus more expensive, than the coverage people had been buying previously. As a result, far more companies paid out excessive amounts in claims than collected excessive amounts in premiums. In the exchanges' first year 2014 "profitable plans owed the Government $362 million, while the Government owed unprofitable plans $2.87 billion," Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote for the court's majority. Story continues Instead of covering the $2.5-billion difference, however, Congress inserted language into an annual spending bill for fiscal 2015 that barred the government from spending any money on risk-corridor payments a rider that Rubio took credit for the following year in his campaign for president. That, folks, is a bait and switch of the first order. Similar riders were inserted the following two years, sticking insurers with about $9.5 billion in additional losses. Those losses proved fatal to some of the new approaches to health insurance that the ACA inspired, to the detriment of us all. As the Washington Post reported in October 2015, "Nearly a third of the innovative health insurance plans created under the Affordable Care Act will be out of business at the end of 2015, following announcements Friday that plans in Oregon and Colorado are folding." The court ruled in favor of the four insurers that brought claims against the United States not because what Congress had done was unfair or wrong, but because it hadn't stopped the risk-corridor payments the right way. And that's not surprising; Republicans didn't have the votes to change the Affordable Care Act (or "defund Obamacare" broadly, as Sen. Ted Cruz [R-Texas] demonstrated in 2013), so they used the leverage they had in the appropriations process to disable various pieces of it through the backdoor. The risk-corridors program is one example of that; another is the failure to reimburse insurers for the discounts they were required to give very low income customers for out-of-pocket costs. That hasn't ended well either; the U.S. Court of Federal Claims has ruled in favor of multiple insurers' claims that Congress could not negate the government's obligation to pay them the reimbursements required by law simply by failing to appropriate money for them. PR-Inside.com: 2020-04-27 20:32:05 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 494 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 CALGARY, AB / ACCESSWIRE / April 27, 2020 / Nextraction Energy Corp. (TSXV: NE.H)(OTC:NXTFF) (the "Company" or "Nextraction") has filed on SEDAR its Audited Consolidated Financial Statements and the Management's Discussion and Analysis ("MD&A") for the year ended 2019. The Company is also pleased to announce that it's Annual General and Special Meeting of Shareholders (the "AGM") will be held on Thursday, May 14, 2020 at 10:00 AM, Calgary Time. The physical location for the AGM will be held at the offices of the company, located at Suite 1150,707 - 7th Avenue SW, Calgary, Alberta T2P 3H6. The Company also intends on arranging for a conference call if shareholders wish to access the meeting virtually. However, shareholders will not be able to vote through the virtual connection. As such, shareholders are urged to vote prior to the meeting by delivering their completed form of proxy. Further details of the conference call will be announced prior to the meeting. The Company also advises that the Alberta Securities Commission and the CEO of Nextraction, John C. Zang, have agreed to extend the date for his resignation as CEO to occur on or before May 15, 2020.Documents relating to the AGM (including the Notice of Meeting and Information Circular) have been filed on SEDAR.For further information please contact:John Zang, CEOEmail: jzanglaw@ gmail.com Telephone: 403 680 9264Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.Information in this news release may contain forward looking information. Statements containing forward looking information express, as at the date of this news release, the Company's plans, estimates, forecasts, projections, expectations, or beliefs as to future events or results and are believed to be reasonable based on information currently available to the company.There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate. Actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information.The forward-looking information contained in this news release is as of the date hereof and Nextraction does not undertake any obligation to update publicly or to revise any of the included forward looking statements contained herein, except as required by applicable law. The forward-looking statements contained herein are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any state in the United States in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. The securities referred to herein have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities and Exchange Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from registration requirements.SOURCE: Nextraction Energy Corp. It is expected that Philadelphia will open much slower than the rest of Pennsylvania and the surrounding counties following the passing of the coronavirus. A pedestrian walks by closed stores on 8th Street on April 25, 2020. Read more The pandemic proved as relentless as the rain on Sunday, as the death count from the coronavirus continued to rise in Pennsylvania and New Jersey and larger plans for a safe reopening remained in flux. An additional 4,800 cases were diagnosed in both states, and nearly a thousand people were being treated in Philadelphia hospitals. Nationally, the one certainty remained uncertainty. Americans should expect social-distancing measures to continue through the summer, White House Coronavirus Taskforce Coordinator Deborah Birx said, adding that the nation needs a breakthrough in testing to gauge the virus spread accurately. Top infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci said the United States must at least double its testing capacity before restarting the economy, up from the current 1.5 million to 2 million tests that are being conducted a week. Governors in states where the numbers of new infections have been slowing are grappling with when to reopen, while health experts cautioned that the ability to test, trace, and isolate positive patients is crucial to managing the inevitable spike of infections that will follow. Gov. Phil Murphy said on NBCs Meet the Press on Sunday that New Jersey is still a number of weeks away from the first phase of reopening. The state may restart all at once, rather than by region, he said. But he added that plans will need to reflect differences in viral spread in the northern and southern parts of the state. Were going to move as one state, Murphy said, recognizing youve got density issues in the north that you just dont have in the south." New Jersey needs additional money from federal lawmakers to recover, Murphy said, warning that while we wont go bankrupt without it, the state will have to gut the living daylights out of essential jobs such as teachers and first responders. An additional 3,730 New Jerseyans tested positive, officials announced Sunday, bring the total to 109,038. And 75 more deaths were reported, raising the toll to 5,938. FAQ: Your coronavirus questions, answered. In New York state, officials announced 367 new deaths on Sunday, the lowest tally in almost a month, and Gov. Andrew Cuomo spoke of a phased reopening that could start as soon as May 15. The pandemic continued to produce odd, societal side effects: This has already been the deadliest year for tornadoes since 2011, a major news story subsumed by the coronavirus. Gas prices have tumbled a dollar a gallon in Pennsylvania and 89 cents in New Jersey from a year ago, according to AAA, the result of people obeying government stay-at-home orders. Pennsylvania and New Jersey casinos have lost millions in gaming revenues. The Philadelphia Zoo, though closed by the pandemic, still picked a name for newly born sloth bear, Keematee, the Hindu word for Precious, selected by an on-line poll. The Blue Angels and Thunderbirds flight teams plan to conduct a Tuesday flyover of New York City, Newark, Trenton, and Philadelphia to honor front-line COVID-19 workers, the Air Force and Navy announced, with the schedule to be released on Monday. People should stay home to watch, the military branches emphasized. In Philadelphia, officials announced 237 new cases on Sunday, bringing the total to 12,566. Six more deaths were added, raising the city toll to 472. About half of those fatalities were in long-term care facilities. Across Pennsylvania 1,116 more people tested positive for a total caseload of 41,165, and 1,550 people have died, state officials said. Deaths in nursing and personal-care homes account for 61% of the total, according to government data. As we see the number of new COVID-19 cases continuously change across the state, that does not mean we can stop practicing social distancing, Secretary of Health Rachel Levine said. We must continue to stay home to protect ourselves, our families and our community. Inquirer staff writer Anthony R. Wood contributed to this article. One of the hospitals where the first patient who died as a result of coronavirus in Oyo State visited, Lafia Hospital, Apata Ibadan, has been shut down for two weeks. The management of the hospital, in a statement, said it will shut down its operations for two weeks. This is coming few days after the COVID-19 patient reportedly visited the hospital for treatment over hypertension. The Oyo state government on Wednesday announced the death of a 55-year-old patient of coronavirus who lied about his health status and travel history. The patient who is said to be one of the top officers in the Nigeria Customs Service operating in Northern Nigeria has his family based in Ibadan, the Oyo capital. The management of the hospital in a statement obtained by PREMIUM TIMES Sunday night said all members of staff who had contact with the patient have been tested for COVID-19. It did not disclose the outcomes. The management of the hospital also disclosed that facility remains closed for decontamination of the building. Part of its statement is reproduced below: On Monday the 20th April 2020, a 55 year old known patient with hypertension and DM presented in our hospital having earlier attended about 3 undisclosed private hospitals for typhoid and malaria fever without improvement. He was examined by the doctor on call who requested for X-ray. On Tuesday 21st April he brought the report which was reviewed by the Consultant who suspected Covid-19. It was at the point of contacting the NCDC that the daughter of the patient confessed that his father has been tested for COVID -19. He was immediately referred to UCH. On Tuesday 21st April 2020, the test came positive and patient was reported dead on Wednesday 22nd April 2020. All members of staff who had contact with the patient has been tested. Our facility was visited by the task force on NCDC on Thursday 23rd April. Even though not prompted by NCDC to close, the facility is currently closed off for decontamination of the building and our services remain suspended for 14 days. The safety of our staff and our patients is of paramount importance to us. All other members of staff will also undergo COVID-19 test. We shall keep you updated from time to time. Students, I know this summer is likely not shaping up the way youd expected. Your regular jobs and internships may not be available, or theyve changed dramatically because of COVID-19. Chances are you were relying on that income to help pay tuition and other costs for the fall 2020 semester. Here are four smart money moves you can make to ease the financial burden of 2020. Apply for government support if you cant find work for the summer New support for students (and recent graduates) was announced last week because too many students were falling through the cracks of the governments financial aid package. Youre now eligible for $1,250 per month from May to August through the Canada Emergency Student Benefit, and that sum can go up to $1,750 per month if you are taking care of someone or you have a disability. The Canada Revenue Agency will be administering the program. If you had firm plans for summer employment that are no longer possible because of COVID-19, and you earned $5,000 in 2019 or in the past 12 months, you may be eligible to receive CERB, which provides $2,000 per month in emergency relief for up to four months. Its scholarship season for the next six weeks. Apply! Im a huge advocate for scholarships, grants and bursaries. As someone who has benefited from scholarships 30 per cent of my education (two degrees) was funded by scholarships Im a believer that the reward is well worth the effort. Heres the ridiculous part; millions of dollars in scholarship money remains unclaimed because students dont bother applying (insert scream emoji here). When asked why, students believe the application processes are much harder than they are, and that only highly specialized areas of study or edge case applications get approved. The fact is, those only account for 30 per cent of scholarships available in Canada. Other noteworthy news is that the government has announced expanded funding for its student granting programs, which means even more money! If youre a student with time on your hands because of quarantine, start applying. With close to 100,000 awards, ScholarshipsCanada.com is Canadas most popular scholarship search engine. It has scholarships for every level of student, from high school to mature students. Optimize your search by creating an account and making a detailed personal profile. The search engine will match you with scholarships that fit your profile. Other general scholarship search engines are StudentAwards.com, and ScholarTree.ca. Students with a disability can search DisabilityAwards.ca. Indigenous students can use the Indigenous Bursaries Search Tool and AboriginalStudents.ca. Certain local awards are best found via a Google search, and tap your LinkedIn network for leads. Most scholarships require an essay and the purpose is to get to know you as a person, so get personal. Whats important to you? What have you learned from your experiences? How will you use that learning in the future? Follow the directions exactly or you risk being disqualified. Take advantage of the expanded Summer Jobs Program Seventy thousand jobs are being made available for young people this summer through the Canada Summer Jobs Program. These positions will be predominantly in essential services and the skill sets for each position will vary considerably. All positions will be posted in the Job Bank. The Job Bank also has a mobile app students can download to their phones. There wont be any risk of employers not being able to pay for these positions because the government will be funding them 100 per cent. Positions start the second week of May, so dont delay in applying! Being in school right now amidst the crisis, and as we weather this wildly uncertain economy, is probably a good thing. Focus on your studies. Keep mentally, physically and financially fit. We need your strength and fresh ideas to recover from this crisis. Volunteer to fight COVID-19 In an effort to mobilize the power of students, grants toward education costs will be available to those who volunteer to help stop the pandemic rather than work this summer. The grants are between $1,000 to $5,000. Details around eligibility and how to apply will be rolling out in the next few weeks. A NJ State Trooper removes items from an ambulance at Cooper Hospital just before midnight on April 25, 2020. Read more A New Jersey state trooper was shot Saturday night in Pittsgrove, Salem County, while investigating a home invasion that happened earlier in the day, the state Attorney Generals Office announced Sunday. According to a news release, the trooper was shot about 10:40 p.m. at the Harding Woods Mobile Home Park on Harding Highway. As the trooper was investigating the earlier crime, authorities said, several people arrived in cars, got out, and confronted him. The trooper, whom authorities did not identify, identified himself as a law enforcement officer, and was subsequently fired upon and wounded. He returned fire; the A.G.'s Office did not say whether anyone else was hit. The trooper was taken to Cooper University Hospital in Camden and had surgery Sunday morning. Authorities said he was recovering, but did not specify his condition or say where he had been shot. No one has been charged in the case, the A.G.'s Office said. Prosecutors and the New Jersey State Police were continuing to investigate. Inquirer staff writer Liz Robertson contributed to this article. Many of you might have come across photos of a marsupial with a beaming smile on your social media feed. Meet quokkas, which are rightfully termed as the worlds happiest animal for their unique grin. According to the National Geographic, back in 2012, a smartphone-wielding man stumbled across this teddy bear-sized marsupial in Rottnest Island, in Western Australia. Enamored by the strange rat-like creature with a delightful content look seemingly permanent on its face, the man snapped a quick selfie with it and posted it online. When it went viral, the species was thrown into the spotlight in a positive way. Not long after, tourists from different parts of the world started to flock to Rottnest, named after the Dutch word for rats nest due to the quokkas infestations that Dutch settlers stumbled across when the island was first discovered in 1658. People visiting the island, which sits just offshore off the city of Perth, started to snap selfies with the creatures, and the tourism industry started to boom. These rare and unusual animals belong to the same family as kangaroos and wallabies. In addition, these herbivorous creatures are believed to live for an average of up to 10 years. Most people cant seem to get enough of these nocturnal creatures because they are not really scared of humans and are easily approachable, thus making them the perfect animals for selfies. Roger Federer of Switzerland takes a selfie with a quokka at Rottnest Island, in Australia. (Paul Kane/Getty Images) The quokkas are themselves very inquisitive, so they will look at the camera, Michelle Reynolds, the islands executive director, told PEOPLE. And Ive seen them smiling. However, in the mainland near Perth, the quokkas population has started to dwindle. According to research that was published in the Journal of Zoology in February 2020 by scientists from Vanderbilt University, invasive species such as European red foxes, rabbits, and goats are likely to be a cause for their decline. Australia has experienced catastrophic losses due to warming temperatures, drought, and the combination of these effects on resident animals, Larisa DeSantis, co-author of the study and associate professor in the Department of Biological Sciences and Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Vanderbilt, said in a news release. The iconic wildlife Australia is best known for, evolved largely in isolation and has been in decline since Europeans introduced foxes, rabbits, goats, and other animals that have preyed upon and/or competed with native animals for food and water. In addition, the study also went on to further analyze the teeth of the quokkas from both the fossils and modern specimens. By examining the enamel layers of tooth samples, researchers were able to determine the kinds of plants mainland and island quokkas have consumed over time. Piecing together the ecological history of the quokka helped us better understand why they are an isolated and vulnerable species today, lead author Elinor Scholtz, an undergraduate student at Vanderbilt, said. We learned that quokkas on mainland Australia today occupy denser forests than in the past, likely to avoid predation by foxes. In contrast, quokkas typically live in more open habitats and feed on tougher vegetation on islands that lack foxes. However, Rottnest Island still remains one of the places where these animals are found. But according to the release, every summer, due to lack of freshwater, the number of quokkas on the island has subsequently been decreasing too. In addition, the destruction caused by the bushfires has made these vulnerable animals more prone to extinction. We would love to hear your stories! You can share them with us at emg.inspired@epochtimes.nyc More than one million information technology employees are expected to continue to work from home even after the coronavirus-inflicted lockdown situation returns to normalcy, says IT industry veteran Senapathy (Kris) Gopalakrishnan. The former President of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) said the IT services industry has actually managed to transition people to work from home during the 'stay-at-home' period. "And that was not a trivial task. A large number of people who have to be supported with technology infrastructure to work from home; business processes will have to be changed, with client permission," the co-founder of IT services firm Infosys Ltd told P T I. "Now I am told that 90 to 95 per cent of people in many of the larger (IT) organisations are working out of the home. And that transition has been smooth and done very, very quickly. They have figured that out and I think this will now become part and parcel of the business continuity processing, planning in the future," Gopalakrishnan said. The Chairman of early-stage startup accelerator and venture fund, Axilor Ventures, also said that many of the smaller Indian startups have found that they are as effective working out of home and are now wondering whether they require permanent office space at all. 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 "We (Indias IT services companies) are not going back to business as usual," he said, adding, firms would do a rethink on the office space they would require and "how we need to deliver services in the future. Gopalakrishnan believes at least 20-30 per cent of IT employees would continue to work from home even after the lockdown is lifted and the situation returns to normalcy. That accounts for about 1.2 million people, he said noting that four million professionals work in Indias IT-Business Process Outsourcing sector as per industry body NASSCOM figures. "Some companies will be lot more aggressive (more people will work from home), the smaller the companies lot more aggressive they will be, so that they can save significantly in terms of rental costs." The former CEO and Managing Director of Infosys said he does not see job losses in the IT sector but "I dont see recruitment happening." He indicated that salary cuts would happen in the IT sector. "IT sector does not see large-scale layoffs, they manage to hold on to their employees but they dont recruit, they stop recruiting because growth is not there," he said. He said a lot of people estimate that the impact of the coronavirus pandemic will be felt for 12 to 18 months which means that recruitment will be "nil or slow" for the one and a half years. "That's going to hurt people who passed out this year and maybe next year." "Yes, that's one way you can actually avoid layoffs," he said on possible salary cuts. "Everybody takes a small salary cut. When the whole economy is in decline, we are going to see zero growth or muted GDP growth this year; so, that will have an impact on compensation and recruitment." Catch our entire coverage on the Facebook-Jio deal here. "Typically, in the past what has happened (in the IT industry) is at the lower levels there are no salary cuts, as we go up it will be five per cent, ten per cent, and at the top, it could be 20-25 per cent, Gopalakrishnan said when asked about the possible range of salary cuts in the IT sector.Also read: Coronavirus News India LIVE Updates Cooch Behar : , April 27 (IANS) Located on the India-Bangladesh international border, Jaridharla village got some help amid the lockdown crisis when Border Security Force (BSF) facilitated money to the needy villagers through 'mobile ATM'-- a unique method adopted to meet the requirements of poor and destitute. Jaridharla, the Indian village on the border that is not marked off by a fence because of a river Dharla passing through this stretch, got the facility as people residing there were not allowed to move out due to lockdown enforcement. The villagers need to visit a nearby Automated Teller Machine (ATM) installed five kilometres from the village which is situated on the extreme north-eastern border of West Bengal and at some specific time it was almost entirely dependent on a town that is just a 15 minute walk away-- Moghulhut-- in Bangladesh. When the BSF saw that almost 200 villagers residing in the village could not withdraw money from the ATM since the lockdown was imposed with the March 24 announcement of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, they adopted 'mobile ATM' method to meet the cash requirement of the villagers. The 'mobile ATM' turned into a boon for Jaridharla villagers and they managed to withdraw money as per their requirements on Friday last week. Several villagers withdrew around Rs 20,000 through the unique technology introduced for the first time by the BSF for the needy residing in villages on the international boundary. The BSF, which is mandated to guard 4,096 km India-Bangladesh border, has so far introduced the facility only in Jaridharla as the villagers here are dependent solely on farming and they need money for produce like salt, oil, soap or medicine. A team of five persons, including two Customer Service Points (CSP) of Okhrabari Bank and three state government NGOs, distributed money to the villagers between 9.30 a.m. and 1 p.m. last Friday for the first time and the villagers withdrew from Rs 500 to Rs 2,000, BSF Frontier (Guwahati) spokesperson Parashar told IANS. The villagers having Aadhaar cards linked to their accounts availed the unique cash withdrawal facility. "Bordermen are there, standing with every person living in villages located close to the international boundary for their requirements. During this lockdown, 38 Battalion BSF facilitated a mobile ATM facility to reach villagers of Jaridharla-2 Cooch Behar, West Bengal for Aadhaar based accounts," BSF spokesperson (Headquarters) Subhendu Bhardwaj told IANS. He said that BSF battalions deployed on the India-Bangladesh border were making all out efforts to facilitate the villagers during this lockdown because of COVID-19 pandemic. "Apart from sensitisation for the precautions to be undertaken like social distancing, washing hands with soap, keeping the face covered with masks or any homemade arrangements, we are also providing necessary essentials like rations, facemasks, soaps etc. to the needy in the villages. "But liquid cash is always required for other things of basic need. To make this available, we thought to bring the mobile ATM facility to Jaridharla villagers. It was appreciated by the beneficiaries," Bhardwaj said. (Rajnish Singh can be contacted at rajnish.s@ians.in) Gerry Ryan on his 2FM Radio show in RTE Radio Studio in Donnybrook, 04/09/1989 (Part of the Independent Newspapers Ireland/NLI Collection). In a country renowned for our love of talking, it takes something special to earn yourself the moniker 'The King of Chat'. It is testament to Gerry Ryan's larger-than-life character and gregarious personality that, 10 years on, his legacy and memory still shines bright. His contribution to Irish life through his broadcasting pedigree was so immense that his sudden death left a void that to this day RTE has struggled to fill. One also wonders whether he would have got away with half the hilarious quips and comments that made his radio show essential listening for the nation. Expand Close Gerry and Melanie / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Gerry and Melanie While RTE Radio One had the more serious Liveline, 2fm had the Ryan Line, where ordinary people spoke frankly about the issues of the day with Gerry. There was no such thing as a taboo topic during his three-hour morning radio show. Expand Close Gerry and Morah / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Gerry and Morah In an era now when social media dictates that media personalities must adhere to the strict rules of political correctness, he was cut from a different cloth entirely. He was charismatic, often irreverent and occasionally bombastic, which made him a national institution thanks to his unique take on Irish life. Both on and off air, his razor-sharp wit and quirky sense of humour earned him the respect of his peers. Expand Close Gerry Ryan / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Gerry Ryan Best of all, he did not have any sort of filter, so listeners were always intrigued as to what outlandish remark he was going to come out with next. He would frequently talk about his nights out, his opinions on various famous celebrities, his well-known, wealthy friends, his love of the good life and, of course, his partner of 26 years, 'Mrs Ryan', aka Morah. Video of the Day He was always interested in hearing people's stories and treated his callers like friends. He was a 'bon vivant' who loved nothing more than a good meal in one of Dublin's top restaurants and a vintage whiskey and cigar as a night-cap. But he could have gone down a very different path, given his conservative beginnings. Gerry was born into a family of three boys with a "slightly eccentric" dentist father and a costume designer mother who worked at the Olympia Theatre. He grew up in the upmarket northside suburb of Clontarf and studied law at Trinity College. However, he decided the rigid life of a legal-eagle was not for him and a love of music saw him sign up for various pirate radio stations. When RTE launched Radio 2 (now 2fm) in 1979, he was one of the original DJs to be drafted into the station - and thus began the career of one of our most influential media personalities. Behind the scenes, life was also going well. He had fallen for a fellow northsider and Clontarf girl, Morah Brennan. The pair grew up near each other and met when she was just 17; the smitten pair were engaged just six weeks later. They got married in 1982 when Morah was 21 and Gerry was 24. They went on to have five children together, Lottie, Bonnie, Babette, Rex and Elliot, and moved into a Georgian house on one of Clontarf's most prestigious roads, Castle Avenue. Together, they became one of the best-known families as rarely a day passed without Gerry referencing her on his show; much to the chagrin of the privacy-conscious Morah. As a result, she never listened to his show. As his profile grew, so too did his pay packet, and at one stage he had a salary totalling more than 600,000. They were regulars on the city's party scene and moved effortlessly through the upper echelons of Dublin's high-society, hanging out with everyone from Bono to Colin Farrell and music promoter Harry Crosbie. Gerry once said how the marriage made him a better person. "I changed when I decided that I was in for the long haul - that if I wanted to die married to my wife, I had to give up some of my pomposity, my arrogance. It was a watershed of maturity," he said. "Morah is my emotional mirror. I throw a lot of stuff at her and it depends what way it comes back. Morah is the most honest, the most honourable person I know." There were no clues that their marriage was in trouble when in June 2006 Morah threw her husband a surprise 50th birthday party. Around 75 of their family and friends joined them in Shanahan's on the Green for the party, which also marked the couple's 24th wedding anniversary. Therefore it came as a massive shock to all when the pair endured a painful and high-profile split in March 2008 after 26 years together, confirming the news in a solicitors' statement. The split was amicable and he still continued to refer to her as "my wife" on the radio and she kept her married name to this day. Later that year, he began a new relationship with South African ambassador Melanie Verwoerd after meeting her through her work with Unicef Ireland, a role she started in 2007. Media interest in the new romance was huge, particularly after they started attending public events together. Gerry was not comfortable with all the attention his new relationship attracted but he was always pragmatic that it came with the territory. "I'm big and I'm bold and I can get through the latest publicity. But it's been difficult for my family so I'm living in the land of 'no comment'," he said. On the surface, the two women in his life couldn't have been less similar. While Morah preferred life out of the spotlight and could be shy, Melanie was an outspoken politician. She was the youngest woman elected to South Africa's first democratic parliament in 1994. A mum-of-two, she was also separated and appeared to relish life in Ireland, counting stars like the late Marian Finucane as a close friend. Meanwhile, Gerry moved into a new apartment on Upper Leeson Street and began carving out a new life for himself. It was here that Melanie would find him on that fateful morning of April 30, 2010. He had failed to show up for his radio show that morning and, concerned that he wasn't answering his phone, she asked a builder to knock down his door before finding his body in the bedroom of his flat. An inquest later found the cause of death was cardiac arrhythmia with traces of illegal substances also found in his system. He was just 53. The nation came to a standstill on May 6 as he was laid to rest at a packed ceremony at St John's church in Clontarf, not far from his family home where he grew up. U2 and Westlife played at his funeral, which became the first one to be ever broadcast live on 2fm, while a devastated Morah bid a final farewell to her 'Gerard'. She said recently she still talks about him every day. Oil fell to trade near $16 a barrel as swelling global crude stockpiles made it more difficult for leading producers to balance the market by curbing output. Futures in New York slid as much as 10 percent, snapping a four-day gain. While U.S. drilling is sliding and Saudi Arabia has started reducing output ahead of the start date for OPEC+ supply cuts, investors are focusing again on the massive glut of crude thats taking tanks close to capacity around the world, raising fears of a re-run of the crash that sent May West Texas Intermediate prices below zero for the first time ever last week. There were tentative signs at the weekend that the coronavirus outbreak might be loosening its grip, with the death tolls slowing by the most in more than a month in Spain, Italy and France, while reported fatalities reported in the U.K. and New York were the lowest since the end of March. The swelling glut is set to test storage capacity limits in as little as three weeks, according to Goldman Sachs Group Inc., with traders, refiners and infrastructure providers seeking novel ways to hoard crude, including on tiny barges around Europes petroleum-trading hub and in pipelines. The hub of Cushing, Oklahoma, the delivery point for American crude futures, is filling fast and putting added pressure on the U.S. benchmark. Concerns surrounding rising global inventories, especially in the U.S. with the coronavirus pandemic weighing on gasoline consumption, are pressuring oil prices, Kim Kwangrae, commodities analyst at Samsung Futures Inc., said by phone from Seoul. While OPEC has started to curb output, demand is still not being supported and thats going to be a down factor for prices. WTI for June delivery fell $1.20 or 7.1 percent, to $15.74 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange as of 10:55 a.m. Singapore time. The contract rose 2.7 percent on Friday, trimming the weekly decline to 32 percent. Brent for June settlement lost 9 cents to $21.35 after falling 24 percent last week. U.S. drillers idled 60 rigs last week, shrinking the active nationwide fleet to 378, according to data from Baker Hughes Co. on Friday. On a percentage basis, the decline was the worst since February 2006. It was the sixth straight weekly drop, halting almost half of American exploration. Saudi Aramco last week began curtailing daily output from about 12 million barrels to 8.5 million barrels a day, according to a Saudi industry official familiar with the matter. OPEC+ has agreed to reduce production by about 9.7 million barrels a day in an effort to stem oil-price losses. A British pal of Netflix sensation Joe Exotic insists the self-dubbed 'Tiger King' is wrongly serving jail time and was set up for the planned murder of Carole Baskin. Kayleigh McIntosh-Lowrie has spoken out after spending years communicating with the Tiger King, also known as Joe Maldonado-Passage, online regarding big cat breeding. Joe Exotic rocketed to fame following the airing of a Netflix series packed with twists and turns, documenting his life as the owner of hundreds of rare wild animals and his eventual downfall which would lead to a prison sentence via conspiracy to commit murder. Stirlingshire-based Kayleigh sees comparison between herself and Joe Exotic, though insists she just deals with 'small cats' such as servals, bobcats and caracals The 'Tiger King' Joe Exotic shot to fame after a Netflix series packed with twists and turns, and was given 22 years in prison for conspiracy to murder his rival Carole Baskin Kayleigh, 32, from Stirlingshire, Scotland, feels that after watching the series it is clear her friend was framed for attempting to have big cat rival Carole Baskin killed. Speaking during an interview with the Daily Record, she insisted: 'I honestly think he got set up. I don't think he was plotting to kill Carole at all. Not many cat owners would believe he really wanted to kill her. Kayleigh McIntosh-Lowrie (above), 32, has defended fellow big cat breeder Joe Exotic, who she used to speak with online in the years before his jailing 'Joe was all talk and that's quite different to actually killing someone.' Kayleigh said online chat groups such as Exotic Animal Owners and Friends, and Big Cats turned into a 'war zone' after Joe and Carole clashed with conflicting opinions and morales. She added: 'It all got really personal and nasty but I'd have to say just about everyone I know supported Joe and pretty much couldn't stand Carole. But Joe did get a bit obsessed with her, which caused a lot of problems. Joe, 57, is currently serving a 22-year prison sentence over a plot to kill Carole. The series captured his eccentric nature and used footage of the tiger owner shooting a mocked up model of Carole in the head. Kayleigh runs her Stylisticat International operation with husband Gordon in Perthshire, and says she specialises in 'small cats' servals, bobcats and caracals, whereas the Tiger King was renowned for much more powerful animals. She added: 'I haven't spoken to Joe for a while so I was pretty intrigued when he popped up on TV. The programme probably captured a lot of the mad stuff in his life. Kayleigh, 32, feels that after watching the series it is clear her friend Joe (pictured feeding one of his lions in 2016) was framed for attempting to have big cat rival Carole Baskin killed Animal activist Carole (above) was portrayed as Joe Exotic's long time rival and became embroiled in a series of ugly public spats with the eccentric big cat owner How DWA licences are needed to keep 'wild and exotic' animals including primates, wolves and certain pigs You need a licence to keep some animals considered to be wild, dangerous or exotic, which must be applied for via local council. This includes: wild cats, primates, wild dogs (such as wolves), certain pigs, (eg wild boar) and marsupials. Hybrid or cross-bred animals may need a licence, depending on how far removed the animal is from its wild ancestor. Once approved and allocated, the licence keep animals considered dangerous or threatening to the general population in your home or on your property. A person must provide full personal details along with notes of history of pet ownership, and include a thorough specification of the animal in question. Each different council may have specific inspection requirements before approval and payment take place, during which the applicant can be expected to pay around 200-350. This must be continually renewed and often costs 100 less than the initial payment. Some licences require either a Veterinary Surgeon or Secretary of State approval. Advertisement 'We had a lot of talk on social media about our cats and he was always keen to engage about how the breeding was going, what enclosures people were using, feeding and stuff like that. 'I can see why people would draw comparisons between Joe and I as there are not many people who do what we do. 'Unlike Joe, I've only got one husband and am probably a lot more normal than him in most people's eyes but we have the same passion for cats,' she added. Kayleigh has spent her career in the wild cat industry predominantly breeding bobcats and Savannah cats for sale to wealthy buyers. The cats can change hands for sums up to 7500, though she insists sales are only made to vetted individuals who are in possession of a dangerous wild animals licence (DWA). She has sold cats to clients in the US, Canada, Japan and Europe, and is well accustomed to flying animals over and dealing with red tape and awkward questions upon arrival at customs. Along with her husband Kayleigh passed stringent controls to operate her quarantine centre for animals coming to Scotland, and is the only breeder in the country selling cats which require a DWA licence. Like Joe Exotic, she too faces opposition from animal rights groups, though defends the industry as a cultivator and protector of rare species. Ruth Caballero paused outside an unfamiliar apartment door, preparing to meet her new patient. She covered the knob with a plastic bag. Put on a surgical gown, then a heavy-duty N95 mask, a lighter surgical mask on top. Cap, face shield, shoe covers. Hand sanitizer between each step of the process. Finally, the nurse donned two sets of gloves and knocked on the door with her elbow, ready to care for her first coronavirus patient. After about three weeks in a hospital, the man was home in his New York apartment but still so weak that sitting up in bed took some persuading. You made it out of the hospital, so you are a miracle, Caballero told him. Now let's keep you out of the hospital. Home health care is becoming a new front in the national fight against COVID-19 as some patients come back from hospitals and others strive to stay out of them. Home care nurses, aides and attendants who normally help an estimated 12 million Americans with everything from bathing to IV medications are now taking on the difficult and potentially dangerous task of caring for coronavirus patients. While Americans are being told to keep to themselves, home health providers and their clients still largely have to engage in person, often intimately. Many agencies are ramping up phone or video visits but can't always get paid for them, and even the smartest phone can't physically dress a wound or get someone to the bathroom. Like their colleagues in hospitals and nursing homes, home care workers have faced a scarcity of protective equipment, but with a lower public profile. Some agencies have scoured for masks at nail salons, auto body shops and tattoo parlors, said William Dombi, president of the National Association for Home Care and Hospice, an industry group. The crisis is testing the industry, but it's also a moment of pride for workers who have often felt under-recognised. It is a challenge to keep the business operational, but it's an opportunity, Dombi said. We're getting a chance to establish what can be done. Coronavirus care at home has expanded rapidly in the last few weeks. At least some agencies in most states are now taking COVID-19 patients referred after hospitalization or nursing home care or as an alternative to them, Dombi said. Still, some patients have struggled to get care. After being diagnosed with coronavirus-related pneumonia late last month, Penny Wittbrodt contacted multiple agencies around her home in Winchester, Kentucky. None was then accepting COVID-19 patients, she said, though her doctor was able to arrange home oxygen. Wittbrodt, who has asthma and a history of respiratory hospitalizations, is still not well, though she's had some relief at times. A retired home health nurse, Wittbrodt feels such care is especially valuable in the pandemic. Home health would expose far less people to COVID than hospitalization, she said. New York-based Americare Inc. has taken about 100 COVID-19 patients released from hospitals, and over 200 of the agency's other patients also have tested positive or shown symptoms, VP Bridget Gallagher said. Every corporate staffer including the CEO is calling protective gear suppliers, but the agency still counts its stock of N95 masks every day. We're doing what we can, but I have to be honest: None of it feels like enough, said Gallagher, who's also on the board of the Home Care Association of New York State. For many agencies, chronic staff shortages are amplified by absences due to illness or quarantine. And workers are grappling with patients' fears while reckoning with their own risk. The surgical mask and gloves that Washington home health aide Adassa Clarke now wears rattle her patient, who has Alzheimer's disease and relies on a wheelchair. The patient doesn't have COVID-19 but can't retain what she's been told about an illness going around. What's going on? Do I have a germ? Am I dying? she asks, according to Clarke. Sometimes, the patient breaks into tears. At 65, Clarke herself is in an age group at higher risk of severe cases of COVID-19, and she's trying to stay home as much as she can. But patients come first, said Clarke, a certified nursing assistant. I just feel like the more I help, the more I keep going," she said. A home health nurse with Chicago-area patients with COVID-19, Vanessa Pepino-Adraneda is extra-vigilant about protective gear and other precautions. Pepino-Adraneda also girds herself by focusing on caring for her patients and allowing herself moments of sadness, frustration or exhaustion. I try my best to protect my sanity amidst all this chaos, she said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) - The children's orphanage said the donation would go a long way in ensuring food security despite effects of the coronavirus pandemic - The fertilisers, seeds and pesticides were donated to at least 600 farmers expected to produce 1.8 million kilogrammes of maize - Farmers were projecting to get KSh 32 million from the venture - Kwale county government pledged to distribute 100 tonnes of maize seeds to cushion farmers from COVID-19 effects on economy At least 600 farmers from Lunga Lunga can now breathe a sigh of relief after an organisation taking care of orphans and vulnerable children in Kwale distributed seeds, fertiliser and insecticides worth KSh 3.2 million to farmers as a measure to counter food shortage. Kids Care Kenya organisation said the donations would go along way in cushioning farmers from the effects of coronavirus pandemic. READ ALSO: William Ruto, wife lead family during prayers at private chapel in Karen home The farmers received among other inputs, Diammonium Phosphate (DAP) for planting. Photo: Mercy Mkawasi/TUKO. Source: Original READ ALSO: Court allows government to install surveillance system to tap private phone calls The organisation expressed concerns over looming famine due to the effects of the disease that has slowed down many economic sectors. The organisation's director Ali Mwaziro said the pandemic had affected almost all sectors of the economy, adding that if farmers do not take advantage of the rains to plant, there will be a food shortage crisis. The organization donated 600 bags of fertiliser, seeds and insecticides to the farmers. The Diammonium phosphate (DAP), cow peas and insecticides will benefit needy selected farmers from six locations within Lunga Lunga. "In the next 110 days, as residents remain at home to stop the spread of COVID-19, the farmers will be able to harvest maize in the shortest time possible to thwart a looming hunger," said Mwaziro. He said farmers were projecting to harvest 20 bags of 90kgs from one acre. READ ALSO: Kisumu: Ugly political supremacy battles leave flood victims gathered for donations stranded The farmers were also given Calcium Ammonium Nitrate (CAN) fertiliser used for topdressing crops. Photo: Mercy Mkawasi/TUKO. Source: Original If the projection is achieved, then the donations to 600 farmers will see production of 1.8 million kilogrammes of maize. READ ALSO: 27-year-old Kenyan lady living with HIV narrates how doctors gave her only 4 years to live This amount of maize if sold at existing market prices will translate to KSh 32 million against an investment of KSh 3.2 million donated by the children's orphanage. Lunga Lunga deputy county commissioner Josephat Biwott lauded the organisation and urged other investors and well-wishers to support projects that will re-awaken the economy from COVID-19 impact. Meanwhile, Kwale county government said it was in consultation with the national government to monitor the livelihoods of its residents and deliberate on how to cushion them during the pandemic. Kwale county has so far acquired 100 metric tonnes of certified maize seeds that will be distributed for free to 15,000 farmers across the county. Report by Caroline Mwawasi, TUKO Correspondent, Mombasa. 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. He was married to another woman for ten years and I had no idea - Angela Nzilani |Tuko Talks|Tuko TV. Source: TUKO.co.ke Arthur Harek was rushed to hospital four times in the days leading up to his death. The 95-year-old had trouble breathing. He had existing heart issues but no history of respiratory illness. So struggling for breath was unusual for Harek, a retired farmer who drove a tractor until he moved into a Hagersville retirement home five years ago. He was a very strong man, his daughter, Barbara Lalonde, said. Doctors attributed Hareks condition to his heart and released him three times to his retirement home, Anson Place Care Centre, Lalonde said. When Harek died the day after he was finally admitted to West Haldimand Hospital on March 16, the official recorded cause: failure to thrive. A few days later, when Lalonde and 11 other family members began developing COVID-19 symptoms like fevers, headaches, coughs and chills they all eventually tested positive for the virus they wondered if Harek had it, too. But theyll never know. He was not tested post-mortem. Not many dead in Ontario are. The absence of a co-ordinated post-mortem testing strategy prevents a more complete scientific and demographic understanding of how the virus works, who it kills, why it kills and what underlying medical conditions put people at greater risk, said Colin Furness, an infection control epidemiologist at the University of Toronto. Its a national embarrassment that were not doing post-mortem testing, Furness said, noting that COVID-19 is an asymptomatic pandemic. How are we going to say we understand this disease if we dont do this kind of measurement? Furness said post-mortem sampling would also detect missed virus-related deaths. Every government is undercounting the dead, Furness said. Everyone is doing it. Lalonde said if a post-mortem sample had shown her father was infected, she believes two things would have happened: his funeral would have been restricted to family members and the test information would have raised an earlier red flag for Anson Place, where 27 senior residents have since died. The privately owned centre, which has 61 long-term-care beds and 40 retirement units, is home to one of the largest COVID-19 outbreaks in seniors homes across Ontario. Data compiled by the Star shows 102 cases in staff and residents so far. We would never hurt anyone, said Lalonde, adding all funeral guests were later tested but only family were infected. Dad wouldnt have, either. Ontario has ramped up its testing capacity for the coronavirus the goal is 14,000 tests by the end of the month but that plan does not include a wide-scale sampling of the dead. Experts say in this pandemic, it should. Last week, a California discovery that is reshaping COVID-19 discussions was announced. Autopsy results for two Santa Clara residents who passed away in their respective homes Feb. 6 and Feb. 17 confirm the man and woman died from COVID-19. These forensic findings indicate the virus was moving through the U.S. earlier than previously thought. California Gov. Gavin Newsom has directed all counties to review death data, such as coroners autopsies, going back to December 2019 to search for overlooked outbreak clues, according to U.S. media reports. Here, Ontarios Ministry of Health says post-mortem swabbing is being conducted when the case circumstances indicate testing, according to a statement form spokesperson Denelle Balfour. The lead responsibility in infectious diseases is Public Health (Ontario), Balfour said. The Office of the Chief Coroner provides any investigative information that may help inform their understanding of this outbreak. These testing strategies are determined by Public Health and the coroners office works together with the local (public health units) regarding the coroners investigative role in determining cause of death. She also said all deaths in long-term-care homes are reported to the coroner but only those who meet certain criteria under the Coroners Act are investigated. The coroners office has been working closely with the (Health Ministry) and other related sectors with regard to COVID-19 deaths, Balfour said. Last week, the province announced its increased testing will include taking samples of all residents and staffs in seniors homes, like long-term-care facilities. Lalonde, who said she could feel rattling when she put her hand on her fathers back as he drew shallow breaths in the hospital, now believes her father had shown classic COVID-19 symptoms for days. I dont understand why he wasnt tested, Lalonde said. Vital signs absent on Charles Street East Nikki Renaud cared deeply about her friend Al Honen. Theyd met in North Bay years ago, lost touch for a while, then found each other again in Toronto. It made her happy to have him back in her life; the 51-year-old was kind, funny, generous and smart. Al had a good heart, said Renaud, 39. He was selfless. For homeless or street-involved people in Toronto, supportive friends are a comfort. Renaud and Honen live in tents around Sanctuary Toronto, a Christian outreach organization on Charles Street East, just off Yonge Street. The March 6 death of a popular, well-loved man, Chris Vanhartskamp, sent shock waves through the Sanctuary community, already reeling from a steady stream of passings. Weve lost a lot of friends in the past year, said Renaud, who attended Vanhartskamps funeral. So, when Honen walked out of his tent and complained of seizures just before Easter weekend, Renaud and her friend Rob were worried. He came and sat with us on the bench and he looked like he was scared, Renaud recalled. He was crying. Renaud ran to summon a Sanctuary nurse, who took Honens temperature. He had a fever but could not be talked into going to hospital, not even by Renaud; she sensed he was afraid. On the Saturday before Easter Sunday, Renaud and her friend Rob dropped by Honens tent to check on him. Honen was having a seizure, clearly in physical distress, Renaud said. He again refused her plea to go to hospital. Renaud phoned Sanctuary outreach worker Lorraine Lam Honen attended her 2018 wedding who began racing to the church. Renaud and others waved down City of Toronto outreach staffers who happened to be in the area. 911 was called. During that short time, Honen became unresponsive. We couldnt wake him up. Someone dragged him out of the tent. He didnt have a pulse and his eyes were open, oh my God, Renaud said, weeping softly. It was scary to see. Amid the chaos, Kevin Durance, who volunteers and works part-time at Sanctuary, arrived. The 48-year-old hustled over to the tent where a city worker had initiated CPR. He volunteered to take over the chest compressions, realizing as he did so that the stricken man was his friend, Honen. He was in imminent danger, a life-and-death situation, Durance said of assisting Honen. I was aware of the (infection) risk but he needed help. It was a frantic scene. Paramedics raced in. They got a pulse back. Barely. Honen did not improve in hospital over Easter Sunday. His daughter Caitlin rushed to his bedside from Barrie. He died Monday, April 13. Honen was tested for the coronavirus while hovering between life and death on a ventilator. It was negative. He died of pneumonia, friends say. In a vulnerable population living outside of the shelter system, it was a small bit of reassurance that Honen was not carrying the virus. Renaud said she had a fleeting thought about exposure to COVID-19 when she tried to rouse Honen but didnt hang back. His life was on my mind, too, Renaud said. He didnt make it, but we did all that we would do for anyone we cared about. His situation meant he got a test in a scenario where many like him dead or alive likely wont. The recent push to mass-test the homeless population is focused on those using shelters, not those who sleep rough. Renaud said she has not been tested, but would like to be. Its unknown if the homeless dead are routinely swabbed in Toronto or elsewhere in the province. Outreach workers have told the Star that overdose deaths are mounting among Torontos homeless community, particularly during the pandemic when overdose prevention sites have been closed or had operational hours restricted. When asked if these type of deaths would merit post-mortem coronavirus testing, Balfour, the Health Ministry spokesperson, said we approach every death with an open mind and approach testing as indicated by case circumstances. We would proceed with COVID-19 testing if we have a concern that COVID-19 was a direct contributor to the death, Balfour said. Our approach to what methods of investigation are applied is not defined by social circumstances. Colin Furness, the U of T epidemiologist, said routinely swabbing dead people in Ontario would not be an onerous task. There are two types of COVID-19 swabs applied in death investigations, according to the Ministry of Health: nasopharyngeal and throat. According to Statistics Canada, 109,173 Ontarians died in 2018-19. Im mostly concerned with What is the activity of this virus? Furness said, adding we want to know demographically who the virus attacks. If the cause of death is not clear during a lethal pandemic, then you swab them. I dont accept that there are too many bodies to do it. Dr. Stephen Hwang, a professor in the department of medicine at the University of Toronto, has medical and research expertise in working with the citys homeless community. In his opinion, post-mortem testing for COVID-19 would need to be done on a sample of deaths in the general population not just among people experiencing homelessness to produce a fuller picture of disease prevalence. We would have to receive a directive from the province to initiate this type of testing on a wide scale, Hwang said of post-mortem sampling. It should examine deaths across broader society, not target individual groups. Funeral in the spotlight Three weeks after Arthur Hareks death, his familys grief turned to anger. Barbara Lalonde, of Waterford, said the Haldimand-Norfolk Health Unit suggested the deadly outbreak at Anson Place Care Centre could be traced back to her fathers funeral. Lalonde said she first read about it in the local newspaper, the Simcoe Reformer, in early April and that no one from public health contacted her. My family was just calling me and texting our siblings and saying, What the heck is going on here? she said. How can they blame us for this? Lalonde said no one who attended the March 20 funeral ever returned to Anson Place Care Centre, so it could not have come from that group. She also claims staff at the 101-room facility told her the virus was circulating in long-term care before her father became ill. The Ontario Superior Court has ordered four long-term-care homes, including Anson Place, to stop breaching the Ontario chief medical officers protective directives for staff at facilities where COVID-19 outbreaks are present. The order came after the Ontario Nurses Association requested the injunction. The others homes are Eatonville Care Centre and Hawthorne Place in Toronto, and Londons Henley Place. Matt Terry, spokesperson for the Haldimand-Norfolk Health Unit, said in an emailed statement that as a general construct, the focus of an epidemiological assessment of an outbreak is to gain additional understanding and that assessment of this nature cannot be used to attribute blame to any individual. Like all health units, the Haldimand-Norfolk Health Unit takes the privacy of residents extremely seriously, Terry said, adding it does not comment on health-related matters pertaining to individuals. The Haldimand-Norfolk Health Units responsibility is to advise long-term-care facilities, such as Anson Place, on approaches to address infectious disease outbreaks. This includes COVID-19. Terry did not address a question from the Star about the date of the first confirmed coronavirus test for a resident or staff member at Anson Place. Lisa Roth, executive director of the home, did not respond to emailed questions from the Star. Arthur Hareks COVID-19 status will remain a mystery and as his family looks for answers, experts say each and every death matters in building a full epidemiological model of the virus. The University of Ottawas Ann Jolly is an infectious disease epidemiologist who specializes in prevention and control research. She said post-mortem testing, regardless of where the person died, would strengthen the pandemic battle. We have to start doing it just because we need to know where the virus is going, said Jolly, currently a visiting research professor in the medical humanities at Penn State University. It used to be the law in many places if you die at home, the coroner has to step in because its classified as an unexpected death. I would expect the coroner to realize that now people are dying (from COVID-19) at home; we have to log this somehow. Colin Furness, the U of T epidemiologist, said he called Ontarios lack of post-mortem testing a national embarrassment because without it, we will do nothing more than chase our tails if we are not learning about this virus as we are fighting it. You have to know your challenges in any kind of contest and the stakes are really high here because weve got a really vicious, very efficient (virus), Furness said. If all were doing is fighting fires and keeping our eyes blindfolded in terms of what were dealing with, this is a disaster. One day this pandemic will subside and will we be able to say: Do we know how the virus behaved? Do we know whos vulnerable when we have a second wave or subsequent wave? Do we know what to expect? he continued. And if were not figuring out who the virus kills, then we dont know anything at all. Yangon, April 27 : Myanmar's Parliament will resume its 16th regular session on May 18 amid the coronavirus pandemic, according to an official. The 16th regular session of Myanmar's Parliament was initially scheduled to resume on Monday but due to COVID-19, it was postponed to May 18, Kyaw Soe, director general of Myanmar's parliament told Xinhua news agency. He said protection measures for the meeting will be taken with relevant ministries before the end of this month. "A medical check-up for the members of parliament before they leave their place for the meeting and transportation arrangements for them to get to Nay Pyi Taw will be planned soon," he added. Myanmar has reported 146 COVID-19 confirmed cases with five deaths since the infectious disease was first detected in the country on March 23. The Government's shambolic handling of the PPE crisis was laid bare last night after a documentary claimed ministers counted every glove individually instead of in pairs to boast of delivering one billion bits of protective kit to NHS staff. A BBC Panorama investigation revealed Number 10 had failed to buy enough masks, gowns, visors and swab tests - despite creating a major emergency stockpile for use during a pandemic in 2009. Officials neglected to purchase enough PPE and then ignored a warning from their own advisers last June that they would need more, it was claimed. The investigation also accused ministers of counting 547million individual gloves, instead of 273.5million pairs, to fiddle PPE numbers. They have also included cleaning items in their 'one billion' figure. Safeguarding Minister Victoria Atkins did not deny the claims on BBC Breakfast this morning, and said she would not be 'drawn into the detail of these figures'. It comes as a shocking poll by the Royal College of Physicians yesterday found that a quarter of doctors are having to re-use protective kit meant to be worn just once. The college's leader said the survey revealed a 'terrible state of affairs' and in a further blow to the Government an investigation found that officials failed to buy enough gowns when setting up an emergency stockpile in 2009. Ministers are also accused of ignoring a warning last June that they would need to purchase more. The protective clothes should be worn only once because washing them at temperatures high enough to kill coronavirus weakens their effectiveness. A shocking poll by the Royal College of Physicians found that a quarter of doctors are having to re-use protective kit meant to be worn just once (file photo) The failure to provide enough PPE to hospitals and care homes has been one of the biggest issues in the pandemic The BBC Panorama investigation, which was screened last night and is available on iPlayer, found the Government failed to stockpile enough gowns, visors and swabs needed for testing. Ministers apparently then ignored a warning last summer from experts on the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group that they should buy additional gowns. The Government claims to have sent out one billion items of PPE to hospitals since the outbreak began in the UK. But looking at documents from inside the supply chain, BBC found half the items delivered to hospitals were gloves - most of which were counted individually rather than in pairs. The one billion figure also includes items which are not considered PPE, including millions of cleaning products, waste bags, detergents and paper towels. The Government claims to have sent out one billion items of PPE to hospitals since the outbreak began in the UK - but Panorama found they had counted most gloves individually. Pictured, a Royal Mint employee in Wales An RAF Atlas, believed to be carrying a cargo of PPE is unloaded at Brize Norton Safeguarding Minister Victoria Atkins this morning did not deny that the Government had been counting gloves individually following the Panorama attack. She told BBC Breakfast that she had a box of gloves and they were not badged up as being in pairs, although said she was 'not going to be drawn into the detail of these figures'. But Ms Atkins said: 'We have been very transparent about figures throughout and we have got to keep with transparency because that is how we keep people's trust.' 'I'm very, very sorry to hear of that report.' The shortages are affecting care homes as well. James Bullion, of the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services, told the BBC's World at One: 'It's been promised for some weeks and not arrived.' Chris Hopson of NHS Providers, which represents hospital trusts, said: 'It will be important when the time comes for a public inquiry to examine why the pandemic stockpile was not configured for an epidemic like the one we face today.' The number of new cases continued to rise in the latest data, but the rate has slowed significantly A Royal College's survey completed by 2,129 members also highlighted concerns that protective equipment was poorly fitting. Nearly a third 31 per cent said they had not had their facemasks 'fit tested' to ensure they provided maximum protection. Just 69 per cent said they were always able to access the vital long-sleeved gowns. The figure for goggles was even lower at 50 per cent. Overall 27 per cent said they could not get the equipment they needed, which was up from 22 per cent when the college carried out the same survey three weeks ago. Some 27 per cent of doctors were re-using their personal protective equipment or had done so. Its president, Professor Andrew Goddard, said: 'Many personal protective equipment items are designed for single use and should only be re-used in extreme circumstances. 'That so many people are having to re-use PPE shows how desperate the shortages are. 'This is a truly terrible state of affairs. As a bare minimum we expect our health service to provide the equipment we need to protect ourselves and our patients.' The failure to provide enough PPE to hospitals and care homes has been one of the biggest issues in the pandemic, with the Government admitting it cannot lift the lockdown before it is resolved. The Department of Health said: 'We are working night and day to ensure our frontline health and social care staff have the equipment they need to tackle this virus, and have delivered over a billion items of PPE since the outbreak began. 'New clinical advice has been issued to make sure that if there are shortages in one area, frontline staff know what PPE to wear instead to minimise risk.' The NHS is asking for a minute's silence at 11am today for all the health and care workers who have lost their lives to coronavirus. Health Secretary Matt Hancock claimed last night that 98 frontline staff have died. Others put the figure at 134 and campaigners say lives have been lost because of inadequate PPE. Mr Hancock promised last night that the families of health and care workers who have died from coronavirus would receive a 60,000 'life assurance' scheme. Among the victims was Abdul Mabud Chowdhury, 53, who died in east London five days after urging Mr Johnson to make sure staff had better clothing and equipment. As daily hospital deaths from coronavirus dropped below 400 for the first time in four weeks: Boris Johnson returned to No 10 and likened his personal battle with coronavirus to a mugging; The PM suggested any easing of the lockdown would be very gradual with difficult trade-offs; Mr Hancock insisted the NHS was open for patients with other illnesses and said cancer treatments would be restored; It emerged that he may not be able to confirm whether he has met his 100,000-a-day testing target on the deadline of this Thursday; A fleet of rapid-response testing units is being set up to stop a coronavirus resurgence; Small firms will be able to get interest-free loans of up to 50,000 under a fast-track scheme; Four million workers have been furloughed by 500,000 firms, costing the Treasury 4.5billion; Chancellor Rishi Sunak said he was planning a 'gradual' winding-down of the scheme; Traffic data suggested drivers are returning to the roads amid lockdown fatigue; Rising numbers of children have been admitted to intensive care with deadly symptoms linked to coronavirus; Ministers are braced for grim figures on deaths in care homes, where shortages of PPE have been acute; An education watchdog warned of the impact of school closures on children from vulnerable backgrounds. Boris Johnson returned to No 10 and likened his personal battle with coronavirus to a mugging Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-27 21:08:12|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, April 27 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Republicans have not made public comments on the media report of a leaked memo which urges candidates to address the COVID-19 pandemic by attacking China. The silence is in sharp contrast to the overheated anti-China rhetoric some White House politicians, as represented by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, have been making ever since the outbreak. At a time when the international community must join hands to deal with the coronavirus, the U.S. top diplomat has dedicated himself to smearing China's anti-virus fight, advocating confrontational lenses to view China's institutional system and attempting to counter China's efforts to help other nations. However, he welcomed China's provision of essential medical supplies. Such actions are more fitting to the title of "secretary of separation." Pompeo and his allies of the ruling party are following the memo guidelines. Their illogical rhetoric can only be explained by the intention of concealing irresponsibility and incompetence of the U.S. administration that has failed to address public questions on the economy, health care and jobs, and has put reelection at a much higher place than saving lives of the people. The international community has been hoping for a due role of the United States in confronting the pandemic and the American people have been expecting a clear government plan for mitigating the growing domestic economic pains. The White House politicians are advised to respect the facts, abandon the outdated Cold War mentality, and show political resolve and wisdom of protecting the people's rights to life and health. The China-bashing tactic, as used in the campaign mode, might please some anti-China advocates and help win their votes. Still, it is a dangerously short-sighted response to a global crisis that calls for cooperation between the two largest economies of the world. If these politicians still hold the belief that containing China helps them contain the virus, they will only sink to political cowards and leave their names as historical jokes. Enditem The Star tried to contact him through a former associate in Texas who said he forwarded the request for comment, but Nguyen did not respond by deadline. The ex-associate, David Bailey, 57, of San Antonio, told the Star said he got to know Nguyen a few years back when he used to be a First Amendment auditor himself. Bailey said Nguyen lives in a van he drives around the country in search of potential police conflicts that could make him more popular online and bring in financial rewards. Bailey estimated about 500 Americans nationwide are involved in First Amendment auditing, a number he said is shrinking as more end up in legal trouble. Some have turned into scammers, he said, like one who raised $9,000 online, ostensibly for legal fees, then pleaded guilty and kept the cash. Others regard themselves as sovereign citizens not subject to courts and laws, which puts them at high risk of conflict with authorities, he said. One thing the COVID-19 pandemic has done was create a surplus of food. While people are getting takeout from their local restaurants, it remains that fewer people are going out to eat all over the world. Last month, because there was no March Madness, there was a surplus of chicken wings. Now, Belgium is dealing with a potato surplus by telling people to eat more fries. According to CNN, Belgiums association of potato producers (Belgapom) is telling residents to eat an extra portion of fries, or frites, each week in order to counteract a sizable potato surplus due to the pandemic. Its noted that potato farmers in Belgium will be sitting on 750,000 tons of potatoes this year and theres a chance thatll go to waste if people dont start eating more potatoes. Unlike the United States, fries are more of a meal in Belgium. In fact, even though we assume French fries came from France, theres evidence to suggest they may have came from Belgium instead. Either way, Belgium is serious about their frites and they are the worlds largest exporter of frozen fries so this situation is serious. City names Ward deputy fire chief Justin Ward Justin S. Ward, who previously held the position of fire marshal of Hendersonville, has been promoted to deputy fire chief, the city announced. Deputy Chief Ward is committed to public safety and serving this community, Fire Chief D. James Miller said. He is a great asset to this department and will bring that same level of service and professionalism to this position and to the people of our great city. Deputy Chief Ward joined the Hendersonville Fire Department as a part-time firefighter in 2007, having worked for the N.C. Forestry Service and Valley Hill Fire Department. In 2008 he became a full-time firefighter with the city and over the years held the ranks of engineer, lieutenant and captain and had served as the fire marshal since 2016. As fire marshal, Ward helped expand the fire departments Life Safety Division. The division focuses on fire prevention, education, enforcement of the fire code, plans review, safety inspections, and fire investigations. Deputy Chief Ward holds an associate of applied science degree from Blue Ridge Community College and and bachelor of science degree from Fayetteville State University. He serves as a Western Regional Board member for both the N.C. Fire Marshals Association and the American Red Cross. He and his wife, Lacie, have two children, Lane and Caroline. Immunity in monkeys is no guarantee that a vaccine will provide the same degree of protection for humans. A Chinese company that recently started a clinical trial with 144 participants, SinoVac, has also said that its vaccine was effective in rhesus macaques. But with dozens of efforts now underway to find a vaccine, the monkey results are the latest indication that Oxford's accelerated venture is emerging as a bellwether. Loading "It is a very, very fast clinical program," said Emilio Emini, a director of the vaccine program at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which is providing financial support to many competing efforts. Which potential vaccine will emerge from the scramble as the most successful is impossible to know until clinical trial data becomes available. More than one vaccine would be needed in any case, Emini argued. Some may work more effectively than others in groups like children or older people, or at different costs and dosages. Having more than one variety of vaccine in production will also help avoid bottlenecks in manufacturing, he said. But as the first to reach such a relatively large scale, the Oxford trial, even if it fails, will provide lessons about the nature of the coronavirus and about the immune system's responses that can inform governments, donors, drug companies and other scientists hunting for a vaccine. Loading "This big UK study," Emini said, "is actually going to translate to learning a lot about some of the others as well." All the others will face the same challenges, including obtaining millions of dollars in funding, persuading regulators to approve human tests, demonstrating a vaccine's safety and after all of that proving its effectiveness in protecting people from the coronavirus. Paradoxically, the growing success of efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, may present yet another hurdle. "We're the only people in the country who want the number of new infections to stay up for another few weeks, so we can test our vaccine," professor Adrian Hill, the Jenner Institute's director and one of five researchers involved in the effort, said in an interview in a laboratory building emptied by Britain's month-long lockdown. Ethics rules, as a general principle, forbid seeking to infect human test participants with a serious disease. That means the only way to prove that a vaccine works is to inoculate people in a place where the virus spreading naturally around them. If social distancing measures or other factors continue to slow the rate of new infections in Britain, he said, the trial might not be able to show that the vaccine makes a difference. Participants who received a placebo might not be infected any more frequently than those who have been given the vaccine. The scientists would have to try again elsewhere, a dilemma that every other vaccine effort will face as well. The Jenner Institute's effort against the coronavirus uses a technology that centres on altering the genetic code of a familiar virus. A classic vaccine uses a weakened version of a virus to trigger an immune response. But in the technology that the institute is using, a different virus is modified first to neutralise its effects and then to make it mimic a targeted virus in this case, the virus that causes COVID-19. Injected into the bloodstream, the harmless impostor can induce the immune system to fight and kill the targeted disease, providing protection. Hill has worked with that technology for decades to try to tweak a respiratory virus found in chimpanzees to elicit a human immune response against malaria and other diseases. Over the last 20 years, the institute has conducted more than 70 clinical trials of potential vaccines against the parasite that causes malaria. None have yet yielded a successful inoculation. In 2014, however, a vaccine based on the chimp virus that Hill had tested was manufactured in a large enough scale to provide 1 million doses. That created a template for mass production of the coronavirus vaccine, should it prove effective. A longtime colleague, Professor Sarah Gilbert, 58, modified the same chimpanzee virus to make a vaccine against an earlier coronavirus, Middle East respiratory syndrome. Loading After a clinical trial in Britain demonstrated its safety, another test began in December in Saudi Arabia, where outbreaks of the deadly disease are still common. When she heard in January that Chinese scientists had identified the genetic code of a mysterious virus in Wuhan, she thought she might have a chance to prove the speed and versatility of their approach. "We thought, 'Well, should we have a go?'" she recalled. "'It'll be a little lab project, and we'll publish a paper.'" It did not stay a "little lab project" for long. As the pandemic exploded, grant money poured in. All other vaccines were soon put into the freezer so that the institute's laboratory could focus full-time on COVID-19. Then the lockdown forced everyone not working on COVID-19 to stay home altogether. Donors are currently spending tens of millions of dollars to start the manufacturing process at facilities in Britain and the Netherlands even before the vaccine is proven to work, said Sandy Douglas, 37, a doctor at Oxford overseeing vaccine production. "There is no alternative," he said. But the team has not yet reached an agreement with a North American manufacturer, in part because the major pharmaceutical companies there typically demand exclusive worldwide rights before investing in a potential medicine. "I personally don't believe that in a time of pandemic there should be exclusive licenses," Hill said. "So we are asking a lot of them. Nobody is going to make a lot of money off this." Armed with safety data from their human trials of similar vaccines for Ebola, MERS and malaria, though, the scientists at Oxford's institute persuaded British regulators to allow unusually accelerated trials while the epidemic is still hot around them. The institute last week began a Phase I clinical trial involving 1100 people. Crucially, next month it will begin a combined Phase II and Phase III trial involving another 5000. Unlike any other vaccine project now underway, that trial is designed to prove effectiveness as well as safety. The scientists would declare victory if as many as a dozen participants who are given a placebo become sick with COVID-19 compared with only one or two who receive the inoculation. "Then we have a party and tell the world," Hill said. Everyone who had received only the placebo would also be vaccinated immediately. If too few participants are infected in Britain, the institute is planning other trials where the coronavirus may still be spreading, possibly in Africa or India. Advertisement Life on board the Titanic's colossal sister ship as she served collecting wounded soldiers during the First World War has been revealed by previously unseen photographs. Nurses rushing across decks, crammed wards and steaming engine rooms have been captured in the images, offering a tantalising glimpse into conditions on board before the vessel sunk on 21 November 1916. His Majesty's Hospital Ship (HMHS) Britannic set sail in February 1914, but was requisitioned by the military before she could begin her first commercial voyage, and drafted in to battling against Germany and the Ottoman Empire. The vessel completed six voyages and transported thousands of wounded soldiers back to Southampton and Liverpool from the frontlines near Lemnos, Greece, before hitting a land mine in the Aegean and disappearing beneath the waves in 55 minutes, two hours faster than the Titanic. Boats bobbing nearby rushed to the foundering vessel and saved 1,030 people including doctors, nurses, soldiers and sailors. Only 30 people lost their lives. The 48,000-tonne Britannic, which was even larger than her famous sister Titanic, sunk rapidly as the captain had accelerated the engines in an attempt to beach the ship. She was the largest ship to sink during the war. The black-and-white images showcasing life on board 104 years ago have been revealed in The Unseen Britannic: The Ship in Rare Illustrations by Simon Mills. The Britannic sunk on 21 November 1916 in 55 minutes after striking a land mine. Pictured above are nurses on her decks while she remained in service, bringing the wounded back to Southampton The ship's hospital wards and cramped sleeping quarters have been revealed in stunning unseen photos The Britannic completed six voyages between Southampton and Lemnos, Greece, before she sunk in 1916 Two nurses are smiling out of the picture above on a deck packed with hospital beds for wounded soldiers Nurse Sheila Macbeth (left) was on the ship when it sunk. She wrote in her diary about hearing a loud bang before rushing to her cabin to collect her things. Men are also seen in the hospital ward (right) Nurses and medical staff pictured relaxing on the ship's deck in 1916 as a soldier walks past Two nurses smile out of one photograph showing the ships deck jam-packed with hospital beds while, in another, a soldier looks up at the camera from rows and rows of bunkbeds tightly squeezed into a cabin. A third shows medical staff wearing coats and large hats as they relax on deck while soldiers walk past, and a fourth shows the thronging engine rooms hidden below deck. The ships's construction, begun in 1911 at Harland & Wolff in Belfast, Northern Ireland, is also revealed. Pictures show a forest of scaffolding surrounding the metal hulk of the ship as it is gradually put together in four years, almost double the amount of time that it sailed for. Nurse Sheila Macbeth, 26, was on the ship when it hit a mine at 8am in 1916. She wrote in her diary, available in the collections of Edinburgh University: 'Up late - so only managed to get two spoonfuls of porridge before: Bang! and a shiver right down the length of the ship. 'Of course we all knew what it was! We had thought too much about torpedoes to be surprised to have met one at last. When the siren sounded, I went off to my cabin... and then hung over the side of the ship. 'In our boat, we got well away from the sinking ship and busied ourselves with the wounded, whom we picked out of the water.' Shown above are the ship's passengers and crew on board as they sail back to the United Kingdom during World War One Soldiers shown standing together on board the ship as it sails back to the UK. It managed six voyages before sinking Captain Charles Alfred Bartlett sped up the ship in an attempt to beach it before conceding defeat and ordering everyone to evacuate. Private Holmes Breslford claims to have been the last man on board the ship before it sank The Britannic is pictured above arriving in Southampton carrying wounded soldiers. It had crosses painted on it so that it was not targeted by the German military The Britannic's propellers and rudder are pictured at the shipyard before it was launched in 1915. The ship never served commercially, as intended, but was immediately conscripted into the First World War From shipyard to seafloor in two years: Timeline of the HMHS Britannic The Britannic was the last of three ships ordered by the White Star Line as luxury cruisers that were meant to ply the transatlantic route. After her sister the Titanic sunk in April 1912 the design was changed to make the vessel safer. However, it sunk four years later after hitting a mine. 30 November, 1911 - Workers begin constructing HMHS Britannic at Harland & Wolff in Belfast, Northern Ireland 14 April, 1912 - The Titanic sinks in the Atlantic ocean, prompting changes to the Britannic's design to include more life boats. 26 February, 1914 - The Britannic is launched 28 July, 1914 - World War One breaks out in Europe 13 November, 1915 - The ship is requisitioned by the military for collecting wounded troops from Lemnos, Greece. It never saw commercial service 23 December, 1915 - Britannic begins first voyage from Liverpool to Lemnos, via Naples, and back, to collect 3,300 casualties. She completes two more voyages. June to August, 1916 - It is released from service for two months before being requisitioned again 12 November, 1916 - Britannic departs Southampton for Lemnos on its sixth voyage. 21 November, 1916 - The ship hits a landmine two miles from Kea island, Aegean Sea, and sinks. As many as 1,030 people are saved from the foundering ship. Only 30 people lost their lives. Advertisement Captain Charles Alfred Bartlett, 43, was one of the most experienced skippers working on the vessel as it sunk. He initially ordered for the engines to speed up, in an attempt to beach the boat, after they hit a landmine before conceding defeat realising this was causing water to rush in. The engines were stopped and the ship was evacuated. The ship's re-design, following the Titanic tragedy in 1912, meant it had far more lifeboats and the ability to deploy them even when it was severely listing. Some were deployed too soon, however, and got tangled in the propellers with two fleeing boats getting fatally diced in the spinning blades. Captain Bartlett had also been involved with designing the Titanic and was even called to give evidence to a panel over its tragic sinking and the loss of 1,500 lives. Photographer Mr Mills, who compiled the photos, said that the Britannic was very much not a normal ship for her time. 'True, she was Titanics sister ship,' he said, 'but seeing Britannic in her own unique context means we find a vessel that never served in the capacity for which she was designed. '(However), as a military hospital ship in one of the most destructive wars ever, she played a vitally important supporting role in some of the most significant Allied campaigns during the First World War. 'The names of the thirty dead were all but lost in the mists of time, and as the first real book on Britannic was not published until more than three-quarters of a century after her loss, it is amazing that we now know as much about the ship today as we do.' The Britannic's wreck, discovered by Jacques Costeau in 1975, is more accessible than the Titanic's and in better condition - although any explorers still need to be experienced divers. The ship is 400 feet below the surface, compared to the Titanic's two-and-a-half mile depth, and lies on her starboard side while her sister is split in two. Divers have visited the wreck before after receiving permission from the Greek government, which bans all trips to wrecks sunk between 1860 and 1970 without a permit. Experienced diver Carl Spencer, 37, died from compression sickness following a visit to the ship in 2009. In February the Greek government considered relaxing its stringent rules, which would allow more visitors to head to its wrecks. Other wrecks that could become accessible due to the legislation change also include a three-engines Luftwaffe plane off the coast of Paros and a World War Two British submarine. Ship is twinned with the Titanic and Olympic. It was constructed by Harland & Wolff in Northern Ireland for the White Star Line Shown above is a forest of scaffolding surrounding the gradually emerging hull of the ship at the shipwrights in Belfast A crane is shown above lowering a massive boiler into the vessel, which would keep the engines moving at speed. The design of the Britannic was tweaked after the Titanic foundered at sea in April 1912 The engine room pictured inside the HMHS Britannic. Only 30 people died when the ship foundered in the Aegean Sea Shown above are the decks of the HMHS Britannic as it started to take shape at the shipwrights in Belfast, Northern Ireland Britannic is one of three ships, its sisters being the Olympic and Titanic. They were built by Harland & Wolff for the White Star Line shipping company and were dubbed Olympic class 'unsinkable'. The Olympic was the only one not to disappear beneath the waves and was retired from service in 1935 and scrapped. Britannic's construction was altered after the sinking of the Titanic to make safety adjustments including the provision of more lifeboats and ability to deploy them rapidly. It is the largest of the three ships. Titanic's wreck has recently been the subject of scrutiny following rows over its salvage rights. An international treaty between the US and the UK government's could give both the power to grant or deny licences to companies to enter the remains and remove artefacts. The agreement has been challenged, however, by company RMS Titanic which claims to own the rights to all missions to the wreckage. It has contested the deal under US law. A range of wrecks would be freed up for exploration if the legislation is passed. including Britannic, a WWII German plane and an Allied submarine The ship now lies on her starboard side 440-feet beneath the ocean. This is too deep for most, and can only be reached by experienced divers. Above is the ship's firemans staircase as seen from above the vessel Experienced divers are pictured here exploring the side of the vessel. The Greek government requires explorers to get a special permit before visiting such wrecks. However, this year it considered relaxing the restrictions Hours later, at a media briefing, Mr. Murphy laid out four broad metrics that will be used to determine when and how businesses can begin to reopen. He said the approach required success on several fronts: a 14-day decline in new coronavirus cases and hospitalization rates; expanded testing; a robust ability to trace people who have had contact with those infected with the virus; and an increased availability of places, such as hotels, where the sick can remain in isolation, free of charge. A plan that is needlessly rushed, he said, will needlessly fail. When pressed on the timing of a phased-in reopening, he was noncommittal, but suggested it could come by Memorial Day, the unofficial start to summer at the Jersey Shore. I want to see the shore humming throughout the summer, he said. Still, social distancing is likely to be the norm for months to come, including on beaches, he said. He said a commission whose members would be announced on Tuesday will be responsible for guiding decision-making. The reopening, he cautioned, would not necessarily mirror the slow wave of shutdowns that began in mid-March. Foreign experts have condemned Chinas recent actions in the East Sea, saying its moves have escalated tensions in the region and infringed upon international law. Talking to the Vietnam News Agency (VNA), Derek Grossman, a senior analyst at the US-based RAND Corporation, said there is general agreement that China has been bullying its neighbours with such moves, including Vietnam, the Philippines, and Malaysia. He believes that these acts may fuel security uncertainties in the region and even escalate tensions. James Rogers, Director of the Global Britain Programme at the UK-based Henry Jackson Society, told VNA that Chinas claim of sovereignty over almost the entire East Sea via the so-called nine-dash line is groundless and violates international law, especially the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). He held that the recent sinking of a Vietnamese fishing boat by a Chinese coast guard vessel in the vicinity of the Hoang Sa (Paracel) Archipelago was dangerous and unacceptable. Chinas unlawful sovereignty claims and excessive actions in the East Sea are undermining international law and causing insecurity in the region, he noted, adding that countries that comply with international law and those that play a major role in protecting the law-based international system need to condemn such actions. Meanwhile, the Russian news agency ANNA-News quoted experts in the country as describing Chinas recent naming of geographical features in the East Sea as a breach of international law. They said that according to the 1982 UNCLOS, states cannot claim sovereignty over an underwater object if it is not within 12 nautical miles of baselines. Chinas naming of islands, reefs, and features on the seabed of the East Sea is therefore groundless and violates international law. ANNA-News also noted that, in recent years, Chinas creation of artificial islands and development of infrastructure in the waters have faced international discontent. Russian specialists earlier condemned Chinas declaration of the establishemtn of two districts within so-called Sansha city, saying the move runs counter to international law. On the Times of India, journalist Rudroneel Ghosh wrote that Chinas establishment of Xisha district (which in fact is Vietnams Hoang Sa Archipelago) and Nansha district (which is Vietnams Truong Sa (Spratly) Archipelago) within so-called Sansha city is a unilateral move and undermines regional stability. On April 19, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang stated that: Vietnam has strongly affirmed many times that it has sufficient historical evidence and legal foundation testifying to its sovereignty over the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa Archipelagos. She highlighted Vietnams consistent viewpoint that it strongly objects to the establishment of so-called Sansha city and related actions, as they have seriously violated Vietnams sovereignty, been valueless, unrecognised, and not beneficial to friendship among countries, and have complicated the situation in the East Sea, the region, and the world. Vietnam demands that China respect Vietnams sovereignty, abolish wrongful decisions made relating to these moves, and not commit similar acts in the future, the spokesperson added./.VNA Da Nang condemns Chinas establishment on Paracel and Spratly archipelagos The peoples committee of the Hoang Sa (Paracel) Islands district in Danang strongly protested Chinas decision to establish the so-called Xisha and Nansha districts to govern over Vietnams Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) islands. (Newser) Smithfield Foods and JBS have closed meat-processing sites, while Tyson Foods shut down pork plants in Iowa and Indiana last week after they were found to be hot spots for coronavirus outbreaks. Now Tyson is issuing a dire warning on the state of the industry as a result of the pandemic. It made its proclamation via a full-page ads Sunday in the Washington Post, New York Times, and Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, with John Tyson, the chair of the company's board, delivering the news. "The food supply chain is breaking," he said in the public notice, per Time. "As pork, beef, and chicken plants are being forced to close, even for short periods of time, millions of pounds of meat will disappear from the supply chain." This, in turn, will lead to a ripple effect of farmers having too much livestock on their hands, he added: "Millions of animalschickens, pigs and cattlewill be depopulated." story continues below Some of these closed-down plants had been criticized for not setting up safety measures and offering adequate protective gear. "I want my job, but I want a safe job," an employee at Tyson's shuttered plant in Waterloo, Iowa, tells CNN. "I got family and grandkids that I love, and I'm not going to risk their lives to cut some damn hogs up." In the Sunday ad, John Tyson said the company now will mandate face masks, take workers' temps, and implement other measures to protect workers at its sites, per CNN Business. Meanwhile, Politico reports the USDA has been "woefully slow" in addressing the virus and its effect on farmers, claiming the agency has "let millions of pounds of food rot." A USDA rep, however, insists all is under control, noting in a statement to Time it will work with the Food and Drug Administration and the CDC to "ensure the food supply chain remains safe and secure." (Read more Tyson Foods stories.) 28 Million Mail-In Ballots Unaccounted For In Four Elections: Report Tens of millions of mail-in ballots went missing between 2012 and 2018, according to federal Election Assistance Commission (EAC) reports. While theres no evidence any of the 28.3 million unaccounted for ballots were used fraudulently, their sheer volume gives weight to concerns about election integrity, particularly as calls mount for more widespread use of vote-by-mail options amid the pandemic. The drive to expand mail balloting options during the outbreak has emerged as the centerpiece of a growing political fight ahead of Novembers election. President Donald Trump and Republican lawmakers have challenged the idea of expanding vote-by-mail, arguing it is vulnerable to fraud. Democrats, and voting rights groups, say it is a way to protect voters from the deadly CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as novel coronavirus. They say a failure to guarantee that option amid a pandemic will disenfranchise millions of Americans. Putting the election in the hands of the United States Postal Service would be a catastrophe, argues J. Christian Adams, President of the Public Interest Legal Foundation (PILF), which reviewed EAC reports from the past four general elections and compiled them into a single review (pdf). Over the recent decade, there were 28 million missing and misdirected ballots, Adams said, adding, These represent 28 million opportunities for someone to cheat. Voter completes her ballot in Orange County Calif., on Oct. 24, 2018. (Robyn Beck / AFP) Of all types of voter fraud, absentee ballot fraud is the most common, according to an investigative report project by Arizona State University. Still, the project found that, since the turn of the century, while fraud has occurred, the number of cases is infinitesimal. The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, has long raised the alarm about the dangers of mail-in ballot fraud. Absentee ballots are the tools of choice of election fraudsters because they are voted outside the supervision of election officials, making it easier to steal, forge, or alter them, as well as to intimidate voters, wrote Heritage Foundation Senior Legal Fellow Hans A. von Spakovsky, in an op-ed. The Heritage Foundations own database of all reported instances of election fraud, dating back to 1979, lists only 1,277 proven instances of voter fraud, though the organizations Communications Manager told The Epoch Times in an emailed statement that the database is only intended to represent a small sampling of the types of voter fraud that can occurit is by no means a comprehensive report of all the voter fraud that happens around the country. Election fraud committed with absentee ballots is more prevalent than in person voting but it is still rare, Richard L. Hasen, a professor of law and political science at the University of California, Irvine School of Law, and author of The Voting Wars, told FactCheck. States can and do take steps to minimize the risks, especially given the great benefits of convenienceand now safetyfrom the practice. Meanwhile, concerns about fraud in mail ballots were significant enough that a 2008 report by the CalTech/MIT Voting Technology Project (pdf) recommended that states restrict or abolish on-demand absentee voting in favor of in-person early voting. I really think the only reason vote-by-mail problems are not getting more attention on a regular basis, is that its kind of an embarrassing problem and people just arent paying attention, said Logan Churchwell, a spokesman for PILF, in remarks to RealClearPolitics. These numbers of missing ballots demonstrate large voter list maintenance failures and security gaps within the broader mail voting process. Based on a statement by Twitter user @KevinNgTK, it seems that the realme X3 SuperZoom, as well as the realme Watch might have been spotted on SIRIM not too long ago. With that said, we could expect to see the aforementioned electronic devices be released in Malaysia very soon. While theres not much we officially know in regards to the exact tech specs of the realme X3 SuperZoom, we do know that it could come equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ chipset as well as 12GB of RAM. As the name suggests, the smartphone will also feature up to 20X hybrid zoom which is a first for the realme. @LowyatNET @Soya_Cincau Realme X3 SuperZoom and Realme Watch just passed SIRIM certification last week. pic.twitter.com/iv3vEuhT1N Kevin Ng TK (@KevinNgTK) April 27, 2020 Do take every bit of information with a grain of salt, due to the fact that realme has yet to provide an official statement in regards to the leaked info. Not only that, but theres no news on the official Malaysia release date and local pricing for now. Would you be interested in getting the realme X3 SuperZoom, as well as the realme Watch as soon as it is available for purchase? Let us know on our Facebook page, and for more updates like this, stay tuned to TechNave.com. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's monetary reward for Filipino scientists who could invent a vaccine to eradicate COVID-19 has been increased fivefold. He declared the decision in a taped address to the country aired on Friday that he is raising the bounty to Php50 million (US$985,935) from the initial Php10 million (US$197,092). The president called out the bright Filipinos who are working day and night in efforts to find out how to combat the novel coronavirus. Duterte added that it could go higher and could even go as high as P100 million if the result is favorable to him. Last week, he offered a Php10 million reward money to any Filipino who will develop a vaccine or drug for the coronavirus. The statement was made announced shortly after the extension of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in Metro Manila, the capital city of the Philippines, and other high-risk areas in the country. According to the chief executive, upping the reward money would supposedly be an advantage to the Philippines' gifted scientists, who are wont to be working in groups, and will eventually divide the pot money. "COVID-19 is a public enemy not only in the Philippines but in the entire world; the President announced he will give a reward of up to 10 million Philippine peso to any Filipino who will discover a vaccine against COVID-19," Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque remarked at a news briefing. The offer was announced at the time confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the Philippines rose to 6,599 on Tuesday. The president acknowledged the intelligence of Filipino scientists in producing a vaccine is at par with western scientists and that it is just a matter of who develops a vaccine first. Also, he vowed to provide fund assistance to groups or individuals working to produce a vaccine for the coronavirus. Also Read: American Scientists Not Allowed to Enter China to Investigate Coronavirus Dozens of pharmaceutical firms globally are currently conducting research and trials for a possible vaccine against the coronavirus. Experts from the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD) of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) are now doing research for vaccine production, according to the Philippine Department of Health Secretary Francisco Duque III. The president noted that only a vaccine could put an end to the coronavirus outbreak. "COVID equals vaccine. Period," Duterte stated. Duterte then called out the Filipino public to have patience in waiting for the lockdown to be lifted. He said, "One thing I can assure you that we are just waiting for the right time. Tiisin muna natin (Let's endure it for the meantime). Ako nakikiusap sa inyo (I'm appealing to you) because we are trying to limit the contamination." The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the Philippines stands at 7,579 with 862 recoveries and 501 fatalities. Back in March, the Philippine Department of Science and Technology said it was aiming to launch a trial which for the purpose of finding a COVID-19 vaccine or drug in the country. The Philippines, cooperating with the World Health Organization, will soon evaluate which existing drugs can be repurposed as treatment to the respiratory disease. Duterte provided the University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital (UP-PGH) a substantial funding for their vaccine development. Experts have surmised that a coronavirus vaccine will take about 18 months to create. Last week, Senator Panfilo Lacson called for Duterte to instead channel the reward money for research and development to eradicate the disease. Related Article: How Singapore Lost Control of COVID-19 Outbreak @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis tried to lighten the mood with a joke during a press briefing about the coronavirus pandemic. Florida is ground zero for the nursing home, were Gods waiting room, DeSantis told media Sunday. We have a huge number of facilities, a huge number of residents. According to WPLG Local 10 TV, Gods waiting room is a longtime joke about retirees moving to Florida. DeSantis noted that folks 65 and up are among those most vulnerable to COVID-19, the disease caused by coronavirus. The Tampa Bay Times reports 19 more people died from coronavirus Sunday, bringing the states death toll to 1,094. WFLA reports The Sunshine State confirmed nearly 2,000 new cases of COVID-19 over the weekend, for a total of 31,528 cases and nearly 5,000 hospitalizations. DeSantis said Sunday he believes parts of Florida have passed the peak, noting that cases in the Orlando area where worldwide tourist attractions like Disney World and Universal Studios have been closed for weeks have been curving downward since April 1. Florida Democratic Party chair Terrie Rizzo, however, didnt appreciate the Republican governors attempt at comedy. Governor, this isnt a time to do stand-up, its a time to stand up and lead," Rizzo told WPLG. Thomas Unnasch, co-director for the Center for Global Health Infectious Disease Research at the University of South Florida, also cautioned that it may be too early to say coronavirus has peaked in Florida without more testing. We will really not know if were past it until we actually see a week or two of steadily declining case numbers across the Tampa Bay area, and the entire state, before we can really say were on the downslope, Unnasch told WUSF Public Media on Friday. As of Monday morning, the U.S. has nearly 1 million cases of coronavirus confirmed and over 54,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University. DeSantis COVID-19 presser from Orlando - Sunday WATCH LIVE: Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks on COVID-19 pandemic in Florida from Orlando Health Posted by WPLG Local 10 on Sunday, April 26, 2020 MORE ON CORONAVIRUS Coronavirus in NY: Cases, maps, charts and resources Gov. Cuomo on reopening schools, summer school, remote learning and district budgets As coronavirus deaths in NY fall below 400, Cuomo gives some details about phased reopening The week we went from defense to offense; CNYs coronavirus fight turns a corner Coronavirus treatment: NY hospitals quietly testing heartburn drug famotidine Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-27 14:13:20|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close CHANGSHA, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Despite the development strain brought by the coronavirus, the president of Changsha Pacific Hanya Auto Parts Company in central China's Hunan Province is confident about a rebounding demand and the Chinese market at large. "I believe Hunan's automobile industry will continue to grow because the province has a large development space and has attracted many leading automakers already," said Hidenori Yoshida, the president. The company was established in Changsha, the provincial capital in September of 2011. It is mainly engaged in the production and sales of automobile body parts, chassis parts and resin products. Yoshida said the company received appropriate advice and assistance from the local government in virus prevention and control as early as February. "I'm grateful for the Hunan government for their guidance and help. The company has been running faultlessly during the epidemic," he said. The provincial commerce department sent a letter to express gratitude and respect to the company for the contributions to Hunan's development, and cooperation and donations during the COVID-19 outbreak. In the letter, Xu Xiangping, head of the department, said the government will continue to provide good business environment and services, as well as to offer as much help as possible in purchasing anti-virus materials. Shinya Ogawa, CEO and president of Pacific Industrial Company in Japan, the parent company, replied a week later, saying that Xu's letter injected vitality into the company that is battling against a severe business slack due to the outbreak. Yoshida said Hunan has introduced favorable policies to promote automobile consumption, which he believes will have a certain effect on the resumption of production and sales. The Changsha company has resumed partial production in mid-March and entered full operation since early April. The provincial department said since the outbreak, Hunan has focused on solving the most urgent and difficult problem for foreign-invested enterprises, helping ease the shortage of epidemic prevention materials for them and establishing a government-bank-enterprise docking mechanism to meet their financing needs. So far Hunan has provided 29.16 billion yuan (4.12 billion U.S. dollars) of financing loans to 815 foreign-funded and foreign trade enterprises with financing needs. Enditem New Delhi, April 27 : The Supreme Court Monday issued a notice to the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation on a petition seeking airlines, both domestic and international, to refund the full amount of the tickets in relation to all flights cancelled due to the nationwide lockdown. A bench headed by Justice N.V. Ramana and comprising Justices S.K. Kaul and B.R. Gavai, while hearing the matter through video conferencing, making an oral observation said that the non-refund on the tickets booked for air travel after lockdown was "arbitrary." The plea has been moved by Pravasi Legal Cell through advocate Jose Abraham. The plea urged the top court to declare non-refund of the amount of the tickets by airlines as illegal and violative of the Civil Aviation Requirement issued by the DGCA. The petitioner contended that airlines, instead of providing full refund of the amount collected for cancelled tickets, are providing a credit shell, valid up to one year. The plea cited the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MCA) April 16 office memorandum, which directed all airline operators to refund the full amount collected for all tickets booked during the first phase of the lockdown period, from March 25 to April 14, for domestic and international air travel. The MCA memorandum said if a passenger seeks refund during the first lockdown phase for travel during the second lockdown period (from April 15 to May 3), still the airline has to refund the full amount without levying any cancellation charges. The plea contended that the Office Memorandum leaves out the vast majority of passengers who had booked tickets before the flight operations were banned, and thus indirectly approves the practice of the airlines providing a credit shell for booking affected before the lockdown, though the same clearly violates the refund rules of the DGCA. However, the petitioner cites the government directive only that orders the airlines to refund those tickets, which were booked during the lockdown period and leaves out passengers who book tickets before the restrictions were placed. While the fast track mechanism would be open to all Indias neighbours with a land border, China would be the main beneficiary. New Delhi: India plans to fast track the review of some investment proposals from neigbouring countries such as China following concerns new screening rules could hit plans of companies and investors, three sources told Reuters on Saturday. To avoid opportunistic takeovers during the coronavirus outbreak, the government said this week that all foreign direct investment from countries sharing a land border would require prior government clearance, meaning they cant go through a so-called automatic route. Advisers to Chinese firms have said they are concerned the process could take several weeks and hit deals and investment timelines. Auto firms such as SAICs MG Motor and Great Wall, and investors Alibaba and Tencent have placed major bets on India. The Chinese Embassy in New Delhi has called the new screening policy discriminatory. A senior government source who is involved in policymaking told Reuters that New Delhi will try to approve any investment proposal in a non-sensitive sector within 15 days when the stake being bought is not significant. The official declined to elaborate on which sectors would be considered sensitive and what threshold of investment would be deemed significant. We will try to fast track investment proposals as soon as possible. It may be faster for some (sectors) and in others we might take some time, said the official, who did not want to be named due to the sensitivity of the discussions. Two other sources familiar with the governments thinking confirmed that a fast track mechanism was being considered, with possible approval timelines of seven days to four weeks. The Ministry of commerce and industry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. China is concerned While the fast track mechanism would be open to all Indias neighbours with a land border, China would be the main beneficiary. Unlike Pakistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal and Bhutan, it has major existing and planned investments in India, which the Brookings research group estimated at $26 billion. Dipti Lavya Swain, a partner at Indian law firm HSA Advocates which advises Chinese companies, said sectors such as telecoms, financial services and insurance were likely to be deemed more sensitive than others such as automobiles and renewable energy. Approvals should be a seamless process and anything between two to four weeks could still be bearable, Swain said. Sectors which are already under severe financial distress and do not concern national security should also receive faster approvals. The new screening rules are designed to prevent fire sales of corporate assets during the coronavirus outbreak but government sources have said they will also apply to greenfield investments, as well as investments from Hong Kong. Responding to Reuters questions this week, Chinas foreign ministry said it hoped for a better business environment as India had set up more barriers for some investors. China is concerned. In the face of the economic downturn caused by the epidemic, countries should unite to overcome difficulties, it said in a statement dated 22 April. Prime Minister Boris Johnson returned to his desk in Downing Street on Monday after recovering from coronavirus, but resisted demands to ease lockdown curbs due to maximum risk of a second spike, as the UKs death toll was set to cross 21,000. Johnson, who left hospital last week and revealed the precarious nature of his health things could have gone either way appeared to have made a full recovery as he made a cautiously optimistic statement that asked people to contain your impatience with the lockdown. However, his claim that many are looking now at our apparent success, referring to the hospital system not being overwhelmed, was questioned by critics who pointed out that the number of deaths and cases made the UK rank among the worst in Europe. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The coronavirus lockdown is disrupting the supply chains of most Irish firms and putting the essential construction of warehouses many months behind schedule. An Ipsos MORI survey of 2,000 firms has found that about two-thirds of industrial, retail and construction companies are suffering supply-chain disruption. Even a third of services firms - best positioned to work and trade online and least dependent on deliveries of physical goods - cite this as a problem. That finding is within today's monthly Bank of Ireland Economic Pulse. The report says consumer and business sentiment has plunged to record lows - far worse than levels registered when fears spiked of a 'no deal' Brexit. "This month's survey findings are grim in the extreme," said Bank of Ireland chief economist Loretta O'Sullivan. "With the country more or less in full lockdown, job losses soaring and incomes under pressure, consumer and business confidence both tanked in April." Real estate adviser Savills, meanwhile, warned that supply shortages would worsen as warehouses fail to be constructed on time. Savills said 44,000 square metres of warehouses originally were planned for completion this year. But it said current disruption means only 60pc of depots will be ready by the end of 2020, when the Brexit transition period expires with no successor trade deal yet secured. Hauliers and logistics chiefs say Ireland must boost its warehouse stock ahead of that uncertain transition, given Ireland's dependence on narrowly timed deliveries from UK distribution centres. Savills forecast that the prevailing disruption will keep slowing construction of warehouse space through 2021, when a third of the 109,000 square metres of post-Brexit storage facilities planned to be built next year won't be ready. "A number of developers recently secured planning permission and were gearing up to start construction immediately. These projects will now be delayed until 2021," said Peter Levins, director of Savills Ireland's industrial and logistics division. "Some may slip into 2022 due to the time it takes to fully develop a new warehousing or logistics building." He said Ireland lacked sufficient "good quality modern stock" even before the Covid-19 crisis, and logistics firms require 120,000 square metres in extra space right now. While demand for storage space has fallen for restaurants, bars and hotels - unavoidable, given that virtually all are closed - that demand is being more than offset by the rising requirements of grocers and online retailers. Amazon, for example, has just leased its first warehouse here, a 6,800 square metre depot in south-west Dublin, and is eyeing others near Dublin Airport. Cuomo Says Phase One Reopening of New York Could Start on May 15 Citing an encouraging drop in new COVID-19 cases and fatalities, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said on April 26 that some businesses outside New York City could reopen in mid-May as part of a phase one restart. Speaking at his daily briefing on the CCP virus, Cuomo said that were going to open in phases on the basis of a regional analysis of the impact of the states virus mitigation efforts. Cuomos executive order shutting down most of the statecalled New York State on Pauseis set to expire May 15. At that point, Cuomo said that low-risk construction and manufacturing businesses outside New York City, a COVID-19 hot spot, could be the first to reopen as part of phase one. Businesses poised for a phase two restart would be evaluated according to an assessment of how essential they are and how much of a risk to public health their reopening would pose. Cuomo didnt suggest lifting restrictions in New York City for the time being, saying that a broader reopening of the southern part of the state would be problematic and needed to be coordinated with New Jersey and Connecticut officials. As we look forward there will be multiple levels of decisions, Cuomo wrote on Twitter on April 26. Government will set the criteria for a phased reopening. Businesses will reimagine their workplaces & protocols. Individuals will make decisions on their own health. We will build back better. His remarks at the April 26 briefing in Albany, which provided the most specificity so far on business restarts in the wake of the pandemic, come as the state on April 25 saw its lowest daily number of fatalities since March 31, at 367 new deaths. Still 1,000 new COVID cases yesterday, Cuomo said of the daily number of new infections, adding, That would normally be terrible news. Its only not terrible news compared to where we were. Cuomo added that while the decline in mortality was a hopeful sign, the deaths were still horrific. There is no relative context to death, he said. Death is death. The COVID-19 rate of transmission (Rt) in NYS is now about 0.8, Cuomo wrote on Twitter. That means 10 positive people infect about 8 others. We must keep the Rt below 1 to keep slowing the spread. The governor also said that 1,087 new patients were hospitalized in New York state on April 25, an increase of 685 from the previous day. Last week, governors of about half a dozen U.S. states pushed ahead with plans to partially reopen for business following protests against lockdowns and stay-at-home orders. Measures imposed to slow the spread of the virus have driven more than 26 million people out of work in the past five weeks alone. J ulie Hesmondhalgh has said she would not take the part of Hayley Cropper today and hopes she would not be offered it. The actress played the first trans character in a British soap when she arrived on the Coronation Street cobbles in 1998. She transformed trans visibility in the UK, but the character was controversial because she was played by a cis woman. She told The Guardian: There was a really great trans rights group, Press for Change, who were really, really pissed off and I totally understood why. The actress said that she "definitely" would not take the job if offered it now I met them and said: I hear you, but honestly I think the pressure on a trans actor who definitely would have had a certain amount of vulnerability anyway would have been unbearable. The way the press was then, theyd have been eaten alive. So I assured them that I was their ally, that I would play the part with as much sensitivity and empathy as I could, that I would listen to them. And, honestly, I think I did a decent job. Asked if she would take the part today, she said: I would hope that it wouldnt be offered to me as a cis woman. I definitely wouldnt take it. I left Corrie because it was time for me to go personally, but it was also time for Hayley a trans woman played by a cis woman to go, too. I was about to become an absolute anachronism, because there were then trans actors to play those parts, and even more now. Hesmondhalgh's character got married in 1999 Hesmondhalgh won widespread acclaim, including several awards, for her portrayal of Hayley. The character died in 2014. The actress said she is still in awe of how much Hayley and her relationship with cafe owner Roy Cropper changed public perception. Most memorable Coronation Street characters 1 /20 Most memorable Coronation Street characters Fred Elliot The Manchester butcher was famed for his repetitive speech and being father to Ashley Peacock. He was famously scammed by Stacy Hilton who pretended to be an immigrant called Orchid, looking for a "mail order" husband. A serial proposer he had relationships with Rita Sullivan, Audrey Roberts, Doreen Heavey and Bev Unwin. Rex Hilda Ogden Hilda was the devoted life of Stan who was famed for having her hair in curlers. The pair lived on the breadline and occupied number 13 Coronation Street. She desperately wanted to earn the respect of her neighbours. She took in Kevin Webster as a lodger and sold him her house on leaving the street. Rex The Duckworth's Jack and Vera Duckworth were one of the streets strongest couples - despite blazing rows and bouts of cheating. Jack was famed for his love of pigeons while Vera was known for her fiery temper. The pair famously took in Tyronne Dobbs and raised him as their own. Rex Hayley Cropper Hayley Cropper was the show's first transgender character and married Roy Cropper. Together they became one of the most loved soap pairings and fans were left devastated when Hayley took her own life following a battle with pancreatic cancer. Rex The Battersby's The Battersby's were dubbed the 'Family From Hell' when they rocked up on the street in 1997. They wreaked havoc on the street from Janice berating her Underworld co-workers to husband Les running over a turkey. Rex Tracy Barlow Not quite as villainous as Richard Hillman, Tracy Barlow was the daughter of long-suffering Deirdre Barlow. She was jailed for murdering Charlie, tried to convince Roy Cropper that she was the father of her child and killed Maddie and Kal after trying and failing to murder Carla Connor. Rex Gail Platt Unlucky in love Gail was nearly murdered by Richard Hillman and has been the long suffering mother of David Platt. She later married debt-ridden Joe McIntyre, who after a month of marriage tried to fake his death, and was nearly found guilty. She later married Michael Rodwell - after he burgled her house. Rex Deirdre Barlow Deirdre Barlow was famous for her wide belts and big glasses. She was the mother of Tracy and married to Ken Barlow. She had several affairs and was jailed after becoming involved with con man John Lindsay. Rex Blanche Hunt Blanche was Corrie's queen of comedy with her cutting one liners and deadpan execution. She played Deirdre's mother and Tracy Barlow's grandmother. She died of a heart attack while on an extended holiday in Portugal in May 2010. Rex Richard Hillman Possibly the most villainous character the street has ever welcomed. Richard married an unsuspecting Gail Platt, but not before murdering his ex-wife Patricia with a shovel and burying her body in the foundations of his new flats. He convinced the street that Audrey Roberts was losing her mind, attempted to kill Emily Bishop, but instead murdered Maxine Peacock before trying to kill the Platts by tying them up in a car and gassing them. He then drove the car into Weatherfield Canal. The Platts survived but Hillman drowned. Rex Bet Lynch Brassy Bet brought big hair and flamboyant style to backstreet boozer, The Rovers Return when she joined in 1970. Married to Alec Gilroy, she later took over as landlady. After failing years later to raise the money to buy the pub she fled to Tenerife before making a brief comeback in 2002. Rex Betty Williams Betty was as synonymous with hotpots as Deirdre Barlow was with giant glasses. The Rovers Return barmaid introduced the world to her famous dish and left the secret recipe in the hands of Sean Tully before she died. Rex Norris Cole The street's resident busybody, Norris has found himself on the receiving end of almost every cast member. His most memorable scrape was with serial killer Richard Hillman who intended to murder his landlord Emily Bishop. Rex Todd Grimshaw Todd Grimshaw - played by Bruno Langley - joined the street as the show's first gay character in 2001. The youngest son of Eileen Grimshaw and half-brother of Jason, Todd was dating Sarah Platt before he announced he was gay and went off to university. Rex Ena Sharples Before Norris Cole was Ena Sharples - the ringleader of a trio of gossiping pensioners. She frequently came to blows with Elsie Tanner and was famed for wearing a hairnet. Rex She said: Even now, I cant quite believe the power of it. Literally within weeks, people were saying to me in the street: When are you and Roy getting married? Id be like: Were not allowed to its against the law, and theyd be like: Oh, never mind that! I knew then that something was shifting. If you want to fight prejudice, you put somebody likeable in the living room and people can see beyond what makes them different to what makes them the same. Apple and Google have released technical details of the tools they plan to release to let people track their exposure to coronavirus through their phones. The two companies hope to release the tools next month, allowing phones to connect to each other and discover when their owners may have been exposed to the virus. The new updates look to address problems with criticism around privacy protections and the level of detail that could be found in any data gathered by phones. While governments and official bodies in countries affected by the coronavirus pandemic are quickly developing their own apps, they will have to rely on Apple and Google tools in the operating system to ensure that the apps are fully effective. Without the support of the companies and their operating system, the apps could be hampered by limits such as a requirement that phone screens stay on if an app is ctive. The system announced on April 10 will use Bluetooth technology to let authorities build apps to alert people who have been in proximity with those who have tested positive for the novel coronavirus. Gadget and tech news: In pictures Show all 25 1 /25 Gadget and tech news: In pictures Gadget and tech news: In pictures Gun-toting humanoid robot sent into space Russia has launched a humanoid robot into space on a rocket bound for the International Space Station (ISS). The robot Fedor will spend 10 days aboard the ISS practising skills such as using tools to fix issues onboard. Russia's deputy prime minister Dmitry Rogozin has previously shared videos of Fedor handling and shooting guns at a firing range with deadly accuracy. Dmitry Rogozin/Twitter Gadget and tech news: In pictures Google turns 21 Google celebrates its 21st birthday on September 27. The The search engine was founded in September 1998 by two PhD students, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, in their dormitories at Californias Stanford University. Page and Brin chose the name google as it recalled the mathematic term 'googol', meaning 10 raised to the power of 100 Google Gadget and tech news: In pictures Hexa drone lifts off Chief engineer of LIFT aircraft Balazs Kerulo demonstrates the company's "Hexa" personal drone craft in Lago Vista, Texas on June 3 2019 Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures Project Scarlett to succeed Xbox One Microsoft announced Project Scarlett, the successor to the Xbox One, at E3 2019. The company said that the new console will be 4 times as powerful as the Xbox One and is slated for a release date of Christmas 2020 Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures First new iPod in four years Apple has announced the new iPod Touch, the first new iPod in four years. The device will have the option of adding more storage, up to 256GB Apple Gadget and tech news: In pictures Folding phone may flop Samsung will cancel orders of its Galaxy Fold phone at the end of May if the phone is not then ready for sale. The $2000 folding phone has been found to break easily with review copies being recalled after backlash PA Gadget and tech news: In pictures Charging mat non-starter Apple has cancelled its AirPower wireless charging mat, which was slated as a way to charge numerous apple products at once AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures "Super league" India shoots down satellite India has claimed status as part of a "super league" of nations after shooting down a live satellite in a test of new missile technology EPA Gadget and tech news: In pictures 5G incoming 5G wireless internet is expected to launch in 2019, with the potential to reach speeds of 50mb/s Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Uber halts driverless testing after death Uber has halted testing of driverless vehicles after a woman was killed by one of their cars in Tempe, Arizona. March 19 2018 Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A humanoid robot gestures during a demo at a stall in the Indian Machine Tools Expo, IMTEX/Tooltech 2017 held in Bangalore Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A humanoid robot gestures during a demo at a stall in the Indian Machine Tools Expo, IMTEX/Tooltech 2017 held in Bangalore Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures The giant human-like robot bears a striking resemblance to the military robots starring in the movie 'Avatar' and is claimed as a world first by its creators from a South Korean robotic company Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Waseda University's saxophonist robot WAS-5, developed by professor Atsuo Takanishi Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures Waseda University's saxophonist robot WAS-5, developed by professor Atsuo Takanishi and Kaptain Rock playing one string light saber guitar perform jam session Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures A test line of a new energy suspension railway resembling the giant panda is seen in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A test line of a new energy suspension railway, resembling a giant panda, is seen in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A concept car by Trumpchi from GAC Group is shown at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures A Mirai fuel cell vehicle by Toyota is displayed at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A visitor tries a Nissan VR experience at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A man looks at an exhibit entitled 'Mimus' a giant industrial robot which has been reprogrammed to interact with humans during a photocall at the new Design Museum in South Kensington, London Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A new Israeli Da-Vinci unmanned aerial vehicle manufactured by Elbit Systems is displayed during the 4th International conference on Home Land Security and Cyber in the Israeli coastal city of Tel Aviv Getty The technology does not employ GPS location data and stores most sensitive data in a decentralised way on users' phones. The approach opened a rift with European governments planning systems that would store data on centralized servers. Health and privacy researchers also cited privacy concerns that the companies addressed on Friday by making it harder to use system-generated data to track people. Recommended How technology and apps could allow the UK to leave lockdown The numbers that identify users will be randomly generated, and so-called "metadata" such as Bluetooth signal strength and users' phone models will now be encrypted along with primary data about who they have been near. "Exposure time," or how long two phones have been near each other, will be rounded to 5-minute intervals, to prevent using detailed time data to match up phones to people. The companies also sought to address health researchers' concerns that the system would be ineffective. Since Bluetooth signals can penetrate some walls and can be detected even when brief and faint, researchers worried about false alerts from neighbours in apartment buildings or passers-by in public spaces. Apple and Google will now provide data about Bluetooth power levels to better estimate how close two phones came to each other and for how long, letting authorities set their own thresholds for when to alert people. The companies also said they would provide data on how many days had passed since the last contact with an infected person, to help authorities notify users about what steps to take. Additional reporting by Reuters Ghanas first President Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah had wanted to industrialize the nation within a generation and everything was on course until some disgruntled Ghanaian soldiers with the help of the CIA staged a coup on February 24, 1966, to oust him. There was jubilation in the country after the coup and Nkrumah reportedly wept while in Hanoi on a peace mission in Asia. All literature and anything that reminds Ghanaians of Nkrumah was destroyed to wipe off his legacy from the face of the earth, Even his death in Bucharest, Romania, after being forced into exile in Guinea for six years, exactly 48 years ago today on April 27, 1972, is not commemorated by the country. His death far away from his birthplace of Nkroful at the age of 62 was announced by President Sekou Toure of Guinea, one of his closest friends and co-president of the country that offered him a safe-haven. Three videos dug up from the archives by GhanaWeb show the three funerals of Osagyefo in Guinea on May 1, 1972, Accra and Nkroful in July 1972, the latter being his hometown where he was buried the second time after his body was exhumed in Conakry. His body was returned to Ghana on July 7, 1972, from Guinea following a long diplomatic tussle. His first funeral in Conakry saw several African heads of state; five members of the Colonel I. K. Acheampong-led National Redemption Council that overthrew the democratically-elected Progress Party (PP) government of Dr. K. A. Busia; and representatives of 25 other countries paying their last tributes. Also captured in the footage is his wife, Fathia Nkrumah, clad in black attire and in a solemn mood. Back in Ghana, the military government had declared May 19 as a national day of mourning and public holiday to mark the death of Nkrumah. A non-denominational service was held at the State House without the body. After a successful negotiation to bring the body of the Co-president of Guinea to be buried in his hometown, a funeral service was again held at the forecourt of the State House and his body was laid in state for Ghanaians to pay their last respects. He was then flown to Nkroful where he was buried for the second time. On July 1, 1992, Nkrumahs body was exhumed again and reburied at a mausoleum in Accra. This information and footages are not aired on television and cannot be found in Ghanas history books as at the time of writing this story. Source: ghanaweb.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Labour Party TDs have reiterated it is unlikely their party will be joining in government coalition. The party says it is unrealistic to expect a fair economic recovery post-COVID19, if Fianna Fail and Fine Gael have ruled out tax increases on high earners. The Labour Party are currently in the process of responding to Fianna Fail and Fine Gael's policy framework document, which was distributed to smaller parties over a week ago, in an effort to tempt them into joining a coalition government. The parliamentary party of five TDs are said to be in "unanimous agreement", in regards to the document and government formation, and it looks unlikely that the party will be joining Leo Varadkar and Micheal Martin's coalition. "My own view is that we will respond but I wouldn't hold out any hope in it," said TD Aodhan O Riordain. Like the Social Democrats, who sent their response on Friday, costings for the plans, and how Ireland's economy will be salvaged post-pandemic are said to be high on the Labour Party's agenda. "We're still considering the document, and framing our response to it," said Labour TD Ged Nash. "We've said before when we entered government back in 2011, Fine Gael gave a commitment not to increase taxes at all. "As we see it, we need to look seriously at where wealth is held in this country, in land and property assets, shares and so on. "We don't believe ordinary working people should carry the burden of recovery, most people who are serious about economics say that the commitment by Fianna Fail and Fine Gael constrains the situation going forward. "It's unrealistic to expect the fair economic recovery that people wish to see if the two largest parties would rule out increases to USC for people on the high end of the income spectrum." Likewise, Mr O Riordain, says the promise of Fianna Fail and Fine Gael not to increase taxes, poses serious questions on how the economy will recover. "It'll be very difficult to convince the Irish public that the type of measures we have to take will be fair after that. "Best of luck to them, but it's not credible, given the financial projections we're seeing. "Even if we were minded to go into government, it still needs another bloc of TDs to go into government, are we going to put Michael Lowry or Verona Murphy into government? That won't be palatable for Labour, and Fianna Fail and Fine Gael isn't palatable either way either. "It's their document, it deserves to be read, but the parameters already set seem to be the Fine Gael way; We take the crisis seriously but we can't ask the very well off to pay out a bit more." The Social Democrats response on Friday was punctuated with a number of queries around public services, housing and borrowing, as Roisin Shorthall and Catherine Murphy's party look likely to reject the offer to be the "fourth leg of the table" needed to form a stable government, with over the 80 seats needed for a majority. A spokesman for the Taoiseach said: "We are still considering the issues raised in the Social Democrats' detailed letter and will respond as soon as possible." The regional independent group, chaired by former Minister Denis Naughten, have made clear they would be willing to join in the coalition, and have urged Fianna Fail and Fine Gael to set a definitive timeline for government formation. It's understood that Micheal Martin and Leo Varadkar are to meet with Greens leader Eamon Ryan for further talks this week, after the Greens submitted their own policy document last week, making clear that a 7% reduction in emissions targets would be a red line for the party to enter government. Sources within Fine Gael and Fianna Fail say they are optimistic that a government can be formed by late May. Kimballs Peak Three Theater and a Colorado Springs Marcos Pizza franchisee both missed out on the first round of coronavirus loans from the U.S. Small Businesses Administration, but they and others now have another chance at the funding. by Bernardo Cervellera Pope Francis praises the "domestic Church" and the recitation of the rosary during the month of May, but also asks that masses not be "virtualized". The Italian bishops ask to do their part in the fight against the pandemic by being allowed to re-open churches for celebrations, respecting the necessary safety measures. The need for an ideal that is greater than man and greater unity to defeat the virus. The dangers: the emptiness of politicians, ideological closure, the selfishness of individuals, groups and nations. The example of South Korea. Rome (AsiaNews) - On April 25, the feast of Saint Mark the Evangelist, Pope Francis issued a letter to all the faithful inviting them to "rediscover the beauty of praying the rosary at home in May". For the Catholic Church, the month of roses and the time after Easter is traditionally dedicated to devotion to the Mother of God. For the occasion, the pontiff also wrote two prayers to Our Lady, which he invites us to "recite at the end of the Rosary, and which I myself will recite in May, spiritually united with you." Francis' suggestion comes at the height of the pandemic crisis, while in many families the joy of common prayer, of the "domestic Church" is being rediscovered. In fact, due to the mandatory quarantine, in many countries - from China to Singapore, from Sri Lanka to Iraq, to Lebanon and also in Italy and in many European countries - families were able to sanctify the holidays only by listening to the mass via streaming, or reciting the rosary together as a family. Although this experience has strengthened the faith of many, the Pope himself - at Mass on April 17 warned against the risk of a "virtual [virtualized]" but concrete life of the people of God. This is also the reason why the Italian bishops have asked their government for greater freedom of worship, making it possible for churches to return to being a meeting place, while guaranteeing social distancing and sanitary disinfection. One may wonder why the Pope then pushes families still to prayer "at home"? I believe that more than a fear of "virtualizing", the pontiff feels the need for an impulse of faith in people so they can perceive themselves as more united. Reciting the rosary at different latitudes is like rediscovering ourselves gathered under the great mantle of Mary, as the ancients depicted her, one united and undivided humanity. Because in addition to the heroism of many - doctors, nurses, priests, volunteers, ... - if there is something emerging from this epidemic it is a crumbling, the emptiness of politicians, the ideological closure of many, the selfishness of individuals , groups and nations. The emptiness was revealed early on: not one state was ready to face such an unprecedented pandemic. But, instead of making politicians more humble and encouraging them to tackle problems together, the crisis has become an arena in which to vanquish ones opponents, with the spectacle of clumsy conflicts that are only equal to the extent to which they contribute to the breakdown in human lives and economic disasters, under the eyes of impotent rulers. The ideological closure has meant that the face of the coronavirus became a kind of tournament between China and the United States, in which fans flock around their champion, forgiving him everything. So "the rightwing" forgives Donald Trump his blunders and superficialities in facing the epidemic; "The leftwing" forgives China for its silence, dictatorship, violence. It is striking that 15 democratic figures were arrested in Hong Kong on April 18, people who shaped the freedom of the territory, and yet the world remained silent. They include Catholic and Christian lawyers and jurists, who risk their faith in social commitment. Yet the Catholic and non-Catholic media - at least in Italy, excluding those of PIME - have kept silent, so as not to "upset China" and to help the victory of the champion they have bet on. Perhaps because of the quarantine, which forced us to remain closed in our houses, we have all become more ideological, eager to reaffirm our preconceived ideas, without opening our minds to the broader horizon presented by all the elements of reality. On the other hand, individuals and states have become more selfish. This is demonstrated by the state of neglect with which people who have lost their jobs and their homes and food have been treated because of the pandemic. But even scientists are competing against each other to see who is faster at producing the Covid-19 vaccine, and thus attract more research funds. On the other hand, as is the case with China, the complete map of the virus is hidden to hinder others research. At the Mass on April 13, Pope Francis wanted to pray for precisely this: "We pray - he said - for the rulers, the scientists, the politicians, who have begun to study to find a way out, the post-pandemic period, this 'after' that has already begun: to find the right way, always in favor of the people, always in favor of the people". Faced with the disintegration created by the pandemic, we understand why Francis asks us to pray to the Virgin: there is a need to breathe into humanity an ideal greater than oneself and which makes us more humble and helpful. And it is the same reason why the Italian bishops criticize the government's decision to keep the churches closed: the Italian Church wants to make its ideal contribution to the fight against the coronavirus. This is also part of the fight against the effects of Covid-19. It is by no small chance that, in South Korea, churches were reopened yesterday (see photo). Switch the Market flag Open the menu and switch the Market flag for targeted data from your country of choice. for targeted data from your country of choice. Exposing the leftmedia's false CV19 narrative By Mark Alexander Most of the Democrats' Leftmedia PR outlets have hedged on condemning Red Chinese dictator Xi Jinping for the clear and indisputable evidence that he directed his politburo officials to systematically cover up the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak in China, in effect becoming the global state sponsor of the COVID-19 pandemic. There is no question that the pandemic was "Made in China." The consequence of Xi's coverup, in direct collaboration with the World Health Organization, is that the virus was in the U.S. and worldwide before we were aware of it virulence. Some of the Left's mainstream-media scribes and talkingheads have also reluctantly edged toward considering whether Xi's coverup was motivated by the possibility his ChiCom bioweapon engineers at the Pathogen Level 4 lab in Wuhan accidentally released the novel coronavirus responsible for the current CV19 pandemic. Hedging about Xi's cover-up and reluctance to reconsider the assumed "natural source" of the virus is predictable: Both cases support the fact that Donald Trump and his administration did not have sufficient evidence about the China Virus to take action sooner to prevent its spread to the U.S. And that would undermine the MSM's collective ability to blame President Trump for its catastrophic public-health and economic costs ahead of the 8 November presidential election. The Washington Post, New York Times, CNN, and the rest of the Left's print and chatter media outlets are being pressed, against their will and political agendas, to acknowledge that the consequences of Xi Jinping's cover-up have proven dire for every nation in the world. By way of review, on 31 January the day President Trump issued his China travel ban his actions were met with a chorus of objections by Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Joe Biden, and other Democrat Party wonks and Leftmedia agitators, who were too busy promoting their phony impeachment charade to pay attention to an emerging pandemic. Pelosi condemned the restrictions and reissued her call for passage of the Demos' No Ban Act to prevent Trump from imposing what she said were "biased and bigoted restrictions." Pelosi declared, "The Trump administration's expansion of its un-American travel ban is a threat to our security, our values and the Rule of Law." (There were 219 House Democrat cosponsors of the No Ban Act. On 13 March, Pelosi quietly withdrew this politically correct and deadly legislation.) Biden protested, "This is no time for Donald Trump's record of hysteria and xenophobia hysterical xenophobia and fear-mongering to lead the way instead of science." (Biden stuck to his vicious and utterly wrongheaded opinion on the travel ban until 3 April.) The Washington Post editorial board condemned the Trump administration's restrictions, asserting, "Mr. Trump's goal is to shut off the spigot of plucky, hopeful, and ambitious people who aspire to become Americans." The same day Trump issued his travel ban, I alerted our readers: "Officially, the communist Chinese government claims about 220 deaths and 10,000 infections. Our sources indicate that the actual rates of infection and deaths in China are much higher, and, in fact, official reports may only represent 5-7% of the actual dead and infected. The so-called 'pop-up hospitals' that were constructed across Hubei Province where the outbreak originated doubled as isolation morgues." In retrospect, while we were many links ahead of the MSM with this assessment, it will likely prove understated, as the Chinese death toll may be 100-1,000 times the "official death counts." On that note, I want to chronicle here the actions of two people to whom we Americans, and by extension the world, owe a great debt of gratitude for the fact the CV19 outcome has not been much worse than it has already proven to be. Only one of the two has been fairly acknowledged by the Leftmedia, Dr. Li Wenliang. On 1 January, health officials in Wuhan issued an urgent internal notice about the spread of SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, and Hubei Province authorities ordered all labs sequencing the virus to destroy their samples and keep it a secret. Eight Chinese doctors who saw that notice and bravely posted warnings about the novel coronavirus were detained by Xi Jinping's state security forces, and their laboratories were ordered to destroy samples of SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. Wuhan's Dr. Li Wenliang was the loudest voice among those warning Chinese citizens about the outbreak. Consequently, he was forced by Xi's state security forces to sign an official confession admitting he spread "false rumors" about CV19. On 7 February, conveniently for Xi Jinping, Li Wenliang died, presumably of CV19 disease, while in a government hospital. The second person who sounded alarms, prompting the Trump administration to take action, is Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR). Alone and amid great ridicule across the mainstream media he publicly raised the earliest concerns about the virology of the SARS-CoV-2 pathogen and questioned the origins of the deadly virus. Cotton, a fair critic of the Trump administration, is a conservative who earned Harvard undergrad and law degrees and then volunteered for military service, becoming a decorated Army officer serving tours in both Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. I have followed his career and trust his assessment implicitly. For the record, based on our detailed chronology of the U.S. response to CV19, here is when and how Cotton expressed his concerns. On 22 January, Cotton advised the Trump administration that all travel should be stopped between the U.S. and China, and he warned that Xi's CCP regime could be covering up information about CV19. The next week, Cotton sent letters to the administration's secretaries of State, HHS, and DHS, warning "no amount of screening [at entry points] will identify a contagious-but-asymptomatic person afflicted with the coronavirus." On 29 January, the day President Trump formed his White House Coronavirus Task Force, Cotton warned in Senate testimony that CV19 was going to be "the biggest and the most important story in the world." His concerns were drowned out by the Democrats' impeachment show, which dominated the political and news cycles. That same week, Cotton first made the connection between SARS-CoV-2 and the Wuhan Institute of Virology: "We know that just a few miles away from that food market [where the disease was first contracted] is China's only biosafety Level 4 super laboratory, which researches human infectious diseases." The Wuhan National Biosafety Laboratory at the Wuhan Institute is known to be engaged in research on the Ebola, Nipah, and Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever viruses and, yes, coronavirus variants. And the institute has clear ties to the PRC's bioweapon programs. Sen. Cotton did not claim that the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus strain was bioengineered or intentionally released. The SARS-CoV-2 viral strain causing CV19 illness is considered to be of "natural origin," though there are now questions about that assumption. But the connection is beyond coincidence. There is sufficient evidence that the Chinese had isolated and researched the novel SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus variant and knew the consequences if it were released. Cotton's warnings clearly influenced the decision by the Trump administration to launch the CV19 Task Force and issue the China travel ban. He affirmed Trump's decision, saying, "I commend the president greatly for ultimately making the right decision contrary to what the so-called experts were telling him." Cotton continued to lead the charge to determine the facts about Xi's cover-up and the origin of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, prompting The Washington Post to accuse him in February of "repeating a coronavirus conspiracy theory that was already debunked." (WaPo has yet to retract that smear, even in the face of mounting evidence some of it in the WaPo that Cotton was absolutely correct.) In a Wall Street Journal op-ed last week, Sen. Cotton reiterated: "Beijing has claimed that the virus originated in a Wuhan 'wet market,' where wild animals were sold. But evidence to counter this theory emerged in January. Chinese researchers reported in the Lancet [medical journal] Jan. 24 that the first known cases had no contact with the market, and Chinese state media acknowledged the finding. There's no evidence the market sold bats or pangolins, the animals from which the virus is thought to have jumped to humans. And the bat species that carries it isn't found within 100 miles of Wuhan." Cotton noted further: "Wuhan has two labs where we know bats and humans interacted. One is the Institute of Virology, eight miles from the wet market; the other is the Wuhan Center for Disease Control and Prevention, barely 300 yards from the market. Both labs collect live animals to study viruses. Their researchers travel to caves across China to capture bats for this purpose. Chinese state media released a mini-documentary in mid-December following a team of Wuhan CDC researchers collecting viruses from bats in caves. The researchers fretted openly about the risk of infection." Predictably, after Cotton shined a bright light on China's P4 labs in Wuhan, Xi's politburo began aggressively spreading disinformation about the outbreak, even insisting the SARS-CoV-2 virus was a U.S. military bioweapon planted in Wuhan. The Wuhan Institute's Yuan Zhiming, secretary of the lab's Communist Party committee, insists, "There is no way this virus came from us." He claims Cotton is "deliberately trying to mislead people." The same denials have been parroted by Shi Zhengli, the lab's chief bat-virus researcher, who claimed in a study that the SARS-CoV-2 virus causing CV19 was only 96.2% identical to the viral strain she and her team had worked with. Insisting she could be trusted, she said, "I advise those who believe and spread rumors from harmful media sources ... to shut their stinking mouths." The Red Chinese directorate of disinformation, the "Information Department" of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has been actively involved in the cover-up, which has been facilitated by their American media comrades especially those who are beneficiaries of Xi's Chinese funding. Consequently, we shouldn't expect the MSM to lead any in-depth investigations into the origins of SARS-CoV-2. After all, doing so would reveal their own collective and catastrophic failure as an institution. According to the National Security Council, the Chinese "are working around the clock to spread disinformation about the origins and spread of the Chinese virus." Red Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang continues to put a smiley face on Xi's actions, declaring, "China's experience ... has set an exemplary standard. President Xi's visit to Wuhan sent out the message of sure victory to the world." Laughably, Geng insisted that the government has been "acting with openness, transparency, and a high sense of responsibility to global health security." The communist government has even published and distributed a book about how well it handled the outbreak and it has been translated into English, French, Spanish, Russian, and Arabic. Of course, there is no truth to any of Geng's assertions. Peter Tsang, director of the China Institute at the London University School of Oriental and African Studies, says: "China is in the midst of its most intensive propaganda operation in living memory, in trying to project its success in dealing with the virus. There is now an imperative for the statistics to be low, and now we have statistics that serve the political imperative." As noted by Michael Auslin, a fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution, "The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is waging a ferocious, global propaganda campaign designed to deflect blame for the origin and spread of the COVID-19 outbreak from Wuhan, China. Moreover, Beijing is trying to take advantage of the pandemic to increase its global standing and influence. There are three main reasons why the world must hold the CCP accountable for the first global pandemic in a century. ... Beijing freely chose to deny the truth of COVID-19, and its governing malpractice and incompetence helped unleashed a pandemic on the world. For the sake of morality, political governance, and the future, the world must speak truth to power, remember the facts, and condemn the CCP's actions." As for Xi Jinping's disinformation campaign, Auslin notes: "Beijing's war aim is simple: shift away from China all blame for the outbreak, the botched initial response, and its early spread into the broader world. At stake is China's global reputation, as well as the potential of a fundamental shift away from China for trade and manufacturing. Also at risk is the personal legacy of General Secretary Xi Jinping, who has staked his legitimacy on his technocratic competence. After dealing with the first great global crisis of the 21st century, the world must fundamentally rethink its dependence on China. ... In the longer run, they must look to reform globalization by prudently reshaping their economies and societies in the shadow of future crises." Indeed. As I've previously noted, "It is not inconceivable, in fact likely, that Xi viewed the CV19 epidemic in China as a fortuitous means of augmenting his central state population planning a way to help dispense with the bubble of millions of older Chinese citizens who are creating a financial burden on the younger generation, the numbers of which have contracted due to China's 1979 'one child' policy, enforced until China reverted back to its 'two child policy' in 2015." I'm certain that all of Xi's ChiCom central committee members are taking great pleasure in the consequences of the CV19 pandemic outside of China, particularly how it has sidetracked President Trump's vital efforts to restore fair trade with China while implementing policies responsible for creating the strongest economy in American history. It has also imperiled his reelection. I am not suggesting (yet) that the release of SARS-CoV-2 virus was intentional, just that from the statist perspective of the ChiComs, it has arguably provided some benefits both within China and in terms of China's global power. How many deaths, both here and worldwide, would have been spared if Xi and his ChiComs had not deceived the world? The most damning evidence of China's wanton and abject negligence is a study by pandemic researchers concluding that had Xi or his World Health Organization cronies informed the world three weeks earlier, it could've reduced the spread by 95%. The numbers are staggering. In late March, as the CV19 Task Force implemented a 30-day extension of its mitigation efforts, continuing the shutdown of vital American economic sectors, Sen. Cotton reiterated: "The Chinese Communist Party is still lying today, as they were in December and January, and that's why what could have been a local problem in Wuhan turned into a global pandemic. ... As for what happened in that biosafety Level 4 laboratory, that super lab in Wuhan, we still don't know because the Chinese CP refuses to come clean." There may never be an "official" conclusion about the origin of the China Virus because of national-security implications, but there is no doubt about the cover-up and the consequences. We all owe thanks to Dr. Li and Sen. Cotton for remaining steadfast in their commitment to advance the truth. Mark Alexander is the executive editor of the Patriot Post. As reported the news service of the National Security Service of Armenia, the Border Guard Troops of the National Security Service of Armenia today marked their 28th anniversary with a solemn ceremony attended by Director of the National Security Service, Colonel Eduard Martirosyan; the deputy directors; Commander of the Border Guard Troops Vaghinak Sargsyan, as well as the heads and employees of various subdivisions. The director of the National Security Service congratulated the servicemen of the Border Guard Troops and stated the following; Serving on the border has always been a major issue for the state. Even today, border guard troops continue to be the guarantor of defense, securirty and ensuring of integrity of the borders of Armenia. During this difficult period, you continue to make efforts to perform your duties with dignity and professionalism, Martirosyan said and thanked the border guards for their dedicated service and unconditional dedication to the homeland. On the occasion, Eduard Martirosyan awarded Commander of the Border Guard Troops Vaghinak Sargsyan a valuable gift, and several servicemen were awarded badges, certificates and letters of appreciation by the orders of the director of the National Security Service. The Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District school board, headquartered in Palmer, Alaska has banned teachers from assigning Tim O'Brien's Vietnam War classic "The Things They Carried" and Joseph Heller's World War II satire "Catch-22" for their high school English classes. The books are included on a somewhat random-seeming list of dangerous books that also includes F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby," Maya Angelou's "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" and Ralph Ellison's "The Invisible Man." The vote wasn't even close, with the board voting 5-2 to rid the curriculum of the offending literature. The books will remain in the school library, and Mat-Su School Board President Tom Bergey defended the action as "not a full ban," according to local news reports. The district includes the town of Wasilla, Alaska, home of Sarah Palin, the former Alaska governor and one-time candidate for vice president. The borough covers a land mass approximately the size of Vermont and includes about 110,000 residents, about 15% of the state's population. Alaskas governor, Mike Dunleavy, served as the school board president from 2010 and 2012. Let's talk about "The Things They Carried." Tim O'Brien's 1990 collection of short stories about troops on the ground in Vietnam is one of the great works of 20th century fiction, a book that perfectly captures the brotherhood and sacrifice of military service and the contradictions introduced when troops are asked to fight without a clear objective. It's those contradictions that make "The Things They Carried" such important reading for high schools students. In addition to being a brilliant portrayal of collective enterprise and sacrifice, the book lets young adults know that not every problem has a solution and that most situations aren't really black-and-white choices. The book has (thankfully) replaced Stephen Crane's "The Red Badge of Courage" on most reading lists and gives young people a war story that might connect to their own lives. So what's the problem with "The Things They Carried," according to a description provided by the school district? "Profanity and sexual references." Yes, please. Let's protect the young men and women we're trying to recruit to military service from reality. Does the book include more than a few MF-bombs? Well, yeah. But, seriously, there aren't many 16-year-olds who will be surprised by that word and every single future veteran (and cop and first responder) will come to know that word like they know their own names. "Catch-22" is written by a veteran and, admittedly, doesn't treat the Greatest Generation with the same reverence that Tom Brokaw made a million dollars selling to America back in the 1990s. But Joseph Hellers 1961 book takes the absurdities built into the military's chain of command and inflates them into a satire that's both hilarious and discomfiting. Were WWII troops plagued by more than a few nonsense orders from clueless officers who had been selling cars or teaching chemistry before the war started? Definitely. "Catch-22" is a great book for teaching kids about satire, social commentary and the basic concept of learning greater respect for an institution through critical evaluation. The book has survived as a classic and spawned both a 1970 movie and a 2019 Hulu TV series. So what's the problem with "Catch-22," according to the school district? "There are a handful of racial slurs, the characters speak with typical 'military men' misogyny and racist attitudes of the time. There are scenes of violence both hand to hand and with guns, and violence against women." Who could imagine a military novel shouldn't feature both violence and guns? And, leaving aside the fact that the racism and misogyny in "Catch-22" is used to negatively portray the characters who display those traits, why deny students the opportunity to learn how attitudes have evolved since World War II. Let's be real: The actual issue here is that both books portray authority figures as flawed and often downright wrong. A mature reading of each author teaches the idea that institutions can be respected despite (and even because) of their weaknesses and that loyalty and clear thinking can be their own rewards. The teachers' union in Alaska feels pretty much the same way, according to local news reports. "This is a blatant effort to curtail critical thinking, stifle discussion, and deprive our students of the opportunity to share, as a class, the experience of studying some of the most classic American literature," Matanuska-Susitna Education Association President Dianne K. Shibe said to the Anchorage Daily News. And since the ban, a Palmer city council member has started publicly reading her way through "The Things They Carried" each day via Facebook live. Just for reference, the district also removed "The Great Gatsby, " a book taught for generations without incident in even the most conservative backwaters of the United States, for its "language and sexual references." Still, let's focus on the real outrage here. "The Things They Carried" is a book that teaches respect for military service in general and the sacrifices of Vietnam veterans in particular. Do its stories explore the ambiguities of that era? Absolutely, but it's through those ambiguities that Tim O'Brien truly honors the spirit of the men who fought that war. Alaska's population has the largest percentage of veterans per capita in the country at about 12%. Let's hope they can rise up and educate the educators and get these books returned to the curriculum ASAP. Keep Up With the Best in Military Entertainment Whether you're looking for news and entertainment, thinking of joining the military or keeping up with military life and benefits, Military.com has you covered. Subscribe to the Military.com newsletter to have military news, updates and resources delivered straight to your inbox. Liam Hemsworth is one of the most talented actors from Australia. Liam Hemsworth's movies have all been extremely entertaining and earned him a large fanbase. There are several of his movies available to watch online. Here are some of his blockbuster movies are now streaming on Netflix. Also Read: Liam Hemsworth Went Through A Health Scare Only 3 Months After Marrying Miley Cyrus Liam Hemsworth movies on Netflix Isnt It Romantic Isnt it Romantic is one of the films where Liam Hemsworth uses his Australian accent in the film in his smooth voice, thereby attracting Rebel Wilson's character to his character in the film. The film helmed by Todd Strauss-Schulson. Priyanka Chopra also plays an integral role in the film. Also Read: Liam Hemsworth Reveals Key To A Good Workout In Social Media Post The Duel After a series of murders in town, investigators from Texas look into the case. The Duel is helmed by Kieran Darcy-Smith and penned by Matt Cook. Woody Harrelson, Liam Hemsworth, Alice Braga features as the lead roles in the film. Liam Hemsworth and Emory Cohen second collaborated film after Killerman (2019). The Hunger Games series The Hunger Games has been a prominent work of Liam Hemsworth in his career. The movie also features Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Lenny Kravitz. The Hunger Games is about post-apocalyptic earth where the land is divided into districts. Every year, an event called 'The Hunger Games' is held, where there is a 'tribute' selected from every district, that plays these games which only have death as its final destination for those who lose. Also Read: Liam Hemsworth-Chris Hemsworth And Other Popular Brother Duos In Hollywood The Expendables 2 The sequel of The Expendables is directed by Simon West. The film features enormous talented cast Sylvester Stallone, Liam Hemsworth and Randy Couture. In the film, the quest for revenge pushes the expendable into unexpected threats. The character that was played by Liam was the original story Dakota Meyer's experience in Afghanistan as told in his book "Into the Fire". Also Read: Liam Hemsworth's Best Scenes From 'The Hunger Games' Film Series 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. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-27 02:00:22|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close A woman with a face mask is seen in Rome, Italy, on April 26, 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic has claimed 26,644 lives in locked-down Italy, bringing the total number of infections, fatalities and recoveries to 197,675 as of Sunday, according to latest data released by the country's Civil Protection Department. (Photo by Elisa Lingria/ Xinhua) ROME, April 26 (Xinhua) -- The coronavirus pandemic has claimed 26,644 lives in locked-down Italy, bringing the total number of infections, fatalities and recoveries to 197,675 as of Sunday, according to latest data released by the country's Civil Protection Department. Meanwhile, the number of new deaths, new infections and of patients in intensive care keeps declining. A total of 260 people died from the disease caused by the novel coronavirus in the last 24 hours, the lowest single-day death toll since March 15. The number of new cases also fell, with 2,324 new cases reported over the last 24 hours, 33 fewer than on Saturday, and the lowest in six days. The number of COVID-19 patients in intensive care units (ICUs) continued to decline, a trend that started three weeks ago. On Sunday, 2,009 patients are in ICUs, down from 2,102 a day earlier. The number of patients recovering at home -- the mildest of three categories of infected individuals -- was 82,722 while those recovering in the hospital with symptoms totaled 21,372. On Saturday, the numbers were respectively 82,212 and 21,533. Italy entered into a national lockdown on March 10 to contain the pandemic. The lockdown, which is expected to last until May 3, will be followed by a so-called "Phase Two," which involves "the gradual resumption of social, economic and productive activities," the Italian government has explained. On 25th April, while Portugal was celebrating 1974s peaceful revolution, the Portuguese community in Ghana, both companies and individuals, spent the full day donating alcohol-based hand sanitizers and bottled water, to the Ghana Police Service. This community in Ghana, having close to 200 registered nationals, was able to gather a significant amount in donations, and then used the whole amount to acquire bottled water and sanitizers, which they distributed by 7 police stations and the Ghana Army HQ in Burma Camp. Leading the Portuguese delegation were Hon. Antonio Fernandes, Portuguese Honorary Consul to Ghana (living in Ghana for 38 years) and Miss Diana Lopes (living in Ghana for 7 years). The delegation started loading at 7am and only finished the last police station after 7pm. They were always escorted by the Police. During that time, the delegation visited the following Police stations: Airport, Cantonments, Manet, Adabraka, Nungua, Teshie, and Tse Addo, as well as the Burma Camp armys HQ. We are very grateful for this contribution that comes at a pandemic moment where we are all together in this fight against the Coronavirus., said one of the Station Officers. Among the Portuguese companies which contributed to this event were SGCOIN (MEP contractor), NEUCE Paints, Excelcom (security systems), WorldPixys (Geo data), and EuroActiv (African Real Estate Advisory), as well as many Portuguese private individuals. We were able to witness the resemblance between the national flags of both countries (both have the same shades of red, green and yellow) as well as the good humour of this delegation. Three of the nation's largest meat processors failed to provide protective gear to all workers, and some employees say they were told to continue working in crowded plants even while sick as the coronavirus spread around the country and turned the facilities into infection hot spots, a Washington Post investigation has found. The actions by three major meat producers - Tyson Foods, JBS USA and Smithfield Foods - continued even after federal guidelines on social distancing and personal protective equipment were published March 9, according to 25 interviews with employees, elected officials, regional health officials, union leaders and federal safety inspectors as well as dozens of documents, including worker complaints filed with local and federal officials. Because of outbreaks of the novel coronavirus, over the past several weeks Tyson, JBS and Smithfield have closed 15 plants, devastating rural communities and threatening the nation's supply of beef and pork. Industry analysts say production is already down by at least 25 percent. Coronavirus outbreaks in more than 30 plants run by these companies and others have sickened at least 3,300 workers and killed at least 17, according to a review of news reports, county health reports and interviews with health officials and worker advocates. According to workers, corporate policies contributed to the spread. At a JBS beef processing plant in Colorado, employees claimed that managers encouraged them to report for shifts even when they appeared sick, according to workers and a letter from county health officials to the company reviewed by The Post. At a Tyson pork plant in Iowa, local officials and workers said that some employees were using bandannas and sleep eyewear as facial coverings, while others wore no facial coverings at all. And at a Smithfield distribution center in Indiana, three workers said supervisors told them - despite the science - that they were lucky to labor in frigid temperatures where the virus could not survive. Workers at all the facilities said that personal protective equipment was not promptly distributed. JBS confirmed that it did not receive masks for its employees until April 2 and did not mandate their use until April 13. Tyson said it wasn't until April 15 that it started requiring that all its workers wear masks. Smithfield said masks are universally available to its workers, in compliance with guidance issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but the company would not say exactly when they became available. Smithfield workers said it wasn't until the past week or two. On Saturday, county health officials said they ordered Smithfield to close its plant in St. Charles, Illinois, until it can address issues related to employee safety and protective equipment. "If you're not in a casket, they want you there," said Sonja Johnson, a former Smithfield worker at a packaging and distribution facility. "All they were worried about was making sure we were coming to work." JBS, Smithfield and Tyson all strongly defended their efforts to protect their employees from the coronavirus. Smithfield and Tyson said they started taking preventive action in February, including educating workers about covid-19, the illness caused by the novel coronavirus. JBS said it took action in mid-March. All three companies said they have stepped up sanitation, taken steps to ensure social distancing and are checking temperatures as workers report for their shifts. All say they are now requiring quarantines for employees who have tested positive for the coronavirus and for those in close contact with them. Government officials have repeatedly praised the meat industry for its essential role in the national food supply during the crisis. Vice President Mike Pence has called the workers "heroes." And even as much of U.S. industry pulls back in the face of the pandemic, meat company officials have argued that they have a special responsibility to continue operations. "It is impossible to keep our grocery stores stocked if our plants are not running," Smithfield chief executive Kenneth Sullivan said in a statement announcing the closure of the company's Sioux Falls plant this month. The companies did not receive clear requirements about what they had to do. The guidance released by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration on March 9 said employers should offer surgical masks or respirators to workers who could be infected with the novel coronavirus, especially if they work within six feet of one another, a circumstance that is common for meat workers. But OSHA also said it would not enforce such regulations so as not to overly burden companies during the pandemic. "This all could have been prevented. Workers are paying with their lives and their health because their industry decided not to implement basic safety precautions and OSHA decided to bury its head in the sand and tell workers 'You're on your own,' " said Debbie Berkowitz, a former senior OSHA official who is an expert on meat processing plants. OSHA did not respond to a request for comment, but a spokesman for the Department of Labor, which oversees OSHA, said guidance specifically aimed at protecting workers in the meat processing and packing industries will be released in the coming days. - - - Modern meat processing is a model of efficiency. In plants operated by large companies including JBS, Tyson and Smithfield, as many as 1,000 workers report for each of two or three shifts that begin in the early morning hours and sometimes extend through the night. Workers who process the meat - carving it into chicken wings, tri-tip steaks and pork chops - stand two to four feet apart. Because of the mechanical noise of industrial processing lines, workers must place their mouths within inches of supervisors' ears when they ask for bathroom breaks, because they have to be replaced immediately so that work continues uninterrupted. The JBS beef processing plant in Greeley, Colorado, slaughters 5,400 head of cattle a day. Sergio Rodriguez had worked there for 40 years when, he said, he began feeling ill on March 20. As he performed his duties that Friday - handing out smocks and gloves to hundreds of co-workers - he said his head throbbed and his muscles ached. The 58-year-old says he pushed through to his lunch break that day, then asked a supervisor if he could go home because he was sick. He was needed, he said he was told, so he stuck it out. That night, he went to urgent care and was told to isolate himself at home, according to a patient summary from UCHealth Urgent Care. His temperature was 104, and within days, he was hospitalized. Ultimately, he was put on a ventilator, and his family held daily vigils outside his hospital window, praying for his recovery. He left the hospital on April 18. "No one from JBS has called to check on him," said his daughter Crystal Rodriguez, 33, who also works at the plant, which employs more than 3,200. "He kept working even though he was sick, because that's what you do at JBS if you want to keep your job. " JBS spokeswoman Nikki Richardson said a company official did call "Mr. Rodriguez but due to his illness, we were not able [to] connect directly." The president of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 7, Kim Cordova, said her records show that Rodriguez worked March 20. Crystal Rodriguez said that by remaining at work, her father exposed hundreds of fellow workers to the coronavirus because he touched their gear and their hands as he distributed work equipment. In a statement, JBS said the company paid Rodriguez for his sick leave, starting March 21. The company would not comment on whether he had to work March 20 while sick, but JBS spokesman Cameron Bruett said, "No one is forced to come to work and no one is punished for being absent for health reasons." Rodriguez is among the more than 100 workers to test positive for the novel coronavirus at the Greeley plant, whose first case of covid-19 was confirmed on March 26. At least four have died, according to data from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. Health officials in Weld County, where Greeley is located, have also expressed alarm about the company expecting employees to work even if they were experiencing symptoms of coronavirus disease. In an April 4 letter to JBS that was reviewed by The Post, Weld County health officials chastised the company for having a "work while sick" culture and said the county's analysis showed that 64 percent of workers who were covid-19 positive had "worked while symptomatic and therefore were contagious to others." "The rapid nature of the spread of disease among JBS employees is very concerning, and the exponential spread of this disease across an employee population of several thousand would be devastating for both the employees and your company, and would quickly overwhelm the medical resources available in the hospitals and other health care providers in Greeley and surrounding communities," county officials told JBS in an April 10 order to close the plant, which they gave the company five days to implement. County health officials also ordered the company to develop a sequestration housing plan for workers who test positive, use rigorous screening procedures to keep sick workers from entering the facility and implement measures that allow for social distancing. If they fail to do so, the letter said, JBS could be fined and company executives could face up to one year in the county jail. Cordova, the union leader, said plant workers first received notice from JBS that masks would be distributed at the end of March - a few days after the first plant employee tested positive for the coronavirus. JBS said it ordered masks on March 19 and did not receive them until April 2. Wearing masks was not made mandatory until April 13, the company said. Face shields for those working on the slaughter line were distributed Friday when the plant reopened from its county-ordered closure. JBS did not directly dispute the findings of county health officials. But in a statement to The Post, Bruett said plant managers encouraged workers with covid-19 symptoms to remain at home. In response to the county's order, Bruett said, the plant has "enhanced daily symptom and fever screening and testing procedures for workers before entering the facility." JBS and the union have announced a $4 an hour pay increase for workers at all of JBS's plants because of the increased hazards the workers face. Hands-free temperature measuring devices are also being brought in. JBS is the world's largest meatpacking company, with its U.S. operations including 60 beef, pork and poultry plants across the nation. Employees at Greeley, echoing the concerns of workers at other plants, have raised a host of additional issues with how the company communicated with employees about the viral outbreak. On March 18, the company posted a notice on its Facebook page - the place it usually communicated with workers - that union president Cordova said many employees interpreted as an appeal from the federal government for them to report to work. The company message said: "The U.S. Government has identified the food supply as a critical infrastructure industry and has stated we have a special responsibility to maintain normal work schedules on behalf of the Nation. We take this responsibility seriously." On March 24, according to JBS' Bruett, educational materials were posted inside the plant, encouraging employees to stay home if they were ill and providing advice on correct hand washing and social distancing. However, copies of the posters provided to The Post did not include instructions to workers to stay home if they had covid-19 symptoms. Such educational materials also were not posted on the company's Facebook page until after the plant was closed. Bruett said company supervisors were given covid-19 training in mid-March and were told to encourage workers with symptoms of the virus to stay home. On the day of its first covid-19 detection - March 26 - JBS posted another announcement on its Facebook page, saying it would hand out a "FREE 5 lb. ground beef roll to every employee as your [sic] leaving work today. We want to say a big thank you to all of our employees that continue to come to work during this time to help feed the world." The JBS Facebook page for the Greeley plant has been taken down. Company officials did not respond to a request for comment about its removal. - - - To Sheriff Tony Thompson, chair of the Emergency Management Commission in Black Hawk County, Iowa, Tyson's pork plant in the town of Waterloo was a covid-19 hot spot in the making. More than 2,700 people work at the plant, which processes 19,500 hogs a day. When Thompson and other Black Hawk health officials visited the facility on April 10, they were initially satisfied with the company's efforts after a meeting with management. But when they toured the facility, he said, they saw workers using bandannas and sleep masks, or some were wearing no masks at all. They also saw little evidence of social distancing. "They acknowledged they had at least three employees with covid-positive tests, and then we saw this minimal amount of [personal protective equipment] and no real direct guidance from corporate and plant management on how to utilize it," Thompson said. "Why on earth would they not be taking greater measures if what they're telling is true, that their greatest focus is on their employee safety?" Waterloo Mayor Quentin Hart said in an interview that Thompson and Black Hawk County health officials who toured the plant on April 10 reported seeing a lack of social distancing and more substantial protective equipment. Widespread demand for facial coverings has made it challenging for companies to acquire medical-grade masks for their workers. But Tyson said it began sourcing facial coverings for its employees before CDC guidance called for it. Since Thompson's tour, Tyson began requiring and providing surgical-style masks for its employees. Thompson said that local health-care providers have been flooded with cases from Tyson's Waterloo plant and that the health department has had dozens of complaints from workers. Between April 9 and 18, Black Hawk County's covid-19 case count surged by nearly 900 percent, from 20 to 192. Local officials attribute 90 percent of the total to outbreaks at Tyson. On Monday, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, a Republican, announced that 250 National Guard members were being activated to help with testing and contact tracing in the region. In a letter to Tyson dated April 17, 20 local officials warned that the "outbreak at a facility of your size puts great risk to the safety and well-being [of] all residents in our community, especially the elderly and vulnerable." The Waterloo plant was closed indefinitely on Wednesday. But before the plant's closure, workers registered a number of complaints about Tyson's handling of the outbreak - including two complaints filed with OSHA and more than two dozen filed with a local nonprofit organization and a state senator, Bill Dotzler, a Democrat. The Post reviewed the complaints but was not able to see the identities of the workers or verify the contents. But the complaints echoed what workers at the plant in Waterloo said in interviews. One worker said employees did not receive clear communication from Tyson when colleagues became ill. "Everybody is just a number to a big corporation like this," said the Waterloo worker, who also said he tested positive for the coronavirus and has passed the infection to his family. "When people started getting sick, I had to find it out from my co-workers, not my supervisors, who should be looking out for me." In one of the complaints filed with Dotzler, a contractor at Tyson's plant in Independence, Iowa, said workers there got in trouble for warning colleagues about exposure to positive cases. "I work around these people every day and could not consciously let them work in an environment where they've been exposed by one person, possibly more and not be told," wrote the contractor who reported being reprimanded for informing Congolese and Mexican workers about positive cases. "I am now worried I will be terminated for reaching out to other human beings. (Something Tyson was not going to do.)" The medical director at the Northeast Iowa Family Practice Center in Waterloo, Adam Roise, said that in the past week he has seen multiple patients from the Tyson plant who have tested positive for the coronavirus. Roise said the employees were confused as to how to notify the company about their cases and about when they would be allowed to return to work. He said several of his patients also expressed concern about sick employees being told to continue working, and, confusion about how to protect themselves and their families in the pandemic. "We obviously told them not to go back to work, but they had not received any communication from Tyson on what to do if they did test positive," Roise said. "They were looking to us to tell them what to do." In written responses to questions, Tyson said that it started addressing covid-19 concerns in January and that in March it was one of the first food companies to start taking employee temperatures. It also said that essential visitors to plants must answer a questionnaire about possible exposure to the virus before being allowed to enter. "We're working diligently to protect our people by taking their temperatures and are installing infrared scanners to help with this effort, we're requiring protective face coverings and are deep cleaning our facilities," wrote Hector Gonzalez, Tyson's vice president for human relations. "Since March, we've implemented social distancing measures, such as installing workstation dividers and providing more breakroom space. We have also relaxed our attendance policy to encourage workers to stay at home when they're sick. " Dotzler said he is concerned that Tyson is reassigning workers from closed plants to plants that are operating. He said Waterloo clinics have seen multiple sick Tyson workers with addresses in Columbus Junction, nearly 130 miles away. Tyson's Columbus Junction plant was shut down on April 15 after more than 150 workers tested positive for the novel coronavirus. "Their actions have created a catastrophic event in our community," said Dotzler, who also said he plans to request a federal Department of Labor investigation at Tyson's Iowa plants. Tyson denied that it was reassigning workers from closed plants. - - - When Sonja Johnson realized that the cargo of hot dogs she was unloading from a truck had come from Sioux Falls, she said she refused to touch it. That was April 15. The 55-year-old Smithfield worker knew that, weeks ago, the coronavirus had found its way inside a sister plant in South Dakota, which is linked to more than 890 confirmed coronavirus cases. It is the country's biggest coronavirus hot spot. She also knew there were confirmed cases where she stood in a Smithfield distribution center in Greenfield, Indiana. She hadn't felt safe at the plant in weeks. Touching the boxes was too risky, she told her supervisor, assuming she'd be reassigned. Hours later, she said, she was fired. "They just want their food in and out the door, at whatever expense it might be," Johnson said. Keira Lombardo, Smithfield's executive vice president for corporate affairs and compliance, said that Johnson's account of her termination was "not at all accurate." "We would never terminate an employee for expressing concern about possible transmission of covid-19," Lombardo told The Post in an email. Two other employees at the Greenfield location, who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of being fired, also told The Post that they were disciplined after raising concerns about their safety. One shared a copy of a complaint to the human resources department about their job being threatened because they declined to handle Sioux Falls product - just as Johnson had been. "Since I felt I had no other option as to do the load or lose my job I told them I would do the load butt [sic] only because I felt my job was in jeopardy," the worker told HR on April 21. Johnson and the other two workers said that the company did not start providing effective protective equipment until this week and that management had allowed workers with fevers to complete their shifts after "cooling off" outside or in front of air conditioners. They also said higher-ups also told workers they were "lucky" to work in frigid conditions, claiming that the virus could not survive the cold. Some employees also claimed they were given misleading information from management. One employee anonymously sent an email, seen by The Post, to the Hancock County Health Department on April 4 alleging that the employee was told that "by now everyone had been exposed" and that the person should come to work despite a positive coronavirus test. In response, an official from the health department contacted the U.S. Department of Agriculture and recommended that the employee file a formal complaint with OSHA in Indiana. OSHA and the Hancock County Health Department did not respond to requests from The Post for comment. "I don't want to end up like the Tyson plant that was recently closed due to the coronavirus, but I fear that's where we're headed," the Smithfield employee told the Hancock County Health Department in the email. Lombardo said the company "will not comment on hearsay" except to say that the conduct alleged in the email would be "completely and totally contrary to our covid-19 processes and protocols," which have been in place since February. "We have absolutely no motivation - in fact, we are disincentivized - to have sick team members reporting to work," Lombardo said in an email. "We are constantly telling employees, in multiple languages, verbally, in print and via an employee communication app, 'Do not report to work if you are sick or exhibiting covid-19 symptoms. You will be paid.' " Smithfield, which is owned by Hong Kong meat conglomerate WH Group, has closed plants in Martin City, Missouri, and Cudahy, Wisconsin, because of coronavirus outbreaks. Lombardo said the company has added hand-sanitizing stations, provided more personal protective equipment, installed physical barriers on production floors and instituted thermal scanning. She said the company is restricting nonessential visitors, requiring 14-day quarantines, with pay, for workers exposed to positive cases and has relaxed its attendance policies to "eliminate any punitive effect" for missing work because of covid-19. Not having to go back to Smithfield hasn't made Johnson feel much safer. She was in close contact with workers who tested positive, although she was never formally notified of that fact, she said. Right now, she feels fine. But she knows symptoms can take weeks to surface. "I'm in that age group of people that are dying of this," Johnson said. "I don't want to leave my family and friends sooner than I have to because of somebody's else's neglect." - - - The Washington Post's Julie Tate contributed to this report. Contrary to what many would have thought, Rinku Rajguru didn't go on a movie-signing spree post her debut "Sairat" and the actor says she picked minimal work as everyone was only keen on offering films similar to the Marathi blockbuster. Rinku rose to fame after her poignant debut in Nagraj Manjule's 2016 "Sairat" that cut through the audience, beyond any language barrier. The actor then featured in next year's "Manasu Mallige", Kannada remake of "Sairat" and returned to screen in 2019 with the Marathi film "Kaagar". "'Sairat' became such a huge hit, that everyone thought even they wanted to make 'Sairat'. But I didn't want to do 'Sairat' and play Archie's character again. I wanted to do something different. "But that's all that was coming my way. So I kept turning down all the offers and took this gap," Rinku told PTI in an interview. The 18-year-old actor said though there are people who feel she should do more work, she doesn't feel the need to pick up films just to be seen on screen. "I never felt the pressure to be on screen and do more work. I'm very clear about the kind of work I want to do. "I don't like films where the hero fights goons and rescues the damsel in distress. It seems these are the kind of films working. But I don't see myself there. I don't mind waiting, that doesn't rattle me," she said. Rinku believes the wait finally paid off with her digital debut "Hundred", co-starring Lara Dutta. Streaming on Disney+ Hotstar VIP, the eight-episode comedy-action series chronicles the misadventures of two women of contrasting natures, set in the backdrop of Mumbai, its chawls and crime gangs. The Solapur-based actor said Ruchi Narain, co-director of the series, offered the show to her when she was in Mumbai to promote a Marathi film last year. "The fact that they had written the role keeping me in mind was so heartening for a young actor like me. I have never done comedy before and I thought I finally have a chance to do something different. It was quite a challenge for me because it's true when they say it's easy to make people cry but difficult to make them laugh. "But once I understood my character, I didn't let go and the comedy started to flow. What helped was the script. It was so well written, I instantly fell in love with it. I knew I had to do it." The show follows the story of a terminally-ill woman looking for thrills, played by Rinku, who is hired to be an undercover agent by an ambitious female cop (Lara) looking for a promotion. As they both unite to accomplish their own goal in 100 days, chaos ensues. Rinku said she was intimidated to work with Lara, but felt at ease when she met her. "She's Miss Universe and has such a stunning personality, I was a bit nervous. But I had such a blast working with her. There's so much to learn from her because she has been working for so long. "On set, it never felt like we are working with 'Lara Dutta.' She never let anyone feel that she has tremendous experience. It was so easy to work with her," she added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Flight recorders of the Ukraine International Airlines (UIA), which was shot down in Iran on January 8, 2020, should be returned to Ukraine, said Foreign Minister of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba during a telephone conversation with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif. "Ukraine foreign minister separately emphasized that he insists on the delivery, according to the Chicago Convention, of flight recorders to Ukraine, with a subsequent decision on the place of their decoding and research involving countries whose citizens died as a result of the tragedy," the press service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported. US oil futures posted a loss of almost 25 per cent Monday, continuing a trend of recent losses amid fears that global storage could hit capacity due to a fall in demand during the coronavirus outbreak. Oil producers rushed to cap production as prices for June delivery of West Texas Intermediate, or WTI, lost $4.16, or 24.6 per cent, to settle at $12.78 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Fuel demand is down 30 per cent globally, and storage is becoming precious, with roughly 85 per cent of worldwide onshore storage full as of last week, according to Kippler data. 'There's a lot of oil out there right now with few buyers, and storage facilities are filling up fast,' Alley Invest strategist Lindsey Bell told FOX Business. June Brent crude declined by $1.45, or 6.8%, at $19.99 a barrel. Oil producers rushed to cap production as prices for June delivery of West Texas Intermediate, or WTI, lost $4.16, or 24.6 per cent, to settle at $12.78 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange June Brent crude declined by $1.45, or 6.8%, at $19.99 a barrel The US benchmark WTI fell more than Brent, which is the international benchmark, because traders are keeping close watch on the storage tanks in Cushing, Oklahoma, the largest facility of its kind in the US after the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. It's also where the contract is priced. Oil storage levels at Cushing have risen about 10 per cent in just a week to 59.7 million barrels, about 25 million barrels shy of its capacity. US stockpiles overall rose by 15 million barrels to 518.6 million barrels for the week ending April 17, according to the U.S. Energy Information Association. WTI is falling more than Brent because traders are keeping close watch on the storage tanks in Cushing, Oklahoma, the largest facility of its kind in the US (pictured) after the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. It's also where the contract is priced Producers are struggling to break even as the WTI and Brent have dropped 72 per cent and 68 per cent this year, respectively. Diamond Offshore Drilling on Sunday said it was filing for bankruptcy as analysts say more companies will likely seek protection from creditors as the outbreak continues. The drop in demand for oil caused prices for May futures to crash into negative for the first time in history last week. The cost to have a barrel of US crude for delivery in May plummeted to negative-$37.63 on April 20th, after it was at roughly $60 at the start of the year. The unprecedented drop came because contracts to have US oil delivered in May expired the next day, and traders scrambled to find places to store the oil within a two week period. That meant eventually paying buyers who have space to take the barrels off their hands. Traders are now saying a repeat of the negative pricing could come when the June contract expires on May 19th, reports CNBC. 'Will we hit -$100/bbl next month?' Mizuho analyst Paul Sankey asked in a note to clients last week, referring to the possibility of another round of negative pricing. 'Quite possibly,' he said, in response to his own question. 'The physical reality of oil is that it is difficult to handle, volatile, potentially polluting, and actually useless without a refinery.' To head off reaching capacity, OPEC and its oil-producing allies will start cutting 9.7 million barrels of oil per day this Friday. Exxon and Chevron also say they will cut back production. But some investors say the historic production cut, which starts this Friday, may be too late. Citi analyst Michael Hsueh says prices won't rebound until the economy has had a solid recovery. An oil drilling platform is docked near a refinery in Pascagoula, Mississippi. To head off reaching capacity, OPEC and its oil-producing allies will start cutting 9.7 million barrels of oil per day this Friday. Exxon and Chevron also say they will cut back production. 'We would need to see a recovery in oil product demand in the end user markets, for example motorists, airlines and manufacturers, as countries cautiously relax epidemic mitigation efforts possibly as soon as May, but more so in June,' he said Friday in a note to clients. 'We would need to see a normalization of oil inventory from abnormally high levels, since oil refiners will choose to drawdown inventory in the first instance, before resuming a normal pace of buying,' he added. With that possibility not coming for a while still, Oklahoma Gov. J. Kevin Stitt's called on President Donald Trump to declare the coronavirus an 'act of God' to help oil-producing states like his during the pandemic. Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt speaking in Oklahoma City last week. He wrote a letter to President Trump asking for help for oil-producing states by declaring the virus an 'act of God' Declaring a 'force majeure' or 'act of God' would allow oil companies to halt operations without risking the cancellation of land leases for stopping production, Stitt said. Stitt said in a letter to Trump last week that he posted on Twitter late on Saturday: 'Over-production of oil continues to threaten the economy.' Oklahoma's energy regulator said on Wednesday that producers could close money-losing wells without losing their leases, the first victory for struggling US oil companies seeking relief from states after the market crash. The virus's impact, meanwhile, has claimed at least one recent industry casualty. Contract driller Diamond Offshore on Sunday filed for bankruptcy with debts of $2.6 billion. The Houston-based company, in court documents reviewed by the Associated Press, cited the downturn that accelerated with a recent oil price war between Russia and other major producers. The company's specialty of relatively costly, ultra-deep drilling has put it at a competitive disadvantage with the plunge in oil prices. Diamond Offshore reported a net loss of $62.7 million in the last quarter of 2019, even before the May future for the U.S. benchmark plunged below zero this month. Its failure to make a bond interest payment earlier this month on $500 million in debt due in 2039 raised expectations it might seek a restructuring. The company also announced it had hired advisors to discuss how to handle its predicament. The virus's impact, meanwhile, has claimed at least one recent casualty. Oil tankers float off the coast of Southern California. Contract driller Diamond Offshore on Sunday filed for bankruptcy with debts of $2.6 billion. One of its offshore oil platforms is pictured in Brazil 'Diamond's decision to not make an interest payment shows that the coronavirus induced crash in oil prices and corresponding capital spending cuts by oil and gas producers has indefinitely deferred any potential recovery in offshore drilling activity and dayrates,' Pete Speer, Moody's senior vice president, said in issuing a downgrade for the company. Law enforcement officers in Monroe, Louisiana, have made an arrest for a drive-by shooting on Friday at the home of Duck Dynasty star Willie Robertson, according to USA Today. USA Today reported that the Ouachita Parish Sheriffs Office charged Daniel King Jr., 38, with one count of aggravated assault by drive by shooting and one count of criminal neglect of family and booked into OCC. Bond was set at $150,000. Police had responded to Robertsons home on Friday around 2:30 p.m. to reports of someone shooting from a vehicle. Robertson told USA Today that one of the bullets went through the bedroom window of the home where son John Luke Robertson lives with his wife Mary Kate McEachern and their infant child, but nobody in the family was injured. Robertson said many members of the family are living at his and wife, Kories home during the coronavirus crisis, among them daughter Sadie Robertson and her husband, Christian Huff. NASHVILLE, TN - OCTOBER 10: Korie, Bella, and Sadie Robertson attend the "I'm Not Ashamed" Movie Premiere at the historic Belcourt Theater on October 10, 2016 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Frederick Breedon/Getty Images for Pure Flix) Thanks for visiting PennLive. Quality local journalism has never been more important. We need your support. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work. New York, April 27 : A US Hindu organisation has set up a unique programme for COVID-19 survivors to donate their blood plasma for a therapy to save severely ill patients with respiratory failure. Sewa International has created an online registry for the convalescent plasma therapy programme that connects donors and recipients who want to participate in the COVID-19 treatment and also set up a phone hotline to help them. "The people who are giving the donation of the plasma, are really the heroes," Pranav Loyalka, a doctor advising the programme told IANS on Sunday. Despite having suffered from the debilitating disease, the recovered people go to great lengths to save others, he said. He gave the example of one person in Texas who drove 500 km from Austin to McAllen to donate plasma after recovering from COVID-19. Sewa President Sree Sreenath said that the organisation is working with partners in India to create a registry there since the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is allowing clinical trials of the therapy. He said that in the US as of last Friday, 74 persons had enlisted as donors and 31 had been registered to receive plasma donations. A doctor who had contracted the coronavirus was among those who received treatment through the registry, he said. While Sewa describes itself as a "Hindu faith-based humanitarian service organisation," it declares that it "serves humanity irrespective of race, colour, religion, gender or nationality." Sewa has been active in providing relief for all during major US natural disasters like the 2005 Hurricane Katrina, Superstorm Sandy in 2012 and the Texas floods in 2017. The coronavirus plasma therapy that has been approved for research by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) takes the blood plasma containing the antibodies created to fight the virus by a person who has recovered and inject it into a person suffering from the disease so that the antibodies can help fight the disease. "Everything we are doing is supportive for the disease, and this is the only treatment that can actually work right now," Loyalka said. In doing the matches, the registry screens for at least three factors to ensure a successful match. The donors have to be free of COVID-19 for at least 28 days if the disease was serious or at least 14 days if it was mild. The blood types of the donor and the recipient have to be the same. Both of them have to be in the same place, which can be difficult because of the lockdown. Sreenath said that in some cases Sewa provides transportation for the donors to get to the medical facility to make the donation. He said: "We monitor to see if the donation worked. There are many instances, that a donation does not go through due to medical or other reasons and the recipient is back on our registry." "We are open round-the-clock to serve," Sreenath said. Loyalka, who is the chief cardiologist for a group of 17 hospitals in Texas, said that the idea for the registry grew out of a conversation with Sewa Houston team members during which he mentioned the convalescent plasma therapy and the need for donors. He said, "What amazed me is that they were immediately asking me, 'What can Sewa do?' And they started looking for donors on their own and they came back with the idea of the registry to do it on a broader scale." "Irrespective of religion, caste, creed, anything that may divides us, the sense of sewa - service - is something that you really need because it brings out the best in us for those who need help," he said. The Sewa plasma registry is at www.sewacovidplasma.org (Arul Louis can be contacted at arul.l@ians.in and followed on Twitter @arulouis) Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Following Zara and H&M, Uniqlo has arrived in Hanoi following its earlier opening in HCM City. The Vietnamese fashion retail market is attractive to foreign companies as Bangkok and Singapore are getting saturated. Vietnam has a high percentage of young consumers who spend a lot of money and favor foreign brands. Vietnam is among the top 10 economies with the highest growth rates of ultra-healthy people in 2012-2017, about 12.7 percent per annum, according to Wealth-X. The figure is just lower than Bangladesh (17.3 percent) and China (13.4 percent). According to Statista, Vietnams clothing market had value of $5.6 billion in 2019 and expected annual growth rate of 8.8 percent in 2019-2023. BUT 97 percent of revenue is from non-luxury goods. Coming to Vietnam early, Zara (2016) and H&M (2017) are the two best known names in the Vietnamese fast fashion market. H&M has outstripped Zara in the expansion speed with eight shops in key cities of Vietnam, while the Zara brand from Spain is running two shops in Hanoi and HCM City. In December 2019, the Japanese brand Uniqlo opened its first shop in HCM City. Cotton:On, the Australian fashion brand, with 1,400 shops in 19 countries, has also joined the Vietnamese market. Meanwhile, GAP, Topshop and Mango have been expanding their network. In December 2019, the Japanese brand Uniqlo opened its first shop in HCM City. Cotton:On, the Australian fashion brand, with 1,400 shops in 19 countries, has also joined the Vietnamese market. Meanwhile, GAP, Topshop and Mango have been expanding their network. Most the brands open in the Hanoi market after gaining success in HCM City. Following H&M and Zara, Uniqlo has officially inaugurated its shop covering an area of 2,500 square meters. Foreign brands have reaped big success in Vietnam after they arrived. H&Ms turnover in 2018 was $28 million, or VND664 billion. The 2018 finance report of Mitra Adiperkasa (MAP), the company which owns the Zara brand, also showed that the companys revenue increased by 1.7 times compared with 2017. Uniqlo Vietnams CEO Osamu Ikezoe said the company plans to expand its network in Hanoi and HCM City rapidly. He said Uniqlos production activities are mostly carried out in China, but the company is trying strengthen production in Vietnam, Indonesia and India. While foreign brands have been expanding, Vietnamese brands have begun shrinking. Ninomaxx, N&M, Blue Exchange, PT 2000, Viet Thy, Ha Gattini and Senorita have seen their numbers of shops decreasing rapidly and have had to change their business model. Only a few Vietnamese brands still exist in the market, such as Viet Tien, Nha Be, An Phuoc and Garment Co No 10. However, the companies mostly provide products for office workers. Foci, which once developed strongly with 60 shops, disappeared after 10 years of existence. Kim Chi UNIQLO opens second flagship store in Vietnam Japanese brand UNIQLO officially launched its second flagship store in the nation on March 6, with the new site covering an approximate area of 2,500m2 at Vincom Pham Ngoc Thach street in Dong Da district, Hanoi. South Africa is counting on accessing 95 billion rand ($5 billion) from the International Monetary Fund, World Bank and New Development Bank to help finance a 500 billion-rand economic stimulus package. The money from the multilateral lenders is available only for Covid-19-related measures and the government would have to adhere to some broad agreements, including on what the funding may be used for and repayment terms, National Treasury Director-General Dondo Mogajane said in an interview with broadcaster eNCA on Sunday. The agreements should not compromise the countrys sovereignty, Mogajane said. President Cyril Ramaphosa on April 21 unveiled the fiscal package to help fight the pandemic, provide aid to the poor and shore up an economy that the central bank projects will contract 6.1% this year. The package includes a 200 billion-rand loan-guarantee program, tax-relief measures and 130 billion rand that will be diverted from existing budgets. While some senior officials in the ruling African National Congress and its alliance partners initially shot down suggestions that the government might seek help from multilateral lenders, saying the structural adjustments associated with such loans would undermine sovereignty, Ramaphosa and the Treasury have made it clear that the government will request the assistance. We are looking for new money that is cheap, Mogajane said. The IMF said itself that its at 1% interest. Debt as a percentage of gross domestic product will increase from the estimates given in February because the country will still have to go to the market and borrow more, Mogajane said. The cost of borrowing has also increased due to recent credit-rating downgrades, he said. The government has been engaging with the World Bank and New Development Bank for the past two weeks and will have meetings with the IMF next week. It could take as long as six weeks to finalize a deal with the IMF, but, once the lenders board has confirmed it, the money would be available within 72 hours, Mogajane. ANC spokesman, Pule Mabe, indicated that the ANC may have softened its line on further borrowing from the IMF that could have more conditions attached. A post-corona plan must include sustainable relations with those institutions, making sure that the conditions that are set out would allow us to maintain our sovreignity, he said, according to the transcript of an interview with Johannesburgs Sunday Times newspaper. On our own it might be difficult, he said. We need these relations, but we need to make sure they are structured so the sovreignity of our people is not compromised, he added. The Houston Chronicle has lifted the paywall on this developing coverage to provide critical information to our community. To support our journalists work, consider a digital subscription. 9:43 p.m. Governor Greg Abbott will deliver a COVID-19 update during a Monday afternoon press conference, in which he is expected to announce plans for reopening parts of the economy, reports the Chronicle's Jeremy Wallace. The conference will be held at 2:30 p.m. from the state capitol. 7:32 p.m. Since noon, the statewide COVID-19 case total rose from 24,350 to 25,091. Thats an increase of 741 cases (3% increase). Another 16 deaths makes a total of 661 statewide (2.5% increase). The Houston region's count is 8,285, up 141 from yesterday (1.7% increase). Harris County added 101 new cases today (1.7% increase) and is now at 5,729 cases total. There have been 149 deaths in the Houston region, up 4 from yesterday. 7:11 p.m. For at least one Houston-area church, the switch to online streaming has expanded its reach, reports the Chronicle's Jamie Swinnerton. Now Playing: 'COVID-19 in 60': Houston coronavirus news in a minute Video: Houston Chronicle Since at least 2015, Saint Anthony of Padua Catholic Church in The Woodlands has had the capability to live-stream services. Originally meant to help connect with members unable to make it to service, now the technology has allowed the church to gain a new following of viewers from around the world. Read more. 5:15 p.m. Galveston County Health District today reported 2 new positive COVID-19 cases on Sunday, bringing the county total to 541. Of the countys 541 cases, 196 are tied to long-term care facilities, including residents and employees. Twenty of the 22 deaths reported to date by the health district are related to long-term care facilities in Galveston County, officials said. 4:30 p.m. Open Bolivar Peninsula beaches have been crowded since last Wednesday, but so far visitors "have been behaving," according to Galveston County Sheriff Henry Trochesset. Galveston County beaches closed for about two weeks but reopened April 13. Families have comprised about 95 percent of the crowds, Trochesset told the Houston Chronicle on Sunday. Videos shared on social media show cars backed up along the beach entrance, but Trochesset said he did not know of any penalties issued for people ignoring social distancing rules. Those who have been too close together have cooperated with authorities, he said. "They've all done what we asked," he said. The city of Galveston plans to reopen beaches Monday. 1:37 p.m.: Here's a reminder that starting tomorrow, Harris County is requiring all residents 10 and older to wear face masks in public. Reporter Alex Stuckey has a list of where to get masks in the county and what you need to know. 1:00 p.m.: Where are Harris County's coronavirus cases concentrated? Some of the county's most impoverished and predominantly black neighborhoods are at highest risk, the Chronicle's investigative team writes. A Houston Chronicle analysis of all positive COVID-19 tests reported in Harris County through April 20 shows that seven of the 10 zip codes with the highest rates were majority black and low-income. Zip codes that include some of the citys primarily African American neighborhoods from Sunnyside south of the 610 loop to Settegast to the northeast had double and triple the average per capita rate for Harris County, which reported about 1 case per 1,000 residents. 8:00 a.m. There are now 2.9 million confirmed cases worldwide of COVID-19, according to Johns Hopkins University. The U.S. now leads the world with 939,249 confirmed cases as of Sunday morning. Texas has 24,350 confirmed coronavirus cases to date, according to state and local data. In the Greater Houston region, 8,144 people have been diagnosed with COVID-19, the sickness caused by the new virus. The death toll in the U.S. has climbed to 53,934, with 105,818 recoveries. 7:30 a.m. Galveston beaches are slated to reopen Monday, but only under certain restrictions. The City of Galveston ordered all public beaches to close on March 29 after COVID-19 social distancing practices were not adhered to by beach visitors. The Galveston City Council voted Thursday to reopen beaches for only three hours each morning from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. for pedestrian exercise only. Before you head to the beach, here's what you need to know: Beach towels, cars, chairs, tents, picnics and umbrellas are not allowed. Beaches will remain closed during all other hours. Violators could face a $500 fine. Read the in-depth report from Houston Chronicle's Nick Powell. SJR in Scandinavia AB (publ) (STO:SJR B), which is in the professional services business, and is based in Sweden, saw significant share price movement during recent months on the OM, rising to highs of kr36.80 and falling to the lows of kr15.60. Some share price movements can give investors a better opportunity to enter into the stock, and potentially buy at a lower price. A question to answer is whether SJR in Scandinavia's current trading price of kr16.84 reflective of the actual value of the small-cap? Or is it currently undervalued, providing us with the opportunity to buy? Lets take a look at SJR in Scandinavias outlook and value based on the most recent financial data to see if there are any catalysts for a price change. Check out our latest analysis for SJR in Scandinavia Is SJR in Scandinavia still cheap? Good news, investors! SJR in Scandinavia is still a bargain right now according to my price multiple model, which compares the company's price-to-earnings ratio to the industry average. Ive used the price-to-earnings ratio in this instance because theres not enough visibility to forecast its cash flows. The stocks ratio of 9.81x is currently well-below the industry average of 19.46x, meaning that it is trading at a cheaper price relative to its peers. Whats more interesting is that, SJR in Scandinavias share price is quite volatile, which gives us more chances to buy since the share price could sink lower (or rise higher) in the future. This is based on its high beta, which is a good indicator for how much the stock moves relative to the rest of the market. What does the future of SJR in Scandinavia look like? OM:SJR B Past and Future Earnings April 27th 2020 Investors looking for growth in their portfolio may want to consider the prospects of a company before buying its shares. Buying a great company with a robust outlook at a cheap price is always a good investment, so lets also take a look at the company's future expectations. With profit expected to grow by 54% over the next couple of years, the future seems bright for SJR in Scandinavia. It looks like higher cash flow is on the cards for the stock, which should feed into a higher share valuation. Story continues What this means for you: Are you a shareholder? Since SJR B is currently below the industry PE ratio, it may be a great time to accumulate more of your holdings in the stock. With a positive outlook on the horizon, it seems like this growth has not yet been fully factored into the share price. However, there are also other factors such as capital structure to consider, which could explain the current price multiple. Are you a potential investor? If youve been keeping an eye on SJR B for a while, now might be the time to make a leap. Its buoyant future profit outlook isnt fully reflected in the current share price yet, which means its not too late to buy SJR B. But before you make any investment decisions, consider other factors such as the strength of its balance sheet, in order to make a well-informed assessment. Price is just the tip of the iceberg. Dig deeper into what truly matters the fundamentals before you make a decision on SJR in Scandinavia. You can find everything you need to know about SJR in Scandinavia in the latest infographic research report. If you are no longer interested in SJR in Scandinavia, you can use our free platform to see my list of over 50 other stocks with a high growth potential. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading. United Nations: The outbreak of Corona that is getting increased suddenly takes the form of epidemic for the whole world. This virus has caught more than 2 lakh 6 thousand deaths so far. But still this death game has not stopped. This virus has rocked the whole world today. Pakistan Cleric's Bizarre Remarks, 'Coronavirus is God's Wrath for Obscenity and Nudity' According to the information received, the whole world has stopped due to Coronavirus (Covid-19). Meanwhile, UNICEF has warned that millions of children are at risk of being deprived of life-saving vaccines like measles, diphtheria and polio due to the worldwide coronavirus epidemic. Coronavirus cases in Wuhan hospitals falls to zero for first time The United Nations Children's Fund has said that measles, polio and other vaccines were out of reach of nearly two million children under the age of one year before the Covid-19 epidemic. UNICEF has warned about the current situation that it can create a terrible situation in 2020 and beyond. The United Nations body said that 1.3 crore children were denied vaccination in 2018. In its appeal at the beginning of the 2020 session of World Immunization Week, UNICEF has said that millions of children may be deprived of life-saving vaccines of measles, diphtheria and polio due to disruptions of vaccination services. 160 Pakistan doctors contract coronavirus, protest against PPE shortage continues Washington: Republican Senator Tom Cotton lit up social media on Sunday by suggesting Chinese students shouldn't be allowed to study science and technology at US universities, and should focus on Shakespeare instead. Republican Senator Tom Cotton. Credit:Bloomberg The Arkansas lawmaker deemed it a "scandal" that China's "brightest minds" study in the US only to return home "to compete for our jobs, to take our business, and ultimately to steal our property." "We need to take a very hard look at the visas that we give the Chinese nationals to come to the United States to study, especially at the post-graduate level in advanced scientific and technological fields," Cotton said on Fox News Channel's Sunday Morning Futures. The students should be allowed "to come here and study Shakespeare and the Federalist Papers, that's what they need to learn from America," he said. "They don't need to learn quantum computing and artificial intelligence from America." Embraer had hoped to sell 80 percent of its profitable commercial aviation unit to Boeing Brazils Embraer SA on Monday said it had begun an arbitration process against Boeing Co, after the United States planemaker abruptly cancelled a $4.2bn deal over the weekend that was years in the making. Embraer shares fell as much as 16 percent in Sao Paulo to a more than eight-year low on news of the cancellation, suggesting investors had hoped until the last minute that the takeover agreement would not fall apart. The sudden collapse, triggered by a deadline that Boeing refused to extend, drew an irate response from Embraer on Saturday. But on Monday, when Embraer executives hosted a call with analysts, the angry rhetoric was largely absent. Embraer is in a delicate situation, having bet the future of the company on Boeing only to find itself now in isolation and without a Plan B, all while the coronavirus crisis ravages the travel industry. Still, Embraer tried to reassure investors that it remains a solid company, although its CEO Francisco Gomes Neto acknowledged that 2020 will be a tough year and that 2021 will be worse than we had thought. He added that Embraer has been able to find $1bn in cash savings for 2020 and that it has not suffered any aircraft order cancellations due to the coronavirus crisis. Gomes Neto declined to provide more details on the arbitration process and if it will be accompanied by a lawsuit in either a Brazilian or a US court. Embraer had hoped to sell 80 percent of its profitable commercial aviation unit to Boeing and benefit from the US planemakers marketing power to scale up sales of its E2 regional jets, which have been lauded for their fuel-efficiency even as sales have lagged. It would then use Boeings cash to wipe out all of its previous debt and pay a $1.6bn dividend to shareholders. Boeing, meanwhile, was aiming to compete more directly with Airbus in the regional jets segment. Brazil and China A former state-owned company, Embraer has a close relationship with the Brazilian government, which holds veto power over strategic decisions, while the company remains a top provider of military technology. Maybe well begin new negotiations with a new company, Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro told reporters on Monday. Bolsonaro, a former army captain, had supported and approved of the Boeing deal even as others in the military remained suspicious that Boeings involvement could affect Brazilian interests. Gomes Neto did not rule out a potential new sale to a different company but declined to comment further. He joined Embraer only a year ago and was not a part of the executive team that drew up the deal with Boeing. Analysts have speculated that Chinese companies might be interested in buying Embraers commercial aviation unit. But Bolsonaro and his inner circle have repeatedly attacked China over the coronavirus crisis, blaming it for the spread of the disease and creating a very public diplomatic spat. On Monday, UBS also suggested China may be interested in buying up Embraers commercial planes. We believe China still aspires to a global aerospace leadership position and, in our view, (Embraer) would bring both the talent for design and development, it said in a client note. Many countries around the world are now facing the difficult decision of when and how to ease lockdown restrictions due to the novel coronavirus. In the absence of a vaccine, it is likely there will be new waves of the epidemic, unless enough people have been infected to achieve herd immunity (assuming those who have contracted the virus retain enough protection and the virus does not mutate into a distinct strain) estimated to be around 60%. Unfortunately, government advisers in the UK, France and many other countries suggest only a few percent of the population have so far been infected. But does this add up? Like the proverbial canary in the cage, Sweden, which is encouraging social distancing but has not fully locked down, could guide the world. Here, the authorities claim the country is rapidly approaching herd immunity. At face value, Sweden is not doing well. By April 22, its mortality rates from COVID-19 were the tenth highest in the world, with 17.3 deaths per 100,000. By comparison, its neighbours Denmark, Norway and Finland ranked 17th, 22nd and 31st, with 6.4, 3.4 and 2.6 deaths per 100,000. Protecting a population from becoming infected with aggressive containment is like protecting a forest in the path of wildfire unless continuous fire fighting efforts are made, the forest will eventually burn. Aggressive contact tracing, testing, quarantine and lockdowns minimise contagion and have substantially reduced early fatalities from COVID-19. But unless those who remain uninfected are protected until effective pharmacological interventions (vaccines, prophylactics and therapeutics) come online, the ultimate burden of deaths may be the same in countries who opt for lockdown as in those who adopted more liberal containment strategies. How close Sweden is to herd immunity is unknown, because random seroprevalence testing, which requires testing for both the virus and antibodies (to detect past infection), has not yet been undertaken nationwide, although plans are afoot. Nevertheless, the national public health agency, Folkhalsomyndigheten, and Swedish military sampled 738 Stockholmers and found that 2.5% were infected between March 26 and April 3 with SARS-CoV-2. Mathematical models have also been performed to estimate the community spread of SARS-CoV-2. In analyses conducted by a leading UK group, 3.1% of the Swedish population was estimated to be infected by March 28. This contrasts with the much higher proportions estimated for Stockholm by Tom Britton, a leading Swedish academic working with Folkhalsomyndigheten, who suggests up to half of the capitals population will be infected by the beginning of May and the rest of the country may follow suit quickly. But how can you get such different estimates? As pointed out elsewhere by Britton, many of the models assumptions, particularly the case fatality rate (the proportion of those infected who die as a result), are uncertain. Thats because testing has been focused on cases who are serious enough to end up in hospital and health care workers. But we dont know the number of people who suffer mild or no symptoms these have to be estimated through simulations. Because the community spread of SARS-CoV-2 is one of the major X-factors, attention is turning to how this can be measured rather than merely simulated. Way forward In the UK and US, the COVID Symptom Tracker app has provided the public health authorities with valuable data on symptoms and risk factors that provides early warnings of where COVID-19 is likely to hit next, as well as the overall spread of the virus. The app is in the process of being launched in Sweden. Combining nationwide self-reported data with directly assessed seroprevalence testing is likely to be a highly effective way of tracking the spread of SARS-CoV-2. One of the most aggressive efforts to achieve this has been underway in Iceland. A recent report documented 0.6-0.8% of the population infected by April 4, remaining constant during the 20-day screening period consistent with an effective suppression strategy. These findings correspond with a case fatality rate of ~0.36% (or about four deaths in every 1,000 infected). This number is remarkably close to the case fatality rate of 0.37% reported recently from a seroprevalence study in Gangelt, Germany, and consistent with studies in Finland. It is much lower than the official case fatality rate of about 13% in the UK, Italy and France, which is well recognised to be a substantial overestimate owing to the very restrictive testing performed in most countries. Assuming a case fatality rate of ~0.36% and combining this with confirmed COVID-19 deaths in Sweden (2,021 on April 23), one can very crudely estimate the total number infected through mid-April by no means a surrogate for expert modelling or direct testing. Nevertheless, this equates to 561,389 infections nationwide (~5.5% of the total population). Given more than half the deaths have so far occurred in Stockholm (1,128 as of April 23), yet only ~10% of the population lives there, about a third of the population in Swedens capital may have been infected by mid-April. This is compatible with the early-May estimates reported for Stockholm by Folkhalsomyndigheten. However, many deaths from COVID-19 go unnoticed, meaning the number of deaths may be much higher. This would in turn mean that the total number of infections is likely to be higher than estimated using the case fatality rate equation. In some countries, deaths from COVID-19 can be reported as pneumonia deaths. And deaths that happen at home or in care homes, where there has been less testing, are often not included in official counts or added much later. There is also evidence suggesting that the virus started spreading much earlier than first thought. That means thousands of COVID-19 deaths would not have been attributed to COVID-19 (perhaps pneumonia instead). In the US, for example, an autopsy of a patient who died on February 6 confirmed that the virus hit the country nearly a month earlier than registered. Similar evidence has been discovered in Italy. Meanwhile, research published in the Lancet suggests that the true number of COVID-19 deaths in China would have been four times higher if the definition of a COVID-19 case that was later used had been applied from the outset. Ultimately, these things matter when we try to estimate how many people have been infected from the number of people who have died. There has been much speculation about how close the UK is to herd immunity, with some arguing that as much as half the population was infected by mid-March. Infection estimates using the case fatality rate equation, however, suggests it is a much lower proportion, but, like Stockholm, that London has shouldered the heaviest burden of infections so far. It is impossible to know for sure how many people have had COVID-19 in Sweden and most other countries. But if the simulations conducted in Sweden are correct, and post-infection immunity is achieved in most people, we should soon expect infections and deaths in Stockholm to drop substantially in the coming weeks. Paul W Franks, Professor of Genetic Epidemiology, Lund University This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Agam Chaudhary, Managing Director, DigitaLabs, the digital arm of Laqshya Media Group, cautions against the fake news and the overabundance of information, which may or may not be accurate, floating around in digital media. Throughout the past few weeks, rather months, the world has forgotten what it was like living without the fear and the very mention of Coronavirus. Declared as a pandemic by the World Health Organization, the COVID-19 outbreak remains one of the most searched and talked about topics on digital forums. The Internet is flooded with information to combat the rapid spread of the disease. Both the Government and corporates have stepped up efforts to leverage digital media in a responsive manner. However, there has been a surge in the content on the web promoting bogus medicines, rumours about vaccine availability, household remedies guaranteeing protection against the virus as well false news about the Government advising people to store the necessities before lockdown is observed. This type of information is not only misleading, but also spreads panic and anxiety at a much faster rate than the infection itself. There are also instances of content provoking discrimination against healthcare workers and subjecting people of Chinese origin to racism. Digital Media To Navigate Through The Crisis At a time when people are in isolation, quarantined inside their own houses, they are more reliant than ever on digital media to get news from legitimate sources. The social media platforms are the medium through which families and friends are staying connected while social distancing. At a time when people have been asked to work from home and the economy is witnessing a downturn, digital media is playing a pivotal role in aiding businesses to generate revenue. Companies are now majorly focusing on running digital marketing campaigns to increase sales. More and more companies/ people are generating advisory content in the form of blogs, videos, infographics, live videos to guide the public through. Creative advertisements are going viral on social media for the kind of thought and creativity around such a grave topic to scale up public engagement. Such kind of creativity is being applauded by people who are seeking reliable information. On The Downside Amidst the content outpour, digital media is experiencing a rising wave of the infodemic defined by WHO as an overabundance of information some accurate and some not that makes it hard for people to find trustworthy sources and reliable guidance when they need it. Though the Government is reminding citizens to steer clear of such information, as citizens, it is our primary responsibility to analyse the communication that we are consuming. Here are simple tips we can do to curb misinformation: Try to ascertain the source of content that you are consuming. Trust only WHO and Government websites Be aware of the credible sources of information. Follow only official Twitter handles of Government authorities Double-check the information with media sources Do not blindly forward Whatsapp messages or social media posts without verifying it Report fake news in groups, be it Whatsapp or Facebook, to administrators Distinguish between earned and paid media With the numbers of COVID-19 cases likely to expand, the bond between us and digital media will only grow stronger. Going forward, digital media would be a new normal for businesses. However, keeping in mind the severity of the situation, let us all pledge to only spread useful information that will help the community survive in this pandemic together. Elva Roy wasnt quite sure what would happen when she finally sat down to videochat with the man shed been matched with. While pairings of random strangers are common in online dating, they typically dont involve such a wide age range. Roy is 74. Daniel Formella is 19. But the two hit it off nicely, spending a couple of hours over two weekends earlier this month and finding they had a lot more in common than they thought. It was the most delightful experience, said Roy, who lives in Arlington. He is just a fantastic young man. It turns out we had so much to talk about. Both had signed up on Big & Mini, a website that seeks to match older people - Bigs - with much younger ones - Minis. As stay-at-home orders remain in force across Texas and the United States, the goal of the site is to give both older and younger generations a chance to connect with someone new and battle social isolation. HELPING OUT: Software developer offers free websites to struggling small businesses The site, at bigandmini.org, has only been up since early April. Its the brainchild of Allen Zhou, a 19-year-old electrical and computer engineering major at UT Austin. He worked with Aditi Merchant, 18, a biomedical engineering student at the University of Texas at Austin, and his brother, Anthony, 16, a computer science student at the Texas Academy of Math and Science in Denton, to build the site in less than a week. It was really a quick turnaround because my friends and I were galvanized into action by the fact that we had found some way to help. Wed been in quarantine for quite some time and were itching to help, Zhou said. Zhou, who lives in Austin, said he volunteered at nursing homes in the past, and was aware of the issue of seniors being isolated even in normal times. As he watched retirement communities, assisted living facilities and nursing homes get locked down - with even family and friends denied visits - he grew more concerned. There are serious mental health issues dealing with social isolation and seniors, Zhou said. This was always a problem, but now it was becoming major news. Its sad that it took COVID-19 to make people see this was a big issue. Zhou was used to using video conferencing to talk to his grandparents in Asia, and so came up with Big & Mini, built around the idea of making it simple for young and old people to connect. Zhou stresses that Big & Mini is not a case of young people helping lonely seniors. Release Notes: Get Dwight Silvermans weekly tech newsletter in your inbox Its not just beneficial for the seniors, but its beneficial to the youth as well, he said. Both sides are going to gain something. Seniors have had unique lives, and younger people are going be learning things from them you just cant learn in a classroom. Those who want to participate sign up on the site, giving only a little information - name, phone number, an email address - and answering a few questions that are used to make the match. Among them: If you could be any fictional character, who would it be? They also offer times when they are available for a conversation. Typically, those signing up for a dating site are shown potential matches by a computer algorithm that looks for similarities. But in this case, a human takes over. Zhou and his crew manually look at the sign-ups, then make an effort to make contact with each person to verify who they are. We try to talk to every Mini, and most of the Bigs, he said. We call as many as we can. Once verified, the two are sent emails with a link for the video chat. There is also an option to make the connection via telephone, for those who dont want to use a computer, smartphone or tablet. CORONAVIRUS CHRONICLE: Subscribe to our new daily podcast for pandemic insights through a Houston lens Big & Mini is designed to be as simple as possible. The site uses an open-source video chat service called Jitsi that is similar to Zoom, the popular video conferencing service. But Jitsi doesnt require anything to be downloaded and installed, which makes it friendlier for seniors who may not be tech-savvy. The site is free, and for now the three are paying for it out of their own pockets. If they get a large influx of users, theyll need to seek funding, Zhou said. So far, 91 Minis have signed up and 57 Bigs. Zhou said links to the site have been posted on several college websites, including the University of California, Davis and at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., where Daniel Formella is a student. After each call, the participants are sent a survey asking if they want to continue talking to the same person, or if they want to try someone else. Both Formella and Roy have decided to continue chatting with each other. Roy said she wasnt sure what to expect. She knew where Formella was a student, and that was about it. My undergraduate degree and graduate degree are from a Catholic university, so we had that in common, she said. But once we got beyond that, it was just one thing after another. We talked for an hour the first time. CONTACTLESS PAYMENTS: Pay without touching terminals, cards, cash Formella said he was a little worried that a conversation with someone he didnt know and wasnt his age would end up being a little awkward. But shes really easy to talk to, Formella said. I think were forming a real friendship. Their first conversation involved learning about each others lives, Roy said, but the second got down to the nitty gritty. We talked religion, politics, there were no holds barred, she said. We were able to talk openly about everything. Formella went to elementary and junior high school with Zhou, and learned about the project from him. He said he signed up right away. Roy heard about Big & Mini from a pair of professors at the UT-Arlington school of social work. Zhous father teaches electrical engineering at the university. Shes the founder of Ambassadors for Aging Well, a seniors social and advocacy group in Arlington with 535 members. After her positive experience with Formella, Roy has encouraged them to sign up. CLASSIC FILM: Archive preserves Texas' rich film history Zhou said the group has been frustrated that more Bigs havent signed up. He has talked to the leaders of some seniors groups in Austin, and has made connections with a seniors Facebook group called Elder Orphans that has more 9,400 members. Zhou said he would be a Facebook Live session there to promote Big & Mini. Karen Fingerman, a professor at UT-Austin who researches aging and relationships, is also the director of the Texas Aging & Longevity Center. Zhou reached out to her early on and she said she was impressed with his resourcefulness. I do research on adults family and social ties, I study both younger adults and older adults, Fingerman said. So I understand the need for a program that brings them together during this crisis. She added that older adults who had more interaction with others and who find themselves now cut off can benefit from Big & Mini. Talking to new people can be more stimulating than always chatting with people whove known them a long time. It can provide some novelty, she said. I dont have anything new to say to the people I know the best, because (in the lockdown) I am not doing anything new worth talking about. dwight.silverman@chron.com twitter.com/dsilverman houstonchronicle.com/techburger By Trend Azerbaijan cooperates with Japan within the synergy of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway with the potential of the Trans-Siberian railway, Spokesman for Azerbaijans ADY Express LLC Ilham Abdulov told Trend. "During the bilateral meeting of the Azerbaijani and Russian presidents within the "One Belt - One Road" second conference, held in Beijing on April 26, 2019, the synergy of the potential of the BTK railway and the Trans-Siberian railway was discussed," Abdulov added. "This proposal was supported by the presidents." "Afterwards, a meeting was held among the management of Azerbaijan Railways CJSC, Russian Railways OJSC and the Coordinating Council on Trans-Siberian Transportation," the spokesman said. "On September 19, 2019, Azerbaijan Railways company was elected a full member of the council at the plenary meeting of the "Coordinating Council on Trans-Siberian Transportation" in Kazakhstans Nur-Sultan city," Abdulov said. "After Azerbaijan joined the Council, the name of the organization was changed to "International Coordinating Council on Trans-Eurasian Transportation" due to the expansion of the scope of cargo transportation along the corridor," the spokesman said. "On November 25, 2019, as part of the tenth meeting of the State Commission on Economic Cooperation between Azerbaijan and Japan, the management of Azerbaijan Railways company, ADY Express and ADY Container visited more than 10 major logistics companies and cargo holdings in Japan," Abdulov added. "At the same time, the Azerbaijani railway delegation held useful meetings with the representatives of the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and the Japan International Freight Forwarders Association," the spokesman said. "The talks were dedicated to the commissioning of the BTK railway and Azerbaijans membership in the Coordinating Council on Trans-Siberian Transportation, as well as the transportation of goods along the Japan-Russia-Azerbaijan-Georgia-Turkey-Europe route," Abdulov said. "Moreover, a meeting was held in Moscow on December 10-11, 2019 with the participation of the heads of the Azerbaijan Railways and Russian Railways companies, where an action plan was discussed to attract cargo from the Asia-Pacific region, including Japan, through the routes of Azerbaijan," the spokesman added. "The cooperation with Italy, Hungary and the Czech Republic is carried out mainly within the East-West transport corridor," Abdulov said. "The International Association Trans-Caspian International Transport Route was created in 2017," Abdulov added. "Azerbaijan Railways company is represented as part of the Associations management. Special technologies and a single price are used for the transportation of containers and railcars along the route." "As a result of the conducted work, the Association offers customers transit services at a single price to Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania, crossing the Black Sea from the border of China with Kazakhstan and Central Asia through Ukraine," Abdulov added. "At the same time, the commissioning of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, which is of particular importance for our country, has expanded our capabilities even more," the spokesman said. "The BTK railway, initiated by President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, made Azerbaijan a leader in the global transport system," Abdulov said. "This railway is of great importance not only for the region, but also for Asia and Europe as a whole." "Currently, Azerbaijan Railways company is working to fully use the potential of the BTK railway," the spokesman said. "The undertaken efforts are giving results. The cargo of the two biggest Russian companies upon the world standards - the Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works and Evraz company are already being transported through BTK." "At the same time, grain was transported from Russia to Turkey through BTK," Abdulov said. "A container train operated by ADY Container company is running from China to Europe (Czech Republic) and many other projects were implemented." "To attract cargo and increase cargo turnover through this route, we regularly hold meetings at various events, in bilateral and multilateral formats, including those with representatives of leading European transport, logistics and forwarding companies, as well as shipping companies from Italy, Hungary, Austria and other countries," the spokesman said. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz [April 27, 2020] Well Living Lab, Delos, Cushman & Wakefield and Hines Align to Advance Return-to-Workplace Guidelines in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic The Well Living Lab, a Delos and Mayo Clinic collaboration dedicated to researching the indoor environment's impact on human health, today announced a comprehensive plan to study the design and operation of workspaces to help prevent the spread of respiratory viruses. This will include research conducted in the lab, along with applications and interventions into corporate offices in the U.S. and internationally. The Well Living Lab, adjacent to the Mayo Clinic campus in Rochester, Minnesota, will use its configurable "living lab" office space to generate insights and evaluate technologies for reducing the risk of respiratory virus transmission in work environments. Rich in sensor technology and highly configurable, the lab is designed to simulate a number of indoor environmental settings. Cushman & Wakefield will contribute their expertise in workplace strategy and design practices, including protocols for maintaining physical distancing policies and other concepts for returning to offices. Delos will contribute expertise in air filtration strategies for reducing particulate matter concentration, surface hygiene protocols, algorithms designed to remediate indoor environmental concerns, and software to promote occupant adoption of behavioral changes necessary to support healthy environments. Hines will contribute lessons learned from their six-decade history of creating innovative, sustainable real estate with thought leadership and management expertise from many of the firm's key leaders in development, engineering, innovation and property management across product sectors. "We know that buildings have a tremendous impact on our health and well-being, and the role of indoor spaces has now become more important than ever," said Paul Scialla, Delos Founder and CEO. "As we contemplate reopening our offices in the wake of COVID-19, it is critical that we take an evidence-based approach to make our workspaces safer when we return. We are excited about the opportunity to extend the Well Living Lab's pioneering research at the intersection of health, building and behavioral sciences into the field with leading organizations such as Cushman & Wakefield and Hines." To advance return-to-work guidelines, the Well Living Lab will leverage its field study capabilities for interventions in Cushman & Wakefield's and Hines' offices, along with Delos' global headquarters in New York. Hines has a global management portfolio of more than 500 properties and is identifying locations, buildings and workspaces that will complement and fuel this research. Collectively, the information gathered from all participant sites will be aggregated to inform the continued advancement of guidelines. The study is also designed to include participation in other field locations from additional corporate tenants and landlords. "We look forward to this continued collaboration with Delos and the Well Living Lab as we work together to promote a safe workplace as offices reopen," said Brett White, Cushman & Wakefield Executive Chairman & CEO. "We're planning to demonstrate scientific, evidence-based studies to our ongoing product innovation as we help our clients prepare for the coming recovery." Hines CEO Jeff Hines commented, "Our people have been pioneers in creating progressive real estate that advances the built environment, so joining this effort is a natural way for us to give back, while continuing to anticipate and meet the needs of tenants, clients and investors." Well Living Lab researchers will evaluate ways to optimize the effectiveness of reducing air particulate matter concentration, surface decontamination, behavioral patterns of physical distancing, building entry protocols such as thermal screening, as well as the performance, emotional resiliency, and satisfaction of employees. Delos' health, building and behavioral scientists will provide advisory support throughout the study. The Well Living Lab's framework of discovery, translation and application, adapted from Mayo Clinic's research approach, will move findings into the field to impact lives. "Our clients are very interested in new workplace strategies hat align with the science at the forefront of the fight against COVID-19," said Despina Katsikakis, Head of Workplace Business Performance, Cushman & Wakefield. "We're pleased to expand on our 6 Feet Office prototype with further testing in areas like advanced air filtration and surface hygiene technologies." Since 2016, the Well Living Lab has assembled leading alliance organizations to study the convergence of building sciences and health sciences. This includes the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI), a public benefit corporation and Well Living Lab alliance member. IWBI established a COVID-19 task force in March 2020 to advance the role of buildings in protecting and enhancing health. Over 450 public health experts, virologists, government officials, academics and business leaders, as well as architects, designers, building scientists and real estate professionals have been collaborating on principles of prevention and preparedness, resiliency and recovery as it pertains to creating safer and healthier workplaces, both in terms of the physical spaces as well as the policies and protocols that support employee health overall. Members of the task force include 17th Surgeon General of the United States Richard Carmona; Well Living Lab Scientific Advisory Council member and distinguished professor at UCLA in the Fielding School of Public Health and the Geffen School of Medicine Dr. Jonathan Fielding; assistant professor of exposure and assessment science and Director of the Healthy Buildings program at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health's Joseph Allen; former Robert Wood Johnson Foundation President and CEO and distinguished professor of population health and health equity at the University of Pennsylvania Dr. Risa Lavizzo-Mourey; Cushman & Wakefield's Head of Workplace Business Performance Despina Katsikakis; Hines Global Sustainability Manager Adam Slakman; former Director-General of Chinese Center for Disease Control & Prevention and distinguished professor at Center for Healthy Cities, Institute for China Sustainable Urbanization, Tsinghua University Wang Yu, M.D., PhD. Insights and conclusions from this task force will inform the ongoing research conducted by the Well Living Lab, and the IWBI will assess the findings of the research platform to continue to advance the WELL Building Standard. "The Well Living Lab is uniquely positioned to bring together building and health sciences expertise and technologies to generate and disseminate discoveries," said Dr. Veronique Roger, Well Living Lab Director of Research and Mayo Clinic cardiologist. "This knowledge will help prepare the world for post COVID-19 safe environments in office and other settings." About the Well Living Lab The Well Living Lab, a collaboration of Delos and Mayo Clinic, is dedicated to identifying how indoor environments impact human health and well-being. It conducts scientific research with human subjects in a simulated real-world environment and shares practical findings that can be applied to improving indoor spaces where people spent approximately 90 percent of their time. The lab has 5,500 square-feet of sensor rich, reconfigurable space in downtown Rochester, Minnesota. Learn more at welllivinglab.com About Delos Delos is a wellness real estate and technology company with a mission to be the world's leading catalyst for improving the health and well-being of people by improving the indoor environments where they live, work, sleep and play. Informed by more than seven years of research and rigorous analysis of environmental health impacts on people, Delos and its subsidiaries offer an array of evidence-based technology and solutions for the built environment. Delos is the founder of the International WELL Building Institute and the WELL Building Standard, the premier standard for buildings, interior spaces and communities seeking to implement, validate and measure features that support and advance human health and wellness. The International WELL Building Institute administers and continues WELL's development and drives market adoption. Registrations under the WELL Building Standard have surpassed 4,100 projects in 59 countries, encompassing more than 530 million square feet. Delos collaborated with the Mayo Clinic to create the Well Living Lab, a scientific research center that uses exclusively human-centered research to understand the interaction between health and well-being and indoor environments. The company's advisory board is comprised of leading professionals across real estate, healthcare, government policy and sustainability, including the 17th Surgeon General of the United States Richard Carmona, UCLA's Dr. Jonathan Fielding, renowned wellness luminary Deepak Chopra, and sustainability advocate Leonardo DiCaprio. For more information about Delos, please visit www.delos.com. About Cushman & Wakefield Cushman & Wakefield (NYSE: CWK) is a leading global real estate services firm that delivers exceptional value for real estate occupiers and owners. Cushman & Wakefield is among the largest real estate services firms with approximately 53,000 employees in 400 offices and 60 countries. In 2019, the firm had revenue of $8.8 billion across core services of property, facilities and project management, leasing, capital markets, valuation and other services. To learn more, visit www.cushmanwakefield.com or follow @CushWake on Twitter (News - Alert). About Hines Hines is a privately owned global real estate investment firm founded in 1957 with a presence in 205 cities in 24 countries. Hines has approximately $133.3 billion* of assets under management, including $71 billion for which Hines serves as an investment manager, including non-real estate assets, and $62.3 billion for which Hines provides third-party property-level services. The firm has 165 developments currently underway around the world. Historically, Hines has developed, redeveloped or acquired 1,393 properties, totaling over 459 million square feet. The firm's current property and asset management portfolio includes 539 properties, representing over 232 million square feet. With extensive experience in investments across the risk spectrum and all property types, and a pioneering commitment to sustainability, Hines is one of the largest and most-respected real estate organizations in the world. Visit www.hines.com for more information. *AUM includes both the global Hines organization as well as RIA AUM. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200427005702/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Only nine CMs to speak at meeting with PM Modi today India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Apr 27: Nine Chief Ministers would speak today at the meeting with Prime Minister, Narendra Modi. Due to time constraints, only nine CMs would speak, while the others would give their suggestions in writing, official sources confirmed to OneIndia. The official cited above said that during the meeting Chief Ministers of nine states would speak, while the others would give their suggestions in writing. The Chief Ministers of Meghalaya, Mizoram, Puducherry, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Odisha, Bihar, Gujarat and Haryana would speak, while others would give their suggestions in writing due to time constraints. The Centre, following the meeting, would study the recommendations and order opening of some more sectors to revive the economy. Open more sectors to revive economy, CMs to urge PM The restrictions would need to be eased in those areas where COVID-19 cases have not been reported, the CMs would tell the PM. At the meeting to be held later today a graded exit from the 40-day lockdown would be discussed. Several officials said that the states want the restrictions to be extended in the containment zones, but relaxed in other areas where no cases of the coronavirus have been reported. States would, however, press for continuing the ban on large gatherings. This would mean that the states would want the ban on religious places, malls, cinema halls, educational institutions, inter-state travel to continue for more time. While most states are in favour of easing restrictions, Delhi Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal would want the restrictions in place until May 3. He would make his submissions based on the expert advice that he has received relating to the relaxations. Is WHO The One To Call On To Stop COVID-19? By RFE/RL April 26, 2020 The World Health Organization, or WHO, has come under some blistering criticism for its response to the coronavirus pandemic that has killed more than 190,000 people around the globe. But while the UN agency stands accused of bungling its response to the outbreak that was first revealed in China in late December 2019, others have rushed to the WHO's defense, arguing that it was never equipped or intended to be the transparency watchdog, compliance enforcer, and emergency field unit that some are suggesting it is. When the world is plagued with an outbreak like COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, is WHO really the one to call upon? Harsh Critics The criticism is led by the United States, which had recorded more than four times as many infections (nearly 940,000 as of April 26) and twice as many deaths (nearly 54,000) as the second-ranking country, Spain, according to a database maintained by Johns Hopkins University. (These tallies rely on information provided by governments, some of which may be suppressing information, and the methodology, transparency, and quality of the data can vary dramatically country by country.) Washington has alleged that the WTO was slow to respond to the health emergency, praised China when it should have been scolding it, and was complicit with Beijing in downplaying the scale of the outbreak, contributing to its spread. U.S. President Donald Trump, who has charged that the organization was "China-centric" and has said that China should face consequences if it was "knowingly responsible" for the pandemic, has suspended $400 million in funding to the WHO. The move by the United States effectively cut the organization off from its largest single funder. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has argued that the WHO's regulatory body had "clearly failed" to hold member states accountable to their obligations to be transparent and forthcoming in alerting the world about public health emergencies. He said on April 22 that the WHO has "two primary functions" -- that of a regulator and adviser, and as a "health emergency and humanitarian aid operation on top of that." Furthermore, Pompeo argued, the organization had "clearly failed" to enforce requirements laid out in International Health Regulations that went into effect in 2007 and which mandate that member states provide the WHO with "timely, accurate, and sufficiently detailed public health information." WHO The Enforcer? The WHO's defenders say the allegations being lobbed at it are not fair or factual. In a video interview with RFE/RL on April 10, former U.S. ambassador to the UN Samantha Power said that the idea that the WHO is a "rapid-response arm" is a "mistaken understanding of what it is." "It's technical expertise. It's, you know, gathering data from all over the world in order to declare epidemics or pandemics," said Power, who served under Democratic U.S. President Barack Obama. "So it's like an alert system, more than it is a response system, and then we need a response system in parallel." Lawrence Gostin, director of the WHO's Center on Global Health Law and a professor at Georgetown University, on April 9 took to the web to defend the organization against Trump's claims and to clarify its role. Gostin said it was a "very fair comment to say that China was not fully transparent, and that China delayed for several weeks, maybe even a month or more" before it reported the jump of the coronavirus from animal to human to the WHO. But he said that "that's not the WHO's fault, that's China's fault." "From the WHO's point of view, they immediately notified the world population," he said. Gostin also rejected allegations that the WHO did not declare an emergency soon enough, saying that the suggestion was "factually wrong." The WHO "declared a public health emergency very quickly after the first cases of COVID-19 were reported," he said, referring to the January 30 move made as thousands of new cases in China were revealed. People are mistaken, he said, in confusing that declaration with the labeling of the outbreak as a pandemic, which occurred on March 12, but which actually had "no legal significance." "In fact," he said, "the WHO has no power to declare a pandemic, it just gave its opinion. What it did do was exercise all the powers it could." Not So Strong? Those powers are arguably not very strong. "WHO should have been more skeptical about what the Chinese were telling them, but they're totally at the mercy of what governments provide," Daniel Speigel, the former UN ambassador under the administration of President Bill Clinton, told The Washington Post this month. "They have no intelligence capabilities, and no investigatory power," he added. Founded in 1948 in the aftermath of World War II, the WHO was intended to promote global health and protect against infectious diseases, such as cholera and polio. But it has no real independent authority, experts have argued, and is entirely dependent on its 194 member states as well as private entities for funding. Gostin compares the WHO's annual budget to that of a "large U.S. hospital," and says the amount -- which was $4.4 billion over the two-year period of 2018-2019 -- is "wholly incommensurate with its global responsibilities." The world's biggest powers, including China, which Gostin said "has given the WHO just a pittance," have underfunded the organization. In addition, he said, the organization is only in charge of no more than 25 percent of its own budget, because much of the funding is provided on contingency that it be used for a specific purpose. Gostin called on the funding of the WHO to be made mandatory by countries, under international law. "If we didn't have it," he said of the UN agency, "we would have to invent it." Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/is- who-the-one-to-call-on-to-stop- covid-19-/30577232.html Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Pastor Tony Spell breaks house arrest to hold church service Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Controversial Louisiana pastor Tony Spell, who had been placed on house arrest for allegedly backing up a church bus toward a person protesting his constant defiance of state stay-at-home orders, held an in-person church service Sunday while wearing an ankle monitor. Spell, the pastor of Life Tabernacle Church in Baton Rouge, ministered to a crowd at his church Sunday, two days after a judge asked him if hed comply with state orders that limit the number of people who can gather, according to WAFB9. In his response, Spell quoted a Bible verse to the judge, said East Baton Rouge Parish District Attorney Hillar Moore. The attorney added that the pastor remained silent when asked a second time, which resulted in the judge concluding that Spell was unwilling to comply. Spell made national headlines in recent weeks as he already faced several misdemeanor charges for holding in-person worship services attended by hundreds despite bans on mass gatherings to combat the spread of COVID-19. The police department in the city of Central near Baton Rouge issued a warrant for the Pentecostal pastor last Monday for rapidly backing up a large church bus on the shoulder of a public road outside of the church and nearly hitting a protester. Spell was taken into custody outside of Life Tabernacle Church the following day and transported to East Baton Rouge Parish Prison. A video of the incident showed the church bus being backed up at a seemingly rapid pace in the direction in which a protester was standing with a picket sign. Not until the bus was a few feet from striking the protester were the brakes rapidly applied and the bus brought to a halt. Spells attorney, Joseph Long, told NBC News that his client did not try to run over the protester. A fair viewing of the video will prove that Spell did not attempt to run over the protester, and the protester did not feel threatened, as he never moved when the bus came near, Long was quoted as saying. According to The Washington Post, Spell earlier wrote in a text message to one of its reporters Monday night that he would not surrender and that authorities will have to take him out of his church. Recently, Spell asked people to donate their stimulus checks to ministers and evangelists who havent had an offering in a month. Im donating my entire stimulus, $1,200. My wife is donating her stimulus, $1,200. My son is donating his stimulus, $600. #PastorSpellStimulusChallenge. If you dont have a church, give through my website www.ltcbr.com, Spell said in a video. The pastor claims the order preventing gatherings in Louisiana is politically motivated and an attack on all Christians across the world. If this is not about religion, then are the Waltons not being issued summons and arrested for keeping Walmart open? Spell previously said. Nobody will tell us as God-fearing Christians and Americans that we are non-essential in our society. We feel that we are as an essential part of our community as the retail stores, Spell told Dr. Phil last month. It is in persecution of the faith for us to be asked to close our doors whenever more people are being contacted in those Targets and Walmarts than are in my service We reach out, we minister to people, feed people. We are the last stable institution in this community today. On Monday, Channel Ten surprised avid cooking fans with the unexpected news that spin-off series, Junior MasterChef Australia, is casting for its new season. Endemol Shine Australia are looking for children aged between nine and 14 (as of May 25) to appear on the children's version of the hit reality series. According to the show's official website, producers are on the hunt for young chefs and baking enthusiasts to join them in the MasterChef kitchen. Get excited! On Monday, Channel Ten announced Junior MasterChef Australia is casting for the new season of the show While kids wanting to appear on the series need a passion for cooking, they don't have to be experts. Requirements state contestants need to be able to cook several meals on their own, and also be 'prepared to take some criticism'. Contestants also need to be 'very enthusiastic' about cooking and love 'spending time in the kitchen'. Flashback! The Australian series of the competition ran for two seasons between 2010 and 2011, and was hosted by judges Gary Mehigan, Matt Preston and George Calombaris The Australian series of the competition ran for two seasons between 2010 and 2011, and was hosted by judges Gary Mehigan, Matt Preston and George Calombaris. In 2011, the series was won by 11-year-old Greta Yaxley from Western Australia. The original season had over 5,000 children from around the nation audition for the series. Casting call: Endemol Shine Australia are looking for children between aged between nine and 14 (as of May 25) to appear on the junior version of the hit reality series The upcoming series is slated to be filmed in its Melbourne studios and requires contestants to be available for six consecutive weeks around July/August 2020. In a statement posted to 10 Daily, a representative said: 'Junior MasterChef Australia is a great way to showcase the best and brightest young cooks and their love of, and passion for, food.' They continued: 'The previous two seasons of Junior MasterChef Australia were hugely popular and a joy to watch.' Tiny chefs can register their interest here. Amid reports of many Tablighi Jamaat members volunteering to donate their plasma for treatment of COVID-19 patients, Union Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Monday said those who committed the sin of spreading the virus through their "criminal conduct" are now claiming to be "corona warriors". Naqvi said there is a "well-planned dirty Tablighi conspiracy" to prove every Indian Muslim as a Tablighi. His remarks come after 10 members of Tablighi Jamaat, who attended its congregation and tested positive for COVID-19, have come forward and donated their plasma to treat severally-ill coronavirus patients in the national capital. Several Tablighi Jamaat members at different quarantine centres have also volunteered to donate their plasma for treatment of COVID-19 patients, sources said. "Those Tablighi committed sin to spread corona through their 'criminal conduct' are claiming themselves to be 'corona warriors'. Amazing..instead of being ashamed of their crime,Tablighi(s) are insulting lakhs of corona warriors," Naqvi said in a tweet. "This is called 'chori aur seena zori'," Naqvi added. "Of course some patriotic Indian Muslims have donated plasma to the needy but it's not correct to call all of them Tablighi. There is a 'well-planned dirty Tablighi conspiracy' to prove every Indian Muslim as Tablighi," he said. In the plasma therapy, transfusion of plasma from recovered patients to severally-ill COVID-19 patients is conducted. Convalescent plasma is an experimental procedure for coronavirus patients. The move comes after an appeal was made by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal last week to patients, who have successfully recovered from coronavirus, to donate their plasma for treatment of COVID-19 patients. Last week, Naqvi, while reacting to instances of Muslims being blamed for the spurt in COVID-19 cases after Tablighi Jamaat congregation here, had said the entire Muslim community cannot be held responsible for one group's "crime". He had asserted that most of the minority community members have condemned the group's action. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) BURLINGAME, Calif., April 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The California Society of CPAs (CalCPA) 2020 Women to Watch Awards honored six top women leaders in the accounting and finance profession today during CalCPA's Women's Leadership Forum live webcast. The annual "Women to Watch Awards" recognize female CPAs and finance professionals across the state's diverse business community for their leadership, public service, advocacy, mentoring of other CPAs and overall contributions to the accounting and finance profession. Awards are given in three categories: Emerging Leader, Experienced Leader and Trailblazer. "This year's CalCPA Women to Watch Awards are being announced during one of our nation's most defining moments when the profession, business community and broader society will be turning to leaders to help guide them out of this crisis to a place of economic and social recovery," said CalCPA CEO Anthony Pugliese, CPA, CGMA, CITP. "The success and achievements of these accounting and finance leaders serve as strong examples and a call-to-action to motivate other leaders to make a difference in this time of need." The 2020 Women to Watch Award recipients include: Emerging Leader Award Stephanie Banuelos , CPA, manager at Grimbleby Coleman CPAs in Modesto , CPA, manager at Grimbleby Coleman CPAs in Tiffany Mosely, Esq. LLM, international tax at RSM LLP in Los Angeles (non-CPA category) Experienced Leader Award Erin Roche , CPA, team leader at Elliott CPA Group, Inc. in Santa Rosa , CPA, team leader at Elliott CPA Group, Inc. in Kim Ondreck Carim, Chief Operating and Financial Officer (COO/CFO) at Oakland Museum of California in Oakland in MARSHA LAINE DUNGOG , JD, LLM (US TAX), Director at Andersen Tax Law in San Francisco (non-CPA category) Trailblazer Award Samantha Ettus , Founder and CEO at Park Place Payments in Los Angeles The CalCPA Women's Leadership Forum theme this year is "breaking barriers and finding balance through wellness." "The challenges of the current pandemic are placing tremendous pressure on society and business, which in turns pressures each of us," said Brad Monterio, Chief Learning Officer at CalCPA. "Coping with crisis can impact our physical and mental wellness overall which points to the importance of achieving balance between work and wellness. CalCPA's annual Women's Leadership Forum now in its 10th year is a platform that brings together thought leaders to inspire women in accounting and finance to find that balance and achieve more comprehensive wellness." About CalCPA CalCPA traces its heritage to 1903 when the California State Society of Certified Public Accountants was organized. In 1909, it merged with two other state CPA associations to form CalCPA. CalCPA serves more than 43,000 members in public practice, private industry, academia and government, and has 14 chapters across California. CalCPA also offers more than 1,400 live courses, conferences, webcasts and on-demand self-study courses annually. For more information, visit www.calcpa.org. SOURCE California Society of CPAs Related Links http://www.calcpa.org While gaining advantage in the first quarter of 2020 amid the coronavirus outbreak, Vietnamese drug giants are predicted to face challenges in the upcoming months due to faults in the global ingredient supply chain. Late last month Traphaco JSC, the countrys second-largest publicly-traded drugmaker, held its 2020 stakeholders annual general meeting to review first quarter performance, discuss new development strategies, and set yearly targets. The group performed well between January and March when its profit and revenue surpassed the quarterly target by 5 per cent. Traphaco now boasts three big shareholders State Capital Investment Corporation (35.67 per cent), Magbi Fund Ltd. (24.99 per cent), and Super Delta Pte., Ltd (15.12 per cent). Better performance in short-term Along with Traphaco, other domestic drug giants including Imexpharm Pharmaceutical JSC (IMP), Vietnams fourth-biggest pharmaceutical firm, and Hau Giang Pharmaceutical JSC (DHG), the biggest, paved rosy paths during the period. IMPs total revenue reached VND304.3 billion ($13.23 million), up 10.1 per cent on-year, while total pre-tax profit hit VND51.4 billion ($2.23 million), up 13.2 per cent on-year. Impressively, the portions of its over-the-counter (OTC) and ethical drugs channel (ETC) all grew, with revenue structures up to 69.5 and 30.5 per cent, respectively. Imexpharms foreign ownership limit currently remains set at 49 per cent, with Balestrand Ltd. (5.92 per cent), and Kwe Beteiligungen AG (14.26 per cent) as foreign shareholders. Similarly, DHG is said to have made revenues of about VND1.2 trillion ($52.17 million) during the span, up from VND854.17 billion ($37.14 million) in the same period last year. DHG now has Taisho Pharmaceutical Holdings, one of the five biggest pharmaceuticals in Japan, as a major foreign shareholder, with a take of 50.78 per cent. According to an April report from FPT Securities (FPTS), the coronavirus crisis created positive impacts on several OTC drugs from IMP due to increasing local demands for stockpiles. With EU-GMP certificates for its factories, IMP also gained competitiveness in the ETC channel thanks to a reduction of 25-30 per cent in price from foreign-made equivalents. In addition, the giant drugmakers gained the advantage in safe financial structures thanks to a low debt ratio. The ratio of liabilities to equity stands less than 0.8 times, of which debt on equity is less than 0.3 times, except for Ha Tay Pharmaceutical JSC (DHT). This helps them avoid pressure on debt payment in the economic slowdown, said Nguyen Vu Cuong, an analyst at FPTS. Vuong, however, said that COVID-19 did not make significant positive impacts on OTC sales of all domestic pharmaceutical companies in the first quarter, only some. Revenues of drugstores rose strongly during the course at 164 to 168 per cent, driven by a rise in sales of masks, hand gel, and products for immune system strength such as vitamins and groups of analgesic drugs. However, these drugs are not the advantages of all pharma firms. With the first-quarter improvement, some drugmakers have set higher targets for 2020. For instance, Traphaco aims to make consolidated revenue of VND2 trillion ($86.95 million) and consolidated after-tax profit of VND180 billion ($7.8 million) this year, up 16 and 9 per cent on-year, respectively. Meanwhile, DHG aims to increase its pre-tax profit by a percentage point. IMP even set 25 and 28 per cent on-year rises in net revenue and pre-tax profit, respectively. Industry insiders have raised concerns over the feasibility of the new targets, despite having the strategies, blaming the fact that the co-operation process between Vietnamese pharmaceutical firms and their partners are stagnant, and interruptions in the global ingredient supply chain due to the ongoing pandemic. Long-term strategies In 2019, Traphaco faced a challenging year due to stiffening competition from domestic and international rivals, as well as fake products. According to a company financial statement, its consolidated revenue fell 7.5 per cent from the target and nearly 5 per cent on-year to VND1.72 trillion ($74.8 million). The group focused its efforts on five key solutions last year in a move to create a foundation for future growth in 2020-2025. They included renovating marketing activities, optimising cost, and developing ETC by establishing a hospital marketing division and appointing a deputy general director responsible. To this end, Traphaco strengthened training, boosted technology co-operation and transfer, and improved investment in production of western drugs. In spite of the efforts, Traphacos business results were still lower than expected. This year, the drugmaker is still concentrating on these business strategies. It aims to get technology transfer for 10-15 drugs from its South Korean partner Daewoong, while seeking new strategic partners to diversify its product portfolio to serve its ETC channel development. At present, the ETC makes up just 8 per cent of sales revenue among top brands of Traphacos investment portfolio. Meanwhile, DHG is taking up some strategies to help the company maintain its OTC market share including expanding its distribution network; boosting co-operation with supermarkets and drugstore chains such AEON Mall, Big C, An Khang, Medicare, Pharmacity, and VinFa; and embracing the e-commerce trend and joining distribution channels such as Lazada, Tiki, TV Homeshopping, and others. Meanwhile, IMP will concentrate on the ETC segment. Concerns persist Of course, it is not easy for Traphaco, DHG, and others to obtain the new targets as the coronavirus emergency is somewhat preventing their strategies from developing as planned. The pandemic is limiting the travel of experts and their partners in virus-hit areas, thus preventing the approval of technology transfer process for production of drugs from EU and South Korean partners among others, one expert elaborated. Moreover, many domestic drugmakers are facing a shortfall of ingredients due to the interruption in the ingredient supply chain. At present, Vietnams pharmaceutical production relies much on imported ingredients which make up 80-90 per cent of local demands, with which China and India accounted for over 80 per cent. Since late 2019 due to the coronavirus outbreak, many active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) factories in China are suspended, while India is restricting exports of necessary API. Currently, China is the worlds biggest API manufacturer, accounting for 40-60 per cent. This is proved by Vietnams on-year fall of 30.8 per cent in pharmaceutical ingredient imports in February. According to FPTS, Domesco Medical Import Export JSC (DMC) and DHG are among those hardest-hit because of the supply chain break. If the pandemic develops more seriously until the second quarter of 2020, DMC, DHG and others will see the shortfall becoming more serious, forcing them to find other sources of supplies outside China and India, thus resulting in a possible reduction in the margin of profit. At present, over 80 per cent of DHGs ingredients are from imports. IMP, Traphaco, and OPC Pharmaceutical JSC might have fewer impacts than DHG, DMC, and others as they rely less on ingredients from China and India. IMP is producing western medicines with ingredients coming from the EU, while oriental medicine manufacturers like Traphaco and OPC are able to grow and ensure the supply by themselves. However, to some extent, IMP will still suffer if the virus continues to spread in the long term. The firms ingredient imports from China and India makes up 50 per cent of total, while its ingredient stockpile is said to be enough for it to maintain its production capacity by the end of April. For Traphaco, ingredient stockpiles for western medicine production is sufficient until the end of the second quarter. Industry insiders hope that with the number of COVID-19 infected cases tending to fall globally, and several positive factors (such as resumption in operation of API factories in China since late February and expectation of India to lift restrictions shortly), the pharmaceutical ingredient supply chain will be affected in the short-term only. We rate positive for IMP, monitoring for Traphaco, and negative for those lacking ingredients in storage to serve first-quarter production such as DMC, DHG, and others with high debt payment pressures such as DHT, said Cuong at FPTS. VIR Bich Thuy Foreign investors continue to target Vietnams pharmaceutical industry Vietnam's pharmaceutical market has a lot of potential coming from the demographics, rising income and priority policies of the government. By Oliver Hirt ZURICH (Reuters) - Falcon Private Bank, a wealth manager that was at the centre of Malaysia's 1MDB scandal, could lose its Swiss banking licence by the end of the week, two sources close to the situation told Reuters. Swiss financial markets watchdog FINMA could withdraw the licence for the private bank owned by Abu Dhabi state fund Mubadala Investment Company on the grounds that it has continuously failed to meet regulatory requirements, the sources said. "Falcon employees are preparing to wind down the institute," one of the people said. A social plan for employees losing their jobs was also in the works. Falcon, FINMA and Mubadala all declined to comment. Falcon gained global notoriety in 2015 after it was reported that investigators found nearly $700 million (564 million pounds) had been transferred from an account at the banks Singapore outpost to accounts in Malaysia linked to then Prime Minister Najib Razak. Najib, now on trial for corruption in Malaysia, denies all charges against him. FINMA found in 2016 that Falcon had violated money-laundering regulations by failing to carry out adequate background checks into transactions and business relationships associated with state fund 1MDB which were booked in Switzerland, Singapore and Hong Kong. The watchdog told Falcon it would lose its licence if there was any repetition of the offence. Swiss federal prosecutors also opened a criminal investigation, which is ongoing. Mubadala has since looked but failed to find any buyers for the business. A takeover of the entire bank has become unrealistic, but Falcon is continuing to try to sell parts of its customer base, three people said. The bank, with headquarters in Zurich and other locations in Dubai and Luxembourg, is in talks with at least one interested party for such an asset deal whose outcome is uncertain. Credit Suisse manager Walter Berchtold, who took over as Falcon boss in 2016, tried to build up business trading the cryptocurrency Bitcoin , but quarrelled with its then-owner International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC), which has since merged into Mubadala. Story continues He was succeeded in 2017 by Martin Keller, also a former Credit Suisse manager. With the help of the strategy consultant Boston Consulting Group, Keller tried again to rivitalise the bank's business, but also fought strong headwinds. As key employees and customers left the bank, Falcon bled billions of assets under management, which now likely stand in the low- to mid-single digit billions of Swiss francs. The outflows also caused a drop in earnings. In 2019 it became apparent that implementing the new strategy was no longer realistic, two of the insiders said. "FINMA has given the bank three years to realign the business," one of the sources said. "Apparently, it wasn't happy with what was achieved." FINMA in October gave Falcon until the end of April, a deadline about to expire, one source said. A separate probe by Singapore authorities over Falcon's involvement in the 1MDB scandal resulted in the wealth manager's being stripped of its local banking licence. (Additional reporting by Hadeel Al Sayegh; Writing by Michael Shields; Editing by Jan Harvey) Abdullah al-Hamid dedicated his life to protecting those defending basic rights and freedoms, said Maria Arena. The reported denial of healthcare to Abdullah al-Hamid was morally wrong and unacceptable, a prominent European politician said on Monday, following the death of the Saudi human rights defender in prison last week. Al-Hamid was a pioneer in advocating for Saudi Arabia to recognise the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, said Maria Arena, the Belgian chair of the European Parliaments Subcommittee on Human Rights. I am shocked to hear that one of Saudi Arabias leading human rights voices has passed away in prison at the age of 69, while serving an 11-year prison sentence, she said. He dedicated his whole life to fighting against harmful practices and to protecting all those defending basic rights and freedoms in his country. 190331110812836 Many Saudi human rights activists, womens rights activists, and peaceful dissidents are currently detained in the country on accusations that relate to human rights work, and reports of poor treatment in prisons are frequent. Saudi authorities were aware of Professor al-Hamids poor health since early 2020, said Arena, a member of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats grouping in the parliament. Denying proper medical care to detainees is a violation of the right to life and a form of cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment. This is not only morally wrong; it is unacceptable, she continued. Prominent Saudi womens rights defenders and human rights activists, including Sakharov Prize laureate Raif Badawi, are currently being detained for peacefully exercising their basic rights, including the right to freedom of expression. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and at a time when joint efforts are needed to defeat the virus, including in places of detention, I strongly encourage the Saudi authorities to take steps to release all human rights defenders and to apply preventive and protective health measures without discrimination. Very sad news on this 1st day of #Ramadan2020: Prisoner of conscience, Poet, #humanrights activist Dr Abdullah al-Hamid dies in custody in #SaudiArabia. RIP. @UNHumanRights @UN_SPExperts have called for prisoners of conscience to be released from custody in the wake of #Covid19 pic.twitter.com/i6N8oEwOM1 Agnes Callamard (@AgnesCallamard) April 24, 2020 Al-Hamid was being held in a Riyadh prison when he fell ill earlier this year. He was transferred to a hospital in January, where he suffered a stroke and fell into a coma in early April, according to rights groups including Amnesty International. 191125112904242 The Right Livelihood Award Foundation, which awarded al-Hamid the alternative Nobel prize, said the academic was repeatedly denied crucial medical care and paid the ultimate price for his convictions. Ole von Uexkull, head of the foundation, blamed Saudi authorities for his death, saying that al-Hamids unlawful imprisonment and inhumane treatment led to his death. We hold Saudi authorities directly responsible for al-Hamids death, as they have deliberately denied him access to proper medical care for many months during his imprisonment, von Uexkull added in a statement on Friday. Though Baume & Mercier has been with the Richemont Group since 1988 (back then, Richemont was called the Vendome Group), the maison has always had an identity of its own, rooted in interpreting traditional craftmanship in a contemporary nature. Their new launches in 2020, most revealed through Watches & Wonders digital platform, show a clear continuation of their mission to offer modern, finely crafted timepieces to a new generation of emergent clients. For this first half of 2020, Baume & Mercier chose to enrich two of their iconic collections: the Clifton Baumatic and the Hampton. Revealed in drips since the beginning of the year, with the Clifton Baumatic Day-Date Moonphase joining the family last month, Baume & Mercier unveils two new watches following the Day-Dates footsteps: the Baumatic Moon-phase Date and Baumatic COSC. The former features a white dial with a porcelain finish in a 42mm satin polished stainless-steel case, with a moon-phase set against a starry sky displayed at 6 oclock. The moon-phase doubles as the date, with a hand pointing to the numbers 1 to 31 circling the display. Clifton Baumatic Moon-phase Date Baume & Mercier The COSC-certified Clifton Baumatic date is a significantly paired down piece, displaying only the hours, minutes, seconds and date on a dial choice of gradated grey or a warm white with porcelain finish. Available in two sizes (39mm or 40mm) and in a choice of three metals (steel, two-tone steel and steel topped with gold, or 18K rose gold), this model completes the Clifton Baumatic collection with one of the most affordable (depending on the case metal you choose, of course) mechanical COSC-certified watches on the luxury market. Clifton Baumatic COSC Baume & Mercier Those with a penchant for something less classic will likely find something in the more contemporary, rectangular Hampton collectionan ode to an interesting era for the maison. Established as Baume & Mercier in Geneva during the roaring 1920s, the brand fully embraced Art Deco as a pillar for their aesthetic codes: splashes of bold colours, luxurious materials, straight lines and geometric symmetry. As a call-back to that era (appropriate to celebrate a 1920s art movement in 2020), the maison is showcasing all those aesthetic codes in their new Hampton models. A rectangular, stainless-steel watch available in three sizessmall (35 x 22.2 mm), medium (43 x 27.5 mm), and large (48 x 31 mm)the new Hampton is all symmetry and thoughtful proportions. Arabic numerals adorn the dials along with riveted indices and sword-shaped hands. The small models feature a new generation quartz movement optimised to be reliable for seven years and are available with either an opaline silver dial or a white mother-of-pearl dial set with 4 brilliant-cut diamonds. Hampton, small models Baume & Mercier The medium and large models have a grey and black minute track circling the dial, a distinct characteristic of Art Deco design, and house an automatic movement, its oscillating weight decorated with the Cotes de Geneve pattern visible through the open caseback. The large model, having more room to work with, also has a version featuring a large date and a dual time zone and day/night indicator at 6 oclock. All these models show a wide variety, a watch for every occasion and budget, with prices ranging from CHF 1,300 to CHF 3,650. Hampton, medium and large models Baume & Mercier Completing their star collections to make them fully fleshed, the new Clifton Baumatic and Hampton models are a testament to Baume & Mercier (and by extension the Richemont Group) focusing on a growing segment of the population looking to learn more about the marriage of craftmanship and technology in watchmaking. While its unlikely that Baume & Mercier will enter the competitive realm of multi-complication, record-breaking watches, theyre also not aiming for thatwhat they vie for is to be a persons first or second watch, and in this industry in this day and age, thats just as important. Chinese students have been asked to wear 'one-metre hats' to keep social distancing in class on their first day back to school after three-month coronavirus lockdown. A video has captured the children wearing the home-made hats with extended sticks on both sides to remain safe distance with their classmates at a school in China. It comes as pupils across China have gone back to school after spending more than three months at home as the country continues to ease travel restrictions. The idea of 'one-metre hat' was suggested by the Yangzheng Primary School in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province of eastern China. The school welcomed its students in year 1 to 3 returning to the campus on April 26 The idea of 'one-metre hats' was suggested by the Yangzheng Primary School in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province of eastern China. The school welcomed its students in year 1 to 3 returning to the campus on April 26. The principal, known by his surname Hong, said that the hats would help the students keep social distancing with each other. 'We encourage our students to wear the one-metre hats to stay at least one metre (three feet) away from each other,' Mr Hong told the press. The teachers had asked the kids to make the headgear with their parents at home before returning to school. A clip from Sunday shows a group of children sitting in their classroom while wearing their hand-made devices. The students are required to have no physical contacts with their classmates while keeping their hats untouched. A clip from Sunday shows a group of children sitting in their classroom while wearing their hand-made devices at the Yangzheng Primary School in the Chinese eastern city Hangzhou Tens of thousands of graduating students in China have returned to the campus after spending three months at home due to coronavirus. Pictured, students wearing face masks line up to have their temperature checked at the entrance of a middle school in Shanghai on April 27 China has been easing its travel restrictions as the country sees a steady drop in its active coronavirus cases. The city of Wuhan, where the pandemic first began, claimed that it has discharged all of its COVID-19 patients from the hospitals yesterday, marking significant progress for China towards fully containing the outbreak. Meanwhile, tens of thousands of students in their final year of middle and high schools in Shanghai and Guangzhou returned to the campus on Monday while graduating students in high schools in Beijing also resumed classroom study today. All schools and universities must impose strict preventative measures to stop the disease from spreading, including giving out free face masks, disinfecting the campus and setting up quarantine areas. The news comes as the city of Wuhan, where the global coronavirus pandemic began in December, yesterday discharged its last COVID-19 patient, health officials said. Pictured, students wearing face masks have a class at a middle school in Shanghai on April 27 The government of Guangzhou, which has a population of around 15million, had given each of the 208,000 returning students a nucleic acid test before allowing them to step into the school, reported People's Daily. The test detects if the person currently has the novel coronavirus. 'I'm glad, it's been too long since I've seen my classmates,' 18-year-old Hang Huan said in Shanghai. 'I've missed them a lot.' All schools in Shanghai, the Chinese commercial hub with 24million people, must adopt new tough rules to prevent a second wave, according to Lu Jing, an official from the Shanghai Municipal Education Commission. School authorities must provide each student and teacher with one face mask every day and disinfect the canteen, dormitories, classrooms, washbasins and bathrooms daily. Schools in Shanghai must also install screening facilities featuring ultra red thermometers at the gate to monitor students' temperatures when there are more than 100 people on campus Schools must also install screening facilities featuring ultra red thermometers at the gate to monitor students' temperatures when there are more than 100 people on campus, Lu added. Students in Beijing, which has a population of more than 21million, must have their temperatures checked at school gates and show 'green' health codes on an app that calculates a person's infection risk, according to the education ministry. Nearly 50,000 students who are in their last year of high school resumed their campus life on Monday in 254 schools in the capital city, People's Daily said. Crises nearly always create political upheaval. In recent history the catastrophes of 9/11 and the Great Recession both defined American politics for the decade that came after each event. The Covid-19 crisis, which has already killed far more Americans than the 9/11 attacks and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq that were waged in response, seems likely to have a similar effect. And while the political impact of a deadly pandemic is by no means the most important question of the moment, the Trump administrations embrace of a massive government intervention to cushion the economic impact of our national self-quarantine has intensified a debate on the right about Republicans and the role of government. Anyone who watched the 2009 stimulus debate has to be flabbergasted by the Republican response in 2020. Back then, President Barack Obama struggled to pass a $900 billion bill even as his top economists believed the country needed a package several times that size. The Obama stimulus received no Republican votes in the House and three Republican votes in the Senate, including Pennsylvanias Arlen Specter, who soon joined the Democratic Party. Congressional Republicans in 2020 have embraced $2 trillion and counting in stimulus with almost no resistance. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, the one House Republican who loudly questioned the initial package, was nuked by President Donald Trump in a tweet and the legislation passed with a voice vote in the Democratic-controlled chamber. In 2020, the economic libertarians who once defined conservatism have disappeared. Instead, the most interesting debate is among Republican policymakers crafting large-scale programs to get government checks into the hands of economically disenfranchised people as quickly as possible. The two most notable politicians crafting stimulus policy for Trump to sign are Republican Sens. Marco Rubio of Florida and Josh Hawley of Missouri. Before the coronavirus crisis, both senators had taken stabs at articulating a new kind of policy populism for the GOP that was self-consciously anti-libertarian, skeptical of Big Business, and more comfortable with Big Government. When the economy started crashing in March, Rubio, the chairman of the Small Business Committee, helped dream up the massive Paycheck Protection Program, which has the government shoveling hundreds of billions of dollars out the door every month. Hawley, who is only 40 years old and was elected in 2018, wanted and wants something even more expansive : a program that would pay businesses to keep their workers on the payrolls. Story continues Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., leaves the Senate floor after presiding over the longest roll call in history, an amendment to require approval from Congress before President Donald Trump could order military strikes against Iran, at the Capitol in Washington, Friday, June 28, 2019. The vote will remain open all day as senators who participated in the Democratic presidential debate in Miami trickle into the chamber. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) Josh believes we have reached the limitations of the PPP, said Hawleys chief of staff, Kyle Plotkin. It was a temporary lifeline, but now its time to think about recovery. Too many small businesses arent able to access the PPP. At the time of the passage, the nearly nationwide shutdown orders werent in place yet and the economic ramifications were unknown. But after the government shut down the economy, we now have mass unemployment. We have to do something that addresses the severity of the crisis. Hawley argues, not unreasonably, that because the governments shelter-at-home directives caused the economic collapse, the government has a responsibility to respond with something to match the scale of the problem. Before the crisis, Rubio, Hawley and their fellow Republican populists (the term applies more to Hawley than Rubio) seemed to amount to little more than a small group of legislators, a tight network of D.C. policy wonks, and some right-leaning opinion columnists. But when the pandemic struck, they were suddenly crafting the most consequential and interventionist legislation of the century. Now the question is whether they represent the future of the GOP the rising stars who will define the party after Trump or whether they are simply like firefighters called in for an emergency before the party defaults back to its traditional small-government worldview. The two most recent and gravest national crises did not alter politics in a predictable or even consistent way. The aftermath of 9/11 was marked by a surge in support for George W. Bush and two elections that tilted toward the GOP. By the third national election after the terrorist attacks, in 2006, Bushs response, especially the war in Iraq, was deemed to be a catastrophe. The economic collapse of 2008 likely helped Obama win that years presidential election, and it facilitated the passage of a sweeping agenda in 2009, but an anti-government backlash quickly followed in 2010. But those twin crises did have lasting impact: both parties have become more anti-war and more economically populist. (The hard-to-argue-with evidence for this claim is the influence of Bernie Sanders on Democrats and the election of Trump.) Perhaps not surprisingly, the GOP populists see the pandemic as accelerating the still inchoate Big Government impulses that Trump has often, though inconsistently, represented. "This is going to jump-start the already simmering debate over how the right should deal with domestic policy, said Henry Olsen, one of the leading intellectual champions of a more economically interventionist conservatism. Clearly there's going to be demand for many types of stimulus. Theres going to be demand for the view that we're not going to let this happen again. And a libertarian, hands-off policy doesn't really respond to that. Its more interesting to muse about how this crisis might rewire Republican politics, but theres a strong case for skepticism about how the pandemic will rewire conservatism. Among many Capitol Hill Republicans, Hawley remains a freshman outlier with little influence inside the party. I don't think anything has changed fundamentally in the Republican Party because of what is going on with coronavirus , said a senior Senate Republican aide. There are no atheists in foxholes but I assume they go back to being atheists if they survive. This person emphasized that the initial bipartisan response to the crisis has already faded, with both parties now trying to use subsequent legislation to push more parochial party issues. This is hardly the first time that the libertarians have been challenged by Big Government conservatives. Theres a long history of the GOP embracing activist government when in power and then turning against it ferociously when a Democrat is in the White House. The GOP has a built-in advantage when it comes to using the government to ameliorate economic hardship. Decades of polling consistently shows that Democrats trust the government at high levels despite who controls the White House, while Republican voters fluctuate depending on the party affiliation of the president. Republicans have expressed much higher levels of trust during Republican than during Democratic presidencies, noted a recent report from Pew, while Democrats attitudes have tended to be more consistent, regardless of which party controls the White House. The last boomlet for Big Government conservatism was during the era of George W. Bush. But once his administration crashed and burned and Obama won, the libertarian-inspired tea party movement dominated the GOP. It is hard to imagine how the kind of populist economic interventionism represented by Hawley would thrive during a Biden presidency, when a focus on debt and deficits and the size of government would undoubtedly be politically beneficial for many Republican candidates. In fact, the roots of this kind of movement can already be seen in the scattered protests against quarantine policies. So far, the protests have been small and mostly about the quarantine policies rather than the trillions of federal dollars being spent. But they do hint at the idea that the libertarian soul of the GOP has not yet been expunged. New Delhi, April 27 : The Broadband India Forum (BIF), here on Monday, dismissed concerns over violation of net neutrality and data protection norms after Facebook's investment in Jio Platforms. "There are, as usual, some apprehensions in certain quarters that net neutrality and data protection norms would be flouted and consumer interest harmed. It's erroneous, far-fetched and not based on facts," the industry body said. The net neutrality rules were unambiguously written into the TSP licences and couldn't be violated, it said and added, as the data protection framework to guard consumer interests was under process and expected to become an Act, the fear was unfounded. The BIF said its members, which included Jio and Facebook, were committed to the cause of 'broadband for all' involving the proliferation of affordable high quality broadband and involving the principles of liberalisation and competition. TV Ramachandran, BIF president, said: "Facebook and Jio, both esteemed members of the BIF, and leaders in their respective business verticals, have come together and reaffirmed the promise and potential that the future holds for the digital services sector in the country." The importance of the sector had been demonstrated by the role it had played, and "continues to play in these difficult times to mitigate the ill-effects of the pandemic, while maintaining near-normalcy in the country," he said. According to the industry body, the investment decision will boost India's attractiveness in the global investment community, especially in the digital domain. The move will strengthen the prospects of broadband ecosystem in India, which has set global benchmarks in terms of data consumption on the per subscriber basis, to the tune of 11GB per user per month, and steadily rising. Hailing Facebook's Rs 43,574 crore investment in Jio Platforms, the BIF said the decision coming in the midst of the coronavirus crisis and economic slowdown displayed the sector's resilience and its future. The BIF said the Facebook-Jio partnership could be beneficial to over 5 crore micro, small and medium businesses, over 10 crore farmers, about 3 crore small merchants and millions of small and medium enterprises in the informal sector across India. "The pact signed between Jio Platforms, Reliance Retail and WhatsApp to cross-leverage e-commerce platform JioMart and WhatsApp is also aimed at facilitating new business opportunities by enabling a seamless digital connectivity experience between the consumer and local businesses/shops/kirana stores," it said. Harry and Meghan have reportedly given an interview for a biography. (Getty Images) Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have reportedly given an interview to two journalists who are writing a biography on the couple. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who are currently living in Los Angeles, are said to have spoken to Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand before moving there. The book, which is to be called Thoroughly Modern Royals: The Real World of Harry and Meghan, was initially set for release in June, but was delayed to 11 August so the authors could include the couple stepping back as senior royals. The Evening Standard reported Palace courtiers fear what the couple could say in the biography. The couple are now in LA after their final royal engagements. (Reuters) Read more: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to release new picture of Archie for first birthday Former press secretary to the Queen Dickie Arbiter, told The Times: There is always concern when there is a book coming out, probably more so on this one if what we read is true that they have co-operated. If they have co-operated then there is concern. It also begs the question how much have they co-operated? However, he pointed out that Harry, 35, hasnt been badly treated by the family and so the expose shouldnt have the same tone as the book his mother Diana did with Andrew Morton in 1992. Scobie, who writes for Harpers Bazaar and hosted Yahoo UKs The Royal Story, was one of the journalists invited to Meghans secret final event at the palace, when she met some of the Commonwealth young ambassadors before the Commonwealth Day service. ITVs Tom Bradby, a friend of the couple, has previously said an interview with them wont be pretty. He was the documentary maker behind the couples South Africa film, which made headlines when Meghan said: Not many people have asked if Im okay. Meghan, 38, is currently taking Associated Newspapers (ANL) to court over publication of extracts of a letter she wrote to her father after her wedding to Harry in 2018. Read more: Meghan Markle's father was manipulated by journalists, duchess's lawyer claims Story continues They are believed to have dialled into a virtual High Court hearing on Friday, as ANL attempted to have sections of her claim struck out before a full trial. The book will be published by New York-based Dey Street Books, and an e-book is already available for preorder for 7.49. CP Rail has found itself at the centre of a firestorm after angry farmers in Manitoba and Saskatchewan received letters telling them they would have to pay to upgrade private rail crossings or face having them shut down. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 27/4/2020 (625 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Advertisement Advertise With Us CP Rail has found itself at the centre of a firestorm after angry farmers in Manitoba and Saskatchewan received letters telling them they would have to pay to upgrade private rail crossings or face having them shut down. The crossings are often a farmers only way to get from one field to another. SUBMITTED Blane Bauer holds paperwork from CP Rail as he stands on the private rail crossing that connects his fields near Binscarth. Keystone Agricultural Producers has been working to resolve the issue for the past 10 days, KAP president Bill Campbell said Saturday. KAPs transportation committee held a virtual ZOOM meeting with CP Rail on Friday to discuss its plans. Farmers and other landowners who have private crossings along the Bredenbury Subdivision rail line, which runs from Minnedosa to Bredenbury, Sask., received letters from CP that were sent out March 26. The letter reads in part: "Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) has been reviewing their record files and databases for information pertaining to public and private rail grade crossings throughout Canada. This review has identified an incomplete number of records with regards to rail crossing user agreements between the private crossing owners and CP. "Also in conjunction with the above review, a communications plan has been developed to advise the responsible parties of 8,877 rail crossings of Transport Canadas new regulations and standards for all at-grade rail crossings. This letter is to inform you that the private rail crossing at the location described above has been identified as a rail crossing that is in use with no apparent agreement between yourself, the responsible crossing owner and CP." It later goes on to read: "Once the grade crossing compliance updates have been completed by CP Rail workforce, an invoice will be generated and sent you for payment instructions. Please note, if CP does not receive a response to this letter, CP may proceed with the closure of the noted subject crossing." Depending on the crossing, there are costs for everything from upgrades to the crossing surface to the road approach and sightlines. "The intent of the letter is to find out who actually owns the property, and so then they would identify who they are dealing with and find out the status," Campbell said. But, he said, there is a "public relations shortfall" in the letter that indicates not only a financial impact on farmers, but also the prospect of having the crossings shut down if they dont agree to pay what could amount to thousands of dollars per crossing. "Our indication yesterday (Friday) was that they have no intention of terminating the crossings," he said, "but the letter does not state that, so we fully told them Then, your letter is not what your intentions are and it has really misled producers or people with the crossings." During the meeting, CP indicated that those who are not comfortable signing and returning the paperwork should hold off for now, Campbell said. "It seems to be a large area of miscommunication, but the problem is that the letter indicates they need to sign by April 30," he said. "At this point in time, it is our belief that CP is going to continue communicating and have a better sense of what their intentions are." Other subdivisions across the country will also be affected by CPs crossing upgrade efforts. The first was in Alberta "and it was not well received," Campbell said. Federal legislation was passed in 2014 with regards to railway crossing safety and is to be implemented by November 2021. "Were asking for extensions and consultation and, you know, some type of common-sense approach to this whole issue," Campbell said. Mervin Starzyk, mayor of the RM of Yellowhead and Midwest Director for the Association of Manitoba Municipalities, said he recently began receiving phone calls from ratepayers in his municipality who were alarmed by correspondence they had received from CP Rail. "The copy of the letter that I received from one of our area farmers puts the costs at over $3,000 per crossing," Starzyk said in an article published last week by the Four-Town Journal, a newspaper in Langenburg, Sask. "And he has four of them on his land, so thats a pretty big hit." Farmers must also now pay CP Rail an annual crossing fee of $350, which can change with every new annual contract, and must also carry a minimum general liability insurance of $5 million along with $2 million in automobile liability insurance. Starzyk and about 15 producers and landowners held a ZOOM virtual meeting two weeks ago with Dauphin-Swan River-Neepawa MP Dan Mazier, who told the group he would be in touch with Jim Carr, Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus special representative to the Prairies. Binscarth-area farmer Blane Bauer said he was angered to receive a letter from CP that originally pegged the price tag for his one private rail crossing at more than $9,400. He and his wife, Karen, are now negotiating that figure downward with the railway. "This has never happened to us before, and weve had this land for decades," Bauer said. "Theyve (CP) been fixing crossings for decades. Somethings changed." He added, "This romance that weve had with our wonderful railway system, and opening up the country, it has some sour notes to it when you get things like this happening." The Canadian Transportation Agency is advising farmers with concerns about the upgrades to contact Rail Helpline at 1-877-850-7148. The CTA is an independent administrative tribunal of the federal government that makes decisions relating to federally regulated modes of transportation. Campbell said farmers can also contact CP directly at the number provided in the letters. "CP is complying with Transport Canadas Grade Crossing Regulation," Andy Cummings, CP Rails media relations manager, said in an emailed statement to the Sun. "Questions regarding the crossing standards required by that regulation should be addressed to Transport Canada." A spokesman for Transport Canada referred the Suns request for comment to the Canadian Transportation Agency, which did not respond by late Saturday. brobertson@brandonsun.com Pune city in Maharashtra, which has reported a rapid spread of coronavirus infection, was on Monday notified as a containment zone till May 3 by the city municipal corporation. In view of the order issued by Pune municipal commissioner Shekhar Gaikwad to this effect, police also extended the restrictions already imposed on residents. "We have already imposed a curfew in Pune city to check the spread of the coronavirus," said Joint Commissioner of Police Ravindra Shisve. He said the restrictions were relaxed for a certain period in a day to enable people to buy essential commodities during the curfew. With the detection of 84 fresh COVID-19 cases in Pune, the tally in the district increased to 1,348 on Monday, while the death tall rose to 80, an official said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Britain's Prince William and wife Kate Middleton have reportedly planned an unusual virtual birthday party surprise for their daughter, Princess Charlotte, who turns five on Saturday. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, who are isolating at their Anmer Hall residence in Norfolk, eastern England, during the coronavirus lockdown have planned all the usual trimmings of birthday cake and some games as well as a surprise video call from her great grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II. Her parents are said to be keen to make the birthday of Charlotte, the fourth in line to the British throne, as special as possible despite the strict social distancing norms imposed to curb the spread of the deadly virus. The Sunday Express' quoted a royal source as saying that the 94-year-old monarch, who is based at Windsor Castle, would make up an "important part" for Princess Charlotte's birthday celebrations. "The family has arranged a Zoom party for her. This is so she can speak to family and friends, the source was quoted as saying. The source added: Then, Kate and Prince William have put together a full plan that will give her all the fun of a birthday. This includes cakes and games, despite the extraordinary circumstances we are faced with. Princess Charlotte's great-great-grandmother, the Queen, will be joining the family call on the big day. "As far as Charlotte is concerned, the important part is that her whole family are by her side to say happy birthday." The family of five William, Kate, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and their youngest son Prince Louis were last seen together at the doorstep of their home for the weekly clap for our carers last Thursday, when people across the UK show their appreciation for the UK's medics and healthcare professionals. It also marked Prince Louis' second birthday, which the family celebrated by releasing special photographs of the young royal taken by his mother Kate an amateur photographer. Louis was seen with his hands painted in the colours of the rainbow, a symbol of support for the state-funded National Health Service (NHS) through the coronavirus outbreak. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) When he finishes a regular shift of examining the contours of a murder scene the shell casings and blood spatter, the mystery of who pulled the trigger one Philadelphia police investigator begins a new ritual. He drives along a familiar route to his house at the edge of the city, but stops before entering. Inside, he has family members with compromised immune systems, which makes them especially vulnerable to the deadly coronavirus. He stands, for a moment, in his garage. His clothes are immediately tossed into the washer. His shoes get pushed to the side. He sprints into the shower. I cant take any chances, explained the investigator, who requested anonymity because he didnt have approval to speak publicly. Countless Philadelphians have learned new routines that they hope will protect them from the virus: donning masks and gloves on neighborhood walks, scrubbing groceries with disinfectant wipes, interacting with relatives only through windowpanes. But for first responders such as police, theres no getting around the fact that their job puts them at a heightened risk for contracting COVID-19. The first city employee claimed by the virus was a cop: James Walker, a lieutenant in the Traffic Division, a 59-year-old with a wife and two daughters. Walkers wife said he was admitted to Abington Hospital-Jefferson Health on March 27. Nine days later, he died. READ MORE: Philadelphia police lieutenant dies from the coronavirus, first fatality among city employees Walkers death was a reminder that a police officers world is often claustrophobic. Cramped patrol cars, shared with a partner. Small, dilapidated district headquarters buildings, where dozens congregate. Narrow streets where they come face-to-face with any number of people every day. The city has not been willing to release the number of first responders who have contracted COVID-19, but a law enforcement official familiar with the issue told The Inquirer that at least 800 members of the 6,500-strong police department have been impacted by the virus, which is to say that theyve come in direct contact with someone who has the virus, or have traveled to a hot spot, such as New York City. About 140 have tested positive, the official said. Thus far, Walker is the only police officer whose death has been attributed to the virus. I would say, daily operations-wise, the number of people that weve had out, that have been impacted, whether personally or someone theyre connected with, has been very low, compared to the number of resources that we have available to use, Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said. Multiple cops, from rank-and-file officers to supervisors, expressed a range of views on the virus and its impact on the department, echoing the spectrum of public opinion. Some think the threat posed by the virus has been overhyped by the media. Most, though, described a sense of anxiety that pervades their daily lives, and complained that the city isnt doing enough to keep them safe or informed. Outlaw isnt surprised that the rising body count COVID-19 has killed at least 472 people in Philadelphia and the ever-evolving wisdom on how to best avoid the virus have rattled some of her troops. Youre looking at a very structured profession, with very clear-cut mandates," she said. "Its a paramilitary organization. When you insert a level of uncertainty, of course its going to tweak morale. ASK US: Do you have a question about the coronavirus and how it affects your health, work and life? Ask our reporters. Though there hasnt been a department-wide mandate for officers to ride in patrol cars alone, instead of in pairs, some districts have adopted this approach on their own. It doesnt make any sense to be driving around in pairs, when you dont have enough room to social distance, said John McNesby, president of Fraternal Order of Police Lodge No. 5. Thats a concern weve been trying to address with the city. Outlaw said police brass have explored a variety of approaches to ensure that cops arent unnecessarily close to one another, from adjusting shifts to allowing certain personnel to work remotely. They considered a widespread switch to having cops drive solo. "The bottom line is, we just dont have enough cars for that, Outlaw said. Since March 20 a week before Lt. Walker was hospitalized after experiencing difficulty breathing the department has posted more than a dozen coronavirus-related policies and protocols for officers to follow. One memo directed police to delay making arrests for nonviolent crimes, such as drug offenses, stolen cars and theft. I got flack for that initially, Outlaw said, but now you find folks all over the country doing the same thing. READ MORE: With courts closed by pandemic, Philly police stop low-level arrests to manage jail crowding Most of the policies underscore the importance of cops wearing protective equipment gloves, eye goggles, cloth masks, or N95 masks if available. Some bristled at an April 7 memo that called for officers who make an arrest to put a cloth, paper or other non-N95 mask over the prisoners mouth and nose." Officers were also instructed to question everyone they arrest about whether they have the virus, or have come in contact with someone who had it; those who might be COVID-19 positive are being processed at a single police facility in North Philadelphia. Where are we getting extra masks from? We dont even have enough masks for us, said one supervisor. And should we be getting that close to someone elses face? Inspector Sekou Kinebrew, a police spokesperson, said the policy was implemented in order to protect officers and others nearby from possible exposure to the virus from arrested persons. But a lack of protective gear was cited by the officers who spoke to The Inquirer as an ongoing problem. Several said that two pairs of eye goggles have been issued to officers who work on wagon crews, transporting prisoners, with the understanding that they will clean the goggles at the end of their shift, and then share them with officers who ride in the wagon on subsequent shifts. That could be the result of a shortage of the goggles, City Managing Director Brian Abernathy said. I know were working on it. Obviously, its not ideal. But not a lot of what were dealing with is ideal. Abernathy said that the city is obtaining more N95 masks, but believes that the police department has a sufficient supply. The city, he added, will likely conduct a review to ensure that the masks have been distributed. The majority of officers should have N95 masks, he said. The FOP, meanwhile, has spent close to $400,000 on cloth masks, hand sanitizer, and disinfectants that have been given out to cops, according to McNesby. Some of the officers and supervisors interviewed said they have not received information from the department or the city about coworkers who have tested positive, so they cant know for sure whether theyve been exposed to the virus. We dont know whos tested positive, or whos self-quarantining, said one supervisor. I work around someone who hasnt been in work in almost a month. I got tested. It came back negative. Abernathy cited privacy concerns Just because theyre public servants doesnt mean they give up a right to privacy but emphasized that the city is following strict health protocols that require employees to be notified if theyve come in contact with a colleague who either has the virus, or has been exposed to someone else who has it. Were following the guidelines that we have, he said. We understand that officers are anxious. Cops grumble about worst-case scenarios: What happens if the virus spreads in greater numbers through the department? How would the force operate if 20% or 30% of uniformed officers became ill? Its an unsettling premise especially since shootings and homicides continue to climb but not entirely far-fetched. In New York City, more than 4,600 officers have tested positive for the coronavirus, and at one point, nearly 20% of the 36,000-member department was out sick. Officials there are now experimenting with a pilot program to take officers temperatures when they report to work at their precincts. But thats not a foolproof way to identify carriers; fevers arent a symptom in everyone who has the virus. READ MORE: Even a pandemic cant slow Phillys gun violence Abernathy and Outlaw said the city has a contingency plan for the police department if the virus forces services to be streamlined. Im cautiously optimistic that we wont get to that point, Abernathy said. The department has managed this fairly well. Cautious optimism, masks, and gloves. These are the new tools of law enforcement in the age of the coronavirus. The Austrian Grand Prix is first on Chase Carey's schedule for a new start to the Formula 1 season, but according to the BBC Liberty Media has a unique plan in mind to fill the calendar even easier. Twice Austria and England Where the French Grand Prix was cancelled on Monday morning and the British Grand Prix had to report to the fans that the race was being held without an audience, Carey came up with better news. Formula 1 aims for a start at the beginning of July with the Austrian Grand Prix first, before moving to Austria. Yes, you read it well. According to the BBC, Formula 1 wants to hold two races in a row in Austria. Teams and therefore all staff will come to Austria two weeks in advance to be able to quarantine first. It will be tested and then they can get to work. In order to limit the travelling afterwards, Formula 1 wants to race again in Austria one week later. Another week later, Formula 1 will leave for England as planned for a race without an audience at Silverstone. However, there too Carey has a plan to organise two races in a row. So according to the BBC we would get four races in the month of March, but the drivers only appear on two different tracks. No Zandvoort With July behind it, the BBC is expecting races in Spain, Hungary and France in August. According to the BBC, the fact that Paul Ricard has been cancelled does not mean that there will be a race on French soil in 2020. September then consists of many question marks. Zandvoort and Spa-Francorchamps seem to have problems with the rules in their own country and Canada and Singapore are obliged to the month of September. As a street circuit Singapore is fixed to the already planned date and in Canada they don't want to race later because of the weather conditions. Straight to Monza? Italy on the other hand seems to be a bigger contender according to the British medium. The country has been hit enormously by the coronavirus as the first hot spot in Europe, but the pressure would be enormous to let the race take place in their own country after all. Russia and Azerbaijan would then be on the list at the end of September/October. In Asia, it is hoped to race all three races in Vietnam, China and Japan in the month of October, to fly eastwards in November. There the races will have to be held in America, Brazil and Mexico. Finally, the F1 finishes in the Middle East with a race in Bahrain and the finale in Abu Dhabi. Read here also the calendar that we managed to put together based on the information from Chase Carey! CALIFORNIA Local leaders have sent a letter to Governor Gavin Newsom asking him to allow six Northern California counties to come out of the statewide stay-at-home order, while following with their respective local and regional plans. The letter was crafted by Senator Jim Nielsen and Assemblyman James Gallagher. The six counties include; Yuba, Sutter, Butte, Glenn, Tehama, and Colusa. In total, 14 mayors and six county board of supervisor chairs made the request, according to a press release from North State leaders. California is weathering this pandemic well. In the North State, we have even fewer infections than those in other regions of the state," Senator Jim Nielsen (R-Tehama) said. "We must re-open our economy so Californians can get back to work. Families need to put food on the table and pay their rent and mortgage. Put simply, Californians need to continue living their best lives. Those who signed the letter requested the ability to initiate a thoughtful and science-based reopening of local economies while following state and national guidelines. The letter states that infection rates have remained low in the following counties, which have a combined population of more than 500,000 residents. As of Friday, April 24, 69 people had tested positive for coronavirus in the six counties. 50 of those who tested positive are now fully recovered, there was only one confirmed COVID-19 patient in the ICU. We all appreciate the quick action taken to flatten the curve of this virus, Assemblyman James Gallagher (R-Yuba City) said. That effort has been successfully implemented, but it has not been without great cost to our people and our future ability to provide for the health and prosperity of our communities. It is time to begin a re-opening. Our cases are low, our healthcare capabilities have been beefed up, and we are ready to get our economy moving again. RELATED: Butte County officials announce planning efforts to reopen Action News Now spoke to Butte County Supervisor, Steve Lambert, he said his approval on re-opening businesses were based off a few factors like local economies struggling. We have to do something, Lambert said. We can't live in a fear-based deal and I worry about that a bit as we've gone. Were so worried that it's going to come back and to be able to open the door and is it too soon -- and oh my goodness here we are. Thats where Im at we have to get to a point where let's go out there, do some smart things, let's listen to professionals, but we have to get back to normalcy. Lambert added, the public needs to be personally responsible and have common sense going out when businesses re-open. Chico City Manager, Mark Orme said theres going to be a countywide planning process thatll start the blueprint for re-opening when the time comes. Get caught up on the latest news headlines and video clips from Action News Now by downloading our app. Click Here to download so you get news alerts on the topics and issues that impact your life. Security forces and governing party using violence with near-total impunity ahead of May polls, rights group says. Burundis government is using fear and repression against the opposition as the central African country heads to the polls next month, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on Monday. The rights group accused local authorities, security forces and members of the governing partys youth league, the Imbonerakure, of using violence as campaigning for the May 20 election started on Monday. Violence and repression have been the hallmark of politics in Burundi since 2015, and as elections approach and the COVID-19 pandemic unfolds, tensions are rising, Lewis Mudge, Central Africa director at HRW, said. There is little doubt that these elections will be accompanied by more abuses, as Burundian officials and members of the Imbonerakure are using violence with near-total impunity to allow the ruling party to entrench its hold on power, he added. HRW said they spoke to more than 20 people, including victims, witnesses, civil society groups, police, and governing party sources, who described abuses in six of the countrys 18 provinces. The rights group said they documented killings, disappearances, arbitrary arrests, and threats and harassment against real or perceived political opponents over the last six months. In 2015, President Pierre Nkurunzizas controversial decision to seek a third term plunged the country into its worst crisis since the end of a bloody civil war about 10 years earlier, with rights groups saying hundreds of people were killed in a crackdown by the security agencies on protesters in the months that followed the presidents re-election. Nkurunziza, who came to office in 2005, announced in June last year that he will not seek re-election. The 55-year-old was widely expected to take advantage of recent constitutional changes adopted by a referendum to stand for re-election, raising concerns that Burundi would see a repeat of the deadly unrest that erupted after he controversially stood for the third time in 2015. In January, the governing CNDD-FDD party said its secretary-general Evariste Ndayishimiye will be its candidate in the countrys presidential election. An ally of Nkurunziza, 52-year-old Ndayishimiye also heads the department of military affairs in the presidents office and has served as the minister of interior and security. Meanwhile, in February, the main opposition party, National Congress for Liberty, known by its French acronym CNL, picked 56-year-old Agathon Rwasa as its candidate. A former rebel leader and longtime political opponent of Nkurunziza, Rwasa was the leading opposition candidate in two previous elections in 2010 and 2015 but boycotted both of them. Australia's Top Rails Bookmakers Sign Deals to Launch Online Sydney, April 27, 2020 AEST (ABN Newswire) - The Board of BetMakers Technology Group Limited ( ASX:BET ) ( FRA:T07 ) is pleased to announce that the Company has signed agreements with two of Australia's premier on-course rails bookmakers - Rob Waterhouse and Mark Sampieri - to launch their individual betting operations into the online wagering market.- Rob Waterhouse to enter online wagering market in new deal with BetMakers- Mark Sampieri signs with BetMakers to take on-course bookmaking business digital- Deals will see two big on-course brands launch new online operations in June- BetMakers to provide technology products and services under new agreementsBetMakers has agreed to commercial terms to provide each bookmaker with new technology platforms and automated products, including trading and pricing solutions, for their respective online businesses.Sydney's Rob Waterhouse, is one of Australia's most prominent rails bookmakers and racing identities, and the Sampieri name is the longest serving rails bookmaker in Victoria at over 40 years at the track with Mark and his father Graeme forming Victoria's 1st bookmaker partnership in 2006.Waterhouse and Sampieri have each indicated to BetMakers that they intend to go live with their new online operations in June this year.Rob Waterhouse commented: "I am very excited to be launching my bookmaking business online with the BetMakers.""These are challenging times for on-course bookmakers, so to have a technology solution such as the platform that the BetMakers have developed is the perfect fit for traditional bookmakers like myself to be transitioning into the digital world and making a play in the online wagering market."Mark Sampieri commented: "We are really looking forward to entering into this online venture and could not be happier with what the BetMakers team has been building for us as a technology solution. In addition, the trading and pricing solution will now allow us to take bets on many more race meetings than we are currently able to do."While the deals are commercially sensitive, the BetMakers' model, which is available to all on-course bookmakers looking to transition online, has three commercial components as options: fixed-fee based, turnover-based and profit-share models.BetMakers CEO Todd Buckingham commented: "The Waterhouse name needs no introduction, it has been a powerhouse in bookmaking spanning three generations, while the Sampieri family has been successful in bookmaking in Victoria since 1966.""The new deals with these well-known Waterhouse and Sampieri brands are exciting for BetMakers as we continue to see a rise in opportunities for traditional bookmakers - big and small - to extend their operations into a 24/7 online wagering world.""To have the both operations trust us to power them with technology and services into the online wagering space is another big win for our team."In a separate agreement, BetMakers is also pleased to announce it has entered into a commercial partnership with international gaming company Pronet Gaming.The deal allows Pronet Gaming to offer its customers BetMakers racing solution, a world-class selection of more than 250,000 horse and greyhound racing events per year, alongside its sports, casino and retail offerings.Pronet Gaming, with commercial operations based in London, Johannesburg and Singapore, handles more than three million individual transactions each day through its sportsbook division and has chosen BetMakers to supply and manage its racing coverage and trading solutions.Pronet Gaming CCO Bobby Longhurst commented: "It's important for us to hit the ground running when live sport returns and the addition of BetMakers Technology Group's product will help us achieve that."It's a truly unique product and to be able to provide as comprehensive offering for racing as this solution, it's something our customers will be excited about."The Board notes the apparent success of other on-course bookmakers who have extended their traditional services online through agreements in partnership with the BetMakers. However, in determining a basis to estimate the materiality of the respective individual Waterhouse and Sampieri deals on BET's financial performance, the Board notes that BetMakers, as technology and services providers, has no direct involvement in the sales and marketing strategies of each bookmaker's operations.Although both Waterhouse and Sampieri are the biggest on-course bookmaking operations to have signed commercial agreements in partnership with BetMakers, the Board notes that each of the Rob Waterhouse and Marc Sampieri brands is entering into the online wagering space for the first time as new ventures.However, in the Board's opinion the combined impact through these new deals on BetMakers' revenue has the potential to be material.About Betmakers Technology Group Ltd Betmakers Technology Group Ltd (ASX:BET) (OTCMKTS:TPBTF) is an ASX-listed holding company and a global provider of online wagering products and services to both wholesale and retail markets through its various wholly owned subsidiaries. The Company operates a retail wagering business, offering consumers wagering, fantasy tournament and content products and services. (Newser) As Kim Jong Un remains out of the public eye, South Korea is firmly denouncing reports that the North Korean leader is in dire health. The South's unification minister, Kim Yeon-chul, told a closed-door forum in Seoul that the South has "enough intelligence to confidently say that there are no unusual developments" in regard to Kim's health, per CBS News. A second South Korean official earlier said Kim was "alive and well." The denials are unusual for the South, reports the New York Times, which notes that Seoul usually takes a "neither-confirm-nor-deny policy" on such things. This time, however, it's taking pains to deny the reports. I want to emphasize that when officials say such things, they dont do it idly, said the unification minister, who said the denials were based on complex intelligence assessments. story continues below Kim did not make a public appearance during a major holiday on April 15 and hasn't been in public since then. Reports in South Korean media suggested he had some kind of heart operation, per Reuters, and outlets including CNN reported he was in "grave danger." At least one South Korean official did suggest something was up. There has not been any report showing hes making policy decisions as usual since April 11, which leads us to assume that he is either sick or being isolated because of coronavirus concerns, said Yoon Sang-hyun, chairman of the foreign and unification committee in South Koreas National Assembly. For the record, the North has not reported a single COVID-19 case. Meanwhile, the North Korean state newspaper Rodong Sinmun announced that Kim sent his thanks on Sunday to workers who helped remodel the city of Samjiyon. (Read more Kim Jong Un stories.) Houston Zoo announced on Monday that a baby Schmidt's red-tailed monkey was born on April 10. The male monkey, named Peter Rabbit in honor of Easter weekend, weighed 10 ounces. Peter was first found in the arms of his mother, Njeri. By afternoon, however, the infant appeared weak and fell onto a hay covered floor. Born in March: Houston Zoo welcomes baby anteater Peter was dehydrated and had low blood sugar, leading the staff to believe Njeri may have low milk production. After being given treatments, including subcutaneous fluids and sugar, he is now being hand-raised by keepers and veterinary staff members. During a medical check, the zoos veterinarians discovered the infant has a skull fracture, although it is unknown how or when the injury occurred, according to the zoo. Animal care specialists continue to monitor the injury closely. "At this point, he seems perfectly normal and his caregivers have hope that the fracture and any potential damage will heal without any issues with a goal of getting him strong enough to be reunited with mom as soon as possible," the zoo said in the release. Houston Zoo is home to six Schmidts red-tailed monkeys, including the new baby. The monkeys are known for their distinctive heart-shaped markings on their noses and are native to central Africa. Joseph V. Micallef is a best-selling military history and world affairs author, and keynote speaker. Follow him on Twitter @JosephVMicallef. The COVID-19 pandemic is far from over. While the United States may be at peak mortality from the pandemic, it is still raging in many of the other 180 countries infected -- many of which have not yet seen their mortality peaks. COVID-19 is simply one battle in a longer and larger war that humankind has waged with coronaviruses for generations. This pandemic, however, has underscored the national security implications of such outbreaks. Even with a COVID-19 vaccine, the enormous pool of potential pathogens, and the current patterns of world trade and travel, mean that it is likely that new pathogens may emerge in the future whose medical and economic consequences may be as devastating as COVID-19, or even worse. The U.S. military has been on the frontline of the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic and played a major role in marshaling medical assistance and building emergency facilities to deal with the anticipated surge. In doing so, it reclaimed a role that it played extensively during the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century. The legacy of the COVID-19 pandemic on national security will be manifold. Three aspects in particular stand out already: an expanded role for the U.S. military in providing the surge capacity in medical facilities and personnel in the event there is another pandemic; a rethinking of what procedures and policies are necessary for preserving force readiness in the face of disease outbreaks; and a new assessment of biological threats, whether deliberately weaponized or not, on national security. The Military and Infectious Diseases: Past, Present and Future An old 16th century adage declared, "Where armies march, plague follows." Disease outbreaks have long been associated with military campaigns and have often shaped their outcomes -- from the plague that ravaged Athens during the Peloponnesian War to Napoleon's retreat from the Russian campaign to the jungle warfare of World War II. Hence the long-standing military interest in the matter. During the Revolutionary War, for example, smallpox took a greater toll on Washington's Continental Army than it did on the British. Many British soldiers, growing up in the crowded and unsanitary conditions of 18th-century British cities, developed an immunity, while American soldiers, having been spared those conditions, were more vulnerable. Washington ordered the entire Continental Army, a first among military forces, to be immunized, a process then known as variolation, by intentionally exposing soldiers to a mild form of the smallpox virus. Both he and Martha Washington also got immunized. The first official smallpox vaccine was not developed by Edward Jenner until 1796. Washington's timing may have had some interesting historical consequences. Military historians have suggested that, had the immunization occurred earlier, portions of eastern Canada might have ended up as part of the U.S. In 1776, a Continental Army advancing on Quebec was ravaged by an outbreak of smallpox. Half of the 10,000-man force were stricken, and the campaign was abandoned. According to John Adams, "The smallpox is 10 times more terrible than the British. ... This was the cause of our precipitate retreat from Quebec." During the 18th and 19th centuries, military planners would routinely assume that fatalities from disease outbreaks during military campaigns would exceed combat fatalities by a factor of four to one. During the Mexican War, for example, the ratio of fatalities from disease was six to one. It fell to three to two during the Civil War, but rose to five to one during the Spanish-American War. During the Crimean War, it rose to 10 to one among French forces in theater; during the Sino-Japanese war of 1894, it was 12 to one. Typhoid fever, for example, was the leading cause of fatalities during the Spanish-American War. Likewise, during the 20th century, the U.S. suffered more casualties due to malaria than bullets in malaria-endemic regions. World War I was the first major war where battlefield deaths exceeded deaths from disease -- the result both of improved medical care and the killing efficiency of industrial warfare. The ratio was .82 to one among the U.S. forces deployed in Europe. During WWII, the ratio dropped to .07 to one. Only one out of every 15 deaths, 6.6%, was due to disease; 85 percent of hospital admissions, however, were disease related. Not surprisingly, the U.S. military has, throughout its history, strived to preserve its fighting strength through, according to the Defense Department, "a broad program of vaccine development, therapeutics, and programs for vector controls." In addition, it has conducted ongoing and extensive research programs "into the structure, genome, growth, pathogenicity, and virulence" of disease pathogens. Additionally, many civilian agencies tasked with responding to disease outbreaks had military origins. The Centers for Disease Control, for example, began in 1943 as the Office of National Defense Malaria Control Activities. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases began in 1887 as a laboratory at the Marine Hospital Service facility on Staten Island, New York to study the link between microscopic organisms and infectious diseases. The MHS cared for disabled seamen in the U.S. Merchant Marine, Coast Guard and other federal agencies. The U.S. military played a major role in controlling Yellow Fever and other tropical diseases, a prerequisite to the successful building of the Panama Canal. During the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century, the military, especially National Guard units, would often play a major role, both medical and at times civil, in responding to disease outbreaks. During the recent COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. military was critical in providing the surge capacity in hospital facilities and medical personnel. The Trump administration dispatched the U.S. Navy's Mercy-class hospital ships, USNS Comfort and USNS Mercy, to New York City and Los Angeles, respectively. The Army Corps of Engineers built field hospitals in a matter of days in the five New York City boroughs, as well as Seattle, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Miami, Dallas, Denver and Detroit -- adding tens of thousands of hospital beds virtually overnight. Future administrations will again look to the U.S. military to provide the surge capability for medical facilities in the event of future pandemics. The Trump administration has already indicated that it intends to order two additional Mercy-class hospital ships for the Navy. This is not a new role for the military, but it is a return to a historic role on a larger and more robust basis. Force Preparedness During Disease Outbreaks The DoD has deployments in 147 countries. There are 21 countries where U.S. deployments exceed more than 200 military personnel. Not surprisingly, the U.S. military has an active program of monitoring the incidence of infectious disease outbreaks around the world. There are more than a dozen DoD agencies -- in particular, the National Center for Medical Intelligence -- which are involved in monitoring such disease outbreaks. In 2006, the DoD formulated the "Department of Defense Implementation Plan for Pandemic Influenza." The plan spelled out those tasks delegated to the DoD in the "National Strategy for Pandemic Influenza" plan designed by the Department of Homeland Security in 2005. Those tasks were: assisting in disease surveillance, assisting partner nations, protecting and treating U.S. forces and dependents, and providing support to civil authorities in the U.S. During the current pandemic, the military has not figured prominently in the first two tasks and accomplished the fourth task brilliantly. Its record on protecting and treating U.S. forces and dependents, however, is mixed. As of April 20, there were approximately 2,500 military personnel who had tested positive for COVID-19. Overall, given the size of the U.S. armed forces, that's a pretty small number. A fourth of those infections, however, were on the carrier Theodore Roosevelt. I'm not going to delve into the controversy surrounding the Roosevelt or the firing of its captain, Brett Crozier. I don't have all the facts. I will say, however, that I visited the Roosevelt in December 2019, for several days, courtesy of the Navy. It certainly seemed like a well-run ship and Crozier, whom I met, came across as a very competent officer deeply committed to his ship and his crew. The DoD appeared rather flat-footed in dealing with the outbreak of COVID-19 on Navy ships. Presumably, there is a protocol governing such events, if so, it certainly wasn't apparent. Notwithstanding that the DoD had formulated a plan in 2006, that the possibility of such disease outbreaks has long been recognized, as has the need for maintaining force preparedness under such circumstances, it's surprising that appropriate policies weren't immediately implemented. Regardless of what happened on the Roosevelt and other infected Navy ships, it's likely that there will be disease outbreaks in the future, and it is essential that the U.S. military retains its ability to deploy or engage an opponent if necessary, even in the event that it is simultaneously dealing with a disease outbreak. That point was underscored when China's People Liberation Army Navy sailed its aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, in the Taiwan Straits provocatively close to Taiwan in the middle of the pandemic. The DoD has long gamed the ability of U.S. armed forces to simultaneously handle multiple conflicts around the world. Presumably that planning has involved doing so while also dealing with a major disease outbreak or a pandemic. If not, then some revisions are in order. This raises a third, and even more important, issue. What does the experience with COVID-19 tell us about the nature and threat posed by biological weapons, both man-made and naturally occurring, to U.S. national security? Biological Weapons and National Security Biological weapons are not new. In antiquity, a range of such weapons were used, from flinging clay jars full of poisonous vipers at opposing ships to throwing disease-ridden corpses over city walls. The practice continued during the Middle Ages. In the 20th century, industrial processes came to be applied to both chemical and biological weapons. World War I saw extensive use of poison gases. During World War II, the Japanese military conducted a large-scale research program on the development of biological weapons. Such weapons were deployed against Chinese military forces. Japan also experimented with various ways of using biological weapons against civilian populations in the U.S., but never succeeded in developing a practical weapon. During the Cold War, both the Soviet Union and the United States conducted extensive research on developing biological weapons. The Soviet Union stockpiled large quantities of pathogens, in particular smallpox, bubonic plague and anthrax, and was rumored to have worked extensively on man-made super pathogens that combined high contagion with high lethality. China is also believed to have had an extensive biological and chemicals weapons program. The Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) of 1972 banned both the use of biological weapons and research activity to develop such weapons. The agreement, however, did leave a loophole that permitted research for defensive purposes, including vaccines. The U.S., the USSR/Russia and China are all signatories to the BWC. Worldwide, only 15 countries have not ratified the BWC. Modern biotechnology has opened a veritable Pandora's box of biological weapons, including man-made biological weapons that combined different characteristics of several pathogens to create super pathogens. The organisms are called chimeras, a reference to Greek mythological creatures that incorporated features of several animals. Advances in computational power, the use of sophisticated, artificial intelligence-based algorithms, as well as breakthroughs in synthetic biology, among other things, have vastly speeded up the process of developing vaccines. But even under the best circumstances, human testing still takes 12 to 18 months -- a significant vulnerability gap. Moreover, the distinction between offensive and defensive research is a pretty subtle one. Any pathogen can be weaponized, man-made or natural, if one side has immunized its military and the other side has not. The emergence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus underscores the challenge that even naturally occurring pathogens pose to the national security of the U.S. There are still a lot of questions about the origins of the virus. The prevailing view among U.S. intelligence agencies is that the virus is not man-made, but that it was a naturally occurring coronavirus endemic to certain species of bats found in China. Some believe that, while the virus was being studied at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, the virus escaped by infecting someone at the institute. Through that person, the original patient 0, it was transmitted to the general population of Wuhan, and from there elsewhere throughout China and the world. There are thousands of coronaviruses. The full number isn't known. Just the bat species endemic to China, for example, are known to carry hundreds of different coronaviruses. Moreover, given their simple genetic structure, these viruses are highly mutable. Coronaviruses are just one of many viral pathogens in existence that can create pandemic-scale disease outbreaks. It does not appear that the research on the SARS-CoV-2 virus was intended for weaponization. The research was part of a broader effort, in part funded by the U.S. and Canadian governments, to study coronavirus pathogens, which involved several research institutes, including the Wuhan Institute of Virology. The enormous human and economic damage that has been caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, however, has underscored just how potent a biological weapon this coronavirus and other pathogens like it can be. The U.S. can survive, albeit at an enormous economic cost, the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. But a succession of such pandemics, even ones separated by a few years, would devastate the American economy and end the status of the U.S. as the reigning superpower. This lesson is not lost on America's enemies. Given the enormous trade between Asia/China and the rest of the world and, more importantly, the enormous human traffic of tourists and business executives, combined with the relentless growth of international mega trade shows and sporting events around the world, it has become possible to spread pathogens globally very quickly. It took less than 100 days for COVID-19 to spread from a local outbreak in Wuhan to more than 180 countries. The COVID-19 epidemic showcased a deep vulnerability in the U.S., indeed the whole world, to such viral pandemics. Ultimately, the U.S. needs a strategy for dealing with the incidence of such pandemics, as they are likely, whether deliberate or otherwise, to occur again. The DoD must preserve its military force readiness while simultaneously providing care for stricken personnel. At the same time, Washington needs a bipartisan strategy to deal with the economic and human consequences in a sustainable way. Regardless of how you feel about the current U.S. response, it's clear that multiple such responses to a succession of pandemics is not sustainable. That fact, and the realization that such disease outbreaks may happen again, will have a major impact on U.S. national security concerns and will be a significant factor in defining and shaping what the post-pandemic "new normal" will be. -- The opinions expressed in this op-ed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Military.com. If you would like to submit your own commentary, please send your article to opinions@military.com for consideration. The Peoples Democratic Party PDP has demanded an immediate investigation into the disturbing mass death in Kano state. The opposition party in a statement on Sunday also called on a Presidential visit to the state, where no fewer than 640 citizens had reportedly died under mysterious circumstances in the last one week. The partys call is predicated on conflicting reports emanating from Kano State on the cause of the sudden deaths particularly at this time that our nation is battling with the spread of COVID-19 pandemic, the statement read. The party via its official Twitter handle accused President Muhammadu Buhari of failing to take any concrete step in tackling the situation. The PDP notes with dismay that the Buhari Presidency had failed to take any concrete step on this frightening development, but is, as usual, waiting to be prodded to stand up to the challenge. The party describes as lamentable that President Buhari, who promised to lead from the front, and who recently took up the toga of ECOWAS COVID-19 Response Champion, had rather receded into the safety of Aso Villa. Read Also: Panic As Over 150 People Die In Kano Communities In 3 Days Our party holds that the situation in Kano demands an immediate Presidential visit and investigation at a very high level. Those dying in Kano are Nigerians and must not be abandoned. The development deserves utmost Presidential attention to avoid further escalation. This is particularly imperative as it is evident that Governor Abdullahi Ganduje and his APC-led administration in Kano State are totally incompetent and have become overwhelmed after failing to take appropriate measures. Our party, therefore, calls on Nigerians to hold Governor Ganduje and his APC administration responsible for the development in Kano State which had worsened due to the failure of both Kano state & the Federal Government to promptly investigate and contain the situation. A new paper published on the preprint server medRxiv in April 2020 shows that accurate infection fatality statistics can be empirically derived from the publicly available data on aggregate deaths. The difficulty of estimating fatality ratios In the chaotic healthcare situation caused by the novel coronavirus disease COVID-19, it has been challenging to estimate the actual severity of the disease. However, it is a crucial bit of information for those who form healthcare and economic policies. The obstacles to measuring the actual fatality rate of the illness include the difficulty of finding out the true prevalence of infection, as well as the exact number of deaths. It is now being thought that many infected individuals remain either asymptomatic or have very mild symptoms. This means that the early case count based on only the symptomatic testing of individuals, who, in turn, are diagnosed by the presence of symptoms determined to be those of COVID-19 by clinical studies, is very likely to be falsely low. The current study uses an empirical approach based on the aggregate deaths and demographics, to estimate the infection fatality, that is, the proportion of fatal infections, without using official case or mortality statistics. The main finding is that if fatalities are adequately measured in a given population, it is possible to estimate a more accurate infection fatality ratio provided the prevalence in the population is higher. In other words, when the prevalence changes from 40% to 60%, the estimated infection fatality changes significantly less than when it changes from 2% to 3%, due to the nonlinear ratios in this case. How was the study done? The investigators focused on a particularly severe outbreak in Lombardy, a region that was locked down on February 21, 2020. This is an area including ten towns with a population of around 50,000 people altogether. Cremona, Lombardy, Italy - April 20th 2020 - During coronavirus city lockdown. Image Credit: columbo.photog / Shutterstock With the first reported case infected by community spread admitted to intensive care on February 20, there were 36 new confirmed positives the next day. About a third of all samples (30%) from all ten towns were positive for the antibody. In comparison, there was a 66% positivity among a sample of 60 blood donors who reported no symptoms, all from a single town under lockdown. These figures suggest that extensive community spread was already underway at this time. The official death counts were complemented with data from the Italian Institute of Statistics (ISTAT), on the total population by age range per year from 2015 to 2019. Overall mortality patterns were analyzed for each day from February 21 to April 4, 2020. The researchers looked at the difference between the total deaths in 2020 and the average for any year between 2015-2019, for both the total population and different age groups. The total deaths were compared to the total as well as the changes in the death rates over the past years to evaluate the irrelevant fluctuations in this measure. What did the study show about COVID-19 infection fatality? The researchers found that total deaths were significantly increased at the start of the period, in the last week of February, with a spike related to the start of the outbreak. This spike is much higher than any prior fluctuations. The total deaths over the study period were five times as much as any previous average. The model used returned an overall infection fatality ratio of 1.3%, but this was heterogeneous among age groups. Below the age of 60 years, the rate was 0.05%, but over 60, it was 4.25%. When calculated by individual age groups, the infection fatality is much higher among those over 70 and 80 years old, but close to zero among those under 50 years, and 0.1% among the 50-60 years group. There were also marked differences between estimated infection rates between towns, with the highest being in the same place with a 66% infection rate among 60 asymptomatic blood donors. Overall, the researchers estimate the infection rate to be 40.5%. This agrees with the finding of a 30% infection rate overall in blood donors in the whole area. How is this study important? The estimated infection fatality ratio is much lower than the official estimated case fatality ratio both in the current situation and for previous influenza pandemics. This could be because the number of cases of COVID-19 is biased towards symptomatic individuals because of limited testing capacity, which prioritizes the testing of patients with physical symptoms. A limitation of the study is that the estimates came from a period when the healthcare system was not yet facing overwhelming stress. Secondly, the area under study was under severe quarantine in this period, which probably reduced the rate of spread of infection. This may make the estimates less generalizable to situations without similar scenarios. On the other hand, the mortality estimates did not take into account fluctuations in death rates due to other factors. For instance, under lockdown, traffic-related and violent deaths may well have fallen considerably, while other diseases may not have received adequate care because the hospitals were clogged with COVID-19 cases. The magnitude of the increase in mortality for over a month, with the return to near-average levels in the last days of the study period, seems to indicate that such fluctuations were likely to be insignificant, excluding the confounding effects of such changes. In view of this report, policymakers should take steps to isolate the elderly age groups to prevent the extremely high mortality that is otherwise likely with the current viral illness. Important Notice medRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information. Britains coronavirus lockdown will have devastating consequences for a generation unless the government urgently tackles rising abuse inside homes, MPs have warned. The Home Affairs Committee called for the government to mount a wide-ranging strategy to tackle domestic violence and protect victims and their children. A report published on Monday said that the crisis could cause homelessness, unemployment, debt and mental health problems. Without strong action to tackle domestic abuse and support victims during the Covid-19 pandemic, society will be dealing with the devastating consequences for a generation, it added. The strategy should combine awareness, prevention, victim support, housing and a criminal justice response, backed by dedicated funding and ministerial leadership. The committee said the Counting Dead Women project calculated that at least 16 domestic killings of women and children took place between the start of lockdown on 23 March and 12 April double the total of an average 21-day period in the last decade. The Refuge charity reported a 49 per cent increase in people contacting its national domestic abuse helpline in the week to 15 April, even though there are concerns that victims trapped with their abusers are less able to seek help. The Mens Advice Line has also seen calls increase by 17 per cent. MPs called for new schemes to ensure that victims can seek assistance during the lockdown, when they may be unable to use the phone at home or talk to friends. They proposed extending a piloted safe spaces scheme, which would offer confidential help at supermarkets, pharmacies and other retailers that people are able to visit without arousing suspicion. There are concerns that victims are less able to seek help while at home with their abusers (Getty) The Home Affairs Committee called for Priti Patel to establish cross-government working group, tasked with producing and implementing a coordinated action plan covering both lockdown and the period after. MPs warned that when restrictions lift, many victims may seek help for the first time and the need for support is likely to be acute. Yvette Cooper, chair of the Home Affairs Committee, said: Staying at home is an important part of the strategy to prevent coronavirus from spreading and save lives, but for some people home isnt safe. Urgent action is needed to protect victims and prevent perpetrators from exploiting the lockdown to increase abuse. There are already alarming signs of the rise in domestic abuse. Our cross-party committee is calling for an urgent action plan from government setting out practical measures to tackle domestic abuse as an integrated part of the fight against Covid-19. The committee also called for support services to be given emergency funding, and for councils to proactively visit households with histories of domestic abuse. MPs said anyone who has to leave home during the lockdown must be guaranteed safe housing, either in refuges or hotel accommodation provided by authorities. In order for victims to obtain justice, the report said the government should legislate to scrap a time limit on prosecuting some offences, including harassment, common assault and battery. Evidence given to the committee warned that police were struggling to secure Domestic Violence Protection Orders, which ban abusers having contact with victims for up to 28 days, due to the requirement to provide an alternative address. The report said that of the women already in refuges two-thirds have children with them, and data from Childline indicated that young people are concerned about abuse at home. 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 Things are particularly hard for vulnerable children. We cant abandon them in the middle of this crisis, Ms Cooper said. Local authorities, schools, the police and other professionals involved in child welfare need to ensure they are working together to contact and visit homes where children are at risk. The Labour MP said the measures must stretch beyond lockdown, adding: The emotional, physical and social scars from domestic abuse can last a lifetime. If we dont act to tackle it now, we will feel the consequences of rising abuse during the coronavirus crisis for many years to come. The call came a day before the Domestic Abuse Bill was to be reintroduced to parliament, following several delays, and several charities including the NSPCC are backing amendments. Anna Edmundson, head of policy and public affairs at the NSPCC, said: The lockdown has created a unique set of circumstances for us all, with the risk of abuse, neglect and domestic abuse intensifying behind closed doors. We are very pleased that MPs have taken on board our call for children to be better protected and recommended an action plan to tackle the cause and effects of domestic abuse. Victoria Atkins, the safeguarding minister, said: The government has prioritised those at risk of domestic abuse in this national health emergency. This has included a dedicated national campaign to provide practical help to victims, and supporting charities by giving them the funding and the resources they specifically said they needed to help people through this crisis. We are taking action across government. Alongside the #youarenotalone campaign, we are increasing funding to boost online services, helplines and technology support at the request of charities, and I am working with the domestic abuse commissioner about how they can use the governments 750m fund to further support victims. Tonight on Foreign Correspondent, Eric Campbell is in Poland for his report A New Crusade as feminists, gays and liberals are fighting back against the Catholic church and the Polish government. When Polands Archbishop of Krakow talks about fighting a plague, hes not talking about the new coronavirus. Hes talking about gay rights. A certain ideology is a threat to our hearts and mindsso we need to defend ourselves just like against any other plague, says Archbishop Jedraszewski. In the 1980s Poland played a central part in liberating the world from communism. Now theres a push to wind back many of those hard-won freedoms. The Catholic church and the Polish government are forming a holy alliance, joining forces to denounce Western-style liberalism as the new enemy. From the very beginning the history of the Polish state and Polish nation were connected with the history of Christianity, says Archbishop Jedraszewski. Christianity, nation and state were so tightly connected, they were almost inseparable. In todays Poland, the church is supporting government moves to discriminate against gay people, wind back sex education and outlaw abortion. But feminists, gays and liberals are fighting back. Foreign Correspondents Eric Campbell reports on a deeply divided nation in the throes of a culture war. He meets the Archbishop of Krakow who likens gay activists to the much-reviled Soviets who occupied Poland after the Second World War. This time it is not a red but a rainbow plague, says Archbishop Jedraszewski. Regional governments across Poland have declared about a third of the country an LGBT free zone. Eric interviews critics of the current government, including Lech Walesa, the father of Polish democracy, who warns our Constitution is being broken, the separation of powers has been violated and we have to do something about it. He meets a gay mayor in a small town who says the rhetoric from church and state is leading to an increase in hatred spreading against homosexual people. And he films at a far-right rally in Warsaw where Catholic extremists are co-opting the church in their bid to push their nationalist agenda and vision of Poland as a new theocracy. While many Poles believe a religious revival will lead their country to the light, others fear it is opening the gates to something darker. Tuesday 28th April at 8pm on ABC. ERIE, Pa., April 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Erie Insurance today announced additional support for local communities through the new "ERIE Agents Giving Back" project. The project provides funding to ERIE agents to use specifically in supporting their local communities. "We've seen so many of our agents already stepping up to provide much-needed support to their local communities," said Tim NeCastro, president and CEO of Erie Insurance. "This infusion of additional funding will give them even more opportunities to continue these good works." Since the start of the pandemic, ERIE agents have been supporting local businesses by purchasing food for healthcare workers and first responders, donating to local COVID-19 funds or assisting local non-profits in need of help during this time. As part of the program, Erie Insurance will reimburse agents up to $1,000 and match additional activities at 50%. ERIE also increased the amount of funding available to its field offices across 12 states and the District of Columbia to support their charitable giving. All in, this additional support can help boost the charitable work of ERIE's field employees and agents by nearly $2.5 million. "When it comes to being helpful, that's where we shine," added NeCastro. "We are challenging our agents and employees to be creative and give thought to ways they can continue to help the communities and people we serve." The ERIE Agents Giving Back project is just one of many ways ERIE continues its mission to be Above All in Service. Visit ERIE's COVID-19 Information Center to learn other ways ERIE is supporting its customers and communities during these challenging times. About Erie Insurance According to A.M. Best Company, Erie Insurance Group, based in Erie, Pennsylvania, is the 9th largest homeowners insurer and 12th largest automobile insurer in the United States based on direct premiums written and the 16th largest property/casualty insurer in the United States based on total lines net premium written. The Group, rated A+ (Superior) by A.M. Best Company, has nearly 6 million policies in force and operates in 12 states and the District of Columbia. Erie Insurance Group is a FORTUNE 500 company. News releases and more information about Erie Insurance Group are available at www.erieinsurance.com. SOURCE Erie Insurance Group Related Links http://www.erieinsurance.com 52 years ago, on April 25, 1968, the shooting of the film "The Diamond Arm" began. The tape instantly fell in love with the viewer and remains popular until now. The plot of the picture is well known to everyone, as well as the fact that the foreign East was shot on the ancient streets of Baku. However, few people know that another attraction of Azerbaijan was highlighted in the film - traffic controller Kurban Mazanov. It is he who stands in a snow-white uniform on Asaf Zeynalli Street and makes a chaotic stream of participants in the movement. Even a camel obeys the wave of his hand. Kurban Mazanov really was a representative of this now extinct profession, which was not uncommon in the middle of the 20th century. The director of the film Leonid Gaidai noticed the handsome handsome foreman in the capital of the Azerbaijan SSR when he arrived in search of nature. Traffic controller Mazanov was a true virtuoso of his business: clear, honed movements, elegant body turns and a wide, open smile. Baku People often came to the crossroads of Chkalov and Kommunisticheskaya streets, where there was a government post, opposite the Philharmonic, to look at the outstanding work of the foreman. There Kurban Mazanov, most likely, was seen by Gaidai and decided to add an episode with his participation in the film. So traffic controller Mazanov began a new career, this time in the movie. Later he appears in yet another Gaida tape - Ivan Vasilievich is changing his profession. Fellow countrymen did not ignore him. We can see Kurban Mazanov in the Azerbaijani films Life tests us, Heart ... heart, Leo left home. So the regulator Mazanov became perhaps the most popular representative of his profession in the USSR. European Union advisers are recommending that economic recovery measures for the coronavirus pandemic be in line with climate policy with low-carbon investments, Reuters reports. Why it matters: It's the latest wrinkle in growing calls to orient huge financial recovery packages in Europe and elsewhere toward low-carbon industries. On Friday, the International Energy Agency and Denmark hosted a virtual meeting on the topic that included officials from European nations, India, Canada, Indonesia and elsewhere. And this week, an annual meeting of environment ministers from over 30 countries, called the Petersberg Climate Dialogue, will focus on "how to organise a 'green' economic recovery after the acute phase of the pandemic is over," the BBC reports. But, but, but: In the U.S., GOP lawmakers and President Trump have pushed back against some Democrats' efforts to include provisions in the coronavirus response packages that would help shore up jeopardized renewables projects. However, if brewing administration plans to aid distressed oil companies contain provisions that require congressional approval, there could be openings for a compromise on the topics. Go deeper: Coronavirus could spark 500K green energy job losses In the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak, which has disrupted economies, it is not the large corporations that are on the losing end but the small businesses. According to a recent article, around 30 percent of Mexicans work in the informal economy. As the pandemic forces 10 percent of the country's businesses to close, it is predicted that 18 million people will lose their jobs. Unlike other countries, Mexico has not released stimulus checks to support its citizens who have no means of producing their needs or pay the rent this month. Therefore, supporting small businesses will help them survive and avoid laying off their workers. Additionally, some of these businesses are family-owned and self-run. That is why supporting their products and services will also feed them for another day. These small businesses vary from restaurants to organic produce farms to service providers like culinary schools to musicians and artists who find means to deliver their goods and services without putting their customers at risk. Here's a list of Mexico's small businesses you can support during this quarantine: Restaurants Hot weather? No problem! Glace Bistro is sending out their gourmet ice cream in half liters. Pair it with Dona Emi's tamales, which you can order by their hotline 55 4535 0103. Are you looking for some sweets and baked goods to pair with your hot coffee? Anais Ruiz's Surget Reposteria honors her French heritage. Craving for some vegan meal? Maren Casorio, a poet and part-time cook, offers plant-based comida corrida (set lunch) delivery on Cactus & Honey, with new menus posted each week! Farm Produce If you prefer home cooking, you can also order fresh farm produce online. Not only can you support these businesses, but you also support the farms from which they get their products. Mercadillo Huacal's website features a "Weekly Huacal" basket that contains a variety of vegetables, fruits, and herbs from vendors in the Central de Abasto market. They also sell products individually, all provided by local businesses such as chocolate from La Rifa Chocolateria, coffee from AlmaNegra, sweet bread by Bonsanco. You can even donate a box to be given to a local health worker or anyone in need. Were you looking for some organic produce? Yolcan offers excellent deliveries of organic veggies and fruits from the Valley of Mexico once or twice a week. Another delivery service you can support is Hortalizas Mago by growers in San Gregorio Atlapulco. You can reach them through their hotline 552 949 3115. Check these out! Health Essentials Some businesses have used the setbacks caused by the crisis to bounce back, such as Omar Ramos and Maria Ambrosio's 3D printing business, which is now offering plastic shield masks. Meanwhile, Homohabilis typically makes beautiful leather and suede goods but has shifted to producing reusable face masks with hypoallergenic leather, which you can wipe down after each use. Service Providers You can take advantage of the quarantine by taking online cooking classes under chef Graciela Montano. Right now, Aura Cooking School teaches how to make a taco, and soon they will offer Mexican salsa making, Mexican breakfast food, and Mexican sweets. Local stylist Lauren Klein has even taken haircutting lessons online. With empty bars and restaurants, local artists are taking their music online. To support its musicians, independent Mexican jazz label Pitayo music is offering online jazz concerts. For the price of the ticket, you can also watch local shows and receive freebies by tapping into the deals of the month. Proceeds of the concert will be used to support a whole network of local musicians. Supporting these small Mexican businesses is a two-way process: you can get your needs without the fear of contagion while keeping these businesses, their workers, and the community alive. Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon speaking during a briefing on coronavirus in Edinburgh - PA Nicola Sturgeon has further ramped up pressure on Boris Johnson to disclose his coronavirus lockdown exit plan after promising to publish this week more details of the options she is considering. The First Minister said she would over the "coming days" disclose more information about the proposals she is weighing up to ease the restrictions north of the Border. However, she said Scotland would "not necessarily" do anything different from England and admitted there was a "lot of alignment" between her cautious approach and Mr Johnson's. Although she reiterated that no final decisions had been taken, she also confirmed the Scottish Government is considering curtailing the summer holidays and sending pupils back to school early to help make up for the time they have lost. Her latest pledge came after she published a 23-page blueprint last week outlining the principles she will use to decide when and how the restrictions will be eased. The document did not contain timescales for specific restrictions to be eased, but Ms Sturgeon said it was the start of a "grown-up conversation" with the Scottish public about the "new normal." As of 2pm today, 50,294 people in Scotland have been tested for #coronavirus 39,773 confirmed negative 10,521 positive 1,262 who tested positive have sadly died. Latest update https://t.co/kZjGNz2EDe Health advice https://t.co/l7rqArB6Qu #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/WEyVcjVQVF Scottish Government (@scotgov) April 27, 2020 Senior Tory MPs said that Ms Sturgeon had got it right and have urged the UK Government to trust the public by disclosing plans for lifting the lockdown. Story continues Iain Duncan Smith, the former Tory leader, has urged ministers to be "much more open" with the public, adding "don't treat them like children". Her promise to provide more detail is likely to further increase pressure on Mr Johnson to follow suit as the UK endures its fifth week of the severe restrictions. Speaking at her daily media briefing, she emphasised it is too soon to lift the lockdown, saying: "This progress remains very fragile and now is a time for all of us to exercise careful caution. "It's certainly not the time to throw caution to the wind." But she said there are "real signs of progress" in tackling the spread of Covid-19 in Scotland, with the number of people requiring intensive care treatment dropping by "around a third" in the last fortnight. On easing the lockdown, Ms Sturgeon said: "In the coming days, I will say more about the different options under consideration and how we're going about assessing those." The First Minister said "none of that means they will definitely happen any time soon" but her government is "looking at different options at how we can safely start to restore some normality". A member of the public walks past a sign on a restaurant in Victoria Street, Edinburgh - Getty Images Europe John Swinney, her Education Minister, said yesterday that schools could return from the summer holidays "earlier than when they would generally normally resume in August". Ms Sturgeon said: "We are looking at some options about what could you do in terms of schools, and how do we mitigate the loss and interruption to children's education." She added the Scottish Government will publish guidance this week on the use of face coverings such as scarves and bandanas, although she said the evidence for using these is "not overwhelming". The latest figures show 1,262 hospital patients have died in Scotland after testing positive for coronavirus, up 13 from 1,249 on Sunday. A total of 10,521 people have now tested positive for the disease, a rise of 197 from the previous day's total. The number of people in intensive care has increased by one to 134. English French foodora Canada has filed a notice of intention to make a proposal and plans to cease operations effective the end of day on May 11th foodora has not been able to reach a level of profitability in Canada thats sustainable enough to continue operations, competing against strong local players and a highly saturated market for online food delivery foodora is also working on putting together a proposal to provide additional recovery to employees and other creditors BERLIN, April 27, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, foodora Inc. in Canada (subsidiary of Delivery Hero SE) announced a plan to close its business after five years of operation. Canada is a highly saturated market for online food delivery and has lately seen intensified competition. foodora has unfortunately not been able to reach a strong leadership position, and has been unable to reach a level of profitability in Canada thats sustainable enough to continue operations. I'm very proud of what foodora has accomplished over the last few years. I've been able to witness food delivery grow from its infancy into what it is today, and helping to build a brand I'm proud of. However, there's been some challenges along the way. We're faced with strong competition in the Canadian market, and operate a business that requires a high volume of transactions to turn a profit. We've been unable to get to a position which would allow us to continue to operate without having to continually absorb losses. Our service has grown to ten cities across the country, and none of this would have been possible without the dedication of our employees, riders and restaurants. I thank them for the continued support over the last five years. Supporting them during this transition phase is our main priority, said David Albert, Managing Director of foodora Canada. foodora Canada has filed a notice of intention to make a proposal; the details of the proposal have yet to be determined. The business will continue to run until the end of the day on May 11, 2020. foodora Canadas employees have received their notice today and will continue to be paid as stipulated in their contractual agreements. The rider community has also been given notice period of termination. foodora foodora is dedicated to bringing Canadian food lovers their favourite meals from a curated list of local restaurants. Since 2015, the on-demand food delivery service has grown to more than 3,000 partner restaurants in 10 cities across Canada. Belonging to Delivery Hero, a worldwide leader of the food delivery industry, foodora is a sustainably focused company that strives to reduce its carbon footprint through its use of bikes and its commitment to reducing single-use plastic. For more information, visit http://www.foodora.ca . Delivery Hero Delivery Hero is the world's leading local delivery platform. The company maintains number one competitive market positions in 36 out of 44 countries across Europe, Latin America, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and North Africa in terms of restaurants, active users, orders, online and mobile platforms. Delivery Hero also operates its own delivery service primarily in over 530 cities around the globe. Headquartered in Berlin, Germany, Delivery Hero has over 22,000 employees across its markets. Dont be scared, let us tackle this together: PM tells CMs India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Apr 27: Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the collective efforts of states and Centre in handling the coronavirus situation. During a meeting with the Chief Ministers, the PM said that there is no need to feel guilty if the number of cases goes up in the states. "Do not be scared if the number of cases goes up. We will tackle it together", the PM also said. Economic activity has to be strengthened, social distancing a way of life: PM Modi The PM also hailed the collective efforts of the states and Centre. The lockdown has played an effective role in containing the spread of the pandemic. If some areas of a big city are in the red zone, then there are other areas of the big city which also need to be protected, PM Modi said. I think you are better acquainted with the ground realities. You can assess the situation best, the PM also told the CMs. Many are facing stigma. Contracting the virus is not a crime or sin and such persons should not be ostracised, the PM also said. On the other hand, we cannot be too soft. If we do show too much leniency, then we are doing a disservice to that region. I want to say with all humility to all the CMs that if there's a spurt of cases in your state, it will not be seen as great. We do not want this sentiment. Lift lockdown, let economic activity be restricted within states: CMs at meeting with PM We will just try to tackle. Do not be scared if the number increases in your state, PM Modi also said. The RCMP and Royal Newfoundland Constabulary caught 26 drivers speeding over the weekend, including four going between 150 and 170 km/hr. The two police forces teamed up near Paddy's Pond on the Trans-Canada Highway outside St. John's. Four drivers in particular stood out, with speeds of 152, 155, 158 and 170 km/hr. Each was handed a large fine, had their licence suspended and vehicle impounded. RCMP, RNC A release sent by the police forces on Monday morning took issue with people referring to such operations as "speed traps." "Initiatives such as these are not 'speed traps.' Officers play no role in a driver's application of his or her foot to the gas pedal," the statement said. "Warning motorists of police presence does nothing to change that driver's day-to-day driving patterns." According to the RCMP, speed was a factor in one-third of fatal collisions in its jurisdiction last year. Read more from CBC Newfoundland and Labrador New Delhi, April 27 : The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said on Monday that no payment has been made by the ICMR for the faulty Chinese testing kits for Covid-19. Addressing a press conference here, Joint Secretary at the Health Ministry Luv Agarwal said that the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) cancelled the order as soon as it found out that the kits were faulty. "The ICMR followed the due process to finalise tenders for the purchase of rapid testing kits, based on sensitivity and specificity. When complaints from the field arose, ICMR reacted promptly and cancelled the orders. No payment was made to the vendors. No payment has been made by the ICMR to the companies whose testing kits were found to be faulty," Agarwal told the media. The ICMR had earlier clarified that it followed proper procedure for the procurement of the rapid testing kits from a Chinese company. In a press statement, the ICMR said that it tried to procure the kits directly from the Wondfo company in China, but due to the terms and conditions regarding guarantee of the product and 100 per cent advance payment, it decided to procure the kits from Wondfo's exclusive distributor for India which quoted an all inclusive price for FOB (logistics) without any clause for advance. The quotation received for direct procurement had issues like being FOB (free on board) without any commitment on logistics and 100 per cent direct advance payment without any guarantee. "There was no commitment on timelines. Also, the rates were communicated in US dollars without any clause for accounting for fluctuations in prices," said ICMR. The ICMR also said that its first attempt to procure these kits did not elicit any response from the suppliers. Its second attempt got adequate response. Of these responses, keeping sensitivity and specificity in mind, kits of two companies (Biomedemics and Wondfo) were identified for procurement. Both had the requisite international certifications. "For Wondfo, the evaluation committee got four bids and the corresponding quotes received were Rs 1,204, Rs 1,200, Rs 844 and Rs 600. Accordingly, the bid offer of Rs 600 was considered as L-1," the ICMR said in a statement. The apex medical research body also said that this was the first ever effort by any Indian agency to procure such kits and the rate quoted by the bidders was the only reference point. After receipt of some supplies, ICMR again conducted quality checks on these kits in field conditions. Based on scientific assessment of their performance, the order in question (Wondfo) along with the order in respect of another make was found under-performing and has been cancelled. The Health Ministry further elaborated that it did not make any payment for the supplies of the testing kits. Because of the due process followed (not going for procurement with 100 per cent advance amount), the government did not stand to lose a single rupee. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Vietnamese food inspired on COVID-19 has been praised by international media. More than 36 million results can be found for the key word banh my thanh long (dragon fruit bread) on an internet search, showing the great success of the owner of ABC Bakery Kao Sieu Luc. The bread made of dragon fruit was developed when Luc wanted to help farmers sell excess fruit caused by the coronavirus outbreak. At first, Luc made only 300 sandwiches, which sold out in an hour. Over VND2.4 billion were brought within 20 days. The Covid-19 pandemic has been in the minds of many people and has been leading search results for information, so this is a good time to introduce new products. An analyst commented that it was still unclear about the profit, but the media value is undeniably high as the dragon fruit bread became well known and has been mentioned in media with compliments. Foreign newswires such as Business Insider and NextShark have also written about it. Duy Anh Import/Export is another success story about how a company can do business well during the pandemic. The company specializes in making products from rice and farm produce, such as rice noodles, vermicelli and rice papers. Le Duy Toan, director of Duy Anh, said the company has been making the products for many years. However, since the day the company introduced new products made of dragon fruit and watermelon, two products in oversupply in Covid-19, the number of orders has increased sharply. In 2019, Duy Anh exported four to five containers of products to 30 countries each month. During the 2020 epidemic, it exports three to four containers each week. Duy Anhs products have become better known in the domestic market. Rice noodles, vermicelli and rice papers made of dragon fruit have sold better in Vietnam, Toan said. Unique products made of Vietnamese agricultural products continue to attract the attention of customers. Luc recently sent video clips about making dragon fruit sandwiches to the International Sandwich Association and received encouragement. He said he is going to take part in international competitions. ABC Bakery is a sandwich supplier of many fast food companies in Vietnam. Luc said he has sent dragon fruit sandwiches to the companies and hopes the sandwiches will be available at their chains one day. Clara Ly-Le, managing director of EloQ Communications, said the Covid-19 pandemic has been in the minds of many people and has been leading search results for information, so this is a good time to introduce new products. Linh Ha Room for Vietnamese farm produce exports to Singapore amid COVID-19 Vietnamese enterprises shipped around 500 tonnes of goods, including coffee, instant noodles, sweet potato, cabbage, pineapple, watermelon, and dragon fruit, to Singapore in March, according to the Vietnamese Trade Office in Singapore. John Boyega is Finn, Daisy Ridley is Rey, Anthony Daniels is C-3PO and Oscar Isaac is Poe Dameron in this still from Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. (2019 Lucasfilm Ltd. & , All Rights Reserved.) Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is hitting streaming in the UK months earlier than expected. The ninth and final film in the Skywalker saga will be available to stream in 4K on Disney+ on 4 May, or May The Fourth, Star Wars Day as its known to fans around the world. It will also be available to watch on Sky Cinema on the same day. Rise of Skywalker has only just been released on DVD and Blu-ray on 20 April, so its streaming debut comes at least two months earlier than previously expected. It joins the previous eight Star Wars films on the service, as well as the two spin-off films: Rogue One and Solo. From May 4th, stream the entire Skywalker Saga in one place. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, coming to @DisneyPlusUK pic.twitter.com/5QWt70OEqS Star Wars UK (@StarWarsUK) April 27, 2020 JJ Abrams film joins Disney+s May the Fourth line-up including the premiere of the eight-episode documentary series Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian, and the series finale of the animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars. The May 4th line-up follows the finale of the first season of The Mandalorian on Friday 1st May in the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Germany, Spain, Italy, Austria, and Switzerland. Read more: Pedro Pascal talks Mandalorian Disney+ plans to honour the artistry of Star Wars with a week-long concept art takeover on the service. Each film and series artwork will be updated on 4 May to feature its original concept paintings. Original artwork titled "Bounty Hunters in Cloud City" by Ralph McQuarrie is displayed April 4, 2002 at the exhibit "Star Wars: The Magic of the Myth" at the Brooklyn Museum of Art in Brooklyn, New York. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images) The updated art will feature work from celebrated artists such as the legendary Ralph McQuarrie and Academy Award-winning artist, author, and production designer, Doug Chiang. On the Disney+ home screen, the animated Star Wars brand tile, viewable on web and connected TV devices, gets upgraded with a new animation that honours the signature hyperspace jump. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker will be available to stream on Disney+ from 4 May. [April 27, 2020] Henderson Wealth Management Offers Businesses Financial Relief From COVID-19 by Waiving 401k Management Fees for 90 Days With a 1 Year Engagement In response to the unprecedented market volatility due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Henderson Wealth Management, a veteran-owned 401k consulting and wealth management firm, announced they will work for no management fees for the next three months for the first 10 businesses that retain HWM for one year. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200427005018/en/ Henderson Wealth Management is a leading 401k consulting firm working with small businesses and military contractors in the metro-Los Angeles area. The Manhattan Beach-based firm's founder Brett Henderson has helped over 200 businesses since 2004. Founded in 2018, Henderson Wealth Management offers white glove service for 401k plan management by reducing fees and implementing policies that help create more engaged employees. They bring these same strengths to bear that businesses can leverage to deliver critical financial help to their clients during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. "We recognize businesses are hurting and we're trying to do our part to help. Our top priority is doing what we can to help companies maintain their benefit package through this difficult time," said Henderson Wealth Management CEO, Brett Henderson. "As small to medium sized businesses are looking for ways to save money, one area most don't think of is their 401k plan. Most are overpaying in fees and have theirportfolio allocations in the wrong places which hurts their retirement fund. Helping business owners and CFOs understand important, but little-known strategies could mean savings of millions of dollars." The economic effects of the coronavirus are expected to worsen. According to a study from UCLA, the state's unemployment rate could reach 16.4% in the second quarter of 2020. This number out paces the unemployment rate from the financial crisis, which in 2010 reached 12.3%. "We want to help, so for the next 10 businesses that retain HWM for 401k consulting, they will receive our guidance and services with no 401k management fees for the next three months. This could be a substantial savings for companies in this critical time," says Henderson. To learn more about Henderson Wealth Management, visit https://hwm90.com/about-us/ or call (310) 491-7045. WEB LINKS https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2020-04-10/coronavirus-unemployment-ucla-forecast https://hwm90.com/about-us/ The information given herein is taken from sources that IFP Advisors, LLC, dba Independent Financial Partners (IFP), IFP Securities LLC, dba Independent Financial Partners (IFP), and its advisors believe to be reliable, but it is not guaranteed by us as to accuracy or completeness. Securities offered through IFP Securities, LLC, dba Independent Financial Partners (IFP), member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advice offered through IFP Advisors, LLC, dba Independent Financial Partners (IFP), a Registered Investment Adviser. IFP and Henderson Wealth Management are not affiliated. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200427005018/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Auburn, N.Y. Auburn police say they are searching for a masked man who shoved a Walmart employee during a robbery at the store Sunday night. Officers were called to the Walmart Supercenter, at 297 Grant Ave. in the city of Auburn, at 7:56 p.m. for a reported robbery, according to Cayuga County 911. During their investigation, police learned that a man wearing a mask shoved a Walmart employee and took jewelry during the robbery, then ran out of the store, Auburn police Sgt. James Smith said. The man did not show any weapons and no injuries were reported, Smith said. No other information was immediately available. Auburn police are continuing to investigate and ask anyone with information to call them at (315) 253-3235. Have a tip or a story idea? Contact Catie OToole: cotoole@syracuse.com | text/call (315) 470-2134 | Twitter | Facebook VANCOUVER, British Columbia, April 27, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ValOre Metals Corp. ("ValOre" or the Company; TSXV: VO) today announced board approval for the proposed 2020 core drilling exploration program at ValOres 100%-owned Pedra Branca Platinum Group Element Project (PGE, 2PGE+Au) in northeastern Brazil. ValOre also announced that it has entered into a C$1.2 million unsecured revolving credit facility to fully fund the first phase of the proposed drill program at Pedra Branca. We are excited to begin drilling Pedra Branca and to really showcase the compelling potential of our PGE project, stated Jim Paterson, Chairman & CEO. We have identified many new high-priority targets in our two-phase program, which is designed to expand the current resource, advance existing targets and test undrilled areas. With $1.2 million in funding now committed, we can ramp up exploration activities at Pedra Branca and begin the process of safely mobilizing drill rigs and personnel to Pedra Branca. Pedra Branca 2020 Drill Program The proposed fully-permitted drill program is comprised of two phases, with 2,875 metres in (Phase 1) and 3,035 metres in (Phase 2), and a scheduled start of Phase 1 in June. Details of each phase, including targets, total meters and number of drill holes are summarized in Figure 1 and Table 1 below. Highlights of the Proposed 2020 Pedra Branca PGE Drill Program: Comprised of two successive, fully permitted phases, totaling approximately 2,875 m and 3,035 m, respectively, for a total of 5,910 m; Focused on three target classes: Resource Expansion; New Discovery (undrilled targets); and Target Advancement (following-up historical drill intercepts at pre-resource targets) Phase 1 (fully funded) is planned to test 7 distinct target areas with 23 total core drill holes, and Phase 2 is planned to test 4 distinct target areas with 24 total drill holes, with an average hole length of 125m for both phases, reflecting the shallow nature of Pedra Branca PGE mineralization; All access and drill hole locations have been visited by a registered Brazilian environmental consultancy (SSA Consultoria) and classified as without need for vegetation suppression by re-activating existing access routes, utilizing pre-existing drill pad sites and the presence of extensive agricultural development in the region; Access to, and approval for drill water supply from local reservoirs has been secured; ValOre continues to receive full support from the local community of Capitao Mor, as well as Ceara State and federal governmental agency, ANM (Agencia Nacional de Mineracao) for on-going exploration of the Pedra Branca PGE Project. Story continues A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f1b586e3-2d19-4ccc-ba8a-a8aa6470d1b9 A table accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e53db1b0-f82b-4c20-b0be-6101e26f334a Mendes North Update Soil sampling at the three Mendes North PGE targets (Mendes North) is on-going and near-completion, with Targets 1 and 2 sampled in full, and Target 3 to be completed by the end of next week. As announced in ValOres March 30, 2020 press release, these three >1km PGE targets were identified using WorldView True-Colour imagery, WorldView spectral data and re-processed ground magnetic geophysical data. Further, ValOre generated a 3D magnetic inversion model of the Mendes North target area which delineated the WorldView-mag anomalies as compelling near surface targets. Approximately 600 samples will be collected (with a total of 453 collected to date) and consigned to SGS Geosol Laboratorios Ltda. (SGS Geosol an accredited mineral analysis laboratory) in Vespasiano, Minas Gerais for assay. Soil samples were collected from field sites spaced 20 metres apart on lines spaced 100 metres apart, with coordinate data captured by handheld GPS. These samples are subsequently stored in a secure ValOre facility in Capitao Mor, Ceara, Brazil and thereafter sent with an ensured chain of custody to SGS Geosol. All samples are analyzed for PGE+Au (Pd, Pt, Au) content using standard 50g Fire Assay and ICP-AES techniques. Certified PGE ore reference standards, blanks and field duplicates are inserted as a part of ValOres Quality Control/Quality Assurance program (QA/QC). Financing To finance its corporate and exploration activities for the coming year, ValOre has entered into an unsecured revolving credit facility with Jim Paterson, the Companys Chairman and CEO, pursuant to which the Company may borrow up to $1.2 million on a revolving basis. ValOre will pay to Mr. Paterson a standby fee of $24,000 (2% of the committed facility) and interest of 10% per annum on amounts drawn down under the facility. ValOre has agreed to use commercially reasonable efforts to complete an equity financing prior to December 31, 2020 in an amount sufficient to repay amounts borrowed under the facility. Qualified Person The technical information in this news release has been prepared in accordance with Canadian regulatory requirements as set out in NI 43-101 and this news release has been reviewed and approved by Colin Smith, P.Geo., who oversees New Project Review for ValOre. About ValOre Metals Corp. ValOre Metals Corp. (TSXV: VO) is a Canadian company with a portfolio of highquality exploration projects. ValOres team aims to deploy capital and knowledge on projects which benefit from substantial prior investment by previous owners, existence of high-value mineralization on a large scale, and the possibility of adding tangible value through exploration, process improvement, and innovation. In May 2019, ValOre announced the acquisition of the Pedra Branca Platinum Group Elements (PGE) property, in Brazil, to bolster its existing Angilak uranium, Genesis/Hatchet uranium and Baffin gold projects in Canada. The Pedra Branca PGE Project comprises 38 exploration licenses covering a total area of 38,940 hectares (96,223 acres) in northeastern Brazil. At Pedra Branca, 5 distinct PGE+Au deposit areas host, in aggregate, a NI 43-101 Inferred Resource of 1,067,000 ounces 2PGE+Gold (Palladium, Platinum and Gold; Pd, Pt+Au) contained in 27.2 million tonnes (Mt) grading 1.22 grams 2PGE+Gold per tonne (g 2PGE+Au/t) (see ValOres July 23, 2019 news release). PGE mineralization outcrops at surface and all of the inferred resources are potentially open pittable. Comprehensive exploration programs have demonstrated the "District Scale" potential of ValOres Angilak Property in Nunavut Territory, Canada that hosts the Lac 50 Trend having a NI 43101 Inferred Resource of 2,831,000 tonnes grading 0.69% U 3 O 8 , totaling 43.3 million pounds U 3 O 8 . ValOre's. For disclosure related to the inferred resource for the Lac 50 Trend uranium deposits, please refer to ValOre's news release of March 1, 2013. ValOres team has forged strong relationships with sophisticated resource sector investors and partner Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. (NTI) on both the Angilak and Baffin Gold Properties. ValOre was the first company to sign a comprehensive agreement to explore for uranium on Inuit Owned Lands in Nunavut Territory and is committed to building shareholder value while adhering to high levels of environmental and safety standards and proactive local community engagement. On behalf of the Board of Directors, "Jim Paterson" James R. Paterson, Chairman and CEO ValOre Metals Corp. For further information about, ValOre Metals Corp. or this news release, please visit our website at www.valoremetals.com or contact Investor Relations toll free at 1.888.331.2269, at 604.646.4527, or by email at contact@valoremetals.com . ValOre Metals Corp. is a proud member of Discovery Group. For more information please visit: www.discoverygroup.ca Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Although ValOre believes that the expectations reflected in its forward-looking statements are reasonable, such statements have been based on factors and assumptions concerning future events that may prove to be inaccurate. These factors and assumptions are based upon currently available information to ValOre. Such statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could influence actual results or events and cause actual results or events to differ materially from those stated, anticipated or implied in the forward-looking statements. A number of important factors including those set forth in other public filings could cause actual outcomes and results to differ materially from those expressed in these forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include the future operations of the Company and economic factors. Readers are cautioned to not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The statements in this press release are made as of the date of this release and, except as required by applicable law, ValOre does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or to revise any of the included forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. ValOre undertakes no obligation to comment on analyses, expectations or statements made by third parties in respect of ValOre, or its financial or operating results or (as applicable), their securities. Man arrested in murder of Isla Mujeres city worker Isla Mujeres, Q.R. UPDATED: The Attorney General of the State of Quintana Roo reports that the corresponding investigation for the crime of murder began after a woman was found dead inside an Isla Mujeres home. The discovery of the body occurred through an anonymous 911 call in the La Gloria neighborhood Sunday afternoon. When emergency personnel arrived, paramedics found the woman had a knife neck wound that caused her death. Elements of the State Attorney Generals Office cordoned off the area to begin their investigation, which has lead to the arrest of one unidentified male. The deceased woman has been identified as Naty N, who was member of Isla Mujeres Civil Protection unit. UPDATE: The Fiscalia General de Quintana Roo (FGE) reports the man arrested for the alleged murder of Naty N has been identified as Jimmi C. He was captured in the vicinity of the Salina Grande neighborhood after an Isla Mujeres judge issued a warrant for his arrest. The digital waste management system can generate alerts to sanitation teams at regular intervals on fill levels The team claims that only 28 per cent of the waste generated in India is recycled and various studies found that the waste generated in the country was doubling every five years. (Representative Image | AFP) New Delhi: An IIT-incubated start-up has developed a 'smart bin system' to prevent the spread of COVID-19 through waste generated at hospitals, clinics, public places and quarantine zones. Called 'AirBin', the system developed by Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Madras enables remote monitoring of waste accumulation levels through smart phone. The system can be retrofitted on to existing garbage bins on nearby poles, walls or the bin lids. According to start-up "Antariksh", the digital waste management system can generate alerts to sanitation teams at regular intervals on fill levels and on-demand clearance requests from end-users for faster disposal of contagious waste. "While we are dealing with the spread of COVID-19, hazardous waste is being generated in hospitals, quarantine zones or red zone areas within cities. They are potential sources of coronavirus and can cause further spread within the locality. This makes timely clean-up of bins vital along with other best practices for disinfection to prevent further spread of COVID-19," said Mahek Mahendra Shah, a Mechanical Engineering graduate from the institute. "The objective is to help rural and urban local bodies clear every bin before it overflows and accelerate sustainability. The product is likely to hit market in five months. We will supply first 200 AirBin devices across India in next few months with long-term plans to deliver 1,00,000 units for 100 Smart Cities in India," he added. The team claims that only 28 per cent of the waste generated in India is recycled and various studies found that the waste generated in the country was doubling every five years. Oishani Mojumder By Express News Service HYDERABAD: More than 250 of the 1,001 positive Covid-19 cases recorded in Telangana are young adults, and more than 660 of the patients are male. According to the Department of Public Health, the highest percentage of Covid-19 patients, close to 25 per cent, in the State are young adults who are in the age group of 20 to 30 years. While Covid-19 is said to be affecting mostly the elderly people across the globe, only nine per cent of the total positive cases in the State consists of geriatric patients above the age of 60, accounting to about 100 senior citizens over the age of 61. Similarly, children too consist of only five per cent of the positive cases. Speaking to Express, Dr G Srinivas Rao, Director of Public Health, said, From our reports, we have noticed that close to 60 per cent of the people who have tested positive are between the age group of 20 and 50. This is usually the age group with a high immunity rate, and thus we have seen the rising number of discharges in the State. This is also one of the reason why close to 80 per cent of the patients are asymptomatic in nature, as the younger patients are barely showing any symptoms. Telangana also seems to be following the pattern that has been noticed across the globe, where men make up the majority of the patients. Close to 67 per cent of the patients in the State are men, while the rest of 33 per cent are women. About 90 children below the age of 10 years have tested positive, of whom close to 50 of them are below the age of five. In addition to this, close to 100 of the total positive patients are pre-teens and teens, between 11 to 19 years of age. Even as the popular narrative remains that all the states, including Telangana need to increase the number of people being tested, officials from the State Health Department disagree with the argument. A top-ranking official from the Department of Public Health, said, We have not deviated from the rules set down by ICMR. The reason we are not increasing the number of tests with asymptomatic secondary contacts is because the State needs to keep test kits in reserve, to be prepared for unforseeable spike in cases in the future when the lockdown is lifted. If a spike is noted after the lockdown, we cannot waste time acquiring these test kits, especially because they are not manufactured in the State. NEW YORK, April 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Crisis Text Line , the not-for-profit providing free crisis counseling over text message, 24/7, was announced as one of this year's Audacious projects. The org announced plans to expand its life-saving service to 32% of the world. "Pain isn't an American experience, it's a human experience," said Nancy Lublin, Co-Founder and CEO of Crisis Text Line. Crisis Text Line will roll out its resources to provide aid to anyone who needs it in English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and Arabic. The original goal was to do 5 languages in 5 years. But COVID-19 and the quarantines have created a mental health crisis. So Crisis Text Line slashed its timeline by 50% and will complete this audacious plan by the end of 2022. "People need help all over the world. With this expansion, we'll process 1 billion messages in just the next few years," said Bob Filbin, Co-Founder and Chief Data Officer of Crisis Text Line. "With such a large data corpus, we'll be positioned to fuel academic research, inform smart policy, and make sure mental health support is delivered where it is needed most." Crisis Text Line Co-Founder and CEO Nancy Lublin announced this accelerated plan via a TED Talk at "TED2020: The Prequel," where Crisis Text Line was revealed as one of three 2020 Audacious projects spearheading bold and innovative responses to COVID-19. Watch the TED talk here . To make this rapid expansion possible, Crisis Text Line has hired Ben Kolin as Chief Technology Officer. He previously served as the Director of Engineering, Money at Uber. Ms. Lublin noted, "Ben has traded his red light saber for a blue light saber." "I am thrilled to be at Crisis Text Line where I can put my industry experience to good use helping ease some of the pain in the world," said Ben Kolin, Chief Technology Officer. "The need for Crisis Text Line's services is greater than ever as the novel coronavirus pandemicincluding the secondary impact of quarantinesfuels a mental health crisis," said Anna Verghese, Executive Director, The Audacious Project at TED. "We're grateful to be able to support Crisis Text Line as they scale and improve access to mental health services for a greater number of communities across the globe." This announcement comes at a time when Crisis Text Line's services are more important than ever - since the beginning of March, Crisis Text Line has seen a 40% increase in texter volume due to the mental health echo of COVID-19 and the quarantines. And the types of issues have shifted with a 48% increase in sexual abuse conversations and a 74% increase in domestic violence conversations. Crisis Text Line quietly launched in 2013 in Chicago and El Pasoand within 4 months was taking conversations from all 274 area codes in the USA. In the past two years, Crisis Text Line made the service available to people in other countries including Canada, the UK, and Ireland. Today, they have trained over 30,000 volunteer Crisis Counselors and exchanged more than 150M messages. Crisis Text Line reaches people most in need of support and the least likely to access it. Young . 75% of texters are under 25 years old. And a whopping 12% are under age 13. . 75% of texters are under 25 years old. And a whopping 12% are under age 13. Poor . 10% of the lowest income zip codes account for 19% of volume. . 10% of the lowest income zip codes account for 19% of volume. Rural . 7.5% of USA counties are considered rural--and they account for 9.8% of volume. . 7.5% of counties are considered rural--and they account for 9.8% of volume. People of color . 17% of texters identify as Hispanic; 13% Black; 5.5% Native American. . 17% of texters identify as Hispanic; 13% Black; 5.5% Native American. LGBTQ+. 44% of texters identify as LGBTQ+. The organization is known for its innovative use of technology and data, leveraging machine learning to stack-rank the queue and take the high risk people first. About Crisis Text Line Crisis Text Line provides free, 24/7, confidential support for people in crisis via text. Crisis Counselors complete a 30-hour training and have 24/7 supervision by full-time Crisis Text Line mental health professionals. In the US, Text CRISIS to 741741 to be connected to a trained Crisis Counselor. Crisis Text Line currently offers its service in the USA, UK, Canada, and Ireland. About The Audacious Project Launched in April 2018, The Audacious Project is a collaborative funding initiative that's catalyzing social impact on a grand scale. Housed at TED, the nonprofit devoted to ideas worth spreading, and with support from leading social impact advisor The Bridgespan Group, The Audacious Project convenes funders and social entrepreneurs with the goal of supporting bold solutions to the world's most urgent challenges. The Audacious Project's funding collective is made up of respected organizations and individuals in philanthropy, including the Skoll Foundation, Virgin Unite, The Valhalla Charitable Foundation, ELMA Philanthropies and more. Each year, The Audacious Project supports a new cohort. The Audacious Project is proud to unveil Crisis Text Line, The Collins Lab and ACEGID as the first of eight new grantees from the 2020 cohort. With their bold solutions to COVID-19, these projects are delivering an audacious response to some of the world's biggestand most urgentchallenges. The remainder of the cohort will be announced in the coming weeks. Learn more at AudaciousProject.org . Press Contact: [email protected] SOURCE Crisis Text Line Related Links https://www.crisistextline.org By Tang Lu COLOMBO, April 27 -- The Chinese Embassy in Sri Lanka made an emergency donation of anti-epidemic items to the Sri Lankan Navy (SLN) in Colombo on April 24. Vice Admiral Piyal De Silva, Commander of the SL Navy presented to receive the items. According to Sri Lankan military, 29 naval personnel were confirmed to be infected with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) at the Welisara Naval Base on the outskirts of Colombo on the evening of April 23, and the base was subsequently locked down. On April 24, another 30 naval personnel at the base were tested positive for COVID-19. They were the first batch of confirmed cases in Sri Lankan armed forces on a large scale. Local media reported that the Sri Lankan military has played an important role in the countrys response to the COVID-19 epidemic. The SLN has sent a large number of personnel to disinfect the public places and help maintain public order. The Chinese Embassy in Sri Lanka collected and purchased anti-epidemic materials overnight after learning the news. On the afternoon of April 24, Senior Colonel Wan Dong, defense attache of the Chinese embassy, led the embassy personnel to send the urgently needed anti-epidemic items such as forehead thermometers, surgical masks, protective gears and gloves to the Commander Department of the SLN. Vice Admiral De Silva said when receiving the supplies, "A friend in need is a friend indeed. China has always offered timely help and support to us." He then sent a special letter to the Chinese Embassy, praising the supplies for improving the SLN capabilities to handle the COVID-19. WASHINGTON The Supreme Court said on Monday that it would not decide what would have been its first decision on the scope of the Second Amendment in almost a decade, finding that New York Citys repeal of the gun control regulation under challenge had made the matter moot. When the court agreed to hear the case, the possibility of such a ruling alarmed gun control proponents, who urged New York officials to repeal the regulation. The city did so, and state lawmakers later enacted a law that seemed to make it impossible for city officials to change their minds. James E. Johnson, New York Citys corporation counsel, said the courts ruling was just right. The court properly recognized that the only claims the petitioners ever brought no longer present a live case, because the challenged city rule no longer exists, Mr. Johnson said in a statement. The question is, in a word, moot. The majority opinion was unsigned and just two pages long. Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr., joined by Justice Neil M. Gorsuch and, for the most part, Justice Clarence Thomas, issued a 31-page dissent. It said that the case was not moot and that the regulation flatly violated the courts Second Amendment precedents. Two groups of plaintiffs one in Philadelphia, the other in Chicago are asking federal courts to consolidate lawsuits filed by businesses that are seeking coverage for business-interruption losses they claim are caused by coronavirus stay-home orders. Attorneys for owners of the River Twice and Chops restaurants in Philadelphia on Monday petitioned the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation to consolidate similar lawsuits that seek to force carriers to pay for income lost due to government shut-down orders. The attorneys identified 11 similar lawsuits that had been filed in multiple jurisdictions and asked that all similar cases be heard by U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Savage in Philadelphia. On Tuesday, another group of businesses including Bridal Expressions, Caribe Restaurant & Nightclub and Dakota Ventures filed a separate petition asking that business-interruption suits be consolidated under U.S. District Judge Matthew F. Kennelly in Chicago. The Chicago attorneys identified 16 similar business-interruption lawsuits. Attorney Adam J. Levitt in Chicago, said that it makes sense for a single judge, instead of multiple jurisdictions, to resolve issues that the plaintiffs have in common. The last thing anyone wants is for 50 different federal judges ruling on such issues, he said. Travelers, W.R. Berkley CEOs Sound Alarm Over Coronavirus Lawsuits, Workers Comp Litigation Builds Against Insurers Over Coronavirus Business Interruption A central question is whether coronavirus is a physical damage that would trigger coverage under policies that include coverage for business losses from closures ordered by civil authorities. Insurers have denied business-interruption claims filed by restaurants and other businesses that were forced to shut down or switch to delivery-only, arguing that a civil ordered issued to prevent the spread of a pandemic does not amount to physical damage. The Hartford and Travelers have both declared their intent to deny such claims, according to the Philadelphia groups suit. Insurance for business interruption can provide coverage when a policyholder suffers a loss of income due to direct physical loss or damage to covered property at its location or another location, Travelers said in a letter to New York policyholders. It does not cover loss of income due to market conditions, a slowdown of economic activity or a general fear of contamination. Levitt and other plaintiffs attorneys argue that if coronavirus is not direct physical damage, insurers would not have created an exclusion for viruses, which are included in many business owners policies. The Insurance Service Office created the exclusion for viruses after the first SARS pandemic scare in 2003. Some attorneys have argued that coronavirus closures should be covered even under policies that do not exclude viruses. Travelers, in fact, last week filed a lawsuit against the the Geragos & Geragos law firm in Los Angeles seeking a declaration from a federal judge that its policy specifically excludes coverage for viruses, and that business-interruption coverage wouldnt be owed even if it did. Levitt said most of his clients purchased policies that do not have a virus exclusion, or have exclusions that are sufficiently weak. He said business owners around the country have purchased insurance thinking that they would be covered in emergencies, only to be denied. We are being contacted by close to 100 business a day, he said. Our phones are ringing off the hook. Lawsuits filed against insurance carriers have been noted in local news reports around the country. A Google search shows that in a one 24-hour period ending Wednesday morning, local media reported: The Guajillo Mexican restaurant in Rosslyn, Virginia filed suit against The Hartfords Twin City Fire Insurance Co. for business-interruption coverage. Al Johnsons Swedish Restaurant in Sister Bay, Wisconsin filed suit against Society Insurance to recoup business losses. The Joseph Tambellini Restaurant and Siebs Pub in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area sued Erie Insurance. The IT! Italy Ristorante Cafe & Bar in For Lauderdale filed suit against Chubb Ltd. to gain coverage for its losses. The Philadelphia petition, filed by attorney Richard M. Golomb with Golomb & Honick, states that the business-interruption matter is of such national significance that even President Donald Trump spoke about the issue during an April 10 press conference. The filing included a quote from Trump reported previously by the Claims Journal saying that insurers should pay business-interruption claims if pandemics are not excluded. The petition argues that consolidation is prudent becausedifferent federal courts, in duplicating rulings on the same issues, could make contradictory findings. Litigation of this scope and importance should not be beset with such inconsistencies and inefficiencies. The Multidistrict Litigation Panel has placed the two petitions on its July 30 docket, which means they will be heard by the seven judges on the panel during its scheduled hearing in Boston, Levitt said. As of Wednesday, the panel had linked 16 separate lawsuits to the case. The panel asked insurers to file consolidated responses by May 12. Topics Lawsuits Carriers COVID-19 USA Profit Loss Texas Governor Greg Abbott said Monday that he will allow the states economy to reopen in stages beginning Friday, when his stay-at-home order expires. Now more than ever, Texans must remain committed to safe distancing practices that reduce the spread of Covid-19, and we must continue to rely on doctors and data to provide us with the safest strategies to restore Texans livelihoods, Abbott said during a news conference in Austin, noting that the phased reopening plan for Texas is the result of tremendous input. The first to reopen will be restaurants as well as retail stores, malls, theaters, libraries, and museums. Businesses will be required to keep the number of visitors at 25 percent their normal capacity for two weeks or longer. Closer to May 18, businesses will be allowed to increase capacity to 50 percent barring an increase in coronavirus cases in the state. Businesses that engage in close contact between people, such as hair salons and gyms, will not be allowed to reopen yet, Abbott said, adding that he wants them to open as soon as possible and expects that to be in mid-May. We must also focus on protecting the most vulnerable Texans from exposure to Covid-19. If we remain focused on protecting the lives of our fellow Texans, we can continue to open the Lone Star State, Abbott said. The governor stressed that opening up the Texas economy too early would be more likely to set us back, rather than to propel us forward. Opening in Texas must occur in stages, Abbott said earlier this month. Obviously, not all businesses can open all at once on May 1. The Texas governors decision to begin easing social distancing measures comes as a number of other Republican governors have begun allowing businesses to reopen despite concerns that their testing capacity is not enough to provide a clear picture of how far the virus has spread. Abbott expressed confidence that Texas should easily exceed our goal of 25,000 tests per day by the beginning of May. Story continues Florida, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, and Tennessee have announced plans to start reopening businesses. Georgia Governor Brian Kemp announced last week that the state will allow restaurants, gyms, bowling alleys, hair and nail salons, and massage therapists to reopen, sparking backlash from President Trump, who said the transition was happening too quickly. Kemp admitted cases of the virus will likely see an uptick as businesses are allowed to reopen across the state. More from National Review Chances, amounts of weekend snow still up in the air A suspected ISIS terrorist was under arrest in Paris last night after crushing two police motorcyclists at high speed between his BMW and a patrol car. The horrifying attack took place in the northern suburb of Colombes shortly after 5.30pm on Monday and left one of the officers in intensive care. The 29-year-old attacker, who is being referred to as Youssef T, has since admitted 'I did it for ISIS,' according to investigators speaking to the Parisien newspaper. Searches at his home in Colombes and of his car uncovered 'a letter explaining his action with possible terrorist motives' and a knife. The suspect was taken into custody for interrogation at a high security police station in the Paris area. According to police sources, a man on a moped was first chased by a police motorbike unit carrying out roadside checks during the coronavirus lockdown. He abandoned his two-wheeler and then fled in a Peugeot vehicle, leaving the police unit congregating outside a shutdown school. A suspected ISIS terrorist was under arrest in Paris last night after crushing two police motorcyclists at high speed between his BMW and a patrol car (pictured) The horrifying attack took place in the northern suburb of Colombes shortly after 5.30pm on Monday and left one of the officers in intensive care (scene of attack pictured) French motorbike police officers secure a security perimeter in Colombes at the scene of the suspected terrorist attack It was then that the black BMW 1 Series arrived at high speed and crushed the two officers who were standing by their bikes and the patrol car. 'One was trapped between a municipal police car and that of the madman,' a source told Le Parisien. Both officers were rushed away from the scene, with the worst injured going to the Beaujon Hospital at Clichy, where he was placed in an artificial coma. Youssef was known to police, but not to France's security services, according to the investigating sources. A spokesman for the Synergie police union, who posted pictures of the accident on Twitter, said: 'The perpetrator apparently has terrorist motivations which remains to be confirmed. 'In any event, those who stigmatize police officers and designate them as targets are very largely responsible for these acts.' Nicole Goueta, the mayor of Colombes, said 'two young police officers were between life and death' and 'my thoughts are with their families.' Christophe Castaner, France's Interior Minister, said: 'My thoughts are with our two injured police officers who were employed to protect us. Traffic is halted at the scene of the attack. Both injured officers were rushed away from the scene, with the worst injured going to the Beaujon Hospital at Clichy, where he was placed in an artificial coma 'We salute the coolness of the municipal police officers who came to their aid and arrested the accused. The investigation that is beginning will shed light on his motivations.' Earlier this month, three Sudanese refugees were placed in custody in France following the first terrorist attack in Europe during the Coronavirus lockdown - raising fears that they were part of an ISIS-style cell. One, identified as 33-year-old Abdallah Ahmed-Osman, stabbed two people to death and severely wounded seven others during a bloody rampage in the town of Romans-sur-Isere, south of Lyon. He then wanted police to shoot him dead, but was instead arrested following the bloodbath on April 5. Detectives later found extremist literature in his house, including a complaint by Abdallah that he hated 'living in a country of non-believers'. Anti-terrorism prosecutors later confirmed that a two other Sudanese refugees who were 'close friends' of the perpetrator had also been arrested. Such atrocities follow a series of bomb, gun and knife attacks carried out by Islamic State and al-Qaeda operatives in France, dating back to early 2015 An armed police officer enforces a road block where two of his colleagues were seriously injured in the suspected attack The deadliest single terrorist attack ever in the country came in November 2015 when 130 people were killed in Paris. Suicide bombers pledging allegiance to ISIS targeted the Stade de France, cafes, restaurants and the Bataclan music venue, where 90 died. Earlier in the year, two Paris-born gunmen linked to Al-Qaeda broke into the offices of the Charlie Hebdo satirical magazine, leaving 17 people dead inside and three outside. In July 2016, 86 people were called and more than 400 injured when a 19-tonne truck was deliberately driven into crowds on the seafront promenade at Nice, in the South of France. The terrorist turned out to be a Tunisian immigrant who was shot dead by police. During the same month, two Isis terrorists murdered an 86-year-old Catholic priest during a church service in Normandy. There have been frequent knife attacks on the forces of law and order, leading to the deaths of serving police. In October of last year, a radicalised computer operative working at the Paris Prefecture stabbed four of his colleagues to death. To ensure that the message of social distancing and the need to protect everyone from the coronavirus disease reaches each Indian in his or her own dialect and language will be the immediate priority of the information and broadcasting (I&B) ministry, I&B secretary Amit Khare said on Monday. The senior Indian Administrative Service officer took charge of the post at a time when the government is focusing increasingly on getting its communication strategy right in the midst of the pandemic before the 40-day lockdown to stop the spread of the disease ends on May 3. Our strategy is that the communication should reach the last person in their own local dialect and language, Khare told HT in a phone conversation after taking charge. This is the second time that the 1985 batch IAS officer of the Jharkhand cadre would be working as secretary in the I&B ministry. He held the position before being made secretary (school education) in the ministry of human resource development (HRD) in October 2019. Khare is also holding charge as secretary (higher education) in the HRD ministry. The veteran civil servant returns to the I&B ministry, which decides the Union governments communication outreach, at a time the government is trying to increase public awareness of Covid-19, and explain the need for the people to strictly follow lockdown measures it has put in place to curb the spread of the disease. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been at the forefront of this information outreach, addressing the nation on television and holding interactions to communicate the governments perspective on the situation. On Sunday, in his Mann Ki Baat radio address, Modi again focused on the coronavirus and warned against any sense complacence in the battle against the pandemic. With the government focusing on Covid-19 hotspots and devising different strategies for different districts depending on the extent of the spread of the virus, the I&B ministry is seeking to tailor its communication strategy to local needs and address the people in the dialect and language they understand best -- a challenge given Indias diversity. Another challenge the ministry faces is misinformation about the coronavirus disease being spread on social media. The traditional media -- newspapers and broadcasters-- have, meanwhile, been hit by the adverse impact of the virus in the form of a drop in advertising and circulation. Print, digital and electronic media are playing an important role in the battle against the pandemic Covid-19. They are also facing challenges, both in terms of outreach and in terms of their business model. We will try to resolve these issues, Khare said in response to a question. PLEASANTON, Calif., April 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Net sales of $283.7 million increased 9.4% year-over-year on stronger sales volumes Strong gross margin of 45.7% improved 320 basis points year-over-year Operating profit of $49.4 million increased 64.4% year-over-year Diluted earnings per share of $0.83 increased 66.0% year-over-year Repurchased $62.7 million of the Company's common stock during the quarter Declared a $0.23 per share cash dividend Withdrawing 2020 Plan targets and financial outlook due to COVID-19 Simpson Manufacturing Co., Inc. (the "Company") (NYSE: SSD), an industry leader in engineered structural connectors and building solutions, today announced its financial results for the first quarter of 2020. Refer to the "Segment and Product Group Information" table below for additional segment information (including information about the Company's Asia/Pacific segment and Administrative and All Other segment). All comparisons below (which are generally indicated by words such as "increased," "decreased," "remained," or "compared to"), unless otherwise noted, are comparing the quarter ended March 31, 2020 with the quarter ended March 31, 2019. 2020 First Quarter Financial Highlights Consolidated net sales of $283.7 million increased 9.4% from $259.2 million . increased 9.4% from . North America net sales of $249.1 million increased 12.5% from $221.4 million , primarily due to higher sales volume. Canada's net sales were negatively impacted by foreign currency translation. net sales of increased 12.5% from , primarily due to higher sales volume. net sales were negatively impacted by foreign currency translation. Europe net sales of $32.7 million decreased 8.5% from $35.8 million primarily due to lower sales volumes. Net sales were impacted by approximately $1.0 million of negative foreign currency translations resulting from some Europe currencies weakening against the United States dollar. In local currency, Europe net sales decreased. net sales of decreased 8.5% from primarily due to lower sales volumes. Net sales were impacted by approximately of negative foreign currency translations resulting from some currencies weakening against dollar. In local currency, net sales decreased. Consolidated gross profit of $129.7 million increased 17.6% from $110.3 million . Gross margin increased to 45.7% from 42.5%. increased 17.6% from . Gross margin increased to 45.7% from 42.5%. North America gross margin increased to 47.7% from 44.4%, primarily due to decreases in material costs and factory and overhead costs (on higher production), partly offset by higher warehouse and shipping costs, each as a percentage of net sales. gross margin increased to 47.7% from 44.4%, primarily due to decreases in material costs and factory and overhead costs (on higher production), partly offset by higher warehouse and shipping costs, each as a percentage of net sales. Europe gross margin increased to 32.7% from 32.3%, primarily due to decreases in material costs, partly offset by higher labor, factory and overhead costs, shipping and warehouse costs, each as a percentage of net sales. gross margin increased to 32.7% from 32.3%, primarily due to decreases in material costs, partly offset by higher labor, factory and overhead costs, shipping and warehouse costs, each as a percentage of net sales. Consolidated income from operations of $49.4 million increased 64.4% from $30.0 million . The increase was primarily due to the increase in gross profit. Consolidated operating margin increased to 17.4% from 11.6%. increased 64.4% from . The increase was primarily due to the increase in gross profit. Consolidated operating margin increased to 17.4% from 11.6%. North America income from operations of $53.6 million increased from $32.8 million , primarily due to the increase in gross profit and slightly lower operating expenses. income from operations of increased from , primarily due to the increase in gross profit and slightly lower operating expenses. Europe loss from operations was $1.7 million compared to a loss of $0.4 million , primarily due to lower net sales and increased cash profit sharing, severance and amortization expenses. loss from operations was compared to a loss of , primarily due to lower net sales and increased cash profit sharing, severance and amortization expenses. The Company's effective income tax rate decreased to 21.3% from 22.5%. Consolidated net income was $36.8 million , or $0.83 per diluted share of the Company's common stock, compared to net income of $22.7 million , or $0.50 per diluted share. , or per diluted share of the Company's common stock, compared to net income of , or per diluted share. Cash flow provided by operating activities increased approximately $7.1 million to $16.8 million from $9.6 million . to from . Cash flow used in investing activities decreased approximately $4.6 million to $6.2 million from $10.8 million . Capital expenditures were approximately $6.8 million compared to $7.4 million . Given current circumstances, the Company is heightening its focus on tightly managing all expenses and planned capital expenditures. Management Commentary "We delivered a solid first quarter both operationally and financially with sales of $283.7 million improving 9.4% year-over-year on higher sales volume in North America," commented Karen Colonias, President and Chief Executive Officer of Simpson Manufacturing Co., Inc. "Our gross margin was strong at 45.7%, an improvement of 320 basis points year-over-year largely due to sales mix and lower material costs. Our gross margin, coupled with relatively flat operating expenses, helped generate operating income of $49.4 million, up 64.4% yearoveryear, and strong earnings of $0.83 per diluted share, up 66.0% yearoveryear. We also completed the final phase of the SAP implementation in our major U.S.based sales organizations during the quarter with the successful onboarding of our Stockton manufacturing facility." Mrs. Colonias continued, "Our thoughts go out to all of those who have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The health, safety and wellbeing of our employees, their families, our customers and our communities remains our top priority. We took immediate action at the onset of this crisis, implementing preparedness plans to keep our employees and customers healthy and safe, as well as to ensure continued operations and business continuity across our global network. While government authorities in the countries and states where we operate have issued various and differing shelter in place and other similar governmental orders, in many of those locations our products and services are classified as an essential business and all of our North America manufacturing and distribution facilities continue to operate in accordance with those orders. However in late March, two of our larger European manufacturing facilities in the United Kingdom and France were ordered to cease nearly all operations, forcing us to temporarily furlough many of those affected employees. We have every intention of being able to bring those employees back to work when the timing is right. Our supply chain partners have been very supportive and continue to do their part to ensure that service levels to our customers remain strong. To date, we have not experienced any supply-chain disruptions related to COVID-19 and have been able to meet our customers' needs." Mrs. Colonias concluded, "Due to the significant level of uncertainty regarding future market conditions surrounding COVID-19, we have chosen to withdraw our previously issued annual 2020 outlook as well as the financial targets associated with our "2020 Plan." While this situation is highly unique, we believe our strong balance sheet, combined with the investments we have made in adjacent products and markets to diversify our business, and our recent cost rationalization efforts have positioned us to emerge on the other side of this crisis from a position of strength. We ended the quarter with nearly $306 million in cash on hand after drawing down $150 million on our $300 million revolving credit facility as a precautionary measure to preserve financial flexibility. We have proactively taken measures to ensure we maintain our strong financial position, including implementing a hiring freeze and adjusting employee hours based on lower production levels in the near term. We will also remain conservative in our capital allocation approach with a focus on cash preservation." Corporate Developments As previously announced, in March 2020 , the Company borrowed $150 million from its $300 million revolving credit facility and has approximately $150 million of remaining borrowing capacity under its revolving credit facility. , the Company borrowed from its revolving credit facility and has approximately of remaining borrowing capacity under its revolving credit facility. During the first quarter of 2020, the Company repurchased 902,340 shares of the Company's common stock in the open market at an average price of $69.46 per share, for a total of $62.7 million . As of March 31, 2020 , approximately $37.3 million remained available for repurchase under the previously announced $100.0 million share repurchase authorization (which expires at the end of 2020). Given current circumstances, the Company has temporarily suspended its share repurchase program. per share, for a total of . As of , approximately remained available for repurchase under the previously announced share repurchase authorization (which expires at the end of 2020). Given current circumstances, the Company has temporarily suspended its share repurchase program. On April 23, 2020, the Company's Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.23 per share. The dividend will be payable on July 23, 2020 to the Company's stockholders of record as of July 2, 2020. Business Outlook During the first quarter of 2020, the execution of the Company's 2020 Plan continued to deliver financial and operational efficiencies. The rapidly developing COVID-19 pandemic has generated significant uncertainty in the economy and for the Company's outlook for the full year of 2020. While the magnitude and duration of the outbreak, including its impact on its operations, supply chain partners and general economic conditions, is uncertain, the Company is continuing to monitor the impact of the pandemic on its operations and financial condition, which was not significantly adversely impacted in the first quarter of 2020. Given the uncertainties surrounding the impact of COVID-19 on its business, which may include the economic impact on the Company's operations, consumers, suppliers and vendors, Simpson is withdrawing its prior full year 2020 guidance issued on February 3, 2020, as well as the financial targets associated with its "2020 Plan." The Company is unable to provide updated full year 2020 guidance at this time. A significant portion of the Company's total product sales is dependent on housing starts and its business, financial condition and results of operations depends significantly on the level of housing and residential construction activity, which is expected to be negatively affected by the COVID-19 outbreak and pandemic. In the month of April, sales declined compared to March levels due to lower demand from the anticipated slowdown in housing starts and general construction activity. Declines in housing and residential construction, such as housing starts and home improvement projects, which generally occur during economic downturns, have in the past significantly reduced, and in the future can be expected to reduce, the demand for, and net sales, of the Company's products. Conference Call Details Investors, analysts and other interested parties are invited to join the Company's first quarter 2020 financial results conference call on Monday, April 27, 2020, at 5:00 pm Eastern Time (2:00 pm Pacific Time). To participate, callers may dial (877) 407-0792 (U.S. and Canada) or (201) 689-8263 (International) approximately 10 minutes prior to the start time. The call will be webcast simultaneously and can be accessed through http://public.viavid.com/index.php?id=138725 or a link on the Company's website at www.simpsonmfg.com/financials/events.html. For those unable to participate during the live broadcast, a replay of the call will also be available beginning that same day at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time until 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on Monday, May 11, 2020, by dialing (844) 5122921 (U.S. and Canada) or (412) 3176671 (International) and entering the conference ID: 13700860. The webcast will remain posted on the Investor Relations section of the Company's website for 90 days. A copy of this earnings release will be available prior to the call, accessible through the Investor Relations section of the Company's website at www.simpsonmfg.com. About Simpson Manufacturing Co., Inc. Simpson Manufacturing Co., Inc., headquartered in Pleasanton, California, through its subsidiary, Simpson Strong-Tie Company Inc., designs, engineers and is a leading manufacturer of wood construction products, including connectors, truss plates, fastening systems, fasteners and shearwalls, and concrete construction products, including adhesives, specialty chemicals, mechanical anchors, powder actuated tools and reinforcing fiber materials. The Company's common stock trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "SSD." Copies of Simpson Manufacturing's Annual Report to Stockholders and its proxy statements and other SEC filings, including Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K, are made available free of charge on the company's Web site on the same day they are filed with the SEC. To view these filings, visit the Investor Relations section of the Company's Web site. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 2 IE of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements generally can be identified by words such as "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "plan," "target," "continue," "predict," "project," "change," "result," "future," "will," "could," "can," "may," "likely," "potentially," or similar expressions that concern our strategy, plans, expectations or intentions. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements about future financial and operating results, our plans, objectives, business outlook, priorities, expectations and intentions, expectations for sales growth, comparable sales, earnings and performance, stockholder value, capital expenditures, cash flows, the housing market, the home improvement industry, demand for services, share repurchases, our strategic initiatives, including the impact of these initiatives on our strategic and operational plans and financial results, and any statement of an assumption underlying any of the foregoing and other statements that are not historical facts. Although we believe that the expectations, opinions, projections and comments reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, such statements involve risks and uncertainties and we can give no assurance that such statements will prove to be correct. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statements. Forward-looking statements are subject to inherent uncertainties, risk and other factors that are difficult to predict and could cause our actual results to vary in material respects from what we have expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause our actual results and financial condition to differ materially from those expressed in our forward-looking statements include the impact of COVID-19 on our operations and supply chain, and the operations of our customers, suppliers and business partners and those discussed under Item 1A. Risk Factors and Item 7 Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent filings with the SEC. To the extent that COVID-19 adversely affects our business and financial results, it may also have the effect of heightening many of such risk and other factors. We caution that you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise. Readers are urged to carefully review and consider the various disclosures made in our reports filed with the SEC that advise of the risks and factors that may affect our business, results of operations and financial condition. Simpson Manufacturing Co., Inc. and Subsidiaries UNAUDITED Consolidated Statements of Operations (In thousands, except per share data) Three Months Ended March 31, (Amounts in thousands, except per share data) 2020 2019 Net sales $ 283,668 $ 259,244 Cost of sales 154,002 148,990 Gross profit 129,666 110,254 Research and development and engineering expense 13,382 12,260 Selling expense 28,527 28,112 General and administrative expense 38,471 39,549 Total operating expenses 80,380 79,921 Loss (gain) on disposal of assets (64) 310 Income from operations 49,350 30,023 Interest expense, net and other (2,533) (763) Income before taxes 46,817 29,260 Provision for income taxes 9,991 6,598 Net income $ 36,826 $ 22,662 Earnings per common share: Basic $ 0.84 $ 0.51 Diluted $ 0.83 $ 0.50 Weighted average shares outstanding: Basic 44,099 44,874 Diluted 44,286 45,213 Cash dividend declared per common share $ 0.23 $ 0.22 Other data: Depreciation and amortization $ 9,734 $ 9,758 Pre-tax equity-based compensation expense $ 277 $ 4,105 Simpson Manufacturing Co., Inc. and Subsidiaries UNAUDITED Consolidated Condensed Balance Sheets (In thousands) March 31, December 31, (Amounts in thousands) 2020 2019 2019 Cash and cash equivalents $ 305,791 $ 113,407 $ 230,210 Trade accounts receivable, net 168,736 173,140 139,364 Inventories 255,720 272,459 251,907 Assets held for sale 2,546 Other current assets 21,736 14,186 19,426 Total current assets 751,983 575,738 640,907 Property, plant and equipment, net 246,941 251,398 249,012 Operating lease right-of-use assets 33,725 34,324 35,436 Goodwill 131,599 131,712 131,879 Other noncurrent assets 34,000 37,180 38,132 Total assets $ 1,198,248 $ 1,030,352 $ 1,095,366 Trade accounts payable $ 44,505 $ 35,549 $ 33,351 Accrued liabilities and other current liabilities 118,346 115,029 125,556 Total current liabilities 162,851 150,578 158,907 Operating lease liabilities, net of current portion 26,084 28,878 27,930 Long-term debt, net of current portion 150,000 Deferred income tax and other long-term liabilities 17,719 15,422 16,572 Stockholders' equity 841,594 835,474 891,957 Total liabilities and stockholders' equity $ 1,198,248 $ 1,030,352 $ 1,095,366 Simpson Manufacturing Co., Inc. and Subsidiaries UNAUDITED Segment and Product Group Information (In thousands) Three Months Ended March 31, % (Amounts in thousands) 2020 2019 change* Net Sales by Reporting Segment North America $ 249,050 $ 221,431 12.5% Percentage of total net sales 87.8 % 85.4 % Europe 32,732 35,780 (8.5)% Percentage of total net sales 11.5 % 13.8 % Asia/Pacific 1,886 2,033 (7.2)% $ 283,668 $ 259,244 9.4% Net Sales by Product Group** Wood Construction $ 242,520 $ 217,613 11.4% Percentage of total net sales 86 % 84 % Concrete Construction 41,012 41,577 (1.4)% Percentage of total net sales 14 % 16 % Other 136 54 N/M $ 283,668 $ 259,244 9.4% Gross Profit (Loss) by Reporting Segment North America $ 118,795 $ 98,397 20.7% North America gross margin 47.7 % 44.4 % Europe 10,701 11,555 (7.4)% Europe gross margin 32.7 % 32.3 % Asia/Pacific 167 319 (47.6)% Administrative and all other 3 (17) N/M $ 129,666 $ 110,254 17.6% Income (Loss) from Operations North America $ 53,561 $ 32,814 63.2% North America operating margin 21.5 % 14.8 % Europe (1,670) (384) N/M Europe operating margin (5.1) % (1.1) % Asia/Pacific (604) (542) (11)% Administrative and all other (1,937) (1,865) N/M $ 49,350 $ 30,023 64.4% * Unfavorable percentage changes are presented in parentheses, if any. ** The Company manages its business by geographic segment but is presenting sales by product group as additional information. N/M Statistic is not material or not meaningful. CONTACT: Addo Investor Relations [email protected] (310) 829-5400 SOURCE Simpson Manufacturing Co., Inc. Related Links http://www.simpsonmfg.com Subscriber content preview ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) A bid to buy a struggling Alaska gas producer has received backing from a state agency that approved a $7.5 million loan for the purchase. The Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority board of directors voted to approve the loan to Hex LLC to buy Furie Operating Alaska LLC, Alaska Journal of Commerce reported Wednesday. . . . Iftar parties for 'rozedars' in the city of Nawabs no longer conjure up the image of mouth-watering galouti kebabs with the aroma of lip-smacking biryani wafting all over. IMAGE: A view of a market with only a grocery shop is opened and a vegetable vendor is seen crossing it, during ongoing COVID-19 lockdown in Lucknow. Photograph: Nand Kumar/PTI Photo With markets closed and meat supply hit due to the COVID-19-induced lockdown, Muslims are in for a Ramzan without their favourite kebabs and other chicken and mutton dishes. 'Lauki kofta' (a bottle gourd dish) and 'palak (spinach) kebabs' have invaded their dining tables ever since the coronavirus scare has pushed people indoors, leaving the usually vibrant markets, once dotted with 'sewai' and dry fruit stalls all deserted. The holy month of Ramzan marked by fasting by followers of Islam commenced on Saturday as per the lunar calendar. The Shahi Imams of the Jama Masjid and the Fatehpuri Masjid in Delhi have appealed to Muslims to offer namaz during Ramzan at their homes and follow lockdown guidelines to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease. Abdul Karim, a 35-year-old rickshaw puller, is selling 'egg pakoras' and 'palak kofta' in a narrow bylane in Hussainganj, while his father Suleiman has set up a kiosk to offer sewai (rice vermicelli) a special dish for iftar. IMAGE: 'Teele wali Masjid' wears a deserted look during the holy month of Ramadan amid the COVID-19 lockdown in Lucknow. Photograph: ANI Photo "Since rituals are being followed at home, no one ventures out in the marketplaces. We used to sell kebabs and biryani in the past, but things are different this time," Suleiman said. His son spoke in a similar refrain. Tauheed, who once did brisk business from his small hotel in the city's Chowk area, said 'aloo tikki' has replaced the famous 'shami kebab on the platter in the absence of supply of chicken and mutton. Jack fruit has taken the place of mutton, said Nadeem. "Inshallah, it is more of fasting than of feasting this time," he said. Every year, the sighting of the Ramzan moon brings joy and happiness for Muslims, as this is the holiest month for them, during which they refrain from eating and drinking from dawn to dusk for 30 days. IMAGE: Shops closed and a street emptied at the hotspot of Nazirabad road, Naya Gaon in Lucknow. Photograph: ANI Photo At the crack of dawn, people gather for 'sehri' and eat together before beginning the fast. As the sun sets, preparations are made for 'iftar', when the community gets together after breaking the roza and head to mosques to perform the special 'taraveeh' prayers. But, this year prominent mosques in the Uttar Pradesh capital wore a deserted look, a marked departure from the days when the poor used to line up for iftar food and some alms. In a video message, Syed Ahmed Bukhari, the Shahi Imam of the Jama Masjid, has asked people not to venture outside unnecessarily and remain indoors during Ramzan for prayers. "Namaz and Taraveeh (ritual prayer) should be offered at home. Care should be taken that not more than three to four people read the Tarabi because large numbers can be harmful for families and the society in view of the pandemic," Bukhari said. IMAGE: Women purchasing grocery during the holy month of Ramadan amid the nationwide COVID-19 lockdown in Lucknow. Photograph: PTI Photo The Shahi Imam of the Fatehpuri Masjid, Mufti Mukarram Ahmed, said those who are under quarantine and unable to observe 'roza' (fast) can compensate for it through 'Qaza'. Such persons can observe fast later, he said. Besides the imams, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath have appealed to the community this year to not go to mosques but stay at home and follow the rituals. "The spectre of coronavirus has cast a shadow over the festive spirit and has brought along with it a sense of gloom, especially for those who used to make annual earnings at this time of the year," lamented Naseem, a small trader in famous Aminabad market. IMAGE: A graffiti is made on a road to make people aware about the COVID-19 in Lucknow. Photograph: ANI Photo A Muslim scholar observed that COVID-19 has changed many things. "This year's Ramzan will be special in the sense that due to the lockdown and physical distancing, people have to avoid mass gathering in mosques," he said, requesting anonymity. He noted that the Muslim community has taken a wise decision to carry out all religious activities from the confines of homes. Noted cheery soul Bram Stoker once wrote that despair has its own calms, and I think this is the point we are at. Horror has become a kind of dull ache in the background, like a tooth that isn't quite at the yanking stage just yet. There are fewer moments in the day when it suddenly pops into your head that there is a virus which threatens us all. Perhaps it is one of the stages of pandemics, after shock, toilet-roll hoarding, comfort eating and baking, we are now at the point where we can switch off the radio when the news comes on, when we aren't telling each other statistics that we don't understand. We are fatigued from all the disaster and are looking for something entertaining yet mundane. Enter Too Hot To Handle, Netflix's latest reality TV dating show. Those who suggest it is a massive rip off of Love Island are being unfair, as THTH is filmed in Mexico, and not on an island. Other than that, they are almost identical, save that THTH doesn't bother with the ludicrous pretence that this is about love, but rather it is entirely based around sex and money, as is 90pc of all human endeavour. The premise is this - good-looking people are dispatched to a sunny resort and forbidden from any sexual contact with either themselves or each other. Every time they do, the overall prize money of $100,000 is reduced. A kiss costs three grand, and the price list for infractions goes up from there. It's basically The Hunger Games meets Lord Of The Flies meets The Remains Of The Day, all wrapped up in a gloriously trashy package. It even has a sarcastic narrator who seems to dislike the contestants even more than the viewer will after about 20 minutes. But that's what makes it so enjoyable, because you can watch it for good-looking people trying not to footer with each other, or a study of human nature - the hipster Jesus guy with the messianic complex, the English accountant who keeps talking about the prize money and has little interest in the sex, the Florida girl who despises everyone, the Aussie guy who looks and acts like a troubled kid who arrives in Summer Bay and burns down the surf club to win a bet, and Bryce, an LA musician who lives on a boat and looks like he would get shot in the opening scenes of a Tarantino movie. Read More In fact, the clash of national identities is part of what makes it fun to watch, as you ascribe ludicrous stereotypes to them - gosh, Americans are confident; gosh, English people are polite; gosh, Canadians speak slowly; gosh, the Cork accent is quite something. Like, we don't sound like that, do we, like? You can say that shows like this are a sign of the further deterioration of civilisation, or you can say that pretending to be an amateur anthropologist whilst watching some swimsuit models skip about in the sun is a lot better than pretending to be an amateur epidemiologist whilst a virus kills thousands of people worldwide. THTH is pure escapism - hot, fickle people trying not to touch themselves or other people in case they lose money, as opposed to our world right now in which depressed middle-aged people try not to brush off anyone in the supermarket for fear we catch a killer virus. These are strange days when watching a load of nubiles hop about on a beach is actually less voyeuristic and intrusive than the paranoid curtain-twitching that so many of us have sunk to. Even Tiger King, with its deranged murder plots and random limb removals, doesn't offer this level of escape. After weeks of unrelenting fear, cabin fever and pretending to understand graphs, THTH was a blessed release. We drank some wine, laughed at youth and beauty, and forgot that things may well be very different in our world from here on in, and that a show in which touch is taboo might not be such an odd premise in years to come. South Korea authorities have announced that Kim Jong Un, North Korean leader, is alive and well, according to CNN. The announcem... South Korea authorities have announced that Kim Jong Un, North Korean leader, is alive and well, according to CNN. The announcement comes amid widespread speculations of ill health and rumours of the death of the North Korean leader. Our government position is firm, Moon Chung-in, the top foreign policy adviser to South Korean President Moon Jae-in, told CNN. Kim Jong Un is alive and well. He has been staying in the Wonsan area since April 13. No suspicious movements have so far been detected. Speculations about the North Korean leaders well-being increased last week after he missed the celebration of his grandfathers birthday on April 15. Before the birthday, which is one of the biggest occasions in the land, Jong Un was seen four days earlier at a politburo meeting. CNN quoted a US official earlier last week as saying that the United States is monitoring intelligence that Kim is in grave danger after a surgery. The news station also quoted another official as saying that the concerns about Kims health are credible, but their severity is hard to assess. There were earlier reports that Jong-Un received a cardiovascular procedure because of excessive smoking, obesity, and overwork. adding that the leader is now receiving treatment in a villa in Hyangsan County. As the novel coronavirus pandemic wreaks havoc across the globe, many patients are battling for their lives in the intensive care units (ICUs) of various hospitals. While countries are implementing strict social distancing rules, thousands of healthcare professionals are working day and night to combat the disease. Here are some pictures to show the life inside the intensive care units of hospitals around the world treating COVID-19 cases. (Image: Reuters) Healthcare workers assist a COVID-19 patient at one of the intensive care units of the Ramon y Cajal hospital in Madrid, Spain, on April 24, 2020. (Image: AP) Messages of support are seen on a wall as a hospital employee walks past at the Hospital Clinic Barcelona in Barcelona, Spain, on April 23, 2020. (Image: Reuters) Kouyate, a 69-year-old patient, practises rehabilitation exercises with physiotherapist Christophe Passot after spending 21 days in the ICU for coronavirus disease patients at the Centre Cardiologique du Nord private hospital in Saint-Denis near Paris as the spread of the coronavirus disease continues in France, on April 22, 2020. (Image: Reuters) In this April 22, 2020 photo, healthcare workers tend to a patient at one of the intensive care units for COVID-19 patients at Akdeniz University hospital in Antalya, Turkey. (Image: AP) Face masks for members of the medical staff treating patients suffering from COVID-19 in an intensive care unit at Havelhoehe community hospital in Berlin, Germany, on April 20, 2020. (Image: Reuters) A member of the medical staff checks her temperature prior to working in the intensive care unit at the Cleveland Clinic hospital in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates, on April 20, 2020. (Image: Reuters) In this April 16, 2020 photo, healthcare workers put on protective gear in order to assist coronavirus patients at the intensive care unit of the Clinica CEMTRO in Madrid, Spain. (Image: AP) In this April 16, 2020 photo, individual protection equipment used by healthcare staffers working with coronavirus patients at the intensive care unit of the Clinica CEMTRO in Madrid, Spain. (Image: AP) Medical staff members applaud patients who are leaving the Dicle University Hospital after recovering from the coronavirus disease, in Diyarbakir, Turkey, on April 15, 2020. (Image: Reuters) A medical staffer holds the hand of a patient he is tending to, in the ICU of the Bassini Hospital, in Cinisello Balsamo, near Milan, Italy, April 14, 2020. (Image: AP) Nurses eat lunch as they take a short break while taking care of patients suffering from the coronavirus at an intensive carex unit of the Medicana International Hospital in Istanbul, Turkey, April 14, 2020. (Image: Reuters) In this April 10, 2020 photo, nurse Cristina Settembrese fixes two masks to her face during her work shift in the COVID-19 ward at the San Paolo hospital in Milan, Italy. At the height of the coronavirus crisis, Italian doctors were faced with the crushing decision of whether to devote ICU beds with ventilators to critically ill elderly patients with the most urgent need, or younger patients with the best likelihood of survival. (Image: AP) Medical staff members wearing protective gear show their hands with the words written on gloves "Ce la faremo" ("We'll make it") written on them at the Circolo hospital in Varese, Italy, on April 9, 2020. (Image: Reuters) Soldiers assigned to the Javits New York Medical Station monitor COVID-19 patients in the facilitys intensive care unit in the Manhattan borough of New York City, the US, on April 4, 2020. (Image: Reuters) Private schools in Ghana have been directed to engage their Parents and Teachers Associations (PTAs) on concerns raised over online teaching and learning platforms being used as a stop-gap measure following the Covid-19 induced closure of schools. The directive was given by the National Inspectorate Board of the Ministry of Education. The Board says it has received complaints from parents on the operationalization of the alternative methods of teaching adopted by the schools during this COVID-19 pandemic period. While applauding the efforts made by the schools, the Board says parents are worried over how they prepare their wards for online classes and how they prepare themselves to support their wards and whether they are to pay the school fees of their wards in full or not. The NIB, therefore, is requesting all Private Schools to engage with their Parent Teacher Associations (PTAs) to address these concerns, it said in a statement. The Board used the opportunity to remind private schools that an active PTA is a key requirement for certifying schools thus, engaging the Association for quality educational outcomes was paramount. It quickly warned that, schools without PTAs will not receive a certificate of registration by NIB or their existing certifications will not be renewed. Support private schools with stimulus packages Akufo-Addo petitioned Neogenics Education Group, an educational consultancy, had earlier petitioned President Nana Akufo-Addo to support the various private schools with financial stimulus packages following the COVID-19 outbreak. According to the group which works with over 500 private schools and 5,000 private school teachers in Ghana, measures taken by the President in the wake of the pandemic have dealt a great blow to their activities. Your Excellency, Neogenics Education which works with over 500 private schools and 5000 private school teachers in Ghana will like to submit this petition to your office to urge you to consider an economic and financial stimulus or intervention for private sector basic and secondary schools in Ghana amidst the Corona Virus (COVID-19) pandemic for the following reasons. Following the lifting of the lockdown, the government emphasized that the ban on public gathering remains in force, including the shutdown of all educational institutions across the country. The signs are everywhere now, at the Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport. There are signs on the doors, on the floors, on the columns that rise over a mostly motionless terminal. Signs telling people to stand six feet apart, and wear masks when they travel, and self-isolate for 14 days when they land. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 26/4/2020 (625 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. The signs are everywhere now, at the Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport. There are signs on the doors, on the floors, on the columns that rise over a mostly motionless terminal. Signs telling people to stand six feet apart, and wear masks when they travel, and self-isolate for 14 days when they land. At the foot of the arrival stairs, the famous blue Hug Rug is gone; in its place, a social-distancing guide lies instead. So many signs have bloomed here since the pandemic began, that airport staff have taken to joking that there are more signs than people. Its a punchline that stings because its so literal: on Saturday, just 72 passengers were expected to pass through the airport. The next day, about noon, just two stood waiting to check in. The airport is quiet on this Sunday afternoon, as it has been for weeks since the pandemic began. Gone is the low thunder of suitcase wheels on floors; gone are the buzzing voices bidding goodbye or hello. There is only soft music, punctuated every few minutes by a bilingual recording reminding folks to practise social distancing. This is not the world we knew. Of all the images that testify to how deeply the pandemic has shaken our way of life, few are more haunting than that of a place dedicated to movement, now frozen still. Its a surreal scene, a profound disconnection: here are runways longing for planes, here is a terminal without passengers. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES In his 30-year-career, Barry Rempel, president and CEO of Winnipeg Airports Authority, has never seen anything like the current situation. Barry Rempel feels this grief too. One day late last week, the Winnipeg Airports Authority CEO walked through the ghost town the terminal has become. As he passed by restaurants with chairs piled on tables and kiosks gone dark, he thought about the people who would be there, had their jobs not been so suddenly lost. "To say that I was a little misty would have been an understatement," Rempel says, over the phone from his home office Saturday morning. "All I could think about were all the people that I used to see in the terminal every day. These are people that you are just happy have employment, and now youre looking at empty space." In more than 30 years in and around the aviation industry, Rempel has never seen anything quite like this. There is no precedent, and no easy comparison: its almost as if someone combined the sudden air travel halt that followed Sept. 11, 2001, he says, with the long and deep economic trough of the 2008 financial crisis. The bittersweet pill is that before all this happened, the year had been going relatively well. Through the first quarter of 2020, passenger traffic was up 4 per cent over the same period in 2019, a year which saw 4.5 million passengers stream through the airports gates; the WAA was working on plans for an eventual terminal expansion. Within days in mid-March, that traffic collapsed by up to 97 per cent, from an average of nearly 12,500 passengers a day to a current figure of about 200. Now, the airport projects to see 1.5 million passengers in total through 2020, and while its hard to say what 2021 will look like, the WAA is planning for a long-lasting recession. JOHN WOODS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Through the first quarter of 2020, passenger traffic was up 4 per cent over the same period in 2019. This poses a steep challenge. Many businesses have been deeply damaged by the pandemic, but most of those dont have to find ways to survive while also running an entire airport. The WAA has no such option: the runways have to stay open, whether there are only a handful of planes taking off each day, or dozens. To try and curtail costs, the entire U.S. section of the terminal is now closed, along with about half of its gates. The main luggage belt is stopped, with only the oversized belt now running; the airport even turned off the electric signs that tell drivers how many spots are left in the parkade, because dont worry, there are plenty. For now, Rempel says, they are managing. In recent years, the WAA had squirreled away cash for its anticipated terminal expansion, as well as a key $80-million cold storage cargo facility which enables shipping certain goods such as pork or pharmaceuticals; currently, the closest such facility is in Chicago. Now, Rempel says, that money is being used to pay staff and help keep the runways open. Combined with other sources of cash,and based on updated projections, Rempel says the WAA will be able to continue through 2020 without having to take "more draconian" measures to cut its expenses. JOHN WOODS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Only 72 passengers were expected to pass through the Winnipeg airport on Saturday. The downside, he adds, is that when the economy begins to move forward from the pandemic, it will need precisely the kind of infrastructure the WAA was hoping to build with the money its now tapping to keep its operations flowing. "We have to find a way to help the federal government, in our case, understand that were probably even more impacted as an airport than an airline might be," he says. "All the money were spending right now is money thats intended to build community infrastructure." Other challenges are looming. The current terminal was built in part through a $600-million bond offering, which are paid through an airport improvement fee levied on airfare; keeping up with those payments wont be an "immediate" difficulty, Rempel says, but the WAA has been having constructive discussion with banks on that topic. There is one flash of good news: the airports cargo business is actually up since before the pandemic, bolstered by surges in online shopping and government procurements of health supplies, such as ventilators or pharmaceuticals. Last week, a Boeing 777 from Shanghai touched down in Winnipeg, bearing a load of medical gowns. "We have to keep the supply chain moving," Rempel says. "Someone told me, when I first got in the airline business, that if you build a mile of road, you got a mile of road. If you build a mile of runway, you got the world... and in a place like Winnipeg, were a long ways from anywhere in the centre of the continent, everythings got to come by air." Stay informed The latest updates on the novel coronavirus and COVID-19 delivered to your inbox every weeknight. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Then theres the long term, and it goes beyond the numbers. Just like the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks changed airport security forever, so too might the COVID-19 pandemic leave a lasting impression. Some form of social distancing measures will likely remain in place in some way well into 2021, and what happens after that? "Were talking about a very different way of travelling potentially," Rempel says. "Were just now starting as an industry to talk about protocols for how to go through security and maintain social distance... I dont want to say things will go back to the way they were, because they probably never will in some way." Above all, Rempel says, he wants the public to know that the airport is still open for business in the way Manitoba needs to keep going, even if that business is anything but normal. What happens next will remain to be seen, but even while the terminal blooms with more signs than people, its front-line workers are getting the job done. "We have an awesome group of people at the airport that are working really hard to try and make sure that our facilities and the connectivity we need to get through this are maintained," Rempel says. "There will be a sunrise. I was telling our team the other day that working together, were going to pull back the curtain." melissa.martin@freepress.mb.ca Traders work at the post where UnitedHealth Group is traded on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. UnitedHealth Group's Optum is in advanced talks to acquire virtual therapy provider AbleTo for about $470 million, according to people familiar with the deal, at a time when telehealth is more in demand than ever. The transaction would value AbleTo, a 12-year-old company based in New York, at about 10 times forward revenue, said the people, who asked not to be named because the deal hasn't closed and terms could still change. Optum, the division of insurer UnitedHealth that provides technology-enabled services, has been growing through acquisitions, including the purchase of DaVita Medical Group for almost $5 billion and patient-monitoring start-up Vivify Health. Like other providers of remote health services, particularly in the area of mental health, AbleTo is seeing increased demand as people across the country deal with the medical and economic fallout of Covid-19. AbleTo's main service is covered by some insurers, and the company also offers free tools from a link at the top of its website, labeled "Coping with Coronavirus: Resources from our clinical team." The link takes users to a page full of tips and videos for managing stress, supporting employees and using telehealth. "Mismatch between supply and demand for mental health services is massive and growing, making virtual care models that scale a winning value proposition," said Tom Cassels, president of Rock Health, a venture firm dedicated to digital health. "Without the stigma associated with in-person visits, barriers to care-seeking on the part of patients may free up latent demand for service grow." Cassels was speaking of the market broadly, not of this specific deal. Representatives from UnitedHealth Optum and AbleTo declined to comment. UnitedHealth and AbleTo know each other well. Last year, Optum's venture arm made a "significant" strategic investment in AbleTo, after the company previously raised money from investors including Bain Capital Ventures and Aetna (now owned by CVS), a UnitedHealth competitor in the health insurance market. Stephen Renfro, a partner at Optum Ventures, said in the press release at the time that "AbleTo is changing the way people access and experience behavioral health care, and we look forward to working with AbleTo to drive further innovative solutions." The connection between the companies is even deeper for AbleTo CEO Trip Hofer, who was a senior executive at Optum from 2006 to 2012. Hofer joined AbleTo in 2018, after serving as president of Accordant Health Services, a unit of CVS Specialty. The Optum business covers the noninsurance areas of UnitedHealth, including pharmacy benefits, data analytics, consulting, clinics and surgical centers and home care. UnitedHealth has faced lawsuits for unfairly treating customers who need mental health coverage. A federal judge ruled last year that the company's behavioral health division discriminated against patients in need of mental health and substance abuse treatment. WATCH: CVS Health Chairman David Dorman on coronavirus testing, telehealth and more Dutch police have sealed off two mink farms in the south of the country after it was revealed some of the animals were suffering from coronavirus. An investigation has been launched to determine whether the animals were infected by their human keepers. The towns where the farms are located, Germert-Bakel and Laarbeek, are both in the southern Noord Brabant province of the Netherlands which has seen the countrys worst coronavirus outbreak. Latest statistics from the Johns Hopkins University shows that the Netherlands has 38,040 confirmed cases of infection with 4,491 deaths. Barrier tape cordoning off buildings of a mink farm at Beek en Donk, eastern Netherlands on April 26, after it was revealed some of the animals were suffering from coronavirus A closed off mink farm in Beek en Donk, the Netherlands, on Sunday. The effected animals were tested after showing signs of illness including shortness of breath and gastric problems Medics are trying to work out the source of the infection by testing employees (Stock image of mink) Police sealed off the entrances of the two farms at Milheeze and Beek en Donk with red-and-white tape and advised locals not to walk or cycle anywhere within 437 yards of the two affected mink farms. Movement of the ferret-like mammals and their manure was banned and the agriculture ministry said it was studying the outbreak carefully, including testing the air and soil. The effected animals were tested after showing signs of illness including shortness of breath and gastric problems. Medics are trying to work out the source of the infection by testing employees. After the confirmation of the infection, Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority Minister (NVWA) Carola Schouten ordered on Sunday that mink farmers, vets and people in research institutions need to notify them immediately if they notice breathing problems or an increase in mortality in minks. A closed off mink farm in Beek en Donk. After the confirmation of the infection, Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority Minister (NVWA) Carola Schouten ordered on Sunday that mink farmers, vets and people in research institutions need to notify them immediately if they notice breathing problems or an increase in mortality in minks The minister indicated that there were no plans to extend the order to any other livestock animals on the farms as there were no indications that these were also affected. Researchers are currently at both farms taking samples to see which of the animals are infected to map the course of the disease for further research. They were also taking dust samples to see how far the virus was spreading outside the radius of the farm. Mink breeding is already controversial in the Netherlands with a legal challenge at the country's highest court ordering that it should eventually be phased out by 2024. Beek en Donk mayor Frank van der Meijden said he had spoken to the local farm owner where there were 7,500 adult animals, and steps were being taken to make sure that they remain cared for. At the moment there was reportedly no suggestion that the animals would be culled. The other farm with infected animals at Milheeze reportedly houses 13,000 minks. A closed off mink farm in Beek en Donk, the Netherlands. Mink breeding is already controversial in the Netherlands with a legal challenge at the country's highest court ordering that it should eventually be phased out by 2024 The minks were the first reported cases in animals in the Netherlands of the disease, which has been found in some pets and zoo animals around the world after spreading among people. Two dogs in Hong Kong tested positive for the virus last month. The first of the two dogs infected in Hong Kong was a pomeranian, belonging to a 60-year-old woman who had tested positive for the virus. The dog later died after being released from quarantine, officials said. The second infected dog was a German shepherd living in the Pok Fu Lam area on Hong Kong Island. In Belgium, a woman was found to have passed on the coronavirus to her pet cat. 'The cat had diarrhoea, kept vomiting and had breathing difficulties. The researchers found the virus in the cat's faeces,' the country's top virologist said. A total of eight big cats have tested positive for coronavirus at the Bronx Zoo in New York City. Americas COVID-19 devastation is disproportionately a story of New York States devastation, and New York States devastation is overwhelmingly a story of New York Citys devastation. Theres a case to be made that New York City mayor Bill de Blasio is the single individual in the United States who is most to blame for the catastrophic loss of human life. I refer you to a grueling investigation by Charles Duhigg in the New Yorker that painstakingly compares the responses to the outbreak in Seattle and New York City. Seattle, paying heed to warnings from scientists, acted quickly to stem the outbreak; de Blasio, despite having several weeks after Seattle announced its first case to prepare for the deluge, shrugged at the virus and even advised people to go out and mingle. As of April 26 Seattle appears to be in good shape: King County, Washington has had 5,739 cases and 400 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins University dashboard. New York is another story: 17,126 deaths in the city, 22,009 deaths in the state, and nearly all of the states deaths are in the metro area. Thats out of 53,755 deaths in the entire country. New York City, with less than 3 percent of the U.S. population, has more than 30 percent of the countrys fatalities. Gotham has been crushed so badly that the Johns Hopkins coronavirus dashboard lists only four countries (Italy, Spain, France, and the U.K.) with more deaths than the city. The worst-hit country, Italy, has only about 50 percent more deaths from the virus than New York City despite having more than six times the population. New York Citys population density is off the charts compared with the rest of the U.S., as is its usage of mass transit. A map of COVID-19s lethality maps fairly neatly onto the subway map, with infections increasing for the lengthiest commutes. The metropolis is especially vulnerable to infectious disease, as its epidemiologists are well aware. Yet on March 2, de Blasio urged New Yorkers in a tweet to go out on the town. On March 10, de Blasio said on MSNBC, If youre under 50 and youre healthy, which is most New Yorkers, theres very little threat here. This disease, even if you were to get it, basically acts like a common cold or flu. And transmission is not that easy. On March 11, the day Seattle closed its schools, de Blasio said in a press conference, If you are not sick, if you are not in the vulnerable category, you should be going about your life. De Blasio didnt acknowledge until April 3 that asymptomatic transmission was taking place, claiming he had learned this in the last two days. It had been 63 days since Anthony Fauci declared that asymptomatic transmission was certainly happening. Meanwhile, governor Andrew Cuomo, who often makes a point of publicly opposing de Blasio, this time joined the mayor in lethal obliviousness. We should relax, because that is what is dictated by the reality of the situation, Cuomo said on March 2, promising that most of the afflicted would recover easily and that we dont even think its going to be as bad as it was in other countries. Story continues This was mayor-from-Jaws-level happy talk, times a thousand. The two leaders science experts were horrified by what de Blasio and Cuomo were saying, according to the New Yorker piece. A former head of the citys Department of Health told the magazine that theres always a divide between political appointees and public-health professionals, who sometimes have to make unpopular recommendations. But, with the de Blasio people, that antagonism is ten times worse. They are so much more impossible to work with than other administrations. In early March, the city health department passed along alarmed advice and advised collecting information from swabs about the outbreak in a procedure called sentinel surveillance. The most disturbing passage among many in the New Yorker piece is this one: The Mayors office refused to authorize testing the swabs. They didnt want to have to say, There are hundreds, maybe thousands, of you who are positive for coronavirus, but we dont know who, a Department of Health official told me, adding, It was a real opportunity to communicate to New Yorkers that this is serious you have to stay home. The effort was blocked over fears that it might create a panic, but such alarm might have proved useful. After all, the official told me, panic is pretty effective at getting people to change their behavior. Instead, the Mayors office informed the Health Department that the city would sponsor a job fair to find a few new disease detectives. That event was held on March 12th, in Long Island City. The Department of Health official said, Were in the middle of a catastrophe, and their solution is to make us waste time interviewing and onboarding people! (The Mayors office eventually relented on the sentinel-surveillance samples, and testing began on March 23rd almost a month after samples were first collected. By then, the outbreak was well under way.) Disastrously, on March 4 de Blasio publicly advised New Yorkers who thought they might have the virus to go to their doctor (presumably by subway) exactly the opposite of what the epidemiologists were saying. People were better off staying home unless they were in extremis. Not till the catastrophically late date of March 15 did the de Blasio administration allow the citys Department of Health to post a thread advising sick people to stay home because Everyone in NYC should act as if they have been exposed to coronavirus and New Yorkers who are not sick should also stay home as much as possible. A member of the New York City Council told Duhigg that health officials had been trying to say that publicly for weeks, but this mayor refuses to trust the experts its mind-boggling. Thanks to all the bad messaging, it took a week for New Yorkers to catch up to Seattle residents, who had been encouraged but not required to stay home, in adopting social distancing. All you had to do was look at the West Coast, and you knew it was coming for us, epidemiologist Jeffrey Sharman of Columbia University told the New Yorker. Thats why Seattle and San Francisco and Portland were shutting things down. New York dithered, he said. Thats a polite way of putting a retreat from reality that may have unleashed more deaths in the city than 9/11. A former head of the CDC, Tom Frieden, estimated that if New York City had moved up its various lockdown measures by just ten days, 50 to 80 percent of lives could have been saved. In New York City, that translates to more than 8,500 deaths, on the low end. Thats three times the scale of 9/11. A second former New York City health commissioner told Duhigg that de Blasio was just horrible, adding, Maybe it was unintentional, maybe it was his arrogance. Governor Cuomo deserves comparable scrutiny for his role in playing down the crisis. On March 17, the day de Blasio first speculated that a stay-at-home order might be necessary, Cuomo said no such thing was advisable, although on March 20 he reversed course. San Francisco announced its shelter-in-place order on March 15. Cuomo and de Blasio didnt merely drag their feet; for far too long, they pointed the public in the wrong direction, the direction of death. Cuomos interest in higher office seems evident. As for De Blasio, his mayoralty ends at the end of next year, he is barred from running for a third term as New York City mayor, and not one of the citys mayors has advanced to a higher elected office in 150 years (although a mere 107 years ago one ex-mayor did manage to win a seat in Congress). Yet his absurd presidential run is illustrative of his utter disconnection from the reality of his political strength. The magnitude of his disconnection from scientific reality is now being seen in the citys prisons, which he is emptying, and its potters field, which is filling up. It would befit de Blasios disastrous legacy if the mass grave on Hart Island became commonly known as De Blasios Field. More from National Review - Senegal is doing all it can to get rid of the deadly coronavirus - The country is testing every citizen for the deadly disease either they show symptoms or not - Senegal has developed testing kits that cost $1 (N360.50) each and $60 (N2,163) 3D printed ventilator - The country has the highest recovery in Africa and the third in the world Senegal has adopted a novel approach to the fight against coronavirus by testing every citizen of the country either they show symptoms of the deadly disease or not. The country has also developed one of the world's most affordable coronavirus testing kits, which costs $1 (N360.50) each, $60 (N2,163) 3D printed ventilators. Legit.ng gathers that Senegal has one of the highest coronavirus recovery rates in the world. It has the largest recovery in Africa and the third in the world. Meanwhile, a Nigerian man in the United Kingdom has cautioned fellow countrymen against criticising President Muhammadu Buhari over lockdown extension, saying the president means well for them. The man identified as Samuel N on Twitter said he has tested positive for COVID-19, and that he has not eaten for the past 13 days due to the deadly disease. He said his main concern is to survive the virus, suggesting that people should focus on keeping safe instead of complaining of lockdown. The Nigerian man said he has been under the care of the National Health Service in the United Kingdom since he tested positive for the disease. He tweeted: "We are at war fighting an invisible enemy, everyone needs to join hands together to defeat the common enemy. "Please follow all government and NCDC advice and guidelines. "Hunger that has hope can never kill you. Always maintain social distancing, wash your hands and sanitise." PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read best news on Nigerias #1 news app Legit.ng previously reported that Prophet TB Joshua of the Synagogue Church of All Nations told Christians that they are not immune to the deadly COVID-19. The man of God stated this in a question and answer session on Emmanuel TV on YouTube, in which he said whatever the situation a believer finds himself, it is for his obedience to God. He said: "Christians, do not make the mistake of thinking that you are out of touch. God often uses 'anything' to preserve us and to strengthen our desires and determination for God. Whatever your situation as a believer, it is all for your obedience to God (Hebrews 5:8)." NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng We have updated to serve you better Coronavirus: Are Nigerians really afraid of COVID-19? New survey reveals more | Legit TV Source: Legit.ng Open more sectors to revive economy, CMs to urge PM India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Apr27: Several states would urge the Centre to further ease the lockdown restrictions during a meeting of the Chief Ministers with Prime Minister, Narendra Modi. The restrictions would need to be eased in those areas where COVID-19 cases have not been reported, the CMs would tell the PM. At the meeting to be held later today a graded exit from the 40-day lockdown would be discussed. Several officials that OneIndia spoke with said that the states want the restrictions to be extended in the containment zones, but relaxed in other areas where no cases of the coronavirus have been reported. With patience, cooperation and alertness COVID-19 pandemic will be defeated: PM Modi States would however press for continuing the ban on large gatherings. This would mean that the states would want the ban on religious places, malls, cinema halls, educational institutions, inter-state travel to continue for more time. While most states are in favour of easing restrictions, Delhi Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal would want the restrictions in place until May 3. He would make his submissions based on the expert advice that he has received relating to the relaxations. The officials cited above said that during the meeting Chief Ministers of nine states would speak, while the others would give their suggestions in writing. The Chief Ministers of Meghalaya, Mizoram, Puducherry, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Odisha, Bihar, Gujarat and Haryana would speak, while others would give their suggestions in writing due to time constraints. The Centre, following the meeting would study the recommendations and order opening of some more sectors to revive the economy. The casual Bucketfeet brand sneakers, featuring one-of-a-kind playful designs created by resident artist, Leanne Aks, will retail for $59.99, available exclusively through Bonchon's online shop: https://www.threadless.com/@BonchonChicken . The shop will also include other Bonchon designed swag including designer face masks and socks, where all Bonchon proceeds will benefit NRAEF. Bonchon is widely known for its double fried chicken and enthusiastic fan base. The restaurant chain has been growing its list of global communities since 2002. "With the support of Bonchon, we can help restaurant workers across the country with financial aid during this incredibly difficult time," said Rob Gifford, president of the NRAEF. "We have raised more than $17 million so far and are grateful for the generous support of companies like Bonchon who are stepping up with creative ways to help the heart and soul of our industry it's people." NRAEF created the Restaurant Employee Relief Fund to help restaurant industry workers experiencing hardship in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. Through this fund, grants will be made to restaurant industry workers impacted by COVID-19 and are experiencing a decrease in wages or loss of employment. Subject to the availability of funds contributed, a one-time grant of $500 will be disbursed to each applicant, following NRAEF's review and confirmation that the application meets eligibility. The NRAEF is accepting individual donations, no matter how small. Visit RERF.us to learn more about the fund and find out how you can donate. To learn more about Bonchon, visit https://bonchon.com/, and follow on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @bonchonchicken. ABOUT BONCHON Founded in South Korea in 2002 and established in the United States in 2006, Bonchon, Korean for 'my hometown,' currently has more than 100 US restaurants with franchise outposts in Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Washington D.C., Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, and Washington. Bonchon has over 340 locations worldwide including Thailand, Philippines, Singapore, Cambodia, Kuwait, Myanmar, and Vietnam. Bonchon was recognized by Business Insider in 2019 as "the gold standard for fried chicken" beating out five major restaurant chains as "best chicken wings". The traditional sit-down restaurant provides a friendly, fine casual experience great for dining with family and friends. For the ultimate convenience, Bonchon fried chicken is just as enjoyable at home, with all restaurants currently offering take-out and delivery services. ABOUT NRAEF As the philanthropic foundation of the National Restaurant Association, the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation's mission of service to the public is dedicated to enhancing the industry's training and education, career development and community engagement efforts. The NRAEF and its programs work to Attract, Empower and Advance today's and tomorrow's restaurant and foodservice workforce. NRAEF programs include: ProStart a high-school career and technical education program; Restaurant Ready partnering with community-based organizations to provide opportunity youth and justice-involved individuals with skills training and job opportunities; Military helping military servicemen and women transition their skills to restaurant and foodservice careers; Scholarships financial assistance for students pursuing restaurant, foodservice and hospitality degrees; and the Hospitality Sector Registered Apprenticeship project a partnership with the American Hotel & Lodging Association providing a hospitality apprenticeship program for the industry. For more information on the NRAEF, visit ChooseRestaurants.org. SOURCE Bonchon Related Links https://bonchon.com/ CANONSBURG, Pa., April 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- CONSOL Energy Inc. (NYSE: CEIX) announced today that, due to the public health concerns associated with the ongoing coronavirus outbreak ("COVID-19") and to support the health and well-being of its stockholders and partners, the location of the 2020 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the "Annual Meeting") of CONSOL Energy Inc. (the "Company") has been changed. The previously announced date and time of the Annual Meeting (May 8, 2020 at 8:00 a.m., Eastern Time) will not change. However, the Annual Meeting will be held solely by remote communication, in a virtual-only format, and stockholders will not be able to attend the Annual Meeting in person. As described in the proxy materials previously distributed in connection with the Annual Meeting, stockholders of record of our common stock as of the close of business on March 11, 2020, the record date (the "Record Date"), are entitled to participate in the Annual Meeting. To access the virtual Annual Meeting, please go to www.meetingcenter.io/269189195. To login to the virtual Annual Meeting you have two options: (1) join as a "Guest" or (2) join as a stockholder with a control number. If you join as a stockholder with a control number, you will be required to have a control number and password. The password for the virtual Annual Meeting is CEIX2020. Stockholders may vote their shares and ask questions during the virtual Annual Meeting by following the instructions available on the virtual Annual Meeting website during the virtual Annual Meeting. However, we encourage all stockholders of record to vote in advance of the virtual Annual Meeting to ensure a quorum. Registered Holders: If you were a holder of record of the Company's common stock on the Record Date (i.e., you held your shares in your own name as reflected in the records of our Transfer Agent, Computershare), you can attend the virtual Annual Meeting by accessing the website listed above and entering the 15-digit control number found on your proxy card and by entering the password listed above. Once admitted to the virtual Annual Meeting by following these instructions, registered holders may ask questions and vote during the virtual Annual Meeting. Beneficial Holders: If you are a beneficial stockholder and hold your shares through an intermediary, such as a bank or broker, you must register in advance to attend and vote during the virtual Annual Meeting. To register, you must obtain a legal proxy by contacting your account representative at the bank, broker or other nominee that holds your shares and submit an email from your broker or an image of your legal proxy reflecting your CONSOL Energy Inc. holdings, along with your name and email address, to Computershare at [email protected]. Requests for registration must be labeled as "Legal Proxy" and be received no later than 5:00 p.m. (Eastern Time) on Tuesday, May 5, 2020. You will receive a confirmation email from Computershare confirming your registration and providing a control number to enter the virtual Annual Meeting as a stockholder. At the time of the virtual Annual Meeting, beneficial shareholders can visit the website listed above and enter the control number provided to them by Computershare and the password listed above to enter the virtual Annual Meeting. Once admitted to the virtual Annual Meeting by following these instructions, beneficial holders may ask questions and vote during the virtual Annual Meeting. If you do not have a control number, you may attend the virtual Annual Meeting as a guest, but will not have the option to vote your shares or ask questions during the virtual Annual Meeting. Help and technical support for accessing and participating in the virtual Annual Meeting is available before and during the virtual Annual Meeting at https://support.vevent.com/. We encourage you to log on to the website for the virtual Annual Meeting 15 minutes prior to the start time of the virtual Annual Meeting. A list of stockholders entitled to vote at the virtual Annual Meeting shall be available on the website for the virtual Annual Meeting during the virtual Annual Meeting for inspection by stockholders who have a control number for any legally valid purpose related to the virtual Annual Meeting. It is important that you read the proxy materials previously distributed. Whether or not you plan to participate in the virtual Annual Meeting, we urge you to vote and submit your proxy in advance of the virtual Annual Meeting by one of the methods described in the proxy materials for the Annual Meeting. The proxy card included with the proxy materials previously distributed will not be updated to reflect the change in location and you may continue to use the proxy card to vote your shares in connection with the virtual Annual Meeting, whether or not you intend to participate in the virtual Annual Meeting. If you have already voted, you do not need to vote again unless you would like to change or revoke your prior vote on any proposal. If you would like to change or revoke your prior vote on any proposal, please refer to the proxy statement for instructions on how to do so. About CONSOL Energy Inc. CONSOL Energy Inc. (NYSE: CEIX) is a Canonsburg, Pennsylvania-based producer and exporter of high-Btu bituminous thermal and crossover metallurgical coal. It owns and operates some of the most productive longwall mining operations in the Northern Appalachian Basin. Our flagship operation is the Pennsylvania Mining Complex, which has the capacity to produce approximately 28.5 million tons of coal per year and is comprised of 3 large-scale underground mines: Bailey, Enlow Fork, and Harvey. The company also owns and operates the CONSOL Marine Terminal, which is located in the port of Baltimore and has a throughput capacity of approximately 15 million tons per year. In addition to the ~669 million reserve tons associated with the Pennsylvania Mining Complex and the ~21 million reserve tons associated with the Itmann project, the company also controls approximately 1.5 billion tons of greenfield thermal and metallurgical coal reserves located in the major coal-producing basins of the eastern United States. Additional information regarding CONSOL Energy may be found at www.consolenergy.com. Contacts: Investor: Mitesh Thakkar, (724) 416-8335 [email protected] Media: Zach Smith, (724) 416-8291 [email protected] SOURCE CONSOL Energy Inc. Related Links consolenergy.com Mumbai, April 27 : The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has admitted to writing off a staggering amount of Rs 68,607-crores due from 50 Top Wilful Defaulters, including absconding diamantaire Mehul Choksi, according to a reply under RTI. Prominent RTI activist Saket Gokhale had filed an RTI query seeking details of the 50 Top Wilful Defaulters and their current loans status till February 16. "I filed this RTI because Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Minister of State for Finance Anurag Thakur, but they had refused to reply to this starred question asked in parliament by Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, in the last budget session, on Feb 16, 2020," Gokhale told IANS. Disclosing what the government didn't, the RBI's Central Public Information Officer Abhay Kumar provided the replies on Saturday (April 24), with several startling revelations in the 'diamond-studded list', said Gokhale. The RBI said that this amount (Rs 68,607-crore) comprising outstanding and the amounts technically/prudentially Written Off, till September 30, 2019. "The apex bank also declined to provide the relevant information on overseas borrowers citing a Supreme Court judgement of December 16, 2015," Gokhale told IANS. Topping the list is Choksi's scam-hit company, Gitanjali Gems Limited which owed Rs.5,492 crore, besides other group companies, Gili India Ltd. and Nakshatra Brands Ltd. which had taken loans of Rs 1,447 crore and Rs 1,109 crore, respectively. Choksi is currently a citizen of Antigua & Barbados Isles, while his nephew and another absconder diamond trader Nirav Modi is in London. The second in the list is REI Agro Ltd., with an amount of Rs 4,314 crores, and its directors Sandip Jhujhunwala and Sanjay Jhunjhunwala who are already under the scanner of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) since over a year. The next on the list in the Rs 4,000-crore bracket is absconding diamantaire Jatin Mehta's Winsome Diamonds & Jewellery owing Rs 4,076 crore and which is being probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation for various bank frands. In the Rs 2,000-crore category, there is the Kanpur-based writing instruments giant, Rotomac Global Pvt. Ltd., part of the famed Kothari group, which owed Rs 2,850 crore. The others in this category include: Kudos Chemie, Punjab (Rs.2,326 crore), Baba Ramdev and Balkrishna's group company Ruchi Soya Industries Ltd., Indore (Rs.2,212 crore), and Zoom Developers Pvt. Ltd., Gwalior (Rs.2,012 crore). There are 18 companies in the Rs.1K-segment with some prominent names like Harish R. Mehta's Ahmedabad-based Forever Precious Jewellery & Diamonds Pvt. Ltd. (Rs.,1962 crore), and absconder liquor baron Vijay Mallya's defunct Kingfisher Airlines Ltd. (Rs 1,943 crore). Another 25 companies fall in the sub-1K-crore category with outstandings ranging from Rs 605 crore to Rs 984 crore, either individually or as group companies. Six among the 50 Top Wilful Defaulters are connected with the glittering diamond and/or gold jewellery industries. "A majority of them have defaulted prominent nationalist banks over the past several years and many of them are either absconding or facing action by various probe agencies and some are under litigation," Gokhale said. No industry is sacrosanct as the top 50 willful defaulters are spread across various sectors of the economy including IT, infrastructure, power, gold-diamond jewellery, pharma, etc. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Republican workers in Trump counties are less likely than their Republican counterparts in Clinton-won counties to say they have made changes to avoid transmission (74 percent versus 82 percent), and both groups are less likely to say they have made changes than Democrats in Trump-won counties (85 percent) or Clinton-won counties (89 percent). The use of personal protective equipment at work fits the same pattern. The pattern doesnt always hold perfectly. Most Republican workers in Trump-won counties report trying to maintain at least six feet of distance from customers and co-workers (55 percent). Thats higher than the rate for Republicans in Clinton-won counties (47 percent), but its still well below Democrats in Clinton-won counties (70 percent). One potential explanation for the partisan patterns is that some Republican Party leaders or media pundits are playing down the severity of the risks. Another is that population density and the number of confirmed cases and deaths are lower on a per-capita basis in the counties won by Mr. Trump. But in the data, there is no significant correlation between county disease prevalence and adoption of these countermeasures. Moreover, while cases and deaths have been lower in Trump-won counties, the growth rate in new cases since April 11 is roughly the same in Trump-won and Clinton-won counties, suggesting that the need to reduce transmission could be just as urgent in these areas. As debates go on about when and how to reopen the economy, essential workers and their employers are developing best practices to combat the spread of coronavirus. But it will be hard to do so without cooperation and collective action across diverse communities. Because the virus knows no borders, outbreaks in liberal areas will put conservative areas at risk and vice versa. Jonathan Rothwell is the author of A Republic of Equals: A Manifesto for a Just Society. He is the Principal Economist at Gallup, a nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and a visiting scholar at the George Washington University Institute of Public Policy. You can follow him on Twitter at @jtrothwell, and listen to his podcast, Out of the Echo Chamber. Schools in Northern Ireland will not reopen until September because ministers believe parents will not send their children back before the summer holidays Schools in Northern Ireland will not reopen until September because ministers believe parents will not send their children back before the summer holidays. As speculation mounts that schools could reopen in June in Britain, a Stormont source told Sunday Life that fears over coronavirus would mean fewer than 10% of pupils here would return to full-time education if they were to reopen in the coming weeks. "Detailed estimates show people are too afraid to send their children back so reopening schools before September would be pointless," the source insisted. In recent days there have been indications that schools elsewhere in the UK may reopen in late May or early June. Cabinet minister Michael Gove has said that English schools will not reopen on May 11 as some media outlets reported, though there are plans in the works. But modelling showed an extremely low uptake of pupils if they were to reopen here soon. The insider said: "It is highly, highly unlikely that schools will reopen before September. If they were to reopen soon, there would hardly be a child in attendance. "Estimates we have is that there would be less than 10% take-up because people are afraid of children bringing Covid-19 back into their homes." Schools and colleges across the UK closed to the majority of pupils apart from the children of key workers and vulnerable youngsters from March 23. The Government put the Covid-19 lockdown in place later that day. Travel Trend reports an increase in cruise bookings despite pandemic outbreak. (TRAVPR.COM) GERMANY - April 20th, 2020 - Berlin, April 20, 2020 -- Travel Trends predicts 2021 to unfold well for the cruise industry, but investors must not loose faith. Interestingly, cruise lines are registering a 9% increase in bookings in comparison to 2019. This comes as a surprise after several Covid-19 outbreaks on-board cruises. The rapid spread of the virus has resulted in numerous travel restrictions. The article analyses the impact of the halt on cruise travel in relation to the sharp drop in share prices and the financial survival of the entire cruise industry. Despite investors being seemingly unconvinced about the industrys ability to survive the pandemic, Travel Trend reports promising outlooks as customers seem to be rebooking instead of cancelling their cruises. Their future depends on their ability to keep up with their obligations to creditors, and the debt-equity ratio: how much a company owes versus how much it owns. However, the ultimate decisive factor will be the duration of the current travel restrictions. Large cruise liners such as Carnival Cruise, Royal Caribbean and Norwegian are suffering from losses of investments of at least 70%. Yet, according to the article on Travel Trend, the worlds largest cruise line - Carnival, is in better financial health than Norwegian and Royal Caribbean, despite needing a billion dollars a month to survive. Author of the article is optimistic as the cruise industry has always bounced back from numerous setbacks in the past. In addition, and once the restrictions finally lift, the cruise industry might be able to cater for a new audience as millennials hold increasingly more positive attitudes towards cruise holidays. Read the full article about the prospects of the cruise industry at https://www.trvltrend.com/cruise/post-corona-cruise-industry/ About Travel Trend: Travel Trend is an information portal created by travel experts who want to share the results of their experiments with new travel related gadgets and apps as well as their favorite travel tips. The travel industry is in a constant state of growth and change, driven by technology and emerging trends. Through extensive research, reading and travel, Travel Trend is presenting a vision for the future of travel. Their mission is to improve the travel experience, making travel easier and safer while helping travelers save money along the way. Learn more at https://www.trvltrend.com. Media Contact: Uri Sharon Travel Trend +972-506214-209 info@trvltrend.com https://www.trvltrend.com ### Pune, April 27, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global C5ISR market size is projected to reach USD 147.97 billion by 2026, exhibiting a CAGR of 3.38% during the forecast period. Increasing defense expenditure in major economies will be a crucial factor driving the growth of this market, observes Fortune Business Insights in its new report, titled C5ISR market Size, Share and Industry Analysis by Type (Land, Naval, Airborne, Space), By Application (Electronic Warfare, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, Intelligence, Command and Control), By Solution (Product and Services), and Regional Forecast, 2019- 2026. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), worldwide military expenditure rose by 2.6% from 2017 levels, touching USD 1,822 billion in 2018. United States, China, Saudi Arabia, India, and France spent the most, accounting for nearly 60% of the total military spending in 2018, SIPRI notes. This surge in spending is a response to the growing intensity of border conflicts, proliferation of illegal migration, and rising threat of cross-border and international terrorism. Increased spending on the armed forces is intended to equip on-field soldiers with latest communication and analysis technologies so as to facilitate more efficient decision-making in the field. The report further states that the value of this market stood at USD 113.44 billion in 2018. Worldwide COVID-19 Impact Analysis: The emergence of COVID-19 has brought the world to a standstill. We understand that this health crisis has brought an unprecedented impact on businesses across industries. However, this too shall pass. Rising support from governments and several companies can help in the fight against this highly contagious disease. Some industries are struggling and some are thriving. Overall, almost every sector is anticipated to be impacted by the pandemic. We are making continuous efforts to help your business sustain and grow during COVID-19 pandemics. Based on our experience and expertise, we will offer you an impact analysis of coronavirus outbreak across industries to help you prepare for the future. Request a Sample PDF Brochure with Short-Term and Long-Term Impact of COVID-19 on C5ISR Market, Visit: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/covid19-impact/c5isr-market-102102 The report also contains the following: Exhaustive analysis of the market trends and drivers; In-depth research into the factors restraining the market; Comprehensive study of the regional dynamics of the market; Detailed evaluation of the competitive landscape of the market; and Thorough assessment of all the possible market segments. Market Trends Rising Adoption of Battlefield Management Systems (BMS) to Propel the Market A battlefield management system (BMS) enhances quality of decisions and enables better control of military units by integrating information collection and processing on a unified platform. One of the leading C5ISR market trends is the rising demand for BMS for military combat missions owing to the multiple advantages of these systems. For example, BMS units can be worn or handheld by soldiers and commanders individually, thereby enabling each member of the unit to access and analyze incoming information. Moreover, these systems have preinstalled GPS modules, making it easy for soldiers to find their way through tough terrains. Most importantly, BMS ensures that the messages and orders sent and received are digitally encrypted, thus reducing the risk of interception of communication by enemy radars. Thus, the multiple benefits of BMS tools have made them an integral part of C5ISR systems and their increasing adoption, therefore, augurs well for the market. Browse In-depth Summary of This Research Insights with Table of Content: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/c5isr-market-102102 Regional Analysis Extensive Modernization of Armed Forces to Augment the Market in North America The market size in North America stood at USD 65.80 billion in 2018 and the region is poised to dominate the market share for C5ISR, in the foreseeable future owing to the heavy investments made by the US government in modernizing its military equipment. In Canada, establishment of C5ISR centers at strategic points across the country will further boost the market. Asia-Pacific is expected to register a healthy CAGR as a result of higher budgetary allocation for the defense sectors in India and China. On the other hand, in the Middle East & Africa, strong presence of military systems suppliers will fuel the market. Competitive Landscape Key Players to Focus on Developing Advanced Solutions The C5ISR market forecast predicts a dynamic period for this market as major players such as SAAB and BAE Systems increase their R&D expenditure to develop next-gen military communications technology. These advancements have empowered the key players to strengthen their hold on the market and ensure their dominance for perpetuity. List of Key Companies Covered in the C5ISR Market Report are: Thales Group CACI International Inc. L3Harris Technologies Inc. Northrop Grumman Corporation General Dynamics Corporation Elbit Systems Ltd. Collins Aerospace SAAB AB BAE Systems Lockheed Martin Corporation Quick Buy - C5ISR Market Research Report: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/checkout-page/102102 Detailed Table of Content: Introduction Research Scope Market Segmentation Research Methodology Definitions and Assumptions Executive Summary Market Dynamics Market Drivers Market Restraints Market Opportunities Key Insights Key Industry Developments Contracts & Agreements, Mergers, Acquisitions and Partnerships Latest technological Advancements Porters Five Forces Analysis Supply Chain Analysis Global C5ISR Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast, 2015-2026 Key Findings / Summary Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast By Type Land Naval Airborne Space Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast By Application Electronic Warfare Surveillance and Reconnaissance Intelligence Command and Control Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast By Solution Product Services Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast By Region North America Europe Asia Pacific Middle East and Africa Latin America TOC Continued! Get your Customized Research Report: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/customization/c5isr-market-102102 Industry Developments: March 2020: Lockheed Martin Corporation, the US-based aerospace and defense bigwig, launched its Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF-6) satellite from Cape Canaveral in Florida. The satellite forms an important component of the protected communications network, delivering enhanced communication and security capabilities to the US Space Force. Lockheed Martin Corporation, the US-based aerospace and defense bigwig, launched its Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF-6) satellite from Cape Canaveral in Florida. The satellite forms an important component of the protected communications network, delivering enhanced communication and security capabilities to the US Space Force. January 2019: The Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center (SPAWARSYSCEN) Atlantic of the US Navy awarded the Navy Cyber Mission Engineering Support contract to the American aerospace and defense company, General Dynamics Corporation. At an estimated value of USD 898 million, the contract will require General Dynamics to supply state-of-the-art defense technologies to meet the American Armed Forces military needs. Have a Look at Related Research Insights: Military Antenna Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By Frequency (High Frequency, Ultra-High Frequency, Super High Frequency, and Extremely High Frequency), By Type (Dipole Antennas, Aperture Antennas, Travelling Wave Antennas, Loop Antennas, and Array Antennas), By Platform (Airborne, Marine, and Ground), By Application (Communication, Surveillance, SATCOM, Electronic Warfare, and Telemetry), and Regional Forecast, 2019-2026 Military Drone Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By Type (Fixed-Wing, Rotary-Wing, and Hybrid/Transitional), By Range (VLOS, EVLOS, and BLOS), By Propulsion Type (Battery Powered, Fuel Cell, and Hybrid Cell), By Technology (Remotely Operated Drone, Semi-Autonomous Drone, and Autonomous drone), By Application (ISRT, Delivery and Transportation, Combat Operations, Battle Damage Management and Others) and Regional Forecast, 2019-2026 Military Radar Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By Platform (Land Radar, Naval Radar, and Airborne Radar), By Range (Long, Medium, Short, and Very Short), By Application (Airspace Monitoring & Traffic Management, Weapon Guidance, Ground Surveillance & Intruder Detection), By Frequency Band (UHF/VHF, L-Band, S-Band), By Components (Antenna, Transmitter, Receiver), and Regional Forecast 2019-2026 Anti-Jamming Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By Receiver Type (Military & Government-Grade, Commercial Transportation Grade), By Technique (Nulling System, Beam Steering System, Civilian System), By Application (Flight Control, Surveillance & Reconnaissance, Position, Navigation & Timing), By End-User (Military, Civilian) and Regional Forecast, 2019-2026 Aircraft Fuel System Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By Application (Military, Commercial, UAV), By Engine (Jet aircraft engine, Helicopter engine, Turboprop engine, UAV engine), By Type (Gravity feed fuel system, Fuel injection system, Pump feed system), By Component (Fuel tank, Fuel valve, Fuel pump, Fuel Filter, Fuel gauge, Fuel line) and Regional Forecast, 2019-2026 Helicopter Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By Type (Civil & Commercial and Military), By Application (Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Corporate Services, Search and Rescue Operation, Oil and Gas, Defense, Homeland Security), By System (Airframe, Engine, Avionics, Landing Gear System, and Cabin Interiors), By Weight (Light Weight, Medium Weight, and Heavy Weight), By Point of Sale (OEMs and Aftermarket), and Regional Forecast 2019-2026 UAV Market Share, Size & Industry Analysis, By Application (Military, Commercial & Civil, and Recreational), By System (Airframe, Payload, Avionics, Propulsion), By Technology (Remotely Operated, Semi-Autonomous, Fully-Autonomous), By Class (Small UAVs, Tactical UAVs, Strategic UAVs, Special Purpose UAVs), and Regional Forecast 2019-2026 Aircraft Sensors Market Size, Share and Global Trend By Aircraft Type (UAVs, Helicopter, Military Aircraft, Commercial Aircraft), By Sensors Type (Gyro, Speed, Pressure, Temperature), By Application (Landing Gear, Flight Deck Environmental Control) and Geography Forecast till 2026 About Us: Fortune Business Insights offers expert corporate analysis and accurate data, helping organizations of all sizes make timely decisions. We tailor innovative solutions for our clients, assisting them to address challenges distinct to their businesses. Our goal is to empower our clients with holistic market intelligence, giving a granular overview of the market they are operating in. Our reports contain a unique mix of tangible insights and qualitative analysis to help companies achieve sustainable growth. Our team of experienced analysts and consultants use industry-leading research tools and techniques to compile comprehensive market studies, interspersed with relevant data. At Fortune Business Insights, we aim at highlighting the most lucrative growth opportunities for our clients. We, therefore, offer recommendations, making it easier for them to navigate through technological and market-related changes. Our consulting services are designed to help organizations identify hidden opportunities and understand prevailing competitive challenges. Contact Us: Fortune Business Insights Pvt. Ltd. 308, Supreme Headquarters, Survey No. 36, Baner, Pune-Bangalore Highway, Pune - 411045, Maharashtra, India. Phone: US: +1 424 253 0390 UK: +44 2071 939123 APAC: +91 744 740 1245 Email: sales@fortunebusinessinsights.com Fortune Business Insights LinkedIn | Twitter | Blogs Read Press Release: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/press-release/c5isr-market-9822 REDDING The finance board is planning to keep the tax rate as is, which could mean cuts to the proposed town and Board of Education budget. The total proposed budget is $51.2 million, which is about 0.5 percent more than the current budget. This includes $22.7 million for the Redding Board of Education, $13.2 million for Region 9 and $15.2 million for the town. I would like to reassure the taxpayers that we should be able to to come up with a mill rate that reflects no tax increase, and we may even be able to come up with a mill rate that reflects a reduction for the taxpayers, finance board Chairman Kimberly Yonkers said. Several finance board members said the budgets needed to be cut, echoing concerns of other residents that the coronavirus pandemic has left many in town with significant paycuts or without jobs. Were in the middle of the worst economic and health crisis that any of us has ever seen, said finance board member Jenifer Wyss. I think it would be very irresponsible for the Board of Finance to accept the proposed budget. Other board members countered that they couldnt make cuts at the expense of the schools which they say will continue to attract people to town nor by laying off town employees when the federal government passed a large stimulus bill to keep people employed. The town budget is nearly $242,000, or 1.6 percent, more than the current budget, while the Redding Board of Educations budget is up by $694,000, or 3.15 percent. The finance board only has control over the town and Reddings Board of Education budgets. It can make changes to these individual budgets and adopt them now under the governors executive order that prohibits a town meeting or referendum this year out of health concerns. The finance board will also adopt the overall budget figure, which includes Reddings share of the Region 9 budget. The Region 9 budget, which covers Joel Barlow High School and a third of central office, is set by the Region 9 Board of Education and split between Easton and Redding based on student enrollment. Under the executive order, the Region 9 school board will also adopt this budget. Todd Johnston, the Region 9 chairman, said he doesnt expect the overall budget of $24.3 million to change, which is 0.9 percent more than the current year. It does, however, translate to $675,000 less for Redding compared to the current year, based on changes to the student population. He said the board is also expected to see $770,000 to $1.2 million in savings this year, largely due to decreases in health insurance claims, and will be giving some of those savings back to the two towns. This could mean $440,000 to $730,000 going back to Redding. That money could be one way Redding can keep the tax rate down without only cutting expenses, Yonkers said. Finance Director Steve Gniadek also pointed out the town a new tower lease agreement with Ridgefield for the emergency communications system, in addition to Parks and Recreation summer camp being canceled out of coronavirus concerns. This translates to nearly $200,000 cut from the next fiscal years budget. Gniadek suggested the town may be able to hold off on new highway department vehicles, but that hasnt been fully discussed yet. The selectmen are expected to make their changes on Wednesday. The finance board will discuss the budget again the following week. kkoerting@newstimes.com A letter on the village website explains the purpose of a moratorium would be to give the plan and historic preservation commissions and village trustees time to study whether the zoning code should be amended to more effectively protect the many buildings that contribute to the villages character, beauty and historic charm. The death of the Detroit house-music D.J. and producer Mike Huckaby on Friday, at 54, sent a shock wave through the music community he called home. Huckaby who died from complications of a stroke and Covid-19 at Beaumont Hospital in Detroits Royal Oak suburb was one of global dance musics most widely beloved figures. A tall, quiet man with a sly sense of humor who made friends easily and often, Huckaby known widely as Huck was a pivotal scene figure, equally renowned as a D.J., producer, educator and tastemaker who was widely acknowledged as one of the foremost practitioners of the jazzy, mature house variant dubbed deep house. Between 1992 and 2005, he worked at the Roseville, Mich., store Record Time as the buyer for the dance room a separate space within the shop dedicated solely to house, techno and hip-hop 12-inch singles. This was a rich period for Detroit dance music, in particular, and Huckaby was a tireless champion of local music. Tons of the music we sold was made right down the street, said Record Times founder, Michael Himes. We were the epicenter of a lot that was happening during the most formative and busiest years for Detroit electronic music. Most prominent rabbis around the world support government health regulations intended to curb the spread of coronavirus, even if it means closing places of study and worship. But some observant Jewish communities in the United States and Israel were slow to adopt social distancing. The leader of a strictly observant Jewish community in New York instructed his followers to continue collective study and prayer well into March, though COVID-19 had already killed thousands in the state. In Israel, residents of one observant Jewish neighborhood reacted with defiance even violence to the countrys strict social distancing regulations. Outsiders are often outraged when religious communities defy government regulations meant to protect the general public. But the situation in strictly observant Jewish communities is more complicated than simply flouting the rules. As an anthropologist who studies religion, politics, identity and conflict in Israel and Palestine, my research helps explain why some religious groups might disobey public health guidelines. Who are Haredi Jews? Ultra-Orthodox, or Haredi Jewish communities, are a diverse population, with varying spiritual and cultural practices. But they all follow Halacha, loosely translated as Jewish law. As such, many do not share the same information sources that others take for granted. In accordance with the rulings of their rabbis, internet access, television broadcasts and certain cellphone functions are generally limited in strictly observant Jewish communities. Maintaining their closeness to God by distancing themselves from the secular world prevented many Haredim from seeing news reports of the virus spreading worldwide in February and March. Some Haredi leaders maintained that gathering to pray and study remained paramount. Studying the Hebrew scriptures, or Torah, is a commandment and a duty in Judaism. Haredi men generally gather to pray three times daily. Students at yeshivas, or Jewish seminaries, may spend 18 hours a day studying together. Story continues More than a way of life, prayer and study are the means for protecting life itself. According to Jewish sages, One who engages in Torah study also protects the entire world. Indeed, without Torah the world falls. The importance of engaging with the Torah explains why one prominent rabbi in Israel insisted even in March that canceling Torah study is more dangerous than the coronavirus. Ultimately, the Israeli government intervened to enforce its coronavirus restrictions. On March 22, police were sent into Mea Shearim, a Haredi neighborhood in Jerusalem, to end public gatherings, close synagogues and shutter schools. They were met with curses, slurs and thrown stones. Some Haredim even called the Israeli police Nazis. Collective memory While such responses might seem extreme to outsiders, they become clearer when considering Jewish history and the memories provoked by police intervention. Anthropological research demonstrates that people give meaning to their experiences in different ways. Our perception, imagination and actions are deeply embedded in the whole of our experiences. The past whether individually experienced or collectively nourished by the community gives meaning to the present. Henri Bergson, a French philosopher, used the term duration to explain how the past shifts to present itself in ways that appeal to current experiences in different ways for different people. In times of crisis like the coronavirus pandemic, this sense of duration becomes more acute. For some, hospital tents erected in public places evoke World War I. A Holocaust survivor recently told me the stay-at-home order brought back memories of her childhood years of confinement hiding from the Nazis. One New Orleans resident found that the flood of coronavirus deaths recalled Hurricane Katrina. Duration as personal memory is central to an individuals sense of self, but it arises in collective memories, too. Collective memory, including the stories we all tell ourselves and our children about our past, gives meaning and purpose to our collective selves. These stories recount struggles and triumphs and help define our moral community. Duration interacts with collective memory, and is key to the formation of group identity. History of persecution The historical persecution of Jews around the world is central to both secular and strictly observant Jews. However, how that memory works in contemporary circumstances is not predetermined. My research demonstrates that different aspects of the past inform collective meaning and actions differently. Unlike most Israelis who see Jewish history as a justification for the state of Israel and understand the Israeli army and police as existing to protect them some Israeli Haredim distrust the government and its functionaries. In fact, Haredi Jews, who make up about 10% of Israels population, are foundationally opposed to Zionism, the political ideology of Jewish nationalism that led to the establishment of Israel in 1948. While Haredi Jews believe that God promised the land of Israel to the Jewish people, they are also certain that promise cannot be fulfilled by human intervention in Gods work, such as the establishment of a nation state. They have previously clashed with the Israeli government and law enforcement over compulsory military service and other policies. Suspicion of police So when armed men in uniform entered their neighborhoods to close down synagogues and yeshivas, members of the Haredi community drew on their collective memories of soldiers and police wreaking havoc and destruction on Jewish communities in Tsarist Russia and later in Western Europe. Rather than feeling protected by the state, they were fearful and suspicious. Suspicion of the police is common in other communities historically mistreated by law enforcement. The collective memories of both black Americans and the Roma of Europe, for example, associate police with violence and danger. When facing a crisis like the coronavirus, many people rely primarily on science, technology and governments for protection. And the Haredim do not reject science or medicine. But for them, living the Torah life through daily study and prayer is the primary means by which all human life is maintained and preserved. When the political order interferes with their work, the consequences could be more disastrous than a pandemic. It could mean the end of Jewish life, if not of humanity itself. [You need to understand the coronavirus pandemic, and we can help. Read The Conversations newsletter.]

Este articulo se vuelve a publicar de The Conversation, un medio digital sin fines de lucro dedicado a la diseminacion de la experticia academica.

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Joyce Dalsheim does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. South Korea Sees Unusual Increase in North Korean Air, Artillery Operations North Korea has shown an unusual increase in military activity, carrying out inspections of its artillerys readiness and conducting air force operations, said South Koreas Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo. North Korea has been heightening military tensions through an unusual increase in the inspection activities for its combat readiness posture, mostly of its artillery, and in its air force planes flight operations, he said, according to Yonhap. He said that North Korean officials have remained unresponsive to offers for talks. The activity could indicate Pyongyang is seeking to carry out another missile test, or it might be related to the public disappearance of dictator Kim Jong Un. Reports over the past week have speculated that the 36-year-old is either dead or incapacitated, although North Korea has not commented on the reports. According to Yonhap, the North Korean military activity likely is related to the isolated, communist nations missile tests and artillery drills. The latest drill took place last week, during which the North fired what appeared to be surface-to-ship cruise missiles off its east coast, the agency reported. On the same day, the North also flew Sukhoi-variant fighter jets and MiG-type planes above the eastern coastal city of Wonsan, and fired multiple air-to-ground missiles into the East Sea. What is described by Washington-based North Korea monitoring project 38 North as a leadership train station servicing North Korean leader Kim Jong Uns Wonsan complex is seen in a satellite image with graphics taken over Wonsan, North Korea April 21, 2020. (North/Handout via Reuters) North Korean state-run media outlets on Monday published a statement from Kim in praising workers around Wonsan. The Washington-based website 38 North, meanwhile, posted satellite photos that appeared to show the dictators specialized train in Wonsan. The trains presence does not prove the whereabouts of the North Korean leader or indicate anything about his health, but it does lend weight to reports that Kim is staying at an elite area on the countrys eastern coast, 38 North analysts wrote. A top South Korean official said Kim is staying at a home in Wonsan but insisted hes not dead or critically ill. Our government position is firm. Kim Jong-un is alive and well. He has been staying in the Wonsan area since April 13. No suspicious movements have so far been detected, South Korean President Moon Jae-ins top foreign policy adviser Moon Chung-in told CNN on Monday. CNN previously reported that U.S. intelligence community officials thought Kim was in grave danger after a surgery, which was downplayed by South Korean officials several days ago. The speculation about his heath ramped up after Kim missed the 108th commemoration celebrating his grandfathers birthday. Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz on Monday promised to "fight for every job in Austria", as the country celebrated the 75th anniversary of the republic. Kurz and other government members laid wreaths in a smaller than usual ceremony amid ongoing coronavirus restrictions. Soldiers standing guard wore face masks in the colors of the Austrian flag. Addressing the nation in a televised speech after the ceremony, Kurz promised "to do everything to regain our freedom as fast as possible." The chancellor announced that his government would abolish "all unnecessary rules" in order to "make it as easy as never before for businesses to create jobs and keep them." What the new measures will look like remain unclear but more precise plans are expected to be presented to the public later this week. Austria has begun a cautious loosening of restrictions imposed to combat the pandemic including the opening of retail outlets on May 1, and the phased reopening of schools from May 4. Austria has so far reported 15,002 cases of the virus and 522 deaths, according to a running tally kept by Johns Hopkins University. For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 27th April, 2020) Guinea-Bissau President Umaro Sissoco Embalo has ordered Madagascar's therapeutic syrup against COVID-19, made of wormwood, and intends not only to import it to his own country, but to transport the remedy to neighboring counties in Western Africa by plane as well, Madagascar's President Andry Rajoelina said on Monday. Rajoelina has recently presented the herbal drink, branded Covid-Organics and developed by the Malagasy Institute of Applied Research. The drink contains artemisia, believed to be an efficient cure against tropical malaria. Rajoelina believes that effect from Covid-Organics can be seen within seven days. The drink is already being distributed to local school children. However, Fadela Chaib, a spokeswoman for the World Health Organization, has said that the organization does not know if wormwood can cure COVID-19. "Thanks to Guinea-Bissau President Umaro Sissoco Embalo for the offer to supply his country and neighbors in Western Africa with TAMBAVY CVO/Covid-Organics. He has ordered a plane to transport it from Madagascar," Rajoelina wrote on Twitter. Rajoelina also said that Senegalese President Macky Sall had ordered the herbal cure on Friday. According to the Malagasy Health Ministry, the country has recorded 124 COVID-19 cases, including 71 recoveries. Guinea-Bissau has confirmed 53 cases, including three recoveries and one death. Senegal has confirmed as many as 671 COVID-19 cases, including 283 recoveries and nine deaths. New Delhi, April 27 : The coronavirus crisis has seen several sectors halt operations but few industries have served as the lifeline during the standstill period and security and facility management services have turned out to be one among them. Rituraj Kishore Sinha, who heads the security and facility management services major Security and Intelligence Services (India) Ltd (SIS), is of the view that the recent crisis has established these outsourced services as essential. Speaking to IANS, the Group Managing Director of SIS said that demand of these services have, in fact, increased, like healthcare and pharmaceuticals, but noted that the reason behind the surge in demand is "very unfortunate". "A lot of the time in the past, people have not seen them as extremely critical, or not many people even know that security is a Rs 1 lakh crore per annum industry in India. One thing that got established in this period is the resilient nature of demand and the fact that these are essential services in society in general... right from the fact that government has declared us as essential services," he said. "When this whole situation broke out, essential services meant that we became the first line of defence. Suddenly, the guard outside your building started with fever check. You would have never seen them before do this. All the heads of large companies, their HR head, admin head they wanted to know how their workplace would be kept more secure and hygienic." Sinha said that out of the 2.3 lakh workforce of the company, around 98 per cent of the people are on the field during the current pandemic. He noted that the cash logistics segment also witnessed a surge in demand during the period. Talking of the company's preparations regarding personal protective equipment for workers, he said that SIS has been prepared since its Singapore operations first got impacted in January and had to be supplied with masks from India. "We started supplying masks and things like that from India into Singapore in the month of January so these types of things is actually because of our international operations sort of alerted us well in advance," Sinha told IANS. Sinha further said that his company was among the first in the country to have trained its security personnel for fever checking, along with keeping themselves protected. "SIS has given relief to employees who have medical issues like diabetes, heart or lung disease and they have been asked to work from home," he said. On the company's revenue prospects, the SIS Group MD said that the coronavirus crisis is unlikely to impact its revenue for the January-March quarter. The company is scheduled to announce the Q4 earning on April 30. This pandemic definitely changed the way of life for all of us. While we all have our own challenges, there are some who have it tougher than most. So, we at Indiatimes, decided to start a fundraiser, in order to lend a helping hand to those in need. To donate, please visit the official Facebook page for the fundraiser. INDIATIMES In collaboration with GiveIndia, (a non profit organisation which is an online donation platform) we want to raise money so that while the country battles COVID-19, support to the daily wage workers and other people who need it, is duly provided. The money collected will also be utilised in helping our healthcare workers by providing doctors and nurses with PPE (Personal Protective Equipment), medical kits and other essential supplies. Prevention kits to the destitute will also be given out so that the virus doesn't infect them while they are also struggling with poverty. EUROPEAN PHARMACEUTICAL REVIEW #WeAreInThisTogether and if we all do our bit, we can definitely fight off this pandemic. To donate, please visit the official Facebook page for the fundraiser. Cancun police arrest 3 for drug, firearm offenses Cancun, Q.R. Three youths were detained by Quintana Roo Police over the weekend, accused of drug and firearm offenses. The trio were taken into police custody on Rancho Viejo Avenue along the Cancun-Isla Mujeres mainland municipality border after police witnessed two subjects on a motorcycle handing a suspicious bag to another inside a truck. The hand-off promoted patrolling police to inspect the vehicle, which lead to the discovery of drugs. Police reported finding the driver of the truck in possession of seven bags of cocaine, while the two on the motorcycle were found carrying 12 and 31 bags respectively along with a .9mm firearm and ammunition. Taken into custody for the state attorney general were 30-year-old Armando N along with Aron N and N Irving N, both 23. Gerry Adams hasn't gone away, you know. My dear little friend Lyra McKee had a keen sense of fun, so she would have seen the black humour in this. On April 19, 2019, the day the news of her murder broke, an author and journalist called Tom Phillips tweeted: "On this dark morning, at least let us enjoy Gerry Adams replying to himself but forgetting to swap accounts." Mr Phillips retweeted Mr Adams's exchange with himself, which began with a familiar sanctimonious attempt to distinguish between the IRA, who murdered many people over three decades, and the latest IRA offshoot, who are following defiantly in their bloodstained footprints. From his Twitter account @GerryAdamsSF he had tweeted: "On this Good Friday morning & on the eve of Easter may Lyra McKee b the last to die as she did. Those involved are not the IRA. The IRA embraced peace. It is gone. No Republican can support the anti-peace gangs masquerading as the IRA. They should disband." A few hours later, accidentally from the same account, came: "So true Gerry, such a needless senseless tragedy." This was retweeted this year by an account in the name of DeeMaw15, one of whose friends observed that: "It's only a matter of time before he denies ever having a Twitter account." Another reminded us that in 2009 in a pre-election interview on Irish radio Mr Adams had claimed that, in the 1970s, he and another 100 internees had cheered themselves by singing the Monty Python song Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life, which at the time had not even been written. As a commentator writing on the Slugger O'Toole blog pointed out at the time: "The man just can't help himself." In his weekly column for the Andersonstown News Mr Adams seems to live much of the time in an imaginary past, where the Irish are forever Mope (most oppressed people ever) and endlessly banging the 1916 drum (if you're curious, they're on his blog, modestly called Leargas, the Irish for 'insight'). After the Republic's most-recent election Mary Lou McDonald appointed Adams as one of her negotiating team. We don't know what contribution he's made to any Sinn Fein discussions with other parties, but he's certainly an important Felons Club strategist. As things stand, all the party leaders seem to have achieved by their constant carping, brazenness and rudeness and banging on about a united Ireland, at a time when politicians are trying to stop people dying and avoid crashing the economy, is to convince most southern politicians that it would be madness to go into coalition with them. Here is Mr Adams's contribution to the economic debate in his criticism of the Framework Document produced by Fine Gael and Fianna Fail. "Their only firm economic commitment is that a FFFG government will comply with the strict conservative European fiscal rules. That can only mean a further squeeze on public services. "Surely, one of the big lessons of the pandemic crisis is the need, and the entitlement of citizens, to healthcare, childcare and eldercare as a right. Surely, that's the least the state should do in the common good. That means challenging the EU rules, not blindly complying with them." Good luck with that in a crisis-ridden Brussels. In his fantasy economics Mr Adams reminds me of Patrick Pearse, who wrote just before Easter 1916: "In a free Ireland there will be work for all the men and women of the nation. Gracious and useful rural industries will supplement an improved agriculture. The population will expand in a century to 20 million: it may even in time go up to 30 million. Towns will be spacious and beautiful but since the country will chiefly rely on its wealth and agriculture and rural industry, there will be no Glasgows or Pittsburgs." But though they share blind ignorance of economic realities, there are differences. Pearse was on the verge of bankruptcy when he was executed. Mr Adams has pensions from Stormont and Dublin, of something in the region of 30,000 a year, book royalties and at least two houses. Oh, and he didn't die for Ireland. In 2010, Tim Laney was appointed CEO of National Bank Holdings Corporation (NYSE:NBHC). 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. Third, we'll reflect on the total return to shareholders over three years, as a second measure of business performance. This process should give us an idea about how appropriately the CEO is paid. See our latest analysis for National Bank Holdings How Does Tim Laney's Compensation Compare With Similar Sized Companies? Our data indicates that National Bank Holdings Corporation is worth US$720m, and total annual CEO compensation was reported as US$2.7m for the year to December 2019. That's less than last year. While we always look at total compensation first, we note that the salary component is less, at US$750k. We note that more than half of the total compensation is not the salary; and performance requirements may apply to this non-salary portion. We examined companies with market caps from US$400m to US$1.6b, and discovered that the median CEO total compensation of that group was US$3.3m. Next, let's break down remuneration compositions to understand how the industry and company compare with each other. Talking in terms of the sector, salary represented approximately 43% of total compensation out of all the companies we analysed, while other remuneration made up 57% of the pie. Non-salary compensation represents a greater slice of the remuneration pie for National Bank Holdings, in sharp contrast to the overall sector. That means Tim Laney receives fairly typical remuneration for the CEO of a company that size. While this data point isn't particularly informative alone, it gains more meaning when considered with business performance. You can see, below, how CEO compensation at National Bank Holdings has changed over time. NYSE:NBHC CEO Compensation April 27th 2020 Is National Bank Holdings Corporation Growing? Story continues Over the last three years National Bank Holdings Corporation has seen earnings per share (EPS) move in a positive direction by an average of 40% per year (using a line of best fit). In the last year, its revenue is up 5.1%. This shows that the company has improved itself over the last few years. Good news for shareholders. It's also good to see modest revenue growth, suggesting the underlying business is healthy. You might want to check this free visual report on analyst forecasts for future earnings. Has National Bank Holdings Corporation Been A Good Investment? Given the total loss of 22% over three years, many shareholders in National Bank Holdings Corporation are probably rather dissatisfied, to say the least. This suggests it would be unwise for the company to pay the CEO too generously. In Summary... Remuneration for Tim Laney is close enough to the median pay for a CEO of a similar sized company . We think that the EPS growth is very pleasing, but it's disappointing to see negative shareholder returns over three years. Considering the the positives we don't think the CEO pays is too high, but it's certainly hard to argue it is too low. CEO compensation is an important area to keep your eyes on, but we've also identified 3 warning signs for National Bank Holdings (1 doesn't sit too well with us!) that you should be aware of before investing here. If you want to buy a stock that is better than National Bank Holdings, this free list of high return, low debt companies is a great place to look. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading. The Anambra State Government has announced plans to reopen the 63 major markets in the state on May 4 after closure since late March. Governor Willie Obiano made this known to journalists at Aguleri, Anambra East Local Government Area on Monday, after his brief meeting with the 63 market leaders in the state. He said each market should set up a task force that would be trained by the state government on COVID-19 safety compliance principle to achieve greater success to curb the spread of the deadly virus. The governor said that the essence of the meeting was to ensure that adequate measures were taken against COVID-19 pandemic in the state before the reopening of its major markets. Mr Obiano urged the market leaders to forward 20 to 30 names that would form part of the task force that would monitor compliance. He noted that the members of the task force would be trained within the week before reopening of the markets on May 4 on precautionary measures of COVID-19. Mr Obiano said the training would also include adequate sensitisation on COVID-19 directives such as maintaining social distancing, wearing of face mask, washing of hand with soap, hand sanitiser, among others. The governor said the boundaries of the state would remain closed. We put these measures to ensure safety so as to be alive and enjoy our families. Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has agreed to upgrade the laboratory in Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu Teaching Hospital to become a test centre. Traders have agreed to take precautionary measures as well as close the markets at 4 p.m. each day to avoid spreading the virus. Right now, schools and government offices are still closed. We should also remind ourselves of compulsory wearing of face masks, Mr Obiano said. The Commissioner for Trade and Commerce, Uche Okafor, said modalities to reopen the markets had been set up to ensure compliance of COVID-19 safety measures by the traders. Mr Okafor said the market leaders had adopted the existing task force in various markets for the training and assured total compliance with government directives. The President-General, Anambra Amalgamated Traders Association, Ikechukwu Ekwegba, gave an assurance of strict compliance with the governors directives and conditions. Mr Ekwegba said the leaders of the 63 markets in Anambra commended the proactive measures taken by the Obianos administration to ensure the safety of the people against the coronavirus pandemic. (NAN) Gulf Coast chemical companies, including those slowed by the oil crash, are responding to the humanitarian needs of the global COVID-19 pandemic and keeping plants running. The companies are boosting production of the chemicals used in the manufacturing of personal protective equipment used by medical personnel, increasing global production of chemicals used to make hand sanitizer in some cases manufacturing the product themselves as well as lending expertise and materials for PPE manufacturing. The need for hand sanitizer and PPE has grown more acute as the pandemic has caused health care facilities across the country to quickly exhaust existing stockpiles. In some cases, according to a study of health care workers, 20 percent of the facilities had almost no N95 masks, more than a third were out of face shields and more than 1 in 10 had no hand sanitizer The focus on humanitarian aid by the regions chemical industry coincides with a global drop in demand for oil and chemical products while much of the world is shut indoors during the pandemic. Some of the lost demand is being offset by increased demand from the medical industry for plastics and other petrochemical-derived products. Exxon Mobil, for example, has maximized production of isopropyl alcohol, used to make hand sanitizer and other disinfectants, at its facility in Baton Rouge, La., one of the largest such plants in the world, said William Ramsey, market development manager for Exxons polypropylene unit. In addition, the company is ramping up production of polypropylene pellets, a building block for plastics used in the production of face shields and medical gowns. Whats been exciting is helping to solve these problems with COVID-19 by maximizing the production of isopropyl alcohol and maximizing production of the grades of polypropylene that support these efforts, Ramsey said. Exxon Mobil also is supporting efforts to develop and rapidly manufacture face masks and face shields used by the health care industry. In partnership with a coalition of companies, academic institutions and nonprofit entities headed by the Global Center for Medical Innovation in Atlanta, the company is providing raw materials to 3D printing manufacturers as well as lending its expertise in materials manufacturing and supply chain management to the enterprise. The project had produced components for 50,000 face shields as of mid-April, and production facilities are preparing to make 170,000 per day, Ramsey said. Theyll be shipped to hospitals in Atlanta and New York. As part of the coalitions efforts to produce the face masks, Exxon has donated polypropylene to the Nonwovens Institute at North Carolina State University for use in making the filtration components of the face masks. Were trying to get the production started to where we can make a million filtration cartridges for masks in a month, Ramsey said. Like Exxon, Dow Chemical, which operates petrochemical plants throughout the Gulf Coast region, is continuing production at its manufacturing sites despite the reduction in global petrochemical demand. Dow plants at Freeport, Deer Park, Texas City, Seadrift and La Porte produce chemicals used in the making of plastics such as polyurethane used to make hospital bedding and other medical equipment, said Rich Wells, vice president of operations for the Gulf Coast. Dows Freeport site is the largest integrated chemical manufacturing complex in the Western Hemisphere. Additionally, Dow has begun producing hand sanitizers at plants around the world that usually produce only the base chemicals, such as isopropyl alcohol. In March, the company began producing 300 tons per month of hand sanitizer at facilities in Germany. The company said it would expand its sanitizer production at U.S. sites in Auburn, Mich., and South Charleston, W.Va., as well as plants in Belgium and Brazil. The Woodlands-based Huntsman Corp. has begun producing hand sanitizer at a manufacturing plant in McIntosh, Ala., for distribution to U.S. health care facilities. The plant typically produces high-performance specialty chemicals used in aerospace and other industries, Huntsman said in a statement. The company had previously begun producing hydro-alcoholic solution at its manufacturing facilities in Switzerland for use in sanitizing products in a Swiss hospital. Huntsman said it would donate the first 5-ton shipment of hand sanitizer produced in Alabama to the Huntsman Cancer Institute and associated medical facilities at the University of Utah to help protect health care workers treating COVID-19 patients. Other companies with Houston-area manufacturing facilities, while not making new products, have vowed to maintain operations, despite stay-at-home orders, to produce products used in the fight against the pandemic. Our chlor-alkali and polyethylene products are supplying the critical infrastructure, along with PVC pipe and building products, so our plants continue to run, albeit with the adoption of best safe practices as recommended by the U.S. CDC or other local authorities, Erika Soechting, a spokeswoman for Westlake Chemical, said in an email statement, referring to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Eastman Chemical, which is based in Kingsport, Tenn., and operates manufacturing plants in Texas City and Longview, has committed to keep plants running safely and shipping products to our customers, spokesman Brad Belote said. We have implemented a plan to remove nonoperations personnel from operating areas to further protect the health of our operators and mechanics who are needed onsite to continue running our manufacturing processes. Germany-based Evonik Industries, which recently acquired the former PeroxyChem Bayport hydrogen peroxide manufacturing plant in Pasadena, has boosted production of several grades of the chemical, used in the production of sanitizers and disinfectant products, plant manager Amy Lehman said. Other companies with strong Houston ties but whose primary businesses arent chemicals also have contributed to the effort to produce sanitizer to help fight the spread of the coronavirus. The chemicals team at Baker Hughes in Houston reallocated chemical supplies and partnered with Pearland-based chemical manufacturing company Syntech to produce hand sanitizer, said Burns Schilling, director of supply chain for Baker Hughes Oilfield and Industrial Chemicals division. He said the company will donate the hand sanitizer to about 40 Houston-area sites, including hospitals, local first responders, nursing homes, shelters and food banks. Baylor College of Medicine received 1,700 gallons of the product April 9, he said. Syntech President Jim Gordon said the company and its 35 employees are donating time and facilities and using chemicals donated by Baker Hughes to produce sanitizer in 5-gallon pails, 32-ounce bottles and 1-gallon containers. The company, Gordon said, which produces about 30 million pounds of oil field-related chemical products per year, primarily for Baker Hughes, can produce as much as 45,000 pounds per day of sanitizer. He emerged hesitantly, tiptoeing gently down the steps of Downing Street like a winter swimmer wading into the icy foam. Gone was the rhinoceros charge we are used to seeing flying out of that famous black door, that head-first, shoulders-down barge, which he would throw himself into with the same boundless energy he uses to attack life. Instead, first impressions of Boris Johnson as he faced the nation for the first time in a fortnight were of a man still adjusting to life after his terrifying brush with death's pale rider. Such softly-softly cautiousness was also reflected in what he had to say. This was more a pep talk than a plan of action. He was clear that he would not be hounded into ending the lockdown just yet. Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks outside 10 Downing Street after recovering from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), London, Britain, April 27, 2020 'Bear with me' was the general tone. 'We're making progress but there's a while to go yet.' None of this should have come as much of a surprise. After all, here was someone who has felt the icy grip of this pernicious disease, which left him face down in an intensive care unit with doctors pumping oxygen into his struggling lungs. It is almost impossible to conceive such an ordeal wouldn't make him think twice about sending people back to work while the death toll still flourishes. There could be no doubt, though, that the PM looked in far better fettle since we last saw him. During his Easter Day message, in which he gave thanks to the nurses who saved his life, he bore the sepulchral appearance of a man who been passed through a wringer. Yesterday, a flush of rouge finally returned to those pasty cheeks. His eyes, which in that emotional last video had glistened with fear, had rediscovered a bit of their old twinkle. For the first time in weeks, we saw flashes of that daft, Honey Monster smile. First up came an apology. 'I'm sorry I've been away from my desk longer than I'd have liked,' he said with theatrical understatement. Here was an immediate reminder of what we'd been missing these past weeks a Prime Minister who can raise a smile amid the horror. Even the plod guarding the No 10 doorway gave a little smirk. A mid the familiar arm waving and thumb jabbing which followed, there came plenty of headmasterly encouragement. Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson delivers a statement outside Downing Street in London, Britain, 27 April 2020 Boris thanked the nation for the 'grit and guts' they had shown during the lockdown. Our sense of national resolve had left us 'on the brink' of achieving our 'first mission' in helping the NHS to keep functioning. Had that really been the public's 'mission'? Most of us have simply been doing as instructed this past month. But Boris loves a bit of military speak. Later, he spoke of 'turning the tide' and 'pressing home the advantage'. There was little here which we had not heard from ministers in his absence. We got the usual stuff about not wanting all our hard work go to waste now by ending the lockdown too early. But Boris's delivery always gives that extra lift, that gentle squeeze of the cheeks which insists all will come rosy in the end. For all Dominic Raab's delicate handling of the crisis in his absence, the Foreign Secretary will never be a deliverer of eve-ofthe-battle speeches. We heard the coronavirus being compared to 'a physical assailant, an unexpected, invisible mugger' which needed 'wrestling to the ground'. There was a noticeable wince as he said this. Is it possible the PM is still feeling a few aftershocks of his illness? His voice was more wispy than usual. At times, he appeared slightly breathless when he finished his sentences. It does seem to linger, this ruddy thing. Five weeks since my own (mercifully) brief encounter with it, there remains an irritating croak in my voice. We were near the end of 'phase one' of this crisis, said Boris, but it was vital everyone kept their patience. He insisted he was all too aware of the frustrations the country was experiencing. 'I know how hard and how stressful it has been to give up, even temporarily, those ancient and basic freedoms, not seeing friends, not seeing loved ones,' he said. As he spoke, I couldn't help notice the children's drawings in the windows behind him sending messages of support to the NHS. Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks in Downing Street as he returns to work following his recovery from Covid-19 on April 27, 2020 in London, England Usually this sort of thing looks gooey but it seemed oddly touching with a new tot about to arrive in Downing Street. To business owners, whom he praised as the 'wealth creators' of the UK economy, the PM was particularly apologetic. 'I understand your impatience, I understand your anxiety,' he said. Was this a message to UK plc that he had not lost his nerve? Some have wondered whether the PM would be scarred by his recent hospitalisation, making him more hesitant to lift the lockdown. There was a pledge to bring opposition parties into the tent. Whether this meant he would involve them in decision making or simply keep them in the loop on government decisions wasn't clear. So far, Sir Keir Starmer has preferred to keep his distance, but things may start to get awkward for him if Boris insists on getting him involved. The pair's first meeting at PMQs tomorrow should be interesting. The Prime Minister ended by calling on the country to summon the spirit of fundraising hero Captain Tom Moore. If we could all show some of the old boy's gumption, said Boris, he was sure the UK would emerge from this crisis stronger than ever before. And with that one, he offered one last grin of defiance before turning to embark once again on the most important week of his life. Not quite the speech to stir the juices, but it felt good to have him back all the same. Emphasising that Telangana was heading towards becoming a coronavirus-free state gradually, chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Monday said the lockdown would continue strictly till May 7, as announced earlier, without any scope for complacency. KCR, who attended the video conference with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday morning but did not get an opportunity to speak, shared the details of the video conference with his senior officials at a meeting later in the evening. He said Telangana was gradually coming out of the Covid-19 pandemic and there were clear indications that the state would become coronavirus-free very soon. On Monday, only two positive cases both from Hyderabad were reported in the state and as many as 21 out of 33 districts in the state are going to be declared Covid-19 free by April 28. More than 97 per cent of the patients admitted in hospitals are on the path of recovery, the chief minister said. Stating that Telangana was able to prevent the spread of the virus by strictly enforcing lockdown restrictions, KCR said many containment areas were reporting zero positive cases. By next week, I am sure the entire state will report zero positive cases. Even if one or two cases surface here and there, they could be tackled very easily, he said. He, however, said the government would not remain complacent just because the numbers of positive cases were coming down. We are always alert about any unforeseen situation that would result in an increase in the number of cases. The department of health is always alert with all the necessary equipment, he said. We shall bring down the number of containment zones as the number of positive cases comes down. But the officials and the people will be alert in the containment areas, he said and appealed to the people to follow rules and cooperate with the government by staying indoors, except in emergency situations. On the other hand, Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, who too could not get a chance to speak at the PMs video conference, said his government had put forth certain proposals post-lockdown on May 3. He said while introduction of public transport might take more time, allowing private transport could be looked into. He wanted that the inconvenience to the people should be mitigated, though the state would have to bear the brunt of financial loss in the coming days. He said the state has 676 mandals (revenue blocks) of which 63 are in red zones and 54 in orange zones and the remaining are in the green zone, which account for 80% of the total mandals. While safeguarding the green zones the government will have to see that orange and red zones change into the green. Hopefully activity may pick up in the green zones soon, Jagan said. He asked the people not to attach any stigma to coronavirus positive patients as it could affect anybody in the state including him in the days to come. The coronavirus is not going to disappear from the country. It is going to stay here for a long time and we have to live with it. It can affect anybody. Even I may get coronavirus. So, we should not subject coronavirus patients to social discrimination as it comes and goes after running its course. We have to learn to live with it in the days to come, Jagan said in a message to the people through electronic media. He said the people would have to make some lifestyle changes to boost their immunity levels, maintain social distancing and take care of the old and sick. Coronavirus will come and go and we need not attach any stigma to it as anyone is vulnerable to the disease and we should take precautions as per guidelines, he said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Prime Minister Narendra Modi called upon Raj Kishore, son of his associate during the 90s, Hanuman Prasad, and asked him about the well-being of his family, friends in Chandigarh. Kishore, who is currently the treasurer of Chandigarhs BJP unit, said the PM called and spoke to him for almost half an hour on Monday night. He said apart from enquiring about his 75-year-old mother, Chunni Devi, Modi asked about the well being of his former associates including Yashpal Mahajan, Desraj Tandon, Yudhvir Sharda. Modi was the BJP in-charge of Chandigarh, Haryana and HP when he lived with Kishores father in Sector 7, Panchkula. Kishore said he told the PM about all relief initiatives being carried out by the BJP in Chandigarh. He said the PM also cautioned him of the red zones in Chandigarh and its satellite towns. BJP President Arun Sood said the PMs love and concern for City Beautiful has no end and the citizens have to follow the lockdown strictly and live up to his expectations. Public Relations Officer of the Nsawam Prisons, DSP Adamu Abdul Latif has revealed that the prisons clinic is in dire need of thermal infrared thermometers. He made this disclosure on the side-lines of a donation of health equipment to the prison clinic by the BESSTEL Foundation and Ghana-UK Mental Health Alliance. DSP Latif explained that due to confinement, inmates cannot practise social distancing. Atop of this, chronic overcrowding has further heightened the risk level at the facility. He emphasised that the lack of the gadget is hampering efforts of the prison clinic to detect symptoms of the virus and ensure the safety of officers and inmates. The need for protective equipment at the prison clinic is therefore an urgent need to protect officers, visitors and inmates of the prison. I think it [health equipment] is very important because the prison population now is more than the capacity of even the prison. This prison was built to house somewhere around eight hundred inmates but as it stands today we have about three thousand five hundred inmates in custody which makes this issue of social distancing very difficult to achieve behind the prison walls. Because of that, we are doing all that we can to make sure that the disease does not come to the prison. And one of the ways we can do that is to screen whoever that comes into contact with the prison. And it is in this direction that we are in desperate need of the thermal guns, the PRO stated. Like the prison clinic, all health facilities across the country are beefing up safety protocols in the wake of the rising cases of the coronavirus infections in Ghana. The countrys situation stands at 1279 cases with 10 deaths. As the virus is transmitted by close contact with infected persons, facilities like the prison remain a high-risk location for infections to fester. The prison was therefore grateful to the BESSTEL Foundation and the Ghana-UK Mental Health Alliance for donating a key item the clinic needed to ensure the safety of the prison. Reacting to the donation of the thermal gun from, DSP Latif explained how the gadget would help the work of the clinic staff. First and foremost, let me stand in for the Director General of Prisons and our Regional Commander to express our sincere appreciation for the items donated particularly the thermal gun. Because you all understand the medium by which the virus is transferred is by contact, so we cannot use the normal thermometer we usually use. That is why the thermal gun has become so important in this time so that we can maintain social distance while at the same time checking the temperatures of people, he stated. He therefore called on corporate bodies and well-meaning individuals to emulate the example set by BESSTEL Foundation and the Ghana-UK Mental Health Alliance to provide more equipment especially thermal guns to the prison clinic. Scientists at Oxford University in the UK say they are one step closer in developing a vaccine to stop the spread. Last month, promising results were seen after six rhesus macaque monkeys were injected with a single dose of the university's new vaccine. This means that a new vaccine trial involving more than 6,000 participants will be started by the end of next month in an effort to show the vaccine is safe and effective. With emergency approval, 'a few million' doses could be available as early as September, if the inoculation works, reported The New York Times. Oxford University in the UK is now enrolling more than 6,000 participants in a trial to show the vaccine is safe and effective (pictured) Last month, six rhesus macaque monkeys were injected with a single dose of Oxford University's new vaccine and four weeks after being exposed to the vaccine, all were healthy. Pictured: Scientists work in a lab testing COVID-19 samples at New York City's health department in New York City, April 23 With emergency approval and if the vaccine works, 'a few million' doses could be available as early as September. Pictured: EMTs lift a man after moving him from a nursing home into an ambulance in Brooklyn, New York, April 16 For the animal trial, run at the National Institutes of Health's Rocky Mountain Laboratory in Montana, six monkeys were each injected with one dose. Then, they were all exposed to the strain of the novel coronavirus, known as SARS-COV-2, which had sickened other monkeys in the lab. Four weeks later, all six monkeys were healthy and showed no signs of COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus. 'The rhesus macaque is pretty much the closest thing we have to humans,' lead researcher Dr Vincent Munster told The Times. Munster said after sharing more results with other scientists, he hopes to submit the findings to a peer-reviewed journal. While there is no guarantee the findings will be replicated in humans, it's a good first sign. As many as 100 potential COVID-19 candidate vaccines are now under development by biotech and research teams around the world, and at least five of these are in preliminary testing in people in what are known as Phase 1 clinical trials. Italy's ReiThera, Germany's Leukocare and Belgium's Univercells said they were working together on another potential shot and aimed to start trials in a few months. ReiThera's chief technology officer Stefano Colloca told Reuters his three-way consortium's potential vaccine technology would allow for production to be rapidly scaled up from tens of thousands to millions of doses, and would also have a long shelf-life to ease distribution. 'We'll begin the trials in July. We have to add to the challenge of developing a safe vaccine for COVID-19 the important need to guarantee the production of millions of doses in record time', he told Reuters. Charlie Weller, head of vaccines at the Wellcome Trust global health charity, said on Wednesday that to develop safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines to protect everyone as soon as possible, 'the world needs to be prepared to execute the largest and fastest scale-up in vaccine manufacturing history'. A Swiss scientist said on Thursday he aimed to get ahead of industry projections that a COVID-19 vaccine will take 18 months, with a hope to put his laboratory's version in use in Switzerland this year. Martin Bachmann, head of immunology at Bern's Inselspital hospital and founder of start-up Saiba Biotechaims, said he planned to begin human trials in August in 240 volunteers if he gets the necessary approval from drug watchdog Swissmedic. Instead of using a weakened virus like some vaccines, Bachmann said his team had opted for a 'virus-like particle' that mimics the coronavirus, only without its genetic material needed for replication. Companies in China, where the disease is thought to have originated, are also working on potential vaccines. The race for a vaccine has been fueled by the shortage of options for treating the disease. The European Union's drug regulator on Thursday reiterated a warning against using two older malaria drugs outside of trials or national emergency use programs, citing potentially lethal side effects. [April 27, 2020] MindManager Earns Two 2020 Top Rated Awards From TrustRadius OTTAWA, April 27, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MindManager , a visual work management and mind mapping tool, has been recognized as a Top Rated Product by TrustRadius for the third consecutive year. MindManager has been honored in both the Diagramming and Project Management categories. With a trScore of 9.2 out of 10 and over 196 verified reviews, MindManager is recognized by the TrustRadius community as a valuable player in the Diagramming software and Project Management software categories. MindManager has earned both a Top Rated Diagramming award and a Top Rated Project Management award from TrustRadius based entirely on customer feedback, said Megan Headley, VP of Research at TrustRadius. Reviewers on TrustRadius frequently highlight MindManagers intuitive and easy-to-use interface, collaborative visual work management tools, and features that allow project managers to document deliverables efficiently. Since 2016, the TrustRadius Top Rated Awards have become the industry standard for unbiased recognition of B2B technology products. Based entirely on customer feedback, they have never been influenced by analyst opinion or status as a TrustRadius customer. Here is a detailed criteria breakdown on the methodology and scoring that TrustRadius uses to determine Top Rated winners. Blair Young, Senior Director of Product, MindManager, says, For three years running, MindManager has been recognized as a Top Rated product. Thanks to positive reviews and feedback, were thrilled to be awarded this year for both the Diagramming and Project Management categories. These wins are validating for our team and we believe they represent our commitment to delivering the right tols to our community of users. Hear from verified users on how much they value MindManager. Looking to share your own feedback? Please leave a review here . About MindManager MindManager helps individuals, teams, and enterprises do great work faster by simplifying the way they capture, organize, and share information. Transforming scattered ideas and unstructured data into dynamic visual maps, MindManager gives people a clearer understanding and greater control over their time, work, and world. Millions of global users choose MindManager to brainstorm ideas, plan and execute projects, and communicate knowledge. MindManager is part of the Corel portfolio of applications. For more information, please visit www.mindmanager.com . About Corel Corel products enable millions of connected knowledge workers around the world to do great work faster. Offering some of the industry's best-known software brands, we give individuals and teams the power to create, collaborate, and deliver impressive results. Our success is driven by an unwavering commitment to deliver a broad portfolio of innovative applications including CorelDRAW, ClearSlide, MindManager, Parallels, and WinZip to inspire users and help them achieve their goals. To learn more about Corel, please visit www.corel.com . About TrustRadius TrustRadius is the customer voice and insights platform that helps tech buyers make great decisions, and helps technology vendors acquire and retain great customers. Each month, over half a million B2B technology buyers use over 222,000 verified reviews and ratings on TrustRadius.com to make informed purchasing decisions. Headquartered in Austin, TX, TrustRadius was founded by successful entrepreneurs and is backed by Next Coast Ventures, Mayfield Fund, and LiveOak Venture Partners. 2020. Corel Corporation. Corel, MindManager, the MindManager logo, CorelDRAW, and WinZip are trademarks or registered trademarks of Corel Corporation in Canada, the U.S., and elsewhere. ClearSlide is a trademark or registered trademark of ClearSlide Inc. in Canada, the U.S. and elsewhere. Parallels is a trademark or registered trademark of Parallels International GmbH in Canada, the U.S. and elsewhere. All other names and any registered and unregistered trademarks mentioned are used for identification purposes only and remain the exclusive property of their respective owners. Patents: www.corel.com/patent . Media Contact Lucy Screnci [email protected] www.mindmanager.com Images accompanying this announcement are available: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e594dea2-52ec-4e39-b535-457331cb33a1 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6592ddfc-7fb4-403a-944c-01eb70a621f5 [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] A nurse who raised concerns about a shortage of personal protective equipment at the Missouri hospital where she worked has died from coronavirus just one week before she was set to retire. Celia Yap-Banago, 69, passed away on April 21 after caring for a COVID-19 patient at Research Medical Center (RMC) in Kansas City. Yap-Banago had worked at RMC for 40 years and was due to retire on Tuesday, according to the National Nurses Union (NNU). The union said she was part of a group of registered nurses who had expressed concerns about the hospital's lack of preparedness in handing the coronavirus pandemic. Scroll down for video Celia Yap-Banago, 69, died from COVID-19 at her home in Kansas City, Missouri, on April 21 Yap-Banago's husband of 34 years, Amado, and her two adult sons, Jhulan and Josh, are seen at a vigil held in her honor outside Research Medical Center in Kansas City on Thursday The nurses claimed that the hospital had insufficient supplies of PPE for health care workers who needed it and that there had been delays in notifying nurses when they may have been exposed to infected patients. They also said that they were expected to continue reporting to work even after they were exposed. Charlene Carter, a fellow registered nurse at RNC, said that she and Yap-Banago treated a patient last month who later tested positive for COVID-19 - and that they didn't have N95 masks or other essential equipment at the time. 'Celia was an amazing nurse that dedicated her service for countless years at Research and a dear friend to all of us,' Carter told Newsweek. 'I feel that I can speak for many nurses when I say that the loss of one of our dear fallen soldiers on the front line of this pandemic is more than devastating, it is a wake-up call.' She continued: 'Nurses have an instinctive conduct of being so selfless that I believe others don't realize. No nurse should have to sacrifice their life in exchange for conserved profits by the rationing of proper protective equipment. 'Nurses all over the country need proper protection every day so that we can continue to save patients' lives while sparing our own.' Yap-Banago had worked at RMC for 40 years and was due to retire on Tuesday, according to the National Nurses Union (NNU) Yap-Banago's coworkers at RMC described her as a kind soul and friend to all. 'I feel that I can speak for many nurses when I say that the loss of one of our dear fallen soldiers on the front line of this pandemic is more than devastating, it is a wake-up call,' nurse Charlene Carter said On the same day that Yap-Banago died, the NNU staged a protest (pictured) outside the White House to 'call attention to the tens of thousands of health care workers who have become infected with COVID-19' due to the lack of PPE On the same day that Yap-Banago died, the NNU staged a protest outside the White House to 'call attention to the tens of thousands of health care workers who have become infected with COVID-19' due to the lack of PPE. The union also organized a candlelit vigil in Yap-Banago's honor outside RMC on Thursday. 'We honor the life and career of Celia who gave so much of herself for her patients,' NNU executive director Bonnie Castillo said. 'No nurse, no health care worker, should have to put their lives, their health, and their safety at risk for the failure of hospitals and our elected leaders to provide the protection they need to safely care for patients.' Among the more than 100 people who attended the vigil were Yap-Banago's husband of 34 years, Amado, and her two adult sons, Jhulan and Josh. Josh told the Kansas City Star that his mother began feeling ill about a month before her death and began isolating at home immediately, presuming she had the virus. She tested was tested for COVID-19 on March 25, but the positive result didn't come back until after she died. Josh said his mother had expressed concerns about the rapidly surging number of COVID-19 cases in the US well before she herself got infected. The son said he feared for his mother's lives due to her age, but felt confident that she would recover given her decades of nursing experience. Josh said Yap-Banago began to regain her strength toward the end and was even considering going to see a doctor to get cleared to return to work. But on the night of April 21, the family went to check on her and discovered that her condition had taken a turn for the worse before she died at home. Yap-Banago is pictured with her sons, Jhulan and Josh, and husband Amado at Josh's graduation Hundreds of people attended the vigil for Yap-Banago on Thursday 'We don't know exactly what happened, if it was directly by the virus or by complications by the virus,' Josh explained. 'She was obviously sick for so long that being in that position, you become so much weaker. Was it directly the virus? Was it her getting sick from something? We don't know. Ultimately, we just know the end result.' Josh said the family is planning a funeral and hope to have visitation for loved ones to say their goodbyes to Yap-Banago, who emigrated from the Philippines years ago. 'She was a great mom, I can't stress that enough. From all my friends reaching out to me, the one thing they all say even though most of them have never met her is that based on your character, seeing you, your brother, how you guys interact with other people, she had to be a very strong, independent woman, an amazing woman at that based on what she does and how she lives her life,' he said. 'I'm glad other people are learning about her and what she's done. I'm glad [her story] is getting out there, and hopefully it all gets better soon, and people can learn from this.' A B-1B Lancer flies by at the Nevada Test and Training Range near Indian Springs, Nev., on Sept. 14, 2007. A new recommendation for spending cuts to the federal budget includes retiring the B-1 bomber. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images) Liberal, Conservative Watchdogs Jointly Recommend Nearly $800 Billion in Federal Spending Cuts Officials with the conservative National Taxpayers Union Foundation (NTUF) and liberal U.S. Public Interest Research Group Foundation (USPIRGF) rarely see eye-to-eye, but that didnt keep them from jointly recommending almost $800 billion in federal spending cuts. Their timing couldnt be better, because of the CCP virusalso known as the novel coronavirusand the unprecedented economic recovery spending that it has prompted. Nobody knows for sure exactly how big the federal deficit will be after the pandemic has passed, but the figure could easily be somewhere beyond $4 trillion. Politicians in both parties could soon be forced to make tough decisions they have avoided for years. Issued April 23 to little media notice, the reportToward Common Ground: Bridging the Political Divide with Deficit Reduction Recommendations for Congresspoints to four major areas where spending can be cut dramatically without compromising the federal governments essential operations: $62 billion in savings from ending wasteful subsidies; $422 billion from addressing outdated or ineffective military programs; $143 billion from improving program execution and government operations; and $170 billion from reforming the operation of entitlement programs. The recommended cuts range from relatively small such as eliminating $4 million worth of perks provided to former presidents, to much bigger savings such as $680 million from closing the U.S. Trade and Development Agency. Some of the recommendations are certain to run into significant opposition from the Department of Defense (DOD), such as retiring the B-1 strategic bombers and stopping the acquisition of F-35 fighters at the 425 already authorized. But the two foundations hope their joint actionthe current edition is their fourth such reportwill spur bipartisan action in Congress on the federal deficit and the national debt. Our organizations may differ about what constitutes a proper regulatory and tax system, but we are united in the belief that the federal government spends in ways that are not fiscally sustainable and are often detrimental to the interests of the American people, they said in a joint statement. For NTUF, out-of-control entitlement spending, fueled by demographic changes, is a particular concern. For U.S. PIRG, of particular concern is spending that threatens public health, causes environmental damage or wastes taxpayer dollars through corruption or inefficiency. Within this project, we mutually identify areas of wasteful, cronyistic, and excessive spending that plague our federal budget. We hope that these bipartisan spending cuts and reforms will (1) provide Congress with a number of examples of spending reductions that can at least marginally help rein in federal spending, and (2) show that there are areas of agreement that bridge ideological divides if only we seek them out. The report has received congressional notice, as Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), praised it in a statement to The Epoch Times, saying, Theres definitely a need to reduce unnecessary costs as we seek to pay for our current crisis, and a good place to start, and one thats included in this report, is my bipartisan CENTS Act which would save $150 million by simply changing the composition of coins, because it does not make sense to lose money making money. Other advocacy groups concerned about wasteful federal spending lauded NTUF and USPIRGF. Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) President Tom Schatz told The Epoch Times on April 27 that his group welcomes every effort to eliminate wasteful spending to help reduce the record deficits and debt being caused by the unprecedented response to the coronavirus. Many of the 50 joint NTU/USPIRG proposals to cut $800 billion over 10 years are included among the 620 recommendations to save $3.9 trillion over five years in CAGWs 2019 Prime Cuts. Congress needs to start acting quickly to adopt these proposals. Similarly, Taxpayers Protection Alliance President David Williams told The Epoch Times on April 27 that this joint project between NTU and U.S. PIRG is exactly what the country needs right now, a serious and bipartisan list of spending cut recommendations. Williams added that, in a fiercely partisan atmosphere, it is refreshing to see this cooperation. I hope lawmakers on both sides of the aisle take these recommendations seriously and act quickly to enact the spending cuts. Less optimistic was Truth in Accounting President Sheila Weinberg. The desire for spending cuts must come from the voters, who seem to favor politicians who promise tax cuts and/or more government services and benefits. Public fiscal responsibility has gone to the wayside in favor of spending beyond what people are willing to spend in taxes. Before the current crisis, very few people were even phased by projections of $1 trillion deficits. Now, projections are higher than $3 trillion. I dont know when this level of borrowing will end, but I believe it wont end well, she said. USPIRGFs R.J. Cross, the reports co-author, told The Epoch Times, we may have different reasons for wanting to see these cuts, but we arrive at the same place, and thats what matters. Contact Mark Tapscott at Mark.Tapscott@epochtimes.nyc. Meghan Markle has told friends that if Kate Middleton was constantly being criticized by the press, the royal family would have stepped in and changed its media policies and shunned the tabloids, an insider exclusively told DailyMail.com. '[Meghan said] no one would have put up with it, and the broken and outdated system would have been revised. Those outlets responsible for their vicious attacks would have been shut out,' the friend explained. The Duchess, 37, firmly believes if the tables were turned and her sister-in-law had been subject to the same treatment, 'changes would have been made'. Last week the Sussexes announced they would have 'no corroboration and zero engagement' with four UK tabloids, including the Daily Mail, citing Meghan's poor treatment. Although palace aides said everyone was stunned by the move, the friend said: 'Meghan said no one in the royal family should be surprised with the announcement. She said everyone knew exactly how Harry felt about the British tabloids and the changes he wanted made in order to 'If Kate was being criticized no one would put up with it. Bitter Meghan tells friends the palace favored her sister-in-law and would have attacked the UK tabloids if she were the one relentlessly picked on to protect his family.' They added: 'Meghan said Harry needed to take a stand for her, their son and his mother.' Meghan Markle has told friends if Kate Middleton was constantly being bashed by the press, the royal family would have stepped in and changed its media policies and shunned the tabloids, an insider exclusively told DailyMail.com Last week the Sussexes announced they would have 'no corroboration and zero engagement' with four UK tabloids, including the Daily Mail newspaper, citing Meghan's poor treatment. Pictured: Prince Harry and Meghan wearing masks in LA as they deliver meals to residents in need during the COVID-19 pandemic last Friday The friend said: 'Meghan said Harry needed to take a stand for her, their son and his mother' The insider explained what 'irritated Meghan and Harry the most' was if the press had 'constantly criticized and needlessly bashed Kate the way they did her, changes within the royal's media policy would have been made. No questions asked.' Harry went to his father Prince Charles and his grandmother the Queen 'constantly' about Meghan being bullied, but they 'wouldn't do anything to change the protocol', despite seeing 'how it was tearing him apart,' according to the source. '[Meghan] said it was infuriating that Harry's very real and valid concerns fell on deaf ears,' the source said. 'Meghan said they made it seem like this is the way it is, deal with it. Harry had been dealing with it far too long. She said he wasn't going to let this destroy her life and their marriage.' In January, Meghan and Harry stunned the world when they announced they would be quitting their royal duties, become financially independent and split their time between North America and England. The friend explained: 'Meghan said when she was living in England, she was being bullied by the media non-stop and Harry knew he had to do something dramatic to protect her and the family. 'She said she was being treated unfairly and picked on for everything she did including rubbing her belly too much when she was pregnant.' Harry went to his father Prince Charles and his grandmother the Queen 'constantly' about Meghan being bullied, but they 'wouldn't do anything to change the protocol', despite seeing 'how it was tearing him apart,' the source said The friend explained: 'Meghan said when she was living in England, she was being bullied by the media non-stop and Harry knew he had to do something dramatic to protect her and the family. She said she was being treated unfairly and picked on for everything she did including rubbing her belly too much when she was pregnant' 'She said there was no way she was going to go through motherhood being criticized for every little thing she did,' the friend continued. 'She said she told Harry that it was only going to get worse, It was a no win situation and the only solution was to take control of their own lives. 'Harry needed to take a stand for her, their son and his mother. 'Meghan said Harry made it crystal clear that they could not function in good faith under the current system... and that if it wasn't revised and updated to their liking, they would have no other choice than to break from the royal family. 'She said no one took his pleas seriously, so they had to take the issue into their own hands. This was about protecting the family and doing right by Princess Diana. 'She said the British tabloids have haunted Harry since childhood and should have been kicked out of the media pool long ago. 'The system is broken and Harry wanted to fix it. She said he needed to take a stand and now they are doing it together.' After announcing their decision to step back from their royal duties, Meghan and Harry set up base at a rented waterfront mansion on Vancouver Island in Canada. 'She said no one took his pleas seriously, so they had to take the issue into their own hands,' the friend explained. 'This was about protecting the family and doing right by Princess Diana. 'She said the British tabloids have haunted Harry since childhood and should have been kicked out of the media pool long ago.' Pictured: Princess Diana and Prince Harry in 1987 However, they quickly moved to Los Angeles last month when Canada announced it would be closing its borders to the US. Over Easter weekend, the royal couple were seen volunteering with Project Angel Food, dropping off food to LA locals who are critically ill and are at a greater risk amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. A source said they both were down to earth and Meghan told her inner circle that it felt good to finally be out and about connecting with people. 'Meghan and Harry were really down-to-earth. Meghan had been looking for an organization to get behind and says Project Angel Food is the perfect fit. She plans on volunteering much more with Harry,' the friend said. They went under-the-radar in dressed down clothes while delivering meals to 20 people, seen in exclusive DailyMail.com photos waving to a man after handing over bags of food. The source added: 'Some people didn't recognize them at first and others were just completely shocked. One elderly woman actually started to cry and said she had always been a fan and had always wanted to meet them, and then welcomed them to their new life in America.' Earlier this week, it was revealed Meghan Markle branded her father Thomas Markle a liar in court papers and denied she knew her influential friends planned to reveal details of her deteriorating relationship with him to People magazine, court papers revealed Earlier this week, it was revealed Meghan Markle branded her father Thomas Markle a liar in court papers and denied she knew her influential friends planned to reveal details of her deteriorating relationship with him to People magazine. Text messages revealed in new court documents claim Meghan and Harry tried to protect Thomas Markle in the days leading up to their wedding while he was forced to drop out of the lavish Windsor Castle wedding due to his failing health. Meghan also states Thomas Markle did not answer truthfully when asked if had colluded with a photographer to stage pictures of him in the weeks leading up to the May 2018 ceremony. She also maintains she was unaware that five close friends had chosen to intervene in the growing public debate about her relationship with her father by giving interviews to People magazine for an article published in February 2019. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Tim Ahmann (Agence France-Presse) Washington, United States Mon, April 27, 2020 12:31 625 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd4738ff 2 Business US,economic-impact,coronavirus,COVID-19,COVID-19-joblessness Free The shuttering of the US economy due to the coronavirus pandemic is a shock of historic proportions that will likely push the national unemployment rate to 16% or higher this month and require more stimulus to ensure a strong rebound, a White House economic adviser said on Sunday. "It's a really grave situation," President Donald Trump's adviser, Kevin Hassett, told the ABC program "This Week." "This is the biggest negative shock that our economy, I think, has ever seen. We're going to be looking at an unemployment rate that approaches rates that we saw during the Great Depression" of the 1930s," Hassett added. Lockdowns across the United States to curtail the spread of the novel coronavirus have hammered the economy, shuttering businesses and sending unemployment skyrocketing. A record 26.5 million Americans have filed for jobless benefits since mid-March, and retail sales, homebuilding and consumer confidence have all cratered. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office predicts US gross domestic product will contract at nearly a 40% annual rate in the second quarter, with unemployment cresting at 16% in the third quarter. But even next year, the CBO sees the jobless rate still averaging above 10 percent. Before the pandemic struck, the US jobless rate had been hovering at a 50-year low of 3.5%. "I think the unemployment rate is going to jump to a level probably around 16 percent or even higher in the next jobs report," due on May 8, providing April employment statistics, Hassett told reporters at the White House. Hassett added that the second-quarter drop expected in the nation's GDP would be a "big number." "I think the next couple of months are going to look terrible. You're going to see numbers as bad as anything we've ever seen before," Hassett said, referring to US economic data. "We're going to need really big thoughtful policies to put together to make it so that people are optimistic again," Hassett added. Trump's advisers want to hone a list of five or six ideas to present to Congress to help clear the economic carnage, Hassett said. "I'm sure that over the next three or four weeks, everybody's going to pull together and come up with a plan to give us the best chance possible for a V-shaped recovery," Hassett told ABC. "I ... don't think you get it if we don't have another round of really solid legislation." A "V-shaped recovery" is one in which an economy bounces back sharply after a precipitous decline. Tensions on Capitol Hill The US Congress has already approved $3 trillion in coronavirus relief in a show of bipartisan support for laid-off workers and an economy in free fall. Lawmakers are now poised for a battle over federal assistance to state and local governments whose budgets have been shattered by a plunge in tax revenue even as they have had to take extraordinary measures during a pandemic that has caused a US death toll approaching 55,000. New York City needs $7.4 billion in federal aid to offset economic losses from the coronavirus, its mayor said on Sunday. "If New York City is not [made] whole, it will drag down the entire region, and it will hold up the entire national economic restart," Mayor Bill de Blasio, a Democrat, said on the Fox program "Sunday Morning Futures." Like de Blasio, many of the nation's governors - Democrats and Republicans alike - have pressed the Trump administration and Congress to come forward with a sizable relief package. "We will have state and local (aid), and we will have it in a very significant way," House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the top Democrat in Congress, said on CNN's "State of the Union." "The governors are impatient," Pelosi added. "Their impatience will help us get an even bigger number." Trump has shown a willingness to support aid for cities and states, but some fellow Republicans - including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell - have voiced wariness, citing a mounting federal debt load. McConnell, in remarks that have drawn sharp rebukes from various governors as well as Democratic lawmakers, has suggested that states should declare bankruptcy instead. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, asked whether Trump would support providing hundreds of billions of dollars to the states, said any further relief would have to receive support from both parties. "This is a war. We'll win this war. If we need to spend more money, we will, and we'll only do it with bipartisan support," Mnuchin told "Fox News Sunday." DENVER Health officials have ordered the closure of a Walmart in suburban Denver as three people connected to the store died after being infected with the coronavirus and at least six employees tested positive. The Tri-County Health Department announced late Thursday that a 69-year-old man who worked for a private security company at the Aurora store died along with a 72-year-old store employee and her 63-year-old husband, who did not work at the site. In its closure order, the health department cited the infections as an outbreak among employees and added the store had not adhered to social distancing requirements under Colorados stay-at-home order that allowed some businesses deemed essential, like the Walmart, to remain open. It said the move followed a series of complaints from employees and shoppers about the lack of social distancing in the store, too many people inside at once and employees not wearing masks. In a statement Friday, Walmart said in recent weeks it has limited the number of people who can be in the store at the same time, installed clear barriers in checkout lanes and pharmacy areas, and placed decals at entrances and checkout lanes to help customers social distance from each other. We recognize how hard this is for our associates in Aurora and everyone impacted by this difficult situation, the company said. We want to do everything we can to support them at this time. We will continue to work closely with Tri-County Health Department and take additional steps as needed to reopen the store. The dates of the deaths were not disclosed by the health department. Walmart said its records show the 72-year-old woman last worked at the end of March. The site has about 300 workers. Besides the six other confirmed cases, three employees suspected of having COVID-19 were awaiting test results, the health department said, noting that it did not have information about the conditions of the workers who tested positive. The closure came as the statewide shutdown order issued by Democratic Gov. Jared Polis was set to expire Sunday, although some communities including Denver have decided to extend restrictions through May 8. Polis cited the economic and psychological toll the statewide stay-at-home order has taken in announcing this week that some limits will be relaxed on Monday and that non-essential businesses can reopen, with restrictions, on May 1, even as the state struggles to increase its testing and tracing capacity. Polis has said local governments will have flexibility to adopt their own stronger measures to fight the coronavirus pandemic but on Friday he noted that counties could lose emergency funds and businesses could lose their operating licenses if they do not comply with statewide health orders. Denver Mayor Michael Hancock, a Democrat, insisted Friday that time is needed to ramp up testing and the tracing of contacts to box in the virus and ensure it is our punk and that we are not its punk anymore. Hancock said he is not defying the governor but believes metro Denvers population and business density requires more precautions. Oregon is facing sudden, severe and widespread declines in revenue amid the coronavirus outbreak from personal and corporate income taxes to capital gains, lottery revenues, lodging and fuel taxes and program fees. All state agencies are being hit, but no two identically. Some, such as the Oregon Health Authority, the Employment Department and the Department of Human Services, face a surge in demand for their services, whether its expanded COVID-19 testing, increased Medicaid spending or the needed hiring to process unemployment claims. Others the Lottery, State Parks, Travel Oregon depend on revenue sources that have suddenly evaporated. Still other agencies are reliant on appropriations from the state general fund, which gets 85% of its receipts from personal income taxes. With unemployment surging, economists expect those revenues to drop precipitously. Heres a look at Oregons budget in the age of the coronavirus. And here are other developments to know Monday: CASES: The Oregon Health Authority reported 58 new COVID-19 cases Sunday, bringing the total known case count to 2,311. Officials also reported four new deaths attributed to the virus in the state, bring the total number of deaths to 91. UNEMPLOYMENT: Gov. Kate Brown on Sunday apologized to Oregonians who are dealing with delays and errors while they try to get unemployment funds. A record number of Oregonians have filed for unemployment since Brown issued a statewide stay-home order in March. SMALL BUSINESS: Small business owners struggles are coming into sharp focus as many shuttered businesses prepare to pay their bills for the second month of the outbreak, with no path toward reopening. HOMELESS: The number of homeless people in Portland who move into permanent homes has sharply decreased since COVID-19 restrictions hit Oregon, breaking a years-long streak of gradual growth. Coronavirus in Oregon: Latest news | Live map tracker |Text alerts | Newsletter TRIBAL LEADER: Bobby Begay, a Yakama tribal member and Celilo Village leader, died Friday from complications related to COVID-19. DISTILLERIES: Oregons craft distilleries are now allowed to take online or phone orders and ship directly to customers within the state. OREGON CITY: Oregon City commissioners sent the citys mayor to the woodshed Sunday, chastising him at an emergency meeting for suggesting that Oregon City might violate the stay-home order and allow businesses to reopen in advance of any state move in that direction. EASTERN OREGON: Baker County officials want to let some businesses reopen soon. And they say theyve got a plan to do it safely. The Oregonian/OregonLive Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. A man has been jailed for drunkenly driving the family car into the front of his mother-in-law's home before driving the vehicle at his wife. Esmond Jaragba, 31, pleaded guilty to five charges in Darwin Supreme Court on Tuesday - including recklessly endangering life. Jaragba had been drinking with his wife on December 11, 2019, on the island of Groote Eylandt, off the Northern Territory coast, according to NT News. Esmond Jaragba, 31, pleaded guilty to five charges in Darwin Supreme Court on Tuesday - including recklessly endangering life (stock) He then got in his car and drove to his in-law's home where he sped into their home and into the front bedroom. Jaragba's mother-in-law was sleeping a metre away from the point of impact at the time. He had damaged the brick work and pushed in the window frame as a result of the collision, the court heard. Jaragba then reversed his car before driving into the house once again. He then began to drive at his wife, however he missed her and drove into the car port. Jaragba got out of the car when a chair was thrown at the car and in retaliation he threw a fishing spear at his father-in-law. He was eventually apprehended by police. Jaragba had been drinking with his wife on December 11, 2019, on the island of Groote Eylandt, off the Northern Territory coast Matt Hubber, Jaragba's lawyer, told the court: 'My client's embarrassed about this. He got into a state where he was so drunk he drove into a house,. 'It was a spur of the moment decision to jump in the car, but Mr Jaragba has a very hazy memory [of the incident]. 'He's been afforded almost full forgiveness (from the victims).' Justice Graham Hiley said he considered the rampage as an act of domestic violence and sentenced Jaragba to four years in jail. Jaragba will be eligible for parole in two years. But the race is moving toward Democrats for reasons that seem to have very little to do with Mr. Biden. Like so many of us, Mr. Biden has been spending his days in isolation, walled off from the very voters he hopes to win. As my colleagues reported over the weekend, hes waking up before 8 a.m., jumping on the Peloton, reading briefing memos, talking to experts, holding fund-raisers and virtual town halls. He has limited interactions with the news media and voters. At a moment when Americans crave Mr. Bidens political superpower his deep sense of empathy the former vice president has chosen to stay largely on the sidelines. Some Democrats say its a smart strategy. As much as possible, they want this election to be a referendum on Mr. Trump, hoping the president undermines his own case for another term with his handling of the virus. Yet, there are risks to this period for Mr. Biden. In some ways, it seems to encourage some of his worst political instincts. His indecision. (Dont forget, he hesitated for months before deciding whether to even run for president.) His focus on the theoretical, rather than on immediate problems. (My colleagues reported that Mr. Biden is far more focused on the economic recovery he hopes to preside over in 2021 than on the nitty-gritty of the race he must win to get there.) And while keeping Mr. Biden in a candidate protection program prevents him from making gaffes, he risks losing the muscle memory for disciplined campaigning. Eventually, Mr. Biden must re-emerge from his basement. Sure, the campaign is unlikely to resemble presidential races of the past; no one expects huge rallies or splashy conventions. But as Election Day nears, Mr. Biden will have to start campaigning in whatever form he can. Thats when the real political test will come. Is Mr. Biden ready for more adversarial interviews? Republicans have already made clear that they plan to portray his voluble style as that of a doddering candidate well past his prime. Can he defend a decades-long record that puts him on the wrong side of some major issues, like trade and the Iraq war, for voters in both parties? Australia has designed an app to help medical workers and state governments trace close contacts of COVID-19 patients, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said. In a tweet by Mr Morrison Monday, he said over two million Australians have so far downloaded the app. Well done Australia. Weve just passed 2m downloads for COVIDSafe. But weve still got more to do keep you & your family safe, protect our doctors & nurses & help us get back to the way of life we love. Join us in stopping the spread, download it now.https://t.co/Cg7e1mK3eU Scott Morrison (@ScottMorrisonMP) April 27, 2020 Reuters reported that Mr Morrison had earlier said at least 40 per cent of the countrys 25.7 million population will need to download the app. The Oceania country has been one of the most successful countries in the fight against the coronavirus disease, with 5,586 recoveries, which is 83 per cent of its 6,720 confirmed cases, and 83 deaths. Daily figure of the virus has also dipped to less than 1 per cent in April, down from the 25 per cent in March. These figures have been largely attributed to quick border closures, movement restrictions and a stay-at-home order issued by the liberal party controlled government, actions which have raised Mr Morrisons approval rating among Australians, according to The Australian Newspaper. READ ALSO: With the decrease in cases, some Australian states like Queensland and Western Australia have begun easing movement restrictions, according to Reuters. Although strict restrictions are still being maintained in the countrys most populous states and coronavirus hotspots, Victoria and New South Wales. Nonetheless, Reuters reported that the country has said it will soon begin testing people regardless of symptoms, firstly focusing on young adults and health workers. (Bloomberg Opinion) -- The Covid-19 pandemic has turned Americas focus inward. U.S. politics is all about economic relief, public health and reopening plans. Normally such myopia would degrade Americas standing in the world but its not, necessarily, in large part because many U.S. adversaries are struggling as well. Speaking at a web briefing from the Hoover Institution in California on Thursday, President Donald Trumps second national security adviser, H.R. McMaster, ticked off the many dire challenges the virus is presenting U.S. rivals. Russian President Vladimir Putin, McMaster predicted, will be blamed by his people and elites for the drop in world oil prices because of Russias role in spiking production in February and March. Russias public health system probably does not have the capacity to handle the number of infections the population is likely to suffer, he added. In Iran, McMaster said, leaders will continue to face a serious legitimacy crisis. Before the pandemic, Iranians from across the country engaged in regular demonstrations and strikes against the regime and the broader corruption of elites. Then Irans servile relationship with Beijing prevented it from cutting off travel from China as the virus was spreading, he said, supercharging Irans outbreak, among the worlds most severe. Meanwhile China has reported the first contraction of its economy in 28 years, acknowledging a staggering 6.8% decline in GDP in the first quarter of 2020. McMaster said this undermines the Communist Partys promise to its own population of an economic recovery. And Europe and America have already begun the work of decoupling their critical infrastructure and industries from China. Smaller U.S. rivals such as Venezuela are suffering as well. With the price of oil at rock bottom, Nicolas Maduros regime will soon run out of the revenues it needs to keep its elites in line. Of course, as my Bloomberg Opinion colleague Hal Brands has observed, the usual competitions and rivalries of international relations continue. Story continues Iran just completed a successful launch, from a mobile launch pad, of a satellite into space a demonstration that it has mastered the technology of long-range missiles that can threaten the region and Europe. Irans gunboats have stepped up harassment of U.S. naval vessels in the Persian Gulf, and the Iraqi militias Iran supports in Iraq have stepped up attacks on the U.S. and its allies. A U.N. panel of experts concluded this month that North Koreas ballistic missile and nuclear program have continued to advance despite U.N. sanctions. China has launched a disinformation campaign falsely claiming the virus that was first detected in Wuhan province is actually a bioweapon developed in the U.S. Russian and Iranian propagandists have forwarded this lie as well, according to a report from the European Union. In some ways these kinds of provocations are to be expected. Tyrants always need conflict with an external enemy to distract from their own misrule, and America has long played that role. At the same time, McMaster said, a pandemic weakens the hands of authoritarian leaders. Liberal democracies have an opportunity to change course in the middle of a crisis through elections, he said, and can assess such changes through free and open political debate. Authoritarians have no such safety valve. When citizens lose faith in their leader, the only recourse is revolution or coup. This ability to adjust and change direction short of dramatic upheaval is one of the enduring strengths of liberal democracies. As bleak as things look now, its a lesson worth remembering: Dictators look invincible right up to the moment theyre ousted. This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners. Eli Lake is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering national security and foreign policy. He was the senior national security correspondent for the Daily Beast and covered national security and intelligence for the Washington Times, the New York Sun and UPI. For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinion Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. SpaceX's Dragon mission is arranged to launch its first set of astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS). The launch is planned to launch on May 27 and marks the first time astronauts are to be launched from US soil since the decommissioning of the Space Shuttle in 2011. The company is to conduct the Demo-2 launch as a precursor to regular and continuous flights to the ISS. The historical cosmic endeavor by SpaceX's Dragon Mission The mission will be carried by a Falcon 9 rocket and will make its historical moment on May 27 at 4:32 p.m. EDT. The Dragon's systems will be tested in orbit during the launch, along with observing the capabilities of the equipment back on Earth for future use. During their time in space, all of the craft's systems, including controls and displays, will be continually checked in detail. The spacecraft will meet up and land on the ISS after approximately 24 hours from launch and will then face further testing. A set of news conferences will be held on May 1 to cover the iconic event and will be airing live on NASA Television and seen on their website. Two of the crew will be available for remote interviews at the conference, namely; Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley. A Falcon 9 rocket will carry the Dragon 2 Crew and will launch from NASA's Kennedy Space Center. Read Also: Moon Uncovered: See The Updated Lunar Map Coded By Colors and Filled With Exciting Data on Topology and Rock Layers After approximately 24 hours from the launch, the team is set to arrive on the ISS to join the current inhabitants lead by NASA's Expedition 63 commander Chris Cassidy along with Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner from Russia'n agency Roscosmos. The news conference will include several famous names in the science industry, such as Jim Bridenstine, a NASA administrator, Kathy Lueders, who is a program manager for the Commercial Crew Program of NASA's Kennedy Space Center. Who will be leading the undertaking in the vast cosmos? The acting operations commander is Robert Behnken, where he will be heading major activities aboard the craft. Behnken became an astronaut in 2000 during a selection by NASA and has completed two space shuttle flights since. Before his career in space, Behnken was a physics and mechanical engineer. He then finished his master's and a doctorate in mechanical engineering over at CalTech. The astronaut worked for the US Air Force as a flight test engineer before his career with NASA and their team. Douglas Hurley is the acting spacecraft commander for the crew, where he will oversee the launch, landing, and recovery of the vessel. Hurley started his profession as an astronaut after being selected in 2000. Hurley has also completed two space flights like Behnken, where his last flight was in 2011. Douglas holds a degree in civil engineering from Tulane University. Before being an astronaut, Hurley served as a fighter pilot and test pilot for the US Marine Corps. Read Also: Black Hole Feasts On White Dwarf; X-rays Show It Sucks Up All The Gases And Keeps The Star Close To Feed On Minister of Education, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, apart from bringing pragmatic policies to the education ministry has also been credited with leading the decentralization and digitization of scholarships in Ghana. Making the disclosure during a media tour on some radio stations in the Ashanti region last week, the Registrar of Scholarships, Mr. Kingsley Agyemang, said the inexorable efforts by the Minister of Education has really catapulted the Scholarship Secretariat into one of the formidable state agencies which must be applauded. The concept of decentralization is the baby of Napo which was birthed as far back as 2018, he said. Dr. Mathew Opoku Prempeh was so passionate to seeing to the realization of the decentralization of scholarship awards that he even appointed his deputy, Dr Adutwum, to represent him at the launch in Takoradi last year, Mr. Agyemang said on Virgin City radio at Konongo. Radio tour Mr. Agyemang was in the Ashanti region to throw more light on the decentralization and digitization of the operations of the Scholarships Secretariat. Some of the radio stations he visited include Ashh FM, Hello FM, Nhyira FM, Adehye FM, Virgin City radio, Wontumi TV and radio. In an interview with Hello FM, Mr Agyemang stated that the decentralization of the scholarship after a year has been embraced by all. When you look at SDG 4, it talks about accessibility and quality education. So, in 2018 we started with the decentralization at the regional level and with good feedback, Dr Opoku Prempeh suggested that we take it to the district level, he said. According to Mr. Agyemang, just last year alone, 32,850 students benefitted from the policy. The local tertiary which has been decentralized pays for the tuition fees of all deserving students in any accredited tertiary institution in Ghana, including private tertiary institutions from diploma to doctorate degree levels. Digitization With the successful implementation of the decentralization policy, there was the need to move it to another level, which was the digitization in the award of scholarships. What this means is that although the scholarship has been brought to the district, all one needs to do is just click on a button and access scholarships at www.scholarshipgh.com, he said. He said this policy will also go a long way to help more students apply for scholarships especially with the ease to use the manner of the website. Process Explaining the process in the online application, he said the three-phase system involves first providing a biodata which takes less than five minutes, after which a successful applicant will be notified and then given another two weeks to undertake an aptitude test which will determine whether the applicant will appear before the District Review Committee to be interviewed or not. The Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia on Tuesday, March 31, launched the Scholarship Secretariats Online Scholarship Application and Administration System in Accra. The whole exercise which began April 1, will end on May 15. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Three women from Pasadena Moose Lodge No. 1721 are putting in a lot of face time during the novel coronavirus pandemic, and their concentrated efforts are being done in the name of compassion and safety. Annette Davis, Bobbie Barbara and Peggy Dow have busied themselves making and delivering face masks that they donate to entities locally, in the greater Houston area and even out of state. So far, theyve made about 1,500 masks. We started it a couple of days after the pandemic hit, Davis said. Bobbie and Peggy make about 50 or 60 per day, and then Im the delivery person. I told them I couldnt sew Id probably sew my fingers together. Since the pandemic began, the trio has acquired some prominent clients, primarily those who are considered essential workers. Ive been to Pearland, Pasadena, La Porte, Deer Park and Houston, Davis said. I guess the farthest Ive been was to the Ronald McDonald House in Galveston. All of the people are very, very appreciative they cant thank us enough. I was really shocked by how thankful the doctors were. Weve delivered to a gastroenterologist, an MD and several cardiologists. Weve even mailed some out of state. Weve sent some to Louisiana, and they in turn sent some masks to their families. Davis said that the masks cant be made fast enough or delivered soon enough. 200 back orders Right now, we have 200 (back) orders; so we have to stop taking them until we catch up, she said. Davis said the masks are made from pure cotton bedsheets and meet regulations required by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. We just did an order for the Pasadena police, and now we have to do a school today and then the La Porte police officers, Davis said on Monday. Davis, who works at the lodge, said all the masks are made there. We have not charged anybody for these masks, Davis said. This has all been done through donations. Were always in need of donations. The masks have been delivered to a variety of establishments, including The Wheelhouse in Deer Park, which caters to men struggling with addiction to drugs and alcohol as well as to The Medical Resort nursing and rehabilitation facilities, which have locations in Bay Area, Pearland and Sugar Land. Chemical plants have also been the beneficiary of the mask-making efforts. Bobbie and Peggy will make them for anybody who needs them, Davis said. And then Ill do the deliveries. Persons interested in making donations can call 281-224-0362 or email Davis at Annettedavis1970@yahoo.com . tdunnam@hcnonline.com Just when things were potentially looking up, Russia's coronavirus numbers went up, with the biggest jump in confirmed cases and the highest single-day death toll both reported over the weekend. Meanwhile, a series of Trump-Putin phone calls and other U.S.-Russia contacts attracts attention. RFE/RL senior correspondent Mike Eckel joins host Steve Gutterman to discuss. Authors Note: What follows is an excerpt from my book Ball of Collusion: The Plot to Rig and Election and Destroy a Presidency, published in August 2019. The endnotes have been omitted, though I have included supporting links to several relevant reports that are cited in the endnotes. The excerpt contends that that there was no basis in fact or law for the investigation of General Michael Flynn, an argument I began making when reports about the investigation first emerged in early 2017. As further explained in my column today on the NR homepage, last Friday evening, the Justice Department belatedly disclosed exculpatory information indicating, reportedly, that there was no valid law-enforcement reason for the FBI to interview Flynn in January 2017, and that he later pled guilty under the threat that if he did not do so, prosecutors would charge his son with a crime an understanding that was withheld from the court at the time of the guilty plea. In making the disclosure, the Justice Department signaled that more disclosures about the case are forthcoming. Could anything have made the Obama administration giddier than the prospect of making a criminal case on Michael Flynn? Flynn is a retired Army lieutenant general, who made his mark on modern insurgent warfare by helping revolutionize the rapid dissemination of battlefield intelligence. He was promoted by President Obama to lead the Defense Intelligence Agency. He is also a headstrong man who got himself on Obamas bad side by questioning counterterrorism strategy, particularly the administrations weakness on Iran. He was detested by Obama political and national-security officials for calling them out on politicizing intelligence. The FBI was not a fan, least of all Deputy Director Andy McCabe, because Flynn had supported an agent who claimed the Bureau had subjected her to sex discrimination. After Obama fired him from the DIA post, Flynn became an important Trump-campaign surrogate, which gave him a national media platform from which to rip Obamas foreign policy. When Trump won the election, Obama counseled him against tapping Flynn for a top administration job. Trump ignored the advice, naming Flynn his national-security advisor. Flynn worked on the Trump transition and incensed Obama officials by lobbying against a U.N. resolution against Israel that the Obama administration, in its profiles-in-courage style, orchestrated and then abstained from voting on. The collusion narrative notwithstanding, Russia rebuffed Trumps entreaties on the Israel resolution. Story continues Obamas late-December imposition of sanctions on Russia got the attention of Sergey Kislyak, the Kremlins ambassador to the United States, just as the administration figured it would. Kislyak, who has a wide, bipartisan circle of Washington contacts, contacted Flynn, who, as a member of Trumps transition team, was dealing with a variety of foreign counterparts. The next day, December 29, Flynn called the president-elects Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, where senior transition officials were cobbling together a new administration for the candidate no one had expected to win. Flynn and his colleagues discussed the Russia sanctions and their potential effect on Trumps foreign policy. Flynn was advised to convey the message to Kislyak that Russia should resist any urge to escalate the situation. Immediately afterwards, Flynn called Kislyak. The topic of sanctions was discussed, but not a deal on sanctions. Rather, Flynn simply urged that Russia limit itself to no more than a reciprocal response, rather than escalate matters. This, obviously, is what we should hope any responsible American official, regardless of party, would propose. As Flynn should surely have known, Kislyak, an overt agent of Russia, was subject to FISA monitoring. The FBI counterintelligence agents were not only eavesdropping on Kislyaks discussion with Flynn; they were doing so in consultation with Obama advisers, as The New York Times gently described them. The Times elaborated: Obama officials asked the FBI if a quid pro quo had been discussed on the call, and the answer came back no, according to one of the officials, who like others asked not to be named discussing delicate communications. The topic of sanctions came up, they were told, but there was no deal. Asked not to be named discussing delicate communications. Thats a good one. Let me translate. The officials did not want to identify themselves because they were committing a felony: FISA intercepts are classified, and disclosing them to unauthorized people, including the media, is a serious crime. Two things, in any event, should be observed. First, the Flynn investigation was a vindictive farce: Even if there had been a substantive discussion of sanctions, there would have been no law violation. But there was no such discussion, just the mere mention of sanctions, prompting Flynns proper response: Dont escalate. Second, the FlynnKislyak communication became the grist for an outrageous classified leak for which, to this day, no one has ever been prosecuted. Eventually, the FBI and the Justice Department were forced to disclose portions of the House Intelligence Committee Report that they had initially redacted. We thus learned that, for some period of time during 2016, the FBI was conducting a counterintelligence investigation of General Flynn. There are still relevant redactions, so the basis for this investigation remains unclear. It apparently took place during the campaign, but it seems unlikely that it could have been related to Moscows cyberespionage activity. Did the FBI open an investigation on suspicion that the decorated 33-year combat veteran of the U.S. Army was an agent of Russia engaged in clandestine activity against the United States? Its possible, though that would be hard to believe. Whatever the basis for investigating Flynn, Director Comey recalled having authorized the closure of that investigation by late December 2016. It is unclear, however, whether the investigation was actually closed. In the meantime, the Obama administration took the position that Flynns conversation with Kislyak could be a criminal offense. This was absurd. There was no illegality in Flynns communications with officials of foreign governments. Of course, Trump was not yet president and there was post-election fervor over Russia, so if Flynn had engaged in negotiations with Kislyak, it would have been politically boneheaded. But not illegal. President Trump eventually dismissed Flynn as national-security adviser on February 13, 2017 (after only three weeks on the job), and Flynn was later prosecuted by Special Counsel Mueller (well come to that). But Flynns firing and prosecution were not due to his discussion of sanctions with Kislyak, as tirelessly portrayed by the collusion narrative. Flynn was fired for inaccurately describing his Kislyak conversation to Vice President Pence and other administration officials, and he was prosecuted for summarizing that conversation inaccurately in statements to FBI agents. On January 12, 2017, The Washington Posts David Ignatius published a leak from an unidentified senior U.S. government official, describing Flynns communications with Kislyak after Obama announced the anti-Russia sanctions. Naturally, the classified leak was not the crime that interested the journalist. Ignatius instead focused on an imaginary crime one that just happens to have been under consideration at that very time in the top tier of the Obama Justice Department: Flynns flouting of the Logan Act. Deputy Attorney General Yates was theorizing that it might be possible to prosecute Flynn under this vestige of the John Adams administration (17971801), a dark time for free-speech rights. The statute purports to criminalize any correspondence or intercourse with agents of a foreign sovereign conducted without authority of the United States an impossibly vague phrase that probably means permission from the executive branch. No court has had an opportunity to rule that the Logan Act is unconstitutional because, realizing its infirmity, the Justice Department never invokes it. In its 219-year history, the Logan Act has not resulted in a single conviction; indeed, there have been only two indictments, the last one in 1852. Yet, the Logan Act appears to have been what the Justice Department had in mind. In later Senate testimony, Yates recounted that, in the first days of the new administration, she and Mary McCord (then-chief of Justices National Security Division) brought their ongoing concerns about Flynn to the attention of Don McGahn, then the White House counsel. According to Yates, the first thing we did was to explain to Mr. McGahn that the underlying conduct that General Flynn engaged in was problematic in and of itself. The underlying conduct, of course, was Flynns communication with Kislyak his temerity to engage in talks with foreign officials without approval from the Obama administration. Since this Logan Act theory does not pass the laugh test, Yates also had a fallback rationale: blackmail. This may have been even more ludicrous. It turned out that the Obama administration had not only been surveilling Flynns communications with Kislyak; it had also been monitoring the Trump transition teams political commentary. (Once youve been surveilling your political opposition for a few months, its apparently hard to stop.) Obama officials had thus heard Vice President Pence (among other Trump spokesmen) deny that Flynn had discussed sanctions with Kislyak. They deduced that Flynn must have misled his superiors. This was preposterous. The Justice Department would have been very busy indeed if every untrue statement made publicly by an Obama official had been grounds for investigation. It was no business of federal prosecutors whether Pence had inaccurately reported Flynns conversation in a press statement, or whether Flynn had inaccurately informed Pence. Yet Yates surmised that Russia now had leverage over Trumps national-security adviser: The Kremlin knew Flynn had discussed sanctions with Kislyak and, hence, that he must have lied to Pence. So, the um reasoning went, Putin could secretly threaten to expose this lie, which would intimidate Flynn into doing Putins bidding. Got that? Me neither. Thats because its silliness is palpable. First, Flynn and Russia also knew that the U.S. intelligence services had a recording of Flynns conversation with Kislyak. Blackmail works only if the compromising information is secret. The very fact that Yates knew what was on the recording illustrates that Russia had no unique knowledge that it could hope to exploit against Flynn. In fact, as the Kremlin had to know, so many American officials were aware of the FlynnKislyak conversation that one of them had leaked it to David Ignatius. Second, Russia would not have concluded that Flynn necessarily misled Pence just because Pence repeated an inaccuracy. Broadcasting misinformation about diplomatic contacts is common it was the story of Obamas Iran deal. The Kremlin would probably have assumed that the fledgling Trump administration was telling a politically useful lie: The media and Democrats were so agitated about Obamas Russia sanctions that, if they admitted discussing them, Trump officials risked cries of Treason! And before you throw this book at me, I didnt say political or diplomatic lies are admirable. I said theyre not prosecutable. We dont want the Justice Department monitoring our politics or diplomacy. The investigation of Flynn was baseless. So much so that Obama officials could not provide Congress with a coherent rationale for why FBI agents were dispatched to interview him as if he were a criminal suspect. When the House Intelligence Committee Reports redactions were revealed, we finally got to see this portion that the Justice Department had concealed (EN refers to endnotes): The Committee received conflicting testimony from Deputy Attorney General (DAG) Yates, Director Comey, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General McCord, and Deputy Director McCabe about whether the primary purpose of the interview was investigating potentially misleading statements to the Vice President, which the Vice President echoed publicly[,] about the content of those calls [EN 94, citing Yates]; a possible violation of the Logan Act [EN 95, citing Yates]; or a desire to obtain more information as part of the counterintelligence investigation into General Flynn. [EN 96, citing McCabe, who did not recall that Comey had authorized closing the counterintelligence investigation a month earlier.] Not only was there no good legal reason to interview Flynn. There was no good factual reason. The Justice Department and the FBI already had a recording of the FlynnKislyak conversation. They knew what had been said thats why an intelligence official was able to leak to the Times that there had been no corrupt quid pro quo. Nor was Flynn needed to interpret the call. When agents want a witness to explain unclear or coded parts of a recorded conversation, they play it for the witness and then ask, What did this mean? What did that mean? Thats not what happened in Flynns interview. Without the recording being played for him, he was instead asked to narrate from unaided memory what had been said four weeks earlier an eternity for a busy official engaged in hundreds of conversations. This kind of interrogation makes sense only if the agents are hoping to nail him by finding inconsistencies. Its called a perjury trap. This is why lawyers do not let their clients sit for interviews by investigators until they have had an opportunity to review the relevant material and prepare for questioning. But Flynn did not have a lawyer. The presidents national-security adviser was quite intentionally braced at the White House by the FBI. Former Director Comey has been glibly brazen about it. It was January 24, 2017, Flynns second full day as national-security adviser to a president with no national-security experience. He was crazed. Yet, pursuant to an instruction by Comey, McCabe called Flynn to say that two agents Peter Strzok and Joe Pientka would be coming by to see him. Flynn was discouraged from seeking counsel. As the FBI well knew, to interview a member of the presidents staff, the FBI is supposed go through the attorney general, who then seeks to arrange the questioning through the White House counsel. That way, theres nothing sneaky: The FBIs Justice Department superiors know what the bureau is doing and why; the White House counsel has an opportunity to be present; and the official sought for an interview can be advised including advised whether he should have counsel because there may be criminal liability. Asked during his book-tour interview how the agents managed to get into the White House to grill Flynn, Comey quipped, I sent them. His left-leaning New York City audience loved it. He continued, weirdly bragging that this was something I probably wouldnt have done or maybe gotten away with in . . . a more organized administration. Normally, he said, there is a process, so that if the FBI wanted to send agents into the White House itself to interview a senior official, you would work through the White House counsel and there would be discussions and approvals and it would be there. I thought, Its early enough, lets just send a couple of guys over. What is it President Obama likes to say? Oh yeah, Everything by the book. Flynn, to repeat, was eventually charged by Special Counsel Muellers team with lying to the agents months after the FBI had reportedly closed the case upon concluding that he had not lied there had just been innocent failures of recollection. House Intelligence Committee Republicans contended that Comey himself had indicated that Flynn did not lie. In media interviews, the former director expressed bewilderment over this. In one, Comey told ABC host and Clinton pal George Stephanopoulos: I dont know where thats coming from. . . . That unless Im I said something that people misunderstood, I dont remember even intending to say that. So, my recollection is I never said that to anybody. Yet, when the Justice Department was pressured to reveal passages that had been redacted from the Intelligence Committees report, there was this testimony from Comey: The agents . . . discerned no physical indications of deception. They didnt see any change in posture, in tone, in inflection, in eye contact. They saw nothing that indicated to them that he knew he was lying to them. Of course, it is always possible that there is some undisclosed testimony that would put this contradiction in a more favorable light. It is worth noting, though, that as long as Comey was the FBI director, Flynn was never charged with lying or any other crime. And, if anything, the snippets of McCabes testimony thus far disclosed are even more favorable to Flynn: [The] conundrum that we faced on their return from the interview is that although [the agents] didnt detect deception in the statements that [Flynn] made in the interview . . . the statements were inconsistent with our understanding of the conversation he had actually had with the [Russian] ambassador. McCabe added: The two people who interviewed [Flynn] didnt think he was lying, [which] was not [a] great beginning of a false statement case. Only when Robert Mueller and his very aggressive team of prosecutors took over the case was Flynn charged with lying. Flynns apologists argue that he was railroaded. Yet he pled guilty, voluntarily admitting he had lied. When his defenders insisted that he had done this under pressure broken financially by legal fees, distraught that prosecutors might turn their sights on his son the judge in his case offered him the opportunity to withdraw his guilty plea and argue that his rights had been violated. Flynn declined, reaffirming that he had misled his interrogators. For that, Flynn has no one to blame but himself. He should never, however, have been put in that position. What the FBI and the Justice Department did to Flynn, what the Obama administration did to Flynn, was not illegal. But like most everything else in Russiagate, it was not right. More from National Review A Pentagon report that details U.S. military suicides and suicide attempts in 2018 showed a 13% increase in the suicide rate for active-duty personnel compared with the previous year, with the Marine Corps suffering the highest rate of loss, followed by the Army. In 2018, 325 active-duty service members, 81 reserve members and 135 National Guard members took their own lives, according to the 2018 Department of Defense Suicide Event Report released Monday. The figures translate into suicide rates of 24.8 per 100,000 active-duty service members, 22.9 deaths per 100,000 for the reserves and 30.6 per 100,000 for the National Guard. In 2017, the rates for the respective components were 21.9 per 100,000 for active duty, 25.7 per 100,000 for the reserves and 29.8 per 100,000 for the National Guard. The 2018 data show a rising trend in suicide rates since at least 2011 for active-duty personnel, say the analysts with the DoD Psychological Health Center of Excellence who authored the report. The statistics indicate that suicides among active duty Air Force airmen and Marines are definitely trending upward, while those for the Army and Navy are showing a "less certain" rise, they said. Broken down by service, the number of suicides in 2018 and rates per 100,000 active-duty members were: 139 suicides in the Army, for a rate of 29.5; 60 in the Air Force, for a rate of 18.5; 68 for the Navy, a rate of 20.7; and 58 deaths in the Marine Corps, for a rate of 31.4 per 100,000. Just five years ago, the rates per 100,000 were 23 for the Army, 14.4 for the Air Force, 13.4 for the Navy and 23.1. Still, the authors said, the overall active-duty suicide rate is comparable with civilian U.S. rates adjusted for age and gender using the most recent data from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, published in 2017. Related: Military Suicides Hit Highest Rate Since Record-Keeping Began After 9/11 A report from the National Institutes of Mental Health on suicide trends in the U.S. found the rate of suicide in 2017 among all men was 22.4 per 100,000, and the rate for women was 6.1 per 100,000. [2018] suicide mortality rates for the active component populations of the Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy were not statistically significantly different from the [CDC's] 2017 U.S. population rate. The calendar year 2018 suicide mortality rate for the active component population of the Army was statistically significantly higher than the 2017 U.S. population rate," the Pentagon report noted. The annual DoD Suicide Event Report analyzes information from individual suicides and suicide attempts taken for each event after the fact. Beginning last year, DoD started releasing an annual report that contains the basic data, such as rates and number of suicides, but it does not include the extensive demographics and statistical analysis contained in the Suicide Event Report, usually released 18 months to two years after a calendar year. The assertions made in the 2018 DoD Suicide Event Report support what Pentagon leaders have said in the past couple years -- that suicide among service members is growing nationwide problem and the rates of suicides and attempts in the military are in line with an American trend. "I wish I could tell you we have an answer to prevent further, future suicides in the armed services. We don't. We are caught up in what some call a national epidemic of suicide among our youth," Defense Secretary Mark Esper said last year. "Suicide is a difficult national problem without easily identifiable solutions that has the full attention of leadership," said Lt. Gen. Brian Kelly, deputy chief of staff for manpower, personnel and services for the Air Force in February. As seen in previous years, the majority of active duty service members who died by suicide in 2018 were men (94%) under age 30 (67%). Most had no history of deployment and more than half died by using a firearm. More than half, 55%, had no history of a mental health condition, but half had been in touch with the military health system before their deaths. Occupational specialties with the highest rates of suicide were infantry or gun crews in the Army and Marine Corps, for the Air Force, service and supply handlers and in the Navy, electrical or mechanical equipment repairers. The 2018 Pentagon report also examined more than 1,375 active-duty suicide attempts by 1,219 unique individuals. Six of the completed suicides in 2018 were among those who previously had a reported suicide attempt. The majority of majority of suicide attempts involved attempted drug overdoses. Females accounted for 31% of suicide attempts but made up 7% of completed suicides. According to the report, the reserves saw their suicide rate decline in 2018 to 22.9 per 100,000, down from 25.7 per 10,000. The National Guard retained the highest rate of any component for the third straight year. The reserve rate, the authors said, is statistically no different than the overall U.S. population but the National Guard rate is significantly higher, the authors noted. Service members who are experiencing suicidal thoughts are urged to call the confidential Military Crisis Line at 1-800-273-8255, press 1. There are also text and chat options at www.militarycrisisline.net or text 838255. Patricia Kime can be reached at Patricia.Kime@Military.com. Follow her on Twitter @patriciakime. Read More: VA Ramps up Mental Health Funding after Rash of Parking Lot Suicides Police in Kentucky have charged a husband with his university professor wife's disappearance. Ella Diebolt Jackson, 48, went missing in October. Her husband, Glenn Jackson, 39, was arrested on Friday and charged with murder-domestic violence and tampering with physical evidence. Although the mother-of-one's body was never found, police have searched the home the couple shared and revealed 'a significant amount' amount of blood was found in the trunk of Glenn Jackson's car. Police charged the husband of Ella Diebolt Jackson, 48, Glenn Jackson, in her disappearance. Ella Diebolt Jackson disappeared in October 2019 A text message was sent by Ella Jackson to her ex-husband in which she expressed concerns about her safety Ella Jackson who was a senior lecturer in English at Eastern Kentucky University was last seen by Glenn on October 20th with him reporting her missing two days later on October 22nd. Investigators say that Ella Jackson had met with a domestic violence advocate just a few days before her disappearance Police in eastern Kentucky have revealed that Ella Jackson had made secret recordings of the arguments she was having with her husband. She had become so afraid of him that had told 'several individuals that if anything ever happened to her, her husband would be responsible.' Glenn Jackson, 39, was arrested Friday and charged with murder-domestic violence and tampering with physical evidence Ella Jackson had reached out to friends including her ex-husband, Jason Hans who revealed how she feared for her safety and the custody of her son if she divorced Glenn Jackson had met with a lawyer just three days before she vanished according to Kentucky.com. One of those she had reached out to as early as 2015 was her ex-husband, Jason Hans, a professor of family sciences at the University of Kentucky. 'After years stuck in a cycle of violence, Ella had recently begun working in earnest with a lawyer on an exit plan,' he wrote in a lengthy Facebook post on Friday. Hans revealed that he wanted to provide his ex-wife with financial support in order that she could leave Glenn but she feared that her husband could win custody of their child if they split. 'Ella loved her boy more than life itself, so she refused to risk it until a fail-safe exit plan was in place,' Hans wrote. Ella had confided in her ex-husband Jason Hans despite having divorced ten years ago 'The messages and rushed phone calls were all too regular in recent years: 'I need your help,' 'I am very scared,' 'I am scared to the point of not being ok to get out of the bedroom to get a cup of milk or change my tampon,' 'I am being awakened at almost 3 in the morning and dragged through the house,' 'It is getting seriously scary and I am very worried about my child and myself,' Hans claimed Jackson would say to him. 'Even as the emotional scars of our respective and all-too-recent histories continued to haunt us, Ella and I quickly developed a deep appreciation and love for one another,' Hans wrote. 'Although neither of us necessarily needed to be rescued, it's difficult to characterize our experience together as anything less than a mutual rescue.' Hans also explained how the two remained friends despite divorcing ten years ago. He also obtained guardianship of the Jackson's six-year-old son on Friday. Iran's Revolutionary Guards to Take Delivery of New Stealthy Drone With 2,000 km Range - Report Sputnik News 11:07 GMT 26.04.2020(updated 11:13 GMT 26.04.2020) First unveiled in late 2013, the prospective 'Fotros' drone, built by the Iran Aviation Industries Organization, was once thought to have been an abandoned prototype. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Ground Force plans to take delivery of an undisclosed number of long-range Fotros drones, the force's drone division commander Col. Akbar Karimloo has revealed. Speaking to the Tasnim News Agency, Karimloo indicated that the drones would be delivered sometime 'in the near future', with the decision to accept the unmanned aerial vehicle into service based on extensive meetings with the ministry of defence, as well as an evaluation of its features. First unveiled in November 2013, the Fotros is a large multipurpose drone capable of engaging in reconnaissance and combat operations, with an operational range of up to 2,000 km and an endurance time of up to 30 hours. The drone is said to have a 7,600 meter flight ceiling, and the ability to be armed with precision-guided air-to-surface missiles or anti-tank missiles. The drone's outward appearance seems to be in line with design concepts found in many Western high-tech drone designs, including a bulbous nose similar to that of the US Predator drone, presumably containing the UAV's avionics. Otherwise, the UAV matches many of the characteristics of drones produced by other major powers in the region, includes a straight wing design, a twin-boom tail, and rear-mounted engine. In Shia mythology, Fotros ('Petros' or 'Peter') is a reference to a fallen angel banished to an isolated island for almost 700 years, his wings clipped as punishment for his weakness, but who was redeemed by Imam Husayn ibn Ali, grandson of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, one of the holiest figures of Shia Islam. Iran is one of just a handful of countries in the world with the capability to produce domestic drone designs. In addition to the Fotros, the country has about half-a-dozen other military UAVs already in production. The country's military industry has enjoyed success in the development and production of a wide variety of homegrown military equipment in spite of the fact that its military budget is several times smaller than that of its likely adversaries. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute estimates that the country spent the equivalent of $13 billion on defence in 2018. For comparison, the United States, Saudi Arabia and Israel spent some $649 billion, $67.6 billion and $15.9 billion on defence during the same period. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The researchers published their findings in the journal The Lancet on World Malaria Day on 25 April even as countries the world over battle to contain transmission of the COVID-19. The malaria trial conducted in northern Namibia demonstrates how malaria incidence can be reduced by up to 75% in settings where malaria transmission is mostly low but persistent, and plagued by sporadic outbreaks of higher numbers of malaria cases. This scenario in Namibia is in many ways typical in neighbouring South Africa's malaria endemic districts. In a Global South and Global North collaboration, scientists at the WRIM at the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa; the University of Namibia with the Namibia Ministry of Health and Social Services; the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine; the University of California, San Francisco; and the University of Texas, Southwestern conducted this first ever randomized controlled trial of its kind. "The reduction in cases was achieved using existing tools, namely anti-malarial drugs and insecticides, but deploying these in a 'smart' way, i.e., in close proximity of newly reported cases," says Professor Immo Kleinschmidt, one of the Principal Investigators in the project, Honorary Professor in the Wits School of Pathology and Professor of Epidemiology in the Department of Infectious Disease at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. "Our results are derived from a community randomised controlled clinical trial. This means that the effects of the interventions are compared between groups that are similar in all respects apart from the intervention they are receiving. The findings are therefore very unlikely to be due to chance, and the conclusions are more robust than they would have been from an observational study." Co-authors Lizette Koekemoer, WRIM Research Professor and an honorary member in the Centre for Emerging Zoonotic and Parasitic Diseases at the National Institute for Communicable diseases, and Erica Erlank, WRIM Associate Researcher, provided training and support in entomology [the study of insects] during the trial. advertisement THE TRIAL: DRUGS, SPRAY OR BOTH? In this study, researchers conducted a trial to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of two interventions: (i) reactive focal mass drug administration (rfMDA) and (ii) reactive focal vector control (RAVC), and their combination. This trial is unique because it is the first randomized controlled trial of rfMDA and/or RAVC. Study communities were randomly assigned to receive either rfMDA, or RAVC, or the combination, or neither of these two interventions (the latter being the control group). The study took place in the Zambezi Region, northern Namibia, and targeted people that were at the highest risk of malaria infection based on their proximity within 500 meters of malaria index cases that emerged during the transmission season. In one arm of the trial, these neighbours of any new malaria case were offered a standard dose of the anti-malarial drug Coartem, without first testing whether these neighbours carried the parasite that causes malaria. This drug clear them of parasites even if the level of parasites they carried were below the density that can be detected by the standard rapid diagnostic test. The drug would also provide a short period of protection against new infections. advertisement In another arm of the trial, neighbours of index cases had the interior walls of their houses sprayed with a highly effective insecticide, Pirimiphos-methyl, irrespective of whether or not their houses had previously been treated in the annual spray carried out routinely in such areas. In the randomized trial, communities received either the drug, the house spray, the drug and the house spray, or neither of these interventions. Both the drug and the house-spraying interventions were shown to be safe and highly effective, either on their own or when administered together. Both the drugs and the house-spraying approaches significantly reduced malaria transmission in this low endemic setting. WHY THIS TRIAL MATTERS Mass drug administration (MDA) is the administration of antimalarial drugs to target the parasite reservoir in humans, without necessarily testing if those people carry the parasite that causes malaria. The World Health Organization recommends MDA for the elimination of the Plasmodium falciparum malaria parasite. However, the effort and cost required to implement MDA on a large scale can be challenging. The Namibian study reduced the 'mass' in MDA by targeting just the small ring of people around recent index cases -- the people at the highest risk of malaria -- and thus implemented an existing intervention more efficiently and economically. Indoor residual spraying (IRS) and the use of long-lasting insecticidal nets have since 2000 significantly reduced malaria cases and deaths in target populations in sub-Saharan Africa. These interventions are normally administered in a 'blanket' style before the malaria season (October to May). The Namibian study targeted a highly effective but expensive insecticide, pirimiphos-methyl, at the small ring of houses around recent index cases. The cost of the insecticide makes it more difficult to use in blanket spraying, but suitable in focal spraying as smaller quantities will be used. The cost of the insecticide is thus offset by its focal use of targeting only high risk populations. "We found that reactive focal mass drug administration and reactive focal vector control, when implemented alone and in combination, significantly reduced malaria transmission among targeted populations in the Zambezi region of Namibia," says Koekemoer. "Furthermore, the two interventions, when used in combination, had an additive effect -- reducing rates of new malaria cases by 75%." TOWARDS ZERO TRANSMISSION TARGETS Although malaria still causes an estimated 230 million cases and over 400,000 deaths each year, dramatic success in fighting the disease over the last two decades has inspired many countries to commit to eliminating transmission altogether. To date, the World Health Organization has certified 38 countries and territories malaria-free. In southern Africa, eight countries -- including South Africa and Namibia -- have made the elimination of malaria a policy goal. In recent years, however, progress towards eliminating transmission has slowed in many regions including Africa, highlighting the need for new approaches. Where malaria cases have been reduced to low levels, transmission still occurs due a reservoir of chronic, low density infections in people without symptoms. This means that these infections are largely undetectable through standard surveillance approaches. Because the mosquitoes that carry the malaria parasite are still present, these infections may seed further infections in their immediate neighborhood, potentially leading to outbreaks of malaria cases. To prevent such outbreaks from leading to wider epidemics, effective focal responses that target high-risk populations, such as those assessed in the Namibian study, need to be mobilized. While additional studies will help determine the optimal scenarios in which these approaches could be implemented, the Namibian study suggests that reactive focal mass drug administration and reactive focal vector control can be applied in other countries that (i) have Plasmodium falciparum parasite-carrying mosquitos (ii) are close to eliminating transmission and (iii) have good case reporting systems. "These approaches can only be used if index cases are promptly and reliably reported and becauseSouth Africa has a responsive and reliable malaria case reporting system, the country is well placed to take advantage of these interventions," says Koekemoer. The Namibian study shows how tailoring and targeting existing interventions can help improve their effectiveness and contribute to the elimination of malaria transmission permanently. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin's claim that the U.S. economy will rebound by summer is being flatly contradicted by billionaire Barry Diller and other Wall Street analysis. 'There's no chance. I mean certainly [by] this summer,' Diller told CBS 'Face the Nation' on Sunday. Diller serves as chairman of Expedia, one of the many online retailers that have been battered by the response to the coronavirus, in its case because of the cratering of the travel industry. His other ventures include Match.com, Tinder, Vimeo and HomeAdvisor. He slammed Trump for his response saying the questions over how the country gets back to business need to be answered. 'Unfortunately, we have a witch doctor as a president and he ain't going to tell us,' he said. 'But the science part of it, I think that has to be translated into more practical solutions.' 'Witch doctor as a president.' Billionaire Barry Diller told CBS' Face the Nation that Donald Trump's claims of a recovery being imminent were bogus 'You're going to see the economy really bounce back in July, August, September,' Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin predicted Sunday Diller ridiculed the idea of an economy ready to bounce back which was pushed again Sunday by Steve Mnuchin, the Treasury secretary, and which Trump has voiced repeatedly, claiming there is 'pent-up demand.' 'To anyone who thinks that this economy is going to bounce, I mean you'd have to have the idea of a rubber ball not in existence to think it's going to bounce high,' Diller said. 'It can't. The damage that's being done is catastrophic.' Diller - a longtime Democratic supporter - said the summer would be a 'petri dish of all sorts of things,' with all sorts of experimenting going on. He said the period would be a 'big mess, and by September possibly I think, you'll see things - some things - economically return. 'You have to have widespread bankruptcies because you have no revenue essentially for an enormous number of businesses.' He said Expedia went from $250 million in sales a day to 'basically zero.' Amid growing reporting about problems in the government's Paycheck Protection Program, Diller called for even 'sloppy' efforts to get support out the door quickly. Celebrity billionaire: Barry Diller, whose wife Diane von Furstenberg, said there was said there was 'no chance' of a recovery by summer Mnuchin has pointed to the trillions in funds the government has been pushing to aid Americans and U.S. businesses 'You're going to have a massive amount of businesses that can't return, businesses that go bankrupt. It's inevitable. And hopefully, the government will, so to speak, pick up the tab, because this is an existential crisis and we shouldn't worry so much about doing it in a neat way. It ought to be sloppy to get that money out to everybody who needs it,' said Diller, who is also chairman of IAC/InterActiveCorp. His comments came on a weekend when Mnuchin voiced more optimism about the economy. 'I think as we begin to reopen the economy in May and June you're going to see the economy really bounce back in July, August, September,' Mnuchin predicted on 'Fox News Sunday.' He pointed to a series of bailouts totaling $4 trillion that have moved through Congress. 'We are putting an unprecedented amount of fiscal relief into the economy,' said Mnuchin. 'You're seeing trillions of dollars that's making its way into the economy, and I think this is going to have a significant impact.' Trump has repeatedly offered his own sunny predictions, even as a top economic advisors said unemployment might hold at 16 per cent. 'We're going to rebuild it and we're going to rebuild it better and it's going to go faster than people think. I built it once, I'll built it a second time,' Trump said last week. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office came out last week with a gloomy forecast that showed the nation's GDP shrinking by 5.6 per cent for the year with 12 per cent unemployment. Goldman Sachs is also forecasting a steep downturn. Mnuchin, who has negotiated the relief packages with Democrats in Congress, responded: 'This is not the Financial Crisis. This is a scenario where we've closed the economy and we're going to open the economy. So all these models are based upon health assumptions, how quickly we reopen, so we'll see.' Mnuchin continued: 'My own opinion is, again, we have unprecedented amount of liquidity in the system. We're very sympathetic to all the people that are out of work. But there is enhanced unemployment, there's the PPP, there's direct deposits. This is going to put a lot of liquidity. And as businesses begin to open you're going to see demand side of the economy rebound.' White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett said Sunday the U.S. unemployment would likely hit 16 per cent in April. Protocols change Telehealth expands Here to stay? (TNS) At her sons medical checkup last week, Nicole Gantz told the doctor shes trying to toilet train 8-year-old Joshua, who has Down syndrome and attention disorder, while his school is closed because of COVID-19.Sometimes having concentrated time at home ends up being in your favor, said Dr. Maria Stanley, his developmental behavioral pediatrician at UW-Madisons Waisman Center, who prescribed a medication to help Joshua focus.The visit took place by video, reducing potential spread of the coronavirus and sparing Gantz a 180-mile round trip from Dubuque, Iowa, where she and her husband are raising three young children.It was awesome, Gantz said. It saves us from having to take time off work and having to travel.Telehealth, used in a few health care situations during the past 10 to 15 years, has suddenly become a mainstay of everyday medicine. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government last month eased rules on telehealth and boosted payments for it. That led many private insurers to follow suit and most providers to join in, including hospitals and clinics in Madison.In this pandemic, we really want to put as much space as possible between our providers and our patients, said Dr. Tom Brazelton, medical director for telehealth at UW Health. With COVID-19, the silver lining is that its really allowed the jump-starting of telemedicine.Even if rules are tightened again once the outbreak dies down, some expansion of telehealth appears here to stay, said Dr. Larry Elfman, chief medical information officer in Wisconsin for SSM Health. Much of it is aided by software from Verona-based Epic Systems Corp., which is seeing a big increase in telehealth among customers nationwide.This is a genie thats going to be hard to put all the way back into the bottle, said Elfman, who estimated 40% of outpatient visits at St. Marys Hospital and Dean Medical Group are now done by video or phone, compared to less than 1% before COVID-19.Wisconsin on Saturday reported 331 new cases of COVID-19, the largest single-day increase since the outbreak began, for a total of 5,687, including 266 deaths. Dane County reported two new cases, for a total of 401 and 21 deaths. Brown County reported a significant spike Saturday: 115 more positive COVID-19 cases, for a total of 720.Until recently, telehealth in the Madison area was mostly limited to online visits for urgent care sometimes called virtual visits or e-visits and specialty doctors examining patients and consulting with providers in rural settings.With online visits, patients fill out a questionnaire for basic problems like rashes or respiratory ailments, and providers respond by computer or phone, prescribing medication if appropriate. Sometimes video is used.For several years, cardiologists, infectious disease doctors and other specialists in Madison have used video to examine patients at rural clinics or hospitals. UW Health has two programs telestroke and eICU, or electronic intensive care unit in which Madison specialists routinely provide such service for smaller hospitals. Through a state contract, UW Health also does video visits with inmates at more than two dozen correctional facilities.On March 17, the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services made payments for telehealth video visits the same as in-person visits, up from less than half that amount before, and added some payment for phone visits during the COVID-19 emergency. The agency stopped limiting telehealth payments to patients in remote areas or for short checkups, and allowed doctors to do telehealth while patients are at their homes.The Trump administration also said it would stop enforcing parts of a health privacy law called HIPAA in regulating telehealth during the COVID-19 emergency, removing another barrier that had kept some providers from expanding the service.Now, telehealth is transforming inpatient and outpatient care.At UnityPoint Health-Meriter, doctors known as hospitalists are using telehealth carts and digital stethoscopes to check on hospitalized patients by video, relying on nurses already in patient rooms to assist. The goal is to preserve protective equipment and minimize potential COVID-19 exposure, said Dr. Cate Ranheim, a Meriter hospitalist and inpatient medical director for Iowa-based UnityPoint Health.You can listen to the patients heart and lungs, Ranheim said, but to do something more complex, such as assess abdominal pain, an in-person exam is typically needed.Since early April, many clinic visits at Meriter have been conducted by video or phone, with some appointments becoming a blend of virtual and in-person, said Dr. Wendy Mortimore, a primary care doctor at Meriter and chief medical information officer for UnityPoint Health.A couple of Meriter pediatricians have done visits for earaches mostly by telehealth but then asked parents to bring the children to a clinic parking lot to be sure they had infections requiring antibiotics before prescribing the drugs. The doc has come out with an otoscope really quick and looked at their ear from the car, Mortimore said.Peter Felknor, 63, of Deerfield, woke up one morning in late March with tingling in his mouth and a swollen lip that he said looked like a flat tire.He drove to the SSM Health Emergency Center in Sun Prairie, where a doctor gave him steroids for a possible reaction to a blood pressure drug. That afternoon, Felknor had a follow-up visit via telehealth with his regular provider, Dr. Albert Musa.By seeing Felknor and viewing photos he sent from when his face was still swollen, Musa agreed the problem was likely a reaction to the drug and switched him to another blood pressure medication.Telehealth is a very pragmatic way to further care, Musa said, adding that many of his patients who are elderly like it.For the purposes of what we were trying to get accomplished, it worked really well, Felknor said. He didnt really need to see me, and there would have been more risk involved if he had.Even addiction treatment is embracing telehealth during COVID-19. Wisconsin has relaxed its rules on how often patients must come to clinics to get daily methadone treatment during the emergency.At Addiction Services and Pharmacotherapy in Madison, that means some patients who used to have to visit the clinic daily are now coming once a week, said Dr. Christopher Harkin, a provider at the clinic. Required counseling is mostly being done by phone, instead of in person, Harkin said.Were trying very hard to contact each patient on a daily basis as a check-in to make sure they are safe and well, he said.At UW Health, video visits for urgent care started two years ago and expanded last month with COVID-19, Brazelton said.In recent weeks, dermatology, oncology, transplant and other clinics started offering video visits, with more types of care expected to follow, he said. At least half of UW Healths 35,000 outpatient visits per week could be done by telehealth, he said.Inside UW Hospital, provider teams, including pharmacists, nutritionists, chaplains and others, are virtually rounding with patients so they dont have to enter their rooms, thanks to technology set up this month.Its been a whirlwind, Brazelton said. Weve done in five weeks with telehealth what we hadnt been able to do in five years.There are limits to telehealth, said Elfman, of SSM Health. If you think your leg might be broken and you cant stand, you need to come in and be evaluated, he said.But many patients and providers like the convenience and believe the care is just as good, said Mortimore, of Meriter. If the government or insurers try to reduce telehealth payments after the COVID-19 emergency, leading to fewer offerings, she expects patients will speak out.Theyll be asking and demanding that their insurance companies continue to pay for these services, she said. This may revolutionize how health care is delivered across the country. Anger erupted on social media after reports of a CRPF Cobra commando allegedly chained at Karnatakas Belagavi police station surfaced. The Central Reserve Police Forces (CRPF) top brass has written to the state police chief on the matter. We have taken up the case with the State Police Chief of Karnataka. Tuesday his bail plea case is coming before the court. CRPF too shall be in court through a local officer. Thereafter investigation shall be followed up to take it to the logical conclusion, M Dhinakaran, DIG, official spokesperson CRPF stated. A twitter user had posted the video wherein commando, Sachin Sunil Sawant, is seen chained at the police station. Sawant was on leave till April 11 which was extended due to the Covid-19 lockdown. The police said that Sawant was roaming about streets without wearing a protective mask amid the lockdown and used filthy language when asked interrogated. The incident took place on April 23. Also Watch: Specially-abled woman beats odds, stitches masks for locals amid lockdown The commando was arrested and sent to judicial custody and was allegedly mishandled and chained at Belagavi police station in Karnataka. Sawants family has alleged that he was beaten with lathis and handcuffed by cops. His unit - 207 Cobra - which is posted for anti-Naxal operations, has put him under deemed suspension. Karnataka has reported 503 Covid-19 cases so far. 19 people have succumbed to death due to coronavirus in the state while 182 people have been cured or discharged.The number of coronavirus cases in the country rose to 27,892 on Monday. Analysis of Donald Trumps daily White House news briefings has shown that the US president spent more time praising himself and attacking his enemies than he did expressing sympathy for Covid-19 victims. That comes as more than 55,000 Americans have now died from the Covid-19 disease a death count bigger than any other nation. According to the analysis, the president dedicated only 4.5 minutes out of 13 hours to offering condolences to American coronavirus victims. Trump meanwhile devoted almost twice as much time to promoting the unproven antimalarial drug that Americans were cautioned against using by the US Food and Drug Administration on Friday. The presidents briefings also included two hours spent attacking others - some 27 times the time he spent apologising to victims - and 45 minutes praising himself and his administration, within 13 hours. Overall, President Trump has spoken for more than 28 hours over the course of 35 briefings delivered from the White House since March 16. In comparison, White House officials and members of the coronavirus task force scientific experts among them were on stage for 40 per cent of the time. The analysis of three weeks of White House coronavirus briefings was carried out by the data analytics company Factba.se and The Washington Post. It comes after weeks of combative daily coronavirus briefings between White House reporters and the president. On Saturday, the presidents criticism of media coverage came to a head as he suggested he would stop delivering the briefings following the widespread backlash against his suggestion on Thursday that Americans could inject themselves with disinfectant to weaken the coronavirus. What is the purpose of having White House News Conferences when the Lamestream Media asks nothing but hostile questions, & then refuses to report the truth or facts accurately, said Trump on Twitter. He added on Saturday: They get record ratings, & the American people get nothing but Fake News. Not worth the time & effort! Democrats maintain that Trumps White House briefings have become akin to political rallies held by the president before the coronavirus pandemic. These press conferences are 10 minutes of information, if youre lucky, and an hour and a half of self-congratulations and misinformation, said Guy Cecil, chairman of Priorities USA, the largest Democratic super PAC, in comments to The Washington Post. It is the distillation of a Trump rally. It is the personification of a Trump rally, added Cecil. E>Eye Laser Gains Health Canada Approval with Exclusive Canadian Distribution Rights for I-MED Pharma MONTREAL, April 27, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- I-MED Pharma Inc., a Canadian company specializing in dry eye diagnosis and management, is proud to announce Health Canada approval for the E>Eye Laser, which is now available to Canadian eye care professionals. With exclusive Canadian distribution rights, I-MED Pharma is excited to bring this exceptional device to the Canadian marketplace. A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/1ce61369-3479-4de6-9c22-920d0d677816 E>Eye, designed and manufactured in France by E-Swin, is the first and only CE certified medical device in the world using patented IRPL technology developed specifically for the treatment of dry eye disease caused by meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD), the leading cause of evaporative dry eye. This new type of polychromatic pulsed light produces perfectly calibrated and homogeneously sequenced cold light pulses which safely stimulate the meibomian glands to resume secretions, restoring the lacrymal film and improving symptoms associated with ocular dryness. Clinically tested with proven results, E>Eye treatments are quick, painless and non-invasive, with patients expressing a 90% satisfaction rate after two treatments. Daniel Hofmann, President of I-MED Pharma stated, The E>Eye is a revolutionary device that offers patients an affordable, long-lasting solution for dry eye management. It is radically different from other existing treatment options for dry eye disease and it has many advantages over traditional IPL devices currently on the market. It can be a game changer for eye care professionals in Canada. We look forward to the positive impact this product can have on Canadian dry eye patients. About I-MED Pharma I-MED Pharma is a privately held Canadian company, headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, servicing Canadian ophthalmologists, optometrists and the global eye care community. Established over thirty years ago, I-MED Pharma Inc. creates and distributes innovative medical, surgical and veterinary eye care products. It continually researches, develops and sources the most effective and advanced solutions to eye disorders like cataracts, corneal degenerations, glaucoma, dry eye and meibomian gland disease. Story continues I-MED Pharma is proud to have been at the forefront of managing Dry Eye Syndrome as a serious disease and invests heavily in researching and developing effective dry eye products. I-MED Pharmas ocular surface disease product range includes dry eye drops , ocular hygiene , nutrition , therapeutic accessories and ocular occlusion devices . For more information, please email media@imedpharma.com or visit www.imedpharma.com . Residents of the largest retirement community in the US will soon have the option to have their drug prescriptions delivered to them partly by air. Starting this May, UPS and CVS plan to use autonomous drones to shuttle medicine to people in The Villages, Florida, giving them a high-tech way to practice social-distancing. As it has done in the past, UPS will use Matternet M2 quadcopters to deliver the prescriptions (pictured above). At first, the aircraft will drop off the orders at a pickup location, with a human driver on the ground moving them the rest of the way. One CVS pharmacy will take part in the program initially, though there's the potential for two more locations to join in the future. The first flights will see the drones fly about half a mile to the community, which is home to approximately 135,000 people. The entire program is sanctioned by the Federal Aviation Administration. This isn't the first time UPS and CVS have used drones to ferry prescriptions to people. Last November, the companies said they had successfully used drones to transport medicine to two homes in Cary, North Carolina. Previously, UPS also announced a deal to shuttle medical samples between WakeMed facilities in Raleigh. In the latter case, the company says it has completed about 3,700 successful flights. If all goes smoothly, this should be another critical step on the way to the more mainstream adoption of delivery drones. More than 2 million people have downloaded the coronavirus tracing app in the 24 hours since it launched, despite concerns about how well it functions and calls for its design to be publicly released. The COVIDSafe app, creates a "digital handshake" by maintaining a log of the Bluetooth connections a person's phone makes with others. The app, based on Singapore's Tracetogether software, went live at 6pm on Sunday and had passed 2 million downloads by 7.30pm on Monday. "Well done Australia," Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced on Twitter. Riyadh (AFP) - The Saudi-led military coalition in war-torn Yemen on Monday rejected a declaration of self-rule by separatists in the country's south and demanded "an end to any escalatory actions". The breakaway declaration made Sunday threatens to reignite a "war within a war" in the Arabian Peninsula's poorest country, which is already gripped by what the United Nations calls the world's worst humanitarian disaster. The secessionists' move significantly complicates the country's five-year-old wider conflict, fought by the Saudi-led coalition and Yemen's internationally recognised government against Iran-backed Huthi rebels who control much of the north including the capital Sanaa. Separatists in the south, which used to be an independent country, have repeatedly agitated to break away again -- a campaign that was temporarily put to rest with a power-sharing, coalition-sponsored deal signed in Riyadh last November. But on Sunday the Southern Transitional Council (STC) declared self-rule in southern Yemen, accusing the government of failing to perform its duties and of "conspiring" against the separatists' cause. UN special envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths said on Monday he was concerned by the recent declaration, calling for expediting the implementation of the Riyadh deal. "The Riyadh Agreement provides for the participation of the STC in consultations on the final political solution to end the conflict in Yemen and serving the interests of Yemenis nation-wide," he said in a statement. Residents of the southern city of Aden, the government's temporary capital, reported heavy deployments of STC forces. A separatist source told AFP they had set up checkpoints "at all government facilities, including the central bank and port of Aden". The Yemeni government condemned the move and warned it could lead to a "catastrophic and dangerous" outcome. Story continues The coalition said, according to Saudi Press Agency tweets, that "we re-emphasise the need to promptly implement the Riyadh Agreement". "The coalition demands an end to any escalatory actions and calls for return to the agreement by the participating parties." - Virus, floods, cholera - Key coalition partner the United Arab Emirates, which has supported the STC, also stressed the importance of abiding by the Riyadh pact. "Frustration over delay in implementing the agreement is not a reason to unilaterally change the situation," UAE's minister of state for foreign affairs Anwar Gargash tweeted. "We have full confidence in Saudi Arabia's keenness to implement the agreement." The breakdown between the one-time allies comes as the coalition has extended a unilateral ceasefire that it says is aimed at fending off the coronavirus pandemic -- an olive branch that has been rejected by the Huthis. Compounding the country's troubles, at least 21 people have been killed in flash floods this month, which left Aden's streets submerged and homes destroyed. The STC self-rule move was "an opportune moment" owing to various circumstances, Elizabeth Kendall of Oxford University said. "International attention is focused on the Saudi-announced ceasefire with the Huthis and the alarming threat of COVID-19, and regional actors are distracted by the start of Ramadan," the Muslim fasting month, Kendall told AFP. "Add to this the heightened tension after recent massive flooding caused widespread devastation, setting off a political point scoring match between the government and the STC, both of whom hailed the poor response as evidence of the other parties inability to govern." According to the UN, more than 100,000 people across Yemen have been affected by the torrential rains which damaged roads, bridges and the electricity grid and contaminated water supplies. "Countless families have lost everything," Lise Grande, the UN's Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen, said in statement Sunday. - 'Jeopardising stability' - The Riyadh pact on power-sharing for the south had been hailed as averting the complete break-up of the country, but with a lack of implementation, observers have said it is effectively defunct. Cracks emerged soon after it was signed, with complaints over food shortages in the south, a sharp depreciation of the currency and a lack of funds to pay public sector employees. Saudi state minister of foreign affairs Adel al-Jubeir said in a tweet that "we in (Saudi Arabia) and UAE strongly believe that the internationally backed Riyadh agreement has guaranteed an opportunity for the brotherly Yemeni people to live in peace". "We reject any hostilities that will jeopardise the safety and stability of Yemen." Calling the latest turn of events "disappointing", UN envoy Griffiths urged all sides to cooperate "in good faith" and "put the interests of Yemenis first". While the government and the STC have been technically allies in the long war against the Huthis, the secessionists believe the south should be an independent state -- as it was before unification in 1990. Racist hackers wearing blackface managed to crash a Zoom party that was held for African American students who attend the University of South Carolina. Members of the Association of African American Students (AAAS) fell victim to internet trolls who hacked into their Zoom call during their organization's annual cookout event on Friday. In the footage, more than a dozen of horrified students were seen placing their hands over their mouths or recording the incident as at least three individuals appear on the screen. One screen shows a man with a background of an individual dressed in blackface. Another screen shows a man wearing blackface with a swastika in the background. Racist hackers wearing blackface managed to crash a Zoom party that was held for African American students who attend the University of South Carolina A third screen (top center) also appeared to have been a hacker, who showed up on camera before putting up multiple emojis and other imagery A third screen also appeared to have been a hacker, who showed up on camera before putting up multiple emojis and other imagery. It's unclear exactly what was said during the incident, but racial slurs were used. The students reported the incident to campus officials and University of South Carolina President, Bob Caslen, who said in a tweet: 'What happened at the AAAS Cookout is absolutely unacceptable & disgusting.' 'I cant apologize enough to the @UofSCstudents who witnessed such ignorance while gathering to fellowship with one another during this unprecedented time. University officials are aware & are investigating,' he added. Caslen then released a statement about the incident on Saturday, saying the unknown persons who hacked into the call 'displayed hateful imagery and offensive racial slurs'. 'Our students, who gathered in fellowship during a time of hardship and uncertainty, expected that they'd be in a safe, welcoming environment. 'Unfortunately, that environment was breached by cowardly individuals looking to cause harm during this already difficult time,' Caslen said. Caslen said the university's Division of Information Technology has contacted Zoom and requested that the incident be investigated. The students reported the incident to campus officials and University of South Carolina President, Bob Caslen, immediately released a statement Caslen said university officials have contacted Zoom to help with the investigation AAAS also released a statement that thanked people for their support while adding that they are 'working as hard as we can to advocate for the rights of our students and ensure these individuals receive the consequences they deserve' 'Our Office of Equal Opportunity Programs has been notified and is prepared to investigate in the event that it is determined that University students committed these terrible acts,' Caslen said. Caslen also noted that the Office of Diversity and Inclusion 'stands ready to assist any AAAS member who needs assistance'. At the University of South Carolina, we celebrate diversity and encourage respect for all members of the community through our Carolinian Creed. This incident runs contrary to the values we hold as Gamecocks, but also to the values we hold as a nation. We all stand in solidarity with AAAS,' Caslen said. AAAS also released a statement that thanked people for their support while adding that they are 'working as hard as we can to advocate for the rights of our students and ensure these individuals receive the consequences they deserve'. This isn't the first incident in which internet trolls have crashed Zoom meetings and events after the coronavirus-driven lockdown of millions of people has caused a massive growth in use of platforms like Zoom, Skype or Microsoft's Teams application. Zoom was banned by many schools around the world, Elon Musk's venture SpaceX, Asia-focused bank Standard Chartered as well as governments in Germany and Taiwan after hackers disrupted Zoom video chats they weren't invited too, which is known as 'Zoombombing'. In addition to vulgar or racist comments, some of those interruptions have included broadcasting porn in video chats. Zoom told DailyMail.com in an emailed statement that the company is 'deeply upset to hear about these types of incidents'. 'Zoom strongly condemns such behavior and recently updated several features to help our users more easily protect their meetings. We have enabled meeting passwords and virtual waiting rooms by default for our Free Basic and Single Pro users,' the statement reads. 'We encourage users to report any incidents of this kind either to Zoom so we can take appropriate action or directly to law enforcement authorities.' Zoom CEO Eric Yuan has appointed former Facebook security chief Alex Stamos and a number of other experts to attack these concerns and security researchers say it has responded robustly to the issues. 'For all users, we have made the Zoom Meeting ID less visible to help prevent unintended sharing, and we have added a new Security icon to the Zoom meeting controls for all hosts to help them quickly access in-meeting security features, including the ability to remove participants and lock meetings, among other actions,' Zoom officials said in the statement. Last week, Yuan outlined the rollout of a new version of the app with more encryption features that go into effect this week. The company said through training, tutorials and webinars, 'Zoom is continuing to engage with all of our users on how they can best use Zoom and protect their meetings'. Lea Kissner, formerly global lead of privacy technology at Google, and now a security consultant for Zoom, said the 256-bit GCM encryption being introduced with Zoom 5.0 next week was in line with what others in the industry were using. All Zoom customers will switch to the new cryptographic mode from May 30, Kissner said. A baby and a three-year-old boy have been stabbed to death at a property in east London, the Metropolitan Police has said. Police were called at about 5.30pm on Sunday to reports of a man and two children injured at a home in Aldborough Road North, Ilford. A one-year-old girl was pronounced dead at the scene, while the boy died in hospital where he was being treated for his injuries, police said. Police are dealing with an incident in #Ilford #Redbridge this evening. Two children aged one and three have died; man taken to hospital with stab injuries. All parties known to each other. Police not seeking anyone else at this time. https://t.co/lAyGoHsp2n Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) April 26, 2020 A 40-year-old man has also been taken to hospital for treatment. Police said all three suffered knife injuries and that they are all known to each other. A murder investigation has been launched although police are not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident. Expand Close Police attend the scene in Aldborough Road North (Dominic Lipinski/PA) PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Police attend the scene in Aldborough Road North (Dominic Lipinski/PA) Redbridge Council leader Jas Athwal tweeted: Earlier today there was an incident in Ilford. Two young children have passed away & an investigation is ongoing. My thoughts are with the family and wider community who are grieving this unspeakable tragedy. Earlier today there was an incident in Ilford. Two young children have passed away & an investigation is ongoing. My thoughts are with the family and wider community who are grieving this unspeakable tragedy. (1/2) Jas Athwal (@Jas_Athwal) April 26, 2020 We ask that everyone please respects the familys privacy at this difficult time. The London Ambulance Service and Londons Air Ambulance also attended the incident. Enquiries into the circumstances continue. Hollywood star Kate Winslet says she was overwhelmed when an old man in the Himalayas recognised her as Rose from Titanic during her trip to India. The 44-year-old actor, who starred alongside Leonardo DiCaprio (Jack Dawson) in the 1997 blockbuster as Rose DeWitt Bukater, said the moment made her emotional. "'Titanic' was everywhere. A couple of years after it come out, I went to India.I was walking in the foothills of the Himalayas, just me with my backpack on my back and a man came towards me with a walking stick - he must have been 85 and was blind in one eye. "He looked at me and said, 'You - 'Titanic'.I said yes and he just put his hand on his heart and said, 'Thank you'. I burst into tears. It really helped me understand how much that film had given to so many people, Winslet told Candis magazine. The actor said she is proud of the James Cameron-directed movie, but the huge success made her uncomfortable. "I was leading quite a public life, which I was not prepared for at all. All of a sudden, people were looking at me, talking about me - I would read or hear things about me which were just untrue. I'm only human and that hurt!" 'My twenties were a bit of a roller coaster, in fact, with some amazing times but some hard times too. These days I look back and think, 'Whew - I went through all of that?''' she said. 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. Authors Note: This is a copy of my submitted letter to the editor to Harvard Magazine regarding its recent article, The Risks of Homeschooling. Dear Editor: As a Harvard alum, longtime donor, education researcher, and homeschooling mother of four children in Cambridge, Massachusetts, I was shocked to read the article, The Risks of Homeschooling, by Erin ODonnell in Harvard Magazines new MayJune 2020 issue. Aside from its biting, one-sided portrayal of homeschooling families that mischaracterizes the vast majority of todays homeschoolers, it is filled with misinformation and incorrect data. Here are five key points that challenge the articles primary claim that the alleged risks for childrenand societyin homeschooling necessitate a presumptive ban on the practice: 1. Protecting Children from Abuse I agree with the author of the article and Harvard Law School professor, Elizabeth Bartholet, who is widely quoted throughout, that it is critically important that children be protected from abuse. They argue that sending children to school prompts mandated reporters, such as teachers and school administrators, to identify possible child abuse. But many parents choose to homeschool their children to remove them from abuse at school, whether its widespread bullying by peers or, tragically, rampant abuse by teachers and school administrators themselves. Child abuse is horrific wherever it occurs, but singling out homeschooling parents as potential abusers simply because they do not send their children to school is both unfair and troubling. Child abuse laws exist in all states and should be rigorously enforced. Banning homeschooling, or adding burdensome regulations on homeschooling families, who in many instances are fleeing a system of education that they find harmful to their children, are unnecessary attacks on law-abiding families. 2. Recognizing Homeschoolings Diversity One of the more incorrect assertions in the article is the statement that up to 90 percent of todays homeschooling families are driven by conservative Christian beliefs. It is true that religious conservatives were key to the growth of homeschooling in the late-20th century, as the number of U.S. homeschoolers swelled to 850,000 in 1999. About two-thirds of todays nearly 2 million U.S. homeschoolers identify as Christian (equal to the U.S. population as a whole), but the homeschooling population is becoming increasingly diverse, both ideologically and demographically. According to the most recent data on homeschooling by the U.S. Department of Education, the most significant motivator for parents choosing this education option was concern about the school environment, such as safety, drugs, and negative peer pressure, exceeding other factors such as a desire to provide religious or moral instruction. Much of the current growth in homeschooling is being driven by urban, secular parents who are disillusioned with a test-driven, one-size-fits-all mass schooling model and want a more individualized educational environment for their children. Federal data also reveal that the percentage of black homeschoolers doubled between 2007 and 2012 to 8 percent, while the percentage of Hispanic homeschoolers is about 25 percent. 3. Embracing Civic Values Bartholet also argues against homeschooling on civic grounds, saying that its important that children grow up exposed to community values, social values, democratic values, ideas about nondiscrimination and tolerance of other peoples viewpoints. Indeed, research on homeschoolers finds that they are tightly connected with their larger community and may have more community involvement and participation in extracurricular and volunteer activities than schooled children due to their more flexible schedules and interaction with a wide assortment of community members. This reinforces similar research on private education more broadly, suggesting positive civic engagement and outcomes. Moreover, public schools are struggling to inculcate a strong understanding of democratic values and civic knowledge. According to a 2017 survey by the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania, 37 percent of Americans could not identify one right protected by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, and more than half of them erroneously believe that undocumented immigrants have no constitutional rights. Worrying about homeschoolers civic education when public schools are seemingly floundering in this regard is misguided. 4. Ensuring the Proper Role of Government The central tension between those who advocate for homeschooling bans and heightened regulation and those who dont relates to how each side views the proper role of government. The former sees a proactive role of government in intervening to try to safeguard the childs right to education and protection, while the latter relies on the historical underpinnings of our democracy, going back to the writings of John Locke and Thomas Jefferson. We are endowed with unalienable rights and that to secure these rights, governments are instituted. If a child is being abused, whether in a homeschooling situation or a public school classroom, the government should intervene to protect that child. But to single out a particular group for increased suspicion, monitoring, and invasion of privacy under the guise of protection is as un-American as similar attempts of the past. I agree with Bartholet when she says in the article: I think its always dangerous to put powerful people in charge of the powerless, and to give the powerful ones total authority. She is concerned with families having this power, while I worry about giving that power to government. 5. Identifying Homeschooling Outcomes In 2018, The Harvard Gazette spotlighted three Harvard students who were homeschooled using an informal, self-directed approach to learning. There wasnt much of a plan or a long-term plan going in; I just took classes I was interested in, said one of the students, while another asked, Why would you go to the same building every day and do the same thing every day? The article said that the students all demonstrated a spirit of curiosity and independence that continues to shape their education. While there may always be outliers and more research is needed, most peer-reviewed studies on homeschooling outcomes find that homeschoolers generally outperform their schooled peers academically, and have positive life experiences. There is room for robust discussion and debate about education and homeschooling, including what is considered effective and beneficialand who decides. Given Harvard Magazines reputation for editorial excellence, I was disappointed to see this articles emphasis on the potential risks of homeschooling without highlighting its benefits. Bartholet indicates that tolerance of other peoples viewpoints is a key civic value. I agree, and I hope future articles in this magazine demonstrate this tolerance. Sincerely, Kerry McDonald, Ed.M. 01 Cambridge, Massachusetts Students in nearly 30 provinces and cities across Vietnam returned to school on April 27 after a long break since early February due to COVID-19. A class at the Hoang Van Thu High School in Hoa Binh province on April 27 Most of the students are 9th and 12th graders who set to take the two key examinations for high school entrance and graduation in the next few months. Students in other grades are expected to return to school in the following weeks. Nguyen Hue Khai, Director of Ninh Thuan provinces Department of Education and Training, said that local schools had cleaned and prepared regarding COVID-19 prevention and control before receiving students. Before class, students had their temperature checked and their hands washed with soap or antibacterial gel. In class, they wear face masks and keep a safe distance from each other. Minh Nguyet, Principle of Nguyen Binh Khiem Secondary School in Thuan Nam district, said that all students strictly followed preventive measures. The school cooperated with local authorities and students families to ensure safe distance when students were taken to school and picked up later, avoiding public gatherings, Nguyet said. Students were also told to limit gathering and not buy street food in front of the school, she said. Vice Chairman of the Ninh Thuan provincial Peoples Committee Le Van Binh said that the committee asked local authorities and schools to ensure disease prevention and control measures when reopening schools. Now, the province is classified in the group of low risk of disease infection. Over 104,000 students in Thua Thien-Hue province reportedly went to school on April 27 morning. Ho Le Minh Thu, a 12th grader at Hue High School for the Gifted, said that she was very happy to go back to school, meeting teachers and friends. My teachers kept telling us how to protect our health and keep a safe distance when at school, she said. The schools Principle Nguyen Phu Tho said that the staff cleaned all corners of the school. The number of students in every class was reduced and re-arranged to avoid crowds. Director of the provincial Department of Education and Training Nguyen Tan said that on April 27, secondary and high school students returned to school while younger students will go back on May 4. In the central province of Phu Yen, over 32,000 high school students returned to school on the same day. Phan Van Khoa, Principle of Luong The Vinh Secondary School, said that the school prepared necessary facilities including ten sinks for students to wash their hands. Over 230 students from grade 9 in the school were divided into 12 groups to study in 12 classrooms, so safe distance was ensured, he said. Director of Phu Yen provinces Health Department Nguyen Thi Mong Ngoc said that health workers helped to train teachers and healthcare officers at schools in disease prevention and control. She also called for cooperation from students and their families, for example, if they returned from areas at risk of COVID-19 infection, they should report to local authorities as soon as possible. Localities that reopened secondary schools and high schools on April 27 include Dien Bien, Son La, Bac Kan, Tuyen Quang, Hoa Binh, Bac Ninh, Ninh Binh and Nam Dinh in the north, Thua Thien-Hue, Phu Yen, Binh Dinh, Ninh Thuan and Ha Tinh in the central region, plus Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Kien Giang, Long An, Bac Lieu, Vinh Long, An Giang, Hau Giang, Dong Thap in the south, as well as Dak Lak, Kon Tum and Dak Nong in the Central Highland region. Other localities including Gia Lai, Thanh Hoa, Hai Phong, Yen Bai, Thai Binh and Ca Mau allowed students to return to school from April 20 to April 23 as soon as social distancing measures were eased. Meanwhile, the other localities planned to reopen schools next month including Binh Thuan, Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Long An, Da Nang, Can tho, Quang Nam, Tra Vinh, Binh Phuoc and Quang Ngai./.VNA North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's prolonged public absence has led to rumours of ill health and worries about how it could influence the future of what one analyst calls Northeast Asia's Achilles' heel, a reference to the North's belligerence and unpredictable nature. But there's a basic, unanswered question, debated by the media and government intelligence services alike: Are the rumors even true? The exact state of Kim's health matters because it could determine the stability of the dynastic government in Pyongyang and the security of nuclear weapons that the nation has repeatedly threatened to use on its neighbors and the United States. It's a problem that outside nations have faced for decades. Gathering intelligence on perhaps the world's most secretive, suspicious and difficult-to-read country is incredibly difficult. And there's probably nothing North Korea guards more closely than information on Kim's health, which is only likely shared among a small portion of the elite, including his powerful sister, Kim Yo Jong. At the heart of the intelligence shortcomings about North Korea is its extremely closed nature. But there is also plenty of blame leveled in South Korea at efforts there. Supporters of South Korea's current liberal government, which remains eager for inter-Korean engagement, lament the previous decade of conservative rule there, when exchanges between diplomats, government and business leaders, aid groups and others stopped under hard-line polices toward North Korea's nuclear ambitions. This, they say, deprived spies of high-quality information sources. Conservatives, on the other hand, blame liberals for supposedly downsizing espionage operations while pursuing inter-Korean rapprochement. They say such networks have been difficult to rebuild. South Korea's government has repeatedly played down unconfirmed media reports that Kim is in fragile health following heart surgery, saying it has detected no unusual activity in North Korea or any emergency preparation by its ruling Workers' Party, military and Cabinet. Without specifying its information sources, South Korea's presidential office said it believes Kim is handling state affairs normally at an unspecified site outside the capital, Pyongyang. However unfounded the fears may be, some experts say South Korea, as well as its regional neighbors and ally Washington, must begin preparing for high-level instability that could come if Kim is sidelined by health problems or even dies. That could include North Korean refugees flooding South Korea or China, or military hard-liners letting loose nuclear weapons. While those are worst-case scenarios, planning for them is crucial because nobody knows for sure what's happening inside North Korea, said Nam Sung-wook, a North Korea expert at Seoul's Korea University who termed the situation the "Achilles' heel of international in Northeast Asia." Instead of just saying he's fine ... our government should prepare for various chaotic scenarios, said Nam, a former director of a think tank affiliated with South Korea's main spy agency. He could very well be OK and reappear in North Korean state media again, but considering his weight and worsening shape, the risks linked to his health will sharply increase as he gets older. Kim is overweight, reportedly smokes heavily and has other health problems. Questions about Kim's health have been raised since he missed the birthday celebration of his late grandfather and state founder Kim Il Sung on April 15, the country's most important holiday. Kim, who is in his mid-30s, was last seen in public on April 11, when he presided over a meeting discussing coronavirus prevention and electing his sister as an alternate member of the political bureau of the ruling Workers' Party. State media have since reported that he sent greetings to Syrian President Bashar Assad, Cuban President Miguel Daz-Canel and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. On Monday, the official Rodong Sinmun newspaper said Kim sent a message of gratitude to workers building tourist facilities in the coastal town of Wonsan, which is where some speculate he is staying. No photos of him were published. South Korean intelligence combined with North Korean state media reports suggest that Kim could have suffered some sort of medical setback but likely not a life-threatening one, said Du Hyeogn Cha, a senior researcher at Seoul's Asan Institute for Policy Studies. But the root problem may be the shaky nature of South Korean intelligence. Even after decades of work, South Korea has yet to build a reliable intelligence network to gather information on the North, said Cha, an ex-intelligence secretary to former South Korean President Lee Myung-bak. It's clear our government has some level of information on the North, but not enough to make a confident statement about where he is and whether he's fully healthy. Finding out what's happening with Kim is important because incapacity at the top could lead to a bogged-down decision-making process that could boost the hard-liners who emerged following the collapse of Kim's second summit with US President Donald Trump in February last year. The National Intelligence Service, Seoul's spy agency, has said it can't confirm whether Kim had surgery. If Kim emerges alive and well in state media, supervising a weapons test or celebrating the construction of one of his many resort projects, he would join past North Korean officials who were incorrectly reported incapacitated by outside media. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Social distancing measures are expected to continue through the summer, the White House coronavirus task force response coordinator said on Sunday. Dr. Deborah Birx appeared on Meet the Press on Sunday and warned that while she has hope for cities like Boston as it combats the coronavirus pandemic, social distancing measures wont be lifted by the start of the summer. Social distancing will be with us through the summer to really ensure that we protect one another as we move through these phases, Birx said. Birx said the government is now examining data from the United States regarding the pandemic. Previously, data was primarily analyzed from other countries, Birx said. Looking at cases in Detroit and Louisiana, she said, should provide optimism for cities like Boston. It gives us great hope when you project out Boston and Chicago and certainly the New York Metro which were all certainly still focused on, Birx said. For the second consecutive week, Birx specifically mentioned Boston on a Sunday morning news show. Last week, on Face the Nation, Birx said the coronavirus task force was very much focused on Boston and across Massachusetts. At that time, the state experienced more than 38,000 cases of COVID-19 with more than 1,700 deaths linked to the virus. A week later, Massachusetts announced nearly 55,000 cases of COVID-19 with 2,899 deaths. Related Content: The Northern Territory has lifted its coronavirus lockdown after not recording a single new case for three weeks. Chief Minister Michael Gunner said the territory would be lifting many restrictions in coming weeks as it was 'the safest place in Australia'. The NT has just 28 cases of coronavirus, with all of five of them having recovered, and last recorded a new case on April 6. Mr Gunner said Territorians would even be able to go hiking, swimming, and camping this weekend with national parks to open on Friday. Territorians will be able to go hiking and camping this weekend with national parks in the NT to open on Friday as the government ends its coronavirus lockdown His announcement came a day after the premiers of Western Australia and Queensland said restrictions on gatherings would be relaxed this week. The NT government was the second to lock down its domestic borders, after Tasmania, and later forced arrivals to pay $2,500 for their hotel quarantine. NT Health in late March told Daily Mail Australia its aggressive contact tracing program meant it knew of and had isolated every case and their close contacts. All new cases since then were arrivals from interstate, or cruise ship passengers housed at a former workers' camp in Darwin. Mr Gunner said his government was enacting a lockdown exit plan to the 'new normal' of regular activities with social distancing. Chief Minister Michael Gunner said the Northern Territory would be lifting many restrictions in coming weeks as it was 'the safest place in Australia' 'We can only do this because of the work and sacrifices of Territorians and we can only keep our parks open if Territorians are respectful of each other's space,' he said. 'Let's all take care of each other. We cannot take for granted that we are the safest place in Australia, and we have to work to keep it that way.' However, parks in 'designated biosecurity areas' like the world-famous Kakadu will stay shut for now. Mr Gunner said he would announce a plan for relaxing restrictions on 'other outdoor activities' on Thursday. 'In the coming weeks, the Territory will gradually transition to a 'new normal' where Territorians can get back to business, back to work, and back to enjoying the Territory lifestyle, while also staying safe from coronavirus,' he said. 'Easing restrictions will actually increase responsibility on all Territorians to keep doing the right thing.' 'That will be our new normal. And we can't afford to go backwards or do it all again.' 'We can only do this because of the work and sacrifices of Territorians and we can only keep our parks open if Territorians are respectful of each other's space,' Mr Gunner said The NT's plan includes keeping its borders controlled for months to come, and continuing its aggressive contact tracing program. Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said residents will finally be freed to go for a drive, sit at the beach, have a picnic, visit a national park and shop for non-essential items from midnight on Friday after weeks of restrictions. Drivers must remain within 50km of their home, with residents able to eat takeaway food outside and sit at the beach. Just hours later Western Australia Premier Mark McGowan announced his state would follow, allowing gatherings of up to 10 people for non-work activities. Mr McGowan said it was a 'cautious relaxation' of restrictions, acknowledging it had been difficult for everyone, but especially the elderly, to not see family and friends during the pandemic. Non-contact recreational activities such as picnics in parks, fishing, boating, hiking and camping will be allowed from Monday but travel restrictions remain. The state's hard border with the rest of the country will stay for the time being. By PTI SRINAGAR: Pakistani troops violated ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) in Uri sector of Jammu and Kashmir by resorting to unprovoked firing, officials said on Monday. The Pakistani troops targeted Indian positions by using both small and heavy firearms in Silikote, Churunda and Tilawari areas of Uri sector in Baramulla district, they said. There were no reports of any casualties so far, the officials said. Although psychodynamic psychotherapy has its origins in Freudian psychoanalysis, it has dramatically evolved. Current psychodynamic therapy relies on the therapeutic relationship to help you explore how early attachments have led to current patterns in your life. It is also sensitive to how your subconscious is influencing your thoughts, feelings and behaviors, said Marc Diener, an associate professor of psychology at Long Island University Post. Psychodynamic therapy tends to be less structured and more open-ended and to have fewer directives. Research suggests that it is effective for many psychological problems. What just happened? The plan to use drones that can detect Covid-19 symptoms while also enforcing social distancing measures in the US has been put on hold. It seems residents of Westport, Connecticut, which was going to launch a pilot program, have objected to the project due to privacy concerns. Last week, it was reported that drone-maker Draganflys drones were being tested in the US. The devices use specialized onboard thermal sensors and a smart computer vision system to monitor peoples temperature, heart and respiratory rates from a distance of 190 feet, potentially helping identify those infected with Covid-19. They can also measure social distancing between individuals, and even detect people sneezing or coughing in crowds. The drones had already been chosen to help slow the spread of Covid-19 in Australia, and the Westport Police Department (WPD) was trialing them in the US. But residents werent happy about being watched by the drones. As reported by Westport News, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Connecticut raised privacy concerns about the UAVs, adding that public money would be better spend on other measures to fight Covid-19. The plan also resulted in a small number of protestors gathering outside of the local police department. We are not hearing a cry for new surveillance technologies, said David McGuire, executive director of the ACLU of Connecticut. The urgent need at the moment, according to public health experts, is to ramp up testing capability, suppress transmission through social distancing measures, and support our hospitals as they face an influx of patients. The drones dont use facial recognition technology or collect personalized data on individuals, but it appears an eye in the sky is a bit too dystopian for many locals, even if it is for their own good. In a Facebook post, First Selectman Marpe of the WPD writes that in the departments good faith effort to get ahead of the virus and potential need to manage and safely monitor crowds and social distancing in this environment, our announcement [to trial the drones] was perhaps misinterpreted, not well-received, and posed many additional questions. One of the protestors, whod complained that the drones could lead people to being unnecessarily harassed, said: The decision by the Westport Police Department to scrap their drone program is a victory for the people and civil liberties, especially in a time of overreach. WPD Chief Foti Koskinas didnt appear to rule out future use of the technology in some form, saying it could still become a valuable lifesaving tool. Draganfly said it was working with other communities around the US that are interested in using its drones. Whether it runs into protests in these regions remains to be seen. The ceremony for the Sheikh Zayed Book Award (SZBA) may have had a different look this yearwinners are traditionally lauded at the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair, which was canceled owing to the Covid-19 pandemicbut unprecedented challenges have not dampened the spirit of the annual literary and cultural honors. According to SZBA secretary general Dr. Ali bin Tamim, the awards promote and nurture Arabic culture around the world by supporting authors as well as literary and cultural individuals and organizations in their efforts. They are judged by an anonymous jury of cultural experts tasked with rewarding literature that reflects the depth of Arabic cultural achievement. The 2020 awards realized a number of prize milestones. There were a record number of submissions, led by the Young Author and Literature categories. This does not so much reflect a growing pool of talent, Tamim says, [because] we know the talent already exists. We hope this speaks to a growing confidence in authors and publishers to put themselves forward, and certainly to a growing awareness of the prize across the Arab world and beyond. This years SZBA also displays striking diversity in terms of genre, the nature of the works, and the winners cultural backgrounds. The seven winners hail from six different countriesIraq, the Netherlands, Palestine, Tunisia, the United Kingdom, and the United Statesand the honorees include poets, translators, academics, a childrens book author, and a magazine. Each recipient is linked by his or her great ability to celebrate and champion Arabic literature and culture, Tamim says. In a year of disruptionwhen people worldwide are social distancingTamim says that the winners are particularly representative of global connectedness. The 2020 awards were presented across seven categories: The Literature award was given to Tunisian poet Moncef Ouhaibi for his book Belkas ma Qabl Al Akheera (The Penultimate Cup), published by Meskeliani Publishing and Distribution (Tunisia) in 2019. Ouhaibi is the first poet to win the literature prize. The recipient for the Young Author award was Iraqi academic and author Hayder Qasim for his book ilm Al Kalam Al Islami fi Derasat al Mustashrikeen Al Alman (Islamic Theology in the Studies of German Orientalists), published by Al Rawafed Culture Publishers (Beirut) and Ibn al-Nadim Publishing and Distribution (Algeria) in 2019. His book concerns the work of German theologist Josef van Ess. Palestinian-American author Ibtisam Barakat won the Childrens Literature award for Al-Fatah Al-Laylakeyyah (The Lilac Girl), published by Tamer Institute for Community Education (Palestine) in 2019. The picture book features a Palestinian child and budding painter who is homeless as a result of war. The Cultural Personality of the Year award was presented to Palestinian writer, anthologist, and translator Salma Khadra Jayyusi for her contribution to Arabic culture and literature. Jayyusi has edited numerous anthologies of Arabic literature and is the founder and director of the Project of Translation from Arabic (PROTA). Jayyusi received the honor at age 94, which, Tamim says, is another landmark for SZBA. The winner of the Publishing & Technology honor was Banipal magazine in London, which focuses on contemporary Arab authors in English translation. The magazine was founded in 1988 by Margaret Obank and Iraqi author Samuel Shimon. Dutch author, scholar, and translator Richard van Leeuwen won the award for Arabic Culture in Other Languages for his book The Thousand and One Nights and Twentieth-Century Fiction: Intertextual Readings, published by Brill Publishers (Leiden) in 2018. The Translation award was given to the Tunisian translator and academic Mohamed Ait Mihoub. He received the award for Al-Insan Al-Romantiq (Lhomme Romantique) by French philosopher Georges Gusdorf, translated from French to Arabic and published by Dracher Sinatra/Tunis Institute for Translation in 2018. The book explores the enduring influence of Romanticism and its impact on Western traditions. A SZBA win is career-changing for recipients. In the words of Ibtisam Barakat, the Sheikh Zayed Book Award is the Arab worlds equivalent to the Nobel Prize. The award is unique in that it offers one of the most substantial monetary prizes of any literary awardwinners receive 750,000 AED ($204,000 USD). According to Tamim, the prize affords recipients the freedom to pursue their work, and they can thereby also nurture future generations of writers, cultural leaders, and scholars. One of our prize alumni, Tamim says, British author Dame Marina Warner, deemed the prize a lavish bursary that allows the recipient to continue their adventures in understanding. As usual, she is perfectly correct. Unique circumstanceswhich the literary world is certainly facingrequire novel solutions. In the absence of the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair, SZBA organizers hosted a livestream video ceremony with the winners on April 16, which allowed the community to celebrate the unity, diversity, and intellectualism that the awards represent. In times of great tribulation, individuals experience humanity at its best, Tamim says. We see hope through this unprecedented human solidarity. We aspire to renew our relationship with the book and put more weight on the importance of culture, not only as the ideal companion for our temporary collective isolation, but because it is our way to understand the changes happening to our world. We hope to be able to meet in person and to congratulate the winners in due course. Actor Kriti Sanon is grateful for all the success she has enjoyed in Bollywood so far. However, she also acknowledges that the journey would have been much easier if she had been the child of a star. Talking to Pinkvilla in an interview, Kriti talked about all the self doubt she went through in the early days of her career. When you dont come from a film family, you dont get your second film before your first film releases. Which happens when you come from a film family, many times. To even come on magazine covers is a big deal. You have to go through a lot to reach that place. Like coming on a Filmfare cover for the first time.My Vogue cover was after about three years and I have done only one till now, she said. Shah Rukh Khans teenage daughter Suhana was heavily criticised two years ago when she appeared on the cover of Vogue magazine with no projects to her credit. Meanwhile, Sara Ali Khan had booked a second film Simmba, before her first film Kedarnath had released. Also read: Kareena Kapoor called son Taimur in-house Picasso, now Ibrahim Ali Khan calls himself Picasso Jr in childhood pic Kriti added, I just feel like those things, the small struggles which you sometimes see happening very easily with other people and youre like why, what?. I am probably way more experienced. But I feel those are the times that you let go of the clutter in you brain because there are more important things and you have to start seeing the good side and the opportunities that your are getting as an outsider. Kriti will next be seen Mimi, directed by Laxman Utekar. It is a remake of the National Award-winning 2011 Marathi film Mala Aai Vhhaychay. Kriti stars in the film in the lead role of a surrogate mother alongside Pankaj Tripathi, Manoj Pahwa, Supriya Pathak and Sai Tamhankar. The film is slated to be released in July. Follow @htshowbiz for more The coronavirus death toll in New Jersey climbed to 6,044 fatalities, with 111,188 cases statewide, as Gov. Phil Murphy on Monday unveiled a six-point strategy that must be met for the state to gradually lift the near-lockdown restrictions that have been in place for more than five weeks to slow the spread of the virus. Murphy said the latest numbers include 2,146 new positive tests and another 106 deaths attributed to COVID-19. He cautioned that there may be a reporting delay with Mondays numbers from the weekend. The latest statistics include some continuing signs of hope that the outbreak has leveled off. The states 71 hospitals reported the number of patients with confirmed or suspected coronavirus cases declined for a sixth consecutive day to 6,407 patients as of Sunday night. Thats down 23% from the peak on April 14 of 8,293 patients. Murphy has held up the hospitalization number as a key real-time indicator of the outbreak. The trend line continues to point in the right direction," the governor said during his daily coronavirus press briefing in Trenton, calling it the measuring stick of our progress. New Jersey has 204,651 residents who have been tested for the coronavirus, and 43% have tested positive. The county-by-county coronavirus cases and deaths includes: Bergen County: 15,104 with 960 deaths Hudson County: 13,925 with 673 deaths Essex County: 13,047 with 1,028 deaths Union County: 12,011 with 583 deaths Passaic County: 11,349 with 438 deaths Middlesex County: 10,767 with 455 deaths Ocean County: 6,024 with 330 deaths Monmouth County: 5,759 with 302 deaths Morris County: 5,030 with 355 deaths Mercer County: 3,433 with 194 deaths Somerset County: 3,204 with 227 deaths Camden County: 3,124 with 122 deaths Burlington County: 2,407 with 98 deaths Gloucester County: 1,111 with 33 deaths Sussex County: 864 with 93 deaths Warren County: 810 with 67 deaths Atlantic County: 749 with 30 deaths Cumberland County: 595 with 8 deaths Hunterdon County: 564 with 23 deaths Cape May County: 281 with 18 deaths Salem County: 212 with 7 deaths Theres another 818 cases still under investigation to determine where the person resides. CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live map tracker | Newsletter | 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 backlogged up to seven days. The state also is not reporting significant increases in daily testing, so it is unclear exactly how quickly the virus continues to spread. As of Monday morning, nearly 3 million people across the globe tested positive for the virus, according to a running tally by Johns Hopkins University. Of those, more than 207,000 have died and more than 875,000 have recovered. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Matt Arco may be reached at marco@njadvancemedia.com. The MCU will welcome another "Avengers" baby soon after Chris Pratt revealed that he is going to have a new child! Katherine Schwarzenegger just flaunted her baby bump, as she is expecting her first child with the "Avengers" actor. On Friday, the 30-year-old author of "The Gift Of Forgiveness" went out to walk her dog with her mother, Maria Shriver. She was spotted having "that bump" 10 months after she married the 40-year old "Guardians Of The Galaxy" star in a private ceremony. People confirmed the good news on Saturday, as their sources claimed that the two already want to "expand their family as soon as possible." Wish Granted! Chris started seeing Katherine in June 2018 when they were spotted going on a picnic together. Six months later, the actor finally asked the writer to marry him. After they tied the knot at the San Ysidro Ranch in Montecito, California in front of close family and friends, the two expressed their desire to add an angel in their family. "She can't believe how much her life has changed since meeting Chris," the source revealed after Chris and Katherine's intimate wedding ceremony. According to the source, the "Jurassic World" star cleared his intentions since the beginning, making Arnold Schwarzenegger's daughter feel safe and loved. "They both feel so blessed to have found each other, and they can't wait to expand their family as soon as possible," the insider went on. While waiting for their first child then, they have been going out with Chris' seven-year-old son with Anna Faris, Jack, "Instead of mostly enjoying solo, romantic dates, Chris' son from early on was a very big part of their dating life," a source told in January 2019. The actor shares Jack's custody with Faris. The two ended their eight-year-marriage in December 2017 and finalized their divorce in October 2018. Now that Chris is about to welcome his second child and his first with Katherine, the news surely made MCU fans feel excited about the coming of the "Avengers" baby soon. However, while most of their fans sent them congratulatory messages, others took the chance to criticize the actor. "After he told Anna he didn't want more children and destroyed her. He divorced her and remarried within a year . Now has a baby coming after saying that," one user exclaimed. "What a jerk !! Used to be my favorite actor now, I can't stand him." Chris, Katherine's Quarantine Activity On April 24, the "Onward" voice actor joined the #QuarantineWatchParty and watched the "Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2" once again with his wife. "Katherine has never seen it!!! Can I join as well? It will be the perfect excuse to make her watch it for the first time!! #QuarantineWatchParty #GotGVol2," he wrote alongside the film's director, James Gun, tweet regarding the launching of the said Quarantine Watch Party. In the end, he expressed his gratitude toward his fans who joined the activity. "Thanks for joining the #GotGVol2 #QuarantineWatchParty that was fun. Love you all!," he tweeted. YEREVAN, APRIL 27, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan held a video conference today with President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) Suma Chakrabarti, the PMs Office told Armenpress. The sides discussed the cooperation between the Armenian government and the EBRD. Mr. Chakrabarti welcomed and praised the Armenian governments large-scale anti-crisis measures conditioned by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and stated that the EBRD fully supports the steps and programs of the Armenian side. He said the Bank will continue actively the programs aimed at supporting SMEs in Armenia, as well as the investment programs in infrastructure, energy, transportation, foreign trade and other fields planned before the crisis. PM Pashinyan thanked for the readiness to close cooperation and stated that the Armenian government attaches great importance to the capital infrastructure investment programs and will continue the actions on this direction, thus boosting the economy. During the video conference the Armenian PM and the EBRD President also discussed the current situation caused by the coronavirus, as well as its economic consequences. Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan Two men who sparked a huge rescue operation when they went diving for scallops had travelled a combined 575 miles to do so, it emerged today. The friends had driven from Edinburgh in Scotland and Cornwall to meet up in Bridport, Dorset. They launched their own boat from West Bay and 47-year-old man from Cornwall went diving five miles out. He became detached from his marker buoy which was later discovered by the other man, also in his 40s, who contacted the coastguard. The friends met up in Bridport, Dorset to dive for scallops when one was detached from his marker buoy Exmouth's lifeboat was alerted by H.M. Coastguard around 3.45pm on Saturday to reports of the missing diver four miles off the coast of Seatown, Dorset. A major search and rescue operation involving two helicopters, the coastguard, RNLI lifeboats, several fishing boats and a Royal Navy ship swung into action. The missing diver had surfaced safely but lost sight of the vessel after his line was detached. He was luckily spotted by an eagle-eyed sailor onboard HMS Tyne. The boat was on routine maritime security patrols when it responded to the Mayday call. The man had been adrift for two hours when he was found three miles from his last reported location The friends had driven from Edinburgh in Scotland and Cornwall to meet up in Bridport, a combined 575 miles The man had been adrift for two hours when he was found three miles from his last reported location. He was picked up by the Exmouth lifeboat and didn't need medical attention. Both men were met by police once on shore and fined 60 each from breaching coronavirus restrictions. The diver, who did not want to be named, said: 'I came up to the surface with my bag of scallops and was shouting at the guy in the boat but the swell had picked up, the waves were bigger and he was up wind so couldn't hear me. The missing diver had surfaced safely but lost sight of the vessel after his line was detached. He was luckily spotted by an eagle-eyed sailor on-board HMS Tyne 'I saw the helicopter fly over and some of the other boats searching. I was very relieved when the lifeboat crew arrived and pulled me out o the water. Thank you to everyone involved.' A spokesman for the Lyme Regis RNLI said the diver was 'embarrassed and apologetic' afterwards. Operations manager Nick Marks added: 'We are glad that the diver is safe and well however the RNLI is recommending that you should not go in or near the water during this lockdown.' Exmouth RNLI deputy coxswain Roger Jackson said: 'The diver was very fortunate to have been located safe and well so quickly.' He added: 'We are grateful for the invaluable assistance of our RNLI colleagues from Lyme Regis, the crew of HMS Tyne, Lyme Regis Coastguard Rescue Team, the HM Coastguard helicopter and other vessels in the area that came together in a coordinated effort that led to this successful rescue. Slt Boyle spotted the diver in the water who had been adrift for two hours A spokesman for the Lyme Regis RNLI said the diver was 'embarrassed and apologetic' afterwards 'The diver was very lucky indeed and although I'm very pleased the outcome was good, I would urge everyone to please heed the latest government coronavirus restrictions.' A spokesman for HM Coastguard said: 'Both of those onboard had been diving as a leisure activity and were fined by the police as were deemed to have been in breach of the lockdown guidance. 'The Government has been clear that during this coronavirus pandemic we need to Stay Home Save Lives. 'Leisure diving is not essential and every 999 call made could put our frontline responders at risk of COVID-19 and places avoidable pressure on our vital NHS services.' Members of the public slammed the pair on social media for their irresponsible actions and called for them to be hit with a bill for the cost of the rescue. Paula Jayne said: 'Well done everyone. I really do feel that at this time the diver should pay for the services that were used. 'Totally irresponsible behaviour. Diving can't be used as an excuse for exercise, it's a hobby.' On Saturday, in the morning, at the Shrine of Remembrance, ANZAC Square, His Excellency the Honourable Paul de Jersey AC attended the ANZAC Day Wreath Laying Ceremony, and the Governor laid the first wreath. Following, at Government House, His Excellency delivered his ANZAC Day Address, via video. Following, at Government House, His Excellency participated in the Returned and Services League of Australia, Queensland Branch, Light Up the Dawn on ANZAC Day, at the Vice-Regal Gates. Following, His Excellency delivered a reading, via video, for the ANZAC Day Mass at Cathedral of St Stephen, Brisbane. Following, at Government House, His Excellency delivered a reading, via video, of the First Resolution. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Adrian Wail Akhlas (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, April 27, 2020 13:50 625 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd477685 1 Business recession,Indonesia,COVID-19,Faisal-Basri,fitch-solutions,economic-growth,GDP-growth,coronavirus Free Indonesias economy may enter a recession and experience a much longer recovery than other countries in Southeast Asia if the governments management of the COVID-19 pandemic remains slow and amateurish, economists have warned. A recession happens when a country sees its gross domestic product (GDP) decline for two consecutive quarters in conjunction with other monthly indicators, such as a rise in unemployment. University of Indonesia senior economist Faisal Basri voiced concerns over the governments handling of the health crisis, adding that with the current containment measures, the country could see an economic contraction of up to 2.5 percent, or 0.5 percent growth in a best-case scenario. The sophisticated economic policy taken by the government will be in vain if the governments COVID-19 containment measures remain amateurish, Faisal said during an online discussion on Friday. Read also: Millions to lose jobs, fall into poverty as Indonesia braces for recession The trajectory of Indonesias economy is very hard to predict right now, as the government has been late to ban mudik [exodus] while the large-scale social restrictions have not had much of an impact, he said, warning that the countrys economic recovery would take much longer and incur higher costs. The governments Idul Fitri mudik ban came into effect Friday and will remain in place until May 31 with travel restrictions to be enforced in COVID-19 red zones. The ban comes after the government resisted calls from health experts since late last month. The SARS-CoV-2 virus has infected at least 8,800 people and killed more than 740 as of Sunday afternoon, according to official data. Several regions nationwide have now moved to implement large-scale social restrictions (PSBB). As least two provinces and 16 municipalities and regencies across the archipelago have had requests to impose partial lockdowns approved by Health Minister Terawan Agus Putranto. In addition to the provinces of Jakarta and West Sumatra, other areas of Greater Jakarta, namely Depok, Bogor and Bekasi in West Java and South Tangerang and Tangerang in Banten, have also imposed partial lockdowns, as have Bandung and Cimahi in West Java, Pekanbaru in Riau, Tegal in Central Java and Makassar in South Sulawesi. Jokowi is recalibrating his large-scale physical distancing strategy and has called for testing to be ramped up. The Indonesian governments response to Covid-19 has been slow, unclear and fractured, Fitch Solutions researchers wrote in a research note. Read also: Indonesias household spending to tank as people lose jobs: Fitch Given the belated containment efforts in Indonesia, we believe the Covid-19 outbreak will likely last longer than in other countries in the region. As such, containment measures and border closures will also remain in place for longer. Fitch Solutions has downgraded Indonesias economic growth projection to 2.8 percent, down from its initial projection of 4.2 percent, as spending and investment are expected to slow. That compares with the governments 2.3 percent GDP growth projection for this year, which would be the lowest rate in 21 years. Under a worst-case scenario, the government foresees an economic contraction of 0.4 percent. We assess that the contraction in the economy could be deeper if the outbreak is not contained over the next quarter, and as such further downward revisions to our 2020 growth forecast should not be discounted, the researchers added. We believe that private spending will collapse later this year as employment conditions continue to worsen. Household consumption accounts for more than half of Indonesias GDP. Read also: A shock like no other: Commodity slide to pressure Indonesia The government has unveiled a Rp 436.1 trillion (US$27.92 billion) budget for COVID-19 stimulus packages, equal to 2.5 percent of the countrys GDP, that will primarily be channeled into healthcare, social safety net and business recovery programs. Speaking during the same discussion as Faisal, Finance Ministry special staff member Masyita Crystallin said the countrys containment measures were crucial for economic recovery. The government is currently improving its measures and will always try to fine-tune the policies taken to handle the crisis, she said. By Trend Over the past 24 hours, Armenian armed forces have violated the ceasefire along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops 25 times, Trend reports referring to Azerbaijani Defense Ministry on April 27. The Armenian armed forces were using large-caliber machine guns. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding regions. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on the withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding regions. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz A boat carrying tourists motors past an iceberg at the mouth of the Ilulissat Icefjord during unseasonably warm weather near Ilulissat, Greenland on July 30, 2019. (Sean Gallup/Getty Images) US to Provide $12 Million to Greenland and Open Consulate in Its Capital US Unveils New Arctic Strategy to Challenge Russia, China The United States will open a consulate in Nuuk, the capital of Greenland this year, and provide $12.1 million in economic aid to the country in anticipation of expanding its presence in the Arctic area and also to protect its interests amid growing competition from Russia, and China. We are in the process of adjusting our Arctic policy to todays new strategic realities, a senior U.S. State Department official said at the briefing on April 23, we can expect, the rapidly changing Arctic system to create greater incentives for the Kremlin and the PRC to pursue agendas that clash with the interests of the United States and our allies and partners. The $12.1 million aid package, developed in consultation with the Kingdom of Denmark and the Government of Greenland, focuses on promoting competitive and transparent investments and new technologies in the energy and mining sector, said the official. It also includes a capacity-building program aimed at university education in the fields of tourism and sustainable management of land and fisheries, as well as the development of tourism in Greenland. The Greenlandic government accepted the package and expects that the aid will primarily take the form of consultancy and advisory assistance from U.S. experts, and will include the participation in the existing U.S. programs, according to a Greenland government statement. Newly built apartment buildings are seen in Nuuk, the capital of Greenland on July 28, 2013. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images) The U.S. consulate in Greenland is due to open this summer or later this year, depending on the COVID-19 situation. It will be staffed with two U.S. officers and will hire five local people, said the official. Greenland established its representation in Washington, DC in 2014 but the United States has not had any diplomatic presence in Greenland since 1953. The announcement came less than a year after President Donald Trump expressed an interest in buying Greenland which was dismissed by Greenlands Foreign Ministry and Denmarks Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen. They have clearly crossed the line, said Karsten Honge, member of the Danish parliaments foreign affairs committee for the Socialist Peoples Party, a government ally. Its completely unheard of that a close ally tries to create division between Greenland and Denmark this way, Honge told Reuters. However, Danish Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod welcomed the move, saying Greenland had for years sought to develop its small economy by opening up to the world and seeking foreign investments. I think its encouraging that it is the United States, a neighbor, and close ally, who is making this grant, Kofod told Reuters. The State Department official denied Washingtons efforts were intended to create divisions, saying the United States had been working closely with Denmark for months on this initiative. I think what were doing here is good old-fashioned diplomatic tradecraft designed to enhance our engagement, the official said, adding the aid package was not designed to pave the way to purchase Greenland. Competition from China and Russia Two nuclear-powered icebreakers Russia and Yamal are seen moored at Rosatomflot, the operator of Russias atomic icebreaker fleet, at a base at the Arctic port of Murmansk, Russia, on Dec. 11, 2011. (Andrei Poronin/Reuters) The goal of the new U.S. Arctic strategy is to secure its interests in the Arctic region and to ensure security and stability in the region in the face of the expansion of the military and economic presence from Russia and China, the senior State Department official said at the briefing. The U.S. recognizes Russias legitimate interests in the Arctic as Russia is an Arctic state and wants to cooperate with Russia, but has concerns with Russias military buildup, the official said. Russia has also announced on the same day an initiative to build the worlds most powerful nuclear icebreaker, as a part of its new Arctic strategy announced earlier this year, according to Breaking Defense. Also, Russia will build more nuclear icebreakers, as well as make infrastructure improvements in its polar region which will include modernizations of airports, and building railways and seaports reported Breaking Defense. The United States has two icebreakers and plans to build six more, but China also has two, reported Breaking Defense. Chinas Icebreaker Xuelong, which has voyaged to the Arctic, in Xiamen, Fujian province on June 27, 2010. (STR/AFP/Getty Images) China claimed that it is a near-Arctic state and expressed its interest in the Arctics natural resources as well as in the development of Arctic Sea routes for shipping. However the United States disapproves of this claim due to the Chinese regimes coercive and unfair behavior that often disregards international norms, as it has in the South China Sea, the official said. For example, China tried to coerce the Faroe Islands to sign a 5G contract with Huawei by threatening the country that it would drop a trade agreement, the official added. In 2018, China announced its plans to develop a Polar Silk Road through the Arctic Sea as part of its One Belt, One Road (OBOR) Initiative. The United States cooperates with other Arctic states through the Arctic Council, an intergovernmental body established in 1996 for coordinating the sustainable development of the Arctic. It consists of all Arctic states Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden, and the United States. Greenlands Natural Resources and Economy Snow-covered mountains rise above the harbor and town of Tasiilaq, Greenland, June 15, 2018. (Lucas Jackson/Reuters) Scientific research indicates that over the last forty years Arctic Sea ice has contracted. That may lead to opening new passageways on the Arctic Sea which can shorten the travel time between Asia and the West by about three weeks, thus creating more opportunities for trade. Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory, has a population of only 56,000, mainly Inuits. It is located in the subarctic climate zone and 80 percent of its territory is permanently covered with ice. Its economy mainly depends on fishing, which makes the countrys income vulnerable to price fluctuation mitigated by annual grants from the Danish state, according to the Greenland government website. Inuit fishermen prepare a net as free-floating ice floats behind at the mouth of the Ilulissat Icefjord during unseasonably warm weather near Ilulissat, Greenland on July 30, 2019. (Sean Gallup/Getty Images) Retreating ice in Greenland could uncover its potential oil and mineral resources, that, if successfully tapped, could dramatically change the islands fortunes. In recent years Greenland has sought an additional source of income as an alternative to its traditional fishing industry. It has made efforts to develop its mining and energy sectors through attracting foreign investment, according to the Greenland government. Greenland is rich in many natural resources including coal, lead, iron ore, zinc, rare earth elements, gold, precious gemstones platinum, and uranium. Studies indicate that the country may also possess oil and natural gas. Reuters and the Associated Press contributed to this report Governor Darius Ishaku of Taraba State, on Monday, confirmed six index cases of COVID-19 in the state. The governor, in a state-wide broadcast from the Government House, Jalingo, also said the state government, with the support of Access Bank, would soon complete a 100-bed capacity isolation centre. Although Mr Ishaku expressed worries over the development, he, however, assured the people of the state of his administrations commitment to protecting them against further spread of the pandemic within the limits of the available resources. He called on the residents of the state not to panic, saying that his administration had deployed resources and manpower to trace contacts of all those who tested positive. We all woke up this morning to the shocking news of six confirmed cases of COVID-19 by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). These are results from samples taken from persons already quarantined by the State Task Force on COVID-19, who are presently at the state isolation centre, located at Sibre in Jalingo. The persons are among the 130 interstate travellers from Bauchi, Kano, Jigawa, Borno, Ogun and Lagos states, intercepted at our borders. I, therefore, commend the proactive steps of the committee, which led to the isolation and identification of the reported cases. I wish to assure the good people of Taraba State that this is not a time to panic as the government is on top of the situation. Your protection is paramount and we will do everything within our powers to checkmate the spread of the virus, he said. The governor further stated that additional manpower and resources had been mobilised and deployed to trace the contacts of all those who had tested positive to the coronavirus immediately. He, however, expressed concern over the reported outbreak, in spite of the robust proactive steps taken by his administration to prevent the virus from entering into the state. READ ALSO: Mr Ishaku recalled that the state had taken all necessary preventive measures immediately and the index case was identified in the country. He listed some of the preventive steps to include closure of land borders with neighbouring states as well as its international boundary with the Republic of Cameroon. Mr Ishaku also recalled that the government had rolled out intensive sensitisation and advocacy programmes, using the two major religions as well as traditional institutions and the media. He, however, stressed that some of the other measures being put in place would come with a lot of inconveniences to the people. He said, We must adopt the measures in order to save lives and the government will do everything possible to ameliorate the sufferings of those who may be adversely affected by those measures. The National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) had, on Sunday, confirmed six index cases in the state. (NAN) by william-james88 Sun Apr 26, 2020 10:03 pm While there is a lot of talk and news about the current pandemic, the news that touched our hobby was mainly regarding events, and there was even worse news of Transformers AOE star Sophia Myles' father dying of the virus . Well, there is another news bit in this ven diagram and it is good news this time, which we wanted to share. Hasbro, the company responsible for our beloved Transformers franchise, will be contributing a major effort to the battle against COVID-19 by making face shields for hospital workers in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.They are partnering with Cartamundi to produce 50,000 face shields per week (to make 250 000 total) for front line health care workers, and those masks will be produced in a facility in Massachusetts. So not only will there be more face shields available, but this will also be providing continued employment for the workers at that facility, who will be respecting all proper social distancing guidelines.And the fact that these are donations means these states will not have to participate as much in the current bidding war states are having against eachother for this particular personal protective equipment, which has been a major strain on states' budgets."We are grateful for the opportunity to work together with our partners at Cartamundi to produce much-needed personal protective equipment (PPE), to directly assist the critical needs of front-line medical workers in our community," John Frascotti, president and COO of Hasbro, wrote in a statement.This comes from an article published by CNN Business Beyond being a crisis, COVID-19 is a wake-up call for integrated health systems. As the new post-virus realities unfold, health system leaders will begin a broad-based reassessment, which likely will require them to place a higher premium on flexibility. Healthcare systems are flexing beds, staff and other resources now to respond to COVID-19. Their leaders are making difficult decisions. And they have begun financial replanning. But this is only the first of what likely will be several waves of adjustments required after COVID-19. In theory, integrated health systems can make adjustments faster and more effectively than other provider organizations. Yet the past responses of integrated systems to new situations have been mixed: There are examples of great flexibility, and other examples of being tone deaf to emerging problems and new opportunities when leaders were allowed to get too far removed from where and how the providers were delivering patient care. The future environment after COVID-19 will not be kind to organizations that cling to such inflexible structures. The new normal When integrated health systems were formed, their components e.g., hospitals, medical groups, other ancillary organizations and payers were well understood. So were the opportunities for improved performance, such as reduced transaction costs and economies of scale in supply chain, and for integration of leadership, with joint planning and implementation. Leaders knew where to reach for the levers of success. With the arrival of the COVID-19 crisis, however, healthcare leaders have less certainty around operations. Questions abound: How much capacity will be required for COVID-19 patients? Will there be more than one wave? Will telehealth fall back, or will it be re-engineered and continue to grow after the crisis? What is the new role for artificial intelligence? What other changes, initiated during the crisis have long-term potential after the crisis? As healthcare becomes a still larger part of the nations GDP, will social pressure intervene to force changes in payment structures? What new financial scenarios need to be modeled? The new normal in healthcare seems likely to require not a single adjustment, but a prolonged series of adjustments. Moreover, each adjustment will result in successes and failures and will be reflected in the costs of doing business. A new baseline Under almost any scenario, the following financial factors appear likely: Healthcare managers will need to plan a bigger margin, allowing for more rounds of adjustments and for the probability that some will not be successful. Even higher levels of uncertainty in other parts of the economy than in healthcare likely will mean more disruption in employment, worse payer mixes and sicker patients due to less attention to wellness. The overall cost of capital will reflect repricing of the new forms of risks. The gap between successful and unsuccessful health systems will increase, possibly leading to more attention to consolidation, although more stable health systems may raise the bar before consolidating with those in trouble. Innovative health systems may need to re-prioritize their next innovations to ensure more financial flexibility. Many healthcare caregivers may be widely recognized for patriotism in ways formerly reserved primarily for war veterans. The healthcare safety net will be reevaluated. Where and how new flexibility will be needed Amid current uncertainties, healthcare leaders should prepare for flexibility that may be required. Healthcare has a wealth of analytical talent for activities such as scenario planning, market analysis, decision modeling, behavioral analysis and cost-benefit analysis. A portion of this talent should be redeployed to ask new questions that would enable more flexing of financial, human and other resources. To begin, new types of information will be required. For example, we need registries of patients who have recovered from the virus.a Because patients who have recovered can move around more freely, these registries might be helpful in understanding the potential for herd immunity, where immunity in a group is sufficient to prevent the disease from spreading. Willing patients in this group also could provide their plasma to help treat others. Information sources also need to be reevaluated to protect against incorrect and tampered with sources. Forecasting approaches also need to be reassessed for example, to avoid approaches that involve multiplying several numbers, each with a large potential for error, resulting in forecasts whose potential for error is unacceptably large. Here are other examples of broad-based reassessments and the questions they would address. Ambulatory cases. Is there a pent-up demand for ambulatory cases? How best can we ramp back up? Should some care pushed to telehealth continue as telehealth? Telemedicine. What are the differences in telemedicine usage and effectiveness by socioeconomic characteristics, by diagnosis, by how it is promoted and supported? How can its use be improved in the long run? Elective cases (numbers, costs, outcomes). What is the most effective strategy to bringing back these cases? Will integrated health systems change how they plan for elective cases or how they design facilities to allow for a greater degree of design flexibility? Physician flexing. Is there a cost-benefit argument for more cross-training among ambulatory internal medicine, hospitalists and ED physicians, or for supporting a core of part-time, semi-retired physicians? Electronic health record (EHR) leveraging. Is this an opportunity to expand patient use of the EHR portal, both to improve outcomes and lower costs? These examples represent only the first wave of multiple waves of analyses. Flexing partnersips, processesand leadershiop approaches Flexibility will be required in readjusting partnerships, processes and even leadership styles. Integrated health systems have a long history in this area. For example, Kaiser Permanente has more than 20 years experience in designing contracting corridors (reflecting the ups and downs in utilization) with non-Kaiser hospitals and physicians. Similarly, childrens hospitals have extensive experience renegotiating changes in processes and support from medical schools and academic medical centers. The questions addressed when renegotiating partnerships are usually straightforward: What has changed for each side? Are both sides damaged by continuing the current agreement? If only one side is affected, is the change so large that it requires a renegotiation? Does each side still respect and trust the other? Can each side visualize a new win-win agreement? Building in flexibility Healthcare traditionally has been among the most stable and dependable sectors of the U.S. economy, and the basic premises of building an integrated health system have been in place for more than 20 years. It is possible that, once the COVID-19 crisis has ended, we will find the future is not dissimilar to the past. More likely, we will see multiple rounds of change arising from our response to the crisis. This will be an important deflection point. Building in flexibility, across several levels of the organization, will likely be a new critical success factor. Footnote a. In Wuhan, the Chinese government is using color codes on cell phones to indicate those who have recovered (Fifield, A., As Wuhan reopens, China revs engine to move past coronavirus. But its stuck in second gear, The Washington Post, March 31, 2020). Author's and editor's note Linden Mayor Derek Armsteads Facebook page implores folks to stay home to help save lives amid the coronavirus pandemic. But on Saturday, photos obtained by NJ Advance Media show Armstead out in a neighborhood clad in a surgical mask and blue suit talking to residents with his chief of staff, Alex Lospinoso, and 6th Ward council candidate Joao Goncalves. Both Lospinoso and Goncalves were carrying clipboards. Armstead was harassing people in the neighborhood, one resident said, at a time when the message is to stay home and practice social distancing. Councilman John Francis Roman accused the mayor of door-to-door campaigning for Goncalves. He is out ringing doorbells with his 6th Ward candidate... Are you kidding me? Roman said. But Armstead has another explanation: He was simply talking to friends of Goncalves, who lives on the street where the mayor was spotted. Everyone wants to make a big deal out of this, Armstead, a Democrat, told NJ Advance Media in a phone interview Sunday. Our candidate lives on Kennedy Drive. Thats where we were at. He lives on the street. We had a meeting at his home yesterday. Hes talking to his neighbor he knows for God knows how long. Armstead said he, Lospinoso and Goncalves were headed back to his home when they ran into Goncalves neighbors and stopped to chat. As for the clipboards, Armstead said it would make sense that they would have campaign paraphernalia with them if they were going back to his house to continue the meeting. What were we going to do? Leave it there so we cant make phone calls? he said. It makes perfect sense. Armstead continued, We were only on Kennedy Drive yesterday. Thats it. In an interview, Goncalves said Armstead parked down the street from his home, and on the way to the mayors car, his neighbors called out to them because they were star-struck by Armstead. Goncalves and Armstead were wearing suits, he explained, for campaign photos that they took at Armsteads house. This is obviously coming from the opposing side, Goncalves said. We were in the wrong place at the wrong time, and theyre using this against me. Gov. Phil Murphys stay-at-home order does not address campaigning. But at his April 7 coronavirus news conference, Murphy strongly suggested against neighborhood canvassing during the pandemic. People should not be going door-to-door campaigning. Period, he told reporters. Thats not what we need right now. Stay at home. Pick up the telephone. Send an email. Send a text. Two pictures of Armstead talking to residents were posted on Twitter by David Wildstein, editor of The New Jersey Globe. NJ Advance Media independently obtained those photos and two additional photos that show Armstead and his crew at homes on Kennedy Boulevard. NJ Advance Media spoke to five residents who live on the street, including one who is seen in one of the images. He was harassing everybody, one resident said of the mayor, before declining to comment further. Three other residents said they were home Saturday, but the mayor did not come to their door. Two of those residents said they saw the mayor walking around the neighborhood. Jane Fitzs ex-husband lives on Kennedy Drive. She said he told her he was ecstatic he got the chance to talk to the mayor on Saturday. He said, I saw him walking through the neighborhood and he was asking me how I was doing, Fitz said. People see the mayor all the time. (My ex-husband) didnt say (Armstead) was campaigning. Goncalves is running against Roman in the 6th Ward. Roman, a Democrat, said he heard from a dozen neighbors calling me freaking out about Armstead and Goncalves going door-to-door. My neighbor died from this virus," Roman said. "Multiple residents passed away from this virus one block over from where he was going door-to-door. He should be concentrating on those families instead of walking Kennedy Drive for the first time in his 25-year career. Linden which has more than 900 positive cases of the coronavirus and at least 42 deaths is a city of roughly 43,000 in Union County. Its a politically charged city where feuds between rival political factions have gotten physical. Its also a city where the municipal prosecutor is facing accusations that he was often a no-show in the highly paid part-time job. I call it Linsanity, Armstead quipped, referring to the nickname of former New York Knicks player Jeremy Lin. They (the opposition) complain about anything. They complained about me honoring nurses a couple of days ago. Earlier this month, a group of candidates running against establishment Democrats called on those politicians to cease door-to-door campaigning. This is not the time for politics as usual, said Jason Krychiw, the interim chairman of New Jersey Progressive Democrats of Union County. This is the time to stand together and serve the people. We must choose to put public health above personal ambition and the prospect of being elected. Alex Napoliello may be reached at anapoliello@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @alexnapoNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips SPRINGFIELD Top hospital officials in Western Massachusetts said Monday that while they see a continued lull in coronavirus cases requiring hospitalization compared to other regions, any return to normal is probably not on the horizon. Dr. Mark Keroack, president and CEO of Baystate Health and Robert Roose, chief medical officer of Mercy Medical Center, said the numbers of patients with COVID-19 at their hospitals continue to decline, while testing continues to climb. Echoing statements from Mayor Domenic J. Sarno, Keroack said the city is awaiting guidance from the state and Gov. Charlie Baker as to when we can open up to greater activity." Im not going to say get back to normal because I dont think thats happening anytime soon, Keroack said. At his update on the pandemic Monday, Baker said a decision will be announced later this week on whether to lift a stay-at-home advisory and executive order set to expire on May 4. Aimed at preventing the spread of the disease, Bakers executive order closed businesses deemed nonessential to the public. The trend data remains reasonably high, but obviously whatever decision we make needs to come with a little thought and a plan behind it, so well probably put that out later this week, Baker said during a news conference at the Massachusetts State House. The decision will depend on trend data he receives over the next few days, Baker said. Keroack noted that the federal government has issued some general guidelines on steps toward reopening, but different governors are taking different paths. Baker will decide whether steps toward reopening are taken regionally or statewide, local officials said. The situation with COVID-19 is much more at its peak in Greater Boston, Keroack said, and that is something Baker will likely take into consideration. In this region, Keroack said, its not so much the magical date of when cities like Springfield can begin to reopen its a matter of what conditions are needed to open up safely. Those conditions include having enough personal protective equipment and enough open hospital beds, having enough testing to keep hot spots contained, and the ability to conduct contact tracing to alert people who came into contact with those testing positive for COVID-19. I really dont expect a return to normal anytime soon, Keroack said. We will hopefully be starting to take baby steps to getting back to normal activities soon, and I look forward to working with the community leaders in doing that. Both Keroack and Roose said their hospitals have hundreds of open beds for COVID-19 patients, and have significantly increased testing. Baystate Health had 126 COVID-19 patients as of Sunday at its four hospitals, primarily at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, compared to 179 cases earlier this month, Keroack said. Mercy has 32 patients with COVID-19, compared to a high of 50 to 60 cases in early April, Roose said. Meanwhile, the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Springfield climbed to more than 1,000 this weekend. Health and Human Services Commissioner Helen Caulton-Harris reported 1,180 confirmed cases as of Monday morning, compared to 797 cases a week ago.The cases include 21 known deaths related to COVID-19. Officials offered the updates at their weekly coronavirus briefing at City Hall. Related content: Welcome to Morningstar.co.uk! You have been redirected here from Hemscott.com as we are merging our websites to provide you with a one-stop shop for all your investment research needs.To search for a security, type the name or ticker in the search box at the top of the page and select from the dropdown results.Registered Hemscott users can log in to Morningstar using the same login details. Similarly, if you are a Hemscott Premium user, you now have a Morningstar Premium account which you can access using the same login details. Six persons out of 32 arrested within the Adentan Municipality for failing to comply with the restrictions on movement order during the partial lockdown have tested positive for COVID-19. The test results were released after the Adentan Circuit Court, where they were standing trial, granted them bail which has since been executed. Those who have tested positive include three men and three women. Three of them have been contacted by the COVID-19 Response Team, while one of them, the police indicated, had travelled to the Oti Region. In reaction to the confirmed cases, the Adentan Divisional Police Station has been disinfected while samples of some officers and inmates on remand at the station have been taken for testing. Screening and tracing Updating the Daily Graphic on the status of the 32 accused persons, the Public Relations Officer of the Accra Regional Police Command, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Mrs Effia Tenge, said on April 25, 2020, the Adentan COVID-19 Response Team informed the police that six of the accused persons who were put before court and screened on the orders of the court for COVID-19, had tested positive. However, she said the police had on April 20, 2020, executed the bail order by the court and released 27 of the accused persons, including those who had tested positive. They were to reappear before the court on May 9, 10 and 12, 2020. Clifton Home Easter Promo So far, Mrs Effia Tenge said, the three persons had reported to the COVID-19 Response Team and they were currently being managed. She also said that information available to the police indicated that one of the accused persons and a minor who was with the accused at the time of arrest, had travelled to the Oti Region and the Adentan COVID-19 Response Team had subsequently alerted the Oti Region Health Team for contact tracing and isolation. The team, she indicated, had also screened and taken samples from 15 inmates already in the cells who came into contact with the affected persons. Convict rejected One of the accused persons, Mohammed Gariba, who was convicted and sentenced by the court, was rejected by the prison authorities when he was taken to the Nsawam Source: Daily Graphic Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The period immediately after the COVID-19 crisis will see entirely new models of how business is conducted in the housing market, Royal LePage CEO Phil Soper said. We believe that things will ease and people will be able to move into a very different buying and selling process, Soper said in an interview with CBC Radio. Im not saying things will return to normal in 2020, but the market will loosen up as peoples stay-at-home restrictions are lifted. And while the long-term value of the residential property sector will depend largely upon the duration of the pandemic-induced slowdown, what is certain is that a market revival will take place in one form or another. The yearning to get back to normal is natural, but gathering places like ours have a responsibility to put safety first. Omega Institute for Holistic Studies, a leading nonprofit in New Yorks Hudson Valley that has provided lifelong learning opportunities to more than 1M people since 1977, today announced they will postpone hosting programs on their Rhinebeck campus until 2021. Omegas commitment to protect the well-being of its staff, faculty, participants, and the larger community is central in the decision, as is the need to adhere to New Yorks phased approach and timeline for re-opening businesses in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is the most challenging yet necessary decision Omega has ever had to make. The yearning to get back to normal is natural, but gathering places like ours have a responsibility to put safety first, said Omega CEO Robert Skip Backus, who has been with the nonprofit for more than 35 years. Despite the temporary closure of its physical campus, Omega is taking bold steps to ramp up online learning, build digital community, and leverage partnerships to reach a wider global audience with fewer barriers to access than ever before. Omegas leadership team will also focus on energizing the 2021 campus experience, to bring some of the most insightful and hopeful voices for healing from trauma and grief, stoking creativity, reimagining personal and professional futures, and reinvigorating the culture. There is a profound opportunity to learn from the pandemic, said Backus. As we turn towards the recovery, Omega is committed to bringing forward critical conversations and teachings programs that will help people gain the skills to open their minds and hearts, and develop resilience, wisdom, and courage. Developing these kinds of inner skills leads us outward into more meaningful connections with all people, all of life, and to the planet itself. Through partnerships and technology, the organization hopes to further scale its impact and advance solutions to some of humanitys most pressing problems. Online offerings aimed at uplifting the human spirit and providing strength and inspiration for these unprecedented times have already begun, including conversations with top teachers, online courses, a podcast, the Omega Online Community, and more. We are grateful to our teachers for rallying and to our participants for their flexibility and interest in having a virtual Omega experience. At a time when the wisdom of our teachers is so vitally needed, we are thrilled to offer new options, said Backus. However, Omegas decision to pause in-person events is not without risk. The organization estimates a multimillion dollar fiscal deficit, posing a very real threat to the nonprofits future, and an impact to the many farms, vendors, and suppliers they work with regionally. This comes on the heels of serious cost-cutting measures Omega has already taken, including reducing staff salaries and hours, and implementing furloughs. The organization is determined to overcome the hardship, and is launching a special fundraising campaign to enable Omega to carry forward its mission to awaken the best in the human spirit. Constituents interested in making a donation are encouraged to visit eOmega.org/givetoday, or email development@eOmega.org for more information. For more information visit eOmega.org, and follow Omega on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Pinterest. About Omega Institute for Holistic Studies Founded in 1977, Omega Institute for Holistic Studies is the nations most trusted source for wellness and personal growth. As a nonprofit organization, Omega offers diverse and innovative educational experiences that inspire an integrated approach to personal and social change. Located on 250 acres in the beautiful Hudson Valley, Omega welcomes more than 23,000 people to its workshops, conferences, and retreats in Rhinebeck, New York, and at exceptional locations around the world. eOmega.org Uttar Pradeshs Agra district reported 10 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, District Magistrate Prabhu N Singh said on Monday. The total number of positive cases in the district now stands at 381, news agency ANI reported. Kanpur has emerged as another Covid-19 hotspot in the state with 33 coronavirus cases being reported in the past 24 hours, news agency IANS reported. The city has 185 total Covid-19 cases. 10 new COVID19 positive cases reported in Agra district in last 24 hours; the total number of positive cases in the district is now 381: DM Agra Prabhu N Singh ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) April 27, 2020 The latest cases were detected from Bhannana Purwa area where 10 members of a family contracted the virus, while 10 cases were reported from the Colonelganj area. There are 13 women who have coronavirus. We have prepared a contact list of those who came in contact with them and now their tests would be conducted too, Kanpurs Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Ashok Shukla said. 1868 people have been infected from Covid-19 in Uttar Pradesh. While 289 people have recovered from coronavirus in the state, 29 have died from the infection here. On Sunday, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath directed officials to ensure geo-tagging of all shelter homes in the state and called for an increase in pool testing at all Covid-19 hospitals. This came after the chief minister held a meeting with chairpersons of 11 committees to review the prevailing coronavirus situation in the state. The number of coronavirus cases in the country rose to 27,892 on Monday. According to the latest figures updated by the Ministry of Health, there are 20,835 active coronavirus cases in the country, 6,184 patients have been cured or discharged while 872 people have died from the deadly contagion. (With inputs from agencies) A new bus factory in Oman's Salalah Free Zone (SFZ) is scheduled to start production in the last quarter of this year, a senior official said. MT Asia is being built at a cost of $50 million and will have an annual production capacity of 1,000 buses of all sizes, Ali bin Mohammed Tabuk, CEO of Salalah Free Zone, told Oman News Agency (ONA). The buses produced by the company will be of high-quality European technology. He added that these buses will be exported to the Gulf, African and Middle Eastern countries, as well as used in the local markets due to their high quality and competitive prices. The factory will provide 250 job opportunities. Meanwhile, construction work has started on Felix Pharmaceutical Industries, which is expected to start operation by the end of 2020 at the free zone. CLEVELAND, Ohio -- As Ohio plans to reopen businesses that state officials closed to limit the spread of the coronavirus, many residents out of work amid the pandemic are still seeking answers to some pressing questions about unemployment benefits. Nearly 1 million Ohio residents have applied for unemployment benefits since the state started closing non-essential businesses amid the COVID-19 crisis. Many could be seeking jobs long after businesses start to reopen, Lt. Gov. Jon Husted said Thursday during a daily coronavirus briefing at the Ohio Statehouse. The reality is that even when you open things up, its not going to come back fast," Husted said. Ohio residents applying for unemployment benefits have complained that theyve been stymied by delayed payments and long wait times on the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services website. Husted has repeatedly apologized for the issues at daily coronavirus briefings, and promised that steps are being taken to correct them. Cleveland.com has compiled a list of questions that readers lingering questions about unemployment benefits. How do I apply for unemployment benefits in Ohio? The quickest, easiest way to file for benefits is through the ODJFS website. Anyone who is eligible for benefits can apply here; click the Get Started Now button to begin. You can also apply by phone by calling toll-free 1-877-644-6562 or TTY 1-614-387-8408. The ODJFS has extended its hours to Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m; Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Cleveland.com has compiled a guide to applying for unemployment benefits. A video explainer can also be viewed at the top of this post. Can self-employed individuals and independent contractors apply for unemployment? Yes. After weeks of discussion about the status of self-employed people and independent contractors, Ohio residents who dont quality for traditional unemployment benefits can begin applying through the federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program. Ohio residents can pre-register for PUA benefits by visiting unemployment.ohio.gov and clicking on Get Started Now. The agency does not yet have the technical ability to process PUA claims, but pre-registering will allow individuals to set up an account so they can log in and complete their paperwork in May. Anyone seeking PUA benefits is eligible for retroactive pay dating back to Feb. 2. The program will provide up to 39 weeks of benefits. It will operate similar to traditional unemployment pay - typically half of a persons average salary over the past four financial quarters, plus an additional $600 per week from the federal government through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act through July 25. How long will it take to process all the unemployment claims filed amid the pandemic? The ODJFS has distributed nearly $1 billion to more than 399,000 claimants over the past five weeks, agency spokesman Bret Crow said Friday. That includes $564.3 million toward the $600 weekly federal payments and $414.8 million in regular unemployment payments. It typically takes three to four weeks to process an unemployment application, but the coronavirus crisis has dramatically increased the pressure on the states unemployment system. Ohio has beefed up staffing to help process additional claims, but residents have complained that they are being stymied by delays. As of Friday, ODJFS received 939,000 claims since the start of the crisis. It had approved 484,000 and denied 200,000, while another 4,200 were withdrawn. Approximately 249,000 claims were still pending, ODJFS Director Kimberly Hall said during a conference call with reporters. Were working hard to reduce that number every day, Hall said. She added that ODJFS has been receiving roughly 500,000 calls to its unemployment phone lines every day during the crisis. I havent received any unemployment money yet. Will I still get paid for the weeks Ive been eligible? What if I return to work before I get any money? Yes. Both the state of Ohio and the U.S. government are offering retroactive unemployment pay, dating back to the first week a person was eligible to receive benefits. A return to work would not have any effect on someone getting unemployment, Crow said. The additional $600 per week offered through the federal CARES Act be distributed separately from the states unemployment pay. The first CARES Act payment an individual receives will include any retroactive pay they are eligible for, dating back to March 29, Crow said. How long can someone receive unemployment benefits? Typically, anyone eligible for regular unemployment benefits in Ohio can receive a maximum 26 weeks of unemployment benefits in a single year. The federal CARES Act offers additional benefits up to 39 weeks once individuals exhaust their eligibility for regular unemployment benefits. Self-employed individuals or independent contractors receiving benefits through the PUA are eligible for up to 39 weeks of benefits. Would I be eligible for unemployment benefits if I quit my job because Im concerned about unsafe work conditions? Two unemployment attorneys told cleveland.com that employees should think twice about quitting their jobs if theyre concerned about workplace safety. They would need to show just cause for quitting, and demonstrate that a reasonable person would quit their job under similar circumstances. It could be difficult to make that arguments, so attorneys told cleveland.com that employees should first try to rectify any safety concerns with managers or human resources. Employees should document those conversation, creating as much of a paper trail as possible, attorneys said. Does Ohio have enough money to pay unemployment benefits? Ohios unemployment trust fund had a balance of $648.8 on Thursday, Crow said. The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday that states have been quickly depleting their unemployment funds amid the crisis; Ohios trust fund had more than $1 billion in it last month. What happens if the trust fund runs out of money? The ODJFS currently estimates the $648.8 million remaining in the trust fund will be depleted in a maximum of eight weeks, Crow said. That could change, based on whether the state receives quarterly tax payments on time. If the trust fund does run out of money and become insolvent, Ohio will continue to pay unemployment benefits. The state would borrow the money from the U.S. Treasury Department or another source to meet its legal obligation, Crow said. Ohio borrowed $3.4 billion from the federal government during the Great Recession, and repaid the money in 2016 with $257.7 million in interest. Ohio waived some requirements for receiving unemployment benefits amid the pandemic. What happens when people can go back to work? As the need for unemployment benefits has spiked, Gov. Mike DeWine and state lawmakers have moved to temporarily waive requirements for applicants, such as actively seeking work and waiting one week to start receiving benefits. Husted said Thursday that he does not expect any of those requirements to be reinstated in the near term. Even when businesses can reopen, the economic fallout of the pandemic will linger, he said. We dont expect that on May 1, or May 15, or June 1, the economic circumstances for those folks ... any of them are going to change all that dramatically," Husted said. The case is set to be argued May 12, and briefing was completed weeks ago. So the order from the court caught lawyers by surprise and raised at least the possibility that the justices were looking for a way to avoid deciding the cases merits. Chandigarh, April 27 : Twenty-three students from Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya in Madhya Pradesh, who had been stranded in Punjab since the lockdown on March 24, were sent back to their hometown on Monday in a chartered bus, an official said. They had come from Chhatarpur in Madhya Pradesh to their sister school in Chamkaur Sahib in Ropar district of Punjab on a student-exchange programme and got stuck due to the lockdown, Special Chief Secretary K.B.S. Sidhu, who is in-charge to monitor state-wide coronavirus cases, told IANS. Deputy Commissioner Sonali Giri had tied up for their travel, security, food and route permissions, he added. Incidentally, the Jawahar Vidyalaya in Ropar is being converted into a Covid Care Centre. Its a largely unseen consequence of the COVID-19 crisis and one that hospitals say is hurting patients and costing hospitals big money. A ban on so-called elective surgeries, imposed in March and intended to conserve hospital beds and supplies for a predicted surge of COVID-19 patients, has left hospitals with a sizable backlog of patients waiting for operations. On Monday, state Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine gave hospitals a green light to resume some of the surgeries, as long as they remain able to handle any surge in COVID-19 patients. Levine further said they must be able to protect the non-COVID-19 patients from getting infected. The surge that scuttled the elective surgeries has not been as bad as state officials first feared. As of Monday, with about 2,800 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 in the state, 47% percent of beds remained available, along with 40% of intensive care beds and 70 % of breathing ventilators, Levine said. A big consequence of canceling the surgeries, hospitals say, is the loss of a major source of revenue. The Hospital & Health System Association of Pennsylvania says its costing the states hospital industry about $1.5 billion per month. The loss, combined with the added costs of ramping up for COVID-19, threatened to force some hospitals to close, the association said. UPMC, the Pittsburgh-based giant with several hospitals in the Harrisburg region, was one of the last hospitals to end the elective surgeries. Last week, UPMC announced it was resuming some surgeries -- even as Levine said the state wasnt quite ready to give the go ahead. UPMC doctors and officials said only about 2% of 5,500 hospital beds and 8% percent of intensive care beds were being used by COVID-19 patients as of last week. They further said the infection rate has been dropping in communities where UPMC has hospitals, located mostly in the western and central parts of the state. UPMC has said that while surgeries may be labeled as elective, many are medically necessary, essential care. These include heart- and cancer-related procedures and treatment related to neurological and gastrointestinal disorders, spokeswoman Susan Manko said. Dr. Hemal Gada, the director of cardiovascular services at UPMC Pinnacle, says he would never define as elective most of the procedures he does. He says patients have delayed things including heart catheterization, placement of stents and repairs to heart valves requiring open heart surgery. While these arent considered emergencies, they are procedures patients might need to feel healthy and live normally, he said. During the elective surgery ban, much of Gadas day has been devoted to consulting with such patients by phone or video, trying to keep them stable and judge whether their condition is taking a turn that could become an emergency, he said. One of his worries has been that, because of fear of catching COVID-19 at the hospital, a patient might downplay symptoms. As a result, he sometimes has talked to others in the household to get an accurate picture of how the patient is faring. In some cases, patients who had delayed surgery reached an emergency situation, which is a less-than-ideal way to handle their problems, he said. Gada said he expects that, when he sees patients again, some will be worse off than if they had been able to get treatment sooner. Its really unfortunate. Its unprecedented in my career. Ive never dealt with anything like this before, he said. Gada said it will be a challenge to deal with the backlog, and he expects it will require tactics including extra staff and extended hours. He said it has been a medically and emotionally stressful time for patients. Theyve had to put off things that could improve their health. Further, their conditions make them especially vulnerable to the coronavirus, and some now fear entering the hospital because of COVID-19 patients. Its the proverbial rock and a hard place, he said. UPMC promises it is capable of preventing the elective surgery patients from catching the coronavirus. Gada said COVID-19 patients are kept in separate areas and separate route are used to move them around the hospital. 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. A male civilian was fatally shot during an encounter with police Sunday afternoon in Passaic County, authorities said. The shooting involving police officers occurred at the interchange of Routes 80, 23 and 46 in Wayne, the New Jersey Attorney Generals Office said in a brief statement. There were no immediate reports of any officers hurt. The state agency would not release more information. Under a January 2019 law, the Attorney Generals Office investigates cases where someone dies during an encounter with law enforcement officers or while in custody statewide. Local police referred questions to the Attorney Generals Office. Route 80 was closed in both directions near the scene, according to the states traffic website. The shooting came less than 24 hours after a New Jersey State Police trooper was shot while investigating a home invasion in Salem County. The trooper was recovering and no arrests were announced. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com. 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The total number of people who tagged or talked about website Facebook page in the last 7-10 days. The type of Facebook page. Facebook Timeline is the new layout of Facebook pages. A Facebook page link can be found in the homepage or in the robots.txt file. The URL of the found Facebook page. The total number of people who like website Facebook page. Twitter account link TWITTER PAGE LINK FOUND TWITTER PAGE twitter.com/#!/CallChecker DESCRIPTION Call Checker - call comparison specialist that surveys the UKs best cheap international calls and is the moneysaving experts when it comes to calls from the UK'} ACCOUNT CREATED ON 22 Feb 2012 LOCATION null TWEETS 1 FOLLOWERS 2 LISTED 0 The life-threatening coronavirus that has rapidly swept the world can linger in the air of crowded places, researchers today warned. Experts in Wuhan, the Chinese city where the pandemic began, analysed air samples from different parts of two hospitals. Results showed the virus, called SARS-CoV-2, was undetectable everywhere except two areas 'prone to crowding'. Researchers found viral particles floating in the air of hospital toilets, which had very little ventilation. They also discovered especially high concentrations in the rooms where medical staff put on and took off protective gear. The latter suggests the virus can latch onto clothing and become airborne again when when masks, gloves and gowns are removed. Passengers are pictured on a Tube at Canning Town station on the London Underground today Researchers behind the study say the findings highlight the importance of ventilation, limiting crowds and proper disinfection. Scientists around the world are scrambling to understand how the virus, which has now killed more than 200,000 people, sheds and spreads. One in 10 coronavirus patients infect others before they even know they're ill, study finds One in 10 cases of coronavirus may be passed on by people who do not realise they are ill, research suggests. A study in Singapore found around 10 per cent of infections were transmitted by pre-symptomatic people, who only suffered symptoms days later. In one case, a 52-year-old woman caught the highly contagious virus after sitting in seat at church hours after an infected tourist. The finding adds to a growing body of evidence showing COVID-19 patients are infectious before they know it. It has prompted the US Government to issue new guidance warning anyone exposed to others with, or suspected of having, the disease will be considered a carrier. The fact the virus can spread 'silently' makes it extremely hard for experts to track the outbreak. The findings reinforce the importance of social distancing and other measures designed to stop the spread, experts said. 'You have to really be proactive about reducing contacts between people who seem perfectly healthy,' said Lauren Ancel Meyers, a University of Texas at Austin researcher who has studied coronavirus transmission in different countries. The Singapore study looked at 243 cases of coronavirus between January and March, including 157 infections among people caught it locally and not abroad. Scientists found that so-called pre-symptomatic people triggered infections in seven different clusters of disease, accounting for about 6 per cent of the local cases. One of those infections was particularly striking. A 52-year-old woman's infection was linked to her sitting in a seat at a church that had been occupied earlier in the day by two tourists who showed no symptoms but later fell ill. Investigators were able to pinpoint the transmission after reviewing CCTV of church services. The newest research was published online by the CDC. Advertisement There is debate about whether enough viral particles can survive in the air to infect people who breathe them in hours later. The latest study, led by researchers at Wuhan University, suggest it may be possible, without proper ventilation. It follows a wealth of studies that have suggested the highly contagious disease does not just spread via droplets in a cough or sneeze. Ke Lan, professor and director of the State Key Laboratory of Virology at the university, and colleagues set up so-called aerosol traps in and around two hospitals in the city. They could not find detectable levels of the virus in the corridors of wards and patients' rooms. But they did discoverer them in toilets and two areas that had large crowds passing through, including an indoor space near one of the hospitals. Writing in the study, the scientists said: 'Although we have not established the infectivity of the virus detected in these hospital areas, we propose that SARS-CoV-2 may have the potential to be transmitted via aerosols. 'Our results indicate that room ventilation, open space, sanitization of protective apparel, and proper use and disinfection of toilet areas can effectively limit the concentration of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in aerosols.' It comes on the back of a US study which hinted that coronavirus could spread through the air and remain contagious for hours. The Nebraska University paper found high levels of the bug lurking in the air in hospital rooms long after infected patients had left. What's more is that traces of the coronavirus were also discovered in hospital corridors outside patients' rooms, where staff had been coming in and out. The researchers behind the study say the finding highlights the importance of protective clothing for healthcare workers. The researchers found viral particles in the air both inside the rooms and in the hallways outside of the rooms. Their finding suggests people may be able to contract the bug without ever being in direct close proximity to an infected person. The study's authors said this highlights the importance of wearing personal protective equipment (PPE). Meanwhile, access to PPE for frontline NHS staff is getting worse despite Government promises to increase supplies. The Royal College of Physicians said those working in high-risk areas still could not always access long-sleeved disposable gowns and full-face face visors. It said the shortages had worsened in the last three weeks. In a survey of 2,129 college members last Wednesday, 27 per cent reported being unable to access the kit they needed for managing COVID-19 patients. That's compared with just over a fifth (22 per cent) of doctors in a similar poll on April 1. Former U.N. Ambassador and South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley resigned from the board last month, saying she opposed Boeings effort to lean on the federal government for a stimulus or bailout" to cope with the virus pandemic, which has caused air traffic in the U.S. to plunge about 95% and led global airlines to ground 2,800 planes and delay plans to buy new ones. [April 27, 2020] CognitiveScale's Cortex Certifai Now Available in the Microsoft Azure Marketplace AUSTIN, Texas, April 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- CognitiveScale, the Trusted AI Company, today announced the availability of Cortex Certifai (Certifai) in the Microsoft Azure Marketplace, an online store providing applications and services for use on Microsoft Azure. CognitiveScale customers can now take advantage of the productive and trusted Azure cloud platform, with streamlined deployment and management. Adopters of AI and ML (machine learning) are projected to grow immensly, according to industry analysts. But to fully embrace an AI system, organizations must be able to trust and defend their decisions. CognitiveScale addresses this critical need for trust in AI. Its AI/ML model vulnerability detection and risk management product, Certifai, provides six key dimensions of model explainability: fairness, reliability, privacy, inclusiveness, transparency, and accountability. These are closely aligned with Microsoft's key principles for responsible AI. Certifai also produces a Trust Index, which combines accuracy, fairness, explainability, robustness, and compliance metrics into a single scoring framework. The Certifai solution adds confidence in predictions and automated decisions and provides transparency via explainability of the AI models and their outcomes without the need to understand the model and related datasets. It eliminates many of the major barriers to data risks and AI/ML adoption and use, and it supports fast, reliable end-to-ed application development. By offering Certifai on Azure, customers get cloud-based economy and flexibility, along with the ability to connect seamlessly with existing Azure data and ML processes and toolchains. "CognitiveScale is focused on delivering trusted AI so that the technological and practical outcomes it creates are maximized for customer and societal benefit," said Matt Sanchez, Founder & CTO of CognitiveScale. "We're fortunate to be able to take advantage of the Microsoft Azure Marketplace as a vehicle for greater awareness and availability of Certifai, providing Azure customers with the ability to validate how their AI models work, and helping them to implement trusted and transparent AI solutions." "Through the Microsoft Azure Marketplace, customers around the world can easily find, buy, and deploy partner solutions they can trust, all certified and optimized to run on Azure," said Sajan Parihar, Senior Director, Microsoft Azure Platform at Microsoft Corp. "We're happy to welcome CognitiveScale and Cortex Certifai to the growing Azure Marketplace ecosystem." The Azure Marketplace is an online market for buying and selling cloud solutions certified to run on Azure. The Azure Marketplace helps connect companies seeking innovative, cloud-based solutions with partners who have developed solutions that are ready to use. Learn more about Cortex Certifai at its page in the Azure Marketplace. About CognitiveScale CognitiveScale is an enterprise AI software company with solutions that help customers win with intelligent, transparent, and trusted digital systems. Our Cortex software and industry AI accelerators enable businesses to rapidly build, operate, and evolve intelligent and trusted AI systems on any cloud. The company's award-winning software is being used by global leaders in banking, insurance, healthcare, and digital commerce to increase user engagement, improve employee expertise and productivity, and protect brand and digital infrastructure from AI business risks. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, CognitiveScale has offices in New York, London, and Hyderabad, India, and is funded by Norwest Venture Partners, Intel Capital, IBM Watson, M12 (Microsoft) Ventures, Anthem, and USAA. View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cognitivescales-cortex-certifai-now-available-in-the-microsoft-azure-marketplace-301047031.html SOURCE CognitiveScale [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] The nationwide lockdown is all set to be extended beyond May 3, at least until the middle of the month in the red zones of the country, as many states told Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a video-conference meeting on Monday that its not the time yet to lift the curbs. This means more activities may be allowed to resume in green zones of the country. Most Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled states support extending the lockdown, but will wait and abide by the Centres fresh guidelines. Telangana has already extended the lockdown until May 7, and will take a decision on ... O fficers were called to the same home more than 30 times to deal with reports people were breaking social distancing rules and "blighting the community with bad behaviour". A closure order has now been imposed on the house in Widnes, Cheshire, in response to persistent anti-social behaviour and breaches of the Covid-19 regulations. Chesire police issued multiple fixed penalty notices to visitors to the property on Foster Street for refusing to comply with regulations imposed by the Government to protect the NHS and save lives during the coronavirus pandemic. When this failed to stop people from gathering at the house at all hours of the day and night, officers from the local Problem Solving Team were forced to apply for a closure order. The order, granted by Warrington Magistrates' Court on Friday, makes it a crime for anyone other than the tenant to be at the property for up to three months. Police Constable Ian Prashar, of the Halton Problem Solving Team, condemned the behaviour of the people inside the property, saying it caused "significant alarm, harassment and distress" to their neighbours. I am delighted that the closure order has been secured and I want to thank the members of the public who played a key role in this," said PC Prashar. The information they supplied was crucial in us gathering the evidence needed to secure the order. The closure order is another example of our commitment to targeting those who undermine our communities and have a significant detrimental impact on the quality of life of local residents through unacceptable behaviour. I hope that this case encourages others to report and give statements regarding such behaviour at properties they live near. As this case shows, we will do something about it. Police were given powers in March to impose 60 fines on those who flout social distancing rules. Those who do not pay the penalty can be taken to court, with magistrates able to impose unlimited fines. Before and during Coronavirus lockdown - In pictures 1 /44 Before and during Coronavirus lockdown - In pictures AP Buckingham Palace AP Piccadilly Line tube AP Big Ben AP Millennium bridge AP Wembley Stadium AP St Pancras International train station AP Downing Street AP Victoria Station AP Regent Street AP The Mall leading to Buckingham Palace AP London's National Gallery in Trafalgar Square PA Edinburgh's Royal Mile PA Barry Island, South Wales PA Bath PA Bath PA London's Waterloo station PA London Bridge PA London's Canary Wharf Jubilee Line platform PA London's Canary Wharf Station PA London's Buckingham Palace PA London's Tower Bridge PA London's Leicester Square PA London's Millennium Bridge with St Paul's Cathedral PA London's Criterion Theatre PA London's Palace Theatre PA London's Phoenix Theatre PA London's Canary Wharf Station PA Bournemouth beach PA Bath PA Bath PA Barry Island, South Wales PA Bournemouth beach PA Chesire officers will conduct regular checks of the house over the next three months to ensure that the order is not breached. If anyone is found to have breached it they are liable to be arrested and face up to six months in prison, an unlimited fine or both. Superintendent Julie Westgate added: Everyone should be aware of the need to stay at home to protect the NHS, save lives and stop the spread of Covid-19. It is really encouraging to see that the vast majority of people in Cheshire are doing this, only going out for the essential reasons. In this case, those who have been part of the gatherings inside and outside the house in Foster Street have not only made neighbours lives a misery through their excessive noise and anti-social behaviour, by not adhering to the lockdown regulations they have increased the chances of the coronavirus spreading, putting more lives at risk and potentially unnecessary strain on emergency medical care. They have also tied up a significant amount of police resources at a time when, like all other emergency services and key workers, our officers and staff are putting their own lives and the lives of their families at risk on a daily basis whilst working in really challenging circumstances. San Francisco police executing a search warrant at an apartment in the Outer Sunset apparently made a grim discovery Sunday night. According to KTVU's Evan Sernoffsky, a "severed human head" was found in the refrigerator of a home on the 1600 block of Great Highway between Lawton and Moraga streets. Police confirmed homicide investigators were on the scene as well as the medical examiner, but when reached for comment, SFPD Sgt. Michael Andraychak declined to elaborate further. The victim has not been identified. KTVU reports the search warrant may be linked to Justin Silvernale, an Antioch man who died after a chaotic exchange with police on April 12. According to police, Silvernale, 35, attempted to car-jack two vehicles at knife-point at a Chevron on Hickey Boulevard in Daly City. An off-duty San Francisco police officer who attempted to subdue Silvernale was stabbed, as well as a civilian. ALSO: Vietnamese-owned businesses in San Jose vandalized South San Francisco officers arrived on the scene and, in the melee, Silvernale was shot. He then stole an officer's patrol car and drove off, making it to the Kaiser Permanente some 60 feet away before exiting the vehicle. According to South San Francisco police, officers then fatally shot Silvernale. He was pronounced dead at the scene; the off-duty officer and individual who were stabbed have since recovered. That case is being investigated by police from South San Francisco and Daly City, as well as the San Mateo County District Attorney's Office. KTVU reports a missing person case may link Silvernale to the apartment in San Francisco. Katie Dowd is a senior digital editor with SFGATE. Email her: katie.dowd@sfgate.com. Two mid-Michigan restaurant staples are set to fire their grills back up this week. Halo Burger and Starlite Coney Island have announced they will reopen Friday, May 1, but the doors to their dining rooms will remain closed to customers. Starlites locations at 1500 Center Road and 4125 E. Court St. in Burton will reopen after shutting down for more than two weeks over concerns due to COVID-19. We feel that hopefully things are slowing down a little bit, said Jason Hester, Starlite co-owner, referring to the number of cases in the state. We also have a lot of people that need to work, and weve got to get back after it. Between the two locations, Hester estimated Starlite employs 90-100 people. Starlite Coney Island temporarily closes locations in coronavirus outbreak Another factor was the April 12 death of Alex Popoff, Starlites founder and father of co-owner Kosta Popoff. He was 80 years old. Weve had a chance to kind of grieve Alexs unfortunate passing and weve got to the point where weve checked and double checked our safety protocols internally, Hester said. The Center Road location will open at 7 a.m. May 1 and resume 24-hour operations the following day. Car-hop service will not be offered, but customers are able to use the drive-thru and pick-up services at Center Road and the East Court Street location. Hours for pick-up and take-out at East Court Street will run from 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday. Customers are encouraged to place their orders and can pay over the phone. Some menu items may not be available. The moves are meant to try and limit the amount of face-to-face interaction until they are given the go-ahead to reopen dining rooms, Hester said. Employees will use gloves and masks. The locations are being cleaned on a regular basis. Weve always sanitized ... everything thoroughly, said Hester. Were just taking the extra steps (out of caution). On the same day Starlite announced its reopening, Halo Burger also has made the move to resume drive-thru and delivery services May 1 at five Genesee County locations -- Linden Road in Flint Township, Hill Road in Grand Blanc, Leroy Street in Fenton, Belsay Road in Burton, as well as Pierson Road in Mt. Morris Township -- and one in Saginaw Countys Birch Run off Interstate 75. The downtown Flint and East Court Street Halo Burger locations will remain closed for now. Primarily staffing, no one is required to come back so some folks opted to wait, said Olivia Ross, Halo Burgers director of marketing, regarding the Flint locations. "Additionally, Court (Street) is near Belsay Road and (the) downtown (Flint location) generates a significant amount of business during working hours thanks to foot traffic. The coronavirus has decreased the number of folks out and about so we are focusing our resources (on) locations we can best serve the most people, Ross said. The burger chain shut down two hours before Gov. Gretchen Whitmers Stay Home, Stay Safe order was announced on March 23. The company employs 140 people who were laid off when the restaurants closed. Daniel Stern, co-owner of Halo Burger, said the decision to reopen comes as more retailers introduce curbside pickup, our community is experiencing an increase in traffic yet a limited number of options for food. Hours of operation for Halo Burger will run from 9 a.m.-7 p.m. seven days a week, with the exception of Birch Run which will be open from 10 a.m.-7 p.m. and not offer breakfast. Halo Burgers facilities are perfectly designed to support drive thru and carry out options that wont jeopardize the safety of our staff or community, added Stern. Weve been carefully evaluating this situation as it evolves and our team has implemented strict policies and procedures to ensure safety remains our top priority. The business is reopening with safety measures in place including facial coverings and gloves, distanced work zones to minimize employee contact, daily health checks with contactless thermometers and protective equipment installed at drive-thru windows. Halo Burger previously started a family fund upon the closure and will continue to support the effort to aid employees with utility bills, groceries, rent and other essential needs. Halo Burger closes doors, starts fund to support workers laid off during coronavirus outbreak Kimberley Strassel: On Spygate Realities, Media Failings and the COVID 19 Relief Bill Mess Just how is it that some media have gotten away with calling Spygate a conspiracy theory? With the DOJ IG Report footnotes, new revelations about FISA abuse, and disappearing Steele dossier records, what do we now know about the potential weaponization of the US Intelligence community against the Trump campaign? And, whats Kimberley Strassels prescription for dealing with the mess she argues has been created by the unprecedented COVID 19 spending bills? In this episode, we sit down with Kimberley Strassel, a columnist and member of the Wall Street Journals Editorial Board. She writes a weekly Potomac Watch column, and she is also the author of Resistance (At All Costs): How Trump Haters Are Breaking America. This is American Thought Leaders , and Im Jan Jekielek. Jan Jekielek: Kim Strassel, such a pleasure to have you back on American Thought Leaders. Kimberley Strassel: It is so great to be here, Jan. Thanks for having me. Mr. Jekielek: There are so many things I really want to talk to you about. Youve got this amazing Potomac column in the Wall Street Journal today that I want to talk about. Theres all sorts of really interesting media adventures that I think we need to talk about relevant to your book Resistance (At All Costs). But I think the thing I most want to talk to you about and what were going to start with is to figure out where were at with respect to US Attorney John Durhams inquiry into the Crossfire Hurricane investigation and everything related to that. Theres been this steady flow of information over the past months basically telling us, this really wasnt started in a reasonable way. There really isnt a lot of support for the investigation in the first place. Im not seeing any headlines about it. Then suddenly, part four of this highly, highly redacted Senate Intelligence Committee report comes out, and headlines everywhere. And thats recent. So why dont we start at that point? What are you seeing here? Ms. Strassel: Well, its an amazing thing to me, what you just described, in that we have, over the past four or five months, received plenty of information, whether from the inspector generals report in December, or some of his follow-up information that has come out, whether what were hearing from the AG about the Durham report that have just been devastating to the Russia collusion narrative, right, its blown it out of the water. And that was in case there was anyone out there who still had any shred of confidence in it after even the Mueller Report found that there was no there there. And yet, the media has just ignored almost all of this. So instead, yes, the only real headline we get happens to be the one that comes out from part four of this Senate Intelligence Committee work that says, yes, indeed, we have determined that the intelligence community was correct in saying that the Russians were only doing this to help Donald Trump get elected. And because thats the one small piece that they can still cling to: See, we were right, this was all about helping Trump get elected. And then you can leave hanging out there this little idea that potentially also means that he was inappropriately elected, because he had help. Those are the only headlines we hear about. Mr. Jekielek: Its really remarkable, because when I saw these headlines, I was thinking to myself, I think we all agree that the Russians interfered. I didnt realize this was a matter of contention. And this is essentially what this report says, so this is not new information. But on the other hand, it doesnt talk about this whole issue of whether there was this weaponization of agencies, which is the big question, against the campaign at this time. Ms. Strassel: Heres the reality about the Senate Intelligence Committee report. The media loves to talk about its body of work, because they like to put a big premium on the fact that its the only bipartisan report that has come out. The way I would like to describe it is its also been the least essential and least informative committee to put out anything, potentially because of the bipartisan aspect of it. When you have to get agreement from every single person, it usually means youre not saying anything particularly striking or startling. And, indeed, that the main takeaway from everything thats come out of the Senate Intelligence Committee has just been that its been two years behind everybody else, three years behind, and saying what we already knew. And its also avoided, as you said, really important topics, for instance, the behavior of the FBI. So in that regard, I put it very much in the same category of the Mueller Report, which is its largely closed its eyes to the broader story, and it mostly just repeats popular talking points. Mr. Jekielek: Well, lets go into this story. You described this four- or five-month period that weve been getting new information. I think my last 15 interviews or more have been about coronavirus-related things. This is actually a really important issue. Some people argue its the biggest potential scandal in American history beyond Watergate. I think some folks might be forgetting whats been going on. Im wondering if you could rekindle that understanding of where were at, maybe starting with the IG (Inspector General) report, and then sort of working into these more recent footnotes, which is much more recent information. Ms. Strassel: I mentioned the Mueller Report. That was probably a key thing just for kicking off only in that that was our definitive proof from the people who said that it was supposed to be definitive, that there was no Russian collusion. He couldnt find that. The Trump campaign did not collude with Russia to win the election, okay? Then you fast forward and you find out that from the IG report in December, that the FBI stands accused of duping a secret Surveillance Court, known as the FISA court. It provided it with [an] endless list of incorrect information. It ignored exculpatory information about its targets, in particular Carter Page, who it surveilled in the end, and in essence wasnt honest with the court. We got some additional details out of that report too, just about some really concerning FBI behavior One way of looking at this is that they got their teeth into a story that was fed to them by the opposition campaign to Donald Trump, and they were not willing to let it go, no matter what kind of story came, what information came in that undercut it. They had plenty of evidence early in this investigation that there were problems with bias on behalf of Christopher Steele who wrote the dossier: problems with his sources, problems with the fact that he was related to the other campaign. They dragged their feet. It took a long time for them to go talk to his sources, even when his sources told them that their sources believe that he had misrepresented what they had said, that a lot of it was gossip and hearsay. They ignored that, continued going, and continued to get surveillance warrants on Carter Page for six months after that point. So the IG was incredibly tough on them and called out this horrible behavior and then since then, weve found out even more astonishing stuff, as you mentioned, for instance, with footnotes that have just recently been disclosed. Mr. Jekielek: So, okay, tell me about the footnotes. Theres some really fascinating things in there. Ms. Strassel: One of the themes that I think wasnt explicitly stated in the IG report, but is an obvious takeaway isthe degree to which the FBI closed its eyes to anything that might undercut its narrative. And what the footnotes now revealedand these are footnotes that were in the IG report, and because of pressure from certain senators, they were recently declassified because they had been blocked out in the original reportwhat they show is that the FBI was alerted early on by other sources of it, that there was good reason to believe that Christopher Steele had been deliberately targeted by Russian intelligence to be the subject of a disinformation campaign. So what does that mean? It doesnt just mean that the information that he fed to the FBI was incorrect. It meant that the Russians may well have been using the FBI to interfere with our election, that they somehow had a sense that Christopher Steele was reporting these things back to authorities of some level and they were feeding him incorrect information. So in other words, yes, the Russians interfered in our election, potentially with an enormous assist from no other than the FBI. Mr. Jekielek: Its really fascinating that the FBI actually had considerable reason to believe, based on these footnotes, that there was Russian disinformation, but as far as we can tell, made no inquiry into this question. You would think it would be the first thing that they would be looking at. Ms. Strassel: This is one of the great mysteries of the IG report. But the one thing that I found very unsatisfying about the IG reportand I think Michael Horowitz did a very good job and produced for us a lot of really important informationbut the IG attitude about some questions was, they asked the question, and then they reported the answer, but it doesnt really make a judgement on whether or not that answer was legitimate or not. And so, for instance, some very senior people in the FBI were specifically asked by the IG: Did you not stop to consider that this might have been Russian disinformation? And I was struck by the answer Bill Priestap, who was one of the assistant directors there and in charge of this investigation to a certain extent. He goes: Oh, we looked into that, but we decided that it just wasnt valid. Well, how did you look into it? And how do you hold up that line in light of these footnotes saying that you were specifically warned by other sources? And a lot of people are assuming, we dont know for sure, that some of these warnings were coming from fellow intelligence services, maybe overseas intelligence services saying: look, hey, step back. You might have a problem with this Christopher Steele guy. So how do you say that you evaluated the Russian disinformation claim and came to the judgment that it wasnt valid when you have specific warnings? What exactly did you do? Theres no information suggesting that they really took it seriously at all. Mr. Jekielek: One of the theories thats been floated is that they knew that it was actually not Russian disinformation but opposition research. Ms. Strassel: Oh, they did know. The question is still very murky, and to me thats telling. Everyones very quiet and cagey about when exactly the FBI was alerted to the fact that Christopher Steele was in the employment of the Hillary Clinton campaign. And now people are parsing the dates in to say, Well, that information came to the agency, but it didnt make its way to the core people until this time. But look, we know for a fact that Bruce Ohr, the Justice Department official whose wife worked for Fusion GPS, which hired Christopher Steele, we know that he, under sworn testimony to the House of Representatives, said that in August, he went to FBI and DOJ officials and informed them that Christopher Steele worked [for] and was connected with the Clinton campaign, had a bias and had an axe to grind against Donald Trump, so they knew that well before they had even filed those first applications for surveillance against Carter Page. Mr. Jekielek: Speaking of the Steele dossier here, we just have this recent report by [journalist] Chuck Ross looking at a defamation suit being run against Christopher Steele, where he says, incredibly, that all the notes from his conversations with his only source for this Steele dossier dont exist anymore. At least thats what Im reading. Wow. Ms. Strassel: Yeah. Wow. Especially because thats not what he was saying even a few months ago. So remember, the IG report came out. It was scathing about Christopher Steele, his reporting, his qualifications to have done this and the report itself, obviously. And in the aftermath of that, his lawyers came out and said, In particular on the issue about whether or not Mr. Steele embellished or didnt report accurately what his sub-sources had told him, well, he took meticulous notes. And they left it out there to suggest that all he would have to do is release these documents and it would make clear that he totally provided the exact verbatim words from his sources and he didnt engage in exaggeration, etc. All the way back in late 2016, early 2017, even before the dossier had been publicly published, somehow his emails were all wiped, and were not sure if he wiped them, or if somebody else wiped them, but he says he doesnt have any of that. Its not clear he has any notes or correspondence with anything. So its a little convenient now because theres no way to check on the quality of his reporting, or the nature of his interaction with Fusion and the campaign, or anyone, for that matter. Mr. Jekielek: Yes, or the source that would have been in the notes saying, Ive been misrepresented here in the dossier. Ms. Strassel: Exactly. And that gets to the nub of it. The real criticism of Steele was supposedly he reported a bunch of stuff back in that dossier as fact and as having come from senior officials, when in fact, his own source told the FBI, most of it was stuff I heard in a bar. It was never meant to go into a report, and its gossip. Mr. Jekielek: So, Kim, theres also this issue that political commentator John Solomon has been reporting on, which is the chair of the House Intel Committee Adam Schiff withholding these transcripts that the House voted on to have released. Ms. Strassel: Yeah, this is the latest outrage in my mind from House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff, and you have to go back several years, right, to when Devin Nunes, the Republican was running the committee. They conducted a very thorough investigation and they were one of the first out of the box to write a report and to tell us what now has been confirmed over and over again, and I think thats worthwhile pointing out. The Nunes committee report was right, okay, and it was right a year or 18 months before Mueller ever managed to get around to coming out with his own conclusions. But in the aftermath of that report, the Committee voted to release the transcripts of the interviews that they had done with more than 50 people. And those interviews have been going through a declassification process, which is normal and routine, but apparently he has close to 40 of them back with him and hes refusing to release them, refusing to make them public. And then there are another 10, Im told, that hes also blocking the declassification process altogether. So we dont know when well get those and if they would be included in the tranche that should at some point be released. Theres a clear reason why he would be doing this. The only reason hed be doing this is because these transcripts are going to, probably not look very good for some of those Obama holdovers: the Comeys and the McCabes of the world who came in to testify, and whose testimony will be proven wrong or certainly squirrelly in light of the IG report and what we now know. But also, I think those transcripts will prove that Democrats understood all along as these interviews were taking place, that there was no there there, and they continued to escalate the story anyway. Mr. Jekielek: Attorney Durham has been running all this time very quietly. We almost hear nothing about the investigation except when the Attorney General comes out and talks about it. And I find that really interesting. I cant imagine its ever by accident. Im wondering if you have any thoughts on this? Ms. Strassel: The first thing I would say is that Im happy that were not getting any leaks other than that coming from the AG because it means that Durham is doing his job in a professional way. And I would just contrast that to the flood of nonstop leaks that came out of the FBI and the intelligence communities all throughout the Russia investigation. You couldnt go a day without a leak, sometimes of classified information, all designed to keep up that false narrative. So, Durhams a top-notch investigator. Hes got a team around him. Theyre conducting this the way prosecutors are supposed to do it, which means you dont hang out your dirty laundry in the public. I think William Barr to the extent that hes talking about it is doing so mostly to give people some updates on the progress of whats happening. And so we do know a few things. We know that his probe has now been elevated to that of a criminal probe, which suggests that theres been grand juries and panels, which suggests that he does believe there was some serious potential, serious wrongdoing, in the course of this. We know from the Attorney General that hes looking at the start of this timeframe, right? Not the start point that the FBI likes to use, which is July 31, the day it officially opened its counterintelligence investigation. But what was happening in the months leading up to that? What was Fusion GPS doing? What was Christopher Steele doing? Who else potentially within the former administration was in the know about this operation? Was there any influence exerted on the FBI to take this up from a political perspective? Were there outside operators in foreign countries that were engaged in something? Thats the time period hes looking at. And then, finally we know he doesnt necessarily agree with the Inspector General, that that time period and the official opening of the FBI investigation was in any way adequately predicated, meaning: Was there a good basis to do this? It sounds as though he disagrees with that, based on the one public statement he has made so far. Mr. Jekielek: Right. I remember from the IGs statements, I think, in testimony, he said, theres this kind of potential range that explains what happened, like gross negligence to intentionality, or something like this. And I think, from what I heard from the Attorney General, hes leaning towards intentionality. Ms. Strassel: Right, and thats a very good distinction to make. I was shocked and really discouraged. Weve mentioned the media a couple of times when the IG report came out and their headlines [said] IG found: No bias or political interference. What he actually said was, first of all, he states right off in the beginning of the report that he wasnt going to make a judgement about the judgments FBI officials did. If they fell within the boundaries of FBI policy, he wasnt going to second-guess someones decision, and he said, look, the rules within the FBI for starting a counterintelligence investigation are very, very wide. They can start an investigation into just about anything, so Im not going to second-guess whether they did that. But then you get to the question of no political bias. What he actually said is, he didnt find any written smoking gun anywhere, like an email from Jim Comey saying, Lets start a counterintelligence investigation to take out candidate Trump. No one found an email like that. But he also said he never did get an adequate answer for why the mistakes they made happened and why all of this got carried so far. And he said, so in the end, there are only two answers that you can come to yourself. Either gross incompetenceyoure just so bad at your job that you couldnt even get a fair application into the FISA courtor intentionality, meaning yes, there was a political motive behind doing this, and I think that is where Durham is going to go. Mr. Jekielek: So I want to talk a bit more about the media. But before we go there theres also these recent revelations about the realities of the FISA applications. Im wondering if you could give us an overview of that. That, to me, is some of the most stunning stuff. Ms. Strassel: Oh, its remarkable. And again, the media completely ignored this story, but to me, its one of the more important stories weve had come out. Because what it does is it suggests that we have an FBI that feels so above the law, so able to do anything at once that it cant even follow its own procedures. And that, to me is a telling potential mindset that helps explain how you get to a counterintelligence investigation into an active presidential campaign. But the story here is that in the aftermath of the IG report, the IG was so concerned by how many mistakes have been present in those applications as part of that counterintelligence investigation, they conducted an audit, and they decided to just randomly look at another 29 FISA applications and examine what are known as Woods Files. So, since 2001, the FBI has been under obligation to follow what are known as Woods Procedures, and it means that they have to keep a file in which they keep documentary evidence that backs up any allegation theyre making in a FISA warrant application. And the reason we do this is because the courts rely on the FBI to be scrupulously accurate because theres no one defending the target in that courtroom, right? Its just the court depending on the honesty of the FBI. Well, they looked at these 29 applications. They couldnt even find Woods Files for four of them. And of the other 25 applications, they found errors in every single one, which means 100% fail rate. But the other thing I think is noticeable is that that report also found that while the FBI is supposed to have an oversight mechanism and check these files once in a while to make sure that the Woods Procedures are being followed, they were doing that and finding errors themselves all along and never doing anything about it. Not going back to any of the agents whove made the mistakes and said, Hey, whats up here? They were putting them into reports, saying, Oh, look, our error rate for FISA applications is here now, but not taking any steps to fix it. So again, to my point, when you have an FBI that knows that it can pretty much be as sloppy as it wants, do anything it wants, that the courts not going to call it out, that its superiors arent going to call them out, and that no ones ever going to know because this is classified information, thats how you get to an FBI that has the belief that it is powerful enough that it should be able to even investigate a presidential campaign. Mr. Jekielek: So are these IG revelations feeding into Durhams investigation? How is this working? Ms. Strassel: I think the Attorney General has said that the IG, while theyre not working together hand in hand, that the IG report is certainly informing Durhams investigation, in that hes taking what the IG found. But remember too, and I think this is very important, the IG faced severe limitations in his own ability to do this investigation. He doesnt have subpoena power. He cannot force anyone to come and speak to him and who is not currently a member of the Department of Justice or one of its agencies. You had a number of people that we know refused to come and speak with him. He actually made a point of noting in his report that he asked Jim Comey to renew his classified status, so that he could be refreshed of certain details and provide better answers and Jim Comey refused to do that, which was noticeable because apparently he didnt really want to be reminded of certain things and have to answer certain questions. This is a guy who wrote a book about a higher loyalty. Mr. Jekielek: Kim, the Attorney General has said that now that the election isnt going to affect the process of this criminal investigation that Durhams running. How do you think things are gonna evolve now? Ms. Strassel: That was really interesting to me that the AG said that. I think theres been a lot of us, including myself, who had felt as though the timeframe for a Durham investigation to finish or begin bringing prosecutions, if there are going to be any, would be in the spring or early summer because of these DOJ prohibitions on conducting investigations that involve politics near an election. What Durham seems to be saying is that actually that prohibition doesnt really apply here because none of the characters that Durham is going after are running for election, which is noticeable. That tells us who Durhams not looking at, which means anyone in the Trump team, and obviously, Bidens not part of this story in any way, and hes now the nominee. So it sounds as though theyre not going to necessarily wrap this up sooner rather than later. Mr. Jekielek: Lets jump back to the media question. I need to draw your attention to this poll that I came across recently. Apparently 53% on a pretty wide berth poll of Americans believe that the Steele dossier has validity to it. Ms. Strassel: You mentioned that to me right before we went on air and my eyes just about popped out of my head. I had not heard that and its stunning to me. But its also not surprising, because of that word you just mentioned: the media. And I think one of the great tragedies of this entire story is that the media became an active player in it, and as a result, it had a stake in the outcome of this. It laid so much of its credibility out on the line. It hated Donald Trump so much that it was willing to run with this unproven, almost fantastical claim for two and a half years. It failed to do any real reporting. But as a result, it really brainwashed a lot of people. And then, when the aftermath came, and it was entirely proven to be wrong, rather than engage in a mea culpa, apologize, re-examine its failings, it has ignored anything that it doesnt like, and then on the sides, continue to suggest, Well, we could still be right. Just because Bob Mueller didnt find evidence of collusion doesnt mean that it didnt really happen. And that kind of a how do you prove a negative standard is ridiculous for the press corps and they know better. But its why, I presume, you see a poll like that where half of America has just been deliberately misled as to facts and the truth. Mr. Jekielek: Its really kind of painful for me to see. Were accused sometimes of peddling in conspiracy theory, Spygate being the prime one, and I was like, nothing weve reported is conspiracy. All of it is highly factual. In fact, its, I would say, the most factual of most of whats out there. I looked into Wikipedia, and heres how Wikipedia now defines Spygate: Spygate is a conspiracy theory initiated by President Donald Trump in May 2018 that the Obama administration had placed a spy in his 2016 presidential campaign for political purposes. Now, weve never reported on any such thing. This is fascinating. Ms. Strassel: Yeah, convenient, too, isnt it? You just change the definition of a word that you didnt even coin so that you can call it a conspiracy theory. Look, Donald Trump has had lots of questions about what happened to his campaign, and that was one thing he once said, like Was there a spy on my campaign? Hes asked a lot of questions about what happened to his campaign. That was never the definition of Spygate, okay? The question of Spygate broadly was, were our agencies of government monitoring a presidential campaign and members of a presidential campaign during the campaign and then after a president was actually seated? And the answer to that is: yes. Okay? Its not a conspiracy theory. Everyone has seen the facts, all right? One thing that I also like to point out that a lot of people dont understand is they try to, again, parse these definitions. They go, Oh, well, Carter Page, by the time they were actively monitoring him he wasnt part of the campaign. I think something that a lot of people dont understand is that when you get a surveillance warrant from a FISA court, it not only allows you to monitor somebodys communications going forward, it allows you to go back through all of their past communications. And so yes, every single interaction Carter Page ever had with any member of the Trump campaign was in the hands of the FBI. And obviously, that means they were monitoring a campaign. How else do you go about looking into your suspicions that a campaign is engaged in collusion unless youre monitoring that campaign? So yeah, there was spying that went on. Absolutely. And they know it and its not a conspiracy theory and thats outrageous. Its just outrageous. Mr. Jekielek: I want to dive into kind of the second topic. Ive been thinking about how this is playing out at the time of coronavirus. Im talking about the mainstream media. I naively thought that the reporting would change because of coronavirus, because peoples lives are on the line. This isnt politics anymore. This is the country, the economy, and well talk about that too shortly, what this has all wrought, but that hasnt happened. Id love it if you could kind of tell me more about what youre seeing here. Ms. Strassel: Its the same media failing, although, as you just rightly pointed out, with potentially far more severe consequences in terms of everyday peoples lives. What were seeing with these daily press briefings at the moment, these task force briefings the press attends, is that the same dynamic continues to apply in coronavirus as it did during the Trump-Russia collusion narrative. And thats that the press corps so violently hates Donald Trump, is so committed to seeing him fail, that theyre not really willing to follow the story where it leads, to bring us information as is required. Right now, its somewhat stomach-churning to watch. The media is rooting for there to be another surge in cases, for people to have to be locked down again, because that would be opposite of what Trump is saying would be a good thing for the country. And to be driven by that, to also fail to ask some really tough questions about the healthcare experts, [for example], did we do this the right way in term[s] of locking down as hard as we did? What are the consequences for the economy? We just have a bunch of reporters that seem to think that as long as it helped their political goals, it would be great to just have the nation locked down for months, people lose their house, be thrown out of their jobs, and none of this is about, again, following the facts. Its about a political agenda. Mr. Jekielek: There was an incredible pivot from one day to the other in the headlines. One day, the media at large was saying, its completely outrageous even that Trump would tell anyone to reopen the economy. And then the next day, it turns into, its outrageous that Donald Trump wants to avoid the responsibility of that. Ms. Strassel: They love these fights with the President. And that first set of headlines youre talking about, it went on for days, remember, because there was this discussion, and Trump said, you know what, I could force people to turn on the economy if I really wanted to, I dont think thats gonna have to happen. But he was making a point, probably about the Defense Production Act, meaning if he really needed to, and there was a factory that really needed to be opened in New York or Pennsylvania, he would have the ability to say, hey, you guys have got to get on it and get me personal protection equipment or something. But this goes back and forth for days, and we get these long treatises in the press about federalism, and how important it is that we have a federalist country, and which by the way, is the first time Ive ever heard the press embrace federalism, and long [pieces] about how Donald Trump is authoritarian and hes a dictator, and who does he think he is telling Andrew Cuomo when to open. Yet a couple days later, they put out these guidelines, leaving everything entirely to the states. And suddenly in the press, all of the headlines are: Donald Trump avoiding responsibility by leaving it to the governors to decide when to open. They cant decide from one day to the next what their line is, and it just seems to be on a day-to-day basis what line they think would be most damaging to the President. Mr. Jekielek: Kim, you talk a lot about this phenomenon in [your book] Resistance At All Costs. Im going to do a little plug for you because I think its a really important book. And I think its written quite dispassionately, not from a biased perspective, which is what, of course, itll be accused of, right? Ms. Strassel: I appreciate that. I think anyone who reads the Wall Street Journal editorial page, reads my column, or knows that I have concerns with this president on policy issues, sometimes on his management style, but this should not be a question about whether or not you like or dont like a president in charge. This needs to be a question, if youre in the media, of facts. We have long depended on the media to be the Fourth Estate, the check on government. And the most disturbing aspect of the Russia collusion story is that it decided instead that it was going to climb in bed with current and former FBI officials, law enforcement, and defend them at all costs and their actions. And thats not what we have a press for. Could you imagine if thats what Woodward and Bernstein had done during Watergate? Well, you know, they told us, the police said it was all good but, or they told us that that break-in was really necessary. Here, lets justify it for you. That would be the equivalent. So we cant have a press corps that behaves this way. We dont want a Donald Trump to be the subject of an illegitimate counterintelligence investigation by the FBI any more than we want a Barack Obama to be the subject of an illegitimate counterintelligence investigation by the FBI. Mr. Jekielek: Lets jump into some of these policy questions you have or criticisms because you have a new column out today, Congress Creates a Coronavirus Mess: A pandemic doesnt excuse lawmakers from performing their most basic duties. What are you seeing here, Kim? Ms. Strassel: Theres a good example. I think I was equally mean to Republicans, Democrats, and the White House. I call them just on the grounds of basic principle. Look, I understand in a crisis that people sometimes have to move quickly. And I dont think that theres any question that some of the money that Congress has washed out the door over the past six weeks was necessary and important, especially because it was the government, lets not forget, government who caused this shutdown, okay? You can argue whether it was necessary or not, or to the degree it happened or not, but this is government-imposed, so government had an obligation to do something for those that suddenly are out of work. But at the same time, we have just shoveled cash out of the Beltway with no quality control of any of these programs, with no thought for how theyre actually working. By some estimates, our deficit this year is going to be $4 trillion, which by the way is quadruple the pre-virus estimate of what we were going to have. You have stories coming back in now of the Paycheck Protection Program not really working in a way thats getting money to true small businesses. We have stories of people who have gone on these turbocharged unemployment benefits, who now, as theyre being offered to go back to work are saying, no no no, Im not going to go back to work because Ill have to take a pay cut to go back to work. Im getting paid more to sit at home and get my unemployment benefits than I am on the job. These are failings and problems, and before Congress goes and spends another $2 trillion on something that its not sure is really going to help or work, it has an obligation to sit down, evaluate what it has done already, fix those things that need fixing, and do an analysis of what is actually providing real benefit versus what is just government expanding for the sake of government expanding. Mr. Jekielek: Were hearing all the time that funds are running out quicker than expected. Were hearing that small businesses are struggling. Of course, there was this new, big bill that was passed, which is another set for small business. Government is not known to be very quick. So how can this actually be done in this reality where people are hurting right now in huge numbers? Ms. Strassel: I think we do need to take a little bit of a pause, okay? We already had Chuck Schumer this week, on the backup passing another $500 billion bill, say, this is just an interim and we need to pass another bill in the coming weeks that is of the size and ambition of the CARES Act, which was $2.2 trillion. I think one of the problems is that theyre now looking at yet new areas they want to spend money on. Look, its one thing to set up the Paycheck Protection Program, to know that its extremely popular, to hear back from small businesses that its providing a lifeline, and if that runs out of money, yeah, put more money into it. And that was the original intent of this weeks bill, which was simply to shore up that fund. Democrats instead demanded that another $75 billion go to hospitals, even though we just gave them more than $100 billion a few weeks ago. We dont necessarily know if they need that money because again, theres been no assessment. When they talk about this next act, they want a gigantic $500 billion bailout for states. But one of the problems there is that some of the states that are having problems right now with their pension plans, etc., theyve been badly mismanaged for decades. And I think we need to be very careful about rewarding that behavior, very careful about giving governors a further excuse to not reopen their economies because they can say, well, the federal government will just backstop us into oblivion forever if we keep shut down. And so these are things I agree with you, that there is some urgency for some programs, but what were generally seeing in Washington is this urgency being used as an excuse to fund priorities that well pre-existed before this virus. Mr. Jekielek: There was another piece that you shared recently, which was talking about how in the restaurant industry, the money that people are getting was more than their normal paycheck. Hence, it would actually prevent people from coming back to work. I dont know if this is a localized situation or a broader situation, but that definitely speaks to policy questions here. Ms. Strassel: When you go back to the CARES Act, which we passed at the end of March, that was at 2.2 trillion. You had a quartet of senators, including Lindsey Graham, Tim Scott, Ben Sasse from Nebraska, who before that was even signed into law, before it was passed in the Senate, said, look, we cant sign this bill. This is a problem because we have acceded to Democratic demands to put, on top of regular unemployment benefits, an additional $600 a week. Thats an interesting number by the way, because if you take $600, and you divide out 40 hours, thats $15 an hour, which just happens to be Democrats demand for a minimum wage. So that number was chosen with purpose. Republicans gave into it. They put it in there. But what it means now is that anybody, when you put that on top of regular unemployment benefits, you are raising the hourly rate that people are getting to stay at home and receive unemployment benefits potentially above $20 an hour. Now, anyone who works in any industry that earns less than that has no financial incentive whatsoever to go back to work. And this was pointed out at the time it was being done, but the Republicans gave in on it. Democrats demanded it. The White House signed it, and it is already starting to become a huge problem. We have business owners reporting that they are calling up their furloughed workers saying, hey, were getting ready to restart. And their furloughed workers are saying, hey, maybe well see you in August, thats when my unemployment benefits run out. Mr. Jekielek: Thats interesting. So is your contention here that this was kind of designed to extend the time period, or is it just by accident? Ms. Strassel: I think that the $600, the $15 an hour minimum wage thing, was more political messaging than anything else. It was a statement, right? It was a political statement. We Democrats believe that everybody deserves $15 minimum wage. But it has had, whatever the reasons for it, it has had the perverse effect of now potentially putting us in a position where were going to find it much, much harder to get all of those millions of people back on the job. Mr. Jekielek: So what is your prescription given the mess as you describe it, and the fact that theres going to be calls for urgent further legislation? Ms. Strassel: First prescription, lets not pass any more major pieces of legislation by unanimous consent. Thats been one of the problems is were not getting any debate on any of these subjects, any discussion. And I recognize that there are some virus dynamics that make it harder for large gatherings. Congress is fundamentally a place where we gather in large numbers. But at the same time, there is a sort of duty and care owed to the American people, that lawmakers do their duty and actually debate these things and have a conversation before spending another $2 trillion or making the deficit $6 trillion this year. So I think thats the first prescription. But the next one is, if theres a program like PPP that we know is working, helping, and it runs out of funds, sure, put some more money in it, but nothing else until there can be some demonstrable need shown and proven. And proven in a way that we can verify that the hardship is coming because of the coronavirus, not because Illinois mismanaged its pension system badly for the last 20 years. Mr. Jekielek: In terms of this type of legislation that incentivizes people to not work, it appealed to their patriotism? What are you thinking here? Ms. Strassel: Lets say the PPP runs out of money again, and we need to refill it. I think Republicans have an obligation to include in that legislation some fixes to the things that they have done already. Now theyre going to get a lot of kickback from Democrats if they try to do that, but it was really remarkable to me that they kind of caved this week on the hospital money, only because they were occupying the political high ground. The Treasury Secretary more than a week earlier had said this fund is about to run out of money. Its very important for small businesses. And Nancy Pelosi said, Well, too bad. Im not moving until you give me what I want. And they were beginning to get a lot of pushback from their own constituents. You already had several Democratic senators who broke with their leadership and said, no, no, we need to pass this right now without anything extra. But in the end, it was the White House, Steve Mnuchin, who wanted to make a deal and and they kind of rolled over on it, and so were setting a slow and worrisome precedent here where every time we have an urgent need, were tacking a lot of additional stuff onto it. Mr. Jekielek: So, Kim, you mentioned earlier how the media are promoting the federalist model, which was somewhat uncharacteristic over decades. Well, when we talked offline, you did mention that you actually have been looking at what certain governors are doing in terms of facilitating recoveries, opening up. Can you tell me a little bit about whats going on in the states? Ms. Strassel: Yeah, so I think were at a really big moment here. Its almost kind of a gut check moment because the guidelines came out from the federal government. And if you look at those guidelines, in the phase one portion where you need to see a certain number of declining metrics to then begin to reopen things, theres actually quite a few states out there, more than half, that fall in some way, shape, or form into meeting or succeeding or moving toward those metrics. So were obviously seeing Georgia opening back up, some other southern states. And its led to this fascinating moment where you have the media actively running headlines every day saying the experts say this is too soon. These Republican governors are making a terrible mistake. Well, well see, right? One of the beauties of our federalist system is that you do have an opportunity; States are laboratories of innovation. And were going to have some people go out. Now, one thing that I am hopeful that we do get right is an honest assessment of how those reopenings go, right? Because what youre seeing is the media and many on the left, moving the goalposts about what counts as a successful reopening. And to listen to these people, you would think that the only thing that counts as successful reopening is not a single more case of coronavirus, not a single other death of coronavirus. That was never the goal of lockdowns and shutdowns. The whole purpose of this was to flatten the curve, to make sure that our healthcare system wasnt overwhelmed the way Italys was overwhelmed, so that we didnt have to engage in triage, so that we had enough hospital beds. By all accounts, we have successfully managed to do that, even in some of our hotspots. Are there going to be continued cases? You bet. Its a global pandemic. And are we even going to have some areas where there are spikes? And where we might have to shut things back off in this town or that town in order to kind of even things out again? That probably will be too, but the measure of success is not eradicating the virus, right? I think the real measure of success is do we successfully ward off another peak infection rate, one that could potentially overwhelm our health system. And look, people are going to have to continue getting this. We dont have a vaccine. And we cant stay locked down forever, as some officials have been pointing out, even if everybody stayed in their houses for the next six months, this thing would still remain in circulation out there. So were gonna have to open up at some point, and now comes the test of how well we manage that. Mr. Jekielek: When you talk about this, I just keep thinking how incredibly politicized the climate is How could you possibly, as a governor, try to get real data and do real assessments and be transparent when you know what you do is just going to be attacked, or used. Its a very interesting thought experiment and it actually reminds me of this other column that you did I think a week ago, which was talking about moving the shutdown goalpoststhat whatever it is that you do, youre kind of wrong, and itll be used against you politically. Ms. Strassel: When we go back and we have a post-mortem of what we did in this pandemic, were going to find out that we did lots and lots of things wrong. Thats the nature of government, right? Government doesnt usually get things right on the first go. And also, this is unprecedented. No ones ever dealt with anything like this before. So has Donald Trump made some mistakes? Probably. Have governors made mistakes? You bet. Have some of our public health agencies made mistakes as they were looking at the science and doing things? Absolutely. But I think the measure has to be, did people perform competently at the tasks as they were dealing with them day by day? Like, did we get the ventilators moved to where we needed them? Did we get the tents set up if we needed overflow hospital space? Did we figure out a way to get personal protective equipment back up and running and out there? Yeah, we did. But the press is just remarkable. An example of this, I saw a Washington Post story just this week, and it was talking about the Georgia reopening and it was saying, this is going to be a deadly move, you cant do this. But the lead of the story was so loaded. It said something like, starting on this week, Georgians are going to be able to go take in their latest action flick and eat at their greasy spoon, making it sound as if thats really whats on the line here, and that these things cant count as essential and that if youre going to reopen the economy, it should only be for essential things. Well whos the Washington Post to judge what businesses are essential or not essential, right? We should be doing this not based on the essentiality of businesses, but of the risk of any particular reopening of a business, right? There are states that are moving toward reopening restaurants, but most of them are only going to allow people to do things at 25% capacity. So social distancing at your tables, you have to have reservations. A lot of the people that are reopening nail salons or tattoo parlors or hair salons are saying one customer at a time, right? You dont want 15 people sitting around in your waiting room. So this is going to be slow and gradual. But I think again, the media rooting for there to be failure in our reopening is really a pity, because it seems as though they have not necessarily acquainted themselves with just how much hardship is going on out there, across every sector and in every household. Mr. Jekielek: In terms of this guilt or having done things wrong, thats even outside of looking at the international perspective where we know information was withheld by the Chinese Communist Party. We know the WHO gave erroneous information. We dont know if they did it knowingly or not. But all of this of course played into this whole response, both federally and at the state level. So its just this morass of information and misinformation and really tough decisions in a situation that no one knows how to deal with. Ms. Strassel: One thing that we do know for a fact already, if we were beginning to do a post-mortem, is that China misled the world on this and that they got a valuable assist, unfortunately, from the World Health Organization. Were now finding out just this week, some autopsies have been done showing this virus was in the country well before any of our first quotes, documented cases. And thats because China knew it had a problem, so much so that it locked down Wuhan, and yet didnt lock down anyone leaving to go to the rest of the world. What does that say about the behavior of China? Theres going to have to be some sort of global reckoning with China and its behavior at the end of this and the rest of the world governments are doing their best to cope. And again, will we find they have made mistakes? Yes, but we also have to remember that this was foisted on them by a bad actor. Mr. Jekielek: Thank you for mentioning that. Weve been covering this extensively. Im not going to go dwell on this particular side. I think we want another episode where we can just look at the US primarily. Anything you want to finish up with before we close? Ms. Strassel: No, just that you guys do great work. Its always an honor to get to sit and talk with you. And I really enjoy watching the others [interviews] you do. Mr. Jekielek: Well, thank you very much, Kim. Its such a pleasure to have you on again and I look forward to next time. Ms. Strassel: Thanks. Me, too. This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity. The next stage of Julian Assange's extradition hearing may be delayed until November because of the coronavirus pandemic. The WikiLeaks founder is awaiting an extradition hearing on behalf of the United States, where he is wanted over leaked defence cables a decade ago. But his lawyers said they have been unable to take instruction from their client since the coronavirus outbreak. In a chaotic 50-minute hearing at Westminster Magistrates' Court, Assange's lawyer Edward Fitzgerald QC said there had been no 'direct access' with his client for 'more than a month'. Julian Assange's legal team told a court on Monday they had been unable to speak to their client because of strict measures introduced to combat the spread of COVID-19 HMP Belmarsh, where Assange is being held, has experienced an outbreak of coronavirus Mr Fitzgerald said: 'There have always been great difficulties in getting access to Mr Assange. 'But with the coronavirus outbreak, the preparation of this case cannot be possible.' District Judge Vanessa Baraitser agreed to vacate the date for the next stage of the extradition, originally due to take place on May 18. A date for the resumption of the case will be fixed during an administrative hearing on May 4. But the judge warned that the next three-week time slot for the hearing to take place was not until November. Assange has been held in Belmarsh prison in east London since he was dragged out of the Ecuadorian embassy a year ago. What is Julian Assange charged with in the US? The US Department of Justice has charged Wikileaks founder Julian Assange with 18 crimes - 17 under the Espionage Act and one under computer hacking legislation. Officials say Assange, as founder of WikiLeaks, endangered US informants in Iran, Syria, China, Iraq and Afghanistan by publishing unredacted documents that identified them. The 18 charges against Assange, filed in Virginia last year, are: Count 1: Conspiracy to receive national defense information Counts 2-4: Obtaining National Defense Information Counts 5-8: Obtaining National Defense Information Counts 9-11: Disclosure of National Defense Information Counts 12-14: Disclosure of National Defense Information Counts 15-17: Disclosure of National Defense Information Count 18: Conspiracy to Commit Computer Intrusion (Hacking) Advertisement Australian-born Assange is currently being held at the high-security Belmarsh, which has been hit with an outbreak of Covid-19. He has been there since last April when police dragged him from the embassy following a seven-year stand-off. Assange was evicted from the embassy where he had been given political asylum, putting him beyond the reach of America. The US wants him in court to face 17 charges under the Espionage Act and one of conspiracy to commit computer intrusion. All relate to the leak of 700,000 classified documents handed to WikiLeaks by former US intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning in 2010. Washington says the leak endangered the lives of American agents and their sources working in the field. If found guilty, he could face 175 years in prison. Assange was charged following an FBI investigation on a 'conspiracy to commit computer hacking as well as unlawfully obtaining and disclosing classified information, endangering human sources'. The court heard that Assange had a 'thermonuclear option' he intended to use if it looked as though he was in danger of being arrested or WikiLeaks shut down. In 2010, he released more than 250,000 unredacted State Department diplomatic cables. (Left to right) Spanish counsel Aitor Martinez, Ecuadorian counsel Carlos Poveda, Julian Assange, his partner Stella Moris-Smith Robertson and barrister Jennifer Robinson Julian Assange would be 'at risk of suicide' in an 'inhuman and degrading' US jail, says his QC Julian Assange would be a suicide risk of extradited to the US, his legal team has said. Edward Fitzgerald QC, representing Assange (together right), outlined the 48-year-old's defence and called Trump's pursuit of his client 'political'. Mr Fitzgerald said: 'Prosecution is not motivated by genuine concern for criminal justice but by politics. 'This extradition should be barred because the prosecution is being pursued for political motives and not in good faith.' Mr Fitzgerald continued that Assange would be at risk of inhuman and degrading conditions in an American prison, and would be at risk of suicide. He added the extradition attempt was directed at Assange 'because of the political opinions he holds', and said he would be denied a fair trial in the United States. Mr Fitzgerald continued: 'It would involve a fundamental denial of his right to a fair trial. It would expose him to inhuman and degrading treatment.' He added that Assange had not assisted whistleblower Chelsea Manning in accessing the documents, as has been claimed. Mr Fitzgerald also said the delay in making the extradition request showed the political nature of the case. He continued: 'President Trump came into power with a new approach for freedom of the press... amounting effectively to declaring war on investigative journalists. 'It's against that background Julian Assange has been made an example of. 'It's against that background the Trump administration decided to make an example of Julian Assange, he was the obvious sign of everything Trump condemned.' Advertisement The indictment said these 'included names of persons throughout the world who provided information to the US government in circumstances in which they could reasonably expect that their identities would be kept confidential. 'These sources included journalists, religious leaders, human rights advocates and political dissidents who were living in repressive regimes and reported to the United States the abuses of their own government and the political conditions within their own countries at great risk to their own safety.' Mr Lewis argued that Assange would have been aware that Manning was a member of the US armed forces, and therefore forbidden by army regulation from disclosing the information. Not only did Assange 'explicitly solicit restricted and confidential material' but he actively encourage Manning to hack a State Department server. Edward Fitzgerald, QC, representing Assange, has said he would rely on Manning's case to argue for Assange to stay in the UK. Manning is a former US soldier who was court-martialed after disclosing to WikiLeaks nearly 750,000 military and diplomatic documents. She was imprisoned from 2010 until 2017 when her sentence was commuted, but Manning is currently in jail for her continued refusal to testify before a grand jury against Assange. Assange's extradition hearing will sit for one week this month and three weeks from 18 May because the case is not completely ready. The decision, which is expected months later, is likely to be appealed against by the losing side, whatever the outcome. Assange has been held on remand in Belmarsh prison since last September after serving a 50-week jail sentence for breaching his bail conditions while he was in the Ecuadorian embassy in London. In 2012, Assange went into Ecuador's London embassy to avoid extradition to Sweden where he was accused of sex crimes, which he denied and which were later dropped, saying he feared he would ultimately be sent on to the United States. After seven years, he finally left and then jailed for 50 weeks for skipping bail. He has remained in prison ever since, after the United States launched its extradition request. If the judge decides Assange should be extradited, the decision needs to be rubber-stamped by Home Secretary Priti Patel. He would also have the right to appeal to London's High Court and then possibly to the Supreme Court, Britain's top court. Nine coronavirus patients died on Monday even as Rajasthan recorded 77 fresh cases, taking the state's virus tally to 2,262, an official said. The state has so far recorded 50 deaths due to the infection, with Jaipur reporting 27 of them. Jaipur has the highest 833 coronavirus positive cases followed by 375 in Jodhpur. Rajasthan Health Minister Dr Raghu Sharma on Monday claimed that the percentage of coronavirus cases in the state has decline due to an increase in testing. "Nine deaths were reported, including six in Jaipur. One death each has been reported from Bharatpur, Karauli and Jodhpur. As many as 77 fresh cases surfaced in different districts of the state, including 25 in Jaipur," Additional Chief Secretary (Health) Rohit Kumar Singh said. Singh said besides Jaipur, 11 cases were reported from Jodhpur; 10 from Jhalawar; eight from Tonk; seven each in Kota and Chittorgarh; three from Nagaur; two in Bhilwara; and one each from Ajmer, Pali, Udaipur and Jaisalmer. A total of 2,262 cases have been reported in the state so far, Singh said, adding that 744 patients have tested negative for the infection after treatment, of which 584 have been discharged from hospitals. Rajasthan Health Minister Dr Raghu Sharma said the percentage of coronavirus cases is going down in the state as over 87,000 samples have been taken for testing so far. "No state in the country has taken such number of samples yet. This is the reason why the percentage of cases in the state is falling," Sharma said. He said everyday 3,500 to 5,000 are being taken for testing. Adequate sampling is being done in the state, which is why the doubling of patients has taken 12 days, which was earlier eight days, Sharma said. He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has praised efforts of Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot in a video conference. The total number of COVID-19 cases in Rajasthan includes two Italian citizens and 61 people brought from Iran to Army health centres in Jodhpur and Jaisalmer. The entire state is under 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.) The functioning of more than 280 indoor food markets may be resumed Open source Ukraine's Cabinet of Ministers plans to consider resuming the work of food markets at its next meeting. This was stated by Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmygal. The Ukrainian government is scheduled to meet on Wednesday, April 29. "This was made possible by the Healthcare Ministry and the Economy Ministry: they developed clear work criteria and a control algorithm. It is about opening more than 280 food markets throughout Ukraine that will be able to operate in compliance with strict sanitary standards," Shmygal wrote. The list of markets may be expanded if they can provide the right working conditions. As we reported earlier, according to Ukraine's Minister of Infrastructure Vladyslav Krykliy, the transport connection may already be reopened on May 12. "This is all about bus and rail transportations. But a number of things depend on what rates of the virus we will have until May 12," the statement said. If the situation in Ukraine improves with respect to the coronavirus, on May 11, the government will be able to decide on the opening of parks, squares and institutions for the sale of non-food goods. For more coverage, visit our complete coronavirus section here. UCSF launched an effort over the weekend to offer free, voluntary COVID-19 testing to every resident in a densely populated section of the Mission District, a neighborhood with among the highest number of coronavirus cases in San Francisco. UCSF had tested 1,734 individuals in the neighborhood as of Monday morning and that number is growing. The study is meant to reveal the invisible spread of the virus and help inform future testing efforts in other communities. All our public health decisions, including when it will be possible to relax regional and statewide shelter-in-place orders, are driven by rough assumptions about how this virus behaves based on very limited data, said Dr. Bryan Greenhouse, an associate professor of medicine at UCSF, in a statement. Greenhouse said studying the spread in detail will give researchers "crucial data points that we can extrapolate to better predict how to control the virus in similar communities nationwide. UCSF is implementing a similar effort in Bolinas. Testing began in the Mission District on April 25 and will continue through April 28. Testing at pop-up sites is available to approximately 5,200 residents in a 16-block area running from Cesar Chavez to 23rd Street and South Van Ness to Harrison Street (see a map in the gallery above). Find out if your address is eligible at unidosensalud.org. Researchers are conducting two types of tests to identify those individuals who are currently infected and those who previously had the virus. The diagnostic tests for active COVID-19 are implemented by collecting samples with nasal swabs while the antibody test is done with a finger-prick to collect a blood sample. Results are available within 72 hours. People who test positive will get immediate follow-up calls from UCSF infectious disease experts while those who test negative will be expected to continue to following the shelter-in-place order "because of the possibility of false negative test results and a general lack of information about the potential for reinfection with the disease," according to a statement from UCSF. "The COVID-19 pandemic is disproportionately affecting the Latinx community in San Francisco, both in terms of infection rates and economic hardship, and we have been partnering very closely with the Latino Task Force for COVID-19 to support this community by working to disrupt transmission of the disease, said Dr. Carina Marquez, an assistant professor of medicine at UCSF. Study results are expected to be available as early as late May. MORE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE: Sign up for 'The Daily' newsletter for the latest on coronavirus here. Amy Graff is a digital editor with SFGATE. Email her: agraff@sfgate.com. All of the seats of fire have been extinguished in the exclusion zone near the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant, while rescuers are taking efforts to put out smoldering peat bogs, Ukrainian Interior Minister Arsen Avakov said. "I together with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky inspected firefighting efforts in the Chornobyl exclusion zone. All the sources of fire were removed. Nothing is in jeopardy. Rescuers are dealing with smoldering peat bogs. The onslaught of wildfires is put out," Avakov wrote on Twitter on Sunday evening. The Ukrainian State Emergency Situation Service, in turn, said it is assisting the State Agency for (Chornobyl) Exclusion Zone Management in firefighting efforts in the Lubiansky, Paryshivsky, Dytiatkivsky and Denysovetsky forestries. Meanwhile, rescuers focused efforts "on containing two spots of smoldering tree stumps, remains of trees and one peat bog" in the villages of Kryva Hora and Rudka, the State Emergency Situation Service said. London, April 27 : In the six weeks up to April 19, at least 4,093 people were arrested from across London for domestic abuse offences -- nearly 100 a day on an average -- during the coronavirus lockdown in the UK, the Metropolitan Police has revealed. Charges and cautions have increased by 24 per cent since March 9, when people with COVID-19 symptoms were asked to self-isolate, compared to last year, Xinhua news agency quoted Commander Sue Williams, the Met's lead for safeguarding, as saying on Sunday. Domestic incidents, which can include family rows not recorded as crimes, have seen a 3 per cent increase since last year, and jumped by 9 per cent between March 9 and April 19, said the Met Police. There have been two domestic-related murders recorded in London as police continue to warn of an increased risk of abuse during the strict measures in place, said the Scotland Yard, metonym for the headquarters of the Met Police. "The COVID-19 restrictions and 'stay at home' instruction is vital to managing this public health crisis, but unfortunately it has also left current and potential victims of domestic abuse even more vulnerable and isolated," said Williams. The Met Police gave examples of some of the cases it has dealt with in recent weeks, including one in which police discovered that a man reported by a victim was linked to firearms. "Officers located him within three hours of receiving the report and searched his vehicle, finding two sawn-off shotguns. A cannabis factory was also discovered. The man was subsequently charged and is awaiting trial," said the Scotland Yard in a statement. Officers were also called to help a pregnant victim in east London, who had gone to a hospital to seek refuge after her partner assaulted and tormented her. Police said he was quickly arrested, but she was unwilling to support criminal action. However, due to the evidence captured on body worn video, and witness accounts from staff at the hospital, the Crown Prosecution Service supported a victimless prosecution, and the suspect is awaiting trial, said the Met Police. "Victims should be assured that they can leave their homes to escape harm or seek help, and they will not be penalized in any way for not maintaining social distancing, or otherwise breaching COVID-19 restrictions," said Williams. The UK has reported 154,037 coronavirus cases, with 20,794 deaths. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) PRAGUE -- The mayor of Prague has confirmed police are guarding him around the clock after a Czech news magazine reported that he and another Prague official were likely targets of a Russian poisoning plot. Mayor Zdenek Hrib told Russia's Ekho Moskvy on April 27 that police put him under protection weeks ago after identifying a threat directed at him. He did not offer further details. His comments come after the Czech weekly Respekt reported Hrib and Prague 6 district Mayor Ondrej Kolar had been singled out by Russian intelligence for poisoning with a deadly toxin. Czech Foreign Minister Tomas Petricek reportedly warned Russia's ambassador of consequences if anything happens to the Czech politicians, including another Prague district mayor who also reportedly faced threats for actions that have irritated Moscow. Respekt quotes unnamed security sources as saying a suspected Russian intelligence officer arrived in the Czech capital three weeks ago on a diplomatic passport and with a suitcase containing ricin. Hrib stirred ire in Moscow for backing a decision to rename the square in front of the Russian Embassy in Prague after the slain Kremlin critic Boris Nemtsov. Kolar was criticized by the Kremlin for the recent removal in that district of a statue of a Soviet-era marshal. The incidents have raised tensions between Prague and Moscow and fueled speculation that Russia may have been behind a recent wave of cyberattacks in the Czech Republic on the Health Ministry, the Interior Ministry, hospitals, and Prague's international airport. There has been no official comment from Czech officials about the alleged poisoning plot. A Czech police spokesman, Jiri Danek, told RFE/RL that the Prague police department was not handling the case. A spokesman for the National Center for Combating Organized Crime, NCOZ, refused to comment. "Our division will not confirm information that has been publicized in the media," NCOZ spokesman Jaroslav Ibehej told RFE/RL in an e-mail response. Dmitry Peskov, a spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin, called the accusations a fake. We dont know anything at all about this investigation, he said on April 27. We dont know who did the investigation. It looks like yet another canard. However, Foreign Minister Petricek is reported to have called in Russian Ambassador to the Czech Republic Aleksandr Zmeyevsky to discuss the matter, the Czech news site Denik N reported, warning him of repercussions if anything happens to the Czech officials, including Pavel Novotny, mayor of an outlying district of Prague. In the interview with Ekho Moskvy, Hrib said "it is very important for me to stand by my belief although it means a risk for my life." The police protection was simply given to me by the Czech police," he added. "By their decision, I am not able to comment on the reasons. A spokesman for Hrib, Vit Hofman, told RFE/RL it was unclear how long the police protection would last. 'I'm Not Afraid For My Life' Hofman also said Hrib had recently filed a police complaint after concerns he was being "stalked," with unidentified individuals approaching his home. Hofman said it was unclear whether the stalking incidents were related to the alleged poisoning plot. Kolar later confirmed to Czech media that he was also under police protection, although he declined to disclose details. "I'm not afraid for my life. I'm afraid for this republic which, thanks to a completely incompetent government, is being dragged through the dust and is allowing a foreign state to do whatever it pleases," Kolar told idnes.cz. In November 2019, Novotny proposed erecting a monument to a controversial World War II military division made up of Soviet defectors, which was called the Russian Liberation Army and commanded by Soviet General Andrei Vlasov. The division fought alongside the Nazis but turned against them in the final days of the war and played a role in defeating them in Prague. Moscow considers Vlasov and all who served in the Russian Liberation Army deserters and traitors. According to Denik N, all three -- Hrib, Kolar, and Novotny -- are now under police protection. According to the Respekt report issued on April 26, the suspected Russian intelligence agent was picked up by a diplomatic vehicle and taken to the Russian Embassy compound in Prague when he arrived in the Czech capital. It also said the individual entered the Czech Republic at a time when other suspected Russian intelligence officers were being dispatched to other unnamed European destinations. It did not disclose further details of that claim. Kolar was attacked by the Kremlin after his district on April 3 removed the statue of Marshal Ivan Konev, who led the Red Army forces during World War II that drove Nazi troops from most of Czechoslovakia. Moscow called the controversial statue's demolition an insult and an attempt to rewrite history. Relations between Prague and Moscow also soured over a Czech decision to rename the square where the Russian Embassy is located, a decision backed by Hrib. WATCH: Soviet Marshal's Statue Reveals Monumental Rift In Czech Society Two months ago, Prague officials dedicated the leafy square in front of the embassy complex to former Russian Deputy Prime Minister Nemtsov, who was fatally shot in February 2015, meters away from the Kremlin walls. He was an outspoken critic of Putin. The Russian Embassy in Prague last week said it would not use its address on the square, but would instead use an address on an adjacent street for correspondence. As possible payback, Czech officials suspect Russian hackers may have been behind a recent wave of cyberattacks. Earlier this month, Czech officials said information-technology (IT) systems at Prague's international airport, several hospitals, and the Health Ministry were targeted in the attacks, which sparked outrage in Prague -- and Washington, as well. On April 22, the Czech Interior Ministry said its IT systems were also targeted in the attacks, all of which were thwarted and were preceded by warnings from the country's cybersecurity watchdog of expected cyberattacks on critical infrastructure. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on April 17 expressed concern over the incidents, saying anybody engaged in such activity should "expect consequences." He said the attacks, particularly those targeting medical facilities, were especially worrying, given the current global coronavirus crisis. The Russian Embassy in Prague on April 17 denied any Russian link to the attacks, although Czech officials have made no such accusations. The Czech cybersecurity watchdog NUKIB has said the attacks were thought to be the work of a "serious and advanced adversary," although it did not name any countries. Czech Internet security experts said some of the malware used in the attacks was in Russian. Some IT addresses led to China as well. Czech security officials have deemed both Russia and China as posing the biggest cyberthreat to the Czech Republic. Starting today, Malindo Air will resume domestic flights from Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) and Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport in Subang. The airline will be operating a single daily flight to all domestic destinations, including Sabah and Sarawak. To kickstart this effort, Malindo Air is also offering flight tickets at a special price via its Ready To Get Back promotion. The promotion lets you book from now until 30 April 2020, with travel period starting from 27 April 2020 onwards. The cost of one-way flights from KLIA will start at RM159, RM299, and RM399 (economy class) for Penang, Kuching, and Kota Kinabalu, respectively. Alternatively, you can opt to fly business class at a promotional price starting from RM399 for Penang, RM499 for Kuching, and RM699 for Kota Kinabalu. Flights from Subang, on the other hand, will focus on routes within Peninsular Malaysia, namely Penang, Alor Setar, Johor Bahru, Langkawi, Kuala Terengganu, and Kota Bahru. The price of one-way flights (economy class) to these destinations will begin from RM199. Additionally, those who wish to get return tickets as well can get them starting from RM397. Malindo Air further reminded that the Ready To Get Back promotion is subject to seat availability, and that requests for flight changes must be done at least 4 hours before the departure time. The promotion is also not applicable to standby passengers. In other words, you will not be allowed to purchase tickets at the last moment to take up empty seats. The flights are deployed to meet the demands and ease the journey back home by our fellow Malaysians, especially students who have been stranded in campuses since the MCO began. Passengers are required to have face masks with them, failing which they have to purchase one before being allowed boarding, said the airline in a statement. Malindo Air along with Malaysia Airlines (MAS) and AirAsia had previously grounded its commercial flights due to the drop in travel demand because of the Covid-19 pandemic and cross-border travel restrictions. The Transport Ministry subsequently requested for the airlines to reconsider their decisions, prompting MAS to resume flights to Sabah and Sarawak. AirAsia followed soon after, announcing that it will resume domestic flights starting from 29 April 2020. That said, all international flights are still suspended as per the restrictions of the movement control order (MCO). For more information, you can head on over to Malindo Airs Ready To Get Back promotion page. (Source: The Sun Daily) 0 0 votes Article Rating SHARE VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / April 27, 2020 / Chemesis International Inc. (CSE:CSI)(OTCQB:CADMF)(FRA:CWAA) (the "Company" or "Chemesis"), is pleased to announce its intention to spin out La Finca Interacviva-Arachna MED SAS ("La Finca"), its integrated Colombian cannabis company, into a wholly-owned subsidiary, 1247262 B.C. Ltd. ("SpinCo") through a plan of arrangement under the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia) (the "Arrangement"). Upon completion of the Arrangement, La Finca will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of SpinCo. The Arrangement is designed to deliver greater value to the shareholders of Chemesis (the "Chemesis Shareholders") by unlocking the value in the Company's assets in Colombia, currently held by La Finca, by transferring such assets into a separate entity and managing accordingly. SpinCo will also look to compete in the Latin American cannabis industry as regulations continue to develop in the area. Upon completion of the Arrangement, SpinCo will hold a 100% interest in the Colombian assets held by La Finca, and Chemesis will concentrate its efforts on the advancement of its cannabis operations in the US and Puerto Rico. The Arrangement The Arrangement will include a transfer by Chemesis of 100% of the issued and outstanding common shares of La Finca to SpinCo. Pursuant to the Arrangement, Chemesis intends to distribute 100% of the common shares of SpinCo (each, a "SpinCo Common Share") it receives to Chemesis Shareholders on a pro rata basis. Chemesis Shareholders will be entitled to receive one SpinCo Common Share for every one common shares of Chemesis (each, a "Chemesis Common Share") held as of the effective date of the Arrangement. There will be no change in shareholders' holdings in Chemesis as a result of the Arrangement. Each outstanding stock option of Chemesis (a "Chemesis Option") will be deemed to be exchanged for one fully-vested replacement stock option of Chemesis (a "Chemesis Replacement Option") and one fully-vested stock option of SpinCo (a "SpinCo Option"), with the same terms as the Chemesis Option. Each SpinCo Option will be exercisable to purchase one SpinCo Common Share. Restricted share right of Chemesis (a "RS") will be deemed to be exchanged for such number of Chemesis Common Shares and SpinCo Common Shares (rounded down to the nearest whole number of SpinCo Common Shares, as applicable) as the holders of such RSs would have been entitled to receive had the RSs been redeemed immediately prior to the effective date of the Arrangement, subject to any necessary withholdings/deductions. Story continues Each outstanding common share purchase warrant of Chemesis (a "Chemesis Warrant") will be deemed to be exchanged for one fully-vested common share purchase warrant of Chemesis (a "Chemesis Replacement Warrant") and one fully-vested common share purchase warrant of SpinCo (a "SpinCo Warrant"), with the same terms as the Chemesis Warrants. Each SpinCo Warrant will be exercisable to purchase one SpinCo Common Share. No fractional Spinco Common Shares will be distributed in connection with the Arrangement, as a result, any fractional amounts arising under the Arrangement will be rounded down to the nearest whole number of SpinCo Common Shares without any compensation therefor. The Arrangement is subject to final court approval, as well as approval by not less than two-thirds of the votes cast at the annual general and special meeting (the "Meeting") of Chemesis Shareholders, which the Company anticipates scheduling for the second half of 2020. Full details of the Arrangement will be included in the management information circular to be sent to Chemesis Shareholders in connection with the Meeting. Mr. Eli Dusenbury currently serves as the sole director, President and CEO of the SpinCo. Following completion of the Arrangement, the Company intends to apply for a listing of SpinCo Common Shares on the Canadian Securities Exchange ("CSE"). Any such listing will be subject to SpinCo fulfilling all of the requirements of the CSE. On Behalf of The Board of Directors Edgar Montero CEO and Director About Chemesis International Inc. Chemesis International Inc. is a vertically integrated U.S. Multi-State operator with International operations in Puerto Rico and Colombia. The Company focuses on prudent capital allocation to ensure it maintains a first mover advantage as it enters new markets and is committed to differentiate itself by deploying resources in markets with major opportunities. The Company operates a portfolio of brands that cater to a wide community of cannabis consumers, with focus on quality and consistency. Chemesis has facilities in both Puerto Rico and California. The Company is positioned to win additional licenses in highly competitive merit-based US states and will expand its footprint to ensure it maintains a first mover advantage. Investor Relations: ir@chemesis.com 1 (604) 398-3378 Forward-Looking Information: This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Generally, forward-looking information can frequently, but not always, be identified by use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events, conditions or results "will", "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved" or the negative connotations thereof. All statements other than statements of historical fact may be forward-looking statements. Forward looking-information in this news release includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to completion of the Arrangement; benefits of the Arrangement; obtaining Chemesis Shareholder and final court approval of the Arrangement; the listing of SpinCo Common Shares on the CSE; the Company's ability to advance its cannabis operations in the US and Puerto Rico; SpinCo's ability to obtain licenses and expand operations to compete in additional jurisdictions in Latin America; the composition of SpinCo's management and board of directors; anticipated Meeting date; the timing for mailing of an information circular; and holding the Meeting and completing the Arrangement. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking information are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Such forward-looking information is subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results, performance and developments to differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking information, such as the risk of the Company not obtaining court or Chemesis Shareholder approvals to proceed with the Arrangement; the risk that the Arrangement will not be completed; the risk of unexpected tax consequences to the Arrangement; risks of the market valuing the Company and SpinCo in a manner not anticipated by the Company; risks relating to the benefits of the Arrangement not being realized or as anticipated; risks relating to the expansion of SpinCo's operations in Latin America not being realized or as anticipated; and risks relating to the Company's advancement of its cannabis operations in the US and Puerto Rico not being realized or as anticipated. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that would cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated, or intended. Except as required by law, the Company expressly disclaims any obligation and does not intend, to update any forward-looking information in this news release. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking information are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct and makes no reference to profitability based on sales reported. The statements in this news release are made as of the date of this release. The CSE has not reviewed, approved or disapproved the content of this press release SOURCE: Chemesis International Inc. View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/587119/Chemesis-International-Inc-Announces-Proposed-Spin-out-of-La-Finca The EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement is slated for adoption by Vietnams National Assembly this summer. On March 30, the Council of the European Union adopted a decision on the conclusion of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) after the European Parliaments ratification on February 12. It has paved the way for the deal to come into force in the early summer this year if the Vietnamese National Assembly also ratifies the agreement in May. The council adopted the decision on the conclusion of the EVFTA using a written procedure, not via a face-to-face meeting, as a result of the ongoing coronavirus outbreak. While the pandemic spreads and causes huge damage in almost every country in Europe, the EU council still worked out and offered a decision on the adoption of the EVFTA. The fact showed that the agreement was considered as a priority and important task of the council. Accordingly, the deal provides for the almost complete (99 percent) elimination of customs duties between the two blocks. Some 65 percent of duties on EU exports to Vietnam will disappear as soon as it enters into force, while the remainder will be phased out gradually over a period of up to 10 years. As regards Vietnamese exports to the EU, 71 percent of duties will disappear upon entry into force, the remainder being phased out over a period of up to seven years. The EVFTA will also reduce many of the existing non-tariff barriers to trade with Vietnam. Besides the foreseeable economic advantages, Vietnams intellectual property (IP) legal system is compulsory to make amendments to actively adapt to the new agreement. Articles on IP in the EVFTA adjust all subjects from copyright and industrial property rights to plant varieties. In general, the current Vietnamese legal system meets the requirements of the EVFTA. However, there are some new regulations regarding the IP rights that Vietnam must change to meet high-standard-requirements from the agreement. We would like to highlight points on IP under the agreement that may affect and offer opportunities for doing business in Vietnam in the coming time. Trademarks The highlight in trademarks concentrates on well-known marks and regulation on cancellation of a registered mark based on five-year non-use. Firstly, the EVFTA clearly states that for the purposes of giving effect to protection of well-known trademarks... the parties shall give consideration to the Joint Recommendation Concerning Provisions on the Protection of Well-Known Marks. Vietnamese IP law has stipulated criteria to define a well-known trademark. However, such criteria are quite vague and in practice, up to now, an official mechanism for recording a list of well-known marks does not work yet. In practice, both the owners of marks and trademark examiners have troubles in determining whether a mark is considered as well-known or not to take the same as a cited mark to refuse the other similar mark for protection. The requirements to specify and establish the identifying system applied for well-known marks are ordered and shall be based on the Joint Recommendation. Regarding cancellation of a registered trademark based on a five-year non-use ground, the trademark owner must to provide with evidence of genuine use (real use or actual use) to keep its trademark validity under the EVFTA. In the fifth footnote, the agreement explains that genuine use implies real use for the purpose of trading in the goods or services in question so as to generate goodwill. In general, this implies actual sales and there must have been some sales of the goods or providing of the services during the relevant period of time. Use in advertising may amount to genuine use. However, mere preparatory steps are not to be regarded as genuine use of a mark. Genuine use is opposed to token or artificial use designed solely to maintain the trademark on the register. The use of a trademark is one of the obligations of the trademark owner stipulated by the IP law of Vietnam, and the law just only lists which activities shall be considered as the use of trademark. The legal term genuine use/actual use has not yet been mentioned and defined. Therefore, it should be clarified in the next amended law to comply with the EVFTA. Accordingly, for business owners, to avoid cancellation by a third party, they must actually use their registered trademarks, namely the products or services bearing the trademark must be available in the market, within five years after the registration date. Geographic indicators There are 39 Vietnamese geographic indicators (GIs) and 169 EU GIs that will be protected under the agreement. For example, after 10 years from the validity date of the EVTFA, the current use of Champagne for wines by entrepreneurs and consumers in Vietnam must be stopped since this name shall be protected as a GI. Similarly, the use of four Asiago, Fontina, Gorgonzola, and Feta as names for cheese in Vietnam is only granted for those who made actual commercial use in good faith of those indications concerning products in the class of cheeses before January 1, 2017. The Vietnamese enterprises which are trading in wines and cheese should note these new regulations for their business. Patents Like the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), the EVFTA regulates the compensation patent owner for the reduction in the effective patent life resulting from unreasonable delays in the granting of the first marketing authorization in Vietnam territory. However, if the CPTPP allows the delay within five years from the filing date of patent into Vietnam or three years from the request date of substantive examination, depending on which comes later, the EVFTA regulates the stricter compensation that the patent examiner must issue the first notice/result on granting/refusing protection within two years from the filing date of patent into Vietnam. In practice, the duration for the authority to issue the first notice is more than two years from the patent filing date in Vietnam. This new content puts higher responsibility on the authority and patent examiners, since the overload currently at the Vietnam Intellectual Property Office while the number of patent examiners is limited. Considering some aspects, the earlier the patent has been granted, the more benefits the patent owner gains and this regulation is more favourable for the EU applicants because of their large number of patents sought to be protected. Design According to the agreement, a part of a product or a partial design in which its appearance is visible from use, regardless of the part is separable or inseparable, shall be protected. Currently, under the IP law of Vietnam, the design to be protected in the country must be a product or a part of the product that can be independently circulated in the market. For a part of products, it must be assembled physically to others. It means that a partial design or a design of an inseparable part of a product is not protected under the current IP law of Vietnam. Thanks to the EVFTA, a partial design shall be recognized and protected, giving the broader and deeper rights for design owners. The agreement also requires the protection of a design under copyright, and this content shall be recorded specifically in the law. Moreover, one of the obligations on design in the EVFTA is to join the Hague Systems, and this was completed by Vietnam in September 2019. Vietnamese enterprise action The EVFTA is a doorway for opportunities for both the IP legal system and businesses. Accordingly, the IP system can compete at a higher level based on the reference to the experience and regulations of the developed countries. Businesses can broaden their IP rights to the EU market with more convenience and optimal mechanisms, especially agricultural products of Vietnamese origin. On the other hand, the legal system also faces significant changes in operations to comply with the EVFTA. Businesses importing and using products under the licensing agreement may pay higher fees as well as encounter difficulties in approaching cheap products. Therefore, to attain the chance effectively as an early bird, businesses should consider immediately taking several measures. First, Vietnamese exporting enterprises should actively register the intellectual property assets such as trademarks, patents, and designs in the EU from now to ensure the legality for exporting products into the EU market. Normally, registering to obtain protection in the EU takes around a year. Once the articles of the EVFTA come into effect, the enterprises are already willing to catch the opportunities timely. Second, business owners should register the IP subjects in Vietnam to create their IP rights as well as a competitive advantage for doing business with foreign investors. Next, business owners in Vietnam should update the geographic indicators recognized by the EVFTA to avoid conflict of use or cause any confusion regarding the origin of products, especially if the products are produced by the order of the EU partners. Fourth, enterprises must seek a network with other Vietnamese companies in the same field to create a large and strong business community to share legal experience for import-export products from or into the EU. Finally, it must avoid violation or infringement upon intellectual property rights of other IP owners, which would lead to being punished and paying huge compensation. The EVFTA has created a modern playground with a huge market of about 500 million people and GDP estimated at $18 trillion for Vietnamese enterprises. In short, if all the advantages of the EVFTA are taken up, this is an undeniable chance for Vietnam to promote the economy and join the high-potential EU market. The main elements of the EVFTA * Removal of customs duties: 65 per cent of EU exports to Vietnam will be immediately duty free, with the rest - including motorcycles, cars, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, wines, chicken and pork - gradually liberalised over 10 years. Seventy-one per cent of Vietnamese exports to the EU will be duty free on day one, with the rest catching up in seven years. Duty-free Vietnamese exports of sensitive agricultural products, such as rice, garlic or eggs, will be limited; * Non-tariff barriers will be eliminated in the automotive sector, export and import licensing, and customs procedures. Vietnam accepted the Made in EU marking, beyond national markings of origin, for non-agricultural products; * Geographical indications: 169 emblematic EU products such as Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, Champagne, or Rioja wine, will enjoy protection in Vietnam, as will 39 Vietnamese products in the EU; * Services: EU companies will have improved access to business, environmental, postal and courier, banking, insurance and maritime transport services in Vietnam; * Public procurement: EU firms will be able to bid for contracts with Vietnamese ministries, state-owned enterprises, as well as with Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City; * Sustainable development: There are legally-binding rules on climate, labour and human rights. The agreement commits Vietnam to apply the Paris Agreement. Vietnam scheduled the ratification of two remaining bills on the abolition of forced labour and on freedom of association by 2020 and 2023, respectively. VIR Tran Tuyen and Dieu Linh EVFTA remains guiding light in mitigating trade depletion The European Union entry ban on its wide borders comes in a crucial year for Vietnamese exporters to the EU, leading to the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement to become ever more important for both sides in the year to come. The Samsung Galaxy Buds+ had a lot of improvements over its predecessor like multiple device pairing and automatic Ambient sound. Samsung has announced that it will be bringing these features to the older Samsung Galaxy Buds and even add a feature to quickly start listening to music on Spotify. The Samsung Galaxy Buds can now easily connect to a Windows 10 PC via Microsofts Swift Pair feature. With the added simultaneous multiple device pairing capability, users can now easily switch between their mobile and PC devices, which is convenient when using a single pair of wireless earbuds for lots of devices at home. The next feature that Samsung added to the Galaxy Buds is the ability to enable Ambient Sound automatically. Users can configure their earbuds to automatically turn on the feature when putting on the Buds, with an option to enable it with only one earbud in. The third feature that comes with this update is a quick shortcut to launch Spotify and start listening to music. With a Tap and Hold gesture, the Buds will start Spotify on the phone and begin playing music where the user last left off. Repeating the gesture will make Spotify recommend personalised playlists for the user and play them. These features will arrive today via the software update that will be available for all Samsung Galaxy Buds users who have the latest version of the Galaxy Wearable app. Source Scientists have revealed evidence for the presence of the genetic material of the novel coronavirus in the air, but say that it is unclear if these suspended viral particles are infectious. By monitoring the environment around two hospitals and some public areas in Wuhan, China, researchers, including those from Wuhan University in China, revealed hotspots for airborne novel coronavirus RNA. However, whether this material has the potential to infect was not assessed in the study, published in the journal Nature. Although the sample size of the study was small, with fewer than 40 samples from 31 locations, the findings, according to the researchers, support notions that careful sanitisation, good ventilation, and avoidance of crowds can reduce the risk of airborne virus exposure. Until now, reported modes of SARS-CoV-2 RNA transmission to humans include close contact with infected individuals, contact with contaminated surfaces, or inhalation of droplets released from the respiratory system of people with the virus, the scientists said. Whether there is further potential for SARS-CoV-2 to spread through the air has been less clear, they added. Ke Lan and his team set up aerosol traps in and around two government-designated hospitals for the treatment of patients with COVID-19 during February and March 2020. According to the study, these sites included a grade-A tertiary hospital for patients with severe illness, and a field hospital for patients with mild symptoms. The researchers said the concentration in ventilated patient wards was generally very low, attributing this to effective isolation and high air exchange. However, patient toilets, which were not ventilated, had elevated concentrations of airborne viral RNA, they said. The study noted that viral RNA was especially concentrated in areas used by medical staff to take off protective equipment, suggesting that virus-laden aerosols can become resuspended in the air when this equipment is removed. But after increasing the rigour and frequency of sanitization efforts, no detectable evidence of airborne SARS-CoV-2 RNA was found in medical staff areas, the scientists said. In public areas outside the hospitals such as residential buildings and supermarkets, the study said the concentrations of SARS-CoV-2 RNA were generally low. However, two areas that were subject to large crowds passing through, including an outdoor space near to one of the hospitals, had elevated concentrations of SARS-CoV-2 RNA, the scientists added. They suggested that individuals infected with SARS-CoV-2 within these crowded areas may have contributed to the viral aerosols. The researchers cautioned that the study does not reveal whether the SARS-CoV-2 RNA has the potential to be infectious. They said restricted access to the hospitals during the peak outbreak limited the number of samples that could be taken. Nonetheless, the scientists noted that the findings support the use of thorough sterilisation of potential hotspots for virus-laden aerosols, well-ventilated hospitals, and avoidance of crowds to reduce the risk of infection. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda on Monday demanded that the Karnataka government announce a special package for farmers who are on the verge of quitting agriculture as their profession following losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic. "Please announce special package for the farmers to bail them out of the loss due to the lockdown. Drop many of the schemes in the budget but don't leave the farmers in distress," Gowda said in his letter to Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa. The JD(S) supremo said the way relief has been announced for the milk producers by procuring the unsold milk and distributing it to the slum dwellers, the same assistance should be provided to the farmers of the state. "If you don't come forward to assist the farmers, then they will be forced to sell their land," Gowda cautioned the Chief Minister. The former prime minister said the farmers are on the verge of falling in the debt trap and may be compelled to take the extreme step of suicide due to the losses. Gowda said the farmers are unable to sell their crop because they are not getting proper price for their produce and are selling their crop at a throwaway price to minimise their losses. "In just one month farmers reached the brink of bankruptcy as they are unable to sell the standing crops in lakhs of acres of land," Gowda said. The JD(S) supremo has been championing the cause of farmers in the state and highlighting their sufferings. On April 3 Gowda has appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to look into the plight of farmers, labourers and the middle class people due to the lockdown. "In such times of crisis, we should see to it that there is no disruption in farming activities by ensuring proper marketing channels to agricultural produce, especially perishables. Only then we can sustain our long battle against this pandemic," Gowda said in a tweet. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The man accused of shooting two Baton Rouge police officers Sunday afternoon, killing one, had threatened violence against law enforcement in the past during a dispute with his girlfriend in which he ordered her not to call 911. That was in 2017, when Ronnie Kato threatened to mimic a man who had traveled to Baton Rouge from Kansas City several months earlier and then conducted a premeditated ambush on local law enforcement outside an Airline Highway convenience store, killing three officers and wounding three more. Kato told his girlfriend he would "Gavin Long" the police if she summoned law enforcement during an argument over a child he had with another woman, according to a police report filed at the time. The shooting Sunday afternoon in which Kato is accused of killing one officer and leaving the other hospitalized in critical condition also occurred against a backdrop of domestic violence. Detectives believe Kato, 36, shot and killed his girlfriend's stepfather Sunday morning and then fled the scene, which is why police were attempting to make contact with him that afternoon. An affidavit of probable cause released Monday reveals new details about what happened next. +2 Ronnie Kato attacked officers, stood over slain cop and shot him multiple times, affidavit says Records released Monday reveal more details about the attack on two Baton Rouge police officers Sunday afternoon in which Ronnie Kato is accus Police had received a tip that Kato had gone to a house in Baton Rouge's Howell Park neighborhood, and officers wanted to conduct a "knock and talk" with him, according to the affidavit. Two officers went around the back of the house "to make sure Kato did not flee." "As they approached the backyard Kato opened fire with an assault style rifle striking both officers," police said. One officer was killed in the initial attack. "Evidence on scene indicated that the suspect stood over the deceased officer and shot him multiple times. Several of the wounds appeared to be close contact." Baton Rouge police have not released the names of the two officers involved. Both were transported to the hospital, but the affidavit reveals one had already died at the scene. Kato barricaded himself inside a house after the shooting, which occurred around 12:30 p.m. on Conrad Drive off Winbourne Avenue and North Foster Drive. A standoff lasted several hours until he was ultimately taken into custody without incident Sunday evening and later booked into jail. +5 One of two BRPD officers dies from injuries in Conrad Drive shooting; suspect taken into custody A veteran Baton Rouge police officer died Sunday after he and his colleague were shot while responding to tips about a homicide suspect in the East Baton Rouge District Attorney Hillar Moore III said Monday he plans to seek the death penalty against Kato because of the "egregious" facts of the case, though that plan could change after he speaks with the victims' families. "My office rarely seeks the death penalty. We do so only in the most serious of cases," Moore said. "Based on what I know now, I believe that pursuing this matter as a death penalty case is what justice would demand." The domestic violence homicide earlier Sunday occurred around 9:30 a.m. on North Pamela Drive, a residential street off North Sherwood Forest Drive more than 5 miles from where the officers were shot. A second affidavit details the circumstances leading up to that first shooting. Kato's longtime girlfriend told police the two had recently been arguing, so she went to her mother's house on North Pamela Drive. Kato showed up there Sunday morning and another argument ensued, police said. She then walked in the house away from him, and Kato kicked down the door and struck her in the head with a pistol, according to the affidavit. He then went back outside, retrieved a rifle and started shooting into the house, she told police. The girlfriend was hiding inside the bathroom but could hear Kato "in the house shooting and yelling 'where she at?'" She told police she stepped out of the bathroom after hearing Kato leave, and found that her stepfather had been shot. Police identified the victim as Curtis Richardson, 58. There were six people inside when Kato shot up the house, police said. It appears Richardson was the only person injured in the attack. Top stories in Baton Rouge in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Kato and his girlfriend had been together for almost 20 years and were engaged to be married, according to the affidavit. He fled the scene after the shooting, leaving the family devastated, and ended up on Conrad Drive. A close friend of Kato and a nephew of Richardson, who asked not to be named out of concern for his safety, said he was shocked and saddened at the news in part because he knew Kato to be a devoted father and overall decent person. The man said Kato had no vendetta against law enforcement or longstanding intentions to harm police. "There's no way this was a planned attack on the police. He's no Gavin Long," he said. "This was a domestic situation that blew up and he must have lost his mind. From that moment on, it's almost like he had walked through the gates and couldn't turn back around." Kato and his girlfriend had three children together. His friend said their relationship had its ups and downs but appeared loving from his perspective. He said he's now realizing the importance of noticing the warning signs of domestic violence and addressing them before things escalate past the point of no return. "Our family is torn apart and now other families have to mourn," he said. "My condolences for the officers and the police department. It's just senseless." The 2017 police report states that police were called to Kato's house in reference to a disturbance, and his girlfriend told officers he was intoxicated, had threatened her including with the Gavin Long comment and taken her keys. The girlfriend took their children and went to a relative's house until things calmed down, according to the police report. The incident didn't result in charges being filed against Kato. In fact, his documented criminal history contains no additional instances of alleged violence. It's limited to two separate drug possession cases, one in 2001 and another in 2010 and nothing since then besides a 2013 traffic ticket, according to East Baton Rouge court records. Charges were dropped in the most recent drug possession case. Civil court records also show no signs that Kato's girlfriend or anyone else had requested temporary protection from abuse. Criminal justice experts have been warning about a possible uptick in domestic violence that could occur amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic because victims are trapped in stressful situations and in close quarters with their abusers. Those volatile situations are often dangerous for law enforcement officers responding to such calls. A recent increase in shots fired calls also had Baton Rouge police cautioning members of the public to report crimes or potential violence before it happens. Police have not indicated when they plan to release names of the officers who were shot. The one who died had served 21 years with the department. "Our officers talk about being public servants and the responsibility that comes along with being a law enforcement officer," Baton Rouge Police Chief Murphy Paul said during a short media briefing at the scene Sunday. "This is a call no chief wants to get." The second officer remains hospitalized. Just hours after the Conrad Drive shooting, the police department learned a former BRPD officer had been shot and killed Sunday night in a separate and unrelated incident after he confronted a vehicle burglar. That loss brought another blow to the local law enforcement community. Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards paid tribute to all three officers during his media briefing Monday afternoon. "I know how much we appreciate law enforcement officers who every day when they go to work they put their lives on the line for us to keep us safe," he said. "And obviously we cannot do enough to show our appreciation or to repay them or to thank them, so I'm just going to ask everyone to lift the families of those three officers up in prayer." Press Release April 27, 2020 As PH combats COVID19... 'It's about time govt continues vaccination vs polio, measles and other preventable diseases' -Sen. Nancy Senator Nancy Binay called on local government units to continue offering immunization services against measles and polio even as the nation continues to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic. "Huwag naman sanang maging dahilan ang lockdown sa di pagkakaroon ng panahon para mailigtas ang mas maraming kabataan mula tigdas at polio. Aside from our fight against COVID-19, we should also continue our fight against vaccine-preventable diseases," Binay pointed out. The senator cautioned that children in some regions and still covid-free areas may miss out life-saving vaccines just because the government is centrally focused on fighting the covid pandemic. "Mahirap ang sitwasyon sa ngayon. Kailangan muna nating isantabi ang ibang public health concerns dahil meron kang hinaharap na giyera sa Covid. We understand the demands of the times, and we know that the DOH and local health workers are further thinned by the day, but we cannot allow the vulnerable population be victims of an immunization standstill. May panahon pa," Binay noted. The senator said that while disruptions in immunization services are likely to occur, LGUs can study the guidelines released by the World Health Organization on how to protect critical immunization services during the COVID-19 pandemic. Before the coronavirus pandemic, polio and measles cases in the country were already on the rise. "Nakakabahala na ang bilang ng mga kaso ng tigdas at polio. We can still continue to provide immunization services even during lockdown. Many lives at are stake. Children have a higher risk to being exposed to bacteria and virus. Eto yung panahon na pwede nating ibalik ang tiwala ng mga magulang sa pagbabakuna. We can bring back the public's confidence in order for health officials increase vaccination coverage. Kung di tayo gagalaw, pwedeng maging full-blown epidemic itong tigdas at iba pang communicable diseases," Binay said. The suspension of vaccination for the disease due to the current pandemic is fueling fears among experts polio cases could rise. The UNICEF said about 2 million Filipino children may miss out vaccinations due to the current lockdown. According to the Department of Health's Measles and Rubella Surveillance Report, from 1 January to 22 November 2019, there have been 43,214 measles cases reported, with 570 deaths. In the whole year of 2018, there were 21,812 measles cases reported with 202 deaths. World Immunization Week is celebrated in the last week of April (24 to 30 April) and aims to promote the use of vaccines to protect people of all ages against disease. Editor's Note: With so much market volatility, stay on top of daily news! Get caught up in minutes with our speedy summary of today's must-read news and expert opinions. Sign up here! (Kitco News) - Latin American miner Fortuna Silver said today some staff tested positive for COVID-19. "We continue to test all personnel at our site, and through our testing we have identified positive results for COVID-19 in six individuals all of whom remain asymptomatic," wrote the company. The company said each positive case is being handled according to protocols. On Sunday, March 15, 2020, the Government of Peru introduced a series of measures to contain the rapid spread of COVID-19 which included a declaration of a fifteen-day period of mandatory national social isolation, which has been subsequently extended to May 10, 2020. "During this period, the Company has been working under the regulatory framework issued by the Ministerio de Energia y Minas (MINEM) and the Ministerio del Interior (MININTER), which allows mines to operate during this period with essential personnel," the company said. Fortuna runs mines in Mexico and Peru. Despite the advances in aviation, a majority of Indians still prefer to travel long distances by trains. One gets to see the real India in the process. The changing topography and the vegetation make us aware of the vast diversity of our country. Train journeys are also mini-vacations of sorts, wherein one can enjoy a relaxing slumber away from the hustle and bustle of daily life. The present lockdown initiated to curb the menace of COVID-19 must have certainly put a dampener on your travel plans. Keeping that in mind, we have made a list of Hindi films right from the 50s till now which have trains and train stations as the backdrop. Go through the list, catch up on your favourites and relive the train journeys in your memory.Director: Ramesh SaigalCast: Sunil Dutt, Nalini Jaywant, Sheila RamaniThe film marked the debut of Sunil Dutt. Theres a scene in the film where he rescues Nalini Jaywant from drowning in a well. He rescued co-star Nargis too in reel as well as in real life in Mother India (1957). A train stops at a remote platform in the kingdom of Andher Nagri. Floods have damaged a bridge and the repairs will take 24 hours. The kingdom is ruled by an autocratic king whose daughter Rajkumari Indira (Sheila Ramani), has run away because she doesnt want to marry the groom chosen by the father, is in the train as well. Travelling in the general compartment are the well-educated but unemployed Ramu (Sunil Dutt), his yet to be married sister and widowed mother. A shrewd businessman, Nasibchand (Johnny Walker), takes a nearby shop and its adjacent well on hire from Naina (Nalini Jaywant) and her widowed father for 24 hours in the hope of making a profit. He starts charging exorbitant prices, even for water. While the rich passengers buy things without any fuss and are seen having a picnic, the poor suffer. Circumstances lead to both the princess and the poor girl falling for Ramu, who too gets swayed by the prospect of money gained through marrying the princess, before coming to his senses.Director: Ravikant NagaichCast: Rajesh Khanna, Nanda, Rajendranath, HelenIt is the remake of the 1967 Malayalam movie Cochin Express starring Prem Nazir. A gang of master criminals have been successfully murdering jewellers abroad the Calcutta Express and runny off with the loot. CID inspector Shyam (Rajesh Khanna) is assigned to the case. His college friend Lily (Helen), now an exotic dancer at the hotel where his girlfriend Neeta (Nanda) works, may be involved with the gang. It transpires that Neeta herself might be part of the gang as well. He takes the help of a buffoonish witness Pyarelal (Rajendranath) to solve the case. There is also a subplot of Neetas father being falsely accused of murder. The film had a convoluted storyline but was buoyed by engaging performances from the main leads. It had some fabulous tracks like Gulabi aankhen jo teri dekhi, and Kisliye maine pyaar kiya composed by RD Burman.Director: Awtar Krishna KaulCast: Raakhee, MK RainaThe film is based on the Hindi novel Athara Sooraj Ke Paudhe written by Ramesh Bakshi and was the first and only film of Awtar Krisna Kaul before he reportedly died in a drowning accident in 1975. The film won the Best Film Award at the 1975 National Award and its cinematographer, Apurba Kishore Bir, too won the National Award for Best Cinematography. The film was shot using hand-held cameras and has realistic scenes containing glimpses of crowded Mumbai trains and platforms, as also of the iconic Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus. Sanjay (MK Raina) wanted to pursue a career in art but became a ticket-checker in the Indian railway instead. He works as a ticket checker in Mumbai locals and meets Shalini (Raakhee). They keep bumping into each other and attraction blooms. He wants to marry her but she doesnt. He gets married to a girl chosen by his father and the marriage doesnt work out from the start. Years later, when he meets Shalini on another train journey, he finds out they have nothing left in common any more.Director: GulzarCast: Master Raju, Uttam Kumar, Vidya Sinha, Dina PathakBabla (Master Raju) is a school going kid living with his mother (Dina Pathak) in a village. His mother sends him to his sister's (Vidya Sinha) place in a city so that he can have access to better education. Being a child, all he wants to do is to loiter around, experience the strange sights and sounds of the city and generally make merry with his friends. He becomes quite mischievous and his sister and brother-in-law -- played by Vidya Sinha and Uttam Kumar respectively, are tired of the constant complaints about him. Hurt by their harsh words, he one day decides to run away back to his mother. He boards a train but being ticketless, is told to get off at the next station. How he makes his way back to his village and the lessons he learns on the way forms the crux of the film. The film has the famous Dhanno ki aankhon mein, shot on a locomotive engine, sung by composer RD Burman himself.Director: Ravi ChopraCast: Dharmendra, Vinod Khanna, Jeetendra, Hema Malini, Parveen Babi, Neetu SinghThe film was a take-off on The Towering Inferno (1974). Only instead of a boring skyscraper, the fire was spreading across a moving train that couldnt be stopped. Vinod Khanna develops a super fast train thatll reach Delhi from Mumbai in just 14 hours. Danny Denzongpa, a fellow engineer, gets supremely jealous of this and sabotages the achievement by planting a bomb in the train during its first run. The train does catch fire but our hero, with a group of do-gooders -- childhood friend Dharmendra, colleague Vinod Mehra, good-hearted thief Jeetendra -- and a motley crew of passengers manages to get it stopped and get most of the passengers out. The heroes literally walk through the fire, jump from one train to the other, battle a helicopter. It had all the makings of a Hollywood blockbuster but failed to catch the imagination of the public upon initial release. It has become a cult classic since then.Director: Manmohan Desai and Prayag RajCast: Amitabh Bachchan, Rishi Kapoor, Rati Agnihotri, Shoma AnandThis was the film where during a fight sequence with Punit Issar, Amitabh Bachchan famously got injured and got into a near-fatal situation. The scenes where Amitabh is shown to be a railway porter were reportedly shot at the Bangalore city station as Manmohan Desai thought crowd control would be difficult to handle up North. The film told the story of a coolie who was separated from his parents as a child due to circumstances and how life gives him a chance to exact revenge on the man who made life hell for his family. The film contains a famous scene, where Amitabh is seen learning how to make an omelette through a radio recipe and Rati keeps changing the stations, even as trains zoom past his shanty near the tracks. The film also starred Rishi Kapoor as his long-lost cousin, Waheeda Rehman as his mother and Kader Khan as the chief villain. The film was supposed to have a sad ending initially but after Bachchans near-death experience, it was changed to a happy ending.Director: Directed by Hasnain Hyderabadwala and Raksha MistryCast: Emraan Hashmi, Geeta Basra, Sayali Bhagat, Aditi BhatiaIts a remake of the American hit Derailed (2005). Vishal Dixit (Emraan Hashmi), is a regular middle-class man, settled in Bangkok who keeps meeting Roma Kapoor (Geeta Basra), a beautiful woman during his regular train commute. They start talking and Vishal finds out that their stories are almost identical. They both seem to be stuck in loveless marriages and both seem to dote on their respective daughters. Vishals daughter is suffering from kidney failure and hes worried about the medical expenses needed for her operation. They consummate their affair one day and all hell breaks loose. Vishal keeps getting blackmailed by a stranger and soon all his savings get wiped out. Worse, he finds out that it was all a con and Roma was involved in it from the start. How he recovers the money and gets his life on track forms the crux of the film.Director: Imtiaz AliCast: Shahid Kapoor, Kareena KapoorGeet (Kareena Kapoor), an extrovert who is self-confessedly her own favourite, meets Aditya (Shahid Kapoor) in a Punjab bound train and their lives change. Aditya is having suicidal thoughts as the news of his mother who has left his father for someone else has hit him hard. The talkative Geet spills out her life story to her co-passenger and shes surprised hes not listening. She misses her train because of him and insists he drops her off to her home in Bhatinda. Then, she seeks his help in running away from her house as well. Her dream is to marry her boyfriend. They become close during the journey and part ways as friends. Aditya changes completely as a result of their association and becomes a better person in the process. When he seeks her out, he finds out that her boyfriend had abandoned Geet and shes been living alone. He makes her reconcile with her family and in the end, the duo decides to marry.Director: PriyadarshanCast: Anil Kapoor, Ajay Devgn, Kangana Ranaut, Mohanlal, Zayed Khan, Sameera ReddyAkash (Ajay Devgn) gets deported from Britain for having an illegal visa and has to stay away from his wife (Kangana Ranaut) and daughter (Avika Gor) for four years. He comes back to England with a revenge plan. Teaming up with former colleagues and mates, Aadil Khan (Zayed Khan) and Megha (Sameera Reddy), he plans to set up a bomb on a high-speed train and hold the government to ransom. While the first phase of his plans is successful, the rest of things go downhill. Megha is killed in an accident during the ransom run and Aadit blows himself up rather than giving himself to the police. A police officer Arjun (Anil Kapoor) is hot on his heels and finally catches up with him with his wifes help, who has decided to help the police. He tells Arjun that the bomb isnt actually engaged and the train can be stopped and the passengers evacuated. Arjun listens to his story and wants to let Akash go but hes killed by other officers who think he has held Arjun hostage.Director: Rohit ShettyCast: Deepika Padukone, Shah Rukh Khan40 something Rahul belongs to a family of mithai-walas. When his grandfather passed away at 99, his grandmother requested him to submerge the ashes at Rameswaram. He sets out in the Chennai Express from Mumbai, planning to get down at Kayan and join his friends on a road trip to Goa, reasoning that all oceans are one and he would rather have some fun and submerge the ashes in Goa. He gets off at Kalyan but forgets to collect the pot containing the ashes. He runs back to the train and then helps a girl and four others -- in a spoof of sorts to DDLJ -- get inside the train. The girl, Meenamma (Deepika Padukone) is running away from her family, the guys are goons sent by her father to collect her and as hes witness to a crime -- one of the goons pushes a TC off the train -- he must ride with them to their native village in Chennai Express. The two become friends during the picturesque journey and later he helps her escape again, falling for her in the process. The film ends with Rahul and Meenamma being accepted as a couple by her family and he fulfilling his grandmothers wishes by submerging the ashes at Rameswaram. Dubai: Saudi Arabia's King Salman has ordered an end to the death penalty for crimes committed by minors, according to a top official. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Credit:AP The decision comes on the heels of another ordering judges to end the practice of flogging, replacing it with jail time, fines or community service. King Salman's son and heir, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, is seen as the force behind the kingdom's loosening of restrictions. The crown prince has sought to modernise the country, attract foreign investment and revamp Saudi Arabia's reputation globally. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, April 27, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Fortuna Silver Mines, Inc. (NYSE: FSM) (TSX: FVI) provides an update on the status of its operations at the Caylloma Mine in Peru (refer to Fortuna news releases dated March 17, 2020 (https://www.fortunasilver.com/site/assets/files/5190/fortuna-provides-an-update-on-the-status-asda.pdf) and April 2, 2020 (https://www.fortunasilver.com/site/assets/files/5217/2020-04-02-fvi-nr.pdf)), which is continuing to operate and contribute to the local economy during these challenging times for the world. On Sunday, March 15, 2020, the Government of Peru introduced a series of measures to contain the rapid spread of COVID-19 which included a declaration of a fifteen-day period of mandatory national "social isolation", which has been subsequently extended to May 10, 2020. During this period, the Company has been working under the regulatory framework issued by the Ministerio de Energia y Minas (MINEM) and the Ministerio del Interior (MININTER), which allows mines to operate during this period with essential personnel. The well-being of our personnel is our top priority. We have prepared and implemented health and safety protocols to safeguard the health and safety of our personnel and the local communities where we operate. The Caylloma mine is located approximately 14 kilometers from the nearest town of Caylloma. These protocols, which have been approved by the Ministerio de Salud, include among others: Medical screening: Health checks and serological testing for COVID-19 before travelling to and on arrival at the mine site. Completing a health questionnaire and taking temperatures before entering the mine site and regularly once on site. Essential personnel: All non-essential work has been suspended. The critical work is carried out by 40 percent of the regular workforce. Personal protective equipment: Use of personal protective equipment, including masks and gloves while travelling to and from the mine site and while at the mine site. Travel: Travel to and from the mine site is in disinfected vehicles with 50 percent occupancy. Social distancing measures: Shift times are staggered to minimize the gathering of personnel. Shifts have a reduced number of personnel. Canteens and offices have a reduced number of chairs and tables. Site and camp hygiene: Increased cleaning and disinfection of common areas, housing quarters, and offices. Regular hand washing and wiping down of equipment and work areas after use. We continue to test all personnel at our site, and through our testing we have identified positive results for COVID-19 in six individuals all of whom remain asymptomatic. Each positive case has been handled according to our demanding protocols. All actions taken have been coordinated with the health authorities and informed of in a timely manner. Managers at the mine site have kept all personnel informed of the positive tests. The Company has requested personnel to be vigilant in self-monitoring for signs of symptoms. About Fortuna Silver Mines Inc. Fortuna is a growth oriented, precious metals producer focused on mining opportunities in Latin America. Our primary assets are the Caylloma silver Mine in southern Peru, the San Jose silver-gold Mine in Mexico and the Lindero gold Project, currently under construction, in Argentina. The Company is selectively pursuing acquisition opportunities throughout the Americas and in select other areas. For more information, please visit our website at www.fortunasilver.com (http://www.fortunasilver.com) . ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD Jorge A. Ganoza President, CEO and Director Fortuna Silver Mines Inc. Trading symbols: NYSE: FSM | TSX: FVI Investor Relations: Carlos Baca T (Peru): +51.1.616.6060, ext. 0 Forward-looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking statements which constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (collectively, "Forward-looking Statements"). All statements included herein, other than statements of historical fact, are Forward-looking Statements and are subject to a variety of known and unknown risks and uncertainties which could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those reflected in the Forward-looking Statements. The Forward-looking Statements in this news release may include, without limitation, statements about the duration and effects of COVID-19 and any other pandemics on the Company's workforce, business, operations and financial condition, and the risks relating to a global pandemic, which unless contained could cause a slowdown in global economic growth and impact the Company's business, operations, financial condition and share price; the duration of the reduced operations at the Caylloma mine, and the number of personnel that may be affected by COVID-19. Often, but not always, these Forward-looking Statements can be identified by the use of words such as "estimated", "potential", "open", "future", "assumed", "projected", "used", "detailed", "has been", "gain", "planned", "reflecting", "will", "containing", "remaining", "to be", or statements that events, "could" or "should" occur or be achieved and similar expressions, including negative variations. Forward-looking Statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the Forward-looking Statements. Such uncertainties and factors include, among others, the worldwide economic and social impact of COVID-19, the duration and extent of COVID-19, changes in general economic conditions and financial markets; the duration of government restrictions on business related to COVID-19 including operations at the Caylloma mine; changes in prices for silver and other metals; technological and operational hazards in Fortuna's mining and mine development activities; risks inherent in mineral exploration; uncertainties inherent in the estimation of mineral reserves, mineral resources, and metal recoveries; changes to current estimates of mineral reserves and resources; changes to production estimates; governmental and other approvals; changes in government, political unrest or instability in countries where Fortuna is active; labor relations issues; as well as those factors discussed under "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Information Form. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in Forward-looking Statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results to differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended. Forward-looking Statements contained herein are based on the assumptions, beliefs, expectations and opinions of management, including but not limited to the management of the worldwide economic and social impact of COVID-19, that the duration and extent of COVID-19 is minimized and not long-term, the expected trends in mineral prices and currency exchange rates; the accuracy of the Company's current mineral resource and reserve estimates; that the Company's activities will be in accordance with the Company's public statements and stated goals; that there will be no material adverse change affecting the Company or its properties; that all required approvals will be obtained; that there will be no significant disruptions affecting operations and such other assumptions as set out herein. Forward-looking Statements are made as of the date hereof and the Company disclaims any obligation to update any Forward-looking Statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise, except as required by law. There can be no assurance that the Company will be successful in its legal proceedings or that these Forward-looking Statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, investors should not place undue reliance on Forward-looking Statements. More patients recover from coronavirus, Turkish forces remove protesters by force, Turkey attacks regime position on border and prisoners released from Sednaya. Catch up on everything that happened over the weekend. 1. The Health Ministry said that five of the patients who registered positive with the coronavirus (COVID-19) in Syria have recovered, raising the total number of recoveries in the country to 11, SANA reported. The total number of coronavirus cases registered in Syria to date is 42, with 11 patients recovering and three passing away. 2. On Sunday, clashes between Turkish forces and protesters at a sit-in on the Aleppo-Lattakia highway (M4) near the town of al-Nerab, south of the city of Idleb, northern Syria, killed a man and injured others. Local sources and eyewitnesses told Smart News that shooting between the Turkish forces and the protesters killed a protester and injured three others. The sources explained that the Turkish forces attempted to remove barriers erected by the protesters and to end the sit-in that started earlier in the morning. The Turkish forces exchanged gunfire with the protesters and used teargas. 3. The Cabinet decided that all students of non-certificate grades will automatically pass to the next grade, and tasked the Education Ministry with preparing a plan to help students make up for the lessons they missed in the following years, SANA reported. The Cabinet also extended the suspension of attendance at universities and institutes until after the end of Ramadan. 4. Yara al-Hasbani, a Syrian dancer and choreographer has drawn crowds from across France for her performances in public squares and parks. As she performed a series of spectacular ballet gestures before deserted grand monuments of Paris recently, there wasnt a soul in sight except AFP cameraman Samir al-Doumy who made them his canvas. With the French capital in lockdown for nearly six weeks because of the coronavirus, the 26-year-old had some of the most visited sites in the world to herself. Wearing a mask, she danced an arabesque in front of the Louvre museum, an attitude derriere on the steps of Sacre Coeur and did a six oclock with one leg right up to her head by the Arc du Triomphe. 5. Turkish artillery has pounded regime positions near the border region of Ras al-Ayn in northeastern Syria, a pro-regime news sites said Sunday. According to Zaman Al-Wasl, the barrage of Turkish artillery hit the town of Tel Tamr on Saturday. No casualties among regime forces have been reported. In the past few weeks, Tel Tamer and Abu Rasayn areas have been a field for skirmishes between the National Army and the YPG militia. 6. The Syrian regime has released 24 prisoners from Deir ez-Zor province after being held for years in the notorious Sednaya prison, activists told Zaman Al-Wasl. Pro-regime media accounts said the release of opposition prisoners was a goodwill gesture on the first day of the holy month of Ramadan. So far, about 100 detainees from Deir ez-Zor have been released in the past few weeks. This article was edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. The U.S. is edging closer to possible meat shortages with another major plant shut down. About a quarter of American pork production and 10% of beef output has now been shuttered, according to the United Food & Commercial Workers, which estimates that 13 U.S. plants are down. On Thursday, Tyson Foods said it was shutting its beef facility in Pasco, Washington, fresh on the heels of the company idling two key pork plants. Case counts are continuing to mount, including in Canada, where industry groups are saying they'll probably hold back some supplies usually exported to the U.S. And the head of JBS, the world's top meat producer, is warning of shortfalls. LYSOL MAKER: Please do not put Lysol into your body Meanwhile, 100 U.S. Department of Agriculture inspectors have tested positive for the novel coronavirus. The workers, part of the Food Safety and Inspection Service that employs about 6,500 inspectors, have been traveling between plants with known infections to other facilities. And at least one inspector has died after apparently contracting the disease the virus causes, Covid-19, according to information the federal agency provided Thursday during a phone call with consumer groups. The infections among inspectors are adding to fears that shutdowns will keep occurring, especially if the sick USDA employees bring the infection to plants where there's not yet an outbreak. FIGHT AGAINST COVID: Treatments that Houston hospitals are using right now "A traveling inspector bringing in the disease is our biggest worry," said Mike Callicrate, a rancher, processor and advocate in Kansas. Meat prices are surging on the disruptions. U.S. wholesale beef hit the highest on record. Pork bellies, the cut turned into bacon, soared 137% in the five days through Wednesday. Things are so dire that Iowa, the biggest hog state, activated the National Guard to help protect supplies. "What people don't realize is in the coming months, that's going to be one the biggest issues out there is getting the meats and provisions, for not only restaurants, I hate to say it, but grocery stores as well," said Peter Cancro, chief executive officer of Jersey Mike's Franchise Systems. Jersey Mike's, which has 1,750 stores across the U.S., is working with its ham supplier Clemens Food Group to ensure its supply of pork, something it sells quite a bit of in its sandwiches, he said. "We're backing it up already because of the coming - we feel - the coming shortages," he said. With slaughterhouses closing, farmers don't have a place to sell their animals. That's forcing livestock producers to dispose of them. Shuttered or reduced processing capacity has prompted some hog farmers in eastern Canada to euthanize animals that were ready for slaughter, said Rick Bergmann, chair of the Canadian Pork Council. In Minnesota, farmers may have to kill 200,000 pigs in the next few weeks, according to an industry association. It's the latest blow to supply chains, with food being wasted en masse at the same time that grocery store shelves are running empty. Dairy farmers are spilling milk that can't be sold to processors and some fruit and vegetables are rotting in fields due to labor shortages or distribution disruptions. Meanwhile, the inventory numbers that had long been pointed to as a cushion of supplies for consumers are starting to come into question now that meat-plant shutdowns are taking place indefinitely. The U.S. government on Wednesday pushed out its monthly figures on frozen food inventories. Combined pork, beef and poultry supplies in cold-storage facilities now stand equal to roughly two weeks of total American meat production. With most plant shutdowns lasting about 14 days for safety reasons, that raises the potential for deficits. In March, when U.S. shoppers were clearing grocery shelves amid lockdowns, frozen pork in warehouses slumped 4.2% from February, the biggest drop for any March since 2014. That happened before the meat plants started closing. "We may see a meat-supply issue ahead, depending on the number and the size of plants shut at the same time," Gilberto Tomazoni, chief executive officer of JBS, said in a webinar sponsored by XP Investimentos. While at this point it's hard to predict what will happen, continuous plant shutdown may spur a meat shortfall, he said. "The virus won't go away tomorrow," he said. Branded OTT TV channels provider Video on Demand 365 (VOD365) has agreed a major content deal with NBC Universal which will see a raft of new programming to appear on the Ketchup and Yaaas! kids channels. Under the terms of the deal, VOD365 will pick up exclusive UK VOD rights to many of NBC Universals globally recognised brands for its kids channels. Specifically, the agreement will see over 1000 episodes of NBC content spread across the pre-school channel, Ketchup and Yaaas!, which is aimed at kids aged seven plus. Ketchup fans will be able to enjoy new episodes of kids favourites such as Postman Pat, Noddy, Curious George, Ethelbert the Tiger and Caspers Scare School.Programming featured in the deal also includes global NBC hits Kung Fu Panda, Pandiva, New Penguins of Madagascar, New Puss in Boots, Puss in Boots Epic Cat Battles (pictured), as well as New Shrek, Swamp Talk with Shrek and Donkey, King Julien and Woody Woodpecker.We are extremely pleased to have concluded this deal with NBC Universal, commented VOD365 founder and CEO, Paul Coste. Adding these global hits to the Yaaas! and Ketchup line-ups is a major coup for us and underlines the appeal of our innovative channels to content huge global content providers such as NBC Universal. We very much look forward to working with them.The agreement follows several recent content deals concluded by VOD365 for its kids channels, with content from Endemol Shine and Aardman all joining the Ketchup stable. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Apriza Pinandita (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, April 27, 2020 18:30 625 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd486b52 1 SE Asia COVID-19,COVID-19-Malaysia,Wuhan-coronavirus,Malaysia,Indonesia Free Nearly 100 Malaysian citizens with a recent travel history to Indonesia have tested positive for COVID-19 in the past month, Malaysian health authorities have said. In a press conference on Sunday, Malaysian Health Ministry director-general Noor Hisham Abdullah said 12,670 Malaysians returning from abroad had been placed under quarantine, following the implementation of mandatory isolation at quarantine stations. "As of April 26, out of the 12,670 screened at quarantine centers, 139 tested positive," Noor Hisham said as quoted by Malaysian online news site The Star TV. Noor said at least 99 of the positive cases had recently traveled to Indonesia. Fourteen had traveled to the United Kingdom, 13 to Singapore and five to Turkey, Noor said, adding that the rest had been to the Netherlands, the United States, Thailand, France and Bangladesh. Malaysia reported 38 more COVID-19 cases on Sunday, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 5,780, while the death toll remains at 98, The Star reported. Meanwhile, eight Malaysian students and one Thai student from the Al Fatah pesantren (Islamic boarding school) in Temboro village, Magetan regency, East Java, have tested positive for COVID-19 after contact tracing and quarantine measures were instated in the village, following reports that 43 of the pesantren's students had tested positive in Malaysia. Al Fatah boarding school has more than 22,000 students, 2,000 of whom are foreigners, mostly from Southeast Asian countries. The secretary of the East Java provincial administration, Heru Tjahjono, said on Saturday that 164 students from Al Fatah would be repatriated to Malaysia on Monday after the school was declared as a severe red zone of COVID-19 transmissions in Magetan. The Malaysian Embassy in Jakarta has said it would repatriate the remaining Malaysian students in Temboro village. As of Monday, Indonesia has recorded 9,906 cases of COVID-19, of which 765 have died and 1,151 have recovered. PHOENIX The long-running copyright infringement case between the AMA Multimedia against the companies that operate and are affiliated with Porn.com received another lifeline on Friday. A federal appeals court reversed a previous decision made by U.S. Judge David G. Campbell that would have dismissed its case on jurisdictional grounds. Fridays ruling focused on whether Porn.coms alleged conduct was in furtherance of an advertising deal between AMA and the GIM Corp., which brokered AMA promotional videos that appeared on Porn.com and purportedly had no relation to charges of infringement. AMA, which filed its infringement suit in 2017, alleged that Porn.com and its defendants engaged in a practice called scraping, by which entities aggregate on their own, user information and videos from other websites. The operator of Porn.com was sued after AMA alleged that 64 of its copyrighted works were found on more than 110 separate Porn.com-affiliated URLs. AMA has more than 20 porn membership sites, including Passion-HD.com, Tiny4K.com and PornPros.com. Defendant Porn.com, based in Seychelles, was alleged to have displayed AMAs movies over separate Porn.com URLs. Porn.com claimed that the poached videos were uploaded by third-party users. In addition to Porn.com, other defendants include Cyberweb Ltd. (formerly MXN Ltd.), based in Barbados, and Netmedia Services Inc., based in Canada., along with TrafficForce.com and operator Dave Koonar. In the most recent round at the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, AMA appealed Campbells dismissal of the case because its ad deal with GIM Corp. had nothing to do with videos that allegedly appeared on Porn.com with its watermark erased. In Fridays ruling, the district court abused its discretion in concluding defendants were transaction participants and could benefit from the forum selection clause. Here, the district court incorrectly applied the law, the 9th Circuit panel said in Fridays ruling. The district court correctly identified the legal rule: Defendants, as nonparties, could enforce the forum selection clause if their alleged conduct was closely related to the contractual relationship between AMA and GIM Corp. But the district court did not apply this rule, the 9th Circuit said. It focused solely on the relationship between defendants and the content partner revenue sharing agreement, instead of focusing on defendants [allegedly infringing] conduct. The district court should have analyzed whether defendants alleged conduct was closely related to the content partner revenue sharing agreement the contractual relationship between AMA and GIM. Only then could defendants have standing to enforce the forum selection clause , the 9th Circuit said. Because the district court did not do so, it incorrectly applied the law and abused its discretion. We do not reach defendants alternative grounds for enforcing the forum selection clause, including those based on an implied license, agency relationships, or third-party beneficiary status. Defendants may pursue those theories, as well as their transaction participants theory, on remand. AVN readers can check out the 9th Circuit's oral arguments made in the case last month here. A ruling party candidate won a seat in a lower house by-election in central Japan held under a state of emergency over the coronavirus, providing relief to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe whose response to the pandemic has been criticized. Yoichi Fukazawa of the Liberal Democratic Party who was also backed by its junior coalition partner Komeito, defeated Ken Tanaka, who was endorsed by four major opposition parties in the first national poll since the coronavirus outbreak began. Voter turnout was a record low at 34.10 percent. The election in the Shizuoka Nov. 4 district was an opportunity for the ruling coalition to justify their crisis response that opposition lawmakers see as too late and out of touch with the public. It was also marked by firsts for both candidates and voters as Japan scrambles to contain COVID-19. There were no "banzai," or raising hands high to celebrate an achievement, or giving of a flower bouquet, as Fukazawa's camp broke with customs as measures against the coronavirus spread. "Under the leadership of Prime Minister Abe, the government has been rolling out a series of steps but I'm aware of the criticism they are not enough," the 43-year-old Fukazawa told reporters. "We will carry out necessary measures." Abe's support ratings have fallen in recent media polls. His plan to distribute cloth masks to all households has hit a snag amid complaints of defects by recipients and the recent posting of a video clip meant to deliver his "stay at home" message has been perceived as backfiring. In the run-up to Sunday's poll, Abe yielded to pressure from Komeito after his cash handout plan met criticism and made an abrupt policy change in mid-April to provide 100,000 yen ($930) per person to support all people affected by his emergency declaration that was expanded nationwide in mid-April. DOZENS of gardai are to be deployed across Limerick from 7am on Tuesday to enforce the current Covid-19 restrictions on movement. As part of Operation Fanacht, an extensive network of checkpoints will be established in Limerick and across the country until Monday, May 4. It will again involve large-scale checkpoints on many main routes, and mobile checkpoints on secondary routes and in towns and villages. The operation will also see thousands of gardai across the country conduct high visibility patrols at major tourist locations, parks and natural beauty spots to ensure compliance with restrictions. Over the Easter bank holiday weekend, several motorists were stopped in Limerick and told to return home by gardai who deemed their journey was not essential. Speaking at Garda Headquarters, Deputy Commissioner John Twomey said: "When we last ran Operation Fanacht there was a high level of compliance from the public. It is vital that we see that again. I want to thank the public for their co-operation so far. We know it has not been easy and has required significant sacrifices. While there might be some easing of the current restrictions from May 5, gardai are warning there will be no change between now and then and that they will be enforcing the public-health measures which were introduced on March 28. This includes a ban on all non-essential journeys and mass gatherings and the requirement of people to only exercise within 2km of their homes. Deputy Commissioner Twomey says it had been long planned to run Operation Fanacht again during this week in the run up to and over the May Bank Holiday weekend. To date, gardai have confirmed there have been 34 arrests under the provisions of the Health Act 1947- Section 31A- Temporary Restrictions (Covid 19) Regulations 2020. (Alliance News) - Moody's Investors Service on Friday affirmed all ratings of Anglo-Australian miner Rio Tinto PLC including its A2 senior unsecured and Prime-1 short term ratings. The outlook on the company's ratings was kept at Stable. "The affirmation of the Rio Tinto group's ratings reflects the resiliency of the company's performance in weaker price environments, particularly its iron ore operations which are the driving force in revenue, earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation, and cash flow generation," said Carol Cowan, Moody's senior vice president and lead analyst for the Rio Tinto. The company's excellent liquidity position also supports the ratings in this environment of deteriorating global economic conditions, the ratings agency said. Moody's A2 ratings for companies within the Rio Tinto group considers a number of key attributes including its large scale and low-cost operations across its major segments, particularly its iron ore operations in Australia, diversity of mineral and metals exposures and leading positions in a number of these, and geographical diversity. "Rio Tinto's operating scale, productivity enhancements, cost profile and strong balance sheet provide resilience to market volatility. This, combined with financial discipline evidenced through changes in its dividend policy and debt reduction in recent years, together with a very strong earnings performance in 2019 has allowed for meaningful improvement in the group's debt protection metrics and leverage position," Moody's explained. Rio Tinto shares in London closed at 3,750.00 pence each in London on Friday, down 0.9%. By Tapan Panchal; tapanpanchal@alliancenews.com Copyright 2020 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. A couple have brought a legal challenge to permission for afforestation on what they say are extremely sensitive lands near special conservation areas adjoining their home near the Border in Blacklion, Co Cavan. Initial tree planting works have begun on the 6.9 hectare site which is in an area known for its extremely rare underground limestone paving extending to the UNESCO GlobalGeopark site of the Marble Arch Caves in Co Fermanagh, the High Court heard. It follows the February last decision of a Forestry Appeals Committee (FAC), appointed by Minister for Agriculture, Food and Marine, to grant permission to Greenbelt Ltd and Michael and Mary Maguire, of Monragh, Blacklion, for the afforestation plan. Two other local residents, civil servants Francis and Anne Marie Cassidy, objected to the plan on several grounds. Their family home is 100 metres from the site and will directly look out on to it. They were granted leave to bring judicial review proceedings over the decision against the FAC, the Minister and the State, with Greenbelt and the Maguires as notice parties. It followed a one side-only-represented application by Michael O'Donnell BL, for the Cassidys. Mr Justice Charles Meenan also granted a stay on works on the site and adjourned the matter to June. The court heard the Minister initially approved the scheme and this was upheld by the FAC despite objections from the couple. The Cassidys say they only became aware of the original application, in April 2017, many months afterwards through a third party. They complain the public notification system was inadequate and there had been a failure to comply with EU regulations in this regard. The Minister failed to apply the appropriate tests, as required by EU directives, including the Habitats Directive, as to whether the project required an environmental impact assessment, they say. The Minister also purported to carry out an appropriate assessment screening but an ecologist's report on it contained "fundamental errors", they say. The assessment was limited to a "box ticking exercise" and also erroneously referred to a site with a similar name in Donegal. The FAC should have dealt with the appeal over the Minister's decision as a new case rather than just reviewing the original decision, they say. The FAC erred in law in approving the decision in circumstances where the Minister had confirmed there was a possibility of an effect on a conservation site, they say. TheFAC was also in breach of its obligations in relation to the carrying out of an assessment as required by EU directives and in failing to consider whether the project was likely to have a significant effect on the environment, they say. The lands lie within an area which is identified as one for special protection under the Cavan County Development Plan and contains a number of public rights of way which traverse through the site, they say. They are also near the Cavan Burren Park, the Stairway to Heaven Cuilcagh Walking Trail and the Cavan Way, which are areas of very significant geological, hydrogeological, botanical and ecological significance. The land also contains rare and endangered species, is the subject matter of Flora Protection Order 1999 and is a foraging site for the hen harrier, and the resident bats. PITTSBURGH, April 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- "I hate how small slivers of bar soap end up cluttering up the sink areas, as well as the shower and bath," said an inventor from Centerville, Ohio. "I wanted to prevent these pieces from being wasted, so I came up with a way to reuse them." He developed SOAP REFORM to make use of the small pieces of bar soap that are frequently discarded. The device transforms soap chips into new bars of soap in varying shapes. It eliminates the need to discard the small pieces. Less soap would be purchased because 100 percent of the bar would be used. The invention enables the user to conveniently reuse the soap pieces that would normally be too small. Additionally, it prevents soap slivers from clogging drains or creating an unsightly mess in bathtubs. The original design was submitted to the Cincinnati sales office of InventHelp. It is currently available for licensing or sale to manufacturers or marketers. For more information, write Dept. 18-CCT-2011, InventHelp, 217 Ninth Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15222, or call (412) 288-1300 ext. 1368. Learn more about InventHelp's Invention Submission Services at http://www.InventHelp.com. SOURCE InventHelp Related Links http://www.inventhelp.com Ten Indonesians, including six women- who all are members of the Tablighi Jamaat and had attended the religious meet at the Nizamuddin Markaz in Delhi in March- have been arrested by the Mumbai Police under various sections of the IPC on completion of their quarantine period, an official said on Monday. These ten members were part of a group of 12 Tablighis from Indonesia who were staying at an apartment in Bandra (west) since March 29 after they had returned from Delhi, he said. A large number of COVID-19 cases were attributed to the religious congregation held at the Markaz, as many Tablighis travelled to various parts of the country. The official said the police came to know about the presence of the Indonesians in Bandra only on April 1. For latest updates and live news on coronavirus, click here "We found that they had came to India in two batches on February 29 and March 3, and later visited the Markaz for the event," he said. The official said while the foreigners reached Mumbai on March 7, they settled down in the apartment only on March 29, implying that they had been roaming around during the 22 days. "During their medical examination, two members of the 12-member group tested positive for coronavirus, following which 10 others were placed under quarantine for a period of 20 days. They were arrested on Wednesday (April 22)," he said. They have been booked under sections 188 (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by a public servant), 269 (Negligent act likely to spread infection of disease that is dangerous to life) and 270 (Malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), and under provisions of the Epidemic Diseases Act. They were produced before court on April 23, which remanded them in the custody of the Bandra Police, the official added. By Marcelo Rochabrun, Tim Hepher and Tatiana Bautzer SAO PAULO/PARIS (Reuters) - Boeing Co on Saturday pulled out of a $4.2 billion deal to buy the commercial jets division of Brazil's Embraer, unraveling years of work on a transformative move driven by expanding competition with Europe's Airbus. The deal's collapse, first reported by Reuters, is expected to trigger a legal battle as hopes for an alliance spanning from regional to jumbo jets dissolve into behind-the-scenes bickering, though a separate military transporter marketing pact will remain intact. By Marcelo Rochabrun, Tim Hepher and Tatiana Bautzer SAO PAULO/PARIS (Reuters) - Boeing Co on Saturday pulled out of a $4.2 billion deal to buy the commercial jets division of Brazil's Embraer, unraveling years of work on a transformative move driven by expanding competition with Europe's Airbus. The deal's collapse, first reported by Reuters, is expected to trigger a legal battle as hopes for an alliance spanning from regional to jumbo jets dissolve into behind-the-scenes bickering, though a separate military transporter marketing pact will remain intact. "Over the past several months, we had productive but ultimately unsuccessful negotiations ... We all aimed to resolve those by the initial termination date, but it didn't happen," Boeing senior vice-president Marc Allen, the president of the proposed Embraer partnership, said in a statement. Embraer had no immediate comment. The collapse of talks halts the second half of a major reshaping of the global duopoly between Boeing and Airbus as both companies sought to expand into regional jets, adding potential new revenues and fresh resources or technology. In July 2018, Boeing agreed to buy 80% of Embraer's commercial jet unit after Airbus bought Embraer's main rival, the CSeries developed by Canada's Bombardier and since renamed A220. It also eyed lower-cost engineering and manufacturing. The prospect of an abrupt collapse of the talks was first reported by Reuters on Friday after discussions over contractual clauses turned sour and sources reported that progress was slow as the clock ticked towards a midnight deadline. On Saturday, plans for a simultaneous announcement were abandoned after Reuters quoted sources as saying Boeing had notified Embraer late on Friday that it would refuse to extend an April 24 deadline, effectively blocking the deal. People familiar with the matter said Boeing had raised objections during talks about funding and legal matters, which Embraer regarded as a deliberate bid to frustrate the deal. "Boeing was hard-hit by the world (coronavirus) crisis and found mechanisms in the contract to break it," said a Brazil-based source directly familiar with the talks. Boeing is preparing for job cuts in its own workforce and steep production cuts next week due to the coronavirus crisis. BREAKUP FEE Others said the dispute revolved around how much Embraer had invested in the commercial aerospace unit pending a final deal, as well as the progress of technical and contractual paperwork. A U.S. source denied Boeing had deliberately scuppered the deal and said Embraer had known for more than a year about the deadline and the various conditions for implementation. The deal calls for a $100 million breakup fee. However, sources said Embraer was weighing whether to sue for more after the long period of uncertainty cost it aircraft sales of its E2 line. The April 24 deadline been baked into the deal since January last year, but antitrust hiccups had forced the two companies to try to work out a new deadline. While the transaction received antitrust approvals from most countries, the European Union delayed a decision until August. Amid opposition from labor unions and prosecutors who thought Boeing would slash jobs, Embraer had defended the sale, saying it was crucial for its future. Analysts expect it will now move to reassure investors over its financial position. At the end of 2019, it had $2.3 bln in cash and cash equivalents. Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro had supported the deal, which needed government approval to go through, but expressed worry that Boeing might at some point take over all of Embraer. Boeing Chief Executive Dave Calhoun earlier this year upheld the strategic value to Boeing of going ahead with the deal, which would have seen Embraer contribute to future Boeing jets. (This story corrects in para 14 to Embraer's line of E2 jets, not A220) (Reporting by Marcelo Rochabrun, Tim Hepher; Editing by Kevin Liffey and Chizu Nomiyama) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday announced compassionate assistance of Rs 15 lakh to working journalists who die due to coronavirus infection. Patnaik said that coronavirus has created a huge health issue across the globe and journalists play a major role in creating awareness among the masses. They are working in a difficult situation to perform their professional duties, the chief minister said. An official release issued by the Chief Ministers Office said that if any journalist dies due to coronavirus, his/her family members will get ex-gratia of Rs 15 lakh. Odisha governments media advisor Manas Mangaraj thanked the chief minister for the governments sympathetic approach towards journalists. Earlier senior BJP leader and Union Minister Pratap Sarangi in a letter to the Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar had urged him to introduce a health insurance scheme for scribes covering the pandemic, in line with the one for frontline health workers. Sarangi, the MoS for micro, small and medium enterprises, said that several journalists in Mumbai, Chennai, Bhopal and other places have tested positive for COVID-19. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A political row erupted over the pricing of rapid antibody test kits. A legal battle in a court between an importer and a distributor revealed massive profiteering to the tune of 145% over the landed cost of the kits bought from Chinese companies. As the Congress and the DMK targeted the Modi government and the Tamil Nadu government over buying the kits at inflated prices, the Centre claimed that it opted to make the purchases from the Chinese companys exclusive distributor as it offered better terms. For latest updates and live news on coronavirus, click here An official statement said the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) had approached the Chinese company Wondfo directly, but it had insisted on 100% advance payment without any commitment on logistics or timelines. ...it was decided to with Wondfos exclusive distributor for India for the kit who quoted an all-inclusive price for FOB (logistics) without any clause for advance, a Health Ministry statement said. No payment has been made to the seller of the kits, Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Health Ministry told reporters here. He added the kits were being returned after field validation tests showed a wide variation in the results. CORONAVIRUS SPECIAL COVERAGE ONLY ON DH A controversy erupted as the court battles between the importer Chennai-based Matrix Labs and distributor Real Metabolics over the payment for the test kits that revealed a massive difference between the procurement price of the kits and its selling price to the government. The importer procured the kit at Rs 245 per piece and sold it to the government at Rs 600 per piece. When the entire country is fighting against the COVID-19 pandemic, some people are still trying to earn profits using unscrupulous ways. Such a corrupt mindset makes me cringe. The country will never pardon them, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said. That any human being would try & profiteer from the immeasurable suffering of millions of his brothers & sisters, is beyond belief & comprehension. This scam is an insult to every Indian. I urge the PM to act swiftly to bring the corrupt to justice, Rahul said. His remarks came after a trial in Delhi High Court revealed massive profiteering and over-pricing by a firm in the Covid-19 kits supplied to the ICMR. Congress leaders went on the offensive accusing the Modi government of purchasing testing kits for Rs 600 per piece against the landed price of Rs 245. T he death toll among coronavirus patients in UK hospitals has risen by the lowest one-day total since March 30. Matt Hancock announced that the number of people who have died in UK hospitals has risen by 360 in the last 24 hours. The new figure brings the UK death toll to 21,092 as of 5pm on Sunday, up from 20,732 the day before. At the Downing Street press briefing, Mr Hancock confirmed there have been 719,910 tests for coronavirus so far in the UK, including 37,024 on Sunday. Some 157,149 people have now tested positive, an increase of 4,310 cases since Sunday. NHS England announced 329 new deaths on Monday, while there were 13 recorded in Scotland. A further eight deaths were recorded in Wales, bringing the total to 350. The total is based on separate NHS figures and is usually different to the number of deaths recorded by the Department of Health. But both Sundays figure of 336 and todays figure represents the first time it has dipped below 400 since the start of the month. It comes as Boris Johnson told the nation earlier that there were real signs now that we are passing through the peak and thanked the public for their grit and guts so far. Boris Johnson says UK making progress against Covid-19 as he returns to No 10 The Prime Minister returned to Downing Street on Sunday night after he was hospitalised three weeks ago with the disease. Making his first public speech in a month this morning, the Prime Minister asked families and businesses to be patient and not throw away all the effort and the sacrifice of the British people. He warned Brits: This is the moment of maximum risk, despite signs that Covid-19 cases and deaths are plateauing. The lowest figure before today was on Sunday, when 413 new deaths were recorded nationwide, bringing the total to more than 20,500, according to official Government figures. Before that, the lowest daily toll was on March 30, when 180 were recorded to have died by the Department of Health. The PM warned the British public: This is the moment of maximum risk, despite signs that Covid-19 cases and deaths are plateauing / REUTERS The total number of confirmed reported deaths in hospitals in England is 18,749, according to NHS England. Of the 329 new deaths announced by NHS England, 58 occurred on April 26, 162 occurred on April 25 and. 50 occurred on April 24. The figures also show 40 of the new deaths took place between April 1 and April 23 while the remaining 19 deaths occurred in March, with the earliest new death taking place on March 17. Boris Johnson speaks outside 10 Downing Street after recovering from the coronavirus disease / Via REUTERS The figures published by NHS England show April 8 continues to have the highest number for the most hospital deaths occurring on a single day, with a current total of 857. Public Health Wales said a further 203 people had tested positive for Covid-19, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 9,280. Dr Giri Shankar, from Public Health Wales, said: Based on the new case numbers, there is emerging evidence suggesting a levelling-off in the number of new cases of Covid-19 in Wales, which may be an indication of the effectiveness of lockdown measures. One month since UK lockdown - In pictures 1 /14 One month since UK lockdown - In pictures The M5 motorway, looking south towards Devon PA A nearly-deserted Reuters Square in Canary Wharf PA A popular riverside walk alongside the Thames near London's Tower Bridge is almost empty PA The concourse of London's Waterloo station is almost devoid of travellers PA Empty streets and pavements surround Little Ben, a cast iron miniature clock tower, situated at the intersection of Vauxhall Bridge Road and Victoria Street PA Horse Guards Parade in London is empty as tourists stay away PA Liverpool waterfront is practically deserted PA Empty streets in Newcastle upon Tyne PA An empty shopping arcade at Windsor Station PA King's Parade, with King's College (left) and the Senate House (distance) in Cambridge PA A view of a near-deserted Waterlooville town centre in Hampshire PA However, it is still too early to tell for sure and it is too soon to end the current social distancing rules. Meanwhile, a total of 1,262 patients have died in Scotland after testing positive for coronavirus, up by 13 from 1,249 on Sunday, Nicola Sturgeon has said. The First Minister said 10,521 people have now tested positive for the virus in Scotland, up by 197 from 10,324 the day before. There are 134 people in intensive care with coronavirus or coronavirus symptoms, an increase of one on Sunday, she added. There are 1,762 people in hospital with confirmed or suspected Covid-19. Listen to The Leader: Coronavirus Daily podcast Ms Sturgeon added that 2,380 people who have tested positive for coronavirus have now been able to leave hospital. By PTI KOCHI: The National Investigation Agency(NIA) on Monday filed a charge sheet in the Ernakulam NIA Special Court against three accused in connection with the Kozhikode Maoist case. The charge sheet was filed against 20-year-old Allan Shuaib and Thwaha Fasal (24) arrested in connection with the case and absconding accused, CP Usman (40). They have been charged under IPC Section 120B (punishment of criminal conspiracy) and provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. The case was originally registered on November 1, 2019 at Pantheerankavu police station, Kozhikode after the duo were arrested with documents and propaganda material allegedly supporting CPI (Maoist), while they were conducting a meeting with Usman, who managed to escape. The case was re-registered by the NIA Kochi unit later. The NIA said investigation has established that "the arrested accused and the absconding accused are members of the proscribed terrorist organization, CPI (Maoist) and that they had conducted secret meetings as well as committed certain unlawful activities for furthering the terrorist cause of CPI (Maoist) in Kerala". It said that further investigation is still on in the case. Thwaha and Allan were students of journalism and law respectively and the CPM's branch committee members in Kozhikode district. The state's ruling CPM had come under attack from the Congress-led United Democratic Front as well as Left leaning activists for their arrests under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act. The case was taken over by the NIA, but Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, seeking to hand over the probe to the local police, saying the investigation was going in the right direction. The CPM in Kerala in February expelled Allan and Thwaha from the party for their alleged Maoist links. The party alleged that they used to "work with the CPI(M) and the Maoists simultaneously. The Leader of the Opposition in Kerala Assembly, Ramesh Chennithala had met their parents after the Chief Minister disowned them for their alleged Maoist activities. Samsung has experimented with rotating cameras on the Galaxy A80 earlier and now the company is said to be working on a phone with yet another moving part a pop-up camera. The renders of the upcoming Galaxy smartphone have surfaced revealing key details. Based on the renders, the upcoming Samsung phone is said to sport a flat display and not a curved one, suggesting that it could belong to the A-Series line up. There are curves to the back and it also houses the triple camera setup, but the configuration is not known yet. The display size is said to be 6.5-inches and there is a presence of a rear physical fingerprint scanner which means the display technology might not be AMOLED. Moving on, Samsung has said to have chosen a pop-up camera setup for the front-facing camera and if these renders turn out to be true, then this will be the first Samsung smartphone with a pop-up camera. Furthermore, the smartphone is said to measure 160.9 x 77 x 9.2 mm, feature USB Type-C port, and surprisingly, an IR blaster. The renders dont reveal the presence of a 3.5mm headphone jack and similarly, there is no information on the battery capacity yet. There is no information on the launch date yet, but it is expected to be unveiled by the company once the lockdown is lifted across various part of the world. Source At least five civilians were injured in a blast on Monday at the encounter site in Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam district, where three militants were killed in the morning, officials said. An explosion took place at the encounter site at Lower Munda in the Qazigund area, injuring five civilians who had assembled there, the officials said. They said a shell left behind during the gunbattle between militants and security forces exploded, injuring the civilians. Three militants were killed in the encounter that took place in the early hours. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Tourism in European Union requires an estimated 375 billion euros to recover from the crisis generated by Covid-19 pandemic and to restore operations according to the European Travel Commission (ETC), Xinhua news agency reported after citing local media on Sunday. "The European Union (EU) estimates are around 255 billion euros to help the Member States recover the industry, and around 120 billion euros more for extra investment to help entrepreneurs and operators to restore operations," ETC Executive Director Eduardo Santander said in an interview with Portuguese Lusa News ... Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance. We, however, have a request. As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed. Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard. Digital Editor Mike Pence praises Publix for buying excess milk, produce from farmers to donate to food banks Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Vice President Mike Pence praised the decades-old Florida-based supermarket chain Publix on Friday for launching a new initiative to purchase fresh produce and milk to assist farmers impacted by the coronavirus pandemic and donate the goods to food banks in need. Thank you, @Publix for helping to support American farmers and the American people as we work through this pandemic together as a Nation, Pence noted on Twitter. Publix, the largest employee-owned company in the United States, announced on Friday that it will donate the purchases made from farmers directly to Feeding America member food banks in its operating area. Produce farmers in Florida as well as southeastern dairy farmers and the growing number of families looking to Feeding America for fresh fruits, vegetables and milk during the coronavirus pandemic are all expected to benefit from the initiative set to last several weeks. As a food retailer, we have the unique opportunity to bridge the gap between the needs of families and farmers impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, Publix CEO Todd Jones said in a statement. In this time of uncertainty, we are grateful to be able to help Floridas produce farmers, southeastern dairies and families in our communities. Feeding America, the nations largest domestic hunger-relief organization, received a $100 million donation earlier this month from Amazon founder, and the worlds richest man, Jeff Bezos. As we respond to the coronavirus pandemic, Publix understands that more families are turning to us to help put food, especially fresh produce and milk, on their tables, Feeding South Florida President & CEO Paco Velez said in a statement responding to the Publix donation. Were grateful to Publix for not only supporting growers, but also for their years of support of Feeding South Florida. The move by Publix comes as many farmers across the country have been forced to dump a staggering surplus of milk and fresh produce despite a growing demand for stock at food banks. The New York Times recently reported that while farmers have donated some of their surplus to food banks, there is a limit to the amount of perishable food these organizations can store. Additionally, the costs of harvesting, processing and then transporting produce and milk to food banks or other areas of need would put further financial strain on farms that have seen half their paying customers disappear, the Times said. Exporting the excess food would also be unprofitable for the farmers so they are left with no other choice but to dump the food. We are thrilled about Publixs initiative to buy additional milk from Southeast Milk for processing and donation to Feeding America member food banks, Southeast Milk Inc. President Joe Wright said in response to Publix decision. Its a win-win for our farmers who are feeling the impact of decreased demand and the families who are in need of nutrient rich milk during this pandemic. Pero Family Farms Food Co. CEO Peter F. Pero IV also praised the move. Like so many others right now, Florida farmers are in a time of need. We are humbled Publix is purchasing additional fresh vegetables from us and other local farms to donate to food banks throughout the Southeast, he said. Thank you to Publix, the participating food banks and their volunteers for making this initiative possible for those less fortunate while supporting local farms. San Juan Regional Medical Center is on the forefront of the regional battle against COVID-19, and the local community has rallied to the cause. Local manufacturers and makers labs in Farmington and southwestern Colorado are building hundreds of custom-designed face shields, gowns and other personal protective equipment for the medical center, including components for ventilators and other breathing devices. Together with grassroots donations, including some 1,500 community-sewn masks, hospital staff have remained well-equipped to fight the virus, despite its rapid surge on the Navajo Nation and surrounding areas, said Dr. Brad Greenberg, emergency room physician and head of the hospitals emergency preparedness steering committee. Weve had to be creative in acquiring personal protective equipment, Greenberg told the Journal. The supply chain is broken, and we need to make sure were getting the right type of equipment to make our staff safe. Its been a great community effort. The hospital itself began closely monitoring the coronavirus and preparing for it in January, well before the pandemic hit the U.S., Greenberg said. Weve scaled up our hospital response structure bit by bit, and weve been watching our personal protective equipment closely and making purchases to be ready, he said. Weve followed the virus in New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Colorado and the Navajo Nation to be ready to support the entire Four Corners region. Weve pursued a whole-hearted planning effort to change our operational structure and re-invent the care we provide. The five-story hospital converted its two top floors, including the fourth floor intensive care unit, into surge capacity areas for COVID-19 patients. The state and National Guard built an alternate care site on the third floor as well. And the hospital divided its emergency room into respiratory and non-respiratory sides. To help build out the protective gear inventory, the hospital turned to the local community. Weve solicited donations from the public, and weve been working in creative ways with local businesses, Greenberg said. That includes a direct partnership with San Juan Community College and two custom-design, engineering and manufacturing businesses in Farmington PESCO Process Equipment and Service Co. and ABC Canvas Inc. Those three entities have worked together to design robust, full-face shields and other equipment for the hospital, and for other local medical facilities. New Mexico Tech mechanical engineering student Logan Byrom and his father, PESCO Business Development Manager John Byrom, created 3-D printing designs for the shields using digital manufacturing facilities at PESCO, and at San Juan Community Colleges Big Idea makerspace, a 3,000-square-foot center that opened last year. There were a lot of design iterations to work through, Logan said. Weve also built the designs for 3-D-printed masks and components for respiratory systems. After testing the face shields, the hospital requested scores of them. It also asked the partners to build helmets that hold the face shields in place, which Logan then designed based on a model helmet provided by the hospital. As of mid-April, the partners had delivered 130 face shields and 50 helmets to the hospital, using both PESCO and San Juan manufacturing capacity. That includes a total of 11 3-D printers plus metal and woodworking equipment, laser cutters and engravers, and metal milling machinery. ABC Canvas which makes everything from awnings, marine coverings and enclosures to teepees, tents and tarps designed the vinyl face mask that fits over the front of the shield. We deliver the plastic frames to ABC Canvas and they clip on the clear vinyl plastic shield and elastic bands, John Byrom said. All the materials have been donated by PESCO, the college and ABC Canvas. Medical Center Materials Manager Dave Turnbull said the face shields arrived just in time. The hospital has sufficient stocks of most equipment, but it was running low on face shields, which protect against airborne particles. The staff was ecstatic, because we were at the point of running out, Turnbull said. Weve been blessed that we havent run out of anything yet, but that was one item that came very close. The new shields are superior to the disposable, one-time-use equipment the hospital normally uses, Turnbull added. These are made with more durable materials that last a long time, and the face shield itself is reusable, he said. The partners continue to develop more equipment for the hospital, including components for respirator systems, such as tube adapters. PESCO is also designing a specialized, custom-made box for a new ventilator prototype the hospital is building. Across the border in southwestern Colorado, two other entities are providing additional assistance. The Durango-based Powerhouse Science Centers MakerLab has reverse-engineered an oxygen blowing device the hospital uses to provide purified air under a hood, Greenberg said. Its delivered 51 blowing units to date. Mancos-based Alpacka Raft, which manufactures river packrafts, formed a partnership with the Powerhouse MakerLab and other local sewers and businesses to design and make thousands of reusable medical gowns and hoods. San Juan medical center delivered 4,000-plus yards of housewrap material in early August, and Alpacka is using its automated cutting machine and team of industrial sewers for high-volume production to benefit both San Juan and Mercy Regional Hospital in Durango. The Farmington partners are now making more protective equipment for other medical providers. Theyre building face masks based on designs by doctors in Montana that fit over the nose and mouth, and theyre offering face shields to whoever needs them, such as Pinon Family Practice in Farmington. We are very appreciative that our local partners could provide what we are unable to find in the open market, said Pinon physician Dr. Joe Pope in a statement. These face shields are very sturdy and provide much greater protection from droplet contamination than goggles, which our staff was previously using. In addition, they dont fog up like goggles, allowing for better visibility. A second New Mexico Tech student is joining Logan Byrom to ramp up production of needed equipment, and the Socorro university has joined the partnership by putting them on the payroll as student workers, John Byrom said. Meanwhile, community donations keep pouring in at San Juan Regional Medical Center, including home-sewn face masks and food. Its a tough time out here, said Materials Manager Turnbull. From what we hear from our peers, many locations across the country are struggling to get items. Weve been lucky that the community here has really stepped up. Amid the coronavirus crisis, the Yogi Adityanath government has decided to focus on districts with no or less than ten coronavirus cases so that industrial activities can start soon in those areas, HTs Hindi language publication Live Hindustan reported. In this manner, small industrial activities can be started in around 45 districts across Uttar Pradesh. On Sunday, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath held a meeting with chairpersons of 11 committees of the state to review the situation regarding the coronavirus pandemic. Adityanath directed officials to ensure geo-tagging of all shelter homes in the state, on the lines of the community kitchens, news agency IANS reported. The chief minister also asked health officials to increase pool testing in all Covid-19 hospitals in order to maximise testing facilities. Adityanath asked the officials to promote cashless payment through Rupay card. According to the Ministry of Health, 1868 people have been infected from Covid-19 in Uttar Pradesh. While 289 people have recovered from coronavirus in the state, 29 have died from the infection here. DURANGO, Colo., April 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Sales Tax Simplification in Alaska While Alaska does not have a state-level sales tax, many local governments impose a sales tax on taxable sales. This impacts companies doing business in Alaska and remote sellers whose statewide sales meet the requirements to collect and remit sales tax. In an effort to simplify the complexity associated with knowing when and where to collect sales tax, Alaska formed the Alaska Remote Seller Sales Tax Commission. The Alaska Remote Seller Sales Tax Commission Local governments in Alaska signed an intergovernmental agreement to establish the Alaska Remote Seller Sales Tax Commission. The Commission will provide streamlined, single-level administration of sales tax collection and remittance, with an active board of directors and members contributing to solutions that work for everyone. The Commission is comprised of local government members with a current sales tax in place. The Alaska Remote Seller Sales Tax Commission recently passed a Uniform Code, as it applies to Remote Sellers and Marketplace facilitators. This Uniform Code reduces the burden on companies and remote sellers by providing: Single-level, statewide administration. Software approved by local taxing authorities providing tax rates and taxability rules (what is taxable and exempt). A Geographic Information System (GIS) allowing pin-point accuracy of tax rates for an exact location within Alaska . Software that provides a single access point for registration, filing tax returns, and remitting tax. Registration, Tax Returns, and Remittance In coordination with MUNIRevs, companies can easily register, file tax returns, and remit tax using this website: https://arsstc.munirevs.com/ If a remote seller or marketplace facilitator meets the criteria threshold set out in the Commission's Uniform Code then registration is encouraged immediately. Collection should begin according to the effective date of member municipalities. Please follow the collection and return policy adopted by the Commission. Established in 2011, MUNIRevs works with states and communities to automate their business revenue collection. With more than a billion dollars in paperless revenue collected, MUNIRevs has become the trusted source for payment processing, allowing residents the ease and convenience of on-time payment while helping cities and states eliminate approximately 95 percent of the manual data entry tasks. To learn more, visit www.munirevs.com . GIS Sales Tax Rates, Taxability Rules, and API Connectors Using TTR's GIS Sales Tax System, companies can easily look up tax rates and determine whether sales are taxable or exempt. TTR's system may be accessed using the following website: https://alaska.ttr.services/ TTR's GIS Sales Tax Lookup System provides up-to-date tax rates and accurate taxability rules (whether something is taxable or exempt) for anywhere in Alaska, with an Application Programming Interface (API) to automate looking up this information. TTR, The Tax Research Company, provides everything sales, use, and transaction tax related. Access to tax laws, a best in class research system, the most accurate tax rates and taxability rules available anywhere; with 10,000 companies and counting, TTR has become a "best practice" in the area of sales, use, and transaction tax. TTR also provides software solutions for companies and governments. TTR's revolutionary Artificial Intelligence Enabled Exemption Certificate Management System (ECMS), Tax Automation software, and proprietary nationwide GIS Tax Rate System allow businesses and states to Get Tax Right. To learn more, visit www.ttrus.com . Does My Company Need to Register to Collect Sales Tax in Alaska? Remote sellers or marketplace facilitators must collect and remit sales tax they have met one of the following Threshold Criteria ("Threshold Criteria") in the previous calendar year: The remote seller's statewide gross sales, including the seller's marketplace facilitator's statewide gross sales, from the sale(s) of property, products or services delivered into the state meets or exceeds one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) ; or The remote seller, including the seller's marketplace facilitator, sold property, products, or services delivered into the state in two hundred (200) or more separate transactions. For purposes of determining whether the Threshold Criteria are met, remote sellers or marketplace facilitators shall include all gross sales, from all sales of goods, property, products, or services rendered within the state of Alaska. (Section .040 Obligation to Collect Tax Threshold Criteria) What's Next? In the months to come, we expect dozens of additional local governments to adopt the Uniform Code. Sellers will be notified on a rolling basis of their effective dates, and returns will become allowable as they adopt. The Commission expects that by the end of this fiscal year June 30 jurisdictions responsible for the majority of sales tax collected in Alaska will have adopted the Code and expect compliance. If you have any questions about how to register or submit returns and remittance, look up rates and exemptions, or need guidance at all, then please don't hesitate to contact us at [email protected] or by phone at (907) 790-5304. SOURCE MUNIRevs Related Links https://munirevs.com DIYARBAKIR, Turkey Abdullah Ahmed and his family were living in Damascus before the outbreak of the Syrian civil war nine years ago. Fleeing the war, he and his family resettled in Turkeys southeastern province of Diyarbakir near the Syrian border. Following a few devastating years, the family gradually managed to get on their feet and rebuild their lives. Ahmed was admitted to the nursing school at a Diyarbakir university in 2011 and began working at an air conditioning repair service during weekends. He and his two siblings were the breadwinners of their family of eight until the novel coronavirus pandemic hit and turned their world upside down once again. Ahmeds story illustrates the plight of some 4 million Syrians scattered across Turkey who are among the most vulnerable to the pandemic. Most of the refugees have been unable to work due to broad restrictions instituted because of COVID-19 and the resulting economic fallout. Since most of the Syrian workers estimated at more than 1 million had been employed as unregistered laborers, they are unable to receive unemployment benefits from the governments relief measures introduced to help workers in the formal economy. The pandemic has also affected their dreams of a better future, since distance learning is a challenge for most of them due to language barriers and a lack of resources. Large number of the refugees are living in Turkey's conflict-ridden southeast region due to its proximity to Syria. According to Turkeys official Immigration Administration, more than 22,000 of these refugees, including the Ahmed family, live in Diyarbakir, the largest city and main commercial hub of the mainly Kurdish southeast. Ahmet recounts that he was laid off from his weekend job at the repair service soon after the outbreak hit, noting that his family of eight is now relying on the income of a sibling who has been lucky enough to work from home. Many Syrians have been employed in jobs that cannot be done remotely, such as in the agriculture, construction and textile sectors and labor-intensive industries. Even though his wage is not enough to meet our needs, there is nothing to do but accept, Ahmed, who does not leave the house in order to protect the older members of his family, told Al-Monitor by phone. Frankly, it is not enough, but we have to manage it somehow as we receive no other assistance from anywhere else. People in Turkey are required to wear masks when shopping or visiting crowded public places as part of efforts to combat the spread of the virus. The government is offering free face masks to the Turkish citizens free of charge, yet refugees have been unable to benefit from this service too. Ahmed says they have nothing to do except stay home to protect their elders, adding that on rare occasions, a single family member will leave the house to shop for essentials. A sophomore at the Nursing School of Dicle University, Ahmed is trying to continue his education through distance learning, but its not easy. We are taking distance learning classes. It is no substitute for in-school learning, but it is better than nothing, he said. It was better when we were at school face to face with teachers but its not possible now. Anwar Shiekh and his family are facing similar difficulties. After fleeing the northwestern Syrian province of Aleppo in 2015, Shiekh has been living in Diyarbakir for five years. A senior studying Arab Literature at Dicle University, Shiekh was working as a part time salesman in a clothing shop at a Diyarbakir mall until the outbreak hit. He was left out of work after the mall was shut down as part of efforts to stop the spread of the virus. His brother faced a similar fate. He and his parents, who are self-isolating at home due to their advanced age, are now trying to survive by relying on their savings. In the past, I was working and I was able to provide for myself and my family. But now both the job and school is over. Not just us, everybody is in the same situation, but ours is slightly more difficult. We have to pay rent, he told Al-Monitor by phone. God willing, this outbreak ends soon, so that we can go back to our work. Otherwise we hardly survive. Currently, we cut half of our costs to keep on. Nobody works at the house, our landlord allowed us to pay half-rent. If it goes on like this, we have no choice but return back to Syria, said his cousin Izzaddin Shiekh, stepping into the conversation. Yet, according to Anwar, returning back is no option. Since my mom and dad are old, I dont take any risks, and I go out only to buy essentials, he said. We dont receive any support, neither money nor food assistance. We applied for the support but to no avail. We have no hope. The outbreak has also disrupted his college education as they do not have a computer at the house. He is trying to join distance-learning classes via his mobile phone. But it is no substitute for a computer, much harder to follow via phone. I understand nothing, I would be able to understand better if I have a computer, he said. Mohammed Haidar al Abid, 17, was working in an industrial zone as an unregistered laborer before the government imposed a nationwide curfew on people aged 20 and younger. Although the Interior Ministry made an exception for those who are working, Abid was unable to benefit from the exception as he was working illegally. He and his older brother, who lost his job as a waiter at a Diyarbakir cafe due to the closure of all cafes and restaurants nationwide, were the sole breadwinners of their family. The older brother, however, was able to fill the younger brothers job in the industrial zone and is now trying to keep the family ship afloat. Civic groups, meanwhile, warn that Syrians, and all refugees in general, have been suffering from further neglect amid the pandemic. According to Can Isal, a lawyer for an Istanbul-based refugee relief organization, Support to Life, immediate action is required. Highlighting that the pandemic not only threatens the livelihoods of the Syrians, but all refugees in Turkey, Isal has called on authorities to increase financial and educational support to the refugees. Economically, refugees are facing higher risk than Turkish citizens. The first reason for that is most of them are unregistered wage earners, thus they are laid off more easily than those who work legally, he told Al-Monitor. Furthermore, unable to benefit from relief funds introduced for those who lost their jobs, these people [refugees] are being left with no protection at all. Refugee children are further struggling with remote learning as the distance exacerbates the problem of the language barrier and the educational gap with their non-refugee peers, Isal said, adding that some refugees do not have the means, such as a computer or even a television, to access distance learning. Additional financial support measures need to be taken and refugee health centers should be strengthened, he told Al-Monitor. Isal also highlights that coronavirus awareness should be raised among the refugee population. Public awareness campaigns should be multilingual. Frequently visited guidance websites, leaflets, should be translated to native tongues of the refugees, particularly Arabic and Farsi, he said. Turkey provides free COVID-19 treatment to all of its citizens and refugees alike. Yet Isal said that refugees, particularly Afghan and Iranian ones, are having further difficulty accessing non-coronavirus related health care services in the pandemic-hit health system. Pointing out that the Turkish authorities are continuing with deportations amid the outbreak, he added, Deportations have to be stopped immediately." The Aurangabad bench of Bombay High Court on Monday said the Maharashtra government should not make general and sweeping statements, that distribution of newspapers increases the chance of COVID-19 infection spreading, without referring to opinion of health experts. Justice P B Varale was hearing a petition taken up suo moto (on its own) on the state government prohibiting door- to-door delivery of newspapers in view of the COVID-19 pandemic. The government later amended its order by which the blanket ban on door-to-door delivery of newspapers was lifted and the same was restricted only to Mumbai, Pune and in containment zones in other districts. Government pleader D R Kale on Monday submitted the government's affidavit which stated that the COVID-19 virus can stay on various surfaces for a considerable amount of time and a newspaper is something that will be passed on, hand to hand, by various people which can increases the chances of infection spreading. Justice Varale, however, noted that the court failed to understand the logic behind the statement made in the affidavit. "It seems that this is only a general and sweeping statement made in affidavit in reply. There is no reference to any comment of the experts in the field or any opinion formed by anybody working in the health area," the court said in its order. "On the contrary, statements of certain experts published in the newspapers are to the effect that there is no need to carry an impression that the newspaper is a medium for spreading of coronavirus," it added. Justice Varale further observed that in the lockdown period readership of newspapers has increased as public is interested to know latest updates along with detailed information which will only be available in newspapers. The court was informed by amicus curiae (appointed to assist the court) Satyajit Bora that the Madras High Court had recently dismissed a petition seeking ban on door-to-door delivery of newspapers in Chennai. Bora sought to submit a copy of the order. The court accepted the request and also directed the government pleader to file additional affidavit in response and posted the matter for further hearing on June 11. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In a new animal study examining Alzheimer's disease, researchers found that disease progression could be slowed by decreasing neuroinflammation in the brain before memory problems and cognitive impairment were apparent. The new findings point to the importance of developing therapies that target very early stages of the disease. In 2011, the National Institute on Aging updated the diagnostic criteria for Alzheimer's disease to reflect its progressive nature. The criteria added a preclinical stage during which brain changes are taking place, but the person is still asymptomatic and, therefore, unaware of his condition. Biomarker profiles could eventually be used to identify people in the disease's early stages who might benefit from early treatments. Starting an intervention at the earliest stage of the disease, when cellular and molecular alterations have already been triggered but major damage to the brain has not yet occurred, could offer a way to reduce the number of people who go on to develop full Alzheimer's dementia. However, there have been few studies in animals examining therapeutic strategies that target timepoints before symptoms can be seen." Caterina Scuderi, Ph.D., research team leader, assistant professor of pharmacology and toxicology from Sapienza, University of Rome Scuderi was scheduled to present this research at the American Association for Anatomy annual meeting in San Diego this month. Though the meeting, to be held in conjunction with the 2020 Experimental Biology conference, was canceled in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, the research team's abstract was published in this month's issue of The FASEB Journal. The researchers designed an animal study to gain a deeper understanding of neuroinflammation's role in Alzheimer's disease during the pre-symptomatic stage of the disease, which might represent the best time for therapeutic intervention. The study results suggest that rebalancing neuroinflammation in animals that show altered neuroinflammatory parameters could be beneficial. "Our results help demonstrate that neuroinflammation in Alzheimer's disease is an extremely complex phenomenon that can change over the disease's progression and varies based on factors such as affected brain area," said Scuderi. "We hope that these findings will prompt scientists to further investigate neuroinflammation at the earliest stages of the disease, which may represent an important pharmacological target." Profits earned by China's industrial firms in March fell 34.9% from a year earlier to 370.66 billion yuan ($52.43 billion), the statistics bureau said on Monday. The decline compares with a 38.3% slump in January-February, which was the steepest decline since at least 2010. For January-March, industrial firms' profits fell 36.7% on an annual basis to 781.45 billion yuan. Liabilities at industrial firms rose 5.4% on year at end-March, versus a 5.3% increase as of end-February. The industrial profit data covers large firms whose annual revenue exceeds 20 million yuan from their main operations. The slide in profits reflects continued pressure on China's manufacturing sector, hard-hit by slowing global demand from the coronavirus pandemic and the contraction of China's economy for the first time in nearly 30 years in the first quarter. Also read: Coronavirus India Live Updates: PM Modi to discuss lockdown exit plan with CMs today; country's tally-27,892 Also read: Coronavirus: China says all patients in Wuhan discharged Reward Flight Finding Tool Shows Redemption Seat Availability- (TRAVPR.COM) UK - April 27th, 2020 - SeatSpy, a new reward flight search and alert tool, today launches at seatspy.com to help travellers make future plans for holiday bookings. In just a few clicks the online tool finds reward seats available on all of: British Airways, Air France, KLM, and Virgin Atlantic flights. Reward seats are those which can be redeemed using the airlines loyalty programme points. Launched by British tech entrepreneurs; Paul McDonnell, Stephen Graham and Aaron Brown, SeatSpy addresses the industry-wide problem of finding available redemption seats. The easy-to-use tool can find seats for up to a year in advance, for up to six people per booking. Results are displayed on one page, revealing reward seats by cabin (economy, premium, business and first), along with the number of points required. Bookings can then be made directly on the specific airlines website. For those simply looking for inspiration, theres a Where Can I Go section, showing seats available on particular dates, anywhere in the world. Paul McDonnell, co-founder of SeatSpy, said: With the current pandemic, travellers are looking for smart ways to plan and book holidays for when travel restrictions are lifted. Were conscious that in these uncertain times, its hard to plan ahead. However, theres some comfort knowing that reward flights are cancellable and changeable, allowing additional flexibility to travellers. SeatSpy makes it quick and easy to find reward seats, and with more availability now than ever, its a great time to book ahead. You can even set up an alert, via email or text, to be the first to know when new reward seats are released. We all love to collect airline miles there are seven million Avios members in Europe alone, but very few of us redeem them against the full cost of a flight. The nuisances involved in searching for reward seats, let alone the time it takes, is off-putting to many. However, SeatSpy does all the hard work, allowing you to view availability up to a year in advance. Better still, our tool is free to use, or for those who want to unlock extra features, there are options to upgrade to higher membership levels. SeatSpy offers three levels of membership. This includes a free Economy level for basic users, a Premium tier for more frequent users, and a fully featured First-Class package. Exclusively for launch, the monthly fee is 1.99 for Premium membership (usually 2.99) and includes a three month free trial, and 2.99 for First-Class membership (usually 7.99). Members signing up during this period will enjoy the same monthly rate for the lifetime of their membership. The promotion runs until 20 May 2020, after which standard monthly fees will apply. Each level of membership offers additional benefits for users, as follows: Economy Premium First-Class BA searches and alerts Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited Active alerts - all other airlines 4 Unlimited Where can I go search Alert frequency Daily Hourly Instant WhatsApp alerts Coming Soon Coming Soon SMS alerts Alerts for all future added airlines Experiences alerts (such as hotel VIP events) Coming Soon Using SeatSpy, travellers can make sizeable savings with reward seats. For example: A one-way business class flight from London to Cape Town with British Airways costs over 5,000, compared to just 60,000 Avios points and 300 in taxes. A one-way premium class flight from London to Miami with Virgin Atlantic, starts from 2000, or only 32,500 Flying Club points and 351in taxes. To take advantage of the introductory SeatSpy offer, or to search reward seat availability, visit www.seatspy.com and follow @SeatSpy1 on Twitter and Facebook. ENDS ### Emma Watson's new 'boyfriend' is Californian business owner Leo Alexander Robinton, MailOnline can exclusively reveal. The actress, 30, who last starred in Oscar-nominated film Little Women, was pictured kissing a mystery man in London last October. The man in the photographs can finally be identified as Leo, 30, and it's believed the relationship is so serious that Emma has even introduced her new love to her parents, Jacqueline and Chris. Couple: Emma Watson's new 'boyfriend' is Californian business owner called Leo Alexander Robinton, MailOnline can exclusively reveal A source revealed: 'Emma and Leo did everything in their power to keep their relationship private. 'After they were pictured kissing in October Leo removed himself from all social media in an attempt to protect their romance. 'But his closeness with Emma didn't go unnoticed by his colleagues at the time, who were shocked to see Leo in the arms of a world-famous actress.' An insider added to MailOnline: 'Emma introduced Leo to her parents, she was really serious about him. Intimate: The actress, 30, was pictured kissing a mystery man outside Gail's bakery in Notting Hill, west London, last October 'They went for a meal together back in December at The Ivy restaurant in St John's Wood not long after Emma and Leo first met.' A spokesman for Emma told MailOnline: 'I'm afraid I do not comment on speculation regarding Emma's private life.' Emma, who splits her time between London and New York, was seen passionately kissing Leo after visiting Gail's bakery in Notting Hill last October. The child star, famed for her role as Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter franchise, was dressed down in a jumper and woolly hat while Leo wore glasses and his long hair in a bun. Family: According to a source, Leo, pictured with sister Daisy who's a model and scientist, came off social media to protect his romance with Emma Businessman Leo previously worked at a company which specialises in legal cannabis, but left his position in June 2019. He has a twin brother known as Archer, as well an older brother Charlie, 35, and sisters Lily, 36, and Daisy, 33. His sister Daisy studied at Harvard, a prestigious Ivy League university in Massachusetts. Daisy, who follows Emma on Instagram and shares her keen interest of yoga, focuses on stem cell research and made waves for her Ted Talk, 'Can we Engineer the End of Ageing.' Spotted: Businessman Leo, last seen with Emma in October, previously worked at a company which specialises in legal cannabis, but left his position in June 2019 Siblings: Daisy, who follows Emma on Instagram and shares her keen interest of yoga, focuses on stem cell research (pictured with brother Leo) Emma described herself in an interview with British Vogue last November as 'self-partnered.' She said: 'I never believed the whole "I'm happy single" spiel. 'I was like, "This is totally spiel". It took me a long time, but I'm very happy. I call it being self-partnered.' But she also confirmed she was dating, saying: 'Not one specific person but I'm going on dates.' Single? In an interview with British Vogue last November, Emma described herself as 'self-partnered' but also admitted to 'going on dates' (pictured in December 2019) Emma was linked to her former co-star Tom Felton, 32, who played Draco Malfoy in the Potter films, after a photo of them spending time together in their pyjamas last year excited fans. But Tom confirmed in November 2019 that he was single, telling MailOnline: 'I'm in the same category to be honest with you, quite happily self-partnered. 'I think in this day and age it's not a necessity to be with someone just for the sake of being with someone, so I like the idea of self-partnering.' In 2018, Emma dated New York businessman Brendan Wallace, 38, with the pair spotted kissing during a holiday in Mexico. Emma enjoyed a romance in 2014 with Oxford University rugby player Matt Janney. But they called it quits after a year and Emma later described their break-up as 'horrendous.' Click the photo to write a caption and have a chance to win a free subscription to the Norfolk Daily News. Production on the ITV soap has been suspended amid the coronavirius pandemic. But that hasn't stopped the Coronation Street cast from socialising together, as star Daniel Brocklebank shared a snap of their boozy get-together, which saw them in fancy dress. The actor, 40, who plays Billy Mayhew, took to Twitter to share a snap of himself having an online reunion with co-stars Sue Cleaver (Eileen Grimshaw) and Julia Goulding (Shona Ramsey). Reunion: The COVID-19 pandemic didn't stop the Coronation Street cast from socialising together, as star Daniel Brocklebank shared a snap of their boozy get-together, which saw them in fancy dress And it was clear to see that the soap stars where having a whale of a time as they were seen donning 60's style 'hippy' costumes for the virtual meet-up. Captioning the snap, Daniel penned: 'Its been a while since an official #DansBar night... mainly because of #DansRehab... tonight, however, ladies & gentlemen I give you... Woodstock...' Fans of the star were clearly impressed with the online Rovers Return, with many leaving positive comments on the post. Daniel is no stranger to hosting the virtual 'bar' with his Corrie pals, and has in the past also welcomed other guests including Sally Ann Matthews (Jenny Connor). On a break: Filming for Coronation Street was halted on March 23, just hours before the UK was placed in lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic Earlier this month, Daniel said it's been 'comforting' having the support of his co-stars after the coronavirus lockdown halted filming. The actor told Lorraine Kelly he's set up a 'digital bar' to keep in touch with his co-stars as he lives alone during the pandemic. Daniel said he wanted to set up the bar for some company to preserve some sanity while he isolates alone and shared a glimpse of the space which he'd decorated with family snaps. He explained: 'I'm in solitary isolation. It started off as a few of us getting together for dinner. 'It started with Sue Cleaver, Julia Goulding, who get together with me and just have a chat. It was to keep myself sane. We tried to theme it every night and dress up in costumes.' Important: Earlier this month, Daniel said it's been 'comforting' having the support of his co-stars after the coronavirus lockdown halted filming Daniel did say he's had some company from his pet pooches, and has been enjoying the countryside that surrounds his home. He added: 'I've got Colin and Jean [his dogs] here with me, they've been a Godsend during this weird time. I'm surrounded by fields and woodlands so it's lovely taking them for a walk. I've been laying some slabs very badly.' When asked whether he misses seeing his co-stars, Daniel said he takes comfort from knowing everyone else is in lockdown with him. He added: 'We're a social cast, I'm missing my friends and family, we'd go for drinks after work. 'It's comforting knowing we are all in this position. If you are on your own, it's important to keep yourself busy and staying in touch with people. Soap star: The actor (pictured in character as Billy Mayhew) explained he's set up a digital bar to keep in touch with his co-stars during the pandemic Candid: Daniel told Lorraine Kelly he's spending the lockdown along with his pet pooches, but he's been enjoying the countryside around his home and the support of his co-stars 'I hope after all of this is over, we'll realise how important the little things in life are. I miss hugs!' The virtual bar comes amid reports that the iconic Rovers Return pub looks set to be closed when filming resumes in a bid to reflect the current times. Amid the coronavirus pandemic, production on the ITV soap halted last month to protect the health and safety of the cast and crew. If the pub is shut, it will be for only the third time in its history, with producers reportedly keen to mirror the situation in real life and demonstrate how the COVID-19 crisis has affected life on the cobbles. A source told The Sun: 'Producers think it would be slightly weird not to at least acknowledge the huge disruption the crisis has caused. Closed: Coronation Street's iconic Rovers Return pub looks set to be closed when filming resumes in a bid to reflect the current times Real life: 'Producers think it would be slightly weird not to at least acknowledge the huge disruption the crisis has caused. 'How much it is acknowledged will all depend on when cast and crew are allowed back on set. 'How much it is acknowledged will all depend on when cast and crew are allowed back on set. 'They're hopeful they will be able to begin work on new episodes soon, but one way on nodding to the lockdown is shutting the Rovers.' They added that show bosses wanted to make sure that the soap reflected the 'reality of the world watching.' Since the long-running soap began in 1960, the pub has only been closed in 1986 and 2013, after storylines saw the building ravaged by fires. With every passing day, we hope for some solution to come out that would put an end to this COVID-19 mess. We hear new vaccines being developed every day, the success of plasma therapy, but nothing concrete has been put forth as of now. Reuters Don't Miss: Contribute To Indiatimes Fundraiser To Help India Fight COVID-19 One way some scientists think that would help in getting rid of COVID-19 is through herd immunity. Basically, hoping with more number of people in a community getting the virus, and recovering from it will develop antibodies in their body that would make them immune, and with them being immune, people who never got COVID-19 would automatically get saved from contracting the novel coronavirus. Jay Bhattacharya, professor of medicine at Stanford University has been looking at herd immunity in California, however, they discovered that the state was nowhere close to herd immunity. Stanford University The study reveals that approximately 2.49 percent to 4.16 percent in Santa Clara County have been infected with COVID-19 -- whereas the threshold for herd immunity needs to be at 50 percent or higher, to be able to slow down the transmission of disease. The study also reveals that 50 to 85 percent more people had COVID-19 in early April than actually were reported by county. Researchers targeted people for recruiting in the study using Facebook ads. It collected a total 3,330 blood samples at drive-up test sites in Santa Clara County on a weekend. These samples were then looked for antibodies of COVID-19. They employed antibody testing to look for missed out cases while understanding a better picture of the spreading of the disease throughout communities. Reuters According to Prof Jay Bhattacharya, this information could be beneficial to improve projections and disease modelling. Even though epidemiologists have stated that there are more infected people present compared to the people who are tested, but there is no clarity on the number of infections yet. "It just helps us plan better. Before, we were making policy in the dark. If I get the infection, how likely is it I'm going to die? That number depends on knowing how many people have had the infection, not just actively have it now, but have had it and recovered from it." The study is yet to be peer-reviewed. One of the key features of Earth is that continents are constantly on the move. They move because of the intense heat in the Earth's core that causes molten rock in the mantle to move. Some scientists believe that tectonic plates began moving only a billion years ago, but others also think that the whole process started when Earth was only an infant, which happened nearly four billion years ago. Since they are two conflicting views, scientists agreed somewhere in between. Today, it is commonly known that the movement of Earth's tectonic plates began around 2.8 billion years ago. During that time, the interior of the planet was just the right temperature to allow for the formation of 15 rigid plates. But still, the disagreement between the two timelines is hard to prove since direct evidence from these times is hard to come by. Now, some of the ancient rocks on Earth suggest that the prediction on Earth's movements may have been more than 400 million years off the mark. Ancient rocks from Australia Harvard and MIT scientists analyzed the magnetism in ancient rocks found in Australia and South Africa. The researchers claim that tectonic plates began moving at least 3.2 billion years ago-and maybe earlier than that. Alec Brenner, the paleomagnetics researcher at Harvard University said that that this discovery is one piece of geological evidence to extend the record of Earth's plate tectonics farther back in the planet's history. "Based on the evidence we found, it looks like plate tectonics is a much more likely process to have occurred on the early Earth and that argues for an Earth that looks a lot more similar to today's than a lot of people think," Brenner said. One of the oldest slices of Earth's ancient crust, the Pilbara craton contains fossils for some of the earliest organisms on our planet. This chunk of the ancient crust was formed as early as 3.5 billion years ago, stretching nearly 500 kilometers or 300 miles. Known as the Honeyeater Basalt, the researchers drilled into a portion of the craton using a state of the art magnetometers and demagnetizing equipment to reveal the magnetic history of the region. Read Also: The Sea Around North Pole Will Become Ice-free in the Summer Before 2050 Even If Temperatures Are Kept Under 3.6F Continental drift Published on the Science Advances, their research reveals a shift from one point to another. Roughly 3.2 billion years ago, the Earth's plate tectonics seemed to have a latitudinal drift of 2.5 centimeters a year. As the researchers put it, "a velocity comparable with those of modern plates." Brenner told MSN that it is very comparable to the speeds of plate motion that is observable on the modern Earth. More so, it is also the most ancient sample of a piece of Earth's crust drifted long distances over the surface that the humans have. But that is all that the scientist can conclude for now. It is still unclear whether the shift was caused by the local effects or the Pilbara craton's rotation or it could be a combination of both. Previous scientists believed that before the modern movements began, the tectonic plates moved in episodes of starts and stops that lasted for many billion years. Though the authors of the study think that the timing hints otherwise, it could still explain the movement in Pilbara between 3.35 and 3.18 billion years ago. Read More: A Total of 18 Storms are Predicted in the Atlantic Hurricane Season Fueled by Very Warm Ocean Temperatures From the Tropics Boris Johnson is back and, with a characteristic lightness rivalled only by the LZ 129 Hindenburg, instantly the nation levitates back up to its preferred realm of complete fantasy. The usual suspects have been doing their bit to maintain the chimera in his absence. The microbe-sized dot on the front page of The Sun, that if you squinted hard enough you could see, read: 596 dead, see p4. It was an instant collectors item. If the country should recover from its self-inflicted Stockholm syndrome to realise it has become the backroom of an Oxfordshire pub that is being smashed up for fun, we can only hope said Sun front page will be sold as fridge magnets in the national museum about how it all went so horrifically wrong. When Johnson went into hospital three weeks ago, there had been 5,000 fatalities from coronavirus. There have now been 20,000, at least, and countless more in care homes. (Countless not in the sense that they cannot be counted, just that no one has bothered to.) Still, wheel out the lectern, clear the throat, steady the gaze, open the gob and force out the following: I know that there will be many people looking now at our apparent success, and beginning to wonder whether now is the time to go easy on those social-distancing measures. Excuse me, prime minister? Apparent success? Who is looking at your apparent success exactly? There are 20,000 dead, and there is absolutely no disputing whatsoever the certain fact that Johnson and Donald Trump stand alone on the world stage in their crushing failure to manage the response to coronavirus. The UKs death toll will surely surpass Italys, after we were offered long weeks in which to learn other countrys lessons and chose not to. Instead, the prime minister went on TV to brag about shaking hands with coronavirus patients, then went to a Six Nations rugby match at Twickenham, weeks after Italy started cancelling its matches in the competition. It is pointless even to ask the counterfactual question, What if Jeremy Corbyn had won the election? The chances of that happening were about as likely as the current Premier League season being completed on the moon, which is made of cheese, and Leicester City winning it with Elvis Presley as captain. But had he done so, it is close to impossible to see how the coronavirus crisis could have played out any worse, but more importantly, in such circumstances, it would at least have been relentlessly, mercilessly clear to the British people how catastrophically they had been failed. If Corbyn had, say, stood outside 10 Downing Street and said such words as, I wont risk the second wave, the huge loss of life, it is almost terrifying to imagine the reaction. The deafening shrieks that would have pointed out that, well, you were very happy to risk the first one, werent you, and theres 20,000 dead. It is barely a few weeks ago that Johnson was saying such things as, I have to level with the British people, many of you are going to lose loved ones before their time, as a way of explaining the herd immunity strategy that we all are now bizarrely compelled to pretend never happened. But as we would learn from Boris Johnson, if the coronavirus were a mugger, now is the time the British people have wrestled it to the ground, and this is the moment to press home our advantage. When it comes to muggers, no one talks a good game quite like the Tory party. It is hard not to recall that time when most of the cabinet thought for at least a second that Theresa May might have been in grave danger at the hands of what turned out to be a prankster handing her a P45. Hes lucky I didnt hit him, David Davis said afterwards. Hed have been down for a very long time. Unfortunately, the pictures, which were not so much CCTV as full HD and broadcast live on television, show the lucky assailant standing, unchallenged, around half a yard from where David Davis is sitting, arms folded, for almost half a minute in which Davis does precisely nothing. Still, now is the moment to press home our advantage, apparently. Who knows? Maybe it is. Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Show all 12 1 /12 Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Agnetha Septimus, Matthew Septimus, and children Ezra and Nora Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Husband and wife filmmakers, Claire Ince and Ancil McKain pose for a portrait for the series by Shutterstock Staff Photographer, Stephen Lovekin, shot around the Ditmas Park neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Khadijah Silver and son Eliot Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Anna Beth Rousakis and daughter Mary Rousakis Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Mike Pergola and Denise Pergola with children Henry, Jack, and Will Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Artist Shirley Fuerst Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Jean Davis and Danny Rosenthal, with children Simone, Naomi, and Leah Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Robert E Clark Jr Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Lisa Draho and Josh Zuckerman, with children Ruby and Ava Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Professor and activist Dr Kristin Lawler Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Tom Smith and Laura Ross, with daughters Caroline, Elizabeth, and Abigail Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Callie Lovekin and Lucas Lovekin Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Its just that, well, if coronavirus is the mugger and the UK is the victim, one struggles with the metaphors. But, as it happens, a long time ago, while backpacking in Bolivia, I once met a man, lets call him Boris, who was kidnapped by a taxi driver and was kept in a house for 10 days. Each morning, Boris would be driven to a cashpoint to withdraw his daily maximum until all his accounts were emptied. By day three, Boris was patiently making the point that it would be much easier for everyone if the taxi driver just let him log on to his online banking and transfer it all at once. On that occasion, to be fair, there was a gun involved. Our prime minister is more the school kid whos been mugged of his wallet outside the station and, now that the tears have subsided, claims hes going to go and find them. What hes going to do when he does find them is not immediately clear, but it will probably involve handing over his trainers as well. As the World Health Organisation and almost every single recognised pandemic expert made abundantly clear long weeks ago, the way to deal with coronavirus is to act fast, move fast and keep away from it. Johnson is right in one sense. It is a mugger. The countries who have dealt with it are the ones who saw it coming and crossed the road, instead of bounding up to it and grabbing it by the hand. Our directory features more than 18 million business listings from across the entire US. However, if we're missing your business, add your business by clicking on Add Your Business. Mixed pattern in financial results visible in 9MFY20 27 April 2020 Three more Pakistani cement companies have announced their 9MFY19-20 financial results. Lucky Cement Ltd has reported a lower profit, while Maple Leaf Cement Factory Ltd (MLCF) and Bestway Cement Ltd have reported losses during this financial period. The obvious reason is attributed to increase in cost of sales alongside other unavoidable negative business factors. Lucky Cement Lucky Cement reported that with the current economic challenges due to COVID-19 and post relaxation lockdown in the north, dispatches have reached 80 per cent of pre-lockdown volumes. Dispatches in the south, however continue to suffer due to lockdown in Sindh province and are at one third of normal volumes, and are expected to remain under pressure due to low economic activity. Export volumes are also very thin due to low demand from foreign buyers. Based on the demand projections in the north and the fact that the majority of players are presently operating in losses, management expects that the prices in the north will recover. In the south, due to lower economic activity as a result of COVID-19 lockdown, volumes will remain under pressure. However, once the pandemic situation eases, Lucky Cement also expects that the package announced for the construction industry by the Federal Government will have a positive impact on the cement demand of the country. Lucky Cement Ltd on a consolidated basis, reported net profit after tax of PKR2.936bn (US$18.28m), posting a 65 per cent decline from the same period last year. The decline in profit is attributed to a fall in sales, which plummeted by 13.5 per cent to PKR32.44bn during this period from PKR37.52bn in the year-ago period. The cost of sales also jumped six per cent to PKR27.92 during the nine months ending 31 March 2020. It also reported a higher distribution cost of PKR2.93bn against PKR882m in 9MFY19, however, administrative expenses slid to PKR923m from PKR2.10bn in the corresponding period last year. The company's overall sales volume declined 2.6 per cent to 5.8Mt during 9MFY20 compared to 5.9Mt in same period last year. This decline was mainly driven by a seven per cent dip in local sales, due to higher competition from commencement of new capacities. Lucky Cement reported progress on its greenfield investment project to produce 1.2Mt of clinker at Samawah, Iraq, and its 660MW supercritical coal-based power project at Port Qasim. Commercial operations of the brownfield expansion of 2.8Mt in Pezu, Pakistan, commenced in December 2019. This has enhanced the company's capacity to 12.2Mt, with capacity-based market share of 17 per cent (Lucky Cement has become the largest cement manufacturer in Pakistan). Maple Leaf Cement Factory Maple Leaf Cement Factory Ltd posted a net loss of PKR3.732bn during the 9MFY20, against earnings of PKR1.150bn recorded during 9MFY20. The loss is attributed to an increase in the cost of sales, which rose by 60 per cent to PKR23.39bn from PKR14.62bn in the year-ago period. The cost of sales even surpassed the total revenue of PKR23.09bn. It also reported a higher distribution cost of PKR630m against PKR607m in 9MFY19, while administrative expenses were higher at PKR565m compared to PKR515m in the corresponding period last year. The financing cost also jumped to PKR2.40bn from PKR724m. Bestway Cement Bestway Cement Ltd (BCL) reported a net loss of PKR19.9m against profit of PKR9.53bn in the 9MFY19. The loss in profit is due to a fall in sales, alongside an increase in sales tax, excise duty, and a rise in financing costs. The total revenue stood at PKR48.77bn. However, both distribution costs and administrative expenses fell to PKR633m against PKR1.083bn and PKR416m from PKR567m, respectively. Published under Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-27 19:08:04|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, April 27 (Xinhua) -- China has strengthened the use of high tech, including video surveillance and unmanned aerial vehicles, to find illegal border-crossers in the containment of cross-border novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) transmission, an official said Monday. Liu Haitao, with the National Immigration Administration (NIA), made the remarks at a press conference on China's response to the coronavirus outbreak. Noting that the diverse natural conditions along China's land border and intensive cross-border exchange have brought challenges to epidemic prevention, Liu said the use of high-tech facilities could enable real-time monitoring and early warnings of illegal cross-border activities. Stressing the cooperation with local administrations, Liu said the NIA guided its subordinate units in border areas to motivate residents to reinforce border inspections in the prevention of illegal cross-border travel, Liu said. Police forces also intensified patrols to combat criminal activities, including illegal entry and exit, smuggling and drug trafficking, Liu added. Enditem Italy -- a country that has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic -- is starting to see a glimmer of hope. As the number of coronavirus cases begin to decrease, small shops across the country are starting to open their doors. ABCs Megan Williams lives in Rome and updated Cheri Preston on what has been going on since the last time they spoke. Listen to ABCs Cheri Preston reporting for ABC News Radios Perspective podcast: Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announced a while ago that the lockdown would begin to lift on May 4th. But what people are beginning to understand more and more is that it's not a return to the way things used to be, that the lift of the nationwide lockdown will be very slow and very gradual, Williams explained. While the country begins to open up slowly, many Italians understand that their lives will not be the same as it was before the pandemic and complete normalcy is in the rear view mirror. Factories and shops will begin to reopen, while gathering at large events are not even a thought yet. MORE: 'Spider-Man' runs the streets of England cheering kids up in coronavirus lockdown A whole new way of life, thats the realization for many. Just like people in many cities across the United States, Italians fill the streets walking and interacting daily with those around them. Everybody's talking about trace and track -- which some can be done -- over the phone and by notifying people. But they haven't even come up with an app yet, Williams said. Solutions are currently being floated around on ways to treat the virus, though nothing is set in stone. Testing for antibodies, finding a vaccine and an app to track COVID-19 patients, are all viable concepts. Though, due to privacy issues, handing over too much information to tech companies or the government make citizens uneasy. PHOTO: An employee gestures as people enter the FCA Mirafiori plant as it resumes its operations after closure during a lockdown amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Turin, Italy April 27, 2020. (Massimo Pinca/Reuters) Italy plans to slowly lift restrictions starting May 4th, while some states in the U.S. are lifting restrictions in the next few days. Story continues Megan Williams shares her take on what Europeans think of the U.S. lifting restrictions sooner than them. I think people are perplexed in Europe at some of the places in the United States that are lifting the lockdown suddenly, because certainly the Italian experience has shown that the lockdown, especially in northern Italy ... did slow the spread of coronavirus and it was essential to saving lives. And I think the message from Europe is to listen to the scientists, said WIlliams. MORE: 'Once a nurse, always a nurse': 20,000 former UK medics return to battle coronavirus Clothing stores, book shops, pizzerias and cafes are gradually opening back up in Italy. The difference between before and after the pandemic? Guests cant go in to buy items, but they can order from the shops. So whats something we can all take away from this challenging time, according to Williams? I think the silver lining, if we want to put it that way, is increased empathy and a sense of community. I think we understand more and I'm speaking for Italians, but I think this is global as well, that we're all in this together and we need to help each other. Italy starts to reopen as COVID-19 cases begin to decline originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Beijing, April 27 : Final year of primary and secondary school students in China returned to their classrooms on Monday after a long closure, which began with the Lunar New Year holiday and was later extended as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Most of the primary and secondary schools that have reopened have only allowed seniors back on campus as they have to prepare for tests to gain admission into high schools and universities respectively, said Wang Dengfeng, director of the Ministry of Education's leading group on the COVID-19 response. The schools have also arranged for psychological counseling for the students if needed, Wang added. However, Wang did not specify how many schools had reopened nor how many students had been affected by the measure, reports Efe news. According to state television CGTN, in Beijing alone, 49,000 high school seniors returned to their classrooms with the aim of preparing for the "Gaokao", China's college entrance examination, which this year has been pushed back by a month, to July 7 and 8. Beijing's authorities, who recently declared a central district as a high-risk area due to a small outbreak, are not yet considering allowing other students back on campus, according to Wang. Xinhua news agency in a report said schools would subject students to the customary virus containment and prevention measures, which usually include taking their temperature and making it mandatory to cover the mouth and nose with a mask, although it did not specify them. Meanwhile, state newspaper China Daily said that 30 provinces in the country, including Beijing and Shanghai, had reopened their schools so far. The resumption of classes in schools in different provinces across the country is taking place gradually and in a distinct manner depending on the health situation in those areas as a result of the pandemic. During the months that the schools have remained closed, many students have continued their classes online. In its bulletin on Monday, China's National Health Commission reported that there were 723 "active" infections in the country, 52 of which were critical. China has officially confirmed 82,830 ccoronavirus cases to date, with 4,633 deaths. The deal brokered between the Department of Health and 19 private hospitals does not represent value for money for the tax payer and, as it stands, could pay for a new hospital, a Cork hospital consultant has said. Dr Crochan OSullivan, a consultant cardiologist at the Bons Secours private hospital in Cork City, said the deal to take over the use of 19 private hospitals for the duration of the public health emergency could cost as much as 700 million, the price of a new hospital. The Department of Health has agreed to pay private hospitals 115 million per month to use their facilities to treat Covid-19 and non-Covid-19 patients during the public health emergency. Doctors working exclusively in private hospitals were also encouraged to sign up to a temporary contract that would allow them to treat public patients but would exclude any private work. Most have refused to sign to date. So far only 130 of around 600 private only hospital consultants across the country have agreed to sign up to the public only type contract - 60 of whom are at the Bon Secours in Cork. Dr OSullivan is one of the minority, who reluctantly signed the Type A contract last week to work for the HSE until September. As a citizen this is a bad deal for the taxpayer. Its going to go down as one of the worst deals in Irish history. Theres no ceiling on the amount that can be paid; its basically an open cheque book for private hospitals, Dr OSullivan told the Irish Examiner. The Department of Health, he said, panicked when it saw what was going on in Europe and rushed into the agreement with private hospitals. For the taxpayer it isnt a good deal. They are paying 115 million per month and thats before consultant salaries are taken into account, Dr OSullivan said. Were looking at a cost of over 700 million between now and September when you factor in consultant salaries. For that you would get a new cath lab in Waterford or a new accident and emergency department. Youd build a state of the art new elective hospital in Cork for that, he added. Private only doctors, he said, are being treated very unfairly. He pointed out that a type B contract, offering a mix of public and private work, was currently advertised for Tallaght hospital, a public facility, in Dublin. The Department of Health is refusing to offer type B contracts in the private sector for ideological reasons, he said. Dr OSullivan added that the arrangement would also cost him in the short term, as his new public salary of 6,000 per month would not meet his monthly overheads of 10,000 for his now empty private practice. He added he is retaining his secretarial staff contrary to the advice of the Department of Health to let his staff go: If I let my staff go who is going to do the follow up? The HSE hasnt given me a secretary to arrange follow up. So they havent thought this through at all. Around 3,500 patients have been treated in private hospitals under the arrangement to date. Last week Health Minister Simon Harris said the cost of the deal will be subject to scrutiny by the Comptroller and Auditor General and possibly the Committee of Public Accounts. Mumbai mayor Kishori Pednekar, a former nurse, has donned her old uniform again to serve COVID-19 patients in the city. She will be contributing her services in the late night shift, a leader from her Shiv Sena party said. "This is our Hon. Mayor of Mumbai, @KishoriPednekar ji. She has been working 8am-2am every single day& now has donned her nurse uniform again to serve the city at Nair Hospital," Sena deputy leader Priyanka Chaturvedi tweeted. "Seriously those who have been tweeting disparagingly about her should take lessons. Duty before self," she added. The mayor tweeted, "AnythingForMumbai* We cant do work from home, we are on the field for you, stay at your home, take care....#covid19 At Nair Hospital." The former nurse on Monday interacted with nursing staff at the BYL Nair and Sion hospitals regarding the COVID- 19 challenges. Social distancing would be maintained during the talks. Bharat Kumar Raut, former Sena MP, tweeted, "Kishori Pednekar, Mayor of Mumbai, has gone back to her profession as medical nurse & joined Nair hospital where she was working before becoming Corporator. Three kudos to her sense of loyalty to her profession & care for the people. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pakistan on Monday allocated more than Rs 50 billion to support small and medium-size enterprises as part of its efforts to mitigate the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic, even as the number of the COVID-19 cases rose to 13,909 in the country. The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) in its meeting approved the package under which the government will pay the electricity bills of small traders for three months, whenever they resume their business activities. "The ECC meeting chaired by Adviser to PM on Finance and Revenue Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh today approves Rs 50.69 billion package to provide indirect cash flow support to small and medium size enterprises (SMEs) through pre-paid electricity, the Ministry of Finance said in a statement. Under the scheme, commercial consumers would be given support up to Rs 100,000 and industrial consumers up to Rs 450,000 for three months. "Small businesses having a commercial connection of less than five kilowatt and industrial consumers using less than 70 kilowatts can benefit from this initiative, Minister for Industries and Production Hammad Azhar said after the ECC meeting. The ECC also allocated Rs75 billion to provide relief to labourers and daily wage workers who have lost their jobs during the coronavirus outbreak. Under the package, Rs 12,000 will be doled out to 4-6 million families, which were not counted in the government's Emergency Cash Programme. The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Chairman, Lt Gen Mohammad Afzal, said that the country had capacity to conduct 30,000 tests in a day which will be increased to 40,000. He said USD 50 million worth medical supplies purchased from China have arrived in the country. He also said that Pakistan was in the process of purchasing about 700 ventilators which would be available by the end of June. He said currently around 4,000 ventilators were available in the country. Afzal said that Pakistan was currently not importing any personal protective equipment (PPE) as everything was being produced in the country. "The government expects to receive 20,000-50,000 N95 masks from organisations across Pakistan," he said. Meanwhile, the Ministry of National Health Services said that more than 3,000 people have recovered from the coronavirus. It said so far 281 people have died due to the virus, including 12 in the last 24 hours. According to the ministry, worst-hit Punjab province reported 5,526 cases, Sindh 4,996, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa 1,984, Balochistan 781, Gilgit-Baltistan 318, Islamabad 245 and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir 59 cases. So far 150,756 tests had been done including 6,391 in the last 24 hours. The government said that an in-camera meeting of the special Parliamentary Committee on Coronavirus Disease will be held at the Parliament House to review the impact of the lockdown on the country's economy. It will also receive recommendations from representatives of traders and the business community for formulating a strategy to deal with the crisis. Meanwhile, a media report said that more than 80 per cent of mosques in Punjab and the federal capital did not implement a 20-point agreement reached between the government and clerics regarding the first taraweeh congregations on Friday. President Arif Alvi visited mosques in Bara Kahu area of Islamabad on Sunday night to see the guidelines were being followed. He directed the mosques administrations to ensure implementation of preventive measures, which were necessary to control spread of COVID-19. On Saturday, Pakistan Islamic Medical Association (PIMA) President Dr Iftikhar Burney warned that mosques are becoming a major source of transmission for the novel coronavirus and urged people to pray at home during Ramzan. His remarks comes days after Pakistan's top doctors warned of "significant mayhem" and "fatal outcomes" if mosques continue to remain open and urged the government to review its decision to allow congregational prayers during the month of Ramzan. The Pakistan government early this month succumbed to pressure from the hardline clerics and allowed conditional congregational prayers in mosques during Ramzan. Meanwhile, at least 400 traders stuck in China for over a month asked the government through a video message to facilitate their return. We want to spend the holy month of Ramzan with our families and ask the government to arrange for a special flight for our return, they said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) AirAsia has unveiled its new cabin crew uniform, which includes a medical mask, protective visor and boiler suit. Passengers on Philippines AirAsia flights will be attended to by stewards clad head to toe in personal protective equipment. The airline says it will help customers and staff stay safe in the air during the coronavirus pandemic. AirAsia has unveiled its new cabin crew uniform in wake of the coronavirus crisis, it includes a medical mask, protective visor and boiler suit Passengers on Philippines AirAsia flights will be attended to by stewards clad head to toe in personal protective equipment. To make the new outfits, AirAsia enlisted the help of Los Angeles-based Filipino designer Puey Quinones (pictured right) The firm grounded nearly all of its planes in March because of the coronavirus crisis and is only carrying out repatriation flights at present. These PPEs are being used only on Philippines AirAsia flights. It is set to restart some domestic flights from April 29. Flights will start again in Malaysia, followed by Thailand on May 1, India on May 4, Indonesia on May 7 and the Philippines on May 16, subject to approval from the authorities. It has not yet announced when long-haul flights to destinations including the UK and other European countries will resume. To make the new outfits, Sheila Romero, the Vice Chair of the Philippines AirAsia Board, enlisted the help of Los Angeles-based designer Puey Quinones. He posted the finished product on his Instagram page, saying: 'AirAsia launches PPEs to protect its cabin crews. 'Designed by me. Thank you.' Staff will have to wear the new uniforms on all domestic and international routes. Sheila Romero, of AirAsia, said: 'It is a responsibility of each one of us to flatten the curve. The new uniform is a far cry from the previous skirt and blazer ensemble worn by AirAsia's female cabin crew members The airline says it will help customers and staff stay safe in the air during the coronavirus pandemic 'I chose to have PPE material that is approved by the (Philippines) Department of Health to protect our Allstars. 'At the same time, the PPE is designed to announce that we are proudly AirAsia, and we will rise from this pandemic. 'I want to boost the morale of our staff when they wear this new uniform.' She explained the airline wanted the design to be 'chic and sporty'. Ms Romero said: 'The PPE is comfortable because it is not so thick and heavy yet it serves its purpose. The firm grounded nearly all of its planes in March because of the coronavirus crisis but is set to restart some domestic flights from April 29 'I like that it's chic and sporty-similar to what Formula One race car drivers wear. 'This fusion of fashion and safety will define the new standards of flying today.' Many other airlines around the world have either ceased operations entirely or have drastically cut back their flight schedules in response to stringent lockdown measures imposed by countries. British Airways has suspended all flights from Gatwick and its reduced services at Heathrow now only leave from Terminal 5. The carrier has suspended all flights from Gatwick and its reduced services at Heathrow now operate from Terminal 5 only. Passengers with existing bookings up to May 31 should complete an online form to receive a voucher valid for 12 months from the original travel date. Budget airline Jet 2 has suspended all its flights from June 17, while Easyjet was the first UK airline to make the same move last month. However, Ryanair opted to continue operations, more than 90 per cent of its fleet is grounded. Virgin Atlantic said on March 16 that it would have reduced its flights by 80 per cent by March 26, and this went up to 85 per cent in April. Two hundred Cuban doctors arrived in South Africa on Sunday April 26. They will join the 200 Cuban doctors already in South Africa as part of the medical cooperation. After a period of quarantine, they will be distributed throughout the country in support of the South African teams. Among these approximately 200 caregivers are epidemiologists and biotechnology experts. The Cuban doctors arrived in a South African plane which came to the island of Cuba this weekend, bringing a donation of medical equipment. Sending health care workers is a tradition on the socialist island, a legacy of the Castro regime and a showcase for the Cuban health care system, a strategy denounced by the United States. There are 4,361 confirmed cases of coronavirus in South Africa and the epidemic has claimed 86 lives. Chennai, April 27 : DMK president M.K. Stalin on Monday asked why the Tamil Nadu government paid Rs 600 per rapid test kit when the cost of a single kit was only Rs 245. He also welcomed the Delhi High Court's judgement that the rapid test kits should not be sold at a price more than Rs 400 including goods and services tax (GST). In a statement issued here, Stalin said based on the information available in the Delhi High Court's judgement, the Chinese company sold its rapid test kits at Rs 225 and the freight cost is about Rs 20 per kit taking the total cost to Rs 245 per kit. Stalin said Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K.Palaniswami should explain why the government sourced the kits at Rs 600 per kit and that too through a city based intermediary not recognised by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) instead of directly from the Chinese company. The Tamil Nadu government had earlier said the test kits were bought at a price fixed by the central government and from the company recognised by the centre. AMMK leader T.T.V.Dhinakaran has also demanded a white paper on the sourcing of test kits by the Tamil Nadu government. This rings especially true in my corner of the world. As Arab nations, we have no choice but to act together to mitigate the impact on us all. The natural resources we had relied on to shield us are no longer enough. We must set aside our differences and recognize that yesterdays rivalries are meaningless against this shared threat. We need to leverage the strengths and resources of each of our countries to create a regional safety net that protects our collective future. JOHANNESBURG - The coronavirus is highlighting South Africas stark inequalities, 26 years after the end of the countrys apartheid regime of racial oppression, the president told the nation on Monday. President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Freedom Day, the public holiday marking the countrys first democratic elections in 1994, that the fight against COVID-19 is underscoring the lasting disparities between South Africas rich and poor. Some people have been able to endure the coronavirus lockdown in a comfortable home with a fully stocked fridge, with private medical care and online learning for their children, said Ramaphosa in the televised address. For millions of others, this has been a month of misery, of breadwinners not working, of families struggling to survive and of children going to bed and waking up hungry, he said. The inequalities between South Africas black majority and white minority was also highlighted by Nobel Peace Prize winner, retired Archbishop Desmond Tutu. South Africa is not the fair and just country that it should be said Tutu in a statement issued by his foundation. The virus has done the country a ghastly favour by exposing the unsustainable foundations on which it is built that must be urgently fixed. South Africa has reported the highest number of confirmed COVID-19 infections in Africa, with at least 4,546 cases and 87 deaths. Health workers began community-wide screening and testing for the disease in several parts of Johannesburg Monday, especially in crowded, poor areas, such as Alexandra township. The screening and testing will also concentrate on the Western Cape province, which includes the city of Cape Town and which has largest number of COVID-19 cases. As a result of its battles against tuberculosis and HIV, South Africa has experience in widespread testing for infectious diseases. It has conducted nearly 170,000 tests for COVID-19. The country has 28,000 experienced community health workers who track contacts of people who test positive to help contain the spread of the disease. More than 200 doctors from Cuba arrived in South Africa early Monday to help fight the COVID-19 pandemic. South Africa requested the assistance from the Cuban government, which is sending more than 1,000 doctors to 22 countries, including Togo, Cap Verde and Angola in Africa. Some of the Cuban doctors have been in the frontline of fighting other outbreaks in the world such as cholera in Haiti in 2010, and Ebola in West Africa in 2013, said South African health minister Zweli Mkhize, Cubas government supported the African National Congress in its fight against South Africas apartheid system of racist minority rule. Now South Africas ruling party, the ANC and has good relations with Cuba. South Africas first black president Nelson Mandela was very friendly with former Cuban leader Fidel Castro. The two countries co-operate in the health sector, with hundreds of South African medical students studying through scholarships in Cuba. The Cuban medical personnel will stay in a two-week quarantine before starting work in South Africa. By Kim Hyun-bin LG Foundation has granted a humanitarian award to a Kazakh man, only identified as Ali, for rescuing 10 people from a burning building in Gangwon Province last month. The 28 year-old received the award on April 22, according to the foundation. On March 23 in Yang Yang County in Gangwon Province, Ali saw the second floor of his studio building on fire. He climbed the gas pipe to the second floor, opened the window and rescued the people inside. Ali granted LG humanitarian award. / Yonhap Two women in Texas have been arrested by undercover police after offering beauty services at home and violating lockdown measures. Ana Isabel Castro-Garcia, 31, and Brenda Stephanie Mata, 20, are alleged to have been running treatments despite strict stay-at-home orders. Local police said they launched investigations after receiving anonymous tips from the Laredo Police Department app. They allege that the women targeted customers on social media. Police said she 'admitted to running a nail salon inside her residence and promoting the business on social media, going against the mayoral decree currently in place' Castro-Garcia was arrested in in an apartment block on Harding Street after she met with an undercover officer posing as a customer needing a nail service. Police said she 'admitted to running a nail salon inside her residence and promoting the business on social media, going against the mayoral decree currently in place'. Mata, 20, was arrested in a block on Hubner Street after allegedly agreeing to provide an eyelash service inside her home for an undercover officer. 'Both of the violators independently solicited customers via social media. On both cases, an undercover officer working on the COVID-19 task force enforcement detail made contact with each solicitor to set up an appointment for a cosmetic, beauty service that is prohibited under the emergency ordinance,' police said in a statement. Both women were taken to Webb County Jail and each has been charged with violation of an emergency management plan, a Class B misdemeanor that carries a punishment of up to 180 days in jail, a $2,000 fine or both, The Laredo Times reported. 'We remind the community that there is an emergency management plan in place in order to control the spread of the novel COVID-19 virus. Laredo police officers continue to address violations of the order with enforcement,' the department said. Mata, aged 20 and pictured above, was arrested in a block on Hubner Street after allegedly agreeing to provide an eyelash service inside her home for an undercover officer There have been close to 24,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus across Texas and more than 600 deaths. While Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued a state of disaster proclamation on March 13 2020, earlier this month he announced a series of orders intended to restart the state economy - though this excludes salons and dine-in restaurant services. More than 1.3 million people have filed for unemployment in Texas since mid-March and joblessness has skyrocketed nationwide due to coronavirus-related business shutdowns. Just days after the Laredo arrests were made a Texas mayor was forced to apologize for breaking her own lockdown rules to get her nails done at a local salon. Beaumont mayor Becky Ames was pictured wearing a mask with her hand soaking in acetone at The Nail Bar on Tuesday. She said: 'I should never have entered the salon last Tuesday. I did not intend to take personal privilege while asking others to sacrifice and for that I am truly remorseful.' The District Attorney's office said it is investigating the circumstances of her trip. HARBOR BEACH Via video conferencing, the Harbor Beach Board of Education held its public meeting April 22, addressing regular business and many changes due to the coronavirus pandemic. The meeting was held through the online video conference platform Zoom with all members of the board and the school superintendent present remotely, along with the meeting being open for public login through the schools website. Superintendent of Harbor Beach Schools Sean Bishop told the board the proposed bond resolution could not take place in May as scheduled. At Bishops recommendation, the board voted to move the issue to August. The board will be keeping all parameters of the original bond issue, and the state will be notified of this decision. Bishop also said the Harbor Beach Student Handbook was changed to meet necessary criteria. The wording said that not more than one credit/no-credit course may be taken per semester. Bishop said with online classes becoming the normal, credit/non-credit classes are necessary and this will be changed in the handbook. The board also discussed Senior Awards Night which will be held virtually May 13, 2020. The school has reserved a date in July, if needed, for the senior prom. Graduation for 2019-2020 seniors will be a big decision and will be made after May 1, 2020 when more information comes down from the state government. Harbor Beach would prefer to have a full graduation, but not until it is legal and safe to do so. The board was told the Harbor Beach Schools budget is temporarily on hold. The budget is normally done in late spring or early summer before the new school year begins. With the state in turmoil, it would be extremely difficult to do this on these timelines. New state guidelines will give the school until October or November to finalize its new budget. Bishop told the board that financial support from the state may be severely decreased. The budget for next year does not look good, he said. He explained he has heard rumors that state support may be cut by $300 to $1,000 per student. That would be devastating, he continued. The next meeting for the Harbor Beach Board of Education will be a special meeting to address the bond issue. This will take place on Thursday, May 7, 2020. It may be a virtual or live meeting, depending on state regulations at that time. PORTAGE, Mich., April 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- ImmunoCAP Specific IgE Stinging Insect Allergen Components have been cleared by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) for in vitro diagnostic use. Results from these component tests can act as a diagnostic aid to help specialists and other healthcare providers discriminate between true sensitization and cross reactivity, identify culprit insect(s) in patients with inconclusive patient history, and may help guide the selection of future therapy. ImmunoCAP Stinging Insect Allergen Components analyze patients' sensitivity to up to eight different proteins found in the venom of bees and wasps. According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, there are between 90 to 100 deaths per year caused by insect sting anaphylaxis. Stinging Insect allergy is one of the allergies most frequently associated with anaphylaxis in both adults and children. "People who have experienced an allergic reaction to an insect sting have a 60 percent chance of a similar or worse reaction if stung again," said Dr. Lakiea Wright, MD MAT MPH, medical director of U.S. clinical affairs at Thermo Fisher Scientific. "Anaphylaxis can occur within minutes. Testing a patient's sensitization to venom proteins may play a critical role in helping clinicians devise plans for future therapy." ImmunoCAP Specific IgE blood testing is the most widely used specific IgE blood test, and its use is documented in more than 6,000 peer-reviewed publications. The tests can identify allergic sensitization to common environmental allergens seasonal and perennial, outdoor and indoor as well as common food allergens such as peanut, egg and milk. The ImmunoCAP Specific IgE Pet Allergen Components were also recently cleared by the FDA and can help improve the diagnosis of dog, cat and horse allergies. ImmunoCAP Specific IgE blood tests, which are available in most major U.S. laboratories, can be ordered for patients of any age regardless of skin condition, current medication, disease activity or pregnancy status. "Coupling ImmunoCAP Specific IgE Stinging Insect Components with whole allergen testing and a comprehensive clinical history allows clinicians to better analyze patients' sensitivity to bee and wasp venom," said Jay Portnoy, M.D., director of the division of allergy, asthma and immunology at Children's Mercy Hospitals and Clinics. "Determining which insect and if there is any cross reactivity among the different allergens can help healthcare providers be more precise in their diagnosis and management recommendations." For more information on component testing for venom allergies, symptoms and diagnosis, please visit www.Allergyinsider.com. About Thermo Fisher Scientific Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. is the world leader in serving science, with annual revenue exceeding $25 billion. Our Mission is to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. Whether our customers are accelerating life sciences research, solving complex analytical challenges, improving patient diagnostics and therapies or increasing productivity in their laboratories, we are here to support them. Our global team of more than 75,000 colleagues delivers an unrivaled combination of innovative technologies, purchasing convenience and pharmaceutical services through our industry-leading brands, including Thermo Scientific, Applied Biosystems, Invitrogen, Fisher Scientific, Unity Lab Services and Patheon. For more information, please visit www.thermofisher.com. Media Contact Information Ken DiCienzo Greenough (for Thermo Fisher) 781-351-1519 [email protected] SOURCE Thermo Fisher Scientific Related Links http://www.thermofisher.com After six weeks of strict confinement in Spain, deescalation measures have begun: children were allowed out for walks this past Sunday, and if contagion levels keep dropping, the daily outings will be extended to the entire population next weekend. But in the absence of a vaccine or herd immunity against the coronavirus, Spains Health Alert and Emergencies Coordination Center has established a series of conditions that must be met for safe deescalation. The goal is keep new contagions at a level that the healthcare system can cope with. The central government rejects the idea of regions freely adopting their own pace of deescalation To this effect, regional health authorities must be prepared to double their number of available critical care beds if there is a new spike in cases. The health system will also need to create centers dedicated exclusively to Covid-19 patients, or at the very least have a separate entrance for them at existing facilities. And primary care centers should have the ability to take samples and send them to laboratories for PCR testing, which identifies people with an active infection, within 48 hours. On Monday, authorities also began conducting a long-announced nationwide study to determine what percentage of the population has antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The study will test 90,000 individuals from 36,000 families three times at three-week intervals. Declining transmission Healthcare personnel help disinfect two buses used to shuttle Covid-19 patients between hospitals. Mariscal (EFE) The health coordination center on Sunday handed Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez a document with the strategic guidelines for safely ending the confinement, which began on March 14 when the Spanish leader declared a state of alarm. The number of daily coronavirus deaths officially registered in Spain was 331 on Monday, according to the latest figures provided by the Health Ministry, up from 288 on Sunday but down from a peak of 950 fatalities on April 2. Regional governments, which have devolved powers over healthcare, also received the new guidelines. On Monday, a meeting of central and regional health authorities is due to establish the indicators that will determine which areas already meet the new conditions for safe deescalation, and which do not. Until these [indicators] are defined and a quantitative and qualitative analysis conducted, we cannot know which regions meet the requisites, said Health Minister Salvador Illa on Sunday. The document also includes a political message: the central government rejects the idea of regions freely adopting their own pace of deescalation, but it concedes that general measures will be adopted after seeking agreements with regional leaders. Challenges Experts consulted by this newspaper supported the document, but noted that there may be a lack of resources to fully implement the measures. Another challenge is knowing when those additional critical care beds will be necessary. We probably wont know when there is going to be a spike, said Toni Trilla, head of preventive medicine at Clinic hospital in Barcelona. That is why good epidemiological monitoring is necessary: if it detects 200 mild cases, you can figure that 20% will get complications and end up in the hospital. Salvador Tranche, president of the Spanish Society for Family Medicine, said he is skeptical about the idea of creating specific care centers for suspected Covid-19 cases. Those centers might have been justified at the height of the pandemic, but they dont seem to me like a good proposal for the immediate future, he said. It is almost impossible to clearly differentiate the suspected cases because theyre not just the ones with respiratory issues, but also digestive and neurological ones, and fever. The guidelines also recommend creating an alternative entrance for Covid patients at hospitals and health centers. The separate circuits are more reasonable [than dedicated facilities] but I think it is better to work with the hypothesis that anyone walking through the door could be a Covid-19 patient, and to work with a common prevention [plan], says Trilla. Tracing cases The document also asks primary care centers to make sure they are able to take samples for PCR testing and send them to labs in less than 48 hours. Tranche wants more autonomy on this front. Even today, if you have a patient with symptoms and you want to do a PCR test, you need to call a number, explain the case, and if they consider it appropriate, they will send someone over to take the sample. This takes several hours, he explains. The health emergency coordination center also underscores the need to identify people with symptoms, test them and trace their contacts. This active search could be conducted by consulting records of deaths, sick leaves and calls to emergency numbers. The idea is to place positive cases under supervised isolation and in the right conditions, which could entail a hotel if the persons home is not adequate for the quarantine period. The guidelines also include recommendations for specific protocols for senior residences and care homes, which have proven to be epicenters of the disease. This item requires further development, said Pere Godoy, president of the Spanish Epidemiology Society (SEE). They are centers with a very high risk of mortality and admission into the ICU [intensive care unit], and in this new period it must be a priority to prevent the virus from entering them. English version by Susana Urra. CHICAGO, April 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the new market research report "Sugar Decorations & Inclusions Market by Type (Jimmies, Quins, Dragees, Nonpareils, Single Pieces, Caramel Inclusions, and Sanding & Coarse Sugar), Colorant (Natural and Artificial), Application, End User, and Region - Global Forecast to 2025", published by MarketsandMarkets, the Sugar Decorations & Inclusions Market is projected to grow from USD 1.5 billion in 2020 to USD 2.1 billion by 2025, recording a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.3% during the forecast period. The major factors driving the growth of the sugar decorations & inclusions market include the rise in the consumption of bakery products, such as cakes & pastries, the increasing demand for value-added and textured products among consumers, and the growth of economies that enable high acceptance of these products. Request for PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=199036541 The jimmies segment is projected to account for the largest share in the sugar decorations & inclusions market, followed by the caramel inclusions segment during the forecast period. Jimmies are rainbow-colored chunks used as toppings for cake decorations and ice-cream decorations. They are readily available in supermarkets and hypermarkets. Jimmies are available in mixed and variety of colors. It is mainly used in bakery and confectionery products, which are projected to drive its demand in the foodservice industry. Food manufacturers are developing jimmies of different colors and textures. These trends are projected to favor the growth of jimmies in the sugar decorations & inclusions market. The artificial segment is projected to account for a larger share in the sugar decorations & inclusions market during the forecast period. The artificial segment is projected to dominate the market during the forecast period due to its bright colors, which are appealing for customers. They are also inexpensive and are used by companies to enhance a product's aesthetic value. However, the substitution by natural colorants may hinder the growth of the segment in the upcoming years as consumers are becoming increasingly health-conscious. Browse in-depth TOC on "Sugar Decorations & Inclusions Market" 177 - Tables 30 - Figures 215 - Pages Speak to Analyst: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/speaktoanalystNew.asp?id=199036541 The Asia Pacific region is projected to be the fastest-growing market for sugar decorations & inclusions during the forecast period. The Asia Pacific region is projected to be the fastest-growing market for sugar decorations & inclusions during the forecast period. The region is projected to witness a high demand for sugar sprinkles due to the increasing consumption of bakery products by individuals with high disposable income in the middle-class population across the region. Furthermore, busier lifestyles have led to a surge in demand for convenience food products. These factors are projected to create growth opportunities for sugar decorations & inclusions companies in countries, such as India, China, Japan, and Australia. Emerging economies such as China and India are projected to significantly contribute to the market growth. Key players in the global sugar decorations & inclusions market include Dr. Oetker (Germany), Kerrry Inc. (Ireland), Barry Callebaut (Switzerland), The Kraft Heinz Company (US), Pecan Deluxe Candy Company (US), Signature Brands LLC (US), and Hanns G. Werner GmBH + Co.KG (Germany). These players have broad industry coverage and high operational and financial strength. Related Reports: Food Inclusions Market by Type (Chocolate, Fruit & Nut, Cereal, Flavored Sugar & Caramel, Confectionery), Application (Cereal, Snacks, and Bars, Bakery, Dairy & Frozen Desserts, Chocolate & Confectionery), Form, Flavor, and Region - Global Forecast to 2023 https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/food-inclusion-market-43206052.html Fillings & Toppings Market by Type (Fondants, Creams, Pastes & Variegates, Fruits & Nuts, Sprinkles), Application (Bakery, Confectionery), Flavor (Fruit, Chocolate), Raw Material (Sweeteners, Cocoa), and Form (Solid, Liquid) - Global Forecasts to 2022 https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/filling-topping-market-255827338.html Browse Adjacent Markets: F & B Ingredients Market Research Reports & Consulting About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets provides quantified B2B research on 30,000 high growth niche opportunities/threats which will impact 70% to 80% of worldwide companies' revenues. 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Contact: Mr. Sanjay Gupta MarketsandMarkets INC. 630 Dundee Road Suite 430 Northbrook, IL 60062 USA: +1-888-600-6441 Email: sales@marketsandmarkets.com Visit Our Web Site: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com Research Insight: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ResearchInsight/sugar-decoration-inclusions-market.asp Content Source: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/PressReleases/sugar-decoration-inclusions.asp Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/660509/MarketsandMarkets_Logo.jpg Canada and the New Global Order Commentary If Canada was in need of a wake-up call regarding its eroded national sovereignty, it has duly arrived in the form of a pandemic and a crippled economy. An examination of our national response to the pandemic reveals significant omissions in the governments capacity to act autonomously in the interests of the people. There are serious unanswered questions about the legitimacy of Beijings information on the virus outbreak and the willingness of the World Health Organization to propagate it. But it is Ottawas reliance on the WHO, coupled with a China appeasement strategy, that has shackled Canadas ability to navigate the pandemic with the nuance required to mitigate a complicated, evolving catastrophe. Abdicating Responsibility Hindsight is 20/20 and spot-on decisions are not to be expected in the face of a fast-moving pandemic. As such, a degree of leeway must be given to both federal and provincial leaders who have had to make rapid decisions in the face of stark, unprecedented choices. However, this fact should not preclude an examination of their failures, and it now appears that many critical decisions were made without considering all credible data. The WHOs propagation of Beijings dubious information and its arbitrary praise of the regimes containment measures should have raised eyebrows from the very beginning. But the U.N. agencys authority is such that the countries that adhered solely to its recommendations in deciding their course of action have paid a very large price. In early January, the WHO explicitly stated that there was no evidence of human-to-human transmission of the virus and also advised against travel bans. The validity of these statements was contradicted by emerging evidence of human-to-human transmission coming out of Taiwan, which informed the WHO of its concerns in a Dec. 31 email. But the WHO continued in lockstep with the Chinese regimes narrative and lobbyists. Even after the WHO declared a public health emergency, it continued to call on countries to avoid travel bans out of fear they could fuel discrimination against China. This critical period in early January presented Canada with its best chance of preventing the virus from gaining a foothold in the country. But the unquestioning conformity to the WHOs narrative prevented the crucial consideration of other options, including travel restrictions. Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam explained her stance that a travel ban may do more harm than good, by insisting that measures that very negatively affect a certain country thats trying very hard to do its best can impede whether this country in the future will ever share anything transparently with others. I think the idea is to support China. Tams statement, and a similar sentiment expressed by federal Health Minister Patti Hajdu, are indicative of the governments China appeasement strategy and unwarranted veneration of the United Nations and WHO. Most countries under the WHO umbrella have found themselves in similar circumstances in their battle against the pandemic. Its worth noting that the outliers who acted independently of the WHO find themselves in a much better place. Taiwan is a particularly interesting case study in that it has been shut out of the WHO at Chinas behest. Instead of being a liability, however, this exemption enabled Taiwan to exercise the autonomy and independent decision-making necessary to implement expedient and efficient control measures that headed off the spread of the virus at the pass. From quickly implementing travel bans to ramping up domestic production of masks, the island nation gained valuable weeks that successfully mitigated the spread of the virus. Today, life in Taiwan largely goes on as normal. The New Global Order The pandemic has revealed that Canadas blanket adherence to the ideology of globalism has hindered its ability to act independently, not only on the world stage but domestically as well. A few months ago when the anti-pipeline rail blockades were the pressing issue facing Canadians, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was overseas lobbying for votes to secure a U.N. security council seatsomething that was roundly criticized as a distraction that hindered an important domestic response to an evolving economic crisis. Canadians will have little appetite for international politicking when their domestic struggles become more acute post-pandemic. The U.N. has drifted from its original mandate of fostering international cooperation to being unduly influenced by totalitarian and communist regimes whose agendas are opposed to democratic values. The influence of these regimes has disproportionately dictated the policies of the U.N. and WHO, setting a very dangerous precedent. For example, in early April China was appointed to a seat on the United Nations Human Rights Council to oversee candidate recommendations for U.N. rights experts. The assumption that China, with its abominable human rights record, should be in a position to criticize the governance of democratic nations is almost comical in its irony. And yet the U.N., with its insistence on value neutrality, fails to recognize the universality of basic human rights or a governments responsibility to treat its citizens with a modicum of decency. International institutions are used by China and other totalitarian states to strengthen their economic models and further their own agendas. The good faith of other member countries is seen as naive by these bad actors, who view the concepts of fair trade and trust as attributes to be taken advantage of. Disproportionately influenced by these states, the U.N. and WHO have seen too much moral compromise to wield the power they have been granted. Every country will emerge from the pandemic awakened to the inherent hazards of being overly reliant on the global economy. Canada, in retaining a high degree of international goodwill, is in a favourable position to capitalize on this reorganization. Our stability and integrity will make us attractive trading partners for the nations who share our values. Global cooperation will be essential but the institutions that facilitate it will need to be insulated from the influence of those who wish to erode the nations sovereignty. There are rough years ahead, and Canadians will need a government that is wholeheartedly on their side, not just in rhetoric but in action. Whether its Paris climate targets or U.N. refugee obligations, global agendas must not supersede our own. As such, the flourishing of the nation must come before arbitrary international obligations to institutions that have proven themselves lacking in transparency and moral grounding. Ryan Moffatt is a journalist based in Vancouver. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Missed the most recent top news in Chicago? Read on for everything you need to know. Chicago bans horse-drawn carriages starting in 2021 Read the full story on The New York Times. Viral video shows large house party in Chicago Read the full story on CBS47 Fresno. Business owners protest to open Illinois economy Read the full story on www.thecentersquare.com. Pedestrian killed by SUV in hit-and-run in Little Village Read the full story on Chicago Tribune. Judge calls teen accused in gang slaying, high-speed Bishop Ford chase a one-man crime wave Read the full story on Chicago Tribune. This story was created automatically using data about news stories on social media from CrowdTangle, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. After the City Council's vote on Friday, operators will be unable to renew their licenses, and the city will stop issuing new ones. Video of a house party Saturday night reportedly on the West Side has gone viral and caused concern among residents. While the governor was holding his daily press briefing in Chicago on Sunday, protesters were demonstrating in Springfield to reopen the state's economy. A man died after he was struck by an SUV while he was walking across a crosswalk Saturday night, according to Chicago police. A white SUV that was traveling east on 31st Street hit the man and drove away, police said. The public will see more activity by Royal New Zealand Navy ships this week, as they carry out training in the Hauraki Gulf. Maritime Component Commander Commodore Mat Williams says under COVID-19 restrictions non-essential training had been postponed for the past four weeks, even though operational capability was able to be maintained while the ships were moored at Devonport Naval Base. However, as an essential service we must be ready to respond for missions such as search and rescue, border control including patrol of our exclusive economic zone supporting other government agencies and humanitarian aid and disaster relief." Four RNZN ships will be training in the Hauraki Gulf from April 28 to May 22. HMNZS Hawea and HMNZS Otago will be at sea for about three weeks over that period, with HMNZS Canterbury and HMNZS Manawanui at sea for shorter spells. Seasprite helicopters would also be participating in the training, including flying to and from the ships. HMNZS Canterbury will undergo maintenance soon to ensure it is ready for the next cyclone season, having spent the past seven months at short notice to respond to natural disasters in the Pacific. During this time it visited the Subantarctic Islands to support work by Department of Conservation and other government agencies, as well as removing workers from Raoul Island at the beginning of the COVID-19 emergency. HMNZS Manawanui, the RNZNs new diving and hydrographic survey vessel, is continuing its introduction into service, while simultaneously being ready should it be required. Mat says maintaining readiness, especially during times of emergency, is business as usual for the New Zealand Defence Force and planning for this activity had been in progress for some time. Procedures have also been developed to ensure compliance with the national COVID-19 requirements, including medical screening, physical distancing, increased hygiene measures, and more rigorous and regular on-board cleaning routines. While the ships might be seen around the New Zealand coast, they would not be conducting port visits so as to eliminate the possibility of regional transmission of COVID-19, says Mat. Less than three hours after canceling President Donald Trump's coronavirus briefing scheduled for Monday evening, the White House put it back on the schedule. 'UPDATE: The White House has additional testing guidance and other announcements about safely opening up America again. President @realDonaldTrump will brief the nation during a press conference this evening,' White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany tweeted Monday afternoon. The scheduling confusion comes as aides wanted to pull the president back from on-camera briefings after a series of flubs last week but Trump is his own man and is energized by the back-and-forth with reporters even as he complains about his press coverage. President Donald Trump will hold Monday briefing in the Rose Garden McEnany's pronouncement, tweeted at 1:16 p.m., came after the White House sent out a schedule update at 10:53 a.m., announcing that Trump's briefing set for 5 p.m. was canceled. Now the 5 p.m. briefing is back on and will take place in the White House Rose Garden. It's unclear if the president will be joined by members of the coronavirus task force or with executives he's meeting with before hand - or perhaps both. The topic however, will be on reopening the country, a move Trump has been pushing for in an effort to restart the sagging American economy ahead of November's election. Before he goes before the cameras, Trump has a 4 p.m. meeting with industry executives on the coronavirus, where he'll announce expanded coronavirus testing options, Bloomberg News reported. Many governors asked for additional options before reopening their states for business. Additionally, the administration is finalizing guidelines for the phased reopening of schools and camps, child-care programs, certain workplaces, houses of worship, restaurants and mass transit, The Washington Post reported. Monday's rough start at the White House comes as President Trump defied a plan by his aides to refocus efforts on the economy by continuing his attacks on the media. He didn't appear on camera over the weekend after he took a beating last week after suggesting Thursday that ingesting disinfectant and internal UV rays were possible 'cures' for the coronavirus, advice for which he was roundly criticized. On Friday he stomped out of the briefing without taking any questions after his aides tried to remove a CNN reporter from the front row. Trump marked the weekend with a barrage of tweets defending his discussion of disinfectant with changing versions of the truth, attacked the media, and amplified conspiracy theory claims that Democrats are inflating the number of deaths - which are now just short of 60,000 - and one demanding journalists hand back 'noble prizes' when he then deleted. The White House also offered a defense of how busy he was with new chief of staff Mark Meadows saying the thing he 'worried about most' was Trump missing lunch, days after the number of jobs lost in the crisis hit 24 million. White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany told reporters nothing should be read into the daily press briefing being canceled But a Monday's briefing could offer a topic change as aides mull guidelines on reopening the country. While nothing has been finalized, suggestions include, according to the Associated Press: Having schools space desks six feet apart, nix any field trips and school assemblies, and have students eat lunch in their classrooms instead of the cafeteria. Churches should hold services through video streaming or at drive-in or outdoor venues as much as possible. They should also encourage everyone to wear cloth face masks, use a stationary collection box, and schedule extra services if necessary to make sure church pews are not packed and congregants stay at least six feet from each other. Restaurants should consider using throwaway menus, single-service condiments, and disposable forks, knives, spoons, and dishes. They should install sneeze guards at cash registers, limit the number of employees on a shift, and avoid having buffets, salad bars, and drink stations. Some states - including Colorado and Montana - began the slow process of reopening on Monday. But Montana Gov. Steve Bullock warned he would not be rushed. 'Weve officially started Phase One of Montanas gradual reopening. But let me be clear: we could be in this first phase for a long time. We will not move out of Phase One if the curve doesnt remain flat,' he tweeted Monday morning. And Colorado Gov. Jared Polis told CNN on Sunday he is worried about a second spike. 'Yeah, we're all worried about a potential for a second spike, whether it's in the Fall, along with flu season in September/October, whether it's July,' he said. As states started to reopen, the White House struggled to finalize Monday's schedule of the president's activities. White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany had indicated earlier in the day that the briefing scheduled for 5 p.m. would be canceled. 'Today we are not tracking a briefing,' she told Fox News Monday morning. 'There will be a press avail, and there will be briefings throughout other portions of the week.' After her Fox interview she told reporters at the White House not to read anything into the cancellation. 'I would not read into that anything that said we see them as negative because in fact we think that they have been a very positive, helpful opportunity for the president to speak to the American people,' she said. The briefings, which can run up to two hours, have also featured Vice President Mike Pence, health experts, and administration officials who give updates on the government's efforts to coronavirus, which has killed more than 55,000 Americans. But they have turned into a platform for Trump to release his frustrations with fighting a pandemic and to rail against his political enemies as he uses the on-camera time as an outlet. The briefings also have been seen as Trump's substitution for his campaign rallies - canceled because of the virus - ahead of November's election. Trump started his Monday where he left off on Sunday, firing off a storm of angry tweets about the media. 'There has never been, in the history of our Country, a more vicious or hostile Lamestream Media than there is right now, even in the midst of a National Emergency, the Invisible Enemy!,' the president tweeted. 'FAKE NEWS, THE ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE!,' he added. Trump aides had planned his Monday schedule to focus on the president at work, holding a briefing with governors and then meeting in the Cabinet room with industry executives on their response to the coronavirus. The new public relations campaign would include less White House briefings and more images of Trump as president. White House will shift focus to Donald Trump's work on rebuilding the economy after last week's tough press briefings and president's weekend twitter rant President Trump will meet with industry CEOs at White House on Monday - above he met with healthcare executives in the Cabinet room on April 14 Officials will push to show President Trump at work such as the above image of President Trump at a March 6 meeting with Apple CEO Tim Cook and White House advisor Ivanka Trump 'What the American people need from the president now is for him to appear at some of these briefings off the top, 10 or 15 minutes of announcing whatever needs to be announced that day, take a question or two from the press, and then leave the rest of it to the vice president and the people who are the relevant experts that day,' said Chris Christie, the former Republican governor of New Jersey who is a close Trump ally. 'I think an hour and a half or two hours of anybody every day is not going to be great for their political standing no matter who they are and what they do. The American people are shut in for the most part and they don't need to see the same person every day for two hours. So I think the president can scale that back, still be a presence, communicating important things, but not having to be on for an hour and a half or two hours,' he said Monday morning on ABC's 'Good Morning America.' The push to show President Trump at work is an attempt by officials to restart after a tough week. The president was decried for Thursday musings about injecting disinfectant to fight the coronavirus, angrily walked out of Friday's press briefing without taking questions, and spent Sunday in twitter furor about his presidency is being portrayed. Opening the 4 pm meeting to the press raises another risk: Trump going off script. It's a tendency that happens frequently in the president's daily press briefings, where he takes questions for up to two hours on a variety of subjects and offers new ideas without any vetting. Friday's briefing - where Trump made a statement but answered no questions - had a different tone. 'I think you saw a different briefing [Friday] where the president didn't take questions. We didn't have a two-hour-long press conference that went off into different topics. And perhaps that's indicating a different strategy. And I think maybe some of his advisers are suggesting that maybe a different communication policy might be more helpful,' Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said Sunday on CBS's 'Face the Nation.' Relations between the president and the press grew so tense the White House held no on camera briefings over the weekend after officials tried - and failed - to move a CNN reporter from her front row seat at Friday's briefing to the back of the room. But the best-laid plans can go off track with Trump, who calls his own shots. Trump spent much of Sunday afternoon lobbying Twitter attacks - issuing more than 30 tweets and retweets that targeted the media, high-profile personalities and Democrats. All while Trump argued he is 'the hardest working President in history.' 'The people that know me and know the history of our Country say that I am the hardest working President in history,' Trump tweeted Sunday afternoon. 'I don't know about that, but I am a hard worker and have probably gotten more done in the first 3 1/2 years than any President in history. The Fake News hates it!' Only joking? Donald Trump's defense against a tide of criticism for his bizarre outburst advocating injecting disinfectant and using UV light to treat coronavirus was unveiled in the Oval Office: to claim it was sarcastic. But then he went on to double down on his theories anyway The president also went on a rant against reporters who received a 'Noble prize' for their reporting on the Russian investigations. Trump was likely referring to the Noble Prize and probably was referring to the Pulitzer - the highest honor in journalism, which was given to the White House reporting teams at The New York Times and The Washington Post for their work covering the Russia probes. 'When will all of the 'reporters' who have received Noble Prizes for their work on Russia, Russia, Russia, only to have been proven totally wrong (and, in fact, it was the other side who committed the crimes), be turning back their cherished 'Nobles' so that they can be given to the REAL REPORTERS & JOURNALISTS who got it right,' Trump wrote. 'I can give the Committee a very comprehensive list,' he added. 'When will the Noble Committee DEMAND the Prizes back, especially since they were gotten under fraud? The reporters and Lamestream Media knew the truth all along.' 'Lawsuits should be brought against all, including the Fake News Organizations, to rectify this terrible injustice. For all of the great lawyers out there, do we have any takers? When will the Noble Committee Act? Better be fast!' Trump wrote. The president mistakenly mixed up Nobel prizes with Pulitzers and also misspelled Nobel in another series of tweets Trump continued to target The New York Times for a story that suggested he wasn't doing much work President Trump has once against blamed others for not understanding the concept of sarcasm after a flurry of tweets were sent by the president on Sunday afternoon After several online commentators noted the errors in the tweets, they disappeared from Trump's Twitter feed. The president later wrote he was being sarcastic. 'Does anybody get the meaning of what a so-called Noble (not Nobel) Prize is, especially as it pertains to Reporters and Journalists? Noble is defined as, 'having or showing fine personal qualities or high moral principles and ideals.' Does sarcasm ever work?' he tweeted. Sarcasm was the defense Trump used when asked to explain comments he made at Thursday's press briefing, where he suggested officials examine whether injecting disinfectant into a person could help fight the coronavirus. 'I see the disinfectant, where it knocks it out in a minute, one minute. And is there a way we can do something like that by injection inside or almost a cleaning, because you see it gets in the lungs and it does a tremendous number on the lungs. So it'd be interesting to check that,' he said. The medical community was quick to point out the dangers of such advice and warned people not to follow it. The next day Trump said he was being sarcastic. 'I was asking a question sarcastically to reporters like you just to see what would happen,' the president said. Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, left, announces a shelter-in-place rule to combat the spread of COVID-19, during a news conference in Chicago on March 20, 2020. (Charles Rex Arbogast/AP Photo) Illinois Judge Temporarily Releases State Lawmaker From Stay-at-Home Order Extension Editors note: This article was corrected. A previous version of the article stated that the extension of the statewide stay-at-home order was overturned. The Epoch Times regrets this error. An Illinois judge has granted a restraining order to block Gov. J.B. Pritzkers (D) extension of his stay-at-home order for a Republican lawmaker, but Pritzker said that it puts his entire plan in jeopardy. Clay County Circuit Court Judge Michael McHaneys ruling released Illinois state Rep. Darren Bailey (R) from having to comply with the order, according to local news reports. The ruling only applies to Bailey, but the governor says it will be challenged because it will set a bad precedent. Pritzker said that his office is going to work to have the judges order reversed. Under the new ruling, cities could disregard the states stay-at-home order and reopen starting Friday. We are certainly going to act in a swift action to have this ruling overturned, the governor told reporters on Monday. The judge ruled in favor of Illinois state Rep. Darren Bailey (R), who said the governor exceeded his authority and is violating the civil rights of residents. Closed Chicago Theatre is seen in Chicago, Ill., on March 21, 2020. (Kamil Krzaczynski/AFP via Getty Images) My lawsuit asks the court to find that Gov. Pritzker overextended his power by issuing additional stay at home orders after his original disaster proclamation, which expired on April 9th, 2020, said Bailey in a statement. Enough is enough! I filed this lawsuit on behalf of myself and my constituents who are ready to go back to work and resume a normal life. Pritzker said he would continue to issue new health directives until the lawsuit is resolved. Representative Baileys decision to go to the courts is an insult to all Illinoisans who have been lost during this COVID-19 crisis. Its a danger to millions of people who might get ill because of his recklessness, Pritzker said Monday, according to NBC Chicago. Disasters dont evaporate on a 30-day timeframe. Legislators took this into account when they wrote this law. We will fight this lawsuit to the furthest means possible. Illinois public health agency reported a 1,980 additional CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus cases as of Monday. Fifty deaths were reported, bringing the total to around 2,000. In his latest order, Pritzker would allow for some outdoor activities, and many previously barred surgeries and some medical operations. Meanwhile, some retailers can reopen to fill online orders or pick the orders up. The governors order will also require face coverings for anyone over the age of 2, Fox32 in Chicago reported. 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. TAFE students will access 61 per cent of course content online as they return to study remotely from this week. Up to 5000 TAFE teachers have been training to deliver the courses online, including diplomas in food safety, design, music industry and early childhood education. Before students went on their Easter break, about 55 per cent of courses were delivered face-to-face in a classroom. Now 61 per cent of course content will be taught online. TAFE students will access 61 per cent of course content online. Credit:Rob Homer Face-to-face learning is being modified to accommodate social distancing and hygiene requirements on campuses and this would make up 11 per cent of learning. This would be provided for trades courses including those for electricians, engineering, civil construction and automotive skills. Workers assemble cars on the line at Tesla's factory in Fremont. On Monday, Tesla reversed course and canceled requests to bring workers back to production lines in Fremont, California, this week. According to internal correspondence shared with CNBC, Tesla asked dozens of furloughed workers last Friday, and over the weekend, to come back on Wednesday, Apr. 29 to resume production in Fremont. In new messages sent Monday and distributed on some internal message boards, a human resources employee wrote: "Per the direction of the executive leadership team, we will not be returning to work Wednesday, April 29. Please disregard all communication and directives on returning to work this week." Tesla shares dropped more than 1% on the news in after-hours trading, after rising more than 10% during the day. Bloomberg previously reported that Tesla might have to walk back its plan to let some workers back in this week. Health orders in Alameda County, where the Fremont factory is based, require Tesla to operate at minimum basic levels only. Tesla previously said it would resume production when those orders expired, and the company anticipated that date would be May 4th. However, the county plans to the health orders through the end of May in a quest to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus, according to a release issued on Monday. Tesla did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Tesla's Fremont factory makes its legacy Model S and X vehicles, and newer Model 3 and Y vehicles for delivery to customers in North America and Europe. Tesla also operates a car plant in China six days a week currently. It had previously closed the Shanghai plant for about two weeks amid Covid-19 health orders there but resumed quickly with help from that local government. Tesla is expected to report its first-quarter results on Wednesday. YEREVAN. The Republic of Armenia (RA) Prime Minister's Office's bonus fund for the first quarter defined by the 2020 state budget amounted to 106,879,300 RA drams. AntiFake.am writes about this, which had asked the PM's Office to provide the total amount of bonuses allocated within this body during the first quarter of 2020. "In response to the inquiry, Armen Khachatryan, Acting Head of the Personnel and Staff Management Department of the Prime Minister's Office, stated that the Prime Minister's Office's bonus fund for the first quarter defined by the 2020 state budget amounted to 106,879,300 RA drams. The total amount of the bonus paid during the first quarter was 22,292,800 RA drams, which is equivalent to about 46,000 US dollars, the website wrote, in particular. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-27 18:06:04|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ACCRA, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Ghanaian President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has announced a two-week extension of a ban on social gatherings to intensify efforts against the spread of the new coronavirus in the country. He announced the extension on Sunday night in his latest broadcast to the nation on measures to combat the spread of COVID-19. Ghana first introduced the ban on social gatherings on March 15, after reporting its first two confirmed index cases of the pandemic three days earlier. Over the past week, the president had met with stakeholders to discuss the future of existing measures, which have imposed restrictions on public gatherings, shut down schools, and closed entry points. "The strong consensus that emerged from these and other consultations is that we should maintain the existing measures for now, until we have a firm grip on the movement of the virus. This consensus is supported by data and science," Akufo-Addo said. As of Sunday, the west African country had tested 100,622 suspected COVID-19 cases, out of which 1,550 turned positive, including 11 deaths and 155 recoveries. Ghana's entry points have remained shut, but a lockdown on some of the hardest-hit territories has been lifted. Enditem BAKU, Azerbaijan, Apr. 27 By Matanat Nasibova - Trend: Azerbaijans Goychay Sud plant producing dairy products and fruit juices located in Goychay district is increasing its export potential, a source in Goychay Sud plant told Trend. The plant exported pomegranate juices to New Zealand since early 2020, the source added. "The pomegranate juices worth about 83,000 manat ($48,823) were exported to the foreign countries from January through March 2020. The juices will be further exported to this market in the coming months. We also plan to export the products to Belarus during the next 1,5 months, the source said. The estimated supply volume to this market should reach 37,000-38,000 manat ($21,764-22,352). Besides pomegranate juices, the plant also produces apple juices, which are sold domestically. The plant operates at full capacity and has been provided with modern Swedish and Italian equipment. The plants products have a certificate of conformity issued by the Azerbaijani State Committee on Standardization, Metrology and Patents. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @MatanatNasibova Area longterm care facility administrators report their residents and staff are in good spirits despite the worldwide pandemic that has made things challenging. "It's a big change for [residents] because they can't have their families on site," says Camela Deschene, administrator of the Eastport Memorial Nursing Home. On March 15 Governor Janet Mills declared a state of civil emergency, making several recommendations aimed at slowing the spread of COVID19, the illness caused by the novel coronavirus. Among them was that longterm care providers prohibit visitors and access for nonessential personnel. At that time Maine had 12 confirmed cases of COVID19, including two at residents of OceanView at Falmouth in Cumberland County, and state officials feared it would spread rapidly in communal living settings. For the residences such as the Eastport nursing home, adapting has meant a world of change. Families visit by phone and via Internet video chats. Games such as Yahtzee are played in the hallways -- each person in the doorway of his or her room -- rather than with everyone sitting around an individual table. Staff visit with residents on a onetoone basis, assisting them as they take virtual tours of museums, zoos and other sites. "Our activities department has basically changed the whole way we do things," Deschene says. "It's surprising how well they're doing. Keeping them engaged as much as possible really helps." The facility has begun a pen pal program, connecting residents with the community through written letters, and a volunteer conducts spiritual visits by phone in lieu of church. One of the biggest changes facing residents of facilities everywhere is how they take their meals. Standard practice has always been for residents to eat together so they can socialize. "We had to stop that and go to room service only," says Arlena Fickett, administrator of Washington Place, a senior living center in Calais. Like their counterparts in Eastport, the 28 residents of Washington Place are eating in their rooms and visiting with family via phone or Internet. Some have had window visitors, Fickett says. Residents can walk the corridors as long as they keep in mind social-distancing protocols. "We're doing OK. It's challenging," she says, adding residents miss their families and loved ones. It's even more challenging for residents dealing with dementia who find it difficult to understand what is going on and the reasons for changes in routine. "Everybody looks healthy. Everybody is healthy as far as we can tell," says Fickett, adding the staff of about 20 is doing their best to support residents. "We're all in this together." The 53 staff members at the Maine Veterans' Home in Machias have had to find creative ways to help residents enjoy social time, says Josh Scroggins, director of development and communications for the home, which includes five other locations across Maine. "Birthdays are still being celebrated, but loved ones are now singing 'Happy Birthday' via Facetime, Skype and telephone calls," he says. "Bingo is still being played, but with disposable playing cards, and residents are now socially distanced. As the weather has gotten nicer, residents are enjoying the good weather outdoors -- all at least six feet apart, of course." Activities Director Lisa Cirone helped everyone celebrate Easter by dressing up as the Easter bunny. Like those at other facilities, Maine Veterans' Home residents have had window visits, including some from wildlife, Scroggins says. Another important part of the longterm care equation concerns staffing and the supply of personal protective equipment (PPE). All three facilities reported no significant staffing challenges, but PPE has been an issue for Eastport. Deschene says surfing the Internet looking for new sources of PPE has become a "daily activity" among staff. Just because a business does not make any money, does not mean that the stock will go down. For example, biotech and mining exploration companies often lose money for years before finding success with a new treatment or mineral discovery. Having said that, unprofitable companies are risky because they could potentially burn through all their cash and become distressed. So, the natural question for China Dynamics (Holdings) (HKG:476) shareholders is whether they should be concerned by its rate of cash burn. In this report, we will consider the company's annual negative free cash flow, henceforth referring to it as the 'cash burn'. We'll start by comparing its cash burn with its cash reserves in order to calculate its cash runway. See our latest analysis for China Dynamics (Holdings) Does China Dynamics (Holdings) Have A Long Cash Runway? A company's cash runway is calculated by dividing its cash hoard by its cash burn. In September 2019, China Dynamics (Holdings) had HK$153m in cash, and was debt-free. Importantly, its cash burn was HK$65m over the trailing twelve months. Therefore, from September 2019 it had 2.3 years of cash runway. That's decent, giving the company a couple years to develop its business. The image below shows how its cash balance has been changing over the last few years. SEHK:476 Historical Debt April 27th 2020 How Is China Dynamics (Holdings)'s Cash Burn Changing Over Time? Whilst it's great to see that China Dynamics (Holdings) has already begun generating revenue from operations, last year it only produced HK$5.4m, so we don't think it is generating significant revenue, at this point. Therefore, for the purposes of this analysis we'll focus on how the cash burn is tracking. While it hardly paints a picture of imminent growth, the fact that it has reduced its cash burn by 41% over the last year suggests some degree of prudence. Admittedly, we're a bit cautious of China Dynamics (Holdings) due to its lack of significant operating revenues. So we'd generally prefer stocks from this list of stocks that have analysts forecasting growth. Story continues How Easily Can China Dynamics (Holdings) Raise Cash? Even though it has reduced its cash burn recently, shareholders should still consider how easy it would be for China Dynamics (Holdings) to raise more cash in the future. Companies can raise capital through either debt or equity. One of the main advantages held by publicly listed companies is that they can sell shares to investors to raise cash to fund growth. We can compare a company's cash burn to its market capitalisation to get a sense for how many new shares a company would have to issue to fund one year's operations. China Dynamics (Holdings) has a market capitalisation of HK$281m and burnt through HK$65m last year, which is 23% of the company's market value. That's fairly notable cash burn, so if the company had to sell shares to cover the cost of another year's operations, shareholders would suffer some costly dilution. So, Should We Worry About China Dynamics (Holdings)'s Cash Burn? On this analysis of China Dynamics (Holdings)'s cash burn, we think its cash runway was reassuring, while its cash burn relative to its market cap has us a bit worried. Considering all the factors discussed in this article, we're not overly concerned about the company's cash burn, although we do think shareholders should keep an eye on how it develops. Taking a deeper dive, we've spotted 6 warning signs for China Dynamics (Holdings) you should be aware of, and 2 of them shouldn't be ignored. Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies, and this list of stocks growth stocks (according to analyst forecasts) If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading. Texas governor Greg Abbott will let the state's stay-at-home order expire as scheduled on Thursday as he looks to restart the state's economy during the coronavirus pandemic. The order will allow retails stores, malls, restaurants, movie theatres, museums and libraries to open in limited capacity on Friday. On Monday, the Republican said: "This strategic approach to opening the state of Texas prioritises the health and safety of our communities and follows the guidelines laid out by our team of medical experts." Businesses will be able to reopen at 25 per cent capacity. A second phase of reopening could begin as early as 18 May if the state sees at least "two weeks of data" to confirm that there are not "flare-ups" of Covid-19. If that stands, businesses can reopen at 50 per cent capacity. The state is among the first to allow widespread reopening as the number of deaths in the US climbs above 55,000 and the total number of confirmed cases reaches nearly 1 million. Julian Castro, a former mayor of San Antonio who served in Barack Obama's administration and ran an unsuccessful bid for the 2020 Democratic nomination, said that the governor's "leadership during this crisis has been weak and erratic, motivated more by politics than public health." He said: "Texans should follow [Centres for Disease Control and Prevention] guidance and continue to do our part to keep people safe by staying home for now and practising social distancing." Texas Lt Gov Dan Patrick, who had suggested that senior citizens should make the sacrifice to allow the state to reopen, then doubled down on his comments and said there were more important things than living, said that "now it's time to set a new course, a course that responsibly opens up business in Texas." "Just as we united as one state to slow Covid-19, we must also come together to begin rebuilding the lives and the livelihoods of our fellow Texans," he said on Monday. The new order "supersedes" all local orders, as several cities and counties in the Lone State State have issued their own shelter-in-place orders. Houston mayor Sylvester Turner said that the new order "will take these measures ... out of our hands locally" and cautioned that there is still no vaccine or sufficient testing. "The virus is still here," he said. Austin Mayor Steve Adler had extended the capital city's stay-at-home order through 8 May. The state's death toll has climbed to 663, according to the state's health department. More than 25,000 cases have been confirmed, though the state ranks 47th among 50 states in testing capacity. Only 290,000 tests have been distributed statewide, which could significantly be masking the scale of the virus within the state. JOHNSTON, Iowa -- By Friday, customers can resume dining in restaurants and shopping in stores everywhere in Northwest Iowa except Woodbury County. Gov. Kim Reynolds on Monday signed an order that lifts certain restrictions on restaurants, retail stores, malls, fitness centers and libraries in 77 of the state's 99 counties. Woodbury, which has seen a huge spike in COVID-19 cases in the last week, is the only county west of Interstate 35 where restrictions will remain in place until at least May 15. Sioux City Mayor Bob Scott said he backs the governor's plan to gradually reopen the state's economy, based on data pointing to a stabilization or downward trend in positive cases. l spent some time with some of her staff members over the weekend, urging her to take a more regional approach, because I dont think you can take the whole state as one entity, Scott told the Journal. Citing "significant constitutional liberties involved, Reynolds said Monday she also is lifting a ban on religious and spiritual gatherings statewide. That means churches in all counties, including Woodbury, may resume in-person worship services, weddings and funerals starting this weekend, regardless of the size of gathering. Other community events will remain limited to 10 people or less. Under the order Reynolds signed Monday, restaurants in the selected counties may reopen their dining rooms on Friday, but must limit seating to no more than half of their rated occupancy. In Northwest Iowa, restaurant owners greeted the news with a mixture of enthusiasm and frustration. Dine-in service has been prohibited in Iowa restaurants and bars for six weeks, since Reynolds issued the first in a series of emergency orders to combat the spread of the virus. Establishments have been limited to drive-thru, carryout or delivery services. Clint Kass, general manager of the 4 Brothers Bar & Grill locations in Le Mars and Sioux Center, spent much of Monday figuring out the logistics of reopening with fewer tables and diners. "I was talking about that with our staff in Sioux Center this morning," Kass said. "I told them to follow every regulation to the letter of the law. We do not want to jeopardize anybody's health because the crisis is far from over." The Le Mars and Sioux Center fine dining restaurants shut down immediately after Reynolds issued her March 17 order. "We couldn't be more excited to open our doors again," Kass said. "Everybody is ready to get back to work." Bob's Drive Inn -- a popular Le Mars drive-through eatery managed by Kass' brother, Nathan, remained open for carry out food. Nathan Kass said Bob's will reopen its dining room on Friday, with 50 percent less seating. Known for fast food fare like chili dogs and loosemeat taverns, the eatery stayed busy even after the state imposed the COVID-19 restrictions, he said. "We've been slammed from open 'till closing," Nathan Kass said. "While other restaurants have been suffering, weve been fortunate." Some other restaurants that continued to operate with only drive-thru, carryout or delivery service have reported losing as much as 80 to 90 percent of their business. Reynolds' order that keeps restrictions in place in Woodbury County brought disappointment to restaurant owners like Dave Ferris of Sneaky's Chicken in Sioux City. After more than 40 years in the business, Ferris said Monday he has never felt more frustrated than he does now. "It's been a roller coaster ride, wondering when the restrictions would end," Ferris, who launched Sneaky's in May 1979 with his brother Rick, said. "We can't afford to be in limbo for much longer." Now running the popular 3711 Gordon Drive with his daughter, Christy Wright, Ferris described Sneaky's as being like "a four-legged stool." "We cater events, deliver corporate lunches, run a lunchtime buffet while doing a brisk takeout and delivery business at night," Ferris explained. "When the governor closed down the state, we effectively lost three of the four legs overnight." For now, Sneaky's hopes to keep busy with an expanded takeout trade for its signature broasted chicken, burgers and sandwiches. In the 77 counties where restrictions are being lifted Friday, bars that prepare and serve food on site beyond snacks or commercially prepared items like frozen pizzas are considered restaurants and can reopen, Reynolds' office said. Retail stores also will be allowed to reopen in designated counties Friday, but play areas in malls must remain closed and mall food courts will be limited to carry-out orders, the governor said. Theaters, casinos, barbershops, salons, museums, playgrounds and swimming pools will remain closed statewide. The orders came as Iowa has seen an explosion of coronavirus cases that one study found was the fastest increase in the nation over a recent seven-day period. Like metro Sioux City, home to the 4,300-employee Tyson Fresh Meats beef plant in neighboring Dakota City, Waterloo and some other cities with meat plants have particularly fast-growing case counts. Iowa's statewide cases grew by 349 to more than 5,800 on Monday, its death toll increased by nine to 127 and the number of patients hospitalized hit 300 for the first time. Public health officials have said they dont expect the pandemic in Iowa to peak for another two weeks and that an Iowa-specific forecast remains in development. Reynolds said she had taken significant mitigation measures to protect Iowans but that they werent sustainable and have unintended consequences. She said it was time to shift toward managing the virus in a way that balances health and economic concerns. State officials will closely monitor activities and make adjustments either to open more of the state up or scale down if trends go in the wrong direction, she said. We can protect lives and secure livelihoods at the same time, she said. Reynolds said that she was urging vulnerable populations, such as people over age 60 and with underlying health conditions, to take precautions. She said everyone should practice personal responsibility when deciding whether to travel to reopened counties to eat or shop. Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts last week took a similar approach to Reynolds as part of his plan to reopen the Cornhusker state's economy. Starting May 4, Nebraska will relax restrictions on restaurant and other businesses in 59 counties. The list includes the Northeast Nebraska counties of Cedar, Dixon, Wayne and Thurston. The restrictions remain in place for Dakota County, which, like Woodbury County, has seen a similar surge in COVID-19 cases in recent days. Journal staff writer Dolly Butz and the Associated Press contributed to this story. 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. Dave Dreeszen Managing Editor Follow Dave Dreeszen Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today At this alarming time, when the COVID-19 pandemic is on everyone's mind, a new special issue in the open-access peer-reviewed journal Population and Economics by Lomonosov Moscow State University (Faculty of Economics) provides a platform for discussion on the impact of the pandemic on the population and economics, both in Russia and worldwide by opening a special issue. An introductory overview for the issue is provided by its Editor-in-Chief, Irina E. Kalabikhina of the Faculty of Economics at Lomonosov Moscow State University. Today is still too early to draw any final conclusions, with too many things yet to happen. Nevertheless, the time is right to start a discussion on how to soften the possible consequences of the pandemic. In the first published papers, united by the special issue, various teams of economists assess the uneasy dilemma - saving lives now or saving the economy to preserve lives in the future; demographers draw parallels with previous pandemics and its impact on demographic development; and sociologists analyse the state of various strata throughout the crisis. The coronavirus pandemic came to Russia in mid-March - two months after China, two weeks after Spain, Italy, France, and about the same time as the United States. As of 24th April, according to the data available at the Center for System Science and Engineering at John Hopkins University, Russia is amongst the top 10 countries by number of recorded cases. International comparability of national data on COVID-19 is a separate issue; it will be addressed in one of the special issue articles. "Now I just want to state that Russia is affected by the pandemic, and it disturbs population and society. Moreover, a number of anti-epidemic measures taken in the country can bite the economy. In this context, the search for specific Russian consequences of the pandemic initiated by our authors along with the global consequences is particularly interesting", shares Editor-in-Chief of Population and Economics, Prof. Irina E. Kalabikhina. All economists, demographers and sociologists are invited to consider the impact of the pandemic and its attendant recession on the population and economy in Russia and the global world. Research papers are welcome to the special issue, which will remain open for submissions until the end of June 2020. What could the pandemic cost to globalisation, what could be the consequences of the crisis? In his paper, Dean of the Faculty of Economics of Lomonosov Moscow State University, Prof. Alexander Auzan calls to take it as a chance to change the path dependency and proposes a tax system revision. He also suggests that the reform is to be made by the law enforcement agencies. The possible consequences of the crisis, including a technological shift and a change in the direction and volumes of trade flows, are discussed in the paper by Dr. Oleg Buklemishev from Lomonosov Moscow State University. He also examines the likelihood of the role of the State to strengthen in line with the expected deglobalisation in the face of epidemiological uncertainty. Meanwhile, the pandemic remains "a global social drama" for the global society, as the world faces a step back to the basic needs as outlined in the Maslow pyramid. Income and wealth inequality appears to be increasing in the future, and when it all ends - we will have no choice but to establish the International Victory Day over Coronavirus, suggested in his paper Prof. Leonid Grigoryev of the Higher School of Economics (Moscow). Every second Russian worker can be considered as a vulnerable employee, suggests the latest analysis by researchers from the Russian Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA). The highest risks are faced by young people, workers with a low level of education and the residents of the regional centers in Russia. The most important directions of the current COVID-related crisis research are determined in Prof. Andrey Shastitko's (Lomonosov Moscow State University and Russian Academy of National Economy and Public Administration) research. He addresses such questions as how to collect, process and report information on the pandemic relevant with regards to the phenomenon of individual cognitive errors, as well as how this information is perceived by the mass consumer and the voter. Current situation can be considered as force majeure, but life does not stop because of force majeure, which requires micro- and meso-institutions also to find the options for a way out. Another paper by Dr. Alexander Kurdin (Lomonosov Moscow State University and Russian Academy of National Economy and Public Administration) reveals that the pandemic has provoked the development of "intermediate" regulatory solutions in Russia and has led to the formation of a short-term "institutional continuum", which assumes the possibility of new combinations of norms. At the same time, there is some institutional uncertainty, which stems not only from the lack of legal rules that meet the new "hybrid" regimes, but also from the lack of accompanying informal rules, which often determine human behaviour. However, it is possible that extraordinary circumstances may also increase the flexibility of informal rules. Still, one of the most vulnerable social groups in the current crisis remain migrants and refugees, who are facing economic, socio-psychological and political challenges, as described in the paper by Dr. Irina Ivakhnyuk (Global Migration Policy Associates). Within the circumstances of the pandemic, there are many messages across the media about its positive effect on the environment. Though, Prof. Sergey Bobylev (Lomonosov Moscow State University) shares in his research, that despite the short-term reduction in the environmental impact, over the upcoming years we can expect weakened attention from the state, business and the population to environmental issues, a decrease in environmentally oriented costs, redirection of cash flows to maintain or prevent a significant drop in the material standard of living. Other papers still remain in the press, but we already can get some insights into the future works. The last pandemics can teach us valuable lessons, point out Dr. Natalia Gavrilova and Dr. Leonid Gavrilov (University of Chicago, Federal Research Institute for Health Organization and Informatics of Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Institute of Socio-Political Research at the Federal Center of Theoretical and Applied Sociology of the Russian Academy of Science), who use the Spanish flu of 1918 with its peculiarities regarding mortality as an example. Another lesson we could learn is the one from the more recent outbreak of Ebola and the following crisis in Sierra Leone, suggests Dr. Ana Androsik (the New School for Social Research, New York and Feminist Data and Research Inc.) in her research paper. Back then, the population also had to assume extra caretaking responsibilities, while the imposed by the government restrictions negatively made it harder for the people to earn their incomes, which, in turn, hit the travel and local market industries. According to Dr. Androsik, we should use this type of evidence, taken from previous public health crises, to learn the mistakes of the past and design the most efficient program interventions. Russian families also face new issues in the conditions of self-isolation, while "dachas" (countryside family houses) play an important role during the pandemic. Effective mechanisms to support the population in a period of temporary, yet large-scale economic decline, which could be a solution for the Russian labour market, are suggested in the paper by Dr. Irina Denisova (University of Manchester and New Economic School, Moscow). Population and Economics' Editor-in-Chief Irina Kalabikhina addresses in her paper the demographic and social issues of the pandemic. "We are going through difficult times, and it is hardly possible to overestimate the role of science in the quickest passing through the crisis with the least human and economic losses. We hope that our Journal will contribute to the crucially important discussion on the impact of the pandemic on the economy and population", concludes Editor-in-Chief of Population and Economics, Irina E. Kalabikhina. ### Additional information About Population and Economics Population and Economics is a peer-reviewed, open-access journal, published by Lomonosov Moscow State University (Faculty of Economics). The journal covers basic and applied aspects of the relationship between population and economics in a broad sense. The journal is running on the innovative scholarly publishing platform ARPHA, developed by scholarly publisher and technology provider Pensoft. Original sources: Kalabikhina IE (2020) What after? Essays on the expected consequences of the COVID-19 pandemics on the global and Russian economics and population. Population and Economics 4(2): 1-3. https://doi.org/10.3897/popecon.4.e53337 Auzan AA (2020) The economy under the pandemic and afterwards. Population and Economics 4(2): 4-12. https://doi.org/10.3897/popecon.4.e53403 Buklemishev OV (2020) Coronavirus crisis and its effects on the economy. Population and Economics 4(2): 13-17. https://doi.org/10.3897/popecon.4.e53295 Grigoryev LM (2020) Global social drama of pandemic and recession. Population and Economics 4(2): 18-25. https://doi.org/10.3897/popecon.4.e53325 Kartseva MA, Kuznetsova PO (2020) The economic consequences of the coronavirus pandemic: which groups will suffer more in terms of loss of employment and income? Population and Economics 4(2): 26-33. https://doi.org/10.3897/popecon.4.e53194 Shastitko AE (2020) COVID-19: moments of truth and sources of controversy. Population and Economics 4(2): 34-38. https://doi.org/10.3897/popecon.4.e53285 Kurdin AA (2020) Institutional continuum in the context of the pandemic. Population and Economics 4(2): 39-42. https://doi.org/10.3897/popecon.4.e53299 Ivakhnyuk I (2020) Coronavirus pandemic challenges migrants worldwide and in Russia. Population and Economics 4(2): 49-55. https://doi.org/10.3897/popecon.4.e53201 Bobylev SN (2020) Environmental consequences of COVID-19 on the global and Russian economics. Population and Economics 4(2): 43-48. https://doi.org/10.3897/popecon.4.e53279 Contact: Prof. Irina E. Kalabikhina Editor-in-Chief of the "Population and Economics" Email: niec@econ.msu.ru Three persons, including two minors, tested positive for coronavirus in Aurangabad on Monday, taking the district COVID-19 count to 56, said a health official. All three are contacts of earlier patients, COVID Hospital medical officer Dr Pradeep Kulkarni told PTI. In Hingoli, the COVID-19 count reached 12 after one more SRPF jawan tested positive on Monday. Four from the force had been detected with the infection late Sunday night. "Of the 12 cases, one has been discharged. All 11 active cases are SRPF jawans," Hingoli surveillance officer Dr Ganesh Jogdand said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The materials of the case will be sent to court The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has completed a pre-trial investigation in the criminal proceedings regarding chairman of Kherson regional council Vladyslav Manger, and his assistant Oleksiy Levin who are suspected of organizing the attack on Kateryna Handziuk. This was reported by SBUs press service. "All materials are ready, SBU staff have done their work and have put together an evidence base that will clearly prove the position of the prosecution in the court. I hope that this case will be considered first. The perpetrators and instigators of Kateryna Handziuk's murder will receive a well-deserved punishment, SBUs head Ivan Bakanov stated. According to the investigation, Manger is suspected of instigating the attack on Handziuk, which led to her death, by prior agreement with Levin. As we reported earlier, on November 4, 2018, it became known that Kateryna Handziuk died at the age of 34. She was doused with sulphuric acid in July this year. According to preliminary information, her death was caused by blood clot's detachment. Besides, the doctors specified the cause of death; it was due to multiple organ failure and chemical burns. The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has urged the Oyo State government to investigate how 1,800 bags of rice it delivered to the government became contaminated. The NCS Oyo/Osun command had on Tuesday supplied the rice to the state on the order of its comptroller-general, Hameed Ali, as part of efforts to cushion the effects of Coronavirus on the people of the state. Other states that received the commodity were Osun which also got 1,800 bags, Ekiti, 1,800 bags; and Ondo which received 800 bags. However, three days after taking delivery of the rice, Oyo State government through the special adviser to the governor, Debo Akande, at a press conference rejected the rice, saying it was not fit for human consumption. But, the command on Sunday said the bags of rice that left its command headquarters were in good condition. The Public Relations Officer of Oyo/Osun Command, Abdullahi Lagos, in a statement on Sunday, said the agency was embarrassed to hear, three days later, that the rice allocated to Oyo state was infected with weevils. Mr Lagos, who had earlier spoke with PREMIUM TIMES on the controversy, urged Governor Seyi Makinde to probe the case. He said as a responsible agency of government, it should not be associated with giving anything that will negatively affect the people. The attention of the Oyo/Osun Command of the Nigeria Customs Service has been drawn to some mischievous and deliberate falsehood being circulated in the media for reasons best known to their author(s) concerning the Federal Governments palliative given to Oyo State among other states. As a responsible agency of Government whose functions include ensuring that nothing that could compromise the security, economy and general being of Nigerians are allowed into the Country, we cannot turn round and be associated with giving anything that will negatively affect our people. We therefore wish to state as follows: That in line with the Federal Governments effort to cushion the hardship in the nation, the CGC had directed the distribution of relief items including bags of rice across the nation through the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management as palliative to the vulnerable in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic. As instructed, on the 20th of April 2020, the Oyo/Osun Area Command received high ranking members of the Oyo State Government in the persons of the Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr Jacob Ojekunle; the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Agriculture, Mrs Saidat Bolatumi Oloko; Executive Adviser to the Governor on Agribusiness, Mr Debo Akande; The representative of Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management and Social Development in Oyo, Mrs MO Lasisi and other members. They visited the command twice on the same day to inspect the bags of rice that were available for allocation. The Customs Area Controller, Comptroller, HU Ngozi led them to the warehouses where they inspected the bags of rice, checked expiration dates and expressed satisfaction and readiness to evacuate their allocation. Before leaving the command on their second visit, they pleaded to be given those from a section of one of the warehouses they considered fresher and this was granted. Subsequently, on the 21st of April 2020, the Oyo State Government team came with their vehicles under the supervision of Mr Jacob Ojekunle, Mrs Saidat Oloko, Mrs MO Lasisi and other top officials, in the presence of the Customs Area Controller, other officers and members of the press to witness the loading and exiting of the 1800 bags of parboiled rice allocated to their State as palliative to the vulnerable. Incidentally, in the process of loading, few bags fell at different times and burst open in the presence of Mr Ojekunle and Mrs Lasisi and there was no time that any of the burst bags of rice had weevils in them. The warehouse had no signs of weevils, neither were there signs of weevils on the loaders or on the trucks under the scorching sun. The three (3) states; Oyo, Osun and Ekiti States took delivery of the bags of rice allocated to them, returned their landing certificates to show delivery to its final destinations. They also showed appreciation to the CGC for his magnanimity. Contrary to allegations by Oyo State Government, Osun and Ekiti States have not complained about their allocations. The Command is therefore surprised, even embarrassed to hear three (3) days later, that the rice allocated to them were infested with weevils and unfit for human consumption. The command wishes to reiterate that weevils do not hide and in the process of loading the vehicles, traces of weevils would have been noticed on the floor, on the bags, on the loaders or on the trucks bearing in mind that the entire process was in the presence of the CAC, Oyo State Governments high ranking team and men of the press with full video camera coverage. The Command is also aware that for whatever reason, some pictures of bad rice have been circulating the social media. We disassociate ourselves from such false images and we suspect foul play on the part of the handlers of these allocated 1,800 bags of rice. The State Government may wish to dig deeper. It is surprising how bags of rice that exited the Command HQ in good condition suddenly became so bad after 3 days as being circulated in the social media. Advertisements Your rice is truly bad, Oyo govt insist However, the Oyo State government has said that it rejected the rice because they were unfit for consumption. The Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Taiwo Adisa, noted that any claim to the contrary was a disservice to humanity and attempt at endangering the lives of the people in the state. Mr Adisa urged the Customs Service to desist from misleading the public. No government that is worth its name would agree to serve its people with food items that are infested with weevils that are clearly visible to the eyes. On Friday, April 24, members of the Food Security sub-committee of the Oyo State Covid-19 Task Force embarked on an early morning meeting that lasted close to three hours. The meeting was to review the report of the technical team that had been conducting tests on the 1,800 bags of 50kg rice presented to the state government by the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) in respect of Federal Governments Covid-19 palliatives. The Committee eventually invited the Media, after coming to a conclusion that more than a majority of the 1,800 bags were not fit for human consumption as they had been infested with weevils that freely move about on every of the bags kept at the storehouse in the Secretariat, Ibadan. The weevils were clearly noticeable as each or the warehouses was opened. Television cameras were allowed to film the bags of rice just to show the clear reason why the bags were being returned. A letter that was co-signed by the Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Commissioner for Special Duties and the Executive Adviser on Agribusiness, was also prepared for onward delivery to the Oyo/Osun Command of the Customs which supplied the rice in the first instance. The state government neither intended to dramatize nor politicise the development. It was just out to state the facts as they are: we cannot serve our people expired rice and replace hunger with another disease. The Executive Adviser to the governor on Agribusiness, Dr. Debo Akande, who addressed the media clearly stated that if the Customs could muster other bags of rice in good condition, the state would readily receive such. But the immediate reaction from Customs, Oyo/Osun Command was a bit comforting as it passed a message to the state government that the bad bags of rice must have been picked from the wrong store. We also got confirmation that Customs was ready to immediately send in 600 bags to replace the bad ones and that representatives of the state were free to immediately come for inspection. The states team that went for the inspection, however, returned another sad verdict: at least 30 percent of the 600 bags promised as replacement were also infested with weevils. To our surprise, statements started flying to town, detailing confusing messages. We wish to place on record that the statements credited to the Customs Service were at best a poor colouration of the truth. Besides, the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, which commented on the matter, was merely dabbling in what it knows nothing about. This is not about politics and political grandstanding. The Customs claimed that the Special Adviser on Security, Commissioner of Police Fatai Owoseni (rtd) was part of the team that inspected the rice. Thats a white lie. The team that inspected the rice while at the Customs warehouses came from the State Operations Coordinating Unit (SOCU) domiciled in the Ministry of Budget and Planning, while the sub-committee on Food Security principally resides in the Ministry of Agriculture. The sub-committee took its time before it came to the unavoidable conclusion that the bags of rice be returned. It has nothing to do with political correctness that some could wrongly ascribe. A state that is trying all it could to secure palliatives for at least 120,000 residents would not readily reject 1,800 bags of rice if the reasons are not compelling. We wish to advise the Customs to desist from statements that do not edify the Service, because it would amount to clear betrayal of public trust for an elected government to sanction the release of expired and infested food items to residents of a state. BATON ROUGE, La., April 27, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Amedisys, Inc. (AMED), a leading provider of home health, hospice and personal care, announced today that it has, through one of its wholly owned subsidiaries, signed a definitive agreement to acquire Homecare Preferred Choice, Inc., doing business as AseraCare Hospice (AseraCare Hospice), a national hospice care provider with an executive office in Plano, Texas and administrative support center in Fort Smith, Arkansas. Founded in 1994, AseraCare Hospice cares for more than 2,100 patients daily and employs more than 1,200 hospice professionals in 44 locations across 14 states, generating approximately $117 million in annual revenues. Under the terms of the agreement, expected to close on, or around, June 1, 2020, pending regulatory approvals, Amedisys will acquire 100 percent of the ownership interests in AseraCare Hospice for a cash purchase price of $235 million, which is inclusive of a $32 million tax asset bringing the net purchase price to $203 million. The Company will not use any of the funds received by the Company from the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund that was appropriated by Congress to the Department of Health and Human Services in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, to fund the acquisition. AseraCare Hospice is a company we have been watching and admiring closely for many years with high regard, stated Amedisys CEO and President Paul Kusserow. AseraCare is, undoubtedly, one of the best companies in the hospice industry, and it has been our collective long-time aspiration to have them join the Amedisys family. Their great culture, top-tier management, unwavering focus on quality care, and our complementary geographic footprint, make AseraCare a perfect match for Amedisys. Were looking forward to coming together as one, strong organization, serving more patients in more places. The transaction adds greater scale to Amedisys high-quality, nationwide network of 146 hospice care centers. Post-closing, the combined hospice operations will include 190 care centers in 35 states, with an average daily census of approximately 14,000 patients and approximately 7,000 hospice employees. Story continues The agreement continues Amedisys three-pronged hospice strategy outlined in January 2018 of executing large acquisitions with Compassionate Care Hospice, tuck-in acquisitions with RoseRock Healthcare and Asana Hospice and successfully building eight de novo operations. AseraCare and Amedisys have a shared mission-driven purpose of providing the highest quality care for patients and their families, and coming together as one is just a natural transition to which all of us are looking forward to embarking upon, said AseraCare Hospices President, Larry Deans. We share an absolute and sacred commitment to help our patients live each day to its fullest, one person, one family and one community at a time. Media Contact: Investor Contact: Kendra Kimmons Nick Muscato Vice President of Marketing & Communications Vice President of Strategic Finance 225-299-3708 615-928-5452 kendra.kimmons@amedisys.com nick.muscato@amedisys.com About AseraCare Hospice AseraCare is a leading provider of hospice services caring for more than 2,100 patients and families per day. The company operates 44 locations in 14 states. For more information about AseraCare visit: www.aseracare.com. About Amedisys: Amedisys, Inc. is a leading healthcare at home Company delivering personalized home health, hospice and personal care. Amedisys is focused on delivering the care that is best for our patients, whether that is home-based personal care; recovery and rehabilitation after an operation or injury; care focused on empowering them to manage a chronic disease; or hospice care at the end of life. More than 2,600 hospitals and 67,000 physicians nationwide have chosen Amedisys as a partner in post-acute care. Founded in 1982, headquartered in Baton Rouge, La. with an executive office in Nashville, Tenn., Amedisys is a publicly held company. With more than 21,000 employees in 480 care centers in 38 states and the District of Columbia, Amedisys is dedicated to delivering the highest quality of care to the doorsteps of more than 415,000 patients and clients in need every year. For more information about the Company, please visit: www.amedisys.com . Forward-Looking Statements When included in this press release, words like believes, belief, expects, strategy, plans, anticipates, intends, projects, estimates, may, might, would, should and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements as defined by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements involve a variety of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described therein. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to the following: the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, including the measures that have been and may be taken by governmental authorities to mitigate it, on our business, financial condition and results of operations, changes in or our failure to comply with existing federal and state laws or regulations or the inability to comply with new government regulations on a timely basis, changes in Medicare and other medical payment levels, our ability to open care centers, acquire additional care centers and integrate and operate these care centers effectively, competition in the healthcare industry, changes in the case mix of patients and payment methodologies, changes in estimates and judgments associated with critical accounting policies, our ability to maintain or establish new patient referral sources, our ability to consistently provide high-quality care, our ability to attract and retain qualified personnel, changes in payments and covered services by federal and state governments, future cost containment initiatives undertaken by third-party payors, our access to financing, our ability to meet debt service requirements and comply with covenants in debt agreements, business disruptions due to natural disasters or acts of terrorism, our ability to realize the anticipated benefits of acquisitions, and changes in law or developments with respect to any litigation relating to the Company, including various other matters, many of which are beyond our control. Because forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, some of which cannot be predicted or quantified, you should not rely on any forward-looking statement as a prediction of future events. We expressly disclaim any obligation or undertaking and we do not intend to release publicly any updates or changes in our expectations concerning the forward-looking statements or any changes in events, conditions or circumstances upon which any forward-looking statement may be based, except as required by law. The portal, which has been tentatively named by the labour and employment ministry as the National Portal for COVID-19 Affected Unorganised Migrant Workers, will gather the details of all the unorganised sector workers who are stranded in relief camps, residential or industrial clusters. The Union government is going to launch an online portal for the migrant workers in the unorganised sector impacted due to a national lockdown imposed to check the spread of COVID-19 in India. The portal, which has been tentatively named by the labour and employment ministry as the National Portal for COVID-19 Affected Unorganised Migrant Workers, will gather the details of all the unorganised sector workers who are stranded in relief camps, residential or industrial clusters. The portal will allow the government to pass on relief benefits to the migrant workers - be it in the form of cash transfers or through other means, a top labour ministry official said, requesting anonymity. The state governments have been asked to upload the details of all migrant workers, including their Aadhaar and bank accounts, on the portal. The Union government has gathered the details of 2.2 million migrant workers across the country from the states, labour secretary Heera Lal Samariya told industry executives in a recent interaction. The portal will assign a registration number to all the workers and map migratory patterns, by capturing the details of their native place. It will also feed key details of such workers: date of leaving the workplace, reason for the migration and the COVID-19 infection status. Workers will also be able to register themselves on the portal. We do not want to leave out any worker from this process, the official, cited above, said. The official added the industry would be allowed to put details of such workers on the portal, too. For each industry, the government is attempting to do a skill mapping of the employees residing in red, orange, and green zones through the portal. This will help the industry get a sense of the proximity of workers to an industrial zone, the official said. The central government has allowed resumptions of economic activities beginning April 20 in rural areas and industrial zones where the incidence of COVID-19 infections is low. It has also allowed the migrant workers stranded in relief camps to go to work within the states. The workers will be screened first before allowing them to travel to work. Many state governments such as Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Odisha, and Haryana are planning to bring workers belonging to their states back to their homes. Days after the lockdown was enforced on March 25, around 500,000-600,000 migrant workers were estimated to have walked back home, according to official figures. Shelter homes were set up to accommodate them to ensure that they do not leave. There are around 1.04 million workers residing in 26,476 relief camps, the Central government has told the Supreme Court recently. Photograph: Ravi Choudhary/PTI Photo Dr. Laura Heisler is hoping that the new round of congressional funding for the Payroll Protection Program will provide a lifeline to keep her practice afloat. The chiropractor has gone from seeing 15 patients a day to an occasional emergency case over the last month, since the coronavirus pandemic hit her community in New Rochelle, New York, and state officials asked all doctors offices to curtail nonemergency appointments. "I have a patient who emailed me yesterday and said, 'I'm in acute pain, do you have any advice?' I said yes come in and get treated, and she said, 'I haven't left my house for 44 days, I'm scared,'" Heisler said. Stimulus checks Heisler normally supplements her income by renting out space to another doctor, but he has stopped paying rent because his practice is shut down. While she received a stimulus check this month and a small advanced payment from Medicare, the money barely covered her personal health insurance premium. We hear from practices in rural areas who say, 'I can no longer afford to stay open' or, 'I don't have any personal protection equipment and so I got sick and I had to close.' Rebecca Etz The Green Center co-director It was blow when her bank, JPMorgan Chase, notified her that her application for an Small Business Administration loan had not been processed before the $350 billion first round of PPP funding ran out. "I received an email saying, 'we're apologizing for not responding to you and your application,'" Heisler said. "Then I got another email a couple of days later that said when the new funds are released, my application can go in immediately." Telemedicine For primary-care doctors, telemedicine has provided a way to help maintain part of their practice. Still, nearly 90% of primary-care physicians say they've experienced significant losses in patient volumes, according to the most recent weekly Covid-19 impact survey from researchers at the Larry Green Center and the Primary Care Collaborative. "We hear from practices in rural areas who say, 'I can no longer afford to stay open' or, 'I don't have any personal protection equipment and so I got sick and I had to close, and I don't know what the people in our area are going to do'" said Rebecca Etz, Green Center co-director, who is an anthropology professor specializing in primary-care research at Virginia Commonwealth University. Small practices are not the only ones feeling the financial strain. Larger practices have cut back on costs, with 42% of those surveyed reporting that they've laid off or furloughed staff. Nearly half of all primary-care practices say they are not sure they will have enough cash to survive, with 1 in 5 saying they're worried that they may have to close within four weeks. Of practices that applied for SBA loan programs, many expressed frustration. CARES Act "The loans that were set up and made available through the CARES Act don't begin to touch the surface," Etz said. "They also require a lot of paperwork in the application, and they aren't as fast or as large as was initially stated, so the practices that are applying for them are still suffering." Some the nation's large banks have faced criticism for processing millions in PPP loans for large businesses earlier this month, while a large percentage of their small business clients were shut out of the program. Heisler is hoping her lender, JPMorgan Chase, will approve her $10,000 SBA loan request this time. It makes me feel very unimportant in the world. I know I'm a sole practitioner, I have no employees at all, but ... it would be nice if we were recognized as being as important as these huge companies. Dr. Laura Heisler chiropractor JPMorgan revealed it had processed loans for 8,500 large businesses in its commercial and private banking division this month, compared with just 6% of the 300,000 small business client requests it received. PPP funding UK at 'dangerous' stage, no lockdown exit strategy in sight: The number of deaths related to Covid-19 in hospitals across the United Kingdom has gone past 20,000, according to the latest data, with the overall figure likely to be significantly higher once deaths in care homes and hospices are tallied. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab resisted pressure on Sunday to explain how the government planned to ease the coronavirus lockdown in place for a month, warning any hasty action could result in a second peak of infections. Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance. We, however, have a request. As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed. Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard. Digital Editor INDIANAPOLIS A suburban Indianapolis church held services on Sunday for the first time in more than a month, taking care to ensure that worshippers adhered to social-distancing best practices and limiting attendance to conform to the governor's coronavirus guidance. The iTOWN Church in Fishers held 40-minute services in which only 10 people were allowed to attend, including the pastor. They started on the hour, leaving 20 minutes in between for cleaning crews to sterilize the inside of the church before the next group of worshippers arrived, The Indianapolis Star reported. Pastor David Sumrall said in a Facebook post Thursday that the church would resume services while adhering to Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb's executive order prohibiting gatherings of more than 10 people, adding that the church made its decision after consulting with local government leaders and our lawyers. The services resumed on a day that the state passed two grim coronavirus milestones. In a news release, the state Department of Health said Sunday that 28 more people in Indiana had died of COVID-19, bringing the state's death toll to 813. It also said the number of confirmed cases in Indiana had climbed by 634, bringing the statewide total to 15,012. To the editor: Thank you, Capt. Crozier, for giving the health and safety of the sailors on the USS Theodore Roosevelt your top priority - unlike, it would appear, some others. Yes, I realize that the Naval bureaucracy feared other countries would learn of the alarming situation on the vessel. They would have learned in time, however, when the Roosevelt became a plague ship. I am sad that one of your soldiers has died from coronavirus, and I am sorry that you have been relieved of your command (most unjustly, in my opinion). May you and all others recover rapidly and remain healthy. I would hope that thousands of Americans would write to Capt. Brett Crozier, whether to commend or criticize depends on the writer. MARY H. WACKERLE Midland United States President Donald Trump on Monday slammed US cities and states seeking billions of dollars in more federal aid to offset huge losses amid the coronavirus outbreak as legislators spar over the next round of potential economic relief along sharp party lines. Democrats are calling for more aid to help beleaguered municipalities left out of recent stimulus measures. But some Republicans have baulked at the price tag, while the Senates top Republican said he would back state bankruptcy before giving them more US funding. Why should the people and taxpayers of America be bailing out poorly run states (like Illinois, as example) and cities, in all cases Democrat run and managed, when most of the other states are not looking for bailout help? I am open to discussing anything, but just asking? Trump, a Republican, tweeted. Why should the people and taxpayers of America be bailing out poorly run states (like Illinois, as example) and cities, in all cases Democrat run and managed, when most of the other states are not looking for bailout help? I am open to discussing anything, but just asking? Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 27, 2020 Mayors and governors have spent billions in recent weeks as US coronavirus cases topped 960,000 and led to more than 54,700 COVID-19-related deaths as of this weekend. Social distancing and stay-at-home orders implemented across most of the nation to curb the spread of the highly contagious virus have also triggered a surge in unemployment, curtailed consumer spending and depressed local tax revenue. Congress previously allocated $150bn for governments, but governors have asked for another $500bn while cities and counties are seeking $250bn, saying the money is needed to cover the costs of responding to the outbreak as well as revenue lost while residents shelter in place. Democrats had sought to include another $150bn in funding for state and local governments in an aid package passed earlier this month, but the funds did not make it into the final version of the bill. US Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell gives a thumbs up while entering the Senate Chamber Floor after Congress agreed to a multi-trillion dollar economic stimulus package created in response to the economic fallout from the COVID-19 Coronavirus, on Capitol Hill in Washington, US [Tom Brenner/Reuters] Trump, who is seeking re-election in November, appeared to back Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who last week told a conservative talk-radio host that he would certainly be in favour of letting states enter bankruptcy. White House senior adviser Kevin Hassett said last week that before states could declare bankruptcy, Congress would need to make changes to the law. Despite McConnells comments, other Republicans, including Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, who chairs the National Governors Association (NGA), and some Republican senators, have backed funding for state and local governments. Democratic governors, including NGA Vice Chairman and New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, have blasted McConnells idea, saying their states have an outsized role in filling the nations coffers and allowing bankruptcy would upend financial markets. If you want to go to who gets bailed out and who paid what, nobody would be bailing out New York State. New York State has been bailing them out every year for decades, he said. If you want to do an analysis of who is a giver and who is a taker, we are the number one giver. Cuomo added, Who are the taker states? Kentucky. Southeast part of the country. LAKEFIELDA 93-year-old Lakefield man is producing face shield bands using his 3D printers. To help protect front line workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, Jack Millage started manufacturing the bands about three weeks ago. I have three machines and I can produce three in about 3 1/2 hours. So it takes a little over an hour to produce a band, Millage said. Since he started manufacturing them, Millage has made nearly 100 bands. Each band is being assembled to a face shield by Millages daughter Vedra and her husband. Millage said he started 3D printing about five years ago with various machines. Since then, Ive gone through probably 10 different machines, either building them from parts, or just simply putting them together with a couple of pieces, he said. Ive always had hobbies. I had my own airplane and flew it, I was into photography for a good many years and won some prizes for my pictures, and all the time, I was working as a plumber. That was my main job. Millage thinks his love of 3D printing has been influenced by his other hobbies and his career. I like something thats a challenge. You know, to keep your mind busy and what not, he said. The bands have been taken to various locations including Hospice Peterborough, Extendicare Lakefield and several clinics. Im now getting an order ready to go to a seniors home, Millage said. Chris Hagg, Millages longtime friend, said hes always been an amazing character. Ive known Jack since I was 14 and Im 66 now. I think its an absolute wonderful thing hes doing. Hes a very generous man, Hagg said. He is not just another person doing his part by self-isolating and social distancing, he is contributing to help the front line health care workers. Millage hopes the bands will give front line workers some protection against the virus. I hope it gives them some sort of minimum protection. It certainly has no medical value. I just hope if people are in close contact, it will help stop the germ from spreading itself, he said. However, Millage said face masks arent a magical cure against COVID-19. If people dont stay away from each other and keep passing things back and forward, well well still have some troubles. Im just trying to do my little bit to help those that have to be on the front line, he said. For those who would like to donate face shields for Millage to assemble to his bands, they can contact him via email at frinja0@bell.net. WASHINGTON - The government must make good on its promise in the Affordable Care Act to subsidize insurance companies for offering low-premium policies to at-risk customers, even though the price tag could be up to $12 billion, the Supreme Court ruled Monday. Congress has balked at making the payments to insurance companies, but the court decided 8 to 1 that refusing to pay was not an option. The decision reflects "a principle as old as the nation itself: The government should honor its obligations," wrote Justice Sonia Sotomayor. Justice Samuel Alito Jr. was the lone dissenter, saying the court should not provide a "bailout" for the companies who decided to participate in the ACA's "risk corridor" program, which has since ended. The case had marked the Supreme Court's fifth look at President Barack Obama's signature domestic success. Unlike others - and another one the court will hear in the fall - it did not challenge the law's underpinnings. The question instead was whether Congress had encouraged insurance companies into offering the kinds of policies that were instrumental to making the ACA work, and then reneged on a pledge to share the cost. For three years starting in 2014, the law said that if insurers had higher-than-expected costs, the government would reimburse a portion. Conversely, the companies had to pay into the fund any unexpected savings. Expenses overwhelmed savings. For instance, insurers paid $362 million into the fund the first year, but others claimed reimbursable expenses of $2.87 billion. By the time the program ended, insurers said they were owed $12 billion. But congressional Republicans, no friends to Obamacare, mandated that the payments to insurance companies had to come from the savings, so as to be revenue-neutral. They prohibited the Department of Health and Human Services from using any other resources for the payments, and both the Obama and Trump administrations had defended that decision. But it seemed clear at oral arguments in December that the justices disagreed. Justice Stephen Breyer said he was reminded of law school. "Day one of 'contracts,' " he told the government's lawyer. "So why does the government not have to pay its contracts, just like anybody else?" In her opinion, Sotomayor said Congress "created a rare money-mandating obligation requiring the federal government to make payments." It cannot escape the promise simply by not appropriating enough money to cover the commitment, she said. The companies "may seek to collect payment through a damages action in the Court of Federal Claims," she wrote. Alito disagreed that federal law provided an avenue for the companies to seek damages. Instead, he wrote, the decision has the effect of "providing a massive bailout for insurance companies that took a calculated risk and lost. These companies chose to participate in an Affordable Care Act program that they thought would be profitable." The decision involved several cases, including Maine Community Health Options v. United States. This story has been updated to reflect the cast didnt deliver the food to the hospital. FLINT, MI-- Employees at Hurley Medical Center are being treated with Luigis by the cast of the American television show, Scandal. Kerry Washington, who stars in the show, was set to announce the delivery in an online message Monday evening. The donation is part of Frontline Foods Southeast Michigans goal of paying local businesses to provide food to frontline workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to an April 27 press release. Proceeds from the sponsored meal will go to Kirk Laue and Tom Beaubien, owner of Luigis restaurant. The Hurley Medical Center team is so thankful for all of the support were receiving from the community we serve, to the people outside our area who appreciate our mission and care enough to show they are #HereForHurley, according to a statement from Hurley. In March, Hurley sought and received donated medical supplies. Hurley has experienced its share of heartbreak during the coronavirus outbreak. Edward Nelson, 65, president of AFSCME Hurley Medical Center Employees Local 1603, died Monday, April 13 from COVID-19 at the hospital. He was planning to retire at the end of the month. Then Wendell Quinn, 51, a public safety officer of more than 26 years at Hurley Medical Center, died April 19 from COVID-19 at the hospital. There are currently 43 COVID-19 patients at the hospital and the bed occupancy rate is at 79 percent, according to the Michigan Health and Hospital Association. Related news: Sunday, April 26: Latest developments on coronavirus in Michigan New Michigan coronavirus cases lowest seen in a month, but deaths still high Whitmer defends stay-at-home order, says Michigan needed unique solution SNL delivers a spoof Message from Gov. Whitmer Michigan mortgage lenders partner with state to provide borrowers coronavirus financial relief Some 40% of those who work from home feel less efficient at work, and most miss interaction with colleagues, orderly working hours, and normal dressing from a forced home office, according to an online survey, says penzcentrum.hu. Half of the approximately 850 respondents are happy to be able to spend the commuting time saved on a walk on their own, and to have more time with their children or pets. Almost every person working from home uses digital devices to do so that had not typically been used previously, such as notebooks, headsets, and webcams. However, 38% of the respondents say they are hindered in the performance of their duties by an inconsistent internet connection, penzcentrum.hu adds. JACKSON, Miss., April 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- During the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, people across Mississippi are facing challenges that extend beyond medical care and include basic daily needs such as food, internet connectivity, and essential supplies. Centene, a leading multi-national healthcare company, has partnered with various organizations to support efforts that address these social determinants of health. Magnolia Health as part of the Centene family, will be deploying these programs locally in Mississippi. Social determinants of health are non-medical barriers to achieving quality health outcomes. They include socioeconomic and environment factors such as food accessibility, employment, education, and more. Research shows that medical care accounts for approximately 10 to 20 percent of health outcomes, while the other 80 to 90 percent is affected by the social determinants of health. "The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are far-reaching and have extended beyond medical care to affect people's access to food, employment, connectivity, and more," said Aaron Sisk, CEO and president of Magnolia Health. "These social determinants of health have a significant impact on people's overall wellbeing, especially among vulnerable populations. Magnolia Health wants to help ensure we're supporting the additional needs of communities during this challenging time." Hunger and Food Security The demand on food banks has significantly increased during this pandemic, and it's estimated that these organizations will need an additional $1.4 billion in funding during the next six months to provide food assistance to people facing hunger. In partnership with the national hunger relief non-profit Feeding America and its local branch, Mississippi Food Network, Centene and Magnolia Health will coordinate the donation of meals to feed our neighbors in 56 counties across Mississippi. As part of its effort to address hunger and food security, Magnolia Health has also partnered with more than 10 food assistance organizations to provide additional food supplies directly to their communities. Connectivity During this time of social distancing, telehealth and other virtual communications tools have become invaluable for providing access to care. In collaboration with FirstNet, built with AT&T the only nationwide, high-speed broadband communications platform dedicated to and purpose-built for America's first responders and the extended public safety community Magnolia Health and Centene are helping make FirstNet more accessible to healthcare providers. Magnolia Health will be extending grants to assist providers with the upfront investment costs of new devices and equipment. This will streamline access to affordable, high-speed wireless broadband services for primary care providers in rural and underserved communities. Mississippi is one of the pilot states of this collaboration, where Magnolia Health will support Federally Qualified Healthcare Centers and independent practices. The program will expand into additional states over the next few months. Healthcare and Educational Supplies To ensure community members have access to crucial supplies during this time of need, Magnolia Health, in coordination with Centene, will be purchasing 750 gift cards for use on essential items. Magnolia Health will deliver the cards to local providers and other community resources such as Federally Qualified Health Centers, community health clinics, foster care organizations, and more for distribution to individuals in need. The gift cards will have a value of $35 and can be used to purchase essential healthcare and educational items, including diapers, over-the-counter medicines, cleaning supplies, and books. Magnolia Health has been supporting Mississippi residents since 2011 across Medicaid, Medicare, and its Marketplace product, Ambetter from Magnolia Health. Their efforts to address the social determinants of health reinforce their long-standing commitment to supporting the whole health of their communities, one person at a time. FirstNet and the FirstNet logo are registered trademarks of the First Responder Network Authority. All other marks are the property of their respective owners. About Magnolia Health Magnolia Health is a long-term solution to help the state of Mississippi enhance care for Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) recipients, while most effectively managing taxpayer dollars. A physician-driven, Mississippi-based Coordinated Care Organization (CCO), Magnolia is backed by its parent company, Centene Corporation (Centene). Centene has more than 30 years of experience in Medicaid, CHIP and other government-funded programs such as Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and long-term care. For more information about Magnolia, visit www.magnoliahealthplan.com. About Centene Corporation Centene Corporation, a Fortune 100 company, is a leading multi-national healthcare enterprise that is committed to helping people live healthier lives. The Company takes a local approach with local brands and local teams - to provide fully integrated, high-quality, and cost-effective services to government-sponsored and commercial healthcare programs, focusing on under-insured and uninsured individuals. Centene offers affordable and high-quality products to nearly 1 in 15 individuals across the nation, including Medicaid and Medicare members (including Medicare Prescription Drug Plans) as well as individuals and families served by the Health Insurance Marketplace, the TRICARE program, and individuals in correctional facilities. The Company also serves several international markets, and contracts with other healthcare and commercial organizations to provide a variety of specialty services focused on treating the whole person. Centene focuses on long-term growth and the development of its people, systems and capabilities so that it can better serve its members, providers, local communities, and government partners. Centene uses its investor relations website to publish important information about the company, including information that may be deemed material to investors. Financial and other information about Centene is routinely posted and is accessible on Centene's investor relations website, http://www.centene.com/investors. SOURCE Magnolia Health Related Links http://www.magnoliahealthplan.com Six days after it decided to evaluate rapid test kits (RTKs) used to test for Covid-19 antibodies after states reported huge variations in results, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Monday asked all states to which it sent the kits, sourced from China, to return them a move that comes even as one of the companies that supplied the kits revised prices sharply down following the Delhi high courts observation on Sunday that there appeared to be significant profiteering going on. ICMR evaluated the kits of Guangzhou Wondfo Biotech and Zhuhai Livzon Diagnostics in field conditions. The results have shown wide variation in their sensitivity, despite early promise of good performance for surveillance purposes. In view of this, states are advised to stop using these kits procured from the above mentioned companies and return them to be sent back to the suppliers, said ICMRs fresh advisory on rapid test kits issued on Monday. Sensitivity is the ability of the test to identify a so-called true-positive -- it gives a positive result when someone is infected. On April 16, the first batch of 5.5 lakh rapid testing kits arrived in Delhi from China, after missing two deadlines. The kits were part of ICMRs plans and those of several states to aggressively expand testing. Of these, 300,000 were from Guangzhou Wondfo, and 250,000 from Zhuhai Livzon. They were dispatched to the states over the following few days. But with states reporting variations between 6% and 71% in sensitivity, ICMR, on April 21, asked for the kits to not be used for two days. Since performance of these kits has been different in field settings from what the companies had submitted, these kits will be returned, and no money shall be paid. Rapid tests anyway have a limited role to play; the gold standard for identifying infection remains the polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test, Lav Agarwal, joint secretary, Union health ministry, said on Monday. Meanwhile, importers of the RTKs have begun selling at revised rates after the Delhi high court capped the price of a test kit at 400 on Sunday. The court had observed there was heavy profiteering in the import and distribution of Covid-19 rapid testing kits with a kit costing 245 being sold for as high as 600. The court observed that 500,000 kits that were supplied to ICMR for 30 crore cost 12.25 crore. Suresh K, proprietor, Matrix Labs, an importer of the Guangzhou Wondfo rapid test kits, said: We have started selling the kits at 400 plus GST per unit. Whoever places an order will be given kits at this price from now on. ICMRs response on overpricing was that the price approved was based on the tender quotations received. Price range approved by ICMR is 740-1,150 for RT-PCR, and 528-795 for rapid test. Any Indian company wanting to supply at lower rates is welcome to contact ICMR, the body said in an official statement. It added that this was the first ever effort by any Indian agency to procure such kits and the rate quoted by the bidders was the only reference point. ICMR spokesperson Dr Rajnikant Srivastava said: ICMR bought kits on pre-decided rates based on the tender quotation; now ICMR cant keep a tab on who gets it for how much and how much profit or loss the companies are making. ICMR is not in the picture here. These kits are not for early diagnosis as for that RT-PCR test is the gold standard; it can only be used for surveillance purposes, to periodically spot disease trends. To collect data on whether there is an old infection in a section of population or it is a recent infection; whether the spread is increasing or being successfully contained in places that are termed as hot spots, etc, said Dr Raman R Gangakhedkar, head, epidemiology and communicable diseases, ICMR, in the briefing before deploying kits in the field. Suresh however, refused to admit that the kits have problems. The kit is not faulty. It was made very clear from the start that these rapid kits are not meant to do confirmatory tests to detect infection. The states have got it all wrong, he said. To be sure, researchers in the US too have found issues with first generation antibody test kits for Covid-19. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON IAOP Recognizes Avasant for Excellence in Strategic Partnerships 2020 Strategic partnerships are an integral component of the sourcing and digital ecosystem. Over the years it has become a crucial success factor for generating long term value and high ROI engagements with our clients. Avasant is proud to announce our most recent recognition from the Industry Association of Outsourcing Professionals (IAOP) in the category of Excellence in Strategic Partnerships a position of honor in the first year of this categorys existence. The 2020 Global Outsourcing 100 recognizes the world's best outsourcing service providers and advisors. This list is based on applications received, and judging is based on a rigorous scoring methodology that includes an independent review by an independent panel of IAOP customer members with extensive experience in selecting outsourcing service providers and advisors for their organizations. "In recent years, we keep seeing more and more Global Outsourcing 100 applicants contribute their success to strategic partnerships," said Debi Hamill, IAOP CEO. "This is something to celebrate, and for this reason, we added it as an option on the GO100 award application. But make no mistake, our new Excellence in Strategic Partnerships program is a stand-alone, admirable recognition, and we're thrilled to honor these organizations. Avasant CEO and Chairman, Kevin S. Parikh accepted the recognition on behalf of the firm, remarking, Strategic partnerships are an integral component of the sourcing and digital ecosystem. Over the years it has become a crucial success factor for generating long term value and high ROI engagements with our clients. Im proud to congratulate the firm on its recognition and to thank IAOP for their important role in recognizing these areas of merit for the outsourcing industry. The list of companies honored with the Excellence in Strategic Partnerships recognition premieres in a special advertising section of the 2020 FORTUNE 500 issue of FORTUNE alongside the 2020 Global Outsourcing100 list showcasing the best companies in each of the four judging categories, for which Avasant has also been recognized with distinction. About IAOP IAOP is the global association that brings together customers, providers, and advisors in a collaborative, knowledge-based environment that promotes professional and organizational development, recognition, certification, and excellence to improve business service models and outcomes. Our members and affiliates worldwide are digging deep at IAOP conferences, learning at IAOP chapter meetings, getting trained and certified at IAOP courses and workshops, and connecting through IAOP social media, all with one goal: better business results. Whether you are a customer, provider or advisor, new to collaborative business models like outsourcing, or you are an experienced professional, IAOP connects you and your organization to our growing global community and to the resources you need to get the results your company deserves and demands. For more information and how you can become involved, visit http://www.IAOP.org. About Avasant Avasant is a leading management consulting firm focused on translating the power of technology into realizable business strategies for the worlds largest corporations. Specializing in digital and IT transformation, sourcing advisory, global strategy, and governance services, Avasant prides itself on delivering high-value engagements through industry-focused innovation and flexible client based solutions. Our seasoned professionals have an average of 20 years of industry-honed expertise, having conducted 1000+ engagements in over 50 countries. Avasants next generation consulting and advisory methods have made it the top-ranked firm in its class, with recognition from numerous organizations, including: Vault, NOA, IAOP, and Wall Street Journal. Avasants engagement in the global market has inspired a strong commitment to community and purpose. Avasant Foundation supports technology and skill development programs to create employment opportunities for youth across Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and Latin America. For more information, visit https://avasant.com. Follow news, photos and video on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/avasant, Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/avasantllc, and LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/avasant. Breaking Bad actor Bryan Cranston has taken a social media jab at Donald Trump, questioning his sanity and adding that he worried for the president's supporters. The actor's Saturday evening tweet was made as Trump suggested injecting UV light and disinfectants into the body as a possible treatment for the coronavirus. 'I've stopped worrying about the president's sanity. He's not sane. And the realization of his illness doesn't fill me with anger, but with profound sadness,' the 64-year-old Cranston wrote. 'What I now worry about is the sanity of anyone who can still support this deeply troubled man to lead our country.' Breaking Bad actor Bryan Cranston has taken a social media jab at Donald Trump, questioning his sanity and adding that he worried for the president's supporters. He is pictured at the Vivian Beaumont Theatre in New York while starring in 'The Great Society,' late last year The actor's Saturday evening tweet lacked context, but was made as Trump suggested injecting UV light and disinfectants into the body as a possible treatment for the coronavirus. The president is pictured during a coronavirus response meeting at the Oval Office on Monday The 64-year-old Cranston wrote that he's 'stopped worrying about the president's sanity He's not sane,' in his Saturday night tweet (pictured), which goes on to address Trump's supporters Cranston is best known for playing Walter White, a high school teacher turned methamphetamine drug king in the hit AMC series which ran for five seasons from 2008 to 2013. The actor has since moved on to other projects, but he hasn't shied away from using his celebrity to criticize the president. Last year, while accepting the award for Best Actor at the Tony Awards for his portrayal of Howard Beale in the stage production of the film 'Network', Cranston also unleashed criticism on the president. 'The media is not the enemy of the people. Demagoguery is the enemy of the people,' he said to the audience, though he didn't name Trump in a reference to the president's demonization of the press. Cranston is best known for playing Walter White, a high school teacher turned methamphetamine drug king in the hit AMC series which ran for five seasons from 2008 to 2013. He is pictured as Walter White's alter ego, 'Heisenberg', from the program Cranston is pictured with Aaron Paul, his co-star on Breaking Bad, in Miami in February Trump supporters weren't impressed by his latest commentary and responded to his tweet, which was shared 302,000 times after it went live just before 8 p.m. Saturday. A Twitter replied shortly after Cranston's post, saying he was having a 'huge overreaction.' 'You are a huge talent but not in this area it seems. The dude is def different but smarter than most of us with a great sense of what needs to be done and zero PC,' wrote the Twitter user. A Twitter user going by Pat H replied shortly after Cranston's post, saying he was having a 'huge overreaction' Others on Twitter brought up Trump's rival in the upcoming 2020 presidential contest, former Vice President Joe Biden and his propensity for slipping up when speaking publicly. A Twitter user identified as Nanette Woods and who uses the handle @aspenway called Biden a 'hapless, helpless nutter,' and tells Cranston, 'And you think I'm not sane?' One Trump supporter took Cranston to task over the president's suggestion for treating the coronavirus. A Twitter user who goes by Mam and the handle @queseracrochet noted that they never heard the president tell Americans, 'hey people inject yourselves with bleach.' 'I don't think so. I've never known a President be persecuted by so many so relentlessly - and all while taking no salary!' A Twitter user identified as Nanette Woods and who uses the handle @aspenway called Biden a 'hapless, helpless nutter,' and tells Cranston, 'And you think I'm not sane?' A Twitter user who goes by Mam and the handle @queseracrochet noted that they never heard the president tell Americans, 'hey people inject yourselves with bleach' Some twitter users directly attacked Cranston. Anthony T. Accetta, who describes himself as a former federal prosecutor and Wall Street insider, responded to the actor with the question, 'Who do you think are?' and called Cranston 'irrelevant. Anthony T. Accetta, who describes himself as a former federal prosecutor and Wall Street insider, responded to the actor with the question, 'Who do you think are?' and called Cranston 'irrelevant' Among the twitter users who responded positively to Cranston was one who goes by mileyvirus. The Twitter user who uses the handle @milevirusDFS tweeted an image of White to say they agreed with the actor. The line comes after Heisenberg's infamous catch phrase from the series, 'Say my name.' In the image, White says, 'You're goddamn right.' While the identities and lives of many of Freud's female patients have been revealed over time, the subject of his only essay on female homosexuality, The Psychogenesis of a Case of Homosexuality in a Woman, remained unidentified for 80 years. The Story of Sidonie C. is the biography of that patient. PW spoke with Jill Hannum, one of the translators of the book, about how the title provides an opportunity to rethink Sigmund Freuds much analyzed essay from a newly informed perspective. Can you explain who Sidonie Csillag was? Margarethe Csonka Trautenegg, pseudonym Sidonie Csillag, was born in 1900 to a Jewish family and was immediately baptized Catholic. Her teenage infatuation with a local courtesan scandalized her haute-bourgeois Viennese family, and they sent her to Freud to cure her inversion. She resisted him at every opportunity, and her forbidden feelings for women lasted through two world wars, a disastrous marriage, a flight from the Nazis to Cuba and then to the United States, a soul-crushing postwar return to Vienna, and subsequent sojourns around the globe before her death in Vienna in 1999. As one of the translators, can you explain how this book came to be? In 1992, coauthor Diana Voigt introduced Ines Rieder to Margarethe, a friend of Dianas grandmother. Ines conducted and recorded in-depth interviews with Margarethe over several years and did extensive historical background research on her family, friends, and multiple social environments. In 2014 and 2015, Ines and I produced a first draft of the English translation, which I continued to refine after her untimely death in late 2015. Notes and interview tapes are archived at the Freud Museum in Vienna. Why do you think this book is particularly relevant now? Viennas queer subculture between the world wars, the role of psychoanalysis in exerting strong social pressure to conform, the Nazis Jewish laws that forced a baffled woman into exile, and the soul-scouring effects of a post- war world are all experiences that were uniquely Margarethes, but the fundamentals of prejudice, repression, and war are universal. Biography can illuminate history, and this biography is a very good read about a complex and quite daring aesthete who broke as many rules as she followed. Absentee ballots aren't an option for blind Michigan voters who want to vote on their own. And during the coronavirus pandemic when state officials are encouraging people to stay home and vote absentee instead of congregating at the polls that's dangerous, said Jason Turkish, managing partner at Nyman Turkish PC. The firm is suing Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and Director of Elections Jonathan Brater for failing to provide alternatives for blind people to vote absentee. The lawsuit requests a judge to require Michigan to implement an accessible absentee voting alternative by the May 5 election. The federal lawsuit was filed over the weekend, on behalf of blind Michiganders Michael Powell and Fred Wurtzel, the current and former president of the Michigan Affiliate of the National Federation of the Blind. "People will get COVID because they cannot vote from home," Turkish said, who's a blind Michigan voter himself. Secretary of State officials declined to answer MLive questions about the lawsuit or questions about why Michigan doesnt allow for accessible absentee voting. Many blind people must take public transportation to get to the polls, further putting them at risk for getting coronavirus, Turkish said. Other states have implemented methods to allow blind people to vote absentee from home, using screen-reading software. The U.S. Court of Appeals required Ohio to do so, after a 2018 lawsuit. Because the software is already in place in other states and is "open source," it wouldn't cost Michigan much, if anything, to make this accommodation, Turkish said. We are not asking for a penny of damages in this lawsuit, Powell said in a news release. All we are asking for is the opportunity to vote in a manner that is safe, private, and accessible, the same way Michiganders without disabilities are able to. Michigan has methods in place to help blind voters vote in person. There are some voting machines with accessibility built in or blind voters can request assistance from a poll worker, Turkish said. After numerous conversations with state officials about the issue, Turkish said advocates had to file a lawsuit if they wanted to see action. Our democracy is better off, the more people who participate. I thought thats what Jocelyn Benson stood for, Turkish said, noting he voted for her. Its really shameful. COVID-19 PREVENTION TIPS In addition to washing hands regularly and not touching your face, officials recommend practicing social distancing, assuming anyone may be carrying the virus. Health officials say you should be staying at least 6 feet away from others and working from home, if possible. Carry hand sanitizer with you, and use disinfecting wipes or disinfecting spray cleaners on frequently-touched surfaces in your home (door handles, faucets, countertops) and when you go into places like stores. Read more Michigan coronavirus coverage here Monday, April 27: Latest developments on coronavirus in Michigan Michigan extends personal protection orders during coronavirus crisis Daily life grinds to a halt with empty streets, a rising death toll as coronavirus lays siege to Detroit Agra, April 27 : Over a dozen Kashmiri students, who have been stranded in Agra due to the lockdown, have now sought the help of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to return to their homes in Kashmir. The students are studying in the Agra University and have been staying in rented accommodations in the Naseerabad colony of Khandari area in the city. They had stayed back due to their examinations in March. The students, including four women, are aged between 19 and 25 years. "We had no clue that the lockdown would last so long and the situation would worsen here in Agra also in terms of the coronavirus outbreak. We have run out of money and food supplies, the banks are not working, going out is a risk because the city is a COVID-19 hotspot and back home our families are also worried for us," said one of the students, Manzoor Wani. Wani, pursuing MSc. in Forestry, said the Agra administration has been helpful in providing them food packets but also claimed that three of the students had fallen ill with diarrhea after consuming "poori-sabzi" around a week ago. "After that we requested for dry ration and got some rice. For five days, we had just rice and salt,", he said. The 12 students belong to Ganderbal, Handwara, Kulgam, Kishtwar, Poonch, Rajouri, and Budgam districts in Jammu and Kashmir, and now want the Chief Minister to arrange for their return to their state. Wani said that he had made several calls to the district administration in Agra but got no response. A senior district official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said, "It is not in our hands to arrange for their return to Kashmir. We can only provide them food which we are doing." Meanwhile, the students have also contacted Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Sunday who assured help to the Kashmiri students stranded in Agra. "A reassuring piece of information for anxious parents in Jammu and Kashmir. The 376 J&K students in Kota set to return tomorrow. All arrangements finalised. The Narendra Modi government stands committed to the well-being of these youngsters," Singh, the Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office posted on Facebook on Sunday. Wani commented on the post, "Hundreds of J&K students who had been stranded in Kota Rajasthan have started their journey towards home state today. Sir What about us -- those stuck in Agra, UP, Sir cases are increasing here day by day. Please evacuate us as soon as possible." In response to this comment, the Minister wrote, "Sure Manzoor Wani. One by one. As soon as possible." Featured stories Parts of Port Clinton flooded; waves from Lake Erie also crashing onto road (WKYC Channel 3) Recession or depression? Heres how this economic crisis compares with other big ones (cleveland.com) How the pressure to reopen Ohio amid coronavirus pandemic avoids a chance to address longstanding inequity (cleveland.com) Here is how the known number of Ohio coronavirus cases has grown from three on March 9 to 15,963 on Sunday, April 26.Rich Exner, cleveland.com Coronavirus in Ohio Ohio reports 728 deaths, 15,963 positive coronavirus cases; lowest percentage increase since record keeping began (cleveland.com) Mapping Ohios 15,963 coronavirus cases, Sundays update, trends (cleveland.com) ACLU sues ICE to release detainees from Morrow, Butler county jails due to coronavirus (cleveland.com) Doctor says staff at private Youngstown prison arent doing enough to prevent coronavirus spread (cleveland.com) 16 things likely to become obsolete in a post-coronavirus world (cleveland.com) Crime Cleveland man shot to death at his 25th birthday party, police say (cleveland.com) Man found stabbed to death in Clevelands Edgewater neighborhood (cleveland.com) Two injured in shooting at Elyria gas station, police say (cleveland.com) Cleveland / Cuyahoga County Cleveland records 3 more COVID-19 coronavirus deaths, 4 more cases (cleveland.com) NOACA launches regional discussion on merging Metropolitan Statistical Areas to boost NEO in national rankings (cleveland.com) Cleveland Museum of Art collection shows how humanity coped with pandemics from Black Death to AIDS (cleveland.com) Local news East 14 Ursuline Sisters of Cleveland have Care Caravans" for fellow sisters, April 26, 2020 Ursuline Sisters of Cleveland host Care Caravans for fellow sisters during coronavirus pandemic (photos) (cleveland.com) Lost in transit: Solon works to get the ball -- and bus -- rolling to job hub during pandemic and beyond (cleveland.com) Cuyahoga Falls couple weds in small ceremony as attendees watch on Facebook Live from church parking lot (cleveland.com) Local news West A volunteer dressed up at Elsa from Disney's "Frozen" waves to passersby Saturday during the Princess Parade, hosted by Crocker Park. The parade was shut down early by police because of traffic issues. Crocker Park Princess Parade caused traffic snarl that shut down event early (cleveland.com) Lakewood extends coronavirus-related closures through May 31 (cleveland.com) Bay Village library moves on even with big cuts in library systems budget (cleveland.com) State Ohio lawmakers Facebook page was temporarily down because of suspicious activity,' company says (cleveland.com) San Antonio has now lived over one month under a stay-at-home order amid the coronavirus pandemic. The efforts designed to halt the spread of the virus have emptied city streets, mandated the wearing of masks and caused a historic spike in jobless claims. As of Wednesday, the virus has infected 1,307 residents and claimed the lives of 44 people. Several statistics paint a dark portrait of the Alamo City, but others offer slivers of hope and a glimpse at the solidarity residents have shown. San Antonians are obeying social distancing measures, volunteering to feed their fellow residents and adopting pets in droves. Here are eight numbers that reveal how the coronavirus has shaped San Antonio: 13 The Solid Waste Management Department collected 13 percent more waste from March 1 to April 18 compared to the same period last year. In 2019, the department collected 66,071 total tons over the time frame. That number rose to 74,900 tons this year. Workers collected 10 percent more garbage, 16 percent more recyclable materials, and 23 percent more organic materials. The organics program includes food waste as well as leaves, grass, and yard trimmings. SWMD spokesperson Marcus Lee attributed the increase to people staying home and cooking more. Lee asked that people refrain from overfilling their brown carts or laying piles of materials beside it. Lee also said that the blue and green carts should not be used for garbage overflow. 1,415 San Antonio animal shelters urged people working from home to adopt a pet to keep them company. Residents have responded. Animal Care Services reports that 1,415 pets found a home from March 29 to April 15. In the first week of April alone, 94 pets were adopted while 33 pets left with foster families. At one point, the adoption building was cleared out for the first time in spokesperson Lisa Norwood's 13 years with the agency. "I think anytime there is a crisis, San Antonio steps up," Norwood said. "We were concerned with the pandemic and if we could find a placement for our pets, but the city showed its compassion. The fact that we were able to empty a kennel is amazing." 71,000 Across Bexar County, 71,000 people filed for unemployment from March 15 to April 11. The economic shutdown has sparked record-setting joblessness in Texas. Last week, 280,000 people filed for unemployment, according to figures released Thursday by the Labor Department. Since mid-March, more than 1.3 million Texans have filed jobless claims, or roughly 1 in every 10 workers statewide. 400,000 The San Antonio Food Bank has distributed food to roughly 400,000 households in the past 30 days, according to Michael Guerra, the agency's chief development officer. The Food Bank is spending $6 million per week to meet staggering demand for food from residents made desperate by the pandemic. Normally, the agency spends $3 million per week and feeds 200,000 households a month. Guerra said the Food Bank has fallen short of its fundraising goals. There are only two weeks worth of food remaining in its warehouse. However, the agency's all-hands-on-deck approach is serving it well. At each distribution, employees and 400 volunteers hand out food and supplies. "Its the courage of running toward a crisis when others run away," Food Bank president Eric Cooper said. "They know our city needs us. The Food Bank is built for this." 4,100 San Antonio officials have received over 4,100 calls reporting violations of the city's stay-at-home order. As of Wednesday, the city had issued more than 2,000 warnings and 29 citations. Several of the citations were issued to locations of the Planet K smoke shop chain, whose owner refused to shut down until the city revoked one location's certificate of occupancy. A tattoo artist and barber were also ordered to close. 147 Officials have noted a side effect of the pandemic: a drop in some types of crime. The Bexar County Sheriffs Office and San Antonio Police Department have reported a decrease in DWI arrests. SAPD spokesperson Douglas Greene said the agency made 318 DWI-related arrests from Feb. 21 to March 17. Between March 18 when Mayor Ron Nirenberg ordered bars and restaurants to close and April 13, there were 147 DWI arrests. Forcing people to close up business and stay home has had an impact on alcohol consumption and driving. But, 147 is still a significant total, Greene said. 45 VIA Metropolitan Transit has lost nearly half its ridership in two months. VIA has seen about 45 percent fewer riders compared to this time last year. The agency has reduced bus routes and frequency again, planning an "essential service" schedule to start Monday. Mass transit ridership has declined dramatically across the country since the COVID-19 crisis took hold in February, and nearly 100 transit workers have died from the coronavirus nationwide, according to the Amalgamated Transit Union. 16 The stay-at-home order in San Antonio directs residents to do just that as much as possible. How well are we complying with the mandate? Well, we are staying home more often 16 percent more, to be exact. Google's Community Mobility Reports chart the change in visits to places like parks and grocery stores. The charts compare recent figures, under social distancing measures, to baseline data from January. As of April 11, Bexar County residents had reduced retail and recreation movement which includes restaurants, shopping centers, and movie theaters by 45 percent. Visits to parks were down 73 percent. FLINT, MI -- Six years after the citys water source was changed to the Flint River, triggering a public health crisis, a former top adviser to ex-Gov. Rick Snyder is calling for an end to an ongoing criminal investigation. An attorney for former senior adviser Rich Baird told MLive-The Flint Journal that his client is speaking out because hes been unfairly portrayed as a villain in recent media reports even though he attempted to help city residents who were suffering health problems because of their water. Baird was never among the state and local officials charged with crimes related to the water crisis, but he was required to give sworn testimony after he was served with an investigative subpoena by former special prosecutor Todd Flood. He was among former Snyder administration officials whose state-owned mobile devices and other electronic data was seized by water prosecutors less than a year ago after Michigan Solicitor General Fadwa Hammoud fired Flood and dismissed eight pending criminal cases related to the water crisis. But the investigation, now led by Hammoud and Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy, was restarted and remains active, the solicitor general said in a statement recently. Randall Levine, who has represented Baird during the investigation, said his client did everything in his power to help fix problems in Flint, but has been unfairly vilified by a press who appears hungry to satisfy the citizens of Flint who, are justifiably angry and upset because the state has failed to act responsibly in the investigation of this matter. The state has had six years to charge Rich Baird. They have spent millions of dollars trying to figure out who should be held accountable. Now the state is in a financial crisis due to COVID-19. We cannot afford to keep spending taxpayer dollars trying to uncover wrong-doing which would be obvious by now if it existed, Levine said. Recent reports in VICE, an edgy news and culture website, and the Metro Times, Detroits alternative weekly, included a transcript of Bairds investigative subpoena interview. The stories allege Baird tried quieting the discontent among Flint residents affected by water. Courtney Covington, a spokeswoman for Hammoud, would not comment on Levines statement, but said the release of that investigative subpoena transcript is a violation of law. The Flint Water prosecution team has grave concerns about the unauthorized disclosure of investigative subpoena transcripts related to the Flint water crisis," Covington said in an email to MLive-The Flint Journal. "Investigative subpoenas are, by statute, confidential, and their release without a court order is a violation of the law ... " Such conduct obstructs the investigation that the people of Flint are entitled to, and threatens to jeopardize our pursuit of justice," the statement says. "The people of Flint deserve an unimpeded investigation. We hope the press and public will continue to honor our shared responsibility to safeguard the investigation from those who seek to further their personal agendas. Levine said the investigation itself has run its course. Baird, who grew up in Flint, became a familiar face in Flint as state officials were forced to deal with the federally recognized water emergency here -- one that was created while emergency managers appointed by Snyder were running the citys affairs because of a state-imposed financial emergency. Employees of both the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and former Department of Environmental Quality were among those charged with crimes, including involuntary manslaughter, for their roles in allowing the crisis to linger. Flint water prosecutors say statute of limitations wont stop investigation Ex-Gov. Rick Snyders phone seized in Flint water criminal investigation Islamabad: Is Pakistan not maligned for harboring terrorists, no country wants to help financially in the hour of Corona crisis? PM Imran Khan himself is claiming that neither any country nor any global organization has given any financial help at this time. Pakistan is among the economically weak countries on which Corona has been double killed. This country was already under the debt of IMF and World Bank and now Corona has broken its back. Yogi government alerts on the health of Corona warriors, special instructions given to officials Imran Khan appeals are being made on appeal but no country is ready to assist. Earlier, he appealed to the global community that the loans of weaker countries should be forgiven. In a conversation with influential people and press people on social media, Imran said that the economy has been badly affected by the epidemic and despite serious problems, neither a country nor a global organization has supported a dollar. However, he must say that the IMF has given relief in loan repair. Priyanka spoke on the worsening condition of Corona in Agra, gave this advice to the Yogi government While attacking the opponents, Imran said that many people are making false propaganda on social media. He said, "Those who have made money from corruption are afraid of free media because they will be exposed." He said that no matter how much lies are told, people will finally know the reality. UNICEF warns, innocent children are in danger due to corona COVID-19 has quashed in-person events worldwide. Red Hat Summit, Cisco Live, and VMware's VMworld are just a few of the upcoming network industry events that will now be held virtually. A digital event doesn't offer the same opportunities to mingle and network with industry peers that an in-person event provides, but there are some silver linings. Attendees don't have to travel, and in many cases, they don't have to pay to register. Stay on top of product roadmaps, hear from technical experts, and keep your skills sharp all from the comfort of home at these upcoming virtual events. Red Hat Summit 2020 Red Hat is planning a blend of live and recorded content for its big summit, which will be held April 28-29. The event, dubbed Red Hat Summit 2020 Virtual Experience, is free for attendees and will include keynotes, breakout sessions, ask-the-expert sessions, and collaboration opportunities, Red Hat says. So far, more than 58,000 people have registered to attend, according to the company. More information is available here. IBM Think Think Digital is scheduled for May 5 and 6. The event will include streaming content focused on COVID-19 recovery and innovation, along with live Q&A sessions with speakers and IBM experts and chats with peers. Keynote speakers include CEO Arvind Krishna and IBM President Jim Whitehurst. IBM has also set the bar high for celebrity speakers: Writer, actress and neuroscientist Mayim Bialik, human rights lawyer Amal Clooney, and artist and entrepreneur will.i.am are slated to speak at Think Digital. For technical training, IBM is holding free, instructor-led labs May 4-8. Certifications will be available at a discounted rate of $75, IBM says. More information is available here. Open Compute Project Summit The Open Compute Project (OCP) is taking its global summit digital. (OCP is an open-source hardware initiative, started by Facebook, to design efficient, scalable data-center gear.) The 2020 OCP Virtual Summit, scheduled for May 12-15, will include keynote sessions, executive tracks, engineering workshops, and a virtual expo hall. Registration is free for all attendees. More information is available here. Cisco Live Cisco Live is on for June 2 and 3, and network pros can expect executive keynotes, demos, training and more. "We're dedicated to making sure this year's digital experience reflects the Cisco Live youve come to know and love, from informative keynotes and deep-dive technical sessions to social engagement and stories of leadership and inspiration. All for free. All from your home," Cisco says on its web site. The content catalog and scheduling tool will be available in mid-May. More information is available here. VMworld 2020 VMware's flagship conference, VMworld, will be held as a digital event the week of September 28, replacing physical events that were to be held in August in San Francisco and November in Barcelona. Details about registration costs (if any) aren't available yet. The digital event will include perspective from VMware executives, educational and technical content, and opportunities to engage with industry experts, VMware says. The company also is considering holding regional, smaller, in-person gatherings later in the year. More information is available here. Four days after US-based Franklin Templeton closed its six credit fund schemes, the RBI has announced Rs 50,000 crore special liquidity facility for mutual funds amid heightened volatility in capital markets in reaction to COVID-19. The central bank said liquidity strains on mutual funds had intensified in the wake of redemption pressures. "The stress is, however, confined to the high-risk debt MF segment at this stage; the larger industry remains liquid," the apex bank clarified. The RBI said it was vigilant and would take all steps where necessary to mitigate the economic impact of COVID-19 and preserve financial stability. "With a view to easing liquidity pressures on MFs, it has been decided to open a special liquidity facility for mutual funds of Rs 50,000 crore," the RBI announced. The funds availed under the scheme will be used by banks exclusively for meeting the liquidity requirements of mutual funds by extending loans and undertaking purchase of repos against the collateral of investment grade corporate bonds, commercial papers (CPs), debentures and certificates of deposit (CDs) held by MFs, the RBI said. Also read: Franklin Templeton one-off incident; credit risk funds still attractive, says mutual funds body Under the special liquidity facility, the RBI will conduct repo operations of 90 days tenor at the fixed repo rate. "The SLF-MF is on-tap and open-ended, and banks can submit their bids to avail funding on any day from Monday to Friday (excluding holidays)," the RBI said. The scheme was available from today i.e., April 27, till May 11 or up to utilisation of the allocated amount, whichever earlier, the RBI said, adding that it would review the timeline and amount. "The liquidity support availed under the scheme will be eligible to be classified as held to maturity even in excess of 25 per cent of total investment permitted to be included in the HTM portfolio," the RBI statement said. Exposures under this facility will not be considered under the Large Exposure Framework (LEF), said the RBI. "The face value of securities acquired under the SLF-MF and kept in the HTM category will not be reckoned for computation of adjusted non-food bank credit (ANBC) for the purpose of determining priority sector targets/sub-targets. Support extended to MFs under the SLF-MF shall be exempted from banks' capital market exposure limits," the RBI said. A nightmare has come true for Franklin Templeton debt funds investors after the fund manager wound up six debt schemes. Investors who put their hard-earned money in supposedly safe debt funds now do not know what'll happen to their investments. To soothe fears of investors, the RBI and markets regulator SEBI had assessed the overall situation triggered by Franklin Templeton's decision during the weekend. Also read:Franklin Templeton MF: All you need to know about credit funds hit by coronavirus crisis FILE PHOTO: An agricultural worker drives a tractor spreading fertilizers to a field of winter wheat in Kiev region By Maha El Dahan DUBAI (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's state grain buyer SAGO said on Monday it bought 60,000 tonnes of Ukraine wheat from investment firm SALIC, marking its first purchase from agricultural investments overseas aimed at enhancing the country's food security. Gulf states, dependent on imports for around 80% to 90% of their food, have poured cash into buying tens of thousands of hectares of cheap farmland and other agricultural assets elsewhere to shore up their food security for over a decade. Saudi Arabia, the world's top oil exporter, has long encouraged its private sector to invest in agricultural land abroad, without tangible results in terms of imports for SAGO -- until Monday's purchase. SALIC, the Saudi Agricultural and Livestock Investment Co and an arm of the desert kingdom's sovereign wealth fund, was formed in 2011 to secure food supplies for the desert kingdom through mass production and investments. Its officials declined comment. The Ukraine wheat cargo was bought at $248 a tonne, after the kingdom asked Saudi private investors with farmland overseas on April 6 to supply it with around 10% of its local needs this year. The state grain buyer estimates it will need 355,000 tonnes from the private sector. The Saudi call comes as regional food importers scramble to beef up reserves as coronavirus lockdowns up-ended supply chains. "The 60,000 tonnes were purchased from SALIC," a SAGO official told Reuters. The Ukraine wheat that was sourced is of 11% to 12% protein content and is for arrival in September. SAGO renewed on Sunday its call for more investors to subscribe to supply it with the remaining quantity of wheat. "This first round, the two companies that registered were SALIC and Al Rajhi International for Investment," SAGO said. "We will still buy more." Investors who register with SAGO to sell wheat from their agricultural land abroad have to be at least 51% Saudi-owned, according to regulations published by SAGO. Story continues The wheat produced abroad also has to abide by all of SAGO's wheat import specifications and the quantity produced from one origin country can't be less than 5,000 tonnes. Saudi Arabia normally imports wheat from the United States, South America, Australia and Europe. SAGO relaxed its bug-damage specifications for wheat last year, a move designed to allow for more imports of the grain from the Black Sea region. Its first Russian wheat purchase was shipped earlier this month. (Reporting by Maha El Dahan; Editing by Veronica Brown and Emelia Sithole-Matarise) Kate Middleton's mother Carole delivered goody bags from her company to NHS workers at her local hospital's children's ward on Saturday. Taking to the Party Pieces Instagram page, Carole Middleton, 65, shared a snap where she can be seen unloading her car, and captioned the post: 'Happy to help @nhsheroes with some toys for the children's ward.' In the image, the Duchess of Cambridge's mum, donning a blue patterned dress and tan wedges, is smiling as she picks up a cardboard box filled with different coloured party bags. And royal fans across the nation were quick to take to the comments section to praise Carole for her kind gesture. Carole Middleton, 65, took to the Party Pieces Instagram page and shared a photo where she can be seen unloading a car filled with goody bags Kate Middleton's mother delivered the toys to the children's ward at a local hospital on Saturday. Pictured, the Duchess of Cambridge and Carole at Royal Ascot on 20 June 2017 'Love Carole. Knew theyd be doing something!' enthused one, while a second penned: 'Love this! Love her! Love the dress... one of my favorites that I wear often!' A third commented: 'Such class,' while a fourth added: 'A true role model for her children.' The Duchess of Cambridge has also been expressing her gratitude to those working tirelessly on the front line amid the coronavirus pandemic. Just last week, the royal penned a letter to Evelina London Children's Hospital and wrote: 'It is heartening to know you are still very much open for business and continuing to provide expert care to sick children despite the challenging circumstances.' Royal fans from across the nation were quick to take to the comments section, with one writing: 'A true role model for her children' Days later, it was revealed she had also written to share her 'sincere appreciation' to staff working at Action For Children who provide vital support to vulnerable youngsters and families across the country. 'I'm writing to express my sincere appreciation to all of you at Action for Children during this hugely unsettling time,' she penned. On Thursday, Kate, along with husband Prince William and their children all wore NHS blue to lead fifth week of Clap For the Carers - as millions of Britons noisily saluted key workers from their doorsteps. The royal couple stood alongside Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis to put their hands together and praise everyone from NHS healthcare workers to shop assistants who are risking their lives to keep the country going. The Duke of Duchess of Cambridge's three children have been encouraged to take part in the Clap for Carers every week, and were joined by Prince Charles and Camilla who are currently staying at Birkhall in Aberdeenshire. The NHS and its staff is something that William and Kate have put at the heart of their private and professional lives, and last week announced a new initiative to support key workers by providing a dedicated mental health support system, Our Frontline. A Sharadhaa By Express News Service As the Kannada film audience is looking forward to watching Crazy Star Ravichandrans second son in Trivikrama, the actor is making use of the lockdown time to ponder over how he should go about with his next project All eyes are currently on Vikram Ravichandran, as the Kannada film audience looks forward to watching Ravichandrans second son in his maiden debut as a hero in Trivikrama. Meanwhile, the actor is currently using the lockdown time to finalise on his second film, and thats the buzz doing the rounds now. Ask Vikram about this, and he replies, I have been approached by a couple of directors, including a Telugu filmmaker who is keen to do a Kannada film. I am reading scripts and would want to confirm one, but the COVID-19 crisis has pushed the entire plan, says Vikram, adding, Hopefully, I would want to announce my second project along with the trailer of Trivikrama. But again, I will do it at the perfect time. The actor has completed the entire shoot for Trivikrama and is left with two songs to film. Vikram is also making use of this time to work out how he should go ahead with his second film. Coming from the Crazy Stars clan, it is obvious that the actor is looking for something different. Accordingly, he is looking for something out-of-the-box. I dont want to be part of the regular plot, and thats what is in my head. Being Ravichandrans son, I am working towards bringing a whole new version of cinema to the Kannada industry. Having said that, I will not say that people wouldnt have seen anything like that. But from my end, I want to make a different note, says Vikram, adding, I want to steadily get marked for one genre, and not be an option for two-three heroes. I know my first film is commercial, and it would have suited any other hero. But for the second and third films, If I get the right subject and placement, I want that particular subject and genre to suit only Vikram. I believe that being distinct can bring recognition, and thats something we need to build on our own. The actor says we cant exactly predict the future of the cinema world post the coronavirus crisis. Right now, we cant analyse the future of the industry. It all depends on the audience, and how they receive it, he says. Broadband engineers were menaced after false claims spread that they were installing 5G technology in south Armagh. Conspiracy theories have wrongly linked the coronavirus outbreak to the network. While any suggestion of a link has been dismissed by scientists, a series of mobile phone masts have been set on fire in UK cities. The Communication Workers Union (CWU), which represents thousands of workers, said around 120 cases of abuse have been reported. Andy Kerr, the union's deputy general secretary, said workers had been threatened with violence and even murder. At the weekend Sinn Fein MP Mickey Brady said some broadband workers had reported being abused. He said 5G was not being installed in the Newry and Armagh area, and told people not to harass or intimidate engineers. He said: "We have been contacted by local people who raised concerns over reports that 5G was being installed in the area amid false rumours regarding its impact on the current public health emergency. "Following consultation with broadband providers we have been assured there are currently no plans to install 5G in the area. "There are also no planning applications for any 5G infrastructure lodged with Newry, Mourne and Down District Council. "Some broadband engineers have reported being subjected to abuse while carrying out essential work to maintain the existing network. Such abuse is wrong and needs to stop. "All workers should be able to go about their work free from fear, harassment or threat." Earlier this month Economy Minister Diane Dodds expressed concern at "false claims" linking the coronavirus outbreak to the rollout of 5G. Twitter has also announced it will remove posts encouraging people to take action against 5G masts as part of wider efforts to double down on dangerous "unverified claims" on the platform. The social network said it has broadened its approach, focusing on accounts inciting the public to engage in harmful activity which "could lead to the destruction or damage of critical 5G infrastructure, or could lead to widespread panic, social unrest, or large-scale disorder". Earlier this month Ofcom revealed it had received 419 complaints about remarks made by Eamonn Holmes on ITV's This Morning. The Belfast presenter appeared to cast doubt on media reports refuting the myth that 5G causes the virus "when they don't know it's not true". The following day Holmes said there was no link, but that many are "looking for answers and that's simply what I was trying to do". Lam Wing-kee, one of five shareholders and staff at the Causeway Bay Book shop in Hong Kong, waves to the press at his new book shop on the opening day in Taipei, Taiwan, on April 25, 2020. (Chiang Ying-ying/AP Photo) Hong Kong Bookstore Under Attack in China Reopens in Taiwan The part-owner of a Hong Kong bookstore specializing in texts critical of Chinas leaders reopened his shop in Taiwan on April 25 after fleeing Hong Kong due to legal troubles, saying he was grateful for the chance to make Chinas Communist rulers less than happy. The opening and accompanying news conference came days after Lam Wing-kee was splattered with red paint by a masked man while sitting alone at a coffee shop in Taiwan. Lam suffered no serious physical injuries, and showed little sign of the attack other than a red tint to his hair. Chinas leaders dont want to allow a bookstore selling tomes that would make them uncomfortable or impact on their political power, Lam, who moved to Taiwan a year ago, told journalists. Lam Wing-kee, one of five shareholders and staff at the Causeway Bay Book shop in Hong Kong, shows his congratulatory gift, Chinese calligraphy that reads: Freedom at his new book shop on the opening day in Taipei, Taiwan, on April 25, 2020. (Chiang Ying-ying/AP Photo) He thanked supporters in both Taiwan and Hong Kong, a semi-autonomous Chinese territory, for the opportunity to start over. This makes (Chinas leaders) less than happy, said Lam, who raised nearly $200,000 through online fundraising to finance his new venture. Commenting on Tuesdays assault, Lam said the Communist Party appeared to think it could stifle the shops business in both Hong Kong and Taiwan by using underhanded methods of all sorts. However, on a slightly pessimistic note, he added that Chinas policies had left little room for idealistic young Hongkongers other than into the big sea. Lam was one of five shareholders and staff at the Causeway Bay Book shop in Hong Kong, which sold books and magazines purporting to reveal secrets about the inside lives of Chinese leaders and the scandals surrounding them. Lam Wing-kee, right, one of five shareholders and staff at the Causeway Bay Book shop in Hong Kong, works at his new book shop on the opening day in Taipei, Taiwan, on April 25, 2020. (Chiang Ying-ying/AP Photo) Along with others, he was taken across the border and put into Chinese custody in 2015, but was released on bail and allowed to return to Hong Kong in June 2016 in order to recover information about his customers stored on a computer. After refusing to return to China, he went public with accusations that he had been kidnapped and brought to the mainland, where he says he was interrogated under duress about his business. Following the detentions, the shop was forced to close while edgy political texts have largely disappeared from mainstream book retailers under pressure from Beijing. Lam moved to Taiwan last year amid fears over proposed legislation that would have allowed suspects to be extradited to China, likely face torture and unfair trials. Concerns over the legislation, which was later withdrawn, sparked months of protests in Hong Kong, a former British colony that has retained its own legal, political, and economic system after being handed over to the mainland in 1997. Hong Kong police last week arrested 15 prominent lawyers and opposition figures over their alleged involvement in the protests, prompting further concerns that the citys civil liberties are being eroded by Chinas increasingly stringent political controls. Pro-democracy protesters from HK Alliance hold placards of detained rights activists outside the Chinese liaison office in Hong Kong on Feb.19, 2020. (Isaac Lawrence /AFP via Getty Images) Although claimed by Beijing as its own territory, self-governing Taiwan, with its flourishing democracy and robust defense of civil rights, has become a safe haven for critics of the Chinese regime. Two high school students who turned out for Saturdays event at the minuscule shop on the 10th floor of a business building in Taipeis Zhongshan District said they saw its reopening as a sign of both hope and defiance. It offers Hong Kong people a safe place to develop, said one of the students, Hsu Shih-hsun. Taiwans own experience with dictatorship and martial law under Nationalist Party leader Chiang Kai-shek, who fled to the island with his government ahead of the Communist takeover of the mainland in 1949, adds special resonance to the values the bookstore represents, said the other student, Wang Tsung-fan. I think that this bookstore coming to Taiwan makes us Taiwanese extremely proud. We can give Hong Kong a helping hand, Wang said. After all, our own freedoms were not easily won. A group of researchers at University of California at Berkeley and UC San Francisco on Monday announced a joint study of more than 120 available antibody test kits to examine potential immunity, temporary or otherwise, to the COVID-19 coronavirus. The researchers have already found that some tested for coronavirus antibodies have developed antibodies, particularly around two weeks after the initial infection. However, several of the test kits the research team has examined have significant false positive rates, meaning those testing positive for antibodies may have never contracted the virus in the first place. While nasopharyngeal tests for the virus can determine whether a patient is currently infected, blood tests for antibodies can compliment the standard swab test and determine whether a patient is in the early or late stages of the infection. The researchers cautioned, however, that the antibody tests are not yet able to determine the chances of future infection and how long immunity to the virus lasts. "These tests are widely available, and many people are buying and deploying them, but I realized that they had not been systematically validated, and we needed to figure out which ones would really work," said Patrick Hsu, an assistant bioengineering professor at UC Berkeley and an investigator at the school's Innovative Genomics Institute. "This is a huge, unmet need for public health." The research team has, to date, studied 10 point-of-care tests similar to home pregnancy or HIV tests and a pair of laboratory detection tests. Many of the samples the researchers have targeted have not yet received emergency use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The dozen antibody tests were analyzed next to about 300 blood samples, many of which were from coronavirus patients at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital or the UCSF Medical Center. About one-third of the tests were taken before July 2018 and theoretically should not include any coronavirus patients. But the team is not limited just by the number of tests at their disposal, according to UCSF associate professor of microbiology and immunology Alex Marson. "One of the cornerstones of lab medicine is that a new test is compared to a definitive reference or gold standard," Marson said. "We do not have a gold standard yet for COVID-19 serology testing, so we are amassing data on a standardized set of blood samples and really looking at how each of these tests performs in relationship to all the others." The researchers posted the first results of the study at covidtestingproject.org prior to peer review and submission to a medical journal. As such, the researchers cautioned that while the preliminary results can help inform state and federal officials seeking to buy antibody tests, they should not be taken as established, medically accurate data. "This is a huge, huge community effort," Hsu said. "A lot of people really came together. One of the things I think is cool about this study is how many people repurposed themselves from what we normally do to respond to this pandemic." 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. The cancellation of the 2020 Rose of Tralee festival is a 10m blow to the economy in the Kerry town. Organisers confirmed this years event will not take place due to the coronavirus pandemic, the first time in 61 years that it has been cancelled. 2019 winner Dr Sinead Flanagan, the Limerick Rose, will keep the title for another year. Dr Flanagan was unavailable to comment on the cancellation of this years event as she is a junior doctor, currently working on the frontline in a Cork hospital in the fight against the coronavirus but organisers said she was "happy to remain involved" in the Rose of Tralee for another 12 months. In addition, organisers said eligibility rules for next years competition will stay as they are but anyone who has entered for this years event will see their entry honoured. Last week, after the Government confirmed its ban on all gatherings of more than 5,000 people until the end of August, the organisers of the Rose of Tralee said they hoped it would be possible to stage the festival in the autumn. However, it has proven impossible to stage the selection events in centres around the world and, as such, the next festival will not take place until August 2021. In addition to attracting some 5,000 people to the final of the festival, the Rose of Tralee draws many multiples of that to the streets of the Kerry town for parades. Rose of Tralee executive chairman Anthony OGara said they had explored options in how the 2020 festival could be staged but have conceded it is not possible. This is the first time in our 61-year history that the festival has been postponed, but it is the right decision as we all play our part right now in keeping each other safe and well," he said. The Rose of Tralee International Festival operates on a year-long basis, in Irish communities worldwide; and we will continue to harness the goodwill of our extended Rose family in supporting communities and charitable efforts over the next 12 months." Tralee Chamber Alliance said the cancellation of the event is a massive blow to the town and, indeed, the entire countys local economy. But, they added, it is the right decision, given the circumstances. "While a major setback to the county, with the Rose of Tralee worth 10m to the local economy, the tough decision by the festival team has been made with the view to restoring our communities and economies following the pandemic," they said. "We wish the Rose of Tralee team the very best and look forward to the festivals return in 2021." SYDNEYThousands of miles from U.S. President Donald Trumps combative news briefings, a conservative leader in Australia and a progressive prime minister in New Zealand are steadily guiding their countries toward a rapid suppression of the coronavirus outbreak. Both nations are now reporting just a handful of new infections each day, down from hundreds in March, and they are converging toward an extraordinary goal: completely eliminating the virus from their island nations. Whether they get to zero or not, what Australia and New Zealand have already accomplished is a remarkable cause for hope. Scott Morrison of Australia, a conservative Christian, and Jacinda Ardern, New Zealands darling of the left, are both succeeding with throwback democracy in which partisanship recedes, experts lead, and quiet co-ordination matters more than firing up the base. This is certainly distinct from the United States, said Dr. Peter Collignon, a physician and professor of microbiology at the Australian National University who has worked for the World Health Organization. Here its not a time for politics. This is a time for looking at the data and saying lets do what makes the most sense. The dreamy prospect of near normalcy, with the virus defeated, crowds gathering in pubs and every child back in school, is hard to imagine for much of the United States, where testing shortages and a delayed response by Trump have led to surges of contagion and death. And it may end up being a mirage or temporary triumph in Australia and New Zealand. Elimination means reducing infections to zero in a geographic area with continued measures to control any new outbreak, and that may require extended travel bans. Other places that seemed to be keeping the virus at bay, such as China, Hong Kong and Singapore, have seen it rebound, usually with infections imported from overseas. And yet, if there are any two countries that could pull off a clear if hermetically sealed victory offering a model of recovery that elevates competence over ego and restores some confidence in democratic government it may be these two Pacific neighbours with their sparsely populated islands, history of pragmatism and underdogs craving for recognition. Far from any global hot spot, theyve had the advantage of time: Australia reported its first case on Jan. 25, New Zealand on Feb. 28. But compared to Trump and leaders in Europe, Morrison and Ardern responded with more alacrity and with starker warnings. Morrison banned travellers from China on Feb. 1 (a day before the United States did) and labelled the outbreak a pandemic on Feb. 27 (two weeks before the WHO), while forming a national cabinet of federal and state leaders to build hospital capacity and guide the response. In New Zealand, where the government is more centralized, Ardern introduced an alert system that led to a total lockdown less than a month after the countrys first case emerged. We must fight by going hard and going early, Ardern said. In both countries, the public initially resisted and then complied, in part because the information flowing from officials at every level was largely consistent. Playing their own versions of explainer in chief, Morrison has veered toward conservative radio, while Ardern prefers Facebook Live. But theyve both received praise from scientists for listening and adapting to evidence. Its a case of politicians just not being in the way, said Ian Mackay, a virologist at the University of Queensland who has been involved in response planning for the pandemic. Its a mix of things, but I think it comes down to taking advice based on expertise. The results are undeniable: Australia and New Zealand have squashed the curve. Australia, a nation of 25 million people that had been on track for 153,000 cases by Easter, has recorded a total of 6,670 infections and 78 deaths. It has a daily growth rate of less than one per cent, with per capita testing among the highest in the world. New Zealands own daily growth rate, after soaring in March, is also below one per cent, with 1,456 confirmed cases and 17 deaths. It has just 361 active cases in a country of five million. These figures put the two countries closer to Taiwan and South Korea, which have controlled the virus spread for now, than to the United States and Europe even places seen as success stories, like Germany. It all started with scientists. In Australia, as soon as China released the genetic code for the coronavirus in early January, pathologists in public health laboratories started sharing plans for tests. In every state and territory, they jumped ahead of politicians. It meant we could have a test up and running quickly that was reasonably comparable everywhere, Collignon said. The government then opened the budgetary floodgates to support suffering workers and add health care capacity. When infections started climbing, many of the labs and hospitals hired second and third rounds of scientists to help. That collaboration set the tone. Many of the state and local task forces spurred on by Morrisons early action have stayed in constant contact, drawing in academics who independently started to model the virus spread. Their findings, hashed out by email, text or group calls, have been funneled up to national decision-makers. The newly formed national cabinet has delivered a surprising level of consensus for a country with a loose federal system subject to high levels of discord among state premiers, whose roles and powers resemble those of American governors. In late March, for example, Morrison announced an agreement to severely tighten restrictions, banning international travel and telling all Australians not working in essential services to stay home. Though there was some divergence, mostly over schools, state leaders expressed bipartisan support and have held the line even as case numbers plummeted. In New Zealand, public health experts pushed for an even bolder move. Dr. Michael Baker, a physician and professor at the University of Otago in Wellington, became a prominent voice outside the government pushing for elimination of the virus, not just its suppression. He argued that New Zealand, an island nation with a limited number of cases, should think of the virus more like measles than influenza something that should be made to disappear, with rare exceptions. The modellers said we had to go into lockdown for two months to have a high probability of eliminating it entirely, he said. You have to wait until the numbers are very low so you have the ability to stamp out an outbreak if it occurs. Worrying that the virus would spread too rapidly, Baker said he was racked with anxiety in the first few weeks after the initial case appeared in New Zealand. We were on a knifes edge, he said. Would we commit? Ardern announced on March 23 that the country would aim for elimination. Critics questioned whether it was possible, noting that there might be too many asymptomatic cases to guarantee elimination. Baker responded by citing Taiwan, which has contained the outbreak to a point where socially distanced normal life has returned on a densely packed set of islands with over 23 million people. Its a matter to get all the systems working, Baker said. The borders, the contact tracing, the testing, the surveillance. In Australia, officials are mostly discussing elimination in private, as a potential side effect of a strategy they still describe as suppression. Dr. Brendan Murphy, Australias chief medical officer, told a New Zealand parliamentary committee last week that elimination would be a nirvana scenario an achievement that would be tough to maintain without indefinite bans on international travel or 14-day quarantines until a vaccine arrives. Nonetheless, if it happens, Murphy and his counterpart in New Zealand, Dr. Ashley Bloomfield, would be the ones receiving accolades. Like Dr. Anthony Fauci, the face of the U.S. governments scientific response, they are known for extensive public health pedigrees, calm demeanours and no-nonsense adherence to facts. Bloomfield, who, tieless and with rumpled hair, has hosted online question-and-answer sessions almost every day, has become a celebrity of straight-talking reassurance. An artist in Wellington has even started selling towels that show his face surrounded by hearts. He and others like him at the local level are key factors in a revival of trust in government that has appeared in poll after poll lately, even as the two countries economies have cratered and people have been told to severely restrict their lives. The question is what that revival might produce in the future. Ardern and Morrison have already discussed reopening travel between the two countries, and some scientists wonder if eliminating the virus with good management might rebuild some faith not just in democracy, but also in the value of expertise. It does feel like were pulling together and pulling in the same direction at the moment, said Mackay, the immunologist at the University of Queensland. I hope we can maintain that. Maybe well see the return of science, Mackay added. I doubt it, but who knows. According to the statement of authorities on Saturday, a human rights monitor and his son were shot and died. Both of the victims were shot in the southern state of Mexico Guerrero. It is the fourth incident of rights activist killings in the country for the year. On the Way Home Jesus Memije worked in the state Human Rights Commission. Memije was with his son when they were shot dead. On Friday, they were on their way home in Coyoca de Benitez, a municipality on the Pacific coast, when they were killed, says the commission. Rights Activist as Motive Prosecutors on the case are yet to provide details about the killing. However, the Human Rights Commission urged those who are investigating the issue to put their focus on Memije's work as a rights activist, a potential motive to the incident. Guerrero has an escalating violence rate connected to organized crime groups. Human Rights Issues in Mexico In Mexico, human rights are defined as the principles that point out to standards of behavior in the country. Also, it is typically designated as legal rights in municipal and global law. Issues with human rights in Mexico include executions, extrajudicial killings, torture, sexual murder, police cruelties, and news reporter murders. Torture, Widespread Disappearances, and Illicit Killings Human Rights Watch is tasked to investigate and prepare reports on abuses occurring in different parts of the world. It is operated by 450 staff in more than 70 nations. They are staffed by lawyers, experts, and those who are protecting those who are at high risk of abuse. They are dedicated to direct their advocacy to various armed groups, businesses, and governments to encourage them to transform their policies, laws, and practices in line with human rights. Also, they refuse funding from governments to maintain independence. According to the Human Rights Watch, Mexican security forces have caused a considerable number of disappearances starting in 2006. Additionally, it states that these security forces are conducting illicit murders of civilians at a disturbingly high rate. Most of them do extensive waterboarding, electric shocks, beatings, and abuse to attain information from some of their victims. Check these out: Additionally, it states that the country's criminal justice system is widely failing victims of violent crimes and violations of human rights when they are searching for justice. Also, attacks by authorities or organized crime to new reporters and other journalists will result in self-censorship. Also, the report points out multiple issues in connection with unaccompanied migrant youth, women's rights, girls' rights, gender identity, sexual orientation, and more. The government of Mexico is currently in the battle with organized crime in the country's drug war. However, some of its security forces are committing human rights violations such as torture and extrajudicial killings, and the country is exerting limited efforts to make a judgment and prosecute on these human rights violations. Restrictions to stop the spread of the Covid-19 virus has presented many challenges for Catholic Church and Church of Ireland congregations across County Kildare. Easter is a major part of the Christian churches calendar and there are several well-attended ceremonies through Holy Week leading up to Easter Sunday. However Catholic churches are closed to public worship except for socially distanced funerals, and congregations have been unable to contribute through collection baskets and other ways. Priests and parishes have seen their financial resources reduced, Bishop Denis Nulty has said. Bishop Denis told the Leader: Priests need every support they can receive. There were limited Easter offerings this year due to the Covid-19 restrictions. Most of Irelands priests are considered self-employed for social welfare and tax purposes but many dont qualify for the 350 a week Covid-19 Unemployment Payment Benefit. Assistance payment When asked if the Government should introduce a special assistance payment for priests, Bishop Denis would only say: The government has already been very generous to many communities. Due to pressure on resources, on the Dublin Archdiocese has been forced to introduce a online payment system for parishioners to contribute. Bishop Denis visited the Oratory in Naas Hospital last week to support the Chaplaincy Team initiative praying for all in the hospital patients, staff and relatives as they face the challenges posed by Covid-19. Easter message In a recent Easter message, Bishop Denis also reflected on a Holy Week like no other as he sent blessings and good wishes to people of the diocese. He also acknowledged the challenges facing young people, students and those in isolation along with all those on the front-line such as nurses, doctors and all staff in hospitals and nursing homes. Bishop Denis said that the health emergency is disproportionately affecting older members of the community, many of who would be regular mass goers and attendees of churches. Bishop Denis also said that over half of the priests in the Kildare Leighlin Diocese are cocooning as they are aged over 70. He explained: We have to support the older people in our neighbourhoods as the virus is affecting them more than most. The senior churchman also believes that the health emergency will see more people returning to the church after restrictions are relaxed and gatherings are allowed once more. Engagement We have seen more engagement with the webcam Masses from people who may not be regular Mass goers. Priests have told me theyre also reaching people abroad from Masses in the diocese such as in mainland Europe, New York, South Africa and Australia. Meanwhile Church of Ireland minister in Naas Rev Philip Heak believes that people are coming together spiritually through online means even thought they have to physically stay apart. The Catholic, Church of Ireland and Presbyterian ministers in Naas Fr Liam Morgan, Rev Philip and Rev Mark Proctor recently came together for an ecumenical Easter greeting. Online faith Rev Philip said that although churches are closed for public worship, many members of the congregation are regularly coming together online on social media. The Sunday service was recorded at St Johns Church in Kill this Sunday and it will be the turn of St Davids Church in Naas this weekend. Rev Philip said: Although we have to social distance from each other, we can still be spiritually close to each other. The minister said that like across society in general, members of his congregation are concerned and fearful about Covid-19 and its consequences. Some people would be very fearful. We know that there are implications for you are older or have health conditions. Even though before our churches closed, some people had pulled away from services as they were cautious about infection. Grief Rev Philip believes that there will be a delayed grief issue in some communities as bereaved relatives and friends are only allowed a small gathering at a graveside. He said: Funerals are not allowed to use church buildings and so there is a small group permitted at gravesides. Its very hard on the families. As a consequence of all these restrictions, I believe there will be an issue with the grieving process. We aim to have memorials, possibly for each deceased person, when the restrictions are lifted. Eurozone leaders met again last week for discussions on designing a recovery plan to tackle the enormous Covid-19 economic crisis and the European Commission has now been tasked with the job. However, major differences remain between member states on the size of the proposed rescue fund and whether the monies should be channelled through loans or grants. Eurozone countries are also still badly divided on debt mutualisation which involves issuing eurobonds or so-called corona bonds. In these circumstances, the ECB remains the only show in town in preventing the deep economic crisis morphing into an enormous debt crisis in the eurozone. The good news is that the ECB led by Christine Lagarde has the appetite, the firepower and it seems the political backing to prevent a debt crisis occurring. Ironically, while some EU countries and their governments have great difficulty in digesting mutualised bond issuance, they have much less difficulty with the ECB buying member states sovereign bonds, in enormous quantities. The alternative to the ECBs bond-buying programme would be a debt crisis that risks a break-up of the EU and the single currency. This is the last thing the stronger member states of the EU would want. The ECBs new 750bn Pandemic Emergency Purchase Programme, or PEPP, has meet with limited success in lowering eurozone bond yields since it was launched in mid-March. Italian bond yields initially fell back very sharply, but have drifted higher this month, as have Spanish bond yields. In launching the 750bn package, the ECB indicated it was fully prepared to increase the size of its bond purchases and adjust their composition. And we could see the package expanded, possibly as early as the ECB meeting on Thursday. Essentially, the ECB is the real national central bank for every eurozone member state and could become the lender of last resort to their governments in the same way as the Federal Reserve in the US and the Bank of England in the UK. A big shift in ECB policy, should yields levels rise sharply in peripheral countries, would be to become active in the primary market and buy bonds at issuance from governments rather than just through the secondary market as happens presently. Meanwhile, a rise in interbank borrowing costs in the peripheries may be a factor in pushing three-month Euribor to a four-year high in recent days, a development that is likely to be of concern the ECB. Even the potential for an official rate cut could be revisited in light of the upward pressure on interbank rates although there has been no hint that any such cut is coming at Thursdays meeting. The ECB may instead consider a further easing of liquidity measuresindeed, only last week the ECB announced it will continue to accept bonds that lose their investment-grade status as collateral until September 2021. - Oliver Mangan is chief economist at AIB As a result of this acquisition, ArmaGen has become a wholly-owned subsidiary of JCR, providing JCR with a full access to its portfolio of intellectual property rights applicable to a broad disease spectrum, including lysosomal storage disorders (LSDs) in several key markets that ArmaGen owns. "The acquisition of ArmaGen is a testament of our strong commitment to bring innovative medicines to patients with mucopolysaccharidoses and other LSDs," said Shin Ashida, President, CEO and Chairman of the Board of JCR Pharmaceuticals. Based on its J-Brain Cargo technology to transport molecules across the blood-brain-barrier, JCR has developed multiple assets that can address both, the somatic and neurological disease manifestations in patients with various forms of LSDs. JCR's most advanced J-Brain Cargo molecule is JR-141, a fusion protein consisting of an antibody against the transferrin receptor and iduronate-2-sulfatase, an enzyme deficient in mucopolysaccharidosis II (Hunter's disease). JR-141 has recently completed a phase II trial in Brazil and is currently in a phase III trial in Japan in patients with MPS II. "Leveraging ArmaGen's strong IP position and abundant knowledge in the field, together with JCR's substantial portfolio in LSDs allows us to further accelerate the global development of our programs. Our aim is to bring this innovation to patients on a global level, consistent with our corporate philosophy. Furthermore, this acquisition enabled us to procure means to hedge IP-related risks in the global development," Mr. Ashida added. "JCR Pharmaceuticals is a very committed player in the field. Together with its solid in-house manufacturing capabilities it is a unique opportunity to leapfrog its innovative developments for the benefit of patients with desperate unmet medical need. The acquisition of ArmaGen is a synergy in its true sense and can catalyze the global market penetration of JCR's LSD portfolio," expressed Mathias Schmidt, President and CEO of ArmaGen, his excitement about the transaction. Following the acquisition of ArmaGen, Mathias Schmidt has been nominated as a candidate for new Board Director of JCR to be presented before JCR's ordinary general meeting of shareholders scheduled in June 2020. "Dr. Schmidt has extensive experience in pharmaceutical research, clinical development and corporate management, cultivated from his professional background, notably Lecturer at the University of Constance in Germany, Principal and Head of Biologics Department at Nycomed GmbH, Vice President of Biological Sciences at Takeda California and CEO of ArmaGen. I am convinced that such a seasoned member like Dr. Schmidt shall play a major role in further gearing up JCR in view of its global market reach," commented Mr. Ashida. Also nominated as a candidate for new Board Director of JCR, is Dr. Hiroyuki Sonoda. "Since his joining JCR in 2003, Dr. Sonoda has demonstrated his extraordinary talents in research as well as his outstanding team building skills. He has been a core member leading our Research Division to date. I expect that he will be instrumental to the success of JCR's research pillars beyond J-Brain Cargo, such as gene therapies and regenerative medicine. Likewise, his inspiration arising from his vast knowledge will benefit our clinical development. I strongly believe that both Drs. Schmidt and Sonoda will be new driving forces to boost JCR's aspirations as global innovator," added Mr. Ashida about the future direction of JCR. JCR has been a committed player in the rare disease space for over 25 years, with GROWJECT (approved in 1993 in Japan for the treatment of short stature primarily caused by growth hormone deficiency) being one of JCR's major products. Going forward, JCR Pharmaceuticals plans to bring JR-141 as first J-Brain Cargo LSD program to global development. Pivotal trials are being planned in the USA and Europe. Other programs in the LSD pipeline which are also considered a high priority for global development include JR-171 (for MPS I), JR-441 (for MPS IIIA ), JR-162 (for Pompe's disease), JR-443 (for MPS VII), JR-446 (for MPS IIIB). As a result of the acquisition, ArmaGen has become a wholly owned subsidiary of JCR Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd. JCR plans to utilize ArmaGen's presence in the US to leverage existing knowledge and networks for the global development of its LSD portfolio. [About JCR Pharmaceuticals] JCR is a specialty pharma company engaged in the research, development, manufacturing and marketing of biopharmaceuticals and regenerative medicine with a focus on rare diseases. Its philosophy, "Contributing towards people's healthcare through pharmaceutical products" drives JCR to create innovative pharmaceutical products as value-added treatment options for the under-served patient populations. [Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements] This document contains forward-looking statements that are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are outside our control. Forward-looking statements often contain words such as "believe," "estimate," "anticipate," "intend," "plan," "will," "would," "target" and similar references to future periods. All forward-looking statements regarding our plans, outlook, strategy and future business, financial performance and financial condition are based on judgments derived from the information available to us at this time. Factors or events that could cause our actual results to be materially different from those expressed in our forward-looking statements include, but not limited to, a deterioration of economic conditions, a change in the legal or governmental system, a delay in launching a new product, impact on competitors' pricing and product strategies, a decline in marketing capabilities relating to our products, manufacturing difficulties or delays, an infringement of our intellectual property rights , an adverse court decision in a significant lawsuit and regulatory actions. This document involves information on pharmaceutical products (including those under development). However, it is not intended for advertising or providing medical advice. Furthermore, it is intended to provide information on our company and businesses and not to solicit investment in securities we issue. Except as required by law, we assume no obligation to update these forward-looking statements publicly or to update the factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, even if new information becomes available in the future. Investors & Media: JCR Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd. Corporate Communications [email protected] SOURCE ArmaGen, Inc. Related Links http://www.armagen.com Los Angeles, April 27 : Hollywood actress Blake Lively poked fun at her husband, actor Ryan Reynolds quarantine hairstyle. The 32-year-old actress took to Instagram Stories to poke fun at her husband. She uploaded an image of the star's new hairstyle, which showed off his tiny ponytail. "I dare you to forget this every time you see him for the rest of eternity," she quipped on her caption, alongside a photograph of her husband rocking a tiny ponytail with a chic teal hair-tie. Reynolds had a cheeky response to it. "Clearly your birth control doesn't work, so...," the 43-year-old actor joked on his Instagram Stories. Meanwhile, the Hollywood couple recently donated $1 million to coronavirus relief. Reynolds said on Instagram: "Covid-19 has brutally impacted older adults and low income families. Blake and I are donating $1 million to be split between Feeding America and Food Banks Canada." He wrote, "If you can give, these orgs need our help." "Take care of your bodies and hearts. Leave room for joy. Call someone who's isolated and might need connection," the "Deadpool" star added. "I think we can all agree, Covid-19 is an asshole. If you're able to help, visit, @feedingamerica and @foodbankscanada," he joked. Paresh Karia US president Donald Trump hit the headlines all over the world with his tweet banning immigration to the US. This was followed by signing of an executive order on Wednesday to "pause" the issuance of green cards for 60 days, describing it as an effort to protect Americans from the competition from foreign workers during the coronavirus pandemic. This announcement has created a lot of confusion and anxiety amongst our people in the US as well has here in India. We have analysed the executive order and other announcements in this regard and attempted to address them: Who is Banned? # A major category of people who are banned is the ones seeking green cards through an American family member- a parent, child (above 21 years) or a sibling. The order temporarily bars green card-holders from sponsoring a spouse or child for permanent residency. # Individuals who have applied for green card through other means, such as employment or the EB-1 "extraordinary ability" category. Who is Exempted? # First, to the great relief of many EB-5 investors, this category of immigrant visa has been specifically exempted from the ban. This is because EB -5 visa requires you to invest a minimum $900,000 and create at least 10 jobs, something which the US, specially Donald Trump, needs desperately in the current situation, in an election year. # Spouses and children-under-21 of American citizens can still get green cards. # Medical professionals, defined as "a physician, nurse, or other healthcare professional" working to combat COVID-19, are exempt, and may bring their spouses and unmarried kids under 21. What about Business Visas? The ban does not apply to business visas like E-2, L-1 etc. which allow entry into the US for setting up business. There are many people who would be looking at this type of visa to explore business opportunities in the US, which, in the wake of current economic crises, will throw in a lot of bargains. What about people already in US? This ban will not apply to any of existing visa holders immigrants as well as non-immigrants EB-5, E2, L1, H1-B, F1 etc. People with valid existing visas can continue to live, work, study and do business as usual. How long will the ban last? The order will be effective from April 23, 2020 and terminates after 60 days. 10 days before the expiry of this period, the administration will recommend to the President, whether he should continue or alter it. However, considering that the US administration is in lockdown, and in the case not processing any immigration applications or documents; it means that this order will have little or no effect in real terms. Paresh Karia is a chartered accountant specialising in immigration. WINNIPEG - Manitobans will soon have a non-binary gender option on birth certificates. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 27/4/2020 (625 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Manitoba Finance Minister Scott Fielding speaks to media at a press conference before the provincial budget is read at the Manitoba Legislature in Winnipeg, Wednesday, March 11, 2020. Manitobans will soon have a non-binary gender option on birth certificates. THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Woods WINNIPEG - Manitobans will soon have a non-binary gender option on birth certificates. The province is allowing the third option in addition to "male" or "female" on official birth documents. The Progressive Conservative government says people will also have the option of not selecting any sex designation on birth and death certificates, once a bill currently before the legislature is passed into law. Last November, a human rights adjudicator ordered the province to pay $50,000 to a transgender individual, who wanted the sex designation on their birth certificate replaced with an "X" but was denied. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. The complainant, who was identified as T.A. because of a publication ban, filed a complaint with the Manitoba Human Rights Commission after the request was turned down in 2014. The independent adjudicator who heard the case, Dan Manning, ruled that the government's actions were discriminatory and gave the province six months to start offering a third designation. "In response to a ruling from the Manitoba Human Rights Commission, the Vital Statistics Agency is implementing policy changes to be more inclusive to Manitobans," Finance Minister Scott Fielding said in a news release Monday. Some other provinces have already adopted gender-neutral identity documents. Nova Scotia, Ontario, Alberta and Newfoundland and Labrador allow people to choose "X" as a gender indicator or to not display any gender on birth certificates, driver's licences and other documents. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 27, 2020 One of Canadas oldest women, Foon Hay Lum, who was separated from her husband for more than 30 years by the Chinese immigration ban and later helped secure a formal apology and compensation for all Chinese Canadians who paid the head tax, has died. She was 111. Lum died Friday evening after being diagnosed with COVID-19 at the Mon Sheong Homes for the Aged, where dozens of residents have tested positive and 26 have passed away. The home, which has lost 80 per cent of its staff during the outbreak, started receiving reinforcements from Mount Sinai hospital on Friday. Because of the ban on visitors to long-term-care homes, Lum died without being able to visit with her family one last case of the forced separation she had to cope with throughout her life. Described by her friends as a fighter who was ahead of her time, Lum inspired a generation of Chinese Canadians to speak out about racism and discrimination. Many people felt embarrassed and ashamed and didnt want to talk about racism. But this was never a problem for her, said Amy Go, the former national president of the Chinese Canadian National Council (CCNC), an organization that Lum helped establish. You have to remember what generation she was a part of, said Go. That strength she had to name something that was wrong and to take action, that for me was amazing courage. After more than 20 years of activism, Lum was personally on hand to witness then Prime Minister Stephen Harper apologize in the House of Commons on June 22, 2006. The first of four children, Foon Hay Chiu was born on July 26, 1908 in Xinhui, Guangdong, China, to a schoolteacher father who insisted she receive the same education as boys. As a result, Lum learned to read and write. Lums first period of forced separation started shortly after a Chinese Canadian immigrant, Nam Jack Lum returned home to look for a bride. They married when she was 18, but her husband had to return to Canada immediately to keep his immigration status, and Lum couldnt follow him due to the Chinese Exclusion Act, which prohibited most immigration from China from 1923 to 1947. That legislated racism separated her from her husband and made it impossible for her to have a normal family, said Lums granddaughter, Helen Lee. Nam Jack, who worked in a laundry in Toronto, saved for seven years before he could return to see Lum in China. His second visit lasted three years, and the couple had two children together before he was forced to once again return to Canada alone. The family would not reunite for 33 years. Lee credits Lums education and Nam Jacks hard work for helping the couple stay together while separated for so long. Regular letters went back and forth, accompanied by money, canned goods and the Sears catalogue, in which Lum would circle the items she wanted and send the pages back to Canada for Nam Jack to order. The outbreak of World War Two meant this postal link was severed for more than five years and Lum was able to survive by growing food on a small parcel of land she had bought with her remittances. After the war, the Chinese immigration ban was lifted because it was inconsistent with the UN Declaration of Human Rights, paving the way for Lum and her children to come to Canada. After her son, Seek Sam, and daughter, Har Ying, came to Toronto, it was Lums turn in 1959. The family purchased a house together in Parkdale, where Lam would live until 2016. Twelve years after her arrival in Canada, Nam Jack passed away, capping the longest period the couple was together in 45 years of marriage. As a widower in her 60s, Lum began a new life as an activist, where she helped establish the CCNC to advocate for the rights of Chinese Canadians. Lum was outraged by a television report in the 1980s that alleged Chinese people were taking spots in medical school away from Canadians, because the students in the program were Canadian citizens. They were Canadians! said Lee. The program pushed the Chinese community to finally say that is wrong. That is racism. The group was able to secure an apology from CTV, according to CCNCs website. After that, we realized that lobbying was powerful, said Lee. Along with CCNC chapters across the country, Lum began lobbying the federal government for redress for the Chinese Exclusion Act and the $500 Head Tax levied on 81,000 Chinese immigrants between 1885 and 1923. Lum found her husbands old head tax certificate and started a campaign to get members of the Chinese community to register their certificates with the CCNC. It would take more than 20 years of speaking to seniors in community centres, to politicians and to the media before Lum was able to board the Redress Train at Union Station. Later she would sit with four generations of her family in the House of Commons to witness the historic apology in person. Lum lived independently in her three-storey Parkdale house until she was 107, cleaning, doing her own laundry and growing bumper crops of melons in her backyard. Grandmother should be peoples model, said Lee. Its possible for seniors to live independently for a long time. Lum spent the last four years in a long-term-care home, one of the many that have suffered staffing and protective equipment shortages during the coronavirus outbreak. With the pandemic, theres a refocus on whats important and really meaningful, said Lee. We need more resources for our long-term care. We cant just be warehousing our seniors. Lum leavesa large family in the GTA including her daughter, five grandchildren and nine great grandchildren. With Caraways mother watching from a spectators gallery, prosecutors recounted the string of events beginning with Suggs death and leading to Caraways arrest. Prosecutors said there was little mystery about the slaying as surveillance video clearly captured the faces of two people cutting through a gangway and firing numerous shots at Suggs as he worked on a car in front of his home in the 400 block of Normal Avenue in Chicago Heights. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Xiao Qian (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, April 27, 2020 11:05 625 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd46f2e6 3 Opinion COVID-19,coronavirus,pandemic,global-recession,crisis Free COVID-19 has brought formidable threats to the life and health of people all over the world. Amid the fierce struggle between the human race and a major global epidemic, unity and cooperation is more needed than ever. The novel coronavirus is a new type of virus. Our knowledge of it is growing yet still limited. China, too, in acquiring an understanding of the virus, went through a painful process, which is not exceptional in the pursuit of honest knowledge and scientific facts. During this process, China has been actively engaging in international cooperation in controlling and combating the pandemic with the spirit of openness, transparency and responsibility China identified the pathogen within an extraordinarily limited time and released its genome sequence as soon as possible; China has been updating the World Health Organization and the international community on its COVID-19 status since Jan. 3; China has so far published seven editions of a diagnosis and treatment plan and six editions of a prevention and control plan for COVID-19, all multilingual. Chinas prompt information-sharing is a manifestation of its commitment to unity and cooperation, which enabled the international community to gain a head-start in detecting, preventing and combating COVID-19. Viruses do not respect borders, nor do epidemics discriminate between races. As United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has acknowledged, we are facing a global health crisis unlike any in the 75-year history of the UN one that is spreading human suffering, infecting the global economy and upending peoples lives. Indeed, in todays deeply connected world, no country can stand apart from such a virus that is spreading at an unprecedented speed and scope. From virus source tracing to building a collective global response for disease control and treatment, from identifying the best treatment to producing more medical supplies and seeking breakthroughs in vaccine development, no single country alone can do it all. Bracing for the impact of the pandemic on the global economy, all countries are on the same boat. Countries need to leverage and coordinate their macro policies to counteract the negative impact, better coordinate financial regulation, keep the global industrial and supply chains stable and thus send a strong signal and restore confidence for global economic recovery. The key to dispersing the shadows of the pandemic hinges on whether the international community can work in unity and render mutual assistance. Humanity is a community with a shared future, as Chinese President Xi Jinping said, only by cooperating and responding together can the international community overcome the pandemic. China is committed by both words and deeds. When China fought an uphill battle at home, it has been supporting the global combat against COVID-19 to the best of its ability. As of April 12, 83 video conferences had been held for medical experts between China and 153 other countries, including Indonesia; 14 Chinese medical teams were sent to 12 countries including Cambodia, the Philippines, Myanmar and Laos so that combat experience against the virus can be shared and put in use; China has provided more than 150 countries and international organizations with much needed medical supplies, and has been facilitating the procurement of medical supplies through commercial channels by all countries in China. From March 1 to April 10 alone, China exported 7.12 billion face masks, 55.57 million pieces of protective clothing, 3.59 million infrared thermometers, 20,100 ventilators, and 13.69 million protective goggles. China is contributing to a sustained global combat against COVID-19. At the end of the day, we may ask: Where does the virus come from? It is a question that should be answered by the science community, utilizing scientific knowledge and methods. More importantly, the purpose of answering that question is to better control the pandemic and save lives, not to facilitate political maneuvers. In the face of this global crisis, some western politicians are stigmatizing others, even passing the buck to others for selfish gains. Such actions would not help with their domestic situation, but undermine global cooperation in combating COVID-19, thus eventually harming all countries. Under the shadows of the COVID-19 pandemic, no single country can stand alone unaffected. Unity and cooperation is the best way for the human race to prevail. *** Chinese ambassador to Indonesia Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post. UPDATED U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos has announced that more than $180 million in grants will soon be available to help statewide virtual learning and course access programs, as well as microgrants to help families access technology services to help their children learn during the coronavirus pandemic. In addition, the Rethink K-12 School Models Grant could support new, field-initiated models for providing remote education not yet imagined without going into more details on this front. The new money is authorized by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act that President Donald Trump signed last month. It empowers DeVos set aside 1 percent of nearly $31 billion in education aid to provide grants to states with the highest coronavirus burden. The new grant competition is open to state education departments. The current disruption to the normal model is reaffirming something I have said for years: We must rethink education to better match the realities of the 21st century, DeVos said in a Monday statement announcing the grants. This is the time for local education leaders to unleash their creativity and ingenuity. The department said these grants would spark student-centered, agile learning opportunities. During a White House press conference last month, DeVos floated the idea of creating microgrants to help students stranded at home because their schools had shut down. A U.S. Department of Education spokesperson subsequently said these would target students whose schools had been closed for at least 30 days and either have an individualized education program, or are eligible for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly known as SNAP. More Flexible Money However, the department said applications for Rethink K-12 School Models funding would be available within two weeks, so we dont yet know all the parameters for the grants. More than 85 percent of public school students wont return to in-person classes this year due to the pandemic. DeVos has long been a supporter of tax-credit scholarships, vouchers, and other forms of school choiceher efforts to get Congress to expand their footprint has proven largely unsuccessful, however. She doesnt pitch these grants specifically as a school choice model, but she clealy wants these grants in part to put more money in the hands of families and not traditional public school systems, a key tenet of arguments for K-12 choice. Its not clear to what extent states that have struggled with relatively large numbers of coronavirus cases and deaths, such as Michigan, New Jersey, and New York, would seek out this grant money, or if states with well-established virtual learning infrastructures like Florida could be major beneficiaries. Peer reviewers will judge states applications, and the highest-scoring states will get grants. More information on these grants is here . In response to the news, the National Coalition for Public Education, an advocacy group that opposes vouchers, said in a statement that, Public dollars should fund public schools. This scheme is no different than other attempts by this administration to divert federal funding to unaccountable private educational entities. For context, $180 million in grants is just over 1 percent of the departments $16.3 billion in Title I funding for schools with large shares of disadvantaged studentsthats the single-largest pot of money DeVos agency controls. School districts are receiving roughly $13.5 billion in CARES Act aid to help them address various challenges related to the coronavirus. In addition to these Rethink K-12 School Models Grants, DeVos also announced $127.5 million for Reimagining Workforce Preparation Grants that are part of the same CARES Act funding set-aside for her. These grants are designed to expand short-term postsecondary programs and work-based learning programs in order to get Americans back to work and help small businesses return to being our countrys engines for economic growth, the department said. Separately but in a similar vein, DeVos is developing vouchers for teacher professional development under the Every Student Succeeds Act. Photo: U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos testifies before a Senate spending committee. --Susan Walsh/AP Follow us on Twitter @PoliticsK12 . And follow the Politics K-12 reporters @EvieBlad @Daarel and @AndrewUjifusa . By IANS BELAGAVI Shocked over the brutal display of raw power by the men in khaki (uniform), Karnataka ordered an inquiry into the alleged thrashing and chaining of a CRPF elite commando by the local police for reportedly not wearing a mask amid the lockdown in the state's northwest region last week, an official said on Monday. "State Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai ordered an inquiry into the incident as sought by CRPF Additional Director General of Police, Sanjay Arora, and book the constables who arrested, bashed and chained its CoBRA unit cadet Sachin Savant at Sadalga in Chikkodi taluk in Belagavi district," the official told IANS on phone. Sadalga is about 590km northwest of Bengaluru. Though the incident occurred on April 23, it came to light on Monday when a video clip of it went viral on social media and caught the attention of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPFP) headquarters in New Delhi. "Sawant was thrashed, handcuffed and dragged in chains barefoot to the local police station for not wearing a mask while washing his motorbike outside his home in the village in violation of the lockdown norms and for allegedly assaulting the constables on duty," said Arora in a letter to state Director General of Police Pravind Sood. Sawant was at home on extended leave from the 207 Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA), one of the 10 elite units of the CRPF formed for guerilla tactics and jungle warfare. "The unpleasant situation could have been avoided if the local police had taken the CRPF hierarchy into confidence before arresting Savant. CRPF is a reputed force with high standards of discipline and has the institutionalised mechanism for taking care of such situations. "Keeping in view the gravity of the incident and its impact on relationship between two police forces, we request you to get the matter inquired and provide justice," Arora said in the letter. According to Belagavi Superintendent of Police Laxman Nimbargi, the scuffle broke out when Savant asked the constables who they were to question him, as he was also a jawan in the CRPF and was at home on leave. "When the constables informed Savant that the lockdown norms were same for all and he too had to follow them, he lost his cool and assaulted the constable duo. He was arrested under various sections of the IPC," Nimbargi recalled. Terming the incident unfortunate and seems to have occurred in the heat of the moment under testing times, Bommai told reporters in Bengaluru that action would be taken if the constables are proved guilty. State Water Resources Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi also condemned Savant's arrest and sought action against the accused police personnel. "Such treatment cannot be meted to a solider and he should be released from custody forthwith," said Jarkiholi. Group-IB helped Russian Police in detaining the operators of a fraudulent online service, selling fake digital passes to move around Moscow amid COVID-19 lockdown. Group-IB, an international cybersecurity company, and the Moscow Department of Information Technology have helped Moscow police in identifying and detaining the operators of a fraudulent online service, selling fake digital passes to the residents of Moscow and Russian regions to move around the cities during the COVID-19 lockdown. Group-IB experts have discovered a total of 126 fraudulent online resources websites, Telegram channels and groups in social media that illegally sold fake certificates and digital passes to move around the city amid COVID-19 lockdown. Over a half of those web resources have already been blocked. According to Group-IBs data, the first scams to sell fake digital passes appeared in late March, when the Moscow authorities tightened self-isolation requirements and restricted travel around the capital city. A Moscow mayor decree determined three official ways to get the digital passes for free: by visiting the mos.ru website, calling +7 (495) 777-77-77 phone number or sending an SMS to 7377. However, starting on April 13, Group-IB began detecting an overwhelming growth of fraudulent services registration: websites, Telegram channels, and accounts on the VK (Russian social media network) and Instagram, all of which offered to buy passes granting the right to travel around the city during the quarantine at a price ranging between $38-65. Group-IBs cyber investigation experts have managed to identify administrators of one of the fraudulent criminal groups, offering digital passes to move around Moscow, St. Petersburg and Krasnodar in a well-known messaging app. The fraudsters, who passed themselves off as law enforcers, in a personal chat with their clients, pledged to help them with the issuance of passes on the public services portal Gosuslugi.ru, based on a semi-legal scheme, as they said. To get the fake pass, one was asked to send the passport details and, if they needed a relevant permit for their vehicle, license plate number as well. As soon as the scammers got the money, they deleted the chat with the victim and blacklisted the latter. In two weeks of their operations, the scammers have successfully carried out several such operations, with the cost of their service ranging between $38-45. The majority of victims were those who were freaking out about the move restrictions and did not wait for the official procedure to issue the passes to begin. During the investigation, carried out with the help of Group-IBs experts, the Moscow police found evidence that pointed to two Moscow and the Moscow region residents who allegedly ran the operations. Both suspects were detained on April 21 and confessed to the fraud. As a result, criminal proceedings have been initiated in accordance with the Russian Criminal Code (Article 159). During the search, the police found and seized mobile phones and notebooks. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic scammers actively exploit the coronavirus, self-isolation and lockdown passes themes in various phishing and vishing scams, and offer to buy fake digital passes, says Sergey Lupanin, head of cyber investigations at Group-IB. The danger is that by purchasing fake lockdown passes the victims can not only lose their money and payment data, but also sensitive personal information. For example, by obtaining the victims ID number fraudsters can apply for a loan on their behalf. Together with the Moscow Department of Information Technology Group-IB is investigating a number of cases involving illegal distribution of fake digital passes and other types of fraud. The obtained evidence is shared with law enforcement to stop illegal activities. As of April 26, Group-IBs Brand Protection team has discovered 126 fraudulent resources selling fake digital passes to move around Moscow, including 25 websites, 35 groups and accounts in social media, 66 channels on the Telegram messenger. Group-IB has blocked 78 resources so far and continues blocking and monitoring activities. About Group-IB Group-IB is a Singapore-based provider of solutions aimed at detection and prevention of cyberattacks, online fraud, IP protection and high-profile cyber investigations. Please give me your vote for European Cybersecurity Blogger Awards VOTE FOR YOUR WINNERS https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe8AkYMfAAwJ4JZzYRm8GfsJCDON8q83C9_wu5u10sNAt_CcA/viewform Pierluigi Paganini (SecurityAffairs COVID-19, hacking) Share this... Linkedin Share this: Twitter Print LinkedIn Facebook More Tumblr Pocket Share On Kamlesh Kumar Masson, who gained medical qualifications from Utkal University in 1969 and practised for decades as a general practitioner in the UK, has died aged 78, making him the latest Indian-origin medical professional to fall victim to coronavirus. Masson was a GP in Thurrock, Essex, where his colleagues, patients and family paid him tributes and described him as a deeply respected, well liked doctor. Recent victims of the virus included doctors Jitendra Kumar Rathod, Manjeet Singh Riyat and Krishan Arora. The Boris Johnson government has set up an inquiry to probe initial data that Indian and other non-white people are disproportionately falling victim to the virus. So far, 492 people categorised as British Indian have died in England. Kallil, chair of National Health Service in Thurrock said: We were very sad to hear of the passing of Dr Masson, he was a well respected and liked GP in Thurrock, with a significant contribution over the last 30 years in the borough caring for patients and providing support. Later he provided GP services in both Thurrock and Basildon. We extend our heartfelt thanks to Dr Masson for his commitment and passion and our condolences to his family for their loss. Massons family said he came to the UK in 1973 after completing his medical training in India and working as a doctor in East Africa. He was recognised by patients, colleagues and peers as a dedicated, determined, positive individual who would always do his utmost to help in all endeavours. Dr Masson was an honest, kind and generous man who was deeply respected by anyone who was privileged to cross paths with him. He was jovial, funny and kind, always wanting to make the best of any situation, his family said in a statement. Dr Masson was taken from us too soon and still had so much to give. He had practised medicine for over five decades and was a dedicated servant to the NHS for 47 years. He would have wanted to practice medicine for many more years to come, the statement added. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday changed his media team for the second time since coming to power in 2018 amid mounting criticism of his government for failing to address the key issues of the country. Prime Minister Khan appointed Senator Shibli Faraz as the new information minister of the country. Faraz is the son of eminent Urdu poet late Ahmad Faraz. Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) for information and broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan was also removed and was replaced by former military spokesman Lt Gen (retied) Asim Saleem Bajwa. She was appointed as the SAPM for information and broadcasting on April 18, 2019, after the Cabinet reshuffle. Minister for Science Fawad Chaudhry, who was the first information minister of Khan, confirmed the new appointments. "Truly an honourable and dignified man @shiblifaraz has been appointed new Information minister of Pak, and brilliant @AsimSBajwa appointed SAPM on info both 'll make a great team.... all the best," Chaudhry said in a tweet. Bajwa served as Director General of the Pakistan Army's media wing, Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), when General Raheel Sharif was the Army chief. He was credited for making Sharif a larger than life figure and transforming the working of the ISPR. Bajwa is also serving as the chairman of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) authority. The changes were made to blunt the perception that the media handling of the government was not good and its work was not being properly highlighted. However, many analysts still wonder how the new team would deliver until the common people feel the benefit of the steps taken by the government. "The way these change have been made will not give a good impression and help the cause of the government," analyst Ayaz Amir told Dunya TV. The Pakistan government has also faced criticism for its delayed reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic. Pakistan has 13,328 coronavirus cases while the death toll from the pandemic has reached 281, the health ministry said on Monday. Khan was sworn in as the 22nd Prime Minister of Pakistan in August 2018 Police and other security forces using excessive force to make people abide by lockdowns are reported worldwide Geneva: The UN rights chief warned Monday that countries flouting the rule of law in the name of fighting the novel coronavirus pandemic risk sparking a "human rights disaster". United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet called on countries to refrain from violating fundamental rights "under the guise of exceptional or emergency measures." "Emergency powers should not be a weapon governments can wield to quash dissent, control the population, and even perpetuate their time in power," she warned in a statement. "They should be used to cope effectively with the pandemic -- nothing more, nothing less." Her comments came after more than 200,000 people have perished in the pandemic and nearly three million have been infected worldwide by the novel coronavirus since it surfaced in China late last year. Bachelet acknowledged that states have the right to restrict some rights to protect public health, but she insisted that any restrictions should be necessary, proportionate and non-discriminatory, and also limited in duration. "There have been numerous reports from different regions that police and other security forces have been using excessive, and at times lethal, force to make people abide by lockdowns and curfews," she said, lamenting that "such violations have often been committed against people belonging to the poorest and most vulnerable segments of the population." "Shooting, detaining, or abusing someone for breaking a curfew because they are desperately searching for food is clearly an unacceptable and unlawful response. "So is making it difficult or dangerous for a woman to get to hospital to give birth." Incalculable damage "In some cases, people are dying because of the inappropriate application of measures that have been supposedly put in place to save them," Bachelet said. She also decried the mass arrests in some countries over curfew violations as "both unnecessary and unsafe." "Jails and prisons are high-risk environments, and states should focus on releasing whoever can be safely released, not detaining more people." The UN rights chief also warned that efforts to rein in dangerous misinformation around the pandemic were in some cases being used as an excuse to crack down on legitimate free speech. "It is important to counter misinformation, but shutting down the free exchange of ideas and information not only violates rights, but it also undermines trust," she said. "Undermining rights such as freedom of expression may do incalculable damage to the effort to contain COVID-19 and its pernicious socioeconomic side-effects," she warned. Bachelet also insisted that any exceptional measures or state of emergencies introduced in the name of fighting COVID-19 should be subject to proper parliamentary, judicial and public oversight to avoid abuses. "If the rule of law is not upheld, then the public health emergency risks becoming a human rights disaster, with negative effects that will long outlast the pandemic itself," she said. Even though the novel coronavirus pandemic originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan and then spread across the world via air travel, it is by now clear that people from the IT industry have not been badly hit by the virus even though they travel widely around the world. In the United States, almost half of the 53,000 deaths due to Covid-19 have occurred in New York state, and less than 10% of this in California which hosts one of the major IT hubs in the world. Closer home, Indias IT capital, Bengaluru, has not been as badly affected as say, Delhi, Mumbai or Pune. As of April 24, Maharashtra had 6,430 positive cases and 283 deaths against 474 cases in Karnataka and 18 deaths. Bengaluru has had 67 positive cases and four deaths as against 1,070 positive cases in Pune and 69 deaths. In Pune, the entire contiguous belt of Aundh, Baner, Balewadi and Kothrud has consistently shown the lowest number of Covid-19 cases. While Pune has seen more than 1,000 positive cases and 69 deaths as of April 25, Aundh-Baner and Kothrud have seen a total of three cases and zero deaths. Last week, Pune municipal commissioner Shekhar Gaikwad told this newspaper that these two wards could be moved from the orange zone to the green zone, any time now, giving greater relaxation from the lockdown to the people there. Whether it is the United States or India, one common factor in the rapid spread of Covid-19 is high population density. New York has the highest population density in the US and governor Andrew Cuomo co-related high population density to the high incidence of the disease in the Big Apple. In Bengaluru, the latest nine positive cases were detected in a colony of labourers in the city. In Pune, the worst hit areas are primarily the high-density, low income localities of Bhavani Peth and Kasba-Vishrambaugwada in the heart of old Pune. Even in areas like Shivajinagar-Ghole Road and Yerawada-Kalas-Dhanori, it is primarily the slum pockets that have seen a high incidence of Covid-19 cases. Given the strong co-relation between high population density and high incidence of Covid-19, the situation in Mumbai does not come as a surprise at all. A city doctor explained the low incidence of Covid-19 in Aundh-Baner and Kothrud, by saying that the living conditions are better and most of the areas in these localities are not congested as in the peths (inner city) where poor people living in wadas (typical structures in old Pune) have to share common toilets. Another observation was that the IT industry mostly has young people, especially the ones who are sent abroad on assignments, and as is well-known, it is the older age-group which is more susceptible to the coronavirus infection. High population density has clearly emerged as a major vulnerability for the coronavirus infection because it stands in inverse proportion to social distancing. This is the picture that has emerged most clearly and therefore the response from the health authorities too, can now be delivered with greater precision. French researchers are planning to use nicotine patches on coronavirus patients to see if it will help prevent or lessen the effects of the deadly virus. There is evidence showing that the proportion of smokers infected with coronavirus is much lower than the rates in the general population. Scientists are now questioning whether nicotine could help stop the virus from infecting cells, or if it may prevent the immune system from overreacting to the infection. Doctors at a hospital in Paris are now planning to give nicotine patches to COVID-19 patients. They are also planning to give them to those in the front line to see if the stimulant has any effect on preventing the spread of the virus. When did the speculation start? The whole idea about nicotine patches came after world-famous artist David Hockney said that he believes smoking could protect people against the coronavirus. One study in China, where the pandemic began, showed that only 6.5% of COVID-19 patients were smokers, compared to 26.6% of the population. In another study done by the Centers for Disease Control or the CDC in the US, only 1.3% of hospitalized patients were smokers compared to 14% of American coronavirus patients. The research by hospitals in Paris found that smokers were underrepresented in both inpatients and outpatients, suggesting that any protective effect could affect anyone, not just those who are hospitalized by their illness. The French study was performed at Pitie Salpetriere, the researchers used data from 480 patients who tested positive for the virus. Around 350 were hospitalized while the rest stayed at home. The results showed that of the patients hospitalized, with a median age of 65, only 4.4% were regular smokers. But among those at home, with a median age 44, 5.3% smoked. Also Read: Experimental Cancer Drug May Help Stop Replication of Coronavirus in One's Body The researchers determined that far fewer smokers seem to have contracted the virus, or if they have, their symptoms are less serious. The team who did the study emphasized that they are not advocating that anyone starts smoking because cigarettes have fatal health risks. French neurobiologist Jean-Pierre Changeux reviewed the study and told The Guardian that nicotine may be hindering the virus from entering the body's cells. The study focused on statistics but pointed to past research which suggested that nicotine may alter receptors inside the body called ACE-2 receptors, which the virus relies on as its gateway into the body. Any protective effect may work for people with any level of infection, not just those with severe illness. The FDA's take The US Food and Drug Administration or FDA said that cigarettes can increase the risk of contracting the disease. The agency told Bloomberg News that people who smoke cigarettes may be at increased risk of infection with the virus that causes COVID-19 and may have worse outcomes from COVID-19. The FDA has warned about worse outcomes from coronavirus among smokers but did not specify what that meant. The governments in both the UK and the US urge people to stop smoking in order to protect themselves from the virus, but scientists admit that there is no clear proof that cigarettes can worsen the disease. The debate on whether or not smoking can protect people from the coronavirus is still unclear and needs further research. Related Article: Common Old Age Conditions May Be Symptoms of COVID-19 in Elders @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A person wearing a protective mask arrives to pick up food at a Nathan's Famous restaurant near the Coney Island Boardwalk in the Brooklyn borough of New York, on Monday, April 20, 2020. Hot dog and restaurant company Nathan's Famous said that it received a $1.2 million loan under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and will return the money, according to an SEC filing. The company said it was granted the loan on April 21, according to the 8-K. Nathan's said it applied before new guidance from the federal government strongly discouraged public companies from filing for the loans. As a result of the new guidance, "the company has determined to repay and return the entire amount of the PPP loan to the lender." The move makes Nathan's the latest in a stream of publicly traded companies to announce plans to return the loan money. The company did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment. Nathan's said its business has been impacted by the Covid-19 outbreak, which has caused restaurant closures, according to the filing. "Operations at our company-owned restaurants and our franchisees' restaurants have been disrupted," the company said in the filing. "Only three of our four company-owned restaurants are currently open, and those three company-owned restaurants are only offering food through take-out and delivery as we are prohibited from offering dine-in seating and service at our restaurants. The majority of our franchised locations have been temporarily closed." Nathan's has a market cap of more than $250 million and sold over 700 million hot dogs last year, according to the company's website. The company's primary manufacturer is Smithfield Foods, which has had to shut plants due to outbreaks among employees. However, Nathan's said "we do not anticipate that the rapidly evolving COVID-19 outbreak will have a material adverse effect on our supply of hot dogs over the next several months," according to the filing. The Rajasthan government has initiated steps to bring back its migrant workers from other states and to send workers from other states back home ahead of the possible easing of the nationwide lockdown. Rajasthan has selected 19 IAS and IPS officers to coordinate with the governments of 14 states, district authorities and other agencies on the issue of migrant workers. Guidelines have been issued for authorities in districts where returning workers are expected to enter the state. After constant pursuance of the matter by chief minister Ashok Gehlot, other states agreed to transport the migrants workers to their respective hometowns. Gehlot also raised the matter with the central government a number of times. Gehlot tweeted on Monday: After much effort by state government, migrants of Rajasthan will soon be returning home from other states. These people suffered a lot during lockdown. Now when they return, it is our moral duty to take care of them, provide them all help regarding food, medicines and quarantine facilities. My appeal to all is please give moral support to our brothers and sisters returning home after a very hard period. Following the culture of Rajasthan that we never leave our people in distress, take proper care of the migrants. Additional chief secretary (industries) Subodh Agarwal said the state government is constantly making efforts to address the grievances of workers from across the country, and all efforts are being made to send them home. Guidelines have been issued for migrant workers either going out of or coming to the state, he said. Chief secretary DB Gupta said the 19 selected officers will coordinate with the governments of other states and other agencies of the Rajasthan government to resolve the issues of Rajasthani workers in other parts of the country. He said they will also coordinate with other states to address the issues of workers staying in Rajasthan during the lockdown and the planned inter-state movement, as and when permitted, while ensuring strict observance of medical and safety protocols, screening and social distancing. The officials have been selected to liaise with Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Bengal. After a meeting chaired by Gehlot on this issue, Gupta issued directives related to protocol. Transit camps are to be established at border check-posts and adequate arrangements made for food, water, shade and medicines at the camps. Authorities will also earmark large spaces with buildings where for migrant workers can be segregated, and social distancing norms shouldnt be violated under any circumstances. Wary of an increase in movements in the coming days, Rajasthans home department also has issued guidelines. Additional chief secretary (home) Rajeeva Swarup, in a circular issued to all district collectors, said residents of Rajasthan with permits are returning to the state and the number is going to increase. In such circumstances, there could be chances of the spread of Covid19, and check-posts should be established in border districts where all those arriving can be registered along with their names, addresses and mobile numbers. Swarup also asked authorities to strengthen the information system in villages and colonies to keep tabs on any persons coming directly to their hometowns and to ensure people stay in quarantine for 14 days. At places where local residents arent allowing in outsiders, they can be kept in quarantine at school buildings. Guidelines for migrant workers coming into or going out of the state: * Priority to state labourer/migrant at camps in other states * Allow those coming in personal vehicles (except from hot spots), but ensure they are quarantined at their hometown * Those want to avail of public transport should register through emitra, rajcovid mobile application, and can call at 18001806127 * Ensure transportation in phased manner to avoid crowding; screening before departure; and quarantine after reaching hometown in Rajasthan * For those coming to Rajasthan, the arrangements shall include check post at border districts, adequate food, water and medical facilities, and registration and accommodation at identified buildings in various districts. Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald has described the current coronavirus crisis as a greater "accelerant" to a united Ireland than Brexit and has called for an all-island approach to health. Describing the lack of a single health policy between Northern Ireland and the Republic as "astonishing", Ms McDonald told the Sunday Times newspaper that in her view the current situation "dwarfs Brexit in terms of reflecting the danger of partition". "When Brexit happened, people said this is an accelerant in terms of the unity debate, because it was so obvious with the danger to the border," she said. "We have an all-Ireland single policy for animal health but not for public health. "Everything we do to keep people safe has to be on the understanding we are a single population on a small island and have to look after each other." Ms McDonald has only recently returned to work after having been diagnosed with Covid-19. Read More She is likely to become the leader of the opposition in the Dail if Fianna Fail and Fine Gael can successfully form a coalition along with the Green Party. In her remarks on Sunday the Sinn Fein leader was also critical of Prime Minister Boris Johnson's initial "herd immunity" approach. Reflecting the well publicised disagreements in the Stormont Executive around the pace and direction of particular Covid-19 restrictions, she said there had been robust conversation and debate between the parties here around which policies and approach to follow. "I think the fact that Boris Johnson and the British Government opted early on for the herd immunity approach meant that Michelle O'Neill had to have some pretty tough conversations to get the northern system in tandem with what was happening in the South," she added. "Yet again we see how vulnerable we are when we have two jurisdictions, two systems, on the island." Shoppers at a Target store in Clay and a Walmart in East Syracuse may have been exposed to the novel coronavirus last week. Employees from each retailer tested positive for the virus, according to the Onondaga County Health Department. There is a chance they could have exposed shoppers, though both employees were wearing face masks during their shifts. Anyone who was at the stores during the following hours is recommended to self-monitor for symptoms of the virus, which include fever, cough or difficulty breathing. Target, 3857 Route 31, Clay: Sunday, April 19, 7 a.m to noon Monday, April 20: 7 a.m. to noon Tuesday, April 21: 7 a.m. to noon Walmart, 6438 Basile Rowe in East Syracuse Tuesday, April 21, 4-11 p.m. Wednesday, April 22, 3-10:30 p.m. The Walmart in East Syracuse opened its parking lot as a testing center for COVID-19 two weeks ago. According to the Health Department, both companies are complying with guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control. Health Department investigators are in the process of identifying all close contacts of the individuals and notifying them," said Health Commissioner Dr. Indu Gupta. Anyone who visited these stores during the identified time periods should monitor themselves for symptoms of COVID-19 such as fever, cough, and/or difficulty breathing for 14 days after they visited the store. MORE ON CORONAVIRUS Coronavirus in NY: Cases, maps, charts and resources Gov. Cuomo on reopening schools, summer school, remote learning and district budgets As coronavirus deaths in NY fall below 400, Cuomo gives some details about phased reopening The week we went from defense to offense; CNYs coronavirus fight turns a corner Complete coronavirus coverage on syracuse.com - North Korea's supreme leader Kim Jong Un has been missing from the public for the past two weeks amid coronavirus crisis - There were speculation that he was either dead or was in critical condition after reports emerged indicating he had undergone surgery - Kim had not made any public appearance since presiding over a Korea Workers party politburo meeting on April 11 South Korea has dismissed reports that North Korea's supreme leader Kim Jong Un is dead saying the head of state is still alive and well in the country's Wonsam. South Korea's top foreign policy adviser Moon Chung-in disclosed Kim was in good condition and that his government was still firm. READ ALSO: Sitaogopa lolote nalindwa na Mungu, DP Ruto asema huku masaibu yakichacha North Korea Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un has been missing from public for over a week now. Photo: The Guardian Source: UGC READ ALSO: William Ruto, wife lead family during prayers at private chapel in Karen home "Kim Jong Un is alive and well. He has been staying in the Wonsan area since April 13. No suspicious movements have so far been detected," said the adviser as quoted by CNN. Speculation was rife over the president's health after he missed out the celebration of his grandfather's birthday Kim Il-sung, the Norths founder the most important day in the countrys political calendar on April 15. Kim had not made any public appearance since presiding over a Korea Workers party politburo meeting on April 11. READ ALSO: Court allows government to install surveillance system to tap private phone calls Many media houses had previously reported Kim was either dead or in a vegetative state given his level of secrecy and suppressed media freedom in his country, which made it difficult for people to know if he was dead or alive. However, his handlers in South Korea dismissed the reports insisting he was well and that nothing had happened to suggest he was in danger. We have nothing to confirm and no special movement has been detected inside North Korea as of now, the Souths presidential office said in a statement last week. US President Donald Trump (left) and North Korea Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un (right) during a past meeting. Photo: CNN Source: Getty Images READ ALSO: Families that lost kin to landslides, floods to receive KSh 50,000 from government Reports had emerged the supreme leader had undergone an urgent cardiovascular surgery due to his smoking habit, obesity and fatigue. The Washington was also reported to be monitoring intelligence that Kim was in grave danger after undergoing surgery. However, on Thursday, April 23, US president, Donald Trump, rejected reports that Kim was ailing but declined to state when he was last in contact with him. Do you have a groundbreaking story you would like us to publish? Please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690. Contact Tuko.co.ke instantly. Source: TUKO.co.ke Lincoln Pharmaceuticals on Monday said that it has received an approval to manufacture hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) along with other critical drugs to fight coronavirus. The nod was given by Food & Drug Control Administration, Gujarat to manufacture varied doses of hydroxychloroquine and hydroxychloroquine sulfate tablets among others at its plant in Khatraj in Ahmedabad, Lincoln Pharmaceuticals said in an exchange filing. The company can now manufacture hydroxychloroquine sulfate tablets USP in 200 MG, 300 MG and 400 MG doses and hydroxychloroquine tablets IP in 200 MG, 300 MG and 400 MG doses, respectively from Lincoln Pharma's Khatraj facility, it added. The company will also be exporting these products after necessary approval from Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT). "We have all the necessary infrastructure at our state-of -the-art manufacturing facility at Khatraj, Ahmedabad and look to expedite the commercial production of the approved drugs at the earliest. Company is committed to fight the COVID-19 pandemic and working closely with the governments and relevant stakeholders to ensure uninterrupted supply of medicines. Company has also constituted a task force to handle the distribution of medicines and essential drugs with the primary objective of dealing with any kind of emergency or distress situation by COVID-19," Mahendra Patel, Managing Director, Lincoln Pharmaceuticals, said. The shares of Lincoln Pharmaceuticals were trading at Rs 152.80, up 7.25 points, or 4.98 per cent on NSE at the time of reporting. Meanwhile, HCQ is primarily an anti-malarial drug. It is mostly used globally to treat some immunological diseases like lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. Indian drug formulators export 80-85 per cent of the production to almost all parts of the world. Other leading manufacturers of HCQ include Intas Pharmaceuticals, McW Healthcare of Indore, Macleods Pharmaceuticals, Cipla and Lupin. API suppliers for the drug include Abbott India, Rusan Pharma, Mangalam Drugs, Unichem Remedies, Laurus Labs, Vijayasri Organics, among others. However, HCQ's strong antiviral effect on a few coronavirus infection had earlier prompted US President Donald Trump and some other countries to seek India's help in procuring the drug. (Bloomberg Opinion) -- Call it teething problems, disorganization or plain Luddism: the first few weeks of working from home were, for many, far from smooth. Set aside for a second the impact of hunkering down with children, paramours and housemates. The coronavirus lockdowns revealed a deep division even between white-collar workers: between those employed by companies that have invested in what it takes for employees to switch truly seamlessly between the office and working from home, and those employed by companies that havent. Many people discovered it was a myth they could do their job just as easily from the dining room table. What might be de rigueur in Silicon Valley is far from normal elsewhere. Among firms with more than $1 billion of revenue, a surprisingly small portion perhaps 10% is used to having much of its workforce regularly work remotely, Gartner Inc. analyst Brian Kropp estimates. Another 40% has established work-from-home practices, but didnt necessarily have the adequate infrastructure for the current crisis. The remaining 50% was unprepared and has been scrambling to catch up with panic buying of services and hardware. That unpreparedness might help explain the whipsawing attitudes toward those facilitating remote work, not least Zoom Video Communications Inc., the voguish web-conferencing provider. At first, there was the upswing. Zoom saw its number of simultaneous users jump from 10 million at the start of the year, to some 200 million by April 1 and 300 million on April 21. Then there was the backlash, as a series of companies warned their employees against using Zooms services. Daimler AG, the parent of luxury carmaker Mercedes-Benz, cited the softwares various security gaps in a memo reported by Bloomberg News, pointing its staff instead toward Microsoft Inc.s Teams collaboration platform. Yet a slew of such moves probably has as much to do with companies preparedness for remote working as it does with any deficiencies on Zooms side. Employees seemed simply not to know what they were supposed to be using. Story continues Early in the lockdown, it seemed feasible to let employees use a range of different products if it was to be a temporary arrangement. As the restrictive measures last longer, firms are having to choose between technologies. Microsoft Teams, for instance, can cost as much as $35 monthly per user. Scale that to tens or hundreds of thousands of employees, and it becomes a major cost. You probably dont want to be paying for several duplicate services at once. Slack Technologies Inc.s experience highlights the unreadiness. It enjoyed a surge not just in total users (which includes employees at existing corporate customers), but also in new customers companies that didnt previously use its tools. Executives are realizing that work-from-home means more than just e-mail and videoconferencing. Thats creating an opportunity for businesses like Citrix Systems Inc. and Teamviewer AG, which provide so-called virtual private networks that let employees access corporate systems remotely. They allow you to log onto your work computer from your home laptop, route customer service calls to workers private telephone numbers or run complex applications all while keeping the data off the public internet. Citrix enjoyed a 20% sales jump to $861 million in the first quarter. Investors might otherwise have expected an increase of less than 5%, according to Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Mandeep Singh.Citrix Chief Executive Officer David Henshall said on Thursday that he expects his company to keep benefiting from customers realization that their businesses depend on hundreds and hundreds of applications that need to run on powerful networks if the bulk of employees arent in the office. While he warned that doesnt mean Citrix will be immune to the economic downturn, its going to be harder to put the work-from-home trend back in the bottle when people can go back to the office. Now that even companies wary about remote working are building out the necessary infrastructure, employees might as well use it. The virus has highlighted a bunch of work-from-home defects. Its also forcing them to be fixed. This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners. Alex Webb is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering Europe's technology, media and communications industries. He previously covered Apple and other technology companies for Bloomberg News in San Francisco. For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinion Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. little girl in pilot costume playing and dreaming of flying over the sky Air Canada (TSX:AC) has been a major casualty of the COVID-19 crisis in Canada. Since February 20, its stock has declined 59% due to a virtual shutdown of its operations. Early on in the COVID-19 crisis, Air Canada was forced to cancel 90% of its flights. Since then, its gone on to shut down all flights to the United States. While Air Canadas Q1 earnings havent been released yet, its clear that theyre going to be bad and at least one portfolio manager thinks that theyre going to be disastrous. In a recent interview with BNN Bloomberg, Brian Madden of Goodreid Investment Counsel said that Air Canada will likely need a federal bailout, adding that such a bailout could dilute equity, harming current shareholders. Its a scary prospect. But it wouldnt be the first time that Air Canada needed government assistance. In 2009, facing a $2.85 billion pension shortfall, Air Canada received a $600 million bailouthalf of it from the federal government. Arguably, the financial problems the company faced then arent as bad as the ones its dealing with now. Likely cash flow problems The most important thing to note about Air Canada is that it is very likely running out of cash. When an airline cancels 90% of its routes, that takes a bite out of revenue. Unfortunately, expenses dont necessarily decline in lockstep with sales. A certain proportion of any companys expenses recur whether it is operating or not. These include interest charges, rent, property maintenance and storage. Air Canada has several such expenses. A big one is interest, which cost the company $515 million in 2019. Another big one is employee compensation. Some of that is being covered by a government subsidy, enabling Air Canada to re-hire 16,500 employees. However, the wage subsidy doesnt cover benefits; further, it requires companies to keep paying 25% of workers wages. Refunds A big clue about Air Canadas financial position came in the form of refunds. In March, the company abruptly started refusing to give refunds to passengers whose flights were cancelled because of COVID-19. It was a drastic change for the company, which had previously been giving refunds freely. Story continues According to Vice, customers who called into complain about the lack of refunds were told that the company simply didnt have the cash to pay for them. They were given vouchers instead. Air Canadas refusal to give refunds strongly suggests the company is running out of money. First, as per Vice, some passengers were basically told as much. Second, the abrupt change of policy had an air of desperation. As late as March 10, there were reports that customers were getting full refunds on flights that had to be cancelled due to COVID-19. By March 18, the company made a dramatic change and switched to vouchers a decision that wouldnt have been made lightly. The fact that it was made suggests that Air Canada is indeed running out of money. If thats the case, then the company may need another bailout. The post Air Canada (TSX:AC) Will Likely Need a Federal Bailout appeared first on The Motley Fool Canada. More reading Fool contributor Andrew Button has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fools purpose is to help the world invest, better. Click here now for your free subscription to Take Stock, The Motley Fool Canadas free investing newsletter. Packed with stock ideas and investing advice, it is essential reading for anyone looking to build and grow their wealth in the years ahead. Motley Fool Canada 2020 Night Curfew in Maharashtra: Check guidelines, rules; what is allowed, what is not allowed Another Mumbai cop succumbs to COVID-19, 3rd death so far India pti-PTI Mumbai, Apr 27: A 57-year-old head constable on Monday became the third personnel of Mumbai Police to die of the COVID-19 disease since Saturday, an official said. The head constable was undergoing treatment at KEM Hospital in Parel after several state-run facilities refused to admit him, another official claimed. He was attached with the Kurla traffic division. "He had first gone to Rajawadi Hospital in Ghatkopar on Friday after he felt feverish. Doctors there asked him to go to Kasturba Hospital, the main centre for communicable diseases. He was denied admission there and he then went to Nair Hospital which asked him to go to KEM Hospital," he claimed. When the head constable was once again asked to go back to Kasturba Hospital, senior inspector Vinod Randive of Kurla traffic division was alerted who got staff at KEM to admit the 57-year-old, the official said. "He tested positive on Friday. His is the third death in Mumbai police. A 57-year-old constable died on Saturday and another 53-year-old on Sunday," he added. Malaysian palm oil futures fell to a nine-month low on Monday, as weakness in crude and rival oils on the Dalian exchange outweighed better April export volumes. The benchmark palm oil contract for July delivery on the Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Exchange slid 42 ringgit, or 2.02%, to 2,033 ringgit ($466.82) per tonne by 0240 GMT. Earlier in the session, it fell to its lowest since July 25, 2019 of 2,022 ringgit. It lost 7.2% last week, its biggest weekly drop in eight, after a historic crude oil rout made palm oil less attractive as a biodiesel feedstock. FUNDAMENTALS Palm oil exports from the world's second-largest producer, Malaysia, rose 8.8% in the April 1-25 period from the month before, according to AmSpec Agri Malaysia. Oil prices fell on signs that worldwide oil storage is filling rapidly, raising concerns that production cuts will not be fast enough to catch up with the collapse in demand from the coronavirus pandemic. Dalian's most-active soyoil and palm oil contracts declined 1.7% each. Soyoil prices on the Chicago Board of Trade were up 0.2%. Palm oil is affected by price movements in related oils as they compete for a share in the global vegetable oils market. Palm oil may revisit its July 10, 2019 low of 1,916 ringgit per tonne, as it has broken a support at 2,084 ringgit, Reuters technical analyst Wang Tao said. MARKET NEWS Asian shares inched higher ahead of a busy week for earnings and central bank meetings, with much chatter the Bank of Japan (BOJ) will announce more stimulus steps. Also read: Govt tightens curb on import of refined palm oil to India Also read: Palm oil prices rise as rival oils, crude futures gain Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-27 23:21:36|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close QINGDAO, April 27 (Xinhua) -- New cargo train services have been launched between east China's Shandong Province and countries of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). A train carrying 45 containers departed Monday from the intermodal transportation center of the demonstration zone for China-SCO local economic and trade cooperation in the city of Qingdao, according to the demonstration zone. The train, loaded with excavators and land levelers worth a total of 20 million yuan (2.8 million U.S. dollars), is expected to arrive at Almaty, Kazakhstan, in eight days. With the intermodal transportation center in Qingdao as the cargo distribution center, the monthly train services will deliver cargo to more than 30 cities of SCO countries, including Tashkent, Minsk and Ulan Bator. Enditem A motorist who became unhinged and lost the run of himself jumped into the drivers seat of his car before taking off at speed across rural backroads in the North Cork and the only thing that stopped him was crashing into a stone wall. John Casey, aged 35, was sentenced to three years in prison with the last one year suspended by Judge Sean O Donnabhain at Cork Circuit Criminal Court. Casey, with an address at 112 Larchfield, Commons Road, Cork, pleaded guilty to charges including endangerment and dangerous driving at Ashgrove in Mallow on January 29. Garda Denis Howard of Mallow Garda Station testified that gardai were operating a checkpoint at Newtwopothouse at lunchtime that day when they stopped a car driven by a woman. Gardai went to radio in the womans details to check if her insurance and licence were in order when Casey, who was a front seat passenger in the car, swopped over into the drivers seat and took off at high speed. He sped off towards Buttevant before turning off down a back road for Kanturk pursued by a number of garda units with blue lights flashing and sirens blaring. He completely ignored the gardai during the escapade. He drove on at high speed engaging in dangerous driving and endangering other users on a number of occasions in the course of the 15-minute pursuit. Garda Howard said, he overtook cars on his incorrect side of the road approaching blind bends where he had no sight of oncoming traffic while he also drove through two junctions where he should have stopped to check on oncoming traffic. The pursuit finally came to an end at Springville, just outside Kanturk, when Casey hit a stone wall and he fled the scene with gardai only finding his companion, the woman, uninjured in the crashed car. Gardai mounted a search and they found Casey hiding in a nearby field a short time later and he was arrested. Casey had a total of 132 previous convictions including six for dangerous driving and 19 for driving without insurance and he was disqualified from driving at the time of the incident. Katie OConnell, defending, put it to Garda Howard that Casey did not plan the episode and Garda Howard accepted that and that Casey was co-operative and had entered an early guilty plea. Ms OConnell asked Judge Sean ODonnabhain to be as lenient as possible, pointing out that her client had a history of mental health issues and she stressed there was nothing premeditated about his actions. He appears to have been unhinged. He lost the run of himself and took off. It was a moment of madness, counsel said. Judge Sean O Donnabhain said it was difficult to understand what happened on the day given that Casey was not driving the car when they were stopped by gardai but for some reason, known only to himself, he took over the driving and almost invited the pursuit by gardai. There is no doubt but that he put the lives of innocent road users at risk. He seemed oblivious to that risk, the judge said. As well as the two years in jail, the judge banned Casey from driving for 20 years. Iraq serious about US troops pullout, negotiations will start next June: Spokesman Iran Press TV Sunday, 26 April 2020 1:19 PM The spokesman for the Commander-in-Chief of the Iraqi Armed Forces says the Baghdad government is serious about implementation of the parliament's resolution concerning the withdrawal of US forces from the country. "The letter that US ambassador to Baghdad (Douglas A. Silliman) delivered to caretaker prime minister, Adel Abdul-Mahdi, was very positive, and covered all possible forms of strategic relationship between Iraq and the United States in detail. It was important and good," Arabic-language al-Mawazin news agency quoted Major General Abdul Karim Khalaf as saying on Sunday. He added, "Iraq will discuss the subject of foreign forces' presence with the United States in a serious and detailed manner. The United States has significantly reduced its forces under agreement with the Iraqi government as a goodwill gesture." Khalaf noted that the two countries will next June discuss setting a timetable for the withdrawal of US troops in full compliance with the relevant parliamentary decisions, and a bilateral agreement on the matter will be worked out. "Security relationship between Iraq and the United States will continue within the framework of training operations and exchange of experiences even at the time of implementing the troop withdrawal decision," the senior Iraqi military official concluded. Iraqi lawmakers unanimously approved a bill on January 5, demanding the withdrawal of all foreign military forces led by the United States from the country following the assassination of Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the Quds Force of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, along with Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the deputy head of Iraq's Hashd al-Sha'abi, and their companions in a US airstrike authorized by President Donald Trump near Baghdad International Airport two days earlier. Later on January 9, Abdul-Mahdi called on the United States to dispatch a delegation to Baghdad tasked with formulating a mechanism for the move. The 78-year-old politician said Iraq rejected any violation of its sovereignty, particularly the US military's violation of Iraqi airspace in the assassination airstrike. 'Number of US forces at Ain Al-Assad base surges in past few days' Separately on Sunday, an Iraqi security source warned against the sudden increase in the number of US troops deployed to Ain al-Assad air base in the country's western province of Anbar. "American forces claim to have partially withdrawn from some bases in Anbar and across Iraq. They aim to disrupt the security situation and raise claims about coronavirus pandemic in order to push out Hashd al-Sha'abi forces (Popular Mobilization Units) from the areas where they are present," the unnamed source told Arabic-language al-Maalomah news agency in an exclusive interview. He added, "There has been an increase in the number of American forces in Anbar province over the past few days. What is being published about their withdrawal, especially from Ain al-Assad base, is fairly inaccurate." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Pre zachovanie autenticity vypovede nasej dobrovolnicky ponechavame jej pribeh v povodnej, anglickej verzii: "I don't even know how long we've been quarantined already. Although we could see it coming, it seems to have taken us all by surprise. Who would ever have imagined that almost overnight, our lives would be limited to the four walls of our houses, having to ask for permission to go out and trust what we are told about the outside world through social networks and television? Not even Albania is immune to Corona pandemic and hoaxes A few months ago we all had plans for the near future. Spring was just around the corner and, with it, good weather to enjoy the wonders of this mountainous country. From the beaches to the lakes, to go on a picnic with our friends, trying to get out of this noisy city full of cars from time to time. But, in the blink of an eye we realized that Albania was not immune to the disease that is spreading worldwide. Despite the newspaper articles and the people in the streets who trusted the strength of the Albanians and the invisible shield of the border to keep the virus from reaching the land of the eagles... The virus also arrived here and steps had to be taken to stop its spread. These measures have become more and more stringent. Skryt Vypnut reklamu Clanok pokracuje pod video reklamou Tirana, hlavne mesto Albanska (zdroj: Zdroj: Adra Slovensko) At first, it all seemed like a science fiction movie. The distribution of hoaxes, fake news and disinformation is on the rise and anyone can have a say in this pandemic. Everyone has become an expert from their living room and we have to be very careful about what comes to us from the small screens with which we live. I have to say that I took this very lightly too at the beginning; I thought it was just like a common flu and everybody was overreacting. Every year we are witnessing the inability of certain health systems to deal with these kinds of infections (influenza) so, as expected, we were not in the best conditions to cope with a pandemic like that. The austerity policies with its cutbacks in public health in recent years and the poor preparation of States for such an emergency reveal gaps both in health care and in the social and economic sphere. But this outbreak is not like others. Suddenly, the entire world was concerned and people started to do their best to face this emergency. So, in a moment, the city stopped being noisy. No cars were allowed to circulate without a special permission. Bars and restaurants closed and, little by little, almost every business was on lockdown. But I don't want to imagine those who have to keep paying the rent, those who depend entirely on their business to bring food into their homes, or, as we can see a lot in the streets of Tirana, those who have to go out and try to get some coins for that same day . Staying home due to Covid. What about 4 000 homeless after the earthquake? They tell us to stay home, but there are many who don't even have a place to quarantine. Especially here, where we had two major earthquakes the previous year and not everyone who has been left homeless has received state aid for a new home. In addition, people had to close businesses and wait until a new order to return to their economic activity. For us volunteers, it is easy to comply with this measure. But I don't want to imagine those who have to keep paying the rent, those who depend entirely on their business to bring food into their homes, or, as we can see a lot in the streets of Tirana, those who have to go out and try to get some coins for that same day . Ako po zemetraseni v Tirane v novembri minuleho roka, tak aj teraz koronavirus najviac zasahuje tych najzranitelnejsich (zdroj: Zdroj: Adra Slovensko) Those days we have seen the Roma community protests in cities like Vlora, Korca and Elbasan because they do not have the means to carry out proper hygiene (lack of running water and soap, poor isolation facilities), in addition to being exposed to problems related to their social and economic situation. Similarly, asylum seekers are held in detention centers without sufficient space for isolation and without solutions for their current situation. In Tirana, the centers where we work have been closed - we cannot take in any patients. But some of these centers, in addition to providing physiotherapy, speech therapy, and psychosocial support, they also serve as daily centers for those who do not have a home to go to. Meals are still being served but conditions have changed a lot and I dont have information about the centers where these people used to sleep before the pandemic. We cannot close our eyes to the inequalities Even so, we can say that this virus comes with a positive aspect. Not the virus itself - of course - but the situation it brings along. The fact that there are (almost) no cars in the streets - goodbye, noise! We can spend more time with our families (for the lucky ones who are close to their loved ones). Thousands of flights have been canceled and environmental pollution has decreased (it is only a halt; do not forget that it is only temporary). Video calls have become the daily bread for many of us and we talk again with all those people for whom "we did not have time" before. We can study more and invest time in ourselves... I hope society will change after this whole situation. We cannot close our eyes to the inequalities that we see every day and that, at this moment, are accentuated. We cant leave behind those who were always down, who now remain the most forgotten: people who lead lonely lives - for one reason or another - will feel even more lonely right now. Also those who have to live with their abusers or mentally ill who do not understand what is happening in this distorted reality. And, for sure, I won't forget what is happening in Spain or in Italy ... the overflow in the hospitals, the helplessness of all those who are in the front line, doing everything they can to stop this and bring back our previous li. There are still thousands of people trying to help the community to leave all this behind so we are able to physically spend time with our friends again. We have seen solidarity across borders: Albania helping Italy with 30 doctors, China sending materials, Germany taking care of patients from France, Cuba offering its health care "brigades" We have to be patient and wait a little more to come back to our normal life. We still dont know when, but we will." Arantxa Ferrer *The article was written on April 3rd, 2020. Arancha je od jula 2019 dobrovolnickou v Albansku v partnejskej organizacii NCSS. Jej vyslanie je sucastou projektu HVA Humanitarni dobrovolnici v akcii. Projekt je financovany zo zdrojov Europskej Komisie pod hlavickou programu EU Aid Volunteers, riadeneho agenturou EACEA (Vykonna agentura pre vzdelavanie, audiovizualny sektor a kulturu) a DG ECHO (Generalne riaditelstvo pre civilnu ochranu a operacie humanitarnej pomoci EU). Adra Slovensko je jej vysielajucou organizaciou. Ako sa Aranche dari mozete sledovat i na nasom Facebooku. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-28 04:18:04|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close by Yosley Carrero HAVANA, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Idalys Lamela is one of nearly 600 patients suspected of having COVID-19 who are staying at an isolation center at the University of Computer Sciences in the Cuban capital of Havana. The 47-year-old woman, along with her husband, daughter, and 10-year-old granddaughter, was taken to the center after a close neighbor tested positive for COVID-19. Lamela lives in central Havana, the capital district that has been the hardest hit by the virus and which is also the most densely populated, with more than 70,000 residents. "Although all of a sudden life changed for us, we remain optimistic about being back home soon and overcoming this nightmarish moment," she told Xinhua. Niurka Rodriguez, 52, is a nurse working at the isolation center along with 185 other health workers. "I have to stay here 14 days. I should take care of patients and myself because my children and close relatives are waiting for me," she said. Besides health workers, nearly 60 employees from the University of Computer Sciences are also working at the isolation center. Dariem Garcia, 24, graduated from the University of Computer Sciences last year and now works in logistics at the isolation center as part of a "unique and touching" experience that has changed his life. "I could be sheltering in place, but I feel this is what I have to do right now. I feel proud of being here," he told Xinhua. While those suspected of having COVID-19 are confined to their rooms, watching TV, chatting online, or reading magazines and books, outside, the rhythm of life is somewhat different, as taxis and ambulances bring in new patients, minivans transport food or medical supplies, a garbage truck passes by, and a police cruiser patrols the restricted area. "All 3,000 students from the university have been sent home, but a group of professors remain here supporting the government's efforts to tackle COVID-19," said Raidel Montesinos, president of the University of Computer Sciences. Currently, half of the 600-member faculty is working in other areas where the isolation center is expected to extend in the coming weeks in order to achieve a 2,000-bed capacity. NiurkaLegra, 41, is a senior professor at the University of Computer Sciences who is now helping with cleaning at the new student accommodation facilities that will be placed at the disposal of the isolation center. "I have forgotten classrooms during these days, as the coronavirus is the paramount priority at the moment," she said. Meanwhile, the first group of volunteers from the university that worked at the isolation center is staying at a small hostel 200 meters away under medical supervision. Silvano Merced Laden, leader of the volunteer group, said more people from the community are ready to work at the isolation center. "We would do it again. We express our solidarity not only with other countries, but also with Cubans," he added. Cuba has reported 56 deaths from the virus so far and 1,389 confirmed cases. Enditem USANA Health Sciences, Inc. (NYSE:USNA) investors will be delighted, with the company turning in some strong numbers with its latest results. Statutory revenue and earnings both blasted past expectations, with revenue of US$267m beating expectations by 21% and earnings per share (EPS) reaching US$1.23, some 116% ahead of expectations. The analyst typically update their forecasts at each earnings report, and we can judge from their estimates whether their view of the company has changed or if there are any new concerns to be aware of. With this in mind, we've gathered the latest statutory forecasts to see what the analyst is expecting for next year. See our latest analysis for USANA Health Sciences NYSE:USNA Past and Future Earnings April 27th 2020 Following last week's earnings report, USANA Health Sciences' single analyst are forecasting 2020 revenues to be US$1.05b, approximately in line with the last 12 months. Statutory per-share earnings are expected to be US$4.75, roughly flat on the last 12 months. Before this earnings report, the analyst had been forecasting revenues of US$1.06b and earnings per share (EPS) of US$4.69 in 2020. The consensus analyst doesn't seem to have seen anything in these results that would have changed their view on the business, given there's been no major change to their estimates. With the analyst reconfirming their revenue and earnings forecasts, it's surprising to see that the price target rose 6.7% to US$80.00. It looks as though they previously had some doubts over whether the business would live up to their expectations. These estimates are interesting, but it can be useful to paint some more broad strokes when seeing how forecasts compare, both to the USANA Health Sciences' past performance and to peers in the same industry. We would highlight that sales are expected to reverse, with the forecast 0.2% revenue decline a notable change from historical growth of 5.3% 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 5.3% next year. It's pretty clear that USANA Health Sciences' revenues are expected to perform substantially worse than the wider industry. Story continues The Bottom Line The most obvious conclusion is that there's been no major change in the business' prospects in recent times, with the analyst holding their earnings forecasts steady, in line with previous estimates. Fortunately, the analyst also reconfirmed their revenue estimates, suggesting sales are tracking in line with expectations - although our data does suggest that USANA Health Sciences' revenues are expected to perform worse than the wider industry. We note an upgrade to the price target, suggesting that the analyst believes the intrinsic value of the business is likely to improve over time. Keeping that in mind, we still think that the longer term trajectory of the business is much more important for investors to consider. We have analyst estimates for USANA Health Sciences going out as far as 2021, and you can see them free on our platform here. Plus, you should also learn about the 1 warning sign we've spotted with USANA Health Sciences . 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. Scientists are joking that even an asteroid set to pass by Earth is exercising caution as the planet tackles the coronavirus pandemic. The 1998 OR2 asteroid poses no risk to the Earth, but its appearance makes it look as though it were aware of the risks on the planet right now, according to researchers at the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico, who quipped that its shape resembles a face mask. The small-scale topographic features such as hills and ridges on one end of asteroid 1998 OR2 are fascinating scientifically, says Anne Virkki, head of Planetary Radar at the observatory, according to a press release. Related... But since we are all thinking about COVID-19 these features make it look like 1998 OR2 remembered to wear a mask. The asteroid is classified as a Potentially Hazardous Object (PHO), which means its more than 500 feet in diameter and will come within 5 million miles of Earths orbit. Researchers estimate this asteroid is roughly 1.2 miles across in size and will still be 16 times farther than the distance to the moon when it comes closest to Earth. Range-Doppler radar image of asteroid 1998 OR2. A team of experts at Arecibo Observatory monitors these and other types of near-Earth asteroids, and use their observations to predict the trajectories of future PHOs. The University of Central Florida, which manages the National Science Foundation facility, teased on Twitter that the asteroid appears to know our planet is facing a pandemic. Continue reading on HuffPost Three coronavirus patients who have now recovered have so far donated their plasma for the treatment of others Lucknow: A 58-year-old doctor became the first coronavirus patient at the King George Medical University (KGMU) here to receive plasma therapy as an experimental treatment for the disease, a hospital official said on Monday. The doctor from Orai in Uttar Pradesh was administered the plasma donated by a woman doctor from Canada who was the first COVID-19 patient admitted to the KGMU and later recovered, Dr Tulika Chandra of the hospital's blood transfusion medicine department said. The patient has been kept under round the clock observation and if required a second dose of the plasma would be given to him later in the day or on Tuesday, the doctor said. Three coronavirus patients who have now recovered have so far donated their plasma for the treatment of others suffering from the disease. They include a resident doctor of the KGMU, Tauseef Khan, she said. Convalescent Plasma Therapy is an experimental procedure for COVID-19 patients. In this treatment plasma, a blood component, from a cured COVID-19 patient is transfused to a critically ill coronavirus patient. The blood of a person who has recovered from COVID-19 develops antibodies to battle against the virus. This therapy uses antibodies from the blood of a cured coronavirus patient to treat another critical patient. The idea behind this therapy is that immunity can be transferred from a healthy person to a sick patient using convalescent plasma. Once the blood plasma of the recovered patient is infused with that of the second patient, the antibodies start fighting against coronavirus in the second person's body. The process of donating plasma is similar to that of donating blood and takes about an hour. On April 21, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had asked the state's medical authorities to promote plasma therapy for the treatment of COVID-19 patients after examining its efficacy. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has recently allowed states to start clinical trials of plasma therapy. Many states like Kerala, Gujarat and Punjab have already started using it for treatment of coronvairus patients. Several other countries including the United Kingdom and the United States have also started plasma therapy trials. People here welcomed two journalists and applauded them as they returned home on Sunday after getting cured of Covid-19. In the video, housing society members of Press Enclave in Pratiksha Nagar, Sion East were seen cheering, clapping and even clanging their utensils to welcome the duo. Click here for full Covid-19 coverage Around 31 journalists were discharged earlier in the day after they tested negative for coronavirus in their second test. On Monday, the BMC had said that 53 journalists in Mumbai have tested positive for Covid-19. According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the state has so far reported 7628 confirmed Covid-19 cases which include 1076 cured and discharged cases and 323 deaths. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) speaks on the floor of the House of Representatives at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on April 23, 2020. (House Television via AP) Pelosi: Pandemic Funds for States Coming in Next Relief Bill House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said April 26 that the fifth COVID-19 relief bill will include significant funding for state and local governments, as demand soars across the nation amid the pandemic. In an appearance on CNNs State of the Union, Pelosi pushed back against criticism from governors nationwide, including New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who said last week that state funding and federal support should have been granted in previous legislation. Just calm down, Pelosi told CNNs Jake Tapper when asked whether House Democrats made a tactical error in supporting the latest relief package. We will have state and local, and we will have it in a very significant way. Responding to Cuomos remarks that he would have insisted on including pandemic funds for states in the latest CCP virus relief package, Pelosi said that its no use going on to what might have been. The Senate last week negotiated a $484 billion CCP virus relief package, which includes aid for small businesses, hospitals, and funds for increased CCP virus testing. It didnt include funding for state and local governments. The nearly half-trillion-dollar package was added to the $2.2 trillion rescue package passed by Congress in March to mitigate the economic effects of the pandemic. Pelosi suggested that the impatience of state governors for federal aid will assist Democrats in negotiating for more funding in the forthcoming CCP virus relief package. The governors are impatient. Im a big fan of Governor Cuomo. My own governor, Gavin Newsom, has been spectacular, my mayor, Mayor Breed. The state and local have done their jobs magnificently, she said. They should be impatient. Their impatience will help us get an even bigger number. Amid relief talks, funding for state and local governments has become a point of contention between Republicans and Democrats. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told Fox News on April 26 that well consider additional funding, adding, This is a warwell win this war. If we need to spend more money, we will, and well only do it with bipartisan support. U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin looks on as President Donald Trump signs the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act in the Oval Office of the White House on April 24, 2020. (Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images) Pelosi last week told Bloomberg Television that the $484 billion CCP virus relief package is an interim step to soften some of the impact the pandemic has had on the U.S. economy. Now we have to go further to help state and local governments, she said. The president himself has said, he as tweeted out, that was last night, that he is ready to do state and local in the fifth relief bill. Trump signaled on Twitter that items left out of the recent bill, such as payroll tax cuts, infrastructure initiatives, and fiscal relief to state and local governments for lost revenues from COVID-19, could be included in the next round of aid. The Democrat agenda for state funding has already seen some Republican pushback, with Senate Majority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) telling a conservative talk radio host on April 22 that federal aid to states could amount to bailing out cash-strapped states controlled by Democratic administrations. Senate Majority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) arrives at the Capitol in Washington on Jan. 27, 2020. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times) I think this whole business of additional assistance for state and local governments needs to be thoroughly evaluated, McConnell said in an interview with radio host Hugh Hewitt. Theres not going to be any desire on the Republican side to bail out state pensions by borrowing money from future generations. Pelosi hasnt yet specified her expectations for the price tag of the next bill, but she said last week during a press conference that it would be expensive. She also hinted that the fifth COVID-19 relief bill will be used to support mail-in and absentee voting efforts. We have to have an important chunk of money in this next bill that will enable us to protect the integrity of our elections, as well as enable the American people to vote by mail, especially at this time of a health danger in going to the polls, Pelosi told MSNBCs Morning Joe program on April 22. Meanwhile, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) told Fox News on April 26 that Congress should be reopened to conduct oversight, as he believes the World Health Organization (WHO) is acting more like the Wuhan Health Organization. You have appropriators making sure government is funded, he said. You could bring oversight back to look at the WHO and this current administration; the WHO is acting not like the World Health organization, but more like the Wuhan Health Organization. On April 7, Trump ordered a pause on U.S. taxpayer funding for the WHO, a United Nations agency, while U.S. officials review the organizations handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. Tom Ozimek contributed to this report. Hilaria Baldwin listened to her baby's heartbeat from the comfort and safety of her home on Monday. The star, 36, shared an Instagram video of herself listening to the rhythm of her child's heart rate with the help of a fetal doppler. Hilaria's eyes widened with excitement as the pulsating sound reverberated, loud and clear. 'Hearing this sound... puts my mind at ease': Hilaria Baldwin listened to her baby's heartbeat from the comfort and safety of her home on Monday The star gently pressed the instrument against her bump as she laid back on the couch, her expression alternating from peace to joy. Hilaria is expecting her fifth child with her husband Alec Baldwin, however this pregnancy has been dramatically different from earlier ones due to COVID-19. This time around, Hilaria hasn't been able to go the doctor as often as she once did because of the virus. 'Doing a little checkup on the baby...' Hilaria explained in the caption. 'I haven't listened to the heart in a few weeks...it's so different going through this experience and not being able to have as much contact with my doctor as I usually do because if covid-19. Hearing this sound every once in a while puts my mind at ease. And you can hear both of our (heart emoji).' Oh baby! Baldwin's eyes widened with excitement as she listened to the sound, reverberating loud and clear Different times: Hilaria has had to limit the amount of times she visits the doctor due to the virus Apparently the device Hilaria was using caught the curiosity of her followers. Hilaria revealed she was using the Sonoline B Baby Heartbeat Tracker, but had a few words of caution for mothers-to-be interested in trying it out. She wrote in her Instagram stories: 'Some things to think about with this Doppler: 1. It's not medical grade, which I assume means it's not as strong as what you have in the dr office. 2. I've heard that you shouldn't do this too often. The last time I used it was like 3 weeks ago. I use it for like 30 seconds. Bumping along just nicely: Baldwin has been awaiting the arrival of baby number five in quarantine Advice: The star revealed she was using the Sonoline B Baby Heartbeat Tracker to listen to the child's heart, but had a few words of caution for mothers-to-be interested in trying it out '3. I've heard that it can cause stress if you can't find the baby's heartbeat. For those of us who are not medical professionals, please don't freak out if this happens. I've had a lot of babies, so I can find it easily... not sure if I could with earlier pregnancies.' The Spanish writer recently announced her fifth pregnancy, after revealing she suffered two miscarriages last year. Hilaria and Alec, 62, also share daughter Carmen, six, and sons Rafael, four, Leonardo, three, and Romeo, one. The Centres policies on the lockdown to contain the coronavirus outbreak are confusing, contradictory and made without consulting the states, said West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday hours after her video meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Centre is asking for complete enforcement of the lockdown but it is issuing circulars permitting shops to open. "If shops are permitted to open, how can we then ask people to remain indoors and not venture outside. If they go out, it will lead to crowding and then the lockdown will fail. The ... Frazier & Deeters Global Transfer Pricing Practice helps companies develop transfer pricing strategies to maximize global profitability. Frazier & Deeter, one of the nations largest accounting and advisory firms, announced today that Malcolm Joy has been named as the firms Leader for its Global Transfer Pricing Practice. Malcolms deep transfer pricing expertise and experience leading a transfer pricing practice makes him an ideal person to lead our global transfer pricing practice, said Seth McDaniel, Managing Partner of Frazier & Deeter. He brings our clients exceptional knowledge of transfer pricing strategies that will provide great value to our clients with cross-border businesses. As the leader of Frazier & Deeters UK tax practice, Joy works with the firms corporate clients across all industries. His knowledge of transfer pricing enables him to lead transfer pricing projects including transfer pricing policy design, benchmarking, documentation, dispute resolution and value chain analyses. Transfer pricing can be an extremely complex tax issue for multinational companies, said Joy. Frazier & Deeters Global Transfer Pricing Practice helps companies develop transfer pricing strategies to maximize global profitability. Joy joined Frazier & Deeter in 2019 after serving in a variety of leadership roles in the tax practice of BDO. In addition to leading the tax teams in Bristol and Reading, Joy was the leader of BDOs transfer pricing practice and their life sciences sector in the UK. About Frazier & Deeter Frazier & Deeter is an award-winning accounting and advisory firm headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. The firm provides a wide range of tax, audit, accounting and advisory services to serve the emerging needs of clients as they evolve. Frazier & Deeter and its FD family of brands have nine offices across the United States and one in the United Kingdom. The firm has been recognized repeatedly as a Best of the Best Accounting firm, a Best Firm to Work For in the U.S. and a Best Firm for Women in Leadership. Frazier & Deeters brand promise is investing in relationships to make a difference. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Damascus, Syria Mon, April 27, 2020 08:06 626 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd46114b 2 World Syria,school-graduation,school,coronavirus,COVID-19,COVID-19-lockdown,stay-at-home Free More than four million students in Syria confined at home due to the coronavirus will not resume classes this year but will advance to the next grade, the government said Sunday. The decision was taken weeks after schools were closed in mid-March to combat the spread of the virus, leaving many students and teachers to adapt to distance learning. "All primary and secondary school students will move on to the next class," the government announcement said, according to state news agency SANA. Brevet and baccalaureate examinations -- usually taken at the end of secondary school and high school respectively -- will still be sat by 557,000 students, according to the education ministry. The government will increase the number of exam centers to ensure "distance" between students, SANA reported. After schools were shuttered, some institutions moved to online teaching, while a specialized education ministry TV channel broadcast Arabic, English, mathematics and science courses. But daily power cuts that can last for hours and capped, costly household internet have posed challenges to distance learning efforts in the country wracked by war since 2011. Universities will remain closed at least through the end of the holy month of Ramadan in late May, according to SANA. Damascus has officially reported 42 cases of COVID-19 and three deaths from the disease in government-controlled territory. Authorities have adopted a series of measures to stem the spread of the virus, closing shops and restaurants as well as imposing a strict curfew and movement restrictions. Police officers gather at the site of a shooting in Baton Rouge - The Advocate A shooting in Louisiana's capital city left one police officer dead and his wounded colleague fighting for his life on Sunday, authorities said, adding a suspect was later taken into custody after an hours long standoff in which shots were fired at a SWAT team. Baton Rouge Police Chief Murphy Paul told The Advocate the two officers were shot in a northern residential district in the city, and that one of the officers later succumbed from his wounds. Mr Paul said a suspect, Ronnie Kato, 36, was detained after a roughly four-hour standoff in which he barricaded inside a house. No one was reported hurt during the standoff and authorities didn't immediately say what charges Kato might face. Police said the officers who were shot had responded earlier in the day to reports of gunfire in the area. At a news conference on Sunday evening, the police chief said the slain officer was a 21-year law enforcement veteran and that the wounded colleague had seven years of police work, according to WBRZ-TV. The chief did not immediately identify the officers. Baton Route Police Chief Murphy Paul, centre, walks along a street in Baton Rouge - The Advocate The second officer was "fighting for his life," Paul added at a news briefing Sunday evening. "Our officers - talk about being public servants and the responsibility that comes along with being a law enforcement officer," Mr Paul said. "This is a call no chief wants to get." Police released few details about the shooting of the two officers or events that led up to it. The chief said only that police continue to investigate. On Sunday afternoon, neighbours and onlookers crowded street corners behind police tape that cordoned off the area, according to media reports. Some of the bystanders wore masks against the coronavirus and others held up phones to record the crush of law enforcement vehicles at the site. A different scene unfolded outside Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center, where the officers had been whisked by ambulance. There, dozens of law enforcement officers held an impromptu vigil at the hospital, awaiting updates on the wounded officer's condition. A coroner's van was seen on Sunday afternoon being escorted away by dozens of law enforcement vehicles as it left the hospital, according to media reports. Airbus SE chief Guillaume Faury warned employees that the plane maker is bleeding cash and needs to quickly cut costs to adapt to a radically shrinking aerospace industry. With airline customers fighting to survive and unable to accept new aircraft, Airbus is juggling its delivery schedules while reassessing its long-term outlook for the aerospace industry, Faury told staff in a letter sent Friday and seen by Bloomberg News. A plan to slash production by one-third announced earlier this month may not reflect the worst-case scenario, he said. Were bleeding cash at an unprecedented speed, which may threaten the very existence of our company, Faury wrote. We must now act urgently to reduce our cash-out, restore our financial balance and, ultimately, to regain control of our destiny. Airbus declined to comment on its internal communications. The companys shares were trading down one per cent at 9:25 a.m. in Paris on Monday. The European manufacturer and its U.S. rival Boeing Co. are trying to come to grips with a plunge in demand caused by the coronavirus pandemic thats rocked a commercial aerospace industry they dominate. Airbus has increased its liquidity by 15 billion euros to weather the crisis, while Boeing is in talks for U.S. aid. Both companies are preparing for job cuts as they seek to gauge the depth of the downturn and the pace of the recovery. Embraer implosion Boeing on Saturday walked away from a $4.2 billion (U.S.) plan to combine its jetliner business with Brazils Embraer SA. The Chicago-based company is expected to cut Dreamliner output by about half and announce workforce reductions with its scheduled first-quarter earnings report on Wednesday. Its CEO has warned of a new reality as he assesses the rapidly changing market. Airbus came into the crisis healthier, and the collapse of Boeings Embraer deal strengthens the European companys advantage in the important market for narrow-body aircraft, where volumes have been much higher. Still, as with airlines, the crisis represents a mortal threat to the plane makers and their vast constellation of suppliers whove also been thrown into imbalance. Getting the math right on how far to cut back will determine the manufacturers health when a smaller industry emerges from the ruins. The aviation industry will emerge into this new world very much weaker and more vulnerable than we went into it, Faury said. The company chief has said that Airbus plans to assess production on a monthly basis as it seeks to take a realistic view of what is likely to be a long-lasting crisis. Agency Partners analyst Sash Tusa expects the European manufacturer will ultimately have to cut production by a further 30 per cent to match the likely fall in demand for aircraft over the next two to three years. Conserving cash is key. The two plane makers likely burned through record amounts in the first quarter: 6.5 billion euros for Airbus and eight billion (U.S.) for Boeing, according to calculations by Melius Research analyst Carter Copeland. Airbus is also set to report quarterly results on Wednesday. Airbus has already postponed plans to add another assembly line for the A321 narrow-body at its headquarters campus in Toulouse, France, and slowed the ramp-up of its newest jet, the smaller A220 single-aisle. On Friday, the company mothballed its E-Fan X project with Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc. for hybrid-electric powered aircraft. The company has taken actions such as furloughing about 3,000 French staff, though Faury said that more far-reaching measures may be needed. Read more about: Photo: Glacier Media The German company that built three Coastal-class vessels for B.C. Ferries more than a decade ago is insolvent. A B.C. Ferries official says that the organization has no relationship with the Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft shipyard anymore, since the warranty period for the ships was two years. We dont have any service or maintenance relationship with them, B.C. Ferries spokeswoman Deborah Marshall said Friday. Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft, which had been operating at a loss for some time, filed for self-administered insolvency on Friday, according to the publication NIFerry. The goal of the shipyards filing is to permit it to start afresh, it said. Decked out in colourful designs, B.C. Ferries Coastal Renaissance, Inspiration and Celebration were built by the then-thriving German yard in 2007 and 2008 for just over $500 million. The ferries, which are each 160 metres long and have capacity for 310 vehicles and 1,604 passengers and crew, travel between Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland. The decision to build the vessels in Germany ignited a debate, which still continues, about whether B.C. Ferries vessels should be built in this province. Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft was also shortlisted to construct B.C. Ferries three Salish-class vessels, but Remontowa Shipbuilding S.A. of Gdansk, Poland, was selected for that contract. Seaspan out of North Vancouver, a Norwegian company and a company in Turkey were also shortlisted. B.C. Ferries currently has four hybrid-electric Island-class ferries under construction with Damen Shipyards Group of the Netherlands. That order follows the recent delivery of two Damen-built Island-class ferries, the Island Discovery and the Island Aurora, set to come into service this year. The two vessels were built in Damens Romanian shipyard. Marshall said B.C. Ferries has been in contact with representatives of both Damen in Romania and Remontowa in Poland and the ships remain on schedule. Resistance: Richard Branson is hoping for a UK government bailout for his airline Richard Branson could pour more money into teetering Virgin Atlantic Airways than the billionaire originally pledged in a bid to attract investors and gain access to state-backed loans, according to people familiar with the matter. Mr Branson had said he would channel the bulk of a $250m (230m) infusion for his Virgin-branded companies into the UK airline. The pledge, linked to a request for 500m (570m) in UK funding guarantees, faces British government resistance. The talks and amounts are in flux, the people said. US partner Delta Air Lines has said it won't put in more money and raised the possibility that Virgin Atlantic could go through insolvency proceedings. Mr Branson is pursuing investors to strengthen the bailout application. The 69-year-old's Virgin Group seeks a combination of structured finance, convertible bonds or preferred debt, according to one person, who asked not to be named discussing a confidential matter. An injection of pure equity could be part of the mix, though airline ownership rules could limit that option. About 100 investors have been contacted and half have responded, the person said. Mr Branson himself "has no intention of selling out" of Virgin Atlantic, said Virgin Group spokesman Nick Fox. He declined to comment on the investor search or what form support might take. Virgin previously confirmed Houlihan Lokey had been engaged to lead the search. Mr Branson's flagship business is on the line as airlines worldwide are buffeted by the Covid-19 outbreak. Like other European carriers, Virgin Atlantic has grounded almost all of the fleet, while slashing costs with staff on unpaid leave. That step and question marks over Mr Branson's tax affairs have fuelled a backlash against a bailout by UK politicians. His Virgin Australia unit has been denied a rescue and faces collapse. Mr Branson, who founded the airline in 1984 and owns a 51pc stake, would remain a top shareholder, the people said. Delta's 49pc stake probably would go down. Reuters [April 27, 2020] Salute Your Local Superhero with #TheGreatAmericanTakeout This year, National Superhero Day is about more than donning a cape and fighting villains. On Tuesday, April 28, The Great American Takeout asks Americans to join a nationwide Superhero Salute to recognize local heroes like our first responders, medical workers, grocery store and restaurant employees, teachers, mail and package carriers. Families across the country have supported struggling restaurants every Tuesday for the past five weeks during The Great American Takeout. During the Superhero Salute, diners are encouraged to recognize a local hero while sharing their takeout order online. Eight participants in the Superhero Salute will receive $100 gift cards to keep and the honor of awarding their hero with a $500 catered meal for their workplace, courtesy of The Coca-Cola Company and Tyson Foods. Nothing goes together quite like dinner and a movie, so 250 additional lucky winners will get to stream the superhero movie of their choice for free, courtesy of the movie lovers' streaming service ROW8. To enter for a chance to win: Order takeout or delivery on Tuesday, April 28 Post a photo of your takeout with the hashtags #TheGreatAmericanTakeout and #SuperheroSweepstakes Tag your local hero Tag @TheGATakeout (on Twitter (News - Alert)) or @thegreatamericantakeout (on Instagram) Full sweepstakes terms and conditions are available here. "During this unprecedented time, superheroes have emerged from all walks of life to serve on the frontlines of COVID-19 and make a difference in their local communities," said Kathleen Ciaramello, President, Foodservice & On-Premise, Coca-Cola North America. "We are grateful for an opportunity to celebrate these heroes while also supporting the restaurant industry." Additionally, Tyson Foods will donate $5 to the Restaurant Employee Relief Fund (RERF.US), up to $25,000 total, for every social media post tagged with #TheGreatAmericanTakeout on April 28th. The National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation created RERF.US to support U.S. restaurant workers financially impacted by the COVID-19 crisis, and to provide aid to restaurant employees nationwide. "We believe there is still an urgent need to continue generating support for the foodservice industry and those affected by the COVID-19 crisis," said Nanette Luningham, Vice-President of Channel Development for Tyson Foodservice. "We are doubling down on our commitment to drive traffic to restaurants and provide monetary support to the Restaurant Employee Relief Fund by partnering with The Great American Takeout. On April 28, National Superhero Day, we hope everyone in the nation will help us support the restaurant industry and recognize the everyday superheroes who have emerged during this crisis." The COVID-19 crisis has devastated the restaurant industry, leaving restaurants reliant on takeout and delivery to survive. The Great American Takeout, a program developed and executed by Los Angeles advertising agency High Wide & Handsome, has generated widespread buzz, reaching more than 117 million people nationwide, and raised $260,000 to date for charitable organizations supporting restaurant workers. For more information about The Great American Takeout, visit www.thegreatamericantakeout.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200427005869/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] AUSTRALIAS MAY DAY PAST AND PRESENT Identification of the Australian labour movement with the celebration of May Day had its beginnings in Barcaldine, Central Queensland, on 1st May, 1891 seventy-one years ago. Communist Party marching May Day 1966. In the midst of the great 1891 Shearers strike, the workers of Barcaldine in almost complete solidarity utilised the 1st May to popularise their economic demands in a united demonstration. It is interesting to note also, that during the stormy period of May, 1891, the Eureka Flag was flown in Barcaldine. On a somewhat broader scale was the first May Day celebration in Melbourne and for that matter, in any of the Australian capital cities, 1st May, 1893, was the occasion of a march to the Yarra Bank where a meeting was held. These two simple but dramatic facts, Barcaldine and Melbourne draw attention to the historic recognition and extension of the decisions made by the International Socialist Congress, held in Paris, 1889, to establish May 1st as the International Working Class Day. Frederick Engels was one of the driving forces for this Congress. His indefatigable insistence, his influence in the organisation of mass Socialist Parties helped to make the 1889 Congress possible. But, the sponsors for the 1st May decision were the American representatives. They came mostly from Chicago, where the United Labor Movement, fighting to win the eight-hour day, set 1st May 1886, for a general strike to achieve their aim. It was a magnificent display of solidarity and many employers conceded the eight hour day. It was under the stimulus of this struggle that the proposal for 1st May was submitted to the Paris Socialist Congress in 1889. EIGHT-HOUR DAY So, as I have stressed in previous statements, May Day is associated with the establishment of the eight-hour day in America and Europe. Australia, of course, pioneered the world in the winning of an eight-hour working day in 1856, when the building workers of Sydney and Melbourne registered a great victory. But, May Day has always in its original authorisation and subsequent universal distribution, been associated with working class struggle. This is the paramount feature of the day we celebrate. Lenin in St Petersburg stirred the workers into action in the early and mid-eighteen nineties, for better wages, improved conditions and shorter hours. Frederick Engels stirred restlessly in his old age at the rising tide of struggle and was delighted with the 1889 decision. He jeered at the fears of the rapacious bourgeoisie about the call for mass demonstrations on 1st May. In Vienna the wealthy capitalists and aristocracy were so panic stricken that they hid the family jewels and other belongings symbolic of their ill-gotten loot. Over the years from 1886, 1889, to 1962 May Day has expressed the will of the proletariat to fight for their demands, yet it must be recognised that May Day always meant more than that. It symbolised class opposition to exploitation, poverty and hunger; it is identified with the against imperialism and war, besides arousing the masses to the inspiring solidarity of united working class action. Therefore, it is not accidental that May Day becomes integrated with the victory of Socialism in the USSR, peoples of China and all Socialist countries. In these countries it is a great joyous day of the people pledging their solidarity for greater socialist victories and avowing their support for the proletariat in all capitalist, colonial, and newly independent countries. WARMONGERS Australians are thus marching with the multimillion masses irrespective of colour, nationality, or sex. Also, we identify May Day with our own struggles for the 35-hour week, higher wages, democratic rights, Trade Union unity and above all, a common determination for peace and defeat of the imperialist warmongers led by Yankee imperialism. By tradition and practice it is just as much Australian as our native land. As Australians it links us internationally with the useful people of all lands this basic truth is expressed in the declaration of the World Federation of Trade Unions and summarises our aims for 1962 May Day. Let us display united action in a strong and confident common front of the workers and trade unions for the preservation of peace and satisfaction of our demands. The working class of the world, acting in unity with all progressive forces can solve all current problems facing mankind. War is not inevitable, it can be averted. Peace can be preserved and strengthened. Long live May Day, 1962. This article originally appeared in Tribune May, 1962. After Health and Human Services Secretary Marylou Sudders said a Springfield community health center agreed to expand testing, the president of the organization said it is not conducting additional testing at this time. Tania Barber, president of Caring Community Health Center, said the facility is currently testing its patients. Whether thats going to expand, theres a possibility, but right now at the present date this testing is for the health centers patients, she said on Monday. Sudders announced last week that 12 community health centers received COVID-19 test kits from the state to expand testing in historically underserved communities. None of the health centers was in Western Massachusetts. When asked Thursday by a MassLive reporter whether a Western Massachusetts community health center would be brought on board, Sudders said the state was working with the Springfield community health center. Caring is a Western Mass community health center, which is one of the health centers that weve expanded testing at," she said at the time. Sudders said another group of community health centers will be named next week. Steph Solis (@stephmsolis) April 27, 2020 If the testing partnership had moved forward, Caring Health Center would have been the first in Western Massachusetts to work with the state and Quest Diagnostics to expand testing options for its residents. As of Monday, the state has not announced any Western Massachusetts community health center as a partner to expand testing to underserved communities. Coronavirus in Mass.: Cases, maps, charts and resources Related Content: The View Cold War-style preparedness could help fight future pandemics Air raid wardens in Washington, D.C., conduct a practice air raid. Office for Emergency Management, Office of War Information/National Archives By Daniel Baldwin Hess, UB, and Alex Bitterman, Alfred State College Following their (other countries') example and indeed the United States own history could help create a system of federal oversight and coordination complemented by prepared and trained local responders. That could better prepare the public to pull together as a collective civic community when disaster next strikes. Daniel Baldwin Hess, professor and chair UB Department of Urban and Regional Planning A key group of allies is missing in the U.S. effort to face the coronavirus pandemic: the American people. In the wake of World War II and during the Cold War, the U.S. was the worlds best at planning and preparing for mobilizing the citizenry to take action in an emergency. In those days, the anticipated emergency was a nuclear attack on the U.S., likely resulting in a loss of national leadership that required local governments and members of the public to step up. Every American was asked to help prepare for that possibility, storing extra supplies, planning to communicate with family members and developing survival skills. Eventually, this type of civil defense planning grew to incorporate responses to other extreme events, such as hurricanes, tornadoes and earthquakes. Over the latter half of the 20th century, the U.S. civil defense effort encouraged all Americans to be prepared to respond actively to a national emergency. In recent years, however, Americans expectations have shifted from being ready to respond to passively waiting for help from a centralized, bureaucratic federal effort usually led by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Civilian-led response after World War II As professors of architecture and urban planning who study extreme events and historical forces shaping communities, we have firsthand experience in disaster response following hurricanes Katrina and Maria. We have observed that federal emergency responses can often be poorly orchestrated and mismanaged, lacking the nimble effectiveness of local, citizen-organized efforts. That slows aid, and recovery. But this was not always the case. Civil defense efforts once relied on the active efforts of citizens. A poster from 1941 urged all Americans to contribute to community preparedness for emergencies. Government Printing Office, 1941/Library of Congress Created in 1947, the National Security Resources Board was charged with overseeing the nations civil defense preparations. The agency oversaw a coordinated communications effort that included reserving dedicated radio frequencies for broadcasting emergency information, issuing instructional posters and pamphlets. Its efforts also included producing short films for school-age children, such as Bert the Turtle and Duck and Cover, which taught kids ways they could help keep themselves safe. The board was also the origin of the once-ubiquitous Emergency Broadcast System, meant to give the public accurate information and instruction in an urgent situation. Its tests, including a script declaring that this is a test this is only a test, would precede an ear-splitting tone interrupting radio and TV broadcasts. Other civil defense efforts encouraged citizens to practice air raid drills, including training students to shelter under their classroom desks. Volunteers were mobilized to stock and maintain provisions and medical supplies in a decentralized network of fallout shelters in the basements of public buildings. This was common practice until the late 1970s. One elementary school near Roswell, New Mexico, was even built fully underground to double as a fallout shelter. Some homeowners even built and stocked fallout shelters in their own basements. These efforts were locally run, but coordinated under the umbrella structure of national civil defense. Federal authorities take over As the Cold War subsided, emergency management began to encompass other types of extreme events, which often required specialized equipment and expert training. That required a move to a more professional disaster response. For instance, the Three Mile Island nuclear accident and the Love Canal contamination outpaced local resources and expertise. In their wake, President Jimmy Carter signed Executive Order 12148 in 1979, replacing a civilian-led civil defense organization with the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The current system, run by FEMA, does not actively encourage community planning or citizen participation, though there are materials and videos available on the agencys website. The lack of civic coordination shifts responsibility away from citizens working collectively and in fact has left people seemingly less prepared to respond to a crisis. Schools have closed, and with no real backup plan, most teachers have been forced to learn on the fly about how to provide distance learning and online education. State and local governments struggle to coordinate containment zones, enforce quarantines and orchestrate the movement of people and goods. Without guidance, people are waiting for help to arrive. In the meantime, the uncertainty has fueled panic-buying that has emptied stores, leaving critical care workers and those too poor to buy in bulk or in advance without reliable access to key foods and supplies. The American medical care system is overwhelmed, and state and federal governments are struggling to allocate supplies and distribute equipment. Large businesses and industries have been slow or reluctant to shift production to making critically needed supplies. A micro-distillery co-owned by a UB staff member and a UB alumnus is helping Western New Yorkers stay healthy by turning spirits into hand sanitizer that is offered free to the surrounding community. Todd Snyder and Joe Nardecchia, co-owners of Niagara Craft Spirits Distillery and Tasting Room, say they are trying to help meet a critical need brought about by the COVID-19 crisis. Photo: Douglas Levere Local groups move fast Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-27 21:32:16|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close KAMPALA, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Dozens of military medical personnel on Monday withdrew from Uganda's national referral hospital after most of the COVID-19 patients admitted there completed their treatment and were discharged. Byarugaba Baterana, executive director of Mulago National Referral Hospital, hailed the military personnel for the support they rendered when COVID-19 patients were admitted at the hospital. "Thank you for being disciplined and for fighting the pandemic. We have together reduced COVID-19 to the minimum, disabled it and actually defeated it with a heavy blow," Baterana was quoted as saying in a military statement issued in Kampala. "Out of the 23 COVID-19 patients admitted at Mulago National Referral Hospital, 21 have been since discharged while only two remain at the facility," she said. Baterana said the two patients may be discharged on Tuesday. Maj. Gen. Ambrose Musinguzi, the chief of military medical services, said the army is mandated to support civil authority in cases of any catastrophe like the COVID-19 pandemic. The military team would now be sent out to assist district task forces in the fight against the pandemic, Musinguzi said. Uganda, according to the ministry of health, has so far reported 79 confirmed cases of COVID-19, of which 46 have been discharged. Some patients are admitted at Entebbe regional referral hospital. Enditem OMJASVIN M D By Express News Service CHENNAI: Can incubation period for the novel coronavirus go beyond the 14 days as stated by health experts? This question has become all the more relevant in Tamil Nadu as three people were tested positive for COVID-19 after completing 23 days of self isolation and having tested negative two weeks ago. This worrisome pattern has emerged in Tiruchy where a trio returned from Delhi on March 22. They have been quarantined ever since their return. According to the World Health Organizations criteria, the incubation period for novel coronavirus usually ranges from 5 to 14 days. Going by this, the Tiruchy patients should have shown symptoms by April 5, that is 14 days from their arrival. However, the asymptomatic trio was found to be positive only on April 18 after samples were taken from them on April 14. Similar trends have been noticed in Keralas Kannur and Palakkad districts where patients were found to be positive on 24th and 26th days respectively, while many others in that State tested positive even 20 days after their self isolation. Several patients in Andhra Pradesh too have carried the virus beyond three weeks. However, virology expert Jacob John says 50 per cent of people would show symptoms within six days while most others would exhibit symptoms by 14 days. It is in most rare cases, people start showing symptoms even after 14 days and this can go up to 40 days. In people who tested positive after 20 or 30 days since self isolation, it is unknown whether they had come in contact with some infected persons. These are very rare cases, says John. John points out that a conclusion can be arrived at only when the source of the infection is identified. He adds that inadequate testing could be a reason behind these cases as some people would be carrying the virus and remaining asymptomatic. Dr Subramanian Swaminathan, senior consultant, Infectious Diseases, Gleneagles Global Health City, says young people sometimes may be asymptomatic and will be carrying the virus for longer periods. Sometimes, PCR tests may show negative result when the infection is mild and the nasal-throat swab is not collected properly, says Dr Subramanian. The doctor says the PCR test is adequate for initial tests but may not be an ideal for follow up tests. He says the PCR test picks up the viral RNA but does not distinguish whether the virus is viable or non-viable. To find out whether the virus is transmissible or not, viral culture test has to be done in specialised laboratories, says Dr Subramanian. The doctor affirms that the virus is the elephant in the room and testing must be ramped up across the State for faster identification. MENA oil exporters may see a 4.2 percent real GDP contraction in 2020, says the International Monetary Fund. Sovereign wealth funds in the Middle East should be used to boost growth, an International Monetary Fund (IMF) official said on Monday, as regional economies struggle with the coronavirus pandemic and the crippling impact of lower oil prices. Oil exporters in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region are expected to see a yearly decline in oil export receipts this year of $226bn, according to the IMF. This is likely to weigh on their budgets, widening fiscal deficits and potentially limiting governments firepower to boost economic growth. For Gulf oil exporters, this is problematic, as government spending has been a key engine of economic transformation plans launched over the past few years to diversify their economies away from oil revenues. Jihad Azour, director of the IMFs Middle East and Central Asia Department, said oil exporters needed to find new areas of growth amid the current downturn caused by plunging oil prices and the coronavirus outbreak. Sovereign wealth funds can play a role; regional institutions can play a role, he said during an online conference. Oil prices have slumped this year as lockdowns across the world aimed at containing the pandemic have hammered demand. The sovereign wealth funds of oil-rich governments such as Abu Dhabi, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar are among the worlds largest, but they could see their assets decline by $296bn by the end of this year, the Institute of International Finance has estimated. MENA oil exporters are likely to see a 4.2 percent real gross domestic product (GDP) contraction this year, Azour said, down from a previous projection of 2.1 percent growth. He called for an acceleration of reforms aimed at diversifying the regional economies. There are a certain number of taboos that lived with us for some time, that oil-exporting economies, for example, have to be pro-cyclical, this is something that we could break Or that instruments cannot be redirected, that sovereign wealth funds cannot be redirected to help the economy grow, he said. Twelve countries in the region Bahrain, Iran, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Tunisia, Kuwait, Libya, Mauritania, Sudan and Iraq have provided $64bn in combined fiscal support in response to the pandemic, corresponding to an average of 2.7 percent of GDP, the IMF said. Central banks in Bahrain, Qatar, the UAE, Morocco, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Tunisia have provided $47bn in combined additional liquidity support. A generic heartburn medicine is being tested on COVID-19 patients at Northwell Health hospitals in the New York City area, but don't rush to the drugstore, Dr. Kevin Tracey, the head of Northwell's Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, told CNN on Sunday. The 187 patients in the trial are either getting massive doses of famotidine, the active ingredient in Pepcid, or a saline placebo solution, and the first results won't be released for at least a few weeks. The trial started March 13, but it was kept under wraps in part to prevent a run on famotidine. There is no real evidence that famotidine is effective at treating COVID-19, but the hope is that the drug could prevent the coronavirus from replicating by essentially preoccupying it, similar to how protease inhibitors stop HIV. Tracey said he got the idea to test the heartburn medicine from a colleague, Dr. Michael Callahan, who observed improvement among COVID-19 patients in China who were taking famotidine rather than a more expensive medicine to treat their heartburn. Famotidine was also near the top of a computer model's ranking of existing drugs that might work against the coronavirus, based on its genome. If the drug proves effective, "it's generic, it's plentiful, and it's inexpensive," Tracey told CNN. But until then, "we have to remain skeptical," Dr. Carlos Del Rio at Emory University told ABC News. "In the early years of HIV, we tried a lot of stuff and we thought, 'Oh this is going to work' and nothing worked." That also appears to be the case with the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine, which all the Northwell test subjects are also taking, for now. Famotidine, at least, appears to be safe, said Dr. Stuart Ray at Johns Hopkins. "I think this sort of off-label repurposing is sensible with drugs for which we have a long safety record," he told ABC News. "And we really need a win." More stories from theweek.com Mnuchin blasts Lakers for taking PPP loan, says every company receiving over $2 million will get a 'full audit' How Democrats blew up #MeToo Trump campaign slams Senate GOP for memo advising candidates 'don't defend Trump' on COVID-19 response Colorado and Nevada on Monday joined a regional pact with other states in the western United States. The pact is a working group of governors with similar ideas for modifying stay-at-home orders and battling the spread of coronavirus. Oregon, Washington and California formed the pact earlier in the month, agreeing to work together to develop what they described as a regional framework that would be guided by data and science, not by politics. Coloradans are working together to slow the spread of COVID-19 and have important information to share with, and to gain from, other states. Im thrilled Colorado is joining the Western States Pact, Colorado governor Jared Polis said in a statement. As states begin to make crucial decisions about reopening their economies, some have banded together with like-minded and neighboring states. Due to interstate travel, regional cooperation makes sense, governors across the U.S. believe. In the Midwest, for example, seven states created a pact. There is a similar agreement in the Northeast New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania and Connecticut have a similar plan. The Western States Pact operates under three overall principles: that health concerns are the top priority; that science guides decision-making; and that states are more effective when working together. The more than 450 volunteers at the Waveny LifeCare Network are always visiting residents at its care center, keeping them in contact with the community around them. Until now. With social distancing the new norm and visitors barred from nursing homes and similar facilities, familiar faces have been absent, and all parties are missing their friends, according to Director of Volunteers Stella Clarke. The relationships are now refocused, with Clarke and staff trying to keep them going over the Internet. Attention is paid to the smallest detail that could put senior residents at risk. Cards are sent by email, then printed at Waveny so germs are not introduced to the Farm Road facility, Clarke said. The kids have been a really interesting perspective on how to deal with isolation, Clarke said, adding that residents enjoy the continued interaction, whatever the form, with younger friends. There are so many good things that have come out, she said. As much as those residing at Waveny are missing welcoming guests, their friends are missing the visits. Waveny volunteer milestones Years of service 45 years: Fiz Tomaselli 40 years: Janecke Madsen 10 years: Michelle Dore & Meca 5 years: Martha Castillo, Heather Devitt, Patty DiCostanzo 6,000 hours: Catherine Hollstein 5,600 hours: Janecke Madsen 3,600 hours: Lila Coleman 3,200 hours: Marion Blose 1,600 hours: Patricia Wood 800 hours: Flo Milano 700 hours: Joseph Bodak, Will Norton, Laura Tensen 500 hours: Elaine Sharlach & Harry, Lester Sharlach 400 hours: Martha Castillo, Catharine Sturgess 300 hours: Joan Brode, Susan McKay, Diana Siano 200 hours: Sister Donna Brodman, Ann Manzi, Martha Porretta 100 hours: Michael Bellaciccol, Karen Contegni, Audrey Cozzarin, Jeannie Daly, Gretchen Gertsen, Douglas Gillespie, Steve Huff, Terry Kirkpatrick & Scout, Mara Koschnitzke, Lynne Lippincott, Guy Odierno, Clare Shaughnessy, Emma Sirico, Kathryn Smith 50 hours: Evie Bradley, Lindsay Cator, Krista Colthup, Ray Davis, Daniel DiDemetrio, Elizabeth Dolan, Bob Forte, Tim Grosskopf, Carolyn Kyritz & Sydney, Karen Mackle, Shannon Murphy, Alexander Pysk, Katy Rahe & Indy, Austin Starr, Sarah Storch & Biscuit, Elaine Tracy, Sanford Woodard & Rhys See More Collapse Ive been phoning around to the elderly volunteers because its just as much a benefit for the residents outside as inside, Clarke said. Some of those older volunteers are now sewing masks and isolation gowns that are sterilized and distributed. We were able to give them to all our home care clients, Clarke said. That was a good piece of PPE that was free. It really raised their spirits and made them feel safer. Waveny has 450 active volunteers, and a larger number that have moved on to slightly more inactive, Clarke said. All undergo screening, background checks and training. Half are younger than 18, half older. We allow all ages, as long as the younger ones come with a parent, Clarke said. One is 8, and was missing the residents so much that she made her own personal video. An unexpected positive to the closure has been contact from people much farther away than usual. Now that were doing virtual we can go as wide as we like, Clarke said. We had all these fun music videos coming in from Michigan. Video is also allowing therapy and recreation staff to stay in touch with patients. Staff is also using video to reach clients now confined to their homes. The therapy and recreation staffs are doing a lot via Skype, Clarke said. April is traditionally the month when Waveny recognizes its volunteers at an annual luncheon. We will be doing an email and video each day, sharing thanks with different volunteers, Clarke said. Hours are tracked by Clarke and the Volunteer Operations staff. At the annual lunch, milestones are recognized in five-year increments. We are very, very flexible, Clarke said. There are lots of opportunities with schools that like to give community service requirements and with partners in the community that want to do community service. During the coronavirus pandemic, volunteers are kept away from Waveny. Staff, in full protective gear, is interacting with residents. You have to explore keeping everybody safe, Director of Marketing Christie Liberio said. This will be a whole new experience for volunteer management. They really want to keep in touch. I love my job, Clarke said, and its given me a glimpse of the most wonderful way people are embracing this. Everybody would echo that, Liberio said. The volunteers in the community have been amazing to Waveny and to the staff. Six people were rescued Saturday night after their boat capsized near Mobile, according to the Coast Guard. About 11:15 p.m. Saturday, watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Mobile received a report of a 22-foot SeaPro taking on water with six people aboard, the Coast Guard said. Coast Guard Station Dauphin Island then launched a 45-foot response boat and crew and a Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans MH-65 Dolphin Helicopter air crew. Once on the scene, the boat crew found all six people in the water. Five of them were wearing life jackets. One person was holding on to a cooler. All six people were pulled into the Coast Guard boat and taken back to the Dauphin Island station to wait for medical first responders, the Coast Guard said. All six people were in stable condition. The Coast Guard recommends personnel to wear life jackets if they believe there is possible distress with their vessel, said Lt. Ben Cariddi. The fact that most of the people rescued were wearing their lifejackets directly correlates with the success of this rescue. It is important for people to know that if their vessel capsizes they should stay as close to the vessel as possible so they can be more easily discovered and assisted by rescuers. Australia has been more effective than New Zealand in flattening the coronavirus curve despite imposing more lenient lockdown measures, an expert has claimed. New Zealanders will get their first taste of freedom in five weeks when stage four restrictions are lifted on Tuesday. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the country's complete shutdown had prevented devastation, with only four new cases reported nationwide on Sunday. But infectious diseases physician and microbiologist Professor Peter Collignon believes Australia's suppressed approach has been more slightly successful than New Zealand's elimination strategy. 'Both Australia and New Zealand have had similar success in flattening the curve,' the Australian National University professor told Daily Mail Australia. Australians could see lockdown restrictions eased in the coming weeks as the coronavirus curve continues to flatten. Pictured are police speaking a motorist in Sydney's Bondi last week 'It's just that Australia has achieved it with less collateral damage.' 'We've more than flattened the curve, we've turned it.' New Zealand's lockdown will be downgraded to level three restrictions more similar to Australia's on Tuesday. Social distancing measures will remain but hundreds of thousands of Kiwis will be allowed to return to work in previously sidelined industries such as construction and forestry. Residents will be urged to remain at home unless for essential reasons such as work, school or exercise. Experts have praised Australia's suppressed approach in flattening the curve. Pictured is how the growth of cases have plummeted since lockdowns were enforced Professor Collignon said our strategy has been more effective due to most Australians washing their hands more thoroughly and complying with the lockdown restrictions, despite a minority still flouting the rules. 'We've been able to achieve success results without the severe social or economic impacts the lockdown has had in New Zealand,' he said. 'Australians have still been able to buy takeaway, exercise and go to Bunnings.' Westpac has forecasted that New Zealand's economy will shrink in the June quarter (April, May and June) by 14 per cent as a result of its strict lockdowns. By comparison, Australia's economy is tipped to plummet by a lesser 8.5 per cent but that's still the steepest quarterly downturn since the 1930s Great Depression New Zealand's unemployment rate is forecast to more than double from 4.7 per cent in the March quarter to nine per cent. While Australia's 5.32 per cent unemployment rate for the March quarter was higher, it's is only forecast to rise grow to 8.2 per cent for June quarter. New Zealand's level four restrictions will be downgraded on Tuesday. Pictured is how the rise in cases have dropped during the five weeks of widespread lockdown In the last three months, Australia has recorded 6,719 cases and 83 deaths, compared to 1,121 cases and 19 deaths across the Tasman. 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 All of New Zealand's deaths have been elderly people, with a majority from clusters linked to two aged care homes in Auckland and Christchurch. But while Australia has had more cases and deaths, it has fared better in flattening the curve in terms of population comparison. Australia has recorded 26 cases per 100,000 compared to New Zealand's 30, despite being five times bigger in population. 'The New Zealand Government very much said, 'Right, we're going to Stage 4, this is what it looks like,' University of Melbourne epidemiologist Tony Blakely told ABC's 7.30. 'Australia's not been quite so clear cut and has been a little bit more, 'Let's get into a position, hold and reassess''.' Australia's success rate in controlling the pandemic could be even better if it wasn't for the Ruby Princess cruise ship fiasco, which was responsible for more than 600 cases and 21 deaths across the country, Professor Collignon said. Christchurch's nightlife hub was deserted for a fifth consecutive weekend on Saturday night 'People are worrying about schools when they should really worried about cruise ships,' Professor Collignon told Daily Mail Australia. 'We would have a third less cases if it wasn't for cruise ships.' There is no time frame as to when restrictions will be fully lifted, although Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison expects them to be in place for at least six months. Restrictions will also be eased across Australia in the coming weeks, where some states and territories already lifting several bans due to the flattening of the curve. But Professor Collignon warned we're a long way off from life returning to normal. 'We're going to have some level of restrictions for the next two years to ensure we don't see another widespread outbreak in infections,' he told Daily Mail Australia. 'That will include limitations on crowds.' 'We also have winter to get through as well.' He believes an effective vaccine will be the key to eliminating the virus. Expert Professor Peter Collignon said most Australians are complying with the lockdown. Pictured are police patrolling the Bay Run in Sydney's inner-west last week Just 10 new cases were reported across Australia in the 24 hours leading up to Monday morning. Gatherings of up to ten people for non-work activities are now permitted in Western Australia after Premier Mark McGowan announced a 'cautious relaxation' of restrictions. Queenslanders will be able go for a drive, sit at the beach, have a picnic, visit a national park and shop for non-essential items from midnight on Friday. The Northern Territory lifted its coronavirus lockdown on Monday after not recording a single new case for three weeks. Ms Ardern thanked New Zealanders for persisting with a month-long lockdown which included 'the strictest constraints paced on New Zealanders in modern history'. 'There is no widespread underlying community transmission in New Zealand. We have won that battle,' Ms Ardern said. 'It's worked and we've done it together.' Researchers tracking smartphone data say they recently made a disturbing discovery: For the first time since states began implementing stay-at-home orders in mid-March to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus, Americans are staying home less. The nationwide shift during the week of April 13 was relatively slight. However, any loss of momentum, particularly when stay-in-place orders remain in effect across most of the country, has some public health experts worried about "quarantine fatigue." Any increase in travel, they say, is premature when staying home remains the most effective way to limit the spread of the virus until widespread testing and contact tracing become available. "We saw something we hoped wasn't happening, but it's there," said Lei Zhang, lead researcher and director of the Maryland Transportation Institute at the University of Maryland. "It seems collectively we're getting a little tired. It looks like people are loosening up on their own to travel more." Zhang said he anticipates the number of people staying home will continue to drop as some states begin allowing businesses, beaches and other public facilities to reopen. That process began last week in South Carolina and Georgia. Public health experts say any data showing widespread public resolve or cooperation beginning to wane is noteworthy. Because this is the first U.S. pandemic in 100 years, they don't know how long people are willing to tolerate cabin fever for the greater good. They say they're not surprised, however, that a slide occurred in a week that saw the first highly publicized challenges to such orders by protesters and President Donald Trump, who tweeted his support to "liberate" states from shutdowns. The White House also released federal guidelines that week for states seeking to reopen their economies. And a growing number of governors, including in Texas, Minnesota and Vermont, set dates for when they planned to gradually lift restrictions. By April 17, the researchers found, the share of people presumed to have stayed home - meaning their phones didn't move at least a mile that day - declined from a national average of 33 percent to 31 percent, compared with the previous Friday. That came after six weeks of the staying-home percentage increasing or holding steady. The number of work trips remained about the same. However, the average number of personal daily trips grew to 2.5 per person, up from 2.4 the previous Friday - a 4 percent increase. Trips between counties and states also increased. Because the study's sample size is so large - more than 100 million cellphones observed monthly - even slight changes are statistically significant, Zhang said. Dr. Wilbur Chen, an associate professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, said it's too soon to know whether the findings reveal a one-week blip or the start of a trend. Chen, a member of Republican Gov. Larry Hogan's covid-19 task force in Maryland, said he's keeping a close eye on the data, but researchers won't know for several weeks if more travel led to more coronavirus hospitalizations or deaths - the two most reliable measures of the virus' spread. "But it all makes sense," Chen said. "If people are out and about, there's more risk of transmission, and when there's transmission, you have more cases of hospitalizations and deaths." George Rutherford, an epidemiology professor at the University of California at San Francisco, said he's concerned to hear that more people are venturing out while infections remain on the rise in much of the country. "We're going to have to do this carefully," Rutherford said of states beginning to ease restrictions. "Letting people decide for themselves because they're bored is not a good way to do it. . . . This is not the time to be letting up." Experts have theories about why the week of April 13, the most recent data available, became a tipping point. Many homebound Americans hit the mental milestone of the fifth week, technically entering a second month, with no clear end in sight. Even with the boom in video calls and virtual cocktail hours, they say, feelings of loneliness and isolation continue to mount. Balmy spring temperatures also probably drew people out, particularly in warmer regions where a hot, sticky summer will soon descend. It's also no coincidence, they say, that resolve would begin to wane amid the Trump-supported protests, even as most Americans tell pollsters they support stay-at-home requirements. Lorien Abroms, a public health professor at George Washington University, said it doesn't help that the public has received "mixed messages," including Trump's "tacit support" of the protesters. "I think the message is getting out that you can give in to your fatigue and say 'It's enough,' " Abroms said. Some people also might have mistakenly believed they could safely start bending the stay-at-home rules, experts say, when some governors began to publicly announce how and when their economies would begin to reopen. "People can feel it's coming, so they get more antsy," said Susan Hassig, an associate professor of epidemiology at Tulane University. "It's kind of like a kid before Christmas." Governors in Georgia, South Carolina and Tennessee announced reopening dates Monday, after the latest cellphone data was analyzed. However, the percentages of people staying home in those states as of April 17 already were among the lowest in the country, between 23 percent and 26 percent. Travis Gayles, the chief health officer in Montgomery County, Maryland, called the potential problem of residents losing patience "an important point that I think every jurisdiction across the country is grappling with in terms of making sure we reinforce our message related to shelter-in-place." Gayles said he wasn't familiar with the data, but questioned whether Montgomery residents might have ventured out more after the county began requiring shoppers to wear face coverings in stores, pharmacies and other retailers. Even so, Gayles said, "The message is very clear. We're still encouraging folks to stay home and only come out when they need to," such as to go to work or the grocery store. The reversal first became apparent last week, when the Maryland researchers continued to analyze the movements of smartphones via location data from apps. The aggregated and anonymous data, while imperfect, is an easily obtainable and consistent way to measure how much people move about, Zhang said. He said researchers are sharing the mobility data with government officials and epidemiologists modeling the spread of covid-19. The nationwide drop in the researchers' "social distancing index" started April 14. That was one day before thousands of protesters in Michigan received national attention for jamming roads around the state capitol, demanding that the restrictions be eased and people be allowed to return to work. The social distancing index reflects how much people stay home, as well as how much and how far they travel by plane, car, transit, bicycle and on foot, Zhang said. Phones that didn't make any stops of 10 minutes or more, such as those on people out for a bike ride or walk with the dog, were counted as staying home, Zhang said. In the Washington region, the District of Columbia and its suburbs all saw an increase in travel and a 1 percent to 5 percent drop in people staying home by April 17. The biggest drop occurred in Arlington County, Virginia, where 50 percent of residents stayed home, down from 55 percent the previous Friday. However, Arlington tied with the District for the highest percentage in the region. In Montgomery County, Maryland, the number of those staying home fell from 45 percent to 43 percent, while Prince George's County fell from 37 percent to 34 percent. In Northern Virginia, Fairfax County dropped from 46 percent to 44 percent, while Prince William County ended the week with 34 percent and Loudoun County with 37 percent. Of course, the data has its limits. Zhang said researchers are still trying to determine where people are going. If someone takes a round-trip drive to walk alone in the woods, for example, they would be counted as making two trips, even though they weren't any more likely to spread or catch the virus. Hassig, of Tulane, said the data is interesting because the United States has such limited experience requiring residents to stay home for lengthy periods. Any quarantines typically are small enough that local health officers can check in daily to monitor people's symptoms and encourage them to stay isolated. Moreover, she said, most last a maximum 14 to 21 days. "We can usually reduce the likelihood of substantial quarantine fatigue," Hassig said. ". . . On this massive scale, the support and encouragement can get lost." The coronavirus stay-at-home orders are far less restrictive than quarantines, but public health experts say convincing people to stay in will become harder as the weeks pass. The more effectively such orders lower rates of infection, they say, the more some people will incorrectly assume they're no longer necessary. Most importantly, experts say, governments wanting to discourage people from venturing out need to better understand why they're doing so. The response to restlessness, for example, might be to reopen larger parks or close more streets to traffic to allow people to get outdoors at safe distances. If some people are starting to drive for Uber or Lyft because they lost their retail job, the response might be more financial aid. For those feeling cut off, experts say, government messages of sympathy and compassion would help. "The isolation is real. The loneliness is real," said Abroms, of GWU. "We need to add that in our messaging. . . . We have to acknowledge that it's not easy to stay home." A demonstrator waves a U.S. flag at a Riverside County sheriff's deputy during a car rally to protest conditions in the county's jails, which have endured a coronavirus outbreak. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) For two weeks in early March, Riverside County Sheriff's Deputy Terrell Young routinely drove inmates, one at a time, from the Cois M. Byrd Detention Facility in Murrieta to a hospital for medical appointments. During those trips he was exposed to several people, including inmates and a nurse, who would later test positive for the coronavirus infection. When Young reported to work on March 22, he felt ill and realized he had a fever. Early in his shift, he notified a supervisor and went home. But by then, he and others probably had been spreading the virus without knowing for days. Less than two weeks later, Young died at age 52. Riverside County Sheriff's Deputy Terrell Young. (Riverside County Sheriff's Department) Now, the agency is grappling with one of the largest jail outbreaks of COVID-19 in the state. The latest figures show some 136 inmates and 71 Sheriffs Department employees have been infected. Many have recovered, but a second deputy and now an inmate have died. Early on, Sheriff Chad Bianco said he would not let inmates out early because of the disease. I feel very strongly that the inmates we have remaining in custody pose a much greater risk to public safety than the risk this virus poses to them while they are in custody, he said. But civil rights advocates have described the agencys efforts to protect people who live and work in the jails as woefully inadequate. Inmates said they feared their jail terms could turn into death sentences. Deputies worry about bringing the virus home to their families. A federal judge found that the Sheriffs Department "failed to demonstrate that it is currently taking adequate precautions" to protect those in custody and ordered officials to submit a plan to achieve physical distancing. Sheriff Chad Bianco of Riverside County. (Riverside County Sheriff's Department) The sheriff is really, as far as I know, standing alone in refusing to reduce the jail population at all, said Sara Norman, an attorney with the Prison Law Office, who sued over jail conditions. L.A., not enough, again, but they are taking steps. Only in Riverside has the sheriff said: Nope. Story continues The nation's overcrowded jails and prisons have become hotbeds of infection, spreading among inmates and staff. At Cook County Jail in Chicago, more than 460 inmates and 360 sheriff's employees have tested positive. Nearly half have recovered, but six inmates and one correctional officer have died. At Rikers Island and other jails in New York City, roughly 378 prisoners are infected and three have died. In California prisons, 178 people have tested positive and one has died. To combat the spread, authorities have sped up the release of some lower-level offenders and those with medical conditions. Los Angeles County, which typically houses about 17,000 inmates, had just 11,866 inmates in custody. Since the pandemic began, 71 L.A. County jail inmates and 61 Sheriff's Department employees have tested positive. A nursing staff member who worked in the jails died. But Bianco has generally spurned the broad release orders adopted in other agencies. In a court filing, the department said it already was releasing low-level offenders to ease overcrowding, including those who would otherwise qualify for compassionate release or who are at high risk of contracting the virus. It's unclear what criteria it uses for those releases. "There is no such thing as a low-level inmate in our custody. We don't hold them anyway," Bianco said during a news briefing this month. "If you don't wanna catch this virus while you're in custody, don't break the law." Lisa Matus has two sons in a Riverside County jail where there is an outbreak of COVID-19. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) Lisa Matus, who has two sons in the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility in Banning awaiting trials, said she was blown away by that statement. "Who makes him a judge now?" she asked. "You're supposed to house and protect them, and your staff." Bianco compared jail cells with an apartment, saying there's no social distancing inside a person's bedroom. The number of inmates allowed in dayrooms at one time, though, has been limited, he said. "To say that inmates have to have their own room while they come to jail and everything else, it isnt going to happen," he told The Times in an interview. "You dont get your own room when you go to your apartment or your house. Theyve chosen this as their home." The Sheriffs Department refused to provide a breakdown of coronavirus cases at the jails it runs. Bianco previously said authorities traced the first cluster of COVID-19 cases to one of Young's hospital transports the week of March 16. It's unclear where the exposure originated. But employees who worked overtime shifts in the jail may have become infected during that time and spread the virus around the department, he said. The day after Young went home early, nine co-workers called out sick with flu-like symptoms. One of them recovered after 14 days on a ventilator. Doctors at first didn't think he would make it, Bianco said. On April 2, a week after learning he had COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, Young was dead. Within 24 hours, another deputy, David Werksman, 51, also died from complications of the virus. Bianco said that Werksman, who spent 11 years on the bomb squad, may have contracted the virus at a funeral. He said none of Werksman's colleagues in the administrative office where he was assigned was symptomatic at the time. But Werksman's older brother, Harry, doubts the sheriff's claim. Few attended their 88-year-old mother's March 20 funeral David and another brother, a rabbi and a few funeral home employees. The details were worked out well in advance, he said, and the service concluded within five minutes. Harry Werksman, left, and his brother David Werksman, who was a Riverside County sheriff's deputy who died from complications of COVID-19. (Family photo) Harry Werksman said he didn't go because of the county's coronavirus lockdown. But he spoke to his brother while he drove home that weekend. David told him he felt run down, but Harry attributed the fatigue to the stress of his recent loss. When David began coughing and losing his voice, he went to the hospital and was sent home with the flu. "He was short of breath. He was coughing. And I was like, 'You sound terrible. Are you sure youre OK?'" Harry Werksman said. "And again he reiterated, Yeah, I got the flu. And I said OK." That was the last time they spoke. He found out later that his brother was hospitalized March 29 and died four days later. The deaths of the two deputies in such quick succession shocked co-workers. "Youre fighting an invisible beast and nobody knows where it's at; nobody knows how it's going to strike or anything like that," said Bill Young, president of the Riverside Sheriffs' Assn. At the time, Bianco said he believed a majority of employees who tested positive for the virus were somehow linked to one of Young's hospital transports. In the days before Young fell ill, Willie Meadows, 56, said he and other inmates were packed like sardines onto a bus and taken from Cois M. Byrd to Larry D. Smith. None of them wore masks or gloves. Within 48 hours, Meadows said he felt sick. He lost his appetite and had trouble swallowing. It was hard to breathe. During phone conversations, Meadows sounded like he was underwater, his fiancee, Marita Person, said. By April 1, he had a fever of 99.6 and his housing unit was on lockdown, according to medical documents provided by his family. The next day, he was swabbed for COVID-19. Four days later, the records show, his test came back positive. It's unclear when he was infected or whether his exposure was related to Young. According to Meadows and Person, the rest of his 20-bed pod also was infected. At first, there were 15 inmates housed there, and at some point, deputies added seven more, with two people sleeping on floor beds. Meadows said he was recovering. As close to death as I wanna get, Meadows said. The Sheriffs Department declined to answer questions about Meadows account due to privacy for the inmate. On Sunday, an inmate who had been housed at the same jail as Meadows died of complications related to the virus. The inmate, who was not identified but had been in custody since August 2018, came down with flu-like symptoms on April 13 and tested positive the next day, the Sheriff's Department said. Six days later, his symptoms worsened and he was taken to a hospital. Bianco has yet to release the court-ordered jail safety plan. Norman suggested moving inmates to the new jail in Indio that currently sits empty, but the Sheriff's Department said the facility was not ready to house people. Bianco said he hoped it would be ready in the next couple of months. Deputies are arresting fewer people new bookings into jail have dropped to about 50 a day from 100, and about 3,230 people are in custody in the jails, which have the capacity to hold about 3,700, Bianco said. But he said broader actions were unwise. The California Judicial Council implemented a temporary zero-bail policy for misdemeanors and lower-level felonies to reduce jail populations, which the Sheriff's Department said it was complying with. Bianco, though, has called the policy "extremely reckless" and says it could result in the release of hundreds of inmates. "The truth is, our jail population is at historically low levels and we have more than enough space to isolate and quarantine infected inmates," he said previously. "The truth is these inmates receive excellent treatment and have greater access to medical care more readily than most of you who are not in jail." Activists and relatives of inmates recently held a car rally calling on Bianco to release inmates who can't afford bail. They said it's impossible to physically distance in a crammed dorm behind bars or to practice safe hygiene without sufficient cleaning supplies. Some taped posters to their hoods and doors. "Where is my dad and how is he doin?" one read. "Jails + COVID-19 = Death Chambers," said another. Some accounts from inmates and civil rights advocates about unsafe jail conditions are at odds with Bianco's statements. He said inmates received "all of the cleaning supplies they could possibly want" and that they were "actually sick of us making them clean." "If they say they dont feel good, they get isolated. If they say they have a stomachache, they get isolated. If they say something just doesnt feel right, they need to see a nurse, they get isolated," Bianco said. "We monitor them for a period of time, if they start to develop any type of symptoms, theyre tested." Frank Cooper, 43, was set to be released from San Bernardino County jail on April 16. His wife, Jackie, had rearranged the metal shack on their property so that he could quarantine for 14 days before coming home. But he never showed up. She found out later that Cooper was transferred to Riverside County jail on a warrant in an unrelated grand theft case. Cooper told The Times that he was placed in a holding cell for three days with no soap and the same mask hed brought from the San Bernardino lockup. He then was moved to a dorm where he said bunks were a foot-and-a-half apart and 25 inmates shared three small bars of soap a day. He tore up his bathroom towel so he could have a rag to wipe down his bunk and the phones. Two people were removed from his unit in three days, he said, because they had fevers or were sick. Other inmates were ordered to pack up the sick inmates belongings and leave them by the door. Cooper refused to touch the items, he said, noting that he has high blood pressure and is prediabetic. If I get it, I might not make it through, he said. In a Facebook message to Bianco, Jackie Cooper pointed to her husband's medical conditions and pleaded for his early release. The sheriff responded: Frank Cooper will be allowed to spend the remainder of his term his release was scheduled in November on house arrest, with an ankle bracelet. Bianco warned of the consequences for violating those terms. "There are no 'second chances,'" he wrote. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have added six new COVID-19 symptoms to watch out for. The original list consisted of three familiar symptoms fever, cough and shortness of breath. Now the list includes chills, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat and loss of taste or smell. The symptoms usually appear within two to 14 days after exposure to the virus. It stresses the emergency warning signs for COVID-19 are trouble breathing, persistent pain or pressure in the chest, confusion or inability to arouse and bluish lips or face. One of the reasons COVID-19 has been so hard to contain is because pre-symptomatic or asymptomatic people are likely spreading it without knowing it. In an interview with Science Magazine, George Gao, director-general of the Chinese CDC said that the droplets that come out of a persons mouth when they speak are reduced when wearing a mask and could help stop the transfer from contagious people who dont necessarily know they are carrying the virus. Some experts have also said that people who recover from the coronavirus could develop immunity to the virus, at least in the short term. But the World Health Organization said there is currently no evidence to support that theory. According to the Swedish Ambassador to the U.S., Karin Ulrika Olofsdotter, Stockholm is on course to reach herd immunity in May. About 30% of people in Stockholm have reached a level of immunity, said Olofsdotter in an interview with NPR. We could reach herd immunity in the capital as early as next month. Herd immunity is a form of indirect protection from infectious disease that occurs when over 60% of a population has become immune to an infection, whether through previous infections or vaccination, thereby providing a measure of protection for individuals who are not immune. However, more than 260 patients in South Korea have retested as COVID-19 positive after it was thought they had recovered, according to South Koreas CDC. The number of COVID-19 cases in Massachusetts now stands at 54,938 as health officials announce 1,590 new cases of the virus on Sunday. Officials also confirmed 169 new deaths, bringing the statewide total to 2,899. Related Content: [April 26, 2020] Rapyd Disburse Launches With Expanded Global Payout Features, Supports Gig Economy and Marketplace Growth in Changing Economic Environment Mass-payout capabilities expanded to over 100 countries, enables quick payouts to sellers, suppliers, and workers in Asia, the US, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa LONDON and SINGAPORE, April 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Rapyd, a global Fintech as a Service company, announced today a major expansion of Rapyd Disburse , an industry-leading mass-payout platform. The company has made significant investments in the Rapyd Global Payments Network in Europe and the Americas, and now offers more payout methods in Asia than any other payout platform. A simplified user interface for clients to onboard is now available, so clients can begin to more quickly disburse funds locally or cross-border. By expanding core disbursement functionality and deeply integrating them with Rapyd's Fintech as a service technology stack - Collect, Issuing and Wallet - businesses can now leverage a single, unified cloud-based solution that delivers the broadest array of payment acceptance and disbursement capabilities with reach to more than 100 countries. The Rapyd Global Payments Network provides significant globalreach including 26 countries and regions across Asia including Singapore, India, Taiwan, and Japan. Expansion across the Americas has also occurred with more payout coverage in the United States, Brazil, and Mexico. And depth of coverage in the EMEA region has been broadened in France, Germany, the United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, and Kenya. Rapyd will be extending wider coverage for bank payouts across Africa in the next two quarters. Significant changes in the economic landscape are moving businesses to get online and pay their suppliers, workers, and partners electronically quickly and easily. Yet, both new and existing online businesses are finding it challenging to pay efficiently, at low cost, and in the preferred local payment methods they need, including local and cross-border bank transfers, into ewallets, push-to-card, or even in cash. Rapyd Disburse bypasses legacy mass-payout platforms by providing APIs that improve the user experience and supports multiple disbursement use cases including B2B supplier payments, B2C mass payouts for digital platform businesses and P2P transfers for remittance firms and banks. Built-in platform features help prevent fraud, cover regulations and compliance, and manage foreign exchange conversion. Rapyd Chief Product Officer Helcio Nobre stated, "In this quickly changing economic environment businesses are looking for a modern disbursement solution that leverages speed-to-market, provides global payout reach and offers flexible technology options to support rapidly changing use cases. Enabled through the Rapyd Global Payments Network, Rapyd Disburse gives businesses unparalleled reach and scale providing highly localised payment experiences based on consumer payment preferences." The global disbursement market is expanding quickly worldwide, and notably in Asia. According to research from the "Rapyd 2020 State of Disbursements: APAC Outlook" which surveyed consumers across 7 countries in the Asia-Pacific region and found that bank transfers are the preeminent way consumers prefer to receive funds. Consumers choose to receive a bank transfer 53% of the time, followed by cash (16%) and ewallet transfers (14%). Additionally, Rapyd found consumers are most concerned about security, speed and the costs of the funds being received. The full research report which focuses on Asia-Pacific payment trends will be publicly released on 4 May 2020. The global economy is re-focusing to a new playing field and a changed set of market realities. Digital businesses such as marketplaces, content delivery networks, gaming, and online education applications support a growing number of entrepreneurs with new income streams. Marketplaces and gig-economy platforms that can support cross-border payouts for remote workers, and B2B suppliers stand to benefit considerably as the world adapts to new market conditions. Rapyd Disburse solves these global disbursement challenges by simplifying the complexity of local and cross-border payouts so new markets can be reached faster. For more information visit https://www.rapyd.net/disburse . About Rapyd Rapyd does for fintech what the cloud did for IT. They built the world's largest local payments network to power frictionless global commerce. Innovative ecommerce companies, technology firms and marketplaces use their Fintech as a Service platforms: Collect, Disburse, Wallet and Issuing to seamlessly integrate payment capabilities into their applications. The Rapyd Global Payments Network covers 900+ locally preferred payment methods, including bank transfers, ewallets and cash in more than 100 countries. Now businesses can open new markets, create new fintech applications, and reach four billion consumers worldwide without thinking about infrastructure or regulations. Investors include Stripe, General Catalyst, Oak FT, Tiger Global, Durable Capital, Target Global, and TaL Capital. For more information, visit www.rapyd.net Video - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1159779/Rapyd_Disburse.mp4 Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1159780/Rapyd_Logo.jpg SOURCE Rapyd [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] India is focusing on a two-pronged strategy aimed at saving lives of its citizens while also restarting economic activities that have come to a virtual standstill due to the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told chief ministers in a video conference on Monday. Going forward, the country needs to gradually convert its red zones (districts with high number of Covid-19 infections) first into orange zones (districts with fewer cases) and, eventually, into green zones (districts with no infections), Modi said, according to a communication released by his office after the meeting. The green zones should be treated as sacred places, he said. These places will contribute to economic activity, but collectively practice social distancing...Our focus will be how to expand the green zone. Watch | PM Modi discusses lockdown exit strategy with CMs: All the key details According to a government assessment in mid-April, 170 districts in 20 states and five Union Territories (UTs) were identified as red zones. Additionally, there were 207 orange zones in the country, and the rest of Indias 730-odd districts were classified as green zones. I would like that red zones and hot spots to show extra caution...we should make special teams in those areas, Modi said, stressing that the task will be to keep the safe zones safe. All chief ministers, or their representatives, were present during the discussions on Indias response to the deadly infection and the way ahead, but just nine of them could speak due to time constraints. While Meghalaya said it will likely extend the lockdown announced to stop the spread of the contagion beyond May 3, Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh felt curbs should be in place but left the decision to the Prime Minister, according to an official aware of the developments who did not want to be named. Others Mizoram, Puducherry, Uttarakhand, Odisha, Bihar and Haryana who got the chance to speak in the fourth such meeting between Modi and the chief ministers since March 20 supported the lifting of the lockdown. Modi announced a 21-day nationwide lockdown that came into place on March 25. Later, he extended the curbs till May 3 as Covid-19 cases continued rising in the country. The lockdown has yielded positive results; the country has managed to save thousands of lives in the past one and a half months, Modi told the chief ministers. In his address, Modi underlined the key challenge India was facing that of balancing lives and livelihood. With economic activity coming to a halt, workers in the unorganised sector are staring at a bleak future and millions of jobs are on the line in the organised sector. At the same time, Indias front line health care staff are fighting a battle to slow the rate of the deadly disease. ..on the one hand, we are challenged by how to save lives...on the other, we also have to equally focus on the financial aspect of this....Thats why we have to strengthen economic activities... (and) increase our strength to combat the virus, he said, according to the person quoted above. Modi said areas that are hard hit by the disease will also suffer the maximum impact on the economy front. The Prime Minister said with the restarting of conditional and limited economic activities from April 20, Indias challenges have increased too. We have to analyse whether these (the relaxations announced by the government) led to new kind of challenges in these areas, he said. Modi reiterated that social distancing --- of at least two yards --- was the need of the hour, and authorities cannot compromise on this aspect in the fight against the fast-spreading infection. He also advocated the need for wearing masks. This should be made into a mantra for all: do gaj doori (a distance of two yards). We have to keep spreading this message and it should be a life lesson for all. In the same way, masks or face covers should become a major part of our lives. Modi stressed that there will be no discrimination against states on the basis of the number of infections and all will be equally treated. With all humility, I want to tell CMs, if there is a spike in cases, your state will not be seen as guilty. If cases are low in your state, it will not be seen as great (achievement). We dont want this sentiment..., he said. Modi laid emphasis on the importance of technology, and suggested that people associated with universities can be roped in for devising ways to strengthen research and innovation. We have to be brave and bring in reforms that touch the lives of common citizens, he said. Modi also asked the health sector to be prepared to tackle seasonal diseases despite the Covid-19 outbreak. In June, there are particular diseases associated with the heat. We have to get our systems ready and started for this. Some doctors have shut their clinics and we have to operationalise them. All services cannot stop for coronavirus, he said. The Trayvon Hoax: Unmasking the Witness Fraud that Divided America , is a stunning work of investigative journalism. Hollywood filmmaker Joel Gilbert claims to reveal the true story of the 2012 shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, a case that divided America. By examining Trayvon's 750-page cell phone records, Gilbert alleges that the key witness for the prosecution of George Zimmerman, Rachel Jeantel, was a fraud. He asserts that it was a different girl who was on the phone with Trayvon just before he was shot. She was the 16-year-old whose recorded phone conversation with family attorney Benjamin Crump ignited the public, swayed President Obama, and provoked the nation's media to demand Zimmerman's arrest. Gilbert's painstaking research takes him through the high schools of Miami, into the back alleys of Little Haiti, and finally to Florida State University where he finds Trayvon's real girlfriend, the real phone witness, Diamond Eugene. Gilbert confirms his revelations with forensic handwriting analysis and DNA testing. After obtaining unredacted court documents and reading Diamond Eugene's vast social media archives, Gilbert reconstructs the true story of Trayvon Martin's troubled teenage life and tragic death. In the process, Gilbert exposes in detail the most consequential hoax in recent American judicial history. The Trayvon Hoax was ground zero for the downward spiral of race relations in America. This incredible film and book have the potential to correct American history and bring America back together again. George Zimmerman was inspired to launch a lawsuit based on the research in his documentary that is making its way through the Florida courts. Contact: Joel Gilbert Email: [email protected] The Trayvon Hoax film website: https://www.thetrayvonhoax.com Free You Tube Movie Link: https://youtu.be/QAw5ykIPOBM Are you an Indian stranded abroad: Here are the websites to register on to come home Indians stranded abroad set to return home after May 3: Centre tells states to keep facilities ready India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Apr 27: Special flights would soon fly back Indians stranded abroad. The Centre has started making preparations to run several special flights to bring back Indians stranded abroad. Last week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a series of discussions with top officials on this issue. Cabinet Secretary, Rajiv Gauba informed the states to start making arrangements to earmark hospitals, and quarantine zones for Indian nationals stuck abroad. The government will make arrangements to bring back those Indians stuck abroad after the national lockdown ends. Coronavirus positive cases in India rises to 26,496; Death toll at 824 Officials tell OneIndia that the Ministry of External Affairs is already making an assessment of people who want to return to India. The ministry not just assessing the people stranded abroad, but also those who want to come back too. The number in the case of Kerala would be the highest as there are 1,00,000 experts wanting to come back. The other states which have a high number of expats abroad are Delhi, Maharashtra, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu. The official cited above said that the Indians abroad would be brought to the International Airport closest to their state. The travel requirements would be kept at a minimum. Those who arrive will be taken straight to the quarantine centres, where they would have to spend a minimum of 14 days. The states have been asked to ensure that the facilities are ready for these persons. A Northern California man has been arrested on suspicion of raping and killing a woman four decades ago after investigators used an advanced search technique to identify the suspect through DNA of possible family members. Phillip Lee Wilson, 71, was arrested at his home on Thursday on suspicion of killing Robin Gisela Brooks, who was 20 years old when she was stabbed to death in her Rosemont apartment on April 24, 1980. Brooks was last seen walking home alone after ending her night shift around midnight at the Donut Time shop on Keifer Boulevard and Tallyho Drive, according to the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office. Phillip Lee Wilson (left), 71, was arrested at his home on Thursday on suspicion of killing Robin Gisela Brooks (right), who was 20 years old when she was stabbed to death in her Rosemont apartment on April 24, 1980 Brooks' friend discovered her body in the bedroom of her home after she failed to show up for her 4pm shift at Donut Time. Brooks had been sexually assaulted and stabbed multiple times Authorities said later in the day on April 24, a friend of Brooks arrived at her apartment for a swim date but she didn't receive a response at the door. At 4pm, when Brooks failed to show up for her shift at the donut shop, her friend forced her way into her apartment and found Brooks dead in her bedroom, police said. Brooks had been sexually assaulted and stabbed multiple times. There were no immediate suspects and the case went cold until 2004 when investigators developed a DNA profile from the person who apparently cut himself during the assault. Sgt Micki Links, who continued to investigate the case after she retired, said detectives used genetic genealogy to link Wilson to the crime. The same DNA search technique was used to capture the suspected Golden State Killer who committed a series of California rapes and killings in the 1970s and 1980s. Sgt Micki Links (right), who continued to investigate the case after she retired, said detectives used genetic genealogy to link Wilson to the crime How law enforcement use popular ancestry websites to track down cold case killers Investigators across the country have embraced genetic genealogy, a DNA-dependent forensic technique that identifies suspects through their relatives. The technique involves cross-referencing the DNA profile of an unidentified suspect with public databases containing DNA from users who've submitted samples to consumer companies such as 23andMe and Ancestry.com to explore their family tree and get informed about potential genetic health concerns. Genetic genealogy gained notoriety through decades-old cold cases like the Golden State Killer, and police are now using it on fresh cases as well. While many are excited by what genetic genealogy means for the future of forensic investigations, others have expressed concerns about genetic privacy and policy procedures. Advertisement 'I have been involved in this investigation for 16 years,' Links said Friday at a news conference announcing Wilson's arrest. 'I've dreamed of this day to actually stand up here and say we've arrested the man responsible for this crime.' Brooks' sister, Maria, joined the conference by video and said she hoped Wilson's arrest will give hope to other victims of unsolved crimes. 'I know Robin is smiling and saying job well done,' she said. Wilson is being held without bail at the Sacramento County jail on one charge of murder. Irish Rural Link (IRL) the national network representing the interest of rural communities has welcomed the sourcing of a months supply of hand sanitiser for Meals on Wheels organisations across the country by Irish-owned Consultancy Firm 3Sixty. Also read: 11 more cases of Covid-19 confirmed in Longford IRL have a network of their Meals on Wheels members and are aware of the increase in demand for the service since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis. They are also facing many extra challenges at this time including; sourcing extra supplies of hand sanitiser, gloves, face masks etc. Meals on Wheels organisations continue to be underfunded and have to rely on fundraising activities and other income sources to top up on any funding they receive from the HSE. They are only able to budget year to year and with all fundraising events and use of their space for other activities having to be cancelled, it has impacted on their annual budgets just three months into the year. IRL were delighted when 3Sixty approached us to help out with sourcing hand sanitiser and that Distilleries Ireland, the national body for independent distilleries, came on board in contacting their members across Ireland who had begun producing hand gel and are now offering to supply hand gel free-of-charge for Meals on Wheels groups. Seamus Boland CEO of Irish Rural Link, has said This donation is very welcome and I know our Meals on Wheels members will appreciate this also. These groups have been hit hard with extra costs due to the increase in demand and donations like this one will help them continue to deliver the service to one of the most vulnerable groups of people in a safe way. He went onto say that This initiative has been amazing and the goodwill of companies like 3SIXTY and the Distilleries is a great example of Business and community working together" If Meals on Wheels groups across the country are in need of Hand Sanitiser, they can contact Irish Rural Link on 090 6482744 and we will arrange delivery of it for you. Senior Producers, Larger-Cap Near-Term Production Royalty & Streaming Price Shrs O/S Mkt Cap Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Cash Flow Per Share Price/Cash Flow EV/EBITDA Div Yld Symbol Rating 24-Apr-20 (MM) (US$MM) 2019 2020E 2021E 2020E 2021E 2019 2020E 2021E 2020E 2021E 2020E % Altius Minerals Corp ALS 1.8 C$8.02 42 $238 0.55 0.29 0.38 28.1 21.0 1.03 0.77 0.92 10.5 8.8 -- 1.6% Anglo Pacific Group PLC (UK) APF 1.6 GBP$1.51 181 $339 0.20 0.21 0.24 7.1 6.3 0.26 0.22 0.24 7.0 6.4 19.5 3.8% Franco-Nevada FNV 2.4 US$136.18 189 $25,851 1.82 2.21 2.41 61.5 56.5 3.29 3.79 4.15 35.9 32.8 52.6 1.0% Maverix Metals (CA) MMX 2.3 C$5.84 120 $497 0.09 0.12 0.17 50.8 34.8 0.25 0.31 0.35 18.8 16.5 -- 0.2% Osisko Gold Royalties Ltd OR 2.0 C$13.05 157 $1,455 0.28 0.31 0.45 42.3 29.1 0.61 0.70 0.90 18.6 14.4 53.9 1.6% Royal Gold Inc RGLD 3.0 US$125.43 66 $8,225 1.99 2.79 3.13 44.9 40.1 4.50 5.44 5.86 23.0 21.4 30.2 0.9% Sandstorm Gold Ltd (CA) SAND 2.2 US$7.55 189 $1,431 0.06 0.12 0.17 64.7 45.4 0.30 0.36 0.41 21.2 18.5 35.7 0.0% Wheaton Precious Metals WPM 1.9 US$39.65 448 $17,719 0.56 0.87 1.04 45.5 38.2 1.12 1.48 1.70 26.8 23.3 30.6 1.2% Average 43.1 33.9 20.2 17.8 37.1 Gold Large-Cap Gold Agnico-Eagle Mines Ltd AEM 2.1 US$60.91 241 $14,695 0.96 1.29 2.19 47.1 27.9 3.70 4.15 5.72 14.7 10.6 18.4 0.9% AngloGold Ashanti Ltd AU 2.6 US$27.25 416 $11,301 0.91 2.10 2.64 13.0 10.3 2.50 3.56 4.16 7.6 6.5 8.4 0.5% Barrick Gold Corp ABX 2.2 US$27.10 1778 $48,177 0.51 0.77 0.89 35.2 30.4 1.61 2.40 2.53 11.3 10.7 15.4 1.1% Kirkland Lake Gold (CA) KL 1.8 US$42.78 287 $12,263 2.74 2.95 3.21 14.5 13.3 4.38 4.54 5.06 9.4 8.5 65.6 0.4% Newcrest Mining Ltd (AU) NCM 2.7 US$18.22 769 $13,977 0.79 0.93 1.00 19.5 18.3 1.75 1.80 1.93 10.1 9.4 11.4 1.1% Newmont Goldcorp NEM 2.1 US$63.11 808 $50,979 1.32 2.25 3.14 28.0 20.1 3.89 4.95 5.97 12.8 10.6 23.8 1.3% Polyus Gold International (UK) PGIL 1.8 RU$12,095.0 134 $21,826 769.61 1041.83 1222.06 11.6 9.9 1054.82 1257.28 1390.67 9.6 8.7 -- 2.3% Zijin Mining Group (HK) 2899 1.8 CNY$3.18 25377 $14,335 0.18 0.26 0.41 12.2 7.7 0.45 0.45 0.53 7.0 6.1 22.9 2.9% Average 22.6 17.2 10.3 8.9 23.7 Mid-Cap Gold Price Shrs O/S Mkt Cap Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Cash Flow Per Share Price/Cash Flow EV/EBITDA Div Yld Symbol Rating 24-Apr-20 (MM) (US$MM) 2019 2020E 2021E 2020E 2021E 2019 2020E 2021E 2020E 2021E 2020E % Alamos Gold AGI 2.2 US$8.08 391 $3,160 0.21 0.30 0.51 27.1 15.8 0.66 0.73 1.03 11.1 7.8 19.6 0.7% B2Gold Corp BTG 1.6 US$5.41 1030 $5,575 0.23 0.43 0.39 12.6 13.8 0.49 0.72 0.68 7.6 7.9 17.6 0.2% Buenaventura (ADR) BVN 2.9 US$7.30 276 $2,230 (0.05) 0.24 0.54 30.9 13.6 0.20 0.44 0.83 16.5 8.8 8.7 0.6% Centamin PLC (CA) CEE 1.9 US$2.08 1156 $2,395 0.07 0.14 0.12 14.9 17.1 0.16 0.20 0.20 10.3 10.3 5.3 4.8% Centerra Gold (CA) CG 2.3 US$8.75 294 $2,571 0.62 1.04 1.31 8.4 6.7 1.14 2.13 2.42 4.1 3.6 7.6 0.0% Endeavour Mining Corp (CA) EDV 1.8 US$19.45 110 $2,143 0.67 1.39 1.84 14.0 10.6 2.75 3.69 4.36 5.3 4.5 11.9 0.0% Equinox Gold Corp (CA) EQX 2.1 US$8.25 216 $1,785 (0.16) 0.76 1.03 10.9 8.0 0.53 1.37 1.94 6.0 4.3 -- 0.0% Evolution Mining Ltd (AU) EVN 2.5 AUD$5.18 1704 $5,623 0.18 0.28 0.31 18.7 17.0 0.46 0.58 0.58 8.9 8.9 13.2 3.4% Gold Fields Ltd (ADR) GFI 2.4 US$8.16 883 $7,302 0.20 0.50 0.95 16.5 8.6 1.08 1.32 1.81 6.2 4.5 7.4 0.8% Harmony Gold Mining Ltd HAR 2.5 ZAR$72.37 543 $2,057 3.76 7.22 9.36 10.0 7.7 10.05 15.22 17.70 4.8 4.1 9.8 0.0% Kinross Gold Corp KGC 2.3 US$7.08 1257 $8,906 0.34 0.48 0.54 14.8 13.1 0.97 1.14 1.26 6.2 5.6 12.0 0.0% Lundin Gold Inc (CA) LUG 2.3 US$6.91 224 $1,555 (0.10) 0.29 0.58 24.3 11.9 (0.10) 0.59 1.01 11.7 6.9 -- 0.0% Northern Star Resources (AU) NST 2.7 AUD$13.19 740 $6,217 0.43 0.83 1.06 15.9 12.4 0.82 1.30 1.55 10.1 8.5 20.9 1.3% NovaGold Resources Inc NG 2.0 US$12.08 329 $3,966 (0.09) (0.08) -- -- -- -- -- (0.03) -- -- -- 0.0% Polymetal International PLC (UK) POLY 2.1 US$20.70 470 $9,715 1.25 1.72 1.89 12.0 11.0 1.46 2.09 2.12 9.9 9.8 14.8 3.9% Saracen Mineral Holdings (AU) SAR 2.0 AUD$4.40 1103 $3,091 0.18 0.32 0.36 13.9 12.2 0.33 0.48 0.56 9.1 7.9 54.1 0.0% Sibanye Gold Ltd (SA) SGL -- ZAR$44.33 2670 $7,646 -- (0.40) 9.55 -- 4.6 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- SSR Mining SSRM 2.0 US$17.43 123 $2,145 0.81 1.23 1.76 14.2 9.9 1.10 2.09 2.56 8.4 6.8 9.4 0.0% Yamana Gold Inc AUY 2.4 US$4.78 952 $4,528 0.35 0.16 0.22 30.1 21.8 0.55 0.64 0.74 7.5 6.4 8.8 0.8% Zhaojin Mining Industry Co Ltd (HK) 1818 1.9 CNY$8.53 3270 $3,941 0.15 0.29 0.33 29.4 25.5 0.78 0.68 0.82 12.5 10.4 21.7 0.5% Average 17.7 12.7 8.7 7.1 15.2 Note: Currency shown is that used by the company for financial reporting. Currency does not always reflect the country/market in which the company/stock symbol trades. GAAP may differ between stocks due to countries and markets. The tables are compiled from the Thomson Reuters database of consensus Ratings & Estimates of equity analysts. The historicals and estimates of earnings and cash flows exclude non-operating, special items. Thomson Reuters Rating System: Buy (1.0), Buy/Hold (2.0), Hold (3.0), Sell/Hold (4.0), Sell (5.0) Source: Thomson Reuters. Small-Cap Gold Price Shrs O/S Mkt Cap Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Cash Flow Per Share Price/Cash Flow EV/EBITDA Div Yld Symbol Rating 24-Apr-20 (MM) (US$MM) 2019 2020E 2021E 2020E 2021E 2019 2020E 2021E 2020E 2021E 2020E % Alacer Gold Corp (CA) ASR 2.1 US$5.06 295 $1,496 0.37 0.49 0.55 10.3 9.2 0.86 0.99 1.03 5.1 4.9 52.4 0.0% DRDGold Ltd (ADR) DROOY 5.0 ZAR$18.20 865 $824 0.49 0.94 0.50 19.5 36.4 1.17 1.26 -- 14.4 -- 39.1 0.0% Dundee Precious Metals (CA) DPM 1.8 US$4.72 181 $853 0.19 0.56 0.64 8.5 7.4 0.55 1.00 1.29 4.7 3.6 11.6 0.0% Eldorado Gold Corp EGO 2.8 US$9.76 165 $1,611 0.04 0.81 0.58 12.1 17.0 0.93 2.06 1.65 4.7 5.9 12.5 0.0% Gold Resource Corp GORO 2.0 US$3.92 70 $277 0.09 0.20 0.19 20.1 21.2 -- -- -- -- 0.4% Gold Road Resources Ltd (AU) GOR 2.3 AUD$1.66 880 $927 0.01 0.10 0.10 16.1 16.4 0.04 0.16 0.16 10.1 10.4 -- 0.0% Golden Star Resources GSS 2.6 US$2.47 161 $270 0.16 0.23 0.39 10.5 6.3 0.21 0.73 0.83 3.4 3.0 6.9 0.0% Gran Colombia Gold Corp (CA) GCM 2.0 US$4.16 61 $253 0.73 1.26 1.19 3.3 3.5 1.24 1.57 1.65 2.6 2.5 -- 0.0% Great Bear Resources (CA) GBR 1.7 C$9.00 46 $294 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 0.0% Hecla Mining Co HL 3.1 US$2.47 523 $1,292 (0.13) (0.01) 0.10 -- 23.6 0.25 0.29 0.40 8.6 6.1 7.3 0.3% Highland Gold Mining Ltd (UK) HGM 1.7 US$2.89 364 $1,050 0.45 0.33 0.33 8.9 8.8 0.38 0.51 0.50 5.7 5.8 8.6 6.2% Hochschild Mining PLC (UK) HOC 2.4 US$1.63 514 $835 0.09 0.11 0.17 14.9 9.6 0.55 0.33 0.52 5.0 3.1 2.9 0.9% Iamgold Corp IAG 2.6 US$3.57 470 $1,688 (0.04) 0.22 0.36 16.4 9.9 0.78 0.82 0.97 4.4 3.7 4.4 0.0% K92 Mining (CA) KNT 1.4 US$2.60 213 $554 0.12 0.21 0.33 12.2 7.8 0.13 0.29 0.41 8.8 6.4 -- 0.0% McEwen Mining Inc. MUX 2.0 US$1.05 400 $420 (0.17) (0.03) 0.07 -- 16.2 (0.11) (0.03) 0.01 -- NM -- 0.0% New Gold Inc NGD 2.7 US$0.86 676 $581 (0.08) (0.07) 0.03 -- 32.5 0.43 0.33 0.44 2.6 2.0 4.1 0.0% Oceanagold Corp (AU) OGC 2.2 US$1.54 622 $931 0.05 0.09 0.25 18.0 6.1 0.32 0.35 0.57 4.4 2.7 3.9 0.0% Orla Mining Ltd (CA) OLA 2.0 C$3.11 224 $495 (0.16) (0.09) 0.01 -- NM (0.14) (0.06) 0.01 -- NM -- 0.0% Osisko Mining Corp (CA) OSK 1.8 C$3.17 291 $654 (0.17) (0.04) (0.05) -- -- (0.01) (0.04) (0.04) -- -- -- 0.0% Pan African Resources (UK) PAF 1.0 US$0.18 1928 $349 0.02 0.04 0.05 4.4 3.8 0.03 0.04 -- 4.5 -- 12.4 1.0% Perseus Mining Ltd (AU) PRU 2.0 AUD$1.19 1168 $882 0.03 0.07 0.12 18.1 10.0 0.15 0.20 0.27 6.1 4.5 -- 0.0% Petropavlovsk PLC (UK) POG 1.5 US$0.30 3310 $983 0.02 0.05 0.05 6.5 6.6 0.01 0.04 0.07 7.0 4.5 7.8 0.0% Premier Gold Mines Ltd (CA) PG 1.9 US$1.30 237 $309 (0.10) (0.02) 0.09 -- 15.0 0.11 0.06 0.31 20.9 4.1 6.2 0.0% Pretium Resources PVG 2.4 US$8.29 185 $1,537 0.55 0.53 0.62 15.8 13.5 1.21 1.19 1.28 7.0 6.5 -- 0.0% Regis Resources Ltd (AU) RRL 2.2 AUD$4.54 508 $1,469 0.38 0.47 0.52 9.7 8.7 0.59 0.67 0.71 6.8 6.4 8.9 3.7% Ramelius Resources Ltd (AU) RMS 1.8 AUD$1.21 769 $593 0.06 0.10 0.14 12.5 8.8 0.23 0.25 0.29 4.8 4.2 11.1 0.8% Resolute Mining Ltd (AU) RSG 2.0 AUD$0.91 1095 $635 0.02 0.13 0.18 6.8 5.1 0.15 0.25 0.29 3.6 3.1 -- 0.0% Roxgold Inc (CA) ROXG 2.0 US$0.84 372 $314 0.05 0.08 0.12 10.7 7.2 0.27 0.21 0.22 4.1 3.8 30.1 0.0% St Barbara Ltd (AU) SBM 2.1 AUD$2.58 703 $1,155 0.23 0.28 0.33 9.1 7.8 0.41 0.49 0.56 5.2 4.6 6.2 2.9% Sabina Gold & Silver Corp (CA) SBB 2.3 C$1.83 297 $385 (0.01) (0.01) 0.01 -- NM (0.01) (0.01) 0.03 -- 61.0 -- 0.0% Seabridge Gold SA 2.0 C$18.97 64 $855 (0.19) (0.14) (0.02) -- -- (0.17) (2.63) -- -- -- -- 0.0% Semafo (CA) SMF 2.0 US$2.69 334 $903 0.22 0.32 0.50 8.5 5.4 0.66 0.77 0.96 3.5 2.8 6.3 0.0% Silver Lake Resources (AU) SLR 2.4 AUD$1.97 880 $1,101 0.07 0.13 0.15 15.5 12.8 0.18 0.25 0.27 7.9 7.2 24.9 0.0% Silvercrest Metals Inc SILV 1.8 C$9.33 109 $725 (0.67) (0.13) (0.15) -- -- (0.62) (0.13) (0.11) -- -- -- 0.0% Teranga Gold Corp (CA) TGZ 1.6 US$7.34 168 $1,230 0.01 0.38 0.74 19.5 10.0 0.93 1.25 1.71 5.9 4.3 13.3 0.0% Torex Gold Resources (CA) TXG 2.4 US$14.49 85 $1,240 0.79 0.36 0.65 40.7 22.4 3.51 2.95 3.49 4.9 4.1 7.8 0.0% Victoria Gold Corp (CA) VIT 2.0 C$8.20 58 $340 -- -- -- -- -- -- (0.40) 0.18 -- 46.9 -- 0.0% Wesdome Gold Mines Ltd (CA) WDO 1.8 C$10.62 138 $1,045 0.29 0.44 0.90 24.3 11.8 0.51 0.70 1.12 15.2 9.4 84.7 0.0% West African Resources Ltd (CA) WAF -- AUD$0.26 871 $335 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 0.04 -- 7.1 -- -- Westgold Resources Ltd (AU) WGX 2.0 AUD$2.14 400 $545 0.07 0.25 0.43 8.6 5.0 0.32 0.55 0.72 3.9 3.0 -- 0.0% Average 13.6 12.0 6.5 8.0 16.2 Select (Gold >US$20MM Mkt Cap) Gold Springs Resource Corp (CA)* GRC 2.0 US$0.06 249 $15 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 0.0% Lion One Metals Ltd (CA)* LIO 2.0 C$1.29 107 $97 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 0.0% Minera Alamos Inc (CA) MAI 2.0 C$0.35 407 $100 (0.02) 0.01 0.03 34.5 11.5 0.03 0.03 -- 11.5 -- -- 0.0% Northern Vertex Mining Corp (CA)* NEE 2.0 US$0.17 251 $43 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 0.0% Paramount Gold Nevada Corp* PZG 2.0 US$1.15 28 $33 (0.21) (0.17) -- -- -- (0.19) (0.16) -- -- -- 0.0% Average 34.5 11.5 11.5 *includes research coverage by Scarsdale Equities. Note: Currency shown is that used by the company for financial reporting. Currency does not always reflect the country/market in which the company/stock symbol trades. GAAP may differ between stocks due to countries and markets. The tables are compiled from the Thomson Reuters database of consensus Ratings & Estimates of equity analysts. The historicals and estimates of earnings and cash flows exclude non-operating, special items. Thomson Reuters Rating System: Buy (1.0), Buy/Hold (2.0), Hold (3.0), Sell/Hold (4.0), Sell (5.0) Source: Thomson Reuters. Silver Price Shrs O/S Mkt Cap Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Cash Flow Per Share Price/Cash Flow EV/EBITDA Div Yld Symbol Rating 24-Apr-20 (MM) (US$MM) 2019 2020E 2021E 2020E 2021E 2019 2020E 2021E 2020E 2021E 2020E % Alexco Resource Corp* AXU 2.5 C$2.11 125 $186 (0.08) -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 0.0% Americas Gold & Silver Corp (CA) USA 1.8 US$2.12 95 $201 (0.46) 0.12 0.25 17.7 8.5 0.20 0.42 0.81 5.1 2.6 48.1 0.0% Coeur Mining Corp CDE 2.6 US$3.60 244 $877 (0.25) (0.01) 0.18 -- 20.2 0.42 0.56 0.82 6.4 4.4 5.4 0.0% Endeavour Silver Corp EXK 3.2 US$1.52 142 $216 (0.36) 0.01 0.03 NM 50.6 (0.07) 0.20 0.22 7.6 6.8 6.0 0.0% First Majestic Silver Corp AG 2.8 US$7.71 210 $1,621 0.04 0.16 0.21 47.7 36.0 0.69 0.42 0.79 18.3 9.8 14.4 0.0% Fortuna Silver Mines FSM 2.4 US$2.70 160 $434 0.17 0.23 0.65 11.7 4.2 0.63 0.49 1.22 5.5 2.2 6.3 0.0% Fresnillo (UK) FRES 2.9 US$9.00 737 $6,631 0.23 0.25 0.42 35.4 21.2 0.59 0.89 1.00 10.1 9.0 7.1 1.7% MAG Silver Corp MAG 1.8 US$9.67 87 $838 (0.05) 0.08 0.37 NM 26.4 (0.04) 0.16 0.59 60.4 16.5 -- 0.0% New Pacific Metals Corp (CA) NUAG 2.7 C$5.71 148 $600 (0.02) (0.02) (0.03) -- -- (0.02) (0.02) (0.03) -- -- -- 0.0% Pan American Silver PAAS 2.3 US$21.69 210 $4,555 0.78 0.71 1.53 30.4 14.2 1.40 2.06 2.93 10.5 7.4 17.0 0.6% Silvercorp Metals Inc SVM 2.0 US$3.67 173 $637 0.21 0.20 0.19 18.3 19.6 0.43 0.39 0.36 9.5 10.0 -- 0.4% Average 26.9 22.3 14.8 7.6 14.9 *includes research coverage by Scarsdale Equities. Platinum Group Metals African Rainbow Minerals (SA) ARI 2.1 ZAR$128.32 223 $1,500 27.53 26.86 23.04 4.8 5.6 16.23 18.19 23.92 7.1 5.4 26.2 8.6% Anglo American Platinum Ltd (SA) AMS 2.9 ZAR$935.20 270 $13,208 70.61 98.77 106.69 9.5 8.8 107.94 74.81 169.31 12.5 5.5 25.3 2.2% Impala Platinum (SA) IMP 2.1 ZAR$110.07 799 $5,022 11.34 21.37 22.08 5.1 5.0 17.63 25.91 31.06 4.2 3.5 31.5 0.9% Northam Platinum Ltd (SA) NHM 1.7 ZAR$92.65 510 $2,474 5.39 13.70 14.56 6.8 6.4 12.63 21.91 28.72 4.2 3.2 67.3 0.0% Average 6.5 6.4 7.0 4.4 37.6 Base Metals & Diversified Large-Cap Base Metals Price Shrs O/S Mkt Cap Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Cash Flow Per Share Price/Cash Flow EV/EBITDA Div Yld Symbol Rating 24-Apr-20 (MM) (US$MM) 2019 2020E 2021E 2020E 2021E 2019 2020E 2021E 2020E 2021E 2020E % Anglo American PLC (UK) AAL 2.3 US$17.29 1363 $23,515 2.70 1.89 2.46 9.2 7.0 5.97 4.44 5.52 3.9 3.1 5.7 3.8% Antofagasta PLC (UK) ANTO 2.9 US$9.53 986 $9,379 0.51 0.15 0.44 63.5 21.6 2.12 1.37 1.45 7.0 6.6 8.0 2.8% BHP Billiton Ltd BHP 2.3 US$19.50 5058 $90,853 1.83 1.74 1.67 11.2 11.7 3.24 3.00 2.98 6.5 6.6 6.6 5.5% China Molybdenum Co Ltd (HK) 3993 2.6 CNY$1.98 21599 $9,678 0.09 0.08 0.11 25.9 17.9 0.08 0.16 (0.10) 12.1 -- 42.0 1.4% Freeport McMoran C&G FCX 2.3 US$8.48 1452 $12,313 0.02 (0.25) 1.02 -- 8.3 1.02 0.87 2.54 9.7 3.3 6.0 1.5% Glencore International PLC (UK) GLEN 2.1 US$1.72 13324 $22,904 0.18 0.08 0.16 21.3 10.7 0.63 0.61 0.57 2.8 3.0 5.6 0.0% Grupo Mexico (MX) GMEXICOB 2.4 US$1.89 7785 $14,819 0.29 0.17 0.22 11.0 8.6 0.51 0.30 0.32 6.4 5.9 6.8 6.2% Hindustan Zinc (IN) HZ 2.1 INR$171.20 4225 $9,532 17.45 16.71 17.53 10.2 9.8 21.02 21.27 22.95 8.0 7.5 5.0 0.0% MMC Norilsk Nickel (RU) GMKN -- RU$5,429.84 158 $42,664 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 16.5 10.7% Rio Tinto PLC (UK) RIO 2.6 US$46.38 1618 $78,333 6.36 4.91 4.53 9.4 10.2 9.15 7.63 7.24 6.1 6.4 7.0 2.7% Southern Copper Corp SCCO 2.4 US$30.75 773 $23,772 1.92 1.55 2.00 19.8 15.4 2.47 2.58 2.94 11.9 10.5 13.0 3.8% Vale SA (ADR) VALE 2.0 BRL$42.88 5284 $41,791 5.01 7.01 7.81 6.1 5.5 10.56 10.51 10.88 4.1 3.9 7.9 2.6% Average 18.8 11.5 7.1 5.7 10.8 Note: Currency shown is that used by the company for financial reporting. Currency does not always reflect the country/market in which the company/stock symbol trades. GAAP may differ between stocks due to countries and markets. The tables are compiled from the Thomson Reuters database of consensus Ratings & Estimates of equity analysts. The historicals and estimates of earnings and cash flows exclude non-operating, special items. Thomson Reuters Rating System: Buy (1.0), Buy/Hold (2.0), Hold (3.0), Sell/Hold (4.0), Sell (5.0) Source: Thomson Reuters. Mid-Cap Base Metals Price Shrs O/S Mkt Cap Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Cash Flow Per Share Price/Cash Flow EV/EBITDA Div Yld Symbol Rating 24-Apr-20 (MM) (US$MM) 2019 2020E 2021E 2020E 2021E 2019 2020E 2021E 2020E 2021E 2020E % Assore Ltd (SA) ASR 3.3 ZAR$315.55 140 $2,307 51.82 41.18 35.62 7.7 8.9 -- 18.27 27.33 17.3 11.5 12.1 7.7% Aurubis AG (GR) NDA 2.5 EUR$43.45 45 $2,105 3.14 3.51 4.14 12.4 10.5 5.58 5.86 6.66 7.4 6.5 5.6 2.3% Boliden AB (SW) BOL 2.4 SEK$201.70 274 $5,481 21.15 17.49 20.58 11.5 9.8 34.52 37.61 39.09 5.4 5.2 6.0 2.8% Exxaro Resources Ltd (SA) EXX 1.8 ZAR$106.57 359 $2,002 29.62 24.05 22.75 4.4 4.7 (9.28) 23.52 25.68 4.5 4.1 9.0 4.3% First Quantum Minerals (CA) FM 2.0 US$6.06 689 $4,180 0.36 (0.33) 0.18 -- 32.8 1.29 1.89 2.15 3.2 2.8 13.6 0.1% Iluka Resources Ltd (AU) ILU 2.3 AUD$7.30 423 $1,966 0.66 0.73 0.92 10.0 8.0 0.76 1.10 1.24 6.6 5.9 -- 1.4% Independence Group NL (AU) IGO 2.2 AUD$4.72 591 $1,776 0.22 0.32 0.35 14.5 13.3 0.73 0.83 0.80 5.7 5.9 16.4 2.2% Ivanhoe Mines Ltd (CA) IVP 2.1 US$1.86 1198 $2,231 0.02 (0.59) 0.59 -- 3.2 (0.01) (0.04) 0.20 -- 9.1 -- 0.0% Jiangxi Copper Co "H" (HK) 358 2.6 CNY$6.63 3463 $5,013 0.70 0.59 0.78 11.3 8.5 1.75 1.15 1.28 5.8 5.2 12.8 1.0% Kazakhmys PLC (UK) KAZ 2.3 US$4.99 472 $2,350 1.17 0.71 0.87 7.0 5.7 1.04 1.31 1.26 3.8 4.0 22.0 1.7% KGHM Polska Miedz (PO) KGH 3.5 PLN$72.80 200 $3,457 7.11 6.20 8.84 11.7 8.2 25.24 14.99 17.01 4.9 4.3 4.5 0.0% Lundin Mining Corp (CA) LUN 2.0 US$4.81 734 $3,535 0.22 0.20 0.50 24.1 9.6 0.77 0.79 1.19 6.1 4.0 6.9 0.0% Mineral Resources Ltd (AU) MIN 1.8 AUD$15.84 188 $1,906 1.36 1.60 1.41 9.9 11.2 1.39 1.96 2.14 8.1 7.4 7.4 3.3% Oz Minerals (AU) OZL 1.9 AUD$8.51 324 $1,757 0.51 0.30 0.76 28.4 11.2 1.58 1.11 1.72 7.6 4.9 7.5 2.2% Sesa Sterlite Ltd (ADR) SSLT 2.4 INR$77.95 3702 $3,803 15.20 12.49 14.86 6.2 5.2 52.20 45.04 48.54 1.7 1.6 3.3 3.8% South32 Ltd (AU) S32 2.1 US$1.18 4846 $5,695 0.12 0.07 0.12 16.5 9.7 0.29 0.24 0.28 4.8 4.2 3.0 2.2% Sumitomo Metal Mining (JP) 5713 2.0 JPY$2,493 291 $6,738 199.73 166.91 227.71 14.9 10.9 378.82 392.01 442.91 6.4 5.6 9.6 1.7% Teck Resources Ltd TCK 2.2 C$10.41 531 $3,945 2.75 0.89 2.12 11.7 4.9 6.16 3.62 5.83 2.9 1.8 3.8 1.9% Vale Indonesia Tbk PT (ID) INCO 2.2 US$0.15 9936 $1,521 0.01 0.01 0.01 25.2 15.2 0.01 0.02 0.02 7.7 6.4 9.2 0.0% Vedanta Resources PLC (UK) VED -- US$10.85 285 $3,089 -- 0.87 1.24 12.5 8.7 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Average 13.3 10.0 6.1 5.3 9.0 Small-Cap Base Metals Adriatic Metals PLC (AU) ADT 1.7 GBP$0.62 309 $237 (0.02) 0.01 0.30 57.5 2.1 (0.02) (0.01) -- -- -- 0.0% Atalaya Mining PLC (UK) ATYM 1.3 EUR$1.32 137 $196 0.27 0.11 0.45 12.4 2.9 0.27 0.12 0.30 11.5 4.5 12.5 0.0% Eramet (FR) ERA 2.0 EUR$28.78 27 $826 (6.93) (2.38) 4.42 -- 6.5 3.24 10.09 13.86 2.9 2.1 6.2 0.0% Ero Copper Corp (CA) ERO 2.1 US$10.15 86 $872 0.94 0.77 1.23 13.2 8.3 1.40 1.42 1.93 7.1 5.3 -- 0.0% Hudbay Minerals HBM 2.6 US$2.40 261 $628 (0.20) (0.43) 0.01 -- NM 1.19 0.79 1.24 3.0 1.9 2.8 0.4% Kenmare Resources (UK) KMR 1.8 US$2.16 110 $237 0.40 0.29 0.85 7.4 2.6 0.69 0.32 6.10 6.8 0.4 42.1 2.6% Mitsui Mining & Smelting (JP) 5706 2.6 JPY$1,872 57 $997 88.59 157.01 231.89 11.9 8.1 622.22 698.89 776.60 2.7 2.4 5.6 2.4% MMG Ltd (HK) 1208 2.7 US$0.16 8055 $1,320 (0.01) 0.00 0.01 NM 15.9 0.14 0.09 0.14 1.8 1.1 11.1 0.0% Nexa Resources NA NEXA 3.0 US$3.49 133 $465 (0.03) (0.83) (0.12) -- -- 0.93 1.91 2.85 1.8 1.2 -- 6.5% Outokumpu (FN) OUT1V 2.8 EUR$2.26 416 $1,014 (0.20) (0.08) 0.28 -- 8.0 0.90 0.52 0.68 4.4 3.3 6.3 3.6% PolyMet Mining Corp PLM -- US$0.25 1006 $250 (0.08) (0.01) 0.03 -- 8.3 -- -- -- -- -- -- 0.0% Sandfire Resources NL (AU) SFR 2.1 AUD$4.22 178 $478 0.55 0.54 0.59 7.8 7.1 1.46 1.68 1.47 2.5 2.9 2.8 3.5% SolGold PLC (UK) SOLG 1.6 US$0.28 1923 $533 (0.01) (0.00) (0.01) -- -- (0.00) 0.00 0.00 -- -- -- 0.0% Trilogy Metals Inc TMQ 2.2 US$1.70 141 $239 (0.20) (0.09) -- -- -- (0.16) -- -- -- -- 0.0% Turquoise Hill Resources TRQ 3.0 US$0.49 2012 $985 0.23 (0.02) 0.13 -- 3.9 (0.01) (0.07) 0.18 -- 2.7 6.0 0.0% Volcan Cia Ninera VOLABC1 3.0 US$0.08 4077 $1,813 (0.02) 0.01 0.01 6.3 6.6 -- -- -- -- -- 9.0 0.0% Western Areas NL (AU) WSA 2.1 AUD$2.10 274 $366 0.12 0.20 0.21 10.3 9.8 0.42 0.47 0.46 4.5 4.6 6.4 1.0% Average 15.9 6.9 4.4 2.7 10.1 Note: Currency shown is that used by the company for financial reporting. Currency does not always reflect the country/market in which the company/stock symbol trades. GAAP may differ between stocks due to countries and markets. The tables are compiled from the Thomson Reuters database of consensus Ratings & Estimates of equity analysts. The historicals and estimates of earnings and cash flows exclude non-operating, special items. Thomson Consensus Rating System: Buy (1.0), Buy/Hold (2.0), Hold (3.0), Sell/Hold (4.0), Sell (5.0) Source: Thomson Reuters. Aluminum Price Shrs O/S Mkt Cap Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Cash Flow Per Share Price/Cash Flow EV/EBITDA Div Yld Symbol Rating 24-Apr-20 (MM) (US$MM) 2019 2020E 2021E 2020E 2021E 2019 2020E 2021E 2020E 2021E 2020E % Alcoa Inc AA 2.6 US$7.15 186 $1,329 (0.99) (0.99) (0.52) -- -- 3.70 2.57 2.72 2.8 2.6 3.6 -- Alumina Ltd AWC 2.2 US$0.96 2880 $2,751 0.11 0.07 0.08 14.1 12.6 0.13 0.09 0.07 10.7 13.5 3.7 5.3% Aluminum Corp China Ltd (ADR) ACH 2.5 CNY$1.39 17023 $6,056 0.04 0.04 0.09 31.4 16.2 0.73 0.73 0.65 1.9 2.1 13.4 0.0% Century Aluminum CENX 2.8 US$4.06 89 $363 (1.35) (0.99) (0.57) -- -- 0.20 0.43 0.62 9.4 6.6 20.9 0.0% United Company Rusal Ltd (HK) 486 2.2 US$0.34 15193 $5,215 0.08 0.09 0.10 3.7 3.3 0.11 0.08 0.09 4.1 4.0 7.7 0.0% Average 16.4 10.7 5.8 5.8 9.9 Iron Ore Cliffs Natural Resources CLF 2.9 US$3.81 399 $1,519 1.05 (0.52) 0.32 -- 11.9 1.98 0.06 1.34 59.2 2.9 9.7 2.7% Fortescue Metals Group Ltd (AU) FMG 2.8 US$7.31 3079 $22,453 1.21 1.14 0.76 6.4 9.6 1.62 1.56 1.17 4.7 6.2 5.8 9.4% Kumba Iron Ore Ltd (SA) KIO 3.4 ZAR$346.85 322 $5,851 50.73 41.96 33.98 8.3 10.2 85.20 64.52 55.43 5.4 6.3 6.0 11.2% Labrador Iron Ore Royalty (CA) LIF 2.1 C$19.72 64 $897 3.21 2.45 2.33 8.0 8.5 3.51 2.37 2.30 8.3 8.6 13.2 5.1% Mount Gibson Iron Limited (AU) MGX 2.7 AUD$0.63 1158 $465 0.10 0.10 0.11 6.0 5.9 0.09 0.17 0.21 3.7 3.0 16.5 4.2% Average 7.2 9.2 16.3 5.4 10.3 Fertilizers CF Industries CF 2.5 US$28.00 214 $5,986 2.31 1.67 2.09 16.7 13.4 6.79 5.80 5.95 4.8 4.7 14.4 2.5% Compass Minerals CMP 2.2 US$44.16 34 $1,497 1.90 3.01 3.72 14.6 11.9 4.71 6.89 9.51 6.4 4.6 10.5 4.7% Incitec Pivot Ltd (AU) IPL 2.5 AUD$2.08 1613 $2,137 0.11 0.16 0.20 12.9 10.5 0.29 0.39 0.41 5.4 5.0 7.8 1.4% Intrepid Potash IPI 3.0 US$0.87 131 $114 0.10 0.03 0.06 26.8 15.1 0.38 0.30 0.32 2.9 2.7 -- 0.0% Israel Chemical (IS) ICL 2.4 US$3.55 1280 $4,534 0.37 0.30 0.39 11.7 9.0 0.77 0.45 0.55 8.0 6.5 6.7 3.9% K & S Aktiengesellschaft (GR) SDF 2.8 EUR$5.62 191 $1,158 0.46 (0.04) 0.51 -- 11.1 3.34 2.40 2.31 2.3 2.4 7.7 1.3% Mosaic Co MOS 2.4 US$11.33 379 $4,294 0.19 0.36 1.08 31.5 10.5 2.85 2.93 3.39 3.9 3.3 7.7 0.8% Nutrien Ltd NTR 2.0 US$34.57 573 $19,728 2.17 2.03 2.52 17.0 13.7 6.29 4.96 5.24 7.0 6.6 -- 3.7% Sociedad Quimica Minera (ADR) SQM 3.2 US$21.41 263 $5,562 1.06 1.14 1.42 18.8 15.0 1.62 1.83 2.00 11.7 10.7 8.3 4.6% Yara International ASA (NO) YAR 1.8 US$32.36 272 $8,814 3.09 3.17 3.75 10.2 8.6 7.00 6.39 6.73 5.1 4.8 7.6 5.4% Average 17.8 11.9 5.7 5.2 8.8 Coal Large - Mid Cap Price Shrs O/S Mkt Cap Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Cash Flow Per Share Price/Cash Flow EV/EBITDA Div Yld Symbol Rating 24-Apr-20 (MM) (US$MM) 2019 2020E 2021E 2020E 2021E 2019 2020E 2021E 2020E 2021E 2020E % Adaro Energy TBK (ID) ADRO 3.1 US$0.06 31986 $1,823 0.01 0.01 0.01 5.3 5.3 0.03 0.02 0.02 2.8 2.8 3.0 4.2% Banpu Public Co Ltd (TH) BANPU 3.1 US$0.17 5162 $886 0.01 0.02 0.03 8.6 6.2 0.08 0.05 0.06 3.2 2.8 14.3 5.0% China Coal Energy Co (HK) 1898 2.3 CNY$1.86 13259 $6,068 0.47 0.41 0.42 4.5 4.4 1.55 1.11 1.41 1.7 1.3 10.7 4.6% China Shenhua Energy Co (HK) 1088 2.2 CNY$12.46 19890 $41,366 2.10 1.91 1.93 6.5 6.5 3.17 3.09 3.44 4.0 3.6 4.4 9.3% Consol Energy CNX 2.1 US$11.50 187 $2,151 0.60 0.37 0.38 31.3 30.5 5.12 3.80 3.94 3.0 2.9 8.4 0.0% Whitehaven Coal Ltd (AU) WHC 2.3 AUD$1.79 1026 $1,170 0.32 0.14 0.21 13.2 8.7 0.60 0.36 0.46 5.0 3.9 5.4 5.5% Yancoal Australia Ltd YAL 3.0 AUD$2.37 1320 $1,774 0.69 0.29 0.33 8.2 7.2 -- -- -- -- -- -- 11.4% Yanzhou Coal Mining Co Ltd (HK) 1171 2.7 CNY$5.33 4912 $4,929 1.91 1.48 1.47 3.6 3.6 3.58 2.59 3.47 2.1 1.5 16.3 9.3% Average 10.2 9.0 3.1 2.7 8.9 Small Cap Alliance Resource Partners LP ARLP 2.3 US$3.35 127 $426 3.07 0.07 0.41 47.9 8.2 1.22 1.37 1.90 2.4 1.8 1.7 19.8% Arch Coal Inc ARCH 1.8 US$23.57 15 $357 12.58 1.04 9.57 22.6 2.5 24.26 9.84 20.28 2.4 1.2 -- 2.5% Fushan Int'l Energy Group (HK) 639 2.3 HK$1.53 5302 $1,047 0.22 0.22 0.22 6.9 6.9 0.37 0.38 0.42 4.0 3.6 5.7 10.2% Natural Resource Partners LP NRP 2.0 US$12.25 12 $150 6.40 6.25 6.45 2.0 1.9 10.69 10.58 5.28 1.2 2.3 2.9 9.0% New Hope Corp Ltd (AU) NHC 2.0 AUD$1.48 832 $784 0.27 0.18 0.18 8.0 8.4 0.35 0.31 0.27 4.8 5.5 10.5 8.0% PT Tambang Batubara Bukit (ID) PTBA 2.6 IDR$1,850 11521 $1,388 371.00 299.72 300.94 6.2 6.1 383.90 330.18 330.66 5.6 5.6 6.0 0.0% Average 15.6 5.7 3.4 3.3 5.4 Note: Currency shown is that used by the company for financial reporting. Currency does not always reflect the country/market in which the company/stock symbol trades. GAAP may differ between stocks due to countries and markets. The tables are compiled from the Thomson Reuters database of consensus Ratings & Estimates of equity analysts. The historicals and estimates of earnings and cash flows exclude non-operating, special items. Thomson Reuters Rating System: Buy (1.0), Buy/Hold (2.0), Hold (3.0), Sell/Hold (4.0), Sell (5.0) Source: Thomson Reuters. Uranium Price Shrs O/S Mkt Cap Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Cash Flow Per Share Price/Cash Flow EV/EBITDA Div Yld Symbol Rating 24-Apr-20 (MM) (US$MM) 2019 2020E 2021E 2020E 2021E 2019 2020E 2021E 2020E 2021E 2020E % Cameco Corp CCJ 2.3 C$14.34 396 $4,034 0.10 0.01 0.00 NM NM 1.33 0.70 0.70 20.4 20.4 9.6 0.7% Denison Mines DNN 2.3 C$0.65 597 $276 (0.03) (0.02) (0.01) -- -- (0.03) (0.02) (0.01) -- -- -- 0.0% Energy Resources Australia (AU) ERA 4.0 AUD$0.16 3691 $364 0.01 0.00 0.00 -- -- (0.19) 0.02 0.00 7.8 -- 21.4 0.0% Nexgen Energy Ltd (CA) NXE 1.6 C$1.95 360 $499 (0.04) (0.08) (0.06) -- -- (0.04) (0.04) (0.03) -- -- -- 0.0% Uranium Participation Corp (CA) U 2.1 C$4.98 138 $488 0.01 0.15 0.08 32.5 59.2 (0.03) (0.05) (0.03) -- -- -- 0.0% Average 32.5 59.2 14.1 20.4 15.5 Note: Currency shown is that used by the company for financial reporting. Currency does not always reflect the country/market in which the company/stock symbol trades. GAAP may differ between stocks due to countries and markets. The tables are compiled from the Thomson Reuters database of consensus Ratings & Estimates of equity analysts. The historicals and estimates of earnings and cash flows exclude non-operating, special items. Thomson Reuters Rating System: Buy (1.0), Buy/Hold (2.0), Hold (3.0), Sell/Hold (4.0), Sell (5.0) Source: Thomson Reuters. Commodity Prices Cash Price (24-Apr-20) Silver ($15.27 / oz) Palladium ($1926 / oz) Platinum ($766 / oz) Aluminum ($0.67 / lb) Cobalt ($13.38 / lb) Copper ($2.32 / lb) Lead ($0.73 / lb) Molybdenum ($8.33 / lb) Nickel ($5.48 / lb) Tin ($6.89 / lb) Zinc ($0.85 / lb) Uranium ($32.00 / lb) Editor's note: As US media outlets point the finger at China for the rampant spread of COVID-19 in the US, several major right-wing media companies, including Fox News and Washington Post, have taken the lead in coming up with new conspiracy theories that the lethal virus escaped from a Wuhan lab. In response to such groundless accusations, the Gray Zone, a US investigative reporting website, published an article on April 20, revealing the truth behind these twisted stories and proving China's innocence. The article further disclosed that Josh Rogin, a Washington Post journalist who enjoys smearing China, has a record of fabricating news. Using data and evidence, the article then concluded that the US media's intention is to shift the US public's blame for its government's failure to tackle the virus to China, making China a scapegoat for the White House's delinquency. Below is the article from the Grayzone. With US deaths from Covid-related complications peaking above 30,000, allies of President Donald Trump are taking their anti-China public relations blitz to new heights of absurdity, hoping to legitimize a conspiracy theory blaming a Chinese biological research lab for engineering the novel coronavirus. The theory points to the Wuhan Institute of Virology as the culprit behind the pandemic, either through an accidental leak caused by unsafe research on bat coronaviruses or deliberately, by manufacturing a biological weapon. First deployed in January by the right-wing Washington Times, the conspiracy was dismissed and discredited at the time by journalists and scientists. With an apparent cue this April from a Trump administration desperate to shift the blame for its feckless coronavirus response, Fox News and the Washington Post have fished the story out of the right-wings political wet market and polished it off for public consumption. Though neither outlet published a single piece of concrete evidence to support their claims, the story has gained traction among even fervently anti-Trump elements of the political establishment. Regarding the real source of Covid-19, the conclusion by a team of American, British, and Australian researchers could not be more clear: we do not believe that any type of laboratory-based scenario is plausible. Our analyses clearly show that SARS-CoV-2 is not a laboratory construct or a purposefully manipulated virus, the virologists stated in a March 17 article published in the scientific journal Nature. A group of 27 public health scientists from eight countries signed an open letter this March in the Lancet medical journal issuing support to scientists and health professionals in China and strongly condemn[ing] conspiracy theories suggesting that COVID-19 does not have a natural origin. The letter states that the scientific findings to date overwhelmingly conclude that this coronavirus originated in wildlife, as have so many other emerging pathogens. Having spent the past four years railing against the fake news media and deep state elements in the national security bureaucracy for their campaign to paint him and his allies as Russian collaborators, Trump is now employing the same tactics he condemned to ratchet up conflict with China. By planting fake news about Chinese evildoing through anonymous US officials and dodgy document dumps, the White House appears to hope that an escalated conflict abroad will paper over its failures at home. Trumps deployment of conspiracy theories about a Chinese lab not only mirrors the tactics his opponents used to ramp up the Russiagate narrative, it recalls the successful disinformation campaign neoconservatives in the George W. Bush administration enacted when they planted a seemingly explosive revelation about Iraqi weapons of mass destruction with New York Times correspondent Judith Miller. The august reputation of the Times conferred legitimacy on the bunk WMD story, enabling the Bush administration to sell the invasion of Iraq to the Beltway political class across partisan lines. Miller was ultimately exposed as a fraudster and went to jail to protect her neocon sources, but not before thousands of American service members were killed in Iraq and hundreds of thousands of Iraqis died in the chaos they spawned. Today, as the Trump administration ratchets up its propaganda war against China to a disturbing new level, a neoconservative columnist at the Washington Post is filling Millers shoes. From dormant conspiracy theory to Iraqi WMD-style disinformation weapon The theory that Covid-19 virus escaped from a biological research lab in Wuhan, China was revived on April 14 in a dubiously sourced Washington Post column by Josh Rogin. A neoconservative pundit whose bio lists past work at the Japanese embassy, Rogin has spent years agitating for regime change against the countries comprising the Bush administrations axis of evil. Toward the end of his article, Rogin admitted, We dont know whether the novel coronavirus originated in the Wuhan lab. Up until that point, however, he offered every possible insinuation that the virus had indeed emerged from the Wuhan Institute of Virology. His article appeared to be an intelligence plant that depended heavily on documents dumped by US government officials eager to turn up the heat on China. The Post columnists hypothesis rested largely on a January 2018 cable from the US embassy in Beijing he claimed to have innocently obtained. The cable warned that the [Wuhan] labs work on bat coronaviruses and their potential human transmission represented a risk of a new SARS-like pandemic. But as we explain later, Rogin distorted the nature of the research in question and subsequently refused to publish the rest of the US cable when pressed to do so by scientists. While shielding his credibility behind caveats, Rogin turned to Xiao Qiang, a US-backed regime-change activist deceptively identified as a research scientist, to argue the Wuhan lab theory was a legitimate question that needs to be investigated and answered. No virologists or epidemiologists were quoted by Rogin. Rogins article came in for strident criticism by Dr. Angela Rasmussen, a Columbia University virologist, who called his claims about the Chinese lab extremely vague, and stated he failed to demonstrate a clear and specific risk. But by this point, a disinformation operation apparently guided by the White House was in full swing. On April 15, the day after Rogins op-ed appeared, right-wing Fox News correspondent Bret Baier published a remarkably similar article which stated, there is increasing confidence that the Covid-19 outbreak likely originated in a Wuhan laboratory Like Rogin, Baier offered no concrete evidence to support his incendiary claim, relying instead on unspecified classified and open-source documents from US sources, which he admitted he had not personally viewed. That evening, the arch-neoconservative Republican Senator Tom Cotton launched a carefully choreographed tirade on Fox News. Bret Baiers reporting shows that the Chinese Communist Party is responsible for every single death, every job lost, every retirement nest egg lost, from this coronavirus, Cotton thundered. The well-timed spectacle of Cottons appearance suggested close coordination between his office, the Trump administration, and their media allies to sell the conspiracy theory to the public. Meanwhile, leading lights of the liberal anti-Trump commentariat burnished Rogins article with the sheen of bipartisan respectability. After it was shared by New York Magazine columnist Yashar Ali, New York Times columnist Charles Blow expressed his own amazement at the supposedly revelatory column: I didnt see this coming. Buzzfeeds Tom Gara went a step further, proclaiming the escaped from a lab theory to be totally plausible in a tweet sharing the op-ed. Even the Columbia Journalism Review wrote that Rogins piece contained bombshell new reporting, ignoring the Washington Post columnists well-established history as a publicist for the neoconservative movement. MSNBC host Chris Hayes also appeared to be taken in by Rogins conspiracy: On April 17, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo elevated the baseless theory to the global stage when he stated, We are still asking the Chinese Communist Party to allow experts to get into that virology lab so that we can determine precisely where this virus began. That same day, Trump declared that it seems to make sense that the virus had been manufactured in a lab in Wuhan. Like Cotton and Pompeo, he offered no evidence to support his hunch. Six months away from a presidential election, and in the midst of a gruesome public health crisis that threatened to plunge the US economy into a depression, a fringe conspiracy theory had become the centerpiece of Trumps culture war against China. In fact, the story first appeared as a trial balloon launched by a right-wing newspaper in January, back when few in the US were paying close attention to the Covid outbreak. The oddball origins of the Wuhan lab theory On January 24, a shocking headline blared from the pages of the Washington Times, a right-wing paper owned by the South Korean cult known as the Unification Church. Coronavirus may have originated in a lab linked to Chinas biowarfare program, the paper announced. Its source for the remarkable claim was a former lieutenant colonel in an Israeli military intelligence unit named Danny Shoham. Coronaviruses [particularly SARS] have been studied in the institute and are probably held therein, Shoham remarked to the Washington Times, referring to the Wuhan Institute of Virology. Though Shoham suggested outward virus infiltration might take place either as leakage or as an indoor unnoticed infection of a person that normally went out of the concerned facility, he ultimately conceded (as virtually every other expert has so far): so far there isnt evidence or indication for such incident. Shoham is currently a fellow at the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies, a Likud Party-linked research center based at Israels Bar-Ilan University. A look at his work for the institute reveals a clear dedication to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus agenda, with a particular focus on containing Iran and pressing the case for regime change in Syria. The Begin-Sadat Center has previously urged the West against defeating ISIS, positing the jihadist group as a useful tool in undermining the Syrian government and Iran. Besides Shoham, the Washington Times cited a broadcast report by Radio Free Asia (RFA) insinuating that the Wuhan Institute of Virology could have been the source of Covid-19. Left unmentioned was RFAs role as a US government news agency created during the Cold War as part of a Worldwide Propaganda Network Built by the CIA, in the words of the New York Times. RFA is operated by the US Agency for Global Media (formerly the Broadcasting Board of Governors), a federal agency of the US government operating under the watch of the State Department. Describing its work as vital to US national interests, the US Agencys primary broadcasting goal is to be consistent with the broad foreign policy objectives of the United States. Larry Klayman, a right-wing Republican lawyer with a penchant for filing nuisance suits against political foes, quickly seized on the Washington Times story as the basis for a $20 billion class action lawsuit against China in US federal court. (Senator Cotton and the neoconservative Henry Jackson Society have since called for aggressive US lawfare actions against China over coronavirus.) Days after the Washington Times article, the papers mainstream rival the Washington Post published a lengthy article quoting virologists who refuted the theory that Covid-19 had been engineered, testifying to the quality of research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, and pouring cold water on the theory that the virus could have been a bioweapon. On March 25, two months after its report first appeared, the Washington Times added an editorial note to the article essentially disowning its thesis: Since this story ran, the note read, scientists outside of China have had a chance to study the SARS-CoV-2 virus. They concluded it does not show signs of having been manufactured or purposefully manipulated in a lab, though the exact origin remains murky and experts debate whether it may have leaked from a Chinese lab that was studying it. That same day, Danny Shoham told the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, As of now there are still no unequivocal findings that clearly tell us what the source of the virus is. The conspiracy theory seemed to have floundered. In its desperation to revive the seemingly dead story over two months later, the Trump administration apparently turned to the same outlet that had initially debunked it: the Washington Post. Spinning US State Department cables into sinister Chinese schemes The April 14 column by the Washington Posts Josh Rogin that brought the Wuhan lab conspiracy back from the dead read like a classic State Department document dump. Relying on a pair of two-year old cables from the US embassy in Beijing, Rogin stoked suspicions about alleged safety issues at a lab studying coronaviruses at the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV). The Chinese facility is a biosafety level 4 (BSL-4) lab, the highest international standard of biosafety precaution. Dozens of BSL-4 facilities are in operation around the world including 13 facilities in the US alone as of 2013. The ultimate goal of BSL-4 research, according to Scientific American, [is] to advance toward prevention and treatment of deadly diseases. Rogin based his fear-mongering about alleged safety concerns with the Chinese lab on a single, vague comment by US embassy officials with no apparent scientific expertise. During interactions with scientists at the WIV laboratory, the cable reads, they noted the new lab has a serious shortage of appropriately trained technicians and investigators needed to safely operate this high-containment laboratory. However, the main takeaway of the State Department cables dumped on Rogin undermines the columnists most sensational claims. In the documents, US officials put more emphasis on the value of the research conducted in the Wuhan lab to predict and prevent potential coronavirus outbreaks than they did on safety concerns. Most importantly, the cable states, the researchers also showed that various SARS-like coronaviruses can interact with ACE2, the human receptor identified for SARS-coronavirus. This finding strongly suggests that SARS-like coronaviruses from bats can be transmitted to humans to cause SARS-like diseases. From a public health perspective, this makes the continued surveillance of SARS-like coronaviruses in bats and study of the animal-human interface critical to future emerging coronavirus outbreak prediction and prevention. Dr. Angela Rasmussen, a virologist and associate research scientist at the Center of Infection and Immunity at the Columbia University School of Public Health, pointed out that the cable argues that its important to continue working on bat CoVs because of their potential as human pathogens, but doesnt suggest that there were safety issues specifically relating to WIVs work on bat CoVs capable of using human ACE2 as a receptor. Ultimately, Josh Rogin was forced to admit that there was no evidence to support his insinuations, conceding in the penultimate paragraph of the article, We dont know whether the novel coronavirus originated in the Wuhan lab. While Rogin claimed that it was an unusual step for US embassy officials to visit the lab in Wuhan, international exchanges are extremely common, as is collaboration between American and Chinese researchers. Since opening in 2015, WIV has received visits from scientists, health experts, and government officials from over a dozen countries. The facility in question, the National High-level Biosafety Laboratory, is the product of joint-collaboration between China and France, and certified by authorities in both countries along with International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standards in 2016. Since 2015, eight delegations of French government officials, scientists, and health professionals have visited the lab. It is important to note that France, the country with the most experience with and knowledge of the Wuhan lab other than China, has strongly rejected reports that the novel coronavirus originated in the facility. We would like to make it clear that there is to this day no factual evidence corroborating recent reports in the US press linking the origins of Covid-19 and the work of the P4 [or BSL-4] laboratory of Wuhan, China, an official at President Emmanuel Macrons office said on April 18. According to the WHO, much investment was made in staff training, with researchers being trained in the US, France, Canada, and Australia and then in house before the lab became operational. Chinese researchers have been forthright and transparent in their safety protocol, publishing, in May 2019, an overview of their training program for laboratory users in a US CDC publication on emerging infectious diseases. Rogins faux scientist is a US government-backed regime change activist Instead of discussing issues surrounding WIV with scientific experts, Rogin attempted to bolster his claims by relying on the speculation of anonymous Trump administration officials and Xiao Qiang, an anti-Chinese government activist with a long history of US government funding. Rogin referred to Xiao merely as a research scientist, dishonestly attempting to furnish academic credibility for the professional political dissident. In fact, Xiao has no expertise in any science and teaches classes on digital activism, internet freedom, and blogging China. Revealingly, Rogin completely omitted the real record of Xiao Qiang as an anti-Chinese government activist. For over 20 years, Xiao has worked with and been funded by the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), the main arm of US government regime-change efforts in countries targeted by Washington. The NED has funded and trained right-wing opposition movements from Venezuela to Nicaragua to Hong Kong, where violent separatist elements spent much of 2019 agitating for an end to Chinese rule. Xiao served as the executive director of the New York-based NGO Human Rights in China from 1991 to 2002. As a long-time grantee of the NED, he served as vice-chairman of the steering committee of the World Movement for Democracy, an international network of networks founded by the NED and for which the NED serves as the secretariat. Xiao is also the editor-in-chief of China Digital Times, a publication that he founded in 2003 and that is also funded by the NED. Using unverified theories to smear a Chinese scientist To slyly suggest the Wuhan Institute of Virology as the source of the Covid-19 outbreak, Rogin honed in on the record of Shi Zhengli, the head of the WIVs research team studying bat coronaviruses, distorting her record to paint her as a reckless mad scientist. Rogin claimed that other scientists questioned whether Shis team was taking unnecessary risks and that the US government had imposed a moratorium on funding the type of research that Shis team was undertaking. To back up his assertion, Rogin cited a 2015 article in Nature on a debate over risks associated with an experiment that created a hybrid version of a bat coronavirus. Yet the article did not even name Shi, referring instead to a study that took place in the US not Wuhan that was led by a team of American infectious-disease researchers at the University of North Carolina. Shi contributed to the study as one of 13 co-authors, 10 of whom worked at American universities. According to Nature, the American-led study was under way before the US moratorium began, and the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) allowed it to proceed while it was under review by the agency. Out of concern that its article was being carelessly repurposed by conspiracy theorists to suggest that coronavirus was engineered in a lab, editors at Nature placed a disclaimer at the top of the article this March which stated: We are aware that this story is being used as the basis for unverified theories that the novel coronavirus causing COVID-19 was engineered. There is no evidence that this is true; scientists believe that an animal is the most likely source of the coronavirus. In his zeal to spread Cold War conspiracism, Rogin conveniently neglected to mention the disclaimer. Scientists question Rogins shoddy reporting, pundit melts down Scientists have slammed Josh Rogin for failing to interview any experts and relying on vague insinuations in order to push a politically-driven agenda. Dr. Angela Rasmussen, the Columbia University virologist, criticized Rogins sensational claims about the Chinese labs safety protocols as extremely vague, stating that he failed to demonstrate a clear and specific risk. Dr. Rasmussen went on to knock Rogin for inaccurately representing the US State Department cables and cherry-pick[ing] quotes in order to advance his narrative. Dr. Stephen Goldstein, another virologist and postdoctoral researcher at the University of Utah School of Medicine, accused Rogin of multiple substantive, scientific gaps and relying on unsupported innuendo. Revealingly, Rogin rejected their requests to publish the US State Department cables in their entirety. After being challenged by Dr. Rasmussen, Dr. Goldstein, and others over his irresponsible reporting and failure to consult scientific experts, Rogin claimed to have spoken with top virologists, but refused to elaborate or explain why he did not include the opinions of these alleged experts in his article. An April 17 Forbes article by Dr. Jason Kindrachuk, an assistant professor of viral pathogenesis at the University of Manitoba, also undermined Rogins claims, asserting that no scientific evidence exists to support the theory that the novel coronavirus leaked from a Chinese lab. A career of carrying water for militarists While countless journalists have been driven out of mainstream media for challenging pro-war narratives, the Washington Posts Josh Rogin has made a career out of publishing sensationalist and often factually challenged neoconservative propaganda dressed up as reporting. After a stint at a Japanese daily newspaper and the embassy of Japan, Rogin earned his name carrying water for the US national security state. At the Daily Beast, he teamed up with fellow neocon Eli Lake on a bogus 2013 story claiming al-Qaedas Legion of Doom gathered together for a conference call. An obvious product of leaks by national security hardliners seeking to paint Obama as weak on terror, Rogin and Lake were ultimately forced to qualify the non-existent call as a non-telephone communication after it came in for mockery and criticism from national security experts. Two years later, Rogin promoted another fake story featuring photos of a column of Russian tanks resupplying pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine. The photos turned out to be years old, and depicted Russian tanks in South Ossetia. Rogins upward failing trajectory led him next to Bloomberg, where he and fellow neocon cadre Eli Lake were rewarded with $275,000-a-year salaries to continue publishing stenography for foreign policy hardliners in Congress and the State Department. Since Rogin joined the Amazon-owned Washington Post in 2017, he has pressured former White House national security advisor John Bolton to follow through on his Troika of Tyranny label with regime-change operations against socialist states in Latin America; seized on the US killing of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi to call for Washington to murder Syrian President Bashar al-Assad; clamored for the US to support extremist militias in the al-Qaeda-controlled Idlib province of Syria; and suggested a former Obama official should be prosecuted in federal court for lobbying for the private Chinese communications firm, Huawei. At the start of what became a years-long crusade to denigrate Rep. Tulsi Gabbard for her opposition to the US proxy war on Syria, Rogin was compelled to publish a 70-word-long correction after accusing Gabbard of acting as Assads mouthpiece in Washington. Despite his long record of gaffes and feverish rhetoric, Josh Rogin has managed to mainstream a conspiracy theory dismissed by scientists as pure bunk. Embedded at a paper that has built its brand on opposition to Trump, he provided the Trump administration with the perfect vehicle to deliver New Cold War propaganda to the public. As the Posts motto warns, Democracy dies in darkness. North Korea's high-ranking officials attend a ceremony marking the birth of Kim Il-sung, the country's founding leader and the grandfather of current leader Kim Jong-un, at the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun in Pyongyang, April 15, in this photo released by the country's state-run Korean Central News Agency. Following the absence of Kim Jong-un from the ceremony, speculations over his whereabouts and his health have mounted, but high-ranking South Korean government officials said the government is "confident" that Kim is "alive and well." Yonhap By Jung Da-min Amid numerous media reports from outside the Korean Peninsula speculating on the whereabouts and health of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, high-profile officials from South Korea maintain that Kim is "okay." Moon Chung-in, the special adviser for unification, foreign and security affairs to President Moon Jae-in, speaks during a forum on the peace process of the Korean Peninsula, at the Korea Press Center in Seoul, April 20. Yonhap "Kim Jong-un is alive and well," Moon Chung-in, special adviser for unification, foreign and security affairs to President Moon Jae-in, told The Korea Times, Monday. "He has been staying in Wonsan since April 13, and the South Korean government has not detected any suspicious signs." The special adviser said it is not unusual for Kim to be out of the public eye for long periods of time. "North Korean media will feature photos of Kim at some point. There was a case in which Kim disappeared from the public eye for 40 days (in 2014). This year also he has disappeared for periods of 10, 13 and 23 days." The South's Minister of Unification Kim Yeon-chul also showed the government's confidence that there is nothing unusual about Kim's activities, saying recent rumors seem to be an "infodemic," a term for an excessive amount of information concerning a problem which makes the solution more difficult. "The government has enough information-gathering capabilities to say confidently that there has been no unusual activity in the North," Minister Kim said during a forum held on Sunday, referring to an earlier announcement from Cheong Wa Dae's National Security Council last week. Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul speaks during a government meeting to promote inter-Korean exchange at the Government Complex Seoul, Thursday. Yonhap The Meghalaya government on Monday relaxed a number of activities including sale of essential goods, courier services for essential goods, e- commerce operations in essential goods and Common Service Centres during the lockdown period. The relaxtion will be allowed in the entire state except in the state capital and in Mylliem Block of East Khasi Hills District. Meghalaya chief secretary M S Rao said services provided by self-employed persons including electrician, IT repairs, plumbers, motor mechanics, and carpenters and shops for repair of trucks on highways, hardware stores for providing items like CGI Sheets and cement that are used for construction including transportation of the same and electrical shops are also allowed to operate. Meghalaya has so far reported 12 COVID-19 positive cases of which 11 are still active and one person has died of coronavirus. According to the chief secretary, all agriculture and allied sectors activities like farming operations including livestock farming, poultry, fishery and hatcheries, collection, processing and distribution of milk and milk products, mandis by APMC, procurement and marketing of agricultural produce, Custom Hiring Centers, cold storage and warehouses are also permitted to begin operations. Manufacturing, packaging and distribution of agriculture inputs, seed, animal feed and fodder, movement of harvesting and sowing related machines and implements besides operation of Tea industry including plantations with maximum 50 per cent of workforce for production, processing, packaging and marketing are also permitted. Transportation of all agricultural products subject to transit point and route specified by respective Deputy Commissioners considering prevailing COVID-19 situation are allowed and veterinary hospitals, dispensaries, clinics, sale and supply of medicine and vaccines are allowed to operate, he said. MNREGA works are allowed with strict implementation of social distancing and face mask and priority is to be given to irrigation and water conservation works. Construction activities such as construction of roads, irrigation projects, buildings and all kinds of industrial projects, including MSMEs, in rural areas, outside the limits of municipal corporations and municipalities and all kinds of projects in industrial estates are allowed including quarrying of chips and aggregates including their transportation. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) I came up with the idea for providing sanitisers to those at the forefront of the fight against the coronavirus and soon realised that the community I wanted to help was our very own Delhi Police, who risked their lives everyday to make sure we could experience another day of ours. The reason for this choice was that, in India and especially in the capital city of Delhi, during times of crisis, the one community which always had to bear the brunt of conflicts between the people and the government was the police. When the Citizenship Amendment Act was passed in 2019, it was the police who were tasked with the responsibility of dealing with the pushback from the people of the country. They were the heroes who suffered losses and yet, also the ones who were sandwiched between the ire of the people and performance of their duty. During these dark times, it was the police who played a key role in distributing resources to hundreds of thousands of the poor, the homeless, the daily wage labourers, who now have no jobs, all the communities who have been affected adversely during the pandemic. Therefore I felt it necessary, in my own small way, to ease the burden on those who had made it their lifes work to help the crippled get back onto their feet, the disadvantaged to live as safe a life as was possible, those who took it upon themselves to light the lamp and keep it burning brightly. I then created a message to express the same and how one could put in ones own donation to the cause. Dear fellow Delhi citizens, We are all confronting an unknown wrongdoer today - COVID-19. I, Shounak Malhotra, a student of class 10 at Sanskriti school, am starting a campaign against it. It is a thief - robbing us of our quality of life. It is a dacoit - looting my friends and me of valuable school time It is a murderer - lurking in the air waiting to pounce on us and kill the more unfortunate. It has made villains out of doctors, sent celebrities running shelter skelter, parliamentarians in quarantine and even the Prince of Wales into hiding. We have to fight this virus and we need all the help to do so. Our biggest weapon in this fight is a relatively ignored bottle of sanitiser. While we each may have bought many litres of this liquid for our houses, there are large sections of people that do not even have a single bottle to help them battle this demon. It is indeed shocking that our very own Delhi Police which is at the forefront of the fight - to prevent the spread, to help people who have been impacted, and others who are similarly helping to identify and assist the infected populace, etc. - has an acute shortage of this life-saving liquid. With invaluable help from my fathers friend, I am starting a campaign to reach sanitisers to as many of the 187 police stations of Delhi as possible, and through them, those that do not either have the resources to purchase or cannot access it. We will need to distribute at least 500 litres of sanitisers across Delhi. For getting 5 litres, we will need about Rs.1900. Please contribute whatever you can to help me achieve this goal for people who are with us, for us, always. The Execution First, we set out to find a supplier who would provide an adequate supply of sanitiser. That, in itself, was a challenge, since sanitisers were completely off the shelf, due the frenzied buying of each and every bottle available in the open market. Where these were available, they were extremely expensive and hence unaffordable. A little while later, one of my parents contacts got in touch with us, saying that he had a distillery in Madhya Pradesh, from where he could transport sanitisers to us. However, he stated that as the inter-state movement of goods was an issue, hence, we would need to arrange for safe passage of the vehicle into Delhi. That got us to reach out to another contact of my fathers who got the police headquarters to arrange for the requisite passes. The next issue facing us was that of distribution. The wholesale supplier in Madhya Pradesh informed us that since there is a shortage of drivers and transport vehicles, he could only send the sanitisers to us in two (2) drums of 250 litres each. As there are 187 police stations in Delhi, it would only help if we could provide containers to reach each of these stations. Thus, with the help of the supplier, we contacted the local dealer to provide 5-litre cans, into which we could fill the sanitisers before distributing the same. He, too, had the problem of movement within the city, on account of the national lockdown announced by the Prime Minister on March 24, 2020. Once again the protectors the Delhi Police itself came to the rescue by organising pick- up and delivery, with the vehicular assistance provided by the sanitiser manufacturer. Within 3 days of sending out the message, we were able from family and friends as also some angels who had been informed of the cause by means of WhatsApp groups to collect the required amount (we finally collected approximately Rs.3,00,000/-). We transferred the amount to the supplier in Madhya Pradesh, who then dispatched the truck carrying the drums on March 28, 2020. The drums arrived at their destination our residence on March 29th 2020. The drums were collected the very next day by a small procession, consisting of a truck and the Inspector of Vigilance, Anil Sharma, who had taken on the responsibility of distributing the supplied amount of sanitiser to all 187 police stations. The gentleman was to travel along with the truck and oversee the transfer of the sanitiser in the 500-litre drums into 5-litre cans and then proceed to distribute the same among all the police stations. However, sometime after the process began, we came to the realisation that the present stock of sanitisers would not be enough for all the police stations in the Delhi region. Even though there were some funds available from the first step of the campaign, the balance would not suffice. So, once again, the campaign was carried forward and the message was circulated among school teachers and principals, my parents colleagues and several others who, on understanding the gravity of the situation, lending a helping hand. By April 13, 2020, when all 1000 litres of sanitiser were delivered to the police stations in Delhi, we had accomplished a major part of our goal. At present only one step of the campaign remains distributing the required amount of sanitisers to the small number of police stations that are yet to receive the same. Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter Last Friday I wrote about problems reported with this months Win10 1903/1909 Cumulative Update, KB 4549951. Other than a recurring bug that triggers temporary profiles a bug weve discussed for months that leads to wonky desktops and misplaced files I couldnt identify any patterns in the hue and cry. A few hours later, Microsoft officially acknowledged the complaints in a rather odd blanket statement, posted on both the Windows Release Information Status page and the Knowledge Base article: Social media reports related to issues with KB4549951 We have seen social media reports related to KB4549951 that mention Bluetooth, stop error with blue screen and other related issues. Affected platforms: Client: Windows 10, version 1909; Windows 10, version 1903 Server: None Next steps: To date, we have not seen these issues reflected in telemetry, support data or customer feedback channels. We continuously investigate all customer feedback and are closely monitoring this situation. Note If you experience any issues we'd like to know. Please provide feedback using the keyboard shortcut Windows + F or go to the Start menu and select Feedback Hub so that we can investigate. On first glance, thats great: Microsofts actively asking for help nailing down these odd, seemingly random, problems. We rarely see that kind of proactive effort. But on second glance wuh? There have been dozens of headline-grabbing articles on the problems with this months Cumulative Update not just in social media, but in Windows Latest, BleepingComputer, MSPoweruser, WinCentral, TechRadar, OnMSFT, and in multiple blogs in many languages, all around the world. The reports draw on voluminous reports of bugs that Ive seen, largely in social media, including those in Microsofts regular Windows 10 thread on Reddit, all over Microsofts Answers forum, and in the Microsoft Feedback Hub (search on KB4549951). Odd that Microsoft doesnt consider those customer feedback channels. We used to see Microsoft engineers follow up on specific complaints, directly contacting and working with customers who report buggy signs. I rarely see that happen now. Most of the one-on-one I know about occurs with paying enterprise customers filing incident reports. I dont know how many of those bug reports are legitimately attributed to the Cumulative Update, how many are simple coincidences, and how many emanate from the bowels of the massive Windows echo chamber. Ive looked for patterns and, except for the temporary profile bug, havent found any. That isnt what concerns me about Fridays post. Heres what caught my eye: we have not seen these issues reflected in telemetry. Thats a phenomenal statement. And a scary one. Tracking down many of the problems in the Windows-provided telemetry should be trivial. When the Windows Update installer puts in a new patch, a record gets sent back to Microsoft. When the system reboots, another record goes back. When Windows triggers a blue screen theres another. When the installer doesnt work and rolls back, theres another one. And so on. How hard can it be to see if a specific Stop error (blue screen) immediately follows an update reboot? How hard can it be to see if a completely new profile appears immediately after an update reboot? How on earth could they not see these issues in the telemetry? Microsoft has spent an enormous amount of money on telemetry. Going all the way back to the time of Dr. Watson, weve been sending Microsoft enormous quantities of data. And now they cant connect these straightforward dots? Meh. Were following intently on the AskWoody blog. The Police in France have intervened to ensure that face masks provided for health workers are not hoarded or diverted by desperate business racketeers. Accordingly, the Police confiscated 140,000 face masks traced to black market in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. The French government had banned the resale of protective masks to prioritise their distribution to health workers in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Police source was said to have disclosed on Sunday that two persons were arrested at a transaction point they were offloading boxes in Saint-Denis, North Paris. One of the arrested suspects was said to have identified himself as a business owner, insisting that he bought the masks, including 5,000 high protection FFP2 masks, in the Netherlands at the cost of 80,000 euros ($87,000). The police revealed that the arrested business persons planned to sell the masks to construction workers at huge profit margin. It was recalled that in March, 32,500 masks from China were seized from a warehouse near Paris and 28,800 masks were discovered in a shop in a district of Chinese wholesalers, also in the Paris region. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-27 14:43:44|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BISHKEK, April 27 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese medical team, who arrived in Kyrgyzstan on April 20, has made important contributions to the host country's fight against the COVID-19 epidemic, Vice Prime Minister Aida Ismailova said on Sunday. At an awarding ceremony, Ismailova expressed his gratitude to the Chinese medical group on behalf of the Kyrgyz government. He spoke highly of the rigorous attitude and extraordinary professional work of the Chinese experts, who have conducted in-depth and detailed experience sharing with the Kyrgyz professionals through visits to medical institutions and online exchanges. Health Minister of Kyrgyzstan Sabirzhan Abdikarimov awarded the Chinese medical team medals and certificates of honor at the ceremony, which was also attended by Chinese Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan Du Dewen, deputy chief of the President's Office Almaz Kenenbaev and local medical experts. Du said the Chinese medical team has played a unique and important role in deepening anti-epidemic cooperation between China and Kyrgyzstan and consolidating Chinese-Kyrgyz friendship. The ambassador noted that the two sides should further deepen cooperation on the joint construction of the "Belt and Road" for the benefit of the two peoples. The ten-member team from western China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region includes six medical experts specializing in disease prevention and control, traditional Chinese medicine and respiratory medicine. It will leave on Monday. Enditem Medical workers are seen at a laboratory inside the Preventive Health Center of Nghe An Province in central Vietnam, April 17, 2020. Photo by VnExpress/Nguyen Hai. Vietnam has entered its third consecutive day without any new Covid-19 infection, keeping its total count at 270 since Saturday morning. Of these, 45 patients are undergoing treatment and 225 have been discharged from hospitals. Among the active patients, 13 have tested negative once and three twice. However, there are five patients who have relapsed being monitored at different hospitals in the country. The Central Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City Pasteur Institute have cultured the virus taken from them to try and find the cause. By last Friday morning, Vietnam had gone eight straight days clear of new infections, but the evening saw two new cases, both students returning from Japan. They were quarantined on arrival and are now under treatment in Hanoi. From April 16, there has been no infection caused by community transmission. The country has 52,000 people in quarantine - 323 in hospitals, 11,000 in isolation facilities and the rest at home. The Covid-19 pandemic has spread to 210 countries and territories, with almost 207,000 deaths reported so far. New Zealand has 'achieved elimination' of coronavirus as Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern claimed the country has scored a significant victory against the spread of Covid-19. The country has been following an elimination strategy with the goal of completely ending the transmission of coronavirus within its borders. 'There is no widespread, undetected community transmission in New Zealand,' Ardern declared on Monday. 'We have won that battle.' Ashley Bloomfield, New Zealand's Director General of Health, said the low number 'does give us confidence that we've achieved our goal of elimination. That never meant zero but it does mean we know where our cases are coming from. 'Our goal is elimination. And again, that doesn't mean eradication but it means we get down to a small number of cases so that we are able to stamp out any cases and any outbreak that might come out.' The nation of five million people, reported only one new case of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, taking the total to 1,122 with 19 deaths. After nearly five weeks at the maximum Level Four restrictions - with only essential services operating - the country will move to Level Three late on Monday. New Zealand's efforts to flatten the curve have been very successful, leading to the country relaxing coronavirus restrictions on Monday night New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern briefs the media about the COVIS-19 coronavirus at the Parliament House in Wellington on April 27 Medical staff test shoppers who volunteered at a pop-up community COVID-19 testing station at a supermarket carpark in Christchurch, New Zealand Rather than attempt to 'flatten the curve' of the virus, Ardern set the more ambitious task of ridding the virus completely from the island nation. This meant New Zealand's 5 million residents were subjected to one of the strictest lockdowns in the world in response to the pandemic, with Ardern closing offices, schools, bars and restaurants, including take away and delivery services, on March 26. Beaches, waterfronts and playgrounds were also shut, effectively restricting people to their homes and short walks around their neighbourhood. As part of elimination measures, the country also closed its borders and enforced quarantine of all arrivals into the country. Experts said New Zealand's remote geographical location as well as its easily sealable borders enabled the country to aim for elimination of the virus. The downgrade from Alert Level 4 to Level 3 will allow some businesses, takeaway food outlets and schools to reopen. New Zealanders will be able to go fishing, surfing, hunting and hiking this week for the first time in more than a month as the country begins to ease its way out of a strict lockdown that successfully slowed the spread of the coronavirus. Around 400,000 people will return to work after the country shifts its alert level down a notch at midnight on Monday, but shops and restaurants will remain closed as several social restrictions remain in place. Many businesses, including parliament and the courts, began preparations over the weekend to restart operations this week while maintaining ongoing social distancing rules. Courtenay Place in Wellington stands empty on Monday afternoon during lockdown for the COVID-19 pandemic Victoria Tunnel in Wellington stands empty on Monday during lockdown amid the coronavirus outbreak Empty streets at Courtenay Place in Wellington pictured today, above and below. After nearly five weeks at the maximum Level Four restrictions - with only essential services operating - the country will move to Level Three late on Monday Eateries announced contactless delivery plans, retail stores showcased their latest collections online for home delivery and office towers posted social distancing rules in elevators and public areas. Still, Ardern stressed that public gatherings remain banned and asked people to remain in their 'bubble'. Keen fishers will be permitted to cast a line from a wharf only as boating, yachting and other team sports or training remained barred. Hunting will be allowed on private land with special restrictions. 'We must make sure that we do not let the virus run away on us again and cause a new wave of cases and deaths,' Ardern said at a news conference on Monday. 'To succeed we need to hunt down the last few cases of the virus.' Still, Ardern stressed that public gatherings remain banned and asked people to remain in their 'bubble' Lyall Bay at 1pm on Monday afternoon. The easing of restrictions came as New Zealand, a nation of five million people, reported only one new case of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, taking the total to 1,122 with 19 deaths 'I will not risk the gains we've made in the health of New Zealanders. So if we need to remain at Level Three, we will.' She insisted at the daily government briefing: 'We are opening up the economy, but we're not opening up people's social lives.' Ben Kennings, general manager for industry group Surfing New Zealand, said people were itching to return to sea in a country where an average 60,000 boarders hit the waves weekly. 'We have done well to stay out of the water, but tomorrow there's going to be a lot of people keen to go surfing,' Kennings said. 'It is an individual sport that can be practiced with social distancing.' Trust in governments in Australia and New Zealand has risen since the start of the pandemic, opinion polls show, with their idealogically opposite leaders hailed for their management of the crisis. Left-wing filmmaker Michael Moore has produced a documentary called Planet of the Humans. The film (which I havent yet seen) is basically an attack on green energy, i.e., wind and solar. Moore comes at the issue from a far-left perspective: Michael Moore presents Planet of the Humans, a documentary that dares to say what no one else will this Earth Day that we are losing the battle to stop climate change on planet earth because we are following leaders who have taken us down the wrong road selling out the green movement to wealthy interests and corporate America. This film is the wake-up call to the reality we are afraid to face: that in the midst of a human-caused extinction event, the environmental movements answer is to push for techno-fixes and band-aids. Its too little, too late. Removed from the debate is the only thing that MIGHT save us: getting a grip on our out-of-control human presence and consumption. Why is this not THE issue? Because that would be bad for profits, bad for business. Have we environmentalists fallen for illusions, green illusions, that are anything but green, because were scared that this is the endand weve pinned all our hopes on biomass, wind turbines, and electric cars? Despite his loony point of view, Moore is right about wind and solar: they are intermittent, unreliable, ridiculously expensive, and bad for the environment. That message was too much for the lavishly funded green establishment, which has responded by trying to shut Moore up and ban his film: This is great news. Cheers to @joshfoxfilm and everyone who worked hard and quickly to make sure this dangerous film was retracted.https://t.co/OpDtkdJeU0 Eric Holthaus (@EricHolthaus) April 25, 2020 The claim that Moores distributor had retracted the film was false. The distributor is Moores Rumble Films. A single outlet, Films For Action, took Planet of the Humans down from their site, but later restored it. The movie is available on YouTube, where it has already been seen more than 2.5 million times. Talking about film distribution at the moment is a little ironic, since all of the theaters are closed. While they were wrong about their claimed success, the green left has indeed tried to suppress Moores documentary. They say it is full of lies and misinformation, but are slow to cite any instances. Mostly it is generalities like this: The film states that renewable energy such as solar and wind are inefficient, useless and dependent on fossil fuels to work. Quote from the film One of the most dangerous things right now is the illusion that alternative technologies, like wind and solar, are somehow different from fossil fuelsYou would have been better off just burning the fossil fuels in the first place, instead of playing pretend. This assertion, which is echoed over and over in the film, is patently untrue and ridiculous. The notion that solar and wind and other renewable technologies dont work to produce energy in ways that are cheaper, more efficient and at low or zero carbon emissions over their life span flies in the face of everything engineers, scientists and energy planners have been writing in peer reviewed science for decades. So there! Have you noticed how dependent leftists and liberals are on arguments from authority these days? In their eyes, questioning alleged authority is a cardinal sin. Their fascist tendencies are shining through. Actually, it is indisputable that wind and solar are inefficient, useless and dependent on fossil fuels to work. It is also true that we would be better off just burning the fossil fuels in the first place and not complicating the energy grid with unreliable, expensive wind and solar. If you want facts, rather than invocations of purported authority, this report is a great place to start. The Coronavirus epidemic is indeed life threatening but, on the flip side, it has helped nations of the world to discover their deficiencies. Ghana has not been spared either from the sting of this Coronavirus as the country has recorded 1550 positive cases and 155 recovery cases with 11 deaths. Though many Ghanaians have appreciated efforts by the Government of Ghana under the leadership of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to contain the virus resulting in a low positivity rate of 1.5 percent, the Coronavirus (COVID-19) has however exposed the country's healthcare system. Addressing the nation in his 8th update on COVID-19, President Nana Akufo-Addo disclosed some deficiencies that need to be corrected in the health sector. He noted that ''just as the virus has disrupted our daily lives, it has also exposed the deficiencies of our healthcare system, because of years of under-investment and neglect. Whilst maternal, new-born, adolescent health and nutrition remain our top priorities, we must pay increased attention to chronic, noncommunicable diseases such as heart diseases, diabetes and asthma, which have proved to be the common risk factors for the eleven (11) deaths we have recorded from the virus''. He further outlined that the pandemic has also ''highlighted the need to address mental health issues, and the crucial role of emergency services, to which the new fleet of ambulances and drones are responding. We must emphasise preventive and promotive aspects of health, in addition to care for the sick. The virus has also revealed the unequal distribution of healthcare facilities, as we have tended to focus our infrastructure on Accra and one or two of our other big cities. But, as we have seen, epidemics and pandemics, when they emerge, can spread to any part of our country''. Since it's not enough to look at the deficiencies without resolving them, the President, as a matter of urgency, will begin the construction of eighty-eight (88) district and six (6) Regional hospitals this year. ''There are eighty-eight (88) districts in our country without district hospitals; we have six (6) new regions without regional hospitals; we do not have 5 infectious disease control centres dotted across the country, and we do not have enough testing and isolation centres for diseases like COVD-19. We must do something urgently about this. That is why Government has decided to undertake a major investment in our healthcare infrastructure, the largest in our history. We will, this year, begin constructing eighty-eight (88) hospitals in the districts without hospitals. It will mean ten (10) in Ashanti, nine (9) in Volta, nine (9) in Central, eight (8) in Eastern, seven (7) in Greater Accra, seven (7) in Upper East, five (5) in Northern, five (5) in Oti, five (5) in Upper West, five (5) in Bono, four (4) in Western North, four (4) in Western, three (3) in Ahafo, three (3) in Savannah, two (2) in Bono East, and two (2) in North East Regions. Each of them will be a quality, standard-design, one hundred bed hospital, with accommodation for doctors, nurses and other health workers, and the intention is to complete them within a year. We have also put in place plans for the construction of six (6) new regional hospitals in the six (6) new regions, and the rehabilitation of the EffiaNkwanta Hospital, in Sekondi, which is the regional hospital of the Western Region. We are going to beef up our existing laboratories and establish new ones across every region for testing. We will establish three (3) infectious disease control centres for each of the zones of our country, i.e. Coastal, Middle Belt and Northern, with the overall objective of setting up a Ghana Centre for Disease Control. The recent, tragic CSM outbreak, with over forty (40) deaths, has reaffirmed the need for ready access to such infectious disease control centres, even though, in our time, nobody should die of the disease'', President Akufo-Addo underscored. Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Australian Business Council Warns of $400 Billion Economic Hit Unless Urgent Reforms On April 27, the Business Council of Australia (BCA) said the Australian economy could take a $400 billion hit if lockdown restrictions continue for six months. They urged the federal government to act on comprehensive reforms needed to get the post-pandemic economic recovery on the right trackfast. The analysis released by BCA on Monday, April 27, highlighted that the way the recovery will be managed is critical to avoiding the trap of long-term unemployment for those who have lost their jobs during the economic crisis induced by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as novel coronavirus. The research summary, quoting modelling by Ernst & Young, illustrated how the duration of restrictions will impact the path of an economic rebound. According to the recovery profiles chart, if restrictions stay in place for 6 months, Australias gross domestic product (GDP) would suffer a loss of $402.6 billion (US$259 billion) or 20.7 percent in the 2020 calendar yearunder a U-shaped recovery profile. In comparison, the loss would be reduced to $278.3 billion with a three-month V-shaped recovery, and a $197.3 billion if the lockdown restrictions last for only one month. The research also shows that workers in the accommodation, food, retail, construction, and manufacturing areas have been hardest hit in terms of full-time job opportunities. They are also at the highest risk of falling into long term unemployment, along with older workers, and those with high school or below education. Making the Right Choice Business Council chief executive Jennifer Westacott, while confident that Australia is in a good position to plan for a strong recovery, said that the government needs to act on quick reforms covering taxation, industrial relations, and training to make sure that no one is left behind in the recovery. There can be no trade-off between the health, social, and economic recovery but the most vulnerable members of our community will pay the highest cost of failure on any front, she said in a media release. Westacott argues that one of the key questions the government needs to ask when making decisions about the recovery is: Does this create a new job, a secure job, better-paid job, or does it get someone back to work? She also advocated for a simpler workplace relations system that works better for both employers and employees, an efficient and competitive tax system that attracts investment, and a training system that fosters rapid upskills. She said reforms should aim to get new investment flowing and get started on the bigger, more long-term growth plan. A United Sense of Reform Urgency The call from the BCA reflects a sense of urgency for broad changes to the economic system shared by governments and businesses recently, as the nation looks to rebound from the crisis amid a consistent flattening of the CCP virus infections curve. At a press conference on April 16, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said an aggressive pro-business investment strategy must be pursued to get the economy back on track, implying that tax cuts, deregulation, and industrial relations reform are on the agenda. We are going to have to have economic policy measures that are going to have to be very pro-growth, that are going to enable businesses to employ people, that will enable businesses to invest and businesses to move forward, he said. Reserve Bank Governor Philip Lowe urged governments to seize the spirit of co-operation to reform the economy in a speech on April 22, which included fixing the way we tax income generation, consumption and land. Lowe said the crisis would have reverberations through our economy for some time to come and that the best way of dealing with these was to reinvigorate the countrys growth and productivity agenda. As we look forward to the recovery, there is an opportunity to build on the cooperative spirit that is now serving us so well to push forward with reforms that would move us out of the shadows cast by the crisis, Lowe said. Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has started to consult with businesses about reform options during a video conference meeting with corporate leaders on April 22. We are absolutely focused on reforms that encourage the investment, innovation, new hires of employees and investments in capital, he told Sky News on April 23. He admitted that the Australian company tax rate is still very high by international standards, indicating that well look at tax reform as an area of interest because were always looking for opportunities to cut taxes. The Supreme Court ruled Monday that insurance companies can collect $12 billion from the federal government to cover their losses in the early years of the health care law championed by President Barack Obama. In a landslide 8-1 decision, insurers are now entitled to claim the money under a provision of the Obamacare health law that promised the companies a financial cushion for losses they might incur by selling coverage to people in the marketplaces created by the health care law. The program only lasted three years, but Congress inserted a provision in the Health and Human Services Departments spending bills from 2015 to 2017 to limit payments under the risk corridors program. Both the Obama and Trump administrations had argued that the provision means the government has no obligation to pay. But Justice Sonia Sotomayor said in her opinion for the court that the congressional action was not sufficient to repeal the government's commitment to pay, writing: These holdings reflect a principle as old as the Nation itself: The Government should honor its obligations.' The Supreme Court ruled Monday that insurance companies can collect $12 billion from the federal government to cover their losses in the early years of the health care law championed by President Barack Obama In dissent, Justice Samuel Alito wrote that the court's decision was effectively providing a bailout for insurance companies that took a calculated risk and lost. These companies chose to participate in an Affordable Care Act program that they thought would be profitable, Alito said. Under the courts decision, billions of taxpayer dollars will be turned over to insurance companies that bet unsuccessfully on the success of the program in question. The Supreme Court case consolidated lawsuits brought by three small insurers, including one that blamed the risk corridors shortfall for its collapse in 2016. In a landslide 8-1 decision, insurers are now entitled to claim the money under a provision of the Obamacare health law that promised the companies a financial cushion for losses they might incur by selling coverage to people in the marketplaces created by the health care law (pictured: President Obama signs the Affordable Care Act on March 23, 2010) In dissent, Justice Samuel Alito wrote that the courts decision was effectively providing a bailout for insurance companies that took a calculated risk and lost The companies, which sold insurance in Alaska, Illinois, Maine, North Carolina, Oregon and Washington, cite HHS statistics to claim they are owed $12 billion. Today's decision will also benefit insurers who brought dozens of identical lawsuits in lower courts. The case is separate from a challenge to the health care law that the court has agreed to hear in its term that begins in October. Though I struggle like everyone else with being homebound, I realize it is necessary for my own safety and that of my family and friends. To ignore the CDC health guidelines would be foolish. We can find a way to recover from the collapse of our economy, but there is no recovery from death. So for whatever time is necessary, we all need to do what our health experts recommend. Social distancing may be aggravating, but it could save your life or the life of a loved one. I find some comfort in remembering that our isolation is nothing compared to the isolation of thousands of death-row inmates in our prisons. Most of them are isolated in a small cell with no windows for 23 hours a day. And the sad reality is that a few of them are innocent, awaiting execution for a crime they did not commit. If you doubt that, I suggest you read the eye-opening book Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson. Celebrate the truth The best medicine I have found for the monotony of isolation is to celebrate the truth of my little power poem. Lifes dullness is overpowered by the wondrous truth that we are wanted for the business of the King. That whole show plan evaporated almost immediately. Dance sequences were a no go and a set was impossible. The cast doubles as the band, and several actors dont have access to the instruments they play onstage. Besides, as Gus Halper, another lead actor explained, putting the stage production on Zoom felt wrong. So much of the challenge of getting the musical on its feet was trying to find the magic of the film in a way that felt unique to theater, he said, speaking from his mothers Massachusetts home. This is the same challenge, just in reverse. The cast decided to perform most of the songs including a new one, Love and Stars with just enough narrative padding to give them context. This is going to be a very truncated kind of version of the experience, Barbara Broccoli, a lead producer, explained. Nothing will replace watching the show in the theater. A live performance, the producers quickly discovered, was also not an option. With OConnor in England, his castmate Zara Devlin in Northern Ireland and most everyone else in the United States, audio and video delays were an issue. They did a test with everyone trying to play on Zoom and it was just all over the place, Clark said. Clark and the producers with help from the video production company Smuggler, the creative agency Droga5 and the filmmaker Henry-Alex Rubin figured out some workarounds, like a backing track and a move to combine Zoom with other platforms. But they accepted that they would have to record each performers audio in advance, sync it and then synchronize the picture putting everything back into the groove, Clark said. When asked if an observer would really notice the split-second discrepancies, he replied: It would sound like a train wreck. The producers sent care packages Apple AirPods, microphones, hard drives, hand props to the cast. These were all loaners, except for the AirPods. (That would be gross, a press agent told me.) In April, proper rehearsals began, working around different time zones, tricky living situations, an actors melted computer, Devlins intermittent internet connection. A tentative run date emerged and then faded as work continued. In mid-March, before theaters shut down, I sat in on a Sing Street run-through. I had been working on an article one that seems extremely quaint now tracking how an Off Broadway show, which needed significant design and dramaturgical work, would leap to Broadway in just two months. The lockdown comes amid fears over the spread of the coronavirus in Latin Americas unruly prisons. Defying social distancing recommendations due to the coronavirus, authorities in El Salvador crammed prisoners albeit some wearing maks tightly together in prison yards while searching their cells over the weekend. President Nayib Bukele ordered the crackdown after more than 20 people were murdered in the country Friday and intelligence suggested the orders came from imprisoned gang leaders. The lockdown came amid fears over the spread of the novel coronavirus in Latin Americas notoriously overcrowded, unruly prisons, threatening to turn them into an inferno. The Puente Alto prison in downtown Santiago, Chile, had the largest of Latin Americas prison virus outbreaks so far, with more than 300 reported cases. The prisons 1,100 inmates are terrified. Social distancing is hard to practice in jail. They are all in contact with each other, said prison nurse Ximena Graniffo. Latin Americas prisons hold 1.5 million inmates, and the facilities are often quasi-ruled by prisoners themselves because of corruption, intimidation and inadequate guard staffs. Low budgets also create ideal conditions for the virus to spread: There is often little soap and water, and cell blocks are crowded. So far, national officials have reported close to 1,400 confirmed cases of COVID-19 among inmates and prison staff. The worst hit has been Peru, with 613 cases and at least 13 deaths, though the extent of testing to determine the full scale of infections differs from country to country. When the Dominican Republic tested more than 5,500 inmates at the La Victoria prison, which has been producing protective face masks for the public, officials reported at least 239 tested positive. Perhaps the most complete testing appears to be taking place in Puerto Rico, where the Department of Corrections said Friday it will test all the nearly 9,000 inmates being held across the United States territory, as well as 6,000 employees, including prison guards. Fear of the virus has itself already proven deadly. There have been 23 deaths in prison riots in Colombia since the pandemic started. More than 1,300 inmates have escaped prisons in Brazil after a temporary release programme was cancelled due to the outbreak, and more than 1,000 have been on hunger strikes in Argentina. All over the region, the demands are the same: protection against contagion. With most family visits cancelled, inmates feel exposed, vulnerable, alone and exploited. Inmates report that prices at informal and formal prison stores have increased during the pandemic, and relatives can no longer bring them food and hygiene items from the outside. Right now, a bag of soap powder costs 29 pesos [$1.20], when before it was 20 [80 cents] said a prisoner in Mexico, who lives in a four metre by four metre (12 foot by 12 foot) cell with a dozen others. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was using a banned mobile phone. Human Rights Watch says conditions are even worse in countries like Haiti, Bolivia or Guatemala. United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet, the former president of Chile, has called sanitary conditions in the region deplorable and called for the release of less dangerous inmates. Countries like Chile and Colombia have already released about 7,500 inmates, and Mexicos senate last week approved a measure to free thousands, though Brazil has not yet acted. Regional security analyst Lucia Dammert says releasing a few thousand inmates will not significantly reduce the threat of contagion, however, and some urge more sweeping releases. Rioting inmates gathered on the roof of the Villa Devoto prison during a protest against authorities, saying they are not doing enough to prevent the spread of coronavirus in Buenos Aires, Argentina [Natacha Pisarenko/AP Photo] Prisoners have been sentenced to loss of liberty, not to death, and the state has to take measures at its disposal, said Jose Miguel Vivanco, Americas director for Human Rights Watch. And in many countries, such as Bolivia, most of those behind bars have not yet been sentenced or are awaiting trial. In Chile, the head of the prison guard system, Christian Alveal, said the prisoners fears are totally reasonable, and he said officials are working to minimise the worries of the inmates. Some prisons have tried to do that by allowing prisoners more calls to relatives, and Argentina, with 13,000 prisoners, has allowed video calls. Buenos Aires has even allowed prisoners to use mobile phones, which are normally banned because they are sometimes used in extortion schemes. Inmates at the San Pedro prison in Bolivias capital, La Paz, have taken their own measures against contagion. While inmates elsewhere have rioted over bans on family visits, the Bolivian inmates themselves decided on such a ban. And they turned what are normally punishment cells into 14-day quarantine lockups for newly arrived prisoners. Ximena Graniffo, the nurse at Puente Alto, seemed resigned to a struggle. You do what you can with what you have, she said. The headquarters of the Ministry of Civil Aviation at Rajiv Gandhi Bhawan in Delhi, reopened on Monday. The office was sealed last week after a civil aviation staffer tested positive for coronavirus on April 21. In a tweet, Union Minister of Civil Aviation, Hardeep Singh Puri, said that the office has been sanitised, is safe and has been reopened. Puri, who was working out of Nirman Bhawana and Udhyog Bhawan in the meanwhile, said he worked from the Rajiv Gandhi Bhawan office today. The @MoCA_GoI office at Rajiv Gandhi Bhawan is sanitized, safe, up & reopened. It was sealed after one of our colleagues tested positive for #COVID19 on 21st April. After operating from Nirman Bhawan & Udhyog Bhawan for a while, I worked out of my Civil Aviation office today. pic.twitter.com/68wFat1fYH Hardeep Singh Puri (@HardeepSPuri) April 27, 2020 The @MoCA_GoI office at Rajiv Gandhi Bhawan is sanitized, safe, up & reopened. It was sealed after one of our colleagues tested positive for #COVID19 on 21st April. After operating from Nirman Bhawan & Udhyog Bhawan for a while, I worked out of my Civil Aviation office today, Puri tweeted out. The ministry personnel who tested positive for Covid-19 had attended the office on April 15. An employee of the ministry who had attended office on 15 April 2020 has tested positive for COVID19 on 21st April. All necessary protocols are being stringently followed on the Premises. All colleagues who came in contact are being asked to go into self isolation as a precaution, the ministry tweeted out. Puri came out in support of the staffer and assured all possible help. We stand by our colleague at @MoCA_GoI who has tested positive for COVID19 & have extended all possible medical help & support, the minister had tweeted. Those in contact have also been asked to follow the laid down procedures. I wish him strength & speedy recovery, he added. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Gov. Andrew Cuomo has said that New York is on the downside of the COVID-19 curve. Mayor Bill de Blasio has also pointed toward hopeful trends when it comes to the pandemic. With that, talk is more and more turning to how we should bring the state out of the lockdown its been on for the last several weeks. But there are still a lot of questions out there. AP Photo/Charles Krupa While people are still being hospitalized and are still dying of coronavirus, the number of new virus cases and the number of daily hospitalizations are both on the decline. The number of new deaths per day has also been falling. Those are the trends weve been looking for as signals that we can start to plan re-opening. Don't Edit Tom Wrobleski/Staten Island Advance Should we re-open all businesses all at once? Business owners and employees want to get back to work. Nobody has made money for weeks. Governments are starved for tax revenue. But it might not be feasible to open everything up at once. For example, places like barber shops and nail salons might remain on pause until were sure that there can once again be safe personal contact between workers and customers. Don't Edit Darren McGee/Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo/TNS Should we re-open the entire state at the same time? Cuomo has talked about re-opening the state region by region. So places that have had low numbers of COVID-19 cases and deaths, including many regions upstate, might be back in business before the five boroughs and Long Island get the green light. On Sunday, Cuomo said that manufacturing and construction could be the first two business sectors to be opened. One caveat: Nobody wants to see re-opened counties flooded with people from areas still under lockdown. Don't Edit Sara Tewksbury/KTVF-TV via AP Should businesses open up at full capacity? Recall that just before the New York was put fully on pause, bars and restaurants had been operating at less-than-full capacity. It could be that we see those businesses initially open at 50 or 25 percent of their capacity once restrictions are loosened. Hours of operation could also be reduced or staggered at various businesses in order to reduce crowding. Don't Edit AP Photo/Matilde Campodonico Will we still have to wear face masks? Its possible that states and localities could require people to wear protective face coverings when out in public even after we get back to business. In particular, masks may be required inside stores and other enclosed spaces, including mass transit, for a while. There could also be curfews as a way to ease us back into normal life without running the risk of kicking off a new wave of infections. Don't Edit Don't Edit Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images How long until we have a vaccine? Real safety and confidence can only come when a vaccine is developed that prevents people from getting COVID-19. Were still several months to a year away from that, according to experts. This is a new coronavirus, so a vaccine must be developed from scratch, and then would need to be tested. Well likely have to settle on a re-opening strategy in the absence of a vaccine. Don't Edit AP Photo/John Locher, File Are there medical treatments for COVID-19? Until we have a vaccine, the ability to treat coronavirus would be a boost. That way, if infections spike after the re-opening, we have a way to battle them. Thats where theres been so much talk about hydroxychloroquine and other medicines. But preliminary tests of hydroxychloroquine in New York hospitals had no effect on patients, Cuomo said. Testing continues. Don't Edit Tom Wrobleski/Staten Island Advance Just how bad has COVID-19 been? The raw number of coronavirus deaths and infections is staggering. There have been 16,000-plus deaths in New York State, even though the virus didnt hit us as badly as predicted. And if its true that many more of us had the virus without ever showing symptoms, as recent antibody tests have preliminarily indicated, that would drive the death rate way down. It would also increase herd immunity for a time, providing protection for vulnerable persons. Its important information as we look to the next phase of this. Don't Edit Tom Wrobleski/Staten Island Advance Will there be a second wave of COVID-19 in the fall? Its possible. The 1918 influenza pandemic began in the spring of that year, and the virus was much deadlier when it returned in the fall. And the national health system could be strained if theres another wave of coronavirus this fall amid usual flu season. But sometimes viruses mutate into harmlessness as well. The bottom line: Its an unknown. Don't Edit Tom Wrobleski/Staten Island Advance Can people get COVID-19 second time after recovering from the virus? People generally develop an immunity after recovering from a virus, and do not get it again. But COVID-19 is a new strain of coronavirus, so were not sure exactly how it works. Nobody can yet say with certainty that people cant be re-infected. But it would be easier to re-open society fully if we knew there was no chance of re-infection. Don't Edit Don't Edit AP Photo/John Minchillo Can we shut things down again quickly if infections surge after re-opening? This is why we need to massively increase our testing capability. If we see an uptick in infections after people have resumed some of their normal lives, we could quickly be back in lockdown. There could be increased monitoring of the population as well. One question, though: How willing will people be to quarantine again after the economic and social displacement we've seen over the last two months? Don't Edit Tom Wrobleski/Staten Island Advance Does everybody even want to get back to normal? It could be a while before some people truly feel safe in public, even if restrictions are lifted and businesses are re-opened. Theyll likely wear protective face masks and avoid crowds and mass transit for a while. They may continue to work from home. Some food businesses might still offer only takeout and delivery service out of an abundance of caution. Don't Edit Composite by Tom Wrobleski/Staten Island Advance Most nights I send out the "Reliable Sources" newsletter at 10 or 11 p.m. Eastern time. I missed Friday night's deadline for the first time in years. On Saturday morning, I belatedly sent out the newsletter and wrote about the reason why: "Truth is, I hit a wall. Gutted by the death toll. Disturbed by the government's shortcomings. Dismayed by political rhetoric that bears no resemblance to reality. Worried about friends who are losing their jobs and kids who are missing school and senior citizens who are living in fear. I crawled in bed and cried for our pre-pandemic lives. I think those tears had been waiting a month to escape. I wanted to share this with you because it feels freeing to do so. Now is not a time for faux-invincibility. Journalists are living this and hating this just like everyone else." I tried to quickly move on to all the media, tech and culture stories that I normally report in the newsletter. But those first two paragraphs caused a deluge of reactions in my inbox and on social media. The messages helped me see that there are so many people, all around the world, feeling the same grief and frustration. Vulnerability is a good thing -- and relatable. Many were quick to say that their lives are relatively easy compared with the health care workers on the front lines and the laid-off workers in unemployment lines. I feel the same way. Still, the pandemic is taking a toll. Here are what some people said via Twitter and email: Elizabeth: "I had a good cry yesterday too. It's all so much and overwhelming, we're doing all the things to stay sane and productive but it catches up with you. It's all really hard and scary on all levels." Melissa: "It's ok to not be ok right now." Pamela: "This happened to me exactly a week ago. I just had all I could process, and then it was too much. Thank you for sharing. You aren't alone. I still just don't have a clue what to do about this feeling." John: "Grief begins the healing process." Arthea: "As a mental health professional, I know no one is immune to the trauma we're experiencing in our ever-changed lives. I'm a proponent of 'scheduled meltdowns' where I put on music or a movie that I know will release a floodgate of tears. Those tears are just under the surface these days but when your profession requires you to keep it together, you sometimes have to find a time to let it all release. Your hitting the wall is understandable, deserved and frankly quite healthy." Anita: "It's important to recognize the need to grieve what we've lost and to acknowledge anxiety and uncertainty over the way forward." Mia: "Amid so much suffering, it is appropriate for all of us to weep." Barry: "Add in fear and grief over the state of our democracy..." Laura: "We aren't OK. Acting as if we are is only a disservice to one another." Marci: "I have felt like this as well.. and then I tune into those fighting, finding light, and working to help others, and create new models for a better world." Shira: "I have felt the wall, too. Hang in there." Goldie: "It's difficult to see the road to the other side of this." Michele: "Yesterday was tough. I don't verbalize much at home because my kids are already disturbed enough by these changes. I'm now having dreams and nightmares that I haven't experienced since I went through cancer treatments. I feel the same kind of fear now..." David: "We can count our blessings and shed tears for what we, and our children, are missing right now." Chris: "Mourning for what was creates space for what can be." Sulome: "I have hope that this will pass, and a better world is possible. Don't give up on that. I know you won't." Andrew: "It's a good time for everyone, perhaps, to take a deep long breath. And then another." Palmer: "I finally hit a wall last night, too, as I was reading some news accounts in the evening to my wife... How are we going to get out of this and back to some kind of 'normal' life if the testing isn't done? And that's just one of so many things that are being mishandled. It's just so incredibly frustrating." Sossy: "Self care is absolutely necessary at this time." Jeff: "Just remember this, buried under all the nasty rhetoric and the politics, are the folks out there who are just struggling to get through their days, decent people trying to do the right thing. There are more of us than there are the other guys." Let's show solidarity All of the tweets and emails made me more confident about what I wrote in Saturday morning's newsletter, about the importance of showing solidarity with people who are suffering for all sorts of reasons. The sheer scope of the unfolding tragedy is mind-boggling. "Over the past 24 hours, we've lost 4,591 Americans," Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti said Friday night. "That's more in a single day than we lost in the entire Iraq War." As CNN commentator Amanda Carpenter wrote the other day, "It seems like every time I check the news there's another something thousand dead. We are passing major markers without even blinking or pausing to mourn. We all need to stop and assess. Please." So what is there to do "when numbers in the news become benumbing?" That's what Anita Varma, assistant director of Journalism & Media Ethics at Santa Clara University's Markkula Center for Applied Ethics wrote about earlier this month. "When people grow fatigued in the face of observing widespread suffering, they tend to 1) become distressed, 2) blame the victim, and 3) go numb and turn away," Varma wrote. She recommended "an ethic of solidarity" be infused in news coverage -- to humanize nameless, faceless data and individual anecdotes. "Shifting away from purely individualized struggles, an ethic of solidarity would mean standing with communities affected by not only representing their pain, but also their views on what happened, what their needs are, and amplifying their ideas on how these needs can be served," Varma wrote. Her blog post made me think about how national news stories are framed, often centered around President Trump's ever-changing position or the comments of another politician. Yes, they are elected officials, but wouldn't it be more valuable to change the approach from "here's what politicians said today" coverage to "what do community members need right now?" What do they want to know? And what do they expect from our elected officials? For more... A version of this article first appeared in the "Reliable Sources" newsletter. You can sign up for free right here. A person was taken into custody Monday after five people were found dead inside a home in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The individual, who was not identified, called police at around 10:30 a.m. and told police his family was dead, Milwaukee Police Chief Alfonso Morales said. Authorities found five people between the ages of 14 and 41 dead after arriving at the scene. The subject who called is taken into custody and there is no active threat that we know of right now out to the community, Morales said. Five people were found dead inside a home in Milwaukee on April 27, 2020, according to police. (WTMJ-TV) The person in custody is a male, but Morales did not specify the 911 caller's age. Police have recovered a weapon and believe there is only one suspect responsible. An investigation is ongoing. Morales said that all the victims were known to each other and that authorities were looking into their relationship. He would not release additional information on the suspect or the weapon. Understand this is a very tragic event, Morales said. Our prayers are out to the family. To avoid Franklin Templeton like situation, the Reserve Bank of India on April 27 announced a special liquidity facility of Rs 50,000 crore for mutual funds. Under the SLF-MF, the RBI said it would conduct repo operations of 90 days tenor at the fixed repo rate. "The Special Liquidity Facility for Mutual Funds (SLF-MF) is on-tap and open-ended, and banks can submit their bids to avail funding on any day from Monday to Friday (excluding holidays)." This money can be used by the banks for lending to mutual funds on a short term basis or even buying bonds, CPs and other instruments held by them. The scheme is available from April 27, 2020, till May 11, 2020, or up to utilization of the allocated amount, whichever is earlier. The Reserve Bank will review the timeline and amount, depending upon market conditions. Experts feel this was much needed to boost the confidence of panicky investors. "The RBI's measure is aimed at confidence-building and to ensure that market functions normally and investors confidence remains on the mutual funds," Nilesh Shah, Managing Director at Kotak Mahindra Asset Management told CNBC-TV18. "In 2013 taper tantrum crisis, when the RBI announced such measure, none of the mutual funds availed it because there was no need for it. In 2020 also, barring four mutual funds, which had Rs 4,400 odd-crore of borrowing, other mutual funds had zero borrowings as per an AMFI release. The bulk of this Rs 4,400 crore was just with one company," Shah said. CARE Ratings said that the relief by RBI will ease redemption pressure that could have increased in the midst of an illiquid market. This can be looked upon as a modified extension of TLTRO for a short term of 90 days rather than 1 or 3 years dealing with a specific pain point in the industry, the rating agency said. The market revered RBI measure as the Nifty50 rose 2.14 percent or 195.90 points to 9,350.30 and the BSE Sensex climbed 670.80 points or 2.14 percent to 31,998.02, backed by buying across sectors. Banking and Financial Service index gained the most, rising around 3 percent each, while asset management companies like Nippon Life shot up 12 percent and HDFC AMC gained 5 percent. "The measure will not only help mutual funds but also the bonds markets," A Balasubramanian, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer for Aditya Birla Sun Life AMC told CNBC-TV18. Ashwani Bhatia, Managing Director & CEO at SBI Mutual Fund feels it is a message largely to investors, mainly HNIs and institutions that this part of the financial market is safe and RBI is looking at financial markets very carefully. He said on Friday there were some redemptions but it largely depended on the portfolio quality or portfolio of many funds. "Some may have had little and some may have had more redemptions, but by and large this is a wonderful step, much needed. And I am sure panic that was there, it won't go further from here." RBI said, "Heightened volatility in capital markets in reaction to COVID-19 has imposed liquidity strains on mutual funds (MFs), which have intensified in the wake of redemption pressures related to closure of some debt MFs and potential contagious effects therefrom." Funds availed under the SLF-MF shall be used by banks exclusively for meeting the liquidity requirements of MFs by extending loans, and undertaking outright purchase of repos against the collateral of investment-grade corporate bonds, commercial papers (CPs), debentures and certificates of Deposit (CDs) held by MFs, RBI said. Bala said, "Banks could have done on their own. When special window is coming from RBI specifically addressing the current ongoing concerns, apprehensions that comes from the market players as well as investors in general. It has given additional comfort to the banks." The stress is, however, confined to the high-risk debt MF segment at this stage; the larger industry remains liquid, RBI said. "And the current available liquidity, banks are going and parking their funds with RBI at 3.5 percent rate. Naturally they can actually go and lap up all those securities that could come up for tale and earn about more than 3-4 percent higher than what they normally gets from RBI in the normal course of transaction." The RBI said liquidity support availed under the SLF-MF would be eligible to be classified as held to maturity (HTM) even in excess of 25 percent of total investment permitted to be included in the HTM portfolio. "Exposures under this facility will not be reckoned under the Large Exposure Framework (LEF). The face value of securities acquired under the SLF-MF and kept in the HTM category will not be reckoned for computation of adjusted non-food bank credit (ANBC) for the purpose of determining priority sector targets/sub-targets. Support extended to MFs under the SLF-MF shall be exempted from banks capital market exposure limits," it added. Experts feel this is a good lesson to mutual funds that they should properly follow the guidelines given by regulators. "I am sure this is a lesson and MFs will follow the guidelines if you are taking exposure to duration funds or liquid funds. In debt funds, one looks at a return of 1-2 percent above fixed deposits rate and at the shortage he will be looking for a return of 1-2 percent above saving banks rate. Ultimately we are managing other people's money, this is certainly a big lesson for entire industry," Ashwani Bhatia of SBI MF said in an interview to CNBC-TV18. "Going forward we will be very mindful of the fact that duration risk is duration risk and credit risk is credit risk and lets not mixed the two together and run for a yield," he added. Here is what other experts said: Joseph Thomas, Head of Research - Emkay Wealth Management The closure of its six debt schemes by FT has resulted in eroding the confidence of investors to a large extent. This usually results in more redemptions and may lead to liquidity problems for the mutual fund industry, when many of them already have negative cash in debt funds. So, more than a crisis of liquidity, it is a crisis of confidence. In order to bring back confidence, the RBI has announced the liquidity support measures for the mutual funds specifically. This will serve to alleviate the fears in the minds of investors and also dissuade many from getting into the redemption mode. Even then, the after effects of the low rated credit risk fund portfolios may haunt the mutual funds for some more time to come because of the economic slowdown and the resultant sluggishness in economic activity emanating from the pandemic. A timely and extremely laudable action from the RBI. Amit Singh, Head of Investica In light of Franklin Templeton MF closing six debt funds schemes last week, Debt markets were on the edge especially with higher yields on Friday for lower-rated papers. As expected, RBIs liquidity initiative announced on Monday will ease pressure and help mutual funds to finance the redemption using this facility rather than selling exiting papers at a discount and denting its Net Asset Value. We believe, that this measure will stabilise the performance of short-term debt funds and improve investor sentiment about the debt market. : The views and investment tips expressed by investment expert on Moneycontrol.com are his own and not that of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions. Workers from UAB Medicine will bring mobile coronavirus testing to Alabamas largest county this week, starting in Center Point and Birminghams Bush Hills neighborhood to reach those unable to come to the downtown site. Jordan DeMoss, vice president of clinical operations at UAB Medicine, said he hopes health care workers will be able to conduct 50 to 100 tests a day. The downtown testing site has administered 5,000 tests since its opening five weeks ago. DeMoss said not everyone can drive downtown to get tested. We want to be able to go to them and meet them where theyre at, he said. Mobile testing will start this week at Central Park Christian School in Bush Hills. On Friday, it will move to Cathedral of the Cross in Center Point. Both mobile clinics will run from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. People with symptoms such as fever, cough and shortness of breath can call (205) 975-CV19 to get more information. As Alabama officials eye lifting some of the restrictions on business and gatherings, experts have raised concerns about low levels of testing in the state. DeMoss said UAB is trying to address the shortage by increasing its testing capacity and bringing it to communities that may have a difficult time obtaining tests. He said the two communities were chosen based on partnerships and data within UAB hospital about positive tests. Signs will be posted with information, including a phone number people can call if they believe they need a test. Healthcare workers on the phone will determine whether callers qualify for testing. Dr. Rachael Lee, epidemiologist for UAB, said the number of new coronavirus cases each day in Jefferson County has declined, but warned that reopening too quickly could cause a second wave of cases. Gov. Kay Ivey announced a press conference tomorrow to outline plans for the states reopening. Lee said people should continue to follow social distancing guidelines, wear masks in public and wash hands frequently to help prevent another round of cases. In Jefferson County, our rates have gone down significantly, but theyre not zero, Lee said. We still have cases circulating, so if you open up too soon, you may see those number start rising again. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 27 Trend: As one of the measures to increase government support for low-income families in Azerbaijan, the coverage of the targeted state social assistance program is expanding, Trend reports referring to the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Population. According to the ministry, from April 1 to date, the number of citizens receiving targeted social assistance has grown by 12,000 families and reached 82,000. Meanwhile, the number of family members receiving social assistance this month increased by 50,000 and currently stands at 340,000 people. The average monthly amount of social assistance for each family continues to grow, reaching 222 manat ($130.5). As the ministry noted, the support was also provided to low-income families whose term for receiving targeted state social assistance during the special quarantine regime has expired. The term for the provision of this assistance to them has been extended to one month following the end of the quarantine regime. Hong Kong, April 27 : The Hong Kong government was under increasing pressure to open the border and relax travel restrictions with mainland China, as the city has witnessed a drop in the rate of COVID-19 cases, a media report said on Monday. Some politicians have called for an exemption for business travellers, despite the Shenzhen government announcing that from Tuesday all travellers to the Chinese metropolis, which neighbours Hong Kong, would have to stay at a designated quarantine centre for 14 days for medical observation, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) newspaper report said. Previously, the two-week quarantine period could take place at home. Tourism lawmaker Yiu Si-wing said the city's government could consider lifting the travel restrictions gradually, allowing those who need to cross the border frequently, for business or family visits, exemptions from the two-week quarantine. He called on officials to discuss with mainland authorities ways to relax the restrictions. "Don't assume that if Hong Kong opens the border, the mainland will do the same," the SCMP reported quoted Liu as saying. "From the new measure in Shenzhen. I think both sides need to communicate and take measures to open up gradually." A government source told the SCMP that the administration had been in talks with its mainland counterparts for some time on the border measures. Executive Council member Jeffrey Lam also said the government should consider gradually relaxing the travel restrictions for business travellers from the mainland. He suggested those people could enter Hong Kong without serving the 14 days of mandatory quarantine if they tested negative for the virus. Hong Kong recorded no new COVID-19 cases for the third time in a week on Sunday, leaving the total number of infections in the city at 1,037. Britain endured a weekend of bloodshed that left three people dead and a 16-year-old boy fighting for his life in hospital. A man in his 20s was stabbed to death in Newham, east London last night, while a 31-year-old man was killed and a 16-year-old boy was left in a critical condition after two separate knife attacks in the West Midlands. Police arrested a 14-year-old boy on suspicion of attempted murder after two teenagers were stabbed in broad daylight in Solihull at around 2.40pm yesterday. Dramatic footage of the incident shows a group of youths fighting near Marston Green Park moments before the attack. Two hours later, a man named locally as Karl Gallagher was found with serious knife wounds following a second attack outside the West Cross Shopping Centre in Smethwick. Two teenagers were stabbed in broad daylight in Solihull at around 2.40pm yesterday A 16-year-old boy and a 19-year-old man were taken to hospital after the attack which police are treating as attempted murder Three people were killed and one was left fighting for his life over the weekend. The fatal attacks were in Newham and Smethwick. A man was due to appear in court today charged with murder in Hackney. Police arrested a 14-year-old boy on suspicion of attempted murder after an attack near Marston Green Park in the town (Pictured: police at the scene) Medical equipment shown marking the ground outside West Cross Shopping Centre, Smethwick, where a 31-year-old man died after being stabbed A police car closing off the road in Newham after a man in his 20s was stabbed to death The air ambulance was called to the scene but the 31-year-old was pronounced dead before he could be taken on board. A murder investigation has been launched and homicide unit detectives were last night at the scene carrying out inquiries. Detective Inspector Laura Harrison said: 'Our thoughts go out to the family of the young man who has lost his life and we're working to establish the circumstances around his death. 'I am aware of mobile footage circulating on social media and would urge people to please not share this and instead to get in touch with my team. This can be extremely distressing for family and friends. 'However if you do have any information, mobile phone footage or dash-cam footage, we'd urge you to get in touch with us as soon as possible as this could assist us as our investigations continue.' In the earlier West Midlands stabbing, near Marston Green Park, the 16-year-old boy was rushed to hospital and was last night said to be in a critical condition. A man named locally as Karl Gallagher (left) was found with serious knife wounds following a knife attack outside the West Cross Shopping Centre in Smethwick A murder investigation has been launched and homicide unit detectives were last night at the scene carrying out inquiries A man was found with serious injuries following an attack at the West Cross Shopping Centre in Smethwick (Pictured: police at the scene) The victim had suffered knife injuries and the air ambulance was called but unfortunately the man was pronounced dead before he could be taken on board Another teenager, 19, was also taken to hospital but has been described as stable. The 14-year-old suspect remains in police custody this evening as witnesses were urged to contact West Midlands Police with any information. In another separate incident, a man was due to appear at Thames magistrates court today charged with murder over the death of a man in Trinity Close, Hackney. The incident was said to have taken place at 12.25pm on Saturday. Romayne Husbands, 26, from east London, was arrested by homicide detectives, reports the Evening Standard. Editor's note: This series tells the stories of selfless individuals, from medical workers to volunteers, who are bravely fighting the virus outbreak with extraordinary dedication. Xiong Yan never thought she would be helping in the coronavirus epidemic control in Serbia, a country she knew very little about, during her first trip to Europe. Xiong, deputy director of Emergency Department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, volunteered to be part of a team that would be sent abroad on a mission in March. Many Chinese doctors had been sent to other countries to help treat COVID-19 patients. In less than a week, she received a call, and she was told she would be traveling to the Balkan country. Since she knew little about Serbia, she searched online for more information about the country. "There were over 50 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Serbia at the time but potential infections could be significant. Early detection and prevention of infections were needed to control the epidemic," Xiong said. Having been associated with teams sent to Wuhan, Hubei province, from the hospital, Xiong was prepared to handle the situation in the new country. She focused on issues such as emergency treatment, patient screening, protection of health workers and allocation of medical resources. She carried USB flash disks with training materials (with English translations), which were later handed to Serbia's health ministry, to be distributed across the country. Xiong and five other members, who are professionals in respiratory and critical care medicine, psychology and psychiatry, and infectious disease control and prevention, arrived in capital Belgrade on March 21 on a Serbian chartered plane. More than 318,000 Serbians nationals had rushed back to the country before the border was sealed on March 20, and more than 80,000 Serbians were brought back on chartered planes. Less than 100 people were tested for the virus in the country each day. Xiong and her team members learned about the situation in Serbia through meetings with local officials and medical professionals. Having carried 50,000 test kits to Serbia, the Chinese team suggested the expansion of the testing capacity by allowing more labs to conduct tests. Expanded screening was also recommended, with more hospitals and community clinics joining the effort. Her team suggested that hospitals be designated exclusively for treating COVID-19 patients, and equipping them with personnel and equipment. Training was conducted for the disease control and hospital workers with the help of videos, while discussions were held on patient cases, including critical cases. Xiong's team visited 14 Serbian cities, more than 30 medical institutions, and nursing homes, prisons and mental homes, and helped in the protection of health workers, infection screening, anti-infection zoning and training. The overall situation in Serbia improved in terms of the number of people testing positive, patients using ventilators, and patients in critical condition, Xiong said. Subsequently, the country started to partially resume its economic and social activities. While noting the efforts of the government, and both officials and health workers, Xiong said the country is more capable of tackling epidemic risks. Testing capacity was scaled up to 5,500 a day. By Sunday, Serbia had recorded a total of 7,483 COVID-19 cases. Recalling the past month in Serbia, Xiong said her work was hectic in the first 10 days. Xiong said: "It is heartening to see that we are respected here, with some motorists waving to us. There is this mutual feeling between the countries, people and experts." She said there is no bystander in an epidemic. "No country is free from its impact. The earlier the sharing (of information), the fewer the mistakes." Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh (second, left) presents 2 tonnes of rice to Khmer people facing pandemic-caused difficulties in HCM City while visiting Candaransi Pagoda on April 26 (Photo: VNA) Wishing Khmer Buddhists and people happiness and safety, he affirmed that the Party and State always respect and ensure the freedom of religion or belief in line with law of religious followers, including Khmer Theravada Buddhists. They have also assisted people of different ethnic groups, including Khmer, to stabilise their lives, preserve and bring into play cultural identities, and develop economic activities so as to join hands in building a wealthy and strong country, he noted. On behalf of the Government, Deputy PM Binh thanked Theravada Buddhists and Khmer people for helping the Party, Government and people nationwide to achieve initial encouraging outcomes in the COVID-19 combat. He also asked them to keep seriously complying with the PMs Directive 19 on anti-pandemic measures in the new context to prevent virus transmission, minimise losses, and ensure stability in socio-economic development and peoples lives. Appreciating Party and State leaders attention to Theravada Buddhists and people of the Khmer ethnic group, Most Venerable Danh Lung, member of the Vietnam Buddhist Sanghas Executive Council and head of Candaransi Pagoda, spoke highly of the Governments sound policies and timely measures in the COVID-19 prevention and control, which have helped Vietnam become a role model in this work. He said this year, Theravada Buddhists and Khmer people have celebrated the traditional New Year festival in a merry atmosphere but still adhered to anti-pandemic regulations. Monks and followers at Candaransi Pagoda will continue instructing others to comply with the PMs Directive 19 and take part in patriotic emulation movements to contribute to national development, he added. On this occasion, Deputy PM Binh presented 2 tonnes of rice to Khmer people facing pandemic-caused difficulties in HCM City. Military coalition calls for an end to escalation in Yemen and immediate return to peace deal signed in November. A Saudi Arabia-led military coalition has rejected a separatist groups declaration of self-rule in Yemens south, demanding an end to escalatory actions and return to a peace deal signed in November last year. The Saudi statement on Monday comes a day after Yemens Southern Transitional Council (STC) declared a state of emergency and announced self-administration rule in regions under their control, including in the port city of Aden. More: The key city serves as the interim capital of the internationally recognised and Saudi-backed government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi. The STC and Hadis forces are supposed allies in Yemens complicated conflict and both have fought together in the Saudi-led coalitions war against the Houthi rebels, who overran parts of northern Yemen in 2014, including the capital, Sanaa. But the STC turned on Hadis government in August last year and seized Aden. The fighting stopped when the two groups reached a deal in the Saudi capital, Riyadh. In its statement on Monday, the Saudi-led coalition urged the council to return to the terms of the Riyadh agreement. That deal had called for all sides to remove heavy military equipment from Yemeni cities under their control and form a unity government that included equal representation. But that had yet to be implemented as the war continued and enormous floods struck Aden, killing at least 21 people earlier this month. Compounding the troubles, Yemen on April 10 announced its first case of the COVID-19. The Saudi-led coalition said it demands an end to any escalatory actions and calls for return to the agreement by the participating parties. The deal entails forming a competent government that operate from the interim capital Aden to tackle economic and developmental challenges, in light of natural disasters such as floods, fears of the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak and work to provide services to the brotherly people of Yemen. The statement offered no warning on what Saudi Arabia would do if the council refused. The kingdom, itself focused on the coronavirus outbreak there, began a unilateral ceasefire with the Houthis in April that it said will continue throughout the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. The STC had been the on-the-ground allies of the United Arab Emirates, once Saudi Arabias main partner in the war that subsequently withdrew from the conflict. The councils backers often fly the flag of former Communist South Yemen and have pushed to again split the country into two like it was from 1967 to 1990. We in [Saudi Arabia] and UAE strongly believe that the internationally backed Riyadh agreement has guaranteed an opportunity for the brotherly Yemeni people to live in peace, Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel al-Jubeir said in a tweet on Monday. We reject any hostilities that will jeopardise the safety and stability of Yemen, he said. Meanwhile, the United Nations again called for a ceasefire, noting more than 100,000 people across Yemen have been affected by the torrential rains which had damaged roads, bridges and the electricity grid, and contaminated water supplies. Countless families have lost everything, Lise Grande, the UNs Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen, said in a statement. This tragedy comes on top of the COVID-19 crisis, which comes on top of the pre-famine last year, which came on top of the worst cholera outbreak in modern history, she added. The solution is clear. The parties to the conflict need to find the courage to stop fighting and start negotiating. On Sunday Aden residents reported heavy deployments of STC forces in the city and a separatist source told AFP news agency they had set up checkpoints at all government facilities, including the central bank and port of Aden. Hussam Radman, a research fellow for the Sanaa Center for Strategic Studies said the separatists were already in control of the military and security in Aden where they have popular support. But with this declaration, it will become responsible for the administrative side in the provisional capital that has witnessed an unprecedented decline lately in the provision of services and economic performance, he told AFP. The decision comes on the heels of another judgement to end flogging, one of the most controversial forms of public punishment Dubai: Saudi Arabia's King Salman has ordered an end to the death penalty for crimes committed by minors, according to a statement by a top official. The decision comes on the heels of another ordering judges to end the practice of flogging, replacing it with jail time, fines or community service and bringing one of the kingdom's most controversial forms of public punishment to a close. King Salman's son and heir, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, is seen as the force behind the kingdom's loosening of restrictions and its pivot away from ultraconservative interpretations of Islamic law known as Wahhabism, which many in the country still closely adhere to. The crown prince has sought to modernize the country, attract foreign investment and revamp Saudi Arabia's reputation globally. He's also overseen a parallel crackdown on liberals, women's rights activists, writers, moderate clerics and reformers. The 2018 killing of Saudi writer Jamal Khashoggi in Turkey by agents who worked for the crown prince drew sharp criticism internationally. The latest royal decree by King Salman could spare the death penalty for at least six men from the country's minority Shiite community who allegedly committed crimes while under the age of 18, including Ali al-Nimr, who had participated in anti-government protests. Such activity carries terrorism-related charges in the kingdom for disturbing order and disobeying the ruler. In a document seen by The Associated Press, the royal decree orders prosecutors to review cases and drop punishments for those who've already served the maximum 10 years. However, the decree states that terrorism-related cases of minors will be tried differently. It was not immediately clear whether these cases would be bound by the 10-year prison limit. Last year, Saudi Arabia executed a young man convicted of crimes that took place when he was 16 years old. Amnesty International said Abdulkareem al-Hawaj was found guilty of offences related to his participation in protests in Shiite-populated areas of Saudi Arabia. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have long called on the kingdom to abolish the use of the death penalty, particularly for crimes committed by minors. The public will have the chance to put questions to ministers on the handling of the coronavirus crisis at the daily Downing Street press conferences, the government has announced. From Monday, one question will be selected each day from a pool of suggestions from members of the public, which are understood to be selected by independent pollsters YouGov. The government will not be involved in choosing questions and ministers will not see the queries ahead of time, No 10 said. One question will be selected at midday each day and the person will be asked to record a video of themselves asking it, which will be shown live during the daily briefing. Anyone over 18 can apply to ask a question. They will be informed by 3pm whether they have been successful, when they will be asked to either record a video clip with their question or opt for it to be read out on their behalf. The prime minister's official spokesman told a Westminster briefing: Coronavirus is the biggest health crisis the UK public have faced in a generation. "We know the public are making significant sacrifices every day and we recognise the huge disruption this is having on their lives, jobs and businesses and so it is absolutely right that the public gets the chance to put their questions to the government and its experts. Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn was mocked by Tory MPs when he put questions from members of the public to his Tory opponent David Cameron and later Theresa May during prime minister's questions. But Boris Johnson began holding "People's PMQs" sessions on Facebook after he became prime minister in December. The decision to allow the public to ask questions at the daily Covid-19 briefings comes amid some criticism on social media over the tone and content of queries from journalists. The move is understood to have been in the pipeline for a while and comes as Boris Johnson returned to work after a three-week convalescence from coronavirus. 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 In his first public statement since his return to Downing Street, the prime minister said the lockdown could not yet be lifted as the UK was at the point of "maximum risk" risk in its fight against coronavirus. But he promised the "maximum possible transparency" over his plans on easing restrictions, saying the government would be sharing more on this "in the coming days". Mr Johnson is facing pressure from within his own party to lift draconian lockdown measures due to fears of the economic hit from a sustained period of shutdown. Hyderabad, April 27 (IANS) Continuing its assessment of the COVID-19 situation here on third day, the five-member inter-ministerial central team (IMCT) made an inspection of another containment zone in the city on Monday. (File Photo: IANS) Image Source: IANS News Lucknow, April 27 : UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed that adequate training should be given to government teachers - from primary to degree level - so that they can be turned into 'Corona Warriors'. Briefing reporters on Monday, Additional Chief Secretary, Home, Avanish Awasthi said that the Chief Minister said that this would further strengthen the government's fight against the Corona virus. "The Chief Minister has also said that the capacity of level 1 to 3 of Covid hospitals would be enhanced and more quarantine centres would be set up in various districts. The Chief Minister also reviewed the situation in Agra, Lucknow, Kanpur, Gautam Buddh Nagar and Ghaziabad and spoke to their nodal officers," Awasthi said. Meanwhile, two hotspots in Lucknow - Munshi Pulia and Khurram Nagar - have been declared as green zones with no new cases of Corona positive persons in these areas. The Chief Minister has further ordered for making necessary arrangements to send students preparing for competitive exams in Prayagraj to their homes in 300 UPSRTC buses. The students will be sent in these buses in two rounds, Awasthi said. By Sepsha Dewi Restian, KYODO NEWS - Apr 27, 2020 - 10:36 | World, Feature, All Ronald Regang is still haunted by his involvement in the bloody sectarian conflict between Muslims and Christians on the eastern Indonesian island of Ambon. Regang, a 30-year-old Christian, was one of hundreds of child soldiers involved in the 1999-2002 conflict, in which over 5,000 people were killed and another 500,000 driven from their homes. (Ronald Regang, left, poses for a photo with Reverend Jacky Manuputty, center, and Dahlia Talo before leaving for the Philippines to participate in a youth interfaith dialogue in 2006.)[Courtesy of Ronald Regang] "What I regret the most about being involved in the conflict was that I killed many people," he said. "I feel so stupid to have once thought it was a religious war, a holy war...It was all nonsense." Being just 10 years old when he joined made him one of the youngest among the Christian child soldiers. Despite his tender age, Regang said he used homemade bombs, guns and machete to fight Muslims, adding that he lost count of how many people he killed in the conflict. "We did not have an option at that time. It was either kill or be killed," he recounted. The conflict led to Regang being separated from his family for nearly two years and robbed him of his childhood. "If a time machine existed, I would fix everything so there was no riot. Our times were too dark. It was so painful," he said. When the conflict ended with a peace deal in 2002, Regang and other former child soldiers had no idea where to go. They were no longer respected or admired. People blamed them for destroying Ambon. Regang said he is lucky to have met Rev. Jacky Manuputty. In 2004, Manuputty visited Regang at his home and asked him to participate in a deradicalization program outside Ambon. Regang, who used not to trust anyone, was suspicious of the reverend at that time. Manuputty subsequently visited Regang many times, never failing to tell the troubled youth that he had a long future ahead. Finally persuaded to participate in the program with the help of his older sister, Regang went to Yogyakarta, a city on the main island of Java. It was the first time for him to leave the Maluku islet group to which Ambon belongs. There he met child psychologists and Muslim children who were victims of other conflicts in Indonesia, including in Aceh, Indonesia's westernmost province on Sumatra Island. Regang said Yogyakarta was like "a new world" for him, but also disorienting because it was "so peaceful." From Yogyakarta, Regang went to the capital Jakarta accompanied by Manuputty to attend a two-month trauma healing session. In 2006, Regang and children from across Southeast Asia participated in a youth interfaith dialogue in the Philippines that opposed children's involvement in war and aimed to promote young people's participation in peace-building. Through his participation in these activities, something gradually changed within him. (Ronald Regang and Iskandar Slameth, left, chat in a coffee shop in Ambon, Indonesia, on Feb. 13, 2020.) Regang's experience echoes that of Iskandar Slameth, a 35-year-old Muslim who was a child jihadi in Ambon. He started fighting when he was 14. "I was a person who despised Christians. I really hated them because they made my brother suffer a severe leg injury," Slameth said. Slameth said he was trained not by the military but by "mujahideen" from the Middle East. "There was no kind of weapon I could not use. I have used them all." But Slameth felt trapped and stressed as the Muslim-dominated area he lived in was just a few kilometers wide. "I was afraid to move. If I move to a Christian area, would I be shot, would I be killed?" he recalled thinking. Slameth started selling and using drugs and hanging out at night. "My past is too dark," he said. Regang and Slameth, who fought on the frontlines during the conflict, both participated in Young Ambassadors for Peace, a trauma healing workshop for child soldiers held in Ambon in 2007. The workshop drew 20 Muslims and 20 Christians who had been victims of conflict in different parts of Indonesia. On the first day of the workshop, still suspicious of each other, they just stared at each other without saying a word. Regang said that when he found out that Slameth was a Muslim and the commander of a "mini-jihadi" group, they got into a fight and nearly killed each other. Luckily, a supervisor intervened and separated them, Regang said. The workshop was also attended by Manuputty, who served as a leader on the Christian side during the conflict, and Abidin Wakano, a leader on the Muslim side. Their presence was meant to demonstrate to participants that a Muslim and a Christian can be friends and build mutual trust. To help the two groups understand each other better, organizers arranged for two Muslims and two Christians to share each bedroom. Regang and Slameth were assigned to the same bedroom and spent days taking turns telling their stories. At one point during the workshop, Regang asked those present to forgive his mistakes. "I love you all," he said, bursting into tears in front of all participants. "It made us cry," Slameth recalled. (Iskandar Slameth poses for a photo during an interview with Kyodo News in Ambon, Indonesia, on Feb. 13, 2020.) It was a watershed moment that made both men realize that they faced the same problems and had to communicate with each other better, Regang said. The two men are now friends and maintain ties as "peace provocateurs." To pay off his "debt" of the past, Regang enrolled in a nursing college. "I want to save many lives," he said. They, along with other youths in Ambon have built a community of young people to showcase their talent. People are invited to dance, paint and recite poems. Regang, an avid dancer, teaches children in a Muslim area. Other participants have visited Muslims to build mutual trust. Through their activities, "we keep on spreading a peace virus," Regang said. Regang and Slameth both voiced hope that the conflict has ended once and for all during their generation. "Do not glorify violence in the name of religion, ethnicity, race or a certain group. Once it happens, women and children would become the victims," Regang said. "For those young people who live out there, if you can learn anything from the Maluku conflict, it was not something fun," said Slameth, adding it is far better to live in peace and love each other. (Ronald Regang is pictured on Feb. 12, 2020, at a house that was burned during conflict in Ambon, Indonesia.) Accra, Ghana (PANA) - Ghana's president Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has extended the ban on public gatherings by another two weeks with effect from 01:00 GMT on Monday in a bid to contain the COVID-19 (coronavirus), as he warned that the fight against the pandemic will be a long one When I was first introduced to Monster, I was immediately drawn to their data analytics system, said Friedman. Its an incredible tool that monitors the health of the business. Monster Tree Service, the nations first and fastest-growing tree service franchise, is expanding in Maryland. Recently featured by SUCCESS magazine, Thrive Global, and Franchise Times, the Monster Tree Service franchise continues to build on its rapid three-year franchise system growth. Business entrepreneur Jeff Friedman has purchased the rights to a Monster Tree Service territory in Anne Arundel County, covering Severna Park, Annapolis, Glen Burnie, Elkridge and surrounding areas. Friedman officially launched his business in March, and his experienced crew is already enjoying a steady stream of satisfied customers. Friedman is a U.S. Army veteran who first came to Maryland in 2007. He was stationed at Fort Meade and immediately fell in love with the area. After leaving the army, Friedman went to work for the Department of Defense, and even though his career took him as far away as Hawaii, he was anxious to return and now considers Maryland his home. While in the Army, Friedman trained in the field of information technology. He continued building on his IT experience at the Department of Defense. And when it came time to make the decision about the next step in his career, Friedmans IT experience led him to Monster Tree Service. When I was first introduced to Monster, I was immediately drawn to their data analytics system, said Friedman. Their customer relationship management system creates leads, accurate quotes, work orders, tracks how long crews have been on a job and more. Its an incredible tool that monitors the health of the business. Josh Skolnick, CEO and Founder of Monster Tree Service, is confident Friedman will be an excellent asset to the Monster Tree Service franchise. Jeff is a perfect fit for the Monster Tree Service franchise opportunity, says Skolnick. He has a good head for business and a great understanding of the needs of his community. I am confident he can handle any challenge that comes his way and will thrive as the newest member of the Monster family. We are glad to have Jeff on our team. Monster Tree Service is the only franchise tree company capitalizing on the under-served $17 billion tree service industry. Monster Tree Service has achieved consistent year-over-year, 5 percent growth since 2009, resulting in a $10+ million business. Because its a high-upside opportunity, and a recession-proof business, Monster Tree Service expects to achieve $100 million in sales by 2021. With the support of Monsters national recruiting efforts, weve assembled a great team, said Friedman. Each member of the crew has 10 years or more of experience in the industry. Were very proud to offer the community our wide array of services, including tree trimming and pruning, shrubbery and hedge thinning, landscape clearing and more. For more information about Monster Tree Service, please visit http://www.whymonster.com/. For more information about Monster Tree Service franchise opportunities, please visit http://www.monsterfranchising.com/. To learn more about CEO Josh Skolnicks vision for Monster Tree Service, please visit https://www.monsterfranchising.com/vision-story. ### About Monster Tree Service Founded in 2008 in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania, by Founder and CEO Josh Skolnick, Monster Tree Service is the nations first and fastest-growing franchise brand serving the $21 billion tree care industry. Over the past decade, Skolnick has aggressively built Monster Tree Service into a thriving national franchise system, working day and night to build the company into a multi-million-dollar business with more than 62 franchise partners and 166 territories sold in 28 states. With dozens of fantastic franchise partners doing great work in their respective communities, Monster Tree Service expects to exceed $35 million in systemwide revenue in 2019. Each Monster Tree Service franchised outlet offers full-scale tree pruning and removal services, including tree pruning and trimming, tree removal, stump grinding, shrub maintenance, emergency services, plant health care, and various secondary services. Monster Tree Service franchise owners possess high levels of business acumen and business-building skills that bring a rare level of professionalism to the tree care industry. Fully invested in this industry both personally and professionally Monster Tree Service owners provide wonderful opportunities to other professionals who have a shared vision of continuing to legitimize the tree care industry as a skilled trade. These industry professionals will have the tools, training, and respect to excel in providing unparalleled service to their clients and Make the World a More Beautiful Place, One Tree at a Time. Monster Tree Service is committed to educating all customers on the natural conditions, diseases and infestations that impact the health of their plants/trees and treating all issues with an environmentally friendly, Do Not Harm approach. Its all part of the Monster Tree Service vision to partner with homeowners across the country to make their trees healthy, strong, and vital. For more information about Monster Tree Service, please visit http://www.whymonster.com/. For more information about Monster Tree Service franchise opportunities, please visit http://www.monsterfranchising.com/. Seoul has told Washington it wants to pay the salaries of furloughed Korean staff of the U.S. Forces Korea until negotiations the forces' upkeep conclude. Korean staff were put on unpaid leave early this month to twist Korea's arm as the U.S. demands a massive hike in Seoul's share. A Cheong Wa Dae official told the Chosun Ilbo on Sunday that Seoul wants to pay the salary of the furloughed staff from government coffers and then deduct the amount from any final deal. A Defense Ministry spokesman said a special bill will have to be passed by the National Assembly to authorize the cost. A worker fits a part to a wing of a partially-finished passenger plane of the A320 series in an assembly hall. European planemaker Airbus issued a bleak assessment of the impact of the coronavirus crisis, telling the company's 135,000 employees to brace for potentially deeper job cuts and warning its survival is at stake without immediate action. In a letter to staff, Chief Executive Guillaume Faury said Airbus was "bleeding cash at an unprecedented speed" and that a recent drop of a third or more in production rates did not reflect the worst-case scenario and would be kept under review. Airbus said it did not comment on internal communications. The letter was sent to employees late on Friday, days before the company is due to give first-quarter results overshadowed by a pandemic that has left airlines struggling to survive and virtually halted jet deliveries since mid-March. Airbus has begun implementing government-assisted furlough schemes starting with 3,000 workers in France, "but we may now need to plan for more far-reaching measures," Faury said. "The survival of Airbus is in question if we don't act now," he added. The Arga district magistrate in Uttar Pradesh has ordered an inquiry after a video emerged that people in a quarantine centre were collecting food and water from under the locked gates of the facility. A man in protective gear was purportedly tossing biscuit packets and people inside the quarantine centre were picking those by stretching their hands through the gaps of the gate, the video of which has gone viral on social media. Social distancing, essential for those under quarantine, is totally absent in the visuals, with the people crowding behind the gate right next to each other. Another video shows mineral water bottles kept near the gate and hands reaching out for water. District Magistrate Prabhu N Singh said the chief development officer had been to look into the laxity and fix responsibility. "I went and inspected the spot. Everything has been set right," Singh said. The team has been told to work in a proper manner so that such complaints are not received in the future, the official said. In the video, a woman who identifies herself is heard saying: "This is what is being done to people in isolation." "We were told we will have medical check-up done at some point, but this has not happened," she said. "There are no proper arrangements for food and water. Everyone is being negligent. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. But Ms. George said the estate wanted to attach too many strings to those payments. On April 7, Ms. Georges office told the probate court handling Mr. Epsteins will that she and the estate had reached an impasse over the estates demand that victims who take part in the fund agree to a broad release that would bar them from suing any party whether they participated negligently or intentionally in wrongdoing themselves. To Ms. George, the estates conduct was a reminder of the legal maneuvers that surrounded Mr. Epsteins guilty plea 12 years ago to soliciting prostitution from a minor in Florida. In 2007, federal prosecutors agreed to a wide-ranging nonprosecution agreement that covered Mr. Epsteins named and unnamed co-conspirators. (A federal appeals court this month rejected a legal challenge brought by one of his victims to the agreement.) Ms. Georges office said the estate now wanted to secure similarly broad protection for Epsteins compatriots-in-crime from their victims. Lawyers for the estate reject that argument. In their response, they said Ms. George had mischaracterized the situation and said two lawyers representing several accusers were ready to move forward with the fund. The estates lawyers contend the liability release is modeled on releases employed in multiple voluntary compensation programs. Its intent, they say, is to make sure a victim does not double-dip by getting compensation from the fund and then suing an individual affiliated with the estate who might be entitled to be legally reimbursed by the estate. The particulars of how Mr. Epstein made his millions have long been a mystery, in particular after his 2008 conviction. Financial filings the estate has made so far have raised as many questions as they have answered. In January, the estate filed a required report that, along with routine transactions to pay bills and other expenses, showed the estate had transferred more than $12 million to Southern Country International, a little-known private bank Mr. Epstein had established in 2014. Minutes after a $310 billion aid program for small companies opened for business on Monday, the online portal for submitting applications crashed. And it kept crashing all day, much to the frustration of bankers around the country who were trying and failing to apply on behalf of desperate clients. Some bankers were so irritated that they vented on social media at the Small Business Administration, which is running the program. Rob Nichols, the chief executive of the American Bankers Association, wrote on Twitter that the trade groups members were deeply frustrated at their inability to access the system. Until the problems were fixed, he said, #AmericasBanks will not be able to help more struggling small businesses. Pent-up demand for the funds has been intense, after the programs initial $342 billion funding ran out in under two weeks, stranding hundreds of thousands of applicants whose loans did not get processed. Last week, Congress approved the additional $310 billion for small businesses hit by the coronavirus pandemic. Bankers were expecting the money to once again run out quickly, and so on Monday at 10:30 a.m., when round two opened, they were ready to go. But for the second time in a month, the relief effort, called the Paycheck Protection Program, turned into chaos, sowing confusion among lenders and borrowers. A centerpiece of the governments $2 trillion economic stimulus package, the program offers small companies typically those with up to 500 workers forgivable loans of up to $10 million. The S.B.A. is backing the loans, but customers must apply through financial institutions. KEY HIGHLIGHTS The $3 per test SARS CoV-2 Antibody test kits are being imported from China's Wondfo Its landed price, including air freight (Rs 20), to importer Matrix Labs is Rs 245 per test ICMR placed an order to buy 5 lakh kits on March 27, 28 @Rs 600 (plus GST) per test Importer Matrix Labs sells to distributor Rare Metabolics Life Sciences at Rs 400 per test Rare Metabolics contracted to ICMR at the government approved rate of @Rs 600 (plus GST) 2.76 lakh have been delivered to ICMR; remaining 2.24 lakh tests are about to land Rare Metabolics intends to sell 1 million kits; order was placed with Matrix for 5 lakh kits Matrix Labs has an order to supply 50,000 kits to Tamil Nadu through dealer Shan Biotech and Diagnostics at Rs 600 per test Of this, 24,000 have already been supplied; 26,000 more are yet to be delivered A legal dispute in Delhi High Court between the distributor and importer of COVID-19 rapid test kits being shipped from China has unearthed massive profiteering and over-pricing in kits sold to Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). Observing that 61 per cent mark-up on such test kits is on the "higher side" but "more than sufficient", the Delhi High Court single bench of Justice Najmi Waziri disallowed a 145 pc mark-up from landed price of Rs 245 to ICMR's purchase price of Rs 600 per test. Instead, Justice Waziri slashed price for every kit by 33 per cent from Rs 600 to Rs 400 per test. The order was against a petition by Rare Metabolics, the sole distributor of rapid antibody test kits imported by Matrix Labs, the respondent in the case, from China's Wondfo Biotech. ALSO READ: Coronavirus crisis: After Delhi, 5 more states bat for lockdown extension The dispute was over release of the remaining 2.24 lakh kits--of the 5 lakh imported from China--to be sent to ICMR. Importer Matrix Labs had argued that it had only been paid Rs 12.25 crore of the Rs 20 crore (plus GST) or Rs 21 crore import. As per the agreement, the balance amount of Rs. 8.25 crores had to be first paid to the importer before any monies received from ICMR. Rare Metabolics filed a petition before the Delhi High Court seeking release of the remaining 2.24 lakh test kits so that they can be supplied to ICMR as per the agreement. The petitioner argued that under its bi-partite agreement with Matrix Labs, no other company can market them in India. The company also said that it has already paid Rs 12.75 crore, which cover the freight cost for 5 lakh test kits. Rare Metabolics assured that payment due to Matrix Labs will be remitted as soon as it is received. Dispute arose after Matrix Labs demanded upfront payment, whereas the petitioner maintained that the payment could only be made after ICMR released the funds. The petitioner informed the court that the consignment of 2.76 lakh rapid antibody tests has already been supplied to ICMR for which payment is still awaited. ALSO READ: Post-COVID, 75% of 4.5 lakh TCS employees to permanently work from home by '25; from 20% This payment will be made after the tests meet ICMR's standards. ICMR has put the rapid tests on hold after detecting faulty results from the Wondo kits. The Chinese firm has denied that they were faulty kits. Matrix Labs countered that the agreement based on the understanding that the payment will be upfront, especially with regards to the consignment supplied to ICMR. Rare Metabolics stated that the "communication was under duress and contrary to the understanding between the parties". The respondent also informed that court that it has received an order for 50,000 antibody test kits from Tamil Nadu government through dealer Shan Biotech and Diagnostics, of which 24,000 kits have already been supplied. ALSO READ: Bravado! IndiGo, Vistara, SpiceJet, GoAir start bookings violating govt orders "The Court is of the view that a profit mark-up of Rs. 155, i.e. 61 per cent on the landed cost price of Rs. 245, is much on the higher side and in any case more than sufficient for the seller, for the kits/tests to be made available in India for urgent extensive tests through the country, especially in these present extraordinary circumstances of the worldwide pandemic... Public interest must outweigh private gain. The lis between the parties should give way to the larger public good. In view of the above, the kits/test should be sold at a price not beyond Rs. 400 per kit/test inclusive of GST," the Delhi High Court ordered. Following the Delhi High Court order, both parties have agreed to sell antibody test kits in India at the court-mandated price of Rs 400 per kit, inclusive of GST. After listening to both parties, Delhi High Court decided that 2.24 lakh tests shall be delivered to ICMR, the moment it land in India. The balance amount of Rs. 8.25 crore has to be first paid to importer Matrix Labs within 24 hours of petitioner receiving monies from ICMR, before they are adjusted for any purpose. The court also ordered remaining 26,000 kits from the Tamil Nadu government's order to be provided directly to the stated the moment they reach India. "So, from the other 5 lakh kits/tests, 50,000 shall be excluded for the State of Tamil Nadu and the remaining 450,000 would be available to the respondent to be disposed-off in terms of the above, directly to any Government or governmental agency or any private entity which has received due approval to carry out such tests," the court ordered. NEW DELHI: India on Monday said that the government of Kuwait had communicated its desire to maintain and deepen its friendly ties with New Delhi as well as its intention not to support any interference in Indias internal matters. The statement comes after posts by several Twitter handles that the government of Kuwait had asked the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the international community to intervene against an alleged rise of Islamophobia in India. One of the posts, by Dr Alshoreka said that the Council of Ministers of the State of Kuwait condemns the ethnic attacks against Muslims in India." Kuwait Council of ministers has appealed to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the international community to intervene on the rise of Islamophobia in INDIA!" said a post by Salman Nizami, who identified himself as an INC Politician/Columnist/Former Journalist/Gandhian." Another post by Ahmad Alwahidah, who identified himself as a news anchor and TV and radio show host, said: Kuwait concern about the ethnic attacks against Muslims in India and calls on the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the international community to take the necessary measures to stop these attacks and to preserve the rights of Muslims and inject their blood." In response, Indian foreign ministry spokesman Anurag Srivastava said that the Government of Kuwait has assured us that they are deeply committed to friendly relations with India. They also do not support any interference in the internal affairs of India." It may also be noted that on the request of Kuwait, India recently deployed a Rapid Response Team there to assist the country in its fight against corona virus. During its two week stay in Kuwait, the team rendered valuable medical assistance in testing and treatment of afflicted persons and training their personnel," he said. It is therefore important that friendly and cooperative nature of our relations is accurately recognised and misuse of social media is not given credence." News reports last week said some elements in Pakistan used a fake Twitter handle to impersonate an Omani princess with the name "H.H. Mona bint Fahd al Said" and put out similar posts. A post from the fake handle put out on 22 April had said: Oman stands with its Muslim brothers and sisters in India. If the Indian government doesn't stop the persecution of Muslims, then one million (Indian) workers working in Oman may be expelled. I will definitely take up this issue with the Sultan of Oman." Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Never miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint. Download our App Now!! Topics A ninth Warren County resident has died from coronavirus, the county reported Sunday afternoon. The resident had been a nursing resident in southern Warren County before being hospitalized, according to a press release. Warren County did not release the name of the nursing home. The person was in critical condition Saturday, showing how serious those cases can be. Statewide, Gov. Andrew Cuomo has said that about 80% of the patients placed on ventilators die. Patients on ventilators are generally considered to be in critical condition. This was at least the fifth nursing home resident to die. A resident of an assisted living home also died of the virus, and two others died at the hospital without being nursing home residents. One person died at home. As the seriousness of the virus has become more clear, people came out in socially distanced droves to pick up free masks Sunday. Washington County giving out 8,000 packets of washable cloth masks, officials said. They have more and they will arrange to distribute them to anyone else who is need. People should send an email to publicsafety@washingtoncountyny.gov with their name, phone number, email address and the number of masks they need. Public Safety will try to respond within 24 hours and coordinate pickup during business hours at the Municipal Center. The number of cases locally is rising quickly as nursing homes respond to a state directive. They are being required to tell the state their number of cases, and the state is passing that information to each county Public Health office. Washington County saw an increase of 20 cases Sunday, likely mostly nursing home residents, said county Attorney Roger Wickes I think some of the nursing homes are coming online. They werent reporting to us before, he said. Even though they arent out walking around, its important to get a look at the county as a whole. On Sunday: Warren County reported six more people tested positive, for a total of 127 confirmed cases. Six people are hospitalized and three are in critical condition. Washington County reported 20 more confirmed cases, for a total of 127 people testing positive. Two are hospitalized. Saratoga County reported 11 more confirmed cases, for a total of 327 people testing positive. Seven of them are hospitalized. Essex County reported no change from Saturday, with 41 cases. No one is hospitalized. Of the 10 inmates who tested positive, three have now recovered. Saratoga and Glens Falls hospitals did not report their census over the weekend. Statewide, there are 12,819 people hospitalized with coronavirus. The descent continues, Cuomo said during Sundays press conference. We are now back to where we were on March 31 before we started this dramatic increase in cases. In the previous 24 hours, he said, there were 1,087 new cases. That would normally be bad news. Its only good news compared to where we were, he said. On Saturday, 367 people died of the virus. While thats half as many as the number of people who died daily at the height of the pandemic, Cuomo did not minimize the losses. Thats 367 families, he said. He is now focusing on plans to reopen, starting with upstate New York. If the hospitalization rate goes down for 14 days in a row, he wants to reopen construction and manufacturing first. Then he plans to wait two weeks to watch for signs of a spike in infections before opening businesses in Phase 2. Businesses and schools are now making plans for reopening with social distancing. State officials are reviewing plans and will determine which individual locations can open based on the importance of their services and how safe they can be. We need them to be creative and think outside the box, he said. But very popular businesses will have to wait. You cant do anything in any region that would increase the number of visitors to that region, he said. That means places like Great Escape would not be allowed to reopen in Phase 2. He did not make any promises about schools. But he acknowledged that full scale business reopening cant occur unless schools reopen. He urged caution during the reopening. That means masks, frequent disinfection of high-touch areas, people working from home as much as possible, and social distancing. As long as we act prudently going forward, the worst should be over, he said. You can reach Kathleen Moore at 742-3247 or kmoore@poststar.com. Follow her on Twitter @ByKathleenMoore or at her blog on www.poststar.com. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 5 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Amaravati, April 27 : Without revealing if the ongoing lockdown would be lifted on May 3 or extended in Andhra Pradesh, Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Monday indicated that lockdown regulations will continue in red and orange zones but a semblance of normalcy will return to green zones. Coming on the heels of his Monday morning videoconference meeting with Prime Minister Modi, the Chief Minister's televised address to Andhra Pradesh residents indicated the shape of things to come. He said that 559 of the 676 mandals in the state were green zones -- which have zero coronavirus cases. All activities in green zones will be normalised, Reddy said while advising the people in these zones to maintain physical distancing, wear face masks and improve their immunity. Places with four or more coronavirus cases are designated as red zones, and less than four orange zones. There have been speculations on whether the lockdown will be lifted on May 3 or not. Andhra has been requesting for relaxation in lockdown in unaffected areas to facilitate agricultural and aquacultural activities, the mainstay of the state's revenue. In his speech, Reddy noted that in the last 30 days, the state had achieved many successes. "From no COVID-19 testing facilities, we now have nine labs. We are conducting 6,500 tests per day. Our tests per million are 1,396, the highest in the country," he pointed out. He thanked the Muslim community for observing the holy month of Ramadan at their homes instead of in public gatherings. Latest updates on Howdy Modi Houston Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-27 12:36:46|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, April 27 (Xinhua) -- China's market regulator has released an action plan on protection of intellectual property rights (IPR), detailing major tasks for 2020 as the country steps up efforts to spur innovation and foster a better business environment. More focus will be placed on major physical marketplaces with frequent IPR infringements, the Internet space and commodities that concern public health and safety, according to the plan released by the State Administration for Market Regulation. The plan called for further improvements in law enforcement to make the process more effective and professional, with enhanced cross-regional cooperation and tougher punishments on illegal activities. Collaborative law enforcement will be pushed in the Yangtze River Delta, Pan-Pearl River Delta and the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, said the plan, calling for better information-sharing mechanisms. The administration also promised to enhance law enforcement training in cities and counties, as well as launching targeted campaigns to raise public awareness on the issue. In recent years, Chinese authorities have intensified crackdowns on IPR infringements. The country moved up three slots in the World Intellectual Property Organization global innovation index ranking of 2019 to claim the 14th position. It ranked first in the upper-middle-income group. China's business environment is also improving. In 2019, China saw its ease of doing business ranking ascend to 31 from 46 a year ago as one of the top 10 most improved economies, according to a World Bank report. Enditem Expand cash aid to 2M displaced workers, over 230K affected OFWs: Pangilinan "The pace of job displacements as a consequence of Covid-19 is alarming, now placed at over 2 million in the formal sector and over 230,000 among overseas Filipino workers (OFWs). We urge the Department of Labor and Employment to continue and expand its COVID-19 Adjustment Measures Program (CAMP), which gives a one-time P5,000 assistance to displaced formal workers, and its Abot Kamay ang Pagtulong (AKAP) emergency fund, which provides a one-time P10,000 or $200 cash aid to qualified OFWs. With millions more from the informal sector losing their livelihood, there is need for government to intensify its social amelioration program, so that help could get to the people on time. We, in Congress, are prepared to pass a measure that would augment existing funds so that Filipinos in need are covered. There are savings and unused funds from last year's budget that are only sitting idle, which should be tapped to boost our war chest as we go through this pandemic. Napakahalaga lalong-lalo na sa panahong ito na ipaalam natin sa mga Pilipino na ang kanilang mga buwis at ang kanilang pamahalaan ay nagtatrabaho para sa kanila." One of the biggest downsides of the nationwide lockdown is that maintaining our regular fitness routine has become rather difficult. Many of you reading this will agree that some of us rely on the energy of a packed class to feel motivated. Motivated not only to start working out, but also to finish all the circuits amid collective 'ah'(s) and sighs. Now, while some of us have succeeded in making excuses and failed to blow the fit-o-meter, many Bollywood actors have been following their fitness routines to the T, with or without their trainers or equipment. Instagram/ Sidharth Malhotra Now, I understand staying fit is a part of their job, but really think about it. They are also humans at the end of the day and deserve a break, like those of us who are on a lucky 'break' from their maddening work-life. Not only have these Bollywood stars been active in their homes, they have also managed to show-off their rippling muscles and smoking 'lockdown body' which continues to motivate thousands of their fans. Here are 10 such Bollywood actors with smoking 'lockdown body' which makes us want to find out their fitness regime ASAP. 1. Varun Dhawan I mean those abs look solid enough to make us want to hold that plank for 10 seconds more the next time we are on it. Varun is definitely slaying the lockdown body with that amazing torso, though in pajamas. 2. Ayushmann Khurrana Okay, not only an 'at home' fit body, but Ayushmann also has a handy at-home protein shake recipe to offer - sattu powder plus buttermilk. Never tasted the two together, but I bet it'll be smacking, for the body and taste buds as well. 3. Vidyut Jammwal Okay, so this dude is on another level altogether. A self-proclaimed fitness freak, this mixed martial arts practitioner is so much into it, he is now turning his moves into a game now. I mean look at this man flex. 4. Arjun Rampal 47-year-old Arjun is killing it with that chiselled chest and taut abs on show. By his own admission, Arjun Rampal is taking this lockdown period to get fit not only physically, but mentally too. And a good workout session can help with both of those. 5. Vicky Kaushal Vicky Kaushal's thick biceps grabbed many eyeballs from his fans. The actor has been working out at home using not only at-home equipment, but also by doing household chores to put his body to work regularly. Remember his fan-cleaning session? 6. Anil Kapoor Okay, so not only does the 'never aging' Anil Kapoor have great skin, this man is completely nailing it with his post-workout pictures and updates about his fitness journey. The veteran actor recently set social media on fire by sharing some of his recent 'fitness journey' images. 7. Tiger Shroff This guy needs no introduction when it comes to fitness. Tiger's impressively fit body has been talked about enough, and he has yet again proven that dedication is key when it comes to such a rock-hard, muscular physique. 8. Sidharth Malhotra We could not have agreed more with Sidharth when he said, Good things come to those who sweat. Sid's powerful large muscles inspire us to to start cracking those weights sessions at home, even if it is with a 10kg bag of rice. 9. Arjun Kapoor Arjun Kapoor too has been trying to get fit and lean, and this fresh mirror-selfie surely gives us a glimpse of what he has been up to amid the lockdown. Well, all we have to say is we like what we see, so keep at it Arjun. 10. Randeep Hooda Another actor known for his love for a good workout is Randeep Hooda. And as you can see, his lean muscles only prove Randeep hasn't forgotten about it even during the lockdown. Also, a special mention to the dude's copious beard. Mexicos state-held oil firm Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex) said on Sunday that it had started to reduce the number of oil workers at its offshore oil platforms to reduce the risk of coronavirus spreading. As many as 259 rig workers returned from Gulf of Mexico platforms to the shore on Sunday, none of whom was found to be suspicious of COVID-19 infection, and all workers were sent home, Pemex said in a statement. With this, the company is cutting personnel on platforms by 50 percent to reduce the risk of infections and implement distancing measures. Indispensable staff will remain on board to keep up production, a source at Pemex told Reuters, noting that the Its a situation similar to when a hurricane comes. So far, Pemex has registered 248 cases of coronavirus, including 28 deaths. Among the dead, five people were currently working for Pemex, 14 people were retired Pemex workers, and eight were family members, the company said in its statement on Sunday. The reduced number of employees at Pemexs offshore platforms will likely lead to reduced oil production, Reuters source said. The coronavirus pandemic and the oil price crash came at a time in which Mexicos President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador was pinning his hopes on Pemex to turn around the countrys oil production which has been on a downward trend over the past decade. The oil price meltdown will affect Mexicos economy and is bound to deepen the global economic crisis, Lopez Obrador said last week, a week after he clinched what he touted as a significant victory in Mexicos foreign policy, refusing to agree to the cuts that OPEC+ had carved out for his country. The fact that Mexicos oil hedge protects it from the oil price crash which hurts other OPEC+ countries much more was said to be one of the reasons why Mexico dug in its heels and refused to cut its production as much as its OPEC+ partners asked it to. Nevertheless, the looming global recession and collapsing oil prices will hit Mexicos economy and oil production. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The European Union and the United States underscore the need to follow fair, merit-based competitive procedures when appointing the leaders of the tax and customs services of Ukraine not to risk long-term reforms. The EU and the US are closely watching appointments of high-level officials in the Tax and Customs Service. It is important to follow fair, merit-based competitive procedures and not risk long-term reforms, supported by international partners, the Delegation of the European Union to Ukraine posted on Twitter. The EU & US are closely watching @Kabmin_UA_e appointments of high-level officials in the Tax and Customs Service. It is important to follow fair, merit-based competitive procedures and not risk long-term reforms, supported by international partners. EU in Ukraine (@EUDelegationUA) April 27, 2020 As reported, the Government of Ukraine dismissed Head of the State Customs Service Maksym Nefyodov and Head of the State Tax Service Serhiy Verlanov on April 24. Ihor Muratov was appointed as acting head of the State Customs Service, Mykhailo Tytarchuk acting head of the State Tax Service. Earlier, the Cabinet of Ministers approved a special procedure for the appointment of civil servants for the quarantine period, according to which civil servants are allowed to be appointed to positions without competition. ol During a conversation with Armenian News-NEWS.am, Director of Maralik Health Center Anush Hovsepyan, who is also infected with COVID-19, said she doesnt agree with the claim of Minister of Health of Armenia Arsen Torosyan that Maralik Health Center hasnt followed the instructions of the Ministry of Health and presented other justifications. The problem was that we were overseeing almost 250 people from abroad and taking their temperatures, but one of the locals was infected with COVID-19, and whats more, the local had a chronic disease, and this was why the virus spread. The minister is not right when he says the health center hasnt followed the rules, but our doctors are in the risk group and paid the price with their health, she said, adding that all clinics and hospitals can face this problem. The director of the medical center said the regional governors office had sent outfits and that she had provided the ambulance doctors with those outfits first. During an interview with Azatutyun Radio yesterday, Minister of Health of Armenia Arsen Torosyan said there have been cases when the personnel of medical centers have followed the instructions of the Ministry of Health, there have been cases when medical centers havent followed them a lot, and there are two similar cases in Maralik and Vardenis. [April 27, 2020] CenCal Health Procures PPE for Central Coast Hospitals, Clinics CenCal Health, the publicly-sponsored health plan for Medi-Cal in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties, has procured and is now in the process of delivering 100,000 disposable face masks, 100,000 disposable gloves and 20,000 protective gowns in order to protect and support local healthcare workers during the COVID-19 public health emergency. With this donation of personal protective equipment or PPE, CenCal Health continues its commitment to community health and safety even during this unprecedented event. CenCal Health has more than 175,000 members on the Central Coast - providing health care coverage to about one in four residents of Santa Barbara County and one in five residents of San Luis Obispo County. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200427005743/en/ Hospital workers at Dignity Health in Santa Maria, California unload thousands of protective gowns donated by CenCal Health. (Photo: Business Wire) "When presented with challenges, the local health care community has always worked together and everyone helps as they can," said CenCal Health CEO Bob Freeman. "This is one way for CenCal Health to help during this very serious challenge." The health plan heard of the availability of the product by an established supplier and moved quickly to secure over $250,000 worth of PPE for its network hospitals, physicians and clinics. "Our top goal is always to take care of our members through close support and partnership with our providers," continued Freeman. "Doing what we can to help protectour health care providers is clearly of great importance, making the PPE purchase decision a very easy one." On April 17, facility staff from CenCal Health began to deliver PPE to the following locations: Santa Barbara County Public Health Department, Cottage Health, Dignity Health, Sansum Clinic, Lompoc Valley Medical Center, Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics, Community Health Centers of the Central Coast (CHC), Pacific Central Coast Health Centers (PHC), Central Coast Pediatrics, Jackson Medical Group, Buellton Medical Group, Santa Ynez Tribal Health, Visiting Nurses Association (VNA Health), MedCenter Inc urgent care clinics, First Choice Physician Partners, and to individual physicians including Dr. Himat Tank, Dr. Agusto Castenada, Dr. Albert Hawkins, Dr. Eric Levy, Dr. Jeffrey Kaplan, Dr. Peter Krause, Dr. Robert Barry, and Dr. Peter Statti. The deliveries will continue as shipments arrive and the order is completed by approximately May 1 of this year. "With this support, we will be able to supply the healthcare providers in our community who are short of supplies," said Dr. Van Do-Reynoso, Director of Santa Barbara County Public Health. "We have a rigorous algorithm to distribute these supplies, community-wide. Because of this donation, we will protect our most critical infrastructure - our health care providers and first responders. I want to underscore how grateful and appreciative we are that CenCal Health is working to keep our healthcare workers and first responders safe." CenCal Health's response to the novel coronavirus includes a new webpage containing member-focused questions and answers. Anyone from the general public can access this information, which is available in English and Spanish at cencalhealth.org/coronavirus. The content includes guidance related to COVID-19 concerns such as who is at greatest risk for serious illness, how to best protect one's self, who to call should a member have symptoms, links to updated information from reliable sources and more. The plan also reports increasing local enrollment in reaction to the tremendous job loss being experienced, with the accompanying loss of health insurance. "We're working to reach out to those needing coverage," said Freeman. "Many of the expected newly-eligible may have never heard of Medi-Cal, or never thought they'd qualify." There are multiple ways to apply for Medi-Cal coverage including online at www.mybenefitscalwin.org, and through www.CoveredCA.com. CenCal Health's website offers additional information on how to apply at www.cencalhealth.org/howtoapply. CenCal Health does not determine Medi-Cal eligibility; eligibility and enrollment is determined by the applicant's local Department of Social Services. About CenCal Health CenCal Health is a community-accountable health plan that partners with over 1,500 local physicians, hospitals and other providers in delivering patient care to more than 175,000 members - about one in four residents of Santa Barbara County and one in five residents of San Luis Obispo County. A public agency, the health plan contributes approximately $50 million a month into the local economy, primarily through payments to healthcare providers who serve its membership. Established in 1983, it is the oldest managed care Medicaid plan of its kind in the nation. cencalhealth.org View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200427005743/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] A man in a Citibank in New York City on April 24, 2020. (Arturo Holmes/Getty Images) Banks Offer to Postpone Loan Payments for Customers Hit by CCP Virus Shutdowns Major banks are offering to defer payments on loans, mortgages, and credit cards for customers affected by measures to slow the spread of the CCP virus. Customers can call in or apply online to have their payments postponed by up to three months, depending on the loan type, based on a review of several banks services. The CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, also called the novel coronavirus, broke out in the central Chinese city of Wuhan around November 2019, before spreading across the world. By April 27, there were nearly a million confirmed cases of COVID-19, and more than 56,000 attributed deaths in the United States. The pandemic prompted state governments to impose stay-at-home orders and business shutdowns that forced more than 20 million into unemployment. Citis customers can apply online to have their credit card minimum payments postponed for two statement cycles. For other kinds of loans, customers need to call in, Citis website indicates. We were the first financial institution to announce in early March that assistance measures will be available for U.S. customers and small businesses impacted by COVID-19, and we have since expanded support, said Citi spokeswoman Jennifer Bombardier via email. Bank of America allows customers to request deferments on credit cards, personal and small-business loans, car loans, and mortgages online. Weve assisted approximately 1.3 million clients through these relief efforts over the last few weeks, said Matt Card, the banks media relations executive. Some 80 percent of deferral requests have been related to credit card payments, he said. Both banks are also forgiving some fees. We have also paused foreclosure sales, evictions, and repossessions, Card said. Similar measures were adopted by Wells Fargo. From March 9 through April 10, we helped more than 1.3 million consumer and small business customers by deferring payments and waiving fees, said Wells Fargo spokeswoman Veronica Clemons via email. In that time period, we deferred over 1 million payments representing $2.8 billion of principal and interest payments and provided over 900,000 fee waivers exceeding $30 million. The bank is encouraging customers to still make their payments, but those who cant can go to its website for contact information. For customers who are impacted and unable to make their payment due to COVID-19 hardship, Wells Fargo is providing an initial three-month payment suspension, which may be extended depending on your loan type, the website says on its home lending page. We are not requiring documentation of your hardship at this time. Its not clear how long the deferral is for other types of loans. Chase didnt respond to a request for comment. It issued a statement on March 25 saying its Home Lending customers who are struggling financially as a result of COVID-19 are able to request a 90-day payment forbearance, with no related late fees and no negative impact on their credit reports as a result of deferring payment. The bank has also paused new foreclosures for 60 days in accordance with applicable guidelines, the release stated. Advertisement Australia's economy would be 'decimated' if trade with China decreased as relations hit new lows over the coronavirus crisis, experts have warned. The federal government's calls for a ban on wet markets and an inquiry into the virus origins - as well as repeated suggestions that China covered up the spread - have infuriated Beijing. Last week the Chinese Embassy called Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton 'pitiful,' 'ignorant' and a US 'parrot' after he told China to 'answer questions' about how coronavirus started. And on Sunday Chinese Ambassador to Australia Jingye Cheng warned that Chinese consumers may stop buying Australian products in revenge. The dispute comes after a torrid year for Australia-China relations saw clashes over political interference, human rights abuses in western China and Huawei 5G equipment. Former Australian ambassador to China Geoff Raby told Daily Mail Australia that diplomatic relations are 'at their lowest point since they began 46 years ago'. China provides 16 per cent of our tourists and 38 per cent of our international students who contribute tens of billions to the economy. Pictured: Tourists at the Sydney Opera House The federal government's calls for a ban on wet markets and an inquiry into the virus origins - as well as repeated suggestions that China covered up the spread - have infuriated Beijing. Pictured: A wet market in Nanming, China Dr Raby criticised the Morrison government's brazen approach and said public calls for a coronavirus inquiry and a ban on wet markets would only 'harden attitudes on both sides.' Now there are grave fears the diplomatic deterioration could have serious consequences for everyday Australians. As Australia's biggest trading partner by far, China buys a third of our exports, including iron ore, coal and beef, supporting hundreds of thousands of jobs. China also provides 16 per cent of Australia's tourists and 38 per cent of international students who contribute tens of billions to the economy. Jane Goolley, Professor at the ANU College of Asia and the Pacific, said the government should not 'bite the hand that feeds us'. 'It's shocking that relations with China are going from bad to worse and no-one seems to mind,' she said. Professor Goolley said Mr Morrison has no hope of forcing China to ban wet markets, which are a crucial source of food and income for millions. On Sunday Chinese Ambassador to Australia Jingye Cheng (pictured) warned Chinese consumers may stop buying Australian products in revenge The outbreak erupted in Wuhan, China in December. Pictured: Staff members line up as they prepare to spray disinfectant at Wuhan Railway Station in March 'There is zero chance that what we say has any impact,' she said. 'We will only infuriate Chinese government because they so strongly object to foreign interference. 'At best the government's approach will make no difference and at worst the Chinese government will decide to contract the relationship with Australia.' China could punish Australia with official economic sanctions or, more likely, through an unofficial campaign telling Chinese people to boycott Australian goods and services, she said. Australia's export markets in 2019 1. China: $135 billion (33% of total Australian exports) 2. Japan: $36 billion (9%) 3. South Korea: $21 billion (5%) 4. United Kingdom: $16 billion (3.8%) 5. United States: $15 billion (3.7%) Source: Worldstopexports.com Advertisement Beijing's recent track record of economic coercion includes encouraging a boycott of South Korean cars after the country deployed a US missile shield in 2017 and a ban on Norwegian salmon after Chinese rebel Liu Xiaobo won the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo that same year. Australia and China have had a free trade agreement since 2015 but some exporters have still run into difficulties as relations have soured. In 2018 Beijing imposed new customs regulations on Australian wine resulting in shipments being held up in Shanghai. And last year - after Canberra stripped Chinese businessman Xiangmo Huang of his visa - major ports prolonged clearing times for Australian coal to at least 40 days, claiming the delay was due to 'normal' safety checks. Professor Goolley warned this type of manoeuvering could resume if the federal government continues to upset the Chinese government. 'Beijing could find ways to choke off parts of trading and relationship,' she told Daily Mail Australia. 'For example, it could increase propaganda persuading students and tourists not to come here. 'Some say Beijing could turn off the tap and choke the Australian University Sector. 'It doesn't want to do this because it wants its citizens to benefit from Australian education - but if it did that would cost thousands of jobs in our universities and leave the sector decimated. 'Even if the Chinese government does nothing, we could lose the market if Chinese people perceive our government as being anti-China,' she warned. Ambassador Cheng raised the prospect of a consumer backlash on Sunday, telling the AFR: 'The tourists may have second thoughts. Prime Minister Scott Morrison (pictured) has repeatedly called for a coronavirus investigation and has demanded changes in the 'upper echelons' of the World Health Organisation after it praised China's handling of the outbreak 'The parents of the students would think whether this is the best place to send their kids. 'It is up to the people to decide. Maybe the ordinary people will say "why should we drink Australian wine? Eat Australian beef?" Former Liberal Party leader John Hewson also warned the federal government's hard line on China could be risky given that Australia is 'clearly the most dependent economy on China'. Diplomatic relations are at their lowest point since they began 46 years ago Ex-ambassador to China Geoff Raby Mr Morrison has called the re-opening of the wet market where the virus spawned 'unfathomable' and has demanded changes in the 'upper echelons' of the World Health Organisation after US President Trump cut funding because it praised China's handling of the outbreak. 'These sort of piecemeal statements and initiatives can be counterproductive, especially if they are easily identified as 'sucking up to the US', or 'doing the US's bidding', and so risk unwanted Chinese responses that could be detrimental to our interests more broadly,' Dr Hewson told Daily Mail Australia. He said the answer was not to 'suck up to China' but rather focus on developing a 'clear, definitive, China Policy consistent with a hard-headed assessment of our national interest.' 'I believe that we will earn their respect over time by clearly and consistently acting and advocating in terms of our national interests, principle and values,' he said. Dr Raby voiced similar concerns on the public approach the Morrison government has taken to calling out China when other key allies such as Britain and France have stayed quiet. Dr Raby said Canberra should 'use the crisis the repair relations with Beijing' because Australia will need China to help the economy recover after crippling lockdowns pushed almost a million Aussies out of work. Pictured: Centrelink queues He said desires for a coronavirus inquiry were 'perfectly reasonable' but 'this can only be done on the basis of international cooperation' because China will vigorously defend its sovereignty. 'The approach by The Australian Government is hardly the way to build such a consensus. Australia should be quietly discussing such things with like-minded countries, not publicly leading the pack.' Dr Raby said Canberra should 'use the crisis the repair relations with Beijing' because Australia will need China to help the economy recover after crippling lockdowns pushed almost a million Aussies out of work. 'We should be talking about how to ensure something like this doesn't happen again and how we can collectively repair our economies,' he said. 'Australia will definitely need China to be part of the solution for the economic damage it is experiencing.' Showing how important China is to Australia, a report by Deloitte in 2017 found that half a million Aussies would lose their jobs if China's growth rate fell from 6.5 per cent to less than 3 per cent. Analysts have long warned against the dependency on one country and have touted India and Indonesia as huge markets - but it will take years for demand in those countries to match China's. Professor Goolley said: 'We need China now more than ever.' (Newser) Count Stacey Abrams in. "As a young black girl growing up in Mississippi, I learned that if I didnt speak up for myself, no one else would, so ... my mission is to say out loud if Im asked the question, 'Yes, I would be willing to serve.'" That was her answer Sunday on NBC's Meet the Press when asked about the possibility of Joe Biden choosing her as a running mate. However, she noted that she understands "there is a process that will be played out" and that Biden "will pick the person he needs." He has already promised to pick a woman, and many have suggested Abrams as a top contender. The former Democratic leader in the Georgia legislature nearly beat Republican Brian Kemp in a "closely contested" gubernatorial race in 2018, per Politico. Since then, she's been running organizations including one that protects voters' rights. story continues below Vox reports that other potential VP picks are shying away from discussing the possibility before a decision has been made, but Abrams said she has no issues with that. "If you dont raise your hand, people wont see you and they wont give you attention. But it's not about attention for being the running mate. It is about making sure that my qualifications aren't in question, because they're not just speaking to me," she said in another interview, this one on CNN's State of the Union. "They're speaking to young black women, young women of color, young people of color, who wonder if they, too, can be seen. What I try to do is tell the truth and be direct. But I understand that there is a process that will be at work, and that he has no shortage of qualified candidates to choose from." (Read more Stacey Abrams stories.) MBABANE The world needs a breakthrough against this virus and I hope my son can contribute to finding it. These were the words of Boy Mdluli, the Deputy Chief Officer in the Kings Office, in reaction to reports that his firstborn son, Dr Xolani Mdluli, who is based in the United States of America, is currently involved in trials to find a treatment for COVID-19 at the Desert Regional Medical Centre in California with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Celebration More than 2.5 million have been infected by the virus across the globe which has claimed the lives of over 200 000. Mdluli said he was proud that his son had joined the fight to save lives. He last enjoyed a moment with his son in August last year, when the doctor and his siblings hosted a 60th birthday celebration for their father. Dr Xolanis mother is late and there is no doubt she would have been proud to see her son undertake this groundbreaking task. The humble father said if the trials succeeded, it would not just make the family proud, but an honour for the Kingdom of Eswatini on the world map.I am very happy to see him taking up such a huge responsibility and I wish to thank him for making the effort towards finding a solution to a crisis that is causing so much distress to the world population. I wish him all the best of luck and success in this endeavour, he said. The trials that Dr Xolani is undertaking involve receiving plasma donation from fully recovered coronavirus patients. Its just like getting a blood transfusion, Dr Xolani told News Channel 3. He explained that you had to ensure the donated plasma was compatible with the recipient patients blood type. Infection Lets say somebody gets an infection, the immune system will form antibodies which will help fight off the infection. After the infection is gone, those antibodies remain in your body, he said. It is these antibodies that are passed on to COVID-19 patients with the hope that they could speed up the process and start killing the virus a little bit faster. What this means is that then you will be able to recover from the infection a little bit sooner, he said. The centre was reported to be among the first three hospitals to receive plasma from a blood bank and Dr Xolani said they were able to give it to two patients who were said to have made improvements. He said the method isnt yet foolproof but if successful, more plasma donations would be widely used. These days nothing is guaranteed until it is guaranteed and that is why we are having all these trials done and then see what works and what does not work, he told the TV station. It is said specific criteria would be used prior to plasma donation. Possible donors would be screened for age, weight and medical history. The humble father said his son had alerted him of his exploits and was looking forward to positive results. Dr Xolani boasts 16 years of diverse experience and specialises in Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The subways may be less crowded, but theyve still seen their crazy moments. Despite subway ridership plummeting more than 90% amid the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, reckless and unsanitary behavior on the citys subway system has persisted, with hundreds of unruly person" reports filed so far this month, according to a new report from THE CITY. During the first three weeks of April, there have been 309 unruly person incidents in the subway system, down just 126 incidents from last April, when the system was handling 95% more passengers per day, 5.4 million as opposed to 270,000, according to the report. Its a cocktail of fear and anxiety right now, Eric Loegel, Transport Workers Union Local 100 representative for train operators and conductors, told THE CITY. Among the disturbing incident reports were a naked individual at the Fort Hamilton Parkway stop chasing someone on and off the train, two A train riders fighting with a heavy chain and brass knuckles and an emotionally disturbed male customer trying to light advertisements on fire on the 4 train, according to the report. Other incidents included a homeless person using a subway car as a restroom at the Atlantic Avenue-Barclays Center stop in Brooklyn, a knife-wielding man in a wheelchair threatening passengers on an A train at 125th Street in Harlem and a person exposing themselves on a 2 train at East 180th Street in The Bronx, the report details. And unruly person incidents are far from the only concern in the subways. In March, subway robberies were up 55% over the same month in 2019, resulting in the deployment of additional MTA police officers and private security guards to complement the patrol work of the NYPD, according to the report. Patrick Lynch, president of the New York City Police Benevolent Association, told THE CITY that the failing mental health system is repeatedly putting officers in dangerous situations with unstable individuals. New Yorks political class chose to gut our mental health system, Lynch said. They chose to open a revolving door for dangerous repeat offenders. Now that were in the middle of a crisis, those failures are magnified. A police spokesperson told The CITY that the NYPD is committed to protecting our communities and will continue to address crime conditions as they arise during the COVID-19 pandemic. Defying outrage by university workers, condemnations by casuals networks and censures by campus branch meetings, the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) is continuing backroom talks with employers to impose historic concessions, including outright pay cuts. Anger is deepening, because the unions pretence of protecting jobs via a national framework to respond to the COVID-19 crisis has already been torn to shreds. University managements are simply taking advantage of the talks to continue inflicting massive job cuts. While the NTEU readily offers sacrifices of pay and conditions, and opposes any action whatsoever to fight back, the employers are stepping up their attacks. By the NTEUs own admission, in a resolution bulldozed through a union national council meeting last Friday, some universities have indeed commenced measures such as forced redundancies on a wide scale, non-renewal of job contracts, termination of casuals, stand downs, increased class sizes and teaching loads, course and campus closures and coerced leave or shifts to part-time work. The NTEU resolution effectively gives the employers a green light. It permits them to implement some cost-saving measures, even deferral of pay rises, deferral of increments, deferral of promotion or reclassification increases, limited fraction reductions, limited annual leave and LSL [long service leave] direction, and direction to work other duties. Supposedly in return, the NTEU is seeking meaningless assurances, such as No stand-downs without pay and Where a stand-down must occur, minimum living wages to be maintained. What are minimum living wages? Similar questions apply to guarantees of restrictions on compulsory redundancies and existing or recent casuals being given preference for any available work. The only requirement set by the resolution is that the national framework must be demonstrably better than allowing managerial prerogative to go unfettered. This means a virtually unlimited licence to destroy jobs and conditions. In order to defeat this wholesale assault, members of the Committee for Public Education (CFPE) and the Socialist Equality Party (SEP) have opened up a critical debate. They have spoken at several union branch meetings to expose the role of the NTEU and outline an alternative socialist perspective. They have strongly opposed the very conception, being enforced by the NTEU, that university workers and students must bear the burden of the universities financial crisis, which has been caused by years of funding cuts by successive governments and now intensified by the response of the political establishment and the corporate elite to the global COVID-19 pandemic. CFPE and SEP members have explained that this is not a temporary meltdown that can be addressed by supposedly time-limited NTEU concessions. In reality, the government and university managements are exploiting the pandemic to implement a sweeping and destructive restructuring at the expense of employees and students. Over the next three years alone, the universities collectively face the loss of $19 billion in revenue, primarily because of the collapse of lucrative income from international students. In order to end universities reliance on foreign studentsespecially from Chinathe federal government has vindictively refused to protect these hundreds of thousands of students from mass unemployment and destruction of their part-time jobs, and instead instructed them to go home. Above all, CFPE and SEP speakers have raised the necessity for a struggle to completely reorganise society along socialist lines, including the allocation of billions of dollars to public education, instead of big business and the wealthy elite being bailed out by huge rescue packages. They have explained that this means breaking from the NTEUs pro-capitalist political and industrial straitjacket and forming new working class organisations. They moved the following resolution: That this meeting: 1. Rejects all the concessions being offered by the NTEU to employers at this university and nationally. 2. Condemns all efforts to make university workers and students pay for the billions of dollars cut from funding by Coalition and Labor governments over the past decade, and the failure of capitalist governments to avert the global COVID-19 pandemic. 3. Opposes the splitting up of university employees, via the variation of individual enterprise agreements. 4. Calls for a national stoppage and mass online meeting of all tertiary education workers on May Day, Friday May 1, to plan a unified national struggle against the attack on jobs, pay and conditions. 5. Demands that, instead of big business and the banks being bailed out with billions of dollars, resources be poured into education funding, at all levels, to guarantee the basic social right to free, first-class education for all students, including international students, and full-time jobs for all university workers. 6. Calls for the formation of rank-and-file action committees of tertiary education workers and studentsindependent of the NTEU, governments and employersto fight for these demands and ensure the health, safety and well-being of workers and students from COVID-19, before any return to face-to-face teaching and working. So far, this resolution has won significant but minority support, in the face of repeated anti-democratic efforts by NTEU office-bearers to block the debate. Other union members have abstained, often voicing agreement with, and warm appreciation for, the analysis behind the resolution but not yet willing to accept the need for a break from the union apparatus. At Western Sydney University, two union members had to move dissent from the branch presidents ruling, in order to allow a discussion on the resolution, which was ultimately delayed until a second meeting. At Macquarie University, debate on the resolution was bureaucratically cut off and submerged into a vote on a branch executive motion to back the national talks. Similar methods were used to push through last Fridays national council vote, even though the councillors are among the closest supporters of the NTEU leadership. No amendments to the official motion were allowed, and the debate lasted less than 20 minutes before the vote was carried by 89 to 13. These are not aberrations. In every meeting and email to members, the NTEU acts as an industrial police force. It declares that university workers must not take industrial action to fight the employer offensive because that would be illegal and workers would face fines of more than $12,000 a day under the Fair Work Act. All the unions, including the NTEU, backed this legislation when the Rudd-Gillard Labor government imposed it in 2009, precisely because it gave the unions a weapon to block all industrial action, except during narrow bargaining periods. The Act even outlaws action by workers to oppose employer variations of enterprise agreements, just as the NTEU is now proposing. The only concern of the NTEU is that it retains its place as partner of the employers in enforcing this offensive via the enterprise bargaining system. Since the 1980s, the NTEU has drawn up agreements that have allowed managements to substantially casualise their work forces and carry out frequent restructuring cuts to jobs. This flows from the basic perspective of trade unionism, which is to tie workers to the profit-making requirements of their employers. The same hand-in-glove relationship with business was articulated by Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) secretary Sally McManus when she vowed, on national television, that the unions would give employers everything you want in response to the pandemic. A phoney no campaign is being promoted by pseudo-left groups in order to channel disgusted university workers back into the arms of the NTEU. According to Socialist Alternative: A leadership that genuinely wanted to fight would be trying to harness the energy apparent in the mobilisations against concessions, at the very least as a bargaining chip. Not only does this foster dangerous illusions in the NTEU changing course, it provides a recipe for the union to proceed with its collaboration, while cynically using the anger of members as a bargaining chip. The truth is that the crisis provoked by COVID-19 has further exposed the totally pro-management nature of the unions, including the NTEU. It shows the necessity for workers to break from them entirely and build new workplace and community rank-and-file organisations, based on a fight against the profit-driven capitalist system itself. We urge university workers and students who want to fight back and discuss these issues with us to contact the CFPE Facebook site or email the SEP at sep@sep.org.au. The authors also recommend: Outrage among Australian university workers over secret NTEU pay cut talks [20 April 2020] Hostility to workers questions at online Australian union event [23 April 2020] COVID-19 and the role of Labor and the unions in Australia [16 April 2020] The Armenian side lost 400 hectares during the Four-Day Artsakh War in April 2016. This is what Chief of Police of the Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh Republic) Levon Mnatsakanyan told reporters today. During the military operations in April 2016, Mnatsakanyan was the commander of the Defense Army of Artsakh. Mnatsakanyan informed that the Armenian side didnt have more than 100 victims between April 2 and 5 and that there were 75 victims, of which 35 were fixed-term servicemen. Asked if he had committed an omission, Mnatsakanyan said he had and that the new commander will take it into consideration. I answered all the questions that concerned the members of Armenias parliamentary committee leading a probe into the circumstances behind the Four-Day Artsakh War. I presented the reality during the Four-Day Artsakh War. The Defense Army unequivocally completed its tasks and won the war. Of course, there is a lot to do, and the Defense Army is working in this direction, Levon Mnatsakanyan said. Mnatsakanyan also informed that there is an analysis of the Four-Day Artsakh War that hasnt been made public yet. The 10 best last-minute Christmas Disney gifts, from t-shirts to Lego Gifts Christmas Disney gifts are still available if you move fast, and we've got recommendations on which ones to go for Thousands of Chinese investors were shocked last Wednesday after receiving a notice from the bank of China, telling them theyd lost their investment; with some even owing the bank tens of thousands of dollars. These individual investors had put their money in a product linked to foreign oil futures, called Crude oil Bao, sold by the state-owned Bank of China. After last Mondays oil price crash, Bank of China halted new transactions for this product. Two days later, it told investors they need to pay what they owe the bank based on the historically low price of -$37.63 a barrel. Investors were stunned. According to a report by Radio Free Asia, the investors total loss could be over $4 billion. Angry investors are questioning the banks risk management and disclosure practices. Some say their agreement states investors will be warned when their loss is over 50 percent, but they hadnt received any warning. They also said the bank didnt flag any risk that oil prices could turn negative. According to local media reports, some investors in several cities went to Bank of China branches and regulatory agencies from Wednesday to demand answers. They are also getting together to file class-action lawsuits against the bank. The sound of church bells rang out across Strabane yesterday in memory of a nurse from the town who died after contracting Covid-19. Pat McManus lived in England and worked at a hospital in Staffordshire. The Church of the Immaculate Conception, where 60-year-old Mr McManus used to be a parishioner, rang its bells at 3pm, with other churches across the town joining in as a way to honour not only the nurse, but all front line workers. "He had been a nurse in Staffordshire for 40 years, but Strabane was his home and he would come back every year to reconnect with all the folk here," said parish priest Fr Declan Boland. "When the news came through about what had happened, at first it was hard to twig exactly what had happened, but when I realised, it was all so sad." Councillor Raymond Barr, who was a contemporary of grandfather-of-five Mr McManus, helped organise the tribute and reached out to local churches. "The initiative came from a local councillor who wanted to honour the wonderful work Pat did," said Fr Boland. "And it was a fitting way to honour him. Pat was the focus for a way to express our appreciation of the amazing work people are doing on the front line, and it was a cross-community initiative all over the Strabane area." Church of Ireland rector at Christ Church Rev John White said the fact all denominations had taken part was important. "As it has often been said, this disease makes no distinction," said Rev White. "This is a way we can identify with those in the front line, with those in the NHS, all the staff in hospitals and those in nursing homes. It isn't much, but it is one way we can show that we are with them." Mr McManus's niece Aileen Mullen told the BBC the gesture "was a beautiful thing to do to remember Pat". Mr McManus leaves behind his partner Lena, three sons and grandchildren. Limerick Rose Sinead Flanagan, who was crowned the winner of the 2019 Rose of Tralee competition, salutes the crowd at the Dome in Tralee last night. Photo: Steve Humphreys THE Rose of Tralee festival has been cancelled for the first time in its history because of the coronavirus crisis The international festival was due to start on August 21 this year, but will now take place in August 2021. It is the first time in the its 61 year history that the festival has been postponed. Organisers confirmed today that the hugely popular festival - the largest annual tourism event in Kerry - will not take place next August because of the ongoing pandemic. Kerry hoteliers admitted that the cancellation represents an economic disaster for the county with the festival estimated to be worth more than 50m in terms of spending, overseas publicity and follow-on tourism. In a statement Anthony O'Gara, Executive Chair, Rose of Tralee International Festival said: "Over the past few weeks, our team have been considering how best we could safely deliver some, or all, of our 2020 Festival events." "Taking into account Government guidelines, the safety of our communities and the ability to deliver a wonderful Festival; we have decided to postpone our 2020 Festival until August 2021 "This is the first time in our 61 year history that the Festival has been postponed, but it is the right decision as we all play our part right now in keeping each other safe and well. "The Rose of Tralee International Festival operates on a yearlong basis, in Irish communities worldwide; and we will continue to harness the goodwill of our extended Rose Family in supporting communities and charitable efforts over the next 12 months." The TV pageant, sees thousands of tourists flock to Kerry every year and 32 roses from around the world are flown into Ireland to compete. Travel restrictions in place for the Covid-19 pandemic are very unlikely to be lifted by August, and Rose of Tralee organisers said that they want to act responsibly in such uncertain times. "Similarly, we will each have a role to play in restoring our communities and local economies following this pandemic, and we look forward to coming together in celebration in August 2021," Mr O'Gara continued. "In the meantime, we salute the leadership and the selfless efforts of frontline and support staff everywhere; and among them the efforts by many of our Roses, Rose Escorts and wider Rose Family, including our 2019 Rose of Tralee, Dr Sinead Flanagan. "Our immediate priority is to support the health and civic authorities in doing whatever we can to keep each other safe and well, and ultimately to protect lives." The Rose of Tralee traces its history back to the old Tralee Carnival Queen but was effectively resurrected as a modern event following a meeting of Kerry businessmen in 1957. The inaugural International Rose of Tralee event was hosted in 1959. It had a launch budget of just 750 - but quickly grew to become arguably the highest profile Irish festival in the US, UK and Australia. 1. On Sacred Games Actress Rajshri Deshpande's Request, Shah Rukh Khan Sends 2500 PPE Kits For Aurangabad Doctors Indiatimes A few days after Sacred Games actress Rajshri Deshpande (who played the role of Gaitonde's wife Subhadra) requested Shah Rukh Khan for PPE kits for doctors in Aurangabad, the King Khan of Bollywood has adhered to her request. 2. Ajaz Khan Gets Bail After Being Arrested For Communal Remarks, Tweets 'Justice Has Prevailed' Indiatimes It is now being reported that Ajaz Khan has been granted bail and was released yesterday. He was booked under section 153 A for promoting enmity between religious communities with his statements during a Facebook live. 3. Sonu Sood Pens A Moving Poem 'Bharat Ek Saath Hai' As A Tribute To All Frontline Corona Heroes Sonu Sood / Instagram Sood first offered his hotel in Mumbai for medical professionals and staff to live in free of cost as they risk their lives every single day. Then, he donated 25,000 meal kits to migrants and those who were desperately in need of food on a daily basis. And now, he plans to charm us with his words, as he pens down a beautiful poem to salute our frontline corona heroes. 4. Neena Gupta, Sanjay Mishra's Film 'Gwalior' Is The Kind Of Cinematic Brilliance We Need In 2020 TOI Aren't we all looking for some cheer in life? Promising us with just that are immensely talented actors Neena Gupta and Sanjay Mishra who will be starring together in their upcoming film titled, 'Gwalior'. 5. Now That She Has Recovered From COVID-19, Fans Are Urging Kanika Kapoor To Donate Plasma Kanika Kapoor / Instagram The comments that caught our attention were the ones asking Kanika Kapoor to donate blood for plasma therapy. For those who don't know, Indian hospitals are right now administering plasma therapy which is collecting antibodies from those patients who have successfully recovered from COVID-19 to treat those who are currently diagnosed with it. Kazakhstan will ease some coronavirus-related restrictions in the coming days despite extending its state of emergency until May 11, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said. The Central Asian nation of 19 million will, in particular, renew flights between its two major cities from May 1, he said in a statement. The state of emergency declared in mid-March over the pandemic was due to end on April 30. Kazakhstan, which has confirmed 2,780 cases of COVID-19 and 25 deaths, has yet to pass the peak stage of infection, Tokayev said. But he said he would let the state of emergency elapse on May 11 unless there is a fresh mass outbreak, Reuters reported. The Kazakh president also ordered the healthcare ministry to ramp up testing volumes to 20,000-25,000 per day. Kazakhstan, which borders China and Russia, has so far carried out about 180,000 tests over a period of about 40 days. A longtime journalist for the New Yorker has been criticized after he tweeted suggesting a military coup. Hendrik Hertzberg, an ex-speechwriter for Jimmy Carter, posted on Twitter, 'Time for a military coup?' Sunday afternoon, sparking major backlash from social media users. 'Just because I don't want their fascism, doesn't mean I want your fascism,' one Twitter user posted. Another sarcastically wrote: 'As we all know things always get much less authoritarian when militaries overthrow governments. *presses earpiece* wait, hold on.' New Yorker journalist Hendrik Hertzberg posted Sunday on Twitter, 'Time for a military coup?' Twitter users replied criticizing his tweet about overthrowing President Donald Trump's government on Sunday One woman shared a meme with the words: 'The best time to delete this post was right after posting it. The second best time is now.' But the political commentator did get some support online. A Twitter user, defended the journalist, writing: 'I can't believe anyone is taking this seriously. Clearly tongue in cheek.' Hertzberg appeared to confirm he was joking as he replied: 'Me neither.' 'As somebody or other once said, I was being ... sarcastic,' Hertzberg later added in a tweet. DailyMail.com has reached out for a comment. His tweet appeared to be a jab at President Trump's own blunder this week where he suggested injecting disinfectant as a coronavirus treatment. But after a Twitter user, defended the journalist, writing: 'I can't believe anyone is taking this seriously. Clearly tongue in cheek,' he responded 'neither can I' He later explained that he was being 'sarcastic' after Twitter users responded negatively Trump was the subject of a backlash from public health experts, the CDC and Twitter users who criticized him for dangerously suggesting unfounded cures. The White House claimed the American leader was being 'very sarcastic' when he asked officials to consider injecting disinfectant as a coronavirus treatment. 'I was asking a question sarcastically to reporters like you just to see what would happen,' the president said about his comments. On Friday, Trump walked off during the daily briefing after being annoyed by questions about his actions. This weekend POTUS tweeted that he would stop holding the task force briefings because he didn't like the press coverage he was receiving in the aftermath of making the comments. 'What is the purpose of having White House News Conferences when the Lamestream Media asks nothing but hostile questions, & then refuses to report the truth or facts accurately. They get record ratings, & the American people get nothing but Fake News. Not worth the time & effort!' Trump wrote. Dr. Deborah Birx. a public health expert on the White House's coronavirus task force, defended Trump Sunday in an interview with CNN's State of the Union. 'Well, I think it bothers me that this is still in the news cycle,' Birx said of the disinfectant comments. 'Sometimes I worry that we don't get the information to the American people that they need when we continue to bring up something that was from Thursday night,' she added to CNN. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 27) The National Bureau of Investigation warned the public against online scammers, as it sees a doubling in the number of cybercrime cases in the country amid the coronavirus lockdown. NBI Cybercrime Division Chief Victor Lorenzo told CNN Philippines that while authorities have recorded a drop in general ordinary crimes, cybercriminals are capitalizing on the pandemic to victimize web users. Yung mga scammers at hackers, na-anticipate nila na pag nag-lockdown mag-oonline tayong lahat [The scammers and hackers have anticipated that during lockdown, all of us will go online], Lorenzo said. The cybercrime incidence in the country has increased by 100 percent since the onset of the stay-at-home order, he added. Phishing attacks According to Lorenzo, the most common form of cybercrime are currently phishing scams, wherein criminals lure individuals to disclose sensitive personal data, such as bank account details and passwords, by disguising as a legitimate entity. Lorenzo said these scams are designed to exploit fear and create a sense of urgency among potential victims. A sample scheme is sending bank account deactivation notices, which prompt unsuspecting people to act quicker and disregard security measures by clicking on unsafe links which request for personal information. The cybercrime division chief advised the public to check the URL, or the address of the webpage, if it contains the internet extension HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure), which is a standard internet protocol for secure communication. Ang tatandaan lang natin kung may HTTPS, mas secured 'yun. Sa mga phishing sites kasi, wala yun, he said. [Translation: What we need to remember is that if a URL contains the HTTPS, the site is more secured. Phishing sites do not have the HTTPS protocol.] However, internet users are still advised to be extra-vigilant, as a 2019 report by the Anti-Phishing Working Group revealed that cybercriminals have even gone so far as adopting the HTTPS protocol in its fraudulent sites. Lorenzo said another technique scammers use is posing as call center agents from banks and asking for one-time passwords given to users during online transactions. Hihingin nila yung nareceive mo na one-time password mo sa email or mobile phone mo. Di mo alam nagta-transact na sila on your behalf, he said. [Translation: They will ask for your one-time password which you received through email or mobile phone. You wouldnt know that theyre already transacting on your behalf.] Donation scams Scammers are even taking advantage of the publics desire to help amid the pandemic. NBI said fraudsters are creating fake social media pages or mimicking genuine charitable entities to solicit cash donations from individuals willing to assist those affected by COVID-19. Cybercriminals then edit the bank account details where donors deposit cash, Lorenzo said. Meron pa kunwari nagdo-donate sila ng bigas, yun pala pino-promote lang nila na ma-entice yung public to place their donations with them, he added. Parang props lang 'yung nid-donate nila to activate the interest of the public to support efforts nila during the crisis. [Translation: There are even those who pretend theyre donating rice, but the truth is theyre only enticing the public to place their donations with them. What happens is the supposed donations turn out to be mere props to activate the interest of the public to support efforts by also donating during the crisis.] Lorenzo encouraged interested individuals to donate cash only to government institutions or well-known entities. Online shopping scams With the stay-at-home order in place, shopping websites may also have heightened appeal, especially considering the added convenience of home delivery. However, the NBI also cautions against online purchases, as shopping sites have likewise become a breeding ground for malicious actors who pose as legitimate sellers. Lorenzo explained that bogus sellers also capitalize on a false sense of urgency by claiming the items are the last ones available of its batch. At the same time, yung masyadong mababa yung discount yun yung tell-tale signs na di totoo yung transaction, he added. [Translation: At the same time, if the item seems overly discounted, that's also a tell-tale sign that the transaction may be fake.] Lorenzo reminded buyers to conduct a series of checks and scrutinize online sellers first before committing to purchasing. Nasa atin din kasi. Kapag masyado tayong excited, nalilimutan na natin yung series of checks. Ang formula dyan is yung mas mataas at mas substantial yung ibabayad mo, mas mataas din yung checks na gagamitin mo, he said. [Translation: It's also up to us. If we're too excited, we forget the series of checks. The formula here is that if you're paying a more substantial amount, you should also increase your security checks.] In the same way that criminals are exploiting cyberspace, users should also leverage their use of the internet to detect fraudulent sellers, the chief said. He suggested searching for the image of the item posted by the seller and checking if the same photo has been posted elsewhere. Yung mga cybercriminals, considering wala naman yung item talaga, ni-grab lang din naman [nila yung photo] sa internet, he said. [Translation: These cybercriminals also just grab the photos on the internet, considering they dont really have the item theyre supposedly selling.] Online buyers are also encouraged to ask for and confirm the contact details of sellers they are purchasing from. Try to check baka yung pangalan [ng seller] ay may mga complaint na over the net, Lorenzo said. Buying ATM cards for fraud In order to remain anonymous, criminals are purchasing active ATM (Automated Teller Machine) cards with low balance to use as a depository bank account for all their stolen money. Kasi ngayon minsan pagka talaga ang employer hindi magpapasweldono work, no paynangangailan yung tao ng pondo kay napipilitan magbenta ng ATM [sa scammer], he added. [Translation: Especially if employers are not paying workers due to a no work, no pay scheme, some people are desperate for cash and are strained to sell their ATM cards.] Lorenzo said they have already been able to arrest suspects of various online scams operating during the crisis. Sa totoo lang naman, lagi naman natin sila mahuhuli. Hindi kasi sila titigil hanggat 'di sila nahuli. Kaya sooner or later mahuhuli rin sila, he said. [Translation: In truth, we will always be able to catch them. They wont stop until theyre caught, thats why sooner or later, we will be able to arrest them.] Those who have fallen prey to online scams should immediately report the incident to authorities, Lorenzo said. Victims may call the NBIs trunkline 523-8231 or visit the agencys website containing contact details of specific NBI units. Akwa Ibom State epidemiologist, Dr Aniekeme Uwah, has been sacked by the state government for refusing to manipulate coronavirus test figures. It was gathered that Uwah was sacked on Friday for allegedly taking about 30 samples of COVID-19 suspected cases for testing against the wishes of the Commissioner of health, Dr. Dominic Ukpong, who wanted only 10 to be sent out. A source close to the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) in the State, who confirmed his removal on condition of anonymity said: The Epidemiologist, Dr Aniekeme Uwah, has been removed from office for taking samples of COVID-19 suspected cases against the wishes of the Commissioner for Health, Dr Dominic Inyang Ukpong. Yesterday, I learnt Dr Uwah had supervised over 30 samples sent for COVID-19 tests, a step that obviously angered the commissioner for health who wanted not more than 10 to be sent. Another source said that permissions had to be taken from the Health Commissioner before samples from suspected COVID-19 cases were taken and sent to NCDC for testing. Dr. Uwah is alleged to have defied the State Commissioner for Health by insisting that anybody that meets the criteria for COVID-19 testing would be attended to. He [Dr. Uwah] was told to take not more than 10 samples and He insisted he will review the forms and take samples from all those who met the criteria. Besides, he informed the Commissioner that he couldnt refuse to take samples from Doctors who are qualified for the test, and for which the State has the sample kits. He further told the Commissioner that it will cost the government not even an extra penny to take these samples. That is how Uwah ended up taking samples from 31 persons who met the criteria. And the Commissioner is not happy about it, thats why he engineered his (Uwah) sack, the source explained. The sack of the epidemiologist has brought to the fore the lingering crisis in the health sector between the commissioner and the health workers in the state which began when they walked out on the commissioner for not inviting NMA to a stakeholders meeting on COVID19 in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State capital. The source expressed dismay that the government is merely mouthing its readiness to carry out massive community testing of COVID-19 as a strategy to contain the spread of the pandemic in the state. He said: This is greatly dampening the morale of the medical personnel. How can we be having this kind of issue at a crucial time like this? The state Commissioner of health, Dr Dominic Ukpong is yet to react to the issues as of the time of filing this report. KanyiDaily had reported how a female journalist in Akwa Ibom was thrown inta jail for taking photos of task force officials who raided a relaxation spot, notoriously known for illegal street-trading. The coronavirus continues to claim lives in the Lehigh Valley. On Monday, just three days after its last update, Northampton County announced 14 more lives lost to COVID-19, including 10 at Gracedale, the county-owned nursing home where the National Guard is being called in to assist. Between Northampton and neighboring Lehigh County, the COVID-19 death toll among Lehigh Valley residents is now at least 146. (Cant see the map? Click here.) Pennsylvania coronavirus cases now total more than 42,000 and the statewide death toll is almost 1,600. Northampton Countys latest report Monday says that 80 people have died in the county, 72 of them residents here. The count does not include county residents who have died elsewhere. Lehigh Countys latest update was Friday, when it announced 75 residents have died. Northamptons Monday report also updated the number of deaths at Gracedale, in Upper Nazareth Township, to 19 up 10 from Saturday. It is a sad and grim duty to report this data, but we continue to do so, so that our fellow residents have the information they need to make sound decisions, County Executive Lamont McClure said in the announcement. Gracedale is working hard to limit exposure, he said. It was announced Monday that the National Guard will assist with staffing shortages. Eighty of the facilitys 596 residents and 26 staff to date have tested positive for the coronavirus. The county said eight patients from the nursing home are hospitalized while the rest recover in-house, waiting until they are no longer infectious to return to their units. Nine of the sickened staffers have finished their quarantines and returned to work. (Cant see the map? Click here.) Statewide, Pennsylvania has reported 7,037 cases of COVID-19 among residents of 441 long-term care facilities, including nursing homes, and 862 cases among staff as of Monday. That includes 347 residents and 83 staff of Northampton County facilities, and 299 residents and 49 staff in Lehigh County, according to the department of healths statistics. The states data also shows that 990 people have died of the coronavirus in long-term care facilities, including 23 in Northampton and 35 in Lehigh, though there may be a delay in data at the state level. (Cant see the chart? Click here.) The virus has also proven more serious for seniors, with adults 65 and older accounting for the majority of Pennsylvanias hospitalizations and deaths from COVID-19, according to the health department. Both Lehigh and Northampton counties have said the average age of those who have died is around 79 years old. However, the virus can affect anyone, particularly those with underlying conditions. The full list of COVID-19 deaths by municipality in the Lehigh Valley, according to the latest reports from the counties: Allentown: 19 Bangor: 1 Bethlehem: 10 Bethlehem Township: 13 Easton: 11 Forks Township: 1 Heidelberg Township: 1 Hellertown: 1 Lehigh Township: 1 Lower Macungie Township: 23 Lower Nazareth Township: 2 Nazareth: 1 Palmer Township: 13 Plainfield Township: 1 South Whitehall Township: 17 Tatamy: 1 Upper Macungie Township: 2 Upper Nazareth Township: 17 Washington Township (Northampton): 1 Whitehall Township: 5 Williams Township: 3 Wilson Borough: 1 (Cant see the table? Click here.) Tell us your coronavirus stories, whether its a news tip, a topic you want us to cover, or a personal story you want to share. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com. Steve Novak may be reached at snovak@lehighvalleylive.com. Here are the key figures for Queensland today: 0: New cases in a 24-hour period. 1033: People have been diagnosed with COVID-19 so far. 934: People diagnosed with coronavirus have now recovered. 14: Coronavirus sufferers are in hospital, including six in intensive care. 6: Lives claimed by COVID-19. On the day the Queensland government was due to hand down its budget, Deputy Premier and Treasurer Jackie Trad has detailed the economic hit caused by the pandemic. Political reporter Lydia Lynch's story is here. As health authorities call for everyone to get their flu shots, GPs have expressed frustration at delays in obtaining the vaccines ahead of the flu season. Read more from our health and science reporter Stuart Layt. Queensland classrooms will reopen in one form or another by the end of May, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has confirmed. An infectious diseases expert says it is time to test students to understand why so few young people are catching COVID-19. The full story by Tony Moore and Stuart Layt is here. Thanks for joining us. Our live coverage will resume tomorrow but in the meantime, check the main site for the latest news and analysis. A fleet of rapid-response testing units is being set up to help stop a resurgence of coronavirus once the lockdown is lifted, the Government's testing tsar reveals today. Responding rapidly to outbreaks in schools, care homes and workplaces is 'absolutely crucial' to easing the restrictions, said Professor John Newton. Scores of mobile testing units will be ready by next month as part of a contact tracing and testing programme to get Britain moving again, he told the Daily Mail. There are already 48 mobile units in operation, run by Armed Forces staff to test key workers for coronavirus at prisons, police stations and care homes. Pictured: Soldiers screen NHS workers for coronavirus at a testing centre set up in Ebbsfleet These units part of a drive to hit the Government's target of conducting 100,000 tests a day by Friday will be doubled to 96 within a few days. Once ministers are ready to lift the lockdown, their focus will be switched to targeted outbreak control as part of a 'test, track and trace' system. Professor Newton also revealed the NHS has started randomly testing staff even those without symptoms in a bid to quickly stop outbreaks in hospitals. Officials are talking to commercial call centres about setting up an army of 18,000 contact tracers who will rapidly track down anyone exposed to the virus. Ministers hope contact tracing and testing designed to locate hotspots and stop outbreaks before they grow will be the 'safety net' that allows the Government to lift restrictions while avoiding a second virus wave. Home testing, with swabs sent via Amazon to anyone with symptoms, will be an essential element of this. Countries such as South Korea and Singapore have shown they can significantly restrict the spread of the virus using a 'test, track and trace' system. Pictured: Soliders in glasses, face masks, plastic aprons and gloves pass items across a car Professor Newton stressed that for now the 'strategy is to get the incidence of coronavirus right down to a much lower level so it is no longer spreading widely in the community, then we will use contact tracing to contain any infection that does occur'. He said: 'The numbers developing new coronavirus infections has fallen dramatically. We're very confident that when we are able to relax social distancing not now but when we are able to the testing processes we set up will support government strategy. 'Making testing really accessible will be the key to getting it done quickly, which is what will help support control of infection that's absolutely crucial.' He added: 'You need to be able to target your testing where there are outbreaks. The system we have built where you deliver a test to someone's home is ideally placed to do that. 'But if you had an outbreak in a care home, we would send the mobile unit in and test everybody in the care home. If you had an outbreak in a school, you would send the mobile unit to test everybody in the school.' While mass contact tracing is yet to begin, a project to randomly test NHS staff has started. Responding rapidly to outbreaks in schools, care homes and workplaces is 'absolutely crucial' to easing the restrictions, said Professor John Newton There are already 48 mobile units in operation, run by Armed Forces staff to test key workers for coronavirus at prisons, police stations and care homes (Pictured: a testing centre in Plymouth) 'It's very important to control the spread of coronavirus in the hospital setting,' said Professor Newton, who was seconded last month from his role as director of health improvement at Public Health England to run the Government's testing programme. 'Rightly that's a priority so that does involve testing asymptomatic staff to find out whether they might have the virus. We want to get the NHS back to normal. So we want to test staff in certain settings for example, care of cancer patients or care of renal transplant patients just to give everyone their level of confidence that patients are safe to be treated in those environments. 'It's an important programme it's just getting going but it's definitely something that is going to play a part in the future.' Dominic Harrison, director of public health at Blackburn with Darwen Council, said last week contact tracing would have to be in place until 2024 to stop outbreaks getting out of control. The Government is also running a scheme with Oxford University to repeatedly test 300,000 people over the next year. It aims to assess levels of the virus and immunity among the population. Government adviser Neil Ferguson, of Imperial College, yesterday urged ministers to adopt the South Korean contact tracing approach. The academic designed the computer modelling on which the lockdown was based and said he expected to hand ministers a new model 'within days'. In an interview with the website UnHerd, Professor Ferguson said: 'The country we should be looking at is South Korea. Lockdown is not sustainable long term. 'If we can get case numbers down low enough, then I think we can look to the Korean model of how we can sustain control of transmission long term. 'That has many benefits. It's not certain we can achieve it but it is something we need to try given the economic, social and every other cost of lockdown.' (Bloomberg) -- Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said he supports his Economy Minister Paulo Guedes after financial market concerns about strained ties between them prompted local assets to sink. The man who decides about the economy is just one: Guedes, Bolsonaro said on Monday as he left the presidential residence in Brasilia, after meeting with the economy minister and other cabinet members. We are concerned about maintaining total fiscal responsibility with public expenditures. Bolsonaros statements come as his government faces its strongest political crisis yet following the resignation of Justice Minister Sergio Moro on Friday and speculation that Guedes might be next. Guedes was tapped by Bolsonaro to privatize billions of dollars in state-controlled assets and shrink the size of the state by cutting spending. Still, his policies have been pushed aside amid pressure for stimulus to fight the coronavirus pandemic, fueling investor fears that he may be on his way out. Read More: Bolsonaro Bet Big With Two Promises and Both Are in Trouble Speaking alongside Bolsonaro, Guedes said that Brazils economic policy has not changed, and that he is in charge of the budget. The government will continue to seek structural reforms to lure investments. Latin Americas largest economy will bounce back faster than expected, Guedes said, adding that he and the president are on ``the same path.'' Guedes and Bolsonaro were flanked by other officials including central bank President Roberto Campos Neto and Agriculture Minister Tereza Cristina. Brazils real has tumbled by roughly 29% this year, marking the biggest drop among major currencies tracked by Bloomberg. Bond risk measured by five-year credit default swaps widened to a four-year high on Friday. The currency was down by 1% to 5.64 per U.S. dollar in early-morning trading on Monday. While Bolsonaros support for Guedes is positive, it doesnt completely eliminate political tensions stemming from Moros departure, according to Jefferson Lima, head trader at CM Capital. Story continues Plunging Confidence Bolsonaros administration is grappling with the impact of coronavirus pandemic, which has shuttered stores, grounded flights and canceled events. The Economy Ministry has argued that, while the government will have to boost emergency spending in the short term, years of budget deficits leave little room for a program of economic reconstruction based on government funds. The presidents remarks came minutes after business school Fundacao Getulio Vargas, or FGV, reported that a key measure of consumer confidence plunged to the lowest level on record in April. Social isolation measures aimed to slow the spread of the virus are hurting Brazilians finances, FGV wrote in a statement. Consumers have cut expenses on essential services and goods, while expectations of purchases in upcoming months also dropped. Put together, the readings indicate demand will likely lag even after commerce reopens, according to the statement. Separately, analysts surveyed by the central bank cut their estimates for the performance of the economy this year for the 11th straight week. They now expect gross domestic product to shrink 3.34% in 2020, from a contraction of 2.96% previously. Some organizations such as the World Bank and International Monetary Fund expect a contraction closer to 5%. (Updates with detail on Guedes remarks in 4th and 5th paragraphs, context throughout) For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. In Marvels blockbuster superhero movie, Avengers Endgame, a galactic villan named Thanos dons a bejeweled gauntlet of infinite power. When Thanos snaps his gloved Infinity Gauntlet fingers, half of life throughout the entire universe ceases to exist. Resulting in a dystopian Earth and a universe laid in ruin. Snap! And just like that, in real life, the COVID-19 coronavirus has decimated the world economies, taken lives, and rendered millions sick around the world. Currently, there are 2,565,879 known cases of Coronavirus worldwide, and 177,789 attributable deaths, according to source Worldometer. Every death represents households upended, futures cut short, workers lost forever. As confirmed cases of COVID-19 spread, it has the potential to take lives, overwhelm health systems, and trigger lasting geopolitical change. The International Monetary Fund says the global economy now faces its worst downturn since the Great Depression, and Oxfam International has warned that half a billion people could be pushed into poverty. Around the world, desperate efforts are underway to contain what has become a profoundly disruptive outbreak. This isnt the excerpt from a Hollywood blockbuster script, but an actual quote published by the World Economic Forum (WEF). In its published Strategic Intelligence report on COVID-19, the WEF expressed a clarion call that, organizations have to reckon with a new reality where they cannot support the number of employees they could previously, or simply cannot expect employees to take daily commutes in ways that may put them at increased risk of exposure to the coronavirus. When whole economies quarantine themselves, everyone suffers. Modern capitalism depends on the maintenance of demand and the dynamics of production. Simple translation: A parallel national (and global) economic pandemic is looming. A failed economy breeds mass poverty, hysteria, and draconian hardship. Some people are under the false belief that major developed countries cant fail economically, that major countries are fiscally inoculated/protected from economic ruin. Wrong! In an article written by Kimberly Amadeo in TheBalance.com, when the developed country of Greece fell into economic ruin in 2010 (and needed bailing out by its European allies), it was the biggest financial rescue of a bankrupt country in history. And its important to note that this was at least the third bankruptcy Greece has experienced! No developed countries are immune to financial ruin. The sovereign debt levels of developed countries have risen to an alarming level in recent years, posing a serious threat to their economic prospects, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company. The overall debt of the US grew at an average annual rate of 7.1% during 2010-2017 to reach a staggering US$20.5 trillion in 2017. As of April 22, 2020, the United States Debt Clock displays a staggering $20.4 trillion of debt! To put this in perspective, such debt would require each American citizen to pay $74,267 to pay off this mountain of debt! Heres the bad-bad news, Americas national debt could easily balloon higher in the trillions of dollars because of the national economic stall resulting from the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. An economic recession is a major downturn in a nations economy. This is bad. Attributes of recession are theres a significant decline in economic activity. Indicators include a drop in employment, manufacturing activity, consumer confidence and, yes, stock prices all of which were happening reports John Schmidt, a senior finance writer at Acorns, in his March 27, 2020 article, How to Prepare for a Recession. With critics decrying no confidence in our woeful leadership in the White House and in our Executive Branch of government, many economists say America is building up to a crescendo of a major economic recession. What can we do? How should we respond? Here are a few tips Schmidt recommends to brace for a recession 1. Build up an emergency fund 2. Check your spending 3. Get ahead of any debt 4. Maintain your regular investments 5. Refine and diversify your skill set Schmidt concludes, While no one can predict exactly when a recession starts or ends, you can position yourself now to avoid a lot of its brunt. Markets rise and fall and rise again. Jobs come and go. But historically, every downturn has ended in an upturn. Preparing now can help you weather the worst of it and be better positioned to benefit when the economy does turn around. Snap! And just like that, were preparing for the worst, but optimistically hoping for the best. Simon Jenkins, a writer for The Guardian and broadcaster for the BBC, said, During medieval plagues, people turned to priests for advice, comfort and prediction. Today we turn to scientists and doctors. Where their decisions have external consequences, as today, we turn to economists. The easiest answer to a pandemic-induced recession is to eliminate its proximate consequences. Do not overly suppress peoples economic activity. In Philadelphia, African-American physicians have joined ranks with area churches to provide free COVID-19 testing in predominant African-American cohort communities, thats seemingly experiencing a higher infection rate nationally, and by public opinion, a national cohort community thats being tested less frequently in the mainstream in comparison to its white peer cohort communities. In a recent WHYY/PBS interview, Pediatric surgeon Ala Stanford commented on the rising COVID-19 coronavirus cases in Philly, In Philadelphia, African Americans represent 44 percent of the population, but at last check, 52 percent of the deaths, she was emphatic that this was unacceptable. Dr. Stanford responded by rolling up her sleeves to form the Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium. According to the WHYY/PBS article, The (Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium) is a newly-formed arm of Stanfords firm, an affiliation that includes a number of doctors and churches in Philadelphias Black neighborhoods. Dr. Stanford has a GoFundMe campaign set up for donors to support her continuing free COVID-19 testing efforts in the community, shes currently raised $43,000 towards her goal to raise $100,000. Were all in this fight together against this villainous enemy called COVID-19 coronavirus; your kind donation, no matter how large or small, can be made at: And snap! Just like that, as a united community, we all can make an impactful contribution to help fight the battle against the spread and scourge of COVID-19 coronavirus. Rev. Michael Robinson, M.S., is senior pastor of Greater Enon Missionary Baptist Church in Philadelphia. He is a resident of Lansdowne. Photo: Karsten Moran/The New York Times/Redux Since mid-March, Danny Meyer, the Union Square Hospitality Group CEO and Shake Shack founder, has closed 19 restaurants, laid off 2,000 employees, and felt the wrath of the Twitterverse after the burger chain was granted a $10 million small-business government loan (which, the day after we conducted this interview, it returned). We spoke with him about sheltering in place en famille in Connecticut, structural flaws in the governments stimulus plan, and senior shopping hour. You were one of the first to close all your restaurants days before the city lockdown. Can you walk us through that timeline? In February, we started to see a huge number of private parties canceling. Then, on March 5, we hosted an annual breakfast at the Modern, and the Monday after that, there was a report that said the head of the Port Authority of New York had tested positive for the virus. He had attended the breakfast, and while the Department of Health said he could not have possibly transmitted it before the 6th, we brought in a company to disinfect the kitchen, the dining room, and all the kitchens within the cafes at the museum. Then, on Tuesday the 10th, I got a call from the GM at Union Square Cafe saying they had sent home a sous-chef on Monday who had expressed flulike symptoms. So we closed Union Square Cafe and Daily Provisions, again out of an abundance of caution, and we threw out all the food. So the sous-chef gets the test results back, and they were negative. But I knew we had done the right thing. I called all our leaders: You know, guys, this is only going to keep happening. Lets just close everything. Thats when people were trying to make delivery and takeout work, which you might have done through your events kitchen, which was still up and running. Why did you decide against it? On March 25, I woke up and the first call I got was one that [chef] Floyd Cardoz had died [of COVID-19]. It sent our whole organization into shock. He had been a cherished colleague at two different restaurants: Tabla and North End Grill. We had just been together three weeks before. He was great. I spoke with his wife after he died, and she said hed been in great shape and had no underlying health issues whatsoever. He had been in India before this, and there had been lots of gatherings because it was the fifth anniversary for one of his restaurants there. They were opening a new sweetshop. She was confident that he had not gotten it in any of those settings because there had been zero reported cases of anyone having the virus. He did wear a mask on the flight home, but shes pretty convinced that he must have picked it up on the airplane, because it was two days after that that his symptoms began. At that point, I said, Were not doing anything. No more cooking. No more asking people to go anywhere for any reason whatsoever. It made it so real. And at the same time Floyd was in the hospital, so was a longtime colleague and partner, [former Union Square Cafe chef] Michael Romano, who had also contracted the virus. He came out of it, but it was enough. With no revenue coming in, how did you handle payroll expenses? We laid off about 80 percent of our whole company. That was the worst day of my entire life. I shifted my mind-set from trying to be an excellent employer to trying to be as good of an unemployer as possible. I cut my salary to zero and set up a 501(c)(3) called USHG HUGS. We sold gift cards, we held an auction; as of last night, we had granted out $721,000 to our colleagues. The Paycheck Protection Program of the CARES Act was meant to keep workers employed or to hire them back, but it was touted as a measure for small, independent businesses. You applied on behalf of Union Square Hospitality Group restaurants, but when multiunit, publicly traded Shake Shack received a $10 million loan, many on social media lashed out at the company and at you personally. There should be frustration, and I understand it. The anger is completely legitimate. But I think its misdirected to pit restaurant size against restaurant size, because an employee is an employee. Thats what this program is about. I think that theres a branding problem calling this a small-business loan. I dont know too many restaurants that have more than 500 employees. Youre referring to a provision in the PPP allowing multiunit operators to consider each branch its own business if it employed fewer than 500 people. To make it seem like the size of the restaurant has anything to do with the value of the employee is completely wrongheaded. Every restaurant, whether a bakery, a bar, a beer hall, a three-star Michelin restaurant, or a fast-food chain has workers, and if those workers were laid off, it would be irresponsible for that business not to apply for a loan to be used for the purpose of bringing people back to work. I wasnt personally involved with Shake Shacks decision, but if I had heard that they werent applying, I would have objected. You werent involved with the decision because as chairman of the board, you arent on the management team? Yeah, thats correct. Do you think the PPP is inherently flawed? Yeah, you needed 18 user manuals to try to figure it out, and even if you did, it was changing day by day. The amount of confusion and misinformation is breathtaking. I would have made it industry by industry, and I would have funded it adequately. And they put in a stipulation that you must hire back your team by June 30. I dont know how its going to be in Montana, but in New York City I will be shocked if any of us is able to hire back our workers by June. So what the plan should have said is that the loan is forgivable if you hire back your team three months after youre back in full swing. Whats a typical day like working remotely to figure out how and when operations will resume? Im up in northwestern Connecticut with my family. I get to my computer first thing in the morning, and its just an intense ten hours every day. The thing that I really miss is bumping into people, literally, either at the restaurants or at the office. Generally, a good idea gets sparked that way. Right now, every meeting is planned. How is the sheltering in place going? Ive never had five consecutive weeks of family dinner in my life. Theres seven of us here, including my daughter Hallies boyfriend, whos finishing his senior year at Yale Law School. So just doing all the cooking and cleaning and being with each other and learning to live with the same people under the same roof, thats thats a job. But I enjoy it. We had a family talent show last night. What was your contribution? I played piano and harmonica at the same time to American Pie; one of our daughters sang along and turned the pages of the music. Really? The whole meandering Don McLean song and not the abbreviated Madonna version? Was there a winner? No, no, no. Not a competition. But there were some pretty cool things. Whos in charge of the kitchen? Hallies doing most of the cooking. She started making a pasta every day pasta is like the national dish of the Meyer family and shes always baking cookies and coffee cakes. Our youngest son is baking bread every day; he also makes pizza dough. Audrey, my wife, makes amazing soup. And one of our sons always makes the salads. My contribution is pasta and meat. What do you do for groceries? Theres a couple of stores within a 15-minute drive, and we go basically once a week. Since Im north of 60, I qualify for senior hour. You stand in line in a tent thats six feet away from the next tent, and when its time, they wave you in. We stock up on basics: lots of lettuce, broccoli, broccoli rabe, Brussels sprouts things that are going to live through the whole week. A lot of people say theyre eating more than usual. Are you? Yes, we are. What I love is that lunch becomes leftovers. One night this week, Hallie made mushroom risotto. We had a fair amount left over. The next night, Audrey made her roast chicken, that then led to making a big chicken soup, that then led to making chicken soup with risotto in it. We dont waste anything. The refrigerator speaks to you. This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity. *This article appears in the April 27, 2020, issue of New York Magazine. Subscribe Now! University of Texas at Dallas researchers have developed a promising method for remotely stimulating activity in deep brain regions, advancing understanding of how molecules act in the brain and paving the way for better cancer treatments and therapies for other diseases. The approach is based on the powerful combination of gold nanoparticles and lasers, which also plays a critical role in another UT Dallas research project aimed at developing a rapid diagnostic test for influenza and, possibly, the COVID-19 virus. Gold for Neuromodulation Light is an important tool to modulate biological systems, but absorption and scattering in biological tissues significantly limit its penetration. The system developed by researchers in the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science and the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences packages molecules inside microscopic gold-coated capsules, or nanovesicles, that can be very sensitive to near-infrared light. The system could solve challenges in treating diseases, such as ensuring that medication is delivered to difficult-to-reach tumors in deep brain regions while reducing damage to healthy tissue. Using that example, the nanovesicles and their cargo are injected into the brain tissue. External near-infrared lasers that penetrate the tissue cause the capsules to open and release the drug. The researchers describe the approach and results of tests in an animal model in an article published online in the chemistry journal Angewandte Chemie. "Our system converts light to a mechanical wave that shakes the vesicle open," said Dr. Zhenpeng Qin, assistant professor of mechanical engineering at UT Dallas and corresponding author of the study. Other researchers have used near-infrared light to trigger drug-carrying nanoparticles, such as phospholipid liposomes, which release their cargo when heated by the laser, but Qin's approach with gold-coated nanovesicles uses about 40 times less laser energy. In tests in animal models, Qin and his colleagues found that the near-infrared light penetrated 4 millimeters in the brain, which was enough to reach most targeted brain regions. Qin said he anticipates the laser penetrates far enough to reach targets deep in the rodent brain that will help answer important questions in neuromodulation. "We want to improve the tests' sensitivity so that doctors can make the judgment call right in front of the patient, to be able to say either you have it or you don't have it." While the nanovesicle system must undergo more development and testing before it could be used in clinical care, Qin said the approach eventually could be applied to neurological disorders or other cancers. Dr. Hejian Xiong, research associate in Qin's lab and co-author of the journal article, received a new postdoctoral fellowship from the Phospholipid Research Center in Germany to study the use of gold-coated nanovesicles and ultra-short near-infrared lasers to target and relieve pain in patients after surgery. The project aims to provide an adjustable pain management system that could reduce the need for opioids. Infectious Disease Testing In a separate research project, Qin recently received a $293,000 grant from the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs to develop a rapid, accurate and less expensive test for infectious diseases, including influenza, that could be conducted in doctors' offices. The testing principle could also be applied to diagnose COVID-19. While many doctors conduct rapid flu tests on site, the tests can miss influenza in 30% to 50% of cases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Samples must be sent to a lab for an accurate diagnosis, which can take days. "We want to improve the tests' sensitivity so that doctors can make the judgment call right in front of the patient, to be able to say either you have it or you don't have it," Qin said. In the testing method, gold nanoparticles are attached to antibody molecules that can recognize and bind with protein molecules found on the surfaces of viruses. Researchers apply short laser pulses to activate the nanoparticles to generate nanoscale bubbles, or nanobubbles. The accumulation of the nanobubbles signals the presence of a virus. "By using optics to detect and count the nanobubbles, we can sensitively and quickly detect the presence of specific respiratory viruses," Qin said. One of the advantages of the approach is that it would not require extensive sample preparation, Qin said. The method could help doctors diagnose viruses much faster and reduce health care costs by eliminating the need for expensive lab visits. The approach could be used to detect a single virus or multiple viruses. Ultimately, researchers envision the test being broadly used in hospitals and clinics that do not have labs; however, the diagnostic method will need to be tested further before it can be made widely available. Qin's group is not working with the live coronavirus, only with viral genes, proteins and antibodies. Qin has previously obtained such patient samples for his research on respiratory syncytial virus and influenza. ### An Interdisciplinary Collaboration Other UT Dallas authors of the Angewandte Chemie study from the Department of Mechanical Engineering are co-first authors Xiong and Dr. Xiuying Li, research scientist, as well as Peiyuan Kang, a PhD student. Other contributors include researchers from the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences: Dr. Jonathan Ploski, associate professor; Dr. Sven Kroener, associate professor; and John Perish, a cognition and neuroscience PhD student. Researchers from the Swiss National Centre of Competence in Research in Chemical Biology, University of Minnesota, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging at Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and Acthera Therapeutics in Switzerland also contributed. The research was supported by The University of Texas System Neuroscience and Neurotechnology Research Institute, the National Science Foundation, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (grant number RF1NS110499) and the Swiss National Science Foundation. Flash British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will return to work Monday morning, a PM office spokesperson told Xinhua on Sunday. Johnson is going back to work Monday morning and he has said he is "raring to go", according to the spokesperson. The prime minister was treated in hospital after contracting the novel coronavirus and having a short period of self-isolation. He has been in recovery after leaving the hospital around two weeks ago. At Sunday's Downing Street daily press briefing, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs George Eustice said that the prime minister has been "in all of our thoughts" as he faced a very difficult encounter with the virus and they are "delighted" he is back at the helm. As of Saturday afternoon, a total of 20,732 people who are hospitalized and tested positive for the virus have died, a daily increase of 413, according to the figures released on Sunday by the Department of Health and Social Care. As many as 152,840 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed as of Sunday morning, the department added. Responding to a question about the lockdown exit strategy, Eustice said it is too early to review the current social distancing measures, and the evidence will be examined at the regular three-week review. "All our efforts, hard though they might be, have begun to pay off," he said, but adding that "this is not the time to say we've done a good job we need to stop complying with social distancing." Alabama Montgomery: Now that flooding from the Alabama River is easing, Riverfront Park is on the verge of a soggy comeback Friday. The park has been off limits for a couple of months because of flooding and damage from a swollen Alabama River. When Riverfront Park reopens, it will join dozens of Montgomerys other parks as an outdoor area for people enjoy while observing coronavirus safety restrictions. Several weeks of flooding had left the park's walkway, Riverwalk Amphitheater and a large chunk of the open grass area covered in sand, dirt and muck. One place that will remain high and dry is Riverfront Parks splash pad. It's closed until further notice because of coronavirus restrictions. Montgomery remains under Gov. Kay Ivey's statewide stay-at-home order. One exception is that people are allowed to participate in an outdoor activity as long as there are fewer than 10 people and everyone can maintain a constant 6-foot distance from each other. Alaska Juneau: Businesses in parts of Alaska cautiously began reopening Friday as part of Gov. Mike Dunleavys plan to restart segments of the economy affected by coronavirus concerns. Signs of the times were everywhere: barbers wore face masks, and notices warned of limits on customer numbers. In Juneau, whose downtown core typically hums this time of year, many storefronts remained dark. The city earlier Friday urged businesses to wait to commit to reopening until the Assembly on Monday considers whether to moderate Dunleavys reopening approach. In Alaskas largest city, Anchorage Mayor Ethan Berkowitz outlined plans for reopening Monday largely consistent with Dunleavys approach. Alaska is among the first states in the West to begin reopening, allowing restaurants to resume dine-in service and retail shops, personal care services and other businesses that were classified as nonessential to operate, all with limitations. Dunleavy, a Republican, has said health considerations must come first and that officials feel good about Alaskas numbers, health care capacity, equipment and ability to track cases. The state has reported fewer than 350 cases of COVID-19, which includes 208 recovered cases, and nine deaths. Story continues Arizona Marana: Hundreds of airliners idled by the coronavirus pandemics impact on the travel industry and other circumstances crowd a southern Arizona airfield where workers are trying to make room for even more aircraft that might not take to the skies again soon. Pinal Airpark just off Interstate 10 between Casa Grande and Tucson as of last week was providing storage space for approximately 270 aircraft, and manager Jim Petty said most of them were there because of the pandemic. About 250 miles away in northwestern Arizona, officials at Kingman Municipal Airport hope to also attract some of the plane-storage business as airlines ground more aircraft and move others to longer-term storage locations. The regions warm, dry climate is considered ideal for mothballing aircraft, the Arizona Daily Star reported. Airpark can probably accommodate an additional 100 planes, depending on how large they are, said Jim Petty, Pinal Countys airport economic development director. Workers recently have been clearing new areas to accommodate even more arrivals. The influx of aircraft began in March as travel restrictions and plummeting demand prompted carriers to slash service on many international routes. Arkansas Little Rock: No traditional in-person high school graduations can be held in Arkansas until at least July 1 because of the coronavirus pandemic, but schools that want to hold a ceremony earlier can explore virtual options, state officials said Saturday. In some communities, they want to go ahead and do something in the normal time and in that case, we are going to allow them to create non-traditional, either by remote means, by digital means, by video, state Education Secretary Johnny Key said. There are a number of techniques that schools have already started exploring. Key said that as they approach July 1, they will consult with health officials to see if the date needs to be modified. Gov. Asa Hutchinson said he has received many calls asking about high school graduations. Im very sympathetic because I have a granddaughter who is a senior in high school this year but its really a risk whenever you bring thousands of parents and students together in one assembly, Hutchinson said. California San Francisco: Two women have been charged with stealing items from a Walgreens in San Francisco and escaping by coughing at employees and claiming to have the coronavirus. Carmelita Barela, 36, and Rosetta Shabazz, 32, were charged with robbery affecting interstate commerce, federal prosecutors announced Friday. The San Francisco women were arrested Thursday. It wasnt immediately clear whether they had attorneys who could speak on their behalf. A federal complaint said the women entered the store near the Civic Center on April 6, carrying empty bags. After the store manager offered assistance, Shabazz allegedly began to cough without covering her mouth, according to a statement from the U.S. attorneys office. The store manager asked Shabazz to leave if she was sick. Instead, Shabazz walked over to Barela and both defendants began to cough audibly while taking merchandise off the shelves and placing it into their bags, the statement said. The manager told the defendants to leave the store, to which they responded by saying, We have COVID. The manager and a security guard didnt want to go near the women, who filled their bags with about $90 worth of goods and left without paying, authorities said. If convicted, the women could each face up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Colorado Greeley: There wont be a Greeley Stampede this summer because of concerns about the spread of the new coronavirus, organizers said Saturday. The popular rodeo and accompanying musical performances have been postponed and are unlikely to take place in 2020, marketing coordinator Kevin McFarling said. Those who had purchased tickets will be offered the choice of receiving a refund or a credit toward 2021 performances. Information on claiming a refund or credit will be available soon at GreeleyStampede.org. The Greeley Stampede is generally regarded as one of the premier rodeos in the country, making USA TODAYs top 10 list in 2018 and 2019. It ranks among the top 20 in prize money on the Pro Rodeo Cowboys Association circuit. Musical performances this year were scheduled to include Chris Young, 3 Doors Down, Brett Young, Jon Pardi, LOCASH, Phil Vassar and Lecrae. Connecticut Hartford: The city is moving to increase testing for the new coronavirus, offer free transportation to testing appointments and launch a community education campaign to lessen the impact on black, Hispanic and low-income residents, who have been hit disproportionately hard in communities of color across the country. About 820 city residents have tested positive for the virus and about 72 have died as of Friday, but Mayor Luke Bronin said the true scope of the local outbreak is unknown because of the lack of widespread testing. The city will also be conducting outreach to families who have confirmed cases of the virus, as well as those with suspected cases and is putting together a public education campaign in English and Spanish that will promote social distancing, wearing masks and hand washing, as well as provide information on health services and other resources. Delaware Wilmington: Delaware residents are now required to wear face coverings in public settings, according to Gov. John Carneys latest modification to his state of emergency declaration. The order, which goes into effect at 8 a.m. Tuesday, deems settings like grocery stores, pharmacies, doctors offices and public transportation as mandatory places to wear face coverings. This also includes outdoor public spaces like parks and golf courses, if maintaining social distancing of six (6) feet between individuals of different households is impracticable, according to the order. The directive does not apply to children 12 or younger. It also requires businesses to follow a number of additional requirements starting May 1, including requiring employees to wear a face covering while working in areas open to the public or when coming within 6 feet of other staff. Additionally, it requires businesses to provide face coverings and hand sanitizer to their employees, as well as deny entry to people who do not have a face covering. District of Columbia Washington: The National Capital Poison Center said calls from people being exposed to hand sanitizer and disinfectants have seen a surge since March compared to the same time period last year. The report came as bogus home remedies for the new coronavirus continue to be discussed on areas of social media and following controversial comments President Donald Trump made during a news conference on Thursday. Information obtained from the National Capital Poison Center showed a dramatic rise in calls dealing with human exposure to hand sanitizer and disinfectants in areas around Washington, Northern Virginia, Prince Georges County and Montgomery County. According to the report, the center has dealt with 314 calls for disinfectant human exposure since March 1. The number marked an 111% increase compared to the same time period last year. The poison center also reported that the group has seen 112 calls dealing with human exposure to hand sanitizer since March 1, marking a 24% increase from a year ago. Florida Tampa: Two of the states largest police departments said they would delay buying body cameras because of financial concerns spawned by the coronavirus outbreak. Tampa police said that it would put on hold the purchase of more than 600 cameras that were supposed to have been acquired by the end of the year, the Tampa Bay Times reported. Across the bay, the St. Petersburg Police Department said that a body camera testing program has been delayed indefinitely, which in turn is postponing a decision by Police Chief to seek funding for hundreds of cameras. The city of Tampa had signed a five-year, $5 million contract to purchase more than 600 blue-tooth activated cameras that would have been distributed by the end of the year to every uniformed officer through the rank of corporal. Of that cost, about $1 million would have come from this years budget, Police Chief Brian Dugan said. However, the department is proceeding with a $500,000 purchase of Tasers. Georgia Atlanta: Business owners who chose to reopen after Gov. Brian Kemp relaxed coronavirus-related restrictions gratefully welcomed back customers, while others remained satisfied in their decision to stay closed. Russ Anderson, who owns four Ink Addiction Tattoo Studio shops in south Georgia, said Saturday he was thrilled to finally reopen his doors a day earlier. I felt like a little kid at Disney World, he said. Gyms, tattoo shops, nail salons and barber shops were among the businesses that were allowed to open Friday after Kemp relaxed a monthlong shutdown despite of warnings from health experts and disapproval from President Donald Trump. Another round of reopenings is set for Monday, when limited in-restaurant dining can resume and movie theaters can reopen. All the businesses have to adhere to restrictions including separating workers and enhanced sanitation. Shawn Gingrich, CEO and founder of Lions Den Fitness, said he decided very soon after the governors announcement that he would not be reopening his gym in midtown Atlanta right away. As he listened to the news on the radio Friday about businesses that were reopening, he felt discouraged. Weve sacrificed so much already, he said Saturday. I feel like if we do this too soon, well see a spike in cases and were back to square one. Hawaii Honolulu: Gov. David Ige on Saturday extended the states stay-at-home order and the mandatory quarantine for visitors through May 31. This was not an easy decision. I know this has been difficult for everyone. Businesses need to reopen. People want to end this self-isolation and we want to return to normal, Ige said in a statement. But this virus is potentially deadly, especially for the elderly and those with preexisting conditions. Ige also announced that elective surgeries can now take place and beaches will be open for exercise. At a news conference to outline the moves, Ige pointed to alarming COVID-19 clusters on the Big Island and Maui, Hawaii News Now reported. We still need to remain vigilant, he said. In his statement, Ige warned of undoing Hawaiis progress in containing the virus if public places open up too early. The governor also extended an eviction moratorium, which prevents any eviction from a residential dwelling for failure to pay rent, through May 31. Idaho Boise: The head of an economic recovery committee formed by Gov. Brad Little to help the state reopen for business while also fighting the new coronavirus said Friday hes optimistic Idaho will rebound, but theres hard work ahead. Idaho Power CEO Darrel Anderson said the state can recover and even be poised to thrive when the pandemic passes, but businesses might have to adopt new practices. What I would say is that the people of Idaho always seem to find a way, Anderson said. Idaho has always shown up when the chips are down. The committee has about 30 members and is comprised of a cross-section of small and large business owners, including billionaire Frank Vandersloot, founder of wellness shopping club Melaleuca. Representatives from Micron and Simplot are also on the committee, as are several elected officials, including Republican House Speaker Scott Bedke, a rancher. Illinois Waukegan: A biochemical research company has opened a new site in Illinois to sterilize used N95 medical masks with hydrogen peroxide gas as the need for them has increased because of the coronavirus pandemic. Columbus, Ohio-based Battelle started the cleaning process at the Waukegan sterilization facility earlier this month, the Chicago Tribune reported. Company officials said the site can clean up to 80,000 masks daily. Health care workers use the N95 masks to prevent the spread of the virus. But supplies have plummeted amid the outbreak. The facility is intended to serve hospitals and first responders for free, said Lewis Von Thaer, CEO of Battelle, a nonprofit with a long history of government contracting. The Illinois site has been sterilizing masks for Advocate Aurora Healths Illinois and Wisconsin hospitals, according to Battelle. Battelle has six pilot sterilization facilities. The federal government has awarded the company a $400 million contract to build 60 more facilities across the country. It will hire more than 1,000 people. The masks are not soggy after the cleaning process because the hydrogen peroxide is in gas form. The chemical is odorless and leaves behind no toxic residue, the company said. Company officials said the fabric of the mask does not break down, but the elastic bands will after about 20 cleanings. Indiana Indianapolis: The cancellation of conventions, conferences and trade shows because of the coronavirus pandemic has had a devastating impact on tourism in Indianapolis, a tourism official said. Indianapolis attracted a record-breaking 30 million visitors last year, according to Chris Gahl, the senior vice president of marketing and communications for Visit Indy. Gahl said his nonprofit, which promotes Indianapolis, is doing its best to salvage the 2020 events that have been called off. Typically around 70% of Indianapolis hotel rooms are occupied but hotels are currently at around 7% occupancy. More than 80,000 residents depend on tourism for a paycheck, according to Visit Indy statistics, which showed that visitors spend $5.6 billion in Indianapolis and generate $725 million in state and local taxes. Gov. Eric Holcomb on April 17 extended Indianas stay-at-home order to May 1. He has said he hopes to reopen parts of Indianas economy starting in May, though organizers of conventions, sporting events, concerts and other events that attract large crowds might have to wait longer. Iowa Des Moines: The states three major public universities are planning to resume in-person classes in the fall, but they are still working out the details of what that would look like during the coronavirus pandemic. Iowa Board of Regents President Mike Richards said the schools will follow state and federal health guidelines as they develop plans to bring thousands of students back to the campuses of the University of Iowa, Iowa State University and Northern Iowa University. Board of Regents spokesman Josh Lehman told the Des Moines Register that specific plans for the fall semester will be shared as they are developed. Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds is beginning to ease some coronavirus restrictions even though COVID-19 is still spreading in Iowa. University of Iowa President Bruce Harreld said the school is taking a cautious approach to planning for the fall. Iowa State President Wendy Wintersteen said in a letter to faculty and staff last week that the school is facing more than $80 million in losses and additional expenses since April 3 because of the pandemic. That total includes nearly $17 million in refunds to students and families for housing, dining and other fees. Wintersteen said she will continue to prioritize the health of students, faculty and staff as plans for the fall are developed. Kansas Belle Plaine: Gov. Laura Kelly said she has reached a deal that could resolve a lawsuit brought by two churches challenging her order banning religious gatherings of more than 10 people to help slow the spread of the new coronavirus. Under the deal, the two churches and the Democratic governor agreed to the extension of a temporary restraining order that allows the churches to disregard the 10-person limit. The courts initial order let the two churches to gather in-person until May 2 as long as they complied with social-distancing measures, including keeping worshippers a safe distance from each other. The new proposal would extend that court order to May 16. The agreement, which a judge must still approve, essentially allows the churches to continue in-person services while the governor finalizes plans for her less restrictive statewide reopening orders that would take effect on May 4. The churches and their pastors filed a federal lawsuit earlier this month against Kelly, arguing that the directive violates their religious and free-speech rights, as well as their right to assembly. A religious freedom advocacy group, Alliance Defending Freedom, said in a news release that it reserved the right to continue litigating the matter if the governor does not follow through with appropriately amending her mass gathering ban. Kentucky Louisville: Nearly four dozen rural hospitals in Kentucky will receive help in fighting the coronavirus pandemic after they received a total of $3.8 million from the federal CARES Act, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced Saturday. The University of Kentucky Center of Excellence in Rural Health is getting $3,878,582 through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, and the funds will go to 46 rural hospitals to support their efforts in fighting COVID-19, McConnell said in a news release. The emergency relief package aims to support American workers, families and industries facing health and economic challenges under the pandemic. The UK Center of Excellence in Rural Health, based in Hazard, was established by state legislation in 1990 to study and help fix health disparities in rural Kentucky. The CARES Act funding gives hospitals maximum flexibility in how they respond to COVID-19 within their communities, according to the release. The money could support testing and lab services, for example, and also purchase personal protective equipment for hospital staff working to treat COVID-19 patients. The Kentucky Office for Rural Health will oversee the disbursement of the federal funds to 46 rural hospitals across the state. Louisiana Reserve: A nursing home for veterans has one of the states deadliest coronavirus clusters, data showed. In the last month, there have been 43 deaths at the Southeast Louisiana Veterans Home in Reserve, though just more than half were attributed to the virus, said Brandee Patrick, a spokeswoman for the facilitys operator, the state Department of Veterans Affair. The home, which held around 150 veterans when the outbreak began, now has just 96 left, The New Orleans Advocate reported. Five of them are hospitalized. Of the rest, 47 have tested negative for the virus, 34 have tested positive and six had inconclusive results, Patrick said. St. John the Baptist Parish Coroner Christy Montegut has said its possible that some of those nursing home residents who died early in the outbreak could have had the virus. That comes after new evidence showed the virus was infecting Americans earlier than previously thought. The facility has been on lockdown for more than a month. Contact has been limited to phone calls and videoconferencing. Maine Augusta: More than a dozen Maine health care industry groups representing hospitals, nursing homes, doctors and others are asking Gov. Janet Mills for civil and criminal immunity during the civil state of emergency caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The request asked Mills to suspend the laws holding health care providers and their employees responsible for death or injury during the state of emergency, the Bangor Daily News reported Saturday. Harm due to gross negligence would be an exception. Because Maines Legislature has adjourned, the action would need to come through an executive order from the governor. The governors office is still reviewing the request, Mills spokeswoman Lindsay Crete said. Jeff Austin, a spokesman for the Maine Hospital Association, said its members were particularly concerned about having to reallocate resources in the event of a surge in cases Maryland Annapolis: Gov. Larry Hogan said Maryland could be ready by early May to begin phase one of its recovery process if residents continue to stay home and abide by social distancing guidelines. Maryland isnt ready to lift restrictions right away, but the governor said hes optimistic in which he introduced the states recovery plan. The two key metrics officials are watching are the rate of hospitalizations and the number of patients being admitted to ICUs. The Maryland Strong: Roadmap to Recovery takes into consideration the guidelines recently issued by the White House and the principles of the National Governors Association recovery plan, as well as input from experts. Recovery will be gradually rolled out in three phases. Hogan said the first phase will involve lifting the stay-at-home order, reopening many small businesses and restarting low-risk community activities. Certain counties with lower case concentrations will be allowed to reopen retail shops, golf courses, playgrounds and libraries, as well as begin recreational boating and fishing, tennis, outdoor fitness and religious activities. But social distancing would need to continue. As long as theres no spike in deaths or admissions to intensive care units, Hogan said the state would then move on to phase two, which would allow for a larger number of businesses to reopen, including restaurants and bars, with significant safety precautions in place. Massachusetts Boston: A Massachusetts factory that usually makes some of the nations most beloved board games, including Monopoly, Risk and Candyland, has pivoted to making personal protective equipment for heath care workers on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic, Gov. Charlie Baker said Saturday. The Cartamundi-owned Hasbro factory is making 50,000 face shields per week for hospitals in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, the Republican said after a tour of the East Longmeadow facility. Making games and making personal protective equipment have the same goal, President and COO John Frascotti said. It is our job to make the world a better place for children and their families, he said. Baker also said an investigation into the high number of COVID-19-related deaths at the Holyoke Soldiers Home is progressing, but there is no timetable for completion. Former federal prosecutor Mark Pearlstein has free reign to conduct his investigation, Baker said. Michigan Detroit: Foster child placement agencies are facing new challenges because the governors stay-at-home order has blocked most birth parents from visiting their children in wake of coronavirus outbreak. Gov. Gretchen Whitmers decision has prompted worries that families providing foster care or completing certification may stop because of health concerns or job losses. Janet Reynolds Snyder, executive director of the Michigan Federation for Children and Families, a Lansing-based association that has about 60 family support and child welfare service agencies in the state, said the directive supports good health, but it is important for foster children to have access to their biological parents. JooYeun Chang, executive director of Michigans Childrens Services Agency with the states Department of Health and Human Services, said discontinuing contact was a painful decision for the administration. Cynthia Johnson, an Oakland County resident who is caring for children ages 1, 5 and 6, is helping the two oldest with their school curriculum because the governors order has closed school districts. Johnson and her husband, Michael, keep contact with the childrens relatives frequently. My job is to make sure that these kids are safe, Johnson said. We have to look out for ourselves, and we both have to look out for the kids. Minnesota Minneapolis: City officials are putting an end to pickup basketball games and other outdoor recreation because people continue to gather in city parks and fields as the number of COVID-19 cases and deaths continues to rise. The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board announced Friday it will close courts, athletic fields, playgrounds and skate parks by May 1, the Star Tribune reported. The decision includes removing or blocking basketball rims, removing tennis and volleyball nets, and posting signs notifying park visitors that soccer fields, playgrounds and skate parks are closed. The city has received more than 125 complaints of large groups at parks, many playing sports such as soccer and basketball, officials said. Mississippi Greenwood: A school district in the Mississippi Delta should wait to try to borrow money because voters might be reluctant to support a bond issue during the coronavirus pandemic, said a retired educator who serves in two elected offices. David Jordan spoke last week at a board meeting for the Greenwood Leflore Consolidated School District, the Greenwood Commonwealth reported He is a Democrat who serves in the Mississippi Senate and on the Greenwood City Council. The Greenwood Leflore district is considering a bond issue but has not specified how large it will be. It also has not set an election date. At least 60% of local voters must approve before a school district can borrow money through a bond issue. Jordan said reaching that margin can be difficult even without the financial uncertainty of the pandemic. Jordan mentioned a failed attempt to pass a 1998 bond issue that would have built a new Greenwood High School and a new elementary school. A less ambitious attempt by the Greenwood district four years later also failed. The Greenwood and Leflore County school districts have merged in the past two years. Jordan said the board should wait a couple of years for a bond vote. I dont think now is the time to do it because of what we have before us, the epidemic, he said. Missouri OFallon: State health officials are hoping that a new testing strategy will help quickly identify people infected with the new coronavirus at meatpacking and food plants throughout the state. Outbreaks of COVID-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus, have occurred at several U.S. meatpacking plants, where hundreds of people work next to each other on production lines and often share space in locker rooms and cafeterias. Several plants have been forced to temporarily close. In Missouri, at least 21 employees tested positive at Burgers Smokehouse, a smoked and cured meats plant in the small city of California. Forty-two of the 700 employees at a Conagra frozen meals plant in Marshall have also contracted COVID-19. And in St. Joseph, 16 workers at a Triumph Foods pork plant tested positive. Dr. Randall Williams, Missouris health director, said the state is deploying a new strategy to quickly test workers, including those who are asymptomatic, at plants where confirmed cases have occurred. The goal is to more quickly identify those who have the virus in the hopes of preventing it from spreading. Triumph Foods spokesman Chris Clark said all 2,800 employees of the St. Joseph plant will be tested, even those showing no symptoms. Montana Billings: The state took its first, halting step toward reopening on Sunday as churches were able to resume services and a general stay-at-home order expired. Although other states have been extending restrictions amid the continuing spread of the new coronavirus, Montana is among those that are beginning to loosen rules in hopes of restoring battered economies and regaining some normalcy. At Christ the King Lutheran Church in Billings, Pastor Ryan Wendt said the church was mixing faith with common sense precautions. Every other pew was being kept empty to comply with social distancing guidelines and elderly and medically vulnerable members of the congregation were advised to stay home. This is Gods house. We are not doing frivolous, needless things. Not in a weird way, we simply trust that God is going to protect us and provide for us, Wendt said. But some religious houses stayed shuttered as their leaders expressed worry that returning too soon could put people at risk. Weve been keeping our building clean and open and sanitized, but were not ready now. We just want to do a little more, said Beth Rager with the Open Bible Christian Center in Billings, which plans to reopen in May. During the first phase of Montanas reopening, which has no set timeline, people over age 65 and those with underlying health conditions are asked to continue to stay at home. Gyms, pools, movie theaters and bowling alleys will remain closed. Residents are still asked to minimize non-essential travel and to self-quarantine for 14 days after returning to the state. Nebraska Omaha: Business owners are starting to plan their comeback now that Gov. Pete Ricketts has unveiled his plan to ease coronavirus restrictions. Ricketts said Friday that he will relax restrictions in 59 counties, including those in the Omaha area. The new orders, effective until May 31, allow restaurants to reopen their dining rooms but require them to keep crowds at or below half of their capacity. Dining parties will be limited to six people, buffets will remain closed and bars will have to keep their dining areas closed. Ricketts plan also allows barbershops, tattoo parlors, salons and massage therapists to reopen, though they must adhere to social distancing precautions. Paul McCrae, owner of the Corner Kick Street Tacos and Tequila Cantina in Omaha, called the easing of restrictions a life-saver, especially with Cinco de Mayo the day after the reopening date. Thats a big day for us, McCrae told the Omaha World-Herald. But co-owners Kelsey Poulsen and Sarah Root of The Copper Pin Salon & Spa havent decided whether to open on May 4. About half of the 14-person staff dont yet feel safe to return, they told the newspaper. Were thinking about taking the hit financially and keeping it closed until we can figure out how to safely operate, Poulsen said. Ricketts, a Republican, didnt order similar changes in the Lincoln area because that regions public health restrictions dont expire until May 6. The restrictions in the Omaha area were set to expire April 30. Nevada Reno: Hundreds of people gathered in Reno on Saturday for a second straight week of protests against Gov. Steve Sisolaks sweeping efforts to contain the ongoing coronavirus outbreak. The latest Reopen Nevada rally, like last weeks march to the Capitol in Carson City, was held in open defiance of statewide executive orders meant to encourage social distancing and prevent public gatherings of 10 or more people. Police estimated about 250 people showed up for the event. It also underscored the widening political divide over elected officials approach to fighting the pandemic, efforts protest organizers framed in starkly partisan terms. Monica Jaye a conservative, Reno-based radio talk show host who headlined Saturdays rally at Rancho San Rafael park said officials had willfully inflated the virus death toll to push a leftist political agenda. She found plenty of sympathetic ears in a crowd dominated by supporters of President Donald Trump and organized by a group that has launched a bid to recall Nevadas first-term Democratic governor. Jaye later said she had a better chance of being struck by lightning than dying of the coronavirus, a claim that won loud applause from the crowd. New Hampshire Concord: Officials have shut down more than 100 trail heads, shelters, picnic areas and other sites in New Hampshires White Mountain National Forest. The U.S. Forest Service said Friday said the decision was based on federal, state and local guidance for physical distancing and to ensure the health and safety of employees, visitors and volunteers. It comes after officials reported an unseasonably high number of visitors who were not able or willing to follow social distancing recommendations. Trails remain open to those who can get to them on foot, but the state is under a stay-at-home order and officials have urged people to stay local for outdoor recreation. New Jersey Carteret: Mayor David Reimen is calling for the temporary closure of an Amazon warehouse following a report of a number of employees infected with the new coronavirus. NJ.com reported that after Business Insider quoted an employee as saying there were more than 30 cases of COVID19 at the Carteret Amazon fulfillment center, Reimen called on Middlesex County and state health officials to shutter the facility until all workers can be tested and the facility can be sanitized. An Amazon representative confirmed that there were cases but declined to tell NJ Advance Media how many employees at the Carteret facility tested positive for the virus. Spokeswoman Rachael Lighty said the company is supporting the individuals who are recovering and taking extreme measures to ensure the safety of workers. Reiman also called on the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration to make sure there were proper protective supplies at the million-square-foot facility that employs 1,600 people. An advocacy group, Make The Road New Jersey, called on the governor to use his executive authority to shut down the warehouse, alleging that its clear this outbreak is beyond Amazons control. New Mexico Las Cruces: The City Council has extended Mayor Ken Miyagishimas citywide emergency declaration order over the coronavirus pandemic. At a special Friday meeting, the City Council voted unanimously to extend the declaration, which was first proclaimed April 7, extended by council vote on April 10 and ran until April 24. The city plans to run the emergency proclamation concurrent with Gov. Michelle Lujan Grishams stay-at-home public health order, which lasts until May 15. The city council could, however, vote to rescind it before that order expires. The council approved an emergency powers provision for the mayor last month because the city previously had no mechanism for the mayor to declare an emergency. Miyagishima declared the citywide emergency April 7 to make it easier for the city to receive federal aid reimbursements for expenses incurred by the city as it fights the effects of the pandemic. New York New York City: Mayor Bill de Blasio said Sunday he hopes to have a road map by June 1 on how to rebuild the city after the coronavirus threat subsides. The mayor, a Democrat, said at a news conference that city leaders he has invited to help plan the citys recovery should give him the road map by then. He said a full rebuild will take about 20 months. He also said the latest statistics on people being treated for COVID-19 continued to be stable or decline. The number of people in the citys hospital intensive care units had dropped from 785 to 768. De Blasio said the city cant begin reopening until decreases continue for 10 to 14 days. He said such a fall would signal it was time for the first steps in opening up. The health indicators have to give us the all clear, de Blasio said. We restart when we have evidence. Theres no on-off switch here. Its a series of careful, smart moves. North Carolina Welcome: NASCAR team owner Richard Childress is auctioning one of the cars driven by the late Dale Earnhardt to raise money for coronavirus relief efforts. The Charlotte Observer reported that this is the first time Childress has sold or given away an original Earnhardt car from his personal collection. A news release Thursday from Richard Childress Racing officials doesnt specify which of Earnhardts trademark No. 3 race cars is up for auction. Childress tweeted Friday that parting with one of his cars is a small sacrifice for him to make. Earnhardt died in a crash during the last lap of the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway in 2001. The eBay site for the auction doesnt list a deadline for bidding on items. North Dakota Bismarck: The states largest manufacturer, Doosan Bobcat, has resumed operations after daylong shutdown to clean the factory after an employee reported symptoms of the new coronavirus. Doosan Bobcat public affairs director Stacey Breuer said in a statement the factory in Gwinner reopened Saturday night. The employee has tested positive for COVID-19, she said. Ohio Parkers Blue Ash Tavern in Cincinnati is permanently closing because of the coronavirus pandemic. Cincinnati: Parkers Blue Ash Tavern is closing permanently, according to a recent announcement on its website. Although the message is no longer on its site, an employee confirmed the business was closing because of the coronavirus pandemic. It is with heavy hearts that we must announce the permanent closure of Parkers Blue Ash Tavern, read a statement on the restaurants website. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the restaurant industry and Parkers, in particular, has proven insurmountable for us to reopen. The company said it will give refunds for issued gift cards. Gift card reimburses will be given once the corporate office is reopened. Email your contact information, gift card number and return mailing address to info@selectrestaurants.com. We will always value the relationships weve formed over the years and will forever cherish our times together with you, the Blue Ash community. Oklahoma Oklahoma City: Some businesses are reopening in parts of Oklahoma after Gov. Kevin Stitt eased restrictions put in place because of the coronavirus pandemic. On Friday, salons, spas and barbershops were allowed to reopen in much of the state, despite concerns from medical professionals. Those businesses have been told to adhere to social distancing standards, have employees wear masks and frequently sanitize equipment. Some of the states largest cities, including Norman, Oklahoma City and Tulsa, decided to keep their bans in place until at least the end of the month, but other municipalities that had bans in place lifted them to align with the governors authorization. The mayors of Tulsa and Oklahoma City announced they would lift their stay-at-home orders next Friday, when Stitt, a Republican, has said that restaurants, movie theaters, gyms and places of worship can reopen. Teri Stevens, owner of The Barber Shop in the Tulsa suburb of Broken Arrow, told the Tulsa World that she was back at work cutting hair. She said her face was hot from wearing a mask and the atmosphere was a little weird because theres usually a little more camaraderie and people being out in the waiting area and everybody talking and socializing. But Stevens said it was good to be back to work. Oregon Albany: The National Frozen Foods plant in Albany has shut down production because of an outbreak of COVID-19 that has sickened 10 people, Linn County Public Health announced Friday. Of the illnesses linked to the plant, eight are workers and two are associated with those employees, The Albany Democrat-Herald reported. The county worked with the plant to temporarily close the facility, said Linn County Sheriffs Capt. Michelle Duncan, the countys coronavirus pandemic spokeswoman. Steve Schossberger, general counsel and vice president of National Frozen Foods, said the shutdown started Friday and will continue at least through the weekend. A deep cleaning of the Albany plant will be done with the oversight of Linn County Public Health, he added. Well look at opening back up on Monday, but only on automated lines. Thats still yet to be determined, Schossberger said. On the automated lines, workers would be at least 20 feet apart, he said. Employees will be notified by National Frozen Foods about how to receive testing and the next steps of the process. National Frozen Foods opened its Albany plant in 1982 and puts out millions of pounds of frozen produce each year. The plant processes beans, cut corn, squash, vegetable purees and cream-style corn, according to the companys website. Pennsylvania Harrisburg: The state said 160 companies in 43 counties are getting help from a second round of state loan funding to help firms during the coronavirus pandemic. The state Department of Community and Economic Development said the companies have received a total of $13.5 million in loans as part of the COVID19 Working Capital Access Program. More than $23 million total has been awarded so far to businesses such as restaurants, wellness centers, wineries and breweries, consulting firms, salons and spas, officials said. Officials said the loans will help businesses quickly access capital to address critical needs while they follow shutdown and closure orders from the state. Rhode Island Providence: Even in the midst of the fight against the new coronavirus, Gov. Gina Raimondo is thinking about the budget process. Much depends on aid coming from Congress, she said Saturday. Everything is on the table, she said. Its going to be a brutal budget to balance. She said layoffs and furloughs are inevitable. The state is redeploying as many people as possible to jobs where they are most needed now, such as contact tracing, she said. Department of Administration Director Brett Smiley said the Moodys ratings service might have significantly underestimated Rhode Islands revenue losses this year and next, The Providence Journal reported. South Carolina In collaboration with Boeing, Prisma Health was able to receive a shipment of approximately 1.5 million surgical masks from China. The shipment arrived at Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport on Sunday. Columbia: In accepting delivery of 1.5 million surgical masks from China, officials in South Carolina took an opportunity Sunday to express appreciation for the supplies needed to stem the coronavirus outbreak but to also call for a lessening of U.S. reliance on the foreign country. We want the masks made in the United States, U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham said during an availability on the tarmac of the Greenville-Spartanburg Airport after watching the unloading of the masks from a Boeing aircraft. We dont want to ever have to rely on China or anyone else for our basic health care needs. Throughout the outbreak, Graham has repeatedly called for a draw-down of U.S. reliance on China, tweeting earlier this month he wanted the U.S. response to COVID-19 to be so overwhelming China will change its behavior. The Republican also told Fox News he felt the U.S. should send China a bill for the pandemic. Noting he expected a resurgence of the virus in the fall, Graham said Sunday he wanted the U.S. to be much better prepared in terms of needed supplies by the time that happens. U.S. Rep. William Timmons echoed Grahams comments, saying of the necessity of a mask shipment from China: This will not happen again. The 1.5 million masks delivered Sunday are enough to equip PRISMA hospitals in South Carolina for one month, according to CEO Mark OHalla. Of the shipment, 100,000 are being sent to the Medical University of South Carolina, he said. South Dakota Rapid City: Bars and restaurants are among the city businesses that could reopen under a plan that would require social distancing precautions to guard against spreading the new coronavirus. The City Council is scheduled to vote Monday on Mayor Steve Allenders proposal, the Rapid City Journal reported. It would require bars and restaurants to maintain a minimum of 6 feet between tables, chairs and bar stools. Establishments would be allowed to have a maximum of 10 people, or for larger buildings, one customer for every 125 square feet of space. Food service employees would also be required to wear masks. Tony Demaro, owner of Murphys Pub & Grill and Kol, said he has been working with his staff to practice social distancing at the pub and is excited about the possibility of reopening next week. Takeout and delivery at his two businesses havent generated enough revenue to sustain being closed much longer, Demaro said. Justin Henrichsen, owner of Independent Ale House, said it would be difficult to make money under the proposed capacity restrictions. Tennessee Nashville: A federal appeals court has ruled that Tennessee must continue allowing abortions amid a temporary ban on nonessential medical procedures during the COVID-19 outbreak. The ruling followed a U.S. District judges order last week that abortions could proceed during the pandemic. The Sixth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, based in Cincinnati, issued its opinion Friday. The justices wrote that courts must give governments flexibility to respond to a crisis. Affording flexibility, however, is not the same as abdicating responsibility, especially when well-established constitutional rights are at stake, as the right to an abortion most assuredly is, the court wrote in the 33-page opinion. Tennessees attorney general had argued that abortions are not being singled out but treated like any other procedure that is not necessary to prevent death or serious bodily injury. Gov. Bill Lee issued an emergency order April 8 banning nonessential procedures for three weeks. Texas Dallas: As Texas eases restrictions put in place to fight the coronavirus pandemic, one clothing store owner said Saturday that most of her customers so far are sticking to having orders shipped even though retail to go is now allowed. Allison Scott, who along with her parents owns a franchise of the clothing store Apricot Lane in Dallas, said though that she thinks the to go offering does provide some happiness to those who are just itching to go somewhere. As of Friday, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, allowed retailers to sell items for curbside pickup. Also last week, he reopened state parks and is allowing doctors to perform nonessential surgeries. But appointments at salons and dine-in restaurant service, for instance, are still not yet allowed. At Galleria Dallas, the shopping mall where Scotts Apricot Lane store is located, shoppers can now pull up and their purchases are placed in their vehicle. Scott said that on Friday they took five orders down to customers, and none on Saturday. She said that as much as she would like to see things return to the way they were and people be allowed to shop in person again, she said she thinks its too risky health-wise right now. Utah St. George: To raise the spirit of residents and rekindle the importance of community bonding during the coronavirus pandemic, the City of St. Georges Leisure Services department has invited all residents to participate in the no-cost Stay Brighter Campaign from April 30 through May 30. The campaign is a 60-minute daily challenge that encourages citizens to stay active, stay kind and stay smart every day with 20 minutes allotted for each of the three disciplines. Examples include staying active by going for a walk or bike ride in the neighborhood, staying kind by doing things such as mailing a card to a grandparent or donating to a local food bank and staying smart by reading a book or learning something new. We want to continue to spread joy and to work together though we are physically apart to show love, concern and support for others, Michelle Graves, St. George Deputy Director of Arts and Events, said. This time is a gift to stay sharp, creative, giving and healthy. We encourage St. George citizens to be a positive change in our city. All residents are urged to participate and the daily challenge log, as well as more examples of each of the three disciplines, can be found online at www.sgcity.org/staybrighter. Vermont Barre Town: City officials plan to hold a drive-thru election rather than have voters cast ballots by mail in its annual election in June. The town pushed the election back from May to at least June 2 amid Gov. Phil Scotts stay-home order in response to the coronavirus outbreak. Last week, the Select Board unanimously approved the drive-thru voting system and sending voters postcards about the election, The Times Argus reported. Town Clerk Donna Kelty had recommended that the election be held by mail but some select board members had concerns with that. Voters can still request a ballot and vote by mail Virginia Richmond: Dozens of students from a Virginia medical school are doing their part in the fight against the new coronavirus by volunteering to care for the children of health care workers. The Richmond Times-Dispatch reported that nearly 100 students from Virginia Commonwealth Universitys School of Medicine have joined a new student organization called the VCU Childcare Co-op. Co-founder Annie Yang, a first-year medical student, said the student volunteers already have donated more than 250 hours to help more than 20 families, including those with a parent caring for COVID-19 patients. The students are caring for children, as well as pets. Even as students, we can step up and make a small difference in our community, Yang said. The COVID-19 pandemic has closed down many child care centers across Virginia. Gov. Ralph Northam announced earlier this month that Virginia is using $70 million in federal aid to help health care workers and others with child care. Washington East Wenatchee: Dozens of farm workers at a Central Washington orchard have tested positive for COVID-19, though they werent experiencing symptoms, according to a newspaper reported published Saturday. Stemilt Ag Services, which operates the orchard, and local health officials tested the farm workers in East Wenatchee after some fruit packaging warehouse workers tested positive, The Spokesman-Review reported. The company said it decided to expand testing to orchard workers as a precaution. Of the 71 agricultural workers who were tested, 36 were positive for COVID-19, Stemilt reported this week. Despite social distancing measures in place at the orchards, there were a high number of positive cases, said Barry Kling, administrator at Chelan-Douglas Health District. Some people who have COVID-19 showed no symptoms. Stemilt was one of the first companies in the region to test a group of workers that was asymptomatic, but the company is still evaluating its next steps, said Roger Pepperl, Stemilt marketing director, in an email. Stemilt has been following Centers for Disease Controls and Prevention recommendations for social distancing. Workers who tested negative will be retested and are in isolation, according to a Stemilt press release. All workers who were tested are work visa holders and arrived around February. United Farm Workers and other advocates filed a lawsuit about a week ago against Washington state, arguing that farm workers do not have adequate protections. The groups called on the state departments of Health and of Labor & Industries to update safety guidelines. United Farm Workers is a union but does not represent the Stemilt workers who were tested. West Virginia Huntington: Fire Capt. Scott Leep said he had prepared for the last day of his 22-year career at the department to be a quiet affair. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, there would be no way the 42-year-old could have a retirement party with his friends, family and co-workers. He had loaded his gear onto the fire truck for the last time before he heard honking and cheering. Leeps friends at the department, along with coordination from his wife, held a surprise retirement parade for him as they drove by Fire Station 4 on April 22. Leep said he doesnt plan to stay retired for long. This week, he will begin a new career as a power line worker for American Electric Power. Wisconsin Madison: Gov. Tony Evers office was flooded with hundreds of emails in the hours surrounding his decision to extend Wisconsins stay-at-home order, accusing him of destroying the states economy, begging him to let business reopen and warning that voters will punish him, an Associated Press review found. One woman pleaded with Evers to let her visit her husband in hospice before he dies of brain cancer. Other people demanded he let youth baseball resume and allow hair salons to reopen. A hairdresser wrote that Evers hair looks so good on TV he must be using a stylist in violation of his own order. Asked about the messages during a video conference, Evers acknowledged people and businesses are struggling but said the best way forward is to attack the virus. He said his order isnt as restrictive as other states stay-at-home mandates. Evers issued a stay-at-home order in March that closed schools and nonessential businesses and mandated social distancing in an effort to slow the coronavirus. The order was supposed to lift Friday, but Evers on April 17 extended it until May 26, the day after Memorial Day. Wyoming Cheyenne: Legislative leaders began crafting two bills Friday morning that grant some abilities to Gov. Mark Gordon and state agencies to respond to Wyomings numerous needs that have emerged in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. The Legislatures Management Council, which consists of leaders from both chambers and parties, met virtually Friday in preparation for a special session that could come as soon as late next month, the Wyoming Tribune Eagle reported. The council did not vote on the two pieces of legislation, which touch on everything from hospital funding to low-income housing. Instead, legislators prepared the bills for a final vote at their next meeting on May 1. The first bill worked by lawmakers would set up a COVID-19 relief fund for a preliminary, partial distribution of the $1.25 billion Wyoming has received through the federal coronavirus relief bill. Gordon has the ultimate authority on how to use those funds, but through the legislation, the pot would be divided into a few separate sections to address various needs. Federal rules also prohibit the relief funds from being used to replace lost state revenues, forcing state officials to get slightly more creative with how they use the money. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 50 States Two Maryland women with ties to three murder suspects have been missing for nearly a month, and their families are worried. Heather Grogg, 33, and Danielle Tyler, 18, were last seen in Carroll County, Maryland on April 6, 2020, according to FBI Pittsburgh. The FBI report states the women are believed to be together and in danger. Heather Grogg (FBI Pittsburgh) According to their families, both Heather and Danielle have connections with three Maryland men, David Sanford Jr., 26, John Black III, 22, and Monroe Merrell, 22, who have been arrested and charged in the kidnapping and murder of Maryland resident Jonathan Riddle. Riddles body had stab wounds and was found on fire in Rippon, West Virginia on March 18. When Brandie Hebb saw the news about Jonathans death, she called her older sister Heather, who knew him. She said Heather was shocked by the murder. At the time, Heather had been staying at a friends house in Westminster, Maryland, and working as a live-in babysitter for his children. This friend was identified by Heathers sister as David Sanford, the man who was later arrested for murder. Brandie Hebb and Heather Grogg Brandie told Dateline shes worried her sister is in danger because she possibly knows something she shouldnt have known. Im worried she witnessed something she shouldn't have seen and thats why shes in danger, Brandie said. Its not like her to just disappear like this. To fall off the face of the earth. She always calls me to let me know shes OK. Brandie said she last spoke to her sister on April 3. She seemed fine at first, Brandie said. But then seemed a little stressed. She wanted to see me face-to face, but I told her wed have to wait. With everyone being quarantined because of coronavirus, we decided itd be better to wait. Brandie, who is 10 years younger than Heather, said they have always been close. She describes Heather as being a friendly, lovable person who makes friends wherever she goes, and is young at heart. She loves going to the playground and getting on the swings, Brandie said. She loves swings. She would never pass up the swings. Story continues Brandie told Dateline its not like Heather to stop communication with everyone and she would never leave her children. Heather is the mother of four children, ages 14-18. If shes out there and reading this, she can come home now, Brandie said. But Brandie adds that shes worried theres a reason why Heather cant get in touch with them. Danielle Tyler (FBI Pittsburgh) Another Maryland resident, Danielle Tyler, is also missing. Brandie told Dateline Heather mentioned that Danielle was someone who came to the house, but that was all. Danielle, an 18-year-old from Taneytown, Maryland, was also last seen on April 6. Her grandmother and legal guardian, Sherry Tyler, told Dateline that Danielle had gone through a breakup in March and had started dating Monroe Merrell, one of the men who was later arrested. She began spending more time at the house in Westminster where Heather was staying. The last time Sherry spoke to her granddaughter was on April 6 by text. She texted me and said, MeMaw, I think Im going to turn my phone off for a bit. Im just tired of the drama, Sherry told Dateline. I told her that wasnt a good idea because I needed to stay in touch with her. She knows how much I worry. She added that the text was out of character for Danielle. She would never let me worry like this, Sherry said. And this was her graduation year and she was so proud. And she knew I was proud. She wouldnt just run off. Sherry told Dateline that Danielle is a high school senior who is supposed to graduate this year, but the commencement ceremonies were pushed back because of coronavirus. She said Danielle had been taking video production classes and is hoping to become a videographer. Sherry said that not long after her last text conversation with Danielle, she was contacted by Maryland State Police homicide detectives looking for Danielle. They encouraged Sherry to file a missing persons report. Dateline reached out to Maryland State Police for comment but they deferred questions to FBI Pittsburgh. Spokesperson Catherine Policicchio told Dateline that FBI Pittsburgh is working closely with law enforcement partners to investigate threats to the community. The safety and welfare of those involved and the integrity of any investigation are always the first priorities for the FBI, she said. At this time, we are not able to release any additional information. Anyone with information about the whereabouts of these two women is asked to call FBI Pittsburgh or local police. We do also want to assure the community that there is no wider threat to public safety at this time." The families of both Heather and Danielle told Dateline they are worried sick and are hoping someone will come forward with information on their whereabouts. Shes my baby girl and I just want to know that shes OK, Danielles grandmother Sherry said. Im living my worst nightmare and I know it wont end until shes back home. Danielle is 53 tall and weighs 110 pounds. She has blonde hair and green eyes. She has snake bite piercings on both sides of her lower lip and a small nose ring in both sides of her nose. Heather is described as being 52 tall and weighing 175 pounds. She has blue eyes and her hair is usually red or blonde. She has a lip piercing below her right lower lip. Anyone with information is urged to call FBI's Pittsburgh Field Office at (412) 432-4000. New Delhi, April 27 : Reports peg global cases of the Novel Coronavirus at over 25 lakhs, with Indias tally having past the 25,000 mark. Many are still of the opinion that the worst is yet to come. Now juxtapose this with the fact that a sure-shot cure, in the form of a vaccine, is at least a year away, and we end up in a rather unprecedented and potentially catastrophic situation. There are two natural corollaries, one, we must protect our very elderly, and our young. Two, we must find ways and means to return to a semblance of 'normality' even if that normal is a highly sanitized, new normal. It is in pursuit of these above-mentioned goals, of protecting our young, and of life carrying on (despite the virus), that schools, colleges, educators, and learners across the country, are fast adopting E Learning. Lets delve deeper into the nuances of E-learning. E-Learning - Phased Adoption First we need to understand what E Learning is. Simply put, while sporadic E Learning by way of Smart Classes, Connected/Virtual Learning was already in practice across private schools in metropolitan cities, E Learning in the times of COVID-19, means, all learning through E Learning. Schools are shut. Students are home. In such a scenario, while many schools initially adopted a wait and watch approach, a lot of the more well-equipped institutions have now 're-opened' their campuses, virtually. It ranges from certain relatively less-tech-savvy (and/or internet infrastructure deficit) institutions setting pre-made assignments to their classes/students that involves self-study and taking questions on pre-prepared Worksheets - to the more in-sync organizations that have infrastructure, teachers, and a student/parent community that is both well-heeled and well-geared, where these schools are conducting daily school teaching routines, schedules and entire curricula, through live online teaching, using a slew of platforms from Microsoft to Google Hangouts to Zoom & Skype. Here, students are practically attending an entire day's school, right in front of their computers/screens. E Learning - Advantages Now that this E Learning 'extreme' has been in-place for a number of weeks, certain clear advantages and disadvantages have emerged. Specific advantages would include: Mitigating loss of Time, Incomplete Courses/Curricula for Students Being Constructively engaged for a large part of an otherwise frustrating lockdown-day that could lead to other problems such as anxiety, depression, and destructive outbursts A chance for the entire Education Industry to remain 'employed' and paid, from Teachers to Administrators Practice and Orientation into a possibly new way of life & living, given that there may well be a paradigm shift across the world, and a new way-of-life that entails sporadic yet regular lockdowns and social-distancing may emerge the norm Finally, a chance for the younger generation to carry-on with their lives, build futures, plan ahead, which would otherwise simply come to a grinding halt if teaching/learning/education stopped E Learning - Disadvantages While there are obvious and undeniable merits in this new, forced-wave of E Learning, like most anything in life, there is a flipside as well: Screen Overload is the other very obvious fallout and negative byproduct of this hyper-E-learning landscape. Upwards of 4 hours in front of a computer screen, listening, absorbing, learning, answering questions; it cannot possibly bode well for mind or body. Security and Privacy issues have also been faced and exposed in the process of E Learning so vigorously. One is constantly hearing of incidents where hackers were able to access sensitive and private information of students/teachers using various 'compromised' E Learning/Video Conferencing platforms An Internet Infrastructure that in India, unfortunately, is still not of a Western standard, leads to further niggles during the E Learning process, from lack of net-speed causing delays and lags, to instability/consistency of internet connections E Learning - Nuances Aside from evident merits and demerits, E Learning in the present covid situation also presents a more nuanced set of circumstances that ought to be brought to light in order to understand the subject deeply: That the E Learning experience is vastly different for different students. Depending on several variables such as internet speed, infrastructure, teacher-ability & screen-friendliness; not all students receiving E Learning get the 'same' experience. For some it is great, for others, it isn't. Even among the student community, there are some who are naturally inclined and able to learn effectively through this method, while others are unable to, or are simply opposed to it That E Learning is accessible to a tiny minority of India's student populous, thus making it very much the reserve of the privileged class. There is no E-Learning, for instance, taking place for the millions of government school children, for whom, perhaps there are more pressing matters than taking the grade 5 math class It is undeniable that E Learning has given scores of students a fighting chance to keep educating themselves in these unforeseen times of lockdown and social distancing. It is in fact without a doubt, much better than something-is-better-than-nothing, is also without doubt. Having said that, there are many facets of this new education-model that will need to be understood, improved, enhanced, optimized, regularized, properly and fairly monetized, and more than anything else, made accessible, en masse. (Kartik Bajoria is a writer, educator, moderator) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text The coronavirus pandemic has changed the flavour of this year's Ramadan in Africa, home to a third of the world's Muslim population. Between strict confinement, curfews and a ban on any public gatherings, the fasting month will be unlike most other years. There is less hum and buzz this year in African markets that usually sell ingredients such as meat, vegetable, and sweets for the fast-breaking meal known as iftar a centrepiece of the holy month of Ramadan. Egypt loosens restrictions Around the souks and streets of Egypt's capital Cairo, a sprawling city of 23 million, the coronavirus has scared the usual throng of customers away. A night curfew has also made it difficult to shop. The restrictions on Ramadan have already begun to take their toll on Egyptians, dozens of whom marched in the coastal city of Alexandria on Thursday night for the start of the holy month in defiance of a ban on public gatherings. The government of Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has since loosened some of its restrictions, pushing the start of the night-time curfew back an hour to 9pm. Shopping malls and businesses will be also allowed to open on weekends, but still be required to close at 5pm. Egypt has reported 4,319 cases of the coronavirus including 307 deaths. Authorities hav said they are ready to re-impose curbs if infections begin to exceed predictions. Niger riots Stay at home orders have also been difficult to enforce in Niger, where riots have broken out in several towns over anti-coronavirus lockdowns banning collective prayers. More than 300 people have been arrested in the run-up to Ramadan in the impoverished former French colony, with rioters torching cars and buildings and setting up roadblocks. Despite a relatively low Covid-19 toll in the country officially 27 deaths from 684 cases the government has imposed a state of emergency and a curfew and shut down mosques as well as schools. Last week, authorities announced an easing of the curfew in Niamey, saying it would now be in effect from 9pm until 5am instead 7pm - 6am. Nigeria's challenge In neighbouring Nigeria, fifteen imams were arrested after holding Friday prayers in defiance of a government ban. In a statement, President Muhammadu Buhari acknowledged the challenge of this year's Ramadan for Muslims in the country and around the world but urged them to refrain from Ramadan rituals and traditions. The holiest month in the Islamic calendar is usually one of family and togetherness, but Buhari said Muslims should "have their prayers and meals individually or with family at home". Nigerian authorities have nonetheless loosened some restrictions. Residents in the northern town of Kano were able to shop for food from 6am until midnight on Thursday, the day before the start of the holy month. Mosques, however, remain closed. Africa's most populous country has registered 1,182 cases of the respiratory disease and 35 deaths. Critics say the relatively low case count for a country of 200 million is not due to luck or efficiency but because of the slow pace of Nigeria's tests. South African charity Muslims in South Africa are also adjusting to a different Ramadan experience without congregational prayers and feasting with communities during fast-breaking at sunset. But the holy month is not just about fasting, charity is also obligatory. South African leader Cyril Ramaphosa said he hoped Muslims would continue performing charitable acts in the spirit of Ramadan at a time when millions face hunger, destitution and misery. Eighty-six people have died from Covid-19 in South Africa out of 4,361 confirmed cases. As Africans, we will emerge from this hardship with a new consciousness," Ramaphosa said in a video posted on the African Union website, where he sits as chairperson. "We will understand, and perhaps as never before, our great duty to help and support those less fortunate than ourselves will be enhanced, he added. Senegal's high food prices In Senegal, where 614 coronavirus cases and seven deaths have been reported, the plan is to continue charity in a limited way. In the capital Dakar, charities that characteristically hand out Ndogou, baguettes slathered with chocolate spread, cakes and dates to those in need, have decided to distribute them to Koranic schools rather than on the street to respect social distancing rules. The coronavirus lockdown is also having an impact on businesses. Seated at her makeshift stall of carrots and turnips, Dakar street trader Awa Sow says the pandemic has dampened the festivities. "Usually, this is the busiest time of the year, but right now, we have to close early, people are confined and they don't have money," she told RFI. Rising food costs have also put a strain on people's pockets. "Normally, one smoked fish costs 500 CFA francs, it's now gone up to 1,300!" says Sow. "But, God is the one who decides." Radio presenter Jackie 'O' Henderson was the subject of a false rumour 15 years ago, and her co-host Kyle Sandilands still finds it amusing to this day. Some people were apparently convinced Jackie was a 'coke w**re' in the mid-2000s because she was quite thin at the time, Kyle announced on KIIS FM on Tuesday. 'It's because I got really skinny,' said the 45-year-old mother-of-one, who was quick to clarify the allegation was totally false. Gossip: Radio presenter Jackie 'O' Henderson (left) was the subject of a bizarre false rumour 15 years ago, and her co-host Kyle Sandilands (right) still finds it amusing to this day Kyle, who has been friends with Jackie for more than two decades, also emphasised that his colleague was neither a cocaine user nor a 'w**re'. In fact, Jackie was happily married at the time to her second husband, Lee Henderson, from whom she separated in 2018. The Sydney breakfast radio hosts found the gossip particularly amusing because Jackie is known to be straight-laced and health conscious. 'It's because I got really skinny': Some people were convinced Jackie was a 'coke w**re' in the mid-2000s because she was quite thin at the time, Kyle said. Pictured: Jackie in April 2005 Later in the broadcast, after Daily Mail Australia had made enquiries with Jackie's manager, the duo addressed the 'coke w**re' rumour once again. Jackie said she had 'never done' cocaine in her life, adding: 'I swear on my daughter's life that that is true. 'When I tell people that, they're like, "What?! You're in the industry. How could you have not even tried it?" But I've just never been interested. I really haven't.' At this point, she began to sound genuinely frustrated with her co-host for having mentioned the rumour earlier in the show. Fake news! The Sydney breakfast radio hosts found the gossip particularly amusing because Jackie (pictured) is known to be straight-laced and health conscious No 'coke w**re' here! Jackie was happily married in the mid-2000s to her second husband, Lee Henderson, from whom she separated in 2018. The exes are pictured with their daughter, Kitty 'Anyway, Kyle, thank you for bringing it up because, once again, the Daily Mail are now wanting to run a story about it,' she said. Jackie added that the rumour was never actually reported in the press but was instead 'just a few people being b**chy' in the industry. She eventually forgave Kyle for dredging up the story after he performed his famous impression of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. 'They now want to run a story about it!' Later in the broadcast, after Daily Mail Australia had made enquiries with Jackie's manager, Jackie scolded Kyle (pictured) for dredging up the story It's not the first time Jackie has addressed bizarre rumours about her personal life. Last month, she set the record straight on false claims she was 'secretly dating' Dr Chris Brown during the coronavirus pandemic. She was responding to a New Idea article that claimed the pair had been 'privately' meeting up in Sydney's Bondi Beach, where they both live. 'I read in the paper the other day you were in lockdown with Dr Chris Brown, [that] you've been having a secret quarantine relationship. Is that true?' Kyle asked. Gossip: It's not the first time Jackie has addressed bizarre rumours about her personal life. Last month, she set the record straight on false claims she was 'secretly dating' Dr Chris Brown 'Yeah, I read that too. No, that's not true, Kyle,' Jackie replied. 'No secret relationship with Chris Brown.' 'I don't even have his number,' she added. 'I don't really know Chris Brown that well. I don't know why [magazines] keep saying that. This isn't the first time they've said that.' Premier Gladys Berejiklian has announced NSW social distancing restrictions will be slightly relaxed from Friday, with two adults allowed to make a visit to someone in a home. There were five new cases of coronavirus in NSW diagnosed on Monday, after 4000 tests were conducted on Sunday. All five cases were connected to known sources, which the state's Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant described as "pleasing". Up to two adults will be allowed to visit other people at their homes as of Friday, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has announced. Credit:Rhett Wyman Meanwhile, another resident has died at a Newmarch House nursing home in western Sydney, the seventh to pass away at the facility after being diagnosed with COVID-19. In a statement on Tuesday morning, Anglicare Sydney said it was "a very sad time for the family but also for the residents and staff who knew this resident well". The death brings the national toll to 84. Nylah, now a lively 8-year-old, had been thriving as a special education second grader. But she is not getting the medicine she needs to help keep her from vomiting, because the Andersons can no longer afford the copay. Her special education classes are proving difficult to pull off on their aging home computer, which is prone to freezing, and Valicia Anderson is worried that her daughter is backsliding. The couple is trying to hide their anxiety from Nylah, but Valicia Anderson says her daughter senses it. A getaway driver who helped a gang carry out a sickening 'military-style' raid on a family's home has been jailed - after his own sisters helped convict him. CCTV cameras captured three masked thugs - one holding a large crowbar - storming the wealthy businessman's house in West Derby, Liverpool, in a terrifying ordeal. They climbed over a garage roof, crept in through open patio doors and when confronted by the owner's brave sister, threatened her at knifepoint. Jason Gilmartin, 46, has been sentenced to 13 years after acting as a getaway driver during a 'military style' raid in Liverpool The men escaped with 25,000 in cash, four Breitling watches valued at 34,000, a key to an Audi car, plus the woman's 13,000 diamond ring and a 7,000 Cartier watch. But justice has caught up with getaway driver Jason Gilmartin, 46 who has been sentenced following a trial to 13 years in jail for conspiracy to commit aggravated burglary following the knifepoint burglary in August 2018. Gilmartin, of no fixed abode, was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court on Monday. An investigation continues to find the raiders. While the intruders remain at large, bungling Gilmartin, 47, used his own white Seat Ibiza car to ferry them to and from the property. He was found guilty of aggravated burglary after a six-day trial at Liverpool Crown Court, which saw two of his sisters help convict him. Jason Gilmartin, 46, has been sentenced after participating in a raid on a wealthy businessman's home after assisting as the getaway driver Gilmartin used his own white Seat Ibiza (seen top of picture) to ferry burglars to and from the property in West Derby, Liverpool Intruders made their way into the house and encountered a Dalmatian dog before proceeding to snatch a series of expensive items Mary Sheila Au revealed Gilmartin confessed to her that evening he had 'done a job', while Christine Lau recalled her brother said he needed to 'lie low'. Four luxury Breitling watches at a value of 34,000, similar to the model shown, were swiped from the property Detective Sergeant Darren Hankin from Operation Castle said: 'Although pleasing to see Gilmartin dealt with in the courts, we know he didn't act alone and I would implore anyone with information on the other three people involved to come forward. 'We have already appealed to the public in relation to this terrifying ordeal, and are now re-issuing this footage, determined as ever to identify all of those responsible. If you know anything, do the right thing and let us know. 'This incident lasted five minutes but continues to have a massive impact on the family. Finding and taking all of these men off the streets will offer them and other victims of burglary even more reassurance.' An investigation continues to find the other man who carried out the raid and later threatened the owner's sister at knifepoint when she confronted them Cameras inside the property detected the men moving from room to room in search of items He added: 'His sentencing also takes our operation past 300 years in prison since Operation Castle began in 2017. Our team of detectives have arrested, charged and put before the courts more than 100 people who have caused fear and harm within our communities. 'Being a victim of burglary can cause a massive impact to the lives of those targeted, and we're determined to keep such positive results coming. 'We will continue to do everything we can to target burglars, with investigations and community policing teams continuing during the Covid-19 pandemic to work hard to develop intelligence from the community and partners, and will act on all information to pursue offenders.' Anyone with information on burglary is asked to contact the police's dedicated hotline on 0151 777 7926 or email operation.castle@merseyside.pnn.police.uk. You can also pass information to the social media desk @MerPolCC, call 101 or you can call the independent charity @CrimestoppersUK anonymously, on 0800 555 111. Meanwhile, 30 producers have issued a joint statement supporting that they can make use of the OTT deal to ease out their financial burden during the lockdown. "Film production is a challenging field with high risk involved. Many producers are making films with a lot Of passion and confidence. Among them, challenges faced by small and medium film producers iS high. Even if they have completed a film, they face mam difficulty to release them to get theatres and shows to recover their through theatrical rights, This kind of challenge is not there for big budget or big artiste films. With the development of OTT (Over the Top) technology, many new films started coming out world- wide directly in this platform. Post the lockdown due to Corona in the country, many OTT platforms have started acquiring small and medium budget films for direct OTT premiere. which we all have to welcome wholeheartedly. Already film producers in Hindi, Telugu and other languages are trying to sell their films for OTT premiere in order to somehow recover their investment. If small and medium budget films get premiered through Orr, the number Of Such films waiting to release in theatres shall reduce. The balance films can release property too. Like that there are so many benefits we Can enjoy by allowing OTT premiere Of Small-medium budget films and hence this step by OTT players must be welcomed by all of us. We must request OTT players to acquire many small and medium budget films, which are struggling to release or stuck due to this lockdown. In addition, a Film producer has invested his money. has all the right to exploit his film in every possible way by selling the rights available for his film, to recover his investment so that he or she Can continue in the film For the film industry to operate smoothly. the three key stakeholders (producers, distributors, and theatre owners) must work together in unison and take decisions in the best interest Of the industry. We Strongly request that no individual film trade association take any decision and it unilaterally, Which hurts the interest Of a film producer, who is trying to protect his business. We also request that. this due to iS lifted, all the Stakeholders and Office bearers of all associations must meet, discuss and arrive at a feasible solution the issues before us, OTT release Of new films, for the and welfare Of Tamil industry. Looking for the unity Of Tamil Film Industry", read the statement of the producers. Photograph: Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images Meet Beijing Biden, also known as Sleepy Joe. According to Donald Trump and his allies, he is both a comrade of Crazy Bernie and an establishment creature of Washington, whose coziness with China and long history of verbal stumbles make him unfit for the presidency. This emerging, and at times conflicting, portrait of Joe Biden is part of a recent effort by the Trump campaign to define the presumptive Democratic nominee to its advantage, ahead of a general election that has now been thoroughly reshaped by the coronavirus pandemic. As the death toll from the outbreak has passed 50,000 Americans and mass unemployment reaches historic levels, Trumps main case for re-election a roaring economy has evaporated. Instead, he and his team are trying a new strategy: tying his political rival to an old geopolitical foe. Related: Joe Biden warns that Donald Trump may try to delay November election China wants Sleepy Joe sooo badly, Trump tweeted on 19 April, adding: Joe is an easy mark, their DREAM CANDIDATE! A campaign email earlier this month hammered the point: I am TOUGH ON CHINA and Sleepy Joe Biden is WEAK ON CHINA. For weeks, Trump has sought to shift the focus for his administrations erratic response to the crisis by harnessing Americas growing hostility toward China, where the virus originated. To defend himself against criticism of his handling of the outbreak, Trump has repeatedly pointed to a January decision to impose restrictions on travel from China, which he says impeded the viruss spread in the US. The aggressive push to reframe the election suggests that there is more to be gained by attacking Biden than promoting the presidents leadership during the pandemic. A 57-page attack memo, obtained by Politico, advised Republican candidates to blame China when asked whether the spread of the virus is Trumps fault. Dont defend Trump, other than the China Travel Ban attack China, it states. Negatively defining a political opponent early in the campaign is a time-honored tactic, employed by Barack Obama against Mitt Romney in 2012 and by George W Bush against John Kerry in 2004. But it is harder to execute against a well-known former vice-president with a long established brand as a folksy pragmatist. Story continues This is the time to really set the tone and the narrative, said Sam Nunberg, a former Trump campaign adviser. Now is the time to sell the message to voters that Joe Biden is not the blue-collar, moderate from Scranton, Pennsylvania, who Barack Obama put on the ticket. This is not the Joe Biden you used to know. Nunberg said China is only one front in the personal assault on Biden. Tying him to his former leftist rival Sanders and questioning his mental fitness are seen as equally damaging themes, he said. Indeed, Trump and his allies continue to gleefully mock Bidens verbal miscues, amplifying them some deceptively edited or altered to affirm their charge that the 77-year-old has lost his fastball. And while Trump encourages Sanders supporters to join his own campaign, Republicans continue to press the case that Biden, perhaps the most moderate of all the Democrats who ran for president, has embraced the senators Democratic socialist agenda. When faced with the choice of President Trumps record of accomplishment or Bidens weak record on China and far-left agenda, the choice for voters is clear, Sarah Matthews, deputy press secretary for the Trump campaign, said in a statement. But a China-centered strategy is risky, complicated in no small part by Trumps own rhetoric. Though Trump ran for the White House four years ago on a promise to get tough on China, he has struck a different posture as president in pursuit of a big, beautiful trade deal with the worlds second-largest economy. In recent months, he lavished praise on Chinas leader, Xi Jinping, and echoed Beijings assertions that it had the virus under control, even as it spread around the world. The focus also invites deeper scrutiny of Trumps own business dealings in the country. On Friday, Politico reported Trump borrowed tens of millions of dollars from the state-owned Bank of China for his share in a New York property development. Democrats, incredulous that Trump would try to claim the upper hand on China, welcomed it as an opportunity to assail his handling of the crisis. On a press call organized by the Democratic National Committee, the Michigan congresswoman Debbie Dingell accused Trump of failing to hold China accountable and for understating the early threat from the virus. His chaotic federal response delayed mitigation efforts for weeks, Dingell, a Democrat whose state is among the hardest hit in the country, said on Thursday. His actions have caused confusion and misinformation to spread, and its made it really hard for our governors and local leaders who are trying to do everything they can. The escalating war of words over who is tougher on China was amplified in competing campaign commercials. The Trumps campaign released an ad earlier this month lashing Biden over his past remarks on China and reprising unfounded corruption accusations against the former vice-president and his son. The message was amplified in an ad from America First, a Super Pac supporting Trump, which declares that for 40 years Joe Biden has been wrong about China. The group also launched a standalone website, BeijingBiden.com, populated with content related to Bidens purported cozy relationship with China. The Biden campaign responded with a blistering ad of its own. The commercial blames Trump for not holding China to account earlier over its handling of the virus, saying the president failed to act as the coronavirus spread. The Democratic Super Pac American Bridge is also running ads on the same theme, featuring footage of Trump praising Xi and saying that the president gave China his trust. Yet the Trump campaign was targeting Biden long before the race narrowed to a one-on-one contest. As Biden competed for the nomination, the Trump campaign, with its vast war chest, deployed advertising campaigns against him while attempting to foment discord among Democrats. And Trump was ultimately impeached over his efforts to pressure Ukraine to open investigations into Biden and his family. Though Trump rarely pays a political price for taking differing or contradictory positions on an issue, the new push comes as Trumps support in key battleground states wanes. Trumps critics hold out faint hope that the election will bring a political reckoning over what they view as his staggering mismanagement of the coronavirus crisis. All re-election campaigns every single one of them are a referendum on the incumbent, said Rick Wilson, co-founder of the Lincoln Project, a Republican-led effort to defeat Trump. And if Donald Trump had come into this election with peace and prosperity, it would be a very high hill to climb to defeat him. But hes not. He is coming into this with plague and depression. Editors note: This story has been updated to correct an error. Shining Stars Preschool does provide bus service. Frustrated with having to pay for road improvements to support new schools, often unexpectedly, City of Rio Rancho officials are calling for better communication and coordination with Rio Rancho Public Schools. During their meeting Wednesday, Rio Rancho Governing Body members unanimously approved using $170,000 left over from the 2018 voter-approved general-obligation road bond to install a temporary traffic signal at the intersection of Idalia Road and Loma Colorado Boulevard to handle increased traffic flow when the new Shining Stars Preschool opens in August. The projects the 2018 bond funded were completed under budget. City Public Works Director BJ Gottlieb said the intersection needed new left-turn lanes and drainage improvements, costing a total of $500,000 or more. He said RRPS officials told him they believed the intersection was too far from school grounds for law to allow them to pay for the work. The district funded the construction of roads on and nearer to the campus to allow for access, with only the Idalia/Loma Colorado intersection work left undone, Gottlieb said. He said the temporary signal would partially alleviate congestion. That being said, permanent measures must be constructed in the future by Rio Rancho Public Schools, and this is a drainage-mitigation approach to the areas around that intersection and including the left-hand turn lanes at that intersection, Gottlieb said. He said hes encouraged school officials to in the future look at sites with proper infrastructure already in place. Acting City Manager Peter Wells said he thought the governing body and school board should hold joint meetings to hash out solutions to such situations. Wells said private developers have to pay for improvements to handle the people coming to their new development. I think that is fair; I think that is what needs to be done, he said. City staff members added the permanent improvements to the Infrastructure Capital Improvement Plan so the city could get money for them if the state wanted to fund them. This is a hot button for me. It has been for awhile, said City Councilor Jim Owen. He said he thought the districts legal interpretation that it couldnt fund the improvements was incorrect, but if it was correct, the law needed to be changed. He also said local residents would support a higher bond to pay for road improvements around schools. City Attorney Greg Lauer said the interpretation is archaic and should be updated. RRPS spokeswoman Beth Pendergrass said in an email Friday that the district and the City of Rio Rancho are under-funded, which leaves each vying for limited resources. As the population grows, she said, the district must build schools and cant do it alone. We rely on the community to pass bonds, for organizations such as (Southern Sandoval County Arroyo Flood Control Authority) to assist us with flood control, and for the county and the city to assist with infrastructure, Pendergrass said. We also try to do our part, with our limited funds, beyond providing quality spaces where our communitys children can learn. She said the district is paying $1.3 million toward city infrastructure around the school. The one item that the city requested that we truly felt we could not legally pay for was improving the existing intersection at Loma Colorado and Idalia, a half-mile from the school, Pendergrass said. Law limits use of school general obligation bonds to school buildings, the grounds, computer hardware and software, and matching funds for certain school projects, she said. Its unfortunate the city feels that there was a communication break-down. We certainly recognize the frustration around that and will work to improve where we can, Pendergrass said. She said district employees have been communicating with the city about the location and needs of the new Shining Stars since October 2017, and the city requested that the district pay for the intersection improvements less than a year ago. We are very appreciative that the city plans to improve the intersection as it has been a long standing need, Pendergrass said. Wednesday, City Councilor Jennifer Flor said she supported getting the signal as soon as possible, since there wasnt time to design and build the permanent improvements. She added that she supports Shining Stars and her son attends the school. Mayor Gregg Hull said the city and RRPS coordinated on the location of the new Joe Harris Elementary, but multiple school board members had in the past told him plans for new school sites had to be secret. The secrecy led to infrastructure problems near multiple schools, because the city hadnt been able to budget for better roads in advance, he said. The same taxpayers that live in the city go to the schools, Hull said. Were a team. In other business, governing body members: Heard an update on work to decommission Wastewater Treatment Plant 1 on Sara Road. Utilities Director Jim Chiasson said the smell from the plant would be worse this weekend during decommissioning, but after two or three days, odors would permanently decrease. Gave final authorization for the sale of the voter-approved 2020 road and public-safety bonds. Approved a budget adjustment to spend $350,000 to replace the failing 14-year-old boiler that heats water at Santa Ana Star Center. Awarded a $3.2 million contract to T.A. Cole and Sons General Contractors Inc. to build the first phase of Campus Park in City Center. Moved the time of work sessions on the third Tuesday of the month to 5 p.m. Doctors are wondering if giving men two female sex hormones could make them more likely to survive the novel coronavirus. Across the globe, women from most countries have been less likely to become abruptly ill with the virus, and less likely to die from it. This has led many researchers to wonder if the hormones mainly produced in women could be protective, reported The New York Times. Two hospitals in the US are now putting that theory to the test, giving men estrogen or progesterone for a limited amount of time to see if it boosts their immune systems, decreases inflammation and reduces the severity of the illness. Some researchers believe more men than women are dying from coronavirus due to the female sex hormones estrogen and progesterone (pictured) Stony Brook University in New York (left) and Cedars-Sinai in California (right) will each be giving male coronavirus patients one of the two hormones The differences in death rates among men and women have been apparent from early on in the pandemic. Last month, Italy's public health research agency said that more than 70 percent of the country's deaths have been in men. And, in February, China's Center for Disease Control and Prevention said the fatality rate among men with coronavirus was 65 percent higher than among women. Scientists say they don't know why women seem less likely to die, but have suggested that women naturally tend to have stronger immune systems and are less likely to have long-term health conditions which make patients more vulnerable. In China, researchers pointed the finger at men being more likely to smoke and drink, but this was a cultural factor which may be different in other countries. This soon became apparent in the US. In New York, more than 60 percent of the state's deaths have been among men. Early research has suggested the hormones may reduce the number of ACE2 receptors on the surfaces of cells that the virus uses to enter the body. The Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University in Long Island, New York will be investigating estrogen, the primary female sex hormone. Estrogen helps develop and regulate the female reproductive system and plays a role in secondary sex characteristics. Dr Sharon Nachman, chief of the division of pediatric infectious diseases, told The Times that the trial enrolled its first participant last week. She hopes to have preliminary results in the next couple of months. 'It's totally out of the box, which is how good ideas often start,' Dr Nachman, associate dean for research at the Renaissance School, which is part of the State University of New York. The Stony Brook University estrogen trial hopes to recruit 110 patients who visit the emergency room and have symptoms such as coughing, fever or shortness of breath. They either have to test positive for COVID-19 - the disease caused by the virus - or are presumed to have it, just as long as they don't need to be intubated. They will see if the hormones boosts the male patients' immune systems, decreases inflammation and reduces the severity of the illness. Pictured: Nurse Leah Silver cares for a coronavirus patient in the COVID ICU at the University of Washington Medical Center - Montlake in Seattle, Washington, April 24 Early research has suggested the hormones may reduce the number of ACE2 receptors on the surfaces of cells that the virus uses to enter the body. Pictured: Medics prepared to intubate a patient with COVID-19 symptoms at home in Yonkers, New York, April 6 Half will be given an estradiol patch for one week and the other half will be a control group. Researchers will see if the hormone helps reduce the disease's severity. The hypothesis is that the hormone could help clear the infection and prevent cytokine storms, which is when the body doesn't just fight off the virus but also attacks its own cells and tissues, from occurring. 'We may not understand exactly how estrogen works, but maybe we can see how the patient does,' Dr Nachman told The Times. 'While we see women do get infected, their responses are different. We see fewer of them having the second, disregulated immune response.' Next week, researchers in Los Angeles will begin testing another sex hormone found mainly in women, progesterone. It has been shown to reduce inflammation and prevent the immune system from overreacting to outside pathogens. 'There's a striking difference between the number of men and women in the intensive care unit, and men are clearly doing worse,' Dr Sara Ghandehari, a pulmonologist and intensive care physician at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, told The Times. She told the newspaper that 75 percent of her hospital's intensive care patients and patients on ventilators are men. Around 40 male patients will be enrolled in the Cedars-Sinai study, all of whom have tested positive for the virus and have mild to moderate cases. Half of the participants will be given two shots of progesterone per day for five days and the other half will be a control group. Researchers will see if this help control their oxygen levels and prevent the need to go the ICU or be intubated. Similarly to the estrogen study, the theory is that progesterone will also prevent cytokine storms. Dr Ghandedari said she has also seen that the majority of ill pregnant women, who typically high levels of both hormones, have midl case of the virus. 'So something about being a woman is protective, and something about pregnancy is protective, and that makes us think about hormones,' she said. Both hospitals told The Times that all male participants will be warned of possible side effects such as hot flashes and breast tenderness. (Bloomberg Opinion) -- Many parents felt a profound sense of relief when analyses of the coronavirus found that kids rarely show symptoms and usually arent at much risk. Unfortunately, that doesn't mean theyre safe from the global pandemic.Every parent is familiar with the day-to-day perils of the Covid-19 outbreak, with playgrounds closed, social interaction limited and screen time all too tempting. But the most consequential effects of this crisis are likely to come from two areas: health and education.Natural disasters tend to be especially harmful for childrens health. They disrupt the basic medical services that mothers and young kids rely on, and usually divert crucial resources to more immediate needs. Measures meant to protect health-care workers and the broader population may also mean that clinicians are unable or unwilling to have contact with patients, whether to give a physical exam or administer a shot.For kids, that can have long-lasting consequences. At the height of the West African Ebola epidemic, in 2014, institutional deliveries of children a crucial means of reducing maternal mortality decreased by 37% compared to the previous year. Prenatal consultations, which have been shown to improve childrens long-term physical and mental health, decreased by 40%.Worse, vaccination rates declined sharply. In 2013, before the outbreak, a still-too-low 73% of Liberian children under age one were fully vaccinated. From July to September of 2014 that number dropped to 36%. Measles vaccination rates alone declined by 45%. This drop-off created a large "immunity gap" that allowed the disease to spread more easily. The consequences lingered: From 2016 to 2017, 49% of Liberia's 2,954 suspected measles cases were detected in children under the age of five. In all likelihood, the current outbreak will have similar effects. In late March, the World Health Organization called for preventative mass-vaccination programs to be suspended worldwide to allow for social-distancing measures. Although this was probably the right call, even public-health experts who supported the decision acknowledged that it will contribute to a surge of diseases that might last for years.Another serious worry for parents and for the world is that some 1.4 billion children currently live in areas where schools have been fully or partially closed, from Southern California to rural India. Most of those kids have no idea when theyll be able to return. When schools in Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone were closed to curtail the spread of Ebola, students lost as many as 1,848 hours of education.A significant body of research suggests that such a prolonged absence from school can be detrimental educationally and developmentally, and especially harmful for low-income students. As plenty of frustrated parents are now finding, distance-learning programs can be ineffective even under ideal circumstances. In poorer households, where parents are less likely to be able to work from home, the challenges can be severe. Especially in developing regions, girls are at particular risk of not resuming their education due to increased poverty, domestic responsibilities and pregnancy rates during the pandemic. Even when schools do reopen, the virus may pose a threat for months or years into the future.Mitigating all of these harmful effects will be an immense challenge. After the Ebola epidemic, agencies and governments around the world contributed to a new vaccination program as soon as it was safe to do so. That won't be cheap or easy on a global basis. Nevertheless, the World Health Organization, despite its recent problems, remains the appropriate organization to coordinate such a campaign, and planning and funding should get underway immediately. Governments should also prioritize maternal and prenatal services during the pandemic, and look to carefully reopened schools as places where child health can be monitored and basic care delivered.For their part, schools should strive to maintain as much continuity with students as possible. Step one should be a concerted effort to pay and retain teachers during the crisis. They'll be key to reopening schools quickly, and could provide some much-needed stability for students who have lost their sense of routine or even safety. Finally, planning needs to start now on assessments and accelerated curriculums designed to help students catch up and review what they were learning before the pandemic. Modest steps like these won't lead to cures or treatments for the coronavirus. But they might help ensure that its effect on future generations isnt needlessly destructive. Story continues This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners. Adam Minter is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. He is the author of Junkyard Planet: Travels in the Billion-Dollar Trash Trade and the forthcoming "Secondhand: Travels in the New Global Garage Sale." For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinion Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-27 16:10:16|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close SYDNEY, April 27 (Xinhua) -- A new tool to measure the quality of life of dementia patients will result in better targeted care for those living with the major medical condition, according to the latest Australian research. The method covers "key domains" that contribute to quality of life, such as physical health, mood, memory, living situation, the ability to take part in "fun activities" and "importantly, takes into account the views of people with dementia", the University of Queensland said in a statement on Monday. The findings showed that physical health was a top contributor to quality of life, followed by a person's living situation, according to researcher Tracy Comans. "We found the priorities of people with dementia and their caregivers differed from the general population, with their living situation and the ability to do fun things being valued as the most important contributors to quality of life," Comans said. "However, people with dementia, their caregivers and the general population all valued memory as least important to good quality of life," she said. Dementia is caused by brain disorders affecting thinking, behavior and the ability to perform everyday tasks. Nearly half a million Australians live with dementia and almost 1.6 million Australians are involved in caring for its patients, according to the Dementia Australia healthcare and support group. Under the latest study, nearly 2,000 people in the general population completed a survey while people with dementia and their caregivers were interviewed in person, Comans said. "The views of those with dementia were given priority as we developed the tool," she said. The key domains were validated by three focus groups, "confirming activities that impact the quality of life for people with dementia could be mapped to one of the domains", Comans said. The method can be used to ensure the perspectives of people with dementia and their caregivers are included when considering interventions for improving quality of life, according to the researchers. Their findings were published in scientific journal PharmacoEconomics. "Both caregivers and people with dementia were very willing to share their stories and experiences with us, which provided valuable insights into what it's like to live with dementia," Comans said. "These personal stories reaffirm the value of involving people with dementia and their caregivers in research that relates to their quality of life," she said. Enditem For our free coronavirus pandemic coverage, learn more here. Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size It's been one of the most heated points of debate about how we deal with this pandemic: should Australia's nearly 4 million schoolchildren be showing up to school? The federal government wants schools, including the independents, to stay open but states and territories, and some schools, are going their own way. The federal government has no direct influence on rules for schools but Prime Minister Scott Morrison has sought to apply pressure to state governments by appealing directly to the public about keeping schools open. Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy told a Senate estimates hearing last week that schools are safe places and should reopen. The proportion of children [infected] is very small, he said. We all believe that schools are a safe environment to open. So what is the current state of play for term two around the nation? How have the different governments come to their decisions? What kind of controversies have come up along the way? Back to school or not depends on what state or territory you live in. Credit:Getty Images A gradual restart in NSW NSW public school students will continue to learn from home for the first two weeks of term two, which begins on April 29, but schools remain open to supervise kids of essential workers or those who need to attend. Students will return to school in person for one day a week from May 11 and attendance will be ramped up gradually over the rest of the term. Principals are asked to have no more than 25 per cent of students on campus each day during the staggered return, but they can decide how to organise who attends: it could be based on sporting houses or the alphabet. Class sizes will be smaller to allow social distancing, and students will do the same work whether at school or home. Advertisement But Premier Gladys Berejiklians plan for a staggered return to school has created division, particularly with the teachers union. The NSW Teachers Federation advocated for kindergarten and year 12 to return to school full-time first: a path many private and Catholic schools will take. Private schools can choose their own plan for resuming schooling; one Hunter Valley school expects 900 kids on campus for face-to-face classes from the beginning of term. This has led to concern that year 12 students in the public system will be worse off than their private school counterparts, and the Labor opposition has urged the Premier to let year 12 back full-time. The state government follows medical advice from NSW Health, which has maintained that schools can remain open on medical grounds. A report commissioned by the states health and education departments shows there has been an extraordinarily low rate of transmission of coronavirus in NSW schools. Health Minister Brad Hazzard has said students would be fine to attend five days per week under medical advice, but that a staged transition was about giving parents confidence their children would be safe. Mostly no, for now, in Victoria Victoria has drawn heat from the Morrison government over its decision to deploy remote learning for all of term two, which will lump most parents with the work/home school juggle until the end of June. Schools are open but only for the children of essential workers or those who are vulnerable at home. The Commonwealth wants all children back in school by the end of May, including in Victoria, and that may yet happen, although certainly not before the state of emergency is lifted on May 11. Chief Health Officer Professor Brett Sutton, who has the job of making the call on when Victorian schools will reopen for all students, said he is open to opening schools before the end of term two if the evidence supports the decision. But he doesnt believe it does yet. Advertisement We know that introduction of the virus has happened with adults coming to school, so that is a concern, he said on April 27. We also dont know the extent to which kids might have asymptomatic illness and be transmitting it to each other. It is comforting that kids dont get, by and large, serious illness, but thats not the same question." With more than 100,000 Victorians to be tested for COVID-19, Premier Daniel Andrews says the results of the blitz will be used to decide on the potential lifting of lockdown restrictions, including those on schools. The federal government would prefer schools were open again. Credit:Getty Images Concern over drop-offs, pick-ups and teachers in Queensland Queensland schools public, independent and Catholic are open for vulnerable children and students whose parents are considered essential workers such as police, emergency service personnel and healthcare workers. In the week starting April 20, 13 per cent of students walked through school gates statewide (12 per cent on Mondays and Fridays). Despite national health advice that physical distancing measures were not "appropriate or practical" in schools, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk stressed she was following the advice of Chief Health Officer Dr Jeanette Young. There is concern about teachers in their staffrooms, and also the before [school] pick-up and after [school] pick-up," she said. We are not going to rush this, we are going to get this right and I will not put the lives of our teachers, principals, school community, parents and children at risk. We will take a measured response to this." The school situation will be reviewed on May 15, taking into account results from the first stage of easing restrictions from midnight on Friday, May 1. Queenslanders can enjoy some relief from stay-at-home rules and will be allowed to go for drives; ride or pilot a motorbike, jetski or boat for pleasure; have a picnic; visit a national park; and shop for non-essential items so long as social distancing is maintained, they remain within 50 kilometres of home and outings are limited to members of the same household or an individual and one friend. Advertisement Full-page messaging in WA All West Australian students are encouraged to return to a physical classroom on April 29, with remote learning packages available for children whose parents choose to keep them home. The return to schools comes after the state government "cautiously" lifted indoor and outdoor gathering restrictions from two people to 10 on April 27, with the 1.5 metre social distancing rule still in place. Premier Mark McGowan announced on April 17 that parents and carers had the choice of how their children would be taught going into term two, which ignited plenty of debate within school communities. The latest national medical advice confirms that the four-square-metre rule and the 1.5-metre distancing between students during classroom activities is not required, he said in a full-page newspaper advertisement after Western Australias leading teachers union encouraged parents to keep their children home from school. With our increased testing and low rates of infection, we are confident that WA school staff and children physically attending school are not at an increased risk of COVID-19, the Premier said. Private and independent schools were left to determine their own approach, but when news came out that some were going against the national medical advice and continuing remote learning without face-to-face lessons across most year groups, the Premier became infuriated and encouraged parents at those schools to demand a fee reduction. Remote learning mostly the go in Tasmania Advertisement Tasmanian students return to school on April 28 for children of essential workers but, as with Victoria, most students are expected to learn remotely, meaning most parents must grapple with the demands of working from home and supervising their childrens education. Where possible, students will continue to learn at home, supported by parents and carers, with teachers leading this learning, Tasmanias Department of Education said. Schools will be open for students who cannot learn from home. The exception is in the states north-west, where schools will remain closed until May 4 as part of a wider lockdown in that part of the state more than half of Tasmanias 210 cases are clustered in the region. Borders shut, classrooms open in South Australia South Australia has shut its borders but will open its schools and is encouraging all students to go to school this week. Learning is best done at school in a classroom with teachers, the states education department says. Remote learning will be made available to students whose parents choose to keep them at home for health reasons. South Australias Chief Health Officer Professor Nicola Spurrier said families should feel comfortable and safe about sending their children to school given the very low levels of COVID-19 in the state. Advertisement EDWARDSVILLE Although the Madison County Archival Library is closed until future notice because of the coronavirus pandemic and the museums renovation, the Madison County Historical Society and museum staff still offer information about county history online at https://madcohistory.org/ and the societys Facebook page. Assistant Curator Mary Z. Rose created two online exhibits in recent months. The first was on Edward Coles, an Illinois governor who once lived in Madison County, who many credit with assuring Illinois remained a free state. The second explores the Wood River Refinery that celebrated its centennial in 2019. DEAR ABBY: "Stella" and I have been close friends for 25 years. Two years ago, she was in a car accident and suffered a traumatic brain injury. She has since recovered and returned to work. Stella's personality has changed a lot since the accident. Her language and clothing are inappropriate. At 65 years old, her wardrobe now consists of miniskirts, spike heels, over-the-knee lace-up boots, halter tops, etc. She says suggestive things to my boyfriend in front of me. He no longer wants to be around her. Most of Stella's friends have distanced themselves, and her husband has moved out of their home. I remember how close we once were, and I don't want to end the friendship, but I don't think I can tolerate being around her. How can I help her and keep my sanity? Too much change in Texas DEAR TOO MUCH: Be gentle with Stella because her change may be beyond her control. Help her by trying to talk frankly with her. Explain how much her personality and image have changed since the accident, and that some of her actions have made people so uneasy they have distanced themselves. Tell her that her comments to your boyfriend made him uncomfortable, and you need them to stop. You may get through to her. If not, she may end her friendship with you, and you can retain your sanity. DEAR ABBY: My significant other, "Bob," and I have been together for 30 years (never married). The past 10 years of our relationship have not been so good in the bedroom. Bob has ED and refuses to see a professional about it. He is well aware of how unfair it is to me because my sex drive is still in full swing. Would it be wrong to tell him that since he doesn't want to seek help for his problem, I am going to find a "friend with benefits"? I want to leave him. If he would get help for his problem, our relationship would improve, and I would be willing to stay. Deprived in Ohio DEAR DEPRIVED: Bob may be so embarrassed about his ED problem that he's afraid to have a frank talk with a doctor about it. It's a shame because in many cases there is help for it. Because you have reached the end of your tether, discuss your feelings with him as openly as you have with me. If you do, it may jolt him into doing something for himself that he should have done a decade ago. DEAR ABBY: My mother-in-law passed away a year ago. Since then, my husband and his sister have been letting my father-in-law stay with each of us on different nights. He's with us every Friday and Tuesday and with my husband's sister Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. My father-in-law is healthy and capable of doing everything for himself. I am getting so tired of this arrangement! What do I do? Ruining my life in the South DEAR RUINING: Start making plans for yourself on Friday and Tuesday nights so you will feel less encroached-upon. And introduce your father-in-law to some ladies his age -- providing he is willing. MEDFORD, Ore. -- Local public health officials began announcing new confirmed cases of the coronavirus in southern Oregon and northern California as of Monday, April 27. Numbers from each individual county will be updated below as soon as NewsWatch 12 receives their latest figures. JACKSON: On Monday, Jackson County Public Health said that it had received no new positive test results for COVID-19, leaving the countywide total at 49 cases. The last confirmed case was announced on Friday. Officials said that Jackson County has "one of the lowest" rates for coronavirus in Oregon, at 22 cases per 100,000 people. The highest rate is in Marion County, with 125 cases per 100,000 as of Sunday. Last week, the County reported the number of cases that had fully recovered at the time. Of the 49 cases in the area, at least 33 have recovered while 15 are still being monitored by public health staff. The County advised that the CDC has added additional symptoms to watch for with COVID-19, as people have reported a wide range of symptoms, ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness. These symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus: Fever of 100 or higher Cough Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing Chills Repeated shaking with chills Muscle pain Headache Sore throat New loss of taste or smell People who develop these symptoms and do not start to feel better within 3-4 days should contact a medical provider to find out if they should be tested for COVID-19. "If you have these symptoms, it will be important that you isolate yourself from others in your household to prevent the infection from spreading, and stay home," Jackson County said. "If you access medical care while ill, please wear a mask. If you have trouble breathing, persistent pain or pressure in the chest, new confusion or inability to arouse, and bluish lips or face, you should seek medical care immediately." The County asks that you not hesitate to access medical care, especially if it is an emergency, whether the symptoms are consistent with COVID-19 or not. Call ahead of time to schedule an appointment. Doctors may schedule a phone consultation or use telemedicine in replace of a face-to-face appointment. "We can all continue to work together to keep our community healthy. Jackson County Public Health wants to thank the community for acting during this time, your efforts have helped to keep the community safe and healthy," the agency said. KLAMATH: Klamath County Public Health last reported three new confirmed cases in the county on Thursday, bringing the countywide total number of confirmed cases to 36. Importantly, County officials also reported that 23 of those cases have recovered and are no longer active. "It is important that community members continue to stay home, practice social or physical distancing of six feet, disinfect surfaces, and frequently wash their hands," the agency said. "Now that COVID-19 is in the community, these actions are urgent to prevent further spread." Klamath County Public Health says that at this time 1,506 tests have returned negative for COVID-19 in the county. Based on the County's demographic data, 22 of the confirmed cases are women, and 14 are men. Five of the 36 cases have been hospitalized for the virus. Six cases have been between the ages of 20-29, nine in the 30-39 age group, five in 40-49, nine 50-59, six 60-69, and one 70-79. JOSEPHINE: Josephine County Public Health officials last announced one new case of coronavirus in the county on Saturday, bringing the countywide total number of cases to 20. Nine people have reportedly recovered from the virus. The county marked the first death attributed to the virus in southern Oregon on April 11, an 81-year-old man. As of Monday morning, a total of 1,080 COVID-19 tests from Josephine County have returned negative results which the County says was calculated using "internal data" and will likely appear higher than the Oregon Health Authority's records. CURRY: Last week, Curry County announced its fourth confirmed cases of COVID-19. 114 tests for the virus have returned negative. The new case was confirmed at a hospital lab in Coos Bay, similar to several of the earlier cases. "Curry County Public Health has reached out to the individual who tested positive and is now working on contact investigation and tracing for those who possibly have been in prolonged close contact with the individual," the agency said. "The three previous cases reported in Curry County have all been under monitoring and self-isolating and will be considered recovered from the virus as of Monday April 20, 2020." SISKIYOU: As Wednesday morning, Siskiyou County officials say that there remain five confirmed COVID-19 cases in the county. All five of those people have since recovered from the illness. There have been a total of 221 negative test results, and two tests remain pending. Total number of confirmed cases by county for the southern Oregon and Siskiyou County region: Jackson: 49 Klamath: 36 Josephine: 20 Lake: 0 Curry: 4 Siskiyou: 5 Tune into NewsWatch 12 at 5:00 and 6:00 p.m. tonight for the most up to date Coronavirus numbers and information. (Alliance News) - Shares in Columbus Energy Resources PLC jumped sharply on Monday on news the Saffron well has discovered oil in the Lower Cruse and Middle Cruse in onshore Trinidad. Shares were up 30% at 1.95 pence in London at midday, having traded at more than 2.70p earlier in the day. Saffron oil discoveries in the Lower and Middle Cruse include 2,363 feet of gross sands with six reservoir intervals of interest and a 47% net to gross ratio. The Saffron well reached total depth, as planned, at 4,634 feet and six intervals were identified for testing, of which three have been tested so far. High quality, light oil was recovered to surface and results lined up with Columbus's pre-drill estimates for Lower Cruse oil recovery of 11.5 million barrels. Medium quality crude oil was discovered in the Middle Cruse, with Columbus currently producing oil from the first Middle Cruse perforated interval. Middle Cruse oil is currently being processed on location with the first 240 barrels of oil sold via "existing infrastructure" Columbus has signed terms for the full carry of the second Saffton Lower Cruse appraisal and development well, due in the third quarter of 2020. It is also preparing to test the Middle Cruse for any more oil bearing zones and putting together individual development plans for both the Middle and Lower Cruse discoveries. Executive Chair Leo Koot said: "We have found what we were looking for - the Saffron well has discovered oil in both the Lower Cruse and Middle Cruse formations in the South West Peninsula, onshore Trinidad. These discoveries are transformational for Columbus creating two valuable standalone field developments. Koot added: "For operational reasons (including prudent cost management), our testing was deliberately limited to a combined perforation of [16 feet] even though the logging of the Lower Cruse showed over 300 feet of high-quality sands. As such, we believe that the appraisal of the Lower Cruse, expected in Q3 2020, will be stage 1 of a Lower Cruse development that we now calculate has an NPV of circa USD90 million." Koot went on to express his confidence in the company's ability "to produce commercial quantities of quality oil from both the Lower Cruse and the Middle Cruse." "In the coming months, we intend to finish our testing campaign and work with our partner to drill Saffron 2. Alongside this, we will continue to produce from the Middle Cruse and progress a Middle Cruse appraisal and development campaign when the timing is right given market conditions," said Koot. By Anna Farley; annafarley@alliancenews.com Copyright 2020 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. 27.04.2020 LISTEN The National Communications Director of the opposition NDC, Sammy Gyamfi has pooh-phooed on President Akufo-Addo's plan to build 88 District Hospital and six Regional Hospitals across the country this year to boost the health system against covid-19 and future pandemics. In his Twitter post, Sammy Gyamfi said the President's latest promise is a deceptive rehash of one of his many broken promises and a lie calculated for votes. President Akufo-Addo in his eighth address to the nation on Sunday announced the construction of hospitals in some 88 districts across the country this year. There are eighty-eight (88) districts in our country without district hospitals; we have six (6) new regions without regional hospitals; we do not have 5 infectious disease control centres dotted across the country; and we do not have enough testing and isolation centres for diseases like COVD-19. We must do something urgently about this. That is why Government has decided to undertake a major investment in our healthcare infrastructure, the largest in our history. We will, this year, begin constructing eighty-eight (88) hospitals in the districts without hospitals, he said. He added that: each of them will be a quality, standard-design, one hundred bed hospital, with accommodation for doctors, nurses and other health workers, and the intention is to complete them within a year. We have also put in place plans for the construction of six new regional hospitals in the six new regions, and the rehabilitation of the Effia Nkwanta Hospital, in Sekondi, which is the regional hospital of the Western Region. This, the NDC firebrand believes the President's statement is a tacit admission of failure for which he must be voted out come December 7. Read post below: Medical workers look out of the Elmhurst Hospital Center in Queens, New York. Elmhurst reported 13 COVID-19 patients died at the hospital in a 24-hour span, according to local officials. The US has had more confirmed coronavirus cases than any other country as of April 27. Photo: AFP China firmly opposes certain US individuals and forces using China to garner votes or smearing China using the COVID-19 pandemic as an excuse, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Geng Shuang said Monday at a press conference, amid reports of the US Republican's "Attack China" campaign. "I have noted related reports. Why do some US forces take every chance to smear China? The answer is clear," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said Monday at a press conference. The US accused China of "spreading fake information," "but, if the reports mentioned above are real, I can't help asking: who is actually spreading false information? Geng questioned. American news outlet Politico on Friday published an internal 57-page US National Republican Senatorial Committee memo written by political consulting firm Brett O'Donnell that urges candidates to "attacks China" as a tactic for the November 3 general election. A political row erupted over the pricing of rapid antibody test kits as a court battle between an importer and a distributor revealed massive profiteering to the tune of 145 per cent over the landed cost of the kits bought from Chinese companies. As the Congress and the DMK targeted the Modi government and the Tamil Nadu government over buying the kits at inflated prices, the Centre claimed that it opted to make the purchases from the Chinese companys exclusive distributor as it offered better terms. An official statement said the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) had approached the Chinese company Wondfor directly, but it had insisted on 100% advance payment without any commitment on logistics or timelines. ...it was decided to go Wondfos exclusive distributor for India for the kit who quoted an all inclusive price for FOB (logistics) without any clause for advance, a Health Ministry statement said. No payment has been made to the seller of the kits, Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Health Ministry told reporters here. He added the kits were being returned after field validation tests showed a wide variation in the results. A controversy erupted as a court battle between the importer Chennai-based Matrix Labs and distributor Real Metabolics over payment for the test kits revealed a massive difference between the procurement price of the vaccine and its selling price to the government. The importer procured the kit at Rs 245 a piece and sold it to the government at Rs 600 a piece. When the entire country is fighting against the COVID-19 pandemic, some people are still trying to earn profits using unscrupulous ways. Such a corrupt mindset makes me cringe. The country will never pardon them, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said. That any human being would try & profiteer from the immeasurable suffering of millions of his brothers & sisters, is beyond belief & comprehension. This scam is an insult to every Indian. I urge the PM to act swiftly to bring the corrupt to justice, Rahul said. His remarks came after a trial in Delhi High Court revealed massive profiteering and over-pricing by a firm in the Covid-19 kits supplied to the ICMR. Congress leaders went on the offensive accusing the Modi government of purchasing testing kits for Rs 600 per piece against the landed price of Rs 245. In Chennai, the opposition DMK accused the AIADMK-led Tamil Nadu government of buying the kits independently at inflated prices. A lot of the dialogue that I heard when the numbers were first coming out that black and brown people were being disproportionately affected by this in terms of deaths from COVID-19 there was a lot of blame of black people, particularly about black people not sheltering in place, not respecting social distancing, theyre not doing what theyre supposed to do, said Dr. Kerri Lockhart, a pediatrician at Rush University Medical Center, who has rebounded from her bout with coronavirus. There are some people who are victim blaming. That narrative is dangerous for a lot of reasons, but for patients, if they internalize that and they feel responsible that they got COVID-19 through some fault of their own, then thats when you start that cloud of people feeling shameful about it. And that can snowball into a place of stigma. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday that other permanent members of the United Nations Security Council have agreed to hold an online five-way summit, proposed by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Interfax news agency reported. Leaders of China, the United States, France, Britain and Russia are going to discuss international peace and security measures. Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said last week that preparations were underway for a summit of the five permanent members of the Security Council. "The exact date for the video conference has not been designated yet," he noted. A food delivery courier rides his bicycle on an empty Red Square in Moscow, Russia, April 23, 2020. /AP China called on the summit to "deliver a clear message of unanimity" on supporting international cooperation to fight the coronavirus. "The COVID-19 pandemic is still spreading around the world. It can only be stopped and defeated by international solidarity and cooperation," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said at a regular press briefing on Thursday. "China holds a positive attitude towards all initiatives that will help the global efforts against the virus," Geng added. "We believe that the summit needs to deliver a clear message of unanimity on supporting the international anti-epidemic cooperation." Confirmed COVID-19 cases have topped 2.9 million globally, with the death toll surpassing 206,000, according to the latest statistics released by Johns Hopkins University. (With input from Reuters) By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 04/27/2020 ADVERTISEMENT FOLLOW REALITY TV WORLD ON THE ALL-NEW GOOGLE NEWS! Reality TV World is now available on the all-new Google News app and website. Click here to visit our Google News page, and then click FOLLOW to add us as a news source! ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade. star Jonathan Francetic and former expert Jessica Griffin have shared some of the results of their recent engagement photo shoot with fans, a year after Jonathan popped the question.Jonathan and Jessica, who are currently in the process of planning their wedding, both took to Instagram recently to share about a dozen beautiful photos from their engagement shoot, which took place at Ventosa Vineyards in the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York -- the destination that will also serve as the couple's wedding venue."Hard to believe it's been a year since he asked me to marry him (well no he didn't initially because he was so nervous he couldn't speak...)... Timely that we get our engagement photo session back exactly a year after he popped the question," Jessica wrote alongside a series of photos on April 14."Just starting to sift through them all which makes me happy and is a good distraction right now! This is just a tiny sampling of the over a thousand amazing shots by @tellier.studios and captures so much of our relationship in pix. That eyebrow tho on @jon_francetic in the first pic is life. #flxwedding #flxweddingphotography #flxwine @ventosavyds."In the photos of Jessica and Jonathan laughing, flirting, kissing and embracing, Jonathan wore a zipped-up blue sweater with a nice collared shirt underneath and blue jeans, and Jessica looked beautiful in a white embroidered top with blue jeans and brown boots with a small heel.Jessica also wore her blonde hair down, curled and flowing, and she accented her look with turquoise earrings.Jonathan captioned a different slideshow of photos on the same day, "So this one time, a year ago, we got engaged... and now we have all the photos from the engagement shoot and here are just a few! Photo cred: @tellier.studios @dr.jessicagriffin #flxwedding."The couple announced on March 15 they had taken their engagement photos at Ventosa Vineyards."Despite everything going on around us, we will always have each other. I'm so grateful to be hanging on to this man today, tomorrow, and always... [Our photographer captured] so many moments between us and even working in a few shots with the donkeys at Ventosa who I am slightly obsessed with," Jessica shared last month.Along with her post, Jessica shared a picture in which she had her arms wrapped around Jonathan's neck."Also, she had zero judgment while we were shooting in 30 something degree weather while I'm a thin bare shoulder summer dress which called for wine drinking from back of car," Jessica continued in her post."And multiple sweater breaks. Can't wait to see what she and her husband do for our wedding at Ventosa @ventosavyds. This photo is one of 1500+ she took!... Thanks, Jen for putting up with our shenanigans. Will post more in the coming weeks! #flxweddings #weddingphotography #engagementphotos."As for Jonathan, he had uploaded an image of the pair kissing in a barren field by the water."We've done photo shoots before, but it was cold yesterday and @dr.jessicagriffin froze a bit (fortunately the wine helps with that) and all the trees are hibernating so there wasn't as much to work with... but she saw this picture and said 'omg I love it!'" Jonathan wrote at the time."Thanks @tellier.studios for braving the weather with us for the engagement shoot, can't wait to see the rest, and so excited for you guys to do our wedding! #flxwedding @ventosavyds."Jonathan and Jessica, a licensed psychologist, met while filming Season 6 of . Jessica matched and counseled Jonathan's marriage to Molly Duff during the MAFS season that was based in the Boston area.Jessica is an associate professor at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester, MA, which is about 45 minutes west of Boston. Originally from Ohio, she has three children from a previous marriage.After Molly and Jonathan split midway through the filming of 's sixth season, Jessica and Jonathan later sparked up a romance that was considered scandalous when the news first broke.Following several months of speculation that Jessica and Jonathan were dating based on social-media postings that seemed to show them making separate postings from the same places around the same times, the couple finally went public with their romance in August 2018 -- about four months after 's sixth-season finale aired on Lifetime.Critics accused Jonathan and Jessica of engaging in an "inappropriate" relationship that reflected poorly on Jessica's professionalism and credibility.Jessica, however, insisted she did not have an actual client/therapist or doctor/patient relationship with Jonathan at any point during production and outside companies are hired to conduct the psychological evaluations of 's cast members.Jonathan and Jessica's backstory was further complicated by the fact that 's sixth season had shown Jessica being unusually confrontational with Molly when she met with Jonathan and Molly after they had a blowout fight that resulted in the end of their marriage."I understand you don't like my honesty, but I don't like your lies," Jessica scolded Molly, saying she didn't believe Molly's claims that the couple's fight happened to be the first time she had spoken to Jonathan in the belligerent manner she was shown in a video Jonathan had recorded.But Jonathan has claimed he had no chemistry with Jessica while filming and didn't even like her at the time. Jonathan said he and Jessica only formed a bond after filming wrapped."Once I got to know her, I realized how great she was and fell in love. That's why I locked that down!" he said in a 2019 interview.Jonathan and Jessica got engaged in April 2019 shortly after People reported Jessica was leaving her role as a relationship expert on after appearing on three seasons of the Lifetime reality series, as well as its : Honeymoon Island spinoff.Jessica was replaced by Dr. Viviana Coles, a psychotherapist, on Season 9 of , and Viviana also chose to star on the show for Season 10.Jonathan and Jessica have already set a wedding date for their nuptials at Ventosa Vineyards.Comprised of eleven long and narrow lakes that were created by glaciers, the Finger Lakes region is famous for its many wineries.In November 2019, the couple -- who live in Massachusetts but enjoy taking road trips around New England and New York -- visited the upstate New York region again to continue their wedding planning "Wedding planning weekend in the Finger Lakes with this handsome guy. @jon_francetic," Jessica captioned an Instagram photo of the pair.just concluded its tenth season with a reunion special that aired on Wednesday night. Only one couple left the reunion still married, Jessica Studer and Austin Hurd Molly is expected to share her opinion on Jonathan and Jessica's relationship on the upcoming : Where Are They Now? special airing Wednesday, May 6 at 8PM ET/PT on Lifetime.'s eleventh season is "coming soon," according to Lifetime, and will star five new couples based in New Orleans, LA.Interested in more news? Join our Married at First Sight Facebook Group Pair of leopard figures, now in Her Majesty, the Queen of the United Kingdom, Admiral Rawson Collection. London, UK. The commanders of the British Punitive Expedition force to Benin in 1897 sent the pair of leopards to the British Queen soon after the looting and burning of Benin City. 27.04.2020 LISTEN We, Europeans, who have received and transmitted and continue to transmit these objects, are on the side of the conquerors. To a certain extent, this is also a heritage that weighs us down. But there is no fatality. The good news is that in 2017 the history of Europe being what it is and has also been for centuries, a history of enmity between our nations of bloody wars and discriminations painfully overcome after the Second World War, we have within ourselves the sources and resources to understand the sadness, or the anger or hatred of those who, in other tropics, much further away, poorer, weaker, and have been subjected in the past to the intensive absorbing power of our continent. Or to put it simply: it would be sufficient today to make a very tiny effort of introspection and a slight step aside for us to enter into empathy with the dispossessed peoples. Benedicte Savoy (1) We read with great interest a recent article in the Art Newspaper online of 17th April 2020, entitled Looted Benin treasures to go online in international project led by Hamburg museum. The subtitle declares that Project is backed by Ernst von Siemens foundation which seeks a more factual focus to the discussions about restitution.(2) According to the report, the project is spearheaded by Hamburgs Museum am Rothenbaum to unite 5,000 Benin art treasures consisting of wood, bronze and ivory objects that were looted by a British invasion force in in Benin in1897. The report adds that these Benin artefacts are spread round the world. Our readers will remember that the looted Benin artefacts are not spread around the world but are concentrated in Western museums. We were somewhat surprised by the figure of 5000 mentioned in the report. We have always assumed that the total number of artefacts looted by the British troops in Benin in 1897 was between 3000 and 3500. Barbara Plankensteiner in her book, Benin, puts the figure at 2,400-4,000 whilst Prince Edun Akenzua in his Memorandum to the British Parliament in 2000 put the total figure at more than 3000. The report further states that the Ernst von Siemens foundation has allocated more than Euro1.2m for the project planned in co-operation with the Benin Dialogue Group. The team organising this platform to be launched in 2022 is led by Barbara Plankensteiner, director of the Museum am Rothenbaum, Hamburg. Readers will recall that when 3 Benin artefacts were found by the Hamburg Arts and Craft Museum to have been undoubtedly looted, they were not returned to Benin City but handed over to the Museum at Rothenbaum which now holds 200 looted Benin artefacts. It is reported that the secretary-general of the Ernst von Siemens Foundation, Martens Hoermes, declared that :My wish is that this project adds a more factual focus to the discussions about restitution in providing a reliable basis for the assessment of the holdings and promotes a non-confrontational exchange and co-operation. Obviously, the Foundation has been advised by a one-sided group with its own interest in mind that did not give a true history of the question of the restitution of Benin artefacts since the notorious looting in 1897. The Secretary-General of the Ernst von Siemen Foundation has clearly not been informed that the European Museums, including the British Museum, have not been ready to giving full account of their holdings and that even today, we do not know exactly how many of the looted artefacts are held by the venerable museum in Bloomsbury.. A museum such as the Ethnological Museum, Berlin. that has given us some idea about its holdings has, often given us variable figures, no doubt due to exchange, sale, and other transfers. Moreover, the creation of the Humboldt Forum has tended to throw even more doubt about the numbers and their whereabouts. Is Mr. Hoermes aware that the European museums have always refused to restitute any of the stolen artefacts and have only poured scorn and contempt on African efforts to recover artefacts looted during the oppressive, racist, and cruel European colonial rule? European museums, with some other allies no doubt, consider any request for restitution as confrontational by Africans who did not crawl before them in awe and humility but insisted on the rights of Africans as human beings whose rights have been violated by violent colonial plunderers. Their expectations are disturbed by simple demands for justice by Africans who see through all their baseless arguments. It is of course left to any group of persons or institutions to make up their own views about colonial rule, its plunders and oppression. Most Africans take the view, also accepted by President Macron, that colonialism was a crime against humanity. European oppressive domination in most parts of Africa was clearly not with the consent of the Africans thus subjected to oppressive alien domination. The United Nations has been calling for restitution of looted African artefacts since 1972 but the holders of the looted artefacts have paid no attention. Indeed, it is only after the recent Sarr-Savoy report in 2018 that many European museums have shown any interest in discussing restitution. (3) But even now European museums have not reconciled themselves to the idea that it is time to return the African treasures stolen over hundred years ago. They have offered all sorts of excuses and explanations for their unwillingness or inability to accept that stealing the property of others is wrong. They have offered in the past digitalization as alternative to physical restitution of looted objects. How do we know that the present project of putting 5000 looted artefacts online, a worthwhile project in itself, is not largely motivated by an abiding desire to postpone restitution? It could be presumed that the digitalization of 5000 artefacts could provide a legitimate excuse for not restituting the Benin artefacts. Indeed, the Benin Dialogue Group which is said to be cooperating with the project has decisively rejected restitution of the Benin artefacts. It may also interest Hoermes to recall that other foundations have decided to put $15m at the disposal of projects demanding restitution of looted African artefacts. The considerations leading to such a decision may be very revealing and fruitful, concentrating on the facts of African deprivation and European intransigence which is, in the end, the continuation of arrogance, racism and prolongation of a desire and determination to dominate Africans. The Siemens Foundation may wish to examine what has led to what they consider as confrontation. They would realize that this situation has been brought about largely by the refusal of the holders of looted objects to admit once and for all that the colonial period, with its racist and fascist methods of violence, has left many people in Africa without most of their artefacts. It is surely no accident that the examination of the German colonial robbery of artefacts and human remains has led directly to examination of German colonial domination in Africa and its pre-Nazi methods, laying bare the relations between Nazism and German colonial methods. The extermination order of Lothar von Trotha, Maji-Maji atrocities and German genocide of the Herero and Nama all immediately spring to mind. One realises that the evil methods of the Nazis evolved from experiences and methods of German colonialism that were further developed. Concentration camps, forced unpaid labour, racist confiscations of properties and cattle, and atrocities exercised against African women appear in their naked nature of unlimited evil and desire for material gains at the expense of African peoples considered racially inferior, as proclaimed by Dr. Eugen Fischer and Felix von Luschan. This is where one should look for explanations of the emotional and moral dilemmas of those involved in attempts to defend indefensible oppression and domination and not in any confrontational restitution debates. In other words, the acrimony and moral confusion that are revealed in recent debates are not inherent in the restitution demands themselves. They result from the unwillingness or inability of Europeans to acknowledge the evil nature of colonial methods. Europeans generally condemn and acknowledge the evil racist nature of the Nazi regime and methods. They are willing to apologize for the genocide and atrocities exercised against European victims of Nazi brutalities and crimes, but they are not willing to do the same for Africans. Traditional racism prevents them from saying sorry to Africans This patent racism involves them in all kinds of unimaginable difficulties. This is the background of recent discussions on restitutions. The difficulties in discussing restitution lie far beyond artefacts and are much deeper that they appear. They go to the roots of the relationship between Africans and Europeans. That is why the sub-title of the Sarr-Savoy report is: Toward a New Relational Ethics. Many have clearly not understood the significance of this sub-title. Hoermes should read some of the writings and statements by German ministers and officials. One recalls various disgraceful attacks on Benedicte Savoy when the Sarr-Savoy report came out recommending restitution of African artefacts taken away without the consent of their owners. Some high officials tried to present Dr. Savoy as an ignorant person, unaware of museums and their problems whilst refusing to accord to Professor Savoy the respect due to a professor at College de France and at the Technical University Berlin. Some even went as far as to say that Felwine Sarr, a professor of Economics from Senegal, had not even visited a museum before he was appointed by President Macron to examine the issues of restitution and present a report. The low level of thought and behaviour when African interests oblige Europeans to make concessions or face their own historical responsibility towards Africa, seems to know no limits. Anyone who carefully studies the history of the restitution debate will realize that almost every argument presented by the holders of looted artefacts involves an insult to the African peoples. Statements that Africans cannot look after their own artefacts that have been stolen with military violence by Europeans amount to racial insults. Constant attacks on the quality of African museums involve aspersions on the abilities of African museum officials and their governments. These feeble arguments have nothing to do with the question of ownership and restitution. Such arguments would not be offered to victims of Nazi spoliation who are mainly of European origin. Incidentally, there is as yet no study comparing in detail the approach of German governments to restitution for victims of Nazi oppression and their approach to restitution for African victims of German colonization. Such a study could reveal interesting perspectives. We have never heard anyone use the word confrontational with respect to discussions between German authorities and representatives of victims of Nazi atrocities and confiscations. The two sides seem to respect each other, and the demands are recognized as reasonable and, in many cases, supported by law. They do not in anyway put in question the status quo. When Africans present demands to European officials we have two sides where traditionally, one side does not really respect the other. The demands by Africans are considered as unreasonable and not provided by the law. They are seen as attempting to upset the status quo by asking for what many European scholars consider as unreasonable: they seek the return of their looted artefacts that Europeans stole and have kept for over hundred years. They challenge the European order which considers as legitimate the keeping of looted artefacts of Africans and other peoples. Indeed, many have banned moral considerations from restitution discussions. Europeans have become so used to insulting Africans that they no longer recognize insults such as offering to loan to Africans their looted artefacts by the same people that stole them in the first place. Imagine someone who has stolen my Mercedes Benz generously offering to loan it to me for a short period! When Africans have asked for restitution of their looted artefacts, Europeans have declared that there has been no request for restitution. Anyone who challenges unfounded European assertions is considered to be confrontational. Our former colonial masters do not recognize in plain talk the humiliated and fearful, diffident Africans they are used to and actually feel threatened by anyone who insists on the human rights of African peoples to own and determine the location and use of their own artefacts. The arrogance and hypocrisy of Europeans in this area are simply astonishing. Our contemporary Europeans have generally not shown themselves any different or better than their predecessors who actually stole African artefacts with violence. They still repeat the arguments and insults of past centuries. They may condemn colonialism but are unwilling to return any of the objects colonialists stole from Africa. In view of the colossal damages that Africans suffered from Europeans in slavery and colonialism with massacres and other atrocities, and the wealth Europeans gained that still forms part of their economic power, are confrontational restitution discussions a big price for Europeans to pay? We were intrigued by the image of the pair of Benin leopards sculpture that the Art Newspaper used in its report and were reminded of the great Ekpo Eyos statement about establishing museums in Nigeria: And in Benin, where some of the famous Benin bronzes left after the British Punitive Expedition of 1897 are exhibited. However, most of the items now on display were brought back to the country as a result of open sales and private negotiations after Nigeria's independence in 1960. Sadly, some pieces on display today in the museum are replicas of the original Benin pieces taken away during the Punitive Expedition and sold in England to defray the costs of the expedition. Appeals were made by Nigeria during some UNESCO (United Nations Scientific, Cultural and Educational Organization) conferences for the return of someonly some! of the looted pieces, but these appeals yielded not a single response.(4) The British Museum that has never wanted to return looted artefacts, sold Benin artefacts to Nigeria. The museum instigated the issuance of the notorious Declaration on the Importance and Value of Universal Museums(2002) which it cleverly did not sign since it wanted to use the statement as a shield against claims by Greece to the Parthenon Marbles and all other claims from those who have not accepted quietly the looting of their artefacts. On looking up information on the leopards sculpture, we read the following from Plankensteiner: This pair of altar figures has had an eventful history. In 1930 they were purchased. Originally owned by an expedition member, they were purchased by Charles Raton, who presented them at the major Benin expedition at the Trocadero in Paris in 1932,and again in 1935 in the historic exhibition African Negro Art at New Yorks Museum of Modern Art. They were subsequently acquired by Louis Carre and were purchased for the new national museum in Lagos in 1952.(5) A pair of brass leopard figures, National Commission for Museums and Monuments, Nigeria. Was the choice of this pair of leopards rather than the pair in the Queen of the United Kingdom, Admiral Rawson Collection, for the newspaper article accidental? Do we see here an attempt to say that the Nigerian National Commission also has some of the Benin artefacts looted in 1897 without pointing out how they were acquired? Is this an effort to reduce the moral burden on the European museums and States? When the propaganda in favour of substituting digital versions for physical returns of Benin artefacts to the owners, was raging, we decided to make virtual visits to the major museums holding looted Benin artefacts. The aim was to see if these presentations could in anyway be substituted for physical returns. Our conclusion was: an emphatic negation of any proposition that virtual vision is anywhere near an adequate alternative to physical restitution of looted artefacts. Indeed, in view of our experience, one wonders on what basis anyone could even dare to think of proposing virtual vision as alternative to physical restitution of looted cultural artefacts. (6) The European museums could also consider making replicas of the objects that interest them whilst the originals are returned to the legitimate owners in Benin. Queen-mother Idia, Benin, Nigeria, now in Humboldt Forum, Berlin, Germany. Would she come back home to Benin City on a temporary loan or would she remain a virtual personality or return unconditionally? Undoubtedly, technology has advanced considerably since our last virtual visit to the major museums but the fundamental objections of principle we raised about the adequacy of substituting virtual representation for the physical looted objects still remain. Should technological advances make virtual representation as good as the physical objects, this logic would also apply to arguing that the European museums have no reason for keeping the physical objects which should be returned to the owners. Europeans do not practise Benin culture. Are we to see in this effort of digitalization a silent consensus of the parties to move from restitution to digitalization without raising the issue of restitution? The issue of restitution excites and irritates Europeans whenever it is raised, and some Africans may have resigned themselves to this fact and prefer to concentrate on whatever they can obtain from Europeans. But the majority of Nigerians and other Africans do not share this opinion. They ask themselves whether Europeans must always win. Many Africans would ask what the whole Benin dialogue was about if the singular important issue facing our cultures, the restitution of those artefacts looted by Europeans, mostly with force, could not be resolved. We wait to see which Benin artefacts would be put online and how long it would take to put online the 5000 artefacts. The time required to implement this project and to complete the new museum in Benin as well as the current pandemic could gain time for the illegal holders of Benin artefacts. They have up to now not admitted that it was wrong to steal African artefacts with violence. We look forward to the completion of this digitalization project which could help us in answering several questions concerning Benin artefacts such as the present whereabouts of the 400 Benin artefacts that were in the Field Museum, Chicago. We will probably know how many of the looted artefacts are still in the Bloomsbury museum. The variable figures given by the Berlin Ethnology Museum could become clearer We should remember that any solution accepted by Nigeria will be used as precedent against other African States such as Ethiopia that have rejected the idea of loans and are asking simply for the restitution of their looted artefacts. Many Africans are looking up to Nigeria to give the right leadership in restitution matters but certainly not at any price. There are many ways to develop relationships besides returning museum objects. Informally, it also appears that the different kinds of collaboration that are currently in progress are important to Nigerian museums. That might explain why Nigeria has not registered any formal demand for the return of the Benin collections, but has preferred to engage in dialogue and cooperation. It seems that Nigeria is chary of bringing the matter to a head. How does one otherwise explain that the National Museum of Nigeria was willing to lend its extensive and unique collection of Ife art to the British Museum for a special exhibition in 2010, without demanding reciprocity?(7) Wilhelm Ostberg, former director Museum of Ethnography, Stockholm. Kwame Opoku. Commemorative head of an Oba, Benin, Nigeria, now in Weltmuseum Wien, Austria. NOTES 1. Benedicte Savoy, Objets du desir. Desir dobjets Histoire culturelle du patrimoine artistique en Europe. XVIIIeXXe siecles Lecon inaugurale prononcee au College de France le 30 mars 2017 https://www.college-de-france.fr/site/en-benedicte-savoy/inaugural-lecture-2017-03-30-18h00.htm 2. Looted Benin treasures to go online in international project led ...www.theartnewspaper.com news benin-treasures-ha.. 3. Felwine Sarr and Benedicte Savoy, The Restitution of African Cultural Heritage. Toward a New Relational Ethics..restitution report2018.com sarr_savoy_en 4. Ekpo Eyo, From Shrines to Showcases: Masterpieces of Nigerian Art, 2010, Federal Ministry of Information and Communication, Abuja, p.32. 5. Barbara Plankensteiner, Benin, 5 Continents Editions, Milan, 2010, p.115.6. 6. K .Opoku, Virtual Visits To Museums Holding Looted Benin Objects www.modernghana.com news virtual-visits-to-muse.. 7. Wilhelm Ostberg, former director of Museum of Ethnography, Stockholm, was reflecting on the collaboration between Nigerian authorities and Western museums, including his own museum which staged an exhibition on Benin art, Wilhelm Ostberg, Whose Objects? Art Treasures from the Kingdom of Benin in the collection of the Museum of Ethnography, Stockholm, 2010, p.68. Oba Ovonramwen in whose reign the British looted the Benin Bronzes with guards on board a ship on his way to exile in Calabar in 1897. The gown he is wearing hides his shackles. Photograph by the Ibani Ijo photographer J. A. Green. From the Howie photo album in the archives of the Merseyside Maritime Museum (Repeats story first published on April 26, text unchanged) By Sara Rossi and Emilio Parodi MILAN, April 26 (Reuters) - The coronavirus crisis has left Italy's northern economic powerhouse a disaster zone and raised awkward questions for far-right opposition leader Matteo Salvini's League party, which has dominated the region's politics for years. Ever since its creation as a separatist movement in the 1980s, the League's heartland has been in the prosperous small towns of Lombardy around the financial capital Milan, the area that has now borne the brunt of the COVID-19 crisis. Under Salvini's leadership, the League has become Italy's strongest party, mixing nativist and anti-immigration policies with harsh criticism of the European Union that has at times included threats to quit the euro. But the crisis in his home region has dented Salvini's once all-conquering image, making it harder to land attacks on Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte's coalition government in Rome, which Salvini quit spectacularly last year in a failed attempt to force a new election. Two months after the first outbreak of COVID-19 in a small town outside Milan, Lombardy remains one of the world's worst-hit regions, accounting for half of Italy's 26,000 dead. As local families have seen elderly relatives dying alone in overflowing hospitals or nursing homes, the League-led regional government, which runs the health system, has faced increasing criticism from its own supporters. "For us seeing the hospitals full and the ambulances that didn't arrive was unthinkable," said Ivan Dallagrassa, who runs a building company in Gorno near Bergamo and lost an uncle and probably an aunt to COVID-19. "At the last elections I voted for the League because I liked Salvini but I wouldn't do it again." The troubles in Lombardy have started to undermine national support for the party, which had already been losing ground to parties like the right-wing Brothers of Italy group, while Conte has enjoyed sky-high approval ratings of over 60 percent. A poll on Sunday by the Ipsos institute for the Corriere della Sera newspaper put the League on 25.4 percent, down from 31.1 a month ago, accelerating a steady slide since it took 34.3 to become the largest party in European elections a year ago. Story continues HALF OF ITALY'S DEAD The regional government has been criticised for communication missteps, policy zig-zags, lack of early testing and failing to procure enough protective equipment. Magistrates have begun investigating a wave of deaths in the region's nursing homes. Salvini's own position, like those of many politicians on all sides, has shifted during the crisis. Early on he blamed foreigners, demanding to close Italy's borders; he was then a sceptic of shutting down business, before ultimately joining calls for a strict lockdown. Whatever stance he has taken on the national level, his fortunes are tied to the performance of his party in administering the region it dominates. Local officials point to actions they have taken, including setting up a huge emergency hospital, bringing in millions of protective masks and setting aside billions of euros to boost the economy. "There's no justification for these attacks," regional governor Attilio Fontana, a close Salvini ally, told local TV station ETV last week, saying much of the criticism was motivated by "political speculation". But while criticism from opponents may be predictable, many normally sympathetic voices have also expressed deep misgivings. "The main criticism I would make of the management of this crisis by the region of Lombardy is organisational failure," said Roberto Francese, who heads a centre-right administration as mayor of Robbio, 50 kilometres southwest of Milan. Lombardy officials have also had to defend pre-crisis health reforms, which favoured big hospitals and private sector providers and stripped down local services now seen as vital to treating patients before they end up in intensive care. "Local medical services have gone backwards, it's true," said Lorenzo Demartini, a hospital radiologist and a former League mayor of Mede, near Milan. "They have been dismantled, I can confirm it." By contrast, the League governor in neighbouring Veneto, Luca Zaia, has emerged strengthened from the crisis, widely praised for decisive action backed by a strong local health system that kept hospital admissions down. While the League has weathered previous storms, Lorenzo Pregliasco, head of political analysis firm Youtrend, said the "mishandling of a huge crisis affecting ordinary people" was a very different problem from the financial scandals that regularly blight Italian politics. "The party's appeal is based on Salvini's charismatic leadership but also on a reputation for pragmatic and effective government at local level," he said. "That has been damaged." (Additional reporting by Elvira Pollina, Gavin Jones, James Mackenzie Writing by James Mackenzie Editing by Peter Graff) but is it free for veterans though? if not, he can loganroy-fuckoff.mp3 Reply Thread Link https://headfit.org/home/ Looks like it is. Looks like it is. Reply Parent Thread Link thank you! Reply Parent Thread Link Yay Reply Thread Link this seems like a great and needed thing! yay he's not totally useless! Reply Thread Link To his credit, Harry wasn't totally useless when he was doing royal duties. He did some good things like set up the Invictus Games which actually gets lots of publicity for veterans/military. Veterans affairs has been his cause from the beginning so hes really just continuing that. Reply Parent Thread Link That's a good Initiative! I'm glad he's continuing to help the military vets, this is what he should focus on. Reply Thread Link GO AWAY UGLY Reply Thread Link Thats nice... accessible entryway mental health care like this is important. Reply Thread Link Ive always felt like his eagerness behind mental health is genuine. IMO you can usually tell when someone is speaking from the heart with that stuff vs just reading stats. Reply Thread Link He seems to find fulfillment in his charity work. I think it's super cool what he's done with the Invictus Games and Sentebale. I also think it's touching that he's continued to be involved with Diana's causes, like reducing the stigma on HIV/AIDS and the Halo Trust. The footage from last year when he visited the same minefield in Angola... I was moved, ngl. Reply Parent Thread Link Damn, Harry's 2 years away from joining the half-bald club. It's crazy when you realize Charles still got a decent hairline but his sons didn't pick these genes up Reply Thread Link Iirc baldness comes from the mother. Reply Parent Thread Link Crossing my fingers for baby Archie. Isn't Meghan's dumbass sperm donor father bald, too? GOOD LUCK, ARCHIEEEE Reply Parent Thread Link I really like the idea of integrating mental health "fitness" into this, making it clear it's something that can be worked on and in different ways. A lot of other things I've seen tailored to veterans mental health have been really outdated and often left people feeling like they were just their diagnosis. Edited at 2020-04-27 11:27 pm (UTC) Reply Thread Link Me too. Your mind is a part of your body and it take work to keep fit, rehab, get healthy. Reply Parent Thread Link Harry isnt attached to this any longer. This was something that was planned between him and the Cambridges but its going to be basically the latters from here on out. The video of Harry was filmed last year, thats why its so much more professional than anything hes done since. Reply Thread Link Yeah. It stayed under the umbrella of the Royal Foundation after Harry and Meghan left. This was a project in partnership with the Heads Together campaign. Supposedly Harry and Meghan would still be involved with Heads Together but idk how it's gonna go. Harry's been involved for years, even after separating from the Foundation last year. His name's all over the press for this right now. It seems like he hasn't just peaced out. Reply Parent Thread Link Well that's interesting! thanks for explaining Reply Parent Thread Link If youve been following developments in the COVID-19 pandemic and who hasnt? youve probably heard the experts talk about modeling. For the uninitiated, modeling simply means using data the more, the better to map contagious disease spread and predict what will happen next. George Box, a famous English statistician, once stated, All models are wrong. Some are useful. New Mexico has developed a very useful model. Public health officials everywhere are using models to make informed policy decisions that will effectively and consistently slow COVID-19 transmission and prevent a surge that would overwhelm our ability to care for patients. These forecasts predict demand for general hospital beds, ICU beds and ventilators, as well as forecasting daily and cumulative deaths due to COVID-19. The best models are based on the best data including data unique to each state. The New Mexico model is the work of 25 experts from around the state. It includes characteristics of the virus from other countries and other parts of the United States and applies them to the unique population characteristics of our state. Our New Mexico model is the only one that includes county population demographics, disease burdens of populations by county, social determinants of health, supply of health care resources and other variables. This is important because New Mexico has a much higher proportion of vulnerable people than almost all other states. Our team meets weekly to update the model based on new case information. The result: A robust and useful model that can be modified daily with our own data. The model predicts two important dates for the state as a whole and for each county: 1. The surge date, which is when hospitals will have insufficient resources general beds, ICU beds, ventilators needed to handle the surge of COVID patients at their baseline/fully staffed capacity. This date varies by county. 2. The peak date, which is when each county will see its maximal number of cases in one day and hospitals will see their maximum volume, above licensed capacity. This date also varies by county. The model also predicts New Mexicos doubling rate an estimation of how many days it takes for the number of coronavirus cases to double. The New Mexico model follows the epidemiologic standard, which is based on the average daily growth rate since the pandemic started here. A simpler method looks only at more recent data, and ours does show a longer doubling time. However, were sticking with the standard because it allows us to compare how New Mexico is doing compared to other states. The really good news is that the standard doubling time in New Mexico has gone from 1.9 to 5.2 days. And it has taken 11 days for the case count to double from April 9 to April 20. Health Secretary Kathy Kunkel and our governor have done an incredible job rapidly ramping up testing to make New Mexico one of the leading states in this regard. But much more testing is needed, especially of vulnerable populations and in areas where testing rates are low, to further refine our model and better understand the level of COVID exposure in New Mexico. Our evidence-based modeling assumes that for every confirmed COVID-19 case there are four additional cases in the population. However, a brouhaha erupted recently between statisticians when studies in San Francisco and Los Angeles suggested a ratio of 50 or greater unknown cases for each known case. Brouhahas between statisticians are rare; statistics geeks should definitely check it out. The number of unidentified cases, of course, has bearing on reopening strategies as it tells us there are more people with possible COVID immunity potentially good, but also more active infections out there definitely bad. As we collect more data, we are using national standards to classify each element case counts, hospitalizations, deaths and recoveries, for example. And the best news of all from this weeks model update is that we have flattened the curve! It now appears that both our surge and peak levels have decreased. Combine that with a Medical Advisory Team expansion of delivery system pandemic planning across the state that has dramatically increased the number of potential ICU beds, our most scarce resource, and it appears that we are very close to being able to provide care to everyone who needs an ICU bed for COVID-19 at our peak. We still have significant hot spots, particularly in the northwest region of our state. We will be making more county-level modeling data available online very soon. Our goal for our New Mexico model is to provide our leaders with a useful, accurate and continuously adjustable tool to help them make informed decisions to effectively and consistently slow the transmission of COVID-19. But the results we are now seeing are not due to the model itself, but rather the result of the decisions made by the vast majority of New Mexicans to stay at home and make the difficult social distancing changes in your lives that actually have already saved the lives of many of our neighbors. Thank you for that. Poland sees acute shortage of labor force, mulls charter flights for Ukrainian seasonal workers 12:40, 27.04.20 9083 The country is facing a threat of losing part of this season's crops if no measures are taken. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Apr. 27 By Rufiz Hafizoglu Trend: The export of jewelry from Turkey to Georgia decreased by nearly 31.2 percent from January through March 2020, compared to the same period in 2019, amounting to $608,000, Turkish Ministry of Trade told Trend on April 27. The export of jewelry from Turkey to Georgia also decreased by 67.8 percent in March 2020, compared to March 2019, amounting to $147,000. The export of jewelry from Turkey to the world markets grew by 9.6 percent from January through March 2020, compared to the same period of 2019, amounting to $894.6 million. Jewelry exports from Turkey amounted to 2.1 percent of the country's total export from January through March 2020. Turkey exported jewelry worth $230.6 million to the world markets in March 2020, which is 22.5 percent less than in the same period in 2019. Turkish jewelry exports amounted to 1.7 percent of the country's total exports in March 2020. Turkey exported jewelry worth $4.2 billion from March 2019 through March 2020. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is back in the driving seat after recovering from COVID-19 though it is still too early to lift the coronavirus lockdown, a junior health minister said on Monday. "He will be back in the driving seat as we speak, getting on with the job," said Edward Argar, a junior health minister, told Sky. "He is raring to be back and he is full of energy as you would expect and I think he will be meeting this morning with senior ministers, senior advisers and being brought fully up to speed on everything that has happened and that will happen in the coming days," he said. (Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge and Kate Holton; Editing by William Schomberg) Amazing rock art depicting woolly mammoths and rhinos were created by an ancient man at least 15,000 years ago, says a new study. The petroglyphs straddling the border between Russia and Mongolia are 7,000 years older than previously thought. The finds at the ancient alfresco 'art gallery' have been confirmed in a detailed study by scientists. Mammoth image discovered at Baga-Oygur III, an excavation site in Mongolia, in the early 2000s The team looked at etchings on the Ukok plateau, Russias Altai Republic, as well as Baga-Oygur and Tsagaan-Salaa in northwestern Mongolia They depict rhinoceroses and the extinct woolly mammoths, rather than fantastical creatures with trunks, as earlier suspected. It is known the woolly beasts became extinct in this region some 15,000 years ago which means the rock depictions by Palaeolithic artists are at least this old. While most of the drawings were found in the 1990s and 2000s, new etchings have helped the team describe what they actually depict. The unique open air collection spans the frontier area between Kalgutinsky Rudnik at the high Ukok plateau in Russias Altai Republic, and the locations of Baga-Oygur and Tsagaan-Salaa in northwestern Mongolia. There was a dispute between experts over whether the drawings showed extinct woolly mammoths or fantastical creatures with trunks Photograph of a mammoth calf inscription, which was discovered at rock Baga-Oygur III in 2017 While the petroglyphs are in different countries, the distance between them is only about 12.5 miles (20km). At Baga-Oygur II site, a research team found a new image of a long-gone woolly rhinoceros. The animal is recognisable with a squat torso, short powerful legs, a characteristic tail, and an elongated muzzle with its exaggeratedly enlarged two horns, reported The Siberian Times. Top, petroglyphs of the 'Kalgutinsky' style at Kalgutinsky Rudnik (Ukok Plateau, Russian Altai) and bottom, the same style at Baga-Oygur and Tsagaan-Salaa (Mongolian Altai) Inscription of a long-gone woolly rhino at Baga-Oygur II in northwestern Mongolia, just over 7.8 inches long (20cm) Another new image at Baga-Oygur III evidently shows a mammoth calf, said the Russian, Mongolian and French researchers. Images of mammoths at Baga-Oygur and Tsagaan-Salaa are similar to those known in the classic Upper Paleolithic cave art of Western Europe, researchers said. The scientists also concluded that the artists worked with stone rather than metal implements, another sign of the great age of the pictures. Two mammoth etchings and their place of discovery at Baga-Oygur II, also found in the early 2000s Vyacheslav Molodin at the Kalgutinsky Rudnik site in Russia, close to the Mongolian border, in 2017 They used an identical so-called Kalgutinsky style for the Russian and Mongolian petroglyphs, which include other animals, spanning the modern-day frontier. Researchers say specific stylistic features and the proximity the sites, suggest 'they should be regarded as a special group', which they have termed the 'Kalgutinsky' style, which is similar to European Upper Paleolithic rock art. The scientific study 'The Kalgutinsky Style in the Rock Art of Central Asia' was published in Archaeology, Ethnology & Anthropology of Eurasia issued by Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography in Novosibirsk. Ordinary members of the public are to be allowed to quiz Government ministers at the televised daily press conference, it was revealed today. One question at the 5pm grilling will come from an ordinary voter who will pre-record their question to be put to a cabinet minister or science expert. Questions can be submitted via the gov.uk website from now with one person chosen each day to put it to one of people who usually take part in the briefing - usually a minister and two experts. They will have the option to record it as a video message which will later appear on television. But of they do not want to, they can have it asked on their behalf during the programme. No 10 insisted today that the minister taking the press conference, which on some days could be the Prime Minister now he has returned to work, will not be told what the question is before it is asked. It comes after public criticism of some of the question that ministers have faced since the daily press conferences started in March. Environment Secretary George Eustice taking questions at Sunday's live press conference One question at the 5pm grilling will come from an ordinary voter who will pre-record their question to be put to a cabinet minister or science expert In a bid to ensure independence the process for choosing the question is to be handled by polling firm YouGov. And having the question pre-recorded means that the live broadcast can avoid any embarrassing scenes being played out on live television in front of wide audiences. The Prime Minister's official spokesman told reporters today: 'Coroanvirus is the biggest health crisis the UK public has faced in a generation. 'We know people across the UK are making significant sacrifices every day in order to stay at home and protect the NHS, we recognise the huge disruption this is having on their lives, jobs and businesses. 'So it is absolutely right that the public gets the chance to put their questions on the virus and the measures that we took in place directly to the government and to its experts.' Priti Patel made her second appearance at the daily news conferences on Saturday The selected questioner will be chosen by noon each day and the winner is informed by 3pm, two hours ahead of the usual press conference time. They will then be given the choice of either filming themselves asking the question, with the footage played during the press conference, or having their question read out. Anyone over 18 can use an online form to submit their question for consideration. It comes after a poll last week found more than two thirds of people think journalists have not done a good job of holding ministers to account. The survey by Press Gazette asked: 'Do you think journalists have done a good job of holding the Government to account during the daily UK Covid-19 press briefings?' Out of 1,020 respondents to the survey on the industry journal's website between April 14 and 21, some 302 or 30 per cent said 'yes', while 718 or 70 per cent said 'no'. The majority of respondents are likely to have been journalists or others who work in the news industry, which forms the predominant readership of Press Gazette. Reporters had initially attended the briefings in person at Downing Street in London, which have provided updates on the Government's response to the pandemic. But social distancing measures meant they have instead been forced to appear via video link since the country was put into lockdown on March 23. There has been criticism from some quarters that journalists have repeated the same questions asked by others or failed to get a proper response on key issues. Others have claimed reporters are obsessing over one issue or trying to establish who is responsible for decisions at a time when this is perceived by some to be unnecessary. To the editor: Leading is doing. There are daily stories in the media about organizations and individuals throughout the United States showing exceptional leadership in this pandemic and time of need. We can be proud that a number of people and organizations, both large and small, in Midland have also been exemplary. One such example is the "Grub to Go" feature instituted by the Daily News and the Midland Business Alliance, under the excellent leadership of Tony Stamas. They have stepped up and sponsored this important feature for local restaurants and for those of us who miss having meals we don't have to make ourselves. A lot of people want to do something to support front-line workers fighting this pandemic. Cutting out the "Grub to Go" feature, putting it in an envelope along with some money and dropping it off or sending it to first responders, healthcare workers and others is an effective way to support them. It enables the beneficiaries to choose the food they want delivered or picked ups as take-outs. TERENCE MOORE Midland TEHRAN, Iran, April.27 Trend: Iran will be divided into three quarantine zones, while it is expected that religious places in white zones be opened, said Iranian President Hassan Rouhani following the meeting of the National Headquarters to Fight Coronavirus on April 26. "The new criteria will divide the regions in the country into white, yellow and red zones to be announced by the Health Ministry," said Hassan Rouhani, Trend reports citing IRNA. " For example, if a province has no coronavirus patients and the number of recovered cases have been increasing for two weeks, the Health Ministry will announce the region as white zone," the head of state added. "The religious sights and mosques will open for attendance in white zones." "Resuming business activities does not mean that combating coronavirus is over. It can not be said how long the disease would last, since there is no specific vaccine. Thus, people should follow the protocols and observe social distancing," Rouhani added. "So far, 1,100 additional beds were placed at the hospitals alongside 900 ventilators. We are preparing to install more equipment to protect people's health and reduce the number of coronavirus cases," he said. Loan problems The vast economic rescue package that President Trump signed into law last month included $349 billion in low-interest loans for small businesses. The so-called Paycheck Protection Program was supposed to help prevent small companies generally those with fewer than 500 employees in the United States from capsizing as the economy sinks into what looks like a severe recession. But the program has been riddled with problems. Within days of its start, its money ran out, prompting Congress to approve an additional $310 billion in funding that will open for applications on Monday. Countless small businesses were shut out, even as a number of large companies received millions of dollars in aid. Some, including restaurant chains like Ruths Chris and Shake Shack, agreed to return their loans after a public outcry. But dozens of large but lower-profile companies with financial or legal problems have also received large payouts under the program, according to an analysis of the more than 200 publicly traded companies that have disclosed receiving a total of more than $750 million in bailout loans. (New York Times) Featured stories Dr. Deborah Birx, ambassador and White House coronavirus response coordinator, says social distancing likely will continue for several months. (Glen Stubbe, Star Tribune file photo via AP)AP Social distancing could last months, White House coronavirus coordinator says (Washington Post) Tens of thousands descend on beaches amid Southern California heat wave (CBS News) Coronavirus: New Zealand claims no community cases as lockdown eases (BBC) Italy starts to reopen as COVID-19 cases begin to decline (ABC News) Veterans Affairs has provided few answers around coronavirus study, advocates say (NBC News) National news Louisiana police officer fatally shot, another critically injured in standoff with suspect (CNN) Governors say theyll ease virus restrictions, with an abundance of caution (Los Angeles Times) Trump denies he is about to fire Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar (CNN) Outrageous, irresponsible: Governors slam McConnell over bankruptcy comments (NBC News) Last COVID-19 patient leaves USNS Comfort (ABC News) El Paso Walmart shooting victim dies, raising death toll to 23 (CBS News) Vallejo planning commissioner resigns after throwing cat during online meeting (Associated Press) World news A top South Korean official said his country remains confident there have been no unusual developments in North Korea, meaning that rumors that Kim Jong Un, above, is in poor health likely are untrue. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service file photo via AP) Amid mounting speculation, South Korea says Kim Jong Un is alive and well (CNN) Yemen war: Separatists declare autonomous rule in south (BBC) Nearly 2 million Australians download coronavirus tracing app within hours of its release (Reuters) Coronavirus: Boris Johnsons return to work a boost for the country (BBC) China reports Wuhan has zero hospitalized coronavirus patients but the city still hasnt fully reopened (Business Insider) Saudi Arabia ends death penalty for minors and floggings (Associated Press) Netanyahu confident U.S. will allow West Bank annexation in two months (Reuters) The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has criticised President Muhammadu Buhari over his Monday COVID-19 address. In a statement by its spokesperson, Kola Ologbondiyan, the opposition party said Mr Buhari has failed to offer decisive solutions to protect Nigerians from the deadly pandemic. President Muhammadu Buhari had in his broadcast extended the lockdown in Lagos, Abuja and Ogun State by one week. From next week Monday, the president said, the lockdown will be relaxed in the three states to night curfews (8 p.m. to 6 a.m.). The president said this on Monday night while addressing Nigerians on the COVID-19 outbreak. But the PDP expressed disappointment that President Buhari did not offer any post lockdown stimulus to assist Nigerians in the private sector whose businesses had been crippled by the lockdown and are now faced with the burden of workers salaries and business refinancing. The PDP lamented that apart from the elementary lockdown and failed palliative showboating, President Buhari did not offer a decisive solution regarding the production of drugs, testing kits and management of equipment to safeguard Nigerians, despite the huge resources at the disposal of his administration. The party further described as saddening that President Buhari did not address the demands by Nigerians to end his administrations political parochialism and engage competent hands, including indigenous researchers, equipment manufacturers, pharmaceutical, medical as well as virology experts to infuse homegrown therapeutic solutions in the overall effort. The party insists that had President Buhari heeded this demand by Nigerians at the onset of the pandemic, the situation would not have escalated to this frightening level with no solutions in sight. The PDP also finds it difficult to reconcile President Buharis assurances of adequate test kits with the disposition of the National Center for Disease Control (NCDC) which declared that it is desperately in shortage of test kits and other medical equipment to combat the scourge. Our party invites Nigerians to observe how countries like Senegal had effectively mobilized their indigenous medical researchers and manufacturers to produce low-cost quick testing kits as well as ventilators while investing massively in the production of drugs for treatment of COVID-19 patients. The party said it has completely lost faith in the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19, which is technically bogged down under the coordination of individuals that have not demonstrated required experience and proficiency to manage a serious pandemic like COVID-19. The PDP demands an immediate reorganization of the PTF to eliminate political underlining and vest the responsibility on known experts to galvanize our public and private institutions for solutions. The PDP urged President Buhari should immediately rally efforts within the public and private sectors to provide post lockdown stimulus for the private sector while eliminating corruption to ensure the distribution of palliatives to target vulnerable citizens. It is also worrisome that President Buhari failed to address the corruption in the administration of palliatives as well as the position of his government on the handling of donations and the spending template of other COVID-19 related funds. The PDP, however, urged Nigerians to note that the Buhari Presidency has reached its wits end on the management of COVID-19 pandemic and as such must remain vigilant in their self-protection efforts against the scourge. Nigerians should continue to strictly adhere to health safety measures of social distancing, personal hygiene and avoiding of large gatherings until the pandemic is over, the party said. RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, April 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- A strategic agreement enabling the testing of 9 million people for COVID-19 in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has been signed with a Chinese company. The agreement, for a total value of SAR 995 million, was concluded with the National Unified Procurement Company "NUPCO" and the People's Republic of China, represented by BGI Group. It is the first of its kind and will supply a record 9 million COVID-19 testing kits, as well as the related equipment and supplies. In addition, 500 hundred experts, specialists and technicians will be provided to carry out these tests. The agreement was signed according to the directives of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. It followed a phone call between His Royal Highness and Custodian of the two Holy Mosques, King Salman and the President of the People's Republic of China, Xi Jinping. Dr. Abdullah Al Rabeeah, Advisor Royal Court and Head of the National Negotiation and Procurement Committee for COVID-19 Supply and Readiness said, "This agreement includes establishing six large regional laboratories in a number of areas in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. One mobile laboratory will have a production capacity of 10,000 tests daily a number which can be doubled." The contract also includes carrying out 50,000 test per day to diagnose COVID- 19 cases, as well as comprehensive community testing. Also included is the analysis of the genetic mapping of a number of samples in the Kingdom and analysis of the community's immunity mapping of 1,000,000 samples. "These activities will have the greatest impact in supporting the management of the country's plans to combat the COVID-19 pandemic," explained Dr. Al Rabeeah. "The signing of this strategic agreement confirms the strength of long-standing Saudi-Chinese ties and the determination of the leaders of these two strong countries to respond quickly to protect the global community." This important agreement is an addition to the Negotiating and Purchasing Committee's award to a number of companies from the United States, Switzerland and South Korea to purchase additional quantities of reagents and tests to bring the number of targeted tests to 14.5 million, or nearly 40% of the Saudi population. The Negotiating and Purchasing Committee has also confirmed it is sourcing as quickly as possible from leading specialized international companies large quantities of devices, medicines and medical supplies necessary to address the COVID-19 pandemic. The Committee will coordinate efforts with the Ministry of Health and other health sectors to provide extra medical beds in hospitals, as well as field beds. It will also provide the workforce necessary to operate the project in parallel with the large expansion witnessed in these sectors during these difficult circumstances. SOURCE King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre Beijing, April 27 : Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi has announced on its global social media channels that it will launch the Redmi Note 9 series on April 30 through an online event. "The legend of #RedmiNoteSeries continues! Get ready to meet the newest members of Redmi Note 9 Series as well as other great Xiaomi products! #NoMiWithoutYou," the company tweeted. The invite on Twitter also throws a hint that apart from launching the Redmi Note 9, the company is likely to launch other products. The official teaser does not provide any details about the phone. It is expected that the company may launch the Redmi Note 9 Pro and Note 9 Pro Max globally at the event. The company can also add a new device in the series by announcing the Redmi Note 9 which could likely be the Redmi 10X. Redmi Note 9 was initially expected to be launched alongside the Redmi Note 9 Pro and Redmi Note 9 Pro Max in India. The phone is said to come with MediaTek's Helio G85 chipset paired with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of onboard storage. The smartphone is expected to feature a 6.53-inch full-HD+ (1080x2340 pixels) display and a 48MP primary camera as well as ship with MIUI 11 and Android 10 out-of-the-box. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text The Reserve Bank of India on Monday announced a Rs 50,000 crore special liquidity facility for mutual fund, days after Franklin Templeton Mutual Fund decided to close six debt schemes. In a statement, the central bank said heightened volatility in capital markets in reaction to COVID-19 has imposed liquidity strains on mutual funds (MFs), which have intensified in the wake of redemption pressures related to closure of some debt MFs and potential contagious effects therefrom. The stress is, however, confined to the high-risk debt MF segment at this stage; the larger industry remains liquid, it said. "With a view to easing liquidity pressures on MFs, it has been decided to open a special liquidity facility for mutual funds of Rs 50,000 crore," it said. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) also stressed it remains vigilant and will take whatever steps are necessary to mitigate the economic impact of COVID-19 and preserve financial stability. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) I was in the last months of my guest artist residency in the city of Copenhagen when the COVID-19 pandemic broke out. I was supposed to leave for Sudan in February but travel abroad was suspended by the Danish government. So, I have had to stay a little longer in Denmark which has given me the chance to observe first-hand how the first world is coping with a pandemic. Just like everyone else around me, I have been quite anxious and worried about what is happening. But I have also been quite amused by the countless articles from American and European experts explaining how the various restrictions on public life which governments have imposed will become the new normal across the world. I am sorry to break it to you, but your new normal has been the old normal for billions of Brown and Black people around the world. For many of us, restrictions, repression, and deprivation have been a constant feature of our whole lives. Cannot travel wherever you want anymore? Well, the majority of us were never able to travel anywhere we wanted either many simply because they cannot afford to do so, and the few who can because of travel restrictions. That is right declared and undeclared travel bans are nothing new to us. To be able to get through those restrictions, we would have to fill out piles of papers asking us about all kinds of things from the number of household dependents, to recent travel to hot zones, contact with suspicious people and all the way to past participation in terrorist activities. Not to mention that we would have to prove ourselves disease-free with all various certificates, such as the yellow fever card, the absence of which would land us in quarantine at the airport. Throughout the visa application process, we would be kept at a (social) distance. We would submit our papers online, pay fees at a separate cashier at the bank, and wait outside the embassy in the scorching heat because we may be a danger to embassy staff. And of course, once we get the visa, it would be no guarantee we would be allowed in. At arrival, we may very well be escorted to a small room to join other Black and Brown people for further questioning. And if they do not like us, they may make us leave. Cutting short your stay abroad in order to board a plane home happened to many people in this pandemic. It has happened for a long time to many Brown and Black people, too. You call it evacuation, we have had to call it deportation. Some Brown and Black people have tried to make it to their desired destinations by boat, and in many cases they have not been allowed to dock. In a very similar way, many cruise ships full of Westerners have not been not allowed to dock anywhere because of COVID-19 fears. Under the present circumstances, they, too, were undesirables. Oh, the irony. There is of course much anxiety in the West about children missing out on education because of closed schools and universities. Well, many Brown and Black kids cannot go to school even if it there is one open near them or they have to drop out before graduating because of poverty. And where I am from, universities have been shut down every time the governing regime decided some suspicious political activity is going on on campuses. There has been much noise about service industry businesses closing down, too. All of a sudden, Westerners have been forced to live without restaurants, hair salons, spas, gyms, cinemas, etc indeed a hard life one that many Brown and Black people know all too well because it has been their normal forever. Another thing I have found quite entertaining is the proliferation of speculations about a changing world order and China coming to dominate the West. We too know this fear. Foreign domination has been all too real for us, whether it has been by China, the United States, the United Kingdom, France or any other colonial or neocolonial power. Indeed, it is quite demoralising and disempowering to know that your people do not have their own fate in their hands and that it is someone else sitting in a faraway capital taking decisions that will determine most often devastate your life. Now many are also worried about growing surveillance, police repression, state of emergencies, and increased powers of governments as a result of the pandemic. Well, many Brown and Black people are intimately acquainted with mass surveillance and unlimited power, having lived under dictatorships for extensive periods of time. Many have spent their whole lives under a state of emergency. Indeed, it seems the pandemic will give many in the first world a taste of dictatorship and perhaps mobilise them to resist. I can already see individuals, groups and organisations uniting to support each other in hope of a better future, singing together, praying together, remembering the names of the martyrs who risked their lives to warn us, only to succumb to the deadly enemy. There is a feeling of uncertainty about the future which is not only scaring people but also making them hopeful, inviting them to imagine the world differently, to rethink political systems, economy, to exchange ideas with others, to debate on social media and read countless analyses of what could and should happen. I have seen all this before, and so have many other Brown and Black people who have witnessed and been part of resistance movements in their countries. This was my reality throughout last year as the Sudanese Revolution was raging on. It was also the case almost 10 years ago during the Arab Spring. And today I have the same fear I had last year, and almost a decade ago that once the dust settles inshAllah soon things may not change at all, that we may go back to the old normal. While for us Brown and Black people it has been clear that we do not want to go back, I fear that many Westerners, while indulging in daydreaming about a different world today, will rush to go back to business as usual once the restrictions are lifted. They will forget all those discussions and realisations that their old normal, while comfortable for the privileged, was ultimately unsustainable. I do hope that the Western world and the rest of us will treat this experience as a wake-up call and keep our promises for change. We should remember that we are all in this together. The global political and economic system needs to change; we need to start investing in social justice, equality and solidarity. This should be the new normal we seek to establish. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance. tech2 News Staff Counterpoint Research reports that the Indian smartphone market has witnessed a growth of 4 percent year-on-year in smartphone shipments in the first quarter of this year before the lockdown was imposed in March. The report reveals that a total of 31 million units were shipped in Q1. Currently, due to the lockdown, e-commerce websites are only supposed to deliver essential goods till 3 May. So, it is only after the lockdown lifts, that we can get a clear picture of whether these units are actually sold or not. Counterpoint Research suggested that due to this nationwide lockdown, the market is set to see a decline in these numbers. In addition to this, Indian smartphone shipment is likely to see a decline of 10 percent this year. The report suggests that Xiaomi has dominated the market in terms of shipments in Q1 2020, with a 30 percent market share. Due to the high demand for the Redmi 8 series, Xiaomi saw a six percent year-on-year growth in the same quarter. Xiaomi is reportedly followed by Vivo with a 17 percent market share. A decline from 21 percent in Q4 2019 to 17 percent in Q1 2020 is also reported in the market share of Vivo. Samsung stands at third position with 16 percent market share and Realme secures the fourth position, followed by Oppo at fifth. As per the report, Apple emerged as the market leader in the ultra-premium segment (Rs 45K and above) with 55 percent market share. Discounts on iPhone 11 (Review) on Flipkart and Amazon are expected to be a driving factor here. Shilpi Jain, research analyst at Counterpoint Research said in a statement, smartphones should be considered as essential items during the lockdown as people are dependent on them as a primary mode of communication. Sales should be allowed through online channels or through Online to Offline (O2O) model. This is happening in Europe and the USA where online channels still remain in service." The report also mentions that the increase in GST on smartphones to 18 percent will margin for OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) and it will reflect in the prices of upcoming phones as well. Washington continues to talk about the fate of the U.S. Postal Service. Additionally, the country's Postal Service is financially affected by the COVID-19 pandemic as a significant shift had occurred on how the public uses their services, says an article. Changes In the past six weeks, a mailman from Loomis, California, noticed changes brought by COVID-19 to the mail. He had seen genuinely appreciative and beautiful smiles of the community where he delivers mail. He noticed that a lot of mailboxes are being emptied more frequently than before. The widespread stay-at-home orders to the people had resulted in the public looking for activities to do. Furthermore, he had noticed that his conversations with customers had been longer and person than before. He was not only one experiencing and witnessing such changes as his fellow carriers have also experienced these things since the beginning of the pandemic. Getting the mail had become one of the most significant activities of the day for those who are stuck at home. Small Acts of Gratitude Mail carriers are being shown small gestures of gratitude, such as being given gift cards, bottles of wine, and heartwarming notes with messages of appreciation by their customers. One customer expressed her gratitude for the services of the mailmen. She even shared that the mailmen were the ones delivering her medicine. She also suggested that mail carriers should be given hazard pay for the nature of their work during this pandemic. Delivery Must Continue Some mailmen deliver stationery, pet food, books, disinfectant wipes, clothing, makeup, toilet paper, and hand sanitizers. Their office is also filled with PPE items for every employee. Every employee in the office is now handling three times the volume that they usually deliver. Personal Letters There is also an increasing number of personal letters being sent through the mail. It is an exciting find in this age as more and more people are relying on an online conference call through FaceTime, Zoom, and Skype. According to one of the customers of the mailmen, a letter is more intimate than the messages sent through modern technology. The reason for this is that people tend to reflect more when writing a letter. It allows people to say what the things they cannot say in person, the customer added. Check these out: Short-lived The small increase in the volume of personal letters being sent through the mail will be short-lived as it competes with the digital age's technology. Postmaster General Megan Brennan expressed to lawmakers that there is a need to fund the Postal Service by more or less $75 billion in the following years in case it runs out of funds by the end of September. This is not good timing with the upcoming presidential elections, and a lot of U.S. voters are voting by mail. The government is still in the process of figuring out the future of the Postal Service. Washington had already assigned its 630,000 employees as essential workers, where the novel coronavirus is striking an increasing number. Mail carriers are expressing their gratitude for the sense of purpose given to them by their customers. They appreciate their customer's view of them as part of the life of Americans since the discovery of the country. >>> French press continues to praise Vietnam's success in fighting COVID-19 >>> Vietnam records no new cases of COVID-19 on April 26 morning >>> Vietnamese COVID-19 test kits approved by WHO * UK-based Telegraph in an article published on April 23 called Vietnam an under-reported success story of the pandemic, given that, at that time, the country had reported just 268 cases and zero deaths. It highlighted the Vietnamese strategy, stating that it has managed to keep COVID-19 under control by focusing on a combination of rigorous, targeted contact-tracing and testing to swiftly contain small clusters of the COVID-19 before they can spread further. The newspaper also hailed Vietnams massive public information campaign on the pandemic, including the hand-washing song "Ghen Co Vy" that went viral globally. * Meanwhile, French daily Les Echos noted that Vietnam is an exception and hardly any country can do better. It assessed that Vietnam's winning strategy is based on early awareness of the threat and strict isolation of infected people. Vietnamese leaders have chosen a "low-cost" strategy which carries out rapid identification and mandatory quarantine of infected people, as well as tracking of their contacts. * On April 24, Austrian daily newspaper Der Standard ran an article noting that with zero deaths and only two new cases in eleven days, Vietnam has become a model in the prevention and control of COVID-19. The article emphasised that Vietnam, a developing country with limited resources, has effectively controlled the epidemic through low-cost measures and does not require the application of expensive treatment technology. The key to Vietnam's success was the Government 's very early response, since the information on the disease in China had not been clearly verified, and the spirit of the people in seriously implementing responsive measures. It concluded that the Vietnam's COVID-19 prevention and control model is worthy of being researched in other countries, including developed countries, in the context that the disease has not been completely controlled yet. * In the spirit of solidarity and sharing with Russian people in repelling COVID-19, the Vietnamese community in Irkutsk City, Russia, has donated 4,000 cloth face masks to a local voluntary campaign in support of the fight against the epidemic. The campaign aims to support senior citizens, people with disabilities and medical workers in the wake of the global pandemic. It has drawn the participation of 2,000 volunteers in Irkutsk, a city which hosts about 250 Vietnamese citizens. The Vietnamese communitys noble act was broadcast on the city's Vesti Irkutsk TV channel. * The Ambassadors of Russia and Chile have spoken highly of Vietnams effective model and experience in fighting the COVID-19 epidemic. Russian Ambassador Konstantin Vnukov noted Vietnams motto of fighting epidemic like fighting an enemy, and stressed that the unanimity and support of the people, the observance of prevention measures, and an enhanced sense of responsibility have produced the positive outcomes and proud achievements at present. Chilean Ambassador Jaime Chomali said Vietnams efforts had produced persuasive outcomes. Therefore, the Chilean Embassy has studied Vietnams experience in COVID-19 prevention and control in order to report to its government. He also expressed a belief that Vietnam would see a more rapid and early economic recovery than other countries in the region next year. (Photo : Screenshot from: Unsplash Official Website) Flight attendants in the United States are asking the US government to freeze all leisure air travel due to the risks of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. In recent reports, there have been situations wherein airplanes have been packed with passengers not wearing masks, and this has certainly made its way to the news which has sparked fears among vulnerable flight crews. Read Also: Zoom Upgrades Encryption Keys; Should Nintendo, Facebook Follow as Hackers Work Overtime During Coronavirus Lockdown? Flight attendants pens open letter to halt airline travel The pandemic has prompted a very strong reaction from the Union of Flight Attendants, and they are now reaching out to the Department of Health and Human Services, as well as the Department of Transportation to end all air travel until the coronavirus is contained. Sara Nelson, the president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA), wrote an open letter to Elaine Chao and Alex Azar, the Transportation Secretary and the Health Secretary, respectively, saying that "at airlines employing AFA member flight attendants, at least 250 have tested positive for the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, and flight attendants have died as a result of the virus too." According to Forbes, Nelson has also stated that flight crews are questioning whether or not they have unknowingly been contributing to the spread of the virus. Read Also: WhatsApp Sues Spyware Firm Behind Attacks on U.S. Servers that Targeted 100 Journalists, Leaders, Activists, and Political Dissenters. Be more like Canada The letter also requested that the wearing of masks should be required in all airports and planes for all passengers, employees, and crew. The letter also stated that the United States should follow the lead of Canada. The country has taken a much stronger approach and perform stricter precautions than the US. "Canada encourages the use of masks on all modes of public transport and requires all air travelers to wear masks that cover their mouth and nose . . . at screening checkpoints, . . . when they cannot physically distance from others, or as directed by the airline employees," Nelson wrote. The open letter also called on the US government to do their part in containing the situation, stating that "For air travelers, we recommend that the federal government provide all airports sufficient numbers of disposable cloth or paper masks that are more effective than homemade masks at limiting viral spread. These should be provided free to all members of the public entering airport buildings with the stipulation that they are worn at all times on airport property and airplanes, and only removed momentarily when necessary for identity verification or food and drink." This is not the first time the AFA has called for an end to airline travel due to the COVID-19 outbreak. On March 31, as told by Forbes, the AFA had put out a press release asking the Department of Transportation to consider halting all flights. Read Also: Facebook Launches Messenger Rooms to Compete with Zoom and Skype; Raises Security Questions 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. By ANI MUMBAI: Rising to the occasion, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Mayor Kishori Pednekar has decided has returned to her old calling -- nursing -- to contribute in the fight against COVID-19. Pednekar was a nurse before coming to politics and has decided to join the team of BMC's BYL Nair Hospital to aid the COVID-19 patients in their fight against the virus. Mayor Pednekar had earlier informed that 231 zones are out of the containment zone list after they didn't record a single COVID-19 positive case for the last 14 days. According to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the total number of positive COVID-19 cases in Maharashtra is 8,068. Till now, 1,076 people have either been cured or discharged, while 342 deaths have been reported. *AnythingForMumbai* We cant do work from home, we are on the field for you, stay at your home, take care....#covid19 At Nair Hospital@mybmc @AUThackeray pic.twitter.com/LEWnPPw5oW Kishori Pednekar (@KishoriPednekar) April 27, 2020 The total number of positive coronavirus cases across the country are 27,892, including 20,835 active cases of the virus. So far, 6,184 patients have either been cured or discharged while 872 deaths have been recorded in the country, as per the data provided by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Photo: Jose Luis Pelaez Inc/Blend Images LLC/Getty Images Though its not yet clear why, women around the world have proved to be less likely to get seriously sick with the novel coronavirus and far more likely to survive it than men. The difference in some contexts is stark: Dr. Sara Ghandehari, a pulmonologist and intensive-care physician at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles, told the New York Times that 75% of the hospitals ICU and ventilator patients are men. Though there are some rare and scary exceptions, pregnant women especially though usually immunocompromised and therefore thought to be higher-risk tend to get very mild cases of the coronavirus. Scientists have some theories they hope might support these differences in outcome by sex, but no one is sure of anything just yet. Could hormones be responsible? Because pregnant women have high levels of estrogen and progesterone, and women in general have higher levels of these hormones than men, scientists wonder if the hormones themselves may be protective. If so, could the same hormones then be used to treat COVID-19 in men? Doctors in New York and Los Angeles have begun trials to evaluate this theory, testing the use of estrogen or progesterone in boosting patients immunity. Or maybe something other than hormones is responsible. Experts who study sex differences in immunity caution that hormones may not provide the miracle drug were hoping for, citing the better health outcomes even among elderly women, who have far lower levels of estrogen and progesterone after menopause. Its possible that genetics play a role, and while some sex differences in immunity are biological, some are thought to be behavioral, as well men smoke more and wash their hands less across the world. When will we know more? Preliminary results from the studies in Los Angeles and New York are expected within a few months. Because the association between sex hormones and the immune system is well researched, some doctors remain hopeful about their use in treating COVID-19. Both estrogen and progesterone are believed to be safe when used for short periods of time, though men taking them for the first time may experience breast tenderness and hot flashes. Taipei, Taiwan Lam Wing-kee signed books, posed for pictures and teased customers about their reading selections. The publisher had waited nearly five years to reopen Causeway Bay Books, an independent store in Hong Kong that was forced to close in 2015 when Lam was detained in China for selling books critical of the Communist Party leadership. The stores new location? Taiwans capital, Taipei. Im here to continue the fight with this bookstore, Lam said. The resistance effort continues here. The small 10th-floor shop in the heart of Taipei was packed with customers during the official opening on Saturday. Among them were Yu Shyi-kun, head of Taiwans parliament and Luo Wen-jia, secretary-general of the governing Democratic Progressive Party. President Tsai Ing-wen sent a bouquet of orchids, too, in what many saw as a show of solidarity not just with Lam, but also with protesters challenging Beijings growing influence over Hong Kongs affairs. The protest movement had escalated last year when legislators in Hong Kong moved to pass a bill that would allow residents of the semiautonomous Chinese territory to be extradited to the mainland for trial. Fearing his possible extradition, Lam whom Beijing considers a fugitive after he jumped bail left Hong Kong for good last April. I encourage Hongkongers to come, said the 64-year-old. Dont be so stubborn and get killed in Hong Kong. Causeway Bay Books reopened in the heart of Taiwans capital, Taipei, on Saturday [Nick Aspinwall/Al Jazeera] Self-ruled Taiwan, which China claims as its territory, has become a refuge for Hong Kong people fleeing persecution at home. But many of those dissidents are not able to formally seek asylum on the island with Taipei seemingly unwilling to risk Beijings wrath by approving a legal framework for refugees and asylum seekers. And Lams case is also seen as a test for Hong Kong dissidents, especially with authorities in the territory continuing to crack down on the protest movement. Just last week, authorities arrested 15 leading democracy activists, including Martin Lee, known as the father of democracy. Tsai won a landslide re-election in January on the back of her opposition to Chinas influence over Taiwan. Since her election in 2016, ties between Taiwan and China have deteriorated sharply, with Beijing successfully lobbying countries around the world to sever diplomatic ties with Taipei and exclude the territory from global agencies. While Tsai rejects Chinas claims over Taiwan, she has stopped short of seeking independence for the territory a red line for Beijing, which has threatened to use military force, if necessary, to annexe the island. The islands global isolation has allowed solidarity to consolidate between the peoples of Taiwan and Hong Kong, said Jeffrey Ngo, chief researcher of the Hong Kong activist political group Demosisto. People of Hong Kong now view Taiwan with admiration, he said. The fact that that [Lams] bookstore has ceased to exist in Hong Kong, but is now coming to existence in a similar fashion using the same name by one of the same guys, happening in Taipei is a testament to how much Taiwan is able to offer what has been lost in Hong Kong, Ngo added. Freedom is like air Tsai was quick to offer support to Hong Kongs protest movement when it began to gain steam last year. [We] support the people of Hong Kong in pursuit of freedom, democracy and human rights, Tsai said in June. Freedom is like the air: you only become aware of its existence when you start to suffocate. However, concern about Chinese retribution may have kept her government from taking firmer action to support dissident Hong Kong people on the island. While Taiwan has eased visa regulations for Hong Kong people applying for work and study visas, the territorys laws do not provide a path towards political asylum for those who cannot obtain such permits. Hundreds of people from Hong Kong now live in Taiwan, according to support groups, but many are either undocumented or reliant on monthly tourist visa extensions. Without legal protection, they have fallen victim to scammers and actors falsely promising visas or publicising their plight to solicit donations. And although Taiwan has quietly allowed Hong Kong people to stay, it has received criticism for not providing formal assistance work which falls to a small group of NGOs and religious organisations. Since Tsais January re-election, she has not pursued any policy [of] institutional change to help Hongkongers, said Lev Nachman, a Fulbright research fellow in Taiwan researching social movements in Taiwan and Hong Kong. This means those who cannot afford to study and cannot find jobs have no guarantee of staying in Taiwan and cannot receive benefits granted to residents, such as health insurance and driving licence. Employment opportunities, legal protection and visas are still the three things Hongkongers need the most, he said. Without such protections, some dissidents from Hong Kong feel insecure, he said. Last week, a restaurant employing Hong Kong people who have fled to Taiwan called Aegis opened in Taipeis university district. But the Aegis staff, like most of those who left for Taiwan after the protests started, do not identify themselves publicly for fear of retribution. They do not feel safe for themselves or their family and friends back in Hong Kong, said Nachman. No political refugee here wants a spotlight because they feel like they might be targeted. Lam has expressed similar concerns. On Tuesday, he was attacked with red paint while eating breakfast at a Taipei coffee shop. Three men were arrested for their involvement in the incident. Threats On Wednesday, messages threatening to kill Lam were left on the Facebook pages of Taiwans Mainland Affairs Council and the American Institute in Taiwan. Authorities said on Friday they believed the messages came from a Chinese national living in Singapore. Last September, Hong Kong activist Denise Ho was attacked with red paint by members of a fringe pro-unification group during a visit to Taipei. Aegis, a restaurant employing Hong Kong people who fled to Taiwan, opened in Taipei in mid-April [Nick Aspinwall/ Al Jazeera] Taiwan passed legislation targeting Chinese infiltration last December, days before Tsais election victory, which stiffens penalties for foreign actors trying to influence Taiwans politics by funding politicians and the media. The law, along with Taiwans support of Hong Kong protesters, is popular domestically. But there are fears Beijing could retaliate should Taiwan become too bold and loud in its advocacy for Hong Kongs pro-democracy movement, especially as Taipeis international standing grows as a result of its successful response to the coronavirus pandemic. Beijing is putting pressure on Hong Kong and looking for something that shows Tsai is pursuing something that is really independence, said Bonnie Glaser, director of the China Power Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Tsai has always declined to take steps towards formal independence, with Beijing vowing to use forces to annex the island should it seek that path. Chinese officials have accused Taiwan of being complicit in Hong Kongs protests in the past, a charge Taiwan has sharply denied. This is a very delicate time for Tsai Ing-wen, Glaser said. In this context, Lams success in finding a path to stay in Taiwan may encourage other Hong Kong people to make the move to Taiwan when coronavirus-related travel restrictions are lifted. He hopes his bookstore serves as an inspiration to others. For now, he said, he simply wants to encourage people to read. A lot of Taiwanese people came to support the bookstore, but I cant just settle with the turnout today. I want to see if this a trend, that young people in Taiwan or from Hong Kong are reading, Lam said. Despite the threats and the paint attack, Saturdays opening was flooded with well-wishers. Customers nudged through the packed shop to give Lam cakes and flowers and wish him luck. Lam expressed confidence that, in Taiwan, he would be legally protected and allowed to do his job: selling books. For me, the idea of fear doesnt exist, he said of the paint attack. What they did is illegal, so they should be the ones who are afraid. We are thrilled to be recognized for our work in media relations and social media! Denim Marketing is excited to announce it was awarded two Gold awards and two honorable mentions from the Hermes Creative Awards. An international competition for creative professionals, the Hermes Creative Awards competition evaluates the creative industrys best publications, branding collateral, websites, videos and advertising, marketing and communications programs. Denim Marketing received the following: A Gold Hermes award for the City of Powder Springs #PSContest for social media and consumer engagement across multiple platforms. The P.S. Did you know? campaign was designed to promote the benefits of the City of Powder Springs. The campaign encouraged people familiar with the City to share their favorite things about Powder Springs to Facebook, Twitter or Instagram using #PSContest. During the 90-day contest, there were a total of 390 eligible entries, with a total of 3,725 reactions, 897 comments and 373 shares. A Gold Hermes award for the Operation Homefront media relations and television placement on behalf of Meritage Homes. Denim Marketing worked with Meritage Homes to promote all four events related to the Operation Homefront home giveaway at Vistas at Towne Mill in Canton, Georgia. This marks the 13th home Meritage has donated to Operation Homefront, a national nonprofit serving Americas military families. Together, Meritage and Operation Homefront welcomed a military family into a brand new, mortgage-free and energy-efficient Meritage home, and are helping them learn how to become successful homeowners. Denim Marketing secured numerous print and broadcast placements for Operation Homefront, including a news feature on the finished home. An honorable mention for the Canine Pet Rescue: Fall in Love campaign, a pro-bono social media promotion for the German Shepherd rescue group. Canine Pet Rescue is a 501c3 non-profit animal rescue organization focused on saving German Shepherds from high kill shelters in the South. Denim Marketing created a Valentines Day-themed campaign that ran on Facebook during February and focused on getting dogs adopted. An honorable mention for Pratt Stacks: 60 Leads in Two Days, a media relations campaign for The Providence Group. Denim Marketing scored major news coverage for the announcement of Pratt Stacks, including coverage in Curbed Atlanta and the Atlanta Business Chronicle that resulted in the home builder receiving 60 homebuyer leads in just two days. We are thrilled to be recognized for our work in media relations and social media, Denim Marketing President and Founder Carol Morgan said. The team at Denim Marketing is incredibly creative and hard-working. Visit http://www.DenimMarketing.com to sign up for the Denim newsletter, view the full portfolio and more. Call 770-383-3360 for information on packages and finding the perfect fit with Denim Marketing. About Denim Marketing: Whether stonewashed, faded or indigo blue, marketing strategies from Denim Marketing are tailored to meet each clients needs and niche. Established in 1999 as Flammer Relations, Denim Marketing began with the basics, providing public relations services to clients. The company has expanded its services over the years to become a full-service strategic marketing agency specializing in strategic marketing, media relations, blogging, social media, promotions, advertising and much more. Denim Marketing aims to be a go-to source for companies looking for a comfortable fit, strong relationships and results. Stay in touch with Denim Marketing by signing up for the newsletter at http://www.DenimMarketing.com and following @DenimMarketing on social media. For more information, call 770-383-3360 or email Carol@DenimMarketing.com. BEIJING, April 26 (Xinhua) -- As China is carefully restoring production to boost an economy hit by the COVID-19 epidemic, the country is planning to further promote the wave of innovative business models that surge in the country's fight against the virus. The International Data Corporation forecasted that the epidemic will bring opportunities for online classrooms and education, remote offices and online activities, 5G industry applications, unmanned commerce and services and fresh food e-commerce in relation to the accelerating rise of contactless businesses and services. AI ON FRONTLINE AND IN LIFE Speak to the elevator and it will take you to the floor you want. A voice-controlled elevator system has been put into use in a hospital in Beijing to reduce the risk of cross-infection. Developed by SoundAI, a technological company in Beijing, the voice-controlled elevator system was installed in the Haidian Hospital. It uses artificial intelligence technologies such as voice recognition and interaction design, allowing passengers to control the elevator without pressing the button. Another AI system developed by China's tech giant Alibaba can identify passersby with a fever or without masks in markets, stations and other busy pedestrian areas. The system is based on integrated technologies including thermal imaging for non-contact remote fever detection, with a margin of error within 0.3 degrees Celsius. Once a passenger is suspected of having a fever, the system will automatically alert staff members and quickly locate the passenger, according to Yun Tao, an algorithm engineer of Alibaba. Besides Alibaba, many other technology firms including Megvii and Baidu have also developed and put into use their AI fever screening systems. The surging demand for non-contact products and services during the epidemic provided scenes of application and interaction for AI, thus accelerating the development of the AI industry, said Kong Bo, vice president of Orbbec, a company specialized in 3D sensing technology. 5G TREND The country has also extended the use of 5G technology. China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has urged telecom companies to optimize construction plans of the 5G network and fully utilize its role in stabilizing investments and spurring development of the related industrial chain. A cloud platform that combined 5G and virtual reality has been built to offer a panoramic virtual shopping experience for consumers staying indoors. It will be applied in nearly 100 commercial enterprises across the country, said the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. Based on 5G technology and the Internet of things, a kind of intelligent door magnetic system, which has been applied in the provinces of Jiangsu and Guangdong, is able to monitor the state of the gate of a family who needs to be isolated for quarantine and promptly report back to community workers. Using a 5G-powered robot, doctors at a hospital in eastern China's Zhejiang Province conducted an ultrasound scan for a patient 700 km away in Wuhan, capital of central China's Hubei Province, once the center of the epidemic. The 5G smart medical innovation laboratory jointly established by Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, telecommunication giant China Telecom and tech giant Huawei, has provided technical support for the case. A few minutes of cardiopulmonary ultrasound examination will produce up to 2GB of ultrasonic image data, which can be transmitted through the 5G network at a high speed and low latency. The 5G cloud intelligent robots developed by another telecommunication giant China Mobile and robot maker CloudMinds have been working in Hubei Province and other places, providing contactless medical services such as remote care, body temperature tests, spraying disinfectants, cleaning and drug delivery. Apart from 5G robots, leading telecom operators have also come up with smart devices such as 5G thermal imagers and 5G health monitors to help people keep a safe social distance in the epidemic. LIFE ONLINE While people were confined to their homes due to the epidemic, innovative business models have helped people live their lives in a contactless fashion. Many businesses and companies in China have scrambled to resume work on the cloud. Employers, as well as employees, for the first time, have to get familiar with telecommuting tools such as video conferences and online office kits. Alibaba's communication app DingTalk said it has served more than 10 million enterprises and over 200 million people. To meet the huge demand in peak hours, DingTalk has added more than 100,000 servers to maintain the stability of the app. Half of the students in the country are now attending classes through the app, which was originally a mobile office tool and lately adapted to offer online services for schools amid the epidemic, it said. Internet companies such as NetEase recently provided a full chain of contactless recruitment platform with online resume submission and online interviews. The candidates can sign contracts, attend training workshops and even begin work over the Internet. Real estate agents have set up online sales offices and resorted to livestreaming to attract consumers. Evergrande has developed an app called Hengfangtong, providing one-stop services from showcasing houses through virtual reality (VR) technology to signing contracts. Gym trainers offered online home fitness courses on TikTok while museums and galleries launched or repackaged online exhibitions to court stay-at-home visitors. A number of scenic spots have tapped into VR technology to bring tourists stranded at home to natural landscapes without exposure to the virus, according to Gao Zheng, head of the industrial development department of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. The Ministry of Commerce encouraged the innovative business model that sprung up during the epidemic, which showed new trends of informatization, high quality, convenience and convergence in the development of the service industry. New Delhi, April 27 : As 'what's next?' was the agenda of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's fourth video conference with Chief Ministers, he asked them to come back with a detailed plan on how they seek to ease the lockdown, said sources on Monday. The source, however added, no final decision was taken about either the extension or the relaxation in the same. The second leg of the lockdown ends on May 3. While most Chief Ministers advocated for the extension of the lockdown, a significant number of states raised their economic concerns with the Prime Minister. There were nine Chief Ministers who spoke on Monday. Out of the nine, at least four advocated for an extension of the lockdown. Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is believed to have asked for the lockdown to be extended for another month. However, most states wanted greater economic activities to be allowed that may address the twin concerns of job losses and revenue shortfall. Already states like Punjab have written to the Centre asking it to allow the sale of liquor due to the massive revenue shortfalls. Unlike the third meeting, there has been a nuanced demand from many states as far as extension of the lockdown is concerned rather than a blanket extension. For instance, Meghalaya demanded the lockdown to continue while activities be allowed in green zones. Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma said, "We have mooted to continue with the lockdown post May 3rd with relaxation on activities in Green Zones or non-Covid affected districts in Meghalaya". The Prime Minister is believed to have told the Chief Ministers in Monday's meeting that the target should be to turn red zones into orange and orange zones into green. Sources say, he was not closed to the idea of allowing the limited activity, but wanted states to come up with a fine print on how they seek to do that while ensuring the "do gaz doori" principle was adhered to. Modi said that India as a whole and states will have to give importance to the economy while continuing the fight against COVID-19. He suggested that both are equally important. "We have to be brave and bring in reforms that touch the lives of common citizens," he told the Chief Ministers. However, he warned that the danger of COVID-19 is far from over and vigilance, particularly in the coming days and months will prove crucial on how India will fare in dealing with the outbreak. He added that the importance for states to enforce guidelines strictly in the hotspots or the red zone areas is a must. Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that the need to enforce lockdown is crucial so that maximum lives are saved. Meanwhile, on the issue of getting back the Indians who are overseas, he said that this has to be done keeping in mind the fact that they don't get inconvenienced and their families are not under any risk. Government sources indicate, any decision on 'What's Next', is unlikely to come before the states get back with their fine print on how they want to give area specific relaxations. In other words, the Prime Minister has not just made the Chief Ministers give their suggestions and voice concerns, but also let them tell the tell the Centre on how they want to do it. ( Anindya Banerjee can be contacted at anindya.b@ians.in) -- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed ALBANY New York has cancelled its Democratic presidential primary for 2020 as the coronavirus continues its spread, angering Bernie Sanders supporters who were hoping to win more delegates to influence their party's platform. The state's Democratic election commissioners voted Monday to remove Sanders and nine other presidential candidates from the New York ballot, making use of a new measure in state law allowing them to do so if a candidate publicly suspends his or her campaign. The move left former Vice President Joe Biden the lone remaining Democrat actively seeking the party's nomination as the only name on New York's Democratic primary ballot, effectively canceling the primary. The primary election had originally been scheduled for Tuesday before Gov. Andrew Cuomo delayed it to June 23 in response to the coronavirus pandemic, which has hit New York harder than any other state. Both Democratic commissioners, Douglas Kellner and former Westchester County Executive Andy Spano, voted Monday in favor of cancelling the race. Kellner called the vote "a very difficult decision." But he said holding the primary would have been "unnecessary and frivolous" in the age of COVID-19 while accusing Sanders supporters of wanting to hold a "beauty contest." "Senator Sanders has not only announced that he's suspending his campaign but he's also announced a public endorsement of Joe Biden," Kellner said. "That has effectively ended the real context for the primary election." Sanders camp pushing for delegates Former Vice President Joe Biden, left, and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., right, participate in a Democratic presidential primary debate at CNN Studios in Washington, Sunday, March 15, 2020. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) In a statement, the Sanders campaign ripped New York's decision to cancel, calling it an "an outrage" and "a blow to American democracy." Jeff Weaver, a Bernie 2020 senior advisor, called on the Democratic National Committee to reverse the decision. Absent that, he said New York should be stripped of all its 2020 Democratic delegates for violating its party-approved delegate selection plan. Story continues "No one asked New York to cancel the election," Weaver said. "The DNC didnt request it. The Biden campaign didnt request it. And our campaign communicated that we wanted to remain on the ballot." Weaver continued: "Given that the primary is months away, the proper response must be to make the election safe such as going to all vote by mail rather than to eliminating peoples right to vote completely." Sanders, a U.S. senator from Vermont and leader among progressive wing of the Democratic Party, dropped out of the primary earlier this month, ceding the race to Biden. But Sanders kept his name on the ballot in hopes of winning additional delegates to the Democratic National Convention that could influence the party's rules and platform. Kellner and Spano said they were bombarded with emails in recent days from Sanders supporters hoping to win a share of the state's 274 pledged delegates. New York's Democratic primary is a dual race: Voters cast ballots for their preferred presidential candidate as well as a slate of delegates to represent them at the party convention. New law inserted in state budget The decision to cancel the primary was made possible by a clause inserted into New York's state budget, which Cuomo and state lawmakers approved early this month amid the growing coronavirus outbreak. The clause allowed a party's election commissioners to remove names from the presidential primary ballot if the candidate publicly dropped out of the race or otherwise asked for their name to be removed. The new law anticipated Sanders' exit: He suspended his campaign April 9, a few days after the budget passed. Asked Monday about the election commissioners' decision on the Democratic primary, Cuomo said he doesn't want to "second guess" it. "I know there are a lot of election employees ... who are nervous about conducting elections," said Cuomo, a Biden supporter. "But I'll leave it up to the Board of Elections." Spano and Kellner, both of whom were appointed by Cuomo, said their decision was driven by safety and trying to stem the spread of the virus, which has infected more than 280,000 New York residents and killed more than 17,000. In Wisconsin, for example, voters were forced to stand in close proximity to one another as they waited to vote in that state's elections earlier this month. "I thought very long and hard about this and, in fact, I only came to a decision this morning," Spano said during the Democrats' video-conferencing meeting where the vote was taken. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, right and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders wave at the audience as they arrive onstage at an event at LaGuardia Community College, Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2017, in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer) State chair open to giving Sanders delegates New York had already taken precautions to give voters the option to stay at home for the primary, allowing any eligible voter the ability to cast an absentee ballot. Polling places will remain open to give people the option of voting in person, however. And a presidential primary would have significantly increased turnout. Jay Jacobs, the New York Democratic chairman, said he supports the decision to cancel the primary, saying it's in the best interest for the public health. Many poll workers are senior citizens who are particularly vulnerable to the coronavirus, he noted. It would have been a different story if Sanders were still actively seeking the Democratic nomination, Jacobs said. "The fact that (Sanders) is not running makes this a nonessential primary," said Jacobs, who like Kellner and Spano was appointed by Cuomo. "Given that we've stopped nonessential business in New York and other states, it seemed intelligent to not go forward with a nonessential primary." Critics, however, said the move disenfranchises voters who wanted to make their voice heard, even if Sanders has no significant chance of catching Biden. "It is completely wrong for the BOE to cancel New Yorks Presidential Primary," Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., tweeted Monday. Ocasio-Cortez endorsed Sanders in the Democratic primary and has said she'll vote for the Democratic nominee, but has not explicitly endorsed Biden. "This decision is not informed by public health: the state is still holding elections for every other seat that day." It is completely wrong for the BOE to cancel New Yorks Presidential Primary. This decision is not informed by public health: the state is still holding elections for every other seat that day, & so far the only way your ballot will 100% be counted in NY is to vote in person! https://t.co/l8iT7mxm9c Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) April 27, 2020 Now, New York's delegates will be divvied up by Jacobs and other party leaders who are part of the Democratic State Committee. Jacobs said he is open to providing a share of delegates to Sanders supporters to ensure their platform is heard. "I think there is a way to work out some allocation of delegates for the Sanders supporters, and I'm willing to engage in that with the Sanders folks," he said. Primary Day still moving ahead New York will still open the polls June 23 for primaries for Congress as well as various state and local races. Cuomo has cancelled a number of special elections that had been scheduled for the date, including those for Queens borough president, a state Senate seat in central New York and an Assembly seat in the Rochester area. A special election to fill the seat vacated by U.S. Rep. Chris Collins remains because it is required by state law. There will not be a Republican presidential primary in New York, either. President Donald Trump was the only Republican to qualify for the ballot in the state. More: Coronavirus in New York: Check our interactive map of cases and deaths by county Jon Campbell is a New York state government reporter for the USA TODAY Network. He can be reached at JCAMPBELL1@Gannett.com or on Twitter at @JonCampbellGAN. This article originally appeared on New York State Team: New York cancels presidential primary, angering Bernie Sanders campaign This is part of a series of questions posed by The Oregonian/OregonLive to May 19 primary election candidates seeking the seat on the Portland City Council currently held by Mayor Ted Wheeler, who is seeking reelection. Surveys were also sent to candidates running for Position 1, Position 2 and Position 4. The mayors office currently oversees about 10 city bureaus and agencies, including the police, housing and development services bureaus. Do you believe this is the most efficient way to oversee these departments? What current or prior experiences would you bring to the job that will make you adept at managing them all Teressa Raiford: I am a committed, dedicated and effective community organizer. Some used to demean that role, then-President Barack Obama showed what this sort of experience can bring to government. I am also a businesswoman and entrepreneur with particular experience in auditing and improving organizations and processes. All that said, our form of city government needs change. Having city bureaus working in silos, with each bureau reporting to either the mayor or a different commissioner, is not the right way to run our city. Randy Rapaport: One of my proposals is to hire an experienced city manager if we can get enough votes to change the system or get it on the ballot. I have been amazed that our system allows commissioners with little business experience or higher education to run a large bureau of city government. That leads to a deficit of professionalism and experience, which allows the business establishment to take advantage of weak governance. We need to change our system, and its going to take an independent leader to get stuff like that done. Regarding my experience, I have a degree in business administration, a Masters degree in educational psychology and professional investment and real estate licenses. Ive been an investment advisor, a school psychologist, a coffee shop owner, a developer of multifamily buildings, a trustee of Portlands Pioneer Courthouse Square, a music venue promoter, a board member of Sequential Biofuels of Oregon, a restaurant owner and interior designer, among other things. Ted Wheeler: Prior to being elected to public office, I had over twenty years of managerial experience in the private sector, including owning and operating a small business. I served as the chair of Multnomah County, overseeing 5,000 employees. Following that, I served as Oregon state treasurer and was tasked with the management of a $90 billion investment portfolio. I bring this experience, as well as the lessons I have learned in my first three years as mayor of the incredible city of Portland, to a second term in this office. I do not believe the current form of government is the most effective way to manage large city bureaus. Under the current form of government, very few people who run for public office have the necessary leadership and managerial experience required to be successful in the roles they will be elected to. Changing the form of government is necessary for more effective, cohesive and collaborative governance to take place. Mark White: Our elected leaders best qualification should be a deep understanding of the community they serve, which then translates into clear directions for a highly qualified and experienced director to carry out the duties required of a given bureau or office. Elected leaders should provide oversight, not management. The idea that someone is learning on the job while they run a bureau such as the Bureau of Emergency Management should be deeply troubling for every Portlander. Until Portlanders decide how they want their government structured, my plan is to make sure we have the most qualified director for every bureau and change the way directors are appointed so the entire council approves the hiring and firing of a director. This will ensure Portlanders have the best person managing every bureau, and will also ensure valuable institutional knowledge is not lost every time a new commissioner is appointed to oversee that bureau. Cash Carter: I believe that as mayor, you should have your pulse on anything you feel is important to making the best decisions for the city and its citizens. The experience I bring to the table is trust, gained through my prior career experience. It takes someone special who you can trust, believe in and depend on. Ozzie Gonzalez: During my 15-year professional career, I have had many opportunities to manage organizational structures that contain dozens of departments, thousands of people on staff and have large operational budgets. Currently, I am managing the diversity, equity and inclusion program for the city of Portlands largest capital improvement project, the Portland Building renovation and relocation, a project that includes relocating every department in the city twice. I am proud to report that as the project nears completion, the results have far exceeded expectations, and a new bar has been set for inclusion. I also currently sit on the board of directors of TriMet, an agency with a scale and complexity not unlike the City of Portland. Based on current operational structures, I do not think we are operating city bureaus as efficiently as we could. The mayor has recently begun mentioning the opportunities to eliminate duplicated effort despite those inefficiencies existing when he entered office. Lets start there. Sarah Iannarone: I dont have a career in politics or inherited wealth or a list of big donors who are friends of the family. What Im offering Portlanders is the experience of successfully running a small business, mentoring the next generation, raising a family while working full-time, opening an emergency shelter in my neighborhood, advising cities around the world how to grow sustainably and serving my community through tireless civic engagement and leadership. I ran for mayor because issues the incumbent promised to address, such as homelessness, traffic congestion and housing affordability, are not being tackled in an effective way. In fact, theyve gotten worse. The incumbent lacks the community networks I have, fails to demonstrate courageous leadership and is averse to undertaking bold policies that Portlanders want. We have an opportunity to reclaim Portlands global leadership, modeling for cities around the world how places work best when powered by the people. But its only possible with leadership that believes in community power. Our current leadership is falling short of this vision, but as a mayor committed to and capable of centering the needs of Portlands frontline communities, I will be positioned to achieve quantifiable, deliverable outcomes where we need them most. Michael OCallaghan: I will not be managing all of the bureaus. Many will be delegated to commissioners, based on consensus. I will retain the bureaus that show need for improvement after analysis. -- Everton Bailey Jr. Frasier (Credit: Paramount/CBS) The planned reboot of long-running sitcom Frasier is still on the cards, according to original star Peri Gilpin. Gilpin played Roz in the show, Frasier's long-suffering producer on his radio show on Seattle station KACL. Speaking to Metro, she said: [A reunion] is possible. Definitely. There is a lot of talk about it. I do think theres something going on, but I dont know exactly what it is or whether it will actually happen. Read more: Josh Gad hosting Goonies lockdown reunion But its in the works. Do you know what I mean? That sounds like a big tease but Im being teased too here! The cast, including Peri, Kelsey Grammer, Dan Butler, David Hyde Pierce and Jane Leeve, recently reunited for the Stars In The House online event, which is helping raise money for The Actors Fund in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. But prior to that, Grammer had been touting a possible reunion last year, and was snapped by paparazzi carry what appeared to be some kind of script. Kelsey Grammer Seen Holding a Script, Prompts Reboot Speculation #Frasier pic.twitter.com/ZXQHxCztp1 Keaton Patti (@KeatonPatti) April 17, 2019 Then appearing on YouTube show In Depth With Graham Bensingner in November last year, he seemed to confirm the whole thing. Weve got it hatched, Grammer said. "Weve hatched the plan, what we think is the right way to go. Well see how people respond to it, because its not gonna be the same place, not gonna be Seattle, its not gonna be the same Frasier, its gonna be the man in his next iteration. Hopefully thatll be something people like watching. The show was a spin-off of Cheers, in which barfly and psychiatrist Dr. Frasier Crane quit Boston to head back to his hometown. Once back, his plans to live the bachelor lifestyle are scuppered when his aging father the late John Mahoney moves in with him, along with his carer Daphne (British actress Jane Leeves). The sitcom ran for 11 series from 1993 to 2004, winning the Emmy for outstanding comedy series five years in a row. COLUMBUS, OhioThe Ohio Supreme Court on Monday ordered that an Ashland County court can hold in-person trial proceedings on Tuesday, rejecting the defendants argument that it would put him and others at risk of contracting the coronavirus. The high court sided with Ashland County Common Pleas Judge Ronald Forsthoefel, who argued that the trial of defendant Seth Whited had already been postponed three times and could go forward so long as social-distancing precautions are taken inside the courtroom. For each of the four trial dates scheduled, witnesses have been subpoenaed, then released, and have repeatedly been inconvenienced, the judge stated in a court document. An attorney for Whited, who is facing felony charges of child endangerment and unauthorized use of computer or telecommunications, argued in a court document that holding the trial on Tuesday would put him, the defendant, the jury, and everyone else in attendance at risk of contracting the virus. Even if no one gets sick, attorney Adam Stone argued, it would create an environment ripe for bias and prejudice among jurors, who would have a desire to reach a fast verdict and get out of the courtroom and back to the safety of their home. Stone also noted that three witnesses slated to testify are hospital doctors and one juror is an Ashland County Board of Health member, and the trial would take them away from their duties. Stone yielded that Forsthoefel has taken extraordinary measures to protect those in the courtroom, including that everyone involved with the trial wear masks, jurors will be seated in the gallery instead of the jury box, and that the trial will be livestreamed to the public to minimize the number of people in attendance. Despite those measures, Stone argued that there was still a chance of people involved with the trial contracting the virus from another person or via a surface in the courtroom. In an opinion signed by Chief Justice Maureen OConnor, the court ordered that in addition to the precautions taken by Forsthoefel, the trial could only proceed if the court ensures that no one enters the courtroom who exhibits COVID-19 symptoms or has a temperature of 100 degrees or higher. The Supreme Court also directed Forsthoefel to excuse any potential juror who is concerned that participating in the trial would jeopardize his or her health or safety. Four other justices Pat DeWine, Pat Fischer, Judith French, and Melody Stewart joined in OConnors order. Justice Sharon Kennedy concurred in a separate opinion in which she stated: leave it in Judge Forsthoefels capable hands to determine how to safely operate his court. Justice Michael Donnelly dissented, stating that he would delay the trial for at least another two weeks. Last month, the Ohio Supreme Court issued "guidance to lower courts encouraging them to minimize non-essential in-person court appearances. Stone noted that some judges have postponed all jury trials, though Forsthoefel noted that the Supreme Courts guidance was non-binding. Read more Ohio coronavirus coverage: Gov. Mike DeWine to announce Ohio coronavirus reopening plan: Watch live Poll: Most Ohioans dont want mail-only election in November Ohio lawmakers Facebook page was temporarily down because of suspicious activity,' company says New poll: Ohio likes Mike DeWine much more than Donald Trump; governor gets high marks on coronavirus BAKU, Azerbaijan, Apr. 27 By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend: Turkeys export of ready-made clothing to Israel decreased by 2.6 percent from January through March 2020 compared to the same period of 2019, making up $102.8 million, Turkeys Ministry of Trade told Trend on April 27. In March 2020, Turkeys export of ready-made clothing to Israel dropped by 20 percent compared to the same month of 2019, amounting to $42.1 million. In 1Q2020, Turkeys export of ready-made clothing to world markets dropped by 6.1 percent, compared to the same period of 2019, amounting to $4.2 billion. Turkeys export of ready-made clothing amounted to 9.9 percent of the countrys total export. In March 2020, Turkeys export of ready-made clothing to world markets dropped by 27.4 percent compared to the same month of 2019, amounting to 1.2 billion. Meanwhile, Turkeys export of ready-made clothing amounted to 9 percent of the countrys total export. From March 2019 through March 2020, Turkey exported ready-made clothing in the amount of $17.4 billion. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu Finance ministers of Opposition- ruled states on Monday said they fear country is moving towards a financial emergency and no concrete measures are being taken by the Centre to address the mounting woes of the states as they remain helpless amid the coronavirus pandemic. The ministers were addressing a webinar hosted by Gulati institute for Finance and Taxation (GIFT) in Thiruvananthapuram. The opposition leaders said they want the Centre to take immediate loan from the Reserve Bank and transfer the money directly to the states. Instead of this the Centre is waiting situation to be worsened and if people suspect a financial emergency they cant be blamed, they said. All states, the ministers said, should come together and fight what they called unilateral decisions of the union government. Despite emergency situation, the union finance minister is yet to call a meeting of state finance ministers even as the states face a major fiscal crisis as all sources of revenue shrunk like never before, they said. The meeting was called by Kerala Finance Minister Thomas Issac in the backdrop of states plagued by fiscal constraints in dealing with the pandemic and many of them were forced to cut salaries of its employees. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, Punjab finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal, former finance minister of Jammu and Kashmir Haseeb Drabu, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, CPI secretary D Raja and writer and economist Sanjay Baru attended the webinar. Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar was among those listed as speakers but he was not seen in attendance. Delhi is in dire straits. If the situation continued like this even the health sector will also be affected. Being a consumerist state we are suffering heavily due to loss of economic activities. We need immediate help, said Manish Sisodia. Punjab Finance Minister Badal said Rs 1000 crore was due in Goods and Services Tax (GSST) to the state and the Centre was not even ready to part with this amount. There is an undeclared emergency in the country. The country is going through a difficult situation and the economy is in doldrums. We dont want mere slogans now. The centre is yet to come up with a concrete plan to revive the economy, said Jairam Ramesh. The Kerala Finance Minister said that even during the pandemic there is no end to discrimination. The Centre had recently said corporate donations to PM-CARES come under the CSR but such donations to the CM relief fund do not come under the category. We have been asking for the state FMs meeting for quite some time. But it is yet to take place. We have been hearing only monologues. We dont need mere self praise or kudos. We need proper share and money to tide over the crisis, said Issac adding the initiative to bring together opposition ruled states will continue. ANN ARBOR, MI John Miller has worked as a chef for years, and now his 6-year-old daughter Sloane has joined him in his cooking career. Together, they created the Chef John & Sloanes At-Home Cooking Show live on Facebook, attracting hundreds of viewers. The show begins with a picture drawn by Sloane shown by Johns wife, Cara, who films while the father and daughter cook. As Miller cooks, Sloane adds some personality and chimes in with thoughts on what her father is saying. The Warren-based family says she is the star of the cooking show. It became something where I had to find a way where she could be involved and interested during it, Miller said. Cooking releases stress. Its a form of playing and creation -- all those things are what a kid likes to do. I think its brought us together doing it. - Chef John & Sloanes At-Home Cooking Show is live on Facebook Tuesdays and Fridays at noon, along with Quarantiki Time on Fridays at 4 p.m. Courtesy of John MillerCourtesy of John Miller Typically, Sloane is playing with clay, coloring or play fighting with her father. Now, shes donning a cooking apron and performing as an assistant and commentator on the show. The two cook an array of meals using food items they can find in the house. The classes are free and can be watched live at noon Tuesday and Friday, along with a cocktail and mocktail class called Quarantiki Time at 4 p.m. Fridays. All cooking shows and recipes are made available when the livestream ends. Turkey + Bean Chili with a Cheddar Biscuit Crumble Recipes are in the comments Posted by Catering at Ross on Friday, April 24, 2020 Miller works for Aramark Corporation, which is contracted by the University of Michigan Stephen M. Ross School of Business to provide food services, branded as Catering at Ross. After Michigans stay home order went into effect, the Millers noticed a need among families isolating at home for help with cooking. David Schroeder, general manager of Aramark Leisure Division, encouraged Miller to do the show because he thought it would be helpful to families coping with the coronavirus outbreak and provide a new avenue of learning and having fun. Its to help people learn to cook well at home with what they have under these conditions, said Schroeder. What the chef is doing is teaching people some education on food, coping skills and making them laugh. Videos and recipes are available here. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- On Jan. 20, Jodi Cali, 46, received the devastating diagnosis of breast cancer. The Randall Manor resident had been religiously going for mammograms annually since she was 40, but fell off the wagon for two years, after opening her own business, Jodi on Mane at Sola Salon, in 2018. At the time, Cali had suddenly become a single mom to her three children, Jacquelyn, 22, Julia, 21, and William, 14, and was forging a new path for herself and them. Because of these life-changing events during those two years, I didnt even think about getting tested, Cali said. Big mistake." On Feb. 28, Cali developed flu-like symptoms, which her doctors chalked up to side effects of the chemotherapy. When her symptoms persisted, Cali was finally given a COVID-19 test, which came back positive. Today, more than a month later, Cali is still fighting for her life and wants to share her experience in order to offer hope to those suffering and to urge women to get their annual mammograms. The following is her interview. Answers have been edited for length and clarity. How did you discover you had breast cancer? "Prior to the diagnosis, I had returned to the gym, lost some weight and felt the best I had in a very long time. This past Christmas I felt a lump on my right breast. And then I discovered a few more. "I immediately went to NYU Cancer Center and found out that I did have six masses, that the cancer was aggressive and that we needed to do more testing to make sure it didnt spread anywhere else. "This news devastated me and I prepared for the worst during the two weeks I waited for the results. I was sure the cancer had spread and that I didnt have much longer to live. But it wasnt my time. Luckily, it was contained and my doctors assured me I was going to be okay. This was not going to kill me and the news completely turned around my perspective. I was now ready to fight. Jodi Cali is pictured with her children, William, Julia, and Jacquelyn. (Courtesy Jodi Cali) How did you proceed with your breast cancer treatment? "On Friday, Feb. 28, I went to NYU for my first chemotherapy treatment. I originally thought that suddenly feeling physically terrible was a typical story of a new cancer patient having a bad reaction to the drugs; but I knew something else was not right. "My doctors initially agreed that my flu-like symptoms may be a bad reaction to chemo, but the headaches and nausea wouldnt go away. I also had a dry cough and my joints ached. I also lost my senses of taste and smell. All these symptoms are all too familiar now, but not two months ago. The coronavirus testing facility in Staten Island had just opened and I went there for a COVID-19 test, but was told that I had the common flu. I went home and called my doctors, who advised me to stay home and drink lots of fluids, as you would normally in this situation. Did you have help at home, as a single mom? "I was lucky that my parents had come up from Florida to help me out during this trying time, but we decided the best thing to do was for them to return to Florida with my son, William, and keep everyone safe, just in case. "My daughter Jacquelyn, who is a nurses assistant at SIUH South, and my daughter Julia both left my home to go stay with friends. I was home alone trying to get better, but I wasnt. My doctors told me to stay the course, but nothing was working. "A week went by and my fever hovered around 101 degrees Fahrenheit. The days were tough but the nights were awful. I didnt want to fall asleep because I knew when I woke up in the middle of the night, I would be so sick. Suddenly, for the second time in less than two months, I didnt think I was going to make it. My prayers went from asking not to wake up because of the pain to asking for healing so I could return to my life with my children. When did you finally go to the hospital? "Just under a week went by and my fever got worse. After a reading of 103, I called a friend who is a nurse and she told me to get to the hospital. The COVID-19 test results would take at least a week, but a chest x-ray revealed I had developed pneumonia. "Since my resistance was compromised based on the chemo, I was told to return home. I did. My COVID-19 test results came back positive. It took more than a month for me to feel better from the virus, which set me even further behind on my breast cancer treatments. Jodi Cali is flanked by friends Crissy Franzreb and Lissa Cipolli. (Courtesy Jodi Cali) THE IMPORTANT LESSON: EARLY DETECTION IS KEY "My story is a story of hope, not a cry for help. The one thing I would have changed is that I would have continued to have my regular mammograms, no matter what. I wish I went when it was inconvenient, because now, it is more so. Early detection makes a difference. Getting my annual mammogram was the one thing I had control over. I wish, hope, and pray the same for anyone that is reading this. You can be the difference. Get tested, every year. No exceptions. LUCKIEST PERSON ALIVE Im not sure what all of these events should have led to, but I know that they have made me realize that I am the luckiest person alive, she continued. "I have the greatest friends and family. I believe that these hardships made me stronger. "I appreciate so much more and worry so much less. I have peace. I have to be kind to myself. This is not where my story ends, but where it begins. "Most importantly, Im so proud of my three children, who have stayed the course, despite being through so much -- Jacquelyn is applying to nursing schools, Julia is a senior graduating with a degree in speech pathology, and William is going to Susan Wagners theater program in September. This COVID-19 outbreak is a horrific time for the entire world, but we will get through it, one day at a time. I believe that and I have hope." CLEVELAND, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine resisted conservative calls to widely reopen the states economy, but is facing more political pressure as he tries to steer the state out of the public health and economic crisis caused by coronavirus. DeWines limited approach is unlikely to sate some of his fellow Republicans whove publicly castigated the governor for overreaching with his offices powers. But those whove worked with DeWine and his inner circle and even some of his political opponents said they didnt think the governor was caving to interests who want a rapid resolution. In a way, the easy part for DeWines response is over. Public health experts recommended limiting contact between people to help blunt the spread of the virus to increase hospital space to prevent a surge, both goals that have been accomplished by the states restrictions. Some will say we shouldnt have opened at all. Some will say we didnt do enough, DeWine said at his Monday briefing. To the best of my ability, I think we found the sweet spot. I think we found the spot that will do the least damage. Its a risk and I fully understand the risk. Now the hard part begins -- trying to navigate out of the shutdown and address the economic struggles while living with the virus. Nearly a million people have filed for unemployment in Ohio and businesses face the increasingly approaching threat of having to shut down permanently with little-to-no revenue coming in. The theater that is the bull--- of the press conferences and protests, thats one thing, said an Ohio Republican who speaks frequently with the governors team. The reality of how this is affecting real people is the pressure from the economic side. Theyre not caving to protesters or anything like that. Theres real hurt going on and theyre responding to that. The rollbacks to the state health orders include allowing most elective surgery and procedures beginning May 1, the phased-in return of manufacturing, construction, distribution on May 4 and retail opening on May 12. Restrictions will be in place, including social distancing requirements, occupancy limitations and requiring both customers and employees to wear face masks. DeWine has received national accolades for his response to the pandemic. But as the crisis carries on, the pressure facing DeWine mostly coming from within his Republican constituency has increased. A vocal minority of Republican officeholders and conservative groups have demanded the state reopen immediately. Business groups called for loosening restrictions citing very real threats of the economy worsening over the next year. And theres always the question of how President Donald Trump, whose unpredictability during the pandemic is well documented, will react. Competing interests were always going to evolve from the onset of the pandemic. It was unavoidable. That it took as long as it did for them to show up in a big way in Ohio is somewhat surprising. Ryan Stubenrauch, a crisis communications consultant who has worked on DeWines campaigns for the past decade, said the pressure is undeniable for DeWine. Along with people getting sick, the states economy is in the gutter. Absent the handful of idiots making fools of themselves, the vast majority of Ohio is concerned about the same thing: their personal health and their economic health, Stubenrauch said. A former adviser of DeWines who has known him since the 1980s said he expected the governor to follow his same mantra of prioritizing data and expert opinion. Everyone is entitled to their view and hes going to listen to what everyone has to say, but at the end of the day hes going to do what he thinks is right, the former adviser said. Its not going to be informed by pressure. The former adviser pointed to the Lucasville Prison Riots in 1993 when 450 prisoners took control of the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility including capturing hostages for 11 days as an example of DeWine not caving to outside pressure. DeWine was lieutenant governor then and the point person on the states response. The majority of the calls we got in the governors office were for us to storm the prison, the former adviser said. Just go in and take it back over. It turns out that had we done that, there would have been a pretty significant loss of life. Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley, a Democrat who both vied to challenge DeWine in the 2018 gubernatorial race and worked with him closely after the Dayton mass shooting in 2019, said the governor has been operating pragmatically throughout the pandemic and she expects him do so as the state works to exit the restrictions. I have no sense to think hell stop following data and science because thats what hes using to make his decision, but he also has to be realistic with a very extreme legislature, Whaley said. The Statehouse certainly looks like the place that will remain the most antagonistic toward DeWine. While the groups protesting frequently will remain a public spectacle, Republicans in the Statehouse have the ability to force their policies on the governor if they decide to do so. Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder, a fellow Republican, has appeared either officially or through back channels to be undermining DeWine since the start of the pandemic. A Householder ally challenged in court DeWines move to postpone the March 17 primary. The speaker said the governor should not expect the House to help with new revenue. Just hours before the governors Monday briefing, Republicans on the House task force for examining the states economic recovery preempted DeWine by releasing their own recommendation that the state reopen immediately. The science says that is not the best approach and could very well lead to a second wave of infections resulting in deaths. Conspiracy theorists and science deniers have pointed to the states low number of infections and deaths not as a victory call, but proof that the disease isnt a real danger, conveniently ignoring the fact that prisons in Ohio have been the worst hotspots in the country. DeWine called the idea of reopening the state entirely on May 1 reckless. To throw the doors open on May 1 and say get rid of everything would be totally irresponsible, DeWine said. I have an obligation as governor of this state to do two things right now and every day: get people back to work and keep them safe. That would not be consistent with keeping people safe. Trumps response to DeWines decision, if any, is unpredictable. Hes supported causes diametrically opposed to DeWine, but never directly contradicted him and by most accounts, the two have had a good working relationship through the crisis. Earlier in April, he supported protests in Minnesota, Michigan, Virginia and Pennsylvania to reopen the economy. Trump did not mention Ohio, but the groups leader, Chris Dorr of Ohio Gun Owners, and his brothers are the architects behind the demonstrations in those states. Those three states have Democratic governors, but the erratic behavior has extended to GOP-led states as well. Trump reportedly called Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp to say he supported the states plan to begin loosening restrictions. However, he later said he strongly disagreed with Kemps decision to open businesses quickly and said he would intervene if he saw something totally egregious. Trump is eager for the economy to make a comeback to bolster his chances at winning re-election against Democratic former Vice President Joe Biden in November. But a haphazard reopening could cause a second wave of infections that might be more catastrophic to his chances than the current situation. DeWine and anybody else who is sensible agree that a thousand people dying is horrific, Stubenrauch said. They also agree that a million people out of work is horrific. Fixing both of those problems at the same time is difficult and requires some nuance. DeWine has broad backing from the public, even as a vocal minority of detractors have gained footing in the public consciousness. A poll released Monday from three universities showed 75% of Ohio voters viewed DeWine favorably while 85% said they supported his response to coronavirus. The same poll shows that reopening the state wont be something that happens overnight. Between 48% and 57% of respondents said it was too early to open restaurants, all retail stores, hair and nail salons or places of worship. More than 82% said they wouldnt resume their normal activities anyway. Read more cleveland.com politics coverage: Mapping Ohios 16,325 coronavirus cases, Mondays update, trends Ohios plan to reopen after coronavirus is more cautious than many other states Ohio Supreme Court rules courtroom trial can go forward despite coronavirus concerns Poll: Most Ohioans dont want mail-only election in November UPDATE: A last-minute scheduling issue prevents Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon from joining us today. We will reschedule the conversation for another day. Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon will join Syracuse.com at 10 a.m. Monday to take your questions and ours about the countys response to the coronavirus pandemic. Go to Syracuse.coms Facebook page to watch and ask questions via the comments. McMahon has been a daily presence on Facebook, delivering data, updates, scolding and encouragement since the virus forced the closure of schools, businesses and public gatherings in mid-March. His briefings lately have focused on how the counties in Central New York are planning a phased restart of the economy, perhaps ahead of the rest of the state. McMahon, a Republican, was appointed county executive in 2018, when his predecessor, Joanie Mahoney, stepped down a year before her term was due to expire. He was elected in November to a full, four-year term. Before that, he served on the Syracuse Common Council and as chairman of the Onondaga County Legislature. If you have questions for the county executive, leave them in the Facebook comments. Well try to get to as many as we can. You can also email questions to mmorelli@syracuse.com. Syracuse.com has conducted a series of online Q&As with experts and public officials on various aspects of daily life transformed by the coronavirus pandemic. Here are some others: Live Q&A: Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh talks about the coronavirus shutdown Live Q&A: Legal aid lawyer discusses coronavirus unemployment benefits Live Q&A: CenterState CEO discusses economic impact of coronavirus in CNY Live Q&A: Education professor gives tips on homeschooling during the coronavirus pandemic Mental health Q&A: How to cope with anxiety, stress during this difficult time I am reminded this week that we each have our Captain Cook, and how we see him tells us so much about how we see our country. Black and white Australians enter this modern nation Australia differently. My ancestors stood on the shore and watched the ships come. Between the ship and the shore is two centuries of history; history still untold and justice still denied. The descendants of those who came on the ships, even those who came in chains, reap the rewards of a nation that is among the richest, most democratic and diverse on earth. Two hundred and fifty years after Cook, the sons and daughters of those on the shore die 10 years younger than other Australians, and are the nations most imprisoned and impoverished people. Botany Bay, where Captain James Cook first stepped onto land. Credit:Edwina Pickles My blood stood on that shore. My great-great-grandfather, Frank Foster, was a Dharawal man whose grandparents could have seen the white sails of the Endeavour coming through the heads of Gamay/Kamay (Botany Bay). A mother screamed for help "like she was being tortured" after two children were stabbed to death at a home in east London, a neighbour has said. A one-year-old girl and three-year-old boy were killed in the devastating and horrific attack the Newbury Park area of Ilford at around 5.30pm on Sunday. Met Police said a 40-year-old man who was known to the children is still fighting for his life in hospital after suffering knife wounds. Detectives have launched a murder investigation but are not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident. Police Officers at the cordon in Ilford after two children were killed / NIGEL HOWARD A newsagent worker named locally as Nithin Kumar, known as Nithi, lives at the property with his wife Nisa and two young children, reporters were told. His boss Shanmugathas Thevadurai told reporters at the CVS store about two miles from the scene: Hes my staff. Yesterday he was working here normally, he came and opened the shop and finished around 4pm. He added that he did not believe it when he went to the house and saw police and ambulances. Mr Thevadurai, 54, said he hired Mr Kumar eight years ago after he lost his job at Tesco, and called him a hard-working, honest person who had a shy disposition. He added that he was very polite and friendly with customers and would sometimes call his family on the phone at work. A policeman guards the property / NIGEL HOWARD The toddler died at the scene in Aldborough Road North, which is just yards from a day nursery, while the boy died later in hospital, Scotland Yard said. A mother-of-two who lives across the road and gave her name as Reshna said: I heard a woman screaming Help me. It sounded like she was being tortured. I knew something horrible must have happened, it went on for about 10 minutes. The neighbour said she later saw medics carrying a little body in a bag outside. She added: My heart just sank, its devastating, horrific. From a mothers perspective Im still shaken from it, I cant imagine what she feels at the moment. Police were seen patrolling a cordon encircling two newsagents attached to some flats in the quiet residential road off the A12 on Monday. Two small toy rabbits, one blue and one white and pink, were left at the scene with a note saying: Little angels, we are so sorry. Rest in Peace. Several neighbours said the family were of Sri Lankan descent. Neighbour Intisar Ahmed said they had lived there for around two years and that she saw a police officer take one of the injured children outside and attempt CPR. She said: I was so, so upset. I couldnt believe it, the baby on the floor and the policeman trying first aid. I saw them put him on the floor and it looks like they had taken the clothes off. I could hear the mother screaming. A Scotland Yard spokesman said: The childrens next of kin have been informed. A 40-year-old man was also taken to hospital and is in a critical condition; officers remain in attendance at the hospital. It is believed that all parties involved were known to each other; all three had suffered knife injuries. Ventilators, masks, gloves, and more have already been provided to facilities across the USA LINCOLN, NE, April 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ - Every week, Ritchie Bros.' GovPlanet marketplace sells thousands of items from the US Department of Defense, including demilitarized vehicles, uniforms, tents, medical supplies, and more. In mid-March, when a shortage of personal protective equipment for essential workers was announced, GovPlanet and the US DoD looked through all upcoming inventory, pulled items, and provided them to frontline employees. In the past month, GovPlanet has returned ventilators, masks, gloves, and various other medical supplies to the US Department of Defense to be distributed to its customers. Much of this work has been coordinated by the US Defense Logistics Agency, the nation's combat logistics support agency. "During these unprecedented times, we are all doing our best to support those battling COVID-19 on the frontlines," said Michael Cannon, Defense Logistics Agency Disposition Services Director. "We are working closely with our partners to ensure items get to those that need them. GovPlanet has done an inventory of all items they have acquired from us to find anything that may be useful to the pandemic response efforts." Ritchie Bros.' GovPlanet marketplace has been working with the US DoD and DLA since 2014. "Since mid-March, we have pulled more than 12,000 N95 medical masks from our inventory and returned them to the Defense Logistics Agency for redistribution to the frontline employees who need them," said Doug Feick, Senior Vice President, Government Services, Ritchie Bros. "We continue to monitor all incoming inventory to determine additional high-priority items that may be of use." For more information about GovPlanet, visit GovPlanet.com. About GovPlanet: GovPlanet, a Ritchie Bros. solution, was launched in 2014 to address the specialized equipment disposition needs of public entities, from federal, including military, to state, local and municipal. Each week, on average, GovPlanet draws close to 90,000 attendees to its online auctions. Items go into preview two weeks in advance and bidders can view photos, video and inspection reports. All items sold on GovPlanet have been inspected and come with IronPlanet's exclusive IronClad Assurance equipment condition certifications, which give bidders the confidence to buy online from anywhere in the world. About Ritchie Bros.: Established in 1958, Ritchie Bros. (NYSE and TSX: RBA) is a global asset management and disposition company, offering customers end-to-end solutions for buying and selling used heavy equipment, trucks and other assets. Operating in a number of sectors, including construction, transportation, agriculture, energy, oil and gas, mining, and forestry, the company's selling channels include: Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers, the world's largest industrial auctioneer offers live auction events with online bidding; IronPlanet, an online marketplace with featured weekly auctions and providing the exclusive IronClad Assurance equipment condition certification; Marketplace-E, a controlled marketplace offering multiple price and timing options; Mascus, a leading European online equipment listing service; and Ritchie Bros. Private Treaty, offering privately negotiated sales. The company's suite of multichannel sales solutions also includes Ritchie Bros. Asset Solutions, a complete end-to-end asset management and disposition system. Ritchie Bros. also offers sector-specific solutions including GovPlanet, TruckPlanet, and Kruse Energy, plus equipment financing and leasing through Ritchie Bros. Financial Services. For more information about Ritchie Bros., visit RitchieBros.com. Photos and video for embedding in media stories are available at rbauction.com/media. SOURCE GovPlanet Some 2.91 million people have been reported to be infected by the novel coronavirus globally and 203,264 have died, according to a Reuters tally, as of 1400 GMT on Sunday. DEATHS AND INFECTIONS * For an interactive graphic tracking the global spread, open https://tmsnrt.rs/3aIRuz7 in an external browser. * For a U.S.-focused tracker with state-by-state and county map, open https://tmsnrt.rs/2w7hX9T in an external browser. EUROPE 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 * Spanish children emerged on foot, on skateboards and on scooters from their homes for the first time after six long weeks of living under one of Europe's strictest coronavirus lockdowns. * Britain's stand-in leader resisted pressure to explain how the government plans to ease a lockdown that has been in place for a month, warning that hasty action could result in the second peak of infections. * Italy, the first European country to be hard-hit by the coronavirus, will allow some businesses to reopen as soon as this week while aiming to reopen manufacturing and construction from May 4, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said. AMERICAS * White House advisers hope to come up with several options to present to President Donald Trump for "big thoughtful policies" to help rebuild confidence in an economy battered by the pandemic, a Trump economic adviser said. * Many Americans flocked to beaches on Saturday as one Florida county expanded access and California experienced a heatwave, even as new coronavirus cases hit a record high in the United States the day before. * Argentina will extend a mandatory nationwide quarantine period until May 10 in a bid to combat the advance of the coronavirus, President Alberto Fernandez said. * Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said plans underway to restart the economies of Canadian provinces do not depend on presuming people who become infected with coronavirus develop immunity to it. ASIA-PACIFIC * Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged Indians to comply with a nationwide lockdown and social distancing measures a day after some of the world's toughest restrictions were eased slightly while cases of COVID-19 continued to mount. * South Korea's large churches reopened, requiring worshipers to keep their distance and wear masks, after the government relaxed restrictions on religious gatherings. * The Australian government launched a controversial coronavirus tracing app and promised to legislate privacy protections around it as authorities try to get the country and the economy back onto more normal footing. * The Chinese city of Wuhan, where the global pandemic began, now has no remaining cases in its hospitals, a health official told reporters. MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA * Saudi Arabia eased curfews across the country, while keeping 24-hour curfews in the city of Mecca and in neighbourhoods previously put in isolation, state news agency SPA said. * Israel permitted some businesses to reopen and said it would consider allowing children back to school as part of trial efforts to ease restrictions and help the struggling economy. * South Africa is seeking 95 billion rands ($4.99 billion) from multilateral lenders to help it fight the COVID-19 pandemic, a senior Treasury official said. ECONOMIC FALLOUT * Virgin Atlantic is still talking with the British government about a bailout package to cope with the devastating effects of the pandemic on travel as well as focusing on private sector funding, a company spokeswoman told Reuters. * Mexico's Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex) is asking some staff to take pay cuts of 25% until December to help the heavily-indebted state oil firm weather the impact of the coronavirus outbreak and slumping crude prices, according to a letter seen by Reuters. Catch our entire coverage on the Facebook-Jio deal here. * Global equity benchmarks struggled on Friday as some U.S. states began reopening businesses despite the disapproval of health experts, and as the European Union put off addressing details of its new economic rescue plan.Also read: Coronavirus News India LIVE Updates Israeli authorities accelerating implementation of settlement plans, PLO warns Iran Press TV Sunday, 26 April 2020 4:16 PM The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) has warned that Israel is speeding up implementation of settlement building schemes in the occupied Palestinian territories in a flagrant breach of international law. In a weekly report on Saturday, the PLO National Bureau for Defending Land and Resisting Settlements said these plans, which also flout international legitimacy resolutions, fall within the framework of the so-called peace proposal by US President Donald Trump aimed at liquidating the Palestinian cause. The report, carried by Syria's official news agency, SANA, said Tel Aviv had just announced a new settlement plan to occupy the lands surrounding al-Ibrahimi Mosque in the city of al-Khalil (Hebron) in the occupied West Bank. This is a step aimed at consolidating the "Israeli apartheid system" and confiscating the Palestinians' right of self-determination in a time that the whole world is preoccupied with confronting the COVID-19 pandemic, it said. Hundreds of Israeli settlers, supported by tens of thousands of soldiers, have already occupied significant parts of al-Khalil's city center. They harass the Palestinians in the city on an almost daily basis. The Israeli regime is criticized for its Judaization activities at the Ibrahimi Mosque, which is known to Jews as the Cave of the Patriarchs. Revered by both Muslims and Jews, the holy site complex is believed to mark the burial sites of Prophets Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Following a massacre of Palestinian worshipers by an extremist settler in 1994, the complex was divided between Muslim and Jewish worshipers. However, the Israeli military almost regularly closes the mosque to Muslim worshipers and allows extremist settlers to enter the whole sacred site to observe their rituals. According to the PLO report, Israeli authorities have also announced another plan to annex more areas in the West Bank on July 1. What US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said last week, the report added, clearly reaffirmed Washington's support for Tel Aviv's annexation plans. Fixing July 1 as the date for implementing the plan clearly showed an agreement between US and Israeli officials to implement the provisions of Trump's extensively-condemned "Deal of the Century." Such a move by Washington and Tel Aviv is an attempt to legalize "the policy of bullying and law of the jungle" that have become, under Trump, a significant part of the US foreign policy, the PLO emphasized. All Palestinian groups have unanimously rejected the deal, officially known as the so-called Peace to Prosperity, which gives Jerusalem al-Quds the status of "Israel's undivided capital" and authorizes further Israeli annexations in the West Bank and the Jordan Valley. Palestinians want the West Bank as part of a future independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem al-Quds as its capital. Trump's deal, which was formally unveiled in late January, gave rise to a storm of indignation and opposition among people and politicians as well as international organizations right from the start. The PLO report also pointed out that the UN Special Coordinator for Middle East, Nikolai Mladinov, had warned that any possible annexation of Palestinian lands to the Israeli regime would be a destructive hit to the project of establishing an independent Palestinian state. Most of the UN Security Council's member states have recently reiterated their rejection of the Israeli plans and of any plans that undermine establishing a Palestinian state on the borders of June 4, 1967, it further said. Elsewhere in the report, the PLO noted that Israeli authorities have demolished two Palestinian facilities in Sebastia and Burqa villages, northwest of Nablus, as well as a house in al-Khalil, adding that the regime had already delivered warnings for the demolition of four houses in Bethlehem. It also warned that attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the villages and towns of the West Bank had escalated under the protection of Israeli forces. Also on Saturday, the Israeli rights group B'Tselem said in an official report that since the outbreak of the contagious disease in the occupied territories, the Israeli settlers have ramped up their assaults with full support from the Tel Aviv regime. B'Tselem said during the first three weeks of the current month only at least 23 attacks by settlers had been documented compared to 23 such incidents throughout March, adding that 11 of these attacks were conducted after mid-March, when strict restrictions on movement and social gatherings were imposed. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The plight of millions of migrant workers is one of the most talked-about topics in India after the lockdown was announced. The images of thousands of migrants, with their families and young children trying to rush back to their native places, were some of the most heart touchings once that surfaced in recent times. They took the desperate journey on the fear of an uncertain future, with no jobs and no income due to the lockdown. BCCL However, the Centre has told the Supreme Court that migrant workers don't need to travel to their native places during the lockdown, as the government is taking care of their and their family members' daily needs wherever they are. This came in a second status report filed by the government in the apex court in response to a plea by advocate Alakh Alok Srivastava, seeking relief for migrant workers including payment of wages. BCCL The status report filed by Union Home secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla said that to obviate the difficulties faced by low wage-earners in the organized sector, cash transfer under PM Garib Kalyan Yojana has been made. The status report said the government has allowed such workers to withdraw EPFO money advance and as on April 9, 1,49,891 members have availed of the facility. In view of the steps taken by the government, it is submitted that there is no necessity for migration of workers to shift from places of their occupation to the place of their residence and rush back to their villages, Their daily needs are being taken care of wherever they are working and the daily needs of their family members were being taken care of at their respective villages, the status report filed on an affidavit said. BCCL As per the latest statistics furnished by the state governments and Union territories, 37,978 relief camps have already been set up by state governments and Union Territories and genuine NGOs. Nearly 14.3 lakh persons have been housed in these camps. In addition to the above, 26,225 food camps have also been opened giving food to nearly 1.34 crore persons, the affidavit said. (Don't Miss: Contribute To Indiatimes Fundraiser To Help India Fight COVID-19) The Centre said that directions have been issued to district administration and superintendent of police to ensure migrant workers and other poor people who are living in rented accommodation are not compelled to pay rent by their landlords. However, for the migrant workers who have been stranded in big cities, they are living on mostly handouts by NGOs and individuals. Most of then are uncertain about their next meal. AP Congress leader of the house in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury claimed that food grains under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana were not reaching the beneficiaries of the state, while holding that "hunger is not gender, religion or political affiliation specific." REUTERS According to a recent study 21 Days and Counting: COVID-19 Lockdown, Migrant Workers, and the Inadequacy of Welfare Measures in India, 72 per cent of the workers said that their ration would finish in two days. In Maharashtra, 71 per cent told the Stranded Workers Action Network (SWAN) that they had rations only for a day while 89 per cent had stocks for two days. MATTOON Lytle Pool is scheduled to be closed for the summer 2020 swimming season due to the stay-at-home order and social distance requirements prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Lytle Superintendent Justin Grady reported in a press release that he recently met with the Mattoon Township Park Commissioners and their advisory board to decide how Lytle Park & Pool would address the challenges of the pandemic. "We, just as all of our community, face the unknown with the extension of the stay-at-home order, social distance requirements, and the use of masks, etc. We are relying on advice from the Illinois Department of Public Health, the CDC, and the Office of the Governor," Grady said. Grady said they are sorry to announce that Lytle Pool will be closed this summer. The pool normally opens on Memorial Day weekend in late May for summer break and remains open until the Mattoon school district resumes classes in mid-August. Regarding the Rotary Community Aquatic Center in Charleston, Director Brian Jones of the Charleston Parks and Recreation Department said he anticipates that the Illinois Department of Public Health may release updated guidelines later this week on the operation of public swimming pools during the pandemic. He said these updated guidelines will be a big factor on whether or not the Charleston pool opens this summer. "We have not made a decision at this point," Jones said. Grady also said the following other decisions were taken with regards to the safety of the community and staff at Lytle Park: The playgrounds will remain closed until the governors office allows them to re-open. The bathrooms and water fountains will remain closed until the stay-at-home orders are lifted. The splash fountain will remain closed until guidelines for groups increase substantially, at the direction of the governor. Pavilion reservations must meet the governors guidelines for group sizes, social distancing and mask use. No reservations will be allowed for dates during the stay-at-home order. Grady said the 2020 Mattoon Farmers Market season is scheduled to start May 29 at Lytle Park, but social distancing rules will apply. The market operates along South 32nd Street at the Cedar Avenue entrance to the park. Community members and their canine companions, with leashes, continue to be welcome to walk through the 24-acre park and on its pathways. "We are very happy to see so many people using the park during these difficult times. We ask that when you are in the park, everyone continues to practice social distancing and remain respectful to others in the park," Grady said. "We thank you for your support and understanding. We will get through this together. Stay safe." Updates will be posted on Lytle Park's Facebook and Instagram pages. 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. Belle Meade Family Dentistry Offers Emergency Dentistry in Nashville, TN When Patients Need it Most For over three decades the team at Belle Meade Family Dentistry has been serving their Nashville community high-quality care they can trust. Now is no different. Emergency Dentistry is available in Nashville, TN by Belle Meade Family Dentistry. This team of trusted dentists, Dr. James Pace Sr., Dr. Temp Sullivan, and Dr. James Pace Jr. welcome their community to receive the dental care they need to maintain proper oral and overall health. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they are also taking additional precautions to maintain a safe office environment including following guidelines set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). For over three decades the team at Belle Meade Family Dentistry has been serving their Nashville community high-quality care they can trust. Now is no different. They understand the connection oral health and systemic health share which is why they encourage those with a serious dental emergency to receive the care they need. If left untreated, some dental concerns can lead to infection and a weakened immune system. In order to maintain their patients health, they welcome those in need of emergency dental care including those experiencing the following: Lasting and severe toothache Red, painful, swollen gums Loose and discolored teeth Knocked-out tooth Loose or painful dental implant Patients in need of emergency dental services can call the office for an initial phone screening. If an in-office visit is recommended, one will be scheduled as soon as possible. The entire staff at Belle Meade Family Dentistry is dedicated to putting their patients first. New sanitation protocols have been put in place following CDC guidelines and recommendations by the American Dental Association (ADA). For those looking for a consultation on elective treatments such as dental implants, orthodontics, or cosmetic dentistry, phone consultations are available. Finding an emergency dentist now can be difficult. The dentists at Belle Meade Family Dentistry want to make it easy by offering emergency dentistry in Nashville, TN so patients can receive the care they need in a safe environment. Call 615-298-2030 for more information. About the Dentists Belle Meade Family Dentistry serves the Nashville, TN area with full-service family dentistry, for 35 years running. Dr. James Pace Sr. has served as a Chairman of the Nashville Dental Society and as a delegate to the Tennessee Dental Association. He was a 2015 Patients Choice Award Winner, has consistently received recognition by the Tennessee Dental Association for his hours of continuing education, and has led and participated in multiple dental and medical mission trips to the Dominican Republic. Dr. Temp Sullivan earned his fellow in laser dentistry at World Clinical Laser Institute and serves as a delegate for the Tennessee Dental Association and as a member of the Peer Review committee for TennCare. Dr. James Pace Jr. received the 2011 Tennessee Dental Associations Ace Award. The team at Belle Meade Family Dentistry strives to provide the finest quality dental care for patients in a warm, caring, and clean environment. They execute the most advanced dental care with every service, including teeth-in-a-day dental implants, Invisalign, the Pinhole Surgical Technique and laser dentistry. To learn more about the dentists at Belle Meade Family Dentistry and the services they offer visit http://www.bellemeadedental.com or call 615-298-2030. The seized cocaine, believed to be worth around 2.5m The so-called Maguire faction in the deadly Drogheda feud has been dealt a massive blow as detectives seized 2.5m of cocaine which was "partially destined" for the murderous Co Louth mob. Last night, three men remained in garda custody in two Dublin stations - a 59-year-old from Armagh and two Latvian nationals aged 44 and 48. Senior sources revealed the drugs had been sourced by the Kinahan cartel to be distributed to a number of different crime networks, including the Maguire faction, as well as gangs based in Northern Ireland. After the murder of arch-rival Robbie Lawlor in Belfast earlier this month, sources said the Maguire faction has taken the "upper hand" in the feud which has so far claimed four lives. However, the massive coke seizure is "going to hurt their business operations". Distributed "The intelligence indicates that the cocaine was brought into the country by the cartel to be distributed among a number of crime organisations based in Co Louth and Northern Ireland," a senior source said. Investigations were still at a delicate stage last night as follow-up searches involving the PSNI took place and gardai attempted to carry out full background checks on the two arrested Latvian men who are not resident here. Gardai yesterday announced details of the massive seizure - one of the biggest drugs busts of the year. "In the course of an intelligence-led operation targeting organised criminality, personnel attached to the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau [GNDOCB] stopped and searched three vehicles in the Blakes Cross area of Co Dublin on Saturday afternoon," a statement said. "The searches that were undertaken by GNDOCB resulted in the discovery and seizure of a quantity of a substance believed to be cocaine with an estimated street value of 2.5m. Three men were arrested at the scene and detained at two Dublin garda stations." Detective Chief Superintendent Angela Willis, who is Head of Bureau at GNDOCB, said An Garda Siochana is committed to disrupting the activities of organised criminals supplying drugs to our communities. "This seizure of a substantial quantity of cocaine is significant in disrupting this supply and enabling us to keep people safe," she said. Assistant Commissioner John O'Driscoll, who heads the force's Special Crime Operations, added: "We continue to pursue those who engage in serious and organised crime with a view to dismantling the organised crime groups they are associated with. "This seizure of what is believed to be cocaine and the subsequent arrest of three suspects will assist in achieving that objective." Shot The Maguire mob is led by crime boss Owen Maguire, who is confined to a wheelchair after being shot multiple times, allegedly by Robbie Lawlor, in July 2018. The massive cocaine seizure follows a separate seizure of 1.24m of cannabis herb in Co Laois on Friday evening. Gardai from Arles and Ballylinan, supported by the Laois Divisional Drugs Unit, located the 62kg haul in a ditch along a secondary road on the Carlow/Laois border as a result of an intelligence-led operation. As the COVID-19 death toll at nursing homes climbs to nearly 12,000, the nursing home industry is pushing states to provide immunity from lawsuits to the owners and employees of the nation's 15,600 nursing homes. So far at least six states have provided explicit immunity from coronavirus lawsuits for nursing homes, and six more have granted some form of immunity to health care providers, which legal experts say could likely be interpreted to include nursing homes. Patient advocates worry that nursing homes accused of extreme neglect could avoid liability. "I can't even believe this is a topic of discussion," said Anny Figueroa, whose 55-year-old mother was a resident at Andover Subacute & Rehab Center in New Jersey, where law enforcement discovered 17 bodies in a makeshift morgue this month. The nursing home is under investigation by the state attorney general. Figueroa said her family was kept in the dark about her mother's coronavirus diagnosis, forcing her to demand that she be transferred to a hospital, where she is now in intensive care. Figueroa said she fears immunity will let facilities like Andover "continue to neglect and abuse these helpless individuals because now they are not liable." Image: Andover Subacute and Rehab Center in New Jersey (Stefan Jeremiah / Reuters) "Due to patient privacy concerns, we are unable to discuss individual patients," said Mutty Scheinbaum, owner and operator of the facility. "We work to be in regular communication with a resident's family, if accessible, when the resident becomes ill." Scheinbaum said the facility's top priority is the health and safety of residents and staff. "Most staff in nursing homes are doing the very best they can, under horrendous circumstances," said Toby Edelman, senior policy attorney for the Center for Medicare Advocacy, a group that advocates for nursing home residents. "But the combination of fewer rules, no family, no ombudsmen, no surveyors, no enforcement, more money and now industry efforts to get immunity from civil and criminal liability for anything related to coronavirus is a lethal combination in the hands of unscrupulous people." Story continues Full coverage of the coronavirus outbreak Almost 70 percent of the nation's more than 15,000 nursing homes are run by for-profit companies, and 57 percent are operated by chain companies, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines as organizations that own two or more long-term care facilities. The rest are owned by nonprofit organizations. The federal government has eased some nursing home regulations during the Trump administration, but most oversight of the industry is conducted by the states. Industry leaders say they have been pleading with state governments for increased testing and personal protective equipment so they can protect their workers, care for residents and reduce the spread of the disease. Both for-profit and nonprofit nursing home industry associations have been pushing for immunity on the state and federal levels, according to statements from the organizations. Mark Parkinson, president of the American Health Care Association, which represents more than 14,000 for-profit nursing homes, said in a statement, "Long-term care workers and centers are on the frontline of this pandemic response and it is critical that states provide the necessary liability protection staff and providers need to provide care during this difficult time without fear of reprisal." LeadingAge, which represents nonprofit providers of aging services, including 2,000-plus nursing homes, says it has been working with the American Health Care Association to pursue "legal immunity for providers across the continuum of aging services for all claims that would arise out of actions related to combatting the COVID-19 pandemic." Industry executives say claims of extreme neglect could still be pursued in court. "We are responding to a disaster," said Charles Downs, corporate counsel for Virginia Lutheran Homes, a LeadingAge member that has two facilities in the Shenandoah Valley. He says the industry's request for immunity would apply only to the lower bar of what is known as "general negligence" and would not rule out lawsuits for cases of "gross negligence" or extreme neglect. States like Virginia have provisions in their laws that automatically provide what is known as "civil liability immunity" for health care workers during emergencies. But whether those protections extend to nursing homes and their owners is not always clear. Downs said that is the type of clarification his organization needs. "We are not doing this defensively because we are worried about a lawsuit," he said. Of the states that have addressed nursing home liability as a response to the outbreak, two Massachusetts and New York have passed laws that explicitly immunize the facilities. Governors in Connecticut, Georgia, Michigan and New Jersey have issued executive orders that immunize facilities. (New York's governor signed an executive order that also relieved nursing homes and other health care providers of record-keeping requirements "to the extent necessary" to respond to the outbreak.) In Illinois and Arizona, the governors signed executive orders that do not specifically list nursing homes but do immunize health care providers broadly. The Illinois order, for example, refers to "health-care facilities." Louisiana, Wisconsin and Kentucky passed laws that do not explicitly mention nursing homes but do immunize health care providers. Indiana issued guidance saying its law granting immunity applies to "any facility that provides health care services by a [licensed] professional" in response to the COVID-19 emergency. For those states that do not specify immunity for nursing homes and instead speak of broad protection for "health care providers," much hinges on the definition of the phrase. While at least a dozen states have moved to provide immunity for health care facilities through executive orders or legislation, the laws vary as to whether they explicitly include nursing homes. Heidi Li Feldman, an expert on tort law at Georgetown University Law Center, said nursing homes are commonly included under the umbrella of "health care providers." If "health care providers" are shielded by a state law or an executive order, it is most likely that nursing homes would be shielded, too. She said that if nursing homes are protected by an immunity order, then the owners as well as their employees are protected from lawsuits. Even in a state with an immunity order, Feldman said, a nursing home could be liable for an egregious business decision like lying to families about coronavirus cases. Such an action would be considered a business decision and probably would not be covered under a health care shield during a pandemic. Feldman said it would be odd if states immunized health care providers without providing "counterbalancing precautions to incentivize people to be cautious even in an emergency situation." "It's not unprecedented for people to ask to be shielded from tort," she said, "but it is unprecedented to give that protection without making additional provisions for safety and compensation where it is legitimately needed." State lobbying The industry's lobbying continues around the country. In Florida, where 20 percent of the deaths have been among residents in long-term care facilities, the for-profit nursing home industry has pressed the governor's office for immunity in an executive order that would explicitly name skilled nursing facilities like that in New York. A spokesperson for Gov. Ron DeSantis told NBC News that no decision has been made. Nick Van Der Linden, spokesperson for LeadingAge Florida, the states advocacy group for nonprofit senior living service providers, including nursing homes, said that the request for immunity is "routine" but that he did not know of any recent instances in which it had been applied. Van Der Linden said the nursing homes were working with a broad coalition of health care organizations. "We are continuing to work with the language that everyone can agree on," he said, adding that he remained hopeful that the governor would decide in their favor. The industry has sent similar letters to governors in Washington, Pennsylvania and Connecticut. Download the NBC News app for full coverage and alerts about the coronavirus outbreak In Connecticut, the state Hospital Association asked the governor to issue an executive order to protect health care facilities working on the state's COVID-19 response. He did, and his order included nursing homes. But the state groups representing nursing homes and assisted living facilities had sent their own letter requesting tweaks in the language, which were not included in the governor's final executive order. Their alterations would have provided far broader immunity for nursing home and assisted living facilities and owners, said Paul Slager, president of the Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association, who has litigated many catastrophic medical malpractice cases, some against nursing homes. "I think that blanket immunity, like the type that is being sought by these nursing homes, is not safe," Slager said. "It doesn't give any incentive to avoid situations like we see in New Jersey, where the bodies are piling up." Just over the border in New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo issued an executive order in March providing broad immunity from civil liability for nurses and doctors in health care facilities. But in April, the state Legislature moved even further to explicitly define the term "health care facility" to include a "nursing home." According to an analysis by the New York-based law firm Barclay Damon, which represents nursing home owners in New York, that provides wide protection for health care facility administrators, trustees and executives, in addition to employees. New York has also waived requirements on record-keeping, saying, "Any person acting reasonably and in good faith under this provision shall be afforded absolute immunity from liability for any failure to comply with any recordkeeping requirement." Debbie Gough, a lawyer who has sued nursing homes in New York and New Jersey, said she finds New York's record-keeping language particularly problematic. "It's not just lawyers and lawsuits. At some point the state has to go back in and learn from this," she said, adding that she worries that the state will not be able to track what happened in facilities. Overall, how much immunity provisions will protect nursing home companies will be determined in court, because deaths and alleged health care failures during the pandemic will certainly be the subject of future litigation, lawyers around the country told NBC News. "Everyone wants to see front-line health care providers protected from any kind of lawsuit," Gough said. "But I do think that knowing there is immunity out there could deter people from trying to get justice, and that would be a real shame. ... Some of these places shouldn't get a pass at this point. It's important for the public to look into them." India's unemployment rate hit 26% and 14 crore people lost employment as per CMIE data released recently. This is the single largest blow to the economy, thanks to prolonged lockdown in the wake of COVID-19 outbreak, and greatest and gravest threat to the demographic dividend that is (was) our strongest point. Against this background, if any sector can help mitigate it to a great extent, it is Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector. In this article, the focus will be on credit flow to the sector, presently at 2% to the mandated 20%, for strengthening the MSME backbone to largely shoulder this 14 crore unemployed burden. As per a government report, the MSME sector contributes 31.8% of Gross Value Added (GVA), 48.10% of exports, and provided employment to 11.10 crore people. MSMEs are small units with original investment in plant and machinery at Rs 10 crore at the upper end, with sub-limits for small and micro units at Rs 5 crore and Rs 25 lakh respectively. In terms of recommendations of the Prime Minister's Task Force on MSMEs, banks have been advised to achieve a 20% year-on-year growth in credit to micro and small enterprises, and a 10% annual growth in the number of micro enterprise accounts. Also Read: Coronavirus impact: MSMEs likely to get Rs 20,000 crore relief package Public sector banks have been advised to open at least one specialised branch in each district. Banks have been permitted to categorise their MSME general banking branches having 60% or more of their advances to the MSME sector, as specialised MSME branches for providing better services to this sector as a whole. However, the progress has been tardy so far, even before COVID-19. The credit extended by banks to the MSME sector, grew only 2.6% year-on-year as of February end 2020 from ?10.67 lakh crore to ?10.95 lakh crore. Out of this, the manufacturing component, registered a negative growth of -1.1%, vs a 4.6% rise in services component. The government in 2015, came out with the Micro Units Developments and Refinance Agency (MUDRA), a wholly-owned subsidiary of SIDBI to refinance Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY) or the popularly known MUDRA loans, extended by the banks, NBFCs, and MFIs. These loans cater to shopkeepers, fruit and vegetable vendors, truck operators, repair shops, artisans, food processors, small manufacturing and service units, etc. To build a resilient Indian economy and to improve its export competitiveness, credit flow to the MSME sector has to improve substantially. However, bankers will not be in favour of exposure to the sector, as defaults on MUDRA Loans have been on the rise and were last reported over 12% in September 2019 as per a CIBIL report. With a lot of uncertainties around the future business potential of various activities and services post COVID-19, risk aversion is likely to grow. Also Read: Coronavirus impact: Nitin Gadkari announces Rs 1 lakh crore fund for MSMEs A few measures can be tried out to improve credit flow to the MSME sector. 1. Government to Step in - protection of credit-loss and credit sanctioning official As mentioned above, with increasing delinquency and risk aversion by bankers, the government has to come up with a scheme providing seed capital (margin), underwriting credit-loss and stipulating regulatory sanction before the opening of credit decision for review by 3Cs - Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Central Vigilance Commission (CVC), and Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG), so that bankers can afford to take genuine business risks. 2. Cluster-based approach The United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) has identified 388 clusters spread over 21 states in various parts of the country, including the densely populated largest slum-dwelling Dharavi in Mumbai, known for its leather goods products. A cluster-based approach to lending is likely to be the best strategy for optimal results in the shortest possible time to accelerate credit flow to the MSME sector. 3. Simplified loan processing and assessment All applications should be made online, and a simplified assessment based on Nayak Committee recommendations (20% estimated turnover as working capital may be used). Local Industry centres, bodies may render assistance, in drawing up project reports, imparting finance, accounting knowledge, and consultancy services. SIDBI already (in 2017) came up with a Certified Credit Counsellor (CCC) scheme in this regard to assist the MSME borrowers. 4. Central Research Institute We need to build an apex institute for enterprises and entrepreneurship at the national level to foster a conducive environment for the growth of entrepreneurs and development of skill sets and dissemination. The institute will be a platform for discussion and deliberations, charting a road map for the growth of MSME sector and in facilitating research and development works comprising government, academicians, industry experts, entrepreneurs and economists. (The author is a policy analyst and commentator. Views are personal) SYDNEY -- Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne has cautioned China against attempts at economic coercion as Australia pushes for an investigation into the coronavirus pandemic that China opposes. Chinese ambassador to Australia, Cheng Jingye, said in a newspaper interview on Monday the Chinese public could avoid Australian products and universities. Australia last week called for all members of the World Health Organization (WHO) to support an independent review into the origins and spread of the coronavirus, and is lobbying world leaders. Chinas foreign ministry has attacked the proposal. Maybe the ordinary people will say Why should we drink Australian wine? Eat Australian beef? Cheng said in the interview published on the front page of The Australian Financial Review. Cheng said it was possible that tourists may have second thoughts about visiting Australia. The parents of the students would also think ... whether this is the best place to send their kids, he added. After energy exports, education and tourism are Australias biggest export industries, with China the largest market. Payne said in a statement on Monday that Australia had made a principled call for an independent review of the COVID-19 outbreak which started in the Chinese city of Wuhan. We reject any suggestion that economic coercion is an appropriate response to a call for such an assessment, when what we need is global cooperation, Payne said. China is the largest export market for Australian wine and beef. During strained diplomatic relations with China in 2018, Australian wine faced import delays in China and some Australian beef exports were also previously suspended for a period. The Chinese embassy in Australia has previously warned Chinese students about what it said were safety risks in travelling to Australia. Payne said an honest assessment of the pandemic would seek to strengthen the WHOs role. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang dismissed calls for an investigation during a daily briefing in Beijing, though not commenting specifically about Australia. China is the first country to report a COVID case, but it doesnt mean the virus originated in China, he told reporters. Some people are trying to hype up the so-called investigation that is inconsistent with an international atmosphere of cooperation and their political manoeuvring will not succeed. The novel coronavirus has infected 2.97 million people worldwide and killed more than 205,000, a Reuters tally shows. LANSING, MI -- Attorney General Dana Nessel said Sunday it may prove difficult for some businesses to meet a midnight deadline for providing all employees with face coverings because of limited supplies. Nessel is asking police across the state to be understanding of good faith efforts before pursuing criminal enforcement action against non-compliant businesses. Securing appropriate face coverings by the Monday deadline, though, appears to be a difficult task for some businesses given limited supplies, she said in a statement. Therefore, I am asking our law enforcement partners around the state to consider the good faith efforts of businesses that have tried, but have been unsuccessful, in obtaining appropriate face coverings when deciding whether to take criminal enforcement action against a non-compliant business. Under Gov. Gretchen Whitmers extension of the states Stay Home, Stay Safe order through May 15, businesses with workers performing in-person tasks must provide employees with non-medical grade masks by 11:59 p.m. Sunday. The latest revision of the order also includes provisions requiring the use of masks that cover the mouth and nose by anyone who can medically tolerate it when frequenting any enclosed public space. Masks can be homemade, fashioned from scarves, bandanas, handkerchiefs or other appropriate materials, the order says. Related: Masks now required, motorboating is back and AirBnb rentals are banned: Heres what changed in Michigans latest stay-home order Workers are encouraged to use their personal masks until an employer can get them one. The Governors order requires that each of us businesses and employees work together to safely and successfully reopen our economy, Nessel said. We appreciate the cooperation of law enforcement, employers and employees as we strive to carefully and thoughtfully reopen our state, one step at a time. On Sunday, state health officials reported 41 new deaths and 575 new COVID-19 cases statewide, bringing Michigans cumulative totals to 37,778 confirmed cases and 3,315 deaths. Related: Read Michigans revised stay-at-home order allowing some businesses to reopen PREVENTION TIPS In addition to washing hands regularly and not touching your face, officials recommend practicing social distancing, assuming anyone may be carrying the virus. Health officials say you should be staying at least 6 feet away from others and working from home, if possible. Carry hand sanitizer with you, and use disinfecting wipes or disinfecting spray cleaners on frequently-touched surfaces in your home (door handles, faucets, countertops) and when you go into places like stores. READ MORE: Sunday, April 26: Latest developments on coronavirus in Michigan Protesters angry with Gov. Whitmers stay-at-home order gridlock Michigan capitol Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer extends stay-at-home order through May 15, relaxes certain restrictions Weather Alert ...Winter Storm System to Impact the Region this Weekend... A strong winter storm system will push east through the Quad State Saturday into Sunday. Wintry precipitation will spread eastward into southern Illinois and southeast Missouri late Friday night, and then southeast over the remainder of the region Saturday morning. The evolution of the storm for the remainder of the weekend is quite uncertain at this time. The ultimate path and intensity of the storm system, along with the temperature forecast, will determine how impactful it will be across the Quad State. For now you are encouraged to monitor the latest forecasts and follow your winter weather preparedness plans ahead of this potentially impactful winter storm. The Texas Supreme Court has overturned sanctions against William Brewer, the confrontational Dallas lawyer who has made headlines representing the National Rifle Association during a period of unprecedented tumult. The 7-to-1 decision by the court majority Friday overturned a lower-court finding that Brewer had acted in bad faith in a 2014 product liability case in which he was alleged to have attempted to taint the jury pool. "The record bears no direct, or even circumstantial, evidence of bad faith," the court ruled. Brewer and his allies said the decision provides a powerful rejoinder to the original sanction. "The opinion validates what we have believed all along - that Bill and our law firm acted ethically at all times," said Michael Collins, a partner at Brewer, Attorneys & Counselors. "This outcome underscores our commitment to the highest of ethical standards." Longtime opponents who have tangled with Brewer in court called the decision misguided. "I am totally disappointed in our Supreme Court," said Ted Lyon, a personal-injury attorney in Dallas who was a party to the original complaint, which involved Brewer's conduct in a wrongful-death liability suit against a pipe manufacturer. Brewer is a top adviser to NRA chief executive Wayne LaPierre and helped set in motion a rancorous split within the powerful gun lobby, as The Washington Post reported last year. Several NRA veterans have accused Brewer, who has offices in Dallas and New York, of instigating the feud to protect his fees, which totaled $24 million in one 13-month period, according to internal documents. Brewer rejected those arguments. His work has been vigorously defended by LaPierre, who has said that the lawyer's bills were appropriate and that Brewer brought long-overdue scrutiny to the nonprofit group. Brewer's representation of the NRA had been complicated by the Texas sanction involving a 2014 suit against his then-client Titeflex, a pipe manufacturer whose product was alleged to have started a fatal house fire. The state-court judge in that case, Ruben Reyes, found that Brewer's firm hired pollsters to conduct a "push poll" that provided misleading information to people involved in the case, possibly tainting the trial. "The court finds Mr. Brewer's conduct disrespectful to the judicial system" and "inimical to a fair trial by an impartial jury," Reyes ruled at the time, ordering Brewer to attend 10 hours of remedial ethics classes and pay a $130,000 fine. Brewer appealed the decision, which was initially upheld. In September 2018, Brewer was reprimanded by a federal judge in Virginia after he did not disclose the Texas court sanction to a federal court in Virginia as he represented the NRA in a lawsuit with an insurance broker. Brewer told The Post last year that he believed he disclosed what was necessary, noting that the matter was under appeal at the time. Brewer was first hired by the NRA in 2018 to help the organization counter a challenge by New York state officials to the legitimacy of the organization's Carry Guard insurance, which provides coverage to firearms owners who shoot someone and claim self-defense. From there, Brewer pressed to take on other matters, eventually recommending to Pierre that he audit the group's outside contracts. The audit put Brewer in conflict with the NRA's largest vendor, the advertising firm Ackerman McQueen, which was founded by Brewer's father-in-law. The NRA claimed in court that its longtime advertising consultant had attempted to defraud the nonprofit, allegations that Ackerman McQueen denied. Documents in the case have revealed lavish spending by the firm on LaPierre's behalf - including hundreds of thousands of dollars for air travel and luxury clothing. Willie Robertson, CEO of Duck Commander and Buck Commander speaks during the opening day of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland on July 18, 2018. (J. Scott Applewhite, File/AP Photo) Man Charged in Drive-By Shooting at Duck Dynasty Estate WEST MONROE, LaA man was arrested in connection with a drive-by shooting at the Louisiana estate of Duck Dynasty star Willie Robertson. Daniel King Jr. was booked into a correctional center after two homes in West Monroe were struck by gunfire on Friday afternoon, the Ouachita Parish Sheriffs Office said in a Facebook post Saturday. No one was injured in the shooting, authorities said. It looks like they were just spraying bullets across my property, Robertson told The News-Star. Both homes are part of the estate belonging to Robertson, one of the stars of the reality show about duck hunting that ran from 2012 to 2017. Robertson said the family was pretty shook up after one of the 8 to 10 bullets he said were fired at the residence went through the bedroom window of a home where his son John Luke Robertson lives with his wife and infant child. Witnesses told Ouachita Parish deputies that the second residence was also struck by gunfire. Robertson said many family members have huddled at the estate during the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) virus pandemic, including his daughter Sadie Robertson and her new husband. The newlywed was a contestant on the reality show Dancing with the Stars in 2014. Nobody was outside at the time, but everybody had been out about five minutes before, Willie Robertson said. I had just gone to the store when it happened. Korie Robertson, Sadie Robertson, and Willie Robertson attend an Evening By Sherri Hill fashion show after party during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Spring 2014 at The Plaza Hotel in New York City on Sept. 9, 2013. (Henry S. Dziekan III/Getty Images) Deputies said other occupants were in the car with the suspect during the shooting. They have not released more information about additional suspects. King was charged with aggravated assault. It was not immediately clear if he had a lawyer who could comment on his behalf. Willie Robertson is the CEO of Duck Commander, the multimillion-dollar duck call and decoy enterprise that inspired the A&E show, which shone a spotlight on the small north Louisiana town. State officials lauded the show for its importance to tourism. Epoch Times staff contributed to this report. Small businesses will get access to new loans worth up to 50,000 backed by a 100 per cent government guarantee, it was announced today. Chancellor Rishi Sunak unveiled the provision in the latest escalation of the massive bailouts for firms hit by the coronavirus lockdown. After complaints of delays and problems in getting cash from banks, Mr Sunak said the 'bounceback' loans for small companies will have a 'very simple' application process, and the government will cover interest payments for 12 months. The maximum amount will be a quarter of annual turnover, with a ceiling of 50,000. But he told the Commons he was not convinced by calls for all coronavirus loans to be supported by a 100 per cent government guarantee - despite complaints that they are struggling to obtain money from banks. Speaking in the Commons, Mr Sunak said he recognised the pain being suffered by workers and companies. Chancellor Rishi Sunak unveiled the provision in the latest escalation of the massive bailouts for firms hit by the coronavirus lockdown Small businesses have been left struggling to cope as the government effectively put the economy on pause to stop the spread of coronavirus (pictured, Winchester High Street) He said four million staff now been furloughed, admitting that government cannot help everyone. 'These are already tough times and there will be more to come,' he said. 'If we want to benefit from their dynamism and entrepreneurial spirit as we recover our economy, they will need extra support to get through this crisis,' Mr Sunak said. 'Some businesses will not want to take on more debt, which is why our focus has been on cash grants, tax cuts and tax deferrals - but for others loans will be part of the answer. 'So, today, we're announcing a new micro loans scheme providing a simple, quick, easy solution for those in need of smaller loans. 'Businesses will be able to apply for these new bounceback loans for 25% of their turnover, up to a maximum of 50,000, with the Government paying the interest for the first 12 months.' There have been mounting tensions in Cabinet over how and when to ease the lockdown. Mr Sunak is regarded as more hawkish on the need to loosen the restrictions, amid concerns over the massive economic damage. But he said this afternoon that the 'most important thing' currently is to 'protect the health of our people'. 'While our interventions have saved millions of jobs and businesses, we can't save every job and every business,' he said. 'I understand and I share people's anxiety. But right now the most important thing we can do to protect our economy is to protect the health of our people. 'As my right honourable friend the Prime Minister said this morning, we are making progress, we are beginning to turn the tide. 'But if we lose control of the virus again, we risk seeing a second spike, which we all want to avoid.' Earlier, Boris Johnson signalled an 'exit strategy' from coronavirus lockdown will be fleshed out within days as he took back the reins of power. In a statement in Downing Street, the PM assured the country he is back in charge after weeks recuperating from a serious scare with the killer disease, and urged people to be 'patient' as it was not yet the time to 'go easy' on social distancing rules. But Mr Johnson channeled Churchill's famous speech about the 'end of the beginning' by saying there are 'real signs' the UK is making 'progress'. Earlier today, Boris Johnson signalled an 'exit strategy' from coronavirus lockdown will be fleshed out within days as he took back the reins of power In a bid to quell rising Tory alarm about the impact on the economy, he said once the disease was under control the draconian curbs can be 'refined', and the government would say more in the 'coming days' about how that might happen. He urged Opposition parties to work with him, pledging to be 'transparent' about decisions. With his trademark blond mane looking longer and more unkempt than usual, Mr Johnson said: 'We are now beginning to turn the tide... 'I ask you to contain your impatience because I believe now we are coming to the end of the first phase of this conflict.' Ministers welcomed the prospect of an exit plan, with Paymaster General Penny Mordaunt and International Development Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan saying they had been getting huge volumes of mail from 'business owners who are desperate to get back to work'. There are signs that Britons are starting to vote with their feet, with traffic levels rising, and more shops and constructions sites stepping up activity. But Downing Street cautioned that 'refinements' to the lockdown might not be across the board. 'There could be easing in some areas, there could also be a toughening in other areas,' the PM's spokesman said. 'We will not be returning immediately to life as we knew it.' Florida governor Ron DeSantis joked that Florida is Gods waiting room, while discussing care home fatalities in the state. During his briefing on Sunday, where he discussed the likelihood of Florida reopening later this week, the governor said that the state has a high number of care facilities. Florida is ground zero for the nursing home; I mean were Gods waiting room, DeSantis joked in Orlando. We have a huge number of facilities, a huge number of residents, he added. Mr DeSantis told reporters that despite the high number of care homes in the state, Florida has done significantly better in stopping coronavirus fatalities, than other areas. He cited worse figures in New York and Massachusetts, among other states, and confirmed that Florida is 1.2 fatalities per 100,000 in those long term care facilities. Twitter users were quick to criticise the governors comments, and @teapainusa tweeted: Florida is Gods waiting room? Well, Seniors? Do you enjoy bein the punchline in the Republican stand-up routine? Another user, @sheLLbeLL_xo, added: Ron DeSantis calls Florida Gods waiting room for dying seniors. This is a shameful stmt. What a lack of decency. The elderly have so much to offer. Their wisdom alone is a gift. Recommended Thousands rush to Florida beach as mayor orders end to lockdown During Sundays briefing, Mr DeSantis said that Florida has performed better than anyone predicted. People should be comforted in knowing that all those predictions of hundreds of thousands of people hospitalised were not accurate, and it has just not been the case so thats a good thing. The governor has faced criticism for not issuing a stay-at-home order for the state until 1 April. He said that he hadnt issued the order because the White House hadnt told him to. Ive said, Are you recommending this? The task force has not recommended that to me, he said in March. If any of those task force folks tell me that we should do X, Y or Z, of course, were going to consider it. He added that he would follow government guidelines when deciding whether or not to reopen Florida on Thursday, after some areas of the state reopened beaches last week. Googles dedicated coronavirus page shows that Florida has upwards of 30,839 confirmed cases and at least 1,055 deaths. According to a tracking project hosted by Johns Hopkins University, nationally there are upwards of 965,951 people who have tested positive for coronavirus. The death toll has reached at least 54,877. Photo of the entrance to RAF Croughton, in Northamptonshire, near where Harry Dunn, 19, died when his motorbike was involved in a head-on collision in August last year - Foreign Office contacted by lawyer working for US diplomat's wife charged over death of Harry Dunn - PA The lawyer representing Anne Sacoolas over the death of Harry Dunn has made contact with the Foreign Office (FCO), raising hopes the American is keen to find some resolution after the international outcry which erupted when she fled British justice. It is understood Amy Jeffress, who acts on behalf of Ms Sacoolas, spoke with a senior official at the FCO earlier this year. The Dunn family were updated on the conversation after it took place. Ms Sacoolas, who was allegedly driving on the wrong side of the road when she hit the 19-year-olds motorbike outside RAF Croughton in August last year, is the wife of a US intelligence official. She was able to leave the country on a private flight under diplomatic immunity. The 42-year-old, who was later charged over the 19-year-old's death, is thought to be prepared to return to the UK to help find a solution. It was reported on Monday that she wanted to meet Harry's parents, but they say the only resolution they want is for Ms Sacoolas to appear in court in this country. The Foreign Office is understood to have made it clear to Ms Jeffress, a national security lawyer, that any issues relating to the legal side of the case, including any attempt to quash the charge her client is facing, would be a matter for the Crown Prosecution Service. Boris Johnson said it was a "denial of justice" when an extradition request, submitted to the US by the Home Office, was rejected by the US secretary of state Mike Pompeo. Harry Dunn's mother Charlotte Charles, her husband Bruce (Harry's second father) and Harry's brother Ciaran photographed in Oxfordshire - HEATHCLIFF O'MALLEY A spokesman for the FCO said: We have done and will continue to do everything we properly can to ensure that justice is done. We believe Anne Sacoolas should return to the UK and face justice. Mr Dunn's mother, Charlotte Charles, previously told The Telegraph: I promised Harry I would get justice. I had no idea how difficult it would be. Ms Charles, who met with Donald Trump in October last year to discuss the issue, said she had made a promise to her son and was adamant that no one is above the law. Story continues She said on Monday: "It is so important that Anne Sacoolas comes back to face our legal system." Mrs Charles added that Ms Sacoolas "should never have been allowed to leave and it has compounded our misery terribly. "But now we have some hope and we are pleased to see at least that there is some dialogue towards her coming back," she said. "But it's important that we are all clear. The case is with the CPS. "The only resolution that is acceptable is her going before the courts here in England." Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-28 01:12:26|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close MALE, April 27 (Xinhua) -- The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Maldives reached 226 on Monday as 12 new cases were confirmed, according to the Ministry of Health. "This is the phase 2. It is the most dangerous and comes with a surge. The number of cases would likely increase in the next few days," Minister of Tourism Ali Waheed was quoted as saying in local media. According to data from the Ministry of Health, 39.38 percent of all confirmed cases in the country are Maldives nationals while 46.46 percent of cases, the largest share, are Bangladeshi nationals. Maldives is host to a large community of Bangladeshi workers and the government has transferred many to state-run facilities and conducted widespread testing since the first case of a Bangladeshi worker was confirmed in capital Male last week. Monday's newly confirmed cases were down as compared to the 73 new cases confirmed on Sunday, the largest jump in a single day. Numbers have spiraled in the last two weeks following community transmissions in Male. Maldives is currently under a State of Public Health Emergency and the government has imposed a 14-day lockdown on capital Male while restricting travel between islands. Enditem Without knowing more, Im ill-equipped to comment on the case, Goldstein said. But know that we are very concerned about my clients mental health at this time. Webster Groves police Capt. Stephen Spear said Dobson turned 21 on Friday. Spear didnt know if the stabbing happened during a party for Dobson, and he wouldnt say if there had been a dispute leading up to the stabbing. Spear said the only people at the home when police arrived were those who lived there. Nentwig died at the scene, Spear said. McCoy said in court papers that Dobson posed a danger to the community because his gruesome actions show a callous disregard for human life. Spear said Webster Groves police had been called to the home twice in recent years, for a medical issue and a burglar alarm that was accidentally activated. According to an online records search, Dobsons only other court case in Missouri appears to be for a speeding ticket in Rolla, Missouri, last year. Nentwig in February was promoted to vice president of Rx Systems Inc., a St. Charles firm that manufactures pharmacy supplies. Before that role, he had spent 10 years as director of the long-term care division for the company. Asklepios BioPharmaceutical, Inc., a Research Triangle Park, NC-based clinical-stage adeno-associated virus (AAV) gene therapy company, acquired BrainVectis, a Paris, France-based gene therapy company and French National Institute for Health and Medical Research (INSERM) spin-out with expertise and an intellectual property estate for the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders. The amount of the deal was not disclosed. BrainVectis is particularly focused on therapies that restore brain cholesterol metabolism as a treatment for Huntingtons disease and other disorders. With the acquisition, the company adds its Huntingtons disease gene therapy candidate to AskBios program. Founded in 2015 by physician and gene therapy veteran Nathalie Cartier-Lacave, M.D., as a spinoff from the French National Institute for Health and Medical Research (INSERM), BrainVectis develops gene therapy treatments for neurodegenerative diseases by targeting the cholesterol pathway in the brain to restore cholesterol metabolism. The company is currently studying treatments for Huntingtons disease and Alzheimers disease using the adeno-associated virus (AAV) to transfer the gene for the CYP46A1 enzyme into the human brain. BrainVectis has secured the intellectual property for both indications from INSERM and has filed new patent applications for other degenerative conditions. Its lead gene therapy candidate, BV-CYP01, has shown proof-of-concept in various animal models of Huntingtons disease and received Orphan Drug Designation (ODD) from the European Commission in April 2019. The company received early funding and support from INSERM, Sorbonne University and the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA). BrainVectis will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of AskBio and maintain its office in Paris, France. Founded in 2001 by Sheila Mikhail, CEO, Asklepios BioPharmaceutical is a clinical-stage gene therapy company dedicated to treating genetic disorders. Its gene therapy platform includes a proprietary cell line manufacturing process called Pro10 and an extensive AAV capsid and promoter library. With global headquarters in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, and European headquarters in Edinburgh, UK, the company has generated hundreds of proprietary third-generation AAV capsids and promoters, several of which have entered clinical testing. AskBio holds more than 500 patents in areas such as AAV production and chimeric and self-complementary capsids. It has a portfolio of clinical programs across a range of neurodegenerative and neuromuscular indications that includes therapeutics for Pompe disease, limb-girdle muscular dystrophy 2i/R9 and congestive heart failure, as well as out-licensed clinical indications for hemophilia (Chatham Therapeutics acquired by Takeda) and Duchenne muscular dystrophy (Bamboo Therapeutics acquired by Pfizer). FinSMEs 27/04/2020 Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Praveen Menon (Reuters) Wellington, New Zealand Mon, April 27, 2020 11:45 625 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd4711e2 2 World New-Zealand,New-Zealand-citizen,coronavirus,COVID-19,COVID-19-lockdown,COVID-19-quarantine,pandemic,reopening Free New Zealanders will be able to go fishing, surfing, hunting and hiking this week for the first time in more than a month as the country begins to ease its way out of a strict lockdown that successfully slowed the spread of the coronavirus. Around 400,000 people will return to work after the country shifts its alert level down a notch at midnight on Monday, but shops and restaurants will remain closed as several social restrictions remain in place. New Zealand's 5 million residents were subjected to one of the strictest lockdowns in the world in response to the pandemic, with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern closing offices, schools, bars and restaurants, including take away and delivery services, on March 26. Beaches, waterfronts and playgrounds were also shut, effectively restricting people to their homes and short walks around their neighborhood. Many businesses, including parliament and the courts, began preparations over the weekend to restart operations this week while maintaining ongoing social distancing rules. Eateries announced contactless delivery plans, retail stores showcased their latest collections online for home delivery and office towers posted social distancing rules in elevators and public areas. Still, Ardern stressed that public gatherings remain banned and asked people to remain in their "bubble". Keen fishers will be permitted to cast a line from a wharf only as boating, yachting and other team sports or training remained barred. Hunting will be allowed on private land with special restrictions. "We must make sure that we do not let the virus run away on us again and cause a new wave of cases and deaths," Ardern said at a news conference on Monday. "To succeed we need to hunt down the last few cases of the virus." New Zealand has reported 1,122 cases of COVID-19, including 19 deaths, with the daily rate of new infections staying under 1% for the past two weeks. Ben Kennings, general manager for industry group Surfing New Zealand, said people were itching to return to sea in a country where an average 60,000 boarders hit the waves weekly. "We have done well to stay out of the water, but tomorrow there's going to be a lot of people keen to go surfing," Kennings said. "It is an individual sport that can be practiced with social distancing." Trust in governments in Australia and New Zealand has risen since the start of the pandemic, opinion polls show, with their ideologically opposite leaders hailed for their management of the crisis. In Australia, where the rate of new daily cases has likewise slowed to below 1%, two states with small numbers of cases will ease restrictions this week. Western Australia is allowing indoor and outdoor gatherings of up to 10 people to resume from Monday, while Queensland will later this week allow picnics, retail shopping and drives of up to 50 kilometers from home. Other states in Australia's federal political system, where COVID-19 cases have been higher, are not yet relaxing their rules. Both countries have floated the idea of opening up travel between them, creating a coronavirus-free trans-tasman bubble although no decision has yet been made. Economy reboot While Ardern has generally received public support, there has been growing criticism that similar results may have been achieved with less stringent lockdown measures, as in Australia. Ardern now faces the challenge of restarting a $200 billion trade and tourism dependent economy from a standing start, while facing national elections in September. Treasury has forecast gross domestic product to fall by as much as one-third and the jobless rate to hit 13%, even with NZ$20 billion of fiscal measures announced by Ardern and quantitative easing by the central bank. Ardern stressed this week's eased conditions were focused on opening up the economy, rather than people's social lives. "It can't be return to pre COVID-19 life," she said. "That day will come, but its not here yet." Dharavi has many claims to fame Asias largest slum; once a hub of gangsters; the setting of the Oscar-winning film Slumdog Millionaire; home to an underground hip-hop movement. Its also one of the Covid-19 hotspots in the city and since April 9, the neighbourhood has been sealed to contain the outbreak. Ensuring the lockdown is observed in this densely-packed slum settlement are officers of Mumbai Police, led by 37-year-old deputy commissioner of police (DCP) Niyati Thaker Dave. The 2.1 square kilometres of Dharavi are home to approximately 8 lakh people from all over the country. An estimated 1.5 lakh are in containment zones, which means they cannot leave their homes and essentials must be delivered to their doorstep. Mumbai Police has 230 men and women at Dharavi police station and another 180 at Shahunagar police station. State Reserve Police Force (SRPF) personnel have stepped in to help as have 100 others from Mumbai Polices headquarters. What weve learnt is that every day is different with a new task in place, said Dave. Originally an electronics engineer, Dave gave up her job with Tata Consultancy Services in 2008 and joined the Indian Police Service (IPS) in 2010. Dharavi has been in her jurisdiction since July 2019. When the Covid-19 outbreak reached the slum, Dave knew it would be a massive challenge. It was very difficult asking people to stay inside in a place like Dharavi where people cannot walk without getting touched. We tried to enforce the law, but people were not ready to listen, said Dave. She realised her strategies had to be adapted to the ground reality of the slum, which is organised like a labyrinth. The number of by lanes within the area is huge and it was not possible to track each one, said Dave. She turned to community leaders and started making announcements in Hindi and Marathi. We contacted [local] associations, like those [for communities from] Tamil, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Christian and Muslim associations and leaders, as well as social workers, she said. Dave organised teams of volunteers in each chawl and building in Dharavi. These volunteers accompanied police personnel, informed locals of the dos and donts, and requested people to stay home. The police also had to ensure access to food, oversee sanitisation and set up schedules for when locals doctors could visit people in need of medical assistance. For the first time we were doing a job that was very different from our mandate, said Dave. Dave arranged for 20 t0 25 community kitchens to be set up inside Dharavi. We had to ensure people are not hungry and get at least two meals a day. We roped in NGOs and started distributing food, she said. Instead of 1,000 people gathering to collect food packets, we asked volunteers in each area to deliver food to peoples doorsteps, said Dave, adding that most of those queuing for food were unemployed migrant workers. With additional commissioner of police (central region) Veeresh Prabhu, Dave talked to civic officials to ensure toilets in Dharavi were sanitised properly. Dharavi has 180 public toilets and 4,000 makeshift toilet booths. This was a major challenge and the need of the hour was for these toilets to be sanitised and disinfected on a daily basis. With the help of civic authorities, we managed to get it done, said Prabhu. Daves working hours have become longer during the outbreak. There are times when she returns home at 1am only to head out for work at 7am. Its hard for Daves family, particularly her seven-year-old daughter. There are times when she tries to stop me from going to work, said Dave. Its a tough task to convince her how my job is different from those of other parents. Mumbai Police believes Daves strategies are working in Dharavi. Last Monday, Mumbai police commissioner Parambir Singh carried out a flag march in the area. The march was to encourage policemen on duty who are doing a brilliant job serving the masses. I was happy to see the people supported the police by staying home, said Singh. Update: On Wednesday, the Bexar County Medical Examiner's Office identified the North Side woman who allegedly killed her two children and her mother before turning the gun on herself. Karina Kleberovna Sornoza Deitering, 38, shot her 5-year-old daughter, 3-year-old son, and 68-year-old mother, according to police. The children and their grandmother have not been identified. The children's father told police that Sornoza Deitering had recently lost custody of the children. Original: A North Side woman shot her two children and her mother before turning the gun on herself, according to the San Antonio Police Department. Chief William McManus said the woman had lost custody of her children shortly before the incident. Tragic beyond words, McManus said. Two little children, a grandmother and a mother. On Monday morning, San Antonio police responded to a report of a dead person within the gated Sedona Ranch apartment complex, located at 17655 Henderson Pass. Inside one of the residences, officers found four bodies. FIND OUT FIRST: Get San Antonio breaking news directly to your inbox McManus said police believe a woman, 38, shot her 5-year-old daughter, 3-year-old son, and 68-year-old mother. Police have yet to determine how long the bodies had been there. According to the father, she had lost custody of the children very, very, very recently and this was the terrible end result of that, McManus said. The father of the children, who had been trying to contact the woman, peered in through a crack in the blinds at the rear of the apartment. He saw the bodies, in two different bedrooms, and called the police. The estranged husband told police that the woman had no history of violence. McManus dismissed any link between the shootings and stress caused by the coronavirus quarantine. The chief noted that police have seen past instances of parents resorting to murder-suicide after losing custody of their children. Ed Gardner, a resident of Sedona Ranch, was on his morning walk around 9 a.m. when police cars flooded the complex. Gardner did not know the family but said he had surely seen the boy and girl among the children at the complex playing outside during the lockdown. Its crazy that youre going to hurt your own kids," he said. "They looked up to you to protect them. Not kill them, and then your mother. Just crazy. Its just crazy." Hours after the bodies were found Monday, a group of children rode bicycles in the parking lot of the complex. One couple pushing a stroller glanced through the tree-lined courtyard to the building beyond, where police had strung yellow tape across an apartments backyard patio. The Medical Examiners Office was investigating the scene. Mark Dunphy is a breaking news and general assignment reporter for MySA.com | mark.dunphy@express-news.net | @m_b_dunphy STAMFORD - A man died and his wife was hospitalized after rough waters in Long Island Sound caused their kayak to overturn on Sunday afternoon, according to Stamford officials. On Monday, the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection identified the man as Arpi Oscar Castillo, 22, of South Street in Danbury. In a release, the Stamford Fire Department said it responded to a call at the 160 area of Wallacks Drive for a report of someone in a kayak in trouble. Upon arrival, it said the caller directed them to the location of the woman, who was struggling approximately 20 feet from the rocks behind the property of 130 Wallacks Drive. At 12:13 p.m., the current brought the woman to shore and she was immediately assisted by Stamford EMS Medic 3, the department said. The woman, suffering the effects of hypothermia, advised her husband was still unaccounted for and provided a description and his last known location in the water. In light of this development, the department said the U.S. Coast Guard was notified and a search was initiated out in the water as well as on the coastline. It said elements from the fire and police departments were involved in the search. Early in the search, the victims kayak was located along the shore. Fishing poles and a backpack were located out in the water, the department said. According to the fire department, the male victim was located in the water by firefighters searching the shoreline at 12:37 p.m.. It said firefighters in cold water exposure suits removed him at 12:39 p.m. and began life-saving efforts. Stamford Marine Police Sgt. Kevin Fitzgibbons said that despite the wind gusting from the northeast at 30 mph with waves two to four feet high, it does not appear the couple took the weather into consideration before they launched their kayak from Cove Island Park shortly before noon to do some fishing in Cove Harbor. The couple were not wearing life jackets police and state officials say. State regulations require anyone aboard a manually propelled vessel such as a kayak or canoe be wearing personal flotation devices during the period between Oct. 31 and May 31. More News Police: Man in deadly kayak accident in Stamford was from Danbury The two ended up capsizing the kayak in the strong wind and waves as a property caretaker at the end of Wallacks Point watched in horror while on the phone with a 911 dispatcher at noon trying to guide police and firefighters to their location. We do see from time to time some intrepid people, who actually find it more exhilarating to go out during rougher weather, Fitzgibbons said. But neither of these people were prepared at all. They were not wearing life vests and there were no PFDs (personal flotation devices) on board the kayak as far as we could tell. It appears this was a spur of the moment trip for these people who did not look at the weather. There were a lot of things they did not prepare for, culminating in this tragic accident. The Stamford Fire Department said it responded with three Engines, one Truck, one Rescue, one Fireboat, the Deputy Chief, and a Safety Officer for a total of 23 personnel. Stamford EMS responded with 2 Medic units and the Medic Supervisor. It said Stamford Police responded with multiple units. The incident is currently under investigation by the CT Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. Stepping up pressure on Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari, the state cabinet on Monday once again asked him to nominate Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to the Legislative Council. Thackeray took charge as chief minister on November 28 last year and has to become a member of the legislature within a month to continue in the post. As of now, he is not a member of either the state Assembly or Council. A cabinet meeting, chaired by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, decided to recommend to Koshyari to nominate Thackeray to one of the two seats of governor nominees in the Council. A similar request was made to the governor earlier this month at another cabinet meeting, also chaired by Pawar. Thackeray's plans to become a legislator through election suffered a setback as all elections were postponed by the Election Commission in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis. With Koshyari yet to give his nod to appoint Thackeray to the Legislative Council, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut targeted the BJP central leadership for the delay. In his weekly column Rokhthok in Sena mouthpiece Saamana on Sunday, Raut expressed confidence that Thackeray will remain the chief minister after May 27. Thackeray had on Sunday said should be kept aside during the ongoing war against COVID-19. In his column, Raut said, "If the governor decides to sign the nomination file, he can do so instantly. But he would have to ask the BJP leaders in Delhi. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) This is in microcosm an example of a problem that weve been raising the alarm about, that we are underwriting the threat we are now facing from China, Gaffney said. It just happens that this can be understood as a particular outrage because what it involves is compelling military personnel among others to invest in really dangerous companies in China. A photo of Wangs family, which was taken after Wang became popular on the Internet. (Photo by Cheng Hao/Peoples Daily Online) 57-year-old Wang Kewu, who lives in a remote village of southwest Chinas Yunnan province, no longer has to carry his 91-year-old mother on his back to see a doctor, thanks to family doctor services launched by the local health center. Wang lives in Baduo village, Liancheng town, Guangnan county, Wenshan Zhuang and Miao autonomous prefecture of Yunnan province. He used to carry his mother on his back with a sling, something the local people normally use to carry babies, to see a doctor at the village clinic located about 4 kilometers away. She cant sit steadily by herself. She falls as soon as the motorbike starts to move. Its only safe for her if I carry her on my back, Wang explained. However, Wang has not had to make such Herculean efforts in recent years. Thanks to the efforts of the discipline inspection and supervisory committee of Yunnan province and financial assistance from a philanthropic foundation based in east Chinas Zhejiang province, the former health clinic of Baduo village has been transformed into a health center staffed by 12 medical workers, and equipped with 30 beds and an ambulance. The clinic at Baduo village used to have only three county doctors, and the medical facilities were rather backward, and barely met the medical needs of local people, said Xu Yimin, head of the poverty relief work team sent from the discipline inspection and supervisory committee of Yunnan to Guangnan county. With significantly improved conditions and medical equipment, the villages new health center, which is now a branch of the Liancheng town health center, has launched family doctor services and allows patients to receive treatment, enter hospital, and apply for reimbursement on the spot. On April 25, when Wangs mother was feeling unwell, he called for the family doctor Wang Guangying. The doctor and her colleague promptly came to Wangs house. Besides providing visiting services when her patient calls for them, Wang Guangying also makes routine visits to her patient once a month. After checking her patients condition, the doctor goes to the health center to get medicine for her patient, saving her from having to travel. Thanks to the family doctor services, now its much convenient for us to get medical care, Wang Kewu said happily. On Oct. 16, 2017, Wang carried his mother, then 88 years old, on his back and took her to the clinic in the rain on a moped. After arriving there, he carefully let her down and supported her with his hands as they entered the clinic. A staff member from the maternal and child care service center at Guangnan county captured the scene in a photograph, which was later posted online and went viral. Wang has since become a popular online figure and been nicknamed Uncle with a sling. In 2018, Wang was included in the list of national ethical role models due to the filial piety he showed his mother. Wang has four brothers and sisters in his family. His father has passed away, and he abandoned the idea of becoming a migrant worker, as he wanted to stay near his mother who is old and sick. Wang said its his duty as a son to be filial to and take care of his mother. At least three killed in attack near Damascus, state media said, adding the military shot down most missiles. Israeli warplanes flying over Lebanon have fired missiles towards Damascus, the Syrian military said, claiming the countrys air defences shot most of them down. At least three civilians were killed and four others injured after the missiles hit residential areas in al-Hujaira and al-Adliya towns near the Syrian capital, the state-run SANA news agency said on Monday. Describing the attack as an Israeli aggression carried out from Lebanese airspace, SANA said the military shot down a number of missiles before they reached their targets. Israel rarely confirms attacks, and it did not comment on the latest missiles attack, which came a week after the ancient city of Palmyra was targeted. Israel has said, however, that it was behind a series of air raids mainly targeting Iranian forces and fighters from Lebanese armed group Hezbollah in Syria fighting alongside Syrian government forces. Since the start of the Syrian conflict in 2011, Israel has carried out hundreds of attacks in the country. It has also in the past used Lebanons airspace to launch attacks on Syria. 200421060027809 On April 20, SANA said Syrian air defences had downed Israeli missiles near the ancient city of Palmyra. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, said the targets were military posts for Iranian militias in the Palmyra desert. That raid killed three Syrian fighters and six foreigners, according to the Observatory, which was not able to determine their nationalities. Add CoolSocial badge. Show it by adding this HTML code on your site: Walkinclosetcuracao.com scored 48 Social Media Impact. Social Media Impact score is a measure of how much a site is popular on social networks. 2.5/5.0 Stars by Social Team This CoolSocial report was updated on 8 Feb 2016, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want. 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Twitter account link TWITTER PAGE LINK FOUND TWITTER PAGE twitter.com/#!/walkinclosetcur DESCRIPTION Once you walk in ACCOUNT CREATED ON 23 Jan 2016 LOCATION Jan Thiel Plaza TWEETS 3 FOLLOWERS 3 LISTED 0 President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has disclosed that all 17 confirmed cases of the Coronavirus which have been recorded in the Oti Region were detected from passengers who were attempting to illegally enter the region from Accra during the period on the lockdown. The President in his eighth Coronavirus update said the passengers were among a total of 67 passengers who were nabbed by the Immigration Service and other security personnel near Nkwanta. He said: "The 17 cases in Oti were the result of interceptions near Nkwanta by officers of the Immigration Service and other security personnel of 2 cargo vehicles that had onboard a total of 67 passengers, who were illegally entering the Region from Accra during the period of the lockdown', and all of whom were tested, with 17 proving positive". The President also warned Ghanaian citizens against aiding some West African nationals to enter the country despite the closure of the borders. He said: "Unhappily, there continues to be the worrying news of a few Ghanaians aiding some West African nationals to enter our country illegally, despite the closure of our borders. Even more disturbing is the fact that several of the West Africans, who have been arrested, have later tested positive for the virus. These are unpatriotic acts, and must stop. "We cannot continue to allow a few persons, who are motivated by their own selfish, money-making interests, to endanger the lives of the rest of the population. Not only will persons who enter our country illegally be strictly dealt with, but so will Ghanaians who facilitate their entry". Total confirmed cases in Ghana The total number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 (Coronavirus) in Ghana is 1,550. Otumfuo at 70 Suplement The Ghana Health Services latest update on Sunday, April 26, 2020, shows that 271 more persons have tested positive for the Coronavirus since last Friday (April 24, 2020). Thee update indicates that 21 persons have recovered from the Coronavirus since last Friday, bringing Ghana's total number of recoveries to 155 while there have been 11 deaths. Source: Daily Graphic Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video As Yemen stares down the prospect of a devastating COVID-19 crisis, the World Health Organization is likely going to suspend about 80% of the health care services in the war-torn country by the end of the week, UN humanitarian coordinator for Yemen Lise Grande said today. The massive drawdown comes after the United States slashed the lions share of its humanitarian assistance to Yemen last month in the face of the Houthi rebels' onerous aid restrictions. Shortly thereafter, President Donald Trump suspended American funding for the WHO. We are facing a funding crisis of gargantuan proportions, Grande said at a virtual panel hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies. She noted that donors have lost confidence on account of the Houthi aid restrictions in northern Yemen. Authorities, particularly in northern Yemen, have recognized theres a problem, she said. They recognize it and have started to take steps to change it, while stressing that more still has to be done to ensure that aid workers can do their jobs unhindered. Why it matters: Grande noted that the WHO is going to have to reduce or more likely shutter operations in 189 Yemeni hospitals and 200 primary health centers. Additionally, the United Nations Childrens Fund will have to scale back or stop services in 18 major hospitals and 2,500 primary health centers, affecting some 250,000 malnourished children. The UN funding cuts will also force service reductions and eliminations at 142 camps for displaced Yemenis, mine removal operations, protection programs, reproductive health initiatives and the emergency distribution of hygiene products to help suppress the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the drastic funding cuts, Grande noted that the WHO is training and funding 33 rapid response teams to test Yemenis with coronavirus symptoms in the hopes of tripling that number within just the next few weeks. The WHO has also converted 32 hospitals throughout the country to fight COVID-19 and facilitated the importation of masks, other protective gear, ventilators and ICU beds amid stiff global competition. Lets be frank, no one else could do that, said Grande. On Friday, the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthi rebels announced it was extending a cease-fire for another month to allow for UN-brokered negotiations and to help in the fight against the outbreak. Whats next: UN efforts to establish a coronavirus cease-fire in the war-torn country were complicated on Sunday when Yemens southern separatists declared self-rule in Aden and other provinces. Grande noted that the United Nations is in talks with the Southern Transitional Council over aid implementation. The more proliferation of administrative authority, the more complicated governance becomes, she said. The harder it is to respond to COVID at the scale and with the intensity thats required. Know more: Yemen has only one officially recorded coronavirus case so far, but Nadia Al-Sakkaf reports that the Houthis are keeping a lid on others so as not to discourage potential fighters from joining the war. And check out Al-Monitor's latest Week in Review for what's next after Saudi Arabia and coalition partners extend the Yemen cease-fire. Lets take a look at exactly how widespread the disease has become and which countries have been the worst-affected. As of the afternoon of April 27th, there are 3 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the world. The viral infection, which originated in China, has spread to six continents. There have been many discoveries about how the virus functions, how it attacks the body, how the disease it causes presents itself and which therapies can bring some relief to patients. Today, lets take a look at exactly how widespread the disease has become and which countries have been the worst-affected: Asia: approximately 475,541 cases (15.8% of global cases) and 17,298 deaths Turkey has 110,130 confirmed cases, the highest in all of Asia. A total of 29,140 patients have recovered and 2,805 have lost their lives. Iran has the highest death toll in Asia at 5,710. The total number of cases is at 90,481, of which 69,657 have recovered. China, where the first cases were reported, has had the most recoveries in Asia at 77,474. The total number of cases is 82,830 and the death toll is 4,633. This leaves only 723 active cases at present. India has 28,380 reported cases so far with 886 deaths and 6,362 recoveries. It has the second-highest number of active cases in Asia. As per the data available, testing per million is lower than the majority of Asian countries. Saudi Arabia has 17,522 cases so far. Of these, 139 have died and 2,357 have recovered. Israel has 15,466 confirmed cases, 202 deaths and 6,796 recoveries. Singapores case count is on the rise, with 14,423 cases reported, but the death toll is still low at 12. A total of 1,060 recoveries have been made. Japan has 13,441 cases, but higher mortality at 372 deaths. A total of 1,806 patients have recovered so far. Pakistan has 13,328 cases so far, with 3,029 recoveries and 281 deaths. Qatar has 11,244 COVID-19 cases with only 10 deaths reported so far and 1,066 recoveries. South Korea has 10,738 cases, with new cases on a decline. The death toll stands at 243 and 8,764 people have already recovered. The UAE has 10,349 cases, with 76 deaths and 1,978 recoveries. Indonesia, the Philippines, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Kuwait, Thailand, Kazakhstan, Bahrain, Oman, Uzbekistan, Iran, Armenia, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan and Hong Kong have caseloads between 1,000-10,000, arranged in descending order. Barring Indonesia (765), Philippines (511) and Bangladesh (152), the death toll is under 100 each for these countries. The remaining 21 regions reporting cases have between 1-1,000 cases and 10 of them not reporting any deaths so far. Yemen reported its first case recently and has only conducted 140 tests so far. Africa: approximately 32,733 cases (1.1% of global cases) and 1,427 deaths South Africa has the maximum number of cases in Africa, reporting 4,546 so far. Of these, 87 have died and 1,473 have recovered. It has the highest total number of tests conducted so far. Egypt has a similar caseload to that of South Africa with 4,534 cases but the death toll is much higher at 317. Morocco has 4,115 confirmed cases, with 161 deaths and 669 recoveries. Algeria has 3,383 cases. The death toll and the number of recoveries made are the highest in Africa at 425 and 1,508, respectively. Cameroon, Ghana, Nigeria, Ivory Coast and Djibouti, all have cases between 1,000-2,000. Other than the above, 46 other regions have reported cases so far, all of which are under 1,000 each so far with 13 reporting zero deaths. Europe: approximately 1,285,681 cases (42.7% of global cases) and 122,100 deaths Spain has the highest number of COVID-19 cases in all of Europe at 226,629. The death toll is 23,190 and 117,727 people have recovered so far. Italy has the highest number of deaths in Europe at 26,644. The total number of cases is 197,675 and 64,928 of them have recovered. France has 162,100 cases, 22,856 deaths and 44,903 recoveries. Germany, which has been lauded for its handling of the pandemic has 157,770 cases but 5,976 deaths. The second-highest number of recoveries have been made here, after only Spain, at 114,500. The UK has 152,840 cases, of which 20,732 have died. The data for recoveries is not available. Russia has reported 87,147 cases, 794 deaths and 7,346 recoveries. It has conducted the highest number of total tests in Europe at over 3 million. Belgium has 46,678 cases so far, of which 7,270 have died and 10,878 have recovered. The Netherlands has reported 37,845 cases. The death toll is 4,475. Switzerland has 29,061 cases. Of these 21,800 have already recovered and 1,610 have died. Portugal has 23,864 total cases, 903 deaths and 1,329 recoveries. Ireland, Sweden, Austria, Poland, Romania and Belarus have between 10,000-20,000 cases. Of these, only Sweden has a death toll over 2,000. Ukraine, Denmark, Serbia, Norway, the Czech Republic, Finland, Luxembourg, Moldova, Hungary, Greece, Croatia, Iceland, Estonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Lithuania, Slovenia, North Macedonia, Slovakia, and Bulgaria - all have cases between 1,000-10,000. Iceland has conducted the highest number of tests per million in Europe. Another 13 regions have reported coronavirus cases between 1-1,000. Vatican City has the fewest number of cases, at nine, with no death reported so far. North America: approximately 1,065,973 cases (35.4% of global cases) and 55,415 deaths The US is the hardest-hit country in the world at present. The total number of confirmed cases is at 987,322, of which 118,711 have recovered and 55,415 have died. Canada has reported 46,895 cases so far. It is the second-most affected country in North America; the death toll is at 2,560 and 17,321 recoveries have been made so far. Mexico has 14,744 confirmed cases, with 1,351 deaths and 8,354 deaths. The Dominican Republic, Panama and Cuba have 6,135, 5,779 and 1,369 confirmed cases and 278, 165 and 54 deaths, respectively. The recoveries made are between 500-1,000 each. Costa Rica, Honduras, Guatemala, Jamaica, El Salvador, Martinique, Guadeloupe, Trinidad and Tobago, Bermuda and Aruba, all have a caseload in the range of 100-1,000. Over half of them have single-digit deaths so far, four go up to 20 and Honduras is the only one with a higher number of deaths at 61. The remaining 24 areas that have reported COVID-19 cases have a low number between 1-100. Of these, 10 have reported no deaths so far. South America: approximately 138,255 cases (4.6% of global cases) and 6,309 deaths All 14 countries in South America have reported COVID-19 cases. Brazil was the first to report a case at the end of February and is the most affected country in South America. The number of confirmed cases is 63,100. Of these 30,152 have recovered and 4,286 have died. Peru has 27,517 confirmed cases of which 8,088 have recovered and 728 have lost their lives. Ecuador, reportedly, has 22,719 cases of COVID-19. The official death toll is at 596 although there have been reports of how the toll may be much higher given the deaths of suspected cases. A total of 1,366 people have successfully recovered. Chile has 13,331 confirmed cases, of which 7,024 are recoveries and 189 deaths. Colombia so far has reported 5,379 cases with a death toll of 244 and 1,133 recoveries. Argentina has 3,892 positive cases. The death toll stands at 192 and 1,107 recoveries have been made. Bolivia and Uruguay have less than 1,000 cases each and Venezuela, Paraguay and French Guiana have between 100-500 cases each. Guyana, Falkland Islands and Suriname have between 10-100 cases so far with no or single-digit deaths reported. Australia: 6,714 cases (0.2% of global cases) and 83 deaths Australia currently has 6,714 reported cases of the novel coronavirus. Over 5,558 of these have already recovered (which leaves only 1,156 active cases) and the death toll stands at 83 currently. On April 26th, states like Queensland and Western Australia announced that they would be easing some of the lockdown restrictions. An app to aid contact tracing has been released in an effort to maintain a low case-load of COVID-19 and over 2 million of the 26 million population have already downloaded it so far. Antarctica: no reported cases The only coronavirus-free continent, Antarctica has not reported any cases of COVID-19 so far. There are no permanent residents of Antarctica - the small population consists mostly of researchers, military personnel and tourists. With the spread of COVID-19, measures were put in place to keep the virus out. Tourist visits have been cancelled and self-isolation is being practised. For more information, read our article on COVID-19 Timeline. Health articles in Firstpost are written by myUpchar.com, Indias first and biggest resource for verified medical information. At myUpchar, researchers and journalists work with doctors to bring you information on all things health. Asia is home to 60 percent of the global population and is the largest consumer of total primary energy, oil, coal, and renewables. It is also the third-largest natural gas consumer behind Europe and North America. As more natural gas becomes available in the form of LNG and piped gas, the region will soon become the worlds largest consumer of natural gas as well. Despite being the world's largest consumer of oil, the Asia Pacific region only holds 2.8 percent of global oil reserves and only produces 7.63 million barrels per day (mmbd) compared to its oil consumption of 35.8 mmbd. That is an enormous amount of oil it has to import on a daily basis. Asias High Oil Import Dependency and the Strait of Hormuz In 2018, over 78 percent of Asia-Pacific oil demand - 28.17 mmbd - was imported. Of those imports 20.7 mmbd, or over 73 percent of regional oil demand, transited through the Strait of Hormuz - a very narrow ally connecting the Persian Gulf with the Arabian Sea and a critical route for global energy security and international trade (Figure-1). This small ally is about 21 miles wide at its narrowest point and due to depth restrictions is only about two miles wide in each direction for tankers. This supply chain is the backbone of Asias economic prosperity - China, Japan, India, South Korea, Singapore and Taiwan are just a few of the countries that rely heavily on this strait. It is also the major supply route for oil and gas exports to Asia from the Gulf. Any disruption in the Strait of Hormuz, a major chokepoint for oil and trade, can lead to substantial supply delays would shift market sentiment dramatically. While there are alternative routes, they are significantly longer and more expensive. A disruption in this area could also expose oil tankers to theft from pirates, terrorist attacks, political unrest (in the form of wars or hostilities), and shipping accidents that can lead to oil spills. Figure-1: Crude oil, condensate and petroleum products transported through Strait of Hormuz. Source EIA Three scenarios that could send oil prices higher Out of the many possible scenarios that market observers must consider, the three listed below are the most likely to send oil prices higher. The first is based on market fundamentals, the second on natural disaster, and the third on human intervention. Market fundamentals It is now obvious that global oil demand is significantly lower than supply. Even the OPEC+ agreement to cut 10 mmbd wasnt enough to balance markets. As long as supply remains significantly higher than demand, prices will remain in the twenties or even lower. In order to bring the market back into equilibrium oil production has to fall substantially, or demand must begin to bounce back. Related: Rig Count Collapse Continues Despite Jump In Oil Prices If OPEC+ and other non-OPEC actors including US shale oil producers decide to cut oil production in the range of 20-25 mmbd for a couple of months or until the surplus is exhausted, then oil prices should recover. These sweeping production cuts would be good for the entire oil industry. A cut of this size would see prices move back into the $30 to $50/bbl range in a relatively short period of time. If, however, other oil producers are hesitant to take part in a second OPEC+ cut, we will likely see the cartel remain with its existing strategy of a 10 mmbd production cut. The world will continue to experience a surplus of oil supply and low prices will persist until the market finds its new equilibrium. As global storage reaches capacity we will see unplanned shut-downs which will hurt the oil industry at large and shale producers in particular. Many smaller producers will be forced to shut down temporarily while others will go out of business. Oil prices will remain low for an extended period of time as the world waits for global oil demand to return and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic to fade. Natural disaster The second possible scenario is that COVID-19 hits the supply chain directly namely at an oil production site or refinery partially halting production and refining operations. This kind of dramatic event would instantly increase oil prices into the thirties. If this outbreak persists for weeks, it will eventually send oil prices to over $40/bbl irrespective of surplus. Nevertheless, such an increase will only be short-lived as demand would remain depressed and eventually production would come back online. Human intervention Back in September 2019, Saudi Aramco oil facilities were attacked disrupting a significant amount of oil. These attacks led to relatively large daily price change and lots of intra-day trading volatility. In light of this attack and many similar ones in the past, the third possible scenario is human intervention. If Iran overreacts to recent tension in the Gulf and closes the Strait of Hormuz to hurt Gulf oil exporters, for example, the impact on the oil market would be very noticeable. Related: This Oil Price Rebound Is Only Temporary Iran is unlikely to escalate tensions to the point where it closes of the Strait of Hormuz as it would severely damages its own economy with such a move. In the extreme scenario that this does happen however, it will be considered a direct challenge to the U.S. This may lead to further escalation in the Gulf and could even lead to a proxy conflict. In this scenario, oil prices would bounce back above the thirties and could even reach above $50 per barrel. All three of the above scenarios will lead to an increase in oil prices as the market is forced to quickly adapt to a new supply-demand dynamic. The time scale of each scenario varies depending first upon the sentimental impact and then upon how quickly it can bring global supply back into balance with demand. Scenarios 2 and 3 will be short-lived as they fail to solve the fundamental problem of a surplus in supply. The option of a coordinated effort between all oil producers appears to be the optimum solution for those looking to increase oil prices to $30 and beyond. Such coordinated efforts would also save the oil industry from further demolition. By Salman Ghouri for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Germanys central government is concerned that lifting restrictions too quickly will lead to a new surge in virus cases. Germanys economy minister on Monday urged the countrys 16 federal states to go slowly in lifting coronavirus restrictions to avoid the outbreak spreading further and possibly forcing them to reintroduce another round of lockdown measures. Under Germanys decentralised political system, the states have the power to implement and rescind the social distancing measures on which the federal government is relying to limit the contagion of the virus. Chancellor Angela Merkel is resisting pressure from business groups to ease restrictions more rapidly. Germany has had around 155,000 diagnosed cases of the coronavirus, according to official figures published on Monday, but only 5,750 deaths, a far lower proportion of fatalities than Italy, Spain, France and Britain. As a person who believes in fact-based decisions, I recommend to all of us to proceed very carefully in order not to be forced into eventually rescinding easing measures, Economy Minister Peter Altmaier, one of Merkels closest allies, told Deutschlandfunk radio on Monday. Helge Braun, Merkels chief of staff, wrote in a letter to legislators of the ruling coalition seen by Reuters that Germany should be optimistic. He added: In the interest of the entire population, to avoid overburdening the health system in the long-term, its too early to lift social distancing. The low death rate in Germany, Europes largest and most pivotal economy, is attributed in part to it having imposed a strict lockdown earlier than other countries relative to when the first case was detected. Federal and state governments introduced the first lockdowns during the week beginning March 22, though the details and dates varied from state to state. The Robert Koch Institute for Infectious Diseases said on Monday that confirmed cases of COVID-19, the lung disease caused by the new coronavirus, had risen by 1,018 to 155,193. On Sunday cases increased by 1,737 and on Saturday they rose by 2,055. As the number of new infections has fallen, many businesses such as smaller stores or car dealerships have been allowed to reopen and some students are returning to schools. Not so fast But a government spokesman poured cold water on any hopes that Berlin could soon decide on further steps to ease restrictions. A meeting of Merkel with premiers of the 16 states on Thursday will be too early to evaluate the effects of the current easing of coronavirus restrictions, the spokesman said. An important date for decisions would be a meeting on May 6, the spokesman said. He pointed to the fact that the effects of looser restrictions will only be visible 10, 12 or even 14 days after their implementation. Thomas Bareiss, the governments tourism czar, said travel and holiday restrictions would be eased only gradually and that the government wanted to help travel agencies, hotels and other firms by enabling voucher solutions for already booked trips. The current lockdown has cost Germanys tourism industry about 24 billion euros ($26bn) in March and April alone, according to the sectors industry association, which wants immediate state aid for its smallest firms. Markus Soeder, the premier of Bavaria, which has imposed some of the strictest social distancing measures, said his state was only taking small steps towards relaxing its lockdown in order not to jeopardise early successes in fighting COVID-19. Soeder told BR radio that 80 percent of the retail sector had reopened. If it works out this week, we can think about a further easing, he added. Braun said authorities needed to take into account that the extent of the coronavirus outbreak varied from region to region. This could mean that restrictions in certain regions have to be maintained or tightened up again after a period of easing, said Braun. He added that the federal government would monitor whether measures taken needed to be adjusted and that authorities would need to weigh which measures effectively stop the virus spreading and what social and economic costs they bring. Express News Service NEW DELHI: Often blamed for the spike of corona cases in Delhi, many Tablighi Jamaatis are ready to donate plasma with at least 10 members, who have recovered, already doing it for helping the virus-affected patients admitted in various city hospitals. On Sunday, teams from Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS), which handles collection of plasma, collected four units from Narela quarantine facility and six from an isolation centre in Sultanpuri. The ILBS has three teams for plasma collection from isolation centre attached to a quarantine facility. If required, donors can be taken to ILBS for extraction, said a sub-divisional magistrate. Due to Ramzaan, the plasma collection begins in the evening after they break their fast. Today, 40 donations are scheduled at Narela and Sultanpuri facilities. It is time consuming process, which may continue past midnight, said a government official. ALSO READ| 'It took only 99 minutes': 23-year-old COVID-19 survivor who donated plasma Over 200 Tablighis, put up at various quarantine facilities in Delhi, agreed to donate plasma after head of the religious group head Maulana Muhammad Saad issued an appeal through an audio message.In March last week, over 2,300 Tablighis were evacuated from its headquarters at Delhis Nizamuddin Basti area. With 1,080 of them testing positive for COVID-19, they were put under quarantine at different locations. A Tablighi, who is quarantined at Sultanpuri and is now facilitating administration as a volunteer, said several of his colleagues came forward to donate plasma after the call given by the maulana. We are following his request and decided to volunteer our services for the protection of mankind. On Sunday, 20 of our members had registered themselves for donation. However, only 10 were found to be medically fit for plasma extraction, he said. Mohammad Umar (name changed), who reached the Narela collection centre on Sunday, said he had willingly given plasma following the advice of the Maulana. I was brought here on March 31 and tested positive. But I have recovered. I am giving plasma for others, who are under treatment. I have been told that this helps others in recovery, he said. Four District Magistrates said plasma collection could start at Narela and Sultanpuri only as Tablighis at other locations are still yet to fully recover from the infection. Rules for donation A recovered patient after two consecutive negative tests and completing two weeks of quarantine can donate for convalescent plasma therapy, which is used for treatment with certain conditions as stipulated by government Radio star Ray Hadley viciously bullied a colleague almost daily for two decades and called another station announcer a 'lazy, black c***', a court has heard. Hadley's onetime panel operator Chris Bowen is suing the 2GB talkback host for negligence and breaching duty of care in the New South Wales District Court. The first details of the case emerged on Monday when Bowen's barrister Shaun McCarthy said Hadley had bullied his client 'almost every day, often dozens of times a day, over a period of nearly 20 years.' Mr McCarthy said the broadcaster used 'vile, homophobic slurs' against Bowen at least 94 times during his years at the station. Radio star Ray Hadley (pictured) allegedly viciously bullied a colleague almost daily for two decades and called another station announcer a 'lazy, black c***', a court has heard Hadley's onetime panel operator Chris Bowen (pictured) is suing the 2GB talkback host for negligence and breaching duty of care in the New South Wales District Court 'On 20 occasions Mr Hadley called my client a bald, fat c***,' Mr McCarthy said, according to The Daily Telegraph. Hadley had also allegedly made racist comments about Bowen's loved ones and called 2GB broadcaster Luke Bona a 'lazy, black c***'. Bowen has claimed he was traumatised and suffered psychiatric injury from Hadley's alleged vilification and verbal abuse. Hadley's barrister Callan O'Neill said the damages claim against his client for intentional infliction of mental harm suffered from a 'lack of factual underpinning'. Mr O'Neill said Bowen had failed to provide precise dates or times for the 94 incidents of alleged bullying and harassment against him, his wife and other employees, according to The Australian. He submitted more detail was needed because Bowen had mental health issues before and after his employment at the radio station. Hadley allegedly made racist comments about Bowen's loved ones and called 2GB broadcaster Luke Bona (pictured) a 'lazy, black c***' Lawyers for Hadley (pictured) submitted more detail was needed to be put before the court because Bowen had mental health issues before and after his employment at the radio station Mr McCarthy said he wanted to keep the names of people set to give evidence at the trial secret - even from the defence, for now - because Bowen was concerned about witnesses being intimidated. Mr O'Neill said denying Hadley's legal team access to Bowen's witness list before the hearing put his client at an 'extraordinary' disadvantage which offended 'every principle of open justice', according to The Australian. Hadley's legal team wants to strike out most of Bowens statement of claim and for the matter to go to mediation. Mr McCarthy said: 'We don't want things held up even longer waiting for a mediation which may or may not be successful.' Hadley apologised on air last year for his behaviour, describing his relationship with Bowen as once being like 'father and son'. 'I've admitted to my previous shortcomings, I've also made no secret of the fact that in recent years I have done everything I can to do better,' he at the time. Registrar James Howard ruled he would provide Hadley's lawyers with a list of the potential witnesss roles but not their full identities. The case will return to court on June 12. National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) is counting on the adoption of bill 2571-d on the improvement of banking regulation mechanisms, the supporting of which was recommended by Verkhovna Rada's Committee on Finance, Tax and Customs Policy. This was reported by the NBUs press service. "Verkhovna Rada's Committee on Finance, Tax and Customs has just recommended supporting the Banking Bill 2571-d in the second reading and in general. We are expecting Verkhovna Rada to approve the draft law promptly, the message reads. The National Bank notes that this law is one of the preconditions for a new program of cooperation between Ukraine and the IMF. It will allow making the process of withdrawing banks inevitable. As we reported earlier, Ukraine can count on a $2 billion tranche from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in the second quarter of 2020. Ukraine had come close to the approval of the new cooperation program by the IMF Board of Directors. The renewed prediction of the NBU supposes the receiving of the first tranche of the financing in the sum of about $2 billion in the second quarter, the message reads. [April 27, 2020] Skyway Capital Markets Names Barry Shevlin to Senior Leadership Team Skyway Capital Markets, LLC (Skyway), a Tampa, FL-based privately held investment banking firm names Barry Shevlin as Senior Managing Director. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200427005868/en/ Barry Shevlin, Sr. Managing Director at Skyway Capital Markets (Photo: Business Wire) Shevlin leads Skyway Capital Markets Technology practice for the middle-market sector identifying and facilitating customized financial solutions, including restructuring advice, capital raising (debt and equity) and mergers & acquisitions. Shevlin joins the Skyway team on the heels of a highly decorated career as the CEO of Vology, an IT Services company he founded in Palm Harbor, Florida in 2002. There, Shevlin ran an opration supporting more than 5,000 customers worldwide overseeing rapid sales growth and product expansion from a startup with $1 million in revenue in 2002 to $175 million in 2016. Over his career, Shevlin has completed over $250 million in capital transactions with institutions including private equity, family offices, syndicated bank groups and subordinated debt providers; experience that has helped guide his decision to shift into investment banking. "I'm extremely proud of what we have accomplished at Vology and leave behind a wonderful, innovative team to carry on creating unique business solutions for their customers," says Shevlin. "I'm also excited about this next chapter of my career. I believe there are a number of mid-market technology companies who will benefit from my experience and approach to identifying creative financial solutions. There is no one size fits all in the technology industry and we are all beginning to understand that more clearly as the long-term impacts from the public health pandemic are still virtually uncertain." Throughout the local community, Shevlin is known as a vocal advocate for entrepreneurship and education. He has received honors as an E&Y Entrepreneur of the Year finalist in 2014 and the Tampa Bay Technology Forum's CEO of the Year in 2012. He also served on the Tampa Bay Partnership's Council of Governors from 2016 to 2020 and has been an active member of YPO since 2007. Skyway CEO Russ Hunt commented on Shevlin's appointment, "Barry is a serial entrepreneur and respected visionary who knows how to adapt and capitalize on emerging trends and markets to help businesses grow. His success with capital transactions speak for themselves and I'm confident our Technology practice will thrive under his leadership." About Skyway Capital Markets, LLC Skyway Capital Markets works with middle market companies, public and private, through customized capital services that include corporate finance, mergers & acquisitions, restructuring and recapitalizations. The firm differentiates itself from its competitors by providing clients with more capital market options, including access to ultra-high net worth investors, family offices, independent broker-dealers, registered investment advisors, institutional investors, and private equity firms. For additional information, please visit www.SkywayCapitalMarkets.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200427005868/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] By Dave Sherwood and Stephanie Nebehay SANTIAGO/GENEVA, April 27 (Reuters) - Chile's top health official said on Monday that a patient recovered from COVID-19 had little chance of contracting the disease again for least three months, flaunting guidance from World Health Organization scientists who warn of scant evidence for such claims. Chile is preparing this week to roll out some of the worlds first "release certificates" for recovered patients. Health officials say they are not "immunity cards" but have previously suggested they will indicate some degree of resistance to the disease. Health minister Jaime Manalich said he and U.N. health agency officials had met and agreed there was no way to guarantee immunity. But he cited data from China and South Korea that point to shorter-term protection for those who survive the disease. "The probability that a person becomes ill again, or that someone else becomes ill, becomes very remote. How long? A minimum of three months," Manalich told reporters at a daily briefing. Manalich, a kidney specialist who once ran one of Chiles top hospitals, said the certificates Chile planned to issue would follow antibody tests and at least help identify those who have already had the disease. The World Health Organization said last week there was no evidence to support any claims of immunity and warned against giving false hope to survivors or those who come in contact with them. Dr. Mike Ryan, the WHOs top emergencies expert, reiterated those concerns in Geneva on Monday, saying it was easier to prove that someone had the disease than to show they were immune. "The scientific question is, To what extent does having had that infection offer you protection against another infection?'" Ryan said. "That is the question that still needs to be addressed." Ryan said scientists expect antibodies to lend some protection. But he said it was not yet clear how long that immunity might last, or to what extent it might protect a recovered patient from contracting the disease again. Chile has yet to say what guarantees the certificates might offer to those who possess them, or when they might expire. Story continues A spokeswoman for the Health Ministry declined to give more details. Chile has been widely praised for its approach to combating the coronavirus, including widespread testing, flexible region-specific quarantines and quick action to secure additional ventilators. The country has confirmed nearly 14,000 cases of the viral infection since the outbreak began in early March, and 198 deaths. (Reporting by Dave Sherwood and Stephanie Nebehay; Editing by Dan Grebler) According to Lorraine police, hundreds of drivers hit the A31 towards Luxembourg last Saturday without a good reason. France remains in lockdown until 11 May. Last Saturday, French police carried out around 1,200 checks on the A31 motorway at the Luxembourgish border. 81 drivers were fined for failing to present a valid reason to leave their homes, the Republicain Lorrain reported. Luxembourg may have kicked off a gradual lifting of confinement measures but this is not yet the case in France. Head of the Grand-Est's border police unit Pierre Bordereau lamented that increasing numbers of people are starting to disregard France's strict lockdown rules. "We expected that Lorraine residents might be tempted to head to the Grand Duchy to fill up their cars or buy cigarettes. What we didn't expect is the high number!," Bordereau lamented. He added that it was the first time since the introduction of the lockdown that such an alarming number of individuals disregarded the drastic measures. The 81 fines were issued within four hours - a number that may seem comparatively low given that the police have checked no less than 1,200 drivers. Police stressed that they were overwhelmed by the sheer volume of traffic. Moselle prefect Didier Martin said he was "sincerely disappointed" to see so many people on the moving about without having a valid reason. "This is a total disregard of the lockdown, which remains valid until 11 May," he concluded. According to the Republicain Lorrain, police may carry out additional checks on the A31 between 1 and 8 May. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Hasbullah Thabrany (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, April 27, 2020 10:05 625 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd469233 3 Opinion COVID-19,coronavirus,north-asia,pandemic Free By April 26, the number of COVID-19 cases around the world is nearing 3 million since the first case was reported in Wuhan, China, according to Worldometer data. Deaths due to the SARS-CoV-2 virus in the United States alone exceeded 54,000 from more than 203,000 globally. Until recently, European and Northern American countries share more than 80 percent of total cases and account for 88 percent of the global death toll and counting, although they share just 28.5 percent of the world population. As many ask, why have the cases and mortalities been higher in the Northern hemisphere among developed countries with generally better health systems than in the South? Is winter a factor? Yet North Asia is also in winter and many countries in the South and along the equator also have COVID-19 cases, although with lower prevalence. Read also: Work smart, travel alone, eat out fast: South Korea's prescription for coronavirus recover Another hypothesis looks at the elderly. The joint report of China and the World Health Organization demonstrate that mortality rates among people above 50 years was six to 20 times higher compared to that for younger age groups. However, the correlation between COVID-19 mortality and the median age of countries is not convincing. Japan, with a median age of 48 years, has only 0.8 deaths per one million people, Germany with a median age of 46 has 36 deaths per million people, and China with 38 as the median age has two deaths per million people. In contrast, Italy with a median age of 47 has 329 deaths per million, Spain with 45 years has 368 per million and the United States with a median age of 38 has 66 deaths per million. So, what factors affect high prevalence of COVID-19 and high mortality? Are these factors the response of the health system, the health seeking behavior or risk taking behavior of the people in those countries? Knowing the main factors of the prevalence of infection and its mortality rates before vaccines or drugs are found would help countries to reduce the cases, deaths and severe economic impacts. It may take months or years to discover the vaccines or drugs while a global recession is looming. All countries affected are taking fairly bold measures to curb the pandemic by full or partial lockdowns. And even countries with comparatively good health systems such as the US, United Kingdom, Italy and Spain are struggling with the pandemic. Some hypothesize that people in the tropics have lower risks of contracting COVID-19, as the virus is known to flourish in cold weather. So far prevalence rates are relatively low in Indonesia and in neighboring countries including Australia, and also in Brazil and in Africa. However, the pandemic has not reached its global peak. Read also: Could the new coronavirus weaken 'anti-vaxxers'? A century ago, the Spanish flu, which killed more than 50 million people, reportedly lasted about three years. The current pandemic is likely still in the early stages, unless vaccines or drugs are discovered soon or a significant proportion of people develop adequate immunity. Then the pandemic would become endemic in some countries. Studies have found COVID-19 spreads through droplets among humans in close contact. Thus, high mobility of people, mass transportation, economic and recreational activities create huge barriers to curb the virus while communication and information technology enables the swift spread of both good and bad, true and false information. Despite knowledge about the virus, reckless behavior has increasingly burdened health systems. Essentially, the spread of the disease can be stopped if everyone on Earth constantly keeps a distance of more than 2 meters from each other for at least 14 consecutive days. But this means stopping the wheels of economies and governments for at least for two weeks, which is impossible. So, is it too late to stop the pandemic? China, South Korea, Japan and also Vietnam show slow growth of COVID-19. Even if the data may be hidden or cases undetected, the virus will continue to spread unless people behave appropriately. Indonesia may still be lucky or may not reach the peak of COVID-19, though the numbers are still growing with 23 cases and two deaths (23/2) per million people as of April 19. Cases are much lower compared to China (57/3), South Korea (208/5), Japan (81/2), Spain (4,158/441), the US (2,232/118), and in many other developed countries. The prevalence of COVID-19 in China, South Korea and Japan is decreasing, providing hope more cases can be prevented. For Indonesia, preventing new cases and mortalities is much more important given the buckling healthcare system. The current high mortality rate in Indonesia, reaching 9.4 percent of total cases, exceeds the world mortality rate of 6.1 percent. This is likely due to late arrivals at the hospital, lack of hospital capacity or other factors. However, mortality rates in Indonesia and in the world are inconclusive because the pandemic is still progressing. Read also: Indonesia's latest official COVID-19 figures In preventing new cases, Indonesias biggest challenges are poor discipline in keeping physical distance, poor law enforcement and the overall inadequate infrastructure. Throughout the world, people lack discipline, unless local culture and their governments can force them to comply with physical distancing requirements. Will large-scale social restrictions succeed? It is a big gamble. Lessons from some North Asian countries show that discipline, both natural and imposed, works better to control the disease, regardless of whether a full or partial lockdown is imposed. *** Former dean, School of Public Health, University of Indonesia (UI). This is a personal view. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post. Indian and Kuwaiti authorities resorted to damage control on Monday after a Cabinet note of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member state that expressed concern about the targeting of Indian Muslims was leaked on social media over the weekend. Kuwaiti ambassador Jasem Ibrahem al-Najam and external affairs ministry spokesperson Anurag Srivastava issued separate statements that highlighted strong bilateral ties and cooperation between the two countries in the fight against Covid-19. Srivastava also noted the Kuwaiti government had assured India that it doesnt support any interference in the internal affairs of the country. The note in Arabic from Kuwaits council of ministers, which was dated March 2 but was leaked on Twitter on Sunday by a well-known Kuwaiti scholar, expressed concern about the targeting of Indian Muslims and called on the world community and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to take steps to stop such attacks and end the bloodshed. At least two people familiar with developments confirmed the authenticity of the Kuwaiti Cabinet note. External affairs ministry spokesperson Srivastava noted the references to India by non-official social media handles in Kuwait and said: The government of Kuwait has assured us that they are deeply committed to friendly relations with India. They also do not support any interference in the internal affairs of India. Srivastava said India recently deployed a rapid response team at the request of Kuwait to assist that country in its fight against the Coronavirus. During its two-week stay in Kuwait, the team rendered valuable medical assistance in testing and treatment of afflicted persons and training their personnel, he said. He added, It is therefore important that friendly and cooperative nature of our relations is accurately recognised and misuse of social media is not given credence. Ambassador al-Najam said in a statement issued to Kuwaits state-run Kuna news agency that the two countries share many principles in their foreign policies, like respecting the UN Charter, non-interference in other countries affairs and respecting sovereignty of nations. He further said Kuwait and India have a historic relationship and always seek to develop them in [the] political and economic domains. The two sides are cooperating and coordinating to step up the fight against Covid-19 and had been looking forward to a meeting of the bilateral joint committee in the first quarter of 2020 but this was postponed due to the pandemic, he said. India has been concerned by criticism on social media of the treatment of Indian Muslims by prominent commentators and members of royal families in some West Asian states. Over the past few days, external affairs minister S Jaishankar has reached out to his counterparts in GCC states and other Arab nations to discuss this issue and the welfare of Indian expatriates. On Monday, secretary (overseas Indian affairs) Sanjay Bhattacharyya of the external affairs ministry held a teleconference with envoys of the GCC states as a follow-up to Jaishankars conversations, people familiar with the development said. The GCC envoys thanked the Indian government for keeping open supply chains for food and medicines and for assisting in the evacuation of their citizens, one the people cited above said. The envoys also requested the deployment of Indian healthcare personnel in their countries to deal with the pandemic and discussed the issue of Indian nationals who want to return home, the person added. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Ten Indonesians, including six women- who all are members of the Tablighi Jamaat and had attended the religious meet at the Nizamuddin Markaz in Delhi in March- have been arrested by the Mumbai Police under various sections of the IPC on completion of their quarantine period, an official said on Monday. These ten members were part of a group of 12 Tablighis from Indonesia who were staying at an apartment in Bandra (west) since March 29 after they had returned from Delhi, he said. A large number of COVID-19 cases were attributed to the religious congregation held at the Markaz, as many Tablighis travelled to various parts of the country. The official said the police came to know about the presence of the Indonesians in Bandra only on April 1. "We found that they had came to India in two batches on February 29 and March 3, and later visited the Markaz for the event," he said. The official said while the foreigners reached Mumbai on March 7, they settled down in the apartment only on March 29, implying that they had been roaming around during the 22 days. "During their medical examination, two members of the 12-member group tested positive for coronavirus, following which 10 others were placed under quarantine for a period of 20 days. They were arrested on Wednesday (April 22)," he said. They have been booked under sections 188 (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by a public servant), 269 (Negligent act likely to spread infection of disease that is dangerous to life) and 270 (Malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), and under provisions of the Epidemic Diseases Act. They were produced before court on April 23, which remanded them in the custody of the Bandra Police, the official added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Bollywood actress Sonam Kapoor logged into her official social media account to drop a delightful image. On her Instagram story, she shared a throwback which is a find from an old photo shoot. The stunning shot features Sonam along with her stylist sister Rhea Kapoor and designer Masaba Gupta. Also sharing the frame are some of the Khoobsurat actress close friends namely Shehla Khan, Pooja Dhingra and Samyukta Nair. The click from April 2018, issue of Grazia India is special as all-in-frame are sporting Sonam and Rheas high-street fashion label, Rheson. The Veere Di Wedding actress wrote on her story, "I'm dying to talk nonsense to my friends and have them laugh at my lame ass jokes while Rhea feeds them food and booze". Soon, film producer, Rhea shared it on her Instagram story and captioned it as, I miss my friends too much and like cant function without@sonamkapoor(sic.) Rhea also reposted her friends stories, that of Masaba Gupta and Pooja Dhingra. Seems like Sonam is on a spree of mining into archives amid quarantine as she has been dropping amazing snapshots from the days gone by. Yesterday, she treated her online family with a gorgeous photograph of herself, all smiles. In the click, Sonam is seen wearing a beautiful white strapless gown while posing for the lenses. She captioned the charming image as, Looking forward and towards a better future. Filled with gratitude and hope. https://www.instagram.com/p/B_bsnVUlgRW/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link Presently, Sonam is in New Delhi with her husband Anand Ahuja after returning from London, the UK. Her last movie outing was The Zoya Factor alongside Dulquer Salmaan. FILE PHOTO: People wearing face masks to protect themselves against contracting the new coronavirus walk on a street in central Seoul By Cynthia Kim and Tom Westbrook SEOUL/SINGAPORE (Reuters) - South Korea's stock market has bounced back harder amid the coronavirus pandemic than any other major bourse in the world, and bond inflows lead Asia, as investors bet Seoul's handling of the crisis will see it through sooner and stronger than others. Asia's fourth-largest economy is among the first countries to bring a major outbreak of the virus under control, with a vigorous without mandatory lockdowns or a gigantic debt-funded rescue package. With one of the world's most vigorous testing regimes and social distancing campaign in place, South Korea's confirmed cases of the virus have been kept to less than 11,000 so far, with 240 deaths. That has foreigners buying bonds at a clip for their reliable yield, while the benchmark Kospi stock index has soared by nearly a third from March lows as investors, from dabblers to institutions, buy into the recovery ride. "It is one of the examples of managing the crisis really well," said Esty Dwek, head of global market strategy at $1 trillion French fund manager Natixis Investment Managers. "We think it'll be one of the winners, along with emerging Asia, compared to other regions that are likely to suffer much more," she said. "It is one of the areas (to which) we've moved some money only a few weeks ago." The Kospi index <.KS11> is up 31% from a low point hit on March 19, a performance matched only by smaller Thailand, and bettered only by Argentina's S&P Merval <.MERV>, which is less than 1% of the Seoul market's size by value. The jump has come even as South Korea's exports have cratered and the economy has contracted. South Korean bonds posted a third straight month of inflows in March, attracting $3.6 billion in a month when Asian bonds as a whole had the biggest foreign outflows in seven years. A 1.56% yield on 10-year Korean government debt makes it an attractive trade, compared with a yield of 1.23% in Thailand or just 0.078% in France and 0.292% in Britain , which have the same credit rating. "Simply put, there is no other emerging country with similar credit rating, that can yield this much return," said Shin Hwan-jong, head of fixed income at NH Investment and Securities in Seoul. Story continues A 6% slide in the Korean won this year versus the U.S. dollar is also shallower than 10% drops in the similarly risk-sensitive Australian and New Zealand dollars . (GRAPHIC: South Korea tames virus, stocks surge - https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/mkt/rlgvdrnlvoj/Pasted%20image%201587632338171.png) GOLD STANDARD South Korea's virus containment strategy rests on testing, intensive contact tracing and tracking apps, while avoiding lingering mandatory lockdowns or forced business closures. So far it is working: Authorities are hoping to see daily new cases drop to zero in the coming days, after falling below 10 in the past week. In Seoul, shoppers are back in malls and residents are out and about enjoying spring weather and the tail-end of the cherry blossom viewing season. "Within the region, there's a few gold standard performers: South Korea, Australia and New Zealand all stand out," said George Boubouras, head of research at K2 Asset Management in Melbourne. "A lot of APAC (Asia-Pacific) portfolios can benefit from those exposures," said Boubouras, whose Asia-focused fund has been adding to its position in Samsung Electronics Co Ltd <005930.KS> recently. Shares in the tech giant have bounced back about 17% from March lows. Risks do remain high, though, as the rebound has been sentiment-driven. South Korea's exports fell 27% over the first 20 days of April year-on-year and the economy suffered its sharpest contraction since 2008 in the first quarter. At Natixis, Dwek is concerned low "herd immunity" may leave the country vulnerable to a second wave of infections. The won remains soft and Boubouras believes the "growth", rather than "value", profile of many of South Korea's companies makes them shakier investments than Australian stocks. Australia's BHP Group Ltd this week held its outlook steady, he noted, as iron ore demand from major buyer China has strengthened in recent weeks. Scott Gilchrist, a fund manager at Sydney-based A$24 billion ($15 billion) global investor Platinum Asset Management , also said crumbling world demand is bad news for exporters. "South Korea has a preponderance of companies that are facing temporary cyclical headwinds," he said. "It's hard to see the earnings growth and business momentum improving." Nevertheless, the signals from the stock, bond and currency markets are positive and ratings agencies say the country is in good stead to weather a storm. South Korea entered the crisis with low debt, and its rescue package so far requires fiscal spending of about 2% of gross domestic product, compared with 11% in the United States and about 10% in Australia, which had its ratings outlook downgraded by S&P. "Its fiscal metrics compare favourably even among highly-rated sovereign peers," said YeeFarn Phua, director at S&P Global Ratings in Singapore. (GRAPHIC: Fiscal deficit as % of GDP - https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/mkt/ygdvzlwlvwa/Fiscal%20deficit%20as%20pct%20of%20GDP.JPG) (Reporting by Cynthia Kim and Yena Park in Seoul, and Tom Westbrook in Singapore; Editing by Kenneth Maxwell) A health alert sent to doctors suggests a coronavirus-related syndrome among children may be emerging in the UK (Ian West/PA) A coronavirus-related syndrome among children may be emerging in the UK, a health alert sent to doctors suggests. The UK Paediatric Intensive Care Society (Pics) tweeted an alert which it said was from NHS England, which says in the last three weeks, there has been an apparent rise in the number of children of all ages presenting with a multi-system inflammatory state requiring intensive care across London and also in other regions of the UK. It said the effects had been seen in children both with and without coronavirus but there was evidence that some patients had had coronavirus previously. Professor Russell Viner, president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH), said parents should be reassured that children are unlikely to be seriously ill with Covid-19. According to the alert, which was reportedly originally shared with GPs in North London, children affected display signs similar to toxic shock syndrome (TSS), a severe illness associated with infections, and have blood markers in line with severe Covid-19 in children. They may also have abdominal pain and symptoms of inflammation around the heart. *Urgent alert* Rising no of cases presenting to #PedsICU with multi-system hyperinflammatory state, overlapping features of toxic shock syndrome & atypical Kawasaki disease, bloods consistent with severe #COVID19 - seen in both #SARSCoV2 PCR +ve AND -ve Please share widely pic.twitter.com/Bj6YHLJ8zi Paediatric Critical Care Society (@PICSociety) April 26, 2020 The alert says: There is a growing concern that a Sars CoV-2 (Covid-19) related inflammatory syndrome is emerging in children in the UK, or that there may be another, as yet unidentified, infectious pathogen associated with these cases. The alert talks about atypical Kawasaki disease, a condition that mainly affects children under the age of five. Symptoms include a high temperature that lasts for five days or more, often with a rash and/or swollen glands in the neck. NHS England stressed there was no confirmed connection between Kawasaki-related diseases and Covid-19. Professor Simon Kenny, the NHSs national clinical director for children and young people, said: Thankfully Kawasaki-like diseases are very rare, as currently are serious complications in children related to Covid-19, but it is important that clinicians are made aware of any potential emerging links so that they are able to give children and young people the right care fast. The advice to parents remains the same: If you are worried about your child for whatever reason, contact NHS 111 or your family doctor for urgent advice, or 999 in an emergency, and if a professional tells you to go to hospital, please go to hospital. Prof Viner said: We already know that a very small number of children can become severely ill with Covid-19 but this is very rare evidence from throughout the world shows us that children appear to be the part of the population least affected by this infection. Parents should be reassured that children are unlikely to be seriously ill with Covid-19 but if they are concerned about their children's health for any reason, they should seek help from a health professional Professor Russell Viner New diseases may present in ways that surprise us, and clinicians need to be made aware of any emerging evidence of particular symptoms or of underlying conditions which could make a patient more vulnerable to the virus. However, our advice remains the same: parents should be reassured that children are unlikely to be seriously ill with Covid-19 but if they are concerned about their childrens health for any reason, they should seek help from a health professional. According to the NHS, children are contracting Covid-19 at the same rate as adults but are suffering less severe symptoms on the whole. However, children have died, including 13-year-old Ismail Mohamed Abdulwahab, from Brixton, south London, who died in Kings College Hospital at the end of March. The latest figures for hospital deaths of patients testing positive for Covid-19 in England show that up to 5pm on April 25 there had been nine deaths between the ages of 0 and 19. This represents 0.05% of all hospital deaths in England. In Scotland, no Covid-19 deaths had been registered by April 19 for people aged 0-14. In Northern Ireland, no Covid-19 deaths had been registered by April 17 for people aged 0-14. Pics said its tweet had been meant for health professionals and urged parents not to worry. A statement added: Over the weekend, Pics members received an email alert from NHS England highlighting a small rise in the number of cases of critically ill children presenting with an unusual clinical picture. Many of these children had tested positive for Covid-19, while some had not. It is important to highlight that, both in the UK and in other countries, there have still been very few cases of critically unwell children with Covid-19 admitted to paediatric intensive care units. However, an early case report relating to Covid-19 presenting as Kawasaki syndrome has been published recently, and Pics is aware of a small number of children nationally who appear to fit the clinical picture described in the NHS England alert. Monroe News-Star, Austin American-Statesman Monroe, La. Louisiana authorities arrested a man in connection with a Friday afternoon drive-by shooting involving the estate of Duck Dynasty star Willie Robertson. The Ouachita Parish Sheriffs Office in Monroe, Louisiana, charged Daniel King Jr., 38, with one count of aggravated assault by drive-by-shooting and one count of criminal neglect of family and booked him into OCC. Bond was set at $150,000. Deputies responded around 2:30 p.m. Friday to a report of someone shooting from a vehicle in the 3300 block of Arkansas Road in West Monroe, Louisiana. The property belongs to Robertson. According to Robertson, one of the shots went through the bedroom window of the home where son John Luke Robertson lives with his wife Mary Kate McEachern and their infant child, but nobody in the family was injured. "We were pretty shook up," Robertson said in a Sunday interview with USA Today Network. "It looks like they were just spraying bullets across my property." Robertson said 8-10 shots were fired. Robertson said many members of the family are living at his and wife Kories home during the coronavirus crisis, among them daughter Sadie Robertson, who also starred on Dancing with the Stars, and her new husband Christian Huff. "Nobody was outside at the time, but everybody had been out about five minutes before," Robertson said. "I had just gone to the store when it happened." The property and houses on it are behind a fence and gate and located far off of the road. Witnesses said several gunshots were fired from a vehicle, and two homes were hit. Witnesses described the vehicle as a white over brown or beige Ford F-250 with large aftermarket tires and rims. The vehicle was captured on a surveillance camera. Other occupants were in the vehicle, but a description is not available. According to the OPSO, no arrests or additional charges are pending at this time. New York Citys strenuous effort to stop the Supreme Court from expanding the Second Amendment succeeded on Monday when six justices dismissed a challenge to the citys former gun law. Gun safety advocates deemed the decision a victory, but it is, in reality, a reprieveone that wont last long. Four conservative justices announced their intention to broaden the right to bear arms as soon as possible, resuming the Second Amendment revolution the court began in 2008. The only real question now is whether Chief Justice John Roberts is ready to join their crusade. Advertisement Mondays ruling in New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. New York decides almost nothing. The case began as an attack on New York Citys restrictive firearm laws, which limited residents ability to transport handguns outside the home. Residents could apply for a carry license, which authorizes concealed-carry throughout the city, but law enforcement had discretion to deny their request. New Yorkers could also request a premises license, which generally required them to keep their gun at home. At the start of this litigation, residents with a premises license could only transport their gun to a shooting range within city limits. (There are seven, at least one in each borough.) The plaintiffs in NYSRPA demanded the right to take their guns outside New York City, to other shooting ranges, competitions, and second homes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 2018, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld New York Citys law. The court declared that the Supreme Courts Second Amendment decisions, D.C. v. Heller and McDonald v. Chicago, protect the core right of self-defense in the home. (There is ample evidence that the Supreme Court misunderstood the historical evidence in creating this core right, but leave that aside.) Because residents remained free to keep handguns in their homes, and the city had good reasons to keep them off the streets, the court upheld New York Citys law. The Supreme Court then agreed to review the 2nd Circuits decision. City and state lawmakers feared that SCOTUS would not only strike down the law at issue but also use the case to supercharge the Second Amendment, putting countless other gun safety laws in jeopardy. So New York City repealed the measure, replacing it with a more lenient regulation that let residents with premises licenses take their guns outside city limits. Then the New York Legislature barred the city from reviving the old law. Advertisement These actions created a problem for SCOTUS. The Constitution allows federal courts to hear only live disputes, not moot cases where the plaintiffs already got what they wanted. Here, the plaintiffs demanded that New York City stop enforcing its old gun law. The city complied. So wheres the dispute? Advertisement The plaintiffs tried to manufacture new issues to keep their case alive. They argued that the citys replacement law is also unconstitutional, and that they deserved damages for suffering under the old law. There are two more unstated reasons why the plaintiffs badly wanted SCOTUS to decide this case. First, they only get attorneys fees if they actually prevail in court, and representation from legal luminaries like Paul Clement doesnt come cheap. Second, they hoped the court would use this case to broaden the scope of the Second Amendment, paving the way for a constitutional right to concealed carry. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement By a 63 vote, the Supreme Court rejected the plaintiffs arguments on Monday in a two-page decision. The majority explained that, if the plaintiffs believe New York Citys replacement law is unconstitutional, they can go back to the lower courts and make their case. And although the plaintiffs now ask for damages, they made no such demand in their initial lawsuit. So they have to ask the lower courts for permission to add a damages claim. That ruling handed a narrow win to gun safety activists, but it may be the shortest-lived triumph in Supreme Court history. Justice Samuel Alito, joined by Justices Clarence Thomas and Neil Gorsuch, dissented in an opinion laying out his plans to expand the Second Amendment in a future case. Justice Brett Kavanaugh joined the majority but wrote separately to note that he agrees with Alitos general analysis of the right to bear arms. Kavanaugh also wrote that he shares Alitos concern that lower courts may not be properly applying Heller and McDonald. The court, Kavanaugh concluded, should address that issue soon, perhaps in one of the several Second Amendment cases currently sitting on the courts doorstep. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There are at least a dozen gun rights cases pending before the Supreme Court. Several ask whether states can ban assault weapons or strictly limit concealed carry. The gun lobby has long sought to establish a constitutional right to purchase assault weapons and carry a concealed firearm in public places. While sitting on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, Kavanaugh made it very clear that he will fight for these rights. He argued that courts should only uphold gun regulations that are longstanding and invalidate any restrictions that are not sufficiently rooted in text, history, and tradition. Applying this test, Kavanaugh wrote (in dissent) that the District of Columbias assault weapons ban is unconstitutional. Advertisement Advertisement Alito, Thomas, and Gorsuch are also palpably eager to knock down lifesaving gun laws. In his NYSRPA dissent, Alito wrote that firearms regulations that did not exist in the founding era are likely unconstitutional today. Unless a gun law was in force around the time of the adoption of the Second Amendment in 1791, its probably invalid. History provides no support for a restriction of this type, he insisted, chastising the 2nd Circuit for upholding New York Citys now-dead restriction. We are told that the mode of review in this case is representative of the way Heller has been treated in the lower courts, Alito concluded. If that is true, there is cause for concern. Advertisement All four justices, in other words, want to wipe away any gun laws that depart from practices in 1791, when the Second Amendment was ratified. Under their approach, states could not ban large-capacity magazines or AR-15s because these weapons did not exist 229 years ago. It does not matter that large-capacity magazine bans demonstrably limit casualties in mass shootings. Nor does it matter that federal courts may literally enable massacres by blocking such bans. The federal judiciary has a responsibility to safeguard Americans access to weapons of war, even if it facilitates mass murder in the process. Advertisement Roberts decision to dismiss NYSRPA, and his refusal to join Kavanaughs concurrence, suggests that he may not be prepared to obliterate the nations gun safety laws. But the chief justice may also have simply wanted to defuse a bomb in a term already filled with blockbusters that will conclude months before the 2020 election. If so, he can now pick a better vehicle and, along with his four conservative colleagues, empower lower courts to sweep away the nations gun control regime. As Donald Trumps judicial appointees have demonstrated, no gun law will be safe: Even modest limitations on interstate gun transfers are suspect in the eyes of Second Amendment extremists. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its tough to tell whether Roberts will go along with this dramatic expansion of the Second Amendment. He appears less enthusiastic than his fellow conservatives about gun rights, possibly because he recognizes that these cases put the court in a dangerous position. As the conservative Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson wrote in 2017, telling Americans in the wake of so many mass shootings that all they can do is stand by and watch as federal courts design their destiny would deliver a body blow to democracy. If the Supreme Court prevents Americans from protecting themselves against guns, more people will die. We will have to wait a little longer to learn whether Roberts thinks the right to bear arms outweighs everybody elses right not to get shot. For more on American jurisprudence and the Supreme Court, listen to Amicus. In recent weeks, circumstances surrounding the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic have prompted many businesses in the financial services industry to revisit and update their business continuity and pandemic plans. An effective business continuity plan (BCP) is a necessary tool to guide your organization through unexpected scenarios and ensure no disruption of service to your customers. Lessons Learned from COVID-19 One of the most critical lessons from COVID-19 is the importance of effective business continuity planning. A BCP reflects the time and effort your institution has put forth, and there is no substitute for a thorough and tested plan. As your institution continues responding to the COVID-19 situation, ensure your BCP is up to date and comprehensive with the following best practices. Identifying gaps: If your BCP is not regularly reviewed, gaps in your plan or processes can easily develop, and your institution should identify and create responses to address these gaps. For example, most plans likely included the provision that most employees should work remotely in the event of a pandemic. However, that requires businesses to test virtual private network (VPN) connections and coordinate logistics, including plans for those employees who dont use laptops or have required technology at home. Many businesses were recently forced to confront those IT issues quickly as they adapted operations in response to COVID-19, showing that identifying potential gaps is a critical step. Responding to Unique Scenarios: There is no silver bullet when it comes to continuity planningan institutions BCP should be formulated on a case-by-case basis. Every organization has different scenarios to consider and respond to, especially during an event like COVID-19. For example, some institutions chose to take employees temperatures as a precaution against inadvertently spreading the virus, making it necessary to include information about Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) rules and state specific privacy regulations in the BCP. Organizations should also include plans and procedures addressing potential changes to business operations in response to unexpected events, including identifying essential workers for your institution. Maintaining Communication: In response to COVID-19, many financial institutions are closing their lobbies, reducing hours or encouraging the use of digital banking channels. These changes should be clearly and consistently communicated to employees and customers. Employees need updates on business operations and policies, while customers need information about accessing bank facilities and their accounts, making deposits and obtaining loans. Open communication will ensure that all parties stay engaged and aware of relevant updates, which is especially important in an evolving pandemic situation. Revisiting Strategic Plans: Since most strategic plans include specific goals set before an unexpected event, your institution should revisit those plans and adjust accordingly after experiencing disruption. Due to the circumstances surrounding COVID-19, many organizations are undergoing impromptu strategic planning to update their plans based on operational and business changes, and institutions should also consider an increased demand for certain products and services, such as digital banking, during the planning process. Preparing for Future Pandemics Though a BCP and a pandemic plan have distinct differences, the global COVID-19 pandemic has shown the importance of planning for both. Health experts have discussed the possibility of COVID-19 returning in the fall, so businesses should begin planning for this outcome during the upcoming summer months. Consider addressing these important topics as your institution begins reviewing your pandemic plan. Coordinate with Vendors: When planning, businesses must communicate not only with employees and customers, but also with critical vendors. If your institution relies on a vendor to help provide an essential product or service and the vendor experiences a disruption, your operationsand customerswill be affected. If you havent already done so, your institution should plan to acquire feedback from critical vendors on their specific action plans. This also applies to third-party and even fourth-party vendors. Anticipatory Planning: Your pandemic plan should also include processes for tracking employees and any potential impact that absences could have on day-to-day operations. If an employee contracted the virus during a pandemic, how would your operations be affected? By identifying back-ups for essential employees and systems, your institution can avoid disruption. Dont wait until your business is confronted with an unexpected situationact now to ensure your customers will continue to be served if key individuals cannot work. Changing Business Needs: When updating your pandemic plan, your institution should consider how a pandemic could affect your day-to-day operations. Because of COVID-19, many customers are relying on digital banking solutions. Institutions should consider how they will service and setup accounts for customers who have been slow to adopt digital banking, all while complying with necessary regulations. Additionally, institutions should develop a documented strategy to scale response efforts accordingly. Cyber Insurance: With cybercriminals preying on fear and panic during a pandemic, cyber insurance is an important component in protecting your institution and customers, but there are a variety of factors that must be considered. For example, if your institution has retained a forensic investigator, were plans made to have the investigator approved by your insurance company? Your institution should also consider whether your insurance includes coverage for only a certain number of customers impacted versus only a certain dollar amount. Or does it cover both? Another consideration is whether your insurance covers specific services, such as credit monitoring protection for customers affected. FFIEC Guidance: The Federal Financial Institutions Examinations Council (FFIEC) updated its Business Continuity Management Booklet in 2019, which is a useful resource for business continuity planning and also includes information on pandemics. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is changing the landscape of banking, and your institution must be ready to adapt. A strong BCP and pandemic plan will allow your institution to focus on developing new business opportunities and serving your customers. Working with IMA Wealth will allow us to help employees at any level of compensation to start adding to their savings on a daily basis. Its a big step toward our mission of enabling every American to save more for retirement. - Eugeny Prudchyenko, CEO of EvoShare EvoShare, a microsavings oriented FinTech startup based in Berkeley, CA, and IMA Wealth, an independent investment advisor that provides families and businesses with wealth management and portfolio management solutions, headquartered in Wichita, KS , are announcing their partnership to revolutionize the way employees save for their retirement. Together, IMA Wealth and EvoShare will be able to offer plan sponsors a unique benefit that taps into employees spending habits to unlock a new source of funds to power their savings - increasing plan participation, contributions, and satisfaction. EvoShares proprietary system turns a percentage of every dollar spent at over 10,000 partnered local and online stores into additional contributions for a financial savings account like a 401(k), IRA, or 529 College Savings Plan. IMA Wealth is more than a financial services company it is a valued adviser. IMA Wealth specializes in providing wealth management and retirement plan consulting services to individuals, families and corporations. The mission of IMA and its companies is to protect assets and make a difference not only for clients, but also within the communities we serve. Working with IMA Wealth will allow us to help employees at any level of compensation to start adding to their savings on a daily basis. Its a big step toward our mission of enabling every American to save more for retirement, said Eugeny Prudchyenko, CEO of EvoShare. At IMA Wealth, we believe all people have the right to retire with dignity and are dedicated to helping employers design retirement programs that truly improve the savings outcomes of their employees. Partnering with EvoShare will allow us to provide our clients and their employees with a revolutionary way for employees to embrace saving for their financial futures, said Richard Holt, President of IMA Wealth. EvoShare and IMA Wealths partnership gives businesses a powerful tool to offer their employees - automatic savings for their future, funded by stores and restaurants. About EvoShare: EvoShare is a financial platform that enables employees to save for their 401(k) or 403(b) while shopping online and locally at stores, bars, and restaurants. The service allows employees to spend at their favorite businesses, and receive up to 30% cash-back toward their retirement plan through their employer. EvoShare is the premiere cash-back retirement savings program that is giving employees a new, automated way to save for their 401(k). EvoShare provides employers with a set it and forget it experience where plan participants can spend as usual at over 12,000 participating businesses and receive up to 20% cash back toward a financial account; 401(k) or 403(b) plan, IRA, HSA, student loan, or 529 plan. EvoShare has been featured in Forbes, Inc., Entrepreneur, and The Huffington Post. It won the 2019 DC Genie Award from 401(k) TV for Best Financial Technology and was a finalist for KNect365s 2019 Finovate Award for Top Emerging Tech Company. About IMA Wealth: IMA Wealth, founded in 1999, is registered as an investment advisor with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), a broker-dealer registered with the FINRA, and an insurance agency specializing in ERISA Section 3(21) and 3(38) fiduciary support services to qualified and non-qualified retirement plans. They also provide discretionary wealth management services to a broad range of clients. IMA Wealth was named to the National Association of Plan Advisors (NAPA) Top Defined Contribution Advisory Multi-Office Firms of 2019, and Plan Advisers Top 100 Retirement Plan Advisers of 2020. The cast of The Bill have reunited in uniform at the fictional Sun Hill Police Station, 10 years after the long running ITV drama wrapped. Trudie Goodwin, Eric Richard and Chris Ellison joined Mark Wingett and Graham Cole on a virtual reunion from COVID-19 lockdown to celebrate the UKTV launch of the crime-fighting series that ran for 26 years from 1984 to 2010. The cast started the call in the slammer with prison bars as their backgrounds before changing to pictures of Sun Hill and images of themselves from back in the day as they reminisced. Reunion: The cast of The Bill have reunited in uniform at the fictional Sun Hill Police Station, 10 years after the long running ITV drama wrapped Chris, who played DI Frank Burnside, recalled shooting car scenes with our trousers off, not because we were too hot, just bored, while Mark, who played PC Jim Carver, remembered the belly laughing. Graham, who played PC Tony Stamp, joked that Keira Knightley never phoned after he worked with her on one of her first ever TV episodes. She appeared on the show in 1995 when she was just 10 years old. Other famous faces who enjoyed roles on the long running drama included James McAvoy, Sean Bean, Russell Brand, Ray Winstone, Hugh Laurie, David Walliams, Catherine Tate and Emma Bunton. Back in the day: Graham Cole, who played PC Tony Stamp, joked that Keira Knightley never phoned after he worked with her on one of her first ever TV episodes. She appeared on the show in 1995 when she was just 10 years old Backstory: Trudie Goodwin (WPC June Ackland), Chris Ellison (DI Frank Burnside), Eric Richard (Sgt Bob Cryer), Mark Wingett (PC Jim Carver) and Graham Cole (PC Tony Stamp) reunited Youngsters: After first appearing 'behind bars' the backdrop changed to pictures of Sun Hill and images of themselves from back in the day as they reminisced The show followed the lives of the employees working at the fictional station in East London. Trudie said that playing female Police Constable June Ackland was all about did you have your handbag or not? She added that she was very determined to make her a career woman and that if the show was remade today there would be more women and more ethnic minorities, which wasnt the case in our day. THE CAST OF THE BILL: WHAT THEY DID NEXT Graham Cole Tony Stamp Stalwart star Graham played PC Stamp for over 20 years. He was written out the year before the show was axed, when he became a driving instructor instead. He was written out because The Bill was being regenerated with a younger cast. This, however, led to its downfall. Graham did return to acting, however, and was seen in the likes of Law & Order: UK, Doctors and Holby City. He was also awarded an OBE for his continuing work with charities. Mark Wingett Jim Carver Mark appeared as Carver 720 of The Bill's 2425 episodes of The Bill. He was already a known actor, featuring in the likes of Quadrophenia and The Professionals. He had a two-year hiatus from The Bill but returned for the final episodes when the show ended in 2010. He has since cropped up in the likes of Doctors and Hollyoaks and appeared in 2015's big screen adaptation of Far From The Madding Crowd, opposite Carey Mulligan, Juno Temple and Michael Sheen. Chris Ellison Frank Burnside Chris played the volatile Burnside for 15 years on The Bill and proved so popular that he got a spin-off in 2000. Titled Burnside, it saw him work for the National Crime Squad. It only ran for one season, and aired six episodes. He has since appeared in EastEnders, an audio play for Doctor Who, as a contestant on Pointless Celebrities and found himself on Celebrity Big Brother in 2015 alongside Janice Dickinson, Jenna Jameson and Daniel Baldwin. Jeff Stewart Reg Hollis Jeff is best known for his role as PC Reg Hollis in The Bill. The actor played the much-loved character for 24 years before the character was axed in 2008 Jeff 'felt badly let down' by the shock axing and later tried to take his own life. But he overcame his mental health problems and has continued to act in roles in Crossroads, Doctor Who and Hi-De-Hi! He also appeared in killer crocodile sequel Lake Placid: The Final Chapter. Trudie Goodwin June Ackland Ackland was the longest -standing female character on The Bill with Trudie fronting the role for 24 years from its 1983 pilot to 2007. The character left the series when her relationship with Jim Carver came to an end. From 2011 to 2015, she starred in Emmerdale as Georgia. She also made headlines when it was revealed her daughter is the pop star La Roux. Eric Richard Bob Cryer Appearing in 670 of The Bill's episodes, Eric eventually said goodbye to the cop drama in 2004. He appeared in Holby City afterwards and even cropped up in 2017's Christopher Nolan epic Dunkirk, which starred the likes of Kenneth Branagh, Tom Hardy and Cillian Murphy. Off-screen, he suffered personal tragedy when his grandson Charlie was revealed to have been the youngest victim of the Indian Ocean Tsunami in 2004. Diane Parish Eva Sharpe Diane played DC Eva Sharpe - the extrovert, out-spoken constable who was beloved by many and irritated by some. She left The Bill after a short stint and joined the cast of EastEnders in 2006, where she has been a mainstay ever since, playing tough cookie Denise Fox. She took time off the soap after having a baby but returned 18 months later. She won the Royal Television Society award for Best Actress in 2001. Roberta Taylor Gina Gold The character of Gold featured between 2002 and 2008, deciding to resign from the force after another character was held hostage. Before landing a role on The Bill, Roberta Taylor had roles on shows such as Inspector Morse, Minder, and The Knock, to name a few. Prior to this, she was a regular face on EastEnders, playing Irene Raymond from 19972000. She went on to appear in Father Brown and Casualty, and cropped up in Luther last year. Advertisement In the slammer: The cast joined a video call to reminisce on their time at Sun Hill Police Station in the early 80s and 90s and answer fans questions Looking back: Trudie added that the most noticeable difference would be the lack of police on the streets nowadays, but she thought otherwise it wouldnt be markedly different Where are they now? When Chris imagined how their characters would fair in 2020, Chris jokingly confessed that Burnside would be in prison! 10 stars who appeared in The Bill 1. Robert Carlyle: The James Bond baddie, also known for his roles as Begbie in the film Trainspotting and Gary Schofield in The Full Monty, guest starred in 1991 episode The Better Part of Valour 2. David Walliams: The Britain's Got Talent judge appeared in a 2002 episode of The Bill as an animal rights activist who takes part in an anti-vivisection march David Walliams is now a judge on Britain's Got Talent after getting his big break on The Bill in 2002 as an animal rights activist 3. Alex Kingston: The English actress who went on to star in global TV medical smash hit ER as Dr. Elizabeth Corday made one of her first TV appearances in The Bill in 1988 4. Emma Bunton: Before the world had ever heard of The Spice Girls, Bunton played a troubled teenager in 1993 episode Missionary Work 5. David Tennant: The Doctor in TV's Doctor Who made an appearance as kidnapper Stephen Clements in 1995 Before she found fame as a Spice Girl, Emma Bunton had a small part in The Bill as a troubled teenager in a 1993 episode of the show 6. Russell Brand: The notorious stand-up comedian and Hollywood actor debuted in The Bill as a cocky young thief in 1995 when he was 18 7. Omid Djalili: The British/Iranian actor and comedian, who has completed several headline tours and starred in films such as The Infidel, made a guest appearance in the episode Chasing Shadows Clean-shaven comedian Russell Brand is almost unrecognisable when he was an extra on the police drama playing a cocky young thief when he was 18 8. Keira Knightley: The Hollywood star kicked off her early acting career playing ten-year-old troublemaker Sheena Rose in 1995 episode Swan Song 9. Hugh Laurie: The comedian, actor and national treasure made a guest appearance playing defense counsel Harp in 1998 episode Good Faith: Part 1 10. Meera Syal: The comedian, writer and producer who rose to prominence as one of the team that created Goodness Gracious Me made an appearance as a solicitor in a season seven episode of The Bill. James McAvoy had a small part in The Bill before becoming an in demand Hollywood actor with roles in The Last King Of Scotland and The X Men franchise Advertisement When discussing how The Bill would look like today, Chris jokingly admitted that if it was the same cast it would look like One Foot In The Grave. Trudie added that the most noticeable difference would be the lack of police on the streets nowadays, but she thought otherwise it wouldnt be markedly different. When Chris and Mark imagined how their characters would fair in 2020, Mark revealed that he thought Carver would be alright but Chris jokingly confessed that Burnside would be in prison! Doing good: Mark revealed that he thought Carver would be alright in 2020 Memory lane: Eric Richard played Sgt Bob Cryer on the ITV cop drama Three years later: The Bill cast reunited on This Morning in 2017 and delivered a shock revelation [pictured L-R Chris Simmons, Graham Cole, Trudie Goodwin, Mark Wingett and Eric Richard] The Bill cast reunited on This Morning in 2017 and delivered a shock revelation, that they were scolded by real law enforcement officers as the series contained some factual inaccuracies. It was revealed: 'We spent time with the MET police. They said to us "I've noticed every mistake you've made and you won't get our support!" 'But then there was a swell and police enjoyed watching it. We would go out with the guys, out with the cops four to five times a year, in the area cars, and slip in lines to the script right from the real thing!' Trudie explained: 'I never thought that the Bill would run for so long!' the actress - who played June Ackland from the pilot in 1983 until 2005 - then added: 'I miss the people, not sure I miss the work so much.' Bombshell: In a shock revelation, Trudie admitted that they were scolded by real law enforcement officers as the series contained some factual inaccuracies Scolded: It was revealed - 'We spent time with the MET police. They said to us "I've noticed every mistake you've made and you won't get our support!" Stars: The Bill ran for 26 years and was renowned for giving big stars their first break Mainstay: Mark appeared as Carver 720 of The Bill's 2425 episodes of The Bill. He was already a known actor, featuring in the likes of Quadrophenia and The Professionals Speaking to the Radio Times around the same time, Trudie said the long-running show should have never been axed and it hasnt been replaced. She reasoned: 'I see no reason why that programme shouldnt still be on if it had been handled properly. 'What we lost was something like 90 hours of drama a year, which has never been replaced really.' Eric said, in an interview in 2016, of the series: 'Any TV show which runs for over 25 years will have something special about it - and The Bill was no exception. Stalwart star: Graham played PC Stamp for over 20 years. He was written out the year before the show was axed, when he became a driving instructor instead 'It featured great casting, great plot lines and most of all a certain magic that clearly helped take it to the nation's hearts. 'There was an incredible depth of acting talent and behind-the-scenes staff - I worked with more than 5,000 actors while I was in The Bill and there aren't many shows that can claim that.' The Bill is the latest in a string on lockdown web reunions for erstwhile shows and their casts. The likes of Frasier, 90210, The Nanny and The Office have taken place online in recent weeks. The Bill: The Early Years - Series 1-5 will be available to stream from 1st May at 10AM on UKTV Play, with a further four series to be made available, one a month from June. I doubt whether its possible to find an industry that has not had to adjust in response to the COVID-19 crisis and thats certainly the case with cannabis. With marijuana legal in some form (medical and/or adult-use) in 33 states and the District of Columbia, marijuana-related businesses (MRBs) play a significant role in local economies across the country, contributing tax revenue and offering employment in dispensaries, grow facilities and myriad ancillary businesses that support them. So, lets look at how COVID-19 has affected MRBs, and why thats potentially important to your credit union. Business Impact Most states that have legalized marijuana have designated MRBs essential during this crisis so many have remained open when other businesses have had to close their doors. They have had to adjust to accommodate public health and social distancing concerns, so their day-to-day operations have had to change accordingly, but their sales have remained strong and largely returned to pre-crisis levels following an initial spike. What weve seen in practice is that operating models that werent previously legal or common under state programs, like curb-side sales and home deliveries, are now the norm. Thats not to say that marijuana-related businesses arent facing their own set of challenges. Notable among them is that they arent eligible to participate in any of the current federal stimulus programs, like SBA Loans or the Payroll Protection Program, because marijuana businesses remain federally illegal. However, the cannabis industry is pushing back hard against this restriction, citing their status as essential at the state level. Why does this matter to credit unions? If your credit union is already banking MRBs, you should reach out to them to understand how their operations have changed in response to public health concerns and check with your state cannabis authority to see how its program has been adjusted. For instance, medical marijuana businesses may be considered essential but adult-use ones may not. Also, keep in mind that while these businesses have stayed strong during the crisis, should they find themselves struggling, they arent currently able to take advantage of federal stimulus programs. If your credit union has yet to engage with the cannabis industry because of concerns that it would negatively affect your reputation, the fact that many states consider MRBs to be essential demonstrates that the industry is far less taboo than it once was. If the fear of being the weed credit union has kept you from offering accounts to MRBs it may be time to reconsider that risk. State Legislative Impact At the start of the year, there were 31 formal ballot initiatives on the books in 15 states related to the legalization or decriminalization of marijuana, and the odds were that several of them would pass. In the Northeast, common wisdom was that New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut would pass adult-use (recreational) marijuana programs this year, but thats no longer the case. As legislators have had to understandably refocus their efforts on mitigating the devastating effects of the coronavirus, most if not all of these initiatives are in a sort of limbo, where they are not technically off the agenda but unlikely to come up to a vote before the end of the current session. This has even delayed the rollout of programs that have already been approved, as in the case of Maine where their adult-use program was expected to go live early this summer but has now been postponed. Why does this matter to credit unions? Credit unions that anticipated the opportunity to expand their membership and open new cannabis business accounts may be disappointed this year because it is unlikely that states will expand the scope of their programs. Federal Legislative Impact On the federal level, the SAFE Banking Act, legislation that would provide regulatory and law-enforcement protection for financial institutions that provide services to legal cannabis businesses, looks like it has stalled in committee and wont come to a vote in the Senate during this session. Many credit unions that are interested in offering cannabis banking programs have been waiting for this to pass, but its highly unlikely to happen this year. While the SAFE Banking Act isnt going to pass, as mentioned previously some in Congress have called for state-legal cannabis businesses to be included in economic stimulus packages. To do so would require the federal government to afford protection for those credit unions that would process loan applications and disburse funds. Why does this matter to credit unions? While it is unlikely that the SAFE Banking Act will pass this year, if state-legal marijuana businesses become eligible for stimulus funding it would presumably require that the government extend protections to financial institutions that work with MRBs. If your credit union needs expert guidance on building a cannabis banking program from the ground up, download Green Check Verifieds guide for building a business case here. Upon arrival, Ukrainians will be required to remain isolated for a 14-day period. Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Vladyslav Kryklii has said Ukraine will keep in place the "self-isolation" requirement for those returning from abroad, even after travel restrictions are lifted. "Format of self-isolation will remain in force in the country for a while. If you had traveled to, say, Poland and then you return home, you will have to spend 14 days in self-isolation. Will everyone be comfortable living in such a mode? I doubt it," he told the Ukrainian news outlet LIGA.net on April 27. Read alsoPoland sees acute shortage of labor force, mulls charter flights for Ukrainian seasonal workers As UNIAN reported, Kryklii earlier shared plans to resume intercity passenger transportation across the country. Intensive care units in some of Australia's top hospitals are continuing to plan for the worst coronavirus scenarios, including how to get dying patients in touch with loved ones before they take their final breath. Daily Mail Australia has been told medical staff at ICUs across Sydney - which has the most cases in Australia - are still being told to brace for a spike in July, during peak flu season. Language being used in some hospitals references positive coronavirus numbers as the equivalent to 'water going out before a tsunami' or the 'calm before the storm'. It means guidelines released by the intensive care society earlier this year - outlining the need for nurses to choose which patients to save - remain in place, despite the COVID-19 curve dramatically flattening. Anthony Holley, president of the Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Society (ANZICS) who released those guidelines, said the initial fears were that ICUs would be 'overrun' from April 5 to 15. While that did not happen and he has a positive outlook on Australia's ability to deal with the virus, Dr Holley says the ease with which COVID-19 spreads means there is no room for complacency - and 'wartime' measures must remain in place. Intensive care units in some of Australia's leading hospitals are continuing to plan for the worst coronavirus scenarios (such as those in the United States, pictured) despite the improvements in the nation's COVID-19 situation Anthony Holley, the president of Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Society, stressed that despite the positive signs it would only take one outbreak such as that which occurred at a packed Bondi Beach in March (pictured) for the situation to potentially get out of hand again 'I think we might still see some increased demand on ICUs and hospitals,' he said. 'The closure of the international borders and identification of external risk has been critical, but it's too early to tell if we're out of the woods. Its a highly infectious virus and it spreads very rapidly and enormously. 'If we continue to manage the situation and balance the situation, I think well be in for a busy, busy winter, but all things being equal we will escape without suffering through the worst.' Anticipating that they will still be swamped by patients, plans have been put in place in most ICUs outlining how they will operate if stretched to the limit. They include: - Limiting sick patients to one phone call a day, so nurses can focus on care and not be turned into a makeshift call centre. - Not allowing loved ones into the hospital for a goodbye for terminally ill patients. - Nurses limiting their time in ICUs to two hour intervals, at which point that would take off their personal protective equipment (PPE), before putting new PPE back on after a break and returning to work. Staff at one hospital were told to prepare for the reality that some of their colleagues could die from the virus. There have been more than 6,700 confirmed coronavirus cases across Australia, so far almost 5,600 of those have fully recovered. Dr Holley believes the strict quarantining of international visitors to Australia was crucial to the drop in cases that is now being experienced He also praised the proactive testing regimes, but warned there is no room for complacency Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy (pictured) announced the rollout of the COVID Safe app on Sunday, Australia's latest tool in the fight against coronavirus Early predictions were that Australia could be on track for 150,000 deaths, with up to 60 per cent of the nation at risk of contracting the virus. 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 These predictions were echoed by ANZICS and in a document circulated to ICU staff across Australia in March, listed a series of wartime measures that would be required including tough calls on prioritising which patients to save. 'Senior Intensive Care medical staff... should consider the probable outcome of the patient's condition,' the guidelines read. 'The burden of ICU treatment for the patient and their family, patients' comorbidities and wishes, and likelihood of response to treatment.' A second set of COVID-19 guidelines released in early April continues to prioritise a need for cautious optimism. It also focuses heavily on rural communities, where outbreaks could have more of an impact because of a lack of infrastructure in comparison to metropolitan areas. With continued vigilance, Dr Holley said Australia could see the back of this virus without suffering like the United States, United Kingdom or Italy. There were long held concerns that Australian ICUs would be overrun by patients, just like the U.S (pictured), UK and Italy. While Dr Holley said there is no room for complacency, he believes Australia has the capacity to handle the coronavirus challenge There have been more than 6,700 confirmed COVID-19 cases across Australia, with 5,600 of those recovering 'I truly believe that if we keep doing what the government says, and the government keeps on saying sensible things - and I have every confidence in our Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Brendan Murphy - we can beat this,' he said. 'I dont think (to this point) weve been "lucky", I think the way the government has addressed it has been nothing short of magnificent. 'The thinking around why and who we test has been excellent as has the fact those parameters have changed, as our situation has changed. 'But despite the encouraging control to date, we in the Australian and New Zealand critical care community will not become complacent. 'We can all be unbelievable proud to be Australians. While I dont want to count our chickens before they hatch, we may prevent that surge we all feared was coming.' (Photo : Ashkan Forouza on Unsplash) 9 People Infected By COVID-19; Air-Conditioning Is The Main Cause Experts Say; Here's Why You Shouldn't Use AC! (Photo : CDC on Unsplash) 9 People Infected By COVID-19; Air-Conditioning Is The Main Cause Experts Say; Here's Why You Shouldn't Use AC! According to MSN Lifestyle's latest report, air-conditioning may increase the risk of further infection caused by the novel coronavirus. In the United States, 5.4 million air-conditioning units were manufactured in 2019 to prepare for this year's summer season. However, experts say it isn't the best time to use ACs as two studies discovered that COVID-19 particles can spread by ventilation, heating, and air-conditioning. According to the report, most individuals spend 90% of their lives in built environments like cars, public transportation, and buildings, breathing in shared indoor air and touching potentially contaminated surfaces. "Air conditioners will take air and re-circulate it through the room, and it's through that mechanism that these coronavirus droplets can be transmitted," said Qingyan Chen, a mechanical engineering professor at Purdue University. Chen brought up that the 700 individuals out of 3,000 passengers on the Diamon Princess Cruise Shop got infected. "After quarantine, many people still got sick on the ship and I suspect that the air conditioning system could play a role there," he said. However, other experts are skeptical about the report. Meghan May, an epidemiologist and professor at the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine, said that prioritizing physical distance is more important than worrying about air-conditioning. "I'm not yet convinced it is a concern. But if it is, I would say air-conditioning is the least of your worries in mass transit or apartments," she said in the report of Business Insider. Nine people infected by COVID-19; Air-conditioning is the main cause, experts say According to MSN Lifestyle, a study discovered that nine people in a restaurant were infected because of air-conditioning which blew the coronavirus droplets. The study was published in the Journal Emerging Infectious Diseases on April 2, focusing on the infected causes in a restaurant located in China which raised concerns about AC's risk factors. Nine infections in Guanzhou were linked by the researchers to one 63-year-old woman. Most of the infected individuals didn't have direct contact with the woman, but they sat on the tables near her. The study concluded that the air-conditioning of the restaurant blew the particles around infecting the other individuals. The report stated that the finding is alarming since it implies that air-conditioning can increase the risk of getting the virus without having direct contact with an infected individual. However, it was also stated that the droplets which came from the infected woman didn't spread too far from her position; only 10 individuals out of 83 customers of the restaurant were infected. The study serves as a warning to those restaurants and other establishments with wide air-conditioning units that are looking to open up for the summer to take precautionary measures to avoid further spreading the virus. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Hyderabad, April 27 : Eleven out of 33 districts of Telangana have become free from Covid-19. While three districts have not reported a single positive case, in the remaining eight others, all the infected persons have recovered and been discharged from hospital. Warangal Rural, Yadadri-Bhuvanagiri and Wanaparthy districts have not reported a single positive case since the coronavirus outbreak. Narayanpet and Mancherial districts reported a case each and both succumbed to Covid-19. After that, these districts reported no fresh case. Mahabubabad and Siddipet districts had one case each and both have recovered and discharged from hospital. Similarly, Mulugu and Nagarkurnool have also become Covid-19 free as all the four persons who had tested positive in these districts have recovered. All four patients in Bhadradri have also been discharged, making the district free from the dreaded virus. An official of the Health Department said a few more districts would become Covid-19 free next week. One person each is under treatment in Peddapally and Jagtiyal district. Medak has just two active cases. Ten other districts have positive cases in the single digits. Once these districts become totally free of Covid-19 cases, the authorities will be fully concentrating on eight districts which account for most of 660 active cases. Out of 1,001 cases reported till Sunday, Greater Hyderabad tops the list with 540 cases. It also accounts for 18 out of 25 fatalities in the state. Suryapet has the second highest number of cases (83). Nizamabad is at number three with 61 cases. In 2014 when Telangana achieved statehood. it had 10 districts. Later, they were split into small districts for administrative convenience, taking the total number of 33. Officials said the small size of the districts helped the district administration in achieving better results in controlling the spread of the virus through effective surveillance. Sangareddy on Sunday became the 11th district to be free from Covid-19. The district reported no case after April 14 and all the seven patients have recovered. Finance Minister Harish Rao credited this achievement to the team work by health, police, sanitation, district administration and ASHA workers. "This became possible because of the hardwork of officials and people's cooperation. We should not lower our guard and continue strict implementation of lockdown to contain the virus," he told the district officials. Authorities in the districts which have not reported a single case are also strictly enforcing the lockdown to maintain the record of zero cases. In neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, out of 13 districts, only Vizianagaram has not recorded a single case. Srikakulam is also relatively safe with only four cases. Visakhapatnam has reported 22 cases so far. North coastal Andhra, comprising these three districts, has the least prevalence rate with 26 cases. Barring, seven, all patients have been discharged. As of Monday, Andhra had reported 1,177 Covid-19 cases. With 675 cases, south coastal Andhra is the worst affected among the three regions of the state. Rayalaseema has reported 458 cases with Kurnool district topping the list with 292 cases. (Mohammed Shafeeq can be contacted at m.shafeeq@ians.in) Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki, center screen, speaks at a meeting attended by officials from economy-related ministries at the Gwanghwamun Government Complex in Seoul, Monday. Courtesy of Ministry of Finance Last Friday, Bret Stephens, of the New York Times, had an epiphany: locking down America just because New York City is having problems is a bad idea. He thinks the problem is that New York is so densely populated. What he misses is that Mayor de Blasio's and Gov. Cuomo's policies exacerbated the virus. They are the poster boys for why Democrats should never have power. To his credit, Stephens finally realized that the Wuhan virus is not an American problem. It's primarily a New York problem, followed by a handful of other Democrat-run cities: As of Friday, there have been more Covid-19 fatalities on Long Island's Nassau County (population 1.4 million) than in all of California (population 40 million). There have been more fatalities in Westchester County (989) than in Texas (611). The number of Covid deaths per 100,000 residents in New York City (132) is more than 16 times what it is in America's next largest city, Los Angeles (8). If New York City proper were a state, it would have suffered more fatalities than 41 other states combined. Having figured this out, Stephens reached the next logical point: Americans are being told they must still play by New York rules with all the hardships they entail despite having neither New York's living conditions nor New York's health outcomes. This is bad medicine, misguided public policy, and horrible politics. What Stephens missed, and what matters for the political choices voters make in November, is that New York's problem isn't just population density. New York suffers from appalling political decisions at both the state and the local levels. Probably the worst decision Governor Cuomo made was to force New York's nursing homes to accept people who tested positive for the Wuhan virus. The people most vulnerable to the Wuhan virus are the elderly and the sick, so this decision turned nursing homes into charnel houses: The Post reports that a Brooklyn nursing home that's seen New York's greatest number of COVID-related deaths (55, on the latest list) wrote the state Health Department on April 8 to plead for help. Cobble Hill Health Center CEO Donny Tuchman e-mailed four officials to report that his facility had "over 50 symptomatic patients scattered through the building and almost no gowns" and warned, "There is no way for us to prevent the spread under these conditions." His closing, in hindsight, is heartbreaking: "Is there anything more we can do to protect our patients and staff? Thank you for any help you could be." Someone wrote back 20 minutes later with a standard attachment offering advice on how to conserve personal protective equipment. (In reply, Tuchman repeated the fact that Cobble Hill didn't have anything to conserve.) The concerned CEO made another plea the next day, asking if he could send the home's suspected coronavirus cases to the field hospital at the Javits Center or the USNS Comfort. No dice, came the answer. We're also familiar with the video of Mayor de Blasio and his team (with a cameo from Pelosi in San Francisco) assuring New Yorkers that they should crowd into Chinatown and have fun: SUPERCUT! Dems give really terrible Coronavirus advice pic.twitter.com/j9pTJr5Lw5 Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) April 1, 2020 That wasn't all. Despite all the talk about social distancing, de Blasio never did anything to stop the subways from running. Instead, he made things worse by decreasing the number of trains, forcing more crowding: New York City's multipronged subway system was a major disseminator if not the principal transmission vehicle of coronavirus infection during the initial takeoff of the massive epidemic that became evident throughout the city during March 2020. The near shutoff of subway ridership in Manhattan down by over 90 percent at the end of March correlates strongly with the substantial increase in the doubling time of new cases in this borough. Meanwhile, the subways are getting more disgusting and germ-ridden: The subway has become a filthy, deadly homeless shelter on rails, according to disgusted transit workers who have taken to recording and photographing the horrid conditions. One video shot earlier this month shows cars of homeless men and women stretched out and slumbering away on an E train. [snip] And in one video, a man uses the space between the cars on a 2 train as a toilet while stopped in a Brooklyn station. [snip] Workers say the transit systems has never been dirtier or more packed with the homeless as ridership has declined with stay-at-home restrictions for all but essential workers. Not to worry, though, because Mayor de Blasio is keeping his priorities straight: Bill de Blasio names wife head of coronavirus racial inequality task force https://t.co/3b5IHRunha TheBlaze (@theblaze) April 27, 2020 New Yorkers elected these leaders, and now they're paying the price. But Stephens is right that the rest of America shouldn't suffer because of New York's pathetic leadership. By Akbar Mammadov President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree on April 24 to increase transparency in the assessment of disability due to military reasons, to ensure the systematization of information collected on military-medical examination and medical certifications. Under the decree, "Military-medical examination and medical certification" subsystem will be created in the Centralized Electronic Information System of the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of Population by January 1, 2021. The government agencies that have the military-medical commissions will be granted access to this subsystem. Within 6 months after the establishment of the subsystem, the information in all official documents related to military medical examination and medical certification will be included in the subsystem in accordance with the international classification of diseases. Furthermore, all this information will be included in the subsystem on the day of registration of documents related to military medical examination and medical certification. Thus, the ministry's medical and social examination service will have direct access to all medical and medical information about a person whose disability is assessed for military reasons through the subsystem. As a result, the assessment of disability due to war will be operated more objectively, and transparency will be ensured. Therefore, there will be no need for citizens to submit this document on paper to various instances, including the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection in order to obtain the relevant rights and privileges. At the same time, it will also increase access to the information needed to consider the rights of persons with disabilities due to military causes to benefit from different privileges. Moreover, the risks of possible law violations due to the fact that the documents are on paper will be completely eliminated. The new subsystem will serve as a source of detailed information that can be used in analysis and program development in this area. Meanwhile, President Ilham Aliyev signed an order to give WW2 veterans one-off payment of AZN1,500 [$882], while AZN750 [$441] will be given to widows of those who died during or after the war, and persons who were awarded orders and medals for their service, as well as holders of medals and badges for the defense of Leningrad and participants of the Siege of Leningrad. By the Decree signed by Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev on April 15, 2019, the persons with disabilities identified in connection with the events of January 20, 1990 were also included. Thus, the monthly pension of the President is set at AZN250 for persons with I degree disability, AZN230 for persons with II degree disability and AZN210 for persons with III degree disability. Thus, the signed Orders and Decrees envisage a significant increase in social benefits for up to 600,000 people (including 300,000 people with disabilities), as well as in the President's monthly pension, in addition to the expansion of the scope of the social security system with the establishment of the President's monthly pension for a number of categories. The decree also considered the additional 400 million manat to be allocated for these purposes, and the annual funds for social benefits and pensions to be doubled. --- Akbar Mammadov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AkbarMammadov97 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 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' Explained: ICMR overpaid for Chinese COVID-19 testing kits? India oi-Deepika S New Delhi, Apr 27: The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Monday asked the states to stop using COVID-19 rapid testing kits procured from China due to their poor quality even as the government said not a single rupee will be lost in cancelling the orders as payments were not made to the Chinese suppliers. In a communication to chief secretaries of all states and union territories, the ICMR asked them to stop using the kits saying it found "wide variation" in effectiveness of the equipment supplied by the two Chinese firms despite the promise of good performance. "The ICMR has not made any payment in respect of these supplies. Because of the due process followed (not going for procurement with 100 per cent advance amount), Government of India does not stand to lose a single rupee," the health ministry said, in the midst of a raging controversy over the procurement. Meanwhile, the opposition demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should take the strictest action against the alleged profiteering in coronavirus rapid test kits procurement. "Even when the entire country is fighting COVID-19, some people do not miss out on making unfair profits. Shame, disgust at this corrupt mentality. We demand from the Prime Minister that strictest action should be taken on these profiteers soon," Gandhi tweeted on Monday afternoon. India procured around 5 lakh rapid antibody test kits from the two Chinese firms, Guongzhou Wondfo Biotech and Livzon Diagnostics, and they were distributed to several states reporting rising cases of the coronavirus infection. What is the dispute? At a time when India is under the grip of the coronavirus pandemic, a legal dispute has araised between an importer and a distributor has exposed massive profiteering in the delivery of coronavirus testing kits to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). Reportedly, SARS CoV-2 Antibody test kits procured from China, whose delivered cost was Rs 245 per test, were sold to the ICMR for Rs 600 per test, a huge mark up of 145 per cent. What exactly is the case? Matrix Labs is the sole importer of SARS Cov-2 Antibody kits manufactured by China's Wondfo Biotech. Rare Metabolics entered into an agreement with Matrix Labs for distribution of these kits in India and expressed a desire to import 1 million of these tests. Rare Metabolics also signed an agreement with Aark Pharmaceuticals and appointed them distributors of these kits in India. According to the companies, the ICMR had placed an order with Rare Metabolics for 5,00,000 Covid-19 rapid antibody test kits at Rs 600 each on March 27 and 28 for a total order value of Rs 30 crore. Matrix Labs sold the kits to Rare Metabolics for Rs 400 per test and Rare Metabolics and Aark Pharmaceuticals supplied them further to ICMR for Rs 600 (plus GST) per test. In the first batch, Matrix delivered 2,76,000 of these tests to Rare and Aark for ICMR. The total amount to be paid by Rare Metabolics and Aark to Matrix Labs for these 5,00,000 kits was Rs 21 crore (including GST). Out of this Rs 12.25 cr has already been paid to Matrix. Matrix demanded payment of the remaining amount before delivery of the remaining 2,24,000 tests to Rare Metabolics and Aark. The court had been moved by Rare Metabolics, which was seeking the release of test kits by Matrix Labs, the importer of the kits. Matrix was seeking full payment upfront before delivering them. These Wondfo SARS Cov-2 Antibody test kits have run into trouble with the ICMR and states for inaccurate results. After facing faulty results in states, ICMR asked states to not use them till it re-verified their results. What is the Delhi High Court saying? The Delhi High Court capped the price of imported antibody test kits at Rs 400 each, less than the rate of Rs. 600 approved by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). The court is of the view that a profit markup of Rs 155 on the landed cost price of Rs 245 is much on the higher side and in any case more than sufficient for the seller, for the kits/tests to be made available in India for urgent extensive tests through the country, especially in these present extraordinary circumstances of the worldwide pandemic," the bench said in its April 24 ruling. New Delhi, April 27 : Asserting that there was no data on exact numbers, Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Monday said that about 80-90 health workers in the city have tested positive for coronavirus, with majority from non-COVID hospitals. Speaking to the media here, Jain said the cases are not being reported from the COVID-dedicated hospital. "We have found that in the COVID-dedicated hospitals the staffers are not testing positive. The health workers from non-COVID hospitals are testing positive," Jain said. He said there are two COVID-dedicated hospitals in Delhi -- Rajiv Gandhi and Lok Nayak Hospitals. "The positive cases in these are very rare. The cases are coming from other locations. It means they are not taking proper precautions. We have issued directions for the healthcare workers. We cannot stop a COVID patient. A person can go to a hospital if they feel unwell," Jain said. The Health Minister also said that the health workers in a non-COVID hospitals should believe that any person can be a carrier of coronavirus. "Masks and hand gloves are important. Also, a minimum distance from all the patients is also important," he said. He also said that the cases of health workers becoming infected has also to do with the localities in whicih they stay "In the Babu Jagjivan Hospital, a large section of people were living in Jahangirpuri -- which is already a COVID hotspot." Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Editorial APP-SOLUTELY NOT! SAY NO TO SURVEILLANCE! Late Sunday, 26th April, the Morrison government released an app that, according to the Guardian (UK), tracks coronavirus victims and the people they come in contact with. An app that has a similar function called TraceTogether is already in use in Singapore, with twenty per cent of the nation using it; the Morrison government is aiming for forty per cent take-up of their version of the app. The app is said to be voluntary, but this shouldnt ease the minds of Australians. According to The Daily Mail, the app would [track] coronavirus victims and the people they come in contact with via Bluetooth. Furthermore, according to The Conversation, similar apps store information between fourteen to twenty-one days and do not record your location. However, as whistleblowers like Snowden and Assange have shown, these statements about the tracking app should be received with immense caution. Perhaps as a result of the brave work that whistleblowers like Snowden and Assange have done, the app has not been received well in the media. Many have rightfully noted the security and privacy concerns about installing such an app, especially post-COVID-19. The far-reaching implications of such an app are unknown. As of yet, we do not know who is developing the app. However, there is talk about integrating the app with a proposal by Apple and Google. Knowing who the developers are, if the app development is outsourced, is information the public should know and the fact we dont know, especially given that it is meant to be rolled out within a few weeks, should raise alarm bells. What is particularly disgusting is how Scotty from Marketing is selling the app to the Australian public. In the war, people bought war bonds to get in behind the national effort, the prime minister said, What were doing in fighting this fight is well be asking people to download an app which helps us trace the virus quickly and the more people who do that, the more we can get back to a more liveable set of arrangements. War bonds were purchased to help fight against fascism, and the Australian public received something after those bonds matured. Here, the Australia government is asking us to help assist them by installing an app the Australian public has not yet had the chance to scrutinise, with no benefit other than the potential for our privacy to be invaded! One might say, The benefit lies in helping to crush the virus ASAP. The more who sign up, the quicker this can be dealt with. That may be so, but where was the governments sense of urgency at tackling this virus two months ago when we had sufficient data and information to implement the measures weve only recently applied. This app isnt designed with your interests in mind; it is created in the interests of attempting to getting big business back on track, and potentially swiping personal information in the process. If workers were at the forefront of the Morrison governments mind, they wouldnt have reduced the usual voting window on enterprise agreements from seven days to twenty-four hours in the middle of a crisis. This app was just released and is already incredibly unpopular and rightly so. Inviting the Australian government into our personal lives is a dangerous risk. Instead of spending millions of dollars on an app that only a minority of Australians will sign up for how about the Morrison government allocates those funds to Australians who need that money during the crisis? Three terrorists were killed by security forces in an encounter which broke out in South Kashmirs Kulgam district on Sunday evening, the Indian Army said in a statement today. The police, however, said that body of one terrorist has been recovered. The gunbattle started after a patrol party of the Indian Army, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Jammu and Kashmir Police was attacked in Munda Qazigund, in the district. The patrol party had gone to the village after receiving specific information about a group of terrorists hiding in there. The security forces had cordoned a cluster of houses. As they launched a search operation in the morning, the forces came under heavy firing from a house where 2-3 terrorists are believed to be trapped. The search operation is still going on, said the police. A separate encounter has also been reported in Kulgam. This was the third encounter in South Kashmir in last two days in which nine militants were killed. With these killings, the number of militants killed in April this year has reached 26, news agency PTI reported. The overall count of the militants killed so far this year has risen to 58, PTI further reported. The Indian Army, in two separate successful operations conducted within 24 hours from April 24 to 25, killed four terrorists at Anantnag and Pulwama districts. The COVID-19 pandemic will set back for many years the government's plans to address poverty, underdevelopment, unemployment and a weak economy, South African president Cyril Ramaphosa said in his Freedom Day message on Monday. Unlike previous years, when it was marked with joyous celebrations across the country to commemorate the day when 26 years ago Nelson Mandela was installed as South Africa's first democratically-elected President, this year people stayed indoors on the public holiday as the country is under lockdown due to the COVID-19. "This pandemic could set these efforts back by many years. This Freedom Day, we find ourselves engaged in a struggle that has thrown into sharp focus the poverty and inequality that still defines our society. The coronavirus pandemic forces us to confront this reality," Ramaphosa said in a televised address to the nation. "With every day that passes, this experience is teaching us much about ourselves, about our society and about our country. We are learning about the limits of our endurance, about our relations with others and about our very nationhood," he said. Ramaphosa said the true lessons of the COVID-19 crisis will not just be about the necessity of social distancing, proper hand washing and infection control. "They will also be about whether we have the ability to turn this crisis into an opportunity to invest in a new society, a new consciousness and a new economy. This is the time when we should actively work to build a fair and just country," he said. "In the South Africa that we all want, no man, woman or child will go hungry, because they will have the means to earn an income, and our social assistance programmes will be matched by efforts to enable communities to grow their own food," the President said. Ramaphosa said it will take a great deal of effort and resources for societies and South Africa's economy to recover as the challenges it faced before this health emergency remained. "Even as we turn the tide on the coronavirus pandemic, we will still have to confront a contracting economy, unemployment, crime and corruption, a weakened state and other pressing concerns," he said. Ramaphosa said the country would have to unite to find new, exceptional and innovative ways to overcome challenges, asserting that the government could not do this alone. "The collaborative spirit with which government, business, labour and civil society formations have worked to drive the national effort to combat the coronavirus is yet another affirmation of just how far we have come. "Robust engagement, strong institutions, social compacting and consensus-building are all the fruits of the national democratic project that began in 1994," Ramaphosa said. He lauded the cooperation of the business community, the labour movement, the NGOs, community bodies, religious communities and individuals working together to combat the virus and its damaging economic and social effects. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Suspected abductors of Ekiti State Commissioner for Agriculture, Folorunso Olabode, have demanded N30 million as ransom for his release. It was gathered that they made contact with the family of the commissioner on Monday. Mr Olabode was abducted Sunday evening along Isan-Iludun road at Ilejemeje local government area by gunmen who also shot dead a councillor of Elejemeje local council. Another occupant of the car they were travelling in was also abducted along with the commissioner. Although the police said they were not aware of the development, a family source who would not want to be named, told journalists in Ekiti on Monday that the kidnappers called the family and made the demand for the ransom. The entire Iye Ekiti is troubled now, we are worried and we have started negotiation with the abductors. We pray they release him sound and safe, he said. We dont want to lose such an illustrious son and we are begging the state governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, and all the security apparatuses of government to do all within their powers to rescue him alive. READ ALSO: However, police spokesperson in the state, Sunday Abutu, said the police and other security agencies were combing the forest being used for hostage taking by bandits. Mr Abutu said that there was no truth in the information that Iludun-Isan highway had been closed for security reason. He said the police were not aware of any negotiation on the demand made by the abductors, but assured that every security measure would be put in place to secure Mr Olabodes release. We are not aware that the bandits were requesting for any ransom, we have not been told, he said. The police have begun serious security checks in that axis and that might be responsible for why the people said the road had been closed. We only took strict security measures. There are fears that the development might be a signal of a return to the era of kidnapping in the area given that most of the routes are largely abandoned due to the Covid-19 lockdown. The Ekiti State Government, while reacting to the kidnap on Sunday, said it had given directives for the rescue of the victims and the that the perpetrators be brought to justice. A $2.5 million wrongful death lawsuit filed against a Bend, Ore. restaurant says a man died of salmonella after eating tainted chicken enchilada meals. The lawsuit was filed this week in Deschutes County Circuit Court against El Rodeo restaurant by the estate of Bend man Arthur Sutton, who died in August, The Bulletin reported. The month before the 70-year-old died, he dined twice at El Rodeo, according to the lawsuit. El Rodeo owners Rodolfo and Lorena Arias did not return messages seeking comment. David Wallace, the attorney for Suttons widow, Marva Lamping, said the lawsuit is a matter of public health. On July 16, Sutton went to El Rodeo and ate a chicken enchilada with rice, cabbage dip, coleslaw and chips, according to the lawsuit. Over the next few days, Sutton experienced pain in his abdomen, bowel problems and other issues, the lawsuit states. Sutton returned July 23 and ate the same meal. The next day he was taken to the emergency department of St. Charles Bend and was treated for two days for dehydration, vomiting and other conditions, according to the lawsuit. On July 29, he was readmitted to the hospital with kidney failure and other conditions. Sutton was pronounced dead two weeks later, the cause determined to be sepsis with acute organ dysfunction due to salmonella. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Lawsuits Oregon Dr. Gusarov (Paleoclimatology, Paleoecology and Paleomagnetism Lab) has been working on erosion processes for two decades as a part of various teams. In this research, he tackled the Middle Volga Region, the one where the city of Kazan - and Kazan Federal University - are situated. A few decades ago, until the 1990s, the Middle Volga Region was considered to be a region very intense soil-rill-gully erosion, owing to a favorable combination of natural (especially the geological structure, topography, climate, etc.) and anthropogenic (high agricultural development of soils in the region due to their relatively high fertility) factors. It is widely known that the last three decades, following the collapse of the Soviet Union, have been characterized by changes in climate and land use/cover. These changes have affected the intensity of soil-gully erosion processes and the volume of their products - sediments, which are redeposited in different parts of river basins or migrate out of river basins with water flow. In the paper, a generalized representation of the development trends of these processes over the past 50 years was made, based mostly on the analysis of the sediment that moves with river waters. The advantage of using long-term series of river sediment yield for research is that they are an integral indicator of the change in time of both soil and gully erosion processes. Hence, it is better for assessing trends on a regional scale. Additionally, the main trends in seasonal river water flow and their relationship with river sediment yield dynamics were identified. Information on river water flow and sediment yield is provided the Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring of the Russian Federation. Long-term data from hydrological stations of 14 small and medium-sized rivers (the basin areas are from 237 to 12,000 km2) of the Middle Volga Region (from the Republic of Tatarstan and Chuvash Republic in the north to the Samara Oblast and Orenburg Oblast in the south) were analyzed. In one of the river basins (the Myosha River basin, Tatarstan) in 2016, field studies were also carried out in one of the small and ploughed catchments, in order to use it as an example to assess the erosion dynamics in the upper links of the river network. Their results were partially included in the study. The processes of soil and gully erosion are largely responsible for the general degradation of the soil cover globally and regionally. This is a matter of environmental and food security of the region and the country as a whole. In turn, the mobilization of significant financial, technical, intellectual and other resources to combat soil erosion is required. This and other related studies have shown a significant decrease in erosion activity and volumes of its products, as well as in unevenness in intra-annual river water flow in the region over the past twenty years. Hence, from a practical point of view, this should lead to the redistribution of resources, the adjustment of a number of programs of nature conservation, the rational use of natural (including water) resources, and other steps. A quantitative assessment of the contribution (share) of changes in climate and land use to the mentioned trends in soil-rill-gully erosion is planned for the near future. It is also important to study the delivery of erosion products from the upper links to the lower in the river network of the region under different scenarios of climate change and land use change. Another important area of research here is to study the migration and accumulation of sediment-associated pollutants in different parts of the river network of the region. The article was made available online in November 2019 and is due to appear in print in June 2020. ### In a case being watched in the education community, the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday sidestepped a potentially major ruling on gun rights under the Second Amendment. The court ruled 6-3 that a challenge to a New York City regulation barring the transport of registered firearms outside the city was moot because the city and New York state had changed relevant laws. But the three dissenters said the case was not moot and that they would have struck down the citys original transport restriction as inconsistent with the right of ordinary Americans to keep and bear arms as found in the landmark 2008 case, District of Columbia v. Heller . In New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. City of New York (Case No. 18-280), education organizations and groups formed in response to school shootings in recent years had filed friend-of-the-court briefs urging the justices to take account of school violence and to not expand the scope of gun rights protected by the Second Amendment. Those groups expressed relief at the procedural outcome of the case and the fact that the court did not expand Second Amendment rights at this time. The March for Our Lives Action Fund, a gun control group that formed after the 2017 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., tweeted a reaction that referred to its brief , which highlighted the stories of numerous students affected by gun violence in schools, and the pro-gun rights efforts of the National Rifle Association. We rallied. We filed an amicus brief. We fought back against the NRAs attempt to roll back our progress. And we won, said the tweet. But the victory may be short-lived. Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh joined the majority outcome in the case, but wrote a concurrence that saying he shared the concern expressed in the dissent by Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. that some lower federal and state courts may not be properly applying Heller. The court should address that issue soon, perhaps in one of the several Second Amendment cases with petitions for certiorari now pending before the court, Kavanaugh wrote. Eric Tirschwell, the managing director of Everytown Law, an affiliate of a gun-control group formed after the 2012 mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., said that Kavanaugh had written an extreme opinion supporting an expansive view of the Heller decision while on the federal appeals court in Washington. But its far too soon based on what weve seen come out today to determine how Kavanaugh would vote on the merits of a gun rights case, Tirschwell said. A Crowded Metropolis The New York City case involved a former city regulation that barred the transport of licensed handguns outside the city limits, such as to shooting ranges or second homes. The regulation was challenged by the New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, which is the states NRA affiliate, as well as several individuals with licensed handguns, as a violation of the Second Amendment. Two lower federal courts upheld the regulation, and the Supreme Court granted review. After the high court did so, New York City amended the rule to allow the transport of licensed guns, and New York state made a relevant change in state law to the same effect. The city then urged the justices to dismiss the appeal as moot because the challengers had gotten all the legal relief they had sought. President Donald Trumps administration backed the NRA affiliate, arguing in a brief that New York Citys former ban subjects adults to more severe restrictions than Congress considered necessary for children, and it subjects the entire city to more severe restrictions than Congress considered necessary for school zones. But New York City argued that people in the densely populated metropolis travel to, near, and around a staggering concentration of sensitive places such as schools, day-care centers, government buildings, playgrounds, and places of worship. Education and gun-control groups urged the court not to retreat from its statement in Heller that laws forbidding the carrying of firearms in sensitive places such as schools and government buildings were presumptively constitutional. This court should reject any constitutional standard ... that would inhibit the ability of state and local legislatures and school boards around the country to grapple with how to best protect students from the threat of gun violence, said a brief by the National Education Association . The court issued a per curiam, or unsigned, opinion holding that the challengers claims with respect to the old New York City regulation were moot. It sent the case back to the lower courts for them to consider whether the challengers could add a claim for damages under the old rule. Alito, in a dissent joined in full by Justice Neil M. Gorsuch and in most part by Justice Clarence Thomas, suggested that New York City was being rewarded for manipulating the appellate review process, since it vigorously defended the old law until the high court granted the challengers appeal. Alito cited several Supreme Court decisions involving school districts to suggest that the challengers, if they succeeded on the merits, would have been eligible for nominal damages. Alito went on to say that in his view the old New York City restriction on transporting guns violated the Second Amendment. As we said in Heller, to bear arms implies something more than the mere keeping [of arms]; it implies the learning to handle and use them in a way that makes those who keep them ready for their efficient use, Alito said. The citys public safety arguments were weak on their face, were not substantiated in any way, and were accepted below with no serious probing, Alito said. And once we granted review in this case, the citys public safety concerns evaporated. Some of the cases awaiting potential review by the Supreme Court deal broadly with the right to carry weapons in public, which could have implications for the recent movement to allow teachers and other education personnel to carry weapons in the schools. The issue of public carry may attract the courts attention as there is a circuit split on that, said Hannah Shearer, the litigation director of the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, which also filed a brief in the case backing gun regulation. "We could not be more excited to see Ullico Casualty Groups continued commitment to provide best in class solutions for their policyholders, said Mike Naclerio, President and CEO of Enquiron. Ullico Casualty Group, LLC, a subsidiary of Ullico Inc., today announced that it has expanded Ullico Resource Center for Organized Labor. With Enquiron, Ullico Casualty Groups Cyber Liability policyholders will receive complimentary access to a variety of cybersecurity tools and resources to aid their loss control strategies such as a toll-free expert advice line and online training. Fiduciary Liability and Union Liability policyholders will also benefit from cybersecurity resources, in addition to their HR and fiduciary-related content, tools and advice through Ullico Resource Center. Cybersecurity threats change rapidly for our multiemployer benefit fund and union clients, says Tina Fletcher, President of Ullico Casualty Group. Trustees are looking for guidance on how to protect themselves in an evolving claims landscape, so we are proud to offer a Cybersecurity enhancement to Ullico Resource Center, through our partnership with Enquiron. The current solution includes access to fiduciary content, tools, and pre-claim advice, in addition to award-winning employment law content, including articles, guides, HR resources, tools to easily build an employee handbook, online staff training, and more. The enhancement expands Ullico Resource Center to now include a variety of cybersecurity resources, including a cyber assessment, customizable incident response plan, online cybersecurity training, phishing testing for employeesand more! Ullico recognizes the ever-growing needs of their client-base. We could not be more excited to see Ullico Casualty Groups continued commitment to provide best in class solutions for their policyholders, said Mike Naclerio, President and CEO of Enquiron. Enquiron will continue to engage Ullico clients so they can continue to experience the tremendous value Ullico is providing. ABOUT ULLICO The Ullico Inc. family of companies provides insurance and investment solutions for labor organizations, union employers, institutional investors and union members. Founded 90 years ago, the company takes a proactive approach to anticipating labors needs, developing innovative financial and risk solutions and delivering value to our clients. Our products are tailored to promote financial security and stability for American workers. The Ullico Inc. family of companies includes The Union Labor Life Insurance Company; Ullico Casualty Group, LLC.; Ullico Investment Company, LLC.; and Ullico Investment Advisors, Inc. For additional information, visit http://www.ullico.com. ABOUT ENQUIRON Enquiron, http://www.enquiron.com, headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, provides consultative business solutions to employers in all 50 states, across various industries, sectors and sizes. Since 1996, Enquiron has revolutionized the way that services impacting Human Resources, Employment Law, Healthcare, Retirement, Cyber Security and more are delivered to and utilized by employers. Enquiron has locations across the United States and is a trusted partner to organizations who need specific answers to specific questions. Follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter. Italys Bishops Conference voices concerns over certain aspects of the governments plans for phase 2, saying the Church cannot accept seeing the exercise of freedom of religion compromised. By Vatican News The Italian Bishops Conference (CEI) responded shortly after the Prime Minister, Giuseppe Conte, revealed phase 2 of the response to the coronavirus crisis on Sunday evening. In a note sent to the government, the Bishops addressed the policies that would continue to restrict the Churchs ability to carry out its pastoral activity. The Bishops of Italy made it clear that any move to compromise the exercise of freedom of religion is unacceptable. Noting the important services the Church provides in Italy, the Bishops write, It should be clear to all that the commitment to serving the poor, [which is] so significant in this emergency, stems from a faith that must be nourished at its source, especially the sacramental life. Duties of the state and of the Church In their message, the Bishops indicate that they have been in negotiations with the government. As a result, CEI proposed guidelines and protocols for the transitional phase of the response to coronavirus, in full compliance with all health regulations. Nonetheless, the note continues, the plan presented by Prime Minister Conte arbitrarily excludes the possibility of celebrating Mass with the people. The Bishops remind those responsible for the plan the Presidency of the Council of Ministers (the prime ministers office) and the Technical-Scientific Committee of the duty to distinguish between their responsibility to give precise indications related to health matters and that of the Church, which is called to organize the life of the Christian community, respecting the measures laid down, but in the fullness of their own autonomy. Resuming the Churchs pastoral activity The Bishops also take note of an earlier statement by the Minister of the Interior, who said that new measures were being studied by the Government to allow the widest possible exercise of freedom of worship. That statement came after an ongoing and constructive discussion between the General Secretariat of the CEI, the Ministry of the Interior, and the Council Presidency itself, the Bishops say. In the meantime, the Church has painfully and with a sense of responsibility accepted the limitations imposed by the government in order to deal with the health crisis. In the dialogue with government offices, the note continues, the Bishops Conference has stressed, repeatedly and explicitly, that as soon as the measures taken to deal with the pandemic began to be lifted, the Church would demand to be able to resume its pastoral activity. Government response The Presidency of the Council (the administrative structure that supports the prime minister), acknowledged receipt of the Bishops communication on Sunday night. The statement from the administration confirms what has already been announced in the Prime Ministers press conference, adding, In the coming days we will already be studying a protocol that will allow the participation of the faithful in liturgical celebrations, in conditions of maximum security, as soon as possible. Seeking relief from a heat wave, thousands of people crowded beaches in Southern California this weekend amid the coronavirus pandemic, despite a statewide stay-at-home order implemented by the governor last month. While beaches in Los Angeles and San Diego Counties remained closed, they were open in Ventura and Orange Counties. However, beachgoers still had to adhere to a patchwork of guidelines and restrictions, including keeping parking lots closed to discourage outside visitors and limit crowds. "It's a beautiful day," Frank Feerini, who was at Huntington Beach in Orange County, told CNN affiliate KABC Saturday. "How can you keep anybody in?" The summer-like weather was a big draw for many who flocked to the beach. More than 18 million under heat advisories issued on Friday. Temperatures reached 93 degrees in Los Angeles on Saturday. "I think that people want to get out," Feerini said. "I think they've been cooped up, I think they're going stir crazy." Authorities in both Ventura and Orange Counties reported excellent behavior by beachgoers, who they said were observing social distancing rules after weeks being hunkered down to slow the spread of the virus. "People are being very cooperative and observing the social distancing rules," Brian O'Rourke, the lifeguard battalion chief for Newport Beach, told CNN. By Sunday, temperatures had cooled down a bit in the region, but that didn't deter people from trekking to the beach to soak in the sun. At Deer Creek Beach, just north of the Ventura County line and about 13 miles west of Malibu, beachgoers threw frisbees, played fetch with their dogs, waded into the cool water and went surfing. Many did appear to follow social distancing guidelines while engaging in the outdoor activities. "I just saw some friends who I had not seen in six weeks and we greeted each other but maintained social distancing," Nick Rosenfeld, who lives in Malibu, told CNN. "But it's tough," he added. "We've got to get back to work. I'm an unemployed personal trainer, and this is the first time I've been out of the house in a long time." The scenes at Ventura and Orange County beaches were a stark contrast to the empty neighboring Southern California beaches. Just miles away, beaches in Los Angeles County looked more like ghost towns. Under the county's stay-home order, beaches -- as well as beach parking lots, restrooms, showers and accessways -- will remain closed through May 15. The 22-mile bicycle path that runs along the LA County coastline is also closed to pedestrians. Signs in Santa Monica, California, that block the path read "temporary closure" and "public health order. Restricted area. Do not enter." In front of the beach's parking lots, the message on the signs are also a reminder to residents and visitors to steer clear: "Beach and beach lots are closed." The LA County Sheriff's Department sent a reminder to residents on Twitter to avoid beachside hangouts. "Enforcement is in full effect!" the department wrote. To help those trying to beat the heat -- and help people avoid the temptation of going to beaches -- LA County officials also opened emergency cooling centers. San Diego beaches are also closed under a similar order, though authorities announced Friday that they would allow access to the water beginning Monday for swimming, surfing, paddle boarding and kayaking. Los Angeles Police Chief Michel Moore applauded residents of his community for staying home, posting a picture on Twitter Saturday of deserted stretches of beach. "My compliments to our community for staying away from the beaches in LA," he wrote. "From Malibu, Santa Monica, Venice, to Dockweiler - All Clear!! Safer at Home will get us there sooner." In a statement, a spokesman for Gov. Gavin Newsom said that Californians have a responsibility to abide by the state's stay-home order. When they do venture out, they should practice social distancing. "California is grateful to the vast majority of local leaders who are helping people stay home and save lives," press secretary Jesse Melgar said in a statement Sunday afternoon. "Public access to parks, beaches or open spaces comes with a heavy responsibility to ensure that safe conditions are maintained consistent with the state order. We've come too far together to put the greater public health at risk." San Francisco police were investigating the scene of a potential homicide in the Outer Sunset on Sunday after a body was discovered inside an apartment, according to a police spokesman. Investigators from the San Francisco Police homicide unit and the Medical Examiners Office were called to an apartment on the 1600 block of the Great Highway at about 11:50 a.m. after the body of an adult male was found inside, according to San Francisco Police Sgt. Michael Andraychak. F amilies of NHS and social care staff who die from coronavirus in the course of essential frontline work will receive a 60,000 payment, Matt Hancock has said. The Health Secretary announced the new life assurance scheme for the families of frontline staff at Monday's Downing Street press briefing. He said 82 NHS workers and 16 social care staff have died so far. I feel a deep personal sense of duty that we must care for their loved ones, Mr Hancock said. Today, I am able to announce that the Government is setting up a life assurance scheme for NHS and social care frontline colleagues. Families of staff who die from coronavirus in the course of their essential frontline work will receive a 60,000 payment. Coronavirus in numbers: UK hospital death toll at 21,092 Of course, nothing replaces the loss of a loved one but we want to do everything we can to support families who are dealing with this grief. It comes with the UK set to fall silent at 11am on Tuesday in tribute to key workers who have died during the pandemic. Also today: Loading.... Mr Hancock added at today's briefing that the Government was looking at other frontline professions which do not have access to a life assurance scheme. He said: As a Government, we are looking closely at other professions that work on the front line against coronavirus, who also do not have access to such schemes, to see where this may be required. Coronavirus - In pictures 1 /106 Coronavirus - In pictures A sign advertising a book titled "How Will We Survive On Earth?" is seen on an underground station platform Getty Images Customers wearing face masks shop at the pork counter of a supermarket following the outbreak of the novel coronavirus in Wuhan, Hubei province Reuters Westminster Bridge is deserted in London the day after Prime Minister Boris Johnson put the UK in lockdown PA Canadian passengers Chris & Anna Joiner ask for help onboard the MS Zaandam, Holland America Line cruise ship, during the coronavirus outbreak, off the shores of Panama City via Reuters A man crosses a nearly empty 5th Avenue in midtown Manhattan during the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in New York City Reuters The London Eye is pictured lit blue in support of the NHS, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues Reuters Boris Johnson addresses the nation on the Coronavirus lockdown Andrew Parsons Commuters cope with Coronavirus Jeremy Selwyn Milan's Piazza del Duomo empty AFP via Getty Images People in protective clothing walk past rows of beds at a temporary 2,000-bed hospital for COVID-19 coronavirus patients set up by the Iranian army at the international exhibition center in northern Tehran, Iran AP Martina Papponetti, 25, an ICU nurse at the Humanitas Gavazzeni Hospital in Bergamo, Italy poses for a portrait at the end of her shift AP Pope Francis celebrating a daily mass alone in the Santa Marta chapel at the Vatican, as part of precautionary measures against the spread of the new coronavirus COVID-19 AFP via Getty Imag Vysheyshaya Liga - FC Torpedo-BelAZ Zhodino v FC Belshina Bobruisk - Torpedo Stadium, Zhodino, Belarus, March 27, 2020 Players in action during the match despite most sport being cancelled around the world as the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues Reuters Hanks and Wilson both have coronavirus Tom Hanks General view of an emergency makeshift field hospital as it is set up at Pacaembu Stadium for coronavirus (COVID-19) patients with a capacity of 200 beds in Sao Paulo, Brazil Getty Images People on a busy tube train in London at rush hour despite Prime Minister Boris Johnson calling on people to stay away from pubs, clubs and theatres, work from home if possible and avoid all non-essential contacts and travel in order to reduce the impact of the coronavirus pandemic PA Naomi Campbell catches a flight in a hazmat suit with goggles, a surgical mask and rubber gloves @naomi Sophie and Emily Ward pose for a photograph with their hand-drawn picture of rainbows and a message on their window in St Helens, as the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues Reuters Mia, aged 8, and Jack, aged 5, take part in "PE with Joe" a daily live workout with Joe Wicks on Youtube to help kids stay fit who have to stay indoors due to the Corona virus outbreak. PA Shoppers queue outside a branch of Costco, in Croydon, south London, on the weekend after Prime Minister Boris Johnson ordered pubs and restaurants across the country to close PA Charing Cross Tube Bakerloo Line very quiet at 8.15am Jeremy Selwyn A woman with a plastic box over her head on the London Underground. PA A Racegoer attend Cheltenham Festival on Ladies Day wearing a fashionable face mask SplashNews.com Prime Minister Boris Johnson visits a laboratory at the Public Health England National Infection Service in Colindale PA A man who appears to be homeless sleeping wearing a mask today in Victoria Jeremy Selwyn A couple kiss in Milano Centrale railway station in Milan on March 8, 2020 AFP via Getty Images A combination picture shows visitors wearing protective face masks following an outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) looking at blooming cherry blossom nd a pigeon walking at an closed cherry blossom viewing spot during the first weekend after Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike (not pictured) urged Tokyo residents to stay indoors, in a bid to keep the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) from spreading Reuters This combination photo created on March 5, 2020 shows tourists visiting Angkor Wat temple in Siem Reap province on March 16, 2019 (top) and on March 5, 2020 AFP via Getty Images Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange Getty Images U.S. President Donald Trump looks at the $2.2 trillion coronavirus aid package bill as Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and Vice President Mike Pence stand by during a signing ceremony in the Oval Office of the White House Reuters A satellite image shows an empty South Beach during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Miami, via Reuters General view inside the empty stadium as the two teams line up prior to the UEFA Champions League round of 16 second leg match between Paris Saint-Germain and Borussia Dortmund at Parc des Princes UEFA via Getty Images A Sainsbury's supermarket in Cambridge is among those to sell out of antibacterial hand sanitizer PA Tents and ambulances are set up next to the Princess Cruises Grand Princess cruise as it sits docked in the Port of Oakland on March 09, 2020 in Oakland, California. The Princess Cruises Grand Princess has been held from docking until today as at least 21 people on board have tested positive for COVID-19 also known as the Coronavirus Getty Images Medical staff produce traditional Chinese medicine to treat patients infected by the COVID-19 coronavirus at a hospital in Wuhan AFP via Getty Images Army soldiers wearing protective suits spray disinfectant as a precaution against the new coronavirus at a shopping street in Seoul, South Korea AP Russian President Vladimir Putin wearing protective gear walks at a hospital for patients infected with coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on the outskirts of Moscow via Reuters A woman who has recovered from the COVID-19 is disinfected by volunteers as she arrives at a hotel for a 14-day quarantine AFP via Getty Images Passengers on board the Diamond Princess cruise ship are seen as the ship arrives at Daikoku Pier where it is being resupplied and newly diagnosed coronavirus cases taken for treatment as it remains in quarantine after a number of the 3,700 people on board were diagnosed with coronavirus Getty Images Dave Abel pictured in hospital in Japan Manchester United fans in the stands during the Premier League match at Old Trafford PA Police officers wearing masks stand in front of the H10 Costa Adeje Palace hotel in La Caleta, in the Canary Island of Tenerife AP Carnival revellers wear protective face masks at Venice Carnival Reuters A general view is pictured of Burbage Primary School in Buxton, Derbyshire after the closure of the school as a pupil's parent has tested positive for the novel coronavirus COVID-19 AFP via Getty Images People wearing face masks walk past the Olympic rings in front of the new National Stadium, the main stadium for the upcoming Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Game Getty Images People leave Kents Hill Park Training and Conference Centre in Milton Keynes where Coronavirus evacuees are due to be released from quarantine today and allowed to go home PA Matt Raw, a British national who returned from the coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan in China, leaves quaratine at Arrowe Park Hospital on Merseyside PA A woman wears a mask while crossing London Bridg Getty Images A general view of Worthing Hospital in West Sussex PA Passengers relax on board the Holland America-operated Westerdam cruise ship, which has been denied permission to dock in Thailand over coronavirus fears via Reuters A child waves as she sits in a vehicle carrying residents evacuated from a public housing building, following the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, outside Hong Mei House, at Cheung Hong Estate in Hong Kong Reuters A woman wearing a Minnie Mouse face mask looks at her mobile phone in Beijing on February 11, 2020 AFP via Getty Images The Costa Smeralda cruise ship of Costa Crociere, carrying around 6,000 passengers, is docked at the Italian port of Civitavecchia after a health alert due to a Chinese couple and a possible link to coronavirus on board, in Civitavecchia, Italy Reuters A patient covered with a bed sheet at an exhibition centre converted into a hospital as it starts to accept patients displaying mild symptoms of the novel coronavirus in Wuhan AFP via Getty Images A medical official takes the body temperature of a man at the departure hall of the airport in Changsha, Hunan Province, as the country is hit by an outbreak of a new coronavirus, China Reuters The view of the Wuhan International Conference and Exhibition Center Getty Images A plane carrying British nationals from the coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan in China, arrives at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire A police vehicle enters the gates of the Royal Air Force station RAF Brize Norton in Carterton AFP via Getty Images Passengers wear face masks as the push their luggage after arriving from a flight at Terminal 5 of London Heathrow Airport AFP via Getty Images French citizens arrive and settle aboard of an evacuation plane with destination southeastern France, before departure from Wuhan Airport (WUH), China AFP via Getty Images Police stand at a checkpoint at the Jiujiang Yangtze River Bridge that crosses from Hubei province in Jiujiang, Jiangxi province, China Reuters A member of staff at Arrowe Park Hospital in Merseyside prepares for a bus carrying British nationals from the coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan in China PA Doctor Paul McKay, who is working on an vaccine for the 2019-nCoV strain of the novel coronavirus, poses for a photograph with bacteria containing fragments of coronavirus DNA, at Imperial College School of Medicine (ICSM) in Londo AFP via Getty Images Workers produce masks at the Thai Hospital Product Company Ltd. factory in Bangkok AFP via Getty Images Passengers wearing face masks are seen on a bus after disembarking from the Costa Smeralda cruise ship, after tests on a woman from Macau with suspected coronavirus came back negative, in Civitavecchia, Italy Reuters People hoard bottles of alcohol after the Philippine government confirmed the first case of the new coronavirus in the country, in Makati City, Metro Manila, Philippines Reuters Taking precautions: with fears growing that the coronavirus will spread from China, a health official checks a womans temperature on the underground in Beijing Getty Images An empty road is seen in Wuhan in China's central Hubei province on January 27, 2020, amid a deadly virus outbreak which began in the city AFP via Getty Images Students wearing masks meditate prior to a lesson at a high school in Phnom Penh, Cambodia AP Medical staff at the Wuhan Red Cross Hospital wear protective clothing to help stop the spread of a deadly virus AFP via Getty Images Staff move bio-waste containers past the entrance of the Wuhan Medical Treatment Center, where some infected with a new virus are being treated, in Wuhan, China AP Workers driving excavators at the construction site of a field hospital In Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. The builders will complete the 1,000-bed hospital by February 3 to cope with the surge of 2019-nCoV patients in the city Getty Images Buddhist monks wear masks as they walk near Royal Palace in Phnom Penh, Cambodi AP A woman and a child wearing protective masks walk toward check-in counters at Daxing international airport in Beijing AFP via Getty Images An employee sprays disinfectant on a train as a precaution against a new coronavirus at Suseo Station in Seoul, South Korea AP A policeman wearing a mask walks past a quarantine notice about the outbreak of coronavirus in Wuhan, China at an arrival hall of Haneda airport in Tokyo, Japan Reuters Paramilitary police wear face masks as they stand guard at Tiananmen Gate adjacent to Tiananmen Square in Beijing AP The resident wear masks to buy vegetables in the market in Wuhan Getty Images Staff sell masks at a Yifeng Pharmacy in Wuhan AP Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV AP Prof Whitty said there was an artificial drop in virus deaths over the weekend typically seen because of lower notification rates. He said the trend overall is a gradual decline but were definitely not consistently past the peak across the whole country at this point in time." Loading.... The Health Secretary said there were 3,190 spare critical care beds adding 42 per cent of oxygen-supported beds in the NHS now lie empty. In most parts of the country, the number of people in hospital with coronavirus is beginning to fall," he said. San Francisco, April 27 : The Coca-Cola Company on Monday announced a five-year agreement with Microsoft for an undisclosed sum to utilise the capabilities of Microsoft Azure, Dynamics 365 and Microsoft 365. The solutions will help Coca-Cola gain new insights from data across the enterprise, enabling a 360-degree view of the business, and providing enhanced customer and employee experiences. Coca-Cola "is taking its digital innovation a step further, leveraging Dynamics 365, Microsoft 365 and Azure to better connect people and opportunities through breakthrough productivity and powerful information management that will drive continued business success over the next decade," said Judson Althoff, executive vice president, Worldwide Commercial Business, Microsoft. Once deployed, new Dynamics 365 AI-driven insights and real-time dashboards will allow call centre managers to monitor performance metrics for overall employee satisfaction scores and benefit from real-time insights into which call topics are driving scores. These investments will also enable The Coca-Cola Company to access the latest innovations in the Dynamics 365 portfolio of applications and expanding capabilities, the companies said in a statement. "This partnership with Microsoft allows us to really step change our employee experience through replacing previously disparate and fragmented systems. These platforms allow us to deliver relevant, personalised experiences as we network our organisation," said Barry Simpson, senior vice president and chief information and integrated services officer of The Coca-Cola Company. The Coca-Cola Company is also rolling out Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Teams worldwide, equipping employees with a single hub to connect and collaborate across chat, calling, meetings and documents. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Coca-Cola said it is leveraging Microsoft's collaboration technologies to support the increased demand of a largely remote workforce. Coca-Cola offers over 500 brands in more than 200 countries and territories. [April 27, 2020] The On Demand Care Worker Solution for Ontario's Long-Term Care Facilities BookJane platform connects independent and contract care workers with long-term care facilities in need TORONTO, April 27, 2020 /CNW/ - Ontario grown BookJane is the technology solution meeting the high-demand for healthcare workers in long-term care facilities fighting COVID-19. With Ontario's long-term care facilities experiencing an urgent care worker shortage, BookJane provides immediate relief by facilitating access to additional healthcare workers. "As the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded, BookJane anticipated the demand that would eventually arise for healthcare workers in long-term care facilities," said Curtis Khan, CEO and Founder of BookJane. "In response to this critical need, we retooled the platform to connect Ontario's many independent or contract care workers with a single long-term care facility or hospital." Ontario's long-term care facilities are currently on the rontlines of COVID-19 breakouts. With Premier Doug Ford's recent announcement restricting healthcare staff from working at multiple long-term facilities, an already in-demand work force is put under increased pressure. Personal support workers and registered nurses who haven't fallen ill to the virus themselves, are struggling to meet the needs of residents leaving our seniors in an even more vulnerable environment. "Currently we are working with over 200 long-term care facilities and providing them access to the highly-skilled workforce they urgently require," explains Khan. "To flatten the pandemic's curve in Ontario and limit the outbreaks in care facilities, we must work together to provide the necessary support to our frontline healthcare workers. The additional support exists and BookJane connects this workforce to where they are required most." The BookJane app matches each long-term care facility with access to its own additional pool of workers, consisting of registered nurses and personal support workers. These additional workers possess the unique skill sets that are critically needed. All healthcare workers are thoroughly screened through the app. BookJane is currently offering the platform to all healthcare facilities (hospitals, clinics and long-term care and retirement homes) at no cost. Working in collaboration with Ontario Medical Association and other caregiver associations, over 1800 physicians and 100 hospitals have registered on the app. For more information please visit: www.bookjane.com SOURCE BookJane [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Toronto baker and convicted underworld killer Vincenzo (Jimmy) De Maria wont be deported to Italy any time soon because of COVID-19 concerns, the parole board announced. A newly released decision from the Parole Board of Canada notes that hes 66 years old and not in great health. De Marias age and apparent frailty were raised by the board in a video hearing as reasons against deporting him to Italy, which has been particularly hard hit by the global pandemic. The parole board decision denied him full parole but granted him day parole for six months. The baker is serving a life term for second-degree murder and has since been connected with Mafia activity by Canadian authorities, the parole board decision noted. On April 22, 1981, you attended a fruit market and confronted a man who owed you money, the decision notes. The man refused to pay you and in response, you produced a handgun [and] shot the man seven times. You then went to the owner of the store and told him to contact the police. You were arrested at the scene. The decision notes that De Maria previously had a conviction for failure to appear and charges withdrawn or dismissed for possession of stolen property over $200, possession of stolen property, possession of a narcotic, carrying a concealed weapon and mischief to private property. De Maria was granted full parole on the second-degree murder conviction in February 1992, but this was suspended in 1997 due to questionable business practices, the decision states. Subsequent decisions by the parole board to grant him full parole also ended badly. In 2009, your release was again suspended following the receipt of police information that you had associated with individuals involved in criminal activities and that you were linked to traditional organized crime, the decision states. In November 2013, your release was again suspended as you were deemed in violation of the non-association special condition and that you had been in association with individuals who were members of Traditional Organized Crime (TOC), the decision notes. The decision also notes that his brother and two associates, none of whom were identified in the report, have been charged with Mafia association in Italy, but remain in Canada. It is noted that these men cannot be extradited to Italy, as there are no such criminal offenses here in Canada, the decision notes. The two men were listed on your approved list of visitors and both had visited you until May of 2019. Despite concerns from police CSC [Correctional Services Canada] continues to allow your associates to remain on your approved visitor list. In regards to your social history, you were born in Italy and you came to Canada as a young child, the decision notes. You have been married for 45 years, and your extended family continues to operate a bakery business. The decision notes that De Maria came to Canada as a young boy and remains an Italian citizen. The decision notes that he was well behaved in prison, where he worked as a cleaner in health care, and that prison files portray him as someone who runs the institution. The decision also notes that prison authorities consider De Maria to have been a low risk for future criminal conduct both generally and violently, adding that, while behind bars, he upgraded his education to complete his Grade 12 and that he went on to complete college level correspondence courses in marketing, business and accounting. You presented as proud of your accomplishments, the decision notes. The decision also notes that he was ordered deported to Italy in 2018, but that this order was quashed in April 2019. Since then, the pandemic has factored into the equation. The Canada Border Service Agency (CBSA) has once again ordered an admissibility hearing, the decision notes. The hearing has been postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The decision notes to De Maria that the parole board inquired regarding your current health in light of the Covid-19 Pandemic [sic]. You indicated that you have chronic kidney issues and regularly see a specialist, the decision says. You are also a cancer survivor. In the Boards view your pre-existing health concerns must be taken into consideration. The board did grant him day parole, but ruled he must provide documented financial information. Your index offence was committed to recover a debt and there have been concerns regarding past business practices, the board notes. You have associated with criminally oriented individuals that have encouraged your criminal conduct, the board wrote to De Maria. By Express News Service BHOPAL: On the lines of Mumbai and Delhi, the Madhya Pradesh government on Monday banned spitting in public places to contain further spread of the deadly COVID-19 infection. The Shivraj Singh Chouhan government decided to slap a penalty of Rs 1000 on those who are found violating the ban by spitting in public places. The order in this respect was issued by the Principal Secretary of Urban Development and Housing (UDH) Department Sanjay Dube. As per the order, the COVID-19 has been notified as infectious disease, which spreads rapidly through sneezing, coughing and spitting. Owing to it, wearing face mask has been made mandatory for the people in the state. Now in exercise of the powers vested to the state government u/s 418-A and 426-A of Madhya Pradesh Nagar Palika Nigam Act 1956 and u/s 346 of MP Nagar Palika Act 1961, spitting in public places has been banned in entire state. Anyone henceforth caught spitting in public places will be fined with Rs 1000. The commissioners/chief municipal officers of urban local bodies will be authorised to slap the penalty in their areas of jurisdiction. Importantly, the state government has already banned sale of gutkha and paan masala till further orders to contain the pandemic. Till date, Madhya Pradesh has reported 2165 positive cases of COVID-19 and 110 deaths. Over the last 24 hours, the state reported 75 new cases and seven deaths. Out of the seven deaths, three were reported in COVID-19 hotspot Indore and three deaths in the second COVID-19 hotspot Bhopal, while one death was reported in Mandsaur. As of now, Indore has reported 1207 positive cases and 60 deaths, while Bhopal has reported 428 positive cases and 12 deaths. Out of the 2165 positive cases in the state, 1644 are stated stable and 54 stated critical. As many as 357 patients have been discharged from hospitals after becoming negative for the deadly viral infection. How much did you pay in stamp duty? Image: Getty The Victorian government is reportedly mulling plans to scrap stamp duty in favour of a broader annual land tax as part of its economic recovery. As it stands, the Victorian government makes around $6 billion a year from stamp duty, but according to reports in the Herald Sun, the government is exploring plans to replace stamp duty with a cheaper land tax. Property sector participants and economists have all lobbied for the removal of stamp duty, describing it as a major barrier to housing affordability. In Melbourne, where the median house price is $845,000, stamp duty will add an extra $45,770. And in Sydney, for a home worth $882,849, the buyer will be slugged with stamp duty of around $35,000. Its something the Real Estate Institute of NSW (REINSW) has described as inefficient, unreasonable, unfair [and] unnecessary. As the property market is tipped to slow significantly, any policy that puts extra juice into the market should be considered, the REINSW said. Obviously, there are immediate economic benefits stemming from an increase in residential transactions, said CEO Tim McKibbin. Yes, theres agents, but theres also the marketers, the signage producers, the copywriters, the photographers, the IT gurus, the stylists, the surveyors, the conveyancers, the pest and building inspectors, the removalists and more. The list goes on and on. The Reserve Bank of Australia governor Philip Lowe has also said the way we tax income generation, consumption and land should be on the agenda for coronavirus recovery. The Productivity Commissions major Shifting the Dial report is also unequivocal, it labels stamp duty a bad tax. Stamp duties are bad taxes, a bonanza in times of rising housing prices, but unfair and inefficient, it states. Story continues Stamp duties on property transfers raise the cost of housing, discourage people from moving to more desired locations, and prevent the freeing up properties for more valued uses. They are also one of the most inefficient taxes in Australia. There is a strong case to transition from stamp duties to taxes based on unimproved land value. It noted Treasury modelling which found every $1 collected from stamp duty leads to a reduction in Australian households living standards of 72c over the long term, as reduced investment and mobility bite. Make your money work with Yahoo Finances daily newsletter. Sign up here and stay on top of the latest money, news and tech news. Follow Yahoo Finance Australia on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn. Online ludo with friends and family a nice way to beat the coronavirus lockdown blues, right? Well, this simple game led to a broken spine in Vadodara, Gujarat. A man mercilessly thrashed his wife after she defeated him consecutively in online ludo, The Times of India has reported. The 24-year-old woman suffered severe spinal cord injuries and had to be hospitalised. According to counsellors of 181 Abhayam helpline, the woman had coaxed her husband to play ludo with her in an attempt to keep him indoors, instead of wanting to spend time with others in the society. He agreed to play, but his wife beat him in three to four rounds consecutively. A sore loser, he started arguing with his wife and the verbal duel turned ugly. He started beating her with such ferocity that the woman developed a gap between two of her vertebrae, a counsellor told the newspaper. The woman was taken to an orthopaedic surgeon and after the treatment, she decided to go to her parents home instead of living with her husband. However, she did not wish to file an official complaint against her husband. COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show The man was let go with a warning that physical torture is a crime and he can be arrested for it, if his wife opts to file a complaint with the police. WhatsApp has seen a 70 percent drop in forwarded messages after the new limit of forwarding to one contact or chat was imposed. At the beginning of April, WhatsApp reduced the number of people one could forward a message to. The number which was previously 5 was reduced to 1. This was done to curb/reduce the spread of misinformation about the ongoing pandemic. In a statement to TechCrunch, WhatsApp said, We recently introduced a limit to sharing highly forwarded messages to just one chat. Since putting into place this new limit, globally there has been a 70% reduction in the number of highly forwarded messages sent on WhatsApp. Facebook-owned WhatsApp is the world's largest messaging service. It has more than 2 billion users globally of which more than 400 million users are in India alone. When the limit was reduced to 1, WhatsApp in a blog post said, Is all forwarding bad? Certainly not. We know many users forward helpful information, as well as funny videos, memes, and reflections or prayers they find meaningful. In recent weeks, people have also used WhatsApp to organize public moments of support for frontline health workers. However, weve seen a significant increase in the amount of forwarding which users have told us can feel overwhelming and can contribute to the spread of misinformation. We believe its important to slow the spread of these messages down to keep WhatsApp a place for personal conversation. Not all is bad for those that want to share and stay in touch with their loved ones through WhatsApp. WhatsApp recently increased its group call limit from four to eight. It also announced Messenger Rooms that would hold up to 50 people with no time limit. You can read more about it here. If you are looking for alternatives to stay in touch with friends and family in an interesting way, then you can check out some fun video calling apps here. In other video calling news, Mumbai-based developer, Inscripts, seems to have created an Indian answer to Zoom in the form of Say Namaste. The platform is currently in Beta and should launch officially in the next few weeks. The company has also submitted builds of the app to Google and Apple in order to be listed in their respective app stores. You can read more about Say Namaste here. The Congress on Monday demanded that the government should make public details of all purchases made in the last one month to fight Covid-19, alleging that huge profiteering was being made at this time of crisis. Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari said the government should ensure that huge profiteering in procurement of equipment for fighting Covid-19 be stopped immediately. "There seems to be absolute anarchy in procurement of equipment for fighting COVID-19," he said at a press conference via video conferencing. "We would like to demand from the Health Ministry and the government to make public all procurements made with regard to equipment to fight COVID-19 for testing, PPEs and ventilators. All those transactions must be transparently placed in public domain," he said. Referring to a company engaged in supply of testing kits, he alleged that kits purchased at Rs 245 were being sold by the same company to ICMR at Rs 600 each while the same to Tamil Nadu government were sold at Rs 400 each. He said the matter came to light in a petition before the Delhi High Court by a company supplying such equipment. "This is an extremely serious matter which hurts the fight of India against COVID-19," he said, adding, that "our country's resources are scarce and we have to optimise the resources and not allow companies to make arbitrage of over 60 per cent in these transactions." Holiday home owners have sparked outrage after claiming 50million of taxpayers' money earmarked for small businesses in Cornwall. Five thousand lets in the county have claimed 10,000 each from the fund, which was set up to help minor firms survive the coronavirus lockdown. The shocking revelations are understood to be reflected in other 'second-home' regions across the country. The cash grants come from central government as a means to keep small companies afloat as many have ground to a halt during the pandemic. Cornwall councillor Cornelius Olivier branded the holiday home owners 'greedy' and called for the government to close the loophole letting them mask as small firms. The current rules mean holiday home owners also avoid paying council tax and business rates because they are below the income threshold for the latter. Five thousand lets in Cornwall (file photo of St Ives) have claimed 10,000 each from the fund, which was set up to help minor firms survive the coronavirus lockdown Cllr Olivier, from Penzance, told Cornwall Live: 'I am not surprised that these grants have been going to holiday lets as this is something I have been following for some time. 'Ever since Cornwall Council chief executive Kate Kennally said what a great job we are doing in getting this money out - and the council has done a good job - I have wondered how much is going to people who own second homes registered as tax exempt businesses. 'I finally got an answer yesterday evening - they said that there are 8,000 holiday lets eligible for business grants and 5,000 have applied so far. They would get 10,000 each. 'So 27 per cent of the grants money for Cornwall has gone out to the owners of these properties.' Cornwall councillor Cornelius Olivier (right) branded the holiday home owners 'greedy' and called for the government to close the loophole letting them mask as small firms (left) The owners of more than 55,000 holiday homes in England are estimated to be eligible for a 10,000 payout each from the emergency small business grants fund. But local councillors believe thousands of those are simply second homes, used by the owners, their families and friends who do not pay rent. Cllr Olivier was livid because he claimed these holiday home owners 'don't need the money' and 'shouldn't get it'. He continued: 'There are lots of business that will struggle to survive even if they get this help. 'Why are we giving this money to people who don't need it? We should be making a stand. 'It is quite clear that the business grants are for - to keep people afloat that wouldn't otherwise survive. 'For these holiday lets to get this money - you know I think they are taking the p*** by applying.' Cornwall Council leader Julian German said they would like to replicate the system used by the Welsh Government. There only holiday home owners who rely on their properties for the majority of their income would get the grants. But he said this would have to be implemented by English policymakers before it could be used by local authorities. Under the current format second home owners stand accused of 'flipping' their designation from residential to commercial to avoid paying property taxes. These same businessmen are in line for the government grants, councillors complain. In order to qualify for the government coronavirus support grant, properties must have a ratable value - the amount it could be rented for annually - of a maximum of 15,000 and be 'available to rent' for 140 days a year. Cllr Olivier was incensed by the news and took to Facebook to hit out at the staggering amount of money going to holiday home owners The government previously said it will prosecute anyone caught falsifying their records to gain additional grant money. But officials say enforcing the rules is hard because second home owners are not required to show evidence of lettings to claim their property is for commercial use. Local authorities could end up distributing 5 per cent - 550million - to holiday home owners from the 11billion fund for small businesses, property adviser Altus Group says. According to the estimates of one council on the south coast, around a fifth of local properties eligible for the grant are holiday homes in name only. More than a third of the 55,000 properties eligible for the grant are in the south-west of England, including Cornwall and Devon. Here local councillors have long complained second-home owners are losing them millions of pounds in council tax by designating their properties as businesses. Judy Pearce, a councillor for Salcombe and Thurlestone in south Devon, said: 'A lot of those houses are rarely let, and when they are it's to family and friends for a few weeks.' South Hams, including Salcombe, loses 2.5million in council tax receipts a year as a result of properties being designated as holiday homes, according to Anthony Mangnall, Conservative MP for Totnes. He said: 'Fishermen are offered little support other than from universal credit, but are seeing Londoners with second homes being able to apply for 10,000. It's a tough pill to swallow.' The exemption of second homes from council tax is a 'peculiarity' when they still use the same council services as other properties, such as rubbish collection and street lighting, added Cornwall councillor Carol Mould. Chancellor Rishi Sunak has sought to close what he called the 'business rates loophole'. He launched a consultation to look into the issue when he was local government minister in November 2018. He said there were 'concerns the current arrangements... do not provide strong enough protections against abuse'. But the consultation has yet to conclude and homeowners who are abusing the system are free to claim the government's coronavirus grants. A spokesman for Cornwall Council told MailOnline: 'Rules around those businesses which qualify for a Business Support Grant are set by the Government, not Cornwall Council. 'We are aware that there are businesses across Cornwall which are struggling to get support because of their individual circumstances and the fact they are not the liable person to pay business rates. 'We are continuing to fight on behalf of businesses in Cornwall and have written to the Chancellor of the Exchequer detailing some areas of concern over support for business and asking for clarification on several areas. We have also raised the issue with our MPs. 'So far, we have paid out more than 195m to around 17,000 businesses in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly and we urge any business owner who believes they may qualify for a grant to get in touch with us.' The Mizoram government has begun distribution of free seeds of fruits and vegetables among farmers to boost local production amid the ongoing lockdown, an official of the horticulture department said on Monday. The process of distributing the seeds began on April 17 and is aimed at easing the difficulties of farmers, she said. The horticulture department has so far disbursed free seeds worth Rs 33 lakh among farmers across the state, the department's director Elizabeth Saipari told PTI. She said that the government also placed another order for seeds and two consignments worth Rs 12.6 lakh will be arriving shortly. The seeds are mainly being shipped in from Kolkata and Guwahati, besides local purchase. According to Saipari, the move was to reduce the import of fruits and vegetables and boost local produce, apart from helping the farmers. In the past we distributed seeds to the beneficiaries registered with the horticulture department. But now vegetable and fruit seeds are being distributed to all farmers free of cost to help ease their problems caused by the ongoing lockdown, she said. At least 12 variety of seeds, including tomato and cabbage, were distributed among farmers, she said. The state is more or less self-sufficient in vegetables which are locally cultivated, but have to heavily depend on import for rabi crops, Saipari said. She expressed hope that the production of both kharif and rabi crops will increase in the state this year. The state government is taking care of the vegetable supply chain in the state capital and other district headquarters and towns to prevent a shortage, she said. According to Saipari, the government has spent about Rs 1 crore for the purchase of vegetables for the state capital, against a sale value of Rs 93.9 lakh till date. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) About 2,000 protesters gathered April 25 at Tel Aviv's Rabin Square for one more Black Flag demonstration against the coalition deal signed between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Blue and White leader Benny Gantz. Keeping the 6-foot social distance required as a result of the coronavirus threat, protesters dressed in black carried Israeli blue and white flags stained by black "tears." Former Shin Bet head Carmi Gillon, one of the keynote speakers at the rally, blamed the Netanyahu-Gantz deal for destroying Israels parliament and warned Netanyahu to stop the incitement campaign against the countrys top judges. Several hundred people also demonstrated in the town of Kiryat Tivon southeast of Haifa. The demonstrators said the national-unity deal erodes Israels democracy, violates its Basic Laws and makes a mockery out of the countrys legal system and high court. Some demonstrators carried signs warning of the Knessets demise, while other warned that the deal would encourage incitement against Israels justices to the point of putting the lives of judges at risk and generating another political assassination (after that of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin in 1995). The Black Flag movement started March 19 when a convoy of vehicles made its way from the center of Israel to Jerusalem to protest against then-Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelsteins refusal to set up parliamentary committees and his attempts at thwarting Blue and White efforts to advance the replacement of Netanyahu. The organizers of the convoy three brothers and a sister who had not previously engaged in political activity called on Israelis to hang black flags from their windows and balconies as a sign warning of the destruction of Israels democracy. Eyal, Yarden, Dekel and Shikma Schwartzman did not imagine that the protest would gather momentum as it did, and quickly transform into weekly demonstrations in Tel Aviv and elsewhere. Activists of the new movement hung black flags on symbolic sites across the country, such as the grave of Israels first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion, the Tel Aviv memorial dedicated to Rabin and several battle memorials. As coalition talks accelerated, protesters urged Gantz not to enter into a coalition with Netanyahu in light of the three corruption cases in which the prime minister has been indicted, or at least not to allow him power over the judiciary in a new government. The protesters also warn against certain controversial policies advanced by the government to curb the spread of the coronavirus, and in particular phone tracking of civilian carriers of the virus. At a demonstration held April 16 outside Israels national Habima Theater in Tel Aviv, protesters carried carried signs saying "Coronavirus is used in service of dictatorship" and referring to Netanyahu as "crime minister instead of prime minister. You can listen to the latest episode of Today in Pa at this link, or on your favorite app including Alexa, Apple, Google, Spotify and Stitcher. Episodes are available every weekday on PennLive. Subscribe/follow and rate the podcast via your favorite app. Today in Pa. Daily Podcast | April 27, 2020 Governor Wolf releases more details about his plans to reopen Pennsylvania. Meanwhile, the number of coronavirus cases in the state surpasses 41,000. Opossums may be the only big fans of the pandemic and we conclude with a story about a COVID-19 survivor who came back from near death to beat the virus. Those are the stories we cover in the latest episode of Today in Pa, a daily weekday podcast from PennLive.com and hosted by Julia Hatmaker. Today in Pa is dedicated to sharing the most important and interesting stories in the state. Todays episode refers to the following articles: If you enjoy Today in Pa, consider leaving us a review on Apple Podcasts or on Amazon. Reviews help others find the show and, besides, we like to know what you think of the program. Thanks for visiting PennLive. Quality local journalism has never been more important. We need your support. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work. Airbus has furloughed 3,200 UK staff after the boss said the firm is 'bleeding cash at an unprecedented speed'. Workers at the Broughton factory in Wales will be furloughed and the company will apply for the Government's job retention scheme. It comes after the chief executive of aerospace multinational Airbus warned that the company is losing so much money that its survival is at risk. 'Airbus confirms it has agreed with its social partners to apply the government's Job Retention Scheme for approximately 3,200 production and production-support employees at its commercial aircraft site in Broughton,' it said in a statement. Britain's job retention scheme allows employers to furlough staff and claim cash grants up to 80 per cent of wages, capped at 2,500 per worker. Airbus will top up gross salaries to bring the total up to 85-90 per cent of pay, in accordance with an agreement signed with trade union representatives. Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury poses before Airbus's annual press conference The deal affects the majority of the production and production support teams in Broughton, the north Wales factory which assembles wings. Furlough periods will be staggered, with all starting in the next three weeks and lasting for at least three weeks. The move does not affect Airbus' 3,000 staff in Filton, western England, where wings are designed and supported. In a letter to the firm's 134,000 global employees including 13,500 in the UK, Guillaume Faury said Airbus 'may now need to plan for more far-reaching measures' due to the enormous loss in business. This could include major job losses, which might be announced on Wednesday, when the firm publishes its first-quarter financial results. At the start of April, it revealed plans to slash aircraft production by a third, which came following the gradual imposition of increasingly harsher travel restrictions that brought the airline industry to a virtual halt due to the coronavirus pandemic. Instead of manufacturing over 60 Airbus A320 models every month, the Netherlands-headquartered corporation would make just 40. A330 and A350 aircraft production would also be cut to two and six respectively. Faury now states though that the one-third loss in business may not be the 'worst-case scenario we could face.' He wrote: 'We're bleeding cash at an unprecedented speed, which may threaten the very existence of our company. We must now act urgently to reduce our cash-out, restore our financial balance and, ultimately, to regain control of our destiny.' Industry sources have said a new restructuring plan similar to its 2007 Power8 which saw 10,000 job cuts could be launched in the summer, but Faury indicated the company was already exploring 'all options' while waiting for clarity on demand. People familiar with the matter say Airbus is also in active discussions with European governments about tapping schemes to assist struggling industries, including state-guaranteed loans. An employee at medical devices manufacturer Penlon tests new ventilators before they are shipped to NHS hospitals. The products were designed by a consortium which includes Airbus It has already expanded commercial credit lines with banks, buying what Faury described as 'time to adapt and resize.' To try and stop the cash flow ebbing, the firm has taken advantage of government-backed furlough schemes, which has assisted 3,000 workers in France. It also joined the VentilatorChallengeUK consortium, which aimed to produce new ventilators that would go to hospitals treating people with the coronavirus. Medical devices manufacturer Penlon is also a member. (Above) Workers at Airbus's factory in Broughton, North Wales. Along with staff at a site in Filton, Bristol, they make the wings for all of the company's commercial aircraft Eleven days ago, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) approved the consortium-designed Penlon Prima ESO2 ventilator for use. The government subsequently ordered 15,000 of them. Airbus is the UK's biggest aerospace company, employing 13,500 people across 25 sites, including 9,000 at locations in Broughton, North Wales, and Filton in Bristol. Both sites design the wings for all the firm's commercial aircraft. Its Oxford base is a major helicopter supplier for the Ministry of Defence and air ambulance services. At the same time, it boasts being the only supplier of rotary-wing aircraft for the UK's police helicopter fleet. A company spokesman said Airbus does not comment on internal communications. This year, Moroccans have to give up many traditions and practices associated with the fasting month of Ramadan to help contain the coronavirus outbreak. The busy streets and markets as well as collective prayers at mosques and family visits had to be given up this year in order to limit contagion. Authorities have extended the confinement measures until May 20 and imposed a curfew from 19:00 to 5:00 excluding staff working in critical facilities. According to surveys on different Moroccan media, the bulk of Moroccans abide by the confinement measures as a necessary evil to avoid the surge in new coronavirus cases. Moroccos supreme religious council issued a fatwa asking Moroccans to pray in their homes, stressing that saving lives is one of Islams prime goals and takes precedence over any other consideration. Many jobs that look at Ramadan as the peak time for business are ensuing losses. These include tailors of Moroccan traditional clothes and street food cooks. This has pushed many people to home baking the delicacies of Ramadan and make cookies in their kitchens. However, many people will miss the chance of extending help to families used to receive help during Ramadan. This year, Mohammed VI foundation for solidarity has increased the number of beneficiaries from the foodstuff distribution campaign to 600,000 needy families across the country. Meanwhile, Moroccans continue to express solidarity on the ground increasing their contributions to the anti-coronavirus fund to more than $3 billion. It has been over a month since Jaguar-Land Rover shut down its production plants across Europe due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. However, it seems that the situation in the region has improved recently. As a result, the British manufacturer has announced that they will slowly be restarting production starting May 18. The first to be restarted will be the Jaguar-Land Rover plants in Solihull in the UK together with their plants in Slovakia and Austria. JLR will then continue to slowly resume production at its other plants across the world once government restrictions have been relaxed. Interestingly, the automaker says that its joint-venture plant in Changsu, China has been in operation since mid-February. While the plan to resume production has already put in place, Jaguar-Land Rover will be putting the health and well being of its workers first. As such, new guidelines will be put in place in order to protect them and ensure a safe working environment. Some of these guidelines include strict social distancing to name a few. A private hospital that registered West Bengals first Covid-19 death on March 23, has found a way to make patients interact with their families since the state government has banned mobile phones in isolation wards at hospitals across the state. The governments decision came after a patient at the state-run Bangur Hospital in Kolkata shot a video of a dead body lying in a ward and shared it on social media. Subsequently, even the inter-ministerial central team (IMCT) visiting Bengal raised the issue. In its order, the government said the ban was being imposed because mobile phones carry germs and infection. Keeping in mind the anxiety of family members of patients and the recent government directive banning mobile phones in isolation wards, given how mobile phones are carriers of germs and infection, AMRI Hospitals has started Virtual Visiting Hours so that patients can keep in touch with family members even from isolation, AMRI hospital said in a statement on Sunday. The service was launched on the very same day. Every day, nurses at the isolation wards will approach each patient and connect them to their family over video call. The virtual visiting hour will take place from 4:30 pm to 5:30 pm, the statement said. Rupak Barua, group CEO, AMRI Hospitals, said, Since normal visitations dont apply to patients in isolation wards, we have been thinking of how to help our patients and their family members. We started it on Sunday, which has made both patients and their family members happy. This will mitigate their anxiety to a great extent. Our doctors also believe that getting to interact with their loved ones will help patients recover faster. Dr Koushik Chaki, secretary, West Bengal Doctors Forum, said, Experts have categorically said that when a patient is kept in isolation the mobile phone becomes an essential item. It helps him fight the isolation and psychological pressure. And, it takes only a few seconds to disinfect a phone. Incidentally, a senior health department official infected with Covid-19 died at AMRI Hospital on Sunday. In a phone call with Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte last month, Xi offered to send medical experts and supplies like masks to help the fight against covid-19, the disease the coronavirus causes. China is willing to work with Italy to contribute to international cooperation in combating the epidemic and to the construction of a Health Silk Road, read the write-up in Xinhua, the state newswire. The coronavirus pandemic has infected more than 2 million people worldwide. Refugees and forcibly displaced families who had to flee from their homes due to conflict and violence are at heightened risk. But they too are doing what they can to step up during this time, when solidarity is the key to beating this pandemic. In different parts of the world, refugees have set up support groups to help older people and have cooked meals for health care workers on the front lines of fighting this pandemic. Refugee doctors and scientists are stepping up to contribute to the health emergency response. Refugees also play a critical role in sharing accurate information and contributing to prevention efforts in their communities. Here are some of the many ways that refugees are giving back to the places that welcomed them: WORKING IN THE FRONTLINES Refugees are keen to help in the countries where they now live, and many of them are now at the forefront of the global fight against COVID-19. Medical professionals and health workers across the continent have responded to the pandemic with selfless determination, and all available help is needed at this time of crisis. Refugees with proven professional competencies are ready to step in and contribute if allowed to, under the supervision of certified health professionals. In this way, they can show their solidarity, and give back to the communities sheltering them. said Filippo Grandi, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. Moheyman, a 24-year-old Iraqi refugee nurse, studied nursing at university thanks to a UNHCR DAFI scholarship and graduated a year and a half ago. Today he finds himself at the forefront of the global fight against COVID-19, and is working in the quarantine unit of his local hospital in Iran. UNHCR/Hassam Dezfouli Coronavirus knows no borders; neither does love. After fleeing war in Syria four years ago, Hassan Akkad found safety in the UK. Now he's joining cleaners disinfecting wards at a London hospital in the fight against #coronavirus. via @hassanakkad Hadir, a refugee and research scientist resettled from Iraq, volunteers at an oncology unit at Stepping Hill Hospital in Stockport in the United Kingdom, in this January 2020 file picture. UNHCR/Laura Padoan Introducing Bahati: a Rwandan refugee, a graduate nurse, and a hero. She is currently working at Kenyatta National Hospital, Kenya on night shift as part of her medical internship, treating patients with coronavirus. Thank you, Bahati! via @Fathiaabdalla "This is my way of giving back to the community that welcomed me as a refugee." Saymu is an ICU nurse and former refugee from Liberia. She is caring for patients on the front line of the coronavirus crisis in Langhorne, Pennsylvania, USA. Luis is a surgeon and an oncologist from Venezuela. In 2015, he was invited to work in a cancer clinic in Medellin, Colombia, and due to the growing insecurity in his country, he accepted the offer. As the pandemic continues, he is treating all cancer patients as a priority and provides them with clear and science based information. Photo: Luis Palacios Meet Rita, an internal medicine specialist and epidemiologist. Originally from Venezuela, Rita arrived in Medellin, Colombia in 2015 with her family as her husband, also a doctor, received a job offer. Given the growing insecurities in Venezuela, they knew it was best to start again in neighbouring Colombia. She works with older patients, and is keeping particular track of those with diseases such as diabetes or hypertension. After fleeing insecurity, widespread violence, and shortages of food and medicines in Venezuela back in 2018, Samuel Suarez is now in Ecuador, and he is going door to door to give the local population including the refugee community the information they need to stay safe. Photo: UNHCR/Jaime Gimenez Before Yasin fled Somalia three years ago, he studied medicine and qualified as a doctor. In France, he founded an NGO, Network of Exiles in France, where refugees and asylum seekers participate in language exchanges and volunteer to translate documents. The COVID-19 pandemic has given the charity an opportunity to contribute directly and has also made them extra busy. MAKING PPEs FOR HEALTH WORKERS If given the chance and the skills, refugees can and do positively contribute to their communities. Refugees in Iran are supporting the coronavirus response! At @iliacharity_official, Afghan refugees are putting their sewing skills to good use by making hospital gowns for the doctors and nurses working tirelessly to treat Iranian and refugee patients. Salem is a refugee from Afghanistan. Now a New Yorker, he is giving back to his community by sewing masks at home for healthcare providers working on #coronavirus response. via @hhrefugees Women from the host and the refugee community in Turkey are joining forces in the Covid-19 response. Turkish and Syrian women, while protecting themselves and others, volunteer in the production of masks at a community center in Mardin. Photo: UNHCR Turkey / @anadoluajansi Refugees in Iran play a vital role in the fight against #coronavirus. In Torbat-e-jam settlement, 35 refugees produce some 10,000 masks per day to protect nurses & doctors. Photo: @IFreijsen Refugees and Iranian women join the fight against COVID-19 in #Iran with partner HAMI (Association for the Protection of Afghan Women & Children) producing masks to help doctors and nurses stay safe. Photo: @IFreijsen MAKING AND DISTRIBUTING SOAP To boost hygiene, Syrian refugees at Zaatari camp in northern Jordan are making and distributing soap. Refugees from Nigeria living in Niger are also making beautiful soap, doing their part to stay safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. ? Refugee women in @ZaatariCamp are making soap to prevent coronavirus. pic.twitter.com/vxrtWrJHwg UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency (@Refugees) March 29, 2020 #COVID19 Refugees in Niger ?? as actors of prevention, solidarity and health response! Through the production of soap many marginalized and displaced Nigerians ?? will receive free soap ?and information on hand washing practices! #LeaveNoOneBehind pic.twitter.com/n8IVE1VvlX UNHCR Niger (@UNHCRNiger) March 30, 2020 BUYING GROCERIES FOR THE VULNERABLE Shadi, 34, is originally from Daraa, south of Damascus, and came to Switzerland in 2013. Seeking practical ways to help others, in the country that gave him safety, Shadi swiftly mobilized a network of volunteers in Geneva and Lausanne to shop and run errands for the elderly, the infirm and others at greatest risk in the pandemic. The Syrian refugee community swung into action, drawing on a deep sense of responsibility for those in greatest need and years of experience surviving danger and uncertainty. COOKING MEALS FOR HEALTH WORKERS In Maryland, USA, this community kitchen run by refugee chefs is joining the fight against coronavirus by cooking thousands of free meals for healthcare workers. ? This community kitchen run by refugee chefs is joining the fight against coronavirus by cooking thousands of free meals for healthcare workers pic.twitter.com/VJ75BxVeLu UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency (@Refugees) April 15, 2020 Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-27 17:01:57|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close SHANGHAI, April 27 (Xinhua) -- The 2020 Disney Inspiration Run which was scheduled to take place at Shanghai Disney Resort will instead be held in a new 'Virtual Run' format for the first time, the resort announced on Monday. "There are no restrictions on the time, venues or routes of this race. Participants can use any running app to record the race. The race should be completed at a single time within a specified race period from April 28, 2020 through June 30, 2020," the announcement said. After completing the race, participants need to log on to the Disney Inspiration Run official website to provide the completion information and a screenshot of the race recorded by the running app. Runners aged five and older are allowed to take part in the 3.5km run, while the 5km and 10km races require the participants to be 16 or above. The Kids Run will be open to children aged two to five with an accompanying parent or guardian. Participants who have successfully uploaded their results will receive a Marvel-themed medal and commemorative T-shirt. Enditem New Delhi, April 27 : A Head Constable posted in the Turkman Gate chowki under the Chandni Mahal police station jurisdiction has tested positive for coronavirus, officials said on Monday. The official has since been admitted in Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital. Chandni Mahal police station SHO and 30 of the 68 staff have already been home-quarantined. Sources said that so far 10 police officials posted at the Chandni Mahal police station have tested positive. It is pertinent to mention here that after intelligence inputs, 18 mosques in the area coming under the police station were raided, following which around 100 persons connected to the Tablighi Jamaat were detained. Meanwhile, staff posted at the Khajuri Khas police station in northeast Delhi have demanded their coronavirus tests should be done immediately since a jawan of a paramilitary force deployed there temporarily had tested positive. However, no corona symptoms have been reported from among police personnel posted there so far. As India puts up a resolute fight against the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), Union minister for health and family welfare Harsh Vardhan, in a phone conversation with Hindustan Times, spoke about what lies ahead in the battle against the pandemic that has infected at least 2.92 million people and killed 200,000 globally. There will be no-let up in the fight, the minister said. Edited excerpts: There is a sense that India has managed to flatten the curve as far as Covid-19 is concerned. What will be Indias strategy now? The numbers say it all for us; as compared to other countries, we are in a better position. As for the strategy to manage the disease, it will not change. Just because things are getting better for us, it does not mean we will show laxity in our approach towards managing the situation. The strategy will continue to remain what it has been till now to aggressively look within the community for all those who have been infected by the virus. Look for them, test them, isolate them, and treat them. What are the key areas in managing Covid-19 that need focus? Our focus largely is on actively tracing positive cases; and to do whatever it takes to successfully identify those infected. We have significantly increased our testing capacity, and are in the process of taking it to 100,000 tests in a day likely by May-end. This will help us reach out to maximum undetected cases. Logistics is not an issue at all for us as we are adequately prepared. Be it hospital beds to isolate people, ventilators for critically ill patients, personal protection gear for healthcare workers, N95 masks, medicines, oxygen supply etc., there is no shortage of anything. In fact, our preparations have been made keeping in mind the extreme situation that we could have landed in if certain measures were not taken. We are prepared to handle any situation in future also. Will you continue with rapid testing given the inaccuracies in results? The Indian Council of Medical Research is looking into the matter. It is currently in the process of studying what the problem has been, and will be validating the kits. The matter was not discussed in the group of ministers meeting as it is a technical issue that is handled by experts in the ICMR. It will be too premature to say anything right now; let them find out the cause, and then see what they advise. What are the challenges that you face? India is a huge country but we have drafted a comprehensive plan based on which we are constantly assessing the situation even till the block level. The zones have been segregated based on their risk factor; hotspots have been earmarked; and containment zones have been created to implement the containment plan. The centre is literally handholding the states to ensure all gaps are filled. Import of certain items was an issue so we built capacity to indigenously manufacture items such as personal protective equipment, masks, etc. and today we have more than 100 domestic manufacturers who have started production. Are you ensuring there are no shortages of medicines or other essential supplies? While lockdown and social distancing is an important measure in our fight against coronavirus disease, the government is working hard to ensure there is no shortage of any essential supplies, be it medicines or other items. There was an extensive review of the situation in the recent meeting of the group of ministers, and apart from talking about strengthening the contingency measures, it was also seen as a priority to ensure people did not face any inconvenience, and all essential supplies were available to them. There is no need to panic. There is a lot of misinformation doing rounds regarding the disease because of which healthcare workers and Covid-19 survivors are being stigmatised. How do you counter that? The only way to counter misinformation is by referring only to the source of information that the government is providing. We are making a lot of effort to disseminate authentic information to public; there are helpline numbers, email IDs, and fact check portals created specifically to answer queries from public, which should be made use of rather than consulting unconfirmed sources of information. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON "Most chief ministers told the prime minister that the lockdown should continue and that some economic activity should be started slowly. The chief ministers were unanimous in telling the prime minister that the way the coronavirus is spreading in the country and cases are rising, there should be a cautious approach in opening the lockdown, and the prime minister should take a call on what needs to be done," he said. The Embassy of Armenia in Russia has issued a statement stating the following: Attention job seekers and employers: The Embassy of Armenia in Russia would like to inform that the Embassy is making efforts to provide support to citizens of Armenia who had arrived in Russia to work and have lost their jobs due to the situation that has been created. People and groups in need of work in the construction sector and other related sectors can send their information to [email protected], indicating name and last name, and in case of group number of members, specialization (i.e. road construction) and phone number for contact. Employers offering vacancies in different sectors can contact the Embassy by calling at +7 (966) 118-89-84. Bipartisanship essential to coping with coronavirus The ruling and opposition parties have agreed to provide "emergency disaster relief money" to all Koreans to help them overcome difficulties arising from the coronavirus pandemic. Now it is time for the parties to speed up the provision if they really want to achieve the intended effect of the financial aid. On Sunday, the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) reached an agreement with the main opposition Untied Future Party (UFP) on a formula for the relief provision. This agreement is meaningful as the two sides managed to narrow their differences over the aid. It could open the way for bipartisanship between the rival parties, the first of its kind since the April 15 general election, which the DPK won in a landslide It is also good news that both parties agreed Monday to hold a National Assembly plenary session to vote on the extra budget bill for the relief money by Wednesday, the deadline set by the DPK. The agreement came after they resolved thorny issues concerning how to finance the program which will require 14.3 trillion won ($11.6 billion). The money will be given to every citizen, but the amount will depend on the members of each household. For example, one million won will be given to a household with four or more members. There was a heated debate over whether to offer the money to all Koreans. Initially, the Moon Jae-in administration and the governing party had decided to provide the money to households in the bottom 70 percent income group in late March. But the DPK changed its position and called for the provision to all citizens during its election campaign after then UFP leader Hwang Kyo-ahn promised to give 500,000 won to each Korean. With the change, both parties invited criticism for resorting to populism to garner more votes. The DPK cannot retract its populist campaign pledge after winning the election. Neither can the UFP even though they suffered a defeat at the polls. But the DPK had difficulty persuading the government into accepting the "relief for all" formula. The Ministry of Economy and Finance, which strongly opposed the idea citing budgetary constraints, had no other choice but to accommodate the party's demand under mounting political pressure. The UFP also came up with a condition that the central government should share the burden for the relief money with provincial and municipal authorities. It has finally dropped this condition. But it is now demanding the government minimize the issuance of state bonds to avoid exacerbating the national debt and a huge budget deficit. Such a tug-of-war not only between the ruling party and the government, but also between the rival parties seemed to be inevitable. But policymakers and politicians should make decisions on important issues such as the relief provision transparently based on a national consensus. They should not put politics before the interests of the people and the country. Now the DPK and the UFP should work together to speed up the legislative process to allow citizens to get the relief money by mid-May. They must also make efforts to ensure the aid will help stabilize people's livelihoods and boost consumption in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. By Jung Min-ho A petition demanding the immediate resignation of World Health Organization (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus over his handling of the coronavirus pandemic has gathered more than 1 million signatures. , initiated by a person using the ID "Osuka Yip" on Jan. 31, blames Tedros' poor leadership for the wide spread of COVID-19, which has killed more than 200,000 people and infected nearly 3 million around the world. How and when exactly the virus infected the first person, most likely by making a jump from a wild animal, in the Chinese city of Wuhan is still unclear. But when the threat was brought to the attention of Chinese authorities in December and then of the world, Tedros hesitated to declare a global health emergency until Jan. 31. His belated decision has drawn criticism, particularly from U.S. politicians. President Donald Trump accused the WHO of failing its basic duty and suspended the U.S. contribution on April 15 (KST). Two days later, 17 of fellow Republicans on the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee backed the decision, saying they had also lost faith in Tedros. TEL AVIV - Egyptian authorities over the past few days have been building an electrified fence along part of the border with Gaza, according to Palestinian website QudsNews, which published a short video with the story. Local media sources added that the Egyptian initiative is presumably connected to the ongoing fight in the Sinai desert between the Egyptian army and armed groups linked to ISIS. With the new fence, according to the sources, Egypt intends to prevent Hamas militants from crossing into Sinai to join Islamist fighters. In considering the implications of the announcement last week that Facebook will invest 43,574 crore for a 9.99 per cent stake in Jio, it is important not to lose sight of the dragon in the room. The partnership between two of the most iconic symbols of entrepreneurship in the worlds largest democracies makes more than just business senseits strategic value will not be lost on those at the highest levels of government for whom Indias security is the top priority. Particularly now, when, as a result of the coronavirus pandemic which originated in China, world powers are beginning to reassess their relationship with the Middle Kingdom. India, for whom China is an immediate neighbour with a long and disputed border, managing the relationship has been a tricky balancing act. India has expanded the trade and economic relationship significantly in the hope that the renminbi and the rupee will provide the glue that binds. While Indias motives have been good, the outcomes have been far from satisfactory - China takes way more than it gives, continues to act against Indian interests (especially in relation to Pakistan) and mistrust continues as before. The trade deficit with China in 2019 was nearly $57 billion, while Indian companies exported items worth less than $18 billion. Indias top software companies have continued to complain of market-access issues in China, which is adept at erecting non-tariff barriers. On the other hand, Chinese companies, especially in digital, have the run of the place in India. PUBG, a gaming app owned by Tencent, is among the highest-grossing apps in the country. TikTok is among the most downloaded. Helo, Clash of Clans, UC Browser, ShareIt, you-name-it all fly the red-and-yellow flag. Meanwhile the likes of TCS, Infosys and Wipro are crying their throats hoarse about market access problems in China. Ditto the pharmaceutical companies or exporters of agri products. Registering a business can take years, and inspections are expensive and onerous. State-owned companies are preferred and the system is non-transparent and complicated. When the Chinese do business, you can never be clear where business ends and politics begins and how much of business is cover for espionage. It is the habit of obfuscation and hyper-nationalism that has caused the world to react with horror to the manner in which China has handled the coronavirus crisis. It has sought to blame other countries for its acts of omission and commission and is adding insult to injury by seeking to buy up quality assets whose prices have been beaten down because of a virus incubated in China. As the world reassesses its relationship with an undemocratic country which has been inimical to India since independence, we should carefully consider the impact of Chinese presence in areas vital to our national interest. Sectors such as telecommunications, social media, payments and indeed all digital interactionsareas in which Jio specialises - are not just engines of commerce. They are intimately bound up with national securityto listen to what Indians are saying to each other and to have the power to manipulate our online interactions is not a power that the Chinese should have over us. We definitely have no such privileges in China. Jio, which has demonstrated a master-class in building a world-class digital platform, is a symbol of Indian ingenuity. It is a true-blue example of home-grown entrepreneurship, acquiring nearly 400 million users in 42 months and unleashing a data revolution in India. Just as Jio is an Indian mascot, so Facebook, the worlds largest social network, is an American icon. A partnership between Jio and Facebook, with Facebook as the minority investor, is just the type of collaboration that India needs as a democratic alternative to the threat of a Chinese-dominated digital and social media landscape. Jio will innovate for India and play by Indian rules. There will be no secrecy or subterfuge or threat to national security. As it is, Chinese-owned companies, through their operations in India, know far too much about India for our comfort. Just as India and America have been described as natural allies, the same is true of Jio and Facebook. From ecommerce to payments and gaming to digital currency, the sky is the limit for the partnership and the Indian consumer. Unlike Chinese self-aggrandisement, the partnership is also a true reflection of Indian ethos: Jio aur Jeene Do. Tyson Foods workers wearing protective masks and standing between plastic dividers at the companys poultry processing plant in Camilla, Ga., in a file photo. (Tyson Foods via AP) Tyson Foods Warns of Shortages as Meat Plants Shutter After years of market concentration forcing reliance on a few processing giants, the pandemic-driven closure of some of the nations major meat plants has disrupted the food supply chain, with Tyson Foods warning of shortages on grocery shelves. On April 26, in an open letter run as a full-page advertisement in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, the company said that the food supply chain is breaking. As pork, beef, and chicken plants are being forced to close, even for short periods of time, millions of pounds of meat will disappear from the supply chain, John Tyson, chairman of the board of Tyson Foods, wrote in the letter, adding that closures of slaughterhouses mean farmers cant sell their livestock, and that millions of animalschickens, pigs, and cattlewill be depopulated because of the closure of our processing facilities. As a result, there will be limited supply of our products available in grocery stores until we are able to reopen our facilities that are currently closed, Tyson said. Still, the company said in a separate statement that it was taking action to mitigate the threat of shortages to retail customers. Were shifting production at our plants and rerouting products to make sure store shelves stay stocked for you and your family, Tyson Foods said in a statement. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) said in a tweet: Theres a step in the process thats broken. Farmers raise animals and supermarkets sell meat. Whats broken is the butchering (aka processing or slaughtering). Over the years its become centralized and concentrated into just a few companies that are closing facilities recently. Food shortages are coming, Massie said in a separate tweet, calling on the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to act. Hog farmers have been hit especially hard amid the pandemic as additional giant slaughterhouses that can process more than 20,000 hogs a day have had to close at least temporarily as the virus spreads among workers. The industry typically slaughters between 10 million and 12 million pigs per month. Meat-processing workers are particularly susceptible to the CCP virus, commonly known as the novel coronavirus, because they typically stand shoulder-to-shoulder on the line and congregate in crowded locker rooms and cafeterias. One producer described it to me the other day as a snowball rolling downhill, and every additional disruption that we have just kind of adds to that and how fast and how big its going to be when it finally hits, said Mike Paustian, who farms corn and soybeans and sells 28,000 pigs a year near the small eastern Iowa community of Walcott. Farmers without extra space are faced with the prospect of killing baby pigs they cant afford to feed. Sadly, its true that euthanizing is a question thats going to come up on farms, said Howard Roth, a pig farmer from Wauzeka, Wisconsin, and president of the National Pork Producers Council, an industry trade group. The virus-driven supply-chain disruption has brought about conflicting scenes of empty store shelves, while elsewhere, food is being thrown away or milk poured down drains. Demand for meat at grocery stores has spiked as more people stay home under advisories or lockdowns, while food-service industry demand, which includes restaurants and airlines, has evaporated amid business closures. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue told Fox News on April 15 that dairy farmers dumping milk was due to challenges adapting processes as producers pivot to retail, away from the food-service industry. We worked as expeditiously as we could to get milk where its needed, obviously in our retail stores, so thats whats happening when you see milk being dumped, Perdue told Fox. Its the processors not able to convert their lines into consumer-type packaging. Christine McCracken, senior director for animal protein at RaboResearch, told NPR: I would say that theres still a lot of meat on the market. Quite a bit of meat, actually; pork, chicken, and beef. While not denying the industrys problems, some people who raise pigs independently say the pandemic has revealed that the industry is too reliant on a few large international corporations that oversee everythingfrom raising hogs to processing plants and even marketing and sales. Chris Petersen, a northern Iowa farmer, raises Berkshire pigs the old fashioned wayin individual A-frame houses instead of large confinement buildings. He laments the loss of the independent farmers who marketed pigs to nearby buying stations that delivered the animals to smaller packing plants much closer to the farms. Its a very fragile system because everything has to work just right, Petersen said. In a bid to help farmers, the USDA recently announced it would spend $3 billion to buy fresh produce, dairy, and meat that will be sent to food banks. Also, a USDA spokesperson told Time magazine that the agency, together with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, will work to ensure the food supply chain remains safe and secure. The food supply chain is a critical industry in the United States, and Secretary Perdue fully recognizes the need to keep workers and inspectors safe during the COVID-19 national emergency, the spokesperson said. USDA recognizes and supports the efforts of private industry and companies to maintain operational status of their facilities while also maintaining the safety and health of their work force. The Associated Press contributed to this report. The Balmoral Show - the largest agricultural event in Northern Ireland - has been cancelled as the coronavirus crisis in Northern Ireland continues. The show has been postponed from its original May dates to August. Around 120,000 attended the show last year at Balmoral Park. The Royal Ulster Agricultural Society (RUAS) announced the cancellation of the show on Monday. Organisers said they did not make the decision lightly but it was clear they did not have another option. Dr Alan Crowe, RUAS chief executive said: It is with deep regret that RUAS has taken the decision to cancel the 2020 Balmoral Show, scheduled to take place from Wednesday August 18 to Saturday August 22. Please be assured that we did not come to this decision lightly, however after several meetings and the exploration of all alternative options, it became clear that we would have been unable to run the 2020 Show on the rearranged August dates during these unprecedented times." Dr Crowe said organisers understand the cancellation will be "disappointing" for many but that because the Covid-19 pandemic endures, organisers had an obligation to protect the health and wellbeing of all staff and people due to attend the event. As Northern Irelands largest agri-food event with over 120,000 visitors each year, we are aware of the time, money and hard work put into attending the show by livestock exhibitors, competitors, sponsors, trade stands and suppliers," Dr Crowe said. "With many local farmers, businesses and visitors facing financial uncertainty at present, we feel that everything is stacked against us in trying to run a Show in August. Moving forward, the RUAS will continue to take great pride in supporting and showcasing our local farming community and we plan to return next year with a Balmoral Show stronger than ever. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-28 06:42:37|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, April 27 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Monday urged the international community to help young people tackle challenges arising from the COVID-19 pandemic and support them in playing a bigger role in advancing world peace and development. "The impact should not be made neglected. The international community should fully implement relevant Security Council resolutions, stay attentive on the development views, helping them to tackle challenges arising from the pandemic and support them in playing a bigger role in advancing world peace and development," Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, told the virtual Security Council meeting on the Maintenance of International Peace and Security: Youth, Peace and Security. "China attaches great importance to the agenda of youth in peace and security. We are pleased to see that progress has been made in the implementation of relevant Security Council resolutions," said the envoy. Meanwhile, it is worrisome that young people in a number of countries and regions are still suffering from other conflicts. As a result, they are facing with hardships of poverty, unemployment and marginalization, etc. The COVID-19 pandemic also poses great challenges, "putting the health, education and employment of young people at risk," according to the envoy. Noting that young people account for 16 percent of world population, the envoy said they are playing important roles in promoting sustainable development, maintaining international peace and security, and strengthening global solidarity and partnership. Zhang also urged the international community to step up the efforts to protect the youth by preventing conflicts and shielding them from the harm of terrorism and extremism. "To that end, the Security Council should uphold the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, promote political settlement of hot-spot issues, work toward conflict prevention and resolution through peaceful means," he said. "Moreover, the international community should resolutely fight against all forms of terrorism," he said. "In particular, we need to combat the terrorism and extremism ideologies that corrode the mind of young people, take necessary de-radicalization measures, and crackdown the infiltration of terrorists and the radical groups among youth through internet." Zhang called on the international community to acknowledge and support the important role played by youth in advancing peace and security and to further unleash their potentials. "In this regard, it's important to take into full consideration youth-related factors in the political settlement of hot-spot issues and the constructive participation of young people in peace process of their home countries, and draw on young people's strength and listen to their views," said the ambassador. "The UN should enhance exchange and coordination on youth-related agenda and achieve synergy with the African Union, the League of Arab States, the ASEAN countries and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and other regional and sub-regional organizations," the envoy noted. Zhang also encouraged the international community to promote "inclusive development, create favorable environment for youth development and strive for lasting peace." Investing in young people and transforming systems of exclusion to those of inclusion represents a central component of the 2030 Agenda. Countries also need to invest more in education, vocational training for young people, and create more employment opportunities, support entrepreneurship, and help them achieve all-round development, so as to lay solid foundation for peace, said the envoy. Zhang said that China has been actively engaged in international youth programs. "We are carrying out youth exchanges with many other countries and the international organizations, including establishing the China-Africa Innovation Competition Center to promote youth innovation and entrepreneurship, helping the Arab League with training young professionals, launching a Latin American young scientist exchange program, among other things," he said. "We have been providing government scholarship to young students from all over the world to study in China. We have deployed excellent young peacekeepers, including women peacekeepers in various United Nations missions," Zhang added. COHOES A study by Bennington College released on Monday found unusually high amounts of potentially hazardous PFAS compounds in the soil and water downwind from the embattled Norlite aggregate and incineration plant. The soil and surface waters around Norlite are laced with PFAS compounds, said Judith Enck, a former regional EPA administrator and visiting professor at Bennington who has been calling attention to the incineration of PFAS at the plant. PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a class of manmade compounds associated with cancers, thyroid problems and other health threats. The compounds, developed in the 1940s, have been used in a variety of products including AFFF or aqueous film-forming foam that was until recently used in firefighting. AFFF has largely been phased out of use. And Norlite in 2018 and 2019 had been incinerating unused barrels of the foam from places like Vermont and New Hampshire under a federal Department of Defense contract. The burning wasnt publicly known until February and now the city of Cohoes is set on Tuesday to consider a one-year moratorium on such incineration going forward. Infographic: The lingering threat of PFAS Amid worries about the substance, David Bond, an anthropology professor at Bennington College who specializes in environmental issues, worked with two other professors and students to collect three soil samples and four water samples around the Norlite plant for analysis. They found that PFAS levels were more prevalent downwind, suggesting they werent being fully incinerated. That makes sense, they said, since AFFF is specifically designed as a fire suppressant. Enck and Bond stressed that the survey was preliminary and should be followed up by a more complete study by the state Department of Environmental Conservation. They also believe the state Department of Health should eventually conduct blood tests of people near the plant, including the 70 families in a public housing project at the foot of the Norlite property. Norlites plant includes a shale quarry, which produces aggregate for construction and road building. To save on traditional fuel, the plant burns waste to power its kilns. There is no current requirement that the company give notification of the burning. Its kilns are currently shut down to upgrade the scrubbers but the firm has said it may want to resume incinerating AAAF in coming months. The Cohoes Council on Tuesday, though, may vote to stop that for at least a year, amid worries about the health impacts of such incineration. There are an estimated 2,500 variations of PFAS including 250 that are used in AFFF. Most are hard to identify but the Bennington group looked at 50 used in AFFF. The PFOAs, perfluorooctanoic acids, that were found in the Hoosick Falls municipal water supply five years ago are a type of PFAS. Worries about the danger the chemicals presented to the community caused the state to agree to overhaul the municipal water system there. The water in Hoosick Falls came from nearby factories that used PFAS for making nonstick chemicals, such as those in Teflon. Studying PFAS through air emissions rather than in the water is a new frontier in this area. Indeed, Norlite is one of just four facilities nationwide licensed by the federal EPA to incinerate AFFFs. There are two in Arkansas and one in Ohio. The Bennington researchers looked at PFAS levels upwind and downwind as far 800 meters, or about a half mile. More for you Norlite plant incinerated PFAS from Vt., N.H. They took samples from Saltkill creek which runs through the Norlite property as well as marshes near the Saratoga Sites public housing complex and from the Mohawk River waterfront. Sample were sent to the Eurofins labs for analysis and an assay, which gives a more precise picture of the specific compounds in the soil and water. Among the water samples, some had levels up 44 parts per trillion of one PFAS variant. Soil samples had up to 4.8 parts per billion. While that sounds low, the developing regulations about how much PFAS should be in drinking water supplies are in parts per billion. Because PFAS dont naturally degrade they can remain in the bloodstream for a long time, which one of the worries about it. The survey started on March 3 but was halted with news of the current coronavirus pandemic and subsequent lockdowns. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. Norlite, which is owned by the Spanish multinational Tradebe company, is unique because its kilns burn at a high heat and for a long time, said Jane Williams, of Californians Against Toxic Waste. She participated in Mondays online news conference about the study. Because of those characteristics, she said Norlite is viewed as a major destination for states, localities or others looking to dispose of the AFFF. Youve got massive amounts of AFFF headed to your region, she said. Participants questioned why the DEC didnt seek a test run before letting Norlite incinerate the AFFF, especially since so little is known about how it behaves during the incineration process and how far it may spread. DEC officials stressed that they have a monitor on the Norlite site full time. The agency is also suing the chemical companies that made AFFFs. Prince Knight, Norlites environmental and compliance manager, said the comany has halted acceptance and processing of AFFF pending more research by the EPA. He added that incineration was done in accordance with federal EPA and state DEC permits. We understand and are sensitive to public questions and concerns about AFFF, said Knight. Prior to Cohoes plan for a moratorium, two local lawmakers, Sen. Neil Breslin and Assemblyman John McDonald, had sponsored a bill that, if passed, would ban such activities statewide. But the coronavirus pandemic halted the legislative session for the time being. Both lawmakers have also written to DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos, asking him to modify Norlites permit, so it cant burn the AFFF. DEC said it is reviewing the data from the Bennington College study. It appears to be consistent with low background levels observed in urban areas in emerging scientific studies, the agency said. But Enck believes discussion of background levels is not applicable because there's not been enough research to determine a background level. PFAS, though, can be found all over the planet when people look for them, Bond said. The manmade compounds have even been detected in Antarctica. rkarlin@timesunion.com 518-454-5758 @RickKarlinTU The Carnival Sunshine had been docked at the State Ports Authority's Columbus Street Terminal (above) in Charleston during a coronavirus-related hiatus. The ship left Charleston last week to stay in the Bahamas until cruises resume in June. File/Brad Nettles/Staff "Taking on such a key role amid an unfolding health crisis is not something I ever anticipated," he said. "My colleagues continue to impress me with their passion for enhancing the well-being of animals and the people who care for them." The scope of the pandemic came into sharper focus just as Legg settled into his new role. It quickly became the lens through which he views the business. Boehringer Ingelheim has implemented work-from-home guidelines for hundreds of field employees nationwide, and Legg has worked to help ensure reliable commercial availability of the company's products. Legg also has overseen the expansion of PetPro Connect, a digital platform that helps keep animals and their caregivers healthy by linking veterinarians and pet owners through telemedicine and other features. Boehringer Ingelheim made PetPro Connect available at no cost to pet veterinarians around the U.S in mid-March in response to the effect of social distancing on clinic visits. "From conducting virtual visits with veterinarians and livestock producers to working around the clock to help veterinarians deliver telemedicine with PetPro Connect, our employees have impressed me with their agility and focus on helping customers," he said. Legg will lead commercial strategy and execution for teams that help protect and treat pets, horses and livestock in the U.S., the company's largest animal health market. "Randolph knows that the lives of people and animals are connected in deep and complex ways, and that when animals are healthier, people are, too," said Everett Hoekstra, President of Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health USA Inc. "We're fortunate to have a leader who has such a deep understanding of our commitment to nurturing the connection that people and animals share." Legg most recently served as the Head of U.S. Pet Vet Business at Boehringer Ingelheim. He has held various sales and commercial operations positions in the company's Human Pharmaceutical division during 25 years with the company. "We know that the bond between pets and their owners can bring lifelong health benefits to both," Legg said. "We also know that farmers count on us to support them in raising and caring for animals in a healthy, sustainable and financially viable way, and that consumers want to be confident about the food they eat. "I look forward to leading a commercial organization dedicated to serving pets and livestock and the people who care for them," Legg said. About Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health Boehringer Ingelheim is the second largest animal health business in the world, with net sales of $4.5 billion (4 billion euros) in 2019 and presence in more than 150 markets. As the lives of animals and humans are intertwined, our 10,000 global employees are dedicated to enhancing the well-being of both through science and innovation, as well as with their commitment and passion. Respect for animals, people and the environment is at the heart of what we do. We develop medicines, services and innovative digital technologies to protect animals from disease and pain. We support our customers in taking care of the health of their animals and protect our communities against life- and society- threatening diseases. Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health Business has a significant presence in the United States, with more than 3,100 employees in places that include Georgia, Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota, New Jersey and Puerto Rico. To learn more, visit www.boehringer-ingelheim.us, www.facebook.com/BoehringerAHUS or www.twitter.com/Boehringer_AH. About Boehringer Ingelheim Making new and better medicines for humans and animals is at the heart of what we do. Our mission is to create breakthrough therapies that change lives. Since its founding in 1885, Boehringer Ingelheim has been independent and family-owned. We have the freedom to pursue our long-term vision, looking ahead to identify the health challenges of the future and targeting those areas of need where we can do the most good. As a world-leading, research-driven pharmaceutical company, more than 51,000 employees create value through innovation daily for our three business areas: Human Pharma, Animal Health, and Biopharmaceutical Contract Manufacturing. In 2019, Boehringer Ingelheim achieved net sales of around $21.3 billion (19 billion euros). Our significant investment of over $3.9 billion (3.5 billion euros) in R&D drives innovation, enabling the next generation of medicines that save lives and improve quality of life. We realize more scientific opportunities by embracing the power of partnership and diversity of experts across the life-science community. By working together, we accelerate the delivery of the next medical breakthrough that will transform the lives of patients now, and in generations to come. More information about Boehringer Ingelheim can be found at www.boehringer-ingelheim.com or in our annual report: http://annualreport.boehringer-ingelheim.com. SOURCE Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health USA Inc. Related Links http://www.boehringer-ingelheim.us The French Grand Prix organizers have confirmed that the event will not take place for 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. The race was scheduled for June 28th, at the Circuit Paul Ricard in southern France. But along with French goverment banning all major events until at least the middle of July, and the current travel restrictions, the organizers have decided to cancel the event. Eric Boullier, Managing Director of the race said, "Given the evolution of the situation linked to the spread of the Covid-19 virus, the French Grand Prix takes note of the decisions announced by the French State making it impossible to maintain our event. The eyes of the GIP Grand Prix de France - Le Castellet are already turning towards the summer of 2021 in order to offer our spectators an even more original event in the heart of the Southern Region. " Chase Carey, Chairman CEO of Formula 1 said, " We have been in close contact with the French promoter during this evolving situation and while it is disappointing for our fans and the F1 community that the French Grand Prix will not take place we fully support the decision taken by the French authorities in France and look forward to being back at Paul Ricard soon. The race becomes the 10th race of the 2020 season to have been cancelled or postponed. Georgian ex-President claims that during the 2019 parliamentary election in Ukraine, his political force made a certain contribution to the victory of Servant of the People party Mikheil Saakashvili Open source Mikheil Saakashvili believes that there will be enough votes in the session hall of the Ukrainian Parliament on April 30 to appoint him as the Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine. Interfax news agency reported that on early Monday. "I think there will be enough votes. I'm very optmimistic about it. It's just that there was no combined effort of the [parliamentary] faction, it was a dash from one place to another, and people were confused", he said in an evening show on Channel 24. Saakashili added he had an interesting meeting with Servant of the People parliamentary faction. "During the [parliamentary] election [in 2019], when I saw my party Movement of New Forces takes 2-3 percent of votes from Servant of the People party but still can't make it to the Parliament... I urged our voters, many thousands of Ukrainians to vote for Servant of the People so as not to steal their single-party majority from them. I actually made my own passive contribution into that", he said. As is known, the Parliament is supposed to to consider Mikheil Saakashili's appointment for the office of Deputy Prime Minister for reforms on April 30. Israel's top court has given the government an ultimatum to initiate legislation authorising the Shin Bet internal security agency to continue coronavirus tracking or halt the practice (AFP Photo/JACK GUEZ) Jerusalem (AFP) - Israel's Supreme Court has given the government until Thursday to initiate legislation authorising the domestic security agency to continue electronic tracking of those infected with coronavirus, or halt the practice. A court ruling seen by AFP said that the current legal basis for deploying the Shin Bet internal security agency to locate possible breaches of self-quarantine was insufficent. The decision handed down late Sunday said that "if the state wants to continue to use the Shin Bet after April 30, 2020, it will have to begin a primary legislative process, which must be completed within a few weeks at most". Last month the government authorised the agency to monitor citizens' mobile phones under emergency powers to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. On March 31 a parliamentary oversight committee endorsed the measure allowing "Shin Bet to help in efforts to halt the spread of coronavirus for a month" until April 30, parliament's foreign affairs and defence committee said in a statement at the time. An appeal against the measure was lodged with the Supreme Court by rights groups and the country's third largest political alliance, the mainly Arab Joint List. Israel, which has a population of around nine million, announced its first coronavirus patient on February 21. Since then it has confirmed more than 15,000 cases of the illness, with 202 fatalities. Its health ministry says that nearly 7,000 have recovered and been discharged from hospital. BESSTEL Foundation, an NGO focused on mental health, and the Ghana-UK Mental Health Alliance yesterday donated some health equipment to the Nsawam Prison Clinic. The items including a gun thermometer, Veronica buckets, liquid soap, washing basins, tissue rolls, nose masks and gloves were intended to boost the clinic's logistical capacity in fighting the COVID19 pandemic. Presenting the items to the clinic, Country Coordinator of BESSTEL Foundation, Mr George Bessa Simons stated that his organisation and Ghana-UK Mental Health Alliance remains committed to supporting the clinic and that he was hopeful the items shall be used to make their work more efficient. "BESSTEL Foundation and the Ghana-UK Mental Health Alliance present these items to the Nsawam Prison Clinic with the hope that they shall help you prevent COVID19 and stay safe during this dangerous time. Both organisations remains committed to the welfare of your clinic and we look forward to doing more to make your clinic more capable of serving the community here." Receiving the items on behalf of the clinic, Public Relations Officer for Nsawam Prisons, DSP Adama Latif Abdul thanked the donors for the kind gesture and promised that the equipment shall be put to good use to ensure the safety of everyone at the prison. "On behalf of the Director General of Prisons and on behalf of the Regional Commander of the Eastern Region, we accept this kind gesture. And we promise you that whatever purpose these things are meant to serve will be made to serve the exact purpose, DSP Latif stated. Prisons are one of the high-risk venues for the spread of COVID19. Due to the confinement of the inmates, social distancing protocols are impossible to implement. Their risk is further increased by the overcrowding in the facility. The facility which was intended to accommodate 800 inmates now houses over 3500 persons. The close proximity to one another implies an incidence of in the facility could cause a rapid outbreak of the dreaded coronavirus infection. DSP Abdul Latif was therefore particularly grateful for the donation of the gun thermometer which he said was a desperate need for the prison clinic to enable them detect symptoms of infected persons. "I must say the infrared thermometer is a desperate need of the Service at this very point in time. Because as we have not recorded any incident yet, we hope that we will not and we can only ensure that we don't record any incidents if we have gadgets like to screen officers and visitors who come into contact with this facility," he said. BESSTEL is a mental health advocacy organisation founded by Stella Agyeman, a Ghanaian mental health nurse based in the United Kingdom. The Ghana-UK Mental Health Alliance was founded by Peter Hasler, a British mental health consultant and Life Patron of BESSTEL Foundation. Both organisations are partners of the Ghana Mental Health Authority and South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust in United Kingdom. New Delhi: DHFL promoter Kapil Wadhawan and RKW Developers promoter Dheeraj Wadhawan, who were arrested in a case of bribery against former Yes Bank CEO Rana Kapoor, were on Monday (April 27) remanded to CBI custody till April 29. The two were produced before the Special CBI Court at Mumbai after which they were remanded to the custody. In the meantime, an investigating team of CBI left from Delhi and is expected to reach Mumbai by Monday evening, to interrogate Kapil and Dheeraj Wadhawan. The brother-duo, accused of financial irregularities under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act and out on bail since February 21, was detained in Mahabaleshwar on April 26 and were brought to Mumbai. They were named as accused in the CBI FIR pertaining to swindling of money by Kapoor and others. A CBI official told PTI that Kapil and Dheeraj Wadhawan were absconding since the beginning of the investigation and evaded joining the investigation. He added that the agency had procured non-bailable warrants against them from the court on March 17 yet they did not appear before the CBI or the court. The Wadhawan brothers, along with 21 other family members, had gone from Khandala hill station in Pune to the cool climes of Mahabaleshwar in Satara at the height of the lockdown on April 9, sparking a huge political controversy. The official said they were taken to a quarantine facility in Panchgani by the district administration. He said The CBI had written to the Satara district administration to not release the duo without a No Objection Certificate from it K im Jong-un is alive and well, South Korea has insisted, amid rumours that the North Korean leader was either dead or seriously ill. Questions about Kim's health flared after he failed to attend a commemoration of the 108th birthday of his grandfather, North Korea founder Kim II Sung, on April 15. The annual commemoration is North Koreas most important event, and Kim, 36, had not missed it since inheriting power from his father in late 2011. South Korea's Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul, who oversees engagement with the North, also said at a closed-door forum on Sunday that the Government has the intelligence capabilities to say with confidence that there was nothing unusual happening. The minister said he would not reveal what specific intelligence led to that conclusion, but stressed that it had undergone a complex analysis process. Moon Chung-in, special adviser on national security for South Korea, also said in an interview with CCN on Sunday that Kim Jong-un is "alive and well". Reports suggest Kim Jong Un in 'fragile' condition Mr Chung-in added: "He has been staying in the Wonsan area since April 13. No suspicious movements have so far been detected." Kim's official train was recently spotted at Kim's compound in Wonsan on his country's east coast. The satellite photos provided by website 38 North and Airbus show the train has been parked there since at least April 21. The photos do not provide any clarity over Kims health, but they do confirm South Korean government intelligence that he is staying outside of the capital, Pyongyang. US media were among the first to report that the North Korean leader was in "grave danger" after an unspecified surgery. Satellite images provided by Airbus Defence & Space, analysed by 38 North, gives an overview of the Wonsan complex / AP Daily NK, citing anonymous sources, also reported that Kim was recovering from heart surgery in the capital Pyongyang and that his condition was improving. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said accounts of the North Korean leader's demise are currently "uncorroborated" but that his office is following updates. Kim is the third generation of his family to rule North Korea, and a strong personality cult has been built around him, his father and grandfather. The familys mythical Paektu bloodline, named after the highest peak on the Korean Peninsula, is said to give only direct family members the right to rule the nation. Kim Jong Un waving before boarding his train at Vietnam's Dong Dang railway station in 2019. His last public appearance was on April 11 / Vietnam News Agency/AFP via Getty Images That makes Kims younger sister, senior ruling party official Kim Yo Jong, the most likely candidate to step in if her brother is gravely ill, incapacitated or dies. But some experts say a collective leadership, which could end the familys dynastic rule, could also be possible. A collective leadership would likely be headed by Choe Ryong Hae, North Koreas ceremonial head of state who officially ranks No.2 in the countrys current power hierarchy, Mr Nam said. But Mr Choe is still not a Kim family member, and that could raise questions about his legitimacy and put North Korea into deeper political chaos, according to other observers. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-27 22:54:40|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close By helping mask manufacturers reduce costs, expanding production capacity, rolling out supportive policies and enhancing market regulation as well as quality control over exports, China has provided the essentials to the global market at fair prices, assisting the international community to stem COVID-19. GUANGZHOU, April 27 (Xinhua) -- China has provided protective masks to the global market at fair prices, by organizing as many qualified manufacturers as possible, tapping the full potential of the industrial chain and strengthening market supervision. The world is still scrambling to stock up on the much sought-after essentials, and Chinese authorities, regulators and manufacturers are doing what they can to moderate the prices and ensure quality. Market feedbacks show that China's export of medical supplies is expected to maintain steady and orderly growth in the following months, offering stronger support to the global society in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. CONTAINING COSTS For mask manufacturers, one of their biggest challenges is to manage costs that have spiked due to soaring demand. Cao Haoquan is chairman of the Guangzhou Weini Technology Development Co., Ltd., a supplier of masks and respirators. The firm sells 80 percent of its products to European buyers. Cao said he has never felt busier in his 20-year career. The veteran in the medical supply business had to frequently visit his factory and inspect production quality. "The biggest challenge for me is how to curb the impact of rising costs on the prices of masks. Prices of equipment, raw materials and labor have been jumping quickly," he said. A staff member works at the Guangzhou Weini Technology Development Co., Ltd. in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, April 22, 2020. (Xinhua/Ma Xiaocheng) According to Cao, the purchasing price of melt-blown non-woven fabric, a core material to make FFP2 masks, surged from 30,000 yuan (about 4,243 U.S. dollars) a tonne before the epidemic to 1.8 million yuan a tonne now. Salaries of its frontline workers have increased by 50 percent, and the purchasing price of a mask production line also soared. Cao said the current export price of Weini's medical masks remains relatively stable since the company has a sufficient stock of raw materials. By developing its own production equipment and building production lines of the specific fabric, the firm can hedge upstream price fluctuations. "I never expected that I need to make the fabric myself. There is simply too much demand, and I have to do my best to level the cost," he said. Guangzhou Jet Bio-Filtration Co., Ltd., another manufacturer of lab consumables, is also struggling with the cost increase. "Our products are aimed at helping prevent diseases and reduce deaths," said Yuan Jianhua, chairman of the company. "Thus, we can't make a quick buck by selling overpriced products." Many Chinese enterprises in other industries have also contributed a lot to ensuring mask production capacity by refitting their production lines. China's leading new energy vehicle manufacturer BYD said it had achieved a daily production capacity of 20 million masks as of April 17, meeting domestic demands while exporting to overseas markets. A staff member works on the face mask production line at the workshop of GAC Component Co., Ltd. in south China's Guangdong Province, Feb. 20, 2020. (Xinhua/Deng Hua) REGULATING THE MARKET Market participants attributed the capacity expansion in a short time and the stabilized prices of medical supplies to China's complete industrial chain and the effective regulatory measures taken by the government. Sinopec Yizheng Chemical Fibre Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of China's largest oil refiner Sinopec, has put six of its 12 planned melt-blown non-woven fabric production lines into operation as of Saturday since it launched the first one on March 29. The company has so far produced 100 tonnes of the raw material used in making 100 million medical masks. "We will have 475 sets of equipment on our 12 production lines, provided by more than 80 suppliers. Many people are helping, and they have made this possible," said Chen Jianjun, deputy chief engineer of the company. Meanwhile, governments at all levels in China have rolled out policies responding to enterprises' demands for employment, financing, taxation and exports, further helping them reduce costs. The Guangdong provincial department of human resources and social security mobilized young volunteers, migrant workers and idle labor forces to fill the labor gap of local medical supplies manufacturers. Thanks to this support, the number of mask manufacturers in Guangdong has increased from only two at the end of January to more than 600, with an overall daily output surging from fewer than 100,000 to more than 60 million masks. Staff members work on the face mask production line at the workshop of GAC Component Co., Ltd. in south China's Guangdong Province, Feb. 20, 2020. (Xinhua/Deng Hua) The government has also stepped up its crackdown on market disruptions, punishing criminal activities relevant to protective items such as hoarding and price gouging, as well as manufacturing and selling fake and inferior products. "Production of anti-epidemic supplies in China is highly market-driven," said Wan Shuping with the Department of Industry and Information Technology of Guangdong Province, noting that price supervisory authorities will follow market principles and not resort to administrative intervention. "At the same time, there's zero tolerance over illegal acts." STABILIZING EXPORTS China has taken measures to strengthen quality control over exports of medical supplies, with the Ministry of Commerce working with other government departments to crack down on exports of counterfeit and shoddy products and other behaviors that disrupt market and export order. Li Xingqian, director of foreign trade department under the ministry, said the Chinese government has always been assisting the international community in various forms to stem COVID-19. Statistics from the General Administration of Customs showed that China inspected and released a total of 21.1 billion masks from March 1 to Saturday. As China is trying its best to meet the growing global demand for masks, the market regulator and association of the medical devices industry in Guangdong have offered training for local enterprises to better understand international trade rules and certification standards. Huang Minju, with the Guangdong Medical Devices Quality Supervision and Test Institute, said the testing facility's workload increased significantly, with more samples for export sent to the institute by various new mask producers. "Test data won't lie, and it will help further regulate the mask export market and ensure that China provides high-quality masks to other countries," Huang said. (Reporting by Ma Yunfei, Wang Pan, Ma Xiaocheng, Jing Huaiqiao) (Video reporters: Ma Xiaocheng, Jing Huaiqiao, Hu Nayun; video editor: Zhang Yichi) New Delhi, April 27 : An employee of the Supreme Court, who had come to work on the court complex on April 16, has tested positive for Covid-19. According to apex court sources, the employee had worked full day on the court complex on April 16, and later he tested positive. Two registrars, who had possibly established contact with this employee, have been put under mandatory quarantine for two weeks till April 30. A source familiar with the developments said that the infected employee came to the court for just two days during the lockdown that's in place to fight the coronavirus pandemic. Contact tracing has already been initiated to ascertain the people who had come in contact with this employee. Currently, the apex court is taking up matters for hearing through video conferencing. Chief Justice S.A. Bobde on several occasions have emphasised the necessity to follow social distancing guidelines in order to contain the spread of coronavirus. The judges are taking up extremely urgent matters from their residences and through a video-link, the petitioners and lawyers are participating in the hearing. The registry has been asked to share the video link with parties concerned in the matter. The contact-tracing team will conduct complete screening of all the employees who have been working in the top court complex since April 16. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Israels Supreme Court ruled on April 26 that the government must legislate mobile phone tracking in its battle against the coronavirus pandemic. The top court ordered the Shin Bet security agency, which uses cellular data and other technologies to retrace the movement of infected people, to halt its surveillance technology until the parliament legislates regarding the controversial practice. In March, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approved emergency regulations that paved the way for the Shin Bet security service to roll out its surveillance program. The course of action announced by Netanyahu raised concerns over civil liberties and a rights group filed a petition against the phone tracking to trace the coronavirus carriers. Adalah, an Arab-run advocacy group, challenged the governments decision which the top court accepted saying it should be articulated in legislation. Praising the courts decision, the advocacy group said that it acknowledges the illegality but nevertheless allowing it to continue severely harms the civil rights of all citizens. Read: ICMR Asks States To Use Rapid Antibody Tests For Surveillance In COVID-19 Hotspots As the number of coronavirus cases around the world continues to rise, government authorities have heightened the surveillance mechanism to keep a track of the outbreak. Digital surveillance in the wake of coronavirus pandemic has raised concerns over privacy and rights activists believe that it could be the next victim of coronavirus. Read: Apple, Google Update Coronavirus Tracing Tool To Improve User Privacy 'Extremely invasive' Earlier, a San Franciso-based non-profit digital rights group had said in a blog post that such extraordinary powers would invade privacy and deter free speech. It demanded the governments show that the use of such powers would be proportionate and based on science to combat the ongoing crisis. It also opposed the use of some of the technologies for surveillance calling it extremely invasive and dangerous. If the public grants such powers to the government, these powers must expire when the crisis ends, contain strict anti-bias rules, and be subject to strict safeguards and audits, the group said. Read: COVID-19: UN Privacy Chief Asks People To 'be Vigilant And Not Give Away All Freedoms' Read: Privacy Rights May Become Next Victim Of Coronavirus, Fear Activists (Image Credit: AP) CABORCA, Mexico, April 27, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mexus Gold US (MXSG) (Mexus or the Company) announced that $242,500 of debt incurred by the company has been eliminated by conversion of shares already held in reserve. Mexus received assays for mineralized material recently placed on the heap leach pad. Mexus CEO, Paul Thompson, Sr. added These assays confirm what the company has been communicating concerning the excellent grades being mined. This grade of material is allowing the company to increase its production and service debt by way of production. Employees of Mexus continue to work hard at the Santa Elena mine. Mexus has incentivized theses employees with a stock bonus program which has aligned the goals and motivation of all involved. Assay report About Mexus Gold US Mexus Gold US is an American based mining company with holdings in Mexico. The fully owned Santa Elena mine is located 54km NW of Caborca, Mexico. Mexus also owns rights to the Ures property located 80km N of Hermosillo, Mexico. This property contains 6900 acres and has both gold and copper on the property. Founded in 2009, Mexus Gold US is committed to protecting the environment, mine safety and employing members of the communities in which it operates. For more information on Mexus Gold US, visit www.mexusgoldus.com . Mexus Gold US (775) 721-9960 Cautionary Statement Forward looking Statement: Statements in this press release may constitute forward-looking statements and are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, including the failure to complete successfully the development of new or enhanced products, the Company's future capital needs, the lack of market demand for any new or enhanced products the Company may develop, any actions by the Company's partners that may be adverse to the Company, the success of competitive products, other economic factors affecting the Company and its markets, seasonal changes, and other risks detailed from time to time in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The actual results may differ materially from those contained in this press release. The Company disclaims any obligation to update any statements in this press release. Welcome Guest! You Are Here: Home Regional News East Over the past few months, the crisis has posed challenges to socio-economic development in many cities and provinces. While society is fast-tracking efforts, businesses are also active in their corporate social responsibility programmes in response. Among them, SCG and its member companies have led several meaningful initiatives to assist the communities where they operate. Specifically, they have made several donations from cash and medical equipment to food, in order to meet the pressing demand of localities, thereby making a significant contribution in the coronavirus struggle. Binh Minh Plastics JSC has contributed VND1 billion ($43,450) to the Ho Chi Minh City Fatherland Front Committee through the Community Entrepreneurs Fund. The company also donated 500 BX5 sprayers with a filling capacity of five litres for disinfectant pumps to various units under Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health. Meanwhile, SCG Vietnam has offered medical masks, disinfectant, and food for healthcare workers at Health Center District 3. The Mekong Delta province of Ben Tre is facing both the coronavirus pandemic and heavy saline intrusion. Binh Minh Plastics has granted 50 disinfectant sprayers to the provincial Center for Rural Water and Environmental Sanitation, facilitating the province to overcome challenges posed by both threats. A representative of Long Son Petrochemicals Co., Ltd. donated both money and medical equipment for Long Son commune and Ba Ria-Vung Tau province The southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau is home to SCGs Long Son petrochemicals complex. Thus, Long Son Petrochemicals Co., Ltd. has made a contribution of VND500 million ($21,700) to the provincial Fatherland Front Committee as well as sending 2,000 face masks, dry hand sanitiser, and thermometers to local agencies and health centres. In addition, the company is not only supporting the procedure of cleaning the health clinic in Long Son commune for two weeks, but is also providing medical equipment for healthcare workers there. Another member company, Vinakraft, has presented face masks and hand sanitiser to 44 disadvantaged households in Hoa Loi commune, Binh Duong province, which has received a warm response from the local people. This will go towards helping such households protect the health and safety of themselves and others during the pandemic. Meanwhile, TPC Vina Plastic and Chemical Corporation has made VND200 million ($8,700) in donations to Dong Nai Fatherland Front Committee. A representative of SCG Cement - Building Materials handed over a donation to Quang Binh Fatherland Front Committee In the central region, SCG Cement - Building Materials contributed VND600 million ($26,000) to Quang Binh Fatherland Front Committee, Quang Tri Hospital, and Danangs anti-pandemic fund. A representative of Prime Group under SCG donated cash to Vinh Phuc Fatherland Front Committee In the north, subsidiaries under SCG have quickly raised funds to support the local communities against coronavirus. Prime Group has spent VND150 million ($6,500) on 3,000 litres of dry hand sanitiser and handwashing sinks for its staff and some schools in Vinh Phuc where the factory operates. Binh Minh Plastics has also donated two tonnes of rice to Hung Yen, while AP Packaging has granted cash and medical equipment to COVID-19 anti-pandemic committees and centres in both Hanoi and Hai Duong. These efforts reaffirm the groups commitment to its mission of Passion for Better, to improve the livelihood of the local people and community in Vietnam as well as other countries across Southeast Asia. New energy chief soon to present Chornobyl zone development plan 11:40, 27.04.20 2843 The plan provides for a number of measures to bring the Shelter into a safer condition by dismantling the unstable elements of the old confinement and the remains of the Chornobyl NPP's Unit 4. Were not just living through an earthshaking pandemic. Were living through a new crisis in which a highly virulent virus arrives at the very moment when ubiquitous media coverage, global interconnectivity, and a certain amount of scientific conformity amplify everything. All of this has combined to create an unprecedented public-policy response. For the first time in history, weve effectively quarantined the healthy population while also practicing social distancing and protecting the old, vulnerable, and frail. Even public-health experts such as Doctors Anthony Fauci and Deborah Birx admit that an economic lockdown is an untried and untested theory. Just how much so can be seen if we look back at how the U.S. and indeed the world handled the now largely forgotten 196869 Hong Kong flu pandemic. It was an especially infectious virus that had the ability to mutate and render existing vaccines ineffective. Hundreds of thousands were hospitalized in the U.S. as the disease hit all 50 states by Christmas 1968. Like COVID-19, It was fatal primarily to people older than 65 with preexisting conditions. The Centers for Disease Control reports that it killed more than 1 million people worldwide, more than 100,000 of them in the U.S. Luckily, a vaccine was developed early in August 1969. But the Hong Kong flu is still with us as a seasonal malady. I am just old enough to remember the Hong Kong flu. Like the majority of those infected, I didnt get sick. But my family lived down the road from Travis Air Force Base in the Bay Area, the main return point for soldiers coming home from Vietnam in the fall of 1968. Living near the place of that flus first contact piqued my interest, and I recall preparing a school report on the virus. It amazes me now, but I was able to give my oral report in class because the schools didnt close in California or anywhere else in the country. Shawn Steel, now a California attorney, remembers attending a Grateful Dead concert in December 1968 at the Shrine Auditorium at the University of Southern California. Story continues We were more resilient then, there were no helicopter parents, and we were brought up in an era when it wasnt unknown to get chicken pox, measles, mumps, German measles, or scarlet fever. Polio had haunted peoples nightmares until a vaccine was developed in the mid-1950s. Senate majority leader Mitch McConnells earliest childhood memory is of the day he checked out of the polio treatment center in Warm Springs, Ga. During the Hong Kong flu, Americans rode buses less often, washed their hands, and practiced social distancing. But they went to work. Marilyn Brown worked at the Los Angeles Department of Social Services during the Hong Kong flu. Other than my coworkers bringing their own alcohol to wipe down their desks and wipe down pencils and not use pencils that clients had used, we didnt do anything, she recently told Travel Weekly. Philip Snashall, a now retired professor of medicine, wrote in the British Medical Journal that his two-year-old daughter contracted the first known case of the Hong Kong flu to hit Europe. How things change, he noted. The stock market did not plummet, we were not besieged by the press, men in breathing apparatus did not invade my daughters play group. The global response to COVID-19 couldnt stand in starker contrast. Leaders have made the decision to do everything possible, including bringing entire economies to a crashing halt, to limit the loss of life. Theyve swept aside considerations of the negative health effects of locking people inside with a virus that spreads most virulently indoors. People whove been denied nonemergency surgeries are expected to comply and shut up about their pain, even though some will undoubtedly die from their conditions. Joel Hay, a professor of pharmaceutical economics and policy at the University of Southern California, told me that the role of science has also changed. Medical technology has vastly improved from a time when people still did computations on slide rules. But the data it produces has seduced some into thinking that we know more than we actually do and that we can produce useful models to predict the course of this novel coronavirus disease. Were being bombarded with data, but we often act like the guy who looks for his keys under the lamppost because the light is better there, he told me. We arent asking more fundamental questions, like Does this $20 trillion experiment in lockdowns actually work? Our politicians also face new pressures that their counterparts in 1968 didnt. Susan Craddock, professor at the Institute for Global Studies at the University of Minnesota, told the Wall Street Journal that 24-hour news coverage, social media, and heightened public anxiety mean todays leaders face far more pressure to do something. The thing elected officials fear most is social stigma from challenging the conventional wisdom, Colorado state senator Vicki Meeker told me. In Sweden, in line with national traditions and the culture there, scientists rather than politicians take the lead and establish pandemic policy. Swedish scientists also take responsibility for their decisions and speak honestly of tradeoffs. Johan Giesecke, the countrys former chief epidemiologist, bluntly said on Swedish radio recently that harsh lockdowns make little sense and that its the rest of the world thats conducting an experiment in lockdowns based on shaky models. In Sweden, people are encouraged to stay home, but stores, restaurants, and offices remain open. Better to have social distancing people can live with for months than severe lockdowns that get reimposed if cases rise once they are lifted, Giesecke said. But the rest of the world has chosen the lockdown path, and I fear the upper hand belongs to those who wish to reduce the risk of infection regardless of the high associated costs to the overall health or society. In 1975, as Ronald Reagan left the governors office in California and was looking back on his time managing the state, he spoke to a student audience about nuclear power. I note that an overly excited group of Californians has formed something called People for Proof, to crusade for a risk-free future, he said. He warned that this kind of group is as contagious as the Hong Kong flu. Like the flu, such groups will now always be with us, I fear. More from National Review This is one of three parts of US using coronavirus to escalate new Cold War with China: Exclusive with founder of The Grayzone 1. US media-NGO-politician institution weaves coronavirus conspiracy: Exclusive with Grayzone founder 2. Unpacking lies that aim to deceive US into war with China: Exclusive with Grayzone founder 3. Bipartisan hardliners use coronavirus to escalate Cold War with China: Exclusive with Grayzone founder Editor's Note: The Grayzone, a US-based independent news outlet, recently published a story busting the conspiracy theory of COVID-19 escaping from Chinas Wuhan Institute of Virology, adding that it is the Trump administrations Iraqi WMD. Apart from digging into stories behind the conspiracy theories, the Grayzone also released many reports related to Northwest Chinas Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in recent months. For example, it released a report in March that stated forced labor stories hyped by some Western and US media and US-based nongovernmental organizations are orchestrated by the US government, NATO, arms industry to drive Cold War PR blitz. To learn more about The Grayzone and its work, the Global Times reporter Liu Xin(GT) spoke to Max Blumenthal(B), an award-winning journalist and founder of the Grayzone. GT: First, let's talk about your recent work on the stories behind the conspiracy theory. How did you investigate this topic? B: First of all, no American outlet has invited me to discuss this latest story, where I and my colleague Ajit Singh have exposed a conspiracy theory in one of the biggest newspapers in the US, the Washington Post and Fox News, which is advanced by the president, as completely false. We haven't been invited to debate the authors. We are not invited to debate people who favor escalating the Cold War with China. We've simply been ignored. And, at the same time, we've seen many stories in the New York Times, and other papers like Politico in the past two days about how China is advancing disinformation, and they are all sourced to US officials who are not named. I really thank you for bringing me on. This is the only outlet that has asked me to come on board. It also shows that we are unfortunately in a kind of information war where the truth doesn't matter. The American people are not going to be exposed to the truth, and my goal with the Greyzone is to interrupt the drive to war and sanctions and hostility by simply presenting the American people and the English-speaking public with a balance, with the other side. To do so, we exposed, what we call, the lie of the day. Every day there's a new lie, and it's advanced under the banner of, supposedly, free and independent media. But if you look at the stories, you'll often see, according to US officials, or according to this research scientist, or they'll link to an article. But, we simply go into the sources that expose what they are! Photo: screenshot of The Grayzone For example, in our story about how the Washington Post advanced this conspiracy theory about the Wuhan Institute of Virology and how, supposedly, COVID-19 escaped during an experiment at the Wuhan lab. One person stood out in that article, who was quoted, named Xiao Qiang. He was quoted as a research scientist, but I thought that sounds funny. A research scientist, this is not a virologist, someone who studies viruses. This is not an epidemiologist who studies epidemics. I immediately assumed this person is a Chinese dissident. I was right! I just looked up Xiao Qiang on the National Endowment for Democracy. This is the US government entity that funds, supports, and trains opposition movements from around the world to support regime change. I quickly learned along with my colleague Ajit Singh that Xiao Qiang's whole career has been supported by the NED. This is a dead giveaway and a clear sign that something is strange about this article. I've done extensive work on the NED. I produced a documentary about it. And, from what we've shown, it was created by the CIA, the Central Intelligence Agency, under the Reagan administration, in order to do what the CIA used to do secretly but to do it openly to support opposition movements, like the movements in Hong Kong. I'm an American journalist. I've been working for almost 20 years in the US media environment as someone who comes from the left, who opposed the war in Iraq and exposed the Bush administration's lies. And, I know about the neoconservative movement. It is the pro-war movement that moves between both Democratic and Republican parties, and it has a lot of influence in Washington. I knew that the author of the Washington Post story, Josh Rogan, was a big part of the neoconservative movement. He had actually worked at the Japanese Embassy in the past and is someone predisposed to pushing narratives that advance the new Cold War with China. I don't present myself as a China expert, nor do I say that I'm a Russia expert. But I'm an America expert, and I know the institutions and the people that have been driving us into endless war for the last 20 years. And in some cases, I know them personally. So that gives me a big advantage to investigate such stories. GT: We have noticed an anti-China campaign there. How did the US politicians and media work together to push this? B: We've just seen that with the introduction of this Chinese lab theory on how US politicians and the media work together, as well as with NGOs and think tanks. I think this is a perfect example. On April 14, it appears in the Washington Post, through a very anti-China columnist, in the opinion section. But it is under the banner of a paper that many people trust. The columnist himself admits there is no evidence to prove that COVID-19 escaped from the Wuhan lab, but the piece gets shared widely by Democrats and Republicans. The following day, a similar piece appears in Fox News, which is the favorite network of President Trump and the Republican Party. This network says officially, US sources say that they believe the virus escaped from Wuhan Institute of Virology. The State Department Secretary Mike Pompeo, who is the most militaristic member of the Trump administration, also said this. Screenshot from a Fox News report, which say sources believe the disease started in a Chinese lab. The State Department was behind this story. They had leaked cables from the US Embassy in Beijing to reporters, claiming that there were safety issues at the lab. Actually, the cables, if you read them closely, state that these experiments, which were being done into coronavirus and SARS, were very important. They're distorting the cables. Fox News reports this in the day. One of the most extreme pro-war Senators, Tom Cotton, appears and says, "China is responsible for every death," "China has to be punished," and "China has to be sanctioned." Fox News opens up a propaganda blitz with all of its hosts calling for China to be punished. They're cultivating Republican opinion for the new Cold War very successfully. You can see very clearly that the State Department leaks information to the media. The media spins the story and presents it to the public. Then, politicians issue calls for new policies of militarism and extreme hostility to China. If you look closely, in these stories, various people from the NGO sector are quoted as sort of experts. But as I mentioned before, there are people like Xiao Qiang, who are not, in fact, experts who are activists paid by the US government. GT: Do you think the US media have objectively reported on China's anti-virus efforts? Did the biased reports prevent the American public from learning more about this epidemic? B: Absolutely. I have not been to China. I would have to go to Wuhan and see for myself and speak to doctors and speak to people to know the response. But none of the people who present themselves as experts in the US have done this. Many of them have reasons to turn up the heat on China and to escalate with China. Some come from think tanks, which are funded by the arms industry, and some are directly funded by the State Department as well. Others are ideologically anti-Communist. They want to break the Chinese Communist Party. Many people come to this from different directions. Some resent China because the US moved many jobs to China. And I personally think the US should manufacture goods here. We would have had a much better response to coronavirus if we were manufacturing our own masks. But now, it is a political campaign to turn up the new Cold War and to advance Donald Trump's national security doctrine that his defense secretary James Mattis introduced in 2018, where the Defense Department declared that the US was moving from the war on terror into great power competition with China and Russia. Immediately, we started to see more negative coverage of China. We started to see more US interest in advancing kind of human rights narratives about what China was doing to the Uygurs, for example. Infographic: Globaltimes.cn The conflict in Xinjiang had been going on for many years. So, why did we all of a sudden start to hear about the "supposed plight of the Uygur people" in 2019? The NED has been supporting the World Uygur Congress for decades, but why is this happening now? People in the media don't ask this question. They simply look for the new Cold War outrage because it brings readers in and it advances their careers. Starting in 2017, because they were told that Russia had helped Donald Trump steal the election, the US public was brought into the first part of the new Cold War - a great power competition with Russia. This advanced the agenda of the National Security State and helped justify the budgets of all of these different agencies. Then, that fell apart. It fell apart last year as the Mueller Report came out - there wasn't any proof that Donald Trump had directly colluded with Russia. And now, we have the second part of the new Cold War with China. There is a kind of 9/11 or Pearl Harbor moment with coronavirus, where the National Security State can work through a political element. In this case, the Trump administration, which is desperate to deflect from its own failure in preventing coronavirus from coming to the US and exploding, and they can advance the second part - turning the American public against China. . US President Donald Trump addresses a news conference at the White House in Washington D.C., the United States, on March 13, 2020. File photo: Xinhua And, if you look at opinion polls of American opinion - Democrat, Republican, left and right on China - last year compared to this year, it is amazing to see how much it has changed. It is incredibly negative right now. I think 70 percent of Americans see China as the greatest threat to the US. Last year, it was lower than 50 percent. Propaganda works! While I'm not a cheerleader for China. I'm not claiming I'm an expert on China. I understand what's happening in my country and how dangerous this propaganda is and how dangerous a new Cold War will be to the US. I'll give you one example because you asked about how this hurts our response to coronavirus. There was an article in the New York Times two days ago, stating that the US government is not sure whether it will allow shipments of N95 masks and other personal protective equipment into the US from China because it will advance China's propaganda efforts. Because of the widespread hatred that they have stirred up against China, we will not have this protective equipment that we need. The only way out of the epidemic is through cooperation, because, unfortunately, we live in a globalized world where we're all interdependent. And, I don't think the US actually has the ability to completely cut itself from a powerful country like China. It's just impossible. Hungary seeks to end the legal recognition of transgender people by pushing legislation that will define genders as 'biological sex based on primary sex characteristics and chromosomes'. The law, if passed will make it impossible for people to change their gender, leaving an entire community at risk of fracing discrimination and humiliation. According to reports, the Hungarian right-wing government on March 31 proposed a draft bill that would end legal gender recognition for the transgender community. Read: European Tourism Needs 375 Billion Euros To Recover From Pandemic Crisis: ETC Chief 'Discriminatory bill' As per reports, the bill would require the Hungarian civil registry to record people's sex at birth making it impossible for them to legally change it in the future. Trans people rights activists say that the law would increase discrimination against transgender people in the country where everything from renting bikes to picking up packages requires an identification card. Activists say that it would open up the gate for transgender people to migrate to different countries, leaving those who cannot afford migration at risk of facing daily discrimination and humiliation. Read: New York City Will Provide 500,000 Free Halal Meals To Muslims During Ramzan: Mayor Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban was already facing criticism from the international community for introducing legislation that has allowed him to rule indefinitely until the coronavirus pandemic is continuing. According to reports, Bernadett Szel, an independent MP has opposed the proposed bill that would end legal recognition of trans people describing it as evil and a step back in time. Bernadett tried reading a letter from trans people during a committee hearing explaining how harmful the law is for the community, but was shut down by the committee's chair who called it irrelevant. Read: WHO To Launch 'landmark Collaboration' To Ensure Equitable Access To COVID-19 Vaccines Legal experts have suggested that the new law, if passed, will be in violation of European human rights case law and thus will be challenged in the European court of human rights (ECHR). Tamas Dombos, a board member of the Hatter Society, a Hungarian organisation focused on LGBTQI rights while talking to the press accused the Hungarian government of becoming more hostile towards the community in the last two years, using discriminatory languages, such as comparing homosexuality to paedophilia. Dombos said that such languages have never been used in the Hungarian political discourse before and now it is going to become a policy. Read: South Korea Reveals 2-year Post Lockdown Plan, Says 'can't Go Back To Pre-COVID-19 Life' (Image Credit: AP) A man badly injured during the Northern Ireland conflict has said nurses confronting the pandemic should retain hope for the future. Paul Gallagher was left in a wheelchair 25 years ago when loyalist gunmen in Belfast shot him after they were unable to find his neighbour. His journey to recovery was helped along by all the nurses kindness. This thing coming into their lives is their Troubles Paul Gallagher This thing coming into their lives is their Troubles. The amount of people that they are going to deal with in the coming short time, in comparison to the 3,500 killed in the Troubles, the stuff they have to deal with on a day-to-day basis. The Troubles deaths happened over 30 years. A projected worst-case scenario for the first 20 weeks of the coronavirus would see 1,500 die in Northern Ireland. The health service has recruited final-year student nurses early as it grapples with the crisis. Mr Gallagher delivers seminars to the students about dealing with trauma. He said taking the virus challenge on required enormous resilience. There is no real control or sense in it Paul Gallagher He added: It is exponential in terms of what they would have been dealing with. This is something different. There is no real control or sense in it. You are taking over the role of families and being the last person someone speaks to. There will be a big effect on nurses coming out of this at the end. Mr Gallagher is part of the Wave Trauma Centre support group, Northern Irelands largest victims group. He said victims services had been proactive in getting out funding to help support peoples domestic living costs ahead of the virus hitting. Face-to-face counselling for some has shifted online. Mr Gallagher normally uses massage therapy to control pain, but that has ceased due to social distancing regulations. Services like physio have also been curtailed. A lot of people with disabilities have had to deal with being house-bound for a lot of years anyway Paul Gallagher He said: It is all down to the individual really how they cope and what their resilience is like. A lot of people with disabilities have had to deal with being house-bound for a lot of years anyway. The shock factor maybe was not as bad as for other people who are used to being out and about all the time. He said it was a traumatic point in many lives. He added: You have no control over that. It breaks your sense of the world being a safe and benevolent place. But you also have that sense about people coming together and looking after each other. He said it depended whether some one could take it on the chin or try and fight back against the infections impact. There is nothing really to fight back against, he added. He said there can be hope and growth and leaning and meaning after a traumatic event like this. He said: It is good to try and keep a perspective on all the good stuff happening across society and people stepping up and helping out. That is worth promoting as well. It gives a bit of hope to people that maybe there is a way out. Another Boeing Revenue Stream Disappears as US Navy Takes Delivery of Final Block II Super Hornet Sputnik News 10:02 GMT 26.04.2020(updated 10:06 GMT 26.04.2020) The Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet has been the US Navy's workhorse attack aircraft for nearly two decades, with the planes involved in almost all of America's foreign wars since 2001, from Iraq and Afghanistan to Syria and Iraq again. Its predecessor, the F/A-18, took part in the 1986 bombing of Libya, the Gulf War, and the 90s Yugoslav wars. The US Navy has taken delivery of its final Block II Super Hornet aircraft, bringing the total number of planes delivered since 2005 up to 608 (among them 322 single seater F/A-18Es and 286 twin seater F/A-18Fs). According to Janes, the final plane was sent to Strike Fighter Squadron 34, based at Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia on April 17. Pentagon F/A-18 programme office director Jason Denney called the delivery "a stepping stone along the path to continuously evolving our platforms to meet the US Navy's ever-evolving needs," stressing the Block III upgrades were "just steps behind" with the new Block III Super Hornet test platforms expected to be delivered in the next two months. Boeing began the development of the Block III Super Hornet in the late 2000s, promising new stealth features and an extended range, as well as advanced avionics. To many of America's NATO allies, the 4.5 generation jet has been seen as one of possible alternative to the more costly Lockheed Martin F-35. Boeing itself has taken advantage of repeated delays to the F-35 programme, but has proven unable to convince the Marine Corps from replacing its aging F/A-18C Hornets with F-35Cs. The US Navy plans to buy some 260 F-35Cs total, with plans to fit out each of its aircraft carrier strike groups with four fighter squadrons two with Super Hornets, and two with F-35Cs. An F-35C Lightning II from the "Rough Raiders" of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 125 prepares to make an arrested cable landing on the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70). The Navy awarded Boeing a $4 billion contract for Block III Super Hornets in March 2019, with the company promising to deliver some 72 Block III aircraft in the next two years. According to Flight Global, the planes are expected to have a new, advanced cockpit system, reduced radar cross-section, new fuel tanks carrying up to 1,590 kg in extra fuel, and 10,000 flight hour lifespan guarantee. Boeing, one of the world's largest aircraft manufacturers, has faced the double blow of falling commercial flights as a result of the coronavirus, and the continued legal and reputational fallout from two fatal crashes of its 737 MAX 8 jetliners due to design problems in late 2018 and early 2019. At the moment, defence procurements are a major portion of the company's revenues, accounting for some $27.4 billion (or 30%) of its total 2019 revenues of $92.3 billion, according to Forbes. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The National Commission for Women on Monday asked the Rajasthan police to conduct an immediate investigation in the alleged gangrape of a woman in Jaipur and sought strict action against the culprits and the erring police officials. According to a media report, a 40-year-old woman had been unable to make her way back to her home in Jaipur for over a month from Dausa district due to travel restrictions amid the countrywide lockdown. She was allegedly raped on the night of April 23-24 by three men at a school in Sawai Madhopur district where she was put up by the local authorities. The Commission has written to Bhupendra Singh Yadav, Director General of Police, Rajasthan, for immediate investigation and strict action against the culprits and erring police officials as per the law, the NCW said in a statement. The Commission is concerned about the safety and security of women despite the enactment of the Criminal Law Amendment Act, 2013, that made laws against sexual crimes stricter, it said. Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah has advised Ghanaians to show patriotism and a nationalistic spirit in the fight against the spread of Coronavirus in the country. Speaking in an interview with host Kwami Sefa Kayi on Peace FM's 'Kokrokoo' program Monday, Hon. Oppong Nkrumah bemoaned the unpatriotic character of some Ghanaians, who despite the closure of borders, have decided to assist foreigners to use illegitimate means to enter the country. He noted that the Police intercepted and arrested some people who passed through the forest by the help of some Ghanaians to gain entry into the country. Hon. Oppong Nkrumah, revealing that those foreigners apprehended by the Police tested positive for the virus, issued a stern warning to unscrupulous Ghanaians to stop putting the nation at risk. "Some of our citizens are nation wreckers. Despite the battle we are fighting, we have some unscrupulous people who because of financial gains or their cruelty or greed for money help foreigners to secretly enter the country through the forest. This fight is our fight and we should all unite to win this battle. Let us stop dishonest behaviour for it won't help us," he warned. President's Warning "This is the time for sacrifice, so that we do not have to bear a greater cost in the future. Unhappily, there continues to be the worrying news of a few Ghanaians aiding some West African nationals to enter our country illegally, despite the closure of our borders. Even more disturbing is the fact that several of the West Africans, who have been arrested, have later tested positive for the virus. "These are unpatriotic acts, and must stop. We cannot continue to allow a few persons, who are motivated by their own selfish, money-making interests, to endanger the lives of the rest of the population. Not only will persons who enter our country illegally be strictly dealt with, but so will Ghanaians who facilitate their entry. As I have said before, being a Ghanaian must mean that we look out for each other," the President said during his 8th address to the nation on Sunday, April 26. Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A man has been charged with murdering his mother and attempting to kill his father in a shocking domestic dispute during coronavirus lockdown. Myles William Taylor, 34, allegedly stabbed his mother to death before also attacking his father inside their family home in Perth, Western Australia, on Sunday afternoon. Police were called to Lotherton Way at Hocking, in the city's north, about 4pm after neighbours heard screams coming from the usually quiet Taylor home. Myles William Taylor, 34, allegedly stabbed his mother to death before also attacking his father inside their family home in Perth, Western Australia, on Sunday afternoon A 64-year-old woman was taken to hospital but died last night, while her 65-year-old husband remains in a critical condition in ICU A 64-year-old woman is believed to have been found dead at the scene, while her 65-year-old husband was taken to hospital and remains in a critical condition in ICU. Homicide detectives charged Taylor with one count of murder and another count of attempting to unlawfully kill. He faced Northbridge Magistrate's Court on Monday morning where he sat quietly in the dock, The West Australian reports. Dressed in a dark polo shirt, he remained emotionless throughout the brief hearing, only talking when asked to confirm his name. Police were called to Lotherton Way at Hocking, in the city's north, about 4pm after neighbours heard screams coming from the usually quiet Taylor home Homicide detectives charged Taylor with one count of murder and another count of attempting to unlawfully kill Taylor was remanded in custody and will reappear in court on Wednesday. One neighbour said the incident came as a massive shock to residents on the quiet street. 'We were standing outside and we saw a cop car come and stop at the house, then all of a sudden we saw many more cop cars and we thought something must be happening,' Irene said. 'This is normally a really quiet street, it is quiet sad actually to see what is happening.' Bay of Plenty We are looking for a storeman with an OSH forklift license. You will need to be physically for as the job is about 70% forklift... View or Apply on GoodWork.co.nz A study published by the American Civil Liberties Union last week projects nearly 100,000 additional COVID-19 deaths on top of the current estimates in the US if jail and prison populations are not dramatically reduced. Of this number, 23,000 will succumb behind bars and a further 76,000 in surrounding communities as the virus spreads from guards and released inmates. The study warns that jails will act as veritable volcanoes for the spread of the virus and predicts a doubling of the current projection from the Trump administration of 100,000 deaths, and is likely an underestimate. The US has the single largest prison population in the world, with 2.3 million people incarcerated. More than 420,000 Americans work in these facilities as guards or staff. Despite the US containing roughly 4 percent of the worlds population, it accounts for 21 percent of the worlds incarcerated population. At any given time approximately 740,000 are held in overcrowded local jails with constantly revolving populations. Roughly 11 million people pass through the jail system each yeara rate of one person every three seconds. As of 2018, the US was operating at 103.9 percent of prison capacity nationally. With US jails and prisons overflowing, the risk of infection to inmates, staff and community members is accelerating. In Ohio, one in five confirmed COVID-19 positive cases are inmates. On April 19, there were 1,057 cases in the Marion Correctional Facility; by April 22, that number had grown to 2,011accounting for 78 percent of the prison population. This rapid growth in cases demonstrates just how quickly the virus can spread in these crowded facilities. The Ohio prison is the only case where all the prisoners were tested and illustrates what must be the true extent of the problem throughout the entire prison and jail systems. The testing also showed that a large percentage of those who tested positive were not showing any symptoms. This is a dire warning to the entire population that without mass testing there are many people who have COVID-19 without knowing it and are passing the infection on to many others. Cook County jail in Chicago has reported 400 inmate infections with six deaths, plus 223 infections and one death among staff. In Michigan, which is one of the hardest hit states, with over 37,000 total confirmed cases, 572 of 889 tests of inmates resulted in positive cases, with more than 200 staff members also infected. The high rate of infections among staff and the large percentage of tests yielding positive cases is a dramatic warning of how severe this situation may become. There is already a significant number of inmates and staff infected, but nowhere near enough tests have been administered. California, the state with the largest prison population in the country, with 129,000 inmates, has tested just 694 people resulting in 129 positive cases. In Florida, just 378 tests have been administered for a prison population of 98,000. New York state stands out in particular for its criminal neglect of prisoners. Despite being the epicenter of the pandemic, New York policy states that inmates are only to be tested if they exhibit symptoms. Because of this, only 1 percent of the states incarcerated population has been tested. Confirmed cases are still low, with only 239 incarcerated and 35 parolee positive tests as of this writing. However, 842 staff members have been confirmed positive with the virus and only two have recovered. There is absolutely no reason to believe that this many positive cases among staff is not directly related to mass infection among the incarcerated. Considering the population density of New York prisons, a single case should suffice to warrant the testing of all inmates and staff at a facility. By refusing to administer these tests in accordance with the guidelines for general public health, the government of Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo is effectively sentencing prisoners to death. Six people have already died in New York prisons, and that number will undoubtedly climb rapidly in the coming weeks. The only way to prevent the spread of the virus in these facilities is to conduct mass testing and to reduce population density by releasing inmates into proper self-isolation. Without these efforts, prisons and jails will act as incubators for the virus, putting both inmates and community members at risk This is especially odious considering that the majority of people in jail do not need to be incarcerated. Udi Ofer, director of the ACLUs Justice Division, states that an average of 66 percent of the jail population are those who cannot afford to pay their bail and in some places it may reach as high as 80 percent. This means that working class people who have merely been charged with an offense and are still legally innocent are being put at risk because they cannot pay the state for their freedom before trial. There is no rational political, economic or social justification for this. Some states have made efforts to reduce population densities, but even this does not go far enough to limit the threat. Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has allowed just 300 of the 49,000 inmates in the states prison system to be released. In New York, Cuomo stated that he would allow for the release of elderly inmates and those nearing their release dates, but it may already be too late given the incubation period for the virus. The situation in prisons and jails was completely predictable and preventable; there is still time to limit the toll. All vulnerable inmates must be released and protective measures put in place, including a regime of mass testing, quarantine and contact tracing. The growing crisis is a further demonstration of the horrific conditions that prisoners in the US face on a daily basis and the indifference of the ruling class for their safety. Republic TV chief Arnab Goswami was interrogated by NM Joshi Marg police for 12 hours over his comments on Congress president Sonia Gandhi. Goswami had raised questions over Gandhis silence on the Palghar sadhu lynching incident. Several cases were filed across the country by Congress functionaries. The NM Joshi police had sent two notices to Goswami regarding the interrogation by the Mumbai Police in connection with the multiple cases registered against him. Goswami accompanied by his lawyer Sujay Kantawala reached the police station at 9am on Monday. He was interrogated for 12 hours, said a police officer. Deputy commissioner of police Abhinash Kumar (zone 3) confirmed that Goswami was interrogated, but refused to share details about the questioning. 2 accused of attacking Arnab Goswami granted bail Two accused arrested by NM Joshi Marg police for allegedly attacking Goswami and his wife were produced in the court and granted bail on cash 15000 each. The accused Pratik Kumar Shamsunder Mishra and Arun Dilip Borade, both residents of Sion in Mumbai had attacked Goswami and his wife at midnight on April 22 in Lower Parel area while they were driving home from their studio. Goswami and his wife escaped unhurt in the attack. A Palestinian family perform prayers during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan in their home in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip (AFP Photo/SAID KHATIB) Gaza City (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) - Restaurants in Gaza were to be allowed to reopen from Monday, the economy ministry in the Hamas-run enclave announced, following pleas from restaurant owners to ease economic suffering. "It was decided to allow restaurants and cafes in the (Gaza) Strip to reopen their doors to customers starting from today, the ministry said in a statement. Under the decision based on health ministry recommendations, restaurants must continue to observe social distancing rules, it said. Since the middle of March, the Hamas government has imposed strict measures to avoid a widespread outbreak of COVID-19. Schools, universities, mosques and restaurants have been closed. So far Gaza has recorded only 17 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus, all Palestinians returning from outside the Gaza Strip. Those who contracted the virus have been placed in isolation immediately upon their return. There are no confirmed cases among Palestinians who stayed inside Gaza, according to Hamas, the Islamist movement that has controlled the coastal enclave since 2007. Gaza's population is overwhelmingly Muslim and most people are observing the holy month of Ramadan, including fasting from sunrise to sunset before eating large meals with their families. Salah Abu Haseera, head of the Committee for Restaurants, Hotels and Touristic Services in Gaza, told AFP the ministry's decision "came after an appeal to open restaurants to avoid further losses and a serious recession". Restaurants reopening could allow some 2,500 people to return to work, he said. Gaza, blockaded by Israel for 13 years, suffers from poverty rates close to 50 percent. Israel says the measures are necessary to isolate Hamas, with which it has fought three wars since 2008. In the West Bank, the largest part of the Palestinian territories but controlled by a rival government, restaurants remain closed. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday held a wide-ranging meeting with his Afghanistan counterpart Mohammed Haneef Atmar and discussed the coronavirus challenge and humanitarian assistance, including food and medical supplies. Jaishankar said the talks covered the latest developments on the Afghanistan peace efforts besides the safety and well-being of the Sikh community in the country. "Virtual diplomacy today included a wide-ranging meeting with FM @MHaneefAtmar of #Afghanistan. Reviewed our bilateral cooperation, ensuring that the development partnership continues strongly," Jaishankar said in a tweet. "Discussed the #coronavirus challenge and humanitarian assistance, including food & medical supplies. Also stressed on the safety and well-being of the Sikh community. Talks covered the latest developments on the Afghanistan peace efforts," he said in another tweet. Jaishankar also spoke to Estonia Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu. "Connected with FM @UrmasReinsalu of #Estonia. Interesting discussion on use of digital tools in #coronavirus response. Also talked about our cooperation in the UN framework," he tweeted. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Your browser does not support the audio element. Vietnam on Monday announced three more cases, including two foreigners, retesting positive for the novel coronavirus after having recovered from COVID-19, the official name of the diease caused by the new virus strain, taking the total to eight so far. The three are patients No. 74, 207, and 224, the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Control and Prevention said. Patient No. 74 is a 23-year-old man residing in Lam Thao District, Phu Tho Province, located in the northern part of the country. He was declared free of the virus on April 10 after three weeks of treament at a general hospital in Bac Ninh, another northern country. He then self-isolated at home for another 14 days, as per Ministry of Health regulations. He suffered no fever, cough, or shortness of breath during the isolation. On April 25, he was tested for the last time before officially ending his home quarantine, with the result coming back positive. He has been transferred to the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases in Hanoi for monitoring. Three of his family members in Phu Tho have been isolated and tested negative for the virus. Authorities have finished fumigating his house and neighborhood, while preparing plans to prevent any spread. In Ho Chi Minh City, two Brazilians suffered a relapse after having made a recovery from the disease they had contracted from a bar. One of them is patient No. 207, a 49-year-old man discharged from the hospital on April 18. The other is patient No. 224, a 39-year-old man exiting the hospital on April 20. Both had tested positive for the virus after visiting Buddha Bar & Grill on March 14, when an infected British pilot was partying at the place. At least 18 patients have been traced to this bar in District 2. The pilot is now in a critical condition at the Ho Chi Minh City Hospital for Tropical Diseases. The two Brazilians were admitted to a makeshift hospital in Cu Chi District for treatment on Sunday. Another patient who had been discharged on April 18 has been sent to the same hospital for monitoring after coming into close contact with patient No. 207, even though the person already tested negative for the virus. Vietnam has documented a total of eight recovered COVID-19 cases testing positive for the novel coronavirus again. All have been hospitalized for treatment from scratch. The National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology in Hanoi and the Pasteur Institute in Ho Chi Minh City are culturing the virus taken from these patients for research. Vietnam has confirmed 270 cases to date, with 222 having recovered and no virus-related deaths, according to the health minstrys figures. The Southeast Asian country has recorded only two new patients, both imported cases in quarantine, since April 17. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Stuck inside during the coronavirus lockdown, 5-year-old Kian Assad was entertaining himself by dancing around his McAllen, Texas, house a few weeks ago when he fell, hitting his head on a door hinge. In normal circumstances, it was the type of injury that would likely merit a trip to the emergency room. Blood was gushing out of a cut on Kians scalp. Dr. Christian Assad hugs his 5-year-old, Kian. When Kian fell and split his head open, Assad relied on his medical background to treat Kian at home instead of risking exposing his family to the coronavirus in a hospital. (Dr. Christian Assad) But with hospital ERs teeming with coronavirus patients, Kians father, Dr. Christian Assad, was not sure he wanted to go and risk exposing his family, which includes a newborn, to the virus. So Assad, an interventional cardiologist, weighed his options. After examining his son, he decided he would rather handle the injury himself despite the fact that he had not treated head wounds since he moonlighted in an emergency department seven years ago. Like everything we do in medicine, its a calculated risk, and my calculated risk was this is what we have to do, Assad said, adding that had it not been for the threat of COVID-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus, he would have been more open to going to the ER. He informed his wife, who was panicking at the sight of so much blood, that he needed her help closing the wound at home. It was not what she expected to hear. Shes looking at me like Im crazy, Assad said. Across the country, parents sheltering in place are trying their best to keep restless children safe at home not just from the coronavirus, but from anything else that might merit a hospital visit. And as kids gleefully dive off furniture, climb on dressers and fall off trampolines, their parents are telling them over and over again: Now is not an ideal time to have to go to the emergency room. Fearful of catching the coronavirus in a crowded hospital and not wanting to take up health care workers precious time for something unrelated to COVID-19 parents are begging their children to be more cautious. But kids will be kids, especially if theyre cooped up inside, and their parents pleas have gone unheeded. Story continues I feel like they get worse every time I say it, Meghan Mojica, a mother of four in Orlando, Florida, said. They take it as a challenge. Mojica said her youngest, who is 2, has been climbing on top of the dining table; her 6-year-old has discovered that if he throws a pencil into the ceiling fan, it shoots across the house; her 3-year-old has started tipping her chair dangerously far backward; and recently, all four kids were climbing inside their play kitchen when part of it fell over, crushing her 8-year-old sons finger. Meghan Mojica's kids, Cora, 2, Clancy, 3, Kennen, 6, and Lachlan, 8. The finger bled a lot, but after consulting over the phone with her mother, a retired nurse, Mojica got the bleeding to stop and felt no medical treatment was necessary. She might have considered an ER visit at a different time, she said. We obviously would never put him at risk. It wouldnt have even been a question if there wasnt a pandemic just take him in to see if he needed stitches, Mojica said. If you have to go to the emergency room, go Parents of young children are not the only ones reluctant to go to an emergency department at the moment. Throughout the United States, ER physicians have reported a decrease in non-coronavirus emergencies at their hospitals. Possible reasons include fewer individuals getting sick or injured while they are staying home, and the chance that some people are putting off going to the hospital for fear of exposure to the coronavirus. At Childrens Healthcare of Atlanta, one of the largest pediatric clinical care providers in the country, procedures have been implemented to protect staff, patients and their families, Dr. Srikant Iyer, chief of emergency services, said. Parents have a lot to worry about right now with staying home and homeschooling. We just want to make sure we minimize the stress of coming to an emergency department, he said. Among the new measures: screening everyone upon entry for a fever or other signs of viral illness and only allowing one adult to accompany each pediatric patient. Like other emergency departments across the country, the three that are part of Childrens Healthcare of Atlanta have seen a decrease in volume since the pandemic started, Iyer said. He saw that as a positive sign that social distancing measures were possibly reducing transmission of other viruses, such as the flu. But he urged parents not to avoid hospitals if their child needs to go to one, and said they should trust that emergency rooms are taking precautions. At Childrens, most families are now taken directly to private patient rooms after checking in as opposed to lingering in the lobby, and care areas are divided into two sections one for patients suspected or confirmed to have infectious diseases, and the other for all other injuries and illnesses. Even introductions are orchestrated: Iyer greets his patients caregivers from 6 feet away, rather than with a handshake like he would have before. Parents who have had to seek medical care for their child during the pandemic say it was not as bad as they feared. Javon Johnson of Fairfield, California, has four children ranging in age from 5 to 18. She homeschools them, so she has not had the adjustment of suddenly having them home more than usual. But play dates and park outings have been canceled, so instead, the kids spend time on their outdoor trampoline. Earlier this month, despite Johnson telling her children to be careful because they dont want to add extra work for local doctors and nurses, her 5-year-old, Juliana, fell off the trampoline. Her arm immediately swelled up. My first reaction was: Put some ice on it, we dont want to go to the hospital if we dont have to, Johnson said. Johnson called the pediatrician, who told her to bring Juliana in. Johnsons husband took Juliana and was pleased to see very few other people at the doctors office. The pediatrician wanted an X-ray of Julianas arm, which they were able to get in the same building. Juliana had a minor sprain and went home with a splint. Johnson was relieved and determined not to let the incident change how she parents. We dont want to scare our kids into thinking you cant live or play or be a kid, she said. And we dont want our kids to be fearful of the doctor or the hospital. So, were just trying to balance it. A boost for free-range parenting? Thats a lesson that some are hoping will stick, even after the pandemic. I think this is giving lie to the crazy things that we considered dangerous before there was a true danger on our horizon, said Lenore Skenazy, founder of the free-range parenting movement, which calls for a return to a more laid-back style of child-rearing instead of helicopter-style parenting. Kids waiting five minutes in a car? Kids playing on the front lawn alone? Give me a break. The pandemic, she added, is something for parents to be justifiably worried about, and she hoped it would highlight how unnecessary it is to sweat the small stuff in a culture where many parents feel like they should be able to fix all of their childrens problems. But parental guilt is tough to avoid, during a pandemic or otherwise. Sonya, a mother of two young boys who asked that her last name not be printed to protect her familys privacy, relocated with her sons and husband from Boston to Durham, North Carolina, on Feb. 28, right before shelter-in-place orders began. The family moved into temporary housing a furnished apartment that is not particularly childproof, she said expecting to look for their permanent house in the weeks that followed. Instead, they are there indefinitely. And while Sonya and her husband work from the apartment with daycare closed, their 4-year-old and 1-year-old are getting more screen time than she would like with videos and iPad games serving as a digital babysitter for the kids when their parents are swamped with work. The kids get zombie-like after too much screen time, Sonya, a book publicist, said. You get your time to do your work, but theyre miserable. They dont sleep as well, they have all these frustrations they have to get out, she said. Her younger son has quickly found areas that are not childproofed. He has been climbing into drawers of a dresser that the rental apartment did not secure to the wall. He and his older brother have also toppled suitcases onto themselves while building forts. Still, Sonya said she is keeping them home as much as possible so she does not contribute to the overwhelmed health care system. We feel like our duty is to stay home and not be idiot parents who would feel horrible if my son broke his arm and we had to take him to the emergency room, she said. Not a doctor? Dont try this at home Assad, the Texas cardiologist whose son, Kian, cut his head, feels lucky that he had the medical training to help his child at home. He cleaned out the wound and trimmed the hair over it to get a better look at the cut. It was easy to push the two sides back together, and the cut was not deep, so Assad enlisted his squeamish wife to hold together their sons scalp while he used Dermabond, a medical super glue, to close it. In the emergency room, doctors likely would have used staples or sutures on such a wound, Assad admitted. Afterward, he brought Kian to a friend who is a plastic surgeon and asked him to take a look. The surgeon said Assad did a good job but warned that if the cut reopened in the following five days, he would need to take Kian to a clinic. The cut ended up healing perfectly. Kian did not display any signs of a concussion after hitting his head, so Assad felt comfortable with his decision to keep him home. While he understands other parents reluctance to go to the emergency room, he cautioned that in a true emergency, those without medical backgrounds should go. The reason why I did this is I have the experience in my training, and basically I decided to use those skills, he said. If you dont wash it properly, theres a chance of infection. Kian is back to being a happy kid now. Assad said he looks forward to eventually telling the story of how he superglued his sons head back together during a pandemic at Kians wedding. My first thought was: You have to choose this God-forsaken time to have a laceration? Assad said. I could not believe it. Even as we try to come to terms with the coronavirus pandemic which has wreaked havoc in our lives, deep-rooted sexism and misogynistic ideas have raised their ugly heads and have spewed venom with male political leaders and influential personalities blaming women for the outbreak. A report by New York Times suggested that the outbreak has been harder on men than women since more men seem to be dying from Covid-19. The article also suggested that men were at a higher risk of contracting the disease than women. Yet, women have been the worst hit in the pandemic. From abortions being declared as non-essential and consequently being banned in some countries to sexist jokes about how women should avoid nagging their partners during the lockdown, we've seen it all. Recently, a Pakistani cleric, Maulana Tariq Jamil, went on to claim on live television that women are to be blamed for the pandemic and it is because of their "sins" that mankind is suffering. Yes, "mankind" seems apt here since Jamil insinuated women were the reason why men were suffering in his country. The sins? Wearing scanty and vulgar clothes. "Who is making my nation's daughters dance. Their dresses are getting shortened. Allah sends his wrath when obscenity is common in the society" - these were his exact words. And he made these comments as Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan looked on. This is not the first time women have been targeted during the pandemic. A few days ago, the mayor of Japan's Osaka said that women shouldn't be allowed to go grocery shopping during the pandemic because they take longer and "dawdle." Ichiro Matsui told reporters last week that men should be entrusted with grocery runs because women "take a long time as they browse around and hesitate about this and that." He also said, "Men can snap up things they are told (to buy) and go, so I think it's good that they go shopping, avoiding human contact." Story continues When a city's mayor openly says that women are slow and hints that they're flimsy, shallow and easily distracted, it reveals deeply prejudiced gender roles in the country. Now you know why Japan ranked 121 out of 153 countries in the World Economic Forum's 2020 gender gap index. In March, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton declared that abortions would be banned in the state during the Covid-19 outbreak, In an argument, Paxton also said that allowing abortions to continue would further spread the virus as people getting the procedure done would be coming in contact with Covid-19 patients. As a result, hundreds of appointments were cancelled overnight. Once again, women were denied the right to their own bodies. And once again, women were told that their healthcare, which may include urgent termination of pregnancies, were deemed "non-essential." A few weeks ago, the Malaysian government also issued an advisory for women and how they should behave during the pandemic. As if years of being told how to sit, speak, walk, eat and conduct ourselves in public wasn't enough, the Malaysian government decided that women needed a crash course on "pandemic manners." Put make-up on. Avoid nagging. Speak in a squeaky cartoon cat voice. These are just some of the steps that women in Malaysia have been asked to follow by the government in order to make life easier for men and women cohabiting as couples under the coronavirus lockdown. The posters were released with the hashtag #WomenPreventCOVID19. But we fail to understand how wearing makeup and not nagging men can help women prevent coronavirus. All it can do, on the contrary, is reinforce stereotypes about women being vain and therefore having no real contribution in the fight against the virus. On that note, need we remind you that all the countries that have managed to 'flatten the curve' and curb the spread of the virus are all led by women? A few days ago, an image of women political leaders who have proved their mettle in a crisis went viral. The list included New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Adern, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Belgian Prime Minister Sophie Wilmes, Finland Prime Minister Sanna Marin, Iceland's Katrin Jakobsdottir and the Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen. These countries have not only managed to tackle the imminent danger posed by the virus but have also successfully reduced the rate at which the disease spreads - through sufficient testing, robust strategies and extraordinary determination and will power to beat the invisible enemy. And they all have one thing in common - they're all led by women. If there's one meme we could show to the men of the world who think women are the reason for the pandemic, it's this. Filmmaker Kevin Smith put his time in quarantine to good use by finishing the screenplay for the sequel of Mallrats, his cult 1995 film. Titled Twilight of the Mallrats, the film will see Jay and Silent Bob, played by Jason Mewes and Smith in many of the director's movies, starting from his debut "Clerks" in 1994, return. "Thanks in part to the #Quarantine, I finally finished a funny first draft of TWILIGHT OF THE MALLRATS'!... The #jayandsilentbob stuff is some of my favorite conceptual comedy I've ever written but the whole script is silly, sentimental and sweet. And at 98 pages, the story moves like a brakeless bullet train!, Smith wrote on Instagram. The filmmaker said many original characters from his romantic buddy comedy will also be back. "25 years after the original, Brodie Bruce will be back for an unnecessary sequel set against the Mallpocalypse! Rene, Willam, Gwen, Brandy, T.S., Trish, Mr Svenning, LaFours and the rebooted @jayandsilentbob are the returning Rats in an Askewniverse imagining about what happens when the sidewalk sales end, and happily ever after' is easier to say than live!," he said. With these various original characters returning, that means fans can hope to see the original film's stars Shannon Doherty, Jason Lee, Ethan Suplee, Joey Lauren Adams, Claire Forlani, Jeremy London, Renee Humphrey, and Sven-Ole Thorson return. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) With funding provided through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, Virginia Tech will immediately allocate $9.7 million to emergency financial aid grants for eligible students. These funds will support the universitys ongoing efforts to assist students who are experiencing financial hardships as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The changes that have been required to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and protect our communities have hit financially vulnerable students and their families especially hard, said Virginia Tech President Tim Sands. The $9.7 million CARES financial aid allocation is an important addition to the universitys existing support programs and will be passed directly to students as quickly as we can make it happen. On April 9, the U.S. secretary of education announced plans to distribute aid approved by Congress to universities to support costs associated with the educational impacts of shifting classes to online formats and for grants to students for food, housing, technology, and other purposes. The U.S. Department of Education notified institutions of these amounts with an expectation that it be delivered to students with needs as soon as possible. The $9.7 million in CARES Act support that Virginia Tech will receive is based on total student enrollment and is also weighted for the number of Pell grant eligible students. In fall 2019, Virginia Tech had a total enrollment of 29,300 undergraduate students and 7,083 graduate students. There are 4,274 students who are Pell grant eligible, which represents 14.6 percent of total undergraduate enrollment. We recognize the unprecedented financial challenges and life changes the COVID-19 situation has presented for many of our undergraduate and graduate students, and well continue to provide any support we can to help them through this difficult time, said Executive Vice President and Provost Cyril Clarke. The CARES Act funding offers us another opportunity to increase our ongoing assistance to students impacted by the pandemic and to help them refocus their attention and energy on achieving their academic goals. Whether on-campus or online, we are fully committed to the welfare and success of our students. Prior to the allocation of this federal funding, Virginia Tech was actively assisting students with a variety of emergency needs. The university is continuing this support through the Student Emergency Fund, which is administered by the Dean of Students Office, through assistance provided by the Student Opportunity and Achievement Resources (SOAR) program, and through direct appeals for additional financial aid through the Office of University Scholarships and Financial Aid. Virginia Tech will distribute this additional CARES Act-supported financial aid to both undergraduate and graduate students through a process of formula-driven distributions and expanded individual emergency support. In an effort to get relief into the hands of students and families as soon as possible, Virginia Tech will distribute the majority of the student aid support based on a formula. The formula will consider factors that include Pell grant eligibility and prior borrowing from direct subsidized or alternative loan programs. The support we are able to offer to individual students through these programs, as they currently exist, is constrained in both the number of students we can help and the level of assistance we can provide, said Luisa Havens Gerardo, vice provost for enrollment management. Nevertheless, the infusion of these additional funds under the CARES Act does create an opportunity for the university to increase the number of students receiving assistance and expand the type of needs we can help alleviate. These grants will be awarded as soon as the institution has access to the federal funding. Grants will be disbursed to student accounts resulting in the issuance of a payment directly to the student. The university will initiate payment to the student by direct deposit to the bank account on file or by check mailed to the students permanent address of record. Students who do not have direct deposit may experience a delay in receiving their payment. Those who wish to sign up for direct deposit should do so though HokieSpa. In addition to these formula-driven allocations, Virginia Tech will use a portion of the CARES Act funding to address various individual emergency needs as they are identified. A portion of the CARES Act funding will supplement the emergency relief funds of the university. Prior to receiving CARES Act funding, Virginia Tech had proactively provided financial support and relief to students to include expanding the Student Emergency Fund, refunds to students vacating on-campus housing, and rebates to parking and other select physical campus fees. The university is continuing to discuss and plan for programs to assist students during FY21. Both undergraduate and graduate students with needs, and faculty and staff who learn of students with COVID-19 related emergency financial needs should contact the Dean of Students Office at (540) 231-3787 or dean.students@vt.edu. The Dean of Students Office, in consultation with other student support offices and the office of university scholarships and financial aid, will evaluate each individual case and make appropriate additional awards of individual assistance from available emergency funds. This support is above and beyond the formula-driven awards described above. University updates and information related to COVID-19 and the various resources and forms and support and assistance available to students can be found on the Virginia Tech website. Mumbai, April 27 : For the second time in two weeks, the Maharashtra cabinet, here on Monday, urged Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari to nominate Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray as a Member of the State Legislative Council to avoid a constitutional crisis at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. The cabinet meeting, presided over by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, passed the resolution with the three Maha Vikas Aghadi allies -- the Shiv Sena, the Nationalist Congress Party and the Congress - requesting the Governor to take immediate steps. Thackeray, who took oath as the Chief Minister on November 28, 2019, is not a member of either House. As per the Constitution, he must get elected to either House of the legislature -- the Assembly or the Council -- within six months to continue in his post. In the past few days, there has been intense speculation that Thackeray may be compelled to resign if he didn't become a member of either House by May 28, possibly resulting in a huge constitutional deadlock. However, such a possibility appeared to have receded with the cabinet on April 9 formally requesting the Governor to nominate the Chief Minister to the Upper House from his quota of two seats, currently lying vacant, and reiterating the plea again on April 27. All elections have been postponed in view of the Covid-19 crisis and the MLC route for Thackeray through the Governor's quota seats would help avert a Constitutional logjam. Political experts feel it would be a major blow to the administration if Thackeray is compelled to go out of the picture as the state grapples with the Covid-19 pandemic, with Maharashtra reporting the highest number of casualties and positive cases. On April 19, the Sena had indirectly targeted the Governor for the delay in nominating Thackeray as the MLC, even as the party is examining legal options. Sena MP Sanjay Raut said he was somehow reminded of a 'shamelss' Governor, late Thakur Ram Lal, who served in the Raj Bhavan in Andhra Pradesh in the early 1980s. "Remember! History doesn't spare those who behave unconstitutionally. Samajhne walon ko ishaara kaafi hai!" Raut had tweeted on his apparent displeasure over the issue. A newborn baby boy with umbilical cord intact has been abandoned on a street in Obuasi in the Ashanti Region. The boy was discovered by Angela Kudomo, a resident of New Baakoyeden community in the Obuasi municipality, wrapped in a white knitted cloth along the Kumasi-Obuasi road shortly before daybreak. Angela then took the baby to the Obuasi Government Hospital where he is currently being cared for. The boy is believed to have been born outside of a hospital environment as there were traces of blood on his body, according to the Good Samaritan, who has since appealed to the public to assist the child to survive. It is unclear who the mother is, and the police have been informed about the incident which is being investigated. ---Daily Guide India's COVID-19 positive cases tally has reached 28,380, including 886 deaths, as per the Union Health Ministry's latest update. Of these, 21,132 are active cases while 6,361 have been cured or discharged. The data was updated at 5 pm on April 27 on the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare's website. Follow LIVE updates on the COVID-19 pandemic here With 8,068 COVID-19 cases, Maharashtra continues to be the worst-affected state, followed by Gujarat (3,301) and Delhi (2,918). 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 Serum Institute of India, on April 24, said it planned to start the production of a COVID-19 vaccine developed by the Oxford University and expected to bring it to the market by October if clinical trials were successful. Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a video-conference with chief ministers on April 27 to review the nationwide lockdown and discuss the exit strategy. S. No. Name of State / UT Total Confirmed cases (Including 111 foreign Nationals) Cured/Discharged/Migrated Death 1 Andaman and Nicobar Islands 33 11 0 2 Andhra Pradesh 1177 235 31 3 Arunachal Pradesh 1 1 0 4 Assam 36 27 1 5 Bihar 277 56 2 6 Chandigarh 30 17 0 7 Chhattisgarh 37 32 0 8 Delhi 2918 877 54 9 Goa 7 7 0 10 Gujarat 3301 313 151 11 Haryana 289 176 3 12 Himachal Pradesh 40 22 1 13 Jammu and Kashmir 523 137 6 14 Jharkhand 82 13 3 15 Karnataka 511 188 20 16 Kerala 469 342 4 17 Ladakh 20 14 0 18 Madhya Pradesh 2168 302 106 19 Maharashtra 8068 1188 342 20 Manipur 2 2 0 21 Meghalaya 12 0 1 22 Mizoram 1 0 0 23 Odisha 108 35 1 24 Puducherry 8 3 0 25 Punjab 313 71 18 26 Rajasthan 2185 518 41 27 Tamil Nadu 1885 1020 24 28 Telengana 1002 280 26 29 Tripura 2 2 0 30 Uttarakhand 51 33 0 31 Uttar Pradesh 1955 335 31 32 West Bengal 649 105 20 Total number of confirmed cases in India 28380* 6362 886 *220 cases are being assigned to states for contact tracing *States wise distribution is subject to further verification and reconciliation *Our figures are being reconciled with ICMR Below is the coronavirus cases/deaths state-wise tally: Globally, nearly 3 million cases and over 206,000 deaths have been reported during the COVID-19 outbreak. Follow our full coverage here Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 27, 2020) - Revelo Resources Corp. (TSXV: RVL) ("Revelo" or the "Company") announces that the date for the consolidation of its common shares on the basis of one (1) "new" common share for ten (10) "old" common shares has been set. Effective Wednesday, April 29, 2020, the common shares of the Company will commence trading on the TSX Venture Exchange on a consolidated basis under the same stock symbol "RVL". The new CUSIP number and ISIN are 761366202 and CA7613662021 respectively. The share consolidation was originally announced in a news release dated February 6, 2020 and subsequently approved by the TSX Venture Exchange. No fractional shares will be issued under the share consolidation. Instead, all fractional shares resulting from the consolidation of less than one-half will be rounded down to the nearest whole number, and of one-half or greater will be rounded up to the nearest whole number. Letters of transmittal describing the process by which shareholders may obtain new certificates representing their consolidated common shares will be mailed shortly to registered shareholders. Shareholders holding their shares through a broker or other intermediary and consequently not having shares registered in their name will not be required to complete a letter of transmittal. Following consolidation and subject to rounding, the Company will have 16,740,503 issued and outstanding common shares. All outstanding incentive stock options will be adjusted accordingly to reflect the share consolidation. ABOUT REVELO Revelo is a Canadian company listed on the TSX Venture Exchange (TSXV: RVL). Revelo has interests in an outstanding portfolio of projects prospective for gold and copper located along proven mineral belts in one of the world's top mining jurisdictions -Chile. The Company has a vision to reward shareholders with wealth-generating mineral discoveries along Chile's prime mineral belts, through leveraged and more efficient capital deployment, exploration, discovery and monetization. For more information, please visit Revelo's website. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD Michael Winn, Chairman INVESTOR CONTACT Timothy J Beale | President & CEO T: +1 604 687-5544 | info@reveloresources.com | www.reveloresources.com Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENT This news release contains certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical fact, that address events or developments that Revelo expects to occur, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential", "indicate" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur. Although Revelo believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/54969 World Bank veteran Oscar Chemerinski and Former Congressman Robert Wexler Named Co-Managing Partners of Firm's New Israeli Venture WASHINGTON, April 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Ballard Partners, one of the top lobbying firms in the United States, is opening an office in Tel Aviv to assist clients with government relations in Israel as well as assisting Israeli companies needing representation in the United States. The office will be headed by former World Bank Group executive Oscar Chemerinski and former Congressman Robert Wexler. "Oscar Chemerinski has had a distinguished career in international development in both the public and private sectors, and is uniquely qualified to join Robert in opening our office in Israel," said Brian Ballard, the firm's President and founder. "Before, during and since his time in Congress, Robert Wexler has been one of the leading advocates for Israel in the United States. His knowledge of the country and its political system is unparalleled, and he will bring that depth of knowledge and experience to bear on behalf of our firm's clients there." Chemerinski, based in Tel Aviv, served as the Director of the Global Corporate Coverage Group for the International Finance Corporation, the private sector arm of the World Bank Group. He was responsible for developing, managing and expanding relationships with strategic clients across the globe. Prior to that he served as Director for Manufacturing, Agribusiness and Services for Latin America and Africa, and Global Director for Agribusiness, with overall responsibility for strategy, portfolio and investment operations. He also has extensive experience as an advisor to Boards, CEO's, equity funds and investment banks on emerging markets, cross-border financing and economic development. Oscar is fluent in Spanish, English, Hebrew, Portuguese and French, and received his MBA in Finance and International Business from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business. Wexler served as a Democratic Member of Congress from 1997 to 2010, representing Florida's 19th district in the House of Representatives. Wexler was named to the Forward 50 list as one of the most influential leaders in the American Jewish community. In 2008, Congressman Wexler served as an advisor on Middle East and Israel issues to President Barack Obama during his presidential campaign. In 2012, he served on the President's reelection Steering Committee and addressed the Democratic National Convention outlining the President's policies related to Israel. Throughout his tenure in Congress, Wexler was an outspoken advocate for the unbreakable bond between the United States and Israel. He traveled on numerous congressional delegations to the Middle East and met with the leaders of Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, Kuwait, Turkey, Syria, Morocco, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman, and the Palestinian Authority. At President Clinton's invitation, he was the only member of the House of Representatives present during the signing of the Wye River Peace Agreement. The Ballard Partners Tel Aviv office is located at the Rothschild Center, Rothschild Boulevard 22, Tel Aviv, 6688218. About Ballard Partners Ballard Partners has been named by state and national publications as the leading government affairs firm in the Sunshine State. The Florida-based firm, with offices in Washington, D.C., Tel Aviv, Tallahassee, Jacksonville, West Palm Beach, Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, Orlando and Tampa, combines extensive experience in government affairs with unwavering advocacy to maximize results for the clients they serve. Visit www.ballardpartners.com for more information. Contact: Justin Sayfie justin@ballardpartners.com 202-800-5620 Appeal for witnesses launched after assault in Wrexham This article is old - Published: Monday, Apr 27th, 2020 North Wales Police are appealing for witnesses to an assault in Wrexham to come forward. The incident took place on Rose Grove in the Cartrefle area at around 1pm on Sunday 26th April 2020. Anyone who witnessed the assault is asked to contact police on 101 or using webchat quoting reference 20000241478. By Trend Minister of Education Jeyhun Bayramov held a video conference with the participation of university rectors. During the videoconference, its participants were informed about the implementation of the measures to minimize the threat of the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, which are being carried out in accordance with the instructions of the country's leadership. It was noted that in accordance with the recommendations and instructions that were given to higher education institutions, distance education has been conducted in these institutions since March of this year. To date, more than 95,000 students have joined Microsoft Teams and some other online platforms used for this purpose. Also, given the current situation in higher education institutions, an exchange of views took place on the organization of evaluation of the results of education of students in the second half of the academic year, and the Ministry made general recommendations in this regard. During the videoconference, suggestions and recommendations on topical issues were heard, and discussions were held. Speaking at the conference, Rector of Baku Higher Oil School Elmar Gasimov proposed that this year, students with academic backlogs would be exempted from making payment for their study at summer schools, which are organized by higher education institutions on a paid basis, and that universities would cover the expenses associated with the training of these students at summer schools. Elmar Gasimov noted that his proposal should be considered as part of measures aimed at minimizing the risks associated with the training of students during the pandemic and supporting families of students affected by the global virus. The conference participants hailed the rectors proposal. Oklahoma's governor has called on President Trump to declare the coronavirus pandemic an 'act of God' to help oil-producing states during the pandemic. Governor J. Kevin Stitt's pleas came as a bid to help states that rely on oil to prop up their economy to contend with a crude glut that caused futures prices to close below $0 last week for the first time. Declaring a 'force majeure' or 'act of God' would allow oil companies to halt operations without risking the cancellation of land leases for stopping production, Stitt said. Governor Stitt said in a letter to Trump that he posted on Twitter late on Saturday: 'Over-production of oil continues to threaten the economy.' Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt speaking in Oklahoma City last week. He wrote a letter to President Trump asking for help for oil-producing states by declaring the virus an 'act of God' Crude oil storage tanks pictured (above) in an aerial photograph at the Cushing oil hub in Cushing, Oklahoma Oklahoma's energy regulator said on Wednesday that producers could close money-losing wells without losing their leases, the first victory for struggling US oil companies seeking relief from states after the market crash. US production reached a record-high of near 13 million barrels per day late last year, but the pandemic has cut global consumption by 20 per cent to 30 per cent, or up to 30 million bpd. Last week, Stitt announced a plan to begin reopening some businesses that were closed in an effort to slow the spread of the virus. Beginning on Friday, the move allow some businesses such as barbershops, hair and nail salons, pet groomers and spas to reopen this week, while others can reopen within 10 days. Stitt's plan is contingent on businesses practicing social distancing and employees and customers must wear masks if they are within six feet of each other. Restaurants, movie theaters, gyms and places of worship can reopen May 1, with nurseries tied to places of worship will remain closed. But State Medical Association President Dr George Monks said the governor is moving too fast. Earlier this month, Oklahoma State Capitol saw lines of cars and protesters demonstrating against businesses being forced to close during the pandemic. Gov. Kevin Stitt's letter to President Trump calling for the coronavirus pandemic to be declared an 'act of God' Cars lining the north and south bound lanes of Lincoln Blvd. during the Let's Get Oklahoma Open For Business rally at the Oklahoma State Capitol on April 15 Bryan Hall carrying a sign as he walks along drivers during the Let's Get Oklahoma Open For Business rally in Oklahoma City earlier this month Over the past two weeks, mostly conservative activists have held protests in at least a dozen states to protest the ongoing state stay-at-home orders issued as virus deaths began to mount last month. Dr George Monks said of Stitt's plan: 'We are concerned Gov. Stitt's plan to reopen the state is hasty at best.' He added in a statement that health care providers are still treating infected patients, saying: 'To increase the danger of widespread infection by opening prematurely not only discounts their efforts, but also the sacrifices made by their loved ones.' Stitt defended his moves to reopen businesses, saying hospitalizations in the state have started to decline. He said: 'Personal care businesses can reopen for appointments only if they adhere to strict sanitation protocols and are in communities that do not have more restrictions in place. 'We had 560 people in hospitals on March 30 and we've had a nice slow decline since then.' A protester displaying a sign out of a car window during the Let's Get Oklahoma Open For Business rally But as oil prices slumped again today, Oklahoma, where 147,341 barrels per day were produced in 2010, could suffer if prices continues to fall. Today's drop came on concerns over scarce storage capacity, especially in the United States, and global economic doldrums from the virus. US oil futures led losses, falling by more than $3 a barrel on fears that storage at Cushing, Oklahoma, could reach full capacity soon. American crude inventories rose to 518.6 million barrels in the week to April 17, near the record 535 million barrels set in 2017. Cushing Oil Field was 70 per cent full in mid-April, though traders said all available space was already leased. Global economic output is expected to contract by 2 per cent this year - worse than the financial crisis - while demand has collapsed by 30 per cent because of the pandemic. In the United States, a record 26.5 million Americans have filed for unemployment benefits since mid-March and the Congressional Budget Office predicted that the economy would contract by nearly 40 per cent annually in the second quarter. Last week, Trump asked his government to come up with a way to inject cash into the ailing US drilling industry to help it survive a historic collapse in global crude oil prices. The comment comes as oil and gas companies struggle to stave off bankruptcy amid worldwide stay-at-home orders and business stoppages spurred by the coronavirus outbreak that have obliterated global demand for fuel. MadhurPure & Hygienic Sugar, the leading retail brandhas recently unveiled a new campaign on Madhur Sugar #LooseNahiMadhurSahi in collaboration with BC Web Wise to promote purchase of untouched sugar in India. The ad campaign delivered a clear message of safety in hygiene and drives awareness towards Madhur sugars benefits of it being completely untouched by hand, along with the 5S guarantee of Safed, Shudh, Samaan, Surakshit and Sulphur-free. The aim of the campaign is to reach out to consumers with the clearly defined value proposition of Madhur Sugar. At this time when everyone is supposed to maintain social distancing to stay safe, Madhur Sugars campaign reiterates the importance of purchasing clean and packaged goods. Dr. Satbir Singh Sindhu, President & Business head at Madhur Sugar said that Our intent with this campaign is to educate consumers about why it is imperative to graduate to packaged staples from a trusted brand like Madhur sugar. Through this campaign we are trying to impress upon all buyers, that hygiene is the first step to health and safety. It is advisable to cut down purchase of loose staples like sugar completely and instantly graduate to Madhur sugar, which is completely untouched by hand. One can wash vegetables,pulses and rice, but sugar cannot be washed so ensuring you only bring home a trusted brand like Madhur is critical.Madhur sugar follows all the guidelines given by the government and we will continue to ensure delivery of the safest and most hygienic sugar to our customers. In India, most of the people purchase loose products from supermarkets and local groceries which are exposed to dust, contamination and have possibilities of being handled by unclean hands. This is clearly a health hazard especially in these times. Madhur Sugar wants to reiterate how important it is to use, packaged products that are completely untouched by hand. Talked about the campaign, Chaaya Baradhwaaj, Founder & MD, BC Web Wise said; The tonality of the campaign "We aimed at making the women and homemakers realise by themselves to make informed choices! We are expecting a behavioural change through this campaign ". Multi-dimensional approach: The media platforms were strategically selected where our key target audience and decision makers were present the most across various digital touch points. With this, our campaign is estimated to reach over 11 million women. This campaign also includes celebrities like Soha Ali Khan, Karishma Tanna, Anita Hassandani and Surbhi Jyotito promote it via their social media and tapping a popular show on zee Mrs. Mukhyamantri for sponsorship. Regional communication was also vital to take such a campaign to a higher level. The campaign includes ads on Digital OTT platforms like; Sony Liv app, ZEE5 app and Voot too in four languages (Hindi, Gujarati, Marathi & Hinglish). To drive awareness and heighten the reach further, it will be promoted via Facebook Ads, google display ads. RFE/RL Says Kadyrov Threat To Journalist Part Of Dangerous Trend RFE/RL has called on Russian authorities to secure the safety of journalists and their relatives in Chechnya after regional strongman Ramzan Kadyrov openly threatened the broadcaster's North Caucasus Service chief, Aslan Doukaev. Last week, Kadyrov threatened Novaya Gazetas Yelena Milashina after she published an article critical of the regions response to the coronavirus. INCIDENTS AND THREATS How Is Russian State Media Covering The Coronavirus Pandemic In The U.S.? According to Russias Channel 1, They say people will be buried in mass graves...The bodies of the dead are already being stored in Central Park...Trailers intended for transporting food are being hastily converted to storage for dead bodies...The country is expecting a new September 11th and Pearl Harbor combined. Gruesome scenes of overcrowded hospitals and makeshift cemeteries are combined with claims about the incompetence of American medicine and the failed policies of American authorities to create a mood of apocalypse and panic and suggest the entire country is falling apart. (video) EU Monitors See Coordinated COVID-19 Disinformation Effort By Iran, Russia, China EU monitors have identified a trilateral convergence of disinformation narratives being promoted by China, Iran, and Russia on the coronavirus pandemic and say they are being multiplied in a coordinated manner, according to an internal document seen by RFE/RL. Russias Regional Journalists Face Pressure From Authorities As Pandemic Spreads Commenting on reports about the coronavirus on the Internet, Tomsk Governor Sergey Zhvachkin announced, it is paramilitary time, the state knows your names and addresses, and if you cross the border, we will be forced to stop you. RFE/RL St. Petersburg journalist Tatyana Voltskaya said that after she interviewed an intensive care doctor about the city's healthcare system, she received a call from law enforcement agencies. Maria Bukhtueva, editor-in-chief of TVK TV in Krasnoyarsk, says, "The recent law against fake news about epidemics is another way to get rid of unwanted journalists...The government does not want to work properly with the media, it prefers to dodge and use threats. Ukraine Targeted By 'Unprecedented' Coronavirus 'Infodemic Long on the frontlines of Europes information wars, Ukraine has now also become a hot spot for what the World Health Organization terms an infodemic of conspiracy theories, disinformation, and fake news about COVID-19. Facebook, the countrys most popular social network, expanded its Ukrainian fact-checking operations in March, signing on the local groups StopFake and VoxCheck as partners. U.S. Ambassador Slams 'Egregious' Charges Against Journalists In Russia In an online briefing on April 22, Ambassador Sullivan called extremism charges brought against RFE/RL Pskov-based contributor Svetlana Prokopyeva egregious, and slammed threats issued by Chechen strongman Ramzan Kadyrov against RFE/RL North Caucasus Service Chief Aslan Doukaev. Sullivan said the embassy is following the cases closely, adding, Unfortunately freedom of the press is under pressure today in Russia. U.S. Congressmen Criticize Tajikistan Over RFE/RL Accreditation U.S. Representatives Adam Schiff and Steve Chabot have addressed a bipartisan letter to Tajik President Emomali Rahmon about the governments continuing refusal to accredit RFE/RL journalists and other harassment, urging the Tajik authorities to let RFE/RL's operations "continue unabated." Five Journalists With Bulgarias Nova Television Removed RFE/RLs Bulgarian Service reported on April 14 that five leading journalists have been removed from the popular Nova Television channel. The move follows the sacking of additional correspondents earlier. Reporters Without Borders ranked Bulgaria in 111th place in its latest World Press Freedom Index and called the country the black sheep of the EU. HRW Says Azerbaijan Abuses COVID-19 Restrictions To Crack Down On Critics Human Rights Watch has accused Azerbaijani authorities of "abusing" restrictions imposed to slow the spread of the coronavirus to arrest government critics. In less than a month, at least six opposition activists and a pro-opposition journalist were sentenced to detention of up to 30 days on "spurious charges," an April 16 statement says. Almaty Court Says Police Inaction On Attacks Against RFE/RL Reporters Was Illegal A Kazakh court has ruled that an investigation should continue into the failure of police to act against individuals who attacked RFE/RL reporters and hindered their professional activities during mass anti-government rallies in Almaty in March 2019. The Almaty City Investigation Court on April 15 agreed with a lawsuit filed by Aiman Omarova, a lawyer for RFE/RL, against police and asking for a deeper investigation of the incident where several unknown people aggressively covered RFE/RL cameras with newspapers and began physically and verbally abusing them. RSF 2020 Index: Eastern Europe and Central Asia Clampdown Continues Almost everywhere in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, strongmen are consolidating their grip on news and information. The increasing expertise in new technologies that the regions authoritarian or unstable regimes are acquiring could result in more censorship of the media. The regional heavyweights, Moscow and Ankara, continue to set a bad example. RFE/RL IMPACT CURRENT TIME: Among the networks unique reporting on how the coronavirus pandemic is affecting the lives of ordinary Russians, a social video documenting one patients perspective from a hospital bed in the purpose-built Demikhov hospital has attracted over 5.5 million views across social networks. An April 13 interview with a small-business owner who publicly urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to pick up the pace on helping Russian businesses respond to the coronavirus pandemic has attracted 2.35 million views across social networks. Cafe manager Anastasia Tatulova told Current Time, We constantly read about some measures, but, unfortunately, not a single one of these measures has anything to do with me and my business.Tatulova was later removed from a government commission on small and medium businesses. A social video based on an interview with a truck driver attracted more than 2.3 million views across social networks. The driver, who had been blocked from entering Moscow because of new measures requiring e-permits, cited the Russian constitution and other legislation to argue that Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanins fiat defies the rule of law. GEORGIA: RFE/RLs Georgian Service has continued its rigorous coverage of the Covid-19 outbreak, despite restrictions that limit journalists ability to report from the field. Recent reporting has focused on elucidating Russian propaganda and disinformation about the pandemic -- including anti-American and anti-EU narratives-- by exposing the direct connections between Georgian online platforms and Russian fake news sources. AFGHANISTAN: RFE/RLs Afghan Service gained unique access to a makeshift clinic west of Kabul in an area under control by Taliban militants. The rare report from an all-but forbidden place showed that some insurgents appear to be taking the threat from COVID-19 seriously. The video report generated 370,000 views on the Services Dari and Pashto Facebook pages and almost upwards of 900 comments. MAJLIS PODCAST: The Coronavirus As A Means To Strengthen Control HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH WEBINAR: Covid-19 and Crackdown in Central Asia BRIEFLY: Award-Winning RFE/RL Belarus Journalist Says Reporters Vaccinated Against Fear (video) PRESSROOM: As Coronavirus Spreads, Authorities Target RFE/RL Journalists In Effort To Control Information For years, Bay Area commuters shared a daily ritual. They packed cheek-by-elbow into a stuffy BART train, or pushed their way onto Muni Metro, or crammed together in buses that seemed to lurch with all the weight. In a region where the whole economy depended on pumping everyone downtown, crowding was a sign of success. Then the coronavirus swept in, forcing workers to stay home and upending the norms of highways and transit in ways that no one had ever expected. Muni officials shut down the light rail at the end of March, wrapping the entrances in caution tape. BART, facing losses of $37 million a month, cut service in half. Freeways and bridges emptied out. Commuting may look strikingly different when these systems hobble back, retooled for an era of remote work and social distancing. Riders who loved the bustle and conviviality of transit are now grappling with a rush hour that resembles the 1970s, when people tended to isolate themselves in cars. I havent been on a Muni bus in seven weeks, and it feels so weird, said Cat Carter, head of the grassroots advocacy group San Francisco Transit Riders. John Blanchard Before her office closed on March 7, Carter rode buses and BART trains up to four times a day. Now she doesnt expect to return until everyones fully habituated to wearing masks and washing hands all the time, and cities have the technology to do widespread contact tracing. She has no idea when that will be. Across the region, commuters, business leaders and agencies are preparing for a leaner transportation future. Shelter-in-place kept people out of cars, unclogging busy freeways and draining bridge toll revenue. Transit agencies slashed service as fare and parking revenues cratered, and a looming recession threatened to drain sales tax revenue as well. Buses and BART trains rattled through neighborhoods carrying only one or two passengers. The timeline for major infrastructure projects, including the second BART tube and the extension through downtown San Jose, seemed even more uncertain. The stay-at-home period also opened the door for experimentation. Oakland, San Francisco and other cities began closing streets to automobiles. Widespread remote working has produced the traffic-free utopia that some environmentalists had dreamed about, in which people travel only as far as they can walk or bike. Previously, it always seemed out of reach. Yet going forward, Bay Area residents may have to accept a bare-bones transportation system for months even years as the state struggles to ramp up testing and develop a COVID-19 vaccine. At some point during this period, the economy will open back up. But that doesnt mean people need to go back to the office, said Steve Heminger, a board director at the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency. Are we returning to an old normal after this is over, or are we advancing to a new normal? Heminger mused. My vote is probably the latter. Some companies have allowed remote work for years, but its never been enough to make a dent in rush hour crowds on BART, or thin congestion on the Bay Bridge. That all changed when the coronavirus shifted much of the tech-fueled Bay Area into bedrooms and home offices. If the trend sticks, it would reduce demand for office space downtown and lift strain off the transportation system, Heminger said. Emeryville City Councilman John Bauters agreed. He wants companies to provide employees the option to telecommute up to two or three days a week. Maybe the person who owns a car only for work could make the decision not to have a car, Bauters said. To push it further, he suggested tax credits for people who trade their car in for a bicycle. Malcolm Heinicke, the outgoing board chairman of the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, isnt convinced that remote working will become ubiquitous. He pointed to previous disasters including the Loma Prieta earthquake and 9/11 that might have scared people away from downtown skyscrapers. But they came flocking back, he said, and the Financial District continued to blossom. Do I think well see more video meetings and less unnecessary travel? Sure, he said. But I think those changes will be at the margins. ... People will start commuting back to office buildings, because thats who we are, and thats what we do. Still, as agencies prepare to approve their budgets for the coming year, theyre bracing for a period of austerity. 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. Prior to the pandemic, Bay Area officials treated transportation as a problem of supply, Heminger said. Projecting that San Francisco would add 300,000 jobs by 2040, BART and Amtrak were ironing out plans for a second transbay rail crossing. The state was investing heavily in ferries as South Bay politicians pressed for tax measures to beef up Caltrains fleet and extend its track into downtown San Francisco. Construction of the first segment of high-speed rail from the Central Valley to Silicon Valley was well under way. Now, transportation leaders have to shift focus to demand, Heminger said. That could mean offering incentives to companies that stagger work schedules to keep more people at home. Or it could mean imposing congestion pricing when traffic builds back up, because the region wont have money to widen highways or build a new BART extension. Then officials have to confront a new quandary: how to steer an apprehensive public back to mass transit. For BART, a sprawling service that cant easily shuffle expenses around, the situation is particularly dire. BARTs finance team is examining scenarios in which the number of riders inches up to 20% of normal in July, then grows by 1% a month until scientists develop a vaccine. However, officials cant keep cutting back service just because fewer people need it. BART and buses provide a lifeline for people who cant telecommute: the nurses, custodians and grocery store clerks who became the face of the coronavirus response, and the hotel clerks, restaurant servers and teachers who will be the face of the economic recovery. These are the employees that will come back and find jobs, and need transit to get to work, said state Sen. Jim Beall, a Democrat from San Jose who chairs the Senate transportation committee. If we have a weak transit system, I dont think were going to rebound, he added. Bay Area transit may need bailouts that climb into the billions, rivaling the $4 billion stimulus package that leaders in New York City are seeking for its own subway system. Even so, the crisis could be an opportunity. If the federal government puts together an infrastructure plan, and Bay Area leaders make a strong sales pitch, then a project like the second transbay tube could serve the same role that the Bay Bridge served in the Great Depression by creating thousands of jobs. I think its a good long-term bet to continue with those projects, said David Bragdon, head of TransitCenter, a nonprofit think tank in New York City. Others fear the political will for major infrastructure is waning. Some worry that mass transit may limp along with low numbers of riders long after people emerge from their homes. If commuters are wary of contact with others, theyll revert back to private automobiles, said Randy Rentschler, legislative director of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission. My joke to friends is go out and drive now and enjoy it, he said. Because when the economy picks up, freeway congestion is going to come roaring back. Rachel Swan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: rswan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @rachelswan [April 27, 2020] GREEN DOT INVESTIGATION INITIATED by Former Louisiana Attorney General: Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC Investigates the Officers and Directors of Green Dot Corporation - GDOT Former Attorney General of Louisiana, Charles C. Foti, Jr., Esq., a partner at the law firm of Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC ("KSF"), announces that KSF has commenced an investigation into Green Dot Corporation (NYSE: GDOT). On May 8, 2019, the Company disclosed an "erosion in the number of legacy product line, non-direct deposit active accounts," that its strategy "to attract high-value long-term customers" at the expense of low value customers had negatively affected performance, and a $60 million investment "for the purpose of aggressively marketing our new products." On August 8, 2019 the Company disappointed investors when it disclosed its 2Q2019 results including cuts to earnings guidance due to "an acceleration in declining unit sales in our legacy prepaid card product line combined with a later than expected launch of our new and limited product." Then, on November 7, 2019, the Company announced its 3Q2019 results including a continuing decline in its active consumer business of approximately 620,000 accounts. Finally, on December 18, 2019, the Company disclosed the departure of both its Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer. Thereafter, the Company and certain of its executives were suedin a securities class action lawsuit, charging them with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws. KSF's investigation is focusing on whether Green Dot's officers and/or directors breached their fiduciary duties to Green Dot's shareholders or otherwise violated state or federal laws. If you have information that would assist KSF in its investigation, or have been a long-term holder of Green Dot shares and would like to discuss your legal rights, you may, without obligation or cost to you, call toll-free at 1-877-515-1850 or email KSF Managing Partner Lewis Kahn ([email protected]), or visit https://www.ksfcounsel.com/cases/nyse-gdot/ to learn more. About Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC KSF, whose partners include former Louisiana Attorney General Charles C. Foti, Jr., is one of the nation's premier boutique securities litigation law firms. KSF serves a variety of clients - including public institutional investors, hedge funds, money managers and retail investors - in seeking recoveries for investment losses emanating from corporate fraud or malfeasance by publicly traded companies. KSF has offices in New York, California and Louisiana. To learn more about KSF, you may visit www.ksfcounsel.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200427005871/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Ambuja Cements, HDFC Life Insurance Company and IndusInd Bank will declare their results today, 27 April 2020. Tata Steel on Friday (24 April) said its board has approved proposal to raise up to Rs 5,000 crore through issuance of non convertible debentures (NCDs) on private placement basis in one or more tranches. BrickworkRatings (BWR) assigned 'A1+' rating for Titan Company's proposed commercial paper issue of Rs 900 crore. Further, the rating on the company's bank loan facilities of Rs 5000 crore was reaffirmed. The rating on the proposed long term cash credit of Rs 1000 crore was reaffirmed at 'BWR AAA/stable'. The rating on the short term gold metal loan of Rs 2735 crore and the rating on the proposed short term gold metal loan of Rs 1265 crore was reaffirmed at 'BWR A1+'. ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Company's consolidated net profit fell 31.52% to Rs 178.73 crore in Q4 March 2020 as against Rs 261.02 crore in Q4 March 2019. Net premium earned rose 4.16% to Rs 10,475.12 crore in Q4 March 2020 from Rs 10,056.32 crore in Q4 March 2019. Profit before Tax (PBT) declined 38.49% to Rs 170.90 crore in Q4 March 2020 over Q4 March 2019. Mumbai-based Anamudi Real Estates LLP (AREL) purchased an additional 2.99 lakh equity shares, or 0.32% stake, of Sobha via open market on 22 April 2020. Following the transaction, AREL's stake in Sobha has increased to 5.19% from 4.87% held earlier. Sobha made the disclosure on Saturday, 25 April 2020. Dwarikesh Sugar Industries said it will start production of hand sanitizers at its unit at Dwarikesh Nagar, Bijnore, Uttar Pradesh from 25 April 2020. Bank of Baroda (BoB) on Friday (24 April 2020) said its board has approved raising up to Rs 13,500 crore by 31 March 2021 (FY21) and beyond if found expedient. Torrent Pharmaceuticals said it issued non-convertible debentures (NCDs) worth Rs 195 crore on private placement basis on 24 April 2020. On a consolidated basis, Mindtree's net profit rose 4.7% to Rs 206.2 crore on a 4.3% increase in revenue to Rs 2050.5 crore in Q4 March 2020 over Q3 December 2019. Consolidated EBITDA for Q4 March 2020 stood at Rs 351.20 crore, rising 14.7% compared with Rs 3,063 reported in Q3 December 2019. EBITDA margin rose to 17.1% in Q4 March 2020 from 15.6% reported in Q3 December 2019. Natco Pharma announced closure of inspection with an Establishment Inspection Report (EIR) from USFDA for the pre-approval inspection conducted at its formulations facility in Kothur village, Telangana. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A once celebrated Native author who was the subject of sexual harassment allegations two years ago reappeared on the very popular Social Distance Powwow group on Facebook, frustrating many leaders in the #MeToo and missing and murdered Indigenous women movements. Administrators for the group, which now boasts nearly 172,000 members after launching amid the worst public health crisis in Indian Country in decades, later apologized for the decision to include Sherman Alexie in the broadcast on Sunday afternoon, Eastern time. The live show also featured actors from the 1998 film Smoke Signals Adam Beach (Victor Joseph) and Dr. Evan Adams (Thomas Builds-the-Fire). Alexie wrote the short story upon which the movie was based. The Social Distance Powwow would like to formally acknowledge concerns that were raised about the Smoke Signals Edition of SDP, they wrote after the broadcast generated significant controversy on Facebook. The invitation for this session went only to Dr. Evan Adams, and he invited Adam Beach and Sherman (Alexie)." "Note that Sherman (Alexies) attendance was not known to the SDP Co-Founders until shortly before the live show, as evidenced by the posters that were put up for this event, and want to sincerely apologize for any anger, hurt, upset, or other bad feelings due to his presence, the administrators said. A flyer for the "Smoke Signals" edition circulated prior to the Social Distance Powwow broadcast on April 26, 2020, featured Adam Beach and Evan Adams. Image: Social Distance Powwow The live broadcast was removed from the Social Distance Powwow page later in the day, and one of the pages co-founders, Dan Simonds, told Indianz.Com that he planned to host a second live show on Monday evening addressing the concerns raised by Alexies inclusion in the earlier show. It was all a surprise to me, he said of Alexie appearing in the broadcast. A flyer posted on the Social Distance Powwow page promoting the broadcast didnt mention Alexie, he said, because no one knew Alexie would be appearing until the last minute. I didnt know Alexies past, or it wasnt at the forefront of my mind, said Simonds, a Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation citizen living in Bozeman, Montana. This wasnt intentional on my end. Whitney Rencountre, a Crow Creek Sioux tribal citizen living in Rapid City, South Dakota, and one of the three administrators for the Social Distance Powwow page, moderated on Sundays broadcast with Adams, Evans and Alexie. He said he asked Adams to serve as a guest host on the page and didnt know he was going to include Alexie until shortly before the show started. We understand everyones sentiment on that, Rencountre told Indianz.Com. He said he knew Alexie had been the subject of criticism in the past but didnt know the details of those concerns. I knew there was something that happened historically, Rencountre said. I didnt have any role in inviting him. I let Evan Adams host a show and thats how that came about. Being all of 6 years old, Zak Hoops just couldnt understand why the powwows he attends were being canceled because of... Posted by Indianz.Com on Monday, March 30, 2020 Alexie, the award-winning author of such books as The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian and The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven, was the subject of a social media campaign and news articles in 2018 detailing allegations of unethical behavior toward female fans and co-workers Those allegations began that January with anonymous comments made on a story about sexual harassment in childrens publishing on the School Library Journals website Within weeks, other allegations culminated with a statement being released by Alexie in which he admitted to having treated some women badly but also criticized a Seattle author and freelance journalist, Litsa Dremousis, for leading the public attacks against him. March 5, 2018, story by National Public Radio presented the first public allegations of harassment against Alexie. The story quoted three of 10 women who were interviewed by NPR about their encounters with Alexie. Sherman Alexie speaks at Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona, on April 22, 2016, during an event hosted by the ASU RED INK Indigenous Initiative for All: Collaboration and Creativity at Work. Photo: ASU Department of English The women described a pattern of behavior by the married author that ranged from inappropriate comments to flirting that veered suddenly into sexual territory, unwanted sexual advances and consensual sexual relations that ended abruptly, according to NPR. Following the NPR story, the American Indian Library Association rescinded the Best Young Adult Book it gave to Alexie in 2008 for The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, citing sexual harassment claims against the prominent Native author. Since the allegations surfaced two years, Alexie has remained reclusive, and his appearance Sunday on the Social Distance Powwow page was a shock to some. Jacqueline Keeler , who is Dine and Yankton Dakota and a journalist and editor-in-chief of Pollen Nation Magazine , said she attempted to educate people about the allegations against Alexie during Sundays broadcast but was quickly banned from commenting. Keeler wrote about the allegations against Alexie for YES! Magazine and spent weeks interviewing women who claimed to have been harassed by Alexie. She said she also interviewed women whose careers Alexie hurt after they declined his sexual advances, including one woman whose book manuscript was never published because of Alexies efforts to prevent that from happening. He acted as a gatekeeper to publishing, Keeler told Indianz.Com. I dont think he ever did apologize. She said allowing Alexie to appear in such a light-hearted program without addressing the allegations against him sends a powerful and damaging message to victims of sexual assault and harassment. Are we telling young women that they dont matter? Keeler said. This is not believing women. So, Sherman Alexie is rehabilitated after his numerous #MeToo allegations? Are we okay with that now? pic.twitter.com/KJDDvaXesR Jacqueline Keeler (@jfkeeler) April 26, 2020 She said shes concerned that the Social Distance Powwow page is beginning to mirror real powwows, where sexual predators are often allowed to participate and are even glorified. Its just sort of a way of silencing us and making our issues go away, Keeler told Indianz.Com. Its an aggressive act. Stephanie Hebert, a Mikmaq living in Ennis, Texas, and one of the Social Distance Powwow pages administrators, said she and Simonds and Recountre plan to revisit their policies regarding guests in light of the backlash to Sundays Smoke Signals show. None of us condone violence of any kind, towards any person, at any time, Hebert told Indianz.Com. If we were aware of the status of Sherman, we would have strongly reconsidered this broadcast and whom was featured. We sincerely apologize for any and all hurt this may have caused, and our intent was to uplift the community, and to provide a positive outlet for our communities. "I think he has to pay some kind of price" -- Sherman Alexie caused hurt even before sexual harassment scandal #MeToo #TimesUp https://t.co/W8Gfz8pZLS pic.twitter.com/NQthCBw00m indianz.com (@indianz) March 6, 2018 A time for the Social Distance Powwow broadcast on the evening of April 27 hasn't been confirmed as of late Sunday afternoon. Plans originally called for one to take place later on Sunday but administrators held off after taking advice from leaders in the missing and murdered Indigenous women movement. "We want to be sure we have qualified individuals to speak appropriately and in an informed way, and not in a rushed manner," Hebert told Indianz.Com. 'Smoke Signals Edition': Social Distance Powwow Join the Conversation Related Stories A South Korean official has said that Kim Jong-uns absence from the public eye suggests he has not been working as normal, amid mounting speculation that the North Korean leader has fallen ill. Although the South Korean government has dismissed rumours regarding Mr Kims health, insisting on Sunday that he is alive and well, questions persist. Yoon Sang-hyun, chairman of the foreign and unification committee in South Koreas National Assembly, told a gathering of experts on Monday the leaders prolonged absence indicated he has not been working as normal. There has not been any report showing hes making policy decisions as usual since 11 April, which leads us to assume that he is either sick or being isolated because of coronavirus concerns, Mr Yoon said. Speculation over Mr Kims health began after he failed to make a public appearance at a key state holiday on 15 April, and has since remained out of sight. Kim Jong-un: Power in pictures Show all 20 1 /20 Kim Jong-un: Power in pictures Kim Jong-un: Power in pictures Kim Jong-un rides a horse during snowfall in Mount Paektu in this image released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency on 16 October 2019 Reuters Kim Jong-un: Power in pictures Kim Jong-un visits the newly built Pyongyang Orphans' Primary School on 2 February 2017 AFP/Getty Kim Jong-un: Power in pictures Kim Jong-un inspects a women's company under Unit 5492 of the Korean People's Army in November 2019 AFP/Getty Kim Jong-un: Power in pictures Kim Jong-un inspects the test-fire of intercontinental ballistic missile Hwasong-14 at an undisclosed location in July 2017 AFP/Getty Kim Jong-un: Power in pictures Kim Jong-un celebrates the successful test-fire of the intercontinental ballistic missile Hwasong-14 at an undisclosed location in July 2017 AFP/Getty Kim Jong-un: Power in pictures Kim Jong-un inspects a potato at the Samjiyon Potato Factory in North Korea in October 2018 AFP/Getty Kim Jong-un: Power in pictures Kim Jong-un rides a horse through a forest in this image released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency on 16 October 2019 EPA Kim Jong-un: Power in pictures Kim Jong-un inspects a block of frozen fish at a processing facility in North Korea in November 2018 Reuters Kim Jong-un: Power in pictures Kim Jong-un celebrates the succeful launch of a strategic submarine-launched ballistic missile in August 2016 AFP/Getty Kim Jong-un: Power in pictures Kim Jong-un shakes hands with Donald Trump as they meet for the first time at the Capella Hotel on Sentosa island in Singapore in June 2018 Reuters Kim Jong-un: Power in pictures Kim Jong-un and Donald Trump share a glance as they meet in the Demilitarised Zone in Panmunjon, Korea in June 2019 AFP/Getty Kim Jong-un: Power in pictures Kim Jong-un inspects mushrooms at Pyongyang Mushroom Farm AFP/Getty Kim Jong-un: Power in pictures Kim Jong-un inspects a super-large multiple rocket launcher ahead of a test in September 2019 Reuters Kim Jong-un: Power in pictures Kim Jong-un inspects an apple farm in South Hwanghae Province in September 2017 AFP/Getty Kim Jong-un: Power in pictures Kim Jong-un inspects an apple farm in South Hwanghae Province in September 2017 AFP/Getty Kim Jong-un: Power in pictures Kim Jong-un inspects dental wares at a newly built factory in June 2017 AFP/Getty Kim Jong-un: Power in pictures Kim Jong-un visits Farm No 1116 in September 2017 AFP/Getty Kim Jong-un: Power in pictures Kim Jong-un visits a motor factory in November 2017 AFP/Getty Kim Jong-un: Power in pictures Kim Jong-un rides a horse during snowfall in Mount Paektu in this image released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency on 16 October 2019 AFP/Getty Kim Jong-un: Power in pictures Kim Jong-un inspects the Command of the Strategic Force of the Korean People's Army at an undisclosed location in August 2017 AFP/Getty Reuters claimed that China had sent a team of medical experts to advise on Mr Kim last Thursday, days after a report by the Seoul-based Daily NK newspaper cited an anonymous source who claimed the leader had undergone heart surgery. South Korea media has also reported that the leader, believed to be 36-years-old, may be in isolation to avoid exposure to the coronavirus though North Korea says it has no confirmed cases of Covid-19. Addressing the fervent speculation, a senior foreign policy adviser to South Korean president Moon Jae-in said there was nothing suspicious about Mr Kims recent movements. Our government position is firm, Chung-in Moon told Fox News. Kim Jong Un is alive and well. He has been staying in the Wonsan area since 13 April. No suspicious movements have so far been detected. At a closed door forum on Sunday, South Koreas Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul, who oversees engagement with the North, said the government has the intelligence capabilities to say with confidence that there were no indications of anything unusual. Mr Chung-ins suggestion that the North Korean leader may be staying out of Pyongyang was lent further credence on Saturday by satellite images published by 38 North, a website specialising in North Korea studies. The pictures showed a train likely belonging to Mr Kim parked at his Wonsan compound on the countrys east coast since at least 21 April. It had not been present on 15 April, the websites researchers said. The trains presence does not prove the whereabouts of the North Korean leader or indicate anything about his health, but it does lend weight to reports that Kim is staying at an elite area on the countrys eastern coast, they added. Mr Kims health is of crucial importance due to concern that the serious illness or death of a leader venerated by many North Koreans could cause instability in the impoverished, nuclear-armed country. While North Korea makes it virtually impossible for outsiders to determine what is happening at senior levels within the country, South Koreas main spy agency also has a mixed record on confirming developments north of the border. Few outsiders knew of Kim Jong-ils death in December 2011 until it was reported by North Koreas state media two days later. On Sunday, North Korean state newspaper Rodong Sinmun reported that Mr Kim had sent his gratitude to workers who contributed to the construction of the city of Samjiyon. Continuing speculation over Mr Kims healths comes as the South Korean government said that it will seek realistic and practical ways for cooperation with North Korea upon the second anniversary of the Panmunjom Declaration. The declaration, which outlined efforts to end the Korean conflict and move towards denuclearisation of the peninsula, was signed by Mr Moon and Mr Kim during their first summit on 27 April 2018, at the inter-Korean border village of Panmunjom. Additional reporting by agencies TDT | Manama National security is the foundation of development, Interior Minister General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa said yesterday. The Interior Minister was speaking during a lecture for the participants of the second national defence course and the 12th command and staff course, held at the Royal College of Command, Staff and National Defence. The Interior Minister asserted that the reform project of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa has a crucial role in reinforcing the Bahraini identity and protecting national values, as it promotes the spirit of belonging to the nation. The Interior Minister quoted HM the King, saying: The citizen is an active partner to public security forces in carrying their missions and duties towards society. The Interior Minister emphasised the importance of security for all, and the role of all to achieve it. He highlighted internal security measures, border control, crisis and disaster management, and international support and cooperation during his lecture. He said that the security efforts to fight the coronavirus (COVID-19) in Bahrain has included disinfection procedures of the Civil Defence that reached more than 15,000 operations in the last two months. The Interior Minister said that these efforts are part of the missions of Team Bahrain, which works under the supervision of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister. He added that the Directorate of Transportation has transported around 9,000 suspected and infected coronavirus cases, along with those who were in contact with active cases, through specially equipped vehicles, in cooperation with concerned authorities. He also discussed the unique awareness campaign of the police media and the logistical support to the various Interior Ministry directorates to promote the fight against COVID-19. The Interior Minister asserted during his lecture indicating factors that reflect the stability of security in Bahrain, such as the reduction in crimes, including public security-related crimes as part of the counterterrorism efforts of security authorities. He also tackled the achievement of the Interior Ministry in developing smart policing and expanding the use of security cameras and artificial intelligence. He revealed that the Civil Defence, the Coast Guard and the Criminal Investigation Directorate had tackled 16,000 cases in all in 2019. At the end of his lecture, the Interior Minister answered questions from the attendees. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-27 03:57:29|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Anthony Fauci (front), director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), speaks during a press conference on the coronavirus at the White House in Washington D.C., the United States, March 4, 2020. (Photo by Ting Shen/Xinhua) COVID-19 testing needs to be doubled before the United States reopens the economy, said Anthony Fauci, the nation's top expert on infectious disease. The United States is currently averaging 1.5 million and 2 million tests per week. WASHINGTON, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Anthony Fauci, director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said the country will be able to double its COVID-19 testing capacity over the next several weeks, which is needed to safely reopen portions of the economy, according to The Hill on Sunday. Fauci made the remarks in a webcast hosted by the National Academy of Sciences on Saturday. He said the United States is currently averaging between 1.5 million and 2 million tests per week. "We probably should get up to twice that as we get into the next several weeks, and I think we will," Fauci was quoted by The Hill as saying. "Testing is an important part of what we're doing, but it is not the only part." High rates of positive results generally mean that not enough individuals are getting tested, Fauci said. Fauci cautioned against getting "fixated" on the amount of testing kits available, according to The Hill. He said it is more important to ensure "you have enough tests to respond to the outbreaks that will inevitably occur as you try and ease your way back into the different phases." Chairs and tables are seen outside a closed restaurant in Washington D.C., the United States, on April 24, 2020. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) The United States continues to see a soaring number of confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths, as over 956,000 cases and 54,000 deaths have been reported nationwide as of Sunday afternoon, according to Johns Hopkins University's tally. Last week, U.S. President Donald Trump unveiled guidelines for a phased reopening of parts of the economy disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Some states have started reopening portions of their businesses over the weekend. If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this Got news tips, gossip, suggestions, complaints?E-mail us: progressivecharlestown@gmail.com We strive to avoid errors in our articles. Our correction policy can be found here The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) under the procedural guidance of the Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine (PGO) has finished a pre-trial investigation into the case against Head of Kherson Regional Council Vladyslav Manher and Oleksiy Levin, an adviser to a member of the regional council, who are suspected of being engaged in organizing an attack on activist Kateryna Handziuk, the SBU said. "All files are ready, the SBU employees did their job professionally and collected necessary evidence in order to clearly prove the prosecution's position in court. I hope the case will be considered in the first turn. The perpetrators and instigators of the murder of Kateryna Handziuk will be punished just as they deserve," Chief of the SBU Ivan Bakanov said. According to the investigation, Manher is suspected of organizing an attack with infliction of serious bodily harm to Handziuk, which caused her death, in collusion with Levin. "Manher and Levin are suspected of having committed crimes under Part 3 of Article 27, Part 2 of Article 28 and Part 2 of Article 121 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine," the SBU said. The investigators have notified the suspects, their defense teams, the victims and their representatives of the completion of the pre-trial investigations. All of the sides have received access to the files of the case. "As soon as the sides familiarize themselves with the materials of the criminal case, they will be sent to court for consideration," it said. A university police officer in Metairie, Louisiana, critically wounded a 14-year-old boy after shooting him in the head early in the morning on April 17. The boy, who has not been publicly identified, survived the shooting but remains in a local hospital in critical condition. The officer, identified on Wednesday as William Daniel Short, who was off duty at the time, was apparently awakened by noises outside his home in the New Orleans suburb of Metairie last Friday morning at around 3 a.m. Short told detectives that he went outside with his gun when he heard an alarm going off. There he saw three teens by his car. After an altercation the three teens ran off. It is then that Short claims he thought he saw a muzzle flash and quickly responded by firing a single shot hitting the young boy in the head. Police investigators claim that Short apparently mistook a cell phone lighting up in the teens hand for a muzzle flash. It was later revealed that the flash on his phone was a notification feature of an incoming phone call. Jefferson Parish Sheriff Joseph Lopinto gave a press conference soon after the incident describing the altercation but declined to answer as to whether Short, who works on the police force of Southern University at New Orleans, had been arrested for the shooting. According to Lopinto, Short was not acting as a police officer in this situation, and he would be treated as both a victim and as a suspect. No charges have yet been filed. The other teens who were later questioned told the police they had snuck out in the night to go on a joyride in one of their parents cars. It was when they decided to park the car and get out that the alarm went off and woke up the off-duty police officer. For his part Lopinto stated that regardless of what happened the youths should not have been out in the first place, Good, bad or indifferent, no matter what, we had several juveniles that were out at 3:00 in the morning when they shouldnt have been out, said Lopinto. The other boys involved in the incident have been interviewed, but no arrests were made. Responding to a welfare check, police in Albuquerque, New Mexico, tase and shoot man to death Albuquerque police recently release body cam footage showing the fatal shooting of an unarmed man last month. On March 30 two police officers tased and shot to death 52-year-old Valente Acosta-Bustillos while responding to a call for a welfare check. Acosta, who was holding a shovel and doing yard work when the police approached, had been out of contact with his family for days. Fearing for his safety, his daughter called the Albuquerque police department to do a check-up on him. When police arrived they ran his name and found a warrant for his arrest. The footage shows the initially calm interaction between Acosta and the two officers. When they return to attempt to arrest Acosta, he flees inside his home with the shovel in hand. In a matter of seconds after being told to drop the shovel, Acosta is tased and then shot three times. After barricading himself in his bathroom he can be heard screaming for a few minutes before going silent. When the officers eventually searched Acosta he was unarmed, only a shovel in his hands. The footage is currently being examined closely in an investigation of the incident and the actions of the officers. No arrests have been made nor have charges have been filed. US Justice Department officials are currently carrying out oversight of the APD as the result a court-ordered settlement reached during the Obama administration. Justice Department attorney Corey Sanders told local journalists that he has been trying to get an adequate explanation from the police department of the officers actions that day, It seemed like the individual who had the shovel when he approached the officer, he seemed to be lucid. He didnt seem to be a threat. He didnt seem violent, Sanders told the Albuquerque Journal. Im trying to take it frame by frame and trying to understand how this thing escalated. Texas police shoot and kill unarmed man fleeing in vehicle Police officers responding to a call of alleged drug use Friday night in southeast Austin, Texas, approached a man later identified as 42-year-old Michael Ramos while he was in his car with a female companion. Ramos, following the officers commands, initially got out of his car and placed his hands above his head. According to the officer at the scene, Ramos then became unresponsive to police demands. It was then when one officer fired a non-lethal beanbag round at Ramos. Ramos then got back in his car and sped away. Soon after, the other officer at the scene fired a lethal round from his rifle into the car, striking Ramos and killing him. Austin Police Chief Brian Manley held a press conference to review what happened, justifying the killing and saying that the officers responding to the call were told Ramos may have been armed and that the vehicle resembled one used previously in a crime. Residents are calling for an investigation, claiming that the shooting was unnecessary and unwarranted. A protest was held Saturday calling for the resignation of Manley, claiming that the incident was racially motivated since Ramos was Hispanic. The Austin Justice Coalition held a press conference where the coalition founder Chas Moore explained that the shooting was unjustified and likely motivated by racial hatred, In spite of a pandemic that is pausing the entire world, racism and police brutality continue to persist. Whatever the motivations of the individual officers involved, it is clear from the details which are known that Ramosas is the case of most of the more than 1,000 people killed every year in the US by the policewas a poor, working-class man killed by an egregious use of lethal force. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 27) A Filipina caregiver in Taiwan is under investigation for cyber libel following her "nasty" Facebook posts about President Rodrigo Duterte online, Malacanang said Monday. Labor officials said over the weekend that the Filipino worker in Yunlin County is also being petitioned for deportation by the Department of Labor and Employment for berating Duterte on Facebook. "Ang alam ko ay iniimbestigahan na ito ngayon ng [I learned that this is already being investigated by the] Cybercrime Division ng National Bureau of Investigation," Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a televised briefing. Officials said the worker is under investigation for the "wilful posting of nasty and malevolent materials against President Duterte on Facebook intended to cause hatred amidst the global health crisis brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic." The Philippine Overseas Labor Office in Taiwan also said they have been in touch with the OFW's recruiter and employer on her deportation. Authorities met with the Filipina worker on April 20 to "enlighten" her that her posts constituted a crime, and made her commit to delete her posts and upload her public apology on video, the DOLE said. After that supposed meeting, reports now claimed that fake accounts have sprouted to support the worker's remarks, which DOLE said was also being controlled by the embattled OFW. She was also accused of running a group "organized to discredit and malign the President and destabilize the government." In a separate online forum organized by the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines, retired Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio said Filipinos being penalized for criticizing the government should know better than to be "intimidated" by authorities. "The rule is you cannot punish speech, expression unless there is a clear and present danger that the expression invites imminent lawless action from the person who hears or reads it," Carpio said, reacting to the provision in the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act about punishing false news and other negative posts against the administration. "There's a very high bar that they (police) have to overcome." Foreign funds are still pouring millions of dollars into Vietnamese startups because many believe they will see a startup boom when the pandemic ends. Affirma Capital in February announced investment of $34 million, or VND790 billion, into Sieu Viet Group, a startup which owns the job posting websites TimViecNhanh, Vieclam24h, MyWork and ViecTotNhat. The founders of Sieu Viet include Phan Minh Tam, chair of STI, which invested in 30Shine, Anycar and 24h.com.vn, and Xuan Minh, the director of Sieu Viet. Sieu Viet is the fifth investment deal of Affirma Capital in Vietnam since 2014. The other four include N Kid Corporation, Online Mobile, Loc Troi Group and Golden Gate. Also in February, Go2Joy, a hotel booking app, raised $2.5 million in a Series A funding round led by STIC Ventures, according to DealStreetAsia. Foreign funds are still pouring millions of dollars into Vietnamese startups because many believe they will see a startup boom when the pandemic ends. The other startups that have received capital from STIC Ventures include Tiki, Cammsys Vietnam and Nanogen Pharmacy. Making its debut in 2017, Go2Joy (formerly Appro Mobile) makes short-term hourly hotel booking. Waves, the sound-focused content platform founded by Kevin Cao and Ben Minh Le last year, announced a successful call for $1.2 million worth of seed capital from a partner from Singapore - Insignia Ventures Partners last February. Other investors include Hustle Fund and Skystar Capital. Waves provides professional recording, video and audio services with modern equipment, studio, editing and marketing. The startup strives to become one of the leading platforms in Southeast Asia for podcast and recording content. On February 17, TopDev, a recruitment network in Mobile & IT fields, received strategic investment from SaraminHR. The deal is part of the South Korean recruitment companys global development strategy. The value of the deal was secret, but analysts said this is a 7-digit number in US dollars. TopDev has 300,000 profiles of developers and 5,000 regular clients who are technology firms in Vietnam and the region. In early March, Tech in Asia reported that STI had made a strategic investment in JupViec, a home help service website, and had become the largest shareholder. Tran Tuan Tai, STIs investment director, said the value of the deal was several million dollars. In late March, eDoctor, a startup providing healthcare services using mobile technology, received capital from four large investment funds - CyberAgent Capital, Genesia Ventures (Japan), Bon Angels and Nextrans (South Korea). The total investment capital was $1.2 million, including $500,000 from Shark Dzung Nguyen, director of CyberAgent Vietnam and Thailand. Most recently, Finhay, a fintech startup, in early April received investment from Jeffrey Cruttenden, cofounder of Acorns, and the Vietnamese firm Thien Viet Securities. Thanh Lich Can Tho City to build startup ecosystem To develop a complete startup ecosystem and create favourable conditions for startups to be formed, Can Tho City Peoples Committee has carried out a project supporting national innovative startup ecosystem in Can Tho in 2020. Beachgoers take pictures showing closed beaches in Hawaii's Waikiki on March 20. The state extended its closures through the end of May. (Marco Garcia / Associated Press) Hawaii doubled down on its stay-at home order Saturday. With Georgia and a handful of states starting to reopen businesses, Hawaii Gov. David Ige went in the opposite direction. He extended the states stay-at-home order until May 31, keeping beaches closed to sunbathers and other businesses shut. The order closed state parks and monuments as well as historical sites and recreation areas to stop the spread of coronavirus. Iges order extended mandatory quarantine rules too. Anyone flying to the islands will have to quarantine at home or at their hotel for 14 days. As of Sunday, Hawaii reported 606 cases and 14 deaths, according to its health departments website . The island of Kauai is indefinitely continuing a 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew that began March 20. "Every individual within the County of Kauai must remain in their residence during these specified hours," a news release said. To help residents pass the time while they stay at home, the countys mayor, Derek Kawakami, has begun staging nightly live events on Facebook that have gone viral. He begins by sharing community announcements before showing his constituents (and anyone else who watches) everything from making ice cream or fried Oreos to how to master native Hawaiian dances. His April 26 video showed residents how they can do an effective workout at home without access to the gym. Kauai police have arrested dozens of people for violating stay-at-home orders, including the curfew and a 14-day quarantine for travelers arriving on the island. A news release stated that offenders will have to appear in court and face fines of up to $5,000 or a year in jail. As of April 26, the County of Kauai had reported 21 cases of COVID-19 and no deaths. The county includes the islands of Kauai, Nihau, Lehua and Kaula. During the pandemic, the Hawaii Tourism Authority also has told travelers to stay away too. While weve always welcomed people to Hawaii with open arms, health and safety is our first priority, a statement posted on Facebook said. So its with a heavy heart that were advising travelers not to visit the Hawaiian Islands at this time. [The governor] has asked that all trips be postponed for 30 days, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Though state beach parks are closed, people still have access to the ocean to exercise, including swimming and surfing. Ige's latest stay-at-home order ended a ban on people walking or running on beaches as long as they practice social distancing. On Saturday, Honolulu reopened most city and county parks, including many beach parks, for walking, running, biking and other forms of exercise. Earnings from China's oil firms are going to "look pretty ugly" in the short-term, one Bernstein analyst told CNBC on Monday. "We're expecting very significant losses in the first quarter for PetroChina and Sinopec as a result of the low oil prices," Neil Beveridge, senior oil and gas analyst at Bernstein, told CNBC's "Street Signs." Both PetroChina and Sinopec are expected to post their quarterly earnings later this week, according to Refinitiv. It comes after recent volatility in oil prices which saw U.S. crude prices go into negative territory for the first time in history. Fears are mounting over slowing demand as a result of the economic fallout from the global coronavirus pandemic. Beveridge said onshore production in China is on "the high end of the cost curve," with break-even levels at about $50 to $60 per barrel. In comparison, international benchmark Brent crude futures currently sit at around $20 per barrel. "The problem with some of the Chinese producers, I've heard, is that it's very difficult, given that these are state-owned enterprises, to cut costs as aggressively as private sector companies," the Bernstein analyst said. This has led the firms to be slow in their reaction, from cutting costs to reducing capital expenditure, he added. "As a result, you'll see very significant losses I think, as they report (first quarter) numbers," Beveridge said, with the second quarter set to be "even worse." Looking ahead, Beveridge said a "source of potential benefit" from the lower oil prices for these firms is in downstream refining for petrochemical businesses. "Low prices mean lower feedstock costs," he said. Feedstock refers to raw materials used in industrial processes. "As China gets back to work, we will see a recovery in some of the downstream margins that will offset some of the upstream losses for those companies." A New Jersey State Police trooper was shot as he investigated a home invasion at a mobile home park in Salem County late Saturday, authorities said. The trooper was recovering after he underwent surgery early Sunday at Cooper University Hospital in Camden, according to the New Jersey Attorney Generals Office. No charges have been filed and authorities have not publicly identified any suspects in the shooting. The attack unfolded around 10:40 p.m. at the Harding Woods Mobile Home Park on Harding Highway in Pittsgrove, when several people drove to where the trooper was investigating a home invasion that occurred earlier Saturday, the Attorney Generals (AG) office said. The group confronted the trooper before an exchange of gunfire. The trooper identified himself as law enforcement and was subsequently fired upon and wounded, a statement from the AGs office said. The trooper also fired his weapon during the course of the confrontation. Authorities earlier on Sunday said the trooper suffered a leg wound. The AGs office, which investigates shootings where state law enforcement officers fire their weapons, did not release more details. The name of the trooper or information on any possible suspects was also not released. Officials asked anyone with information to call investigators at 856-451-0101. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com. To help pass the time during the coronavirus pandemic, MLB.com has been engaging fans to debate the wait by ranking the top players at each position on each club. So far, weve gone through the Yankees catchers, first basemen, second basemen, third basemen and shortstops. Up next are the left fielders. 1. Charlie Keller (1939-49, 52) Five-time All-Star, three-time World Series champion Keller played 13 MLB seasons, 11 of which came with the Yankees. He missed the 1944 season because of World War II. Keller finished 5th in voting for the American League MVP in 1941 (the year that Joe DiMaggios 56-game hitting streak trumped Ted Williams .406 batting average) when he hit a career-high 33 home runs. 2. Bob Meusel (1920-29) Three-time World Series champion Meusel played 11 MLB seasons, 10 of which came with the Yankees as part of the Murderers Row lineup headlined by Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. 3. Roy White (1965-79) Two-time All-Star, two-time World Series champion White began his 15-year MLB career playing alongside Mickey Mantle and finished it playing with Reggie Jackson. 4. Hideki Matsui (2003-09) Two-time All-Star, 2009 World Series champion Matsui was the 2009 World Series MVP, bringing the Yankees their 27th title. Matsui burst onto the scene in 2003, finishing second in American League Rookie of the Year voting (losing by four points to Kansas City Royals shortstop Angel Berroa). Matsui was an All-Star in two of his seven seasons with the Yankees. He left New York after the 2009 World Series, and finished his career playing for the Los Angeles Angels, Oakland As and Tampa Bay Rays. 5. Brett Gardner (2008-present) 2015 All-Star, 2009 World Series champion Gardner is the last remaining active player from the 2009 World Series-winning team. Gardner was an All-Star in 2015 and won a Gold Glove in 2016. Gardner has spent his entire 12-year MLB career with the Yankees and re-signed in December for the 2020 season, getting a one-year, $12.5 million contract. George King of the New York Post reported the deal includes a $10 million option or $2.5 million buyout for 2021. Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription. Mike Rosenstein may be reached at mrosenstein@njadvancemedia.com. The Rajasthan High Court on Monday ordered that the caste of any person should not be mentioned in any judicial and administrative matter as it was against the constitution. The court gave the direction following a controversy triggered by the mention of caste in a bail order last week. In the standing order put on the court website late on Monday night, the HC issued the direction in compliance with its earlier order. In July 2018, a person named Bishan was not released on bail by the jail authorities for five days despite having been granted bail by HC, only because his caste on the order was not the same as mentioned in the police arrest memo. The court of Justice Sanjeev Prakash Sharma had then observed that an individual should not to be identified by his caste but by his parentage. The time has come that the state should strive towards a casteless society, the court had observed. The order now issued by the registrar general referring to the 2018 verdict stated that the mention of caste is against the "spirit of the constitution", thus no court, including subordinate ones, should incorporate caste in any manner, whether judicial or administrative. The standing order read, "It has been observed that the caste of accused and other persons is being incorporated by the officers/officials of registry of this court and presiding officers of subordinate courts/special courts/tribunals in judicial and administrative matters, which is against the spirit of the Constitution of India and not in consonance with the directions of Hon'ble Rajasthan High Court issued vide order dated 04.07.2018. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Zero new infections of coronavirus were reported in Western Australia on Monday, with just 30 people in the state still battling the deadly respiratory virus. It is the second consecutive day that WA has found no new cases of the disease, but residents were warned of a potential spike when hundreds of Australians arrive from overseas. Perth is awaiting four planes full of 'hundreds' of citizens returning to the country from abroad within the next week. 'We had the latest figures come in overnight, and once again it's very good news,' Premier Mark McGowan said on Monday. 'We had zero new cases of infection over the last 24 hours. Again, Western Australia is doing extremely well by Australian and world standards. There are 55 active cases of COVID-19 left in the state, with just 30 of its own residents affected after it entered into an unprecedented lockdown in March. As of Monday afternoon, there were 6,719 confirmed cases of coronavirus, with 83 deaths and 5,560 patients recovered The state was separated into nine regions, with people unable to travel between, since the lockdown began. But the first of four flights is due to arrive in the state on Monday, starting with a plane from Kuala Lumpur. On Tuesday, a flight from South Africa will arrive, followed by a flight from India and another from France later in the week. The chances are, officials fear, that some of the hundreds on board the planes may be carrying COVID-19 - but as per Australian law, they will spend two weeks isolating. Arrivals in the country must go to hotels and isolate for two weeks to ensure they don't have the deadly virus, which spread round the world from a Chinese market. Testing has been ramped up across the country, with drive-through testing facilities - including this one in Perth (pictured on April 24) popping up in several states 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 'Combined between them there are hundreds and hundreds of Australians coming home, including West Australians,' Mr McGowan sad. 'This is a serious issue because obviously our numbers may well grow out of that if numbers grow it will be because of those aircraft coming in.' Health Minister Roger Cook admitted officials still weren't sure of the exact number of returning travellers. They will quarantine in hotels in Perth, while some of the Western Australian residents may be sent to Rottnest Island for their isolation. 'We need to have an idea about what the health profile of those on the planes (before sending them to Rottnest Island),' Mr Cook said. The health minister also confirmed that all primary school children will be able to get free influenza vaccines, to ensure the state doesn't suffer a 'double whammy' of coronavirus and influenza. It comes as Australians are told they will have to practise social distancing permanently. Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy said the way people interact will be different until a vaccine is found or coronavirus dies out - and that could be several years. Australians will have to practise social distancing permanently, the chief medical officer (pictured) said on Monday Health workers are seen screening people at a drive-through facility in Perth on April 24 (pictured) 'Even though we may have very low numbers of cases we want everyone to practise social distancing, he said. 'Even if we release restrictions in the future, people need to change the way they interact permanently like keeping distance from each other, hand hygiene, and not shaking hands. He added: 'If we are going to relax these distancing measures, the things we have closed, we have to change how we interact as human beings until we are through with this virus.' The professor's warning came as some states relaxed restrictions while others kept them in place. The Victorian premier is urging caution to make sure there isn't a resurgence of coronavirus cases. WA premier Mark McGowan (pictured) said the state was doing 'extremely well' in its fight against the coronavirus Queensland and Western Australia will begin easing some restrictions from this week as several elective surgeries recommenced across the country on Monday. But Victorian leader Daniel Andrews pointed to countries that have eased restrictions and ended up with a second wave of infections. 'We don't want that here. We don't want to have a situation where our frustration gets the better of us and we give back all the gains that we have made,' he said on Monday. 'People have given too much, people have done too much hard work to have a situation where we waste it away because we are getting impatient and frustrated with the new normal.' We need the Democrats to run a new kind of campaign this year. Not just one that aggressively adapts to social distancing. But a campaign fueled by a different theory. For years, including in 2016, Democrats have relied heavily on expensive TV ads and traditional canvassing where paid staff members from out-of-state use out-of-date voter lists to contact people they dont know and will never see again. This year, paid canvassers will likely shift to texting and phone calls. But this stranger-to-stranger approach wont work for many Latinos who dont appear on the voter rolls because they move often or vote infrequently. Or for those of us who would never open a door to a stranger who might turn out to be an agent from Immigration and Customs Enforcement. My organization tried a different approach in 2018, one that works in the coronavirus era and gets better results. Its based on leveraging relationships among people who already know one another, which data shows increases voter turnout more than any other single outreach method, including mail, TV and digital advertisements, and twice as much as contact from a stranger. Just six weeks before the midterm elections, we met with 410 of our members throughout the state and asked them to look through their phones and Facebook profiles to help us identify 5,600 eligible voters. Nearly seven in 10 of them were so-called low propensity voters who would have been ignored by traditional campaigns. So our members, known as voceros, kept in touch with them, making sure they registered and voted. Giselle Vera, 18, recruited more than a dozen of her friends at her Catholic school who cast their first-ever ballots. They did this in honor of her uncle who had been arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement for a minor driving infraction about six weeks before Election Day. He was one of dozens of people picked up in the largest raid in the state in decades. Because it was so close to a major election, however, many Latinos believe the raid was meant to intimidate mixed-status immigrant families. Thankfully, he was reunited with his family after receiving asylum. Marylands Republican governor says state officials received hundreds of calls from residents asking about ingesting disinfectants following Donald Trumps dangerous suggestion that scientists investigate the chemicals' potential for treating coronavirus. Governor Larry Hogan, one of only a few Republicans to have spoken out against Mr Trump during the pandemic, urged the US president instead to get the facts out there during what had until the weekend been daily White House press briefings. We had hundreds of calls in our hotline here in Maryland about people asking about injecting or ingesting these disinfectants, which is, you know, hard to imagine that people thought that that was serious, Mr Hogan told CBS News on Sunday. But what people actually were thinking about this, was this something you could do to protect yourself? Mr Hogans admission follows similar reports from New York health authorities, who said there had been a spike in possible bleach exposure cases in the 18 hours following Mr Trumps now-infamous Thursday press briefing. In it, he mused about the potential of disinfectants injected inside the body to treat Covid-19. I see the disinfectant, where it knocks it out in a minute, one minute. And is there a way we can do something like that by injection inside or almost a cleaning, because, you see, it gets in the lungs and it does a tremendous number, Mr Trump said. The comments prompted health experts and brands like Dettol to warn of the potentially lethal dangers of ingesting household cleaning products. I think it's critical that the president of the United States, when people are really scared and in the middle of this worldwide pandemic, that in these press conferences that we really get the facts out there, Mr Hogan said. And unfortunately, some of the messaging has not been great. Other Trump officials and allies, however, tried to play down Mr Trumps misinformation, including Dr Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus response coordinator. In an interview with CNNs Jake Tapper on Sunday, Dr Birx expressed frustration the presidents comments about injecting disinfectant were still being debated in the media. How coronavirus lockdowns changed the world's most polluted cities Show all 6 1 /6 How coronavirus lockdowns changed the world's most polluted cities How coronavirus lockdowns changed the world's most polluted cities Milan, Italy REUTERS How coronavirus lockdowns changed the world's most polluted cities North Jakarta, Indonesia REUTERS How coronavirus lockdowns changed the world's most polluted cities Jakarta, Indonesia REUTERS How coronavirus lockdowns changed the world's most polluted cities Venice, Italy REUTERS How coronavirus lockdowns changed the world's most polluted cities New Delhi, India REUTERS How coronavirus lockdowns changed the world's most polluted cities Islamabad, Pakistan REUTERS It bothers me that this is still in the news cycle because I think were missing the bigger pieces of what we need to be doing as an American people to continue to protect one another, she said. Amid reported urgings from his advisers that his false and dangerous claims are hurting his election chances, Mr Trump skipped a Saturday briefing altogether following a short Friday session in which he took no questions. He suggested the hiatus would continue when he tweeted on Saturday they were not worth the time and effort. Slovak carers in Austria demanded simpler rules at a protest on April 26. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled The crisis management team may relax the rules under which people returning to Slovakia after April 20 are ordered, at large, to go into quarantine at state facilities. Changes, if approved, will concern cross-border workers, including health-care workers and carers working in Austria, and repatriates. Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Read also Read also New coronavirus measures: Mandatory isolation for everybody arriving in Slovakia Read more The epidemiological situation in nearby countries has been favourable in recent days, the Public Health Authority (UVZ) said on April 26. It added Chief Medical Officer Jan Migas will thus propose changing a regulation from April 17 making state quarantine and self-paid tests mandatory for many, at the earliest meeting of the crisis team. He made this promise on the same day Slovak carers and health-care workers working in Austria protested the rules in place at the Bratislava-Berg border crossing. Moreover, a petition signed by almost 12,000 rejects compulsory monthly RT-PCR tests for cross-border workers living and working within 30 kilometres from a Slovak border, which they are to pay for themselves, to avoid the state quarantine from May 1. The Prime Minister Igor Matovic said on April 21 that if UVZ sees by Monday, April 27 that the situation has leveled off around Slovakia, it will make no sense for any restrictions to apply in the case of cross-border workers. He also called on this group not to get tested prior to the April 27 meeting of the crisis team. Foreign COVID-19 tests not accepted The Sunday protest was organised by a group of Slovak carers on the Austrian side of the Berg-Bratislava checkpoint, supported by carers and others on the Slovak side of the border. Carers, despite having a negative COVID-19 test in Austria, are not entitled to home quarantine but must go into state quarantine, Bibiana Kudziova of the Austrian Economic Chambers (WKO) told the news website Aktuality.sk. She added that state quarantine should be cancelled as it is a hatchery for more confirmed COVID-19 cases and Slovakia should, instead, accept coronavirus tests carried out abroad. Under current rules all Slovak carers and other workers returning to Slovakia but not meeting the 30km distance rule must go first to the state and later to home quarantine. Read also Read also Crossing the border into Slovakia? Authorities announced new rules Read more Those who meet the distance rule of 30 kilometres are free from quarantine but are required to possess a confirmation from their employer and, as of May 1, a test no older than 30 days. The petition calls the requirement of obtaining these tests discriminatory, illogical, and expensive for cross-border workers. Slovak MEPs have criticised the planned measure as well. Decision on April 27 The Interior Minister Roman Mikulec said on April 26 that he respected the decision of organisers to hold the protest although he did not see any reason for it. During the current situation, they are exposing themselves to the disease by organising the gathering, he added. Mikulec went on to say his ministry does not have any power to relax or lift coronavirus measures, and the government cannot favour one group over another without complex analyses. Nonetheless, he reiterated what Matovic and Migas had said; the crisis management team would discuss possibilities on how to mitigate measures that affect cross-border workers and repatriates at its earliest meeting. Lamar University President Kenneth Evans, who has led the university through two tropical weather events and a chemical explosion, will stay in his position to oversee the institution through the coronavirus. It just wasnt the right time, Evans told The Enterprise, citing the growing number of uncertainties and issues facing institutions of higher education every day. There is a reality that is likely to roll out as we deal with peoples varying levels of social contact, Evans said. So I am going to have an array of willingness to participate in the classroom, whether it is by faculty or students, that will play itself out not only through the summer but into the fall. As a result, Evans said, the university is looking at restructuring classes to be more open to accommodate social distancing and possibly using meeting spaces as classrooms for that purpose. That coupled with all the other issues in terms of taking care of faculty, staff and students and their own safety and health-related concerns not to mention the matriculation of students and how this is going to set some of them back a bit and how we can help them on the advising side, he said. Evans announcement that he will stay on at LU comes after the president of SIUs faculty association shared concerns about Evans interview before endorsing the other two candidates, according to SIUs student publication, The Daily Egyptian. Dr. Evans showed little understanding of the basic principles of shared governance, Dave Johnson told The Egyptian. His track record at Lamar University, and his answers in interviews, demonstrate to us that he would adopt a much more top-down approach. Evans said those comments had no bearing on his decision, however. LU spokesperson Shelly Vitanza said Evans made the decision over the weekend and notified the SIU search committee. Evans was one of three finalists and completed an open forum-style interview over Zoom last week in which he shared his vision for the university and talked about his time at Lamar. Now, because of the pandemic and challenges yet unknown to all institutions of higher learning, Evans has a desire to ensure Lamar University moves successfully forward, Vitanza said. Moving forward in recovery mode, Evans said the university is using institutional knowledge built up supporting students through two major tropical events, and last years explosion at a Port Neches chemical refinery, to get as much financial and academic support to students as quickly as possible. I think it is the residual, Evans said. With a hurricane there is an immediate impact, and then there is the residual, which is the people recovering their lives and redoing their homes but somehow trying to restore some normalcy in their lives. That transition and any semblance of a timeline for returning to normal is not present with the pandemic. The remaining candidates for the SIU job include Western Michigan Universitys Susan R. Stapleton, who is a professor of chemistry, biochemistry and biological sciences, and Austin Lane, who was the president of Texas Southern University based in Houston and is known for enrolling 10,237 students, from 2016 to February 2020, according to SIUs website. Lane left his former position after a controversial exit in February from the historically black university after a fallout with their board, who accused him of failing to notify them about fraudulent and dishonest activities in the law schools admissions process. The search committee for the university originally announced they hoped to select a candidate by July 1. isaac.windes@hearstnp.com twitter.com/isaacdwindes Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-27 20:54:39|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Many respiratory viruses run rampant in colder months and wane in summer, including influenza and SARS. But will the spread of COVID-19 follow a similar seasonal pattern? Experts have not found enough scientific evidence that heat and humidity will slow down the virus. "The COVID-19 virus can be transmitted in all areas, including areas with hot and humid weather," the World Health Organization pointed out in a recent report, indicating that high temperatures have not managed to curb the virus' spread. As Tom Kotsimbos, associate professor at Australia's Monash University and respiratory physician at the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne, told the Guardian, as this is a new virus, it "does not mean it will be like the others." "It's interesting that (COVID-19) has spread all over the world quite quickly -- both north and south," he said, adding that the phenomenon suggests either the transmission of the new virus does not rely on temperature or that dependency is not important for its spread. A couple walk hand in hand past a mural of a masked NHS (National Health Service) worker painted on a wall in London, Britain, on April 26, 2020. (Xinhua/Han Yan) Though researchers are trying to dig out the relationship between the spread of COVID-19 and temperature, some have already drawn contradictory conclusions. According to an article published April 2 on the medical journal The Lancet, researchers from the Public Health School of Hong Kong University found an inverse correlation between the temperature and the stability of the virus. The virus is highly stable at 4 degrees Celsius and could be incubated for up to 14 days; with the incubation temperature increased to 70 degrees Celsius, the time for virus inactivation was reduced to 5 minutes, the researchers said. By contrast, an article published April 8 on the European Respiratory journal said that researchers from China's Fudan University had found little association of COVID-19 transmission with temperature or UV radiation in Chinese cities. By analyzing the cumulative number of cases in 224 cities with no fewer than 10 cases as of March 9, the basic reproduction number for 62 cities with over 50 cases as of Feb. 10, and meteorological data such as temperature, humidity, and UV radiation, the scientists concluded that "ambient temperature has no significant impact on the transmission ability of SARS-CoV-2." "This is quite similar with MERS epidemic in the Arabian Peninsula where MERS cases continue when temperature are 45 degrees Celsius," they said. Zhu Yifang, associate professor of environmental health sciences at the University of California, Los Angeles, told Xinhua that as related data in the studies are limited, it is uncertain whether the results can be globally verified. Meanwhile, the possibility cannot be ruled out that the coming hot spells in the Northern Hemisphere might reduce the virus, Zhu said, adding that it also remains unknown whether the pandemic will stage a comeback during winter, becoming seasonal. Slate is making its coronavirus coverage free for all readers. Subscribe to support our journalism. Start your free trial. As President Donald Trump has deferred to governors on major aspects of the coronavirus response in recent weeks, a new theme has emerged among commentators that we are entering a new era of federalism. Some have described it as an Articles of Confederation moment, where the national government recedes and state governments assert their authority. Earlier this month, the New York Times heralded The Return of the Governor. Advertisement Rather than making governors ascendant in the long run, however, the COVID-19 crisis is likely to make state governments trim the sails of their policy agendas for years. And it is likely to make states evermore dependent on the federal government. The COVID-19-triggered economic crisis is such that, absent aid from the federal government, states will suffer. But even if the federal government provides substantial amounts of aid to states and cities, there is a good chance it will come with conditions that will substantially undermine state independence. Trump, for his part, indicated on Twitter on Monday that he does not intend to provide the states the funding they desperately need without some kind of fight. Why should the people and taxpayers of America be bailing out poorly run states, he wrote. After this crisis is over, its likely federalism wont look the same. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The COVID-19 crisis has been particularly painful for state budgets, which, give or take, need to be balanced, unlike the federal budget. (States have some tools for avoiding constitutional balanced budget requirements and debt limits, from underfunding their pensions to trickier forms of debt management, but they still face substantial limits on running deficits.) The pandemic has particularly decimated sales tax revenue, one of the steadiest forms of state revenue. The numbers are gruesome. Gov. Andrew Cuomo estimated that New York would need to cut education and other areas by as much as 20 percent. Michigan is expected to lose between $1 billion and $3 billion by this June, and then between another $1 billion and $4 billion next fiscal year. And this doesnt count the budget carnage and already mounting layoffs we see at the municipal, county, school district, and public authority level. Illinois state Senate leader earlier this month asked Congress for a $41 billion bailout. Advertisement What does this mean? States will have to raise taxes and cut spending drastically to make ends meet. This will worsen the recessionstates and cities will have to lay off lots of workers when unemployment is at its worst. And it will mean that all aspects of state spending that are not about COVID-19 will face steep cuts. Transportation and other infrastructure spending, higher education, K12 reform, affordable housing, and many other state initiatives will all be set back substantially. To the extent that they borrow to get out of the hole, state debt burdens will get bigger and their capacity to do big things going forward will be further reduced. On top of this, local newspapers, declining before the crisis, have been hit hard, and access to the local press is an important means for governors to communicate what is going on in their states. The governors now dominating the airwaves with their popular coronavirus press briefings will likely soon be reduced to the role of grim accountants. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Whats been done by the federal government so far is not nearly enough to make up the COVID-19 shutdown budget shortfalls. Congress authorized $150 billion in aid to states and cities in the CARES Act and provided money to transit agencies and hospitals and for education. The Federal Reserve announced a massive program to provide short-term financing to states and cities. But state aid was left out of the most recent Phase IV congressional legislation, and key Republican leaders are already balking on future money. In addition to Trumps suggestion that he would not bail out states, Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has brought up the idea of letting states file for bankruptcy, rather than giving aid. Former South Carolina governor and U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley also came out against any further state aid. Advertisement Trump, McConnell, and Haley are drawing on a deep history. For almost two centuries, the federal government maintained a no bailouts policy with respect to state governments. After eight states and a territory defaulted on debt in the early 1840s, Congress rejected a bill to assume state debts, as it had done several times prior to that. The federal governments no bailouts rule largely has been honored, through defaults in the 1870s and in 1933, although somewhat less strictly than many think. (For instance, despite the famous Ford to City: Drop Dead headline, the federal government did provide loans to New York City as part of the response to its financial crisis in the 1970s.) Advertisement Advertisement Scholars like Jonathan Rodden and Robert Inman argue that a bailout regime is inconsistent with state independence. The reason is that getting bailouts creates a soft budget constraint, making states less willing to make difficult fiscal choices because they think the feds will come to the rescue. These scholars argue that states that need less aid will resent the bailouts. As a result, these states and then the federal government will demand conditions on aid to needy states when push comes to shove. When national governments provide aid but do not demand conditions, you see debt crises, like those that hit Argentina and Brazil in the 1980s and 90s. In countries where the national government comes to the aid of states, the national government usually plays a much more active role in monitoring state budgets and in taxing and then transferring it to states. Advertisement Advertisement In contrast, in the U.S., the federal government has traditionally not overseen state budgeting. States are not even required to disclose information about their fiscal situation to sell bonds, as they are exempt from the 1934 Securities Exchange Act. But the next round of aid, if it is forthcoming, is likely to contain conditions. You can see the writing on the wall. Leading serious conservative thinkers like Andrew Biggs and E.J. McMahon have argued that any aid to Illinois or New York should come with substantial conditions, from changed accounting rules to requirements that defined benefit pensions be moved to 401(k)-style defined contribution plans. The only thing that may save states from substantial conditionality is divided power in Congress and an inability of Democrats and Republicans to agree on the terms of conditions. But that same dynamic can hold up aid entirely, leaving states to cut more dramatically or face financial ruin. Advertisement Advertisement If Congress proposes aid with conditions, states will likely be in no position to turn them down. The Federal Reserves aid is less likely to come with its own strings, except for one major onethe money will have to be paid back down the line, as it is providing loans, not grants. Over the next year, states will be dealing with a continuing public health emergency, huge new demands on public services, radically reduced revenues, insufficient federal aid, increasing debt loads, and potentially new conditions imposed by the federal government, if they even get lifesaving infusions of cash to begin with. Federalism is changing, but not in the direction of more state power. For more on the latest news, listen to What Next. By PTI MUMBAI: Ten Indonesians, including six women- who all are members of the Tablighi Jamaat and had attended the religious meet at the Nizamuddin Markaz in Delhi in March- have been arrested by the Mumbai Police under various sections of the IPC on completion of their quarantine period, an official said on Monday. These ten members were part of a group of 12 Tablighis from Indonesia who were staying at an apartment in Bandra (west) since March 29 after they had returned from Delhi, he said. A large number of COVID-19 cases were attributed to the religious congregation held at the Markaz, as many Tablighis travelled to various parts of the country. The official said the police came to know about the presence of the Indonesians in Bandra only on April 1. "We found that they had came to India in two batches on February 29 and March 3, and later visited the Markaz for the event," he said. The official said while the foreigners reached Mumbai on March 7, they settled down in the apartment only on March 29, implying that they had been roaming around during the 22 days. "During their medical examination, two members of the 12-member group tested positive for coronavirus, following which 10 others were placed under quarantine for a period of 20 days. They were arrested on Wednesday (April 22)," he said. They have been booked under sections 188 (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by a public servant), 269 (Negligent act likely to spread infection of disease that is dangerous to life) and 270 (Malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), and under provisions of the Epidemic Diseases Act. They were produced before court on April 23, which remanded them in the custody of the Bandra Police, the official added. Ambuja Cements Ltd on Monday reported a 6.80 per cent rise in its consolidated net profit to Rs 742.59 crore for the first quarter ended March 31. The company, which follows the January-December financial year, had clocked a net profit of Rs 695.30 crore in the corresponding period a year ago, Ambuja Cements said in a BSE filing. Its revenue from operations was down 8.50 per cent to Rs 6,249.66 crore during the March 2020 quarter, compared with Rs 6,830.70 crore in the corresponding quarter of the previous financial year, impacted by de-growth in volumes due to the nationwide lockdown. Ambuja Cements' total expenses in the January-March quarter this year was down 2.44 per cent at Rs 5,388.38 crore, compared with Rs 6,151.66 crore. The firm's consolidated report also includes the financial performance of its step-down firm ACC Ltd. While on a standalone basis, Ambuja Cement, part of Swiss firm LafargeHolcim, reported a decline of 6.52 per cent in its net profit to Rs 399.10 crore as against Rs 426.98 crore in the corresponding quarter last year. Its revenue from operations was Rs 2,827.54 crore, down 3.41 per cent, during the quarter as against Rs 2,927.62 crore a year ago. Ambuja Cement Managing Director and CEO Neeraj Akhoury said, "Till February, we had recorded a healthy volume growth, which was impacted in March 2020 due to the nationwide lockdown. I firmly believe that we will emerge stronger from this crisis with our focus on business fundamentals and measures put in place to keep our people healthy and safe." During the quarter, Ambuja Cements' sales volume declined 9.57 per cent to 5.76 million tonnes as against 6.37 million tonnes of the corresponding quarter. "Cement realisation increased by 6 per cent year-on-year. Volumes also registered a growth till February 2020 due to robust demand. Cement volumes for the quarter de-grew by 10 per cent on account of the country-wide lockdown," it said. While on its subsidiary ACC Ltd, Ambuja Cement said, "Though cement volumes declined by 12 per cent during this quarter, operating EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation) achieved a double-digit growth of 10 per cent, led by focused cost performance." Over the outlook, the company said it expects "demand to stabilise due to normal monsoon and policy support measures" taken by the government and Reserve Bank of India. "Post lockdown, it is expected that rural demand and construction sectors like road and irrigation will gather pace. India's push for infrastructure, housing for all and urbanisation will collectively drive demand growth in the mid-term," it said. Shares of Ambuja Cement Ltd on Monday settled at Rs 172.30 on the BSE, up 2.59 per cent from the previous close. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) As the coronavirus continues to spread in Armenia, the countrys health minister warns that the authorities may soon be unable to treat infected people showing mild symptoms of the disease. I certainly dont want that day to come, but one day we will not be able to go after every case, Arsen Torosian told RFE/RLs Armenian Service on April 26. From that moment, the country will only treat patients who are in a serious condition, the minister said, adding: We dont know when that day will come. The Armenian government imposed drastic restrictions on peoples movements and ordered the closure of most businesses in late March, after which the daily rise in the number of cases fell significantly. That led the authorities earlier this month to start reopening some sectors of the economy and ease transport restrictions. However, the Health Ministry reported a sharp rise of new coronavirus cases last week. On April 27, it reported 62 new cases, bringing the total to 1,808, with 29 deaths. Torosian said it was increasingly difficult to trace people who had come in contact with those infected because of what he called the multitude of the sources of infection. The minister said one such source was hospitals and other medical centers that are treating COVID-19 patients. We are now focusing on stopping the spread of the disease inside medical centers and on protecting doctors, as well as those patients that are not infected with coronavirus, he said. All people testing positive for the virus in Armenia have been taken to hospitals or temporary medical centers. The authorities have also quarantined thousands of people who have been in contact with COVID-19 patients or returned to Armenia from other countries. These people have undergone coronavirus tests at the end of a two-week confinement. Advertisement By West Kentucky Star Staff Apr. 27, 2020 | PADUCAH By West Kentucky Star Staff Apr. 27, 2020 | 11:16 AM | PADUCAH A local accountant is urging business owners to hurry up and take advantage of the federal government's latest round of COVID-19 funding for small businesses. Paducah Certified Public Accountant Dean Owen told the Greg Dunker Show Monday morning that Congress has authorized more than $300 billion for a second round of funding for the Small Business Administration's Paycheck Protection Program. The program was created in response to the economic downturn caused by the coronavirus pandemic, and is designed to put eight weeks of operating cash (in the form of forgiveable loans) into the hands of struggling small business owners so they can continue to pay their employees. Earlier this month SBA officials released a statement after just a few days, saying no more applications would be processed because all of the allocated $349 billion set aside for the program had been exhausted. Owen said it's up to business owners to hurry up and get their applications in for the latest round of funding before it too runs out. "They put another $310 billion out here for the funding, and for the last week or so everybody and their brother has been loading applications up to the SBA and getting in line. We think this money is gonna be gone really, really fast." He said. Owen said he thinks this round of funding will go out even faster, as banks are now more familiar with the lending process. "Last time it was a real difficult process. Everybody had to get up to speed, get certified, understand the portal and learn the process. The first 10 days very little of the money went out, and then over the next four days it all went out. As more and more people got up to speed, it kept going faster." Owen said. Owen urged anyone interested in securing a loan to contact their bank immediately and begin the application process. "They need to be on the phone as fast as they can with their local bank," Owen said. "If that's not an option they can call us and we'll get applications loaded. They need to be in front of this, because you've got 27 million small business owners who are attacking this money today." Owen said anyone interested in the program can also call his office at 270-554-0720 for assistance. During the lockdown, several civil society organisations, womens groups and activists have raised concerns about a possible concurrent rise in the cases of domestic violence. In Karnataka, the womens helpline 181, jointly operated by the Department of Women and Child Development (DWCD), along with the Police and the Department of Health, has seen a marginal increase in the daily number of calls from women reporting abuse and physical violence from spouses or close relatives. Read: Coronavirus Lockdown: Coming out of the shadow pandemic Women facing violence or abuse seek help in multiple ways: they register a complaint directly at the local police station, they try to get the grievance addressed at the state womens commission, seek help from womens NGOs, or call 181 or Namma 100 (the police helpline) to register a case. Restricted to their homes, the only option left for women facing abuse and harassment is to place a call to these helplines, hoping for a sympathetic ear at the other end. To address this need, the DWCD has bolstered the helpline, which covers all of Karnataka, by adding a few more numbers, in addition to requisitioning more staff. Suvarna, the coordinator of 181, says that of late, the number of calls has increased compared to the initial days of the lockdown. From March 21 to April 21, 165 calls pertaining to domestic violence were placed to the helpline, while 315 such cases were reported at the Santhwana centres all across Karnataka. When a domestic violence case is reported, we look for police intervention. In the case of an intervention, the women are sent to one of the Santhwana centres, 24x7 centres for women in distress, where they receive counselling, says K A Dayananda, Director of the Department Women and Child Development. Accessibility an issue However, many activists say that being physically barred from safe spaces or support networks could be making the situation worse. During normal time, the women can find opportunities to make a call but they cant do that right now. Which is why we think the number of cases being reported then is much more than what is being reported now, says Tara Krishnaswamy, the co-founder of Shakthi. Before the lockdown, Parihar, which functions out of the commissioners office in Bengaluru and manages calls placed by women to the Namma 100 police helpline, dealt with 100 - 150 domestic violence cases every month. Since the lockdown, all of Parihars counsellors have worked on the telephone, attending to some 354 calls so far, with 53 calls regarding domestic violence. Rani Shetty, the person in-charge of Parihar, says most other cases have to do with problems faced due to Covid-19 such as a pregnant woman unable to go for her check-up, or single women facing eviction from their landlords because they cant muster up the rent. Reluctant to complain For cases of domestic violence or harassment from the husband, most women dont want to register a complaint. There are various reasons why women are reluctant to lodge a police complaint in domestic violence cases, including the learned helplessness of victims in abusive relationships. The lack of economic independence is also a major factor. CORONAVIRUS SPECIAL COVERAGE ONLY ON DH Sushma*, who has a 14-month-old baby, worked as a janitor in an office. Stuck with her husband at home during the lockdown, minor issues the baby crying, a delay in cooking food have become triggers for physical abuse. Sushma went to the local police station, where the cops declined to register a complaint, but sent around a vehicle to warn the husband. When she returned home, the fact that she complained to the police just became one more reason for the beatings. Later, with the help of an NGO, Sushma and her child managed to get out of home and into a shelter. Tara believes that with most NGOs engaged in relief work like distributing relief materials and food, the women in need, who need to be placed in shelters, might not receive the help they need. Due to the fear of infection, there is a clampdown on the movement of women and many crisis centres or shelter homes that are functioning are reluctant to admit new inmates. This could potentially force a lot of victims of abuse, like Sushma, to go back to the very homes they want to get away from. Activists also point out that the police and authorities are often looking to get the woman to reconcile and resolve the conflict. Many dont have the attitude of treating it as a crime but as a marital discord. Violence against anybody is a crime. The redressal mechanism itself is patriarchal, says Tara. Lift lockdown, let economic activity be restricted within states: CMs at meeting with PM India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Apr 27: Most Chief Ministers were of the view that the economy must be revived and the lockdown should be lifted. While Meghalaya and Himachal Pradesh said that the lockdown must be extended, all other CMs felt that economic activity should start, but restricted only to the states. The Chief Ministers, during the meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, were of the view that inter-state travel must not be allowed. However, they said that the Centre must take a call on this after consulting with the states. The Puducherry CM sought the Centre's intervention for providing PPEs and other medical equipment. Apart from financial aid, the CM also sought permission to start industries post the lockdown and also sought grants from the Centre. Self-reliance biggest lesson from COVID-19 crisis: PM Modi Puducherry also sought financial assistance from the Centre. During the meeting of PM Modi with the CMs, the Puducherry CM spoke about the financial trouble in the UT due to the lockdown. The CM has asked for financial aid from the Centre. The Chief Minister of Uttarakhand has said that the economy must be revived urgently. Business and trade must start in a phased manner. All necessary precautions must be taken and we should come up with a plan of easing the lives of people by making the situation normal. The revival of the economy is the key in moving forward, the CM also said. The Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh said that the state is in a position to start economic activities. The lockdown, however, should continue as there are issues with other states. He indicated that while economic activity should open up, inter-state travel should continue to remain barred. The CM of Himachal Pradesh said that the authorities have reached out to the people at grassroots and aggressive testing has taken place. There are 12 districts in the state which do not have cases. While referring to inter-state travel said that these restrictions should be lifted only after consulting with the other states. CM of Odisha sought for a national standard operating procedure for the lockdown. This would help in initiating measures to kickstart the economy. We will work together. Niti Aayog should come up with transformative ideas. While the national lockdown should continue, important activities must be allowed. We have to completely stop public gatherings, religious and educational institutions. Economic activities must be restricted within the state only, he also said. Prolonged lockdown may push millions into poverty: Ex-RBI Governor Chief Minister of Bihar said that door to door screening similar to the polio campaign has been taking place. Till now 4 crore people have been screened, he also said. During the interaction, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged all the Chief Ministers to ensure that the people register on the Aarogya Setu application. Victims of the White Island volcano tragedy are suing Royal Caribbean in the wake of the deadly eruption which killed 21 people and injured dozens more. Of those who died in the December 9 eruption in New Zealand, 19 had been on-board the Ovations of the Seas cruise ship and booked to tour the island with Royal Caribbean. Passengers injured in the disaster as well as family of the deceased are now pursuing legal action against the company for alleged negligence, breach of Australian consumer law and breach of contract. The White Island eruption off the coast of New Zealand killed 21 people in December. Families of the deceased and passengers injured in the disaster are now suing Royal Caribbean over the disaster Rita Yousef, whose law firm Stacks Goudkamp is pursuing damages, said the deaths could have been avoided. At the time of the eruption there were 47 people on the line - of whom 24 were Australian. Sixteen Australians were among the dead after a large plume of hot, toxic ash engulfed tourists exploring the island. 'It was completely preventable. It shouldn't have happened,' she told ABC News. Ms Yousef claimed the brochure given to passengers did not prepare them for the risk of visiting the island. 'They were told in the brochure that all they needed to do if they were attending this tour was to wear enclosed shoes,' she 'It's had an amazingly horrific impact. People have lost loved ones. A White Island tour operator rescuing people from the island minutes after it erupted. The law firm representing the families of victims of the eruption called the disaster 'completely preventable' Of the 21 who lost their lives, 19 had been on-board the Ovations of the Seas cruise ship (pictured) and booked to tour the island with Royal Caribbean 'They had to witness them in hospital having been completely burnt, being completely unrecognisable from their horrific burns, and people are having to somehow pick up the pieces.' The alert level for White Island had been raised in the weeks prior to the eruption to a level two - the highest level a volcano can be when it is not already erupting. Royal Caribbean declined to comment on the case when contacted by Daily Mail Australia. 'Following the eruption, Royal Caribbean have focused on providing care and support to passengers, their families and crew that were impacted by this event,' the company said. Pictured: A tour helicopter which had its rotors destroyed during the eruption on December 9 'Our thoughts remain with the victims and their families. The details of the tour are the subject of two separate investigations in New Zealand which we will be fully cooperating with and we are unable to provide further details at this time.' It comes after three of the White Island survivors told how they 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!' Fayaz Wani By Express News Service SRINAGAR: Three militants were killed in an ongoing encounter in south Kashmirs Kulgam district since Sunday evening. It was the second encounter in Kulgam district within the space of a few hours. A police official said acting on information about the presence of militants, a joint cordon and search operation was launched by police, CRPF and the Army at Lower Munda, Qazigund in Kulgam district in the early hours today. While the security men started door to door searches in the area, they came under fire from hiding militants. The troops returned fire, triggering a full-blown encounter. Defence spokesman in Srinagar Colonel Rajesh Kalia said three militants have been killed in the gunfight so far. He said the operation is still in progress as per the last report received. Earlier, a gunfight had erupted between militants and security forces in Asthal area of Kulgam district late last night. A police spokesman said today that only one body has been recovered from the site of encounter so far. Earlier, there were reports that four militants were killed in the gunfight. There has been a surge in encounters between security forces and militants in Valley this month. Kim Yo-jong, sister of North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un - REUTERS Respectful and waif-like, Kim Yo-jong has often melted into the background during her authoritarian brother Kim Jong-uns public appearances - at times emerging from the shadows to hold his ashtray or assiduously take notes as he discusses matters of state with world leaders. But behind her deferential demeanour, analysts say the youngest child of the late North Korean leader Kim Jong-il is bright, calculating and a highly influential figure in countrys cutthroat corridors of power. Amid shifting rumours about Kim Jong-uns health, the spotlight has switched to Kim Yo-jong, believed to be 31, and her future role in the worlds most reclusive nation. With his own children still in their infancy, if Kim ever were to disappear, his younger sister, already his de facto chief of staff, is emerging as a chief contender to succeed him. The question of succession is basically unknowable, said Andray Abrahamian, a visiting scholar at George Mason University Korea. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his sister Kim Yo Jong attend a meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-in at the Peace House - REUTERS Its extremely hard to imagine anyone else in the Kim family stepping in to do what Kim Jong-un does right now. But he added: Kim Yo-jong could be both a symbolic link to the Kim family but its also clear that she is a politician and she seems to like the game. The younger Kim was first spotted in public at her fathers funeral in 2011, and for years analysts struggled to identify the young woman who seemed to move around freely in Kim Jong-uns presence, initially surmising that she could be his wife. It later emerged that they were siblings who shared the same Japanese-born mother, Ko Yong-hui, and who had forged a tight bond of trust while studying together at the same private school in Switzerland. The brother and sister were also closer in age to each other than to their older brother Kim Jong-chul, reported to be a music-loving Eric Clapton superfan, and half-brother Kim Jong-nam, who was allegedly assassinated by the regime in Kuala Lumpurs main airport in 2017. Story continues Despite North Koreas deeply engrained patriarchal values, Kim Jong-il is said to have doted on Princess Yo-jong, who was a favourite child. In an article in the New Yorker, Barbara Demick, a North Korea expert, writes that former Russian official, Konstantin Pulikovsky, who travelled with Kim Jong-il on his train, wrote in a memoir that the leader praised the intelligence of his daughter, while deriding his sons as idle blockheads. Before sealing her influential position at the heart of North Koreas elite, Kim is said to have been well-travelled and may have studied in Paris. She appeared to move closer to the reclusive regimes centre of power after her uncle, Jang Song-thaek, was executed and her once powerful aunt, Kim Kyong-hui, disappeared from public view in 2013. As she gathered official titles, it was clear that her star was rising. In 2014, she was identified as the deputy director of the ruling Workers Partys department of propaganda and agitation, where she has been credited with carefully crafting her brothers public image at home and abroad. In 2017, she was made an alternate member of the ruling politburo, the countrys top decision-making body believed to be only the second woman ever to hold that position. But it wasnt until 2018 when she made her international debut attending the February Winter Olympics in South Korea as a special envoy ahead of historic peace talks between Kim Jong-un and Moon Jae-in, the South Korean president, in April of the same year. Kim charmed the local media who pored over every detail of her humble style in both dress and manners and dubbed her North Koreas Ivanka Trump. At the Olympic opening ceremony, a brief glance towards Mike Pence, the US vice-president, went viral after it was perceived as a deadly side eye. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's younger sister Kim Yo-jong sits behind US Vice President Mike Pence at the Winter Olympics opening ceremony in Pyeongchang, South Korea in 2018 - Reuters Known for her simple, business-like style, Kims growing status has been emphasised this year by the first ever public statements issued in her own name. Last month, she condemned South Korea as a frightened dog barking after it protested Pyongyangs live-fire military exercises, and in March she said her brother had special and firm personal relations, with Donald Trump, the US president, despite ongoing tension over the Norths nuclear weapons. Kim is believed to be married to a close relative of Choe Ryong Hae, the ceremonial head of state and the countrys second most powerful man, who has also been touted as a possible successor to Kim Jong-un. Her close connections to the countrys powerful elders could stand Kim in good stead in a future power struggle. Despite her claim to the Kim dynastys sacred Mount Paektu bloodline, as a woman Kim would have to overcome sexist hurdles to take the top job. But even in the face of extreme patriarchy, her ascendancy cannot be ruled out. Its a country, system and culture that defies predictions and creates outcomes that you wouldnt think possible, said Mr Abrahamian. France has held private ceremonies for the thousands of victims and heroes deported to Nazi death camps during the second world war, as the coronavirus forced the majority of traditional memorials to be cancelled. President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday vowed never to forget their memory. "Seventy five years on, we have not forgotten," Macron wrote in a tweet on Sunday. "They were Jews, Roma, Resistance fighters, dissidents, homosexuals, disabled people... Let us continue to transmit the memory of deportation victims," the French president said, urging tolerance as a shield against obscurantism. More than 200,000 people were deported from Vichy France, the authoritarian regime which administrated the country during world war two, to Nazi concentration camps. The last Sunday of every April is usually dedicated to their memory, but this year's commemorations were interrupted by the coronavirus outbreak. Subdued remembrance Early on Sunday, French Secretary of State for the Armed Forces, Genevieve Darrieussecq laid a wreath at the Shoah Memorial and the memorial of the martyrs of the deportation in central Paris, for the first time without an audience. Messages by victims that are usually read by a survivor in front of the deportation memorial were also muted in silence, another sobering milestone in the march of the coronavirus. In Strasbourg, eastern France where one of the first clusters of Covid-19 was reported, two local officials laid wreaths in front of the city's war memorial, both of them wearing masks. They then held a minute's silence in tribute to the victims, alone. Relentless fight Despite the restrictions, several Holocaust survivor associations in France, including the National Federation of Deported and Imprisoned Resistance Fighters and Patriots, published a statement urging the country to remain vigilant amidst new forms of racism, xenophobia and anti-Semitism. "We must wage a relentless fight against all ideologies that weaken our Republican model and promote a return to fanaticism and intolerance," the statement said. "The dramatic period of the deportation is a stark reminder that humans are responsible for the future they leave to their children and that we all share a common destiny," it added. Words Ireland is initiating 22 literature mentoring relationships to begin in June and July. The opportunity is available to writers of literary fiction, creative non-fiction, children's or young adult fiction or poetry. The closing date for applications is midday on Monday, May 4. The scheme is for emerging writers who can demonstrate a strong commitment to writing, such as journal publications, awards or notable mentions, creative writing training or courses undertaken, or other recognisable achievements, and ideally some combination of all of those. Writers who have published one or two books and who feel they could benefit from professional guidance will also be considered, and writers with multiple publications who are working in a writing form in which they have yet to public a book. Each mentorship consists of four meetings with an experienced writer over a period of up to approximately six months. The mentor will read work in advance of each meeting, and will give feedback and advice at each meeting. They may also provide information and advice on professional and publishing matters. Five of the 22 mentoring opportunities are open to writers who are currently resident in any county in Ireland, thanks to funding from the Arts Council. The other opportunities are offered in partnership with certain arts offices and County Library Services, including Wicklow Arts Office. At least one or more mentorship will go to a writer who was born or is a current permanent resident in County Wicklow. Dun Laoghaire Rathdown Arts Office & Library Service, taking in the Shankill area, is also involved in the scheme. Submissions can be made via wordsireland.ie. They will include samples of work, statements of intent, CV and evidence of residency or birth. Applications will be scored through a combination of externally judged blind readings of work-in-progress and a Words Ireland panel review of additional information, with a respective 75 percent, 25 percent split between these two. The inauguration was attended by Hadhramaut Deputy Governor for Valley and Desert Affairs Essam Habrish Al-Kuthairy; Valley and Desert Education Office Director-General Dr. Mohammed Falhoum; SDRPY's representative in Hadhramaut; Commander of the Joint Forces in Hadhramaut; Valley and Desert Health and Population Office Director-General Dr. Hani Al-Amoudi; and Seiyun Hospital Authority Chairman Dr. Anis Aideed. Deputy Governor Al-Kuthairy said during the ceremony that these projects are among about 16 between coast and valley, designed to help strengthen infrastructure and raise service efficiency in all fields. He stressed that the rest would be launched after the month of Ramadan. He offered thanks to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz and HRH Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and expressed appreciation for SDRPY's support for Hadhramaut in these difficult circumstances. SDRPY Al-Mahra and Hadhramaut Office Director Eng. Sadiq Bashrahil explained that the ambulances would be distributed to the districts of Al Abr, Al-Sawm and Thamud in Hadhramaut Valley, with two vehicles allocated to Hadhramaut coastal districts. The projects come in the wake of field visits by SDRPY specialists to the governorate, and multiple meetings with local authorities and management of numerous executive bodies, at which Hadhramaut's service and development needs were discussed. On Thursday, SDRPY launched projects to furnish 32 schools in each of Al-Mahra and Socotra Governorates, serving more than 8,000 students annually in both provinces within the framework of SDRPY education sector support. In the presence of Socotra Governor Ramzi Mahrous, Saudi Coalition Forces Commander Brigadier General Abdul Rahman bin Salman Al Hajji, and Socotra Education Office Director-General Ahmed Ibrahim Al-Thaqali, the Education Office in Socotra celebrated the inauguration of a project to equip 27 schools in the province with new furniture, meeting their needs for seating and desk space and benefiting some 4,000 students in the governorate. Mahrous noted other education projects that SDRPY was working on in the governorate, including construction of 4 schools and supply of textbooks to the Education Office, which he considered priority projects. "This is not the first project we have launched with the Saudi Development and Reconstruction Program for Yemen, and, God willing, it will not be the last," he said. "We are happy to receive the program's support in the education sector, as it is one of the sectors that is suffering in the governorate due to current circumstances in Yemen." Mahrous indicated that more projects would be launched soon, and that Socotra's local authorities would help the specialists of SDRPY overcome any obstacles they may experience in the province. He also expressed thanks to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and SDRPY Supervisor-General Ambassador Mohammed bin Saeed Al Jaber. In Al-Mahra Governorate, work includes organizing distribution of furniture to classrooms, desks and school facilities, meeting all requirements for desks and chairs, laboratories and blackboards for each classroom, and providing teachers and administrators with offices, shelves and meeting tables at 5 educational facilities, in Al-Masilah, Al-Ghaydah, Hawf and Sayhut. SDRPY-equipped schools in Al-Mahra are expected to serve about 4,000 beneficiaries. SDRPY education sector projects in Yemen include construction of schools with facilities such as playgrounds, laboratories and squares to support extracurricular activities, ensuring that male and female students acquire knowledge and skills to high standards, and enabling them to pursue rewarding careers. SDRPY supports the Yemeni governorates in vital and basic sectors, namely: health; education; electricity and energy; agriculture and fisheries; water; roads, ports and airports; and government entities. The program also works in the field of environmental sanitation and hygiene. SOURCE Saudi Development and Reconstruction Program for Yemen ATHENS - Dozens of asylum seekers were left homeless after a fire devastated a camp on the Greek island of Samos, an official from the immigration ministry said on Monday. ''Some 200 people have remained homeless'', the secretary of the migration ministry, Manos Logothetis, told the AFP news agency. The fire started on Sunday night after an ''internal controversy'' between residents at the camp, he added. A second fire was reported on Monday in a new series of clashes between ''Arabic-speaking African'' migrants, according to a local police source. Anti-riot police were deployed to restore order and seven people were arrested during the operation. The camp is extremely overcrowded with nearly 7,000 people living in a facility built to host a maximum of 650 guests. SPRINGFIELD Police arrested Daryl Hill Monday morning, charging him with murder in connection with the 2019 death of H. Christopher Hardy. Hardy, 65, a San Diego resident, was found beaten to death on Union Street in the citys Old Hill neighborhood in the early morning hours of Sept. 18, according to previous reports. Hardy was initially reported as a gunshot victim, but that was later amended by the state Medical Examiners Office. His death was last reported as suspicious on Sept. 19, 2019, but the Detective Bureau continued to investigate the case. The medical examiner ruled Hardys death a homicide in December 2019, a police official said. The Homicide Unit secured an arrest warrant for Hill on April 18, according to police department spokesman Ryan Walsh. Hill, 49, was arrested just after 7:30 this morning at a home on Shamrock Street, he said. The Homicide Unit identified Mr. Hill as the lone suspect, Walsh said. Hardy was in Springfield visiting family when he was killed, police said. Published obituaries show Hardys older sister died of cancer in late August 2019. In addition to the murder charge, Hill faces counts of witness intimidation and failing to register as a sex offender. State records show Hill was convicted of indecent assault and battery of a person over 14 in 1988, and again of rape in 1999. He is a Level 3 sex offender who failed to alert authorities of a change of address, Walsh said. Police have not commented on Hills relationship to Hardy, if any. Hill was arraigned Monday afternoon and held without the right to bail; his next court date is scheduled for May 21, according to James Leydon, spokesman for Hampden District Attorney Anthony Gulluni. Life in lockdown has brought out new sides to all of us whether to the joy, horror or sheer bewilderment of the rest of the household. But despite the many different facets of quarantine, it seems we all fall broadly into three confinement characters: the accepter, the sufferer and the resister. A poll suggests those aged 55 to 75 are the most likely to be in the group who accept the lockdown and adjust to a new way of life. In fact, they are unlikely to feel more anxious or depressed than usual, while just 12 per cent find their sleep has been affected and few are arguing more with the rest of the family. A poll suggests those aged 55 to 75 are the most likely to be in the group who accept the lockdown and adjust to a new way of life. Pictured, a lady in a mask walked on the beach in Margate, Kent, yesterday About 48 per cent of Britons fall into this group of stoics, researchers at King's College London found. But 44 per cent were found to be in the 'sufferers' camp with women making up two-thirds of this type. Some 93 per cent of this group said they feel more anxious and depressed since lockdown began, with six in ten losing sleep. Which leaves the final group those resisting the new way of life making up nearly one in ten of the 2,250 Britons polled. Some 44 per cent were found to be in the 'sufferers' camp with women making up two-thirds of this type. Pictured, Phil and Laura Gray walk with their children Sofia, five, Bella, three and Connie, one, in Portrush, Northern Ireland This group, involving a large number of 16 to 24-year-olds, are more likely to be flouting lockdown rules, with 58 per cent believing 'too much fuss is being made' about the risk of the virus. The poll of Britons aged 16 to 75 also found 64 per cent of this resisting group are men. The latest Downing Street data showed there has been a slight increase in the number of people going outside in recent days Transport use overall remains relatively flat but the number of vehicles on the nations has rose slightly which has spooked the government's health expert The number of people in hospital with coronavirus continues to fall in many parts of the country, and in others there is a steady plateau Professor Bobby Duffy, director of the Policy Institute at King's College London, said: 'The large bulk of the population are fully behind the measures, but even within this group there are clear dividing lines between those who are coping pretty well and those who are really suffering. 'There are also a small minority, around one in 11, who are much less supportive of the measures.' Dr Daniel Allington, senior lecturer in social and cultural artificial intelligence at the college, said communication with this group is especially important. He said: 'There are some people who don't seem to see the need for the measures currently being taken, and as a result appear reluctant to follow the rules. 'Communication with the latter group will be very important, to help them understand why these measures are necessary, and to correct the dangerous misinformation that is circulating on social media.' Among the accepters, just 8 per cent felt more anxious and depressed, compared to the 93 per cent of sufferers. And roughly 10 per cent said they thought about the virus all the time whereas more than 33 per cent of the suffering group did. Resisters make up nearly one in ten of the 2,250 Britons polled. They are mostly those aged between 16 and 24. Pictured, three young men enjoying a game of football in London Fields park in east London on Saturday Among resisters whose average age was 29 about 40 per cent admitted breaking lockdown rules by meeting up with friends or family outside their home. The attitudes of this group may be partially explained by around two-thirds saying they faced job or financial problems because of the pandemic. But, worryingly, one in five said they were failing to observe social distancing and 20-second hand washing. Downing Street data showed the he number of new daily cases has been broadly stable in recent days, but this has been affected by increased testing The UK's coronavirus death rate continues to hover at roughly the same level as its European neighbours in France, Spain and Italy This group were most likely to be drinking more alcohol than usual and to be taking steps to fight the virus that are not recommended, such as drinking ginger tea or taking homeopathic remedies. If the survey, carried out between April 1 and April 3, is true for the wider population, it means 9 per cent are resisting measures. For the eight students in her virtual classroom, she put together bags with materials they might need, such as pencils, scissors, dry erase markers, glue and crayons, and dropped them off at schools. All eight families picked up their bags there, but only six have been able to engage in Zoom lessons. One students mother had her phone disconnected; another works in a grocery store and is really overwhelmed right now, Perales said. The encouraging thing for me is the majority of my parents have been responsive and theyve been on the calls with my students. Craig Revel Horwood attends the Julien Macdonald Fashion Show for National Osteoporosis Society at Lancaster House on November 21, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Dave J Hogan/Dave J Hogan/Getty Images for the National Osteoporosis Society) Strictly Come Dancing star Craig Revel Horwood has revealed he is engaged to boyfriend of two years Jonathan Myring. Horwood has told how Myring popped the question while the pair were bathing together during a holiday last month. Speaking to OK! magazine, the 55-year-old said: "Jonathan popped the question at the end of March on holiday in Tasmania and it was a total surprise. Read more: Strictly dancer Dianne Buswell shocked as Joe Sugg gives her a haircut on TV Myring said: "I drew a salt bath, opened a bottle of champagne and we got in the bath together and I did it in there." Horwood added: "It was very romantic. A naked proposal, on his knees in the bath. It was hilarious!...I said, Absolutely not! And then I said, 'Oh, alright then, Ive changed my mind.' I thought it was really sweet, actually, because Jonathan just said, 'I want to spend the rest of my life with you.' "It was absolutely perfect. I would much rather be in a bubble bath with champagne than climbing up a mountain to a waterfall anyway." LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 28: Jonathan Myring and Craig Revel Horwood attend the Pride Of Britain Awards 2019 at The Grosvenor House Hotel on October 28, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Karwai Tang/WireImage) The couple also revealed 35-year-old Myring bought them both specially made matching engagement rings. The rings are wooden with gold bands through the middle, with the wood coming from eucalyptus trees that grow in Ballarat, where Craig is from in Australia". The couple had planned to tell friends and family by throwing a huge engagement party, but the coronavirus outbreak has scuppered their plans. They now plan to hold a bash once lockdown ends. There is no date set as yet for the wedding, but the couple have said they will say their nuptials at the Hampshire home they share together. It is unlikely to be a splashy celeb affair, with Horwood saying he wants something intimate for ourselves and very close friends and family. The couple met during a Strictly tour in 2018, moving in together nine months later. Read more: BBC bosses hopeful 'Strictly' will air as normal this autumn Horwood has previously said he and Myring had discussed having children. When asked about adoption while appearing on Loose Women earlier this year he said: We have spoken about that, we have. Were in the realms of talking about that the last six months - and if we have a home, we could give someone a home. I think its really quite important. It doesnt matter who has the home, if you can give a home to a child whos been in care for such a long time, I think its very important." Kerala wants the nationwide lockdown imposed to curb the spread of coronavirus to be lifted in a staggered manner and has asked for an exclusive Covid-19 financial package from the Centre. The southern state, with a large expat population, also wants the central government to expedite their return. This was conveyed by the state chief secretary who represented the southern state at the chief ministers video conference with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss the Covid-19 situation in the country on Monday. A government spokesperson said that chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan did not attend the video conference as he had spoken in great detail at the last such meeting with the prime minister. So, this time Tome Jose, Keralas chief secretary, attended the meeting and submitted the states proposals in writing. The economic condition in the state is precariously poised and it wants an economic package to overcome this difficult situation, according to the proposal submitted. Kerala has also asked the central government to hike its borrowing capacity from the present 3% to 5%. The state has been forced to cut its employees one-month salary because of the situation arising out of the coronavirus mess, it said. According to data released by Union health ministry on Monday morning, Kerala has 800 cases of coronavirus infections. These include 458 active infections and four deaths from Covid-19. Another issue raised at Mondays video conference was the return of the states migrant workers from Middle-East Asian countries. The southern state, which has a huge migrant population working in the Middle-East, wants the Centre to expedite their evacuation. Among 18 lakh Keralites in the Persian Gulf, there are reports that at least 2 lakh, mainly blue collar workers, women and students, are ready to come back. Twelve hours after the Kerala government opened a website, on which all those who want to return from abroad would have to register, over a lakh of Kerala diaspora have registered expressing their desire to return, when the airports open, according to news agency IANS. These registrations are mostly from the various Middle East countries and among it, the maximum registrations are from the UAE, the agency added. Another proposal on Keralas wishlist is Centres help in sending stranded migrant workers back to their states. There are at least 3 lakh migrant workers who are living in 10,000 camps in different parts of the state. The state said the Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had written to the PM twice to arrange non-stop trains for them but the state is yet to get a reply. The mayor of Beaumont, Texas, apologized for violating the stay-at-home order after she visited a nail salon, according to a press release issued by the mayor. According to the New York Post, Beaumont Mayor Becky Ames was photographed wearing a confront mask on Tuesday, April 21, while making her way to the Nail Bar, a nail salon off Old Dowlen Road. According to Fox 4 Beaumont, she was supposed to pick up some acetone for her nails. According to Ames, the manicure she had done previously hurt her, and she was worried about getting an infection. She contacted her manicurist, who told her to come into the nail salon to have the artificial nails removed, the news outlet reported. I soaked them myself, Ames said, referring to the process that she took to remove the artificial nails. She never touched me. The business is closed. She was going to place the solution of acetone at the back door, and I was going to take it with me to remove the artificial, powdered nails. I had them put on several weeks ago, and they hurt. I was trying to get them off, and I texted my nail lady. She said the only way to get them off is with a solution. You have to do it a special way. She told me shed put the solution at the back door of the salon, said Ames, according to the news outlet. The incident incited several complaints about the mayors actions, which led to an investigation by the Jefferson County District Attorneys Office and the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, according to the news outlet. Well investigate to see if theres any criminal conduct to be examined, said Patrick Knauth, a member of the District Attorneys Office in Texas. Well turn it over to a law enforcement agency. Its early on. We need to recognize this is an emotional and fearful time. We need to be cognizant of that. Complaints were made to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. Well look into it. I want to be fair to all of the parties involved. Whether its determined to be a criminal matter or not, I dont want to be unfair to anyone. Its early in the process. Well get to it as soon as we can. For the incident, Ames issued a press release in which she apologized for her actions. Press Release from Mayor Becky Ames, April 23rd, 2020. City of Beaumont Government My heartfelt apologies to all of the citizens of Beaumont for my lapse in judgment on Tuesday, April 21st, I promise that there was no malice intended. I should never have entered the salon last Tuesday, the press release stated. I did not intend to take personal privilege while asking others to sacrifice, and for that, I am truly remorseful. I am honestly sorry, and I pray that you will forgive me. In addition, I have asked the city attorney to place me on executive session this Tuesday, so I can discuss this issue with my fellow Councilmembers, according to the press release. As per the investigation, the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation is going to be reviewing some of the footage to see if it confirmed the mayors story, Washington Examiner reported. According to the news outlet, the salon, Nail Bar, could still face a fine up to $1,000 for being having a customer during the stay-at-home order. In 2016, Peter Sun was appointed CEO of KFM Kingdom Holdings Limited (HKG:3816). 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. The aim of all this is to consider the appropriateness of CEO pay levels. See our latest analysis for KFM Kingdom Holdings How Does Peter Sun's Compensation Compare With Similar Sized Companies? At the time of writing, our data says that KFM Kingdom Holdings Limited has a market cap of HK$153m, and reported total annual CEO compensation of HK$3.9m for the year to March 2019. Notably, the salary of HK$3.9m is the vast majority of the CEO compensation. We examined a group of similar sized companies, with market capitalizations of below HK$1.6b. The median CEO total compensation in that group is HK$1.8m. Next, let's break down remuneration compositions to understand how the industry and company compare with each other. Speaking on an industry level, we can see that nearly 82% of total compensation represents salary, while the remainder of 18% is other remuneration. KFM Kingdom Holdings pays a high salary, concentrating more on this aspect of compensation in comparison to non-salary pay. As you can see, Peter Sun is paid more than the median CEO pay at companies of a similar size, in the same market. However, this does not necessarily mean KFM Kingdom Holdings Limited is paying too much. We can get a better idea of how generous the pay is by looking at the performance of the underlying business. The graphic below shows how CEO compensation at KFM Kingdom Holdings has changed from year to year. SEHK:3816 CEO Compensation April 27th 2020 Is KFM Kingdom Holdings Limited Growing? Over the last three years KFM Kingdom Holdings Limited has seen earnings per share (EPS) move in a positive direction by an average of 94% per year (using a line of best fit). In the last year, its revenue is up 1.1%. 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. Although we don't have analyst forecasts you might want to assess this data-rich visualization of earnings, revenue and cash flow. Has KFM Kingdom Holdings Limited Been A Good Investment? Given the total loss of 70% over three years, many shareholders in KFM Kingdom Holdings Limited are probably rather dissatisfied, to say the least. So shareholders would probably think the company shouldn't be too generous with CEO compensation. In Summary... We compared the total CEO remuneration paid by KFM Kingdom Holdings Limited, and compared it to remuneration at a group of similar sized companies. We found that it pays well over the median amount paid in the benchmark group. However we must not forget that the EPS growth has been very strong over three years. Having said that, shareholders may be disappointed with the weak returns over the last three years. While EPS is moving in the right direction, we'd say shareholders would want better returns before the CEO is paid much more. On another note, we've spotted 3 warning signs for KFM Kingdom Holdings that investors should look into moving forward. Important note: KFM Kingdom Holdings may not be the best stock to buy. You might find something better in this list of interesting companies with high ROE and low debt. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading. In this article VOW3-DE The coverage on this live blog has ended but for up-to-the-minute coverage on the coronavirus, visit the live blog from CNBC's U.S. team. Global cases: More than 2.9 million Global deaths: At least 206,265 Most cases reported: United States (963,379), Spain (226,629), Italy (197,675), France (162,220), and Germany (157,495). The data above was compiled by Johns Hopkins University as of 7:09 a.m. Beijing time. All times below are in Beijing time. 6:57 pm: Here's a snapshot of the pace and spread of the coronavirus: 6:44 pm: VW restarts production at its largest car factory in Germany VW has restarted production at its largest factory in Wolfsburg in Germany on Monday. Production will start at 10 to 15% of capacity, VW said in a statement, increasing to around 40% the following week. The first vehicle to be produced will be the Golf model and the company said "maximum health protection" has been implemented to protect employees. Ralf Brandstatter, chief operating officer of the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand, said in the VW statement that "step-by-step resumption of production is an important signal for the workforce, dealerships, suppliers and the wider economy." Holly Ellyatt 6:20 pm: Coronavirus dulls the Netherlands' annual Kings Day celebrations King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands has urged the public to stay at home on Monday to celebrate the annual 'King's Day' celebrations, which celebrate the monarch's birthday, instead of the usual massive street festivities. "This promises to be a unique King's Day, and mainly because I hope it will be the last King's Day-at-home ever. Try to make the best of it," the king said in a live TV broadcast to the public, Reuters reported. King's Day normally attracts millions of people to street parties and music festivals in Amsterdam and throughout the country, but the coronavirus has forced the Dutch to stay at home due to lockdown measures. Holly Ellyatt 5:51 pm: China denies spreading coronavirus disinformation following EU report China's foreign ministry has denied claims that Beijing is spreading disinformation about the coronavirus. "China is opposed to the creation and spreading of disinformation by anyone or any organisation. China is a victim of disinformation, not an initiator," said foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang at a regular press briefing on Monday, Reuters reported. The denial comes after an EU report last week there was evidence that state-backed governments, including China and Russia, were responsible for spreading disinformation on the virus. Holly Ellyatt 5:10 pm: Spain's daily coronavirus death toll rises slightly The number of daily deaths in Spain caused by the coronavirus was 331 on Monday, up from 288 the previous day, the country's health ministry said. The total number of deaths has reached 23,521 and the total number of cases in Spain now stands at 209,465, with 1831 new cases added in the last 24 hours. Holly Ellyatt 5:00 pm: Indonesia reports 214 new coronavirus infections, 22 more deaths The number of reported cases in Indonesia has risen by 214 to 9,096, health ministry official Achmad Yurianto said on Monday, Reuters reported. The total number of deaths has risen by 22 to 765. Holly Ellyatt 4:45 pm: UK's Boris Johnson warns 'this is the moment of maximum risk' as government plans exit strategy The U.K.'s Prime Minister Boris Johnson said there would be no quick lifting of restrictions in the country, as he made his first public statement since returning to work after recovering from a coronavirus infection. "We are passing through the peak," Johnson said "We are on the brink of achieving that first great mission, to prevent our National Health Service (NHS) from being overwhelmed," he said, adding that the country was "beginning to turn the tide" against the outbreak. While he said he recognized the urgency of lifting lockdown measures as soon as possible, he warned that "this is the moment of maximum risk" as he asked the public to contain their "impatience" with regards to the lockdown. Holly Ellyatt Prime Minister Boris Johnson makes a statement outside 10 Downing Street, London, as he resumes working after spending two weeks recovering from Covid-19. Stefan Rousseau - PA Images 4:20 pm: Nearly 200 new cases and 10 additional deaths in the Philippines The Philippines reported 198 new coronavirus cases on Monday, taking the total number of infected people to 7,777, according to the country's Department of Health. There were 10 deaths, taking the toll to 511. Last week, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte extended a lockdown in the capital of Manila until May 15. Huileng Tan 4:05 pm: Russia reports 6,198 new cases; total surpasses China's Russia on Monday reported 6,198 new cases of the coronavirus, according to Reuters. This takes the total number of infected people to 87,147 surpassing China's tally of 82,830 on Monday. Russia's coronavirus crisis response center also said that 50 deaths of coronavirus patients were confirmed in the last 24 hours, Reuters reported. Huileng Tan 4 pm: Countries need to stay vigilant ahead of fall flu season, expert says All countries need to be on guard in the fight against Covid-19 before the fall flu season, according to Joshua Sharfstein, vice dean for public health practice and community engagement at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. As the flu picks up in the northern hemisphere in the fall months, there would also be the "complication" of other respiratory viruses circulating, he explained. That would also add to fears that the coronavirus may be more easily transmitted during the winter. "It was only really the social distancing that was putting a lid on the virus, so if people relax too much, you could expect to see a wave well before the fall," Sharfstein told CNBC's "Squawk Box Asia" on Monday. He also said there is fear that people with the flu would be in the hospitals at the same time as coronavirus patients, which would be a "double tax" on health-care systems. Audrey Cher 3:10 pm: Singapore preliminarily confirms 799 new cases Singapore on Monday preliminarily confirmed 799 new cases of the coronavirus, the country's health ministry said. That takes the total number of infected people in the country to 14,423. Most of the new cases have been linked to infection clusters in dormitories that house foreign workers, who are typically men from other Asian countries, carrying out labor-intensive jobs to support their families back home. Huileng Tan 2:05 pm: How various airlines are handling elite miles and status extensions during the pandemic As air travel demand tanks due to border controls and movement restrictions, airlines are making moves to protect their loyal frequent fliers. Measures include lowering the requirements to re-qualify for elite status, awarding bonus points and status extensions. But there are definite winners and losers in the 2020 mileage game. The fine print for each decision varies and, in some cases, is painstakingly long. Some airlines are also revising their status announcements weeks later. Monica Buchanan Pitrelli Passengers of the first repatriation flight from Casablanca walk at the Schipol airport following their arrival at Schiphol airport, on April 27, 2020. Jeroen Jumelet | ANP | AFP | Getty Images 2 pm: Thailand reports nine new cases, one death Thailand on Monday reported nine new cases of the coronavirus and one death, Reuters reported citing Taweesin Wisanuyothin, a spokesman for the government's Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration. It was the first time there were no new local transmissions reported in Bangkok since the outbreak in January, Taweesin added. The Southeast Asian country has so far reported a total of 2,931 cases and 52 fatalities. Huileng Tan 12:30 pm: Japan, Singapore could be the worst-hit Asian economies due to the pandemic: Moody's Within Asia, the Japanese and Singaporean economies could struggle the most in the coronavirus pandemic, an economist from Moody's Analytics said on Monday. Both economies were already weak before the outbreak worsened over the past month and stricter lockdown measures imposed to contain the virus spread will likely exacerbate their respective economic troubles, said Steve Cochrane, the firm's chief Asia Pacific economist. Latest official data in Japan showed the economy shrinking by 6.3% year over year in the three months to December, while preliminary estimates in Singapore indicated that the economy contracted by 2.2% in the quarter that ended in March. Yen Nee Lee 12:20 pm: Germany reports 1,018 new cases, 110 deaths Germany reported 1,018 new cases of the the coronavirus on Monday, taking the total number of infected people to 155,193, according to the Robert Koch Institute for infectious diseases. There were 110 deaths, taking the toll to 5,750, the institute added. Last Monday, Germany allowed smaller retailers of under 800 square meters to re-open, as long as they abided by social distancing and hygiene measures. Larger businesses, such as car dealerships, bike and book shops were also allowed to re-open. Huileng Tan 11:45 pm: India's income tax department dismisses proposal for a coronavirus tax on the super rich A group of 50 Indian Revenue Service officers has recommended taxing the super rich as part of the government's efforts to deal with the economic crisis brought about by the global pandemic. They recommended raising the highest tax rate to 40% for people earning above 10 million rupees ($131,083.10) in a year or a wealth tax for those with a net worth of 50 million rupees or more. The recommendations were made in a paper that was sent to the Central Board of Direct Taxes. The Income Tax Department later said on Twitter that the central board never asked those officers to prepare such a report and that the contents of the paper did not "reflect the official views of CBDT/MInistry of Finance in any manner." India is currently in an extended period of lockdown till May 3. Saheli Roy Choudhury 10 am: Osaka to name and shame pachinko parlors defying lockdown Japan's Osaka Prefecture will name and shame more pachinko parlor gambling outlets that are defying lockdown requests aimed at slowing the spread of the coronavirus, Reuters reported. Three out of six locations identified on Friday subsequently closed, the news agency said. Pachinko parlors are arcade-style outlets where players can win money depending on the games' outcome. Women wearing preventive masks as a precaution against the spread of Coronavirus play pachinko. Viola Kam | SOPA Images | LightRocket | Getty Images "A lot of places have closed down after we named the six last week. We are now conducting a survey of pachinko parlours and will announce the results accordingly," a spokesman for Osaka Prefecture said, according to Reuters. Saheli Roy Choudhury 9:30 am: China reports 3 new cases, no additional deaths China's National Health Commission said there were 3 new cases of infection, two of which were attributed to travelers from overseas. No new deaths were registered, the same as yesterday. There were 25 asymptomatic cases. Cumulative confirmed cases in mainland China totaled 82,830 and 4,633 people have died. Beijing city added a new death but it wasn't clear when the person had died. On April 17, the cumulative death toll rose substantially after an investigation in the city of Wuhan, where the outbreak was first reported, added 1,290 deaths. Evelyn Cheng, Saheli Roy Choudhury 8:40 am: Australia reports 10 new cases, New Zealand set to ease restrictions Australia's health ministry said as of 6 a.m. local time on April 27, there were 10 new cases from the day before, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 6,713. More than 5,500 people are said to have recovered from Covid-19 while 83 have died. A commuter sits on a tram bench in Melbourne next to a screen displaying an Australian government directive regarding social distancing during the coronavirus outbreak. Asanka Ratnayake | Getty Images New Zealand's daily reported cases have remained relatively low, with four new confirmed cases and five probable cases reported on April 26. The combined total of confirmed and probable cases in New Zealand is 1,470, according to its health ministry. New Zealand is set to ease its restriction level from alert 4 to alert 3 starting Tuesday, which would allow most businesses to start to open but they must take health measures to keep their workers safe. Saheli Roy Choudhury 8:29 am: Tesla asks employees to resume production at Fremont car plant despite coronavirus health orders Tesla managers asked dozens of employees to return to work on April 29 to resume production at the company's Fremont, California car plant, according to internal correspondence shared with CNBC. The plant was supposed to suspend vehicle production March 19 to prevent the spread of Covid-19. But the company resisted, and kept producing cars through the end of March 23. Local health orders limit the carmaker to "minimum basic operations" until end-of-day May 3 at least, according to Sgt. Ray Kelly, a public information officer with the Alameda County Sheriff's Office. Lora Kolodny 8:08 am: How Italy's economic heartland became ground zero to the deadliest coronavirus outbreak in Europe Italy was the first Western nation to be slammed by the virus outbreak and its reported number of fatalities lags behind only the United States in the global death toll, the Associated Press reported. Its first case was reported on Feb. 21 when global health officials still thought the virus was containable, the news agency added. There is evidence that demographics and health-care deficiencies collided with political and business interests to expose the 10 million people in the northern Italian region of Lombardy in ways not seen anywhere else particularly the most vulnerable in nursing homes, according to the AP. Saheli Roy Choudhury 7:24 am: Singapore reports 931 additional cases of infection Singapore reported 931 new cases of Covid-19 as of noon local time on Sunday. Most of the new cases were linked to infection clusters in dormitories that house foreign workers, who are typically men from other Asian countries, carrying out labor-intensive jobs to support their families back home. A clinic staff in protective gear disinfects a chair at a waiting area outside the clinic on April 25, 2020 in Singapore. Ore Huiying | Getty Images Health ministry data showed more than 11,400 workers residing in these dormitories tested positive for the infection so far. The city-state now has at least 13,624 confirmed cases to-date. Most of the patients are said to be in isolation facilities while just over 1,300 people are still hospitalized, and 12 people have died so far. Saheli Roy Choudhury 7:09 am: Global cases over 2.96 million, death toll above 200,000 Total number of coronavirus cases globally was more than 2.96 million and at least 206,265 people have died, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. The virus outbreak was first reported in China's Hubei province late last year and has since spread rapidly around the world. The United States has the most number of reported infections, with more than 963,300 cases in the country and over 54,800 deaths, Hopkins data showed. Spain reported more than 226,600 cases; Italy, France, and Germany reported at least 157,000 cases each. In the United Kingdom, cases climbed to over 154,000, according to Hopkins more than 20,700 people there have died. Saheli Roy Choudhury All times below are in Eastern time. 4:20 pm: Birx says US needs a 'breakthrough' on antigen testing to aid in reopening Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House Coronavirus Task Force coordinator, told NBC News' "Meet the Press" Sunday that while the coronavirus trends give her "great hope" for slow reopenings over the next few months, many of the social distancing measures that have upended American life will be a constant fixture through the summer. And, while President Donald Trump and many governors press to re-open the economy, Birx said the U.S. needs a "breakthrough" on coronavirus testing to help screen Americans and get a more accurate picture of the virus' spread. Birx said the task force intends to continue working with states to scale up testing for those sick with the virus. "At the same time," she added, "we have to realize that we have to have a breakthrough innovation in testing" for those who have already had the virus but had either mild or no symptoms. NBC News 1:30 pm: New York plans to phase re-opening after regional hospitalization rates have been in decline for 14 days New York will eventually re-open in phases once the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says state and regional hospitalization rates have been in decline for 14 days, Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Sunday. Phase one of the reopening will involve construction and manufacturing. In phase two, businesses will need to design plans for re-opening, including having personal protective equipment and imposing social distancing. People pick up food at the Food Bank For New York City mobile food pantry in Brooklyn on April 24. Angela Weiss | AFP | Getty Images The Ste. Genevieve County Commission received a report at its Thursday meeting from the health department administrator on the COVID-19 virus and discussed what decisions would be made on reopening businesses in the county. Presiding Commissioner Garry Nelson emphasized the conundrum the commission has faced in giving orders to businesses on when and how to re-open. I am going to send an email to the governor today, he said. Hes going to have to make an order to give us the authority do some of this stuff. The statutes that we go by is very clear that we dont have the authority to make countywide ordinances. "For us to tell a business they have to stay closed and tell another business they can stay open, we are going to have something in writing giving us the authority to do that, because there is no statute that does. The governor discussed the first phase of his recovery plan on Monday during his daily briefing. County Health Administrator Sandra Bell gave her report to the commission on the current status regarding plans to reopen the county. Im working on a plan right now, its a draft that has been established from the department of health, as well as the Missouri Council for Public Health entities, which is all the administrators in the state, she said. It is a draft open to be modified per county. Its going to be done in three phases. The first phase is very limited in how we do it. Businesses can be open, but limiting the number of people in and still maintain social distancing. The main concept of this plan is that we will not implement it until we no longer have an increase in cases and [if] we have an increase in cases, we will have to go back to the earlier phases. I know that is not very popular, but I really, truly believe that the reason we have a reduced number of cases in the county is because people have been compliant with the social distancing and all the modifications that were put in place. Bell emphasized that it will be a slow start. She is looking at the mandate that two weeks after the last cases have been quarantined, it would be two weeks, which is currently May 11. I know that is not going to be popular, that is open to discussion, but that is the mandate of what we are putting in the plan, as of right now. Sheriff Gary Stolzer asked what the larger population areas were doing, as they could possibly never achieve that situation. Bell stated that they are going by the reduction of numbers and that Ste. Genevieve County doesnt have that many numbers. Stolzer voiced concern about being over cautious by waiting two weeks after what may just be one case. He also asked for a definition of what a spike in cases would be to justify moving back to the current situation. Is one case a spike? he asked. It would be for us if we have zero, Bell said. But, I would not take one case. My thought is to pick a number on what we are going to decide is to go [back]. We are going to have more cases, theres no doubt about it. In this plan we need to identify what that number is. As of Monday, Ste. Genevieve County has tested 189 cases. There were two pending cases, 180 negative cases and seven positive cases with one death. On Friday, St. Francois County Commissioners put out a letter to residents and businesses. "...We are waiting for final word from the Governor as to the rules we all must follow. He has promised to update them on May 3 and there is a strong belief that he will allow businesses to reopen on May 4th. Those new rules will almost certainly contain aspects of the following. "Whether you own a restaurant, a salon or a barber shop you will be required to maintain spacing with a limited number of people in your building. Group sizes at tables will be limited with space requirements between those tables. Limited contact between the server and customers (or worker-to-client) will be needed. "The use of gloves and masks will be encouraged and in some cases required. Checkout and the handling of cash should be streamlined and waiting areas should be minimized. "If something is touched, clean itand on a regular basis. Keep the table tops clear of condiments or anything that could harbor disease. Menus must be cleaned between customers or be disposable. Make hand sanitizer readily available and strictly enforce hand washing rules among the staff. "We are fairly certain that buffet lines are NOT going to be allowed for now. Cafeteria lines are a possibility, but nothing self-serve. Salons should have adequate space between stations and completely sanitize all tools between customers. In all of the above, do not allow sick people in your building! "If we are too lax in this startup, the virus could once again build. This would force us to go back to the Stay-at-Home rules and none of us wants that! "It is important that we stay on the defense against this enemy as we fight back. Our defensive plans include more testing and assuring adequate medical assistance is available at all times. This next move is to go on the economic offense. Using a planned and sensible program, we will start allowing our many businesses to reopen and once again serve the public. We know you have undergone some trying times. A proper startup will help all of us as we progress toward the future." Mark Marberry is a reporter for the Farmington Press and Daily Journal. He can be reached at 573-518-3629, or at mmarberry@farmingtonpressonline.com Concerned about COVID-19? Sign up now to get the most recent coronavirus headlines and other important local and national news sent to your email inbox daily. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The recent death of 22-year-old Rizwan Ahmad in the Ambedkarnagar district of Uttar Pradesh, allegedly due to police beating, merits a deeper exploration of the relationship between the police and Muslims of India Death can be scary. Death caused by the agency that is responsible to establish law and justice, accidental or intentional, is terrifying. Death caused by the agency in question, if is not just intentional but also communally charged is nothing but oppression. The recent death of 22-year-old Rizwan Ahmad in the Ambedkarnagar district of Uttar Pradesh, allegedly due to police beating, merits a deeper exploration of the relationship between the police and Muslims of India. In democracy, it is said that power rests with the people. In Rangnath Mishra versus Union of India (2003), the three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice VN Khare, the Supreme Court asserted that "the highest office in our democracy is the office of citizens; this is not only a platitude, it must translate into reality". In a democracy, it is also the duty of the State to provide peace, prosperity and justice to this metaphorical highest office the people. To ensure this duty, the State operates on a rule of law which is put into place by the law enforcement agencies. The burden to implement law and maintain order in society is one of the prime responsibilities of the enforcement agencies. Much of this responsibility rests on the shoulders of the police force, who being the "point of contact", have more direct involvement with citizens, unless of course the situation gets out of their control. In the twelfth chapter of the 'confidential' Bombay Police Manual (1959), under the title 'Behaviour of police officers while on duty', members of the police force are asked to regard themselves as servants and guardians of the general public and treat all law-abiding citizens, irrespective of their position, with unfailing patience, courtesy and tact. The responsibility of police becomes especially very crucial during the times of communal tension. The role of the police at the site of communal tension is not only sensitive but also a deciding factor in the escalation or de-escalation of tensions. In a letter to chief ministers on 1 October, 1950, then-prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru said, "If they (the police officers) are competent and right-minded, nothing wrong is likely to happen. But if they are not competent, or if they temporise with communal or anti-social elements, then trouble is bound to come sometime or the other". What Nehru possibly did not notice (at the time) in the bureaucratic structure he borrowed and adopted from what the British left, was that it was based on the "rational-legal" arrangements of the Constitution. This will be explored at length later in the article. *** At the outset, it is instructive to look into the religio-ethnic composition of the police force in India. In his book Khaki and ethnic violence in India, the author Omar Khalidi writes that the Indian State has discriminated against minorities (particularly Muslims) for recruitment in the armed forces, police and paramilitary forces. The first part of his book carries his core argument that recruitment to the Indian armed forces is done on the basis of ethnic and not demographic principles. According to the ethnic principle, some ethnic communities (also called martial races) are more suitable to work for the armed forces than the 'non-martial communities', and thus the recruitment should be restricted only to 'martial races'. As a result, some communities such as Sikh and Gorkha are over-represented while some communities such as Muslims, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes are severely under-represented. Khalidi mentions that in 2004, there were only 29,093 Muslims in the Indian Army that numbered more than a million soldiers and officers. The concept of martial races was brought by army officials of British India after the 1857 uprising. The idea was to classify each community into two categories, namely, martial and non-martial, and then recruit martial races to the army as "they were brave, and more fit to fight" than non-martial races that are "physically weak and unfit to fight because of their lifestyle". The concept, interestingly, aligned with the caste or varna system prescribed in Vedic Hinduism, which essentially divides people in four orders, one of which is Kshatriyas or the warriors. After Independence, as per a press note released by the Press Information Bureau on 1 February, 1949, the Government of India abolished "class composition based on fixed percentage" and turned the Indian Army "open to all classes". However, the phrase "open to all" does not really translate to "equal representation". In reality, the colonial practice was never reformed. Steven Wilkinson, in his book Army and Nation, argues that Independent India continued the colonial style of recruitment, and through his research, demonstrated that by the early 1970s India had "doubled the numbers of martial class units". When discussing the composition of the police force, it was important to put in advance, the idea behind discrimination in the recruitment procedure of the enforcement agencies. Since the police force comes under the state government, it's worth examining Uttar Pradesh for two reasons: First, because it is the largest state in terms of population and second, because it has been one of the most riot-prone states in India. In pre-Partition India, Muslims had adequate representation in the police force. At the time of Partition, Muslims constituted about 40 percent of the total police force in Uttar Pradesh. In the course of a few decades, the number of Muslims declined, and by 1990, the figure is down to less than five percent. In his study titled The electoral origins of ethnic violence: Hindu Muslim riots in India, Yale professor Steven Wilkinson revealed that by 1981, the Muslim representation in the Uttar Pradesh Police amounted to three percent senior (gazetted) officers, two percent inspectors and four percent sub-inspectors of the total police force. The condition of other states is similar, if not worse. Further, the Sachar Committee's report of 2006 also highlighted the poor representation of Muslims in the police force. *** Returning to the Nehruvian bureaucratic structure, the relationship between the "irrational" politician and "rational" bureaucrat has been theorised. Former IPS officer and author KS Subramaniam pointed out in his book Political violence and the police in India that "this arrangement seems to have been misplaced, being totally divorced from the existing realities and the historical background". The Nehruvian bureaucratic structure adopted from the British was a "rational-legal" system premised upon the idea that the State is the realm of governance while negotiations are cast in a legal and formal framework. That would have worked just fine for the British, but in a "political society" like India, the negotiation between the State and the population often takes place in more chaotic forms through political parties, student movements and other informal networks. One other critical drawback in this structure lies in the fact that it, and so did Nehru, put too much trust in the "rationality" of bureaucrats, including police officers. In a multi-ethnic society like India, with such a complex social structure, where identities are build on caste divisions, religion-related classifications, regional distinctions, diversity in traditions and over 500 dialects and languages spoken by 1.3 billion people, it is almost impossible to eliminate this immediate identity from the members of the bureaucratic structure, as each of these identities are "ranked" and have a different social status. In its 14th periodic report under the International Convention on the Elimination of all forms of the Racial Discrimination (ICERD), the Government of India acknowledged that "for an overwhelming majority of people the caste system continues to be an extremely salient feature of personal identity and social relationships". In other words, a person of "lower caste" can be a higher authority in the bureaucratic structure, but s/he will not necessarily have a higher social status than her/his "upper caste" junior authority. Hence, the "rational-legal" bureaucratic structure fails to address this social hierarchy in particular, and discrimination it brings with it, in general. In his essay titled 'Muslims and Police', lawyer and constitutional expert AG Noorani has quoted two contributors from the Paul Brass-edited book Riots and Pogroms, noting, "The authors have been told by police officials that, outside his uniform, the Pradeshik Armed Constabulary (PAC) constable is a Hindu first and last. He belongs squarely in the traditional, folk culture of rural India. The constable's training seeks to instil in him some degree of professionalism, but it leaves untouched his hardcore Hindu identity. In times of crisis, his Hindu identity has the better of his professional identity as an impersonal instrument of the secular State." The free hand and unchecked power given to the police officers, put minorities, especially Muslims, and people of a lower "social status" in a very vulnerable position. The situation is so grim that of the total complaints received by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), over 60 percent are related to police abuse of power and human rights violations. Since 1960, there has hardly been any riot in Uttar Pradesh, where the role of the PAC has not been found to be partisan and anti-Muslim by the press, social activists and human rights groups. As according to Communal riots and the police, edited by Iqbal Ansari, in 1972 and 1973, there were a series of outrages inflicted by the PAC on Muslims in Uttar Pradesh in Aligarh on 5 June, 1972; Firozabad and Varanasi on 16 June; Dadri on 21 September; Nonari on 15 November; Sajni on 12 December; Ranimau on 29 December; Durgajot on 23 January, 1973 and Gonda on 14 February, 1973. A report by Girish Mathur in Communal Violence and Police said: "The disturbances at Firozabad, Varanasi, Azamgarh and Basti were not really communal riots; they were in the nature of the armed constabulary's crackdown on the Muslims." The bias of the PAC was explicitly on display during the Moradabad riots (1980), Meerut riots (1982) and Hashimpura massacre (1987). *** There are more recent examples of police brutality on Muslims that will be discussed later, but the classification of 'riots' and 'pogroms' first needs to be delineated. To set the right terminologies, "riots" in general are perceived as incidents of violent clashes between two communities or ethnic groups whereas "pogroms" are pre-planned incidents of violence with full support of state machinery against one, often minority, community. Ashutosh Varshney, professor at Brown University and award-winning author, in an interview to Foreign Policy said, "Pogroms are a special class of riots when it's no longer simply a clash between two mobs or groups. Instead, the police is siding with one group either by looking away or by abetting and sometimes even directly participating in the violence." He further added, "The key difference between riots and pogroms lies in the behaviour of the State though its police." The reason why it is important to discuss the difference between "riots" and "pogroms" is because the shrewd usage of the terminology, shifts the blame of the violence from the State to the community that was killed. Political anthropologist Irfan Ahmad, in his informative and timely piece on the politics of usage of the word "riot" for "pogrom" suggests this is deliberately done to flatten the gigantic power inequality between India's Hindus and Muslims. Simply said, what he means is that by terming a "pogrom" as a "riot", the burden and responsibility is put on the shoulders of both groups in the case of communal riots in India, Hindus and Muslims for causing the riot. It also turns invisible the role of the State in orchestrating the pogrom, and leaves no space to challenge the complicity of the police. In the recent Delhi violence, it was noticed that the politics of terminology also creates a binary, where those who term the violence a 'riot' are good and ones terming it a 'pogrom' are branded as 'radicals'. While academicians and scholars have historically held the complicity of the police in incidents of violence against Muslims, and the usage of misleading terminology while talking about the violence, it is still an alien concept in the mainstream media and in the imagination of people. Nonetheless, the institutional bias of the police against Muslims occasionally reveals itself to the public eye. *** Between the end of November and the first week of December in 1997, Coimbatore witnessed communal violence. The violence, lasting for three days, involved murder, arson, loot, and police firing while 18 Muslims and two Hindus were reported dead. This could have been a 'common' case of communal violence, frequent in India, except the fact that it involved a "revolt of police personnel" against Muslims. Frontline reported that "when the violence erupted, Hindus and Muslims were facing each other, and the police opened fire against Muslims". Ten Muslim youths were killed in police firing. The Frontline report also revealed that "with the situation heading towards anarchy following the mutiny by police personnel, the Tamil Nadu government called in the army and the Rapid Action Force (RAF)". Then-director-general of police, FC Sharma, had to come out and deny the allegations that the "police in Coimbatore was communal". Commonwealth Human Rights' Initiative (CHRI) and India-based Quill Foundation jointly published a detailed study in 2018 documenting the perceptions and experience of policing of Muslim citizens in India. The study revealed that "in 2013, a group of three police chiefs presented a report at the annual conference of police chiefs, stating that minorities viewed the police as 'communal, biased, insensitive, ill-informed and corrupt', and also raised questions on the conduct of the police during riots". The study also revealed that the report, however, was never made public. Although, the police itself doesn't admit its prejudice against Muslims, various national committees, court judgments have pointed it out. In 2018, Delhi High Court convicted 17 former PAC personnel for murder and of kidnapping, criminal conspiracy and destruction of evidence under the Indian Penal Code in the Hashimpura massacre (1987) case. The judgment termed the massacre as the "targeted killing" of unarmed and defenceless people by the police. Further there's evidence to suggest that not only is the conduct of the police during incidents of communally-charged violence prejudiced, but also during the investigation of these incidents after the violence has ended. On the morning of 18 February, 1983, more than 1,800 people were killed in Nellie and 13 other Muslim-dominated villages of Nowgong district of central Assam. The event is known as the Nellie Massacre. Then-prime minister Indira Gandhi and president Zail Singh visited the makeshift refugee camp based in a government school in Nellie village, and promised adequate compensation and an investigation into the violence. However, of a total of 688 FIRs registered, the police filed charges in only 299, each ending with zero convictions. In the same year, the Tewary Commission was set up to investigate the matter, which submitted its report in May 1984. The report was never tabled. The "adequate" compensation, however, roughly amounted to Rs 5,000 to the next kin of the deceased, and Rs 2,000 to the injured. During the Delhi violence in February this year, several fact-finding reports recorded that police played a partisan role in orchestrating the violence. In fact, videos of rioters shouting "Delhi Police zindabad (Hail Delhi Police)!" along with their war cry of "Jai Shri Ram" surfaced on the internet, revealing the support rioters had from the police. Soon after the violence ended, as reported by the Youth for Human Rights Documentation (YHRD) in its fact-finding report, the Delhi Police filed 654 cases and either detained or arrested at least 1,820 people, mostly Muslims. The Srikrishna Commission's report on the 1992-93 riots in Mumbai stated that the police is often biased against Muslims and that special efforts are needed to recruit more people from minority backgrounds as well as to "de-communalise" the police. In the previously mentioned study by CHRI and Quill Foundation based on interviews of 25 retired Muslim police officers, it has emerged that "Muslims within the police also perceive and deal with bias based on their identity, indicating bias at an institutional level". *** On the afternoon of 13 December last year, 2019, 50-odd policemen led by Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Akash Kulhari stopped a crowd of 10,000 students, mostly Muslims, who were rallying towards the Aligarh district headquarters to protest the recently-passed Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) at the gates of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU). The SSP addressed the students and rightly warned them not to disrupt the law and order of the city. He sympathetically said, "I have no problem with you protesting, if you do it democratically and constitutionally, but if you disrupt law and order, I will have to take necessary action." The students ultimately withdrew their call to gherao the district headquarters and the student leaders made their protest speeches at the gates of the university itself. The video of the SSP's address became a social media sensation a few hours after it was delivered. The protest rally was a part of what was then a week-long movement having started on 7 December against the CAA and the proposed National Register of Citizenship (NRC). A large number of students saw the CAA and NRC as part of a project to disqualify Muslims from their membership in Indian society. A day before the rally, activists Yogendra Yadav and Dr Kafeel Khan had addressed students at the protest site. Activist Umar Khalid was to accompany Yadav, but had to cancel at the last moment. So he suggested that Khan be invited instead. On 11 December, activists from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Sharjeel Imam and Afreen Fatima, along with two other Bahujan activists had travelled to Aligarh to give their support to AMU students. The day Sharjeel arrived, my father was summoned by the SSP in the presence of the university vice-chancellor Tariq Mansoor. He was asked to "control" me, and I was asked to "withdraw from the movement". Failure to do so, the SSP warned, would lead to the draconian National Security Act (NSA) being invoked against me. At 6.15 pm on 15 December, students gathered at the heavily-surveilled library canteen of the university to discuss the brutal police aggression against students of Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) in Delhi. Most of them were emotionally charged, and demanded that a protest be launched. Within the next 45 minutes, thousands of students assembled at the university gate (which was also the protest site) chanting slogans against the Delhi Police, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. Over the course of the next quarter of an hour, the police fired assault rifles and pellet guns at students, and threw tear gas cannisters and stun grenades at them. The police and Rapid Action Force (RAF) continued to attack the students inside the university premises for more than four hours. More than 60 students suffered varying degrees of injuries and trauma. A fact-finding report jointly brought out by the Human Rights Law Network (HRLN) and Quill Foundation later described it as a "shocking display of police brutality and impunity in the face of peaceful protests by AMU students". The report also held that the police action seemed not only brutal, but also vindictive, motivated by a desire to "show [Muslim] students their place". A case against Khan was filed a couple of days after he came to AMU. On 29 January, he was arrested from Mumbai by the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force. In the two weeks after his arrest, he was slapped with the stringent NSA. It should be recalled that Yadav also addressed the students, along with Khan, but escaped any charges. Later, a policeman told a friend of mine that the police "had nothing to do with Khan. We arrested him because Baba (referring to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath) ordered it". By this point, I had left Aligarh along with four others, following the violence on 15 December, after my friends warned that the police might be looking for us. A week later, I saw my photograph on Aaj Tak, where anchor Chitra Tripathi stated that the Aligarh SSP had named me the "mastermind" of the Aligarh violence. Back in Aligarh, the protests continued, and were led by, among others, Mohammad Amir Mintoee a former AMU student and a known social activist. On 15 April, Amir was arrested by the Uttar Pradesh Police, while he was distributing food to the poor in a hospital. He (and I) were charged with Sections 147, 148, 149, 153, 188, 189, 307, 332, 336, 504 and 506 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) among other serious offences. At present, I am facing over 70 charges in three separate cases. *** The high-level committee, headed by Justice Rajinder Sachar, which examined the social, economic and educational status of Muslim community briefly pointed to a police bias against the Muslim community in the following words: "Concern was expressed over police high-handedness in dealing with Muslims. Muslims live with an inferiority complex as 'every bearded man is considered an ISI agent'; whenever any incident occurs, Muslim boys are picked up by police and encounters are common'." In the CHRI and Quill study mentioned earlier, researchers have concluded that "a common perception emerged that police sees Muslim localities as dens of criminal or terrorist activity, perpetuating a constant suspicion and distrust of the community. Across all the cities we visited, we heard the repeated complaint of pejorative characterisation of Muslim areas as 'mini Pakistan', lending insight into how Muslim community believes itself to be viewed by the police. It is not limited to being seen as coming from a crime-infested locality, but extends to being viewed as potentially anti-national, separate from mainstream and feeling that your locality is always suspect". On 28 December, Meerut superintendent of police (SP) Akhilesh Narayan was caught on camera threatening anti-CAA protestors to "go to Pakistan". It was during the same time that dozens of innocent Muslims, too numerous to be named individually, were killed, thousands were arrested and more than one lakh, mostly Muslims, were booked for protesting against CAA and NRC in Uttar Pradesh. In retaliation, civil society groups protested in the National Capital. It was during this protest that a "heartwarming" image of a girl offering red rose to a police constable as a gesture of peace had gone viral. Although it was a kind gesture, it was also akin to giving silent consent to the police to carry out human rights violations. The police constable who received the rose is an individual. The police is an institution. The case being made is that the police as an institution is communally biased in its behaviour and anti-Muslim in its conduct. It is only after this is acknowledged that possible reform measures can be conceptualised. The author is a Delhi-based AMU graduate and activist associated with the Fraternity Movement of India Can't allow every person who thinks of some solution to COVID-19 to file petition: SC Evacuation of migrants: SC refuses to pass order, leaves decision to Centre India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Apr 27: The Supreme Court has refused to pass any order on the evacuation of migrant workers during the lockdown. The court has left the decision to the Centre. Earlier the Ministry of Home Affairs told the Supreme Court that t is personally supervising all the directives and also added that the migrants cannot be moved during the lockdown. Migrants have been taken care of, no cause for concern, MHA tells Supreme Court In its status report, the MHA said that there is no need for migrants to go back to their villages. Shelter, food and medical facilities are being taken care of. The needs of their families are also being taken care of in the respective villages, the MHA also said. There are around 37,978 relief camps in the country. Around 14.3 lakh persons have been housed. Additionally, 26,255 food camps giving food to 1.34 crore persons have been sent up. Additional 16.5 lakh workers have been given shelter by their employers, the MHA also said. Further, the report said that the MHA is supervising all the directives. The MHA is assisted by the Home Secretary, Cabinet Secretary and control rooms operational 24 hours, the Supreme Court was also told. When Haven Greyson Smith was born at 25 weeks on New Years Day in 2019, he weighed 410 grams. At less than a pound, he was the size of a soda can. Life was already complicated for the micro-preemie before the COVID-19 pandemic. Haven has pulmonary hypertension and one working kidney and will need a kidney transplant. His mom, Amanda Smith, a military veteran who served in Afghanistan, has to scramble to stock up on critical supplies for her 18-pound, Elmo-obsessed toddler, whos on oxygen and a feeding tube, without leaving the home where they are sheltering in place with her mom. Nearly impossible to find until recently were size 3 Pampers, the only diapers that dont chafe and inflame Haven's sensitive skin. It seems hit and miss still, but we got at least a months supply, said Smith, 42. I think its kind of insane that we live in the 21st century and that we are having to go to these lengths to get the necessities for our children. Baby formula returns: But don't expect fully stocked shelves for months Looking for Lysol spray, Clorox wipes? COVID-19 wiped out disinfectants, but heres when you can buy again The diaper shortage, brought on by frantic stockpiling, shows signs of easing, much to the relief of stressed-out parents and caregivers who combed stores online and off for baby essentials during shelter-in-place orders. Shelves were empty and delivery slots from grocery stores and services such as Instacart were hard to come by, so some people turned to cloth diapers as a backup, an alternative that doesnt work for everyone, especially without easy access to a washing machine or a laundromat. Diapers, wipes could be in short supply for six weeks or more A full-throttle production effort is helping diaper manufacturers catch up with demand, though it could be months before parents and caregivers can count on finding the usual range of sizes and brands, supply chain experts said. I suspect that it will take about six weeks to two months for the supply chain processes to stabilize, and the shelves may look quite different in terms of the displays of product variety, said Anna Nagurney, the John F. Smith Memorial professor of operations management at the Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. Story continues Susan Marian, assistant to the CEO of the Children's Trust, helps distribute diapers at Curley's House of Style, a food bank in Miami. Curley's House of Style, along with the Children's Trust and the Miami Diaper Bank, distributed diapers and baby items to families financially hurt by the coronavirus pandemic. Sales of disposable baby products had been stagnant because of declining birthrates and growing competition from private label manufacturers, online retailers and subscription services, according to Mintel analyst Olivia Guinaugh. Now companies are pushing more diapers out of their warehouses than ever before. "No one expected this to happen, at least not to this degree," Guinaugh said. "They are just trying to meet demand for everyone." Kimberly-Clark, one of the largest disposable diaper manufacturers, makes millions of Huggies every year in the USA, as well as wipes, Pull-Ups and Goodnights. Officials told USA TODAY the company sped up production by running its facilities around the clock and narrowing the number of products it makes. We are starting to see a lot more supply coming through for consumers already, Rebecca Dunphey, president of baby and child care for Kimberly-Clark North America, said in an interview. This is a very stressful time for parents. We dont want them worrying about how they are going to be able to diaper their children. Diapers were snatched up in coronavirus panic buying. Procter & Gamble, which makes Pampers, said in an emailed statement that it's committed to getting diapers to families in a highly dynamic situation. Baby wipes may return to store shelves far more slowly. Americans, looking to scour and disinfect their homes and belongings during the pandemic, snapped up every kind of wipe, including ones intended for babies, in a wave of panic buying after COVID-19 was declared a pandemic. "The recovery on wipes is going to be longer than what we are seeing on diapers, Dunphey said. More families struggle to afford baby diapers Another kind of diaper crisis is beginning for a growing number of families. Walloped by record job losses sweeping the country, some parents and caregivers can no longer afford diapers even when they're in stock. Diaper banks, community organizations that distribute free diapers to struggling families, said they are experiencing record demand, up 50% to 300% compared with the number of families they served each month. In response, they provide families with a two-month supply of diapers, increase the frequency of diaper distribution and empty warehouses to give out diapers to more families. In communities where conditions are especially grave, they coordinate diaper distribution at COVID-19 testing sites, giving out diapers to families at school lunch pickups and creating drive-thrus where families can pick up donated diapers. Dry yeast is out of stock everywhere: Here's when you can buy it again Meat shortage 2020: Coronavirus has led Smithfield, other plants to close, farmers to dump milk Even before COVID-19, 1 in 3 U.S. families struggled to provide enough diapers to keep their children clean, dry and healthy, says Joanne Goldblum, CEO of the nonprofit National Diaper Bank Network. The average baby goes through six to 10 diapers a day, which can cost parents and caregivers as much as $80 a month or more per child. A customer in a protective mask picks up a box of Huggies diapers at a Costco store in Novato, Calif. Americans began stocking up on diapers after the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus a pandemic. Tonia Harris, a mother of two and a client services manager for a home health care agency in Philadelphia, gave birth to her son in early March. She had enough money saved up for rent and counted on her partner's income to cover food, formula and diapers during her maternity leave. A week later, the city started to shut down. Her partner, who works in maintenance, was furloughed and has yet to receive unemployment benefits. "At the time I brought my son home, I thought I had what was a lot of diapers, because it was boxes and boxes," she said. But in three weeks, she went through 150 disposables. Harris, who is not eligible for public assistance, said the local diaper bank has become a lifeline for her family. In San Antonio, the Texas Diaper Bank overhauled its program to distribute more diapers and essentials at a time to minimize contact and help families stay healthy during the coronavirus pandemic, according to executive director Jorge Medina. Diapers are getting easier to find, California mom Amanda Smith says: It seems hit and miss still, but we got at least a months supply." "We have seen an increase of over 100% in families enrolling for direct assistance with diapers," Medina said. "Many of these are new families who had never received assistance. Others are families who received assistance on and off, but due to job loss, they have fallen deeper into poverty and are coming for help." Families enrolled in the program receive 150 diapers per child and wipes every three months. Seniors receive six months of incontinence supplies and women 120 feminine pads. If you look at whats happening across the country, so many parents are in a position where they can't provide for their child and never expected to be in that situation. The numbers are just overwhelming, Goldblum told USA TODAY. As long as the unemployment numbers go in the direction that theyre going, people get laid off and businesses are closed, we expect the need to continue to increase. Having trouble finding or affording diapers? Here are some tips Check inventory online and in stores as frequently as possible. Find out when your store restocks. Check the National Diaper Bank Network for resources in your area, or call 211 in many states for help. Look for community groups organizing diaper giveaways. Baby wipes were wiped out at a Walmart store in Stuart, Fla., on April 19 because of COVID-19. In a pinch, you can make diapers out of maxi pads, old T-shirts, dish towels and baby blankets. There's even a "No Sew T-Shirt Cloth Diaper." You can also try cloth diapers. If you dont have wipes, try a spray bottle filled with water to clean babies during diaper changes. Dry babies with tissues, paper towels, old sheets or rags. You can also douse paper or cloth with baby shampoo to wipe bottoms. If your family has enough diapers, you can donate closed, unused boxes or money to diaper banks. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Diapers and baby wipes shortages: It could take 2 months to restock The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has appealed to Nigerians to ignore reports in circulation that claim the council has cancelled the May/June 2020 West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (WASSCE). In a statement by the head of WAEC, Nigeria, Patrick Areghan, on Monday, the council said the notice alleging the cancellation of 2020 WASSCE did not emanate from it. The council described the publication as patently false and deceitful. It is nothing but the handiwork of mischief makers who are out to defraud innocent and unsuspecting candidates and their parents/guardians, the council said. According to the council, Our attention has been drawn to a fake publication circulating in the social media, to the effect that the WAEC has cancelled the conduct of the WASSCE for School Candidates, 2020, as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic and was, therefore, set to refund N22,500 to candidates who had enrolled for the examination. To begin with, the fee for the examination is N13,950 only and not N22,500. WAEC, as an examining body in the sub-region, has not announced the cancellation of the examination, the council said. WAEC said it only announced a postponement until normalcy is restored. WAEC couldnt have made a mistake in the full meaning of its acronym. The council said it will come up with a new International Timetable for the conduct of the examination in the West African sub-region once the situation returns to normal, This will take effect after due consultations with relevant stakeholders. Candidates are, therefore, advised to disregard the publication and concentrate on studying hard for the examination, the council said. Postponement The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) in March postponed its school certificate examination (WASSCE) for this year, including in Nigeria, until further notice due to the raging COVID-19 pandemic. The council, however, said a new date for the examination will be communicated to schools and other stakeholders once normalcy returns As of Monday morning, Nigeria has recorded 1273 cases of COVID-19. Of these, 239 infected people have recovered and have been discharged while 40 people have died. The Berejiklian government is considering a $500 million property spending spree, snapping up unsold apartments and fast-tracking construction as part of its coronavirus economic recovery plan. A cabinet briefing paper, prepared by the government's Land and Housing Corporation, says a "housing-focused stimulus package" would accelerate development and boost employment in NSW. The construction sector will be the key to revitalising the economy after the COVID-19 pandemic. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer The paper, which is marked cabinet in confidence and obtained by The Sydney Morning Herald, says supporting the construction industry will be a key element of economic recovery after the COVID-19 crisis. It recommends a three-staged approach, which would include $160 million for "shovel ready projects" that could see the construction of 300 social housing dwellings start within 16 weeks. The University of North Georgia (UNG) will host a virtual celebration for its spring 2020 graduates on the UNG commencement website starting May 8, which would have been the first of back-to-back days of commencement ceremonies. Graduates, family members, friends, UNG faculty and staff, and others are encouraged to post congratulatory photos and short videos on Twitter or Instagram with the hashtags #UNG20grad and #UNGremotegrad, which will be collected and posted on the commencement site. They are also encouraged to use the hashtags #bestvirtualdayever and #UNGtogether. A video message featuring UNG President Bonita Jacobs, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Chaudron Gille, and the deans of UNG's colleges, along with traditional commencement music, will be posted May 8 on the site. All spring graduates are invited to walk in summer commencement, which is set for a trio of ceremonies Aug. 1. Of the spring graduates, 20 are dual-enrolled students. It is the largest number of dual-enrolled students to earn their associate degrees since the program's inception, said Imani Cabell, dual enrollment coordinator at UNG. She said more than 35 percent of the UNG's dual-enrolled students continue their education at UNG. Keith Antonia will be the first graduate of UNG's Doctor of Education in higher education leadership and practice. UNG's spring graduates include Keith Antonia, who will be the first graduate of UNG's Doctor of Education in higher education leadership and practice (HELP). Antonia is passionate about UNG's Corps of Cadets and its leadership model, and he was excited to learn more about scholarly research and high-impact practices in higher education. All of those elements came together for Antonia, associate vice president for military programs at UNG, in the HELP program. The cohort program, which is fully online, launched in fall 2017. Antonia's dissertation is "Retention of first-time freshman cadets at a senior military college." "The dissertation was the most rewarding part," said Antonia, a retired Army lieutenant colonel. "The research topics been kicked around and thought about for years at UNG." Also this spring, Amber Beauchamp finishes her Master of Arts in Teaching for language arts. After being part of the Ronald E. McNair Post-baccalaureate Achievement Program as she earned an English degree with a literature concentration from UNG in 2018, Beauchamp continued her education at UNG. Dr. Sheri Hardee, dean of UNG's College of Education, served as Beauchamp's mentor in the McNair program. Beauchamp is an English for speakers of other languages teacher at North Hall High School. Her summer research with Hardee as an undergraduate prepared Beauchamp for her current job, for which Hardee served as a reference. "You need that relationship where someone knows you well enough to vouch for you," Beauchamp said. The research and presentation elements of McNair allowed the 34-year-old mother of six to become confident in public speaking. "When it was time to stand in front of students in a classroom, I didn't have that fear anymore," Beauchamp said. Hardee said Beauchamp is a great role model for her students, as Beauchamp continued her research she started as an undergraduate while in graduate school. "Amber is the definition of a continuous learner, and we know that she will continue to ask and answer research questions as a teacher and encourage a new generation of lifelong learners at the same time," Hardee said. Christina Packard is scheduled to earn a Bachelor of Science in art marketing from UNG about a month shy of her 71st birthday. Christina Packard embodies Beauchamp's philosophy that age doesn't matter, as she will earn her second bachelor's degree both after age 60. The Dahlonega, Georgia, resident is scheduled to complete a Bachelor of Science in art marketing in May, about a month shy of her 71st birthday. "I feel so much like the kids I have to remind myself I don't look like them," Packard said. Packard's eight-year journey was possible through Georgia's Amendment 23, which provides free tuition for residents age 62 and older. During her time at UNG, Packard has had her art displayed in the governor's office twice and put in a museum for a month. She even was published on the cover of the state's 2015 financial report. Packard previously earned a Bachelor of Arts in business management from Eckerd College in her 60s and before that earned an associate degree in art. She hopes to use her skills to offer affordable art classes. A tiger statue that weighs several hundred pounds has disappeared from a Tucson business, amid heightened public interest in the big cats due to a Netflix series about a felonious former tiger-keeper. The management of Trail Dust Town issued pleas on social media Monday for the return of the metal sculpture admired by generations of children at the family-friendly, Old West-themed park near the corner of East Tanque Verde and North Kolb roads. "As if the past few weeks haven't been bad enough, this is a gut punch to all of us here," said a post that went up on the Trail Dust Town Facebook page Monday April 27 around 10:30 a.m. "Please help renew our faith in the people of Tucson and share this far and wide. We know it's a long shot but if they return the tiger undamaged we won't press charges," it said. The post didn't mention any potential connection between the theft and the current popularity of the Netflix breakout hit Tiger King, a true crime series about a man who made money breeding tigers and running an Oklahoma zoo and was accused of animal abuse. But social media users have been making the connection themselves, posting online responses that draw from the show's screen narrative. The home of Duck Dynasty star Willie Robertson was the target of a drive-by shooting on Friday afternoon, as eight to 10 shots were fired from the road into the TV stars gated estate in West Monroe, Louisiana. Robertson told USA Today that several members of his family had come to live him and with his wife, Korie, on his estate during the coronavirus lockdown but that no one had been outside when the shots were fired. The houses on Robertsons estate are located far from the road, but one bullet broke a window in a house where Robertsons son, John Luke, and his wife and child were living in. Thankfully, no one was injured. Also Read: Elisabeth Hasselbeck Claps Back at Meghan McCain for Criticizing Her Coronavirus Comments: 'Get Your Quotes Right' We were pretty shook up. It looks like they were just spraying bullets across my property, Robertson said.Nobody was outside at the time, but everybody had been out about five minutes before. I had just gone to the store when it happened. Witnesses said that the car was a Ford F-250 driven by a white male in his 20s, though other passengers were seen in the car. Robertson said that his family saw the truck drive by at least once before they returned and began shooting. The Ouachita Parish Sheriffs Office, which did not immediately respond to TheWraps request for comment, is investigating the shooting and is in contact with Robertson. Read original story Duck Dynasty Star Willie Robertsons Home Is Target of Drive-By Shooting At TheWrap A 33-year-old Hillside man was found fatally shot late Saturday in Newark, authorities said. Police were called to a shooting around 9 p.m. on Frelinghuysen Avenue, near Poinier Street, where officers discovered evidence of gunfire, according to the Essex County Prosecutors Office. While at the Frelinghuysen Avenue scene, police found Derrick Pinkett shot in a vehicle on Clinton Avenue, authorities said. Investigators learned Pinkett was the man attacked at the first crime scene. Police did not immediately announce any arrests or any possible suspects for the slaying. Newark and county homicide detectives were investigating. The prosecutors office asked anyone with information to call 877-847-7432. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com. Method could be scaled up to help farmers improve crop yield in areas with increased soil salinity Bethesda, MD - A new study has shown that salt-tolerant bacteria can be used to enhance salt tolerance in various types of plants. The new approach could increase crop yield in areas dealing with increasing soil salinity. Each year, about 2 million to 3 million hectares of irrigated farmland go out of production worldwide due to salinity problems, according to the U.S. Agency for International Development. Increased soil salinity not only reduces water uptake for crops but can often create a nutrient imbalance that decreases plant growth and yield. Although salt levels in soil can increase naturally over time, especially in arid areas, farming practices also contribute. Irrigation water, especially recycled wastewater, contains salts that concentrate in the soil. Fertilizers also add salts to the soil. "Agricultural soil loss continues to rise, posing a very real threat to many important crops," said research team leader Brent Nielsen, PhD, professor at Brigham Young University. "Our method for enhancing the salt tolerance of plants could be scaled up to allow farmers to use more of their land and improve yield. This would create a more stable income for farmers and a more reliable food supply for consumers." Ashley Miller, a graduate student working in Nielsen's lab, was scheduled to present this research at the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology annual meeting in San Diego this month. Though the meeting, to be held in conjunction with the 2020 Experimental Biology conference, was canceled in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, the research team's abstract was published in this month's issue of The FASEB Journal. In previous work, the researchers isolated salt-tolerant bacteria from plants growing in salty soils. They then immersed young alfalfa seedlings in liquid containing the individual salt-tolerant bacterial strains, a process called inoculation. The alfalfa inoculated with some of these salt-tolerant strains exhibited improved growth in high-salt conditions compared to plants not inoculated with bacteria. In the new work, they explored whether this salt tolerance could be transferred to other plants. "We've found that salt tolerance can be transferred to many plant types," said Miller. "Initial studies with Kentucky Bluegrass have been particularly successful." The researchers found that Kentucky Bluegrass grown in salty soil after inoculation with a Bacillus strain increased yield 8.4 times in dry weight compared with control plants grown in the same soil without the bacterial inoculation. The researchers continue to test whether salt tolerance can be conferred to additional plant varieties, with promising initial results. They are also working to understand how the bacteria confer salt tolerance. ### Contact the media team for more information. Images and animations available. About Experimental Biology 2020 Experimental Biology is an annual meeting that attracts more than 12,000 scientists and exhibitors from five host societies and more than two dozen guest societies. With a mission to share the newest scientific concepts and research findings shaping clinical advances, the meeting offers an unparalleled opportunity for exchange among scientists from across the U.S. and the world who represent dozens of scientific areas, from laboratory to translational to clinical research. http://www.experimentalbiology.org #expbio About the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB) ASBMB is a nonprofit scientific and educational organization with more than 12,000 members worldwide. Founded in 1906 to advance the science of biochemistry and molecular biology, the society publishes three peer-reviewed journals, advocates for funding of basic research and education, supports science education at all levels, and promotes the diversity of individuals entering the scientific workforce. http://www.asbmb.org About The FASEB Journal Receive monthly highlights from The FASEB Journal by e-mail. Sign up at http://www.faseb.org/fjupdate.aspx. The FASEB Journal is published by the Federation of the American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB). It is among the most cited biology journals worldwide according to the Institute for Scientific Information and has been recognized by the Special Libraries Association as one of the top 100 most influential biomedical journals of the past century. Find more press materials at: https://www.eurekalert.org/meetings/eb/2020/newsroom/. YARDLEY BOROUGH >> The Yardley Borough Police Department report the following incidents and arrests: WARRANT (DOMESTIC ASSAULT) >> At approximately 7:55 p.m. on January 11 a victim fleeing a domestic assault in her vehicle was entering the parking lot at police headquarters when her car was struck by another vehicle. The striking vehicle fled prior to police arrival. A follow-up investigation... Jason Pappas, vice president, Fraternal Order of Police of Ohio accepts a donation of 12,000 facemasks from Darryl Tanner, chief executive officer, Facemasks for All. While facemasks are only one of several measures important to creating a new American culture of public health and safety, they are a proven and visible tactic to reduce the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Facemasks for All is equipped to distribute millions of three-ply, non-medical surgical facemasks to Ohio businesses and other organizations as they start to welcome employees back into offices, restaurants and other gathering places. While specific requirements in Ohio are expected to be announced later today by Governor Mike DeWine, several businesses and organizations are already anticipating making masks part of their reopening plans. Seven states (Connecticut, Hawaii, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island) already mandated facemask usage for businesses. Masks from Facemasks for All are available in minimum quantities of 2,000. Costs depend on quantity requested, payment terms and desired delivery timeline. The average cost per mask is lower than $0.90 and is less than $0.66 cents when pre-paying with eight to ten days of lead time. Facemasks for All, which is utilizing a just-in-time inventory strategy to eliminate storage costs, has access to up to 100,000 masks available for next-day delivery. Additional quantities can be provided within four to ten days. Businesses and organizations interested in obtaining masks should reach out directly at facemasksforall.com. The company has the resources to equip every worker in Columbus with a facemask within seven to ten days, and all of Ohio within two weeks, according to Darryl Tanner, chief executive officer, Facemasks for All. As we saw with facemasks for our healthcare workers, demand is going to exceed supply when employees return to the workplace, Tanner said. This is a rapidly-growing global industry that was seemingly created just months ago out of nowhere. And while facemasks are only one of several measures important to creating a new American culture of public health and safety, they are a proven and visible tactic to reduce the spread of the COVID-19 virus. A large portion of the proceeds from the commercial sale of the masks will cover the costs of Facemasks for All donations to nonprofit organizations and municipalities, along with advocacy, lobbying, education and overhead. The company has already distributed more than 430,000 masks to various entities, including the donation of 20,500 masks to central Ohio firefighter and police organizations as well as the Ohio National Guard and The Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA). The Fraternal Order of Police is extremely grateful for Mr. Tanners generosity by donating masks to Ohio law enforcement, said Jason Pappas, vice president, Fraternal Order of Police of Ohio. The donation allows our departments to conserve supplies of personal protective equipment and prevent the spread of COVID-19 in our communities. Tanner is also the chief executive officer of Columbus-based technology company King Memory. Darryls passion for supplying masks came as a result of his late-January visit to meet potential King Memory suppliers in Taiwan, as well as visiting his sister in Japan. I couldnt help but notice every person in public was wearing a facemask in both Tokyo and Taipei. Wearing facemasks in these countries was part of everyday life before COVID-19, so there was no cultural resistance to implementing facemask usage to slow the spread of the virus, Tanner said. As a result, the global pandemic has not been as severe in places such as Taiwan, Japan and South Korea in comparison to the western world. I wanted to lend my experience in building high-growth companies and navigating fast-paced, evolving and fractured supply chains to quickly get a face mask to as many people as possible. I believe we cannot begin reopening the economy until everyone is wearing a facemask. Facemasks for All, which is equipped with U.S.-based distributers with physical stock, is also currently verifying 12 manufacturers located in China with a combined daily production capacity of 14 million masks. These manufacturers are registered with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and are either currently approved by the Chinese government or have an application in process. China is verifying every manufacturer for quality and only permitting manufacturers that pass certain criteria to be allowed to export personal protective equipment including facemasks. Ohio business and governmental leaders have shown great resourcefulness and creativity to help fight the COVID-19 public health pandemic, Tanner concluded. I feel a responsibility to do whatever I can as well. We truly are #InThisTogetherOhio. For more information on Facemasks for All, please visit http://www.facemasksforall.com. New Delhi, April 27 : Majority of states asked for continuation of lockdown and urged the central government to take the decision, said Puducherry Chief Minister Velu Narayanasamy after the meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi via video link here on Monday. "The general mood at the meeting was that the lockdown should continue with partial relaxation," said Narayanasamy while addressing the media at the All-India Congress Committee (AICC) office, here, through video link. Most Chief Ministers were of the view that as the number of coronavirus cases were rising there should be a cautious approach and the economic activities should be started slowly, he said. The Chief Ministers of the Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled states said the lockdown should continue, he said. When the Chief Ministers raised the economic package issue, they didn't get any affirmative reply from the Prime Minister who praised states for containment of Covid-19, especially Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot for his experiments. Raising the migrants' issue, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said they should be returned to their native places by the central government. The Prime Minister didn't respond to issue of students stranded abroad. The Congress Chief Minister said the economic activity should be started gradually and the advances made by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) should be interest-free for a year. The Puducherry Chief Minister said the Union Territory had only 3 coronavirus cases and over 2,000 people in self-quarantine. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text There are days Im jealous of baby Tim. To have Bebo as a mom? A dream come true. Shes everything. The unchallenged diva of B-town, the extra spicy mamma, the quintessential heroine, the love of several lives, Im sure. If youre a 90s kid, youre lying if youre saying you havent pretended you are Poo at least once in your lifetime. Okay, maybe you havent but I highly recommend it - Tell me how it was! Scroll to discover my favourite characters played by this queen. Poo from K3G You had to know this one was coming. Legend says that the word xtra was inspired by her character, Im not kidding. Shes cheeky, vivacious with a devil-may-care attitude and is gutsy enough to pursue a man shes got her eye on but also dignified enough to walk away when he doesnt seem to reciprocate her feelings. (Siri play 'You Are My Soniya'). Also, can we talk about her spunky style? An icon, truly. We can evaluate her God complex and pretentiousness another day, lets move past that for now. And while she seems unbothered and too-cool-for-school, deep down she just wants to help unite her family. Saucy and sanskari? Please arrange for my baarat, I am ready. Also, Pooja, what is this behaviour? (I had to, sorry) Templafy, a Copenhagen, Denmark based provider of enterprise document creation and automation, closed a $25m Series C funding round. The round, which brought total funding raised to date to nearly $70m, was led by Insight Partners with participation from Dawn Capital, Seed Capital and Damgaard Company. The company intends to use the funds to accelerate its international growth. Founded in 2014 and led by Jesper Theill Eriksen, CEO, Templafy provides companies with document creation and document automation platform. In the past year alone, the company more than doubled its revenue and has now sold over 2 million licenses worldwide. As part of its international growth strategy, Templafy recently expanded its presence in New York City, and made its first U.S.-based C-suite hire with the appointment of Greg Sheppard, formerly of TravelClick, to the role of chief revenue officer (CRO) to oversee its rapid expansion in the North American market. FinSMEs 27/04/2020 Dr Philippa Tomczak has been awarded a 1.2 million grant through the prestigious UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Future Leaders Fellowship programme to further her work into prison regulation for safer prisons and societies. Over an initial four years, the fellowship will support Dr Tomczak, a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Nottingham, to reconceptualise prison regulation by including a broader range of representatives from multiple sectors - operating across stakeholder groups, from local to global scales. This will enable a step change in prison regulation and boost the potential to improve prison safety. Dr Tomczak's research covers the sociology of punishment, focussing on the regulation of criminal justice detention, deaths in detention, and the penal voluntary sector. She is currently working with the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman, using her research to inform Ombudsman Fatal Incident Investigation reports and recommendations. The UKRI Fellowship is the latest accolade for Dr Tomczak, who holds a Nottingham Research Fellowship in the School of Sociology and Social Policy. Between 2015 and 2018 she was a Leverhulme Trust Early Career Fellow and British Academy Rising Star at the University of Sheffield Centre for Criminological Research. She published the first monograph on 'The Penal Voluntary Sector', which won the 2017 British Society of Criminology Book Prize and founded CRIMVOL: the international criminal justice voluntary sector research network. The UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship initiative aims to support the creation of a new cohort of research and innovation leaders who will have links across different sectors and disciplines. The grant supports challenging and novel projects, and the development of the individual, and can pay for team members' wages, equipment and other needs. Dr Philippa Tomczak said: "I am delighted to be recognised by UKRI as a future leader and that this important research area has merited substantive funding. I look forward to working on this with my excellent colleagues at Nottingham and beyond." Sir Mark Walport, Chief Executive of UK Research and Innovation, said: "The Future Leaders Fellowships are UKRI's flagship talent programme, designed to foster and nurture the research and innovation leaders of the future. "We are delighted to support these outstanding researchers and innovators across universities, research organisations and businesses." Kirsty Grainger, Director of the UKRI Future Leaders Fellowships, said: "The Future Leaders Fellows represent some of the most brilliant people working in the country. We're supporting researchers from every background - from the arts to medicine, and the social sciences to engineering - helping them become the research and innovation leaders of the future." This cross-UK Research and Innovation scheme supports early career researchers and innovators with outstanding potential in universities, UK registered businesses, and other research and user environments including research councils' institutes and laboratories. The support will enable each fellow to tackle ambitious and challenging research and innovation and develop their own careers. Fellows benefit from: A scheme that is committed to supporting excellent researchers and innovators regardless of their background. Fellowships can be held on a part-time basis for personal commitments and/or as part of a job share. Networking across their cohort of some of the UK's most talented researchers and innovators from different disciplines and sectors, putting them at the forefront of modern, interdisciplinary research. A career boost, including time and investment for training and professional development, providing a route to an open-ended contract for academically hosted fellows (in line with organisational policies and practices). ### Poco F2 Pro could be a rebranded version of the Redmi K30 Pro Zoom Edition but sadly not for the Indian markets Poco F2 Pro could be a rebranded version of the Redmi K30 Pro Zoom Edition but sadly not for the Indian market, it seems. Xiaomi announced the Redmi K30 Pro alongside the Redmi K30 Pro Zoom Edition on March 24 at an event in China. The phones are successors to last years Redmi K20 Pro and come with the latest hardware in tow. Google Play Services recently updated its list of supported devices that was first spotted by the folks over at XDA. The listing reveals Xiaomis plans to launch the Redmi K30 Pro as Poco F2 Pro in regions outside of China. However, the report also tries to connect the dots by decoding the model numbers corresponding to the entries. The Redmi K30 Pro goes by the model number lmi and in two out of the three listings the K30 Pro seems to be rebranded as the Poco F2 Pro. Another entry that goes by lmiinpro has the words in which is the country code for India but could be marketed as the Redmi K30 Pro Zoom Edition and not Poco F2 Pro. As to why Xiaomi wont bring the rebranded version of Redmi K30 Pro in India as the Poco F2 Pro isnt known at the moment. However, C Manmohan, Poco India GM has previously stated that the company isnt looking to rebrand an existing phone as the Poco F2 and squashed any rumours suggesting the Redmi K30 Pro be released as Poco F2 in India. Having said that, the latest piece of information coming from the listing does indicate that India will be getting the Redmi K30 Pro Zoom Edition. Xiaomi Redmi K30 Pro Zoom Edition specifications Xiaomi Redmi K30 Pro Zoom Edition features a 6.67-inch Full HD+ (2400 x 1080 pixels) resolution display that uses an AMOLED panel coated by a layer of Cornings Gorilla Glass 5. The display doesnt have a notch cut out for front-facing camera as it utilizes the pop-up camera mechanism. The phone is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 chipset with 5G support and an octa-core CPU running on Android 10-based MIUI 11. This is paired with upto 12GB RAM and 512GB UFS 3.1 storage options to choose from. The Redmi K30 Pro Zoom has a quad-camera setup that consists of a primary 64MP sensor, an 8MP telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom, a 13MP ultra-wide-angle camera and a 2MP depth sensor. The rear camera setup can record upto 8K UHD videos at upto 30fps and 4K UHD clips at upto 60fps supported by EIS and OIS. For the front-facing camera, the phone makes use of a pop-up mechanism that houses a 20MP selfie camera. The phone has stereo speakers, Wi-Fi 6 and in-display optical fingerprint sensor for faster unlock. It packs in a 4,700mAh battery that supports 33W fast charging out-of-the-box that the company claims can go from 0-100% in just around an hour. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and his wife were heckled by locals as they walked through Prospect Park in Brooklyn over the weekend, despite living 11 miles away in Manhattan. De Blasio was filmed strolling with his wife Chirlane McCray, both of whom were wearing masks, through the historic park on Saturday afternoon. New Yorker Darren Goldner took video of the moment he scolded the Mayor for forcing an entourage of four SUV security vehicles to drive his family to the park for a nonessential recreational walk in a completely different borough. 'Seriously, you guys have a park. You live in park. You dont need to non-essentially travel to Brooklyn. Come on you wont even open roads for people of all backgrounds. Im not going to give it a break. This is selfish behavior,' Goldner said. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and his wife Chirlane McCray were heckled by locals as they walked through Prospect Park in Brooklyn on Saturday, despite living 11 miles away in a Manhattan park New Yorker Darren Goldner took video of the moment he scolded the Mayor saying: 'Seriously, you guys have a park. You live in park. You dont need to non-essentially travel to Brooklyn. Come on you wont even open roads for people of all backgrounds. Im not going to give it a break. This is selfish behavior' De Blasio waved dismissively at Goldner and he and his wife walked away as Goldner followed and continued to harangue them At the end of the clip the Mayor and his wife walked to their cars followed by assistants and drove off De Blasio lives in the Gracie Mansion, the designated residence of New York mayors, on the Upper East Side inside Carl Schurz Park, located 11 miles awy from Prospect Park Critics noted that De Blasio lives in the Gracie Mansion, the designated residence of New York mayors, on the Upper East Side inside Carl Schurz Park. De Blasio was seen waving his hand dismissively towards the camera as he walked away from his angry constituent saying, 'Come on guys, give it a break'. 'This is so terribly selfish. You call yourself a progressive but you chauffeur yourself to Brooklyn you force people to drive you. This is ridiculous. This is the epitome of nonessential travel,' Goldner continued. De Blasio lived in Park Slope, Brooklyn, near Prospect Park, before moving to the Gracie Mansion in July 2014. It comes after the mayor's Health Commissioner Dr. Oxiris Barbot urged New Yorkers to stay home to save lives. New York state remains the epicenter of COVID-19 in the US. On Sunday, there were 337 new coronavirus deaths, which brings the state's total since the pandemic began to more than 17,300. Critics noted that de Blasio lives in the Gracie Mansion (above), the designated residence of New York mayors, on the Upper East Side located inside Carl Schurz Park. De Blasio and McCray pictured in front of Gracie Mansion in September 2019 A view of the Gracie Mansion in 2013 located in the Upper East Side of Manhattan Mayor Bill de Blasio pictured with wife Chirlane McCray and kids Dante de Blasio and Chiara de Blasio at the 2015 Pride Parade There were 3,951 new cases Sunday bringing the state's total to 291, 996 infections - almost a third of the 1 million infections in the country. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Monday that he will extend lockdown orders in many parts of the state beyond his original May 15 deadline. Cuomo did not specifically say that New York City would be among the areas that will have to stay closed for longer but implied it by saying the worst hit areas will be those that remain closed the longest. It came as new results from antibody testing revealed that 24.7 percent of New York City residents tested positive. Social media users voiced their outrage over De Blasio's stroll, calling his behavior 'atrocious' This Twitter user noted that the Gracie Mansion, the official residence for New York Mayors, is located in Carl Schurz Park CUOMO SAYS HE WILL EXTEND NEW YORK LOCKDOWN New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Monday that he will extend lockdown orders in many parts of the state beyond his original May 15 deadline. Cuomo did not specifically say that New York City would be among the areas that will have to stay closed for longer but implied it by saying the worst hit areas will be those that remain closed the longest. It came as new results from antibody testing revealed that 24.7 percent of New York City residents tested positive. If accurate, it means that more than 2million of the city's 8.4million population have become infected, and that the death rate - when calculated using the 11,460 confirmed COVID-19 deaths, is 0.5 percent. More than 7,500 people have now been tested for the antibodies across the state. They were selected at grocery stores and were tested using a finger-prick blood test developed by the New York State Department of Health. 'May 15 is when New York Pause regulations expire. I will extend them in many parts of the state but in some parts... you can make the case that we should unpause by May 15,' he said. On Sunday, there were 337 new coronavirus deaths which brings the state's total since the pandemic began to more than 17,300. There were 3,951 new cases Sunday bringing the state's total to 291, 996 infections - almost a third of the 1 million infections in the country. Advertisement Twitter users were quick to eviscerate the De Blasio for his weekend walk slamming his behavior as 'disgraceful'. 'Good for you! His behavior has been so atrocious, he shouldn't be able to set foot in a public space without being asked questions like these,' one Twitter user wrote. 'Tell him to take the subway to Brooklyn, so he can see the squalor caused by his failure to care for the homeless,' another added. 'Give him hell! Disgraceful. In the middle of a pandemic he's making an overcrowded park more crowded & setting a bad example. NYC should've been locked down & instead he & everyone else is strolling through the freaking park. Madness! This is why 1 out of every 500 NYers are dead,' one angry Twitter user said. Goldner slammed the Mayor for initially refusing to open up city streets so pedestrians and bikers can have more space in the pandemic. 'De Blasio opposes opening streets for all, esp [for] those who don't happen to live near a nice park, aren't chauffeured in fossil-fuel convoys to Park Slope. They tend to be poorer, working class, POC,' Goldner tweeted. Last week the mayor opposed a city council proposal to alter city streets to make room for pedestrians and bikers on streets without enforcement from cops, following the success of similar programs in other US and European cities. On Monday the Mayor changed his tune and said he committed to opening up 100 miles of streets for socially responsible recreation during the COVID-19 crisis. 'The City Council came forward with a vision for how we could open up more streets and do it in a way thats responsive to the core concerns of the NYPD over safety and enforcement,' the mayor said. 'Over the next month, we will create a minimum of 40 miles of open streets. And as the crisis continues, the goal is to get up to 100 miles. We will focus first on streets in and around our parks.' The mayor also said the city will also consider the option to 'expand sidewalks' and create more temporary bike lanes. On Monday the Mayor said he committed to opening up 100 miles of streets for socially responsible recreation during the COVID-19 crisis including expanding sidewalks and expanding streets in parks Last week de Blasio asked New Yorkers to rat out fellow citizens on those ignoring social distancing orders by taking photos of the violators and texting it to the city. '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.' Mayor de Blasio says NYC will create 40 MILES of open streets in the next month to make social distancing easier for pedestrians - three days after he panned a similar 'unsafe' proposal New York City is preparing to open up to 100 miles of streets to offer New Yorkers more space to social distance outside as coronavirus lockdown measures continue. Mayor Bill de Blasio made the announcement on Monday, just days after he and other city officials cautioned against a proposal to open up streets to pedestrians, saying it could not be done safely in a city as dense as New York. But in his latest news conference, de Blasio said the City Council had come forward with a vision for opening up more streets that alleviates concerns by the city's Police Department. 'Over the next month, we will create a minimum of 40 miles of open streets. And as the crisis continues, the goal is to get up to 100 miles,' de Blasio said. He said the city would focus on streets in and around parks, where officials expect many people to congregate as the weather gets warmer. Many of the city's eight million residents live in small apartments, and officials are concerned residents will flout social distancing rules the longer lockdown rules continue into the summer. How NYC will open up to 100 miles of streets New York City officials have yet to release specific details about road closures but did outline five broad categories from which the open streets will be sourced: Up to 60 miles of streets within and adjacent to parks Up to 20 miles of streets identified in consultation with local precincts, in consultation with community boards and other partners Up to 10 miles of streets managed by local partners such as BIDs, block associations, or other civic groups Up to 2.5 miles of widened sidewalks Up to 10 miles of protected bike lanes Advertisement 'We want to do more,' de Blasio told reporters at the virtual briefing. 'So the focus here will be to focus on where the need is greatest. 'The first priority is the places hardest hit and then where it will have the most impact.' The mayor said that in addition to closing streets, the city would also expand sidewalks and create more temporary bike lanes, but did not provide additional details. New York City Council members last week introduced a bill to dedicate 75 miles of city streets to pedestrians and cyclists by closing at least one lane to vehicles while coronavirus restrictions are in place. But representatives for the city's Department of Transportation and the Police Department on Friday poured cold water on the proposal, saying the city did not have the resources to protect people on those streets from drivers. De Blasio himself in mid-April shot down the idea of closing streets to traffic, saying he did not believe it would work. When City Council proposed the new plan - modeled after Oakland, California - de Blasio on Friday said that it didn't 'connect with a lot of our reality'. Asked about his change of mind on Monday, he said the city council had proposed community partners to help the Police Department keep streets safe. Activists who have been calling for the expansion of open space for weeks were quick to praise de Blasio's announcement - crediting City Council with making it happen. 'It's great to see the Council break through on the issue,' said Jon Orcutt of Bike New York, and a former top DOT official. 'We're very heartened the announcement included some looking-ahead steps, like more pop-up bike lanes.' New York City's debate over increasing space for pedestrians comes as cities around the world experiment with ways to gradually ease restrictions without compromising safety. Several cities, including San Francisco and Denver in the United States and Milan, Dublin, Budapest and Berlin in Europe, have closed some streets to cars and expanded sidewalks and bicycle lanes to provide more outdoor space. Meanwhile, a growing number of governors are laying plans to lift statewide stay-at-home orders in the coming weeks. As The Virus spreads, weve seen numerous cultural institutions fall. First it was toilet paper. Then it was Spains two kiss greeting. Then it was Bondi Beachs sun cult. Now Singapore Airlines fleet of mighty A380s are being sent to a far-flung holiday home: Australias Alice Springs. Singapore Airlines is not alone in this. Airlines world-over are scrambling to relocate their jets (particularly the larger ones) as demand for air travel plummets and popular airports charge up to $400 an hour for plane storage. To put this in perspective, Bloomberg reports there are more than 16,000 passenger jets out of action right now, and, the number of passenger jets in service is the lowest in 26 years. Finding the right space and conditions for 62% of the worlds planes and keeping them airworthy have suddenly become priorities for 2020. Thats just the beginning of the problem. As a Qantas pilot recently told DMARGE, even if they wanted to, airlines will struggle to offload these expensive, depreciating assets: Im not sure theres a market for used airliners at present given the financial stress most airlines are under. Airlines are more likely looking to return leased aircraft as opposed to selling owned aircraft. Boeing and Airbus are both seeing large cancellations of commercial aircraft orders. Another pilot, using last years Boeing crisis to illustrate his point, told DMARGE, I saw that the 737 MAX jets, if they ever fly again, require something like 100 maintenance hours, per aircraft, to ready them for service. I wouldnt be surprised if its the same for all the jets parked around the world. With that context in mind, let us turn to Simple Flying, who first picked up on Singapore Airlines decision to jettison their jets: The Simple Flying team recently spotted the A380s heading towards Alice Springs via information available on FlightRadar24.com. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Carol Diario (@caroldiario.blog) on Apr 26, 2020 at 7:51am PDT Having departed roughly one hour apart from each other, the four superjumbos, their flight numbers, and registrations are as follows. SQ8865 9V-SKT SQ8866 9V-SKW SQ8867 9V-SKY SQ8868 9V-SKZ Departing Singapore Changi (SIN), their destination is Alice Springs Airport (ASP), Simple Flying reported yesterday. The actual flight time for the aircraft was just over five hours. The aircraft range between just three and eight years of age. Why Alice Springs? Well, positioned in Australias jugular (only a few hundred kicks away from the centre), Arid Alice is surrounded by desert. This means it has little rain, no storms and low humidity (humidity being the main concern, we reported last week, as its presence accelerates the corrosion of critical aircraft components). While Alice Springs can reach extreme temperatures in summer, Simple Flying says the electronics on board the aircraft should not be negatively affected. In any case, its currently autumn in Australia and, as we move into winter, well see milder temperatures in the mid to low teens for the next four or five months. Another benefit of Alice Springs, for Singapore Airlines, is that the ground is solid enough to support the weight of these massive A380 aircraft. Much like the Mojave Desert in the United States, which is home to a number of airplane boneyards (where planes go to die), there is no paving necessary in Alice Springs. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Los Angeles (@retna_art) on Aug 10, 2019 at 7:16am PDT According to Mainly Miles, Singapore Airlines A380s will be joining three of Singapore Airlines Boeing 777-200ERs, which were already in Alice Springs, as well as two Scoot Airbus A320s and SilkAirs fleet of Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft. However, far from being forgotten like the aforementioned boneyards in the US, Alice Springs aircraft will see regular maintenance (and inspections), to ensure they are suitable to fly (or to be sold) when the time comes. Read Next PHOENIX, April 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Axway (Euronext: AXW.PA), a leader in B2B integration software, announces it has once again been awarded certification from the Drummond Group for interoperability with AS2 and AS4. This continues the trend of the last 10+ years where Axway serves as the benchmark for all connectivity vendors. At the end of 2019, ENTSOG coordinated an AS4 Agreement Update Proof of concept (POC) to test a new capability called "Automated Certificate Exchange." Around 10 of the largest gas companies participated in the POC, two of which were Axway customers. After a lengthy POC process, the only companies that were able to successfully complete the POC were the two Axway customers who participated, Gassco and Equinor. "We are proud to have worked with Axway on this challenging Proof of Concept," said Jarle Ronnevik, Principal Analyst Energy Logistics, OPI BIG BI at Equinor ASA. "We consider it a significant accomplishment, that we were able to successfully complete the testing. Axway was a great partner throughout the process and we feel confident that Axway will continue to drive us to the forefront of our industry's new requirements." "Axway continues to lead the way for enterprises requiring best-in-class B2B connectivity that delivers value for their past, present, and future ecosystem requirements," said Vince Padua, Chief Technology and Innovation officer at Axway. "As a global leader in B2B integration and ecosystem collaboration, this certification provides out-of-the-box compliance, lowers the cost of ecosystem integration, and can be run on-premise, cloud, or as a managed service with full reversibility. As a forerunner in the modernization of B2B connectivity, Axway continues to innovate to make enterprises more flexible and agile in a rapidly changing B2B and ecosystem landscape." AS2 is one of the most popular B2B protocols, used heavily around the globe in nearly every market vertical. It continues to evolve to keep up with the latest security standards and market demands. AS4, one of the newest communication protocol standards, has gained significant traction, since being adopted by the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Gas Association (ENTSOG). ENTSOG has taken the standard AS4 specifications and extended them slightly to fit the needs of their specific market, sometimes increasing the need for vendors to keep up with the pace at which ENTSOG is innovating on AS4. Axway continues to show leadership in the space. Learn more about the recently certified AS2 and AS4 products. About Axway Axway gives heritage IT infrastructure new life, helping more than 11,000 customers use what they already have to invent their digital journeys, add new business capabilities, and drive growth. With the future-proof AMPLIFY platform which combines APIs, B2B integration, content services, and digital ecosystems we guide innovation and enhance the customer experience faster and more securely than ever. In business for more than 20 years, Axway employs over 1,800 people in 18 countries. axway.com. Contact: Joshua Molina [email protected] SOURCE Axway Related Links http://axway.com As the novel coronavirus swept through communities around the world, preying disproportionately on the poor and the vulnerable, one disadvantaged group has demonstrated a remarkable resistance. Women, whether from China, Italy or the United States, have been less likely to become acutely ill and far more likely to survive. Which has made doctors wonder: Could hormones produced in greater quantities by women be at work? Now scientists on two coasts, acting quickly on their hunches in an effort to save mens lives, are testing the hypothesis. The two clinical trials will each dose men with the sex hormones for limited durations. Last week, doctors on New Yorks Long Island started treating COVID-19 patients with estrogen in an effort to increase their immune systems, and next week physicians in Los Angeles will start treating male patients with another hormone that is predominantly found in women, progesterone, which has anti-inflammatory properties and can potentially prevent harmful overreactions of the immune system. Theres a striking difference between the number of men and women in the intensive care unit, and men are clearly doing worse, said Dr. Sara Ghandehari, a pulmonologist and intensive care physician at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles who is the principal investigator for the progesterone study. She said 75% of the hospitals intensive care patients and those on ventilators are men. And pregnant women, who are usually immunocompromised but have high levels of estrogen and progesterone, tend to have mild courses of the disease. So something about being a woman is protective, and something about pregnancy is protective, and that makes us think about hormones, Ghandehari said. Some experts who study sex differences in immunity, however, warned that hormones may fail to be the magic bullet that some are hoping for; even elderly women with COVID-19 are outliving their male peers, and there is a drastic reduction in levels of hormones for women after menopause. The genesis of the estrogen trial at the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University on Long Island stemmed from a similar observation, said Dr. Sharon Nachman, the trials principal investigator, who credited a Stony Brook surgeon, Dr. Anthony Gasparis, with the idea. The trial enrolled its first patient this past week, and preliminary results could be available in a few months, she said. Its totally out of the box, which is how good ideas often start, said Nachman, associate dean for research at the Renaissance School, which is part of the State University of New York. The gender gap in coronavirus survival became apparent early in the pandemic. Reports from China indicated men were dying at higher rates, but the disparity was attributed to higher smoking rates. But the outcomes were consistent in other countries, with men in Italy dying at higher rates than women and men in New York City dying at nearly double the rate of women. Scientists who study sex differences say that both biological differences in immunity, as well as behavioral factors, are at play. Men smoke more almost everywhere, they say; men also wash their hands less. While women appear to have more robust immune systems, these experts say, the causes are complex and multifactorial, and hormones are only part of the picture. If such sex hormones were the primary protective factor for women, then elderly women with COVID-19 would fare as poorly as elderly men, because womens reproductive hormones plummet after menopause, said Sabra Klein, a scientist who studies sex differences in viral infections and vaccination responses at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. But thats not the case, she said. We see this bias across the life course, Klein said. Older men are still disproportionately affected, and that suggests to me its got to be something genetic, or something else, thats not just hormonal. Estrogen has immune modulatory properties dont get me wrong, she continued. You could get a beneficial effect in both men and women. But if women are better at recovery at 93 years old, I doubt its hormones. Roni Caryn Rabin c.2020 The New York Times Company Officials managing the COVID-19 pandemic in Borno State said on Monday they had found two patients who were declared missing yesterday after testing positive for coronavirus. PREMIUM TIMES reported earlier how the Borno committee for the prevention and control of COVID-19 had announced the two patients fled after testing positive for the virus. Irate patient However, one of the patients, a 45-year-old woman, whom the committee claimed fled, said she did not flee. The woman later showed up at the isolation centre threatening to sue the government for defaming her name. She said she was never contacted after her blood sample was taken. The committee had to tender an apology to the woman, a senior medical officer in Maiduguri. Confirming the development at the daily briefing of the COVID-19, the state commissioner of health, Salisu Kwayabura, said the second missing COVID-19 patient was later tracked down at his home where he was found to be critically ill. The second patient, a 24-year-old male, was traced to his home in Gwange II, Maiduguri at about 2 a.m. and moved to hospital isolation, hours after he was at large. He said, a combined team of health surveillance and investigation team, backed by a police escort traced the patient who was in a critical state at his family house. He was immediately moved on a stretcher and is on a ventilator at an isolation center, he said. Mr Kwayabura said the other patient, reported herself to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital following which she received apologies from laboratory officials at the UMTH and Bornos commissioner of health. The apology became necessary after she protested that she did not receive communication from the COVID-19 lab at UMTH or officials of the state response team asking her to come for hospital isolation even though she had been on self-isolation (quarantine) since her sample was taken for the test due to exposure to a confirmed case days back. Even though, the patient was on self-isolation since her sample was collected, a surveillance and investigation team has been deployed to assess risks of infection in line with the protocol of dealing with epidemics and pandemics. He said with their return, all COVID-19 patients in Borno State are now fully accounted for. Borno had its first index case on April 19. Since then, the state has recorded 30 confirmed cases of which 28 of them are still active, while two, including the index have died. Supply chain movement, permits for enterprises and passes for workers are the key hurdles for the industry to restart operations, industry body CII said in a survey. Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) based its views on findings of a nation-wide survey conducted by it on 180 companies. The survey indicates that permits for enterprises, passes for workers and supply chain movement are the key hurdles for the industry in exit from lockdown. "For facilitating restart of economic activities, CII has suggested that in non-containment zones, businesses should be allowed to function without requirement of permits and only through intimation to local authorities. Moreover, workers can be permitted to commute on the basis of a letter issued by the employer organisation, with the facility to travel on their own vehicles," said the industry body's Director General Chandrajit Banerjee. The survey was conducted to determine the effectiveness of the exit from lockdown in specified zones and sectors, and elicited responses from across the country, covering many sectors and enterprises of all sizes. A majority of respondents stated that guidelines issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs on 15 and 16 April on operational zones in rural and urban areas are clearly communicated by state governments. COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show For sectors allowed to function, 46 per cent of the surveyed enterprises said that permits are either not provided or are delayed. However, over two-fifths of respondents received permits smoothly. CII recommended that approvals of applications must have clear mandated deadlines with a provision for automatic permits after the specified time. Regarding movement of workers, as many as 42 per cent of respondents in the survey stated that passes for employees are delayed or not available. Similarly, two-thirds of those surveyed pointed out that transportation of employees between the workplace and home is an issue. As a result, the employee strength of 58 per cent of enterprises was below 25 per cent, with less than one-tenth respondents having an employment strength of more than half. This also indicated that social distancing norms are being followed, according to the survey. The movement of inputs and finished goods came up as another major hurdle. Only 15 per cent of the respondents answered that the movement is timely, while 39 per cent are experiencing delays and as many as 23 per cent stated that inputs are not available. Catch our entire coverage on the Facebook-Jio deal here. While fear of coronavirus cases impacted the opening decision of only 4 per cent of respondents, as many as 39 per cent fear that positive cases could invite criminal allegations against the business. The clarification issued by the MHA that this would not be the case would go a long way to instil confidence and encourage more businesses to open up, CII said in the report.Also read: Coronavirus News India LIVE Updates New Delhi, April 27 : With many medical staff of government hospitals across the national capital testing positive for coronavirus, a section of it has demanded free treatment in the private hospitals. A senior resident doctor of a government hospital said that being the lone bread earner of the family, it becomes difficult for many to pay for the expenditure of private hospitals, which can go up to lakhs of rupees. "The government should realise that we (the health professionals) are putting our lives at risk to serve the people. It is while working that we are getting this infection. Also, not just this, there are no accommodation facilities for the medical staff of the non-Covid-19 hospitals/health centres," the doctor told IANS on condition of anonymity. The doctor, admitted to a private hospital after being infected with coronavirus, said that if they are testing positive, they are also putting the lives of their families at risk. "They (the government) are paying Rs 1 crore if any of us die due to coronavirus. But what is the point of the money when there are no facilities for us when we are alive," he asked. A junior resident doctor of a government hospital, who has been infected with coronavirus, told IANS that the health professionals are not willing to go to the government hospitals due to lack of proper facilities. "I work in a government hospital. I am well aware about how things happen there and I also heard about the condition of the other government hospitals from many of my colleagues who tested positive for coronavirus. I preferred to get admitted to a private hospital as it offers better facilities. However, after coming here I realised that it will cost me a large amount of money," the doctor said. The government or the Health Department has not released any data about the medical professionals, including doctors, nurses, paramedical staff and sanitation workers, being infected with the virus. A rough estimate suggests that about 200 health professionals across the city have tested positive for coronavirus. A major section of these were from the non-Covid hospitals, which do not deal with coronavirus patients. "While we were not supposed to deal with coronavirus patients, we somehow got infected while on duty," the junior resident doctor said. According to a nurse, who also got infected with Covid-19, the picture would have been different had their demand for PPE kits was met. "If we refuse to see any patient, we become evil and if we see them without PPE, we get the infection. The Health Department will never acknowledge that there are not enough PPE kits. Whenever we demanded PPE kits, the administration told us that only masks and gloves are enough and now look at us," said the nurse, who has tested positive and has also infected her family members. A senior doctor, in-charge of a government hospital, said that he has been in touch with his fellow staff who tested positive for coronavirus and only two things are being told to him. "First, lack of proper care and facilities at the government hospitals/care centres and second, heavy charges at the private hospitals. We have conveyed the message and requested the administration to look into the matter. I believe that they will resolve the issue," he said. The doctor said that it is disheartening to see the plight of the health workers. "We all are under so much pressure. The government should ensure that the staff at our hospitals are happy and feel secure. If hospital after hospital is getting the infection, how can we assure the common people that the situation is under control," the doctor told IANS. So far, around 3,000 cases of coronavirus have been reported from the national capital. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) YEREVAN, APRIL 27, ARMENPRESS. The ministry of emergency situations informs that on April 27, as of 08:10, the roads are mainly passable in Armenia. The ministry told Armenpress that the roads leading to the Amberd Fortress and Lake Kari will still remain closed. The Georgian side reported that the Stepantsminda-Lars highway is open only for trucks. Drivers are urged to use winter tires. Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan BRIDGEPORT A judge on Monday ordered one of five state prison inmates named as plaintiffs in a class action lawsuit by the ACLU of Connecticut seeking release because of the pandemic to be freed on a reduced bond. Superior Court Judge Joan Alexander agreed to reduce the bond on 26-year-old Tre McPherson from $5,100 to a promise to appear in court following a hearing on a motion filed by McPhersons lawyer, Daniel Lage. McPherson had not been able to post the bond following his arrest by Bridgeport police in February on charges of evading responsibility, operating without a license, reckless driving and failure to appear in court. In its lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court, the ACLU stated that McPherson was being held in an open dormitory with 57 other men and had recently lost his sense of smell, and others in his dorm are reporting symptoms of illness. Incarcerated people are in grave and immediate danger in (state Department of Corrections) facilities, and Governor Lamont and Commissioner (Rollin) Cook have a constitutional and moral responsibility to move them out of harms way, including by compassionately releasing people, the ACLU states in its lawsuit. Notified Monday of McPhersons release, Dan Barrett, ACLU of Connecticut legal director stated: We are glad Mr. McPherson has been released on a promise to appear, and the federal lawsuit continues. In his argument before the judge on Monday, Lage noted the current pandemic situation but argued that the bond amount does not fit the alleged crime. These are motor vehicle cases that traditionally do not have this significant a bond, he told Judge Alexander. These charges are not serious and none of these actions were violent. Milford States Attorney Margaret Kelley, who was handling the combined court docket, did not oppose the bond reduction. After agreeing to reduce the bond the judge continued the case to June 30. Flash In the face of the global public health crisis caused by COVID-19, it is vital for the international community to act responsibly and collaborate with each other to combat the pandemic, Mahbub Uz Zaman, Bangladeshi ambassador to China, told China.org.cn. Zaman underscored the importance of countries worldwide sharing and exchanging their best practices and experiences in containing the virus, urging more nations to help those with weaker public health systems improve their preparedness and response. "China has played a crucial role in this respect," he said. He pointed out that China has been working closely with Bangladesh and providing the country with assistance since the outset of the COVID-19 outbreak in Bangladesh. "The Chinese government, Alibaba Foundation and many other Chinese firms doing business in Bangladesh have donated a large number of face masks, personal protective equipment, goggles, reagents for test kits, rapid test kits as well as thermometers [to Bangladesh]," explained Zaman. Moreover, Zaman noted that in order to help Bangladesh contain the epidemic as early as possible, a Chinese medical team also held a video conference with local experts in Bangladesh to share treatment methods and their hands-on experience in pandemic prevention and control. Zaman said, "Bangladesh is grateful for the assistance rendered by the Chinese government, Chinese companies and the Chinese people in such a difficult and challenging moment." China and Bangladesh are friendly neighbors who have always understood and supported each other. After the outbreak of COVID-19 in China, Bangladesh expressed its sympathy and provided 1 million face masks and other medical supplies to help China fight the novel coronavirus, Zaman said. Bangladesh, with its high population density, is facing formidable challenges in terms of swiftly and effectively halting human-to-human transmission in a bid to contain the spread of the disease, the ambassador said. As of 4 a.m. CEST on April 27, Bangladesh had reported a total of 5,416 confirmed cases and 145 deaths, according to the COVID-19 situation dashboard by the World Health Organization. The number of new infections has "increased considerably" in Bangladesh over the past week, and experts have warned that infections may follow an exponential pattern, Zaman said. Against this backdrop, Bangladesh has declared on April 16 that the entire country was at risk of the pandemic, and so the government decided to extend the nationwide shutdown of offices and workplaces until May 5, in order to minimize the impact of the pandemic. Zaman noted that Bangladesh has now greatly improved its testing capabilities. However, with more people needing to be tested and the increase in confirmed cases, he explained that the country is facing the "onerous task" of expanding testing facilities and increasing the number of medical sites to ensure all those infected can receive treatment. Given the current pandemic situation in Bangladesh, Zaman said that China and Bangladesh will continue to cooperate with one another to jointly deal with the pandemics impact, adding that China will send more experts to Bangladesh and offer more technological support in terms of treating infected patients, screening people and supplying ventilators. SEPTA worker Ervin Lavenhouse wears a mask as he sweeps up trash on the platform at the 52nd Street station in Philadelphia on March 18, 2020. SEPTA employees are among the essential workers who have sounded the alarm about dangerous working conditions during the coronavirus pandemic. Read more As workers grow increasingly desperate in the face of life-threatening conditions, Philadelphia labor leaders have come together to say the city must do more to protect employees deemed essential during the coronavirus pandemic. Officials representing more than 30 union locals and worker groups called Monday for Mayor Jim Kenney to make testing available for all essential workers and prevent employers from firing employees who stay home if they feel sick. The effort, led by UPS workers Teamsters Local 623 and the worker group One Pennsylvania, is the first attempt at uniting the citys labor movement to get better protection for workers during the pandemic. Workers were called upon to deliver us through this crisis, the union leaders wrote in a letter to Kenney. Its time they are delivered the respect and protections they deserve. The effort follows national moves to broaden rights for essential workers, often in the form of a bill of rights. U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D., Mass.) and U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna (D., Calif.) proposed legislation this month, as did members of New Yorks City Council. The first day that Philadelphia City Council members would be able to introduce legislation to support essential workers since the city went into lockdown is Friday, and Councilmembers Helen Gym and Kendra Brooks said they plan to do so. READ MORE: Workers at 180-bed South Philly nursing home ravaged by coronavirus have voted to strike In the last two years, Philadelphia has passed cutting-edge progressive labor laws, though it has lagged on enforcement. Cities have increasingly been passing worker protection laws where the federal government has not, and the pandemic has been no different. The federal governments coronavirus paid sick leave law left out most American workers, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has largely left matters of worker safety up to employers. Kenney said Monday that the city was reviewing the issue. Health Commissioner Thomas Farley said that while he hopes the city can expand its testing capabilities, it would not likely test people who dont have symptoms, even though that group may be doing the most to spread the virus. Officials continue to prioritize testing for symptomatic health-care workers, people in nursing homes, and those over age 50. Pennsylvanias essential workers, who are largely paid low wages, have been increasingly vocal about working conditions during the crisis. 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. Last week, Transport Workers Union Local 324, which represents thousands of SEPTA workers, held off on a threatened job action protesting safety conditions after Kenney intervened. On Friday, a group of workers at a South Philadelphia nursing home that has had 16 deaths voted to authorize a strike, saying their employer was putting employees and the residents they cared for in danger. And the union representing city correctional officers took the unusual step of calling for reducing the jail population as a safety measure for its members. Thats to say nothing of the undocumented workers and others not represented by unions, who have continued to work but are less empowered to speak up. READ MORE: Are we essential or disposable? Workers say they need to know more about positive cases on the job. The labor groups are also calling for the city to enforce safety protocols, for the Office of Labor to help workers take legal action against their employers, and to reopen Hahnemann University Hospital for public use. Kenney has said that its too expensive to reopen Hahnemann and that the city has moved on" after a high-profile dispute with the buildings owner. Among the letters signers were unions representing essential workers like American Postal Workers Union Local 89; UFCW Local 1776, which represents grocery store workers and meatpacking plant workers; and the Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals (PASNAP). Two of the citys biggest unions, the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers and SEIU 32BJ, did not sign. The building trades were largely absent from the list as well, though Pat Eiding, president of the Philadelphia AFL-CIO, who also sits on the board of the Philadelphia Building Trades Council, did sign. Staff writer Sean Collins Walsh contributed to this article. The Philadelphia Inquirer is one of more than 20 news organizations producing Broke in Philly, a collaborative reporting project on solutions to poverty and the citys push toward economic justice. See all of our reporting at brokeinphilly.org. TWO teenagers were nabbed during a follow-up operation by the Pardo Police Station at around 5 p.m. on April 26, 2020 in Sitio Middle Tabucanal, Brgy. Poblacion, Pardo, Cebu City. Four kilos of what is believed to be shabu (methamphetamine), valued at P28.7 million, was confiscated by the police. The two individuals apprehended are Jay Paul Arreglado, 19, a resident of the area and Jario Sangcap, 18, from Brgy. Pasil, Cebu City. According to Police Major John Kareen Escober, chief of the Pardo Police Station, his team caught a man named Jeffrey Villamor, 53, at the checkpoint in Sitio Tagunol, Brgy. Cogon, Pardo and confiscated five grams of shabu at around 1 p.m. of the same day. In an investigation conducted, Villamor revealed the source of his illegal drugs, immediately spawning the follow-up operation wherein the two teenagers were apprehended. The two young suspects confessed that they do not know the source of the illegal drugs as these were only delivered to them by someone. The police are still tracing the source of the illegal drugs that they confiscated from the two teenagers. Escober suspects one of the sources is believed to be the son of a drug and gambling lord in Brgy. Pasil who was slain by the police several years ago. Due to the successful operation of the Cebu City Police Office, Police Brigadier General Albert Ignatius Ferro praised the Pardo Police Station for confiscating millions worth of illegal drugs. This is proof that our people are not really complacent or our people are really doing their work, meaning, we could sustain this enhanced community quarantine and do what weve been tasked to in enforcing the law on criminality and other violations, expressed Ferro. Since Ferro became chief of the Police Regional Office 7 in February, they have confiscated over 40 kilos of suspected shabu, which is estimated to be valued at P299.2 million. They have also acquired at least 500 kilos of marijuana from their aggressive campaign against marijuana plantations. According to the general, this will still continue amid the Covid-19 crisis as long as drug addicts and pushers are still out there. (AYB, BBT / CBQ) A misogynist caught on Toronto police wiretaps trying to hire an undercover officer to kill his wife and her family lawyer was sentenced to nine years in prison Monday. Superior Court Justice Robert Goldstein said there were many aggravating factors to consider when deciding how to sentence Mohammed Hakimzadah, a 55-year-old father of five who once owned his own taxi and limo company. Exceptionally aggravating was that he counselled the murder of his wifes lawyer, known only by initials, J.D., after entertaining the preposterous notion that she had turned his wife against him. As counselling offences go, discussing the gunning down of a lawyer in broad daylight in front of a courthouse, Hollywood style, has to be among the most serious, Goldstein said, reading his reasons during a sentencing hearing held via teleconference. This is not just an attack on an individual lawyer, it is an attack on the administration of justice. Goldstein said it was also highly aggravating that Hakimzadah wanted the purported hit man to frame his wife by planting a gun and drugs in her car, before eventually killing her. Mr. Hakimzadah seems to bear a particular animus towards women. Just as you dont need a weatherman to tell which way the wind blows, you dont need a psychologist to tell you Mr. Hakimzadah is a misogynist, the judge said All the people he targeted and blamed were women, In January, Goldstein found Hakimzadah guilty of five counts of counselling the commission of an offence that was not committed. They included two murders, transfer a firearm, traffic cocaine and commit public mischief. He has been in custody since his arrest in November 2016. The judge credited him with six years in enhanced pretrial custody, leaving him another three years to serve in a federal prison. Goldstein said he would have imposed an even higher sentence of 11 to 12 years, were it not for the mitigating factor of Hakimzadahs health, which has deteriorated behind bars. Hakimzadah was unrepresented through most of the proceedings, after hiring and firing a number of lawyers. Goldstein concluded the defendant had consistently tried to obstruct the process, not withstanding his genuine health issues. I think all of us in the system have bent over backwards to help him out, the judge said. Hakimzadah continues to maintain his innocence and says he has been framed by police. New Delhi: The Special Cell of Delhi Police probing Delhi riots arrested a member of Jamia Coordination Committee, a group comprising students and alumni from the varsity, under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. Shifa-Ur Rehman, who also happens to be a member of Jamia Alumni Association, has been accused of alleged conspiracy in the communal violence that rocked the northeast district of the national capital in February this year. She was arrested by the police on Sunday (April 26) and was produced in a court on Monday which remanded him in police custody for 10 days for further interrogation. "We had technical evidence against him which suggests that he incited mobs during the riots. He was also seen in the CCTV footage which was collected from the riot-affected areas. We have checked his call record details and WhatsApp messages and found more evidence which suggests his involvement in the riots," a senior police officer told PTI. Earlier on April 21, the police had charged Jamia Milia Islamia students Meeran Haider and Safoora Zargar under the stringent UAPA. While Zargar is the media coordinator of Jamia Coordination Committee, Haider is a member of the committee. Till now at least nine persons have been arrested by Delhi Police under UAPA in Delhi riots case. Former Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) student Umar Khalid is also under the scanner of the police in connection with the riots, however, it remains unclear if he has been charged under the UAPA. In the FIR, police have claimed that the communal violence was a premeditated conspiracy which was allegedly hatched by former JNU student leader Umar Khalid and two others. Communal violence had broken out in northeast Delhi on February 24 after clashes between citizenship law supporters and protesters spiralled, leaving at least 53 people dead and around 200 injured. Like most global airlines, Lufthanser grounded the majority of its fleet in mid-March, after the coronavirus pandemic caused air travel to collapse. (Boris Roessler/picture alliance via Getty Images) The German government is this week debating the terms of a potential rescue package for its flag-carrier airline Lufthansa (LHA.DE). According to Reuters, the airline is in the process of finalising a rescue package of up to 10bn (8.7bn, $10.8bn). One of the topics under discussion is whether the state should have a say in how the company is run under the terms of the financial aid. If companies such as Lufthansa receive billions of euros in state aid from taxpayers' money, the federal government must also be guaranteed a say in the matter, Rolf Mutzenich, parliamentary party leader of the Social Democrats (SPD) told the Bild newspaper. The SPD are the junior partners of Angela Merkels Christian Democrats (CDU) in the federal government in Berlin. However, CDU politician Joachim Pfeiffer, said Lufthansa must have the freedom to make structural adjustments to stay globally competitive. Like most global airlines, the German flag-carrier grounded the majority of its fleet in mid-March, after the coronavirus pandemic caused air travel to collapse. READ MORE: European stocks rise as countries discuss easing lockdowns Lufthansa chief executive Carstan Spohr said on 19 March said that the pandemic had placed the entire global economy in an unprecedented state of emergency. The longer this crisis lasts, the more likely it is that the future of aviation cannot be guaranteed without state aid, Spohr added. Spohr said that the company would seek state aid in Germany, Austria, Belgium, and Switzerland the Lufthansa Group includes Swiss, Brussels, and Austrian Airlines. It has suspended its dividend payment for 2019. Germanys economy minister Peter Altmaier announced today that the federal government and the state of Hesse would extend aid worth 550m to holiday airline Condor. The company was operationally healthy and profitable in normal times and has good prospects, Altmaier said in a statement. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) said on 14 April that estimated global airline losses from the impact of COVID-19 have risen to $314bn so far this year, which is 25% more than it had previously forecasted. READ MORE: Coronavirus: Airbus CEO warns cost cuts needed as it's 'bleeding cash' Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury told staff in a memo on 24 April that the European airplane manufacturer is bleeding cash and must rapidly cut costs as its survival is at stake. Authorities in Louisiana announced on Sunday that they have arrested a man in connection with a drive-by shooting in which eight to 10 bullets were fired at the home of Duck Dynasty star Willie Robertson. Daniel King Jr, 38, of West Monroe, Louisiana, has been charged with one count of aggravated assault by drive-by shooting, the Ouachita Parish Sheriffs Office announced on Sunday. King was arrested just after 8pm on Sunday and booked into the Ouachita Correctional Center. Bond was set at $150,000. Investigators said that two residences located on Robertson's estate were struck by bullets. The 48-year-old reality star, Robertson, wasn't home when someone from a truck opened fire on his property in West Monroe, Louisiana, on Friday. Luckily, no one was injured despite Robertson's family members being quarantined at home amid the coronavirus pandemic. Daniel King Jr (left), 38, of West Monroe, Louisiana, has been arrested in connection with a drive-by shooting that struck the property of Duck Dynasty star Willie Robertson (right) Two residences on Robertson's property were struck by bullets, though no one was injured Investigators released this surveillance photo of a truck that was seen driving away from the scene at the time of the shooting on Friday afternoon 'God was watching over us,' Robertson told KTVE-TV. 'Like I said, just a few minutes before, we were all outside; kids outside, grand kids outside, right where the bullets came through. 'God is good and we will keep serving him.' In addition to his wife Korie, Robertson has been living with his son John Luke, his wife Mary Kate McEachern and their infant son, as well as Robertson's daughter Sadie and her husband Christian Huff. One shot went through the window of the room where John Luke and his family have been staying, though no one was hurt. 'We were pretty shook up,' Robertson told USA Today on Sunday. 'It looks like they were just spraying bullets across my property.' 'It was broad daylight,' he added. 'We were pretty shook up,' Robertson told USA Today on Sunday. 'It looks like they were just spraying bullets across my property'; publicity still for Duck Dynasty Close call: One shot went through the window of the bedroom where Robertson's son John Luke and his wife and infant child live, though they were unharmed. Robertson is seen above in November 2019 Robertson's property, which includes multiple houses, is located far off the main road and is hidden behind a gate and a fence. He said multiple people on the property saw the truck where the shots originated from driving by the property at least once, before the people in it opened fire at 2:33pm CT. People who saw it described the truck as a white and brown or beige Ford F-250 with sizable aftermarket rims and tires. They said the driver was a white man somewhere in his teens or early 20s. The Ouachita Parish Sheriff's Office is investigating the shooting, and it may not be long before the truck in question is found as it was caught on surveillance footage from the property. The TV star claimed he was certain the shooters were targeting his property, though he admitted that he didn't have hard evidence. 'I'm 100 percent certain, but I don't know why. On the loose: The truck was a white and brown or beige Ford F-250, and surveillance footage caught it ink the act; Robertson pictured with his daughter Sadie, who's living in his home 'I've been in close contact with the investigators,' Robertson continued. 'It seems local to me, but I can't be sure.' Though no one was harmed, it could have been a different story had the shooting occurred only minutes earlier. 'Nobody was outside at the time, but everybody had been out about 5 minutes before,' Robertson said. 'I had just gone to the store when it happened.' Witnesses who might have seen the vehicle or have any information about the suspects are asked to contact the Sheriff's Office at 318-329-1200. Most Popular 1. 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Find out more about it here. Mount Mulanje, in southern Malawi, is a beast of a mountain: two metres over the 3,000m mark with one of the highest peaks in southern Africa. But from what I remember of my ascent in the summer of 79, it is more of a strenuous hike than a climb. I was a young teenager when my parents were living in Malawis capital, Lilongwe. That summer I had been released from a miserable English boarding school to enjoy a couple of months of expatriate privilege by swimming pools, Lake Malawi and, occasionally, visiting a game park. My familys exploration of a country tended to be relatively tame, with comfort being a priority. We were not hardy, we didnt have kit such as sleeping bags or rucksacks and we never camped or stayed anywhere for long that didnt have air conditioning. So when a couple of more robust families invited my brother and me to join an expedition up Mount Mulanje, at the time it sounded very alternative. Our fellow climbers were British High Commission families: Mr and Ms Wilson and their four teenagers; and Ms Collins and her four, plus their German foreign exchange student. (Bit of a coup, that, getting an exchange to southern Africa rather than Surrey). I dont remember knowing the families well, I had probably bumped into their children on an end-of-term flight out to what was called post, or met them at the High Commission club during a holiday. There was no social media to ease the coming together of 10 pasty-faced British teenagers on an expedition up an African mountain. The organisation by the other families was impressive. A travel itinerary and a list of what to pack was given to each person. Which clothes to take was the biggest challenge for me. In 1979, Malawi was a one party state under the dictatorial rule of president-for-life Dr Hastings Kamuzu Banda. He allowed no opposition or dissent; those who put their heads above the parapet were imprisoned or killed. The draconian laws he imposed on his country, one of the poorest in the world, were repressive, harsh and bizarre. At the bizarre end of this totalitarian spectrum was Dr Bandas big hang-up about 70s fashion. Men were not allowed to wear flared trousers or have long hair; it had to be cut above the collar. Women were not allowed to wear mini-skirts, shorts or trousers, only below-knee length dresses and skirts were permitted. This posed a real problem on my first mountaineering expedition: how many people have you seen climbing mountains in below-the-knee A-line skirts? Bandas dictates did nothing to help a self-conscious teenagers agony over which T-shirt would go with which sartorially tragic skirt. Looking cool: the writer and her brother taking a rest from the climb (Siobhan Mulholland) The only way to reach Mulanje from Lilongwe was by road, via the M1. Unlike its letter-and-numbersake in Britain, this was a badly pot-holed single lane, running from the north of the country to the south. What you didnt want to do is what we did: get stuck behind a lorry for most of the way and have to sit in the back of a 1970s British Leyland Land Rover. They dont make them as uncomfortable as that anymore. Recommended How to visit Paris without leaving home We stopped several times: to let cattle cross, change a tyre, look at wood carvings being sold at the roadside, and allow a couple of funeral processions to pass. Wherever we pulled over, even if there were no village or huts in sight, Malawian children would appear and wave. You couldnt rush a trip like this; we were an amiable country with a slow pace of life and our drive reflected this. My brother and I met the others at a tea-planters house at the base of the mountain, which is where we were introduced to our porters, who were friendly and keen to help. From here, we were taken to our starting point in the back of a lorry. What followed was a surprising and memorable five days. Mulanje is a big mountain, covering an area of 600 sq km bigger than the Isle of Man. Its steep, rising dramatically from an undulating plain below. Malawians call their mountain Island in the Sky because its peaks soar up above the clouds. The highest peak is Sapitwa at 3,002 metres. However, for beginners Mulanje is a treat of a mountain; you dont need to be a rock climber to reach most summits and you can walk from one side to the other. Wild south: a long walk through Malawi (Siobhan Mulholland) It took five days to cross the Mulanje Massif. Only day one was arduous: a four-hour ascent to the plateau. Any views to be had were covered in mist, drizzle dampened our spirits and clothes, and my feet hurt in my borrowed boots. But once on the plateau, the weather cleared, the sun came out and from then on we had perfect hiking weather: cool, clear and sunny. We visited in the middle of Malawis dry season when the countrys climate is kind to hikers. The elemental beauty of Mulanje has always stayed with me: deep valleys, gentle plateaus, waterfalls, rock pools and the extreme contrasts of barren rock and lush vegetation. The light is brighter and clearer that high up, far away from contamination. Recommended Why Malawi should be your next safari destination I dont remember there being much of a wind during our hike, more of a breeze and a very blue sky with occasional drifting clouds. The only hint that anyone had been there before us was the network of winding footpaths, there was no rubbish anywhere in this most pristine of landscapes. Each day, we walked three to six hours to a different rest house. It was a gentle trek; the porters did the hard work. Our party tended to split in two, with the eager, competitive personalities striding ahead and those, who were less interested in winning, brought up the rear. If the distance between the two groups became too much Ms Wilson would yodel coo-eee across the mountain; an incongruous sound in such African isolation. The rest houses we slept in were basic and clean; wooden huts with bunks, benches and open fires. In the evenings, Ms Wilson and Ms Collins took it in turns to organise a supper of stew or curry. This was followed by a tin cup of Malawi brandy. Maybe it was the altitude, maybe the tiredness, maybe my inexperience at drinking brandy, but I found the Wilsons German exchange student particularly interesting after one of these nightcaps. Lonely Planet's UK Travelist Show all 20 1 /20 Lonely Planet's UK Travelist Lonely Planet's UK Travelist Edinburgh Festival Fringe Edinburgh Festival Fringe David Monteith Hodge Lonely Planet's UK Travelist Giant's Causeway Giant's Causeway Stuart Stevenson photography/Ge Lonely Planet's UK Travelist Stonehenge Stonehenge William Toti/500px Lonely Planet's UK Travelist British Museum British Museum Chaokai Shen/500px Lonely Planet's UK Travelist St Paul's Cathedral St Paul's Cathedral Mark Chilvers/Lonely Planet Lonely Planet's UK Travelist Borough Market Borough Market Circle Creative Studio/Shutters Lonely Planet's UK Travelist Hadrian's Wall Hadrian's Wall Dave Head/Shutterstock Lonely Planet's UK Travelist Lake Windermere Lake Windermere Daniel_Kay/Shutterstock Lonely Planet's UK Travelist Yorkshire Dales Yorkshire Dales ravellight/Shutterstock Lonely Planet's UK Travelist Glencoe Glencoe Helen Hotson/Shutterstock Lonely Planet's UK Travelist Punting in Cambridge Punting in Cambridge Premier Photo/Shutterstock Lonely Planet's UK Travelist Bath Bath alice-photo/Shutterstock Lonely Planet's UK Travelist Tate Modern Tate Modern chrisdorney/Shutterstock Lonely Planet's UK Travelist Stratford-upon-Avon Stratford-upon-Avon Royal Shakespeare Theatre River Festival Lonely Planet's UK Travelist The Scilly Isles The Scilly Isles Julian Love/Lonely Planet Lonely Planet's UK Travelist Glastonbury Glastonbury Jason Bryant Lonely Planet's UK Travelist South Bank South Bank Tony C French/Getty Images Lonely Planet's UK Travelist Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Michael Roberts/Getty Images Lonely Planet's UK Travelist Pub roast Pub roast Diana Miller/Getty Images Lonely Planet's UK Travelist Arthur's Seat Arthur's Seat Martin McCarthy/Getty Images Traversing Mulanje will always be a standout memory for me, for reasons both universal and particular: the panoramas are still surprising clear, the exhilaration of making it to the peak likewise stays with me as do the feelings of awkwardness of travelling with people you dont really know. That said, I knew then and I especially know now how special those few days were. Ive promised myself I will return to Malawi, and to Mount Mulanje. Its true that when I holidayed there, in the late 70s, it was arguably an easier time for the country; exports of tobacco and tea were doing well, the war in neighbouring Mozambique had not begun, and Aids was yet to decimate. But for the tourist, Im told that Malawi is still a paradise to visit, and Mulanje a magical mountain to climb. ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. (April 27, 2020) - A team of Army and academic researchers are investigating how eye-pupil size changes can indicate a person's cognitive state as a means to enable teaming with autonomous agents. The future Army battlespace will require humans and AI agents to team effectively to accomplish mission-critical goals. Although AI agents can fill gaps in human performance, they are rigid and lack the flexibility inherent to human behavior, which could interfere with teaming. "Humans' brains are amazing, adaptable systems that automatically apply the right cognitive processes to complete a task and initiates each process at the right time," said Dr. Russell Cohen Hoffing, a scientist at the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command's Army Research Laboratory. "However, our brain's resources are limited. Being able to predict a Soldier's mental status before resources are maxed out is an opportunity for an autonomous agent to deploy capabilities to aid the Soldier. To make progress on enabling this technology, we wanted to better understand how physiological signals, such as pupil size changes, are related to performance and cognitive states." A joint effort between researchers from the Army and the Institute of Collaborative Biotechnologies at the University of California, Santa Barbara, the Cognitive Resilience and Sleep History, or CRASH, project seeks to understand how variations in state (as measured by physiological sensors) influence subsequent performance. PLOS ONE published the team's research on a subset of the data set, "Dissociable mappings of tonic and phasic pupillary features onto cognitive processes involved in mental arithmetic". In this research, the team sought to understand the cognitive processes that affect pupil size changes--and the reliability of these relationships--as a foundation to estimate how human cognitive processes and performance can vary in real-world, cognitively challenging tasks, Cohen Hoffing said. The pupil is a unique data source, as it is the only internal organ of the body that brain networks directly modulate and is visible to the outside world. "The potential of this research is exciting because eye tracking technologies are becoming universal in both commercial and military contexts," Cohen Hoffing said. "Inherent to eye tracking algorithms, pupil size is estimated but rarely used for analytics. Our research program aims to generate knowledge products that enhance usability of this type of data to have greater insight into cognitive processes such as attention and decision making." The researchers collected repeated measurements from participants on eight separate occasions over four months. The data provided insights into the consistency of the pupil response and relationships to behavior both within and between individuals--with a unique glimpse into cognitive processes over time rather than in single-session studies, Cohen Hoffing said. The findings of the study demonstrated that researchers can use pupil features to index both static and rapid-time varying aspects of cognition to understand how cognitive processes influence performance. Results indicated that at the trial-level, the time that each participant took to answer a mental arithmetic question correlated with the time to maximum pupil dilation and the size of the pupil. The relationship between performance and rapid pupil features indicated that a latent pupil response correlated with the process of reaching an answer, while pupil response increases correlated with the amount of attention applied to provide an answer. In contrast, average pupil size correlated with variability in how fast participants completed questions--suggesting that average pupil size indicates a readiness to perform the mental arithmetic task. Results of the study confirm and extend previous research, showing that cognition reliably influences the pupil on at least two time-courses: a rapid, transient influence and a longer-lasting, sustained influence. "These findings allow us to further understand in which cases pupil data may be useful for human and agent teaming," said Dr. Steven Thurman, Army scientist and senior author on the manuscript. "For example, it may be the case that pupil size is most reliable in complex, real-world contexts only when averaging data over the course of several seconds or minutes. Such a case would enable the ability to track longer timescale changes in mental states, like vigilance, workload or fatigue, but potentially limit its use for tracking moment-to-moment decisions. It is important to employ longitudinal studies like this to understand the utility of pupil data on these varying timescales." Future studies will examine how to apply this research in real-world contexts, such as using virtual reality to test whether pupil size features can be exploited in dynamic contexts. This will be a steppingstone to test the efficacy of adaptive autonomous agents that use pupil size as an effective measure of hidden human states. ### U.S. Army CCDC Army Research Laboratory is an element of the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command. As the Army's corporate research laboratory, ARL discovers, innovates and transitions science and technology to ensure dominant strategic land power. Through collaboration across the command's core technical competencies, CCDC leads in the discovery, development and delivery of the technology-based capabilities required to make Soldiers more lethal to win the nation's wars and come home safely. CCDC is a major subordinate command of the U.S. Army Futures Command. Indian Man Disguised as Onion Seller Drives 870 Miles to Reunite With Family An Indian man who traveled more than 800 miles to his home disguised as an onion seller has been sent to quarantine by police after reaching his destination, The Times of India reported. Prem Murti Pandey, an employee at Mumbais airport, rented a truck and loaded it with 28 tons of onions before traveling around 870 miles from Mumbai to his home in Prayagraj, northern India, amid fears over the growing number of CCP virus cases in the capital city of Maharashtra state. Pandey said he had been living in Azad Nagar in Andheri East, touted as Asias biggest slum. Owing to its over-congestion, it has become a hot spot for the CCP virus in recent months. When I noticed that COVID-19 cases were rising at an alarming rate in Dharavi, it became difficult for me to stay there any longer. Hence I decided to go back to my native town in Prayagraj, he told The Times of India. As Indias lockdown rules allow for vehicles delivering food items to cross state borders because they are deemed essential commodities, Pandey said he decided to rent a truck, hire a driver, and disguise himself as a produce seller in an attempt to reach his home city. I wouldnt have been able to go back because of the travel restrictions. However, I realized that I would be allowed to enter the city if I was a vegetable or fruit trader, he added. On April 17, Pandey set off for Prayagraj with a truckload of onions in the hopes of selling them upon his arrival. I thought I would sell it off in Prayagraj and would get my investment of approximately 3 lakh ($3,930) back, he told the publication. However, after arriving at the Mundera Mandi wholesale market on the outskirts of the city, he failed to sell the consignment, and instead went back to his home in the Kotwa Mukbarakpur area of the city where he intended to attempt to sell his onions to smaller traders. TP Nagar police sub-inspector Arvind Kumar Singh said officials received word that a man had arrived from Mumbai and a health department team was soon dispatched to Pandeys home to conduct thermal screening on him. He was asked to quarantine himself at home and his swab sample was collected on Saturday. He was later shifted to a quarantine center in Kareli on Saturday, Singh said. Despite the quarantine, Pandey said he has no regrets over his actions because my entire family, including aged parents are here, while I work in Mumbai. I have responsibilities toward my family and I believe that I chose a perfectly lawful way to return. As of April 27, India has 27,890 confirmed cases of CCP virus and 881 people have died from the disease, which causes COVID-19. On Sunday, the country saw its biggest single day jump of cases, with 1,975 reported over 24 hours, the Health Ministry said. The ZTE Blade 10 is a new budget smartphone that is headed to Europe. Well, at least according to a tipster from Twitter. A user Sudhanshu Ambhore shared renders of this smartphone, along with some additional information. The ZTE Blade 10 allegedly coming to Europe in three colors The device you can see in the gallery down below is called the ZTE Blade 10. The phone is shown in Black, Green, and Red colors, and it is on its way to Europe. All we know in terms of specs is that it will include 4GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. This smartphone will be priced at 199 in Europe, according to the source. Advertisement As you can see, from the provided renders, the phone will be made out of metal and glass. This could be plastic, but considering its price tag, well go on a limb and say its glass. The device will also feature a waterdrop display notch, and its chin will be thicker than the rest of its bezels. Just to be clear, its bezels will be quite thin overall. The display on this smartphone will be flat, and its corners will be rounded. The power / lock, volume up, and volume down buttons will sit on the right. The power / lock key will feature a different color, though, it will be orange it seems. Advertisement The phone will also include a fingerprint scanner on the back Looking at the back of the device, you can see that the phone will be curved on the sides. Three cameras will be placed in the top-left corner, while a capacitive fingerprint scanner will also be included. Right below that fingerprint scanner, ZTEs logo is visible. These three colors, that are shown in these images, are probably the only colors that ZTE plans to offer. ZTE doesnt exactly have a huge presence in Europe when it comes to smartphones. That was not the case before, but the company did lose some of its grip in the last couple of years. Advertisement It seems like ZTE is trying to offer a new budget phone to some countries in Europe, in a push for more market share. Were not sure in which parts of Europe will this phone arrive, though. As already mentioned, the source did not share any additional information regarding the device. We do not know what SoC will it include, the same goes for battery, display, cameras, etc. Were presuming that one of Qualcomms mid-range processors will be included here, though ZTE may go for MediaTek instead. Android 10 will probably come pre-installed. Well have to wait and see what will happen. ZTE is expected to share more information regarding this smartphone in the near future. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-27 22:40:55|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Li Zhanshu, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, attends panel discussions of the 17th session of the 13th NPC Standing Committee on April 27, 2020. Chinese lawmakers held panel discussions Monday morning to deliberate the draft revision to the law on the prevention and control of environmental pollution by solid waste and the draft law on administrative discipline at the ongoing session of the NPC Standing Committee. The panel discussions also reviewed a draft decision to authorize the State Council to temporarily adjust relevant laws and regulations in the Hainan pilot free trade zone. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing) BEIJING, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Chinese lawmakers held panel discussions Monday morning to deliberate the draft revision to the law on the prevention and control of environmental pollution by solid waste and the draft law on administrative discipline at an ongoing session of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee. Li Zhanshu, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, attended the panel discussions, which also reviewed a draft decision to authorize the State Council to temporarily adjust relevant laws and regulations in the Hainan pilot free trade zone. Lawmakers agreed that to revise the law on the prevention and control of environmental pollution by solid waste will be of considerable significance to winning the battle against pollution and will be a necessary and timely move. They suggested the draft be passed at the session. Lauding the significance of the draft administrative discipline law to making the practice more standardized and law-based, lawmakers called for further improvements of the draft so that the law can be promulgated soon. Lawmakers also acknowledged the necessity of the draft decision on Hainan and suggested it be approved at the session. news Four Ouachita Baptist University seniors earned the top awards for undergraduates in the 20th annual Arkansas Governors Cup Collegiate Business Plan Competition for their plan, ImmunoSense. Ouachita seniors Olivia Brown, Savannah Edwards, Brandon Matros and Sheldon McCown and their faculty advisor, Dr. Blake Johnson, won first place in the overall undergraduate division as well as the undergraduate innovation award. Weve been competing in the Governors Cup for 11 years, and weve placed in the top three several times including third place last year and second place the year before but this is our first year to win the undergraduate category. So we couldnt be happier, said Bryan McKinney, dean of Ouachitas Hickingbotham School of Business. And for ImmunoSense, I think this absolutely legitimizes their business plan. More than 90 students on 38 teams from 9 universities across Arkansas competed in this years Governors Cup in undergraduate and graduate divisions. The final awards were announced via livestream on Thursday, April 9. The Ouachita team won a total of $32,000 in prize money $25,000 for the first-place overall win in the Simmons Bank undergraduate division, $5,000 as the undergraduate team winner in the Innovate Arkansas and Winrock Automotive Innovation Division and $2,000 for the faculty advisor. ImmunoSense proposes a diagnostics company specializing in the early detection of Type 1 Diabetes via noninvasive tests. Brown is a senior biology major from North Little Rock, Ark.; Edwards is a senior biomedical sciences major from Searcy, Ark.; Matros is a senior finance major from Arkadelphia, Ark.; and McCown is a senior biology major from Nacogdoches, Texas. The team was advised by Dr. Blake Johnson, Ouachita assistant professor of biology. This accomplishment is more evidence that Ouachitas focus on high-impact learning, which explains our high graduation rate and high job and graduate school placement rates, also prepares students to compete academically at the highest level, said Ouachita President Dr. Ben Sells. This win should give our students the confidence that they can compete with the best, McKinney continued. Frank Hickingbotham for whom Ouachitas School of Business is named said this in an email of congratulations to the team: Like Roger Bannister, when he broke the four-minute mile run, you have proven that first place can be achieved and set a standard for all to reach who follow in the years ahead. This was such a great win for our team and for Ouachita, Matros said. Ouachita has consistently placed amazing business plans in this competition, but none of them had ever won. It is an honor to be the first team to win first place overall. Soon after entering the Governors Cup Competition, the ImmunoSense team learned they had placed in the top 12 teams. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the team had to adapt in order to present remotely. They then competed in the first round of the competition on March 19, then again on March 20 in the final round of the overall competition and as one of three finalists in the innovation division. Thankfully, due to the hard working team at the Arkansas Capital Corporation, these presentations still took place despite the virus, and our team was able to present remotely from Arkansas, Texas and Florida, McCown said. All four of us agree that entering these business plan competitions has been one of the most beneficial and memorable experiences of our senior year. Each year, the Governors Cup is presented by Arkansas Capital Corp. of Little Rock and encourages student entrepreneurs from around Arkansas to build a business plan that brings a competitive product to market. Team members are required to have management positions in the company, and teams are judged according to identification of problems in the marketplace, how their business ideas will solve them, demonstrations of customer discovery, identification of potential competitors and possible risks to the business, among other things. Before entering the Governors Cup Competition, the ImmunoSense team first presented their plan in the fall of 2019 during Ouachitas 11th annual OBU Business Plan Competition, which is modeled after the Governors Cup. There, the team placed first and received a $4,000 cash prize. The OBU Business Plan Competition, hosted by the Hickingbotham School of Business, encourages Ouachita students of all majors to submit their ideas and business proposals for cash prizes. We began our competition with a desire to elevate the importance of entrepreneurship across campus, McKinney said. Thats exactly what happened this year with ImmunoSense. They were a team of science students advised by a biology professor, and then they integrated a senior finance student to assist with the business elements of the plan. According to McCown, the idea for the ImmunoSense business plan was a result of an assignment in histology class where our professor and advisor, Dr. Blake Johnson, encouraged us to design a product or service that could improve the diagnostic process for a disease or other healthcare issue. Having a solid grasp on the scientific and technical components needed to propel their product, the team then began focusing on the business-related items necessary to launch their product, said Johnson. This victory highlights the need for emerging technologies across difficult-to-diagnose disorders, while also proving that classroom concepts can lead to successful business applications that are capable of instilling a spirit of entrepreneurship among the next generation of business leaders. Given the times in which we live, its noteworthy that the Ouachita team combines business and science students with a focus on public health, Sells added. Im so proud of our students and Dr. Johnson. For more information, contact Bryan McKinney at mckinneyb@obu.edu or (870) 245-5513. In lead photo, (from left) Ouachita students Brandon Matros, Savannah Edwards, Olivia Brown and Sheldon McCown received the top awards for undergraduates at the 20th annual Arkansas Governors Cup Collegiate Business Plan Competition, including first place overall in the undergraduate division and the undergraduate innovation award, for their business proposal ImmunoSense. The team was advised by Ouachitas Dr. Blake Johnson. Photo by Bryan McKinney. US tells UN to renew Iran arms embargo in breach of nuclear deal Iran Press TV Sunday, 26 April 2020 9:54 AM US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has called on the United Nations Security Council to extend its conventional arms embargo on Iran, set to expire in October, citing Tehran's recent satellite launch. In a statement, Pompeo repeated his allegations against Iran, saying Tehran "should not be allowed to buy and sell conventional weapons". He said Iran's announcement Wednesday that it had launched its first military satellite showed that its space program which Tehran has long insisted is peaceful and civilian was in fact "neither peaceful nor entirely civilian". Pompeo claimed that the technology used to launch the satellite was compatible with that used to launch ballistic missiles, saying "Iran's dangerous missile programs" need to be constrained. He further called on the European Union to "sanction those individuals and entities working on Iran's missile programs." He also claimed that lifting the sanctions imposed on the Islamic Republic may give rise to "violence" in the Middle East. The removal of Iran's arms embargo is based on the 2015 nuclear deal with Tehran and endorsed by the UN Security Council under Resolution 2231. One of the issues used by the United States to withdraw from the nuclear deal, officially called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), in 2018 was the time span of the UN arms embargo on Iran. The measure covers all weapons sales and "related material" to Iran. The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) successfully placed Iran's first ever military satellite- dubbed Noor-1 (Light 1)- in orbit on April 22, using a rocket which is also the country's first three-stage launch vehicle to successfully deliver its load. The Noor-1, although Iran's fifth homegrown satellite to successfully reach outer space, marks a new chapter in the country's space program, relying on technologies designed and developed at home. Following the satellite launch on Wednesday, Pompeo claimed that "Iran needs to be held accountable", claiming that it was not consistent with the resolution. Reacting to Pompeo's remarks, Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said neither the United States nor its European allies, with their 'flimsy' misreading of the landmark nuclear deal, were allowed to "lecture" the Islamic Republic on its missile program. "Iran neither has nukes nor missiles DESIGNED to be capable of carrying such horrific arms," the top Iranian diplomat said in a Twitter post on Friday. Speaking at a briefing on Thursday, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova also dismissed as "baseless" claims by Pompeo. Iran has time and again made it clear that it has no plans to develop nuclear weapons or missiles capable of delivering such warheads. The Noor-1 is Iran's first multi-purpose satellite with application in the defense industry, among other areas. It is also the first Iranian satellite with an expected operational life of more than a year in Earth's orbit. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address (Reuters) Hedge funds and private equity firms are not eligible for the types of U.S. government loans designed to provide relief to small businesses from the economic hardship of the coronavirus outbreak, the Small Business Administration said on Friday. Hedge funds and private equity firms are primarily engaged in investment or speculation, and such businesses are therefore ineligible to receive a PPP (paycheck protection program) loan, the SBA said wrote in an update to clarify which businesses may apply for relief under the program. To read this article: Dividend paying stocks like St Barbara Limited (ASX:SBM) tend to be popular with investors, and for good reason - some research suggests a significant amount of all stock market returns come from reinvested dividends. Unfortunately, it's common for investors to be enticed in by the seemingly attractive yield, and lose money when the company has to cut its dividend payments. St Barbara yields a solid 3.1%, although it has only been paying for three years. A high yield probably looks enticing, but investors are likely wondering about the short payment history. When buying stocks for their dividends, you should always run through the checks below, to see if the dividend looks sustainable. Explore this interactive chart for our latest analysis on St Barbara! ASX:SBM Historical Dividend Yield April 27th 2020 Payout ratios Dividends are usually paid out of company earnings. If a company is paying more than it earns, then the dividend might become unsustainable - hardly an ideal situation. As a result, we should always investigate whether a company can afford its dividend, measured as a percentage of a company's net income after tax. Looking at the data, we can see that 50% of St Barbara's profits were paid out as dividends in the last 12 months. A medium payout ratio strikes a good balance between paying dividends, and keeping enough back to invest in the business. One of the risks is that management reinvests the retained capital poorly instead of paying a higher dividend. In addition to comparing dividends against profits, we should inspect whether the company generated enough cash to pay its dividend. The company paid out 59% of its free cash flow, which is not bad per se, but does start to limit the amount of cash St Barbara has available to meet other needs. It's positive to see that St Barbara's dividend is covered by both profits and cash flow, since this is generally a sign that the dividend is sustainable, and a lower payout ratio usually suggests a greater margin of safety before the dividend gets cut. Story continues Consider getting our latest analysis on St Barbara's financial position here. Dividend Volatility Before buying a stock for its income, we want to see if the dividends have been stable in the past, and if the company has a track record of maintaining its dividend. This company's dividend has been unstable, and with a relatively short history, we think it's a little soon to draw strong conclusions about its long term dividend potential. During the past three-year period, the first annual payment was AU$0.06 in 2017, compared to AU$0.08 last year. Dividends per share have grown at approximately 10% per year over this time. St Barbara's dividend payments have fluctuated, so it hasn't grown 10% every year, but the CAGR is a useful rule of thumb for approximating the historical growth. St Barbara has grown distributions at a rapid rate despite cutting the dividend at least once in the past. Companies that cut once often cut again, but it might be worth considering if the business has turned a corner. Dividend Growth Potential With a relatively unstable dividend, it's even more important to see if earnings per share (EPS) are growing. Why take the risk of a dividend getting cut, unless there's a good chance of bigger dividends in future? It's good to see St Barbara has been growing its earnings per share at 22% a year over the past five years. Earnings per share have rocketed in recent times, and we like that the company is retaining more than half of its earnings to reinvest. However, always remember that very few companies can grow at double digit rates forever. We'd also point out that St Barbara issued a meaningful number of new shares in the past year. Trying to grow the dividend when issuing new shares reminds us of the ancient Greek tale of Sisyphus - perpetually pushing a boulder uphill. Companies that consistently issue new shares are often suboptimal from a dividend perspective. Conclusion Dividend investors should always want to know if a) a company's dividends are affordable, b) if there is a track record of consistent payments, and c) if the dividend is capable of growing. Firstly, we like that St Barbara pays out a low fraction of earnings. It pays out a higher percentage of its cashflow, although this is within acceptable bounds. Next, earnings growth has been good, but unfortunately the dividend has been cut at least once in the past. St Barbara has a number of positive attributes, but it falls slightly short of our (admittedly high) standards. Were there evidence of a strong moat or an attractive valuation, it could still be well worth a look. It's important to note that companies having a consistent dividend policy will generate greater investor confidence than those having an erratic one. Still, investors need to consider a host of other factors, apart from dividend payments, when analysing a company. Taking the debate a bit further, we've identified 4 warning signs for St Barbara that investors need to be conscious of moving forward. Looking for more high-yielding dividend ideas? Try our curated list of dividend stocks with a yield above 3%. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading. Illustrative image (Photo: AFP file photo) The office said an official report submitted to the World Organisation for Animal Health affirmed there was an outbreak of H7N3 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus in the state's Chesterfield County that affects turkeys. Agriculture Secretary William Dar issued an immediate suspension of the processing, evaluation of the application and issuance of sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) import clearance to the said commodities. Dar said there would be a stoppage and confiscation of all shipments of the commodities into the Philippines by all DA veterinary quarantine officers at all major ports of entry. All incoming poultry shipments with SPS import clearance issued on or before April 14 will be allowed provided that frozen poultry meat has a slaughter or process date of 21 days prior to the HPAI outbreak on or before March 19. The arguments in December on the New York case were the first time the court had considered the limits of gun-control measures since the retirement of justice Anthony M. Kennedy, who played a pivotal role between conservatives and liberals on such cases. But most of the discussion involved questions about whether the court still had a live controversy because the restrictions were no longer on the books. A highly anticipated management plan for 3.6 million acres of public land in southwestern Wyoming is on track to be released this spring, despite calls to delay the drafts publication due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Bureau of Land Managements Rock Springs field office confirmed Monday. At this time, there have been no changes to the planned schedule for the release of this draft Resource Management Plan, Kimberlee Foster, manager at the bureaus Rock Springs field office, told the Star-Tribune on Monday. Foster anticipates having the land use plan released this spring, along with a 90-day public comment period to follow. Public meetings will also take place during that time, as required by law. The Bureau of Land Management defines the plan as a land management blueprint a document used to oversee activity (including energy development) and protect public land and resources for years to come. As required by the Federal Land Policy and Management Act, the bureau has been tasked with updating the existing plan to account for new data, policies and research. Sweetwater Countys Board of Commissioners wrote a letter requesting the federal agency postpone the release of the draft plan in light of the pandemic. The commissioners called the plan vitally important to the countys economy and residents quality of life. Yet they feared public participation would be compromised if a comment period is opened too soon. As the spread of the virus continues, many state agencies have elected to hold public meetings online, a method Sweetwater County commissioners called ineffective and frustrating. Commissioners maintained that in-person public meetings hosted by the Bureau of Land Management would be vital to ensure ample opportunity for questions and discussion. Open public dialog cannot be replaced by Zoom and computerized meeting formats, the letter stated. Whats more, too many Wyoming residents lack broadband internet access to meaningfully participate, the commission contends. County leaders urged the federal agency to consider postponing the plans release until after the state lifts health restrictions. The Rock Springs field office has not delivered a formal response to the Sweetwater County Commissioners yet. The revised plan will apply to minerals located in parts of Lincoln, Sweetwater, Uinta, Sublette, and Fremont counties. A majority of Sweetwater County consists of federal land and a meaty portion of the countys budget relies on oil and gas activity, a sector that can be significantly affected by a resource management plan. Wyoming produces more energy on federal land than almost any other state in the country, requiring many operators to complete environmental reviews and obtain permits at multiple levels of government before drilling or mining. Public participation The extended development of the resource plan has delayed and compromised some energy projects. Though Sweetwater County Commissioner Wally Johnson was once an active proponent of completing the plan as soon as possible, his stance has changed since the virus brought life as Wyomingites knew it to a near standstill. He now thinks the inability to meet in person during a public comment period would be a disservice to affected residents. Its an extremely important document, not only to Sweetwater County, but to the state, Johnson said. I dont think we should at this point rush it along, and that is why I made the statement I did. Several conservation groups, including the Wyoming Outdoor Council, also requested the Bureau of Land Management consider the obstacles to public participation caused by the virus before releasing a draft plan. The region in question holds significant economic and cultural significance for Wyoming residents, the groups noted. The public also has not been able to offer comments on the plan since it was initiated nearly a decade ago. The groups also hope to protect parts of the region, especially the Red Desert to Hoback mule deer migration corridor, sage grouse habitat in the Golden Triangle, as well as a plethora of historic trails and sacred sites. They also hope to preserve multiple use management of the landscape, according to the letter. Once the draft is released, there will only be 90 days for citizens and stakeholder groups to review and comment on the RMP, said Alan Rogers, communications director for the Wyoming Outdoor Council. Even under the best of circumstances that is a very small window to analyze, understand and weigh in on a plan that took a decade to create. We anticipate that existing administrative protections will be stripped, generating a great deal of controversy, Rogers added. In a March 31 letter signed by six conservation groups working in Wyoming, advocates urged the bureau to wait on releasing the draft, asserting that barriers to public participation could potentially violate federal environmental laws, including the National Environmental Policy Act and guidelines set by the Council on Environmental Quality. Initiated in 2011, the Rock Springs resource management plan has hit several bumps along the way, much to the ire of several state officials and residents. According to land agency officials, such plans take about eight years. But the process of finalizing the Rock Springs plan stretched longer than anticipated, due in part to policy changes and complex environmental considerations throughout the past decade. At the end of January, the agency released a draft resource management plan amendment specifically for wild horses in the region. The public comment period for the amendment ends Wednesday. Follow the latest on Wyomings energy industry at @camillereports 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. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, Umbareen Jamil knows that the observation of the month of Ramadan will be somewhat different this year for her and her fellow Muslims of the Islamic Center of Midland and elsewhere. But that might not be such a bad thing, Jamil says. "It's going to be extremely different (this year)," she said of the month of Ramadan, which is based on the lunar calendar and this year goes from the evening of Thursday, April 23 through the evening of Saturday, May 23. Throughout Ramadan, which is one of the five pillars of the Islamic faith, Muslims do not eat or drink anything between sunrise and sunset. But even more importantly, the month is about reexamining oneself and helping those who are less fortunate, Jamil said. "It's like a 30-day boot camp to renew yourself spiritually," she explained. "You're also thinking about all those who are struggling in the world, and how fortunate you are," Jamil continued. " ... Muslims are encouraged to ramp up their charity during this month. Of course, we're encouraged to give throughout the year. But during this special blessed month, the rewards for the good you do are multiplied." But right now, with society's collective efforts to avoid gathering in large groups and to remain at least six feet apart, local Muslims will forgo some of the traditions associated with Ramadan, Jamil said -- including Friday night meals at the Islamic Center and nightly prayers there. "We have about 50 Muslim families in Midland, and a typical Ramadan in Midland involves gathering together as a community and breaking the fast every Friday night. It's very social and very community-based," she said. "That's not going to be happening this year," continued Jamil, who has four children with her husband, Khaled Khan. "But that's OK, because what is going to happen -- and what I hope will happen in my family -- is there will be stronger family worship happening in everybody's home." Dr. Naveed Khan, a current board member and past president of the Islamic Center of Midland, also sees a good opportunity for spiritual growth during a Ramadan that will lack the typically large gatherings. "This is a month where we reflect more (inward) and ponder on our purpose in this world and try to reconnect to God," said Khan, who has four children with his wife, Noreen Khan. "If we are going to be more confined to our homes and with our families (during Ramadan this year), there is going to be less distractions. That's going to be more helpful for us to do all those things that are required and needed for us to connect in this month to God again." Jamil admitted that it won't be easy to adjust to observing this sacred month apart from her congregation. "Part of me is very sad that it's going to be a somewhat lonely Ramadan, I guess, because we'll miss being part of the (local Islamic) community," she said. But at the same time, adversity can spark creativity, Jamil noted. "We're going to have to think outside the box," she said. As with other faiths, Jamil said that many Islamic groups have held online lectures and other programs during the pandemic. "Thank God we live at a time when we have access to this technology, here in the United States at least," she said. But Jamil emphasized that for Muslims, "virtual prayer" is not an option. They need to give their own prayers at home since praying in large groups isn't feasible right now. "Our prayers can't be done online. I can't follow somebody who's leading a prayer in Houston, for example," she explained. At the end of Ramadan, Eid-ul Fitr, which is on May 24 this year, celebrates the end of the month of fasting. "What will happen for this Eid, I'm not sure," Jamil said. "It might be similar to how our Christian brothers and sisters celebrated Easter (with just their immediate families). We want to see what direction Gov. Whitmer goes as far as the stay-at-home order." The health of the general public, she said, will be the top priority when Muslims are deciding how to observe Eid-ul Fitr. "For the Muslim community, protecting the health of everyone, especially those who are most vulnerable, is the most important thing," Jamil said. "If celebrating Eid this year means Skype-ing or Webex-ing, that's OK. We want to stay healthy and make sure everyone else stays healthy, and not take any unnecessary risks." Naveed Khan agrees. "We have put (the Eid celebration) on hold, and we will assess the situation when we get closer to that point, to see if it will be safer to have gatherings and celebrations as a (faith) community," Khan said. "(If necessary), families on their own can do the celebrations, and that will minimize interactions and minimize the spread of the disease." Whatever adjustments are made during the observation of Ramadan this year, nothing can diminish its blessings, Khan said. "These are different times and different situations, so we have to adapt," he said. "Still, I think we will be able to get all the benefits of this month." Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his interaction with chief ministers via video conferencing on Monday mentioned that coronavirus cases might spike during June and July, Chhattisgarh Health Minister T S Singh Deo said. Photograph: PTI Photo He also said that the PM did not speak about ending the lockdown, which remains in force till May 3. Singh Deo took part in the meeting with Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel. "It was the PM's fourth such interaction with state chief ministers, wherein nine states were kept in talking mode...The summary of the PMs video conference was that the coronavirus will be with us for a longer period. He (PM) gave this clear message that coronavirus will be among us," Singh Deo told reporters. "The PM said that spike in cases could happen in June and July so the coronavirus will be among us for a long period and (present) activities must be done keeping this in view," the health minister said. He said the prime minister expressed the view that green, orange and red zones (division of areas on the bass of the number of coronavirus positive cases) are fluid in nature. "The green zone can become an orange zone while an orange can become a red zone, and the condition could become worse in red zones. It would be wrong to assume that if we are in a green zone, we will never get affected," Singh Deo quoted the PM as telling the chief ministers. The PM dubbed green zones as a 'teerth sthal' (a pilgrimage spot) in view of the present situation, the minister said. Meanwhile, replying to a query on the coronavirus scenario in Chhattisgarh, Singh Deo said the situation was under control, but the spike can happen anytime. State Home Minister Tamradhwaj Sahu, Chief Secretary R P Mandal, Director General of Police D M Awasthi and other officials were present along with the CM during the video conference. Chief Minister Baghel had earlier written to the PM demanding a financial assistance of Rs 30,000 crore in the next three months for relief and welfare schemes in view of the coronavirus pandemic, which has adversely affected economic activities. In another letter, Baghel had requested the Centre to immediately transfer to Chhattisgarh the CSR funds donated to 'Prime Minister CARES Fund' by industrial and mining units operating in the state. TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / April 27, 2020 / Idaho Champion Gold Mines Canada Inc. (CSE:ITKO)(OTC PINK:GLDRF) ("Champion" or the "Company"), a discovery-focused gold exploration company, is pleased to announce that it has entered into an agreement with South Shore Partnership Inc., effective April 24, 2020 for the sale of all of its Ontario patented and unpatented mining claims (the "Nudulama Claims" or the "Property") located in the Leeson and Bracken Townships in the District of Sudbury Ontario, Canada. The Nudulama Claims are a legacy property previously held by GoldTrain Resources which became Champion through Reverse Take Over ("RTO") (See press release dated July 20, 2018), and the Property consists of thirteen (13) unpatented mining claims and twelve (12) patented claims. Under the terms of the agreement, the Company will receive cash proceeds of CAD$80,000. "Champion's key priority since inception has been advancing its gold assets in Idaho. The most recent Fraser Institute ranked Idaho as the 8th best mining jurisdiction in the world," President and CEO Jonathan Buick stated. "We look forward to seeing the SouthShore Partnership find success with the Nudulama Claims. Champion will utilize the proceeds of this sale on this year's exploration programs for our new discovery at the Baner project and at our past-producing Champagne gold project." ABOUT IDAHO CHAMPION Champion is a discovery-focused gold exploration company that is committed to advancing its 100% owned highly prospective mineral properties located in Idaho, United States. The Company's shares trade on the CSE under the trading symbol "ITKO". Champion is vested in Idaho with the Baner Project in Idaho County, the Champagne Project located in Butte County near Arco, and four cobalt properties in Lemhi County in the Idaho Cobalt Belt. Idaho Champion strives to be a responsible environmental steward, stakeholder and a contributing citizen to the local communities where it operates. Champion takes its social license seriously and employs local community members and services in its operations. Story continues ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD "Jonathan Buick" Jonathan Buick, President and CEO For further information, please visit the Company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com or the Company's corporate website at www.idahochamp.com. For further information please contact: Nicholas Konkin, Marketing and Communications Phone: (416) 477 7771 ext. 205 Email: nkonkin@idahochamp.com Cautionary Statements Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its regulation services provider has reviewed or accepted responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release. This press release may include forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation, concerning the business of the Company. Forward-looking information is based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by the management of the Company. Although the Company believes that the expectations and assumptions on which such forward-looking information is based on are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking information because the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release. The Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update publicly any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise, other than as required by applicable securities laws. SOURCE: Idaho Champion Gold Canada Inc. View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/587112/Idaho-Champion-Sells-Legacy-Property In this article GOOGL Google Pixel Buds Todd Haselton | CNBC The Google Pixel Buds, Google's wireless earbuds that will compete with Apple's AirPods and Amazon's Echo Buds, go on sale Monday for $179. I've been testing them for the past several days, and I think they're a great buy for folks who want some of the features of AirPods but who use an Android phone instead of an iPhone. At $179, they have features similar to those of Apple's $199 AirPods with wireless charging case, but they don't have the noise-canceling technology that makes the $249 AirPods Pro so great. But Google might face some trouble launching these right now. Millions of people have lost their jobs and are stuck inside as the coronavirus continues to spread around the U.S. I think wireless earbuds are most compelling when you're commuting on the train or walking through the city. Still, some folks may find value right now in using them to listen to music while walking around the block, working at their desks or exercising at home. Here's what you need to know about the new Google Pixel Buds. What's good Google Pixel Buds Google The new Google Pixel Buds are way, way better than the first generation, which I found uncomfortable and clunky and couldn't recommend. They're basically Google's version of AirPods. There are two buds that plug into your ears. You store them in a small carrying case that charges them when they're not being used. I like that they're relatively discreet they don't pop out or hang down and sort of just look like I stuck two Mentos mints in my ears. Google is only selling white buds right now, but they'll be available in green, orange and black in the coming months. They fit in my ears right out of the box. There are two other sets of rubber tips you can swap on for the best possible fit. I like that I can shake my head and they don't feel like they'll fall out. They're also sweat resistant, so you don't have to worry too much about them getting damaged while you work out. Google said it uses special vents to help prevent the feeling that you have earphones in, that sort of clogged feeling you get when you stuff in some headphones. I noticed this, and the Pixel Buds feel lighter as a result, just like AirPods Pros do. You don't need software to pair but you can control the Pixel Buds in settings. Todd Haselton | CNBC The Google Pixel Buds connect easily without any fiddling with software. You just open the case and Android shows a notification asking if you'd like to pair them with the phone. Tap it and you're good to go, though there's an app to manage the Google Buds if you want to change settings later. You have to pair them using the Bluetooth settings on an iPhone but, if you own an iPhone, you should just buy AirPods. Google Pixel Buds Todd Haselton | CNBC They sound really good, right on a par with most headphones in the same price range as AirPods. They seem to put more weight into bass response, which was noticeable right in the opening of The Beatles' "Come Together." But they sound fine no matter what I'm listening to, whether it's country, jazz or rap. I like that I can say "Hey Google, play music by Miles Davis" and they just start playing like "Hey Siri" would do on AirPods. Google Pixel Buds Todd Haselton | CNBC There's an "Adaptive Sound" mode that you can turn on that optimizes volume depending on what you're doing. It's super subtle, though. I turned it on and then turned up the volume of a TV to simulate a loud environment (since I'm social distancing) and noticed the volume went up just a hair. I think noise cancellation, like on the AirPods Pro, would have been a better feature here. I like that I can easily control the volume by sliding my finger forward or backward across either the left or right pod. If I tap it once, I get notifications. Those touch controls extend into calls and music controls, too. A single tap answers or ends a call. A double tap skips songs forward, and a triple tap skips songs back. The carrying case has a nice weight to it and uses USB-C charging, which is the same as most modern Android phones use. That means you only need to carry one cord with you. The case supports wireless charging, like some AirPods and Samsung's Galaxy Buds, and I found it convenient to just leave it charging on a wireless pad on my desk. The Pixel Buds use a modern USB-C charging port. Todd Haselton | CNBC Battery life is good. Google promises 5 hours of music listening from the earbuds and up to 2.5 hours of talk time. The case will recharge them and provide up to 24 hours of talk time before you need to recharge it. That's right on par with what AirPods offer. I noticed that one bud had 10% less battery life than the other at one point, though, which means I may not have had it properly seated in the case. What's bad Google Pixel Buds in their charging case. Todd Haselton | CNBC I know a lot of people like to place calls using earbuds because they're so convenient to use while you're out walking or just sitting at your desk listening to music. In a test with my wife, she said it sounded like I was on speakerphone and that I was "a little distant." She was also able to hear my keyboard in the background as I was taking notes and said that the voice quality was "a little fuzzy and not super clear." But I was able to hear her perfectly, even though she was using her phone on speakerphone. Your mileage may vary here, though. Some people love AirPods for phone calls, while others think they sound bad. There's a cool feature in Pixel Buds that's supposed to help you speak another language. I wish it were more seamless and that it could just detect a language someone was speaking to me and read back whatever was said through the Pixel Buds. But it doesn't quite work like that. You can use them with Google Translate. Todd Haselton | CNBC I tested the translation using a YouTube where someone was speaking French. I held the side of one bud to activate Google Assistant and said "help me speak French." My Google Pixel phone opened up the Google Translate app. I told it I wanted to translate French to English, then tapped and held the Google Assistant button again and hit play on the YouTube video. As the video played, the French speaker's introduction was picked up by Google Translate and then spoken back to me in English. But it played through the phone's speakers instead of through the earbuds, which wasn't very useful. That's by design: You're supposed to just speak something in English and then it's supposed to read what you're saying out loud in another language through the phone's speakers. Again, I wish the buds could just hear another language and tell me what someone was saying it seems like that's not far off. I couldn't get it to work on anything but a Pixel during testing, but as of Monday afternoon it worked fine on my Samsung phone, too. Google says the translation feature is supported by all phones running Android 6.0 and newer. Google Pixel Buds Todd Haselton | CNBC Finally, I mentioned the touch controls earlier, and they're usually pretty good. They can also be super frustrating. A long press and hold brings up Google Assistant, which I used to control my music and to ask quick questions, like the weather. Google Assistant understood me well, but sometimes I didn't hear the chime telling me it was waiting for me to speak. Or I wouldn't press long enough so I'd activated the notifications alert instead of Google Assistant. That meant I'd tap the side and start speaking but Google Assistant would start reading me notifications instead. Google can probably fix this in a software update. Should you buy them? Google Pixel Buds Todd Haselton | CNBC Illustration by Jules Julien Talk Stephen King Has an Idea for the Story Joe Biden Could Be Telling I cant understand, Stephen King said, why you want to talk to me at a time like this. Well, for one thing, the prolific mega-best-selling author has a new book out, the novella collection If It Bleeds. But to be a little more poetic about it: Here was an opportunity to see how an author who so compellingly depicted a rampaging pandemic in his apocalyptic novel The Stand and who understands so profoundly what scares us, was seeing the world these days. And as it happens, on the grim late afternoon on which we first spoke, when rain lashed against my windows and their shutters rattled in the wind, even the weather seemed to call for a conversation with the 72-year-old. So, to go back to his query: Why did I want to talk with Stephen King? Because right now, as he himself put it to me, its strange out there. Seven years ago, The New York Times Magazine ran a profile of you and your family. The writer describes a game you guys play, where one of you comes up with a scenario for a story in which the protagonist is in trouble and then everyone else has to write a suspenseful ending on the spot. Yeah, that was Joes idea. My son Joe loves [expletive] like that. Think we could give it a shot? Yeah, sure. Youve probably got something already cocked and locked. OK, heres the scenario: It takes place now, during the pandemic. A germophobe is afraid to leave his house, but he has run out of food. His phone is broken, and he cant order anything online, because FreshDirect and all the other food-delivery services never have an empty slot. You take it from there. What happens next? OK, so heres this guy, right? Hes afraid to go out. I mean, hes really afraid to go out, because the virus is everywhere. This guy is washing his hands compulsively. He keeps imagining these germs crawling all over his hands and up his arms, and hes thinking: Well, the house is pretty good. I Lysol-ed everything and Im wearing my gloves, but Im so, so hungry. What am I going to do for food? Then he looks around, and he says to his dog: Fido. Come here, Fido. Not bad! Thats why youre good at your job. Of course, he wouldve already eaten the dog food. So why not eat the dog? Stephen King at a book signing in the early 1980s. Buddy Mays/Corbis, via Getty Images Youve depicted apocalyptic scenarios throughout your work. Whats been interesting or weird to you about how the real world has responded to an event like the pandemic? One thing thats shocking is how fast things change. Was it only a month ago that people were in stores? To go to the market today, and to see all those people in masks and in gloves. Talk about unreality. In The Stand, everything happens so fast that the roads are jammed with cars. Obviously, that hasnt happened. Theres been very little panic. What there has been you feel it, I feel it, everybody feels it is a low, constant fear in the American public. If you sneeze, if you cough, the first thought that goes through your mind is, Maybe I have this disease. Is that whats making you anxious? You know what? Theres a book, a novel by Robert Harris, called The Second Sleep, which is set far in the future after there had been some kind of terrible disaster in the 21st century. These people are trying to figure out what it was, and they find papers by a guy who is talking about what would happen if there was a terrible event sort of like coronavirus. He points out that in the major cities, everybody is about six days away from starvation because of the food supply chain. So I would say that I worry a little about food. Jack Nicholson in The Shining (1980), one of more than 30 films based on Kings work. Everett Collection You obviously understand how stories work. What if we tried to project that understanding into the realm of politics? President Trump has had success telling a certain story about America. What story could Joe Biden be telling? Part of the problem is that Biden hasnt had a chance to tell his story. By the time the primary debates ended the stage was crowded with all the different candidates the coronavirus hit. He has been effectively muzzled. But the story that he has to tell is: Do you want somebody whos capable of dealing with a situation like coronavirus or do you want somebody whos so focused on his self-image that hes not able to do that? Does Trump remind you of any of your characters? Greg Stillson from The Dead Zone. Greg Stillson is a politician, and he says at one point: You know what? When I get to be president, were going to send our garbage to outer space. There isnt going to be any more pollution. And people believed it! But then they believed Trump when he said he was going to build a wall and Mexico was going to pay for it, didnt they? People want a simple answer. They want a man on horseback, and Trumps that guy. Martin Sheen as Greg Stillson in The Dead Zone (1983), based on Kings 1979 novel. Paramount Pictures, via Photofest I think its in On Writing where you point out that youre part of the last generation of writers who can remember what its like not to have easy access to screens. Does the way weve become wedded to screens have ramifications for our imaginations? Its so big that I dont even know. Its a bit like these two donkeys are walking along the bridge, and one of them doesnt have anything on his back and the other one is covered with packages and bales and bundles. The first donkey says, Jesus, thats quite a load you got on. And the second donkey says, What load? You get used to it. And I dont know how much time of the day you spend on screens, but for me I almost hate to say this I think it would be the majority. I get up in the morning, and the first thing I do is look to see if there are messages or emails. I got involved with Twitter in 2013, and that becomes addictive. I dont know the answer to your question. I know that it has changed the way I work. Ill be writing and my flow gets interrupted, because I say, I want to write about a 2000 pickup truck. So immediately I go to Firefox, and I find myself not writing but looking at different 2000 pickup trucks instead. Its easy to get distracted. Youre on Twitter a lot. I think it was also in On Writing where you said that you dont really know what you think about something until you write it down. Is Twitter a form that allows for that? I post two different kinds of tweets. One is supposed to be fun and funny. I post pictures of my dog, who has grown a little following as Molly, a.k.a. the Thing of Evil. And I tell dad jokes: I went to the apiary for a dozen bees, and the apiarist gave me 13 because the 13th was a free bee. The other kind of tweet is: Im an American, and Im a political animal, and Trump outrages me. Im outraged at how stupid he is. But thats not his fault. He is what he is. What really outrages me is his laziness. Theres a lot of stuff in that book A Very Stable Genius about his inability to buckle down and read the material. Read the material! Thats it. You could do a better job. I could do a better job. Because we feel a sense of responsibility. I mean, weve had stupid commanders in chief before. Gerald Ford was no ball of fire. When you watch Trump, David, Im not sure the man reads very well. I know he doesnt write very well. I would argue that anybody who cant read and cant write cant think. Thats what we have. Do you think Twitter has been good for you? Its a lot of fun. Its like the worlds longest back fence that neighbors gossip over. Every now and then, you can make a misstep. Ive done that several times. Weve gotten very puritanical. And if you screw up what I said was, Man, I think it was wrong of that publisher to withdraw that Woody Allen book, because let him go out there and say whatever hes got to say. Immediately I was in the stocks, and people threw electronic cabbages at me, and that went on for a while. Then they move on to something else. King in the film adaptation of his book Pet Sematary (1989). Paramount Pictures, via Everett Collection You also stepped in it with a tweet about the Oscars. I said the difference between diversity and actual accomplishment the two things should be separate. The whole business about the Oscars is ridiculous anyway. A lot of times, talent isnt rewarded. But I do think that if youre going to go in there and decide, it should be on the basis of whats great and not the color or race of the person who made it. I got a lot of blowback on that, and I wrote a piece in The Washington Post trying to explain my position more fully, and after that I got left alone. But it becomes an act of courage to take certain positions on Twitter. It isnt that people disagree. Its that they are ugly about it because they can be anonymous. They can say things like, Youre just an old [expletive] who doesnt know anything. Did being in the social media stocks make you reconsider your thinking about the issues? Because it seems reasonable for somebody to say its not a publishers obligation to publish whatever a writer wants to publish. Or with the Oscars, to say that, actually, the real issue isnt about rewarding diversity or not, its about who gets to show their talent in the first place. So what was your intellectual reaction to the blowback you got from those tweets? The knee-jerk reaction is, Im humiliated that people are making fun or are angry at me. Thats the emotional reaction. The intellectual reaction is to ask yourself, Did I say the right thing? If I said the right thing, it stands. If I said the wrong thing, then I have to apologize or make it clearer. What I said about the Oscars was taken the wrong way by people like Ava DuVernay. So I had to try to make clear exactly what I was talking about. What I was saying about Woody Allen, I never felt any urge to go correct or expand. I didnt see any need, because the key thing about that was that the publisher accepted the manuscript. They had agreed to publish it. The reason they backed out was because there was negative publicity. I feel like it was cowardly. There was also a lot of controversy about American Dirt, the Jeanine Cummins book, which I loved and put a blurb on. There was a feeling that Jeanine Cummins had done whats called cultural appropriation, which back in my day used to be called imagination. I felt that she had a right to do that, because if you go down that road, you can never have a man who writes a book like Rose Madder or Geralds Game, which are about a woman and her feelings. You have to step carefully, but it can be done. It should be done, because thats the way we reach out to the other people. This is how it works. Its supposed to, anyway. That wandered away from the Woody Allen question. It was related. This is also related, insofar as its about shifting cultural contexts: If you wrote your novel It today, would you still write the sex scene between Beverly and the boys in the losers club? Thats something that people have pointed to as having aged poorly. I know. The funny thing about that scene is that when I wrote it, it had the same importance to the story as the Derry Public Library. The Derry Public Library has an adult building and a child building, and the two of them are connected by this glass tunnel. This means that I have a symbolic way of talking about the transition from childhood to adulthood. You see what Im talking about? And with the sex thing: Sex is for grown-ups, OK? Its not for 12-year-olds. But in the story, I was trying to write about that transition and whats lost between being kids and being adults. When I wrote that scene where they all have sex with Beverly, what I was trying to do was to allow them to send a message to their adult selves, saying you can get back, you can rediscover enough of the imaginative force to deal with this supernatural being. So I went ahead and wrote it. There was never an eyebrow raised from the editorial people who read that book. There were no reviews saying this is a scene of kiddie porn. There was none of that, because it was a different time. When people land on that scene now, theyre judging the 1980s by the standards of the 21st century. You see a lot of that today. Which is one of the reasons a lot of schools dont want to allow a book like Huckleberry Finn. They say, We cant have this book in our schools because its got that n-word in it. Heres what Im talking about, OK? The last Michael Connelly book hes a wonderful writer that word, nigger, is written n-----. The word [expletive] is all through it. In the 50s, the n-word would have been allowed, but you couldnt have used [expletive]. Now its exactly the opposite. So its a question of how things change. Would I write that scene from It today? Almost certainly not. Back then it never even struck me as a thing. But could those changes be positive? That example you brought up with the Michael Connelly book is maybe an instance where enough people have realized that one of those two words is just a swear word that isnt actually all that powerful and the other word has serious negative power. David, that is the essence of 21st-century thinking. Go with God, thats fine, but you understand what Im saying? I do. That is based on a mind-set that has been formed by the way that you were raised and by the cultural atmosphere that you live in. And thats fine. Thats great. Youre probably right. It is probably a positive development. But I always think about Frank Norris. Who wrote McTeague. McTeague. The Octopus. All those books. And Frank Norris said: What did I care what the critics said? I told the truth. Thats the important thing. Do you tell the truth or do you not? King in 1995. Laurel Entertainment Inc., via Everett Collection In your new book, theres a story called Rat that has a funny invocation of Jonathan Franzen. The protagonist is a writer who seems a little skeptical of his literary status. Is critical esteem what Franzen represents for you, too? I use Franzen because hes a fantastic novelist. Ive read all his books. My favorite is an early novel called Strong Motion, which is about earthquake guys in Massachusetts. Fantastic book. Im hoping that therell be something new at some point. The whole lecture stuff about Franzen in the story, its all made up. The guy is sick, and hes got the fever, and he fixates on Franzen. It gave me a chance to think some things about writing that are not necessarily what I believe, but it was a lot of fun. Its a snarky story. On the subject of critical esteem, there was a lot of debate about your literary merit or place in the canon back when you were honored by the National Book Foundation. That argument seems to have gone away since then. Why do you think that is? When I started, I was seen as a genre writer, and thats pretty much what I was. I remember going to a literary-guild party around the time of The Shining. Irwin Shaw was sitting in a corner, very gouty and very flushed. He had a cane and was wearing a blue suit. He looked morose. He looked at me, and this sneer came over his face, and he said, Oh, look, its the lion, meaning the literary lion. I shrank, because I love that guys books. I still do. I think part of what happened was I outlived a lot of my real bad critics. I still remember in The Village Voice somebody did a long, debunking piece about my writing. There was a caricature of me eating money that was flowing from my typewriter. I thought, Oh, its so dispiriting when you work as hard as you can and you see something like that. I kept my mouth shut. I kept my head down and kept doing the best stuff that I could. When you look around at some of the people whove worked in the 20th century, the idea that I would be part of that canon is ridiculous. Youre not going to put me with John Updike, let alone people like Faulkner or Steinbeck. Maybe Steinbeck a little bit. Ive tried to write as honestly as I could about ordinary people and situations. But I think I basically outlived a lot of the bad critics. Now, I wont be around to see the final tally. Most writers who are perennial best sellers drop dead, and their work falls off the list. They just disappear. Right, like, who reads James Clavell today? Yeah. It gives me a chill. When I was growing up, the big paperback writer was John D. MacDonald. When he died, his work pretty much disappeared. I dont know what will happen to my stuff when I die, but one thing Im pretty sure of is that Pennywise will be around. The rest of the stuff may disappear, but 200 years from now, people will say, Pennywise is really scary. Bill Skarsgard as Pennywise in It Chapter Two (2019). Warner Bros., via Everett Collection No one who has written as much as you can have it all be great. How do you tell when a piece of your writing is working or not? I never did anything that I thought was working. When I get in the middle of something, a part of me is always saying to myself, This is certainly a piece of [expletive]. So you felt the same writing It as you did writing The Tommyknockers? With It, I always felt that something was really working. When I wrote Under the Dome, I felt like something was really, really working. Tommyknockers, I felt good about. Dreamcatcher, no, but I was in a lot of pain. Id had an accident, and I was struggling through that. Its different with different books. There are books where the thing opens up all at once, and you say to yourself, Im having a good time. Even when youre not, and you say maybe this whole thing is a mistake, you have to remind yourself that part of what they pay you for is to surmount those doubts to say to yourself: I may be wrong. It may be good. You once said about yourself that if you hadnt had fiction, you mightve wound up like the University of Texas tower shooter. And as far as your readers go, I know youve had issues with disturbed fans, and you took Rage out of print after it was found in the locker of a kid who committed a shooting. How thick or thin do you believe the lines are between a person like yourself, who has a dark imagination, and people like those I just mentioned, who were delusional? And is it just neurochemistry that determines which side of that line a person ends up on? I think a lot of it is neurochemistry. Im able to open the doors of perception at 8 in the morning, and they generally roll closed around noon. The world then becomes a rational place. I dont think thats true for people who are delusional and paranoid. Right now Im looking at a picture in my office, and I dont feel any urge to look behind it to see if theres a camera. Im not convinced that youre working for the C.I.A. or that secretly this is going to be a hatchet job on me. As far as Rage goes, I wrote the first draft when I was a senior in high school. A lot of it was the pressure cooker of high school. You feel this urge to say, What if you were able to cut the Gordian knot and take a gun to school and hold your classmates hostage? It was never a mass-shooting scenario that is enacted in that book. But still, after a couple of those incidents, you say to yourself: This is like leaving a loaded gun around where somebody whos mentally disturbed can get a hold of it. So its time to lock it up. In the past, when people have asked why you write about disturbing things, youve given the line, Why do you assume I have a choice? Which is a good answer but also maybe a slightly evasive one. What answer were people really looking for with that question? Theyre looking for some secret formula: How did you know this would work? Why did you think this would work? My response to that is, I never considered it. I never thought what has happened to me would happen. There are days when I think this is all a dream. But to go back to your question, I never did have a choice. This was the subject matter that appealed to me. Its like the difference in taste. Some people like broccoli. Some people dont. King receiving the National Medal of Arts from President Barack Obama in 2015. Andrew Harnik/Associated Press You dont think in asking that question people were hoping youd share some revelation about your deeper psychology? No. The question they ask when they want that is, What were you like as a kid? They think youre going to say, When I was a kid, I was beaten or I was sexually abused or I was kidnapped. The fact is none of thats true. But is it true that you saw a friend get run over by a train when you were 4 years old? My mother thought I had seen that. She said that this boy had been run over by a train and that I came back that day after having gone to play with him and I was very pale and wouldnt talk. I certainly dont have any memory of it, at least in my conscious mind. What I do remember is my mother saying they had to pick up the pieces of the body in a basket. Hows that for detail? My mother could have been Stephen King. David Marchese is a staff writer and the Talk columnist for the magazine. Opening illustration: Source photograph by John Lamparski/WireImage, via Getty Image This interview has been edited and condensed from two conversations. When Kjetil Njoten and his wife, Zoe Leigh-Njoten, along with their son, moved from London to Los Angeles a few years ago for Kjetil's job at a TV network, they spent their first year trying to find the perfect neighborhood to put down roots. Last summer, they bought a house in La Crescenta, a community 15 miles outside of L.A. It would take them months, and a pandemic, to discover that family roots had already been planted by long-lost relatives living four doors down The Njotens had met some neighbors in passing, but it wasn't until California's coronavirus stay-at-home order in March that the Njotens had a chance to really get to know the people who lived near them. During a "social distancing happy hour" outside on their street in early April, the Njotens struck up a conversation with Erik and Jen Strom, who live four houses away. Because Kjetil, 45, is originally from Norway and Erik, 38, has Norwegian ancestry, they started discussing Norwegian heritage. Jen, 37, said she had casually looked into her husband's family history in the past but stopped when she was unable to locate Newton Island, where her husband's Norwegian family was supposedly from. Kjetil and Zoe joked that it could be Njoten Island, the tiny speck of an island northwest of Bergen, Norway's second-largest city. Kjetil grew up in Njoten, and it's from there that his family derived its surname. The island, Kjetil said, is three miles long and one mile wide and has a population of about 30 people. They said it is often pronounced as Newton in English. But it is spelled "Njten" in Norwegian and pronounced nyuh-ten. "When [Jen] said 'Newton,' I thought, ooh, maybe!" said Zoe, 46. "It would be a ridiculous coincidence. Ridiculous. But maybe it's Njoten!" That night, Kjetil emailed his mother in Norway, asking her to do some sleuthing. She looked at her own family records, and by the time Kjetil woke up the next morning, she had replied. Not only was Erik's family from the same island, but the two men shared the same great-great-grandfather. In fact, the home that Kjetil grew up in once belonged to that great-great-grandfather, Jacob Njoten. This was too momentous to share over text. The Njotens asked the Stroms to walk over to their house, and while standing at a safe distance under the Njotens' covered porch, Kjetil said: "Hey, good news! You are from the island, but not only that, we are related!" The four of them stood there for a moment. Then there were cries of disbelief and tears. "We were ecstatic!" Jen said. "None of us can believe it," Zoe said. They resisted the urge to run over and hug each other. Having made the discovery during a pandemic is a double-edged sword, Erik said. "It's given us an exciting thing during this difficult time," Erik said. "But having it happen during this time also means we can't do what we would like to. We can't hug or have dinner together or go in each other's homes." But, as Jen pointed out, maybe it took something like this life-altering event to bring them together. "We wonder how long it would have been [for us to make this connection] if we didn't have this reason to slow down from our regular life," she said. The discovery would have been amazing at any time, said Kjetil, but to uncover it during the lockdown was "such a bright light in what is a pretty uncertain and worrying time." The best part for both families is what this means for the youngest generation - their children. Monty Njoten, 10, and Emma Strom, 4, will grow up as cousins living just 100 yards apart. As European expats, the Njotens have missed having family close by, and of all the neighborhoods and houses they could have picked in the Los Angeles area, Zoe said: "We end up living on a street next to these people originally from this tiny island [in Norway]. It's crazy! It's beautiful." As they wait for coronavirus isolation to end, the Njotens and Stroms chat through their new family WhatsApp thread, swapping recipes, photos and family stories. The Njotens showed the Stroms a framed aerial photograph of the idyllic island, which includes the farmhouse where their great-great-grandfather - and 100 years later, Kjetil - lived. This discovery prompted Erik to ask his mother, who also lives in La Crescenta, more about their family. He got some genealogy documents from her, and she showed him a family history book that commemorated a large reunion on Njoten Island in the 1990s that some of Erik's relatives attended. Among the scanned photographs is a group picture that includes a young Kjetil. "That blew our minds a bit," Kjetil said. The spiral-bound family history book also holds the lyrics to a "welcome song" from the July 1996 reunion, all about their great-great-grandfather Jacob's farm and family on Njoten Island. A verse mentions that Erik's great-grandfather Andreas "bid farewell and sailed west for U.S.A." in 1896. That's where the family history splits between continents. No one could have predicted there'd be another reunion in 2020 in an American neighborhood more than 5,000 miles from that farmhouse in Norway. The Njotens and Stroms are hopeful that a group trip to Njoten Island will be possible sometime soon, but in the meantime, they're busy making plans to celebrate Norwegian Constitution Day, an official public holiday observed May 17. But if the California stay-at-home order is still in effect then, they'll turn their sights to a holiday that's still new to the Njotens - Thanksgiving. "We have American family now," Zoe said. A midstate woman is suing the federal government for more than $5 million, claiming she was raped by a teacher at a school run by the U.S. Department of Defense in Japan when she was 11 years old. The complaint filed in U.S. Middle District Court states the York County woman, now in her 20s, opted to sue after failing to secure what she believes was a fair judgment from the Air Force in October. PennLive is not naming the woman because it does not identify victims of sex crimes. An attempt to obtain comment from her attorney, Phillip Aaron, was not successful. The woman claims she was sexually assaulted by her sixth-grade teacher at the Yokosuka Middle School around 2010. The Defense Department operates the school for the children of parents employed by the U.S. government. The womans father was working in Japan for the federal government. The teacher molested her repeatedly, after luring her to secluded places on school property during school hours, the woman contends. She says she was unable to regularly attend school or participate in school activities because she was so traumatized by the rape and molestation. The alleged assaults occurred three or more times, she claims. She seeks damages far beyond $5 million, the suit states. Red eyes, a sore throat, wheezing, fatigue, a dry cough do these symptoms sound familiar? It's very likely that they do because they are typically associated with hay fever. But the added difficulty now is that they are also the symptoms of Covid-19. With pollen levels forecast to be among the highest in 70 years, many of the 13 million people in the UK with hay fever are worried that they won't be able to tell whether they are coming down with a bout of that, or Covid-19. So widespread is the concern that the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) last week issued guidance on how to tell the two apart. Dr Jonathan Leach, joint honorary secretary of the RCGP, has expressed concern that an overlap in the symptoms may lead some people to leave the house to go shopping or for exercise, thinking they have their usual hay fever when they actually have coronavirus. With pollen levels forecast to be among the highest in 70 years, many of the 13 million people in the UK with hay fever are worried that they won't be able to tell whether they are coming down with a bout of that, or Covid-19 In fact, superficial symptoms apart, the two conditions could hardly be more different. Hay fever, or seasonal rhinitis, is an allergy that occurs when pollen from trees, grass or weeds is wrongly perceived by the body as a threat. To flush out the 'invader', the immune system pumps out histamine and other chemicals which trigger sneezing, runny noses, watery eyes, coughing and various other symptoms. While pollen from birch, oak, ash and other trees typically causes problems from late March to mid-May, grass pollen, the most common hay fever trigger, sparks symptoms from the middle of May to July. Hay fever from the pollen of nettles and other weeds tends to occur during the autumn but is less common. Coronavirus causes many of the same symptoms but, far from overreacting to a harmless substance, the immune system is reacting to a real danger: a potentially life-threatening virus. 'What we are finding,' adds Dr Leach, 'is that some patients are saying, 'look, this is a different thing from what I had last year, could this be coronavirus?' In that case it might be.' One way to tell which of the two conditions you have includes noting whether the severity of your symptoms changes with the time of day and the weather. This year's high pollen levels are likely not just to intensify hay fever but to exacerbate the asthma that frequently goes hand in hand with it, and raise the risk of potentially life-threatening asthma attacks 'Allergy symptoms tend to be milder and fluctuate depending on the time of day, because pollen levels are often higher in the afternoon and evening,' says Professor Michael Marshall, chairman of the RCGP. 'Similarly, wet weather may lead to patients experiencing milder symptoms. Patients who regularly suffer from hay fever will be familiar with the symptoms they usually get and the severity of them.' There are two clear differences between early stage Covid-19 and typical hay fever: a high temperature and a new persistent cough. The high temperature associated with Covid-19 may result from chemicals called cytokines being released by the immune system as it tries to fight the virus. The cough is thought to result from damage the virus causes to the airway. Certainly, 2020 is set to be a difficult year for those who are prone to hay fever. DID YOU KNOW? Alcohol kills coronavirus as it evaporates, so when using an alcohol-based spray to clean surfaces, leave it to evaporate rather than rubbing it in, says orthopaedic surgeon Professor Tony Kochhar Advertisement 'We expect to see tree pollen reaching a high level in the context of our records going back as far as 1951,' warns Dr Beverley Adams-Groom, chief pollen forecaster at the National Pollen and Aerobiology Research Unit at the University of Worcester, which produces the Met Office's hay fever forecast. This year's high pollen levels are likely not just to intensify hay fever but to exacerbate the asthma that frequently goes hand in hand with it, and raise the risk of potentially life-threatening asthma attacks. According to Jessica Kirby, head of health advice at the charity Asthma UK, about 3.3 million people with asthma say that pollen triggers their symptoms, leaving many of them wheezing and struggling for breath. This is because if you have the condition, hay fever can cause your already inflamed airway to swell up even more. According to Jessica Kirby, head of health advice at the charity Asthma UK, about 3.3 million people with asthma say that pollen triggers their symptoms, leaving many of them wheezing and struggling for breath It can also make you more likely to react to other asthma triggers, such as dust and pollution. And if you have hay fever combined with viruses such as colds or flu or even Covid-19 the extra inflammation can make your asthma symptoms even worse. 'With warm spring weather causing tree pollen levels to rise, we are advising everyone with asthma who suffers from hay fever to make sure they take their asthma medicines as prescribed, alongside their usual hay fever medicines, to reduce the risk of hay fever triggering or worsening an asthma attack,' says Ms Kirby. That means carrying a reliever inhaler with you. Usually blue in colour, these relax the muscles in the airway during an asthma attack, easing a sufferer's symptoms on the spot. Ms Kirby also recommends using preventer inhalers if prescribed. Usually grey, these contain steroids which reduce sensitivity and swelling in the airway, helping to stop wheezing and coughing before they even start. It is also worth asking your pharmacist about over-the-counter antihistamine tablets and/or a steroid nasal spray to keep your hay fever under control. Antihistamines are also available in supermarkets. Antihistamine eye drops can help relieve conjunctivitis, the red, itchy and watery eyes that trouble one person in five with hay fever. But conjunctivitis can also occur with coronavirus. However, the College Of Optometrists says it is unlikely to develop in someone with Covid-19 without other symptoms of a fever or a new, continuous cough. Dr Khalid Sachak, a GP and optometrist in the West Midlands, adds: 'Studies have shown that fewer than 1 per cent of patients who have coronavirus have conjunctivitis.' COVID EXPLAINED - A guide to why the virus causes certain symptoms This week: Tummy trouble Although Covid-19 does most of its damage in the lungs, a surprisingly high number of those infected experience gastrointestinal problems such as diarrhoea first. One study involving nearly 200 patients in Wuhan, China, found a quarter of those diagnosed had tummy upsets days before developing a cough, fever or headache. For a small number, diarrhoea was the only symptom they had. The reason is thought to be because the virus gets into healthy cells by latching on to a receptor known as ACE2 on the cells' surface. ACE2 receptors are found on lung cells, which is why Covid-19 causes severe breathlessness and can lead to pneumonia. But they are much more common in the gastrointestinal tract. Covid-19 breaks into cells in the intestines in order to reproduce the virus, causing symptoms such as stomach cramps and diarrhoea. In the Wuhan study, scientists detected Covid-19 traces in stool samples of more than half the patients who had the infection. Advertisement 'Anxiety levels are quite high,' adds Dr Faheem Latheef, an allergy specialist at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. 'But distinguishing between hay fever and Covid-19 should be easy if you have had rhinitis before. 'You may have that feeling of nasal congestion and watery eyes, but the lack of a high temperature matters. Plus, you will feel generally unwell with Covid-19.' Dr Latheef says he and his fellow medics have seen so much Covid-19 now, they have a feel for it. 'It's systemic,' he says. 'It affects your whole body, whereas hay fever is localised.' Some hay fever sufferers may be worried that they shouldn't be taking up their GP's time with so much else going on, but Dr Sachak says people must take hay fever seriously , even during the coronavirus outbreak, because of the link to asthma. 'It's important to keep on top of your hay fever,' says Dr Sachak. 'If you leave it uncontrolled, not only is it uncomfortable to live with, but you could also risk triggering an asthma attack, which is more serious.' There are, nevertheless, some common hay fever medicines that are best avoided during the Covid-19 pandemic. Dr Latheef says that while most antihistamines should be fine, he 'would advise staying away from sedating medication containing chlorphenamine (found in some over-the-counter ranges). This is because the virus already makes patients feel tired or short of breath, and you wouldn't want to risk exacerbating it'. He also suggests giving Kenalog injections, a steroid treatment available privately, a miss because they suppress the immune system and we all want that to be working as well as possible during a pandemic. If you take nasal steroids, though, there is no cause for concern as they act locally rather than affecting the whole body. There is, however, some good news for those with hay fever. Chemicals such as the nitrogen dioxide in car exhaust fumes are believed to weaken pollen grains, making them split open more easily to release the proteins that trigger hay fever. This means that the sharp drop in traffic during lockdown 'should make a difference to many people's symptoms', says Dr Latheef. She has always been close to her businessman dad Rande Gerber. And Kaia Gerber revealed on Monday that they have their own little band as the supermodel wished him a happy 58th birthday on social media. The 18-year-old Vogue star shared a throwback video of herself singing and playing guitar to The Eagles' 1972 hit, Take It Easy, with the birthday boy. What can't she do! Kaia Gerber showcased her musical talents on Monday when she shared a video of herself and her dad Rande Gerber playing the guitar and singing for his birthday 'Happy birthday @randegerber forever my amateur band mate and best friend ' she penned. 'Also shoutout to my pie timer for the added percussion.' Kaia was seen wearing sweats as she strummed along to her black guitar. Family band! Kaia was seen wearing sweats as she strummed along to her black colored guitar Love to the legend! Wife and mom to Kaia, Cindy Crawford, also took to social media to wish Rande on his special day Rande sat beside her with a custom guitar that had his tequila brand, Casamigos, written on along the fretboard. Wife and mom to Kaia, Cindy Crawford, also took to social media to wish Rande on his special day. 'Happy birthday to this legend! @randegerber we love you today and every day!' she captioned. The photo saw his Casamigos co-founder, George Clooney, and high end Malibu realtor, Chris Cortazzo, pose together on a boat. The couple's celebrity friends, including Lisa Rinna and Naomi Campbell, were quick to also send their wishes to Rande. Strong marriage: Cindy and Rande have remained one of Hollywood's strongest couples ever since they wed in 1998 (pictured 2019) 26 years ago! Cindy recently shared a throwback photo from their first trip together back in 1994 Before Rande, Cindy was married to actor Richard Gere in 1991 before finalizing their divorce in 1995. She also dated Val Kilmer. The supermodel went on to marry the former model and businessman in 1998. They welcomed their first child, son, Presely Walker, in 1999, and daughter Kaia, in 2001. Both Presley and Kaia have followed their footsteps and become successful models. Rande has a net worth of $300 million thanks to his successful tequila venture with partners George Clooney and Mike Meldman. The Australian technology sector is bracing for widespread layoffs as companies look to control costs, with local technology leaders saying startups will need help to recruit fresh talent once the coronavirus pandemic is over. Concerns about a national slowdown in venture capital spending have led to renewed calls for a national blueprint to help keep private funding flowing into the sector, which is getting ready to shed jobs. "I think there will be heavy layoffs and May is going to be a month of aggressively cutting staff across the tech industry," said Adir Shiffman, executive chairman of sports technology startup Catapult Group. Catapult Group executive chairman Adir Shiffman said the tech sector could be worse off than other industries unless support came to offset job losses. Credit:Wayne Taylor Dr Shiffman is lobbying policymakers to pause proposed caps to the research and development tax incentive scheme and warned high-growth tech companies reliant on enterprise contracts will struggle into the coming months. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said economy needs to be given importance too while fighting COVID-19 and asked chief ministers to plan for the way ahead after two phases of lockdowns end on May 3. He also cautioned that the danger is far from over, while Health Ministry said a record number of 60 COVID-19 patients have died in the last 24 hours. However, a ray of hope emerged with authorities declaring that 85 states across India have not reported a single infection in the last two weeks and five North-Eastern states have become totally free of the virus. The nationwide tally of coronavirus positive cases, in the meantime, rose to 28,380 with at least 886 deaths, but more than 6,300 patients have been discharged, pushing the recovery rate to over 22 per cent, according to the Union Health Ministry. Domestic rating agency Crisil warned that the "disastrous" lockdowns will lead to losses of Rs 10 lakh crore, as it nearly halved its GDP growth estimate for the current fiscal to 1.8 per cent. "Lockdowns are showing a disastrous impact on the economy and could lead to a permanent loss of GDP, unemployment and poverty, despite relief packages, Crisil said. On the positive side, the Health Ministry said 85 districts have not reported a single positive case in the last 14 days, while 16 districts have not witnessed even one case in the last 28 weeks. Separately, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said five Northeastern states -- Sikkim, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Tripura -- are now completely coronavirus-free and the other three -- Assam, Meghalaya and Mizoram -- have not added any new COVID-19 positive case in the last few days. The nationwide tally suggested that some large urban centres are facing the brunt of the deadly virus much more than many other parts of the country with just three of them -- Mumbai, Delhi and Ahmedabad -- accounting for almost one-third of the total positive cases in the country. These three also account for nearly 40 per cent of COVID-19 deaths. Amid indications that the lockdown might get further extended, at least in the areas considered as 'red zones' or hotspots of the deadly virus spread, speculation was also rife about some relaxations including for private cars and economic activities outside the highly-infected areas. However, most people said public transport, schools and colleges and public gatherings including those for religious purposes might remain shut. As the final week of the second phase of lockdown began, Modi conveyed to chief ministers that the country will have to give importance to the economy as well as continue the fight against the novel coronavirus. In his fourth video conference with the chief ministers over the pandemic, Modi also underlined that the nationwide lockdown has "yielded positive results as the country has managed to save thousands of lives in the past one and a half months." "The prime minister said that the country has seen two lockdowns till now, both different in certain aspects, and now we have to think of the way ahead. He said that as per experts, the impact of coronavirus will remain visible in the coming months," according to an official statement. Modi said masks and face covers will become part of people's lives in the days ahead. He emphasised on the importance of the use of technology as much as possible, and also on a need to embrace reform measures. He, however, forewarned that the danger of the virus is far from over and a constant vigil is of paramount importance. The first lockdown was announced by Modi on March 24 in a bid to combat the coronavirus endemic. It was later extended till May 3. In the meantime, the country's apex health research body ICMR asked states to stop using the COVID-19 rapid antibody test kits procured from two Chinese companies and return them to be sent back to the suppliers. Some states including Rajasthan had flagged issues with results given by these kits. Opposition Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has alleged that some people were indulging in profiteering while supplying rapid test kits for COVID-19 to the government. The Union Health Ministry, in its evening update, said there has been a spike of 1,463 cases since Sunday evening. The number of active COVID-19 cases stood at 21,132, while 6,361 people have recovered, and one patient has migrated, the ministry said. The total number of cases includes 111 foreign nationals. Among major cities, Mumbai alone has reported over 5,400 cases, while Delhi has more than 2,900 and Ahmedabad more than 2,100 cases. Besides, more than 200 have died in Mumbai, over 100 in Ahmedabad and at least 54 in the national capital. These three major urban centres also impact a significant part of the country's overall economic activities. Of the nationwide death toll of 886, Maharashtra tops the tally with 342 fatalities, followed by Gujarat at 151, Madhya Pradesh at 106, Delhi at 54, Rajasthan at 41, and Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh at 31 each. The death toll reached 26 in Telangana, 24 in Tamil Nadu while West Bengal and Karnataka have reported 20 deaths each. Punjab has registered 18 fatalities so far. The disease has claimed six lives in Jammu and Kashmir, four in Kerala while Jharkhand and Haryana have recorded three COVID-19 deaths each. Bihar has reported two deaths, while Meghalaya, Himachal Pradesh, Odisha and Assam have reported one fatality each, according to the ministry data. According to the Health Ministry data, Maharashtra also has the maximum number of confirmed cases at 8,068, followed by Gujarat at 3,301, Delhi at 2,918, Rajasthan at 2,185, Madhya Pradesh at 2,168, Uttar Pradesh at 1,955 and Tamil Nadu at 1,885. The number of COVID-19 cases has gone up to 1,177 in Andhra Pradesh and 1,002 in Telangana. Andhra Pradesh's Chief Minister Y S Jagan Reddy asked people to take precautions to prevent the infection as he warned, "We cannot eliminate it, so we have to live with it." While interacting with the prime minister, Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani favoured a gradual lifting of the coronavirus-enforced nationwide lockdown. Chief Ministers of Himachal Pradesh, Goa and Meghalaya favoured extending the lockdown. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, after his interaction with the prime minister, asked state officials to make specific plans for post May 3, when the second phase of the lockdown is scheduled to end. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, however, alleged that the Centre was making contradictory statements on enforcement of the lockdown, and wanted greater clarity on the recent union home ministry order on reopening shops. Claiming that many states were not allowed to speak during Modi's video conference with chief ministers owing to the rotation system, Banerjee said given a chance she would have raised several questions, including the need to send central teams to Bengal. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami sought from the Centre more RT-PCR kits for COVID-19 screening to help the state ramp up its testing capacity to 10,000 a day against existing 7,500. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Infection in doctors, vegetable vendors, shopkeepers in Pune cause of concern: MHA India pti-PTI New Delhi, Apr 27: An Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT) has expressed its concern that doctors, vegetable vendors and shopkeepers, who come in contact with a number of people each day, have been infected with the coronavirus in Maharashtra's Pune, a senior official said on Monday. The team, headed by an additional secretary-rank officer and comprising experts from the healthcare and disaster management verticals, has also found that the doubling rate of COVID-19 in Pune, the second-largest city in Maharasthra after state capital Mumbai, is higher than the country's average and social-distancing norms are not being followed properly in slums, markets and other places in the city. Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) Punya Salila Srivastava told reporters that the IMCT, dispatched to assess the ground situation of the pandemic in the metropolis, has suggested that high-risk people should be identified quickly and surveillance, testing and contact-tracing should be increased. In Pune, the team visited the containment zones of Pimpri-Chinchwad, Kharadwadi and Baramati, apart from shelter camps for migrant labourers, vegetable markets, PDS shops, the municipal corporation control room and hospitals, she said. It found out that in Pune, the COVID-19 doubling rate is seven days, which is slightly higher compared to the rest of the country, Srivastava said. While the country's average is one positive case of coronavirus among 23 samples, in Pune, it is one positive case in nine samples, she added. In slums, markets and other places, where social-distancing norms are not being followed properly, protocols need to be enforced strictly, Srivastava said, citing the IMCT recommendations. Rather than home quarantine, institutional quarantine is essential in slums, she said. Doctors, paramedics, police personnel, vegetable vendors and other essential services-providing shopkeepers have been found to be COVID-19 positive in Pune and it is a matter of concern as they come in contact with many people every day, Srivastava said. The central team suggested that it should be ensured that protocols are followed strictly by these people on the ground so that they do not contract the virus or become its carriers in the course of their duty. Srivastava said the team also held a video-conference with the chief minister and other senior officials of Maharashtra. She also briefed the press about another IMCT's visit to Rajasthan's capital city Jaipur. The team went to hospitals, quarantine centres, containment zones and relief camps for labourers, she said. The team met the chief secretary of Rajasthan and other officials, and suggested that strict steps should be taken so that the lockdown is not violated in the walled city during the evening hours. The team suggested that ration and other supplies should be more systematic, quarantine camps should be taken away from residential areas and asked state government authorities to increase the speed of test results. It also suggested that non-COVID-19 hospitals be identified so that people can get other healthcare facilities, Srivastava said. "The IMCTs found out that the local administration in both the districts (Pune and Jaipur) is working with dedication and with these suggestions, they will be able to better the situation," she added. Srivastava said the IMCTs were constituted by the MHA under the Disaster Management Act and the aim is to share their expertise so that the Centre and the states can jointly make successful efforts to combat the coronavirus. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Aurelia End (Agence France-Presse) Paris, France Mon, April 27, 2020 09:05 625 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd4634a6 2 World France,coronavirus,COVID-19,tracing-COVID-19,mobile-app,privacy Free France's privacy watchdog CNIL on Sunday gave a conditional green light to a government-backed scheme to monitor people infected with coronavirus. The issue of how to keep tabs on sufferers has sparked privacy concerns in several countries but the CNIL gave the nod to the StopCovid scheme subject to civil liberty guarantees and regular oversight. The French device will, if the country is to begin a gradual emergence from lockdown on May 11, enable creation of an index of sufferers via a smartphone app along the lines of a model touted notably by Singapore. The idea is to send an alert to those who have downloaded the app if they come into close proximity, for example, on public transport, with those who have tested positive for the new coronavirus and who are on the app register. A number of European countries are considering using similar technology as a means of allowing a relaxing of confinement. The CNIL move came as France, which has listed 22,614 COVID-19-related deaths to date, looks to May 11 to start relaxing nationwide lockdown restrictions imposed six weeks ago. The government is due to unveil deconfinement measures on Tuesday in line with a range of recommendations Saturday from its scientific advisors relating to issues such as schooling and the wearing of masks. The French government insists its scheme would see the app deployed on a voluntary, anonymous, temporary and transparent basis with all data stored in France in a bid to encourage maximum take-up. 'Exceptional' context CNIL said the context was "exceptional" as France faces up to a global health crisis, adding that StopCovid meets EU norms as long as "certain conditions are respected," noting the government usage guarantees. The body added that nobody should be penalized, for example being denied a transport ticket, for refusing to use the app and said the scheme's effectiveness would depend on widespread adoption. Latest opinion polls show less than two in five French people have confidence in the government's ability to face down the COVID-19 crisis. The French government intends to begin relaxing some restrictions from May 11, including reopening schools and getting public transport back to normal. But a study released last Tuesday by the Pasteur Institute estimated only six percent of France's population will have been exposed to the new coronavirus by then, meaning the rest will have no immunity and will remain at risk of infection, leading to fears a second wave of the disease would wreak renewed havoc. Critics of using high-tech means to track people have warned any centralized schemes could provide governments with reams of personal data and facilitate mass state surveillance. Decentralized systems can on the other hand allow data to be stored on individual devices. The European Commission has also recommended that data harvested through contact-tracing apps be stored only on users' own phones and be encrypted. By ANI MUMBAI: Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Mayor Kishori Pednekar on Monday informed that the total number of containment zones in the city is now 1036. "There has been a significant drop in the number of containment zones in Mumbai," Pednekar said. The Mayor said that many zones are out of the list as they reported zero COVID-19 cases in the last two weeks. ALSO READ | 'Anything for Mumbai': Mayor returns as nurse to contribute in fight against COVID-19 "231 zones are out of the containment zone list after they didn't record a single COVID-19 positive patient for the last 14 days," she added. According to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the total number of positive COVID-19 cases in Maharashtra is 8,068. Till now, 1,076 people have either been cured and discharged, while 342 deaths have been reported in the state. New Delhi: High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh Riva Ganguly Das dispatched second tranche of assistance containing 50,000 surgical gloves and one Lakh Hydroxychloroquine under the COVID-19 Emergency Fund to Central Medical Stores Depot, Banglade Image Source: IANS News Dhaka, April 27 : Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Riva Ganguly Das, handed over emergency medical supplies consisting of one lakh Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) tablets and 50,000 sterile surgical gloves to Bangladesh, an official release of the Indian High Commission there said. The Indian High Commission in Dhaka said that the second tranche of assistance came from the Covid-19 emergency fund which was created at the initiative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his March 15 video conferencing with the leaders of the SAARC countries. "Bangladesh Health Minister Zahid Maleque appreciated the continued support of India in providing medical supplies, protective gear and capacity building in the fight against Covid-19," said the release issued on Sunday. Maleque said: "Helping hands of our neighbour at this time of distress is most welcome." The Indian High Commissioner reiterated India's continued support to Bangladesh in its fight against Covid-19. The supplies were dispatched to the Central Medical Stores Depot of Bangladesh government. India had handed over 30,000 surgical masks and 15,000 head-covers to Bangladesh Foreign Minister A.K. Abdul Momen on March 25 in the first tranche of assistance under the Covid-19 emergency fund. After the March 15 video conference, two separate video conferences were held between health experts and trade representatives of SAARC nations to discuss trade facilitation and exchange of best practices on March 26 and April 8. The Covid-19 emergency fund was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his video conference with SAARC leaders on March 15. It was set up with an initial contribution of $10 million from India. According to Bangladeshi health authorities, the total number of confirmed cases in that country currently stood at 5,416, while the death toll has increased to 145 with the dreaded virus spreading to 61 of the country's 64 districts. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) As the coronavirus sweeps through West Bengal, one of the largest states with the lowest rates of tests being conducted, Firstpost speaks to the healthcare workers in Bengal about their experiences, difficulties, and concerns. Editor's note: This series will focus on the difficulties faced by the medical fraternity at COVID-19 hospitals, their duty hours, access to protective gear, facilities they get during quarantine, how are their families coping with this new reality across different states in the country. This is the fourth part of the series. *** Locked up inside a hotel room, Doctor A spends the hours away from the hospital counting minutes in silence, until its time to go back to one of the foremost coronavirus war-rooms of Kolkata the MR Bangur Hospital, declared a COVID-19 centre earlier this month. Speaking on condition of anonymity, the doctor, a first-year resident at the hospital, sounds exhausted, almost resigned over the phone. The situation is pretty grim, you know. How much can you fight the system and the government? Doctor A asks. Despite having a home in the city, the physician has been staying at the accommodation assigned by the hospital after being put on isolation ward duty about a fortnight ago. Food, however, isnt available at the facility and has to be ordered online. In order to escape thoughts of death and depression, Doctor A resorts to Tiktok-ing with colleagues. What else do we have? Its incredibly depressing. We werent even given time to prepare for this crisis and the news that the hospital will be turned into a COVID-19 centre was just suddenly announced. After completing six and 12-hour-long shifts thrice a week at coronavirus isolation wards, the doctor goes back to handling emergency labour cases, or COVID pregnancies, without quarantine leaves like some of the doctors peers at other city hospitals have been granted. Even though we should ideally be getting seven days off after working at the COVID wards, we are being asked to report to work. And so we are. MR Bangur, at the end of the day, is not a medical college, its a district hospital without the necessary infrastructure to deal with a crisis of this scale, Doctor A tells me. As circumstances changed overnight, hospital staff were left in the lurch without proper training in how to deal with the disease, or even don and dispose of a PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) kit. We understand that it was an emergency, but we dont even have the basic training to deal with COVID-19 patients. We started working with doctors and trainees from other medical colleges and figured things out eventually. At least the ones working on the frontlines should be trained in general medicine, chest medicine, and anesthesiology, Doctor A points out. They arent afraid to work, the physician says, but they need to be better equipped to perform their duties, and not just be asked to hand out death certificates at isolation wards like puppets. Patients are dying in front of our eyes, and we can barely do anything about it. However, Dr Monica Saha, another junior resident doctor at the same hospital, seems to be enjoying the challenge posed by the unprecedented medical crisis. For her, its an opportunity to rise to the occasion and contribute to society significantly. Honestly, I wanted to be posted at COVID-19 wards to save lives. PPEs are all in place, so theres very little to be afraid of for us at the moment, she tells me while being quarantined at a doctor's quarter inside the hospital campus. Hailing from a doctors family, with her father Dr Makhan Lal Saha heading the surgery department at IPGMER and SSKM Hospital, Kolkata (a coronavirus testing centre) Saha chooses to be optimistic, showing faith in the government's efforts. I think the situation will be even better-handled once rapid test kits arrive, which should happen in a couple of days. That way, well be able to screen out patients right at the beginning without running the risk of exposing more healthcare workers and patients to the virus, she says. On 21 April, a day after Bengal received its first batch of said kits manufactured in China, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) advised states to stop using them following complaints of faulty equipment. Click here to read the complete series Sahas father, along with friends and family, stepped up and pooled in money to donate face shields to MR Bangur Hospital, which have now been distributed to 175 healthcare workers at the facility. The gears are made of fibreglass used in helmet visors and cover ones entire face from forehead to chin. Its an additional layer of protection since the disease spreads through droplets, Monica Saha says. The situation, however, is far from similar only 23 kilometres away, at the College of Medicine and Sagore Dutta Hospital in the North 24 Parganas district. Speaking to us on condition of anonymity, a medical staff working at a COVID-19 isolation ward in Sagore Dutta Hospital who shall be referred to as Zion hereon mentions how the protective equipment provided to cleaners at their institute might not be enough. Theyre wearing surgical scrubs underneath raincoats, with N95 masks, face shields and black rubber boots provided to them by the hospital, Zion says. Primarily being run by a group of 28 interns and a handful of supervising house staff, the isolation wards at the facility have a meagre capacity of eight. A couple of days back, we found out that one of the patients who was admitted here as a suspect had tested positive. The problem at this facility is a severe lack of manpower. We dont even know if the suspected patients who are being prescribed tests are actually getting tested or not. If the doctors manage to take patients contact details, theyre having to call them personally and find out what happened. Even if anyone tests positive, the test centres arent alerting us. The doctors here are having to seek out that information personally, Zion says. This information is then used to contact-trace every healthcare worker whod interacted with the suspect on the day of his/her visit, following which, theyre asked to stay under observation in quarantine for seven days, and not for the widely advised period of 14 days. In general, former day scholars at the hospital who are now interns are having to return home after performing their duties at the isolation wards every day. Its only when any of them comes in direct contact with a confirmed positive case that theyre offered accommodation at Apex Lodge opposite the college building. Theyre asked to observe themselves for seven days to see if they develop symptoms. If not, theyre asked to resume duty from the eighth day, Zion informs. This system, however, is purely contingent upon attending doctors making a note of the patients contact details, failing which they are left in the dark about possible risks of infection. According to the guidelines on the rational use of Personal Protective Equipment published by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, personnel with thermal guns stationed at the entrances of various facilities fall under the low risk category of exposure and are advised to only use triple-layer medical masks and gloves. But Zion has doubts about its efficacy, citing the rising number of cases of healthcare workers testing positive for the coronavirus despite following official protocol. Our group D staff do not have enough protection. Isnt this complete exploitation of the lesser privileged classes who are literally putting their lives on the line for meagre pay, just because they dont have the privilege of sitting at home? Zion asks, echoing the thoughts of a nurse who wished to remain anonymous and shall be referred to as Nurse W working at a COVID-19 isolation ward in MR Bangur Hospital. Being the only child of parents who live in the citys suburbs, the nurse wonders what the family must be going through, as the pandemic continues to hold the world hostage in their homes, especially endangering the lives of frontline workers like their child. They dont have an option but to accept it as fate, Nurse Ws voice trails off. They were fearful initially; now, theyre simply numb. It is what it is, you know? I cant stop working, even though I am not quite sure about how protected I am wearing the PPEs given to us, Nurse W says, adding that the protective equipment given to them at MR Bangur doesnt seem to be made of the same material as the ones being recommended on the internet. It feels like its made of some woven material very thick on the skin. I dont know what they are giving at Beliaghata ID, but at least in Bangur, the fabric doesnt feel right. The idea is to protect ourselves from exposure so in that case, the gear should resemble the material used for ambulance sheets. What we have is vastly different, and I might as well wear one of my own clothes and report for duty, Nurse W says. The nurse is among the many healthcare professionals at the facility whos not had the chance to partake in any of the COVID-19 training sessions provided so far. Only the ones who were on leave reserve till before 9 April could avail them. A junior resident at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital mentions feeling hot air pass through the PPEs provided at their facility. Choosing to remain anonymous, Doctor B as the individual shall be referred to henceforth has been posted at the hospitals fever clinic, where proper PPE arrived only about two weeks ago. We are all in this together, but if doctors dont have the required armamentarium to deal with this crisis, who will it benefit? The OPDs are running normally everywhere across the board, without PPE in most of them. For example, even at the fever clinics at our hospital right now, almost everyone entering is a suspect, Doctor B says. Even though only a handful of nurses, lift operators, and other ancillary staff are posted at these fever clinics in RG Kar Hospital, they are all operating without protective gear. Doctor B mentions itll be interesting to see how many healthcare workers across the country are taken sick with the virus, in spite of following government orders on PPE, after over seven personnel from RG Kar Hospital were admitted to MR Bangur on testing positive. The PPE we have arent the triple-layered foolproof ones, the physician says. Arun Agarwal of Green Packaging House, a Kolkata-based manufacturer and supplier of PPE weighs in, mentioning how their gears are made of non-woven material, disposable after a single use. These are made specifically for the coronavirus, and are waterproof in nature, but cannot be reused, he says. But security guards posted at the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital (NBMCH) in Bengals Siliguri a testing centre have been advised to do otherwise. Armed with two sets of PPE each, the guards stationed at the first entry point for all categories of patients into the facility have been asked to alternately use each set, washing them on returning home. Right now, at least the doctors, nurses and other staff coming in direct contact with COVID-19 suspects or positive patients are being given proper PPEs, says a doctor who wished to stay anonymous, and will be referred to as Doctor C hereon posted at a COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit in NBMCH. Earlier last month, the institute made national headlines after reports emerged of doctors and medical staff at the facility being provided raincoats instead of PPE. Subsequently, in a bid to tackle this statewide surge in demand for Personal Protective Equipment, the Mamata Banerjee government roped in Tantuja, a leading saree and textile manufacturer under the West Bengal State Handloom Weavers Cooperative who reconfigured their existing machinery to meet prevailing needs. According to Doctor C, the situation at NBMCH has improved, albeit marginally, with PPE kits being carefully rationed by hospital management at present. Initially, we were also being given PPE thats used while treating HIV patients, which do not prevent droplet transmission since they only block out blood, he says. Doctor C hails from Kolkata and has ageing parents who havent seen him in months. The presence of a diabetic father at home whos especially vulnerable to infections makes the medic doubly unsure about returning to his family any time soon, even after the lockdown ceases. The fact that he works in a high-risk zone only adds to his familys piling anxiety. Click here for Coronavirus Outbreak LIVE Updates A couple of doctors from the anaesthesia department have been tested and have emerged negative. However, these tests arent being done routinely as of now. One doctor, three nurses, and one technician from our hospital have tested positive so far, so its really anybodys guess as to what will happen tomorrow. Right now, we are all grappling in the dark and are novices. Primary symptoms (of the disease) have also changed over the weeks, Doctor C says, adding that even though he has been taking hydroxychloroquine as a preventive drug, after the ICMR suggested it might be effective against the coronavirus he still cant be completely sure of being immune to the contagion. He is currently residing at his college hostel, where cleaners have been debarred from entering, but kitchens and bathrooms continue to be shared by boarders. Medical personnel at NBMCH, barring the ones working in the general medicine wards, have not been granted alternate weeks of quarantine leave, owing to a lack of proper isolation facilities for the staff. The conversation soon brings us to the long-drawn process of informing concerned parties about a positive test result, where the test samples are sent to Kolkata from NBMCH in Siliguri for reconfirmation. If tested positive, the patient or even the doctors are not notified immediately, in order to prevent panic, as per a government advisory. This cautious approach, however, might not be the best way to navigate the prevailing situation in the state, where numbers are reflecting a rapid upswing in the spread. Not only does it prevent authorities from quickly identifying and cordoning off suspects through contact-tracing of COVID-positive individuals, but it also puts healthcare workers at a heightened risk of exposure to contamination. Doctor B from RG Kar Hospital agrees. We have to be granted more autonomy. If doctors at every level are not given the authority to declare coronavirus-related deaths, and a panel of senior doctors is set up just to vet these things and look at the comorbidities, besides not being allowed to even communicate whos a positive case and whos not our job only becomes more difficult. That apart, precious time is being lost too. Currently, West Bengal features among the largest states in the country to have the lowest number of tests being conducted. According to the COVID-19 data released by the West Bengal government on 25 April, only 9,880 tests have been conducted for the state, which has a population density of approximately 6,915 persons per square kilometre (and a total population of over 90 million). At present, the figures show 423 active cases, 18 deaths, and 105 recoveries in the state. *** The hours seem to melt into each other, much like ones skin does underneath the heavy layers of protective-wear, choking the workers by leaving them with no room for eating, drinking water, or even urinating. Right now, the world outside seems identically dreary and suffocating for these individuals, leaving much to be desired at their workplaces. At MR Bangur Hospital, Nurse W alerts me to the congestion occurring at a male isolation ward, where the stipulated distance of one metre is not being maintained between consecutive beds. This obviously increases chances of infection, rendering the practice of wearing PPE futile, the nurse says. With roughly 104 beds divided into two halves in the said ward, crowding in this heat only adds to the discomfort of both hospital staff and patients, making the latter restless and unruly at times. It becomes difficult to control them, especially the male patients, Nurse W says. Moreover, hospital stairways have been blocked off, leaving people with no option but to use the elevators for commuting up and down the building. Nurse W admits that this measure is counterproductive. With both protected and unprotected individuals availing the same elevators, increased chances of contamination within cramped spaces only exacerbate the situation. I really hope the staircases are made available again. One of Nurse Ws colleagues at another COVID-19 isolation ward in MR Bangur Hospital, who chose to remain anonymous as well and shall be referred to as Nurse X was recently sent into home-quarantine for 14 days. Nurse X came in direct contact with a colleague who tested positive for the virus on 17 April, but the former subsequently tested negative. And thank god for it, Nurse X heaves a huge sigh of relief. The healthcare worker lives alone in the city, with family residing in a neighbouring district. The nurse informs me about the informal system adopted by the nursing staff at the facility, where each one takes turns to attend to patients in PPE, before or after which they do administrative work without the gear. This ensures that no one has to spend more than three or four hours in the PPE, as it becomes impossible to be in one for more than that, Nurse X says. The professional was among the many who missed the COVID-19 training sessions, thereby learning everything on the job. It was difficult initially, as I do not work at the general medicine ward. But now I have gotten used to it, the nurse says. In these hours of crisis, as healthcare systems race against time to save lives, a resident doctor at the School of Tropical Medicine (Kolkata), currently posted at Beliaghata ID and BG Hospital stresses on the importance of sharing knowledge freely within the medical community. Since theres barely any time to give proper training to everyone amid this crisis, its crucial that we ensure that donning and doffing of the PPE is done in the presence of someone who knows the method, at least for the first couple of times, the doctor, speaking on condition of anonymity and wholl be referred to as Doctor D henceforth mentions. He points to the fact that just providing protective-wear, without educating healthcare workers on proper disposal methods, makes the exercise futile, as chances of contamination owing to incorrect doffing are rather high. Presently, I am quarantined at my home, living in a separate area away from my family. I come from a family of doctors, so it wasnt difficult to persuade them into letting me go to work, but in spite of that, the first few moments at Beliaghata ID Hospital were quite nerve-wracking, says Doctor D, whos trained in dealing with infectious diseases like HIV, and doesnt see this crisis as something very unknown. He too, however, advises in favour of aggressive testing, especially now that the country is said to be teetering on the edge of Stage 3, or community transmission of the virus. Since we are working with proper PPE (at Beliaghata ID and BG Hospital), we dont really need to be tested. But every frontline worker whether doctors, nurses or paramedics needs to handle all patients with proper PPE. Currently, most young people are asymptomatic carriers, and we have no idea as to whos carrying the infection, the doctor says, adding that door-to-door testing at hotspots is the only way to flatten the curve. His professors asked him to keep calm while on duty, advising him to treat COVID-19 patients the same way he would treat individuals with any other infectious disease, but with PPE on. That, Doctor D believes, is the only discernible, yet key difference this time around. Fear has long fled his body. After a point, you just want to go out and do your job and save lives, he says. However, chest specialist Dr Kaushik Chowdhury, whos leading the COVID-19 operations at Beliaghata ID Hospital, holds a different opinion about the young healthcare professionals in the field. According to Chowdhury, less than one-fourth of the workforce is motivated to perform their duties, with mounting anxiety plaguing minds. We constantly have to remind the doctors, nurses and even the group D staff, that they need to have their spirits up. We, the senior doctors who opened the COVID-19 wards at this hospital, have to keep showing the way by boosting their morale every day, he tells me. Buttressing this panic are several factors, including fear of contamination during sample collection and interaction with at-risk colleagues working in positive wards. Besides, theres the social aspect as well, where many people from the medical community are being ostracised or thrown out of their apartments on account of working on the frontlines. Some are afraid to spread the virus to their families, Chowdhury says. He observes that most doctors from different medical colleges currently posted at his facility are only doing their jobs out of compulsion, finishing off their quota of six hours and leaving in a hurry. While some, he says, are reasonable and rise to the occasion on realising that an uptick in the cases might result in their own colleges being converted to COVID-19 centres overnight, others continue to be saddled with trepidation. The contagion will likely spread everywhere, and even PPE can provide a limited amount of protection. Its this knowledge thats making them nervous, but we are trying to motivate them on a regular basis, he says, adding that the hospital has employed a team of psychiatrists and psychologists to counsel doctors, nurses, and group D staff through the crisis. Dr Sisir Naskar, Superintendent at MR Bangur Hospital, echoes Chowdhurys thoughts. The process of keeping peoples spirits up and fighting the social stigma is constant through this pandemic, he says, refusing to divulge any further information about the cases being handled at his hospital. For a nurse who wished to stay anonymous, and will henceforth be referred to as Nurse Y working at the IPGMER and SSKM Hospital, this stigma is a reality disrupting the lives of co-workers. Nurse Y expresses concern over the issue of several group D staff of SSKM Hospital being expelled from their living quarters in the past few weeks, resulting in very few cleaners showing up for work and adding to the collective distress looming over the facility. What else will they do? the nurse asks. Nurse Y, a single parent, left home a day before the lockdown in India ensued on 24 March, and has met his/her school-going child (whos currently living with an acquaintance) only once ever since. Home, right now, is a distant reality for Nurse Y, whose new address is a quiet corner in the hospital. Thats where the nurse has been living for over a month now, and the end date is nowhere in sight. Theres no option but to live in the present. I dont know what will happen tomorrow to me or my child. For his/her colleague, who too wished to remain anonymous, and will be referred to as Nurse Z the pressure to keep ones lips sealed from higher-ups is unimaginable. We are only allowed to use PPE when a patient is confirmed as a suspect, and samples have to be collected. Until then, our interaction with the individual is absolutely unprotected, Nurse Z rues. Test reports arent conveyed to them either. I guess the situation is a little better than before, and we arent being given raincoats anymore. But still, theres a long, long way left to go, the nurse concludes, poignantly underlining the plight of a world in the throes of a deadly novel pandemic that seems far from over. LOS ANGELES, April 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Actress Elizabeth Stanton, worldwide spokesperson for Popstar! Magazine and Popstar! TV and host of The CW's new TV series premiering this summer "World's Funniest Animals," has teamed up with Robert Earl, Chairman of Buca Inc., to donate 5,000 meals to The Salvation Army, Los Angeles Mission, and the City of Burbank starting the week of April 28th, 2020. Actress Elizabeth Stanton Teams Up with Buca di Beppo to Donate 5,000 Meals Los Angeles Area Programs Ms. Stanton has enlisted the help of her friend, Mr. Earl, and one of her favorite restaurants, Buca di Beppo, to launch a campaign to distribute 5,000 nutritious meals in cooperation with The Salvation Army, Los Angeles Mission, and the City of Burbank. Locations will be throughout Los Angeles and Burbank. "It was my thought that if I could pay for some meals and ask my friend, Robert, to match our donation, that together we could feed a lot of people during this incredibly difficult time," said Ms. Stanton. "Those of us who are able need to step up and help, and this is just my way and Popstar's way of trying to help the many people who are hurting now. Everyday, Popstar! works on reminding its fans about the importance of following the rules about social distancing and cleanliness and that someone's life may depend on it. Popstar! will continue to spread this message and others of hope for the future as well as hopefully setting an example of trying to help others during this very difficult time." To reach this goal of distributing 5,000 meals, The Los Angeles Mission will receive two deliveries of 1,000 meals on April 29th and May 1. The Salvation Army will receive four deliveries of 500 meals each day on April 28th and 30th and again on May 5th and May 7th. The meals will be distributed by The Salvation Army Red Shield Community Center located in downtown Los Angeles. The Red Shield Community Center has served the downtown LA area since 1929. Combined, the agencies are to receive a total of 2,000 meals each. The remaining 1,000 meals are designated for the City of Burbank. To distribute the 1,000 meals equally among Burbank, plans are currently in motion to deliver 400 hot meals to benefit Burbank's Senior Nutrition program. The seniors are familiar with the deliveries as they have already been receiving frozen meals weekly. As such, it looks like there is buzz amongst them as they eagerly anticipate the new hot meal deliveries. For the remaining 600 meals, the following week donations will be made to the PASS program. The PASS program will set up a distribution area to hand out the remaining 600 meals to their participants on delivery day, so the meals will not be delivered to individual families, the families will come to a designated area and pick up their meals. The City of Burbank's meal deliveries will commence the first week of May. "When Elizabeth came to me with this idea, I immediately agreed," said Mr. Earl. "Food security is a huge issue, especially during this extremely difficult time, and the entire Buca di Beppo family is honored to participate in Elizabeth's charitable campaign." Through this act, Ms. Stanton wants to passionately encourage other people to partner with restaurants and other companies that can help supply needed materials and food for those in need. Ms. Stanton plans to partner again with Mr. Earl to deliver another 5,000 meals during the week of May 4, Nurse's Appreciation Week in locations across the country to show their support and appreciation for our courageous frontline medical workers. Coverage Opportunities for the Media Contact: Michael Levine Media (951) 870-0099 [email protected] Aurora DeRose Michael Levine Media +1 951-870-0099 email us here SOURCE Popstar! Magazine Related Links http://www.popstaronline.com Oil prices are set to recover with the OPEC+ production cuts and gradual lifting of lockdowns around the world in the second half of 2020, when oil prices will be $40 starting from the third quarter, Mohamed Arkab, Energy Minister of OPECs rotating president Algeria, said on Sunday. The global economy will not stay paralyzed for too long, and together with the 9.7 million bpd cuts that OPEC and its allies pledged for May and June, these factors are set to lift the price of oil in H2 2020, Arkab told Algerias national radio, as quoted by Turkeys Anadolu Agency. In China, which was hit first by the coronavirus, and which exited the lockdown first, the return to normalization in the transportation sector is driving up global demand, according to Algerias energy minister. Just a few days before the OPEC+ deal enters into force, oil prices crashed again early on Monday, as the market continues to see the imminent storage shortage problem as a bigger factor for prices than the potential effect of the OPEC+ cuts and the potential easing of the lockdown measures. At 8.30 a.m. EDT on Monday, Brent Crude was down by nearly 5 percent at $20 a barrel, and WTI Crude was crashing by more than 20 percent to below $14 per barrel. Last week, OPECs fourth-largest producer, Kuwait, said it had already started to reduce crude oil supply to international markets ahead of May 1, sensing a responsibility responding to market conditions. Saudi Arabia, OPECs top producer and the worlds top oil exporter, has also begun to reduce production earlier, a Saudi industry official with knowledge of the issue told Bloomberg over the weekend. Others, however, including Nigeria and the leader of the non-OPEC producers, Russia, havent rushed to cut production ahead of schedule. Despite solemn commitments from OPEC+ producers and tentative schedules for reopening economies and easing the lockdowns, including in Italy, oil market participants continue to focus on the imminent threat of global storage overflowing rather than on the effect of the cuts and eased lockdowns two to three months down the road. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The mayor of Morristown is asking residents and others to wear a face covering when visiting one of New Jerseys most popular downtowns. Morristown Mayor Tim Dougherty said that face coverings will be provided upon request to anyone contacting town hall, as the number of coronavirus cases continues to rise statewide. I cant tell you how important it is to please wear face protection when youre out walking around downtown, Dougherty said in a video posted Sunday to Morristowns official page. Its not just for you, its for another person that is walking by you. There are a lot of people who are asymptomatic who do not even know they are carrying the coronavirus, Dougherty said. CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live map tracker | Businesses that are open | Homepage While New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is requiring face coverings in any location where social distancing is not possible, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphys executive orders have not resolved concerns about overcrowding on sidewalks. Murphy, though, has required wearing face coverings for anyone shopping and entering restaurants and bars to pick up takeout food. Downtown Morristown was voted one of the top 5 downtowns in New Jersey by NJ.com readers in 2018 and 2019. Dougherty, in his video, notes that the "beautiful weather on Saturday drew visitors to Morristown. There was a lot of people walking around their families, their dogs, he said. It helps if you would wear your face protection when youre walking around downtown," he said. Dougherty did not immediately respond to a phone message. Morristown had reported at least 390 confirmed coronavirus cases as of Sunday. The total number of deaths, if any, was not disclosed on the municipal website. Please subscribe now and support the local journalism YOU rely on and trust. Rob Jennings may be reached at email@njadvancemedia.com. Across New York, 84% of voters say they approve of the actions Gov. Andrew Cuomo has taken to confront the coronavirus pandemic, according to a poll out today from Siena College. Even among Upstate voters, where Cuomo traditionally has less support, 81% approve of the governors actions. Those polled overwhelmingly support the governors order requiring face masks (92%) and the decision to put schools and businesses on pause until May 15 (87%). The Democrats popularity crosses party lines: 3 out of 4 Republicans polled say they approve of the job Cuomo is doing. When it comes to whom New Yorkers trust more to make decisions about reopening the state and its economy the President or the Governor its not even close, said Siena College pollster Steven Greenberg. Cuomos overall job performance is at an all-time high of 71%, according to Greenberg. Among Upstate voters polled, 61% think the governor is doing a good job. Just two months ago, that same measure lagged at 36% statewide. The Siena College Research Institute polled 508 registered voters from April 19 to 23. It has an overall margin of plus-or-minus 3.7 percentage points. New Yorkers polled decidedly trust Cuomo more than President Donald Trump when it comes to restarting the economy. Statewide, 78% trust Cuomo to do the job, compared with 16% who prefer Trump. Even Republicans and conservatives prefer Cuomo over Trump when it comes to dealing with coronavirus. Just 36% of Republicans and 34% of self-identified conservatives say they prefer Trumps leadership over Cuomos on the virus. When asked specifically about his response to the coronavirus, 65% said they disapproved with Trumps actions. Among Upstate voters polled, 57% disapprove of the presidents response. That compares to 54% who say Trump is doing a poor job. Among Upstate voters, 49% gave Trump that lowest grade. Upstate voters also like the jobs their local leaders are doing to deal with the virus and economic slowdown: 80% say the approve of decisions at the local level. The poll also found 75% believe New York is doing all it can to protect the health of New Yorkers. Just 34% believe the federal government is doing all it can to protect their health. Nearly the same percentage, 35%, believe Washington is doing all it can to help financially. MORE ON CORONAVIRUS Coronavirus in NY: Cases, maps, charts and resources As coronavirus deaths in NY fall below 400, Cuomo gives some details about phased reopening The week we went from defense to offense; CNYs coronavirus fight turns a corner NYs state fair is in jeopardy': Experts cast doubt on festivals, concerts in year of coronavirus 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. India is discussing with China, Russia, Brazil and South Africa, to set up a BRICS Vaccine Research and Development Centre, as the COVID-19 pandemic has apparently brought cooperation in the healthcare sector to the top of the agenda of the five-nation bloc. The process to set up the BRICS Vaccine Research and Development Centre is likely to gain momentum on Tuesday, when External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will hold a video-conference with his Russian, Chinese, Brazilian and South African counterparts. They will also discuss another proposal to hold drills, not among the armed forces of the five nations, but among the respective national agencies responsible for responding to the epidemics. Jaishankar and the Foreign Ministers of the four other nations will also work out a BRICS strategy to respond to the huge social and economic impact of the travel and transport restrictions as well as the lockdowns imposed in most of the nations around the world to contain the COVID-19 pandemic. It was during the BRICS summit hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Goa in October 2016 that the leaders of the five nations stressed on cooperation in promoting research and development of medicines and diagnostic tools to end epidemics and to facilitate access to safe, effective, quality and affordable essential medicines. The BRICS summit at Xiamen in September 2017 saw Modi and the leaders of the four other nations agreeing that the bloc would step up its role in global health governance, especially in the context of the World Health Organization and United Nations agencies. They also agreed to ensure availability of innovative medical products through the promotion of research and development and access to affordable, quality, effective and safe drugs, vaccines, diagnostics and other medical products and technologies as well as to medical services through enhanced health systems and health financing. The proposal of setting up a BRICS Vaccine Research and Development Centre was mooted and endorsed in the blocs 10th summit in Johannesburg in South Africa in July 2018. It, however, did not see much progress on the ground over the past couple of years. As the COVID-19 pandemic underscored the need for stepping up international cooperation in the healthcare sector, the process of setting up the BRICS Vaccine Research and Development Centre is expected to gain momentum in the coming months, a source in New Delhi told the DH on Monday. The BRICS Foreign Ministers are also likely to discuss during the video-conference on Tuesday preparations for the forthcoming summit, which is scheduled to be held at Saint Petersburg in Russia from July 21 to 23, but has now come under a shadow of uncertainty due to the COVID-19 crisis. The diplomats of the five nations are also discussing the possibility of holding the summit through video-conference if the crisis continues beyond June. The men of the Lagos state police on Friday recovered the phone stolen from a lady by some hoodlums after identifying one of the hoodlums the following day. Read Also: Lockdown: Police Arraign 1,909 Violators In FCT This was made known in a statement on the official Twitter handle of the security agency on Sunday. Around 10:30 p.m on Thursday, 23rd April our officers on patrol along Marwa, Lekki Lagos were approached by a lady who complained that her phones were snatched by some hoodlums. The officers went after them but they couldnt get hold of them. The following day the officers recognised one of the hoodlums playing baba-ijebu and he was immediately apprehended and both phones were recovered from him. We have contacted the owner of the phones and handed them over to her. ZURICH, April 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Amcor plc (NYSE: AMCR; ASX: AMC) will announce its year to date results for the nine months ended 31 March 2020 after the US market closes at 4.00 pm US Eastern Daylight Time on Monday 11 May 2020 / 6.00 am Australian Eastern Standard Time on Tuesday 12 May 2020. A conference call and webcast to discuss the results will be held at 6.00 pm US Eastern Daylight Time on Monday 11 May / 8.00 am Australian Eastern Standard Time on Tuesday 12 May 2020. For those wishing to participate in the call please use the following dial-in numbers: US and Canada: 866 211 4133 (toll-free) Australia: 1800 287 011 (toll-free) United Kingdom: 0800 051 7107 (toll-free) Hong Kong: 800 901 563 (toll-free) Singapore: 800 852 6506 (toll-free) All other countries: +1 647 689 6614 (this is not a toll-free number) Conference ID 2478808 Access to the webcast and supporting materials will be available via the Investors section of Amcor's website (www.amcor.com/investors). A webcast replay will be available at the conclusion of the call. For further information please contact: Investors: Tracey Whitehead Head of Investor Relations Amcor +61 3 9226 9028 [email protected] Damien Bird Vice President Investor Relations Amcor +61 3 9226 9070 [email protected] Jay Koval Vice President Investors Relations Amcor +1 224 313 7127 [email protected] Media Europe Ernesto Duran Head of Global Communications Amcor +41 78 698 69 40 [email protected] Media Australia James Strong Citadel-MAGNUS +61 448 881 174 [email protected] Media North America Daniel Yunger KekstCNC +1 212 521 4879 [email protected] About Amcor Amcor is a global leader in developing and producing responsible packaging for food, beverage, pharmaceutical, medical, home- and personal-care, and other products. Amcor works with leading companies around the world to protect their products and the people who rely on them, differentiate brands, and improve value chains through a range of flexible and rigid packaging, specialty cartons, closures, and services. The company is focused on making packaging that is increasingly light-weighted, recyclable and reusable, and made using a rising amount of recycled content. Around 50,000 Amcor people generate US$13 billion in sales from operations that span about 250 locations in 40-plus countries. NYSE: AMCR; ASX: AMC www.amcor.com I LinkedIn I Facebook I Twitter I YouTube SOURCE Amcor plc Related Links www.amcor.com PR-Inside.com: 2020-04-27 07:02:02 Pratteln, Switzerland, April 27, 2020 Santhera Pharmaceuticals (SIX: SANN) has entered into a collaboration agreement with Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) to investigate the potential of lonodelestat (POL6014), a potent inhibitor of human neutrophil elastase (hNE), as a therapeutic intervention for COVID-19-related acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Researchers at CSHL are part of a recently formed consortium of international non-clinical and clinical experts called the NETwork to target neutrophils in COVID-19. This NETwork will study the role of neutrophils and neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) in the pathology of COVID-19 as well as hNE and other targets for intervention for the purpose of treating COVID-19 [1, 2]. NETs are macromolecular structures of DNA and proteins that neutrophils can expel, for example during severe inflammation. hNE is released by neutrophils when they form NETs. There are clear similarities between the clinical presentation of severe COVID-19 and diseases known to involve NETs, such as ARDS. On this basis, the NETwork has developed the rationale that excess NETs may play a major role in COVID-19 and that inhibition of hNE may be a therapeutic strategy to antagonize NETs in COVID-19 patients. Santhera will provide lonodelestat and intellectual support for the scientists at CSHL who will conduct the non-clinical research program. The work is expected to further validate hNE as a target and shed light on this clinical stage compound as a potential agent also in COVID-19. There is a strong scientific rationale that inhibition of hNE may interrupt a neutrophil-driven inflammatory cascade that leads to ARDS in COVID-19 patients explained Mikala Egeblad, PhD, Associate Professor at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, New York. Based on previous work with lonodelestat in models of ARDS and acute lung injury, we were very encouraged about the potential of lonodelestat. Our own research in non-clinical models will start immediately and we are delighted that Santhera has offered their support in our efforts to find a potential novel treatment that could be investigated in patients with COVID-19. We would like to thank CSHL and collaborating clinicians that have approached us to support their efforts to further explore and understand the role of hNE in relation to ARDS in COVID-19, said Kristina Sjoblom Nygren, MD, Chief Medical Officer and Head of Development of Santhera. About lonodolestat (POL6014) Lonodelestat (previously known as POL6014) is a highly potent and selective peptide inhibitor of human neutrophil elastase (hNE). In preclinical studies lonodelestat was effective in animal models of neutrophil activation in lung tissue and of acute lung injury (ALI) [3, 4]. Lonodelestat is an investigational drug which completed Phase 1 single dose escalation studies in healthy volunteers and patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) and is currently investigated in a multiple ascending dose study in CF patients. Current data demonstrated that single dose inhalation of lonodelestat can lead to high drug concentrations within the lung, resulting in inhibition of hNE in sputum of patients, an enzyme associated with lung tissue inflammation [5]. References: [1] Global NETwork studies role of immune cells in COVID-19 deaths, CSHL Stories and Media [2] Barnes B J et al (2020). Targeting potential drivers of COVID-19: Neutrophil extracellular traps. J Exp Med (2020) 217 (6): e20200652 . DOI: https://doi.org/10.1084/jem.20200652 [3] Sellier Kessler O et al (2018). Effect of POL6014, a Potent and Selective Inhaled Neutrophil Elastase Inhibitor, in a Rat Model of Lung Neutrophil Activation. Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. 2018; 197: A2988 [4] Lagente V et al (2009) A Novel Protein Epitope Mimetic (PEM) Neutrophil Elastase (NE) Inhibitor, POL6014, Inhibits Human NE-Induced Acute Lung Injury in Mice. Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. 2009; 179: A5668 [5] Barth P. et al (2019). Single dose escalation studies with inhaled POL6014, a potent novel selective reversible inhibitor of human neutrophil elastase, in healthy volunteers and subjects with cystic fibrosis. Journal of cystic fibrosis 2019 . DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcf.2019.08.020 About human neutrophil elastase (hNE), acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and COVID-19 Activated or necrotic neutrophils liberate human neutrophil elastase (hNE) in the lung which causes damage to the pulmonary microenvironment. hNE is also a critical enzyme in neutrophils and it is required for neutrophils to form NETs (neutrophil extracellular traps) as part of the bodys immune response. Under conditions of severe inflammation, neutrophils can expel NETs which can aggravate pulmonary inflammation and may contribute to the development of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Inhibition of hNE activity may therefore display a dual action: it may block the toxicity of hNE in the lung tissue, prevent the formation of NETs and therefore may allow combating ARDS in patients with COVID-19. About Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Founded in 1890, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory has shaped contemporary biomedical research and education with programs in cancer, neuroscience, plant biology and quantitative biology. Home to eight Nobel Prize winners, the private, not-for-profit Laboratory is a National Cancer Institute designated Cancer Center employing 1,100 people including 600 scientists, students and technicians. The Meetings & Courses Program hosts more than 12,000 scientists from around the world each year on its campuses in Long Island and in Suzhou, China. The Laboratorys education arm also includes an academic publishing house, a graduate school and programs for middle and high school students and teachers. For more information, visit www.cshl.edu About the NETwork to target neutrophils in COVID-19 In the urgent battle to treat COVID-19 patients, a group of eleven international medical research organizations is investigating whether overactive immune cells specifically neutrophils via production of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) cause the most severe cases. The group, called the NETwork, includes Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, McGill University Health Centre, Weill Cornell Medicine, Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nancy, University of Michigan, University of California, San Francisco, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, University of Utah School of Medicine, and Northwell Health [1]. About Santhera Santhera Pharmaceuticals (SIX: SANN) is a Swiss specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of innovative medicines for rare neuromuscular and pulmonary diseases with high unmet medical need. Santhera is building a Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) product portfolio to treat patients irrespective of causative mutations, disease stage or age. A marketing authorization application for Puldysa (idebenone) is currently under review by the European Medicines Agency. Santhera has an option to license vamorolone, a first-in-class anti-inflammatory drug candidate with novel mode of action, currently investigated in a pivotal study in patients with DMD to replace standard corticosteroids. The clinical stage pipeline also includes lonodelestat (POL6014) to treat cystic fibrosis (CF) and other neutrophilic pulmonary diseases, as well as omigapil and an exploratory gene therapy approach targeting congenital muscular dystrophies. Santhera out-licensed ex-North American rights to its first approved product, Raxone (idebenone), for the treatment of Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) to Chiesi Group. For further information, please visit www.santhera.com . Raxone and Puldysa are trademarks of Santhera Pharmaceuticals. For further information please contact: public-relations@santhera.com or Eva Kalias, Head External Communications Phone: +41 79 875 27 80 eva.kalias@santhera.com Disclaimer / Forward-looking statements This communication does not constitute an offer or invitation to subscribe for or purchase any securities of Santhera Pharmaceuticals Holding AG. This publication may contain certain forward-looking statements concerning the Company and its business. Such statements involve certain risks, uncertainties and other factors which could cause the actual results, financial condition, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such statements. Readers should therefore not place undue reliance on these statements, particularly not in connection with any contract or investment decision. The Company disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements. # # # Attachment Fahasa foresees great impact from the virus this year Ho Chi Minh City Book Distribution JSC (Fahasa), thanks to accelerating investment in its online shopping site and expanding its scale, reported a fruitful past year. However, 2020, with the pressure of COVID-19, is forecast to be a lot more difficult for the firm. That is also the reason why it estimates a plunge of 90 per cent in this years profit. Fahasa runs 112 book stores worth VND1.036 trillion ($45 million) across the country. In 2019, the company reported VND3.707 trillion ($161.17 million) in revenue, up 17 per cent on-year, exceeding the annual target by 6 per cent. Its profit also reached VND30.5 billion ($1.33 million), up 8 per cent on-year, exceeding the target by 2 per cent. The firm last year poured a great amount of capital into expansion, including rejuvenating the image and design of its book stores. Moreover, each establishment is now about 1,000-2,500 square metres large with a separate area for reading books and relaxing. Fahasa even broke into overseas markets by launching the Kyobo book store at Seoul (South Korea) in November 2019. Nevertheless, the pandemic has forced the firm to take several measures to cope with the challenges, including downgrading its business target for this year. Accordingly, Fahasa foresees the revenue of VND2.6 trillion ($113 million), down nearly 30 per cent on-year. Moreover, the profit is expected to reach VND3 billion ($130,430), down about 90 per cent on-year. Fahasas audited report showed that it holds VND260 billion ($11.3 million) in cash and bank deposits, equaling 25 per cent of its total assets. Its inventory is valued at VND651 billion ($28.3 million). Mumbai, April 27 : A video claiming that Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan made a surprise monetary donation to the underprivileged in a unique way has surfaced online and is going viral. The TikTok video, which has not been verified, claims that Aamir sent a truck with bags of wheat flour packets, to be distributed among the needy. It states that on April 23 the truck arrived in Delhi in an underprivileged area amid the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. The vehicle was loaded with one-kilo packets of flour. While many refused to take the packets because they felt one kilo would hardly serve any purpose in their families, the video mentions that those who took the packets were in for a surprise. Within each packet of flour, it turns out there was Rs 15,000 hidden in cash. Claiming that Aamir was behind the special gesture, the anchor of the TikTok video said in this way Aamir ensured that the money reached the really needy people because only those who were absolutely hardpressed would line up for just one kilo of flour. The authenticity of the video or the incident has not been established yet. Aamir is not known to announce his social service publicly, unlike most other superstars of Bollywood. IANS reached out to the actor's team for a clarification, but there has been no response. -- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed HOLLAND, MI Police arrested a suspect in a home invasion shortly after the suspect drove off in the homeowners vehicle, police said. Holland police responded around 6:20 a.m. Sunday, April 26, to a report of a home invasion in progress on West 19th Street. The first officer at the scene reported that the victims vehicle had just been stolen from the driveway. Police spotted the vehicle near West 40th Street and Washington Avenue. As an officer tried to stop the vehicle, the suspect got out and ran, only to be caught a short distance away. Police recovered stolen property. The homeowner had heard someone inside the house and found several items had been taken from the kitchen. The homeowner saw the suspect driving away in the stolen vehicle and called 911, police said. The suspect, held in the Ottawa County Jail, is a 23-year-old Holland resident. Police believe the suspect could be responsible for other recent crimes. Also on MLive: Whitmer orders shopping hours for vulnerable residents, masks for employees checking out customers Mackinac Bridge reporting 35 percent of normal April traffic with stay-at-home orders in effect With billions on the line, Michigan struggles through census count amid pandemic Australians have flocked to beaches and parks after COVID-19 lockdown measures were relaxed. Coronavirus restrictions were eased in Western Australia on Monday, allowing people to enjoy picnics in the park, fishing, boating, hiking and camping. While beaches in Western Australia were never closed, residents can now lie on the sand in groups of ten as long as they observe social distancing. Pictures show Aussies making the most of their new-found freedoms after being restricted to their homes since March 21 to help curb the spread of the virus. People flocked to Scarborough Beach in Perth, Monday, April 27 after COVID-19 restrictions were eased Groups of young people gathered in the part at the popular Scarborough Beach in Perth Groups of young people flocked to the shores of the popular Scarborough Beach in Perth. Families could be seen with beach towels on the sand. Others went to Cottesloe Beach with body boards. Premier Mark McGowan said on Monday: 'The changes are sensible and reasonable, and are designed to provide a high value social impact. 'Western Australians have done such a great job so far, although these changes are small, I hope it will be of benefit to many Western Australians - they deserve it.' Which restrictions have been relaxed in Western Australia? Residents in WA can leave the home for: Shopping for what you need, such as food or other necessary supplies; Medical or health care needs, including compassionate requirements; Exercise, including outdoor personal training without shared equipment; Training or university study, where remote learning is unavailable; Childcare or school; Work; Non-contact recreational activities such as private picnics in the park, fishing, boating, hiking and camping - all in compliance with travel restrictions and the 10-person rule; Home opens and display village openings, with appropriate record keeping and hygiene practices in place, and in compliance with the 10-person rule. Weddings are not allowed 10 people - up from previous limit of five Advertisement Others went to Cottesloe Beach in Perth with body boards after the state's two-person limits were eased People are seen at Cottesloe Beach in Perth, Monday, April 27. Premier Mark McGowan said the easing of the restrictions are 'sensible and reasonable' Groups of people gathered at Cottesloe Beach in Perth after being stuck inside due to COVID-19 Also on Monday, several elective surgeries resumed across the nation. IVF and screening programs, dental procedures, post cancer operations such as breast reconstruction, eye procedures, joint replacements and all surgery for children under 18 are allowed. Those procedures represent about a quarter of elective surgery and the National Cabinet will review the rules again on May 11 to see if even more can be allowed. WA closed its border to non-residents and introduced fines for people who crossed out of their region on April 5. Western Australians can enjoy chilling on the beach with mates after the state relaxed coronavirus restrictions today. Pictured: Police officers at Cottesloe Beach in Perth Camping is also now permitted in WA. Pictured: James Price Point, Kimberley Locals who were inter-state were urged to return home immediately. Mr McGowan said at the time: 'In effect, we will be turning Western Australia into an island within an island. Our own country.' 'These are drastic steps, but also sensible and workable. It will give us the best chance of combatting the virus and minimising the spread throughout our community. 'That's why we've taken the unprecedented step of introducing regional boundaries and brought in tough measures to restrict movement and social interaction.' WA has confirmed a total of 549 coronavirus cases, but only 55 remain active Chief medical officer Brendan Murphy (pictured) said Australia is in a 'position of strength' but warned it was not the time to become complacent The state has confirmed a total of 549 coronavirus cases, but only 55 remain active. There are currently 16 people in Perth hospitals, including four in intensive care. Announcing the restarting of elective surgery, Prime Minister Morrison said: 'This is an important decision because it marks another step on the way back. On Sunday Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced residents will finally be freed to go for a drive, sit at the beach, have a picnic, visit a national park and shop for non-essential items from midnight on Friday after weeks of restrictions. Drivers must remain within 50km of their home. In the Northern Territory national parks will be open from noon on Friday. States and territory leaders say there is no fast and easy way to return to a 'pre-coronavirus' norm. Globally, there are now more than 2.9 million cases of coronavirus, including at least 203,307 deaths. The encounter broke out after the militants fired upon a patrolling party of the security forces at Lower Munda in Qazigund area of the south Kashmir district, a police official said. Srinagar: An encounter broke out between militants and security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam district on Monday, leaving three terrorists dead, a defence spokesman said. The encounter broke out after the militants fired upon a patrolling party of the security forces at Lower Munda in Qazigund area of the south Kashmir district, a police official said. He said the security forces retaliated, which triggered the gun fight. Defence spokesman Colonel Rajesh Kalia said, "Three terrorists have been killed in the joint operation at Lower Munda." He said the operation was in progress when reports last came in. Recently, the Organizing Committee of RACC and PPI exhibition company, the organizer of R & HVAC Indonesia, have reached a cooperation by exchanging official website links and logos, and using their own resources and channels to promote each other to realize information sharing and win-win cooperation. It is believed that the cooperation with PPI will bring more professional buyers from Indonesia and Southeast Asia to RACC. R & HVAC Indonesia is held by PPI exhibition company, a famous local company in Indonesia. So far, it has been the only exhibition specialized in refrigeration, HVAC and renewable energy in Indonesia, attracting exhibitors and purchasers from all over the world every year. As a well-known refrigeration exhibition in Asia, there are more than 200 enterprises participating in 2019, including many world-famous enterprises, like Daikin, Danfoss, Panasonic, Fujitsu, AAF, Carel, Gree, Haier, etc., during which tens of thousands of professional visitors have been attracted to visit the exhibition. It has become the most concerned exhibition in Southeast Asia. In particular, the upcoming capital relocation plan in Indonesia will bring unlimited business opportunities to the refrigeration market. [April 27, 2020] Notice of the Annual General Meeting of Nokia Corporation Nokia Corporation Stock Exchange Release April 27, 2020 at 10:30 (CET +1) Notice of the Annual General Meeting of Nokia Corporation Notice is given to the shareholders of Nokia Corporation (the "Company") of the Annual General Meeting to be held on Wednesday May 27, 2020 at 14:00 in the Companys headquarters at Karaportti 7, Espoo, Finland. Participation and exercise of shareholder rights in the Meeting is possible only by voting in advance and by submitting counterproposals and asking questions in advance in accordance with the instructions given in this notice and otherwise by the Company. It is not possible to attend the Meeting in person. The proposals to the Annual General Meeting are uniform with the proposals submitted for the Annual General Meeting convened by the Board of Directors on March 2, 2020 which was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Board of Directors of the Company has resolved on extraordinary measures pursuant to the temporary legislation approved by the Finnish Parliament on April 24, 2020. In order to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Annual General Meeting will be held without shareholders and their proxy representatives presence at the Meeting venue. This is necessary in order to ensure the health and safety of the shareholders, employees and other stakeholders of the Company as well as to organize the Meeting in a predictable way allowing equal means for shareholders to participate while also ensuring compliance with the current restrictions set by the authorities. For these reasons, shareholders and their proxy representatives can participate in the Meeting and use shareholder rights only by voting in advance and by submitting counterproposals and asking questions in advance. Further instructions can be found below in this notice in section C Instructions for the participants of the Annual General Meeting. The management of the Company will not attend the Meeting, there will be no addresses by the Board or management at the Meeting and no webcast will be provided. Pre-recorded speeches by the Chair of the Board and the President and CEO will be published on the Companys website on the day of the Annual General Meeting. A. Matters on the agenda of the Annual General Meeting At the Annual General Meeting, the following matters will be considered: 1. Opening of the Meeting 2. Matters of order for the Meeting The Chair of the Meeting will be Manne Airaksinen, attorney-at-law. In case Manne Airaksinen would not be able to act as the Chair of the Meeting for a weighty reason, the Board of Directors will name another person it deems most suitable to act as the Chair. 3. Election of a person to confirm the minutes and a person to verify the counting of votes The person to confirm the minutes and to verify the counting of votes will be Seppo Kymalainen, attorney-at-law. In case Seppo Kymalainen would not be able to act as the person to confirm the minutes and to verify the counting of votes for a weighty reason, the Board of Directors will name another person it deems most suitable to act in that role. 4. Recording the legal convening of the Meeting and quorum 5. Recording the attendance at the Meeting and adoption of the list of votes The shareholders who have voted in advance and who have the right to participate in the meeting pursuant to Chapter 5 Sections 6 and 6a of the Finnish Limited Liability Companies Act will be recorded to have attended the meeting. The list of votes will be adopted according to the information provided by Euroclear Finland Oy. 6. Presentation of the Annual Accounts, the review by the Board of Directors and the auditors report for the year 2019 As participation in the Annual General Meeting is possible only in advance, the Nokia in 2019 annual report published on March 5, 2020, which includes the Companys Annual Accounts, the review by the Board of Directors and the auditors report is deemed to have been presented to the Annual General Meeting. The document is available on the Companys website www.nokia.com/agm. 7. Adoption of the Annual Accounts 8. Resolution on the use of the profit shown on the balance sheet The Board proposes to the Annual General Meeting that no dividend be paid based on the balance sheet to be adopted for the financial year ended on December 31, 2019. 9. Resolution on the discharge of the members of the Board of Directors and the President and CEO from liability for the financial year 2019 10. Addressing the Remuneration Policy As participation in the Annual General Meeting is possible only in advance, the Remuneration Policy published on March 5, 2020 is deemed to have been presented to the Annual General Meeting. The Policy applicable to the President and CEO and the Board of Directors is available on the Companys website www.nokia.com/agm. The resolution on the Remuneration Policy is advisory. 11. Resolution on the remuneration to the members of the Board of Directors On the recommendation of the Boards Corporate Governance and Nomination Committee, the Board proposes to the Annual General Meeting that the annual fee payable to the Board members elected at the same meeting for a term ending at the close of the next Annual General Meeting remains at current level: EUR 440 000 for the Chair of the Board, EUR 185 000 for the Vice Chair of the Board and EUR 160 000 for each Board member. In addition, it is proposed that the Chair of the Audit Committee and the Chair of the Personnel Committee will each receive an additional annual fee of EUR 30 000, Chair of the Technology Committee an additional annual fee of EUR 20 000 and other members of the Audit Committee an additional annual fee of EUR 15 000 each. The Board also proposes that a meeting fee for Board and Committee meetings be paid to all the other Board members, except the Chair of the Board, based on travel required between the Board members home location and the location of a meeting. The meeting fee would be paid for a maximum of seven meetings per term and remain on the following levels: EUR 5 000 per meeting requiring intercontinental travel and EUR 2 000 per meeting requiring continental travel. Furthermore, the Board also proposes that members of the Board of Directors shall be compensated for travel and accommodation expenses as well as other costs directly related to Board and Committee work. It is proposed that approximately 40% of the annual fee be paid in Nokia shares purchased from the market, or alternatively by using treasury shares held by the Company. The meeting fee, travel expenses and other expenses would be paid in cash. 12. Resolution on the number of members of the Board of Directors On the recommendation of the Boards Corporate Governance and Nomination Committee, the Board proposes to the Annual General Meeting that the number of Board members be nine (9). 13. Election of members of the Board of Directors Risto Siilasmaa and Olivier Piou have informed that they will no longer be available to serve on the Nokia Board of Directors after the Annual General Meeting. Accordingly, the Board, on the recommendation of the Boards Corporate Governance and Nomination Committee, proposes to the Annual General Meeting that the following current Nokia Board members be re-elected as members of the Board for a term ending at the close of the next Annual General Meeting: Sari Baldauf, Bruce Brown, Jeanette Horan, Edward Kozel, Elizabeth Nelson, Sren Skou, Carla Smits-Nusteling and Kari Stadigh. In addition, it is proposed that Thomas Dannenfeldt who is a former Chief Financial Officer of Deutsche Telekom be elected as a member of the Board of Directors for the same term. All candidates for the Board of Directors are presented on the Companys website www.nokia.com/agm. 14. Election of Auditor for the financial year 2021 In 2019 Nokia finalized the mandatory audit firm selection procedure concerning the audit for the financial year 2020. Consequently, Deloitte Oy was elected as the auditor of the Company for the financial year 2020 already in the Annual General Meeting 2019. Therefore, on the recommendation of the Boards Audit Committee, the Board now proposes to the Annual General Meeting that Deloitte Oybe re-elected as the auditor of the Company for the financial year 2021. 15. Resolution on the remuneration of the Auditor On the recommendation of the Boards Audit Committee, the Board proposes to the Annual General Meeting that the auditor elected at the Annual General Meeting be reimbursed based on the invoice of the auditor and in compliance with the purchase policy approved by the Audit Committee. 16. Authorization to the Board of Directors to resolve to repurchase the Companys own shares The Board of Directors proposes that the Annual General Meeting authorize the Board to resolve to repurchase a maximum of 550 million shares, which corresponds to less than 10 per cent of the Companys total number of shares. The repurchases under the authorization are proposed to be carried out by using funds in the unrestricted equity, as resolved by the Board, which means that the repurchases will reduce distributable funds of the Company. The price paid for the shares under the authorization shall be based on the market price of Nokia shares on the securities markets on the date of the repurchase. Shares may be repurchased to be cancelled, held to be reissued, transferred further or for other purposes resolved by the Board. The Company may enter into derivative, share lending or other arrangements customary in capital market practice. The shares may be repurchased otherwise than in proportion to the shares held by the shareholders (directed repurchase). The Board shall resolve on all other matters related to the repurchase of Nokia shares. It is proposed that the authorization be effective until October 7, 2021 and terminate the authorization for repurchasing the Companys shares granted by the Annual General Meeting on May 21, 2019. 17. Authorization to the Board of Directors to resolve to issue shares and special rights entitling to shares The Board proposes that the Annual General Meeting authorize the Board to resolve to issue in total a maximum of 550 million shares through issuance of shares or special rights entitling to shares under Chapter 10, Section 1 of the Finnish Limited Liability Companies Act in one or more issues during the effective period of the authorization. The Board may issue either new shares or treasury shares held by the Company. The proposed maximum amount corresponds to less than 10 per cent of the Companys total number of shares as of the date of this proposal. Shares and special rights entitling to shares may be issued in deviation from the shareholders pre-emptive rights within the limits set by law. The authorization may be used to develop the Companys capital structure, diversify the shareholder base, finance or carry out acquisitions or other arrangements, to settle the Companys equity-based incentive plans or for other purposes resolved by the Board. The Board would resolve on all terms and conditions of the issuance of shares and special rights entitling to shares under Chapter 10, Section 1 of the Finnish Limited Liability Companies Act. It is proposed that the authorization be effective until October 7, 2021 and terminate the authorization for issuance of shares and special rights entitling to shares resolved at the Annual General Meeting on May 21, 2019. The proposed authorization terminates also the authorization by the Extraordinary General Meeting held on December 2, 2015 granted to the Board for issuance of shares in order to implement the combination of Nokia and Alcatel Lucent. 18. Shareholders proposal on amendment of the Articles of Association Shareholder Tomi Hiilamo (holding 11 shares and votes at the time of submitting his proposal to the Company) proposes that the Annual General Meeting resolves to amend Article 4 of the Articles of Association. The shareholder proposes to decrease the maximum number of Board members so that the Board of Directors would comprise of a minimum of five (5) and a maximum of seven (7) ordinary members with a maximum of two (2) deputy members, to set an maximum age limit of 70 years for board members and to follow strict gender balance when filling seats in the Board of Directors with a requirement to explain any deviation. The full proposal of the shareholder as well as the current Articles of Association of the Company are available on the Companys website at www.nokia.com/agm. The proposal is included in the notice of the Meeting pursuant to Chapter 5 Section 5 of the Finnish Limited Liability Companies Act. The Companys assessment of the shareholders proposal The Corporate Governance and Nomination Committee of the Board of Directors monitors significant developments in the law and practice of corporate governance and of the duties and responsibilities of directors of public companies. While the Committee welcomes the individual shareholders view, it considers that the proposal is not fully in line with widely recognized corporate governance practices. The proposal, if approved, would unjustifiably limit the Committees ability to propose a Board composition that is required to ensure an efficient Board with diverse mix of skills and experience as well as sufficient time for directors to focus on Board and Committee work for the benefit of the shareholders. Considering the nature of and responsibilities related to Board work and Nokia Board having established four committees, a maximum of seven ordinary Board members would not be adequate. In addition, inflexible age limits are not in line with the Boards diversity principles and would exclude members who may have valuable experience. Furthermore, Nokia already has a strong commitment to gender diversity. During the past years at least 40% of both genders have been represented in the Board. Consequently, in line with the Corporate Governance and Nomination Committee, the Board of Directors does not consider the proposal to be either feasible or necessary for Nokia and recommends that the shareholder proposal be rejected at the Annual General Meeting. However, should the Annual General Meeting anyway approve the private shareholders proposal to amend the Articles of Association, the Board would convene an extraordinary general meeting as soon as practicable in order to address the number of the members of the Board of Directors and the composition of the Board in accordance with the amended Articles of Association. Possible amendment of the Articles of Association and resolutions regarding the Board would be registered and come into force following the extraordinary general meeting. 19. Closing of the Meeting B. Documents of the Annual General Meeting The proposals of the Board of Directors and the shareholder relating to the agenda of the Annual General Meeting, this notice, the Remuneration Policy as well as the Nokia in 2019 annual report, which includes the Companys Annual Accounts, the review by the Board of Directors and the auditors report, are available on the Companys website at www.nokia.com/agm. The Nokia in 2019 annual report will be sent to shareholders upon request. The minutes of the Annual General Meeting will be available on the Companys website www.nokia.com/agm latest on June 10, 2020. C. Instructions for the participants of the Annual General Meeting In order to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Meeting will be organized so that the shareholders and their proxies are not allowed to be present at the Meeting venue. This is necessary especially in order to ensure the health and safety of the Company's shareholders, employees and other stakeholders and compliance with the current restrictions set by the authorities. Shareholders and their proxies cannot participate in the Meeting through real-time telecommunications or technical means either. The Companys shareholders and their proxies can participate in the Meeting and use their shareholder rights only by voting in advance and by submitting counterproposals and asking questions in advance. 1. The right to participate, registration and advance voting Each shareholder, who on May 14, 2020 is registered in the Register of Shareholders of the Company, maintained by Euroclear Finland Oy, has the right to participate in the Annual General Meeting. A shareholder, whose shares are registered on his/her Finnish book-entry account, is automatically registered in the Register of Shareholders of the Company. If you do not have a Finnish book-entry account, see section 3. Holders of nominee-registered shares or 4. Holders of American Depositary Receipts (ADR). Shareholders cannot participate in the meeting by any other means than voting in advance in the manner instructed below as well as by submitting counterproposals and asking questions in advance. Registration for the meeting and advance voting will begin on May 4, 2020 following the deadline for submitting counterproposals. A shareholder with a Finnish book-entry account, who wishes to participate in the Annual General Meeting, must register for the Meeting and vote in advance no later than by May 19, 2020 at 4:00 p.m. (EEST) by which time the votes need to be received. Earlier registrations submitted to the cancelled Annual General Meeting, which was convened to be held on April 8, 2020, are not valid for this Annual General Meeting. A shareholder, who has a Finnish book-entry account, may register and vote in advance on certain items on the agenda of the Annual General Meeting from May 4, 2020 until 4:00 p.m. (EEST) on May 19, 2020 by the following means: a) through the Company's website at www.nokia.com/agm The Finnish personal identity code or business ID and book-entry account number of the shareholder is needed for voting in advance. b) by mail or email A shareholder may send the advance voting form available on the Companys website or corresponding information to Euroclear Finland Oy by letter to Euroclear Finland Oy, Yhtiokokous/Nokia Oyj, P.O. Box 1110, FI-00101 Helsinki or by email at [email protected] If the shareholder participates in the meeting by sending the votes in advance by mail or email to Euroclear Finland Oy, this constitutes registration for the Annual General Meeting. Instructions relating to the advance voting may also be found on the Company's website www.nokia.com/agm and information is available by telephone at +358 20 770 6870 from Monday to Friday at 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (EEST). In connection with the registration, a shareholder or a proxy representative is required to provide the personal information requested. The personal information collected will only be used in connection with the Annual General Meeting and registrations related to it. 2. Proxy representatives and powers of attorney A shareholder may participate in the Annual General Meeting by proxy. The proxy representative of a shareholder is also required to vote in advance in the manner instructed in this notice. A proxy representative shall produce a dated proxy document or otherwise in a reliable manner demonstrate his/her right to represent the shareholder. Should a shareholder participate in the Meeting by means of several proxy representatives representing the shareholder with shares in different book-entry accounts, the shares by which each proxy representative represents the shareholder shall be identified in connection with the registration for the Annual General Meeting. Powers of attorney should be delivered to Euroclear Finland Oy by letter to Euroclear Finland Oy, Yhtiokokous/Nokia Oyj, P.O. Box 1110, FI-00101 Helsinki or by email at [email protected] before the last date for advance voting. 3. Holders of nominee-registered shares A holder of nominee-registered shares has the right to participate in the Annual General Meeting by virtue of such shares, based on which he/she on the record date of the Annual General Meeting, i.e. on May 14, 2020, would be entitled to be registered in the shareholders register of the company held by Euroclear Finland Oy. The right to participate in the Annual General Meeting requires, in addition, that the shareholder on the basis of such shares has been registered into the temporary shareholders register held by Euroclear Finland Oy at the latest by May 22, 2020 by 4:00 p.m. (EEST). As regards nominee-registered shares this constitutes due registration for the Annual General Meeting. A holder of nominee-registered shares is advised to request without delay necessary instructions regarding the temporary registration in the shareholders register of the company, the issuing of proxy documents and registration for the AGM from his/her custodian bank. The account management organization of the custodian bank shall temporarily register a holder of nominee-registered shares, who wants to participate in the AGM, into the shareholders register of the company at the latest by the time stated above. In addition, the account management organization of the custodian bank shall arrange advance voting on behalf of the holders of nominee registered shares. Further information on these matters can also be found on the companys website www.nokia.com/agm. 4. Holders of American Depositary Receipts (ADR) A holder of American Depositary Shares (ADR) intending to vote at the Annual General Meeting shall without delay notify the Depositary Bank of Nokia, Citibank, N.A., of his/her intention and shall comply with the instructions provided by Citibank, N.A. 5. Other instructions and information Shareholders who hold at least one hundredth of all the shares in the Company have a right to make a counterproposal on the agenda items, to be placed for a vote. Such counterproposals are required to be sent to the Company by email to [email protected] no later than by April 30, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. (EEST). In connection with making a counterproposal, shareholders are required to provide adequate evidence of shareholding. The counterproposal will be placed for a vote subject to the shareholder having the right to participate in the Annual General Meeting and that the shareholder holds at least one hundredth of all shares in the Company on the record date of the Annual General Meeting. Should the counterproposal not be placed for a vote at the meeting, advance votes in favor of the proposal will not be taken into account. The Company will on May 4, 2020 publish on its website www.nokia.com/agm the counterproposals, if any, that may be voted on. A shareholder has the right to ask questions referred to in Chapter 5, Section 25 of the Finnish Limited Liability Companies Act with respect to the matters to be considered at the Meeting. Such questions must be sent by email to [email protected] no later than May 8, 2020 at 4:00 p.m. (EEST). Such questions from shareholders, the Companys managements answers to them, and any counterproposals that have not been placed for a vote are available on the Companys website www.nokia.com/agm on May 12, 2020. In connection with asking questions and making counterproposals, shareholders are required to provide adequate evidence of shareholding. Information on the General Meeting required by the Finnish Limited Liability Companies Act and the Securities Markets Act is available on the Companys website www.nokia.com/agm. Changes in the number of shares held after the record date of the Annual General Meeting shall not have an effect on the right to participate the Meeting nor on the number of votes held by a shareholder in the Meeting. On the date of this notice of the Annual General Meeting the total number of shares in Nokia Corporation and votes represented by such shares is 5 653 886 159. April 27, 2020 BOARD OF DIRECTORS About Nokia We create the technology to connect the world. Only Nokia offers a comprehensive portfolio of network equipment, software, services and licensing opportunities across the globe. With our commitment to innovation, driven by the award-winning Nokia Bell Labs, we are a leader in the development and deployment of 5G networks. Our communications service provider customers support more than 6.4 billion subscriptions with our radio networks, and our enterprise customers have deployed over 1,300 industrial networks worldwide. Adhering to the highest ethical standards, we transform how people live, work and communicate. For our latest updates, please visit us online www.nokia.com and follow us on Twitter @nokia. Media Enquiries: Nokia Communications Tel. +358 (0) 10 448 4900 Email: [email protected] Katja Antila, Head of Media Relations Investor Enquiries: Nokia Investor Relations Tel. +358 4080 3 4080 Email: [email protected] [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Mirimus, Inc. lab scientists work to validate rapid IgM/IgG antibody tests of COVID-19 samples from recovered patients in the Brooklyn borough of New York City on April 10, 2020. (Misha Friedman/Getty Images) More Test Positive in Expanded New York Antibody Testing More New Yorkers tested positive for antibodies to the CCP virus in expanded testing done at grocery stores. Antibodies are produced by the human immune system in response to the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, a novel coronavirus that emerged from China last year. New York officials are conducting random tests across the state to try to ascertain how many people have been infected with the virus. A significant percentage of those infected show no symptoms. Results from 3,000 tests showed 13.9 percent tested positive for antibodies, including 21.2 percent in New York City. Expanded results from 7,500 people saw the percent tick up to 14.9 percent, including 24.9 percent in the city. The testing gives us a snapshot of where we are, Gov. Andrew Cuomo told reporters in Albany. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo speaks to reporters in Albany, New York on April 27, 2020. (New York Governors Office) Its just a snapshot, but snapshot, snapshot, snapshotyou look at the different pictures and you have a movie at one point and you can track whats happening. Of those tested, 52 percent were female and 48 percent were male. More males tested positive by a margin of about 4 percent in both sets of results. The percent testing positive in Westchester and Rockland counties increased from 11.7 percent to 15.1 percent while the percent on Long Island went down from 16.7 percent to 14.4 percent and the percent in the rest of the state dropped slightly to 3.2 percent. The number was as low as 1.2 percent in the North Country region. The results highlight how remote some portions of the state are. Officials say some of those portions can start to reopen from a strict lockdown on May 15, while measures will be kept in New York City and nearby areas for longer. A U.S. military personnel wearing face mask walks outside the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, which was converted into a hospital during the outbreak of the CCP virus, in New York City on April 27, 2020. (Brendan McDermid/Reuters) Broken down into racial groups, Latino/Hispanic volunteers were most likely to test positive, 32 percent, followed by a group including those who listed multiple races, no races, or other. Just under 17 percent of blacks tested positive, according to the latest results, while 14.6 percent of Asians and 8.9 percent of whites. Whites made up 57.1 percent of the total of those tested. The age group with the highest percent of positives was 45- to 54-year-olds (19 percent), followed by people between 25 and 34 years of age (17.4 percent) and those between the ages of 35 and 44 (16.3 percent). People 65 or older were least likely to be tested, indicating they are out and about less than others, and under 10 percent of those tested in that group tested positive. TOKYO - Like a giant whodunit, the centerpiece of Japan's coronavirus strategy has been identifying clusters of infection, tracking them to their source - and then tracing and isolating people who might have been exposed. But the virus detectives running Japan's infection control team eventually found a series of cases they couldn't crack. In mid-March, clusters emerged in Tokyo's so-called "hostess bars" and nightclubs drawing the classic clientele of executives and salarymen. The trouble was: the people at the bars and clubs just weren't talking to health investigators. "These night spots have some high-status customers, wealthy people," Tohoku University professor and infection control team member Takeaki Imamura of Tohoku University told public broadcaster NHK in a documentary. "The staff felt a duty to protect their customers, so they don't say anything," he added. "They won't say who was there, who they were with and so on. It's difficult to work out what actually happened." This is the Tokyo's sleazy underside: bars where men pay inflated prices for drinks with female "companions" and other venues offering sexual services. Bars, clubs and gambling halls have become weak links in Japan's efforts to control covid-19, but they are only one part of a much broader story - of a government reluctant to impose blanket lockdown and desperate to minimize the economic pain of its virus response. The countervailing forces that Japan has grappled with for months - economic pain and public health - are now at the center of debates in the United States and other countries as leaders try to figure out what to reopen and how fast. Japan's response to the coronavirus has also been limited by a lack of testing capacity, and the government's initial reluctance to allow private-sector testing - making it hard to replicate South Korea's success with mass testing. So an infection control team headed by Tohoku's University's Hitoshi Oshitani placed their bets on a cluster-based approach. It was a strategy backed by research showing that most infected people weren't passing the virus to anyone. Instead, a small minority were acting as super-spreaders at crowded, enclosed places. Their strategy initially seemed to be successful: working around-the-clock,tracking down the clusters, the team tamped down the first wave of infections from China and the Diamond Princess cruise ship inFebruary with little social disruption. But then the approach started to unravel as a new wave of infections entered the country from Europe and the United States before tougher travel restrictions were put in place. In mid-March, lulled into a false sense of security by the low official infection count, desperate to return to normal life, the government proposed reopening schools in regions less affected by the virus. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe warned of the need for "continued caution" - but to many critics, the messaging appeared confused and complacent. On March 21, Japan began a three-day weekend to celebrate spring equinox. The sun was shining, the cherry blossoms were blooming, and Tokyo's residents poured into parks for picnics, and packed the city's bars and restaurants. With much of the world in lockdown mode, it was a surreal scene. It wasn't long before Japan began to pay a price. More infection clusters began to emerge - at a bar in Sendai in northeastern Japan packed with 300 students, at a nightclub in Tokyo's Shibuya district, at restaurants and bars elsewhere. Finally, on March 28, Oshitani's colleague Hiroshi Nishiura made a personal appeal to Tokyo's metropolitan government for stronger action. Two days later, city governor Yuriko Koike called on people to refrain from going to karaoke rooms, concert venues, bars and nightclubs. "We apologize for this inconvenient request," Nishiura told a news conference, explaining that 30% of new infections were coming from nightspots. "Many infected people are not fully sharing details." But the cluster-based approach also became overwhelmed as the virus spread through Tokyo and the number of untraceable infections jumped. It became clear that a change of strategy was required, and the government needed to aggressively expand testing. "This is a clear problem," Oshitani told NHK. "The government's expert panel has repeatedly argued for an increase, and this is now part of the government's policy," he said. "But testing centers aren't being set up quickly or effectively. I believe this has led to the current situation." Oshitani said Japan was "on the brink of disaster," facing a collapse in the medical system. In Tokyo, though, nightlife was still humming. The idea of Japanese exceptionalism had taken root: infections were low, people believed, because Japanese people wear masks, rarely shake hands, and take off their shoes indoors. In the documentary, NHK said a "chasm had opened up" between the sense of crisis felt by Oshitani's team and the public's relaxed attitude. The public broadcaster did not say so, but in the middle stood a government and bureaucracy that refused to admit its initial low-cost strategy was failing. "Traditionally speaking and historically speaking, Japan isn't very good at changing strategy," said Kentaro Iwata, an infectious disease expert at Kobe University. "When we begin one strategy, we are very poor at converting it to Plan B, or even thinking of Plan B, because thinking of plan B is a sign of admitting the failure of Plan A," Iwata said. "And lots of people who are in charge of infection control, particularly the bureaucrats, really dislike the possibility of failure." Soon after, the Japanese Medical Association warned the health care system was on the verge of breakdown. The Japanese Society for Intensive Care Medicine warned of a critical shortage of ICU beds and nurses. Finally, on April 7, the government acted. Abe declared a one-month state of emergency covering seven of the country's 47 prefectures. On April 16, he extended the state of emergency to cover the whole country. But the measures remain incomplete: nightclubs have been asked to close, but bars and restaurants are allowed to stay open until 8 p.m. Nor has everyone learned their lesson. On April 9, opposition lawmaker Takashi Takai visited a club offering sexual services in Tokyo's Kabuchiko district. Exposed by a local magazine, he resigned. The government, too, seemed to have a blind spot. It had ignored sex workers when it initially drew up its economic relief package, only changing course and making them eligible for compensation payments after an outcry from activists and opposition politicians. Commuter traffic on Tokyo's metro system has fallen by 60 or 70%, while the number of people at busy spots in the city is down a similar amount. That's short of the official target for an 80 percent reduction in social contacts. The daily count of new infections has stabilized but not fallen sharply, and fears are rising the government will not be able to lift the state of emergency on May 6. Last week, Abe asked the people of Japan to "take a fresh look at their behavior." - - - The Washington Post's Akiko Kashiwagi contributed to this report. Paris, France (PANA) The ministers of foreign affairs of France, Germany, Italy and the senior European Union (EU) representative have called for a humanitarian truce in Libya, deploring the conflict that is continuing to increase the suffering of populations Adani Power had posted a consolidated net profit of Rs 634.64 crore in the year-ago quarter, Adani Power said in a BSE filing. New Delhi: Adani Power Monday reported a consolidated net loss of Rs 1,312.86 crore for the quarter ended 31 March, mainly due to higher operating cost. The company had posted a consolidated net profit of Rs 634.64 crore in the year-ago quarter, Adani Power said in a BSE filing. Its total income slipped to Rs 6,327.57 crore in the quarter from Rs 8,077.89 crore in the year-ago period. Total expenses in the March quarter stood at Rs 7,980.17 crore as compared to Rs 8,162.01 crore in the same period of 2018-19. A company official said that the loss is mainly due to a rise in operational costs in the quarter and the entire fiscal. The company's consolidated net loss stood at Rs 2,274.77 crore in 2019-20 compared to Rs 984.40 crore loss in 2018-19. Its total income rose to Rs 27,841.81 crore in the last fiscal from Rs 26,361.63 crore in 2018-19. "The Adani Group has stood by its commitment to the nation, to ensure uninterrupted availability of power in the tumultuous times of the COVID-19 lockdown. "We are confident of India's ability to revive its economic growth engine and power up through hard work for the next phase of prosperity for its vast and energetic population. As India's leading infrastructure conglomerate, the Adani Group is ready to partner the country on its path to sustainable growth," Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani said. The company said that its average plant load factor (PLF) or capacity utilisation achieved during 2019-2020 was 68 percent as compared to 64 percent achieved in the previous year. The PLF was higher despite annual overhaul (AOH) and capital overhaul (COH) of 11 units in 2020, compared to 4 units in the previous year due to higher domestic coal materialization and execution of supplementary power purchase agreement (SPPA) in Adani Power (Mundra) Ltd (APMuL). AOH and COH are referred to periodic maintenance and also repairs of power plants. The company's electricity sale during the year was 16 percent higher at 64.1 billion units (BU) as compared to 55.2 BU sold during the previous year due to higher PLF and power sale of 4.3 BU from Raigarh Energy Generation Ltd (REGL) and Raipur Energen Ltd (REL). Depreciation charge for the year was Rs 3,007 crore, after incorporating the consolidation of REL and REGL as compared to Rs 2,751 crore for the previous year. The loss for the year includes an exceptional item of Rs 1,003 crore, pertaining to the write off of certain receivables and advances, owing to the acceptance of resolution plan submitted by the company for the acquisition of Korba West Power Co Ltd, which is now renamed to REGL. Average PLF achieved during the quarter ended 31 March, 2020 was 66 percent, as compared to 79 percent achieved during the corresponding period the previous year. Lower PLF during the quarter, in comparison to the corresponding quarter of the previous year was primarily on account of AOH and COH in APMuL and Udupi Power Corporation Ltd (UPCL) units. Further, subdued power demand and increased penetration of renewable energy also impacted the capacity utilisation of the Kawai and Udupi power plants. Power sale during the quarter was 16.6 BU, similar to 16.6 BU sold during the corresponding period the previous year, despite lower PLF, mainly due to the sale of power from REGL and REL. Depreciation and interest charge during the quarter were higher mainly due to the incorporation of the consolidation of REL and REGL. "The Board has also recommended enabling resolution(s) for seeking approval of the shareholders at the ensuing annual general meeting to raise funds by issue of Equity Shares / Convertible Bonds or other Convertible Securities etc. through Qualified Institutional Placement (QIP) / GDR / ADR / FCCBs / FCEBs etc for an aggregate amount up to Rs 2,500 crores," the company said in the filing. Photo: iStock Here's what you need to know about what's happening in Philadelphia. How an Inquirer photographer found a grim scene at Phillys medical examiners office Read the full story on Philadelphia Inquirer. Man fighting for life, woman injured in shooting in Frankford Read the full story on CBS Philly. 'Deeply disappointing' to see residents ignoring social distancing guidelines, city officials say Read the full story on Southwest Center City Philadelphia. Fire in Strawberry Mansion displaces 14 people Read the full story on ABC Philadelphia, WPVI. This story was created automatically using data about news stories on social media from CrowdTangle, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. Last week, Inquirer photographer Elizabeth Robertson documented a grim scene at the Philadelphia Medical Examiner's Office. The gunfire erupted along the 5100 block of Tulip Street just before noon Sunday. The stay-at-home order didn't seem to matter on Saturday as people flocked outside to enjoy the weather. A pandemic of the novel coronavirus has now killed more than 210,000 people worldwide. More than 3 million people across the globe have been diagnosed with COVID-19, the disease caused by the new respiratory virus, according to data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. The actual numbers are believed to be much higher due to testing shortages, many unreported cases and suspicions that some governments are hiding the scope of their nations' outbreaks. Since the first cases were detected in China in December, the United States has become the worst-affected country, with more than 985,000 diagnosed cases and at least 55,906 deaths. Tune into ABC at 1 p.m. ET and ABC News Live at 4 p.m. ET every weekday for special coverage of the novel coronavirus with the full ABC News team, including the latest news, context and analysis. Monday's biggest developments: Global cases surpass 3 million 68 NYC DOE staffers, including 28 teachers, have died from virus UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson returns to work after recovery Italy unveils plan for life after lockdown Russian military reports over 2,000 positive cases Here's how the news developed Monday. All times Eastern. 7:43 p.m: CDC updates COVID-19 testing priorities The CDC has announced revised guidelines for COVID-19 testing. Per the CDC, high priorities for testing include hospitalized patients, health care facility workers and first responders with symptoms, and residents in long-term care facilities with symptoms. Those with symptoms of potential COVID-19 infection, as well as asymptomatic people identified by public health screening and monitoring, are also a priority for testing. The full testing criteria can be found on the CDC's website. 6:51 p.m: Washington state parks to start reopening May 5 Washington state will reopen some outdoor recreation on May 5, Gov. Jay Inslee announced. State parks, state lands, state fish and wildlife areas and golf courses will be allowed to reopen for day use. Story continues Only groups of two people, or four if they are from the same household, can play golf together. Public gatherings, team sports and camping remain prohibited. Local jurisdictions could still maintain stricter orders, the governor said. Washington's stay-at-home order is in effect through May 4. 5:45 p.m: Gov. Newsom chastises California beachgoers California Gov. Gavin Newsom had a few words for beachgoers in Orange and Ventura counties. "This virus doesn't take the weekends off," Newsom said at his daily press briefing Monday, responding to images of weekend crowds at the county beaches. He later addressed beachgoers again, saying, "Who does that? You're so close." PHOTO: People ride bikes and walk on a path along the beach on April 26, 2020 in Huntington Beach, Calif. (Michael Heiman/Getty Images) Newsom said the state is "just a few weeks away" from making changes to California's stay-at-home order, and these behaviors "will set us back." California's stay-at-home order is in effect indefinitely. Beach openings vary by county and city. Ventura County has "soft closures" at local beaches, with sunbathing, chairs and umbrellas prohibited. Orange County has some restrictions to beach access and parking. All Los Angeles County beaches are closed. San Diego County beaches were closed over the weekend, but some reopened Monday. 5:05 p.m.: 68 NYC DOE employees have died from COVID-19 The New York City Department of Education has lost 68 employees to COVID-19 as of Monday, the department said. That includes 28 teachers, 25 paraprofessionals, three central office employees, two administrators, two guidance counselors and two food service staffers. New York City schools will be closed for the rest of this school year, with students learning remotely instead. Free meals will remain available for students who need them. 3:45 p.m.: NBA workouts eyed for May 8 start NBA players might be able to suit up for workouts after May 8, the league announced Monday. Per new rules, should workouts be allowed after the new earliest target date, no more than four players would be allowed at a facility at once, no coaches could participate and players would be prohibited from using non-team facilities such as public health clubs and gyms. Group activity, including practices and scrimmages, would not be allowed, the NBA said. The possibility of opening limited workouts only applies to players in cities that are not subject to government restrictions. The May 8 date will be pushed back if warranted. The NBA indefinitely suspended the season in March after a player on the Utah Jazz preliminarily tested positive for COVID-19. 2:56 p.m.: Ohio governor reveals reopening plan Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine revealed the plan to reopen his state starting on Friday. The rollout will begin with three phases, the first being non-elective medical procedures, dentist offices and vets. On May 4, manufacturing, distribution and construction will be allowed to resume. General office work would also be allowed to continue, but DeWine encouraged those businesses to work remotely if they can. There are strict rules in place for those businesses including mandatory face coverings for all employees, mandatory daily health assessments, multiple cleanings during the day and a limit of 50% of fire-code capacity for each workplace, according to the governor's office. PHOTO: Ohio Governor Mike DeWine speaks to mourners at a memorial service in the Oregon District held to recognize the victims of an early-morning mass shooting in the popular nightspot, Aug. 4, 2019, in Dayton, Ohio. (Scott Olson/Getty Images) If an employee gets sick, the employer must alert the state health department and shut down the business for deep sanitation, if possible, DeWine said. On May 12, the governor will allow retail to reopen, however workers and customers must wear facial coverings. DeWine said his stay-at-home order will remain in effect, and gatherings of 10 or more people are prohibited. 2:12 p.m.: Massachusetts cases plateauing: Governor Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker said the number of cases in his state appears to be plateauing, but cautioned that it is "very much still in the fight against COVID-19." The Massachusetts Health Department said there were 1,590 newly recorded cases on Sunday and 169 newly reported fatalities. As of Monday, the state had 54,938 confirmed cases and 2,899 total deaths, the state health department said. "The flatness of the flat curve basically means it's been riding up like this for a while, it seems to have plateaued depending upon which part of Massachusetts you are in," Baker said during his briefing Monday. The state's stay-at-home order ends on May 4, and Baker said he would have more information about his plan to reopen Massachusetts later in the week. He did caution that the situation was different from other states in the country that have already reopened. "Im not surprised theyre starting to think pretty hard about reopening. For them the surge was nothing like it was in the Northeast," he said. 1:01 p.m.: Cuomo says some NY counties may be ready to open on May 15 New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said that he will likely be extending the shelter-in-place orders for several counties past the state's current May 15 deadline. "In some regions you could make the cause that you could un-pause in other parts of the state," he said during his daily briefing. PHOTO: Medical workers prepare with personal protective equipment (PPE) before entering a residential building, April 27, 2020, in Brooklyn. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images) The number of new coronavirus-related hospitalizations is around 1,000 a day, according to the state's data. There were 337 new deaths recorded on Sunday, bringing the total number of New York COVID-19 fatalities to 17,303, according to the state data. Cuomo reiterated that the state needed to do more testing and contact tracing in order to properly open parts of the state. 12:20 p.m.: New York cancels presidential primary New York State's Board of Elections voted to drop the presidential primary that was initially postponed to June 23. The board's Democratic members voted during a phone meeting and said it was costly to hold the election after Sen. Bernie Sanders dropped out of the race and endorsed former Vice President Joe Biden. Sanders had pushed for the primary to continue and urged the board to keep the date and find alternatives to in-person voting. "What the Sanders supporters want is essentially a beauty contest, that given the situation with the public health emergency that exists now, seems to be unnecessary and indeed frivolous," Doug Kellner, a Democratic commissioner for the BOE said. New York became the first state to not hold its presidential primary this year. The state's Republicans canceled their presidential primary in February since the president was the only person on the ballot. MORE: Multiple states shelve primary contests as coronavirus shuffles 2020 election calendar BOE Democratic commissioner Andrew Spano said he was concerned about people jeopardizing their health by going to the polls. "I've come to the conclusion that we should minimize the number of people on the ballot, minimize the election for the protection of everybody," he said. When asked about the decision, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said he would defer to the election board. "Im not going to second guess the board of elections. I know there are a number of election employees who are nervous about conducting an election but Ill leave it up to the board of elections," he said during his daily briefing. Special elections in select New York counties that are slated for June 23 will still go on, and all voters will have a chance to vote via absentee ballots, according to the board of elections. 10:41 a.m.: NYC to open up 40 miles of streets to pedestrians, will hire 1,000 disease detectives New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that he and the city council came to an agreement over a plan that would shut down 40 miles of streets to vehicular traffic and give people more free space as the weather gets warmer. De Blasio said during his daily briefing on Monday that there has been concern about big crowds gathering in parks and said it was sensible to spread them out. The mayor said that he is committed to opening up to 100 miles of streets to pedestrians if need be. "The focus here will be on ... where the need is greatest. There are so many communities that have been hardest hit by COVID," he said. PHOTO: New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio speaks at a food pantry organized by The Campaign Against Hunger in the Brooklyn borough of New York, April 14, 2020. (Scott Heins/Getty Images, FILE) The exact locations will be determined by the mayor's office, city council, police and transportation department, and de Blasio said one of the locations eyed for the program are the streets near parks. "We will capture the natural flow of people," he said "One of the most important places to open is where people are going anyways." The mayor also announced that the city will hire 1,000 contact tracers, or disease detectives, to help with the city's coronavirus response. He called on any medical worker with relevant experience to apply at the city's Fund for Public Health's website "If you had experience in health care field, if you want to lend your talents to the fight, we need you immediately," de Blasio said. 9:27 a.m.: Russian military reports over 2,000 positive cases The Russian military has reported more than 2,000 cases of COVID-19 among its servicemen, civilian employees and cadets. Russia's Ministry of Defense revealed on Sunday night that at least 874 military servicemen and 245 civilian employees have tested positive for the disease. PHOTO: Cadets of S. M. Kirov Military Medical Academy exit the gate of the academy dormitory in St. Petersburg, Russia, on April 21, 2020. (Dmitri Lovetsky/AP) Another 971 positive cases were found among cadets and teachers at military schools across the country, according to the defense ministry. More than 87,000 people in Russia have been diagnosed with COVID-19, and at least 794 of them have died, according to a count kept by Johns Hopkins University. 8:04 a.m.: USNS Comfort getting ready to depart New York City The U.S. Navy is planning for its hospital ship to depart New York City on Thursday and return to the naval base in Norfolk, Virginia. The USNS Comfort has been docked in the city for weeks to help area hospitals with the influx of patients amid the coronavirus pandemic. Medical staff were seen aboard the naval hospital ship Monday morning, breaking down the medical stations and taking inventory. PHOTO: The USNS Comfort naval hospital ship is docked at Pier 90 on New York City's West Side in the Hudson River, during the coronavirus pandemic, as seen from Weehawken, New Jersey, on April 22, 2020. (Eduardo Munoz/Reuters) Before the vessel can depart, Navy officials must go through a checklist and make sure everything is functioning. Weather could also be a determining factor on whether the ship can leave Thursday. Medical personnel who worked in the ship's coronavirus ward will begin their 14-day isolation on board. It's unclear where they will continue isolating once the ship arrives back in Norfolk. 7:12 a.m.: Volkswagen reopens Europe's largest car factory after coronavirus shutdown Volkswagen, the world's largest automaker by sales, resumed production at its biggest factory on Monday. Some 8,000 employees returned to the plant in the northern German city of Wolfsburg, the largest car factory in Europe, with "significantly expanded" measures to protect the health of the company's workforce, according to a press release from Volkswagen. The company said it expects some 1,400 cars to have been built at the Wolfsburg plant by the end of this week. Next week, production will ramp up to more than 6,000 vehicles -- approximately 40% of production prior to the start of the coronavirus pandemic. "Step-by-step resumption of production is an important signal for the workforce, dealerships, suppliers and the wider economy," Ralf Brandstaetter, chief operating officer of the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand, said in a statement Monday. "In terms of managing the crisis, though, this is just the first step. Additional momentum is needed to stimulate demand in Germany and throughout Europe so that production volumes can be successively increased." PHOTO: A worker wears a protective mask at the Volkswagen assembly line as the company resumes production at Europe's largest car factory after a coronavirus shutdown in Wolfsburg, Germany, on April 27, 2020. (Swen Pfoertner/Pool via Reuters) Volkswagen said it has imposed new measures at the factory for hygiene and physical distancing. Employees are expected to take their temperatures at home every morning and go through a health checklist before they leave for work. Walkway diversions have been set up at the plant to avoid contacts, while markers on the floors will help employees maintain a 1.5-meter distance from one another. Face masks must be worn in areas where this is not possible. The company said employees are also being given more time to disinfect their tools, and several hundred additional hand-washing facilities are being installed throughout the Wolfsburg plant. Volkswagen was forced to halt production at the factory and several others in mid-March due to the coronavirus pandemic. 6:27 a.m.: France reports major drop in daily death toll France has reported a major drop in its daily death toll from the novel coronavirus. The European country recorded 242 more deaths on Sunday, down from 369 new deaths the previous day, bringing the national tally to 22,856, according to health officials. The number of new deaths that occurred in hospitals -- 152 -- was the lowest daily toll so far in the country's battle against the outbreak. PHOTO: A woman wearing a protective mask looks on as she walks her dog during a sunny day in Paris, France, on April 26, 2020, as the country is under lockdown to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus. (Philippe Lopez/AFP via Getty Images) France is one of the worst-affected countries in the coronavirus pandemic, with more than 162,000 diagnosed cases of COVID-19, according to a count kept by Johns Hopkins University. The country and several others in Europe are preparing to loosen restrictions after several weeks of total lockdowns. What to know about coronavirus: How it started and how to protect yourself: Coronavirus explained What to do if you have symptoms: Coronavirus symptoms Tracking the spread in the U.S. and worldwide: Coronavirus map 6:08 a.m.: Italy unveils plan for life after lockdown Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte laid out a plan on Sunday night for gradually easing restrictions across the country after seven weeks of lockdown. Construction sites, factories and wholesale supply businesses can resume work Monday or as soon as they implement safety measures against the novel coronavirus, Conte said. Starting May 4, parks will reopen, people will be allowed to visit relatives within the same region, restaurants can provide takeaway services and athletes will be able to resume training for individual sports. However, Conte insisted that social distancing must remain at all times and large gatherings will not be permitted. "If you love Italy, keep your distance," Conte said in a televised address to the nation on Sunday night. PHOTO: An employee checks the temperature of a driver who enters the FCA Mirafiori plant as it resumes its operations after closure during a nationwide lockdown amid the novel coronavirus outbreak in Turin, Italy, on April 27, 2020. (Massimo Pinca/Reuters) Then if all goes well, shops, museums and libraries will reopen on May 18, followed by bars, restaurants, cafes and beauty salons on June 1. Schools, however, will not reopen before September, Conte said. Italy, one of the worst-hit countries in the coronavirus pandemic, has been under a nationwide lockdown since March 9. More than 197,000 people in the European country have been diagnosed with COVID-19, and over 26,000 have died, according to a count kept by Johns Hopkins University. 4:42 a.m.: UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson returns to work after recovery U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson returned to work Monday after recovering from COVID-19. A week after being admitted to a London hospital for worsening coronavirus symptoms, Johnson was discharged on April 12 and continued to recuperate at home. He had spent three days in intensive care The prime minister delivered a statement Monday morning for the first time since his battle with the novel coronavirus. "I'm sorry I've been away from my desk for much longer than I would have liked," Johnson told reporters outside his official residence and office in London, 10 Downing Street. "If this virus were a physical assailant, an unexpected and invisible mugger -- which I can tell you from personal experience it is -- then this is the moment when we have begun together to wrestle it to the floor." PHOTO: U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson leaves 10 Downing Street in London before making a speech as he returns to work following his recovery from COVID-19 on April 27, 2020. (Chris J Ratcliffe/Getty Images) More than 154,000 people in the United Kingdom have been diagnosed with COVID-19, and at least 20,795 have died from the disease, according to a count kept by Johns Hopkins University. Johnson said the country is making progress in its efforts to control the virus outbreak and there are "real signs now that we are passing through the peak," with the number of admissions to National Health Service hospitals down and fewer COVID-19 patients in intensive care. "And that's why we are now beginning to turn the tide," he said. "We collectively flattened the peak." The prime minister acknowledged the impact the nationwide lockdown has had on the U.K. economy and its citizens, but he indicated it would be premature to start lifting the restrictions now. "I can see the longterm consequences of lockdown as clearly as anyone," he said. "And yet we must also recognize the risk of a second spike, the risk of losing control of that virus." PHOTO: U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson makes a statement on his first day back at work at 10 Downing Street in London on April 27, 2020, after recovering from a bout with COVID-19 that put him in intensive care. (Frank Augstein/AP) Johnson told reporters a new wave of infections and death would be an "economic disaster" for the country. "I refuse to throw away all the effort and sacrifice of the British people and to risk a second major outbreak and huge loss of life and the overwhelming of the NHS," he said. "I ask you to contain your impatience because I believe we are coming now to the end of the first phase of this conflict." Once officials are certain the first phase is over, the prime minister said, then it will be time to move onto the "second phase" in which the country continues to suppress the disease while beginning to gradually ease restrictions and reopen the economy. "And in that process, difficult judgments will be made," he added, "and we simply cannot spell out now how fast or slow or even when those changes will be made, though clearly the government will be saying much more about this in the coming days." ABC News' Christopher Donato, Ibtissem Guenfoud, Tom Llamas, Alina Lobzina and Phoebe Natanson contributed to this report. At coronavirus epicenter, 28 NYC schoolteachers have died from the virus originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Voters who have either received a ballot but have not sent it in yet or already mailed in their ballots for the primary election have to fill out an application for a new ballot, Angerman said. Burma Myanmar Plans Flights to Bring Home Nationals Stranded by COVID-19 Commercial flights have been suspended at Yangon International Airport. / Reuters Yangon Myanmar is planning relief flights to India, Thailand, Singapore, South Korea and Japan to bring back hundreds of stranded nationals, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. U Aung Kyaw Zan, director-general of the Consular and Legal Affairs Department, told The Irrawaddy on Monday that airports in India, Thailand and Singapore have set up assembly areas for citizens from Myanmar. First we will bring back elderly people, those with health issues and those whose visas have expired, said U Aung Kyaw Zan. He added that flights had been discussed with Myanmar Airways International (MAI). The government said it would pay for the outbound flights but nationals would have to buy a ticket home. The ministry said those stranded overseas were expected back by the first week of May. Ministry spokesman U Aung Kyaw Zan said 168 nationals in Japan would be expected to fly back with All Nippon Airlines next month. MAI was also planning flights to South Korea, the ministry said. Labor attache U Zayar Tin Win Htin from the Myanmar Embassy in Seoul told The Irrawaddy that about 350 nationals, including workers, students and seamen, in South Korea have reported to the embassy asking to return home. A flight on April 30 only had a capacity of 97 passengers, he added. The ministry spokesman said there were also plans to bring back those in Malaysia, the Philippines and Europe. All returnees face 21 days in quarantine centers and home isolation for a further seven days. Myanmar has confirmed 146 COVID-19 patients, including five deaths and 10 recoveries. You may also like these stories: Myanmar Parliament to Discuss Budget Allocation, Foreign Loans for COVID-19 Response Myanmar Extends Visa and Flight Ban until May 15 to Tackle COVID-19 Montgomery County has reached double digits in COVID-19 deaths, logging the tenth on Monday. The death is confirmed as a man in his 80s and a resident of The Woodlands. Montgomery County also reach a new total number of COVID-19 cases of 530. According to information from the Montgomery County Hospital District, there are now 379 active cases with 38 hospitalized, 341 in self-isolation and 141 recoveries. Additionally, 64.7 percent of the cases are linked to community spread with just 16 percent related to travel. A remaining 19.2 percent remain under investigation. The statewide stay-at-home order remains in effect for Texas until April 30, however Gov. Greg Abbott confirmed Monday that it will expire on that date. Abbott announced that beginning Friday, all retail stores, restaurants, movie theaters, malls, libraries and museums will be allowed to reopen but with occupancy rates capped at 25 percent until May 18 when that number jumps to 50 percent occupancy. However, he said there are some business that are not safe to open including hair salons, barbershops, bars and gyms. Montgomery County Judge Mark Keough terminated the local stay-at-home order April 17, two weeks before it was set to expire and lifted the countys curfew. Keough said the county would follow Abbotts orders to reopen the state. cdominguez@hcnonline.com A judge has granted an emergency order to a woman for the removal of her husband from the family home after the judge heard of the husband's repeated threats to kill his wife. At a sitting of the family court in Ennis, Judge Patrick Durcan granted the Interim Barring Order (IBO) to the woman after hearing that her husband has threatened to kill his wife on a number of occasions. In her statement seeking the order read out by Judge Durcan, the woman stated her husband has been physically and emotionally abusive to me for the last five years. She stated: He has beaten me up on many occasions throughout our marriage. Three weeks ago, he beat me up and tried to strangle me. He threatened to kill me. I called the gardai as I feared for my life." She added: He has tried to strangle me on a few occasions throughout our marriage and there are constant threats to kill me. He is very violent. He shouts and screams at me and is very aggressive in the house. 'Immediate risk of significant harm' "He throws bottles and objects and this scares me. The woman stated that there is an immediate risk of significant harm to me if the order is not made immediately and the granting of a protection order would not be sufficient". The woman told Judge Durcan that she was fearful of this man. Judge Durcan told the woman that after she receives a copy of the interim barring order, she is to then bring it to the gardai who will serve it on her husband. The application was being made on an ex-parte basis and the man was not represented in court. In the sitting of the family law court, Judge Durcan also granted a protection order to a woman who told Judge Durcan that her ex-partner was harassing their children. The woman told the judge that last month, her ex-partner turned up at the family home drunk, shouting and calling her a slag and all names. She stated that he apologised the next day. She stated: I cant sleep because I cant change the locks and he comes and goes as he pleases. I have no idea what is going to happen next. She added: He is now convinced that I am seeing someone else and is constantly harassing all the kids. I have no idea what he will do next but I am genuinely fearful for my safety when he is drunk. He is unpredictable and very volatile. In a separate case, Judge Durcan granted a protection order to a woman after she told him that her ex-partner is sending her abusive messages. She stated that over a recent three day period, she received 190 notifications from him made up of 175 messages and the remainder were missed calls. She stated: Some of these messages are abusive and some are declaring war. She added: I often dont open the messages as they can be very abusive calling me names and criticising me. TOKYO Asian shares are mixed Tuesday as governments inch toward letting businesses reopen and central banks step in to provide cash to economies. Japans benchmark Nikkei 225 lost earlier gains, dipping 0.4% to 19,706.19. South Koreas Kospi stood virtually unchanged, inching down less than 0.1% to 1,921.39. Australias S&P/ASX 200 gained 0.2% to 5,329.50. Hong Kongs Hang Seng rose 0.2% to 24,329.34, while the Shanghai Composite fell nearly 0.2% to 2,811.09. Worries remain about fresh surges of coronavirus cases in places like China and South Korea, where they had declined as a result of social distancing, testing and arduous efforts by medical workers. Japans government is warning against travel during the upcoming Golden Week holidays, which start this weekend and extend into the first week of May, the biggest holiday for the nation after the New Years holidays. There is no lockdown in Japan but the government has declared a state of emergency, requesting that people stay home. That lasts through Golden Week, but it may be extended. From Rome, Georgia, to Rome, Italy, companies are watching as politicians detail plans to ease up on restrictions that were meant to slow the coronavirus pandemic but also erased businesses and jobs. Retail chains, cruise lines and other businesses whose profits hinge on people stepping outside their homes jumped to some of Mondays biggest gains. The S&P 500 climbed 1.5%. This week is chockablock with potentially market-moving events, including meetings for several of the worlds largest central banks. Nearly a third of the companies in the S&P 500 are also scheduled to report how profitable they were in the first three months of 2020 and, more importantly, perhaps talk about how they see future conditions shaking out. With central banks and governments promising overwhelming amounts of aid for markets, some investors are focusing on the potential return of growth as the outbreak levels off in some areas. The S&P 500 rose 41.74 points to 2,878.48. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 1.5% to 24,133.78, and the Nasdaq climbed 1.1%, to 8,730.16. Were in recession, its a long recovery from here, said Joe Seydl, capital markets economist at J.P. Morgan Private Bank. But the distance between those two points is starting to look a little bit better than a few weeks ago because it looks like were past the worst of it. Mondays gains were widespread and accelerated though the day. At the head of the pack were some of the stocks hardest and earliest hit by the coronavirus pandemic. Banks and other financial companies rose 3.6% for the biggest gain among the 11 sectors that make up the S&P 500. They had tumbled earlier on worries about waves of households and businesses defaulting on their loans. In the U.S., the reopening of some businesses in Georgia and other states, along with a slowdown in hospitalizations in the hardest-hit state of New York, helped revive financial stocks. So did a rise in Treasury yields, which mean bigger profits for making loans. The sector is still down 26.9% for the year. Retail chains and real-estate investment trusts that own shopping malls also recovered some earlier losses as investors looked toward a future where people visit stores again. Even travel-related stocks, which fell before the rest of the market on worries about the coronavirus outbreak, were strong. Stocks of smaller companies, which are relatively volatile, logged bigger gains. The Russell 2000 of small-cap stocks rose 4%. In the U.S., roughly 150 companies in the S&P 500 are scheduled to report earnings this week. That includes the Big Five of Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Microsoft and Googles parent, Alphabet, which together make up about a fifth of the index. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 0.65% from 0.59% late Friday. Its still well below the 1.90% level it was near at the start of the year, though. Yields tend to drop when investors are downgrading their expectations for the economy and inflation. In energy markets, benchmark U.S. crude dropped $1.94 to $10.84 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. It fell $4.16, or 24.6%, to $12.78 a barrel Monday. Brent crude, the international standard, fell 76 cents to $19.23 a barrel. Prices have been swinging wildly as demand for energy collapses and storage tanks come close to topping out. Theres a huge oversupply weve been left with due to the incredibly sharp drop in consumption, said Richard Swann, editorial director for Americas oil markets at S&P Global Platts. The dollar inched up to 107.29 Japanese yen from 107.29 yen. The euro inched down to $1.0827 from $1.0829. ___ AP Business Writers Stan Choe, Damian J. Troise and Alex Veiga contributed. Ukraine's Cabinet issues decree on special duty on coal imports from Russia 15:00, 27.04.20 1018 The relevant decision has been posted on the government portal. TWENTY-FIVE new confirmed cases of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) were reported in Cebu City on Monday, April 27, 2020: all in Barangay Labangon. According to the City Health Department (CHD), Luz and Labangon have the most number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in the city, aside from the 208 inmates and personnel of the Cebu City Jail in Barangay Kalunasan who also tested positive for the disease. With more cases cropping up, Mayor Edgardo Labella has ordered the CHD and the Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (LDRRMO) to facilitate the transfer of asymptomatic Covid-19 patients to barangay isolation centers (BICs). Some barangays have already converted their public elementary schools into BICs like Tisa which has 60 beds; Quiot-Pardo, 40 beds; Mambaling, 40 beds; Inayawan, 36 beds; Guadalupe, 30 beds; Labangon, 25 beds; and Luz, 90 beds. Cebu Province also reported one additional Covid-19 case, bringing its total number of cases to four. However, the latest patient, a 17-year-old boy from Barangay Guadalupe, Carcar City who was diagnosed with a kidney disease in 2018, died. Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia said the boy was brought to the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in Cebu City on April 23. The final diagnosis, or cause of death, is pulmonary congestion secondary to acute renal failure leading to nephratic syndrome Covid positive, Garcia said in her regular live news conference through Sugbo News. With the development, the governor urged municipal and city health officers and barangay health workers to be more aggressive in reporting influenza-like illnesses and severe acute respiratory infections in their localities. She also called for a meeting with local health officers on Thursday, April 30, to discuss health measures, including the Provinces plan to conduct mass targeted rapid testing. Subo huna-hunaon nga napun-an ta og usa ka positive case ug ang maong (Its unfortunate to think that we have an additional case and that) positive case, sadly, has died, Garcia said. Story continues The boys death was the second in the province after an elderly patient died in Talisay City. The two other Covid-19 patients from the towns of Cordova and Consolacion already recovered. In Lapu-Lapu, city officials announced that four more people tested positive for Covid-19, bringing the total number of cases to 34. Mayor Junard Chan said they are from Barangays Looc, Canjulao, Gun-ob and Marigondon. Nagiel Banacia, head of the citys LDRRMO, said five positive patients from Lapu-Lapu City have recovered and are set to be released from a private hospital. Nationwide, the Department of Health (DOH) logged 198 more Covid-19 cases as of 4 p.m. Monday, April 27, bringing the total number of coronavirus infections to 7,777. The number of patients who recovered went up to 932, after 70 were reported in the last 24 hours. Ten patients died between 4 p.m. Sunday and 4 p.m. Monday, bringing the death toll to 511. Some 1,245 health workers have tested positive for Covid-19, including 471 nurses, 464 doctors or physicians, 69 nursing assistants, 41 medical technologists, 25 radiologic technologists and 10 midwives. Globally, the World Health Organization (WHO) said infections increased to 2.8 million as of April 26, including 193,710 deaths. Meanwhile, the WHO said the development of a Covid-19 vaccine might take at least 12 to 18 months. Thats the shortest period that a vaccine will be made available to the public, said WHO acting country representative Soccoro Escalante in Tagalog during the DOH virtual press briefing on Monday. She said there are six candidate vaccines in various stages of development around the world. (PAC, RTF, GCM, SunStar Philippines / JKV) London, April 27 : Silverstone chief Stuart Pringle said on Monday that the F1 British Grand Prix would take place behind closed doors in the midst of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Silverstone are currently negotiating with the British government and F1 bosses on whether there is a possibility to host the race, originally set for July, at some point without fans. "I am extremely disappointed to tell you that we are unable to stage this year's British Grand Prix in front of the fans at Silverstone. We have left this difficult decision for as long as possible, but it is abundantly clear given the current conditions in the country and the government requirements in place now and for the foreseeable future, that a Grand Prix under normal conditions is just not going to be possible," Pringle was quoted by Formula1.com. "Our obligations to protect the health and safety of everyone involved in preparing and delivering the event, our volunteer marshals and race makers, and of course, you, the amazing fans, means that this is the best, safest and only decision we could make," he added, reports Xinhua news agency. Silverstone say ticket holders can either transfer their booking to the 2021 Grand Prix or take a full refund. Monday's episode of MasterChef Australia: Back to Win saw the greatest off-site challenge in the show's history. The contestants filed into a warehouse space to be greeted by a screaming and clapping crowd of fans. Judge Andy Allen explained that the day's team challenge would see the chefs cook live in front of the howling audience. Noisy! Monday's episode of MasterChef Australia: Back to Win saw the greatest off-site challenge in the show's history. The contestants filed into a warehouse space to be greeted by a screaming and clapping crowd of fans Chef Poh Ling Yeow said she found the experience 'overwhelming' - and fans at home felt the same. In between the bombastic music and the judges having to shout over the immense roar of the crowd, some viewers simply switched off, unable to take the noise. One person Tweeted: 'Okay, I've got a headache. Switching to Sam Neill on Australia Story.' Squeals! Judge Andy Allen explained that the day's team challenge would see the chefs cook live in front of the howling audience Too much! Chef Poh Ling Yeow (far right) said she found the experience 'overwhelming' - and fans at home felt the same Another felt the same way, writing: 'Combination of loud drum music, loud Andy rev ups and screaming crowds is totes overwhelming the cooking aspect. I'll sign off tonight and catch you all on the next episode'. One viewer simply muted the volume, admitting: 'Watching #MasterChefAU with the sound off. When did @masterchefau - or, indeed, cooking - get so noisy?' Several people compared the chanting fans to the studio audiences seen on American talk show, The Jerry Springer Show. Too loud! In between the bombastic music and the judges having to shout over the immense roar of the crowd, some viewers simply switched off, unable to take the noise 'MasterChef or Jerry Springer?' asked one fan while another wrote: 'Are these crowds allowed to heckle the cooks Jerry Springer style?' Someone else added: 'This is like watching an American talk show. Not really on brand #MasterChefAU. A loud crowd and yelling judges is really off putting.' Another fan compared the audience to screaming teens, writing: 'The crowd is almost as loud as a K-pop concert.' MasterChef continues Tuesday at 7.30pm on Channel Ten Businesses should close break rooms. Restaurants should consider disposable menus and plates. Schools should have students eat lunch in their classrooms. These are some of the recommendations offered in new federal plans designed to help restaurants, schools, churches and businesses safely reopen as states look to gradually lift their coronavirus restrictions. The draft guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been sent to Washington but still could be revised before the Trump administration unveils it to the public. The recommendations were obtained from a federal official who was not authorized to release them publicly. The CDC put together so-called 'decision trees' for at least seven types of organizations: schools, camps, childcare centers, religious facilities, mass transit systems, workplaces, and bars/restaurants. White House officials previously released a three-phase reopening plan for the nation that mentioned schools and other organizations that come back online at different points. But it hadn't previously offered more specific how-to guidelines for each kind of entity with specific steps they can take. Other advice includes face masks for all teachers, stagger pick-up and drop off time at schools, space desks six feet, and teach hand-washing, according to copy of the 17-page proposed guideline obtained by The Washington Post. President Trump's administration is mulling new guidelines for restaurants, schools, churches and businesses to safely reopen The proposed guidelines include recommendations for teachers to wear masks; above parents and school kids pick up laptops at a school in California The new guidance still amounts to little more than advice. State and local officials will be the ones to adopt and enforce them. Some state and local governments have already put rules in place for businesses that are operating. For example, Michigan requires businesses to limit how many customers can be in a store at one time. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Sunday said that each business that wants to reopen will have to submit a plan to the state on how to do that. The new guidance could offer some unified federal guidance that local officials can lean on, said Lindsay Wiley, an American University public health law expert. 'Federal guidance provides cover to the states for those regulations if they're challenged in the courts,' she said. 'It allows the state to say `well the CDC said to do it this way, and the judge then is very happy to say 'well yes you consulted CDC and thats the appropriate body,' and then uphold the restrictions and say they're appropriately evidence based.' Some examples from the guidance: In the initial reopening phases, schools should space desks six feet apart, nix any field trips and school assemblies, and have students eat lunch in their classrooms instead of the cafeteria. Child care centers should have staff wear staff, teaching hand washing, temperature checks, and avoid using items like soft or plush toys that are not easily sanitized. Churches should hold services through video streaming or at drive-in or outdoor venues as much as possible. They should also encourage everyone to wear cloth face masks, use a stationary collection box, and schedule extra services if necessary to make sure church pews are not packed and congregants stay at least six feet from each other. Restaurants should consider using throwaway menus, single-service condiments, and disposable forks, knives, spoons, and dishes. They should install sneeze guards at cash registers, limit the number of employees on a shift, and avoid having buffets, salad bars, and drink stations. The guidance for religious groups notes 'as all Americans are now aware, gatherings present a special risk for increasing spread of COVID-19. The suggestions include providing congregants spiritual and emotional care 'on a flexible or virtual basis or refer them to other available resources.' Allen Fagin, executive vice president of the Orthodox Union, said that as much as worship in synagogues is 'one of the most fundamental aspects of Jewish life,' his faith also believes that 'the sanctity of life is more important than any other aspect of observance.' Application of any guidelines are likely to have significant regional and demographic variation, Fagin added. 'Theres going to have to be a great deal of both training and soul-searching in particular communities to make certain the guidelines are understood and will in fact be adhered to, to the letter.' The Trump administration is suggesting guidelines to help schools reopen Various trade groups have also started coming out with recommendations. For example, the National Restaurant Association last week put out guidance to restaurants considering reopening. The association based its guidance on recommendations from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. But its suggestions dont necessarily match the draft CDC proposals. The association said restaurants should clean and sanitize reusable menus, while the CDC suggests using disposable menus. And the CDC recommends that employees use cloth masks when interacting with customers, but the association doesnt. But some guidance is similar. The association and the CDC both recommend seating dining parties at least 6 feet apart. The government has instructed the HSE to look at a standard way of telling families when a Covid-19 outbreak hits a residential service for people with intellectual disabilities. The initiative emerged following talks between Inclusion Ireland, Health Minister Simon Harris and Minister of State for Disability Issues Finian McGrath at which it was confirmed 10 people had died in disability service so far from coronavirus. The meeting had been called amid growing concerns about how Covid-19 was being dealt with in centres for people with a disability, with congregated settings of various types appearing to bear the brunt of the pandemic here. Prior to the meeting Inclusion Ireland had expressed concern about a lack of reporting of the number of people with disabilities within institutions who have died from Covid-19, given that there are almost 3,000 people with intellectual disabilities living in institutional settings. Following the meeting Inclusion Ireland CEO Enda Egan described the talks as "very constructive". Mr Egan said the minister had reassured him of fresh efforts to deal with Covid-19 in the centres. That will include detailed data being collected by the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HSPC) on people with disabilities and Covid-19, with the Department of Health to hold discussions with the HSPC about making this data available to the public on a regular basis. It also emerged that while 90% of disability services are free of the coronavirus and those that have an outbreak are, by and large, managing well, there have been 10 deaths in disability services so far in the course of the current public health emergency. Inclusion Ireland also said it has been reassured that there is parity and equality of access to Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for disability services based on need, similar to the situation in hospitals and nursing homes. Inclusion Ireland also said the Health Minister has agreed that a standardised communication protocol should be put in place for service providers to communicate with families when an outbreak occurs in a residential setting for people with disabilities. "The HSE will be looking at developing such a protocol," it said. Mr Harris also informed Inclusion Ireland that the HSE has developed a pathway plan for when a carer becomes ill and has to go into hospital, and that there will be an emergency response on a case by case basis. All parties will hold another meeting in a fortnight to review progress on the various initiatives discussed on Monday. Mr Egan said: "I would like to thank Minister Harris for engaging with Inclusion Ireland, and listening to the concerns of people with intellectual disabilities and their families have in relation to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic." New York mayor Bill de Blasio on Sunday announced that he would appoint First Lady Chirlane McCray as co-chair of a task force on coronavirus racial inequality. De Blasio will form the Task Force on Racial Inclusion and Equity as part of the citys plan to reopen businesses that have been closed during the pandemic. Many of New Yorks poorest zip codes have been disproportionately affected by the coronavirus, with black and Hispanic patients dying at higher rates than white residents. The economic and racial disparities that have been made so clear by this crisis, we knew about them before, de Blasio, who was elected mayor six years ago, said at a press conference. A powerful, painful exclamation point has been put on them by this crisis. McCrays appointment to the task force has raised eyebrows amid rumors that she is planning a run for the presidency of New Yorks Brooklyn borough. This is political. I wish de Blasio would stop doing this, City Councilman Robert Holden (D., Queens) told theA New York Post. Let her win the Brooklyn borough presidency on her own merits. McCray has presided over ThriveNYC, an initiative designed to improve the citys mental health care, which has spent over $1 billion since its founding in 2015. Between 2015 and 2018, the number of police complaints in the city involving mentally disturbed people rose 23 percent, and the number of mentally ill homeless individuals rose by over 2,000 over the same period. More from National Review THE Chinese government yesterday said it would be deploying medical experts to Zimbabwe as part of helping authorities combat the spread of the lethal coronavirus (Covid-19), the Daily News reports. This comes as China, from where the first case of Covid-19 was reported has successfully contained the disease after imposing strict stay-at-home regulations. Minister-counsellor of the Chinese embassy in Zimbabwe Zhao Baogang yesterday told the Daily News that 11 medical experts were on their way to Harare. The date for the arrival has not yet been confirmed, but we expect them soon. Zimbabwe has been working very hard to contain the disease and we want to share the experience with Zimbabwe. The date for the arrival has not yet been confirmed, but we expect them soon. Zimbabwe has been working very hard to contain the disease and we want to share the experience with Zimbabwe. China was the first country to record a Covid-19 case and was also the first country to have preliminary success in containing the disease, Zhao said. We have managed to put the virus under control and have to work hard to ensure that there is no resurgence. We will learn from each other. The Zimbabwean doctors recently had a video conferencing with their Chinese counterparts. We will share the best expertise with our Zimbabwean friends. We had a medical team in Ethiopia and Burkina Faso recently The team will also bring some medical supplies to Zimbabwe, Zhao further told the Daily News. All this comes as the Chinese government and its citizens, including billionaire, Jack Ma, have made significant donations to Zimbabwe as part of strengthening the governments fight against the deadly virus. Zimbabwe has entered its final week of an extended lockdown following the countrys failure to meet six core guidelines set by the World Health Organisation (WHO) for the lifting of the stay-at-home order. Announcing the extension, President Emmerson Mnangagwa said there were fears that once Zimbabwe breached 100 confirmed cases, his government would struggle to contain the coronavirus. Once the cases begin to grow exponentially the impact on our health system will be hugewe should use the window of current low infections to tighten our defences while providing for the worst case scenario of a fully blown health crisis. From the very beginning we have always known that a national lockdown cannot be the cure or solution, rather it merely buys time for us to slow down transmissions while we take other measures and prepare on many fronts to deal with the pandemic. We chose the route of abundant caution at whatever cost and discomforts, this route brings to our society. I have already said the lockdown is not the panacea while we seek real durable solutions, said Mnangagwa. Goredema, who is from Zimbabwe, has been living in a tent near Van Riebeeck park in Vredehoek since the lockdown began. For the last two years he has been employed at an electrical hardware store, earning R100 a day. He also earned R20 a day helping a vendor set up his stall at the beginning of the day. He sent most of his earnings to his sister in Zimbabwe, who is taking care of his daughter. In spite of his job, he has not been able to afford housing and has been living on the streets in the City Bowl all this time. After lockdown started, he tried for a place in Culemborg Safe Place, but he was told that this space was only for South African citizens. He moved up to the mountain, as he had been told that no homeless people would be allowed in the City Bowl during lockdown. The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday ruled in favor of health insurers seeking $12 billion from the federal government under a program set up by the Obamacare law aimed at encouraging them to offer medical coverage to previously uninsured Americans. The 8-1 ruling authored by liberal Justice Sonia Sotomayor paves the way for a significant one-time cash infusion for major companies such as Humana Inc., Anthem Inc. and Centene Corp. The justices reversed a lower courts ruling that Congress had suspended the governments obligation to make such payments. The court agreed with insurers that said that the lower court ruling, if allowed to stand, would have let the government pull a bait-and-switch and withhold money the companies were promised. The government should honor its obligations, Sotomayor wrote. Conservative Justice Samuel Alito was the sole dissenter, saying the courts ruling has the effect of providing a massive bailout for insurance companies that took a calculated risk and lost. Help to Recover Moda Health Plan Inc. and other insurers that sued to try to compel the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to make the payments have said the government was supposed to help them recover from early losses they suffered after the 2010 passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) under Democratic former President Barack Obama. The law, dubbed Obamacare, has enabled millions of Americans who previously had no medical coverage to obtain insurance, including those with pre-existing medical conditions. Unlike other court cases involving Obamacare, this dispute concerned only payments to insurers and did not directly challenge the law itself. Other insurers involved in the case included Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina, Maine Community Health Options and Land of Lincoln Mutual Health Insurance Company. Payments would have come through the laws so-called risk corridor program designed to mitigate insurers risks from 2014 to 2016, when they sold coverage to previously uninsured people through exchanges established under Obamacare. Insurers that paid out significantly less in claims on policies sold through the exchanges than they took in from premiums provided some of their gains to the government. Insurers that paid out more were entitled to government compensation for part of their losses. Republicans, who have opposed Obamacare from the outset and numerous times sought to repeal it in Congress, have like Alito called the risk-corridor program a bailout for the insurance industry. From 2015 through 2017, Congress passed legislation barring HHS from using general funds to pay the governments risk corridor obligations. Health insurers turned to federal courts to obtain the payments. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit ruled in 2018 that Congress effectively repealed its obligation to pay the insurers, prompting the insurers to appeal to the Supreme Court. The opinion is Maine Community Health Options v. United States. (Reporting by Lawrence Hurley; Additional reporting by Nate Raymond; Editing by Will Dunham) Topics Carriers USA Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-27 15:04:00|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, April 27 (Xinhua) -- China has taken a slew of measures to help boost the employment of university graduates amid the COVID-19 impact, an official with the Ministry of Education said in an interview. The measures include expanding the enrollment of postgraduate and degree top-up programs, creating more jobs in education, research and medical and social service sectors and stepping up support for graduates from the worst-hit Hubei Province and poverty-stricken regions, said Wang Dengfeng, director of the ministry's leading group office on the COVID-19 response. In collaboration with several job-hunting websites, the ministry has put up job opportunities online to further facilitate employment. An online recruitment platform, launched in late February, has provided over 9 million positions and received around 13.6 million applications so far. Meanwhile, the platform has been hosting a special job fair and a live training course on job-hunting every week, according to Wang. Enditem Health experts in Britain are looking into reports that a coronavirus-related syndrome among children may be emerging in the UK, NHS Englands national medical director has said. Professor Stephen Powis said it was too early to say whether there is a link between the Kawasaki-like disease and coronavirus, but chief medical officer Prof Chris Whitty said it was entirely plausible. They have instructed medical experts to look into the potential link as a matter of urgency. It comes after the UK Paediatric Intensive Care Society (Pics) tweeted an alert it said was from NHS England which says in the last three weeks, there has been an apparent rise in the number of children of all ages presenting with a multi-system inflammatory state requiring intensive care across London and also in other regions of the UK. NHS England confirmed it had shared the warning through its incident teams to clinical commissioning groups and hospital trusts. The alert said the effects had been seen in children both with and without coronavirus but there was evidence that some patients had had coronavirus previously. *Urgent alert* Rising no of cases presenting to #PedsICU with multi-system hyperinflammatory state, overlapping features of toxic shock syndrome & atypical Kawasaki disease, bloods consistent with severe #COVID19 - seen in both #SARSCoV2 PCR +ve AND -ve Please share widely pic.twitter.com/Bj6YHLJ8zi Paediatric Critical Care Society (@PICSociety) April 26, 2020 Health Secretary Matt Hancock said he was very worried by the reports. Speaking at the daily Downing Street press conference, Prof Powis said: We have become aware in the last few days of reports of severe illness in children which might be a Kawasaki-like disease. Both Chris (Whitty) and I are aware of that, and we have asked our experts, I have asked the national clinical director for children and young people to look into this as a matter of urgency. He urged parents who are worried about a child who is sick and not recovering to seek medical help. Prof Whitty added: This is a very rare situation but I think it is entirely plausible that this is caused by this virus, at least in some cases. Because we know that in adults who of course have much more disease than children do, big problems are caused by an inflammatory process and this looks rather like an inflammatory process, a rather different one. Therefore, given that we have got a new presentation of this at a time with a new disease, the possibility it is not a definite, we need to look for other causes as well but the possibility that there is a link is certainly plausible. According to the alert, which was originally shared with GPs in north London, children affected display signs similar to toxic shock syndrome (TSS), a severe illness associated with infections, and have blood markers in line with severe Covid-19 in children. They may also have abdominal pain and symptoms of inflammation around the heart. The alert says: There is a growing concern that a Sars CoV-2 (Covid-19) related inflammatory syndrome is emerging in children in the UK, or that there may be another, as yet unidentified, infectious pathogen associated with these cases. The alert talks about atypical Kawasaki disease, a condition that mainly affects children under the age of five. Symptoms include a high temperature that lasts for five days or more, often with a rash and/or swollen glands in the neck. NHS England stressed there was no confirmed connection between Kawasaki-related diseases and Covid-19. Professor Simon Kenny, the NHSs national clinical director for children and young people, said: Thankfully Kawasaki-like diseases are very rare, as currently are serious complications in children related to Covid-19, but it is important that clinicians are made aware of any potential emerging links so that they are able to give children and young people the right care fast. The advice to parents remains the same: if you are worried about your child for whatever reason, contact NHS 111 or your family doctor for urgent advice, or 999 in an emergency, and if a professional tells you to go to hospital, please go to hospital. Professor Russell Viner, president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH), said parents should be reassured that children are unlikely to be seriously ill with Covid-19. He said: We already know that a very small number of children can become severely ill with Covid-19 but this is very rare evidence from throughout the world shows us that children appear to be the part of the population least affected by this infection. New diseases may present in ways that surprise us, and clinicians need to be made aware of any emerging evidence of particular symptoms or of underlying conditions which could make a patient more vulnerable to the virus. However, our advice remains the same: parents should be reassured that children are unlikely to be seriously ill with Covid-19 but if they are concerned about their childrens health for any reason, they should seek help from a health professional. According to the NHS, children are contracting Covid-19 at the same rate as adults but are suffering less severe symptoms on the whole. However, children have died, including 13-year-old Ismail Mohamed Abdulwahab, from Brixton, south London, who died in Kings College Hospital at the end of March. The latest figures for hospital deaths of patients testing positive for Covid-19 in England show that up to 5pm on April 25 there had been nine deaths between the ages of 0 and 19. This represents 0.05% of all hospital deaths in England. In Scotland, no Covid-19 deaths had been registered by April 19 for people aged 0-14. In Northern Ireland, no Covid-19 deaths had been registered by April 17 for people aged 0-14. Mumbai: As India continues to battle coronavirus pandemic, the number of cases in Maharashtra rose to 8,068 on Monday (April 27, 2020) which includes 342 fatalities. 440 new cases and 19 new deaths were reported in the state between Sunday evening to Monday morning. Out of the 8,068 cases in the state Mumbai alone reported 5,407 cases of coronavirus which includes 724 recovered cases and 204 fatalities which include 12 new deaths reported in last 24 hours. After Mumbai, Pune reports the highest number of cases at 1,052 including 22 new cases, 212 recovered cases and 76 deaths. Here's the district-wise details of cases in Maharashtra: S. DISTRICT TOTAL CASES NEW CASES TOTAL Death NEW Deaths Recovered 1 MCGM 5407 358 204 12 728 2 Thane 738 21 14 0 60 3 Palghar 141 2 4 0 20 4 Raigad 57 1 1 0 10 5 Nashik 131 0 12 0 7 6 Ahmednagar 36 1 2 0 22 7 Dhule 25 0 3 0 0 8 Jalgaon 19 6 4 2 1 9 Nandurbar 11 0 1 0 0 10 Pune 1052 22 76 3 212 11 Solapur 47 1 5 1 0 12 Satara 29 0 2 0 3 13 Kolhapur 10 0 0 0 3 14 Sangli 27 1 1 0 26 15 Sindhudurg 1 0 0 0 1 16 Ratnagiri 8 0 1 0 5 17 Aurangabad 50 0 5 0 23 18 Jalna 2 0 0 0 0 19 Hingoli 8 0 0 0 1 20 Parbhani 1 0 0 0 0 21 Latur 9 0 1 1 8 22 Osmanabad 3 0 0 0 3 23 Beed 1 0 0 0 0 24 Nanded 1 0 0 0 0 25 Akola 29 6 1 0 7 26 Amaravati 20 1 1 0 0 27 Yavatmal 48 20 0 0 10 28 Buldhana 21 0 1 0 14 29 Washim 1 0 0 0 1 30 Nagpur 107 0 1 0 22 31 Gondia 1 0 0 0 1 32 Chandrapur 2 0 0 0 0 33 Other states 25 0 2 0 0 TOTAL 8068 440* 342 19 1188 In COVID-19 mortality rate Maharashtra stands at 5th position at 4.24 percent. Meghalaya ranks first with 8.33 percent followed by Punjab at 5.75, Madhya Pradesh at 4.91 and Gujarat at 4.57. Till now 115147 samples have been tested in Maharashtra out of which 55519 tests are done in government labs and 59628 in private labs. Out of the total samples 107519 have been tested negative and 7628 tested positive. Meanwhile, the total number of corona cases inched to 27,892 in India which includes 20,835 active cases, 6,184 recovered cases, 1 migrant patient and 872 deaths, as per Ministry of Health data at 8.50 am IST. In the last 24 hours 1,396 new cases, 48 deaths, and 381 cured cases have been reported. Recovery rate stands at 22.17%. While extending Louisiana's stay-at-home mandate once again, Gov. John Bel Edwards said at a Monday press conference that not all the state's regions have seen decreases in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations. He said that is necessary in order to move forward to the White House's Phase 1 reopening plan. More than a handful of regions are still reporting an increase or plateau of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, including Baton Rouge, Acadiana and the north shore. This is the breakdown of how regions are fairing with new #COVID19 cases and hospitalizations that @LouisianaGov is explaining. To move forward to Phase 1, the state needs all of this to be declining. pic.twitter.com/EXkHIUGjJZ Christina MASK UP Stephens (@CEStephens) April 27, 2020 The White House's Phase 1 plan would allow Louisiana to lift its stay-at-home order and ease restrictions on public spaces and closed businesses as long as it sees drops in the rates of three categories: coronavirus-like symptoms, cases and hospitalizations. New Orleans, a couple of other regions and the overall state have recorded drops in all three categories. According to state officials, every region has been successful in decreasing the rate of residents with COVID-19 symptoms. "Our assessment was that we're not going in the right direction on some regions," said Dr. Alex Billioux, Assistant Secretary for Louisiana Office of Public Health. "I will also say though that our feeling is that the measures we are taking now are working." +2 Louisiana coronavirus stay-at-home order extended but fewer restrictions for restaurants, malls Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards will extend the states stay-at-home order until May 15th, keeping a wide swath of the states economy at a st 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 Edwards said he would circle back to discussing Phase 1 plans for Louisiana on May 11. Until then, the state will remain under an extended stay-home mandate through May 15, an announcement he made at Monday's press conference. "There's a lot of good work here, but it's just not enough that we feel comfortable," Edwards said. "What we can't have is new hot spots." While businesses will still remain closed and residents will be asked to stay home except for essential duties, Edwards relaxed a few restrictions that would roll out May 1, when the current mandate is set to expire. Those changes include letting restaurants allow customers to eat outdoors on patios, re-opening malls to operate curbside retail and enforcing public-facing workers to wear masks. Several states in the south have began reopening, while most of the hardest-hit states, like New York and Michigan, have extended their stay-at-home orders to mid-May. Staff writer Sam Karlin contributed to this article. How We Got The Story Like Climbing Mt. Everest Understanding the Fine Print (TNS) As Gov. Brian Kemp moves to re-open the economy, researchers and ordinary Georgians are turning to the state Department of Public Healths published data on coronavirus cases, hospitalizations and deaths to draw their own conclusions on if its safe to return to barber shops and restaurants.Theyd be easily confused.Wednesdays DPH count shows that new confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus jumped by more than 900 in a single day. Another count it released at the same time used a different method and showed they only rose by 31.That same day, the agencys case count suggested that Georgia may be experiencing the beginning of a plateau in COVID-19 cases. But a plummeting line in a DPH chart using the different method made it appear that new cases may have dropped.To add to the confusion, Kemp announced March 2 that there were only two coronavirus cases in Georgia. By the new counting method, 167 people actually had the disease. And the first known cases werent that date, but Feb. 1.Throughout the pandemic the Kemp administration has repeatedly said data about the novel coronavirus is guiding decisions about what to close, how long to shelter and when to ease restrictions and reopen the state.Tracking new cases, tests, deaths and other health measures are the cornerstone of a disease response, and DPH is publishing more data and additional metrics as the pandemic rolls on. Kemp himself cites projections from the University of Washingtons Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) during press conferences.But IHMEs Ali Mokdad, a former Centers for Disease Control official who helped advise China and South Korea on how to build their own CDCs, told theGeorgia couldnt possibly being relying on its data for such a decision.Theyre not using our data to open, Mokdad said. Theyre relaxing measures earlier than we say its safe.As the coronavirus pandemic accelerated in Georgia, many readers contacted our reporters expressing frustration and confusion over how the state was publicizing data about the virus. Our reporters noticed discrepancies, too, and sought explanations from the Department of Public Health and local and national experts.As of midday Thursday, IHME projected that it may be safe to begin easing restrictions after June 22, as long as the state puts into place strategies to contain the disease such as testing, contract tracing, and isolation.A skeptical public remains confused about what information the governors office is using to decide its safe to venture from home.To me, it couldnt be easier or less controversial for the reopening team to show their work and say, Heres what were looking at, and here are the data. These arent the nuclear codes, said David Harrison, 43, of Dunwoody, an information technology worker who has joined with friends to build their own analysis of state data.I want people to be safe. I want the economy to open up, and I want it to open up in a balanced way, but who knows? Harrison said.Experts agree that the number of cases in Georgia is still rising, and it has yet to meet the criteria the White House set forth in its guidelines for states that are considering re-opening. One was that the state post a 14-day decline in the percent of tests that are positive.Were not yet seeing a decline in the number of cases in Georgia, stressed Dr. Carlos del Rio, distinguished professor of medicine, epidemiology and global health at Emory University. The rate of the novel coronavirus progression through Georgia appears to be slowing, but even if the peak has already passed, the danger is far from over.Its no different than saying, Oh Im going to go up Mount Everest. I got to the peak and Im done, del Rio said. No you still have to come down from the peak, and coming down can be just as dangerous as going up.DPH data needs to be handled with care, experts agreed. While the state has made great strides beefing up its testing infrastructure, it still lags so far behind the rest of the nation the state simply doesnt have enough to answer basic questions about the spread of the virus, said Dr. Harry J. Heiman of Georgia State Universitys School of Public Health.Do we have adequate data today, or did we have it two days ago, or will we two days from now to convincingly know that were on a sustained downward trajectory? Heiman said. I think the answer is unequivocally, No.And the data collection itself still has flaws.Earlier this month, aninvestigation found that the state was using out-of-date, incomplete and sometimes inaccurate numbers. DPH could not identify the race of more than half of the Georgians who have tested positive for the virus, a key data point for understanding the effects on minority communities. State officials have since acknowledged they need to improve.Users must pay close attention to the fine print as Georgia posts new metrics to describe the spread of COVID-19. Charts and graphs introduced this week on DHS reporting website may appear to the casual reader as showing a dramatic decline in new cases. But they use a different counting method that pushes back the date a case is tallied as new by days or weeks before what was originally reported.In these recently introduced visualizations, the new date is changed whenever information is available to the day the symptoms began or the sample was taken, whichever is earlier.Theyre not using our data to open. Theyre relaxing measures earlier than we say its safe. Ali Mokdad, a former CDC official who works at the University of Washingtons Institute for Health Metrics and EvaluationThe cumulative counts DPH has released every day since March show the date of a new case as the day the agency received the results of the test.Georgians following the death toll noticed the new metrics immediately and wondered why cases appeared to be rising and dropping at the same time. DPHs report gave scant explanation.People are confused and scared, and one thing that can assure people is having data they can rely on thats consistent, said Jaime Graham, 42, an Atlanta resident who studied the data with her husband to see if it will be safe to send their two children to summer camp.But if we cant trust, or our data is incomplete, its going to really hold us back, said Graham, who previously worked in a Republican congressional office.Dating a case to the onset of symptoms is generally the best method for tracking the spread of a disease, said Professor Benjamin Lopman, an infectious disease specialist at the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University.But days or weeks can pass between when a person shows signs of a disease to when his or her test is reported to the state. New counts will remain artificially low for days, if not longer, until they are updated.Its important that we keep an eye on whats happening, but you need to look at the slightly longer trends happening on any given day, said Lopman. The number of cases today or tomorrow shouldnt affect an individuals choices in their behavior.Lopmans observation is born out by a major upward revision the state made after it released Wednesdays figures. Originally, it reported that only 31 new cases took place that day. Within 24 hours, the new cases jumped to 72, an increase of 132 percent.However the state reports its data, researchers are convinced they will be able to sort out the true scope and impact of the disease over time.Whatever you try to do with data right now, you cant hide it, said Mokdad. Truth will not be hidden.Staff Writers Emily Merwin DiRico, Jennifer Peebles, Isaac Sabetai, J. Scott Trubey and Nick Thieme contributed to this report. The rumour of Kim Jong Un's recent death has caused several reactions in the international community, one particular question is whether it's a fact. But recent evidence points out that the North Korean leader might be alive, not dead as some reports have indicated. Speculations about the health of Leader Kim Jong Un Initial indications that something might be amiss is his absence during the birthday of North Korea's founding father and Kim's grandfather, Kim Il Sung, on April 15. It is noted that the leader always kept his presence in such affairs since taking power. Normally, Kim is always present in all meetings of state affairs. He was last seen in public on April 11. Soon after these events, Chinese and Japanese news reports the alleged death of the 36-year old Korean leader. Later reports gave more detail about the North Korean leader in a coma, saying that he is already in a vegetative state. The cause of his apparent demise was a mishandled heart operation as reported by non-North Korean outlets. Until North Korea issues an actual statement from their side, any claimed death of Kim Jong Un is just speculative and guesses. North Korea state media keeps a tight cap on any information going out, which makes it hard to verify. One curious piece of information is China sending medical experts to help the leader. President Trump who had several summits with the leaders has kept mum and did not give the reports much weight. Trump said, "I think the report was incorrect," but he declined to say if he had been in touch with North Korean officials. Also read: Trump Orders Navy to Destroy Iranian Vessels Which Threatens US, Iran Says They'll Crush Them Indications that the leader might be alive A satellite photo of the special holiday train of the leader was seen at a resort town this week. The source of the photo was Reuters news agency which this muddles the reports of the rumoured death of Jong-Un. Details were cited by the Washington-based North Korea monitoring project, 38 North, citing a train ridden by Kim parked at the "leadership station" in Wonsan on April 21 and April 23. This station is for the exclusive use of the ruling family, making the train's presence quite odd. News outlet Daily Nk, a Seoul-based website that reports on North Korea, cited a source in North Korea on Monday, saying that Kim had medical treatment in Hyangsan north of the capital Pyongyang. He had heart surgery on April 12. Others weigh in on the demise of Kim One South Korean official said that the North Korea leader is still alive and well. Chung-in Moon, the Foreign policy adviser, said,"his government's position is firm that the despot is not dead." He added that Kim is now in the Wonsan area since April 13, he told Fox that nothing suspicious has been observed. A defector, Thae Yong hom, former North Korean Diplomat said,"It was hard to believe any reliable information about Kim had been leaked by his most trusted aides." If the North Korean leader is dead, next in line is Kim Yo-jong , the dictator's sister. She is a mysterious woman and little is known about her personality. Related article: Where is Kim Jong Un? North Korean Leader's Whereabouts a Mystery as State Media Remains Silent @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. President Donald Trump View Photo Last Friday, President Trump signed the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act. Trump was Mondays KVML Newsmaker of the Day. Here are his words: Were gathered today for a very historic bill signing that will provide vital financial relief to American workers and families. Were grateful to be joined by Vice President Mike Pence, and also with us are Secretary Steve Mnuchin, Administrator Jovita Carranza, Senators Roy Blunt, John Cornyn, Dan Sullivan, as well as Leader Kevin McCarthy and Representative Steve Scalise and Liz Cheney. We appreciate you all coming. A very big moment. I want to thank Congress for answering my call to pass this critical funding. And the bill includes, as you probably know youve been watching it over the last week as it matured unto this this point $320 billion to refill the Paycheck Protection Program, helping keep millions and millions of American workers on the payroll. Great for small businesses. Great for the workers. Thirty billion dollars to the Paycheck Protection funds will be reserved for small financial institutions, including those that serve minority and distressed communities, extending vital relief to thousands of African American and Hispanic American small-business owners and their employees. And thats $30 billion of the Paycheck Protection funds. And thats really having to do very much with extending vital relief to thousands of African American and Hispanic American people in this country that are so great but have been so badly hurt. Theyre great people. Theyve been badly hurt. Ten billion dollars for Economic Injury Disaster Grant Program. Fifty billion dollars for the Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program, which will provide loans to small businesses and farms. Very important farms. Seventy-five billion dollars to reimburse hospitals and healthcare providers. Eight hundred and twenty-five million dollars thats a small one; million. Thats the first time Ive seen the word million instead of billion. Eight hundred and twenty-five million dollars for community health centers and rural clinics, which serve many of our most vulnerable low-income communities. And $25 billion for expanding testing capabilities. So let me once again thank everyone who helped achieve these historic victories. This is a tremendous victory. This is on top of all of other things that weve been doing, including an incredible job, I must say where Vice President Pence and with the task force the coronavirus, that we are really hitting hard. The task force has been fantastic. The ideas and the implementation has been unprecedented. We dont get the credit that we should, and I dont want it for myself, but I actually do want it for the Vice President, and I do want it for the task force. But most importantly, I want it for all of the incredible people that are working so hard. You see what weve done on ventilators. Were now were the kings. I have many countries calling. Were the king of ventilators. Countries are calling, and theyre calling all the time now can we help them with ventilators. And we are helping some countries. We spoke to a number of them today: Indonesia, Honduras, El Salvador. We spoke to numerous countries today. You probably saw that. I spoke to the presidents, prime ministers. Im speaking to everybody. They all want to know if we can help them with ventilators. And were capable of doing that because were making thousands and thousands of ventilators. And every governor has more than they need. In fact, some of the governors are now taking ventilators and shipping them to different states that dont even need them. So its been an amazing story that hasnt been written about. Actually, there have been stories about why havent they written about it. Those are the stories, because the news is much of the news is not fair. But thats been incredible. Likewise, our testing Mike just said today 5 million. Tell me, was it THE VICE PRESIDENT: Its 5.1 million, Mr. President. THE PRESIDENT: 5.1 million tests. Thats more than all countries combined. All countries combined. 5.1 million tests. And you were asked a question about that the other day. You didnt hit 5 million tests. Well, I guess Mike didnt respond, or he wasnt asked the answer. But, right now, its 5.1 THE VICE PRESIDENT: Yes. THE PRESIDENT: and that was just the other day, Mike. THE VICE PRESIDENT: Yeah. THE PRESIDENT: Some reporter named I think his name was Jonathan Karl, right? Whos a very nice actually, a very nice guy. THE VICE PRESIDENT: One month ago, Mr. President, we had done a total of 80,000 tests nationwide. THE PRESIDENT: And now were 5.1 THE VICE PRESIDENT: As of today, because of the partnership you forged, because of the support of leaders gathered here and governors around the country, 5.1 million Americans tested. THE PRESIDENT: Well, and actually, I wanted to tell you this: Honduras just called, and they are in a quagmire because they dont have good testing, and they asked us to help them with their testing. We will. Theyve been helping us very much on the border. Our southern border is setting record lows for people coming through our southern border. We have that really in good shape. In addition, were now up to our 170th mile. We want to get up to 450 early in the year, early by the end of this year. But basically, early next year, well be up to 450. Maybe even soon than that. And ultimately, what weve done on the wall is incredible. The amount of and I can say this to John from Texas John Cornyn the numbers are incredible, in terms of coming across. Weve stopped it. And that 170-mile stretch where we have the wall, its like its like a different world. People used to just drive right across and nobody could do anything about it. Now we have a tremendous, powerful wall there, and its been its been incredible, because a country needs to have borders. And you dont have borders if you have people pouring in by the tens of thousands. And we have totally stopped it. So its been its been a great thing. So were going to sign this right now. Before I do, I think Ill ask the Vice President if hed like to say anything, and maybe some of the people in the room. Theyve all been very instrumental in this, and theyve been great friends of our country. Mike, please. THE VICE PRESIDENT: Well, thank you, Mr. President. And thanks to your leadership, the leadership of the members of the House and Senate who are gathered here, and frankly, the bipartisan support that weve enjoyed in this effort, more help is on the way. Small businesses will be able to keep even more Americans on the payroll while our nation makes our way through the coronavirus. And critical funding for hospitals, Mr. President THE PRESIDENT: Right. THE VICE PRESIDENT: you said earlier in the week we are encouraging states around the country to restart elective surgery wherever possible, even on a county-by-county basis. Additional funding for hospitals is here and additional funding for testing. Well be reviewing those resources in a conference call with governors today. But I want to join you in thanking all of the members of the House and Senate who are here, and frankly, all of the all the members in both political parties who have continued to provide the support youve called for, for the American people, Mr. President. THE PRESIDENT: Its been really amazing, hasnt it? THE VICE PRESIDENT: It has. THE PRESIDENT: So what was the vote in the Senate? REPRESENTATIVE SCALISE: 385 to 5. THE PRESIDENT: What was it? REPRESENTATIVE SCALISE: About 385 to 5. THE PRESIDENT: There there it was. And what about the Senate? SENATOR SULLIVAN: Unanimous. THE PRESIDENT: And then theyll criticize me, the Democrats, for doing the bill. I said, But you voted for it. Well, that doesnt matter. Dan, do you have anything to say? SENATOR SULLIVAN: Yes, sir, Mr. President. And I first want to thank you and your team you, the Vice President, the Secretary of the Treasury literally working around the clock. Everybody notices that. We certainly notice it in Alaska. We really appreciate it. You know, my state has a lot of tough, resilient people. Your grandfather is a part of that legacy, in terms of the great state of Alaska. But, you know, some of our key industries oil and gas, the energy sector, the fishing community, the tourism community theyre facing tough times. But this bill is going to help and your administration, Mr. Vice President and Mr. President, are doing so much to help those sectors. So I just want to thank you on behalf of the people I represent. THE PRESIDENT: Thank you, Dan, very much. Steve? REPRESENTATIVE SCALISE: Thank you, Mr. President, Mr. Vice President, for the leadership and for calling on Congress to pass this bill the bill youre about to sign. This is going to put another 300-plus billion dollars in the Paycheck Protection Program. This has been a lifeline not only to small businesses, but I know youre well aware youve saved over 30 million jobs just with the first tranche of that money that went out. Over 30 million people are on the payroll today that would have been unemployed. We just saw another 4.4 [million] Americans that went on the unemployment rolls. This is going to save probably another 30 million people from going on unemployment. Theyll be able to stay in their jobs. Those small businesses will still be alive so that they can come back when we start opening the economy safely, to be able to come back. We see all of these industries distressed the oil and gas industry, ag industry, restaurants. Everybody wants to start focusing on how to reopen the economy in a safer, smarter way. I appreciate your leadership. This bill is going to be a lifeline, again, to millions more people that will be able to stay on the payroll of their companies. THE PRESIDENT: Thank you, Steve. Kevin, please. LEADER MCCARTHY: Yes, sir. First of all, I want to thank all those on the frontline. I want to thank those in the medical community; the truck drivers; the farmers who are providing the food, making sure its safe in America; and those even in the stores. What youre doing, this country is very grateful for. I know I was with the President the other day and I was thanking him, and he was telling me, No. What hes watching across this country are that people are making those sacrifices. And the example that you are showing every day, being in at work, is an example that America wants to see. That we know, as Americans, well get through this. Well overcome this and well be stronger. We had a stronger economy than weve ever had before, prior to a virus that came from a distant land from a country that lied to us. We would never have to experience this. But this leadership is going to make a difference. And what youre doing right here I want to give a little special thanks to the SBA and to the Secretary. ADMINISTRATOR CARRANZA: Thank you. LEADER MCCARTHY: Because we designed this in a time of need. And when you just look at the data, 74 percent of that money at the very beginning went to com- went to businesses that had $60,000 or fewer in a payroll per month. Those are the businesses we know that make decisions around a kitchen table. And your action early on, on April 7th, that said its going to need more money, you were right. I think those in politics that held it up just for a political purpose owe this country an apology. And today, youre going to sign something that you created thats going to make a fundamental difference for the rest of us. But thank you for your actions (inaudible). THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much, Kevin. Its going to help a lot of people. That, I can say. Jovita, good job youre doing. ADMINISTRATOR CARRANZA: Thank you very much, President. THE PRESIDENT: Go ahead. ADMINISTRATOR CARRANZA: Appreciate that, kindly. THE PRESIDENT: Want to say something? ADMINISTRATOR CARRANZA: Of course. THE PRESIDENT: Go ahead. ADMINISTRATOR CARRANZA: Your strong leadership really has propelled the motivation, the energy, the stability, and the tenacity of the Small Business Administration. And every small business that weve been able to touch in some way whether its answering a question, processing a loan, guaranteeing a loan, the fact that we have over $700 billion committed at this point to small businesses is herculean. And it would not have happened if it had not been for your strong leadership galvanizing the left and the right and everything in between to make these funds possible for our small business. Now SBA is focused on economic recovery, and were very focused in on the small businesses. And were going to meet them at the corner to start bringing back their employees, hiring new ones, and become very, very strong in the new economy, sir. THE PRESIDENT: And I assume that SBA has never done numbers like this. This is record-breaking stuff (inaudible). ADMINISTRATOR CARRANZA: Sir, weve done 14 years of loan processing and guaranteeing in 14 days. SENATOR SULLIVAN: Unheard of. ADMINISTRATOR CARRANZA: And its like an ATM machine with over 400 billion dollars and 30 million small businesses waiting in line. THE PRESIDENT: Its been incredible. ADMINISTRATOR CARRANZA: So, thank you. THE PRESIDENT: And, as you know, Harvard is giving back the money. Stanford is giving back the money. Everyone is giving it back. And in many cases, they never got were talking about some of the bigger companies that we felt, after we looked at some numbers, that they shouldnt have taken it. And Steve maybe will say something about that. But Ill go back to John Cornyn first. Please, John. SENATOR CORNYN: Thank you, Mr. President. You know, these are extraordinary times and it tests all of us. And I want to congratulate you and your administration on meeting this challenge head on. Weve got this virus is trying to teach us a lot of lessons that weve got to learn about our supply chains THE PRESIDENT: Yeah. SENATOR CORNYN: about the source of these viruses, which create these pandemics. But, you know, my state, like Senator Sullivans state, has got the double double whammy. One is the coronavirus and the other is the oil and gas industry has been decimated. And so I appreciate your willingness to meet with the leaders of the industry, Secretary Mnuchin, and the good work thats being done at Treasury to stand up this economic stabilization lending facility that hopefully will provide a lifeline to this industry. But in the end, I think we all realize that we need to safely find a way to begin to reopen our economy. Because the biggest problem the industry has is a lack of global demand because the rural economy has been shut down. THE PRESIDENT: Thats true. Thats true. SENATOR CORNYN: So, well get through this together. But I just want to extend my appreciation to you and your administration for your leadership and your partnership with all of our mayors, our governors, and those of us who work in Washington. THE PRESIDENT: Good job. Good job. Well, we have some one of the one of great ones. One of our really good friends. Lynne [Liz], go ahead. REPRESENTATIVE CHENEY: Thank you very much, Mr. President. I appreciate that. Well, its an honor to be here for the signing of this really important piece of legislation. I also know that you join me and we all join in saying thank you, expressing our gratitude to doctors and nurses, the healthcare professionals who are out there on the frontlines and taking care of people. Our prayers to those families that have lost people to this horrible virus. And also, I really appreciate very much the focus on remembering where the virus came from and the extent to which the Chinese Communist Party, the government of China, was very much responsible for an action that allowed this virus, that caused this virus, frankly, to be spread around the world because they were not honest, because they were not forthcoming, because they allowed travel outside of Wuhan to the rest of the world. And theyve got to be held accountable. And I know there will be a lot of support on both sides of the aisle, Mr. President, in Congress to do just that. THE PRESIDENT: I understand. Steve? SECRETARY MNUCHIN: Thank you, Mr. President. This is the fourth bill youve now signed to help with the coronavirus. And this is very important. And I want to thank the Senate and the House for working with us to get this done. And I want to thank the American workers and the American business for all their hard work. And as the President said, this is really a program thats designed for small business. And we put out some clarification yesterday that some of the bigger businesses that have taken out loans should return the money. We appreciate that theyve done that. There will be a surveillance around this if they dont. But I can tell you the many stories Ive already received from very small businesses, some of them that have 5 or 10 people, and the meaningful impact that this has had. And I know that the additional funds are going to make an enormous difference to over another 30 million workers. So between the original funds and these funds, it will be over 60 million workers, close to half of the private payroll. Thank you, Mr. President, and thank you, Mr. Vice President. THE PRESIDENT: Great. Thank you. Thank you very much, Steve. Roy? SENATOR BLUNT: Mr. President, great to be with you. Your team is reacting and moving in a way faster than anybody has ever seen. What the Secretary has done in small business is unbelievable. This is a small agency that has done years of work in just a few days. The load that Secretary Mnuchin has taken on and the way that theyve been able to respond to get individual direct payments out unbelievable. Theres always going to be some gaps in that, but now theyre stepping back and doing exactly what you need to do. But the amount of work thats been done here is incredible. I talked to the mayor of Jefferson City, our state capital, yesterday, whos the second-generation owner of the Hallmark store on High Street in Jefferson City. And she said, without the loan she said the minute she got the notice that she got the loan, that was the difference in whether her business was going to survive or not. And then one other thing Ill mention on the testing element: Weve worked closely with you to try to design that testing to do what you think needs to be done in terms of the delivery of how weve attacked this virus. About half the money goes immediately to states and to local community health centers and rural health centers. The rest is going to be used to try to in a Shark Tank kind of atmosphere, with public and private partners working together, to try not only decide what new tests can be available in a quicker way, but also how we can encourage faster production of those tests than they would ever be able to do by themselves. And that direction came right out of this office, between you and the Chief of Staff. And Im glad the bill reflects that. THE PRESIDENT: Well, thank you, Roy. Great job, Roy. Appreciate it very much. So, I just spoke with Tim Cook of Apple, and he would like us to do things. Hes going to be spending tremendous amounts of money in our country. Hes going to be bringing back tens of billions of dollars into our country. Hes going to build. And he feels that were going to have a V. You know what the V is. Were talking about the U or the V, or maybe a flat line. But he thinks its going to be a V. Thats his own impression. And hes had some pretty good impressions. He gets it. I just want to thank everybody thats here today. I want to thank, most importantly, all of the people that have suffered so greatly for a reason that should have never happened. This should have never happened to our country. This should have never happened to 184 other countries either. This was a disgrace that it was allowed to happen. So, with that, Ill sign the bill. (The bill is signed.) The Newsmaker of the Day is heard every weekday morning at 6:45, 7:45 and 8:45 on AM 1450 and FM 102.7 KVML. The chief ministers of Meghalaya and Mizoram during a video conference with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday supported the extension of the lockdown across the country to check the spread of coronavirus. Both of them, however, wanted relaxations in economic activity in areas which havent reported any cases or where most Covid-19 patients have recovered. Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma and his Mizoram counterpart Zoramthanga were among the nine chief ministers who spoke at Mondays video conference. We have mooted to continue with the lockdown post May 3rd with relaxation on activities in green zones or non-Covid affected districts in Meghalaya, Sangma tweeted after the video conference. Meghalaya has recorded 12 Covid-19 positive cases till date. While one patient has died 11 others are recovering. All the cases are from the state capital Shillong. As far as Mizoram is concerned, I informed the PM that we have just one Covid-19 patient who is recovering slowly. But since we are surrounded by Myanmar, Bangladesh and neighbouring states which also have Covid-19 patients, we cant be complacent and guard have to ourselves very strictly, Mizoram CM Zoramthanga told HT over phone from Aizawl. We will try to relax the lockdown a little after May 3 and allow some economic activity slowly. In our view, the lockdown should continue as the situation is grim in several places. But some kind of activity can be permitted in green zones, he added. Mizoram has reported only one case of Covid-19 so far. At the video conference, Prime Minister Modi told the chief ministers that the lockdown has yielded positive results and the country has managed to save thousands of lives in past one and a half months. The lockdown which began on March 25 was to end on April 14 but was extended to May 3 after many chief ministers recommended it. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A solider fell to his death in a climbing accident in the Swiss Alps when a rock holding his abseiling rope toppled over as he descended a mountain, an inquest has heard. Lance Corporal Hayden Prince, 24 from Cambridge, was on a private trip with two mountaineering friends while on annual leave from the British Army. The group set out from the Hornli hut at the base camp of the Matterhorn at 6am on June 2 last year. They had a planned to turn around and descend by 2pm regardless of whether they had reached the summit. Lance Corporal Hayden Prince, 24 from Cambridge, and two friends set out from the Hornli hut at the base camp of the Matterhorn at 6am on June 2 last year They stuck to this self-imposed target and turned around before 2pm without reaching the summit, assistant Cambridgeshire coroner Nicholas Moss told a hearing in Huntingdon that was held via Skype. Descending safely with three people was 'more time-consuming' and the group were still descending after darkness fell, Mr Moss said. He said they were well-equipped and had head torches. L/Cpl Prince's friends Luke Nibbs and Michael Slade were on the mountain with him. In a joint statement, they said that a rock came loose as L/Cpl Prince abseiled down a gully. They had put a sling around the rock, around the size of a double fridge freezer, and tested it before L/Cpl Prince began his descent. Mr Nibbs said: 'As soon as I heard the noise, I looked up and saw the entire rock come off the mountain edge. 'It turned and fell at a 45-degree angle.' Mr Slade said L/Cpl Prince looked 'controlled' as he began his descent before the rock fell. He said they called mountain rescue as soon as L/Cpl Prince fell at around 2.40am on June 3 last year, and could only shout after L/Cpl Prince as their abseiling rope fell with him. Mr Nibbs and Mr Slade were winched from the mountain by helicopter. L/Cpl Prince died at the scene on June 3 and his body was recovered. L/Cpl Prince served with the First Fusiliers (pictured) and was a junior non-commissioned officer at Bulford Barracks near Salisbury, Wiltshire His cause of death was given as blunt force trauma to the chest and right lower limb, with fall from height also stated. Mr Moss said: 'Sadly and tragically, as Hayden attempted to abseil down, suddenly and without warning the large rock to which the abseil rope was attached by slings gave way. 'The rock started to fall down the mountain and sadly Hayden fell down too. 'Tragically, this fall was Hayden falling to his death. 'I find it wasn't a survivable fall. 'There was absolutely nothing Mr Nibbs or Mr Slade could do to prevent it at that stage. 'Matters clearly happened very quickly.' He concluded that L/Cpl Prince's death was accidental. A report from the Swiss authorities found the group had climbed 3,850 feet before turning back and L/Cpl Prince was in the area of the Hornli Ridge of the Matterhorn near Zermatt when he fell. First Fusiliers held a memorial service for him before they went on deployment. L/Cpl Prince had just transferred and was about to go on deployment to Canada L/Cpl Prince served with the First Fusiliers and was a junior non-commissioned officer at Bulford Barracks near Salisbury, Wiltshire. He had joined the British Army in 2014. He had also been with the 3 Medical Regiment in Preston, Lancashire, as part of the Royal Army Medical Corps. 3 Medical Regiment paid tribute to L/Cpl Prince after his death and said he was a 'truly professional and popular solider', Cambridgeshire Live reported. First Fusiliers said: 'A dedicated medic, with a lust for life and helping others, he will be sorely missed as a member of the Fusilier Family' They added: 'He served with honour, courage and with a smile on his face.' First Fusiliers held a memorial service for him before they went on deployment. L/Cpl Prince had just transferred and was about to go on deployment to Canada. Hundreds of his fellow soldiers stood in the courtyard to pay tribute to their colleague. First Fusiliers said: 'A dedicated medic, with a lust for life and helping others, he will be sorely missed as a member of the Fusilier Family.' CJI Bobde said the Supreme Court has directed the Centre to prioritise its system for expeditiously dealing with the crisis, providing food, shelter. Chief Justice of India (CJI) SA Bobde on Monday said that the Supreme Court has given proper directions to the Centre to provide food, shelter, psychological counselling and other basic necessities to the needy people during the lockdown. We have given proper directions to the Central government to provide food, shelter, psychological counselling and other basic necessities to the needy people during this COVID-19 lockdown, CJI Bobde told reporters here. He said that the judiciary is doing whatever it can at this time of crisis. It is up to the executive to decide how it can handle the situation effectively, as far as deploying money, relief materials and volunteers are concerned. It should ensure how speedily it can handle the crisis with a humane angle. The executive should thereby prioritise its system for expeditiously dealing with the crisis, CJI Bobde said. Dispelling concerns of people not having access to justice, the CJI said that the number of cases filed in the Supreme Court has in fact increased during the lockdown. In January 2020, there were 205 cases filed daily in Supreme Court. But in April, 305 cases have been filed through e-filing, which indicates that there is an increase of filing of cases during this lockdown period, the CJI said. Miscreants are not committing crimes. The crime rate has come down and at the same time the police action against the violators has also reduced, he added. Talking about the apex court hearings during the lockdown, the CJI said that the video conferencing proceedings are here to stay, however, he added that it will not entirely replace the court hearings. CJI Bobde said that human lives are precious and that the executive cant allow the lives of citizens to be endangered. If that happens, the court will intervene and restore peoples rights, he added. For all the latest National News, download NewsX App The Arab League said Monday it will convene an urgent virtual meeting this week to discuss how to galvanise opposition to Israeli plans to annex parts of the occupied West Bank. The extraordinary meeting -- scheduled for Thursday at the request of the Palestinian leadership -- will bring together Arab foreign ministers via video conference, rather than a face-to-face meeting, due to the global coronavirus pandemic. The Arab League's deputy secretary Hossam Zaki said the ministers will "discuss in their virtual meeting providing political, legal and financial support to the Palestinian leadership to confront the Israeli plans". It comes after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his political rival Benny Gantz signed a deal for a unity government that could accelerate the premier's plans to annex parts of the West Bank in the coming months. Those Israeli plans -- while subject to caveats, including the need to maintain "regional stability" and uphold the peace agreement with Jordan -- have drawn wide criticism including from the United Nations and the European Union. Arab League chief Ahmed Ahmed Aboul Gheit had last week sent a message to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres warning against Israel's plans saying they risk "igniting tension in the region". He also accused Israel of "exploiting the world's preoccupation with the novel coronavirus to impose a new reality on the ground". Israel occupied the West Bank in the 1967 Six-Day War and has since extended its control by expanding its settlements there. On Wednesday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said a decision regarding the annexation of West Bank territories was up to Israel's new unity government. Earlier this year, the US unveiled a controversial Middle East peace plan that would allow Israel to retain control of the contested city of Jerusalem as its "undivided capital" and annex Jewish settlements on Palestinian lands including in the West Bank. Arab states rejected Trump's plan, saying it favoured Israel and failed to grant Palestinians their minimum rights. The Palestinians as well as the European Union have likewise criticised the plan, saying it effectively closes the door to a two-state solution in the Middle East. Search Keywords: Short link: Guwahati/Shillong/Agartala, April 27 : Most northeastern states are for extending the nationwide lockdown beyond May 3 with relaxations in economic activities and public services in 'green zones'. After the meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi via video link, on Monday the Chief Ministers of eight N-E states tweeted their views vowing to strengthen the collective fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. Later, officials of several N-E states told echoed the Chief Ministers over phone to to IANS. Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh tweeted the need for collective effort of the states and the Centre and possible relaxation in 'green zones' was discussed with the Prime Minister. Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma tweeted: "At the video conference, we proposed to continue with the lockdown post-May 3 with relaxations in activities in 'green zones' in Meghalaya." According to a release by the Meghalaya Chief Minister's Office, Sangma suggested the Prime Minister the Meghalaya model of "rapid response system". In this, on detection of a Covid-19 case the health administration and the police initiate steps within specified time-frame. The rapid response system would enable the government to work at micro level, like the panchayat institutions, and gear up for the future, it added. Meghalaya has reported 12 nCoV positive cases. Of this, 11 are active and one person, a senior doctor, died. Two districts have been categorised 'red zones'. During the day, the Meghalaya government eased several curbs, like sale of essential goods, use of courier services for them, online sale of essential commodities, except for Shillong and in the Mylliem block of the East Khasi Hills district. Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal hailed the Prime Minister for his leadership in this trying times in his tweet. Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb tweeted, "Took part in the video conference, noted the instructions given by the PM to strengthen our fight against Covid-19." After the video conference, Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu tweeted that the doubling rate had slowed to 9.1 days. Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio in his tweet said discussed with the Prime Minister and the Chief Ministers future course of action to tackle Covid-19. Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga said: "I talked about actions taken by our state and the discipline and cooperation of people." Four of the eight N-E states are free from coronavirus and its spread has been tamed in other four states. Of the 54 cases detected in 7 of the 8 N-E states, excluding Sikkim, there are only 20 active cases -- seven in Assam, 11 in Meghalaya and one in Mizoram, besides a 33-year-old trader from Dimapur, Nagaland, undergoing treatment at the Guwahati Medical College and Hospital since April 12. Two people, a senior doctor in Meghalaya and a 65-years-old Covid-19 patient, died. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 27) President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday slammed the doors shut on peace talks with communist rebels, saying the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) "does not respect" its own pledge to carry out a ceasefire. There are no more peace talks to talk about. I am not and will never be ready for any round of talks, the President said in a taped address. This decision came following reports of two Philippine Army soldiers allegedly being gunned down by members of the New People's Army (NPA) in Aurora Province last Tuesday. The slain soldiers, identified as Pfc. Ken Lester Sasapan and Pfc. Jackson Mallari, were reportedly guarding the distribution of aid to COVID-19 affected communities. It is a sad thing to know na 'yung mga sundalo ko pinagpapatay [that my soldiers are being killed], while even doing the most honorable task of accompanying the government workers delivering money and food, Duterte said. The NPA and the Communist Party of the Philippines have no respect either for their spoken words or in their deeds of killing soldiers who are on humanitarian missions, he added. On April 16, the CPP declared the extension of its nationwide ceasefire to April 30, citing the need to prioritize the fight against the pandemic. It has ordered its armed wing, the NPA, to continue to desist and cease from carrying out offensives against government forces, in order to shift priority to the anti-COVID-19 campaign. The government's ceasefire declaration, meanwhile, lapsed last April 15. Duterte has not yet reciprocated CPP's extension, with Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque citing incidents wherein the rebels supposedly breached their own ceasefire order. In a previous address, President Duterte also announced the possibility of declaring a nationwide martial law should the alleged lawlessness of the guerrillas continue. I am warning everybody and putting notice to the armed forces and the police. I might declare martial law, he said in an address aired last Friday. READ: Duterte threatens to declare martial law if 'lawlessness' of NPA continues In response to the possible move, CPP said in a statement that Duterte is taking advantage of the coronavirus crisis to carry out the agenda of imposing martial law. It added that the government is just using pretend Covid-19 relief work as a pretext and justification for intensifying its anti-NPA operations. According to CPP, the Armed Forces of the Philippines even stepped up its counterinsurgency operations. In fact, the AFP never went on ceasefire, even when Duterte ordered a suspension of offensive operations last March 19 to April 15, it said. (Newser) Willie Robertson of Duck Dynasty fame says a drive-by shooting targeted his Louisiana home Friday afternoon. Eight to 10 shots were fired into the West Monroe estate from the road, including one that went through a bedroom window, but nobody was hurt. "We were pretty shook up," Robertson said in an interview with USA Today Network cited by the Monroe News-Star. "It looks like they were just spraying bullets across my property." By Sunday, a suspect had been arrested, the newspaper reports. story continues below Daniel King Jr., 38, was booked into jail on charges of aggravated assault by drive-by shooting and criminal neglect of family. The estate is set far back from the road and is behind a fence and gate. Robertson says many members of his family are living there during the coronavirus pandemic. (Read more Duck Dynasty stories.) Weve known all along we had more oil than we could burn, if we took climate change seriously, Middlebury College professor and climate activist Bill McKibben said in an email. And now were in a moment when we have more oil than we could possibly use. The answer seems to me to be clear: keep it safely in the ground. Forever. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Apr. 27 By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend: Export of grains and legumes from Turkey to Turkmenistan increased by almost 46.2 percent from January through March 2020 compared to the same period of 2019, making up over $6.9 million, Turkeys Ministry of Trade told Trend on April 27. Turkeys export of grains and legumes to Turkmenistan amounted to $2.5 million in March 2020, which is 30.2 percent more compared to March 2019. From January through March 2020, Turkey exported grains and legumes worth $1.8 billion to world markets, which is 5.8 percent more compared to the same period of 2019. According to the ministry, Turkey's export of these products made up 4.2 percent of the countrys total export in the 1st quarter of 2020. In March 2020, Turkey exported grains and legumes worth $633.4 million to world markets, which is 7.9 percent more than in the same month of 2019. Turkeys export of grains and legumes in March 2020 made up 4.7 percent of the countrys total export. Over the last 12 months, i.e. from March 2019 through March 2020, Turkey exported grains and legumes worth $6.8 billion. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu 'Duck Dynasty' star Willie Robertsons estate sprayed with bullets in drive-by shooting Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Willie Robertson, star of the iconic "Duck Dynasty" reality television series, was left shaken Friday after his estate in West Monroe, Louisiana, where many of his family members are also staying, was sprayed with bullets in a drive-by shooting. "We were pretty shook up," Robertson said in a Sunday interview with USA TODAY Network. "It looks like they were just spraying bullets across my property." Robertson told the News Star that about eight to 10 shots were fired from the road into his gated estate. One of the shots went through the bedroom window of the home where his son, John Luke Robertson, lives with his wife, Mary Kate McEachern, and their infant child. No one in the Robertson family, however, was injured. The Ouachita Parish Sheriffs Office has since arrested West Monroe resident Daniel King Jr., 38, in connection with the shooting. He has been charged with one count of aggravated assault by drive-by shooting and one count of criminal neglect of family. His bond was set at $150,000. Police say they responded to a report of someone shooting from a vehicle in the 3300 block of Arkansas Road in West Monroe at approximately 2:30 p.m. Friday. Witnesses described seeing a white over brown or beige Ford F-250 with large aftermarket tires and rims being driven by suspects during the attack, according to USA today. Before shots were fired at 2:33 p.m., the truck had passed by the property at least once, Robertson said. "It was broad daylight," Robertson said, noting that he believes the suspects were well aware they were shooting at his property. "I'm 100% certain, but I don't know why," he said. Robertson explained that while many of his extended family members are currently living on his estate during the pandemic, thankfully, no one was outside when the shooting took place. "Nobody was outside at the time, but everybody had been out about five minutes before," Robertson said. "I had just gone to the store when it happened." In 2013, Duck Dynasty became the most watched reality show in history when a staggering 11.8 million viewers tuned in to watch the premiere of the fourth season of the backwoods reality series on A&E. It ended in 2017 after 11 seasons. Among the total number of viewers were 6.3 million "in the advertiser-preferred demographic of 25- to 54-year-olds," according to a New York Times report. "Duck Dynasty chronicled the lives of members of the Robertson family of West Monroe and their duck call making company, Duck Commander. The men of the family, brothers Phil and Si, and Phil's sons Jase, Willie, and Jep, became popular for their signature beards. Phil Robertson started the business in a family shed and spent 25 years making duck calls from Louisiana cedar trees. "The Robertsons represent a lot things we as Americans cherish," David McKillop, the general manager and executive vice president of the A&E network, told The New York Times: "self-made wealth, independence, three generations living together." US President Donald Trump on Sunday evening denied that he was going to fire Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar. In a tweet, Trump said that "Reports that H.H.S. Secretary @AlexAzar is going to be 'fired' by me" are false. The President accused the media of being "...desperate to create the perception of chaos and havoc in the minds of the public. They never even called to ask. Alex is doing an excellent job!" Azar echoed Trump's message in his own tweet thread later Sunday evening attacking the media and praising the President's coronavirus response. The pushback came after a senior administration official told CNN on Saturday that White House officials were discussing plans to replace Azar following a spate of criticism over the response to coronavirus outbreak. Any move to replace Azar would be contingent on Trump deciding to move forward, and there is currently little appetite inside the White House for a big shake up amid the coronavirus pandemic. The official stressed that nothing is imminent, but there are discussions underway at the White House about replacing Azar. Deputy White House press secretary Judd Deere told CNN on Saturday, "The Department of Health and Human Services, under the leadership of Secretary Azar, continues to lead on a number of the President's priorities. Any speculation about personnel is irresponsible and a distraction from our whole-of-government response to COVID-19." HHS spokeswoman Caitlin Oakley said on Saturday that Azar "is busy responding to a global, public health crisis and doesn't have time for palace intrigue." Still, the discussions come after Trump appointed Vice President Mike Pence, rather than Azar, as the White House's point man for coronavirus response at a rare presidential news conference. Trump had privately expressed frustration over Azar's lack of communication on key issues as the head of the White House coronavirus task force. Azar has also been at odds with Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Seema Verma, an ally of Pence's from Indiana who has been involved in the coronavirus task force briefings, the media reported. Azar, who joined the Trump administration in January 2018, served as general counsel and deputy secretary of the agency under former President George W. Bush. He then joined Eli Lilly, becoming president of Lilly USA in 2012. (ANI) Also Read: Pakistan cleric blames women's 'wrongdoing' for Coronavirus crisis Thousands of beachgoers enjoy a warm, sunny day in Huntington Beach on April 25 amid state-mandated stay-at-home orders designed to stave off the coronavirus pandemic. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) The sunshine and a yearning for freedom beckoned Christopher Sumners to the ocean. So the 31-year-old and several of his friends hit the road Sunday morning, driving from hot and dry Corona to much cooler Huntington Beach. Beneath cloudy skies, the group of six sprawled on their beach towels and chatted with one another, unconcerned by the threat of the coronavirus. Sumners believes he'll be fine as long as he continues to wash his hands, he said. I think you have better chances of winning the lottery or getting hit by a car than getting coronavirus, Sumners said. As the year's first heat wave hit California this weekend, thousands converged on Southland beaches to seek relief from record-breaking temperatures and weeks of isolation. There has been some debate over the size of the crowds and the degree to which beachgoers were able to maintain social distancing in Orange and Ventura counties, where officials have not closed beaches but have urged outsiders to stay away. Still, images of crowded beaches went viral Saturday, raising questions about whether allowing the shoreline to stay open could thwart Californias progress in slowing the virus' spread. It is also testing the strength of messaging from health officials, who insist that staying at home is the best way to "flatten the curve" and restart the economy. "I'm concerned," said John Swartzberg, an infectious disease specialist at the UC Berkeley School of Public Health. "If the people going to the beach can assure that they will remain six feet or more apart and not touch common things ... then I think it's OK. But I think the chances of that happening ... is extremely small." Some communities, including Los Angeles County and many parts of the Bay Area, have kept beaches closed. L.A. beaches were largely empty Saturday. We wont let one weekend undo a month of progress, L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti tweeted Sunday. While the sunshine is tempting, were staying home to save lives. Story continues Barbara Ferrer, director of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, has repeatedly said that beaches should stay closed to prevent an overflow of visitors who might be carrying the coronavirus. She has asked L.A. residents not to crowd the coast in neighboring counties. Communities in the Bay Area have cracked down on those who violate the rules. Last week in San Mateo County, officials ordered 275 people off Linda Mar Beach and threatened arrests and citations if people continued to violate the order. Though health experts have slightly varying opinions about the extent to which gathering in public spaces should be permitted at this point in the pandemic, most agree that people should maintain a sizable buffer between themselves and others something that can be difficult at beaches and their adjacent parking lots. Swartzberg argues that decisions to open certain spaces should be commensurate to the capacity for testing and contact tracing, so that such decisions can be scaled back if there is evidence of increased infections. "To not be prudent now is taking a chance, taking a real big risk," he said. Dr. William Schaffner, professor of preventive medicine and infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University, sees no absolute rule of thumb in terms of the right time to open beaches. Hes more concerned with how it is done. "We have to reopen," Schaffner said. "We cant stay at home and outlast the coronavirus until we get an effective vaccine. But people should be given clear and detailed guidelines for how to behave in recreational spaces like beaches, Schaffner said. For example, he said, officials need to let the public know that it is still unsafe to mingle in parking lots. And they should clarify whether people should wear masks while on the beach. Terry Tamminen, who was Gov. Arnold Schwarzeneggers secretary for environmental protection when the state was preparing for the bird flu epidemic in 2005, cautioned against reopening beaches before health officials understand the full extent of infections and have "adequately prepared hospital infrastructure for any future waves. It seems like SoCal has managed much better than NYC or other places whose systems and health workers were totally overwhelmed by the pandemic, so at least we can conclude that our infrastructure is in decent shape for whatever is next, he said in an email. But first responders in California still need time to recover from the first wave, Tamminen cautioned. Any activity that might hasten the arrival of a second wave "wouldn't be the best idea," he said. The number of deaths in L.A. County doubled over the last week to nearly 900, prompting health officials to urge residents to stay home whenever possible. The pandemic has not hit all of California equally. In neighboring Orange County, 39 people had died from COVID-19 complications as of Sunday. Polls have found wide support for the stay-at-home order among Californians. Among those polled for a recent California Health Care Foundation/Ipsos survey , 75% wanted the order to continue as long as needed. Only 11% wanted to stop the stay-at-home order, while 13% had no opinion. Yet the ocean beckoned many as the mercury rose. Authorities in Ventura and Orange counties kept a number of beach parking lots closed and were out in force attempting to impose social distancing rules. On Sunday morning, dozens of surfers rode the waves at Huntington Beach as others played on the sand. A mother kept watch over young boys digging holes with a shovel near the shore, while several teenagers flopped onto boogie boards. Few wore protective face masks. Eva Sanchez sat on a beach towel with her husband, Jorge, 21, and their 7-month-old baby, Mateo. They kept their distance from others gathered on the sand. I wanted to get out of the house for a little bit, said Sanchez, 20. She and her family were armed with hand sanitizer and were careful about what they touched. I believe Im taking my precautions, practicing social distancing, constantly washing our hands, she said. So Im not that scared." 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' India sees record surge in COVID-19 infections for second time in 3 days India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Apr 27: For the second time in the past three days the number of COVID-19 cases surged to a new daily record. 1,975 new infections are reported on Sunday. This is 223 more than the highest 24-hour spike of 1,752 infections that were reported on Friday evening. The country-wide number of cases have claimed to 26,917 while the death toll rose to 826. Since Saturday night, India has reported 47 deaths. Coronavirus positive cases in India rises to 26,496; Death toll at 824 Health Minister, Dr Harsh Vardhan said that the situation is improving as many hotspots have turned into non-hotspots. The Minister visited All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Trauma Centre to take stock of the preparedness to overcome Covid-19, a statement from the ministry said. During his visit, he spoke to some Covid-19 positive people through video calling and enquired about their health. Robots handled the technology at the patients' end, it said. Vardhan also sought their feedback about the facilities available at AIIMS so that necessary improvements can be made, the statement said. "Through a graded, pre-emptive and pro-active approach, the Government of India is taking several steps along with the states/UTs for prevention, containment and management of Covid-19. These are being regularly reviewed and monitored at the highest level," the ministry said. After a detailed review, Vardhan appreciated AIIMS for ensuring 24X7 monitoring of Covid-19 confirmed and suspected patients using digital platforms, video and voice call technologies. He also urged the people to observe lockdown in letter and spirit and to treat it as an effective intervention to cut down the spread of Covid-19. "The situation is improving in India as Hot Spot Districts (HSD) are moving towards being Non Hot Spot Districts (NHSD)," the Minister said. Meanwhile, the cabinet secretary had a detailed video conferencing with chief secretaries and DGPs of states and Union Territories (UTs) to review the preparedness for Covid-19 response. Vardhan asserted that states with high viral load should focus on effective implementation of lockdown measures and containment strategy. WHO warns over coronavirus immunity as global death toll nears 200,000 "They also need to focus on medical infrastructure like adequate availability of isolation beds, ICU beds and ventilators," he said. As of now, 5,804 people have been cured of coronavirus with a recovery rate of 21.90 per cent in the country, the ministry said. The Securities and Exchange Commission today charged William Batchelor and John Zukoski with misleading investors who purchased $25.54 million in bonds issued on behalf of Tri-Valley Learning Corporation, which operated two public charter schools. According to the SEC's complaint, in May 2015, Batchelor, Tri-Valley's then Chief Executive Officer, and Zukoski, Tri-Valley's then Director of Finance, helped prepare and signed a bond offering document to fund the purchase and renovation of a building to house the schools. The complaint states that Batchelor and Zukoski were aware that Tri-Valley was experiencing serious cash flow problems that negatively affected its ability to make debt service payments on the bonds, was delinquent on payments owed to vendors, had incurred additional debt in the form of a private term loan that was overdue by nearly one year, and had drawn a bank line of credit to its limit just prior to the bond sale. However, the offering document allegedly failed to disclose that Tri-Valley was in serious financial distress at the time the bonds were sold and contained misleading financial projections. Additionally, the complaint alleges that, despite knowing the true state of Tri-Valley's financial condition, Batchelor and Zukoski signed separate certifications that the information in the offering document contained no material misrepresentations or omissions. The SEC's complaint, filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, charges Batchelor and Zukoski with violating the antifraud provision of Section 17(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933. Without admitting or denying the allegations in the complaint, Batchelor and Zukoski agreed to be enjoined from future violations of the charged provision and from participating in future municipal debt offerings. Batchelor agreed to pay a $20,000 penalty and Zukoski agreed to pay a $15,000 penalty. The settlements are subject to court approval. The SEC's investigation was conducted by Brian P. Knight and Creighton Papier of the Public Finance Abuse Unit with assistance from trial counsel Brent Smyth. The investigation was supervised by Jason H. Lee. Prime Minister Narendra Modi told chief ministers on Monday to focus on a graded exit from the national lockdown from May 3 and plan for a step-by-step revival of economic activity in green zones that havent reported Covid-19 cases. PM Modi, who was speaking at his fourth interaction via video conference with chief ministers on the Covid-19 challenge, underlined that the country had to think of the way ahead, beyond May 3, when the second round of the national lockdown ends. The states should strictly enforce the lockdown guidelines in the hotspots, or the red zone areas, and focus on converting them into orange zones - areas with a few Covid-19 cases - and thereafter to green zones. Watch | PM Modi discusses lockdown exit strategy with CMs: All the key details Apart from a graded exit from the lockdown, PM Modi outlined his governments thinking on reviving the economy, the plan to evacuate Indians stranded abroad, the condition of migrant workers and stressed that fighting Covid-19 was a collective responsibility. India had gone into a complete lockdown mode on March 25 to prevent the coronavirus disease from spreading. The lockdown brought economic activity to a grinding halt, and put a lid on consumption that powers the economy. PM Modi renewed the lockdown on April 14 but this time, started easing the restrictions to revive economic activity. But the lockdown had saved lives, PM Modi told the chief ministers. Many countries, much smaller than India, had lost many more lives in the pandemic. But he cautioned that the danger of the virus is far from over in India. Instead, the prime minister asked states to consolidate their gains and at the same time, revive economic activity. But you should ensure that there is no casual attitude towards the virus, he told them. Meghalaya chief minister Conrad Sangma summarised PM Modis message, saying that even as the lockdown is relaxed from May 3, the entire mindset of the lockdown should continue. PM Modi also hinted that the government might look at certain reforms that had been held up earlier. We have to be brave and bring in reforms that touch the lives of common citizens, he said. PM Modi did not elaborate on the reforms that he had in mind. PM Modi also underlined the plight of migrant workers and asked chief ministers to take special care of workers from other states and ease their hardship. The government has been reluctant to facilitate the return of millions of migrant workers on grounds that mass travel can take the infection to unaffected areas. Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thakceray has repeatedly asked for special trains to be run to let the migrant workers return home. Some other states have offered to run buses. PM Modi didnt rule out the Centres approval but appeared to message that states should assess how they would be able to run the factories and industrial units in the absence of the migrant workers. The prime minister also indicated that the Centres evacuation plan for Indians stranded abroad was on track. Since Indian citizens stuck abroad would have to be placed in quarantine centres immediately on their return, the Centre has made it clear that this plan would depend heavily on the ability of states to accommodate them at quarantine centres and hospitals. This, PM Modi said, had to be done keeping in mind that the citizens dont get inconvenienced on their return and their families are not under any risk. PM Modi, who has more than once spoken of the crucial role played by state governments in fighting Covid-19, underscored that it was the collective responsibility of the Centre, states and people to stop the virus from spreading. If one state goes down, it will take the entire country down, he said. The remark came against the backdrop of West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjees faceoff with the Union home ministry over the visit of a central team to her state. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Mon, April 27, 2020 12:05 625 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd472568 2 News bali-island,Instagram,social-media,travel,Tourlane Free At a time when paradisiacal beaches have never seemed so inaccessible, in all likelihood Bali is still figuring large in many peoples daydreams. The Indonesian destination has the distinction of being the island with the largest number of hashtags on Instagram, according to a ranking established by the travel agent Tourlane and published this week. In this time of lockdown, do you sometimes find yourself dreaming of islands? Theres nothing like the innocent pleasure of imagining a beach of white sand on the shores of a turquoise lagoon. But which island comes to mind before all the others? For many of you the answer is probably Bali, at least it should be given its popularity on social networks. The island has no less than 60,473,066 mentions on Instagram. Read also: Bali named eighth 'most Instagrammable place' in world Tour operator Tourlane has gone to the trouble of creating a ranking of the island destinations that are most popular on the social network. Only islands that are not sovereign nations were considered eligible for inclusion in the ranking, while those with fewer than 100,000 hashtags were automatically excluded. The good news for Europeans is that once the lockdown is over, many of them will be able to embark on a trip to their island destination of choice without having to board a long-haul flight. In fact, 26 of the 50 most-Instagrammed islands are located in Europe, with seven featuring in the top ten: Ibiza (Spain) ranked 2nd, Sicily (Italy) 3rd, Mallorca (Spain) 4th, Tenerife (Spain) 6th, Sardinia (Italy) 7th, Santorini (Greece) 9th and Corsica (France) 10th. Free open source hardware and 3D printing could help to alleviate the burden of Covid-19 on global health systems, according to scientists at the University of Sussex. In a study publishing April 24, 2020 in the open access journal PLOS Biology, Professor Tom Baden and Andre Chagas at the University of Sussex, and co-authors from the University of Cambridge and the Francis Crick Institute, have suggested that this could be a viable option to provide our health services with the tools and equipment they so desperately need. Free and open source hardware (FOSH) follows an ethos where blueprints for a tool are made freely available so that anyone can study, learn, modify, customize and commercialize them. The new study provides an overview of the blueprints which are currently available free online and which could be used to help in the fight against coronavirus, focusing on personal protective equipment, ventilators and diagnostic test kits. Although some of the designs still need to be tested, many others have already received suitable verification, having been published in peer-reviewed papers. The authors therefore believe that FOSH should be seriously considered as a method of quickly providing equipment where it's needed. Tom Baden said: Now is the time that open hardware could really shine and it's so important that we get on board quickly. Previous studies and experiences have shown that free and open source hardware is a brilliant option in disaster situations. Designs can be shared globally, it has typically lower implementation costs than mass manufacturing and it can be easily adapted to meet local resources. But the real power and the way this could really help to tackle Covid-19 is that once a tool has been designed and tested, anyone can build it. This bypasses the traditional manufacturing and distribution routes and means that it can become a community driven endeavour where anyone with the capacity to do so can help to produce much-needed equipment and supplies for the healthcare services." The paper describes existing FOSH designs from simple tools like DIY facemasks to 3D printed valves which can regulate airflow in ventilator tubes. Others are far more complex, including state-of-the-art scientific instruments for diagnostics, such as an automated pipetting robot, plate readers and a range of other medical tools and supplies. But for those unverified designs, testing and approval can be a lengthy process. Author Andre Chagas said: "One thing governments could do right now, is to figure out a process in which we can legitimately fast-track the testing and certification of tools which are in short supply." For instance, in Spain a group is already testing their ventilator designs with support from the government. While each country will have different rules and certifications to meet, this is a crucial moment for us to get together and figure out a single set of certification so that implementation can move faster." Andre Chagas, Study Co-Author, University of Sussex Prof. Tom Baden added: "If governments can support this through financial support to ramp up production of the best tools, that would be incredibly useful right now. "But asides from financial support, we also need support from those who actually know about the use of these tools, rather than just their design. To make this equipment properly and safely, we don't just need tech-savvy people building it. We need people in the healthcare sector who know how these tools should work and can actually test them. These people should contact ongoing products to see if they can help." A Swedish backpacker has dared police to arrest her for sunbathing on a beach in violation of coronavirus lockdown. Linn Clark posted a video of herself sneakily catching some rays on the Gold Coast and whinged that she needed to watch out for police. 'This is where we're at right now in Australia, I have to have a look around me when I'm sunbathing so there's no cops arresting me on the Gold Coast,' she said. 'Arrest me, for sunbathing? That's... what the... what?' Linn Clark (pictured right, with a friend in her hostel on the Gold Coast) dared police to arrest her for sunbathing on a beach in violation of coronavirus lockdown Ms Clark added the tag 'give me a fine 1200Audollar' over the top of the video, which was posted to TikTok last week. The traveller was scolded by her fans who told her to go home and sunbathe in her backyard, and to take the lockdown seriously. Queensland last month banned non-essential activities like sunbathing, only allowing beaches to be open for exercise. Gold Coast's beaches were closed several weekends when too many people flocked to them during warm weather. Ms Clark has had little to do since the restaurant she was working at was shut down by the first round of restrictions on March 23. Ms Clark posted a video of herself sneakily catching some rays on the Gold Coast and whinged that she needed to watch out for police She posted many other trips to the beach since the lockdown began and filmed herself twerking with a friend at their hostel. The young woman also complained about not being able to holiday in Amsterdam on her way home to Sundsvall in central Sweden later this year. Instead, she and several friends are planning a roadtrip up the Queensland coast starting next week, which would fly in the face of travel restrictions. Ms Clark's home country of Sweden is much less restrictive with pubs and restaurants still open in an attempt to achieve herd immunity. The controversial strategy is in contrast to lockdowns across Europe that are even stricter than Australia. Ms Clark posted many other trips to the beach since the lockdown began and filmed herself twerking with a friend at their hostel Backpackers across Australia have been accused of ignoring rules by throwing parties in hostels or rented apartments and spreading coronavirus. Queensland will from Friday lift some of its restrictions, including making Ms Clark's sunbathing enthusiasm legal. Residents will be freed to go for a drive, sit at the beach, have a picnic, visit a national park and shop for non-essential items. Drivers must remain within 50km of their home, but will be able to eat takeaway food outside and sit at the beach. President Donald Trumps critics pound the same drum daily: He waited too long to take COVID-19 seriously. He responded too slowly. Many Americans are saying the exact same thing about you, CBS News impertinent correspondent Weijia Jiang sassed the president Sunday. You should have warned them the virus was spreading like wildfire through the month of February instead of holding rallies with thousands of people. In fact, Trumps actions below confirm that he energetically fought the virus in January and February. But how much warning did Americans get from Democrats who want to unseat Trump? Across multiple televised showdowns, while the pandemic grew, those who crave his job stayed mum about COVID-19. Rather than focus public attention on this outbreak, they wallowed in debate-stage navel-gazing. CNN hosted a Democrat face-off at Iowas Drake University on January 14. A week earlier, Trumps Centers for Disease Control issued a travel notice on Wuhan, China, and launched its Coronavirus Incident Management System. Regardless, neither a warning about nor a mention of the coronavirus passed the lips of former vice president Joe Biden or senators Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, Bernie Sanders of Vermont, or Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts. Instead, they discussed such matters as Iran, Iraq, fracking, and whether a woman could get elected president. A week earlier, Trumps Centers for Disease Control issued a travel notice on Wuhan, China, and launched its Coronavirus Incident Management System. Regardless, neither a warning about nor a mention of the coronavirus passed the lips of former vice president Joe Biden or senators Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, Bernie Sanders of Vermont, or Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts. Instead, they discussed such matters as Iran, Iraq, fracking, and whether a woman could get elected president. ABC staged a February 7 debate in Manchester, New Hampshire. The World Health Organization already had declared COVID-19 a global pandemic. Trump had restricted arrivals from China (one day after the WHOs finding), addressed the disease in his State of the Union, and dispatched top aides to brief members of Congress. Nonetheless, these White House wannabes never raised this illness. Instead, Sanders and Biden parried over Medicare for All. They agreed on this: We have a racist society from top to bottom, Sanders declared. That is that we, in fact, there is systematic racism, Biden concurred. Story continues Democrats debated February 19, in Las Vegas. NBC presided. Days earlier, the Trump Administration briefed the National Governors Association on COVID-19 and recruited Sanofi Pasteur and a division of Johnson & Johnson to develop vaccines and treatments. Nevertheless, these potential Democrat nominees dared not speak this virus name. Instead, three weeks into this international contagion, Warren cut former New York City mayor Mike Bloomberg down to size. Biden and Klobuchar boasted about their knowledge of Mexico and its leaders. And Sanders discussed his three homes. Not until the February 25 debate in Charleston, South Carolina, did these pretenders to the presidency even say coronavirus. What a missed opportunity. Imagine if Senator Klobuchar had told an earlier debate: I represent 3M, one of Americas leading safety-gear makers. The former Minnesota Manufacturing and Mining Company is headquartered in St. Paul. I spoke this afternoon with its CEO, Mike Roman. I told him, Prepare for COVID-19! He accepted my suggestion and immediately will triple production of N95 masks, which our medical personnel and first responders soon will need in huge numbers. Senator Warren could have said, I invited the chiefs of Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Biogen, and other healthcare institutions that I represent. They joined my new Emergency Committee on COVID-19. I will stay in close touch with them and make their ideas famous as we fight this new plague. Viewers could have seen Senator Sanders say: I challenged Vermonts small businesses to help defeat COVID-19. Mad River Distillers in Waitsfield is redirecting its whiskey-making gear to produce hand sanitizer. Inntopia in Stowe works with ski resorts. They launched Goggles for Docs, to provide eye protection for medical workers. I will spotlight such fine Vermont companies that are battling this global disease. Imagine if former vice president Biden announced, On my invitation, Dick Cheney, Al Gore, Dan Quayle, and Walter Mondale have agreed to join my Former Vice Presidents Committee to Crush COVID-19. We have offered the Trump administration our collective experience and individual contacts to assist this enormous national effort. I will spearhead this small, but influential, bipartisan group. We start tomorrow morning. These fictional scenarios assume Democratic leadership something seldom seen in that partys presidential debates . . . or elsewhere in the War on COVID-19. COVID-19 survivor Timothy Furey contributed research to this opinion piece. More from National Review Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi on Monday endorsed former vice president Joe Biden's 2020 White House bid, calling the presumptive Democratic nominee a leader who is the "personification of hope, courage" and can help America out of the coronavirus crisis. Pelosi, in a prerecorded video, said that Biden has been a voice of reason and resilience. "As we face coronavirus, Joe has been a voice of reason and resilience, with a clear path to lead us out of this crisis, the 80-year-old California Democrat was quoted as saying by the Washington Post. With the two key endorsements, decks are now clear for a direct contest between Biden, 77 and the 73-year-old incumbent President Donald Trump, who is seeking re-election in the November 2020 presidential polls. "Today, I am proud to endorse Joe Biden for President of the United States because he will be an extraordinary President. He knows how to get the job done," Pelosi said in the video. Citing his work on the Affordable Care Act and Cancer Moonshot programme, Pelosi said Biden has "been with us every step of the way to protect American's quality affordable health care." "For these and other reasons, I am proud to endorse Joe Biden for President, a leader who is the personification of hope and courage, values authenticity and integrity," she said. Her endorsement follows former President Barack Obama, former Vice President Al Gore, Senator Bernie Sanders and Senator Elizabeth Warren , among others, in backing Biden in taped testimonials, the New York Post reported. Pelosi has earlier alleged that the Trump administration has failed in handling the coronavirus crisis. Last week, she said that, "Frankly, I don't pay that much attention to the president's tweets against me. As I've said, he's a poor leader. He's always trying to avoid responsibility and assign blame." The number of COVID-19 cases in the US are more than 965,000 and 54,877 deaths have been reported. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The head of the World Health Organization warned on Monday that the new coronavirus pandemic was far from over and said that he was "deeply concerned" about the impact of the disruption of normal health services, especially on children. "The pandemic is far from over," said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, adding that the body was concerned about increasing trends in Africa, eastern Europe, Latin America and some Asian countries. "We have a long road ahead of us and a lot of work to do," he said. He added that shortages of vaccines against other diseases were being reported in 21 countries as a result of border restrictions linked to the pandemic, citing the GAVI global vaccine alliance. "The number of malaria cases in sub-Saharan Africa could double," he said. "That doesn't have to happen, we are working with countries to support them." The leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu is dead, controversial journalist, Kemi Olunloyo has said. Naija News reports that the news of Nnamdi Kanus death first emerged on the micro-blogging site, Twitter last week when Miss Olunloyo tweeted that the IPOB leader was dead and had been cremated in Italy. However, a day after the tweet, Olunloyo took to Twitter again to retract her claims, saying she confirmed from Femi Fani-Kayode, a former Nigerian Minister who is Nnamdi Kanus ally, that the IPOB leader is hale and hearty and not dead as earlier claimed by her. Naija News had reported earlier that Kanu delivered a live broadcast on Sunday on Radio Biafra, where he accused the people in Aso Rock and Chinese doctors of being responsible for the deaths in Kano state, northern Nigeria. I said, right now people are dying in Kano, the people to hold responsible are the people in Aso Rock. People are dying now in their numbers in the North. Before the Chinese came, were people dying like this? The IPOB leader asked. Reacting to the live broadcast, Olunloyo insisted that Nnamdi Kanu is dead and that person that spoke as the IPOB leader during the live broadcast on Radio Biafra on Sunday, was physically in Nigeria doing his voice over. The controversial journalist tweeted: Nnamdi Kanu has died and gone. The person on a radio/video show yesterday didnt have to hide their face. That person was physically in Nigeria doing his voice over. As a broadcaster, I can do voices of many public figures. Nnamdi Kanu has died and gone. The person on a radio/video show yesterday didnt have to hide their face. That person was physically in Nigeria doing his voice over. As a broadcaster, I can do voices of many public figures. #RIPNnamdiKanu Medical Journalist Dr. Kemi Olunloyo (@KemiOlunloyo) April 27, 2020 She added hours later: I dont spread unverified news. I dont spread unverified news.#RIPNnamdiKanu Dr Kemi Omololu-Olunloyo (@JayBlaze2411) April 27, 2020 Share this post with your Friends on Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-27 21:42:15|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Beijing will soon ban the catering industry from voluntarily offering disposable tableware to customers. A catalog jointly formulated by several of the city's government organs will take effect on May 1. According to the catalog, the disposable tableware includes chopsticks, spoons, knives and forks. For food delivery platforms, if the customers do not tick for disposable tableware, it will be viewed as an indication that they don't need disposable tableware. Enditem Chinese police arrested three people on suspicion of publishing censored articles, the brother of one has told Reuters news agency (Yifan Ding/Getty Images) Chinese police have detained three people after they contributed to an online archive of censored articles about the coronavirus outbreak, say family members. Two men, Chen Mei and Cai Wei, and Cais girlfriend Tang have not been in touch with family since 19 April when they were arrested in Beijing, Chen Mei's brother Chen Kun told the Reuters news agency. Cai was held on charges of "picking quarrels and stirring up trouble" an accusation often used against political activists in China. Chen Kun said he did not know what charges, if any, his brother was held on. Tang was held on similar charges, Chen Kun said, although it is not known if she was directly involved in the archive project. A newspaper stand is seen closed during the usually busy evening rush hours in the central business district in Beijing, China. (Kevin Frayer/Getty Images) Chen Meis family has not received any formal notice from the police an officer said only that he was "co-operating with an investigation", his brother said. The friends were volunteers with a project called Terminus2049, an open-source archive that keeps records of censored articles from Chinese media on coding platform Github. Over the past few months the project has been making records of articles on the coronavirus outbreak, which originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan late last year. For a short time after the outbreak there was a window of openness for China's online media to report on the virus, but that ended in February as censors stepped in to shut WeChat groups, delete social media posts, and tighten controls on the domestic media. Many people who are active online, however, found ways to share information. Many people believe coronavirus originated in Wuhan's 'wet markets' in late 2019. (Hector Retamal/AFP) The articles gathered on Terminus2049 touch on topics that can be seen as sensitive, including when human-to-human transmission of the new coronavirus was discovered. The archive was among those that kept in circulation a profile report on a Wuhan doctor and whistleblower, Ai Fen, that went viral as people translated it in various forms including into Braille, Morse code and even Klingon in defiance of the censors. Ai was reprimanded in January for sharing information about the outbreak. Story continues Latest coronavirus news, updates and advice Live: Follow all the latest updates from the UK and around the world Fact-checker: The number of COVID-19 cases in your local area 6 charts and maps that explain how coronavirus is spreading Last week it emerged that three-quarters of Britons blame the Chinese government for allowing coronavirus to spread to the UK. Cabinet minister Michael Gove also appeared to lay the blame for the UKs lack of mass testing for COVID-19 on China. Some of Chinas reports on the virus were unclear about the scale, nature and infectiousness of the disease, Gove told the BBCs Andrew Marr at the end of March. It was the case [that] the first case of coronavirus in China was established in December of last year, but it was also the case that some of the reporting from China was not clear about the scale, the nature, the infectiousness of this, Gove said. Donald Trump has referred to coronavirus as 'the Chinese virus'. (Olivier Douliery / AFP) Donald Trump has also blamed China for the pandemic, calling coronavirus the Chinese virus. The American president denied his words were racist and said: It comes from China, theres nothing not to agree. In a series of tweets Trump said: I always treated the Chinese Virus very seriously, and have done a very good job from the beginning, including my very early decision to close the borders from China against the wishes of almost all. Many lives were saved. He has also told his followers: The onslaught of the Chinese Virus is not your fault! Will be stronger than ever! Chinas foreign ministry spokesman Hua Chunying retaliated and said: It is absolutely WRONG and INAPPROPRIATE to call this the Chinese coronavirus. Coronavirus: what happened today To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account. We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription. A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means youre helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much! My hope is to accelerate the momentum we have built over the last 17 years TechCXO, a pioneer and leading provider of industry- relevant C-suite advisors, on-demand executives and outsourced functional teams, today named veteran executive Nicole Siokis as Partner, Chief Operating Officer. Ms. Siokis will help guide the firms continued nationwide growth and international expansion. She is based out of TechCXOs headquarters office in Atlanta. Nicole is a very skilled operational executive. Shes highly organized, understands how to motivate and mobilize talented people, while maintaining focus on growth and profitability, said TechCXO Managing Partner and Co-Founder Kent Elmer. Shes the perfect combination of skills for what TechCXO needs going forward. Were entering a new era of expansion and broader services, and Nicole is one of the people were relying on to help guide us. It is a pleasure to have her overseeing many of our critical operations, added TechCXO Co-Founder Mike Casey. Ms. Siokis joined TechCXO in February 2018 and has been focused on organizational structure, internal business process review, and firm profitability. In her new role, she will focus on firm growth by practice area and geography, firm profitability and new strategic initiatives. Ms. Siokis, who is a US Army combat veteran, previously served as President & Owner of the Atlanta branch for a national strategic workforce solutions firm. She was also an Associate Partner for a well-known executive search firm where she was responsible for strategic partnerships with senior business and HR leaders. In addition, she worked for a major telecommunications company based in Atlanta where she served as Director for Small Business Marketing, as well as Director for Domestic and International Carrier Relations. She is a graduate of Clemson University. (read Nicole Siokis full bio). Im truly honored. TechCXO is such a remarkable place. Its full of people who are dedicated to the success of their clients. We have such a fun, collegial environment here, too. My hope is to help accelerate the momentum that Kent, Mike and our whole team have built over the last 17 years, Ms. Siokis said. TechCXO was recently named to the Inc. 5000, the most prestigious ranking of the nation's fastest-growing private companies, for the 11th straight year. TechCXO was founded in 2003 on the premise that companies can benefit from having the best executive talent available on demand as advisors or as part-time and interim executives. Clients also have the option to outsource entire functions to TechCXO, including Finance, Sales & Marketing and IT. For most of Americas history, the idea that people over the age of 65 would voluntarily herd themselves into special communities built around their needs would have seemed absurd, even dystopian, The Japan Times reports in its article Dangers of age segregation exposed. Yet a largely voluntary movement toward segregating people by age has reached extreme levels in recent years and without receiving much attention at all. The coronavirus outbreak could put an end to it. In 1850, nearly 70 percent of individuals age 65 or older lived with their adult children. Most of the rest tended to live in close geographical proximity. As a consequence, older people were more or less evenly distributed throughout the country. This arrangement was highly functional: The elderly needed help as they aged, and children and grandchildren provided it. In return, the elderly took care of young children, and otherwise pulled their weight around the house. Home was not the only place where people of different ages mixed together in ways they are all too rare today. Prior to the 20th century, it was entirely normal to have a one-room schoolhouse catering to both teens and toddlers. When rural communities held quilting parties, everyone from young girls to elderly matrons participated side by side. Farmworkers of all ages toiled together, and armies in the U.S. Civil War threw together young boys, older men and everyone in between. This was a world with very limited age consciousness. Almost no one drew attention to their age, even on their birthdays, a ritual that took off in the 20th century. As countries like the United States industrialized, new institutions began sorting citizens into different age buckets. Most importantly, schools began catering to discrete age cohorts elementary, junior high, senior high. Much of this shift coincided with the invention of new terms to define and distinguish different age groups. The idea of middle age, for example, was a product of this shift, as was the invention of pediatrics as a field of medicine. It was perhaps inevitable that the elderly would get lumped into their own cohort, with a new field of medicine geriatrics invented to tend to their needs. Several developments fueled this trend. The first was a growing belief that older people couldnt keep up in the fast-paced, modern world of work. Mandatory retirement ages often coupled with increasingly generous pension benefits helped push workers out the door at a certain age. When Congress passed the Social Security Act in 1935, it elevated a new threshold to almost totemic significance: 65. All of this took place against a very gradual decline in the number of old people living with their children. By the 1930s, the percentage of elderly whites living with their children declined to just under 40 percent; by centurys end, it had fallen all the way to 13 percent. The mix of public and private retirement programs enabled some of the elderly to live on their own, but theres evidence that in many cases, children moved away from their parents to pursue economic opportunities, effectively abandoning the older generation. So the elderly, particularly those with retirement savings, embraced a new trend that burst onto the scene after World War II: the retirement community. It offered a model for all the big retirement communities to come. These gated communities deliberately excluded younger people. But this meant there was no need to pay taxes for schools. This movement exploded in the succeeding decades. But not everyone was wealthy enough to afford such amenities. Others werent well enough. In 1965, Congress created Medicare and Medicaid, helping finance the creation of low-budget, state-run nursing homes that increasingly warehoused the elderly. These developments led to older generations living apart from everyone else. Though this took place in other developed nations, the U.S. was particularly committed to the effort. Ultimately, the U.S. became one of the most age-segregated nations in the world. Recent research indicates that a third of Americans over the age of 55 live exclusively among people in the same age cohort. There are many reasons why this trend is problematic. A growing body of research suggests segregating people by age isnt healthy for anyone, young or old, and that it has helped fuel divisions in the nations politics: When generations live apart, political polarization follows: The 2016 election comes to mind. But these concerns, rarely articulated, havent come close to raising societal alarms. The pandemic may change that. Our most vulnerable members of society are concentrated into communities and institutions that, once infected, can easily turn into catastrophes. These are places where people live in close quarters, sharing meals, socializing and otherwise living in ways that are apt to facilitate the spread of the virus. Indeed, while much of our attention is now focused on large-scale outbreaks in cities like New York, the next wave may be dominated by a smaller, but proportionally more lethal, outbreaks throughout the nations elderly enclaves. There are signs this is already happening. Such a disaster may finally make us question why we ever thought it was a good idea to so thoroughly segregate ourselves by age. If so, something good may come of this pandemic yet. Courtney Litvak was a student at Cinco Ranch High School when she became immersed in the life of sex trafficking. Now shes been appointed to President Donald Trumps U.S. Advisory Council on Human Trafficking. Litvak came from a loving family. She was an accomplished swimmer. She lived in a safe neighborhood. She grew up in the church, and she was saving herself until marriage. Then, at the age of 18, she was being sold for sex. Litvak was a junior in high school when a series of traumatic experiences made her emotionally vulnerable. As a result, she began abusing drugs and alcohol. It didnt take long before human traffickers, operating through her fellow high school students, were able to hook into Litvaks life. Litvak was drawn into human trafficking. Her captors transported her across the country for sexual exploitation. ON HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: A sex trafficking survivor from Katy visited the White House. Heres her story. Litvaks family fought desperately to get their daughter back. In an effort to save her child, Litvaks mother, Kelly Litvak, appealed to anyone she could think of to get her daughter back. That included her representative in Congress, Rep. Michael McCaul. He has been our champion throughout all of this, Litvak said of McCaul. He was alongside my family when I was still missing, and he was praying with my family, even though hed never even met me before. In 2018, Courtney Litvak faced her trauma and began the road to recovery. Litvak was determined to do everything she could to prevent more people from falling into human trafficking and sexual exploitation. Litvak and her mother founded ChildProof America, a nonprofit dedicated to safeguarding families from sex trafficking through education. Litvak, now 21, often speaks publically about her experience in an effort to spread awareness on human trafficking. MORE FROM CLAIRE GOODMAN: Childproof America: Smartphones a gateway for predators The Litvaks stayed in contact with McCaul, and when he learned that Courtney and Kelly had formed a nonprofit dedicated to ending human trafficking, he took up their cause. Ever since I was trafficked, hes been fighting this fight with us, Litvak said. In November of 2019, Litvaks phone rang. It was Ivanka Trump, the presidents daughter and a senior White House advisor. Ivanka would be hosting an anti-human trafficking summit at the White House, and she wanted Litvak to be there. In January, Litvak stood by the presidents side as he signed an executive order that would combat human trafficking and online child exploitation by allocating more funding to anti-trafficking efforts and strengthening federal response to human trafficking. I was looking at being a completely transformed person from whom I was a year ago to standing on stage, being acknowledged by the president himself, and have him sign an executive order to help people who are lost like I once was lost, she reflected. On Friday, Litvaks phone rang again. This time it was one of the presidents aids. Ivanka had nominated Litvak for a position on the presidents advisory council, and the president had appointed her. MORNING REPORT: Get the top stories on HoustonChronicle.com sent directly to your inbox Details are still emerging as to what Litvaks official duties will be in her new role, but she knows the job will give her a platform to broaden her fight against human trafficking. I'm going to be expanding what I do through ChildProof America and raising awareness, and I'll be able to have a say in policies that we can enact, she explained. These policies will help protect people who are being impacted the most by human trafficking and make sure those who are exploiting individuals are held accountable. Litvak acknowledged that she will always suffer from the trauma of her ordeal, but her new position on the advisory council will enable her to use that struggle to save others. I will do everything that I can with this. Its beyond my wildest dreams that God could have this plan for my life a calling for my life to go through something so dark, so that I could be a light to other people, she said. Thats why I purpose my pain, and why Im so passionate about what I do. claire.goodman@chron.com Prepare for Some Bad Months From Good Shape to Reshaped? Somethings about to happen in Wyoming that hasn't been the case since statehood, back in 1890. Given the drop in oil prices, its possible that by June not a single rig will be drilling for oil there. Meanwhile, the drop in electricity demand is slowing or stalling work at coal mines in the nations largest production state.Add it all up and Wyomings government is facing a severe decline in revenues. The pessimistic scenarios looking out over a two-year period show about a 25 to 30 percent drop in revenue, says Wyoming House Speaker Steve Harshman. Thats not something anybodys ever seen.It may be unprecedented, but it may also become common. Around the country, states, cities and counties are seeing revenues fall through the floor, even as the demand for unemployment insurance and other services is rising fast. Already, furloughs and layoffs of government workers number in the thousands and budget shortfalls are being counted in the billions.Moodys Analytics, a financial research firm, projects that the shrinking economy could translate into a revenue drop for states of between $158 billion and $203 billion, or 18 to 23 percent. Thats in fiscal 2021, which begins on July 1 for most states. The variation is based on how soon the economy starts to open up. The longer it takes before people feel safe enough to congregate in offices, factories and shops, the worse the economic pain will be.On Saturday, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo released a revised financial plan that calls for cuts of $8.2 billion in aid to localities, along with a 10 percent cut in state spending, absent direct federal help. Through 2024, Cuomo said, revenues will fall short by $61 billion. Revenue in California cities will decline $6.7 billion over the next two years, mainly due to dropoffs in sales and hotel taxes, according to a League of California Cities estimate.Dan White, director of fiscal policy research at Moodys Analytics, says if the economy remains mostly frozen through the summer, it could take six to seven years for the resulting job losses to be erased, a scenario he calls unfortunately relatively plausible. Combine the revenue cuts with the increase in service demand, he says, and some states are going to see 30 to 40 percent of their budgets that need repairing.Given the magnitude of the problem, associations representing state and local governments are calling on Washington to provide anywhere from $250 billion to $500 billion in direct aid. The feds have already devoted some $180 billion to states and large cities, but those funds are dedicated to unemployment and COVID-19 response. The Treasury Department has made it clear states cant use the money to balance their budgets. Mitch McConnell , the Senate Republican leader, suggested on Wednesday that it would be better to allow states to go bankrupt (which is not legally an option) rather than bailing them out for bad fiscal management or to prop up their pensions. That may have been more a bargaining ploy than a firm position, but its clear that congressional Republicans are less eager to assist states and localities than Democrats.There are bipartisan bills in Congress that would send $500 billion to states and localities. The size and scope of any fiscal relief package wont be known until next month. But its clear states, cities and counties will struggle mightily to cut their way out of their budget problems, absent federal help. Tax increases will also be politically unpalatable in most places.No state has the financial wherewithal to make up for a prolonged loss of economic activity like weve been seeing for the last month, says Laurence Msall, president of the Civic Federation, a tax policy organization in Chicago.The upshot is that, absent federal help, state and local budgets will be in worse shape than anyone can remember.We can expect furloughs, layoffs and across-the-board cuts, says Scott Pattison, a former executive director of the National Association of State Budget Officers. In some states this will be, in percentage terms, the worst they have seen in decades.At this point, fiscal forecasts depend on economic forecasts, which in turn depend on the public health response. With the economic forecast, the virus is driving the train here and were just passengers, says White, of Moodys Analytics.For that reason, some states wont even try to write budgets for fiscal 2021 until the last possible minute, hoping at least to gain a better sense of the damage theyre dealing with. We have decided to wait until mid-June to do our budget, says Mississippi House Speaker Philip Gunn. Ive advised my members to prepare their minds for some bad months.Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp allowed more businesses to reopen on Friday, but the Legislature likely wont meet again until June 11, when it can have April revenue figures in hand. To try to go in during May would be like trying to throw darts when youre blindfolded, House Speaker David Ralston told theAttempting to predict where revenues might end up is like trying to catch a falling knife. Last month, even before many local businesses had shut down, Seattle forecast revenue shortfalls of $110 million, or 7 percent of its general fund budget. On Tuesday, Mayor Jenny Durkan said the city is now looking at shortfalls of $210 million to $300 million.Los Angeles is looking at a decline of $231 million just between now and the end of June. Its shortfall next year could be $598 million. San Francisco is projecting a shortfall of up to $1.7 billion over the next two fiscal years. New York Mayor Bill de Blasio is calling for budget cuts of at least $1.3 billion.Theres not a clear measure of where the bottom is, Msall says. This is really only the first few weeks of unprecedented stopping of state and local economies, which was necessary to stop the spread of the disease.States and local governments entered the pandemic period in good financial shape, thanks to the prolonged economic expansion. States began the year, collectively, with some $72 billion in their rainy-day funds, which amounted to a much larger percentage of their budgets than was the case prior to the Great Recession.But it still wont be enough to fill their widening budget holes. We had filled our rainy-day fund. For the current fiscal year, we were running about $200 million (in collections) over estimate, says Gunn, the Mississippi speaker.That surplus, and more, will soon be gone, he says.This is a rainy day right here, Gunn says. This is why you have a rainy-day fund.Louisiana ended fiscal 2019 with a surplus of $534 million. Given its declining revenues, not least from oil, a shortfall is inevitable. In fact, says White, the combination of declining revenues and increased spending due to COVID-19, unemployment and other costs means Louisiana could see a shortfall amounting to 40 percent of its budget. Thats so far beyond the realm of normal, you almost cant fathom it, White says.In such a scenario, layoffs and normal-range spending cuts wont be enough, especially given the need to keep funding Medicaid and the political demands to maintain funding for K-12 education.Jeffrey Sadow, a political scientist at LSU Shreveport, notes that the state patched budget problems in prior years through tax increases. That wont happen again in the most hostile legislature ever to that idea, he says.For Louisiana to put its fiscal house in order, Sadow says, the state will have to reshape itself. This may create the greatest opportunity in the states history for fundamental fiscal reform that will focus more on reducing state government than in searching for new revenues, he says. The state never will get past its budget problems until fundamental reform occurs.That points to the political question now looming in Congress and elsewhere. Do hard times mean that states and localities need to rethink their entire missions and do less with less much less or would the resulting drop in spending and employment be too great a drag on economic recovery? Not to mention the implications for delivery of services.Even the states that are really well-prepared are going to be overwhelmed by the sheer size of this thing, White says. Its not like anything weve seen before and its not something were likely to forget anytime soon. A BRIEF HISTORY OF AUSTRALIAN UNIONISM AND THE ROLE OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY Eddie Avenue, Sydney The Great Strike, 1917. WHAT IS EXPECTED OF COMMUNIST TRADE UNION ACTIVISTS? A high level of responsibility, commitment and competence is expected of communists working as trade union activists: In order to equip themselves as not only the best theoretical and political leaders of the trade unions, but also as the best practical trade unionists, militants must master the awards, as they cover their industry or factory, they must know the rule book of the union and its organisation, history, customs and practices. Only in this way can they become the best trade unionists. Sharkeys comments remain relevant although today, communist unionists must pay attention to their Enterprise Agreements as well as the Award. They must at all times make certain that they remain financial and have a good knowledge of meeting procedure. They must win the trust of their work-mates: Comrades in unions must study the conditions and problems of union members and draw up programs of demands [...]. Speaking in the union is also an art. We do not want to bore the workers with long and windy speeches or go over their heads by being too theoretical. As can be seen, there is much work needed to become a good communist union worker. The goal of the communists within the union is the never-ending task of raising the level of consciousness of workers from a purely trade union understanding to a socialist understanding. Without achieving this, much good work over many years may bring only limited results. The effective integration of Party work in an industry or workplace can be best achieved by the formation of workplace or industry Party branches. A large portion of the success achieved by communists in the trade unions is due to this type of organisation. There has not yet been a recovery from the 1960s when the then revisionist leadership of the [former] CPA deliberately disbanded many workplace branches. RANK AND FILE ACTIVITY AND ON-THE-JOB ORGANISATIONS Another feature of the activity of communists in the trade unions is the emphasis placed upon the involvement of the rank and file in the affairs of the union. Throughout its history the CPA has sought to develop the system of shop stewards committees or rank and file union committees and to integrate their activity into the structures of respective unions. This emphasis is not to exclude the role of good class-based leadership. The fact is unions are at their strongest when the relationship between militant class-based leadership and the rank and file is strong and effective. There is a unity between the two that should not be ignored. One cannot properly function without the other. They can never effectively exist without each other because a weakening of the union will result. An unfortunate aspect of the operation of some right-wing dominated unions is the non-recognition of the necessity for on-the-job organisation. This lack of recognition accompanied with an adherence to capitalist ideology presents grave problems for workers on the job. The necessity for on the job organisation under these circumstances can be the main contributing factor enabling workers to combat attacks upon their working conditions. It can be said that the organisation of workers at a job level is paramount under any circumstance. Job organisation, when not integrated into the machinery of the union, may not be as fully effective for the union but it remains the means to organise and educate workers in the struggle whenever employers attempt to take away workers conditions and rights. Right-wing leaderships that fail to see the enormous benefits and strengths that integrating rank and file organisation into the structures of the union brings about do the union movement a great disservice. The separation of rank and file organisation and activity from official union business sends a very negative message to the workers and can create the seeds of anti-union sentiment among workers. Every effort must be made by class conscious workers to see that there is a place within the union for rank and file activity and organisation. Union leaderships that deny such a role must be pressured to change their views but in doing so care must be taken by the workers not to swing to the right themselves by calling for solutions such as resigning union membership or not paying union dues. INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY The solidarity between workers of different nations is an aspect of trade unionism that is of much importance. There have been many instances of workers supporting international strikes and causes. Some unions have been more active around these questions than others. Wherever communists have played a leading role in a union, attention to this question has always been given a high priority. This is no surprise, because Internationalism is an important part of communist ideology. However, even before the formation of the Communist Party, Australian trade unions made financial collections to support the struggles of overseas workers. The Hands off Russia campaign following the Russian revolution of 1917 and the wars of intervention by the western imperialist powers in the 1920s was one such campaign. The NSW Labor Council had welcomed the Russian Revolution. It said in a resolution: We rejoice in the revolution in Russia and congratulate the people of that country on their efforts to abolish despotic power and class privilege, and urge the workers of other lands where similar conditions exist to follow their example with the same magnificent courage and determination. Later, the Hands off China campaign supported the struggles of the Chinese people to win their independence and exposed the British imperialist attempts to maintain their colonial domination. Trade unions provided assistance to British seamen who had left their ships in Australian ports and assisted British workers during the general strike of 1926. British miners were similarly assisted during that period. Work stoppages in a number of enterprises took place around the Partys campaign opposing the electrocution of Sacco and Vanzetti in the United States. Communist trade unionists helped Indonesian refugees who came to Australia during the Japanese occupation of their country. The attempt of the Dutch colonialists to re-impose their control following the defeat of the Japanese was thwarted by Australias waterfront unions who acted with the support of the Chifley Labor Government. All Dutch ships carrying troops to Indonesia were tied up as a result of their action. Many unions took action against the war in Vietnam and in many instances these actions occurred under the leadership of communists. Unionists in their thousands took part in street demonstrations opposing conscription and Australias participation in that war. Opposition to apartheid was another issue receiving widespread support from the trade unions. More recently there have been campaigns in support of the Cuban people against the US imperialist blockade of that country. International solidarity however, is not a one-way street and significant solidarity support was extended to wharfies in 1998 when Patrick Stevedores illegally locked them out. If there had not been such a long history of support for international causes and campaigns over many years the international support for the cause of the wharfies may not have been so overwhelming. International solidarity is a strong weapon in the hands of the working class and it is an area that communists will continue to give the attention that it deserves. CONCLUSION It is not possible in this short pamphlet to point to every trade union action or to the contribution made by trade union activists in the 150-year history of the trade unionism in Australia or to the many contributions by members of the CPA in its 80-year history. Much has been achieved. Trade union activities have not only been directed to the needs of workers. Their actions have also had a considerable influence in many areas of society. Calls for an Australian owned shipping line, green bans, support for community organisations and solidarity with farmers are just some other areas that have been given attention by trade unions. The solidarity and support expressed to the workers of the world at various times of hardship and struggle have helped many workers from other lands and on many occasions have resulted in gains for the movements receiving that support. Communist trade union activists have contributed to these achievements. The trade unions are not the only arena of struggle for communists. The struggle for socialism must be fought out on the basis of the whole of society. It is certain that the class struggle will continue in our society. Reactionary forces bent on the destruction of the union movement will continue to pedal their lies and perform their foul deeds and we should expect nothing else. The right-wing reformist forces will continue to collaborate with the class enemy. The Communist Party of Australia will continue to play a role in the trade union movement and treat that work with the seriousness that it deserves. It will continue to work for an improvement in the position of the workers and will cooperate with others who support the demands of the working people and recognise the reality of the class struggle. It will continue to advocate a socialist position and fight to win the workers to a recognition of the need to move on from the capitalist system a view that has been strongly held by many trade union activists and is at the centre of the existence of the Communist Party. Outside the class struggle, socialism is either a hollow phrase or a naive dream t he same applies to effective trade unionism. The above are a collection of excerpts from the CPA pamphlet A Brief History Of Australian Unionism And The Role Of The Communist Party. U.S. President Donald Trump signs H.R. 748, the CARES Act in the Oval Office of the White House on March 27, 2020 in Washington, DC. Some of the world's largest investment firms combined to spend at least $3 million lobbying members of the Trump administration and lawmakers on a bill that was meant to give relief to those that have taken a financial hit due to the coronavirus. Blackstone, the Carlyle Group and SoftBank took aim at the $2 trillion stimulus package that was signed by President Donald Trump in late March as the global pandemic was shaking the stock market and forcing millions of people out of work. These companies and their lobbyists engaged with Treasury officials and leaders in the House and Senate, records show. People close to two of these companies say the lobbying goals ranged from pushing for their portfolio companies to participate in the federal loan program to monitoring the legislation as it developed. None appear to be trying to get small business loans to go directly into the private equity industry. The discovery was made by CNBC after reviewing new first-quarter lobbying reports. Many leaders of these companies have ties to Trump himself, including Steve Schwarzman, CEO of private equity giant Blackstone. Schwarzman took part in a March 24 call with Trump and prominent investors such as Third Point's Dan Loeb, Intercontinental Exchange's Jeffrey Sprecher and Paul Tudor Jones. Though not all the forms say what the firms were specifically hoping to see in the bill, the move came as the American Investment Council, an organization whose members include the three firms, tried to influence the legislation on its own. The organization pushed for the Treasury's $500 billion economic stabilization fund to provide enough liquidity to larger businesses. The group also called on the $350 billion small business paycheck program to not discriminate on deciding who qualified for a relief loan, particularly if they're backed by private equity firms. The American Investment Council ended up spending $640,000 on lobbying in the first quarter alone, records show. The Small Business Administration last week announced that private equity firms and hedge funds were not getting any of the loans intended for small businesses. Trump recently signed a separate $484 billion stimulus bill with more than $300 billion of that total going to the small business loan system, which is officially known as the Paycheck Protection Program. SoftBank, a Japan-based conglomerate run by Masayoshi Son, with large tech investments and offices in the United States, said its lobbying campaign focused on the government allowing financial technology companies to be lenders for the PPP. The company, which has a market cap of close to $90 billion, spent $1.2 million on lobbying that in part went toward the bill. A representative told CNBC that two of its portfolio companies, Kabbage and SoFi, are now participating in the wake of their efforts. During its lobbying of the CARES Act, SoftBank spoke with those in Trump's Executive Office of the President, which is overseen by the White House chief of staff, and those in Vice President Mike Pence's office, the form reads. Matt Anderson, a spokesman for Blackstone, insisted that the firm was not lobbying any of the bill's loan programs and was instead using lobbyists as a way to mainly monitor and analyze the legislation. "Blackstone did not engage in any lobbying for the CARES Act loan programs, and was generally monitoring and analyzing the legislation," he said, and did not return follow-up questions on what beyond the monitoring of the legislation the firm was hoping to see from those it hired. Blackstone turned to Jeff Miller, a lobbyist who bundled more than $2 million in the first quarter of 2020 for Trump's campaign and the Republican National Committee. Their administrative services arm, Blackstone Administrative Services Partnership, spent $90,000 on Miller's firm's services, which mainly targeted the bill. The lobbying form twice lists "issues as they relate to COVID-19 financial relief legislation," as what Miller and his team was focusing on for Blackstone. Throughout the first three months of 2020, Miller's office, while representing a division of Blackstone, connected with officials, from the Treasury, Department of Labor, Environmental Protection Agency and those in the Small Business Administration, the firm's form said. The private equity behemoth, which has nearly $540 billion in assets under management, also looked to Harbinger Strategies, which employs lobbyists with close ties to House and Senate Republicans, along with one former member of the Trump administration. Blackstone paid them $470,000 in the first quarter and the form twice mentions the CARES Act as an issue the lobbyists were looking into at the time. Carlyle Group, a firm co-founded by longtime executive David Rubenstein with more than $200 billion in assets under management going into 2020, spent $1.2 million on lobbying in the first quarter and most of its efforts, the form shows, went toward the bill. The document notes that "airline and airport relief provisions in the CARES Act" was something it targeted. Carlyle, according to its website, has had at least two investments in the aviation businesses, including Landmark Aviation, and PrimeFlight Aviation. The initial bill had $25 billion in airline payroll grants as the industry as a whole has been hammered by the coronavirus pandemic. However, CNBC has reported that the Treasury has recently requested that the largest U.S. airlines pay back 30% of the payroll grants. A spokeswoman for Carlyle declined to comment. Northern Irelands air ambulance has resumed flights responding to emergencies across the region. The Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEM) was stood down earlier this month to allow its clinical staff to take part in training to assist with the expected surge of coronavirus patients requiring critical care. Having finished their training, staff have returned to the HEM to continue the service supporting the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service on the ground. They are again responding to serious trauma involving road crashes, farming and industrial accidents, as well as supporting land ambulances attending other critical medical emergencies. My thanks go to the charity and its staff for the vital contribution they have made and are continuing to make Robin Swann Health minister Robin Swann welcomed the resumption of the service. I very much welcome the fact that the air ambulance is once again responding to emergency calls, he said. My thanks go to the charity and its staff for the vital contribution they have made and are continuing to make. The service has been in operation since 2017 following years of campaigning and a major fundraising effort in memory of the late Dr John Hinds who had pressed for it. The latest Royals special coming to Seven is Harry & Meghan: A Royal Rebellion this Wednesday. From their captivating love story to their shocking exit from royal life, the world has been fascinated with every twist and turn in the romantic real-life drama of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. As they settle into their new life in California with baby Archie, this new documentary special takes a deep dive into the causes, fallout and significance of this unprecedented chapter in British royal history examining not just what happened, but why, how, and what it all really means. A team of full time, royals-focused PEOPLE reporters in New York and London break down the ins-and-outs of all things royal, offering new updates and insights into the couple who have thrown out the royal playbook. It will look at the events leading up to the Duke and Duchess of Sussexs announcement to step down from senior royal duties; predictions for their next chapter in North America and more. 9pm Wednesday on Seven. Egypts Coptic Orthodox Church has announced the first-ever coronavirus cases detected among its clergymen after two priests tested positive for the virus, church officials confirmed to Ahram Online. Church spokesman Boulis Halim told Ahram Online on Monday that Reverend Bishoy Naroz, a monk at Qenas Church of the Virgin Mary, tested positive for the virus. Father Amonious Fares, deputy of the Archbishopric of Qena, said in press statements that Naroz felt unwell and showed symptoms during Maundy Thursday, or the Thursday before Easter. He later isolated himself before testing positive for the virus, Fares said, adding that he is now in stable condition. Priest Bishoy, the media coordinator of Coptic Orthodox Damietta Diocese, told Ahram Online that the deputy archbishopric of Damietta, Sarabamon Mitry, also tested positive for the disease. He added that Mitry has been receiving treatment at a Kafr El-Sheikh isolation hospital since his admission a month ago. No other cases were detected among the Archbishoprics priests, he said. The source of infection remains unknown. The announcement comes nearly a month after Egypts Coptic Orthodox Church confirmed that Reverend Yacob N. Ghaly of the Virgin Mary and St. Pachomius Coptic Orthodox Church in New York tested positive for the virus. The Church is continuing its shutdown of all churches nationwide and the suspension of masses as part of the preventative measures implemented by the state to contain the spread of the coronavirus. The measures also include the closure of church halls designated for funeral services and the limiting of funeral services to the family of the deceased only. The Church has also ordered that every diocese designates only one church for funerals and banned visits to monasteries. The restrictions disrupted Easter mass celebrations, with the mass held with no public participation. Coptic Orthodox Christians who comprise a substantial majority of Christians in Egypt celebrated at home due to a nationwide night-time curfew and the suspension of prayers and activities at all houses of worship. Egypt reported on Monday its highest single-day coronavirus death toll at 20, plus 248 new infections, bringing the total number of cases to 4,782 and 337 deaths. Search Keywords: Short link: So we gave a talk and a live demo at ekoparty last week to show how BEAST exploits a weakness in SSL to decrypt secret cookies. Please note that BEAST does not do any harm to remote servers. In fact, no packet from BEAST has ever been sent to any servers. We chose PayPal because they do everything right when it comes to server-side SSL, and that is good to demonstrate the power of BEAST, which is a client-side SSL attack. We reported the vulnerability to browser, plugin and SSL vendors several months ago (CVE-2011-3389). Current version of BEAST consists of Javascript/applet agents and a network sniffer. We have some choices for the agent. At the time we reported the bug to vendors, HTML5 WebSockets could be used to build a BEAST agent but, due to unrelated reasons, the WebSockets protocol was already in the process of changing in such a way that stopped it. We can't use the new WebSockets protocol shipped with browsers. We use a Java applet in this video, but please be aware Does the Pentagon think that health-care workers can leave the bedsides of their critically ill and dying patients to watch the flyovers? Or that first responders can pause while transferring patients into an ambulance to look up and see the show? These caregivers dont eat and are afraid to go to the bathroom because theyd have to take off their gowns. Will any essential employees wake from their exhausted sleep to go outside to see the tribute to them? There's the Captain Cook Hotel, Captain Cook Cruises and Captain Cook Bridge. You can even visit the Yorkshire cottage built by Cook's parents and transported brick by brick in 1934 to, of all places, Melbourne. Cook, no doubt, is part of the psyche of the nation and evidently good for business. But as the 250th anniversary of the arrival of HM Bark Endeavour at the mouth of Botany Bay is marked this week, is his reputation earned or merely enhanced with the passage of time? Several experts have clear views. Captain John Dikkenberg, master of the HMB Endeavour in Darling Harbour. Credit:Kate Geraghty Peter Moore, Oxford lecturer and author of Endeavour: The Ship and the Attitude that Changed the World, said Cook is "the Bradman of sailors in a way". Twenty-two -year-old Augustina Adoku and her son, Sampson Adjei Owuraku, three, were on Sunday, April 26, electrocuted during the morning rains at James Town, Accra. Their bodies were found in their room, a wooden structure, which got flooded at the Timber Market area, where they lived. Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Effia Tenge, Head of Public Affairs Unit of the Accra Regional Police Command, who briefed the media, said the Police were informed about the incident at about 1030 hours. When they got to the scene, they found the dead bodies. She said the spot investigation revealed that during an earlier downpour, the wooden structure, which served as a living room for the mother and son got flooded, thus disrupting the electric power to the structure. , This resulted in their electrocution. She said when their bodies were inspected no visible marks of assault were found on them. DSP Tenge said an inspection of the scene revealed personal belongings, including clothing, which were partly burnt. Their bodies had, consequently, been deposited at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital morgue for preservation and autopsy, she added. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Facing the unprecedented challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic, the international community needs solidarity and cooperation more than ever, Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Monday, calling on the world to safeguard multilateralism. President Xi made the remarks in a phone conversation with Nepali President Bidya Devi Bhandari, pledging that China will continue to support Nepal in fighting the pandemic. The Chinese president suggested that health and medical agencies of the two countries enhance exchange and cooperation. A deserted Jame mosque during the first day of Ramadan amid the coronavirus lockdown in Kathmandu, Nepal, April 25, 2020. /AP China is committed to the notion of building a community with a shared future for mankind and will actively engage in international cooperation to combat the virus, Xi said, adding that China supports the World Health Organization (WHO) to play a leading role in the global fight. Bhandari said Nepal appreciates China's success in controlling the coronavirus at home and efforts to strengthen international anti-epidemic cooperation. China's experience will enhance other countries' confidence in defeating the coronavirus, he said. Bhandari thanked China for providing urgently needed medical supplies to Nepal. Friendship between the two countries will become more unbreakable when the pandemic is over, he stressed. Nepal is willing to enhance cooperation with China under the Belt and Road Initiative and promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. China, Iran stand together in fight against COVID-19 President Xi also had a phone conversation with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Monday. On behalf of the Chinese people, Xi first sent condolences to the Iranian government, while reaffirming the deep relationship between the two countries. "The Chinese people have been thinking of the people of Iran during this hard time and have been dispatching multiple rounds of medical supplies there," Xi told Rouhani. Qazvin old traditional bazaar some 150 kilometers northwest of Tehran, Iran, April 22, 2020. /AP Xi urged more coordinated cooperation around the world in time of combating big public health emergencies like this one, and vowed to strengthen collective epidemic prevention measures with Iran. According to official data released on Sunday, the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases has surpassed 90,000 in Iran, yet with the overall situation more under controlled. Sunday also marked the country's lowest number of officially declared deaths since March 10. In return, Rouhani expressed his appreciation for China's support. He called for all exemptions of unilateral sanctions of all sorts in time of difficulty, directly referring to the sanctions imposed by the U.S. government led by President Donald Trump which experts said, saw no signs of easing up. Rouhani hopes the world can work as a whole and preserve multilateralism. Advertisement A stunning shot of a cuckoo being taken on by a tiny warbler in York has won an international photography award. British snapper Keith Bannister, 69, woke up at 3.30am to get the winning shot, which was picked ahead of hundreds of others in the Society of International Nature and Wildlife Photographers' Living World competition. The image of the warbler facing up to the much larger cuckoo beat off incredible competition, with another Brit, 70-year-old adventurer Christine Matthews, finishing second with her shot of an Emperor Penguin colony in the Antarctic. Former food scientist Peter Beesley from Peterborough was highly commended for his shot of Steller Sea Eagles fighting in Japan, as was Nafis Ameen's image of a monkey in Bangladesh appearing to stare straight at the camera. Among the other highly commended photos were a bright blue Sinai Agama lizard in Oman, a huge stingray gliding through the waters off the Cayman Islands and a red squirrel in the snow near Aviemore, Scotland. Speaking about his winning entry, Mr Bannister said: 'I had not been in the hide long when a male cuckoo landed on a perch, just in front of the hide, a sedge warbler came in from nowhere and started to mob the surprised cuckoo. 'The cuckoo just hunched his back and stared at the warbler, who then started to back off.' Colin Jones, director of the Society of International Nature and Wildlife Photographers, said the winning image was chosen 'due to its expert timing and capture in which fulfilled the theme of the competition.' Keith Bannister's shot of a sedge warbler taking on a cuckoo, taken from a hide at 5.30am in York, has won the Society of International Nature and Wildlife Photographers' Living World competition. The cuckoo landed on a perch just in front of the hide before the warbler tried - and failed to scare it off This shot of an Emperor Penguin Colony on Snow Hill Island in the Antarctic was taken by 70-year-old British adventurer Christine Matthews following a three-mile trudge through the snow. The colony was discovered in the 1990s when black patches seen in satellite images were discovered A Capped Leaf monkey appears to star straight at the camera in the Satchori National Reserve Forest in Bangladesh. Photographer Nafis Ameen, 32, says it took him 'two to three hours' to get the shot after noticing the creature looking at him Among the highly commended images was this picture of a bright blue Sinai Agama lizard, which can be found in arid regions of north-east Africa and parts of the Middle East. Khalid Faraj Mubarak Al-Wadihi captured this one in Oman American Craig Bill, a 50-year-old biologist and landscape and travel photographer from Austin, Texas, was diving off the Cayman Islands when he captured this huge stingray gliding through an area known as 'Stingray City' British snapper Peter Beesley was highly commended for his image of Steller Sea Eagles fighting in Hokkaido, Japan. The image was taken during a trip near to the small fishing village of Rasau during winter Photographer Alan Jones captured this image of icebergs glowing pink in the Arctic night during the summer. The picture was taken from a boat in Disko Bay inside the Arctic Circle off the west coast of Greenland Steve Wood, 66, from Chingford, travelled to Richmond Park in west London in October of last year to get this stunning image of a red deer stag calling The stunning Peyto Lake in Banff National Park, Canada, was also among the highly commended images in the competition. Glacial rock flour flows into the lake from a nearby glacier, giving the lake its bright, turquoise colour Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-27 15:36:47|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close The medical consultant expert team from China arrived in Malaysia's Sarawak state on North Borneo on Sunday as the experts continue to share China's experiences to fight the COVID-19 outbreak. The medical team arrived in Sarawak after a week of packed schedule in Malaysia's capital of Kuala Lumpur where they visited designated hospitals to treat COVID-19 patients as well as related research institutes. During the visits, the Chinese experts had in-depth discussions with Malaysian officials, medical personnel and researchers on issues related to COVID-19. A hotel set up to accommodate people on lockdown after returning from overseas travel in Shanghai on March 16. TPG/Getty Images Two people returning to New Zealand from overseas documented each day of their mandatory two-week quarantine. During their lockdown, they stayed at the four-star Novotel hotel at Auckland Airport and were served gourmet meals every day. The couple might be considered lucky; other people on hotel lockdowns have shared experiences of eating scant meals and having limited toiletries. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. A New Zealander couple stuck in a two-week government-mandated quarantine at the four-star Novotel hotel at Auckland Airport documented each day of their luxurious lockdown, from gourmet meals to supervised walks outside the airport. The two travelers, who go by the names Chuck and Wilson, created an Instagram account called the Thequarantinecanteen_nz where they displayed their envy-worthy meals and daily activities while confined to their hotel. New Zealand has imposed strict quarantine rules since it closed its borders to all nonresidents on March 19. The country mandated that all residents and travelers entering the country self-isolate for two weeks, and more recently it announced that it would set up a network of 18 hotels in Auckland for those isolating after travel. Chuck and Wilson entered into isolation at the Novotel Auckland Airport, an upscale hotel just outside the international terminal, on April 11 after flying in from London, according to Stuff.co.nz. Their first Instagram post documented their eating hot cross buns with butter for breakfast. On day one, they also documented the sunrise views from their rooms and daily walks outside the airport supervised by aviation security staff. As the days went on, their meals became more intricate: For dinner on day two, they ate Thai red chicken curry with mango fried rice. On day three they got Easter treats, including Kit Kat bars and chocolate eggs. On day four, they received a gift of three-ply toilet paper and coffee sachets, alongside a note from the housekeeping staff telling them to stay "warm and healthy." Story continues On day four, the couple said, the Novotel had a "real cake problem," and they posted pictures of their fridge stocked with baked goods. "We're not actually eating everything," they wrote in an Instagram story on day four. "There's just too much." For breakfasts, the two were treated with shakshuka, bacon, porridge, and copious amounts of pastries and fresh fruit. On day seven, they learned the reason their walks were supervised was that someone under lockdown had tried to run away from the Novotel. On day eight, they documented eating lentil and rice curry, coleslaw, and red velvet cake for lunch. Their post featured the hashtags #spoiled and #strugglestreet. The two were released from lockdown on Friday. In their final post, they expressed the "utmost thanks and appreciation" to the hotel, airport, and the government "for all their hard work to keep NZers safe." Still, not everyone on hotel lockdowns has shared the same sentiments. Nicola McCooe, a woman who was quarantined at the upscale InterContinental hotel in Sydney, documented scarce meals and limited toiletries. "It very much feels like we are prisoners and the only thing getting me through is hoping that it will get better," she told 7News earlier this month. New Zealand is set to begin to ease its lockdown restrictions on Monday, though interregional travel remains limited, and people have been instructed to stay home if they can. Read the original article on Business Insider The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the United States rocketed past one million over the weekend, with more than 100,000 cases detected in the past three days. The most new cases were recorded in New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Illinois, Pennsylvania, California, Maryland and Texas. The tally of the dead also grew to new heights of 56,000. Deaths from COVID-19 in the US are continuing to rise by an average of 2,000 each day. The United States currently has one third of the world COVID-19 caseload, which stands at three million. While Europe as a whole still has more cases, the US is currently on track to overtake the continent within the next two weeks. Worldwide, the death toll is approaching 210,000. Amid the ongoing spread of the worst global pandemic in a century, Georgia, Florida, Ohio and Texas are among nearly 20 states that are either launching or preparing to implement over the next week Phase 1 reopening plans. They are doing so based on the claim that the number of observed new cases has been declining for at least 14 days, and that reopening is thus safe. Collectively, the states that are opening are home to about half of the American population. Nurses hold a demonstration outside Jacobi Medical Center, New York (Image Credit AP Photo/Mary Altaffer) Whatever the claims of the various governors, there is no medical or scientific basis for lifting social distancing and isolation measures. Even a single new case indicates community transmission in a region, which can easily spiral into a spate of new cases as people again begin to mingle in large groups. New cases inevitably mean new deaths, as more people are exposed to the deadly contagion. The widely cited University of Washington Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) study, which in early April claimed that only 60,000 lives would be lost, and has been used repeatedly to justify reopening, is being blown apart by the pandemic itself. The US death toll from the pandemic will surpass the 60,000 figure in the course of the coming week. When asked on Sundays Meet the Press when he thought it would be safe to reopen, infectious disease specialist Dr. Michael Osterholm warned, We are in the very earliest days of the situation right now. He noted that for places like New York, which saw a large spike and now a relative decline in the number of new coronarvirus cases each day, they have to understand thats not the mountain. That is the foothills. They have mountains to go yet. We have a lot of people to get infected before this is over. Osterholm was referencing two basic facts about the current pandemic. First, because hundreds of millions of people have remained at home and thus far not been infected, they are all potential carriers for the virus, and will be exposed to it as they are forced to go back to work or come into contact with people returning to crowded or enclosed areas such as restaurants and bars. Second, there is still no mass testing program in the United States that is capable of giving a clear picture of just how far the virus has spread, nor is there a contact tracing program to test those who have been in the presence of someone who tested positive for COVID-19. This was made clear over the weekend as testing in New York and Illinois increased. If the viruss spread were limited, the ratio of the number of people who tested positive to the total number of people tested would go down. Instead, that number in both states remained relatively stable, indicating that the amount of testing is still insufficient to capture just how far the virus has spread. The actual number of deaths caused by the virus was thrown into further doubt last week by a series of reports that indicated large-scale undercounting. Studies of the excess deaths in regions around the world suggest that the current official tallies account for only half of the deaths caused by the pandemic, while other analyses suggest that there may have been 28,000 cases in the US by March 1, rather than the official count of 23. Such figures were barely mentioned by the American media or political elite over the weekend. The primary concern of the Democrats, as revealed in a segment between House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Jake Tapper on CNNs State of the Union, is to pass another stimulus bill. Pelosi insisted that the previous bill, which omitted aid to state and local governments and additional food stamp funding, contained no concessions to President Trump. Neither spoke of the states reopening nor of the dangers posed by such moves. The Democrats are claiming that the next coronavirus bill will provide funding for states and municipalities facing tens or hundreds of millions of dollars in shortfalls from reduced tax revenues. Moodys Analytics conservatively estimates that $203 billion will be lost nationally through the end of fiscal year 2021, about a fifth of last years revenue. This has been opposed by Republicans in both houses of Congress. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell asserted that the federal budget is not revenue replacement for state governments. He also suggested that states should use the bankruptcy route, despite the fact that states cant legally declare bankruptcy. Either way, the massive shortfall in state budgets will be used as a bludgeon to massively cut social programs such as education, transportation and public health. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has stated that funding for schools could be cut in half. He also said, 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. There is also the likelihood that negotiations on a new stimulus bill will be used by the Trump administration to force states to reopen in exchange for emergency funding. State and local pensions will also be targeted. Illinois is currently facing a $10 billion hole in its pension fund and is borrowing even greater sums to cover its costs. Nationally, $24 trillion is linked to various forms of retirement funds. The pandemic has been used by both parties to justify massive bailouts to Wall Street. Now it will be used to gut workers pensions and vital social services on behalf of Americas corporate oligarchy. Mayor Price will always hold the title of being Napervilles first female mayor, and her legacy of strong leadership and decision-making lives on through what she accomplished," Chirico said in a statement. "From spearheading the construction of the current municipal center to expanding the city council from four to six members during her administration, she never shied away from a challenge. Infrastructure developer Shapoorji Pallonji Infrastructure Capital (SP Infra) on Monday announced a Rs 1,554-crore deal with global investment firm KKR to sell five solar assets of 317 megawatts. According to a company statement portfolio comprises 169 megawatt (MW) in Maharashtra and 148 MW in Tamil Nadu. The SP Infra has the signed definitive agreements with KKR, under which the company will sell five operational solar energy assets to KKR for a total consideration of Rs 1,554 crore (USD 204 million), the company said. Shapoorji Pallonji Group is based in Mumbai and operates in over 70 countries with a global turnover of over USD 5 billion. SP Infra is the infrastructure development arm of the group with assets and businesses in the renewable and gas-based power, highways, port and terminals in India and overseas. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) WINNIPEGManitobans will soon have a non-binary gender option on birth certificates. The province is allowing the third option in addition to male or female on official birth documents. The Progressive Conservative government says people will also have the option of not selecting any sex designation on birth and death certificates, once a bill currently before the legislature is passed into law. Last November, a human rights adjudicator ordered the province to pay $50,000 to a transgender individual, who wanted the sex designation on their birth certificate replaced with an X but was denied. The complainant, who was identified as T.A. because of a publication ban, filed a complaint with the Manitoba Human Rights Commission after the request was turned down in 2014. The independent adjudicator who heard the case, Dan Manning, ruled that the governments actions were discriminatory and gave the province six months to start offering a third designation. In response to a ruling from the Manitoba Human Rights Commission, the Vital Statistics Agency is implementing policy changes to be more inclusive to Manitobans, Finance Minister Scott Fielding said in a news release Monday. Some other provinces have already adopted gender-neutral identity documents. Nova Scotia, Ontario, Alberta and Newfoundland and Labrador allow people to choose X as a gender indicator or to not display any gender on birth certificates, drivers licences and other documents. Read more about: GS VASU By Express News Service HYDERABAD: With under a week to go for the present lockdown to end, it is an indisputable fact that thousands of migrant workers are stuck in cities across India, unable to get home. Continuing to hold them "captive" will only adversely impact us, cautions noted economist, author and social activist Jean Dreze, in an interview with The New Indian Express Editor GS Vasu. Quarantined in a village in Jharkhand, the former LSE and DSE academic, who is an expert on hunger-linked issues, said decisions are largely being taken by a "privileged class of people who are far more afraid of contracting the infection themselves than they are concerned about the consequences of the lockdown for poor people." Excerpts: There has been a lot of debate over migrant workers, as a majority have gone back to their respective towns and villages. But even those who have remained in the cities would like to go back the moment they are in a position to do so. There is this concern that a good number of them are unlikely to come back. In such a scenario, what do you think is going to happen? I think the situation and impact is going to be even worse in poorer states like Jharkhand and Bihar where people are now returning because what is going to happen now is that people are going to be afraid of resuming migration for sometime, certainly as long as there are any lockdowns anywhere. As you pointed out, there is going to be a labour shortage in some states, like Punjab, Gujarat, Maharashtra and so on, but more importantly, it is going to create a huge surplus of labour in places like Jharkhand and Bihar and this is going to create a crisis of livelihood because the wages are going to be under stress and the earnings are going to come down and people will have to fall back on survival activities. I think the longer we hold them captive and prevent them from moving back, the more is going to be their reluctance to migrate again later on, and more serious is going to be the economic crisis. And this goes for both the labour-short states and the labour-surplus states. What, according to you, is the solution? There is no simple solution. It is a very huge problem and it seems to be better to start enabling some of them to return to their homes in a dignified and safe manner now and to do it in a staggered and organised way especially at this time when there are plenty of empty buses and trains, shelters that can be used for them, unused manpower in the public sector and so on and so forth. All these resources could be used to help them return in batches to their homes rather than to hold them where they are for as long as possible and then let the floodgates open. I think that would be a bad idea, even from the point of view of containing the coronavirus crisis. And I have a feeling that one reason why there is so much of reluctance to let them go is not so much the fear of the virus spreading but the reluctance of the employers in these states, who are employing these migrant workers, to let them go because that is their source of cheap manpower. If that feeling sinks in among the migrant workers, it is all the more difficult to bring them back, right? Absolutely. The longer we hold them where they are and treat them badly, the more reluctant they are going to be to resume migration after they reach their homes. ALSO READ | The Thomas Isaac Interview | 'We're faced with a calamity and yet the FM hasn't met us' Are there any specific areas where employment opportunities could be created for these migrants in their hometowns? I think that the obvious potential is in the Rural Employment Guarantee Act. In fact, here in Latehar, so many people are asking for MGNREGA employment under the Rural Employment Guarantee Act because they have nothing to do. They have been sitting around for weeks and they know that it may last for quite a bit longer. So, naturally, they feel it is better to work on the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act and earn something, even if it is not very much, rather than continue doing nothing. There is a huge potential there, it is actually a very important opportunity to revise the NREGA. Of course, there will have to be some safeguards like maintaining distance at the worksite but I think that can be done. And if we say that we are not going to open a worksite because we are afraid that people will not maintain distance, I think you are trying to impose a standard of distancing that just doesnt exist in those villages where there is a certain amount of crowding. And to pretend that thats not there and to say that we wont open a worksite because we cant impose the ideal standards that we would like to see would be a kind of denial. On the contrary, I would say that all public spaces, including these worksites, are opportunities to impart on people the habit of distancing. They know that they should be distancing but many people dont practise it because it is too abstract for them. But when people see it, like when they go to the bank and they see people maintain one metre in the queue or they go to the shops and they see the same thing, then they start to understand how it can be done. Coming back to the lockdown, the kind of economic mayhem it has unleashed, do you see a sort of herd mentality among the leaders when the crisis erupted? Or do you agree that this was the only immediate and inevitable solution? I am not sure if I would call it herd mentality because the question remains Why is the herd going in a certain direction? And it seems to me that the problem is not so much herd mentality but rather the fact that the decisions are largely being taken by a privileged class of people who are far more afraid of contracting the infection themselves than they are concerned about the consequences of the lockdown for poor people. Thats not to say that the lockdown was necessarily wrong but obviously, the way it has been done, giving so little attention to the consequences for poor people and doing so little to help them during this crisis, I think that reflects the class bias in the framing of the big policy. ALSO READ | The KTR interview | 'COVID crisis has told us we are one and very alike' There are two independent datasets that are emerging one from the World Food Programme which states that a further 130 million people could face acute hunger this year. The other is that of the ILO which says that 40 crore workers in India are likely to be pushed into poverty because of this pandemic. Any sense of the numbers and is there anything that we could do to alleviate this crisis? Well, I think these numbers are a little speculative because, obviously, we dont know how long this lockdown is going to last and even the baseline figures about poverty and hunger are not really reliable. The latest poverty estimates in India go back to 2011-12. What I can say is that these figures are plausible. For example, when you say that 130 million people could face hunger this year, if you remember that about 500 million people in India live in households that dont have a ration card, we are basically saying that one-fourth of these households may be exposed to hunger in the next few months. And I think thats quite a reasonable hypothesis. I think we must also remember that there is one important group of people who may face hunger in the near future, and may already be facing it now, and that is the elderly. It is always the elderly who are the most neglected and that is more than 100 million people in India. So, we are basically talking of very large numbers, whether it is exactly 130 million or more or less, we cant really say but it is in that range that we are talking about. While some are advocating direct cash transfers, you have been emphasising the need for food transfers over the next few months. Can you elaborate on that? I think most people recognise that we need both food transfers and cash transfers in this situation. It is very important to realise that right now, it is the food transfers, especially the public distribution system, that are keeping millions alive and secure from hunger. In the district where I am right now, in Latehar, Jharkhand, you can see very clearly, everywhere you go, that people depend crucially on the public distribution system to feed their families. On food transfers, I feel more needs to be done. I feel that the central government should be releasing much more food grains it has enormous stocks of food grains from what I have understood and it is not clear why they are not releasing more. For example, recently, the Jharkhand government sent a request for a very modest amount of extra food grains so that more people could be covered under the public distribution system and that was refused. I think we need more food grains to universalise the PDS, if possible, at least in rural areas and urban slums and also have, on top of that, emergency food distribution programmes like community kitchens or distribution to migrant workers in addition to the public distribution system. While you have clarity on the situation in Jharkhand, are you getting inputs from other states in regards to the food distribution programme how efficiently its happening or otherwise? Obviously, the public distribution system is not perfect but you know, Jharkhand has been one of the worst for a long time and it is actually now working reasonably well. However, the main problem is that many households still dont have a ration card but those that do are now getting double rations. And even though, its not working perfectly, it does work sufficiently well to ensure that a large part of the population is protected from hunger. In many other states, there are better public distribution systems including neighbouring states like Odisha and Chhattisgarh that are very poor. I think that it can be improved a lot more but it works sufficiently well to be the primary source of security for a very large part of the population at the moment. Isnt it time that we do away with ration cards? Cant it be distributed based on, say, Aadhaar? No, on the contrary, I think it is the time to realise what an important asset for the country the public distribution system is and that is not to say that cash transfers are not necessary, I think they are also necessary, but the public distribution system has the advantage that it is right there and it is in place there are ration shops in almost all villages. In this situation, it was very easy to activate because it was already in place. I think, ideally, I would like ration cards to be given to every household, at least temporary ration cards for one or two years in this situation. Of course, it is true that to do that you may need one or two months and in that interim emergency period, you may have to distribute food to people who dont have ration cards. What you need is not so much a ration card, what you need is a list of people to whom you are giving food. Once you have that list, I wouldnt even say Aadhaar, I would say give it to them irrespective of whatever ID they come up with or even no ID, as long as you know who you are giving food to. And in the immediate emergency, like the migrant workers who have nowhere to go, there are situations where you may not want to insist on any ID. But thats an emergency situation, you cannot run the PDS like this for a year or two. We should be taking a slightly longer view, then it is better to give ration cards to everybody and universalise the PDS. That is a much more effective and rational approach. One of the flaws that has come out quite starkly in the wake of the virus spread is in the public health system in the country. What do you think needs to be done to put it back on track? I think the entire healthcare system needs to be rethought, it has been neglected for decades that is a quite well-known issue. It is a very prioritised healthcare system, basically based on profit and also very poorly regulated and I think it is well understood in economics that the profit-driven healthcare system is very ineffective as well as being inequitable. Ideally, there should be no profit-making in the field of healthcare that may not be easy to achieve but I think the basic principle of the healthcare system should be what is called universal healthcare. In other words, everybody should have the right to healthcare in a situation of illness. This does not mean that private healthcare will disappear, some people may still prefer to use the private health facility that is available but it does mean that the system has to be planned for the public good and not for profit and that is where there is a real gap in India because the system is mostly profit-driven. Other countries have done it at a time when they were not much richer than India. In fact, Thailand, which has a very impressive healthcare system based on the principle of universal healthcare, put that system in place around 2001-02 when its per capita GDP was not much higher than it is in India today. So, if Thailand could do that 20 years ago, I think India could do something similar today. Can you specify three major failures and three steps that need to be taken in the light of the experiences now and post the virus? Other than healthcare, I think, one of the big lessons of past development policies of India is the lack of attention to human resources through education, training, healthcare and social security. And one reason why Kerala is doing so much better than most other states at the moment is that it has developed human resources. So, it is much better equipped to face the crisis and involve people in fighting the virus. Then comes social security. The fact that we have a PDS in place is helping us a great deal in this crisis to avoid hunger and starvation. And similarly, if we had a better-developed system of social security in general, including social security pensions, better functioning of the Employment Guarantee Act, maternity benefits and so on, it would have been much easier to go through this crisis and avoid the kind of humanitarian disaster that is happening at the moment with this lockdown. The annexation, which will kill chances of an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel, is likely to invite flak from worldwide Jerusalem: Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday said he was confident he will be able to annex large parts of the occupied West Bank this summer, with support from the U.S. Speaking to an online gathering of evangelical Christian supporters of Israel, Netanyahu said president Donald Trumps Mideast plan envisions turning over Israels dozens of settlements, as well as the strategic Jordan Valley, to Israeli control. A couple of months from now, Im confident that that pledge will be honored, that we will be able to celebrate another historic moment in the history of Zionism, Netanyahu said. Israeli annexation of West Bank territory would be highly controversial, drawing widespread international condemnations and extinguishing any lingering hopes of establishing a viable independent Palestinian state alongside Israel. The Palestinians, with wide international backing, seek the entire West Bank as part of an independent state. They have already threatened to cancel existing peace agreements if Netanyahu moves forward with his plan, while the European Union foreign policy chief said annexation would be a violation of international law and force the bloc to act accordingly. The U.N.s Mideast envoy said such a step would ignite the region. But Netanyahu and his hard-line base are eager to move ahead while Trump remains in office. Annexation would be popular with Trumps evangelical base as he seeks to shore up support ahead of a difficult reelection battle. In Washington, a U.S. official said the American position hasnt changed. The official said the U.S. is prepared to recognize Israeli actions to extend Israeli sovereignty in parts of the West Bank, and that the U.S. is consulting closely with Israel on the timing and scope of those actions. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter with the media. Netanyahu last week reached a power-sharing deal with his main rival, Benny Gantz. Although Gantz, a former Israeli military chief, has given only lukewarm support for West Bank annexation, their coalition agreement allows Netanyahu to present the plan to his Cabinet and to parliament for fast-track approval. Israel captured the West Bank in the 1967 Mideast war, and its settlements are now home to some 500,000 Israelis, in addition to over 200,000 Israelis living in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem. After Trump unveiled his Mideast plan in January, Netanyahu pledged to begin annexing territory immediately. But the Trump administration quickly delayed the plan, and the sides set up a joint committee to formulate a plan together. Netanyahu addressed a conference marking the 100th anniversary of the San Remo Conference, a post-World War I gathering in Italy that helped lay the foundations for Israels establishment in 1948. Seung Won Kang, 33, was walking two-year-old Zico in the Sydney suburb of Pyrmont when he was allegedly attacked A stranger who allegedly punched a man three times in the face and kicked his toy poodle into the air in a 'racially motivated attack' has been charged. Seung Won Kang, 33, was walking two-year-old Zico along Allen Street and Harris street in the Sydney suburb of Pyrmont at 7pm on Friday when a stranger called him over. He said his alleged attacker, a 34-year-old father was looking for a fight. 'He was basically wanting a fight ... just, lots of swear words, and very aggressive,' he told 7 News. '[He was] telling me to go back to my country.' It is alleged the man punched Mr Kang in the head and kicked Zico until bystanders intervened. It is alleged the man punched Mr Kang (pictured with Zico) in the head and kicked Zico until bystanders intervened The alleged attacker fled the scene but handed himself over to police on Sunday night. He was charged with five offences including animal cruelty, assault, offensive behaviour and intimidation. Zico is on medication for a muscle strain but is expected to make a full recovery. The Central Local Court heard on Monday the alleged attacker is known to police and has a history of violence toward the Asian community. Zico is on medication for a muscle strain but is expected to make a full recovery He was serving an intensive corrections order when he allegedly attacked Mr Kang and Zico. The man claimed he acted in self-defence because the dog was barking near his leg. He was denied bail. Police believe he had alcohol on him at the time of the attack. NTUNGAMO Ntungamo Municipality MP Gerald Karuhanga has said that he will not bow to the threats of the Parliamentary Commission as he opposes the Shs10 billion allocated to legislators in courts of law. While defending the allocation early this week, Speaker Rebecca Kadaga chided Karuhanga and Jonathan Odur for choosing to drag the House to Court over the payment. But on Monday, April 27, Mr Karuhanga said that Parliament was in wrong to allocate Covid-19 funds to themselves and he will continue to oppose it despite facing disciplinary action. So they must remember that we are representing our people to come speak for them because the word parliament means to speak, so this is not the times to start sucking blood of Ugandans at the time they have hit hard by pandemic, no one shall stop my colleagues and I from exercising our rights that are going to take us to disciplinary committee, Karuhanga noted. We shall decisively and strong fight against the habit of some MPs who use their positions in Parliament to siphon and suck money from humble citizens of this country yet most of Ugandans are suffering with effects of the disease in our counties, he added. The legislator was delivering food relief of 21,000kgs (21 tones) of maize flour,200 liters of fuel and a bull for Ntungamo Municipality health workers all worth Sharing 50,540,000m shillings to Ntungamo district COVID-19 taskforce to be distributed in the municipality. The food relief was received by the RDC Ntungamo George Bakunda and the taskforce team at the office of the RDC Ntungamo. Karuhanga hailed the work done by the health workers across the country since the outbreak of pandemic arguing them to continue with the good heart of serving Ugandans. He assured health workers to continue fighting for the salary enhancement and staff houses if their work is to run smoothly. Related CoinEx, a global and professional cryptocurrency exchange service provider, is pleased to announce its new global strategic partnership with Matrixport, the one-stop digital asset financial service platform span off from Bitmain. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200427005196/en/ CoinEx and Matrixport announce global partnership to provide better service to users. (Graphic: Business Wire) This partnership allows CoinEx's users to access Martrixport's over-the-counter (OTC) service when they are in need of exchanging sizable fiat to crypto. "CoinEx's users around the world will benefit from this strategic partnership as the OTC service makes transfers between fiat and crypto more convenient. Matrixport has the potential to become a key player in the industry and I look forward to a long-term partnership between us," said Haipo Yang, Founder and CEO of CoinEx. Headquartered in Singapore, Matrixport was established in February 2019 and it now provides a wide range of services such as crypto trading, custody, lending and asset management. CoinEx has also been using its Cactus Custody service since 2019 to ensure the digital asset security. "Teaming up with CoinEx is clearly a win-win situation. We believe that CoinEx's market presence will enable us to reach more crypto enthusiasts and drive a rapid development of our business," said John Ge, CEO of Matrixport. In March, CoinEx integrated its first fiat onramp to the platform, and this collaboration represents another step forward to meet the needs of the market. CoinEx will keep working to build a better platform, as well as further develop its ecosystem. About CoinEx As a global and professional cryptocurrency exchange service provider, CoinEx was founded in December 2017 with Bitmain-led investment and has obtained a legal license in Estonia. It is a subsidiary brand of the ViaBTC Group, which owns the fifth largest BTC mining pool and is also the largest BCH mining pool in the world. CoinEx supports spot, perpetual contract, and other derivatives trading. Its service reaches global users in nearly 100 countries/regions with various languages available, such as Chinese, English, Korean and Russian. Website: https://www.coinex.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/coinexcom Telegram: https://t.me/CoinExOfficialENG About Matrixport Matrixport, span off from the crypto giant Bitmain and officially established in February 2019, is a one-stop crypto financial services platform offering digital currency trading, institutional custody (branded as "Cactus Custody"), lending as well as asset management to both institutional and retail customers. The digital currencies traded on its platform include Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum, Tether, and many others. Matrixport was co-founded by Jihan Wu and John Ge, who were both mining industry veterans and co-founders of Bitmain. Matrixport has 150+ staff globally with headquarter in Singapore and offices in Hong Kong, Zurich, and Moscow. With rich industry resources and leading technology capabilities, Matrixport aims to make crypto easy for everyone and create the next generation digital financial service experience. Matrixport's vision is to enable a more open and equal financial system using blockchain technologies. For more information, please visit https://www.matrixport.com or contact marketing@matrixport.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200427005196/en/ Contacts: Jessica Zhang CoinEx PR Department jessica.zhang@coinex.com Ghosn isn't just thinking about making a film about his story, he's actually begun making steps to turning into a reality. According to a spokesperson, he has even contacted a major executive to get things started. Ghosn is now reportedly working with Michael Ovitz for what could be a possible movie or mini-series. Ovitz is the co-founder of Creative Artists Agency and served as an agent for Hollywood stars such as Tom Cruise, Barbra Streisand, Sylvester Stallone, and even Steven Speilberg. Ovitz is also the former president of The Walt Disney Company. When Carlos Ghosn made his escape from Japanese authorities, one of the most common comments about the story was it was fit for a Hollywood plot. It isn't publicly known just how far Ghosn and Ovitz are in talks for a film, but the former executive is determined to air his side of the whole Nissan story. The Japanese automaker has accused Ghosn of embezzlement, but the ousted CEO has continuously maintained his innocence. He said it was all a plot from Nissan executives who, he claims, didn't want further integration with Renault. Ghosn says that he will publish a tell-all book detailing the resistance he met from Nissan executives. Ghosn escaped from Japanese authorities after more than 100 days in detention. His escape involved an extraction team that even included a former American Green Beret. It is even said that he made his way out of the country by hiding in a musical instrument box, which he has since denied. He did still hide in a large box, which apparently wasn't screened because it was too big to fit inside an x-ray machine. The extraction team was able to charter a private plane to bring Ghosn back to his home country of Lebanon. Since his escape, the Interpol has issued a warrant for his arrest, but Lebanese authorities aren't too keen about turning him over. Furthermore, Japan does not have an extradition deal with Lebanon, much to the frustration of the Japanese authorities. Source: Japan Times Sinn Fein has been accused of rewriting history after an MP praised an IRA man who is believed to have tried to murder First Minister Arlene Foster's father. Fermanagh-South Tyrone MP and former Stormont Minister Michelle Gildernew posted a tweet in tribute to suspected serial killer Seamus McElwain, who was shot dead by the SAS at Roslea in 1986. McElwain was killed as he and another man planned a landmine attack on an Army patrol close to the border. On her Twitter account, Ms Gildernew posted: "Remembering Oglach Seamus McElwain who was killed by British forces on this day in 1986 near Roslea, Co Fermanagh. "Fuair se bas ar son Saoirse na hEireann" The Irish phrase translates as: "He died for Irish freedom." But the MP's messages sparked fury from senior DUP MLA Mervyn Storey. "Thankfully we live in better times," he said. "Bombing and shooting failed. Democracy won. Terrorism was defeated. Seamus McIlwain was praised by Martin McGuinness as a 'freedom fighter' and a 'saint'. "Amongst Protestants in Fermanagh in those days, McIlwain was known as a terrorist and a man guilty of murdering people because of their religion. "Most people wouldn't believe sneaking up and shooting a policeman/farmer at Dernawilt under the cover of darkness whilst young children were yards away was heroic. "In my opinion it was tragic and absolutely crazy." He added: "Everyone has the right to remember their dead but no one has a right to rewrite history." The First Minister is on record as saying she believes that IRA man McElwain tried to murder her father, John Kelly. Expand Close John Kelly / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp John Kelly In 2016, Mrs Foster told the Belfast Telegraph that McElwain should be remembered for his past as "an evil and sectarian killer". "He is not someone to be remembered in any warm way," the DUP leader added. "Glorifying McElwain sends an utterly mixed message to dissident republican terrorists." McElwain was a member of the IRA's south Fermanagh gang, and has been linked to at least 10 murders. These included the killings of off-duty UDR man Aubrey Abercrombie near Florencecourt, and Ernest Johnston, an off-duty RUC Reserve Constable, near Roslea, both in 1980. Kenny Donaldson, of Fermanagh-based victim advocacy group SEFF said: "Sinn Fein will claim that it is appropriate for Seamus McElwain to be remembered, that he is one of Ireland's patriot dead who was committed to the unification of Protestant, Catholic and Dissenter. "Let's now be clear: Seamus McElwain did unify Protestants, Catholics and Dissenters through his activities as a terrorist, through stealing and targeting lives from across the community. "Ms Gildernew has chosen to associate herself with a systemic terrorist: where are her tweets for the innocent victims Seamus McElwain created?" He added: "There is no honour in murdering your neighbour because you do not share his/her ethnic or religious background." Sinn Fein did not respond to a request for comment by the time this paper went to press. A victim of child sexual assault has said he choose to get a vasectomy because he was afraid if he had children he would not be able to protect them from abuse. The man's victim impact statement was read out in court during the sentence hearing of his 64-year-old father, who was convicted of sexual assaulting his seven year old son in 1989. During a trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court last month the victim said his father had taken him swimming and then brought him home. He said he remembers his father trying to hypnotise him before sexually assaulting him. The defendant, who cannot be named to protect the victim's identity, was himself a victim of sexual abuse at Letterfrack Industrial school during the early 1970s. The court heard he was sent there at the age of 13 and left years later with no formal educational qualifications. He had pleaded not guilty to the indecent assault of a minor in at a place in Dublin in 1989. Detective Garda David Chapman told the court that the victim made a complaint to gardai in 2015. When the detective later arrested the accused, the man told them he had masturbated his son. He told gardai that after making these confessions he felt better, saying I feel cleansed now. The court heard the defendant was admitted into to a psychiatric hospital the same year of the abuse and spent most of the next ten years in various psychiatric hospitals. After being charged, he denied the offence and during the trial he testified that the accusation was false. After Judge Pauline Codd sentenced him today to four and a half years imprisonment he told her I agree. I'm not guilty. In a victim impact statement the man wrote that his childhood was stolen from him and that he still suffers flashbacks and nightmares of the assault. He said he has issues trusting people. He said he choose to have a vasectomy because I'm afraid to bring kids into this dangerous world and fears he would not be able to protect them from predators. Judge Codd said the assault was particularly reprehensible because it was against his own son and was a grave breach of trust. She said she had to take into consideration, as mitigation, the fact that the man was a victim of child abuse himself while in the care of the State. Sadly abuse often begets abuse, she said. She noted he has shown no insight into the effects of his own actions but also has a history of severe mental illness and alcohol dependence syndrome. She suspended the last six months of the sentence on condition that he engage with the Probation Service after his release. (Bloomberg Opinion) -- Your neighborhood mail carrier and their co-workers at your local post office are doing dangerous work these days. The coronavirus has killed 44 of the U.S. Postal Services 630,000 workers and an additional 1,219 have tested positive. And the White House is threatening to kill the Postal Service itself unless it gets greater control over its operations and its future. If this was any other administration this might be written off as the federal government using a crisis to jockey for position and streamline a struggling enterprise long overdue for change. But this isnt any other White House. Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on Friday, President Donald Trump said that until the Postal Service raised its prices for package deliveries he wouldnt allow Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to release $10 billion in aid earmarked for it in the federal governments epic, $2.6 trillion national bailout. The Postal Service is a joke, the president said. Because theyre handing out packages for Amazon and other internet companies, and every time they bring a package they lose money on it. This isnt true, of course. Package deliveries have provided a welcome boost to the Postal Services top and bottom lines in recent years. In fact, packages are a strength in an otherwise sagging operation pulled down by a steep drop on the amount of old-fashioned snail mail it delivers and a congressional mandate that it prefund future retiree health benefits for employees -- a reality I outlined in a recent column. Digital retailers like Amazon.com Inc. that ship copious loads of packages have been a financial godsend for the Postal Service, but that business hasnt been nearly robust enough to replace all of that lost mail revenue. So a price increase on package deliveries isnt the silver bullet the president claims it to be.The Postal Service certainly needs a silver bullet, and it should take the form of enough federal aid to sustain it and its workers in the near term. Postmaster General Megan Brennan told Congress recently that unless the Postal Service gets about $89 billion in grants and aid it will be out of money by the end of the year. A $10 billion grant is barely a start in that scenario, but its a much-needed start for an enterprise that provides vital connective tissue for the nations rural areas, senior citizens and commercial deliveries.Over the long term, the Postal Service needs to reimagine its services and its finances, and it could team up with the White House to do that. But all signs point to a White House more interested in controlling than rebuilding. The Washington Post reported on Thursday that Mnuchin is using the $10 billion lifeline as a bargaining chip that would allow the White House to take unprecedented control over key operations. That would include management of the Postal Services finances, senior hiring decisions (including the postmaster general) and union negotiations as well as delivery charges for packages and the ability to review contracts with companies that use those services. Story continues You know, companies such as Amazon.Amazons founder and chief executive officer, Jeff Bezos, owns the Post, and Trump would undoubtedly consider the Posts reporting shaded by that fact. Ill go out on a limb and say that I dont think the Posts reporting on the Postal Service was shaded at all, but I certainly think the presidents misguided hostage negotiations over the services future are shaded by his animosity toward Bezos.Trump has had Bezos in his sights for a long time. The Post has published seminal and award-winning coverage of Trumps political and business dealings as well as his shortcomings, legal perils and personal life, making it a routine Trump target. Amazon is challenging the circumstances under which it lost a big cloud-services contract with the Pentagon last fall, an outcome that may or may not have had something to do with Trumps dislike for Bezos. And Bezos famously butted heads with American Media Inc., publisher of the National Enquirer, after the Enquirer threatened to publish intimate photos Bezos exchanged with his girlfriend. American Medias CEO is David Pecker, a longtime Trump crony. But as my Bloomberg Opinion colleague Joe Nocera pointed out in an earlier column, its absurd to think that Trump can truly use the Postal Service to harm Bezos or Amazon. The company has already established its own delivery network to save money on delivery fees it pays FedEx and the United Parcel Service and it could possibly expand that system if working with the Postal Service becomes prohibitively expensive. The Postal Service, however, could lose out to FedEx and UPS if raising its delivery rates makes it less competitive with them.A responsible president would focus on fixing what actually needs to be fixed at the Postal Service rather than using it to settle old scores. On the other hand, a responsible president also wouldnt suggest at a televised press briefing that injecting disinfectants might offer a promising cure for the coronavirus.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi gestured at all of this in a press conference on Friday when asked whether the Postal Service would receive a federal bailout. She noted that seniors still rely on the service to receive medications and that the country will rely on it further if the pandemic makes vote-by-mail a necessity in November. She also said there had been bipartisan support to protect the Postal Service until Trump intervened. They tell me it came right from the president, she noted. No money for the post office. Instead, inject Lysol into your lung as we shut down the states. This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners. Timothy L. O'Brien is a senior columnist for Bloomberg Opinion. For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinion Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-27 23:29:45|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close WINDHOEK, April 27 (Xinhua) -- The sound of sewing machines dominated the warehouse at Dinapama Manufacturing, a local tailoring company in the Namibian capital Windhoek. Tailors prepared for an unprecedented order, making masks to meet the demand, as Namibia faces a severe shortage. "This is different from normal clothing orders and other products that we normally manage," said David Namalenga, managing director of Dinapama Manufacturing on Monday. Dinapama Manufacturing is one of the local companies identified by Namibia's Trade Ministry to tailor masks as the country face a critical shortage. The tailors see it as their contribution to the fight against COVID-19. "We are ready. Together we will make it," said Namalenga. Another tailor, Frieda Hausiku, who runs a garment company, said her primary motive for participating in the project is to help Namibia battle COVID-19. "I play a role as an anti-COVID-19 agent," said Hausiku. Lucia Iipumbu, Trade Minister, said that the country is in dire need of face masks, and local tailors identified would produce 25,000 needed to combat the spread of COVID-19. "Once the lockdown is lifted, each person will be required to wear a mask. Thus, with the help of our tailors, we see it appropriate to upscale mask manufacturing," Iipumbu said. The Namibian government declared a state of emergency and subsequent lockdown following the announcement of confirmed COVID-19 cases early March. According to Iipumbu, the local production is in line with the country's "Growth at Home Strategy", aimed at improving the production and supply capacity of local enterprises, in turn, boosting the country's crippling economy. The Namibian economy is estimated to lose 2 billion Namibian dollars(about 110 million U.S. dollars) a week due to pandemic. "Local production would also address challenges faced with the importation of masks or material amongst other products," she said. The masks will be produced according to the technical specification requirements set by the Namibia Standard Institute, a quality assurance agency. Namibia has recorded 16 cases of COVID-19, of which eight cases have recovered. Enditem Libya's National Army (LNA) commander Khalifa Haftar said on Monday his Libyan National Army (LNA) was accepting a "popular mandate" to rule the country, apparently brushing aside the civilian authorities that nominally govern eastern Libya. Haftar, who launched a war a year ago to grab the capital Tripoli and other parts of northwest Libya, was already widely understood to control the parallel administration that rules in the east. He did not spell out in his brief televised speech on Monday what form the new power structure would take and the wider political ramifications were not immediately clear. Libya has been split since 2014 between areas controlled by the Government of National Accord (GNA) in the Tripoli and the northwest, and territory held by eastern-based forces in Benghazi. "We announce that the general command is answering the will of the people, despite the heavy burden and the many obligations and the size of the responsibility, and we will be subject to the people's wish," he said. Although the LNA advanced last year into the southern suburbs of Tripoli, and has been bombarding the capital frequently, it lost ground to pro-GNA forces during fighting this month. Haftar is supported by the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Russia. The GNA is backed by Turkey. Though Haftar had long been the de facto ruler of eastern Libya, power was nominally held by a civilian administration. Benghazi is home to parallel state institutions, as well as the national parliament. The GNA falls under a three-man Presidential Council, founded in 2015 in a political agreement aimed at ending the chaos and division that have persisted since the 2011 uprising that ousted Muammar Gaddafi. Haftar said last week that the agreement had failed. Mohammed Ali Abdallah, an adviser to the GNA said, in a statement: "Haftar has once more exposed his authoritarian intentions to the world. He no longer seeks to conceal his contempt for a political solution and democracy in Libya." * This story has been edited by Ahram Online Search Keywords: Short link: Hundreds of Philadelphia absentee ballots that arrived after the deadline for the November 2018 general election. Read more Pennsylvanias absentee ballot deadline must be extended during the coronavirus emergency or some voters will be unconstitutionally disenfranchised, a group of nonpartisan advocacy groups said in a lawsuit filed Monday. State law requires mail ballots to be received at county offices by an election day. Instead, those ballots should be counted if they are postmarked by that day and received within the next week, the suit says. Different voters, through no fault of their own, would have different access to mail-in voting under the current deadlines, the lawsuit says, based on their particular counties processing of ballots and the speed of mail service. And the only alternative voting in person may be disproportionately risky for some. That, the plaintiffs argue, would violate the state constitutions guarantee that elections shall be free and equal. Elections are not free when voters must risk their health and lives to ensure their votes will be counted, the lawsuit says. And elections are not equal when similarly situated citizens who timely request absentee and mail-in ballots may or may not have their votes counted based on factors outside their control. The plaintiffs are represented by the Philadelphia-based Public Interest Law Center and Washington-based Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP, bringing back together much of the team that in 2018 successfully challenged Pennsylvanias congressional map as an unconstitutional partisan gerrymander. The suit also argues that the deadlines will violate the state constitutions protection of free speech, equal protection for all people, and other provisions. Under normal conditions, the lawsuit says, the plaintiffs have no quarrel with the absentee ballot deadlines in the law. But during a public health crisis in which voting in person can risk voters lives, the suit says, the law is unconstitutional. Consider that some counties are already falling behind in processing mail ballot requests, and that mail delivery can be unpredictable, said Mimi McKenzie, legal director of the Public Interest Law Center. That means some voters will likely receive their ballots too late to return, or will return them too late to be counted. Voters who receive their ballots close to the election day will instead have to go to a polling place if they want to be sure their vote actually counts. Its putting people in that circumstance of having to choose between having their vote count, which is of course a fundamental right of all American citizens, McKenzie said, and having to risk their life or the lives of their families and neighbors. And some voters, the plaintiffs argue, could be at greater risk than others. Because the risks of voting in person during a pandemic vary across the population along axes like age, race, and disability status the ability of two similarly situated individuals who have requested mail-in ballots to vote in person if necessary will differ significantly, the suit says, arguing that a younger, healthier voter will be more realistically able to remedy the situation by voting in person. The lawsuit was filed in the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, which has direct jurisdiction over challenges to the revised voting law that established the absentee ballot deadlines. Its plaintiffs are Suzanne Erb, the chair of the Disability Rights Pennsylvania board; Disability Rights Pennsylvania; the Barristers Association of Philadelphia; SeniorLAW Center; and Southeast Asian Mutual Assistance Associations Coalition. The defendants are officials at the Pennsylvania Department of State, which declined to comment Monday because it does not comment on active litigation. University of the Witwatersrand scientists along with Namibian, UK and US partners have shown how the smart application of existing interventions can reduce the transmission of malaria The researchers published their findings in the prestigious journal The Lancet on World Malaria Day on 25 April even as countries the world over battle to contain transmission of the COVID-19. The malaria trial conducted in northern Namibia demonstrates how malaria incidence can be reduced by up to 75% in settings where malaria transmission is mostly low but persistent, and plagued by sporadic outbreaks of higher numbers of malaria cases. This scenario in Namibia is in many ways typical in neighbouring South Africa's malaria endemic districts. In a Global South and Global North collaboration, scientists at the WRIM at the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa; the University of Namibia with the Namibia Ministry of Health and Social Services; the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine; the University of California, San Francisco; and the University of Texas, Southwestern conducted this first ever randomized controlled trial of its kind. "The reduction in cases was achieved using existing tools, namely anti-malarial drugs and insecticides, but deploying these in a 'smart' way, i.e., in close proximity of newly reported cases," says Professor Immo Kleinschmidt, one of the Principal Investigators in the project, Honorary Professor in the Wits School of Pathology and Professor of Epidemiology in the Department of Infectious Disease at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. "Our results are derived from a community randomised controlled clinical trial. This means that the effects of the interventions are compared between groups that are similar in all respects apart from the intervention they are receiving. The findings are therefore very unlikely to be due to chance, and the conclusions are more robust than they would have been from an observational study." Co-authors Lizette Koekemoer, WRIM Research Professor and an honorary member in the Centre for Emerging Zoonotic and Parasitic Diseases at the National Institute for Communicable diseases, and Erica Erlank, WRIM Associate Researcher, provided training and support in entomology [the study of insects] during the trial. THE TRIAL: DRUGS, SPRAY OR BOTH? In this study, researchers conducted a trial to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of two interventions: (i) reactive focal mass drug administration (rfMDA) and (ii) reactive focal vector control (RAVC), and their combination. This trial is unique because it is the first randomized controlled trial of rfMDA and/or RAVC. Study communities were randomly assigned to receive either rfMDA, or RAVC, or the combination, or neither of these two interventions (the latter being the control group). The study took place in the Zambezi Region, northern Namibia, and targeted people that were at the highest risk of malaria infection based on their proximity within 500 meters of malaria index cases that emerged during the transmission season. In one arm of the trial, these neighbours of any new malaria case were offered a standard dose of the anti-malarial drug Coartem, without first testing whether these neighbours carried the parasite that causes malaria. This drug clear them of parasites even if the level of parasites they carried were below the density that can be detected by the standard rapid diagnostic test. The drug would also provide a short period of protection against new infections. In another arm of the trial, neighbours of index cases had the interior walls of their houses sprayed with a highly effective insecticide, Pirimiphos-methyl, irrespective of whether or not their houses had previously been treated in the annual spray carried out routinely in such areas. In the randomized trial, communities received either the drug, the house spray, the drug and the house spray, or neither of these interventions. Both the drug and the house-spraying interventions were shown to be safe and highly effective, either on their own or when administered together. Both the drugs and the house-spraying approaches significantly reduced malaria transmission in this low endemic setting. WHY THIS TRIAL MATTERS Mass drug administration (MDA) is the administration of antimalarial drugs to target the parasite reservoir in humans, without necessarily testing if those people carry the parasite that causes malaria. The World Health Organization recommends MDA for the elimination of the Plasmodium falciparum malaria parasite. However, the effort and cost required to implement MDA on a large scale can be challenging. The Namibian study reduced the 'mass' in MDA by targeting just the small ring of people around recent index cases - the people at the highest risk of malaria - and thus implemented an existing intervention more efficiently and economically. Indoor residual spraying (IRS) and the use of long-lasting insecticidal nets have since 2000 significantly reduced malaria cases and deaths in target populations in sub-Saharan Africa. These interventions are normally administered in a 'blanket' style before the malaria season (October to May). The Namibian study targeted a highly effective but expensive insecticide, pirimiphos-methyl, at the small ring of houses around recent index cases. The cost of the insecticide makes it more difficult to use in blanket spraying, but suitable in focal spraying as smaller quantities will be used. The cost of the insecticide is thus offset by its focal use of targeting only high risk populations. "We found that reactive focal mass drug administration and reactive focal vector control, when implemented alone and in combination, significantly reduced malaria transmission among targeted populations in the Zambezi region of Namibia," says Koekemoer. "Furthermore, the two interventions, when used in combination, had an additive effect - reducing rates of new malaria cases by 75%". TOWARDS ZERO TRANSMISSION TARGETS Although malaria still causes an estimated 230 million cases and over 400 000 deaths each year, dramatic success in fighting the disease over the last two decades has inspired many countries to commit to eliminating transmission altogether. To date, the World Health Organization has certified 38 countries and territories malaria-free. In southern Africa, eight countries - including South Africa and Namibia - have made the elimination of malaria a policy goal. In recent years, however, progress towards eliminating transmission has slowed in many regions including Africa, highlighting the need for new approaches. Where malaria cases have been reduced to low levels, transmission still occurs due a reservoir of chronic, low density infections in people without symptoms. This means that these infections are largely undetectable through standard surveillance approaches. Because the mosquitoes that carry the malaria parasite are still present, these infections may seed further infections in their immediate neighborhood, potentially leading to outbreaks of malaria cases. To prevent such outbreaks from leading to wider epidemics, effective focal responses that target high-risk populations, such as those assessed in the Namibian study, need to be mobilized. While additional studies will help determine the optimal scenarios in which these approaches could be implemented, the Namibian study suggests that reactive focal mass drug administration and reactive focal vector control can be applied in other countries that (i) have Plasmodium falciparum parasite-carrying mosquitos (ii) are close to eliminating transmission and (iii) have good case reporting systems. "These approaches can only be used if index cases are promptly and reliably reported and becauseSouth Africa has a responsive and reliable malaria case reporting system, the country is well placed to take advantage of these interventions," says Koekemoer. The Namibian study shows how tailoring and targeting existing interventions can help improve their effectiveness and contribute to the elimination of malaria transmission permanently. ### By Express News Service HYDERABAD: State BJP president and Karimnagar MP Bandi Sanjay Kumar, on Sunday, wrote to the Union Minister for External Affairs S Jaishankar, requesting him to arrange special flights to airlift stranded workers, belonging to Telangana, from Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Abu Dhabi. After the outbreak and the lockdown, most of the migrants lost their jobs, are living in inhabitable places and are exposed to sordid conditions, he wrote. The U.S. intelligence community assessment that Russia conducted a sophisticated campaign to boost Donald Trumps candidacy in the 2016 presidential election has received significant validation in a 158-page report that was endorsed unanimously by the Senate Intelligence Committee. No report, no matter how thorough or bipartisan as this one, may stop the president from assailing the investigation as a witch hunt orchestrated by a deep state determined to delegitimize his presidency. Even Sunday, with the nation battling a pandemic that has claimed more than 50,000 lives, Trump was tweeting out a blast at reporters (his quote marks) who had received Noble Prizes for their work on Russia, Russia, Russia, only to have been proven totally wrong (and, in fact, it was the other side who committed the crimes). One can only assume he meant Pulitzer Prizes not Noble Prizes but that was not even close to his most consequential fact error of the week (see: Lysol). So well let that one go. The disturbing aspect of Trumps Sunday tweet storm was his continuing efforts to discredit the intelligence communitys conclusion that Russia had worked mightily to rattle Americans faith in their democracy and the denigration of Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton was part of the strategy. To acknowledge that reality is not to suggest that it was a factor in Trumps victory. Rather, the point is to recognize it happened and could happen again if the U.S. does not ramp up its defenses. The intelligence committee assessment reflects strong tradecraft, sound analytical reasoning and proper justification of disagreement in the one analytical line where it occurred, Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., the committee chair, said in a statement. The committee found no reason to dispute the intelligence committees conclusions. The Senate report comes as the Trump administration has assigned John Durham, the U.S. attorney in Connecticut, to investigate whether the CIA, FBI and National Security Agency acted improperly in the lead-up to their conclusion that Russia had indeed interfered on Trumps behalf in the 2016 election. Durham was given the task by Attorney General William Barr, whose willingness to serve Trumps political objectives was made plain in his handling of the report by independent counsel Robert Mueller. The bipartisan Senate account, released last week, debunked the Trump talking point that the investigation was based in a significant part on a dossier by former British intelligence officer Christopher Steele that included unverified salacious allegations about Trump. Elements of the Steele dossier were included in the annex to the assessment, the Senate report noted, but were not used to support any of its analytical judgments. Moreover, the Senate investigation determined that all analysts involved in the intelligence assessment were free to debate, object to content and assess confidence levels. While most Americans have moved on from the 2016 scandal especially with lives and livelihoods at stake in the coronavirus crisis the Russians malicious intent is as relevant as ever. As Burr noted, it should be considered the new normal. He said: With the 2020 presidential election approaching, its more important than ever that we remain vigilant against the threat of interference from hostile foreign actors. That concern must transcend party lines, as it did in the Senate Intelligence Committee after its in-depth review. This commentary is from The Chronicles editorial board. We invite you to express your views in a letter to the editor. Please submit your letter via our online form: SFChronicle.com/letters. Over 80 per cent of the wheat crop has been harvested in the country and a majority of "mandis" are operational now, a senior government official said on Monday. Punya Salila Srivastava, a joint secretary in the Union home ministry, told reporters that over two crore people got employment in water conservation and irrigation works under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) in the country till now. While 80 per cent of the wheat crop has been harvested, about 2,000 or 80 per cent of the major "mandis" (wholesale markets) are operational in the country now, she said. Srivastava said this during a press briefing on the measures taken to enforce the ongoing lockdown, which was imposed with the aim to break the chain of COVID-19 in the country. According to a survey conducted, about 60 per cent food-processing units are operational in the country, she said, adding that besides, 2,825 units and about 350 export-oriented units are also functional in the special economic zones (SEZs) now. Construction activity, brick kilns and road projects have started in rural areas and hence, local and migrant labourers are getting work again, the officer said. Talking about the activities that have been allowed by the government to ensure essential supplies and that works go on during the ongoing lockdown, Srivastava said the procurement of pulses and oil seeds is going on. She said the "Kisan Rath" mobile application has eased selling and purchasing between farmers and traders during the lockdown as over80,000 farmers and 70,000 traders are registered on the app. "It is important that we keep all caution while doing these activities and follow the social-distancing, wearing-of-mask norms, hygiene and health protocols," Srivastava said. She also briefed the reporters about the work and recommendations made by the inter-ministerial central teams (IMCTs) that were sent to some of the worst coronavirus-hit places in the country such as Pune (Maharashtra) and Jaipur (Rajasthan). Srivastava said the local administration in these two districts is working diligently to combat the COVID-19 situation and underlined that in Pune, the second-largest city in Maharashtra after Mumbai, the doubling rate of the infection is a cause of concern. In Pune, the central team toured the containment zones of Pimpri-Chinchwad, Kharadwadi and Baramati, apart from shelter camps for migrant labourers, vegetable markets, PDS shops, the municipal corporation control room and hospitals. It found that in Pune, the COVID-19 doubling rate is seven days, which is slightly higher compared to the rest of the country, Srivastava said. While the country's average is one positive coronavirus case among 23 samples, in Pune, it is nine samples, she added. The team suggested that high-risk people should be identified quickly and surveillance, testing and contact-tracing should be increased, Srivastava said. In slums, markets and other places where social-distancing norms are not being followed properly, protocols need to be enforced strictly, she added. Instead of home-quarantine, institutional-quarantine is essential in slums, Srivastava said, citing the IMCT recommendations for Pune. Doctors, paramedics, police personnel, vegetable vendors and other essential services-providing shopkeepers have been found to be COVID-19 positive in Pune and it is a matter of concern as they come in contact with many people every day, she said. The IMCT suggested that it should be ensured that protocols are followed strictly by the frontline workers so that they do not contract the virus and become its carriers in the course of their duty. Srivastava said the team also held a discussion through video-conferencing with the chief minister and other senior officials of Maharashtra. In Jaipur, she said, the central team that was headed by an additional secretary-rank officer and had health and disaster management experts, went to hospitals, quarantine centres, containment zones and relief camps for labourers. The team met the chief secretary of Rajasthan and other officials, and suggested that strict steps should be taken so that the lockdown is not violated in the walled city during the evening hours. The team suggested that ration and other supplies should be more systematic, quarantine camps should be taken away from residential areas and asked state government authorities to increase the speed of test results. It also suggested that non-COVID-19 hospitals should be identified so that people are able to get other healthcare facilities, Srivastava said. "The IMCTs found out that the local administration in both districts (Pune and Jaipur) is working with dedication and with these suggestions, they will be able to better the situation," she added. The COVID-19 chain can only broken when the lockdown rules are followed diligently and for this, it is important that the state governments take strong action against lockdown violations, Srivastava said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Harvard University will be open this fall, but officials say coronavirus may prevent traditional campus life from returning right away and force students to learn remotely. In a tweet Monday afternoon, the Cambridge-based university said it would reopen with the goal of being on campus. But with COVID-19 remaining a threat in the coming months, we cannot be certain that we will be able to resume all usual activities on campus by then, the university said. Our goal is to sustain our teaching and research mission during this global pandemic, while also ensuring the health and safety of our community, Harvard Provost Alan M. Garber said in a statement Monday. A range of scenarios has been and will continue to be evaluated for the fall, from fully restored on-campus activities a normal return to campus to delaying the opening of the University until next spring semester. The consequences of any major decision for a large and complex university like Harvard are themselves complex and highly uncertain. Yet for us the most important decision is a clear one: Harvard will be open for fall 2020. Garber said, We will need to prepare for a scenario in which much or all learning will be conducted remotely," though the school has set a goal to bring students, faculty, postdoctoral fellows and staff to campus as quickly as possible. The virus has shuttered schools and universities, and businesses and public institutions, across the country. Nearly 1 million Americans have contracted COVID-19 and 56,000 have died. Harvard closed earlier in the spring and canceled its spring commencement in favor of a virtual ceremony set for May 28. When and how we can safely return to these spaces will depend on the status of the pandemic and the strategies that can be deployed to mitigate its effects, Garber added. We will need to consider whether the epidemiological data and public health models indicate that most disease activity is behind us and that further waves of outbreak are unlikely. If our community has not developed sufficient levels of immunity through recovery from the disease or vaccination, and if safe and effective antiviral therapy is not available, we will likely need adequate supplies of personal protective equipment, reliable and convenient viral testing, robust contact tracing procedures, and facilities for quarantine and isolation. We must do our part to assure the health and safety of everyone within and beyond the Harvard community, particularly those at elevated risk." Garber noted that officials now have more time to prepare a better, more engaging experience for the fall should many of our activities need to be conducted remotely. Rather than seeking to approximate the on-campus experience online, we can focus our efforts on developing the best possible remote educational experience. Harvard said it would provide school-specific guidance about fall plans in the coming weeks. Related Content: Those who hate ballet accuse it of being the most escapist of all the performing arts. So what? In the midst of a pandemic the likes of which none of us has ever seen, a little innocent escapism might be just the tonic we need; but where to get it now that theatres are closed? While politicians and medical experts debate when it will be safe to lift some of the restrictions imposed during the fight against COVID-19, one thing is for sure: theatres are not going to be open for business any time soon. Lets face it, experiencing an artistic event in close proximity to hundreds of other people in an enclosed space for a couple of hours or more is the antithesis of social distancing, a major preventive against the spread of the virus. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti is not the only civic leader in the United States to warn that it could be 2021 before large gatherings are allowed again. Expect his Canadian counterparts to admit the same. While artists are forced to bear the brunt of this, their audiences are blessed with an alternative; not an ideal one but certainly better than nothing. As many fans already knew and as countless others are now discovering, there is a cornucopia of compelling performances available online, globally sourced digital offerings that bring a staggeringly diverse range of artistic expression right to your TV, computer or mobile device; and mostly without cost. For ballet fans in Toronto, who rarely get to see companies other than their home team National Ballet of Canada, its an ideal opportunity to explore a wider world. The many faces of Swan Lake For example, although Karen Kains new Swan Lake has had to be postponed until June 2021, now is the time to become a Swan Lake connoisseur by discovering all the different ways Tchaikovskys 1877 ballet has been sliced and diced. Youll soon realize there is no authentic, original or traditional version. However, if you want to start with a fairly straightforward production, search for the one devised in 1964 by Rudolf Nureyev for the Vienna State Ballet, available on YouTube in a 2014 live from recording starring Olga Esina and Vladimir Shishov. If you prefer your Swan Lake with more star power and a Soviet Era-style happy ending, head via YouTube to Milan and the Teatro alla Scala to watch Russias Svetlana Zakharova and her frequent partner, Italys impossibly handsome Roberto Bolle, in an excellent revisionist production by Vladimir Bourmeister dating from 1953. And for a radically different take, you can choose between two recordings of Matthew Bournes Swan Lake, famous for its male swans and quasi-homoerotic story line. Although its poorer video quality, watch the one from 1996 starring most of the original London West End cast. Also in the revisionist division, its worth looking at Illusions like Swan Lake, a version John Neumeier made in 1976 for his Hamburg Ballet in which the action of the ballet is framed as the inner psychological world of Bavaria Mad King Ludwig II. Visit the Hamburg Ballet website where a number of Neumeiers major works will be available for limited screenings over the next few weeks. Story Ballets on YouTube While on the subject of story ballets youre unlikely to see performed live in Toronto, and if you enjoy a bit of high camp and over-the-top melodrama, search YouTube for the 1994 Paris Opera Ballet broadcast of Nureyevs staging of La Bayadere, a twisted tale of ancient Indian temple life with a prince torn between two women. The performances, led by Isabelle Guerin, Elisabeth Platel and Laurent Hilaire are superb, and the famous Kingdom of the Shades corps de ballet showcase is sublime. As a production however, it lacks the drama of the traditional Act IV destruction of the temple. For that, youll have to head back to Milan and La Scala where in Natalia Makarovas production, filmed in 2006 and starring Zakharova and Bolle, the walls come tumbling down. For many years Coppelia, the 1870 Arthur Saint-Leon/Leo Delibes confection about a demented toymaker and two young lovers, was a mainstay of the National Ballet of Canada in a colourful 1975 production by former ballet star Erik Bruhn. It appears to have been permanently shelved. YouTube to the rescue! For a spirited performance, check out the recording of a live 2012 TV broadcast of the National Ballet of Cubas Alicia Alonso production featuring Anette Delgado, Dani Hernandez and Ernesto Diaz. And if you enjoy watching young dancers on the cusp of stardom, theres a wonderful Coppelia from 2001 featuring students of the famed Paris Opera Ballet School. The Swanilda, Charline Giezendanner, has not so far made it to top rank, but her Franz, Mathieu Ganio, is now one of the companys most acclaimed etoiles. Paid Streaming Sites Apart from diving down the rabbit hole of YouTube and checking the websites of major companies to see whats online, dont overlook paid streaming services with rich performing arts catalogues that can be enjoyed free on a trial basis. Good examples are Britains Marquee TV and U.S.-based OntheBoards.tv the latter catering to those looking for cutting edge contemporary dance. Another service, Kanopy, offers free access to anyone with a valid Toronto Public Library card. A rarity available there is the La Scala Ballet dancing George Balanchines full-length A Midsummer Nights Dream. The 2007 recording stars Alessandra Ferri, Massimo Murru, Nir Kabaretti and Roberto Bolle. Get a laugh Finally, if you want to laugh yourself silly, search YouTube for An Evening With Les Ballets Trockadero, two separate programs of side-splitting ballet send-ups performed by men in tutus. Everyone can agree thats good. But theres something melancholy about it all, like a ferocious hieroglyphic inscription from the court of a king that third-graders file by on their trip to the museum. One lovely example from 1951, with graceful youth dancing and working in the sun, was discovered under a few layers of paint in an ultra-Orthodox yeshiva in Haifa; the building turned out to have once been a socialist club. Others have surfaced in banks and factories. In the early years of the state, with this art, everyone wanted to say: Im not just a capitalist, even if Im running a bank, Ms. Shalev-Khalifa said. Im a Zionist whos building the homeland. The main characters in the mural at Maaleh Ha-Hamisha are five workers killed in an Arab attack while clearing a road in 1937. (The kibbutz, Hill of the Five in English, is named for them.) The artists theme isnt revenge or glory, but the regeneration of the Jewish nation by manual labor. On one wall, the five workers clear rocks. On another wall, in a kind of abstract blur of earth tones, their bodies sprawl on the ground, but the workers are also standing above their bodies, as if theyve come back to life. They dont seem angry, just determined. One of them hands a sacred object to some children: a simple pick, representing labor. The painter was an American from Los Angeles, Sheldon Schoneberg, who spent time in Mexico with disciples of Rivera at the Taller de Grafica Popular, the Peoples Graphic Workshop. Inspired by the kibbutz idea, he arrived the same year the state was founded, 1948. According to the story still current among members here, the American was sent first to the dairy barn, where he didnt win any prizes for excellence in manual labor. When the kibbutz secretariat saw his sketchbook, they decided hed better serve the socialist future if they gave him a few walls and some paint. Mr. Schoneberg left other murals around in Israel before returning to the U.S. in 1956. His last one, on the wall of a community center in Haifa, showed a crowd of citizens moving uphill toward a white building representing progress. The artist made sure to include a man who, by his white headdress, was identifiably Arab, because the Zionist left believed the new state would join Jews and Arabs in common citizenship and free everyone from capitalist exploitation. (The mural was painted over years ago and survives only in photographs.) It can be termed a good omen for agriculture and hydropower generation, record 7.099 million acre feet (MAF) water is available in Mangla, Tarbela and Chashma reservoirs this year ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 27th Apr, 2020 ) :It can be termed a good omen for agriculture and hydropower generation, record 7.099 million acre feet (MAF) water is available in Mangla, Tarbela and Chashma reservoirs this year. According to data of Indus River System Authority (IRSA) over 4 MAF more water is available in the dams as compared with last year, and 5.496 MAF more if compared with the average of last 10 years. Owing to sufficient water availability, no water shortage is forecast for Kharif season 2020 and the provinces are asked to draw their indent as per their demand. This better hydrological situation will aptly fulfill the requirement of water for agriculture in the country for the days to come. The more water in the reservoirs will also result in more hydelpower generation in the days to come with increase water indents by IRSA in accordance with the requirements of the provinces. Meanwhile, IRSA on Monday released 136,000 cusecs water from various rim stations with inflow of 153,900 cusecs. According to the data released by IRSA, water level in the Indus River at Tarbela Dam was 1478.48 feet, which was 92.48 feet higher than its dead level 1386 feet. Water inflow in the dam was recorded as 32,700 cusecs and outflow as 33,000 cusecs. The water level in the Jhelum River at Mangla Dam was 1202.70 feet, which was 162.70 feet higher than its dead level of 1040 feet whereas the inflow and outflow of water was recorded as 53,700 cusecs and 35,500 cusecs respectively. The release of water at Kalabagh, Taunsa and Sukkur was recorded as 69,500, 59,100 and 34,500 cusecs respectively. Similarly, from the Kabul River a total of 37,700 cusecs of water was released at Nowshera and 12,800 cusecs released from the Chenab River at Marala. Technology stocks quarterly releases are anticipated to reflect the negative impact of coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, which was first detected in China but rapidly transformed into a pandemic in the first-quarter 2020. COVID-19-induced global lockdown situation, which has led to sluggish demand for smartphone, automotive and consumer electronics, has been taking a toll on the world economy. Per the latest Earnings Preview, tech sectors first-quarter earnings are anticipated to be down 0.7% from the year-ago quarter. The rapidly spreading COVID-19 infection has caused disruptions in major economic zones, which then turned into a full-blown global crisis due to slowdown in productions and operations owing to factory shutdowns, and sluggish spending patterns. This is likely to have impacted the technology stocks significantly in the first quarter. For instance, Texas Instruments TXN was hurt by underperformance of the Chinese factories during the quarter under review. Its first-quarter 2020 results reflect year-over-year decline in both earnings and revenues. Meanwhile, Xilinx XLNX also reported year-over-year decline in its fourth-quarter fiscal 2020 earnings and revenues on account of coronavirus pandemic and Huawei ban. Positives to Note Nevertheless, coronavirus-induced work-from-home wave is likely to have bolstered sales of processors utilized in enterprise laptops and data center servers, which in turn is expected to have benefited the technology sector in the first quarter. The semiconductor giant Intel INTC reported first-quarter 2020 results wherein both earnings and revenues surged from the year-ago quarter. The company benefited from robust modem sales and solid notebook demand as a result of coronavirus-induced crisis. We believe this work-from-home scenario is likely to have benefited the companies offering video conferencing tools during the quarter under review. Further, the growing adoption of contactless payment solutions in order to reduce the spread of COVID-19 is expected to have acted as a tailwind. Additionally, growing proliferation of cloud-computing services, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) are expected to have benefited the technology companies offering these services. Sneak Peek on Few Upcoming Releases In this backdrop, lets see how the following technology stocks are poised ahead of their first-quarter 2020 results slated to be reported on Apr 28. Alphabets GOOGL first-quarter performance is likely to have benefited from continued focus on innovation of its search segment, which accounts for significant portion of total revenues. Further, its expanding cloud services portfolio is likely to have contributed to the first-quarter performance. However, intensifying cloud competition, higher expenses and litigation charges are likely to have weighed on the first-quarter performance. (Read more: What's in the Offing for Alphabet's Q1 Earnings?) Our proven model doesnt conclusively predict an earnings beat for Alphabet this time around. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the chances of an earnings beat. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before theyre reported with our Earnings ESP Filter. Notably, Alphabet has an Earnings ESP of -5.51% and a Zacks Rank #3. Further, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings has moved down by 5.5% to $10.97 per share over the past 30 days. Story continues Alphabet Inc. Price and EPS Surprise Paycom Softwares PAYC first-quarter performance is expected to have gained from robust new business wins and the high-margin recurring revenue business. Further, the differentiated product offering of Direct Data Exchange for all Paycom clients is expected to have aided customer additions in the to-be-reported quarter. However, coronavirus-induced disruptions are anticipated to have negatively impacted the performance in the quarter to be reported. (Read more: Paycom to Report Q1 Earnings: What's in the Offing?) Notably, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings has moved south by 0.8% to $1.27 per share over the past 30 days. Paycom has an Earnings ESP of -4.44% and a Zacks Rank #3. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. Paycom Software, Inc. Price and EPS Surprise Akamai Technologies AKAM first-quarter results are likely to reflect benefits from robust adoption of security solutions and solid traction for OTT video, courtesy of coronavirus-led stay-at-home-wave. However, the companys investments in re-structuring efforts are likely to have put pressure on margins in the to-be-reported quarter. (Read more: Akamai to Report Q1 Earnings: What's in the Cards?) Notably, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings has moved downward by 0.9% to $1.15 per share over the past 30 days. Akamai has an Earnings ESP of -1.18% and a Zacks Rank #3. Akamai Technologies, Inc. Price and EPS Surprise MSCI MSCI first-quarter performance is expected to have benefited from robust adoption of its solutions, driven by strong demand for cost-effective investment strategies with sustainable and risk-optimized returns during the to-be-reported quarter. However, coronavirus-induced crisis is expected to have affected average assets under management (AUM) in ETFs linked to MSCI indexes in the quarter under review. (Read more: MSCI to Report Q1 Earnings: What's in the Cards?) Notably, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings has moved south by 0.6% to $1.68 per share over the past 30 days. MSCI has an Earnings ESP of 0.00% and a Zacks Rank #3. MSCI Inc Price and EPS Surprise Just Released: Zacks 7 Best Stocks for Today Experts extracted 7 stocks from the list of 220 Zacks Rank #1 Strong Buys that has beaten the market more than 2X over with a stunning average gain of +24.1% per year. These 7 were selected because of their superior potential for immediate breakout. See these time-sensitive tickers now >> Click to get this free report Intel Corporation (INTC) : Free Stock Analysis Report Texas Instruments Incorporated (TXN) : Free Stock Analysis Report Xilinx, Inc. (XLNX) : Free Stock Analysis Report Akamai Technologies, Inc. (AKAM) : Free Stock Analysis Report MSCI Inc (MSCI) : Free Stock Analysis Report Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL) : Free Stock Analysis Report Paycom Software, Inc. (PAYC) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. A nurse whose acne was so bad she wore makeup in bed to hide her spots from her own boyfriend has shown off her 'life-changing' transformation to clear skin. Ellie Rutland-Jones, 21, from from Swadlincote, Derbyshire, had tried 'every cream, every medication and even every contraception' her GP could offer in an attempt to cure the spots that blighted her all the way through her teenage years. The student had accepted she would never have clear skin in her life and even resorted to wearing a full face of foundation to mask the serious flare ups in bed with partner Jordan Jaworski, also 21. Her spots were so bad that she would often hide her face with a scarf while out and about and there were days she would 'just cry and cry' her acne was so bad. Ellie Rutland-Jones, 21, from from Swadlincote, Derbyshire, has such severe acne that she would wear makeup in bed to hide her spots from her boyfriend, Jordan Jaworski, 21. Pictured, Ellie's skin before the transformation Ellie's skin has dramatically improved after she took the medication Roaccutane for six months. Pictured, with clear skin It was only when Ellie saw the results a friend had on the controversial drug roaccutane, that she returned to her doctor in a last ditch attempt in October 2019. Aware of the side effects of the medication - also known as isotretinoin - Ellie started a six month course and showed off her spotless complexion online. Incredible photos show Ellie's astonishing transformation, as last year her face was covered in large, red, painful-looking spots, while now her skin appears clear and acne-free. 'Even around Jordan, I was self-conscious and I would go to sleep in makeup,' explained Ellie. 'He had seen my acne and was aware of my face but even then, when it got really bad I would cover it and go to bed in it. The nursing student had tried 'every cream, every medication and even every contraception' her GP could offer in an attempt to cure the spots that blighted her all the way through her teenage years. Pictured, Ellie's skin before the medication At its worst, Ellie's face was covered in large, red, painful-looking spots. Pictured, before taking the medication Ellie accepted she would never have clear skin in her life and even resorted to wearing a full face of foundation to mask the serious flare ups in bed with partner Jordan Jaworski, also 21 (pictured together) 'It was to make myself feel more confident in front of him. It had never bothered him.' WHAT IS ROACCUTANE? Isotretinoin capsules are a very effective treatment for severe acne (spots). This medicine can have serious side effects, however, so it must be prescribed and supervised by a specialist doctor. Isotretinoin capsules are also known by the brand names Roaccutane and Rizuderm. Isotretinoin capsules start to work after a week to 10 days. They work very well - 4 out of 5 people who use them have clear skin after 4 months. You will a have blood test before you start taking isotretinoin and regular blood tests during your treatment. Your skin may become very dry and sensitive to sunlight during treatment. Using lip balm and moisturisers will help. It's very important not to become pregnant while using isotretinoin capsules and for at least 1 month after stopping. This is because isotretinoin can harm an unborn baby. Women will be given a reminder card about this. If you become depressed or think about harming yourself while taking isotretinoin, stop taking the medicine and tell your doctor straight away. Common side effects: Skin becoming more sensitive to sunlight, dry eyes, dry throat dry nose and nosebleeds, headaches and general aches and pains Source: NHS Advertisement Not only did Ellie cover up her spots when in bed with her boyfriend, but she also made sure to disguise her acne when out in public. 'I would make sure I was wearing a scarf and full face of makeup to go to the shops,' she explained. 'It would affect the smallest parts of my day to day. 'I didn't care what other people thought, but I was really bothered about how I felt. I had to have days off school because it would affect my self-esteem so much. 'It really affected me mentally, especially with all of my friends because I was the only one who suffered with it. Going through school, it was exaggerated by the changes in my hormones. 'There were days when I would just cry and cry. Mum would give me the day off school when it was that bad. 'At that point too, social media was really starting to kick off, and that really played a big part in my self esteem. 'All I would see there was celebrities with nice skin. I was always comparing my skin to other people's and it really did add up.' Ellie had been back and forth to her family doctor for years and tried every medication without success until she cut out all contraception, which cleared her skin for one year just before starting university. 'As soon as I started my university course, it broke out again and has never really gone away,' she said. 'I'm not sure if that was the stress but until I started on roaccutane, it wouldn't go away. 'I went back to the GP for one final time after one of my close friends had amazing results on roaccutane. They referred me and the effects have been great. Ellie had accepted she would never be the person with nice skin but wanted to show that there is hope out there for people. Pictured, after taking the medication for six months Ellie says she knew the side effects and researched the medication before and while it did scare me off a bit, she doesn't regret the course. Pictured, after the medication 'Roaccutane was life changing for me. I never thought I would be one of those people with nice, clear skin. 'I knew the side effects and researched the medication before and it did scare me off a little bit. 'I did have some dry skin and lips and a couple of nosebleeds but I definitely don't regret doing the course. 'I do get the odd spot here while wearing a mask all day for nursing, but that's because of sweat and bacteria, not because of the acne. 'From personal experience, I would advise people not to be put off by the side effects of roaccutane and to try it. If you do get any, you can just come off them. 'I had just accepted I would never be the person with nice skin but I want to show that there is hope out there for people.' Ellie's acne was so bad that she would often hide her face with a scarf while out and about and there were days she would 'just cry and cry.' Pictured, after taking the medication for six months Notes from Indian Country Will things ever be the same? Former television newscaster Tom Brokaw called the generation that survived the Great Depression and World War II, The Greatest Generation. Those of us from that generation were witnesses to, or even participants in, the bloody wars of Korea, Vietnam and of the ongoing wars in the Middle East. As this bit of history passes before our eyes we have moved into those peaceful days of rest and retirement perhaps looking back on the years behind us with nostalgia. Native American journalist Chuck Trimble wrote about those Golden Years with a bit of that nostalgia and with a bit of apprehension surrounding the infirmities that often accompany those years. Some of us discover that aha moment of old age in surprising ways. For me and my wife it happened one day at the zoo in Albuquerque, New Mexico. We had gone there on a business trip when we received an invitation to a happening at the zoo, a happening that also included an outdoor picnic. We got our food, spread a blanket on the grass, and sat down to enjoy our lunch. And then, aha it was time to leave and we discovered that trying to get back on our feet from the picnic blanket was not an easy chore. The ability to bounce back up was suddenly gone. And so we accepted this small indignity and set about trying to make the rest of the day, and the rest of our lives, tolerable and gentle. Tim Giago. Photo courtesy Native Sun News Today My wife didnt quite make the cutoff to the Greatest Generation, but instead ended up as a Boomer. But that didnt stop her from joining me as a respected elder. It seems that social security is now in trouble because so many thousands of Boomers have now become retirees. And so like many other members of the Greatest Generation and of the Baby Boomers, we are quietly living out the last days of our lives enjoying simple things like watching a beautiful sunset over the Western Black Hills, or sitting on our deck with a glass of good wine and listening to the music of the 40s, 50s and 60s, once again hearing the songs of our youth, or watching an old Bogart and Bacall movie in black and white on the television. And this is the way all of us from these back to back generations wished to enjoy our remaining time on this earth. Never, in our worst nightmare, did we expect a deadly virus to come along, a coronavirus that is particularly lethal to members of the Greatest and Boomer generations. We expected to live out our final days in peace and not in fear. There has been nothing like this since the flu epidemic of 1918 that claimed the life of my wifes grandfather and the twin brother of my grandfather. We can no longer go to a relaxing concert out of fear nor can we go to the grocery store without wearing a mask and surgical gloves. All of the things we once took for granted have been taken away from us. There is particular fear on many Indian reservations because the ancestors of the people living there were decimated by the pandemics of small pox and other diseases to which the Native people had no immunity. Perhaps those Golden Years Chuck Trimble wrote about will never be the same and the things we looked forward to will be lost and gone forever. If so it brings about an abrupt change to our Golden Years and to the things that were to be a part and parcel of our final days. It is an evil way for Mother Nature to close out our final chapter. But then again, those of the Greatest Generation and of the Baby Boomers have always been optimists. Tim Giago is the Publisher of Native Sun News Today. He is a former Nieman Fellow with the Class of 1991 and the recipient of many journalism awards including the H. L. Mencken Award. He can be reached at najournalist1@gmail.com. Note: Content copyright Tim Giago Join the Conversation Brazil's indigenous peoples living in the Amazon region are effectively deprived of medical assistance and access to health care even though the coronavirus death rate is among the highest in the country, Gleisi Hoffmann, leader of Brazil's leading opposition force, the Workers' Party (PT), has told Sputnik, adding that the government has not been effective in assisting indigenous communities amid the outbreak MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 27th April, 2020) Brazil's indigenous peoples living in the Amazon region are effectively deprived of medical assistance and access to health care even though the coronavirus death rate is among the highest in the country, Gleisi Hoffmann, leader of Brazil's leading opposition force, the Workers' Party (PT), has told Sputnik, adding that the government has not been effective in assisting indigenous communities amid the outbreak. On Thursday, Greenpeace International slammed Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro over failing to provide health care assistance to the indigenous people and leaving them "in a deadly situation." The leading environmental organization also criticized Bolsonaro for his consistent attempts to deprive the indigenous community of their lands and human rights. "We are very concerned because the indigenous population is practically deprived of medical assistance. After the Cuban doctors were insulted by Brazil and namely by Bolsonaro, we no longer have doctors in the indigenous health communities and it worries us a lot. Consequently, the child mortality rate in these communities has increased," Hoffmann said. The lawmaker also accused the president of trying to use the ongoing pandemic as an opportunity to strip the indigenous population of their lands, which are rich in natural resources. "Bolsonaro is not concerned with people's lives and health, whether they are indigenous or not. But in the case of indigenous people, he has a greater prejudice. He really wants to take away their lands and lend them to business groups for exploitation. That is why Bolsonaro is reluctant to take effective action to combat the coronavirus in the Amazon region of Brazil. In the Amazon state, for example, we have the largest number of infected and highest death rate, especially in indigenous communities. So, Bolsonaro can use this situation to advance his project of granting wealthy indigenous lands for economic interests," Hoffmann added. Earlier in April, a 15-year old boy from Brazil's indigenous group of Yanomami died from coronavirus-related complications, according to media reports. Brazil's nonprofit Socio-Environmental Institute has warned that the virus might have been transmitted to the Yanomami people by illegal miners who operate in the conservation areas. Qualifying TAMIU students will receive grants of up to $1,500 from the federal CARES Act funds totaling $4.75 million to assist them for the Spring, Summer and Fall semesters. Currently enrolled students can find the website for the online application at tamiu.edu/cares. The grant will focus on housing, food insecurity, urgent medical needs, school and transportation expenses done in the Spring semester. TAMIU President Dr. Pablo Arenaz said that additional grants will be established for students with similar needs that will enroll in the Summer and Fall semesters. The funding will be available immediately and the grant will be disbursed through BankMobile. According to TAMIU, the Card Services webpage will have information on how to confirm disbursement preferences and can be found at tamiu.edu/onecard. Thousands of TAMIU students and their families have been impacted by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Some students may even be questioning their ability to continue their degree dream, Arenaz said. The availability of this assistance will be a welcome relief, and we are thankful to our congressional delegation for their leadership on this. The concern of student retention relief funding and the fact that the Department of Education prohibits institutions of higher education from providing any CARES Act funds to DACA students is still a current matter. According to Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, emergency relief will only be provided for U.S. citizens or legal residents. According to a New York Times report, the action will exclude hundreds of thousands of DACA students attending college. Arenaz said that the university will have to abide by the federal statue and state law but will work alongside the Texas A&M system to look for sources of funds to help students who dont qualify for emergency assistance from the CARES fund. Christian Ocampo may be reached at cocampo@lmtonline.com The hurdles of last year were turning hazy in the distance as the property market peddled on towards a full recovery with housing values across Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Canberra and Hobart knocking on the door of their September 2017 peaks, as per CoreLogics Home Value Index for February. But for many who had recently planned to buy, or sell their properties during an opportune phase, plans had to be swiftly diverted. With optimistic market forecasts now being forced into a corner by COVID-19, the industry has been fast to turn to technology in a concentrated effort to adapt to the governments strategy in curbing the spread of the virus; which included a momentary ban being placed on public auctions and open houses. REIA president Adrian Kelly supported the governments measures that came into effect on March 25 and in a statement said, "With regard to public auctions, these can still occur via telephone bidding or by using one of the many online auction platforms available. Domain figures reveal that out of 1,248 public auctions that were scheduled in Melbourne for the second Saturday since the governments announcement, 65% converted to private treaty and a shy 6% moved forward with an online auction. Tech-sentiments were a little more optimistic in Sydney where out of 1224 schedule public auctions, 21% went online and 36% switched over for private sale. Despite the initial hesitancy for an online auction, there were a handful of successes. This included an online auction for a property in North Ryde that had only grazed the market for a week before being sold to a bidder for $1.755m on a Thursday, Domain reports. Director of Results Mentoring, Brendan Kelly, says as a society we have already been moving across to a more online and virtual world of transactions a trend which he expects will evolve over time. The pandemic and social distancing has simply accelerated, by a decade or two, that which was already underway, he says. The market of tomorrow: How will the coming weeks shape up? President of REINSW, Leanne Pilkington, shares that new listings continue to come onto the market during these times. Some agents will still be comfortable in the [online] auction process and others will go towards private treaty, Pilkington says. Many agents have recently reported a large number of listings coming onto the market in September, she adds. But what we all know is that when there is a lot of stock coming onto the market at the same time, its good for buyers but its not good for vendors, Pilkington notes. The demand-supply playfield of the near future is one of the reasons why agents are having conversations with their vendors about how they could likely be impacted if they postpone selling. Particularly if its a property that they know is desirable and its priced according to the market, they are still putting them on the market, Pilkington shares. One [estate agent] signed up three new listings last week, and another one had three deals that they negotiated, so there are still transactions happening. Since the onset of the virus, the industry has progressed through a number of stages before reaching planning mode, Pilkington shares. I think we have moved through those stages really quickly, and I think that now we are looking for opportunity, she says. There are many times when the industry has shown for its capacity to gather its resources and weather storms that had been brewed by greater economic turbines; some markets across the nation withstanding the battering better than others. In saying this, once the current crisis passes, could the industrys shared movement into technology extend into being more than a temporary iso-buffer? A surge in digital demand signals a lifeline to vendors The morning after the governments announcement, SoldOnline swept in over a 1000% increase in interest as the online property auction and bidding platform teamed with 35 property agencies and two leading commercial agencies to move their auctions across to online. In a video address, how to keep selling amidst the scare, auctioneer and founder of SoldOnline, David Scholes, says: We are surrounded by uncertainty and many agents are worried about the future of real estate salesWe have the perfect process to create a transparent competitive environment ensuring property owners and buyers are free from the potential of unwanted external forces. In the wake of COVID-19, a property located in Fairlight was listed on SoldOnlines platform on behalf of estate agents Rightside Manly. There were 11 active bidders registered and the property flew under the hammer for $853,000, significantly over the reserve price. We didnt consider a worldwide viral infection when we designed our concept. We designed it as a cutting-edge alternative to the traditional methods of real estate sales, Scholes says. The mainstream adoption of digital and virtual technology has been part of a broader industry vision for Harcourts Estate Agents also; having already taken successful strides in the past twelve months in connecting international clients from the U.S. to the Australian market through an operating online auctions platform. In a media address, CEO of Harcourts Australia, Marcus Williams, says: Because of the technology and training developed around online auctions combined with our in-house technology and development team at our disposal, we were able to quickly resource Australian agents. He adds, In just over two weeks of online auctions being mandatory practice for Harcourts franchises, we have seen terrific success for our clients. The effects of auction withdrawals over the short-term As per CoreLogics March Quarter Auction Review, the combined capitals saw clearance rates hit 37.3% in the last week of the month. There are various pressures that have led to a decline in the March quarter auction result, CoreLogics head of research Australia, Eliza Owen, commented in the report. The banning of onsite auctions and open homes have physically prevented some auctions from going ahead or prompted vendors to pull out of the market. Withdrawal rates surged from an average of around 6% to 50.2% in the week ending 29th of March. CEO of Metropole Property Group, Michael Yardney, says it shouldnt be forgotten that many properties that were initially scheduled for a traditional auction have re-entered the market as private sales. Currently the full effect of the coronavirus fallout has not hit our property markets and well-located properties are still selling at or before auction, Yardney says. There are still some nondiscretionary sellers and buyers who must transcat. There are many people who sold their home and need to buy a new one while there are others who bought a home and looking to sell their existing property. While CoreLogics March Quarter Auction Review states that the next few months are likely to see substantially fewer auctions than normal, the report also mentions some of the leading platforms that vendors who proceed with a tech-led auction could likely adopt followed by watch this space. And largely, thats all we can do as the industry navigates the current pressures that are being brought on by the worldwide pandemic. As the first reaction of most vendors to the public auction ban led to a hike in private sales, digital apps began to pave the way forward to ensure that vendors, buyers and estate agents remain equipped. One of these booming apps is Gavl; a digital-alternative to every facet of a propertys change of hand, from live-streaming a property and electronically submitting an offer, to broadcasting auctions in real time and signing agreements. More recently, the app announced its integration with Realestate.com.au. In a media address, co-founder and CEO of Gavl, Joel Smith, says, Although many auctions were pulled last weekend, we were able to play our part in allowing buyers to digitally attend and bid at auctions safely. Of the auctions that went ahead on Gavl many had welcomed over 250 viewers on the app, which Smiths says was many more than there would have been expected in person in normal circumstances. And they werent just watching, he adds. We had over 60 approved bidding registrations and of all the auctions conducted on Gavl more than half were sold to bidders using Gavl. The current technological climate: Will it comfortably nestle into the future of real estate? Michael Yardney from Metropole Property Group says, A large part of purchasing a home is the emotional feeling that you really cant get through a virtual online tour. Similarly, part of the benefits of selling your home by auction is the emotional tension created by being in the same room as your competition watching their faces, seeing their emotions and hoping to outbid them. With private one-on-one inspections still permitted, Yardney says, Currently, another significant shift in real estate transactions is that more properties are being sold off market, since the typical costly advertising campaigns are ineffective at present. Furthermore, as video-led inspections are unable to show you the full perspective, Yardney explains, This is one of the reasons why more buyers are using buyers agents to represent them; to be there eyes and ears on the ground. Investors and overseas buyers have been known to purchase property without a physical inspection, president of REINSW, Leanne Pilkington, notes. However, she says, It is going to be very unlikely that youre going to buy your family home without actually going there. Pilkington recommends buyers to do a virtual inspection of the property first, and if they would like to pursue it, then a private inspection would be the next step forward. There are some estate agents who have been utilising online auctions previously for some time, while those who had always preferred the traditional mode have now needed to employ it because of the current circumstances, Pilkington explains. Brendan Kelly from Results Mentoring says that there will always be generations that will be more comfortable with traditional modes or hold onto how things were or how things have always been done. However, as technology continues to improve, become more intuitive, cheaper and easier to assimilate into daily lifetomorrows older generation will be fighting todays technology to be sustained, he says. When asked how estate agents will progress with the new technologies that are currently garnering heightened interaction, Leanne Pilkington from REINSW says: I think that [it] would mean that a lot of [agents] would be comfortable to do [online auctions] moving forward, but I still think that there are a lot of agents that prefer the ambience created from a live auction. She adds that over the coming weeks its expected that auction numbers will continue to reduce as private sales increase. Theres still a lot of opportunity out there for the industry as it navigates the uncertain climate of today, but it requires certain measures to be enacted so that the market continues to cycle as households come under financial pressure. We really think that the state governments around the country need to have a look at stamp duty and provide an incentive by drastically reducing stamp duty to encourage people to transact over the next few months, Pilkington says. New overseas technology to help sustain local market While private sales and inspections are still eligible to move forward under the governments halt to public auctions and open houses, vendors continue to be disposed to innovative technology that allows them to move with the times. Online platform Offr first launched in Ireland six months ago with plans in the pipeline to be made available to the Australian and New Zealand markets. However, its scheduled debut has fast-tracked by up to 12 months as a result of the local markets changing needs. Estate agents can integrate the platform with their websites in as little as 10 minutes, allowing sellers and buyers to engage in a myriad of sales methods that range from auctions, private treaties and sealed bidding. CEO and founder of Offr, Robert Hoban, says that the platforms success in Ireland shows that everything is possible in our new normal. We seem to be the only technology that allows real estate agents and auctioneers to conduct the entire sale process from their own websites which is a big plus in a world where everything is changing at a rapid pace, Hoban says. CEO of Ezifin, Tim Brown, who is assisting to bridge Offr across to the Australia market says, Offrs platform is years ahead of their competition, demonstrating how real estate will be transacted now and into the future. The world as we knew it prior to Covid 19 will be very different to the way real estate will be transacted post Covid 19, he adds. Editors note: The rules and regulations around COVID-19 and its impact on social distancing and socialising restrictions are constantly changing as this is a dynamic and evolving situation. As of April 27, SA and WA have announced that they will relax rules and allow up to 10 people through each open home. Visit our news section for the absolute latest updates and breaking news regarding Coronavirus and the property industry. - Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has been appointed into the African Union (AU)'s special envoy by the South Africa president Cyril Ramaphosa - The special envoy, which also has Donald Kaberuka and others, will solicit supports from G20 to Africa amid the saddening economic effect of coronavirus - The appointment came barely a week after the former finance minister bagged big appointment from IMF Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has added another feather to her cap after the former minister of finance was named into the special committee of African Union (AU) to mobilise international support for Africa over the economic challenge of Covid-19 crisis. Cyril Ramaphosa, South Africa president, who is also the chairman of the African Union, made the announcement in a statement, Premium Times reports. The special envoy, which also has Donald Kaberuka, Tidjane Thiam and Trevor Manuel, will be charged with the task of putting efforts together to ensure that G20, the European Union and other international financial institutions, fulfil its pledge to Africa. Okonjo Iweala has been appointed into the African Union (AU)'s special envoy by the South Africa president Cyril Ramaphosa. Source: UGC The impact of the coronavirus pandemic has been global in both scale and reach, and this necessitates coordinated international action to capacitate all countries to respond effectively, but most particularly developing countries that continue to shoulder a historical burden of poverty, inequality and underdevelopment, President Ramaphosa said. "In the light of the devastating socio-economic and political impact of the pandemic on African countries these institutions need to support African economies that are facing serious economic challenges with a comprehensive stimulus package for Africa, including deferred debt and interest payments." Okonjo-Iweala, a globally respected economist and development expert, has also served as Managing director of the World Bank. She has also served in the capacity of finance minister of Nigeria under the Goodluck Ebele Jonathan administration. PAY ATTENTION: Get the Latest Nigerian News Anywhere 24/7. Spend less on the Internet! Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Nigeria's Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has bagged an appointment from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The former minister of finance was appointed as a member of an external advisory group of the organisation. This was disclosed by Kristalina Georgieva, managing director of the group. According to Georgieva, the group will meet a few times a year to provide perspectives on key developments and policy issues. NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng: We have upgraded to serve you better. Coronavirus: Are Nigerians really afraid of COVID-19? New survey reveals more | Legit TV Source: Legit.ng INVESTIGATION REMINDER: The Schall Law Firm Announces it is Investigating Claims Against The Walt Disney Company and Encourages Investors with Losses to Contact the Firm The Schall Law Firm, a national shareholder rights litigation firm, announces that it is investigating claims on behalf of investors of The Walt Disney (News - Alert) Company ("Walt Disney" or "the Company") (NYSE: DIS) for violations of securities laws. If you are a shareholder who suffered a loss, click here to participate. We also encourage you to contact Brian Schall of the Schall Law Firm, 1880 Century Park East, Suite 404, Los Angeles, CA (News - Alert) 90067, at 424-303-1964, to discuss your rights free of charge. You can also reach us through the firm's website at www.schallfirm.com, or by email at [email protected]. The class in this case has not yet been certified, and until certification occurs, you are not represented by an attorney. If you choose to take no action, you can remain an absent class member. The Schall Law Firm represents investors around the world and specializes in securities class action lawsuits and shareholder rights litigation. This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and rules of ethics. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200427005740/en/ WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a major gun rights case from New York because the law in question has been rescinded, disappointing Second Amendment activists and several conservative justices, who said the court had been manipulated. The decision dismissing the case was unsigned, but three justices filed a dissent. "By incorrectly dismissing this case as moot, the court permits our docket to be manipulated in a way that should not be countenanced," wrote Justice Samuel Alito Jr., joined by Justices Clarence Thomas and Neil Gorsuch. But the setback for gun rights activists may only be temporary. It was clear from the decision that four justices - the minimum number needed to take a case - want to examine whether lower courts have been too quick to uphold gun control measures that might violate the Second Amendment. Awaiting the court's action are cases involving the right to carry arms outside the home, and restrictions on the kinds of weapons that can be sold and possessed. Although Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote that he agreed the New York case was moot, he added, "I share Justice Alito's concern that some federal and state courts may not be properly applying" the Supreme Court's decision recognizing an individual's right to gun ownership. "The court should address the issue soon," he wrote. The case at issue involved now-rescinded restrictions unique to New York City about whether citizens who have a license to keep a gun in their homes may transport them to firing ranges outside the city or to a second home in the state. After the Supreme Court took the case to decide whether those restrictions violated the constitutional right to keep and bear arms, the city got rid of them. Then the state of New York passed a law that would keep them from being reenacted. The unstated purpose of both the city and state actions might have been to make the case moot and deny conservatives on the court a chance to explore whether there is a right to carry a gun outside the home. The majority opinion said only that the case was moot, and that arguments made by plaintiffs to try to keep it alive were too late. Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. appeared to be in the majority along with liberal Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan, and Kavanaugh, chosen by President Donald Trump and praised by gun rights groups such as the National Rifle Association. The arguments in December on the New York case were the first time the court had considered the limits of gun-control measures since the retirement of Justice Anthony Kennedy, who played a pivotal role between conservatives and liberals on such cases. But most of the discussion involved questions about whether the court still had a live controversy because the restrictions were no longer on the books. Richard Dearing, representing the city of New York, told the court in November that local authorities would not undertake "any prosecution or action" based on the now-repealed regulations. The lawsuit was brought by the New York State Rifle and Pistol Association, an affiliate of the National Rifle Association, and supported by the Trump administration. They had told the court that the case was alive because of the possibility that the plaintiffs in the case could seek damages for having their rights violated by the old transport ban. The majority opinion said those concerns were raised too late, and could be addressed in lower courts. Gun safety groups celebrated the decision. "This ruling should come as a relief to every American worried about keeping their family safe from gun violence," said Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action. "The NRA and its allies are losing everywhere from state legislatures to boardrooms, which means the courts are their last hope. But they'll keep losing there too, because the courts have ruled time and again that common-sense gun laws are constitutional." Jason Ouimet, executive director for the NRA Institute for Legislative Action, said in a statement: "Now that the Supreme Court has accepted New York's surrender, perhaps the city will finally repay all legal fees incurred by their deceit . . . The justices' concerns about Second Amendment infringements are real, and our membership is excited to have their rights formally vindicated before the nation's highest court." Alito said that if the court had reached the merits of the decision, it would have been clear the New York law would not pass muster. "History provides no support for a restriction of this type," Alito wrote. "The city's public safety arguments were weak on their face, were not substantiated in any way, and were accepted below with no serious probing." Separately Monday, the court also ruled that the federal government must make good on its promise in the Affordable Care Act to subsidize insurance companies for offering low-premium policies to at-risk customers, even though the price tag could be up to $12 billion. Congress has balked at making the payments to insurance companies, but the court decided 8 to 1 that refusing to pay was not an option. The decision reflects "a principle as old as the nation itself: The government should honor its obligations," wrote Sotomayor. Alito was the lone dissenter, saying the court should not provide a "bailout" for the companies who decided to participate in the ACA's "risk corridor" program, which has since ended. The case had marked the Supreme Court's fifth look at President Barack Obama's signature domestic success. Unlike others - and another the court will hear in the fall - it did not challenge the law's underpinnings. The question instead was whether Congress had encouraged insurance companies into offering the kinds of policies that were instrumental to making the ACA work, and then reneged on a pledge to share the cost. For three years starting in 2014, the law said that if insurers had higher-than-expected costs, the government would reimburse a portion. Conversely, the companies had to pay into the fund any unexpected savings. Expenses overwhelmed savings. For instance, insurers paid $362 million into the fund the first year, but others claimed reimbursable expenses of $2.87 billion. By the time the program ended, insurers said, they were owed $12 billion. But congressional Republicans, no friends to Obamacare, mandated that the payments to insurance companies had to come from the savings, so as to be revenue-neutral. They prohibited the Department of Health and Human Services from using any other resources for the payments, and both the Obama and Trump administrations had defended that decision. But it seemed clear at arguments in December that the justices disagreed. Breyer said he was reminded of law school. "Day one of 'contracts,' " he told the government's lawyer. "So why does the government not have to pay its contracts, just like anybody else?" In her opinion, Sotomayor said Congress "created a rare money-mandating obligation requiring the federal government to make payments." It cannot escape the promise simply by not appropriating enough money to cover the commitment, she said. The companies "may seek to collect payment through a damages action in the Court of Federal Claims," she wrote. Alito disagreed that federal law provided an avenue for the companies to seek damages. Instead, he wrote, the decision has the effect of "providing a massive bailout for insurance companies that took a calculated risk and lost. These companies chose to participate in an Affordable Care Act program that they thought would be profitable." The decision involved several cases, including Maine Community Health Options v. United States. - - - The Washington Post's Ann E. Marimow contributed to this story. Utica, N.Y. A 14-year-old Utica boy will face attempted murder and weapons charges in adult court for a shooting Friday in Utica, police announced Sunday. Utica police said they will not release the teens name due to his age, but they, along with the Oneida County District Attorneys Office, determined adult criminal charges would be levied against him, according to a news release. The teen is now facing second-degree attempted murder and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, both felonies. He is accused of shooting a 16-year-old boy, also from Utica, around 6:30 p.m. Friday at the intersection of Court and Cross streets in Utica, police said. Utica police initially were called to the 1200 block of Warren Street in Utica for a shooting, but later learned the shooting had taken place two-tenths of a mile away at Court and Cross streets. When they arrived, the shooting victim was no longer at the scene. Instead, the male who had been shot was driven to a local hospital in a private vehicle, police said. The victim was shot one time in the abdomen, although police say his injuries do not appear life threatening. During their investigation, police gathered information about a vehicle believed to have been involved in the shooting. Police said they found a black SUV matching the description of the suspect vehicle a short distance away. The suspected shooter was not the driver of the SUV, police said. Officers stopped the vehicle, then received information about the suspect and location of a handgun also involved in the shooting, according to the news release. Investigators secured the gun and gain(ed) enough probable cause to charge a 14-year-old male in connection with the shooting, the release said. Police said the victim and the suspect had a prior familiarity prior to the shooting. Police say they have not arrested anyone else in the case, but if any additional parties are charged, we will update this release. Have a tip or a story idea? Contact Catie OToole: cotoole@syracuse.com | text/call (315) 470-2134 | Twitter | Facebook LANSING, MI -- Michiganders are now required to wear non-medical-grade face masks or coverings whenever they are in enclosed public spaces, under the states newest stay-home order. That mandate went into effect at 11:59 p.m. Sunday, April 26, and applies only to people who are able to medically tolerate wearing a mask. There is no criminal penalty for not wearing a mask but, businesses can refuse service. Masks can be homemade, fashioned from scarves, handkerchiefs or other materials. Gov. Gretchen Whitmers order further set that deadline for businesses to start providing workers performing in-person tasks with non-medical-grade masks. The move comes about three weeks after state and federal health officials first recommended wearing non-medical-grade masks in public. Officials urge reserving N95 and surgical masks for medical professionals. Meanwhile on Sunday, the state recorded the lowest daily total of new deaths from COVID-19 in nearly a month. Below is a look at the most recent developments in the crisis. Providing workers masks by Michigan deadline may be difficult for businesses, attorney general says Attorney General Dana Nessel said Sunday that it may prove difficult for some businesses to meet the midnight deadline for providing all employees with face coverings. Nessel, citing limited supplies, is asking police across the state to be understanding of good faith efforts before pursuing criminal enforcement action against non-compliant businesses. Securing appropriate face coverings by the Monday deadline, though, appears to be a difficult task for some businesses given limited supplies, she said in a statement. Michigan reports 41 new coronavirus deaths, lowest since March 29 State health officials on Sunday reported 41 new COVID-19 deaths, down from 189 deaths the day before. The number of deaths was the lowest reported since March 29, when health officials announced 21 coronavirus-related deaths. Like April 26, March 29 was also a Sunday. Some county health departments do not report their numbers on Sundays. State health officials announced 575 new cases on Sunday, bringing the total case number to 37,778 with 3,315 deaths. Sorry, but your browser does not support frames. Whitmer orders shopping hours for vulnerable residents, masks for employees checking out customers Whitmer on Sunday issued an executive order requiring grocery stores and pharmacies to set aside shopping hours for vulnerable adults. These adults are defined as people over 60, pregnant women, and those with chronic health conditions including heart disease, diabetes, and lung disease. The order also requires checkout employees to wear some form of covering over their nose and mouth, be it a scarf, bandana, or homemade mask. Whitmer extends measures to curb coronavirus spread in jails, detention centers Whitmer on Sunday extended an order that seeks to protect vulnerable populations in jails and juvenile detention centers amid the coronavirus outbreak. The previous order, now extended through May 24, suspends transfers to and from state prison until risk-reduction protocols are in place and also allows local officials flexibility in releasing vulnerable inmates "who do not pose a threat to public safety. The extended guidelines allow for county jails to be reimbursed for keeping prisoners who would have been transferred to state prisons before the new protocols were put in place. SNL delivers a spoof Message from Gov. Whitmer Over the weekend Whitmer was parodied by Saturday Night Live cast member Cecily Strong. Strong, with a Labatt Blue beer in hand and a woodland backdrop, took aim at recent headlines and happenings, including President Donald Trumps reference to Whitmer as that woman from Michigan and the recent protests outside the state capital and the governors residence. Look, people, it's live free or die, not live free and die, Strongs Whitmer said of the recent protests against the governors stay-at-home restrictions. And Trump adviser Stephen Moore is comparing these protesters to Rosa Parks. Yeah, if Rosa Parks was fighting for her right to get hit by a bus. Sorry, that's the Labatts talking. While the skit didnt make the aired version of the show, the cut-for-time skit was put on the shows YouTube channel. Sorry, but your browser does not support frames. Sorry, but your browser does not support frames. Read more Michigan coronavirus coverage here Michigan state senator apologizes for wearing mask appearing to depict Confederate flag Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer extends stay-at-home order through May 15, relaxes certain restrictions Michigan mortgage lenders partner with state to provide borrowers coronavirus financial relief Protesters angry with Gov. Whitmers stay-at-home order gridlock Michigan capitol Sorry, but your browser does not support frames. Sorry, but your browser does not support frames. Sorry, but your browser does not support frames. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-26 19:21:41|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Hospitals in Wuhan, once a city hit hardest by coronavirus, have cleared all #COVID19 cases. The result was achieved with the hard efforts of medical workers in Wuhan and those who were dispatched to assist Wuhan in the fight against the virus from across the country. Ukraine may earn up to US$3 mln per month on fuel storage Naftogaz CEO 14:20, 27.04.20 3063 However, certain norms are still to be introduced into the country's legislation to this end. China News on Women Sorry, the page you requested was not found. If you're having trouble locating a destination on Womenofchina.cn, try visiting the Womenofchina Home page I do not want to say much about Chipo since we have separated but what I can say is she is naughty, canny and unfaithful that she nearly ruined my life because of her connections, said Chari. Boris Johnson has said the coronavirus lockdown cannot be eased yet as the UK is at the point of maximum risk in its battle with the outbreak. In his first public appearance since he returned to work, the prime minister said there were signs the country was turning the tide against the virus but warned the public that it was too early to lift the restrictions. Mr Johnson said that it was too early to spell out details of how or when the lockdown would be lifted, but indicated that this would happen in the coming days and that the removal of restrictions will be gradual. After his own battle with the virus, Mr Johnson described Covid-19 as an unexpected and invisible mugger and said that now was the moment we have begun together to wrestle it to the floor. Speaking outside Downing Street, he said: And so it follows that this is the moment of opportunity, this is the moment when we can press home our advantage, it is also the moment of maximum risk. I know there will be many people looking at our apparent success, and beginning to wonder whether now is the time to go easy on those social-distancing measures. And I know how hard and stressful it has been to give up, even temporarily, those ancient and basic freedoms, not seeing friends, not seeing loved ones, working from home, managing the kids, worrying about your job and your firm. Addressing businesses and members of his own party, Mr Johnson said he understood their impatience and anxiety but insisted the country must avoid a second spike in coronavirus cases, when it would once again have to slam on the brakes across the whole country. I want to get this economy moving as fast as I can but I refuse to throw away all the effort, and the sacrifice of the British people and to risk a second major outbreak and huge loss of life and the overwhelming of the NHS, he said. High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world Show all 18 1 /18 High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world Najaf, Iraq A man holds a pocket watch at noon, at an almost empty market near the Imam Ali shrine Reuters High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world Bangkok, Thailand Wat Phra Si Rattana Satsadaram (The Temple of the Emerald Buddha, part of The Grand Palace) Reuters High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world Prague, Czech Republic An empty street leading to the historic Old Town Square Reuters High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world Washington DC, US Lawn stretching towards the Capitol, home of Congress Reuters High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world Jerusalem's Old City A watch showing the time in front of Damascus Gate Reuters High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world London, UK The Houses of Parliament seen from Westminster Bridge Reuters High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world Wuhan, China Empty lanes in the city that saw the first outbreak of disease Reuters High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world Havana, Cuba The Malecon road and esplanade winds along the city's seafront Reuters High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world Cairo, Egypt A little busier than elsewhere: midday traffic in Tahrir Square Reuters High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world Berlin, Germany The Brandenburg Gate, the only surviving city gate in the capital Reuters High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world Caracas, Venezuela Bolivar Avenue, opened in 1949 and the site of many demonstrations and rallies Reuters High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world Moscow, Russia Spasskaya Tower (left) on the eastern wall of the Kremlin, and St Basil's Cathedral Reuters High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world Istanbul,Turkey The harbourside Eminonu district is usually buzzing with activity Reuters High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world New Delhi, India Rajpath, a ceremonial boulevard that runs through the capital Reuters High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world Amman, Jordan The Roman amphitheatre that dates back to the 2nd century AD Reuters High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world New York City, US The main concourse of Grand Central station in Manhattan Reuters High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world Kiev, Ukraine Maidan Nezalezhnosti, the site of many political protests since the end of the Soviet era Reuters High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world Accra, Ghana The odd walker out in the midday sun on Ring Road Central Reuters He said the outbreak was the biggest single challenge this country has faced since the war but there had been fewer hospital admissions, fewer Covid patients in ICU and real signs now that we are passing through the peak The prime minister added: And thanks to your forbearance, your good sense, your altruism, your spirit of community, thanks to our collective national resolve, we are on the brink of achieving that first clear mission to prevent our NHS from being overwhelmed in a way that tragically we have seen elsewhere. And that is how and why we are now beginning to turn the tide. Mr Johnson said preparations have been under way for weeks in government to find a path out of the lockdown. Restrictions can be eased only when were sure that this first phase is over and that the governments five tests falling rates of deaths and infections, protection of the NHS, sorting out testing and PPE provision and avoiding a second peak of cases have been met, he said. Then that will be the time to move on to the second phase in which we continue to suppress the disease and keep the reproduction rate the R rate down, but begin gradually to refine the economic and social restrictions, and one by one to fire up the engines of this vast UK economy, said Mr Johnson. In that process, difficult judgements will be made. And we simply cannot spell out now how fast or slow or even when those changes will be made, though clearly the government will be saying much more about this in the coming days. Mr Johnson vowed to take decisions on lifting lockdown with the maximum possible transparency, in discussion with opposition parties and business. It comes after the prime minister was out of action for three weeks with Covid-19, including a three-night stay in intensive care where he battled the virus. He spent two weeks recuperating at Chequers, his Buckinghamshire retreat, with his fiancee Carrie Symonds before returning to Downing Street on Sunday night. The dismissal of the heads of the State Tax and Customs Services was not a surprise, Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko said. "They [dismissed heads of agencies Maksym Nefyodov and Serhiy Verlanov] had been aware of my position, and in fact there were no surprises. Their resignation was only a matter of time," he said in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine. "I emphasized more than once: personnel changes are overdue. My decision is considered and justified, since it is the finance minister who is responsible for the tax and customs sectors," Marchenko added. The Cabinet at a meeting on Friday, April 24, decided to dismiss head of the State Tax Service Verlanov and head of the Customs Service of Ukraine Nefyodov. They later stated that their dismissal became as a surprise to them. tech2 News Staff Last week, Motorola launched the Edge and Edge+ smartphones. Now, a week later, Motorola India head Prashanth Mani has announced that the Edge+ is soon coming to India. On Saturday, Mani put out a tweet about the making of the Motorola Edge+ and the technology behind it. That tweet ended with "Coming soon to India!". The all-new Motorola edge+ is reinvigorating the flagship space with a Bold endless edge screen innovation,Fastest 5G performances with Snapdragon 865 and a monster 108 mpx camera .Here is a sneak peek into what went behind creating the #AbsoluteEverything. Coming soon to India! pic.twitter.com/xhH8wjMREu Prashanth Mani (@PrashanthMani10) April 25, 2020 Currently, it's still unclear if both Edge and Edge+ smartphones will be launched in India or just the latter. We also don't have the exact date of the launch yet. Keep following this space for an update on that. Motorola Edge+ specifications As for specifications, we already know that the Edge+ features a 6.7-inch HDR10+ AMOLED display that has a 90 Hz refresh rate. It is powered by Snapdragon 865 processor and offers 12 GB RAM and 256 GB internal storage. It also comes with an in-display fingerprint sensor. On the camera front, you will get a triple rear camera setup that includes 108 MP primary sensor, an 8 MP telephoto lens that supports 3x optical zoom, and 16 MP ultra-wide-angle lens. You will also get a ToF camera. On the front, you will get a 25 MP selfie camera. Motorola Edge+ is equipped with a 5,000 mAh battery that supports 18W fast charging. It also comes with 15W wireless charging support and 5W wireless power-sharing. New Jersey coronavirus patients with developmental or intellectual disabilities must be allowed a support person at their side during hospital stays, the state Department of Health said Saturday. Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli said in an order that limitations hospitals place on visitors to slow the spread of the coronavirus should take into account patient care and well being" and that having a support person is essential to patient care for patients with disabilities where the disability may be due to altered mental status, intellectual or cognitive disability, communication barriers or behavioral concerns. Hospitals have developed guidelines in response to the coronavirus that in many cases bar visitors, with common exceptions for pediatric and maternity patients, who are allowed one visitor. Persichilli issued an order earlier this month guaranteeing pregnant women be allowed to have someone with them in the delivery room. CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live map tracker | Newsletter | Homepage The health commissioners latest order ensures patients with developmental and intellectual disabilities can have a family member, personal care provider or a service provider at their bedside. The visitor has to be symptom-free and regularly screened by hospital staff with temperature checks, according to the order. That individual will be expected to wear personal protective equipment and will not be allowed to leave and return to the hospital. Theyll also have extremely limited access to other parts of the hospital. A second support person may be permitted if the hospital has enough personal protective equipment and determines another individual is necessary, the guidance says. Hospitals dont have to allow a visitor with these patients if it is experiencing a shortage of personal protective equipment. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Samantha Marcus may be reached at smarcus@njadvancemedia.com. The UP government on Monday decided to send home 10,000 students of other Uttar Pradesh districts who are studying or preparing for competitive examinations in Prayagraj. Earlier, the government had brought back 10,500 students from Kota in Rajasthan and 12,200 migrant workers from Haryana. Addressing a press conference, additional chief secretary, home, Awanish Kumar Awasthi said that aware of the problems being faced by the students, chief minister Yogi Adityanath directed officers to make arrangement of buses to send the students in Prayagraj home. Yogi said the officers should ensure that students face no problem. In the first phase, students of Sonbhadra, Mirzapur, Chandauli, Varanasi, Jaunpur, Pratapgarh, Kaushambi, Fatehpur and Chaitrakoot districts will be transported home on Tuesday morning by 300 UPSRTC buses. After these students are reached home, the buses will transport the students of the remaining districts, Awasthi said. The state government will also make arrangements to send home students of other states who are studying in Prayagraj, he said. Terming this as gift of the chief minister to the students, Awasthi said the Prayagraj administration, educational institutions, district police and UPSRTC has been directed to prepare a detailed list of students who wish to go home, he said. Police personnel will escort the buses to their destination. There will be separate buses to transport male and female students, he said. UP GOVERNMENT HAS PLANS TO BRING BACK AROUND 10 LAKH MIGRANT WORKERS The government brought back 12,200 migrant workers from Haryana in two days. Medical test of the migrants was done before transporting bringing them to UP. Awasthi said the UP chief minister had spoken to Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar to finalize the work plan to transport the migrant workers from Haryana to UP. The state government has plans to bring back around 10 lakh migrant workers from various states. The DMs of all the 75 districts have been directed to establish quarantine facilities that can house 15,000- 25,000 migrants each. The migrants will be lodged in the quarantine facilities for 14 days before being sent back home, Awasthi said. The government will also conduct medical test of the migrants to ensure that they are free from infection. After discharge from the government quarantine facilities, the workers will stay in home quarantine for another 14 days. The state government will collect information about the well-being of the migrants during their home quarantine as well, he said. The newsreader changed her original plans. (Getty Images) Sky News newsreader, Sarah-Jane Mee, has announced that shes planning to have a home birth due to the coronavirus pandemic. The 41-year-old admitted she was worried that the COVID-19 restrictions would mean her fiance, Ben Richardson, couldnt be with her if she chose to give birth in the hospital. Currently, only 2% of births in the UK are home births, but theres a chance this number may rise as a result of the pandemic. I don't want to be walking into hospital on my own to have this baby, so I am considering a home birth. Mee said in an interview with Hello! Magazine. Read more: Ethicists say coronavirus vaccine should not be rushed I have an amazing midwife and I've been using this incredible hypnobirthing teacher caller Katharine Graves, and they have been getting my head together. I had never considered it before but, because of everything that's going on, it makes me feel more relaxed to think about having the baby at home, rather than Ben not being able to come into the ward until the very final moment. I think my plan A now is a home birth. Mee isnt the first person to change her plans because of the current restrictions. The Positive Birth Company has seen a rise in the number of women considering having a home birth, according to founder, Siobhan Miller. Read more: Nurse with coronavirus isolating at home with 13 children At the beginning on the pandemic, Boris Johnson classified pregnant women as at risk, advising that they should minimise all social contact for up to twelve weeks. Mee admitted that her life literally changed in a couple of minutes upon hearing this news. Along with many people, though, the presenter has found solace in a slower pace of life, which allows her to spend more time with her fiance. It's weird but we're also finding the beauty in it: the Thames has never been so still, there are ducks and you can hear birdsong. It's really calm and really nice. Read more: Hospital staff cheer as 6-month old baby beats coronavirus Story continues While some people are considering the option of home birthing due to the restriction on partners being able to be there, others are worried about catching COVID-19 in the hospital. Women are telling us they are keen to avoid going to hospital for fear of contracting the virus and are also actively looking for ways to manage anxiety and fear caused by the current situation. Siobhan Miller added. In 2017, 13,500 people gave birth at home, but experts are expecting to see a rise in the amount of people opting for this method this year. This could spark a change in the way we view home births, leading to an increase in the future. N HS services including cancer care and mental health support which were paused due to the coronavirus outbreak will be restored from Tuesday, Matt Hancock has announced. Speaking at the daily press conference in Downing Street, the Health Secretary said the services can be restored as the number of Covid-19 patients in hospital has started to fall. He announced that 15,051 people are in hospital with coronavirus, down from 15,239 on Sunday. The news comes as the chief medical officer for England warned that the UK has not passed the peak of coronavirus deaths. Mr Hancock said: Starting tomorrow, we will begin the restoration of other NHS services starting with the most urgent, like cancer care and mental health support. The exact pace of the restoration will be determined by local circumstances on the ground, according to local need and according to the amount of coronavirus cases that that hospital is having to deal with. Mr Hancock said the number of patients attending A&E had fallen to 221,000 in the last week from 477,000 in the same week last year. Some of this drop is due to lower road traffic and people following the social distancing rules," he said. Matt Hancock speaks to the media on Monday / PA "Some of it will be due to people accessing the NHS in ways that work better for them, like online or through pharmacies, and thats a good thing. But in some cases we know that the drop is due to people not coming forward and using the NHS for critical things that matter. Loading.... Our message is that the NHS is open. Help us to help you. While the number of coronavirus patients in hospitals is falling the chief medical officer for England warned the UK is not "consistently" past the peak of Covid-19 deaths. Loading.... Professor Chris Whitty told the briefing there was an artificial drop over the weekend typically seen because of lower notification rates. Nevertheless the trend overall is a gradual decline but were definitely not consistently past the peak across the whole country at this point in time, he added. Prof Whitty also said the coronavirus epidemic in the UK still has a very long way to run and there was no perfect solution to easing the lockdown, adding there were difficult choices to be made. It comes as Mr Hancock announced that families of NHS and social care workers will receive a payout if they die from coronavirus in the course of essential frontline work. The Health Secretary said as part of the new life assurance scheme, families will receive a 60,000 sum. I feel a deep personal sense of duty that we must care for their loved ones, he added. Speaking about testing for Covid-19, Mr Hancock said the Government was broadly where we expected to be but admitted there was lots of work to do to hit the 100,000 a day goal. He added: It is important to note that we have already gone past the number of tests, per day, for instance, that they carry out in South Korea. A comprehensive comparative study of the genes present in modern microorganisms suggests that though the lifestyles and habitats of the earliest life on Earth can't be easily inferred, the pacing of ancient evolution was much faster than it now is. Biologists classify all living organisms into three major groups they call 'domains'. Two of these domains--the Bacteria and the Archaebacteria--consist of single-celled organisms, while the third--the Eukaryota--includes most of the larger, multicellular organisms we are all familiar with: fungi, plants and animals including ourselves. Of the three domains, the Eukaryota almost certainly evolved the most recently, but questions remain about which of the two single-celled domains arose first in the history of life. Over forty years ago, American biologists Carl Woese and George Fox suggested that these two domains both emerged from a more primitive organism or group of organisms scientists now call LUCA, or the Last Universal Common Ancestor. Scientists would love to be able to say something concrete about what LUCA was like, what types of environment it lived in, and how it made its living. For example was it a heterotroph--an organism which eats environmentally supplied organic food--like ourselves, or an autotroph--an organism which is able to make its own food from inorganic compounds--like a photosynthesiser or the 'rock-eating' microbes that scientists call lithoautotrophs? If scientists could nail down some of these questions about LUCA, which they potentially could do by knowing which genes LUCA possessed, this might provide even deeper insights as to how and where life originated on Earth in the first place. New research from Tokyo Tech and the Max Planck Institute suggests understanding early life may be trickier than previously thought. Scientists can now easily sequence and compare the DNA of microorganisms, which allows them to determine how closely related organisms are. Just as we have our own family trees, organismal DNA comparisons are likewise a measure of which organisms shared common ancestors. Organisms with very similar DNA likely have recent common ancestors; the DNA from monkeys is similar to that from humans, and both monkeys and humans have DNA that is more similar to that of each other than that from octopuses, and so on. Those with less similar DNA sequences are likely more distantly related, and thus must have differentiated earlier. This sort of comparison allows scientists to reconstruct evolutionary relationships among organisms, and construct 'family trees' which relate them in time. DNA sequence comparison has revealed that all organisms on Earth are related to one another, and this allows scientists to build a 'tree of life', which shows how they are related evolutionarily. There is, however, a major complication to this. Besides the normal parent-to-offspring inheritance of DNA which dominates in higher organisms such as ourselves, in microorganisms snippets of DNA can also 'jump' between organisms. This can occur by various means; for example, sometimes viral infections can move genes from one organism to another. It has been hypothesised that the earliest organisms may have undergone more rapid evolutionary change, partly because they were not able to copy information as accurately as modern ones can, but also due to more widespread 'gene jumping'. If most ancient cells could not copy information as accurately as modern ones, and if their DNA moved more easily between lineages than today, using modern DNA to understand ancient evolution may be extremely misleading. This is where new research carried out by Sarah Berkemer, based at the Max Planck Institute for Mathematics in the Sciences in Leipzig, Germany, and Shawn McGlynn from the Earth-Life Science Institute at the Tokyo Institute of Technology in Japan comes in. Their analyses confirm other work which suggested that only a limited understanding of the lifestyle of the most ancient cells can be derived from DNA comparison. Although this is a disappointing result for evolutionary biologists, it is important to understand what can and cannot be known from the data that scientists are able to gather from modern organisms. Berkemer and McGlynn's work does supply one silver lining however; while it is clear that we don't know what the first organisms metabolised or where they lived, their work provides insight into how quickly they may have evolved billions of years ago. Berkemer and McGlynn analysed thousands of phylogenetic trees derived from the comparison of DNA similarity data from thousands of microorganisms to try to identify the oldest genes and when they might have evolved, and to understand how genes move between organisms to shed light on the nature of LUCA. Their careful analysis showed that early in life's history, different gene types changed at different rates. This suggests that early mutation rates were much higher than at present and there has been a significant contribution of 'gene jumping' over time which makes a simple interpretation of the early 'family tree' of life misleading. They concluded that previous studies sometimes vastly under-sampled the available data and that the data cannot resolve these questions, but that it does show that early evolution was wildly different from what it is at present. Professor McGlynn explains, 'A fundamental question in biology is what were the first life forms on Earth. There are two basic ways to try and address this. First, we can use the comparison of gene sequences to try and understand which ones seem most ancient. Second, we can look for evidence biology may have left in the geological record.' McGlynn says this work shows that although it is clear there is a fuzzy yet remarkable general outline of a family tree of life in the available DNA sequence data, there has been so much evolutionary change that it is still as of yet impossible to say how the earliest organisms made their living or in what types of environments they lived. This is because the signal is simply too noisy due to this early genetic scrambling. As a result, we are still a long way from understanding what the most primitive organisms on Earth were like or the sorts of environments they lived in. Importantly, however, this study marks the first time scientists have been able to say something about the pace of early evolution. This work shows there is a detectable signal of very rapid early evolution, thus, while we may not know exactly what early organisms were like, it seems likely life was mutating and evolving very quickly early on. Nevertheless, McGlynn believes it is still amazing that this limited information can be understood at all, that it still tells us important things about the evolution of life on Earth, and suggests we need to develop new ways of looking at available DNA data to find novel techniques of learning what Earth's earliest life was like. ### Reference Sarah J. Berkemer1,2,3 and Shawn E. McGlynn *4,5,6, A new analysis of archaea-bacteria domain separation: variable phylogenetic distance and the tempo of early evolution, Molecular Biology and Evolution, DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msaa089 Max Planck Institute for Mathematics in the Sciences, Leipzig, Germany Bioinformatics Group, Department of Computer Science, University Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany Competence Center for Scalable Data Services and Solutions, Dresden/Leipzig, Germany EarthLife Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Meguro, Tokyo, Japan Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, Seattle, WA RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science (CSRS), Saitama Japan. More information Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech) stands at the forefront of research and higher education as the leading university for science and technology in Japan. Tokyo Tech researchers excel in fields ranging from materials science to biology, computer science, and physics. Founded in 1881, Tokyo Tech hosts over 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students per year, who develop into scientific leaders and some of the most sought-after engineers in industry. Embodying the Japanese philosophy of "monotsukuri," meaning "technical ingenuity and innovation," the Tokyo Tech community strives to contribute to society through high-impact research. The Earth-Life Science Institute (ELSI) is one of Japan's ambitious World Premiere International research centers, whose aim is to achieve progress in broadly inter-disciplinary scientific areas by inspiring the world's greatest minds to come to Japan and collaborate on the most challenging scientific problems. ELSI's primary aim is to address the origin and co-evolution of the Earth and life. The World Premier International Research Center Initiative (WPI) was launched in 2007 by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) to help build globally visible research centres in Japan. These institutes promote high research standards and outstanding research environments that attract frontline researchers from around the world. These centres are highly autonomous, allowing them to revolutionise conventional modes of research operation and administration in Japan. Los Angeles, California--(Newsfile Corp. - April 27, 2020) - The Schall Law Firm, a national shareholder rights litigation firm, announces the filing of a class action lawsuit against ServiceMaster Global Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: SERV) ("ServiceMaster" or "the Company") for violations of 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Investors who purchased the Company's securities between February 26, 2019 and November 4, 2019, inclusive (the ''Class Period''), are encouraged to contact the firm before June 9, 2020. If you are a shareholder who suffered a loss, click here to participate. We also encourage you to contact Brian Schall of the Schall Law Firm, 1880 Century Park East, Suite 404, Los Angeles, CA 90067, at 310-301-3335, to discuss your rights free of charge. You can also reach us through the firm's website at www.schallfirm.com, or by email at brian@schallfirm.com. The class, in this case, has not yet been certified, and until certification occurs, you are not represented by an attorney. If you choose to take no action, you can remain an absent class member. According to the Complaint, the Company made false and misleading statements to the market. ServiceMaster failed to inspect clients' property for Formosan termite activity and mitigate damage. Due to this behavior, the Company faced a wave of customer litigation which was not disclosed to investors. The Company began remedial measures at least as early as 2018 such as raising praising in Mobile, Alabama, in an effort to deter contract renewals. Based on these facts, the Company's public statements were false and materially misleading throughout the class period. When the market learned the truth about ServiceMaster, investors suffered damages. Join the case to recover your losses. The Schall Law Firm represents investors around the world and specializes in securities class action lawsuits and shareholder rights litigation. Story continues This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and rules of ethics. CONTACT: The Schall Law Firm Brian Schall, Esq., www.schallfirm.com Office: 310-301-3335 info@schallfirm.com SOURCE: The Schall Law Firm To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/54951 The coronavirus death toll in Indore rose to 60 after three more people succumbed to the disease in the Madhya Pradesh district, a health official said on Monday. The victims, in the age group of 55 to 67 years, died in different hospitals here in the last two days, Indores chief medical and health officer Praveen Jadia said. All the three victims also suffered from other health conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure and heart- related ailment, he said. "So far, 60 COVID-19 patients have died in the district, while 123 have been discharged from hospitals after recovering from the disease," he said. In the last 24 hours, 31 more people tested positive for coronavirus in Indore, taking the total number of such cases in the district to 1,207, the official said. According to data analysis, the COVID-19 death rate in Indore was 4.97 per cent till Monday morning, higher than the national average. Curfew is in force in the urban limits of the district since March 25, after the first coronavirus case was found here. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) NAMUTUMBA Seven members of one family have been arrested for sneaking into Uganda from Kenya and burying it in contravention of guidelines to control the spread of coronavirus. The suspects, who are residents of Namutumba District in Eastern Uganda, are said to have brought the dead body from Cheputasi district in Kenya using a boda boda. They are said to have crossed via the porous side of Lwakhakha with the dead body in the bag. The RDC, Kigayi Wamoto, said they buried buried the child in the night without authoritys notice. The family members silently and secretly used some of the porous entry points to avoid the security checks and decided to pass through a river [Lwakhakha] to Uganda before they buried the new born baby at around 9.00pm without the local authoritys noticeMr Wamoto said. We need to understand how they managed to skip the security check points and why they decided to bury the child at night, he added. The RDC warned people to cross via river Lwakhakha to immediately stop or else should dare for harsh consequences. I have alerted the intelligence organs in the area as well added more security in some of these areas suspected to be an avenue for people to use and cross over unscreened. Those arrested will be charged heavily. We arent taking this matter lightly, am not sleeping as the head of the security in this district. Related Sean Hydes first conscious acknowledgment that he had a knack for problem solving may have come as the automobile more steering him than being steered hurtled down Continental Avenue in Morristown without brakes. At least any type of braking mechanism he was aware of - or could even have reached if he was. Hyde, you see, was six years old when he hopped behind the wheel of his Uncle Kevins car, released the emergency brake, somehow slipped the transmission to neutral and I started rolling down Continental Avenue and Sand Hill Road in this car. Im sitting there, what do I do? I dont know what the gas is, what the brake is. I was like, lets put it back the way it was," Hyde said. I put it in park, hit the parking brake and somehow by the luck of the Irish, it literally pulled in front of someones house and parked there, he said. I didnt hurt anybody, I didnt hit anything. I just walked back inside and Kevin was about to leave for work. I was like, Uncle Kevin, your car might not be exactly where you left it. And now there is another vehicle careening out of control with the brakes out of reach, though its not just Uncle Kevins ride coasting along the hilly side streets of Morristown, or even just Uncle Sams. This is now Earth Boulevard, friends, and were all trying to steer this monster otherwise known as the coronavirus or the COVID-19 model back into a safe parking spot. Perhaps this 1995 Morristown High grad, who now lives in Charleston, W.Va., can help once again. Just as he has the many business owners who benefit from his digital marketing expertise, or how he helped save his own rear end with some quick thinking back on Continental Avenue 36 years ago. Hyde has created and personally funded In Place App, a voluntary, anonymous tool that allows users to both self-report and track the presence (or absence) of COVID-19 in their area and provides options by which they can request help or simply conduct an anonymous chat with others in the vicinity. Also, those people on the network who would feel inclined to help others in need can do so. After signing up for free with nothing more than an email address that is never revealed and a password, users can choose their range of health through a menu of options that are simply color-coded avatars placed on an interactive Google Map. So, in Hydes model, even if someone asks for help and someone else wishes to provide assistance with useful tips or with contact information for a particular service, the exchange is still performed anonymously. I tried to create a simple solution out of existing solutions, Hyde said. I would like to see it become a useful tool. In America, we come together to make solutions, and thats what this is. You get involved, you become part of the solution and, in exchange, you get part of the solution. I couldnt see any more of an American solution than that. Its literally if we all participate, we all benefit. Hyde got his idea from seeing how successful similar tools have been to health and government officials recently in places like South Korea and Singapore. They are really making a difference, Hyde said, but they were forced on people. In America, Id like to think were not going to do that, so what if I could come up with a voluntary tool? We all check in at restaurants on social media every day, and Facebook asks us to update our status and we do it, and they sell all that to advertisers. I thought what if instead we do that and we just put it into a big information pool that everyone can use as a tool to stay safer? This is not an enforced coronavirus tracking system as suggested recently by Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo and explored in an article posted Sunday by Tribune News Service. But the very mention of a program that tracks the well-being of individuals during a time of crisis probably seems to be precisely that at first flush. When I talked to the first developer I was working with, he was like, I dont think people are going to volunteer their information. I said, Well, I think people do get curious and I think people want to make a difference, Hyde said. Since the in-app tutorials aren't ready yet we've created videos for any of you that have questions about specific processes or function. Here's a video on how to create a new anonymous profile quickly and easily in inplaceapp.com Posted by In Place App on Friday, April 17, 2020 I was like, Maybe if we built in some social media components that would help. So, we added the community chat feature; its an anonymous chat where you can chat with anyone whos within 20 miles of you. So, if you have questions youre embarrassed to ask publicly or you want to start a discussion, you can. Or, if youre worried about things in your community. Along with adding chat and help functions that Hyde thought would appeal to would-be users, he has added an element for gamification; something that rewards users much in the same way as a Fitbit. If you help someone and they click the Thank you button, you get a trophy for that. If you update our (health or testing) status after three days, you get a trophy for that. If you check in at the same place every day for three days, you get a trophy for that, like a shelter-in-place trophy, Hyde said. So, were giving people quote/unquote rewards inside the gamification system. And eventually we might connect with actual sponsors, he said. The success of this app will depend on the usage, obviously. But if a lot of people use it, it will be a great tool and it will be very easy to be like, Hey, Papa Johns, you want to give a free pizza to anyone that stayed in place for three days? That way, once you get a trophy, you get an email saying, Heres your free pizza from Papa Johns. Before Hyde even gave much further thought to franchise tie-ins, he was hoping to team up with a corporate sponsor, and found out on Monday (April 27) that his search has already been fruitful. He will partner with West Virginia University. A perfect partner would be a research university because they are eligible for grant funding and they have the technology in place, Hyde said before the school came aboard. I just wanted to create a tool that frankly smarter people and more powerful people and more connected people than me can run, and hopefully do some really cool stuff with it." Cool stuff that can now be accessed via some pretty influential platforms. I cant monetize it by selling the data to advertisers like social media and the networks do. So, my only options are partnering with a medical or research company or a government, he said. Right now, Apple and Android will not let you put an app in their store related to COVID unless you are a major hospital, university or government. I wanted to make this a progressive web app. My app is really just a high-powered web site. And the really good thing about that means anyone can use it, Hyde said. It means your 80-year-old grandmother can get on there and use it on her desk top and have no problem whatsoever. And it means your 12-year-old neighbor on his Iphone can use it just the same. Solutions. It was that inclination for finding them within a pool of problems that led to the founding of Hydes first successful digital marketing service for small businesses, Five Day Solutions in Charleston. That came by way of an English degree from Richard Stockton University in Pomona, which Hyde originally planned on using as a precursor to law school. He worked in the corporate word for awhile, left to govern his own affair, but made a few less-than-stellar business decisions that landed him back in a corporate America. Hr stayed only long enough to realize, Nah, Im not meant to do that. He moved to Charleston about six years ago at the urging of another uncle, Paul, one of Kevins older brothers who died last September. When I got to Charleston, I was writing ebooks on how to help people do things, and I really like it, Hyde said. His first ebook instructed folks how to sell a car in five days at market value. Then I started meeting a lot of small business owners who were like, We cant afford a big agency, but Im paying this guy for my website and no one ever sees it. I was like, Oh, I can fix that. I realized there was a need here with all these small businesses in a small city that need customers and exposure, but without spending five grand a month on it. Thats how my first agency (Five Day Solutions) was born. Hyde showed immediately a talent for broadening the audience and scope of his clients efficiently and profitably, and his reputation grew. I got noticed and suddenly I had clients in DC, then nationwide, then worldwide. I thought thats actually a different business model. Lets start an agency thats not just a small business agency. That revelation led to the founding of Ideation Digital, a larger-scale marketing service under which InPlaceapp.com was launched. Hyde still owns both agencies and also is co-owner of Content and Engagement Group along with a partner he once mentored. Ive been ridiculously lucky if Im honest, Hyde said. And thats part of the reason Ive done this. I wasnt one of those people who were like, Wow, my income is gone. I was like, Wow, this is really scary, but Im doing okay. Maybe I can help some people who arent doing okay. Hyde said on Friday that he had about 1,000 people signed up in the system when hed last checked, though it had been probably several days. The first version was launched for beta testing about three weeks ago, and the official unveiling was just about one week ago. I havent been actively checking it. The front end works fine, and thats what Im concerned with, he said. The data isnt as important to me as it is being a useful tool. I dont get updates, I dont get the numbers, but then again, I dont need to because its anonymous and Im trying to keep it that way. Hyde sure wished he could have remained anonymous 36 years ago when his unintended spin down Continental Avenue occasioned Uncle Kevins unplanned and unappreciated walk before he could drive to work that day. But it just might have been the seminal incident to spawn a career for Hyde formulated around a basic urge to problem-solve. Plus, it made for a really good story. Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription. Mike Kinney may be reached at mkinney@njadvancemedia.com. SANTIAGO, Chile The spreading specter of the new coronavirus is shaking Latin Americas notoriously overcrowded, unruly prisons, threatening to turn them into infernos. The Puente Alto prison in downtown Santiago, Chile, had the largest of Latin Americas largest prison virus outbreaks so far, with more than 300 reported cases. The prisons 1,100 inmates are terrified. Social distancing is hard to practice in jail. They are all in contact with each other, said prison nurse Ximena Graniffo. Any efforts at reducing contact were blown away in El Salvador over the weekend when authorities crammed prisoners albeit wearing masks tightly together in prison yards while searching their cells. President Nayib Bukele ordered the crackdown after more than 20 people were murdered in the country Friday and intelligence suggested the orders came from imprisoned gang leaders. Latin Americas prisons hold 1.5 million inmates, and the facilities are often quasi-ruled by prisoners themselves because of corruption, intimidation and inadequate guard staffs. Low budgets also create ideal conditions for the virus to spread: There is often little soap and water and cell blocks are crowded. So far, national officials have reported close to 1,400 confirmed cases of COVID-19 among inmates and prison staff. The worst hit has been Peru, with 613 cases and at least 13 deaths, though the extent of testing to determine the full scale of infections differs from country to country. When the Dominican Republic tested more than 5,500 inmates at the La Victoria prison, which has been producing protective face masks for the public, officials reported at least 239 tested postive. Perhaps the most complete testing appears to be taking place in Puerto Rico, where the Department of Corrections said Friday it will test all the nearly 9,000 inmates being held across the U.S. territory, as well as 6,000 employees, including prison guards. Fear of the virus itself already has proven deadly. There have been 23 deaths in prison riots in Colombia since the pandemic started. More than 1,300 inmates have escaped prisons in Brazil after a temporary release program was cancelled due to the outbreak, and more than 1,000 have been on hunger strikes in Argentina. All over the region, the demands are the same: protection against contagion. With most family visits cancelled, inmates feel exposed, vulnerable, alone and exploited. Inmates report that prices at informal and formal prison stores have increased during the pandemic, and relatives can no longer bring them food and hygiene items from the outside. Right now, a bag of soap powder costs 29 pesos ($1.20) , when before it was 20 (80 cents) said a prisoner in Mexico, who lives in a 12 foot by 12 foot (4 meters by 4 meters) cell with a dozen others. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was using a banned cellphone. Human Rights Watch says conditions are even worse in countries like Haiti, Bolivia or Guatemala. U.N. Human Rights High Commissioner Michelle Bachelet, the former president of Chile, has called sanitary conditions in the region deplorable and called for releases of less dangerous inmates. Countries like Chile and Colombia have already released about 7,500 inmates and Mexicos Senate last week approved a measure to free thousands, though Brazil has not yet acted. Regional security analyst Lucia Dammert says releasing a few thousand inmates wont significantly reduce the threat of contagion, however, and some urge more sweeping releases. Prisoners have been sentenced to loss of liberty, not to death, and the state has to take measures at its disposal, said Jose Miguel Vivanco, Americas director for Human Rights Watch. And in many countries, such as Bolivia, most of those behind bars have not yet been sentenced or are awaiting trial. In Chile, the head of the prison guard system, Christian Alveal, said the prisoners fears are totally reasonable, and he said officials are working to minimize the worries of the inmates. Some prisons have tried to do that by allowing prisoners more calls to relatives, and Argentina, with 13,000 prisoners, has allowed videocalls. Buenos Aires has even allowed prisoners to use cellphones, which are normally banned because they are sometimes used in extortion schemes. Inmates at the San Pedro prison in Bolivias capital, La Paz, have taken their own measures against contagion. While inmates elsewhere have rioted over bans on family visits, the Bolivian inmates themselves decided on such a ban. And they turned what are normally punishment cells into 14-day quarantine lockups for newly arrived prisoners. Ximena Graniffo, the nurse at Puente Alto, seemed resigned to a struggle. You do what you can with what you have, she said. ___ Maria Verza reported from Mexico City. Three Virginia Tech students are suing the university in federal court over how it handled allegations that they were involved in hazing. The lawsuits were filed last week by former Corps of Cadets members who say they were denied due process while being disciplined, according to The Roanoke Times. A dozen cadets were found to have violated the schools hazing policy in December and suspended over allegations that the university-sponsored military organization held a ceremony where the sharp ends of military pins were stabbed into the chests of underclassmen, the newspaper said. An attorney representing the three former cadets said they deny the allegations in the strongest possible terms. The legal action follows the schools settlement of a separate lawsuit by a former student who was accused of overseeing the ceremony. That student also argued he was denied due process. The new plaintiffs contend that university officials misled accused students about the basic facts of their case, and did not allow them to cross-examine their accuser, among other allegations. A university spokesman told the newspaper on Friday that the school had not yet been served the lawsuits and could not comment. The spokesman emphasized that the school followed its policies. Also on Friday, the Montgomery County Commonwealths Attorneys Office announced it wont pursue criminal charges against the students following an investigation that found none of the alleged victims sought medical attention and several declined to participate in the pinning ceremony without repercussions, according to The Roanoke Times. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Lawsuits InsurTech Tech Virginia Numbers Fierce encounter started between security forces and terrorists at lower Munda area of Qazigund in Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam on Monday (April 27) morning. Sources told Zee Media that 3 terrorists are trapped in the area. This is the second encounter in last 12 hours in Jammu and Kashmir. At least four terrorists were killed and a jawan was injured during an encounter with security forces in Kulgam on Sunday (April 26). The identities of the slain terrorists are still unknonw. As a precautionary measure, the authorities have suspended mobile internet in the district. According to the police, terrorists opened fire at a joint team of Army's 9 Rashtriya Rifles (Rajputana Rifles), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Kulgam police, leading to a retaliation from the forces. Earlier, the police said that at least two-three terrorists were believed to be trapped in the area. The encounter on Sunday took place just a day after two terrorists were killed by security forces at Goripora village of Awantipora in south Kashmir's Pulwama district. On April 24 evening, two terrorists were killed by the forces and a policeman abducted by them was rescued in Anantnag South Kashmir. Public health nurses are disease detectives. Investigation of certain diseases and conditions is a routine practice for public health nurses. State and federal laws require health care professionals and laboratories to report cases of these certain diseases and conditions to their local public health department. Public health is then obligated to investigate each reported case to try to determine where the person may have picked it up and to try to stop its spread to others. This is true with COVID-19 as well. Public health nurses at RiverStone Health start by interviewing the diagnosed patient to try to determine how, when and where they may have been infected. After that, they turn their attention to who the close contacts may have been during the time the patient would have been contagious to others. Then they can notify those people to let them know they may have been exposed and check to see if they are sick. They can also implement disease control measures. With COVID-19 some of the disease control measures are to isolate people who are sick from people who are well, and to quarantine people who are well but have been exposed and now have the potential to become ill from the recent exposure. : The number of COVID-19 cases under treatment in the Indira Gandhi Government Medical college hospital here has fallen to three from four with the discharge of one after recovery, a territorial Minister said on Monday. The Health Minister Malladi Krishna Rao told reporters that the union territory had eight patients and were taking treatment in the hospital. At one stage, the number of patients stood at four after recovery of four patients from the infection, he said. On one more patient tested negative on Sunday and was discharged bringing down the total active cases to three now, the Minister said. The fall in the number of patients to three was a welcome development for the government and health authorities. The patient discharged hailed from neighbouring Reddiyarpalayam and was undergoing treatment for more than 14 days. He said there was no COVID-19 case in Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam regions, all enclaves of Puducherry, in Tamilnadu, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh respectively. The Minister said door-to-door surveillance was continued and teams of health professionals and volunteers from private medical colleges contacted the people in each of the 2.89 houses (with a population strength of 11.52 lakh out of the total population of 13 lakh) so far and collected details of their health status. Rao said 1,983 samples out of 1,987 samples tested so far were negative and results of the remaining four samples were awaited. He appealed to the people to continue their cooperation during the remaining days of the ongoing lockdown to maintain the record of Puducherry in containing the infection. Rao said the Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan had at a video conference with him recently appreciated the work of the territorial administration in checking the spread of the virus. "The coordinated work by staff of Health, Police, PWD, Local Administration, Welfare and other departments with the cooperation of the people has made Puducherry a safe place," Rao said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) With oil prices so low, this would be a great time to own an airline--if anyone wanted to fly. That's the case for Ryanair Holdings PLC (NASDAQ:RYAAY), the low-cost airline with the biggest market share in Europe and the United Kingdom. This Dublin, Ireland-based carrier finds itself on the Undervalued Predictable list at GuruFocus in part because a lack of demand for air travel has pushed down its share price, and because it has a strong earnings history. Presumably, those earnings will continue to enrich shareholders once the current crisis has abated, or will they? Does the company have the resources and management strength to survive an unexpected down cycle? Let's start with a look at the share price over the past 10 years: GuruFocus Ryanair price chart After making a nice recovery coming out of the 2008 financial crisis, Ryanair began losing altitude in 2018. Why? Apparently, there was no shortage of problems, including some that were self-inflicted: Higher fuel costs. Rising wages; in December 2017, the company recognized a pilot's union and began increasing their wages. That drove labor costs up 34% in the second quarter of 2018. Strikes by regional air traffic controllers that caused it to cancel more than 2,500 flights in the first quarter of 2018. Ryanair refused to provide cash compensation to passengers and got even more criticism from its customers and the public. It is a company with an appalling customer service history. The BBC reported in January 2019 that Ryanair had been named the United Kingdom's "worst short-haul airline" for the sixth year running. Passengers did not like its boarding processes, its seat comfort, its food and drink offerings or the cabin environment. Making matters worse is a CEO, Michael O'Leary, who seems to delight in provoking controversy, perhaps in the belief that even bad publicity is good publicity. At one time, perhaps thinking out loud, he speculated that the airline might begin charging passengers for using plane toilets, an idea that brought on a critical backlash, and one from which O'Leary promptly retreated. Story continues Despite all that negative news, passengers throughout Europe keep flocking to the airline. In response to the polling that found it to be the worst airline for six years in a row, the company claimed its passenger numbers had increased by 80% in those same six years. The BBC also quoted an airline consultant as saying, "the airline had endured a 'tough year' but still generates 'huge amounts of cash.'" Not long afterward, free cash flow dropped off significantly, as shown in this 10-year chart: GuruFocus Ryanair free cash flow For a broader test of Ryanair's quantitative worth, we will examine it using the lens of the Macpherson model, a set of criteria used by Thomas Macpherson, the manager of Nintai Investments and a contributor to GuruFocus. It tests for a moat, financial strength, profitability and a discounted share price. Moat To test for a competitive advantage, which leads to strong, sustainable margins and higher earnings, the model tests for a median 10-year return of 15% on capital and tangible equity. Return on capital: median is 22.67%, well above the 15% required. Return on tangible equity: again, the median is above 15%, at 18.41%. The ROC for 2019 was 17.17%, below the 10-year average, and more than triple the company's weighted average cost of capital at 5.27%. We should note here that enjoying a competitive advantage, which Ryanair does, is quite remarkable given the intensity of competition in the airline industry. Financial strength Like most companies that use leverage, Ryanair gets a fail on both criteria for financial strength; a cash-to-debt ratio of at least 100 and a GuruFocus financial strength rating of at least 9 out of 10: GuruFocus Ryanair financial strength Still, it is no danger of going bankrupt; as the table shows, its interest coverage ratio is more than 22 times. Regarding interest coverage, GuruFocus explained: "Ben Graham requires that a company has minimum interest coverage of 5 with the companies he invested. If the interest coverage is less than 2, the company is burdened by debt." Profitability With a strong moat, Ryanair posts strong earnings and high profitability: GuruFocus Ryanair profitability As noted in the moat section, high profitability is a surprise for a player in the airline industry, which is better known for destroying capital. As with Southwest Airlines (NYSE:LUV), there is profitability in keeping costs down for customers. Valuation An examination of Ryanair's discounted cash flow points us to a seeming contradiction. When we bring up the DCF, we see it does not have a margin of safety (in fact, it has a small, negative margin) because the valuation is below the market price: GuruFocus Ryanair earnings-based DCF What we see here is the earnings-based DCF. But GuruFocus also offers a free cash flow-based DCF and the latter appears to determine whether a stock makes it through the Undervalued Predictable screener. For Ryanair, the free cash flow-based valuation is $81, a fair or intrinsic value that is well above the market price of $56.78. By that measure, Ryanair does belong on the screener list. Overall, the airline passed tests for a moat and profitability but failed on financial strength and valuation. Ownership Eleven of the gurus followed by GuruFocus have holdings in Ryanair. David Herro (Trades, Portfolio) of the Oakmark International Fund has the largest holding, with nearly 11 million shares at the end of 2019. Sarah Ketterer (Trades, Portfolio) of Causeway Capital Management and Jim Simons (Trades, Portfolio) of Renaissance Technologies also held more than a million shares each. In his letter to Oakmark shareholders published Jan. 9, Herro was optimistic about the company's longer-term prospects. While his remarks were published before passengers stopped flying, his thoughts are encouraging for the longer term. Institutional investors owned 26% of the company's outstanding shares at the end of the first quarter, while its filings show no insider investments. Covid-19 response On April 3, Ryanair released a statement explaining that 99% of its flights had been canceled and withdrew its guidance for 2020. It also noted, "Ryanair has one of the strongest balance sheets in the industry, with year-end cash equivalents of EUR3.8bn and 327 (77%) of the Group's owned fleet unencumbered and debt free. The Ryanair Group has already implemented a series of measures to cut operating costs, improve liquidity and cash flows." Conclusion Ryanair is something of a round peg in a square hole, an airline that usually makes money rather than blowing it up. I was surprised to find a major airline with a serious competitive advantage. Yet, it's also a company with some issues, including its current share price that provides a negative margin of safety. And, with an airline that has an uncertain future, investors would certainly want a meaningful margin of safety. This article is only an introduction to the company and investors must do their own due diligence. I do not own shares in it and do not expect to buy any in the next 72 hours. Read more here: CP Rail: A 5-Star Stock at a Bargain Price Lennox International: Undervalued, but Will It Still Be Predictable? Ross Stores: Paused for the Pandemic, but the Future Is Promising Not a Premium Member of GuruFocus? Sign up for a free 7-day trial here. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Your support helps Excelsio to keep delivering open content. A small contribution is so valuable for us. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-27 22:01:56|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BERLIN, April 27 (Xinhua) -- German holiday airline Condor has been cleared by the European Commission to receive a government loan of 550 million euros (597 million U.S. dollars), Germany's Ministry for Economic Affairs announced on Monday. The Commission approved the state-guaranteed loan from the German development bank KfW after a "quick and constructive procedure," the Ministry said. Condor was "operationally healthy and profitable in normal times and has good future prospects," German Minister for Economic Affairs Peter Altmaier said in a statement. After the bankruptcy of its then parent company Thomas Cook at the end of September last year, Condor had already received a bridging loan from the German government of 380 million euros. Two weeks ago, the Polish aviation group PGL canceled its takeover bid of Condor, which had been announced in January. The renewed financial support for Condor had also become necessary because of the coronavirus crisis, according to the Ministry. Condor announced on Monday that the loan was made up of 294 million euros from Germany's coronavirus state aid and an additional 256 million euros to fully refinance the existing bridging loan that Condor had received after the insolvency of Thomas Cook. Due to worldwide travel restrictions because of the coronavirus, Condor has been unable to fly passengers to their holiday destinations in recent weeks but has instead flown medical equipment, according to the German airline. Condor has also repatriated more than 78,000 Germans in close cooperation with Germany's Foreign Office as well as private tour operators and cruise lines, the company said. Since mid-March, German companies can apply for funds from a special government credit program, which is intended to help them maintain their liquidity and avoid insolvencies. To date, almost 20,000 German companies have applied for state aid worth more than 30 billion euros with the KfW. (1 euro = 1.085 U.S. dollars) Enditem Turkey has dispatched an air ambulance and repatriated a Turkish citizen who tested positive for the coronavirus in Sweden but allegedly failed to receive any treatment there. Emrullah Gulusken, 47, was evacuated from his home in Malmo on Sunday after his daughter, Leyla, pleaded for help on social media. She said her father was sent back home despite his worsening condition, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported. Gulusken and his three of his children were flown to Ankara where they were hospitalized, the agency reported. Swedish authorities haven't commented on the case. "Dear Leyla, we have heard your voice... Our air ambulance is taking off at 6 am we are coming to Sweden, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca tweeted on Sunday morning. "Our hospital, our doctors are ready waiting for your father. Turkey has repatriated around 40,000 nationals from 75 countries since the start of the outbreak in March, according to Foreign Ministry figures. The country has reported a total of 2,805 and 110,130 confirmed infections. It ranks seventh in the world for the number of confirmed infections, according to Johns Hopkins University, but experts believe the actual toll of the pandemic is higher than the tally. Nearly 890,000 people have been tested in Turkey so far. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) European planemaker Airbus issued a bleak assessment of the impact of the coronavirus crisis, telling the company's 135,000 employees to brace for potentially deeper job cuts and warning its survival is at stake without immediate action. In a letter to staff, Chief Executive Guillaume Faury said Airbus was "bleeding cash at an unprecedented speed" and that a recent drop of a third or more in production rates did not reflect the worst-case scenario and would be kept under review, the Reuters reported. Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance. We, however, have a request. As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed. Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard. Digital Editor WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. Levon Esters and Neil Knobloch, professors in the Department of Agricultural Sciences Education and Communication (ASEC) at Purdue University, recently received funding from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) to establish a mentoring network across 13 land-grant institutions. Esters and Knobloch are co-project directors of a program called Multi-institutional mEntoring Network for Transforming Organizational cultuRe (MENTOR), which focuses on increasing underrepresented minorities and women in the agricultural and life sciences. MENTOR will partner with six historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and seven predominantly white institutions (PWIs) to bring intentional and inclusive mentoring-based programs to these campuses. This project builds the collective capacity of and facilitates interactions between two disparate land-grant institutional types to help identify challenges and develop effective strategies to increase diversity in STEM-based agricultural and life sciences disciplines, Esters said. The mentoring initiative, based out of Purdue, will achieve this through three main strategies. MENTOR will distribute mini-grants to pilot mentoring programs at participating institutions, which will allow teams at these schools to tailor the initiative to the needs of the student body. Faculty leadership teams will receive a total of $15,000 over the next two years. Additionally, the program will sponsor two conferences to allow faculty leadership teams to network and share experiences from their home institutions. Finally, this initiative will create an online archive of best practices and outputs related to the successful recruitment and retention of women and underrepresented minorities at land-grant institutions. The immediate and long-term success of this program is dependent on the ability of faculty leadership teams and participating students to strengthen relationships while sharing successes and challenges in creating inclusive and intentional mentoring practices, Knobloch said. Esters and Knobloch believe that mentorship, whether formal or informal, between students and faculty is the cornerstone to increasing representation in agricultural disciplines. Enhancing diversity leads to a plurality of experiences and new approaches and ways of thinking, which is the lifeblood of innovation and advancement, Esters continued. Institutions participating in the MENTOR program are Alabama A&M University, Florida A&M University, North Carolina A&T State University, Purdue University, Tennessee State University, Tuskegee University, University of Kentucky, University of Missouri, Ohio State University, Pennsylvania State University, Michigan State University, University of Nebraska-Lincoln and University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. Writer: Emma Ea Ambrose, 765-494-2406, eeambros@purdue.edu Source: Levon Esters, 765-494-8439, lesters@purdue.edu A photo of Levon Esters and Neil Knobloch is available to use on Google Drive Agricultural Communications: 765-494-8415; Maureen Manier, Department Head, mmanier@purdue.edu Agriculture News Page Investors are always looking for stocks that are poised to beat at earnings season and Seacoast Banking Corporation of Florida SBCF may be one such company. The firm has earnings coming up pretty soon, and events are shaping up quite nicely for their report. That is because Seacoast Banking is seeing favorable earnings estimate revision activity as of late, which is generally a precursor to an earnings beat. After all, analysts raising estimates right before earnings with the most up-to-date information possible is a pretty good indicator of some favorable trends underneath the surface for SBCF in this report. In fact, the Most Accurate Estimate for the current quarter is currently at 42 cents per share for SBCF, compared to a broader Zacks Consensus Estimate of 38 cents per share. This suggests that analysts have very recently bumped up their estimates for SBCF, giving the stock a Zacks Earnings ESP of +9.38% heading into earnings season. Seacoast Banking Corporation of Florida Price and EPS Surprise Seacoast Banking Corporation of Florida Price and EPS Surprise Seacoast Banking Corporation of Florida price-eps-surprise | Seacoast Banking Corporation of Florida Quote Why is this Important? A positive reading for the Zacks Earnings ESP has proven to be very powerful in producing both positive surprises, and outperforming the market. Our recent 10-year backtest shows that stocks that have a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) or better show a positive surprise nearly 70% of the time, and have returned over 28% on average in annual returns (see more Top Earnings ESP stocks here. Given that SBCF has a Zacks Rank #3 and an ESP in positive territory, investors might want to consider this stock ahead of earnings. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Clearly, recent earnings estimate revisions suggest that good things are ahead for Seacoast Banking, and that a beat might be in the cards for the upcoming report. Just Released: Zacks 7 Best Stocks for Today Story continues Experts extracted 7 stocks from the list of 220 Zacks Rank #1 Strong Buys that has beaten the market more than 2X over with a stunning average gain of +24.1% per year. These 7 were selected because of their superior potential for immediate breakout. See these time-sensitive tickers now >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Seacoast Banking Corporation of Florida (SBCF) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Five out of the eight Northeastern states are completely coronavirus-free and the remaining three have not added any new COVID-19 positive case in the last few days, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said on Monday. Singh, who is the minister for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), said this after a video conference with senior officers of the North Eastern Council (NEC), Shillong, as well representatives of different government bodies and PSUs. The minister said five Northeastern states -- Sikkim, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Tripura -- are totally coronavirus-free while three other states -- Assam, Meghalaya and Mizoram -- had eight, 11 and one COVID-19 positive cases respectively. All these patients have recovered and the cases will soon turn negative, he said, adding that no new case has been added till Sunday night. He congratulated the state governments of the region, the chief ministers and also the officials in the ministry of DoNER and the NEC for ensuring perfect coordination, which has made this possible. Singh also informed about the proposals received from different states of the region like Mizoram, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur for new health-related projects devoted to management of infections and coronavirus care, critical care and upgraded healthcare. These projects will be dealt with priority, he said. In addition, the ministry of DoNER has placed Rs 25 crore at the disposal of Northeastern states in the initial stage itself, much before the lockdown, as gap-funding for coronavirus-related activities, he said. During the meeting, the minister received updates about various economic activities in the recent days following exemptions given by the Ministry of Home Affairs in different sectors, including bamboo-related activities. Also Read: Coronavirus India Live Updates: Delhi-Haryana border to be sealed; total COVID-19 cases in India reach 28,380 Also Read: Vaccine could be ready in 12 months, says Bill Gates; pledges 'total attention' to coronavirus European planemaker Airbus has told the companys 135,000 employees to brace for deeper job cuts, warning its survival is at stake without immediate action, a Reuters report said. In a letter to staff late last week, Chief Executive Guillaume Faury said:Were bleeding cash at an unprecedented speed, which may threaten the very existence of our company. "We must now act urgently to reduce our cash-out, restore our financial balance and, ultimately, to regain control of our destiny, he said. With airline customers fighting to survive and unable to accept new aircraft, Airbus is juggling its delivery schedules while reassessing its long-term outlook for the aerospace industry, the letter said according to Bloomberg News. A plan to slash production by one-third announced earlier this month may not reflect the worst-case scenario, he said. Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Shaktikanta Das Following are the highlights of Reserve Bank of India Governor Shaktikanta Das' first interview since the beginning of the nationwide lockdown announced over a month ago. In an hour-long interview to Cogencis, Das said even though there is an animated discussion on the subject of the central bank monetising the government's budget deficit amidst the ongoing fight against COVID-19 pandemic, he has not taken a view on the issue yet. Key highlights: *Fiscal measures key to combat economic impact of COVID-19*FY21 fiscal gap going beyond 3.5 percent becomes unavoidable*RBI has not taken a view on the monetisation of government deficit*On the issue of monetisation, RBI must keep operational realities in sight, preserve RBI's balance sheet strength*Will evaluate alternative funding sources for fiscal deficit*Won't make specific comment on the private placement of bonds with RBI*Will take a judicious, balanced call if RBI will take bond private placements*Not taken any view on COVID bonds *Repo rate, as decided by MPC, is the "single" policy rate; alone conveys the stance of monetary policy FISCAL PACKAGE*Government working on an economic package to tackle COVID-19 impact*Meeting FY21 fiscal gap of 3.5 percent very challenging*Expect the government to take a judicious and balanced call on fiscal deficit*Government took steps to aid vulnerable, disadvantaged sections*GST collections to be significantly impacted by lockdown; can't rule out a hit on direct taxes also*Must prioritise support steps, interventions when deciding fiscal package size*Fiscal steps must be well-targeted to optimise the outcome*Exit strategy for fiscal interventions equally important*Fiscal measures for COVID package must have sunset provisions*Must balance economic needs with sustainable fiscal gap level*Fiscal gap must be consistent with economic/financial stability*Extent of overshooting of fiscal deficit aim depends on government *Government will take measures that give maximum impact 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 PRIVATE PLACEMENTS*There is animated public discourse on RBI monetising deficit*Debate on monetising deficit not new within RBI*Past RBI governors had to contend with monetisation debates*Debate on deficit monetisation brought solutions like FRBM Act*Past RBI governors found solutions based on the conditions then*Monetisation must meet macroeconomic stability goal; macroeconomic stability is RBI's main mandate*Always maintain all instruments both conventional and unconventional tools are on the table*Will take a judicious view when the time comes on COVID bonds*Not participated in any primary auction of T-bills, bonds so far*RBI's operations, debt management warrant participation in the secondary market*RBI's market operations at times are for elongation of debt maturity *Market operations also aim to fill the maturity spectrum gap in RBI holding EXIT PLAN*Calibrated roadmap for entry and exit of accommodation is a must*Questions on RBI, government exit plan for COVID package are pertinent*Decision on entering, exiting from "chakravyuh" is important*Exit plan from "chakravyuh" must be made when entering it*Exit from "chakravyuh" must be carefully thought through*Extraordinary steps must be taken in time, withdrawn in time*Don't want the market to think RBI is going into a tightening mode*Will exit special measures when am confident the economy is near normal*Exit from special measures should not be premature*Won't delay withdrawal of special measures beyond a point*At the current juncture, all decision-making is tough *COVID-19 has posed extraordinarily challenging situation REVERSE REPO*Repo rate, as decided by MPC, is the "single" policy rate; alone conveys the stance of monetary policy*Reverse repo rate essentially a liquidity management tool*Discussed LAF corridor, reverse repo rate with MPC earlier*Reverse repo decision is very much in the domain of RBI*Briefed MPC on the rationale behind the reverse repo rate cut; took MPC into confidence*Low reverse repo an adverse rate for liquidity absorption*Low reverse repo to deter banks from parking funds with RBI*Must see low reverse repo rate as a transient arrangement*Market should not be complacent on transient arrangements*Transient moves due to liquidity management imperatives *LTROs, TLTROs are at or aligned to the repo rate TLTRO 2.0*Had a sense TLTRO 2.0 response may not be as good as TLTRO*TLTRO 2.0 auction results convey a "telling message" that banks not willing to take risk beyond a point*On TLTRO 2.0, we are reviewing the whole situation and will decide on the approach to TLTRO 2.0 based on the review*Challenge of ensuring credit to smaller NBFCs remains*To take steps to address liquidity of NBFCs as necessary *On liquidity to NBFCs, RBI remains in a battle-ready mode STATES*Constantly monitoring cash balances of individual states*Hiked WMA limit of states in view of the need for more cash*Mindful that states need enough cash for the fight against COVID*RBI can activate standing deposit facility at any moment *Not any taken final view on standing deposit facility rate CREDIT RATING, FX MARKET*Investors trust India irrespective of credit rating*Investors trust India irrespective of rating upgrade or downgrade*On ratings, investors much better informed on India versus earlier*FX market has been orderly during COVID crisis*Fall in rupee is less when compared with other emerging economies*Won't rule out the possibility of FX inflows picking up*FX inflows can rise due to liquidity in advanced economies*Liquidity from advanced nations can spill over to India*India's macroeconomic fundamentals are strong*Indian economy stronger compared with 2008 financial crisis*Have enough foreign exchange reserves*In case FX outflows happen, will be able to deal with any eventuality *Policy responses have to be out of the ordinary RBI AUTONOMY, ROLE*RBI's autonomy is never in doubt*All decisions are independently taken by RBI*RBI takes own decisions but engages with stakeholders*Stakeholder consultation essential part of RBI's approach*Government is much more than a stakeholder*Consultation flows both ways between government, RBI*Past stint with government helps me take balanced calls*No compromise on core principles of central banking*Shouldn't underestimate RBI's role in tackling COVID crisis *Monetary policy, liquidity management very powerful tools COVID-19*This is a time of trial, an endurance test*We live in extraordinary times*We Indians must remain resilient*We must believe in our capacity to come back stronger*Dealing with a pandemic superimposed on a slowdown*Response to COVID crisis has to be coordinated*All arms of public policy need to work together on COVID response *Government has a very important role in response to COVID crisis BANKS*March 27 norms allow banks to offer a moratorium on all loans*Bank boards must OK policy on offering moratorium on loans*Onus on banks to offer loan moratorium based on their assessment*Based on capital, NPA ratios, Indian banks are healthy, safe*To take calibrated steps to protect banks' books in future*We are constantly monitoring banking sector *Have strengthened supervisory systems, mechanisms NBFCs*To take a more granular look at financial companies if vulnerability seen*Supervisory systems for financial companies more proactive now*No policy view on limiting deposit-taking only to banks*Examining harmonising norms across bank licence windows*In many cases, courts have reversed orders in our favour *SC has observed RBI is "not just another regulator" FINTECH SPACE*India is an innovator, pioneer in payments space*Unified Payments Interface has been commended globally*With our advice, National Payments Corp set up a global arm*National Payments Corp arm to internationalise UPI, RuPay card*UPI can be a vehicle for cross-border money transfer, remittance*Want fintech companies to flourish on regulatory sandbox*Want credit flow to happen through new methods via fintech An Indian woman was allegedly gang raped in a school where she had been quarantined for a night by the police amid the nationwide coronavirus lockdown, a police official said on Sunday. The incident occurred last week in the desert state of Rajasthan when the victim, a daily wage earner, sought shelter at a police station after walking alone for miles and losing the way to her native village. In the absence of a quarantine centre, local police housed her for the night in a school building, where she was allegedly raped by three men. 'Three local men who raped the woman inside the school on April 23 have been arrested and sent to jail,' Parth Sharma, a deputy superintendent of police in Sawai Madhopur district in Rajasthan and the investigating officer in the case, told Reuters by telephone. An Indian woman was allegedly gang raped in a school where she had been quarantined for a night by the police amid the nationwide coronavirus lockdown, a police official said on Sunday. Pictured: two women wear face masks in Delhi The victim, aged between 40-45 years, said in a statement to the police that she had been walking for several days from Sawai Madhopur before she reached a village where she was raped. Sharma said the woman had been sent to a local quarantine facility to get tested for COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the coronavirus. 'We don't know how long she was on her own for, and who she came into contact with, and her test results are not yet known,' he said, adding that a junior police official had been suspended for negligence. India, with a population of 1.3 billion, has reported 26,496 cases of COVID-19, and 824 deaths. Pictured: men on a rickshaw in Delhi The nationwide lockdown imposed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last month to contain the spread of the virus prompted tens of thousands of workers who lost their jobs in cities to walk for days in desperation to reach their homes in rural India. Many of them are now in overcrowded quarantine centres and authorities are struggling to cope. Experts fear that the world's biggest lockdown has not been able to reduce the spread of COVID-19, and country has begun to see a surge in cases with testing being ramped up. India, with a population of 1.3 billion, has reported 26,496 cases of COVID-19, and 824 deaths. Despite stringent laws, rape occurs every 20 minutes, on average, according to federal crime data. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-27 21:49:53|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close CAIRO, April 27 (Xinhua) -- The Arab League said on Monday it will hold an extraordinary virtual session on Thursday to discuss steps and measures that Arab states can take towards the Israeli plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank. "The foreign ministers will discuss in their meeting providing political, legal and financial support to the Palestinian leadership to confront the Israeli plans," said the Assistant Secretary General of the Arab League, Hossam Zaki. The extraordinary meeting, at the request of the Palestinian leadership will be convened via video conference due to the global coronavirus pandemic, added Zaki. He added the meeting will also tackle moves for confronting the Israeli plan and enable the government of Palestine to face the damage caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the aggressive Israeli measures that caused the Palestinian people more losses, in addition to the confiscation of clearing funds by Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his political rival Benny Gantz signed a deal on April 20 for a unity government that could accelerate Israel's plans to annex parts of the West Bank in the coming months. The Palestinians strongly object Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank, which was seized by Israel in a 1967 war. Israel has controlled it ever since, despite international criticism. Enditem Apple Watch is by a long way the worlds most popular smartwatch and it is now five years old. To mark the occasion, one of the former lead designers for the Watch has taken to Twitter to reveal some behind the scenes details never before revealed. 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 Smartwatches have been around for a number of years with companies like Sony leading the way. Sony, incredibly, even owns the name smartwatch among its trademarks although it now seems to have given up on making them anymore. It wasnt until the Apple Watch launched, just on five years ago, that Apple hit on the winning formula of giving emphasis to health tracking features that smartwatches went mainstream. To mark the five-year anniversary, one of the lead designers of the Apple Watch has taken to Twitter to reveal some of the history behind its creation and his involvement in it. Imran Chaudhri is no longer with Apple, which perhaps explains why he has given a rare insight into its early development without fear of getting the sack. Chaudry reveals some details that have never before been aired. Among the tidbits is an early sketch of Chaudhris impression of how apps would work on the device with the user able to scroll endlessly through the apps and swipe between screens. Although the first idea didnt quite make the cut, it is similar to what followed, while the second idea persists today and has been emulated in Android Wear OS among others. Chowdhri also revealed that the watch-like iPod Nano gen-6 was used as one of the early prototypes for the device. Sadly, Chaudhri and his team didnt get to show Steve Jobs the fruits of their labor as he passed away just after the initial prototype had been finished. Here are the stocks in the news today. (Image: PTI) Mindtree Q4 | Profit rose 4.7% to Rs 206.2 cr, revenue increased 4.3% to Rs 2,050.5 cr QoQ. (Image: Facebook/mindtreeltd) NALCO | ICICI Pru MF (ARB) Bharat 22 ETF bought 1,71,09,821 shares in the company at Rs 34.43 per share. (Image: nalcoindia.com) Zee Learn | Debshankar Mukhopadhyay resigned as CEO, the company has appointed Vikash Kumar Kar as CEO. (Image: Moneycontrol) Torrent Pharma | The company issued NCDs on a private placement basis for Rs 195 cr. (Image: torrentpharma.com) Tata Steel | Board approved the issue of additional debt securities (NCDs) of up to Rs 5,000 crore on private placement basis.. (Image: Reuters) Maral Overseas | The company resumed operation of manufacturing unit located at Khargone, Madhya Pradesh. (Image: maraloverseas.com) MEP Infrastructure | Julius Baer Wealth Advisors (India) bought a 2.42% stake in the March quarter. (Image: mepinfra.com) NHPC | NHPC raised Rs 750 cr through a private placement of secured, redeemable, taxable, non-cumulative, non-convertible AB Series Bonds. (Image: nhpcindia.com) Clariant Chemicals | Manufacturing units/factories in Maharashtra, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu are back in partial operation with limited capacity. (Image: clariant.com) Suven Pharma | CRISIL assigned A/Stable rating to company's long term bank loans, A1 rating to short term bank loans. (Image: suven.com) Bank of Baroda | Board approved raising of additional capital funds of up to Rs 13,500 crore till March 31, 2021. (Image: Moneycontrol) Granules India | Company gets US FDA approval for Trospium Chloride capsules IRB Infra | Board approves fund raising of up to Rs 2,500 crore to fund ongoing and planned capex Union Bank | Bank plans to lower stake in IndiaFirst Life to less than 10 percent PNB Housing Finance | CARE Ratings has re-affirmed the credit rating of bank borrowings, NCDs and Fixed Deposits at AA+ while revised the outlook to 'Negative' from 'Stable'. BEML | Company bagged orders worth Rs 398 crore from Coal India. Natco Pharma | Company received an establishment inspection report (EIR) for its Kothur formulation facility. NCL Industries | Companys cement production in Q4FY20 fell 10 percent while cement dispatch declined 12 percent, YoY. RMC sales also fell 10 percent. Mumbai, April 27 : Actor Pankaj Tripathi, who has tasted success on the big screen as well as the digital space, says that when it comes to the debate on web censorship, a dialogue is very important. "Everything should have a debate because a dialogue is important. The storytellers get to tell their stories the way they want to, without the censors on the platform. They have freedom," opined Tripathi, who gained a major fan base as Guruji in "Sacred Games" and Kaleen bhaiya in "Mirzapur". However, not everything can be defended in the name of creative freedom, he feels. "There are some people who just want to spread 'sansani' (sensationalism). They too have some freedom because there are no censors. So, there are pros and cons of having censorship, and if there is a debate only then will people arrive at some conclusion," the actor pointed out. On the acting front, he will next be seen in Kabir Khan's "83". -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Endurance Technologies has been granted permission by the State and local District Administration concerned to resume operations for its plants located at Pantnagar (Uttarakhand) and Waluj in Aurangabad (Maharashtra). The plants shall be resuming operation after more than a month post the announcement of nation-wide lockdown and shall gradually ramp up to align with the off-take from its OEM customers. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) More doctors are being forced to treat coronavirus patients without protective equipment, it has been revealed, as Dominic Raab refused to say when shortages would finally end. A third of physicians working in high-risk settings have reported running short of long-sleeved gowns or full-face visors a situation that has worsened over the past three weeks, the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) said. Of those working in other hospital areas, 40 per cent are not always equipped with eye protection, while 15.5 per cent are sometimes left without fluid-repellent face masks. They are faced with the awful choice between protecting our own lives or protecting those of the patients we treat, one physician said. The grim survey results were disclosed as Mr Raab admitted the government has fallen short on protecting frontline NHS and care staff, more than a month after Boris Johnson insisted PPE would be provided. Asked when there would be enough, the stand-in prime minister said: Its very difficult to say that with precision and the kind of reliability that you want as a guarantee. And asked to acknowledge that some medical and care staff had been let down, Mr Raab replied: I think were not in the place on PPE that wed want to be. The concession came as: As far back as 18 March, Mr Johnson told MPs there were stockpiles of PPE, insisting: There is a massive effort going on. But the survey by the RCP has highlighted the continuing plight of its members working in aerosol generating procedure areas. These are settings including where patients are on ventilators, or there is manual ventilation, or open airway suctioning where there is the highest risk of transmission of disease. In a third of cases, the RCP uncovered shortages of long-sleeved disposable gowns (31 per cent) and full-face visors (37 per cent). Some 26.5 per cent of physicians surveyed reported being unable to access the kit they need for managing Covid-19 patients compared with 22 per cent in a similar survey earlier this month. And the RCP found that almost a quarter of respondents (23 per cent) do not know how to raise concerns about PPE in their organisation. However, staff absences have dropped from 18 per cent to 8 per cent in the past three weeks, according to the survey. Furthermore, 91 per cent of those with symptoms of the virus said they are now able to obtain coronavirus tests up from 31 per cent three weeks ago. How coronavirus lockdowns changed the world's most polluted cities Show all 6 1 /6 How coronavirus lockdowns changed the world's most polluted cities How coronavirus lockdowns changed the world's most polluted cities Milan, Italy REUTERS How coronavirus lockdowns changed the world's most polluted cities North Jakarta, Indonesia REUTERS How coronavirus lockdowns changed the world's most polluted cities Jakarta, Indonesia REUTERS How coronavirus lockdowns changed the world's most polluted cities Venice, Italy REUTERS How coronavirus lockdowns changed the world's most polluted cities New Delhi, India REUTERS How coronavirus lockdowns changed the world's most polluted cities Islamabad, Pakistan REUTERS Andrew Goddard, the RCPs president, said: Were living through the darkest times the NHS has ever faced and this survey shows the reality of the situation facing hospital doctors at the moment. The lack of PPE remains their biggest concern and it is truly terrible that supply has worsened over the past three weeks rather than improved. Dr Matthew Roycroft, joint chair of the trainees committee at the RCP, said: Not only are many trainees working outside of our speciality areas, but we are also doing so without fully trusting that the government will support us when it comes to treating those with Covid-19. Without the right PPE, my colleagues and I may find ourselves with the most awful of conundrums on our hands having to choose between protecting our own lives or protecting those of the patients we treat. This isnt what any of us signed up for, and certainly isnt a decision any doctor should have to make. Chris Hopson, chief executive of NHS Providers, which represents NHS trusts, said trusts were working hard to address shortages, such as sharing stock where possible and looking at safe ways of reusing some kit. Saudi Arabia has ended the death penalty for crimes committed by minors. The move came just days after the country effectively abolished floggings as it sought to blunt criticism over its human rights record. The reforms underscore a push by de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to modernise the ultra-conservative kingdom long associated with a fundamentalist strain of Wahhabi Islam. The death penalty has been eliminated for those convicted of crimes committed while they were minors, Human Rights Commission president Awwad Alawwad said in a statement, citing a royal decree. Saudi Arabia on Sunday ended the death penalty for crimes committed by minors. Two of those killed in 2019 were teenagers Abdulkareem al-Hawaj (left) and Mujtaba al-Sweikat (right), who were just 16 and 17 at the time of their arrests 'Instead, the individual will receive a prison sentence of no longer than 10 years in a juvenile detention facility,' the statement said. The decree is expected to spare the lives of at least six men from the minority Shiite community who are on death row. The were accused of taking part in anti-government protests during the Arab Spring uprisings while they were under the age of 18. United Nations human rights experts made an urgent appeal to Saudi Arabia last year to halt plans to execute them. 'This is an important day for Saudi Arabia,' said Awwad Alawwad. 'The decree helps us in establishing a more modern penal code.' The kingdom has one of the world's highest rates of execution, with suspects convicted of terrorism, homicide, rape, armed robbery and drug trafficking facing the death penalty. Saudi Arabia executed at least 187 people in 2019, according to a tally based on official data, the highest since 1995 when 195 people were put to death. The move came just days after the after the country effectively abolished floggings as it sought to blunt criticism over its human rights record Since January 12 people were executed, according to official data. Two of those killed were teenagers Abdulkareem al-Hawaj and Mujtaba al-Sweikat, who were just 16 and 17 at the time of their arrests. Al-Hawaj was arrested for attending an anti-government protest when he was 16 and was convicted of being a 'terrorist'. Al-Sweikat was also arrested for attending an anti-government protest and was tortured into confessing to 'crimes against the state', according to human rights charities. The report claimed that al-Sweikat was held in pre-trial detention without charge for three years, and was subjected to torture by al-Mabahith officers including beatings, foot whipping, and cigarette burns. The reforms underscore a push by de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, pictured, to modernise the ultra-conservative kingdom long associated with a fundamentalist strain of Wahhabi Islam Human rights groups have repeatedly raised concerns about the fairness of trials in the kingdom, an absolute monarchy governed under a strict form of Islamic law. On Saturday, the HRC announced Saudi Arabia had effectively abolished flogging as a punishment, which have long drawn condemnation from human rights groups. The most high-profile instance of flogging in recent years was the case of Saudi blogger Raif Badawi who was sentenced to 10 years in prison and 1,000 lashes in 2014 on charges of 'insulting' Islam. But 'hudud' or harsher punishment under Islamic law such as floggings are still applicable for serious offences, a Saudi official said. Hudud, which means 'boundaries' in Arabic, is meted out for such sins as rape, murder or theft. But 'hudud' punishments are rarely meted out as many offences must be proved by a confession or be verified by several adult Muslim witnesses, the official added. With a stay-at-home order in effect statewide, fewer people are driving on the Pennsylvania Turnpike. With fewer drivers, the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission is generating a lot less money from tolls. From March 22 through April 18, the turnpike commission has seen a 50 percent drop in revenue from tolls. The drop in revenue poses serious challenges for the turnpike commission. Turnpike Commission CEO Mark Compton said the commission is cutting costs and scaling back repair projects. Its unclear if the revenue shortfall could lead to higher tolls, turnpike spokesman Carl DeFebo said. The commission had been projecting annual increases for years to come even before the pandemic. But the drop in toll revenue isnt just a problem for the toll road system. It could have an impact across the state because the turnpike commission finances transportation needs across Pennsylvania. The turnpike commission pays $450 million annually to the state Department of Transportation to support mass transit systems. The money is paid in quarterly installments of $112.5 million. The commission is making its April 30 payment. But Compton said the commission is talking with Gov. Tom Wolfs administration and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation about postponing the next $112.5 million payment in July. Compton said, We will be coordinating with PennDOT, the Governors Office and the General Assembly to seek, at the very least, an extension on the July payment so that we can continue to meet our primary mission of operating the Turnpike system. PennDOT said a delay in that payment could cause problems. PennDOT spokeswoman Alexis Campbell provided a statement via email. We have been in conversations with the Turnpike Commission and the Governors Office about this issue, and we understand that decreasing traffic volumes on the PA Turnpike have had drastic effects on the Commissions toll revenue, Campbell wrote. Any delay of payments will exacerbate an already challenging funding situation. We will need to evaluate the cumulative impact of these significant challenges in the months ahead. PennDOT contends the issue only underscores the need for a better solution to finance the states transportation needs. This situation underscores the importance of identifying sustainable, long-term funding solutions for transit and transportation overall, Campbell said. We will continue to work with stakeholders and legislators to identify long-term funding strategies to maintain these critical services while supporting economic growth. The Wolf administration believes strongly that mass transit is a vital part of our communities and economy and it is essential that we continue making strong investments in it. The turnpike commission has been financing Pennsylvania transportation programs for years. More than a decade ago, then-Gov. Ed Rendell signed a law known as Act 44 to pay for road and bridge work and mass transit operations. The law also initially anticipated federal approval of a plan to place tolls on Interstate 80 to help pay for transportation needs. But the federal government rejected the idea of tolls on I-80. The Legislature has since modified the law but the turnpike commission still is obligated to pay $450 million annually to PennDOT through 2022. Beginning in 2023, the turnpike annual payments drop to $50 million. Those mass transit funding obligations help to drive turnpike toll increases every year. In January, tolls rose again by 6-percent, marking the latest in a string of annual hikes. A trip from Bensalem in the Philadelphia suburbs to the Ohio line costs about $37 for E-ZPass users and more than $51 for those paying by cash. When asked if the revenue shortfall would lead to higher toll increases for 2021, DeFebo said, Its premature to speculate on that. The turnpike commission typically decides on toll increases during the summer. The turnpike commission is trying to cut costs. The commission is refinancing some of its debt to lower debt-service costs and using some of its cash reserves to pay down other debt, Compton said. The turnpike commission is reevaluating its 10-year plan on capital projects, which initially called for investing nearly $6 billion over the next decade. Compton said the turnpike commission plans to focus on mission-critical projects. IDeFebo said the turnpike construction projects in the future would be protection driven versus performance driven. But the toll road system, which opened in 1940, has no shortage of maintenance issues. The turnpike turns 80 this year, so it has a lot of needs, DeFebo said. While typical passenger traffic has dropped drastically, commercial traffic hasnt dropped much, preventing the revenue decline from being even more significant. Trucks carrying groceries and other essential supplies still need to use the toll road. Big rigs are continuing to move across the turnpike, DeFebo said. The turnpike commission had to stop dozens of repair projects when the governor put a hold on virtually all construction work statewide. Some work is resuming, DeFebo said. Weve restarted a handful of construction projects that are considered critical, DeFebo said. We are in the process of starting others. While the turnpike is looking at ways to reduce expenses, the commission is not looking at layoffs or pay reductions for staff, DeFebo said. The toll road system employs about 1,900 people. The turnpike commission still plans to become a completely cashless toll system by the fall of 2021, DeFebo said. The jobs of hundreds of toll collectors and toll auditors will be eliminated, the commission has said. Some workers will get the opportunity to move into other turnpike jobs, the commission has said. When the system goes completely cashfree, the turnpike commission has said its workforce is expected to drop from about 1,900 to about 1,300. More from PennLive The complete list of new, existing Pa. liquor stores offering phone orders, curbside pickup starting Monday Unresponsive, unreachable unemployment office infuriates Pennsylvania residents By PTI ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Monday allocated more than Rs 50 billion to support small and medium-size enterprises as part of its efforts to mitigate the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic, even as the number of the COVID-19 cases rose to 13,909 in the country. The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) in its meeting approved the package under which the government will pay the electricity bills of small traders for three months, whenever they resume their business activities. "The ECC meeting chaired by Adviser to PM on Finance and Revenue Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh today approves Rs 50.69 billion package to provide indirect cash flow support to small and medium size enterprises (SMEs) through pre-paid electricity," the Ministry of Finance said in a statement. Under the scheme, commercial consumers would be given support up to Rs 100,000 and industrial consumers up to Rs 450,000 for three months. "Small businesses having a commercial connection of less than five kilowatt and industrial consumers using less than 70 kilowatts can benefit from this initiative," Minister for Industries and Production Hammad Azhar said after the ECC meeting. ALSO READ| Pakistan army shells forward areas along LoC in Jammu & Kashmir's Poonch The ECC also allocated Rs 75 billion to provide relief to labourers and daily wage workers who have lost their jobs during the coronavirus outbreak. Under the package, Rs 12,000 will be doled out to 4-6 million families, which were not counted in the government's Emergency Cash Programme. The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Chairman, Lt Gen Mohammad Afzal, said that the country had capacity to conduct 30,000 tests in a day which will be increased to 40,000. He said thatUSD 50 million worth medical supplies purchased from China have arrived in the country. He also said that Pakistan was in the process of purchasing about 700 ventilators which would be available by the end of June. He said that currently around 4,000 ventilators were available in the country. Afzal said that Pakistan was currently not importing any personal protective equipment (PPE) as everything was being produced in the country. "The government expects to receive 20,000-50,000 N95 masks from organisations across Pakistan," he said. Meanwhile, the Ministry of National Health Services said that more than 3,000 people have recovered from the coronavirus. It said so far 281 people have died due to the virus, including 12 in the last 24 hours. According to the ministry, worst-hit Punjab province reported 5,526 cases, Sindh 4,996, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa 1,984, Balochistan 781, Gilgit-Baltistan 318, Islamabad 245 and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir 59 cases. So far 150,756 tests had been done including 6,391 in the last 24 hours. The government said that an in-camera meeting of the special Parliamentary Committee on Coronavirus Disease will be held at the Parliament House to review the impact of the lockdown on the country's economy. It will also receive recommendations from representatives of traders and the business community for formulating a strategy to deal with the crisis. Meanwhile, a media report said that more than 80 per cent of mosques in Punjab and the federal capital did not implement a 20-point agreement reached between the government and clerics regarding the first taraweeh congregations on Friday. ALSO READ| Pakistan summons senior Indian diplomat Gaurav Ahluwalia over 'ceasefire violations' President Arif Alvi visited mosques in Bara Kahu area of Islamabad on Sunday night to see the guidelines were being followed. He directed the mosques administrations to ensure implementation of preventive measures, which were necessary to control spread of COVID-19. On Saturday, Pakistan Islamic Medical Association (PIMA) President Dr Iftikhar Burney warned that mosques are becoming a major source of transmission for the novel coronavirus and urged people to pray at home during Ramzan. His remarks comes days after Pakistan's top doctors warned of "significant mayhem" and "fatal outcomes" if mosques continue to remain open and urged the government to review its decision to allow congregational prayers during the month of Ramzan. The Pakistan government early this month succumbed to pressure from the hardline clerics and allowed conditional congregational prayers in mosques during Ramzan. Meanwhile, at least 400 traders stuck in China for over a month asked the government through a video message to facilitate their return. "We want to spend the holy month of Ramzan with our families and ask the government to arrange for a special flight for our return," they said. The Iraqi army is not known for its aquatic capabilities, but Iraqi soldiers in boats searched for Islamic State (IS) fighters along the Tigris River last week. On Friday, the spokesman for the US-led anti-IS coalition, which works with Iraqi security forces, tweeted pictures of Iraqi soldiers operating a motorboat as they conducted search operations targeting members of the group near the city of Samarra in central Iraq. Samarra operation command arrives to Samarra to search for Daesh members great work, wrote the coalitions American spokesman, Col. Myles B. Caggins III, using the Arabic acronym for IS. The coalition, officially known as Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve, regularly praises Iraqs armed forces on social media. Still, there is pressure from some in Iraq for US troops to withdraw from the country; the Iraqi parliament voted to expel US forces from Iraq in January after Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani was killed in Baghdad via a US airstrike. The US military continues to operate alongside Iraqi forces, but has turned over several bases to its Iraqi counterparts this year. Other European members of the coalition have left the country due to the coronavirus. The Iraqi army soldiers conducted searches of the river itself as well as the land adjoining it. Iraqi media outlets reported Thursday that military operations took place near Samarra. Iraqakhbar reported that the pro-Iran Popular Mobilization Units and Iraqi federal police searched for terrorists northeast of the city. Buratha News Agency posted an article with the same information. IS has increased its activity in Iraq amid the coronavirus lockdown in the country, shifting from attacks on small villages in previous months to fighting Iraqi security forces directly. The Iraqi governments Security Media Cell reported an anti-IS operation in Samarra on Monday. Samarra is one of the areas where IS has remained most active since its territorial defeat in late 2017. Samarra is a focal point for tensions in Iraq between Shiiite and Sunni Muslims, and is a Sunni-majority area. Last year, Sunni property owners near a holy shrine in the city said they felt pressured by Shiite religious authorities controlling the shrine to sell their land below market value. APRIL 27, 2020 UT System Chancellor James Milliken has stepped up to help UTSA students in a big way. With support from the Chancellors Council and the Chancellors Council Executive Committee, Milliken has generously allocated $25,000 to the Student Emergency Fund at UTSA to provide grants to students facing a hardship as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Now, President Taylor Eighmy is working with UTSA Annual Giving to issue the Chancellors Challenge, an online fundraising campaign to raise an additional $25,000 or more to support student emergency funds. UTSA supporters who are able are asked to step up for students by Tuesday, May 5, to coincide with #GivingTuesdayNow, a global day of giving designed to help meet the unprecedented need caused by the pandemic. We know many of our students are experiencing financial hardship right now, and these struggles could extend through the summer months, said Eighmy. Our goal with the Chancellors Challenge is to leverage his gift and the global Giving Tuesday Now effort by offering a direct, easy way for members of the Roadrunner community to help our students if they have the capacity to do so. Within hours of UTSA announcing the move to online instruction, students started worrying about how they were going to get by, said Gage Martin, a UTSA junior who is president of the Roadrunner Student Alumni Association, the group that coordinates the Student Emergency Fund. Many have lost their jobs and are faced with difficult housing situations. UTSA students are having to balance supporting themselves while trying to remain focused on their academics. Applications for the Student Emergency Fund started arriving immediately, and they have not stopped. The applications tell a tale of students in need, with insights similar to these: My hours at work were cut. I dont know how I will pay my bills. I am already struggling because I have not been able to find a job, and now the coronavirus is making it worse. I usually donate plasma two times a week to make ends meet, but now I cant even do that. My dad lost his job and now I am moving home, putting an additional strain on the family. If I cant pay for my prescriptions, I am not sure what will happen. There are a number of funds available where supporters can allocate donations: Student Tech Fund provides computers so that students can continue their classes online provides computers so that students can continue their classes online Roadrunner Pantry is open on Main Campus and providing food and personal care items with more than 661 visits since mid-March. is open on Main Campus and providing food and personal care items with more than 661 visits since mid-March. Veteran and Military Affairs Emergency Fund provides for emergency needs for our students who are affiliated with the military. provides for emergency needs for our students who are affiliated with the military. Fostering Educational Success Center assists students who are particularly vulnerable to this crisis because of a history of foster care. assists students who are particularly vulnerable to this crisis because of a history of foster care. Student Emergency Fund provides grants to help students stay enrolled for needs that cannot be covered with other sources of support. Gifts made on the Launch UTSA webpage now through May 5, 2020, will count toward the $25,000 challenge. Gifts of all amounts will count and make a difference. Sharing the campaign on social media also helps raise awareness. Are a current student in need? Check out the Financial Assistance Resources for UTSA Students page. It is heartwarming to see how our alumni, our faculty, staff, and the San Antonio community are stepping up for our students, Eighmy said. I am issuing this challenge to keep the momentum going as we continue to help our students with significant needs. It would be wonderful to match the chancellors gift or do even more. More detailed information was released Friday about plans to use parts of the Sonoma State University campus in Rohnert Park to meet public health needs during the novel coronavirus emergency, with an initial group of people set to be placed in a dormitory this week. The agreement between the county and the university, originally announced three weeks ago, "will provide a secure facility for people who are COVID positive or have tests pending, and a place for individuals experiencing homelessness who are highly vulnerable and are unable to shelter in place," according to a news release from the City of Rohnert Park. The university's student center and recreational facilities have been designated as space to sequester people who have tested positive should hospitals require additional capacity. The Sauvignon dormitory is designated for use by people awaiting the results of COVID-19 tests, and possibly for infected patients with lower care needs. The dorm has a capacity of about 200 and the area around it will be fenced off and secured, with staff from the Petaluma Health Center on-site around the clock, officials said. The Verdot Village dormitory has a capacity of about 140 and will be used for those higher risk people who are homeless and 65 or older, and/or have underlying health conditions to reduce their risk of infection and the likelihood of spreading the virus, officials said. Plans call for 35 people to move into the Verdot Village dorm this week, with as many as 70 more the following week. A retired FBI agent arrested Friday near his home in Lafayette accepted more than more than $200,000 in cash bribes and gifts in exchange for funneling sensitive information to Armenian organized crime, federal prosecutors said. Babak Broumand, who retired from the FBI last year after 20 years as a special agent, was arrested by other special agents with the FBI and the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General. Broumand was charged in a criminal complaint Tuesday in United States District Court in Los Angeles, with one count of conspiracy to commit bribery of a public official. Federal officials said a contact with the Armenian mob allegedly made regular bribe payments to Broumand and gave him expensive gifts, while he was assigned to the San Francisco FBI Field Office working on national security matters and the development of confidential sources. The alleged scheme started in early 2015 and continued through most of 2017, according to a release from the Department of Justice. Broumand allegedly accepted bribe payments averaging approximately $10,000 per month, paid by a man who became a licensed lawyer in 2016. Sausalito municipal parking lots will be closed on weekends and holidays, because of safety concerns related to the novel coronavirus pandemic and "widespread disregard for non-essential travel restrictions," Sausalito police said Saturday. The closures, which began Sunday, will remain in effect until further notice, police said. Those with City of Sausalito parking lot permits may use street parking at no cost as long as that permit is displayed on the permit holder's dashboard. A standoff in Santa Rosa came to a peaceful end with a suspect in custody early Sunday morning, according to Santa Rosa police. The suspect, who hasn't been identified, was detained at about 5:09 a.m. in the area of Ripley Street and Armory Drive, Sgt. Hiroshi Yaguchi said. Neither officers nor the suspect were injured during the standoff, which according to Yaguchi started after the suspect allegedly fired a gun during an argument with a neighbor. Starting Tuesday, Caltrans will begin a three-week paving project on an 11-mile stretch of U.S. Highway 101 between Canyon Road in Geyserville and state Highway 128 in Cloverdale in Sonoma County, the state highway agency said Saturday. Nicknamed "Big Pave 2," this project will begin in the northbound direction, starting at Canyon Road in Geyserville, and work northward until reaching the turnaround point at the state Highway 128 junction. Work crews will then reverse direction and pave southbound Highway 101 within the same boundaries. During the first week, from Tuesday, April 28 through Saturday, May 2, Caltrans will pave from 6 p.m. until 6 a.m. each day. The two weeks after that, Caltrans will work day and night, taking advantage of light traffic due to the Covid-19 coronavirus-driven shelter-in-place orders. Caltrans will grind off old pavement and apply 61/2 inches of new asphalt. Worn concrete will be ground down to a smooth surface or replaced. Caltrans will also repair drainage culverts, guardrails, and bridges between Limerick Lane in Healdsburg and Highway 128 in Cloverdale. A 20-year-old Oakland man who was warned about violating the shelter-in-place order and refused to comply was arrested later Saturday night by officers from the San Francisco police Tenderloin station for violating the order and possession of drugs for sale, police said. Wilmer Vargas-Arrazola, 20, was taken into custody at Leavenworth and McAllister streets and charged with the shelter violation and possession of heroin, cocaine and fentanyl for sale. Police also seized $477 in cash. The Monterey County Health Officer on Friday issued an order clarifying approved uses of short-term lodging facilities during the county's shelter-in-place order during the novel coronavirus emergency. Short-term lodging locations can remain open for use in efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19, "such as lodging for the homeless population, lodging for people seeking stable housing, and lodging for people who cannot return to their own residence either because they cannot isolate or quarantine at their own residence or because there is a person living in their residence with COVID-19 who cannot isolate or quarantine themselves," the county said in a news release. People temporarily relocating to provide essential services are also allowed to use short-term lodging. People who were guests at lodging dating before the shelter order may remain through the end of their original booking time. The order remains in effect until May 3, when the county order may be revised. A robbery suspect fatally shot and killed by a Napa County Sheriff's Office deputy on Friday has been identified as Brandan Reid Nylander, 24, of Napa. Nylander allegedly stole ammunition from the Walmart store on Lincoln Avenue in shortly after 2 p.m. Friday. Police broadcast a description of the suspect vehicle, which was spotted on state Highway 29 near state Highway 221. A sheriff's deputy pursued and finally stopped the suspect's vehicle by a locked gate at the Napa County Airport at 2030 Airport Road. Nylander got out of the vehicle with a firearm and shots were fired, sheriff's office spokesman Henry Wofford said. Nylander was pronounced dead at the scene. There is one new positive case of novel coronavirus among the population of quarantined inmates at the Santa Rita Jail in Dublin, the Alameda County Sheriff's office said Sunday. The county facility now has nine positive inmate cases, said to be recovering, the office said. Another 22 tested positive but have fully recovered and remain in custody. Two inmates who tested positive have recovered and are no longer in custody. There are also two positive cases among staff and contract workers at the jail and both are said to be recovering. The number of inmates now at Santa Rita is 1,738, compared with 2,597 on March 1. 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. By PTI HYDERABAD: A prolonged lockdown may possibly push million of Indians into the "margins of subsistence", former RBI Governor Duvvuri Subbarao said on Sunday while expecting a 'V' curved recovery once the COVID-19 crisis ends and the turnaround in India to be faster than some economies. He was participating in a webinar on "History repeats - but differently- Lessons for the post Corona World," organised by the Manthan Foundation here, in which former Deputy Governor of RBI Usha Thorat took part. "Because most analysts believe that this year India will actually have negative growth or growth will contract. We must remember that even ahead of the crisis two months ago our growth slowed. Now it has completely stopped. Last year growth was five per cent. Just imagine, five per cent growth last year and we are going to negative or zero growth this year, a decline of five per cent growth," he said. FOLLOW COVID-19 LIVE UPDATES HERE "It is true that India is going to perform in this crisis better than most other countries. But that is no consolation....Because we are a very poor country and if the crisis persists and if the lockdown is not lifted soon enough, it is quite possible that millions of people will be pushed into the margins of subsistence, he said when asked about his views on the present situation. Subbarao said that as predicted by analysts, India will have a V shaped recovery which is far better than most of the other countries. "And why do we expect a "V" shaped recovery? Because unlike in a cyclone or in an earthquake, this is not a natural disaster constraint. No capital has been destroyed. Factories are standing. Our shops are still standing. Our people are ready to work as soon as the lockdown is lifted. So it is quite possible the recovery will be V shaped and while we have a V shaped recovery, I think India has a better chance then most of the countries," he opined. According to him, India's recovery was faster than many other countries after the 2008 global financial crisis. ALSO READ | Only small percentage of schools equipped to provide online education: Industry body FCCI On IMFs prediction that India may grow at 1.9 per cent during the current year against about five per cent in the last fiscal, Subbarao said many analysts feel that the prediction is outdated and the growth in GDP may slip into negative. He said the "life versus livelihood" dilemma for the country is arguably very "short while" for India. Usha Thorat said pumping more liquidity into the system alone cannot work and banks and Non-Banking Finance Companies (NBFC) will need credit guarantee or enhancement to start lending. She also said that states need more support during the crisis and streamlining of non-merit subsidies was required. Saudi Arabias King Salman has ordered an end to the death penalty for crimes committed by minors, according to a top official. The decision comes on the heels of another ordering judges to end the practice of flogging, replacing it with jail time, fines or community service and bringing one of the kingdoms most controversial forms of public punishment to a close. King Salmans son and heir, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, is seen as the force behind the kingdoms loosening of restrictions and its pivot away from ultraconservative interpretations of Islamic law known as Wahhabism, which many in the country still closely adhere to. People protest against Saudi King Salman in September 2015. Source: Getty Images The Crown Prince has sought to modernise the country, attract foreign investment and revamp Saudi Arabias reputation globally. Hes also overseen a parallel crackdown on liberals, womens rights activists, writers, moderate clerics and reformers. The 2018 killing of Saudi writer Jamal Khashoggi in Turkey by agents who worked for the Crown Prince drew sharp criticism internationally. The latest royal decree by King Salman could spare the death penalty for at least six men from the countrys minority Shiite community who allegedly committed crimes while under the age of 18, including Ali al-Nimr, who had participated in anti-government protests. Such activity carries terrorism-related charges in the kingdom for disturbing order and disobeying the ruler. In a document seen by The Associated Press, the royal decree orders prosecutors to review cases and drop punishments for those whove already served the maximum 10 years. King Salmans son and heir, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, is seen as the force behind the kingdoms loosening of restrictions. Source: Getty Images However, the decree states that terrorism-related cases of minors will be tried differently. It was not immediately clear whether these cases would be bound by the 10-year prison limit. Last year, Saudi Arabia executed a young man convicted of crimes that took place when he was 16 years old. Amnesty International said Abdulkareem al-Hawaj was found guilty of offences related to his participation in protests in Shiite-populated areas of Saudi Arabia. Story continues Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have long called on the kingdom to abolish the use of the death penalty, particularly for crimes committed by minors. The president of the Saudi governments Human Rights Commission, Awwad Alawwad, confirmed the latest decision in a statement on Sunday, saying it helps the kingdom establish a more modern penal code and demonstrates the kingdoms commitment to following through on key reforms. He said more reforms will be coming and that the two decisions reflect how Saudi Arabia is forging ahead in its realisation of critical human rights reforms even amid the hardship imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The decree expands on a previous order by King Salman issued in late 2018, which set a maximum 10-year prison term for minors in certain cases, except for crimes punishable by death. People gather in front of Saudi Consulate in New York to protest against Saudi Arabia's decision to execute three leading Saudi Arabian scholars. Source: Getty Images Now the 10-year maximum applies to all crimes by minors, with the possible exception of terrorism-related crimes. This step, if true, needs to nullify current death sentences of all children, Ali al-Ahmed, a Saudi rights activist in Washington, said. Saudi Arabias Supreme Court recently issued a directive to end flogging as a form of punishment sometime in April, according to another document seen by The Associated Press. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and download the Yahoo News app from the App Store or Google Play. By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 04/27/2020 ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade. star Jorge Nava says women have been sending him "love letters" in prison and he's pretty flattered.Jorge, who recently confirmed his breakup and plans to divorce wife Anfisa Arkhipchenko following his prison release, revealed he has received "kind of personal" love letters from fans that he does "enjoy," according to In Touch Weekly.Through his attorney Brad Rideout, Jorge told the magazine the letters are "not necessarily crazy" but he doesn't "really take anything seriously" because he "doesn't know these women.""What I do notice is that, you know, a lot of people do connect with me and I feel like they are connecting with what they've seen on the TV, not with me personally," Jorge explained.However, the 31-year-old said the letters give him "some positive hope" that a better life is waiting for him once he's released from prison next month.Jorge began serving a 22-month prison sentence in September 2018 after pleading guilty to a felony charge of marijuana transportation."I'm getting released soon, and all [the] positive feedback that I'm getting from strangers, like on social media and stuff like that... it's just giving me this really good feeling... about my new beginning, really," Jorge told In Touch.Anfisa apparently entered a new relationship with a man named Leo Assaf while Jorge was behind bars, and the pair recently went Instagram official when Anfisa posted a photo of Leo embracing her.Jorge said last month he's "looking to divorce" Anfisa as soon as possible, and Anfisa told the magazine in her own statement that she wasn't happy in her marriage and so she and Jorge had "mutually decided to part ways a few months ago and agreed to divorce once he's released."Jorge insisted earlier this month his dramatic 128-pound weight loss definitely contributed to his breakup with Anfisa."I think she was just jealous of the attention that I was getting," Jorge previously explained to In Touch. "The news about my weight loss didn't sit with her very well.""I believe [that led to our breakup] because at that very moment in time, that's when she blocked my phone calls and I kind of was starting to lose contact with her. She did tell me like right off the bat, like the day after, that she didn't want anything to do with me and that it was over."Jorge -- who was admitted into prison weighing 275 pounds and now weighs 190 pounds -- said he's determined to "stay away from any criminal activity" once he's set free in May and would like to get his "goals and ideas executed," which may include some more reality TV."Going back to reality TV is [a conversation] that I've been having since the day I came into prison," Jorge shared with In Touch."I'm trying to build a positive image for everybody that, you know, even... in [the] darkest time in life, it's still good to have hope, because the light at the end of the tunnel will definitely come in time."Jorge and Anfisa's relationship was in a good place as recently as November 2019.Jorge told E! News at the time his marriage to Anfisa was doing "really well" and he had transformed into a better man physically, mentally and emotionally.Jorge was a 27-year-old from Riverside, CA and Anfisa was a 20-year-old from Moscow, Russia when Anfisa arrived in America on a K-1 visa to be with her love.Anfisa didn't exactly deny she was in the relationship for Jorge's money, but she believed he, in turn, was dating her primarily for her looks. Regardless, the pair got married in a simple courthouse ceremony.Jorge was arrested at age 28 in February 2018 with nearly 300 pounds of marijuana in the trunk of his car.Jorge claimed around that time his prior criminal record -- which includes two previous convictions for cultivation of marijuana -- is why he didn't receive a lighter sentence to begin with."With the charges against me, I was looking at around 24 years or something like that. [It was] some ridiculous number," he told TMZ in 2018."But luckily, my lawyer was able to work out a plea agreement and I got the charges dropped and I ended up pleading to a class 4 felony in Arizona."Recreational marijuana (especially 300 pounds of it) is still not legal in Arizona.After originally appearing on Season 4 of , Jorge and Anfisa -- who met on Facebook -- were also part of the cast of Seasons 2 and 3 of : Happily Ever After?.Jorge and Anfisa, however, confirmed in October 2018 they wouldn't be returning to .Anfisa dedicated her time to fitness while Jorge spent his time in prison, and she has since become a competitive bodybuilder."To fill the void that I felt after Jorge was sentenced and I was left on my own I decided to try to stay busy and do what I enjoy the most and it was working out," Anfisa previously said on Instagram.Want more spoilers or couples updates? Click here to visit our webpage! Mijnstmr.nl scored 40 Social Media Impact. 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Basic Information PAGE TITLE STMR intranet portaal - Fout pagina DESCRIPTION KEYWORDS OTHER KEYWORDS website, website onbereikbaar vanwege een interne, onbereikbaar vanwege een interne fout, vanwege een interne fout , probeer over een paar minuten, over een paar minuten deze, een paar minuten deze website The title found in the head section of the homepage. The keywords meta-tag found in the head section of the homepage. CoolSocial advanced keyword analysis tool is able to detect and analyze every keyword on each page of a site. The URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is the address of the site. The description meta-tag found in the head section of the homepage. Domain and Server DOCTYPE CHARSET AND LANGUAGE UTF-8 DETECTED LANGUAGE French French SERVER Microsoft-IIS/7.5,Microsoft-IIS/7.5 (ASP.NET,ASP.NET) OPERATIVE SYSTEM Windows Server 2008 R2 Windows Server 2008 R2 Character set and language of the site. Operative System running on the server. 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Twitter account link TWITTER PAGE LINK NOT FOUND A weekly bingo session has been launched by a community in Manchester to help battle against isolation during lockdown. Residents living in Denton, about six miles from Manchester city centre, plan to hold a game each Sunday for three weeks to lift the spirits of those living in Coppice Walk. The events have been organised through the local Coppice Walk Community Help Facebook group which is helping to support residents during the pandemic. The winners of each game will receive a prize donated by the local community. Mr Moss, who filmed the first session on 19 April, said: I had no official role in the bingo, just thought it would be nice to record a video of the great community spirit. Recommended Matthew McConaughey plays virtual bingo with retirement home residents Neighbours donated prizes for each of the three games. The star prize was the Survival Pack which consisted of a jigsaw, a bar of chocolate and toilet roll. Dan, who is part of the Coppice Walk Community Help Facebook group, says its important for more vulnerable members of society to find ways to socialise during lockdown. He added: Weve also had a couple of coffee mornings and afternoon teas, neighbours are sitting on their drivers having a chat The weather has helped massively. We have all already discussed throwing a street party when its safe to do so It is massively important that we are all finding ways to socialise together and this is bringing us together closer as a community. Communities across the UK have been coming together to help one another and keep spirits high during the pandemic. Last month, an entire street sang Happy Birthday to a young girl in Southampton who was stuck at home on her birthday. VANCOUVER, British Columbia and TORONTO, April 27, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Silvercorp Metals Inc. (Silvercorp) (TSX/NYSE American: SVM) and Guyana Goldfields Inc. (GUY.TO) (Guyana Goldfields) are pleased to announce that they have entered into a definitive agreement (the Arrangement Agreement) whereby Silvercorp will acquire all of the issued and outstanding shares of Guyana Goldfields by way of a plan of arrangement under the Canada Business Corporations Act (the Transaction). The Transaction will create a diversified precious metals producer with two profitable underground silver mining operations in China and a gold mining operation in Guyana with a strong balance sheet to fund growth opportunities. Under the terms of the Transaction, each holder of Guyana Goldfields shares will have the option to receive, for each Guyana Goldfields share held, C$0.60 in cash or 0.1195 of a Silvercorp common share (valued at C$0.60 based on the volume weighted average price for Silvercorp common shares for the 20 trading days ended April 24, 2020), subject to a maximum cash consideration of C$33.2 million. If all Guyana Goldfields shareholders elect to receive cash, consideration for each share will consist of C$0.20 in cash and 0.0796 of a Silvercorp common share (valued at C$0.40 based on the volume weighted average price for Silvercorp common shares for the 20 trading days ended April 24, 2020). Assuming the maximum cash consideration, existing Guyana Goldfields shareholders will own 7.1% of Silvercorps pro forma basic shares outstanding following the Transaction. The consideration of C$0.60 per share represents a 71% premium to the 20-day volume weighted average price of Guyana Goldfields as of the close of trading on April 24, 2020. The implied equity value of the Transaction is approximately C$105 million. Concurrently with entering into the Arrangement Agreement, Silvercorp and Guyana Goldfields have also entered into a loan agreement, whereby Silvercorp will lend Guyana Goldfields up to US$15 million (the Interim Loan Facility) with a defined use of proceeds related to ongoing operations at the Aurora Underground Project, as well as for certain working capital and general corporate purposes. Story continues Transaction Rationale Creates a leading precious metals producer: Combined company will benefit from enhanced strategic positioning and greater diversification, providing the opportunity for a significant re-rate upon the successful development of the Aurora Underground Project; Strong financial position: A strong balance sheet and a robust cash flow profile will provide the capital to develop the Aurora Underground Project and pursue further potential M&A opportunities; An attractive growth profile: Gold project pipeline includes the BYP gold project in China and the Aurora underground project in Guyana; Exploration upside : Ability to fund exploration programs to test numerous, high-priority brownfield and greenfield exploration targets within a 1,200 km 2 land package hosted in the highly prospective Guiana Shield Greenstone Belt, providing an opportunity to unlock value from an underexplored land package; Significant pro-forma synergies: The combined company will benefit from the strong underground mining skill set of a proven management team and will have the ability to deliver efficiencies at the corporate level and leverage Guyana Goldfields deep experience and network in Guyana during a transition period, working towards near-term development; and Enhanced capital markets profile: Bolstering trading liquidity and shareholder base with a newly diversified asset portfolio, in addition to the recent inclusion of Silvercorp in major indices including the VanEck Gold Miners (GDX) and S&P/TSX Composite Index. Rui Feng, Chairman and CEO of Silvercorp, stated: This transaction will create a new globally diversified precious metals producer with the addition of Aurora to our growing asset portfolio. We believe this is a rare opportunity to leverage our underground mining expertise and strong balance sheet to unlock value for all shareholders through the development of the Aurora Underground Project as well as aggressive exploration programs in a proven gold district. We look forward to partnering with the Government of Guyana to make a successful entry into the region, leveraging Guyana Goldfields existing team and relationships to ensure a smooth transition and continued development that benefits all stakeholders. Alan Pangbourne, President and CEO of Guyana Goldfields stated: This transaction provides our shareholders with an immediate and significant upfront premium and exposure to a geographically diverse mid-tier precious metal company. With a strong operating history, solid balance sheet and significant underground experience, Silvercorps management team is well-positioned to fund and continue to advance the underground project at Aurora. Benefits for Guyana Goldfields Shareholders Exposure to an immediate premium, enhanced trading liquidity, and a significant re-rating opportunity; Reduces development risk given Silvercorps track record of operational excellence in underground mining over the last 15 years; Silvercorps balance sheet eliminates the funding risk associated with the Aurora Underground Project, providing access to Silvercorps strong balance sheet and financing options available to a larger company during these times of uncertain market conditions; and Provision of Interim Loan Facility to fund expenditures at the Aurora Underground Project during the period before closing of the Transaction. Benefits for Silvercorp Shareholders Adds a gold development project to significantly increase Silvercorps precious metals production profile and exposure to gold; Re-rating opportunity due to enhanced scale, asset diversification, exploration upside, and a foothold in South America; and Cash and share transaction preserves cash, while minimizing dilution, in order to maintain a strong balance sheet that will enable the Company to weather current market conditions and pursue further growth opportunities. Board of Directors Recommendations The Arrangement Agreement has been unanimously approved by the Board of Directors of Guyana Goldfields who recommends that Guyana Goldfields shareholders vote in favour of the Transaction. The Board of Directors of Guyana Goldfields has received a fairness opinion from each of RBC Capital Markets and Stifel GMP, which state that the consideration to be received by Guyana Goldfields shareholders pursuant to the Transaction is fair from a financial point of view, to Guyana Goldfields shareholders (other than Silvercorp). The Arrangement Agreement has also been unanimously approved by the Board of Directors of Silvercorp. Transaction Conditions and Timing Full details of the Transaction will be included in the management information circular of Guyana Goldfields that is expected to be mailed to Guyana Goldfields shareholders by late May 2020. The Transaction will be effected by way of a court-approved plan of arrangement under the Canada Business Corporations Act and will be subject to the approval of 66% of votes cast by shareholders of Guyana Goldfields at a special meeting of Guyana Goldfields shareholders expected to be held by the end of June 2020. Directors and officers of Guyana Goldfields have entered into voting support agreements pursuant to which they have agreed to vote their common shares in favour of the Transaction. In addition to shareholder and court approvals, the Transaction is subject to applicable regulatory approvals including TSX and NYSE American approval and the satisfaction of certain other closing conditions customary in transactions of this nature. The Arrangement Agreement provides for, among other things customary board support and non-solicitation covenants, with fiduciary out provisions that allow Guyana Goldfields to accept a superior proposal, subject to a right to match period in favour of Silvercorp. The Arrangement Agreement also provides for a termination fee of C$3.65 million to be paid by Guyana Goldfields to Silvercorp if the Arrangement Agreement is terminated in certain specified circumstances, and reimbursement of expenses for Silvercorp if the Arrangement Agreement is terminated in certain other specified circumstances. None of the securities to be issued pursuant to the Transaction have been or will be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the U.S. Securities Act), or any state securities laws, and any securities issuable in the Transaction are anticipated to be issued in reliance upon available exemptions from such registration requirements pursuant to Section 3(a)(10) of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable exemptions under state securities laws. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities. Management Team and Board of Directors The combined entity will continue to have its headquarters in Vancouver and detailed integration plans will be finalized over the next few months. Advisors and Counsel Canaccord Genuity Corp. is acting as financial advisor to Silvercorp and McCarthy Tetrault LLP is acting as Silvercorps legal advisor. RBC Capital Markets is acting as financial advisor to Guyana Goldfields and Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP is acting as Guyana Goldfields legal advisor. Conference Call/Webcast Management will host a joint conference call and webcast today, at 8:00 am Eastern Time / 5:00 am Pacific Time to provide further information. Participants are advised to dial in five minutes prior to the scheduled start time of the call. A presentation will be made available on both companies websites prior to the webcast. Webcast details: Date: April 27, 2020 at 8:00 am Eastern Time / 5:00 am Pacific Time Toll-free: Canada/USA 1-800-319-4610 International 1-604-638-5340 Hong Kong 800-930-470 Conference ID 10009469 Webcast: http://services.choruscall.ca/links/silvercorp20200427.html About Silvercorp Silvercorp is a profitable Canadian mining company producing silver, lead and zinc metals in concentrates from mines in China. The Companys goal is to continuously create healthy returns to shareholders through efficient management, organic growth and the acquisition of profitable projects. Silvercorp balances profitability, social and environmental relationships, employees wellbeing, and sustainable development. About Guyana Goldfields Guyana Goldfields Inc. is a Canadian based gold producer primarily focused on the exploration, development and operation of gold deposits in Guyana, South America. For further information Silvercorp Metals Inc. Lon Shaver Vice President Phone: (604) 669-9397 Toll Free 1(888) 224-1881 Email: investor@silvercorp.ca Website: www.silvercorp.ca Guyana Goldfields Inc. Annie Sismanian Vice President, Corporate Finance & Investor Relations Phone: (416) 933-5495 Email: asismanian@guygold.com Website: www.guygold.com CAUTIONARY DISCLAIMER - FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS Certain of the statements and information in this press release constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian provincial securities laws. Any statements or information that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, using words or phrases such as expects, is expected, anticipates, believes, plans, projects, estimates, assumes, intends, strategies, targets, goals, forecasts, objectives, budgets, schedules, potential or variations thereof or stating that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, might or will be taken, occur or be achieved, or the negative of any of these terms and similar expressions) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements or information. Forward-looking statements or information relate to, among other things: the price of silver and other metals; the accuracy of mineral resource and mineral reserve estimates at the Companys material properties; the sufficiency of the Companys capital to finance the Companys operations; estimates of the Companys revenues and capital expenditures; estimated production from the Companys mines in the Ying Mining District; timing of receipt of permits and regulatory approvals; availability of funds from production to finance the Companys operations; and access to and availability of funding for future construction, use of proceeds from any financing and development of the Companys properties. Forward-looking statements or information are subject to a variety of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements or information, including, without limitation, risks relating to: fluctuating commodity prices; calculation of resources, reserves and mineralization and precious and base metal recovery; interpretations and assumptions of mineral resource and mineral reserve estimates; exploration and development programs; feasibility and engineering reports; permits and licenses; title to properties; property interests; joint venture partners; acquisition of commercially mineable mineral rights; financing; recent market events and conditions; economic factors affecting the Company; timing, estimated amount, capital and operating expenditures and economic returns of future production; integration of future acquisitions into the Companys existing operations; competition; operations and political conditions; regulatory environment in China and Canada; environmental risks; foreign exchange rate fluctuations; insurance; risks and hazards of mining operations; key personnel; conflicts of interest; dependence on management; internal control over financial reporting as per the requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act; and bringing actions and enforcing judgments under U.S. securities laws. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect any of the Companys forward-looking statements or information. Forward-looking statements or information are statements about the future and are inherently uncertain, and actual achievements of the Company or other future events or conditions may differ materially from those reflected in the forward-looking statements or information due to a variety of risks, uncertainties and other factors, including, without limitation, those referred to in the Companys Annual Information Form for the year ended March 31, 2019 under the heading Risk Factors. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated, described or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. The Companys forward-looking statements and information are based on the assumptions, beliefs, expectations and opinions of management as of the date of this press release, and other than as required by applicable securities laws, the Company does not assume any obligation to update forward-looking statements and information if circumstances or managements assumptions, beliefs, expectations or opinions should change, or changes in any other events affecting such statements or information. For the reasons set forth above, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and information. Management at Aer Lingus are to enter into direct talks at Labour Court with unions representing cabin crew. The talks are aimed at resolving a dispute over pay and conditions, which could lead to a one-day stoppage by 1,350 cabin crew on Wednesday. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Tri Indah Oktavianti (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, April 27, 2020 15:49 625 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd47c5ce 1 National COVID-19-in-Indonesia,prisoners,inmates,parole,early-release,Yasonna-Laoly,Law-and-Human-Rights-Ministry,sue,tuntutan-hukum,narapidana,bebas-bersyarat Free Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna Laoly is being sued by civil society groups in Surakarta, Central Java, over his decision to give early release or parole to more than 30,000 inmates nationwide. The minister has claimed that the assimilation program for prisoners and juvenile inmates is part of efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19 behind bars. Official data shows that Indonesia has a total of 270,386 inmates and that it has exceeded more than twice the official capacity of its detention facilities. With overcrowded cells and unsanitary environments, prisons are considered in great danger of COVID-19 outbreaks. On Thursday, civil society groups, namely the Mega Bintang Indonesia 1997 Foundation, the Association of Anti-Injustice Independent Society and the Guard and Watchdog of Indonesian Law Enforcement filed a lawsuit against the minister, the head of Central Javas Law and Human Rights Office and a Surakarta prison warden in Surakarta public court. "Most released convicts reoffend, and it makes the public anxious during the pandemic," said plaintiff Boyamin Saiman of the Mega Bintang Indonesia 1997 Foundation on Sunday. "We represent the residents of Surakarta who now have to conduct night watches and spend extra money to install gates [in residential areas]," he added. Boyamin demanded the minister retract the decision and send the released inmates back to prison. He suggested that the ministry implement a stricter selection processes and psychological tests for inmates if reintegration was to be attempted again. On Mar. 30, the ministry issued Ministerial Decree No. 19/2020 on the release and reintegration of prisoners and juvenile inmates to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Read also: Overcrowded and understaffed, prisons scramble to protect inmates from infection According to the plaintiffs, the reintegration process did not meet proper standards. "The defendants implemented a very simplistic mechanism without examining the psychological condition of inmates prior to release," Boyamin said, adding that this lack of oversight was the cause of recidivism. In addition, the plaintiffs accused the government of being ignorant about the paroled convicts as the government was not keeping track of the released inmates in society. "The main issues behind the lawsuit were actually the negligence, the careless acts and the violation of standardized principals prior to the decision to reintegrate inmates," said Boyamin. Sarifuddin Sudding, a member of the House of Representatives Commission III overseeing law, human rights and security, agreed that proper considerations had not been made in regards to reintegrating inmates. "It [parole] was merely transactional and based only on the United Nations' recommendation without further considerations about the social impacts, especially in these tough economic conditions, where the job market has been badly hurt," he told the press on Monday. Sarifuddin said the lawsuit must respected, as people had the right to take legal action when society was harmed by a regulation. Child Rights International (CRI) has called on the Ministry of Education (MoE) to consider using the continuous assessment as an alternative to award certification and grade students who are billed to sit for BECE and WASSCE. This could make things easy for MoE and the Ghana Education Service (GES) in the award of certificates and grading of students in the wake of the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic which has disrupted academic activities. A statement issued and signed by CRI Executive Director Bright Appiah said, Irrespective of the impact Covid-19 is having on the educational sector, the countrys primary goal is to ensure that children's rights are minimally affected, especially their right to education. Whatever decision that is taken concerning this particular area, the country must ensure it is in line with constitutional directives which indicate we must put the best interest of children first, the statement said. Assessment CRI said the process of grading students this term should be scrapped completely to pave the way for the adoption of a new system of rewarding marks to students. Some JSS students In the new system, Mr. Appiah proposed that the continuous assessment must be made a priority in grading students. Currently, at the BECE level, the continuous assessment forms 40 per cent of the whole examination scores, while at the WASSCE level it is 30 per cent calculated cumulatively. To guarantee the integrity of the continuous assessment, Mr. Appiah suggested new indicators including students' performance in schools, their history in terms of their class and homework, contributions in class activities, their predicted results over the past three years in school, and their schools' record over the past five years to determine students who will get either A or B. To also ensure equity in grade A, B and C schools, he said the benchmark must differ based on the history of a school. For instance, Mr. Appiah said the benchmark to assess the grading of some top-notch schools might be 80 per cent, while others might be 70 or less depending on their previous records. New approach Explaining why it was necessary to adopt a new approach for this term, Mr. Appiah said the education was one of the major sectors gravely affected by Covid-19 globally. Making reference to a recent UNESCO report, he said the number of children who had been out of school due to the pandemic stood around one billion worldwide. Nine out of 10 children were out of school as a result of the virus outbreak, CRI stated. Faced with similar situations, Mr. Appiah said countries had devised ways of ensuring that schoolchildren still had access to education, while complying with directives to practise social distancing. He mentioned countries like France and the USA who have taken steps to rectify the issue by waiving examinations all together and implementing new protocols. AVON LAKE, Ohio -- Ron Heldorfer, co-owner of Fratellos Italian Restaurant in Avon Lake, said they are giving their all to keeping their customers safe. The precautions include -- and go beyond -- the governors mandates. I am trying to put things into play to keep everyone healthy, he said. There is a lot of fear out there. Its a fearful time for all of us. We cannot live our lives in fear, but I understand. Heldorfer sent a communication to customers explaining the following precautions being taken in the restaurant. We are preparing meals on the half-hour and we are limiting each period to no more than six orders. I have tried to create separation among all the customers coming in at the bar, and we frequently sanitize the surface of the bar, as well as the doors and door handles at the entrance. "I am keeping the inner door to the bar ajar all the time so there is one less door handle one must touch when coming in. Additionally, I have many pens at the bar that can be used once for a credit card purchase, and you can take the pen with you when you leave or leave it for us to sanitize later. You can call us when you come for carryout from the parking lot and we will bring it to you, although it may get busy at the designated pickup time. Or you can give us your credit card number in advance. Heldorfer and his wife, Pam, have two grown sons who live in the Cleveland area. His brother, Craig, is a partner in the business, which opened in 1992. Same location, same ownership, he is fond of saying. Recently, the Heldorfer brothers received a check for $4,000 from the citys CIC/AL Waterfront grant program. There have been a total of 25 recipients of the grants for Avon Lake restaurant and bar businesses. Heldorfer has also applied to the Paycheck Protection Program recently announced in Washington, D.C. The last I heard, (our application) has been through their review and is being sent to the Small Business Administration for review," he said. Heldorfers optimism and positivity shines through his entire conversation. We have got to try to be positive in light of everything, especially when running a business. We have to be careful, but be positive. It doesnt do any good to be negative. "It is very stressful, especially since we are low-staffed and trying to keep everyone here healthy, as well as our longtime customers. We are doing everything we can. Customers of the restaurant appear to be positive about the restaurant, too, he said. We have been fortunate for the response from the public. They have been very kind to us. It is very humbling. Heldorfer noted that there used to be about 22 employees in the restaurant. Currently, there are only four -- including brother Craigs two sons. Heldorfer advised the laid-off employees to seek unemployment compensation, but said, We will hire all of them back (when this is over). They are all welcome. I am confident we can get through this, he said. Remember, together we will get through this. Fratellos is known for its wines as well as the Italian menu, including Chicken Fratello -- sauteed chicken breasts with the restaurants signature sauce and marsala mushrooms. The current hours for the restaurant are for carryout only, 4 to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, and 4 to 9 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. He advises his customers to visit https://fratellos.net/ to sign up for newsletters that will detail changes as the situation moves forward. Fratellos Italian Restaurant is located at 32085 Electric Blvd. in Avon Lake. Phone is 440-871-3054. Read more from the Sun Sentinel. Treasury yields climbed higher on Monday as investors assessed the possibility of economies around the world beginning to reopen after prolonged coronavirus shutdowns. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note rose three basis points to 0.62% while the yield on the 30-year Treasury bond was up at 1.19%. Yields move inversely to prices. A number of U.S. states, including Colorado, Mississippi, Minnesota, Montana and Tennessee, have vowed to ease restrictions this week on commerce brought about by the coronavirus pandemic. Meanwhile in New York, communities in less populated areas could start to reopen gradually around mid-May, according to a plan set forth Sunday by Gov. Andrew Cuomo. With coronavirus cases on the decline after weeks of social distancing measures, Cuomo said a phased reopening can start happening shortly after May 15. However, experts have warned against reopening economies without systematic diagnostic testing and contact tracing in place. Meanwhile, White House advisor Kevin Hassett on Sunday told ABC that the historic economic hit from the lockdowns will likely increase the national unemployment rate to 16% or higher this month, necessitating more fiscal stimulus. Auctions will be held Monday for $57 billion of 13-week Treasury bills, $48 billion of 26-week bills, $42 billion of 2-year notes and $43 billion of 5-year notes. There are no major economic releases expected on Monday. Two Liberty High School students have been named to the distinguished list of Texas Music Scholars. Zandrea Carter and Faith Singh were nominated by their choir director, Christie Bean, and the award is presented by the Texas Music Educators Association which sponsors the Texas All-State bands, choirs, and orchestras. Carter, a senior this year, will attend Texas A&M University and pursue a degree in biomedical science in route to becoming a veterinarian. Singh, also a senior, will attend Lamar University to earn a degree in vocal music education. [April 27, 2020] MDxHealth Announces Growth Investment from MVM Partners Press release Regulated information Inside information IRVINE, CA, and HERSTAL, BELGIUM 27 April 2020 MDxHealth SA (Euronext Brussels: MDXH) (the "Company" or "MDxHealth") a commercial-stage innovative molecular diagnostics company, announces today that it entered into a subscription agreement with MVM V LP and MVM GP (No.5) LP, funds managed by MVM Partners LLP (collectively "MVM"), pursuant to which MVM has agreed to provide an equity investment to the Company for an aggregate amount of EUR 12,738,632.94 (or approximately $14 Million). The equity investment will consist of a subscription of 20,162,924 new ordinary shares of the Company at an issue price of EUR 0.632 per share, representing a 5% discount to the 45-day volume weighted average price. As a result of the transaction, MVM will become a 22% shareholder of the Company. The transaction is subject to limited customary conditions precedent and is expected to close on or about 15 May 2020. The net proceeds of the capital increase will be used to support the Company's growth strategy, as well as for general corporate purposes. As part of the equity investment, MVM will be entitled to have one observer at the board of directors of the Company as from today and, subject to completion of the transaction, for as long as MVM will hold in aggregate 5% of the Company's outstanding shares. In addition, the Company agreed that it will propose to the Company's general shareholders' meeting to appoint Eric Bednarski, PhD, as director of the Company. Kyle Dempsey, MD, shall be an observer to the board. Michael McGarrity, CEO of MDxHealth, commented: "We are very excited to have this infusion of growth capital into MDxHealth. MVM represents the highest quality of healthcare investors. This investment marks a validation milestone for the Company and signals recognition of our value proposition in both the European and U.S. markets. On behalf of MDxHealth, we would like to welcome Eric Bednarski and MVM to our team and look forward to building value for all our stakeholders including patients, customers, employees and shareholders." Eric Bednarski, Partner of MVM, commented: Prostate cancer continues to be the second leading cause of cancer death among men and there remains a great need to improve diagnosis and treatment. MDxHealth is a rare example of a company with strong leadership and best-in-class diagnostic tests which provide meaningful and necessary information to better inform physicians and patients. We are excited to partner with MDxHealth and are pleased that this funding will provide support for the growth of its ConfirmMDx and SelectMDx tests. Koen Hoffman, Chairman of the Board of Directors of MDxHealth commented: On behalf of the Board of Directors, I would like to welcome Eric Bednarski and the MVM team as partners to MDxHealth. We have been very impressed with their diligence and professionalism, and we believe they bring a deep understanding of our business and will complement our Board and Management team as we build value in MDxHealth. The new shares to be issued will have the same rights and benefits as, and rank pari passu in all respects with, the existing and outstanding shaes of the Company at the moment of their issuance and will be entitled to distributions in respect of which the relevant record date or due date falls on or after the date of issue of the new shares. The Company shall apply to Euronext Brussels for the admission to trading of the new shares as soon as practicable, and in any event within 90 days after their issuance. About MDxHealth MDxHealth is a multinational healthcare company that provides actionable molecular diagnostic information to personalize the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. The Company's tests are based on proprietary genetic, epigenetic (methylation) and other molecular technologies and assist physicians with the diagnosis of urologic cancers, prognosis of recurrence risk, and prediction of response to a specific therapy. The Company's European headquarters are in Herstal, Belgium, with laboratory operations in Nijmegen, The Netherlands, and US headquarters and laboratory operations based in Irvine, California. For more information, visit mdxhealth.com and follow us on social media at: twitter.com/mdxhealth, facebook.com/mdxhealth and linkedin.com/company/mdxhealth. About MVM MVM has been investing in innovative, high growth healthcare businesses since 1997. MVM has a broad, global, investment remit investing in medical technology, diagnostics, and pharmaceuticals in private deals and quoted companies. In aggregate, MVM has raised investment vehicles totaling over $1 billion which are managed from offices in Boston and London. For more information: MDxHealth [email protected] MVM Partners LLP www.mvm.com [email protected] Important information The MDxHealth logo, MDxHealth, ConfirmMDx and SelectMDx are trademarks or registered trademarks of MDxHealth SA. All other trademarks and service marks are the property of their respective owners. This press release contains forward-looking statements and estimates with respect to the anticipated future performance of MDxHealth and the market in which it operates. Such statements and estimates are based on assumptions and assessments of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which were deemed reasonable but may not prove to be correct. Actual events are difficult to predict, may depend upon factors that are beyond the Company's control, and may turn out to be materially different. MDxHealth expressly disclaims any obligation to update any such forward-looking statements in this release to reflect any change in its expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based unless required by law or regulation. This press release does not constitute an offer or invitation for the sale or purchase of securities or assets of MDxHealth in any jurisdiction. The securities referred to herein have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended from time to time (the "U.S. Securities Act"), and the securities may not be offered or sold in the United States (as defined in Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act) unless these securities are registered under the U.S. Securities Act, or an exemption from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act is available. The Company and its affiliates have not registered, and do not intend to register, any portion of the securities concerned in the United States, and do not intend to conduct a public offering of securities in the United States. Attachment Click here for pdf [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] - In 2017, government came up with the anti-counterfeit and cyber crime prevention measures - It approached service providers to have a Data Management System installed to tap private phone calls in bid to deal with counterfeit mobile devices - Activist Okiya Omtatah and other interested groups moved to court to challenge the government's move - Justice John Mativo of the High Court ruled the government's action amounted to intrusion of privacy and that there was no consultation - The Court of Appeal set aside the High Court orders allowing government to continue with consultations with the service providers The government may soon start monitoring your private phone conversations after Court of Appeal set aside High Court orders barring implementation of a mass surveillance system. The Communications Authority of Kenya (CAK) was to install the controversial Data Management System (DMS) meant to monitor and tap into phone networks. READ ALSO: Mike Tyson's marijuana company want to buy Barca's Camp Nou naming rights The Court of Appeal ruled in favour of government to allow for installation of the DMS but with consultation with the service providers. Photo: Citizen Source: UGC READ ALSO: William Ruto, wife lead family during prayers at private chapel in Karen home Justices William Ouko, Martha Koome and Daniel Musinga faulted High Court judge John Mativo for failure to prove with evidence that the system was meant to spy on private information. Mativo had thrown out the case on grounds that the government could be targeting consumers' private information, but the authority insisted DMS was only meant to detect fake mobile devices. Mativo issued orders barring implementation of the system before the authority moved to the Court of Appeal. The three judges ruled it was necessary to get rid of fake mobile devices but at the same time there was need to implement the system in consultation with service providers namely Safaricom, Airtel and Telkom Kenya. "The right to privacy is important but the issues of abuse by unscrupulous mobile operators also need to be tackled so as to strike balance between securing the right to privacy and dealing with the problem without infringing on the right to privacy," read the court ruling that was read by Justice Koome. The Communications Authority of Kenya had requested telecommunications companies to allow for installation of DMS. Photo: Daily Nation Source: UGC READ ALSO: Coronavirus update: 12 more Kenyans test positive, national count climbs to 355 In his ruling, Mativo had indicated the authority was going beyond its mandate as there was a counterfeit agency in place and that the service providers could still detect and blacklist fake devices. The matter was started in January 2017 when former CA director general Francis Wangusi wrote to the telecom operators to allow them install the DMS, but the companies rejected the request on grounds that its was a spyware to infringe on privacy of customers. Human rights activist, Okiya Omtatah, and other interested groups moved to court arguing it was inappropriate for the government to go for the fake devices when they are at the hands of citizens and instead they should be tapped at the point of entry. Former CA director general Francis Wangusi had made the request to the telecommunication companies. Photo: K24 Source: UGC READ ALSO: Sitaogopa lolote nalindwa na Mungu, DP Ruto asema huku masaibu yakichacha During the Appellate Court hearing, Safaricom said it was inappropriate to allow installation of the system arbitrarily without consultation because it amounted to intrusion of privacy as the telecom operators are not supposed to disclose data to third parties. Telkom Kenya on its side told the court it was comfortable with either outcome of the case. Airtel which was also mentioned as a party in the matter did not file its reply. The judges were informed consultations with the telecommunications were still underway and the set substituted the High Court orders requiring the appellant to continue with the consultations. "In exercise of its mandate of developing a DMS system, the appellant shall continue with the consultations that were ongoing with the stakeholders and MNOs prior to the filing of the petition so as to complete the technical and consumer guidelines on the DMS," said the three-bench judge. The judges also directed the guidelines or regulations for implementing the system be subjected to public participation. Already, the tender to install the system had been awarded to Broadcast Communications Network Ltd to install and maintain it at the cost of KSh 100 million. Do you have a groundbreaking story you would like us to publish? Please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690. Contact Tuko.co.ke instantly. Source: TUKO.co.ke Actor Jeff Goldblum is facing backlash on social media for his questions about Islam's treatment of women and the LGBTQ community during the latest episode of "RuPaul's Drag Race. The Jurassic Park star was a guest judge on the Friday episode of the show in which drag queen Jackie Cox, whose real name is Darius Rose, wore a star-spangled hijab in honour of her Muslim roots, as part of the Stars And Stripes' runway challenge. Commenting on the look, the 67-year-old actor asked Cox, Is there something in this religion that is anti-homosexuality and anti-woman? Does that complicate the issue? I'm just raising it and thinking out loud and maybe being stupid, he added. In response to which, RuPaul insisted that drag has always shaken the tree, so to speak, adding, There are so many different layers to this presentation. If it was ever going to be done, this is the stage to do it. Cox agreed that it's a complex issue and admitted to misgivings about the way LGBT people are treated in the Middle East. "What is so important to me is that if you just happen to be different, then live that truth," she added. Goldblum's remarks were severely criticised, with people on Twitter accusing him of being Islamophobic. That statement by jeff goldblum that islam as a religion is anti woman and anti lgbt was so incredibly uneducated and dangerous and hurtful (sic)," one user wrote. Another tweeted, "Jeff Goldblum felt the need to say 'but isn't Islam anti-gay and anti-woman' to Jackie because she was wearing a stars-and-stripes hijab, as if America hasn't been anti-gay and anti-woman from the outset, or killed and displaced millions of Muslims, including women and queers. Some said if Cox were of any other religion, she wouldn't have been asked this question. "That question wouldn't have happened to any other queen, of any other race. They are exploiting her on the stage in such a gross way by making her defend an entire religion she already said she doesn't practice, a user wrote. However, some users also came to Goldblum's defence, saying he was simply asking a question. "Jeff Goldblum asked jackie a genuine and complicated question about faith, respected her answer and how difficult it is for her, called her look beautiful and amazing and apparently he's islamophobic? okay (sic)," a post read. The actor, who will next be seen in Jurassic World 3, has not yet responded to the criticism. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) After prodding from state lawmakers, Gov. Gavin Newsoms administration debuted a website Monday to let people track the shipment of coronavirus-related personal protective equipment across California. The website shows how the state has distributed scarce supplies by county, such as face masks, gloves and gowns, to protect health care workers and others from the coronavirus pandemic. California has used its statewide purchasing power to send more than 58 million pieces of protective gear to hospitals and county health departments. More shipments are expected soon. Officials with the Governors Office of Emergency Services announced they would release the data in testimony before the Assembly Budget Committee. Last week, lawmakers criticized Newsoms advisers for not giving more details about how the equipment was being distributed and about the contracts the state has signed to obtain it. Im glad the administration took last weeks hearing to heart and is being more transparent about the distribution of PPE, Assemblyman Phil Ting, a San Francisco Democrat who chairs the Budget Committee, said in a statement. Ting said providing a public list is the only way we can make sure that no part of the state is neglected when it comes to pandemic-related resources bought with public funds. State lawmakers began calling for a public tracking website in early April, after Newsom signed a $1 billion contract with the Chinese company BYD to supply 200 million masks a month. The deal drew criticism after Vice News reported that the company had a record of selling defective products. State Sen. Holly Mitchell, who chairs the Joint Legislative Budget Committee, called April 9 for a detailed website. I urge the administration to act quickly and provide more information that tracks the supply and demand of PPE throughout the state, the Los Angeles Democrat wrote in a letter to Newsoms advisers. Christina Curry, chief deputy director of the Office of Emergency Services, rebuffed senators during an April 16 hearing, saying the state had concerns about releasing details of where it was sending a commodity with a very, very high value. It could potentially open up issues with questioning decisions, creating a process thats outside of what we have, she said. That exasperated some legislators, including state Sen. Richard Pan, a Sacramento Democrat. He told Curry that the Legislature is a co-equal branch and said lawmakers need details to exercise our oversight function. On Monday, Curry began her testimony by telling the Assembly Budget Committee that the tracking website was prepared to launch. It went live later in the day. According to the website, California has distributed about 43.7 million N95 respirators, 4 million surgical masks, nearly 1 million gowns, 1.2 million face shields and 8.5 million pairs of gloves. The website, however, doesnt include other information requested by legislators, including the types of workers receiving the materials and the portion of counties supply requests that are unmet. That information is typically more closely tracked by county health departments. Newsoms administration has still not released a copy of its contract with BYD to supply masks. Lawmakers have demanded details of the contract, such as the cost per mask and quality standards. Newsoms advisers have said releasing the contract now could jeopardize the supply chain because the masks are highly sought after. Shipments are expected to start in early May. Dustin Gardiner is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: dustin.gardiner@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @dustingardiner Remaining risk-averse amid the coronavirus pandemic, overseas investors have withdrawn net Rs 10,347 crore from Indian capital markets in April so far New Delhi: Remaining risk-averse amid the coronavirus pandemic, overseas investors have withdrawn net Rs 10,347 crore from Indian capital markets in April so far. Between 1-24 April, foreign portfolio investors (FPI) pulled out a net sum of Rs 6,822 crore from equities and Rs 3,525 crore from the debt segment, depositories data showed. The total net outflow stood at Rs 10,347 crore. However, the quantum of outflows has reduced from March, when FPIs had withdrawn a record Rs 1.1 lakh crore on net basis from Indian markets (both equity and debt). "The sharp drop in the quantum of net flows could be attributed to India gaining prominence among foreign investors for doing well with regards to containing the COVID-19 pandemic from spreading aggressively," said Himanshu Srivastava, senior analyst manager research, Morningstar India. Click here to follow LIVE news and updates on stock markets In addition to that, measures announced by the government and the RBI periodically to revitalize the sagging economy would also be resonating well with investors, he added. However, he cautioned that the sentiments continue to be negatively tilted and FPIs would largely adopt a wait-and-watch approach with more focus on taking short-term tactical bets. Emerging markets are considered to be a riskier investment destination and more prone towards crises of this magnitude. With low-risk appetite, foreign investors drift towards safer investment avenues and safe havens such as USD and gold. As per Srivastava, though the slowdown in the quantum of net outflow is a positive indicator, it would be early to consider it as a precursor to a change in trend. The scenario continues to be grim as far as the COVID-19 pandemic is concerned. The world is staring at a global economic slowdown and a prolonged fight against coronavirus. The degree of damage that it can have on the global economy, businesses and markets worldwide is yet to be accurately ascertained, he added. Considering the domestic situation, Sousthav Chakrabarty, CEO and director of Capital Quotient said "all in all, one needs to keep a keen eye on daily FPI and DII (domestic institutional investors) movements. With issues such as those related to Franklin Templeton, faith in large institutions and listed avenues for parking funds has been shaken, and this too will contribute to higher volatility going forward. There is still much pain to be overcome before we see greener pastures. BEIJING (AP) - A look at recent developments in the South China Sea, where China is pitted against smaller neighbors in multiple territorial disputes over islands, coral reefs and lagoons. The waters are a major shipping route for global commerce and are rich in fish and possible oil and gas reserves. ___ US NAVY SAYS ALL SAILORS ABOARD CARRIER SIDELINED IN GUAM HAVE BEEN TESTED FOR VIRUS The U.S. Navy says that after weeks of work, all of the roughly 4,800 sailors on the coronavirus-stricken USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier have been tested for the virus. The ship has been sidelined in Guam since March 27, moving sailors ashore, testing them and isolating them for nearly a month. As of Thursday, 840 crew members have tested positive for the virus, four are in the hospital, and 88 have recovered. None are in intensive care and more than 4,200 have been moved ashore. The Navys top admiral will soon decide the fate of the ship's former captain Capt. Brett Crozier, who was fired after pleading for his superiors to move faster to safeguard his coronavirus-infected crew. The Roosevelt is a key component in the 7th maintenance of strong presence in the Western Pacific and South China Sea to counter China's increasingly bold moves to dominate the region. FILE - In this April 12, 2020, file photo provided by the U.S. Navy, U.S. Navy Aviation Ordnanceman Airman Brian Miller, of Mineral Wells, Texas, disinfects a berthing aboard the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) with a multi-surface sanitizer. The U.S. Navy says that after weeks of work, all of the roughly 4,800 sailors on the coronavirus-stricken USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier have been tested for the virus. The ship has been sidelined in Guam since March 27, moving sailors ashore, testing them and isolating them for nearly a month.(Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Kaylianna Genier/U.S. Navy via AP, File) ___ POMPEO SAYS CHINA TAKING ADVANTAGE OF VIRUS TO PUSH TERRITORIAL AMBITIONS U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has told his Southeast Asian counterparts that China is taking advantage of the worlds preoccupation with the coronavirus pandemic to push its territorial ambitions in the South China Sea. "Beijing has moved to take advantage of the distraction, from Chinas new unilateral announcement of administrative districts over disputed islands and maritime areas in the South China Sea, its sinking of a Vietnamese fishing vessel earlier this month, and its `research stations on Fiery Cross Reef and Subi Reef," Pompeo said in a meeting Thursday via video to discuss the outbreak with the foreign ministers of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Beijings expansive territorial claims in the South China Sea conflict with those of ASEAN members Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Indonesia. Pompeo also accused China of deploying militarized ships to intimidate other claimant countries from developing offshore gas and oil projects. ___ PHILIPPINES PROTESTS CHINA'S DECLARATION OF REGION AS CHINESE TERRITORY The Philippines has protested Chinas declaration that a Manila-claimed region in the disputed South China Sea is Chinese territory. China also recently aimed weapons control radar at a Philippine navy ship, the countrys top diplomat said Wednesday. Philippine Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said on Twitter that two diplomatic protests were issued over the declaration of the territory to be part of China's southernmost province of Hainan and the pointing of a "radar gun." The actions were "both violations of international law and Philippine sovereignty," Locsin said. China recently announced the establishment of two districts to administer two disputed groups of islands and reefs in the South China Sea to fortify its claim to virtually the entire waterway, among the worlds busiest. One district reportedly covers the Paracel islands and the other has jurisdiction over the Spratlys, the most hotly contested territory in the strategic waters where the Philippines has a presence on at least nine islands and islets and where China has built fortified man-made islands to assert its own claim. ___ EXPERT WARNS CHINESE ACTIONS PROVOKING INCREASING OUTRAGE China's recent actions in the South China Sea are a continuation of its more aggressive approach to asserting its territorial claims but are provoking ever more outrage among its Southeast Asian neighbors, says Greg Poling, director of the U.S. Council for Strategic and International Studies' Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative. Incidents such as the sinking of a Vietnamese fishing boat in the Paracel island group and the deployment of a Chinese survey ship to Malaysian waters "arent exactly new," Poling told The Associated Press in an email. "But whats new is the outrage Southeast Asian states feel over seeing this business-as-usual intimidation at a time when theyre struggling with a pandemic that is at least partly Beijings fault," Poling wrote. Chinas response to their outcries has been to "double down on nationalism, seemingly in-line with the broader `Wolf Warrior' chest-thumping were seeing from authorities in Beijing recently," he added in reference to a pair of jingoistic Chinese action films that have become a byword for a muscular Chinese foreign policy. ___ CHINA SAYS WILL TAKE `ALL NECESSARY MEASURES' TO PROTECT SOUTH CHINA SEA INTERESTS China will take "all necessary measures to firmly safeguard its sovereignty, rights and interests in the South China Sea," the foreign ministry said on Tuesday, amid a growing outcry over actions widely viewed as aggressive and provocative. Spokesman Geng Shuang told reporters at a daily briefing that China has protested to Vietnam over its issuing of diplomatic notes to the U.N. secretary general since the end of last month asserting its claims and "attempting to deny Chinas sovereignty, rights and interests in the region," Geng. "Any country that attempts to deny Chinas sovereignty, rights and interests in the South China Sea in any form and to reinforce their illegal claims is doomed to fail," said Geng. FILE - In this April 22, 2020, file photo, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks during a press briefing at the State Department, in Washington. Pompeo has told his Southeast Asian counterparts that China is taking advantage of the world's preoccupation with the coronavirus pandemic to push its territorial ambitions in the South China Sea.(Nicholas Kamm/Pool Photo via AP, File) FILE - In this Sept. 14, 2014, file photo, Chinese tourists take souvenir photos with the Chinese national flag as they visit Quanfu Island, one of Paracel Islands of Sansha prefecture of southern China's Hainan province in the South China Sea. China recently announced the establishment of two districts to administer two disputed groups of islands and reefs in the South China Sea to fortify its claim to virtually the entire waterway, among the world's busiest. One district reportedly covers the Paracel islands and the other has jurisdiction over the Spratlys, the most hotly contested territory in the strategic waters where the Philippines has a presence on at least nine islands and islets and where China has built fortified man-made islands to assert its own claim. (AP Photo/Peng Peng, File) Governor Biswa Bhushan Harichandan, 85, subjected to tests although he tested negative previously Vijayawada: The Covid 19 virus has entered the Andhra Pradesh Raj Bhavan, a highly secured and sanitized place housing the first citizen of the state -- governor Biswabhushan Harichandan. Four staff members including the chief security officer and the personal cook of the governor hailing from Odisha tested positive on Sunday. The other two are an attendant and a staff nurse. Though the government was tight-lipped, highly placed sources told Deccan Chronicle that tests were conducted on the 85-year-old governor also for the second time within a week and the results are awaited. Harichandran tested negative last week, sources said, adding that samples were taken from the governor again Sunday evening and sent for an RTPCR test. We are expecting the result by Monday, said a senior bureaucrat. Covid-19 has also affected Kurnool MP Dr Sanjeev Kumars family. While his 83-year-old father was shifted to Hyderabad in a critical condition, five other family members who too tested positive are undergoing treatment in Andhra Pradesh's designated Covid hospital in Kurnool. The MP, who is a doctor by profession and has 26 doctor relatives working in different hospitals, announced that the virus had entered stage 3 in Kurnool as was evident from his family members getting infected even after quarantining themselves for more than a month. Dr Kumar is perhaps the first lawmaker to openly announce that community spread has already set in, a reality that the Centre is unwilling to accept. New Delhi took objection to the revelation of community spread by the World Health Organisation, which had to retract its observation following objections raised by the Centre. In Raj Bhavan, the authorities took samples of 16 staff members in two spells on Friday and Saturday. Four of the eight persons whose samples were taken on Friday were found infected. Sources said the governor was unhappy over the lack of adequate space in Raj Bhavan to retain all the staff members in home quarantine, forcing some to go out every night and return to duties the next day. There are high chances of one of the staff members who is staying outside and visiting Raj Bhavan is the carrier, sources in Raj Bhavan said. Union home minister Amit Shah telephoned chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy and discussed the developments. The government had undertaken disinfection of Raj Bhavan by spraying sodium hypochlorite. Drones were used to spray on the lawns and periphery of Raj Bhavan. Meanwhile, the Kurnool MPs brothers reside in Narsaraopet, which is already declared as red zone. Two of his brothers, their wives and the son of a brother tested positive on Saturday and his father had to be shifted to Hyderabad as his condition turned critical. Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, the MP said "All clinics and residences of my family members have been under total lockdown. There was no outside contact as we insulated ourselves. We have not allowed even newspapers in our house. But still six of my family members got a positive result. Therefore, it establishes the fact that we are in third stage in Kurnool." When asked how he could conclude so, he said his family members had not interacted with any foreign-returned people or Tablighi Jamat Nizamuddin attendees. The MP said that it all depends on the incubation period. Some people get symptoms within 14 days others while some others after 30-40 days. Asymptomatic carriers are potential positives without their knowledge, he said. One of his brothers who works at MyCure hospital as an orthopedic doctor and performed an operation on March 26. After that we strictly warned him not to go out. He confined to the house but now the test results shows he is corona positive, Sanjeev Kumar said. He said except his father, all of his family members healthy. He appealed to people not to panic. All positive cases are not fatal due to the robust immune system we Indians have due to the BCG vaccination, he said. "We have been living with infections since our childhood. Our bodies can withstand new viruses to a larger extent. Only old people with co-morbidity characteristics may face life-threatening experiences due to new virus", the MP reasoned. Dr Sanjeev Kumar said that we are already 40-50 days into the coronavirus crisis and not a single ventilator case was reported in Kurnool so far. A fortnight back, Dr Sanjeev Kumar announced that he was corona negative. The doctor said in Kurnool we had only five deaths due to corona and none of them required any ventilator assistance. Therefore, one need not harbor thoughts of fear on hearing testing positive, he said. The first wave of loans given to small businesses through the paycheck protection program lasted less than two weeks before the allocated $349 billion ran out. President Donald Trump on Friday signed a second bill expanding the program by another $310 billion. The legislation included a $60 billion emergency loan and grant program for small businesses impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. The window for lenders to apply for loans reopened Monday morning, the Small Business Administration said, with applications already in the queue from the first round getting processed first. Michael Affuso, executive vice president and director of government relations for the N.J. Bankers Association, believes the second wave of funds could be gone by the end of the week, adding it would not be a shocking outrage if its depleted sooner because of the number of applications left from the first round of funding. CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live map tracker | Newsletter | Homepage If the money was gone by the end of the day today, I wouldnt say its outrageous," Affuso said on Monday. I think the process will be more efficient (from the first wave of loans) but what that means is the money is going to run out quicker. The Small Business Administration is accepting one-time batch applications from banks for a minimum of 15,000 loans, which could further dig into the allotted funds. Thatll be an interesting question of how much of the $310 billion is absorbed by banks sending those 15,000 loans," Affuso said. "If you think about how many very large banks there are in the United States and how many regional banks there are ... you could have 100 banks doing 15,000 loans and the money can get absorbed pretty quickly. I have no idea what that means or any of the data but thats something that Im looking to see the outcome of. In my opinion itll be gone by the end of the week. Depending on how many banks access this 15,000 loan transfer facility, it could be gone in significantly less time. If I had a guess, there are as many people waiting in the queue with completed applications that have already received funding in the first launch." Small business owners waiting on these loans are hoping that the second wave of funds wont be further diluted by larger companies applying for funding. Several larger entities, such as Shake Shack and most recently the Los Angeles Lakers, received loans meant for small businesses. While those two examples did return the funds after public outcry, Affuso said the process is still a first-come, first-serve basis and that banks will follow federal guidelines, potentially opening the door for other larger businesses to tap into those loans once more. Those federal guidelines, I dont think at that point, were as clear but I know theres a question about publicly traded companies, Affuso said. But you could be a small business with employers of less than 500 people and still be publicly traded. So I dont necessarily see that as a good barometer of (size)." Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. 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. This article is part of NJ Is Open*, an important initiative designed to help essential businesses that are still open get the word out and connect with customers. Business owners can become part of our comprehensive resource by filling out this simple Google form. Have several locations? Fill out a new form for each one. If you would like updates on New Jersey-specific coronavirus news, subscribe to our Coronavirus in N.J. newsletter. CHINA- The small team of scientists explored a bat cave in China. To ensure their safety, they put on hazmat suits, thick gloves, and face masks to cover every part of their body. They also avoid any contact with bat droppings or urine as it could expose them to some of the world's deadliest undiscovered virus by entering the cave. Setting their nets up and with their headlights on at the entrance of the dark opening overhung with bamboo trees, the team proceeded to the cave. This is part of a rich ecosystem of limestone caves in the south-western part of China, Yunnan province. After entering the cave, they waited patiently for dusk, for by the time the sun sets, it is time for thousands of bats to fly out of the caves to look for food and straight into the scientists' nets. After collecting the nets, they carefully put the bats to sleep using a mild anesthetic before delicately extracting blood from a vein on their wings. Presiding officer over EcoHealth Alliance, an American NGO which specializes in new viruses detection and pandemic prevention, Peter Daszak, shared that they carried out oral and fecal swabs and gather droppings when they explore the cave. A virus hunter for more than 10 years, Daszak has visited over 20 countries trying to prevent the next pandemic by searching and exploring bat caves for new pathogens, specifically new coronaviruses. Findings of other researchers along with Daszak inform an open-source library of all known animal viruses, from which scientists can forecast which strains can possibly spill over to humans. Thus, preparing the world for a new pandemic like COVID-19. Daszak also mentioned that they have collected more than 15,000 bat samples, which led to the identification of around 500 new coronaviruses, he also added that one of those found in a cave in China in 2013 was a possible ancestor of COVID-19. Read also: Why Did China Cover-Up Coronavirus? Experts Reveal Reason Coronavirus research Virologist from DUKE-NUS in Singapore who develops the tools used in analyzing samples collected by EcoHealth Alliance, Wang Linfa, shared that before the 2003 SARS epidemic, research into coronaviruses did not attract much attention as it was not seen as a sexy branch of medical research. Back then, only two human coronaviruses had been identified and both were discovered in the 60s. Funded by USAID in 2009, Predict was founded and is led by the University of California Davis, alongside EcoHealth Alliance, the Smithsonian Institution, the Wildlife Conservation Society, and the Metabiota, a Californian company which has developed an epidemic tracker. Tasked to identify and respond to new zoonotic diseases by including coronaviruses before any contact with humans, the group was awarded around $200 million dollars over the course of its 10 years existence. Five more human coronaviruses have been identified since its founding including COVID-19. Daszak estimates that bats harbor up to 15, 000 coronaviruses, wherein only a few hundred are currently known. The organization spearheaded by Daszak focuses on southwest China, more specifically on the aforementioned limestone cave system in the province of Yunnan, known for its large bat population. He also mentioned that they targeted China initially because they were looking for the origins of SARS. But upon searching for its origin, they found out that hundreds of other dangerous coronaviruses are waiting to be discovered so they decided to shift their attention to look for them. Related article: Fact Check: Did Obama Admin Fund Wuhan Lab for Coronavirus Experiments? @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-27 08:48:49|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, April 27 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese mainland reported two new imported cases of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Sunday, bringing the total number of imported cases to 1,636, the National Health Commission said Monday. Of the total imported cases, 1,009 had been discharged from hospitals after recovery, and 627 were being treated in hospitals with 22 in severe conditions, the commission said. No deaths had been reported from the imported cases. Enditem By IANS NEW DELHI: While other universities are debating ways to conduct examinations, the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), here on Monday, started mid-semester examinations digitally. "In order to complete the academic requirements for MSc and MPhil/PhD degrees, the School of Environmental Sciences, JNU, has started the mid-semester exams using digital means from today until May 4. Way to go," JNU Vice-Chancellor Jagadesh Kumar Mamidala tweeted. By April 14, the JNU had started studying ways of conducting examinations, either on digital platforms or by other means in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, the JNU administration said. For the purpose, the university had on April 12 called a meeting of senior officials, including the Vice-Chancellor, Directors, the Registrar, the Deans of schools and chairpersons of special centres. In order to complete the academic requirements for the MSc and MPhil/PhD degrees, the School of Environmental Sciences, JNU has started the mid-semester exams using digital means from today until May 4, 2020. Way to go... Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar (@mamidala90) April 27, 2020 It was decided at the meeting that the Deans of schools and the Chairpersons of special centres would consult their respective faculties and prepare a set of recommendations on a comprehensive mechanism to be followed to complete the courses and hold examinations. "Given that JNU students come from different parts of India and their problems, like good internet connectivity in rural areas, a flexible and effective mechanism will be devised to help students complete academic requirements," the JNU administration had said. NE Norfolk churches supporting the community NE Norfolk churches supporting the community Members of the churches in the Coastal group of parishes are providing support for community during the coronavirus crisis. Those who need help can use a network of DBS-checked volunteers, who can help with delivering shopping or medication, taking post or simply chatting over the phone. Help is available in Bacton, Happisburgh, Hempstead with Eccles and Lessingham, Ridlington, Sea Palling with Waxham, Walcott and Witton. Those needing help should call the Revd Catherine Dobson on 01692 650359 and leave a message to be called back. The notice posted on the Coastal Group website says: Coastal Group community is offering help during coronavirus outbreak. As a church community, we are concerned for those who are vulnerable in our neighbourhoods and who might need help. Using a network of DBS checked volunteers, we can help with the delivery of shopping/medication to your door-step, taking post or simply a chatting on the phone. "We can also signpost partner organisations if you are experiencing hardship. If you are in need, we will do our best to help. If you are already supporting your neighbours, thank you for all you are doing. Factfile 42 per cent of oxygen-supported beds set aside for coronavirus are empty The NHS will restart some vital services including cancer care from Tuesday as the country begins to recover from coronavirus, the Health Secretary announced today. Matt Hancock said that key parts of the health service, which had been paused due to doctors and nurses being transferred COVID-19-related departments, will begin seeing the most urgent cases. It comes amid reports that as many as 42 per cent of oxygen supported beds set aside for coronavirus are currently empty. 'As the number of hospitalisations from coronavirus begins to fall, I can announce that, starting tomorrow, we will begin the restoration of other NHS services - starting with the most urgent, like cancer care and mental health support,' he said at the Downing Street press briefing. He said the 'exact pace of the restoration' will be determined by hospitals based on how many Covid-19 patients they still have. Matt Hancock said that key parts of the health service, which had been paused due to doctors and nurses being transferred COVID-19-related departments, will begin seeing the most urgent cases at the government's coronavirus briefing today It comes amid reports that as many as 42 per cent of oxygen supported beds set aside for coronavirus are currently empty. Pictured: Beds and chairs at the NHS Nightingale Hospital Birmingham at the National Exhibition Centre, which has not treated a single person He continued: 'Having written off 13.4 billion of historic NHS debt, I want to ensure that the NHS is always there in a way that doesn't just just help us recover from coronavirus as a country, but also puts us in a stronger position for the future.' Speaking at the daily Downing Street press briefing, Mr Hancock also announced a life assurance scheme to pay 60,000 to the families of those frontline NHS and social care workers who have died in the course of their duties. It comes as England's chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty said the coronavirus epidemic in the UK still has a 'very long way to run' and there was 'no perfect solution' to easing the lockdown, adding there were 'difficult choices' to be made. Some 29,058 tests had been carried out in England, Scotland and Wales in the 24 hours up to 9am on Saturday, according to the latest figures, suggesting the Government is way off its 100,000 a day target set for this Thursday. The number of people in hospital with coronavirus in London has fallen but the figures across much of the rest of the country have not dropped sharply yet The number of new cases continued to rise in the latest data, but the rate has slowed significantly Mr Hancock said the Government was 'broadly where we expected to be' in terms of testing capacity but admitted there was a lot of work to do to hit the 100,000 a day goal. He added: 'It is important to note that we have already gone past the number of tests, per day, for instance, that they carry out in South Korea. 'We are approaching the levels that Germany undertakes.' Mr Hancock said the number of patients attending A&E had fallen to 221,000 in the last week from 477,000 in the same week last year, as he urged people in need to use the NHS. 'In some cases we know that the drop is due to people not coming forward and using the NHS for critical things that matter,' he said. 'Our message is that the NHS is open. Help us to help you.' The new NHS Nightingale Hospital Yorkshire and Humber in Harrogate opened last week - but The 3,600 capacity Nightingale in London, built by the Army (picture), had 26 patients last week with doctors claiming the setup has made them a 'waste of resources' Mr Hancock also told the Downing Street briefing that 82 NHS workers and 16 social care staff had died so far as he announced the 60,000 payment for families. 'Of course, nothing replaces the loss of a loved one but we want to do everything we can to support families who are dealing with this grief,' he added. The Government was also looking at other frontline professions who did not have access to a life assurance scheme, Mr Hancock said. A total of 21,092 patients have died in hospital after testing positive for coronavirus in the UK as of 5pm on Sunday, Mr Hancock said, up by 360 from 20,732 the day before. Meanwhile, more than 15,000 members of the public submitted questions to Monday's press conference, with plans to answer one question a day from the public. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, on his first day back in Downing Street following his recovery from Covid-19, said the UK is at the point of 'maximum risk' in its battle with the virus The first question, from a woman in Skipton, was: 'I'm missing my grandchildren so much. Please can you let me know if, after the five criteria are met, is being able to hug our closest family one of the first steps out of lockdown?' Suggesting some reunions may be possible at some point, Prof Whitty said it would depend on whether the woman has a "significant medical problem in a way that means she has to be shielding and she's an older person", adding that some grandparents are younger. He added: 'If she's in a group that's vulnerable, then the answer is it might well be prudent - and this will depend entirely on individual circumstances - for her not to get into a situation where she's putting herself at risk.' He said it was accepted that families wanted to get together but added: 'It is important that people who are vulnerable continue to be protected even after whatever the next steps are.' Earlier, Prime Minister Boris Johnson, on his first day back in Downing Street following his recovery from Covid-19, said the UK is at the point of 'maximum risk' in its battle with the virus. He said he acknowledged frustrations over the continuing lockdown but insisted he would not risk a second peak in the disease by relaxing restrictions too quickly. Comparing the disease to a mugger, he added: 'This is the moment when we have begun, together, to wrestle it to the floor.' He said it is also the moment of maximum risk because of the danger that people would look at the 'apparent success' and 'go easy' on social distancing measures. Speaking from a podium in Downing Street, Mr Johnson acknowledged the pressure to lift some of the draconian restrictions imposed on British people and businesses. He said: 'I want to get this economy moving as fast as I can" but "I refuse to throw away all the effort and the sacrifice of the British people and to risk a second major outbreak and huge loss of life'. Meanwhile, small businesses will be able to secure a loan worth up to 50,000 with the Government guaranteeing 100 per cent of the risk in the latest emergency scheme aimed at helping firms survive the coronavirus crisis. Chancellor Rishi Sunak said the 'bounce back loans' would have the interest paid by the Government for the first 12 months. Ducati's restart could allow the firm to reduce at least in part the negative effects of the lockdown that occured at the 'worst time' Ducati is set to gradually return to normal, with the steady resumption of production in its Borgo Panigale factory in Bologna, Italy, scheduled to begin today-27 April. Operations were suspended in its Bologna plant on 13 February. This is a first phase of return, which at the moment will only involve a part of the workers destined for the production lines. Workshop staff will begin first, then engine assembly workers and, from 28 April, motorcycle assembly workers. As for employees, the use of smart working will remain mandatory, only those who are not in a position to carry out their work from home will be allowed to access the factory, according to a company statement. "We are ready to go, we have worked hard over the past few weeks to minimize any risk," said Claudio Domenicali, Ducati CEO. "The two-wheel market is highly seasonal, and the stop to production in March and April has already had negative effects on sales. The Chinese market is already booming, sales in Korea and Japan are doing well. In Germany, dealers have been open for a week and we already have a major shortage of product," Domenicali said. He said that the restart could allow the firm to reduce at least in part the negative effects of the lockdown that occured at the 'worst time'. "We have a splendid order book: the brand-new Streetfighter V4 just launched has obtained unanimous approval from the specialized press and is the undisputed queen of the category. Unfortunately, production was halted just one month after the start. Then there are also many orders for the Multistrada 1260 S Grand Tour and for the Panigale V2. We also have the empty warehouses of the Multistrada 950 and Ducati Scrambler 1100 PRO. Click here to follow LIVE news and updates on stock markets "I am convinced that in this phase two, the bike will prove to be an extraordinary means of combining fun, passion and the possibility of having a vehicle with which to spend the weekend but also to move around quickly and safely in the city, without any problems of parking or social distancing. I want to thank all Ducati employees who have patiently and collaboratively managed this very anomalous phase and are supporting us in the management of the restart," Domenicali added. As the spread of coronavirus in Armenia continued unabated on Sunday Health Minister Arsen Torosian warned that the authorities may soon be unable to hospitalize or isolate most infected people. The Armenian government imposed serious restrictions on peoples movements and ordered the closure of most businesses in late March amid a rapid increase in coronavirus cases in the country. The daily rises in the number of such cases fell significantly afterwards, leading the government to reopen some sectors of the domestic economy already on April 13. The government allowed late last week the resumption of more types of business activity and eased its restrictions on transport links between Yerevan and the rest of the country. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health reported a larger number of new coronavirus cases in the course of the week. It said on Monday morning that 62 more people tested positive for the virus in the past 24 hours. The total number of cases thus reached 1,808, up from 1,339 cases recorded one week ago. The nationwide death toll from the virus rose from 22 to 29 in the same period. In an interview with RFE/RLs Armenian service, Torosian complained that because of the multitude of infection sources the health authorities increasingly have trouble tracing people who have come into contact with COVID-19 patients. Torosian said that hospitals and healthcare workers treating patients are another cause of the continuing infections. We are now concentrating on stopping the spread of the disease inside medical centers and protecting doctors as well as those patients that are not infected with coronavirus, he said. The minister also blamed the rising COVID-19 numbers on peoples increased movements inside the country. We can see that their growing mobility is leading to new cases and are now preparing for a situation where we may not hospitalize all [infected people] or keep them in hotels, he warned. All people testing positive for the virus in Armenian have been taken to hospitals or hotels requisitioned by the authorities and turned into temporary medical centers. According to the Ministry of Health, 931 people were treated or monitored by medical personnel there as of Monday morning. Almost 850 other Armenians have recovered from COVID-19 to date. The ministry said earlier that that it has set up 1,500 hospital beds for COVID-19 patients across the country. I certainly dont want that day to come, but one day we will not be able to go after every case and it will not make sense to seal off any town or village anymore, Torosian told RFE/RLs Armenian service. From that moment onwards, he said, the health authorities will stop hospitalizing infected individuals showing mild symptoms of the disease or none at all and will only treat patients who are in a serious condition. We dont know when that day will come, he said. Since the beginning of March, the authorities have also quarantined thousands of people who have been in contact with COVID-19 patients or returned to Armenia from other countries. They all have undergone coronavirus tests at the end of a two-week confinement. In Torosians words, some 2,200 people remain in quarantine and about 3,000 others are self-isolated in their homes at present. (Bloomberg) -- Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. demoted e-commerce chief Jiang Fan and took away a years worth of financial incentives, disciplining the top executive after concluding an investigation into allegations of improper behavior, a person familiar with the matter said. Alibaba removed Jiang, who oversees its main online shopping services, from a so-called partnership of 38 people who influence the boards make-up. It also demoted him to vice president from senior vice president, the person said, asking not to be identified discussing internal matters. Alibaba declined to comment in an emailed statement. The decision casts a shadow over one of the most important executives at Chinas largest corporation, a former Google software engineer once regarded as a frontrunner to succeed Chief Executive Officer Daniel Zhang. This month, Jiangs wife took to microblogging site Weibo to publicly warn a prominent social media influencer not to mess with her husband, igniting a frenzy of social media speculation even after the post was removed. Much of the discussion revolved around Jiangs relationship with the online personality, and whether it had influenced certain business decisions or investments by Alibaba. The company concluded however that there had been no transfer of interests between Jiang and the influencer or her company after an internal investigation, according to a post on the companys internal website seen by the person. While unsubstantiated, the ensuing outcry online threatened to tarnish Alibaba -- a company thats branded itself as women- and family-friendly en route to becoming the countrys most valuable corporation. Charismatic billionaire founder Jack Ma, a fixture on the international speech circuit, enjoys a folksy image back home and likes to portray Alibaba as a champion of small business and corporate ethics. Read more: Alibaba Warns Virus Having Broad Impact on Chinese Economy The online brouhaha also emerged at a time much of the company is scrambling to fix logistics snarls and expand certain services to cushion itself against the economic shocks of the Covid-19 pandemic. Alibabas shares, which touched a 2020 trough in March, are down about 4% for the year. Story continues The Beijing News reported earlier Jiang had apologized to staff internally and urged an investigation into the matter. Bloomberg hasnt independently verified the allegations. A key lieutenant to Zhang and co-founder Ma, Jiang will continue to oversee Taobao and Tmall, Alibabas twin e-commerce flagships. He was only recently added to Alibabas core leadership, the 38-person partnership that nominates the majority of the companys board. The executive, who set a goal last April of doubling Tmalls transaction volume within three years, last year helped Alibabas signature Singles Day shopping spree to a record $38 billion worth of sales. (Updates with details of the investigation from the third paragraph) For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. Thiruvananthapuram, April 27 : Kerala villagers will ensure the one metre social distancing norm amid the coronavirus outbreak by using an umbrella each. The idea was mooted by state Finance Minister Thomas Issac's and it has now gone turned viral. The economist-turned minister Issac had proposed the measure to the Thaneermukam village council, which is part of his old assembly constituency. The Minister told IANS that he just shared his thought and it was immediately taken up by the members of the council. "A resolution also has been passed by the council and will soon become a norm, as anyone who steps out of their house has to have an umbrella and this is meant to maintain the new social distancing norm," said Issac. Council president P.S.Jyothis told IANS, though our council does not come under Issac's assembly constituency, he is our guiding patron in all our activities, as this council, was part of his old assembly constituency. "He often gives us lots of ideas and his idea to use an umbrella to ensure that the one metre norm is adhered to came as a blessing in disguise. In our council itself the Kudumbasree (women empowerment programme) unit manufactures umbrellas. We have started to give out umbrellas at subsidised rates of Rs 20/50 and 200 to our people," said Jyothis. "The resolution to this effect has been passed and people are being given umbrellas. We also have come out with a special umbrella that can be used by those who work under employment guarantee scheme," added Jyothis. Issac expected people to realise that umbrella is a handy tool to ensure one's own safety, automatically, when they step out of their homes -- in the summer and then the monsoon -- they will carry one. Police are investigating after a nesting swan was shot in the face with an air rifle - one of FIVE shocking attacks in recent days. The Queen's Swan Marker, who works closely with swan rescue organisations, has described the incident as 'mindless cruelty' after being notified. The bird was targeted in Thatcham, Berkshire, last week while tending to her unhatched eggs. Police are investigating after a nesting swan was shot in the head with an air rifle in Thatcham, Berkshire, last week An x-ray shows a pellet inside the swan's head after the act of 'mindless cruelty' last week An animal charity covering the surrounding area said the attack is the fifth of its kind in the past 10 days - leaving four swans injured and one dead. The eggs were taken to a support centre and the mother is expected to make a full recovery. Wendy Hermon, of Swan Support, said: 'She was sat on a nest and they shot her in the head. We got a call to say she had blood all over its head. 'We went to pick her up and she had an operation on Thursday to remove an 8mm ball fired from an air weapon. 'She's very subdued but she's okay and will hopefully make a full recovery. The attack was the fifth of its kind in the last 10 days, with four swans injured and one dead 'I think it's sick, sick people who have nothing else better to do. How can someone shoot a defenceless swan sat on a nest?' The Queen has the right to own any unmarked swan in open waters, although this right is usually only exercised on certain stretches of the Thames. David Barber, the Queen's Swan Marker, said: 'I am shocked and disgusted to learn of the shooting of a female swan who was sitting on a nest of four eggs. 'At the present time the swan is still alive but this is a life threatening injury and we do not know whether she will survive. 'This type of mindless cruelty is totally unacceptable and unnecessary and I sincerely hope the perpetrator of this abhorrent act will be pursued and punished accordingly. 'I hope that anyone with knowledge or information about this crime will report it to Thames Valley Police.' MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 27th April, 2020) Japan plans to launch the first Guatemalan-made satellite, dubbed Quetzal-1, from the International Space Station (ISS) on Tuesday, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) said on Monday. "On April 29th, 0:20 (Japan time) [15:20 GMT on April 28], Guatemala's First Satellite, "Quetzal-1", which was selected as the winner for the second round of KiboCUBE, is planned to be deployed from Kibo! [a Japanese ISS science module developed by JAXA]," the agency tweeted. The KiboCUBE program is being developed by Japan in cooperation with the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs to help launch small spacecraft manufactured in developing countries. Japan has previously launched satellites made by Bangladesh, Ghana, Nepal, Bhutan, Kenya, Nepal and Mongolia. The Quetzal-1 satellite was delivered to the ISS in March by the Dragon Cargo Spacecraft, which was developed by Elon Musk's SpaceX. A kangaroo was left hobbling along the side of a road with an arrow in its backside following a sick animal cruelty attack near Melbourne. Police are investigating the animal cruelty incident after a concerned passerby found the marsupial in Whittlesea, in the northern suburbs, on Sunday. The 'distressed' kangaroo had to be sedated by animal rescuers on the side of Ridge Road. They managed to remove half of the arrow, but part of it remained lodged inside the adult roo. 'Unfortunately part of the arrow had broken off and it's unclear if the head is still in his leg,' carers from Murrundindi Wildlife Shelter said. The 'distressed' kangaroo (pictured later in an animal shelter) had to be sedated by animal rescuers after he was found with an arrow lodged in his backside Police are investigating the animal cruelty incident after a concerned passerby found the roo on the side of Ridge Road in Whittlesea, in Melbourne's northern suburbs, on Sunday Help for Wildlife founder Sue Kirwan described the attack as 'cruel and senseless'. 'The poor roo was so distressed he was confused, stressed, couldn't get back to his mob and had a nasty wound on his backside,' she told the Whittlesea Leader. 'I just don't understand why someone would do this to a helpless animal - as if police don't have enough to deal with right now.' Ms Kirwan said two similar incidents of animal cruelty had occurred in Whittlesea so far this year. 'It's absolutely cruel and also illegal - anyone caught doing this insidious act faces hefty fines and even jail time,' she said. Acts of animal cruelty in Victoria carries fines of up to $40,297 or 12 months behind bars. Mernda Police seized the arrow and are investigating. In January, a kangaroo named Frank was shot through the leg with an arrow at nearby Lysterfield Park, 30km south east of Melbourne. Frank was found injured at the well-known park, which is supposed to be a protected space for the animals, according to Five Freedoms Animal Rescue. He was shot through the leg, with the arrow's tip injuring his neck, leaving a gaping and bloody hole. The animal was rushed to Woofpurnay Veterinary Hospital, where he underwent surgery. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-27 16:01:38|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close DAMASCUS, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Three civilians were killed and four others wounded on Monday during fresh Israeli missile strikes in the countryside of Syria's capital Damascus, state news agency SANA reported. The four, including a child, were wounded when shrapnel from Israeli missiles fell on houses in Hajjira and Adliyeh in Damascus' countryside, SANA said. The Israeli missiles were fired from inside the Lebanese airspace at dawn, it added. Most of the missiles were intercepted by the Syrian air defenses before reaching their targets, the report said. Israel has carried out dozens of missile attacks during the Syrian war against what it claims are Iranian positions in the country. Enditem A policeman who is also a member of the Rivers state taskforce on COVID-19 lockdown, has allegedly killed a female colleague who is a nursing mother, in Port Harcourt, the Rivers state. The sad incident reportedly happened inside a market at Eneka in Port Harcourt, yesterday April 23. According to reports, the policewoman tried stopping the said police officer and other members of the taskforce from destroying the wares of the market women, when the erring officer opened fire. The bullet however hit the policewoman, killing her instantly. The state Commissioner for Police, Joseph Mukan, confirmed the incient saying that the erring policeman has been arrested, disarmed and subjected to orderly room trial. A policeman attached to the taskforce did the shooting. He was shooting anyhow and in the process killed another policewoman. The policewoman was hit by a stray bullet. he said A Twitter user has taken to the platform to narrate mourn the deceased policewoman. Debi Dang works on the nails of a customer at Allure Nail Bar in Atlanta, Georgia on April 24, 2020. - Governor Brian Kemp has eased restrictions allowing some businesses such as hair and nail salons to reopen today in the US state of Georgia after a four-week lockdown to stop the spread of the coronavirus. (Photo by Tami Chappell / AFP) (Photo by TAMI CHAPPELL/AFP via Getty Images) Some states in the U.S. are taking steps to reopen after weeks of having their residents shelter in place. Georgia has reopened nonessential businesses, including gyms, tattoo parlors, barbershops and massage parlors, and now allows restaurants to offer sit-down service again. South Carolina Gov. Harry McMaster issued executive orders to allow stores to open again, and several other states say theyll reopen soon too. These changes come as the United States approaches 1 million confirmed cases of COVID-19, according to Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center data. U.S. officials have released guidelines for reopening, called Opening Up America Again, which encourages states to open again only after theyve had two weeks of declining numbers of positive tests for the coronavirus. None of these states that have begun to reopen meet the criteria. But as businesses begin to open their doors to customers, employees who have been laid off as a result of the pandemic are being invited to go back to work and some are afraid. Lowkey scared to have to go back to work if restaurants start opening up again. You people understand some of us are at high risk of dying if we get this. Seth Amos (@SethAAmos) April 25, 2020 I live in Georgia and I am scared to go back to work the same way I left. Coronavirus is not over and I am in panic mode. I work in a warehouses full of people @realDonaldTrump BlackBabyDoll87 (@keysure87) April 23, 2020 Im a life long Georgia resident and small business owner. I will not be opening back up this week or next week. I have lots of friends who are hair stylists and tattoo artist. All scared to go back to work. They dont want to pay us unemployment. Liz Dupree (@DogwalkerOG) April 22, 2020 But workers are also in a difficult situation. While laws vary from state to state, people who collect unemployment benefits are usually not eligible to continue to receive those benefits if they turn down work that has been offered to them, Edgar Ndjatou, executive director of the employee rights organization Workplace Fairness, tells Yahoo Life. Many will be forced to choose between how comfortable they feel about their risk of contracting the coronavirus and their ability to collect an unemployment check. Thats where people will have trouble, Ndjatou says. Its a precarious situation. Story continues How do unemployment benefits work? Unemployment insurance is a joint federal-state program that provides needed funds to out-of-work employees who meet certain requirements, according to the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). Those requirements include being out of work through no fault of your own and meeting your states requirements for wages earned or time worked during a set period of time. Each state has a separate unemployment program, but all states follow the same federal guidelines, the DOL says. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which was signed into law in late March, expands unemployment benefits on a state level to include workers who are not normally eligible for unemployment benefits, like those who are self-employed or contractors. CARES also provides an additional $600 a week to people who are unemployed. Once an unemployed worker is approved for benefits, he or she typically needs to prove on a regular basis that he or she is actively looking for work, Ndjatou says. Companies are legally obligated to report when employees refuse employment. It is not usually out of retaliation, though. Historically, most employers report refusal of employment because companies have to pay into unemployment funds [taxes or unemployment insurance], and a failure to report could potentially constitute fraud or a violation of state regulations, Sara Elizabeth Dill, a partner at human rights law firm Anethum Global, tells Yahoo Life. I do not think these reports should be seen as retaliatory. They are simply a company complying with the law. This legal obligation is not something that is easy for companies to forget. Recently, a number of states have released guidance instructing employers of the notification requirement, Dill says. What other options are available to workers if they are too nervous or afraid to return to work? This is where things get a little muddled. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has a General Duty Clause that requires companies to offer workplaces that are "free from recognized hazards that are causing or likely to cause death or serious harm to employees." Under OSHAs General Duty Clause, an employee could argue that unemployment benefits should not be denied because the workplace comes with a higher risk of contracting COVID-19 and the employer failed to keep the workplace free of this hazard or to take steps to protect the employees from contracting the virus, Dills says. However, if employers are taking the commonly recognized steps set by the World Health Organization, Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, and other reopening plans, it may be hard to make a case. This is where employers should also exercise great caution, so as to avoid litigation or other complaints if employees become infected after returning to work, Dill says. Laws and government power have a special set of rules in emergencies, like pandemics. Unfortunately, the labor laws do not have clear guidance for employers or employees, and we have the complexities of federal law, plus the laws of the states, Dill adds. (She recommends consulting an employment lawyer in your state, if youre able, to try to figure out the nuances of your states law on this.) Otherwise, Dill says there are not really many other options for workers. Some local municipalities have plans to help with rent abatement and eviction postponement, but, for the most part, unemployment is the only option, she says. It is why so many restaurants and stores and other small businesses have set up employee relief funds to help cover what unemployment does not. There is an ethical issue too. Lower-wage employees may also find themselves in a tricky situation, where they may be making more money from unemployment benefits than they do in their actual jobs. This is a tough case, Andrew I. Cohen, PhD, associate professor of philosophy and director of the Jean Beer Blumenfeld Center for Ethics at Georgia State University, tells Yahoo Life. For workers who have little savings, thats going to pose a challenge for them. They have to figure out whether to go back to work and expose themselves to the risk of disease, or stay at home and earn more money but then potentially risk their jobs. People tend to make an ethical decision like this based on incentives, Cohen says. If the incentives are stronger to stay home, then thats what theyre going to usually do, he says. If its stronger to go back to work, typically thats what theyre going to do. But some states, like Georgia, are working to address this dilemma. Georgia labor commissioner Mark Butler recently said in a press release that the state has issued an emergency ruling that allows workers to make up to $300 a week without reducing the unemployment benefits they receive, providing an added incentive for employees to get back to work. Cohen isnt sure whether this kind of incentive will help or not. We dont know because we need data about what works and what does not, he says. The situation is challenging for companies too, Cohen says. They have to either ask employees to take on a risk of disease to save their business or they could risk going out of business by remaining shut down and letting their employees stay safe, he says. Its not easy. So what can workers do if they are afraid to return to work but dont want to lose their unemployment benefits? If you find yourself in this situation, Ndjatou recommends talking to your employer about your concerns. Some employers are really strapped for cash, and they want to know that they can rely on former staff to come back. Its less money for them to have to train new workers, he says. As a result, I would expect that some places will use incentives as much as possible to get workers back. Ndjatou says employees may have more bargaining power than you think, especially for those who have been working from home. If you have already been teleworking, Ndjatou says it is at least worth asking if you can continue to do so. But if your job doesnt allow for telework, or telework is impossible in your field, you have the right to ask your employer what the plan is to keep you and your fellow employees safe, Ndjatou says. And, again, under law, the employer is required to offer you a safe place to work. This time period calls for a lot of creative solutions and also a level of patience and understanding between employees and employers, Dill says. Transparency and clear policies, open and honest communication, and placing health and safety as a top priority are all important components of reopening. For the latest coronavirus news and updates, follow along at https://news.yahoo.com/coronavirus. According to experts, people over 60 and those who are immunocompromised continue to be the most at risk. If you have questions, please reference the CDCs and WHOs resource guides. Read more from Yahoo Life Want daily lifestyle and wellness news delivered to your inbox? Sign up here for Yahoo Lifes newsletter. Current Print Subscribers will be prompted to either login to their current site user account or to create a new one. A confirmation email will be sent when a new user account is created, which must be confirmed within three days in order to provide uninterrupted online access through your Print Subscription. Once the email address is confirmed please provide your Account Number to activate your Print Subscription Service. Parents have forced a council to pull guidance to schools which allowed transgender pupils to use girls' toilets and dormitories. Warwickshire County Council said it had withdrawn its 'Trans toolkit', which offered advice to 300 schools, and placed it under review. Parents were furious that schools were being told to allow transitioning pupils to 'sleep where they feel most comfortable' and use whichever toilets they wanted. Tessa McInnes, 50, who has two children in Warwickshire schools, told the Times: 'The equal rights of girls are simply discounted and disregarded in this guidance. Stock image showing children going to school 'If they express any discomfort about a male coming into their spaces, the girl is presented as transphobic and told to go and change somewhere else. 'It's outrageous and defies the Equality Act 2010.' A spokesman for Warwickshire County Council said: 'Trans is an evolving complex area. It is our duty to provide schools with guidance to ensure all pupils are able to be themselves and reach their full potential in an inclusive school environment, without fear of judgement and discrimination. 'The toolkit was launched in January 2018 and is currently being reviewed.' Secondary school girls on a dirt path in the woods during a cross country race The guidance is similar to that issued by Oxfordshire County Council which is currently the subject of a High Court challenge. A judicial review, brought by a 13-year-old girl and backed by the Safe Schools Alliance, a group of parents committed to safeguarding all students in line with equality legislation, is due to be heard this autumn. The teenager is expected to argue that the guidance is unlawful because it gives her 'no right to privacy from the opposite sex.' The girl's mother said: 'The more my daughter reads that gender identity is more important than her status as a young woman, the more frustrated she becomes, because she knows that she is entitled to female-only spaces, to compete in female-only competitions and sleep in female-only dorms.' When Melissa Elliot Smith of the senior dog rescue organization Old Dog Home in Georgia first met senior dog Holly around Thanksgiving 2019, the circumstances were tragic. Holly had been brought to the vet to be euthanized by a grandfather and his granddaughter for no particular reason. The reason they gave for wanting to put her down, however, was flimsy at best, and the medical staff contacted Smith instead to see if she would take Holly in order to save her life. Later, Smith wrote in a Facebook post that the granddaughter looked at me and shruggedWe just dont really like her. We like our other dogs better. This will be my final post of the evening, and its the hardest one to write. I get requests for owner surrenders all Dikirim oleh Old Dog Home pada Senin, 25 November 2019 Smith obliged the vets heartbreaking request. She took Holly and gave her a comfortable place to sleep. I whispered to her and promised her that from now on, she will always be loved and wanted, no matter what, her post read. Smith had created the charity Old Dog Home to help unwanted old dogs that find themselves dumped in parking lots or being given away for free at yard sales. Working in the Atlanta area and specializing in dogs 30 pounds (approx. 14 kg) or heavier and between the ages of 8 and 10 years old, Smith typically doesnt accept surrenders but had made an exception for Holly. Noting that her shelter was already at capacity by the end of 2019, she wasnt planning to take any new dogs until she heard from the vets office about Holly. When she met the grandfather and granddaughter wanting to put the dog to sleep, Smith was shocked to hear about how poorly Holly had been treated. The dog was incredibly sweet and seemed to be in decent health. The staff couldnt bear to euthanize her, Smith wrote. The dog had belonged to someone else before after the original owner passed away, the dog got shuffled from place to place until she wound up with the current family. I tried not to cry, Smith added. I felt her all over, and she let me handle her paws and check her teeth. She has a few old lady lumps and bumps. Nothing critical. Shes absolutely filthy, her hair is oily and falling out. Her eyes are goopy, and shes squinting. Her tail wags and wags and wags. I talked to the vet who examined her. She has a yeast infectionprobably why shes having accidents. The man cant tell me her age, if shes spayed, or any else about her. We just dont want her anymore, was all her owners said, according to Smiths post. After they filled out the surrender papers, Smith noted with dismay that Holly was scared and confused and had no idea what was happening. She doesnt want to get off the bed, Smith wrote, describing her as a tacky gift no one wanted in the first place. The goal for Old Dog Home would be to find a forever home for a dog that had never had one. Smiths impassioned post about Holly went viral, garnering over 28,000 likes and 16,000 shares. Her supporters donated $20,592 to cover the veterinary expenses of getting Holly healthy and spayed. There was a strong response among commenters toward the callousness of the family who abandoned her. One person wrote, Its ironic that this gentleman failed to teach his grandchild a lesson in compassion for the elderly. Just before the New Year, after receiving many applications to foster and adopt, Smith posted an update on Facebook, announcing that Holly had finally found her TRUE forever home. The family Holly was placed in had two girls, who were thrilled to have her, and an 11-year-old senior dog to keep her company. The familys mother is a veterinarian, which was reassuring to Smith. Going home to live with a vet means that no matter what her future holds, shell be in the most capable hands possible, she wrote. [S]he is going to get to be in a small family where she will be doted on and adored FOREVER, she added. She fit right into their family like she had been there her whole life. We would love to hear your stories! You can share them with us at emg.inspired@epochtimes.nyc Unconfirmed reports about Kim Jong Uns health have been shrouded in even more than the customary North Korean murkiness. But out of the fog of questions, one name keeps cropping up as policymakers and analysts contemplate who else might lead the reclusive nuclear-armed nation: Kim Yo Jong. Shes Kim Jong Uns younger sister, and many observers say she could be the most likely choice. However, the speculation raises another big question: Could a woman, even the sister of the current leader, ever lead North Korea? North Korea watchers began to speculate whether something had happened to Kim Jong Un after he missed the April 15 commemoration of the birthday of his grandfather, North Korea founder Kim Il Sung. He hasnt missed the event since assuming power in 2011, after his father died from a heart attack. The speculation reached a fever pitch over the weekend with a fresh round of unconfirmed reports. The disappearance came amid recent missiles launches and the Norths repeated claims that there are no coronavirus cases in the countryan assertion international health experts doubt. South Korea, for its part, has repeatedly said there is no sign of unusual developments in the North. Moon Chung-in, the top foreign policy adviser to South Korean President Moon Jae-in, told CNN that the leader is alive and well. But, there appears to be no formal succession plan in place in North Korea. Kim is believed to be in his mid-30s, but he is a heavy smoker, and some medical experts have suggested that he is obese and unhealthy. All of which means, even if Kim emerges unscathed into the public view in near future, attention will remain on Kim Yo Jong and others who might be prepared to succeed him. Who is Kim Yo Jong? Kim Yo Jong, who is thought to be in her early thirties, is one of several children of the late North Korean leader Kim Jong Il. She is believed to be one of her brothers closest and most trusted aides. Story continues She is, as best we can tell, a very capable and high-skilled member of the North Korean leadershipand is not one to underestimated by any stretch of the imagination, Harry J. Kazianis, the senior director of Korean Studies at the Washington D.C- based think tank the Center for the National Interest, tells TIME. She was born and raised mostly in Pyongyang, but is believed to have spent about four years of elementary school in Switzerland, according to the website North Korea Leadership Watch, an affiliate of 38 North, a North Korea monitoring project. She is married to Choe Song, who is believed to be the son of Choe Ryong Hae, one of the most powerful officials in [North Koreas] formal hierarchy, according to North Korea Leadership Watch. She was largely unknown to the world until she was photographed at her late fathers 2011 funeral. But she has gained international attention since being thrust into the spotlight when she attended the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang. U.S. Vice President Mike Pence and Kim Yo Jong (back left) watch on during the Opening Ceremony of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea on Feb. 9, 2018. | Matthias HangstGetty Images She was also spotted with her brother at the summit in Vietnam with U.S. President Donald Trump in February 2019social media users circulated memes of Kim Yo Jong lurking near her brother after she was photographed standing around a corner and behind bushes while he conducted business. In her official capacity, Kim Yo Jong is the Vice Director of the Workers Party of Korea Propaganda and Agitation Department, the agency primarily responsible for censorship in the country. In April, she was reappointed as an alternative member to the powerful decision-making body, the Politboro of the Central Committee. She was previously dismissed from the committee, possibly as a result of the failure of the Vietnam summit, according to the Seoul-based NK News, which provides news and analysis on North Korea. Could a woman lead North Korea? Despite Kim Yo Jongs pedigree, there would be many obstacles to a woman taking control, experts say. North Korea is a highly patriarchal society. Since its establishment in 1948, the country has been run by three men, Kim Il Sung, his son Kim Jong Il, and his grandson, Kim Jong Un. Its definitely possible that she would face some serious challenges to her legitimacy and power if she took over, even with the Kim family name, Mintaro Oba, a former U.S. State Department official who specialized in the Koreas, tells TIME. Scott A. Snyder, senior fellow for Korea studies and director of the U.S.-Korea policy program at the Council on Foreign Relations, tells TIME that since the recognized line of succession in the Kim dynasty is father-to-son, Kim might serve as a sort of regent and de facto leader in the absence of a viable successor. But, he says, the Kim family dynasty is more vulnerable than ever before. Although details about Kim Jong Uns family are closely guarded, some believe that Kim Jong Un may have a young son who could take over when he is old enough. Another possible successor is Kim Pyong Il, who is Kim Jong Uns uncle (Kim Il Sungs son and Kim Jong Ils half-brother). Despite spending 40 years overseas as a foreign diplomat, he reportedly remains popular in the country owing to a resemblance to Kim Il Sung. Lami Kim, a former South Korean diplomat and fellow at the Wilson Center says that there is much speculation over why he returned to North Korea last year. One scenario is that Kim Jong Un has been concerned about his own health and what would happen to his family and the regime should he die, she says. So perhaps he recalled his uncle either to succeed him, or to help Kim Yo Jung run the country. Kim Jong Chul, Kim Jong Uns older brother, who is best known for his love of the British guitarist Eric Clapton, is another a possible successor. He was passed over for leadership when his father died. Until now, he hasnt been considered leadership material, says Lami Kim. If Kim Jong Un were to die unexpectedly, I suppose it is possible that the North Korean elites would consider him for a figurehead position, though, at least for awhile. Daniel Pinkston, a North Korea specialist at Troy University in Seoul believes Kim Yo Jongs gender would prevent her from taking total control in North Korea. He says her father-in-law, Choe Ryong Hae, is the most likely successor. He is older, male and came up through the party and mass organizations, Pinkston says. But, North Korea has been ruled by the same family since its founding, and North Korean citizens revere the family as god-like figures. The Kim regime is a hereditary dynasty which claims its divine bloodline (called the Paektu bloodline, after the extinct volcano considered to be the birthplace of the Korean people) gives it the right to rule. That means that anyone outside the Kim family may struggle with legitimacy. Others are more certain that the future of the Hermit Kingdom lies in the hands of the younger Kim. What is important in [North Korea] is not whether the successor is a male of a female, but whether the successor is [from the Kim bloodline], says Jung-Chul Lee, a professor at Soongsil University. Kazianis, of the Center for the National Interest, adds: I have no doubt that if Kim Jong Un were to drop dead right nowor already hasKim Yo Jong would be the only person to take over the country. Period. What would it mean for the world if Kim Yo Jong took over? Several experts tell TIME that a change in power may cause North Korea to look inward during the power transition. Oba, the former State Department official, says that if Kim Yo Jong were to take the reins, she would likely focus on consolidating her power, warding off threats and demonstrating strengthmuch as Kim Jong Un did when he assumed control in 2011. Theres a good chance theyd initially favor policy continuity, limiting risks on outside diplomacy, and even nuclear and missile tests and other military provocations, he says. Kazianis says that a new leader would likely face an internal power struggle which would distract from paying much attention to the outside world for several months. But, he says, once the dust settles, not much is likely to change. When North Korea reemerges, their goal would still be the same: to slowly get America to accept them as a nuclear power and lift international sanctions, he says. And that means the same tensions between and Pyongyang and Washington would most likely remain. Others say that much uncertainty looms over the future of North Korea. The main challenge from a global perspective is that implications of transition are not clear and there is much uncertainty about what might happen as things sort themselves out, says CFRs Snyder. With reporting by Hillary Leung. Correction, April 28 The original version of this story misstated what Daniel Pinkston said about Choe Ryong Hae. Pinkston said that he came up through the party and mass organizations, not that he came up through the military. A senior Tory minister has warned that were not there yet on lifting the coronavirus lockdown as the government came under sustained pressure to unveil its exit strategy. Edward Argar sought to dampen speculation that Boris Johnson could unveil his blueprint to ease restrictions within days as he returned to work after a three-week convalescence from the virus. Allies of the prime minister told The Telegraph that the prime minister, who returned to No 10 on Sunday evening, has already discussed with ministers the idea of modifying restrictions before the 7 May. But Mr Argar said: Ive seen a lot of the speculation in the papers and beyond in recent days but the reality is were not there yet. Were not in a place where the science says it is safe to ease the restrictions. Mr Argar told BBC Breakfast said he understood the frustrations that people are having with these measures, they are restrictive and they are very difficult but insisted they were working. Downing Street also pushed back on the newspapers claims that the PM could go sooner than 7 May, the deadline for the rolling three-week review of the lockdown. A source told The Independent that any relaxation of measures was unlikely to come this week. Mr Johnson returns to work on Monday after three weeks away, which included several nights in intensive care at St Thomas Hospital in London. He returns to intense pressure from Labour and his own party over easing the lockdown amid fears of the sustained restrictions will devastate the economy. Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the influential 1922 committee of Tory backbenchers, said the government must get the economy moving, and there was a limit to how long people would tolerate restrictions, especially if they seemed illogical. 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 He urged an overriding principle ... that we will only maintain those restrictions which are necessary and if there is a question over whether something is necessary or not, I think we should err on the side of openness and trying to make sure that more people can get on with their lives and more people can get on with getting back to their jobs. Mr Johnson was due to chair the governments coronavirus war cabinet meeting on Monday morning. It comes after foreign secretary Dominic Raab rejected calls for an early easing of the coronavirus lockdown, saying the outbreak was still at a delicate and dangerous stage. The government is coming under intense pressure from senior Tories to relax the strict social distancing measures, amid concern at the damage they are doing to the economy. But Mr Raab, who has been standing in for the prime minister while he recovered from the disease, said the government would proceed cautiously to avoid a second peak in the outbreak. We are at a delicate and dangerous stage, he told Sky Newss Sophy Ridge on Sunday programme. We need to make sure that the next steps are sure-footed, which is why we are proceeding very cautiously and we are sticking to the scientific advice with the social distancing measures at this time, whilst doing all the homework to make sure that we are prepared in due course for the next phase. Spain, Italy and Belgium have all set out their strategies to ease their lockdowns, while France is due debate its own proposals on Tuesday. Italys plan sees some businesses and factories reopening on 4 May, with restaurants and cafes to follow on 1 June. The latest novel coronavirus news from Canada and around the world Monday (this file is no longer updating. Read the latest here). Web links to longer stories if available. 7:35 p.m.: The Stronger Together, Tous Ensemble charity broadcast not only raised millions for Food Banks Canada on Sunday night; it was the most watched non-sports broadcast ever in Canada, Bell Media says. The program in which nearly 100 Canadian musicians, actors, athletes, activists and others shared performances or inspirational messages amid the coronavirus pandemic reached 11.5 million viewers overall on 44 networks, plus digital and radio platforms, with nearly one in three Canadians watching part of the broadcast. Viewership peaked at more than 6.1 million during the world premiere of the charity single Lean on Me, a version of the Bill Withers song performed virtually by more than two dozen Canadian artists, Bell Media said in a news release. 7:00 p.m.: A total of 1,000 people have now died from COVID-19 in Ontario, according to the Stars latest count. Ontarios regional health units have reported another 47 fatal cases in the last 24 hours, bringing the total since the beginning of the pandemic to a flat 1,000 as of 6 p.m. Monday. Even as the rate of new COVID-19 cases has slowed in recent days, the daily tally of new deaths has not yet begun to fall. It has taken just 41 days for the province to record 1,000 deaths, but 500 of those have come in just the last 11 days. The Star on Monday also introduced a new interactive graphic of COVID-19 cases in Ontario, broken down by health unit. As of 7 p.m., the units had reported a total of 16,168 cases of the disease, closing another day of relatively slow case growth. On a percentage basis, daily growth has slowed greatly from the rapid increases seen in late March: In the second half of that month, the province saw an average daily growth of 20 per cent, a rate that doubled Ontarios case count about every four days. In the first half of April that rate slowed to an average of 9.5 per cent daily growth, or doubling about every eight days. And the days since have averaged increases of less than 5 per cent daily, or a doubling time of around two weeks. Even as the Stars count hit four digits, data on the growing number of deaths in Ontario seniors homes reveals the real toll of the COVID-19 epidemic is much larger even than the Stars count. Earlier Monday, the province also reported 945 patients are now hospitalized with COVID-19, including 241 in intensive care, of whom 191 are on a ventilator. The province also says 8,525 patients who have tested positive for the coronavirus have now recovered from the disease. Because many health units publish case data before reporting to the province through iPHIS, the Stars count is more current than the data the province puts out each morning. The province says its data is accurate to 4 p.m. the previous day. The province also cautions its latest count of total deaths 892 may be incomplete or out of date due to delays in the reporting system, saying that in the event of a discrepancy, data reported by (the health units) should be considered the most up to date. The Stars count, includes some patients reported as probable COVID-19 cases, meaning they have symptoms and contacts or travel history that indicate they very likely have the disease, but have not yet received a positive lab test. 4:25 p.m.: With children home from school and Canada in lockdown mode over COVID-19, calls to Kids Help Phone are soaring, the charity says. Nationally, specific conversations about physical, sexual and emotional abuse have jumped between 19 and 26 per cent since March 12, reports Alisa Simon, Kids Help Phone senior vice-president, innovation and chief youth officer. Its a sustained increase, that does not seem to be going down, she said. We are trying to add as many front-line responders as we can, both counsellors and volunteers, so were able to keep up with demand. At the same time, police forces and child welfare agencies across the country, including the Childrens Aid Society of Toronto, say overall volume of suspected child abuse reports has dropped between 30 and 40 per cent. While that might sound like a positive, child-care advocates see a troubling disconnect between a significant spike in stressed-out youngsters and teens calling a distress line and the drop in child abuse reports. The lack of increase in calls could just mean theres a lack of reporting not that abuse isnt happening, experts say. Were really concerned that its not that child abuse has gone away, its that were not seeing it, says Dr. Michelle Ward, an Ottawa pediatrician. Read the Stars report here: 3:50 p.m.: Toronto is starting to temporarily close parts of traffic lanes to give pedestrians more physical-distancing space at congestion hot spots but is not heeding calls to close entire streets to cars during the COVID-19 crisis, Mayor John Tory says. Tory on Monday announced the CurbTO initiative that will start with 10 spots across Toronto, expand to 100 and also create temporary parking pickup zones for drivers and delivery agents to expedite food and medicine pickups. Although pedestrian traffic has dropped dramatically across the city as people follow public health advice to stay home as much as possible there are hot spots on some sidewalks in some areas, a city news release states. See the list of the initial 10 sports here: 3:45 p.m.: University Health Network has confirmed a COVD-19 outbreak at Toronto Western Hospital. The outbreak was declared over the weekend of April 18-19, said spokesperson Gillian Howard in an email. We began the process of swabbing patients and staff and others who have been on the unit the weekend of April 18 and have continued with this through the interim, she added. According to data posted on Toronto Public Healths website, four patients tested positive for the virus in connection with the outbreak and there has been one patient death. 3:30 p.m.: Canadas chief public health officer says stopping COVID-19 and any future outbreaks will require not only a permanent increase to how often we wash our hands, but a rethinking of how we manage the most vulnerable people in our communities. Dr. Theresa Tam says there is still a lot we do not know about the novel coronavirus, including whether people can contract it more than once, or how many Canadians can actually have it. She is on a new national task force that is trying to close those gaps by tracing how many people have already been exposed to the virus and whether any of them are now immune to it. She says understanding those things is critical to safely guiding Canadians back to work and school. Tam also says COVID-19 has exposed deep problems that must be fixed now to protect residents of long-term care centres and other group settings, as well the risks faced by the essential workers who look after them. COVID-19 is disproportionately affecting Canadas long-term care homes, as well as health-care workers, and employees at critical businesses including grocery stores and pharmacies. 3:00 p.m.: Mayor John Tory and city officials will give a COVID-19 update at 3:45 p.m. EST. A livestream of the news conference will be available at thestar.com. 2:55 p.m.: The Star has created a searchable database of Ontario COVID-19 cases and deaths. It updates every 60 minutes with the latest coronavirus numbers as reported by public health units. Look up the latest real-time numbers here. 2:22 p.m.: The Manitoba government is reporting one new COVID-19 case, bringing the total to 272 cases 261 confirmed, 11 probable. With more people recovering, the number of active cases has dropped to 61. The government is set to announce a plan later this week to gradually reopen non-essential businesses and other services. The government is also, as of Friday, banning personal care home workers from working at more than one home in order to reduce the risk of spreading the virus. 1:30 p.m.: Ontario says its plan to ease restrictions introduced because of the COVID-19 pandemic will happen in three stages, though the steps unveiled today contain few specifics or timelines. Stage one in the framework published today could include opening select workplaces, opening parks, allowing for more people at certain events such as funerals and having hospitals resume some non-urgent surgeries. Stage two could include opening more businesses, more outdoor spaces, and allowing some larger public gatherings. Stage three would include having all workplaces open and further relaxing rules on public gatherings though large ones such as sports events and concerts would still be restricted. 1:30 p.m.: It is looking like a summer without sporting events, concerts or other big gatherings as Queens Park slowly moves toward reopening the economy amid the coronavirus pandemic. Thats the sobering message in a 13-page framework for reopening our province released Monday by Premier Doug Fords Progressive Conservative government. Ontario will need to see a consistent two-to-four week decrease in the number of new daily COVID-19 cases before the government can begin lifting restrictions on what can open. Large public gatherings such as concerts and sporting events will be continue to be restricted for the foreseeable future, the report warned. That suggests it could be game over for the Raptors, Blue Jays, Argonauts, and Toronto FC, as well as numerous concerts and cultural events that have not yet been cancelled. 1:28 p.m.: Quebec Premier Francois Legault says elementary schools and daycares in the Montreal region will re-open May 19 and attendance will not be mandatory. The premier said today elementary schools and daycares outside the greater Montreal area will open a week earlier, on May 11. Legault says high schools, junior colleges and universities will remain closed until September and Legault is urging those institutions to do as much online teaching as possible. The premier says he is reopening up elementary schools and daycares because the COVID-19 infection rate in the provinces hospitals is under control and the virus is generally not dangerous to young children. 1:25 p.m.: Quebec Premier Francois Legault is announcing 84 more COVID-19 deaths in the province, for a total of 1,599. There are also 875 new cases, for a total of 24,982. Legault says the COVID-19 situation is largely under control with the exception of long-term care centres, where 75 of the 84 new deaths originated. He thanked the thousands of people who have submitted CVs to work in the facilities, including Olympic medal-winning figure skater Joannie Rochette and Super Bowl-winning football player Laurent Duvernay-Tardif. 1:25 p.m.: The total confirmed coronavirus cases worldwide has topped three million, according to the Johns Hopkins University COVID-19 tracking map. As of Monday, at 1:15 p.m, there are 3,002,303 confirmed cases, 208,131 total deaths and 878, 813 total recoveries. The U.S. remains the most affected country, with 972,969 confirmed cases, 55,118 deaths and 107,226 recoveries. China, where the virus originated, is the 10th most affected country, according to Johns Hopkins, with 83,912 confirmed cases, 4,637 deaths and 78, 306 recoveries. 1:20 p.m.: Premier Doug Ford is set to unveil Ontarios framework for reopening the province once COVID-19 begins to subside. Ford and Finance Minister Rod Phillips along with Economic Development Minister Vic Fedeli and Health Minister Christine Elliott will release the timeline Monday afternoon at Queens Park. Watch the press conference live here. 1:15 p.m.: Federal officials are warning Canadians who have recovered from COVID-19 against thinking they may be immune to the respiratory illness. While there has been talk in some countries of doling out immunity passports to those who have had the illness, Canadas chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam says the science around immunity is still unknown. Tam says its expected that those who have had the illness have some type of immunity, but exactly how strong it is and how long it lasts still needs to be determined. Tam says public-health officials across the country are working to better understand the science because understanding when people become immune to COVID-19 will be critical as different jurisdictions look to start easing restrictions. 1:08 p.m.: The production lines at Hondas manufacturing plants in North America will remain dormant until the second week of May, the company has announced. Production at all of its facilities has been suspended since March 23 due to the coronavirus pandemic. The company initially planned to resume production April 7, but this was pushed back to May 1. Now the company has extended the shutdown until May 8, with plans to resume operations May 11. The severe impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the global and regional economy, along with stay-at-home orders and other unfavorable market factors, continue to have a negative effect on the sales of our products, reads an April 23 company statement. While there is encouraging news about provincial and federal efforts to loosen restrictions in the near future, sales forecasts for the coming weeks project a continued downward trend. In response to this situation, Honda will maintain our approach to operate at minimum levels, conserve resources and reduce the long-term impact to the viability of our company. 12:51 p.m.: Canadas deputy chief public health officer, Dr. Howard Njoo, says federal and provincial health officials have identified four criteria when it comes to relaxing restrictions around the COVID-19 pandemic. Those include ensuring each province has evidence that transmission of COVID-19 is well controlled in their borders and that public health systems can properly diagnose infections and do contact tracing. Njoo says public health officials are still divided over the widespread use of masks. The countrys chief public health officer, Dr. Theresa Tam, also spoke on efforts to improve testing to reduce the number of false negatives that continue to turn up. 12:41 p.m.: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson returned to work Monday, appearing in public for the first time in three weeks since recovering from a bout of coronavirus that landed him in intensive care. Standing outside his central London office and residence at No. 10 Downing Street, Britains leader apologized for being away from my desk for much longer than I wouldve liked and said the country was on the brink of victory in the first phase of its fight with COVID-19 even if it was too early to end Britains five-week national lockdown. If we can show the same spirit of unity and determination as we have all shown in the past six weeks, then I have absolutely no doubt that we will beat it, together we will come through it all the faster and the United Kingdom will emerge stronger than ever before, Johnson said, describing coronavirus as an unexpected and invisible mugger that we have begun to wrestle to the floor. Johnson thanked Britons for their sheer grit and guts and said the nation needs to keep going. He called for optimism and energy. He said Britain was at a moment of maximum risk in its outbreak and urged people not to lose patience with the lockdown. It is still true that this is the biggest single challenge this country has faced since the war and I in no way minimize the continuing problems we face and yet it is also true that we are making progress, Johnson said. Johnson, 55, is the first major world leader known to have contracted coronavirus and now also to have beaten it. He was diagnosed with COVID-19 on March 26 and hospitalized 10 days later. He spent several days in an intensive care unit. 12:31 p.m.: The Stratford Festival is putting its entire 2020 season on hold indefinitely due to the coronavirus pandemic, it announced Monday. It was to have been a particularly momentous season for the 67-year-old theatre festival. It included a Colm Feore-led production of Shakespeares Richard III to celebrate the grand opening of the newly constructed Tom Patterson Theatre; a new production of Kander and Ebbs Chicago, and the first production of Hamlet at the festival to feature a woman of colour in the title role, played by Amaka Umeh. The suspension of the season will severely impact Stratfords tourism industry in the valuable spring and summer months, even if physical distancing measures do relax in the coming weeks. The festival drives $135 million in economic activity in the town each year. 12:14 p.m.: Porter Airlines has extended the suspension of all its flights until June 29, the company said on its website Monday. When Porter initially shut down on March 21 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it had hoped to restart operations earlier. Our initial restart date of June 1, was something we believed was reasonable at the time, the company wrote. While there are many promising signs about how COVID-19 is being contained, it is also clear that the current border restrictions, regional stay-at-home orders and limits on large gatherings will remain in place for many regions through much of May and into June. This makes it difficult for people to travel, so Porter will continue aligning its approach with the public health response. Porter is waiving change and cancellation fees on all fares booked by June 29. This also applies to Porter Escapes vacation packages. Tickets for travel beginning June 29 are available for purchase now. 11:24 a.m.: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says 10,000 businesses have applied for the federal governments new wage subsidy since applications for the program opened at 6 a.m. Trudeau says the number of applications underscores the scope of the challenge companies are facing because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Companies will be able to receive up to $847 per employee per week from the federal government. Trudeau says the money should start flowing by May 7. 11:12 a.m.: The show wont go until January for Mirvish Productions. Although businesses elsewhere in the city could gradually begin reopening as early as next month, Mirvish is delaying its subscription season until the new year, it announced Monday. Traditionally the new season would have started in September, but an entire season of shows takes a lot of planning and co-ordination with hundreds and hundreds of theatre professionals from around the world, David Mirvish said in a news release. For the health and safety of all the artists, crew and staff working in our theatres, and for that of our audience, I think it is best to begin our new season in January of the new year, he said. The only possible exception to that would be the musical Come From Away but only if public health officials deem that it is safe to reopen theatres sooner than January, Mirvish said. We will not do anything that will jeopardize anyones health and safety. 11:10 a.m.: Ontarios regional health units are reporting another 24 hours with more than 50 new deaths from COVID-19, according to the Stars latest count. As of 11 a.m. Monday, the health units are reporting a total of 15,824 confirmed or probable cases of COVID-19 including a jump of 52 more fatal cases from the same time Sunday morning, to a total of 962 deaths, Even so, data on the growing number of deaths in Ontario seniors homes reveals the real toll of the COVID-19 epidemic is much larger even than the Stars count. Thats because many deaths were aware of in Ontario care facilities are not yet included in either the Stars count, or the provinces morning update on total confirmed deaths. For example, Toronto Public Health has so far reported 274 COVID-19 deaths in the city. But, according to the Stars separate tally of all publicly available records of an Ontario outbreak, at least 312 people have so far died counting only fatal cases in a Toronto long-term care home. Another 22 have died in a retirement home, according to the Stars count. 11 a.m.: So many complaints about coronavirus price-gouging are flooding into the Ontario government that staff have been re-assigned to help process them. As of last Thursday, 19,515 complaints and inquiries have been lodged with the Ministry of Government and Consumer Services. Of those, 17,833 came through a new online portal launched by Premier Doug Ford on March 28. Some staff from other units within the ministry have been assisting with processing the significant amount of complaints received through the website on price-gouging, Government and Consumer Services Minister Lisa Thompsons office said in a statement to the Star. 10:41 a.m.: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has expanded its list of possible symptoms of the coronavirus, a step that reflects the broad variation and unpredictability in the way the illness can affect individual patients. Echoing the observations of doctors treating thousands of patients in the pandemic, the federal health agency this month changed its website to cite the following symptoms as possible indicators of COVID-19, the infection caused by the coronavirus: chills, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat and new loss of taste or smell. Previously it had listed just three symptoms: fever, cough and shortness of breath. The CDC made no public announcement when it added the six new symptoms to its website April 18, and the agency did not immediately respond to questions about the revised list. While people who become seriously ill from coronavirus infection primarily have acute respiratory distress, other symptoms that accompany the disease can vary widely, doctors and researchers have reported. It has turned out, for example, that many people with COVID-19 do not have fevers or that their fevers wax and wane, and are sometimes accompanied by chills. Shortness of breath can emerge at the same time as other symptoms or it can crop up suddenly a week or even 10 days after a person has been experiencing more manageable symptoms like cough and aches. Some people report a notable loss of smell and taste, an effect that can also occur with other respiratory infections. 10:37 a.m.: A healthcare patient watchdog is looking into complaints from whistleblowers about deficiencies in long-term care homes across the province. The complaints, coming from staff and family members, range from severe staffing shortages, inadequate infection control and prevention measures, inability to meet the basic care needs for some residents and poor to little communication, according to a news release from Patient Ombudsman. Patient Ombudsman is looking to reach out to staff, family members and residents to disclose situations where they feel the safety of personnel in homes s are compromised. This is a frightening time for many patients, residents, families and caregivers, said Craig Thompson, executive director of Patient Ombudsman. Our goal is to learn as much as we can about how COVID-19 is affecting residents and staff in log-term care homes. 9:55 a.m.: U.S. stocks rose and global markets rallied Monday as governments around the world discussed when and how to reopen businesses and get their economies back on track. But turmoil in oil markets continued, with the price of the U.S. benchmark crude tumbling by more than 20%. The S&P 500 opened up less than 1%. European stocks were trading about 2% higher after a broadly higher day in Asia. European governments, including Italy and France, have been discussing ways to reopen in recent days. New Zealand is loosening restrictions on retailers, restaurants, construction sites and schools after only one new case of the virus was reported Monday. In the United States, governors in Colorado, Georgia, Michigan and other states are deciding how and when to start easing some social-distancing restrictions. Any opening will be slow and painful, but investors signaled optimism that the recovery could begin soon. Prices of U.S. Treasury bonds, a traditional investor safe haven, fell in early Monday trading. 9:40 a.m.: Five Costco employees at a location in Vaughan have tested positive for COVID-19, according to a tweet by the citys mayor on Sunday. Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua tweeted at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, saying that York public health officials inspected the Costco location at Highway 7 and Weston Road twice, after learning that multiple employees tested positive for the coronavirus. A third inspection is planned for this week. Bevilacqua said they are working with Costco management to ensure appropriate infection prevention and control measures are being taken, including cleaning and disinfecting. 9:10 a.m.: The Russian soccer league says it is hoping to resume play in late June and wants to complete its season by Aug. 2. The league says it is discussing June 21 and 28 with clubs as possible dates to resume the season amid the coronavirus pandemic. Each club has eight more league games to play. The league says it would keep promotion and relegation if the season can be completed. The league could expand from 16 to 18 teams for next season with the addition of the two best-placed teams from the second division if the season cant be finished. It would then shrink back to its current size for the 2021-22 season. The Russian Cup could also be removed from the calendar for next season only. Players in Russia are currently training on their own at home during a nationwide lockdown and some foreign players have left the country. The league says it has discussed a return to training but didnt announce any dates for that. 9:02 a.m.: Sports apparel and shoe company Adidas saw its earnings fall sharply in the first quarter as the virus outbreak closed 70% of its global store base. Net profit from continuing operations fell 97% to only 20 million euros from 631 million euros in the same period a year ago. The company, based in Herzogenaurach, Germany, said Monday that first quarter revenues fell 19% in currency neutral terms. E-commerce did pick up as the outbreak shutdowns spread in March, rising 55 per cent in March and was continuing to climb. Our results for the first quarter speak to the serious challenges that the global outbreak of the coronavirus poses even for healthy companies, said adidas CEO Kasper Rorsted. Revenue development reflected the phasing of the global outbreak, with a sales decline of 58% in China, where the outbreak started, followed by downturns elsewhere. The company said it had incurred costs in the three-digit millions over product take backs to manage inventory. It said its revenues were recovering in China during the first three weeks of April after the quarter ended, and global e-commerce revenues were showing another significant acceleration. 8 a.m.: A new survey released today shows half of Canadians who participated report their mental health has worsened due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The study by the Angus Reid Institute aims to shed light on how the economic uncertainty and social distancing measures brought on by the pandemic have affected the psychological well-being of Canadians. It says that when asked to describe their primary feelings in recent weeks, 44 per cent of respondents said theyre worried, 41 per cent said theyre anxious and 30 per cent said theyre bored. But a third 34 per cent also said theyre grateful. 7:30 a.m.: Premier Doug Ford is set to unveil Ontarios framework for reopening the province once COVID-19 begins to subside. Ford and Finance Minister Rod Phillips along with Economic Development Minister Vic Fedeli and Health Minister Christine Elliott will release the timeline Monday afternoon at Queens Park. With Ontario in a state of emergency since March 17 and all schools remaining closed until at least June 1 the premier has warned it will be twice as hard to reopen the economy as it was to shut it down. Only essential businesses, such as supermarkets, pharmacies, and liquor and beer stores, are allowed to be open. Restaurants are limited to serving takeout meals and are also permitted to serve wine, beer, and spirits to go. 7:18 a.m.: Julian Assanges extradition trial, set to begin next month, has been delayed amid the coronavirus pandemic. The three-week trial was due to begin May 18 in London, but was postponed until July or even November, because of the extension of the U.K. lockdown. Assange faces extradition to America on charges that he conspired to disclose documents passed to him by former U.S. Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning. The 48-year-old has been in a London jail for a year since he was kicked out of the Ecuadorian embassy where he was hiding from Swedish sexual-assault allegations. His lawyer, Edward Fitzgerald, said that trial preparations have been hamstrung by a prison ban on visitors during the lockdown. 7:07 a.m.: Turkey dispatched an air ambulance and repatriated a Turkish citizen who tested positive for the coronavirus in Sweden but allegedly failed to receive any treatment there. Emrullah Gulusken, 47, was evacuated from his home in Malmo, Sweden, on Sunday after his daughter, Leyla, pleaded for help on social media. She said her father was sent back home despite his worsening condition, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported. Gulusken and his three of his children were flown to Ankara where they were hospitalized, the agency reported. Dear Leyla, we have heard your voice... Our air ambulance is taking off at 6 am we are coming to Sweden, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca tweeted on Sunday. Our hospital, our doctors are ready waiting for your father. Turkey has repatriated some 40,000 nationals from 75 countries since the start of the outbreak in March, according to Foreign Ministry figures. 6:41 a.m.: Workers are refitting the construction site at fire-damaged Notre Dame Cathedral to protect staff from the virus and allow cleanup efforts at the Paris landmark to resume. More than a year after the blaze, workers still havent finished stabilizing the medieval cathedral, much less rebuilding it. And the coronavirus outbreak caused a new setback: Work on the cathedral halted in mid-March, when France imposed strict confinement measures. On Monday, workers began to re-arrange the construction site to make it virus-safe, according to an official with the state agency overseeing the project. The site is hidden from the public by high barriers. 6:30 a.m.: Russia surpassed China with its total number of confirmed coronavirus cases on Monday. The Russian government reported 87,147 cases on Monday, which is almost 4,000 more than Chinas official toll of 83,912. Almost 6,200 new infections were registered in the past 24 hours. The actual number of infections in both countries is thought to be far higher because many people have not been tested, and studies suggest people can be infected with the virus without feeling sick. Many also believe that governments in both Russia and China could be manipulating the statistics for political purposes. 6:25 a.m.: Indian prime minister Narendra Modi has said the monthlong ongoing lockdown has yielded positive results and that the country has managed to save thousands of lives. Modi, who had a videoconference with various heads of the states on Monday, said the impact of the coronavirus, however, will remain visible in the coming months, according to a press statement released by his office. 5:35 a.m.: A total of 874 servicemen in the Russian military have tested positive for the new coronavirus since March, Russias Defence Ministry said Sunday. Almost half of them 379 people are isolated at home; others are being treated in various medical facilities. Four people are in grave condition, including one on a ventilator. Russia has so far reported 80,949 confirmed cases of the virus and 747 deaths. The vast majority of the countrys regions have been on lockdown since late March, with only essential businesses grocery shops, pharmacies, banks operating and people ordered to stay at home. Earlier this month, Russian President Vladimir Putin indefinitely postponed the traditional May 9 military parade marking the 1945 defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II because of the growing outbreak. Military units have already rehearsed the parade footage of these rehearsals showed hundreds of servicemen drilling outside Moscow without observing social distancing. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the military had their own isolation and distancing protocols which allowed them more freedom. 5:20 a.m.: Starting Monday, businesses can apply for the federal governments $73 billion wage subsidy program. Companies that qualify will get a subsidy worth 75 per cent of each employees wages, up to $847 per week, retroactive from March 15 to June 6. And for those organizations that can, the government is asking employers to fill in the remaining quarter. First payments are expected to arrive by the end of next week. Sunday 10:45 p.m.: The Hospital for Sick Children confirmed late Sunday evening that a teenage patient tested positive for COVID-19 and is currently in an isolation room and is stable. Other patients in the same unit were also tested all results came back negative, the hospital noted. SickKids is actively investigating how the virus was transmitted to the patient and is working closely with Toronto Public Health, they wrote in a statement. At this time we believe the risk to patients, families and staff is low. Sunday 9:15 p.m.: British Columbia health officials are pondering how to reopen long-term care facilities to visits from family members. The provinces seniors advocate, Isobel Mackenzie, said she and provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry are looking at safely opening up care homes to some form of visits from family members. One of the very important pieces is that family members are, first of all, able to support their loved one in the care home, and secondly are able to be reassured of what is happening in care homes by being the eyes that see and the ears that hear what is going on in the care homes, she said. Click here to read more of Sundays coverage. (Newser) People worldwide are wearing face masks to protect themselves, but not many are apologizing for the ones they're wearing. WDIV reports on one person who's had to: Dale Zorn, a Michigan state senator who issued a mea culpa after he was recorded Friday during a Senate vote sporting a face mask that resembled the Confederate flag. After the ensuing hubbub, Zorn said he was sorry for his "choice of pattern" in a two-part tweet, noting that "those who know me best know that I do not support the things this pattern represents." He added: "My actions were an error in judgment for which there are no excuses and I will learn from this episode." Zorn says his wife made the mask and told him it was meant to look like the flag of either Tennessee or Kentucky, though the New York Times notes it more closely resembled the Confederate flag. story continues below But a conversation with WLSN on Friday, after the vote, casts doubt on the idea that Zorn never thought his mask might cause controversy. "I told my wife it probably will raise some eyebrows, but it was not a Confederate flag," he told the outlet. He added: "Even if it was a Confederate flag ... we should be talking about teaching our national history in schools, and that's part of our national history." BuzzFeed notes the mask has led to calls for the Republican lawmaker's resignation from Michigan residents online, and some lawmakers across the aisle also took aim. Democratic State Sen. Minority Leader Jim Ananich says the mask left him almost speechless. "I'm just really disappointed to see him make a choice that is deeply hurtful to so many people," he posted. "When he was called out for it, he didn't seem to even understand or acknowledge what the problem was." (Read more face masks stories.) Two H.H. Dow High School seniors were the recipients of Central Michigan University's Centralis Scholar Award and they just happen to be lifelong best friends. Alexus Houk and Lindsay Thompson, both 18-year-old seniors in Midland, have been friends since kindergarten. So, when they both had the opportunity to apply for Central Michigan University's Centralis scholarships, they carpooled together to Mount Pleasant for the one-day competition in November. Thompson said it was exciting to be back on CMU's campus again since she had last toured it in the summer of her junior year. She said she had a different perspective knowing it was potentially the university she would attend. "Getting to see it at a different time of year it felt more real and I could just - I was getting a better feeling for the place and I really really enjoyed it," she said. "And being there with my best friend - it was just a really big steppingstone in my college journey." When Thompson and Houk arrived to campus, they were able to visualize their competition - hundreds of other students and their families gathered in a CMU auditorium. "It was a little overwhelming - being surrounded by so many incredibly talented and intelligent people," Thompson said. As part of the competition, the girls had to complete a one-hour timed essay, which was considered in addition to each student's GPA and ACT/SAT scores. Then in December, Houk and Thompson found out on the same day they had won the Centralis Scholar Award - a day before Houk's 18th birthday and while they were on their way to a Christmas party, where they got to share the news with friends. "It's very humbling and I'm super thankful for CMU's generosity," Thompson said. The Centralis Scholar Award is Central Michigan University's premier merit award and offers 20 recipients a full ride, covering 100% of tuition, room and board, fees, and includes a $5,000 study abroad award. The four-year value is $100,000. In addition, the scholarship recipients are admitted into CMU's Honors Program, which offers special opportunities, admittance to honors courses, specialized academic advising, priority registration and more. There are about 750 to 800 students in CMU's honors program, about 4% of the on-campus body. Both girls have cumulative, weighted GPAs of 4.6 and are in the top 10% of their class, according to Houk's mother, Lynette Houk. She said they were hoping to celebrate the girls' achievements with an open house party; however, due to the coronavirus pandemic, they no longer can. She said it's been hard as a parent to watch her daughter miss out on typical senior-year activities. Still, Lynette said she is thrilled by her daughter's achievement and is filled with pride. "She's worked so hard for all these years, for her to be rewarded like that it's really a gift of a lifetime," she said. Alexus said her current plan is to study pre-med. She would like to major in neuroscience and is most looking forward to what the honors program at CMU has to offer. She said they have a program called CMUMED Honors Early Assurance Program that prepares undergraduate students for medical school and allows early acceptance into the CMU medical school before their senior year of college. She plans to apply in the fall. "I'm also excited to someday participate in the Alternative Break program," she added. "This is an opportunity in which I can travel with a group to a location in the U.S. for a week to participate in a volunteer project." Thompson said she plans to explore a business degree with a minor in Spanish. She is looking forward to student life at CMU and has already looked into different clubs and intramural sports. "The student life at CMU looks amazing so I'm just excited to be able to be a part of their student body and get to experience everything that CMU has to offer," she said. The Texas State Board of Education has approved an African-American studies course for high school students that will include lessons about the states notorious convict-leasing system and the 95 African-Americans discovered in Sugar Land, Fort Bend ISD officials said in a news release. The elective course will be offered to Texas high school students beginning in the 2020-2021 school year, the release said. The curriculum for the African-American studies course and its TEKS (Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills) will include information about the convict-leasing system, according to the release. As part of the post Civil War system, prisoners were contracted out to perform cheap labor across the state. Students will also learn about the discovery of the so called Sugar Land 95, who are believed to be part of the convict-leasing system. Reginald Moore, a local advocate, first warned the school district that it would likely find remains at the construction site of Fort Bend ISDs technical center. Their discovery in 2018 drew national attention and sparked a movement among community members to honor the history of the convict-leasing system in Texas. During a November 2019 state board of education meeting in Austin, Moore testified in favor of the African-American studies course. Moore spoke about the 95 African-American remains discovery and the importance of it being included in the curriculum. The Convict Leasing and Labor Project, which Moore founded, also said in a statement Monday the group is thrilled at the news. CLLP is excited that students across the state of Texas will no longer be left in the dark when it comes to the cruel and horrific reality of the convict leasing system in our state, the statement read. In refusing to hide the dark history of the convict leasing system in Texas from students any longer, the state took a positive step towards reconciliation of the deep, historical wounds that resulted." Before the African-American studies course, the state board of education approved a course highlighting the contributions of Mexican Americans. However, it was mired in controversy for more than four years by arguments between conservative and liberal board members over textbook wording some found offensive, and even the name of the course. The Mexican American curriculum was eventually passed in September 2018. Meanwhile, educators in Dallas Independent School District were busy creating an African American studies course for their district, using the Mexican American course as their model. The DISD course outline starts not with the arrival of African slaves in America something critics say has been the standard in U.S. history textbooks but with African civilizations prior to 1619. Aicha Davis, a board member on the state board of education, proposed last September that the course be offered to students across Texas. Davis, a Democrat who represents Dallas and Fort Worth, helped create the course alongside Dallas ISDs Racial Equity Office. This course isnt necessarily just for African-American students to learn about themselves, said Davis. Its about all students to get to learn about this dynamic culture that truly shaped this country. Chassidy Olainu-Alade, curriculum coordinator for Fort Bend ISD, initially presented research about the discovery of the Sugar Land 95 to a representative for the state board of education and then developed the state TEKS for the course. She also provided guidance on a draft amendment for the course, which states, Students will explain the impact of the convict leasing system on African Americans, including the Sugar Land 95, according to the release. "This journey has been a truly exciting and honorable experience. I've had the opportunity to be a part of the memorialization and education efforts of the District for the past two years," said Olainu-Alade in the release. "As I've stated many times, this is only the beginning. We are committed to ensuring that the Sugar Land 95 and others impacted by the convict leasing system earn their rightful place in history." Olainu-Alade and Fort Bend ISD staff will also work on local curriculum for the course and hope to offer it to students during the next school year. Fort Bend ISD will also create and distribute instructional resources about the Sugar Land 95 to other state districts, according to the release. I am proud to say that the Sugar Land 95 will be appropriately recognized and honored as students across Texas learn this important part of history, said Fort Bend ISD Superintendent of Schools Dr. Charles Dupre, in the release. Raga Justin contributed to this report. brooke.lewis@chron.com VANCOUVER, April 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ - Western Copper and Gold Corporation ("Western" or the "Company") (TSX: WRN; NYSE American: WRN) announces that recently announced strategic investor, Michael Vitton, has agreed to stand for election as director and has been added to the nominee slate. "We are very pleased that Mr. Vitton has agreed to join our board," said Dale Corman, Executive Chairman of Western. "Casino, which is recognized as one of the largest undeveloped gold and copper assets in the world, is moving into a critical point of its lifecycle. The recent high-grade gold discovery and identification of additional porphyries have re-defined the project and Mr. Vitton's network and skillset will be additive as we move the Casino project forward." ABOUT MICHAEL VITTON Mr. Vitton is the former Executive Managing Director, Head, US Equity Sales, Bank of Montreal Capital Markets (BMO Capital Markets) where he originated and placed more than USD $200 billion through public and secondary offerings and M&A transactions across all sectors. In the metals and mining sector, Mr. Vitton has acted as seed investor, lead/co-lead underwriter or in a M&A capacity in some of the most important deals in the sector including African Platinum Ltd., Arequipa Resources Ltd., Bema Gold Corp, Brancotte Resources, Comaplex Minerals Corp., Detour Gold Corp, Diamond Fields Resources Inc., Echo Bay Mines Ltd., Francisco Gold Corp., Franco-Nevada Corp., Gammon Gold Inc., Getchell Gold Corp., Golden Shamrock Mines Ltd., Guinor Resources Ltd., Hemlo Gold Mines Inc., Ivanhoe Mines Ltd., Meridian Gold Inc., MexGold Resources Inc., Minefinders Corporation Ltd., Moto Goldmines Ltd., New Gold Inc., Northern Orion Resources Inc., Osisko Mining Inc, Peru Copper Inc., Wheaton River Minerals Ltd., Randgold Resources Ltd., Rio Narcea Gold Mines Ltd., Skye Resources Inc., Semafo Inc., Sino Gold Mining Ltd., UrAsia Energy, UraMin Inc. among many others. Mr. Vitton was also the co-founder of MMX Minerals e Metalicos SA (Brazil) ("MMX") and LLX Logistica SA (Brazil). MMX sold Minas Rio and Amapa assets to Anglo American Corporation for USD $5.5 billion in cash in December 2008, returning USD $8.8 billion in cash or stock distributions to MMX shareholders, offering six times return from IPO. LLX Logistica (Acu Port) was sold to EIG (Energy Infrastructure Group). Additionally, he co-founded Petro Rio SA, one of the leading Brazilian public oil and gas producers, producing over 35,000 bbls per day. Recently, Mr. Vitton acted as seed investor and capital markets advisor to Newmarket Gold Inc., which was sold to Kirkland Lake Gold Ltd. for CAD $ 1 billion, combining to form a CAD $2.4 billion company. Kirkland Lake Gold Ltd. was awarded 2018 Digger of the Year (Diggers and Dealers). He acted as investor and capital markets advisor to ASX-listed Gold Road Resources Ltd., raising AUD $57 million, and bringing the Gruyere gold mine into production jointly with Gold Fields SA. Gold Road Resources Ltd. won the Diggers and Dealers award for best deal in 2017. He currently acts as advisor to Cardinal Resources Ltd. Mr. Vitton is a partner and member of P5 Infrastructure, operating in partnership with EQT Infrastructure/CMA CGM, where EQT Infrastructure/P5 Infrastructure acquired 90% of Global Gateway South Terminal, a deep sea terminal in Long Beach Harbor, CA. Mr. Vitton is a graduate of the University of Michigan Business School, former Seat Holder, NYSE, and former President, New York Society of Metals Analysts. He has invested and partnered with some of the largest sovereign fund, private equity funds, mutual and hedge funds. Mr. Vitton is focused on the energy, infrastructure, industrial and mining sectors. ROBERT GAYTON WILL NOT STAND FOR RE-ELECTION The Company would also like to inform that longtime board member Robert Gayton will not stand for re-election at this year's Annual General Meeting. The Company would like to thank Mr. Gayton for his 16 years of board service. Mr. Gayton joined the group as a director of Western Silver Corp. and continued as a director with the spinout of Western Copper in 2006. Mr. Gayton has played a key role in guiding and advising the Company over the years. He will be missed by the entire Western team and we wish him all the best in his future endeavors. ABOUT WESTERN COPPER AND GOLD CORPORATION Western Copper and Gold Corporation is developing the Casino Project, Canada's premier copper-gold mine in the Yukon Territory and one of the most economic greenfield copper-gold mining projects in the world. For more information, visit www.westerncopperandgold.com. On behalf of the board, "Dale Corman" F. Dale Corman Executive Chairman Western Copper and Gold Corporation Cautionary Disclaimer Regarding Forward-Looking Statements and Information This news release contains certain forward-looking statements concerning anticipated developments in Western's operations in future periods. Statements that are not historical fact are "forward-looking statements" as that term is defined in the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and "forward looking information" as that term is defined in National Instrument 51-102 ("NI 51-102") of the Canadian Securities Administrators (collectively, "forward-looking statements"). Forward-looking statements are frequently, but not always, identified by words such as "plans", "expects", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "potential", "possible" and similar expressions, or statements that events, conditions or results "will", "may", "could" or "should" occur or be achieved. These forward-looking statements may include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the anticipated closing date of and the use of proceeds from the Private Placement. In making the forward-looking statements herein, the Company has applied certain material assumptions including, but not limited to, the assumptions that all regulatory approvals will be received in a timely manner and on acceptable terms; that general business conditions will note change in a materially adverse manner and that the Private Placement will proceed as planned. Forward-looking statements are statements about the future and are inherently uncertain, and actual results, performance or achievements of Western and its subsidiaries may differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements due to a variety of risks, uncertainties and other factors. Such risks and other factors include, among others, risks involved in fluctuations in gold, copper and other commodity prices and currency exchange rates; the risks and uncertainties related to the Private Placement not being completed in the event that the conditions precedent thereto (including receipt of requisite regulatory approvals) are not satisfied; uncertainties related to raising sufficient financing in a timely manner and on acceptable terms; and other risks and uncertainties disclosed in Western's AIF and Form 40-F, and other information released by Western and filed with the applicable regulatory agencies. Western's forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, expectations and opinions of management on the date the statements are made, and Western does not assume, and expressly disclaims, any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as otherwise required by applicable securities legislation. For the reasons set forth above, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. SOURCE Western Copper and Gold Corporation Related Links www.westerncoppercorp.com Filmmaker Karan Johar, on Sunday, took to his Twitter account and apologised for his social media posts. He said that the posts may have come off as 'insensitive' to many during this time, when people are fighting against the Coronavirus outbreak worldwide. Karan shared his apologetic tweet along with a video created by Australian comedian Greta Lee Jackson's parody video, Thank you Celebrity, and wrote, "This hit me hard and I have realised many of my posts may have been insensitive to many. I apologise profusely and wish to add none of it was intentional and came from a place of sharing but clearly may have lacked emotional foresight. I am sorry." The video shows 'normal' people thanking celebrities for the content online from the comfort of their mansion and massive rural homes. The said normal people in the video included, two round-the-clock working doctors, an unemployed person and a man who was rendered homeless after his landlord refused to decrease the rent. The video intents to take a jibe at celebrities sharing post claiming, 'we are all in this together'. This hit me hard and I have realised many of my posts may have been insensitive to many...I apologise profusely and wish to add none of it was intentional and came from a place of sharing but clearly may have lacked emotional foresight ....am sorry! https://t.co/MO3kHkDQdo Karan Johar (@karanjohar) April 25, 2020 The two-minute-long clip called out celebrities like Ellen DeGeneres for saying, "this feels like we are in jail" while living in a mansion, Australian presenter Amanda Keller for "dancing around her massive kitchen" and more. The clip also mocked the ignorance of celebrities and ended with, "We are so glad you are ok. You are the true heroes. Give us your money." Karan Johar is often seen uploading videos of his twin kids Yash and Roohi on social media profiles with the hashtag, #LockdownWithTheJohars. Earlier, director Farah Khan also talked about celebrities being insensitive towards the current situation by uploading their workout videos. Farah Khan Slams Bollywood Stars For Flaunting Their Privilege During Times Of Crisis Karan Johar Flaunts His Grey Hair Amid Lockdown, Says 'Grey Matters' Moving Away From the Chinese Regime Because China Has Lost Its Credibility | Epoch News 4/27 Welcome to Epoch News, Im Tatiana Darzi. Why Belgiums CCP Virus Death Toll Is So High Belgium, a small country in Europe, has a population of about 11 million people. However, it has one of the highest death tolls of the CCP virus. Although the countrys death toll is rising, King Phillippe of Belgium continues to applaud how the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) handled the virus outbreak and thanked the Chinese regime for being a true friend. US and Japan Move Away From China Countries worldwide have had to rethink the risks of having economic trade with the CCP. Japan and the United States are taking important steps to speed up the process of decoupling from the regime. China has lost its credibility and there are many factors directing companies to move their companies back to the U.S. CCP Virus Test Resulting in False Negative In China, its been reported that doctors from a hospital did testing on more than 200 samples from patients and the results suggested a false-negative rate of about 30%. This is a high rate of error. This shows that many people infected with the virus, might have been misdiagnosed and were not included in the statistical data. China: Health Barcodes Benefit the Regime, Not the People Chinese authorities are forcing citizens to present health bar codes on their phones to identify a persons health risk level related to the CCP virus. While people who have green barcodes representing good health may feel happy about the system, others realize that barcodes indicating a health risk makes civilians more vulnerable to the regimes inhumane control measures. Covering Up the Harbin Pandemic Located in Chinas northeast, the city of Harbin has become the new epicenter of the CCP virus pandemic. A resident from the area, Mr. Yu explained how he and his wife were both harassed by the police because of their online messages about the CCP virus. He says the government doesnt care about its citizens since there isnt any kind of relief aid and many people are struggling financially. Trumps Live speech CCP Virus Infections Declining in USA On Friday, President Trump began his press briefing by stating that the U.S. is seeing evidence that their aggressive strategy is working. Nationwide, the percent of tests coming back positive have been declining significantly. Half of all Americans live in states that have taken steps to open their economies. Americans are asked to remain vigilant, maintain hygiene, social distancing, and voluntary use of face coverings. The following charts will show you the most recent numbers regarding the CCP virus pandemic. However, China and Iran are not included because their numbers are unverifiable. Thats all for today! Trump goes on to say that on Friday he signed the Paycheck Protection Program and Healthcare Enhancement Act that will benefit small businesses, minorities, and hospitals. Dont forget to Like, Subscribe, and Share this program with friends and family to keep them informed about the latest news and updates. Thank you for joining me. See you next time! [April 27, 2020] Taulia Announces Strategic Alliance with J.P. Morgan Taulia, the leader in working capital technology solutions, today announced a strategic alliance with J.P. Morgan which will create a unique and differentiated trade finance solution for clients. This alliance cements Taulia's position as the market-leading Supply Chain Finance provider and allows J.P. Morgan to deepen the value proposition for clients. The new strategic initiative offers J.P. Morgan's clients both the capability to onboard suppliers of all sizes across the globe and the flexibility to toggle seamlessly between bank-funded and self-funded early payments. Through Taulia's platform, clients will be able to inject liquidity to strengthen theirsupply chain while simultaneously giving them more visibility and control over their cash, ultimately unlocking trapped working capital within their supply chains. "We're always looking for impactful ways to enhance the client experience within Wholesale Payments and that's been proven by our various investments over the last three years - from acquisitions to strategic alliances like what we're doing with Taulia," said Takis Georgakopoulos, Global Head of Wholesale Payments, J.P. Morgan. "With Taulia, we're better positioned to serve our clients for the long term, allowing them to inject and redeploy liquidity to their suppliers, ensuring continued operations during this challenging time." This is J.P. Morgan's most significant strategic alliance with a FinTech in the trade finance business, as the firm looks to leverage Taulia's industry leading technology platform, data and analytics to enhance and optimize corporate supply chains. "We're eager for clients to begin using the combined offering, as it brings together our depth of resources, expertise, strategic vision and vast client relationships, accelerating growth and innovation within the trade finance industry," said Stuart Roberts, Global Head of Trade, J.P. Morgan. "We are very excited to be working together with J.P. Morgan to offer a solution that will be game-changing in our industry. Combining Taulia's technology and delivery with J.P. Morgan's global reach creates an unmatched value proposition for clients. Our mission is to allow businesses to thrive by having access to cash in a predictable and cost-effective manner. This strategic alliance further strengthens our purpose," says Cedric Bru, CEO, Taulia. About Taulia Taulia is a leading provider of working capital solutions headquartered in San Francisco, California. Through a unique combination of its technology platform, people and process, Taulia helps companies access the value tied up in their supply chain by transitioning from inefficient and often manual working capital management practices into technology-led, working capital optimization strategies. Taulia's vision is to create a world where every business thrives by enabling buyers and suppliers to choose when to pay and get paid. A network of 2 million businesses use Taulia's technology and the company processes over $500 billion every year. Taulia is trusted by the world's largest companies including Airbus, AstraZeneca, Nissan and Vodafone (News - Alert). About J.P. Morgan's Wholesale Payments Business J.P. Morgan's Wholesale Payments business combines the treasury services, trade, commercial card and merchant services capabilities to help clients pay anyone, in any currency, anywhere in the world. It processes $6 trillion payments daily, is the top USD clearer and was the first to offer real-time payment capabilities across USD, GBP and EUR. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200426005037/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Workers wear protective masks and stand between plastic dividers at the company's Camilla, Georgia poultry processing plant. Tyson has added the plastic dividers to create separation between workers because of the coronavirus outbreak. Associated Press Tyson chairman John Tyson said "millions of pounds of meat will disappear" as meat processing plants are forced to close. Tyson said closing slaughterhouses could lead to food shortages and force farmers to kill "millions of animals" that go unsold as the supply chain breaks down. There have been more than 1,180 cases of COVID-19 among Tyson workers, with at least eight employees dying. While Tyson has changed its attendance policy, it still does not offer full paid sick leave. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Related Video: Why Some Viruses Jump From Animals to People and Some Don't Tyson chairman John Tyson said in an open letter that "millions of pounds of meat will disappear from the supply chain" as meat processing plants are forced to close. More than 1,180 Tyson workers across the US have been sickened with COVID-19, according to Business Insider calculations, with at least eight employees dying. The meat industry giant does not offer paid sick leave. Tyson ran an open letter from the chairman as a full-page ad in The Washington Post, the New York Times and the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette on Sunday, in which he discusses challenges linked to the coronavirus pandemic. "In small communities around the country where we employ over 100,000 hard-working men and women, we're being forced to shutter our doors," Tyson writes. "This means one thing the food supply chain is vulnerable." "As pork, beef and chicken plants are being forced to close, even for short periods of time, millions of pounds of meat will disappear from the supply chain," Tyson continues. "As a result, there will be limited supply of our products available in grocery stores until we are able to reopen our facilities that are currently closed." More than 1,180 Tyson workers have been diagnosed with COVID-19 Tyson employee. AP Photo/Charlie Riedel At least four Tyson plants across the US have been forced to close as workers have caught the coronavirus, The Counter reports. Story continues Business Insider's analysis of local heath departments releases and news reports indicates that at least 1,185 workers from eight Tyson plants have contacted COVID-19. At least eight workers, working in Camilla, Georgia, Wallula, Washington, Columbus Junction, Iowa, and Dakota City, Nebraska have died. A Tyson representative told Business Insider that the company is not sharing the specific number of cases or deaths, as it is an "ever-changing situation." In Tyson's open letter, the chairman describes steps the company has taken to protect workers, including taking employees' temperatures, requiring workers to wear facemasks, additional daily deep cleaning, and installing workstation dividers. Tyson said the company has relaxed its attendance policy "to encourage workers to stay at home when they're sick or feel uneasy about coming to work." Tyson has also waived the waiting period to qualify for short-term disability, as well as the co-pay, co-insurance, and deductible costs for COVID-19 testing. The company still does not offer fully paid sick leave, with short-term disability covering 60% of workers' pay. "What gave us faith in the past and gives me faith today is knowing that together, we will find the right path to take care of our team members and our communities, while providing safe and healthy food for you, our consumers," Tyson wrote in the open letter. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently released specific guidance for meat and poultry processing facilities, which discuss distinctive risks workers face, such as long shifts in which they are in close contact with others. The CDC and OSHA recommendations include requiring six feet of distance between workers, modifying incentive programs to make sure they do not punish workers for taking sick leave, and screening employees for symptoms. OSHA also urged employees to submit a complaint if they face illegal retaliation for raising concerns over safety and health conditions. Farmer Mike Paustian walks between pens of hogs on his farm in Walcott, Iowa, on November 19, 2014. REUTERS/Daniel Acker Farmers have been forced to destroy goods such as milk, vegetables, and farm animals as the supply chain has broken down during the coronavirus pandemic. "Farmers across the nation simply will not have anywhere to sell their livestock to be processed, when they could have fed the nation," Tyson wrote. "Millions of animals chickens, pigs and cattle will be depopulated because of the closure of our processing facilities. The food supply chain is breaking." Depopulation means that farmers kill animals and bury, compost, or incinerate the bodies of livestock instead of sending them to meat processing plants where they would be turned into food. Delmarva Poultry Industry Inc. announced that two million chickens on farms in Delaware and Maryland would have to be killed, because the processing plant lacked the necessary workers to process the birds. Earlier in April, the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) said farmers were considering euthanizing pigs instead of selling them at a loss of almost $37 per hog. If you're an employee in the meat processing industry with a story to share, email retail@businessinsider.com. Read the original article on Business Insider A study has found that young people with an ADHD diagnosis at age nine were faring worse by age 13 than others who also appeared to have the condition but did not have a formal diagnosis. The analysis of data from the Growing Up in Ireland longitudinal study indicated that as many as half of the children with an ADHD diagnosis at age nine did not have any specialist mental health supports despite confirmation of the condition. One of the co-authors of the study, Dr Cliodhna OConnor, a lecturer and assistant professor in the UCD School of Psychology, said one possible explanation for the divergence in fortunes by age 13 was that the diagnosis particularly without supports became a label that sets the child on a negative social and emotional trajectory. According to the study, published in the Journal of Child Psychiatry and Human Development, ADHD (Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) diagnoses are increasing worldwide, in patterns involving both over-diagnosis of some groups and under-diagnosis of others. It used data from the Growing Up in Ireland study of 8,568 children to examine sociodemographic, clinical, and psychological variables that differentiate children with high hyperactivity/inattention symptoms, who had and had not received a diagnosis of ADHD. The study states: Analysis identified no significant differences in the demographic characteristics or socio-emotional wellbeing of nine-year-olds with hyperactivity/inattention who had and who had not received a diagnosis of ADHD. However, by age 13, those who had held a diagnosis at nine showed more emotional and peer relationship problems, worse prosocial behaviour, and poorer self-concept. Dr OConnor said the data used was old, in that the children were aged nine in 2008 and 13 in 2012, and fresh waves of data were now available for analysis. Regarding the undiagnosed group, she said that we implemented quite a high threshold for inclusion, meaning there was a high likelihood that a lot of them would qualify for an ADHD diagnosis. She said there were three possible explanations for the divergence between the two groups at age 13. One is that the group with a diagnosis at age nine were displaying more challenging psychological features that may not show in the data. Another was that a confounding factor could be at play, such as the possibility of an issue within the family. The final possible factor was that the diagnosis itself sets the child on a negative social and emotional trajectory which she said was effectively linked to stigma and negative perceptions. The actual prevalence rate of ADHD is 5% and Dr OConnor said levels of perceived stigma would likely have been greater when the data was captured, but she said there was evidence within the sample of children with a diagnosis not getting any specialist mental health supports. Only half of the diagnosed group had more than one contact with a mental health professional in the previous year, she said, adding that 41.1% had been prescribed medication. That could be a big issue, she said, saying that with a diagnosis but no accompanying supports you are just left with this label. One conclusion is that the services should be there and there should be effective treatment. A smaller indication within the study was the idea of a more gradual or phased approach to diagnosis, with supports provided first and a diagnosis following only if there was no response to those interventions, with the result of more pronounced assistance then being provided. Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Monday alleged a scam in the supply of rapid test kits to the government to detect coronavirus cases, saying it was beyond belief that some people were indulging in profiteering from the immeasurable suffering of millions. He urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take immediate strict action to bring the corrupt to justice. That any human being would try and profiteer from the immeasurable suffering of millions of his brothers and sisters is beyond belief and comprehension. This scam is an insult to every Indian. I urge the PM to act swiftly to bring the corrupt to justice, Gandhi tweeted. When the entire country is fighting against the Covid-19 disaster, some people are still profiteering. Shame and disgust at this corrupt mentality. One detests and feels ashamed of such a corrupt mindset. The country will never pardon them. We demand from the Prime Minister strict action against these profiteers, he said in another tweet in Hindi. The Congress cited media reports about rapid test kits for Covid-19 were being sold at around 150% profits to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and asked the Prime Minister to fix the responsibility for it. Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said it was shameful and inhuman that people were supplying test kits bought for 225 at 600 to the state exchequer. Corruption in Corona Testing Kits OR Profiteering by duping the Exchequer. Import Price of 1 Testing Kit= 225! Purchase Price of Testing Kit= 600! Profit Margin = 166.66 pc! Shameful and Inhuman! Will PM fix responsibility, he tweeted. Senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel too demanded a clarification from the government. The recent Delhi HC (high court) judgement has raised a pertinent question - Why was ICMR purchasing antibody test kits for 600 per piece, which was imported for 245? he asked on twitter. Later addressing reporters through video-conferencing, Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari demanded that the government should make public details of all purchases made in the last one month to fight Covid-19. He said the government should put an immediate end to the huge profiteering in procurement of equipment. What is happening? There seems to be absolute anarchy in procurement of equipment for fighting Covid-19. We would like to demand from the government to make public all details made with regard to procuring equipment for testing, PPEs and ventilators. All those transactions must be transparently placed in public domain, added Tewari. Referring to a company engaged in supply of testing kits acquired from China, he alleged that kits purchased at 245 were being sold by the same company to ICMR at 600 each while the same to Tamil Nadu government were sold at 400 each. The price of one testing kit was 245, thus 5 lakh kits amount to 12.25 crore. However, the firm sold the kits to another company at 21 crore and the ICMR procured these kits at 30 crore, which is a profit margin of more than 100%, Tewari said. The Congress leader said the matter came to light in a petition before the Delhi high court by a company supplying such equipment. This is an extremely serious matter which hurts the fight of India against Covid-19. Our countrys resources are scarce and we have to optimise them and not allow companies to make arbitrage of over 60% in these transactions, he said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Chinese Friendship Gate is the focal point of Chinatown where new restaurants are changing the look of the venerable Chinese community. Read more A Delaware labor leader who made anti-Asian coronavirus social media posts has apologized for his hurtful and offensive posts. In the past I occasionally used [coarse] and sometimes unacceptable language to make a point, James Maravelias, president of the Delaware AFL-CIO, posted Saturday on Facebook. I now realize that on a handful of instances, my social media posts were hurtful and offensive. However, I am sorry if they offended anyone or any group of people. The apology came a day after Politico reported on the posts by Maravelias, whose state AFL-CIO counts at least 16 unions as members. Maravelias, who is also president of the Delaware Building Trades and an official at Laborers Local 199, deleted a meme he posted on March 30 that showed Adam and Eve as two Chinese people eating a snake an image fueling anti-Chinese sentiment and referring to suggestions that Chinese culture is to blame for the coronavirus. Here you go come on you know its funny, he wrote, according to a screenshot. In another now-deleted post that appears to feature a video of people eating wild animals, he wrote: Hey snowflakes...See no nationality to insult your feelings...BUT eating this [expletive] is why the virus COVID-19 has killed a couple of hundred thousand people so far. ASK US: Do you have a question about the coronavirus and how it affects your health, work and life? Ask our reporters. Maravelias posts, which were condemned by the Anti-Defamation League, come out of a long tradition of racism and anti-immigrant sentiment in the American labor movement. Some say posts like these continue to threaten the fight for workers rights. This is a point in labor history where we need strong community organizing more than ever, said Jeeva Muhil, a bartender and member of the Philadelphia chapter of the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA). On top of unemployment and health issues, [Asian Americans] are experiencing a spike in hate crimes. These racist Facebook posts hold back the entire labor movement from organizing. Building trades leaders in Philadelphia, too, have long fended off accusations of racism and anti-immigrant sentiment: Most recently, the Carpenters union denounced the actions of a union official who wore blackface during the Mummers Parade. But Maravelias apology, like the Carpenters distancing itself from their member who wore blackface, suggests theres less tolerance for these kinds of sentiments among labor leaders. Maravelias did not respond on Monday to a request for comment, but last week told Politico: Approximately 15,000 residents of New Castle County have been infected and you are hassling me about a Facebook post unemployment is over 30% in Delaware and my personal Facebook reposts are news? No wonder there is no real media presence.... This is politically motivated by a far-left-wing faction to drive a wedge with radical political theatrics. Politicos Daniel Lippman noted that Delawares official unemployment rate in March was actually 5.1%, although its certainly risen significantly since then, and there are fewer than 1,400 cases in New Castle County. READ MORE: Asian Americans already face a mental health crisis. Coronavirus racism could make it worse. Kristine Yang, a music teacher who is a member of APALA, said anti-Asian racism is often seen as funny and not real racism because its in the form of cartoons, jokes, or catcalls. However, she said, it perpetuates the idea that Asian people are somehow inferior and deserve ridicule, and causes the victims to feel hurt and shame. Asian Americans have reported facing increased racism and hate speech during the pandemic. President Donald Trump has called the coronavirus the Chinese virus, despite the World Health Organizations recommendation that viruses not be named by geographic location because such shorthand has sparked a backlash in the past. Economic Development Ministry excludes bookmakers from list of systemic companies RAPSI, Vladimir Burnov 17:40 27/04/2020 MOSCOW, April 27 (RAPSI) Russias Ministry of Economic Development and Trade has removed organizations engaged in bookmaking activities from the list of systemic enterprises, according to the press-service of the Prosecutor Generals Office. The Ministry has developed new criteria of eligibility of companies for priority financial aid at the request of the oversight authority, the statement reads. The amended criteria permit local economic mainstays, organizations engaged in ensuring informational security over internet and transport access to distant territories; corporate entities carrying out operations of critically important infrastructure, and others to seek being put on this list; bookmakers are not among them, the Prosecutor Generals Office statement reads. With the recent promulgation of Decree No.37/2020/ND-CP, the Vietnamese government offers a lifeline for small- and medium-sized enterprises as a necessary preparation to cope up with negative impacts of the coronavirus pandemic on the economy. Nguyen Hong Hai and Hoang Le Quan, lawyers at Lexcomm Vietnam LLC, analyse the potential inspirations of Decree 37 to the continuing growth of Vietnams economy. Nguyen Hong Hai and Hoang Le Quan, lawyers at Lexcomm Vietnam LLC On March 30, the government officially introduced Decree 37 to expand the list of business lines eligible for investment incentives under the Law on Investment No.67/2014/QH13 and Decree No.118/2015/ND-CP guiding the implementation of this law. Accordingly, from May 15, several industries and sectors will officially become eligible for investment incentives. These include small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) product distribution chains, business incubators for SMEs, technical support facilities for SMEs, and coworking spaces for startups. Decree 37 will undeniably impose its positive socio-economic impacts by finalising the legal framework on the supportive mechanism for SMEs. This decree arrives right in time, as it does not only focus on furthering the commitment and support from the government toward the rapidly growing of startup economy in Vietnam, but also plays an active role as a vitamin boost to strongly support SMEs and startups business sustaining against negative impacts of the coronavirus outbreak. About 98 per cent of 760,000 enterprises in Vietnam are SMEs, which contributes approximately 45 per cent in GDP, 31 per cent in total state budget, and has created more than five million jobs by the end of 2019. The numbers confirm the huge potential and socio-economic significance of SMEs yet, they are among the most vulnerable subjects during the outbreak. A recent report conducted by the Research Department for Private Economy Development under the Prime Ministers Advisory Council for Administrative Procedure Reform concluded that if the pandemic lasts for six months, 74 per cent of surveyed enterprises may go bankrupt, nearly 30 per cent may reduce their revenues by 20-50 per cent, 60 per cent may reduce more than 50 per cent of their revenues. The main reason is that resources (such as financial, market, and human resources) for SMEs which were already limited are now getting harder to access. Meanwhile, investment incentives offered to them, as introduced under the Law on Support for Small- and Medium-sized Enterprises No.04/2017/QH14 in 2017, still appear to be practically unavailable, due to the lack of systematic and uniform support from the government in the central and local levels. With Decree 37, several industries and sectors will officially become eligible for investment incentives. Photo: Le Toan Fast-track solution The law on SMEs was enacted with an aim to create a special incentive policy to promote their development. However, at present, the law implementing alone has not achieved the expected effects, mainly due to the lack of clear guiding documents, the conflict with other regulations (such as investment, tax, or land regulations), and the vagueness in supportive policies. This leads to the fact that most SMEs in Vietnam are still struggling to access credit, tax, and land support programmes, as well as other preferential policies as introduced by the law on SMEs. One of the most challenging obstacles in practice is the lack of a clear legal basis for granting investment incentives to the supporting businesses to the SMEs. In particular, Article 33.1(a) of the Law on SMEs stipulates four types of businesses eligible for investment incentives (those are now the main subject under Decree 37 the supporting businesses). However, these businesses were not clearly addressed in the list of preferential businesses and investment sectors attached to Decree 118. Meanwhile, the list under Decree 118 still serves as the legal basis for the application of investment incentives, including incentive on non-agricultural land use tax (under the Law on Non-Agricultural Land Use Tax); land use fee and land rental (under the Law on Land); import duty (under the Law on Export and Import Duties); and some other incentives under Decree No.57/2018/ND-CP on supportive mechanisms and policies for enterprises investing in agricultural sectors and rural areas. Pending a clear inclusion of the supporting businesses into the list of preferential businesses and investment sectors, it is rather difficult, if not impossible, for investors to seek to apply for incentives when launching the supporting business. As a matter of fact, lawmakers have been well aware of such a problem, and have addressed this issue in the draft of the new Law on Investment (which is proposed to be submitted to the National Assembly for approval in June). Following the current draft of the new law, once it is passed, the supporting business will then be clearly included in the list of preferential businesses and investments, thus solving this problem. Nevertheless, to wait for the new law is passed, on the assumption that there is no delay in the enactment of this new Law on Investment, the SMEs would still have had to wait until early 2021 at the soonest (when the new law may take effect) to have solid ground to apply for investment incentives. It is a promising timeline, yet there may not be enough time to wait for the economy, and especially SMEs, since the pandemic has put the world and Vietnams economy at impending risk of an economic crisis in the near future. Decree 37, with the effect to immediately amend Decree 118, is a fast-track solution offered by the government to help SMEs during this difficult time. The issuance of Decree 37 in the midst of the serious outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, on the first hand, demonstrates the governments dedication to further promote the SMEs. On the other hand, it helps ease investor worries during this chaotic period. Yet, the implementation of Decree 37 needs to be seen. Startup hub establishment Vietnam has the third-highest rate for startups in Southeast Asia and Vietnams innovation ecosystem provides a wide range of opportunities for Australian investors, said the Australian Trade and Investment Commission under its Vietnams Innovation Ecosystem 2019 Report. Obviously, Vietnam has huge potential to become a new regional hub for both local and foreign startup enterprises. Currently, startup enterprises mostly concentrate in Hanoi, Danang, and Ho Chi Minh City. These three cities have also witnessed the success of numerous coworking spaces such as Toong, Dreamlex, Nest, and Hatch!, as well as the success of startup incubators and accelerators (such as the Vietnam Silicon Valley). Decree 37 will also open a wide door for startups in Vietnam by attracting more investment, including foreign investment, into related sectors. Additionally, by establishing a uniform preferential set of conditions on a nationwide scale, Decree 37 is expected to expand the startup trend and successful models to more cities and provinces, other than the current big three locations. The equivalent allocation of chances and resources will eventually benefit the economy, contributing to the establishment of a startup hub in the Southeast Asian region. One can say that Decree 37 is bringing the spirit of Februarys Directive No.09/CT-TTg on preferential conditions for innovative startups into reality. In the past, due to the gap between the regulatory direction of the central government and the actual implementation of the law on SMEs, local authorities were facing challenges in realising the supportive mechanisms introduced under this law, thus led to the fact that numerous unnecessary business requirements and administrative procedures had been adopted in various localities, hindering the development of SMEs. Thanks to Decree 37, it is now expected that the inconsistency between the governments policy and the localities implementation will be solved consistently throughout the country. With the clear recognition of the supporting businesses in the list of preferential sectors, it should be easier for investors to access the land and credit support programmes from the government. In addition, when Decree 37 becomes effective, with additional supporting mechanism from the government to overcome the severely hit of the pandemic, the new regulation is expected to become a momentum for the economy to rapidly recover after it comes to an end and, in the long run, to help Vietnam come closer to achieving startup nation status. vir Nguyen Hong Hai and Hoang Le Quan Tax cuts proposed for SMEs to accelerate growth after COVID-19 The Ministry of Planning and Investment has asked for corporate income tax (CIT) to be cut for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) by half this year in an effort to boost growth when the COVID-19 pandemic eases. A historian has called for military service to be re-introduced 60 years after it was abandoned to boost the public's understanding of defence as Britain's armed forces face an 'existential crisis'. Professor Sir Hew Strachan warned in his report, commissioned by the Ministry of Defence, of a 'communication gap' between the military and British public that has, in some cases, led to wounded soldiers being viewed as victims rather than victors. He also cautioned that, when discussed, the military languishes in a 'mythologised memory of the Second World War' rather than an appreciation of how conflict is experienced and conducted today. Most recently, National Service was compulsory in the UK between 1945 and 1960, with the last servicemen leaving the Armed Forces in 1963. Men aged 17-21 had to serve for two years, with an additional four years in reserve and ready to be called up if required. There have been calls for Britain to re-launch its national service in order to improve the nation's resilience and connection to its armed forces Professor Sir Hew Strachan wrote a study on the relationship, commissioned by the Ministry of Defence, which called for national service to be re-introduced Highlighting the gap in his study, published last week by US military think-tank RAND Corporation, Sir Strachan said the relationship's breakdown could harm national resilience. Britain still 'luxuriates in a sense of its own continuity and self-identity', he said. 'It also aspires to have a "global" role, particularly since the 2016 Brexit referendum, at a time when many comparable states, for all pressures of so-called "globalisation", are describing their defence postures in regional terms.' But, he said: 'If Britain is to generate a mature attitude to the use of armed force... it needs to be more mature about defence.' Ministers, he said, have been held back in the belief the public is 'reluctant to support the cost of defence and unpersuaded of the utility of military force'. Wounded service personnel returning from Iraq or Afghanistan 'have been characterised (in part thanks to the well-intentioned efforts of organisations like Help for Heroes or communities like Royal Wootton Bassett) as victims, not victors, who have suffered in wars of "choice", not wars of necessity.' Britain abandoned national service in 1960 as it tied up regular soldiers and the economy was demanding further workers Other European countries still demand national service. France re-introduced a programme two years ago. Pictured above is London during World War Two The professor drew parallels with European neighbours such as Denmark, which has a Defence Day (compulsory for males; voluntary for females) when young people are 'enticed to sign up for service or compelled into it'. France, which is facing many of the same challenges as Britain, re-introduced compulsory military conscription two years ago, which was trialled with 2,000 French teenagers last year. Those aged 16 will be required to complete a month of compulsory service and can then opt for a further three-month voluntary service. Germany, which abandoned conscription in 2011, has also started considering conscription bringing in citizens from across the EU. Estonia and Norway have both maintained military conscription along with Sweden, whose army takes in about 4,000 recruits annually. Conscription in the UK was thrown out in 1960 as it tied up regular soldiers in training and drained the workforce from the economy, according to the London-based National Army Museum. Emmanuel Macron brought in national service for French 16-year-olds, who will be required to serve for a month Britain has only introduced conscription twice. It was brought in between 1916 and 1920 for the First World War, and re-started in 1939 due to the Second World War. Initially recruiting men aged between 18 and 41 after 1939, it was then scaled back to recruit just 17 to 21 year-olds in 1949. Soldiers were under conscription at times when Britain faced the Korea War in 1950 and Suez war in 1956. Today, Britain's army has shelled out more than 10million on recruitment adverts with varying degrees of success. The federal governments announcement last week of rent assistance for businesses is drawing a mixed reaction from advocacy groups, some of whom say the program gives too much control to landlords. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced last week that the federal government had reached an agreement with the provinces and territories that would see rent lowered by 75 per cent for small businesses impacted by COVID-19. Under the program, property owners would receive forgivable loans to cover 50 per cent of the rent for April, May and June the loans are forgiven if the owner agrees to lower the rent by at least 75 per cent. The tenant business would pay the remaining 25 per cent. Eligible businesses are those paying $50,000 or less a month in rent and who have either temporarily closed due to COVID-19 or experienced at least a 70 per cent drop in revenue. The program is expected to be operational by mid-May. There are three big concerns with the program, said Laura Jones, executive vice-president and chief strategic officer at the Canadian Federation of Independent Business. One is that it gives too much power to the landlords. What happens if the landlord doesnt apply for the program? she said. The two other concerns, she said, is that the current process to apply for the program is too complicated, and the threshold to be eligible a 70 per cent drop in revenue is too high. A lot of businesses will be left out, said Jones, adding that only about 10 per cent of CFIB members said in a recent survey that the design of the program is good. The concerns were echoed by Gilleen Pearce, co-ordinator of the Better Way Alliance, which represents more than 60 small businesses in Ontario and advocates for fair labour standards. She said the program leaves businesses having to wait and see if their landlord will apply. Theyre at the mercy of their landlords. They have to rely on their goodwill, she said. This program really misses the mark. It needs a complete second look and change of approach. She said her organization would like to see a rent freeze and/or a subsidy given directly to the business to pay their rent. She said they also want a freeze on commercial evictions something the province has yet to do, despite a similar freeze being implemented on residential evictions. The president and CEO of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, Rocco Rossi, said hed like to see some of the eligibility criteria retouched, particularly around the issue of a 70 per cent drop in revenue. He also said its a simpler process to have the landlords apply than have every tenant business do it, as there are fewer of the former. He also pointed out that the loans to property owners are only forgivable if they agree to reduce the rent, which ensures built-in protection for tenants. Theres also the question of what kind of help will exist for businesses once theyre able to operate again, but likely not at full capacity due to ongoing physical distancing rules. Businesses currently have access to some options, such as government-guaranteed $40,000 loans, but more will likely be needed in the months ahead. Typically businesses have about 20 to 30 days of cash on hand, Rossi said. Were past that, he said. There will still be a liquidity crisis. But the severity of it will depend on how long restrictions continue. About 27 per cent of businesses surveyed in a Toronto Region Board of Trade questionnaire prior to Fridays announcement said their landlords had already taken steps to waive or defer rent, said the boards president and CEO, Jan De Silva. She said the governments announcement was a step in the right direction, but certain aspects of it may need to be addressed, such as offering an incentive to landlords to participate. I think we need to see how quickly this will be adopted by landlords, she said. Ballasted Wings: Why That Day? By Susan Knox Kopta I hope individuals who are going through what Alexis went through will read my book and know that there are ways to improve care, treatment and connections by using resources that will contribute to bipolar resilience. Mental illness is an ongoing conversation that should never be treated lightly. In Ballasted Wings: Why That Day? Susan Knox Kopta shares a raw, gritty, cautionary tale that will educate readers on the dangers of a diagnosis of bipolar disorder without transitional care. The author raises awareness of this continuing issue, by taking readers on the heart-wrenching bipolar journey of her 22-year-old daughter, Alexis. Kopta shares the honest reality that she and her daughter faced, which did not include transitional care to ensure a thorough understanding of Alexiss diagnosis, its risks and management. She hopes her book will help individuals who are facing the same struggles her daughter experienced, by offering provisional information, tools and resources to living a balanced life. My goals for my book are to reach those directly affected by and involved in bipolar care and medications, said Kopta. I hope individuals who are going through what Alexis went through will read my book and know that there are ways to improve care, treatment and connections by using resources that will contribute to bipolar resilience. The book illustrates the adversities Alexis faced and the resources she did not have, which defined the end of her life story. After Kopta experienced the loss of her daughter, she learned of a short-term increase in the suicide rate associated with hospitalizations for serious mental health conditions that do not include the proper transitional care that is needed. The author decided to help others after her heartbreaking loss by creating Bipolarlinks.com, a resource hub that provides links to transitional care resources to encourage individuals diagnosed with bipolar disorder so they can reach balanced living. Ballasted Wings breaks the silence of mental health and raises awareness on how to help individuals who are struggling with the diagnosis. Ballasted Wings: Why That Day? By Susan Knox Kopta ISBN: 978-1-4834-2952-6 (softcover); 978-1-4834-2951-9 (hardcover) Available at the Lulu Online Bookstore, Amazon and Barnes & Noble About the author Susan Knox Kopta was Alexis's mom and still works to honor her as a mother's love never ends. She worked as a research and writing attorney for over twenty years. When writing Ballasted Wings: Why That Day? she saw the need to help others reach a different outcome than Alexis. After researching current bipolar resources, she saw that there were so many, she decided to create a bipolar resource hub called, BipolarLinks.com. Its mission is to help others develop bipolar resilience through connections, information and a sense of belonging. Kopta served on Oklahomas National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Board of Directors. She is a NAMI Family Panel speaker during Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) and advocates for victims of domestic violence. General Inquiries, Review Copies & Interview Requests: LAVIDGE Phoenix Grace Bywater 480-998-2600 x 534 gbywater(at)lavidge(dot)com Black churches concerned they are being shut out of Paycheck Protection Program Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Leaders of black churches nationwide are concerned they are being shut out of accessing financial assistance under the Small Business Administrations Paycheck Protection Program even as other churches appear to be getting help, the NAACP says. "We have representation from all of our nine major African-American denominations," Derrick Johnson, president and CEO of the NAACP, said in an NPR report Saturday. "Most of them have complained about the lack of responsiveness from the banks to which they have submitted applications. These are churches from San Francisco to Detroit to Florida to Connecticut. We hear a consistent concern from church leaderships across the country." The PPP is a loan designed to provide a direct incentive for small businesses, including faith-based organizations and other nonprofits, to keep their workers on the payroll, the SBA says. If all employees are kept on the payroll for eight weeks and the money is used for payroll, rent, mortgage interest, or utilities, these loans, which are administered by banks and other federally insured depository institution, will be forgiven. While a number of churches have reported receiving funding through the program, the number of churches with predominantly black congregants have been anecdotally few and far between. "We applied when the program first became public, but we did not receive any funding," the Rev. James Perkins, pastor of Greater Christ Baptist Church in Detroit, which has a predominantly African-American congregation, told NPR. Perkins said because he received no help, he was forced to lay off most of his churchs nine employees while others had to take salary cuts. "I haven't taken any scientific survey, but a number of black pastors with whom I have relationships in Detroit are concerned, because they did not receive funding [too]," Perkins said. Rev. Kenneth Flowers, pastor at Greater New Mount Moriah Missionary Baptist in Detroit said he was told to wait by his bank when he tried to submit his application. "We tried to submit an application to our bank, but they kept saying they were not ready," Flowers said, "and then we got an email saying all the funds have been deployed. We're discovering that there's a pattern here of minority businesses and black churches not receiving the funds." Father Carl Beekman, parish priest at the Church of St. Mary, which serves about 1,300 families in Sycamore, Illinois, has had a different experience. He was told last week that his church would receive a loan under the PPP. "It's a huge boon for us," he said. On Monday, the PPP began accepting applications for an additional $310 billion authorized by President Donald Trump on Friday. Some $350 billion was initially authorized for the program but that money was quickly loaned out in two weeks. Experts in a recent CBS News report suggested that flaws in the PPP have prevented up to 90 percent of minority and women business applicants to the program from accessing funds. "Based on how the program is structured, we estimate that upwards of 90 percent of businesses owned by people of color have been, or will likely be, shut out of the Paycheck Protection Program," Ashley Harrington, director of federal advocacy and senior council for the Center for Responsible Lending, a nonprofit group that combats abusive lending practices that recently examined the loan program's parameters, said. "Roughly 95 percent of black-owned businesses, 91 percent of Latino-owned businesses, 91 percent of Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander-owned businesses, and 75 percent of Asian-owned businesses stand close to no chance of receiving a PPP loan through a mainstream bank or credit union," the center warned. Harrington explained that many banks participating in the PPP are only issuing loans to existing clients to speed up the approval process that grants access to the money. Businesses owned by people of color, however, are less likely to have commercial banking relationships, Harrington said. Brookings Institution research also suggests that the U.S. Small Business Administration-backed loan program favored larger, and mostly white-owned, small businesses. "In order to achieve scale and rapidity, they did it through lenders, and lenders rationally said, 'We'll start with our existing customers first because we have all of their info,' and those tended to be larger small businesses," Joseph Parilla, fellow at the Metropolitan Policy Program at Brookings, told CBS News. "It stands to reason that the way the PPP was structured, approved loans tended to skew toward white-owned small businesses." "In this difficult time, food security is a challenge for countless families, with many seeking help for the first time in their lives," said Diana Birkett Rakow, Alaska Airlines' vice president of external relations. "Supporting the growing demands on our local food banks is a critical need and the employees of Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air have been passionately engaged in this effort for many years. We ask you to join all of us in supporting those organizations that are supplying meals to help families have the food they need to thrive." The Alaska Airlines Foundation recently provided more than 896,000 meals through a donation of $200,000 to 14 local food banks in Alaska, Washington, Oregon, California and Hawaii. In addition, due to service changes onboard and in airport lounges, 273,000 meals were provided through donations of fresh food to community food banks. To help double the impact, Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air have launched the #MillionMealsChallenge with employees and guests. Between now and the end of May, the airlines are encouraging donations to local food banks and/or one of Alaska's hunger relief partners to raise funds for another 1 million meals for communities in need. Read more: Alaska Airlines launches #MillionMealsChallenge to feed families left hungry by Coronavirus you can help! The Alaska Airlines Foundation was founded in 1998 as a way to support the communities we serve through ups and downs including during lean times like these. "We're thankful to have foundation funds to be able to directly support people who need it most," said Birkett Rakow, who also serves as chair of the Alaska Airlines Foundation board of directors. Alaska Airlines ranked "Highest in Customer Satisfaction Among Traditional Carriers in North America" in the J.D. Power North America Airline Satisfaction Study for 12 consecutive years from 2008 to 2019. Learn about Alaska's award-winning service at newsroom.alaskaair.com and blog.alaskaair.com. Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air are subsidiaries of Alaska Air Group (NYSE: ALK). SOURCE Alaska Airlines Related Links http://www.alaskaair.com 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) Hospital Official in China Demoted for Criticizing Use of Unproven Drugs on Virus Patients The deputy director of a hospital at the Chinese epicenter of the CCP virus outbreak was recently demoted after he criticized the treatments being used for virus patients in China. Dr. Yu Xiangdong was removed from all his leadership roles at the Huangshi Central Hospital in Huangshi city, Hubei Province on April 1 after he wrote several social media posts in February, which were subsequently removed by internet censors. I posted lots of articles on social media to discuss treatment from academic angles, Yu said in an interview with The Epoch Times. Maybe my posts didnt match with the [authorities official] tone, Yu said. Yu was deputy director of Huangshi Central Hospital and director of the quality control department at Edong Medical Group. Edong Medical Group is an agency of the city government that manages three state-run hospitals: Huangshi Central Hospital, Huangshi Chinese Medicine Hospital, and Huangshi Maternal and Child Health Hospital. Treatment at Chinas Hospitals As a doctor in the hard-hit region of Hubei, Yu said that he has treated many CCP virus patients since the outbreak began. Yu published an article titled, The Collapse of Evidence-Based Medicine, in early February, which was read by more than a million netizens. Many posted the article onto other websites, and archived the article after censors deleted it. In the article, Yu explained that Chinese hospitals widely use Umifenovir (an antiviral drug not yet FDA-approved), Darunavir (sometimes used to treat HIV/AIDS), Oseltamivir (used to treat influenza virus type A and B), and a large amount of Vitamin C to treat virus patients. But all these medicines have not been tested for their efficacy in treating the CCP virus. Yu emphasized that a medicine can only be used after repeated testing, such as in vitro experiments, animal experiments, clinical trials, and so on. But so far, I only saw one medicine that adheres to the philosophy of evidence-based medicine, which is Remdesivir, Yu wrote. Remdesivir was developed by the U.S. biopharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences. It is a medicine designed to treat Ebola and Marburg virus infections. It has been effective for treating some COVID-19 patients, and is now being studied in clinical trials. A vial of the investigational drug remdesivir is visually inspected at a Gilead manufacturing site in the United States in March 2020. (Gilead Sciences via AP) After his article was removed, Yu published another one, titled Does No Evidence-Based Medicine Mean One Can Only Wait to Die? on Feb. 17. Yu said Chinese hospitals were abusing the use of antimicrobial drugs. These arent candy. They are medicines. Every medicine has its toxicity impact, he wrote. Yu mentioned that Chinese hospitals also widely use Lopinavir/Ritonavir, a medicine used to treat HIV/AIDS, on COVID-19 patients. From clinical observations, we can see that Lopinavir/Ritonavir can cause diarrhea and severe liver damage. Its unknown whether it can treat the coronavirus, Yu wrote. He then suggested: Oxygen therapy, having good rest, taking enough nutrition, getting comfort and support, having informed knowledge, not abusing drugs, close monitoring, and quarantinethese are the kind of treatments modern medicine can provide to patients. People are waiting to be tested for the CCP virus at the Wuhan No. 8 Hospital in Wuhan, China on April 10, 2020. (Noel Celis/AFP via Getty Images) In another article published on Feb. 18, Yu reviewed epidemics throughout human history and which ones were contained with the use of medicine and vaccines. Yu explained that the medicines Chinese hospitals are currently using can have serious side effects when given in heavy doses: Hormonal drugs can cause femoral head avascular necrosis. Antibiotics may lead to double infections. Antiviral drugs can damage the gastrointestinal system. Plasma [from recovered patients, which is sometimes used to treat seriously ill COVID-19 patients] have the potential to spread other microbes. Many other medicines also damage the liver and kidney. Drug Side Effects Chinese media have recorded examples of some virus patients who had serious side effects after treatment. State-run newspaper Health Times reported on April 19 that Hu Weifeng and Yi Fan, two doctors from Wuhan Central Hospital, recovered from COVID-19. Hu and Yi were infected more than two months ago, and were treated at an intensive care unit (ICU) and placed on ventilators. During the interview, Hu and Yis skin color was noticeably very dark. Hu Weifeng and Yi Fan, two doctors from Wuhan Central Hospital, have a dark skin after cured from CCP virus in Wuhan, China on April 18, 2020. (screenshot) Song Jianxin, director of the infection department at the Wuhan Tongji Hospital, explained that most patients in critical condition also had the same side effect, with the skin turning dark, peeling, and cracking. Doctors from Hubei General Hospital explained that this was due to liver damage, as a result of the virus attacking the body, medicines that the patients are taking, and the interaction between multiple organs that have been damaged due to respiratory distress. Iron is metabolized and stored by the liver. When the liver cannot work well, the iron will enter the blood, which can cause the skin to become darker, one doctor said. The report did not specify which, if any, medications Hu and Yi were treated with. Researcher Wang Fusheng and his team at the Fifth Medical Center of the PLA General Hospital (a military hospital) published a study in The Lancet on March 4, which found that 211% of patients with COVID-19 had liver comorbiditiesPatients with severe COVID-19 seem to have higher rates of liver dysfunction. Kevin Hassett, a senior economic advisor to President Trump, told CNBC's Squawk Box Monday that the U.S. is likely to experience a GDP decline of between 20% and 30% in the second quarter. Why it matters: Hassett said the decline, driven by the coronavirus pandemic, will be the "worst since the Great Depression." What he's saying: "The really bad news we've been seeing in the initial [unemployment] claims will be spread out over a couple of months, but I'm expecting that when we see the unemployment for the first week of May, we're gonna see a number that's maybe 16%, 17%." "The question is 'What happens next?' And that's what we're focused on right now in the White House." The big picture: Around 26.5 million American workers have filed for unemployment benefits in the past five weeks, and unemployment is likely already at Great Depression-era highs. Go deeper: White House to shift to economic message on coronavirus Butler, IN (46721) Today Mainly cloudy with snow showers around this evening. Low 27F. Winds light and variable. Chance of snow 40%.. Tonight Mainly cloudy with snow showers around this evening. Low 27F. Winds light and variable. Chance of snow 40%. AFL boss Gillon McLachlan has flagged the possibility that the AFL season could finish with teams able to travel without the need for quarantine measures. McLachlan has told the 18 clubs that while the "hub model'' gives the AFL competition the best chance of continuing the season, the league hoped that it could finish the season "without the need for a quarantine period'' for teams flying interstate, subject to Australia "flattening the curve'' of the coronavirus's infection rate. AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan. Credit:Getty Images "It is important that we all play our role in Australia flattening the curve and if we can continue to achieve that then hopefully we might end up starting with a hub model and finishing with teams able to fly interstate without the need for a quarantine period,'' McLachlan told the clubs in a memo issued on Monday evening, following a hook-up of club presidents and chief executives. "For now, our job is to deal with the current restrictions in place.'' McLachlan, who has been in regular contact with the governments' chief medical officers, said the hub model was the best chance for the AFL to continue the season once it resumed for round two. Read more here. (Natural News) German shoppers are staying put and pinching pennies than rushing out to shop in large numbers even as Europes largest economy slowly reopens its retail sector. On Monday, the country allowed stores of up to 800 square meters, or around 8,600 square feet, to reopen along with bookstores and car and bicycle dealerships provided they adhere to strict social distancing and hygiene rules. A slow and steady restart The reopening of stores is part of the German governments efforts to tamp down the economic impact of the lockdown which also includes an $811.95 billion rescue package in hopes of driving up enough consumer demand to pull it out of recession. We have achieved a high degree of unity in our approach, which is almost a miracle for a federal republic, said German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday, after a videoconference with the governors of the countrys 16 states. According to the new plan, bookstores, bicycle shops and car dealerships will also be allowed to reopen alongside shops that follow the 800-square-meter rule, provided that certain regulations are observed. In addition, the government will still enforce strict social distancing measures until May 3. Meanwhile, schoolchildren in grades approaching graduation, or who are about to move to the next level of schooling, will also return to the classroom. Large gatherings, however, will remain prohibited until August 31. (Related: German chancellor Merkel warns 70 percent of Germany now at risk of being infected by the coronavirus.) Despite the restrictions being eased, German retail federation Handelsverband Deutschland (HDE) stated that the mood among shoppers remained very subdued due to concerns about jobs and finances. Consumers are in a crisis mode, consumer sentiment is in the doldrums, said a spokesman for the HDE. It was very relaxed, there were no lines, there were no crowds, said Stefan Stukenborg, head of an Ikea branch on the outskirts of the western German city of Cologne. In that branch, people were counted as they came in and out, making sure that the store did not have more than 640 shoppers at any time. In addition, the store put up protection screens for staff members who offered assistance and kept its childcare and restaurant areas closed. The staff could wear facemasks, though they werent required to do so, and the store put up signs asking shoppers to maintain a 4.9-foot distance from each other. Christophe Paul, who manages the Windsor fashion store in Frankfurt, said he was relieved to finally reopen after over a month of forced closure. However, his business was light Monday, and he said he had to slightly reduce his opening hours. Some stores did well Not all stores were faced with only a handful of customers some actually drew in large numbers of customers after they were allowed to reopen. It shows that people havent been shopping for a month, I sold more than on a regular Monday, stated Iris Hilbig, who owns a clothing store in Cologne. The number of customers at Hilbigs store was large enough that she was concerned that the reopening was coming a little too fast. While shes allowed to let up to five people into her store at once, she limited it to three. It would be dramatic if this leads to a new rise in infections and then we are forced to close again, she said. Meanwhile, in Hamburgs trendy Schanzenviertel neighborhood, store owner Nina Abel said that her regulars flocked to her store as soon as it opened Monday. Despite this, she doubts that shell make as much as she did last year, given the lack of tourists and customers from other cities. Mitigating the economic effects of the shutdown However, not everyone is happy with the slow reopening. The HDE criticized the decision to only allow small stores to reopen in most of Germany. The retail federation called the move confusing for customers, stating that both large and small shops were capable of respecting social distancing rules. In the meantime, some large stores, such as consumer electronics chains Media Markt and Saturn, have taken to condoning off smaller sales areas to meet the 800 square meter rule, with staff bringing customers items from the rest of the store instead. Sources include: CNBC.com DeSpiegel.de WSJ.com The trains might stop, flying not an option anymore and roads barricaded. However, you cant take the love of travel away from someone whos wanderlust surpasses any other desire. Even though a lockdown may be like a nightmare for travellers, many have found alternate ways to keep the passion of travelling alive. By sharing throwback pictures of various destinations across the world and telling about it in detail, many travellers have resorted to offering virtual travel to people. Among them is historian Rana Safvi who started an online travel series where she has been sharing photos of historical places and giving out information about the same. She says, Now that we cant move, we can use this time for learning. I started this virtual travelling because we dont know when travel is going to be safe now. I combine history and travel and write authentic information. I hope people get to see places through my eyes. Read: Putting the spring back in Delhis walk season: Guided tour organisers offer alternatives and chart the road post lockdown Transporting people to places, virtually Travel writer Archana Singh has started an online travel series of Amsterdam, where shes transporting people to the country, virtually. She says, Through my virtual travel posts on Amsterdam, I am trying to paint an almost real picture of the Dutch city. The basic idea of this initiative is to allow the people to consume visual content of a destination before visiting it. She adds, In all my travel series, I try to share two things untold human stories about the places I visit and the unique experiences I have there. Traveller Ambika Bhardwaj who has been self-isolating in Manali has been sharing throwback pictures of snow and writing about the experience of living in the mountains. She says, I upload pictures of the place and write about it. For instance, the cherry trees were flowering just a while back and the whole village was adorned by cherry flowers. I wrote about it so people could virtually see Manali change into a new spring. While photographer and traveller Tushar Panchal has found a unique way to connect with his audience by sharing Urdu and Hindi poetries on each of his travel posts of Mumbai, traveller and filmmaker Umang Thebaria has been creating a guided virtual tour of the Spiti Valley during winters. From surviving -30 degree temperature to having very limited resources - visiting the place was a first-time experience for me. I took lots of pictures, videos and memories and thought, lets share this with people. So during lockdown, I worked on creating an online travel series on Spiti so people could travel there, sitting at home, says Thebaria. Creating this virtual travelling series helped him calm his mind and cherish the memories. Read: Could virtual travel be a solution for our wanderlust during coronavirus pandemic? Virtual travel, the best bet Travel means different things to different people but everyone loves it. Singh says, Since, physical travel is not possible in the current scenario, virtual travel is the best bet. People are curious about the destinations they want to visit. And Bhardwaj feels this is as good as having a long distance relationship with the place. She says, Thanks to the virtual world, that in times where we breathe in isolation, we can still be connected and explore different cultures. Panchal adds, The fact that I can finally revisit the places I have travelled to and relive those colourful autumn pictures and golden sunsets makes me appreciate the destination even more and encourages me to travel there again after lockdown. Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter This is part of a series of questions posed by The Oregonian/OregonLive to May 19 primary election candidates seeking the seat on the Portland City Council currently held by Commissioner Chloe Eudaly, who is seeking reelection. Surveys were also sent to candidates running for Position 1, Position 2 and Mayor. Many Portlanders have said the city feels more divided now than in past years. Do you agree? Name one step the City Council can take to address that issue under your term. Mingus Mapps: I have never seen Portlanders more disappointed in City Hall. I have been campaigning for City Council for six months, and everyday Portlanders tell me that their voices are not heard in City Hall. Thats true. Our elected leaders are disconnected from the challenges most Portlanders face. Thats why I support changing the way we elect members of City Council. Instead of electing members of City Council through at-large elections, lets use electoral districts to choose our city councilors. This simple reform will ensure that voices from every corner of the city are represented in City Hall. Keith Wilson: Yes, I am one of the many who agree. Various studies show Portland ranks high in property crime and Oregon ranks high in mental illness and lack of treatment, drug use and drug abuse, and unsheltered homelessness. While many of these statistics are for Oregon, they are visible every day on the streets of Portland. As a city commissioner, I will advocate for taking responsibility for the unsheltered homeless humanitarian crisis unfolding on our streets and before our eyes. I will advocate every day for finding a solution that can be put into action today -- not tomorrow, not next year. I will not wait for a housing bond or a homeless services measure, although both are vitally important. It should not have to take a pandemic to marshal our city to provide for our most vulnerable. This is not about money. I have outlined how public and private partnership are ready to step into help. This is about political will and determination. Everyone needs somewhere safe to sleep and shelter. I have never quit and certainly will not quit until we have solved this issue. But I cant do this alone. I need your help. Please join me. Seth Woolley: No, I do not agree. Compared to much of the rest of the country, we are quite unified to: Reform our campaign finance systems and election systems Implement Green New Deal jobs programs Make changes to reduce impacts from climate change Solve our dirty diesel and industrial air pollution problems Respect a diversity of feedback from the public Support tax fairness where big business and the affluent pay their fair share Support those in need with evidence-based solutions Oregon innovated the citizen initiative, referendum and recall system on the Bottle Bill, the urban growth boundary system and Death with Dignity. Portland has always been about progressive policies and maverick politicians. But these policies were models because of how we used to think outside boxes and didnt mind collectively showing the way for other states to follow. We need to recognize the best ideas dont all come from politicians but may come from the crowd. As a software engineer working with millions of users and scientific computing systems, I let the data guide me rather than hold on to preconceived notions. Im proud to be supported by over 500 small donations. Sam Adams: Portlanders are right. A huge division exists in Portland between those that have input in our citys guiding decisions and those who do not. As a city, we are not alone in having these problems, but we must help to address them. We can do this by providing these groups a platform for real input City Hall decision making. I propose to create official city commissions of historically marginalized stakeholders to create four official city commissions that would provide historically disempowered stakeholders a voice inside the city governments decision making. These four commissions would represent Black and African American residents, Asian and Pacific Islander residents, Native American residents and Latinx and Hispanic residents, including the diversity within each group, such as women renters and LGBTQI+ individuals. These commissions should have that same standing as neighborhood associations on land use issues. They could be empowered to bring in elected officials and city bureau leaders to examine equity and inclusion practices in services, hiring, budgeting and contracting. Portlands nonprofit and private-sector employers also need to provide services and opportunities for minorities and women, and improve the diversity of their workforce and leadership. Chloe Eudaly: As a Council, we are in agreement on the vast majority of items that come to Council every week. I would also assert that members of Council largely share similar values and goals. We just dont always agree on how to achieve them. As a city, we are having important, albeit challenging, conversations about access, power and changing historically inequitable systems. These conversations are necessary if we want to operate by the values we profess to hold dear as Portlanders: equity, inclusion and justice. These conversations can cause discomfort, even as we acknowledge our shared values. One step to bridging those differences is an online civic engagement platform Im working to bring to Portland. It would provide a new venue for Portlanders to engage with their city government and each other. My goal is to significantly expand our civic engagement network, especially among those who have been historically underrepresented. When we focus only on divisions, its easy to forget that the things that bring us together as Portlanders are greater than the things that divide us. Most of us want to focus on charting a new, more inclusive future, and Im ready to be a part of that difficult but vital work. -- Everton Bailey Jr. Five out of the eight Northeastern states are completely coronavirus-free and the remaining three have not added any new COVID-19 positive case in the last few days, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said on Monday. Singh, who is the minister for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), said this after a video conference with senior officers of the North Eastern Council (NEC), Shillong, as well representatives of different government bodies and PSUs. The minister said five Northeastern states -- Sikkim, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Tripura -- are totally coronavirus-free while three other states -- Assam, Meghalaya and Mizoram -- had eight, 11 and one COVID-19 positive cases respectively. All these patients have recovered and the cases will soon turn negative, he said, adding that no new case has been added till Sunday night. He congratulated the state governments of the region, the chief ministers and also the officials in the ministry of DoNER and the NEC for ensuring perfect coordination, which has made this possible. Singh also informed about the proposals received from different states of the region like Mizoram, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur for new health-related projects devoted to management of infections and coronavirus care, critical care and upgraded healthcare. These projects will be dealt with priority, he said. In addition, the ministry of DoNER has placedRs 25 crore at the disposal of Northeastern states in the initial stage itself, much before the lockdown, as gap-funding for coronavirus-related activities, he said. During the meeting, the minister received updates about various economic activities in the recent days following exemptions given by the Ministry of Home Affairs in different sectors, including bamboo-related activities. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An Australian man has been arrested in Thailand after allegedly breaking into what he thought was an 'abandoned zoo' to feed hungry tigers, elephants and monkeys. Minh Nguyen had raised more than $45,000 to help his efforts to feed the animals at Phuket Zoo when he and three friends, including an American woman, were arrested by police. Nguyen shared videos to YouTube over recent weeks after stumbling across what he believed were dozens of animals left to die inside the zoo due to COVID-19. Shocked at what he found and desperate to do more, he returned to the zoo the next day with food and water - before starting a fundraiser to help the animals long-term. But he told Daily Mail Australia that his good intentions of caring for the animals ended in police knocking on his door when the zoo owner became aware of his online videos. Scroll down for video Minh Nguyen had raised more than $45,000 to help his efforts to feed the animals at Phuket Zoo when he and three friends, including an American woman, were arrested by police Mr Nguyen shared videos to YouTube over recent weeks after stumbling across what he believed were dozens of animals left to die inside the zoo due to COVID-19 In one of Mr Nguyen's first videos a caged tiger could be heard wailing, to the shock of he and his friends. 'I thought they'd been left abandoned, so I went back the next day with food and saw the zookeepers, when I realised they obviously weren't abandoned,' Mr Nguyen said. 'But I spoke to a zookeeper who said they couldn't afford to feed them and so that is when I put together a fundraiser to feed the animals.' Those claims were rubbished by the zoo's owner, who told a local paper 'the animals were not left to starve' and that they were being 'adequately cared for'. An inspection by Phuket wildlife authorities found 'the zoo had enough food to feed the animals and that the animals were in perfect condition'. Mr Nguyen said that in the days since he first entered the zoo in mid-April, significant efforts had been made by zoo staff and owners. 'They have definitely cleaned up the cages and the tigers look happier and are being fed,' he said. In the wake of Mr Nguyen's claims on YouTube and GoFundMe, the zoo's owners filed a complaint with Phuket Police who arrested Mr Nguyen and his friends, including an American woman Joy Marie Somers. An inspection by Phuket wildlife authorities reportedly found 'the zoo had enough food to feed the animals and that the animals were in perfect condition' The zoo's owners filed a complaint with Phuket Police who arrested Mr Nguyen and his friends, including an American woman Joy Marie Somers (pictured). The group will face court in May They were charged with trespassing on private property and breaching Thailand's Computer Crimes Act. The group's lawyer claims the incident is a 'misunderstanding', with Mr Nguyen told by the zoo owner's mother he was allowed to enter the premises to feed the animals. 'When we did get charged and arrested, the older brother and mother (of the owner) came down to be witnesses for us,' Mr Nguyen said. 'There is a bit of a divide among the shareholders as to how the zoo should run. 'I'll be going to court on May 25. That's when I will know if they want to make a case of it or not, but I doubt they will... I just want to help the animals.' CAIRO - A declaration of self-rule by the most influential Yemeni southern separatist group has triggered concerns that Yemen's conflict could escalate just as the United Nations is seeking a nationwide cease-fire to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus. The United Arab Emirates, the separatists' main backer, said Monday it opposes the declaration and urged the group to honor a peace deal it signed last year with the internationally recognized government affirming shared control of the south. Saudi Arabia - which, along with the UAE, leads a regional Sunni Muslim coalition fighting in Yemen - called for the separatists to reverse their move, describing it as "an escalatory action." The United Nations also voiced concern, urging the feuding sides to adhere to the peace deal, known as the Riyadh Agreement. Accusations of delays in implementing the truce appear to have prompted the Southern Transitional Council's decision over the weekend to declare self-rule. The tensions were the latest jolt to Yemen's south, after at least 14 people, including five children, were killed in flash floods last week in the Red Sea city of Aden, the temporary capital of the internationally recognized Yemeni government. The country, the Arab world's poorest, is already in the grip of the world's most severe humanitarian crisis after more than five years of conflict. This month, the first case of covid-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, was detected, sparking fears that the disease could quickly spread at a time when Yemen is facing deep cuts in humanitarian aid funding. "The latest turn of events is disappointing, especially as the city of Aden and other areas in the south have yet to recover from flooding and are facing the risk of covid-19," said Martin Griffiths, the U.N. special envoy for Yemen, in a statement. "Now, more than ever, all political actors must cooperate in good faith, refrain from taking escalatory actions, and put the interests of Yemenis first." The fresh animosities are a reminder of the multiple wars suffocating Yemen. While the primary, and best-known, conflict pits the Saudi-led coalition against northern rebels known as Houthis, the battle for the strategic port city of Aden and other areas in the south involves two allies within the coalition. The UAE supports the separatist Southern Transitional Council, while Saudi Arabia backs the internationally recognized Yemeni government of President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi. All are against the Iran-aligned Houthis, but rifts inside the coalition have been simmering for more than two years. The STC, which favors splitting Yemen's south from its north, have long tangled with the Yemeni government, ruled for decades by northerners. The group and the UAE disapprove of Hadi's alliance with Islah, an influential Islamist party. The Saudis view Islah as part of Yemen's political fabric. But the UAE and the STC oppose any role for Islah because of its links to the Muslim Brotherhood, a regional political Islamist movement that the Emiratis and other Arab rulers have labeled terrorists. Last August, STC fighters seized control of Aden after four days of clashes that killed as many as 40 people, injured 260 and forced tens of thousands of civilians to flee the city nestled on the tip of the Arabian Peninsula. That prompted the coalition to target its own allies with airstrikes. In November, the STC and the government signed a peace agreement in the Saudi capital, Riyadh. It was hailed by Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Western powers as paving the way to a broader political solution that would end Yemen's civil war and humanitarian crisis, which has left millions on the edge of starvation and vulnerable to outbreaks of disease. The deal called in particular for a government composed of equal numbers of southerners and northerners, for the separatist forces to come under the control of the government and for the STC to return all government buildings it had seized. But the Riyadh deal did not address southerners' underlying grievances or their main issue of secession, said analysts. Deadlines repeatedly slipped for military integration and creating a power-sharing government of technocrats. Each side blamed the other. Meanwhile, international attention was focused on a Saudi cease-fire with the Houthis and the emergence of the coronavirus. Regional powers were distracted by the start of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan on Friday. "This was an opportune moment for the STC to take a stand," said Elisabeth Kendall, a Yemen scholar at Oxford University. The flooding, she added, also set off "a political point-scoring match between the government and the STC, both of whom hailed the poor response as evidence of the other party's inability to govern." Over the weekend, it became clear that the mistrust had deepened once again. The STC vice president, Hani Ali Brik, sent a tweet Sunday morning accusing the Hadi government of setting up obstacles to the deal and of corruption and mismanagement. Hours earlier, the separatists had announced emergency rule in Aden and other southern provinces. They also declared their intent to take control of the port, the airport, the central bank and other government areas. Officials in three southern provinces - Shabwa, Hadhramaut and Socotra - rejected the self-rule declaration. Yemen's foreign minister said the announcement was "a resumption of its armed insurgency" and warned of "dangerous and catastrophic consequences." The self-rule move comes as the Hadi government has been weakened by significant Houthi military gains and signs that the Saudis are looking for a way to exit the war. "This is just one more blow to its credibility," Kendall said of the government. It could also hurt peace prospects. The declaration "makes a cease-fire and political settlement harder," said Peter Salisbury, the International Crisis Group's senior analyst for Yemen. The Riyadh deal opened a path for a more representative Yemeni government, giving it more credibility to negotiate with the Houthis. "If the deal collapses, that is taken off the table," Salisbury said. "Secondly, the STC are one of the groups fighting the Houthis on the ground. If they aren't part of a cease-fire deal, then the Houthis can argue there is no cease-fire." "The short-term winners are of course the Houthis, since any resurgence of rifts in the coalition distracts energy and resources away from the war against them," Kendall said. Dr. Breens father, Dr. Philip C. Breen, said she had described devastating scenes of the toll the coronavirus took on patients. She tried to do her job, and it killed her, he said. The elder Dr. Breen said his daughter had contracted the coronavirus but had gone back to work after recuperating for about a week and a half. The hospital sent her home again, before her family intervened to bring her to Charlottesville, he said. Dr. Breen, 49, did not have a history of mental illness, her father said. But he said that when he last spoke with her, she seemed detached, and he could tell something was wrong. She had described to him an onslaught of patients who were dying before they could even be taken out of ambulances. She was truly in the trenches of the front line, he said. He added: Make sure shes praised as a hero, because she was. Shes a casualty just as much as anyone else who has died. In a statement, NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia used that language to describe her. Dr. Breen is a hero who brought the highest ideals of medicine to the challenging front lines of the emergency department, the statement said. Our focus today is to provide support to her family, friends and colleagues as they cope with this news during what is already an extraordinarily difficult time. Vedanta Iron Ore Karnataka on Monday said it has contributed Rs 1 crore towards the Karnataka Chief Minister's Relief Fund to combat the coronavirus pandemic. Vedanta's iron ore business has also been working in close coordination with local authorities to provide protective equipment across COVID-19 medical facilities in the state. "We, at Vedanta, have always believed in giving back to the society and the nation. Today, when the COVID-19 pandemic has posed unprecedented challenges for the state of Karnataka, the contribution of Rs 1 crore towards Chief Minister's Relief Fund COVID-19 is a step forward to combat coronavirus," Vedanta CEO (Iron Ore) Sauvick Mazumdar said in a statement. "We are together in the current contagion situation and I am hopeful that through our collective efforts, we will succeed in fighting this dreaded virus. I would also request citizens of Karnataka to stay safe and act responsibly," Krishna Reddy, director, Vedanta Iron Ore Business, Karnataka, said. As part of the Vedanta Group's efforts to support people in distress, Vedanta Iron Ore Karnataka is ramping up its community outreach programmes and reaching out to all stakeholders in this battle against the pandemic. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) By David Gaffen (Reuters) - The magnitude of how damaged the energy industry is came into full view on April 20 when the benchmark price of U.S. oil futures, which had never dropped below $10 a barrel in its nearly 40-year history, plunged to a previously unthinkable minus $38 a barrel. In just a few months, the coronavirus pandemic has destroyed so much fuel demand as billions of people curtail travel that it has done what financial crashes, recessions and wars had failed to ever do - leave the United States with so much oil there was nowhere to put it. While the unusual circumstance of negative oil prices may not be repeated, many in the industry say it is a harbinger for more bleak days ahead, and that years of overinvestment will not correct in a period of weeks or even months. "What happened in the futures contract the other day indicated things are starting to get bad earlier than expected," said Frederick Lawrence, vice president of economics and international affairs at the Independent Petroleum Association of America. "People are getting notices from pipeline companies that say they can't take their crude anymore. That means you're shutting down the well yesterday." Evidence of the erosion of value for a product that has been a mainstay of global society since the late 19th century abounded across the world last week. In Russia, one of the world's top producers, the industry is considering resorting to burning its oil to take it off the market, sources told Reuters. Norwegian oil giant Equinor slashed its quarterly dividend by two-thirds. Next week will bring earnings reports from the world's largest oil companies including Exxon Mobil Corp, BP PLC and Royal Dutch Shell PLC. They are all expected to detail additional spending cuts, and investors will be watching closely for how those companies plan to manage dividends. U.S. billionaire Harold Hamm's Continental Resources Inc sent servicers out into fields in Oklahoma and North Dakota in the middle of the week to abruptly shut wells, and the company declared it could not make crude deliveries to customers due to poor economics. Story continues Continental's decision to declare force majeure - usually reserved for wars, accidents or natural disasters - came as a shock, bringing a sharp response from the leading refinery industry group. But some say there is a logic behind it, even if it may not pass muster in court. "You sign contracts based on the average norms that a society has experienced over the last 100 years. If we have a new event that is not covered by those norms, it goes into force majeure. That's what Harold Hamm and others are saying - that these are circumstances outside the norm," said Anas Alhajji, an energy market expert based in Dallas. Even the long-rumored decision by the White House to tell Chevron Corp last week it could no longer operate in Venezuela, where it has had a presence for nearly 100 years, met with a shrug. "The global climate is terrible," said one person close to a Western oil company in Venezuela. "The license almost didn't matter anymore." The market is forcing the hands of all producers. Across the world, governments and companies are preparing to shut down output, and many have already begun. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies had already committed to record cuts of 10 million barrels of daily supply that have yet to take full effect. That commitment was not enough to prevent oil's fall below zero. Saudi Arabia has said it and other OPEC members are prepared to take further measures, but made no new commitments. It is a measure of the depth of demand destruction that even if OPEC stopped producing altogether, supply may still exceed demand. More than 600,000 barrels per day in production cuts have already been announced in the United States, along with another 300,000 bpd of shut-ins in Canada. Brazil's state-run Petrobras has reduced output by 200,000 bpd. Azerbaijan, part of the group of nations known as OPEC+, is forcing a BP-led group to cut output for the first time ever. Oil majors in those countries have generally been excluded from government-imposed cuts. We have never done it before since they came to the country in 1994 and signed the contract of the century, a senior Azeri official told Reuters. That accommodation can no longer be made with the world running out of space to put oil. As of Thursday, energy researcher Kpler said onshore storage worldwide is now roughly 85% full. Demand is expected to fall by 29 million bpd in April, the International Energy Agency estimated. Paris-based IEA expects consumption to pick up in May, but researchers cautioned that its expectation of a mere 12 million bpd fall in year-over-year demand may be too optimistic. "I'm sure hearing the same numbers about demand destruction of 20 to 30 million barrels a day," said Gene McGillian, analyst at Tradition Energy, who was working at the New York Mercantile Exchange when U.S. crude futures were launched in 1983. "Until we see some kind of alleviation of that, you have to wonder what is in store." (Reporting By David Gaffen; additional reporting by Olga Yagova in Moscow, Dmitry Zhdannikov and Ron Bousso in London, Devika Krishna Kumar in New York, Luc Cohen in Caracas and Gary McWilliams and Jennifer Hiller in Houston; Editing by Marguerita Choy) Dan Settle sits outside Chris' Barber Shop as he waits his turn for a haircut in Lilburn, Georgia on April 24, 2020. It's back to work for many small businesses in states, like Georgia, that have begun to lift restrictions implemented to reduce the spread of the coronavirus. Businesses like gyms, nail salons and tattoo parlors must adapt to a new normal as they reopen under new health guidelines such as masks for employees and keeping customers six feet apart. Public spaces, including beaches in Florida, are now operating with restricted hours and social-distancing requirements. However, the reopening of these businesses and spaces has drawn criticism and concern over whether it's too soon for people to safely gather in those locations. President Donald Trump said he "totally disagrees" with Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp's reopening plan, calling it a violation of federal guidelines. Reopening is the first step for business owners to recover from the economic impact of Covid-19. However, some businesses that have the green light to reopen have refused to do so because they consider it unsafe. Here are some photos of businesses that decided to open their doors to the public again: Bay Area political events that are happening online and at socially safe distances during the coronavirus pandemic: WEDNESDAY Rep. Adam Schiff: Burbank Democrat on what the U.S. missed about the coronavirus pandemic and how to avoid the same mistakes next time. Hosted by the Commonwealth Club. Noon. More information is here. Canvassing during a pandemic: A webinar on how to do political canvassing when knocking on doors is impossible. Hosted by Indivisible. Noon. More information is here. Obamas legacy: David Simas, CEO of the Obama Foundation, discusses former President Barack Obamas legacy and the foundations work. Hosted by Mannys. 5 p.m. More information is here; join here. Sen. Cory Booker: New Jersey Democrat on the future of the country and his home state during the pandemic. Hosted by Mannys. 6 p.m. More information is here. Undocumented immigrants: Jose Antonio Vargas on how undocumented immigrants are being left out of economic recovery efforts. Hosted by Mannys. 7 p.m. More information is here. THURSDAY LGBTQ town hall: San Francisco state Sen. Scott Wiener and New York state Sen. Brad Hoylman host a national Zoom town hall meeting on the challenges the coronavirus pandemic poses to the LGTBQ community. 3 p.m. Registration is here. Tom Perez: Democratic Party chair on the 2020 election strategy. Hosted by Mannys. 4 p.m. More information is here. Bernie Sanders movement: Where the movement goes now that the Vermont senator has suspended his presidential campaign. Speakers include former Richmond Vice Mayor Jovanka Beckles; Jane Kim, California director of the Sanders campaign; Alan Minsky, executive director of Progressive Democrats of America; and Norman Solomon, co-founder of RootsAction.org. Hosted by San Francisco Progressive Democrats of America. 7 p.m. More information is here. Dolores Huerta: Farmworkers activist on the 2020 census and supporting agricultural workers during the pandemic. Hosted by Mannys. 7 p.m. More information is here. FRIDAY Rent relief: Car rally for rent relief during the pandemic, organized by Housing Rights Committee of San Francisco. 10 a.m. at Pier 50 in San Francisco. More information is here. May Day caravan: Oakland May Day Coalition holds a car and bike caravan starting at the port to rally for social justice issues. 11 a.m., 1717 Middle Harbor Road, Oakland. More information is here. Black United Workers car rally: Rally circling San Francisco City Hall with Black United Workers. Meet at 11:15 a.m. outside Third Baptist Church, 1399 McAllister St. More information is here. MONDAY Sen. Elizabeth Warren: Massachusetts Democrat in a livestream conversation on gun violence. Hosted by Moms Demand Action and Everytown for Gunsafety. 4 p.m. More information and watch here. MAY 7 Labor organizing: Organizing in education, health care, food service and sex industry during a pandemic. Speakers include Emily Haddad and Matthew Torres of ILWU Local 6; Anneka Citrin of SEIU Local 1021; Wendy Liu, author of Abolish Silicon Valley: How to Liberate Technology from Capitalism; Jenny Worley, AFT Local 2121 president and author of Neon Girls: A Stripper's Education in Protest and Power; and Emma Erbach, executive director of United Teachers of Richmond. Hosted by Uptown Tenderloin Inc. Zoom event limited to 500 participants. 6 p.m. Register here. Sen. Amy Klobuchar: Minnesota Democrat in a livestream conversation on gun violence. Hosted by Moms Demand Action and Everytown for Gunsafety. 4 p.m. More information and watch here. To list an event, please email Chronicle politics editor Trapper Byrne at tbyrne@sfchronicle.com Rebecca Judd has encouraged 'all Australians' to download the government's COVID-19 tracking app. In a series of Instagram Stories, the WAG addressed the privacy concerns that many had while encouraging her fans to download it. The 37-year-old said at length: 'I have downloaded the COVID safe app. And I encourage all Australians to do the same. Do it: Rebecca Judd (pictured) has encouraged 'all Australians' to download the government's COVID-19 tracking app. In a series of Instagram Stories, the WAG addressed the privacy concerns that many had while encouraging her fans to download it 'I understand the privacy concerns, I totally get that. These are unprecedented times as we know. 'I really do believe this app is one of the fastest ways we can get out of this mess. And you can delete the app at any time. You can delete the information at any time. 'But we need our jobs back. We need our kids back at school. We need our livelihoods back. We need to get our country moving again'. The 37-year-old said at length: 'I have downloaded the COVID safe app. And I encourage all Australians to do the same. I understand the privacy concerns, I totally get that. These are unprecedented times as we know' She added: 'I really do believe this app is one of the fastest ways we can get out of this mess. And you can delete the app at any time. You can delete the information at any time' Return: 'But we need our jobs back. We need our kids back at school. We need our livelihoods back We need to get our country moving again,' Bec said She added: 'I did question do I want the government tracking my every move. I investigated it, I am comfortable with it. 'And I am grateful that we have these tools to get us back where we need to be.' Bec added that she finds apps she already uses for shopping more concerning in terms of privacy. The coronavirus tracking app, designed to help Australia ease social distancing rules, was based off one used in Singapore, TraceTogether. Helpful: The coronavirus tracking app, designed to help Australia ease social distancing rules, was based off one used in Singapore called TraceTogether When Australians download the app, they are prompted to give it certain permissions, including turning Bluetooth on and enabling location sharing. Both the Singaporean version and Australia's own COVIDSafe use Bluetooth to connect with nearby phones to determine who a person has been into close contact with. It means that if a user later tests positive for COVID-19, officials can easily find out who else may be at risk. (Newser) The New York Board of Election's decision to cancel the state's Democratic primary is an "outrage" and a "blow to American democracy," Bernie Sanders' campaign said Monday. Campaign senior advisor Jeff Weaver said in a statement that the Board of Elections is ignoring the fact that the primary process not only determines the nominee, but also "the selection of delegates that helps determine the platform and rules of the Democratic Party." Weaver said New York should lose all its delegates to the Democratic National Convention "if this is not remedied," NBC reports. He said the Sanders campaign was "suspended, not ended, because people in every state have a right to express their preference." story continues below "Just last week Vice President Biden warned the American people that President Trump could use the current crisis as an excuse to postpone the November election," Weaver said. "Well, he now has a precedent thanks to New York state." Board members cited coronavirus concerns and called the June 23 primary "essentially a beauty contest," although Gov. Andrew Cuomo has already signed an order sending postage-paid absentee ballot forms to all voters, the Hill reports. "This decision is not informed by public health: the state is still holding elections for every other seat that day," tweeted Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. (Read more Bernie Sanders 2020 stories.) The Kano State governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, has accused the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 of neglecting the state in its current battle against coronavirus spread. Mr Ganduje said this in an interview with BBC Hausa Service on Monday monitored by PREMIUM TIMES. He said, We are in a serious problem. I can tell you the situation is really bad and scary. Because what we solely rely upon in fighting the disease is the testing centre. This laboratory suspended its operation five or six days ago. There is also a shortage of sample collection equipment. It is not a common equipment that you can go and buy in the market. Those whose samples were collected are still waiting to know their fate. The governor also noted that the problem (is) with the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19. Even its Director General was in Kano. He spent a night there, but we have not heard from him again. The minister (of health) too knows the laboratory is not working. He added, there is serious problem. We have been complaining that Kano needs more than one testing centre, right from the beginning of this (pandemic). Excerpt BBC: If we understand you, there is problem. Are you saying you are not getting any support from federal government agencies on the fight against COVID-19? Ganduje: Sincerely speaking, we are not getting deserved attention. If these equipment (testing centre) are under our control, we will do our best to make sure it works properly. But we are not getting the needed support and cooperation from from Presidential Task Force on COVID-19. Meanwhile, the minister of health, Osagie Ehanire, on Sunday said, the COVID-19 testing centre in Kano will resume operations on Monday. The minister said this when he featured on Channels televisions Sunday Politics He equally said a delegation will be sent to the state to thoroughly investigate the circumstances surrounding some mysterious deaths in the state. Hundreds of Virgin Media broadband users say they are still unable to get online today more than 18 hours after a nationwide outage and despite the company saying its issues have been fixed. Tens of thousands of customers were unable to access the internet yesterday evening, according to data from Downdetector, which monitors online outages. Virgin says the issues were resolved in the early hours of this morning. But hundreds of customers are still suffering issues, according to Downdetector. Virgin Media users took to social media to complain about the outage, which started just before 5pm last night. Some customers say they are still facing issues this morning, sparking complaints on social media. Others have hit out at the company's lack of communication with customers, with Virgin Media posting just one update on its Twitter account in just 12 hours following the outage. One Twitter user, Jake Ballinger, said: 'Any chance of an update today? If I wasn't losing money already in this crisis, losing even more now that I am unable to work from home because of this isn't acceptable.' Another said: 'Any idea of when you will update the information on this outage as there has been nothing from you in 12 hours.' Problems were reported in towns and cities across the UK including Birmingham, Nottingham, Glasgow, London, Manchester, Bristol, Southampton, Eastleigh and Liverpool. Pictured, a live map on website Downdetector at 8.30am today Outages have continued into today as customers reported their internet failing every hour on Downdetector. At 6.43am today there were 553 reports of people having issues on Downdetector. As of 8am, that had more than doubled to around 1,200. Over three quarters of those affected, 78 per cent, reported problems with their wired connection - as some complained their Virgin Media internet had been periodically cutting out recently. Some 19 per cent reported their mobile internet was also down. A Virgin Media spokesperson said: 'An intermittent broadband issue that started yesterday evening was fixed in the early hours of this morning. 'This was not caused by increased usage or a lack of capacity. 'We know how frustrating this was for customers and we sincerely apologise for any inconvenience caused.' However Virgin customers have lambasted the company for not providing any updates on their Twitter account - the last update was more than 12 hours. One user said: 'Where's the update Virgin Media? The last one was eight hours ago which is unacceptable for an incident of this scale.' As of 8am, there were around 1,200 complaints of connectivity problems from Virgin Media customers, according to website Downdetector Virgin Media tweeted at 10.08pm to let its frustrated customers know it's technicians were working on a solution, but knew the problem wasn't being caused by increased usage or 'a lack of capacity'. Instead a 'technical fault' is the reason thousands of people are suffering through their internet connection consistently shutting down. The Tweet read: 'The issue is causing broadband connectivity to drop for a few minutes before returning again. 'We know that this is not being caused by increased usage or a lack of capacity - it is a network technical fault. Our teams are currently working on a fix.' Another Twitter post was made more than 12 hours later, at around 9.30am today. In response to this morning's issues, a spokesperson for Virgin Media told the MailOnline: 'There are no widespread problems still occurring on the network. 'Our customer service teams will pick up with any customers facing individual, potentially in-home, connectivity problems.' Virgin Media tweeted at 10.08pm to let its frustrated customers know it's technicians were working on a solution, but knew the problem wasn't caused by increased usage or 'a lack of capacity' Birmingham, Nottingham, Glasgow, London, Manchester, Bristol, Southampton, Eastleigh and Liverpool were among the locations with the highest rate of reports. Reports from Birmingham peaked at 8pm with 1381, while in Manchester there were 766 reports at 7.52pm. In Southampton the outage peaked at 469 at 5.54pm. And outages continued through the night with 8,763 complaints recorded by Downdetector at midnight. Some 44,859 customers took to website Downdetector to report problems even at 8pm yesterday evening. Connections appeared to be cutting in and out as users took to the site to report problems at 5pm, 7pm and 8pm. Customers vented their frustration on social media at a time when reliable home internet networks are proving crucial. @valinor__ tweeted: 'When I die, you lot better get Virgin Media Wifi to sponsor my funeral so they can let me down one last f****** time.' The number of people reporting intermittent problems spiked at around 5pm, 6pm, 7pm, 9pm, 11pm and 12am BST, each with tens of thousands of people reporting complaints @VijayArogyasami wrote: 'Second time in a month my Virgin Media service has gone down. This time it was only half a hour. Last time, it went down at 8pm in the evening and wasn't back on until 11am the next day.' @superninja106 said: 'If you take a shot every time virgin media's wifi went back up you might never get drunk.' While @Doomwatch9 wrote: 'Virgin Media boasts lightning fast internet (when it works) the only known thing that moves faster is Beardy Branson's hand moving to get a government bailout.' While most of the red had cleared up by 8.30pm it is clear from this Downdetector graphic that many homes were still without internet Twitter users took to the site to share jokes about internet switches being turned off and technicians trying to fix the problem @OMGItzMartinnn penned: 'To be fair my family has been with virgin media 17 years and this happens pretty often tbf. @virginmedia improve your infrastructure!' The outage appears to have lasted for less than an hour, with some Twitter users reporting a short-term issue of between seven ad 15 minutes. 'Who tripped over the plug that goes to the UK at Virgin Media? Entire country down for like 7 minutes and then straight back up,' tweeted @blakeinghearts. While some Twitter users joked about a rogue employee flicking the UK Internet switch, others called out angry customers for being too harsh to call centre workers Another said: 'Mine went off for about 15 odd minutes then came back on. I hope this has resolved for everyone else? Tbf Virgin Media have been quite good, for us at least.' Other users were cut off from virtual meetings or forced to stop teaching mid-lesson when their internet stopped working. One said: 'So @virginmedia went down temporarily during a zoom meeting and suddenly the precariousness of my online existence became all too clear. Some Twitter users reported that the outage lasted for a few minutes before they were reconnected Other users were cut off from virtual meetings and were forced to stop teaching mid-lesson when their internet stopped working 'I know we're all moaning but without it I would not have seen another human I know for 6 weeks.' Another wrote: 'Looks like I can blame @virginmedia for my @zoom_us lesson cutting out this afternoon. 'Looking at their tweets they are aware there is an issue and are working hard to resolve it. That's good then - let's hope I can teach online tomorrow okay! #teachingfromhome' Lots of users joked business magnate Richard Branson may be withholding internet to encourage the Government to grant his airline a 500 million loan. Lots of users joked Richard Branson may be withholding internet to encourage the Government to grant his airline a 500 million loan Branson, 69, is battling to save Virgin Atlantic by begging the British Government for a loan and offering to mortgage Necker Island, his private Caribbean retreat believed to be worth 80 million. The business mogul pledged to 'raise as much money against the island as possible to save as many jobs as possible' in an attempt to persuade the authorities to help Virgin through 'the devastating impact this pandemic continues to have'. @Cardiac1963 wrote: 'Branson's not getting any money for his planes so he's pulled the plug out on Virgin Media Wifi there defo.' Sir Branson (pictured in October), 69, is battling to save Virgin Atlantic by begging the British Government for a loan @_toiletroad said: 'Virgin media is down cause Richard Branson is having a sulk about everyone calling him a knob head.' Another user, @youneshh, said: 'Feel for all you who use Virgin Media for internet. Richard Branson has just taken you all as ransom for government bailout.' The rumours have very little grounding and Branson actually only owns 15 per cent of the media company. US billionaire John Malone's group, Liberty Global, bought Virgin Media in a cash and stock deal worth $23.3bn (15bn) in 2013. Customers took to social media to vent their frustration at a time when reliable home internet networks are proving crucial Thousands of Virgin Media customers were left without internet or phone access early last month due to another outage affecting parts of England, especially Southampton and surrounding areas. Coronavirus lockdown has caused UK internet usage to almost DOUBLE Data from Openreach, the UK's largest which owns and operates most of the UK's phone broadband lines, reveals daytime data consumption has almost doubled in March. On March 9, one week before Boris Johnson gave his first daily coronavirus press conference urging people to work from home wherever possible, the total amount of data used between 9am and 5pm was 27 petabytes. On Monday March 30, this figure reached 51Pb, almost double the previous figure. One petabyte is the same as one million gigabytes. The peak time during the day continues to be between 2pm and 5pm, while the evening peak is between 8pm and 11pm. 'Overall, the network is coping very well as we have expected,' a spokesperson told MailOnline. Advertisement At the time, one Virgin Media broadband customer in London told MailOnline that they have been without internet for a whole week with 'no clear explanation'. The outage came as a shock to the thousands of Brits now working and studying at home. It was recently revealed Britons were using the coronavirus lockdown to upgrade their internet, with the amount of people switching broadband supplier jumping by 30 per cent from the end of February to the end of March. Millions of adults and children are stuck inside all day during the nationwide lockdown and high-speed internet has become a necessity. Children are e-schooling, parents are working from home, and streaming TV programmes is a key hobby in the evenings. As a result, internet consumption has almost doubled in the UK in March and many are looking to boost their internet speed. Comparethemarket.com says it has seen considerable demand for products with faster speeds since the restrictions began. The comparison site also claims four in 10 households have experienced issues with their broadband since lockdown, which has impacted their ability to work. Customers opting for download speeds of 51+MB or more fast enough to easily download files made up less than half of all switches at the start of March. But by the end of the month, after lockdown was implemented, customers opting for these speeds made up almost two thirds of those switching. Figures from comparethemarket.com also reveal a huge spike of 95 per cent in people purchasing the fastest internet package,providing more than 61mbps. Children are e-schooling, parents are working from home, and streaming TV programmes is a key hobby in the evenings. As a result, internet consumption has almost doubled in the UK in March and many are looking to increase their bandwidth and have quicker internet speeds (stock) Holly Niblett, head of digital at comparethemarket.com, said: 'We have seen a surge in demand for faster broadband packages since the lockdown began. 'Broadband is increasingly being recognised by the government as an essential utility, yet many people adjusting to the new ways of working are realising that their existing connection isn't up to scratch. 'Millions of households are stuck on out-of-contract deals with their existing provider which are often expensive and uncompetitive. 'The reality of a patchy connection speed, combined with a growing awareness that cheap, reliable and fast broadband is no longer a pipedream, is motivating growing numbers to switch provider. 'Switching provider is straightforward and can generate savings over the course of a year that can easily run into hundreds of pounds.' Remembering Edward Mustafa Dut Lino Wor Abyei "One remarkable thing about Edward Lino was that he was never down cast by any hardship...I rarely remember seeing Edward Lino without his distinctive laughter or his sprightly smile." By Dr. Francis Mading Deng I have given the full name of Edward Mustafa Dut Lino Wor Abyei, as I know it, because in our traditional system, names are important as they are a metaphoric core of ones background and identity. Edwards full name reflects the elements of Sudanese diversity and is therefore a microcosm of the country for which he struggled so much to liberate, and for which in varying ways he sacrificed his life. The names were presumably given by his father, Ustaz Lino Wor Abyei, a giant educationalist, who was educated in both the North and the South of Sudan, and who introduced modern education to the Ngok Dinka and taught throughout Southern Sudan. Ustaz Lino Wors students remember him with the reverence and affection of children for their father. I used to call him Ustaz-na al-Azeem, Our Great Master, to which he always reacted with characteristic dignified humility, What Great!? Toward the end of his life, Ustaz Lino Wor Abyei wrote me a letter reflecting on his innovative educational work in Abyei in close partnership with our father, Deng Majok, whom he referred to as my brother, and more generally on his life as an educator. In that letter, he expressed great satisfaction and pride in seeing his students rise to important positions at home and abroad. Edwards identity also links the country across ethnic divides, his mother, Angelina Kongbuo, being from the Ndogo of Wau; theirs was one of the earliest mixed marriages among our people, now increasingly becoming accepted in Southern Sudan. Angelinas father, Norberto Kongbuo, whom Edward said was nick-named an-Nur, was one of the carpenters who constructed the ferry boat structure across Kiir River at Akecnhial. As they say, a fruit does not fall far from the tree that produced it; Edwards service to his people and his country was the fruit of his family background. As I followed with great appreciation the enormous outpouring of messages in mourning the tragic loss to our people and our nation and indeed to humanity caused by the death of Edward Lino, I was once more reminded of the words of William Shakespeare in the speech of Mark Anthony to the Romans, eulogizing Emperor Julius Caesar, who had just been assassinated, words with which I have always disagreed. As I recall, Mark Anthony said, The evil that men do lives after them, and the good is often interned with their bones. Quite the contrary, our humanistic instinct always seems to glorify our dead by recalling their good deeds with greater exaltation than was the case during their lifetime. Although Edward Lino enjoyed much recognition and respect in his lifetime, I wish he was able to follow all the wonderful things being said about him after his death, of course all well deserved, but not revealed to him in his lifetime. Knowing Edwards dignified humility, like his father, I believe he would not have wanted the order reversed. Also knowing his self confidence with due modesty, he probably knew all the good things now being said about him. He might even have said, I thought you did not know. And considering the lonely world of his suffering over the last few years of his fight against the terminal illness that slowly consumed his life, it would not have been easy for him to know how much his people and country held him in such high regard. When I last visited Edward Lino in Nairobi and found him sitting in a wheel chair, I saw how much the illness had consumed his physical body, but how much alive his jovial spirit and sparkling interaction with life were still glowing on his face. Ironically, the very day of his death, my wife Dorothy and I were talking on the phone; she was in the United States and I in Nairobi. My family knew Edward well because he stayed in our house when he was representing the SPLM/A in Washington and both my wife and our four sons had become very fond of him. My wife asked whether I had visited Edward. I said I had not because of the social distancing rules of Coronavirus, but that I would visit him as soon as that was permissible. I was not aware that just before I arrived in Nairobi, he had been taken to India for treatment. Almost immediately after my wife and I hang up, I got a phone call from Mustafa Biong to give me the tragic news. Of course, knowing how long Edward had been ill, the eventual end was not unexpected, but that did not make the news any less shocking. It is always difficult to think of such a powerful life as no longer with us. But that is the inevitable destiny for all. Much of what was special about Edward Lino has been said in the messages that have been pouring in, and will undoubtedly continue to pour in, mourning his death. Edward is widely acknowledged as a brave fighter, both physically and verbally, for equality and dignity for all Sudanese, indeed all human beings. This was a principle that underlay his ideological commitment which has been given a variety of labels: communism, socialism, liberalism, leftism and other possible isms, and for which he was often in and out of detention. He focussed this in his unwavering commitment to the struggle for the New Sudan, which he and his liberal colleagues in the University of Khartoum and other institutions in the capital started before the outbreak of the liberation movement, the SPLM/A. Although the intransigence of the dominant Arab-IsLamic Establishment and the stalemate in the war made partitioning the country imperative, Edward Lino was a devout believer in the vision of the New Sudan and the liberation of all Sudanese from marginalization, oppression and domination, irrespective of race, ethnicity, religion, culture or gender. His connection with John Garang and other founding leaders of the Liberation Movement predates the outbreak of the rebellion. Although his activism interfered with his legal education, as he was dismissed for political reasons in his last year in the Faculty of Law, his yearning for knowledge and his activist application of knowledge never ceased. He continued to learn and transmit his knowledge both as a teacher and a political activist. He reflected this in his poetic, analytical and literary works, books, articles, essays and journalistic contributions. His three books, Long Live the Monkeys, John Garang: A Man to Know, and the most recent, Ngok Dinka Versus Missiriya, reflect a combination of poetic, literary and intellectual excellence. I acquired a great deal of insight from Edward Linos book on John Garang from which I quoted heavily in my recently published fictionalized memoirs about my relations with John Garang, Visitations: Conversations with the Ghost of the Chairman. Edward Linos book provides remarkable insights into the origins and depth of his involvement in the struggle that eventually became the SPLM/A. I later followed the prominent role he played in the Movement. Although I was not a member of the SPLM/A, I was a strong supporter of the Movement and the Vision of the New Sudan. As I had established and was directing the African Studies Program at the Brookings Institution and was closely associated with several other think tanks in Washington, among them the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, the Center for International and Strategic Studies, and the United States Institute of Peace, I played an active role in promoting the Movement and collaborated very closely with the leadership, specifically with Dr. John Garang. I was therefore intimately familiar with the ideals, strategies and operations of the Movement. John Garang and Salva Kiir always spoke to me in raving praise for the valorous role played by the Ngok Dinka freedom fighters in the struggle. And of course Edward Lino was among the Ngok Dinka leaders in the struggle whose names were most prominent. One remarkable thing about Edward Lino was that he was never down cast by any hardship. No matter how grave the challenges, how heavy the burdens, or how immanent the danger facing him, Edward Lino always smiled under all difficulties. Even when he was angry, and there was always much to be angry about, he quickly alternated between a fiery fuming face and a beaming vivacious smile. In fact, I rarely remember seeing Edward Lino without his distinctive laughter or his sprightly smile. It was our intention with my co-editors, Dr. Luka Biong and Daniel Jok, to include Edward Lino among several of the Ngok Dinka leaders in the struggle who have contributed chapters to our soon to be published book, Abyei Between the Two Sudans, which has documented through personal experiences the role played by the freedom fighters from Abyei in the political and military struggle of South Sudan in the two wars. Unfortunately, despite his strong manifest desire to contribute to the book, Edward Linos deteriorating health condition made that implausible. I do, however, believe that those who knew Edward Lino well and have reflected on his life in their eulogies, have given him the great honor which he so much deserves by highlighting the heroic contribution he made to the liberation struggle. In particular, his comrade in the struggle, Atem Yaak Atem, in his powerful and deeply moving eulogy, has began an in-depth account of Edward Linos role in the struggle which he thoughtfully pledged to elaborate into a publishable work. I also hope that the messages that have poured in since the announcement of his death will be collected into a volume that will be published as a tribute to his noble and memorable service to his people and his country. Our people used to say that absence is like death. I now reverse this to say that death is like absence. This is particularly true these days when a combination of devastating crises have shattered our people and scattered them around the globe to the point where many relatives and friends hardly ever meet face to face. Absence and death have become closely twinned. And so, Edward Lino continues to be absent as he has been for many among us, but he will also remain forever present among us in our memory. His heroic deeds and his unwavering commitment to the struggle for human dignity for all will continue to be a source of inspiration for generations to come. Our people do not cry over the death of heroes for they live on in the remembered glory of their immortal deeds. So it is with Edward Lino; he is dead, but he lives on in our memory. May the Almighty God rest his soul in peace among our ancestors and all our departed, whose heads remain standing upright, to paraphrase the principles of kooc e nhom in our peoples spiritual belief system. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has returned to Downing Street, a month after being diagnosed with the deadly coronavirus, to take charge of the UK's response to the pandemic outbreak in the country that has claimed the lives of over 20,000 people. The 55-year-old has been recuperating at his prime ministerial countryside retreat at Chequers in Buckinghamshire since he was discharged on April 12 and had put UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab in charge as his deputy. Johnson is expected to chair the regular morning Cabinet meeting on Covid-19 on Monday before holding talks with senior ministers and officials, the BBC reported. Johnson arrived back at No 10 on Sunday evening, a month since he was diagnosed with the virus on March 27. The prime minister is under immense pressure to start finalising plans to ease the severe social distancing restrictions in place at least until May 7, when the government is legally bound to review the lockdown measures. The UK on Sunday reported 413 deaths, taking the total number of fatalities in the country's hospitals to 20,732. Johnson was admitted for a week in St Thomas' Hospital in central London on April 5, including three nights in intensive care. He has not been doing any official government work during his convalescence, although last week he did speak to Queen Elizabeth and US President Donald Trump, as well as meeting senior ministers. Johnson will now resume full-time duties, although it is unclear at this stage whether he will lead the press briefing on Monday on the country's fight against the coronavirus, the report said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Seoul: South Korean officials are emphasising that they have detected no unusual movements in North Korea and are cautioning against reports that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un may be ill or is being isolated because of coronavirus concerns. At a closed-door forum on Sunday, South Korea's Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul, who oversees engagement with the North, said the government has the intelligence capabilities to say with confidence that there were no indications of anything unusual. Rumours and speculation over the North Korean leader's health began after he failed to make a public appearance at a key state holiday on April 15, and has since remained out of sight. South Korea media last week reported that Kim may have undergone cardiovascular surgery or was in isolation to avoid exposure to the coronavirus. Unification Minister Kim cast doubt on the report of surgery, arguing that the hospital mentioned did not have the capabilities for such an operation. Still, Yoon Sang-hyun, chairman of the foreign and unification committee in South Korea's National Assembly, told a gathering of experts on Monday that Kim Jong Un's absence from the public eye suggests "he has not been working as normally". "There has not been any report showing he's making policy decisions as usual since April 11, which leads us to assume that he is either sick or being isolated because of coronavirus concerns," Yoon said. North Korea has said it has no confirmed cases of the new coronavirus, but some international experts have cast doubt on that claim. South Korea's President Moon Jae-in vowed on Monday to step up cooperation to help the North prevent the spread of the coronavirus but made no mention of Kim's health or whereabouts. "I will find a path for the most realistic and practical inter-Korean cooperation," Moon told a meeting with senior aides, marking the second anniversary of his first summit with Kim. "The COVID-19 crisis could mean a new opportunity for inter-Korean cooperation, and that's the most urgent and pressing task." 'Alive And Well' On Monday, North Korean state media once again showed no new photos of Kim nor reported on his whereabouts. However, they did carry reports that he had sent a message of gratitude to workers building a tourist resort in Wonsan, an area where some South Korean media reports have said Kim may be staying. "Our government position is firm," Moon Chung-in, a top foreign policy adviser to South Korean President Moon, said in comments to U.S. news outlets. "Kim Jong Un is alive and well. He has been staying in the Wonsan area since April 13. No suspicious movements have so far been detected." In Washington, a U.S. official appeared to back the South Korean government officials' assessment about Kim as well as their admonition against speculation. "That's good advice. The media should take what they're saying seriously," the official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters. However, he declined to elaborate on the U.S. view of Kim's situation. Kim Byung-kee, a former intelligence official and now a member of South Korea's parliamentary intelligence committee, also urged caution on speculation and said there is little possibility that Kim is ill and he would make a "surprise comeback soon." Satellite images from last week showed a special train possibly belonging to Kim at Wonsan, lending weight to those reports, according to 38 North, a Washington-based North Korea monitoring project. Although the group said it was probably the North Korean leader's personal train, Reuters has not been able to confirm that independently, or whether he was in Wonsan. A spokeswoman for the Unification Ministry said on Monday she had nothing to confirm when asked about reports that Kim was in Wonsan. Last week, China dispatched a team to North Korea including medical experts to advise on Kim Jong Un, according to three people familiar with the situation. Reuters was unable to immediately determine what the trip by the Chinese team signalled in terms of Kim's health. When asked about the Reuters' report on the medical team, China's foreign ministry said on Monday it has no information to offer on Kim. On Friday, a South Korean source told Reuters their intelligence was that Kim Jong Un was alive and would likely make an appearance soon. Experts have cautioned that Kim has disappeared from state media coverage before, and that gathering accurate information in North Korea is notoriously difficult. North Korea's state media last reported on Kim's whereabouts when he presided over a meeting on April 11. Kim, believed to be 36, vanished from state media for more than a month in 2014 and North Korean state TV later showed him walking with a limp. Vast Resources plc / Ticker: VAST / Index: AIM / Sector: Mining 27 April 2020 Vast Resources plc (Vast or the Company) Baita Plai Project update Vast Resources plc, the AIM-listed mining company, is pleased to update the market on progress at its Baita Plai Polymetallic Mine Baita Plai in Romania. Following the previous announcements regarding shipping updates made on 16th, 18th, 20th & 23rd March and 16th April 2020, the Company can confirm that the first shipment of equipment has arrived at the Port of Constanta in Romania. The equipment, which includes railways tracks and locomotives, is currently being loaded onto trucks for transport to Baita Plai, which is located circa 500 miles from the Port of Constanta. The shipping schedules of the remaining containers of equipment remain on track. The first two shipments contain the integral equipment required to commence production at Baita Plai. The Company will keep the market informed as the remaining shipments progress and when the equipment arrives at the mine site over the coming days. **ENDS** For further information, visit www.vastplc.com or please contact: Vast Resources plc Andrew Prelea (Chief Executive Officer) Andrew Hall www.vastplc.com +44 (0) 1491 615 232 Beaumont Cornish - Financial & Nominated Adviser Roland Cornish James Biddle www.beaumontcornish.com +44 (0) 020 7628 3396 SP Angel Corporate Finance LLP Joint Broker Richard Morrison Caroline Rowe www.spangel.co.uk +44 (0) 20 3470 0470 Axis Capital Markets Limited Joint Broker Richard Hutchison www.axcap247.com +44 (0) 20 3206 0320 Blytheweigh Tim Blythe Megan Ray www.blytheweigh.com +44 (0) 20 7138 3204 The information contained within this announcement is deemed by the Company to constitute inside information as stipulated under the Market Abuse Regulations (EU) No. 596/2014 (MAR). ABOUT VAST RESOURCES PLC Vast Resources plc, is an AIM listed mining company with mines in Romania and Zimbabwe focused on the rapid advancement of high quality brownfield projects by recommencing production at previously producing mines in Romania and commencement of the joint venture mining agreement on the Chiadzwa Community Concession Block of the Chiadzwa Diamond Fields in Zimbabwe. Story continues The Companys portfolio includes an 80% interest in the Baita Plai Polymetallic Mine in Romania, where work is now currently underway towards developing and recommissioning the mine and the Community Concession Block in Chiadzwa, Zimbabwe. Vast Resources owns the Manaila Polymetallic Mine in Romania, which was commissioned in 2015, currently on care and maintenance. Attachment A well-respected member of the New Orleans Zulu Club carnival group who was known as a 'Zulu king' has died from Covid-19, with just ten people allowed to attend his funeral. Larry Arthur Hammond, 70, died on March 31, with the coronavirus pandemic delaying his funeral until April 22 and preventing him from receiving a funeral fit 'for a king'. Hundreds of close-knit members of his century-old parade group and African American fraternity were prevented from honoring one of their leaders, weeks after he died of COVID-19. Larry Arthur Hammond, 70, died on March 31, with the coronavirus pandemic delaying his funeral until April 22 and preventing him from receiving a funeral fit 'for a king' Friends and family of Larry Hammond sit in chairs spaced for social distancing, during funeral at Boyd Funeral Home in New Orleans, April 22, 2020 If he had died in a normal time Mr Hammond would have had a funeral befitting a Zulu king, with more than a thousand mourners in the church and marching in second-line parades celebrating a mainstay of New Orleans Mardi Gras royalty. Larry Arthur Hammond, 70, part of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity Mr Hammond would have received 'past-king' honors, with massive second-line tributes organized by the Zulus and his fraternity brothers, marching behind his casket with brass bands playing dirges and then breaking out into Dixieland jazz, celebrating their belief in his ascension to heaven. Instead at the funeral parlor his widow sat grieving from a socially distanced chair while family and friends strained to hear readings broadcast through cell phones on speaker mode. His wife, Lillian Hammond, said: 'Only having 10 family members was so hurting to me because we have such a large, loving family.' The masks his wife and daughter wore to protect each other muffled their weeping. Nobody could see a smile; nobody could hug. Lillian P. Hammond, left, widow of Larry Hammond, who died from the coronavirus, sits, exercising social distancing, with her sister-in-law Lori Adams, at the funeral Lillian P. Hammond, center, is comforted by her daughter Nicole Hammond Crowden, right, and sister-in-law Lori Adams, left, at the funeral for her husband Larry Hammond In normal times more than a thousand mourners would have attended the church celebrating a mainstay of New Orleans Mardi Gras royalty. Pictured: Mr Hammond in his Mardi Gras outfit But improvisation is integral to the jazz culture of New Orleans, and improvise they did. After the funeral, scores of cars and trucks passed the Hammond home as the family sat in chairs on their front lawn, still dressed in their funeral attire. A police escort led the procession. Honking, waving and calling to his family, drivers and passengers showed their respect and love for the 2007 king of the Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club, a retired postal worker and Air Force veteran who tutored, mentored and provided Christmas presents through Omega Psi Phi. Mrs Hammond said: 'I was so pleased. I was amazed. I was excited and not just excited for my family, but excited for Larry, because their procession, that motorcade was him.' The Zulu club, as with African Americans nationwide, has been particularly hard-hit by this virus, to which humans have no natural immunity. At least eight of its 800 members have died of COVID-19, according to its board chairman, City Councilman Jay H. Banks. The family of Larry Hammond wave as a line of cars with friends and family, who could not attend his funeral due to the coronavirus, pass by their home, in New Orleans, April 22, 2020 Hammond was Mardi Gras royalty, and would have had more than a thousand people marching behind his casket in second-line parades Honking, waving and calling to his family, drivers and passengers showed their respect and love for the 2007 king of the Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club Mourners who could not attend the funeral for Larry Hammond because of the coronavirus pay their respects from a line of cars passing by their family home The Zulu club, as with African Americans nationwide, has been particularly hard-hit by this virus, to which humans have no natural immunity Mr Banks, who dressed in crisp white for the procession because he was King Zulu in 2016, said: 'There would have been thousands of people there, I can say that without qualification. Mr Hammond, who died of coronavirus March 31, 2020 'It's the funeral of a king, you don't get any higher than that.' The loneliness of the sparse funeral parlor seemed grievous by comparison. Mrs Hammond's daughter, wearing a cloth mask and protective blue gloves, embraced her as she wept. Beside his open casket, an easel bore his portrait, wearing his white king suit. Another portrait was in the waiting area, with a bottle of hand sanitizer and a sign: 'Please sanitize your hands before signing the guest book.' Mrs Hammond added: 'I am so happy that Larry's in a better place. I want to say to all of you, we don't know what's going on with this coronavirus but please take it serious. And make sure that every day that you say something about the Lord and bless your family.' It was a much warmer setting in their front yard that afternoon, where Lillian, her daughter Nicole and her sister Lori Adams were joined by his granddaughter, Kailyn Hammond Gouch. People in cars and trucks rolled slowly by for about 15 minutes, waving, calling out and holding handmade signs and memorabilia. His wife, Lillian Hammond, (right, with Mr Hammond) said: 'Only having 10 family members was so hurting to me because we have such a large, loving family.' A hand sanitizer station sits next to a guest book at the funeral for Larry Hammond (pictured) Pallbearers, who were among only 10 allowed mourners, walk the casket for internment at the funeral for Larry Hammond, at Mount Olivet Cemetery in New Orleans, April 22, 2020 Friends and family of Larry Hammond who were among only 10 mourners allowed, enter his funeral at Boyd Funeral Home in New Orleans Mrs Hammond said she recognized people from Zulu, the fraternity, the neighborhood, the school where her husband tutored students for standardized tests, and from outside the New Orleans area. As the last car drove past, the family applauded. Barry Hammond said his brother was a giver who saw the value in helping others and bringing people together. He hopes Americans will reach similar conclusions, since the pandemic has shown that we're all human beings first, undivided by race or politics. 'We are all in this together. Corona has proven this,' he said. 'My prayer is the virus causes us to reunite as a country.' For over a century Zulu members have paraded for Mardi Gras in their distinctive grass skirts and black face inspired by a 1909 vaudeville skit, according to a history compiled for the group's 100-year anniversary in 2009 African Americans represent more than 56% of Louisiana's 1,670 coronavirus deaths, the state public health department reported Sunday. The growth rate in Louisiana tops all others, according to a University of Louisiana at Lafayette analysis of global data, with some blaming the Madi Gras held on February 25, for the spike in infections. Dr. Rebekah Gee, who heads the Louisiana State University's health care services division said: 'Mardi Gras was the perfect storm, it provided the perfect conditions for the spread if this virus'. Krewe of Zulu Parade rolls down Jackson Avenue on Mardi Gras Day in New Orleans, February 25, 2020 In a city ravaged by the coronavirus outbreak, Zulu and its members have paid a heavy price. Several of the group's members have died from coronavirus-related complications, said Zulu President Elroy A. James For over a century Zulu members have paraded for Mardi Gras in their distinctive grass skirts and black face inspired by a 1909 vaudeville skit, according to a history compiled for the group's 100-year anniversary in 2009. It was not just a Mardi Gras parade group but one of the benevolent societies that plays an important role in African American history by providing life insurance or funeral costs to its dues-paying members. Over the decades Zulu Mardi Gras parades have featured ever-larger floats, with costumed float riders tossing out beads and trinkets, including the groups hand-decorated coconuts, among the event's most-coveted throws. The most famous man to reign as Zulu king was Louis Armstrong in 1949. Members are also elected to be one of the group's coveted characters, such as Mr. Big Stuff or The Big Shot. 'Nobody has more fun than Zulu,' said Mardi Gras historian, Arthur Hardy. But, he emphasized, there's a lot more to the group than the parade. Zulu is known for its philanthropic works all year round, including the Junior Zulu program that reaches out to disadvantaged children and an annual Christmas bike giveaway. Transparency And Accountability Advancement Group Press Statement The recent revelations of large-scale payments for unbudgeted, dubious and unexecuted contracts by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) running into billions of naira is a sad commentary at a time when the focus should be on restructuring the intervention agency and getting it to deliver on its mandate. Indeed, it is an indication that all the talk about a forensic audit and the whole purpose of appointing an Interim Management Committee is to facilitate this brazen looting of the lean resources of the agency. It is all the more worrisome that the supervising minister of the agency, the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Chief Godswill Akpabio, has emerged as the central figure in the ongoing malfeasance. President Buhari must as a matter of urgency halt the drift in the ministry and the NDDC. We are worried that rather than constructively engage the people of the Niger Delta on their critical needs and work towards finding solutions in those areas, the minister and the IMC have chosen to exploit the agency to make dubious payments for uncompleted Projects, medical equipment and facilities, which have not been delivered on, such that the bank balance of about N50 billion in the commissions account when the IMC was appointed just a few months ago has been depleted. Particularly worrisome are the series of selective payments ordered by the minister and executed by the IMC without resort to due process. On Akpabios instruction, the IMC released the sum of Four Billion, Ninety Six Million Seven Hundred and Ninety Eight Thousand Three Hundred and Thirty Two Naira (N4, 096,798,332.50) for the supply of Lassa fever protective kits and other medical supplies such as Maternal Delivery Kits, Cholera Vaccines and what it called Outstanding Science Equipment. Yet, there is no indication that these items were delivered to public hospitals in the region as many lack such basic supplies. Nigerians have also been inundated with the reckless manner in which the NDDC head office contract which was already 70 percent completed was re-awarded to a crony company of Akpabios for the sum of N16 billion and at the ministers behest full payment has been made while the job is yet to be completed, an action that is clearly at variance with known public sector financial regulations and good sense. This award and upfront payment is even more worrisome when considered that at the point it was done, an internal assessment team of engineers in the Commission had valued the outstanding job on the head office building at no more than N6 billion, yet this was ignored and awarded to a company close to Akpabio for N16 billion. Though that job is yet to be completed, the company has been paid in full on the orders of Akpabio. These opaque payments running into several billions of naira have called to question public procurement at the agency, where the IMC seem to waste no opportunity to roll out the contracts, even duplicating them at will. Again, on April 6th 2020, it awarded two contracts at over N10 billion to two companies for the supply of medical equipment. The first is an award letter in the sum of N4.8 billion to Osmoserve Global Limited under the heading Award of Contract for the Emergency Supply and delivery of Medical Equipment and consumables to the NDDC Warehouse, Oroworukwu in Port Harcourt City LGA of Rivers State. The second contract was given to Signoria Concept Services limited with Reference number NDDC/MD/HPU/20/4/EHSS/05 in the amount of N5,474,647,125.00 for what the NDDC claimed was the supply of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for health workers and for Covid-19 publicity campaign in the Niger Delta states. While this may on the face seem desirable given the ravaging disease, whistleblowers say the award is fraudulent. That followed yet another opaque disbursement made in March 2020 when the IMC said it had made available N1.045 billion to the nine states of the zone and as part payment for the establishment of Covid-19 isolation centres in each of the 27 senatorial zones in the region. Yet there are no NDDC-funded isolation centres in all of the 27 senatorial districts across the region. Emergency contracts were some of the major instruments through which the NDDC was fleeced in recent years, yet Akpabio and his IMC have continued with this practice in violation of extant directives of the office of the Auditor General of the Federation.Therefore, the pertinent questions for the Minister, the IMC and investigators are: 1. If these contracts passed through tender and all due processes before being awarded? 2. What medical urgency necessitated an emergency supply contract of N4.8 billion for medical supplies different from another for Covid-19 PPE medical supplies in the sum of N5.4 billion, all awarded on the same day to different companies? 3. Why the contracts do not have a breakdown in terms of quantity, lots and other quality specifications? 4. How billions of naira contracts without duly specified bills of quantity? 5. Where the supplier of Medical PPE was expected to source the equipment from in three weeks given that there is a globally acknowledged supply deficit on account of the pandemic? 6. Why the IMC has resorted to disobeying the extant financial rules on payments to contractors? What is apparent is that in giving out contract letters without details as to quality and quantity, Akpabio and the IMC have designed an avenue to fleece the agency through these nebulous contracts. They are clearly exploiting the latitude given to the ministry by the President to loot the lean resources of the NDDC, when they clearly do not have a mandate to spend money as a Governing Board has not been inaugurated for the Commission, as provided for in the NDDC Act of 2000. The twin infraction of the distortion of the NDDC Act and the looting of the commissions resources do not bode well for transparency. The abuse of the NDDC Act itself may have set the stage for these fraudulent scams that have become apparent and are being unveiled by whistleblowers. These reports of corruption in the NDDC indicate the Governance problems in the interventionist agency as Akpabio, who is the central figure in these allegations and who appointed the IMC members, is as well the supervising minister, Chairman of the Monitoring Committee and Member of the Advisory Committee. There is an obvious conspiracy of silence in the agency and the government that is unhealthy and needs to be probed and dealt with. The Buhari regime must live up to its mandate to employ the resources of the country in the best interest of the people. What is going on at the NDDC is a negation of this mandate and the president must put a stop to it. It is without a doubt that the excuses for not having a Governing Board in place are more sinister than have been canvassed by the minister and that should be reversed also for a fully transparent management of the NDDC and its assets. The president cannot afford to have a thieving minister and management in place at the NDDC, not at this time when Government finances are low and the people of the region are in desperate need of state intervention. It must restore accountability and transparency by immediately suspending the minister, disbanding the IMC and probing the affairs of the NDDC since Akpabio was made its supervising minister. Comrade Godknows Sotonye National President A caregiver allegedly stole and pawned the engagement ring of an 86-year-old woman with dementia as she lay dying from coronavirus. Elizabeth Daniels, 29, is believed to have snatched Barbara Gust's $13,000 ring along with her credit cards at The Carillon at Belleview Station, a senior living facility, on South Niagara Street. Authorities say Daniels pawned the ring and used Gust's credit cards the very same day she died from coronavirus. Her daughter-in-law called police after noticing unusual activity on several of Gust's credit cards while making arrangements with the funeral home. Daniels had been hired as a temporary worker at the facility to help deal with its positive coronavirus cases She also told officers she noticed her mother-in-law's ring was missing when she went to visit her in hospital following a fall, but thought it might be locked in her room in the memory care unit. The woman emailed police records of a $200 credit card charge from an Englewood auto shop, and an employee confirmed Daniels had made the charge. Detectives assigned to investigate secured the arrest affidavit for Daniels the same day. They were also able to recover the ring. Daniels has since been charged with theft from an at-risk person, identity theft, providing a false statement to a pawnbroker and criminal possession of a financial transaction device, according to the Denver District Attorneys Office. As of last Wednesday, 17 residents at Carillon at Belleview Station had tested positive for the virus and six had died. Eleven staffers were also confirmed as having the virus. Barbara Gust's daughter-in-law told officers she noticed the engagement ring was missing when she went to visit her in hospital following a fall, but thought it might be locked in her room in the memory care unit Daniels had been hired as a temporary worker at the facility to help deal with its positive coronavirus cases. She was released from the Downtown Detention Center on $15,000 bond, the Denver Channel reported. Records show her second advisement is scheduled for June 22. V olunteers spent the day on a farm to harvest vegetables that would have otherwise gone to waste so the produce could be turned into meals for our Food for London Now appeal. More than six tonnes was secured from the farm near Margate in Kent by the 20 harvesters, who all volunteer for our appeal partner The Felix Project. Helping our initiative, the farmer had an excess of cauliflowers and brassicas that he offered for free if the charity was able to come and pick them. The recent warm weather had sped up their growth cycle, meaning the farm would have been unable to harvest and sell them before they flowered and spoiled. In addition, the farm was able to donate potatoes that were deemed too big or too small for the commercial market. Katie Brookes, from Edenbridge, was one of the harvesters who responded to the request for help sent out by the Felix Project on social media. She spent a day last week cutting cauliflowers. She admitted it had been hard work as each volunteer was given a knife to cut the vegetables before placing them in string sacks. Social distancing meant they were each given their own row to harvest. But the 53-year-old said the hard work was worth it. Everyone wanted to get out and do something. It was a great opportunity to help out and do something worthwhile. Say cheese: volunteers at the farm near Margate with some of the cauliflowers harvested before the veg went to see / Matt Writtle Hackney-based NGO Feedback Global, which is working to secure more sustainable food systems, worked with The Felix Project to secure the produce by alerting the charity to the opportunity. Once harvested, the food was then taken in Felix Project vans to its depot in Enfield for storage. Projects it will help supply include local homeless hostels, community kitchens, womens refuge centres, services for the elderly and food banks. The Standards Food for London Now appeal has so far raised 3 million and is delivering the equivalent of 100,000 meals a day to vulnerable people across the capital. Donate at virginmoneygiving.com/fund/FoodforLondonNOW Back from Nandeds Hazur Sahib, 11 people were isolated in Tarn Tarans civil hospital on Monday after the driver of their vehicle tested positive for the deadly virus in Maharashtra. The pilgrims, which include two women, are part of a group of 14 people who were dropped by the Maharashtra-based driver to Tarn Taran on Sunday. Three others are from Mogas Chak Tarewa village. At least 3,000 pilgrims from Punjab were stranded in Hazur Sahib, one of the five temporal seats of Sikhs, after the nationwide lockdown was imposed. Eight of the eleven persons hail from Khemkaran, a Nagar Panchayat that falls within Bhikhiwind sub-division, while the remaining two hail from Mianwal and Ramuwal villages. The pilgrims returned on Sunday and were quarantined in their homes after their return. Later, we learnt that the driver who dropped them off had tested positive for Covid-19 in Maharashtra, said deputy commissioner (DC) Pardeep Kumar Sabharwal. He said the pilgrims samples had been sent to Amritsars Government Medical College (GMC). The driver hails from Nanded district in Maharashtra. Nanded is 1,900 km from Tarn Taran and it takes around two days to cover the distance. DRIVER FERRIED PILGRIMS DESPITE PENDING TEST RESULTS A senior official, requesting anonymity, said the drivers samples must have been collected earlier, but his results came on Sunday. This has raised questions as to why the driver was allowed to ferry the pilgrims if his test reports were pending. The pilgrims have been returning to Punjab in small batches. The state government has also sent several buses to bring back the pilgrims. Medical personnel Saul Reynoso, left, Charlotte Thomas and Sandra Sandoval work to stabilize a COVID-19 patient. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) The impact of novel coronavirus on Scripps Mercy Hospital Chula Vista is being felt with increasing intensity as significant numbers as the number of new cases steadily increases due, at least in part, to the facility's proximity to Baja California where COVID-19 is straining medical resources. On a recent afternoon the hospital, its main COVID unit already full, the call came down to clear the way for a patient, already on high-flow oxygen treatment, who needed to be admitted to the intensive care unit and placed on a mechanical ventilator due to severe and worsening respiratory distress. Quickly helping each other slip into protective equipment, a team of intensivists quickly sedated the patient before inserting a breathing tube and connecting it to the ventilators. It is moments like these, said Dr. Juan Tovar, an emergency medicine specialist and operations executive at Scripps Chula Vista, that show medicine is truly a team effort. From making sure that the hospital's hallways were clear to backing each other up inside the patient's room, communication, he said, is a supremely-important weapon in the COVID-19 fight. "One of the biggest things that we've learned in this environment is that we need constant communication, both with the intensive care unit, and with our sister facility up in San Diego," Tovar said. "Everybody needs to know what's coming." As hospitals closest to the border start to see their COVID units fill, intensive care nurse manager Terry Taylor said the focus on the mechanics of bed space management are becoming more immediate. A constant eye must be kept on the hosptial's 26-bed general COVID unit which can quickly see patients go from stable to critical. "If half of them get sick, I'm suddenly full in the ICU," she said. "That's the thing I fear every day on the floor." But there are plenty of bright spots. On Thursday, the hospital's intensive care unit celebrated releasing its first two COVID patients, taking them off ventilators and sending them off the ward with music and applause. Story continues Nurse practitioner Charlotte Thomas readies her supplies to stabilize a patient who has just been intubated. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) Dr. Dennis Amundson, center, works with colleagues to help a patient who has just arrived in the ICU. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) Dr. Juan Tovar and nurse practitioner Charlotte Thomas watch as an intubation is performed on a patient. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) Respiratory therapist Sandra Sandoval in protective gear inside a negative pressure isolation room. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) From left, nurse practitioner Charlotte Thomas, respiratory therapist Sandra Sandoval and registered nurse Saul Reynoso work on a COVID-19 patient. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) Lornna Hopping signals to a colleague as personnel monitor the removal of protective gear inside an anteroom that connects to an isolation room housing a COVID-19 patient. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) Nurse practitioner Charlotte Thomas works with an infected patient. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) Healthcare workers celebrate as Claudia Martinez is discharged from the ICU after recovering from COVID-19 symptoms at Scripps Mercy Hospital. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) As several states begin to reopen businesses, billionaire Mark Cuban says it may be too soon to do so amid the widespread coronavirus pandemic and he has a simple litmus test for when people will feel comfortable returning to stores and offices that have been closed for weeks. "You just want to keep people safe," Cuban said in an interview published Wednesday with NBC's Dallas-Fort Worth news affiliate. (In particular, Cuban was speaking to Texas's governor detailing plans to reopen the state's businesses later this week. But Cuban doesn't believe the state has effective protocols in place.) "You can open [businesses] up, but they are going to lose more money," Cuban said. That's because Cuban does not believe most residents, like himself, are ready to return to their normal shopping habits in public. "The test I use ... is: 'Would I let my kids out?'" he said. "Am I going to let [my kids] Jake, Alyssa and Alexis go out into any one of these environments or stores without knowing that they are adhering to these issues," he said, referring to guidelines that still must be ironed out, like how long a mask or face-covering can be worn before it needs to be switched out for a fresh one. "The answer is no," he added. Cuban isn't totally against gradually reopening certain aspects of public life, however. "Opening up parks, I'm fine with that," he told NBC, adding that he also doesn't see a problem with opening retail stores, "but only for pickup." "People are already ordering online and we're already used to doing curbside pickup for food," Cuban said. "I don't think that's a bad thing [as long as] they're putting enough constraints on things. "But opening up gyms, opening up movie theaters where people congregate that's different. We're not ready for that." Patience is clearly wearing thin and people are becoming increasingly frustrated with the social restrictions in place to combat Covid-19, but Ireland remains in a battle to lower the community transmission of the virus according to the chief medical officer. We are not there yet, Dr Tony Holohan told the latest briefing from the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) in Dublin. Were still reporting a significant number of cases, we still have a significant challenge in terms of healthcare facilities reporting cases. Dr Holohan said he was hopeful that further improvements in terms of Irelands numbers will be seen over the final seven days before the restrictions are due for review on May 5, and said that any decision to loosen restrictions will be made down to the wire. I havent made my mind up, he said. His words came as the NPHET announced a further 18 deaths, at least 17 of which were confirmed as being from Covid-19, giving an overall death toll of 1,102 across the country to date. Meanwhile, a further 386 cases have been confirmed meaning there have now been 19,648 instances of Covid-19 in Ireland. Regarding the crisis seen in long term residential care facilities, Dr Holohan said that there are now 355 clusters of the disease in such settings, with 3.048 cases having been recorded in nursing homes alone. To date 641 deaths have been recorded in such long-term care facilities, 58% of the toll seen thus far. Separately, the briefing heard that 10 deaths have been recorded to date in disability care centres, with such settings approximately 90% free of the coronavirus per Dr Siobhan Ni Bhriain, the HSEs integrated care lead. Regarding the coming bank holiday weekend and the giant Garda operation which will be in place in order to maintain the climate of social distancing, Dr Holohan confirmed that the emergency powers afforded to gardai - which sees large fines and prison time among the options available to the force in extreme circumstances - are still in place after a second set of regulations concerning same had been signed into law. He was unable to confirm what the expiry date of those powers is however. He insisted that the improvements necessary in order for restrictions to be lifted can still be achieved, though he acknowledged that the weekend just passed had seen a very significant increase in social activity across the island. Weve done great work together as a country in terms of preventing the widespread community transmission of this virus that could have led to the kind of scenes we saw in many European cities, he said. Were still seeing improvement, but the rate of improvement is slowing down a little bit. The number of people in intensive care units for example is dropping, but at a slower rate than it was. Dr Holohan said that preparations are being made to communicate the new case definition of Covid-19 in an Irish context to GPs via an algorithm, with a view to it being operational tomorrow. What the new definition will be is unclear - at present only those with an underlying condition or two specific symptoms of the virus are being tested, which has meant testing capacity is not being used. However, Dr Holohan acknowledged that the latest change to the definition is likely to lead to a further spike in cases. He also moved to allay suggestions that NPHET is not operating in a transparent manner, and said that the reason minutes of its twice-weekly meetings, which are generally four hours in length, have not been made available for more than three weeks is purely down to a workload issue. Global military expenditure at 3.6 per cent saw its largest annual spike in a decade in 2019 with China and India being the second- and third-largest spenders after the US, a Stockholm-based think-tank said on Monday, the first time the two Asian giants were among the top three countries spending more on armaments. The total global military expenditure rose to USD 1,917 billion in 2019, representing an annual growth of 3.6 per cent compared to 2018, according to a new report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). The 3.6 per cent spike it said was the largest spending growth since 2010. While the US drove the global growth, China and India - the top Asian military spenders were respectively the second- and third-largest military spenders in the world, the report said. China's military expenditure reached USD 261 billion in 2019, a 5.1 per cent increase compared to 2018, while that of India grew by 6.8 per cent to USD 71.1 billion, it said. "India's tensions and rivalry with both Pakistan and China are among the major drivers for its increased military spending," said Siemon T Wezeman, SIPRI Senior Researcher. The total global military expenditure in 2019 represents an increase of 3.6 per cent from 2018 and the largest annual growth in spending since 2010, it said. The five largest spenders, which accounted for 62 per cent of the total expenditure, were the US, China, India, Russia and Saudi Arabia, the report said, adding that this is the first time that two Asian states have featured among the top three military spenders. In addition to China and India, Japan (USD 47.6 billion) and South Korea (USD 43.9 billion) were the largest military spenders in Asia and Oceania. Military expenditure in the region has risen every year since at least 1989. The report said that the military spending by the US grew by 5.3 per cent to a total of USD 732 billion in 2019 and accounted for 38 per cent of global military spending. The increase in US spending in 2019 alone was equivalent to the entirety of Germany's military expenditure for that year. "The recent growth in US military spending is largely based on a perceived return to competition between the great powers," said Pieter D Wezeman, Senior Researcher at SIPRI. The global military spending in 2019 represented 2.2 per cent of the global gross domestic product (GDP), which equates to approximately USD 249 per person. "Global military expenditure was 7.2 per cent higher in 2019 than it was in 2010, showing a trend that military spending growth has accelerated in recent years," said Dr Nan Tian, SIPRI Researcher. "This is the highest level of spending since the 2008 global financial crisis and probably represents a peak in expenditure," the researcher said. In Europe, Germany's military spending rose by 10 per cent in 2019, to USD 49.3 billion, the largest increase in spending among the top 15 military spenders in 2019. "The growth in German military spending can partly be explained by the perception of an increased threat from Russia, shared by many North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) member states. At the same time, however, military spending by France and the United Kingdom remained relatively stable," said Diego Lopes da Silva, Researcher at SIPRI. In 2019, Russia was the fourth-largest spender in the world and increased its military expenditure by 4.5 per cent to USD 65.1 billion. "At 3.9 per cent of its GDP, Russia's military spending burden was among the highest in Europe in 2019," said Alexandra Kuimova, Researcher at SIPRI. The average military spending burden was 1.4 per cent of the GDP for countries in the Americas, 1.6 per cent for Africa, 1.7 per cent for Asia and Oceania and for Europe, and 4.5 per cent for the Middle East (in countries for which data is available). SIPRI said that data from previous global economic downturns suggests that the economic crisis resulting from the coronavirus pandemic will probably disrupt the future military spending. Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. The global physical security market size is expected to reach USD 171.0 billion by 2027 and is anticipated to register a CAGR of 6.5% over the forecast period, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. Lack of physical security leads to higher rates of burglaries and thefts. Therefore, safeguarding the physical perimeter and individual assets, including expensive technological equipment, has gained importance and is driving the market growth. Increasing awareness about securing the perimeter in developing economies has led to a rise in deployment of IP-based cameras in residential societies as well as commercial complexes and offices. Furthermore, increasing terror threats, border disputes, and refugee crises drive the adoption of stringent safety measures, thereby driving the physical security market growth. Governments across different countries and regions are taking up smart city initiatives to enhance their infrastructure and are hence deploying improved security systems. Additionally, modernizing the existing infrastructure with robust security measures and strengthening the security of government agencies have been some of the top priorities for governments across developed countries. Organizations are increasingly concerned about employee safety and are hence setting up systems to prevent unauthorized access, further driving the demand for physical security solutions. China accounted for the largest share of the Asia Pacific market in 2019. The market in China has been strongly supported by the growth in new construction projects and smart cityInitiatives. Furthermore, the presence of technology giants such as Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Co., Ltd and Dahua Technology Co., Ltd is another factor contributing to the market growth. Companies in the market are focusing on strategic partnerships and acquisitions to enhance their product and service offerings. In August 2019, Dahua Technology Co., Ltd entered into a strategic alliance with Pepper to offer enhanced security to its video as well as non-video IoT services to protect against unauthorized access of data. The partnership would allow the incorporation of Pepper's intelligent solutions into Dahua Technology Co., Ltd's hardware. Request a Sample Copy of the Global Physical Security Market Research Report @ www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/physical-security-market/request/rs1 Further key findings from the study suggest : Video surveillance dominated the physical security market with a value of USD 33.1 billion in 2019 as these systems enable real-time continuous monitoring and help lower chances of theft System integration is anticipated to dominate the market through the forecast period owing to factors such as stringent regulations and demand for cost-effective systems The residential segment is anticipated to register the highest CAGR of more than 7.0% over the forecast period owing to measures taken by consumers to protect their assets from potential threats Key companies in the market includes Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Co., Ltd .; Honeywell International, Inc .; Johnson Controls; Robert Bosch GmbH; and ADT. These players focus on adopting strategies such as mergers and acquisitions to enhance their market presence Grand View Research has segmented the global physical security market on the basis of component, systems, services, end use, and region: Physical Security Component Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2016 - 2027) Systems Services Physical Security Systems Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2016 - 2027) Video Surveillance Intrusion Detection Access Control Exterior Security Systems Physical Security Services Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2016 - 2027) System Integration Remote Monitoring Others Physical Security End-use Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2016 - 2027) Transportation Government Banking & Finance Utility & Energy Residential Manufacturing & Industrial Retail Commercial Hospitality Others Physical Security Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2016 - 2027) North America US Canada europe UK germany france Asia Pacific china India japan Latin America brazil mexico Middle East & Africa Access full research report on global physical security market: www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/physical-security-market Three Beijing-based internet activists have disappeared and are believed to be detained by police for saving backup copies of censored coronavirus news stories online, according to a relative. China has faced criticism over its handling of the outbreak, including punishing whistleblowers who tried to warn about the new virus. Multiple activists and journalists have allegedly vanished after criticising Beijing's handling of the epidemic. Chen Mei (left), Cai Wei (right) and Cai's girlfriend surnamed Tang went missing on April 19, according to a source. News of Chen and Cai's apparent disappearance and their pictures (above) were first reported by a Twitter account, known as 'southern_idiot ', on April 25 Chen Mei, Cai Wei and Cai's girlfriend surnamed Tang -- who contributed to a crowd-sourced project on the software development platform GitHub -- went missing on April 19, according to Chen's brother Chen Kun. The volunteer-driven project, named Terminus2049, preserved articles that were blocked or removed from mainland news outlets and social media by China's aggressive online censorship. Two of the volunteers, Cai and Tang, were charged with 'picking quarrels and provoking trouble' and are currently under 'residential surveillance at a designated location', according to a notice from Beijing's Chaoyang District police received by their families, and seen by AFP. The three contributed to a crowd-sourced project on the software development platform GitHub, which preserved articles that were blocked or removed from the mainland internet The project, named Terminus2049, bears the slogan 'no more 404'. Landing on a HTTP 404 'page not found' error page typically means the webpage could not be reached on the server Chen Kun said that he is still waiting on official confirmation from Chaoyang police that his younger brother, aged 26, has been detained. 'I understand that Cai and Tang disappeared around the same time as Chen Mei,' Chen told AFP. 'Given that both Chen and Cai were contributors to the Terminus2049 project, we suspect their disappearance was related and relevant to the project.' News of Chen and Cai's apparent disappearance was first reported by a Twitter account, known as 'southern_idiot', on April 25. The account also released a picture of a notice issued by police to Cai's family. China has faced criticism over its handling of the outbreak, including punishing whistleblowers who tried to warn about the new virus before an outbreak erupted in Wuhan The online project included many sensitive coronavirus stories published in recent months, such as personal narratives by Wuhan citizens and an infamous interview with Wuhan Central Hospital doctor Ai Fen, one of the earliest virus whistleblowers. The article, published by 'People' magazine in March, was widely circulated by Chinese netizens in a number of languages and formats -- including Morse code -- to evade censorship after it was abruptly pulled from the internet. As China tries to control the domestic narrative surrounding the chaotic initial months of the outbreak, similar crowd-sourced initiatives have flourished on GitHub, which is used by an increasing number of tech-savvy Chinese as a last frontier against ever-tightening internet censorship. China has faced criticism over its handling of the outbreak, including punishing whistleblowers. Dr Li Wenliang, a 34-year-old medic in Wuhan, died of the coronavirus on February 7 after being punished for sounding the alarm over the outbreak by the city's police Owned by Microsoft, the US-based website remains accessible in China although the Terminus2049 page is blocked. News of the Terminus2049 trio's disappearance made a stir online in Chinese activist circles. 'What quarrels were they picking, and what troubles were they provoking? Show me legal proof,' said the outspoken Tsinghua University sociology professor Guo Yuhua on Twitter Sunday, referring to Cai and Tang's charges. 'Picking quarrels and provoking trouble' is a vaguely defined charge often used by Chinese authorities to target activists and dissidents, which carries a prison sentence of up to five years. The administrators of 2019nCoVMemory -- another GitHub coronavirus archive -- made the 'protective' move to restrict access to its site to members only, according to an email sent to subscribers that was circulated on Weibo. Chaoyang public security bureau and the administrators of 2019nCoVMemory have not responded to requests for comment. 'Residential surveillance in a designated location', which Cai and Tang are reportedly under, is often arbitrarily used by the Chinese authorities to silence people who are critical of government leaders, especially of President Xi Jinping, according to Patrick Poon, a former researcher at Amnesty International. Mr Poon previously told MailOnline: 'The provision's justification is that allowing lawyers' visit might interfere with the police's investigation. 'As nobody except for the police would know where the person is detained. It's de facto incommunicado detention, and thus secret detention, which violates international human rights law. 'Without access to a lawyer of the person's choice or their family, the person can be subject to torture and other ill-treatment.' Multiple activists have allegedly vanished after criticising Beijing's handling of the epidemic. Pictured, patients rest at a temporary hospital at Tazihu Gymnasium in Wuhan on February 21 Emerging in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December, the coronavirus pandemic has killed more than 207,000 people and infected around three million. Three Chinese citizen journalists have gone missing while reporting about the outbreak from Wuhan independently. Two of them, Chen Qiushi and Fang Bin, disappeared in February after uploading videos of corpses being loaded and hospital overrun by patients to YouTube and Twitter, both banned in mainland China. The third journalist, Li Zehua, re-appeared last week after vanishing from public sight fore more than two months. He claimed he was detained and forcibly quarantined by police. Kcriss226I'm Kcriss, here is something about me si... https://t.co/ETjY7QaacY via @YouTube Kcriss Li (@KcrissLi) April 22, 2020 Chen, Fang and Li were among several Chinese citizens who were believed to be punished for speaking out about the pandemic. Ren Zhiqiang, a tycoon and prominent Communist party member, went missing after calling President Xi a 'clown' over his handling of the crisis. The 69-year-old is being investigated on suspicion of a 'severe violation of discipline and law', a Chinese authority said last week. An outspoken activist who openly called Chinese President Xi 'not clever enough' and demanded the leader step down over 'the coronavirus catastrophe' could be facing months of torture in secret detention, human rights groups have warned. Ren Zhiqiang, a prominent Communist party member who criticised Xi Jinping's handling of the coronavirus outbreak, is being investigated on suspicion of a 'severe violation of discipline and law'. In this file photo from 2012, the then real estate mogul is seen in his office in Beijing Xu Zhiyong (pictured in 2009) was detained after publishing a series of blog posts criticising the Communist Party's response to the coronavirus outbreak that has now killed at least 3,893 Xu Zhiyong, a former law lecturer, has allegedly been charged with 'inciting state subversion' after being detained on February 15. The 47-year-old is being kept in a classified location and at 'serious risk' of torture and ill-treatment, according to experts. Ai Fen, a Wuhan doctor who was among the first to alert other medics about the spread of coronavirus was also thought to be detained, reports suggest. The ER doctor said she was safe and working in a short video uploaded to her social media account on April 13. Coronavirus whistle-blowers remain missing two months after exposing the true scale of the outbreak from Wuhan The whereabouts of activists Chen Qiushi and Fang Bing are still a mystery The two had sent shocking reports from Wuhan before vanishing in February Their videos showed corpses being loaded and hospital overrun by patients Two whistle-blowers who tried to inform the world about the true scale of the coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan are still missing two months after vanishing from the public sight. The whereabouts of Chen Qiushi and Fang Bing have been a mystery since February, and Chinese officials have not publicly commented on them. The citizen journalists had sought to expose the true scale of the outbreak from the then epicentre by uploading videos to YouTube and Twitter, both banned in mainland China. All of their dispatches revealed a grim side of Wuhan unseen on state-run Chinese media outlets. Chen, 34, who went to Wuhan to report about the coronavirus outbreak independently, has not been heard from since 7pm local time on February 6, according to posts on his Twitter account Chen, 34, has not been heard from since 7pm local time on February 6. He arrived in Wuhan just before the city went into lockdown in hopes of providing the world with the truth of the epidemic, as he said himself. His reports detailed horrific scenes including a woman frantically calling family on her phone as she sits next to a relative lying dead in a wheelchair and the helpless situation of patients in the overstretched hospitals. He had been planning to visit a 'fang cang' makeshift hospital before evaporating. His disappearance was revealed by a post on his Twitter account, which has been managed by a friend authorised to speak on his behalf. His mother has posted a video calling for his safe return. One of his latest posts on his Twitter read: 'Who can tell us where and how Chen Qiushi is right now? When will anyone get to speak with him again? 'Chen Qiushi has been out of contact for 79 days after covering coronavirus in Wuhan. Please save him!!!' Fang Bin (pictured), a Wuhan resident, went missing on February 9 after releasing a series of videos, including one showing piles of bodies being loaded into a bus (below) Fang Bin, a Wuhan resident, went missing on February 9 after releasing a series of videos, including one showing piles of bodies being loaded into a bus. He had been arrested arrested briefly before disappearing, it is alleged. His last video showed hazmat-donning officers knocking on his door to measure his body temperature. Fang is seen in the video trying to fend off the officers by telling them his temperature is normal, according to Radio Free Asia (RFA). Another journalist Li Zehua, 25, also disappeared for about two months. A former employee of state broadcaster CCTV, Li was reporting from Wuhan independently. He was said to be last heard on February 26 before going missing. Li Zehua (pictured) is a former reporter of CCTV and said to be last heard on February 26. Li was likely targeted by secret police after visiting the Wuhan Institute of Virology, a report said Before that, he had visited a series of sensitive venues in Wuhan, such as the community that held a huge banquet despite the epidemic and the crematorium which was hiring extra staff to help carry corpses, RFA added. The news outlet said Li was likely targeted by secret police after visiting the Wuhan Institute of Virology. The 34million institute has been at the centre of conspiracy theories, which suggest that the killer virus originated there. On April 22, Li reappeared in a public sight through a video on Twitter. He claimed he was detained by plainclothes police on February 26 and was interrogated for 24 hours at a police station for 'visiting sensitive places' in Wuhan. He said he was then taken into quarantine , first in a hotel then in his hometown. He stressed that officers had treated him politely. He said he was given three meals a day and allowed to watch the state news programmes. [April 27, 2020] Ready Responders and REMSA Announce Partnership Two of the nation's leaders in their respective industries - Ready Responders and the Regional Emergency Medical Services Authority (REMSA) - announced today the formation and launch of a program intended to improve population health and patient care, as well as reduce the unnecessary use of emergency medical services -- particularly for at-risk populations. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200427005367/en/ Ready Responders is an on-demand healthcare service that combines Responders, a group of EMTs, paramedics, nurses that go on-scene with a multidisciplinary team of clinicians via telehealth to assist patients with managing their health problems and reducing unnecessary use of the emergency medical system. REMSA is a nationally recognized, high-performance, high-value emergency medical services provider based in Reno, Nevada and has provided ground and air ambulance service across the region for more than three decades. "Our goals are simple: to provide quality care to patients, to expand access to care to those in need and to improve the overall health of those in our community," said Justin Dangel, CEO and co-founder of Ready Responders. "By partnering with REMSA, we believe we will be able to achieve that goal." "As a high performance and high-value healthcare delivery system, REMSA has a responsibility to our patients and healthcare partners to improve the quality and experience of care while reducing the cost of healthcare," said Dean Dow, president and CEO, REMSA. "This trailblazing alliance between REMSA and Ready Responders advances those objectives by delivering care to patients at home when a visit to the emergency room isn't needed." Through this unprecedented alignment of out-of-hospital services, the two organizations will navigate patients to the right level of care, thereby working to reduce preventable use of the emergency medical system and unnecessary hospital readmissions by providing responsive on-deman health visits to non-emergent patients. The partnership will begin with the Washoe County launch of Ready Responders' Community Care Services program. This program focuses on connecting their multidisciplinary team with patients and providing in-home care services that address the important factors of overall health such as nutrition, stable housing, reliable transportation, social support and access to neighborhood health services. The second component to the partnership allows REMSA to link patients to the Ready Responder program through a referral from REMSA's Nurse Health Line. Patients are transferred into the Nurse Health Line when their 911 call is determined by international medical protocols to be non-emergent. At the completion of the Nurse Health Line phone call and depending on the nurse's recommended level of care, a Ready Responder may be dispatched to the caller's location. The Responder will assess the patient's condition in-person by getting baseline vital signs and observing signs and symptoms and will connect the patient via telehealth technology to a certified clinician extending the reach of the community's medical services without the patient having to leave the home. Based on the recommendation of that clinician, the Responder may assist the patient with the next steps in their care such as making an appointment with a primary care physician, obtaining a prescription or arranging EMS or non-EMS transportation to the appropriate level of care. Ready Responders does not replace 911 for life-threatening emergencies. Ready Responders will also support REMSA's Community Paramedicine Program by providing Community Care Services to at-risk patients as part of the new partnership. REMSA's Community Paramedicine program centers around at-home visits to at-risk patients to assist them in dealing with chronic illnesses, thereby reducing unnecessary use of the emergency medical system. "REMSA has a long history of advancing the mobile health industry through pioneering programs," said Dow. "This partnership will transform the delivery of mobile healthcare and will create an opportunity for sustainable, meaningful, community-wide health and wellness - particularly for citizens that are at-risk or vulnerable." Ready Responders will contact at-risk patients or caregivers of at-risk patients who have been identified as potentially eligible for Community Care Services enrollment subject to approval by the patient's health plan. If the at-risk patient meets the requirements to receive Community Care Services, Ready Responders will provide the services. "Innovative partnerships such as this are the future of patient care," said Ready Responders' Senior Vice President of Business Relations Jared Oscarson. "Not only do they help create better access to care for all patients - particularly those who are economically strained - they're also key to helping reduce response times and improving total community health." About Ready Responders Ready Responders is an on-demand health service that delivers care wherever and whenever patients need it. It accomplishes this with a team of highly trained Responders, typically paramedics, EMTs and nurses who are connected to patients through telehealth and other technologies via specialized clinical visits in the safety of a patient's home or community. Its multidisciplinary teams address the physical, mental and social health needs of patients while also considering the effects of their environment. Covered by all insurance types, Ready Responders' model serves as a convenient, fast and affordable solution to reduce overall health costs and deliver more positive health outcomes. To learn more, visit www.getready.com. About REMSA Since 1986, REMSA has provided nationally recognized ground ambulance service within Washoe County, Nevada. As the largest employer of EMS personnel in Northern Nevada, REMSA provides residents and visitors with 9-1-1 response and transport, interfacility transport, disaster preparedness, special events coverage, search and rescue, tactical medical support, and public education. REMSA provides ground ambulance services under a performance-based franchise agreement with the Washoe County Health District and is the sole provider of emergency and inter-facility ground ambulance transport services within Washoe County (excluding Incline Village and Gerlach). REMSA is a private nonprofit community-based service which is solely funded by user fees with no local community tax subsidy. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200427005367/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Books Are Magic is an independent store in Brooklyn that is celebrated for its author events. Last April, Sally Rooney was due to appear at the store to promote her second novel, Normal People. Demand for tickets was so high that it had to be moved to a nearby church. Vanity Fair quipped that the Irish author's readers weren't so much fans as disciples while it prompted the American culture magazine Vox to publish an article entitled 'The Cult of Sally Rooney'. The 29-year-old from Castlebar, Co Mayo has achieved a measure of success that most can only dream of. Her two books, Conversations with Friends and Normal People, have sold hundreds of thousands of copies each, have been translated into several languages and have enjoyed ecstatic critical acclaim. Right from the off, Rooney has attracted a host of celebrity admirers - everyone from Taylor Swift to Barack Obama. The latter included Normal People in a list of the books he most enjoyed in 2019. Sarah Jessica Parker, best known for her portrayal of Carrie in Sex and the City, was especially gushing. "This book. This book," she said of Conversations With Friends, "I read it in one day. I hear I'm not alone." Next month, BBC Three - in partnership with US streaming service Hulu - will screen a 12-part adaptation of Normal People. The project has attracted significant talent, including the Irish director Lenny Abrahamson, who made the Oscar-nominated Room, and Mark O'Rowe, the acclaimed theatre director, who co-wrote the script. And, even before a single minute has aired, the Dublin production company behind the project, Element Pictures, announced that it would also be adapting Conversations with Friends for the small screen. It was also be screened by the BBC. Declan Meade was one of the first to recognize Rooney's talent. The founder of the Stinging Fly literary magazine - which has given many Irish authors their first break in the 20 years of its existence - says Rooney first signalled her talent while still in school. "She sent us poetry she had written," he recalls. "I don't think it was published until she was at Trinity [College] but there was no doubt that there was considerable talent there." Rooney had a comparatively normal upbringing. Born in 1991, she is the middle of three children, a sister and brother. Her father, Kieran, worked for Telecom Eireann and her mother, Marie, ran an arts centre in Castlebar. By her own admission, she wasn't a stand-out student at school. But her love of reading was apparent from early on - as was a desire to demonstrate her own creative writing. "I never thought that I wouldn't be writing," she has said. "I always thought that no matter what I did, I would always have writing. I couldn't imagine sort of navigating the world without having recourse to writing stories about it. I would feel quite like lost without the ability to put words together on paper and try to, like, capture something." She blossomed when she went to Trinity at 18, although she has admitted to have been troubled by the disproportionately high number of privately educated students who go there. She joined the university's debating society and was part of a team that won a major European debating competition. Rooney was said to be a diligent student and one keen to make an impression outside the confines of the university. It was an essay in another literary journal, The Dublin Review, that effectively launched her career. 'Even if You Beat Me' was inspired by experience of being a formidable student debater. The London-based agent Tracy Bohan read it and soon took her on. Video of the Day It was while doing a Masters in American Literature at Trinity that Rooney wrote Conversations with Friends. Its first draft was completed in just three months. The book concerns an on-off bisexual couple, Trinity students Frances and Bobbi, and their complex relationship with an older and outwardly successful husband-and-wife. It excited a lot of people when Bohan first sought a publisher. Faber and Faber - the renowned British publishing house - won the rights after a veritable seven-way bidding war. A figure from Faber described Rooney as "the Salinger of the Snapchat generation", and the line stuck: it's been trotted out time and again and Rooney is now said to hate it. Even before the book was published, there was huge excitement about Rooney in literary circles. And, on publication, the reviews were glowing. A rapturous New Yorker notice described Rooney as a "psychological portraitist" who is "acute and sophisticated about the workings of innocence". Conversations with Friends was published in 2017 and featured in several best-of year-end lists. It was also nominated for the Folio Prize - an award considered by some to be an alternative to the Booker. Rooney wasted little time in writing a follow-up. Normal People came out in 2018 to even greater acclaim, as well as appearing on the Booker longlist. A story of young love between a boy and girl from a fictional Sligo town and the challenges their relationship faces once they both go to Trinity, its universality connected with readers from around the globe. And it soon came to be seen to be ripe for adaptation. "Young people's lives now, more than ever, are complicated and confusing and yet they are exerting agency on the world and that I think makes them - and their stories - relevant to all of us," according to Piers Wenger, the BBC's controller of drama. It's a sentiment shared by Lenny Abrahamson, who shared directorial duties on the series with the English film-maker, Hettie Macdonald. "The territory is so interesting," Abrahamson told the Guardian. "It's a positive account of two young people falling in love. It sounds simple, but there's a lot cynicism around that kind of material. It's a look at intimacy in the 21st century and a portrait of a very tender relationship. It's radical in a sense." So what makes Rooney's books so popular? Niamh Boyce, author of the admired novel, The Herbalist, says: "To be simplistic, the popularity lies in the fact that the novels are good reads that capture the zeitgeist. Rooneys prose flows with a directness and honesty that's very clean, and makes the novels compulsive reading. "It's refreshing that work which explores female intellectual and emotional coming of age is being taken seriously for once, and not packaged away under pink covers. The marketing and covers have done justice to the work, which isn't always the case." Rick O'Shea, presenter of RTE Radio 1's The Book Show, says Rooney writes brilliantly about young millennials. "It's that dreaded 'Voice of a Generation' tag, but not many people were writing about that generation - certainly not Irish people - before she came along," he says. "The first time I read Conversations with Friends, I was struck by what a unique voice she had. The characters seemed to jump off the page, they were so real and authentic - and when a writer is able to do that, they're going to draw readers in." O'Shea is even more enamoured with Normal People. "I think it was a really big step up," he says. "To write one acclaimed book is something, but to follow it up with something that's even more striking makes you feel that Sally Rooney is a writer who will be around for a long time." For Declan Meade, Rooney's success mirrors that of young Irish writers generally. "This is a really strong period for fine Irish writing," he says. "And publishers are looking to this country because they can see the talent that's there." Some of those who have signed book deals in Rooney's wake have been compared to her, not least Naoise Dolan - whose debut novel, Exciting Times, has been whipping up a considerable buzz ahead of its publication next month. Not everyone is enamoured with Rooney's writing, however. When approached by Review for an appraisal, one well-known Irish author demurred: "I'd be strung up if I went public on this," he says, "but I'm really not that wild about her books. Of course there's a lot of technical skill there, but Normal People in particular feels quite slight. Maybe I'm being a bit unfair, but the adulation seems disproportionate." The English author, Will Self, is not a fan. "You only need to look at the kind of books being lauded at the moment to see how simple-minded they are," he told the [London] Times last year. "What's now regarded as serious literature would, 10 or 20 years ago, have been regarded as young-adult fiction. I read a few pages of the Sally Rooney book. It may say things that millennials want to hear reflected back at them, but it's very simple stuff with no literary ambition that I can see." Rooney, herself, is unlikely to care what the naysayers think. A figure in the small Dublin literary world says she has remained grounded. "Her head is very much on her shoulders," she says. "I think she's really appreciative of how people have responded to the books, and I know she wants to get the next one finished. One downside of making such a big impact all over the world is that you're constantly in demand, especially if you're involved with a TV adaptation and while that's well and good, it can eat into the time you'd need to get another book done to your satisfaction." Right now, Rooney is a fellow at the New York Public Library's Cullman Center. She's working on her third book, tentatively titled, Beautiful World, Where Are You? According to the press release from the centre, the book is "examining aesthetics and political crises." Rooney has demonstrated a keenness to only publish when she is ready and not for the sake of it. Only a handful of her short stories have been published, including 'Mr Salary', which was nominated for the Sunday Times' short story award - the most financially lucrative prize in short fiction. Ever whimsical, Rooney was motivated by one of the standout recent moments in Irish sport for one of her best stories. Its title? 'Robbie Brady's Astonishing Late Goal Takes Its Place In Our Collective Histories'. 'Normal People' airs on BBC Three in April. Date to be confirmed. When the COVID-19 pandemic forced Roberto Ferraro to shut the patisserie he runs in Amelia, a scenic hilltop town in central Italy, he had just rented out a new site to increase production of ice cream and start selling it abroad. Ferraro would like to be preparing his business to reopen in the weeks to come, working out how to secure supplies and ensure social distancing among customers. Instead, the 51-year-old is devoting his time and energy to wading through the pile of documents he must file with banks to tap state-guaranteed loans. His struggles are just one example of how red tape is holding up the state aid needed to keep companies afloat in the euro zone's third-largest economy and a country that has suffered Europe's deadliest coronavirus outbreak. "When can I get the money? The banks don't know. It depends - days, weeks, they don't know," Ferraro said. "In March we paid electricity bills and wages even though the government had closed us down and, unlike supermarkets, we couldn't sell Easter cakes." Rome's problems getting money to businesses are reflected, to a greater or lesser degree, in other countries under coronavirus restrictions around the world, from the United Kingdom to the United States. Italy, the first Western nation to shut down, is now in the vanguard of moves to cautiously reopen its economy. From May 4, shops like Ferraro's can provide takeaways, and they will fully restart from June 1. But the aid deployment figures so far are worrying for business leaders and politicians alike. The government says debt guarantees made available by the state can unlock up to 740 billion euros ($803 billion) in funding for businesses which have been crippled by a seven-week lockdown. So far just 3.1 billion euros in funds have been released, the Treasury said at the weekend. Of that, only 115 million euros are in the form of loans worth up to 25,000 euros fully secured by the state, which do not require banks to perform credit analyses on borrowers. The financial stakes are higher for Italy than many others in Europe because its economy was faltering even before COVID-19, and the pandemic hit hardest in the northern industrial heartlands that generate a third of its output. If loan lifelines arrive too late for the 2.1 million firms which have been unable to operate, Rome will likely fail to prevent a raft of bankruptcies despite aid spending which is set to push public debt to 156% of GDP this year, economists say. "One of the most controversial aspects of the measures is the impression the government gave that the money was just sitting there and all people had to do was turn up at their bank," said Salvo Politino, deputy president of business lobby Unimpresa. The Italian Treasury declined to comment. Economy Minister Roberto Gualtieri has rebuffed criticism over the liquidity measures, saying they are immediately effective and provide "impressive firepower". Rum-soacked Baba Before the pandemic, the popularity of Ferraro's rum-soaked "baba" cake whose secrets he had learnt in his native Naples, had allowed his business to expand without any bank debt in the five years since he opened. He is now applying for two different types of state- guaranteed loans, including a fully guaranteed one. The rollout for such loans started last week, triggering a flood of complaints about bureaucracy and prompting banking lobby ABI to tell lenders to stop demanding unnecessary documents and to not ask borrowers to repay existing debts with the new loans. That represents a big cultural shift for an industry that has spent most of the past decade sweeping balance sheets clean of unpaid loans after coming under fire from supervisors for lending too freely. Ferraro, who declined to say how much he was seeking, said both banks he applied to had asked for his earnings statements for 2019 and 2018, which are not required under the government's decree. His experience echoes those of other businesses struggling to survive as Italy's economy sinks into its fourth recession in a decade, with an expected 8% contraction this year. Mara Bartolini, 42, the owner of a gift store in Cremona, in the northern Lombardy region which has borne the brunt of the outbreak, said her bank had told her it may take two to four weeks to get the fully guaranteed loan. At the other end of Italy's boot, Michele Mandala has also been told to wait a month for the money he needs because he does not expect to be able to reopen his cinema theatre in the Sicilian town of Caltanissetta until after the summer. 'Die of Thirst' Bank officials say they simply cannot cope with the workload after being hit by debt moratorium requests, which the Bank of Italy says amount so far to 1.3 million for more than 140 billion euros in loans. The government fund that provides some of the guarantees on loans has advised banks to upload requests in bulk at nighttime, when online traffic slows. Banks must assess creditworthiness, as they bear part of the risk, yet the COVID-19 crisis makes it hard to gauge the ability of borrowers to repay their debt. Lenders say they face legal risk under Italian law because they can be held liable for credit abuse or aiding bankruptcy if a debtor defaults. "The problem is that only drops are coming out of the government's liquidity tap," said Roberto Sambuco, a partner at leading financial advisory firm Vitale&Co. Besides the 100% guarantee on the smaller loans, Italy provides a 90% guarantee on up to 800,000 euros, which can rise to 100% with co-insurance schemes. It guarantees between 70% and 90% of larger loans, depending on the size of the company. Sambuco said the government had to modify the package to make the process more direct, like it is in France, the United States or in Switzerland where loans of up to 500,000 Swiss francs ($514,000) are fully guaranteed. "The risk that tens of thousands of firms may just die of thirst is significant. The situation is much more serious than measures put in place by the government can remedy." The ABI is, meanwhile, calling for a legal shield from prosecution at least for loans worth up to 100,000 euros. How to Repay? In a study by three of its economists, the Bank of Italy said direct state transfers, without an obligation for companies to pay them back, would be necessary. The US government is offering loans that can be forgiven if most of the money is used for payroll costs. Italy has also said it plans to introduce them but its public finances, already stretched to the limit, leave little room for manoeuvre. Sambuco said Rome would need help from the European Union and not just from the European Central Bank. "Without the EU umbrella we don't have the necessary resources," he said. EU leaders agreed on Thursday to build a trillion-euro emergency fund to help the bloc recover from the pandemic but postponed any decision on divisive details until the summer. Their jockeying is a world away from Ferraro in Amelia who, like many other businesses, faces having to take on loans with little idea of how the economy will fare. "I'm venturing abroad, but those who are betting on Italy getting back on its feet, how are they going to repay all this debt two years from now if that recovery is nowhere to be seen?" Illustrative image (Source: VNA) According to the letter, the WHO's agency recognised the test kit manufactured by Vietnam under the Emergency Use List (EUL) process and issued EUL code 0524-210-00. Earlier, the British Ministry of Health and Social Care also issued a certificate of European standard (CE) and a certificate of free sale (CFS) for the made-in-Vietnam test kit. The UK Agency for Management of Medicines and Health Care Products (MHRA) has sent a certificate to Viet A company. MHRA has carried out quality testing, field testing and licensing of the above product, whereby the test kit will be sold freely in all member countries of the European Economic Area ( EEA) to which the UK is a member. NEW YORK Thousands of plaintiffs who say that Johnson & Johnsons baby powder and talc products caused cancer can go forward with their claims, but face limits on what expert testimony will be allowed in trials after a Monday ruling by a New Jersey judge. Johnson & Johnson faces more than 16,000-talc related lawsuits nationwide, the majority of which are pending before U.S. District Judge Freda Wolfson in New Jersey. The lawsuits allege that the companys talc products have been contaminated with asbestos and can cause ovarian cancer. The company had sought to bar all of the plaintiffs experts from testifying, which would have effectively wiped out all the cases before Wolfson. Johnson & Johnson said in a statement that Mondays decision is not a determination by the court on the validity of the plaintiffs allegations. It added that all verdicts against the company in talc lawsuits that had gone through the appeals process have been overturned. The New Brunswick, New Jersey-based company denies that its talc causes cancer, saying numerous studies and tests by regulators worldwide have shown its talc to be safe and asbestos-free. Employees of a bar in Thailand who returned to their native Vietnam were worried sick after colleagues were diagnosed with Covid-19. Tue* left the central Nghe An Province for a job in the Thai capital five years ago. When the pandemic starting raging in that country, the 23-year-old and her husband returned to Vietnam on March 19. They traveled around 1,000 km overland through Thailand and Laos and reached the Cau Treo Border Gate in the central province of Ha Tinh, and were promptly quarantined. A week later they learned to their consternation that everyone who had come into close contact with "Patient 146", a 17-year-old woman and Tues colleague who was also returning from Bangkok through Laos, would be isolated in private rooms at the Cau Treo Border Area General Hospital. In the next few days three of that group tested positive, all Tues colleagues at the For You bar in Bangkok. Tue says: "Whenever I read news about new infections, I was scared the next patient would be me or someone working at the bar." Tue was working with four Covid-19 patients when they were in Thailand. Photo courtesy of Tue. She and her colleagues did not sleep during their first night in the private rooms. They worried, spent time talking to each other about their health and comforted those who were infected. Sometimes Tue would touch her forehead and be relieved to know her temperature was normal. During 14 days of quarantine, she was tested four times. After the first two times, after she returned negative results, she was relieved. But then came news her friend, Tran Thi Tham, had become "Patient 210" despite twice testing negative. Tues anxiety returned. "I was afraid of bad luck. My heart beat rapidly when I waited for the last two results. I was fortunate; I was not infected." She had met thousands of people while at work before returning to Vietnam and so had reason to be anxious. Tue and other 24 Vietnamese have worked at the bar in Bangkok since 2019. Situated on the fifth floor of a hotel run by a Chinese and a Thai, it attracts hundreds of guests every day. The ladies rented rooms in its vicinity. Tue lived with her husband, earning around $1,080 per month. The two finished their quarantine on April 13 and returned to Nghe An. They plan to return to Thailand. The For You bar in Bangkok, Thailand. Photo courtesy of Tue. Lan, 24, Tues colleague, was also apprehensive after the Ministry of Health confirmed "Patient 146" had the novel coronavirus infection. Her family and friends kept calling her to ask about her health status. "I am fine, thank you all," she wrote on her social media account to put people at ease though she herself was not. Alone in the quarantine room, she would feel sorry she had talked to many people without knowing if she had the virus. Four of her colleagues were diagnosed with Covid-19, but she had no idea what the source of their infection was. There were 25 Vietnamese in a chat group and they had agreed the "infection rate in Thailand was high." On March 12 they were all happy to hear "Patient 146" was about to be discharged. A day later they were shocked to learn Nguyen Van Thanh, 26, had tested positive on his last day of quarantine, becoming "Patient 265". Quarantine zone at Cau Treo Border Area General Hospital. Photo by VnExpresss/Gia Han. On April 18 Lan returned to her hometown after testing negative. She does not know what to do next. If she stays in Vietnam, she will get married and face a heavy financial burden. If she leaves again for Thailand, there would be risks and finding a husband would become more difficult. As of Monday central Ha Tinh Province has four Covid-19 cases, all staff of the the For You bar in Bangkok. Three have been discharged. *Names have been changed to protect identities. Pelosi on Trumps China Travel Ban: There Were Americans Coming Back House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) appeared to suggest President Donald Trump should have barred Americans from returning to the United States when he implemented a ban on travel from China. Trump on Jan. 31 ordered a ban on foreign nationals who were in mainland China in the two weeks before they planned to enter the United States. The ban excluded U.S. citizens, their immediate family members, and permanent residents. The ban was put into place to try to slow the spread of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, a novel coronavirus that emerged from China last year. Former Vice President Joe Biden said he supported the ban in early April after appearing to criticize it when it was announced. Asked on Sunday if she agreed with the policy, Pelosi didnt answer directly. Well, lets go into the future, OK? Actually, tens of thousands of people were still allowed in from China, so it wasnt, as it is described, as this great moment. There were Americans coming back or green card holders coming back. But there were tens of thousands, she said. So, if youre going to shut the door because you have an evaluation of an epidemic, then shut the door. But lets go into the future. What the American people want is for us to have a plan to go forward. And our plan to go forward addresses their concerns. A medical staff member (C) walks at the Wuhan Red Cross Hospital in Wuhan, China on Jan. 24, 2020. (Hector Retamal/AFP via Getty Images) Pelosi was speaking during an appearance on CNNs State of the Union. Pelosis office didnt immediately respond to a request for comment. The lawmaker had never appeared to address Trumps travel ban until that moment. She did not issue a statement when it was announced and it was the first time she was publically asked about the policy by a member of the media. Pelosi on Jan. 31 did issue a statement on a travel ban. But it was about Trumps expansion of a ban to include some immigrants from Nigeria, Myanmar, Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, Sudan, and Tanzania. The Trump Administrations expansion of its outrageous, un-American travel ban threatens our security, our values and the rule of law. The sweeping rule, barring more than 350 million individuals from predominantly African nations from traveling to the United States, is discrimination disguised as policy, Pelosi said at the time. Medical teams at Irish acute hospitals have been shocked by the number of patients testing positive for Covid-19 who display absolutely no symptoms of the virus. Mercy University Hospital (MUH) consultant anaesthesiologist Dr Donall O'Croinin bluntly warned that, such is the emerging nature of the Covid-19 pandemic, had Ireland not taken draconian control actions last month acute hospitals would have faced "carnage". "It would have been the worst nightmare you could imagine," he said. Coronavirus Expert Advisory Group chairman Dr Cillian de Gascun has now said the latest statistics indicate that potentially up to 50pc of people could contract the virus with very mild to zero symptoms - far higher than early Chinese studies indicated. "When we first saw the data coming out of China from the World Health Organisation (WHO) report, it suggested that true asymptomatic infection was very uncommon - it was in the region of between 1pc and 2pc," the University College Dublin virologist said. "But in recent weeks now it is suggesting that actually in other parts of the world... possibly the genuine prevalence of asymptomatic infection may now be somewhere between 30pc and 50pc of the population." Dr O'Croinin warned that such is the nature of the virus the public must continue to strictly adhere to Government and Health Service Executive (HSE) guidance. The alternative is for the country to face the likely threat of a "Lannigan's Ball-type scenario" with movement restrictions being eased - only for them to be subsequently reimposed in a few months' time because of a second wave of the virus. "Ireland's political and medical leaders got it spot on. If you were giving them a grade for their actions, it would be an 'A'. Otherwise, we would have faced the carnage that hit Italian hospitals," said Dr O'Croinin. He said one of the most challenging elements of Covid-19 is that people are being found to have contracted the virus without displaying any obvious medical symptoms. "Some people display no symptoms of the virus and you might think they don't have it only for tests to show they actually do have it," he said. It underlined why the control measures introduced to prevent Covid-19 spreading were so vitally important. "We were very lucky with the information that we received from Italy and the swift actions taken by our political and medical leaders as a result," he said. "Our Italian medical colleagues had warned us about what was coming. The accounts of what was happening in Italian hospitals would make your blood run cold. "We managed to avoid the nightmarish Italian scenario as a result." Dr O'Croinin said Italian doctors, via scientific publications and contacts with their medical colleagues across Europe, had underlined the grave threat posed by Covid-19 and warned them to be prepared. "Absolute carnage was prevented here by the actions taken," he said. Dr O'Croinin also said Irish hospitals had been totally transformed over the past eight weeks to cope with the pandemic. "My message to the public is that everyone will need patience. This is going to be a long race. "This pandemic is not going to resolve itself in a couple of days or a couple of weeks," he added. "We have had good support from the public. But we need that to continue. This is going to take a while." ALBANY Random testing that indicates a low percentage of people in many upstate communities have been infected with COVID-19 will be a key factor in beginning to reopen certain regions of the state next month, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said. Some regions will be allowed to begin reopening when his order shutting down businesses and schools expires on May 15, the governor said Monday, but the protocols for how to do that are still being worked out. Harder-hit areas, including New York City, are likely to continue operating under the restrictions. "We have to be smart because if we are not smart, you will see that infection rate go right back to where it was ... 58 days ago," he said during his daily coronavirus task force briefing. "Testing is one of the main monitors." But Cuomo cautioned that reopening will be a measured and careful process. "I don't want just to do reopening," he said. "This is one of those moments, if you look back in history, sometimes it takes a crisis to wake people up ... to accept change." Infographic: How does contact tracing work? Latest coronavirus-related cancellations, postponements The latest coronavirus numbers in NY Sign up for the Times Union coronavirus newsletter Full coronavirus coverage More than 7,500 people have been randomly tested across the state in the past two weeks to determine if they carry antibodies for COVID-19, a sign that they had been infected but recovered. Many of those individuals never had symptoms of the flu-like illness. The antibody tests indicate significantly lower rates of infection in many upstate regions, including 2.1 percent in the Capital Region, 1.2 percent in the North Country, and 2.6 percent in the Mohawk Valley. Other areas have had much higher rates of infection, Cuomo said, including western New York (7.1 percent), the Hudson Valley (10.4 percent) and the primary hot spot, New York City (25 percent). Statewide, the ongoing antibody tests indicate that nearly 15 percent of New Yorkers may have been infected. The governor said the state will deploy a tracing system before reopening that will rely, in part, on more than 30,000 medical students who would be tasked with helping track down anyone who may have had contact with a person infected with COVID-19. Former New York City mayor and presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg is helping coordinate that effort. Cuomo said an executive order that's been in place since March 20 and has shut down non-essential businesses and schools will be extended and remain in effect "in many parts of the state" beyond May 15. "You could make the case that we should 'un-pause' on May 15. ... But we have to be smart about it," he added, referring to the executive order he dubbed "New York on PAUSE." The regional reopenings will begin with construction businesses and include monitoring a region's hospitalization rates, antibody testing results and the ongoing rate of infection. It may also be linked to the essential nature of a business, and whether steps can be taken to minimize contact and clean surfaces. Cuomo said he spoke to President Donald J. Trump on Monday morning about the possibility of a second wave of COVID-19 cases in the fall, "which could be problematic again for the hospital capacity. ... I spoke to the president about leaving (temporary hospitals) in place until we get through the flu season." But the governor said the 2,500-bed makeshift hospital at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in Manhattan and another temporary hospital at the Westchester Convention Center may be dismantled sooner, allowing them to reopen for other purposes, although no final decision has been made on when to shut down those makeshift hospitals. For now, those facilities and another at SUNY Stony Brook on Long Island will remain intact through the fall. Food banks, which are struggling to keep pace with the number of people who need assistance during the pandemic, will receive products from upstate farms that will be purchased by the state. Due to agricultural regulations, many farmers had been forced in recent weeks to dump their products, including milk. "We have people downstate who need food; we have farmers upstate who can't sell their product. We have to put those two things together. It's just common sense," Cuomo said. " ... We're also immediately to stop this dumping of milk, going to work with industries in our state who can use the milk and get it to people who need it." Last year, through a program called Harvest for All, New York farmers donated more than 7 million pounds of food to regional food banks across the state. Gov. Cuomo provided some much-needed good news today for the states farmers and our partners looking to feed fellow New Yorkers in need," said Farm Bureau President David Fisher. Brie Larson made sure to put safety first as she took a trip to a local farmer's market with her boyfriend Elijah Allan-Blitz in Los Angeles on Sunday. The couple, who are self-isolating together during the ongoing coronavirus lockdown, donned masks for their outing. Brie, 30, cut a casual figure for the day, wearing a white vest top with pale mauve trousers and pink open-toed sandals as she purchased a bouquet of flowers. Out and about: Brie Larson, 30, made sure to put safety first as she took a trip to a local farmer's market with her boyfriend Elijah Allan-Blitz, 32, in Los Angeles on Sunday Carrying a beige handbag, the actress completed her look by letting her blonde locks fall loose down her shoulders. Fellow actor Elijah, 32, also opted for a laid back look, sporting a white T-shirt with navy slim-fitting jeans and matching shoes. The couple appeared to be stocking up on supplies during their outing as California residents continue to live under the state's stay at home orders. The Room star first went public with Elijah in August 2019, six months after breaking off her engagement with musician Alex Greenwald. Outing: Brie cut a casual figure for the outing, wearing a white vest top with pale mauve trousers and a face mask amid the coronavirus lockdown The actress and Alex first began dating in 2013 and got engaged three years later in 2016. Following their split, a source told People: They have taken a step back from their engagement for the time being, but they remain close. Brie has a lot coming up work-wise. It has been announced that she is starring in Captain Marvel II, due for release in 2022. Back in the action: Brie has a lot coming up work-wise. It has been announced that she is starring in Captain Marvel II, due for release in 2022 Directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, Captain Marvel also stars, Samuel L Jackson, Ben Mendelsohn, Djimon Hounsou and Lee Pace. Lashana Lynch, Gemma Chan, Algenis Perez Soto, Rune Temte, McKenna Grace, Clark Gregg, and Jude Law will also star. The plot currently remains under wraps but Brie will play Carol Danvers. It comes after Brie showed off her mask on Instagram Friday, singing the praises of creator Hedley And Bennett. Former flame: Brie first went public with fellow actor Elijah in August 2019, six months after breaking off her engagement with musician Alex Greenwald (pictured with Alex in 2018) She looked cheery in the social media post, donning a floral blouse as she told fans to 'Stay home and stay safe.' The star also encouraged her followers to purchase masks for medical staff in need of supplies. She joked about going a bit quarantine cuckoo on her Twitter recently, writing she changes 'clothes more frequently in [popular video game] Animal Crossing than in real life.' Trump expanding war on WHO far beyond aid freeze as he seeks COVID-19 scapegoat: Report Iran Press TV Sunday, 26 April 2020 1:02 PM The Trump administration is aggressively attacking the World Health Organization (WHO) as the US president seeks to deflect criticism of his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a report. Last week, President Donald Trump put a 60-day hold on funding for the WHO and ordered a review of the world body which he has accused of mismanaging the outbreak. However, steps taken by Trump and his officials go beyond the suspension of aid, The Washington Post reported, citing American and foreign officials involved in the discussions. At the State Department, coronavirus fact sheets presented by officials are skipping references to the WHO, while Secretary of States Mike Pompeo has directed department employees to "cut out the middle man" when it comes to public health plans the US previously supported through the world body. The US is instead looking to redirect the WHO funding to non-government organizations dealing with public health issues, US officials told the newspaper. "The Secretary has asked the State Department and USAID to identify and utilize alternative implementers for foreign assistance programs beyond the WHO," according to a memo sent to State Department employees in recent days and seen by the Post. The Trump administration has also delayed a UN Security Council resolution being advanced by France, because it disagrees with language in the draft expressing support for the WHO, according to European officials familiar with the matter. Furthermore, the White House is also encouraging US allies to cast aspersions on the WHO's credibility and push unsubstantiated claims that its employees frequently enjoy "luxury travel." "It has been impossible to find a common ground with the US about the views on the work and role of WHO," a senior European official told the newspaper on the condition of anonymity. President Trump, who spent crucial period in February and early March downplaying COVID-19, is now claiming that the pandemic would have been contained with little death, is now desperately seeking a scapegoat to shift the blame as the US leads the world on fatalities. America has reported nearly one million cases of infection, while the death toll from the respiratory disease stands at over 54 thousand. Trump's efforts to discredit the WHO during a global pandemic have raised concerns about permanent weakening of the world body. More than 1,000 organizations and individuals including charities, medical experts and healthcare companies from around the world have written to President Trump urging him to reverse course on the WHO. "The United States cannot rid this insidious virus from the country, nor around the world, without WHO," read the letter sent to the White House on Thursday night."WHO is the only organization with the technical capacity and global mandate to support the public health response of all countries during this critical time." Signatories include influential companies and groups such as the American Academy of Pediatrics, Oxfam, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the American Public Health Association and the healthcare company Kaiser Permanente, according to the CNN. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Today's edition is a little different We've teamed up with CBC Kids News to answer questions from, well, kids! So today's FAQ is devoted to them. As always, you can continue sending us your questions about the pandemic via email to COVID@cbc.ca, no matter how old you are, and we'll try our best to answer as many as we can. What should I do if both of my parents catch COVID-19? Nicholas is 12 years old and lives in Fredericton. He wants to know what happens if both of his parents catch COVID-19. Health Canada advises anyone with COVID-19 symptoms to self-isolate. So what should you do if both of your parents get sick and need to self-isolate? Toronto-area pediatrician Dr. Dina Kulik recommends giving them space, so you don't get the virus too. "It depends on your age," says Kulik, pediatric emergency medicine physician and founder of Kidcrew Medical, a pediatric clinic in Toronto. "If you are old enough to take care of yourself, cook your own meals, and don't need your parents to care for you day-to-day, I would suggest isolating from them." However, every family should have a plan, and if the parents and child feel as though the child would be better off living with a friend or relative, then that's an option too. But Kulik cautions that it's possible the child could be asymptomatic, meaning a person has the virus but is not showing any symptoms, and that could put the other caregivers at risk. If you are sharing a space with someone who's sick, Kulik also recommends wiping down all high-traffic surfaces such as counters, door handles, and even the refrigerator, with products approved for use against the coronavirus including: alcohol, peroxide, or a bleach solution. She also advises using a different washroom if possible, which should help contain the spread. Canada's top doctor, Theresa Tam, told CBC Kids News, "It's normal to feel frightened," but make your parents know you're worried, and remember you're not alone. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's family had to deal with the coronavirus, when his wife, Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, tested positive. She has since recovered. Story continues "It would be scary to have two sick parents, but it is not your job as a child to take care of them or make adult decisions for them," says Alyson Schafer, family counsellor and parenting expert. "You only need to let other adults and professionals do their job of taking care of them and trust that everyone is helping people sick with COVID-19." This is a frightening disease, but most people recover, Schafer says. "Your mind may want to worry about future events that might happen, but we don't know what the future will bring, so try to focus your mind on what the reality is at the moment." If you need support during the COVID-19 pandemic, contact Kids Help Phone. Is the pandemic under control? When will it end? A lot of people are sending us questions about when this will all be over, including 11-year-old Alexander in Calgary who wants to know when he can go back to school and continue learning. There is a lot we don't know about this pandemic, and it's not clear when Canadian kids can go back to their normal lives. Other countries are already easing up some restrictions; for example, schools in Norway will welcome back students this week, while some schools in Germany have already reopened, after closing down in March. In Canada, schools remain closed, because provinces and territories will need to continue practicing social distancing for a little longer, experts say, in order to reduce the rate at which the virus is spreading. "COVID-19 started in December, and it is only April. It is a novel coronavirus, meaning it is new and therefore we don't have long-term data on it," says Kulik. Kulik said it usually takes about three months before the positive results of physical distancing become apparent. "Most of Canada started this process in mid-March. So, if we continue to be cautious and minimize exposure to others, we are looking at lessening restrictions this summer," she says, cautioning that Canada is still "months from going back to normal." New Brunswick and Saskatchewan are already planning to reopen parks and beaches, but both provinces say schools will likely remain closed until the end of summer. "The more restrictive we are now, the sooner we can go back to normal. Jumping back to normalcy may lead to further months in lockdown," Kulik says. Will it be safe to go swimming in the lakes this summer? This question comes from David, 10, who emailed CBC Kids News, because he wants to know if it will be safe to swim in lakes this summer. In theory, it should be safe to swim in lakes, but only if physical distancing restrictions are relaxed. Why? Because the virus is transmitted person-to-person, health authorities have closed beaches, boat launches and most marinas to reduce the rate of new COVID-19 cases by preventing crowds from gathering in recreation areas. But, New Brunswick recently reopened its outdoor spaces, such as parks and beaches. And officials will allow gatherings of up to 10 people within two to four weeks, as long as they maintain a physical distance of at least two metres, and provided there is no significant new wave of infections. Saskatchewan also announced it is planning to reopen municipal parks and swimming pools, but the date is yet to be determined. According to Canada's Public Health Agency, provincial and territorial governments may issue more specific guidance about this in the coming weeks. As for pools? We've already tackled that question. You can read about it here. Can cats and dogs get sick from the coronavirus? Rachel, 11 wrote into CBC Kids News with a question that's also popular in our COVID@cbc.ca inbox. While we know animals can become infected even a tiger in a New York City zoo tested positive for the virus Dr. Rebecca Archer, a clinical instructor of small animal medicine with the faculty of veterinary medicine at the University of Calgary, has said there is no evidence so far that we can catch the coronavirus from our pets. Here's what Dr. Scott Weese, a veterinarian from the University of Guelph has to say about the coronavirus and our furry friends: Where does Coronavirus come from, and how does it spread? Six-year-old Liane wrote into CBC Kids News with a question about where the virus comes from, and how it spreads. There's a lot we don't know about the coronavirus, but scientists believe it jumped from an animal to a person. But there is no evidence to suggest that animals, including pets, are playing a role in the spread of COVID-19. You can read more about where the virus originated here. Respiratory viruses like the coronavirus are typically transmitted by touching your face or breathing in droplets that an infected person has just breathed out. Here's how you can stop the spread of COVID-19. Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. Practice physical distancing. Stay home if you are sick. You can get more information for kids about COVID-19 and how to prevent it here. We're also answering your questions every night on The National. Last night, your questions included: Should I wear a mask if I'm healthy? Watch below: Friday we answered questions about herd immunity and ironing masks. Read here. Keep your questions coming by emailing us at COVID@cbc.ca. Not one to sit still, an avid philanthropist, and always the social butterfly, Dean was quick to befriend nearly everyone in Teller, and the surrounding counties. He was committed to supporting his community, helping the little guy succeed, always rooting for the underdog, which clears up why he was a lifelong Packers fan. Dean was a full-time sheriffs reserve deputy with the Teller County Sheriffs Office. (Why get paid to be in harms way?) He was a part of the Woodland Park Ambulance Service, Search and Rescue, Boy Scout Troop 25, HAM radio clubs and fifty million other things. It really would be easier to list what he was not involved in. As if that werent enough, at age 45, Dean decided to become an RN. After working at local hospitals, Dean decided limited communities were in higher need of his services, so he travelled the state to work in smaller hospitals where he was needed. After Dean retired, he expanded his volunteer efforts beyond Teller County. He assisted with Hurricane Katrina efforts, Hayman Fire efforts, and still found time to make every person he talked to feel like they were the most important person in the world. He never met a stranger, never said no to an adventure, and never missed an opportunity to tell a joke. The COVID-19 outbreak has contributed to the slight moderation in rental gains in March, according to the latest figures from CoreLogic. Over the month, national rent values increased by 0.3% in the month, a slower growth than the recent peak growth rate of 0.5% in January. CoreLogic's hedonic rental index has been on an uptrend since 2019, as new dwelling completions moderate, said Eliza Owen, head of research for Australia at CoreLogic. "Steady overseas migration also contributed to added demand in the rental market over 2019. It has been documented that overseas migrants typically initially rent when they first arrive from overseas. However, it is worth noting that overseas migration rates had started to slow a little by September 2019," she said. Also read: Tight market lifts Adelaide rents On a quarterly basis, national rents grew by 1.2%. Capital city rents grew by 1.3% while regional rents went up by 1% during the March quarter. Perth led the gains in rent, clocking a 0.8% growth in the month. Of all capital cities, only Brisbane and Hobart did not report gains in the month, with rents remaining flat in the former and falling by 0.4% in the latter. Owen said the deceleration in the growth of rents and the decline in some areas suggest that the momentum is facing disruption. "It is worth noting that rent data for the March quarter would capture little of the impact from COVID-19, where the regulations of social distancing that have been most disruptive to the economy commenced on March 23," Owen said. Bad Bunny has everything you need to get through quarantine: music, inspirational messages, and now, sketch comedy. The rapper joined Kenan Thompson (as former Boston Red Sox player David Ortiz) in Big Papis Cooking Show on this weeks Saturday Night Live. Ditching the bad for big, Big Papis Puerto Rican cousin Big Bunny joins the show to offer you two quarantine essentials: big ass pots, large enough to fit 22 different animals, even big ones like llama and yak, and big ass sweatpants, presumably for after you eat 22 different kinds of meat. Youre gonna give a work presentation on Zoom but you are worried your boss will see your penis? Big Bunny pushes his product. Try sweatpants! Its better than nada! That may be Big Bunnys stance, but in real life, Bad Bunny gave up on clothes around day six of quarantine. No complaints, just observing. Related Warren Buffett (Image: Reuters) A New York City official has asked Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway to sever ties with the coal industry citing it as the "smart thing to do" given its impact on the environment. According to a statement released by Comptroller Scott Stringer on April 24, he has sent letters to Berkshire, American International Group Inc and Liberty Mutual, on behalf of three New York City pension funds, urging them to divest from the industry. "Divesting from the coal industry is the right thing to do for our planet, our future and our children - and its the smart thing to do for investors," said Stringer said in the statement. "Continuing to invest in coal projects will only create greater financial risk, potential liability and future cost burdens." Stringer is the 44th New York City Comptroller. He helps oversee the citys public pension funds. Responding to the letter, representatives of Liberty Mutual told Bloomberg that environmental sustainability is a key focus of the company and it is actively taking measures to reduce its carbon footprint. Meanwhile, AIG and Berkshire Hathaway did not comment, the publication said. This is not the first time the billionaire investor has come in crosshairs with environmental activists. In 2016, he was strongly criticised by environmental advocacy groups for his claims that climate change will be a manageable and profitable risk for the insurance industry. "As a citizen, you may understandably find climate change keeping you up nights," Buffett wrote in his 2016 annual letter to shareholders. "As a homeowner in a low-lying area, you may wish to consider moving. But when you are thinking only as a shareholder of a major insurer, climate change should not be on your list of worries." Buffett reaffirmed his stance on the issue in 2019 saying that his personal views have no place in how he runs Berkshire Hathaway for shareholders. Berkshire Hathaway's energy arm owns electric power company PacifiCorp, which has a sizable fleet of coal power plants. Another company in its portfolio - Burlington Northern Railroad - is involved in the shipping of coal as well. This is the man selling UDA flags on Facebook in a twisted bid to raise money for the NHS - and who claims to be a council employee. Alan "Young Bert" Stewart posted a picture of the newly-made terror flags last week, shamelessly flogging them for 10 each. Stewart - who claims to work for Causeway, Coast and Glens Borough Council - proudly announced that 40% of sales would be donated to health workers battling the deadly coronavirus pandemic despite the UDA's grim history of terrorism and crime. He said: "Posting on behalf of a mate. Whatever ur religion, belief or hatred towards any organisations are please keep any negative comments or reactions to yourself or you'll be blocked straight away, he's trying to do a good deed here. "He had ordered loads of these to sell for 10 each but has decided 40% of all money collected from sales WILL BE donated to the NHS. "They are still 10 each and still a lot of flags left. As I say it's all for a good cause, the more that's sold the better we all need to help the NHS in some way, shape or form during these hard times. "I'll say it again please keep any f***ing negativity to yourself. This post will be set to public so it can be shared. PM me if interested and I'll pass you on to him to PM you." Expand Close Alan Stewart Facebook post / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Alan Stewart Facebook post The post was circulated on social media last week with many people expressing outrage and incredulity. It has since been removed from public view on Mr Stewart's profile. Mr Stewart, who also claims to be a Queen's University graduate, has several pictures of himself posing with UDA flags on his Facebook profile as well as pictures of armed men in paramilitary dress. His profile also carries the caption: "f**k off snow flakes this ain't the page for you." Independent councillor for The Glens, Padraig McShane (48), called the flag sale a disgrace, saying he had been contacted by alarmed residents last week. He said: "A number of constituents had made me aware of this post quite quickly last week and we don't want anybody like that representing the council. "This absolute garbage is illegal paraphernalia and we don't want it associated with Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council. "We will do as much as we can to make sure it has nothing to do with this organisation and draw a clear line under the issue. "As such I am writing to the chief executive to get it looked into and to make sure, if he was directly employed or a member of agency staff, that he isn't re-employed. "A lot of council and agency staff were laid off due to the coronavirus and he may well have been one of them. "It's about being robust and issuing a warning to future potential employees and recruitment agencies who are bringing us people. Are they carrying out proper background checks? If not, should they be? "It's about trying to make sure this sort of thing doesn't continue to be a problem for us and others." Although Stewart claims to be a council worker, a spokesman for Causeway, Coast and Glens Borough Council said: "I can confirm Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council has no employees or agency workers with that name." A top emergency room doctor at a major Manhattan hospital died by suicide Sunday, according to her father. Dr. Lorna M. Breen, medical director of the emergency department at NewYork-Presbyterian Allen Hospital, died in Charlottesville, Virginia, where she was staying with family, her father said in an interview. Her father, Dr. Philip C. Breen, said she had described devastating scenes of the toll the coronavirus took on patients. She tried to do her job, and it killed her, he said. Philip Breen said his daughter had contracted the coronavirus but had gone back to work after recuperating for about a week and a half. The hospital sent her home again, before her family intervened to bring her to Charlottesville, he said. It was not clear why Lorna Breen would have taken her own life. She did not have a history of mental illness, her father said. But he said that when he last spoke with her, she seemed detached, and he could tell something was wrong. She had described to him an onslaught of patients dying before they could even be taken out of ambulances. She was truly in the trenches of the front line, he said. He added: Make sure shes praised as a hero, because she was. Shes a casualty just as much as anyone else who has died. The hospital did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Dr. Angela Mills, head of emergency medical services at many NewYork-Presbyterian campuses, including Allen, sent an email to hospital staffers Sunday night informing them of Lorna Breens death. The email, which was reviewed by The New York Times, did not mention a cause of death. Mills, who could not be reached for comment, said in the email that the hospital was deferring to the familys request for privacy. A death presents us with many questions that we may not be able to answer, the email read. NewYork-Presbyterian Allen is a 200-bed hospital at the northern tip of Manhattan that at times had as many as 170 patients with COVID-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. As of April 7, there had been 59 patient deaths at the hospital, according to an internal document. If you are having thoughts of suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 (TALK) or go to SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for a list of additional resources. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. Great-granddaughter Vanessa Arredondo said Massey, whom everyone calls Nana, is a "wonderful woman," who has kept her jokes, wit and sass over the years. "She's like the glue to all of us. She holds our whole family together," Arredondo said. Arredondo said Massey loved to cook and bake, often creating "fantastic themed cakes" for her grandchildren's birthdays. Massey has three children, 11 grandchildren, 18 great-grandchildren and 11 great-great-grandchildren. "She's a great woman. Definitely someone you look up to," Arredondo said. Five generations of the Massey family were present at the celebration: Massey, Dance, Arredondo's father, Arredondo and Arredondo's daughter. Dance, who lives with Massey, said she's very lucky to see her mother reach 107. "The grandkids are all very lucky to have their grandma this long. They have spoiled her," she said with a laugh. "She just was a good mother. The kind of mother you hope a lot of people get." A moment passes and Massey asks Dance: "Did you know (about) all this?" 'Politics, Popular Culture and the 2011 Egyptian Revolution' documents the 25 January 2011 uprising and its aftermath through the prism of popular culture A new digital archive co-created by University of Warwick researcher Dr Nicola Pratt gathers art, music and film created during the 2011 Egyptian revolution into a unique new multimedia resource for scholars, students and the general public alike. 'Politics, Popular Culture and the 2011 Egyptian Revolution' documents the 25 January 2011 uprising and its aftermath through the prism of popular culture, showing how Egyptians have narrated their own histories of the revolution through graffiti, music, satire, TV drama series and film. The online archive, which is free to use, includes more than 200 items, many of which are translated into English. It has been designed to help its users discover more about the significance of the 2011 uprising and its aftermath for everyday Egyptians, and to enable them to explore the relationship between politics and popular culture in a revolutionary context. Dr Pratt, Reader, International Politics of the Middle East in the University's Department of Politics & International Studies said: "Music, graffiti, satire and film all played a vital role in giving Egyptians an outlet for their political views during the 2011 revolution and its aftermath, but by their very nature these things can be ephemeral. "Our archive captures a snapshot of these popular responses to the Revolution and, we hope, not only will preserve them as valuable records for future researchers in the face of official attempts to impose a historical narrative, but also to spark the interest of new students of history and politics. "We have created a number of pathways through the archive allowing users to browse by theme, media type or timeline of the revolution. There are also study guides for independent learners, and for teachers looking for on-line resources suitable for incorporating into their courses." The archive is one of the key results from a collaborative research project carried out by Nicola Pratt (University of Warwick), Dalia Mostafa (University of Manchester), Dina Rezk (University of Reading) and Sara Salem (previously, University of Warwick), and funded by the AHRC. Rather than limiting the archive to those cultural objects that were 'popular' in the sense of being widely consumed, items were selected for their political resonance at different moments of the revolution, and, particularly for the ways in which they explore competing definitions of 'the people' and what they wanted in the context of the 2011 Egyptian revolution and its aftermath. ### The archive is online at: https://egyptrevolution2011.ac.uk/ The website was built by the Academic Technology team of Warwick University Faculty of Arts and Humanities, with lead input from Steve Ranford and Ben Blackham and design concept by Creative Triangle. Research assistance was provided by Dominic Gozo and Mohamed El-Shewy. Translations were produced by Mohamed El-Shewy unless otherwise noted. The resources are recommended for students aged 16 and over, as some of the themes are not suitable for children. Read more about the research project Politics and Popular Culture in Egypt: Contested Narratives of the 25 January 2011 Revolution and its Aftermath here: https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/pais/research/researchcentres/cpd/popularcultureegypt/ The research project is funded by AHRC, grant ref AH/N004353/1 CONTACT Sheila Kiggins Media Relations Manager University of Warwick s.kiggins@warwick.ac.uk 07876 218166 Bushfires in Chernobyl Area Destroy Over 27,200 Acres of Forest - Ukrainian President Sputnik News 14:58 GMT 26.04.2020 KIEV (Sputnik) - Ongoing bushfires in the exclusion zone near the defunct Chernobyl nuclear plant have destroyed more than 11,000 hectares (27,200 acres) of forest, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday, exactly 34 years after the worst nuclear disaster in history. "Volodymyr Zelensky flew over the fire-hit area by helicopter and noted that the blaze had destroyed a large area of forest more than 11,000 hectares", his office said. He also met with firefighters and awarded some of them with state awards. "We are grateful to you for your great work. Now from the height of the helicopter, we have seen the real result of your work. You are our heroes. Only there, high above, one understands how difficult your profession is. On behalf of the entire Ukrainian people, I thank you for the result", Zelensky said. On 4 April, the first bushfire broke out near the northern Ukrainian village of Volodymyrivka within the Chernobyl exclusion zone some 50 miles north of Kiev. By 7 April, the fires were within two miles of a nuclear waste storage site. Firefighters eventually managed to contain the blaze, yet smoldering continues. The explosion at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant broke out in the early hours of 26 April 1986. Nearly 3,000 square miles of territory in northern Ukraine and parts of Belarus have been depopulated, with 1,000 square miles considered an exclusion zone due to elevated levels of radiation. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address TDT | Manama Bahraini citizens were repatriated yesterday from the UAE, Malaysia and Iran. Bahrains Embassy in Abu Dhabi, in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, facilitated the return of Bahraini nationals stranded in the UAE through several evacuation flights from Abu Dhabi International Airport and Dubai International Airport. Bahraini Ambassador Shaikh Khalid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa affirmed the keenness of the embassy to support and facilitate the return of Bahraini citizens following the outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19). He added that the embassy has coordinated with Bahrains embassy in Japan along with the authorities in the UAE to evacuate six Bahraini students from Japan to Abu Dhabi, and then to Bahrain. The Ambassador said that they had launched emergency hotlines to evacuate Bahraini citizens, adding that they have received more than 3,500 calls with inquiries about the crisis. He added that a total of around 400 Bahraini nationals have been evacuated from the UAE so far. Meanwhile, Bahrains Embassy in Kuala Lumpur has coordinated with the Ministry on the return of citizens from Malaysia. The Ministry posted several pictures of the repatriated Bahrainis on its official account on social networking service Twitter. Bahrains citizens from Iran returned to the Kingdom on a Gulf Air-operated flight, according to the Ministry of Health, which posted pictures of their arrival yesterday on Twitter. An elderly woman is fighting for her life in hospital after she appeared to be struck down by an Iceland delivery van driver who is suspected of driving under the influence of drugs. Police cordoned off the grocery delivery truck in the middle of Streatham High Road after they were called out at around 11.15am on Sunday. Met Police confirmed a van driver had been arrested on suspicion of drug driving and remains in police custody. Police cordoned off an Iceland home delivery van in the middle of Streatham High Road on Sunday morning. An elderly woman remains in a critical condition in a south London hospital Paramedics joined uniformed officers at the scene of the crash near the junction with Becmead Avenue. A Met Police spokesman said: 'A van was in collision with a woman, believed to be aged in her 80s. 'She has been taken to a south London hospital where she remains in a critical condition. 'The driver of the van has been arrested on suspicion of drug driving and taken into custody.' One witness saw the cordoned off Iceland van with a shopping trolley at the front of it. The crash happened around a 10 minute walk walk from Streatham Hill station. Anyone who witnessed the incident or has dash cam footage is asked to call the Serious Collision Investigation Unit at Catford on 020 8285 1574 quoting 2353/26Apr. Three terrorists were killed in an encounter in the Lower Munda area of Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam district on Monday (April 27). The joint operation launched by CRPF, Rashtriya Rifles and Jammu and Kashmir police is still going on. The encounter started after the terrorists opened fired on a patrol party at Lower Munda in the Qazigund area. This was the second encounter in last 12 hours in Jammu and Kashmir. Jammu and Kashmir police said one body has been recovered so far from the site of encounter. At least four terrorists were killed and a jawan was injured during an encounter with security forces in Kulgam on Sunday (April 26). The identities of the slain terrorists are still unknonw. As a precautionary measure, the authorities have suspended mobile internet in the district. The encounter on Sunday took place just a day after two terrorists were killed by security forces at Goripora village of Awantipora in south Kashmir's Pulwama district. On April 24 evening, two terrorists were killed by the forces and a policeman abducted by them was rescued in Anantnag South Kashmir. Polaris Bank Limited has released its first Audited IFRS 2019 compliant financial result, posting a profit-before-tax of N27.8billion. The bank said in a statement sent to PREMIUM TIMES on Sunday that the result followed the turn-around initiatives undertaken by the leadership of the Bank led by Adetokunbo Abiru. According to the report, Polaris Bank posted a gross earnings of 150.8bilion and a profit-before-tax (PBT) of N27.8billion within the first full year of operation. The remarkable achievements coming in the first year of operations of the institution is a clear validation of regulatory induced interventions in the nations history, the bank said. The bank said it closed the 2019 financial year with total assets of N1.1trillion and shareholders funds of N83billion. The result shows that Polaris Banks Capital Adequacy Ratio (14%) and liquidity ratio (81%) are well above regulatory requirements demonstrating strong prudential compliance and strong capital buffer, careful liquidity management and resilience, the statement continued. This result is coming amidst the highly challenging business environment which forced many businesses to cut down on their operating expenses. The Banks customer deposits stood at N857.9billion even as the Bank continues to focus on stable, low-cost deposits and well-diversified portfolio devoid of high concentration. Likewise, the loan book stood at N261billion providing the Bank with the desired headroom to accommodate required growth in risk assets to support the nations economic growth. The Bank equally recorded a Return on Equity (ROE) and Return on Assets (ROA) of 33.0% and 2.4% respectively for the year ended December 31st 2019. Commenting on the banks performance, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer (MD/CEO), Mr Abiru, said the emergence of Polaris Bank on September 21, 2018, has heralded a new dawn as it laid the foundation for institutional competitiveness and service innovation in the nations challenging banking space. Expressing satisfaction with the Banks new corporate governance regime, Mr Abiru noted that We shall continue to run an ethically governed Bank, upholding sound risk management practices and proactively taking measures to mitigate the impact of the adverse business environment while the Board and Management continue to guide the Bank towards a path of sustainable growth. According to the statement by the company, Polaris Banks performance has assured a strong positive outlook for earnings, margins, and profitability improvement in its cautious pursuit of loan growth, a sustained strategy for operational efficiency, funding cost optimization, and efficient deposit mix. The headroom for loan creation no doubt presents an opportunity for improved margins. Going into the year 2020 and despite the challenging macroeconomic environment, the bank says it is poised to reap the benefits of its investment in both the capacity of its employees to improve service experience as well as in critical infrastructures that will support the digitization of its operations. Polaris Bank describes itself as a future-determining Bank committed to the delivery of industry-defining products, services, and digital platforms across all the sectors of the Nigerian economy. The Bank is a member of the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI), which seeks to engage the private sector and the global financial sector to help create a financial sector that serves people and the planet while delivering positive impact. Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Girish Chandra Murmu on Monday called for preparing in advance a comprehensive strategy for the post-May 3 scenario to combat the COVID-19 pandemic in the union territory. The Lt governor was chairing a meeting on COVID-19 control efforts at the Raj Bhavan soon after an interaction with Prime Minister Narendra Modi through video conferencing, to discuss the emerging situation and plan ahead for tackling the COVID-19 pandemic, an official spokesman said. Murmu underlined the importance of continued efforts at all levels of the administration in the fight against coronavirus in the UT and asked the officers to formulate an effective rapid response mechanism so that pro-active steps can be taken to deal with any emerging situation when the lockdown will be lifted. The Lt governor noted that the increased testing is the key in identifying and combating the pandemic, and asked the officers to ensure the sustainability of the testing speed and to explore the possibilities of increasing the same, the spokesman said. Murmu directed for an effective implementation of restrictions in red-zones to contain the spread of the deadly virus. He urged the J&K Bank to reach out to the masses with the digital banking facilities by encouraging them to use UPI, BHIM, QR, in addition to the use of Aarogya Setu application. He further directed the officers to take necessary measures to fulfill the nutritional requirements of the vulnerable population with a special focus on destitutes and slum dwellers, the spokesman said. Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar, Advisor to Lt governor; BVR Subrahmanyam, Chief Secretary; Dilbag Singh , DGP; Atal Dulloo, Financial Commissioner Health and Medical Education; Shaleen Kabra, Principal Secretary to Government, Home Department; Bipul Pathak, Principal Secretary to Lt governor attended the meeting. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) WASHINGTON - An American military airstrike in Somalia more than a year ago killed two civilians and injured three others, U.S. Africa Command acknowledged in a new report on Monday. The deaths, confirmed by an internal investigation, mark only the second time Africa Command has determined that civilians were killed in a military strike in Somalia. The decision comes even as U.S. airstrikes against the al-Qaida linked al-Shabab extremist group this year are increasingly outpacing 2019 totals. Already there have been 39 airstrikes in 2020, compared to last years total of 63. Maj. Gen. William Gayler, director of operations for Africa Command, told The Associated Press in an interview that the strike on Feb. 23, 2019, in Kunyon Barrow, targeted and killed two members of al-Shabab. When online allegations of civilian casualties in that strike were received soon afterward, the command investigated, but the review dragged on for more than a year. After another similar allegation about that strike came in early this year from a non-governmental organization, the military continued its assessment, and it finally determined that at least one other person was killed or injured. Gayler said the command could see video showing a person an apparent civilian being carried from the site. We didnt see the other individual or the wounded individuals. But because were trying to be transparent and as open as we can, when we know that weve more likely than not killed the one male, why would we dispute the other killed and three wounded, he said. So, officials decided to substantiate the allegations in total. He said the deaths and injuries were likely due to secondary explosions from munitions stored at the site by al-Shabab. The extremist group controls parts of central and southern Somalia and often targets the capital, Mogadishu, with suicide bombings. Asked why the investigation took so long, Gayler said it was an effort to be thorough and some of the means we use to assess dont normally happen quickly. He did not provide details but noted information is gathered through classified means. He added, however, that theres no reason it should take that long. And he said Gen. Stephen Townsend, head of Africa Command, is adamant that investigations must be wrapped up more quickly in the future. Townsend also ordered quarterly reports on civilian casualty allegations, much like U.S. Central Command does for Middle East military operations. While we follow very precise and rigorous standards, in instances where we fail to meet our expectations, we will admit the mistake, Townsend said. We have the highest respect for our Somali friends, and we are deeply sorry this occurred. Africa Commands first civilian casualty report, released Monday, covers the time period from February 1, 2019, to March 31, 2020. According to a copy reviewed early by the AP, there were 91 airstrikes in Somalia and Libya during that time. The command has completed reviews of 20 alleged incidents of civilian casualties during that time and substantiated only the February 2019 one. In many of the claims the command found that the U.S. military had conducted no airstrikes on the day in question. In other cases, it determined that those killed or injured were only al-Shabab targets. Gayler also said that al-Shabab and its backers often make false claims on social media sites. And, like many militant groups, al-Shabab also often blends in with local citizens, using civilians as shields or including members that also masquerade as regular business people. Civilian deaths, however, have been a persistent problem for the military in war zones around the world. And watchdog organizations routinely complain that the U.S. and other militaries dont acknowledge civilian deaths as quickly or completely as needed. The Eastern Africa deputy director for Amnesty International, Seif Magango, called the report a welcome glimmer of transparency after more than a decade of military operations. Now there must be accountability and reparation for the victims and their families, he said. In a report early this month, Amnesty International said two airstrikes in Somalia in February killed two civilians and injured three others. The group said that one airstrike, on Feb. 2, struck a home in the Middle Juba region, killing an 18-year-old woman and wounding her two sisters and her grandmother. The second strike, on Feb. 24 near Jilib, killed a farmer who also worked for Hormuud Telecom, Somalias largest telecom company. Gayer said those two are among seven other cases still being investigated. The only other substantiated instance of civilian casualties in Somalia was acknowledged by the command last year and occurred on April 1, 2018. In that case, two civilians were mistakenly killed by a strike near El Buur. The growing threat in Africa from terrorist networks is significant and impacts not only Africans but also the U.S. and our international allies, said Townsend, adding that the strikes follow a strict, disciplined and precise process. There are between 6,000 and 7,000 U.S. forces on the continent at any time, including about 4,000 who are at the U.S. base in Djibouti. Other forces train and advise local forces and conduct counterterrorism missions against militants, such as al-Shabab in Somalia and other al-Qaida-linked groups and Islamic State affiliates in west and north Africa. Los Angeles, April 27 : Hollywood star Vin Diesel has claimed that he is trying to "mitigate a war" between Universal Studios and the "prejudiced" Producers Guild of America. The actor wasn't active on Instagram for some time, and he returned on Sunday to explain the reason behind his absence. He shared a bizarre poster for his upcoming "Fast & Furious" movie, titled "F9", along with a mention of a "war" between Universal Studios and the Producers Guild of America, reports dailymail.co.uk. "Happy creative Sunday everyone... sorry I haven't posted much lately, I have been trying to mitigate a war between Universal studios and the p.g.a. Prejudice guild of America," Diesel posted. He also shared a photoshopped poster of "F9". The edited poster has a look of a Halloween movie with a jack-o-lantern and a dark house in the background. According to dailymail.co.uk, the poster was actually designed by an Instagram user dubbed as Mommy Torretto, a photo editor whose Instagram is filled with "Fast & Furious" poster parodies. The reason behind Diesel using the poster in his post is unclear. While Diesel did crop out the bottom featuring the old release date and Universal Pictures logo, the Made by Mommy Torretto watermark is still visible on the poster. With regard to Diesel's cryptic post, there is no indication why he is referring to the Producers Guild of America as the Prejudice Guild of America. Diesel has been a part of the franchise since the beginning, starring in 2001's "The Fast and the Furious". He was not in 2003's "2 Fast 2 Furious" had a cameo in 2006's "The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift". He returned to the franchise to star in 2009's "Fast & Furious", and also backed the project as a producer. The ninth installment is more of a personal affair for Diesel's Dominic Toretto as he has to face off with his brother, Jakob, played by John Cena. "F9: The Fast Saga" sees the return of Justin Lin as director, who helmed the third, fourth, fifth and sixth chapters of the series. It also stars Tyrese Gibson, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, Jordana Brewster, Nathalie Emmanuel, Helen Mirren and Charlize Theron. The release of the ninth instalment of the "Fast and Furious" franchise has been rescheduled in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Update: The online unemployment system was restored on Monday morning. New Jerseyans, already frustrated with delays in getting approval for unemployment claims, have been coping with a widespread system outage since Sunday morning. As of 6:45 p.m. Sunday, the system still wasnt back online. This is the first widespread outage for an antiquated system thats been flooded with an unprecedented number of claims during the coronavirus pandemic. The state Labor Department confirmed that workers seeking to claim their weekly benefits online or file a new unemployment claims have been unable to do so. We have been working feverishly to identify the source of the problem and correct it as quickly as possible, the state said. "We expect to be fully operational by Monday when we will post an updated schedule for customers who were scheduled to certify for unemployment on Sunday." We understand workers frustration over this unplanned event, and apologize for the inconvenience it has caused, the state said. NJ Advance Media first heard of the outage from applicants who were trying to certify benefits, a process that must be done every week, sometime after 9 a.m. on Sunday. A short time later, the Labor Department said the entire application system was also down. CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live map tracker | Businesses that are open | Homepage With the systems continued failure, those who are already getting benefits were wondering if the outage will cause their benefit payments to be delayed. But the Labor Department told claimants not to worry. Claimants will be able to certify for unemployment benefits on a revised schedule once the system is back online. Please check back for updates, the website said. Claimant Janet Garafano said she was still concerned because she cant just call in to certify. There is no way to get through to the numbers provided. she said. She said she applied March 29 but she hasnt received benefits. And, she has other concerns about the system. I worked as a project manager in technology and the most important phase of software development is testing," Garafano said. That includes stress testing to simulate volumes of users to see how the system reacts. This system may have initially been implemented 40 years ago, but I can assure you it has had many, many updates and upgrades over those 40 years. Pointing the finger does not help the people in my position. The Labor Department didnt immediately respond to requests to comment about what went wrong. Well keep you posted on what happens next. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Karin Price Mueller may be reached at bamboozled@njadvancemedia.com. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-27 06:03:14|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close People wearing face masks are seen on a street in Budapest, Hungary, on April 21, 2020. (Photo by Attila Volgyi/Xinhua) Multiple governments -- from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Austria to Germany, Belgium and France -- now require or recommend their citizens to cover their mouth and nose in public spaces. BRUSSELS, April 26 (Xinhua) -- In a shift which many Europeans would have never imagined, face mask-wearing is now a phenomenon in the streets of major European cities like Brussels, Milan, Prague and Paris. Equally dramatically, the official position of European governments has changed in less than two months. Multiple governments, from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Austria to Germany, Belgium and France, now require or recommend their citizens to cover their mouth and nose in public spaces. The tide is shifting. As European countries are easing the current stay-at-home order, face masks are set to play an even bigger part in the post-lockdown period, helping reduce COVID-19 transmissions from asymptomatic carriers -- who are not ill but can nonetheless spread the virus. COVID-19, which has made more than 1.2 million people sick and caused almost 120,000 deaths in Europe as of Sunday, will undoubtedly continue to be with the mankind for a long time, given the absence of a vaccine and an effective drug. People wearing face masks wait for buses at a bus stop in Milan, Italy, on April 18, 2020. (Xinhua) CHANGE STARTS In East Asian countries like China, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam, wearing masks in public has been widely accepted to help limit the spread of the coronavirus. But in much of Europe, people wearing face masks were often met with strange looks in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic. In some disturbing cases reported in European cities, Asians wearing face masks had been racially abused and harassed. At that time, the official position of European governments was also clear -- only people already infected, their carers or health workers need to wear face masks, while for the general population masks were useless. This has changed dramatically as the COVID-19 pandemic evolved in Europe, along with the increase in scientific knowledge surrounding it. The Czech Republic was the first European country to make it mandatory for its citizens to wear a mask in public, and said it helped rein in its COVID-19 infections. On March 18, mask wearing became mandatory in the country, and its Prime Minister Andrej Babis has recommended this practice to European and U.S. leaders. On March 19, Babis in a tweet message called on U.S. President Donald Trump to adopt the measure to curb the virus's spread. "Wearing a simple cloth mask decreases the spread of the virus by 80 percent! Czech Republic has made it OBLIGATORY for its citizens to wear a mask in the public," the prime minister wrote. Also on Twitter, Babis said he had sent videos to urge most European presidents and prime ministers to do the same. As of Sunday, the central European country with a population of 10.6 million reported 7,387 confirmed infection cases and 220 deaths, compared with 197,675 cases and 26,644 deaths in Italy and 226,629 cases and 23,190 deaths in Spain. Following the Czech Republic, neighboring Slovakia has also made mask-wearing compulsory. On March 30, Austria required shoppers to wear masks in supermarkets, with Chancellor Sebastian Kurz then saying: "I am fully aware that masks are something foreign to our culture ... It will be a learning phase." Christine clips cloth to make face masks at her tailor shop in southern German city Traunstein, April 25, 2020. Christine, a tailor in Traunstein of German southern state Bavaria, is making face masks with cloth for her family and people in need, as citizens in Bavaria will be required to wear face masks when using public transport or visiting shops. (Photo by Kevin Voigt/Xinhua) MASK-WEARING GAINS GROUND On Friday (April 24), Belgium became the latest European country to announce mask-wearing an obligation, as part of a three-phase exit strategy to gradually lift a nationwide lockdown. Belgian Prime Minister Sophie Wilmes said that the first phase of de-confinement (Phase 1A) will begin on May 4 and one of the first measures is requiring all Belgians aged 12 or over to wear masks on public transport. The Belgian government will provide at least one free face mask for every citizen, she said. Face masks will also become mandatory for teachers and students aged 12 or over after resumption of school in the second phase, which is scheduled to begin on May 18. As of Sunday, the country of 11.5 million had 46,134 confirmed infection cases and 7,094 deaths, with a "case fatality rate" of 15.4 percent, one of the highest in Europe. Before Belgium, Germany had on April 22 made face mask-wearing a must on public transport, after Bremen became the last German federal state to require people to wear face masks. "The return to a responsible normality remains closely linked to a consistently pursued protection of health. We need regulations as similar as possible in all German states," said North Rhine-Westphalia's Minister President Armin Laschet. In France, the government has yet to make masks mandatory, but powerful groups, like the National Academy of Medicine, have recommended that they be. "In order to limit the risk of direct transmission of the virus by the droplets ... wearing an anti-droplets mask covering the nose and mouth ... was recommended," the National Academy of Medicine said in a statement on April 22. France, which reported 124,575 confirmed cases and 22,856 deaths as of Sunday, looks to ease the nationwide lockdown on May 11 and face masks are expected to play a big part in that. French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, who will unveil the government's lockdown exit plan to parliament on April 28, has said that wearing a face mask would be "probably" mandatory in public transport. Chef Armando is seen after work in Brussels, Belgium, April 20, 2020. (Photo by Riccardo Pareggiani/Xinhua) According to the news release, another hair sample was collected near the tracks found last week and submitted for testing. It is expected to take many months to get results. If it is the same bear from the 2019 hair samples, it would now be 4 years old and have traveled hundreds of miles in Idaho and Montana during its lifetime without any known conflict with humans. We probably wont know for a while, said Wayne Kasworm, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist in Libby. The take-home message here is there is a grizzly bear there, regardless of its identification, and folks, particularly hunters, who are out there need to be aware of that. Kasworm said it is likely the bear that left the tracks denned relatively nearby and probably emerged from hibernation no more than a month ago. He also said the tracks were about the size that would be expected of a 4-year-old male grizzly. Another grizzly, this one wearing a satellite tracking collar, spent much of last summer and early fall in the upper Lochsa River basin before denning in the Cabinet Mountains of Montana. We are in the midst of a calamity that the world has rarely seen before. Given the helplessness of ordinary people in the face of the coronavirus pandemic, we can only ask if those in authority are doing enough to deal with the crisis, and if they are capable of dealing with it. Disasters such as the coronavirus pandemic are not confined to specific geographies territories, and thus, dealing with it requires a holistic and global approach. Sadly, there is a dearth of leaders who have an influence on the world today and can provide global direction. In the past, when the world faced a crisis, it was the American leadership that took charge. But, today, the United States (US) appears weak in the face of the onslaught of the virus. In fact, many other countries are doing far better at containing the virus than the US. The problem seems to be a lack of leadership on the part of President Donald Trump. Faced with a situation that requires calm, reasoned science-based responses, Trump has behaved irresponsibly. He did not respond to the crisis in time, and has given mixed signals, and on some occasions, even come up with dangerous prescriptions on how to fight the virus. And he has, for domestic political considerations, consistently blamed China for the crisis. China does deserve blame though, and suspicion and anger against Beijing is widely shared. Many countries believe that Beijings tardiness in informing the world of the threat in time has caused irreparable damage. Some organisations and governments are planning to approach international legal bodies, terming Chinas lapse as an assault on international human rights. But Beijing is in no mood to blink. It has, in response, stepped up its diplomatic efforts against what it terms are absurd allegations. In order to counter the US onslaught, it has begun to help Latin American and African countries with money and material to counter the spread. As a result, it has won over some of these countries. China is also making substantial inroads in influencing some eastern European countries. It has continued with its belligerent geopolitical activities and increased its naval activities in the South China Sea. Chinas biggest asset is, of course, its economic prowess. It holds hundreds of patents from essential commodities, tech products, even herbal medicines. In order to cash in on Chinas cheap labour, western countries have large production bases in the country. And they cannot afford to antagonise China beyond a point, or terminate their operations there. Developing countries such as India are also unhappy with China. But we are dependent on it too. The fact that some of the raw materials for hydroxychloroquine, which we are now exporting to other countries, come from China is just an obvious example of this dependence. There is, therefore, a peculiar mix of both dependence on, and conflict with, China. But this confrontation between the West and China could not have come at a worse time. Irrespective of the substance of the allegations, this war of words and perceptions hampers a global response to the crisis. And it doesnt help that across the world, there are several ultra-nationalists in power. Could the situation have been different if the world had leaders such as Nelson Mandela or Mahatma Gandhi? Probably, but we will never know. There is, however, some cause for cheer. And this comes from the leadership displayed by women in their own countries. As soon as Taiwans President Tsai Ing-wen was informed of a mysterious virus that was spreading in Wuhan, she took stern measures. As a result, the spread of the infection was controlled. Similarly, the prime minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern, sealed the borders of her country on March 19. She not only declared a one-month nationwide lockdown, but also demoted a minister who violated the curbs. In Germany, Angela Merkel, who has a background in science, has evolved a coherent policy response and communicated directly and effectively with citizens. In India, Kerala successfully defended itself after the initial shocks, thanks to the efforts of its woman health minister, KK Shailaja. The world should look at the way these women leaders have dealt with the virus. They have shown that actions based on the advice of medical experts, coupled with a humane approach towards people is the way forward. Anger and mud-slinging will get us nowhere. Shashi Shekhar is editor-in-chief, Hindustan The views expressed are personal London, April 27 : The UK's Princess Charlotte, Prince William and Kate Middleton's second born, will celebrate her fifth birthday on May 2 with cake, games and a party on the Zoom video-conference app with her great-grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, media reports said. Charlotte's parents, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are organising the video call so that she can spend time with her family and friends, while still observing social-distancing guidelines during the coronavirus pandemic, the Metro newspaper reported on Sunday. The family has been in their Norfolk Home, Anmer Hall since the lockdown was imposed in the UK on March 23. According to The Sun newspaper, Charlotte's parents were keen to ensure she has "all the fun of a birthday" next week, despite the unprecedented circumstances the pandemic has forced on the world. "The family has arranged a Zoom party for her, so she can speak to family and friends," a source told The Sun. "Then, they have put together a full plan that will give her all the fun of a birthday - including cake and games - despite the extraordinary circumstances we are faced with. "Her great-grandmother will be joining the family call on the big day. As far as Charlotte is concerned, the important part is that her whole family are by her side to say 'Happy Birthday'," the source added. Prince Philip, who is currently isolating with the Queen at Windsor Castle, is also expected to join the video call. Actor Vidya Balan on Sunday said she was elated that her efforts to raise 1,000 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) kits exceeded expectations, as over 2,500 kits were arranged to help healthcare workers in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. The actor on Saturday pledged to donate 1,000 PPE kits and announced that she is also collaborating with celebrity shout-out platform Tring to raise money for additional 1,000 units. In a video uploaded on Instagram, Vidya said, " Thank you very much for your generous donations from all over the world. I'm elated to share that we have raised 2500+ kits accounting over Rs.16 lakhs within few hours. A load of gratitude for helping in donating over double our initial target. The campaign will run for some more time, so if you haven't been able to donate yet but want to help out, go to www.tring.co.in and donate whatever you can. Every single kit is helping protect a life." The Tumhari Sulu actor captioned the video, writing that the campaign will run for some more time so that people can still donate. Madhuri Dixit, Vidya Balan & Others Urge People To Report Domestic Violence Cases Amid Lockdown "Every single kit is helping protect a life. The #WarAgainstCovid19 continues. Let's #UniteForHumanity #StayHome #StaySafe." For donations made through Tring, Vidya will be recognising the support of every donor by sending a personal thank you video message and a chance for a two-minute video call with her. The Air France-KLM group's new logo is pictured during the group's 2018 financial year presentation in Paris on February 20, 2019. Air France-KLM will receive up to 11 billion euros ($12 billion) in financial aid from the French and Dutch government as the coronavirus pandemic pushes many airlines closer to bankruptcy. The Dutch government said on Friday that it would provide between 2 billion euros and 4 billion euros in state aid to KLM, while the French cabinet announced a support package of 7 billion euros for Air France. The deal, which has yet to be approved by competition authorities, includes conditions in return for the handout. KLM will not be able to pay dividends or award bonuses for as long as it receives state support and workers will have to take a pay cut, according to a statement. The airline will also have to adopt a greener approach, for example, by cutting back the number of night flights. The Supreme Court declined to rule on a 2nd Amendment case from New York. (Jacquelyn Martin / Associated Press) A 2nd Amendment challenge to a New York City gun ordinance fizzled in the Supreme Court on Monday, but conservative justices looked poised to expand gun rights in future cases. In a brief unsigned opinion, the high court said the New York case was moot because the city had repealed an ordinance that barred licensed gun owners from carrying their weapons across town or outside the city. Their permits allowed them to have a gun at home, but not to travel with it. It's only the latest disappointment for 2nd Amendment advocates. For a decade, they have tried and failed to get the Supreme Court to rule squarely on whether gun owners have a constitutional right to carry a firearm with them in public. Monday's decision revealed that at least four justices are ready to rule for expanded gun rights. Justices Clarence Thomas and Neil M. Gorsuch joined a 31-page dissent written by Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. "This is not moot. The city violated petitioners 2nd Amendment right, and we should so hold," Alito wrote in New York State Rifle & Pistol Assn. vs City of New York. Brett M. Kavanaugh wrote a short concurring opinion to say that while he agreed with the majority that the case was moot, he also agreed with the conservatives on the need to clarify and expand gun rights. "I share Justice Alito's concern that some federal and state courts may not be properly applying Heller and McDonald," he said, referring to the rulings in 2008 and 2010 that struck down city bans on private hand guns in Washington D. C. and Chicago. "The court should address that issue soon, perhaps in one of the several 2nd Amendment cases with petitions for certiorari now pending before the court," he said. As an appeals court judge, Kavanaugh wrote a dissent arguing that Washington's ban on semiautomatic rifles violated the 2nd Amendment. That leaves Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. holding the deciding vote in future gun cases. He joined the 5-4 rulings that held residents had a right to have a gun at home for self-defense. But since then, the court has repeatedly refused to go further and rule on whether the 2nd Amendment protects a right to carry a gun in public or to own a semiautomatic weapon. Story continues The chief justice is inclined to avoid rulings on major issues if the court is not required to intervene, and he apparently saw no need to decide a far-reaching constitutional question challenging an ordinance that been repealed. New York, California and other liberal states continue to enforce restrictions on who can carry guns in public and under what circumstances. And the justices have repeatedly refused to strike down those laws. Gun control advocates were relieved by the outcome. Hannah Shearer, litigation director for the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, said the decision to "dismiss the case as moot is a victory for the rule of law and common-sense, constitutional gun safety laws. [It] rejects the NRAs invitation to use a moot case to enact its extreme agenda aimed at gutting gun safety laws supported by a majority of Americans." Ilya Shapiro, a lawyer for the libertarian Cato Institute, faulted the court for not issuing a decision. "I agree with the dissenters lament that the city of New York has effectively hoodwinked the Supreme Court. After the Court abdicated its duty to explain the scope of the 2nd Amendment for over a decade allowing judicial resistance to the enforcement of 2nd Amendment rights to build it has now told states and cities that opportunistic lawyering can allow that constitutional disobedience to continue," he said. "And we see yet again that Justice Kavanaugh, while probably solid on the merits, is quite cagey on procedural and docket questions, going along with chief justices project to kick as many cans down the road as possible." The justices sent the New York case back to lower courts to decide whether the gun owners who brought suit may seek damages for the time when they were denied the right to travel with their firearms. Jon Shapley, Staff photographer / Staff photographer For parents and teachers struggling to hold students attention during these strange days of distance learning, the Symphony of Southeast Texas has come through in a big way. Last week should have brought the symphonys annual educational concert to countless students all across the region. But the coronavirus changed that, so symphony and Beaumont ISD officials made a creative pivot. As our story on Sunday reported, they created a variety of video lessons at least 15 so far from symphony members that tell students (and parents) about their instruments, playing selections and other topics. The videos are available online for anyone at the symphonys website and will be distributed to the Port Arthur ISD and Lumberton ISD. The struggle to stay alive has become the reality of many COVID-19 Patient who has test positive to the deadly virus, However the inability to get inadequate test kits has also been the challenge of many African countries. Meanwhile, this challenge has brought the creativity of many Africans who developed test kits and ventilators for COVID-19 Patients. Naija News Understands that Senegal has developed one of the worlds most affordable coronavirus testing kits, which costs $1 (N360.50) each, $60 (N2,163) 3D printed ventilators. This online media platform understands that a Senegalese lab (Institut Pasteur de Dakar) started development very affordable and easy to use Covid-19 testing kit in march which can deliver results in about 10 minutes. Meanwhile several Nigerian has praised the Senegalese Government for the laudable initiative here are the reactions as follow According to https://t.co/6AnUxfF4N4 Senegal conducted total of 466 tests since March to date someone is not telling the truth because they reporter is saying, they are testing everyone with or without symptoms unlike most countries Ben Maluleke (@ben_apple5) April 27, 2020 Meanwhile my country people and the rest of the blame game MVPs around the world can you see Senegal ? Get with the programme Innovators rule the world! #COVID19 b.o.n.d (@BOND1010) April 27, 2020 Dont joke with our unarguable giant status please. We are still giants in corruption and politicians that earn the highest emolumentsand maybe population The Advocate & 5 Others (@Sleeksly2) April 27, 2020 They will soon come and say Nigeria doesnt have money, forgetting that planning is also important to any process of governance. What Senegal has achieved is very commendable MCFC (@marhezmcfc) April 27, 2020 Asides donation from EU, Nigeria has gone to borrow money from IMF to tackle covid-19 Audio donations from private sector palliatives for their personal bank accounts NCDC is begging and seriously looking for more test kits boxy (@boxypiper) April 27, 2020 Where are Nigerian scientists and law breakers? This is no time for sentiments or political differences. Senegal has thrown up challenges. The last time I checked, the economy journals showed that Nigeria is richer than Senegal. #Goodgovernance. https://t.co/UapW3PSaZr Abdullahi Mohammed (@mohammedmd586) April 27, 2020 Many Americans arent remotely prepared to accept that our government isnt doing more because it doesnt want tonot because it cant. If Senegal can do it, so can we. But in America we put corporate profits over lives and as quiet as its keptthe govt dgaf about us. https://t.co/dGkeBYYfwO Brian. (@_blackintellect) April 27, 2020 President @MBuharis administration has commissioned the locally Made-in-Nigeria mobile ventilators and safety tunnel to improves Nigerias capacity to contained the deadly corona virus in Nigeria. Nigeria, doing far better than your almighty Senegal.pic.twitter.com/sMGzKj0Wlx General Michael Akanji (@mickiebrownkie) April 27, 2020 Share this post with your Friends on Are you a coronavirus hero? Are you the Mary Peters, or - for younger readers - the Carl Frampton of our rearguard action against coronavirus? In all likelihood you are. Because although heroic status is assured if you work in the health service or a care home, or if you collect bins, deliver essential supplies to the vulnerable, work in a supermarket or food distribution, or are teaching children remotely, everyone else is also playing their part - by staying at home wherever possible, and keeping their distance from others to curb the spread of the infection. And that means there are literally thousands of heroes across Northern Ireland who, in the month since the government imposed social distancing measures, have pulled together, stayed behind their front door, and saved lives in the process. The sacrifices you have made during the course of the crisis - the families you have not seen; the work you have turned down; the weddings you have postponed - have not been in vain. While this invisible killer has brought agony to those who have lost their lives, and to the families who mourn them, we have, together, flattened the coronavirus curve. Thanks to a mighty effort across the whole of the United Kingdom, we are cresting the infection peak without health and care services being overwhelmed. This team spirit can be seen whereever you look - whether at financial support, protecting frontline workers, treating the sick or ramping up testing. The UK is working as one to get through the pandemic. And it is the same spirit that will carry us through the next phase as, together, we look cautiously ahead to adjusting current distancing measures. Local efforts on the ground - for instance by food company Moy Park in Craigavon, which is providing 1,000 meals a week to people most in need - is matched by sustained co-operation at government level. We promised to do everything in our power to help this country defeat coronavirus while also protecting people, their families, and their jobs and livelihoods. And the great co-operation on the ground is matched at government level. The First Minister and deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland along with the First Ministers of Scotland and Wales have attended COBRA meetings since the outbreak of coronavirus to co-ordinate the response, and we are working very closely with the devolved governments as we consider changes to the social distancing measures across the UK - again, when the scientific advice shows it is the right time to do so safely. The Northern Ireland Executive has received an extra 1.2bn in additional funding from the UK Government to bolster public services and offer additional support to staff in these uniquely difficult times for our country and the world. That is on top of the 330bn in UK-wide business support schemes launched by the Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, including government-backed loans and the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. For the protection of workers, over five million items of personal protective equipment have been delivered by the UK Government to Northern Ireland, enabling our vital frontline workers to care for patients and the public in hospitals and local communities without compromising their own health. And I was particularly delighted that last week we also reached agreement on a ferry support package worth up to 17m for five vital routes between Great Britain and Northern Ireland - enabling essential freight, including food and medical supplies, to get where it needs to go. A similar package is being developed to support crucial air passenger services between Belfast City Airport, City of Derry Airport and London. How long will these interim measures be needed? It is entirely understandable that people want to know if the end is in sight. Realistically, however, round the world we will be living with this disease for some time to come. Tragically, 299 people in Northern Ireland have lost their lives to this invisible killer - and it is thanks to all your efforts that the figure is not higher still. Only once we are reassured on our five key tests can we safely adjust the distancing regime: the NHS's ability to cope; a sustained fall in daily death rates; reliable scientific data showing the infection rate falling to manageable levels; sufficient testing capacity and PPE to meet future demand - and, finally, the confidence that any changes would not risk a second peak of infections that would overwhelm the NHS and undo much of our work to date. For the country as a whole, for our public health and economy, that would be the worst outcome. So once again I want to pass on huge thanks for everything you have done so far, but also for everything you will continue to do, to keep our nation safe. Michael Gove is a Conservative MP and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Outer space contains a planet made of water, billions of stars, and matter no one can see. From dark energy to gravitational waves, see how well you know the universe. This article was first published on Stacker Iran on Monday announced 96 deaths from the novel coronavirus, but said daily confirmed new infections fell below 1,000 for the first time in more than a month. The latest fatalities recorded in the past 24 hours brought the overall death toll to 5,806, said health ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour. Detected cases of infection rose by 991 to total 91,472 since the start of Iran's outbreak, the deadliest in the Middle East. In addition, Jahanpour said more than 700 people had died of poisoning in the month to April 19 after drinking alcohol in the mistaken belief it can kill the virus. Although its sale and consumption is banned in the Islamic republic, local media have repeatedly reported fatal poisonings from contraband alcohol. Iran has struggled to contain the coronavirus since reporting its first cases on February 19 -- two deaths in the Shiite holy city of Qom. At his briefing on Sunday, Jahanpour had announced 60 virus deaths, the lowest daily toll in the country since March 10. But the number of casualties is widely thought to be much higher than the official figures. The government has allowed a phased reopening of shops and has lifted restrictions on movement within the country since April 11. Schools, universities, mosques, cinemas, stadiums and other public spaces remain closed across the country, where the Muslim fasting month of Ramzan began on Saturday. The authorities have in recent days raised the possibility of reopening mosques in little-affected areas, although they have yet to elaborate on such plans. "We are examining the situation every four days," Deputy Health Minister Iraj Harirchi said late Sunday, signalling the possibility that restrictive measures could be reimposed. "Reopening does not mean normalisation," he added. State television on Monday broadcast footage of a highway in Tehran full of traffic. Its journalists visited administrative offices where customers waited for service without respecting social distancing rules. The authorities were considering making it compulsory to wear masks on public transport, Harirchi said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Success is not always about reaching the highest rung on the tallest corporate ladder; sometimes, its about finding the right place on a good ladder that lets you fulfill your dreams at work and home. Navigating the right career path is difficult. Mentors and business cultures often equate company size with prestige and rank highest the maniacally-driven executives in the tallest steel-and-glass towers. Sheila Enriquez, though, took a different path to the top, from her youth in the Philippines to become the managing shareholder role at a large accounting firm. I certainly did not think in my wildest dreams that this would happen, but you know, its been an incredible ride, she told me. TOMLINSONS TAKE: Leading businesswoman calls for more male allies Since 2018, Enriquez has led Briggs & Veselka, Houstons largest independent accounting firm, with $50 million in revenue. The company has acquired six smaller companies since then, opened an office in Austin, and plans to expand into San Antonio and Dallas. None of this is what she had planned during her senior year of high school in Baguio City, Philippines. Enriquez, 47, was set to study medicine at the University of the Philippines when she took a test and earned a scholarship to study business for two years in Japan and at the State University of New York-Sullivan. After finishing her associate degree, Enriquez had to choose between returning to the Philippines or accepting a place at Mercy College to continue studying business. This is where my life has been a story of people opening doors, and God just puts the right people in my path when Im seeking that next step, Enriquez explained. Mercy College offered her and another student from Baguio, Jose, full-ride scholarships. They later married. She also found a lifelong mentor who encouraged her to earn an MBA in what was an early version of a professional program in accounting. A few years and small employers later, Enriquez obtained her CPA license. She found that smaller firms allowed her to gain broader experience, and in those firms, skills mattered as much as tenure. You didnt have necessarily all the hierarchical titles, but the responsibilities were definitely a lot more than what other people might have with a higher title at a bigger firm, Enriquez said. She also found smaller firms more willing to accommodate a four-day workweek when she wanted to spend more time with her infant son, and later, when she wanted to earn a law degree. Enriquez moved to Houston in 2006 and transferred into the University of Houston Law Center while applying for jobs. But she found the big firms would not support her finishing a law degree and were less willing to accommodate family time. I wanted to go to a place where they would actually recognize me for what I can deliver and promote me accordingly, she explained. At Briggs & Veselka, she found partners who embraced her desire for work-life balance and an advanced education. Im probably the poster child for somebody that found the right place to thrive and be my genuine self and still make a difference, provide ideas and make an impact, Enriquez said. Smaller accounting firms, though, have a reputation for offering few opportunities to advance. The founding partners typically sell to a larger firm or shut down. But Briggs & Veselka was ready to let junior partners develop new business lines and become a legacy firm. By carefully choosing her employer, Enriquez found satisfying work that accommodated her personal goals. If youre in a firm or in an organization thats not a good fit, youre going to be miserable, Enriquez said. Ive been there. TOMLINSONS TAKE: Women turn up the heat on those who impose workplace barriers Now that she runs the company, she plans to make it more supportive of women and parents while growing it. There are firms that say, Yes, well give you work-life balance, but in reality, its just words, Enriquez said. I am so committed to continuing it and making it even better in terms of providing alternative work schedules and working from home. Enriquez urges young accountants to not allow big firms to burn them out. She encourages women, in particular, not to drop out of the workplace but to find better employers. Look at the middle-market firms like ours, because you can actually have a very challenging, fulfilling career and still have that family life, she said. That is sound advice not only for workers but for employers looking to build a successful business and attract top talent. A hard-charging corporate culture is not the only path to success, and perhaps, not one at all. Tomlinson writes commentary about business, economics and policy. twitter.com/cltomlinson chris.tomlinson@chron.com Turkey sees the lowest number of new coronavirus cases in 20 days On Sunday, Turkey saw the lowest number of new coronavirus cases in 20 days with 2,357 people testing positive for the virus. The total number of registered coronavirus cases now stands at 110,130. Today is the day with the lowest number of new cases in the past 20 days, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca tweeted. The number of deaths stood at 99, marking the seventh consecutive decline in fatalities. The latest deaths bring the total number of fatalities to 2,805. According to the data, 3,558 people were released from hospitals in the past 24 hours, making the number of recovered patients 29,140. The downward trend continued in patients needing intensive care. Turkey is currently treating 1,776 patients in intensive care units. The number of administered tests was also down to 30,177 in the past 24 hours, which the minister attributed to a decreased need because of lower contact opportunities. The overall number of tests now stands at 889,742. You can see the curve starting to flatten as the number of new registered coronavirus cases reduces Source: https://www.dailysabah.com/turkey/turkey-sees-fewest-new-coronavirus-cases-in-20-days-7th-consecutive-drop-in-deaths/news COVID-19 recoveries exceed new cases as Turkey ponders normalization An empty Salacak esplanade against the backdrop of the iconic Maidens Tower during a curfew, in Istanbul, Turkey, April 26, 2020. (AA Photo) Daily Sabah has reported that the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) will examine the socioeconomic development status and frequency of cases via a sampling method to create an immunity map. With the nationwide initiative, Turkey hopes to join other countries that have managed to control the outbreak and resumed daily life. Read the full article: https://www.dailysabah.com/turkey/covid-19-recoveries-exceed-new-cases-as-turkey-ponders-normalization/news COVID-19 cases drop further in Turkey while plasma therapy gets results Traffic on July 15 Martyrs Bridge after the end of a four-day curfew, in Istanbul, Turkey, April 27, 2020. (IHA Photo) The tide is apparently turning as the number of COVID-19 cases continue decreasing in Turkey after weeks of grim news. The number of new cases was the lowest in 20 days while fatalities finally dropped below 100 as of late Sunday. Professor Ilhami Celik, a member of the Health Ministrys Coronavirus Science Board, meanwhile, announced that plasma therapy for COVID-19 patients was getting results. Turkey on Sunday saw the lowest number of new coronavirus cases in 20 days as the number of recoveries hit 3,558. The number of deaths stood at 99, marking the seventh consecutive decline in fatalities. READ: https://www.dailysabah.com/turkey/covid-19-cases-drop-further-in-turkey-while-plasma-therapy-gets-results/news Turkey restricts travel from Istanbul to Black Sea region Turkish authorities have restricted movements of some 100,000 people, who live in Istanbul but want to travel to the Black Sea provinces, to harvest tea in their land plots there, in a bid to curb the coronavirus spread in the region. Following a meeting with officials from the Interior Ministry, the governors of the Black Sea provinces of Rize, Artvin, Trabzon, and Giresun have announced that only people, who reside in nearby cities, will be allowed to do the harvest work this year. However, special harvest commissions, under the supervision of the district governors, will be set up to ensure that the tea harvest is not interrupted this year. READ: https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkey-restricts-travel-from-istanbul-to-black-sea-region-154235 Turkey Detains Over 400 Over Provocative Virus Posts Turkish authorities have detained 402 people over baseless and provocative social media posts about the coronavirus pandemic, the interior ministry said on Monday. The official said some of the posts in question included claims that a lockdown would last longer than all-day weekend curfews announced by the government and accusations that authorities were lying about the number of deaths. In the past 42 days, 6,362 social media accounts have been analysed, and 855 suspects have been confirmed while 402 have been caught, the ministry tweeted. The figure is separate from the detention of 410 people over similar claims at the end of March, a ministry official clarified to AFP. Fethiye Times will continue to moderate and delete such comments in line with our code of conduct. Sources: AFP Agence France Presse April 27, 2020/ https://gercekfethiye.com/icisleri-bakanligindan-aciklama/26969/ Global statistics There are now 3,016,633 confirmed cases of COVID-19 globally, of which 888,551 have recovered. The number of fatalities stands at 207,971. Source: Worldometer. Follow Fethiye Times on social media for regular updates. Like us on Facebook Follow us on Instagram Follow us on Twitter Todays featured image: Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca (centre) and medical officials applaud during the inauguration ceremony for the Basaksehir City Hospital, a new massive health care complex partially opened to assist in the fight against the COVID-19 outbreak, in Istanbul, April 20, 2020. (AP Photo) The federal government has been ordered to pay a Tamil family more than $200,000 in legal fees over their bid to stay in Australia. Priya and Nadesalingam and their Australian-born daughters Kopika and Tharunicaa, aged four and two, have spent more than two years in detention fighting their deportation to Sri Lanka. Priya and Nadesalingam and their Australian-born daughters Kopika and Tharunicaa. Credit:Twitter/HometoBilo Federal Court Justice Mark Moshinsky ordered the family's costs of $206,934 be paid, after they successfully argued their youngest daughter was denied procedural fairness in an application for a protection visa. Immigration Minister David Coleman lifted a barrier to allow him to consider a visa application for Tharunicaa last May, but no decision was made. Previous head of Business Development will take up new postion in July The EBRD has appointed Philip ter Woort Director for its eastern Mediterranean region, leading its future operations in Jordan, Lebanon and the West Bank and Gaza. Mr ter Woort will start his new position on 1 July 2020 and will be based in Jordan where he follows Heike Harmgart, who was appointed EBRD Managing Director for the southern and eastern Mediterranean region (SEMED) in 2019. I am honoured to take on this new responsibility and to continue and expand the significant work the EBRD is already doing in the region thanks to my predecessors work. We will focus on supporting the private sector overcoming the coronavirus pandemic and for this a strong partnership with key stakeholders is critical.The EBRD is a well-established partner in the region and I look forward to building on our strong foundations. Mr ter Woort joined the EBRD in 2009 as Head of Office for Mongolia, based in Ulaanbaatar. In 2013, he was appointed the Banks first Director for Egypt and established its operations in the country. After four years he moved to London as Director of Business Development. Before he joined the EBRD, Mr ter Woort served in senior roles at Dutch banks and multinational companies in the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland and Russia. The EBRD launched its operations in the SEMED region in 2012 and to date has invested over 11.5 billion in the region between Morocco and Jordan. The Bank is working to strengthen the resilience of local economies with a combination of investments and policy engagement. The EBRD focuses on supporting small and medium-sized enterprises, promoting agribusiness, developing infrastructure and local services and supporting renewable energy and energy efficiency and the development of local capital markets. Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment I recently wrote that practical obedience to God today is far more important than speculation about the mark of the beast tomorrow. I have also made clear that I do not believe that COVID-19 is one of the plagues from the Book of Revelation. At the same time, a number of recent developments help illustrate how quickly a false Messianic figure could emerge on the earth, in both religious and secular circles. Prepare to read some shocking quotes. But first, let me set the stage. As I have stated, I do not believe that a potential COVID-19 vaccine, replete with microchip is the mark of the beast. And I do not believe that the virus is part of a larger, nefarious plot hatched by a clandestine one-world government cabal. (For more on all this, see my new book.) Yet the events surrounding the coronavirus have demonstrated how quickly the status quo can be overturned, how dramatically the fortunes of nations can shift, and how a call for one-world cooperation can arise. And what if there was a worldwide economic collapse, accompanied by plague and famine? Is it too farfetched to imagine that a powerful, problem solving leader could gain an international following? To say it again, I do not believe we are at that point. But I do believe that, in front of our eyes, were seeing how quickly the table can be set, even from an entirely secular point of view. All the more does this become feasible when we add in religious beliefs. Jesus famously warned His disciples, saying Be careful that no one leads you astray! For many will come in My name, saying, I am the Messiah, and will lead many astray. (Matthew 24:45 TLV) He also warned that, Many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. (Matthew 24:11, TLV) So, from a Christian perspective, before the true Messiah (= Christ) will return in the clouds of heaven, there will be counterfeit Messiahs (= antichrists) who will deceive many. And this leads us to the promised, shocking quotes. In the Islamic world, the belief in the Mahdi, the hidden Imam waiting to be revealed, could easily prepare the way for a counterfeit Messianic figure. To be sure, Muslims believe that Jesus is the Messiah (although, quite plainly, they do not believe in the Jesus of the Bible). So, technically speaking, the Mahdi is not the Messiah. On the other hand, since he functions in Islamic lore as the end-time redeemer, he could be the perfect counterfeit Christ type of figure. And heres where it gets very interesting: there are Muslim leaders today who claim to have met the Mahdi numerous times. Writing in the Jerusalem Post on January 20, Brian Schrauger explained that the Mahdi is Islams messiah, the 12th of 12 Imams who are successors to Mohammed. Said to have been born in 879 CE, the Imam Mahdi is believed by Shia Muslims to still be alive, but hidden from mankind in occultation until a time of such upheaval on the earth that only his reappearance will rescue mankind and, in fact, usher in an age of global peace; Islamic peace, that is; a kind of peace in which all mankind is living in submission to the Allah of the Koran. He continues, Crazy to Western ears, this messianic creed is the raison detre for the Islamic Republic of Iran according to its founders and leaders. It is also the basis of Tehrans foreign and military policies; and it is impossible to overemphasize the Iran regimes visceral commitment to it. The Imam Mahdi is invoked in every public gathering, both civil and military; he is the singular inspiration for every policy, every tactic, every mission; indeed, he is nothing less than the regimes reason for its existence and, as such, its singular and unwavering motivation for the future. And Schrauger can provide documentation for every single claim he has made. In the words of Irans Supreme leader Ayatollah Khamanei, The Iranian nation, enjoys a great privilege today: the atmosphere of the country is an atmosphere of Imam Mahdi. . . . And, Khamanei states, many of our great scholars have personally met with this beloved [Imam] of hearts of the admirers during his occultation; many have made a pledge to him in person; many have heard from him some heartwarming words; many have been caressed by him and many others have received his kindness, care, and love. The Islamic Mahdi is here, he is known to many insiders, and he is about to be revealed. And remember: this article was written before Iran was smitten with COVID-19. What are the leaders thinking today? But theres more. A February 20 headline in Israel Todaystated that, Israeli Rabbi Says Hes Already Holding Meetings With Messiah. And, Israels biggest rabbis are all afraid to leave the country lest they miss Messiahs coming. The article, by Ryan Jones, cited a three-hour radio interview in which Rabbi Yaakov Zisholtz told religious broadcaster Radio 2000 that Kanievsky recently told him that he (Kanievsky) is already in direct contact with the Messiah. Rabbi Kanievsky, now in his early 90s, is considered to be the leading authority in the ultra-Orthodox (haredi) community in Israel, and he has often spoken of the nearness of the Messiahs coming. But it seems he is saying even more today. According to Rabbi Zisholtz, the process of redemption is about to start happening very quickly and at a fast pace. It is important that people remain calm and steady to act properly in the right time. There is a potential Messiah in every generation and there are righteous men who know precisely who it is. This is, of course, true in this generation. Getting the word out now that the Messiah is closer than ever is a matter of life and death. Havent you heard of Gog and Magog? That is what is going to happen very soon. Right now, the situation is explosive more than you can possibly imagine. Everyone needs to know whether they are on the inside or if they are going to be left out. Yes, these are the words of an ultra-Orthodox rabbi in Israel, not those of an evangelical Christian, Bible in hand, with end-time prophecies heavily underlined. While Rabbi Zisholtz was careful to say he couldnt promise anything, he was certainly raising the bar with specific predictions and events. And again, he claimed that certain religious Jews knew exactly who the Messiah was and have even met with him. Adding to all this was the statement of Israels Health Minister, Yaakov Litzman, himself ultra-Orthodox, as reported in HaAretz on March 26 and with reference to COVID-19: We are praying and hoping that the Messiah will arrive before Passover, the time of our redemption. I am sure that the Messiah will come and bring us out as [God] brought us out of Egypt. Soon we will go out in freedom and the Messiah will come and redeem us from all the troubles of the world. The Messiah would be the cure to the coronavirus, and he would come (meaning, be publicly revealed, since in Jewish thought, he could already be here) by Passover. Well, Passover ended on April 16. And, in case you missed the news, the expected Jewish Messiah did not come. Ironically, Litzman himself contracted the virus, although he has since recovered. And for a number of reasons, including heavy criticism of his handling of the crisis, he is reportedly considering quitting. But all this talk about the Mahdi being here, ready to be revealed, along with the traditional Jewish Messiah being here, ready to be revealed, underscores the point I have been making. It would not take much for a counterfeit Messianic figure to arise and deceive many. And so, while I believe the table has not yet been set for this grand finale, it could clearly be set on very short notice. Let us, then, keep our focus on the Second Coming of the true Christ (= Messiah). But let us not forget the warnings about that false Messiah (= antichrist) who will come first. C Shivakumar and Sahaya Novinston Lobo By Express News Service CHENNAI: A question mark hangs over the operations of the Koyambedu wholesale market following reports that three people there -- two truck drivers and a coriander vendor -- are suspected to have tested positive for COVID-19. During a market management committee meeting, it was decided to split it into three markets in Madhavaram, Koyambedu and Kolapakkam. A decision to this effect will be finalised on Saturday, said S Chandran, Market Management Committee Licensed Merchants Association President and Anaithu Sangankalin Kootamaipu general secretary. He told The New Indian Express that three persons -- two lorry drivers from Maharashtra and a coriander trader -- have tested postive for COVID-19. However, corporation officials said that tests in this regard are on and have not been confirmed yet. Demanding that all traders and workers should be tested for the coronavirus, Chandran said the two truck drivers from Maharashtra, who initially tested negative in their home state, had given fresh samples before proceeding to Chennai. These truck drivers were transporting fruits to the Koyambedu fruit market. After the second round of tests in Maharashtra confirmed that they have been infected with the coronavirus, the police control room there informed police officials in Chennai and the two drivers were quarantined. He said the third person to have been infected is not a regular trader. He used to come to the market and sell a few sacks of coriander before leaving for home. "We believe he would have contracted the virus from near his home," said Chandran. To a query on whether all the traders and workers should be tested, he said that he has been demanding this since the lockdown was implemented. "As it is a place for public gathering, everyone should be tested," he said. Bhaskar, an onion trader in Koyambedu, said when a person is infected by the coronavirus, the entire area and the people working there are quarantined. "Sadly no steps have been taken in this regard. Why did the market not move to an open space after the lockdown was introduced? On the one hand, the state is promoting social distancing but on the other hand, it is encouraging overcrowding in the market," he says. Fearing that his aged parents would get infected, Bhaskar has been avoiding the market for more than a week and echoes the opinion of the majority of traders. Interestingly, city police commissioner A K Viswanathan had been requesting the market association to spread the market over three different places to avoid crowding since the lockdown was announced, said police sources, adding that the Market Management Committee was reluctant. However, the fault also lies with the market not being handed over to the corporation despite then Municipal Administration and Water Supply (MAWS) secretary Phanindra Reddy asking the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority to do so in 2015. "Being a development agency, CMDA is required to take up development works envisaged in the masterplan. As CMDA does not have the required manpower or financial capabilities and is not empowered under the Tamil Nadu Town and Country Planning Act to continue operating such development projects, the possibility of transfer of the market and Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus to the corporation needs to be considered," according to the minutes of the meeting held on September 28, 2015 accessed by Express. At that time, the meeting has asked the corporation to study the provision of the Tamil Nadu Specified Commodities Markets (Regulation and Location) Act, 1996, to be examine whether statutory powers are available to hand over the Koyambedu market to the corporation. Even Corporation Commissioner Prakash during a press briefing recently expressed his inability to shift the Koyambedu market to an open space as it comes under the CMDA. The market continues to remain under an agency which lacks manpower and is best suited to work on urban planning, which has resulted in the failure to segregate it and made traders, workers and the public unsafe, said a former planner. It is time the government looks into the MAWS department suggestion and implements it, he added. An American college student was horrified to learn too late that her professor can read all of the 'private' messages she sends on Zoom. The young woman, Faith, has been trading casual messages with some profanity with other students, thinking that that the words were kept between them. But when she received an email from her angry professor, she learned that the educator has been reading what she wrote all along. Whoops! An American college student named Faith was horrified to learn too late that her professor can read all of the 'private' messages she sends on Zoom No-no: Her professor emailed Faith to say that her messages weren't 'appropriate' and were 'very disruptive' Faith shared the email on TikTok, including her own mortified reaction to it. 'Dear Faith,' the email read. 'I am reaching out to inform you that I can see everything you write in the class discussion. 'My class session is not the appropriate time to be sending messages like "I'm a bougie a**, rachet a**, freak b****." 'It's very disruptive to the class and I do NOT condone this kind of behavior during my lectures. 'I strongly advise you to keep the inappropriate comments to yourself from now on or else it will jeopardize your final grade for this course,' Professor Mclellan concluded. Faith clearly found the revelation both funny and embarrassing, and also shared it on Twitter. 'I didnt know my professor could view my private convos on zoom,' she wrote, while adding in a comment on TikTok that the message from her professor 'caught her off guard'. Viral: Faith shared the email on TikTok and Twitter, including her own reaction to it Reaction: Faith clearly found the revelation both funny and embarrassing 'It caught me so off guard,' she said, before revealing: 'I apologized to her.' Her video has since been viewed over 2.2. million times on Twitter, and dozens of other students and professors have chimed in with their own stories and warnings. 'Yall. Please quit it lol. WE CAN SEE EVERYTHING,' wrote one teacher. 'We keep trying to warn ya'll about messages on zoom,' responded another. 'When I end meetings that I hosted I can see all chats! Even the private ones. You get like a transcript of the meeting!' said a third. Some students said that they learned the hard way that professors can not only read messages, but they can unmute students' microphones, too. 'They have to much power on that damn app,' wrote one student. 'I was talking s*** and unaware that my professor had UNMUTED me,' wrote one. 'My professor deada** said on zoom they can unmute your mic and call on you,' said another. Faith later followed up, telling Twitter users that she'd read all the warnings from other professors. 'Yall might as well send your sorry email before they confront you,' she wrote. 'And yes I apologized to that lady.' Yikes! Faith later posted an update, saying she had heard from several professors confirming that nothing is private in Zoom classes Be careful! Several other professors agreed and shared warnings Oh no! Several students said that professors can even unmute microphones Earlier this month, one eagle-eyed professor at Quinnipiac University in Connecticut issued a warning to Zoom users about engaging in 'private' chats during calls, after discovering that the in-meeting chats can actually be saved automatically - meaning everyone in the conference call can see exactly what you're up to. 'FYI: If you're having a committee meeting via Zoom and you use the chat function to privately write to someone, your colleagues may not see it in real time, but it shows up when the chat is downloaded and put in the minutes folder,' Hillary Haldane, Professor of Anthropology and Director of General Education at Quinnipiac, wrote on Twitter. On its website, Zoom explains that the in-meeting chat function allows you to send messages to other users within a meeting. You can send a private message to an individual user or you can send a message to the entire group. However, what many people don't realize is that the in-meeting chats can be saved either manually or automatically - depending on the settings. If you're unlucky, the 'auto-save chat' will automatically save the entire in-meeting chat on the computer - and the host, who in this case is Faith's professor - can then see everything that has been sent. BJP chief J P Nadda on Monday said the RBI's announcement of Rs 50,000 crore liquidity facility for mutual funds will take forward the Union government's measures to protect small investors amid the challenges facing the economy due to COVID-19. "COVID-19 has brought many challenges to our economy. To deal with this, PM Narendra Modi government has taken many prompt decisions. Taking it forward and to protect small investors interests, I welcome RBI's announcement of Rs 50,000 crore special liquidity facility for mutual funds," Nadda said. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said on its Twitter handle that the measure will stabilise the performance of short-term debt funds and improve investor sentiment about the debt market. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Monday provided a Rs 50,000-crore shot in the arm to stressed mutual funds by unveiling a special liquidity facility for the sector, days after Franklin Templeton Mutual Fund decided to close six debt schemes. In a statement, the central bank said heightened volatility in capital markets in reaction to COVID-19 has imposed liquidity strains on mutual funds (MFs), which have intensified in the wake of redemption pressures related to closure of some debt MFs and potential contagious effects therefrom. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A period drama about the trials of a Jewish midwife airing on Saudi-controlled MBC for Ramadan has drawn both criticism as an attempt to promote Arab "normalisation" with Israel and praise for a rare exploration of the Gulf's social history. "Umm Haroun", a fictional series about a multi-religious community in an unspecified Gulf Arab state in the 1930s to 1950s, began airing on Friday as part of MBC's lineup for the Muslim holy month, when viewership typically spikes. It comes at a time when several Gulf states have broken with the recent past and made overtures to Israel, with which they have found common ground in confronting Iran. Some, including Saudi Arabia, have also backed a U.S. Middle East peace plan to move on from a conflict they say holds back the Arab world. Egypt and Jordan are the only Arab states that have peace deals with Israel. An official from the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, Basim Naeem, condemned the series before it aired and told Reuters that portraying Jewish people in a sympathetic light was "cultural aggression and brain washing". Hamas, like other Palestinian groups, is vehemently opposed to the peace plan laid out by U.S. President Donald Trump's administration. A group of regional organisations against normalising ties with Israel circulated a poster on social media urging viewers to boycott "the wicked drama", which was produced by Kuwait and United Arab Emirates-based companies. The show's writers, Bahraini brothers Muhammad and Ali Abdel Halim Shams, told Reuters that it had no political message. "People have spoken and judged before seeing it," said Muhammad. "The message focuses on the ways of Muslims centred on showing love, good intention and peace to non-Muslims." MBC, the Arab world's largest private broadcaster, said that according to its data the show is the top-rated Gulf drama in Saudi Arabia for Ramadan and among the top five dramas across genres. MBC spokesman Mazen Hayek said Umm Haroun's main message was a human one - a nurse who heals people "irrespective of any consideration". "It also focuses on tolerance, moderation and openness, showcasing that the Middle East was once a region where acceptance of one another was the norm versus the twisted interpretation and stereotyping of the region by hardliners and extremists, over the last decades." Saudi authorities took a controlling stake in MBC Group in 2018 as they seized assets from those detained in an anti-corruption drive launched by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. MBC, which plans to move its headquarters from Dubai to Riyadh, has courted controversy before. Past shows dealt with sensitive issues like domestic violence and Islamist militancy. UNTOLD HISTORY The writers said the main character, Umm Haroun, after whom the show is named, was loosely inspired by real-life Jewish midwife Umm Jan, who arrived in Bahrain from Iraq in the 1930s. A disclaimer during the first episode said the characters and events were imaginary. Some people in Bahrain, which still has a small Jewish community, took to social media to share pictures of and a 1977 TV interview with Umm Jan, who is widely regarded as a symbol of public service in Bahrain. In Kuwait, Twitter user Abdulaziz al-Seif said the show should not be seen as pro-Israeli. "We should also differentiate between the Jewish religion and Zionism ... This show has nothing to do with normalising ties with Israel," he said in a video post after the show aired its first episode. Veteran Kuwaiti actress Hayat Al-Fahad, who plays the midwife, told local daily Al Anbaa that young generations should know about "a people that were and still are in our world". She recently stirred debate by publicly calling for the expulsion of migrant workers amid the coronavirus pandemic. Palestinian Nadia Ali, 48, told Reuters she was no longer a fan of the actress for "getting the Jewish twisted tale into every Arab house." Mental Health Week with Clubhouse Gibraltar This year, Mental Health week falls on 18th May to 22nd May and Clubhouse Gibraltar have activities planned for every one of those days. "In our endeavour to continue to provide Mental Health awareness and promote the services we are providing despite the restrictions, we have designed our Mental Health Week activities to be available through social media. This will help save lives and improve the quality of life for those who are affected by mental health problems." OUR CLUBHOUSE BUILDING IS CLOSED - OUR CLUBHOUSE COMMUNITY IS OPEN The Corona virus pandemic has had a profound effect and presented many challenges for everybody, not least for those who have a history of mental illness. Clubhouse resiliency, innovation, passion and dedication have quickly led to an inspiring array of strategies and solutions to address the new reality. Members and staff may no longer be able to gather together inside the Clubhouse building, but they have shown that they will continue to support each other through this crisis. "We are deeply moved and awed by the extraordinary level of care and connection that continues to hold Clubhouse communities together, despite the severe restrictions regarding physical togetherness." Clubhouse Gibraltar is providing mental health support on a daily basis with a fully experienced staff team from Monday to Friday as follows: Monday, Wednesday and Thursday 9.00 am to 4.30 pm, Tuesdays 9.00 am to 6.00 pm, Fridays 9.00 am to 3.00 pm TELEPHONE HELPLINE IS 200 68423, E-MAIL: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/clubhousegibraltar/ WEBSITE www.clubhousegibraltar.com Clubhouse Gibraltar has been communicating with all its members through different communication channels i.e. telephone, texts, video calls, social media, virtual meetings, e-mails and mail. There is an outreach telephone list to ring up those who do not have smartphones or who have requested this especially and a daily newsletter is also being provided via text and e-mails to maintain continuity of communication, tips and ideas and to encourage members' contributions. Community Support has also been provided for those members in need regarding hot meals, benefits, or any other problem they need support with and/or liaising with other services in the community. MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS WEEK 18TH 24TH MAY 2020 Theme - KINDNESS Clubhouse Gibraltar would like to "invite you and/or your organisation to participate in Mental Health Awareness Week 2020 (18th to 24th May). This year the theme will be Kindness, now more than ever we need to re-discover our connection to kindness and each other in our daily lives." "Due to the current situation, we are not going to be able to provide the public activities we used to in the past, therefore, it feels right to use Mental Health Awareness Week this year to celebrate the many thousands of acts of kindness that are so central to the quality of our mental health. We would be grateful if you could send us photos wearing yellow with a message on the theme of 'Kindness' (include your logo, or name if you wish) so that we can post on our Facebook page and help reach out to others." Monday 18th May Facebook Live at 11am with Emily Adamberry Olivero MBE (CEO Clubhouse Gibraltar) followed by the launch of a virtual tour of Clubhouse New premises. Tuesday 19th May Announcement of New Services that Clubhouse Gibraltar will be providing for the Gibraltar Community. Wednesday 20th May Webinar at 2pm, information, Q&A's. Thursday 21st May Clubhouse members & friends testimonials. Friday 22nd May Wear Yellow Day - send photos wearing yellow with a message on the theme of 'Kindness'. EFFECT OF THE COVID 19 RESTRICTIONS ON CLUBHOUSE GIBRALTARS INCOME "Due to the Covid-19 lockdown restrictions, we are struggling to raise funds as we are unable to organize our usual public events, or run our charity shop which helps us greatly towards our sustainability. We are nevertheless working hard to maintain the important and crucial service that we provide and we would be grateful if you could consider supporting us financially so that we can continue to help the most vulnerable in our community." Imagine you have COVID-19 and youre having trouble breathing. Youre able to get to an emergency room stocked with available ventilators, but you learn youre barred from access to these life-saving devices because of a state rule that says, No ventilator use allowed: If everyone cant have a ventilator, no one can. Insane. Unimaginable. The outrage would be palpable and justified. Yet, when it comes to providing our children life-preparing education during this crisis, similarly outrageous government rules have been in place, with districts actively banning students from learning because of a rule that says, If everyone cant learn, no one can. Consider the facts: On March 13, Gov. Wolf ordered the closure of schools statewide, effective March 16. On April 9, he announced this closure would extend through the remainder of the academic year. Across the state, some schools such as cyber charter schools were already teaching virtually and were prepared to continue operating essentially uninterrupted. And some traditional school districts were also well-equipped to make the transition to online learning. But not in Philadelphia, where the District made an outlandish decision: If every child couldnt learn, no child should learn. As a result, children in the School District of Philadelphia have not had any official schooling since March 13 and they are not scheduled to resume learning until May 4. A solid seven weeks of lost instruction. Why? Because some students did not have the technology at home to participate in online learning. So instead of helping as many students as possible while working to extend that help to all students, the District decided that because some students couldnt learn, no students should learn. Finally, a month after schools closed, Philadelphias public school students received the needed technology from the District. It will still take a few weeks, however, to implement software and internet access for the students. Its worth noting that during his time, a bulk of Philadelphia charter school students not only received technology through private means, as the District did not provide technology to charter students-but are already in the phase of finding software and identifying hotspots for access so children can learn. Outrageously, even while lagging behind charters in educating students, the District has placed a resolution before the School Board seeking to cut charter school funding. This even though charters already receive less money per-pupil than the District and have proven more effective during this crisis. Sadly, this misguided approach to educating in time of crisis isnt limited to Philadelphia. When Gov. Tom Wolf closed schools, he included public cyber charter schools, even though these schools were already operating online. After cyber schools received clarification that they could, indeed, continue educating students, they quickly resumed classes. They also offered to help the state Department of Education set up its own online learning system-the Department ignored the offer. Indeed, not everyone was happy that cyber students could continue to learn. The Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators (PASA) decided if students couldnt attend traditional brick-and-mortar public schools, they shouldnt be able to attend public cyber charter schools either! PASA lobbied to ban students from enrolling in cyber charters during the current shut-down. The reason? They were concerned families might decide they prefer cyber charters and transfer permanently. For fear that their product wasnt good enough to keep students long term, PASA wanted to block students from learning, period. Falling short in that effort, PASA then lobbied-this time successfully-to ensure cyber charters would not get paid for any students who enrolled after March 13. To their credit, cyber charter schools are taking in and teaching new children, without additional student funding. Imagine if hospitals treated patients the same way the education establishment has treated children-placing self-interest and self-protection ahead of saving lives. The backlash would be unthinkable-and merited. Its time public education officials look in the mirror and ask themselves who and what theyre really defending. And its past time they put their self-interests aside and do what is right for families and students-regardless of who gets the credit. Matthew J. Brouillette, a former high school and middle school teacher, is president and CEO of Commonwealth Partners Chamber of Entrepreneurs. www.thecommonwealthpartners.com. New Spring Church turns campuses into blood donation centers during COVID-19 pandemic Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment The South Carolina megachurch NewSpring Church is hosting blood drives at its campuses across the state through a partnership with a local nonprofit that has issued an urgent call for blood donations amid the novel coronavirus outbreak. The church is now partnering with The Blood Connection to convert its campuses into temporary donation centers that will allow donors to maintain a safe distance from other donors during the blood donation process. In a Facebook post published Wednesday, NewSpring told its congregants that donating blood is one way to help hospitals and serve those in need. Blood donations provide hospital patients with essential treatments and transfusions, the churchs post explains. Your donation could be life-saving for many patients during this pandemic. So starting this week, NewSpring will host blood drives at campuses across the state. The Blood Connection, a South Carolina-based nonprofit, is an independent community blood center that provides blood products to more than 70 hospitals serving hundreds of thousands of patients across Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina. NewSpring was founded by Perry Noble, its former pastor, over 20 years ago and now consists of 14 campuses lead by a team of lead pastors. The partnership between the church and nonprofit comes as U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams issued an urgent call last month for Americans to donate blood. Due to stay-at-home orders nationwide, thousands of blood drives across the U.S. have been canceled in recent weeks. According to the Food and Drug Administration, respiratory viruses like COVID-19 are not known to be transmitted through blood transfusion and there have been no reported cases of transfusion-transmitted coronavirus. Blood drives at NewSpring began on Thursday at the churchs main campus in Anderson. Other blood drives were held at NewSprings campuses in Powerdersville and Clemson on Friday, while two more are scheduled to take place on at NewSpring Spartanburg and NewSpring Greenwood on Saturday. On April 30, NewSpring campuses in Aiken and Charleston will host blood drives, while campuses in Columbia, Myrtle Beach, and Rock Hill will host blood drives on May 1. On May 2, the drives will be held at NewSpring campuses in Florence and Greenville. Most of the NewSpring blood drives run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., while some run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. A schedule of the blood drives can be found here. To give blood, donors must be at least 17 years old, weigh at least 110 pounds and be in good health while not taking any antibiotics. Although it may feel like there isnt much that people can do to fight COVID-19, donating blood is one way to help hospitals and serve those in need locally, a statement from NewSpring Church sent to media outlets reads. Blood donations provide patients with essential treatments, surgeries, and transfusions. Because The Blood Connection supplies blood products for local hospitals, donors are making a positive, community impact. People in other parts of the United States looking to donate blood can find a local blood drive through The Red Cross, which is also seeking plasma donations for researchers studying whether antibodies from COVID-19 survivors can be used to treat patients. The Red Cross has enacted new measures like the spacing of beds and social distancing practices at donation centers to ensure safety to donors and staff during the coronavirus outbreak. Haryana Police on Monday asked people to beware of cyber criminals who are trying to commit fraud during the ongoing lockdown. It warned people that sharing personal information online or visiting pages through suspicious links could result in funds being siphoned off from their bank accounts. ADG (Law and Order), Navdeep Singh Virk said cyber offenders are using various tactics to dupe money from the bank accounts of people by taking advantage of the lockdown. He said people should exercise maximum caution while handling suspicious emails or links about COVID-19. Cyber criminals may cheat people by asking them to donate money for COVID-19 funds through fake UPI IDs which are similar to those of PM-CARES fund, the additional director general said. The fraudsters may also seek donations through social media by creating fake bank accounts, Virk said in a statement. Some of the other modus operandi include seeking bank details in the guise of fraudulent schemes on face masks and sanitizers via fake online shopping sites, committing frauds by creating a fake page similar to government websites, offering coronavirus protection kits by online shopping windows and seeking OTP for home delivery of goods, theG said. He said it has been observed that cyber fraudsters are also circulating malware links regarding COVID-19 to steal confidential data, including password, from the receiver's phone or computer. Virk said the Cyber Crime unit of Haryana Police is actively working to catch the cyber fraudsters. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Pham Cong Tac emphasized the significance of long-term investment in research. Vietnams achievements in learning about the nature of SARS-CoV-2 and its impact on the human body have been the result of a long process of improving research capacity through the country's investments in biomedical pharmaceutical research. On the sidelines of the press conference announcing the SARS-CoV-2 quick test kit in early March, Dr Hoang Xuan Su from the Military Medical Academy said he and his colleagues were partly able to successfully create the kit because they had implemented the project on developing a kit to detect the Ebola virus based on one-step real-time RT-PCR four years ago. Scientists need to undergo a long process, but managers also need to make heavy investment to improve research capacity step by step, experts say. Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Pham Cong Tac emphasized the significance of long-term investment in research. Vietnams achievements in learning about the nature of SARS-CoV-2 and its impact on the human body have been the result of a long process of improving research capacity through the country's investments in biomedical pharmaceutical research. The test kit cannot be obtained after one day or one hour. Its the result of capacity and experience accumulation for many years, he said. The deputy minister said that it is easier and cheaper to prevent disease than fight against disease. For a country with 100 million people and severe climate conditions like Vietnam, epidemic prevention and readiness to cope with epidemics are issues of great concerns. The Covid-19 pandemic has suggested new research ideas for scientists in Vietnam and the world and brought new knowledge about virus transmission, clinical treatment solutions, and ways to cope under different scenarios. The research on coronaviruses began in 1960. However, its natural circulation process, especially in wildlife, remains a mystery. Therefore, new understanding about the virus, the pathogen in mammals, including human and birds, is important to help scientists better cope with epidemics. Ho Anh Son from the Military Medicine Academy, while pointing out that SARS-CoV-2 is not a new type of virus, and originates from animals, asked the Ministry of Science and Technology and national funds to carry out deep research to have a better understanding about the virus. This will allow us to discover and cope with problems after a short time if a new emerging virus or coronavirus appears, he said. The problems posed by the COVID 19 pandemic show that Vietnamese researchers need to improve their capacity through research projects via various channels. COVID 19 shows the dangers arising from the interaction between wildlife and humans. This is an important research direction to help humans control epidemics in the future. Mai Lan Vietnamese COVID-19 test kits receive EU seal of approval COVID-19 test kits produced in Vietnam have been approved by the UK and EU. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday conveyed to chief ministers that the country will have to give importance to the economy as well as continue the fight against the novel coronavirus. New Delhi: As India enters the final week of the lockdown, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday conveyed to chief ministers that the country will have to give importance to the economy as well as continue the fight against the novel coronavirus. In a video conference with the chief ministers, fourth such interaction since 22 March when he first spoke to them on the pandemic, Modi also highlighted the importance for states to enforce prescribed guidelines strictly in the coronavirus hotspots, the government said in a statement. The prime minister underlined that the nationwide lockdown has "yielded positive results as the country has managed to save thousands of lives in the past one and a half months", it said. "Prime Minister said that the country has seen two lockdowns till now, both different in certain aspects, and now we have to think of the way ahead. He said that as per experts, the impact of coronavirus will remain visible in the coming months," the statement added. Modi also said that masks and face covers will become part of lives of people in the days ahead, adding everyone's aim must be to ensure rapid response under the current circumstances. He emphasised on the importance of the use of technology as much as possible, and also to utilise time to embrace reform measures. The prime minister said at the virtual meeting that India's population is comparable to that of the combined population of several countries. "The situation in many countries, including India, was almost similar at the start of March. However, due to timely measures, India has been able to protect many people," the statement said quoting the prime minister. He, however, forewarned that the danger of the virus is far from over and constant vigilance is of paramount importance, it said. He also urged the chief ministers to factor in the changes in weather - advent of summer and monsoon - and the illnesses that can potentially come in this season, while strategising ahead. Citing experts, the prime minister said the impact of coronavirus will remain visible in the coming months. Reiterating the mantra of 'do gaz doori' (maintaining distance of two yards) he said that masks and face covers will become part of our lives in the days ahead. "The prime minister underlined that the lockdown has yielded positive results as the country has managed to save thousands of lives in the past one-and-a-half months," the statement said. The lockdown was first announced by Modi on 24 March in a bid to combat the coronavirus endemic. It was further extended till 3 May. He highlighted the importance for states to enforce guidelines strictly in the hotspots or the red zone areas. He said that the efforts of the states should be directed towards converting the red zones into orange and thereafter to green zones. On the issue of getting back Indians from foreign countries, he said that this has to be done keeping in mind the fact that they don't get inconvenienced and their families are not under any risk, the statement said. The chief ministers praised the leadership of the prime minister during this period of crisis, and also highlighted the efforts undertaken by them in containing the virus, according to the statement. "They spoke about the need to keep a close vigil on international borders, and also on addressing the economic challenge and ways to further boost health infrastructure," it said without elaborating. The leaders also expressed gratitude towards the police force and medical staff for the exemplary work done by them in the fight against COVID-19. Among those present at the virtual meet, included Home Minister Amit Shah, Health Minister Harsh Vardhan and top officials from the PMO and the Union Health Ministry. The chief ministers who attended the meeting included Arvind Kejriwal (Delhi), Uddhav Thackeray (Maharashtra), E K Palaniswami (Tamil Nadu), Conrad Sangma (Meghalaya) Trivendra Singh Rawat (Uttarakhand) and Yogi Adityanath (Uttar Pradesh). According to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's office, he did not participate in the video conference as only nine chief ministers had the opportunity to interact. The state was represented by Chief Secretary Tom Jose and Additional Chief Secretary Vishwas Mehta at the video conference. Shah had spoken to the chief minister on Sunday and had asked Kerala to give suggestions, which were sent. Modi said under the circumstances, everyone's aim must be rapid response. He pointed out that many people are self-declaring whether they have cough and cold or symptoms, which was a welcome sign. He also emphasised on the need for more people to download the Aarogya Setu mobile app to bolster the efforts to fight COVID-19. The prime minister said we have to be brave and bring in reforms that touch the lives of common citizens. He also suggested that people associated with universities can be integrated on devising ways to fight the pandemic and strengthen research as well as innovation. At the interaction, Shah reaffirmed the need to enforce lockdown so that maximum lives are saved, the statement said. PR-Inside.com: 2020-04-27 13:04:03 LAUSANNE, Switzerland, April 27, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ADC Therapeutics SA, a late clinical-stage oncology-focused biotechnology company pioneering the development and commercialization of highly potent antibody drug conjugates (ADCs) for patients suffering from hematological malignancies and solid tumors, today announced the appointment of Victor Sandor, M.D., to its Board of Directors. Victor is an accomplished biopharmaceutical leader and medical professional with extensive oncology product development experience that includes successfully obtaining several product approvals, said Ron Squarer, Chairman of ADC Therapeutics Board of Directors. I have had the pleasure of working with Victor and have no doubt that his strategic guidance will enhance our efforts to develop and, if approved, commercialize ADCs for the treatment of patients with hematological cancers and solid tumors. Dr. Sandor was most recently Chief Medical Officer at Array BioPharma, Inc. prior to its acquisition by Pfizer Inc. At Array, Dr. Sandor was instrumental in obtaining the approval of Braftovi (encorafenib) and Mektovi (binimetinib). Prior to joining Array, he was Senior Vice President for Global Clinical Development at Incyte Corporation, where he played a critical role in the approval of Jakafi (ruxolitinib). Dr. Sandor was also Vice President and Chief Medical Officer for Oncology at Biogen Idec and held positions of increasing responsibility in oncology product development at AstraZeneca, where he played an important role in the registration of Arimidex (anastrozole) for adjuvant use and the development of several early stage programs through proof of concept. Dr. Sandor received his M.D.C.M. from McGill University in Montreal, Canada, and completed Fellowship in Medical Oncology at the National Institutes of Health. Im thrilled to be joining ADC Therapeutics Board of Directors as the company prepares to submit a Biologics License Application for Lonca and continues to advance the development of its deep pipeline of novel ADCs. I look forward to working with the board and team as they work to make a meaningful difference in the lives of people with cancer by offering new treatment options, said Dr. Sandor. About ADC Therapeutics ADC Therapeutics SA is a late clinical-stage oncology-focused biotechnology company pioneering the development and commercialization of highly potent and targeted antibody drug conjugates (ADCs) for patients suffering from hematological malignancies and solid tumors. The Company develops ADCs by applying its decades of experience in this field and using next-generation pyrrolobenzodiazepine (PBD) technology to which ADC Therapeutics has proprietary rights for its targets. Strategic target selection for PBD-based ADCs and substantial investment in early clinical development have enabled ADC Therapeutics to build a deep clinical and research pipeline of therapies for the treatment of hematological and solid tumor cancers with significant unmet need. The Company has multiple PBD-based ADCs in ongoing clinical trials, ranging from first in human to pivotal Phase 2 clinical trials, in the USA and Europe, and numerous preclinical ADCs in development. Loncastuximab tesirine (Lonca, formerly ADCT-402), the Companys lead product candidate, has been evaluated in a 145-patient pivotal Phase 2 clinical trial for the treatment of relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) that showed a 45.5% interim overall response rate (ORR), which exceeded the target primary endpoint. Camidanlumab tesirine (Cami, formerly ADCT-301), the Companys second lead product candidate, is being evaluated in a 100-patient pivotal Phase 2 clinical trial for the treatment of relapsed or refractory Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) after having shown an 86.5% ORR in HL patients in a Phase 1 clinical trial. The Company is also evaluating Cami as a novel immuno-oncology approach for the treatment of various advanced solid tumors. ADC Therapeutics is based in Lausanne, Switzerland and has operations in London, the San Francisco Bay Area and New Jersey. For more information, please visit https://adctherapeutics.com/ . Investors Contact Amanda Hamilton ADC Therapeutics amanda.hamilton@adctherapeutics.com Tel: +1 917-288-7023 EU Media Contact Alexandre Muller Dynamics Group amu@dynamicsgroup.ch Tel: +41 (0) 43 268 3231 USA Media Contact Annie Starr 6 Degrees astarr@6degreespr.com Tel.: +1 973-415-8838 Bundle, an Africa-focused social payments app for cash and cryptocurrencies has officially been launched today in Nigeria. The app, which is backed by Binance, allows users to send,and receive cash or crypto from their peers, with the likes of BNB, BTC and ETH being available immediately. According to a 2018 report, 40% of African citizens that have access to banking prefer to use digital channels when it comes to money. Bundle Founder Yele Bademosi, who was formerly a director at Binance Labs, hopes to empower African people by giving them easy access to digital banking. We built Bundle with the digitally native African user in mind. They are social, online, and connected across geographical boundaries. They prefer their financial services delivered digitally via mobile apps as opposed to visiting brick and mortar bank branches. Bademosi said. 1/n I'm super excited to announce Bundle (@BundleAfrica), an Africa-focused social payments app for cash and crypto After working on this for the last couple of months, we are coming out of stealth and also announcing our $450k pre-seed raise from @binance pic.twitter.com/1mvK1m6taT Yele Bademosi (@YeleBademosi) April 23, 2020 We built Bundle as a mobile wallet that supports cash and crypto, and makes using crypto feel like just another digital financial transaction done on a mobile app like Venmo. Bundles CTO, Taiwo Orilogbon, added that Africa has several characteristics that make it a prime geographical location for the realisation of the full potential of digital currencies, blockchain, and its applications. The Android app is currently available while the iOS app will be released in the coming weeks. The development of the project came after a successful pre-seed fundraise in September 2019, with Binance investing $450,000. For more news, guides and cryptocurrency analysis, click here. AUSTIN, Texas, April 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Medici, a virtual healthcare company based in the U.S., today announced the completion of its Series B financing round of $24 million by current investors, which include Barry Sternlicht of Starwood Capital Group, Kenneth Griffin of Citadel, Nathan Kirsh of the Kirsh Group, Howard Jenkins of Publix, and Tom Meredith, formerly of Dell. Medici offers a HIPAA-compliant virtual healthcare platform for over 25,000 healthcare providers and their patients to securely communicate via text, voice and video chat. The funding comes at an integral time in the telehealth industry, as virtual visits are projected to top one billion by year's end amid the coronavirus outbreak. The capital infusion will be used to accelerate its growth and the impact Medici has on its approach to patient care during this critical time, and beyond. Barry Sternlicht of Starwood Capital Group states, "We're very excited to be a part of the continued growth of Medici. We feel Medici is exceptionally well positioned to transform healthcare and be a household name. We anticipate this funding will help spearhead the continued innovation and commitment that Medici has for recreating the doctor-patient relationship." While Medici has been streamlining doctor-patient interactions for a number of years, the company has recently seen a huge uptick in patient registrations and consultations as more people look to telehealth for their healthcare needs in light of Covid-19. Medici saw an increase of 1,409 percent in patient registrations from February to April and unlike other platforms, Medici allows patients to virtually connect with their own doctors, rather than a stranger. "We are thrilled to have remarkable investors who really want to see lives and healthcare transformed," says Clint Phillips, CEO of Medici. "Unlike Zoom or FaceTime, Medici allows you to text, ePrescribe, Refer, group chat, bill, translate, triage, keep your number private, your consults organized, and gives $1m liability insurance to physicians. This investment will allow us to invest further into our team and technology to truly impact global healthcare." To learn more about Medici, please visit Medici.md. About Medici Founded in 2016, Medici, Latin for doctor, is a digital care platform working to transform healthcare by recreating the doctor-patient relationship through mobile technology. With its secure communication platform and provider first approach, Medici enables next-generation virtual healthcare for providers to extend care and be reimbursed without extra overhead or administrative burdens. A winner of the Business Intelligence Group's 2020 BIG Innovation Awards, Medici seeks to fill a need beyond the pandemic; it aims to lead the way in the future of healthcare. Medici are headquartered in Austin, TX and have an office in Johannesburg, South Africa. SOURCE Medici Related Links https://www.medici.md Al Gore Endorses Biden Presidency on Earth Day but Is Criticized by Michael Moore Former vice president and climate change activist Al Gore endorsed Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden for president during an Earth Day campaign event on April 22. The same day, Gores work in championing the multibillion dollar wind and solar energy industry met with criticism from Oscar-winning film-maker Michael Moore in his provocative new film Planet of the Humans. SURPRISE! Im bringing you a brand new feature film, right now, just finished, and just posted minutes ago on my YouTube channel! Planet of the Humans, executive produced by me and directed by my longtime co-producer, Jeff Gibbs. Check it out: https://t.co/XjUbneDJQe Michael Moore (@MMFlint) April 21, 2020 Gores endorsement comes as former Vice President Biden seeks credibility with voters as he tries to unify Democrats ahead of the Nov. 3 election against Republican President Donald Trump. I am so proud to endorse your candidacy, Joe, Gore said. Your election is absolutely crucial, Joe, and I want to do everything I can to convince everybody that cares about the climate crisis, particularly those people, that this is a no-brainer. Gore, who endorsed Hillary Clintons presidential campaign in 2016, served as the vice president to former President Bill Clinton from 1993 to 2001 and became known for his activism on climate change after he lost a bitterly contested close-call election for president against George W. Bush in 2000. He went on to win a Nobel Peace Prize together with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in 2007. However, Moore and veteran environmentalist Jeff Gibbs, who wrote, directed, and narrated Planet of the Humans, which they released to YouTube on Earth Day, took a swipe at Gore over his support of renewable energy in the form of solar, wind, and biomass. Gibbs argues in the film, which has been viewed almost 3 million times, that replacing fossil fuels with these technologies is not only unrealistic but damaging both to the environment and carbon emissions targets, given the carbon-intensive industrial processes crucial for the production of green energy. The film has stirred much debate and controversy, with anti-fracking filmmaker Josh Fox calling for an apology and immediate retraction of the documentary, and environmental policy writer Michael Shellenberger voicing his support for the films honest exploration of the renewable energy industry. Bidens Carbon Emissions Plan Biden, who is the presumptive Democratic presidential candidate, said as the country contends with the CCP virus outbreak and resulting economic downturn, jobs in so-called clean energy could drive economic recovery. Green jobs can be the very thing that helps us get through this existential threat to our economy, Biden said on a podcast. Biden has called for spending $1.7 trillion over a decade on electric car charging stations, high-speed railroads, renewable energy research, and other infrastructure that could limit the predicted impacts of models that indicate climate change. His policy plan, dubbed the Clean Energy Revolution, wants to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. In mid-April, as Democrats were eager to project unity heading into the race against Trump, Biden received a string of high-profile endorsements from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and former President Barack Obama. Washington state Gov. Jay Inslee also endorsed Biden on Earth Day. He ended his own presidential campaign in August 2019 after running on a climate change platform but failing to reach the Democratic National Committees polling threshold of 2 percent to proceed to the next round of debates. Inslee said during an episode of Bidens podcast that the last Democratic presidential candidate had supported the creation of clean energy jobs during the economic recovery from the 2008-2009 financial crisis as part of the Obama administration. As a result of this, you have helped create 3.3 million jobs in clean energyjobs that didnt exist before, Inslee said. Read More Climate Change Narrative Driven by Agenda of Political Control: Myron Ebell During his year-long presidential campaign, Biden has regularly been confronted on the campaign trail by climate change activists who thought his policies were too moderate. Biden sometimes told those people to vote for someone else. The former vice president does not support a ban on fracking, which contributes to greenhouse gas emissions but is a source of jobs for members of Democratic-aligned labor unions as a result of the Obama administrations support of natural gas from 2008 onwards, when it encouraged the displacement of coal as an energy source. Bidens goal to significantly curb carbon emissions by 2050 is also viewed by some activists as a too-distant goal. Reuters contributed to this report. Common Indians are reacting to these horrifying events, depressing and distressful developments with utter silence, shock and incredulity. Indian urban elites look at such intolerant and hateful climate as dispersed events and have no impact on their tinsel lives. While most of Indian Muslims are reacting to this hateful climate with anxiety, anger, fear, deep dismay and disbelief having assumed their nationalist integrity and embeddedness with Indian way of life. Then the Modi government launched the Citizenship Amendment Act, the National Register of Citizens, and the National Population Register. These are steps in a direction to disenfranchise citizenship rights of Muslim population in India. The idea of India looks gloomy and the future of Indians looks uncertain if Hindutva forces continue to govern India for few more years. It is time to decode and defeat the ideology of Hindutva as a political and social practice. The Hindutva forces and their ideological genealogy reveal the dangers of Hindutva politics in India. Hindutva political theology is no longer an imagined and isolated cluster of normative ideas about Hindu way of life as defined by the Supreme Court of India. It is a pragmatic and exclusionary political practice carrying false claims to marginalisation of Hindus and their representation in history, culture and politics in mainstream India. Historically speaking, upper caste Bengali spiritual leaders and intellectuals created the philosophical foundation on which Marathi political activists shaped the ideological and political narratives of Hindutva forces. Bhakti movements in north India gave the mass base to Hindutva politics. The colonisers were patrons of Hindutva politics. So, Hindutva forces did not fight British colonialism. They did not participate in the anti-colonial nationalist struggle in India. These Hindutva forces formed partnership with the British to create Hindu Rashtra in India. Such is the character of Hindutva forces in Indian history, yet they create havocs in contemporary India in the name of nationalism. From 1920s to 2020, Hindutva forces managed to spread uncontaminated bigotry, violence and extremism in social, political and cultural life. In economy, Hindutva forces follow neoliberal economic policies to uphold and pursue interests of the capitalism class. There is absolute solidarity and harmony in the arranged cum love marriage between Hindutva and neoliberal capitalism. Such a combination marginalizes rural and urban poor, religious minorities, women, farmers, Dalits and tribal population in India. It spreads prosperity for few rich and miseries for many. The growth of poverty, unemployment, hunger and homelessness are products of economic policies pursued by the Modi government. Indias external reputation is tattered by the Hindutva forces. India is facing many challenges and dangers imposed by Hindutva forces led by Modi. The democratic rise of Hindutva forces by electoral means created a political culture of democratic deficit with the concentration of power in the hands of Narendra Modi. It is an organic outcome of fascist ideology of RSS which is opposed to the ideals of democratic decentralisation of power and empowerment of the masses based on citizenship rights. Representative and distributive function of Indian democracy diminished with the rise of Hindutva politics in India Any opposition to Hindutva forces and policies of Modi-led government is branded as anti-nationals.Common Indians are reacting to these horrifying events, depressing and distressful developments with utter silence, shock and incredulity. Indian urban elites look at such intolerant and hateful climate as dispersed events and have no impact on their tinsel lives.While most of Indian Muslims are reacting to this hateful climate with anxiety, anger, fear, deep dismay and disbelief having assumed their nationalist integrity and embeddedness with Indian way of life. Then the Modi government launched the Citizenship Amendment Act, the National Register of Citizens, and the National Population Register. These are steps in a direction to disenfranchise citizenship rights of Muslim population in India.The idea of India looks gloomy and the future of Indians looks uncertain if Hindutva forces continue to govern India for few more years. It is time to decode and defeat the ideology of Hindutva as a political and social practice.The Hindutva forces and their ideological genealogy reveal the dangers of Hindutva politics in India. Hindutva political theology is no longer an imagined and isolated cluster of normative ideas about Hindu way of life as defined by the Supreme Court of India. It is a pragmatic and exclusionary political practice carrying false claims to marginalisation of Hindus and their representation in history, culture and politics in mainstream India.Historically speaking, upper caste Bengali spiritual leaders and intellectuals created the philosophical foundation on which Marathi political activists shaped the ideological and political narratives of Hindutva forces. Bhakti movements in north India gave the mass base to Hindutva politics.The colonisers were patrons of Hindutva politics. So, Hindutva forces did not fight British colonialism. They did not participate in the anti-colonial nationalist struggle in India. These Hindutva forces formed partnership with the British to create Hindu Rashtra in India. Such is the character of Hindutva forces in Indian history, yet they create havocs in contemporary India in the name of nationalism.From 1920s to 2020, Hindutva forces managed to spread uncontaminated bigotry, violence and extremism in social, political and cultural life. In economy, Hindutva forces follow neoliberal economic policies to uphold and pursue interests of the capitalism class. There is absolute solidarity and harmony in the arranged cum love marriage between Hindutva and neoliberal capitalism.Such a combination marginalizes rural and urban poor, religious minorities, women, farmers, Dalits and tribal population in India. It spreads prosperity for few rich and miseries for many. The growth of poverty, unemployment, hunger and homelessness are products of economic policies pursued by the Modi government. Indias external reputation is tattered by the Hindutva forces.India is facing many challenges and dangers imposed by Hindutva forces led by Modi. The democratic rise of Hindutva forces by electoral means created a political culture of democratic deficit with the concentration of power in the hands of Narendra Modi. It is an organic outcome of fascist ideology of RSS which is opposed to the ideals of democratic decentralisation of power and empowerment of the masses based on citizenship rights. The representative and distributive function of Indian democracy has diminished further with the rise of Hindutva politics in India. It destroys the idea of India as a civilizational country within all its limitations. It destroys liberal, secular and constitutional democracy in India. The idea of India is meaningless without Muslims as they contributed immensely in shaping of the history and culture of India. The Hindutva forces want to destroy such a diverse and multicultural mosaic of India. The Hindutva assault on secularism, liberal culture, democratic tradition, reason, science, history and everyday lives in India has started in an aggressive manner which was unseen and unheard in last seven decades of democratic experimentation in India with all its limitations. These dangers are no more early signs but at a maturing stage for the establishment of Hindutva fascism in India. The combination of neoliberal economy, reactionary politics and authoritarian culture is growing. It is going to destabilise constitutional state in India and destroy Indian way of multicultural traditions and life. The political stability of Hindutva breeds social disharmony and economic marginalisation with a false sense of history and nationalist hallucination. The reversal of such a dangerous environment is only possible with collective struggles to expose the toxicity of Hindutva and its ideological practice. Hindutva politics has captured the space created by economic disillusionments after the 1991 neoliberal economic reforms which led to the concentration of wealth in the hands of few Indians. The neoliberal development dissatisfaction has accelerated the forward march of Hindutva politics in India. Five decades of Hindutva politics has become integral part of the neoliberal economic development model that it seeks to oppose in its earlier avatar. Hindutva is a democratic and development malaise that falters the secular, liberal and multicultural mosaic of India. Hindutva is an opportunist Pan-Indian alliance of perverted upper castes and propertied classes in India. Hindutva forces are working to establish social and religious hegemony of propertied and Brahmanical upper caste people and consolidate wealth of higher classes. Therefore, the successful opposition to halt of the forward march of Hindutva depends on decoding and understanding the conceptual core in its ideological praxis. The opposition to Hindutva forces can never be successful with a series of contested dialogues during periodic electoral interventions. It only offers limited alternatives within the binary of electoral victory and loss. It is important to understand the social, cultural and economic base of Hindutva politics to fight and defeat it. The impending mass movement against Hindutva is a compelling need and crucial for the survival of the idea of India and Indians. --- *Coventry University, UK Atal Bihari Vajpayee and LK Advani created the foundation for Hindutva forces to access power by forming BJP-led coalition governments in New Delhi. This duo experimented with the troika of liberal, moderate and hard-line Hindutva slogans during the Babri Mosque-Ram Janmabhoomi movement to mobilise and expand their electoral base among the masses. They happily compromised their so-called RSS ideology of Hindutva as a short-term electoral strategy to gain state power. On such a foundation, Narendra Modi launched his electoral campaign by combining reactionary politics of Hindutva, neoliberal development and so-called nationalism of BJP and RSS.When Narendra Modi-led BJP came to power in New Delhi with absolute electoral majority, RSS started implementing its long-cherished Hindutva ideology of hate towards Indian Muslims. The Modi government is a mute spectator of every day lynching, violence and vicious attacks on Muslims in India.Union ministers in the Modi government are openly garlanding Hindutva vigilante groups and perpetrators of violent crime. There is growing attack on artists, activists, academicians, journalists, intellectuals and rationalists. Modi government arrests leaders of various social, political and human rights movements on false and fabricated charges under draconian laws and puts them in prison. CALISTOGA Pacific Gas & Electric has begun work on a liquid natural gas supply site on Highway 29 in Calistoga, after seizing private vineyard property for the project by eminent domain. The supply will keep natural gas flowing to customers over the coming two years as PG&E upgrades a 90-year-old pipeline that stretches from Napa to Calistoga, to meet the regions growing demand for natural gas, and to meet state and federal requirements. We are not building a plant or other facility. Well be using liquefied natural gas to keep customers in service once the Dunaweal Lane phase (of the project) is under way and that will require large LNG tanks to be used, said PG&E representative Deanna Contreras. Only one pipe north of Yountville supplies St. Helena, Calistoga and Angwin with gas, and the work will be done in phases. When a section of the line is shut down, customers will still need natural gas. PG&E will solve the problem by injecting liquid natural gas into the line. The main injection site will be along Highway 29 at Dunaweal Lane. In 2021, the site will be secured with standard temporary construction fencing. When liquid natural gas is being injected, passersby will see the top of trucks sticking above the fence, and portable lights will be used at night. In 2021, traffic impacts will be limited to the coming and going of the LNG trucks and equipment, the utility said. The only place you can obtain liquid natural gas in California is in Boron, which is down by Barstow, project manager Brian Garber told the Napa Valley Register earlier this year. We will be rotating four tanker trucks from Boron up to Calistoga. When not in use, all equipment, trailers, personnel and fencing will be removed from the field and those will not see anything but a field, Contreras said. Once the work is completed it will be entirely underground. Eminent domain The LNG site is being installed on Terry Gards private vineyard property against his objections. In January, Napa County Superior Court Judge Victoria Wood granted a temporary ruling in favor of PG&E over Gard, for a permanent easement of 1.4 acres of his land on Dunaweal Lane, across from Twomey Cellars. After looking at more intrusive and disruptive alternatives for LNG sites up and down the Valley, PG&E decided Gards property was the most advantageous. The issue went to court. As a public utility, PG&E is entitled to seek prejudgment possession of property under eminent domain, court documents state. They also cite a public utility code that says, A gas corporation may condemn any property necessary for the construction and maintenance of its gas plant. Further, PG&E has shown it has an overriding need to possess the property prior to the issuance of final judgment in the case and that it will suffer a substantial hardship if the application for possession is denied or limited. The company was authorized to take possession of the property in February. The judge said she was not about to question PG&Es stated claims that they needed the location due to public safety, said Gards attorney, John Borba. Still at issue, however, is PG&Es $335,000 payment for the easement their appraisal of what the land is worth. Gard, whose 63 acres have been farmed by his family for generations, had fought the take-over, saying the appraisal was vastly underestimated, and worried that his property will be devalued by construction of a LNG site. He also has environmental concerns about the loss of agricultural integrity, as his property sits at the gateway to Calistoga, and offers the first real glimpse of Mount St. Helena. He also expressed concern about a possible LNG accident. Gard has yet to provide evidence to the court that PG&Es appraisal is insufcient. PG&E offered to provide $5,000 for him to do so, and Borba said they will be presenting another appraisers opinion in court. The Court could change its mind at trial, but it would be unlikely, Borba said. Terry, with our help, continues to oppose this taking. However, the law certainly favors PG&E and that is truly shameful given their history. A trial date is set for August. Register reporter Barry Eberling contributed to this story. You can reach Cynthia Sweeney at 942-4035 or csweeney@weeklycalistogan.com. 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. Blaming China for the coronavirus outbreak on April 26, Republican Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton said on Sunday that the US should ban the Chinese students from studying science and technology in the country. While speaking on television with a leading US broadcaster Cotton launched an attack on China saying there was little doubt that China stole the coronavirus vaccine from America. Further accusing the communist nation, he said, it was a scandal that US-trained Chinas brightest minds. Among many lawmakers, including President Donald Trump who had earlier criticized China for downplaying the potential severity of the disease, Cotton said China designed a weapon against the American people. He further disparaged the Chinese nationals saying they stole US jobs and the country had to reconsider the visas handed out to Chinese students, especially those of whom that came to study at the post-graduate level. Read: China To Allow Export Of Some Medical Products Amid COVID-19 Crisis Read: Donald Trump Faces Backlash From Hollywood For His Solution To Coronavirus Chinese intelligence services are actively trying to steal Americas intellectual property as it relates to the virus that they unleashed on the world, because, of course, they want to be the country that claims credit for finding those drugs or finding a vaccine, and then use it as leverage against the rest of the world, the senator said in a televised interview. While addressing reporters at his daily White House news conference, President Donald Trump alleged, We were attacked. This was an attack. This wasn't just the flu by the way. Nobody has ever seen anything like this, 1917 was the last time, accusing China of biowarfare. US claims "absurd" Earlier, in its defence to the US accusations, China slammed lawsuits brought against it by the Americans. A Missouris top state prosecutor announced the lawsuit, which alleged that Chinese officials are to blame for the coronavirus pandemic, as per US media reports. However, the Foreign Ministry spokesperson for China, Geng Shuang, said, This so-called lawsuit is very absurd and has no factual and legal basis at all. Since the outbreak began, China has proceeded in an open, transparent, and responsible manner and the U.S. government should dismiss such vexatious litigation, he said at a state news conference. Read: UK Removes China's 'unreliable' Coronavirus Data From Its Daily Briefings Read: Asia Today: China Warns Australia Probe May Set Off Backlash (With Agency Inputs) Ferrari F430 Frank Stephenson is one of the worlds foremost car designers, with a CV that ranges from the modern Mini and Fiat 500 to the McLaren P1. Now, Stephenson has shared some of his secrets in a new series on YouTube. The first episode covered the Mini Cooper, while the latest is about the Ferrari F430 one of my favourite projects, recalls Frank. Using his sketchpad, Stephenson gives a step-by-step guide to the design process. The result is a fascinating insight into the shaping of a supercar. Cossie youre worth it Frank Stephenson Frank is very much a citizen of the world. Born to a Spanish mother and American father, he spent his early years in Casablanca, Morocco, before moving to Istanbul, Turkey, and then Madrid, Spain, as a teenager. After studying automotive design in California, his first job was with Ford in Cologne, Germany, where he sketched the double-deck rear spoiler on the Escort RS Cosworth. Stephenson then spent 11 years at BMW, where his work included the influential X5 SUV. After some years In Italy where he oversaw the Ferrari FXX, Maserati GranSport, Fiat Punto and more Stephenson then moved to McLaren, drawing the MP4-12C and evolving a new design language from scratch. Big boots to fill Ferrari F430 A new Ferrari is a dream job for any car designer, and Frank didnt take the task lightly. The brief was to do something based on the 360. In other words, take one of the more beautiful Ferraris and make it even nicer, he explains. Big boots to fill with that one. The F430 was launched in 2004, replacing the 360 Modena as Ferraris junior supercar. As Stephenson suggests, it was a thorough rework of its predecessor, with more power and greater downforce. Its mid-mounted V8 produces 490hp for 0-60mph in 3.6 seconds. I always felt that the 360 was a bit soft, as if theyd left it in the oven too long. The F430 loses that friendliness, says Frank. Story continues Watch Frank Stephenson sketch a Ferrari F430 Frank is obsessed with the idea of perfect car design, a theory he explains in the documentary film Chasing Perfect available on Sky, iTunes, Amazon and Google Play. I am fortunate that I have worked with some the best design teams in the world and at the most interesting car companies. We made some amazing cars possible. Although we never quite achieved perfect there is a lot we can be proud of, he says. Achieving near-perfection with the F430 involved looking to the past, as Frank explains Jumping the shark Ferrari F430 To copy old solutions, thats a sin in my book, Frank notes. But to be inspired by older designs to use the genetic code to the past is a great idea. With the F430, it was Ferraris rich heritage in Formula One that ignited a spark of inspiration. Look at the 156 F1 Sharknose of 1961, as raced by Phil Hill, and you see genesis of the F430s front air intakes. I reinterpreted the Sharknose and its nostrils in a much more modern way. When you saw it, you knew it was right, says Frank proudly. And what looks dramatic on paper is downright ferocious in reality. Sense and sensuality Frank Stephenson Air intakes are a subject Stephenson takes seriously: I get upset when I see a vent thats blocked off and has no purpose. I dont understand that type of design. Nonetheless, a Ferrari isnt entirely a case of function over form. Its not a McLaren, where everything is minimalised. You add a bit on Ferraris to get that sensuality. The Enzo-style taillights, for example, made it look like the car was bulging. Frank also thinks Ferraris are losing that character that they had a few decades ago, where cars were less monster-looking, less aggressive. In the case of the F430, theres an amount of artistic finesse to the car that made it stand out. More videos coming soon Ferrari F430 Theres plenty more in the video, including the concept of tumblehome the difference in angle between the doors and the window glass. If the cockpit curves inwards, explains Frank, that tends to make the car look very dynamic. Visit Franks How I Designed YouTube channel and youll also learn the creative process behind the 2000 Mini Cooper, with more videos due soon. We hope to see the McLaren P1 next Read our review of the F430s spiritual successor, the Ferrari F8 Tributo, by clicking here. The post Frank Stephenson: How I designed the Ferrari F430 appeared first on Motoring Research. by Adam Koffler | Lions Correspondent | Mon, Apr 27th 10:14am EDT Maryland RB Javon Leake is signing with the New York Giants as an undrafted free agent. (Jordan Raanan on Twitter) Fantasy Impact: In his three-year career at Maryland, Leake averaged a ridiculous 7.9 yards per carry. He and fellow RB Anthony McFarland Jr., who was drafted by the Steelers, worked in tandem in an unconventional Maryland offense that never really utilized a workhorse back. In his final year at Maryland, Leake rushed 102 times for 736 yards and eight TDs. He also added 804 yards and two scores on kick returns. Hes lightning quick and has good burst at the second level and has a real shot to earn a roster spot with the Giants this season. Virgin Media Television has announced that all 232 episodes of the award winning drama series Red Rock will return to Virgin Media One from May 5. The critically-acclaimed soap, which garnered international success with viewers across platforms like BBC One and Amazon Prime, will re-air twice a week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 8.30pm. Emma Roberts is no stranger to playing the quintessential high school mean girl. And the former Nickelodeon star knows the importance of recognizing the original mean girls (no, not Mean Girls). She paid tribute Sunday to the iconic 1988 teen movie Heathers as she took to Instagram with a game of croquet during a break from quarantine. Isn't it just? Emma Roberts paid tribute Sunday to the iconic 1988 teen movie Heathers as she took to Instagram with a game of croquet during a break from quarantine The 29-year-old quoted Winona Ryder's lead character Veronica Sawyer in the caption: 'What's your damage, Heather?' She kept the '80s coming with her outfit's preppy chic aesthetic, sporting a beige sweater over a green checkered dress with red sandals. Her Janey Lopaty sweater referenced The Police's 1980's hit song, as well as the current situation, reading: 'Don't stand so close to me.' She nailed her own take on the cult classic, which also starred Christian Slater and Shannen Doherty. Corn Nuts! The 29-year-old quoted Winona Ryder's lead character Veronica Sawyer in the caption: 'What's your damage, Heather?' Leading lady: She starred in the 2015 Ryan Murphy show Scream Queens as Chanel Oberlin, head of the cliquey Chanels, which were inspired by Heathers The film sparked a 2014 off-Broadway musical and a shelved 2018 TV reboot, and its influence can still be seen in other teen movies and shows. Roberts starred in the 2015 Ryan Murphy show Scream Queens as Chanel Oberlin, head of the cliquey Chanels, which were inspired by Heathers. She's recently been serving several Instagrammable springtime looks during her quarantine. Springtime chic: She's recently been serving several Instagrammable springtime looks during her quarantine Serving looks: The American Horror story actress took to her story in a flowy yellow Sea New York sundress with spaghetti straps after her game of croquet. She completed the ensemble with an Avenue straw hat, black Vera Wang cat-eye sunglasses and a pair of pointed black Sarah Flint flats The American Horror story actress took to her story in a flowy yellow Sea New York sundress with spaghetti straps after her game of croquet. She completed the ensemble with an Avenue straw hat, black Vera Wang cat-eye sunglasses and a pair of pointed black Sarah Flint flats. Roberts has recently been isolating with boyfriend Garret Hedlund in Los Angeles, while keeping up with her Belletrist book club. Kim Jong-un 'Alive and Well', Advisor to South Korea's President Says Sputnik News 17:57 GMT 26.04.2020 The North Korean leader's lack of appearances in public since early April, combined with media speculation, has led to the circulation of a bevy of rumours regarding his health, with some reports alleging that Kim is recovering from heart surgery, while others have gone so far as to suggest that he has become a vegetable or even dead. Moon Chung-in, senior foreign policy advisor to South Korean President Moon Jae-in, has dismissed mounting rumours regarding North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's health, saying as far as Seoul is aware, he's doing just fine. "Our government position is firm," Moon said, speaking to CNN on Sunday. "Kim Jong-un is alive and well. He has been staying in the Wonsan area since April 13. No suspicious movements have so far been detected." Rumours regarding Kim's well-being began swirling last week, after he missed public celebrations of the anniversary of the birthday of Kim Il-sung, his grandfather and founder of North Korea, on April 15. The rumours spread to Western media following reports by CNN and Daily NK, a South Korean-based English-language online newspaper funded by the National Endowment for Democracy, that Kim was in "grave danger" after undergoing heart surgery. US president Donald Trump, who has established a rapport with Kim amid ongoing discussions about North Korea's nuclear weapons programme, first wished him well, but later called CNN's report "incorrect" and based on "old documents." Moon's comments to CNN follow a trend of calm, measured statements by South Korean officials regarding Kim's health amid media speculation. Last week, a senior official from the South Korean president's residency told Chosun Ilbo that Kim was "believed to be staying outside of Pyongyang with his close relatives andperforming his duties as usual." On Saturday, Washington-based think tank 38 North posted satellite images purportedly showing Kim's presidential train parked at the Wonsan resort area in the east of the country between April 21 and April 23. The Wonsan complex is believed to be Kim's main residence outside Pyongyang. North Korean media issued a statement Sunday saying Kim had "sent appreciation" to workers taking part in the building of the city of Samjiyon. Last week, the Korean Central News Agency reported that Kim had received a congratulatory telegram from Russian Communist Party secretary-general Gennady Zuganov on the one year anniversary of his 2019 visit to Russia. On April 22, the KCNA said Kim had replied to Syrian President Bashar Assad, thanking him for his congratulatory message sent on the occasion of Kim Il-sung's birthday. Kim's disappearance from the public is not the first time he has gone off the grid. In 2014, he disappeared for 40 days, with the media rumour mill raising similar concerns regarding his health as they have this time around. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Michelle Erland, Account Executive with Colangelo & Partners, and Matteo Ascheri, president of the Barolo Barbaresco Alba Langhe and Dogliani Protection Consortium. Now in its third year of broadcasts, the Italian Wine Podcast will publish its 300th episode. Host Monty Waldin: "Podcasting is the ideal medium for the wine industry which often seems so distant and perplexing but which really yearns to be understood, by laying bare its secrets and intricacies. History: The Italian Wine Podcast originally began as a series of English language audio interviews conducted by wine writer Monty Waldin and featuring producers at OperaWine in Verona, Italy. The first episodes aired in March 2017. Host Monty Waldin enjoys finding out what makes guests tick and tries to paint vivid pictures for his listeners saying podcasting [is] the ideal medium for the wine industry which often seems so distant and perplexing but which really yearns to be understood, by laying bare its secrets and intricacies. Now in its third year of regular broadcasts, the show will publish its 300th episode on Tuesday, May 5, 2020. Programming Lineup: Italian Wine Podcast episodes have typically launched on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and, over time, the guest list has grown to include personalities from around the world including educators, influencers, and businesspeopleall with ties to Italian wine. Vine geneticist and Vinitaly International Academy (VIA) Chief Scientist Attilio Scienza appears regularly on the show for dedicated educational episodes that explore specific Italian grape varieties. Now in its third year, the project has expanded to include a series of video interviews on Mondays as well as question and answer sessions with Professor Scienza on Fridays. Listeners will soon be able to access a new Italian wine guide in audiobook form, narrated and released in series on Thursdays. Italian Wine Essentials: Professor Attilio Scienza, VIA Chief Scientist, makes regular appearances for a rigorous examination of Italian grape varieties. These educational episodes are grouped into an Italian Wine Essentials playlist geared towards serious Italian wine scholars. As Monty Waldins discussions with Professor Scienza are originally recorded in Italian, dubbed companion versions are also recorded in English with Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) educator, Dr. Rebecca Lawrence, playing the voice of Professor Scienza. Both Italian and English transcripts are made available on the Italian Wine Podcast official website. #iobevoacasa LOCKDOWN SERIES: In early 2020 the Italian Wine Podcast and Colangelo & Partners teamed up to bring VIPs of the beverage and hospitality world and Italian wine icons together for short, lighthearted video interviews that look at how they are coping while quarantining at home. This series features food and wine, gives viewers an unprecedented look into the lives of industry leaders, and likely holds surprises for viewers. #iobevoacasa LOCKDOWN SERIES episodes air at 2:30 PM CET each Monday. Everybody Needs a Bit of Scienza: Professor Attilio Scienza returns to the Italian Wine Podcast on Fridays for the series Everybody Needs a Bit of Scienza. While Professor Scienza is an expert in his field and well known throughout Italy, his knowledge and insight are not necessarily readily accessible to the rest of the Italian-wine-loving world. Hence this segment, designed to provide the Professors unique take on vines and wine. VIA community members write and call their questions in to the show, and the Professors answers are recorded. Stevie Kim, Managing Director of Vinitaly International, joins the Professor in the podcast booth, to try keep answers lighthearted and succinct. Translations are then provided thanks to the VIA community, and these are collected in a series of guest blog posts on the podcast website. Jumbo Shrimp Guide to Italian Wine: Italian Wine Podcast listeners will soon get early access to the new Jumbo Shrimp Guide to Italian Wine, in audiobook format. The book, planned for release from Positive Press in 2020, will air in a series of Thursday segments, narrated by Joy Livingston, beginning in May. Listeners can expect a brief history of Italian wine, a journey through the Italian regions, and recommendations on must-try Italian wines. Year three of the Italian Wine Podcast includes new contributors and expanded programming, allowing for a diversification of audience. Content such as Italian Wine Essentials episodes will cater toward those desiring a deep dive into Italian grape varieties while, on the other end of the spectrum, #iobevoacasa LOCKDOWN SERIES vlogs will appeal to the more casual listener. Creator and Host Monty Waldin continues to provide the backbone of the Italian Wine Podcast with regular interviews, while the conversation continues to expand and add new voices. ----- About: "Italian Wine Podcast: Cin Cin with Italian Wine People!" is a podcast project dedicated exclusively to the Italian wine world. Wine writer Monty Waldin uncovers the unique Italian winemaking tradition in conversation with some of its key protagonists. Italian Wine Podcast aims to inform, educate, and entertain listeners regarding Italian wine. Italian Wine Podcast is available on SoundCloud, iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, XimalayaFM (for China), and on the official website. Listeners interested in providing feedback about the show are encouraged to access a demographic survey on the podcast website. Donations to the show are welcomed and help fund a portion of the shows equipment, production, and publication costs. To advertise on the show, please request a prospectus and/or customized advertising plan from info@italianwinepodcast.com. Holly Willoughby was left red faced after she was pranked live on This Morning by Bradley Walsh. The joke happened Monday morning (27 April) as Willoughby and fellow presenter Phillip Schofield were taking calls from viewers live on air. The segment sees Vanessa Feltz joining the show from her home to take calls from viewers who have worries about home schooling. Read more: Miriam Margolyes opens up about self-isolating without partner of 52 years Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield pose with the award for Live Magazine Show for 'This Morning' in the winners room attends the National Television Awards 2020 at The O2 Arena on January 28, 2020 in London, England. (Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images) The prank started when Roger phoned in to talk about the strict schedule he had set up for his 16-year-old son, which included wearing school uniform and asking permission to use the toilet. The caller kept calling Willoughby Polly and asked if she needed advice on disciplining her own kids in case they stepped out of line. Roger got in touch to say he was struggling to home school his son... but it's Audry we really feel sorry for! pic.twitter.com/Ry2DQNfGOd This Morning (@thismorning) April 27, 2020 The call took a disturbing turn when a doorbell was heard and Roger starts aggressively yelling for someone called Audrey to get the door. The call drops out and Willoughby is seen looking visibly concerned. The show cut to the adverts and when it returned Willoughby addresses the camera and says: We spoke to a family that were having a difficult time in lock down with home schooling. If you're worried about Roger and Audry, Bradley Walsh might be able to give you an update... Sorry @hollywills! pic.twitter.com/ARKQDiWbxS This Morning (@thismorning) April 27, 2020 We have contacted them making sure everythings OK and theyre fine. Story continues Were just giving them a bit more advice so you dont need to be worried. Schofield can be sees sniggering as she is talking, and when she looks at him questioningly, he says "No, that was not genuine, you have been done again." Read more: Ofcom sanctions London Live over David Icke interview He then added: "It was Bradley Walsh!" The camera then cut to Walsh and his son Barney from their shed at home. When they explained the prank Holly exclaimed: "Oh my god I hate you all!" She then added: "There is an element of relief... after that call." This Morning is on weekdays from 10am until 12:30pm on ITV. WASHINGTON - House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California endorsed former vice president Joe Biden's White House bid on Monday, citing the Democrat's experience helping to pass the Affordable Care Act and implementing the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to argue that he is well positioned to lead the country amid a global pandemic. "As we face coronavirus, Joe has been a voice of reason and resilience, with a clear path to lead us out of this crisis," Pelosi said. With a prerecorded video, Pelosi gave the latest in a well-planned string of endorsements that Biden's advisers have scheduled to drive attention to Biden's campaign, which has a far more limited reach than President Trump's operation. Pelosi follows former president Barack Obama, former vice president Al Gore, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., among others, in recording testimonials for Biden. "When our nation faced the Great Recession, it was Joe Biden who led the implementation - and the accountability - of the Recovery Act, helping create and save millions of jobs," Pelosi said in the video. "When the Democratic Congress was passing the Affordable Care Act, Joe Biden was a partner for progress in the White House and also championed the Cancer Moonshot." Although Biden remains about 600 pledged delegates short of the 1,991 needed to win the Democratic nomination, all of his rivals in the party have suspended their campaigns or endorsed him, making his coronation this summer a near certainty. As a result, Biden has been moving to take control of the Democratic Party. Jen O'Malley Dillon, his campaign manager, announced Friday that she had installed a new chief executive at the Democratic National Committee and the two organizations signed a joint fundraising agreement. Pelosi stayed neutral during the Democratic primary, repeatedly cautioning the party to keep its eye on the ultimate prize of defeating Trump, despite several House members running for president and former New York mayor Mike Bloomberg, one of the major financial backers of the 2018 Democratic House takeover, running as well. The last time Pelosi endorsed a presidential nominee before the outcome of the primaries was clear came in during the 2004 cycle, when she backed the campaign of Rep. Dick Gephardt, D-Mo. Earlier this year, when many moderate Democrats in the House feared Sanders would win the nomination and jeopardize their seats, Pelosi asked for party unity, even as she made clear that the House would not necessarily run on Sanders's policy platform. "We have to win in certain particular areas," she said at the time. "It is not unusual for a party platform or the candidates for president to have their own agenda that they would put forth, and it's not unusual for the House of Representatives to have its agenda as well." Such concerns have faded with Biden's apparent assurance of the nomination. "I am proud to endorse Joe Biden for president: a leader who is the personification of hope and courage, values, authenticity and integrity," Pelosi said in the video Monday. "With so much at stake, we need the enthusiasm, invigoration and participation of all Americans - up and down the ballot, and across the country." Majority of states asked for continuation of lockdown and urged the central government to take the decision, said Puducherry Chief Minister Velu Narayanasamy after the meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi via video conference here on Monday. "The general mood at the meeting was that the lockdown should continue with partial relaxation," said Narayanasamy while addressing the media at the All-India Congress Committee (AICC) office, here, through video link. Most Chief Ministers were of the view that as the number of coronavirus cases were rising there should be a cautious approach and the economic activities should be started slowly, he said. The Chief Ministers of the Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled states said the lockdown should continue, he said. When the Chief Ministers raised the economic package issue, they didn't get any affirmative reply from the Prime Minister who praised states for containment of Covid-19, especially Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot for his experiments. Raising the migrants' issue, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said they should be returned to their native places by the central government. The Prime Minister didn't respond to issue of students stranded abroad. The Congress Chief Minister said the economic activity should be started gradually and the advances made by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) should be interest-free for a year. The Puducherry Chief Minister said the Union Territory had only 3 coronavirus cases and over 2,000 people in self-quarantine. Not all businesses will decide to reopen even if they are allowed to; many will choose to stay closed, fearing too few customers to make it worth the cost. That was the situation in parts of Georgia on Friday, as many establishments kept their doors shut. But furloughed workers whose employers recall them to their jobs would in most circumstances lose their unemployment benefits, even if their pay might not return to the levels they were earning before the crisis. That is particularly difficult for manicurists or wait staff who rely on tips from customers who might not show up. They would also lose out on both regular unemployment benefits and an additional $600 a week from the federal government. Rashad Robinson, the president of the racial justice advocacy group Color of Change, said Georgias governor has targeted a whole set of businesses where black people both work and patronize. For those workers and customers, he said, it is an absolute death sentence. The inequality were seeing isnt unfortunate like a car accident, Mr. Robinson said. Its unjust. Its being manufactured through a whole set of choices. Even though they face higher risks from reopening, a small but meaningful share of financially hurt workers is clamoring to return to work. One in 11 Americans, according to national polling data by the digital research firm Civis Analytics, has lost a job, hours or income or knows a family member who has during the pandemic but opposes mandatory lockdowns. Americans who earn $50,000 a year or less are more than twice as likely to say they or a family member have lost jobs amid the crisis as those who earn more than $150,000, the polling found. Higher earners and whites are far more likely to say they can work from home during the pandemic than lower earners and black and Latino Americans, according to an April poll for The New York Times by the online research firm SurveyMonkey. The University of Chicago economists Simon Mongey and Alex Weinberg released a study last month on the Americans who work in jobs that require people to be in close physical proximity (like nail salon workers) or allow little chance to work from home (like fast-food or maintenance workers). They found those workers were disproportionately nonwhite, low income, born outside the United States and not college graduates. A report by the UN mission in Afghanistan on Monday noted a drop in the number of civilians killed in violence in the first three months of this year, compared to the same time last year, but underscored the still heavy toll the conflict continues to inflict on the civilian population. The report said 533 people, including 152 children, died due to the fighting in the war-torn country in the first quarter of 2020, and hundreds more were wounded. That represented a 29 per cent decrease, compared to the same period in 2019, and the lowest death toll figure for a first quarter of a year since 2012. The report came as the Kabul police said a sticky bomb attached to a vehicle detonated in the capital on Monday but caused no casualties. According to the report, the Taliban and other anti-government militant groups, such as the Islamic State group's affiliate in Afghanistan, were responsible for the majority of the civilian casualties during the first three months or 55%. The Taliban were responsible for as many as 39% of civilian casualties, the report said, an increase by 22% compared to the same period last year. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid rejected the UN report as an attempt to cover up daily crimes against civilians committed by US and Afghan forces." Afghans are witnessing that most of the civilian casualties are due to indiscriminate bombings, rocket attacks on villages and towns as well as raids on civilian homes," Mujahid said. The UN report said Afghan forces and their allies were responsible for 32 per cent of all civilian casualties during the first quarter of 2020. The report also said that pro-government forces were responsible for more child casualties than the Taliban and other militants and over twice as many child deaths mainly due to fatalities inflicted during airstrikes and indirect fire during ground operations against militants. Children and women continue to be disproportionately impacted by the violence, it said, adding that the UN mission documented that 152 children and 60 women died in violence from January 1- March 31. The report also highlighted a disturbing increase in violence in March, when it was hoped that the Afghan government and the Taliban would start negotiations after a peace deal that was signed by the Taliban and the U.S. at the end of February. The report came a day after Zalmay Khalilzad, the US peace envoy to Afghanistan, called on the country's feuding leaders to set their differences aside to combat the coronavirus pandemic and COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus, and advance the stalled US deal with the Taliban. Deborah Lyons, the UN chief's special representative for Afghanistan, echoed that appeal, saying she called on all parties to seize the opportunity" and to focus collective efforts on fighting a common enemy, the COVID-19 pandemic. To safeguard the lives of countless civilians in Afghanistan and to give the nation hope of a better future, it is imperative that violence is stopped with the establishment of a cease-fire and for peace negotiations to commence, she said. Afghanistan has reported 1,703 cases and 57 deaths from the coronavirus. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) As part of its ongoing efforts to support the creative community, keeping in purview the Covid-19 outbreak and its resulting challenges, Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture) has announced its association with Art Jameel, an independent organisation that supports arts, education, and heritage in the UAE and across the region. Dubai Culture has joined hands to support and fund UAE national and UAE-based talents successful in their applications to Art Jameels recently launched Research and Practice Platform. Art Jameels Platform is a rapid-response programme offering artists, curators and writers through the Middle East and North Africa support through the allocation of micro fees towards their ongoing or new projects. Dubai Cultures support of the initiative focusses on helping the UAEs creative landscape, and has led to a broadening of the UAE edition of the programme to include small-scale cultural collectives and organisations and creative freelancers, as well as independent artists. It is hoped that the platform, through this collaboration between Dubai Culture and Art Jameel, will play a role in enabling practitioners to sustain their businesses and livlihoods during these challenging times. The association comes in line with Dubai Cultures efforts to drive the advancement of the Emirates creative scene even during challenging times like the current one. Also, as part of the aforementioned efforts and under the directives of HH Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, chairperson of Dubai Culture, Dubai Culture is currently supporting the creative community with a number of strategic partnerships and innovative initiatives. Hala Badri, director general of Dubai Culture, said: Dubai Culture is happy to be associated with Art Jameels initiative, which seeks to support talents and creative people across the Emirates. The contribution will greatly benefit the network of creatives and play an integral role in keeping the spirits of the artists high during these trying times. With this support, we intend to broaden the scope of grants given to the entire creative landscape in the UAE, including small-scale organisations, freelancers, and independent artists. Artists, creatives and small collectives or organisations (of up to five people) based in the UAE are invited to apply for a special UAE edition of the Research and Practice Platform, which launches today. Applications for micro grants (of $1000-$3000) are to be submitted via an online form by the deadline of May 13, for consideration by an independent jury, adhering to pre-set criteria that take into account the originality and compelling nature of the submitted project or area of work, plus the extent to which the applicant has been affected by cancellations and postponements of programmes at this time. The Authoritys participation aims to support creative professionals in the development of existing work as they embark on new projects from home or adapt their practices and ways of working to the current environment. Antonia Carver, director, Art Jameel, said: We thank Dubai Culture for their support for the Research and Practice Platform this is highly significant, not only for UAE creatives but for the region as a whole. We were overwhelmed with applications from across the Middle East to the first deadline (of three in total), confirming that even a micro-grant can be transformative for an artist at this time. Art Jameel built the Platform with the intent that it could be a collaborative initiative and we are thrilled that Dubai Culture, in the city that is home to Jameel Arts Centre, is first to declare its support. The new association comes within the framework of Dubai Cultures efforts to enable and empower the cultural scene and strengthen the communitys interaction with cultural activities by encouraging creative talents to showcase their creations from home for the community to witness. It is also part of the Authoritys efforts to enrich the audiences cultural experience and add some positivity to the current difficult circumstances. - TradeArabia News Service The sudden death of an officer, working with the Personnel Ministry's training division here, prompted the authorities to seal an office building and send the other employees on self-isolation for a few days as a preventive measure, officials said Monday. The employee, who worked as a Section Officer, died Sunday evening. He was feeling uneasy since Saturday and on Sunday his family admitted him to the Ram Manohar Lohia hospital here where he later died, the officials said. It is not yet confirmed whether or not he was suffering from coronavirus. "A post mortem report is awaited," an official said. As a preventive measure, the building of the training division at old JNU premises has been sealed, the official said. "All staff members have been asked to be on self-isolation at home for a few days till postmortem report of the deceased is available," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Frescos of Putin, Stalin to decorate new Russian military temple - GeorgianJournal / -- Bangalore headquartered Jana Small Finance Bank (Jana SF Bank) has received a mandate to collect funds for the prestigious 'PM CARES Fund.' The Prime Minister's Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM CARES Fund) has been set up by the Government of India, with the primary objective of dealing with any kind of emergency or distress situation, like posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, and to provide relief to the affected. With this inclusion, Jana SF Bank account holders can conveniently contribute from their homes using various digital channels, including debit cards, UPI, NEFT, RTGS or IMPS. Non-Jana SF Bank account holders can also donate to this noble cause by simply adding Jana SF Bank's PM CARES FUND bank account as a beneficiary to their bank and transfer money through internet banking or mobile banking from the convenience of their home. On the announcement, Ajay Kanwal, MD and CEO of Jana Small Finance Bank said, "These are extraordinary times and we are privileged that we can help the Government in the relief efforts. The current crisis is complex given the human and economic dimension, so responding quickly is key. Lakhs of donations, irrespective of the amount, done immediately will be another collective show of our resolve to overcome the crisis." Citizens and organizations can donate to PM CARES Fund using the following details: Jana Small Finance Bank Name: PM CARES FUND Account Number: 4512012244668800 IFSC Code: JSFB0004512 Account Name: Karol Bagh, New DelhiDonations to PM CARES Fund would qualify for 80G benefits for 100% exemption under the Income Tax Act, 1961. Donations to PM CARES Fund would also qualify to be counted as Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) expenditure under the Companies Act, 2013. About Jana Small Finance Bank : Jana Small Finance Bank, erstwhile Janalakshmi Financial Services (NBFC MFI that started in 2006), is headquartered in Bangalore and has undertaken the journey of financial inclusion, serving the underserved for over a decade. The Bank began banking operations over two years ago and is serving 40 lakh customers across 22 states and Union Territories in India. Its vision is to become the leading inclusive digitized bank serving all customer segments and communities of an aspirational India. The bank has been expanding its digital range of services and products and recently launched an unique UPI QR based loan EMI payment solution in collaboration with NPCI (a first amongst Small Finance Banks & NBFC MFIs). For more details, visit, https://www.janabank.com Awards and recognition: In 2018, Capital Finance International (CFI.co) adjudged the Jana Small Finance Bank as The Best Inclusive Financial Services - India 2018 in London In 2017, JFS was featured in 'Fortune - The Top 500' as the largest corporations in India and was awarded as India's Distinctive Goodwill Brand for 2017. In the same year, CNBC awarded JFS for Best Financial Sector Transaction ADB Private Sector. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Germany's biggest lender Deutsche Bank said it expects to report a net profit of 66 million euros ($71 million) for the first quarter, beating market forecasts. Turnover is expected to reach 6.4 billion euros while provisions for credit losses should amount to 500 million euros, it said in a statement on its website late Sunday. The bank's common equity tier 1 ratio, the main bank solvency ratio, was 12.8 percent at the end of the quarter, down from 13.6 percent at the end of 2019, it said. "In light of the current macroeconomic environment", Deutsche Bank "has made the clear decision to allow capital to fall modestly and temporarily below its target in order to support clients and the broader economy at this time of economic crisis." The bank is due to release its quarterly results on Wednesday. "The short-term implications of the COVID-19 pandemic make it difficult for the bank to accurately reflect the timing and the magnitude of changes to its original capital plan," it said. "Deutsche Bank's priority is to stand by its clients without compromising on capital strength." The German group lost 5.72 billion euros in 2019, its fifth consecutive net loss, and in July announced a major restructuring plan. "We're very satisfied that our first-quarter results demonstrate the progress we're making with the transformation of our bank, the operating strength of our business, and our resilience," chief executive Christian Sewing said in the statement. At the end of January, Sewing said he was optimistic for 2020 and convinced that the radical transformation of the German banking giant would pay off further ahead. While President Donald Trump's impeachment gripped the country in late 2019 and early 2020, the long-term consequences of his trial and acquittal for American democracy remain yet unclear. What's clear already, however, is that both the public's and political experts' perceptions of the health of US democracy clearly declined during this period. Those are the findings of an academic watchdog group that conducted its latest survey between March 12 and April 15. Since February 2017, Bright Line Watch, a nonpartisan group of political scientists, has been surveying the American public as well as colleagues in academia in an effort to gauge the relative well-being of the nation's democracy. The group, which includes University of Rochester political science professor Gretchen Helmke, has been monitoring US democratic practices and potential threats. The Bright Line Watch surveys consist of a two-part list of more than 25 statements of democratic principles that contribute to the overall stability and performance of American democracy. The first part asks citizens and experts to rate these democratic principles on how vital they are for democracy. The second part asks both citizens and experts how the US is performing on each of these principles. Among the experts, the latest survey recorded 63.4 on a 0-100 scale of US democratic performance-- the worst overall rating since Bright Line Watch started asking these questions in 2017. During the last year, the experts' ratings dropped on 15 of the 27 surveyed democratic principles, while none showed improvement. The biggest declines in performance relate to accountability, institutional checks and balances, and the rights and protections of individuals. Ratings among the public show a similar decline, dropping from 54.3 in March 2019 to 49.3 a year later. Both expert and public evaluations mark substantial declines from a peak after the 2018 elections, which the team attributes to "an apparent increase in legal and political checks on President Trump following the 2018 midterm election, including investigations into the administration and the President's associates by law enforcement officials and Congress." Meanwhile, the recent declines continue the trend already observed in the group's October 2019 survey. That drop came after the whistleblower report on Trump's Ukraine phone call. Worth noting is that the decrease in public ratings is driven by Americans who disapprove of the president. For this group, assessments of democracy declined between March and October 2019 and remained low in the most recent survey. By contrast, ratings were stable among Trump approvers, the team writes in its latest survey. Key findings of Bright Line Watch's March/April 2020 survey The survey found that experts: rated American democracy as performing sharply worse in March 2020 than in March 2019, the group's last survey before the impeachment process began gave a lower rating to performance on democratic principles mainly related to impeachment compared to a year ago, were more skeptical that investigations of public officials were free of political interference do not regard the impeachment as having constrained President Trump. On the contrary, they identify many actions he and his allies took during the impeachment process as abnormal, and indicate that the process as a whole will embolden Trump substantially, an effect that may also extend to future presidents. The survey of the general public showed that: Americans remain divided in their evaluation of the performance of US democracy the views of those who approve of President Trump have remained stable over the past year those who disapprove of the president perceive a decline in democratic performance the gap between the two groups is widest on principles of citizen equality and on checks on executive authority. "We cannot establish any firm causal connections between real-world events and expert responses," says Helmke. "But the fact that the biggest declines correspond to measures related to accountability and checks and balances means our latest results are certainly consistent with the concern that the impeachment and acquittal of President Trump has had negative consequences for the experts' perceptions of the health of American democracy." The scientists found strong consensus among the expert sample that the results of the impeachment and subsequent acquittal would embolden President Trump (79 percent) and that the effect would similarly embolden future presidents (59 percent). "In our system, checks and balances function mainly as deterrents," Helmke says. "If politicians no longer believe that they will be sanctioned for pushing--let alone breaking--the law, then future transgressions become that much more likely." However, the Bright Line Watch team cautions that the survey was conducted under the long shadow of the novel coronavirus. While the results are largely consistent with past surveys, it is too early to tell how the pandemic might have influenced survey responses. ### What is Bright Line Watch? One of the greatest threats to democracy is the idea that it is unassailable. That's the tagline of the nonpartisan Bright Line Watch initiative originally founded by University of Rochester's Gretchen Helmke and three other political scientists--Brendan Nyhan and John Carey of Dartmouth College, and Susan Stokes of the University of Chicago--that gauges the health of US democracy at regular intervals. Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler faces 18 challengers in the May 19 primary to retain his seat for a second four-year term. If he secures a majority of votes, Wheeler will be the citys first mayor since Vera Katz to earn a second consecutive term in office. His challengers include urban policy consultant Sarah Iannarone, TriMet board member Ozzie Gonzalez and community organizer Teressa Raiford. The top two finishers will return to the ballot in November if none receives more than half of the votes. Portland voters elected Wheeler, a former state treasurer and Multnomah County commissioner, to office in 2016. Wheeler has pledged to bring stability to Portland and to City Hall if elected to a second term, as the city recovers from the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic and continues to address the homelessness crisis. He also is pressing to change the City Councils current at-large representative system as part of a charter review process that will begin next year. Many other candidates also support the structural changes advocated by Wheeler. But several of the challengers seeking to unseat Wheeler say he hasnt done enough to address homelessness during his first term. Iannarone is the only candidate in the race who qualified for the citys public campaign finance program, which matches donor contributions with city funds. Candidates who use the program cannot accept individual donations greater than $250. She also competed in the 2016 mayors race, placing third in the primary while Wheeler placed first and secured the mayors seat outright. Fellow 2020 mayoral candidates Bruce Broussard and Lew Humble were also on the ballot in 2016. Broussard placed fourth and Humble finished 12th. Iannarones political fundraising has outpaced all other candidates in the race. Iannarone reported raising $194,000 in 2019 and has so far raised another $105,000 in 2020. Wheeler reported raising $73,000 in 2019 and $158,000 so far in 2020. Wheeler, Iannarone and Gonzalez have secured high-profile endorsements, including all three being endorsed by Oregon Smart Growth and Basic Rights Oregon. The incumbent is backed by fellow Commissioner JoAnn Hardesty, Metro President Lynn Peterson and several labor groups, among other entities. Iannarones supporters include several grassroots organizations and statewide groups, such as Sunrise Movement PDX. Gonzalez, who has reported raising $92,000, is also backed by supporters that include the LatinoBuilt trade association. The winners term will begin in January and conclude in 2024. Although 19 candidates will appear on the ballot, some have already dropped out of the race, including Nike executive Piper Crowell and climate activist Michael Burleson. Eight of the 19 candidates submitted completed questionnaire forms to The Oregonian/OregonLive by the deadline. Questions asked, short biographic information about them and links to their answers on key questions are below. Surveys were also sent to candidates running for Position 1, Position 2 and Position 4. The Oregonian/OregonLive reached out to candidates to get their thoughts on how they plan to address some of the top issues facing Portland such as coronavirus, homelessness and housing as well as why voters should give them their support. Click each question to read the candidates responses. Some have been edited for length and clarity. Questions: -Why should Portlanders vote for you? -If elected, what two changes in city policies do you plan to advocate for within your first 90 days in office? -If the coronavirus pandemic ended today, what do you believe are two things that should be included in Portlands long-term recovery plan? -Name two inequities in the city that most concern you. How do you intend to address them if elected? -What experiences would you bring to the job that will make you adept at managing the vast portfolio of city bureaus overseen by the mayors office? -Would you support Portlanders voting to change the citys form of government if it once again went to the ballot during your term? -Is there anything significant the City of Portland isnt currently doing to address housing and homelessness? -Do you feel Portlanders are more divided now than in past years? Candidates (in alphabetical order): Cash Carter Residence: Downtown Occupation: Executive director, University of Change nonprofit; warehouse associate, Amazon Occupational background: Former chef, Portland Timbers and Thorns; stand-up comedian; screenwriter; music producer and engineer. Age: 39 Ozzie Gonzalez Residence: Homestead Occupation: Sustainability and diversity consultant Occupational background: Regional director of diversity and inclusion, Howard S. Wright; Global director of sustainability services, CH2M Hill; architectural project manager, RSA Architects; director of Sustainability Research Institute, Humboldt State University; park ranger naturalist, National Park Service. Prior governmental experience: District 2 board of directors representative, TriMet; member, Oregon Department of Education career and technical education committee; renovation project diversity program director, City of Portland; member, United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Task Force. Age: 42 Sarah Iannarone Residence: Mt. Scott-Arleta Occupation: Teacher, urban policy and best practices consultant. Occupational background: Small business owner; restaurant worker. Prior governmental experience: Member, Portland Development Commission 2016-2020 Strategic Planning Committee; member, City of Portland Comprehensive Plan, Mixed Use Zones Project Advisory Committee; member, Portland Bureau of Transportation Bureau and Budget Advisory Committee; land use and transportation chair, Mt. Scott-Arleta Neighborhood Association; member, City of Portland Bicycle Advisory Committee. Age: 47 Michael OCallaghan Residence: Sunnyside Occupation: Self employed Prior governmental experience: Advocated for environmental causes and organized free food program, among other experience. Age: 76 Teressa Raiford Residence: Alphabet District Occupation: Business owner, community organizer Occupational background: Banker and educator, among other experience. Prior governmental experience: Founder, Dont Shoot Portland; precinct committee person; candidate, Portland City Council Position 1; candidate, Multnomah County Commission; member, steering committee of community based organizations founded by Barbara Willer (Black Women For Peace); business and economic chair, Oregon Assembly for Black Affairs; co-chair, Ceasefire Oregon Books Not Bullets; member, Multnomah County Health Department STRYVE program steering committee. Age: 49 Randy Rapaport Residence: Division/Clinton Occupation: Developer of multifamily housing, interior designer, artist and vintage tube amplifier technician Age: 59 Ted Wheeler (incumbent) Residence: Pearl District Occupation: Mayor, Portland Occupational background: Treasurer, state of Oregon; chair, Multnomah County Commission. Prior governmental experience: Listed above. Age: 57 Mark White Residence: Powellhurst-Gilbert Occupation: Semi-retired property manager Occupational background: International account manager, Seagate Technology; senior program manager, McCarthy Medical Marketing; Owner and operator, South of Holgate food cart. Prior governmental experience: President, Powellhurst-Gilbert Neighborhood Association; co-chair, 2011 Charter Review Commission; member, Portland/Multnomah Food Policy Council. Age: 60 Note: Candidates Willie Banks, Jarred Bepristis, Bruce Broussard, Michael Burleson, Piper Crowell, Daniel Hoffman, Lew Humble, Michael Jenkins, Sharon Joy, Floyd La Bar and Beryl McNair did not respond to The Oregonian/OregonLives request to complete a candidate questionnaire by the deadline. The Multnomah County Voters Pamphlet offers more information about candidates. -- Everton Bailey Jr; ebailey@oregonian.com | 503-221-8343 | @EvertonBailey Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. The Kano State coordinator of technical response team on COVID-19, Tijjani Hussaini, said three persons who tested positive of COVID-19 in the state have run away. Mr Hussaini told PREMIUM TIMES on Monday that the patients fled their known addresses and switched off their phones. He said his team is working with security agencies to trace the patients and move them to the designated isolation centre. Although he declined to reveal the specific location where the patients were previously living on ethical grounds, the coordinator said residents of the area were fully aware of runaway patients. Out of 77 confirmed cases tested positive in Kano, we are yet to trace three persons, because they have changed (their) place(s) of residence and switched off their phones. But we have sought the assistance of security personnel to trace them and take appropriate action, he said. Mr Hussaini added that the team in collaboration with traditional ward heads are working round the clock to trace the patients. He confirmed that so far, there are 73 persons receiving treatment at the states isolation centres. Also on Monday, the Kano State governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, accused the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 of neglecting the state in its current battle against coronavirus spread. Mr Ganduje said this in an interview with BBC Hausa Service on Monday. He said, We are in a serious problem. I can tell you the situation is really bad and scary. Because what we solely rely upon in fighting the disease is the testing centre. This laboratory suspended its operation five or six days ago. There is also a shortage of sample collection equipment. It is not a common equipment that you can go and buy in the market. Those whose samples were collected are still waiting to know their fate. However, the health minister, Osagie Ehanire, said on Sunday that the necessary materials had been sent to Kano and the testing centre would commence operations today. In his speech, Mr Ganduje accused the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 of poor communication. Even its Director General was in Kano. He spent a night there, but we have not heard from him again. The minister (of health) too knows the laboratory is not working, he said. He added, there is serious problem. We have been complaining that Kano needs more than one testing centre, right from the beginning of this (pandemic). A heat wave sent many California residents to the beaches this past weekend as a way to try to escape the stifling temperatures and regain a sense of normalcy amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Others took to the mountains as a way to take a quarantine break, but for two daring mountain climbers in Riverside County, located east of Los Angeles, an outdoor excursion nearly turned fatal late last week. The Riverside Mountain Rescue Unit, described on its website as "a group of volunteers trained and ready to respond to wilderness emergencies," wrote in an incident report posted Friday, April 24, that two hikers were rescued by helicopter from the north face of San Jacinto mountain after not being able to hike up or down the rocky slope due to "extreme avalanche danger." Despite climbing to an elevation of 7,000 feet, the hikers were still able to receive cellphone service to call for help. CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP The hikers "were a bit shaken up but otherwise uninjured," said Tyler Shumway, a member of the unit who helped coordinate the rescue and wrote the incident summary. Shumway said one of the hikers had lost his equipment after being struck by a large block of snow but was still wearing a helmet. "It is remarkable that he did not have a single scratch given the size of these slides," he said. The pair had been attempting to climb the challenging Snow Creek route, described by SummitPost as "one of the premier alpine climbs in Southern California." "These two made the right choice to stay where they were and call for help," added Shumway. Rescuer Tyler Shumway prepares to assist the two hikers seen farther up the mountainside. (Photo/Blake Douglas Riverside Mountain Rescue Unit) Due to the hazardous conditions, a rescue by foot may have been out of the question, Shumway wrote, thanking the helicopter pilot and technical flight officer from the Riverside Sheriffs Aviation Unit for "performing flawlessly." Story continues With the helicopter able to transport only two people at a time, Shumway waited behind with one of the hikers while another member of the rescue team flew with the other to the desert floor. During the wait, Shumway caught video of another wet avalanche, which went on for more than 90 seconds. Snow could be seen flowing down the mountain like a white river. "The subject that I was with stated this has been happening all afternoon," Shumway wrote. "It was utterly amazing to witness the raw power of the mountain." (Image/Tyler Shumway Riverside Mountain Rescue Unit) There are multiple types of avalanches. According to Avalanche.org, a wet avalanche is one where warm weather, sun or rain can decrease the strength of the snowpack or even change the mechanical properties of the snow. They can achieve a speed of about 10-20 mph, slower than dry snow avalanches which can race down mountainsides at speeds up to 60 or even 80 mph. The heat wave, which produced temperatures over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, followed a stormy stretch of weather earlier in April that brought much-needed rain throughout the state and late-season snow to mountainous regions. The mountain rescue team said the heat wave had contributed to a number of avalanches in the past week and reiterated to hikers the need to use extreme caution when venturing into high-risk areas of the mountains. The spring often comes with a number of weather-related risks that hikers throughout the country should be mindful of when they plan a trip. "Understanding snow composition and how each year is vastly different than the last is crucial in successfully completing this [Snow Creek] route," the rescue unit said. The incident post noted that hikers should wear bright-colored clothing when performing treacherous hikes such as this one. The two hikers rescued Friday were initially hard to spot because they were wearing darker clothing, the report said. "Although temperatures have soared into record territory across portions of California in recent days, plenty of snowpack remains in place across the high terrain," AccuWeather Meteorologist Brandon Buckingham said. The heat in the Southwest is forecast to build through midweek, with several locations in California expected to challenge daily record highs, according to Buckingham. Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios. The Android 10 update has now arrived for the Galaxy Tab S6 on Verizon. The carrier is currently rolling out the big Android OS update for last years flagship Samsung tablet on its network. The update is rolling out over the air (OTA) and should reach all Tab S6 units on Verizon over the next few days. The new update arrives with firmware version T867VVRU2BTC4 and packs the March 2020 Android security patch, which is quite disappointing. But whats more disappointing is that the update doesnt bring One UI 2.1, the latest iteration of Samsungs custom Android skin. Samsung released the Android 10 update for the international variants of the Galaxy Tab S6 earlier this month. The update brought One UI 2.1 to the devices. Advertisement Galaxy Tab S6 Android 10 update on Verizon The Android 10 update for the Galaxy Tab S6 on Verizon only brings One UI 2.0. Version 2.0 of Samsungs custom Android skin does bring plenty of new features and enhancements but there still are some features that are exclusive to One UI 2.1. Camera features like Single Take, Night Hyperlapse, Pro Video mode, and improved Night Mode are currently exclusive to One UI 2.1. One UI 2.1 also brings Music Share and Custom Filter features to Samsung Galaxy devices. Quick Share, Samsungs alternative to Apples AirDrop, is also only available on Samsung devices running One UI 2.1. Advertisement As for One UI 2.0, it brings its own set of new features and enhancements to Samsung smartphones and tablets. You get a redesigned camera UI, Sound Amplifier, Smart Reply, Live Transcribe, full-screen navigation gestures, Focus Mode, speed and time units converter in the calculator, Trash feature for Contacts and My files, and much more. Samsung Daily replaces Bixby Home in Samsung devices on Android 10. The platform shows personalized content like news, weather, and more. It sits on the left of your devices main home screen. Advertisement One UI 2.0 also brings a new multilingual translation feature, a text undo/redo feature, and an ability to search for music in Spotify on Samsung Keyboard. The new software also promises better text over wallpapers. As always, updates are released in stages and may not available for all units simultaneously. You should get a notification when the update becomes available for your Galaxy Tab S6. You can also manually check for the update from the Software update section in your devices Settings app. Verizon may eventually bring One UI 2.1 to the Galaxy Tab S6 as well. However, it may not arrive anytime soon. But getting rid of horse-drawn carriages creates another matter that the city needs to address: What will the future hold for the animals once they can no longer produce income? We have been warned by horse rescue operations that they are extremely overburdened already and may not be able to take additional horses. And the expense of caring for them when theyre not income-producing may pressure carriage owners to skimp on their food and care. Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday directed senior officers to formulate an elaborate programme to restart industrial activity in UP after May 3. The chief minister gave the directive at a lockdown review meet of his Team-11. Yogi also directed the officers to ensure that appropriate arrangements for food and drinking water etc were made at all quarantine centres in Uttar Pradesh. Earlier on Monday, Yogi attended Prime Minister Narendra Modis video conference with other chief ministers over the lockdown situation. When asked about the demand Yogi made at the PMs video conference, chief secretary RK Tiwari said: The chief minister did not make any demand at Prime Minister Narendra Modis video conference with chief ministers. Additional chief secretary, home, Awnish Awasthi said: UP did not have its turn at the video conference on Monday. The state government did not send any demands to the centre. Yogis directive about availability of food and drinking water assumes significance in view of reports of lack facilities at some quarantine centres in the state. The chief minister said quarantine centres and shelter homes should have a capacity of 15,000 to 25,000 in every district. He said the capacity of L-1, L-2 and L-3 dedicated Covid-19 hospitals should be expanded in all districts. He also said all labourers/workers returning to UP from other states must be mandatorily put at the quarantine centres. Yogi said the lockdown should be strictly enforced and those living in hotspots should not be going to their work place. He said only the teams of medical and health, sanitation and home delivery should be permitted in the hotspots. He said testing capacity should be increased in the state. He said emergency health services for non-Covid-19 patients should be restored immediately. He also said the patients reaching hospitals must be screened. He said most of the states private hospitals have been covered under the Ayushman Bharat scheme and a protocol for Covid-19 and non-Covid hospitals should be worked out. The chief minister said a Covid-19 hospital should be set up in all the 52 medical colleges. He said districts not having a medical college should convert the district level hospital as a Covid-19 hospital. He said an additional chief medical officer-rank officer should be responsible for training medical officers and para-medical staff and a programme for effective training and a mobile app should be prepared for the purpose. He said training should also be imparted to principals and teachers of high education and intermediate colleges. Yogi said distribution of food grains to the needy should be restarted from May 1. michael barbaro From The New York Times, Im Michael Barbaro. This is The Daily. [music] michael barbaro Today: For decades, the United States has feared the consequences of running out of oil. Because of the pandemic, it now has far too much of it. Reporter Cliff Krauss on the energy crisis that nobody saw coming. Its Monday, April 27. Cliff, tell me about this moment when oil prices collapse. cliff krauss So, it was late at night, Im about to go to bed, but I put on Bloomberg television. archived recording And in terms of how far down these moves are going to go, I mean, what are your expectations? cliff krauss Because Im a wonky guy. [LAUGHTER] archived recording Oil really getting hammered today, hitting an 18-year low. cliff krauss And I see, suddenly, the oil prices are collapsing. archived recording 1 Its at $14 and change archived recording 2 Touched around $10. $10 archived recording 3 Oil today falling all the way to a penny a barrel archived recording 4 I mean, we just saw crazy historic drops in U.S. crude today. What on Earth is going on? cliff krauss And I write a quick note to my editors, saying, youre going to see this. Its weird. But this is a technical issue. Its a contract. Its a futures contract thats going to roll over in 24 hours. It may not mean much. michael barbaro Mhm. cliff krauss Then I get up in the morning, and were in negative territory. archived recording At the top, I talked about the craziness of the oil patch. Then we watched as the price of West Texas Intermediate crude for May delivery went from the high teens to less than zero, just in one session. cliff krauss Which had never happened before. archived recording Oil falling below $0 a barrel for the first time ever. cliff krauss Just a few years ago, we had $147 thats a plus barrel oil. And its bounced around in recent years between 40 and 60. But negative 37? archived recording The week begins with U.S. crude oil trading at minus $37.63 a barrel. cliff krauss Negative $37. Negative $37. Never happened before. archived recording You probably think that couldnt happen. How do we make sense of this? cliff krauss Never. Preposterous. michael barbaro Right. I remember hearing this news the next morning, after you had flagged it to your editors, Cliff, and being genuinely confused by this. I mean, how can oil be worth less than $0? Right? Like, not just worthless, but somehow having a negative value. cliff krauss Well, since this had never happened before in history, everybody was confused. But nobody wanted the oil. So people had to actually pay to get rid of it. michael barbaro Hmm. I mean, why is it that people would need to pay to get rid of what we regard, universally, as the most precious commodity on Earth? cliff krauss Well, it gets very technical, and I dont want to get into the technicalities of this. But basically, these were futures contracts that rolled over. And so this was a phenomena that occurred over a 12 to 24-hour period. So theres something a bit artificial about it. But it does reflect something thats real. Nobody wants the oil. It is not a precious commodity right now because people are not driving, people are not flying, cruise ships are not cruising, and industry is not burning as much fuel as it was. And yet the world is still producing this oil. michael barbaro What youre saying is that the pandemic basically destroyed the normal demand for oil across the world? cliff krauss Thats right. So now the world is roughly producing 30 million barrels a day more than were consuming. michael barbaro Wow. cliff krauss So the world is awash in oil. Were flooded. archived recording An incredible sight at the port of Long Beach: 24 oil tankers are anchored offshore. Thats four times the number normally waiting to unload crude from Mexico or Alaska. cliff krauss This problem, which is an immediate problem, the seeds of it go back many, many years. michael barbaro What do you mean? cliff krauss Well, there have been a series of traumas, perhaps three major ones that go back to my college days, actually, in the 1970s. [music] archived recording Good evening. It is an all-out war. cliff krauss In 1973 archived recording Thats how Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Dyan describes an invasion of the Golan Heights and the East bank of the Suez by Syria and Egypt. cliff krauss During the Arab-Israeli War, the Yom Kippur War, as some still call it archived recording All day today, Israeli reservists have been heading for their units. The streets have been full of military traffic. cliff krauss Arab countries were attacking Israel and almost overran Israel until the Nixon administration archived recording (henry kissinger) We will, in this crisis, as we have in other crises cliff krauss At the last minute archived recording (henry kissinger) not hesitate to take a firm stand. cliff krauss decided to send Israel a massive amount of weapons. archived recording Kissinger hinted that the U.S. has begun to resupply Israeli military losses. cliff krauss Which, of course, made many of the oil-producing countries that we were becoming dependent on in the Middle East quite upset. And all they could do in retaliation was archived recording The oil producing countries of the Arab world decided to use their oil as a political weapon. cliff krauss to inflict an embargo, an oil embargo on the United States and other Western countries that were aiding Israel. archived recording They will reduce oil production by 5 percent a month until the Israelis withdraw from occupied territories. cliff krauss And this was a trauma for Americans, causing long lines at the gas pump. archived recording (richard nixon) Our supply of petroleum this winter will be at least 10 percent short of our anticipated demand. And it could fall short by as much as 17 percent. cliff krauss Certainly, people of my generation recall this. I was in college. I had a new, sporty, red Capri. [LAUGHTER] And I loved tooling around. And then suddenly archived recording Gasoline shortages are spreading across the country. Odd-even service, gasoline lines, and closed gas stations are becoming increasingly common. cliff krauss you had to wait on line. I was in college in Poughkeepsie, New York, at Vassar. archived recording So they waited three hours and there was no gas. cliff krauss I remember that I would wait as long as possible, till I was almost on empty, to fill up the tank. archived recording Were all out of gas! Tomorrow morning! [LAUGHTER] Were all out! cliff krauss It was a real bother to do that. archived recording 1 Now, after waiting two hours, and were not sure if I can make it. archived recording 2 Make it in what way? archived recording 3 Well, if theres any gas left. cliff krauss Now my problem was small compared to people who had to rely on their cars to get to work every day and drive long distances. archived recording 1 Ill betcha theres no gas. archived recording 2 I heard this morning archived recording 3 Well, you get the gas down here. archived recording 4 the Commissioner of Energy from Washington. And they claim theres gas. archived recording 5 We cant make a living. What about this? archived recording 6 I mean, this is ridiculous. archived recording 7 I have to travel. cliff krauss So that was a trauma. And it was a political problem and an economic problem for the country. Prices skyrocketed. The economy was badly damaged. Wed just lost the war in Vietnam. And now we dont even have a secure supply of energy. And were dependent on countries such as Saudi Arabia, far away. We barely understand these countries. And theyre not friendly. michael barbaro Mhm. cliff krauss Were in trouble. archived recording (richard nixon) Let me conclude by restating our overall objective. It can be summed up in one word that best characterizes this nation and its essential nature. That word is independence. cliff krauss And so from that pain comes a dream: energy independence. archived recording (richard nixon) What I have called Project Independence 1980 is a series of plans and goals set to ensure that by the end of this decade, Americans will not have to rely on any source of energy beyond our own. cliff krauss And the leadership of the country archived recording (gerald ford) With a comprehensive plan to make our country independent of foreign sources of energy by 1985. cliff krauss basically, Nixon, Ford, Carter archived recording (jimmy carter) The energy crisis has not yet overwhelmed us. But it will if we do not act quickly. cliff krauss over those years made energy independence a, basically, keystone to all of their policies. The dream is that we can produce our own energy supply so that we dont feel this vulnerability anymore. That was the dream. michael barbaro And what do we start to do to achieve that dream? cliff krauss Those three administrations did several things. archived recording (gerald ford) It is in that spirit that I have decided to sign the energy bill just passed by the Congress. cliff krauss There was the establishment of a strategic petroleum reserve in 1975. archived recording (gerald ford) It will enable us to set up a strategic oil storage system. cliff krauss So we would have a reserve when there would be a war or a natural catastrophe. archived recording Starting in 1977, oil will begin flowing through the pipeline, across Alaska, and then by tanker to the lower 48 states. cliff krauss We built the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. archived recording (jimmy carter) in a new energy department. cliff krauss The Department of Energy was created. archived recording (jimmy carter) to bring order out of chaos. cliff krauss We started to use more coal to burn for power. archived recording Ready for war, sir. Ready for war. cliff krauss We went to war archived recording Well, at this hour, Iraq remains in firm control of the tiny oil-rich country of Kuwait. cliff krauss years later, in the Middle East michael barbaro Right. cliff krauss over the invasion of Kuwait by Iraq. archived recording And now sirens, air raid sirens, are beginning to sound over Baghdad. cliff krauss In part, not just to liberate oil fields in Kuwait, but to defend our gas station, Saudi Arabia. archived recording (george h.w. bush) Much of the world is even more dependent upon imported oil and is even more vulnerable to Iraqi threats. michael barbaro Because suddenly, those foreign sources of oil that we still needed, because we werent quite energy independent, they were at risk of being overtaken by Saddam Hussein? cliff krauss Thats right. So all of those things were done. But all that was accomplished, and it was something, was to stem the bleeding. And that brings us to the second trauma, which is the early years of the current century. When suddenly, our production is in decline again. China is growing by leaps and bounds. India is starting to grow by leaps and bounds. A middle class is growing around the developing world. So demand is going up, like, 5 million barrels a day around the world. And the Middle East is suddenly more unstable. And so prices skyrocket between the years of about 2004 and 2007. michael barbaro And when you say skyrocketing, what do you mean? cliff krauss I mean, prices skyrocket to as high as $147 a barrel. michael barbaro Hm. Correct me if Im wrong. This is the point where U.S. gasoline prices at the pump reach $5 a gallon. cliff krauss Yes. michael barbaro And I remember how upsetting that was to consumers and to voters. cliff krauss Yes. It was very, very upsetting. And for those of a certain age, it was a reminder of the 1970s. michael barbaro Huh. cliff krauss We were right back in the same problem, dependent on foreign oil, which was very expensive. But then something big happened. There was a Texas oil man named George Mitchell. And for years and years, he had been experimenting with hydraulic fracturing, which is basically splitting up shale, hard, shale rock which had been useless when drilled vertically. George Mitchell came up with the idea of drilling horizontally through these layers of rock and unleashing the oil in the rock by basically exploding the rock and then introducing sand and water to keep the cracks open, releasing the oil. michael barbaro Fracking. cliff krauss Fracking. archived recording Consider this a eureka moment for the rest of the world, the biggest energy innovation of the decade. cliff krauss Suddenly, they were able to release enormous amounts of oil in fields that big companies had given up on years before. archived recording The so-called shale revolution has spawned boom towns in the Dakotas. Thats a lot of money. Its life-changing money. Its a dream. cliff krauss We were able to do it in North Dakota, Texas, Colorado, Oklahoma, a few other places. archived recording Thanks to fracking technology, the U.S. now producing about 9 1/2 million barrels a day, a 70 percent jump from just five years ago. cliff krauss And its occurring because the price of oil was so high. That incentivized innovation. michael barbaro And Cliff, what does fracking for oil mean for this still quite unfinished American dream of energy independence? cliff krauss Well, it means that we actually, at least momentarily, seem to almost reach that independence. Because American oil production more than doubled in about five years. michael barbaro Wow. archived recording (barack obama) Last year, we relied less on foreign oil than in any of the last 16 years. archived recording Its changed the whole world and the economy of the whole world. Its changed our dependence on foreign oil. Its changed our alliances in terms of their value to us. cliff krauss The United States became an exporter of oil for the first time in many years. And last year, actually leapfrogged over Russia and Saudi Arabia as the biggest oil producer in the world. michael barbaro So this seems like a pretty good problem to have, right? I mean, too much American oil for the first time, basically, in our history. cliff krauss Economically speaking, no question about it. By 2014, we were bringing down gasoline prices for consumers. It was part of our recovery from the recession. And all of this American production puts the United States in a extremely powerful position economically, employing millions of people and producing revenues for state and local governments across much of the country. Also giving the United States the freedom to act in foreign policy in ways that would have been unheard-of years before, such as putting pressure on Iran without endangering our energy supply. It was basically the culmination of the dream from the 1970s. And it was hard to imagine, just a few months ago, what could happen that could undercut that dream. michael barbaro Like a pandemic? cliff krauss Like a pandemic that would suddenly destroy the demand for oil and kneecap the American oil industry that had produced all of this oil in the first place. michael barbaro Well be right back. [music] michael barbaro So Cliff, when this third trauma arrives, the pandemic, the world at this point, and the United States, in particular, is awash in oil. And from what youre saying, demand for that oil has instantly plunged. So whats actually happening to all of this overproduced oil? cliff krauss So the oil has no place to go. And its rapidly filling up tank farms, strategic reserves around the world. Refineries are running out of space to put the oil. And so the inventories are building to a point where therell be no physical space to put the oil. You now have tankers which, you know, used to ship oil from place to place, just storing the oil and sitting out off of the shores of Los Angeles, for instance, and other places. And these are the people who are making a lot of money. Theyre getting paid to just hold the oil. michael barbaro So this explains those negative oil prices, right? Theyre producing so much oil that they have nowhere to store it. So they end up having to pay people to take it. cliff krauss Exactly. michael barbaro Cliff, maybe this is a bit of a stupid question, but why dont oil producers, knowing that theres just way too much oil, and that, if they keep producing it, theyre going to hurt their own ability to command meaningful prices, just stop pumping or fracking oil? Just leave it in the ground. cliff krauss Well, thats beginning to happen, but its a cumbersome, complex process. First of all, you have thousands of producers in the United States. We dont have a national oil company which is taking orders from the government, such as in Saudi Arabia. And then there are complications that go along with shutting in wells. Its an expensive process. You can actually damage the resource to the point where, when you restart the oil, youll actually pump less oil out. And then, you have all of these companies that, even when theyre losing money, they need cash flow. They need cash flow to meet their payroll, to meet their debt responsibilities. So what oil companies prefer to do, you let the well, basically, slowly decline. michael barbaro So if we cant easily turn off the pumps, and we cant suddenly overnight create enough storage for all this oil, what can and I guess what is the U.S. doing about this glut of oil? cliff krauss Well, there are a number of things that are being considered, such as stopping imports from coming in, particularly imports from Saudi Arabia that are on their way in tankers. archived recording 40 million barrels of Saudi oil is already on its way to the United States. Shipping cliff krauss But there are probably American refiners who have already paid for it. archived recording President Trump is facing pressure to stop Saudi crude oil imports in an effort to save the American oil industry. cliff krauss And so you would be hurting American refiners. Thats not something that the administration would like to do, Im sure. So they dont have a lot of options. But meanwhile, small oil producers are in dire straits and on the verge of bankruptcy. And that could be the future, especially if our demand is going to be depressed for a long time. michael barbaro So Cliff, how is this new reality of the glut and the small producers struggling within that glut, how is that starting to look on the ground in Americas biggest oil towns, including, Im sure, yours, which is in Texas? cliff krauss Well, thousands of people are losing their jobs. Others are being furloughed. Probably, its only going to get worse. You have oil states that rely on whats called severance taxes, which is dependent on the price of oil. So that will have an impact on state and local services. And it will have an impact on people who actually earn money because oil is coming out of fields on their private property. So theres going to be a big macroeconomic impact in these oil-producing states. michael barbaro Cliff there are going to be people who hear this and think, this is what happens when a country like the United States becomes overly focused in this discussion of energy and dependence on old line forms of energy, on oil, rather than on newer, greener forms of energy. And what do you say to that? cliff krauss So there are definitely going to be a lot of people who will celebrate the demise of the American oil industry. michael barbaro Mhm. cliff krauss And there is a strong argument to be made that we need to diversify our energy supply. And we have done that successfully when it comes to power. We are now using wind and solar. But not for our cars. The electrical age, the electric cars, theyre coming. Theres no question about it. But its going to take decades. Because the average car today is on the road for 10 years. So it takes a long time to change the transportation fleet. And our transportation fleet is overwhelmingly dependent on gasoline and diesel. michael barbaro Right. Which comes, of course, from oil. cliff krauss Exactly. [music] michael barbaro Cliff, whats so interesting about the history that you have described here is that it feels like every decision the United States has made about oil was about avoiding a single scenario, which is that we would run out of oil and we would be beholden to our adversaries to get that oil. And it feels like we never really prepared for the opposite scenario, which is the situation were in now. cliff krauss Thats right. Nobody anticipated a pandemic that would destroy demand. And no one is to blame for this, but we are now facing an entirely new set of problems. michael barbaro Right. cliff krauss And of course, if we had anticipated this problem, we would not have solved the problem that we had being dependent on producers in the Middle East and other unfriendly powers. michael barbaro Mhm. cliff krauss So my big takeaway, and it may be obvious to everyone, is the idea of energy security is simply an illusion. michael barbaro Hm. cliff krauss We are not energy secure when we have little oil. And were not energy secure when we have a lot of oil. Its hard to get it just right. michael barbaro Thank you, Cliff. cliff krauss Thank you. michael barbaro Well be right back. [music] michael barbaro Heres what else you need to know today. On Sunday, the head of the White House task force on the coronavirus, Dr. Deborah Birx, said that social distancing rules would likely remain in place throughout the summer, even as some states begin reopening their economies. During an interview on NBCs Meet The Press, Birx was asked about President Trumps unproven claim, made last week, that an injection of a disinfectant like bleach could combat the virus. archived recording Dr. Birx, help me understand what happened with the suggestion that the president made that the task force study disinfectant injection. Do you have any more information? And are you concerned that people might take bleach because of what the president said? archived recording (deborah birx) I think I made it very clear in how I interpreted that. I also made it very clear, and so has Dr. Fauci and everyone associated with the task force in their clarity around, this is not a treatment. What was meant michael barbaro The presidents statement was widely condemned and prompted local health officials, and the makers of cleaning supplies, to warn Americans not to ingest or inject their products. As of Sunday night, the coronavirus had infected more than 938,000 Americans and has killed at least 50,000 of them. [music] The shuttering of the US economy due to the coronavirus pandemic is a shock of historic proportions that will likely push the national unemployment rate to 16% or higher this month and require more stimulus to ensure a strong rebound, a White House economic adviser said on Sunday. "It's a really grave situation," President Donald Trump's adviser, Kevin Hassett, told the ABC program "This Week." "This is the biggest negative shock that our economy, I think, has ever seen. We're going to be looking at an unemployment rate that approaches rates that we saw during the Great Depression" of the 1930s, Hassett added. Lockdowns across the United States to curtail the spread of the novel coronavirus have hammered the economy, shuttering businesses and sending unemployment skyrocketing. A record 26.5 million Americans have filed for jobless benefits since mid-March, and retail sales, home building and consumer confidence have all cratered. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office predicts U.S. gross domestic product will contract at nearly a 40% annual rate in the second quarter, with unemployment cresting at 16% in the third quarter. But even next year, the CBO sees the jobless rate still averaging above 10 per cent. Before the pandemic struck, the U.S. jobless rate had been hovering at a 50-year low of 3.5%. "I think the unemployment rate is going to jump to a level probably around 16 per cent or even higher in the next jobs report," due on May 8, providing April employment statistics, Hassett told reporters at the White House. Hassett added that the second-quarter drop expected in the nation's GDP would be a "big number." "I think the next couple of months are going to look terrible. You're going to see numbers as bad as anything we've ever seen before," Hassett said, referring to U.S. economic data. "We're going to need really big thoughtful policies to put together to make it so that people are optimistic again," Hassett added. Trump's advisers want to hone a list of five or six ideas to present to Congress to help clear the economic carnage, Hassett said. "I'm sure that over the next three or four weeks, everybody's going to pull together and come up with a plan to give us the best chance possible for a V-shaped recovery," Hassett told ABC. "I ... don't think you get it if we don't have another round of really solid legislation." A "V-shaped recovery" is one in which an economy bounces back sharply after a precipitous decline. TENSIONS ON CAPITOL HILL The U.S. Congress has already approved $3 trillion in coronavirus relief in a show of bipartisan support for laid-off workers and an economy in free fall. Lawmakers are now poised for a battle over federal assistance to state and local governments whose budgets have been shattered by a plunge in tax revenue even as they have had to take extraordinary measures during a pandemic that has caused a U.S. death toll approaching 55,000. New York City needs $7.4 billion in federal aid to offset economic losses from the coronavirus, its mayor said on Sunday. "If New York City is not (made) whole, it will drag down the entire region, and it will hold up the entire national economic restart," Mayor Bill de Blasio, a Democrat, said on the Fox program "Sunday Morning Futures." Like de Blasio, many of the nation's governors - Democrats and Republicans alike - have pressed the Trump administration and Congress to come forward with a sizable relief package. "We will have state and local (aid), and we will have it in a very significant way," House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the top Democrat in Congress, said on CNN's "State of the Union." "The governors are impatient," Pelosi added. "Their impatience will help us get an even bigger number." Trump has shown a willingness to support aid for cities and states, but some fellow Republicans - including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell - have voiced wariness, citing a mounting federal debt load. McConnell, in remarks that have drawn sharp rebukes from various governors as well as Democratic lawmakers, has suggested that states should declare bankruptcy instead. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, asked whether Trump would support providing hundreds of billions of dollars to the states, said any further relief would have to receive support from both parties. Catch our entire coverage on the Facebook-Jio deal here. "This is a war. We'll win this war. If we need to spend more money, we will, and we'll only do it with bipartisan support," Mnuchin told "Fox News Sunday."Also read: Coronavirus News India LIVE Updates EDWARDSVILLE The number of nursing home residents who have succumbed to complications of COVID-19 continues to climb in the St. Louis metropolitan area, with local officials confirming a second facility where the death toll has climbed to double digits. The Madison County Health Department late Friday said it had identified clusters of COVID-19 outbreaks at three nursing homes, including one facility where at least 12 residents have died. At the nursing home where residents died, another 42 have tested positive for COVID-19, the health department said in a news release. A second facility has had 11 residents test positive. And a third had one resident test positive with another described as a case contact positive Although the facilities were not identified by the county, the Illinois Department of Public Health has reported 10 deaths at the Edwardsville Care Center, a skilled nursing and rehabilitation center at 401 St. Mary Drive. A representative of the nursing home did not immediately respond Monday to a telephone message. Resisting pressure as other Southern chief executives begin allowing businesses to reopen, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said Thursday that the states stay-at-home order from COVID-19 will remain in place for at least another two weeks. The Democratic governor, who also unveiled a three-phase plan for reopening based on expanded tracing and testing and declining case growth, said current data just doesnt support loosening restrictions that first started in mid-March. Coopers order extension and guidance comes as state health officials reported nearly 400 additional positive cases on Thursday morning compared to the day before, marking one of the largest day-over-day increases so far. The states overall case total is now more than 7,600. There have been more than 250 COVID-19 deaths in North Carolina and the number of current hospitalizations approached 500. North Carolinas stay-at-home order, which allowed only essential business to open and limited movement by the public, was set to expire next Tuesday. Now it will be extended to May 8, as will other restrictions barring dine-in services for restaurants and closing gyms, hair salons and gyms. A prohibition on gatherings of more than 10 people also remains intact. Its clear that we are flattening the curve, but our state is not ready to lift restrictions yet, Cooper said in a media briefing, adding that I will not risk the health of our people or our hospitals, and easing these restrictions now would do that. Republican governors in Tennessee, South Carolina and Georgia last week announced they would ease their states restrictions so that some nonessential businesses could open. Close to 1,000 people seeking to end North Carolinas order marched around Coopers Executive Mansion on Tuesday. Nationally, Americans remain overwhelmingly in favor of stay-at-home orders, according to a survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Under Coopers plan, more retailers and parks could reopen after May 8. People would also be allowed to leave their homes for more reasons if the state meets 14-day rolling-average goals on some key case and hospitalization rates and other thresholds. At least two to three weeks later, the stay-at-home order could be lifted and restaurants, bars and churches reopened at reduced capacity if the goals continue to be met, Cooper said. Activities could become more normal with further improvements, perhaps in at least an additional four to six weeks, according to the governor. But restrictions on nursing homes and other corporate living areas would remain. And broader restrictions could return if cases surge again. In a news release, Republican Senate leader Phil Berger said the proposal offers very little for restaurants until at least June 1 and could lead to permanent closures. This decision will needlessly crush businesses and destroy livelihoods in places that dont even have a single case of coronavirus, said Lt. Gov. Dan Forest, Coopers GOP fall gubernatorial opponent. He wants counties without the virus prevalent to be allowed to reopen. But U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said Coopers plan is in line with guidance from President Donald Trumps virus taskforce: We need to base decisions on the data from our state and counties, on public safety, and on the best long-term economic interests of our state. Dr. Mandy Cohen, the states health and human services secretary, laid out data showing that while the percentage of patient visits to emergency rooms for COVID-19-like illness is declining, the number of new COVID-19 cases is not. The analysis also envisions daily virus testing doubling to at least 5,000 and contact tracing workers doubled to 500. More gowns and high-quality masks are needed, too, Cohen said. The states K-12 schools are currently closed through May 15. Cooper said he and other education officials would announce a decision on the school year Friday. Also Thursday, state legislators and education leaders formally agreed to seek about $860 million in combined emergency funding from the full General Assembly for K-12 schools and for health care needs. The legislature convenes next week. The State Board of Education is seeking $380 million in state funds, including money for $5-per-hour raises to school cafeteria workers and bus drivers distributing meals to low-income students. Another $150 million would help expand remote learning and $70 million would help teach early-grade children at risk of failure in jump-start programs before school begins this fall. The health care proposal, which would distribute $480 million from a federal coronavirus relief law, would set aside $75 million to purchase additional personal protective equipment, expand virus tests and hire contract tracing workers. Another $75 million would go to buttress rural hospitals. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics North Carolina Training Development Grounded aircraft may be useful in reducing the high mortality rates of patients with COVID-19 on mechanical ventilation. Thats the idea behind a scheme proposed by a British company that makes diving equipment. It believes that planes could be emptied out and turned into specialized field hospitals and reduce the need for ventilators. A peer-reviewed study, published April 22nd, found that the majority of COVID-19 patients who require mechanical ventilation do not recover. Researchers looked at 5,700 patients in the New York City area and learned that patients on ventilators had a mortality rate of 88.1 percent. Correlation is not entirely causation, however, since those people may have already been in poor health. Even so, the number of patients dying while on ventilators is a cause for concern. Dr. Daniel Reynolds is founder of Lungfish Dive Systems, a Cambridge, UK-based company that makes scuba gear. The question, for me, was that we havent run out of ventilators, so why are all these people dead?, he said. After speaking with medical professionals, he believes that the issue isnt COVID-19, but organ failure through chronic hypoxia. Essentially, a lack of oxygen in the bloodstream means that peoples bodies slowly suffocate to death over a period of days. The issue is often compounded by Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), inflammation of the lungs, which makes breathing difficult. Their lungs are compromised to the extent that, even with a ventilator on pure oxygen breathing for them, its impossible to get enough oxygen. Reynolds believes that the solution isnt more ventilation but to make breathing easier for patients in respiratory distress. And for a person with expertise in diving and diving equipment, the obvious answer is a hyperbaric chamber. Hyperbaric chambers work by increasing the pressure outside the body, and theyre commonly used to treat breathing-related conditions. First, the lungs work less to breathe because the air pressure is so much greater that air forces itself in. Second, at higher pressures, oxygen is more soluble, so every breath gets more oxygen into the bloodstream. And higher levels of blood oxygenation, according to the Mayo Clinic, can promote healing and fight infection. Hyperbaric oxygen [therapy] is known to reduce inflammation, said Dr. Reynolds, which could mitigate the effects of ARDS, too. Unfortunately, hyperbaric chambers are not common and are only used in very specific medical and diving-related scenarios. There are not anywhere near enough hyperbaric chambers to cope with thousands of patients, said Dr. Reynolds. Since its impractical to quickly mass-produce these chambers, Reynolds and his team started looking for alternatives. Enter the grounded aircraft. When a plane is in flight, it reaches heights where the air is very thin, and the air pressure is far weaker than at sea level. That means its doubly hard for a person to breathe at altitude, so planes are pressurized to near sea-level. Since planes arent in use, can already adjust their internal pressure and have oxygen routing capabilities, its plausible that theyd do the job. Reynolds suggests having a series of beds inside the cabin, with medical professionals in attendance, just like a normal ward. There would be a 90-minute cycle in which the cabin pressure would be increased to between 1.6 and 2 atmospheres. During this time, each patient would be breathing high-pressure oxygen through a mask in the hope of improving their condition. At the end of each 90-minute cycle, the plane would be depressurized and staff and equipment could move in and out as required. Dr. Gerado Bosco is a professor at the University of Padua, specializing in hyperbaric therapy and biomechanics. He is one of a handful of researchers waiting for approval to begin testing hyperbaric oxygen therapy to treat COVID-19 patients. In trials, his team would expose patients to different pressures in 90-minute cycles and examine their response. The hope is that patients find it easier to breathe, their ARDS is mitigated and their immune response improves. He says that the plan to use grounded aircraft as hyperbaric treatment centers is intriguing, but that its far too early to comment. He does believe that, if the treatment is successful in trials, it may lead to a tremendous decrease in ventilatory response. The International Hyperbarics Association has published information relating to a study from Wuhan, China. According to the report, which we have not yet been able to confirm, Dr. Zhong Yangling, treated five COVID-19 patients, two in critical condition, with hyperbaric oxygen therapy. All of them showed signs of hypoxia before the course started, and all five are said to have improved after the first two sessions. A study is being prepared in the US, and Dr. Boscos Italian study is working in partnership with a Canadian trial led by Dr. Rita Katznelson at Toronto General Hospital. The latter has started a JustGiving page to get funding for the trial -- and hopes to raise $250,000 (USD). As for the planes themselves, Technion University Aerospace researcher Neta Blum says it is possible to pressurize a cabin to up to 2.5atm if boosted by the pressure at sea level. She mentioned the one issue may be that repeated cycles of pressurizing and depressurizing the cabin could cause fatigue cracks in the planes fuselage. That may deter airlines from loaning their craft to the effort, especially if it renders them unusable in future. But nothing can, or should, be done until the science -- which, at present, is pretty flimsy -- is properly tested. If those studies show promise, however, hyperbaric oxygen therapy may prove to be a vital tool in the fight against COVID-19. An NHS nurse has made a desperate plea for companies to provide hospital staff with personal protective equipment. In the latest warning from a frontline health worker, the unnamed nurse claimed staff were being expected to reuse contaminated gowns. Posting on Facebook, she wrote: Please, please, please if anybody knows of any companies that could spare us some PPE then please we are begging them to help. We are all extremely anxious about the lack of equipment we need to keep ourselves, our families, colleagues and patients safe. NHS workers have pleaded for proper PPE, like that being worn by a nurse at Aintree University Hospital above, since the coronavirus pandemic spread across Britain The number of new cases continued to rise in the latest data, but the rate has slowed significantly At Doncaster Royal Infirmary, where the nurse works, scores of doctors, nurses and other NHS workers stood in their scrubs and paid tribute to one of their consultants yesterday morning. Staff were told Dr Medhat Atalla, 62, a much-loved geriatrician, had died last week. But the hospital in which he and plaster technician Kevin Smith, 64, have died has been plagued by PPE shortages, according to the nurse. Three more healthcare deaths emerged yesterday bringing the total number of healthcare staff to have died from coronavirus to nearly 130 in the UK. In another heart-breaking case, a grieving husband told of the desperate moment his NHS worker wife lay struggling for breath as she died in his arms while waiting for paramedics. Laura Tanner, 51, had told friends how annoyed she was to have come down with nasty flulike symptoms because she was so busy at work. But her husband Kevin, 49, described the harrowing final moments on April 1 as her breathing became shallower and she slipped away at home. He said: Laura was the most wonderful, warm, fantastic wife and mother we could have wished for. Dr Medhat Atalla was a 'hugely popular and respected' NHS doctor working in Doncaster, where he died after being treated for Covid-19 Laura Tanner, with her husband Kevin. Laura had told friends how annoyed she was to have come down with nasty flulike symptoms because she was so busy at work Shocking stories have continued to emerge from frontline NHS workers over the lack of personal protection they are expected to work with. Tragically, many have gone on to die of the virus after warning their superiors and even the Prime Minister they were at severe risk. Relatives of healthcare assistant Thomas Harvey, 57, who died from coronavirus, claimed he only had gloves and a flimsy apron for protection. The grandfather-of-three fell ill on March 11 having helped a patient who later tested positive for Covid-19, while working at Goodmayes Hospital, in Ilford, east London. NHS nurses and healthcare workers are dying as they try to save lives amidst the coronavirus pandemic Mental health care worker Thomas Harvey, 57, died after treating a suspected Covid-19 patient without any protective equipment His family said he felt let down due to the lack of equipment and claim with the right personal protective equipment he may not have died. Speaking after his death on March 29, his daughter Tamira, 19, told the BBC: If he had just had the right equipment we wouldnt be in this predicament. In South Wales, a friend of a nurse who died after contracting coronavirus claimed he paid the ultimate price due to a lack of PPE. Gareth Roberts, 65, who had worked as a nurse across the Cardiff and Vale health board since the 1980s died in hospital in Merthyr Tydfil on April 11. His childhood friend Janette Leonard said he had little to no protection from the virus as he worked extra shifts to help cover the wards at Llandough Hospital near Penarth. He didnt have PPE in the beginning, he said he didnt have anything, she said. He had a paper mask, plastic gloves and a pinny. Thats alright if you are making sandwiches but not when you are going to nurse people with the disease. The number of people in hospital with coronavirus in London has fallen but the figures across much of the rest of the country have not dropped sharply yet Consultant urologist Abdul Mabud Chowdhury, 53, died on April 8, at Queens Hospital, Romford, east London. Three weeks earlier he had written a Facebook post warning Boris Johnson about the lack of PPE for healthcare staff She added: Were angry. Why would you send a soldier to the front line without combat gear? Its unthinkable. Meanwhile, a doctor died less than three weeks after writing a Facebook post warning Boris Johnson about the lack of personal protective equipment. Consultant urologist Abdul Mabud Chowdhury, 53, died on April 8, at Queens Hospital, Romford, east London. His eldest son Intisar said he was proud his father had the courage... to point out something wrong that the Government was doing. Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Doncaster Royal Infirmary, said PPE stocks were in good supply. And Cardiff and Vale University health board said it had enough PPE in stock but would take a more detailed look into the availability in its hospitals. Comment by Professor Andrew Goddard President of the Royal College of Physicians Every doctor knows from the day they enter medical school that there may come a time when they will be put at risk of catching a deadly disease. Of course, for some doctors the risks are higher, depending on the medical specialty they choose. But even for doctors dealing with the most deadly infections, the very least they expect is to have the equipment they need to protect themselves and their patients. Grandfather Gareth Roberts, 65, came out of retirement to work extra shifts during the pandemic, following his death Mr Roberts' family have hit out at the government over a lack of PPE And yet according to a survey carried out by the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) our doctors access to PPE appears to be getting worse. At the start of April some 22 per cent of RCP doctors said that they could not access the PPE they needed. On Wednesday that figure rose to 27 per cent. Its hardly surprising that this now means that one in four doctors is having to re-use vital protective clothing. The figures make for very uncomfortable reading. Just 69 per cent of its doctors are always able to access vital long-sleeve gowns, while only 50 per cent can rely on there being enough goggles. This is a truly terrible state of affairs. Its immaterial to tell healthcare workers how many billion pieces of PPE have been ordered or supplied if it isnt there when they need it and they are faced with the impossible and traumatic situation of putting themselves and their patients at risk. It is clear that there is a chasm between what is needed and what is available. And this is a very dangerous situation. For if we dont have the right PPE it be impossible to keep staff safe and keep the infection under control in hospitals. Military personnel helping test key workers at Ebbsfleet International Station in Kent have been given PPE. Professor Andrew Goddard has warned the need for PPE will remain once people come out of lockdown Yes, its encouraging that the government has stepped up its efforts and appointed a new PPE tsar, Lord Deighton. I hope that he will be frank and transparent. If he can deliver more of the right PPE in the coming weeks he might begin to retrieve the confidence of healthcare professionals. Crucially, this problem isnt going to go away. Indeed, PPE will be needed into the foreseeable future. The harsh truth is that we must not see the Covid-19 outbreak as a single incident that will be over in a few months. Instead, we must expect the virus to be an ever-present, lurking threat in our hospitals, surgeries and care homes. As patients come out of lockdown, the NHS is going to be busier than ever before. PPE, along with testing, will be critical to ensuring they and the staff caring for them are kept as safe as possible. Without it, the virus will continue to threaten the lives of many. A delegation of NPP Serial Callers and National Communication Director, Hon. Yaw Buaben Asamoa paid a visit to the bereaved family of the late Alhaji Baba Alhassan to express their sympathies to the family and children. The team led by Communication Director of the party, Hon. Yaw Buaben Asamoa intimated that the news of the sudden demise of late Alhaji Baba Alhassan popularly known as Alhassan Ashaiman was received with shock and disbelief by the party since he is considered a veteran in the business of radio calling. The team also opined that the late Baba Alhassan's selfless dedication to the service of the NPP party and the Nation as a whole was indeed going to be missed. Other members of the delegation present, included Prince Obeng, Regional YEA Director & Greater Accra Regional Organizer), Mr. Adomako Baafi, other District Directors of YEA and the leadership of the Callers On the other hand the chairman of the Callers, Lurd La indicated that due to COVID 19 pandemic and the strict adherence to social distancing protocols it therefore became imperative to have a selected few of the callers to represent them The team pledged their support to the family on every step of the way to ensue their pains are lessened. Source: NPP Headquarters Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Brandon Neighbourhood Renewal Corporation and Summus Security have teamed up to help address the shortage of personal protective equipment for front-line workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 27/4/2020 (625 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Advertisement Advertise With Us The Brandon Neighbourhood Renewal Corporation and Summus Security have teamed up to help address the shortage of personal protective equipment for front-line workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Summus owner Ted Dzogan and BNRC Creation Nation user Rob Shearer have repurposed the corporations downtown maker space to make face shields. The maker space, which opened last year, houses equipment and tools like laser cutters, 3D printers, a woodworking shop and more for members to utilize to create or repair items. Two Prusa 3D printers owned by the corporation as well as one owned by Shearer have been set up to produce approximately 40 face shield frames a day. The design for the frames comes from one created jointly between Prusa and the government of the Czech Republic. A laser cutter is used to cut out measurement-perfect pieces of five-millimetre Lexan polycarbonate, which is attached to the frames. To complete the shields, a button-hole elastic is attached as the strap securing the shield to a users head. A video showing off the process is on the BNRCs website. Dzogan said that as of Friday, approximately 370 shields had been made with approximately 250 of them having already gone out to front-line workers. According to him, the project wouldnt be possible without the maker space the BNRC has built. "Ill be honest with you, I thought it was a cool idea, but I thought it was almost like a recreational thing, like an arcade for people who prefer power tools to video games," he said. "I didnt appreciate it for the capacity to solve problems and for being the integral part of the community that it turns out it is now that we have a problem." He said he got the idea on April 6 to make the shields from seeing workers like his wife, a front-line worker, not having personal protective equipment due to shortages. When he approached the corporation to get things going after hearing about 3D-printed masks, he found out that Shearer had already approached them with the same idea. BNRC community co-ordinator Hope Switzer said that the masks are intended to go out to all front-line workers like those at shelters and food banks, not just health-care workers. She added that theyll be limiting the number of masks they send outside of the area around Brandon until supplies become more available. The BNRC office is closed due to the pandemic and staff are working from home, so only Dzogan and Shearer are going into the building to access the facility. Switzer said that shes helping them as much as she can from home with orders materials and other tasks. SCREENSHOT Three Prusa 3D printers are being used to make components for face shields in the BNRC's Creation Nation maker space. One of the first recipients of a Brandon-made shield was an emergency oral surgeon from Winnipeg who came to town and got one and ended up liking it so much that he came back the next day to get more. With dentists offices shortly reopening in Saskatchewan, Dzogan said several local dentists have expressed interest in acquiring shields in anticipation of the same thing happening here. Workers who need the shields will be provided them free of charge, but people are encouraged to make a donation to help pay for new materials. Several locals and companies like The Co-operators have already made substantial donations to keep production moving. Donating $10 covers the cost of materials for one face shield and allows the maker space to bank a small amount to replace parts for tools being heavily used during the process. A potential future problem is running out of materials with which to make the masks. Dzogan said that he had to get the last shipment of button-hole elastics from a store in Peace River, Alta. Another resource that may become hard to get is the PETG filament used to print the frames. Those who can donate money toward the effort can do so through a menu online at bnrc.ca/creation-nation-makerspace. If anyone has filament they can donate, they are encouraged to email maker@bnrc.ca. If someone has button-hole elastics or knows where to buy some, they are also encouraged to send an email to that same address. The use of 3D printers would also be appreciated to assist in the effort. Dzogan said that if someone has a 3D printer to volunteer, they can set the owner up with the appropriate files and materials with which to print the frames. Then someone can come pick up the completed frames every once in a while. Dzogan expects the demand for the shields will go on for several more months. cslark@brandonsun.com Twitter: @ColinSlark prateekswarup BHPian Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Delhi NCR Posts: 289 Thanked: 289 Times Road-Trip to Garhwal, Uttarakhand It has been almost 3 years since I bought my pre-owned Grand Vitara home. While I have been on many trips with it, namely close by places like Jim Corbett National Park, Nainital, Jaipur & not so close places of Lucknow & Allahabad, the thirst for further taking it on even longer routes remained. My Trusted Steed Suzuki Grand Vitara This August, we planned an all guys trip to Sach Pass. The entire itinerary was planned to cover quite a few places of the Spiti area, touching base at Pathankot and coming down via Manali. However, the government had other plans and 2 weeks before heading out for this trip, Article 370 was revoked in J&K, leading to curfew, which made it unsafe to drive around that area. So the plan was shelved, with hope that maybe we do the whole Spiti circuit at the beginning of Oct. September beginning, a colleague from office purchased a BMW GS 750 bike. He is an avid traveler and has been to a lot of places around India, both on two legs and two wheels. He initiated the idea of a trip to Mana Pass, upwards of Badrinath, in the beginning of Oct19. Since I was already in talks with a couple of other Grand Vitara owners to re-look at the shelved Spiti trip, this plan was tabled to the group. After a couple of clarities on the dates, the trip began to firm up from an idea to a semblance of a plan. However, one fly in the ointment was the permissions to go to Mana Pass. As informed, there is need of a local government pass by SDM and then an Army pass for travelers to move into the Mana Pass area, which is controlled by the armed forces. Unfortunately, due to continued heightened security, clearance for traveling to Mana Pass was not given to us. Even with this setback, it was clear that we will still go ahead with the trip and maybe add a few destinations to compensate for the loss of days. The Usual Suspects: Grand Vitara 2.0 2007 carrying yours truly (Prateek), my wife Mira, colleague and friend Shivam & his wife Sheena Grand Vitara 2.4 2009 loaded with Debo Da, his wife Rupa, daughter Meghna & Brother-in-law Sunil (traveled all the way from Mumbai for this trip) BMW 750 GS topped by Akashdeep, colleague and friend who initiated the whole idea. Another Grand Vitara 2.0 2007 driven by Tanmay & his girlfriend Sakshi was part of the convoy, but due to fever, Tanmay had to back out the last day. The Planned Route: Starting point was Commonwealth Games Village as it was central to everybody. The Preparations: Since this was the 1st time everyone was traveling as a group and introductions were only made on Whatsapp, it was decided that all of us meet a week prior to the departure to have lunch and drinks to get acquainted. This meet was held in CP. Almost everyone came for the trip and amid the tasty lunch and chilled drinks, the group got to know each other. It turned out, almost everyone had good travel experiences with lots of adventurous anecdotes that can fill a couple of chapters. It was heartening to know that like-minded people were traveling together, and Im sure after this meeting, a sigh of relief must have left our collective bosoms. This meeting also entailed discussing the provisions that we needed to carry in terms of food and drink, any critical spares, utilities as well as wardrobe management so that we are prepared for the changes in weather. The weather was predicted to be fickle with rains expected in Badrinath area, Auli was expected to be cold at sub 8 degrees and Lansdown to be pleasant. Since Akash had done this circuit many years ago, he was kind enough to give us some morsels of motivation with some highlights of what to expect in terms of drive, scenic beauty, etc. We also discussed the accommodation arrangements as well as potential halts in the journey. With the bedrock of questions answered and accounted for, we split up with promises to meet at 5 AM on the 2nd of October at CWG apartments, to begin the adventure. Day D-1: Im sure youll agree that taking a 4-5 days vacation from office, always creates some anxiety on the last day of work. While you might have taken approvals to travel already, there is always this fear that something might crop up that might lead to cancellation of the trip. If not that, since everyone will know that you will be out of office for a couple of days, the urge to complete next week assignments, approvals, dust off old projects, all cumulate on the last day, making the already longer day much more difficult to manage. Thankfully, since 3 of us were from the same office, we managed to motivate each other and gets things wrapped up quickly. After ensuring that all critical tasks were either delegated, completed or shelved, I decided to head home to pack. Since we were not bringing our 6 year daughter along, we also had to drop her off at my in-laws place. While it was a heart wrenching decision to leave her out of the trip, we also knew that the distances themselves would get very annoying and exhausting for her. Which in turn, would also affect our mood during the trip. After completing this hand-off and saying good-byes to her and my in-laws, we reached home to finish our packing and turn in for the night. Around this time we received news from Tanmay that he was unwell and might not be able to make it for the trip. Man proposed and God disposes was the first thing that came to my mind. All of us on the group wished him a speedy recovery and rest so that he may be able to make it for the trip. Offers to drive his car while he rested, have lots of drinks to clear his infections and other helpful suggestions were doled out. Finally, the option was left to next morning, when, if Tanmay was feeling better, he would join us, else we would proceed as planned without him. Thankfully, we did not have passengers in Tanmays car to move around, as that would have created another set of problems. With the essentials for the trip, including cold weather clothing, food, drinks and other paraphernalia all packed in, we decided to turn in for the night. Next day departure was planned at 4:30 AM, as we were all meeting at 5:30 AM at Akashs place, at CWG village apartments. D Day (2nd October, 2019): Im sure many of you have felt this. When youre anxious and eager to get out of the house early, you end up waking up much before the scheduled alarm. With the excitement of the trip reaching crescendo, I got up early 3 AM and started to get ready. It was during this early morning time when we got a message from Tanmay that he will not be able to join us as his condition had not improved. It was pitch dark outside when we loaded the luggage in the car at around 4:30 AM. Distributing the water and other knick-knacks into the various cubby holes that the Grand Vitara offers, getting the ever important mobile phone charger, holder and playlist ready took another 10 minutes before we set off to meet the gang. We reached the rendezvous point around 5:00 where Akash was already waiting outside the apartment complex, giving the final touches to his packing on the BMW 750 GS. In the next few minutes Debo arrived with his family followed by Shivam & Sheena. Since Shivam & Sheena were traveling in our car, their Swift was parked at Akashs parking. For the rest of us, this time was used to reacquaint ourselves with each other and do a luggage check. Debo had been kind enough to get walkie-talkies for all 3 vehicles and we quickly understood their nuances. It was decided that I would be the lead car followed by Akash in the middle, with the convoy ending with Debos Grand Vitara. Tanmay was missed in the convoy and all of us expressed our dismay of his absence and wished him a speedy recovery. With faint stirrings of light in the darkened skies we set off for our Epic Adventure! With Google Maps giving directions, soon we were cruising along at a steady clip till we reached Muradnagar where the road was narrowed due to Metro construction. It took a while to navigate through the traffic and move on. Since we had started early, objective was to have breakfast around 7 AM. The route we discussed before leaving was to bypass Modinagar and Meerut using the upper Ganga canal. This was a new route for me and off the highway. The road was mainly single lane and quite good. The canal was to the left of the drive. Since it was still early morning there were patches of fog on the way. Surprisingly this route is also used by trucks that led to some slow tailgating. Tractors along with sugarcane cargo were also seen early in the morning, further slowing the convoy. However, these were minor hold-ups compared to the traffic we would get on the NH. This bypass connected us to the highway just before Khatauli. Once on the highway, we started looking at good options and were lucky enough to find the Namaste Midway near Mansurpur, approx. 100kms from CWG village. The Midway boasted of a variety of cuisines, and since it was still early morning, very limited crowd. The washrooms were nice and after fresh-up, we decided to try the Naivediyam at the complex. I am strong believer of eating light, especially in road trips and I guess South Indian cuisine was a good compromise for all of us. I especially liked the spicy rasam that invigorated the blood cells. After this pit-stop, we decided to push on as we knew that Haridwar would start getting crowded as the day wore on. We reached Haridwar around 9:30 AM. My GV needed a fill-up as I had not done a tank-full the previous day. Google maps led us on a merry-go-round chase around the town while we asked the rest of the group to carry on and we would catch up. After going through a no-entry, one-way and finally speaking to a traffic cop, we were able to find a petrol pump. Post fill-up, started coordinating with the group. We were using Whatsapp live locations to help track each other. Unfortunately, the live location was not getting updated due to network issues and we had a couple of stops to understand where to meet each other. Finally, we were able to meet up at the entrance of the Cheela Dam road that goes through Rajaji Park. This road is also single lane, but quite picturesque with a lot of greenery and low traffic. These was a nice canal that was on the right for most of this drive. We did a mandatory stop to admire and take pictures around the middle of the stretch. While the weather was pleasant, Akash with his riding gear, was feeling hot at the slow areas of the drive. The 1st group photo (L to R) Shivam, Akash, Debo, Sunil, Rupa, Megha, Mira & Sheena The next part of the drive was the starting of the climb towards our 1st stopover of the journey, Rudraprayag. On route, we crossed Devprayag, which is known for the confluence of Alaknanda, Saraswati & Bhaghirathi Rivers to form the holy Ganga. This was something I was not aware of until the same was pointed out to me by Sunil. We took a photo-stop here, trying to capture the confluence; ended up taking selfies. Since was late afternoon and we wanted to reach our night halt OYO at Rudraprayag before dark, we continued to push on. Devprayag The confluence of Rivers I must mention that the onward drive was not that great. While the route was very picturesque with the climb making the drive more scenic, there were lot of bad road stretches where road repair work as well as landslide clearance was being done. Many a times, we were stuck in one-ways due to PWD clearing the roads. However, we were grateful that we did not get stuck for long periods due to such interventions. I was especially grateful to be in an SUV, which was taking the brunt of the bad roads well. With the comfort of an AWD and high ground clearance, concerns about being bogged down were non-existent and I thoroughly enjoyed the little challenges the journey offered. We reached Rudraprayag around 6 PM. The light was already fading and our OYO Hotel was a little off the beaten track, around 10kms ahead towards Kedarnath. This road was even worse with almost no tarmac and little slushy due to previous rain. Finally, after navigating this last stretch, we reached our destination for the night OYO 47291 Hotel Gauri & Restaurant. The hotel was a simple B&B, with basic amenities. There were two floors. We seemed to be the only travelers staying the night there. After selecting our rooms and settling in, we decided to meet up for a drinks and dinner. A sumptuous dinner of chicken, paneer, roti, rice, dahi and salads was ordered. We were already carrying a lot of snacks like chips and namkeen which went great with a few drinks that we had carried. This was the 1st evening we were all spending together after a long day of travel and it was a splendid affair with stories of adventure and future explorations. Plan for the next day was also discussed. Since we had seen 1st hand how there were still landslides on the route and the delay they were causing, we wanted to get an early start to reach Badrinath. I had also been in communication with our hotel at Badrinath Hotel Snow Crest, since there was news of Badrinath route being blocked. The owner, Karan, had promised to keep me informed on the situation. Last update from him was that while there is landslide blocking the route, PWD was regularly working to keep the road open. Everyday, they were clearing the road and allowing vehicles to pass, but before 5PM, since the bull-dozers would not work after dark. If we wanted to take advantage of this, we need to be at Lambagarh, the entry to Badrinath, by 2PM to ensure that we were in the line of vehicles that could be released to travel across to Badrinath. With this information, we decided that we should look at an early start, around 7PM, with breakfast at Karnprayag, which is on route. As I lay down to sleep, I couldnt help but go through the day in mind. While I had been driving since early morning with required breaks in the middle, fatigue was yet to set in. The GV handled well through the day, the ACC keeping the cabin cool and dust free. I felt quite proud of the way it trudged along with a full load up the hills with minimum fuss. Steering was not heavy to cause arm-sore and not very light so as to not enjoy the feedback. On the way, we encountered a lot of new Maruti 800s and they were tackling the terrain with ease and aplomb. This was not surprising but worth noticing. With time, I managed to wrestle with my thoughts and go to sleep. Day 2 (3rd October, 2019): Come early dawn, were woken up to the sounds of leaves rustling near the window. While the sun was yet to be seen, there was light for us to start the day. A quick bath, pack up of stuff to the cars followed by a cup of tea or coffee, we were off. One special mention was the coffee percolator carried by Debo. It was a life-saver for me. I am not much of a tea person and would be on the lookout for good coffee at every stop. Thankfully Debo carried his electric coffee percolator and was always obliging whenever we asked to raid his stash. I can confidently say that those cups of coffee gave me the much needed start to my day. With splashes of mud still caked to the fenders, we started our journey towards Badrinath around 6:30AM. Planned stop for the agenda was Karnprayag for breakfast. Another big shout out to Debo for bringing the walkie-talkies, which were immensely useful to help plan such excursions and stops. Breakfast was at Shri Krishna Palace Hotel, a lovely place by the side of the main road, overlooking the Karnaprayag Sangam of Alaknanda & Pinder River. We arrived here around 9 AM. Fresh stuffed parathas with curd and lime soda along with some aloo-puree was ordered and quickly dispatched. We took some time to see the confluence of the rivers before heading back to the next leg of the journey. Karnaprayag Sangam Karnaprayag Sangam A quick cup of tea and cold drinks near Chamoli was the next stop. This was also done so that Shivam could work on some office tasks that had suddenly cropped up. After taking a 30 mins break, we moved along towards Joshimath. The descent from Joshimath to Vishnuprayag was quite a narrow road with typical mountain curves. Here we were quite often caught behind a slow moving truck and had to find opportunities to overtake. Also, the drive was downhill, so one had to be careful. Joshimath is a beautiful town, which has the famous Auli Ropeway to travel to Auli. There is a road route to Auli that branches upwards from Joshimath. This was the route which we would be taking on return from Badrinath. Akash and his bike were already ahead of us from breakfast time and while the traffic was keeping both our GVs slightly behind schedule, we had told him and Mira to continue on their own pace, which was faster. The plan was to meet at Lambagarh, near the entry to Badrinath landslide work area around 2PM. At Joshimath, we decided to refuel and see the kind of mileage we were getting in the GVs. While I was confident that I would be getting 9-10Km/L, Debo was quite sure that we would be in mid-single digits due to the nature of the drive and low speeds during the climbs since yesterday. He was correct! On tankful calculation, his 2.4L mileage came out to 6.5km/L and mine was a shade better at 7.5 km/L. Once downhill at Vishnuprayag, at a bridge from where the uphill drive to Badrinath would commence, we found a good set of Dhabhas selling Pakoras and Maggi. It was almost 2 PM and we stopped here for lunch. The pakoras were fresh and Maggi, in your typical dhabha style was good. This was topped with some tea and coffee (Debos stash). Interestingly, Shivam found a guy selling shilajit to any customers who were stopping there. Further enquiry led to him on his way back home after selling most of the stuff in the main markets. Some interesting questions on the potency of the drug, the purity and other details, extracted by an enthusiastic Shivam, were passed onto us. We thanked the man for his time and headed onwards. Vishnuprayag On route to Badrinath Till now the weather was bright and sunny with a cool breeze accompanying us most of the way. As we moved onwards, the weather started to deteriorate with dark clouds, thunder and finally rain. The route entailed a climb back to heights. The roads here were okay but the rain made the drive slow. As we kept going up the winding road, following the river flowing in the valley below, I could not help but wonder about the landslides that we had been warned about. I was also a little concerned for Akash and Mira, as being on a bike, they must have already been drenched in the rain. Before Lambagarh, there is a small checkpoint called Govind Ghat. We were in for a surprise here. There seemed to a huge queue of vehicles, all waiting patiently in line to move towards Lambagarh and then finally Badrinath. This was around 3 PM. For a brief moment, a little bit of panic started to set in. Would we be able to reach Badrinath? Are we going to be stuck in this line? Should we turn back? By the time we debated this in the car, we realized that the queue was due to a jam in the front due to the nature of the narrow road for both side traffic flow. After a few minutes of back and forth, and we were off! However, this euphoria was short lived as we reached Lambagarh. We saw a lot of people standing on the side on the road with cars parked, all waiting expectantly. On further enquiry, it was found that the road to Badrinath is closed and the JCBs are currently ahead, trying to clear the debris, but the rain was not helping. There would be a good chance that the road will not be opened today. We decided to take the plunge and move ahead to be nearer to the action. We reached a little further up and saw that there indeed was a queue waiting to cross the stretch. There must have been at-least 30 cars up ahead, and from our place in the queue we could see the JCBs moving about, trying their best. The rain was not helping. Even our mobile networks stopped working in that area. Only BSNL network was available. While we were still able to communicate with Debos GV, right behind us, we were not able to reach Akash. With a little help from a local driver with BSNL connection, we tried calling Akash or Mira, only to be greeted with a number switched off message. The concern was had they already crossed the area and were onwards to Badrinath since they must have reached a good 2 hours before us? And if they had, how will we let them know that we were stuck on this side of the pass? Thankfully, it all worked out. 15 mins later we see this BMW bike coming back from the queue, Akash and Mira, completely drenched in the rain. A happy reunion later, we offered towels and a sit down in the cars to get their circulation back from the cold. The rain stopped in a while and we got out to stretch our legs and meet fellow travelers stuck on the road. A lot of them were going for the visit to the temple. It was now around 4 PM and the light started to fade. The overcast sky had anyways robbed the entire afternoon of the sun and temperatures continue to drop as we pulled out our jackets and sweaters to tackle the cold. Options to walk across the landslide patch and then hire some taxis waiting on the other side were explored. While there was no confirmation that we will get transport from the other side, there were questions about our luggage and more importantly leaving our cars and bike here on the side of the road. While a lot of the taxi guys this side of the pass told us that it was okay to do so, we were just not convinced. Since, the objective was to relax at Badrinath and then head to Mana village, leaving our cars did not seem to be exciting prospect. I think Debo made the decision for all of us that evening, where he clearly declared that he would not be walking to cross the pass, around a 2-3kms walk in these slippery conditions. He would be happy to stay in the car for the duration of the night and then meet us when we returned. Hence the idea to split up was rejected. Since we were due for Auli next evening, we thought maybe we could go there today and relax. It was getting dark now and we had to quickly take a decision as Auli was a good 1.5 hours away and the road from Joshimath to Auli was single lane and not well lit. Finally, at 5PM, it became clear that the pass would remain closed for the day and there would be another attempt to clear it next morning, we turned the cars around and headed back towards Auli. The idea was that we would come again next morning from Auli and try our luck for Badrinath and Mana village. With this thought in mind, when we crossed Govind Ghat, we saw a couple of B&Bs. Sunil, Akash, Sheena & Shivam were keen to explore staying here instead of going all the way to Auli and then coming back tomorrow morning. The rest of the returning cars also had the same idea and hence there ensued a race to secure accommodations in the available B&Bs. Since we were large group of 10 persons, we had a tougher time finding 5 rooms. Finally, after much searching, a decent hotel at the side of the main road was chosen. Cars were parked and stuff for the night offloaded, including the drinks and snacks. In retrospect, it was a good decision. We had been traveling since morning and the objective was also to have fun. This stop-over instead of Auli, gave us a little more time to unwind. The rooms were nice and comfortable. As the night progressed, the town shut down for the night, and the only sound that could be clearly heard was Alaknanda River, flowing downhill, close to the town. Govind Ghat is also the bifurcation point for travelling to Hemkunt Sahib & Valley of Flowers. Hence, there is a decent presence of dhabas and chai shops. Sunil and Debo were able to find a nice dhaba run by an enterprising Sikh, who was willing to get us some chicken curry, dal and rotis for dinner. We were quite hungry and ended up finishing dinner quickly. I think the chef took the make it spicy comment a little too seriously and most of us were sniffing and wiping tears from our eyes at the end of the meal. A brisk walk back and we called it a night. Since we knew that the next day clearance will not commence before 10 AM, breakfast was planned around 8 AM. Day 3 (4th October, 2019): Morning Wake-Up Call - The River behind the Hotel By habit, ended up waking early. It was a beautiful morning with clear blue skies, the first rays of the sun hitting the heavens accompanied by the sound of water gushing just behind the hotel. The icing on the cake was the view of the mountains, which had eluded us, due to overcast skies yesterday. From the main road, just in front of the hotel, one could clearly see the snow-clad mountains, reflecting the rays of the sunrise. It was indeed a beautiful sight. Everyone seemed to have slept well. Early morning enthusiasm included Shivam and Sheena meditating near the river bed and Megha going on a morning work, befriending the local canine population in the process. For me, a simple cup of Debos potent brew was enough to kick-start the day. Since we wanted to get an early start to join the line to cross into Badrinath, we packed up quickly and left towards Lambagarh. View from the Main Road in front of the Hotel @ Govind Ghat On reaching Lambagarh, we spoke to a couple of locals who had some information about the opening of the landslide. It was around 8:30 AM and most of them were confident that the roads will be cleared by 11-12 AM, but not before that. We parked our cars at the local bus/taxi stand. Debo and I took his GV further up to the point of the disruption, only to find that there was already a line of more than 50 cars, all waiting for the road to open. While cops were present and managing the situation, it became clear that we would not be able to reach Badrinath before lunch. We returned and discussed the options with the group while savouring parathas with dahi and achaar at the local tea stall near the bus stand. There would not be any point to go to Badrinath only for 2 hours and then be in a situation to get stuck again on the way back. Since we had already planned a stay at Auli, the prudent course of action would be to head to Auli and retire there for the remainder of the day. While this would entail missing out on the temple darshan and Mana Tea Stall visit, it did seem to be the most logical course of action. There were also plans to visit Gamshali today, but considering that it would be another long drive away from the current route, we decided to skip Gamshali in favour of a little R & R at Auli. Believe me, it was not an easy decision as Badrinath was one of the highlights of the trip. I was thankful that we did have a sense of solidarity amongst us to jointly approach the decision in a positive manner. Post a cup of chai/coffee, we turned the cars and bike around and headed towards Joshimath, much to the amusement of the local and other tourists. The sun was shining and it was almost 9:30 AM when we started our drive back. The drive to Joshimath including climbing uphill on a narrow road with u-turn bends in short distances. While it was fun coming down, going up, we were stuck behind some trucks that really reduced our pace. Once we reached Joshimath, I, in the lead car got a little lost while finding the way out of the city onwards to Auli. A couple of 3 pointed turns on the busy thoroughfare, I finally managed to point the car in the right direction and climb. The road from Joshimath to Auli, although motor-able in the current season, gets shut down in winters due to snow. For such weather, there is a ropeway between Auli and Joshimath that helps tourists reach the famous ski slopes. The road goes through parts of the Joshimath cantonment in the initial stages. Once we crossed that stretch, it was a narrow road which in some parts required stopped to the side to let the oncoming traffic pass. However, the road passed through some good forest areas, which looked a pristine green in the bright sunlight. This road also crosses a mountaineering (rock climbing) training area for the army and we were also able to see some ongoing training exercise, with jawans lugging their backpacks and rifles and running along the road. The last 2 kilometers of the drive to Garwah Mandal Vikas Nigam Rest House (GMVM) was on gravel. Since it was daytime, the visibility really helped navigate this path. Im sure it would have been very difficult to traverse this stretch at night. Our destination for the night was Blue Poppy Resorts, right adjacent to the GMVN property which housed the ropeway from Joshimath and is also home to the Mountaineering and Skiing Institute. The GMVN property boasts of the ski-lift to the slopes of Auli, which I believe are quite the rage in winters, with international standard ski-slopes. The Blue Poppy resort appeal was log cabins with modern amenities and an uninterrupted view of the Trishul and Nanda Devi range, in clear skies. After navigating the last few kilometers of the gravel road, we reached our destination. The way into the resort was via stairs on the hillside, a fairly steep climb for all of us. We parked at the bottom of the stairs while Akash and Mira went ahead to start check-in process. Thankfully, the Resort deputed few bell-boys to help take our luggage up the stairs to each of our log huts, because on our own, it would have been an arduous affair. Since we had already made reservation, the check-in process was quite smooth and very soon we were relaxing in our log cabins. Auli - The Car Parking In total there seemed to be around 10 12 cabins, with 5 of them occupied by us and a few occupied by other travelers. While the cabins were nice and cozy, all of them were facing the majestic mountain range. Unfortunately, by the time we had settled in, the sky became overcast and clouds had obscured the view. Every now and then, we would get a glimpse of the same. Since it was good two hours before lunch, we decided to go little exploring around us. The GMVN resort and the barren ski slopes looked interesting. The local boys at the resort also recommended the ski-lift to the top of the hill to enjoy the view further. The View from the Rooms Cloudy with dash of Heaven! With the weather turning dark, we decided to quickly move. Mira, Sheena, Megha, Me & Shivam decided to head to the ski lift and then trek a little around the slopes. The ski-lift experience was a 1st time experience for me. It was exhilarating. There were 4 seats per chair and all of it was open. You were held back a basic iron bar on the metal sofa. While the contraption looked very basic, it apparently worked. The lift slowly builds up speed and then it accelerates quite well, leaving you with a queasy feeling in the pit of your stomach. The lift charges are Rs. 500 for a round trip. The lift really help us get a view of the surrounding area and also gave a view of the magnificence of the ski-slopes. I just wondered how amazing it would look covered in snow, when it looked so good without any. The Ski Lift Upward Ho! A View of the Ski Slopes The ski-lift has two stops and we got down on the 1st one and not on the last point of the slope. There were glass huts around the areas to sit down and see the slopes. These were very useful as it helped shelter us from the strong winds and cold and allowed us to take in the view. We spent the next hour going walking through the slopes and getting in touch with nature. There were a few tourists who were also present, by virtue of staying at GMVN Rest House, but largely the place was deserted. As time passed by, it started to drizzle, prompting us to find the local GMVN canteen on the slope for some chai and maggi. Theres something magical about the rain pattering on the tin roof, the cold wind blowing through the door, a hot cup of coffee and maggi. The Courageous Explorers One of the Glass Hut A Rainbow after the rain stopped Once the rain stopped, we got back to the resort. Since it was lunch time, food was ordered from the kitchen. Chicken curry was bought from the GMVN Rest House as our kitchen was vegetarian. It started raining and stopped just before our lunch arrived. Post lunch the weather was still cold and wet and hence we decided to take some rest. This was the 1st day in the journey where we were not going anywhere post lunch. The rest of the day went lazing around, having a look at the view and sipping some drink or the other. Sunil, Rupa & Akash indulged in some bird-watching with binoculars. I just used them to look at the mountain range in close up. A few of the local canine population was also spoilt by all of us, since most of us were dog lovers. Dinner was served in a log restaurant in buffet style. The fare was simple. As night progressed, the temperature kept dropping and last I remember, before drifting off to bed, was around 3 degrees. Thank God for the warm quilts, blower and innerwear! Thankfully, by late evening the skies had clear and we had a pristine view of the night sky. For someone from Delhi, to get to see the stars in their splendour and twinkle is always mesmerizing. It truly makes you wonder your place in the universe! Since we were at the absolute edge of the mountain, the view was unrestricted. Megha, if I recall correctly, had gone to sleep looking at the night sky only to be woken up by the cold to get back to her cabin. Such was the allure of the night sky that night. Next day plan was to reach Lansdowne. It was also Shivams birthday. Mira and I visited to their cabin at midnight to offer our best wishes. Since we were not able to get cake for him, the resort was able to give us hot Gulab Jamuns, a much better substitute! Day 4 (5th October, 2019): As usual, woke up early, with the incentive of seeing the sunrise against the Nanda Devi mountain range. Got a pleasant surprise to see a small bird perched on the large window from outside the cabin. I guess it was attracted to its reflection as it did not see us moving inside the cabin. Just like a silent spectator to us humans getting out of bed. By the time we were up and ready, the sunlight had started reflecting off the snow clad mountains. The visibility was excellent. The View of the Nanda Devi Range We packed quickly as today journey was a long stretch with almost 10 hours of driving expected to Lansdown. Since we knew that a large part of the drive was downhill, we were confident to making good time. Breakfast was a simple affair at the restaurant and with all our packs, we pushed off. Last look at the Mountains before leaving Auli The drive retraced our route via Karnprayag and Rudraprayag. The sun was shining and traffic was minimal and we made good time. Lunch was taken on a small highway hotel after Rudraprayag. While going through Google Maps during lunch, we realized that the route via Srinagar seemed to have some traffic. There was an alternate route being suggested via Khirsu, rejoining SH 534 at Nisni. This was similar in distance to the NH 7 route via Srinagar. With some time on our side, we decided to go via this route. As we entered the split on the road towards Khirsu, we could see a single lane road with a steep climb. Since I was the lead car, there was a little hesitation, but after some confidence boosting from Shivam, decided to take the plunge. They say fortune favours the brave! It was fortunate that we decided to take this road. While it was a narrow road, it was well maintained under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna. The drive took us climbing the hills and then bringing us down to Nishnee. This, I can safely say, was the best drive experience of this trip. The beauty of the greenery around us as we climbed on was mesmerizing. You could not do high speeds owning to the nature of the road and frequent curves. However, what was enjoyable was slotting the GV in 3rd, modulating the accelerator with minimum use of brakes, and taking those corners in well-defined line. It was so much fun! The Best Road of the Trip Much to my consternation, this was the place Shivam wanted to get behind the wheel of the GV. Since I know him to be good driver, I obliged, with some advice on how to drive on these hills. Both hill driving and handling a petrol SUV was a new experience for him. But to his credit, he picked up the nuances quickly and started to enjoy the power and all-wheel drive traction that the GV offers over his Swift. I remember we changed the music in the car from EDM/trance to Punjabi to make Shivam feel more at ease behind the wheel. Somewhere after Khirsu we stopped for tea at an OYO Rooms hotel. This was a new property and there were a few tourists staying there. The location of this hotel was right in the middle of wilderness and the appeal was for those tourists from Delhi NCR who wanted an off the beaten track relaxing experience. It has been almost 3 years since I bought my pre-owned Grand Vitara home. While I have been on many trips with it, namely close by places like Jim Corbett National Park, Nainital, Jaipur & not so close places of Lucknow & Allahabad, the thirst for further taking it on even longer routes remained.This August, we planned an all guys trip to Sach Pass. The entire itinerary was planned to cover quite a few places of the Spiti area, touching base at Pathankot and coming down via Manali. However, the government had other plans and 2 weeks before heading out for this trip, Article 370 was revoked in J&K, leading to curfew, which made it unsafe to drive around that area. So the plan was shelved, with hope that maybe we do the whole Spiti circuit at the beginning of Oct.September beginning, a colleague from office purchased a BMW GS 750 bike. He is an avid traveler and has been to a lot of places around India, both on two legs and two wheels. He initiated the idea of a trip to Mana Pass, upwards of Badrinath, in the beginning of Oct19.Since I was already in talks with a couple of other Grand Vitara owners to re-look at the shelved Spiti trip, this plan was tabled to the group. After a couple of clarities on the dates, the trip began to firm up from an idea to a semblance of a plan.However, one fly in the ointment was the permissions to go to Mana Pass. As informed, there is need of a local government pass by SDM and then an Army pass for travelers to move into the Mana Pass area, which is controlled by the armed forces. Unfortunately, due to continued heightened security, clearance for traveling to Mana Pass was not given to us.Even with this setback, it was clear that we will still go ahead with the trip and maybe add a few destinations to compensate for the loss of days.Starting point was Commonwealth Games Village as it was central to everybody.Since this was the 1st time everyone was traveling as a group and introductions were only made on Whatsapp, it was decided that all of us meet a week prior to the departure to have lunch and drinks to get acquainted. This meet was held in CP. Almost everyone came for the trip and amid the tasty lunch and chilled drinks, the group got to know each other. It turned out, almost everyone had good travel experiences with lots of adventurous anecdotes that can fill a couple of chapters. It was heartening to know that like-minded people were traveling together, and Im sure after this meeting, a sigh of relief must have left our collective bosoms.This meeting also entailed discussing the provisions that we needed to carry in terms of food and drink, any critical spares, utilities as well as wardrobe management so that we are prepared for the changes in weather. The weather was predicted to be fickle with rains expected in Badrinath area, Auli was expected to be cold at sub 8 degrees and Lansdown to be pleasant.Since Akash had done this circuit many years ago, he was kind enough to give us some morsels of motivation with some highlights of what to expect in terms of drive, scenic beauty, etc. We also discussed the accommodation arrangements as well as potential halts in the journey. With the bedrock of questions answered and accounted for, we split up with promises to meet at 5 AM on the 2nd of October at CWG apartments, to begin the adventure.Im sure youll agree that taking a 4-5 days vacation from office, always creates some anxiety on the last day of work. While you might have taken approvals to travel already, there is always this fear that something might crop up that might lead to cancellation of the trip. If not that, since everyone will know that you will be out of office for a couple of days, the urge to complete next week assignments, approvals, dust off old projects, all cumulate on the last day, making the already longer day much more difficult to manage.Thankfully, since 3 of us were from the same office, we managed to motivate each other and gets things wrapped up quickly. After ensuring that all critical tasks were either delegated, completed or shelved, I decided to head home to pack.Since we were not bringing our 6 year daughter along, we also had to drop her off at my in-laws place. While it was a heart wrenching decision to leave her out of the trip, we also knew that the distances themselves would get very annoying and exhausting for her. Which in turn, would also affect our mood during the trip. After completing this hand-off and saying good-byes to her and my in-laws, we reached home to finish our packing and turn in for the night.Around this time we received news from Tanmay that he was unwell and might not be able to make it for the trip. Man proposed and God disposes was the first thing that came to my mind. All of us on the group wished him a speedy recovery and rest so that he may be able to make it for the trip. Offers to drive his car while he rested, have lots of drinks to clear his infections and other helpful suggestions were doled out. Finally, the option was left to next morning, when, if Tanmay was feeling better, he would join us, else we would proceed as planned without him. Thankfully, we did not have passengers in Tanmays car to move around, as that would have created another set of problems.With the essentials for the trip, including cold weather clothing, food, drinks and other paraphernalia all packed in, we decided to turn in for the night. Next day departure was planned at 4:30 AM, as we were all meeting at 5:30 AM at Akashs place, at CWG village apartments.Im sure many of you have felt this. When youre anxious and eager to get out of the house early, you end up waking up much before the scheduled alarm. With the excitement of the trip reaching crescendo, I got up early 3 AM and started to get ready.It was during this early morning time when we got a message from Tanmay that he will not be able to join us as his condition had not improved.It was pitch dark outside when we loaded the luggage in the car at around 4:30 AM. Distributing the water and other knick-knacks into the various cubby holes that the Grand Vitara offers, getting the ever important mobile phone charger, holder and playlist ready took another 10 minutes before we set off to meet the gang.We reached the rendezvous point around 5:00 where Akash was already waiting outside the apartment complex, giving the final touches to his packing on the BMW 750 GS. In the next few minutes Debo arrived with his family followed by Shivam & Sheena. Since Shivam & Sheena were traveling in our car, their Swift was parked at Akashs parking. For the rest of us, this time was used to reacquaint ourselves with each other and do a luggage check.Debo had been kind enough to get walkie-talkies for all 3 vehicles and we quickly understood their nuances. It was decided that I would be the lead car followed by Akash in the middle, with the convoy ending with Debos Grand Vitara. Tanmay was missed in the convoy and all of us expressed our dismay of his absence and wished him a speedy recovery.With faint stirrings of light in the darkened skies we set off for our Epic Adventure! With Google Maps giving directions, soon we were cruising along at a steady clip till we reached Muradnagar where the road was narrowed due to Metro construction. It took a while to navigate through the traffic and move on.Since we had started early, objective was to have breakfast around 7 AM. The route we discussed before leaving was to bypass Modinagar and Meerut using the upper Ganga canal. This was a new route for me and off the highway. The road was mainly single lane and quite good. The canal was to the left of the drive. Since it was still early morning there were patches of fog on the way. Surprisingly this route is also used by trucks that led to some slow tailgating. Tractors along with sugarcane cargo were also seen early in the morning, further slowing the convoy. However, these were minor hold-ups compared to the traffic we would get on the NH.This bypass connected us to the highway just before Khatauli. Once on the highway, we started looking at good options and were lucky enough to find the Namaste Midway near Mansurpur, approx. 100kms from CWG village. The Midway boasted of a variety of cuisines, and since it was still early morning, very limited crowd. The washrooms were nice and after fresh-up, we decided to try the Naivediyam at the complex. I am strong believer of eating light, especially in road trips and I guess South Indian cuisine was a good compromise for all of us. I especially liked the spicy rasam that invigorated the blood cells.After this pit-stop, we decided to push on as we knew that Haridwar would start getting crowded as the day wore on. We reached Haridwar around 9:30 AM. My GV needed a fill-up as I had not done a tank-full the previous day. Google maps led us on a merry-go-round chase around the town while we asked the rest of the group to carry on and we would catch up. After going through a no-entry, one-way and finally speaking to a traffic cop, we were able to find a petrol pump.Post fill-up, started coordinating with the group. We were using Whatsapp live locations to help track each other. Unfortunately, the live location was not getting updated due to network issues and we had a couple of stops to understand where to meet each other. Finally, we were able to meet up at the entrance of the Cheela Dam road that goes through Rajaji Park. This road is also single lane, but quite picturesque with a lot of greenery and low traffic. These was a nice canal that was on the right for most of this drive. We did a mandatory stop to admire and take pictures around the middle of the stretch. While the weather was pleasant, Akash with his riding gear, was feeling hot at the slow areas of the drive.The next part of the drive was the starting of the climb towards our 1st stopover of the journey, Rudraprayag. On route, we crossed Devprayag, which is known for the confluence of Alaknanda, Saraswati & Bhaghirathi Rivers to form the holy Ganga. This was something I was not aware of until the same was pointed out to me by Sunil. We took a photo-stop here, trying to capture the confluence; ended up taking selfies. Since was late afternoon and we wanted to reach our night halt OYO at Rudraprayag before dark, we continued to push on.I must mention that the onward drive was not that great. While the route was very picturesque with the climb making the drive more scenic, there were lot of bad road stretches where road repair work as well as landslide clearance was being done. Many a times, we were stuck in one-ways due to PWD clearing the roads. However, we were grateful that we did not get stuck for long periods due to such interventions. I was especially grateful to be in an SUV, which was taking the brunt of the bad roads well. With the comfort of an AWD and high ground clearance, concerns about being bogged down were non-existent and I thoroughly enjoyed the little challenges the journey offered.We reached Rudraprayag around 6 PM. The light was already fading and our OYO Hotel was a little off the beaten track, around 10kms ahead towards Kedarnath. This road was even worse with almost no tarmac and little slushy due to previous rain. Finally, after navigating this last stretch, we reached our destination for the night OYO 47291 Hotel Gauri & Restaurant.The hotel was a simple B&B, with basic amenities. There were two floors. We seemed to be the only travelers staying the night there. After selecting our rooms and settling in, we decided to meet up for a drinks and dinner. A sumptuous dinner of chicken, paneer, roti, rice, dahi and salads was ordered. We were already carrying a lot of snacks like chips and namkeen which went great with a few drinks that we had carried. This was the 1st evening we were all spending together after a long day of travel and it was a splendid affair with stories of adventure and future explorations.Plan for the next day was also discussed. Since we had seen 1st hand how there were still landslides on the route and the delay they were causing, we wanted to get an early start to reach Badrinath. I had also been in communication with our hotel at Badrinath Hotel Snow Crest, since there was news of Badrinath route being blocked. The owner, Karan, had promised to keep me informed on the situation. Last update from him was that while there is landslide blocking the route, PWD was regularly working to keep the road open. Everyday, they were clearing the road and allowing vehicles to pass, but before 5PM, since the bull-dozers would not work after dark. If we wanted to take advantage of this, we need to be at Lambagarh, the entry to Badrinath, by 2PM to ensure that we were in the line of vehicles that could be released to travel across to Badrinath. With this information, we decided that we should look at an early start, around 7PM, with breakfast at Karnprayag, which is on route.As I lay down to sleep, I couldnt help but go through the day in mind. While I had been driving since early morning with required breaks in the middle, fatigue was yet to set in. The GV handled well through the day, the ACC keeping the cabin cool and dust free. I felt quite proud of the way it trudged along with a full load up the hills with minimum fuss. Steering was not heavy to cause arm-sore and not very light so as to not enjoy the feedback. On the way, we encountered a lot of new Maruti 800s and they were tackling the terrain with ease and aplomb. This was not surprising but worth noticing. With time, I managed to wrestle with my thoughts and go to sleep.Come early dawn, were woken up to the sounds of leaves rustling near the window. While the sun was yet to be seen, there was light for us to start the day. A quick bath, pack up of stuff to the cars followed by a cup of tea or coffee, we were off.One special mention was the coffee percolator carried by Debo. It was a life-saver for me. I am not much of a tea person and would be on the lookout for good coffee at every stop. Thankfully Debo carried his electric coffee percolator and was always obliging whenever we asked to raid his stash. I can confidently say that those cups of coffee gave me the much needed start to my day.With splashes of mud still caked to the fenders, we started our journey towards Badrinath around 6:30AM. Planned stop for the agenda was Karnprayag for breakfast. Another big shout out to Debo for bringing the walkie-talkies, which were immensely useful to help plan such excursions and stops.Breakfast was at Shri Krishna Palace Hotel, a lovely place by the side of the main road, overlooking the Karnaprayag Sangam of Alaknanda & Pinder River. We arrived here around 9 AM. Fresh stuffed parathas with curd and lime soda along with some aloo-puree was ordered and quickly dispatched. We took some time to see the confluence of the rivers before heading back to the next leg of the journey.A quick cup of tea and cold drinks near Chamoli was the next stop. This was also done so that Shivam could work on some office tasks that had suddenly cropped up. After taking a 30 mins break, we moved along towards Joshimath. The descent from Joshimath to Vishnuprayag was quite a narrow road with typical mountain curves. Here we were quite often caught behind a slow moving truck and had to find opportunities to overtake. Also, the drive was downhill, so one had to be careful. Joshimath is a beautiful town, which has the famous Auli Ropeway to travel to Auli. There is a road route to Auli that branches upwards from Joshimath. This was the route which we would be taking on return from Badrinath. Akash and his bike were already ahead of us from breakfast time and while the traffic was keeping both our GVs slightly behind schedule, we had told him and Mira to continue on their own pace, which was faster. The plan was to meet at Lambagarh, near the entry to Badrinath landslide work area around 2PM.At Joshimath, we decided to refuel and see the kind of mileage we were getting in the GVs. While I was confident that I would be getting 9-10Km/L, Debo was quite sure that we would be in mid-single digits due to the nature of the drive and low speeds during the climbs since yesterday. He was correct! On tankful calculation, his 2.4L mileage came out to 6.5km/L and mine was a shade better at 7.5 km/L. Once downhill at Vishnuprayag, at a bridge from where the uphill drive to Badrinath would commence, we found a good set of Dhabhas selling Pakoras and Maggi. It was almost 2 PM and we stopped here for lunch. The pakoras were fresh and Maggi, in your typical dhabha style was good. This was topped with some tea and coffee (Debos stash). Interestingly, Shivam found a guy selling shilajit to any customers who were stopping there. Further enquiry led to him on his way back home after selling most of the stuff in the main markets. Some interesting questions on the potency of the drug, the purity and other details, extracted by an enthusiastic Shivam, were passed onto us. We thanked the man for his time and headed onwards.Till now the weather was bright and sunny with a cool breeze accompanying us most of the way. As we moved onwards, the weather started to deteriorate with dark clouds, thunder and finally rain. The route entailed a climb back to heights. The roads here were okay but the rain made the drive slow. As we kept going up the winding road, following the river flowing in the valley below, I could not help but wonder about the landslides that we had been warned about. I was also a little concerned for Akash and Mira, as being on a bike, they must have already been drenched in the rain.Before Lambagarh, there is a small checkpoint called Govind Ghat. We were in for a surprise here. There seemed to a huge queue of vehicles, all waiting patiently in line to move towards Lambagarh and then finally Badrinath. This was around 3 PM. For a brief moment, a little bit of panic started to set in. Would we be able to reach Badrinath? Are we going to be stuck in this line? Should we turn back? By the time we debated this in the car, we realized that the queue was due to a jam in the front due to the nature of the narrow road for both side traffic flow. After a few minutes of back and forth, and we were off!However, this euphoria was short lived as we reached Lambagarh. We saw a lot of people standing on the side on the road with cars parked, all waiting expectantly. On further enquiry, it was found that the road to Badrinath is closed and the JCBs are currently ahead, trying to clear the debris, but the rain was not helping. There would be a good chance that the road will not be opened today.We decided to take the plunge and move ahead to be nearer to the action. We reached a little further up and saw that there indeed was a queue waiting to cross the stretch. There must have been at-least 30 cars up ahead, and from our place in the queue we could see the JCBs moving about, trying their best. The rain was not helping. Even our mobile networks stopped working in that area. Only BSNL network was available. While we were still able to communicate with Debos GV, right behind us, we were not able to reach Akash. With a little help from a local driver with BSNL connection, we tried calling Akash or Mira, only to be greeted with a number switched off message. The concern was had they already crossed the area and were onwards to Badrinath since they must have reached a good 2 hours before us? And if they had, how will we let them know that we were stuck on this side of the pass?Thankfully, it all worked out. 15 mins later we see this BMW bike coming back from the queue, Akash and Mira, completely drenched in the rain. A happy reunion later, we offered towels and a sit down in the cars to get their circulation back from the cold. The rain stopped in a while and we got out to stretch our legs and meet fellow travelers stuck on the road. A lot of them were going for the visit to the temple. It was now around 4 PM and the light started to fade. The overcast sky had anyways robbed the entire afternoon of the sun and temperatures continue to drop as we pulled out our jackets and sweaters to tackle the cold.Options to walk across the landslide patch and then hire some taxis waiting on the other side were explored. While there was no confirmation that we will get transport from the other side, there were questions about our luggage and more importantly leaving our cars and bike here on the side of the road. While a lot of the taxi guys this side of the pass told us that it was okay to do so, we were just not convinced. Since, the objective was to relax at Badrinath and then head to Mana village, leaving our cars did not seem to be exciting prospect. I think Debo made the decision for all of us that evening, where he clearly declared that he would not be walking to cross the pass, around a 2-3kms walk in these slippery conditions. He would be happy to stay in the car for the duration of the night and then meet us when we returned. Hence the idea to split up was rejected. Since we were due for Auli next evening, we thought maybe we could go there today and relax. It was getting dark now and we had to quickly take a decision as Auli was a good 1.5 hours away and the road from Joshimath to Auli was single lane and not well lit.Finally, at 5PM, it became clear that the pass would remain closed for the day and there would be another attempt to clear it next morning, we turned the cars around and headed back towards Auli. The idea was that we would come again next morning from Auli and try our luck for Badrinath and Mana village. With this thought in mind, when we crossed Govind Ghat, we saw a couple of B&Bs. Sunil, Akash, Sheena & Shivam were keen to explore staying here instead of going all the way to Auli and then coming back tomorrow morning. The rest of the returning cars also had the same idea and hence there ensued a race to secure accommodations in the available B&Bs. Since we were large group of 10 persons, we had a tougher time finding 5 rooms. Finally, after much searching, a decent hotel at the side of the main road was chosen. Cars were parked and stuff for the night offloaded, including the drinks and snacks.In retrospect, it was a good decision. We had been traveling since morning and the objective was also to have fun. This stop-over instead of Auli, gave us a little more time to unwind. The rooms were nice and comfortable. As the night progressed, the town shut down for the night, and the only sound that could be clearly heard was Alaknanda River, flowing downhill, close to the town. Govind Ghat is also the bifurcation point for travelling to Hemkunt Sahib & Valley of Flowers. Hence, there is a decent presence of dhabas and chai shops. Sunil and Debo were able to find a nice dhaba run by an enterprising Sikh, who was willing to get us some chicken curry, dal and rotis for dinner. We were quite hungry and ended up finishing dinner quickly. I think the chef took the make it spicy comment a little too seriously and most of us were sniffing and wiping tears from our eyes at the end of the meal. A brisk walk back and we called it a night. Since we knew that the next day clearance will not commence before 10 AM, breakfast was planned around 8 AM.By habit, ended up waking early. It was a beautiful morning with clear blue skies, the first rays of the sun hitting the heavens accompanied by the sound of water gushing just behind the hotel. The icing on the cake was the view of the mountains, which had eluded us, due to overcast skies yesterday. From the main road, just in front of the hotel, one could clearly see the snow-clad mountains, reflecting the rays of the sunrise. It was indeed a beautiful sight. Everyone seemed to have slept well. Early morning enthusiasm included Shivam and Sheena meditating near the river bed and Megha going on a morning work, befriending the local canine population in the process. For me, a simple cup of Debos potent brew was enough to kick-start the day. Since we wanted to get an early start to join the line to cross into Badrinath, we packed up quickly and left towards Lambagarh.On reaching Lambagarh, we spoke to a couple of locals who had some information about the opening of the landslide. It was around 8:30 AM and most of them were confident that the roads will be cleared by 11-12 AM, but not before that. We parked our cars at the local bus/taxi stand. Debo and I took his GV further up to the point of the disruption, only to find that there was already a line of more than 50 cars, all waiting for the road to open. While cops were present and managing the situation, it became clear that we would not be able to reach Badrinath before lunch. We returned and discussed the options with the group while savouring parathas with dahi and achaar at the local tea stall near the bus stand. There would not be any point to go to Badrinath only for 2 hours and then be in a situation to get stuck again on the way back. Since we had already planned a stay at Auli, the prudent course of action would be to head to Auli and retire there for the remainder of the day. While this would entail missing out on the temple darshan and Mana Tea Stall visit, it did seem to be the most logical course of action. There were also plans to visit Gamshali today, but considering that it would be another long drive away from the current route, we decided to skip Gamshali in favour of a little R & R at Auli.Believe me, it was not an easy decision as Badrinath was one of the highlights of the trip. I was thankful that we did have a sense of solidarity amongst us to jointly approach the decision in a positive manner. Post a cup of chai/coffee, we turned the cars and bike around and headed towards Joshimath, much to the amusement of the local and other tourists. The sun was shining and it was almost 9:30 AM when we started our drive back.The drive to Joshimath including climbing uphill on a narrow road with u-turn bends in short distances. While it was fun coming down, going up, we were stuck behind some trucks that really reduced our pace. Once we reached Joshimath, I, in the lead car got a little lost while finding the way out of the city onwards to Auli. A couple of 3 pointed turns on the busy thoroughfare, I finally managed to point the car in the right direction and climb. The road from Joshimath to Auli, although motor-able in the current season, gets shut down in winters due to snow. For such weather, there is a ropeway between Auli and Joshimath that helps tourists reach the famous ski slopes. The road goes through parts of the Joshimath cantonment in the initial stages. Once we crossed that stretch, it was a narrow road which in some parts required stopped to the side to let the oncoming traffic pass. However, the road passed through some good forest areas, which looked a pristine green in the bright sunlight. This road also crosses a mountaineering (rock climbing) training area for the army and we were also able to see some ongoing training exercise, with jawans lugging their backpacks and rifles and running along the road. The last 2 kilometers of the drive to Garwah Mandal Vikas Nigam Rest House (GMVM) was on gravel. Since it was daytime, the visibility really helped navigate this path. Im sure it would have been very difficult to traverse this stretch at night.Our destination for the night was Blue Poppy Resorts, right adjacent to the GMVN property which housed the ropeway from Joshimath and is also home to the Mountaineering and Skiing Institute. The GMVN property boasts of the ski-lift to the slopes of Auli, which I believe are quite the rage in winters, with international standard ski-slopes. The Blue Poppy resort appeal was log cabins with modern amenities and an uninterrupted view of the Trishul and Nanda Devi range, in clear skies.After navigating the last few kilometers of the gravel road, we reached our destination. The way into the resort was via stairs on the hillside, a fairly steep climb for all of us. We parked at the bottom of the stairs while Akash and Mira went ahead to start check-in process. Thankfully, the Resort deputed few bell-boys to help take our luggage up the stairs to each of our log huts, because on our own, it would have been an arduous affair. Since we had already made reservation, the check-in process was quite smooth and very soon we were relaxing in our log cabins.In total there seemed to be around 10 12 cabins, with 5 of them occupied by us and a few occupied by other travelers. While the cabins were nice and cozy, all of them were facing the majestic mountain range. Unfortunately, by the time we had settled in, the sky became overcast and clouds had obscured the view. Every now and then, we would get a glimpse of the same. Since it was good two hours before lunch, we decided to go little exploring around us. The GMVN resort and the barren ski slopes looked interesting. The local boys at the resort also recommended the ski-lift to the top of the hill to enjoy the view further.With the weather turning dark, we decided to quickly move. Mira, Sheena, Megha, Me & Shivam decided to head to the ski lift and then trek a little around the slopes. The ski-lift experience was a 1st time experience for me. It was exhilarating. There were 4 seats per chair and all of it was open. You were held back a basic iron bar on the metal sofa. While the contraption looked very basic, it apparently worked. The lift slowly builds up speed and then it accelerates quite well, leaving you with a queasy feeling in the pit of your stomach. The lift charges are Rs. 500 for a round trip. The lift really help us get a view of the surrounding area and also gave a view of the magnificence of the ski-slopes. I just wondered how amazing it would look covered in snow, when it looked so good without any.The ski-lift has two stops and we got down on the 1st one and not on the last point of the slope. There were glass huts around the areas to sit down and see the slopes. These were very useful as it helped shelter us from the strong winds and cold and allowed us to take in the view. We spent the next hour going walking through the slopes and getting in touch with nature. There were a few tourists who were also present, by virtue of staying at GMVN Rest House, but largely the place was deserted. As time passed by, it started to drizzle, prompting us to find the local GMVN canteen on the slope for some chai and maggi. Theres something magical about the rain pattering on the tin roof, the cold wind blowing through the door, a hot cup of coffee and maggi.Once the rain stopped, we got back to the resort. Since it was lunch time, food was ordered from the kitchen. Chicken curry was bought from the GMVN Rest House as our kitchen was vegetarian. It started raining and stopped just before our lunch arrived. Post lunch the weather was still cold and wet and hence we decided to take some rest. This was the 1st day in the journey where we were not going anywhere post lunch. The rest of the day went lazing around, having a look at the view and sipping some drink or the other. Sunil, Rupa & Akash indulged in some bird-watching with binoculars. I just used them to look at the mountain range in close up. A few of the local canine population was also spoilt by all of us, since most of us were dog lovers. Dinner was served in a log restaurant in buffet style. The fare was simple. As night progressed, the temperature kept dropping and last I remember, before drifting off to bed, was around 3 degrees. Thank God for the warm quilts, blower and innerwear!Thankfully, by late evening the skies had clear and we had a pristine view of the night sky. For someone from Delhi, to get to see the stars in their splendour and twinkle is always mesmerizing. It truly makes you wonder your place in the universe! Since we were at the absolute edge of the mountain, the view was unrestricted. Megha, if I recall correctly, had gone to sleep looking at the night sky only to be woken up by the cold to get back to her cabin. Such was the allure of the night sky that night.Next day plan was to reach Lansdowne. It was also Shivams birthday. Mira and I visited to their cabin at midnight to offer our best wishes. Since we were not able to get cake for him, the resort was able to give us hot Gulab Jamuns, a much better substitute!As usual, woke up early, with the incentive of seeing the sunrise against the Nanda Devi mountain range. Got a pleasant surprise to see a small bird perched on the large window from outside the cabin. I guess it was attracted to its reflection as it did not see us moving inside the cabin. Just like a silent spectator to us humans getting out of bed. By the time we were up and ready, the sunlight had started reflecting off the snow clad mountains. The visibility was excellent.We packed quickly as today journey was a long stretch with almost 10 hours of driving expected to Lansdown. Since we knew that a large part of the drive was downhill, we were confident to making good time. Breakfast was a simple affair at the restaurant and with all our packs, we pushed off.The drive retraced our route via Karnprayag and Rudraprayag. The sun was shining and traffic was minimal and we made good time. Lunch was taken on a small highway hotel after Rudraprayag. While going through Google Maps during lunch, we realized that the route via Srinagar seemed to have some traffic. There was an alternate route being suggested via Khirsu, rejoining SH 534 at Nisni. This was similar in distance to the NH 7 route via Srinagar. With some time on our side, we decided to go via this route.As we entered the split on the road towards Khirsu, we could see a single lane road with a steep climb. Since I was the lead car, there was a little hesitation, but after some confidence boosting from Shivam, decided to take the plunge. They say fortune favours the brave! It was fortunate that we decided to take this road. While it was a narrow road, it was well maintained under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna. The drive took us climbing the hills and then bringing us down to Nishnee.This, I can safely say, was the best drive experience of this trip. The beauty of the greenery around us as we climbed on was mesmerizing. You could not do high speeds owning to the nature of the road and frequent curves. However, what was enjoyable was slotting the GV in 3rd, modulating the accelerator with minimum use of brakes, and taking those corners in well-defined line. It was so much fun!Much to my consternation, this was the place Shivam wanted to get behind the wheel of the GV. Since I know him to be good driver, I obliged, with some advice on how to drive on these hills. Both hill driving and handling a petrol SUV was a new experience for him. But to his credit, he picked up the nuances quickly and started to enjoy the power and all-wheel drive traction that the GV offers over his Swift. I remember we changed the music in the car from EDM/trance to Punjabi to make Shivam feel more at ease behind the wheel.Somewhere after Khirsu we stopped for tea at an OYO Rooms hotel. This was a new property and there were a few tourists staying there. The location of this hotel was right in the middle of wilderness and the appeal was for those tourists from Delhi NCR who wanted an off the beaten track relaxing experience. Last edited by prateekswarup : 25th April 2020 at 13:28 . KAMPALA All the 2,255 samples tested on Monday April 27 by the Uganda Research Institute turned out negative, the Ministry of Health has announced. This means that the total number of confirmed Covid-19 cases remain 79 and no death has been registered yet. According the statement from the MoH, 319 samples were from the community while 2238 samples were of truck drivers at the boarder points of entry. 18 confirmed cases are under treatment in stable condition in different hospitals. Two are at Mulago Hospital, nine at Entebbe Hospital, four at Arua Regional Referral Hospital, one at Jinja Regional Referral Hospital, one at Masaka Regional Referral Hospital, and one at Kabale Regional Referral Hospital, the statement reads in part. The statement signed by Dr. Henry Mwebesa, the Director General Health Services at MoU, further explains that the total of 47 patients who have since recovered from COVID-19 have been discharged from hospital. Out of the confirmed foreign truck drivers, eight Tanzanian and six Kenyan have returned to their respective countries. President Museveni is expected to address the country on Tuesday April 28, to ease lockdown restrictions. Related By Express News Service BENGALURU: Despite the government making it clear that migrant workers should not be evicted or harassed during these trying times, labourers including women from West Bengal living in shanties in Thubarahalli in Varthur police station limits were allegedly attacked by the goons of their landlord on Saturday. The landlord, angered after the workers sought a deferment of rent, blamed the women for not maintaining social distancing and his associates allegedly assaulted them. It is alleged that the incident took place after the women had queued up to fill water from a tanker. Their landlord, who came to the spot, abused the women saying they could spread the coronavirus. Later, his associates assaulted several women including a pregnant woman, identified as Ismat Tara, and ransacked some sheds. The tiff between the migrants and the landlord had been lingering for a while and the workers alleged that attempts to evict them were not new. This is the third time we are being attacked. Earlier, we were assaulted twice in a span of 15 days, said Nooraine, adding that the landlord asked them to vacate the place in another five days. The women have also approached an organisation that works for labour rights to help them.Police said the incident took place on Saturday afternoon. The women have accused the landlord of beating them up. However, no one has filed any compliant in connection with the incident. As a precautionary measure, police have been deployed there to ensure that the workers are not put into hardship, an officer of Varthur police station said.There have been disputes between the residents and the land owner, the officer added. Sajal Bhuiyan, the Narsingdi district correspondent for SA Television was punched, kicked and beaten by men wielding batons while collecting information on the alleged relief rice embezzlement in Bangladesh. The International Federation of Journalists condemns the attack and urge authorities to hold the perpetrators accountable. Sacks of rice seized by authorities during investigations in Bangladesh Credit: Dhaka Tribune Sajal was brutally assaultedwhile investigating Amirganj Union Parishad chairman, Nasir Uddin Khans alleged embezzlement of rice in Narsingdi, 50km north-east of Dhaka on April 23. Reports allege Khan misappropriated public rice marked for distribution as part of the Bangladesh governments program to assist poorer households during the Covid-19 lockdown. Abdul Baten, a reporter from Asian TV accompanying Sajal who avoided the attack, rescued Sajal and took him to Narsingdi District Hospital for treatment. Sajal sustained severe injuries to his head and had his mobile phone and camera stolen. Raipur police are currently investigating Nasir Uddin Khan. Baten said, After interviewing many poor people, we phoned the chairman for his comment and asked us to go to his office, where Khans men allegedly attacked Sajal. Currently, four Journalists who have reported on the alleged embezzlement of Bangladeshs relief rice are accused of breaching the Digital Security Act by authorities. Bangladesh Manobadhikar Sangbadik Forum condemns the series of violations against journalists covering the rice embezzlement scam. IFJ said: The attacks and silencing of journalists covering the alleged relief rice embezzlement in Bangladesh undermines press freedom, democracy and the ability of citizens to hold governments to account. The IFJ condemns the attack and calls on authorities to protect working journalists." Madhya Pradesh Agriculture Minister Kamal Patel on Monday lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi for launching the 'Swamitva Yojna', saying it will change the face of the rural sector and empower villagers. On the Panchayati Raj Diwas on April 24, the prime minister launched the 'Swamitva Yojna', or the ownership scheme, to map residential land ownership in the rural sector with the help of modern technology like drones. Patel said despite the country getting Independence 70 years back, there was still a "big divide between the urban and rural areas" in terms of economic empowerment. Though people in rural areas have houses or shops on their plots, they cannot avail loan against the property because of the "complicated web of rules", he said. "The 'Swamitva Yojna' launched by Modiji will grant real freedom to people in rural areas in terms of economic empowerment, as it will ensure that financial institutions now grant them loans for construction of their own pucca houses and shops, Patel told PTI. He alleged that the earlier governments deprived people of this basic facility, which resulted in the huge urban-rural divide. "The new scheme will fulfil the dream of Mahatma Gandhi in real sense, as it will lead to economic empowerment of villages and also check migration of labourers to other parts of the country," the BJP leader said. Earlier, unlike the urban population, rural folks were unable to get loans or bail from court on the surety of their houses in villages, but now, with the launch of this scheme, the prime minister has bridged this wide gap between urban and rural areas, he said. Asked about a similar scheme launched by Patel in his earlier stint as the state revenue minister in 2008, he said, "We had implemented this scheme that time in the name of Mukhyamantri Gramin Awas Adhikar Pustika' and it empowered a lot of people in my home district Harda." Patel, however, had later quit as a state minister. He said the present scheme is on similar lines and it will benefit the entire rural hinterland of the country. "It will prove to be a game changer in rural areas and generate lot of employment opportunities for the rural youth, as financial institutions now will provide them loans for their houses and shops situated on their own land," the minister said. He also urged the rural masses to take maximum benefit of the new scheme for empowering themselves economically. Patel alleged that the previous Congress government in the state cheated farmers in the name of loan waiver scheme. The minister said he has asked farmers to file FIRs in police stations against former chief minister Kamal Nath over the issue. "With an aim to dislodge the BJP government, the Congress had made tall promises but after coming to power, it did nothing for their benefit," he alleged. Referring to problems being faced by farmers in selling their crops because of the coronavirus crisis, Patel said he has issued directives to procure crops directly from the farms as far as possible. "Besides, I have also issued orders to discontinue the Tulavati Parchi (a kind of middleman system to weigh the crop quantity and issue receipt for it) to minimise hurdles in the procurement system, so that farmers get maximum benefit of their crops, he said. Patel also said that the suggestion of BJP leader Jyotiraditya Scindia and some MLAs on raising the limit of purchase of gram and mustard crops up to 20 quintal following bumper yield, will be implemented as it will benefit the farmers. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In the rush to address COVID-19, governments across the country have been accused of bleeding democracy. We agree, and local governments are contributing to the bleed. In communities across Canada, meaningful, participatory governance has been thrust aside. This must change. With weak powers in Canadas constitutional framework, cities are subject to provincial whims when it comes to both stable funding and political structures. Local governments are overlooked in conversations about democracy and governance, yet they are responsible for many of the decisions that most directly affect our daily lives. Canadian municipalities have made big decisions from the start of the crisis, such as enforcing physical distancing; dealing with the functioning or not of public transit; access to parks; and deciding whether to dedicate extra space for pedestrians and cyclists to name a few. Addressing COVID-19 has also displaced another global emergency where cities were taking centre stage: climate change. Almost 500 municipalities in Canada have declared climate emergencies since 2019. Many were in the middle of important discussions about mitigation (lowering greenhouse gas emissions) when COVID-19 arrived. Addressing these critical issues with long-term effects and keen stakeholders has now been put on hold. Canadas municipalities are not governed by a strong mayor system. This means that city council as a whole makes decisions, not just mayors. Provincial state of emergency legislation changes this. In most provinces, municipalities have the power to declare their own state of emergency. In its survey of 65 of the largest Canadian municipalities, the Canadian Urban Institute (CUI) counts 56 that have done so, in some cases for the first time in history, leaving mayors able to bypass city council votes and act unilaterally. While B.C.s emergency legislation requires a mayor to consult the rest of council before they act, this is not the case in most Canadian provinces. CUI counts 10 of the surveyed cities having cancelled city council meetings during COVID-19 (including Toronto, Halifax, Windsor, Winnipeg and Edmonton). The cancellation or diminishment of council meetings means residents wont know who made what decisions, which questions were asked, or hear staff advice, and decisions on many key issues not immediately related to the pandemic are simply being postponed. What is more, 28 of the municipalities have also cancelled committee meetings, and 34 have cancelled public consultations. These meetings are the backbone of local democracy. They give the public a chance to directly weigh in on issues that matter to them in their communities. In the early stages of the pandemic, decisions had to be made quickly. A single, authoritative voice on behalf of a government was arguably necessary. Five weeks later, much of the dust has settled, and we are left with unaccountable local decision-making in many communities and no immediate end in sight to states of emergency. Meaningful, participatory consultation improves the quality of decision-making. Yet in many cases there will not have been any public debate of the long-term implications of decisions made in response to COVID-19. Rather than hasty decision-making, the pandemic forces us to rethink the infrastructural, economic and social characteristics of our cities and ensure resiliency in the face of future crises. A vital issue is the growing socio-economic inequality in our cities, which has been further entrenched by COVID-19s disproportionate impact on traditionally marginalized communities. The climate implications of pandemic-related decisions also need to be part of the discussion. Limiting participatory governance at this time is a dangerous precedent. There are reasons for optimism. While it has taken weeks, some municipalities like other levels of government and workplaces across the country are figuring out how to move forward virtually, with some councils now scheduling meetings online. It is imperative that all municipalities follow suit, with regularly scheduled council meetings with full agendas and debate, followed by committee and commission meetings, and public consultations. When the worst of the COVID-19 crisis has passed and more reflection is possible, we will need a careful assessment of the sufficiency of the municipal emergency powers legal frameworks that have allowed so much of local participatory governance to be bypassed. Democracy and accountability are never good-to-haves, even in times of crisis. They are essential for all governments in Canada, cities included. Over 400 residents of Garu District in the Upper East Region have been rendered homeless after a heavy windstorm accompanied by a heavy downpour on Saturday, April 25. The combination of rain and windstorm destroyed over 150 houses, 400 economic trees, 40 electric poles. Fatau Seidu, a class six pupils was injured. The rains also ripped off the roof of some government institutions which include basic schools and some health centres. At Kpatia and Pialugo electoral areas in the Garu district, 40 electric poles were seen broken and others hanging loosely in various communities which have plunged most communities, health centres and government institutions into total darkness. Speaking to ModernGhana News, the District Chief Executive of Garu, Emmanuel Asore Avoka, described the damage as disastrous. According to him, the Assembly will find it difficult to assist victims of the windstorm. He said the extent of the damage is so worrying. Hon Emmanuel Asore Avoka said lack of electricity in the area has halted many activities in the district including grinding mills and other services. He however, appealed to the Minister of Energy Hon. Peter Amewu to consider providing them with tubular poles that can stand such weather in the northern sector. Mr. Avoka also called on World Vision International Ghana to assist the district with seedlings to replace trees that have been destroyed. Sule Samari, District Director of National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) fears the number of houses destroyed may be on the rise after a complete assessment of the situation. Mr Samari, appealed to government and other charity organisations to come to their aid. The U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, the Blue Angels, perform the Double Farvel maneuver during a training flight at Naval Air Facility El Centro, California. Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Cody Hendrix/US Navy A formation of US Navy Blue Angels and US Air Force Thunderbirds will fly over New York City at noon Tuesday for about 35 minutes before moving onto parts of New Jersey and Philadelphia. These are among the first multi-city flyovers by the teams to honor essential workers in what the military is calling, "America Strong." Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories Two of the US military's elite flight teams will honor essential workers in New York City and nearby cities on the frontlines of the coronavirus outbreak with a dazzling aerial display. A formation of US Navy Blue Angels and US Air Force Thunderbirds will fly over New York City and Newark, New Jersey beginning at noon Tuesday for about 35 minutes before moving onto Trenton, New Jersey, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. These are among the first of multi-city flyovers by the teams to honor essential workers in what the military is calling, "America Strong." "We hope to give Americans a touching display of American resolve that honors those serving on the frontline of our fight with COVID-19," said Lt. Col. John Caldwell, Thunderbird 1 and mission commander for the flyover, in a statement Sunday. The formation will feature six F-16 Fighting Falcons and six F/A-18 Hornets. "We are incredibly honored to have the opportunity to salute those working on the frontline of the COVID-19 response, we are in awe of your strength and resilience," said Cmdr. Brian Kesselring, US Navy Blue Angels commanding officer and flight leader, said in the statement. "Thank you to all of those in essential industries keeping our nation moving forward. We will get through this. We are all in this together." Defense Department guidelines have compelled both flight demonstration teams to cancel many of their roaring performances at air shows around the country in response to COVID-19. Both teams also partnered with local governments to ensure spectators maintain social distancing rules while watching the upcoming flyover, advising residents to watch the display from the home and to avoid gathering at landmarks or in large groups. Read the original article on Business Insider Citizens of Los Angeles have been asked to wear facemasks when leaving their homes to perform essential errands. And Freddie Prinze Jr showed he's kept his sense of humor on Monday morning, as he repurposed a Halloween-like mask as a coronavirus face covering. The creepy choice of covering came as he left the home he shared withwife Sarah Michelle Gellar and their two kids, Charlotte Grace, 10, and Rocky James, seve on Monday morning. Unique style: Freddie Prinze Jr. was spotted wearing a medieval style mask to protect himself from the spread of COVID-19 on Monday while out running errands in Los Angeles The 44-year-old teamed the creepy mask with some orange gloves. He otherwise kept things casual in a khaki colored graphic T-shirt and slate grey trousers. Freddie teamed the look with sneakers and accessorised with blue tinted shades that were hid under his mask. And perhaps Freddie's outing allowed Sarah Michelle, his wife of nearly 18-years, to get some work done. Safety first: Freddie also kept safe with a pair of orange colored gloves on his hands Distractions: Sarah Michelle recently shared Freddie was distracting her while she was trying to work from home She recently took to social media to complain he was distracting her. 'In case anyone was wondering what it's like to try and work when @realfreddieprinze is around... wonder no more. #zoomlife #thenewnormal,' she captioned. Sarah and Freddie first began dating in 2000 after meeting on the set of their 1997 teen horror film, I Know What You Did Last Summer. Freddie recently shared how they became friends on set with an interview to Us Weekly. Pillow challenge! Sarah has been keeping up with social media challenges on her Instagram account during lockdown Sarah and Freddie first began dating in 2000 after meeting on the set of their 1997 teen horror film, I Know What You Did Last Summer (pictured L-R: Sarah Michelle, Ryan Phillippe, Jennifer Love-Hewitt and Freddie) 'She didn't have a driver's license. She didn't know how to drive. And we were shooting in Southport, North Carolina, which was an hour's drive from the nearest Wilmington, which was the biggest city that was closest to us,' he began. 'It was an hour drive just to get to the gym. And when we transported the film down to South Park, she had no way to get up there. So, I started driving her, and that's when her and I became friends.' He continued: 'We just would talk about life and stuff like that, and we had completely different philosophies on just about everything.' 'Cause she was a born and raised New Yorker and I was a born and raised L.A. kid, and we just looked at everything like night and day.' Going strong: Sarah and Freddie will celebrate their 18th year wedding anniversary later this year Freddie recenlty revealed he wanted to be friends with Sarah as he wanted to feed and bulk her up: 'I thought she was too skinny and I wanted to cook for her. Because that's what my family does' The She's All That actor added that he felt the need to befriend her as he thought she was 'too skinny.' 'I thought she was too skinny and I wanted to cook for her. Because that's what my family does,' he added. 'We started this weekly barbecue thing at her house, and me and my cousins would come over and cook food for her and her friends. And then we'd make sure everybody ate, and that was kind of how our friendship began.' The Scooby-Doo actors got engaged one year after they began dating and married in Puerto Mexico, in September 2002. Sarah and Freddie went on to welcome their daughter Charlotte in 2009 and son Rocky in 2012. The chairman of Tyson Foods warned Sunday that 'the food supply chain' is breaking after coronavirus outbreaks forced the closure of their plants. John Tyson said 'millions of pounds of meat' will fail to reach stores and there will be a 'limited supply of our products available in grocery stores' until they are able to reopen facilities currently closed. It comes after it was announced two million chickens will be killed in Delaware and Maryland because of lack of employees at processing plants. Tyson Foods announced last week that it was shuttering two pork processing plants, including its largest in the United States, to contain the spread of the coronavirus. At least 13 plants in total are said to have closed across the US. Chairman Tyson said Sunday: 'We have a responsibility to feed our country. It is as essential as healthcare. This is a challenge that should not be ignored. Our plants must remain operational so that we can supply food to our families in America. 'This is a delicate balance because Tyson Foods places team member safety as our top priority.' Tyson Foods, the largest U.S. meat supplier, said it will indefinitely suspend operations at its largest pork plant in Waterloo, Iowa, pictured, after operating at reduced capacity ATyson Foods Inc unit said on Thursday it will temporarily halt production at a beef facility in Pasco, Washington, pictured, adding to the meat processing plant the company has had to shutter as it tests workers for COVID-19 Tyson also closed a pork processing facility in Logansport, Indiana, pictured, while its more than 2,200 workers at the plant undergo testing for COVID-19 Tyson Foods, the largest U.S. meat supplier, said it will indefinitely suspend operations at its largest pork plant in Waterloo, Iowa, after operating at reduced capacity. Tyson also closed a pork processing facility in Logansport, Indiana, while its more than 2,200 workers at the plant undergo testing for COVID-19. John Tyson, pictured, has warned that 'the food supply chain' is breaking The company also temporarily closed a beef processing plant in Pasco, Washington. The closures are limiting the amount of meat the United States can produce during the outbreak and adding stress on farmers who are losing markets for their pigs. Lockdowns that aim to stop the spread of the coronavirus have also prevented farmers around the globe from delivering food products to consumers. Millions of laborers cannot get to fields for harvesting and planting, and there are too few truckers to keep goods moving. Tyson's statement, in the form of an advert in a number of newspapers on Sunday, came after workers at plants argued they were not being protected by their employer. Employers have struggled to contain the virus in meatpacking plants, where workers toil side by side on production lines and often share crowded locker rooms, cafeterias and rides to work. One Tyson worker at the plant in Waterloo told CNN he called HR amid concerns coronavirus was at the facility. Ernest Latiker said: 'I was scared for me and my family. They told me I was safe and they told me that everything was ok. 'They told me I have a better chance of catching the coronavirus going out to Walmart than at Tyson, if you come to work you're safe. 'I wanted to believe to them and I needed the money at the same time so I went to work.' Plant employees tested positive for the virus, and others stayed home out of fear of becoming infected. The facility slaughters about 19,500 hogs a day, or about 5 per cent of total U.S. pork production, according to industry data. Tyson Foods worker Ernest Latiker, pictured, said he called HR amid coronavirus concerns Tyson's statement in the form of an advert in a number of newspapers on Sunday came after workers at plants argued they were not being protected by their employer Spread of coronavirus closes meat plants Some of the facilities that have shut or reduced production as coronavirus spreads: JBS USA said it would indefinitely close a pork plant in Worthington, Minnesota, that processes 20,000 hogs a day. JBS closed a beef plant in Greeley, Colorado, until April 24. Smithfield Foods indefinitely shut a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, plant that produces about 4% to 5% of U.S. pork. Smithfield also shuttered two plants in Wisconsin and Missouri that process bacon and ham. Tyson Foods Inc closed a hog slaughterhouse in Columbus Junction, Iowa. It has since reopened National Beef Packing Co suspended cattle slaughtering at an Iowa Premium beef plant in Tama, Iowa National Beef said it suspended operations at a Dodge City, Kansas, beef plant for cleaning and to install stainless steel partitions Aurora Packing Company temporarily closed a beef plant in Aurora, Illinois JBS shut a beef plant in Souderton, Pennsylvania. It reopened on April 20 Cargill closed a plant in Hazleton, Pennsylvania, that produces meat for U.S. grocery stores The health department in Ogle County, Illinois, on April 17 ordered a Rochelle Foods plant owned by Hormel Foods Corp to close for two weeks Hormel-owned Alma Foods suspended production at a Kansas plant until May 4 Sanderson Farms Inc reduced chicken production to 1 million birds a week from 1.3 million at a plant in Moultrie, Georgia. Advertisement 'Consumers will see an impact at the grocery store as production slows,' Tyson Fresh Meats Group President Steve Stouffer had said last week. 'It means the loss of a vital market outlet for farmers and further contributes to the disruption of the nation's pork supply.' After the closure of the Logansport facility, slaughterhouses that account for 19 per cent of pork production in the United States will be shut. And coronavirus-related staffing shortages at chicken processing plants will lead farms in Maryland and Delaware to destroy nearly two million chickens. The Baltimore Sun reported Friday that the plants are unable to keep pace with the number of birds that are ready for harvest. They had been placed into poultry houses as chicks several weeks ago. The chickens will not be processed for meat. The trade group the Delmarva Poultry Industry said that every poultry plant on the Delmarva Peninsula has struggled with a reduced worker attendance. The reasons include workers being sick with the coronavirus and people following guidance to stay home if sick. The Delmarva Peninsula includes parts of Delaware, Maryland and Virginia. The trade group said that one unidentified company has become the first to do what's called 'depopulation.' The trade group said the company was unable to find other options, such as allowing another company to take the chickens. Delmarva Poultry Industry Inc said the chickens will killed 'using approved, humane methods'. The former Chief Veterinary Officer for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, John Clifford, said at the time of avian flu 'the fastest way and probably the most humane way to take care of this' was to 'shut off ventilation systems.' The trade group said that the extermination methods have been approved by the American Veterinary Medical Association for handling cases of infectious avian disease. Brazilian-owned JBS USA and WH Group's Smithfield Foods have also each indefinitely closed massive pork plants in Minnesota and South Dakota, respectively. Reduced meat output comes as demand has increased at grocery stores, while restaurant dining rooms are closed due to the virus. Tyson said 2,800 workers at the Iowa plant would be compensated during the closure and invited to the facility later this week for coronavirus testing. There are more than a million confirmed cases of coronavirus in the United States as of Monday. The death toll has reached 56,038. As Tyson becomes the third large pork processing plant to close following a coronavirus outbreak, there are fears about a break in the food supply and a shortage of fresh meat. Pictured is an empty chicken and poultry food case in New Jersey on March 13 Smithfield Foods plant in South Dakota could reopen 'in a matter of days' South Dakota's governor on Monday said she hopes Smithfield's Sioux Falls pork processing plant can reopen soon, a day after U.S. labor regulators urged the meat industry to adopt certain measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus among workers. 'I'm hopeful that we can get it opened as soon as possible,' Kristi Noem told Fox News Channel in an interview. 'They have some mitigation measures to put in place, but I think in a matter of days it could be opened, as long as everybody continues to work together and get it done.' Smithfield Foods, the world's biggest pork processor, has shut down several U.S. plants due to a rash of coronavirus cases among employees, raising concerns about the nation's meat supply and worker safety. Its cases in Sioux Falls triggered a so-called hot spot of U.S. coronavirus cases. Noem, a Republican, was among the few governors who did not issue stay-at-home orders. On Sunday, the U.S. Labor Department's Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued new interim guidelines with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that call for meat industry workers to be at least 6 feet apart, have their temperatures checked and wear face masks. Advertisement The outcome of the tests and other factors will determine when the facility will reopen, according to the company. Other U.S. meat and poultry plants are operating at reduced capacity. Tyson is running a pork plant in Columbus Junction, Iowa, with limited operations after idling it for two weeks. Iowa farmer Randy Francis delivers 300 pigs to 500 pigs a week to the Waterloo plant for slaughter that are backing up in his barns. He hopes to truck the animals to other plants, but they are already overloaded with other hogs displaced by the shutdowns. The pigs will put on more weight than normal due to the delays, Francis said. That could make their meat fattier or tougher to chew when they are eventually slaughtered, he said. 'It's definitely scary times,' Francis said. No fewer than 25 operatives of the State Security Services (SSS) on Sunday evening invaded the private residence of former Chief of St... No fewer than 25 operatives of the State Security Services (SSS) on Sunday evening invaded the private residence of former Chief of Staff to Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State, Chief Taiwo Akerele. The development is an indication that things might have fallen apart between the Governor and his erstwhile closest staff. Akerele resigned his position as Chief of Staff on Friday night and was replaced with Ethan Uzamere, Saturday night by Obaseki. The operatives were said to have arrived the residence located off 1st Ugbor Road, GRA, in Benin, at about 5 pm in an 18-seater bus and three operational vehicles of Operation Wabaizigan. It was gathered that a security detail to the Governor had earlier called the Personal Assistant to the former CoS, Jasper Olowojoba to come and remove Akereles personal belongings from his former office. Olowojoba, who was said to have replied that he would remove the items on Monday, was however prevailed upon to come immediately. Security men attached to the office were said to have allowed him to remove all the belongings, after which they followed him home. Thereafter, Olowojoba was arrested after using him to search Akereles house. An unnamed source closed to the former Chief of Staff, allegedly told journalists that the whereabouts of Akerele who received visitors in his house earlier in the day, remained unknown. They called his PA severally that he should come and collect Akereles personal belongings so that the new Chief of Staff could resume, but Olowojoba said he would come for them on Monday but they insisted he must come immediately. When he went, they allowed him to remove all his belongings and when they were going with the last consignment, SSS (operatives) went with him to Akereles house. They ransacked his house and then went away with his PA, but Akereles whereabouts is unknown, the source said. As at the time of filing this report, neither Akerele nor his personal assistant could be reached for confirmation, as their mobile phones were switched off. The Kano State governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, says his state has been abandoned by the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 as it currently battles coronavirus spread. The governor said this in an interview with BBC Hausa Service on Monday. He said, We are in a serious problem. I can tell you the situation is really bad and scary. Because what we solely rely upon in fighting the disease is the testing centre. This laboratory suspended its operation five or six days ago. There is also a shortage of sample collection equipment. It is not a common equipment that you can go and buy in the market. Those whose samples were collected are still waiting to know their fate. Read Also: Kano Loses 12 Prominent Persons In 10 Hours According to Ganduje, the problem (is) with the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19. Even its Director General was in Kano. He spent a night there, but we have not heard from him again. The minister (of health) too knows the laboratory is not working. He added, there is serious problem. We have been complaining that Kano needs more than one testing centre, right from the beginning of this (pandemic). Sincerely speaking, we are not getting deserved attention. If these equipment (testing centre) are under our control, we will do our best to make sure it works properly. But we are not getting the needed support and cooperation from Presidential Task Force on COVID-19. Honda from Home online booking platform will allow buyers round-the-clock access to browse through the product options In an attempt to improve sales during coronavirus lockdown and offer people the choice of buying cars online from the comfort of their homes, Honda Cars India has launched the Honda from Home initiative. Honda from Home online booking platform will allow buyers round-the-clock access to browse through the product options and choose their preferred dealership online. Our newly introduced Honda from Home facility offers a simplified and secure booking experience for the ever-revolving digital consumer who makes his purchase decisions online, said Rajesh Goel, Senior Vice President and Director, Sales and Marketing, Honda Cars India Ltd. Purchase a car in 5 simple steps Step 1: Log on to www.hondacarindia.com Step 2: Select the preferred model along with its variant, transmission (AT/MT) and colour. Step 3: Select city and dealership from where one is thinking of buying a car. Step 4: Share details. Step 5: Pay and book online. You have to simply proceed to the payment gateway, choose a payment option and book online. Following which, a booking confirmation id will be generated which will be sent to you via SMS or email. After completing the aforementioned process, a sales executive, from the selected dealership, will get in touch with you for further documentation and discussing finance or payment options. After all the formalities, your car will be delivered to your home at a later date. The company currently offers Amaze, Civic and CR-V SUV in BS6 trim in India. It has also been accepting bookings for the BS6 updated and facelift WR-V which is expected to be unveiled soon along with BS6 Jazz. It was scheduled to come up with BS6 version of all-new generation City sedan. But, the launch was delayed due to coronavirus outbreak. Honda Cars earlier this month had said that it is releasing advance payments to its dealer partners to help them maintain cash flow to remain afloat in the prevailing situations. It also said that it had also cleared all due payments of dealers till March. FP Trending Google will host a live streaming session on 28 April for Google Stadia. The event will see the sharing of details about the new games that will make their debut on the cloud gaming service. A teaser along with the announcement was shared on the Google Stadia Twitter handle. It's time for another #StadiaConnect! Tune in this Tuesday 4/28 9.00 pm PT / 6.00 pm CET on YouTube to hear from the team and see a few new games coming to Stadia, read the post. Fans in India can catch the livestream on the Google Stadia YouTube channel on Tuesday at 9:30 pm IST. The 15-second clip shows a number of games that will soon be available on Stadia. It's time for another #StadiaConnect! Tune in this Tuesday 4/28 9AM PT / 6PM CET on YouTube to hear from the team and see a few new games coming to Stadia. pic.twitter.com/Fuao6QvHF3 Stadia (@GoogleStadia) April 24, 2020 Stadia Connect comes eight months after the event in August last year when Google unveiled seven titles, including Cyberpunk 2007. Google has mostly been reaching out to people through its blog posts, sharing features as well as announcements for Stadia. The gaming service has recently seen a rise in the number of users. The surge comes after Google started to offer two months of free access to its premium version for gamers who are spending most of their time at home due to COVID-19 lockdown. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-28 00:57:04|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close SKOPJE, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Doctors in North Macedonia will start using blood plasma to treat patients diagnosed with COVID-19, Minister of Health Venko Filipce told a local television here on Monday. Filipce said doctors will start using blood plasma treatment for COVID-19 patients on Tuesday. "Blood plasma will be taken from a patient ... when the patient has antibodies that can be given to a COVID-19 patient," Filipce said. "The exact therapy for the treatment of COVID-19 patients worldwide is yet to be defined," Filipce added. Fifty-three patients recovered from COVID-19 over the last 24 hours in North Macedonia, bringing the total to 553 in the country. On Monday, health authorities reported 13 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number to 1,399, with 65 fatalities, four in the last 24 hours. Enditem By PTI NEW DELHI: Union HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank' has called a meeting with state education ministers to discuss issues related to COVID-19 and mid-day meal programme, officials said on Monday, The meeting will be held at 2. 00 pm on Tuesday through video conferencing. "The HRD minister will interact with state education ministers through video call tomorrow to discuss issues like handling of COVID-19, mid-day meal programme and Samagra Shiksha programme," a senior Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry official said. Earlier on Monday, Pokhriyal interacted with parents online and addressed various issues, including unavailability of books and uncertainty over board exams, arising due to the lockdown imposed to curb the coronavirus spread. Universities and schools across the country have been closed since March 16 when the Centre announced a countrywide classroom shutdown as one of the measures to contain the COVID-19 outbreak. Later, a nationwide lockdown was announced on March 24, which has now been extended till May 3. In March last week, the HRD Ministry had asked states and union territories to ensure continued supply of mid-day meals to students despite the closure of schools around the country to check the spread of coronavirus. The suggestions offered included delivering packaged meals or the equivalent amount of food grains to students at home, or depositing money in the bank accounts of their parents. The Samagra Shiksha programme is an integrated scheme for school education. While Punjab and Karnataka have already announced summer vacations due to the COVID-19 outbreak, other states are working on academic calendar and deliberating on various measures, including advancing the summer break, to minimise academic losses. "Education being a state subject, states are free to decide their own academic calendar and schedule for summer break. They also need to keep in mind the coronavirus situation in the particular state," the official said. The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) also wrote to states and union territories last week to examine the issues of school fees payment and salaries to teachers "sensitively and holistically" keeping in mind the interest of all stakeholders. While the Delhi government has announced that schools will not be allowed to hike fees during the period and only tuition fees will have to be paid, the Maharashtra government has said parents can complain to district education officers if schools demand fees during the lockdown period. The death toll due to COVID-19 rose to 872 and the number of cases climbed to 27,892 in the country on Monday, according to the Union Health Ministry. The number of active COVID-19 cases stood at 20,835 while 6,184 people were cured and discharged, and one patient has migrated, the ministry said. Jammu: In a key development, security forces arrested a terrorist and his associated in Baramulla's Uri in Jammu and Kashmir on Monday (April 27). The forces also recovered arms and ammunition from his possession. In another development, the Pakistan Army initiated unprovoked ceasefire violation in Hathlanga and Charunda areas in Uri and resorted to shelling mortars and Light Machine Gun (LMG) firing. The Indian Army is giving a befitting reply to the Pakistani forces, sources said. Earlier in the day, at least three terrorists were killed in an ongoing operation by Indian Army in Kulgam's Lower Munda. "One body has been recovered so far from the site of encounter. Search is going on," Kashmir Zone Police tweeted. An encounter had started at Lower Munda area of Kulgam between terrorists and joint troops of 24 Battalion, 18 Battalion of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Rashtriya Rifles (RR) and the Jammu and Kashmir Police (JKP), said the Kashmir Zone Police. The security forces had launched cordon and search operations which led to the exchange of fire between them and the terrorists, according to sources. Haiti - DR : 10,501 Haitians voluntary return to Haiti in 1 month In the context of the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) has adapted its matrix for monitoring movements along the border between Haiti and the Dominican Republic to support the preparation and response to Covid-19. Note that the monitoring of migratory flows is implemented at 50 border crossing points between Haiti and the Dominican Republic : 46 unofficial points and 5 official points in collaboration with the Support Group for Returnees and Refugees (GARR), the Service Jesuit to Migrants (SJM) and Rezo Fwontalye Jano Sikse (RFJS). Voluntary return March 19 to April 19, 2020 : March 19 to 29: 2,190 returns March 29 - April 5: 2,551 returns April 5 to 2: 2,558 returns April 12 to 19: 3,202 returns A total of 10,501 voluntary returns observed along the border Border movements from 12 to 19 April 2020 A total of 17,430 cross-border movements were observed: 4,230 to the Dominican Republic 13,200 to Haiti These figures take into account all types of movements (deportations, voluntary returns, daily trips, etc.) observed at the monitored crossing points Voluntary returns by official crossing point (12 to 19 April) : Ouanaminthe: 739 Belladere: 2,202 Malpasse: 187 Cornillon: 5 Fonds-Verettes: 42 Anse-a-Pitre: 23 See also : https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-30575-icihaiti-dr-the-dominican-government-helps-the-haitians.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-30530-haiti-covid-19-more-than-140-000-haitians-have-lost-their-jobs-in-dr.html HL/ HaitiLibre Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a video meeting with state Chief Ministers, on Monday said that the nationwide coronavirus lockdown has yielded positive results. He indicated that the lockdown may continue in the parts of the country worst affected by the infection. He reiterated that that social distancing is the most effective way of fighting against COVID-19 and by complying with the mantra of 'do gaz doori', people can protect themselves. "The lockdown has yielded positive results as the country has managed to save thousands of lives in the past one and a half months," he said. This was the fourth such interaction of the Prime Minister with the CMs, the earlier ones had been held on 20 March, 2 April and 11 April, 2020. Highlighting the importance to enforce guidelines strictly in the hotspots, especially in the red zone areas, PM Modi said that the efforts of the states should be directed towards converting the red zones into orange and thereafter to green zones. Also Read: Coronavirus India Live Updates: Follow 'Do Gaz Doori' motto; lockdown to stay in red zones, says PM Modi Here are the 10 takeaways from the crucial meeting of the PM Modi with the Chief Ministers: Prime Minister underlined that the lockdown has yielded positive results as the country has managed to save thousands of lives in the past one and a half months. Comparing with other countries whose situation was almost similar at the start of March, he said that India has been able to protect many people due to timely measures. He, however, forewarned that the danger of the virus is far from over and constant vigilance is of paramount importance. He indicated that lockdown may continue in parts of the country worst affected by the coronavirus infection and asked the CMs to prepare state-wise exit policy in view of their red, orange and green zone. On the state of economy, he said that it is relatively good and one should not worry about it. "We have to give importance to the economy as well as continue the fight against COVID -19," he said, adding that emphasis should be given on the usage of technology to utilise time to embrace reform measures. He also emphasised on the significance of ensuring that more people download the 'Aarogya Setu' app to bolster the efforts of the country in the battle against COVID-19. "We have to be brave and bring in reforms that touch the lives of common citizens." The PM also suggested that people associated with universities can be integrated on devising ways to fight the pandemic and strengthen research as well as innovation. On the issue of bringing back Indians who are overseas, he said that this has to be done keeping in mind the fact that they don't face inconvenience and their families are not under any risk. Prime Minister also urged Chief Ministers to factor in the changes in weather - advent of summer and monsoon - and the illnesses that can potentially come in this season, while strategising ahead. The Chief Ministers praised the leadership of the Prime Minister during this period of crisis, and also highlighted the efforts undertaken by them in containing the virus. Four of nine Chief Ministers at the meeting advocated for the extension of lockdown, while five said that it should end. They spoke about the need to keep a close vigil on international borders, and also on addressing the economic challenge and ways to further boost health infrastructure. The Union Home Minister Amit Shah reaffirmed the need to enforce lockdown so that maximum lives are saved. By Chitranjan Kumar Also Read: Coronavirus crisis: Congress slams govt for allowing 'hoarding', profiteering on rapid test kits sold to ICMR Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-28 04:19:05|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close A man wearing a face mask walks on a street in Rome, Italy, on April 27, 2020. The total number of infections, fatalities and recoveries in Italy stood at 199,414, which is 1,739 higher than the caseload on Sunday. The downward trend in new infections detected since last week continued on Monday. The number of COVID-19 patients in serious and critical conditions also kept declining, with 1,956 people currently in intensive care, down by 53 compared to Sunday, and 20,353 people hospitalized, down by 1,019. (Xinhua/Cheng Tingting) ROME, April 27 (Xinhua) -- The coronavirus pandemic has claimed 26,977 lives in locked-down Italy, bringing the total number of infections, fatalities and recoveries so far to 199,414, according to the latest official tally released on Monday. The past 24 hours saw a total of 333 new fatalities, compared to 260 a day earlier, Civil Protection Department chief Angelo Borrelli, who serves as extraordinary commissioner for the coronavirus emergency, told a televised press conference in late afternoon. Meanwhile, a total of 1,696 new recoveries pushed up to 66,624 the total number of cured patients since the pandemic first broke out in the northern Lombardy region. Total active infections stood at 105,813, a decrease of 290 compared to the previous day. The total number of infections, fatalities and recoveries stood at 199,414, which is 1,739 higher than the caseload on Sunday. The downward trend in new infections detected since last week continued on Monday. The number of COVID-19 patients in serious and critical conditions also kept declining, with 1,956 people currently in intensive care, down by 53 compared to Sunday, and 20,353 people hospitalized, down by 1,019. Up to 83,504 people are under home isolation because they are asymptomatic or with mild symptoms. The figure equates to 79 percent of all active cases. Borrelli said private donations to a special bank account -- opened by the Civil Protection Department and devoted to the COVID-19 emergency -- have exceeded 141.4 million euros (153 million U.S. dollars). Of these solidarity funds, over 79 million euros (85.5 million U.S. dollars) have been spent so far to purchase ventilators for ICUs and protective gear for medical staff, according to Borrelli. At the same press conference, Italy's National Health Institute (ISS) President Silvio Brusaferro spoke about the strategy to adopt in the next weeks to keep the pandemic under control, once the country relaxes the lockdown in place from March 10 to May 3. "The (epidemiological) trend -- beyond some possible drops linked to the weekend, when a lesser number of swabs is usually carried out -- shows a progressive decrease in the number of deaths and of infections," Brusaferro told reporters, adding "However, this means the virus is still circulating in our territory." "This factor brings us to believe that, as we start to open cautiously (business activities) over the next few days, we will have to monitor very carefully the number of infections, and all of the other indicators, such as the intensive care beds used (by COVID-19 patients)," the ISS chief explained. Italy entered into a national lockdown on March 10 to contain the pandemic. The lockdown, expected to last until May 3, will be followed by a so-called "Phase Two," which involves the gradual resumption of social, economic and productive activities. Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said on Sunday that beginning May 4, the manufacturing, construction, and wholesale sectors can resume work. Following them are retailers, museums, galleries, and libraries on May 18 and bars, restaurants, hairdressers and beauty salons on June 1. All businesses will have to follow rigorous workplace safety protocols. On Monday afternoon, Conte paid a visit to Lombardy, the country's worst-hit region. The prime minister met with local authorities at Milan's prefecture, and then visited Bergamo and Brescia, the two most affected provinces in Lombardy. In a short briefing from Milan, Conte warned citizens again that maintaining interpersonal safety distance would be crucial once the full lockdown will be eased, in order not to allow the pandemic surge again. "It is a phase to face with caution ... we cannot waste all our sacrifices," Conte said. Meanwhile, a day after Conte confirmed schools across the country would not reopen until September, Italian President Sergio Mattarella addressed students in a video message, saying "Closed schools represent a wound for everyone, but first and foremost for all of you, and for your teachers." He said the extended closure was affecting more than 8 million pupils enrolled in the country's school system, "something unbelievable, which has never happened before in the history of education." Yet, this hard experience might also provide an opportunity to grow, according to Mattarella. "The world will no longer be as before (the pandemic), and yet nobody really can tell us what it will be like," the head of state said. "How the world will be tomorrow actually depends much on you, who are students today ... from your ability to think it, plan it, and live it. From your commitment." Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-27 21:17:22|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close HONG KONG, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Asia-Pacific countries are still fighting against the COVID-19 pandemic with an alarming resurgence of infections, as three Vietnamese tested positive again for COVID-19 after being discharged from hospitals upon recovery. Vietnam News Agency reported on Monday that a total of eight patients have retested positive after recovery in the country as of Monday noon. Vietnam has reported a total of 270 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 222 patients cured. There have been no deaths in the country so far. India reported 14 new deaths and 488 new infections since Monday morning, taking the number of deaths to 886 and total cases to 28,380. So far 6,362 people have been discharged from hospitals after showing improvement. Bangladesh's death toll from the COVID-19 pandemic has topped 150 as the spread of the virus still shows no sign of abating with hundreds of new cases reported every day in the country. The number of the confirmed COVID-19 cases has reached 5,913, including 497 new cases confirmed in the last 24 hours, and the death toll has risen to 152. Coronavirus cases in Japan increased by 144 to 13,585, according to the latest figures from the health ministry and local authorities on Monday evening. The nationwide death toll from the virus has now increased to 396, including those from a cruise ship that was quarantined in Yokohama near Tokyo. Thailand reported nine new COVID-19 cases, the lowest daily increase of the cases since Jan. 27. The total number of infections now stands at 2,931, and 2,609 people have recovered, with 270 patients remaining in hospital. Indonesia confirmed 214 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total in the country to 9,096. A total of 765 deaths have been recorded in the country, an increase of 22 over the past 24 hours. Around 1,151 people have recovered from the disease, 44 more compared with the previous day. The Philippines registered 198 new cases of the COVID-19, taking the country's total number to 7,777, health authorities said. The health department said that 70 more patients have recovered from the disease, bringing the total number of recoveries to 932, and 10 more patients have died, taking the death toll to 511. South Korea reported 10 more cases compared to 24 hours ago as of midnight Monday local time, raising the total number to 10,738. The daily caseload hovered around 10 for the ninth consecutive day. One more death was confirmed, raising the death toll to 243. The total fatality rate came in at 2.26 percent. New Zealand reported one more death, bringing the death toll to 19. One new confirmed case and four new probable cases of COVID-19 were reported over the past 24 hours, with the total number of infections being 1,469. New Zealand moved from COVID-19 Alert Level 4 to Alert Level 3 at 11:59 p.m. local time on Monday, relaxing on some businesses. The country will stay in Alert Level 3 for two weeks before a further review and Alert Level decision on May 11. Enditem Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has called for an independent inquiry into the COVID-19 pandemic - Rod McGuirk/AP China's ambassador to Australia has told a newspaper that the Australian government's pursuit of an independent international inquiry into the coronavirus outbreak could spark a Chinese consumer boycott of students and tourists visiting the country, as well as sales of major exports including beef and wine. Ambassador Cheng Jingye told The Australian Financial Review in an interview published Monday that Australia's push for an inquiry was "dangerous" and predicted it would fail to gain traction among global leaders. "Resorting to suspicion, recrimination or division at such a critical time could only undermine global efforts to fight against this pandemic," Cheng said. Cheng did not accept that the virus had started in a "wet market" in the city of Wuhan, saying the scientific jury was still out on its origins. Australian Health Minister Greg Hunt said such an independent inquiry was in the interests of Australia and the world. The Australian government has called for an inquiry into the virus and for changes to the World Health Organization. Education is Australia's third largest export industry and China is the largest source of students studying in Australia. China is also Australia's largest trading partner. The Chinese Embassy did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the accuracy of the newspaper story. Akbar Mammadov Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has signed a decree to allocate $20 million to reconstruct the highway between the border checkpoints "Khanoba" and "Samur" on the Azerbaijani-Russian state border, presidents official website reported on April 27. Thus, $17,683 million (AZN30 million) will be allocated to the State Agency for Automobile Roads (AAYDA) for the expansion of the 23.5 km section of the highway between the border checkpoints "Khanoba" and "Samur" on the state border of Azerbaijan and the Russian Federation into four lanes. Under another presidential decree signed on the same day, $2,37 million (AZN4 million) will be allocated to the State Customs Committee. The funds will be used to carry out construction work at the customs post "Khanoba" of the Northern Territory Main Customs Office of the State Customs Committee of the country. It should be noted that funds for the construction of the road and the construction work will be allocated within the framework of state investments provided for in the state budget for 2020. --- Akbar Mammadov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AkbarMammadov97 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz A 57-year-old rape and murder case is close to being resolved after DNA evidence led police to issue an arrest warrant for an 80-year-old suspect, when members of his family appeared as a genetic match in an online consumer database. Margaret 'Peggy' Beck was raped and killed at the age of 16 while at a Girl Scout Camp in Jefferson County, Colorado, U.S., in 1963. Police are seeking James Raymond Taylor, who would now be 80-years-old if he is still alive, on suspicion of rape and murder at Flying G Ranch all those years ago, reports KDVR. Using genetic material preserved from the scene of the crime scientists were able to profile the suspect's DNA in 2007 and again in 2019. Police are seeking James Raymond Taylor (pictured in 1961), now 80 years old if surviving, on suspicion of rape and murder at Flying G Ranch all those years ago These DNA profiles then led detectives to members of the suspect's family, whose DNA appeared as a match in online consumer databases - which contain genetic information gathered from home ancestry and DNA testing kits among other sources. The case is now the oldest believed to have identified a suspect through by genetic genealogy. Jefferson County Sheriff Jeff Shrader said in statement: 'Nothing would give us greater pleasure than to actually put the handcuffs on James Taylor.' Investigators were aided by Mitch Morrissey, former Denver District Attorney, who works for the U.S. genetic database, United Data Connect. If justice is done, Mr Morrissey said: 'Nowhere in the world have they solved a case this old with genetic genealogy' Sheriff's investigator Elias Alberti stated that although James Taylor has now been identified they have not yet been able to find him and do not know if he is alive. The last evidence of Mr Taylor's existence was a sighting in Las Vegas in 1976, he has an extensive rap sheet of offenses in Las Vegas dating back to the early 1970's. Margaret 'Peggy' Beck was raped and killed at the age of 16 while at a Girl Scout Camp in Jefferson County, Colorado, U.S., in 1963 Investigators believe he also lived in Edgewater, New Jersey, in the 1960s and was married working as a TV repairman at the time of the murder, reports Denver Post. Mr Alberti told the publication that he believed Mr Taylor may have known about the Girl Scouts camping at the ranch because he built HAM radios in the area, which he visited to test. No suspect was identified at the time of the murder, with no witnesses. Mr Morrissey said that the night of the attack Margaret's tent mate had fallen ill and was at the infirmary, leaving her alone in the tent. Mr Alberti added: 'There were marks on her [Margaret's] neck and there were signs of a sexual assault that had occurred.' Miss Beck was the eldest of four sisters. Her three sisters are all alive with Sheriff Shrader calling this search for justice a 'painful time' for them after years of heartbreak. Trump administration representatives insist they are not giving special treatments when it comes to providing Central America with ventilators and other coronavirus assistance. In a sequence of tweets Friday morning, U.S. President Trump has said that the United States will be supplying other nations with "desperately needed" ventilators as they strive to contribute to the coronavirus pandemic. Trump has cited meetings with the presidents of El Salvador, Indonesia, Honduras, and Ecuador, and thanked the officials of those countries on their efforts against the coronavirus as well as other issues and for their continued cooperation with the U.S. Presently, Trump may seem to believe that the U.S. is in a spot to support those who may not have been able to get their hands on the supplies for fighting the pandemic. Trump released a directive earlier this month under the Defense Production Act, requiring numerous manufacturers to start producing ventilators. The Department of Health and Human Services declared days later that General Motors will generate 30,000 ventilators at the expense of $500 million, with the very first distribution to take place on June 1st. However, it remains vague as to where the ventilators will come from nor the number of ventilators that are going to be sent to the countries. Check these out! Trump's Aid to Latin America This week, United States authorities have announced that they gave around $757 million to approximately 100 countries to combat the coronavirus pandemic, including around $64 million to the 30 Western Hemisphere countries. Over the past decades, U.S. governments have devoted significant funds to the worldwide struggle towards pandemics the same as Ebola and HIV-AIDS. "Just spoke to President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador," President Trump tweeted. "Will be helping them with Ventilators, which are desperately needed. They have worked well with us on immigration at the Southern Border!" Just spoke to President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador. Will be helping them with Ventilators, which are desperately needed. They have worked well with us on immigration at the Southern Border! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 24, 2020 Trump continued about an hour later: "Just spoke to President Juan Orlando Hernandez of the Republic of Honduras. We work closely together on the Southern Border. Will be helping him with his request for Ventilators and Testing." Moreover, Trump also posted a generous tweet to Ecuador's President Lenin Moreno, and once more, offering ventilators, although he momentarily misspelled the hard-hit country's name. Ecuador hasn't had much of a part in just about any Trump policies. However, since Moreno succeeded a leftist government, it has become more accepting of U.S. initiatives. On the other hand, Hernandez of Honduras has regularly supported Trump as well as endorsed U.S. initiatives as far-reaching as voting with Washington - even against much of the rest of the planet - at the United Nations on a motion that acknowledged Jerusalem as the state of Israel. Most participants of Trump's initiatives, including Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. Deborah Birx, are active in the measures being taken by the new administration against the coronavirus outbreak. However, the Trump administration has terminated its financing to the World Health Organization, charging it of bias in favor of China. 'Even though he consults chief ministers at regular intervals, the ultimate decision is still his own.' 'He will be blamed, nobody else, if god forbid, there is a huge spurt in fatalities after the reopening,' notes Virendra Kapoor. IMAGE: Workers busy in underground cabling work on a street in Ranchi, April 25, 2020. Photograph: PTI Photo Come May 4, the question that will be on every Indian's mind but only one man will be in a position to answer is: What next? Do we continue as before under a complete lockdown which has shut down three-fourths of our economy? Or will there be a reopening, partial or full, depending on the impact of the coronavirus in dense urban pockets country-wide? That call will be the prime minister's alone to take. Of course, he will rely on medical experts for crucial inputs, but scientific advice based on the spread of the virus, its intensity, extent of contact tracing, testing, quarantining, etc will have to have one another key component in the mix. That is a dispassionate assessment of the livelihood concerns of the poor and the hungry, the tens of millions of daily wagers, the landless labourers, the farmers waiting for hired hands to harvest the standing Rabi crops. How long can the mass of people go without daily earnings? IMAGE: An employee working at a coal mine provides santiser to his collegue in Dhanbad, April 25, 2020. Photograph: PTI Photo One does not envy the position Modi finds himself in. In case of a partial exit from the lockdown, say, there is a spurt in the spread of the pandemic, there will be huge costs to pay in terms of political capital. Even though he consults chief ministers at regular intervals, the ultimate decision is still his own. He will be blamed, nobody else, if, god forbid, there is a huge spurt in fatalities after the reopening. With Opposition leaders already baring their fangs, and sections of the media allied to it daily undermining his leadership, Modi will have to tread very, very, carefully. On the other hand, not opening the labour-intensive sectors of the economy such as real estate, small and medium enterprises, will make it tough on the poor and the hungry. Despite the economic packages, including Rs 500 each in crores of Jan Dhan accounts, and Rs 2,000 each for crores of farmers under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Yojna, without restoring normalcy for farms, factories, bazaars and mandis across the country, the misery of the aam aadmi is bound to grow further. IMAGE: Vendors wait to enter a market in Jalandhar, April 25, 2020. Photograph: PTI Photo Modi is under pressure from the captains of industry and commerce to allow the economic engine to spring back to life again. This is for the first time that the toiling masses made redundant by the lockdown too have strongly echoed the same sentiment. There is no redemption in sight for them without an early exit. If the economy tanks, as it certainly will if the lockdown were to last any longer, it will be well-nigh impossible to save it from going into negative territory. It will be a double-whammy for the poor. They will not only pay the price of the lockdown but also suffer the consequences of a failed economy. Reopening the economy on May 4, barring in the designated coronavirus hotspots, therefore, seems very much on the cards. *** If subzi is sold, why not sharaab? Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has a question for Prime Minister Modi: If you can allow subzi (vegetables) to be sold in the open market, why not alcohol? Yes, why not alcohol? Speaking to a Punjabi television channel the other day, the Congress chief minister was aghast that liquor was not allowed to be sold although his own state alone stood to lose a huge chunk of revenue from its sales. Punjab earns Rs 6,000 crores from liquor sale annually, Captain Singh said. Asked whether the ban by the Centre was anti-Punjab, Captain Singh said it was not so, since BJP-ruled states too were losing revenue from the ban. But what was significant was his putting vegetables on the same page as alcohol. If one can be sold, why not the other? In fact, he claimed that alcohol which comes in bottles was less vulnerable to carry the coronavirus as against vegetables! Unlike most politicians, the captain is not a hypocrite and makes no bones about the fact that he loves to imbibe daily his favourite Johnny Walker Blue Label Scotch, that is, unless he has switched to a more exotic label in recent months. A Vincom centre on Tran Duy Hung Road, Ha Noi. Shares of the shopping mall operator Vincom Retail (VRE) dropped 1.5 per cent on Monday morning. - Photo vietnambiz.vn The benchmark VN-Index on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange fell 0.36 per cent to end at 773.88 points. The VN-Index had gained a total of 1.28 per cent in the previous three trading days. The HNX-Index on the Ha Noi Stock Exchange lost 0.51 per cent to close at 106.43 points. The northern market index had made a three-day increase of total 2.17 per cent. More than 220 million shares were traded on the two local exchanges, worth VND3.12 trillion (US$133 million). Large-cap stocks weighed pulled the market down as investors looked to realise their profits after a three-day increase. The large-cap VN30 and HNX30 indices were down 0.30 per cent and 0.81 per cent, respectively. Among the declining large-cap stocks were Vietcombank (VCB), Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam (BID), realty firm Vincom Retail (VRE), Sai Gon-Ha Noi Securities (SHS), Sai Gon-Ha Noi Bank (SHB), and PetroVietnam Coating Corp (PVB). On the other hand, well-performing stocks included dairy producer Vinamilk (VNM), Vingroup (VIC), steel maker Hoa Phat (HPG), the Vietnam Rubber Group (GVR), and Vicostone (VCS). The afternoon trading session starts at 1pm. Messaging platform WhatsApp has said that it has seen a fall of 70 per cent in 'highly forwarded' messages or the ones spreading misinformation about coronavirus. Earlier this month, WhatsApp introduced a new feature which limited the number of forwards to only one at a time. The viral messages that were earlier sent to five or more users can now be forwarded only to one person. "WhatsApp is committed to doing our part in tackling viral messages," a WhatsApp spokesperson said, adding "This change is helping keep WhatsApp a place for personal and private conversations." It was in July 2018 that WhatsApp first imposed a limit on forwards. The messaging platform had recently introduced a slew of measures to contain the spread of misinformation through it. Delhi Police recently sought details of admins of Whatsapp groups at Safdarjung Hospital to monitor the social media behaviour of medical workers. The move was seen to be similar to that in the US where authorities have started monitoring medical workers who used social media to complain about shortage of essential medical equipment such as masks and personal protective equipment for treatment of coronavirus patients. Meanwhile, parent Facebook had recently confirmed that WhatsApp is planning to launch an update which may increase the number of participants in the video and audio calling conference to eight people. "Soon you'll be able to have group voice and video calls with up to eight people on WhatsApp. As before, these calls are secured with end-to-end encryption so no one else can view or listen to your private conversation, not even WhatsApp" Facebook said in a statement. Also read: Coronavirus India Live Updates: COVID-19 cases rise to 28,380, death toll at 886; lockdown to stay in red zones Also read: RBI announces Rs 50,000 crore liquidity boost for mutual funds Machine learning, a subset of artificial intelligence (AI) involving the study of algorithms and statistical models that systems use to perform tasks by relying on patterns and inference is one of the highest demand skills in todays technology job market. It stands to reason, then, that machine learning engineers are in good place as far as career outlook. These professionals are sophisticated programmers who develop machines and systems that can learn and apply knowledge without specific direction, according to Study.com, an online education platform. The focus of machine learning engineers goes beyond specifically programming machines to perform specific tasks, Study.com notes. They create programs that allow machines to take actions without being specifically directed to perform the tasks. Such an engineer might work on the development of a self-driving vehicle, for example, or program services in such a way that they can attempt to identify a specific individual's interests. From customized news feeds to tailored web searches, machine learning engineers are contributing to the daily lives of many individuals and how they use technology, Study.com said. Machine learning engineer job skills Among the job skills machine learning engineers need to have are computer programming (possibly including knowledge of specific languages such as C++ or Java), math, data analytics, data mining, knowledge of cloud applications, and the ability to communicate well. Professional social networking site LinkedIn in its Most Promising Jobs listing for 2019 ranked machine learning engineer No. 15. The rankings are based on factors such as high salaries, a significant number of job openings, and year-over-year growth. To determine the best jobs for career opportunity, LinkedIn combined data from millions of member profiles, job openings and salaries. Job site Indeed reports that machine learning engineer is in its top 10 AI jobs list. Between 2018 and 2019 the sites analytics team identified the 10 positions with the highest percentage of job descriptions that include the keywords artificial intelligence or machine learning. Machine learning engineer topped Indeeds list for highest paying job in 2019, after coming in third in 2018. [ Tech careers: IT certifications and training center ] So, what does it take to become a machine learning engineer? To find out, we spoke with Kyle Hamlin, principal machine learning engineer at Sailthru, a provider of personalization software and services. Education/early life Hamlin earned a Bachelors of Science degree in cognitive psychology from Colorado State University in 2010 and a Master of Science degree in statistics from Baruch College. While studying in college and planning his future he had no intention whatsoever of pursuing a career in IT. My initial career aspiration was to become a counselor/therapist, Hamlin said. Thats not to say he lacked any interest in machines or the mechanics behind how technologies work. I think Ive always been interested in tinkering with things, whether it was mechanical or digital, Hamlin said. So for me, getting into technology was probably always a good fit even if I didnt initially realize it. Job history One of Hamlins first working experiences was as a data modeling intern at data analytics and data warehouse provider Teradata. This was an internship so it had to end, but it was foundational to some of the data engineering knowledge I have and use to this day, he said. Following the internship Hamlin took a position as a workforce analyst at Sheltering Arms, a children and family services provider. He was responsible for overseeing all metric-based initiatives and driving efficient recruitment, training and management. Other duties included preparing monthly data reports, analyzing metrics to identify top performers internally and externally, performing pension analysis and assessing turnover to reduce attrition rates. This job was the first time that I was able to unleash some of my growing analytical capabilities on an organization, Hamlin said. Being a nonprofit, they didnt have much money to invest in software or really anything to aid in making more advanced decisions about their workforce. [ Security school: Insider Pro subscribers enroll for free ] Hamlin designed a reporting system based on ADP data to distribute reports to hundreds of remote managers, in an effort to help them gain insight into their teams. This was probably one of the largest analytics efforts at the organization to date and it was run entirely from my old Dell desktop computer, he said. Completing a project like that enabled me to sell myself to a company that more closely aligned with my career aspirations. Next, Hamlin joined media and marketing services company Mindshare as a digital insights analyst. One of his accomplishments was to stitch together many disparate data sources to automate report generation for hundreds of Unilever brands. That project helped me sell myself as analytically proficient to interested companies, he said. Soon after Hamlin took advantage of an opportunity at marketing and advertising firm Rocket Fuel, where he was a research analyst. This company is where I believe my career really took off, he said. It was, for one, a true technology company, so I was exposed to many like-minded people. Hamlin was also able to work with a variety of proprietary machine learning and big data systems. In the end, the big selling point for me from Rocket Fuel was all the cutting-edge systems I was exposed to and worked with, he said. [ Related: Machine learning skills for software engineers ] In March 2016 Hamlin joined information, data and measurement firm Nielsen as a machine learning engineer. Coming from Rocket Fuel and having world class big data experience, I was able to spearhead the scaling of a Web application used to manage an online learning system, he said. The system was critical for data scientists to gain insight into and evaluate their models. This was a huge selling point, as I had experience building analytical systems, and now I learned how to scale them to production environments, Hamlin said. Hamlin joined his current employer, Sailthru, in 2019, and his focus is more aligned with the data engineering space. Ive spent my time modernizing existing machine learning systems, while also building the core foundation for a new platform that leverages a unified data lake and the latest in deep learning, he said. Memorable moments The most memorable moment from Hamlins career thus far is how it all got started. After I finished my undergraduate degree, I started applying for graduate schools all over the country mostly PhD counseling psychology programs, he said. While I waited for responses from schools, I came to the conclusion that I actually didnt want to spend the next seven years in school getting a PhD. Hamlin figured it would be more valuable to have five years of work experience under his belt after a masters program than zero working experience after a PhD. So he decided to go for a masters in industrial/organizational psychology from Baruch College in New York City. During that first semester at Baruch, there were two experiences that changed my career trajectory completely, Hamlin said. The first experience was an attempt to create an idea that my best friend and I had: A platform for sharing and mixing clips of music that we created. In all honesty, it was more of a reason for us to stay in touch. But while we both hacked away at our Ruby on Rails app, I realized that I much prefer spending hours debugging and tinkering with code even if it was aimlessly over studying for courses in psychology. The second experience was the one class that he enjoyed during his first semester in the psychology program, Applied Statistical Analysis for Business Decisions. In that class, students had to design experiments using good experimental design principles to gather data about some hypothesis, and then analyze it using IBM SPSS statistical software. The course was hard, but felt familiar to me because a lot of what I did in my undergrad was study experimental design and analyze data that I gathered in SPSS, Hamlin said. It was clear to me as I neared the end of the semester that I loved software and I was good at analysis, so I made perhaps the best decision Ive ever made in my life: I transferred to Baruchs MS Statistic program. Over the next two years Hamlin made it his mission to learn programming with a variety of languages. The field of data science was burgeoning at the time and he knew that if he was skilled in statistical analysis and also had good programming fundamentals, he would be a prime job candidate. This memory is very fond to me because it so clearly was a pivotal change in my life and career and for the better, Hamlin said. But at the time, I agonized over whether or not I had the mathematical capabilities to complete a masters in statistics. In the end, although it was very tough, I made the right decision by following my interests over all else. Skills and certifications Learning Python wasnt necessarily a requirement, but I was intensely interested in being a good programmer to complement my education in statistics, Hamlin said. Learning to program in Python opened many doors for me. It taught me how to think like a software engineer, which Ive found to be invaluable, before starting to build any analytical, statistical, or machine learning projects. Ultimately, the time Hamlin dedicated to learning software engineering paid off, because it helped him excel at delivering stronger solutions for his employers. As a machine learning engineer whose primary skill set is knowing how to scale machine learning systems to production software environments, I couldnt have accomplished that without first learning Python. Short-term and long-term goals Hamlin said he has a growing interest in the field of cybersecurity. I see it as an area that will continue to grow in importance as our society continues to digitize and AI becomes increasingly widespread [and] prevalent, he said. Additionally, my best friend and I are actually still at it building software together almost nine years later. Of course, we weren't always building over those nine years, but weve recently created a product to help give fast visual feedback to teams building Web sites. Its called Volley, and it's one of my goals for the future: build a sustainable business of my own. Advice for others seeking a similar path Automate everything, Hamlin said. A lot of the real-world experience I gained with programming was through trying to program away any task that I had to do more than a few times. I found that even menial tasks required stitching together many sub-tasks and using multiple systems. Those automation endeavors made Hamlin quickly realize that code can get messy quickly, and he needed to learn more about good organization and design patterns. BEIJING, April 26 (Xinhua) -- China has been enhancing the supervision of export medical equipment for epidemic control, according to the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA). The administration has established lists of key medical equipment manufacturers to supervise them to optimize their profiles of export products for more effective management of the export process, said Wang Shucai, an official with the NMPA at a press conference. All provincial-level administrations were urged to further standardize export sales certificates. No export certificate shall be issued without registration certificates and production licenses for medical devices in China, Wang said. Meanwhile, inspections of key enterprises have also been intensified. Production of the companies must be stopped immediately for rectification as long as their export products are proven to be defective, according to the official. Wang also noted that a special work team was jointly set up with the State Administration for Market Regulation to carry out on-site inspections in five provinces or cities with large medical equipment exports. As of Friday, as many as 10,307 inspectors were sent to 1,216 medical device manufacturers that have started or were preparing to start exporting for quality checks, examining samples of 417 batches of products, Wang said. China is at it again as heightened cyber-attacks and attempts to steal coronavirus research has been reported by several United States government agencies. China is attempting to compromise the US response as another of many deplorable moves by nation-states and criminal groups. This comes as data about the coronavirus is crucial for the US to combat the virus on US soil, led by the Trump administration. The Trump Administration is citing China's possible action as undermining coronavirus research by trying to pilfer it, thru electronic means that has been reported by US government agencies. Giving the impression that entities are actively attacking the US through cyber-space. Most of those who were attacked by suspected hackers from China and other vested interests' groups are hospitals, research laboratories, healthcare providers, and pharmaceutical companies which have all been hit. All of these are key to US efforts in the coronavirus crisis, the US Department of Health and Human Services - which oversees the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, officials said. Who are those responsible for the cyber-attacks? An official said that China and Russia are the most logical entities that were responsible for the cyber assaults on the US Department of Health and Human Services. According to officials: "After some hesitance to attribute the wide-ranging attacks across the medical sector to any specific countries - whether for political reasons or a lack of certainty - top national security officials have decided to single out China." A confirmation of the US Department of Justice says that they are very concerned about attempts to steal information, via Chinese hackers who are intent on purloining information that were lacking from their system. All these US hospitals and labs that are repelling active attempt getting coronavirus information through all means, led by the mainland government. Also read: China Fears Impending Coronavirus Second Wave, Imposes New Lockdown "They are trying to steal everything" The Trump administration is pointing the finger at China for attempting to steal coronavirus research, as officials are warning they have seen a growing wave of cyber-attacks on US government agencies and medical institutions leading the pandemic response by nation-states and criminal groups. Hospitals, research laboratories, healthcare providers, and pharmaceutical companies have all been hit, officials say; and the US Department of Health and Human Services - which oversees the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - has been struck by a surge of daily strikes, an official with direct knowledge of the attacks said. According to John Demers, the head of the Justice Department's National Security Division, "We are very attuned to increased cyber intrusions into medical centers, research centers, universities, anybody that is researching this area." When asked about Chinese economic espionage. Demers added, "There is nothing more valuable today than biomedical research relating to vaccines for treatments for the coronavirus." It means a lot to China to purloin any source of information, to create vaccine as leverage to other countries. As the US and other nations attempt to find a vaccine to cure the coronavirus. Ohad Zaidenberg, one of the co-founders of Cyber Threat Intelligence League, a global group of more than 1,400 vetted cybersecurity experts, is working to nullify cyber thieves like Chinese Mainland hackers. Zaidenberg said, "They are trying to steal everything." As heightened cyber-attack by China to purloin and steal rightful coronavirus research from the Trump Administration is fiercer, shows how China operates even in cyber-space. Related article: Chinese Warship Readied Guns at PH Navy Vessel in Philippine Seas @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The Government of Anguilla is providing support for eligible persons who have become unemployed or underemployed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. A. INFORMATION FOR EMPLOYEES AND THE SELF EMPLOYED Who Should Apply/Eligibility Criteria Employees and self-employed persons, who have not contributed to Social Security or who have contributed to Social Security for less than fifty (cumulative) weekly payments, are eligible to apply provided they meet one of the following criteria: Has become unemployed, being either temporarily or permanently laid off, as a result of COVID-19 after February 1st, 2020; Is underemployed as a result of COVID-19 after February 1st, 2020, and is earning less than EC$800 a month; or Their business has closed or is earning less than $800 XCD as a result of COVID-19 after February 1st, 2020. Requirements: All applications to be submitted by 15th June, 2020 Applicants must have been unemployed or underemployed due to COVID for 15 days or more (excluding Sundays) prior to making a claim. Self-employed persons may be required to provide additional information to support their claim. Applicants must either be registered with Social Security at the time of application, or subsequently registered with Social Security in order to receive the assistance. Registration forms can be obtained at the Social Security Office or downloaded from the Social Security website at www.ssbai.com. Applicants must be in Anguilla unless seeking medical assistance overseas. Payments Payments are to be made directly to bank accounts and first payments are scheduled to reach accounts on or before May 15th, 2020. Approved unemployed persons will receive payments of EC$800 for the period during which they remain unemployed up to a period of three months, if their previous monthly earnings were EC$ 800 or more. Persons who earned less than EC$ 800 will receive that amount. Approved underemployed persons will receive the difference between their current earnings and their pre-COVID 19 monthly earnings up to a maximum of EC$800 (i.e. an earnings top-up) for the period during which they remain underemployed up to a period of three months. How to Apply In accordance with social distancing protocols, all applicants are required to submit applications online at beatcovid19.ai (website) using any internet accessible device such as smart phone, tablet, laptop or PC. Persons who are unable to apply online must phone 497 2547 or email mofgoa@gov.ai for further assistance. B. INFORMATION FOR EMPLOYERS Validation of Information by Employers As part of the verification process, the Labour Department will be contacting employers to verify the information submitted by their employees. Where a business has more than 15 employees who have claimed for assistance, a spreadsheet will be forwarded to that employer to input the required information. All employers are required to verify their employees information to the satisfaction of the Labour Department. If an employer fails to validate their employees information, such persons will be unable to receive support under the programme. Any information that might be requested as part of the employer validation process must be submitted to the Labour Department at labour.mailbox@gov.ai. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the Ministry of Finance by phone at 264-497-2547, or by email at mofgoa@gov.ai BLOOMINGTON The Illinois Farm Bureaus Young Leaders are stepping up to help those who go hungry during the COVID-19 pandemic. One in six children in Illinois struggles with food security, said Drew DeSutter, a Knox County farmer and District 8 Young Leader Committee member of the Illinois Farm Bureau. As a farmer, to me personally, that hits close to home because my job is to provide a safe, affordable and abundant food supply. And when I hear of people not having food on the table, that that really hits close to home. I want to see everyone have food security. One way his group did that, DeSutter said, was to raise funds for Harvest for All, an annual farm bureau project which supports eight regional food banks covering the entire state of Illinois. We take on Harvest for All every year, he said. Then you add in this pandemic that were going through, and the economic uncertainty across the countryside, whether youre in an urban area or a rural area, (you have) been hit very hard. DeSutter said that food security is something that we can put in the forefront of our organization. Aaron Mitchell, District 2 committee member, explained in a telephone interview that most years the group uses March Madness as a fundraising tool. People will fill out a bracket; they put in a little money and whoever wins the bracket challenge gets to take the pool of money to the food bank of their choice, he said. With March Madness canceled this year, they decided to take donations through Facebook, Mitchell said. We knew with everyone being home that social media would be a great way to be able to reach people, since theres more social media now than ever before, he said. Because thats about all most people can do right now. So the Young Leaders set up a donation site on their Facebook page, including information on each regional food bank, and members spread the word through their personal pages. The farm bureau is committed to matching the first $1,000 for each regional bank. Farmers are very generous people, De Sutter said. Most farmers would give the shirt off their back for others. And when it comes to food security, I know thats an issue that hits close to home because thats what were essentially doing raising our crops and livestock to be turned into food for others. Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey will announce her plans tomorrow for reopening the states economy, according to a state representative. Rep. Danny Garrett, R-Trussville, said Ivey told lawmakers in a call this morning the announcement would be coming Tuesday. No other details on the plans were released but the current stay-at-home order due to the coronavirus pandemic is set to end April 30. Ivey could announce she is lifting some parts of the order or that it will remain in place. Iveys office has confirmed shes holding a press conference tomorrow. She will be joined by State Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris and executive committee members of the Governors Coronavirus Task Force. The press conference will be held at 11 a.m. at the State Capitol. On a call w/ members of the Alabama Legislature this morning, Gov. Ivey said she would make an announcement tomorrow (4/28) on her plans to begin reopening the states economy. She previously stated she would make decision about phased reopening of businesses on or before 4/28. Rep. Danny Garrett (@DannyGarrett44) April 27, 2020 In March, state officials announced the closure of non-essential businesses, shuttering beauty and barber shops, gyms and many stores even as large retailers such as Walmart, Target, Lowes and Home Depot, were allowed to remain open. The stay-at-home order was enacted in early April. Ivey has been weighing recommendations on lifting the order even as Alabama continues to add new COVID-19 cases. Last week, she hinted at a phased reopening that may not include every part of the state at the same time. Theres no one size fits all for everyone at the same time, Ivey said. Nobody wants to get to work more than I do. Im all about opening up to get back to work. At the same time, weve got to do it as soon as we can as smart as we can. We dont want to do it too early to invite the virus back in our communities. As of Monday morning, Alabama has 6,249 cases of coronavirus with 219 deaths. Updated April 27 at noon to reflect the scheduling of Iveys press conference. The system that handles state unemployment benefits is back online Monday morning. On Sunday, the antiquated system thats been flooded with an unprecedented number of claims during the coronavirus pandemic experienced its first widespread outage. A message on the site Monday read Attention Customers: Access to our online applications has been restored. NJ Advance Media first heard of the outage from applicants who were trying to certify benefits, a process that must be done every week, sometime after 9 a.m. on Sunday. A short time later, the Labor Department said the entire application system was also down. Also, Sunday the coronavirus death toll in New Jersey increased Sunday to 5,938 people, with at least 109,038 total cases statewide, though the total number of residents hospitalized dropped to a three-week low, with 6,573 patients under treatment for a confirmed or suspected case. The numbers announced by Gov. Phil Murphy include 75 additional deaths and 3,730 new positive tests reported in the last 24 hours. Murphy is expected to reveal a plan to start reopening the state during a noon briefing on Monday in Trenton. Hes calling it The Road Back: Restoring Economic Health through Public Health. CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live map tracker | Newsletter | Homepage Heres a roundup of coronavirus news: N.J. mayor asks residents, visitors to wear a mask while downtown: The mayor of Morristown is asking residents and others to wear a face covering when visiting one of New Jerseys most popular downtowns. Morristown Mayor Tim Dougherty said that face coverings will be provided upon request to anyone contacting town hall, as the number of coronavirus cases continues to rise statewide. Number of coronavirus patients at N.J. hospitals drops to 3-week low with 5th straight day of declines: The number of New Jersey residents hospitalized for the coronavirus has declined for five straight days and is around the lowest levels they have been since three weeks ago, according to figures from the state health department. Hospitalizations hit a peak on April 14 with 8,293 patients. Coronavirus patients with developmental disabilities must be allowed a visitor at hospital, state says: New Jersey coronavirus patients with developmental or intellectual disabilities must be allowed a support person at their side during hospital stays, the state Department of Health said Saturday. The visitor has to be symptom-free and regularly screened by hospital staff with temperature checks, according to the order. That individual will be expected to wear personal protective equipment and will not be allowed to leave and return to the hospital. Theyll also have extremely limited access to other parts of the hospital. N.J. counties fighting each other for testing supplies in coronavirus battle, with little help from state: Atlantic, Camden, Cumberland and Gloucester counties say theyve run into problems obtaining supplies and testing residents, as theyve had to compete with other counties and even the state of New Jersey for coronavirus supplies. Their struggles highlights a disconnect in the states testing strategy. While county-run testing sites comprise a sizable portion of New Jerseys coronavirus testing infrastructure, those countys experiences shows a state government stretched thin, without a cohesive plan for widespread testing. This breakdown has led to cutthroat competition and bidding wars. Jersey Shore motel wont open this summer: Two months ago, North Wildwood motel owners Bill and Kathy Crane were preparing in full force for their 19th season in business. They paid for new carpeting for their motel, The Sandpiper, and were beginning heavy cleaning in the rooms. But as the coronavirus spread throughout the region, the Cranes realized opening would be a problem. On Friday, the pair announced the motel would close for the summer of 2020, citing the health safety concerns of guests and staff. Morristown HS alum creates voluntary coronavirus app that takes temperature of our neighborhoods: Morristown High alum Sean Hyde has created a voluntary app that can anonymously report and track coronavirus cases in the users area. Hyde got his idea from seeing how successful similar tools have been to health and government officials recently in places like South Korea and Singapore. Worldwide coronavirus cases: Of the nearly 3 million people to test positive nearly 207,000 have been killed as of 7 a.m. Monday according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. More than 870,000 have recovered. The virus has spread to 185 counties. U..S. cases: About 966,000 cases have led to nearly 55,000 deaths as of 7 a.m. Monday, the center says. Johns Hopkins says more than 107,000 have recovered, though the actual number is likely much higher. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. NJ Advance Media staff writers Payton Guion, Rob Jennings, Samantha Marcus, Noah Cohen, Avalon Zoppo and Matt Arco contributed to this report Two Pakistani Soldiers, Nine Militants Killed In North Waziristan Clash April 26, 2020 Pakistani military officials say at least two soldiers from Pakistan's army and nine militants were killed in a gun battle late on April 25 near the border with Afghanistan. Pakistan's Inter-Services Public Relations, the military's media wing, said on April 26 that five Pakistani soldiers also were injured in the clash that took place in the volatile tribal region of North Waziristan. It did not identify which militant group the gunmen were thought to be linked to. According to Pakistani officials, security forces captured what they described as "an accomplice" of the militants and seized "a large cache" of weapons and explosives from a hideout used by the militants in North Waziristan. Terrorists linked to Al-Qaeda, the Haqqani network of the Afghan Taliban, and Pakistani militants have all been active in the region during the past decade. The Pakistani military managed to push militants out of their border-region strongholds through a series of offensives since 2014. But militants continue to stage surprise attacks there. The latest clash was the fifth between security forces and militants in the area within the past month. That has reinforced concerns that the militants may be trying to regroup in their former strongholds in Pakistan. Based on reporting by Reuters, AP, AFP, and dpa Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/two-pakistani- soldiers-nine-militants-killed-in-north- waziristan-clash/30577358.html Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address More than 500 civilians killed in first three months of 2020, UN report says as violence rages even after February deal. More than 500 civilians have been killed in Afghanistan in the first three months of the year, the United Nations has said, even after an agreement between the United States and the Taliban on withdrawing foreign forces was signed to bring peace to the war-torn country. Fighting in the first three months of the year caused 1,293 civilian casualties, of which 760 were injuries and the rest deaths, including 152 children and 60 women, the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said in its quarterly report on Monday. Much of the violence that led to the casualties took place in March after a US-Taliban deal on the withdrawal of US-led foreign forces in exchange for Taliban security guarantees was signed on February 29. The pact includes a commitment by the Taliban and the Afghan government to work towards ending the 18-year war in the country. Efforts towards formal peace talks have been fraying as the Taliban continues to attack government forces despite warnings from the US for it to reduce violence, as well as disagreements over the release of prisoners. A political feud within the Afghan government between the president and his main rival after a disputed election has also distracted attention from the peace effort. To safeguard the lives of countless civilians in Afghanistan and to give the nation hope of a better future, it is imperative that violence is stopped with the establishment of a ceasefire and for peace negotiations to commence, said Deborah Lyons, the UN secretary-generals special representative for Afghanistan and head of UNAMA. Lyons reiterated calls for a ceasefire, which the Taliban has rejected in recent days. Taliban rejects UN report 200424104202456 According to the UN report, the Taliban and other anti-government armed groups, such as the ISIL (or ISIS) groups affiliate in Afghanistan, were responsible for the majority 55 percent of the civilian casualties during the first three months. The Taliban was behind 39 percent of those casualties, the report said, an increase of 22 percent compared with the same period last year, while the Afghan forces and their allies were responsible for 32 percent of all civilian casualties during the first quarter of 2020. The report added that pro-government forces were responsible for more child casualties than the Taliban and other armed groups and over twice as many child deaths. Children and women continue to be disproportionately impacted by the violence, it said. However, the number of civilian casualties in that period was the lowest since 2012, the report said. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid rejected the UN report as an attempt to cover up daily crimes against civilians committed by US and Afghan forces. Afghans are witnessing that most of the civilian casualties are due to indiscriminate bombings, rocket attacks on villages and towns as well as raids on civilian homes, Mujahid said. Whoever said theres no such thing as bad publicity never heard of Derek Sloan. The rookie Conservative MPs racially-based tirade against Canadas Chief Public Health Officer, Dr. Theresa Tam, has earned him, his party and its lame-duck leader publicity but all the wrong kind. Not only did Sloan demand Dr. Tams firing last week over her handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, he provocatively asked: Does she work for Canada or for China? Dr. Tam was born in Hong Kong and her background is clearly Chinese. By focusing on her ethnicity, Sloan explicitly accused her of being disloyal to Canada and serving masters in the Communist Peoples Republic of China. This is an outrageous, totally unsubstantiated claim. It smacks of racism, as many Canadians of Asian descent quickly insisted it did. Sloans words are an embarrassment to his party. That he is a candidate though a long-shot contender to become the next Conservative leader brings the credibility of Canadas Official Opposition into greater question. But what truly makes Sloans ugly slur against Dr. Tam an indictment against his party and not just him is the failure of Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer to denounce the MP. To be fair, other Conservative MPs such as Michael Chong, Eric Duncan, Eric Melillo and Michelle Rempel Garner all condemned Sloans verbal attack on Dr. Tam. But Leader Scheer, who continues to be his partys most visible face even if he will soon step down, cravenly took a pass on the matter. Youd find more firmness in a bowl of Jell-O. Canadians deserved better from Scheer. So did Conservatives, or wed like to think those of them who arent ready to leap into some crazy, populist abyss. During the run-up to the last Conservative leadership contest, Rona Ambrose, then the partys interim leader, openly opposed the call from one of the candidates, Kellie Leitch, for a Canadian values test. That said something to Canadians about a party that desires to represent the entire nation. But today Scheer retreats behind a wall of silence when a fellow Conservative blasts out hurtful words that offend not just Chinese-Canadians but everyone in this country who believes people should be judged by what they do, not where they or their family came from. Neither leading Conservative Party officials nor the party leadership committee co-chairs bothered to take Sloan to task, either. Indeed, another Tory leadership hopeful, Toronto lawyer Leslyn Lewis, said it wasnt racist to be critical of the governments slow reaction to this pandemic. That, of course, is not what Sloan did. Theres nothing unreasonable for people to question how Dr., Tam and the federal government have responded to COVID-19. In late January, for instance, when the outbreaks epicentre was in China, she said Canadians had nothing to worry about. Time proved her wrong. But Sloan took a shot at who Dr. Tam is, as much as what shes done. Dr. Tam must go, he said. Canada must remain sovereign over decisions. What a pity that the memories of Scheer and other party head honchos dont extend back to the 2015 federal election when some Conservative candidates promised a re-elected Tory government would set up a tip line for reporting barbaric cultural practices to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The party paid for this xenophobic paranoia at the polls, where it was tossed from office. Now, thanks to the likes of Sloan and Scheer, it has alienated Canadians of every ethnic background once again. At a time when the party is struggling for attention, its just received the wrong kind. Read more about: Australia Rejects Chinese Economic Coercion Threat Amid Planned Virus Probe SYDNEYAustralian Foreign Minister Marise Payne has cautioned China against attempts at economic coercion as Australia pushes for an investigation into the CCP virus pandemic. Australia last week called for all members of the World Health Organization (WHO) to support an independent review into the origins and spread of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) virus, commonly known as the novel coronavirus, and is lobbying world leaders. Payne said in a statement on April 27 that Australia had made a principled call for an independent review of the COVID-19 outbreak which started in the Chinese city of Wuhan. People are waiting to be tested for the CCP virus at the Wuhan No. 8 Hospital in Wuhan, China on April 10, 2020. (Noel Celis/AFP via Getty Images) We reject any suggestion that economic coercion is an appropriate response to a call for such an assessment, when what we need is global cooperation, Payne said. Chinas Communist government is grasping at straws. They are desperate to hide their role in spreading the coronavirus. The #CCP is threatening economic retaliation against Australia if the country pursues an independent investigation of the outbreak. https://t.co/JtaMJF52Lc Sen. Marsha Blackburn (@MarshaBlackburn) April 27, 2020 Chinas foreign ministry retaliated against Australias proposal. Chinese ambassador to Australia, Cheng Jingye, said in an interview with The Australian Financial Review on Monday that the Chinese public could avoid Australian products and universities. China is the largest export market for Australian wine and beef. During strained diplomatic relations with China in 2018, Australian wine faced import delays in China and some Australian beef exports were also previously suspended for a period. The Chinese embassy in Australia has previously warned Chinese students about what it said were safety risks in traveling to Australia. Payne said an honest assessment of the pandemic would seek to strengthen the WHOs role. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang dismissed calls for an investigation during a daily briefing in Beijing, though not commenting specifically about Australia. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) virus has infected 2.97 million people worldwide and killed more than 205,000, a Reuters tally shows. However, these numbers may be higher as world leaders and experts have spread doubts about Chinese authorities accuracy in reporting CCP virus numbers. By Kirsty Needham. Epoch Times staff contributed to this report. First it was Fiesta. Now chances are good that the coronavirus crisis will sideline big Cinco de Mayo gatherings, or at least drive them underground, to be celebrated at home with the same people youve been sheltering with since Valentines Day. Send help. San Antonio restaurants have stepped up by offering cocktails to-go. Now you can help them, too, by celebrating Drinko de Mayo with takeout margaritas. Bonus: The law says you cant order margaritas to-go unless you get food, too. So heres cinco places to get the best of both worlds for Cinco. Mike Sutter /Staff El Mirasol For a quick party fix, maybe with a few socially distanced neighborhood friends, El Mirasol does a nice premixed frozen margarita spiked with chamoy for color and pucker ($11) and a respectable top-shelf rocks margarita with Don Julio for a dollar more. So what if theyre in Styrofoam cups? Add a hot, cheesy order of nachos with beef and guacamole for $13.95. 13489 Blanco Road, 210-479-8765; 10003 NW Military Highway, Suite 2107, 210-592-8576; elmirasolsa.com On ExpressNews.com: The S.A.-area restaurants, liquor stores, breweries offering curbside pickup and delivery La Gloria San Antoniochef Johnny Hernandez embraced the new world order early on, adding a grocery market at the Pearl location and putting together a kit to make La Glorias celebrated margaritas at home. The $38 package includes margarita mix that tastes like lime superjuice from a spa, plus salt, chile salt and a half-size bottle of brand-name El Jimador reposado tequila. Add ice, and theres enough for four to six drinks, depending on how your days going. Make it a party with La Glorias $45 Taquiza kit, with juicy carne asada, twangy pork al pastor and chicken with peppers, onions and bacon, along with rice, charro beans, chile de arbol salsa. All that and a bag of tortilla chips. 100 E. Grayson St. at the Pearl, 210-267-9040, chefjohnnyhernandez.com Mike Sutter /Staff Mi Tierra Cafe y Panaderia This is the only time youll ever see the pinata-bedazzled bakery lobby at Mi Tierra completely empty. Shake off the ghost-shivers and get a $42.95 family Tex-Mex pack with a dozen cheese enchiladas, classic rice and beans, fresh flour tortillas, salsa and fresh tortilla chips. The $20 margarita kits a nice surprise, with a 32-ounce cup of tart margarita mix thats just sweet enough to make the half-size bottle of cheap tequila taste like something more. 218 Produce Row, 210-239-9215, miterracafe.com Mike Sutter /Staff Paloma Blanca Granted, this genteel Alamo Heights favorite is much better in person. But if you need your fix of Paloma Blancas sweet-tart house margarita at your own house, its here with a baby bottle of Jose Cuervo for $8.50, plus a 35-cent to-go charge. Create a mini-buffet of Cinco de Mayo staples from the $25.95 Botana Grande appetizer plate, packed with chicken quesadillas, bean and cheese nachos, sour cream, salsa, guacamole, chicken flautas and fried jalapenos stuffed with cream cheese. 5800 Broadway, Suite. 300, 210-822-6151, palomablanca.net On ExpressNews.com: San Antonios takeout stars: 2M Smokehouse, Clementine and Pasha shine Mike Sutter /Staff Torchys Tacos Be the hero who shows up with queso. This Austin import makes some of the best green chile queso ($6.15) and queso spiked with chorizo hillbilly-style ($6.45). Sharing is caring. But that Bootleg Margarita with a double shot of decent airplane bottles of tequila for $9.50? Keep that one for yourself. 18210 Sonterra Place, 726-444-9116, more locations at torchystacos.com Mike Sutter is a food and drink reporter and restaurant critic in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. To read more from Mike, become a subscriber. msutter@express-news.net | Twitter: @fedmanwalking | Instagram: @fedmanwalking A run-down flat in need of a complete overhaul, a hefty budget to play with and a client couple with radically different ideas about style its all in a days work for designer Julian Prieto. Commissioned to upgrade a very old and very, very, dated two-bedroom split-level apartment in a Victorian townhouse in Kensington, Prieto rejigged the space and adjudicated between his clients desires for traditional and nearly minimal style versus completely bonkers. The blank canvas he had to work with was a spacious period flat, measuring a generous 1,300sq ft. It had some great original features, including high ceilings, deep sash windows and pretty fireplaces. But the reception was split into three separate rooms. Originally there was a drawing room, a living room and a kitchen at the back of the property, says Prieto, head designer and chief executive of Camden-based property developer and renovations specialists, MyEdge2.com. Simple interior: white walls and timber floors add to the minimal feel of this split-level apartment / Juliet Murphy We very soon realised that there were two key structural changes needed. Nobody entertains in a drawing room, so we moved the kitchen from the back into the drawing room, and took away walls so that two thirds of the ground floor is now a large kitchen-living room. The master bedroom, meanwhile, lacked storage although it did have a very small walk-in wardrobe. To remedy this, Prieto removed a section of wall and extended the closet, borrowing the space from the guest bedroom. A total revamp With the basics in place the flat had to be completely gutted, with underfloor heating installed beneath elegant parquet floors, and walls and woodwork painted a crisp white. New white shutters were made to frame the period windows. The most expensive element of the work was, unsurprisingly, the kitchen. The clients brief was that they wanted an Aga range, a central island and lots of storage space. Prieto obliged with floor-to-ceiling storage along one wall, painted off-white to give a seamless finish, a modern induction Aga, then an island topped with pale grey granite in a matte finish. The same stone is used on the work surfaces and splashback, weighing in at one-and-a-half tons. To add a bit of drama, the upper kitchen cupboards have been clad in a single strip of walnut veneer so that the wood grain is visible across their entire length. We wanted something which would contrast with the floors and would have its own personality, explains Prieto. The kitchen, made by Halcyon Interiors in Wigmore Street cost 50,000, including appliances costing 15,000 and 6,000-worth of stone. The living room, meanwhile, is super-simple white walls and timber floors but to add a sense of grandeur Prieto installed bespoke double-height French doors at the entrance. I think they look absolutely spectacular, he says. Upstairs the bedrooms are equally pared back and make a perfect foil for both the simple timber bedframe in the couples room and the antique French furniture - which they already owned - in the guest room. The bathroom takes centre stage But the bathrooms ramp up the drama. Originally the master bathroom had a bathtub and twin hand basins. The owners wanted to try to fit in a walk-in shower, too. Prieto achieved this by sacrificing one of the sinks and moving the doorway. The star turn, however, are the walls which are finished in a dark grey Italian polished plaster. It is waterproof which means theres no need for ugly lines of grouting, while its shine reflects the light and its mottled surface gives a feeling of age. It is not the cheapest finish, admits Prieto, who estimates prices start from around 120 plus VAT per square metre. Dark walls and frameless shower doors create a "centre stage" look / Juliet Murphy The same type of plaster is used in the guest bathroom, this time in a stunning peacock blue. Prieto used frameless shower doors from Matki, which appear to float, so as not to detract from the walls with chrome edging. I wanted the walls to be centre stage, he says. All this was achieved only after long, slow negotiations with the owners. The project took 18 months, in part because of their difficulty agreeing on what to do, and came in at a cool 450,000 including VAT. The designer ended up getting his way on most things, although his original plan for brass-clad kitchen cabinets were a step too far for his clients. He loves the results, with one small exception the smallest room - where one of the owners was given free rein by her more minimal partner. When I saw the pieces I thought, Oh my God my head is going to explode, says Prieto, referring to the hand basin modelled on an oyster shell and set upon a classical plinth, a chandelier and a marble toilet seat. Prieto was able to come up with a simple backdrop of white metro tiles and black-and-white tiled floor in an attempt to pull these disparate pieces together. Russian prosecutors reveal 9 websites illegally selling Moscow moving passes RAPSI, Eugeny Varlamov 10:56 27/04/2020 MOSCOW, April 27 (RAPSI) Russias Prosecutor Generals Office has revealed 9 websites selling individual passes and certificates for moving through Moscow and Moscow Region for 900-3,000 rubles ($12-40). Prosecutors have applied to the Russian communications watchdog Roskomnadzor seekging to block the illegal Internet resourses, the press service of the Prosecutor Generals Office reports. Starting April 13, citizens can register digital passes on a free basis on the official websites of local authorities. Moscow Region police urge citizens not to transfer their money to unknown accounts or abonent numbers. Last week, the Moscow Region Main Directorate of the Interior Ministry reminded of the illegality of buying QR-codes to move through Moscow and Moscow Region and warned of the risk to lose money and personal data. Russia is expected to reach a plateau in new coronavirus cases by mid-May and in June the situation will be better, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in an interview with Argumenty i Fakty weekly newspaper. In "a couple of months" the current hardships over the coronavirus will fade away, Peskov said. "It seems to me that all this wont last longer," he said, noting that in Italy and Spain the critical phase of the epidemic continued a month and a half at maximum. "Somewhere in mid-May we should reach this plateau. And then, in the first month of summer probably it would be easier. I repeat that all these hardships will be quickly forgotten," TASS cited the spokesman as saying. Euro Motors, the exclusive importer and distributor for the luxury automotive manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover in Bahrain, has introduced special Ramadan deals to make its extensive selection of luxury cars affordable to all. The offers include zero per cent interest over a span of five years for Jaguar E-PACE and F-PACE models. In addition, Euro Motors is offering a striking discount of up to BD5,000 ($13,142.7) on all Land Rover models. Valid during the entire month of Ramadan, the campaign is designed to reward customers with excellent opportunities across a range of high-end models. The company is also offering customers a five-year complimentary service, warranty and roadside assistance package this Ramadan. Additionally, as part of its special services, Jaguar Land Rover customers can benefit from 20 per cent discount on their scheduled maintenance service and on the identified repairs required. Moreover, they can also enjoy 20 per cent off accessories purchased and fitted at Jaguar Land Rover workshops with a complimentary vehicle wash, vacuum, as well as car collection and delivery service. Stephen Lay, general manager of Euro Motors Jaguar Land Rover, said: Ramadan is an opportunity for us to engage with our customers, and acknowledge their trust and love for our Jaguar Land Rover cars. This year, were rewarding our existing and new customers with yet another opportunity to experience our extensive, luxurious range of vehicles with greater affordability and flexibility. Were confident our customers will appreciate these value-added offers and, we look forward to extending our continuous support to help make Ramadan festivities even more special. Customers are encouraged to visit the Jaguar Land Rover websites, www.jaguar-bahrain.com & www.landroverbahrain.com to register their interest in the Ramadan offers. Additionally, the Euro Motors Jaguar Land Rover service centre is also open from Saturday to Thursday, from 8 am to 2 pm and provide car collection and delivery services. The sales team is also available on-site for any sales consultations, car configuration and further enquiries by phone on 17460460 from Saturday to Thursday from 8 am to 11 pm for car viewing, test drive, car purchase or delivery. - TradeArabia News Service Mahindra & Mahindra, one of Indias largest automobile makers, collaborated with DDB Mudra Group to create a heart-warming film as a tribute to all the individuals who are helping India by transporting essential goods and services. Understanding the changing consumer behaviour in response to COVID-19, the film is based on the insight that with the lockdown continuing, seeing these individuals who provide essential services to our people and communities is reassuring for many people. Watching the milkman deliver in the wee hours of the morning or a grocery shop-owner opening his shutters, even from a persons window helps create a sense of stability amid this uncertainty. The film is a tribute to these warriors who are braving it out, to make our lives easier and more comfortable. While personal vehicles are stranded at home, commercial vehicles have taken the load of providing essential services such as groceries, vegetables, milk, LPG, waste management and more. With these key services in place it is enabling a successful implementation of Stay at Home during the COVID-19 pandemic. The film thanks these #WarriorsOnWheels who keep India moving, even while it seemingly stands still - Ye desh abhi ruka nahi hai. Talking about the campaign, Vikram Garga, Vice President, Marketing, Automotive Division, Mahindra and Mahindra said, During these unprecedented times, everyone has been confined to their homes. But even during this lockdown, there are people out there, who without worrying about themselves are catering to all our essential needs to drive the positive change. This is true Rise. We wanted to express our gratitude to these unsung heroes for their courage during these difficult times." Jaipur, April 27 : With the Bhilwara Model paving way for the global world to strategise in its fight against an unseen enemy -- the COVID-19 virus, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot was congratulated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for taking new initiatives to fight the pandemic during a video conferencing session held with the state CMs on Monday. IANS spoke to Gehlot in an e-interview to know more about these new initiatives being introduced in the state. Gehlot who has been leading from the front in the battle against the COVID-19 crisis in the state, in the e-interview, highlighted the challenges which were successfully eliminated to make the Bhilwara model a success on the global map. He further discussed the way forward for the state economy which is in shambles following the pandemic outbreak. He talked about the initiatives taken by his government to ensure that "no one sleeps hungry in Rajasthan". The CM said that Rajasthan probably is the first state in the country to have announced an economic package of Rs 3,000 crore for the poor and destitute. He said that the Centre needs to handhold the states till their economies are back on track while demanding a stimulus package for these economies. He highlighted the new changing world where social distancing, he says, will be sacrosanct and 'vows to work tirelessly till the corona battle is won... Here are excerpts from the interview: Q: Rajasthan is being discussed all across the globe for its successful Bhilwara Model? The positive results are out, but may we please know what challenges were seen in this textile city to make this model a success and how were these challenges addressed? A: Essence of Bhilwara Model is ruthless containment, strict compliance of the curfew and screening of the whole population of the district. Bhilwara challenge was unique in the sense that the corona infection was found in the doctors and other staff of a private hospital and without any knowledge, the doctor continued with patient consultations in large numbers and the source of infection was also untraceable. The biggest challenge was screening and testing of the population of more than 3 million and to identify people who had come in contact with the infected persons and quarantine them. For this, extensive counselling of people had to be done. Ruthless Containment, strict compliance of curfew & Social Distancing were the key features of Bhilwara Model. Around 2,000 teams carried out door-to-door survey for screening of whole population of the town and enforcing home quarantine on those who showed influenza-like symptoms and if required further testing was done. Q: The model has been shared in Canada too; any feedback from there? A: The Ambassador of India to Canada showed keen interest in the Bhilwara Model and in his own wisdom, he shared the model with the Canadian Government. The ruthlessness with which the infection was contained in Bhilwara was appreciated by one and all within and outside India. The success of the model is shown by the fact that 25 of the 27 positive cases stand totally recovered now and have returned home. I am not aware of any specific feedback from the Government of Canada. But part of the best practices are put to use by different countries as per their suitability. Q: Your recent announcement to buy wheat under National Food Security Act scheme is yet again a very positive initiative for the poor? How does the state government plans to handle the plight of poor? A: The State Government has been proactive in making all possible arrangements to ensure that not a single person remains hungry on any of the days. Regarding your question about purchase of wheat, we have decided to procure wheat from FCI at market price i.e. Rs 21/kg and to distribute it free of cost to 60 lakh needy persons. We were probably the first state in the country to have announced an economic package of Rs 3,000 crore for the poor and destitute. Decision has been taken to provide 10 kg wheat per person for two months to the BPL, State BPL, and families covered under the NFSA. Besides all these initiatives, economic assistance of Rs 2,500 has been provided to to 33 lakh poor people who are not covered under the National Food Security Act and social security pension schemes. These include construction labourers, daily wage earners, street vendors, rag pickers and other deprived people. These people will also be provided packets of dry ration or food free of cost. Over 78 lakh people have been paid social security pension of two months in a short span of a week. Q: What challenges you see during COVID-19 crisis in terms of economic instability. Any way forward which the state govt is contemplating on to battle out the crisis? A: With the view to bring the state economy on track and ensure growth at a faster speed, a task force has been constituted under the chairmanship of Arvind Mayaram (Retd. Finance Secretary, Govt. of India). Appropriate steps will be taken with proactive approach through continuous discussions with the experts and stake holders of all the sectors. Even during the modified lockdown, the permitted activities are being supported to ensure that they resume and pickup their operations without much obstacles. Q: What is your expectation from the central government? You have been writing letters and holding VC with PM, has there been any satisfying feedback from Delhi? A: We expect that the union government would come forward with a stimulus package for all the states. The Central Government needs to hand hold the states so long as their economies are not back on track. Proactive, state-friendly big policy decisions befitting the situation are expected of the Government of India. All dues that are payable to the states by Union Government need to be cleared at one go. Q: Please share your major concerns during COVID-19 and the way forward? A: The experience so far suggests that the novel coronavirus is highly contagious and no definite cure is available. Social distancing and using the mask, seems to be the order of the day. People will have to learn to live with new norms forced by this pandemic such as social distancing, cleanliness of their surroundings, use of sanitizers and masks, work from home to the extent possible and above all to rely on credible sources of information only and not to be taken in by rumours. Support and sustenance of marginalised sections of the society should now be voluntarily taken up as a collective responsibility by the relatively well-off sections of the society. It seems crowded social ceremonies are to be put on hold for a fairly long period. Q: There is petty politics also been played in the name of religion during COVID times. Your perspective on the same. A: I would categorically state that corona does not differentiate between the people based on caste, religion, nationality and any other denominators. We must combat this collectively with all the resources available at our command. It is unfortunate if somebody is indulging in petty politics at the cost of common good of the masses. We will work with the sole objective of saving the lives to the maximum possible. Such actions would not gain traction with people at large. But for sure, this will not weaken our resolve to work tirelessly till we come out victorious. (Archana Sharma can be reached at arachana.g@gmail.com) Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Toronto's handling of the homeless during the COVID-19 pandemic has "put lives at risk," a new lawsuit alleges. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 27/4/2020 (625 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. The Willowdale Welcome Centre in Toronto is seen on April 20, 2020. A COVID-19 outbreak has surged among Toronto's homeless in the last 10 days with at least 135 cases, the majority of which come from one shelter that houses refugees. There are 88 residents at the Willowdale Welcome Centre who have tested positive for the disease, according to recently released data from Toronto Public Health. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young Toronto's handling of the homeless during the COVID-19 pandemic has "put lives at risk," a new lawsuit alleges. The group of organizations, which includes a drop-in centre, is seeking an immediate injunction in an effort to force the city's 75 shelters to follow physical distancing rules. The suit, which was filed Friday in the Superior Court of Justice, alleges the city violated shelter residents' Charter of Rights and Freedoms and breached the Ontario Human Rights Code. They allege the city's standards of placing beds 0.75 metres apart, rather than the two-metre distance health officials have mandated, and the use of bunk beds in shelters, is unconstitutional during the pandemic. "They put lives at risk," the groups said. "In so doing, they also disproportionately burden members of historically marginalized groups who are overrepresented in the shelter system and deprive those groups of the benefit of physical distancing measures generally available to the housed public." The organizations said they "seek to vindicate the constitutional rights to life, security of the person and equality of Toronto's most vulnerable residents." As of Friday, there were 135 residents in the shelter system who tested positive for COVID-19, with the majority occurring in an outbreak raging at a shelter for refugees. Sanctuary Ministries of Toronto, Aboriginal Legal Services, Advocacy Centre for Tenants Ontario, Black Legal Action Centre, the Canadian Civil Liberties Association and HIV & AIDS Legal Clinic Ontario filed the suit. The city said in a statement it is working tirelessly to rapidly find solutions for the most vulnerable during the pandemic. "A critical component of prevention work has been working closely with service providers to take steps to increase physical distancing measures on site, where possible, including reducing or eliminating the use of bunk beds," the city said. "Shelters continue to meet the increased physical distancing guidelines of two metres." There are about 7,000 people in the city's shelter system, the most in the country. There are 75 shelters and respite centres in Toronto, 11 of which are operated by the city. About 3,000 of those residents are already in hotels and family settings, the city said. Advocates have been calling for reform in the notoriously overcrowded shelters for decades. The city said it has opened 11 centres during the COVID-19 crisis as a way to reduce crowding and are also in the midst of buying or leasing hotels in an effort to give each resident a private room. They have secured 1,200 hotel rooms thus far, the city said, and are continuing to look for more. "Some 770 people have been moved to hotel rooms and another 492 people to community space," the city said. The city said it has redeployed hundreds of employees to help during the effort. "Relocating people out of a familiar shelter setting, however, is complex," the city said. "Respecting individual needs remains a key consideration before moving someone to a new space." It said the "enormous effort" includes inspections and ensuring the amenities are adequate for the residents, and that it has to also secure contracts for cleaning, catering, security and laundry services. "Implementing a comprehensive response as quickly as possible for Toronto's most vulnerable has been a city priority," the city said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 27, 2020. A mother-of-one opened a sealed packed of Tesco potatoes only to find a dirty blue surgical glove nestled among the spuds. Biba Kutisova, 36, from Salisbury, set about immediately washing the potatoes to avoid any possible contamination from coronavirus. The glove was covered in mud and was presumably worn by one of the workers harvesting or processing the root vegetable. Ms Kutisova's ex-partner had bought the potatoes from a Tesco Express store near her home and she originally thought the glimmer of blue was paper. Biba Kutisova, 36, from Salisbury, set about immediately washing the potatoes (pictured) to avoid any possible contamination from coronavirus after finding a glove inside the sealed packet from Tesco Express She said: 'I spotted something blue and thought it was paper or something, but then I saw it was a proper glove. 'I was shocked, how can that happen? How can nobody notice? 'I threw it away immediately, washed my hands and washed everything because you never know with what's going on.' To protect her five-year-old son Ms Kutisova has been relying on her ex-partner to deliver their food during the pandemic. A Tesco spokesperson today said: 'We are sorry to hear about this. We have extremely high standards for the food we put on our shelves, and our suppliers take great care and attention to ensure our vegetables are thoroughly cleaned and sorted before they are packaged. 'We have investigated this with our supplier and they are putting in place additional checks to stop this from happening again.' This glove was nestled among the spuds and covered in mud, presumably worn by one of the workers harvesting the root vegetable It comes after a virologist confirmed 'every surface is a hazard' when it comes to COVID-19 and supermarket customers should be particularly mindful of the loose fruit and vegetables in the store. Associate professor at the University of Sydney, Timothy Newsome, specialises in infection, vaccines and virology. He said that while the virus can live on most surfaces, patrons doing their weekly grocery shop should be particularly wary of the fruit and veg aisle as customers are constantly picking up and placing back down items. Associate professor at the University of Sydney, Timothy Newsome 'We have to remember that every surface is potentially contaminated. And like with any surface there is a risk,' Mr Newsome explained. 'We don't see it as high risk because that comes from sustained contact with other people, but nonetheless it's important to be mindful.' While it would be 'poor practice' to be testing 'every avocado for coronavirus', Mr Newsome did say anything people can touch poses a potential problem. 'People working in the supermarkets should be picking all of the fruit and veg up and setting it back down with protection,' he said. Luckily he noted a large proportion of shelf stackers and general workers wearing gloves and disinfecting their hands at every turn. The best course of action is to wash your fruit and vegetables with soap as soon as you bring them home, not simply relying on the high heat of cooking them to 'kill' the virus. 'Wash them with warm soapy water, just as you do your hands,' he said. As the COVID-19 crisis continues to develop, researchers around the world are attempting to find the most effective treatment to combat the poorly understood virus behind this disease. Traditionally, when dangerous new bacterial and viral infections emerge, the response is to develop a treatment that combines several different drugs. However, this process is laborious and time-consuming, with drug combinations chosen sub-optimally, and selection of doses is a matter of trial and error. This costly and inefficient way of developing a treatment is problematic when a rapid response is crucial to tackle a global pandemic and resources need to be conserved. With this in mind, Professor Dean Ho from the National University of Singapore (NUS) led a multidisciplinary team of researchers to come up with a pioneering artificial intelligence (AI) platform known as 'IDentif.AI' (Identifying Infectious Disease Combination Therapy with Artificial Intelligence) to dramatically increase the efficiency of this development. Their results were published in Advanced Therapeutics on 16 April 2020. Drawbacks of traditional drug screening Conventional selection of drugs for treatment involves examining virus or bacteria growth in response to different potential candidates. The drugs are given to the bacteria or viruses at increasing dosages until maximal prevention of their growth is observed. Additional drugs are then added together to amplify the effect. However, these methods become ineffective when several drugs are simultaneously studied as candidates. Also, these approaches often result in positive outcomes for in vitro studies, but are not observed in human studies. "If 10 or more drugs are examined, it is virtually impossible to study the effects of all the possible drug combinations and dosages needed to identify the best possible combination using traditional methods," explained Prof Ho, Director of The N.1 Institute for Health and Institute for Digital Medicine (WisDM) at NUS. Furthermore, in traditional screening, if a drug from a pool of candidate therapies is shown to have no apparent effect on the pathogen, this drug will generally no longer be considered. "However, if this drug is systematically combined with more drugs, each at the correct doses, this could very well result in the best possible combination. Unfortunately, this remarkable level of required precision cannot be arbitrarily derived," added Prof Ho, who is also the Head of the NUS Department of Biomedical Engineering. Using artificial intelligence to optimise drug therapies To avoid the drawbacks of traditional drug combination therapy development, Prof Ho and his team, together with collaborators from Shanghai Jiao Tong University harnessed the processing power of AI. The research team carefully selected 12 drugs which are viable candidates for treating an infection in lung cells caused by the vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV). They then used IDentif.AI to markedly reduce the number of experiments needed to interrogate the full range of combinations and optimal dosages of these 12 drugs. "Using IDentif.AI, we took three days to identify multiple optimal drug regimens out of billions of possible combinations that reduced the VSV infection to 1.5 per cent with no apparent adverse impact. This speed and accuracy in discovering new drug combination therapies is completely unprecedented," said Prof Ho. Importantly, the team saw that when the top-ranked drug combination was optimally dosed, it was seven times more effective compared to sub-optimal doses. This shows the critical importance of ideal drug and dose identification. Similarly, when a single drug was substituted out from the top-ranked drug combination, and this new combination was administered at sub-optimal doses, the combination was 14 times less effective. "There is a notion in drug discovery that if you discover the right molecule, the work is done. Our results with IDentif.AI prove that it is critically important to think about how the drug is developed into a combination and subsequently administered. How do you combine it with the right drugs? How do you dose this drug properly? Answering these questions can dramatically increase efficacy at the clinical stage of drug development," shared Prof Ho. In addition to validating IDentif.AI, this study also included insights by a team of experts in operations research and healthcare economics from NUS Business School and KPMG Global Health and Life Sciences Centre of Excellence, as well as global health security and surveillance experts from EpiPointe LLC and MRIGlobal. They concluded that strategies such as IDentif.AI, which can rapidly optimise drug repurposing under austere economic conditions amidst pandemics, could play a key role in improving patient outcomes compared to standard approaches. Using IDentif.AI against COVID-19 and more Having proved the effectiveness of IDentif.AI to rapidly provide treatments for infectious diseases, the team is currently setting their sights on COVID-19. Prof Ho said, "As the development of vaccines and antibody therapies for COVID-19 are ongoing, we will need a rapid therapeutic strategy that addresses the virus which may evolve over time. Our strength is that we can perform one experiment and come out with a list of drug combinations for treatment within days. And in time, if patients do not respond well to the first combinations of drugs, we can derive new combinations within days to re-optimise their care. Our platform is useful to address the possibility that patients will need different drug combinations depending on when treatment was initiated, and if downstream infection with a different strain occurs." Furthermore, IDentif.AI could be immediately deployed to address any other infectious diseases in the future. Prof Ho concluded, "When an aggressive pathogen hits, a rapid response is needed, and this response may need to evolve quickly as the pathogen evolves. Now, with IDentif.AI, we will be ready." ### BEIRUT - Three people died and four others, including a child, were wounded in an air raid attributed to Israel and carried out over the past few hours in the region of Damascus, in Syria, according to State-run Syrian news agency Sana. The news agency said that victims were struck by shrapnel from rockets fired by the Israeli air force in the areas of Hujeira and Adliye close to the capital. After the raid, the Syrian air defense system, according to the official news agency, ''downed a certain number of missiles before they reached their intended targets''. Sana did not specify the nature of the positions reportedly targeted before dawn on Monday but spoke about an ''Israeli aggression'' in the air space close to Lebanon. Sana had reported another missile attack on April 20 against targets in the central desert of Palmyra, which it also attributed to Israel. On that occasion, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitoring group with sources on the ground, had reported that the targets were ''military positions of Iranian militias''. On March 31, also according to Sana, targets were struck in central Syria. Over the past few months, attacks attributed to Israel have targeted locations in Syria where Iranian forces and Hezbollah fighters are based. Iran monitoring U.S. moves, but will never start a war: President Rohani 03/29/20 Source: Tehran Times TEHRAN - President Hassan Rohani said on Saturday that Iran is monitoring the United States' moves in the region, however, it will never start a war in the region. "The Islamic Republic of Iran monitors the United States' moves activity and accurately, however, it will never start a conflict and tension in the region," he told Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in a phone conversation. The Qatari Emir highlighted the need that all countries make efforts to prevent tension in the region. Iran's Foreign Ministry on Thursday summoned the Swiss ambassador to protest President Donald Trump's provocative statement and the U.S. Navy's acts of harassment in the Persian Gulf. "The Swiss envoy to Tehran, as representative of the United States' interests, was summoned to the Foreign Ministry in this respect. Iran's strong protest over the country's presence and illegal and destabilizing actions in northern parts of the Persian Gulf and Iran's coasts was conveyed in a note," Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi stated. Iran has also warned that it is essential for all sides to observe international law of shipping, Mousavi said. He added Iran has warned that it will give a proper response to any threat or illegal action. U.S. Navy issued a statement on April 15 claiming that 11 Iranian IRGC boats had closed in on up to six U.S. naval vessels in the Persian Gulf "in dangerous and harassing approaches". Following the statement, U.S. President Donald Trump said on April 22 that he had told the Navy to "shoot down and destroy" Iranian gunboats that "harass" U.S. ships. Making such open military threats as the world, including the U.S. and Iran, are caught in the struggle against the coronavirus pandemic is surprising. Mousavi said, "The Islamic Republic of Iran condemns threatening and provocative remarks by the president of the United States and advised Mr. Trump to use its military fleet in helping contain the coronavirus inside the United States, which has turned into the most contaminated spot in the world, instead of seeking adventurism." Foreign Minister Zarif also reacted to Trump's military threats, suggesting that it is better that Trump pay attention to the needs of U.S. military personnel that over 5000 of them are suffering from the Covid-19 rather than "engage in threats cheered on by Saddam's terrorists". Writing on his Twitter account, Zarif also said, "U.S. forces have no business 7,000 miles away from home, provoking our sailors off our OWN Persian Gulf shores." The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has chided the main opposition party, PDP, over the latters criticism of President Muhammadu Buharis approach in tackling the coronavirus pandemic. Situating its criticism on the premises of the mysterious deaths in Kano State, the PDP had alleged both Mr Buhari and the governor of Kano, Abdullahi Ganduje, of politicising the strange occurrence in the state. It also tagged the APC-led government as insensitive and incompetent due to its alleged inability to arrest the situation. As the country continues to battle the coronavirus scourge, there have been reports of strange deaths in Kano in the last seven days, even though the governor of the state, Mr Ganduje, denied this. An angry PDP had then accused Mr Ganduje of politicising the health issues in the state by resorting to unnecessary denials and pecuniary concerns. It called on President Buhari to investigate the matter. Dont be petty In its reaction shared with journalists on Sunday night, the APC said the main oppositions comment is an attempt to ridicule the efforts of the Mr Buhari-led administration to tackle the pandemic. This is yet another infantile and desperate attempt by the opposition party to play petty politics with a serious matter of national and international importance. Shockingly, while all well-meaning organisations, home and abroad, and individuals are putting in positive shifts to overcome the Covid-19 pandemic, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has rather chosen to dance on the graves of the unfortunate Nigerians that have been killed by the disease. PDP has this rare opportunity to stand up to be counted by making positive contributions to end the scourge, but this opposition party thinks this is the time to politicise coronavirus cases and deaths, particularly in Kano State, the party spokesperson, Lanre Issa-Onilu, said in the statement. The APC recalled the failure of the main opposition party to caution one of its governors who held a political rally in the wake of the pandemic. It is not surprising that the Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, who was making a joke of the pandemic got no cautionary words from PDP. We may never know the damage caused by the ill-advised rally held by PDP in Oyo State. But it suits the opposition party to attack the Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, to score cheap political points, the ruling party stated. The APC challenged the PDP to emulate the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) who has kept politics aside and joined the President Buhari government in jointly, proactively and frontally combating the pandemic which is currently a threat to our very existence. As of 11:55 p.m. of April 26, there were 1182 confirmed cases of COVID-19 reported in Nigeria. Of these, 222 infected people have recovered and have been discharged while the death toll rose to 35 from 32 reported on Friday. EU calls for Ramadan truce in Libya Iran Press TV Sunday, 26 April 2020 6:17 AM Major European Union (EU) countries have called for a humanitarian truce in Libya during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. In a joint communique on Saturday, the foreign ministers of France, Germany, and Italy and senior EU officials reiterated similar calls by United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and his acting special envoy to Libya, Stephanie Turco Williams, to observe a truce for the duration of Ramadan. They also urged the warring sides in Libya to return to the peace talks that started earlier this year in Berlin. "As participants to the Berlin process and in a renewed commitment to the Berlin conclusions, in this beginning of the Holy Month of Ramadan, we want to unite our voices to those of the UN SG Guterres and his Acting Special Representative for Libya, Williams, in their call for a humanitarian truce in Libya," the joint communique read. Fighting has in recent weeks intensified between forces loyal to Libya's internationally-recognized government headed by Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj and rebel forces under the command of a renegade general named Khalifa Haftar. Haftar's forces launched an offensive to seize control of the capital, Tripoli, last April. They have been bogged down near the city. Government forces have also intensified operations against the rebels elsewhere in the country since Haftar violated an earlier truce in March. "The conflict continues unabated and developments during the latest weeks have increased concerns, in particular over the situation among the long suffering Libyan population," the EU statement said. It insisted that the warring sides be inspired by the holy month to resume peace talks while focusing their efforts on the global fight against the coronavirus pandemic. Libyan minister says Haftar forces used nerve gas Meanwhile, Libyan Interior Minister Fathi Bashagha has accused Russian mercenaries allegedly fighting for Haftar of using the internationally-banned nerve gas against government forces south of Tripoli. "In the Salah al-Din axis, our fighters were attacked by nerve gas from Haftar's forces, so they were paralyzed and then sniped. This can only be carried out by the Wagner Group," Bashagha said, referring to a Russian private security company. "It is time for the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Egypt, and Russia to stop supporting Haftar and hinder him from terrorizing and targeting civilians. It is also time for these countries to stop facilitating the spread of the coronavirus pandemic inside and outside Libya," he said. The rebels receive support from the UAE, Egypt, and Russia, and the Libyan government from Turkey. On Saturday, a representative for Haftar accused the government and Turkey of attacking civilians in Tarhouna, a town to the south of Tripoli that has been a staging post for the rebels. Libya rejects EU operation to monitor UN arms embargo In another development, the EU has launched a new naval and aerial mission in the eastern Mediterranean to enforce a UN arms embargo and prevent weapons from reaching Libya. The Libyan government has officially announced its rejection of the EU mission, codenamed Operation IRINI. "There has been no consultation with the GNA on the military operation as stipulated in Security Council resolutions," Prime Minister Sarraj said, using an abbreviation to refer to the Libyan government. "The European Union operation neglects monitoring the Libyan air space and the eastern land borders," Sarraj said. He said weapons were being delivered to the rebels through the airspace and land borders in the east, where a rival camp supported by the rebels has seated itself. Libya plunged into chaos in 2011, when a popular uprising and a NATO intervention led to the ouster of long-time dictator Muammar Gaddafi. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address BEIJING : China's foreign ministry said on Monday it has no information to offer regarding North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, amid conflicting reports and speculation about his whereabouts and medical condition. Foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang made the comment during a daily briefing after being asked about reports of a Chinese delegation including medical experts being dispatched to North Korea, and whether they were sent to assist Kim Jong Un or help the country deal with Covid-19. Three people familiar with the situation told Reuters that a Chinese team was dispatched to North Korea on Thursday to advise on Kim, though it was not clear what this mean about the North Korean leader's health. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Never miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint. Download our App Now!! Topics Lucknow, April 27 : The Lucknow police have banned religious and social gatherings for the upcoming festivals in the state capital. Joint Police Commissioner Naveen Arora has also banned slaughter of animals and sale and transport of meat under Section 144 of the CrPC. The 21-point advisory issued by Arora said that five or more persons will not gather in a group without permission. It added that strict action will be taken against those people, who will not follow the guidelines. The sale of Chinese kite string has also been banned, according to an official order, after three police personnel were seriously injured when the kite string cut across their necks. The advisory further stated that, "Social media group admins will ensure that no member posts fake news/inflammatory messages in the group. If any member posts such a message, admin shall remove them from the group before making them delete the message. The police shall be informed." The advisory said that the order will remain in force till May 30 or till further orders. Apart from Ramzan, there are a number of festivals including Buddha Purnima, Eid ul-Fitr and Bada Mangal in May and by banning gatherings, the Lucknow police has ensured that no public events will take place during the celebrations. On Sunday, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief, Mohan Bhagwat, in a video address, said that the transgressions of a few should not lead to targeting an entire community. This suggests that he had in mind the Tablighi Jamaat controversy, in which the deplorable actions of some followers of the sect, contributed greatly to the disease spreading across India. The organisers of the mass gathering were rightfully criticised. But it went beyond that when the incident was used to somehow blame the entire Muslim community for the spread of the disease in India. On social media, trolls carried out a relentless campaign against Muslims, even suggesting this was some form of jihad. There have been physical assaults in places; Muslim vendors were isolated and drummed out of business; Muslim volunteers have been set upon and prevented from carrying out relief work; and there have been reports of segregation on the basis of faith in even hospital admissions. Mr Bhagwat enjoys vast authority not just in the RSS but a wide range of Hindu organisations. Many who have been behind this targeting of Muslims plead allegiance to these outfits and derive inspiration from them. This is what makes his intervention important. He must now ensure that his advice is enforced in letter and spirit on the ground by his cadres. They must not spread falsehoods and encourage violence against any community. Muslims and other minorities are an integral part of the socio-economic fabric and the recovery process post-Covid requires the nation to pull together as one. Mr Mr Bhagwat, through his remarks, seems to suggest this and his organisation will be doing a signal service to the country if it is seen to be implementing his advice. Deputy Director of Armenia Airlines Gevorg Khachatryan posted the following on his Facebook page today: Dear colleagues and passengers, on May 17, Armenia Airlines is planning to carry out two flights to and from Yerevan and Voronezh and Yerevan and Tel Aviv. To register and know the requirements, we ask you to send an application to either [email protected] or [email protected] or call at 011747777 before April 30, 2020. It is important to know that only citizens with Armenian, Russian or Israeli citizenship or citizens with temporary status can travel from Armenia to the Russian Federation or Israel, and only citizens of Armenia can arrive in Armenia. All citizens who have already obtained air tickets for March and April can exchange their tickets with the tickets for the mentioned flight without paying an additional fine. The tickets will only be on sale on the official website of the airline company. If the state of emergency is extended or if there is a need for mandatory isolation, the flight will be carried out only upon agreement with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia. We wish you all a safe flight. Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai has extended the lockdown order being enforced in the state for another 30 days. The governors decision follows a recommendation to that effect by the State Standing Committee on Covid-19, which is chaired by the Deputy Governor, Dr. Hadiza Balarabe. This is effective from Sunday, 26th April 2020. With Covid-19 cases rising rapidly in neighbouring states and the FCT, and with strong evidence of interstate travel being a major means of spreading the virus, the Standing Committees evaluation is that measures to protect Kaduna State residents require further strengthening and more vigorous enforcement. El-Rufai has endorsed this evaluation and has accordingly reviewed the Quarantine Orders to strengthen the provisions against unauthorised movements. The two-day window during which the restriction of movement is relaxed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays has been reduced to only one day. Henceforth, only Wednesdays will be lockdown-free, until the trajectory of Covid-19 infections becomes clearer. A statement from the Kaduna State Government, issued by Muyiwa Adekeye, Special Adviser to the Governor (Media & Communication), said all persons that venture out of their homes for whatever reason must wear face masks and observe social distancing everywhere they go, in markets and in authorised vehicles. Government is making efforts to provide face masks for poor and vulnerable residents, and it appeals to everyone that can afford it to get their tailors to make them cloth face masks which they can wash after every use. The government also encourages tailors to produce face masks for sale to those that are neither poor nor vulnerable. Wearing of face masks will be robustly enforced as a critical public health measure to reduce person-person transmission, the statement said. The state government said that the measures announced on 26th March 2020, to contain Covid-19 remained in force and had been renewed. The statement said mobile courts had been empowered by the Quarantine Orders to try violators and impose the prescribed penalties, including fines, imprisonment and forfeiture of vehicles, upon conviction. Conscious of the need to keep vital industries and businesses in the farming, food and pharmaceutical value chains operational, trailers and trucks conveying food, seeds, fertilizer and medical products are exempted from the restriction of movement. Such vehicles must, however, not carry more than three persons, including the driver. Otherwise they will be deemed to be engaging in illegal transport of persons which is a breach of quarantine orders. Anyone thinking of disguising as a food vendor by parading a few bags of rice or other food in their cars must cut the pretence as they will be prosecuted at the mobile court and the vehicle forfeited to the government upon conviction, the statement said. The government said the extension of the quarantine conditions imposed an obligation to make provision for the low income, poor and vulnerable persons that would be adversely affected, as they might be unable to earn any income while the lockdown persisted. The state government has done a first phase of distribution of food across 59 community clusters in nine local government areas. The next phase will be conducted across the 23 local government areas. To fund the provision of these support packages, the Kaduna State Government expects all those fortunate enough to still earn a regular income to live up to their neighbourly responsibility towards those who are unable to earn any money due to no fault of theirs. Therefore, the less than 100, 000 persons who work for the Kaduna State Government as political appointees and public servants must contribute financially towards enabling the almost 10 million persons living in the state to survive and thrive in this emergency period. Therefore, the Kaduna State Government has directed all its senior appointees, including Commissioners, Permanent Secretaries, Special Advisers and Heads of Agencies to each donate N500,000 in April 2020. In subsequent months, they will donate 50% of their salaries until the quarantine ends. Other categories of political appointees will also be making monthly donations to support the provision of relief to the low income, poor and vulnerable residents of the state. Career public servants earning a net pay of N67,000 and above after tax will also donate 25% of their pay monthly whilst the quarantine conditions are in place. No public servant will have less N50,000 monthly to manage in this emergency period, the government said. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan warned President Trump against spreading 'misinformation and saying whatever 'pops in your head' at press conferences ' amid the coronavirus pandemic. Hogan, the state's top republican official, pushed back on remarks made by Trump and explained the irresponsibility of doing so in an interview with ABC's This Week. When asked about Trump's controversial comments about injecting disinfectant to cure COVID-19, Hogan said Trump's apparent tendency to float unconfirmed information sends a harmful message to Americans. 'I think it's really important, it's been important to me since day one, about communicating very clearly on the facts because people listen to these press conferences,' he said. Today on @ThisWeekABC, I joined @GStephanopoulos to discuss our #MarylandStrong Roadmap to Recovery and the continued need for a responsible, fact-based response to this pandemic. pic.twitter.com/pVjw0zBGwq Governor Larry Hogan (@GovLarryHogan) April 26, 2020 Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (right) appeared on ABC's This Week and discussed recent comments made by President Trump 'They listen when the governor holds a press conference, and they certainly pay attention when the president of the United States is standing there giving a press conference about something as serious as this worldwide pandemic. 'And I think when misinformation comes out or you just say something that pops in your head, it does send a wrong message.' The odd solution was first introduced by Trump during a daily briefing last week where addressed William Bryan, a senior Homeland Security science and technology advisor, about claims ultraviolet rays and heat have an impact on the pathogen. Trump asked Bryan: 'Supposing we hit the body with a tremendous, whether it's ultraviolet or just very powerful light? And I think you said, that hasn't been checked but you're going to test it. President Donald Trump speaks about the coronavirus on Thursday, in a briefing that caused a PR nightmare for the White House over his comments about disinfectant as a coronavirus cure 'And then I said supposing you brought the light inside the body which you can do either through the skin or in some other way. And I think you said you're going to test that too. Sounds interesting,' Trump said. Then he pivoted to another possible treatment: 'And then I see the disinfectant, where it knocks it out in a minute, one minute, and is there a way we can do something like that? 'By injection inside or almost a cleaning. As you see it gets in the lungs, and it does a tremendous number on the lungs. 'So it would be interesting to check that,' Trump said. 'So that you're going to have to use medical doctors. But it sounds interesting to me,' he said. Hogan then revealed that Trump's comments caused 'hundreds' of calls from Maryland residents asking if they should ingest cleaning products. 'We had hundreds of calls come into our emergency hotline at our health department asking if it was right to ingest Clorox or alcohol cleaning products, whether that was going to help them fight the virus,' he said. Hogan (pictured) said the state had received 'hundreds' of calls 'asking if it was right to ingest Clorox or alcohol cleaning products, whether that was going to help them fight the virus' On Friday, the Maryland Emergency Management Agency put out a warning telling residents 'that under no circumstances should any disinfectant product be administered into the body through injection, ingestion or any other route' Hogan said Trump's comments forced his government to act. 'So we have to put out that warning to make sure that people were not doing something like that which would kill people actually to do it,' Hogan told ABC News' George Stephanopoulos. On Friday, the Maryland Emergency Management Agency sent out a tweet telling people 'that under no circumstances should any disinfectant product be administered into the body through injection, ingestion or any other route.' Hogan (pictured): And I think when misinformation comes out or you just say something that pops in your head, it does send a wrong message Stephanopoulos asked the governor how he explained Trump doing something like that. 'I can't really explain it, George,' Hogan replied. 'Look, I think the president's got to focus on the message, stick to the message and make sure that these press conferences are fact-based.' 'I think other people in the administration have been trying to make that clear to him as well,' Hogan continued. 'We saw a different kind of a press conference yesterday which I think may be showing that there's going to be a different trend in the future,' the Republican added. The fallout from Trump's comments have been swift and severe. Trump received swift backlash from public health experts, the CDC and Twitter users who lambasted him for propping dangerous - and unfounded - cures into the public spotlight. The White House pushed back at the criticism and said Trump was being 'very sarcastic' when he asked officials to consider the disinfectant route. 'I was asking a question sarcastically to reporters like you just to see what would happen,' the president said in regards to his comments. On Friday, Trump walked-off during the daily briefing in a fit of annoyance following the debacle. White House aids have reportedly discussed curtailing the president's role in daily briefings after a heap of bad press following Trump's comments. This weekend he tweeted that he would stop holding the briefings because he didn't like the press coverage he was receiving in the aftermath of making the confused comments. 'What is the purpose of having White House News Conferences when the Lamestream Media asks nothing but hostile questions, & then refuses to report the truth or facts accurately. They get record ratings, & the American people get nothing but Fake News. Not worth the time & effort!' Trump wrote. Trump vented about his frustrations with the media on Twitter Trump (center) claimed his remarks about disinfectants were 'sarcastic' and taken out of context Dr. Deborah Birx. a public health expert on the White House's coronavirus task force, defended Trump Sunday in an interview with CNN's State of the Union. 'Well, I think it bothers me that this is still in the news cycle,' Birx said of the disinfectant comments. 'Sometimes I worry that we don't get the information to the American people that they need when we continue to bring up something that was from Thursday night,' she said on CNN. In a separate interview with CBS News' Face the Nation, Hogan said the president's daily briefings were still valuable despite his earlier comments. 'Having briefings to inform the public of what's going on is important. I'd hate to see that stop,' he said. Flash The COVID-19 has swept more than 200 countries and regions, which causes an increasing number of infected cases day by day. Dr. Kitazato Kaio, Associate Professor from Nagasaki University in Japan, is quite concerned about this pandemic. In an interview with the Science and Technology Daily reporter, he made a detailed analysis in terms of virus transmission characteristics, the scientific and long-term nature of virus traceability, the achievements made by Chinese scientists, and called for a global joint-operation. The transmission characteristics of novel coronavirus and main causes of global pandemic Dr.Kitazato Kaio concluded that, based on many research reports from all over the world, this new coronavirus has several new salient features compared with the previously discovered SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV. First, the spike protein (S protein) of the novel coronavirus is the surface envelope protein responsible for the virus particles entry into their infected cells, which is the human angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) binding protein. The S protein of the novel coronavirus binds to its cell receptor ACE2 with an affinity that is 10 to 20 times higher than that of the SARS-CoV S protein. The high affinity of the S protein to the receptor shows that the virus particles have a strong attachment to the cells and it is easy to infect the cells. Like the infectious enveloped virus, such as influenza virus, the novel coronavirus has the characteristics of protease dependence in the infection process of invading infected cells. The S protein itself is a precursor protein and has no cell fusion activity. It is only cleaved into two protein fragments S1 and S2 by the protease of the host cell. After the exposure of fusion peptide (FP) responsible for cell membrane fusion in S2 fragment, the S protein is activated and the virus particles can fuse with the infected cell membrane, invades the cell, and completes its infection process. The second characteristic of the novel coronavirus is that its S protein has a furin protease cleavage site between S1 and S2 which do not exist in SARS-CoV or MERS-CoV. The furin protease is a ubiquitous protease in human cells. When the novel coronavirus particles are assembled and released from infected human cells, the S protein of the virus has been cleaved into the activated state of S1 and S2 by the furin protease in the cells. And its virus particles have already had a strong cell infection and fusion membrane activity, which makes the infection efficiency of the new coronavirus nearly 1,000 times higher than SARS-CoV. Finally, the structural characteristics of the novel coronavirus S protein determine its ability to infect cells and replicate rapidly. Therefore, the person who is infected can release a large number of highly infectious virus particles in the early stage of infection before the systemic symptoms appear. Stronger infectivity than influenza virus is the main reason why the novel coronavirus can be pandemic in the world. Virus searching is a very serious scientific issue, which needs to be supported by clear scientific evidence Dr. Kitazato Kaio said that coronavirus can be classified into four genera: , , , and . and mainly infect birds, while and mainly infect mammals. The novel coronavirus is classified as group. The natural host is likely to orginate from bats. It has also been reported that similar viruses have been found in pangolins, snakes and other wild animals. Currently, the route of infection remains a question to the public. The novel coronavirus infects people through the intermediate hosts or just directly infect people from the natural reservoir, which are both under rigorous research. So, virus searching, seeking for intermediate hosts, and research on the transmission of viruses to people are the important steps to completely cut off the spread of the virus. This is a very serious scientific issue, which needs to be supported by solid scientific evidence. The solution to this crisis requires the joint efforts of scientists from all over the world. Screening of serum antibodies in patients with suspected influenza cases may provide clues to search the virus origin Dr. Kitazato Kaio believes that the continuous plague records in human history indicate that new viruses could invade people from other organisms. With the emergence of the new virus, it is impossible to effectively prevent the infection through the immune system due to the reason that the human body does not have specific immunity. The virus will continue to spread and replicate its "off-springs" in the crowd. Only until the majority of people are immune to it can we successfully contain the development of the pandemic. The most effective way for humans to deal with the infection of emerging viruses is to research and develop vaccines. Before achieving the goal of herd immunity, everyone is susceptible to the virus and no one can stay out of the possible infection. The immune system has a memory function for the infection of pathogens that invade the body. With the current technology, as long as the antibodies in the blood are detected, it is possible to screen out the past infected experience of various pathogens. If the serum antibodies of clinically suspected influenza cases and other patients are widely screened in the future, it will help to provide clues for finding the source of novel coronavirus infections. Chinese scientists guard well against new challenges In the early stage of the epidemic, Chinese doctors and scientists efficiently isolated the virus in the shortest time and analysed the whole genome sequence of the virus. In addition, China has been timely releasing information on COVID-19 to the rest of the world since the onset of the epidemic, making the international community informed about the emergence of the COVID-19. This fully demonstrates the professional performance and the sense of responsibility of Chinese scientists to the public health, and lays a solid foundation for the public to face new challenges together. In addition, in order to quickly contain the spread of the epidemic, the Chinese government took strict and comprehensive prevention and control measures including city lockdowns to contain the virus and protect its citizens. These efforts and sacrifices of China have won precious time for the world to jointly fight the epidemic, and are highly appreciated by the World Health Organization (WHO) and relevant experts from various countries. "Joint Global Operation" is essential to successfully contain the COVID-19 When COVID-19 occurs at the early stage, countries around the world should have been vigilant with all kinds of preparedness. However, some politicians failed to take positive measures to prevent the spread of the pandemic in their own countries, which led to spread across the world. They made dangerous attempts to politicize COVID-19, casting a shadow on our joint fight against our common enemy. The novel coronavirus pandemic, regarded as a once-in-a-century global challenge, is extracting a huge cost in terms of human lives and health, and posing challenges to political, economic and national management system. COVID-19 poses a huge threat to human life and health. The pandemic does not distinguish the country, race, gender, age and social status. All countries should join hands to fight against COVID-19 with our global wisdom and scientific strength when confronted with our common enemy. Only with solidarity and by cooperation can the international community prevail over the pandemic and safeguard the common homeland of humanity. Dr. Kitazato Kaio reminds that the COVID-19 may break out again at any time before widespread vaccination. Human community should actively make back-up plans to deal with such possible outbreaks without affecting the normal development of society. Trump to pivot focus on economy; Birx calls disinfectant story media misinformation Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment While President Donald Trump is considering shifting his public focus to easing the economic damage caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, his coronavirus response coordinator, Dr. Deborah Birx, defended him, saying media spread misinformation that he encouraged Americans to inject disinfectant and expose their bodies to ultraviolet light as a treatment for the coronavirus. Days after Trumps disinfectant and UV light remarks, the White House is planning to discontinue the presidents daily task force briefings on the coronavirus outbreak, and his aides are instead aiming to move him onto talking up the economy, in tighter controlled settings, The Associated Press reported Sunday evening. Trump is likely to hold more frequent roundtables with CEOs, business owners and beneficiaries of the trillions of dollars in federal aid already approved by Congress, and begin to outline what he hopes to see in a future recovery package, the newswire said. Dr. Birx, an infectious disease expert, believes media spread misinformation about President Trumps remarks. The president has always put health and safety first, Birx said on Fox News Saturday night. I think you can see that in the way that he was supportive of slowing the spread guidelines, knew the impact that would have on the economy. Yet he realized that the health and safety of Americans was his number one interest and responsibility. And thats what he did first and continues to do as we begin to open up. Fox News host Jesse Watters asked Birx if she didnt believe the president was putting anybody in danger by appearing to suggest that disinfectant and UV light could help treat patients. No, when [he] gets new information, he likes to talk that through out loud and really have that dialogue, Birx explained. And so thats what dialogue he was having. She added, I think the media is very slicey and dicey about how they put sentences together in order to create headlines. We know for millennials in other studies that some people may only read the headlines. And if theres not a graphic, theyre not going to look any further than that. And I think we have to be responsible about our headlines. I think often, the reporting maybe accurate in paragraph three, four, and five. But Im not sure how many people actually get to paragraph three, four, and five. On CNNs State of the Union Sunday morning, Birx once again criticized media. CNN host Jake Tapper told Birx that the CDC had to issue a statement. Lysol had to issue a statement I mean, poison control centers got calls from people, and they had to issue statements saying, do not internally use disinfectants. I think it bothers me this is still in the news cycle, Birx replied. I think were missing the bigger pieces of what we need to be doing as an American people to continue to protect one another. She continued, I think as a scientist and public health official and researcher, sometimes I worry that we dont get the information to the American people that we need when we continue to bring up something that was from Thursday night. I think the source of misinformation is not the news media on this I think what got lost in there, which is very unfortunate in what happened next, is that study was critically important for the American people. New York Daily News reported that the Poison Control Center handled 30 cases of possible exposure to disinfectants between 9 p.m. Thursday and 3 p.m. Friday, comparing that with 13 similar cases the center received in the same 18-hour period last year. However, a senior editor of the Reason magazine pointed out, We are in the midst of a pandemic right now, and we were not in April 2019. Of course, more people are being exposed to household disinfectants at the moment than were during this time last year The Daily News does note that none of the callers died or required hospitalization, which also suggests their exposure was minimal and not of the Lysol-mouthwash variety. Responding to media reports, Trump said Friday he was being sarcastic. I was asking a question sarcastically to reporters like you just to see what would happen, Trump told reporters at an Oval Office bill signing, according to The Hill. I was asking a sarcastic and a very sarcastic question to the reporters in the room about disinfectant on the inside. But it does kill it, and it would kill it on the hands and that would make things much better. That was done in the form of a sarcastic question to the reporters. Meanwhile, a research is actually going on to bring ultraviolet light inside the body to kill the coronavirus. The pharmaceutical firm Aytu BioScience announced four days before the Trump remarks Thursday, that it has signed an exclusive licensing deal with Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. The center has developed and is testing a UV-A Healight designed to be inserted via a catheter inside the trachea to kill pathogens, including the coronavirus. Pre-clinical findings indicate the technologys significant impact on eradicating a wide range of viruses and bacteria, inclusive of coronavirus, Aytu BioScience stated. The data have been the basis of discussions with the FDA for a near-term path to enable human use for the potential treatment of coronavirus in intubated patients in the intensive care unit. An op-ed published in The Daily Wire argues that the full context of what Trump said at the press briefing hasnt been understood by left-wing activists. Bill Bryan, Under Secretary for Science and Technology at DHS, talked about solar light and bleach at the press briefing, noting that "bleach will kill the virus in five minutes" and Isopropyl alcohol will kill the virus in 30 seconds." Afterwards, Trump stated: "So Im going to ask Bill a question that probably some of you are thinking of if youre totally into that world, which I find to be very interesting. So supposing when we hit the body with a tremendous, whether its ultraviolet or just very powerful light, and I think you said that hasnt been checked, but youre going to test it. And then I said supposing you brought the light inside the body, which you can do either through the skin or in some other way. And I think you said youre going to test that too. Sounds interesting. And then I see the disinfectant, where it knocks it out in a minute, one minute. And is there a way we can do something like that by injection inside or almost a cleaning? Because you see it gets in the lungs and it does a tremendous number on the lungs, so itd be interesting to check that, so that youre going to have to use medical doctors with, but it sounds interesting to me. So well see, but the whole concept of the light, the way it kills it in one minute. Thats pretty powerful." ABC News reporter Jon Karl then asked Bryan, The president mentioned the idea of a cleaner, bleach and isopropyl alcohol emerging. Theres no scenario where that could be injected into a person, is there? Bryan responded, No, Im here to talk about the finds that we had in the study. We dont do that within that lab at our labs. Trump sought to clarify, It wouldnt be through injections, youre talking about almost a cleaning and sterilization of an area. Maybe it works, maybe it doesnt work, but it certainly has a big effect if its on a stationary object If theyre outside, right, and their hands are exposed to the sun, will that kill it as though it were a piece of metal or something else? Bryan said, I dont want to say it will at the same rate because its a non-porous surface, but what we do know is that we looked at the worst-case scenario and the virus lives longer on non-porous surfaces. So porous surfaces, it doesnt live quite as long, so in theory what you said is correct. The following is a statement from the African Union on women, peace and security (WPS) in the face of the COVID-19 crisis. ED. African Union (AU) Special Envoy on Women Peace and Security Bineta Diop / Courtesy of AU Dear WPS Africa Family, Warm Greetings. Wherever you are, I know the immense uncertainty created by the current COVID-19 pandemic is affecting you deeply, as it continues to cause havoc in all our countries. I pray that you and all your dear ones are safe and healthy in these dire times. Indeed, the world is faced with an unprecedented health, economic and societal crisis. In Africa, as of today, 52 countries out of 55 African Union Member States have reported cases of the lethal virus, and governments are putting in place urgent measures recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), the African Centres for Disease Control (African CDC) and national health authorities, to fight the spread of the disease and protect individuals and communities. As the virus continues to hold the world in its grip, there is growing evidence that women and girls are at risk in specific, gendered ways. We must highlight some of these for urgent action. First, there are widespread reports of increasing domestic violence, gender-based violence and sexual offences, as families are confined due to quarantine and lockdown measures. Women are forced to remain at home in spite of the risks to their lives, yet, legislation in many countries provide that the violence perpetrator must be the one to leave. I therefore call for more vigilance and actions to continue protecting our women and girls. Our homes are meant to be, and must remain, safe places for women and families. Second, globally, women make up 70 percent of the workers in the health sector, although the numbers decrease in leadership positions. Often, women are also the primary caretakers in their communities. This puts them at the forefront of battling the crisis, thus exposing them to high risk of infection and fatalities, particularly as personal protective equipment (PPE) remain scarce. Third, as COVID-19 continues to spread, it poses even more severe threat in conflict zones. The chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC), H.E. Moussa Faki, empahsized the urgency to "Silence the Guns" through a call on belligerents to stop fighting: "It is a moral and humanitarian obligation for all warring parties, wherever they may be in Africa, to immediately stop fighting to facilitate the measures being taken by Member States and other actors to combat and defeat the coronavirus pandemic." At the global level, United Nations (U.N.) Secretary General Antonio Guterres similarly called on all warring factions in the world to declare a ceasefire: "It is time to put armed conflict on lockdown and focus together on the true fight of our lives." Yet, recent events in the Lake Chad and Sahel regions point to an escalation of violence by Boko Haram, while populations in the Eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) continue to suffer from attacks by armed groups. It is well documented that women and girls suffer in particularly tragic and life-changing ways, from violence during conflicts. Therefore, if the coronavirus strikes in conflict zones, the consequences will be dire. The WHO Executive Director Tedros Ghebreyesus, during the launch of the Global Humanitarian Response Plan,stated: "People and communities that are already uprooted due to conflict, displacement, the climate crisis or other diseases outbreaks are the ones we must urgently prioritize." In the context of conflict, therefore, our call for action must be to ensure that as we focus on and bring all our energy to the battle against COVID-19, we still keep a clear lens on peacekeeping operations. Fighting the virus must not distract us from the zero-tolerance policy on sexual exploitation and abuse, nor must it allow impunity for violations of that policy. Twenty years after the adoption of the landmark Security Council Resolution 1325, which calls for special measures to protect women and girls from conflict-related sexual violence, this should surely not be the case. While no cases have been reported yet in refugee and Internally Displaced People (IDPs) camps and settlements, countries harboring refugee populations have already registered COVID-19 affected patients. In containment efforts, it is important, as indicated by the African Union and the UNHCR High Commissioner, that all vulnerable populations are catered for. High Commissioner Filippo Grandi said: "Allowing full access to health services, including for the most marginalized members of the community, is the best way to protect us all. Everyone on this planet including refugees, asylum seekers and internally displaced people should be able to access health facilities and services." Fourth, as the calls and solidarity for debt relief mount, any relief offered must help lift the disproportionate poverty burden from the shoulders and backs of women. New budgets must prioritize ending inequality between women and men an urgent prerequisite for the survival and progress of all human beings in a post-COVID-19 world. This is also particularly significant as the continent observes a new decade of financial and economic inclusion of African women. The COVID-19 crisis is a security threat that calls for our utmost mobilization and solidarity. It is in this regard that I am writing to call upon everyone to combine our energies and resources towards defeating this common enemy. In the coming days, I wish to reach out to you, to hear and disseminate your various efforts, undertakings, and innovative ways, for immediate and durable solutions, in the fight against this invisible but deadly virus. We recognize the various initiatives by women-led organizations around the continent. We look forward to sharing and scaling up more efforts by the Women, Peace and Security family in Africa, particularly in this year that the African Union has dedicated to "Silencing the Guns; Creating Conducive Conditions for Africa's Development." It is only together that we will triumph over COVID-19. Tamil Nadus (TN) Vellore district administration unilaterally sealed its borders with Andhra Pradesh (AP) Chittoors district on Sunday by erecting two concrete walls on a state highway in a bid to prevent inter-state movement between TN and AP amid the growing concerns over the spread of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak. The walls, which were built without taking the Chittoor district authorities into confidence, has raised the latters hackles, as they plan to draw their Vellore counterparts attention, citing a severe breach in inter-state emergency protocols. The walls were built amid the nationwide lockdown restrictions, which were initially enforced for 21 days from March 25 and then further extended for another 19 days till May 3, to rein in the pandemic. The walls, measuring three feet in width and five feet tall, was constructed at Gudiyattam village in Vellore district, which shares its border with Chittoor districts Palamaner block. Chittoor districts joint collector D Markandeyulu confirmed the erection of the two walls to HT. Chhitoor district collector N Bharat Gupta was informed about the erection of the walls by Palamaneru revenue officials on Sunday evening, said Markandeyulu. Vellore is an important town in neighbouring Tamil Nadu and borders Chittoor. Many Telugu-speaking people live there. No inter-state transport or movement of people is being allowed due to the ongoing lockdown restrictions. Besides, there is an inter-state check-post between Vellore and Chittoor. In this context, the abrupt construction of these concrete structures between the two states is strange, unusual, and also unwarranted, Markandeyulu said. Vehicles carrying essential commodities are being allowed between the two states, despite the ongoing lockdown restrictions, he said. Emergencies are bound to arise and inter-state movement of people has to be allowed. The border check-posts are in place for this purpose. If the highway is blocked permanently by constructing walls, itd severely affect emergency transport services, the Chittoor joint collector said. For instance, the cancer hospital at Vellore caters to thousands of patients from AP, who go there for treatment every year. Similarly, the Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT) is another favourite educational institution for Telugu-speaking students, he added. Markandeyulu alleged that the Vellore district authorities didnt consult with their Chittoor counterparts before taking such a strange decision to erect the walls on the highway. Wed take up this issue with the Vellore district authorities to ensure that the walls are taken down soon, he added. Vellore district collector A Shanmuga Sundaram said that the authorities erected walls only in two places of the highway of the six borders that it shares with Chittoor district. There are also a few other rural routes between the two states, which have been closed with boulders, he said. Weve sealed these areas in a bid to prevent unauthorised movement of people amid the lockdown restrictions. However, both the transport of goods and the movement of people on emergency situations are allowed through alternative routes, he added. Contrary to Chittoor district authorities claims, Sundaram clarified that the walls are makeshift and not permanent structures, and they would be demolished after the lockdown restrictions are lifted. Both TN and AP have reported a high number of Covid-19 positive cases. While TN has recorded 1,885 Covid-19 positive cases and 24 deaths till Monday morning, the corresponding figure in AP is 1,177 and 31, respectively. AP has reported 80 new Covid-19 positive cases over the last 24 hours. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON As Jane Smith mourned the death of her husband and her daughter, both killed in a tragic plane crash near Auburn, Maine, she received condolences from two men she had never met: Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev. In his letter, Gorbachev who would soon meet Reagan for the first time in Geneva described Smiths daughter, Samantha, in the warmest of terms. You should know that millions of mothers and fathers and kids back in Russia share this tragic loss. The best thing would be if we continued what they started with good will, friendship and love. Samantha shone like a brilliant beam of sunshine at a time when relations between our two countries were clouded. The year was 1985, two years after Samantha made one of the most celebrated civilian diplomatic visits of her time: a trip to Russia, at the invitation of Soviet leader Yuri Andropov, when she was just 10 years old. In her own words, Samantha said that the whole thing started when I asked my mother if there was going to be a war. Her mother responded by showing her an article about the Cold War in an issue of Time magazine, and in December 1982, Samantha fired off a letter of her own to Andropov asking him the bluntest of questions: Dear Mr. Andropov, My name is Samantha Smith. I am ten years old. Congratulations on your new job. I have been worrying about Russia and the United States getting into a nuclear war. Are you going to vote to have a war or not? If you arent please tell me how you are going to help to not have a war. This question you do not have to answer, but I would like to know why you want to conquer the world or at least our country. God made the world for us to live together in peace and not to fight. Sincerely, Samantha Smith At first, she received no reply. But the following spring, her letter was unexpectedly published in Pravda, just after the US had announced its Star Wars missile programme and a couple of weeks after Ronald Reagan had used a speech to the National Association of Evangelicals to brand the USSR an evil empire the focus of evil in the modern world. According to the University of East Anglia's Matthias Neumann, a scholar of Russian history who has studied Smiths story, the timing was anything but coincidental. The Soviets could ill-afford a return to an arms race. Publishing these letters was an opportunity to call out what they saw as American propaganda and imperialism, and take the moral high ground. In a Soviet quest for world peace, the aggressor was in the White House. This may be why Samantha not only saw her letter published, but also (eventually) got a reply from Andropov himself. Having learned that her letter had been published in Pravda but not having received response, Samantha wrote to the Soviet ambassador to the US asking why she hadnt been answered. I thought my questions were good ones and it shouldnt matter if I was ten years old. A week later, she heard that a letter was on its way and on 26 April, it arrived. Samantha Smith with her parents on her visit to the Soviet Union, 1983. (Sipa/Shutterstock) You write that you are anxious about whether there will be a nuclear war between our two countries, Andropov wrote. And you ask are we doing anything so that war will not break out. Your question is the most important of those that every thinking man can pose. I will reply to you seriously and honestly. Addressing her second question, Why do you want to wage war against the whole world or at least the United States?, Andropov answered: We want nothing of the kind. No one in our country neither workers, peasants, writers nor doctors, neither grown-ups nor children, nor members of the government want either a big or little war. We want peace there is something that we are occupied with: growing wheat, building and inventing, writing books and flying into space. We want peace for ourselves and for all peoples of the planet. For our children and for you, Samantha. Then came the invitation. I invite you, if your parents will let you, to come to our country, the best time being this summer. You will find out about our country, meet with your contemporaries, visit an international childrens camp Artek on the sea. And see for yourself: in the Soviet Union, everyone is for peace and friendship among peoples. Samantha took Andropov up on his offer, and after careful preparation on both sides, she arrived in Moscow on an Aeroflot flight in July 1983. Greeted by a horde of international journalists, she was ushered to the capitals famous Hotel Sovetskaya to begin a two-week trip around Moscow and Leningrands top cultural and historic sites. As Andropov had proposed in his letter, at the centre of Samanthas Soviet tour was an extended visit to the childrens camp Artek, on the Crimean peninsula. First set up in 1925 as a place for ill children to recuperate, the camp had over the years taken on a propaganda role, hosting visits from foreign children to project an image of a happy, almost utopian Soviet Union where child visitors could come together and see that the Eastern bloc was pursuing not nuclear war, but world peace. This was not missed by more hawkish elements in the American media, one newspaper calling Samantha a pawn in a propaganda war. But her visit stopped short of the ultimate political coup for the Soviets: Samantha did not meet Andropov in person. It later transpired that he was severely ill, and would never again leave hospital before his death the following February. However heartfelt the goodwill that greeted her in the Soviet Union, or indeed in the US when she returned home, the year of Samanthas visit did not mark a high point in Soviet-American relations. In September, the Soviets mistakenly shot down Korean Air Lines Flight 007 after it strayed into their airspace, killing hundreds of passengers, including many Americans and even a US member of Congress. That disaster was followed by a brush with catastrophe when a Soviet computer system erroneously detected what it said were American missiles in flight; it was only thanks to the actions of an on-duty officer, Stanislav Petrov, that a nuclear counter-strike was averted. And in November there came the infamous Able Archer 83, a Nato military simulation that was mistaken by the Soviet leadership for the real thing. Soviet planes were loaded with bombs and nuclear submarines hidden under the Arctic ice while armed missiles were put on high alert. The incident is now held alongside the Cuban Missile Crisis as the Cold Wars most dangerous moment. The world today, according to the Soviet Union in 1960 Show all 5 1 /5 The world today, according to the Soviet Union in 1960 The world today, according to the Soviet Union in 1960 Driving force: prototype autonomous cars in a sunny Soviet 2017 The world today, according to the Soviet Union in 1960 Face time: live video communication, as imagined in 1960 The world today, according to the Soviet Union in 1960 Lines man: the "International Metro" across the north of Eurasia The world today, according to the Soviet Union in 1960 Water way: connecting the Arctic Ocean with the Caspian Sea The world today, according to the Soviet Union in 1960 Polar express: high-speed atomic-powered trains across the Bering Strait Yet just a couple of years later, there were signs the war was beginning to thaw. Gorbachev and Reagan met in Geneva at the first of several breakthrough summits; the Soviet Union would soon begin its transformation under the twin slogans of glasnost and perestroika, and just four years later, the Berlin wall would be torn down. Samantha did not live to see the Cold Wars end. In August 1985, she was killed along with her father when the small plane they were travelling home in collided with trees and crashed on its approach to land. Her death was publicly mourned in both the Soviet Union and the US, with thousands of people attending her memorial. Today, her name has largely fallen out of American cultural memory, but it lives on in Russia. As Neumann says, the last Soviet generation grew up with her as the friendly face of America, as a friend of all Soviet children. Pictures of Samantha with happy Soviet children evoke feelings of nostalgia, of a sheltered and happy Soviet childhood that stands in stark contrast to the memory of the economic and social dislocation that followed the Soviet Unions collapse. In 2017, Vladimir Putin visited the Artek camp to open a session dedicated to Samantha. In his remarks, he remembered how the very best of young people used to come here. And now, with schoolchildren striking in protest at the worlds failure to face up to the climate emergency, she stands as an example of something more profound. Samanthas case is more relevant today than at any time since the end of the Cold War, says Neumann. Children can make history. Theres been a lot of talk this week about reopening the economy whatever that means. I think the person who repeated what Winston Churchill said after the Battle of El Alamein (in 1942) was right: This is not the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning. While the quarantine will eventually end, we will not be back to a pre-Coronavirus situation any time soon. So we still need to look for new ways to live our Paganism and to maintain our connections with our communities. Earlier this month I wrote a Letter to my Fellow Pagan Priests about fulfilling our obligations under quarantine and social distancing. But what about everyone else? Here are six Pagan roles you can fill during the quarantine, and in the days to come. You dont need a formal group to do any of these things. Lets start here you dont need to be a High Priestess, a Chief Druid, or a CUUPS Chapter President to do any of these things. You dont even need to be part of a formal group. Who is your community? Who are your local Pagan friends? Who are your on-line friends? All of them can use your help, where ever you are. Who are your Gods? What is your religious tradition? All of them can benefit from your service, even if youre a solitary practitioner. 1. Pagan Layperson If staying alive and sane in this diseased world is all you can do, thats enough. Maintain your daily spiritual practice it will help you get through this. Continue to honor your Gods and ancestors you need the support they bring to your life. Stay on good terms with the spirits of the place where you live. But beyond that? Its up to you. Some of you can take on more. Some of you need to take on more, to keep your mind off all the things you cant control. But if the only role you can fill right now being a good ordinary Pagan, then thats enough. 2. Technology Chief For a movement that is often accused of being anachronistic (and not without reason) Pagans are by and large a rather tech-savvy bunch. Weve been doing on-line classes for years and e-mail groups for decades. Weve done rituals on Zoom, Facebook, and YouTube. Weve got apps for everything. But while most of us are at least competent at this, some arent. They can use help getting set up to participate, or to lead. And while most of us are willing to help when asked, a lot of people dont know who to ask. Naming someone Technology Chief makes it clear where people can go if they need help connecting remotely. 3. Pastoral Care Coordinator Does everyone have enough toilet paper? Does everyone have enough food? Does someone need a ride to the doctor? How are people holding up? Does someone need a live phone call? Or connected with a mental health professional? These sort of needs can be missed in the best of times theyre even harder to keep up when we dont see each other anymore. As with a Technology Chief, naming someone Pastoral Care Coordinator makes it clear who to go to if you need help and it gives someone the responsibility to check up on everyone else. In some places in-person visits are currently illegal. In other places they arent. But if someones life and health are at risk, screw the law do whats right. 4. Philosopher / Theologian Philosophy and theology are two different disciplines. Philosophy is the study of wisdom and the fundamental nature of knowledge. Theology is the study of the Gods. I combine them here because theyre both examples of roles the wider Pagan community needs: people who explore the deep subjects that most people ignore. Ancient Pagans invented both philosophy and theology. Modern Pagans havent done a lot yet. There are a few good books and other publications. We need more. You can study philosophy and theology on your own. Then publish it, either in a book or on-line. People will critique it. Thats a good thing weak ideas get torn down, while strong ideas are spread. And our collective wisdom grows. 5. Shrine Keeper Maybe youre less of a thinker and more of a doer. Then be a shrine keeper. Many Pagans and perhaps most polytheists keep some sort of shrine a place of honor to a deity or other spirit. These usually (but not always) are centered around a statue or statues. We make offerings, burn incense, say prayers, sing hymns, and otherwise pay honor and tribute to our Gods and spirits. In ancient times this is what priesthood was serving the Gods in their temples, not serving as clergy to a congregation. The priests served their communities by performing the rites necessary to insure they remained in right relationship with their Gods. We could use a little more right relationship with the Gods about now. 6. Hedgewitch In one of last years conversations around the use of the word shaman someone suggested that the closest thing Western culture has to shaman is hedgewitch. I think they may be right. Hedgewitchery is many things, but here Im referring to the practice of jumping the hedge journeying into the Otherworld to meet with Gods, ancestors, or other spirits. Thats an intensely personal, individual process and it doesnt require anyone to do it with you. Now, my most productive ecstatic journeys have been done in very small groups, with someone taking notes and with someone to help me ease back into the ordinary world. But Ive done this on my own before, and I will do it on my own again. Because while you can facilitate hedge jumping and other ecstatic experiences, if They want you, Theyll come get you. After this is over We may be meeting in person again this summer I havent canceled my reservations for Mystic South yet. Or we may still be doing the quarantine thing next summer. I flat out dont know. But either way or somewhere in between, eventually this will be over. And when it is, well still need people to help with technology. Well still need people to make sure nobodys needs are overlooked. Well still need philosophers, theologians, shrine keepers, and hedgewitches. And well still need lots of people who want to honor the Gods and live ordinary lives. The roles we need filled now will be needed for years to come. What calls to you? Where do the needs of your community intersect with your skills and interests? Consider these six roles. A woman looks out from a window in Rome, Italy, on April 23, 2020. (Xinhua) -- Italy registers lowest one-day deaths in six weeks, PM announces plan to ease coronavirus lockdown; -- Spain's daily coronavirus death toll drops to 288; -- France sees COVID-19 deaths up by 242 to 22,856, lowest daily increase in a week; -- Belgium's COVID-19 death toll exceeds 7,000. BRUSSELS, April 26 (Xinhua) -- The following are the latest developments of the COVID-19 pandemic in European countries. ROME -- The coronavirus pandemic has claimed 26,644 lives in locked-down Italy, bringing the total number of infections, fatalities and recoveries to 197,675 as of Sunday, according to latest data released by the country's Civil Protection Department. Meanwhile, the number of new deaths, new infections and of patients in intensive care keeps declining. A total of 260 people died from the disease caused by the coronavirus in the last 24 hours, the lowest one-day death toll since March 15. The number of new cases also fell with 2,324 reported over the last 24 hours, 33 fewer than on Saturday. The figure is the lowest in six days. The number of COVID-19 patients in intensive care units (ICUs) continued to decline, a trend that started three weeks ago. On Sunday, 2,009 patients were in ICUs, down from 2,102 a day earlier. Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said Sunday that beginning on May 4, the manufacturing, construction, and wholesale sectors can go back to work. They will be followed by retailers, museums, galleries, and libraries on May 18 and by bars, restaurants, hairdressers and beauty salons on June 1. A nurse gives a book and a rose to a patient at a hospital during Saint George's Day in Barcelona, Spain, April 23, 2020. (Xinhua/Francisco Avia) MADRID -- Spanish health authorities confirmed on Sunday that 23,190 people in the country have lost their lives because of the coronavirus, after reporting 288 new deaths in the 24-hour period until 2100 hours local time on Saturday. The daily figure is 90 fewer than the 378 deaths reported a day earlier. It is also the first time the daily death toll has fallen below 300 since the height of the pandemic, according to the Ministry of Health, Consumer Affairs and Social Services. The ministry also confirmed 1,729 new cases via PCR tests (polymerase chain reaction) -- which check if the coronavirus is active in the body, taking the total detected by such tests to 207,634. The daily figure is considerably lower than the 2,915 new infections reported on Saturday, representing a daily increase of less than one percent. Meanwhile, the number of patients who have recovered rose by 3,024 to 98,732. Volunteers make protective masks at the Lille town hall in Lille, northern France, April 23, 2020. (Photo by Sebastien Courdji/Xinhua) PARIS -- France saw COVID-19 deaths rose by 242 to 22,856 as of Sunday, the lowest daily increase this week, bringing relief to the health system of the country which is planning to lift the lockdown on May 11, data from the Health Ministry showed. The daily increase of deaths dropped to 1 percent, slower than 1.65 percent on Saturday, 1.8 percent on Friday, 2.4 percent on Thursday, 2.6 percent on Wednesday and Tuesday, and 2.77 percent on Monday. Some 28,217 people who caught the respiratory disease were receiving treatment in hospitals. The number of critically-ill patients dropped by 43 to 4,682. However, admissions to the intensive care units, all causes combined, were still above the country's capacity of 5,000 hospital beds equipped with ventilators, the ministry said. The total of positive cases now stands at 124,575, up by 461 in the last 24 hours, while 44,903 patients have recovered and returned home, it added in a statement. Prime Minister Edouard Philippe announced on Sunday in a Twitter message that he would present the government's strategy for lockdown exit to parliament on April 28. Lawmakers will then vote on the de-confinement measures. A poster to remind people to stay safe is seen at a bus stop in Brussels, Belgium, April 21, 2020. (Xinhua/Zheng Huansong) BRUSSELS -- The COVID-19 death toll in Belgium passed the 7,000 mark on Sunday, according to a statement on the Federal Public Health Service website. The country registered 178 new deaths over the past day, bringing the total number of COVID-19 victims to 7,094. Meanwhile, 809 new cases were recorded in the last 24 hours, taking the total to 46,134. The decline trend continued in the country's hospitals. In the last 24 hours, 204 people were admitted to hospital while 368 patients were able to return home. The total number of patients currently in hospital stood at 3,959, the lowest level since March 28. Belgium is still in confinement. The government earlier this week announced gradual de-confinement measures in three phases starting from May 4. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) responded to Congress leader Udit Rajs tweet over the price of kits for testing the coronavirus disease. The top medical body also tweeted the contact details of its officials, in case, there anyone is ready to supply the kit at a lower price. This is Fake News. Price range approved by ICMR is Rs 740-1150 for RT-PCR and 528-795 for Rapid Test. No test has been procured at Rs 4500. Any Indian company wanting to supply at lower rates is welcome to contact ICMR or Ms Anu Nagar, JS Health Research(011-23736222), ICMR tweeted. Udit Raj had tweeted a screenshot of a tweet on Sunday, which claimed that the Union government granted the tender for coronavirus testing kits to a Gujarat-based company at the price of Rs 4500 per kit when the same was being offered to it by 17 other companies at the price of Rs 500. This is being circulated on social media. It is difficult to ascertain the truth, Raj had posted. Several other Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, have also targeted the central government over the purchase of these testing kits. Congress leader Ahmed Patel said the antibody test kits were being bought for Rs 600 per piece by ICMR even though they were being imported for Rs 245 each. He tweeted that no one should profit at the expense of the poor in the midst of a pandemic. After that, Rahul Gandhi alleged some people were indulging in profiteering while supplying rapid test kits for Covid-19 to the government and demanded that the Prime Minister take strict immediate action against them. Their comments came after Delhi High Court directed that these kits must be sold at Rs 400. The court said that a profit of 61% on the original price was more than sufficient, especially when the country was going through an unprecedented medical crisis affecting people and the economy. FLAGSTAFF A federal judge said he will issue a decision Monday on a request from tribal nations to temporarily halt the distribution of $8 billion in coronavirus relief funding for tribes. At least 15 Native American tribes across the country have sued the U.S. Treasury Department, saying the funding should go only to the 574 tribes that have a government-to-government relationship with the U.S., not to Alaska Native corporations. The Treasury Department has taken the position that the corporations are eligible. U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta in Washington, D.C., held a hearing Friday on the tribes request for a temporary restraining order. The arguments in court centered on the definition of Indian Tribe under the Indian Self Determination and Education Assistance Act, a federal law meant to empower tribes in controlling federal services on their land. Alaska Native corporations were included in the definition in the CARES Act the $2.2 trillion relief package signed into law in March. Of course, the government and the tribes have a difference of opinion on what that definition means, said Riyaz Kanji, an attorney for the tribes. It will be the courts role to resolve that difference. Federal agencies dont have a consistent interpretation, either. Mehta asked various times whether the Treasury Department reasonably could separate Alaska Native corporations that are delivering services to tribes in response to the coronavirus from those that arent. It ought to be reserved for ANCs in very limited circumstances, Mehta said. Kanji said that approach would ignore what the tribes have argued was Congress intent to provide much-needed funding to tribal governments. Jason Lynch, a Justice Department attorney representing the Treasury Department, said he wasnt sure because the agency hasnt determined how it will distribute the funding. No payments will go out before Tuesday two days past the deadline in the CARES Act, he said. Regardless, he saw the issue before Mehta as narrow: eligibility. That question should be answered and should be the only question, Lynch said. The corporations are unique to Alaska and own most Native lands in the state under a 1971 settlement among the U.S., Alaska Natives and Alaska. The tribes that have sued are in California, Washington state, Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Maine, South Dakota and Alaska. In other tribal developments this week: President Donald Trump signed a coronavirus relief package Friday that makes tribal casinos with fewer than 500 employees eligible to apply for funding through the Payment Protection Program. The casinos previously were excluded. Tribes, tribal organizations and urban Indian health organizations also will benefit from $750 million under the package to provide COVID-19 testing, increase laboratory capacity and help trace the spread of the illness. The Indian Health Service said Thursday that it has fully allocated the more than $1 billion the agency received in the CARES Act to respond to the coronavirus pandemic. The U.S. Senate confirmed the appointment of Rear Adm. Michael Weahkee, a citizen of Zuni Pueblo in New Mexico, as director of the Indian Health Service for four years. The government has resolved to extend nationwide school closure by one more month, Education Cabinet Secretary Prof. George Magoha said on Sunday, April 26. Schools were initially set to reopen on May 4, which means school-going children will likely resume studies in June. For the past four weeks or so, the children have been on normal vocation; an activity that will end on May 4. In the interest of the safety of the school children, the government has decided to extend closure of schools by a month, said the CS. CS Magoha reiterated that national exams will go on as planned. He said any other decisions on the contrary will depend on the governments ability to control the spread of the coronavirus. The Education Minister added that learners will have been given enough time to make up lost time when the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) and Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations are finally administered. During the intervening period, there will be many interventions that will depend on how the government is able to control this disease. I want to emphasize that whenever the examination is going to be administered, every Kenyan child will have been given the opportunity to cover whatever time that is lost before the said examination is administered, he said. At this point, the government has not decided to postpone both the KCPE and KCSE. Let our children enjoy the last week on holiday, and then start the one month that has been added to them. Meanwhile, Embakasi East MP Paul Ongili alias Babu Owino demanded that Education CS George Magoha submit the exams to his office in his capacity as the secretary-general for young parliamentarians for verification before they are rolled out. I have gone through school and passed highly, I went to university and studied actuarial science and law, I have two masters degrees in both law and actuarial science, I scored 403 marks in KCPE, so I am overqualified in verifying exams and in fact I can even set them, said Babu. Were trying to solve problems through partnership so that courts set the dates for trials as soon as possible, and today, it is my pleasure to state that, thanks to partnering ties, we have been able to reach a point where motions are considered in at least 5-7 days after they are filed. This is what Deputy Minister of Justice of Armenia Srbuhi Galyan declared during the session held by the Standing Committee on Protection of Human Rights and Public Affairs of the National Assembly of Armenia today, adding that this is a major step with rgard to release from punishment on the ground of grave illness. As far as the list of diseases established by the relevant government decision is concerned, as we know, the inter-agency commission cant make decisions that are an end in themselves. There is a government decision that establishes the list of relevant diseases in which cases the person can be released from punishment. In each specific case, the Ministry of Justice designates expert examination and, based on the examination, immediately submits a motion to the court for examination. Release is up to the court. As a rule, people with such diseases are released from serving punishment, the deputy minister said, adding that if the court, nevertheless, rules that the given person must continue to serve punishment at the Hospital of Convicts, the Penitentiary Service and the Penitentiary Medicine Center submits a motion once again. San Antonio saw a slight bump in coronavirus cases Sunday but reported no new deaths for the third day in a row. The total number of confirmed cases rose to 1,254, up 23 from Saturday. The death toll stood at 43. The new numbers come ahead of a week in which local and state officials are expected to make decisions about easing restrictions, which have been in place in San Antonio for more than a month. San Antonio has continued to log daily increases in confirmed cases, but the number of COVID-19 admissions has remained well within the capacity of local hospitals. On ExpressNews.com: A ventilator wasnt enough for this 30-year-old COVID-19 patient, so San Antonio doctors improvised On Sunday, there were 58 people in the hospital, down four from Saturday, Mayor Ron Nirenberg said at the daily city-county briefing. About 40 percent of staffed hospital beds citywide are available. Of the 58 in the hospital Sunday, 33 were receiving intensive care, and 17 were on ventilators to help them breathe. Another 40 patients with symptoms of COVID-19 were awaiting test results. About 77 percent of ventilators were still available. The number of people recovering from the disease continues to grow, totaling 531 as of Sunday more than double what it was eight days ago. But Nirenberg and Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff urged residents to continue following restrictions designed to curb the spread of the deadly virus, including maintaining a 6-foot physical distance from others and wearing masks in public. We are not through with this yet, and the virus is not through with us, Nirenberg said. I know its frustrating, and theres a lot of fatigue with staying home. But its working. Last week, Gov. Greg Abbott indicated that he was prepared to reopen massive amounts of businesses. A new executive order could be issued Monday. On ExpressNews.com: Get the latest update on coronavirus and a tracking map of U.S. cases The City Council and the Bexar County Commissioners Court are scheduled to hold a rare joint meeting Tuesday to discuss how to proceed, based on local statistics and the contents of Abbotts order. Regardless of what comes down from the governor, local officials indicated that any easing of San Antonios lockdown would hinge on the advice of public health and medical experts. Nirenberg said that he hopes Abbott takes into account the need for local latitude over measures to combat the coronavirus. Rather than lifting restrictions all at once like a light switch, Nirenberg said that San Antonio would calibrate social distancing measures based on how the virus behaves in the community. That may look different from other parts of Texas, he said. We are not in a position where we can just open things up indiscriminately, Nirenberg said. The last thing we want to do is be careless, and then all of a sudden we see another outbreak in San Antonio and weve got to shut things down. Reopening will be the most challenging for businesses that have close contact with customers, Wolff said. On ExpressNews.com: Christus hospitals roll out antibody testing to identify coronavirus infections in health care workers, patients While San Antonio has not yet seen a surge of coronavirus cases in local hospitals, the amount of testing still remains below what health officials would like. Official case counts represent less than 1 percent of the population of Bexar County, fewer than were projected for the area. Anita Kurian, who heads the communicable disease division of the Metropolitan Health District, said at the briefing that some of that may have to do with the departments initial prioritization of testing people who were more severely ill and those at the highest risk of developing complications from the virus. Now that more tests are available, she raised the possibility of extending coronavirus testing to people who are asymptomatic. The symptomatic cases are ultimately the tip of the iceberg, she said. Lauren Caruba covers health care and medicine in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. To read more from Lauren, become a subscriber. lcaruba@express-news.net | Twitter: @LaurenCaruba Webster Financial (NYSE:WBS), the holding company of Webster Bank, based in Connecticut, saw its profits decline by nearly 62% on an annualized basis in the first quarter. The bank reported net income of roughly $36 million, or $0.39 per diluted share, compared to net income of roughly $97.5 million in the first quarter of 2019. Webster reported a credit provision in the quarter (cash banks set aside for expected loan losses) of $76 million to reflect expected losses that could result from the coronavirus pandemic, up from $8.6 million in the prior year period. The bank's total reserves set aside for loan losses jumped 60% because the bank adopted the new current expected credit losses (CECL) accounting method, which requires banks to reserve for losses over the life of a loan as soon as it is originated. CECL added $58 million to the bank's total reserves upon impact, and then the impact of coronavirus added another $64 million. However, the bank still has a ton of capital built up. "Webster's strong capital and liquidity positions enable us to support our customers and communities during this trying time," Glenn MacInnes, the bank's executive vice president and CFO, said in a statement. He added, "Our Common Equity Tier 1 capital ratio of 11 percent exceeds the regulatory well-capitalized level by $1 billion, and our loan-to-deposit ratio of 85 percent reflects our funding strength." Pre-provision net interest income at Webster, money the bank makes on interest from loans and from other investments, declined by about 4.5% year-over-year, while non-interest income grew about 7% on an annual basis. Australian researchers will examine worldwide data of COVID-19 patients in intensive care to see if patterns emerge that could change the way the virus is treated in those who are critically ill. The COVID-19 Critical Care Consortium started by the University of Queensland is studying 20,000 patients in intensive care units in 47 countries. Australian researchers are gathering data on COVID-19 patients in intensive care from around the world. Credit:AP "At the moment the data is all we have, we dont have a vaccine, we dont have a treatment," University of Queensland Professor John Fraser said. His team is also using research from Monash University, which is tracking the use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in seriously ill patients, including those suffering from COVID-19, from Australia and the world. PR-Inside.com: 2020-04-27 16:01:46 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 868 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Companies active in the animal nutrition chemicals industry are focusing on leveraging the growing rate of meat consumption and pet foods, with higher focus on quality standards.DUBAI, UAE / ACCESSWIRE / April 27, 2020 / The animal nutrition chemicals market is projected to grow at a healthy CAGR of 5.7% during the forecast period (2019-2029). A significant increase in expenditure on animal health and pet insurance is a predominant factor driving the sales of animal nutrition chemicals. Key players are also targeting livestock farmers, who seek to minimize animal disease through customized nutritional profiles. The rising demand for meat products will continue to boost growth of animal nutrition chemicals market, reveals Future Market Insights (FMI)."The rising concerns of pet owners regarding animal borne diseases is bolstering the demand for safe and healthy food formulations," says the FMI analyst.Request report sample with 250+ pages to gain in-depth market insights at https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-11211 Animal Nutrition Chemicals Market - Key TakeawaysThe amino acids segment will remain a leading product in the market, while eubiotics alternatives are forecasted to grow at a higher rate.The animal food manufacturing segment will hold the lead while household use will rise at a higher CAGR on the basis of end use application.The poultry segment will account for a large market share. On the other hand, use in pet food will display a higher CAGR.North America will hold a leading position in the global market share, while Europe and Asia Pacific will display steady growth.Animal Nutrition Chemicals Market - Key Driving FactorsThe rising population of livestock and the incidences of epidemics among animals are critical growth drivers.Rising trend of pet ownership, and the resultant demand for superior pet foods remains a key influencer.Innovations towards immunity, feed efficiency, pregnancy, meat quality, and fertility applications support overall market growth.Higher health awareness among consumers, and demand for specialized nutrition is also a driver for global market growth.Animal Nutrition Chemicals Market - Key ConstraintsWider adoption of in-feed enzymes and probiotics as alternatives to animal nutrition chemicals will remain a challenge for market players.The rising prices of raw materials needed for production will also constrain market growth.The Covid-19 ImpactAs the coronavirus outbreak has become a global pandemic, the covid-19 has resulted in substantial disruptions in essential supply chains. As manufacturers continue to face difficulties in meeting their raw material requirements, the problems are also exacerbated by a shortage of laborers.These trends are likely to hamper production capacities of manufacturers. In addition, the nationwide lockdowns adopted by multiple countries has impacted transportation and logistics. Despite this, the rising use of bio-based variants are anticipated to create new growth opportunities, once the pandemic subsides.Explore the global animal nutrition chemicals market report with 112 illustrative figures, 128 data tables and the table of contents. You can also find a comprehensive market segmentation on https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/askus/rep-gb-11211 Competition LandscapeKey players in the animal nutrition chemicals market are Balchem Corporation, BASF SE, Royal DSM, Dow Chemical Company, Novozymes, DuPont, Tata Chemicals, and Kemin Industries. Majority of these players are investing in expanding their product portfolios and optimizing their process for sourcing raw materials. Moreover, key lucrative opportunities in the industry is expected to rise from the global dairy industry.More About the ReportThe FMI's market research report of 300 pages offers comprehensive insights on animal nutrition chemicals market. The market is analyzed on the basis of product type (amino acid, vitamin, mineral, enzyme, fish oil & lipid, carotenoid, eubiotics, and others), application (animal food manufacture, farm, household, veterinarian, and others), and species (poultry, swine, ruminant, pet, and others) across seven key regions (North America, Latin America, Europe, East Asia, South Asia, Oceania, and MEA).Explore Extensive Coverage of FMI's Food & Beverages LandscapeFloral Flavor Market: Find detailed insights on the global floral flavor market with detailed segment-wide analysis, market statistics, key influencing factors, prominent players and critical developmental strategies adopted by them for a 8-year forecast period.Organic Oats Market: FMI's report on the global organic oats market offers comprehensive insights on the market poised for prolific growth during 2017-2027. The study covers comprehensive evaluation of key restraining forces, revenue sources, and market leaders in addition to with essential market strategies.Citrus Pectin Market: Get a deep-dive analysis on the citrus pectin market with essential insights on growth levers, opportunities, restraints, regulatory policies, regional market forecast and key forte of market leaders.About Future Market Insights (FMI)Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading provider of market intelligence and consulting services, serving clients in over 150 countries. FMI is headquartered in London, the global financial capital, and has delivery centers in the U.S. and India. FMI's latest market research reports and industry analysis help businesses navigate challenges and take critical decisions with confidence and clarity amidst breakneck competition.ContactMr. Abhishek BudholiyaUnit No: AU-01-H Gold Tower (AU), Plot No: JLT-PH1-I3A,Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai,United Arab EmiratesMARKET ACCESS DMCC InitiativeFor Sales Enquiries: sales@ futuremarketinsights.com For Media Enquiries: press@ futuremarketinsights.com Report: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/animal-nutrition-chemicals-market Press Release Source: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/press-release/animal-nutrition-chemicals-market SOURCE: Future Market Insights Mourning relatives of a woman allegedly stabbed to death by her son in south Belfast have resolved their legal battle over her funeral arrangements. The family dispute developed after Emma Jane McParland, 39, was found dead at her Haywood Avenue flat on April 22. Her 21-year-old son, Jordan Kennedy, has been charged with the murder. Ms McParland's mother, Donna McParland, launched High Court proceedings, seeking to have the body released into her custody. She wanted to have a cremation at Roselawn Cemetery, with the ashes then to be scattered over the grave of the dead woman's grandparents. But the Coroner's Service refused to release the remains after a disagreement with other family members emerged. A legal case was brought in which the Emma Jane McParland's daughter, Chelsea Kennedy, was the named respondent. According to court papers Ms Kennedy instead wanted her mother to be buried in a Kennedy family plot at Roselawn. An urgent hearing was listed before the Lord Chief Justice, Sir Declan Morgan, in an bid to secure a judicial declaration. Instead, however, a compromise was reached following negotiations. Under the terms of the agreement the body is to be released into Donna McParland's custody on Tuesday for a two-day wake at her home in Belfast. She has given an undertaking that members of the Kennedy family will be permitted to attend the wake at agreed times. Her daughter's remains will then be taken to Roselawn Cemetery following a funeral ceremony on Thursday. Burial will take place in a new plot, with graveside prayers and all relatives permitted to attend. With Chelsea Kennedy to be given the deeds to her mother's grave, she also gave an undertaking on what other family members are allowed to be buried there. Sir Declan praised all sides for coming to the resolution. He said: "I know this has been difficult, but I want to thank the parties, and commend them for reaching an agreement. "I hope this will provide some comfort to everybody involved." [April 27, 2020] CoinEx Announces Global Strategic Partnership with Matrixport to Provide Over-the-counter Service CoinEx, a global and professional cryptocurrency exchange service provider, is pleased to announce its new global strategic partnership with Matrixport, the one-stop digital asset financial service platform span off from Bitmain. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200427005196/en/ CoinEx and Matrixport announce global partnership to provide better service to users. (Graphic: Business Wire) This partnership allows CoinEx's users to access Martrixport's over-the-counter (OTC) service when they are in need of exchanging sizable fiat to crypto. "CoinEx's users around the world will benefit from this strategic partnership as the OTC service makes transfers between fiat and crypto more convenient. Matrixport has the potential to become a key player in the industry and I look forward to a long-term partnership between us," said Haipo Yang, Founder and CEO of CoinEx. Headquartered in Singapore, Matrixport was established in February 2019 and it now provides a wide range of services such as crypto trading, custody, lending and asset management. CoinEx has also been using its Cactus Custody service since 2019 to ensure the digital asset security. "Teaming up with CoinEx is clearly a win-win situation. We believe that CoinEx's market presence will enable us to reach more crypto enthusiasts and drivea rapid development of our business," said John Ge, CEO of Matrixport. In March, CoinEx integrated its first fiat onramp to the platform, and this collaboration represents another step forward to meet the needs of the market. CoinEx will keep working to build a better platform, as well as further develop its ecosystem. About CoinEx As a global and professional cryptocurrency exchange service provider, CoinEx was founded in December 2017 with Bitmain-led investment and has obtained a legal license in Estonia. It is a subsidiary brand of the ViaBTC Group, which owns the fifth largest BTC mining pool and is also the largest BCH mining pool in the world. CoinEx supports spot, perpetual contract, and other derivatives trading. Its service reaches global users in nearly 100 countries/regions with various languages available, such as Chinese, English, Korean and Russian. Website: https://www.coinex.com/ Twitter (News - Alert): https://twitter.com/coinexcom Telegram: https://t.me/CoinExOfficialENG About Matrixport Matrixport, span off from the crypto giant Bitmain and officially established in February 2019, is a one-stop crypto financial services platform offering digital currency trading, institutional custody (branded as "Cactus Custody"), lending as well as asset management to both institutional and retail customers. The digital currencies traded on its platform include Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum, Tether, and many others. Matrixport was co-founded by Jihan Wu and John Ge, who were both mining industry veterans and co-founders of Bitmain. Matrixport has 150+ staff globally with headquarter in Singapore and offices in Hong Kong, Zurich, and Moscow. With rich industry resources and leading technology capabilities, Matrixport aims to make crypto easy for everyone and create the next generation digital financial service experience. Matrixport's vision is to enable a more open and equal financial system using blockchain technologies. For more information, please visit https://www.matrixport.com or contact [email protected] . View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200427005196/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. Need to get away? Start exploring magnificent places with our weekly travel newsletter. Sign up! Already a Subscriber? Already a Subscriber? Sign in Terms of Service Privacy Policy Hyderabad: Taxi drivers who have signed up to app-based taxi services are exactly over the moon that the central government has announced a moratorium on EMI payments for most loans. Most take bank loans to buy their vehicles and service the loans with what they make driving. But since the lockdown began on March 24, no one is going anywhere, and taxi drivers have zero income. Most of them feel the moratorium is cold comfort, the interest will pile up anyway. Their union, the Federation of App-based Transport Workers (IFAT) has conducted two surveys covering 6,500 app-based drivers across 66 cities in the country, mainly to ask how they've been. Many drivers reported they don't find the moratorium helpful. Shaik Salauddin, national general secretary of IFAT, said, Most drivers said their incomes are near zero currently. They wonder how they can pay the extra interest three months from now if they barely make any money now. The survey found that drivers EMIs ranges from Rs 10,000-20,000. A vast number of respondents want the government to forego interest and extend the EMI repayment until December 2020, read IFATs statement. They also hoped for a waiver of commercial taxes for at least three months and extension of the validity of vehicle documents such as pollution certificates, registration and insurance during the same period. Kamaljeet Singh, vice president of IFAT, appealed to the government to acknowledge the issues of drivers and help them rebuild their lives. Salauddin on the other hand criticised the aggregators for their half-hearted attempts to help the drivers. For instance, Ola is providing microcredit loans to its drivers. But not all drivers are being treated equally. The sums being distributed differ from driver to driver and state to state. We have been unable to understand the criteria. Also, the sum is to be paid back 45 days after the first payment is made to the drivers, he said. Salauddin accused the companies -- Ola, Uber and Zomato -- of being opaque. We dont know how many drivers have actually received any monetary assistance so far. Our survey suggests that only a very small fraction have benefited until now. We have been unable to get any figures from any of the companies, said Salauddin. April 27 : Raj Kundra shares the petition to Ban Republic TV and its leading star anchor Arnab Goswami. Arnab Goswami keeps making headlines for one thing or another, recently he accused Sonia Gandhi of hiring goons, who attacked the journalist while he was returning home from his office. Now, director and entrepreneur Raj Kundra shared a link on his social media, which is petition via Change.Org to Ban Republic TV, started by Ahmed Khan. Supreme Court under : Ban Republic TV - Arnab Goswami spreads false information and hate amongst Indians. - Sign the Petition! https://t.co/5Y7gYVg8jC via @ChangeOrg_India Raj Kundra (@TheRajKundra) April 27, 2020 The caption read, Supreme Court under: Ban Republic TV - Arnab Goswami spreads false information and hate amongst Indians. - Sign the Petition! @ChangeOrg_India The petition on change.org was started by Ahmed Khan, which read, With Republic TV, Arnab Goswami biasedly shows the ruling government under positive light for monetary benefit. While it's one major reason, the other reason is this: he targets the minority of India. He regularly tells Muslims to migrate to Pakistan and it hurts me as it makes me feel unsafe. Being a taxpayer as well as a responsible citizen of India, I don't deserve to see this when I expect a media channel to present me facts. Moreover, his behaviour is completely against the ethics of journalism. He raises his voice to anyone who outspeaks him and calls them names. In fact, he assassinates their character which can become a threat to those people even if they are innocent. The worst part about it is even students fall in that category and we have seen the repercussions in the form of a recent attack on the JNU student Umar Khalid Raj kundra is married to Shilpa Shetty Kundra, and the duo recently welcomed their second child, a girl, via surrogacy. Pakistani troops violated ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) in Uri sector of Jammu and Kashmir by resorting to unprovoked firing, officials said on Monday. The Pakistani troops targeted Indian positions by using both small and heavy firearms in Silikote, Churunda and Tilawari areas of Uri sector in Baramulla district, they said. There were no reports of any casualties so far, the officials said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Priscilla Shirer warns Christians that Satan is using COVID-19 as 'tactic to discourage God's people' Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Popular speaker and author Priscilla Shirer encouraged Christians to use the coronavirus pandemic as a time to stand firm against the schemes of the enemy, warning that Satan will use every opportunity to discourage Gods people. On Wednesday, Shirer, the founder of Going Beyond Ministries, participated in the Q 2020 Virtual Summit, an annual event that equips Christian leaders to thoughtfully engage culture from a Christian worldview. Opening her session, Shirer said Christians should have a perspective that gives them a way of approaching the global pandemic that is different from nonbelievers. God is who He says He is. He's still seated on the throne, and He is not shaken by what shakes us, Shirer said. I don't know how people who don't have some sort of foundational bedrock level of truth in their lives are able to make it in these shaky times because everything is changing. So in these changing times, there has to be something that we count on that is true, that is unchanging, that does not shift with the shift in times, she said. Weve got to know our Bibles, we've got to know who our God is, and we have to anchor ourselves firmly in those truths now more than ever. That's what provides us hope, even when other people are hopeless. Just as God can use even the worst tragedies for good, Satan similarly will try to use everything that he can to turn it into a scheme or a tactic to discourage God's people, to dissuade them, to make them feel like they're defeated, even though we already have the victory, Shirer stressed. We have to then choose: Are we going to operate like victors or are we going to operate like the victims that the enemy wants to use this situation to make us feel that we are? she asked. When an individual embraces Christianity, they arent just given a ticket to eternity; their identity is completely changed, Shirer said, adding: That means, no matter pandemic or not, I am who God says I am, and I have access to every spiritual blessing that He has given me the privilege to access in the authority of His name. I get to choose: Am I going to let fear run my life? Or am I going to let the hope that comes from the position I have in Jesus run my life? she posited. Do we make choices out of fear, out of anxiety, out of insecurity about the future, or do we say, Wait a minute, that's not who we are. That's not what is wired into my spiritual DNA. I'm not going to let the enemy use this as a scheme to now make me start making decisions out of that place. I'm a victor. I have access to all the authority and power of God. What kind of decision does that girl make? And then I make those choices and decisions whether I feel like it or not. I've got to stand on the side of victory and operate through that lens. Shirer said Christians have the choice to see the pandemic or any other difficulty in life as something that is a hiccup in our plan, or as an opportunity for God to be glorified in a unique way, and for us to be strengthened, our character built, our spiritual backbone fortified. The time of isolation is also an opportunity to view others through a lens of compassion and empathy toward others, she added, as well as an opportunity to stand firm against the schemes of the enemy. How will we know what it is to feel like a victor unless we've had these circumstances in our life where there was clear obvious demonic opposition and we saw righteousness become a breastplate for us? she declared. How will we ever know what it's like for the Word of God to become the dagger of the Spirit so that the enemy doesn't stand a chance when he's trying to come against us and our families? The mother-of-three said that during this time, she is standing in the gateway of her home saying, Not today, Satan. Not on my watch, not while I'm here, I'm going to be someone who's positioned in prayer. And now we'll get to see what it is to stand firm against the schemes of the devil in prayer for my family, she said. What a testimony we have when we literally, physically, practically, put on the armor of God by being righteous believers who gird our minds in the Word of God, who are found on our knees in prayer, who are in the Scriptures so that it becomes a dagger against the schemes of the enemy. In coming years, parents will be able to tell their children what we did to stave off the schemes of the enemy, and they'll be able to emulate our lives, not because they heard about it, but because we told them straight from our mouths that we've seen it work in our own experiences, she said. Founded in 2007 by Gabe and Rebekah Lyons, the annual Q conference seeks to equip Christian leaders to thoughtfully engage culture from a Christian worldview. The two-day event featured a number of influential thought leaders, pastors, and notable members of the Christian community. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-26 23:30:28|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close People read at a library in Hezhong Village of Rongchang District, southwest China's Chongqing, April 23, 2020. (Xinhua/Tang Yi) CHONGQING, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality will partially reopen its colleges and universities, with the first batch of students to return to campus from May 11, authorities announced Sunday. Seniors, medical college students and those with medicine-related majors will be among the first group of students back to campus, said Deng Qinquan, deputy director of the Chongqing Municipal Education Commission. Other university students are expected to resume class by the end of May, Deng said. Students and faculties from the areas hard hit by the virus should undergo a 14-day quarantine and related tests after returning to school, he said. All the universities and colleges are required to have closed-off campus management. In eastern China's Fujian Province, where the seniors of junior and senior high schools have resumed class, vocational schools and universities will reopen for senior students from May 6, and all primary and high school students other than first and second graders of primary schools will resume class from May 11, said Lin Heping, head of the provincial department of education. While millions of Americans suddenly find themselves jobless and broke, Bill and Melinda Gates just purchased a $43 million dollar home near San Diego, California, along with an $18 million dollar house in Santa Fe. When hes not buying extra mansions, Gates is busy appearing on national media discussing his solution to the pandemic. For one of his most revealing conversations of late, Gates recently appeared The Ellen Degeneres Show. Ellen has also been in the news in recent weeks after being described as one of the meanest people alive by actor Kevin T. Porter. Right now we all need a little kindness. You know, like Ellen Degeneres always talks about! Shes also notoriously one of the meanest people alive Respond to this with the most insane stories youve heard about Ellen being mean & Ill match every one w/ $2 to @LAFoodBank Kevin T. Porter (@KevinTPorter) March 20, 2020 TV script writer Benjamin Simeon also commented that Ellen picks someone different in the office to hate every day, a sharp turn from her fun and quirky demeanor she presents on camera. B) A new staff member was told every day she picks someone different to really hate. Its not your fault, just suck it up for the day and shell be mean to someone else the next day. They didnt believe it but it ended up being entirely true. Benjamin Siemon (@BenjaminJS) March 20, 2020 Bill Gates sat down with Ellen DeGeneres over the internet last week to discuss the coronavirus pandemic and to tell the world that life will not get back to normal until 7 billion healthy people have taken his soon-to-be-invented vaccine. Of course, their tacitly agreed upon position is that a vaccine is the solution and that there are no other alternatives worth discussing, even though many are reporting that the virus is already mutating and a vaccine may not ever be possible. Bill: what policies do we have, because until we get almost everybody vaccinated, uh, globally, we still wont be fully back to normal. Ellen: I mean, I cant even imagine going out to a crowded restaurant or anything in June or July if we dont have vaccines, how, how do you see us acclimating back into a normal life when we dont have the cure for this? Bill: we need to start getting things back to normal. They wont be back to normal until we either have that phenomenal vaccine or a therapeutic thats over 95% effective and so we have to assume thats going to be almost 18 months from now. Bill Gates Eighteen months of lockdown would desolate our civil liberties and destroy the economy for years to come, all while substantial money is made from the eventual vaccine, whether or not it works as intended or causes harm to the patient. [The economy] wont go back to normal in some very rapid fashion because not only do we have these factories shut down and all these activities have ceased, even as we start them back up people will still be a bit leery about going out and they will have seen their investments and their job security greatly reduced. Bill Gates Bill Gates, Anthony Fauci and others have for weeks been alluding to a coronavirus vaccine and immunity certificate for everyone, which would ostensibly be required to engage in essential activities such as school, work, and worship. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has been funding the development of vaccines by supporting leading pharmaceutical companies, and also supporting the development of new technologies such as microneedle technology, which would implant a record of immunization under the skin that can be read by smartphone technology or via infrared light. Numerous multimillion-dollar grants have been awarded to these projects. We want to get into this semi-normal phase whenever we can and then the vaccine is the thing that will change things and thats why [we need to] figure out how to make sure its safe because when you give it to 7 billion healthy people thats super important. Bill Gates In contrast to Gatess foreboding message that lockdowns, required vaccines, and a global economic recession must happen, protests are occurring around the country calling for an opening of the American economy again and a return of our civil liberties which are being rapidly eroded. As Ellens never-ending praise for Bill Gates and apparent refusal to ask any serious questions about our civil liberties or the implications of global vaccination illustrates, bleeding heart Hollywood stars and billionaire philanthropists are not always the characters they play on TV. 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 (WATCH: Bill Gates and Ellen Discuss Vaccinating 7 Billion Healthy People in Order to Return to Normal) 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. A second Fort Bend County-supported COVID-19 testing site opened Monday in Sugar Land, according to a news release. The site is offering 200 tests per day free of charge to all members of the public. Residents are not required to have current novel coronavirus symptoms in order to be tested but must sign up online and complete a pre-screening process to be approved. Pre-screening is also available by phone: 281-238-2363. ON HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: Coronavirus live updates: Harris County's mask mandate begins, Turner resists paid sick leave push Similar to the county's first site, the address of the new site has not been publicized and will be released to a patient once they have been approved for testing through the pre-screening process. The new site will offer testing from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays. Once a patient has been pre-screened, they will receive an appointment time, day, testing site address and identification code. AccessHealth will be performing the tests and LabCorp will be providing test results. Test results should be available within five days. We expect that the increase in testing capabilities will help everyone better protect themselves and their families and flatten the curve here," Fort Bend County Judge George KP George said in the release. I appreciate the partnership with AccessHealth and LabCorp who can help provide this needed protection from the invisible enemy. FORT BEND: Officials report smooth first day at sole county-supported COVID-19 testing site The first county-supported site opened in late March. That site, located in Rosenberg, is able to conduct 100 tests per day and is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. As of Sunday afternoon, the statewide total of COVID-19 cases went up by 741, with 16 new deaths and 25,091 cases total, according to the Houston Chronicle's data team. The Houston region is now up to 8,285 cases, with 149 deaths total. Fort Bend County saw 33 new cases, bringing the total up to 952. Rebecca Hennes covers community news. Read her on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and on our subscriber site, houstonchronicle.com. | rebecca.hennes@chron.com The UK on Monday announced a 60,000-pound insurance scheme for the families of National Health Service workers who lose their lives on the frontlines of fighting the coronavirus pandemic, which has killed 21,092 people in the country. UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock, who announced the Life Assurance Scheme at the daily Downing Street briefing, said that while no amount of money can replace the loss of a loved one, the government's effort was to do "everything that we can" to support families dealing with bereavement. "I feel a deep personal sense of duty that we must care for their loved ones," the minister said. "As a government, we are looking closely at other professions that work on the frontline against the coronavirus, who also do not have access to such schemes, to see where this may be required," he added. The briefing on Monday marked the first time that a question from a member of the public, chosen independently through a polling agency, was read out ahead of the usual journalists' questions directed at the minister and professor Chris Whitty, the UK's Chief Medical Officer, and Sir Patrick Vallance, the government's Chief Scientific Adviser. The question asked if being able to hug a close family member would be one of the first steps out of lockdown, and was answered by all three as something the government hopes to move towards as the risk of infection reduces. "It is important that people who are vulnerable continue to be protected even after the next steps occur," said Whitty. He also indicated that the lower rate of daily death toll hike, which was up 360 from Sunday's figure, could be an "artificial drop" due to lower notification rates from UK hospitals over the weekend. As the number of hospitalisations continued a downward trend, the government said that some of the other NHS medical services, which had been paused due to the coronavirus outbreak, will be restored from Tuesday. "As the number of hospitalisations from coronavirus begins to fall, I can announce that, starting tomorrow, we will begin the restoration of other NHS services - starting with the most urgent, like cancer care and mental health support," said Hancock. The latest update came as British Prime Minister Boris Johnson took charge at 10 Downing Street earlier on Monday after returning from his COVID-19 convalescence from Chequers, his countryside retreat in Buckinghamshire over the weekend. He addressed the nation from the podium outside his office in London to warn the British public that the period of "maximum risk" had not been passed and urged for further patience with the strict social distancing measures. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) WEST CHESTER A former West Chester woman who was sentenced to life in prison for her role in the murder of a Coatesville man more than 40 years ago is back in Chester County with her family after being released in a rare move by a Chester County Common Pleas Court judge. Earlier this month, Judge Jacqueline Carroll Cody ordered that Eliza J. Medley be allowed to return to the county and continue serving her sentence at the home of her sister in Valley. The decision came at the request of her attorney, who said that Medley was terminally ill and would likely not live longer than six months. The decision for compassionate release for Medley believed to be among the first of its kind in the county for a person serving a life sentence without parole for murder was ordered in response to a 2009 law enacted in Pennsylvania that allows a trial judge to change the setting of an inmates sentence to the care of a nursing home or hospice if the inmate has been diagnosed with a serious illness that renders them incapacitated. In the petition he filed on Medleys behalf in February, attorney Sam Stretton of West Chester stated that Medley, who is 65, suffers from end-stage liver cancer, cannot walk on her own, and poses no danger to the community. She would be better cared for in a hospice situation than at the medical unit at the State Correctional Institution at Muncy, where she has been imprisoned since 1977. Medleys release, however, came over the opposition of the Chester County District Attorneys Office and the strong objection by the family of the victim, George Wilson Sr. According to statements given to Cody at hearings involving Medleys case in June 2019 and in March of this year, her release would cause anguish and pain for the family who has been suffering from the impact of the murder for four decades. Members of Wilsons family still live in the same Coatesville area community where Medleys family live and say they have been harassed for years over her continued incarceration. She gave up her life when she took my husbands, wrote Litisha Wilson, the victims widow. I object in every way possible. We have been dealing with this for years. When I got the news (that Medley was seeking release), it took me back to that exact day it happened. Details of Wilsons murder were difficult to come by. But it appears that Wilson was shot execution style during an attempted robbery that Medley had reportedly engineered. Two men, whose names are unclear, were involved in the slaying, which took place on July 10, 1976, in front of Wilsons then-6-year-old son, George Wilson Jr. Medley, who is distantly related to Wilson, had planned the murder, thinking that she and her co-defendants could get money and drugs from him. However, they apparently left empty-handed. A 21-year-old heroin addict at the time, she was arrested in early 1977 and convicted of second-degree murder at a trial before the late Judge D.T. Marrone in May 1977. The murder still haunts Wilsons son, who lives in the Coatesville area. I was there, he wrote in a 2019 victim impact statement filed when Medley first asked for release. I remember it and have sleep problems and other issues as a result. I have no compassion for her. She had no compassion when she set my dad up and killed hi right in front of me. Let her stay in jail, George Wilson Jr. wrote. She has for 40 yers and can for 40 some more. She needs to do her time. The petition for release was opposed by Deputy District Attorney Thomas Ost-Prisco and Assistant District Attorney John McCaul. Neither could be reached for comment. In his argument before Cody, Ost-Prisco noted that even though the statute permitted such release, it left the final decision up to the judge and did not mandate such a course of action. Those who are convicted of second-degree murder, like Medley, are guilty of playing a key, active role in a persons death, even if they did not pull the trigger or wield the weapon that killed the victim. In Pennsylvania, unlike other states, those defendants are sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. There is currently some movement in the state to revise the laws concerning the sentencing for second-degree murder. Lt. Gov. John Featherman has made an issue of attempting to get commutations for those aged inmates serving life sentences for those murders that they themselves did not commit. Prosecutors across the state, however, are fighting back against those efforts. The only hopes for release for those prisoners, beyond a state pardon, is for release under the state law that allows for compassionate release, or more technically, deferment of sentence. That law, adopted by the legislature in 2009, allows a judge to grant release under certain conditions, even to those who were ordered to spend the rest of their lives behind bars. Compassionate release can be allowed under two circumstances. First, a judge can grant an inmate compassionate release to a hospital or long-term care nursing facility if the inmate is seriously ill; is expected to live for less than one year; and needs medical treatment that can be better provided at an outside facility. Second, a judge can grant an inmate compassionate release to a hospice provider if the inmate is: terminally ill; no longer able to walk; is expected to die in the near future; and is in need of medical treatment better provided by an outside facility. Under this law, if the motion is granted, the original sentence is not changed in any way, according to legal information. Rather, a persons obligation to serve the balance of the sentence is delayed, or deferred. If the prisoner dies while under outside medical care, this distinction does not matter. But if the prisoner unexpectedly recovers, the balance of the sentence will have to be served. That is what Cody will continue to monitor over the coming weeks. She agreed on April 2 to allow Medley to leave SCI Muncy and move back to the county. She will be under the care of an Exton hospice nursing practice and live with her sister, Barbara Britt. But should be either recover or continue to outlive the expectation doctors testified to at a March hearing, Cody reserved the right to terminate that arrangement and return Medley to prison. The judge, a former prosecutor who handled murder cases during her tenure in the D.A.s Office, was clearly uncomfortable with the position the new law put her in. This is a legal issue of whether a defendant should be allowed to die outside of prison, Cody said at the conclusion of the March 13 hearing on Medleys petition. The issue with a sentence of life in prison for taking someones life is that at the time of sentencing it was decided that the person would die of something in prison, she said. As long as you are alive, you stay in prison. To contact staff writer Michael P. Rellahan call 610-696-1544. [April 27, 2020] Proscia Offers Concentriq Digital Pathology Software for Remote Use in Clinical Practice in the United States Proscia, a leading provider of AI-enabled digital pathology solutions, has made available the Concentriq Dx digital pathology software for use in reviewing and reporting of digital pathology slides in the United States. Concentriq Dx, which is CE-marked for use in primary diagnosis in Europe, will support the need for remote pathology in the United States brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. This announcement comes as the FDA has issued new guidance aimed at expanding the availability of remote digital pathology devices. The current practice of pathology tethers pathologists to microscopes in physical laboratory spaces. By limiting access to these laboratories, the COVID-19 pandemic has crippled pathology operations, disrupting the ability to serve patients. This has created urgency around the adoption of digital pathology, which enables remote case review, to provide timely diagnosis. Recognizing this urgency, the FDA has introduced gidance on a policy to help expand the availability of remote digital pathology devices in an effort to facilitate pathology services while reducing healthcare personnel contact and risk of exposure to COVID-19. Concentriq Dx enables pathologists to securely read cases from remote locations, including home offices, using an Internet browser. The software can be rapidly deployed on existing IT infrastructure and works with any scanner and laboratory information system (LIS), offering seamless integrations with Leica, 3DHISTECH, and Hamamatsu among other leading solutions. Proscia is committed to helping pathologists practice uninterrupted during the COVID-19 pandemic through the use of digital pathology. This new availability of Concentriq Dx expands upon the company's COVID Response Program to ensure that laboratories can get up-and-running quickly with digital pathology to maintain operations and continue to serve patients. To learn more about how digital pathology is transforming the practice of pathology, please join Proscia for a webinar, "Streamlined Operations, Increased Revenue, Higher Quality of Care: Conclusive Evidence on the Value of Adopting Digital Pathology in Your Lab," hosted by Dark Daily on May 13th at 1PM EDT. About Proscia Proscia is an AI software company that is changing the way the world practices pathology to transform cancer research and diagnosis. With the company's Concentriq digital pathology platform and pipeline of AI algorithms, laboratories are leveraging new kinds of data to improve patient outcomes and accelerate discoveries. Proscia's team of technologists, scientists, and pathologists is bringing a fresh approach to an outdated industry, helping the world to keep pace with the increasing demand for pathology services and fulfill the promise of precision care. For more information, visit proscia.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200427005503/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] A woman helps Absatou with the kangaroo scarf at Mbile health centre. Since she fled the Central African Republic, she has lost two babies, born prematurely. UNHCR/Xavier Bourgois Absatou has been surrounded by wildlife all her life. But until recently she had never even heard the word kangaroo, let alone seen the animal. Now, she is a huge fan of one of Australias most famous symbols. Absatou is a 22-year-old refugee from Central African Republic, home to elephants, hippos, giraffes and a unique species of forest gorillas. Like thousands of her fellow countryfolk, she fled fighting a few years ago and has lived in Gado camp in eastern Cameroon ever since. Cradling a newborn baby against her chest, Absatou said: She was born two months early. She weighed less than two kilos. I thought I was going to lose her. She explained she has already lost two babies, both born prematurely. This time, her babys life was saved because of something called Kangaroo care. It is a simple yet ingenious form of neonatal care inspired by how kangaroos care for their young in the wild. The mainstay of Kangaroo care which has saved the lives of many young babies is constant skin-to-skin contact. Wrapped next to the mothers chest, the baby maintains a stable body temperature from the natural heat generated by the mothers body. Kangaroo care saves pre-term babies in Cameroon refugee camp (UNHCR) While most hospitals and health-care centres allow for the follow-up and care of premature babies, it is more challenging in remote areas like here, where the local hospital does not have constant electricity or a reliable generator and the lack of specialized care for pre-term babies puts them at high risk of death. Before kangaroo care, mothers would fill up plastic bottles with hot water and place them around their pre-term babies to keep them warm. This was hardly effective as babies could easily get burnt or suffer a drop in temperature as the water cooled down. We regularly lost the babies due to hypothermia. We would panic when we delivered a premature baby of 800 or 900 grams, explained Monique Meka, a midwife at the main Garoua Boulai district hospital, itself some 25 kilometres from Gado camp, which has been built in 2014 and hosts 25,000 people She adds that most of the newborns would die on the way to the regional hospital in Bertoua, some four hours away, the only one in the region to have the capacity to manage with this type of cases. "We regularly lost babies to hypothermia. Most premature babies died on the way to the hospital in Bertoua, four hours away." Midwife Monique Meka, at Garoua Boulai hospital near Gado refugee site, is helping mothers among the 23,000 CAR population use the Kangaroo method to care for their babies. UNHCR/Xavier Bourgois Funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, through UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and its partner agency, Africa Humanitarian Action, the project has transformed neonatal care in the area, since its inception in late 2018. Medical staff have been trained on the method and in turn, they train mothers like Absatou and Dourou, 23, who is closely holding her new son to her chest. At birth, he was barely two kilos. He has now doubled his weight. Beyond the body warmth, there is also the emotional part. The baby is constantly in contact with the mother who will immediately sense if something is wrong, explained Monique. According to the World Health Organization, over 20 million infants born annually, weigh less than 2.5 kilograms over 96 per cent of them in developing countries. Kangaroo care is recommended for the routine care of preterm infants and should be initiated in health-care facilities as soon as the newborns are clinically stable. Dr. Benoit Kayembe, a UNHCR public health officer based in Yaounde, added that kangaroo care has helped mitigate many of the risks that accompany child birth. We had high risk of maternal deaths as premature babies could not handle the journey to the main hospital. Women used to give birth at home and used traditional medicine to heal, risking more infections, he explains. A young girl holds her little brother on her back at Mbile refugee site, one of several sites in the East Region where the kangaroo care method is saving the lives of prematurely-born babies. UNHCR/Xavier Bourgois At Mbile health centre, Central African mother Rabiatou sits close to her newborn baby, who came into the world weighing just 1.9 kilograms but thanks to the Kangaroo method has reached a stable weight. UNHCR/Xavier Bourgois A 16-year-old mother at Gaoura Boulai hospital holds her baby to her chest to keep it warm. UNHCR/Xavier Bourgois At Gado refugee site, home to 23,000 Central African refugees, 23-year-old Abdouraman Dourou breastfeeds her baby who was born weighing 0.7 kilograms but has reached a stable weight of 3 kilograms thanks to the Kangaroo method. UNHCR/Xavier Bourgois He adds that the project, also known as Saving Maternal and Newborn Lives has improved mothers access to health, increased training for health staff and increased the womens understanding on the importance of delivering at a health centre. The women have gained confidence and this has helped us save many lives, he added. in addition, nearly 700 kangaroo kits pouches made with special fabric that retains heat have been distributed to mothers in six refugee camps in eastern Cameroon. However, the needs are still enormous. Only six out of the 42 health centres that UNHCR supports in eastern Cameroon are benefiting from the project. At Mbile health centre, a group of young mothers are clustered together in two small delivery rooms. Four young mothers rest after delivering a few days before. They all look tired and malnourished. I do not have milk to give my twins and no money to buy some, explained Salamatou, a mother of seven. The numbers clearly outweigh the limited space and lack of sufficient food leading to malnutrition is a constant issue for most of the women. This project has had a big impact and we hope to see it extended, sayid Kayembe. GREENWICH After nearly 10 hours of work by the Board of Estimate and Taxation on Monday, the proposed municipal budget for 2020-21 in Greenwich was much smaller than where it started. BET Chair Michael Mason used his tie-breaking vote to finish up the work and pass the budget plan after the finance board scrambled to make changes due to the economic impact of the coronavirus. The final budget document came in at $448 million, down from the $459.8 million that was approved in early March by the BETs Budget Committee. Also, $24 million was cut from the proposed capital budget of $73 million. The Republican caucus and the Democratic caucus ended up heavily divided about how best to respond to the financial impact of the public health crisis, particularly when it came to the more than $3 million cut in the Board of Educations budget. That reduction was part of the across-the-board cuts to all of the town departments operating budgets. Ultimately, the town budget would call for a 0.82 percent reduction in the towns mill rate for calculating property taxes. But there was sharp disagreement on the way to getting there during the daylong meeting. BET members expressed deep disappointment and sadness by the end of the meeting over the tone and the results. Both sides accused the other of being unwilling to compromise, particularly over the school budget. Democrats had sought a far smaller $700,000 cut, while Republicans said the reductions could be made without impacting classroom services. We are going to continue to work, Mason, a Republican, said at the conclusion of the meeting. The town is not stopping. I, too, am not happy with today. Im very unhappy with today. But I think we have a bunch of people we represent and and we have people were trying to represent. I just dont think theres a proper answer to this pandemic. BET member Leslie Moriarty, the Democratic caucus leader, agreed. I think this budget is not responsible, Moriarty said. It does not meet the needs of our residents, our families, our children or this towns future. The BET is finished with the budget. It now moves to the Representative Town Meeting, which can reduce any amount in the budget but not add to it. And ultimately, the RTM will have final vote on the budget at its June meeting. Cuts to all town departments By a party line vote on the 12-member finance board, a $5.9 million cut will be implemented across the board to all town departments. That would reduce operating budgets for the town departments to the same levels as in the current fiscal year budget. That includes the cut to the Board of Educations budget. The BETs Budget Committee, before the coronavirus outbreak, endorsed a $459 million budget with a 1.35 percent increase in the mill rate. The current fiscal years budget is $444 million, covering both operating and capital costs. The cuts would mean that operating budgets will return to the current years level. When reductions were proposed last week, there was a flood of emails and comments from parents speaking out against the cuts as well as a protest outside of Town Hall, as many parents drove around the building, honking their horns and holding signs against the cuts. Ultimately, the cut went through after a thorough debate. The majority Republicans on the board said that the cuts were necessary due to the coronavirus outbreak, with the town expecting to receive millions less in revenue and state grants. Were all struggling, Mason said. I dont think anybody enjoys making any of these decisions that in essence are very difficult judgment calls. BET Vice Chair Karen Fassuliotis said the virus has caused one in five Americans to be out of work and that it would not be responsible to act as though that will not have an impact on Greenwich. We are in different economic times than when the BET Budget Committee approved the budget plan in March, Fassuliotis said. No one predicted the pandemic or the shutdown of our economy. This is indeed a different budget than what was proposed by the Budget Committee and one that reflects our economic times we are in currently. Both Mason and BET member Debra Hess said that if more money is needed later in the year for the schools or any town department, spending could be reconsidered through the towns interim appropriation process. In that process, the BET and Representative Town Meeting consider appropriations outside of the yearly budget process. I think the community has adopted a thought of interim appropriations as taboo, Mason said. Well, the forefathers before us and many finance board and town meeting members specifically carved out actions for things to be re-looked at at any time during a fiscal year. Theres nothing on this page that we as a BET dont have the resources to correct or replenish portions of. Some departments may need additional and we have that ability in front of us. These decisions could be reexamined six or nine months down the road, Hess said. If (economic conditions) get much worse, then we will look very prudent and very responsible, she said. If it doesnt, and things start going back to normal and we have after-school activities and have all the sports, we can always add money back into the budget. We cant take money away. Thats what I think about and what I grapple with. The vote was tied 6-6 on the $5.9 million cut to the operating budgets for all town departments. All six Republicans voted in favor of the cuts and all six Democrats voted against them. Mason used his tie-breaking vote as chair to push it forward. Debate over the school budget BET Democrats said the cuts to town schools were too steep. BET member Beth Krumeich said reductions to other town departments could be handled through deferrals, but children cannot be deferred. She was also worried that the cuts would give short shrift to special education children. Children are spending their time at home with their parents trying to work with teachers and stay on top of the work that needs to be done, Krumeich said. I think we have to be very, very mindful of what the impact is, not only on the students but on the teachers that are trying to teach them and the staff that is trying to present these programs. ... It is very, very important for us to recognize that these decisions have consequences that we cant even begin to wrap our arms around because its the life of these children. Its their education. Moriarity, the Democratic caucus leader, said, A lack of funds will make problems in the district worse, and she urged her colleagues to reconsider the cut. BET member David Weisbrod said it was unfair to announce the cuts without giving the school board and parents adequate time to respond and prepare. Many of the caucus members said the cut would be especially felt in special education services. Democrats had favored a cut of only $700,000 to the Board of Educations funding. But the caucuss motion to reduce the cut failed, again by a party line vote. Later in the day, the BET approved adding in $100,000 to the budget as a capital appropriation to hire an outside consultant to conduct a study of special education. BET member Jeff Ramer said he wanted to make sure the money was used specifically for the study and said he wanted to send a clear message to the community of parents who have called for the review. This will be a very clear demonstration to the families involved that you bet were hearing you and were putting up the money here, Ramer said. The cuts to town operating budgets for 2020-21s fiscal year impacted all departments, and moved them all back to the current year levels. That meant a cut of $143,011 to the fire department, a $367,472 cut to the police department, and a $501,128 cut to the Department of Public Works, among other cuts. How those cuts are applied would be decided by each department. The BET also cut funds to outside groups that the town supports, with reductions of $48,152 to Greenwich Emergency Medical Service and $145,283 to the Greenwich Library. Democrats were unable to get enough support for motions to restore $46,070 for the towns Department of Health and $70,719 for the Department of Human Services. Mason said he believed those funds would be covered with grant money from outside the town. But there was bipartisan support to reverse a planned $2,000 cut for the Transportation of Greenwich, which has seen demand for its services in the coronavirus outbreak increase as it has partnered with several town nonprofits. The BET voted unanimously to restore the money. kborsuk@greenwichtime.com Dhaka: A cleric offering prayers at a local mosque in neighbouring Bangladesh, a Maulvi has been confirmed to be coronavirus positive. The sensation has spread after the case came to light. According to media reports, Maulvi led the Ramadan prayers on Saturday in a mosque in Adanganga village under Magura district of south-west Bangladesh. A day later, he was found to be Coronavirus positive. Rahul Gandhi slams Modi government over corona rapid testing kit According to the news, officials are making a list of 20-25 people who have joined the Namaz and they will also be investigated. An official was quoted as saying that Maulvi Bagharpara is from the village of Paschwim, which is about one and a half kilometres from the mosque. There is a lockdown in this entire area. As of Sunday, there were 5,416 confirmed cases of corona in Bangladesh and 145 people have died. Lockdown will continue in Red Zone, do not worry about economy: PM Modi The Ministry of Religious Affairs has issued an emergency notice urging people not to gather in mosques and offer Namaz at home. The notice said that only a maximum of 10 people can gather in mosques to offer prayers. The government has also banned visiting other religious places. Video: Ambulance stops for VIP convoy, Chennai police trolled on social media Singapore, April 27 : A Singapore-based Indian worker and his colleague were killed in an accident involving a car and the motorcycle they were on, it was reported. The Police were alerted on Saturday morning that a male motorcyclist from Malaysia, 27, and the pillion rider, Sulthan Abdul Kathar Rahman Kareem, 33, from India, were involved in an accident with a sedan car at the junction of Hougang Avenue 3 and Airport Road, The Straits Times reported on Sunday. The two were taken to the Changi General Hospital, where they were later pronounced dead. The two colleagues were heading to a restaurant where they worked, said a relative of Sulthan's. "My cousin is the sole bread winner of his family, who were living back home in the Kottaipattinam village in southern India," the relative added. Prior to his death, Sulthan had been working in Singapore for over four years. Lunches on Lawyers is a community-focused effort led by TorkLaw and Feher Law, APC, to feed the doctors, nurses, first responders and medical professionals who are battling the COVID-19 pandemic. Lunches on Lawyers plays a vital role in ensuring that our medical professionals are receiving proper nutrition to fuel their minds and bodies for the important work they are doing in the battle against COVID-19. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to upend the world, many individuals and businesses are finding ways to step up and support the essential workers on the frontlines. Personal injury law firms TorkLaw and Feher Law, APC announce they have teamed up to launch Lunches on Lawyers, a community-focused effort to feed the doctors, nurses, first responders and medical professionals who are battling the COVID-19 pandemic. Launched in April, Lunches on Lawyers identifies hospitals throughout Southern California impacted by COVID-19, aligns with mom and pop restaurants that have experienced a decline in business due to shelter-in-place orders and delivers meals to the medical workers. In many instances, these healthcare workers dont have access to proper meals as hospital cafeterias operate on limited schedules, if at all, vending machines are empty and hospital shifts are so long and tiresome that cooking a meal at the end of the day is the last thing they want to do. As plaintiff lawyers and human beings, it is our duty to give back to the community and Lunches on Lawyers is just a small token of our appreciation to the dedicated doctors, nurses and support staff in the hundreds of hospitals, clinics, and care facilities that are putting in countless hard and thankless hours to fight this common enemy, said Reza Torkzadeh, Managing Partner of TorkLaw. I cant think of a better way to make a meaningful contribution to our community at this time and we are thankful to our staff, industry colleagues, local business partners and others who are rallying behind this effort to support these heroes. To date, Lunches on Lawyers has delivered more than 450 meals to 12 hospitals throughout Los Angeles County, Orange County and the Inland Empire while enlisting more than eight local restaurant partners to supply meals. The initiative has gained the attention of others in the legal community who have sponsored meals through Lunches on Lawyers. Sponsors to date include Sachs Law, APC, Mandell Trial Lawyers, CASEpeer, Duque Law, Petrov Law Firm and Rawlins Law APC. Lunches on Lawyers plays a vital role in ensuring that our medical professionals are receiving proper nutrition to fuel their minds and bodies for the important work they are doing. By delivering a nourishing meal to them, we can relieve some of the burden and allow them to focus on what they do best, said Tom Feher, Founder of Feher Law, APC. While this pandemic has created much uncertainty on a global scale, one thing is certain and that is our community comes together in remarkable ways during times of need. We have truly been blown away by the eagerness of the legal community to get involved in our effort and sponsor meals for our fearless healthcare workers, added Feher. For more information, to donate or get involved, please visit: http://www.lunchesonlawyers.com. About Lunches on Lawyers Lunches on Lawyers is an initiative developed by Feher Law, APC, and The Torkzadeh Law Firm (TorkLaw), both personal injury and accident law firms that are headquartered in California. This initiative was formed in response to the Coronavirus Disease-2019 as a way to help local communities. Their purpose is to provide sustenance, nourishment and kindness to these hardworking healthcare heroes, while supporting local restaurants who have lost business due to shelter in place mandates. Learn more at http://www.lunchesonlawyers.com. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-27 18:57:36|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Newly recruited nurses attend a capping ceremony at Peking University People's Hospital in Beijing, capital of China, April 26, 2020. A total of 97 newly recruited nurses attended the capping ceremony on Sunday. The ceremony was also held to mark the 200th birth anniversary of Florence Nightingale, founder of modern nursing, as well as the upcoming International Nurses Day. (Xinhua/Zhang Yuwei) China has closed gyms and swimming pools again over fears there could be a second wave of coronavirus in the country. Gyms in China were initially closed in January, but had gradually reopened over the last few weeks as the country looked to kick-start the fitness industry. Concerns over a resurgence of Covid-19 have risen after a spike in imported cases in China. The government has imposed a 14-day quarantine at designated hotels for anyone arriving in Beijing. Schools have started to reopen in the capital, with other cities confirming dates to follow suit. Some 50,000 high school students in Beijing started their third year on Monday, which is seen as crucial ahead of the university entrance exam known as the gaokao. China has also unveiled plans from 1 June to enforce separate portions at restaurants rather than traditional sharing meals designed for families. To date there have been 83,912 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in China, with 4,637 fatalities as of Monday morning, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Gyms in Beijing will now be closed again to help avoid a second wave (AFP) The fitness industry has been hit particularly hard in China, with more businesses (6,969) in that field dissolving or suspending operations in the first quarter of this year than over the entirety of 2015 (4,632), according to Chinese data analysis company Qichacha. Following closures, there has been a surge in online fitness apps such as Keep, which moved to the top of Apples app store for its category and has attracted $170 million (around 137m) in investment from Goldman Sachs, Chinese technology giant Tencent and venture capital firm GGV, according to business data service Crunchbase. The majority of operating costs at gyms stems from rent, which can range from 150,000 yuan (around 17,000) to 1 million yua (around 114,000) in Beijing, which has led to many fitness businesses attempting to renegotiate rent with landlords. Ankit Nayal, a director at Beijing-based B Active 24 Hour Fitness, insists relief from the government will prove critical in the weeks ahead to avoid further businesses closing. Its very difficult for us because we are an offline provider, Mr Nayal told CNBC. Were still investigating online revenue options. The government has been very helpful in coming up with policies towards the rent. Sri Lanka has seen a very strong increase in mobile broadband penetration over the past six years, driven by rising usage of online video and the price drop of LTE-enabled smartphones. However, Research & Markets reports that the market remains at an early stage of development, with penetration well below most other developed Asian countries. Strong growth is predicted over the next five years at least. Fixed broadband penetration in Sri Lanka remains very low, partly due to poor fixed-line infrastructure and partly to the dominance of the mobile platform. However, the market has developed well over the last few years, albeit from a low base, and is supported by the two main telcos providing bundled service offerings including mobile, fixed broadband and video content. The telecom sector overall is being bolstered by the continuous expansion of the fibre and LTE networks, as well as growing investment in 5G. Sri Lanka is building a national fibre network linked to numerous international cables. This 45,000km network, built and managed by Sri Lanka Telecom, will serve as the backbone for fixed broadband and mobile services, including 5G. Additionally, a cable connecting Sri Lanka to the Maldives has been commissioned and is expected to go live at the end of 2020. The government's Board of Investment of Sri Lanka supports the development of the telecom sector. Its funding - as approved in 2018 and 2019 - provided significant investment for network expansion and upgrades to mobile and fixed broadband infrastructure. The market is now preparing to move from 4G towards 5G mobile services. Dialog Axiata and Mobitel conducted pre-commercial 5G trials during 2019, and Dialog has thus far repurposed 20% of its LTE antennae for 5G. The operators aim to invest $254 million in network expansion. The fierce competition in the mobile market pushed Hutchison Lanka to merge with Etisalat Lanka in December 2018, being rebranded as Hutch and becoming the third largest operator in the country. Speculation: US-based North Korea monitoring project 38 North has concluded from this satellite image that Kims train is in the resort of Wonsan. Photo: Maxar Technologies-38 North/Handout via REUTERS A special train believed to belong to Kim Jong-un has been spotted at the east coast resort of Wonsan, fuelling speculation that the North Korean leader may be staying there while being treated for health problems. Satellite images reviewed by 38 North the Washington-based North Korea monitoring project seem to show a train similar to Mr Kims in the so-called leadership station, reserved for the Kim family, on April 21 and 23. It comes amid varying rumours that Mr Kim, said to be 36, recently had cardiovascular surgery and was either recovering or possibly in grave danger. Worst-case scenarios have been played down by the South Korean government and US President Donald Trump. China has dispatched a team including medical experts to North Korea to advise on Mr Kim, three people familiar with the situation told Reuters. The trains presence does not prove his whereabouts or indicate anything about his health but it does lend weight to reports Kim is staying at an elite area on the countrys eastern coast, 38 North said. The group said that the luxury Wonsan complex includes nine large guesthouses, a protected port, shooting range, recreation building and a covered dock believed to be used for Mr Kims mega-yacht. If confirmed, the ability of Mr Kim to travel around the country on his 250 metre-long train might suggest that he is recuperating from illness rather than in a life-threatening condition. Mr Kim has been the subject of heated speculation since he failed to show up at events to celebrate the birthday of his grandfather Kim Il-sung North Koreas founding father on April 15. Since he came to power in 2011, Mr Kim has never missed the Day of the Sun celebration, one of the most important national holidays of the year. The Daily NK, a news site founded by South Korean human rights activists, cited an anonymous source as saying that Mr Kim had undergone a cardiovascular surgical procedure. This was followed by an unnamed US official who told CNN the US was monitoring intelligence Mr Kim was in grave danger after surgery. North Koreas state media has remained largely silent on the issue. We should treat claims that Kim is dead, or that nothing is wrong, with large quantities of caution, said Edward Howell, a lecturer in international relations at Oxford University. But Mr Kims absence from the Day of the Sun was a potential red flag that something was amiss, he said. There have been reports that his sister, Kim Yo-jong a rising, albeit fairly junior elite was also not present at the celebrations, he added. There is a lot we dont know about Kim, but we do know that he is dangerously overweight and unhealthy, said Richard McGregor, of the Lowy Institute think tank. North Korea exerts extremely tight control on information about its leadership, making it virtually impossible for outsiders to find out whats going on at those senior levels. Even South Koreas main spy agency has a mixed record on confirming developments in North Korea. When Kim Jong-il died in December 2011, for instance, few outsiders knew it until it was reported by North Koreas state media two days later. Telegraph Media Group Limited [2021] Democratic lawmakers in Arizona and other states are calling for the Trump administration to stop spending billions of dollars on the wall along the U.S.-Mexico border during the coronavirus pandemic. The money being spent on the border wall should instead go toward fighting the coronavirus and providing basic services in border communities where poverty is widespread and health care is relatively scarce, Rep. Raul Grijalva, a Democrat who represents much of the border region in southern Arizona, said on a press call Friday. So far, $2.8 billion has been allocated to build 137 miles of wall near Tucson, according to the Army Corps of Engineers. Hundreds of millions dollars more will be spent to build roughly 100 miles of wall near Yuma. All told, federal officials plan to spend at least $15 billion to build hundreds of miles of wall on the U.S.-Mexico border. Border communities were devastated by the recent drop in shoppers and tourists coming from Mexico, Grijalva said Friday. The wall funds should be redirected to the borderlands through the same legal process as other relief packages during the pandemic. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Reuters) Taipei Mon, April 27, 2020 08:01 626 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd4606b6 2 Food sommelier,wine,wine-tasting,Taiwan,food,coronavirus,COVID-19 Free A young Taiwanese sommelier is taking his wine tasting classes online to keep his business afloat, as social distancing rules to contain the spread of the new coronavirus prevents large gatherings. Live streaming from his studio in Taipei, Peter Petrus, the professional name he uses for his business, teaches the art of wine-tasting online to people across the island. The containment measures have had a big impact on business, Petrus told Reuters. "So I started contemplating if there might be a way to work around this situation - at the end of the day the company has to keep going." While Taiwan has been relatively successful so far in curbing the spread of the virus, with 428 cases and six deaths, the government has been promoting social distancing and discouraging large gatherings to keep the pandemic under control. Online tasting has a few constraints - mainly around packing, maintaining the right temperature and sending the bottles on time to customers. The problem with wine is that it starts oxidation once you open the bottle," said Petrus, who meticulously pours a selection of wine into smaller bottles and labels each before couriering. Read also: Small businesses resort to online channels to survive pandemic Students who receive the wine samples join Petrus online to sip together as they flip through the course material. Petrus, who films and livestreams via his smartphone, keeps his students engaged while he explains the finer points of each wine. Candice Yang, a 32-year-old maths teacher, who joined one of his online courses this week, described the experience as 'quite special.' "It feels just the same (as being there) with a bit of additional warmth and chill-out, because it's so cozy at home." Hamilton County announced the number of COVID-19 cases is now 149, while the number of deaths is still sitting at 13. The prior case number was 142. Of the new cases, we didnt add any on Saturday, we added one on Sunday, and we are adding seven today, said Hamilton County Health Department Administrator Becky Barnes. She said four of those came with Hamilton Countys expanded testing efforts. By utilizing the new testing site at Riverfront Parkway, 1,377 people were tested for COVID-19 over the weekend. Because of extra staff, the county was able to open five lanes for testing. Meanwhile, officials in the Sheriff's Department said a federal inmate who had been staying at the Bledsoe facility in Pikeville had tested positive for coronavirus. There has been a coronavirus outbreak at the Bledsoe facility. Officials said they were informed today (Monday) by Erlanger Hospital Medical Staff that an inmate had tested positive for COVID-19. Officials stated, "Jail personnel are currently tracking all inmates and personnel who may have come into contact with the inmate. All jail personnel and inmates who have come into contact with the inmate have been tested and all have tested negative for COVID-19. In addition, none are exhibiting any signs of COVID-19. "Per Hamilton County Jail guidelines, the positive inmate and any inmates and staff that they have come in contact with him will be quarantined for 14 days. "Sheriff Jim Hammond would like to reassure the public and those who may have family or friends incarcerated in the jail that our personnel are maintaining extraordinary measures to routinely sanitize the facility. The Sheriffs Office is continuing to work with Health Department and Erlanger Medical personnel to safeguard the health of our inmates and personnel due to COVID-19. This includes testing employees and inmates who show signs or symptoms of COVID-19." For residents who do not have a vehicle, there was a walk-up lane in order to accommodate them. This walk-up lane saw 75 participants. Almost half of the tests have been processed and the results back from the Baylor School lab. This Riverfront testing site will again be open this weekend, May 2 and 3, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. No appointment or referral is needed in order to be tested. The Bonnyshire testing site is booked up for this week, but appointments will not be required next week. It operates Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to noon. Dr. Paul Hendricks went over precautions and guidelines businesses within the city need to follow in order to stay safe. If one has a health problem or is at-risk, they should not go out. Any person who is sick while at work should go home immediately. He also said all employees should be checked for a fever, and should be wearing cloth masks and gloves while at work. Social distancing and handwashing should be followed, and regularly-touched surfaces should also be washed frequently or every two hours. The doctor also said employers should allow employees to work from home as much as possible, and to work with as few people as possible. For workers who have had the COVID-19 virus, their symptoms need to have subsided for at least 72 hours before returning to work. In addition to this, it should have been at least seven days since the onset of these symptoms. No follow-up test is needed if these guidelines are followed. For restaurants, Bonnie Deakins said employees need to wear face coverings and gloves, report if they begin feeling ill, and follow daily sanitization processes. Tables should be spaced six feet apart, and only six people per table are allowed. Bar areas need to remain closed, and customers should be screened with COVID-19 symptoms questions when they enter. On top of this, restaurants should only operate at 50 percent capacity at the most. New Delhi, April 27 : Shaken by the two significant actions of the Modi government last year -- the air strike on terror camps in Balakot and the nullification of special status of Jammu & Kashmira -- the Pakistan Army has recalibrated its proxy war tactics against India. Aarti Tikoo Singh New Delhi, April 27 (IANS) Shaken by the two significant actions of the Modi government last year -- the air strike on terror camps in Balakot and the nullification of special status of Jammu & Kashmira -- the Pakistan Army has recalibrated its proxy war tactics against India. Pakistan Army has decided to go big on psychological warfare, revive home-grown native terrorism in Kashmir against India and use Indian authors like Arundhati Roy's criticism of India as propaganda material to Islamabad's advantage. All this and more was revealed in the latest edition of the Green Book 2020 published by the general headquarters of the Pakistan Army. The Green Book is a confidential internal publication of the Pakistan Army which outlines its geo-political understanding, vision and strategies. Apart from Pakistan Army chief's views, it includes essays on policy recommendations written by specialists of defence forces and strategic thinkers of the country. In the 200-page book, a copy of which was accessed by IANS, Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa has written that the two decisions taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last year, the Balakot strike on February 26 and reorganisation of Jammu & Kashmir state on August 5, will have "lasting imprint on the geopolitics" of the region. Bajwa described the Balakot strike as a "coercive attempt to carve out space for war under nuclear overhang and enforce compellence." Modi's Kashmir decision, Bajwa said, has "raised the ante for the entire world." Other authors like Lieutenant General (retired) Raza Muhammad Khan (former corps commander and former President of National Defence University, Islamabad), Senator Mushahid Hussain and Peshawar-based journalist Farzana Shah made several anti-India policy recommendations. Recognising that India is backed by the US and American efforts to contain China's rise are promoting India, one of the suggestions was to warn Washington that Pakistan will shift its forces from its Western borders, which can adversely affect peace in Afghanistan, if New Delhi was allowed to pursue its Kashmir policy. The book also contained conspiracy theories like "increased proliferation of WMDs, due to Indo-US nuclear deal and the RSS hold over Indian nuclear weapons and its armed forces" and Indian external intelligence agency RAW "established a special cell at a cost of $500 million" to sabotage the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. China as a reliable strategic ally was repeatedly emphasised in the book. In one of the essays, Chinese President Xi Jinping's quote -- "No matter how things change in the world and the region, China will firmly support Pakistan in upholding its sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity and dignity" -- was highlighted. The other recommendation was to take Pakistan's proxy war against India into the "non-kinetic domain" like information or cyber or electronic warfare. For this, Pakistan Army has been advised to run propaganda using video clips and pictures about "brutalities of Indian oppressive forces" in Kashmir to alter the perception about India, which it has "built so painstakingly over the years". "Modi's India is bound to get stuck and sink in the Kashmir quagmire," the essay by Senator Hussain said, while Ambassador Shamshad Ahmad Khan wrote, "Kashmiri youth are dying on the streets, not asking for jobs and employment opportunities. They are holding the Pakistan flag; it is a clear verdict!" One major suggestion offered to the Pakistani Army was that it should revive "local uprising" in Indian Kashmir and make it difficult for "India to keep selling the terrorism card" in Kashmir. "Only a native uprising will be just and politically defendable for Pakistan on international forums. Even such an uprising will need support in the information domain," an essay said. Professor Tughral Yamin in his prescription about future wars with India said that as long as Kashmir was unresolved, "there will be plenty of triggers to cause another crisis (for India) in the future." Yet another writer advised that "Indian masses and liberal intellectuals" should be the recipients of Pakistan's information dissemination campaign on Kashmir. The only scholarly piece in the book, 'Security Competition between US & China and Impact on Regional Strategic Balance of South Asia', was written by Rizwana Karim Abbasi who recommended bilateral dialogues between the US and China and simultaneously between India and Pakistan. LINCOLN Gov. Pete Ricketts said Thursday that he doesnt foresee a scenario in which hed ask meatpacking plants to close, despite soaring numbers of coronavirus cases in Nebraska communities with such businesses. Shutting down the plants as has happened in several states, including neighboring Iowa and South Dakota would jeopardize the nations food supply, causing civil unrest, Ricketts said. Can you imagine what could happen if people could not go to the store and get food? he said. Think about how mad people got when they couldnt get paper products. Think how mad theyd be if they couldnt get food. We need to do everything we can to make sure these food processors stay open, Ricketts added. His daily briefing came as Dakota County, home to a massive Tyson Fresh Meats plant, reported 133 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, more than doubling its previous total. Ricketts said he didnt know how many of those new cases came from the plant, but he refused to blame the business, saying it was a community issue that also involved how people lived and if more than one generation lived together in a home. This is the second in a series of five stories exploring the global backlash that China may face as a result of its actions and rhetoric during the coronavirus pandemic. This story examines the outlook for China-US relations, including the risk that the pandemics impact and the responses of China and the US to it will push the two largest economies in the world into a new Cold War. The new coronavirus has caused a global disease epidemic and all but turned the lights out on much of the worlds economy. The next ripple effect could be a new Cold War, this time between China and the United States. The worlds two biggest economies are still trying to grasp the unprecedented scale of the pandemics consequences. Global growth forecasts have been ripped up and job losses are running into the millions and counting, while governments are pulling together rescue packages worth hundreds of billions of dollars that dwarf those of the financial crisis 12 years ago. Although it remains unclear when and how the pandemic will end, Beijing looks set to brace for increased opposition to its global ambitions. Chinese President Xi Jinping said this month that the country must get ready for unprecedented external adversity and challenges in the long run. His warning came amid Chinas deepest economic contraction in nearly a century, the restructuring of global supply chains and threats to Beijings colossal Belt and Road Initiative. Emerging from the fog of this new world disorder is a Beijing leadership preparing for an international backlash of blame over the disease outbreak, first identified in the central China city of Wuhan. It is also a leadership determined to push back, according to diplomatic observers. The health crisis will have a detrimental impact on US-China relations beyond anything we have seen so far, said Gal Luft, co-director of the Institute for the Analysis of Global Security, a Washington based think tank. Mainland Chinese authorities have kick-started an internal process to solicit advice from think tanks, academics and others on how to deal with an increasingly adversarial global environment, said a government adviser who declined to give his name. Story continues At the same time, the devastating human toll and suffering caused by Covid-19 has prompted soul-searching among Chinese officials, the intelligentsia and media professionals, observers say. That includes asking questions about Chinas role in a post-coronavirus world. If the pandemic ended tomorrow, it might be possible to patch things up to a degree, but its effects will cast long shadows, said George Magnus, an associate at Oxford Universitys China Centre and former chief economist at UBS Investment Bank. The global health crisis could start a new Cold War between China and the United States, observers say. Photo: AFP US President Donald Trump last week indicated what some of those shadows might be, saying at a press conference that the US was investigating the origins of Covid-19 in Wuhan. He said that there would be consequences if China was found to be knowingly responsible for the outbreak that has now killed more than 200,000 people around the world. The British government also waded in, with cabinet minister Michael Gove telling the BBC last month that China had failed to convey the scale, nature and infectiousness of the disease. German Chancellor Angela Merkel joined the chorus, calling for more transparency from China about the origin of the virus. This all pointed to tense international relations in the post-coronavirus world, Magnus said. Sourabh Gupta, a policy specialist at the Institute for China-America Studies in Washington, said it was too early to have a clear idea of the impact of the coronavirus crisis, especially at a time when many chapters of the Covid-19 story have yet to be written. We are already witnessing the knee-jerk backlash against China, he said. According to Ken Jarrett, a senior adviser at consulting firm Albright Stonebridge Group and a former president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai, deepening distrust and antagonism on both sides might be the true casualty of the coronavirus pandemic. I do fear this will get worse in the months ahead because, as the cost of this calamity becomes more apparent to Americans, it will be a natural inclination to try to blame somebody for this, he said in the chamber-hosted China Voices podcast on April 7. With the US entering the presidential election cycle, Jarrett said the blame game would further aggravate negative views about China in the US. A survey in March by American think tank Pew Research Centre showed that roughly two-thirds of Americans held an unfavourable view of China, the worst rating for the country since the poll began in 2005. The survey, which polled 1,000 people, found that cyberattacks, the US trade deficit, military rivalry and human rights violations were the issues Americans most associated with China. Other analysts said Beijing had launched its well intentioned medical aid diplomacy but then stumbled with a propaganda campaign when it said its system of government was behind its success in containing the virus at home. Initiating propaganda to narrate itself as the fire chief in the pandemic fight while other countries are trapped in the virus outbreak led to antipathy, said Shi Yinhong, a government adviser and a professor of international relations at Renmin University. While the coronavirus threatens to usher in a new Cold War, it has also brought world business to a grinding halt and exposed the vulnerabilities of global supply chains that run through Chinas export-dependent economy. Dan Wang, an analyst at Gavekal Dragonomics, said the power conflict between the US and China would change economic structures. Given that the US and China are more openly adopting a mindset of great power competition, it is becoming increasingly risky for companies to depend too much on either country as links in their supply chains, he said. Magnus said that on the political and economic fronts, the crisis was a time for leadership with the courage to take bold steps. But I dont see this anywhere on Xis agenda, which will probably draw the conclusion from the Covid-19 crisis that the centralisation of power and control, and stifling of markets are precisely what China needs. Other observers said the global coronavirus fight could have provided an opportunity to take some heat out of the China-US rivalry, which has increased in tempo and tone since Trump won the 2016 US presidential election. Beijing and Washington combating Covid-19 together as a global crisis could have built some goodwill after their conflicts over trade, the South China Sea, Taiwan, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region and other disputes, analysts said. Instead, the opposite happened. Luft said Trump was unlikely to back down from his confrontational approach on China in the lead-up to the November presidential election. Trump is known for his tendency to shirk responsibility and shift the blame to others, he said. In the face of the biggest crisis of his presidency, and as he gets closer to the elections he is likely to openly put the blame on China, and allow his deputies to do so even more explicitly. Scott Kennedy, senior adviser and trustee chair in Chinese business and economics at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, said both Xi and Trump were nationalist in ideological orientation and showed little inclination for cooperation. He said also that the poor performance of governments and global institutions, such as the G20, might result in a worse outcome than expected. Chen Zhiwu, director of the Asia Global Institute at the University of Hong Kong, echoed those views. The most negative and lasting implications of the coronavirus crisis will be the world economy disengaging more rapidly from China and a new Cold War, he said in an interview on April 8 with Shenzhen Satellite TV. Yun Sun, a senior fellow at the non-partisan Stimson Centre in Washington, said it was natural for major powers to exploit each others vulnerabilities, noting Chinas irritation over Trumps use of the phrase Wuhan virus and jabs at Chinas autocratic system of government. Covid-19 has damaged the credibility of both the US and China. And China may not emerge as the winner. It can. But that requires China to accept responsibilities and assist others without geopolitical calculations, Sun said. In other words, it requires China to go high when some others go low, not go lower because it can. Several observers said that last years trade war undermined China-US economic ties, long considered the ballast of bilateral relations. This in turn damaged cooperation on other levels, such as academic, cultural and education exchanges. Zhao Tong, a senior fellow at the CarnegieTsinghua Centre for Global Policy think tank in Beijing, said the foreign policy communities in both countries also faced a decoupling risk. Increasingly, they talk past each other and live in parallel universes. The widening perception gap presents the greatest threat to the bilateral relationship, Zhao said. For many China commentators, the Trump administrations underwhelming performance in the Covid-19 fight has strengthened their belief that Chinas one-party rule has some advantages to help outcompete the US in the long run. That helps to explain the efforts by state media and Chinese diplomats around the world to tout the so-called China model under Xis leadership. But dealing with the Covid-19 outbreak was more a question of crisis management preparation than the nature of national regimes, said Lizza Bomassi, deputy director of Carnegie Europe, a foreign policy think tank. Paradoxically, I think the coronavirus crisis will make people in the West more appreciative of the value of the democratic system that they live in because they have gotten a temporary taste of what its like to live under a semi-authoritarian regime, she said. Other analysts, including Sourabh Gupta, said the coronavirus might derail many of Beijings domestic policy goals and put its relations with many China-friendly countries to the test. This is a time for it to keep a low profile, do good overseas medically and go beyond the realm of assisting stricken countries. This is certainly not a time for disaster opportunism, he said. Chinas ambitious Belt and Road Initiative, a multibillion-dollar infrastructure and investment plan to project the countrys clout in nearly 70 countries across Asia, Europe, Africa and Latin America, has also been hit hard by the coronavirus. Longer term, China had better get used to what will become the accurate characterisation: that the belt and road is also the route by which viruses travel, Gupta said. Beside aggravations with the US and Europe, Chinas relations with Africa, the countrys strategic ally in plans to build global trading and investment networks, have also been strained in recent weeks. This followed reports of discrimination against Africans living in China amid coronavirus fears. In a rare step, African ambassadors sent a complaint to Chinas foreign ministry protesting against stigmatisation and discrimination that left many Africans homeless after being evicted from their flats and hotels in Guangzhou. Beijing denied the allegations. China, the largest investor and trade partner for the African continent, may also have to write off billions of dollars in debt at the request of countries devastated by Covid-19. China has pumped an estimated US$143 billion into Africa, mostly on infrastructure projects from railway lines and motorways, to ports and airports to power stations, according to Johns Hopkins University. China has a responsibility to display forbearance and even provide significant restructuring and debt relief if the coronavirus tears through Africa and demolishes its near-term economic prospects, Gupta said. On the future of China-US ties, Sun challenged the suggestion by many experts that the coronavirus could become a defining moment for relations between the two countries. There will always be the hawks that try to milk strategic utilities out of crisis, but it doesnt mean that one crisis will completely change the power equilibrium and a new structure will emerge, she said. However, Luft said, in the shorter term the US and other countries would put pressure on China, with some likely to file lawsuits over Beijings alleged responsibility in spreading the pathogen beyond its borders. In the coming summer, the world will be engaged in blame games instead of Olympic Games and this will create a uniquely toxic international environment. Read the first part in the series to learn about the push by countries to bring home the production of goods after a period of overreliance on China. Next time, the Post looks at what comes next for Chinas economy as it recovers from the damage caused by the pandemic. Sign up now and get a 10% discount (original price US$400) off the China AI Report 2020 by SCMP Research. Learn about the AI ambitions of Alibaba, Baidu & JD.com through our in-depth case studies, and explore new applications of AI across industries. The report also includes exclusive access to webinars to interact with C-level executives from leading China AI companies (via live Q&A sessions). Offer valid until 31 May 2020. More from South China Morning Post: This article Coronavirus infects China-US relations as blame game over pandemic intensifies first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2020. Another charge has been dropped in the indecent assault case against actor Craig McLachlan. The Gold Logie winner still faces seven charges of indecent assault and six charges of assault against four women during the Melbourne run of a stage show in 2014. Craig McLachlan and partner Vanessa Scammell arrive at the Melbourne Magistrates Court last month. Credit:AAP One charge of attempted indecent assault, involving allegations Mr McLachlan tried to kiss one of the women on the lips on stage, was dismissed in the Melbourne Magistrates Court on Monday. But magistrate Belinda Wallington ruled Mr McLachlan had a case to answer for 13 remaining charges, including allegations of indecent behaviour during the performance of a "bedroom" scene. LONDON, UK / ACCESSWIRE / April 27, 2020 / SDX Energy Plc (SDX.L), the MENA-focused oil and gas company, announces that it will hold its annual general meeting ("AGM") on 22 May 2020 at 10:00 am (UK time). The notice of AGM and form of proxy have today been posted to shareholders, and copies have been uploaded onto the Company's website (www.sdxenergy.com) and on SEDAR (www.sedar.com). Whilst shareholder participation at the AGM is important to the Board of Directors, the Board fully supports the current UK Government requirements for people to avoid both gatherings of more than two people who do not live together and all non-essential travel and social contact (the "Stay at Home Measures"). As such, shareholders should not attempt to attend the AGM in person which will be held at Choumert Grove Car Park,13 Choumert Grove, Peckham, London SE15 4RB. Any shareholders who attempt to seek admission to the AGM will be denied entry while the compulsory Stay at Home Measures (as revised from time to time) continue to be in force. The Company is taking these precautionary measures to safeguard its shareholders', stakeholders' and employees' health and make the AGM as safe and efficient as possible. Shareholders wishing to vote on any of the resolutions are urged to do so by appointing the chairman of the AGM as a proxy to vote on your behalf. You can appoint the chairman as proxy by: Logging on to www.signalshares.com and submitting your proxy appointment online; or Completing and returning the proxy form by post to Link Asset Services at The Registry, 34 Beckenham Road, Beckenham, Kent BR3 4TU; or Submitting (if you are a CREST member) a proxy appointment electronically, by using the CREST voting service. Proxy appointments, whether submitted electronically or by post, must be received by Link Asset Services by no later than 10.00 am on 20 May 2020. If the Stay at Home Measures are revised with effect before the AGM in a manner which, in the view of the Board, permits shareholders to attend in person, the Company will make an announcement by RIS if the Board decides to change the above arrangements. Story continues About SDX SDX is an international oil and gas exploration, production and development company, headquartered in London, United Kingdom, with a principal focus on MENA. In Egypt, SDX has a working interest in three producing assets. In the South Disouq gas field in the Nile Delta, the Company is operator and has a 55% working interest. In the Eastern Desert, adjacent to the Gulf of Suez, the Company has two non-operated oil interests; 50% in North West Gemsa and 50% in Meseda. In Morocco, SDX has a 75% working interest in the Sebou concession, situated in the Gharb Basin. These producing gas assets in Morocco are characterised by exceptionally low operating costs and fixed price gas contracts making them particularly resilient in a low oil price environment. SDX's portfolio also includes high impact exploration opportunities in both Egypt and Morocco. For further information, please see the Company's website at www.sdxenergy.com or the Company's filed documents at www.sedar.com. For further information: SDX Energy Plc Mark Reid Chief Executive Officer Tel: +44 203 219 5640 Stifel Nicolaus Europe Limited (Nominated Adviser and Joint Broker) Callum Stewart Simon Mensley Ashton Clanfield Tel: +44 (0) 20 7710 7600 Peel Hunt LLP (Joint Broker) Richard Crichton David McKeown Cantor Fitzgerald Europe (Joint Broker) David Porter Tel: +44 207 7894 7000 Camarco (PR) Billy Clegg/Owen Roberts/Violet Wilson Tel: +44 203 757 4980 This information is provided by RNS, the news service of the London Stock Exchange. RNS is approved by the Financial Conduct Authority to act as a Primary Information Provider in the United Kingdom. Terms and conditions relating to the use and distribution of this information may apply. For further information, please contact rns@lseg.com or visit www.rns.com. SOURCE: SDX Energy PLC View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/587118/SDX-Energy-PLC-Announces-Notice-of-AGM Big Oil will be in focus this week with the so-called supermajors reporting. Below we highlight four such firms expected to come out with earnings in the next few days: For the three-month period ending Mar 31, WTI prices fell 66.5% -- the largest quarterly percentage decline on record -- as coronavirus induced a massive slump in oil demand amid a supply glut. With major cities under lockdown and travel restrictions in place, the consumption of crude dropped substantially. In fact, the commodity ended the quarter at just over $20 a barrel (as against $60 in the year-ago period), which does not bode well for the upcoming earnings season. ExxonMobil XOM: ExxonMobil, one of the world's largest publicly traded oil producers, is set to report earnings on Friday. The current Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings is 4 cents, which has been revised 100% upward in the last 7 days. In the first quarter of 2019, EPS came in at 55 cents. As far as earnings surprises are concerned, the Irving, TX-based company beat estimates on two occasions for as many misses, the average positive surprise being -4.21%. ExxonMobil's revenues are expected to have fallen 15.4% to $53.8 billion as compared to the year-ago quarters $63.6 billion figure. On the other hand, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for total production is pegged at 3,949 MBOE/d, unchanged year over year. Amid the fierce commodity price downturn, the Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) ExxonMobils upstream segment results the primary contributor to its earnings - are expected to have taken a beating. For the units U.S. arm, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for first-quarter 2020 is pegged at a loss of $461 million, compared with a profit of $96 million in the prior-year quarter. Meanwhile, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the segments international business for the first quarter is pegged at $1.1 billion, indicating year-over-year decline of 59%. Chevron CVX: Another U.S. oil and gas biggie, Chevron, will also be reporting on Friday, with the Zacks Consensus Estimate pointing toward a considerable decline in earnings. A year ago, EPS came in at $1.39 and for the first quarter of 2020, earnings are forecasted to have been 64 cents. Notably, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings moved 4.9% north over the past 7 days. As far as earnings surprises are concerned, this San Ramon, CA-based Chevron boasts an excellent record, having surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in all the trailing four reports, the average beat being 12.58%. Revenues, meanwhile, are expected at $29.9 billion down 15.1% year over year. Confirming its integrated structure, the Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell) company generated 51% of its 2019 earnings from its upstream unit and 49% from its downstream unit. For the to-be-reported quarter, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for upstream segment is pegged at $2 billion, indicating a decline of 35% from the prior-year quarter. Further, the Zacks Consensus Estimate of income from the refining arm is pegged at $256 million, essentially flat year over year. Meanwhile, shale assets in the prolific Permian Basin will help the company ramp up its volumes. As a proof of this, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for first-quarter production is pegged at 3,083 MBOE/d, indicating an increase of 1.5% from the year-ago reported figure. Royal Dutch Shell RDS.A: This European major is scheduled to report first-quarter earnings on Thursday. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings is 51 cents per share revised 4.1% upward in the last 7 days which is significantly lower than year-ago quarters profit of $1.30. Over the trailing four quarters, the #3 Ranked company surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate on two occasions and missed in the other two, the average positive surprise being 1.80%. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. The Hague, Netherlands-based global energy company assured that it will face a relatively minor impact from the coronavirus-induced soft demand for oil products. It further envisioned its post-tax impairment charges between $400 million and $800 million for the period. Management projects first-quarter 2020 upstream production between 2,650 and 2,720 MBOE/d. The year-ago production level was at 2,901 thousand MBOE/d. The Integrated Gas units production is forecast in the 920-970 MBOE/d band. However, in the year-earlier period, Shell had produced 851 MBOE/d. BP plc BP: Starting out the week, this London-based company is set to report earnings on Tuesday. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings have increased 12% in the last 7 days, but are significantly lower than last years earnings. EPS is now expected to come in at 28 cents, down 60% from the year-ago quarters 70 cents. BP, carrying a Zacks Rank of 3, beat earnings estimates in each of the last four quarters. Earnings surprise was 12.7%, on average. Revenues, however, are expected to fall less steeply. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenues is pegged at $64.4 billion, compared to $67.4 billion in the first quarter of 2019. Notably, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the upstream segments quarterly revenue is pegged at $6.3 billion, significantly lower than the year-ago quarters $14.6 billion. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for first-quarter production is pegged at 2,591 MBOE/d, indicating a decrease from the year-ago reported figure of 2,656 MBOE/d. But the revenue for the downstream segment is estimated at $71.8 billion, indicating a 23% rise year over year. However, the pandemic is likely to have hurt the integrated firms refinery throughputs in the first quarter. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the same is pegged at 1,718 thousand barrels per day, suggesting a 1.2% decline from the March quarter of 2019. The Hottest Tech Mega-Trend of All Last year, it generated $24 billion in global revenues. By 2020, it's predicted to blast through the roof to $77.6 billion. Famed investor Mark Cuban says it will produce "the world's first trillionaires," but that should still leave plenty of money for regular investors who make the right trades early. See Zacks' 3 Best Stocks to Play This Trend >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Exxon Mobil Corporation (XOM) : Free Stock Analysis Report Chevron Corporation (CVX) : Free Stock Analysis Report BP p.l.c. (BP) : Free Stock Analysis Report Royal Dutch Shell PLC (RDS.A) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Amid sinking poll ratings and a tanking economy brought on by the coronavirus pandemic, Donald Trump spent an extraordinary evening on Twitter promoting conspiracy theories and lashing out at his political adversaries. The prolonged barrage of tweets on Sunday came as the total number of confirmed American Covid-19 deaths surpassed 55,000, a devastating total which has seen Mr Trump come under increasing pressure over perceptions he has been slow to respond to the crisis. At around 7pm, Mr Trump began his Twitter spree by claiming inaccurate tweets he had posted earlier in the day in which he angrily complained about journalists winning Noble Prizes were sarcastic. Does anybody get the meaning of what a so-called Noble (not Nobel) Prize is, especially as it pertains to Reporters and Journalists? Mr Trump tweeted. Noble is defined as, having or showing fine personal qualities or high moral principles and ideals. Does sarcasm ever work? Despite his sarcasm claim the second time in a matter of days he has used it in defence of an error Mr Trump deleted the initial posts, which called for reporters to hand back their Nobles and for the Noble Committee to demand them back. Trump's deleted tweets on the 'Noble Prize' (Twitter) The use of the word Noble was likely an accidental misspelling of the Nobel Prize, which Mr Trump appeared to confuse with the Pulitzer Prize. The former is not awarded to journalists. Mr Trump later attacked Washington Post reporters as slime balls and promoted a false claim the newspaper publishes inaccurate headlines about him 96 per cent of the time. At around 9pm, Mr Trump retweeted a post by conservative TV host John Cardillo, which wrongly claimed federal investigations into the Trump campaigns links with Russia and Mr Trumps impeachment last year over a pressure campaign against Ukraine were failed coup attempts. The tweet also suggested without providing evidence that officials were attempting to politically damage Mr Trump by artificially inflating coronavirus mortality rates. After sharing a series of tweets attacking Democratic lawmakers Nancy Pelosi and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Mr Trump took the extraordinary step of promoting an online article which claimed falsely that Russia favoured Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election. US intelligence agencies unanimously concur Moscow intervened on behalf of Mr Trump in 2016, and just last week the Senate intelligence committee, which is Republican-led, reaffirmed its support for that conclusion. Following promotion of another evidence-free claim, this time that his convicted former national security adviser Michael Flynn was framed by his own government, Mr Trump retweeted an unsettling deepfake video showing presumptive Democratic presidential nominee licking his lips while looking into the camera. Mr Trump concluded his prolonged outburst by repeating a claim he has made multiple times that the coronavirus cure cant be worse than the problem itself, a popular refrain from right-wing politicians who fear the national lockdown to slow the spread of Covid-19 more than the virus itself. Velayudhan Keezhillam, one of the senior-most costume designers of the Malayalam film industry passed away. The 66-year-old breathed his last at a private hospital in Chalakudy, on April 26, Sunday. As per the reports, the last rights of Velayudhan Keezhillam were held at his residence at 8 PM, on the same day. If the reports are to be believed, the senior costume designer was rushed to the hospital on Sunday afternoon, after he suffered a massive cardiac arrest. Velayudhan Keezhillam's wife Shantha Kumari had passed away a couple of years back. He is survived by son Vaishakh and daughter Ashwathi. Several actors and technicians of the Malayalam film industry, including the megastar Mammootty, expressed their grief over the senior technician's sudden demise through their respective social media pages. Big Brother, the Mohanlal starring family entertainer which is directed by the senior filmmaker Siddique, was the last outing of Velayudhan Keezhillam. The senior costume designer, began his film career at an early age, by working as a costume assistant in the popular film Ulkkadal, which was directed by KG George. Velayudhan Keezhillam rose to fame with the costumes he designed for the directorial ventures of the senior filmmakers Fazil, Priyadarshan, Siddique-Lal duo, Sathyan Anthikad, Shaji Kailas, AK Lohitadas, and so on. The costumes designed by Velayudhan for the classic movie Manichithrathazhu, which was directed by Fazil, are still so popular among the Malayali audiences. The senior technician had bagged the Kerala State Film Award for the Best Costume Design in 1994, for the costumes he designed for the movie Manathe Vellitheru. Francis Kankam 58, Evans Boateng 19, both farmers, and Musah Abdul Raffic 18, a student, are said to have unlawfully entered the Offin Shelter Forest Reserve at Ataso, in the Atwima Mponua District to engage in illegal mining there. Their pleas were not taken and would reappear before the court presided by Mr Johnson Abbey on May 07, this year. Prosecuting, Police Inspector Ruth Gborson told the court that, the complainant was the Range Manager of the Offin Shelter Forest Reserve. She said on April 24 this year, at about 1300 hours the complainant led a taskforce into the reserve and met the three accused busily digging for gold in the reserve. They were arrested and brought to the Nkawie Police station where they admitted in their cautioned statement of undertaking illegal activity in a forest reserve without authority. The prosecution said they were then charged and brought before the court. ---GNA By Deepak Chopra, MD At first only a few voices spoke of positive change after the COVID crisis ends, or at least becomes livable once again. Now one hears a chorus calling for change, much of it from younger people. The main message is about global cooperation and preparing better for the next pandemic. But I think people are pondering personal change, too. In the midst of widespread trepidation, what are the new goals that each of us might start pursuing right now? The first goal should be a settled mind. Fear is persuasive and panic easily goes viral. At the best of times most people turn their backs on worrisome problems rather than dealing with them directly. But unless you have been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, you can settle your mind and go beyond fear. The first steps to gaining mastery over fear are open to everyone, as follows. Sit down and candidly talk about your level of anxiety. Assemble the adults in your family, and perhaps older teenagers. Discuss your feelings in the context of getting past them. Dont dwell on anxious thoughts. When one arises, say to yourself, This isnt helping. Go away, I dont need you. Talking back to the voice in your head is actually effective. Plan rationally for the situation you find yourself in. Problems can be divided into three categories: things you can fix, things you have to put up with, and things you should walk away from. Take each individual issue that faces you, and write down which category it falls into. Most people aggravate their worries through indecision. They vacillate between trying to fix something, putting up with it, and fantasizing about running away from it. Be clear in your reasoning, pick one strategy from the three, then stick to it. Empathize with other peoples anxiety, but dont make it a daily habit. Be helpful and reassuring. If this doesnt work, you should tune out the most anxious complaints and focus on anything positive that emerges. Be creative with your free time. Idle minds are fears playground. Dont obsess over the news. Limit your viewing time to short periods two or three times a day. This is a crisis unfolding in slow motion. You dont have to keep up with it minute by minute. Seek consoling and uplifting things to read and listen to. Devote some time several times a day to sit quietly, close your eyes, and use deep, regular breathing to reach a settled state inside. If you are patient enough to practice regular meditation, do that. Write down a vision of your future as you would like to live it after the crisis passes. Detail all the things you want to achieve and experience. Foster hope in your immediate circle, but dont make it up if you dont actually feel hopeful. Take time every day to do something that makes you smile and laugh. As you can see, none of these things are mysterious. They are available to everyone, and if you seriously undertake it, the project of defeating fear is more than doable. At a more inward level, you can also confront the misleading ideas that anxiety fosters, replacing them with positive ideas any time they recur. First, the false ideas that are typically born of fear: If I worry, it shows I care. I have to worry because others around me dont seem to. By worrying I am fending off the worst things that might happen. Sometimes the things I worry about come true, which justifies all the times they do not come true. Worrying doesn't hurt anybody, so why not worry? The world is hard and life is difficult. It is only healthy to worry. I know my worries make me feel bad, but that's the price I am willing to pay. A lot of people worry, so I am not alone. At the very least I get a lot of reinforcement on the news and in social media. If I worry now, it's a kind of insurance that will help me not be hurt in the future when bad stuff happens. Worry shows my family that I love them. If my anxiety touches others, they will want to help and take care of me without me having to ask. Habitual worriers will recognize these familiar thoughts, and all of us entertain some of them in anxious times. But each thought is the product of fear. Clear, positive thoughts should be put in place of them, as follows: Despite my worries, I am safe and cared for. Any problem is best dealt with when it actually occurs. Planning for a bad eventuality should be done once, take very little time, and then left alone. If you have coped in the past, you can trust yourself to cope now and tomorrow. Worrying is pointless as a way to solve anything. It blocks the part of the mind that actually solves problems. If you feel bad from anxiety, your hurt is self-inflicted, and getting out of the hurt involves taking responsibility for your own reactions. The people around you do not like you better because you worry about them. They find it a nuisance but do not want to oppose you, so they adapt and put up with it. Worrying drives others away. Worrying blocks a healthy sense of self because it is basically an expression of insecurity. Anxiety doesn't protect you from future hurt. It actually brings hurt into the here and now. You are not your fears, but if you accept that you are, personal growth is blocked. You might even find it helpful to take these two lists and discuss each item with people close to you. The project of overcoming fear knows no specific time and place. In normal times we should be gaining control over fear to the extent we can. Now, however, the need to settle the mind is more urgent than ever. DEEPAK CHOPRA MD, FACP, founder of The Chopra Foundation, a non-profit entity for research on well-being and humanitarianism, and Chopra Global, a modern-day health company at the intersection of science and spirituality, is a world-renowned pioneer in integrative medicine and personal transformation. Chopra is a Clinical Professor of Family Medicine and Public Health at the University of California, San Diego and serves as a senior scientist with Gallup Organization. He is the author of over 89 books translated into over forty-three languages, including numerous New York Times bestsellers. His 90th book, Metahuman: Unleashing Your Infinite Potential, unlocks the secrets to moving beyond our present limitations to access a field of infinite possibilities. TIME magazine has described Dr. Chopra as one of the top 100 heroes and icons of the century. WESTERN AUSTRALIA * Western Australia is going further than any other state in relaxing coronavirus rules, the government says, amid a mixed reaction to the state's economic roadmap. * Locals are encouraged to return to work and take regional holidays, and the limit is at 20 people, and hospitality businesses will be allowed to serve diners under phase two of WA's recovery plan. * The government has faced a backlash for not going further in unwinding restrictions as there are barely any cases in WA. * Like restaurants and cafes, pubs are allowed to reopen but a limit of 20 patrons will apply as well as the one person per four square metres rule, and a requirement for customers to buy a meal if they want to have a drink. * Weddings and funerals can have up to 20 people attend if it is held indoors while 30 people can attended if it is held outside. * Community facilities and libraries have reopened but public playgrounds, cinemas, skate parks, zoos, galleries and concert venues will remain closed. * Students will return to the classroom from May 29. * Travel to most nearby regions is now allowed. * Hard border will remain indefinitely despite pressure from the rest of the country and federal medical advice. NORTHERN TERRITORY * Parks and reserves have reopened. * Weddings, funerals can have an unlimited number of guests if social distancing can be maintained. * Playgrounds, parks and public swimming pools re-opened. * Gyms, nail salons, and any other businesses have re-opened so long as their activities take less than two hours * Outdoor sports where people can be physically distant, such as golf and tennis, are allowed. * Pubs, cafes and restaurants opened on May 15. People are allowed in for two hours. * From June 5, all business will be allowed to re-open as long as they have a COVID-19 plan in place. * All NT students are expected to physically attend school as of April 20. * Internal travel is now allowed including to remote Aboriginal communities, but some remote areas are close to all non-essential travel until June 5. * Dropping the border quarantine will be 'dead last'. QUEENSLAND * Restaurants, pubs and clubs, nail salons and so on can have up to 20 patrons at a time. * Parks, playgrounds, skateparks are open * Up to ten people can attended a wedding and funerals can have up to 20 guest inside and 30 if outside. * Up to five members from a single household can visit another home, and ten people can meet in public * All students are back at school as of May 25. * Family picnics and weekend drives allowed, national parks will reopen and people can shop for clothing and shoes, and go for haircuts * You can let your dog off the leash as 131 dog parks will gradually reopen * Citizens can take day trips up to 150km of their homes, and social distancing will still be enforced. * People from the same household can go out together, while those who live alone can spend time with one other person. * Border quarantine will continue until September but the state is under pressure to drop this much sooner. VICTORIA * Up to 20 people indoors at a party or gathering as of June 1. * Up to ten people can attended a wedding and funerals can have up to 20 guest inside and 30 if outside. * The premier's beloved game of golf, walking groups, fishing and hiking are among the outdoor activities allowed again. * Cafes, restaurants and pubs can seat diners until June 1, unlike most other states. * Libraries, community centres, markets, beauty parlours and tattoo studios open on June 1 as do museums, drive-in cinemas, zoos and theme parks. * Gyms, indoor sports facilities, movie theatres can reopen from June 22 if all goes to plan allowing ski season to kick off * Holidays and staying at friend's place overnight are also banned until June 1 when accommodation will re-open. * There are no restrictions on leaving or entering the state, but people can only go on day trips. * Professional sport teams including AFL and rugby league are back to training ahead of resuming the season in late May. * Students from prep, year one, year two, and years 11 and 12 are allowed to attend school. * The remaining levels will return on June 9. TASMANIA * Gatherings of five people inside and ten in public are allowed. * Residents can visit national parks within 30km of their home. * The state's ban on aged care visits was eased, but no more than two visitors are allowed once a week. * Restaurants, cafes, playgrounds, pools and boot camps re-opened for up to ten people at a time. * Up to 20 people will be allowed at cinemas, museums, theatres and historic sites as of June 15. * Gyms, sporting venues, health clubs and wellness centres are all prohibited. * Hairdressers and barbers are open but day spas, saunas and massage parlours are not allowed to operate. * Beauty therapy, tanning, nail treatment services and piercing and tattoo parlours are still closed. * Weddings can have up to ten guest and funerals can have up to 20 guests indoors and 30 outdoors. * Students in kindergarten-year 6 and those in Year 11 and 12 have returned to school. * Student in years 7 to 10 will return on June 9. * There are no limits on where someone can go within the state. * Border restrictions, however, are still expected to be in place when stage three of the plan begins in mid-July. NEW SOUTH WALES * Cafes, pubs and restaurants are open but may only seat ten people at a time. * Gatherings of five people at home and ten outside are allowed * The state government is encouraging shops to re-open with social distancing in place * All students went back to school full-time on May 25. * Most businesses will be allowed to reopen on June 1, with social distancing rules and customer limits. * Zoos, reptile parks and aquariums open June 1. * Weddings can have ten guests, funerals 20 inside and 30 outside, and churches ten. * Gyms, sporting venues, health clubs, wellness centres and indoor pools are all prohibited. * Entertainment and amusement venues remain closed. SOUTH AUSTRALIA * Cafes and restaurants re-opened from May 11 and can seat ten people inside and another ten outside at a time. Pubs are shut until June 5. * Hairdressers and barbers can open as long as the number of people inside does not exceed one person per four square metres. * Ten people can gather at home or in public. * Weddings can have up to ten guests and funerals have a 20 guest limit inside, and 30 outside. * House auctions and inspections and non-contact sport has resumed and libraries, pools, churches and community halls reopened. * Schools have re-opened for term 2. * Border is still quarantined indefinitely. ACT * Gatherings of ten people are allowed. * Students in preschool, kindergarten, and years 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 10, 11 and 12 have returned to school. * From June 2, students in years 5, 6, 8, and 9 will be allowed to return. * Weddings can have up to ten guests and funerals have a 20 guest limit inside, and 30 outside * Gyms will remain closed but up to ten people can take part in non-contact personal fitness training. * Hairdressers and barbers can open but other beauty therapy business will open on May 30. * Restaurants, cafes and other hospitality venues can open and host up to ten patrons at a time. * Some public libraries have re-opened but people can not sit or study inside. * Cinemas and other entertainment venues will remain closed. * Galleries, museums, outdoor attractions will re-open on May 30 to groups of up to 20 people per designated session. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-27 23:53:39|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close KATHMANDU, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Nepal received over 30,000 foreign tourists in March, a sharp drop from the figure of February as the country took a number of measures to discourage arrivals of foreigners to prevent the spread of COVID-19 pandemic, the Department of Immigration said. According to the data provided by the department, the Himalayan country received a total of 34,025 foreign tourists in March from 167 countries and regions, a sharp drop from 101,400 in February. In January, Nepal received a total of 79,686 foreign visitors. "Nepal was largely open until March 10 when it suspended the on-arrival-visa for the nationals of eight countries increasing from five countries which were badly affected by COVID- 19, initially," Ram Chandra Tiwari, information officer at the Immigration Department told Xinhua on Monday. "So, the number of foreign tourists coming to Nepal in March should not be considered too big as we enforced a complete ban on international flights starting from March 22 only." In March, Nepal received the largest number of visitors from neighboring India, traditionally the largest source market for foreign tourists, followed by the United States, Sri Lanka, Britain and Myanmar. After COVID-19 started to spread across the world, Nepal took prohibitive measures step by step before finally enforcing nationwide lockdown on March 24, which will last till May 7 after several extensions. After the implementation of the lockdown, most of the foreign visitors departed for their home countries through over 30 chartered flights, according to the Immigration Department. Enditem Senior businesswoman dismisses U.S. claim that Iran doesn't need IMF loan 03/29/20 By Ebrahim Fallahi, TEHRNANTIMES_URL Iran battling sanctions and coronavirus at the same time TEHRAN - It has been nearly two months since Iran requested the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for financial support through the fund's Rapid Financing Initiative (RFI), but so far neither help nor a clear answer has been received. In early March, IMF announced the allocation of $50 billion funding, under the emergency RFI program, for helping countries affected by the coronavirus pandemic; and Iran, as one of the major countries affected by the disease, immediately applied for a $5-billion loan. As the processing of Iran's loan application has been prolonged over the normal required time and rumor has it that the IMF has rejected Iran's application, a senior official at the fund announced that the IMF is actively consulting with member states and all requests must be investigated based on standard IMF policies. However, claiming that Iran has adequate financial resources to deal with the virus, the U.S. administration has opposed Iran's request and many believe that the U.S. opposition is the main reason for IMF's stalling. In this regard, Tehran Times conducted an interview with Ferial Mostofi, a senior member of Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (ICCIMA), who is also the head of Tehran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (TCCIMA)'s Investment Committee. Ferial Mostofi Does Iran really need the fund? The U.S. believes that Iran has enough resources to contain the virus and even if it didn't, the sanctions have not blocked the country's access to healthcare and medical products. So we asked Mostofi, as a businesswoman and as a representative of the country's private sector, does Iran really need this loan? Well, even before the outbreak of coronavirus and its economic consequences, Iran was already facing economic pressure. It was expected that the country would face budget deficit due to the U.S. sanctions and the significant reduction of oil exports; and now, with the pandemic being added to the equation, the country's economic situation is much more problematic and saying that Iran does not need the fund as much as others is absurd, she said. What the funding should be spent on? "First and foremost, Iran needs this money to battle the virus and save people's lives, human lives matter, if the government had enough resources [as they claim] to support people financially to keep them in lockdown, then the virus could have been contained much sooner and much easier," she said. Here it should be noted that although Trump administration officials continue to insist that food and medicine are exempt from U.S. sanctions, evidence suggests that unilateral sanctions are collectively targeting the public since limitations on trade and the unwillingness of financial institutions to process transactions related to Iran have resulted in staggering prices and shortages of medicine inside the country. "This money can also be injected into the country's production sector and encourage both demand and supply sides of the market and consequently result in economic growth." The government also needs to support the low-income classes and people who have lost their jobs, battling coronavirus is not just about containing the virus, the government should be able to support people as well, so it needs financial support more than any other nations in the region, Mostofi emphasized. The International Monetary Fund needs to put politics aside and process Iran's requests for financial aid just like other nations. With the recent developments, the IMF seems to be looking for a way to reassure the U.S. about the purposes and directions of the loan to Iran, however, the United States still opposes the allocation of any loans to the Islamic Republic. Despite the U.S. illegal pressures and Iran's insistence on its legitimate rights, we must wait to see if the IMF will eventually give in to the Washington pressures or will be able to maintain its independence as an international body. Covid-19 and the subsequent lockdown is making people realise the usefulness of online payments. This has given apps like Paytm and Google Pay a push as people seek to transfer money from their homes or pay for services and goods with contact-less online payment systems. Now, Paytm and Microsoft are talking about a possible collaboration in India, with Microsoft thinking of investing $100 million in the app. According to a report by Economic Times, tech-giant Microsoft has held talks with digital payment firm Paytm for fresh funding. With the fresh investment, Paytm will be able to better handle the competition from Google Pay, which has become quite popular in India, and WhatsApp Pay for which Facebook is making a major push. Recently Facebook and Jio announced a major deal with Facebook acquiring around 10 percent stake in Jio at the cost of $5.7 billion, hoping that it will help WhatsApp Pay develop a good user base and merchant network. Microsoft is reportedly going to invest 100 million dollars which is around Rs 760 crore, in extension to the 1 million dollars which was initiated as a fundraiser for Paytm last year. A source, apparently familiar with the matter, told the business daily that the talks began last year when Paytm was in the middle of raising funds. Microsoft could not participate in any funding then but "it is likely to pump in cash now." Earlier, Microsoft has invested funds in some other Indian start-ups, including Flipkart, and has shown interest in Ola. Paytm so far has focussed on introducing services including payments infrastructure for offline merchants, the report states. It has also launched mutual funds, insurance, merchant and consumer lending, gaming, and advertising. Last month Paytm came up with a revamped User Interface (UI) to help people who are under lockdown to make payments online. The UI has mainly been updated so that users can easily spot things that mainly include essentials such as DTH recharges, water, electricity, credit card, and gas bills, and for the payment of insurance premiums. The payment processes have also become easier such essentials. It also introduced "information and help" centers that are designed to bring to its users verified information from the government. Under this section, the users can "self-assess" symptoms for COVID-19, a screening app created by Apollo Hospitals. Fans have been buzzing about the revival of Amsterdam-set detective series Van Der Valk, but critics so far are not so convinced. In the original 1972 series, Barry Foster starred as charismatic but grumpy detective Van der Valk, with the instrumental theme tune, Eye Level, becoming an unlikely chart hit. The new ITV sleuth drama has received mixed to negative reviews for its first, two-hour episode, starring Marc Warren as the eponymous detective. Critics have compared Warrens show rather unfavourably to the original. In a two-star review for The Independent, critic Sean OGrady wrote: Even if we set aside the nostalgia factor, much of this failure must be down to a woeful casting for the lead. Marc Warren is a fine actor, and theres nothing wrong with his VdV except that he just doesnt fit. For one thing, although Warren is actually 53, and old enough to play VdV, he looks far younger, he dresses too young and he acts too young to be a convincing Commissaris. He also has the misfortune (often remarked) to be the spit of Malcolm McDowell in his prime. This is too distracting, and I half expected old VDV to go a bit Clockwork Orange at times. Actually he did, by sleeping with an even younger prime suspect, which didnt seem right. Theyve also made VdV live on some sort of Dutch sloop, and he keeps a retired sniffer dog in his office as a pet just eccentricities for eccentricitys sake. The RadioTimes review, also two stars, reads: Perhaps it was the characters, none of whom are particularly engaging (except for Emma Fielding as the boss, who has potential; she also has an excellent dog). After the first episode, I just find Commissaris Piet Van Der Valk kind of irritating and charmless. He also seems like hed be a really, really annoying person to work with. The Telegraph was marginally more positive and gave the show three stars, commenting: Even over a feature-length running time, there were too many characters to follow. It was hard to care about anyone, including the mother wailing: I have one of my sons fingers in my freezer! The keen young detective on the team (Elliot Barnes-Worrell) feels like someone we have met in a million other detective series, and the eccentric pathologist (Darrell DSilva) needs to be either darker or funnier. The world wasnt crying out for a Van Der Valk remake but we seem to have an insatiable desire for detective dramas, and there was enough here just to justify its existence. Access unlimited streaming of movies and TV shows with Amazon Prime Video Sign up now for a 30-day free trial Sign up And a scathing review in the i said: It is clear Warren and the writers were going for a Bond-esque tone what with the detectives affairs with younger women and smart repartee with his colleagues but the key ingredient, which makes characters like Bond, Luther and even Line of Dutys Ted Hastings was missing: excitement. Thirty years on, the television landscape has changed dramatically. This ITV relic doesnt stand a chance of keeping up, even with a shiny new cast. Read The Independents full review here. Twenty-three students from Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya in Madhya Pradesh, who had been stranded in Punjab since the lockdown on March 24, were sent back to their hometown on Monday in a chartered bus, an official said. They had come from Chhatarpur in Madhya Pradesh to their sister school in Chamkaur Sahib in Ropar district of Punjab on a student-exchange programme and got stuck due to the lockdown, Punjab special chief secretary KBS Sidhu, who is in-charge of monitoring state-wide coronavirus cases, said. Deputy commissioner Sonali Giri had tied up for their travel, security, food and route permissions, he added. Incidentally, the Jawahar Vidyalaya in Ropar is being converted into a Covid care centre. Laguna Hills, CA, April 27, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Associa, the industrys largest community management company, is honored to announce that Tiffany Hannah, CCAM, CAMEx, CCAM-ND, regional vice president for the west region, has been awarded the California Association of Community Managers (CACM) Vision Award in the leadership category for the Southern California division. The Vision Awards program identifies the very best in the community management industry, honoring their contributions to the profession and recognizing the positive impact the nominees made on their colleagues, association homeowners, residents, and communities. Nominees, chosen for their professionalism, skill, and commitment to excellence and high ethical standards, include community managers, management companies, and industry partners. Finalists and winners are selected by a volunteer group of industry professionals from Northern California. The Leadership Award, one of five awards in the individual award category, recognizes individuals that have fostered a colleagues professional growth. Nominees in this category are known for their mentorship, inclination to assist others in defining professional goals, and support for the success of their peers. As a regional vice president, Ms. Hannah brings more than 20 years of industry experience, previously serving as a community association manager, vice president of community management, and executive vice president. She has earned the Certified Community Association Manager (CCAM) designation and CAMEx and CCAM-ND designations and sits on the board of directors for the CACM. Associa is extremely proud of Tiffanys achievements and demonstrated professionalism, stated George Zalitis, Associa senior vice president. It is exciting to see the contributions and positive impact shes made on the communities, board members, and residents we serve. With more than 200 branch offices across North America, Associa delivers unsurpassed management and lifestyle services to nearly five million residents worldwide. Our 10,000+ team members lead the industry with unrivaled education, expertise and trailblazing innovation. For more than 40 years, Associa has provided solutions designed to help communities achieve their vision. To learn more, visit www.associaonline.com. Stay Connected: Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/associa Subscribe to the Blog: https://hub.associaonline.com/ Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/associa Join us on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/associa LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will be back at work on Monday, a Downing Street spokeswoman confirmed on Saturday, after having recovered from a case of coronavirus that sent him to intensive care for three nights in early April. Johnson, 55, will take back control of a government under pressure from the economic fallout of shutdowns aimed at curbing the spread of the highly infectious virus, as well as a rising death toll. As of Saturday, Britain has recorded more than 20,000 deaths from COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus. Criticism is growing over the government response to the pandemic, with limited testing and shortages of protective equipment for medical workers and carers. Johnsons stand-in leader Dominic Raab has faced questions over how Britain will ease the lockdown without a deadly second wave of infections. Britains interior minister urged Britons to stick to the lockdown rules earlier on Saturday. But many lawmakers want restrictions to be eased to bolster the economy, which budget forecasters say could be heading into its deepest recession in more than 300 years. Johnson was taken to St Thomass Hospital in central London suffering from COVID-19 symptoms on April 5, and spent April 6-9 in intensive care. Reporting by Sarah Young; Editing by Sonya Hepinstall Esprit Holdings will close all its stores in Asia outside mainland China as part of its effort to cope with challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic. The Hong Kong-listed fashion house announced on Monday that it will close 56 shops in Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau by June 30. Those stores represent less than 4 per cent of the groups global turnover, and the closures are part of the companys restructuring initiatives to focus resources and recalibrate operations amid the pandemic, it said. The coronavirus pandemic has hit the retail sector worldwide as consumers stay at home and shops are forced to temporarily close to control the spread of the disease. Some retail firms have turned to governmental help schemes, while many are asking staff to take pay cuts or unpaid leave. Others have collapsed, like British clothing chains Oasis and Warehouse, as well as fashion and furnishing retailer Cath Kidston. The whole industry has been affected by the global crisis. We first felt the impacts in Asia and now in Europe, where many of our stores have been closed. This is forcing us to look at the contribution all markets make to the groups performance, said Anders Kristiansen, chief executive of Esprit Group. Esprits proposed store closures are expected to cost between HK$150 million and HK$200 million in one-off costs, which will have a negative impact on the full financial year ending June 30, 2020, it said in a filing to the stock exchange. Following the store closures, Esprit said its wholesale and licence business in Asia will continue, as well as its joint venture business in mainland China, and it will focus on its core markets in Europe. The clothing company, however, said it was winding down its business in China. Esprit is negotiating with landlords across all markets for rental relief, reductions and better terms and will terminate stores with rental terms that could not provide viable business performance, and will also use governmental assistance measures where available. Story continues Meanwhile, executive chairman of the board Dr Raymond Or Ching Fai and CEO Kristiansen are forgoing payment during the restructuring period, according to the filing, while the executive management team have taken a 35 per cent pay cut, among other staff pay reductions. Apparel is one of the retail sectors which is hardest hit by Covid-19, revenue decline in the sector so far this year is enormous and there is no recovery in sight, not even in China where stores are open again but spending is still significantly below normal levels, said Imke Wouters, partner at global consultancy Oliver Wyman. The apparel market will for sure experience negative growth for the full year and the question is how steep the overall decline will be. Many apparel companies globally will be at risk due to strongly negative cash flows and an unsustainable level of debt making it hard to receive additional financing, she said. As a result we expect to see many more closures in the coming months. In its third-quarter results, also posted on Monday, Esprit recorded a 52.2 per cent drop in revenue from Asia, to HK$140 million (US$18.1 million) in the first three months of 2020 compared with the same period last year. The regions contribution to group revenue over the same period also fell, from 9.3 per cent to 5.9 per cent. Europes revenue saw a lesser 22.2 per cent drop, to HK$2.2 billion, while its contribution to the global total increased from 90.7 per cent to 94.1 per cent. Worldwide revenue for the group fell 25 per cent to HK$2.4 billion in the third quarter, compared with the same period in 2019, indicating a struggle for sales. Esprit has reopened some stores in Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands that it had closed during lockdown, but said it is unable to predict when business will return to normal or how much of an impact the pandemic will have on full-year results. Sign up now and get a 10% discount (original price US$400) off the China AI Report 2020 by SCMP Research. Learn about the AI ambitions of Alibaba, Baidu & JD.com through our in-depth case studies, and explore new applications of AI across industries. The report also includes exclusive access to webinars to interact with C-level executives from leading China AI companies (via live Q&A sessions). Offer valid until 31 May 2020. More from South China Morning Post: This article Clothing giant Esprit to shut down all 56 stores in Asia outside mainland China as coronavirus ravages sales first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2020. The almost-unanimous decision will allow insurers to recoup early losses from the Affordable Care Acts implementation. The United States Supreme Court on Monday ruled in favour of health insurers seeking $12bn from the federal government under a programme set up by the Obamacare law aimed at encouraging them to offer medical coverage to previously uninsured Americans. The 8-1 ruling authored by liberal Justice Sonia Sotomayor paves the way for a significant one-time cash infusion for major companies such as Humana Inc, Anthem Inc and Centene Corp. The justices reversed a lower courts ruling that Congress had suspended the governments obligation to make such payments. The court agreed with insurance companies that said that the lower court ruling, if allowed to stand, would have let the government pull a bait-and-switch and withhold money the companies were promised. The government should honour its obligations, Sotomayor wrote. Conservative Justice Samuel Alito was the sole dissenter, saying the courts ruling has the effect of providing a massive bailout for insurance companies that took a calculated risk and lost. The landmark healthcare legislation has faced constant opposition from Republicans and criticism that it doesnt do enough from the US left [Alan Diaz/AP photo] Moda Health Plan Inc and other insurers that sued to try to compel the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to make the payments have said the government was supposed to help them recover from early losses they suffered after the 2010 passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) under Democratic former President Barack Obama. The law, dubbed Obamacare, has enabled millions of Americans who previously had no medical coverage to obtain insurance, including those with pre-existing medical conditions. Unlike other court cases involving Obamacare, this dispute concerned only payments to insurers and did not directly challenge the law itself. Other insurers involved in the case included Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina, Maine Community Health Options and Land of Lincoln Mutual Health Insurance Company. Payments would have come through the laws so-called risk corridor programme designed to mitigate insurers risks from 2014 to 2016, when they sold coverage to previously uninsured people through exchanges established under Obamacare. Insurers that paid out significantly less in claims on policies sold through the exchanges than they took in from premiums provided some of their gains to the government. Insurers that paid out more were entitled to government compensation for part of their losses. Republicans, who have opposed Obamacare from the outset and who have numerous times sought to repeal it in Congress, have like Alito called the risk-corridor programme a bailout for the insurance industry. From 2015 through 2017, Congress passed legislation barring HHS from using general funds to pay the governments risk corridor obligations. Health insurers turned to federal courts to obtain the payments. The US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit ruled in 2018 that Congress effectively repealed its obligation to pay the insurers, prompting the insurers to appeal to the Supreme Court. NEW YORK, April 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Four former classmates from Cornell's top-ranked healthcare MBA program aim to help mobilize an army of medical volunteers to deliver free COVID-19 virtual screening, monitoring, and education in vulnerable communities around the nation through www.freecovid.clinic. Dr. Jimenez, founder of ImplementHIT, a seasoned digital health company focusing on education, training, and virtual care, collaborated with Dr. Ofrona Reid, Natasha VanWright, RN, and Cynthia Morel to strategize on program design, strategic partners and implementation. Dr. Jimenez, CEO of ImplementHIT - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ajimenezmd/ As experts warn that COVID-19 may become even more difficult to manage next winter, virtual care delivered online provides hope by keeping patients who do not need hospital care isolated and out of the ER, protecting limited hospital capacity for those who need it most. "During a recent conversation with Gary DeJarnett, our company's CIO who lives in rural Texas, we discussed how urban and rural areas would need more support," said Dr. Jimenez. "When I mentioned how only 7,000 out of the 89,000 medical volunteers like myself who signed up in New York were deployed, we thought perhaps we could connect these volunteers to rural and urban communities through virtual care online." Medical volunteers interested in participating can sign up for more information at www.freecovid.clinic. Due to recent state government waivers, physicians with an active state medical license in New York can deliver COVID-19-related care in 30 states (some require a fast-track temporary license). The CARES Act passed in March provides even greater liability protection for volunteer health care professionals providing COVID-19 care. The virtual clinic will be available for free to patients later this week. "This program can offer an opportunity for more communities to receive screening and monitoring, particularly those communities that are facing this pandemic from a deficit that is rooted in social determinants of health," said VanWright. According to Dr. Reid, "Many of the patients I see via telehealth become anxious and struggle with self-isolating, making the virtual monitoring and education components of this program unique and extremely important." Blacks and Latinos in urban communities like NYC are twice as likely to die from COVID-19 as whites (Mays 2020) and as the virus spreads to rural communities, the outcomes could be worse. Rural communities tend to be older in age and have more chronic conditions and their local hospitals are already in fragile financial states, with as much as a 1 in 4 at risk of closing prior to COVID-19 (Williams 2020). Media Contact: Dr. Andres Jimenez Phone: 888.457.3332 x 700 Email: [email protected] References Babb, K. (2020). Ninety thousand medical workers volunteered to help New York battle coronavirus. The Washington Post. Mays, J.C. (2020). Virus Is Twice as Deadly for Black and Latino People Than Whites in N.Y.C. The New York Times. Williams, M.A. (2020). The covid-19 crisis is going to get much worse when it hits rural areas. The Washington Post. Related Images andres-jimenez-md-msed-mba-ms.png Andres Jimenez MD MSED MBA MS Dr. Jimenez, CEO of ImplementHIT - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ajimenezmd/ natasha-vanwright-rn-mba-ms-ma-ccm.jpeg Natasha VanWright RN MBA MS MA CCM Natasha VanWright RN MBA MS MA CCM - https://www.linkedin.com/in/natasha-vanwright/ ofrona-reid-md-mba-ms.jpeg Ofrona Reid MD MBA MS Ofrona Reid MD MBA MS - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ofronareid/ cynthia-morel-mba-ms.jpeg Cynthia Morel MBA MS Cynthia Morel MBA MS - https://www.linkedin.com/in/cmorel13/ Related Links freecovid.clinic ImplementHIT SOURCE ImplementHIT Up to 16 square kilometres of scrubland in the Wicklow Mountains have been destroyed by wildfires started deliberately. Natural wildlife habitats, along with flora and fauna, were wiped out as hundreds of hectares between the Wicklow Gap and Ballyknockan were destroyed. Illegal wildfires swept through the Wicklow Mountains Special Area of Conservation on Wednesday evening and continued burning into Thursday. The emergency services also had to deal with other sporadic fire outbreaks as well. Photographic evidence revealed a number of fires burning in a row within a small area, leading to the conclusion that the fires were started on purpose. The fires have caused anger among emergency service members who say that they are putting strain on resources which may be needed in the ongoing Covid-19 crisis, as well as damaging wildlife and posing a risk to human health. Wicklow's Chief Fire Officer Aidan Dempsey appealed to the public to desist from starting fires. He said: 'Wicklow County Fire Service is issuing an appeal for people not to set hill fires. It is illegal to do so at this time of the year. In the last week hundreds of acres of land across the Wicklow Mountains have been destroyed due to wildland fires. Fire Crews from a number of fire stations have spent many hours fighting these fires with support from colleagues in the National Parks and Wildlife Service, Coillte and the Air Corps. The Department of Agriculture has issued a Condition Orange Fire warning. 'The Department of Agriculture, fire services and the National Parks and Wildlife Service have all appealed to people, in particular farmers, not to set hill fires at this time. 'The most recent fires were concentrated in an area along the line of the Wicklow Gap, from Valleymount to Laragh. Helicopters had to be drafted in to help fight the fires and it is impacting the resources of the Parks and Wildlife Service, the fire service, gardai and the Air Corps.' On Thursday the Irish Air Corps No. 3 Operations Wing completed 16 drops totally 19,200 litres. Its Bambi Buckets can carry 1,200 litres of water per load. A representative from National Parks and Wildlife Service said: 'The fires have caused significant damage to the habitat, but we don't know the full extent of it yet. 'Unfortunately these fires are a regular occurrence during the summer months but they should not be happening as they are illegal under the Wildfire Act. 'A huge effort has been made to bring them under control by the National Parks and Wildlife Service, Wicklow Fire Service, Coilte, the Air Corp as well as help we got from private parties.' The Irish Wildlife Trust (IWT) has written to three of the largest farm organisations asking for their support in combating illegally set alight fires. AN IWT spokesperson said: 'This is just the latest in a series of destructive fires that have become the hallmark of the Irish spring - obliterating nesting birds, insects and natural habitats while releasing vast quantities of smoke and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. 'These fires result in incalculable environmental damage and present a real threat to those living nearby or to those who have to tackle the flames through the destruction of property or the inhalation of noxious fumes. What will it take to end this cycle of mass ecocide?' ZionEliyah YahTorah says he is a religious man. Now serving a 50-year sentence for carjacking, escape, assault against a law enforcement officer, burglary, conspiracy, and robbery, YahTorah practices Judaism behind the walls of New Jersey State Prison in Trenton. But he apparently takes the words of Psalm 23 to heart. The Lord is his shepherd: You anointed my head with oil; my cup overflows And as part of his daily ritual, YahTorah, 51, would anoint himself with kosher oil (which may have been an ancient biblical consecration ritual, but is not a practice of modern Judaism). He would don the leather straps of his Tefillin black leather boxes containing Hebrew parchment scrolls inscribed with verses from the Torah won by observant Jews during weekday morning prayers and dutifully recite his blessings. That is, until the state Department of Corrections issued new rules limiting the amount and type of religious oils available to inmates. What was allowed, YahTorah claimed, was only horrible grade non-kosher oil. So he stopped praying. And went to a higher authority. He took the matter to court. In a ruling last week, a federal judge may not have parted the Red Sea, but he did part the red tape. Noting that where a prison regulation or practice offends a fundamental constitutional guarantee, federal courts have a duty to protect a prisoners constitutional rights, U.S. District Judge Peter Sheridan granted a preliminary injunction to permit YahTorah access to kosher oil for his daily prayer needs. We think this is a vindication for religious freedom in prison, said YahTorahs attorney, Stephen M. Orlofsky of BlankRome in Princeton, who was appointed by the court as pro bono counsel. We are delighted with the result. This case proves that a prisoners constitutional rights do not stop at the prison walls. The litigation had had a long history in the courts. YahTorah first filed his mostly hand-written complaint five years ago in federal court, alleging he had been denied religious oils, and that the Iman serving as supervisor of chaplaincy service told him in writing that he only had enough oil to supply Muslims. I would like the court to enforce my right to worship by using fragrance oils, YahTorah wrote, asking for $1,000 a day in punitive damages. The Department of Corrections later changed its policy allowing inmates to purchase religious oils from the commissary in one-ounce monthly increments, but the oil that was supplied was non-kosher and YahTorah would not use it. In its brief opposing YahTorahs claim, the state told the court that prison regulations that impinge on an inmates constitutional rights are valid when they are reasonably related to legitimate penological interests. Noting that he was still obtain and utilize religious oils, the state Attorney Generals office argued that YahTorah had not shown any violation of his constitutional rights. Sheridan in his ruling and order against the state, however, said New Jersey failed its constitutional mandate. The United States of America is a nation built upon the promise of religious liberty. In this case, the subject policy prohibits any access to kosher prayer oil, and, in effect, prohibits plaintiff from praying. Thus, plaintiff is enduring serious First Amendment harm, wrote the judge. He added that where a prison regulation or practice offends a fundamental constitutional guarantee, federal courts have a duty to protect a prisoners constitutional rights. Under the law, the fact that the oil was not part of any specific religious mandate was inconsequential. All that matters is that it was a sincerely held religious belief. Granting the preliminary injunction, Sheridan ordered that YahTorah be given access to a half-ounce of kosher prayer oil, once per day, and permitted to purchase it from a vendor of his choice at his own expense. A spokesman for the attorney general declined comment. YahTorah many not know he won the case until this week. We mailed him the opinion, but wont be able to speak with him before Monday, said Orlofsky. That is the first time we could make an appointment with Trenton State to speak with him. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Ted Sherman may be reached at tsherman@njadvancemedia.com. The Deputy National Organizer of the opposition National Democratic Congress, Chief Hamilton Biney Nixon has cautioned the National Organizer of the New Patriotic Party to halt boosting, as the NDC is fully prepared to match the NPP with their enviable track records. Chief Bineys remarks, was in response to comments made by Sammi Awuku on Joy News Upfront. Mr Awuku in the said interview indicated the partys readiness to include what he described, as the governments prudent handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in their 2020 campaign message. First of all weve shown courage, weve shown honesty and weve shown that we can do it again. The way weve handled the pandemic will also form part of our narrative that when we were confronted with this pandemic, this was our response and this is what we were able to do as a people, Sammi Awuku explained. But responding to him in Facebook post, the outspoken Deputy National Organizer of the NDC wondered why Sammi Awuku and the NPP could gather courage to still face Ghanaians in the face of their shambolic handling of the pandemic. He stressed that the John Mahama led administration has a solid track record of providing massive health infrastructure in the country. Most of the photoshopped projects President Mahama did, have now become Ghanas only hope. We will meet you boot for boot with track records, data plus hope to save Ghanaians from your deceitful governance. Chief Biney further advises the government to put to good use, the whopping $1 billion received from the International Monetary Fund, the $35 million received from the World Bank, the $200 million taken out of the Stabilisation fund and the 34 million Ghana cedis cash donations received into the COVID-19 National Trust fund. He maintained, that your wasteful government we all know, will surely misappropriate these funds Prince Charles has decided to pay for almost 200 furloughed staff members with money out of his own pocket. These staff members working for the Prince of Wales have been relieved from their posts due to the coronavirus. Economic Crisis Due to the coronavirus crisis, the Palace has decided to limit the number of staff members to lessen the risk of exposure. Almost 200 staff have been furloughed, but the taxpayers' money won't be spent on them. Instead of turning to the government, Prince Charles has decided to shoulder the salaries of the employees using the reserves from his charities. In addition, his former valet Michael Fawcett -- who now helps run Prince Charles' Foundation -- has taken a significant cut from his six-figure salary. A source from inside the charity revealed that with all the attractions closed, it has become impossible for them to raise the $4.5 million annual wage bill of all their staff members. It is understood that the regular staff will be receiving 100 percent of their monthly wage while the variable hours' employees will receive at least 80 percent of their monthly wage. All the senior members of the staff, including Fawcett, have volunteered to take a pay cut to hopefully "lead by example". The foundation was created to merge several different charities, including the Prince's Foundation for Building Comunity, The Regeneration Trust, The Great Steward of Scotland's Dumfries House Trust, and The Prince's School of Traditional Arts in 2018. They generate almost half of their income from visitors, fees, events, partnerships, and all other commercial activities. A spokesperson from the charities confirmed that they have put almost 200 of their staff members on leave. "The Prince's Foundation has put a number of staff members on furlough. However, it is not accessing financial support from the Government's job retention scheme," the spokesperson said. The spokeperson added that some of their staff have also been working from home. "Where possible, some staff are continuing to work from home. The Prince's Foundation is paying the salaries of its staff." The decision to put the staff on furlough has been due to the growing economic crisis caused by the coronavirus crisis. It remains unclear whether more staff of the other members of the royal family will be put on furlough, too. More Jobs Threatened The Queen's private Scottish retreat at Balmoral is one of the key sources of income of the royal family. It should have opened this month as it relies heavily on visitor income to cover its operational costs, including the salary of the staff. A spokesperson from Buckingham Palace refused to give a comment on whether staff members from the Queen's private homes have been furloughed, too. However, the Palace of Holyroodhouse -- the Queen's Scottish residence in Edinburgh -- has already decided that they won't be asking any of their staff members to go on leave. "There are no plans to furlough Royal Household colleagues. Recruitment for summer staff is ongoing but, as it is uncertain when the residences might reopen to the public, this is being kept under review," a Royal Collection Trust spokesperson said. The coronavirus pandemic has evolved from being just a health concern to an economic problem. As it continues to threaten people's health, COVID-19 has led to instability in the world economy, causing more people to lose their livelihood. Tablighi Jamaat chief Maulana Saad Kandhalvi has tested negative for Covid-19 on Monday, in a test done in a private laboratory, according to his lawyer Fuzail Ahmad Ayyubi. The Tablighi Jamaat chief, who is currently in home quarantine, has not been summoned by the Delhi Police so far, the lawyer said. Maulana Saad has tested negative for Covid-19. He is not an absconder, nor has he been asked by the Delhi Police to appear. We have not received any summons. We have received three notices till now and have responded to all three of them, Ayyubi said, news agency ANI reported. People of Markaz and Tablighi Jamaat are fully co-operating with the Delhi Police. Delhi Police has recently searched Maulana Saads office in Markaz and offices and residences of other accused, the lawyer said. The chief of Tablighi Jamaats Nizamuddin Markaz was in the midst of a row over allowing the global congregation amid the coronavirus pandemic and is being investigated in cases lodged against him under various sections, including by the Enforcement Directorate. His lawyer, however, indicated that the Maulana was cooperating with the police and the investigative agencies have not asked him to join investigations yet. The Markaz chief had earlier said that he believed in the judicial system of the country and the truth shall prevail. Earlier this month, Maulana Saad had asked his followers, who tested positive for coronavirus and had recovered, to donate their plasma for the treatment of other Covid-19 patients. Berkeley -- Government-enforced social isolation may help relatively affluent populations limit the spread of COVID-19, but these measures can be devasting for the nearly 1 billion people around the globe currently dwelling in urban slums, where physical space is scarce, and many rely on daily wage labor for survival. To help the urban poor weather the COVID-19 pandemic, governments should instead prioritize providing basic needs, including fresh water, sanitation and a moratorium on evictions, and support existing community leadership in delivering health care and emergency preparedness, argues a new report published April 24 in the Journal of Urban Health. The report, authored by a team of public health experts and epidemiologists working in collaboration with community leaders and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) from urban slums around the world, provides eight urgent recommendations for reducing the impact of COVID-19 on people living in poverty. These recommendations are crucial not just for people living in urban slums in the global south, but for other vulnerable populations, such as migrant farm workers and those living in refugee camps and homeless encampments and on Native American reservations in the United States, the authors say. Evidence now suggests that the coronavirus is disproportionately affecting black Americans in some U.S. cities, possibly due to similar structural factors, such as the inability to take time off of work. "The political and economic shocks and instability that are happening now and are likely to follow from this epidemic will likely kill more and lead to more disability in this population than the coronavirus itself," said Jason Corburn, a professor of public health and of city and regional planning at the University of California, Berkeley, and lead author of the paper. "We felt we needed a strategy that recognized the unique needs of the urban poor at the front." Close living conditions and lack of basic sanitation make urban slum dwellers particularly vulnerable to contracting and spreading the coronavirus, said study co-author Lee Riley, a professor of epidemiology and infectious diseases at UC Berkeley. Many also have pre-existing medical conditions and lack access to health care, putting them at high risk of dying or developing serious complications if they do get sick with the virus. Simply staying home is rarely an option for them, as it often means giving up work and even basic necessities like food, water and sanitation. In some countries, like Kenya and South Africa, people even face government violence for not obeying curfews and other restrictions. "Shelter-in-place is a luxury of the wealthy," Riley said. "In many slums, people need to walk a long distance to collect water to use at home. Most people living in slums also have no choice but to participate in the informal economy, which will disappear under lockdowns." Topping the list of recommendations is a call for governments to partner with existing community leadership and NGOs to form emergency planning committees that can consider the unique social, economic and cultural needs of the community in charting the appropriate response, rather than relying on top-down directives. Similarly, as many communities lack easy access to health care, community and informal health workers should be deployed to monitor individuals for early symptoms and educate them about how to avoid transmitting the disease. Plans should be also be enacted for emergency transport into and out of settlements, which often lack adequate transportation infrastructure. "The worst thing you can do in an emergency, particularly in an infectious disease outbreak, is to give everybody the same advice, because it doesn't recognize that not everybody starts in the same position," Corburn said. "Community health workers are uniquely positioned to know the preexisting conditions and the constraints that a group faces." Finally, governments should ensure that people in slums have their basic needs for shelter and food met by enacting a moratorium on evictions and by providing payments for lost work, fresh water and food, and solid waste removal. "COVID-19 became a pandemic because of the global spread of the virus by those people who can afford to travel on airplanes and cruise ships," Riley said. "As we are now seeing, inevitably, the disease has ended up in vulnerable communities of the world." "We want to be bold in calling for actions that don't just tinker around the edges," Corburn added. "It's not just about getting people some more care or better care. We're really calling for a more holistic approach to public health." ### Co-authors of the paper include David Vlahov of the Yale School of Nursing; Blessing Mberu of the African Population and Health Research Center in Kenya; Waleska Teixeira Caiaffa of the Federal University of Minas Gerais School of Medicine in Brazil; Sabina Faiz Rashid of BRAC University in Bangladesh; Albert Ko of the Yale School of Public Health; Sheela Patel and Smurti Jukur of the Society for the Promotion of Area Resource Centers (SPARC) in India; Eliana Martinez-Herrera of the University of Antioquia in Colombia; Saroj Jayasinghe of the University of Colombo in Sri Lanka; Siddharth Agarwal of the Urban Health Resource Centre in India; Blaise Nguendo-Yongsi of the University of Yaounde II in Cameroon; Jane Weru of the Akiba Mashinani Trust (AMT) in Kenya; Smith Ouma of Cardiff Law and Global Justice at Cardiff University in Kenya; Katia Edmundo of Centro de Promocao da Saude in Brazil; Tolullah Oni of the University of Cape Town, South Africa; and Hany Ayad of Alexandria University in Egypt. Photo: iStock Missed the most recent top news in Boston? Read on for everything you need to know. Nurses car containing PPE for work stolen from driveway Read the full story on 7News - WHDH Boston. 10-year-old girl struck by stray bullet in good condition, mayor says Read the full story on WCVB Channel 5 Boston. Police officer injured after car chase ends in crash in Dorchester Read the full story on 7News - WHDH Boston. Face mask police: Boston vigilantes light up BOS:311 Read the full story on Boston Herald. This story was created automatically using data about news stories on social media from CrowdTangle, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. A Boston nurse is upset and outraged after someone stole her car out of her driveway, as well as the crucial personal protective equipment she needs for work that was inside the vehicle. The girl was taken to a hospital in critical condition after she was shot last week by a gun that went off in a neighboring apartment. Officers responding to a report of a person driving a stolen vehicle chased the suspect. One officer was injured in a crash in the area of Howard and Wayland streets. 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' Coronavirus outbreak: Here is how Uttar Pradesh is planning to fight COVID-19 India oi-Ajay Joseph Raj P Lucknow, Apr 27: While the nation is under coronavirus crisis, Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath's government has come up with a decision to focus on districts with no or less than ten coronavirus cases to start industrial activities soon in those areas. According to the state government's decision, small industrial activities could be started in around 45 districts across Uttar Pradesh. Earlier, CM Yogi Adityanath held a meeting with chairpersons of 11 committees of the state to review the COVID-19 situation. According to reports, the Uttar Pradesh CM has directed officials to ensure geo-tagging of all shelter homes in the state, on the lines of the community kitchens. How plasma therapy helped this COVID-19 patient fully recover Adityanath also asked health officials to increase pool testing in all coronavirus hospitals with respect to maximise testing facilities. He also asked the officials to promote cashless payment through Rupay card. Earlier, a video clip of a person, wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) and throwing water bottles and food packets from outside a locked gate, as several people inside are stretching out their hands through the gate, trying to grab them in Agra had gone viral on social media. Coronavirus outbreak: Authorities toss water, biscuits outside Agra Quarantine Centre, watch video This incident took place days after the Centre and state government claimed that "Agra model of containment" was showcased as a success in the nation. But, several residents in the area claimed that food was distributed at the quarantine centre in a similar routine. According to Agra District Magistrate Prabhu Narain Singh said it happened a few days ago, and "everything is fine now". According to the Health Ministry, 1,868 people have been infected from the novel coronavirus in Uttar Pradesh. While 289 people have recovered from coronavirus in the state, 29 have died from the deadly pandemic. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-27 22:27:01|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ISLAMABAD, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan army said on Monday that a woman was killed in Indian forces' firing along the Line of Control (LoC) in the disputed Kashmir region. An army statement released on Monday morning said that Indian army troops "initiated unprovoked ceasefire violations" in Jandrot and Khuiratta sectors along the LoC, and "deliberately targeting civilian population." A woman was killed while an eight-year-old girl was injuried, the statement added. The injured child was evacuated and being provided with medical care, the statement said. Pakistan and India had declared a ceasefire along the LoC, the de facto border between both countries in the disputed Kashmir region. However, both sides have routinely exchanged fire and accused each other of ceasefire violations. Tension has been heightened after India lifted the special status for Indian-controlled Kashmir in August last year. Pakistan downgraded its diplomatic relations, suspended trade relations and train service with India in response. Enditem As Butte grew from a mining camp to a huge industrial metropolitan city, amenities expanded to accommodate the needs and wants of a population with money to spend. Laundries popped up all over town. Most were operated by Chinese, but with improved technologies, a growing population, and prejudice against the Asian community, both household laundries and large commercial operations thrived in Butte under white management. In 1884 Butte had nine Chinese laundries. The first non-Chinese commercial laundry appears to have been the Butte Steam Laundry, in 1885 on West Granite across from the skating rink pavilion at Alaska Street. They competed with 21 Chinese laundries then, more than double the number from the previous year. Throughout the 1890s, the Chinese operated 18 to 31 laundries, with a low of 14 in 1896, the year white businessmen attempted a boycott of Chinese laundries. Chinese businessmen successfully sued the boycott instigators, though they never saw a dime of settlement money, and some Chinese operations were curtailed for that year. The principal non-Chinese commercial laundries in the 1890s were the Troy Steam Laundry at 51 West Mercury (later at 232 South Main), Union Steam (replacing Troy on West Mercury), and the C.O.D. on East Park Street. Buttes population went from 23,000 in 1890 to 48,000 in 1900 as miners, prostitutes, bankers, bakers, and laundry workers flocked to the thriving, growing cityto make their fortunes, or perhaps just to get a job. Eighteen-year-old Mollie Walsh came to Butte from St. Paul, Minnesota, in November 1890. Her mother was a laundress in St. Paul, and Mollie had probably picked up laundry skills from her. Only the bare bones of her Butte life are known: possibly living in Anaconda initially, but doing well enough to pose for a professional photographer in Butte in 1894. Shed have been doing well to earn 75 a day working 12-hour shifts. She worked as a marker at Wason & Peets Laundry (part of the Troy establishment on West Mercury) by 1895, when she was boarding at 69 West Broadwaya small boarding house sandwiched between massive business blocks on one of Buttes most prominent commercial streets. Mollie became a checker and went with Troy Laundry when it moved to South Main in 1896 and she began to room at 128 West Granite (then, on the corner of Montana Street). In 1897, she was rooming at the Troy Laundry itself, and at about that time the Salvation Army established itself next door to the Troy. Mollie is lost to Butte after 1897, but not to history. She left Butte in June 1897 to join the Klondike Gold Rush, apparently traveling with a Presbyterian minister. Mollie became well known in Skagway as a waitress and was active in the early Union Church there. Alone, she established and ran a grub hut 30 miles up the White Pass Trail, likely saving the lives of hundreds if not thousands of prospectors heading for the Yukon. She married Mike Bartlett, but as the gold dwindled so did Mikes luck. Mollie fled their home in Dawson for Seattle, where Mike found her in 1902, and shot her in the back. In 1930 another suitor, Jack Newman, dedicated a bust of Mollie in the Skagway park that bears her name, and today The Angel of the White Pass Trail is among the most treasured characters in Skagways history. All the locations in Butte associated with Mollie are gone save one: the building that housed William Schultz Palais Studio, upstairs at 122 North Main, is vacant but still standing. All the early laundries, Chinese, white, and commercial, are gone, and most are vacant lots. The last Chinese laundry in Butte, Quong Suns shop at 329 S. Arizona, closed in 1968. Materials from the Quong Fong laundry, up the street at 110 South Arizona, are displayed at the World Museum of Mining. Local geologist and historian Dick Gibson has lived in Butte since 2003 and has worked as a tour guide for various organizations and museums. He can be reached at rigibson@earthlink.net. Love 5 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 2 A Co Fermanagh school has joined others across Northern Ireland in paying tribute to former students who are working on the frontline during the coronavirus pandemic. St Kevin's College has been honouring key worker past pupils by showcasing the very valuable work they are doing on its Facebook page. Those featured in the daily social media posts are now NHS workers and health professionals in various hospitals and care homes across Ireland and the UK. St Kevin's College was formed in 2017 following the amalgamation of St Comhghall's Secondary School, Lisnaskea, and St Eugene's College in nearby Roslea. Principal Gary Kelly said the Lisnaskea-based school wanted to recognise the many who are now on the front line fight against Covid-19. "The idea came about after conversations we had when the school was donating and delivering PPE to the local GP practice and care homes at the start of the coronavirus outbreak," he said. "We asked ourselves if there was anything else we could do to honour these outstanding people. "We then came up with the idea of showcasing them and the excellent work they are doing on the school's Facebook page." Among those featured is Amekia Foy (23) from Brookeborough, who attended both of the former schools and left in 2014 to study physiotherapy at Teesside University in Middlesbrough. She is now a senior respiratory physiotherapist at the town's James Cook University Hospital, where 300 patients have recovered from coronavirus. "Right now I'm working with Covid patients who have recovered and I help them with their rehabilitation to make sure they are ready to go home," she explained. "With so many people now beating the virus there is more of a demand on me and my colleagues and I hope that is a sign that things are on the up. "At the start of all this it was very frightening going into work every day as we didn't know what to expect, but now as time goes on I don't feel as scared." Former St Comhghall's student Dean Caughey (27) left his home in Maguiresbridge in 2010 and is currently a final year nursing student at Manchester Metropolitan University. Like thousands of others, he is already putting his skills to use in the Covid-19 battle having been deployed to the front line at Manchester Royal Infirmary earlier this month. "I still have my dissertation to write by the end of May to finish my degree so whenever I get home from work I have to crack into that," he said. "I never imagined I would start my nursing career tackling a virus like this but we have been trained for it so we know what we are doing." Back in Fermanagh, mother-of-two Ciara Boyle (43) is deputy ward sister in Ward 8 at the South West Acute Hospital in Enniskillen. After attending both schools, Ciara went on to complete a nursing degree at Queen's University. "The respect and recognition being shown by the community who send us messages saying they are keeping us in their prayers has been really overwhelming," she said. "We couldn't do this job without them." For Rosie (53) and Niamh Sweeney (21) from Roslea, taking on Covid-19 is a family affair. The mother and daughter left St Eugene's in 1983 and 2017 respectively and both work across the border at Mullinahinch Nursing Home in Co Monaghan, where a number of residents have died from the virus. "I have been working in the home for 12 years and Niamh joined me almost three years ago but she is still hoping to study nursing at Queen's University in the future," Rosie said. The two women have first-hand experience of coronavirus, having just recovered from it themselves. Facebook shareholders have launched their third attempt to remove Mark Zuckerberg as the chairman of the company, citing concerns over ongoing controversies and escalating investigations. Zuckerberg currently serves as both Facebook's CEO and the chair of its board of directors. But a group of Facebook shareholders including Trillium Asset Management and Northwest Coalition for Responsible Investment would like to see this structure change and Zuckerberg step down. The investors have urged fellow shareholders to vote for the recommendation that their board of directors adopt an 'independent board chair structure' at Facebook's annual meeting on May 27. 'Our proposal is not intended as a referendum on Mark Zuckerberg's leadership as CEO or fitness as a director, but solely on his continued service as board chair,' the group wrote in an SEC filing. They noted that the same request was brought forward in 2019 and received the support of 68 per cent of voters, which only amounted to about 20 per cent due to Zuckerberg's controlling stake in shares. That means he will keep his position despite having the same overwhelming result as last time. Scroll down for video Zuckerberg currently serves as Facebook's CEO and the chair of its board of directors. But a group of Facebook shareholders including Trillium Asset Management and Northwest Coalition for Responsible Investment would like to see this structure change Shareholders argued that an independent chair is necessary because only 33 per cent of the company's board will be 'completely independent'. After the May meeting, there will be nine board members. Two are executives, Zuckerberg and COO Sheryl Sandberg. The group said that four other members - Peggy Alford, Marc Andreessen, Andrew Houston and Peter Thiel - have relationships with Zuckerberg 'which casts serious doubt for investors about their objectivity in the boardroom'. That leaves Nancy Killefer, Robert Kimmitt and Tracey Travis as 'the genuinely independent directors', according to the shareholders. The group also cited Kenneth Chenault's recent board departure, which raises questions about the board culture. According to sources who spoke with the Wall Street Journal, Chenault grew frustrated that Zuckerberg wasn't taking his advice regarding his push for the company to do more about its role in elections. The investors noted Facebook's long list of problems over the past few years, which include data breaches, privacy incidents, Cambridge Analytica, the Russian hacking of the 2016 election, and anti-trust accusations. Zuckerberg is pictured in October 2019 Court approves $5bn settlement with Facebook over data privacy Last week, US regulators welcomed a 'historic' $5billion settlement with Facebook over data privacy as the social network said it was already implementing the provisions of the deal. The deal between the social network and the Federal Trade Commission became official with the approval Thursday of a federal judge. Along with the fine, the settlement announced last July requires Facebook to ramp up privacy protections; provide detailed quarterly reports on compliance with the deal, and have an independent oversight board. Some privacy activists had challenged the deal claiming it let off Facebook too easy after the Cambridge Analytica scandal that allowed the hijacking of personal data of millions of users ahead of the 2016 US presidential election. FTC chairman Joe Simons said in a statement he was 'pleased' with the court approval, pointing out it was the largest monetary penalty ever obtained by consumer protection agency. Simons said the settlement will require Facebook 'to consider privacy at every stage of its operations and provide substantially more transparency and accountability for its executives' privacy-related decisions'. Advertisement The shareholders then cited ongoing controversies surrounding Facebook, which signals a 'need for leadership change'. 'While most public attention on Facebook is currently focused on its Covid-19 response, the company has been rife with controversies that have harmed investors,' the group wrote. They noted Facebook's long list of problems over the past few years, which include data breaches, privacy incidents, Cambridge Analytica, the Russian hacking of the 2016 election, and anti-trust accusations. Facebook is also being investigated by dozens of states. Led by New York, several states are probing the company for anti-trust violations. The investigations into Facebook and Google were announced last year. Democrat New York Attorney General Letitia James will be leading an overlapping group of attorneys general in a probe of Facebook. 'Even the largest social media platform in the world must follow the law and respect consumers,' James said. According to the shareholders, the states 'are examining Facebook's size, wealth, market power, handling of consumer data, ad-targeting practices and their role as gatekeepers of communication'. Separately, the Federal Trade Commission, which also enforces antitrust law, is also probing Amazon and Facebook to determine if they abused their massive market power in retail and social media, respectively. The big four - Google, Facebook, Apple and Amazon - have been accused of using their marketplace dominance to bulldoze opposition. The Justice Department said August that it is reviewing 'whether and how market-leading online platforms have achieved market power and are engaging in practices that have reduced competition, stifled innovation, or otherwise harmed consumers'. Social media companies have frequently been accused of a heavy-handed approach to conservative views and having employees with a liberal bias. The proposal for an independent chair was submitted by Trillium Asset Management, New York City Pension Funds, the Treasurers of Illinois, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Connecticut, As You Sow, Dana Investments and the Northwest Coalition for Responsible Investment. In response to the investors, Facebook said the board of directors recommends a vote against the stockholder proposal. 'We believe that our current board structure is effective in supporting strong board leadership. Implementing the proposal is unnecessary because the leadership structure of our board of directors already provides for independent leadership and oversight of management.' Facebook went on to say that: 'Our board of directors currently believes that the most effective leadership model is that Mr. Zuckerberg, our founder and controlling stockholder, serves as both Chairman and CEO. 'We believe our board of directors is functioning effectively under its current structure, and that the current structure provides appropriate oversight protections.' CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa -- The Marines on Okinawa removed potentially contaminated soil near a Marine Corps Air Station Futenma hangar Friday following the spill of 60,000 gallons of potentially toxic firefighting foam two weeks earlier. Engineers and Marines from Marine Corps Installations Pacific removed about 6 inches of soil from a 700-square-foot patch adjacent to an underground storage tank on the hangar's northeast side, Marine Corps Installations Pacific officials wrote on Twitter. The excavation was designed to be deep enough to remove all "possible contaminants" following the April 10 spill, U.S. Forces Japan said in a statement Friday afternoon. "We regret this spill and are working hard to find out why it happened in order to ensure an event like this does not happen again," USFJ commander Lt. Gen. Kevin Schneider said in the statement. "However, I am very pleased with the level of cooperation we have seen at the local and national levels as we clean this up and work to manage the global challenge presented by these substances." Japanese officials are in the "middle of negotiations" with their American counterparts to procure samples from the collected soil for testing, an Okinawa Defense Bureau spokesman said. The bureau represents Japan's Defense Ministry on the island. The soil removal began around 9 a.m. and was observed by 10 Japanese representatives from the Okinawa Defense Bureau, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs bureau on the island, the Ministry of the Environment, Okinawa's prefectural government and Ginowan city, an Okinawa prefectural government spokesman said Monday. After Marines removed sizable rocks, the soil was placed in sandbags and then in a cardboard box lined with a plastic trash bag, the spokesman said. It will be stored in a warehouse before it is disposed of off the island. Okinawan officials said Monday they were concerned that the Marines did not collect enough soil to mitigate potential pollution to the area. "I don't understand why the U.S. thinks it's OK to simply tear up the soil, from a safety perspective, but not to think what's left underneath?" the prefectural spokesman said. They were equally frustrated a deal was not struck with the government of Japan for soil collection prior to Friday's base visit. "The rainy season is approaching, and we cannot afford to wait because the remaining chemicals will soak into the soil, then it will contaminate the groundwater," the prefectural spokesman said. Some government officials in Japan customarily speak on condition of anonymity. PFOS, or perfluorooctanesulfonic acid, and PFOA, perfluorooctanoic acid, are found in firefighting foam and are known to cause tumors, increases in body and organ weight and death in animals. The synthetic, fully fluorinated organic acids are also found in aircraft grease, water-repellant materials, cleaning agents and other products. U.S. military officials in Japan have said the foam used at Futenma contains PFOS and PFOA. The April 10 spill occurred after something triggered a fire-suppression system inside a hangar at the air station, officials said earlier this month. U.S. military officials have said the spill was an accident. Of the approximately 60,000 gallons spilled, 22,000 gallons were contained on the base. The remainder of the foam traveled off base through a storm drain and into a nearby stream and neighborhood. Japanese officials expressed anger at what they called a "mass-leakage incident." A similar incident occurred in December when a fire suppression system in a Futenma hangar was inadvertently switched on and released firefighting foam. The Marines said nearly all that foam was captured on base. Okinawa Vice-Governor Kiichiro Jahana on April 17 toured the scene of the most recent spill at Futenma. Japanese government and prefectural officials were escorted on base four days later to collect water samples from the base drainage system. Prefectural officials expect analysis on those samples sometime around Sept. 10, the prefectural spokesman said Monday. The cause of the spill remains under investigation, the USFJ statement said. The exposed area at Futenma will be filled in later, Marine officials said on Twitter. [April 27, 2020] Jana Small Finance Bank Receives Government Approval to Collect Contributions for PM CARES Fund MUMBAI, April 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Bangalore headquartered Jana Small Finance Bank (Jana SF Bank) has received a mandate to collect funds for the prestigious 'PM CARES Fund.' The Prime Minister's Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM CARES Fund) has been set up by the Government of India, with the primary objective of dealing with any kind of emergency or distress situation, like posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, and to provide relief to the affected. With this inclusion, Jana SF Bank account holders can conveniently contribute from their homes using various digital channels, including debit cards, UPI, NEFT, RTGS or IMPS. Non-Jana SF Bank account holders can also donate to this noble cause by simply adding Jana SF Bank's PM CARES FUND bank account as a beneficiary to their bank and transfer money through internet banking or mobile banking from the convenience of their home. On the announcement, Ajay Kanwal, MD and CEO of Jana Small Finance Bank said, "These are extraordinary times and we are privileged that we can help the Government in the relief efforts. The current crisis is complex given the human and economic dimension, so responding quickly is key. Lakhs of donations, irrespective of the amount, done immediately will be another collective show of our resolve to overcome the crisis." Citizens and organizations can donate to PM CARES Fund using the following details: Jana Small Finance Bank Name: PM CARES FUND Account Number: 4512012244668800 IFSC Code: JSFB0004512 Account Name: Karol Bagh, New Delhi Donations to PM CARES Fund would qualify for 80G beneits for 100% exemption under the Income Tax Act, 1961. Donations to PM CARES Fund would also qualify to be counted as Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) expenditure under the Companies Act, 2013. About Jana Small Finance Bank: Jana Small Finance Bank, erstwhile Janalakshmi Financial Services (NBFC MFI that started in 2006), is headquartered in Bangalore and has undertaken the journey of financial inclusion, serving the underserved for over a decade. The Bank began banking operations over two years ago and is serving 40 lakh customers across 22 states and Union Territories in India. Its vision is to become the leading inclusive digitized bank serving all customer segments and communities of an aspirational India. The bank has been expanding its digital range of services and products and recently launched an unique UPI QR based loan EMI payment solution in collaboration with NPCI (a first amongst Small Finance Banks & NBFC MFIs). For more details, visit, https://www.janabank.com Awards and recognition: In 2018, Capital Finance International (CFI.co) adjudged the Jana Small Finance Bank as The Best Inclusive Financial Services - India 2018 in London 2018 in In 2017, JFS was featured in 'Fortune - The Top 500' as the largest corporations in India and was awarded as India's Distinctive Goodwill Brand for 2017. In the same year, CNBC awarded JFS for Best Financial Sector Transaction ADB Private Sector. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] A North Carolina woman was stunned to find herself on a practically full flight from New York City to Charlotte over the weekend, despite coronavirus lockdown restrictions. Erin Strine shared video of her American Airlines Flight 388 on Saturday that was surprisingly nearly full with people. Strine, whose grandmother had recently passed away, was traveling from Brooklyn to her hometown Chapel Hill to spend time with her family. Strine said she was alarmed by how little social distancing was taking place on the packed flight. She expressed concern for her health when she realized she was placed in a middle seat. 'I really felt like my life and the life of everyone around me was at risk,' she said. 'I just sat there silently crying into my mask because I was really overwhelmed by how unsafe I felt.' Erin Strine shared video of her packed American Airlines 338 flight on Saturday from New York City to Charlotte, North Carolina She was stunned to find her flight nearly full and passengers and flight attendants failed to practice social distancing Strine shared video footage showing the rows of seats in front and behind her packed with people traveling from New York City to Charlotte She took video footage of the busy flight showing full seats with some passengers and a flight attendant wearing a mask. She shared video of the flight on Twitter on Saturday saying: 'Well silly me thinking that an airline would adhere to social distancing guidelines. Currently abroad a nearly full @AmericanAirlines flight and Ive never felt less safe or cared for in my entire life.' Her clip racked up over 354,000 views and sparked outrage against the company for failing to implement better safety measures. 'This was a flight coming from the epicenter of the pandemic in the US,' she said to WSOCTV. 'I really felt like my life and the life of everyone around me was at risk. I just sat there silently crying into my mask because I was really overwhelmed by how unsafe I felt,' Strine, pictured left and right, said While passengers were unable to practice social distancing, many were seen with masks on board 'I had people on both sides of me. Every row around me, next to me, behind me, were completely full,' she added to WBTV. 'They specifically said we would not be able to social distance and for everyone to take precautions for themselves, you know, if you need to cough or sneeze to turn your head,' she added. Strine said she was overwhelmed to the point of tears on the flight. Strine said that if flights can't fly at lower capacity to maintain social distancing then they 'need to require everyone, for the safety of all the people around them, to wear masks.' 'The safety of our customers and team members remains our top priority. We are in close contact with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and public health officials and will continue to coordinate with them on any required health and safety-related measures,' American Airlines said in a statement following the video. The airline said that it is taking measures including cleaning procedures to frequently-touched area of the plane, ensuring employees maintain distance from each other, and allowing employees to wear gloves or masks. Strine says following the incident she'll cancel her return flight to Brooklyn and will drive back to New York. The Idaho anti-vaccine activist who was arrested for refusing orders to leave a playground that was shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic has issued a public apology to police. Mother-of-four Sara Brady, 40, shared a statement apologizing to police on Friday, three days after her arrest that triggered raucous protests defying state lockdown orders. She said at the time of her arrest she was on edge with 'constant stress' due to being stuck at home with her cooped-up children under the virus restrictions. 'I am on edge with the constant stress of children and trying to tend to their needs of being bored and cooped up along with other responsibilities,' she said before the press standing in front of the Meridian Police Department. 'However, this is not an excuse for my behavior and my part in what happened,' she added in the prepared statement. Scroll down for video Idaho anti-vaccine activist Sara Brady, 40, who was arrested for refusing orders to leave a playground that was shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic issued a public apology to police on Friday (above) Meridian woman reads statement after arrest: 'I let my frustrations get the better of me' Watch LIVE: Sara Brady gives statement in front of Meridian Police Department. . Brady was arrested Tuesday for violating Meridian city orders: https://bit.ly/3cMnK4E Posted by CBS 2 Boise on Friday, April 24, 2020 'I never thought a knee-jerk comment made to you out of frustration, by me wanting my kids to play at a park, would create such a divide amongst our friends, family, community, the state of Idaho, our nation and the world. A divide that seems impossible for me to mend,' she added. Brady said she wanted to make amends with the officers who arrested her. 'I let my frustrations get the better of me,' she said. Sara Brady, 40, pictured above in her Tuesday April 21 booking photo following the playground arrest 'While I disagree with the current restrictions being put in place that are restricting our freedoms - I never intended or thought me going to the park on a sunny day with my kids would evolve to the point that it would involve the Meridian Police Department, your fellow officers, you, or your family. If I had I would have never attended the park that day,' she added. On Tuesday, April 21, Brady was caught on video with her children and other protesters at Kleiner Park, violating Gov. Brad Little's stay-at-home order. The following day a large group gathered outside of the arresting officers house and Bradys house to protest the arrest. Video footage shows her refusing officers repeatedly requests to leave the play structures Tuesday, leading to her arrest. 'Ma'am, I've told you to exit numerous times,' an officer tells the bespectacled woman. 'This is it. Exit the playground now. I'm really trying to be nice about this.' Brady refused to leave and continued arguing with the officer, prompting him to give her 'five seconds' to clear the playground area. On Tuesday April 21 Brady was caught on video with her children and other protesters at Kleiner Park, violating Gov. Brad Little's stay-at-home order and repeatedly ignoring police officer requests for her to leave, prompting her arrest A police officer arrested Brady after repeatedly asking her to leave the playground area Brady was led away from the playground and was taken to the county jail. In the incident she was charged with misdemeanor trespassing on a closed playground As the officer was counting down the seconds, a defiant Brady challenged him: 'Arrest me for being difficult. Do it.' She then positioned her hands behind her back so that the officer could place handcuffs on her, and directed the woman documenting the incident on her cellphone to 'record it'. The Meridian cop informs Brady that she is being detained and cuffs her. As she is being led away from the playground to the sound of jeers from her fellow protesters, her friend cries out behind her: 'Her kids are here! her kids are here! What is gonna happen?' She is affiliated with two groups that sponsored a protest at the Idaho Statehouse against the stay-at-home order. In Idaho there are over 1,800 cases of COVID-19 and 56 deaths as of Monday. 'The reality of the situation is that I have been stuck at home for the last 5 weeks and I, as the rest of America also, watched this great nation and our God-given rights crumble before my eyes,' she said in the Friday statement. In the incident she was charged with misdemeanor trespassing on a closed playground. Brady, who is married to Boise police detective Tim Brady, was released from the county jail that same evening. Upon her release she attended a massive protest organized by the Idaho Freedom Foundation outside the Meridian City Hall where about 100 people showed up to protest lockdown orders. Some people carried homemade signs that said 'freedom'. Brady's husband is Tim Brady, a decorated detective with the Boise Police Department (left) Brady was released from jail in time to attend the Tuesday evening rally Following her arrest, some 100 people gathered outside the Meridian City Hall to stage a protest against the coronavirus restrictions The statement from the police department said: 'These are very trying times and the Meridian Police Department supports the publics right to assemble for peaceful protest, however the right does not include damaging public property or ignoring closures of City property and facilities.' But this wasn't Brady's first run-in with controversy. She is the founder of the group Idahoans for Vaccine Freedom. In 2017, she made headlines when her then-five-year-old son was denied admission into kindergarten over an immunization exemption, and she demanded a public apology from officials. Her husband is a decorated police detective, who in 2013 was honored with a law enforcement award for his work on the Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The programme to protect workers paychecks had been criticised after big firms secured more funds than smaller ones. The United States government notified lenders on Sunday that it will cap how much each bank can lend under the emergency-loan programme designed to keep workers on payrolls during the coronavirus pandemic, hours before the reopening of the lending programme. The Small Business Administration (SBA) will impose a maximum dollar amount for individual lenders at 10 percent of Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funding, or $60bn per lender and pace the applications filed, according to SBA guidance on Sunday to lenders that have received a significant number of applications. The steps are prudent and reasonable due to the unprecedented demand for the loans, the memo said. US banks were girding over the weekend for another frantic race to grab $310bn in fresh small-business aid due to be released by the government. The SBA was due to reopen PPP funding at 10:30am ET (14:30 GMT) on Monday, allowing lenders to resume processing piles of backlogged applications from businesses hurt by the coronavirus shutdown. The SBA will also take applications in one bulk submission with a minimum of 15,000 loans, the SBA said in the memo. The PPP came under criticism after a number of publicly traded companies with thousands of employees and hundreds of millions of dollars in annual sales got loans, while smaller businesses did not. Nearly 5,000 lenders, including big banks such as JPMorgan Chase & Co and Citigroup Inc as well as community banks, participated in the prior, $349bn round of funding. No lender accounted for more than 5 percent of that total, the SBA said previously. Despite technical and paperwork challenges, the programmes first round of funds was exhausted in less than two weeks and lenders expect the second tranche of cash to be snapped up even faster by tens of thousands of applications queued up. That has left thousands of small businesses that have been forced to shut down in order to stem the disease outbreak, without badly needed funds to keep them afloat. The first-come, first-served basis was criticised for leaving out smaller firms without pre-existing lending relations, even if their need was greater than others. More than 25 percent of the total pot went to fewer than 2 percent of the firms that got relief, a Reuters analysis of the data showed. Bank of America Corp Chief Executive Officer Brian Moynihan said in an interview with TV network CBS News on Sunday: We need to take away the first-come, first-served aspects and to make sure its fully funded. Bananas seen in an agriculture farm of Thaco. Photo courtesy of Thaco. Auto firm Thaco has reported its first revenues from agriculture, in which it has invested hundreds of millions of dollars. Income from the farm last year was VND1.5 trillion ($64 million), the company said in its recent financial report, adding that agriculture accounted for 3 percent of its revenues and a loss of VND15 billion ($640,600). Last year it made three major acquisitions of rubber and fruit companies for over VND7.6 trillion ($324 million). It established the Thadi Agriculture Farming Processing and Distribution Jsc (Thadi) in March last year. Chairman Tran Ba Duong targets revenues of VND17 trillion ($725 million) this year and exports of 150,000 tons of fruits. Thaco owns almost 20,000 hectares of farmlands in Cambodia where it grows banana, mango and other fruits. Auto sales remain the biggest source of revenues, accounting for 82 percent. Last year it sold 91,700 units to account for a 30 percent market share, according to the Vietnam Automobile Manufacturers Association (VAMA). The last COVID-19 patient in Wuhan has been discharged and the hospitals in the epicentre of the global coronavirus pandemic in the central Chinese city have no coronavirus cases for the first time after more than three months of arduous battle against the deadly virus that infected over 80,000 people on the mainland, health officials said. China's National Health Commission (NHC) announced on Monday that three new confirmed coronavirus cases, including two from the Chinese returning from abroad and one local transmission were reported on Sunday. The overall death toll stood at 4,633 and no new fatalities were reported on Sunday. The overall confirmed cases in China reached 82,830 by Sunday, including 723 patients still being treated and 77,474 people who had been discharged. Altogether 80 patients were discharged from the hospitals after recovery on Sunday, while the number of severe cases increased by one to 52, the NHC said. Meanwhile, after more than three months of fight against the deadly virus, Wuhan where coronavirus first emerged in December last and became a pandemic, cleared all COVID-19 cases in hospitals on Sunday. The outcome was earned through the hard work of medical workers in Wuhan and those sent from across the country, Mi Feng, a spokesperson for the NHC, was quoted as saying by the state-run Xinhua agency. This came as a 77-year-old man surnamed Ding tested negative for the second time for coronavirus in the capital city of Hubei Province, the report said. He no longer had clinical symptoms and was able to be discharged, an official with Wuhan Municipal Health Commission said. Sunday's announcement was a new testament that the local spread of COVID-19 in the country has basically been curbed, it said. It was also a milestone for Wuhan. This came five days after its cases dropped to double digits and less than 70 days after daily hospitalised cases peaked at 38,020, Xinhua reported. "It is a historic day," said Shang You, a critical care unit doctor in Wuhan. "We have been waiting for this day for so long." As of Sunday, 627 Chinese who has returned from abroad were being treated with 22 in severe condition, the NHC said. Also on Sunday, 25 new asymptomatic cases, including one from abroad, were reported on the mainland. The NHC said 974 suspected asymptomatic cases, including 131 from abroad, were still under medical observation. Asymptomatic cases refer to people who 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. The novel coronavirus is believed to have originated in a wet market in Wuhan and first emerged in December before spreading quickly worldwide. Beginning January 23, Wuhan was put under a lockdown that lasted 76 days. In Wuhan, scores of hospitals were designated to treat COVID-19 patients and 16 temporary hospitals were set up, opening up 60,000 hospital beds to meet the surging demand. Over 42,000 medical workers were sent to Hubei from across the country, as well as key medical supplies such as ventilators, protective suits, masks and daily necessities. Since February 18, the cases in Wuhan have been on the decline. As of the end of Saturday, Wuhan had reported a total of 50,333 confirmed cases and 3,869 deaths. The recovery rate has topped 92 per cent. In Hubei, no new confirmed cases have been reported for over 20 days, and the number of remaining cases dropped below 50, the report said. Life is returning to normal. Hubei's work resumption rate of major industrial firms has reached 98.2 percent and most of their workers have got back to work. Schools will soon open. Students in the final year of senior high schools in Hubei are expected to return to classes on May 6, it said. Officials said for the next step Wuhan must keep guarding against imported cases while preventing a resurgence of the outbreak. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Paytm Mall plans to partner with over 10,000 kirana stores, small shops, and businesses for hyperlocal deliveries. Digitally enabling small businesses by selling on Paytm Mall and giving them all the necessary logistics support, the company hopes to help shops and stores which have either witnessed a sharp decline in footfall or had to abruptly pause operations due to the lockdown. Currently, all leading logistics players including GATI, Ecom Express, Delhivery, Bluedart, FedEx and others are working with Paytm Mall. And as more fulfilment and delivery executives of logistics partners join back to work, more orders would be eligible for same-day delivery. According to Paytm Mall, there has been a massive uptick in the sales in grocery essentials from Tier-II and Tier-III towns as over 200 such cities are ordering the most on Paytm Mall. Cities Including Indore, Ahmedabad, NCR, Bengaluru, Lucknow, Pune, Chennai, Ludhiana, Bathinda, have all seen a rise in orders. With its unique O2O (Offline to Online) model, the company claims to have been investing in scaling up its hyperlocal operations over the last few weeks. With this new partnership, it aims to deliver in over 16000 pin-codes. The company explains that many small stores have the inventory stocked up but are running short on manpower. With this new partnership, it aims to connect them with their logistics partner so that the essential groceries can be delivered to the customers. This will ensure that for small shopkeepers and kirana stores, their business keeps running. According to Paytm Mall, these grocery stores are witnessing almost 50 per cent additional orders per day. Srinivas Mothey, Senior Vice President, Paytm Mall says, "Paytm Mall has always advocated a 100 per cent marketplace model of operation against an inventory led one as pursued by other major players. Our objective is to connect neighbourhood offline stores to interested customers far and wide through our e-commerce platform. We are constantly reaching out to smaller sellers to understand the challenges they are facing in stocking inventory as well as the delivery of goods. During this time of crisis, we want to ensure that our merchant partners do not lose out on business. Our tie-ups with small businesses would ensure that service our customers faster and hyper-locally." Paytm Mall has launched several initiatives to help stressed businesses including its merchant partners, small shop owners and SMEs during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. The company over the last few weeks has taken several measures to help citizens fight COVID-19. As the novel coronavirus spreads across India, forcing the government to take tough calls and restricting the movement of goods and people, Paytm Mall decided to help its merchant partners who are facing issues with stocking up on inventory and fulfilment of orders by waiving off service level agreement (SLA) and devised Hygiene SOPs for them and their workplace/employees. It has partnered with several suppliers and brands of FMCG goods to help its merchant partners stock up. By PTI NEW YORK: Governments across the world will have to lift shutdowns and re-open their economies in a well-planned manner or else the deadly coronavirus will return and the damage will be even worse, the president of an Indian-origin US physicians' organisation has said. American Physicians of Indian-Origin (AAPI) President Dr Suresh Reddy, applauding the hundreds of thousands of Indian-origin medical personnel bravely fighting against the virus, said that "every 7th doctor in the US is an Indian and they are at the frontlines, working as soldiers and fighting the virus". The entire medical fraternity has become the Army right now, fighting the coronavirus," Reddy told PTI in an interview here. The fight against the virus will be a long one, Reddy said, adding that COVID-19 is not going to end in a couple of months and could last for 1-2 years until a vaccine or antiviral agent is developed. That is the only way we can control it, he said. Noting that it is understandable that people are getting anxious, tired and exhausted with the shutdowns and restrictions, Reddy said any re-opening and lifting of lockdowns has to be done in a very careful and gradual manner. It will be a very slow process. I don't think it will be a sudden opening or closing of the gates. If we don't do it carefully, in a well-planned manner, then the virus will come back and the damage will be even worse, he said. Reddy stressed that the battle to defeat the COVID-19 is a three-pronged attack that involved the governments implementing measures to control the outbreak, doctors and the medical fraternity providing essential treatment and the general population by the amount of discipline they show. FOLLOW CORONAVIRUS LIVE UPDATES HERE The people are the ones who spread or control the disease. It is within their hands. As long as they follow the rules strictly, I think we will be able to break this disease, kill this Rakshas' virus and we will have a wonderful Diwali, Reddy said. He said that even at some point when the restrictions are relaxed, life will not be what people were used to before the pandemic. I don't think things will ever return to being totally normal. We will be washing hands more often, wearing masks more often in public places. So, it will be a new future, new normal, he said. Reddy pointed out that both in India and the US, the shutdown and people wearing masks are some measures through which the situation is being brought under control. Founded in 1982, the AAPI represents a conglomeration of more than 100,000 practicing physicians in the US. It has raised USD 100,000 to buy protective equipment for doctors and is also hosting webinars and hotlines to provide assistance to members of the community, including students and parents visiting from India who do not have access to health insurance and cannot get prescription for medicines. Reddy said that as the US emerges from the pandemic, a lesson that will be learnt is that America will have to set up its own manufacturing bases so that it does not have to depend on China for supplies. If we had manufacturing companies in the US making masks and other personal protective equipment (PPE) for example, we would not have had the problem of scarcity of supplies. Everybody had to run to China to get masks, PPE, ventilators, Reddy said. He lauded the efforts of the Indian-origin physicians, saying AAPI is extremely proud of the troops on the frontlines. We will all prevail, he said. The US government officials have appreciated the work of Indian doctors and community members, he said. Everybody in the US knows that we are a strong medical community and we are contributing a lot, Reddy said. He said AAPI is also working closely with Indian Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu and the embassy in helping and reaching out to Indians in distress. Indian-American Al Mason, an advisor to Global Real Estate Investments Educational Hospitals, said that due credit should be given to the Indian embassy under the guidance and leadership of Sandhu, who are doing a great job, tirelessly reaching out to the Indian American community in this crisis. He lauded the efforts of Consul General in New York Sandeep Chakravorty in ensuring assistance to those in need across the state, which is the epicenter of the pandemic in the US. Overseas Volunteer for a Better India (OVBI), a US-based non-profit organisation, is also mobilising efforts to provide assistance. So far, it has donated 25,000 meals to New York food banks for the homeless and daily wage earners without a job presently, 4,000 N95 masks to health care professionals and medical equipment to Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center. It is also facilitating collaboration between doctors, technologists and entrepreneurs to provide innovative solutions to help with the COVID-19 crisis in India and a plasma registry that will help save lives of the critically ill. The United States, which is the worst-hit country, has the highest number of deaths with more than 55,000 fatalities from more than 980,000 cases. Campus News UB launches new Climate Action Plan to achieve climate neutrality by 2030 By DAVID J. HILL We have to act on climate change before its too late. Our generation doesnt have the luxury to sit back and let other people solve the problem. We have to see the solutions through. It has been about 10 years since UB put out its first Climate Action Plan (CAP), laying the framework for the universitys climate neutrality and overall sustainability goals that build upon five decades of environmental leadership. Ten is a key number: Its the number of years UB scientists and others say the planet has to rein in greenhouse gas emissions before we see catastrophic damage due to a changing climate. So, to do its part, UBs updated and enhanced Climate Action Plan set to be unveiled on April 22 in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the first Earth Day features 10 in 10. UBs 10 in 10 is a roadmap of innovative, engaging and digestible strategies the university is taking to increase climate action throughout the university, putting UB on a path to achieve net zero emissions by 2030. These 10 initiatives represent a synthesis of ideas expressed by a diverse array of stakeholders through a robust two-year campus engagement process, which included students, faculty, staff and the community. They also form a framework for UBs implementation efforts, with each of the 10 categories corresponding to a working group that will advance action within the area. There is also a large focus on visualizing the data, which allows the campus community to take complex information and view it in a clearer, more simplified manner. The dashboards and other tools also demonstrate how the university is holding itself accountable toward achieving its goals. A new website further outlines the 10 in 10 and includes an informational video. The enhanced action plan comes at a crucial moment. We have to act on climate change before its too late. Our generation doesnt have the luxury to sit back and let other people solve the problem. We have to see the solutions through, says Sadie Kratt, director of environmental affairs for the UB Student Association. By implementing this climate action plan, we as students can see real goals and how were going to reach them, Kratt adds. It shows that we are not alone in caring for our earth and that a real paradigm shift in thinking is happening right before us. Change is beginning to happen because of sustainability-minded students like Kratt, who are demanding that universities like UB become part of the solution. Toward that end, UB is ranked among the top universities in the world in climate action, according to the Times Higher Education (THE) University Impact Rankings. Moreover, businesses are seeing the economic value in reducing emissions, and numerous states are moving strong climate policies forward. Nowhere is this more evident than here in New York, where the Climate Leadership Community Protection Act recently went into effect and represents the most aggressive climate change law in the country. Through these impactful strategies, UB is building on not only our original Climate Plan of a decade ago, but our universitys longstanding environmental stewardship and leadership in climate action mitigation, said UB President Satish K. Tripathi. Indeed, our efforts in this regard date back to the environmental movement at Love Canal and continue through today, with our UB researchers exploring solutions to rising sea levels, soil erosion, suburban sprawl and a host of other issues adversely affecting our planet," Tripathi added. "UBs enhanced Climate Action Plan is another powerful demonstration of the clear, measurable steps we are taking to respond to the increasing pace and intensity of global climate change. In less than two weeks, the $349 billion in federal funding for the Paycheck Protection Program was gobbled up. The second round of funding for another $310 billion opened at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, April 27. And Michigan officials and business leaders are urging small businesses to apply quickly, per a state of Michigan news release. The PPP gives forgivable loans through the U.S. Small Business Association to businesses impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak. More than 43,000 businesses in Michigan received funding in the first round, getting a combined $10 billion, the release said. Small businesses with 500 or fewer employees can apply. Most funding must go toward paying employees. The loans are forgiven if the business meets certain requirements, including keeping the employees on the payroll for at least eight weeks. Go to MIpaycheckprotection.com for directions on how to apply. We recommend that businesses double check with your lending institution that your application is still in line for a PPP loan, said Brian Calley, president of the Small Business Association of Michigan and former lieutenant governor. Businesses that haven't applied, please act quickly since this money will be committed in a very short time. Calley and current Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist II are working together to publicize the program to Michiganders. Michigan business leaders are praising the program and encouraging businesses to take advantage. The additional PPP funds will provide critical capital for businesses facing a temporary loss of revenue as a result of coronavirus and protect the livelihoods for workers across the state, said Mark Burton, CEO of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. 'The Paycheck Protection Program will be paramount to economic recovery efforts in the state. For more information on how the MEDC is helping businesses during the coronavirus pandemic, click here. COVID-19 PREVENTION TIPS In addition to washing hands regularly and not touching your face, officials recommend practicing social distancing, assuming anyone may be carrying the virus. Health officials say you should be staying at least 6 feet away from others and working from home, if possible. Carry hand sanitizer with you, and use disinfecting wipes or disinfecting spray cleaners on frequently-touched surfaces in your home (door handles, faucets, countertops) and when you go into places like stores. Read more Michigan coronavirus coverage here Monday, April 27: Latest developments on coronavirus in Michigan Michigan extends personal protection orders during coronavirus crisis Daily life grinds to a halt with empty streets, a rising death toll as coronavirus lays siege to Detroit Blind voters sue Michigan for not making absentee ballots accessible during coronavirus Washington: US President Donald Trump's erratic handling of the coronavirus outbreak, the worsening economy and a cascade of ominous public and private polling have Republicans increasingly nervous that they are at risk of losing the presidency and the Senate if Trump does not put the nation on a radically improved course. Donald Trump has suggested people could be injected with disinfectant. Credit:AP The scale of the GOP's challenge has crystallised in the last week. With 26 million Americans now having filed for unemployment benefits, Trump's standing in states that he carried in 2016 looks increasingly wobbly: New surveys show him trailing significantly in battleground states like Michigan and Pennsylvania, and he is even narrowly behind in must-win Florida. Democrats raised substantially more money than Republicans did in the first quarter in the most pivotal congressional races, according to recent campaign finance reports. And while Trump is well ahead in money compared with the presumptive Democratic nominee, Joe Biden, Democratic donors are only beginning to focus on the general election, and several super political action committees plan to spend heavily on behalf of him and the party. Perhaps most significantly, Trump's single best advantage as an incumbent his access to daily White House briefings and the attention they command has effectively become a platform for self-sabotage. 'If it doesn't happen, we may be in for a difficult time.' 'Our biggest problem is our population and the fact we are a very social people.' 'However, I would say two months is more than enough time for things to settle down.' IMAGE: A man drives an autorickshaw depicting coronavirus to create awareness about the pandemic in Chennai, April 23, 2020. Photograph: PTI Photo "The virus is not going to disappear after the lockdown is lifted so we must continue to be careful and maintain social distancing, handwashing and wearing masks," Dr John Thomas Ramapuram, who spearheads Dakshina Kannada district's fight against coronavirus, tells Rediff.com's Savera R Someshwar in the concluding segment of a two-part interview. Despite the many weeks that have passed, the medical staff on the forefront of this fight against the virus still don't have enough masks or personal protection equipment (PPE). Testing facilities are still woefully inadequate so they may be exposed to the virus because the patient is yet to be tested or the results are being awaited. How does that make you feel and how do you keep your team's morale up? This is a very important question that you have asked. Our duty is to make sure that PPEs are given to all those who directly deal with Covid-19 patients. If we cannot provide protection to our own people, we cannot ask them to work in such conditions. That's what I believe. We have given an oath to our staff guaranteeing them the PPEs. We have managed to get some PPEs from whichever sources available, though it has been a struggle. We are being very judicious in using the PPEs since we don't want to waste our resources. We have identified what kind of PPE is to be used in which section of the hospital. Different PPEs are to be used in different places. We are also looking at options of re-using the PPEs. We want to use every available way to utilise it for the best possible result. In our district, we have been very closely monitoring that. As of now, we have sufficient PPEs because, as I told you, our numbers are very limited. We also inspect the quality of the PPE. If it is not good, we don't accept it. Many doctors, nurses and other health care professionals at the forefront of the fight against the coronavirus are facing personal struggles like being discriminated against. They also face the fear that they might get infected while taking care of positive patients. How are you tackling this situation? This is another important question. We have faced this problem in Mangaluru. It is one of the worst things that happened to us. Some of our staff and post-graduate students have been told to vacate their rented accommodation by their landlords. Some of the doctors could not go back home at night. They had to sleep in the hospital for a few days. I do not understand how people can behave like this in times of crisis. Making people (the landlords) understand what they were doing was wrong was one of our biggest challenges. We are caring for people who are not keeping well; we should not be penalised for that by being kicked out of the place where we are staying. It is very sad that such a thing should happen to us. When somebody cares for you, you also need to show that you care for them. We are working closely with the district authorities. They took serious steps against such actions and told them sternly that this kind of discrimination would not be tolerated. Since then, we have not faced any such problem. What are the safety procedures you have in place before your staff steps out of the hospital? The moment a doctor or staff nurse who is supposed to treat a COVID-19 patient steps into the hospital (besides sanitising their hands and getting their temperature checked), they remove their street clothes and wear OT scrubs. When they go to their wards, they wear a PPE. They only work in these wards for six hours; then they are relieved of their duty. In our hospital, they work for three days like this. Then they are given three days off so that they can relax. The moment they finish their work, they have to take a shower and completely sanitise themselves. Only then do they wear their street clothes. There are particular locations where they drop off their OT scrubs and PPEs. We have provided accommodation and food for those who don't want to go back home because they have elderly parents or young children or any other personal reason. Most, however, prefer to go back home. They maintain self-quarantine there and don't get too close to their families so that, in case they are infected despite these precautions, they should not infect their family members. If they have invalids in their family, we tell them to be particularly careful and not go near them at all. There have reports that 1 to 3 per cent of the population can succumb to the virus, but what the estimates of how many can actually be infected? If one refers to the mathematical calculations given by the Centers for Disease Control at Atlanta, USA, and WHO, it can be anywhere between 20 and 60 per cent of the population. So, when you apply 60 per cent to India, it is a frighteningly huge number -- around 70 crores (700 million). But you must remember that 80 per cent of those infected will not have any problem at all. They may have a mild sore throat and little bit of a cold for a few days and then it disappears. They will not even know they had it. Twenty per cent may have slightly more severe symptoms and go to a hospital. Of these, 10 per cent may require to be admitted. Of that, five per cent may become serious. And of that 1 to 3 per cent can end up in difficulty. That sounds a bit overwhelming. This disease is like a common cold; it comes from the same virus family. How many people die of common cold? The difference between HIV, H1N1 and this virus is that COVID-19 gets transmitted from one person to the other very swiftly. If you take the three simple precautions that everyone now knows, I don't think it's anything to worry. I'd like to repeat them here. First, maintain social distancing. Second, wash your hands regularly and don't bring your hands anywhere near your face. Third, wear a mask. This is very important, not to protect oneself, but to protect others. Since masks are a rare commodity these days, people wrap dupattas or tie handkerchiefs around their faces. How effective is this as a means of protection? The biggest advantage of wearing a mask is that you will not spread the disease. You don't need a layered or N95 mask. In fact, I would say an N95 mask should not be used by anyone other than healthcare professionals. You can make a mask at home. Or you can wear a handkerchief as a mask. Or use a dupatta. This is good enough to prevent the transmission of the disease from that person to another person. The basic thing is to follow cough etiquette. If I have a cough or if I sneeze, and I have an infection, it spreads. If I wear a mask, it does not spread. Most of the droplets will settle within the mask. Don't leave the mask/dupatta/handkerchief lying around after using it. And don't reuse it without washing it. You don't even need Dettol or any other antiseptic lotion. Just soak in hot water for 15 to 20 minutes and wash it well. This will get rid of any virus. If India is not able to flatten the curve before the monsoon begins in June, what are we facing? Well, the monsoons are two months away. Hopefully, the curve should flatten out by then. And if it doesn't? That's a very difficult question that you are asking me. We want it to flatten, no? Will it be difficult if the curve does not flatten? If it doesn't happen, we may be in for a difficult time. Our biggest problem is our population and the fact we are a very social people. However, I would say two months is more than enough time for things to settle down. We are still learning about this disease. There are many studies being conducted across the world and many research papers are constantly providing new information. There is much we don't know about this virus and we are learning every day. I am glad the government has extended the lockdown. But a lockdown is not easy. It has a huge economic impact. It poses many logistical challenges to the government. People are fighting to survive to survive and I hope the government can continue to support them during this period. If the lockdown had not been extended, the government would have ended up spending much more money fighting this pandemic. What are the post lockdown measures that people should follow? The first reaction will generally be that everything is okay. The most important thing is for people to remember and understand why a lockdown was put in place. The virus is not going to disappear after the lockdown is lifted so we must continue to be careful and maintain social distancing, handwashing and wearing masks. Again, I would like to reiterate that we need to wear masks more for the protection of others than ourselves. We in India tend to come together as a crowd for any occasion. Hopefully, that will change and people will understand the importance of queues. For how long should such measures be in place after the lockdown is lifted? Ideally, I would say for a minimum of six months or until the transmission of the disease reduces drastically. This disease can linger and those who have not been infected earlier can get it. What have your learnings been over the past four weeks? We are learning from all over the world because the Dakshina Kannada numbers are not high. Nor have we had complicated cases or patients who have been seriously ill. Twelve out of 13 patients who were diagnosed positive recovered and went back home. The one patient who is remaining was admitted just a few days ago. Our knowledge about this disease is still very limited. There are no randomised control trials that have taken place to say whether a particular drug is beneficial or not beneficial. Even if a vaccine is discovered, it will take at least one year for it to reach the public. Nobody knows yet why it is so infectious. The only country that has come out with some kind of guidelines is India. Hopefully, in a couple of weeks, we will have a clearer picture. Finally, what does your family have to say about your frontline role in this crisis? I have a wife and two daughters. Though they have told me they are not worried, I sometimes see a look of worry cross their faces. But they know what I'm doing and they always encourage me. Hutchens Named Agnes Milstead Distinguished Librarian at UW Chad Hutchens Chad Hutchens, an associate librarian and head of Digital Collections at the University of Wyoming Libraries, is the recipient of UWs 2020 Agnes Milstead Distinguished Librarianship Award. The late Agnes Milstead, a former professor of education and library science at UW, established the annual award in 1993 to recognize significant contributions to UW Libraries in scholarship, program development, teaching, fundraising and professional achievements. The award recognizes Hutchens for his leadership, collaboration, innovation and commitment to service to UW Libraries mission. He oversees the implementation and sharing of digital collections along with the management of multiple repositories. A librarian at UW since 2008, Hutchens has achieved several professional accomplishments, including adapting existing practices to incorporate innovative and unique ways of thinking; developing open source materials; improving metadata practices; and expanding the roles within Digital Collections to build a robust department. In 2019, he was one of eight fellows selected among UW faculty members to receive a fellowship with the Wyoming Institute for Humanities Research. Laura Vietti, museum and collections manager for the UW Department of Geology and Geophysics, wrote in her nomination letter that Hutchens leads an outstanding team of professionals in the digitizing field that are highly qualified and capable to tackle any upstream or downstream digitization task. Hutchens ability to build campus and statewide partnerships has allowed him to use new digital technologies in the preservation of digital materials. Marieka Arksey, former collections manager for the UW Archaeological Repository, wrote in her nomination letter about her collaboration with Hutchens. I honestly do not know how I would manage our digital collections if it werent for his support, Arksey wrote. A fellow colleague stated in his nomination letter that Hutchens is creating opportunities for faculty and staff to grow with the shifting landscape. His outreach efforts to partners on campus and around the state shine a light on the departments ability to provide a wide range of digital support to interested partners. Another colleague noted in her nomination letter, Chad encourages innovation and tenacity when dealing with complex processes of capture and creation of digital objects. From the day-to-day scanning work done by students to specialized on-site photogrammetry, which he supported himself, there is no task too small or large. Hutchens earned a masters degree in library and information science (2004) at the University of Texas-Austin. He received a masters degree (2001) and a bachelors degree (1999), both in classics from the University of Colorado-Boulder. The question comes up a couple of times each week, even though there is no chance that he will answer. Who will Joe Biden pick as his running mate? When James Corden asked on "The Late Late Show," Biden said he wanted a woman "capable of being president of the United States tomorrow," a phrase that will be applied to whomever he chooses. When a Pittsburgh TV station asked about Michelle Obama, Biden said he'd "take her in a heartbeat," though the former first lady consistently rules it out. Biden, who famously told reporters in 2008 that he was "not the guy" Sen. Barack Obama would pick as a running mate, knows how little any of this chatter matters. At the end of this coming week, Biden will officially put together his vice presidential search team, turning the speculation into a different, more serious-looking form of speculation. Biden has already thinned the pool of applicants by promising to pick a female running mate. We know plenty about the factors that each potential candidate would bring to the ticket. We know less about what matters to Biden. We know how Biden has approached this in the past. In 2015, when he considered, then abandoned, a run for president, he met with Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and reportedly pitched her on the vice presidency. Last year, even as Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., was running against Biden, some in the Congressional Black Caucus floated her as a running mate, and Biden didn't shoot it down. And at other points in 2019, Biden allies suggested that former Georgia House minority leader Stacey Abrams, who has focused on voting rights since narrowly losing a 2018 bid for governor, could not only join the ticket but boost Biden if he chose her before the primaries. Biden himself has riffed on his choice, when prompted, with names that are unlikely to appear on a shortlist. He has suggested that former acting attorney general Sally Yates would be a good vice president, as would both of New Hampshire's (female) Democratic senators. None of them has been floated by Democrats who are trying to raise the profiles of their favorite candidates; Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., for example, turns 74 next year, and a Republican governor would get to select her replacement. The Democrats nudging into this conversation have usually done so to promote lesser-known candidates, such as Rep. Val Demings of Florida, a former police chief; or Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada, who would be the first Latina vice president; or Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico, whose popularity has surged during the novel-coronavirus pandemic. We can apply three basic tests to the women most often mentioned as Biden running mates, tests only a few of them pass right now. - - - The excite-the-base test Biden, unlike many presumptive nominees, starts his vice presidential selection process with a lead in the polls. But he has vulnerabilities with younger voters and Latino voters, who heavily supported Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., in the primaries, and he was the nominee least trusted by many left-wing groups at the start of the primary. Biden, who performed best in the primary with suburban whites and black voters of all kinds, has not run as strongly as Barack Obama did with the party's most liberal voters. Outside groups have been trying to shape his opinion, putting together letters that ask him to pick a black woman (Abrams, Harris and Demings are on their list) or insist that he could unite the left behind him by picking Warren. The left's pitch is somewhat strained; some Sanders allies resent Warren for never endorsing him, and there is no other well-known, female liberal being touted as a running mate. The pitch from black women comes with more options, and Abrams herself has broken from precedent by explaining why she should be picked. The chief reason: She drove up turnout in her 2018 race, even while losing, in a way Biden would want to emulate. "If you look at what we were able to accomplish in Georgia, the growth of the numbers and the composition of the voters, I would put my capacity to win an election as the VP running mate alongside anyone's," Abrams told The Atlantic this week. There is, at the moment, far less pressure on Biden to pick someone who could appeal to white Midwestern voters or moderates. Part of that grows from confidence that Biden appeals to those voters already, while part is a hangover from 2016, when Hillary Clinton passed over some VP candidates with left-wing credibility to pick Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va. He was a safe pick, a partner who Clinton was confident could replace her if the worst happened, and when she lost, it clouded the very idea of playing it safe. - - - The ready-to-serve test Some candidates for president - Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Donald Trump - faced questions about their relevant experience and picked running mates whom they could pitch as governing partners. Biden's Washington resume is longer than anyone who has ever sought the presidency, sparing him this problem. But while he has cryptically called himself a "bridge" to the next generation of leaders, he has also suggested he will pick someone who can be president at a moment's notice. Abrams is the only frequently discussed candidate who is chased by worries about her resume. Polling has been sparse, with Fox News testing Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's appeal in Michigan (she was popular, but did not improve Biden's numbers), and the liberal group Data for Progress finding rank-and-file Sanders voters most happy with Warren. Harris, Warren and Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., have the advantage of having run against Biden. What matters is not how they ran; it's that they faced national scrutiny, built followings of various sizes, and got voters thinking about them as presidents. Does it matter whether voters immediately view a running mate as credible? It's only clear that a running mate who becomes viewed negatively can hurt. Voters have previously decided that a running mate was not up to the big job: in 1988, when George H.W. Bush picked Dan Quayle, and in 2008, when John McCain picked Sarah Palin. Both came to the national stage with relatively thin profiles, but voters did not begin to doubt their experience until Quayle and Palin gave erratic performances. First impressions of running mates have been all over the map. On June 16, 2016, when Trump announced Mike Pence as his running mate, he trailed Hillary Clinton by 5.8 points in an average of polls. One week later, he trailed by 5.9 points. When Clinton picked Kaine on July 29, she led Trump by 2.6 points; one week later, the race was tied. Four years earlier, when Mitt Romney added Paul Ryan to his ticket, he shrank his deficit against Barack Obama from 4.7 points to 3.4 points in a week. Only Palin was able to boost her running mate into the lead, briefly, a phenomenon that faded as she faced more scrutiny, and as an economic collapse closed off McCain's chances. - - - The do-no-harm test Obama's final shortlist consisted of Biden, then-Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine, and then-Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind. Of those three, only the Biden pick did not hand Republicans a key office; Kaine would have been replaced by a Republican lieutenant governor, and Bayh's successor would have been picked by Indiana's Republican governor. (Biden's seat could well have been lost in the 2010 midterms, but Republicans fatefully nominated a conservative activist named Christine O'Donnell over well-liked moderate Rep. Mike Castle, R-Del.) Obama was more careful than Al Gore, who picked then-Sen. Joe Lieberman, D-Conn., for his ticket, even though the state's Republican governor had the power to replace him. Clinton was more careful than either, picking Kaine, who by that time had been elected to the Senate, in part because Virginia's Democratic governor, Terry McAuliffe, would have chosen his replacement. Today's Democrats are more nervous than ever about the Senate, particularly about the risk of handing Republicans a seat at the start of a Biden presidency. Just two of the longlist candidates would risk that. Warren would, under current Massachusetts law, be replaced by Republican Gov. Charlie Baker until a special election could be held, though the state's Democratic supermajority could change that law and override a veto. (It's changed this statute twice in the past 20 years.) Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., would be replaced by no one, as Wisconsin law empowers the state legislature, now controlled by Republicans, to set an election to fill the seat. No other Democrats being discussed have those precise issues to work out. Klobuchar, Harris and Cortez Masto would all be replaced by Democratic governors, though Klobuchar's departure from the Senate would set up a special 2022 election for her substitute; Harris' and Cortez Masto's replacements would simply fill out the rest of their current terms. Whitmer and Lujan Grisham would both be replaced by their own, Democratic, lieutenant governors. Stringer also urged the insurers to evaluate the business risks of climate change to their industry, and how their investments and underwriting in the fossil fuel sector exacerbate those risks. Clearly, climate change poses an enormous risk to the world economy and to the long-term viability of insurance companies, Stringer wrote. We applaud Comptroller Stringer for pushing major insurers to take their role in the climate crisis seriously, said Elana Sulakshana, energy finance campaigner at Rainforest Action Network. Top fossil fuel insurers AIG, Berkshire Hathaway, and Liberty Mutual must stop providing a lifeline to the destructive coal industry. Liberty Mutual has taken a first step with piecemeal restrictions on coal insurance and investing, but a growing movement is demanding that Liberty strengthen its policy to meet the scale and urgency of the climate crisis, and we are thrilled to see Comptroller Stringer calling for the same. The New York City Pension Funds, which are overseen by Stringer, had over $155 billion in assets as of February. The funds also have significant holdings in all three insurers. Stringer told the companies that investments in and underwriting of coal companies and projects are simply incompatible both with your obligation to protect your clients from harm and your responsibility to protect and create long-term shareholder value My family lost everything in superstorm Sandy, said Rachel Rivera, a member of New York Communities for Change. Climate disasters like Sandy will get far worse unless climate pollution is rapidly slashed. Yet companies like Liberty Mutual, AIG, and Berkshire Hathaway, who are supposed to provide insurance for people, are causing climate destruction that hurts all of us. And some, like me, much worse than others. Thats got to stop. New York is the second major US city to call on insurers to sever ties with coal. A similar resolution was passed by San Franciscos Board of Supervisors in 2018. NEW YORK, April 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Infection Control market worldwide is projected to grow by US$8.3 Billion, driven by a compounded growth of 6.2%. Disinfection Products, one of the segments analyzed and sized in this study, displays the potential to grow at over 6.9%. The shifting dynamics supporting this growth makes it critical for businesses in this space to keep abreast of the changing pulse of the market. Poised to reach over US$16.1 Billion by the year 2025, Disinfection Products will bring in healthy gains adding significant momentum to global growth. Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05798881/?utm_source=PRN - Representing the developed world, the United States will maintain a 7.1% growth momentum. Within Europe, which continues to remain an important element in the world economy, Germany will add over US$378.6 Million to the region's size and clout in the next 5 to 6 years. Over US$387.8 Million worth of projected demand in the region will come from Rest of Europe markets. In Japan, Disinfection Products will reach a market size of US$1.2 Billion by the close of the analysis period. As the world's second largest economy and the new game changer in global markets, China exhibits the potential to grow at 6% over the next couple of years and add approximately US$1.4 Billion in terms of addressable opportunity for the picking by aspiring businesses and their astute leaders. Presented in visually rich graphics are these and many more need-to-know quantitative data important in ensuring quality of strategy decisions, be it entry into new markets or allocation of resources within a portfolio. Several macroeconomic factors and internal market forces will shape growth and development of demand patterns in emerging countries in Asia-Pacific. All research viewpoints presented are based on validated engagements from influencers in the market, whose opinions supersede all other research methodologies. - Competitors identified in this market include, among others, 3M Company Company Advanced Sterilization Products Belimed AG Cantel Medical Corporation Ecolab, Inc. Getinge AB (Getinge Group) Halyard Health, Inc. Matachana Group Metrex Research LLC Pal International Ltd. Reckitt Benckiser Group PLC Sotera Health LLC Steris Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05798881/?utm_source=PRN I. INTRODUCTION, METHODOLOGY & REPORT SCOPE II. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1. MARKET OVERVIEW Infection Control A Prelude to Infection Control Market Asia Pacific Holds Largest Market Share Global Competitor Market Shares Infection Control Competitor Market Share Scenario Worldwide: (in %): 2019 & 2025 2. FOCUS ON SELECT PLAYERS 3. MARKET TRENDS & DRIVERS Surface Disinfectant Market Trends Infection Control Market Drivers Summarized Increase in Geriatric Population Spurs Market Growth Rising Incidence of hospital acquired infections Fuels Infection Control Demand Technological Advances in Sterilization Equipment Modernizes the Infection Control Market Growing UV Disinfection Market Minimize Hospital Acquired Infections Guidelines and Standards Innovations Increased Incidence of Health Disorders Drives the North America Market 4. GLOBAL MARKET PERSPECTIVE Table 1: Infection Control Global Market Estimates and Forecasts in US$ Million by Region/Country: 2018-2025 Table 2: Infection Control Global Retrospective Market Scenario in US$ Million by Region/Country: 2009-2017 Table 3: Infection Control Market Share Shift across Key Geographies Worldwide: 2009 VS 2019 VS 2025 Table 4: Disinfection Products (Products & Services) World Market by Region/Country in US$ Million: 2018 to 2025 Table 5: Disinfection Products (Products & Services) Historic Market Analysis by Region/Country in US$ Million: 2009 to 2017 Table 6: Disinfection Products (Products & Services) Market Share Breakdown of Worldwide Sales by Region/Country: 2009 VS 2019 VS 2025 Table 7: Sterilization Products & Services (Products & Services) Potential Growth Markets Worldwide in US$ Million: 2018 to 2025 Table 8: Sterilization Products & Services (Products & Services) Historic Market Perspective by Region/Country in US$ Million: 2009 to 2017 Table 9: Sterilization Products & Services (Products & Services) Market Sales Breakdown by Region/Country in Percentage: 2009 VS 2019 VS 2025 Table 10: Hospitals & Clinics (End-Use) Global Market Estimates & Forecasts in US$ Million by Region/Country: 2018-2025 Table 11: Hospitals & Clinics (End-Use) Retrospective Demand Analysis in US$ Million by Region/Country: 2009-2017 Table 12: Hospitals & Clinics (End-Use) Market Share Breakdown by Region/Country: 2009 VS 2019 VS 2025 Table 13: Life Sciences Industry (End-Use) Demand Potential Worldwide in US$ Million by Region/Country: 2018-2025 Table 14: Life Sciences Industry (End-Use) Historic Sales Analysis in US$ Million by Region/Country: 2009-2017 Table 15: Life Sciences Industry (End-Use) Share Breakdown Review by Region/Country: 2009 VS 2019 VS 2025 Table 16: Medical Device Companies (End-Use) Worldwide Latent Demand Forecasts in US$ Million by Region/Country: 2018-2025 Table 17: Medical Device Companies (End-Use) Global Historic Analysis in US$ Million by Region/Country: 2009-2017 Table 18: Medical Device Companies (End-Use) Distribution of Global Sales by Region/Country: 2009 VS 2019 VS 2025 Table 19: Pharmaceutical Companies (End-Use) Sales Estimates and Forecasts in US$ Million by Region/Country for the Years 2018 through 2025 Table 20: Pharmaceutical Companies (End-Use) Analysis of Historic Sales in US$ Million by Region/Country for the Years 2009 to 2017 Table 21: Pharmaceutical Companies (End-Use) Global Market Share Distribution by Region/Country for 2009, 2019, and 2025 Table 22: Food Industry (End-Use) Global Opportunity Assessment in US$ Million by Region/Country: 2018-2025 Table 23: Food Industry (End-Use) Historic Sales Analysis in US$ Million by Region/Country: 2009-2017 Table 24: Food Industry (End-Use) Percentage Share Breakdown of Global Sales by Region/Country: 2009 VS 2019 VS 2025 Table 25: Other End-Uses (End-Use) Worldwide Sales in US$ Million by Region/Country: 2018-2025 Table 26: Other End-Uses (End-Use) Historic Demand Patterns in US$ Million by Region/Country: 2009-2017 Table 27: Other End-Uses (End-Use) Market Share Shift across Key Geographies: 2009 VS 2019 VS 2025 III. MARKET ANALYSIS GEOGRAPHIC MARKET ANALYSIS UNITED STATES Market Facts & Figures US Infection Control Market Share (in %) by Company: 2019 & 2025 Market Analytics Table 28: United States Infection Control Market Estimates and Projections in US$ Million by Products & Services: 2018 to 2025 Table 29: Infection Control Market in the United States by Products & Services: A Historic Review in US$ Million for 2009-2017 Table 30: United States Infection Control Market Share Breakdown by Products & Services: 2009 VS 2019 VS 2025 Table 31: United States Infection Control Latent Demand Forecasts in US$ Million by End-Use: 2018 to 2025 Table 32: Infection Control Historic Demand Patterns in the United States by End-Use in US$ Million for 2009-2017 Table 33: Infection Control Market Share Breakdown in the United States by End-Use: 2009 VS 2019 VS 2025 CANADA Table 34: Canadian Infection Control Market Estimates and Forecasts in US$ Million by Products & Services: 2018 to 2025 Table 35: Canadian Infection Control Historic Market Review by Products & Services in US$ Million: 2009-2017 Table 36: Infection Control Market in Canada: Percentage Share Breakdown of Sales by Products & Services for 2009, 2019, and 2025 Table 37: Canadian Infection Control Market Quantitative Demand Analysis in US$ Million by End-Use: 2018 to 2025 Table 38: Infection Control Market in Canada: Summarization of Historic Demand Patterns in US$ Million by End-Use for 2009-2017 Table 39: Canadian Infection Control Market Share Analysis by End-Use: 2009 VS 2019 VS 2025 JAPAN Table 40: Japanese Market for Infection Control: Annual Sales Estimates and Projections in US$ Million by Products & Services for the Period 2018-2025 Table 41: Infection Control Market in Japan: Historic Sales Analysis in US$ Million by Products & Services for the Period 2009-2017 Table 42: Japanese Infection Control Market Share Analysis by Products & Services: 2009 VS 2019 VS 2025 Table 43: Japanese Demand Estimates and Forecasts for Infection Control in US$ Million by End-Use: 2018 to 2025 Table 44: Japanese Infection Control Market in US$ Million by End-Use: 2009-2017 Table 45: Infection Control Market Share Shift in Japan by End-Use: 2009 VS 2019 VS 2025 CHINA Table 46: Chinese Infection Control Market Growth Prospects in US$ Million by Products & Services for the Period 2018-2025 Table 47: Infection Control Historic Market Analysis in China in US$ Million by Products & Services: 2009-2017 Table 48: Chinese Infection Control Market by Products & Services: Percentage Breakdown of Sales for 2009, 2019, and 2025 Table 49: Chinese Demand for Infection Control in US$ Million by End-Use: 2018 to 2025 Table 50: Infection Control Market Review in China in US$ Million by End-Use: 2009-2017 Table 51: Chinese Infection Control Market Share Breakdown by End-Use: 2009 VS 2019 VS 2025 EUROPE Market Facts & Figures European Infection Control Market: Competitor Market Share Scenario (in %) for 2019 & 2025 Market Analytics Table 52: European Infection Control Market Demand Scenario in US$ Million by Region/Country: 2018-2025 Table 53: Infection Control Market in Europe: A Historic Market Perspective in US$ Million by Region/Country for the Period 2009-2017 Table 54: European Infection Control Market Share Shift by Region/Country: 2009 VS 2019 VS 2025 Table 55: European Infection Control Market Estimates and Forecasts in US$ Million by Products & Services: 2018-2025 Table 56: Infection Control Market in Europe in US$ Million by Products & Services: A Historic Review for the Period 2009-2017 Table 57: European Infection Control Market Share Breakdown by Products & Services: 2009 VS 2019 VS 2025 Table 58: European Infection Control Addressable Market Opportunity in US$ Million by End-Use: 2018-2025 Table 59: Infection Control Market in Europe: Summarization of Historic Demand in US$ Million by End-Use for the Period 2009-2017 Table 60: European Infection Control Market Share Analysis by End-Use: 2009 VS 2019 VS 2025 FRANCE Table 61: Infection Control Market in France by Products & Services: Estimates and Projections in US$ Million for the Period 2018-2025 Table 62: French Infection Control Historic Market Scenario in US$ Million by Products & Services: 2009-2017 Table 63: French Infection Control Market Share Analysis by Products & Services: 2009 VS 2019 VS 2025 Table 64: Infection Control Quantitative Demand Analysis in France in US$ Million by End-Use: 2018-2025 Table 65: French Infection Control Historic Market Review in US$ Million by End-Use: 2009-2017 Table 66: French Infection Control Market Share Analysis: A 17-Year Perspective by End-Use for 2009, 2019, and 2025 GERMANY Table 67: Infection Control Market in Germany: Recent Past, Current and Future Analysis in US$ Million by Products & Services for the Period 2018-2025 Table 68: German Infection Control Historic Market Analysis in US$ Million by Products & Services: 2009-2017 Table 69: German Infection Control Market Share Breakdown by Products & Services: 2009 VS 2019 VS 2025 Table 70: Infection Control Market in Germany: Annual Sales Estimates and Forecasts in US$ Million by End-Use for the Period 2018-2025 Table 71: German Infection Control Market in Retrospect in US$ Million by End-Use: 2009-2017 Table 72: Infection Control Market Share Distribution in Germany by End-Use: 2009 VS 2019 VS 2025 ITALY Table 73: Italian Infection Control Market Growth Prospects in US$ Million by Products & Services for the Period 2018-2025 Table 74: Infection Control Historic Market Analysis in Italy in US$ Million by Products & Services: 2009-2017 Table 75: Italian Infection Control Market by Products & Services: Percentage Breakdown of Sales for 2009, 2019, and 2025 Table 76: Italian Demand for Infection Control in US$ Million by End-Use: 2018 to 2025 Table 77: Infection Control Market Review in Italy in US$ Million by End-Use: 2009-2017 Table 78: Italian Infection Control Market Share Breakdown by End-Use: 2009 VS 2019 VS 2025 UNITED KINGDOM Table 79: United Kingdom Market for Infection Control: Annual Sales Estimates and Projections in US$ Million by Products & Services for the Period 2018-2025 Table 80: Infection Control Market in the United Kingdom: Historic Sales Analysis in US$ Million by Products & Services for the Period 2009-2017 Table 81: United Kingdom Infection Control Market Share Analysis by Products & Services: 2009 VS 2019 VS 2025 Table 82: United Kingdom Demand Estimates and Forecasts for Infection Control in US$ Million by End-Use: 2018 to 2025 Table 83: United Kingdom Infection Control Market in US$ Million by End-Use: 2009-2017 Table 84: Infection Control Market Share Shift in the United Kingdom by End-Use: 2009 VS 2019 VS 2025 REST OF EUROPE Table 85: Rest of Europe Infection Control Market Estimates and Forecasts in US$ Million by Products & Services: 2018-2025 Table 86: Infection Control Market in Rest of Europe in US$ Million by Products & Services: A Historic Review for the Period 2009-2017 Table 87: Rest of Europe Infection Control Market Share Breakdown by Products & Services: 2009 VS 2019 VS 2025 Table 88: Rest of Europe Infection Control Addressable Market Opportunity in US$ Million by End-Use: 2018-2025 Table 89: Infection Control Market in Rest of Europe: Summarization of Historic Demand in US$ Million by End-Use for the Period 2009-2017 Table 90: Rest of Europe Infection Control Market Share Analysis by End-Use: 2009 VS 2019 VS 2025 ASIA-PACIFIC Table 91: Infection Control Market in Asia-Pacific by Products & Services: Estimates and Projections in US$ Million for the Period 2018-2025 Table 92: Asia-Pacific Infection Control Historic Market Scenario in US$ Million by Products & Services: 2009-2017 Table 93: Asia-Pacific Infection Control Market Share Analysis by Products & Services: 2009 VS 2019 VS 2025 Table 94: Infection Control Quantitative Demand Analysis in Asia-Pacific in US$ Million by End-Use: 2018-2025 Table 95: Asia-Pacific Infection Control Historic Market Review in US$ Million by End-Use: 2009-2017 Table 96: Asia-Pacific Infection Control Market Share Analysis: A 17-Year Perspective by End-Use for 2009, 2019, and 2025 REST OF WORLD Table 97: Rest of World Infection Control Market Estimates and Forecasts in US$ Million by Products & Services: 2018 to 2025 Table 98: Rest of World Infection Control Historic Market Review by Products & Services in US$ Million: 2009-2017 Table 99: Infection Control Market in Rest of World: Percentage Share Breakdown of Sales by Products & Services for 2009, 2019, and 2025 Table 100: Rest of World Infection Control Market Quantitative Demand Analysis in US$ Million by End-Use: 2018 to 2025 Table 101: Infection Control Market in Rest of World: Summarization of Historic Demand Patterns in US$ Million by End-Use for 2009-2017 Table 102: Rest of World Infection Control Market Share Analysis by End-Use: 2009 VS 2019 VS 2025 IV. COMPETITION 3M COMPANY ADVANCED STERILIZATION PRODUCTS BAIXIANG TECHNOLOGIES CO. BAUMER SA BELIMED AG BMM WESTON BURTONS MEDICAL EQUIPMENT CANTEL MEDICAL CORPORATION MEDIAVATORS CISA PRODUCTION SRL GETINGE AB LAOKEN MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD. HALYARD HEALTH MATACHANA GROUP METREX RESEARCH PAL INTERNATIONAL RECKITT BENCKISER GROUP PLC SHINVA MEDICAL INSTRUMENT SOTERA HEALTH STERIS PLC TUTTNAUER EUROPE BV V. CURATED RESEARCH Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05798881/?utm_source=PRN About Reportlinker ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place. __________________________ Contact Clare: [email protected] US: (339)-368-6001 Intl: +1 339-368-6001 SOURCE Reportlinker Related Links www.reportlinker.com A study has tracked the shift from hunter-gatherer lifestyles to early farming that occurred in prehistoric Europe over a period of around 1,500 years. An international team of scientists, led by researchers at the University of York, analysed the molecular remains of food left in pottery used by the first farmers who settled along the Atlantic Coast of Europe from 7,000 to 6,000 years ago. The researchers report evidence of dairy products in 80% of the pottery fragments from the Atlantic coast of what is now Britain and Ireland. In comparison, dairy farming on the Southern Atlantic coast of what is now Portugal and Spain seems to have been much less intensive, and with a greater use of sheep and goats rather than cows. The study confirms that the earliest farmers to arrive on the Southern Atlantic coast exploited animals for their milk but suggests that dairying only really took off when it spread to northern latitudes, with progressively more dairy products processed in ceramic vessels. Prehistoric farmers colonising Northern areas with harsher climates may have had a greater need for the nutritional benefits of milk, including vitamin D and fat, the authors of the study suggest. Senior author of the paper, Professor Oliver Craig from the Department of Archaeology at the University of York, said: "Latitudinal differences in the scale of dairy production might also be important for understanding the evolution of adult lactase persistence across Europe. Today, the genetic change that allows adults to digest the lactose in milk is at much higher frequency in Northwestern Europeans than their southern counterparts". The research team examined organic residues preserved in Early Neolithic pottery from 24 archaeological sites situated between Portugal and Normandy as well as in the Western Baltic. They found surprisingly little evidence for marine foods in pottery even from sites located close to the Atlantic shoreline, with plenty of opportunities for fishing and shellfish gathering. An exception was in the Western Baltic where dairy foods and marine foods were both prepared in pottery. Lead author of the paper, Dr Miriam Cubas, said: "This surprising discovery could mean that many prehistoric farmers shunned marine foods in favour of dairy, but perhaps fish and shellfish were simply processed in other ways. "Our study is one of the largest regional comparisons of early pottery use. It has shed new light on the spread of early farming across Atlantic Europe and showed that there was huge variety in the way early farmers lived. These results help us to gain more of an insight into the lives of people living during this process of momentous change in culture and lifestyle - from hunter-gatherer to farming." 'Latitudinal gradient in dairy production with the introduction of farming in Atlantic Europe' is published in Nature Communications. ### This research was carried out in collaboration between the University of York, Sociedad de Ciencias Aranzadi, University Autonoma of Barcelona, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, University of Cantabria, INRAP, Service Regional de l'Archeologie of Normandy, Service Archeologie du Conseil Departemental du Calvados, University of Lisbon-UNIARQ, University of Santiago de Compostela, University of Rennes, Museo de Prehistoria y Arqueologia de Cantabria, Institut Catala de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolucio Social, Museu Arqueologico de Sao Miguel de Odrinhas and University of Barcelona. The study was funded by the European Commission through the Marie Curie project and by the Arts and Humanities Research Council. French police have seized 140,000 face masks destined to be sold on the black market in a record haul since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Two men, aged 46 and 60, were arrested while they were unloading boxes in Saint-Denis, just north of Paris, a police source said on Sunday. One of them said he was a business owner and had bought the masks, including 5,000 FFP2 protective masks, in the Netherlands for a total of 80,000 euros. The masks were to be sold to construction companies for a large profit, according to police. Black market It is the largest seizure since the French government banned the resale of protective masks on 3 March in order to prioritise their distribution to health workers in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. Face masks from China intended for France 'hijacked' by US at the last minute Two detained in Paris for hoarding face masks In March, 32,500 masks from China were seized from a warehouse near Paris. A man was also arrested in possession of more than 23,000 face masks in Paris' 16th arrondissement. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Apr. 27 By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend: Turkey's car exports to Kazakhstan dropped by 40.4 percent from January through March 2020 compared to the same period of 2019 and amounted to $9.2 million, the Turkish Ministry of Trade told Trend on April 27. The export of cars from Turkey to Kazakhstan in March 2020 decreased by 28.8 percent compared to March 2019, making up $3 million. The export of cars from Turkey to the world markets from January through March 2020 decreased by 10 percent compared to the same period of 2019 and reached $6.9 billion. The export of cars from Turkey makes up 16.3 percent of the country's total export of goods from January through March 2020. Turkey exported the cars worth $2.06 billion in March 2020 which is by 28.5 percent less than in March 2019. The export of cars from Turkey in March 2020 accounted for 15.4 percent of Turkey's total export. Turkey's export of cars from March 2019 through March 2020 amounted to $29.8 billion. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu Michigan health officials announced 432 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Monday, April 27 the lowest increase since March 23, in the initial days of the outbreak. In total, Michigan has 38,210 people who've tested positive for the virus so far. The state announced 92 new deaths on Monday, bringing the death count to 3,407. Its unclear if the lower amount in new cases can be attributed to less testing as Michigan releases test data two days after its done. Totals from Saturday the most recent data available show tests dropped to about 5,900 for the day, a few thousand off numbers from Thursday and Friday. The goal is to test 15,000 people per day, state officials have said. Its also better to look at rolling averages for cases and deaths instead of only individual dates to account for variables, officials said. In the last seven days, Michigan has averaged 887 new cases and 134 new deaths per day. In the seven-day period prior, Michigan averaged 909 new cases and 123 deaths per day meaning new cases are slightly down and new deaths are slightly up. Sorry, but your browser does not support frames. Michigan is releasing recovery data once per week. So far, as of data released Saturday, 8,342 people have recovered from the virus in the state meaning they tested positive for COVID-19 at some point, theyre still alive and its been at least 30 days since symptoms began. Of Michigan's 83 counties, 78 have at least one confirmed coronavirus case and 57 counties have at least one death. Lenawee County is reporting its first death, per Monday's data. Oakland Countys total case count dropped by 15 on Monday. Cases are not removed when a person dies or recovers only when investigations note a correction is needed, per the state website. Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties remain the three hardest-hit areas in Michigan with 73.4 percent of the total confirmed cases and 81.6 percent of the states deaths from the virus although both percentages are dropping as other parts of the state become more affected by the virus. The trio of Southeast Michigan counties are home to 39 percent of the states residents. In Detroit alone, there were 8,679 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 950 deaths. The disproportionate number of cases in the metro Detroit area is a result of multiple factors, including the large population, more aggressive testing in those counties, proximity to a major airport and community spread of coronavirus, experts say. The virus is heavily affecting African Americans. About 32 percent of cases and 41 percent of deaths in Michigan are for African Americans, while they make up 14 percent of the states population. Sorry, but your browser does not support frames. Here's a look at the Michigan counties with the most confirmed cases: 1. Wayne County: 15,872 cases (1,622 deaths) 2. Oakland County: 6,913 cases (631 deaths) 3. Macomb County: 5,245 cases (527 deaths) 4. Genesee County: 1,483 cases (165 deaths) 5. Kent County: 1,100 cases (34 deaths) 6. Washtenaw County: 1,004 cases (55 deaths) 7. Saginaw County: 586 cases (47 deaths) 8. Ingham County: 413 cases (10 deaths) 9. Jackson County: 341 cases (18 deaths) 10. Livingston County: 319 cases (14 deaths) For more statewide data, visit MLives coronavirus data page, here. COVID-19 PREVENTION TIPS In addition to washing hands regularly and not touching your face, officials recommend practicing social distancing, assuming anyone may be carrying the virus. Health officials say you should be staying at least 6 feet away from others and working from home, if possible. Carry hand sanitizer with you, and use disinfecting wipes or disinfecting spray cleaners on frequently-touched surfaces in your home (door handles, faucets, countertops) and when you go into places like stores. Read more Michigan coronavirus coverage here Monday, April 27: Latest developments on coronavirus in Michigan Blind voters sue Michigan for not making absentee ballots accessible during coronavirus One million people in Michigan have received unemployment benefits since mid-March Daily life grinds to a halt with empty streets, a rising death toll as coronavirus lays siege to Detroit Michigan businesses urged to apply quickly as new round of Paycheck Protection Program begins Philanthropist and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has stated that vaccine to cure coronavirus could be ready within a year's time. Talking to CNN, Gates said, "If everything went perfectly, we'd be in scale manufacturing within a year. However, It could be as long as two years." He also clarified that the production of the vaccine would not start before September. Bill & Melinda Gates foundation-- an NGO run by Gates and her wife, has pledged to give "total attention" to the coronavirus pandemic. In an interview with the Financial Times, the billionaire said that the foundation will refocus all its resources on fighting coronavirus. Citing Dr Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Gates said, "Dr Fauci and I have been fairly consistent to say 18 months to create expectations that are not too high". Also read: Coronavirus India Live Updates: COVID-19 death toll nears 900; cases tally at 27,892, says Health Ministry Gates also spoke about how "raw" numbers of testing were missing the main picture. Gates said, "This focus on the number of tests understates the cacophony and the mistakes we've made in the testing system". According to Gates, through random testing sometimes wrong people were being tested. And, the delay of 24-hour in each test's result had reduced the value of a test, Gates added. The billionaire has some experience in this area, with his foundation already working on infectious disease research and funding vaccines. "We've taken an organisation that was focused on HIV and malaria and polio eradication, and almost entirely shifted it to work on this," Gates told the FT. The foundation has reportedly contributed $250 million to counter the pandemic. The Gates Foundation funds the work of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, which produced a coronavirus model that predicts the US death toll through early August. The billionaire in a column on The Washington Post optimistically wrote that with the right tools and smart implementation, the pandemic will soon end. He added that the current scenario will teach us to prevent future pandemic. "World War II was the defining moment of my parents' generation. Similarly, the coronavirus pandemic - the first in a century-will define this era. But there is one big difference between a world war and a pandemic: All of humanity can work together to learn about the disease and develop the capacity to fight it. With the right tools in hand, and smart implementation, we will eventually be able to declare an end to this pandemic- and turn our attention to how to prevent and contain the next one," Gates wrote in the American daily. Also read: Coronavirus crisis: Govt won't lose 'a single rupee', ICMR on profiteering allegations over testing kits Also read: PM Modi hints at coronavirus lockdown extension, says follow 'Do Gaz Doori' VANCOUVER, British Columbia, April 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Flowfinity Wireless Inc. today announced the launch of their COVID-19 Response Support Program, an initiative that helps any company immediately transition to remote work. The program allows organizations to digitize business processes across desktops and mobile devices, deploying custom applications quickly without operational interruption. Available now through December 31, 2020, the Flowfinity COVID-19 Response Support Program includes: Flowfinity no-code remote work apps Flowfinity Wireless Additional client access licenses, free of charge, for existing customers Substantially discounted client access licenses on a public cloud service for new clients A complimentary 1-on-1 consultation with Flowfinity Customer Care Engineers The licenses and consultation expertise can be used to build secure business process applications that enable employees to self-report on health and work availability, re-assign and track tasks among remote teams, and access mission-critical databases and document libraries while off-site. The custom business systems also have enhanced integration capabilities, including compatibility with leading automation platforms MS Power Automate and Zapier. This helps distributed teams efficiently collaborate and stay connected with the information systems that drive productivity. "Transitioning to remote work requires safe and secure access to everyday business processes across mobile devices and laptops with regular internet connections," says Larry Wilson, VP Sales & Marketing, Flowfinity. "We want to do our part to help by providing organizations with access to no-code tools to build these applications, quickly and reliably." The COVID-19 Response Support Program is available today. To learn more and apply, visit https://www.flowfinity.com/support-program.aspx About Flowfinity Flowfinity is a no-code application configuration toolset used to digitize and automate the business processes organizations use to run their business every day. For over 20 years, Flowfinity has empowered IT and business professionals to build flexible, scalable field data collection apps and workflow applications without committing the resources required to write and maintain code. Our intuitive platform combines a web-based app editor, cloud database, advanced mobile data collection, interactive dashboards, process automations, and reliable integrations. For more information, please visit: https://www.flowfinity.com/ Contact: Lisa Nguyen 604-878-0008 x2124 [email protected] SOURCE Flowfinity Wireless Related Links https://www.flowfinity.com PINE BLUFF, Ark. - A drive-by shooting in Arkansas killed two people, including a child, and wounded a man, police said Monday. The shooting happened late Sunday at a home in Pine Bluff, about 40 miles (65 kilometres) southeast of Little Rock, the Pine Bluff Police Department said. Officers who responded to a shooting call found 37-year-old Terrance Givens dead at the home from a gunshot wound, police said. A 4-year-old girl who was shot died at a hospital and a 34-year-old man was in serious condition, police said. Police said there was no suspect information as of Monday morning. The deaths are the 7th and 8th homicides of the year in Pine Bluff, police said. By Zaidee Stavely EdSource The stay-at-home order has upended some of California's most crucial educational and health services for infants and toddlers - home visits and early intervention services - at a time when families may need them the most. Home-visiting programs send nurses, social workers and other trained professionals to the homes of low-income parents to give health and early education advice. They also help children meet milestones, like crawling, picking up objects, speaking their first words and playing. Speech therapists and others also conduct home visits to do early intervention with children who have developmental delays. These home visitors are now making video calls, recording stories, dropping off learning materials on doorsteps and parking outside families' homes to provide mobile hotspots, all to keep connecting with their clients. Parents are referred to home-visiting programs by doctors or other health care workers when they are pregnant or just had a baby, or by social service agencies or community-based organizations. About 32,000 children were served by home-visiting programs in California in 2017-18, according to the California Budget and Policy Center, a nonprofit research organization that works to improve social service programs for low- and middle-income residents. Parents are referred to early intervention programs when their children are diagnosed with a developmental delay. Early intervention programs serve about 40,000infants and toddlers with special needs in the state. Studies have found home-visiting programs, such as the Nurse-Family Partnership, have long-term benefits for children's reading and math skills, in addition to improving their health and mental health, and help mothers get high school diplomas or GEDs and better jobs. After Gov. Gavin Newsom expanded funding for home visiting last year, some advocates expect programs to be able to serve three times as many families by 2021. Early learning advocates say the services provided by home visits are now more important than ever. Studies have shown some home-visiting programs help prevent child abuse. Many advocates are concerned that child abuse could increase during the stay-at-home orders, with children and parents or guardians all at home together, under stress because of the pandemic and with little contact with other people outside the home. "Given the concern of increased stress levels and being within a home that might not be as stable and safe as would be ideal, the more we can get support to people to prevent harm to children, the better off we'll be," said Gina Daleiden, executive director of First 5 Yolo County, a county commission that operates several home-visiting programs in the county. First 5 commissions in every county in California fund and support health and education services for children up to 5 years old. One of the biggest barriers to video call home visits is that many of the families participating do not have internet access at home. In Mono County, on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada, some families ran out of internet data on their cell phones in the middle of their first virtual visits. So now, some home visitors bring mobile hot spots in their cars and park outside families' homes so that parents and children can connect to the internet. "We've had phone calls with some of those families, but it's really much more rich when you can see how the parent and child are interacting," said Molly DesBaillets, executive director of First 5 Mono County. "For example, if the activity the visit is centered around is Play-Doh and the child is making it into a ball, we would model narrating what the child is doing, in the hopes that the parent would continue to do that after the visit. So that's one of the reasons we felt it is so important to do face-to-face, even if it's on an internet platform, versus a phone call." Samantha Tooley, a parent who is trained to work with other parents, does home visits for the San Joaquin County Office of Education. She is recording videos of herself reading stories and posting them on YouTube and on private Facebook groups for the parents she works with. She's also sending ideas for activities each child can do. "We're lucky that we've been able to utilize social media and that it's there," Tooley said. "It's been easy to me because I am a millennial. I feel like if we didn't have social media during this time, it would have been extremely difficult." Although video calls help home visitors connect with parents, they can be a challenge for small children. "Our message to parents has been to limit screen time. Now we're asking them to engage with us over a screen," said Michele Rogers, executive director of the Early Learning Institute, a nonprofit organization in Sonoma County that conducts early intervention visits for children under 3 years old who have speech or other developmental delays. Rogers said early intervention therapists are trying to make video visits more interactive, and they make sure parents know that children have permission to wander around the room. "Sometimes they'll be on the screen and sometimes not," she said. "You cannot make a screaming 18-month-old sit in front of the phone so his therapist can play with him." In addition to those challenges, referrals for early intervention services have gone down in some cases because physicians are not seeing many children for regular checkups. Rogers said it's important for parents to know they do not need a doctor's referral to get early intervention services. If they notice a delay, they can reach out directly to ask for an assessment. In some cases, the visits from afar have been unexpectedly positive. One of the first times Andrea Jahns, a developmental specialist with the Early Learning Institute, connected via online video with one of her clients, a 2-year-old boy who has speech delays, she was nervous. Her own son, who is around the same age as her client, was at home with her, and she knew he might interrupt. But it turned out that her son actually helped the other little boy. "Once my son noticed there was a child on the screen, he started bringing balls to the screen to show him," wrote Jahns in an email. "The boy repeatedly said 'ball' or 'big ball' each time my son brought a new one. Then he started saying, 'Share?' putting his hand towards the screen, indicating he wanted my son to hand him the ball. It was like a virtual play date with two toddlers who have never met. Almost made my job too easy!" Speech therapists in Sonoma County have also told Rogers that the virtual visits have encouraged some mothers to be more involved, singing songs and doing activities directly with their children. "We're only there an hour a week, so this is what we want," Rogers said. Petaluma mom Patricia Vasquez's 2-year-old daughter, Genesis, has cerebral palsy. They have been receiving weekly home visits for a little more than a year, and Vasquez said seeing the visitor in person before the stay-at-home order helped her and her daughter learn sign language to communicate. For two weeks now they have had video visits, but Genesis doesn't like to sit still watching the camera. What has worked better for Vasquez is that the home visitor has sent her text messages with ideas for activities Vasquez can do with her daughter. "We've learned different things to do at home," Vasquez said. "She sent me recipes to make Play-Doh with no chemicals. We've learned a lot now that we are staying at home, too." Home visitors in several counties have been surprised at how many clients still wanted to participate in visits while they shelter in place, even if they are virtual. In Yolo County, pediatricians or obstetricians used to literally walk new parents down the medical clinic hall to introduce them to their home visitor. Now, doctors have to introduce them by phone call. Even so, families seem to be even more eager to participate now than before, said Daleiden. "It's an anxious time for everybody and particularly for new mothers, or new mothers to be, especially as they're sheltering in place at home," Daleiden said. "They really do want connection, so they're saying yes to that first phone call and then to the idea of working in a virtual way." This story was originally published by EdSource. Please use the following link when sharing: https://www.localnewsmatters.org/2020/04/25/covid-19-how-states-stay-at-home-order-disrupts-services-for-young-children/ Images related to this story can be found at the following Bay City News web links: www.baycitynews.com/images/Young1.04.26.20.jpg Nine-month-old Camilia in Sonoma County visits with her developmental therapist by video call. (Photo courtesy of the Early Learning Institute) www.baycitynews.com/images/Young2.04.26.20.jpg Two-year-old Diego talks on a toy phone during a video call with a therapist in Sonoma County. (Photo courtesy of the Early Learning Institute) 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. The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds have released a map that shows the route they and the U.S. Navy Blue Angels will follow for a flyover on Tuesday, April 28. The America Strong flyover by the military precision flying teams is meant to be a salute to health care workers during the coronavirus pandemic and a sign of national unity. The flyover begins at Joint Base Maguire-Dix-Lakehurst at 1:45 then goes over Levittown and Trenton before heading south for three loops over the Philadelphia region around 1:55 p.m. The flyover then heads south over Wilmington at 2:15 p.m. President Trump announced the mission, named Operation America Strong, after it was reported by The Washington Post on Wednesday, April 22. He said that the mission was the idea of our great military men and women, and will recognize health-care workers. Both teams said on Twitter, Residents should observe the flyover from the safety of their home quarantine and should refrain from traveling to see the flyover. Social distancing should be practiced at all times. The Blue Angels also Tweeted the maps. The Thunderbirds and Blue Angels had been spotted flying together over Pensacola, Fla., last Tuesday, leading to speculation that they were planning a flyover. MORE CORONAVIRUS NEWS ON PENNLIVE Thanks for visiting PennLive. Quality local journalism has never been more important. We need your support. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work. UNODC supports virtual capacity building to prevent communicable diseases in prison settings in the United Arab Emirates Photo: UNODC Justice Section United Arab Emirates - The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) delivered in the last week of March an online workshop on measures for the prevention of communicable diseases, including COVID-19, in prison settings. A total of 27 selected law enforcement officers from the Human Rights Department of the Ministry of Interior of the United Arab Emirates, and from prisons across seven emirates including the detention centre for juveniles, attended the online workshop. Topics covered in the workshop included risks, transmission routes, and symptoms of infection with COVID-19, especially in the prison settings to protecting those in custody from infection and care for those who become infected. The protection of staff, including health-care providers, from infection and maintaining general and mental health among prisoners/detainees during the pandemic and ensuring access to treatment and commodities to those with other health conditions and special needs were also addressed. Participants have expressed their appreciation to UNODC for providing this type of technical assistance activity especially at this extraordinary time when it was needed the most. Stacy Sweet depends on her computer to teach her third grade math students who depend on virtual learning during the coronavirus shutdown. When her laptop died on April 9, she needed to move quickly to get a new one. But with her husband out of work, money was tight. She turned to her Citibank credit card, thinking she could use points to purchase Apple gift cards to help pay for a laptop. Sweet cashed in 87,500 Thank You points for $875 in Apple gift cards. But it turned out she made a mistake. I realized the points could only be used toward the App Store and iTunes, she said, noting the cards looked similar and she didnt need $875 worth of apps, movies and other media. CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live map tracker | Businesses that are open | Homepage NJ Advance Media profiled her experience earlier this month. Sweet said she called Citibank right away, but the representative said the e-gift cards could not be canceled, returned or exchanged. Over the next several days, she spoke to various supervisors. One offered a $100 credit. Another offered 2,500 points, and another offered 5,000 points. None came close to the 87,500 points she was beginning to think she had wasted. Obviously, if each supervisor is offering me different options, you know they have or someone higher above has the authority to do more, Sweet said. I still dont believe that there is absolutely no way they could have refunded these points. She asked Bamboozled for help. For a week, Citibank was silent about the matter. It said it would look into the case, but we heard nothing back despite multiple attempts. Until the story was published. That day, a Citibank representative said it was working on undoing the transaction and returning to points to Sweet. Then Friday, she got a call from the Citibank. It said it talked to Apple, which made a one-time exception and cancelled the gift cards. I actually sold two of them in panic mode when this first happened at a discounted price of 25% off and gave my daughter the $25 one, Sweet said. So Citibank is putting the $650 which is 65,000 points back in my account. I am so happy! Thanks to Citibank and to Apple for stepping up to help this teacher. As we said in our original story: Were all trying to get along in these difficult days, and we expect businesses to do the right thing. Customers will remember which companies stand by them in this time of need. Please subscribe now and support the local journalism YOU rely on and trust. Karin Price Mueller may be reached at bamboozled@njadvancemedia.com. A great-grandmother died after testing positive for coronavirus on the same day as her husband - who saw her for one last kiss when they passed in a hospital corridor. Tributes have poured in after the death of Carol Kleiman, 78, who was admitted to St James' Hospital in Leeds with her 83-year-old husband Harvey Kleiman on April 1. Mrs Kleiman who had an underlying heart condition, was moved straight to the intensive care unit but died four days later on April 5. Mr Kleiman, who tested positive for coronavirus but showed no symptoms, was discharged on April 16 and is now recovering at his home in Leeds. Carol Kleiman, 78, who was admitted to hospital with her 83-year-old husband Harvey Kleiman The couple, due to celebrate their 40th anniversary in September, saw each other one last time for a wave and a kiss as they were being transferred to separate wards. Mrs Kleiman's stepdaughter, Frances Flaxington, 59, said she was 'so glad' the couple got to see each other one last time. She said: 'It was really spooky. My dad was admitted later the same day. He was in A&E as the infection had made him very poorly. He spotted her in the distance. 'He was going one way and she was going another. I'm just so glad they were able to see each other for the last time when they were moving around the wards.' Ms Flaxington described her stepmother as 'bubbly person' who would 'light up any room'. She said: 'My dad used to spoil her rotten and Carol looked after him in return. Mr and Mrs Kleiman with their grandchildren Harry, Sophie, Rachel and Leoni, celebrating Rachel's graduation in 2019. The couple were well-known in the Jewish community in Leeds 'She loved spending time with her grandchildren as she would take them to the theatre and ballet. 'She also loved sewing, going to book clubs and arranging flowers for displays. She was a very bubbly person and would light up any room.' Mrs Kleiman, who volunteered at the Leeds branch of Women's International Zionist Organisation, was well-loved within the local Jewish community. More than 200 people attended traditional Shiva prayers, a Jewish ritual, on video platform Zoom on April 6, which was the day after she died. Ms Flaxington and Mrs Kleiman's sister Irene spoke at the ceremony but Mr Kleiman was too ill to attend. However, it was recorded and will be shown to him at a later date. Ms Flaxington said: 'We had family and friends from Australia and Florida watching the ceremony and paying their respects who otherwise would not be able to attend. Mrs Kleiman was admitted to St James' Hospital in Leeds (file picture) with her husband 'There were so many people who wanted to be there but the call was just so full. To have that many people joining was a testament to how admired she was within the Jewish community. 'Although it didn't make grieving easier, it was certainly comforting.' Mrs Kleiman leaves behind her son Ian, three great-grandchildren, six grandchildren, step-daughters Frances, Sue and Tracey and her sister, Irene. In memory of Mrs Kleiman, Ms Flaxington is raising money for the NHS where half will go to the wards where the couple received care - and the other half will go to Leeds Cares. The charity works with the Leeds teaching hospitals and have funded life-saving equipment and research through donations. She said: 'The doctors and nurses did their utmost to make sure they could help us. The nurses were unbelievable. They ensured that Ian, who lives in Australia, Irene and I were able to speak to her before she died. 'The kindness they showed to the family in these difficult circumstances was just incredible.' 'Despite the stress they are under, they want to care for people to the best of their ability and maintain their high standards. 'I am a massive fan of the NHS - the work they do is phenomenal.' So far, Ms Flaxington has raised more than 3,000 and donations can be made here. New Delhi, April 27 : With COVID-19 rapidly spreading across the country, the discovery of a vaccine is the only escape from the pandemic. Health warriors have explored the convalescent plasma therapy as a preventive measure to fight the novel coronavirus. The therapy aims at using antibodies from the blood of a recovered COVID-19 patient to treat those critically infected by the virus. The process of taking plasma from the donor is not as complicated as it sounds, one of the plasma donors from Ahmedabad, Gujarat, told IANS. 23-year-old Smruti Thakkar shared her experience of donating plasma for the treatment of novel coronavirus. "I received a phone call from the hospital, requesting to donate my plasma for the treatment of COVID 19 patients, which I happily agreed to, and donated. It took just 99 minutes to donate the plasma," Thakkar told IANS. Thakkar, who is doing her Masters in luxury brand management in Paris, came back to India on March 19. She had cough and a sore throat. Later, on March 21 she was hospitalised for 17 days as she had tested positive for the coronavirus. "I was discharged on April 6, after I recovered and responded well to the treatment. I was kept under home quarantine for another 14 days. On Day 15, the hospital authorities called me up and said that they got permission from the government for plasma therapy. so, they requested me to donate my plasma," she said. "The doctors explained the whole procedure how they collect the plasma and for what reason. They said it is like blood donation. The plasma will be separated from the blood and the remaining blood will be transferred back to your body. So there is no blood loss, only plasma will be taken from the blood. They took 400 ml plasma from my body," Thakkar explained. Elaborating on this, she said the procedure was simple. "When I came to the hospital , a blood test and body check-up was done. Then they started the procedure. It took just 99 minutes for the entire procedure. During the process. I was given vitamins, food and water. The procedure was completely smooth. I did not feel any pain, sickness or dizziness. "The doctors told me that my haemoglobin was very good - 15.5 - which is rare. They said that I am an AB positive group. Plasma of this group suits everyone." The plasma therapy is still in a study trial phase but has yielded good results on critical patients in India as well as abroad. Sangeeta Pathak, Senior Consultant and Head of the Blood Bank, Max Super Speciality Hospital, Saket told IANS that the process is in the trial phase with regard to COVID-19 treatment. However, the therapy is not new and has been used in the past for treating diseases like Ebola and SARS. "We collect plasma from the patients who have recovered from a particular disease, in this case, from COVID-19. The donor should test negative for the virus twice, at least at an interval of 24 hours. "These two tests have to be negative from the 14th day of the last negative test for coronavirus, or in 24 hours from a patient's test, who has read negative on the 28th day. In 28 days category only 1 test has to be negative because by that time the patient is fully recovered. The therapy was used in Ebola virus and SARS virus disease earlier. This therapy was under trial during that time also but because these diseases were not rampant like COVID-19 pandemic therefore the therapy did not come out in a big manner that time," Pathak said. There are various challenges, however, to meet in order to process plasma therapy. According to Pathak one of the most challenging things is to identify the donor. "The biggest challenge in this therapy is identifying the donor. It is difficult to convince the donor for plasma donation because there is a big stigma attached to this disease" she said. The hospitals have to constantly follow up with the people who have recovered from COVID-19 for identifying the donors. "Another challenge is that it is a group specific treatment, if suppose it is required for a B group patient, we need to find a B group donor that is also a challenge. However a compatible group can be given for example AB group plasma can be given to anyone and it is the safest plasma. Motivating people for donation is the key to this," said Pathak. Talking about the side effects of the convalescent plasma therapy, Pathak said the side effects of this therapy are rare, however in COVID-19 cases they are yet to be studied. "There are rarely any side effects of this therapy like allergic reactions but in very few cases. Then there is transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI) which is another very rare side effect of this therapy. At least I have not seen any case of TRALI, except maybe one or two, in my 22 years career in transfusion. The side effects of this therapy are negligible as compared to the benefits that this therapy gives to the patients. It is a very cost effective therapy," said Pathak. (Sfoorti Mishra can be contacted at sfoorti.m@ians.in) Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text The police on Monday in Zamfara State paraded two Chinese nationals arrested for allegedly engaging in illegal mining in Bukkuyum Local Government Area of the state. The federal government had last year banned all mining activities in Zamfara to check the activities of armed bandits behind killings in the state. The police spokesperson in the state, Muhammad Shehu, in a statement said the arrests followed information received on April 19 that some foreigners and Nigerians were engaged in illegal mining activities in Kwali in Bukkuyum LGA of the state. He said the next day, the Commissioner of Police in the state, Usman Nagogo, led a special task force team to Kwali mining sites to see things for himself. The information proved to be credible one as hundreds of miners scattered as soon as they saw the team. Two labourers were, however, arrested who confirmed the presence of Chinese and Burkina Faso nationals among others. On 25th April, 2020 information had it that Chinese and Bulkinabe nationals were taking shelter somewhere in Nasarawa Burkullu. And on 26th April, 2020 the Commissioner of Police led another team to the same village where two Chinese nationals were seen with all the chemicals necessary for making gold, Mr Shehu added. READ ALSO: The police spokesperson identified the two Chinese nationals as Messrs Wang and Chun. He said they were still being interrogated as part of police investigations. Working from home is proving difficult for NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin, who finished last in Sunday's virtual race when his seven-year-old daughter Taylor turned off his monitor with a remote control in the middle of the simulation, causing him to crash. She could have skirted blame, but Taylor potentially incriminated herself by saying 'uh oh' as her father's screen went blank, and video later emerged confirming her guilt. 'My daughter came in with a remote and essentially ended our day,' Hamlin said in a video posted on Twitter. 'That's something you just don't hear every day, folks.' Taylor's interference halted Hamlin after 51 laps and dropped him to last in the 39-car field at the virtual Talladega Superspeedway. The event, dubbed the Geico 70, is part of the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series that has replaced the real-life circuit while it remains suspended amid the COVID-19 crisis. 'I'm mad; I'm p***ed off,' Hamlin said in his lighthearted recap after the race. 'But they're just kids.' SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO Denny Hamlin (right) finished last in Sunday's virtual race when his 7-year-old daughter Taylor (left) turned off his monitor with a remote control in the middle of the simulation, causing him to crash. Taylor potentially incriminated herself when she said 'uh oh' during her retreat Taylor, who is seen holding a remote, said 'pause' before asking Hamlin if she can go outside to drive go-karts. Hamlin, who was entirely focused on the virtual race, waved her off. At that point Hamlin announced that his 'screen just went black' Hamlin announced on Twitter that there was 'second-hand footage' of the incident in which Taylor used a Samsung remote to cut his virtual and real-life power. The video shows Taylor approaching her father with a remote in hand and saying 'pause' before asking Hamlin if she can go outside and drive go-karts. Hamlin, who was entirely focused on the virtual race, initially waved her off. At that point Hamlin announced that his 'screen just went black.' Taylor then muttered 'uh oh' while quickly shuffling out of the room. Similar footage during an iRacing event in March showed Taylor giving her father a Coke mid-race, only to have the soda erupt when he opened it. The iRacing events have drawn more attention to NASCAR while the tracks have remained empty. Not all of the press has been good, however, as Chip Ganassi Racing fired driver Kyle Larson after he used a racial slur during an event earlier this month. 'After much consideration, Chip Ganassi Racing has determined that it will end its relationship with driver Kyle Larson,' the team said in a statement. 'As we said before, the comments that Kyle made were both offensive and unacceptable especially given the values of our organization.' NASCAR hopes to return to physical racing as early as May 17, although fans will not initially be permitted to attend. Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 FedEx Delivering Strength Toyota, spins during the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series Geico 70 at Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday But the commissioners concluded that Sanderss decision to suspend his campaign and support Biden effectively ended the competition turning it into a beauty contest, in the words of Douglas Kellner, a co-chair of the board and that his justification for wanting to remain on the ballot was insufficient. They supported a resolution that left Biden as the only remaining contender. Kathmandu, April 27 : Bodies of two South Korean trekkers, who went missing following an avalanche in the Nepal's Annapurna mountain region in January, have been recovered, police said. "The bodies were found in an area between places called Deurali and Himalaya of the rural municipality," Xinhua news agency quoted Superintendent of Police Dan Bahadur Karki, chief of Kaski District Police Office, as saying on Sunday. "The bodies were traced yesterday (Saturday) and were recovered today (Sunday)." A total of seven people, four South Korean nationals and three Nepalis, had gone missing since the avalanche hit a trekking trail in the Annapurna region on January 17. According to Karki, bodies of one female and one male foreigners seemingly aged over 30s were retrieved from the location to Pokhara on Sunday afternoon. A team consisting Nepal Police and Nepal Army and tourism entrepreneurs have been searching the area for the rescue of missing foreign trekkers, guides and porters. The bodies will be airlifted to Kathmandu. Meanwhile, bodies of two Nepalis have already been recovered. "One body was recovered on Friday and the other was recovered a month ago," Karki told Xinhua on Sunday. According to Kaski Police, the rescue operation is difficult in the location because of the fluctuating weather. Its important to note three significant facts. First, both court decisions from the U.S. and Wisconsin Supreme Courts are seen as being along partisan lines, with allies of Republicans refusing to delay the election. Second, because of the pandemic, the justices of neither of those courts actually met in person when discussing and voting on these cases but they forced many people who wanted to vote, to vote in person. And third, every member of the Wisconsin Supreme Court had already voted early. They werent putting themselves at risk. Its my view that these decisions were wrong on the law, and they were wrong on process. We shouldnt legislate from the bench. There was no time for full briefs or oral arguments and no time to fully examine the issues. The U.S. Supreme Court especially erred by writing into law a postmark requirement that it didnt have the time to think through and that caused tremendous confusion in my state. Most observers assume these last-minute decisions not only contributed to chaos, but also werent respectful of the law or a deliberate process. Even if one believed that the governors moves to postpone the election were wrong, it was incumbent on these courts to take the time to review the situation completely instead of granting the governor only minutes to file a response to a lawsuit the day before an election. I find it unconscionable that Wisconsin voters were forced to choose between their safety and having their voices heard in our democracy. The right to vote is fundamental to the American creed. Courts making partisan decisions, sending people out to vote in the middle of a pandemic, is exactly whats wrong with a judiciary that has become too political, and I think a deliberate attempt to suppress the vote in Wisconsin. On Election Day, my daughter and I set up on our back porch to field phone calls and text messages and to monitor the in-person voting. The pictures we viewed from across the state were gut-wrenching. Usually Milwaukee has 180 polling places, but because of the pandemic causing a lack of poll workers, only five were open. The entire city of Waukesha had one polling place. These consolidations meant thousands of voters were funneled into a handful of sites, some in masks, some wearing gloves, standing a few feet apart for blocks and blocks. As we started to field calls and text messages a common theme appeared. People who had requested absentee ballots days and weeks earlier had not received their ballots. Because of the court rulings, each and every one of these voters had to make the excruciating decision between staying safe at home and voting amid a pandemic. People were frustrated and outraged. The calls and the texts did not stop. My daughter cried. In the end, my campaign was rewarded for our persistence and patience. But victory is bittersweet. It was unacceptable to hold an election under circumstances in which people were forced to choose between their safety and voting. It disenfranchised countless people and raised serious concerns for the future of our democracy. It can never happen again. Now, more than ever, we need to instill confidence in our institutions. I hope Ill be judged on following the law, not the party line. Jill J. Karofsky is a justice-elect of the Wisconsin Supreme Court. The Times is committed to publishing a diversity of letters to the editor. Wed like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. Here are some tips. And heres our email: letters@nytimes.com. Follow The New York Times Opinion section on Facebook, Twitter (@NYTopinion) and Instagram. The Supreme Court sidestepped a major decision on gun rights on Monday in a dispute over New York Citys former ban on transporting guns. The justices threw out a challenge from gun rights groups, including the National Rifle Associations New York affiliate. The court ruled that the citys move to ease restrictions on taking licensed, locked and unloaded guns outside the city limits, coupled with a change in state law to prevent New York from reviving the ban, left the court with nothing to decide. The court asked a lower court to consider whether the citys new rules still pose problems for gun owners. The anti-climactic end to the Supreme Court case is a disappointment to gun rights advocates and relief to gun control groups who thought a conservative Supreme Court majority fortified by two appointees of President Donald Trump, Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh, might use the case to expand on landmark decisions from a decade ago that established a right under the Second Amendment to keep a gun at home for self-defence. But other guns cases remain in the high courts pipeline and the justices could decide to hear one or more of those next term. Although the opinion was unsigned, the court was split, 6-3, over the outcome. Gorsuch joined Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas in dissenting from the dismissal. Kavanaugh wrote a brief concurring opinion in which he agreed with the result, but also said the court should take up another guns case soon. This case is not moot. The City violated petitioners Second Amendment right, and we should so hold, Alito wrote for the dissenters. A protester holding a sign reading, All gun control is racist during a Gun Lobby Day in front of the Virginia State Capitol building in Richmond, Virginia, US on January 20, 2020 [File: Stephanie Keith/Reuters] Lower courts upheld the regulation, but the Supreme Courts decision early in 2019 to step into the case signalled a revived interest in gun rights from a court with two new justices. Officials at both the city and state level scrambled to find a way to remove the case from the justices grasp. Not only did the city change its regulation to allow licensed gun owners to transport their weapons to locations outside New Yorks five boroughs, but the state enacted a law barring cities from imposing the challenged restrictions. Those moves failed to get the court to dismiss the case before arguments in December, and gun control advocates worried that the court might adopt the reasoning Kavanaugh used in a 2011 opinion in his former job as a Court of Appeals judge. There, he wrote, gun laws that are not long-standing or sufficiently rooted in text, history, and tradition are not consistent with the Second Amendment individual right. Restrictions on who can carry guns in public, limits on large-capacity ammunition magazines and perhaps even restrictions on gun ownership by convicted criminals, including people convicted of domestic violence, might be imperilled, gun control groups said. Those groups breathed a sigh of relief Monday. The Supreme Court declined the invitation to adopt the NRAs extreme and dangerous interpretation of the Second Amendment, said Eric Tirschwell, managing director of Everytown Law, the legal arm of Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund. But similar issues could be back before the court soon, Kavanaugh wrote. He joined Alito in voicing concern that lower federal courts are not properly applying the courts two big gun rights decisions. The Court should address that issue soon, perhaps in one of the several Second Amendment cases pending at the Supreme Court, he wrote. An-225 Mriya remains world's largest aircraft. The world's largest cargo aircraft An-225 Mriya, made in Ukraine, on Monday, April 27, delivered medical cargo from China to Germany's Leipzig/Halle Airport. The flight is part of the "air bridge" effort organized between the Bundeswehr and the Chinese government. A total of 25 million protective face masks are to be delivered to Germany within the program. Read alsoUkrainian giant An-225 Mriya starts series of flights delivering cargo to fight coronavirus (Photo, video) Earlier, on April 26, the Ukrainian An-124 Ruslan aircraft with a cargo of protective face masks arrived at Leipzig/Halle airport. In total, three flights will be carried out within the framework of the "air bridge." As UNIAN reported earlier, on April 23, Mriya brought the largest cargo shipment from China to Ukraine: 12 million face masks, 260,000 protective glasses, and 100,000 medical gowns. Portugal's prime minister says authorities are aiming to relax some of the measures devised to stem the spread of the coronavirus next month. Prime Minister Antonio Costa says new rules on self-isolation and going back to work or school will be introduced every two weeks, as their impact is assessed. The plan is due to be announced on Thursday. Costa warned the changes don't mean a return to normal and that will only happen once there is a vaccine. Portugal was quick to enact a lockdown and has reported 903 deaths from COVID-19, far fewer than neighboring Spain's more than 23,500. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Now that the world is living through the COVID-19 outbreak, many are looking to movies on pandemics to sootheor perhaps stoketheir fears. Movies like Contagion and Outbreak are circling back into popularity on streaming services. However, among epidemiologists and other health experts, the 1995 movie Outbreak, starring Dustin Hoffman, Donald Sutherland, and Morgan Freeman, is something of a jokefor how scientifically inaccurate it is. Outbreak is currently airing on Netflix. Dustin Hoffmann and Donald Sutherland pose for photographers while promoting Outbreak in France | PASCAL GUYOT/AFP via Getty Images The science in the 1995 movie Outbreak leaves a lot to be desired CNBC reporter Christina Farr recently interviewed some of the experts on the pandemic-themed movie, Contagion. Many of them were not exactly jumping at the opportunity to work on the filmat first. Dr. Mark Smolinski first read the script for Contagion [when] he was working at Googles non-profit arm, Google.org, on public health-related projects, Farr wrote. But he was initially hesitant about getting overly involved with a Hollywood movie. Why? Outbreak, which had come out in 1995, was an inside joke in the public health community. As Farr points out, Outbreak took some real liberties when it came to scientific accuracy. The science was awful, Smolinski argued. They basically created a vaccine overnight. But Contagion was a different Hollywood experience than Outbreak. As CNBC reported: Smolinski said that he and a group of fellow infectious disease experts were encouraged to pore over the script line by line and point out any flaws. Hes now seen the film more than 100 times he often uses it as a teaching tool and hes still proud of its attention to detail. Scientific consultants say the 2011 film Contagion was much more accurate A man wears gloves and a bandanna across his face while riding a scooter past a shuttered movie theater in Beverly Hills, California | Mario Tama/Getty Images Natasha Griffith also served as a scientific adviser on Contagion. Because she directed the operations and safety program for [UCLAs] high-containment research facilities, she led several training exercises with the cast of Contagion. This made the 2011 film quite bit more accurate than Outbreak. Id spent whole days with the actors. I even remember the submarine doors we used, Griffith explained. Farr continued about her work on the film: She flew to Chicago to supervise the development of the lab used in the film, ensuring the accuracy of props like test tubes, pipettes and suits worn by the actors. Griffith recalled that even the smallest details, like the speed at which the centrifuge was running samples, were accurate. She used cranberry juice and apple to color the samples, so they were the correct shade before and after they were exposed to the virus. Actress Marion Cotillard attends the Contagion premiere in 2011 | Michael Loccisano/Getty Images All things told, the research and effort that went into getting Contagions details right prevented it from being another Outbreak. I was very happy they listened and it was scientifically very accurate, the film consultant said of Contagion. English Chinese (Traditional) Chinese (Simplified) SHANGHAI, China, April 26, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Hua Medicine (the Company, Stock Code: 2552. HK) today announces the positive results of the clinical study HMM0112. HMM0112 is a Phase I trial conducted in the United States in Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) patients with insufficiently controlled blood glucose levels while on metformin, DPP-4 inhibitors or SGLT-2 inhibitors, alone or in combination treatment. The principal purpose of HMM0112 is to investigate the pharmacokinetic (PK) and pharmacodynamic (PD) characteristics of dorzagliatin and empagliflozin (a SGLT-2 inhibitor) as either monotherapy or combination therapy. The PK results demonstrated no impact of dorzagliatin (75 mg BID) and empagliflozin (25 mg QD) on their respective PK properties under co-administration, supporting their combination use in the clinical setting, while the PD results demonstrated a clear synergistic effect in efficacy under combination therapy. Following OGTT, the combination treatment achieved significantly enhanced glucose lowering effect (AUEC: 279 hmg/dL) over empagliflozin (AUEC: 452 hmg/dL, P<0.01) or dorzagliatin (AUEC: 364 hmg/dL, P<0.05) monotherapy. Moreover, significantly increased C-peptide secretion was also observed for the combination treatment over empagliflozin monotherapy. These results support the development of a combination therapy of dorzagliatin with empagliflozin, which will provide improved benefits and better solutions to T2D patients. SGLT-2 inhibitors are a relatively newer class of oral medications for the treatment of T2D patients; in addition to the blood sugar control, they were found to have the effect to lower blood pressure and reduce body weight. Their global sales in 2019 were approximately 6 billion US dollars, said Dr. Li Chen, Chief Executive Officer of Hua Medicine. The positive results of HMM0112 indicate that the dorzagliatin add-on to SGLT-2 inhibitors enhanced the blood sugar control for T2D patients thereby expanding the applicable patient population, and also suggest a synergistic effect of recovering pancreatic islet function. This successful outcome advances our mission to offer dorzagliatin as either monotherapy or in combination with the currently approved top-selling oral anti-diabetic drugs. Currently, we have demonstrated similar positive results of dorzagliatin in combination with sitagliptin (a DPP-4 inhibitor and top-selling oral anti-diabetic drug in the world) and metformin (the global first-line oral anti-diabetic drug). In this fashion, we are aiming to provide a brand new treatment for T2D patients to prevent or delay occurrence of the diabetes and its complications through dorzagliatin monotherapy or in combination with currently available diabetes therapies. In November 2019, Hua Medicine announced that the Phase III monotherapy trial (HMM0301) of dorzagliatin in drug naive T2D patients achieved its 24-week primary efficacy endpoint. The Company plans to announce the top-line 52-week key results for the monotherapy trial by no later than the third quarter of 2020. The 24-week patient visit for HMM0302, another Phase III combination trial of dorzagliatin add-on to metformin, was also completed. The Company plans to announce the top-line 24-week key results for the combination with metformin trial (HMM0302) by no later than the third quarter of 2020, and top-line 52-week key results by year-end 2020. In January 2020, the Company also announced the desirable results of dorzagliatin combination with sitagliptin Phase I trial (HMM0111), confirming the clinical advantages and potential synergies of dorzagliatin in combination with sitagliptin (a DPP-4 inhibitor). Meanwhile, the positive results of another Phase I trial (HMM0110) revealed the potential to use dorzagliatin in T2D patients with late stage chronic kidney disease. About Dorzagliatin Dorzagliatin is a first-in-class, dual-acting glucokinase activator, designed to control the progressive degenerative nature of diabetes by restoring glucose homeostasis in patients with Type 2 Diabetes. By addressing the defect of the glucose sensor function of glucokinase, dorzagliatin has the potential to restore the impaired glucose homeostasis state of patients with Type 2 Diabetes and serve as a first-line standard-of-care therapy for the treatment of the disease, or as a cornerstone therapy when taken in combination with currently approved anti-diabetes drugs. About Hua Medicine Hua is a leading, clinical-stage innovative drug development company in China focused on developing novel therapies for the treatment of diabetes. Founded by an experienced group of entrepreneurs and international investment firms, Hua advanced a first-in-class oral drug for the treatment of Type 2 Diabetes into NDA-enabling stage and is currently evaluating the therapy in adults with diabetes in two Phase III trials in China and various earlier stage clinical trials in China and the United States. Dorzagliatin has achieved its first primary endpoint in a Phase III monotherapy trial. The Company has initiated product life-cycle management studies of this novel diabetes therapy and advanced its use in personalized diabetes care. Hua Medicine is working closely with disease experts and regulatory agencies in China and across the world to advance diabetes care solutions for patients worldwide. A top emergency room doctor battling on the frontlines of the coronavirus outbreak in New York City died by suicide over the weekend, her family members have revealed. Dr. Lorna M. Breen, the medical director of the emergency department at NewYork-Presbyterian Allen Hospital, died in Charlottesville, Virginia on Sunday. In the days leading up to her death, the 48-year-old reportedly recounted to family members a series of traumatic scenes she'd witnessed working in the Manhattan hospital, including an onslaught of patients dying in front of her before they could even be removed from ambulances. Breen had recently contracted COVID-19 but had returned to work at Allen after a week-and-a-half of rest. After the hospital sent her home, she re-located to Charlottesville to recuperate under the instructions of her father, Dr. Philip C. Breen. Dr. Lorna M. Breen, the medical director of the emergency department at NewYork-Presbyterian Allen Hospital, died in Charlottesville, Virginia on Sunday Breen had recently contracted COVID-19 but had returned to work at Allen after a week-and-a-half of rest. But after the hospital sent her home, she re-located to Charlottesville to recuperate under the instructions of her father The grieving 71-year-old father (center) said Breen (left) had no history of mental illness, but during their final conversation together he noticed his daughter seemed detached and began to suspect something might be wrong On Sunday, however, officers from the Charlottesville Police Department responded to a call seeking medical assistance after Breen made an attempt on her own life. The victim was taken to U.V.A. Hospital for treatment, but later succumbed to self-inflicted injuries, department spokesperson Tyler Hawn told the New York Times. Just days before, Breens father recounted how she appeared troubled by the devastating scenes she had witnessed while working with coronavirus patients at Allen. She tried to do her job, and it killed her, Phillip Breen told the Times. She was truly in the trenches of the front line. The grieving 71-year-old father said Breen had no history of mental illness, but during their final conversation together he noticed his daughter seemed detached and began to suspect something might be wrong. Make sure shes praised as a hero, because she was, he urged. Shes a casualty just as much as anyone else who has died. NewYork-Presbyterian Allen Hospital has not yet returned request from DailyMail.com for comment. Make sure shes praised as a hero, because she was, father Philip Breen (seen left) urged. Shes a casualty just as much as anyone else who has died' New York currently has 291,000 recorded cases of coronavirus, and more than 17,000 deaths According to the Times, Dr. Angela Mills, the head of emergency medical services for several NewYork-Presbyterian campuses, including Allen, informed staffers of Breens tragic death in an email on Sunday night. A death presents us with many questions that we may not be able to answer, a segment of the email read, which made no mention as to the cause of Breens death. Located in northern Manhattan, the 200-bed Allen Hospital has been regularly been overwhelmed since the outbreak began, housing as many as 170 COVID-19 patients at times. Emergency medicine physician, Dr. Dara Kass, who worked with Breen at the facility said even when she was at home recovering from the virus, Breen still made sure to regularly contact her colleagues to check-in on how they were and if they had the medical equipment they needed. She was always the physician who was looking out for other peoples health and well-being, Kass said. KANSAS CITY, Mo., April 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Board of Directors of Kansas City Life Insurance Company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.27 per share on April 27, 2020. The dividend will be payable on May 13, 2020, to stockholders of record on May 7, 2020. Kansas City Life Insurance Company (OTCQX: KCLI) was established in 1895 and is based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Company's primary business is providing financial protection through the sale of life insurance and annuities. The Company operates in 49 states and the District of Columbia. For more information, please visit www.kclife.com. SOURCE Kansas City Life Insurance Company Related Links http://www.kclife.com A Win for California's Wild Cats Mountain lions in Southern California and along the Central Coast are a crucial step closer to protection under the state's Endangered Species Act. Responding to a petition from the Center for Biological Diversity and the Mountain Lion Foundation, the California Fish and Game Commission just voted to make these regions' six mountain lion populations candidates for protection. This means cats in those areas will get immediate protections while the state agency conducts a year-long review to decide if formal safeguards are warranted. Mountain lions face a long list of threats, including genetic isolation, car strikes, poisonings and sanctioned depredation kills. "This is a historic moment for California's big cats," said the Center's Tiffany Yap. "These ecosystem engineers face huge threats that could wipe out key populations. But with state protections, we can start reversing course to save our mountain lions." If you spoke up through a Center alert for California's big cats, you made a difference. We made a video to say thank you check it out on Facebook and YouTube. And please consider supporting our work to protect mountain lions with a donation to our Saving Life on Earth Fund. Editor's Note: We're pleased to welcome Drew Savicki, who is taking over The Road to 270 beginning this week. Drew kicks things off with Connecticut, his state of birth. Special thanks to Seth Moskowitz for his work bringing this series to life; we wish him well as he moves on to a new career opportunity. === The Road to 270 is a weekly column leading up to the presidential election. Each installment is dedicated to understanding one states political landscape and how that might influence which party will win its electoral votes in 2020. Well do these roughly in order of expected competitiveness, moving toward the most intensely contested battlegrounds as election day nears. The Road to 270 will be published every Monday. The column is written by Drew Savicki, a 270toWin elections and politics contributor. Contact Drew via email or on Twitter @DrewSav. Connecticut One of the 13 original colonies, Connecticut ratified the Constitution in January, 1788. It is one of seven states that has participated in all 58 presidential elections. Few states have influenced the United States electoral process more than Connecticut. At the 1787 Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, a hotly-debated topic was the composition of the nations legislative branch. The Framers hailing from larger states, like Virginia, preferred a legislature with seats apportioned based on population, while members from smaller states favored equal representation across the board. Connecticuts delegates to the convention, Roger Sherman and Oliver Marshall, offered the Great Compromise -- in a bicameral legislature, each state would have equal representation in the upper house while seats in the lower house would be distributed based on population. Today, each states clout in the Electoral College is based on that congressional apportionment. From mills to mavericks A century ago, Connecticut was known for its Yankee brand of Republicanism. It favored Republicans for much of the early twentieth century, though the split in the national GOP allowed Democrat Woodrow Wilson to squeak out a 39% plurality in the state during the 1912 election. Even in the watershed 1932 election, it stuck with the unpopular Republican Herbert Hoover over Democratic challenger Franklin Roosevelt, although by just one percentage point. Once in office, Roosevelts New Deal programs brought new voters, who were often first- or second-generation Americans, into the political process. In a Connecticut context, white ethnics -- such as Irish, Italians, and Poles -- who migrated to work in the states mill towns, began voting, and for Democratic candidates. These groups were predominantly Catholic or Jewish, and changed the states Protestant Republican image. This set the stage for another defining election: 1960. John F. Kennedy's 54%-46% win in the Nutmeg State was significant in that it gave Democrats a foothold there. Still, the realignment that produced the Connecticut that we know today has its roots in the 1980s. 1988 was an especially pivotal election; then-Vice President George Bush carried the state by five percentage points. This was a concerning result for Republicans on several levels. First, given that Bush won nationally in a 426 Electoral Vote landslide, his 52%-47% edge there seemed underwhelming. Further, he had deep personal connections to the state -- his father, Prescott Bush, represented the state in the Senate from 1952 to 1963. Perhaps a third sign of weakness for Bush in Connecticut was that the 1988 Senate result there fed into the narrative that his presidential victory was a lonely landslide. Of the 33 states that held Senate elections that year, some 14 voted for Bush but elected Democratic Senate candidates -- Connecticut was one of them. The 1988 Senate election was among the most fascinating in the states history; it featured two of its most consequential politicians, both of whom would been billed a mavericks throughout the careers. Ultimately, then-state Attorney General Joe Lieberman (D) narrowly ousted Sen. Lowell Weicker (R-CT). First elected in 1970, Weicker was long known for his independence: Serving on the Watergate Committee, he challenged his own partys president and later became known for his quarrels with fellow Sen. Jesse Helms (R-NC), a darling of social conservatives. A rare Republican with appeal to labor, the states AFL-CIO endorsed him in 1988, while he ran with the slogan Nobodys man but yours. In 1990, Weicker dropped his GOP affiliation and rebounded to win the gubernatorial race under the A Connecticut Party label -- a third party that was strategically named so that it would appear first on the alphabetically-oriented ballot. By the same token, in the 1988 race, Lieberman found support with typically-Republican constituencies. William Buckley, editor of the conservative National Review magazine, endorsed him. A tradition-minded Democrat favoring a hawkish foreign policy, Lieberman famously lost his 2006 Senate primary over his support for the Iraq War. Ironically, in a move reminiscent of Weicker, Lieberman ran as a third party candidate in the general election that year (the state is one of the few that lacks a sore loser law) -- he was reelected in large part because his 70% share of the Republican vote. Speaking to Liebermans political versatility, though he served as former Vice Presidents Al Gores running mate in 2000, he was rumored to have been the late Sen. John McCains ideal VP choice for the 2008 Republican ticket. Congressional politics Since Liebermans 50%-49% victory in 1988, Democrats have largely continued their winning record in Connecticut Senate races -- while Lieberman was technically reelected as an independent in 2006, he continued to caucus with his old party. The states other seat was held by Chris Dodd (D-CT), a household name in the state from a political family, from 1981 until 2011. Dodd looked vulnerable going into the 2010 elections but ended up retiring. Democrats had a ready stand-in candidate that cycle with popular state Attorney General Richard Blumenthal. Lieberman himself retired in 2012, and was replaced by Rep. Chris Murphy (D, CT-5). In their initial elections, in 2010 and 2012, respectively, both Blumenthal and Murphy faced the same GOP opponent: Linda McMahon, the wife of WWE wrestling magnate Vince McMahon. Both Democrats beat McMahon by the same 55%-43% margin. In the House, Democrats have held all five of the states districts since 2009 -- its delegation weathered the red waves of 2010 and 2014 fairly comfortably. In past decades, its congressional elections were more susceptible to national tides. In 1956, as the state gave President Eisenhower a hefty 64%-36% vote in his reelection effort, it also sent an all-GOP delegation to the House. Two years later, a combination of foreign policy travails and domestic setbacks sent Ikes approval on a downward trajectory -- when Connecticut voters went to polls in 1958, they elected only Democrats to the House. As it stands today, Connecticut is a reliably blue, but polarized, state. A hub for the financial and health insurance industries, Democrats in the Nutmeg State are best served by keeping an ear to the business community. A bit of geography Before looking at the states recent electoral history, a bit of geography will be useful. Connecticut can be divided into five regions. 1) Hartford County - Central Connecticut. Anchored by the state capitol of Hartford and its surrounding suburbs, this area is racially diverse and home to a mixture of both upscale and blue collar whites. 2) Fairfield County - Southwestern Connecticut. This suburban county is the only one in the state that's growing and is also the most educated. In the Trump era, Democrats have made major gains here. 3) Tolland and Windham Counties - Northeastern Connecticut. These counties span from the Hartford suburbs to the more rural parts of the east. 4) New Haven County - Southern Connecticut. The city of New Haven anchors the county but some adjacent towns saw double-digit swings to Trump in 2016. Likely a problematic area for Democrats in the long term. 5) Middlesex and New London Counties - Southeastern Connecticut. These are liberal coastal communities but the more inland parts of the counties lean Republican. State level politics Like much of New England, Connecticut voters will consider supporting local Republicans. Republicans controlled the governorship from 1995 to 2011 and the three most recent gubernatorial elections have all been within five percentage points. Still, Democrats have maintained control of all row offices since 1999 and the legislature has consistently remained in Democratic hands. Unlike their counterparts in neighboring states, though, Connecticut Democrats lack supermajorities in either chamber -- some vestiges of the old Yankee GOP coalition can still be seen at the local level. Gov. Ned Lamont (D-CT), was elected in 2018 despite the low approval ratings his predecessor, fellow Democrat Dan Malloy, sported for much of his tenure. In 2010, Lamont lost the Democratic primary to Malloy 57%-43%. Four years earlier, he upset Lieberman in that 2006 Senate primary, only to lose the general election 50%-40% to an independent Lieberman. In his third attempt at statewide office in 2018, Lamont may have caught a break when President Trump weighed into the race with an endorsement of the GOP nominee, Bob Stefanowski. Trumps support likely helped nationalize the race in way that, ironically, hurt Republicans. What's good for Trump Though one of the nations most well-educated states, 39% of Connecticut's residents lack a college degree. These working class voters can be found in former industrial towns that dot the landscape in northwestern and east. Trump ran particularly well in eastern towns near the Rhode Island border. Mitt Romney, a wealthy businessman, proved a poor fit for these voters but Trump's cultural conservatism seemed to catch on. In addition, a handful of Democratic legislators hold districts that Trump carried -- his presence atop the ballot again will be welcomed by some local Republican candidates. Redistricting in Connecticut requires 2/3 supermajorities in both chambers, which Democrats currently lack. Recent elections Since 1992, every Democratic presidential nominee has carried Connecticut. Bill Clintons 1992 and 1996 victories relied on the state's urban centers and he was perhaps aided by Ross Perots relatively strong showing in parts of the east; Perot carried four towns there in 1992, all of which favored Bush in 1988. In 2000, Vice President Al Gore was not able to maintain Clinton's working support but traded it for increased support in Fairfield County. This exchange came despite the presence of Sen. Lieberman on the Democratic ticket that year. Lieberman was also up for reelection to the Senate that year -- though he didnt win the Vice Presidency, he was reelected to the Senate with 63% and carried 40 towns that also went for George W. Bush further up the ballot. Four years later Connecticut would shift to the right again, as Bush enjoyed higher approval ratings in the northeast, due to 9/11. By 2006, though, opposition to the Bush Administration fueled the defeats of Reps. Nancy Johnson (R, CT-5) and Rob Simmons (R, CT-2). State Senator Chris Murphy (D) hammered Johnson over her support for Medicare Part D and tied her to the unpopular national GOP. In one of the cycles closest races, Simmons lost his seat by an 83-vote margin. Barack Obama carried the Nutmeg state by an impressive 22% in 2008, while sweeping its eight counties. Long a hub for the financial industry, Connecticut was particularly hurt by the onset of the Great Recession. Obama's coattails were enough to lift businessman Jim Himes (D) to victory over longtime Rep. Chris Shays (R, CT-4) in the Fairfield County-based district. Shays was likely in a tough position regardless, but seemed to downplay the countrys growing economic woes -- surely a factor in his defeat. With Himes victory, Democrats had clinched all the states congressional seats for the first time since the Lyndon Johnson presidency. In 2012, Obama carried the state by a reduced margin, but it was still a wide 58%-41% vote. GOP nominee Mitt Romney flipped a county -- Litchfield, in the rural northwestern part of the state -- but overall, 2012 was a year of stability. 2016, though, was a realigning election in Connecticut. Hillary Clinton carried the state 55%-41% but bled rural support. In a sign of the increasing urban/rural rift, Trump was the first Republican nominee since George H. W. Bush, in 1988, to carry a majority of the states towns Trump won in 88 of its 169. Still, in Fairfield County, Clinton flipped the wealthy towns of Darien and New Canaan, becoming the first Democratic nominee since Lyndon Johnson in 1964 to do so. The changes seen in 2016 carried over to the 2018 elections. Of the four U.S. House members that ran for reelection, only Rep. Himes saw his margin increase from 2016. Though they each cleared 60% of the vote, veteran Reps. Rosa DeLauro (D, CT-3) and Joe Courtney (D, CT-2) saw their working class support drop -- for the first time since 2010, Courtney lost a town (Sterling, on the Rhode Island border). All things considered, Connecticuts seven electoral votes are safely in Joe Bidens corner this November. With no competitive congressional districts to speak of either, Connecticut is unlikely to get much attention in the fall campaign. Next Week: Alaska By Azernews By Akbar Mammadov Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree on April 24 to increase transparency in the assessment of disability due to military reasons, to ensure the systematization of information collected on military-medical examination and medical certifications. According to the document, "Military-medical examination and medical certification" subsystem will be created in the Centralized Electronic Information System of the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of Population by January 1, 2021. The government agencies that have the military-medical commissions will be granted access to this subsystem. Within 6 months after the establishment of the subsystem, the information in all official documents related to military medical examination and medical certification will be included in the subsystem in accordance with the international classification of diseases. Furthermore, all this information will be included in the subsystem on the day of registration of documents related to military medical examination and medical certification. Thus, the ministry's medical and social examination service will have direct access to all medical and medical information about a person whose disability is assessed for military reasons through the subsystem. As a result, the assessment of disability due to war will be operated more objectively, and transparency will be ensured. Therefore, there will be no need for citizens to submit this document on paper to various instances, including the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection in order to obtain the relevant rights and privileges. At the same time, it will also increase access to the information needed to consider the rights of persons with disabilities due to military causes to benefit from different privileges. Moreover, the risks of possible law violations due to the fact that the documents are on paper will be completely eliminated. The new subsystem will serve as a source of detailed information that can be used in analysis and program development in this area. Meanwhile, President Ilham Aliyev signed an order to give WW2 veterans one-off payment of AZN1,500 [$882], while AZN750 [$441] will be given to widows of those who died during or after the war, and persons who were awarded orders and medals for their service, as well as holders of medals and badges for the defense of Leningrad and participants of the Siege of Leningrad. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-27 19:06:12|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close URUMQI, April 27 (Xinhua) -- A new airport began construction Sunday on the Pamir Plateau, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, which is expected to be the highest airport in the region after completion. The Taxkorgan Airport, located at 3,252 meters above sea level in Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County, involves a total investment of 1.63 billion yuan (about 230 million U.S. dollars). It will be the first super-high plateau airport in Xinjiang, according to the Xinjiang Airport Group. Super-high plateau airport is defined as an airport sitting at no less than 2,438 meters above sea level. Equipped with a 3,800-meter runway, a 3,000-square-meter terminal and four aprons, the airport is designed to handle an annual throughput of 160,000 passengers and 400 tonnes of cargo and mail. It is scheduled to go into operation in June 2022. The construction of the airport will improve the local traffic conditions and boost the development of tourist resources, said the group. At present, there are 15 super-high plateau airports in use and two under construction in China, among which the Taxkorgan Airport ranks 14th in terms of altitude. During the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-2020), Xinjiang plans to build nine new airports and is expected to be home to 30 airports by the mid 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), boasting the largest number of transport airports in the country. Enditem In just a few short weeks, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on South African businesses. As many economists have already noted in the face of the looming economic crisis, this may be only the beginning. Suffice it to say, in such unprecedented times, its difficult for businesses to plan their next move. Understandably, many are choosing to hunker down and weather the storm. Card payment solutions provider iKhokha is taking a different approach with the launch of a brand new offering on their online store, which provides South African businesses with premium hygiene products and PPE. We ran a survey to test our thinking and the results were overwhelming 94% of our customers said they would like us to source masks, sanitiser and gloves for them as a paid-for-service. So, we got it done, said iKhokha CEO, Matt Putman. It may seem unorthodox, but to an organisation like iKhokha, which has always prioritised the prosperity of their merchants, its an opportunity to offer their customers, and the broader business community, a measure of support to make their lives a little easier during this challenging time. Sourcing premium products In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, hygiene products such as hand sanitisers, face masks and gloves have become necessities for businesses offering essential services many of which are iKhokha merchants. While these businesses continue to operate, strict hygiene regulations must be adhered to, to limit the spread of the virus. This rapid increase has put pressure on supply chains, leading to a shortage of hygiene products which has made businesses owners, their employees and their customers vulnerable to infection. To offer businesses the support they need, iKhokha has sourced premium ISO-certified products and PPE, including 3 ply masks, hand sanitisers and reusable gloves essentially building a new business in 10 days. Our team has worked around the clock to source high-quality products and build the technology tools needed to keep businesses safe for both customers and staff, said Putman. These products are available on iKhokhas online store to help businesses promote safety and hygiene in the workplace. Door-to-door delivery For added convenience and safety, iKhokha will also deliver these products to your door. Rest assured, the strictest hygiene precautions are already being taken by iKhokhas delivery personnel to ensure that this nationwide effort to get businesses the products they need to overcome the Coronavirus crisis runs smoothly and is handled responsibly. Hand sanitisers Combating the Coronavirus requires extreme care from both individuals and businesses. The Centre for Disease Control (CDC) recommends using alcohol-based hand sanitisers to neutralise potentially harmful germs and viruses. Help stop the spread of the Coronavirus by sanitising regularly. Gloves and masks Furthermore, exercising respectful hygiene measures will make a meaningful contribution to stem the spread of COVID-19 and flatten the curve. Heres how: Hands: Use alcohol-based sanitisers or wash for 20 seconds using soap and water. Use alcohol-based sanitisers or wash for 20 seconds using soap and water. Elbow: When coughing or sneezing, cover your mouth and nose with a flexed elbow. When coughing or sneezing, cover your mouth and nose with a flexed elbow. Face: Avoid touching your face, especially your eyes, ears, nose and mouth. Avoid touching your face, especially your eyes, ears, nose and mouth. Space: Maintain a safe distance from people (approximately 6 feet) and avoid gatherings. Maintain a safe distance from people (approximately 6 feet) and avoid gatherings. Home: Stay indoors as much as possible, except to get medical care or essential items. In addition to implementing these measures, there is also a mindset which we all need to adopt. Its a mindset which iKhokha continues to advocate to their merchants and businesses around South Africa: Stay safe, but above all be kind to one another during this time. Yes, we find ourselves in the midst of a global crisis one that will have a far-reaching impact on our economy. But, in this time of uncertainty, it is so important to open our hearts and support each other. The message iKhokha is broadcasting within their organisation during this time speaks volumes to this sentiment: Hustle hard. Hustle with heart. Hustle together by being apart. Lets stop the spread, together. iKhokha is South African card payment solutions provider that offers SMEs affordable and user-friendly point of sale solutions. iKhokha has always believed in going against the grain to offer not just businesses, but people, the support they need to succeed. The Tricycle (Pragyia) riders at Dormaa-Ahenkro in the Dormaa Central Municipality of the Bono Region on Monday resumed operations following the temporary lifting of a ban on their operations by the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC). The Bono RCC about a couple of weeks ago placed a ban on the use of tricycle for fare-paying passengers as a step for the adherence to the measures and observation of protocols by government and health authorities to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the region and country in general. The country has so far recorded 1,550 confirmed cases of the COVID-19, with 11 deaths and 155 recoveries with the Bono Region yet to record a confirmed case. Though the ban has been lifted, mandatorily a tricycle can pick two passengers at a time while both rider and the passenger must strictly observe all the necessary protocols and measures against the spread of the disease. Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at Dormaa-Ahenkro, Mr Samuel Yeboah, a Public Relations Officer of Tricycle Owners and Riders Association of Ghana, in charge of Dormaa Municipal, Dormaa East and West Districts, said the Association had set up a task force to monitor and ensure strict enforcement of the directives by the riders. Members of the task force who are also riders will be policing to stop any rider caught flouting any of the protocols, Mr Yeboah said. The task force will confiscate the keys of the rider, alert the executives of the Association, the Motor Traffic and Transport Department and the owner of the tricycle before the necessary sanction is applied to prevent any future breach of the protocols, he said. Mr Yeboah said they were determined to enforce all measures, protocols, rules and regulations to the letter among its members to assist government to fight the COVID-19. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video US Urges Afghans to Set Disputes Aside to Combat Virus By Ayaz Gul April 26, 2020 The United States has again demanded that Afghanistan's feuding leaders and the Taliban insurgency set internal disputes aside and cease armed violence to focus on combating the coronavirus pandemic. American peace envoy to the country, Zalmay Khalilzad, made the call Sunday through a series of tweets to wish Afghans a happy Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. "The well-being of the Afghan people and the country itself depend on all parties devoting their full energies to the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, the shared enemy of all," Khalilzad emphasized. At least 50 people have died out of 1,500 people who contracted the coronavirus in Afghanistan and the number of infections continues to spread in a country where decades of war has left an already underdeveloped public health system in shambles. Khalilzad said that Ramadan, which began on Friday, offered Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and his political rival, Abdullah Abdullah "the opportunity to put the interest of the country ahead of their own." Both the rival leaders claim to have won the September 28 presidential election and held competing inauguration ceremonies last month. The political crisis paralyzed national governance just when a U.S. negotiated peace-building agreement with the Taliban had raised hopes for finding a negotiated end to years of hostilities in Afghanistan. "Similarly, Ramadan offers the Taliban an opportunity to embrace a humanitarian ceasefire to reduce violence and suspend offensive military operations until the health crisis is over," Khalilzad stressed. But the Islamist insurgent group in a statement Sunday again rejected domestic and international calls for reducing violence or declaring a ceasefire during Ramadan. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid insisted the implementation of its February 29th U.S. troop withdrawal agreement with Washington was the "sole path" toward ending their nearly 19-year-old war and establishing peace in Afghanistan. Mujahid noted the deal signed in February had required both sides to release thousands of prisoners within ten days of the signing ceremony to lay the ground for Afghan warring sides to negotiate a political settlement to the conflict. "Intra-Afghan negotiations itself would have laid the groundwork for peace, security and end of hostilities and perhaps we would have made major progress on it till now," Mujahid said. The dialogue was supposed to open on March 10. The Taliban spokesman, however, accused the U.S.-backed Afghan government, which was not part of the pact, of creating hurdles in the way of implementation of the deal from the outset and using delaying tactics on the prisoner swap issue. He went on to also accuse American and NATO troops of violating the agreement, saying the alliance continues to provide weapons and ammunition to the Afghan government to fuel the conflict. "Demanding a ceasefire and reduction in violence at a time when the opposite side is not executing its own obligations is both illogical and opportunistic," Mujahid said. The U.S. military denies insurgent charges of deal violations and maintains the agreement binds it to support Afghan forces if attacked. U.S. military spokesman Col. Sonny Leggett tweeted Sunday it "is committed to our support for ANDSF [Afghan National Defense Security Force] and we continue to work together despite COVID-19." The U.S.-Taliban agreement called for the release of up to 5,000 Taliban prisoners, and 1,000 Afghan government personnel held by the insurgent group by March 10, when the two rivals were supposed to open direct peace talks. But the Ghani government has to date rebased 550 insurgent inmates as part its own plan, subject to a reduction in Taliban violence and the opening of peace talks. The Taliban has responded by freeing 60 Afghan security forces, though Kabul says most of the released men were non-combatants. In his Sunday statement, Khalilzad also urged both sides to accelerate the release of prisoners. "The war on COVID-19 makes it urgent and will also aid the peace process including getting intra-Afghan negotiations underway," he noted. While the Taliban insists it is living up to its side of the agreement, the insurgents have in recent days carried out major attacks against Afghan security forces, killing more than 100 of them just in the past week. Afghan officials have also accused the Taliban of killing or injuring up to 800 civilians during this period, charges Taliban officials have denied. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Federal Heritage Minister Steven Guilbeault says he expects money from an emergency COVID-19 general business wage subsidy program to start flowing within weeks to Canada's beleaguered newspaper industry. Critics say this financial lifeline may come too late, however, to save the pandemic crisis-accelerated loss of newspapers and media jobs specifically, because a $595-million financial-assistance program first announced 18 months ago has yet to provide any money to increasingly desperate newspaper publishers. "That is a very long time to wait for the newspaper business when newspapers are closing almost every week," said Winnipeg Free Press publisher Bob Cox, who is also chair of the Canadian News Media Association, an industry lobby group, earlier this month. Cox said he doesn't know exactly how many newspapers have closed since the pandemic began but that it has been dozens, including more than 20 in the Maritimes. At least six publications in Quebec have dropped Monday-to-Friday print editions, and four have closed in Manitoba. Quebecor, which owns the Journal de Montreal, Videotron and other media properties, announced at the end of March that it would temporarily lay off 10 per cent of its workforce. And Postmedia, the country's largest newspaper publisher, was considering temporary salary cuts to stave off COVID-19 losses, according to a report in The Tyee. Postmedia announced April 28 it would close 15 weeklies in Manitoba and southern Ontario in May, because the papers were losing money and faced further declines in advertising sales in the pandemic. Cox said advertising revenues are generally down about 50 per cent. "On an annualized basis, that would be more than $1 billion [in lost ad revenues] for the whole industry in Canada," Cox said. "No one knows how long the COVID impact will be. My estimate for industry losses related to COVID in 2020 is at least $500 million. Winnipeg Free Press Edward Greenspon, president of the non-profit Public Policy Forum in Ottawa, said daily ad revenues for newspapers have fallen two-thirds in 12 years from from $2.7 billion in 2007 to about $900 million last year. He said ad revenue for weekly newspapers fell by about half during that same period. Story continues The pandemic, "will certainly take a huge bite out of that," said Greenspon, who was editor-in-chief of the Globe and Mail from 2002 to 2009 and co-authored Shattered Mirror, a report into the state of Canada's newspaper industry produced by the Public Policy Forum. Cox said the $595-million in federal funding, which includes a series of tax measures and was included in the 2019 budget, already has been overtaken by the COVID-19 pandemic. The government money is supposed to offset advertising revenue lost to internet giants such as Google and Facebook and help pay to keep journalists employed. "But then COVID came along, and everything changed," Cox said. "Now, we have lost a lot of our advertising revenues as well. So really, we have got to talk about a new way of supporting newspapers and the news media industry in general." Temporary handouts not the solution Cox said there has to be a way to build sustainable business models that will allow news outlets to provide news to communities and pay employees a decent wage. "We don't really want temporary government handouts. That is not the best route." Cox said he has spoken with Heritage Ministry officials, for example, about adopting legislation now being proposed in Australia that would force Google and Facebook to pay for media content they carry. Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press Another proposal is to raise the tax credit on digital news subscriptions from 15 per cent to 50 per cent to encourage more people to support Canadian media outlets. Sean Holman, a journalism professor at Mount Royal University in Calgary, said he wouldn't argue against financial support for the newspaper industry in the midst of a growing crisis. But he said newspapers contributed to the economic problem, because they failed to adapt to a changing cultural and digital media environment. For years, even as their advertising declined, newspapers viewed their job as delivering readers to advertisers, he said. And too often, they did that by producing "clickbait" stories that generated page views but not reader loyalty. Creating communities "If your focus is always on getting the story that is going to get big clicks, then that doesn't leave a lot of room to show readers the kind of value that you can provide from a public interest standpoint," Holman said. "I think newsroom leaders in this country need to be thinking about how to create communities around their publications that are willing to invest in those publications either as donors or subscribers," he said. Newspapers, Holman argues, don't have an economic problem; they have a culture problem. "The longer the Canadian news media persists in believing that it's an economic problem, the longer it will be an economic problem for them." In an interview with CBC News last week, Guilbeault said the government is cognizant of both the importance of newspapers during the COVID-19 crisis and the heightened existential crisis for the industry caused by the pandemic. "Clearly, we are trying to get the money out the door as quickly as possible," Guilbeault said, referring to the wage-subsidy program. "Our goal is that the news media can start getting their checks as of August or September. We're not sure we will be able to make it. But that is what we're working really hard to achieve." Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press Guilbeault also pointed to changes announced earlier this month by the federal Finance Department that allow publishers of magazines and non-daily newspapers that receive support through the Canada Periodical Fund to qualify for the Canadian journalism labour tax credit. The tax credit program offers a 25 per cent tax credit and is retroactive to Jan. 1. 2019. Many journalists wary of funding The government, Guilbeault said, is also spending $30 million on a COVID health advertising campaign, with 90 per cent of that money directed to nearly 900 Canadian media outlets, many of which are community newspapers. Many journalists, however, are wary of the government funding journalism. Karyn Pugliese, president of the Canadian Association of Journalists, said there needs to be more transparency and accountability around the funding. "We want to know, for example, everybody who is applying for this money, and we want to have accountability of how it's being used," Pugliese said. Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press As it stands, newspaper companies can take federal money and still lay off employees. This accountability is needed "not just for the survival of the industry financially but for the survival of the appearance of independence, and the true independence of the industry," Pugliese said. The CAJ, she said, also wants to ensure "that government can't just cut funding when they don't like what you're covering." Some in the newspaper industry have accused the CBC of undercutting newspapers through the broadcaster's publicly subsidized expansion into digital news since 1996. But Cox and Guilbeault say CBC is a potential ally for newspapers. Guilbeault pointed to a pilot project in which CBC Winnipeg and the Winnipeg Free Press have formed a partnership to promote each other's journalism on their websites on weekends. Cox said the experiment is small but that these kinds of partnerships "are going to be more and more necessary as the news media becomes more fragile." "We have to work together to make sure our communities are served," he said. Jonathan Hayward/The Canadian Press Print still in demand in rural Canada Guilbeault said he would like to see more local media partnering with CBC and using its platform, which is federally funded, to make local journalism more widely available across the country. Roger Holmes is a third-generation community newspaper publisher in Wainwright, Alta., near the Alberta-Saskatchewan border. He published the Wainwright Star. Holmes said he is uneasy about accepting money from the federal government since the media would have to "bite the hand that is feeding it." He would prefer that the government instead funnel the money it's now spending on internet ads to print publications, which are still in demand in rural Canada. LISTEN | How small Alberta newspapers are handling a drop in ad revenue: Printer: 'I'm the bad guy' Still, Holmes acknowledges that federal money is needed now to halt the rapid failure of local newspapers because of the COVID-19 crisis. His family also owns a commercial press that before the pandemic printed 50 community newspapers for independent publishers from Alberta and Saskatchewan. "I'm the bad guy, because I want to get paid every week and, for some of them, I have had to stop printing their papers because they were not able to pay me," Holmes said. "A lot of them are down to skeleton crews. Some of them just one or two employees or mothers and husbands and wives. So, it's desperate," he said. Cox points out that even as newspapers are failing during the pandemic, readership has soared. "We don't have an audience problem. We have a revenue problem," Cox said. Where to next? "There is demand for what we do, and there are a lot of people who appreciate what we do as a public service in the public interest. "And I think that should be proof enough that we are deserving of some government attention." Holmes remembers his father talking about tough times in the news business during the 1920s and the Depression of the 1930s. Now, he's witnessing the "hollowing out" of newspapers, first through the massive loss over the past few years of advertising revenue to internet giants Google and Facebook, and now through the COVID-19 crisis. "We're just kind of wondering where do we go next," said Holmes. Justin Reynolds from Rathfarnham had a double lung transplant at the age of 51 in 2017 due to his cystic fibrosis Letting hope trump fear during the Covid-19 pandemic is what keeps double lung transplantee Justin Reynolds going under lockdown. In March 2017, the now 54-year-old Rathfarnham man with cystic fibrosis (CF) was days from death when the transplant gave him a second chance at life. It is holding on to the blessings that such a gift brings that helps him through the weeks of isolation he is now going through to keep safe. Justin feels he is in a safer place since the transplant, but because Covid-19 is a potentially fatal respiratory disease he is not taking any chances. "I'm taking it a day at a time. To get to 51 in Ireland with CF is fairly exceptional, and it's due in part to myself but also my parents," he said. Oxygen "They were like a pair of juggernauts behind me. My mother's mantra was 'You'll see your pension'." Thinking back to the days before his transplant, Justin said things were as bleak as they could be. "I could just about breathe with the aid of copious quantities of supplementary oxygen," he said. "There was no point thinking of the future. That would be a waste of time. It frightened me. It was almost game over. "In the six weeks before transplant, I would've been terrified in lots of ways and overwhelmed by what was going on, vital organs were shutting down, because I knew I had lots of things I wanted to do in life. "I felt, to use that phrase in Shakespeare, that I was being 'untimely ripped' from life. "The irony is, I had put in all the effort years before the transplant and kept stabilising. I was showing the doctors I was taking it seriously. "I was so black-belt about exercise and lung clearance and weights and all the rigours of end-stage CF that I kept pushing out the day I might be transplanted or considered urgent enough. "That almost broke me. You feel dire, you're physically destroyed, and yet you're being told you're not urgent. "January 2017 was a war zone in my head. I was being told I wasn't urgent enough." However, in March 2017, the transplant came, and with it a new lease of life. "I can breathe now. I have a second life, and I can think about planning a future," Justin said. "None of that was on the cards before transplant. Because of that, and because I have 'normal' lung function, it has me out walking every day. "To be grateful, and to honour my donor and their next-of-kin for my gift, and to have a sense and flavour for being able to go out and plan, is great. "Having the second chance at life is all the motivation I need now." However, to have any hope of continuing that second life, Justin now has to isolate. The classic-car enthusiast is doing this with the help of family and friends who shop for him, and he has thousands of car magazines in his home to read. "After the transplant, the protocols for three months are not going into shops, not flying, no public transport of any description, not being around people and not having people in your house," he said. "Isolation now is a different gig. To be in isolation in a house with more than 3,000 car magazines, it's not such a bad deal. "It's not a massive sacrifice to make in the grander scheme of things. Covid-19 will come and go. "I only go out now to exercise. I walk every day, typically when there's not that many other people around. "I have a walking pace that not a lot of people could keep up with. In the last two weeks I've been breaking personal bests." The thought of getting back to life post-lockdown leaves Justin apprehensive. "I would have always erred on the side of caution," he said. "Some people in the past have said to me, 'Would you lighten up?' or 'Take a chill pill'. "But if I had lightened up and taken their chill pill, maybe I wouldn't have made it to 51 without getting a transplant. I'll stick to my own way, thank you. Laugh "I don't have myself hermetic- ally sealed in a bubble. I'm able to have a laugh, but I stick with my own regime. "Death, or the danger of it, is always there. I'm structured in how I approach it. "If you're switched on to the dangers all the time, you can avoid the worst of it. I try not to be paranoid, but when you make it an operating mode you don't think about it, so it doesn't impinge on your life. It just becomes a normal habit. "I'm not terrified by Covid-19. You take your precautions with it, like other infections such as MRSA or C-Diff, and after that, what will be will be. "But at least if you have met preventing Covid-19 half-way, well, you're in with a good chance. You can't go around living in fear, yet sometimes I do live in fear of it. I had a better acceptance of death before transplant than I do today. "It's not like I'm dying. There's hope and possibility. Maybe Covid-19 is an opportunity to say, 'Right, there's no distractions, nobody can come in, I can't go out, so what are we about? What do I want to do?'." Pakistan's anti-graft body has issued an arrest warrant against embattled former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in a 34-year-old land-related corruption case. The 70-year-old supremo of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz is currently in London for medical treatment. According to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) officials, Sharif illegally leased the land to Jang Group editor-in-chief Mir Shakilur Rehman in 1986, when the three-time premier was the chief minister of Punjab province. "The NAB has issued arrest warrants of PML-N supreme leader Nawaz Sharif in the land case involving Jang Group editor-in-chief, Rehman. Sharif was served notices and questionnaires in this case but no response came from him who is in London for his medical treatment," a NAB official told PTI on Sunday. The three-time premier is facing multiple graft charges. The official said the NAB would move the accountability court to declare Sharif a proclaimed offender over non-cooperation in the investigation. On March 27, the NAB sent a questionnaire to Sharif and summoned him to the bureau office on March 31 to record his statement. Again on March 15, NAB's Lahore office summoned Sharif to appear before the bureau on March 20, but no response came from him, Dawn reported. Jang Group, also known as Geo Group, is a subsidiary of Dubai-based company Independent Media Corporation. On March 12, the NAB arrested Rehman in the case. He is in the bureau's custody on physical remand till April 28. Rehman, the editor-in-chief of Jang/Geo media group, was arrested on charges that he illegally acquired 54-Kanal (6.75 acres) land on a prime location in Lahore at a throwaway price in 1986 during the tenure of then-chief minister of Punjab Sharif. "Once Sharif is declared a proclaimed offender then we will pursue the process of his repatriation," the official said on Sunday. "The decision to issue Sharif's arrest warrants has been taken on his non-cooperation with NAB in the 54-Kanal land in Lahore he had awarded illegally to Mir Shakilur Rehman in 1986 when he was chief minister of Punjab," the official said. Sharif left for London in November last for treatment after the Lahore High Court allowed him to go abroad on medical grounds for four weeks. According to Sharif's physician Dr Adnan Khan, the top leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) is suffering from complex multi-vessel coronary artery disease and substantial ischemic and threatened myocardium for which he is due to undergo surgery. In a latest tweet, Khan said: "As a high risk patient, former PM #NawazSharif's cardiac catheterisation/coronary intervention was postponed to be rescheduled at a later date amidst COVID-19 pandemic, as public/private hospitals limited their admissions/procedures. Presently managed on aggressive medical therapy." The Lahore High Court had, in October last year, granted bail to Sharif on medical grounds for four weeks, allowing the Punjab government to extend it further in the light of his medical reports. The Islamabad High Court had also granted bail to Sharif in the Al Azizia Mills corruption case, in which the former prime minister was serving a seven-year jail term, clearing his way to travel abroad for medical treatment. Sharif has given an undertaking to the Lahore High Court to return to Pakistan citing his record to face the process of law and justice within four weeks or as soon as he is declared fit to travel. Catch our entire coverage on the Facebook-Jio deal here. Sharif, who was diagnosed with an immune system disorder, has been advised by a PTI government's panel of doctors to go abroad for treatment.Also read: Coronavirus News India LIVE Updates With 1,463 new cases of COVID-19 reported in the last 24 hours and 60 deaths, India's total count of coronavirus cases has surged to 28,380, said the Union ministry of health and family welfare on Monday. IMAGE: A man carries his child on his shoulder as they wait to receive food, during the nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of coronavirus, in New Delhi. Photograph: Kamal Kishore/PTI Photo The total cases are inclusive of 6,361 cured and discharged patients, one migrated and 886 deaths. IMAGE: A couple wearing face masks performs rituals during their marriage ceremony on Akshaya Tritiya amid nationwide COVID-19 lockdown in Bhopal. Photograph: PTI Photo At present, there are 21,132 active COVID-19 cases in the country. IMAGE: A commuter is seen requesting police personnel after being stopped near barricades during a nationwide lockdown in New Delhi. Photograph: PTI Photo During the daily media briefing, Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry, said that 16 districts in the country, which earlier had cases, have not reported any fresh cases for the last 28 days. IMAGE: A medic wearing a protective suit uses a thermal screening on army personnel who have arrived from Bengaluru through a special train in Jodhpur. Photograph: PTI Photo The three new districts, which got added to this list are -- Gondia in Maharashtra, Devangere in Karnataka and Lakhisarai in Bihar. IMAGE: Cattle are seen on a street at Sadar Bazaar area in New Delhi during a nationwide lockdown in the wake of coronavirus pandemic. Photograph: Arun Sharma/PTI Photo Apart from that, 85 districts in states and Union territories have not reported any new cases in the last 14 days, he said. EY honors the most innovative and perseverant entrepreneurs in the country EY Azerbaijan is pleased to announce the winner of the EY Entrepreneur of The Year Award. It is the first time ever this prestigious contest amongst entrepreneurs has been held in Azerbaijan. This competition, which has been held in partnership with the Small and Medium Business (SMB) Development Agency of Azerbaijan, was sponsored by BP and IBAR. The winner has been chosen by an independent judging panel made up of respected members of the business community, representatives of the international finance institutions and renowned senior executives. The judges had the group of 12 unstoppable entrepreneurial leaders to choose from. In line with the principle of social distancing and existing restrictions due to the current pandemic of COVID-19, EY and its partners unveiled the overall winner at a special digital award ceremony held on 25 April with the use of cutting-edge video conferencing technology. There are many successful businessmen in our country, but to build something truly remarkable you should be able to overcome an array of challenges and carry on in the face of various adversities. I am sure our dedicated and resilient entrepreneurs will be able to bounce back from this crisis and continue to inspire innovation and growth despite the current calamity, said Ilgar Veliyev, the managing partner at EY Azerbaijan. EY is proud to honor the participants of the 2020 EY Entrepreneur of the Year competition who lead small and medium business in this country and genuinely contribute to its development. From the onset of the competition, EY Azerbaijan teamed up with the Small and Medium Business Development Agency (SMBDA) of Azerbaijan. The agencys Chairman of the Management Board, Orkhan Mammadov said: It is noteworthy that EY Entrepreneur of the Year award ceremony, held for the first time in Azerbaijan on April 25, coincides with the "Entrepreneurs' Day" in our country. The competition is a valuable platform for cooperation between public and private sectors and provides an opportunity to promote entrepreneurship and motivate entrepreneurs. SMBDA supports the organization of this event as an important initiative aimed at development of entrepreneurship. We consider it necessary to work together to form a new entrepreneurial role model in accordance with the challenges of modern times. After thorough assessment of contestants applications and careful consideration, the judges decided to recognize the winners in several categories. Thus, jury awarded Sustainable Agriculture nomination to Rasim Aliyev from Geotermal Aqro, Regional Development nomination to Aliyar Aliyev from Woodpecker, Innovations nomination to Farid Ismayilzada from GoldenPay and Social Impact nomination to Rufat Azizov from Prometal. Mr Rashkhan Garashli has been announced as an overall winner of this years competition - he will represent Azerbaijan in the World Entrepreneur of the Year competition where hell compete against the worlds most innovative and inspiring businessmen and businesswomen. After the announcement Mr Garashli said: I would like to express my gratitude to EY for organizing such a contest. It provides a genuine incentive for people like me to grow our businesses further and aim even higher. I hope this will stimulate young entrepreneurs and startupers to get involved in this competition and find their rightful place in the market. As a company, we have already managed to achieve recognition, so we would also like to support new players. The competition became possible thanks to generous support of BP and The International Bank of Azerbaijan, IBAR. Bakhtiyar Aslanbayli, BPs Vice President for Communications, External Affairs, Strategy and Region, said: In our efforts to help develop the local supply chains and entrepreneurship, we are fully aligned with the aims of the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year competition, since the contest clearly recognizes entrepreneurial achievements and growth efforts of local businesses. We would like to thank EY for this opportunity to support this prestigious competition and look forward to seeing Azerbaijans representative among the best entrepreneurs from around the world. The EY Entrepreneur of the Year competition is an important development in the countrys economic life because we believe it will benefit the business community and encourage entrepreneurs to realize their potential. As International Bank of Azerbaijan we were pleased to get behind this project as were genuinely interested in economic growth and support for small and medium size enterprises. Our bank has been taking concrete measures to achieve these. We even founded The Entrepreneurs Club that allows us to support businessmen from across the country, said Abbas Ibrahimov, Chairman of the Management Board of International Bank of Azerbaijan. About Entrepreneur Of The Year Entrepreneur Of The Year, founded by EY in 1986, is the world's most prestigious business awards program for entrepreneurs. The program makes a difference through the way it encourages entrepreneurial activity among those with potential and recognizes the contribution of people who inspire others with their vision, leadership and achievement. As the first and only truly global awards program of its kind, Entrepreneur Of The Year celebrates those who are building and leading successful, growing and dynamic businesses, recognizing them through regional, national and global awards programs in more than 145 cities in more than 60 countries. You are here: China China's top legislature Sunday began deliberating a draft decision to authorize the State Council to temporarily adjust relevant laws and regulations in the Hainan pilot free trade zone. The main content of the draft decision includes temporary adjustments of the land administration law, the seed law and the maritime law. It is a major decision to support the construction of the Hainan pilot free trade zone and a free trade port with Chinese characteristics, according to Yuan Shuhong, vice minister of the Ministry of Justice. The move aims to support Hainan to deepen its reform and opening-up in an all-round way and promote the implementation of the pilot policy in the Hainan pilot free trade zone, said Yuan. The draft decision clarifies that the trial implementation of the adjustments will be no later than December 31, 2024. Kuwait does not support any interference in India's internal affairs and has conveyed that it is deeply committed to the friendly relations between the two countries, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Monday. The response by the ministry came following references on Twitter by several people from Kuwait including human rights activists criticising reports of alleged attacks on Muslims in certain parts of India when the country was fighting the coronavirus pandemic. "We have seen certain references to India in non-official social media handles in Kuwait. The Government of Kuwait has assured us that they are deeply committed to friendly relations with India. They also do not support any interference in the internal affairs of India," MEA Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said. He also mentioned about India sending a rapid response team to Kuwait recently to help the country fight the pandemic. Srivastava said the team rendered valuable medical assistance in treatment of people affected by the virus. "It is, therefore, important that friendly and cooperative nature of our relations is accurately recognised and misuse of social media is not given credence," he said. Ambassador of Kuwait to India Jassem Al-Najem too talked about the principle of non-interference in relations between the two countries. Kuwait and India share many principles in their foreign policies, like respecting UN Charter, non-interference in other countries' affairs and respecting sovereignty of nations, Kuwaiti agency KUNA quoted Al-Najem as saying. Last week, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation had alleged that the Muslims in India were victims of "Islamophobia". Government sources slammed the OIC's remarks as "regrettable". The OIC is an influential grouping consisting of 57 member states with a collective population of over 1.8 billion. Around 53 member states in the grouping are Muslim-majority countries. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Latino-themed shows that you should not miss watching that feature some of the real-life challenges experienced by Latinos living in the United States. Citywide lockdowns led many to feel stress and experience anxiety. Some also have already adjusted to what we called "New Normal World." Meanwhile, while there are places in the U.S. that are now slowly opening its economy, many still stayed in their homes waiting for their employers to call them back to work. If you are one of them, you can still enjoy your life while you are at your home. Here are some of the Latino-themed movies that you can enjoy: The title of this show comes from the word gentrification, which means "people." This is a story about three cousins who are dreaming of fulfilling their dreams without leaving behind their traditions. This also shows how young Latinos go back to their community, where the longtime residents and business owners try to keep up with the rising rents and prices. One of the stars Annie Gonzales said: If we can have all these other procedurals of police shows and firefighters shows, we could have more shows like this. America Ferrera produces this show. This show will help you learn about the contribution of Latinos in American history. This is a one-person Broadway show that stars John Leguizamo. He said: "I started to think why people feel comfortable disrespecting us (Latinos) in a way that's just not normal or natural. And I started to think that's because our contributions aren't in history textbooks." This is a reboot of the groundbreaking 1970s sitcom. This time, this show centers on the Cuban-American family living in Los Angeles. The themes of the show cover issues like depression, post-military civilian life, bullying, and gun control. This show is embraced by both its viewers and critics, for it depicts a hilarious depiction of Latino lives. Gloria Calderon, co-showrunner, said: "On the show, I get to talk to my community, and I get to educate other people who don't know anything about my community." This is also a reboot of the 1990s series, but this time it has a twist. Just like its original series, the Acosta siblings are exploring their lives without their parents, but this time their parents did not die but were deported and sent back to Mexico. A critic from a news outlet said: "At a time when the immigration debate still involves kids kept in cages, there is no better moment for America to see a series like this." This show is often compared to the "Riverdale" and "Gossip Girls." This is a show from Spain that follows the lives of several-working class students as they attend a vibrant Spanish private school. However, this becomes a murder mystery after one of their classmates was murdered and found dead. These are just five of the many Latino-themed movies that you can stream through Netflix. There are series you can stream where the actors and actresses use Spanish and Portuguese as the language to better communicate with their vast Latin American Audience. Read related articles: Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-27 22:22:36|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close SHANGHAI, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Starbucks China on Monday announced a strategic partnership with leading investment firm Sequoia Capital China in a bid to propel the company's digital innovation in the country. Starbucks China will make strategic co-investments with Sequoia Capital China, and commercial partnerships with next-generation food and retail technology companies, the coffee chain giant said. The strategic partnership with Sequoia Capital China "adds another powerful engine to drive our relentless pursuit of digital innovation around the world," said Kevin Johnson, president and chief executive officer of Starbucks, adding that the partnership will contribute to the company's efforts on pioneering innovative solutions "that could reimagine the global retail landscape." Last month, Starbucks China announced a plan to build a coffee innovation park in eastern China's Jiangsu Province. Enditem The Narendra Modi government is said to be eyeing an exit plan as the country enters the final week of the nationwide lockdown which has been in place since March 25. PIB Prime Minister Modi who on Monday interacted with chief ministers to discuss the situation over video conferencing lockdown would continue beyond May 3 in the parts of the country worst affected by the infection. Read more After Lockdown, Academic Sessions In Universities Across India Likely To Start In September A University Grants Commission (UGC) panel has come up with what could be the roadmap for the resumption of academic activities. BCCL The committee has recommended that classes in universities and colleges should begin in September, instead of July. Read more Their Daily Needs Are Taken Care Of Says Govt In SC, But Migrant Workers Have Another Story To Tell The Centre has told the Supreme Court that migrant workers don't need to travel to their native places during the lockdown, as the government is taking care of their and their family members' daily needs wherever they are. BCCL This came in a second status report filed by the government in the apex court in response to a plea by advocate Alakh Alok Srivastava, seeking relief for migrant workers including payment of wages. Read more Deadlier Wuhan L-Strand Virus Believed To Be Behind Gujarat's High COVID-19 Mortality Rate Scientists in the state believe that the reason behind the high mortality rate is the strand of Coronavirus. BCCL They believe that the virus causing the infection in the state is the L-type strain of Coronavirus the same strand which was found in Wuhan in China, where the outbreak started. Read more Man Allegedly Brutally Thrashes Wife Because She Repeatedly Beat Him In Ludo Domestic violence is nothing new, but it still sends shivers down our spines when we here of such incidents. The New Leam They are a cause for shame in our society and one cannot help but feel outraged when something like this happens. Such an incident has taken place in Vadodara where a man allegedly brutally assaulted his wife. Why? Because she repeatedly defeated him in ludo. Read more (Newser) An emergency room chief physician at a New York hospital who had described coronavirus patients dying in ambulances before they could be taken inside has died by suicide. Dr. Lorna Breen, 49, died Sunday, said her father, who discussed the toll the pandemic took on his daughter. "She tried to do her job, and it killed her," Dr. Philip Breen said. New York-Presbyterian Allen Hospital has 200 beds, the New York Times reports, and has had up to 170 COVID-19 patients at once. Lorna Breen had come down with the virus, and tried to go back to work after recovering. She was sent home, then went to Virginia to stay with her family. A colleague says Breen, medical director of the emergency department, worked to get protective equipment for her staff members, then checked on them by text while she was recuperating. "She was always the physician who was looking out for other peoples health and well-being," the colleague says. story continues below Her father said Breen didn't have a history of mental illness, but he thought something was wrong during their last conversation. He found his daughter detached in discussing the horrors she'd seen. "She was truly in the trenches of the front line," he said. A doctor at a sister hospital said physicians are facing unusual mental health challenges during the pandemic, suddenly having to treat colleagues and worry about becoming infected and passing the virus on to loved ones. "A death presents us with many questions that we may not be able to answer," an email from the hospital to staff members on Sunday said, per the Times. "Make sure shes praised as a hero, because she was," Breen's father said. "Shes a casualty just as much as anyone else who has died." (Read more coronavirus stories.) Medical equipment and protective gear being exported by China to help other nations fight the Coronavirus pandemic is being scrutinised for being substandard and not of optimum quality. To make it right, Chinese authorities have started cracking down on the producers of such equipment and in the process, has confiscated over 89 million poor quality face masks. Reuters Don't Miss: Contribute To Indiatimes Fundraiser To Help India Fight COVID-19 The update was provided by Ms Gan Lin, deputy director of the State Administration of Market Regulation on Sunday at a press conference. As per Lin, nearly 16 million businesses were inspected by China's market regulators by Friday. The inspection had led to the seizure of over 89 million masks and 418,000 units of protective gear. In addition to the two protective equipment mostly used by medical workers, regulators had also seized ineffective disinfectants worth over 7.6 million yuan (Rs 8.18 crore) as per Lin. Note that not all of the stock was bound for export. The blame To date, several nations have complained about faulty and ineffective masks and protective gear imported from China, with some even returning the equipment to the country upon quality rejection. Countries including Canada, Spain, Netherlands, Czech Republic and Turkey have been a part of this, with complaints ranging from the masks failing to meet optimum standards for use by medical professionals to having faulty part like filters and borders. (Representative Image: Reuters) What is wrong with the masks? There is no set defect in the masks or the other equipment. Different batches of masks have been criticised for different issues. The lot received by Netherlands, for instance, did not fit the wearer properly. Even their filters did not work as intended. Another problem was highlighted in the test kits received by Spain and Turkey, with both the countries casting aside a considerable portion of the import. Even Australia found fault with Chinese personal protective equipment (PPE) products. China has responded to the claims. The Chinese embassy in Spain tweeted that the testing kits were made by Shenzhen Bioeasy Biotechnology, a company which did not have an official license from Chinese medical authorities to sell its products. It maintained that the material donated by the Chinese government to other countries did not include products from Shenzhen Bioeasy adhered to the international standards. The problem, hence, lies in the production chain in practice in China. As per a report by LA Times, it is common for Chinese export companies to source their products from local manufacturers, to the effect that traceability down the supply chain cannot be guaranteed. (Representative Image: Reuters) As a result, medical product exporters are able to get away with counterfeit or substandard goods despite certification requirements. Certificates can be faked, by displaying another manufacturers name. Chinas solution With the complaints pouring in, China has released new guidelines on Saturday. The new rules indicate that even the non-medical masks being exported to other countries must meet both national and international quality standards. The move is aimed to eliminate the export of poor-quality products altogether. In addition to laying the production guidelines, China has now mandated a written declaration to be filed by the exporters. The declaration ensures that the medical products by any company meets the safety requirements of the destination country. The move is estimated to have an impact on the 116 million plus masks produced in the country per day. Having exported more than one billion masks in 2020, China has confiscated 31.6 million faulty masks and 509,000 protective suits destined for export by mid-April. To further build on this, the country is now aiming to curb the production of such sub-standard products altogether. (With inputs from AFP) Siberia Airlines has operated a flight to bring more than 100 Russians from Vietnam home on April 27, 2020. photo courtesy of Airbus. The Russian government organized a second special flight on Monday to repatriate over 180 citizens stuck in Vietnam by Covid-19 related flight suspensions. A Siberia Airlines flight took off from the Cam Ranh International Airport in Khanh Hoa Province at 9:08 a.m. to the Russian city of Novosibirsk, Vietnam Plus reported. It carried more than 180 Russian tourists whod been traveling in the popular beach destinations of Nha Trang, Mui Ne and Phu Quoc when they were stranded by the suspension of flights due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Russian Consulate General in HCMC dispatched staff to take all stranded Russian citizens to the Cam Ranh Airport near Nha Trang in the central province of Khanh Hoa. In the first repatriation flight from Vietnam organized by Russia, 178 citizens were taken home April 20 on a Siberia Airlines charter flight. Le Van Nghia, chief representative of Siberia Airlines in Vietnam, said the carrier was planning another flight that will depart from Cam Ranh and land in Russias Vladivostok City. "Many of the repatriated people were stranded in Vietnam due to flight cancellations and faced economic difficulties due to the pandemic," Nghia told Khanh Hoa Newspaper. Over 3,000 foreign tourists are stuck in Vietnam but only 11 percent of them wish to go home immediately, earlier reports have said. After Vietnam halted all international flights as a preventive measure to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus, many countries have organized special flights to repatriate their citizens. The Philippines embassy repatriated 143 people last week. Earlier hundreds of Europeans including British, Germans and Italians were also sent home from Vietnam. A nurse who fought for life alongside Boris Johnson in intensive care has died from coronavirus. Care home nurse Larni Zuniga, 54, was treated in intensive care at St Thomas' Hospital in London at the same time as the Prime Minister, who is 55. Originally from the Philippines, the married father had worked in Britain for 12 years and had not seen his family for five years. Care home nurse Larni Zuniga, who worked in London, was given UK citizenship in February Mr Zuniga worked as a senior nurse at the Surrey Hills care home near his home in Godalming He was given UK citizenship in February and had hoped to bring his wife Edith to Britain in June. His daughter Mutya posted an online tribute, saying: 'I can't stop crying. It's too painful to bear.' His cousin Christian, an NHS theatre nurse, said: 'Larni was a true professional, who touched the lives of many. He made a tremendous difference to a lot of people's lives.' Mr Zuniga worked as a senior nurse at the Surrey Hills care home near his home in Godalming. Mr Zuniga was treated in intensive care at St Thomas' Hospital in London at the same time as Prime Minister Boris Johnson (pictured speaking at 10 Downing Street this morning) St Thomas' Hospital in London is pictured on the banks of the River Thames last Thursday He was a Christian and regular attendee at the Jesus Is Lord Church in Oxford which he travelled two hours to get to every Sunday . Mr Zuniga's death follows weeks of concerns that care home workers have not been given enough personal protective equipment to stop the spread of infection, despite homes going into lockdown to protect residents. His friend Arnold Barrientos said: 'Larni had absolutely sacrificed a lot for his family. 'He worked hard and he battled hard times of not seeing his family just to ensure a comfortable life for them.' 'He influenced a lot of people with his Godly counselling and loving, warm personality. 'He had so many unfulfilled dreams concerning his family due to this early demise.' Mr Barrientos has organised a fundraiser on GoFundMe for Mr Zuniga's funeral, which has so far raised more than 8,000 of its 10,000 target. More than 20,7000 people in Britain have now died from the virus in hospital, out of more than 152,000 who have been infected. Olalekan Adetayo, Abuja The Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, and the Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, on Sunday evening met with the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. The meeting, which held inside the Presidents official residence, was meant to brief Buhari on the ongoing efforts to curb the spread of coronavirus in the country. Buharis Personal Assistant on New Media, Bashir Ahmad, announced the meeting via his Twitter handle, @BashirAhmaad. Ahmad wrote, FLASH: President @MBuhari receives a briefing on Nigerias #COVID19 situation, from Minister of Health Dr. Osagie Ehanire and Director-General of the NCDC, Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu this evening at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. READ ALSO: Kaduna extends lockdown by 30 days The meeting came a few hours before the expiration of the 14-day lockdown the President ordered in Abuja, Lagos, and Ogun states as part of efforts aimed at curbing the spread of coronavirus. The Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 led by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, had said it would make some suggestions to the President to guide his decision on the lockdown. Ehanire and Ihekweazu are members of the task force. As of the time of filing this report, the Presidency has not issued any statement on the meeting between the President and the two government officials. It is however expected that Buhari will make his position on the lockdown known on Monday. DOWNLOAD THE PUNCH NEWS APP NOW ON #video-container { margin-bottom: 10px; } .socialmedia { margin-bottom:20px; margin-top:20px; font-family: Open Sans, sans-serif; } .socialmedia h3 { font-size:14px; margin-bottom:10px; font-weight:bold; text-align:left; } .socialmedia h3 span { font-size:14px; font-weight:normal; line-height:1.5em; } .socialmedia h3 span#whatsapp { width:50px; height:50px; background:url(http://cdn.punchng.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/07104600/wa1.png) no-repeat; } .socialmedia h3 span a { color:gray; } #main h3 { font-weight:bold; font-size:24px; } .box_app { background-color:#fafafa; width: 100%; text-align: left; } CPI FIM SA Societe Anonyme 40, rue de la Vallee L-2661 Luxembourg R.C.S. Luxembourg B 44.996 (the Company) CONVENING NOTICE OF THE COMPANYS ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING TO BE HELD ON 28 MAY 2020 Dear Shareholders, You are invited to attend the Annual General Meeting of the shareholders of the Company (the Meeting) to be held at the registered office of the Company at 40, rue de la Vallee, L-2661 Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, on 28 May 2020 at 14:00 CET , to discuss and to vote on the agenda indicated below. Due to COVID-19 pandemic the shareholders are recommended to opt for a distance voting by using the Attendance and Proxy forms available on the Companys website at www.cpifimsa.com (further details below). The Meeting is convened in accordance with article 450-8 of the Luxembourg law on commercial companies dated 10 August 1915, as amended from time to time (the LCA) and article 3 of the law dated 24 May 2011 on the exercise of certain rights of shareholders in general meetings of listed companies, with the following points on the agenda: AGENDA Presentation of the reports of the Board of Directors and of the approved auditor (reviseur dentreprises agree) of the Company on the statutory annual accounts and on the consolidated annual accounts of the Company for the financial year ended 31 December 2019. Presentation and approval of the statutory annual accounts for the financial year ended 31 December 2019. Presentation and approval of the consolidated annual accounts for the financial year ended 31 December 2019. Allocation of the financial results in relation to the financial year ended 31 December 2019. Discharge to be granted to the members of the Board of Directors in respect of the performance of their duties during the financial year ended 31 December 2019. Discharge to be granted to the approved auditor (reviseur dentreprises agree) in respect of the performance of its duties during the financial year ended 31 December 2019. Decision to appoint with immediate effect Mr. David Greenbaum to the Board of Directors of the Company until the annual general meeting of the shareholders of the Company to be held in 2021 concerning the approval of the annual accounts of the Company for the financial year ending on 31 December 2020. Decision to appoint with immediate effect Mr. Edward Hughes to the Board of Directors of the Company until the annual general meeting of the shareholders of the Company to be held in 2021 concerning the approval of the annual accounts of the Company for the financial year ending on 31 December 2020. Decision to appoint with immediate effect Mrs. Anita Dubost to the Board of Directors of the Company until the annual general meeting of the shareholders of the Company to be held in 2021 concerning the approval of the annual accounts of the Company for the financial year ending on 31 December 2020. Subject to approval of item 7 of the agenda, decision to appoint Mr. David Greenbaum as the Managing Director (administrateur delegue) of the Company until the annual general meeting of the shareholders of the Company to be held in 2021 concerning the approval of the annual accounts of the Company for the financial year ending on 31 December 2020. Decision to appoint Ernst & Young S.A., Luxembourg as the approved auditor (reviseur dentreprises agree) of the Company until the annual general meeting of the shareholders of the Company to be held in 2021 concerning the approval of the annual accounts of the Company for the financial year ending on 31 December 2020. ATTENDING THE MEETING In order to attend the Meeting, shareholders must provide the Company with the following three items as explained in greater detail below: (i) Record Date Confirmation, (ii) Attendance and Proxy Form, and (iii) Proof of Shareholding. Record Date Confirmation: This document shall be provided to the Company by a shareholder at the latest by 23:59 CET on the Record Date. The Record Date is 14 May 2020 (the Record Date, i.e. the day falling fourteen (14) days before the date of the Meeting). The Record Date Confirmation must be in writing and indicate that a shareholder holds the Company shares and wishes to participate in the Meeting. A template form of the Record Date Confirmation is available on the Companys website at www.cpifimsa.com . The Record Date Confirmation must be sent to the Company by post or electronic means so that it is received by the Company at the latest by 23:59 CET on the Record Date, i.e. 14 May 2020 , to: CPI FIM SA 40, rue de la Vallee, L-2661 Luxembourg Fax: + 352 26 47 67 67 email: generalmeetings@cpifimsa.com Attendance and Proxy form: A template form is available on the Companys website at www.cpifimsa.com and is to be duly completed and signed by shareholders wishing to attend or be represented at the Meeting. Proof of Shareholding: This document must indicate the shareholder's name and the number of Company shares held at 23:59 CET on the Record Date. The Proof of Shareholding shall be issued by the bank, the professional securities' depositary or the financial institution where the shares are on deposit. Please note that Proof of Shareholding is not necessary for those shareholders whose shares are still recorded as registered shares in the Companys shareholders register. Shareholders wishing to attend the Meeting must send the Attendance and Proxy form together with the relevant Proof of Shareholding by post or electronic means so that they are received by the Company at the latest by noon (12:00 noon CET) on 22 May 2020 , to: CPI FIM SA 40, rue de la Vallee, L-2661 Luxembourg Fax: + 352 26 47 67 67 email: generalmeetings@cpifimsa.com Please note that only persons who are shareholders at the Record Date and have timely submitted their Record Date Confirmation, Attendance and Proxy form, and Proof of Shareholding shall have the right to participate and vote in the Meeting. Documentation and information: The following documents and information are available for the shareholders on our website: www.cpifimsa.com and, in particular, in the "Shareholder Corner": the present convening notice; the total number of shares and the voting rights in the Company as at the date of this convening notice; the documents to be submitted to the Meeting (in particular the reports of the board of directors and of the approved auditor (reviseur dentreprises agree), the statutory annual accounts for the financial year ended 31 December 2019 and the consolidated annual accounts for the financial year ended 31 December 2019); the draft resolutions of the Meeting. Any draft resolution(s) submitted by shareholder(s) shall be added to the website as soon as possible after the Company has received them; the Record Date Confirmation form; and the Attendance and Proxy form. The above documents may also be obtained by shareholders upon written request sent to the following postal address: CPI FIM SA, 40, rue de la Vallee, L-2661 Luxembourg. For further information, visit our website: www.cpifimsa.com and, in particular, the "Shareholder Corner". Quorum Requirement: The Meeting shall validly deliberate regardless of the corporate capital present or represented. Resolutions, in order to be adopted, must be carried by a majority of the votes cast. Votes cast shall not include votes attaching to shares in which the shareholder has not taken part in the vote or has abstained or has returned a blank or invalid vote. Right to add new items on the agenda : One or more shareholders together representing at least five per cent of the share capital has the right to (i) put one or more items on the agenda of the Meeting and (ii) table draft resolutions for items included or to be included on the agenda of the Meeting. Such requests must: be in writing and sent to the Company by post (at the following address: CPI FIM SA, 40, rue de la Vallee, L-2661 Luxembourg) or electronic means (at the following email address: generalmeetings@cpifimsa.com ) and be accompanied by a justification or draft resolution to be adopted in the Meeting; ) and be accompanied by a justification or draft resolution to be adopted in the Meeting; include the postal or electronic address at which the Company may acknowledge receipt of the requests; be received by the Company at least twenty two (22) days before the date of the Meeting, i.e. 6 May 2020. The Company shall acknowledge receipt of requests referred to above within (forty-eight) 48 hours from receipt. The Company shall prepare a revised agenda including such additional items on or before the fifteenth (15th) day before the date of the Meeting. If you need further assistance or information, please contact: CPI FIM SA, 40, rue de la Vallee, L-2661 Luxembourg, Tel: + 352 26 47 67 1; Fax: + 352 26 47 67 67; email: generalmeetings@cpifimsa.com Luxembourg, 24 April 2020 Yours faithfully, The Board of Directors of the Company Though COVID-19 and the recent oil price wars may have shaken the oil and gas industry, energy development will march onward. The critical role that natural gas plays not only in our everyday lives but in addressing climate change domestically and across the world simply cannot be overlooked and Texas is playing a central role. When used for electricity, natural gas releases about 50 percent fewer CO2 emissions than coal. Pairing these climate benefits with its low cost distinguishes natural gas as a clear economic and climate winner. The transition to natural gas for electricity generation has enabled the U.S. to experience the largest emissions reduction in the history of energy, according to International Energy Agency Director Fatih Birol. Today, the United States is the worlds largest natural gas producer, a major exporter and a key player in the global energy market. Not only has the U.S. significantly reduced its own emissions, but through natural gas exports many of which originate here in Texas were also able to deliver major climate benefits to our nearby trading partners in Mexico and Canada. Considering that Texas exports more products to Mexico than any other country, the strong energy relationship between the two should be no surprise. Mexicos appetite for American natural gas has been significant in recent years. In 2019, 43 percent of U.S. natural gas exports went to Mexico, almost all of it transported via natural gas pipelines. Over a decade ago, electric generation from natural gas only held 30 percent of the Mexican market. Thanks in large part to imports from the U.S., 60 percent of the electricity Mexico consumed in 2018 was generated from natural gas. The transition to natural gas for electricity generation has brought Mexico closer to the cleaner skies it desperately needs. From 2012 to 2018, Mexicos carbon emissions per capita fell from 4.17 metric tons to 3.79 metric tons, even as the countrys population increased by almost 10 million. Like the rest of the world in the COVID-19 crisis, Mexicos demand for natural gas has been temporarily dampened. However, the long-term outlook remains encouraging: The countrys consumption of affordable natural gas will grow over the next several decades. In the past 10 years, Mexicos natural gas consumption has steadily increased, and it is projected to continue doing so. Canada, despite being a leading producer of natural gas on its own, still turns to the United States to augment its natural gas supply. In fact, 98 percent of Canadas natural gas imports and 17 percent of Canadas natural gas consumption come from the United States. As Canadas consumption of natural gas has increased over the years, its emissions intensity has decreased. Between 1990 and 2017, the amount of greenhouse gasses emitted per person in Canada decreased 10 percent. Beyond the climate benefits that natural gas delivers our trade partners, natural gas is also a key element in a cleaner energy future here at home. Some may be surprised to learn that natural gas and renewables are complementary, not incompatible. Its no accident that Texas is not only the largest natural gas-producing and -consuming state, but also by far the largest producer of wind energy. If it were its own country, Texas would rank as one of the top five wind producers in the world. While leaps and bounds have been made in battery technology, renewable energy still cannot meet peak energy demand on its own, due to the intermittency of sunshine and the wind. Natural gas is a reliable and affordable solution to fill the gap. The immediate future may be difficult to predict, and we should not gloss over the real economic hardship that we face, particularly those who work in Texas energy. But in the long term, rest assured: Texas-produced natural gas will play a critical role in defining our low-carbon future. Elizabeth Caldwell is the spokesperson for Texans for Natural Gas, a grassroots organization that gives a voice to those who support Texas oil and natural gas production. Actress Tisca Chopra is missing going outdoors but she says she is making the most of staying indoors. Tisca shared a stunning photograph on Instagram of herself in a monochrome monokini. In the image, the "Dil Toh Baccha Hai Ji" actress can be seen laying on sand. "Lockdown diaries Day 29: 'Missing the outdoors but making the most of the indoors .. Made some #dimsums last evening and judging by the reaction they were good. Tara loves whatever little I cook and that is encouraging me be more adventurous (head to stories)," she wrote alongside the image. BERLIN (Reuters) - German Labour Minister Hubertus Heil is working on legislation to give employees the right to work from home even when the coronavirus crisis is over, he told a newspaper on Sunday. BERLIN (Reuters) - German Labour Minister Hubertus Heil is working on legislation to give employees the right to work from home even when the coronavirus crisis is over, he told a newspaper on Sunday. "Everyone who wants to and whose workplace allows it should be able to work in a home office - even when the coronavirus pandemic is over," Heil told the Bild am Sonntag newspaper. With schools closed and many companies encouraging their employees to work from home to try to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, about 25% of Germans are now estimated to be working from home, up from about 12% normally. Heil, a Social Democrat (SPD), said he would present legislation later in the year to anchor a right to home working in law, with employees allowed to work from home the whole time or for one or two days a week. Finance Minister Olaf Scholz, also from the SPD, supported the idea, telling the paper: "The past weeks have shown how much is possible in the home office - this is a real achievement that we should not just abandon." However, the German Employers' Association rejected it, telling the Funke media group that the last thing the battered economy needed at this time was more rules. Katrin Goering-Eckardt, parliamentary leader of the opposition Greens, supported a right to home work but said it would only work if the government also guaranteed high-speed internet for all. "A home office or mobile working must always be voluntary and needs binding rules. Nobody should be forced to do it, and a home office should not lead to work becoming limitless," she said in a statement. (Reporting by Emma Thomasson; Editing by Hugh Lawson) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 27) - An multilateral lender is extending additional assistance to the Philippines amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved on Monday a fresh $200 million, about 10 billion, loan to assist the government in providing emergency cash aid to vulnerable households during the health crisis. ADB Country Director Kelly Bird told CNN Philippines the loan is meant to help the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) reach the target 18 million low-income households. "Specifically though, this loan targets the COVID-19 cash grants to the 3.4 million families under DSWD's conditional cash transfer program or 4Ps," Bird said in an interview with CNN Philippines. Social Welfare secretary Rolando Bautista said Sunday that government funds for the country's social amelioration program are running low, as the enhanced community quarantine in the national capital and other high risk areas has been extended until May 15. READ: DSWD Sec. Rolando Bautista says he believes the funds for SAP are running low The new loan is an addition to the $1.5 billion, about 76 billion, loan from the ADB announced on Friday. Bird said the $1.5 billion is budget support, meaning it will go to the National Treasury and can be used to finance the national government budget, including fiscal stimulus programs. "It's not earmarked for any particular program but COVID-19 response is included," Bird said. Majority of the amount, $1 billion, about 50 billion, will be released before end-April, while the rest will be remitted to authorities between now and June 20, the Department of Finance said. READ: ADB extends 76-B loan to boost local COVID-19 fight When asked how the ADB will monitor how the loans are spent, Bird cited their confidence given the government's financial management system and monitoring system in place. "We're very confident that these will be well targeted programs," Bird said. Bird also said that their pre-COVID-19 program with the Philippines will continue. "That's $3 billion, so we are continuing to prepare those programs and projects and they remain on track for approval this year," Kelly said. "We're also looking at a health sector project around $100 million to scale up the government's health response," he added. New Delhi, April 27 : While other universities are debating ways to conduct examinations, the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), here on Monday, started mid-semester examinations digitally. "In order to complete the academic requirements for MSc and MPhil/PhD degrees, the School of Environmental Sciences, JNU, has started the mid-semester exams using digital means from today until May 4. Way to go," JNU Vice-Chancellor Jagadesh Kumar Mamidala tweeted. By April 14, the JNU had started studying ways of conducting examinations, either on digital platforms or by other means in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, the JNU administration said. For the purpose, the university had on April 12 called a meeting of senior officials, including the Vice-Chancellor, Directors, the Registrar, the Deans of schools and chairpersons of special centres. It was decided at the meeting that the Deans of schools and the Chairpersons of special centres would consult their respective faculties and prepare a set of recommendations on a comprehensive mechanism to be followed to complete the courses and hold examinations. "Given that JNU students come from different parts of India and their problems, like good internet connectivity in rural areas, a flexible and effective mechanism will be devised to help students complete academic requirements," the JNU administration had said. E xperts have said it is too early to reopen schools in the UK as it is still unclear how coronavirus spreads among children. Schools and colleges have been closed under lockdown, except to children of essential workers and vulnerable youngsters, but it is thought they could be among the first places to reopen once restrictions start being eased. But chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty said that while a great majority of children either do not contract the virus or have mild symptoms, there is still not enough data on how they contribute to the spread of Covid-19. He said the lower the transmission rate of coronavirus or R value the greater room for manoeuvre there is for what lockdown measures could be lifted. Speaking at the Downing Street briefing on Monday, Prof Whitty said: If you have schools open, it does contribute to increasing the R. If you close schools, the R goes down, it was part of the collection of things that were done in March to try and pull the R from where it was, near three, to where it is now, below one. He added: If you stopped doing it, you would actually lose some of the benefit that we have currently got. Britain's Chief Medical Officer for England Chris Whitty leaves from 10 Downing Street in central London (File photo) / AFP via Getty Images But we do not yet have direct data that really help us in assessing the impact, he said. There is more accurate information on how children spread diseases such as flu, Prof Whitty said, but we are still really learning on how they spread Covid-19. He added: Whilst I think it remains the case that the contribution of children at school is probably less than, for example, flu, we do think it certainly contributes. What we are trying to work out is what proportion of the R it contributes and therefore, if children went back to school, how much closer to one and thats in a bad way would we be and could it even tip us above one. Coronavirus hits the UK - In pictures 1 /81 Coronavirus hits the UK - In pictures A deserted Westminster Bridge PA A man wearing a face mask or covering due to the COVID-19 pandemic, walks past customers sat outside a restaurant AFP via Getty Images Boris Johnson addresses the nation on the Coronavirus lockdown Andrew Parsons Runners pass cardboard cutouts of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and Prince William during the London Marathon in London AP An empty escalator at Charing Coss London Underground tube station Jeremy Selwyn Electronic bilboards displays a message warning people to stay home in Sheffield PA A sign is displayed in the window of a student accommodation building following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Mancheste Reuters People take part in a 'We Do Not Consent' rally at Trafalgar Square, organised by Stop New Normal, to protest against coronavirus restrictions, in Londo AP People sing and dance in Leicester Square on the eve on the 10PM curfew Reuters Hearts painted by a team of artists from Upfest are seen in the grass at Queen Square, following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Bristol Reuters Graffiti reads 'good luck and stay safe', as the number of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases grow around the world, under a bridge in London Reuters A sign is pictured in Soho, amid the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in London Reuters Prime Minister Boris Johnson gestures, during a coronavirus briefing in Downing Street, London AP A person runs past posters with a message of hope, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues in Manchester REUTERS Riot police face protesters who took part in a 'We Do Not Consent' rally at Trafalgar Square, organised by Stop New Normal, to protest against coronavirus restrictions in London AP An image of The Queen eith quotes from her broadcast to the UK and the Commonwealth in relation to the Coronavirus epidemic are displayed on lights in London's Piccadilly Circus PA Military vehicles cross Westminster Bridge after members of the 101 Logistic Brigade delivered a consignment of medical masks to St Thomas' hospital Getty Images Durdle Door in Dorset Reuters Captain Tom Moore via Reuters Mia, aged 8, and Jack, aged 5, take part in "PE with Joe" a daily live workout with Joe Wicks on Youtube to help kids stay fit who have to stay indoors due to the Coronavirus outbreak PA An NHS worker reacts at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital during the Clap for our Carers campaign in support of the NHS Reuters Goats which have taken over the deserted streets of Llandudno @AndrewStuart via PA Tobias Weller PA Novikov restaurant in London with its shutters pulled down while the restaurant is closed London Landscapes: Hyde Park and the Serpentine, central London. Matt Writtle A newspaper vendor in Manchester city centre giving away free toilet rolls with every paper bought as shops run low on supplies due to fears over the spread of the coronavirus PA Theo Clay looks out of his window next to his hand-drawn picture of a rainbow in Liverpool, as the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continue Reuters A young man cuts another man's hair on top of a closed hairdresser in Oxford Reuters General view of the new NHS Nightingale Hospital, built to fight against the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in London via Reuters Jason Baird is seen dressed as Spiderman during his daily exercise to cheer up local children in Stockport, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues Reuters A woman wearing a face mask walks past Buckingham Palace Getty Images A man holds mobile phone displaying a text message alert sent by the government warning that new rules are in force across the UK and people must stay at home PA Medical staff on the Covid-19 ward at the Neath Port Talbot Hospital, in Wales, as the health services continue their response to the coronavirus outbreak. PA Prime Minister Boris Johnson taking part in a virtual Cabinet meeting with his top team of ministers PA A shopper walks past empty shelves in a Lidl store on in Wallington. After spates of "panic buying" cleared supermarket shelves of items like toilet paper and cleaning products, stores across the UK have introduced limits on purchases during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some have also created special time slots for the elderly and other shoppers vulnerable to the new coronavirus. Getty Images People on a busy tube train in London at rush hour PA Mia, aged 8 and her brother Jack, aged 5 from Essex, continue their school work at home, after being sent home due to the coronavirus PA Children are painting 'Chase the rainbows' artwork and springing up in windows across the country Reuters Social distancing in Primrose Hill Jeremy Selwyn A general view of a locked gate at Anfield, Liverpool as The Premier League has been suspended PA Homeless people in London AFP via Getty Images A piece of art by the artist, known as the Rebel Bear has appeared on a wall on Bank Street in Glasgow. The new addition to Glasgow's street art is capturing the global Coronavirus crisis. The piece features a woman and a man pulling back to give each other a kiss PA The Queen leaves Buckingham Palace, London, for Windsor Castle to socially distance herself amid the coronavirus pandemic PA A general view on Grey street, Newcastle as coronavirus cases grow around the world Reuters Matt Raw, a British national who returned from the coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan in China, leaves quaratine at Arrowe Park Hospital on Merseyside PA Britain's Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty (L) and Chief Scientific Adviser Patrick Vallance look on as British Prime Minister Boris Johnson gestures as he speaks during a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) news conference inside 10 Downing Street Reuters The ticket-validation terminals at the tram stop on Edinburgh's Princes Street are cleaned following the coronavirus outbreak. PA Locked school gates at Rockcliffe First School in Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear PA A sign at a Sainsbury's supermarket informs customers that limits have been set on a small number of products as the number of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases grow around the world Reuters Jawad Javed delivers coronavirus protection kits that he and his wife have put together to the vulnerable people of their community of Stenhousemuir, between Glasgow and Edinburgh AFP via Getty Images A sign advertising a book titled "How Will We Survive On Earth?" Getty Images A man who appears to be homeless sleeping wearing a mask today in Victoria Jeremy Selwyn A pedestrian walks past graffiti that reads "Diseases are in the City" in Edinburgh AFP via Getty Images Staff from The Lyric Theatre, London inform patrons, as it shuts its doors PA A quiet looking George IV Bridge in Edinburgh PA A quieter than usual British Museum Getty Images A racegoer attends Cheltenham in a fashionable face mask SplashNews.com A commuter wears a face mask at London Bridge Station Jeremy Selwyn A empty restaurant in the Bull Ring Shopping Centre Getty Images A deserted Trafalgar Square in London PA Passengers determined to avoid the coronavirus before leaving the UK arrive at Gatwick Airport Getty Images He said scientific advisers would present a range of options to ministers about easing lockdown measures and difficult choices would have to be made. Prof Whitty added: There is no perfect solution where we are going to end up being able to do all the things that people want and, at the same time, keep R below one. "So, there are going to have to be some very difficult choices between different things, all of which ideally all of us would love to open up, but we cant do them all. "Therefore, there will have to be some difficult choices, and choices around schools clearly will be one of those." An ambulance passes an NHS tribute painted on a window in Glasgow / PA When asked whether there is a plan on opening schools, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said it was too early to make a decision and urged the public to follow social distancing rules. It comes after Education Secretary Gavin Williamson previously said the Government had no plans to open schools over the summer period, while Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said it would be inconceivable without some further measures in place. EDITORS NOTE: NJ Cannabis Insider is hosting a free webinar April 28 to dissect the recent Monmouth Poll relating to cannabis legalization. The final medical marijuana dispensary licensed by New Jersey in 2018 can start growing cannabis, the state Health Department said Monday. Justice Grown in Ewing received its permit to cultivate last week, the department said in a release. The brings the state total to 12. While a dozen alternative treatment centers can now grow weed, only seven have permission to sell it. Two of the companies also have satellite dispensaries, for a total of nine storefronts. The remaining five alternative treatment cetners, which received permission to grow weed earlier this year, include Verano in Readington, MPX NJ in Pleasantville, TerrAscend in Boonton Township and Columbia Care NJ in Vineland, in addition to Justice Grown. Each must still receive permits to dispense from the Health Department to allow them to serve patients. The most outspoken of the states medical marijuana programs 75,000 patients have long lamented a lack of dispensaries, saying they face long commutes and sometimes shortages in products. The coronavirus outbreak has only augmented the issues, with patients rushing out to stock up and finding hours-long lines at several dispensaries. Were very excited to really start serving the patients in New Jerseys medical marijuana program, said Todd Johnson, the executive vice president of Justice Grown and head of the companys New Jersey operation. Coronavirus is making things more difficult for everybody. I think every industry is facing its own impact," he told NJ Advance Media. "The cannabis industry is thankful the that government has deemed us as essential businesses. Our top priorities are the patients and the the program, making sure that we get the best quality medical cannabis for them; but also keeping our employees safe and healthy. The Mercer County dispensary is slated to open later this year, likely in August or September, Johnson said. The company plans to open two additional dispensaries, according to a press release. The state plans to license as many as 24 other medical pot businesses around the state, but had to put those plans on hold after several rejected applicants sued. They alleged the Health Department had wrongfully rejected their applicants due to a technical glitch that rendered their PDFs unreadable, and have urged licensers to reconsider. A state appellate court then ordered the department to cease its review of the applications, leaving 150 potential operators in limbo. Despite the shutdown of many businesses across the state, New Jersey deemed medical cannabis essential, and those dispensaries which had not yet opened could continue construction. Still, the dispensaries have yet to set opening dates. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Amanda Hoover may be reached at ahoover@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @amandahoovernj. A lifeless man hangs on a tree at the park. A board is slung on his body, with the text saying that Gi Beum is the person responsible for his death. The Rugal team headed back to HQ, and Gi Beum went directly to his room, saddened by what he saw. Bradley and Susan checked the vehicles responsible for placing the dead bodies in the park. They made sure to delete all the news spreading on the internet. Tae Woong and Gwang-Cheol went back to the scene to follow the vans transporting the body. Ye Won saw the news on TV and researched about Gi Beum's death. She wondered about her previous meeting with him, which seemed all normal and no traces of his past. Tae Woong followed Argos member Bong Man Chul in another hideout. Deuk Goo asked Bong's men to organize the boards written all about Gi Beum, causing chaos in the city. Tae Woong caught them and submitted Bong to the police. Chief Choi faces Chairman Hyeon at his office. He asked Choi Geun Chul to work things out with the Rugal team to clear any malicious allegations to the police academy. All the dead bodies and other related cases that the police were unable to resolve now leads to their unimpressive performance. Gi Beum encountered bad dreams and surprised Bradley when he woke up during his check-up. In his dream, the AI-eyes let him encounter him to be chased by the police, and he needed to escape as the HQ has been attacked. Detective Yang Moon captured Argos' member Bong and gathered evidence of the bodies they used to frame Gi Beum. Deuk Goo finds a way to get the money in Bong's bank, but the secret codes kept him from doing so. Tae Woong, Mi Na, and Gwang-Cheol get the chance to dress in elegant and expensive clothes as part of their mission. They enjoyed teasing Mi Na with her long air and elegant skirt. Gi Beum was envious since he needed to stay at HQ. Ye Won and Deuk Gu meet up with Commissioner-General Hyeon in one of the hotels. The Rugal team went ahead to watch and protect the chairman. Ye Won requested the general to collaborate with Argos to keep the police academy in good standing. She added to let Argos member Bong Man Chul released from prison. The general denied their requests when the police academy got blamed for Argos' surging chaos in the city. On their way home, Deuk Goo took Ye Won with him alone. He found a message from Gi Beum requesting to meet Ye Won at the reservoir. Dr. Oh got the chance to escape from one of the armed men. He opened the electric panel area and placed a blackout. This sends a signal to HQ of his location, Choi Geun commanded Gi Beum and the Rugal team to rescue Dr. Oh. As they arrive at the place, dead bodies were scattered all over the floor. The Rugal team was shocked to see the bodies and wondered where they all came from. The location is where Deuk Goo placed all his experiments as they tried to zombify men and fight against Rugal. Gi Beum felt furious about how the Argos kills a lot of people to gain more power. Africa must not allow COVID-19 to disrupt malaria control in pregnant women, argues James Tibenderana. The COVID-19 pandemic is forcing national governments around the world to take actions they never dreamed they would take. The virus is snatching away lives, locking down our societies, closing borders and dominating global health discourse. The pandemic must be tackled but it would be unwise and dangerous to forget about the world's other deadliest diseases such as malaria during this health emergency. Malaria hasn't gone away because of COVID-19. We need to ensure that people are protected. Tackling COVID-19 must not hamper the fight against malaria. Also, there is a particular group of people that is at considerable risk for both malaria and COVID-19: pregnant women. In 2018, the World Health Organization (WHO) Africa region alone had 93 per cent of the estimated 228 million malaria cases worldwide. Of these, 11 million pregnant women in Sub-Saharan Africa were infected with malaria, contributing to 872,000 children with low birthweight, 10,000 maternal deaths and 100,000 newborn deaths. Severe anaemia from malaria in pregnancy and low birthweight contribute to maternal and newborn deaths respectively. Malaria in pregnancy during the COVID-19 pandemic is a huge problem that can be solved through only proper attention and action. As we celebrate World Malaria Day 2020 today under the theme Zero Malaria Starts with Me in the continuing COVID-19 pandemic, the need to ensure pregnant women get zero malaria must be the responsibility of all but even more so for African governments. Protecting pregnant women COVID-19 has not yet swamped Africa in the same way it has affected Europe, Asia and North America. As of 23 April, there were 16,829 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 748 deaths across Africa whereas the WHO European region had 1,251,458 confirmed cases and 113,336 deaths, with the WHO's South-East Asia region having 36,039 confirmed cases and 1,498 deaths, according to the WHO. Africa has a brief window of opportunity to prepare properly and protect pregnant women from both COVID-19 and malaria simultaneously. Every country needs to designate antenatal care as an essential health service that will not be interrupted by lockdowns and physical distancing. All pregnant women should have access to safe, effective and uninterrupted antenatal care. Adequate safety measures need to be put in place to protect pregnant women and medical staff at antenatal clinics. Personal protective equipment must be supplied to staff, handwashing stations must be installed, and more frequent antenatal care clinics need to be held to enable the enforcement of physical distancing. Grouping pregnant outpatients based on the severity of their medical problems and testing should occur outside the clinics, with those testing positive for COVID-19 being separated from other expectant mothers. Testing for malaria and COVID-19 is critical to protecting pregnant women and providing the care they need. Where lockdowns are imposed, pregnant women must still be allowed to attend antenatal appointments - and when they are unable to attend, midwives should be allowed to hold outreaches that bring services close to the expectant mothers' homes. Treatments and nets The availability of preventive treatment for malaria in pregnancy - specifically sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) - needs to be prioritised during the pandemic, with all pregnant women given access to this treatment when they visit the antenatal clinic. Before the pandemic hit, only an estimated 31 per cent of pregnant women in Sub-Saharan Africa were receiving the WHO-recommended minimum three doses of preventive treatment according to World malaria report 2019. Without swift intervention, this number will drop even further during the COVID-19 outbreak, putting thousands of lives at risk. Too few pregnant women are receiving the preventive medicine they need to protect themselves and their babies from malaria. Some of the reasons as to why include stock-outs of SP, lack of updated recording forms, the spread of misinformation and uncertainty about what happens at the antenatal clinic. Operational research is needed to find out why this number is so low. The pandemic will only exacerbate this situation. As the focus and funding shifts away from malaria and towards COVID-19, it is likely that research and development on alternative medicines for preventing malaria in pregnant women in order to reduce the reliance on SP will grind to a halt. This is a serious concern, especially because potential resistance of malaria parasites to SP will not make this drug remain effective forever. We need new, fast solutions, and the pandemic cannot be allowed to delay this life-saving work. Another crucial tool in the battle against malaria in pregnancy is the long-lasting insecticidal net. Every pregnant woman in malaria endemic countries needs to sleep under one every night. This practice must be reinforced during the pandemic, and nets must continue to be distributed to vulnerable populations during nationwide lockdowns. Spreading the message While governments are educating their people on how to protect themselves and their families from COVID-19, the message must come through loud and clear that routine preventive care - including antenatal care - for malaria will continue as normal. Key malaria messages must be maintained throughout the health system, and the vulnerability of pregnant women to both malaria and COVID-19 must be made clear to the women themselves and their families. Pregnant women should be urged to sleep under insecticide-treated nets every night, and advised on how to seek help if they start to show either COVID-19 or malaria symptoms. Their families and friends must play their part too, and abide by the COVID-19 guidelines to help protect pregnant women from the virus. Time to act is now National governments' acting swiftly to combat COVID-19 is a right move but speed is not the only necessity here. National governments need to consult all levels of the health system in their countries, and connect with communities, to ensure that lockdowns and other COVID-19 preventive measures are nuanced and context specific. Blanket lockdowns on movement will hamper the anti-malaria effort, and put people at risk. Pregnant women need to continue visiting antenatal clinics, community health workers still need to diagnose and treat malaria. The window of opportunity is open right now but it may not be too long before COVID-19 hits Africa harder. We can save countless lives of pregnant women and their babies if we act now. Finland gave permission for 1,500 workers to come to Finland; just 200 have arrived from Ukraine so far. Farmers in Finland are facing a setback in harvesting crops following a decision by the Ukrainian government to bar nationals from traveling abroad for seasonal work. The Finnish government has granted 1,500 work permits for foreign seasonal workers this year, compared to roughly three times as many under normal circumstances, YLE reports. However, according to the farmers' lobby paper Maaseudun Tulevaisuus, Ukraine will not allow any of its citizens to travel abroad to take up seasonal work in Finland or any other country. Last week one flight bringing seasonal farm workers arrived in Finland, but because of the new government decree in Kyiv, it will be the only one landing in Finland. Read alsoCzech government opens borders media Additional workers were supposed to arrive in the weeks ahead, but now it looks like farmers will have to turn to local manpower to bring in their crops. "But now I also hope that producers get this message quickly. We will not be getting more people from Ukraine, at least for a while. We need quick decisions now because spring harvesting needs to start soon," Agriculture Ministry permanent secretary Jaana Husu-Kallio told MT. So far, just under 200 Ukrainian workers have managed to make it to Finland for work. They will mostly take up positions as foremen on farms in southern Finland. Marko Maki-Hakola, business development director of the Central Union of Agricultural Producers and Forest Owners, MTK, told Yle on Thursday that once the Ukrainians get to work, producers will be able to hire inexperienced Finnish workers with an easy mind. Finland decided to allow foreign seasonal workers to enter the country in spite of its own travel restrictions because the Agriculture and Forestry Ministry deemed that they were essential for securing Finland's food supply. Governor Ganduje of Kano State has said the situation in Kano State was becoming terrible by the day as cases of COVID-19 pandemic con... Governor Ganduje of Kano State has said the situation in Kano State was becoming terrible by the day as cases of COVID-19 pandemic continue to increase in the state. This is as the state took samples of fresh 44 persons for testing, while issue of deaths among the elderly has not been settled. But as the situation gets serious, we are surely on top of it, but this requires putting up a testing machine in Kano by the federal government. Governor Ganduje, however, assured that nobody that tested positive was in serious need of a ventilator; hence the situation is still manageable. He said in order to punish offenders of the current lockdown, they have established ten mobile courts to try anybody found wanting. Dr Tijjani Hussain, the State Coordinator COVID-19 Rapids Response, explained that the state NCDC centre at the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital was locked down because the place is currently undergoing a 74 hours fumigation exercise. Tijjani noted that in the last two days, they recorded 44 suspects, bringing the total suspects whose samples were taken to Abuja to 489 with 74 confirmed positives. Ganduje explained that they usually transport the samples of suspected cases to Abuja which takes almost 7 hours and in most cases, the samples get wasted, forcing them to look for other samples. Governor Ganduje who commended Kano people for observing the total lockdown said the initiative was the only remedy to stop the pandemic. We are appealing to the federal government to as they support Lagos and Ogun States also come to the rescue of Kano State quickly. This development came as the state lost so many persons of prominent positions in the state. Medical staff in protective suits treat a patient with pneumonia caused by the new coronavirus at the Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, in Wuhan, Hubei province, China, January 27, 2020. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has added six new symptoms of Covid-19 to its website as scientists gather more data on the coronavirus and patients show "a wide range of symptoms." The previous list of symptoms included fever, cough and shortness of breath or difficulty breathing. The CDC now says chills, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat and a sudden loss of taste or smell are also common indicators of the coronavirus. Emergency warning signs include trouble breathing, persistent pain or pressure in the chest, new confusion or inability to arouse, and bluish lips or face. People experiencing those symptoms should seek medical attention immediately, according to the CDC. A research team at King's College London identified a loss of taste and smell as one of the best ways to detect whether someone has Covid-19, according to a study published earlier this month. Its data analyzed responses of more than 400,000 people who had one or more suspected symptoms of the disease. The results said that 59% of those who tested positive for the virus reported a loss of smell and taste. Muscle pain and chills are also commonly observed among those who have the coronavirus. CNN host Chris Cuomo, who contracted the virus, said on his show he experienced "fever, body aches and tremors." As the deadly pandemic continues to infect and kill thousands of people globally, hospitals are increasingly seeing developments of unconventional complications in patients such as blood clots, according to The Washington Post. The coronavirus has infected more than 965,000 people in the U.S., killing at least 54,000, according to data Monday from Johns Hopkins University. Globally, the virus has infected more than 2.9 million people, killing at least 207,000. Queen Maxima of the Netherlands has been pictured cutting a ribbon to celebrate King's Day as her daughter and heir to the throne captured the moment on her tablet. The Queen, 48, was joined by their daughters Princesses Amalia, 16, Alexia, 14, and Ariane, 13, in a drawing room at the Royal Palace Huis Ten Bosch in the Hague to celebrate her husband King Willem-Alexander, 53. The event, which takes place every year on 27 April, celebrates the reigning monarch's birthday and typically sees people enjoy markets, outdoor games and parties. However, due to the coronavirus pandemic, events and public celebrations were cancelled this year, leaving the Dutch to celebrate from home, including the monarch and his family. The Dutch royal family has shared pictures to celebrate King's Day while on lockdown today. Pictured: Princess Amalia, 16, takes a picture with a tablet of her sisters and mother: Princess Ariane, 13, Queen Maxima, 48 and Princess Alexia posing Queen Maxima beamed in the picture, surrounded by her three daughters at their home Royal Palace Huis ten Bosch The princesses had fun with their mother as the eldest, Princess Amalia (left) took a picture using a tablet In the snaps, a beaming Maxima stands poised with a pair of scissors as her two younger daughters hold the ends of the orange ribbon which represents Holland's national colour. Heir to the throne, Princess Amalia, 16, opted for a vibrant and lacy yellow dress with matching heels and a ruffled neckline as she held a tablet to document the occasion. Known for her love of bright colour combinations, the Dutch queen wore a white jumpsuit with a flower print in hues of magenta, red and green. She accessorised with a white statement belt and emerald drop earrings, as well as a pair of red high heels. Accentuating her natural glow with a dash of bronzer, Maxima sported a brown smokey eye and a nude lip before she warmly waved from the palace's steps, her blonde hair swaying gently in the breeze. Heir to the throne, Princess Amalia, 16, opted for a vibrant and lacy yellow dress with matching heels as she documented the occasion on the tablet Queen Maxima smiles for the camera as she stands poised with the scissors to cut the orange ribbon The Princesses laughed as their mother Queen Maxima instructed them on how to pose for the picture Queen Maxima, 48, and King Willem-Alexander were joined by their daughters Princesses Ariane, Amalia and Alexia on the steps of their Royal Palace Huis Ten Bosch in the Hague to wish the country happy celebrations (pictured from the left: Princess Ariane, 13, Princess Amalia, 16, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima and Princess Alexia, 14 ) Due to the coronavirus pandemic, events and public King's Day celebrations were cancelled this year, leaving the Dutch to celebrate from home, including the monarch and his family (pictured) The family put on their confinement's best for the snaps as they posed side by side for King's Day (pictured) On the palace steps, Willem-Alexander donned a navy suit to join his wife and three teenage daughters in wishing the country happy celebrations. Their younger daughters had also put on stunning outfits for the snaps as Princess Amalia smiled confidently on the steps, her blond hair resting on her shoulder. Princess Alexia ,14, wore a large and crisp white shirt dress, held at the waist by a leather belt in black. The youngest of the trio, princess Ariane, 13, looked darling in a baby blue dress with matching espadrilles. Her smile revealed the young princess, who bears an incredible resemblance to her mother, is wearing braces. Queen Maxima shared two other family pictures on her official Instagram account, saying the royal family would also be staying at home today (pictured) In one of the snaps, the princesses and their parents could be seen waving at the camera on their way back in (pictured) The sweet snaps were a breath of fresh and brings back a sense of normalcy as European nations adapt to life during the pandemic. Another picture saw the family standing in lobby of their palace in a neat line side by side. Two different pictures were released by the Dutch royal family on their Instagram account. The account read: 'Today we celebrate Kind's Day from home and so does the royal family.' The Netherlands are observing social distancing guidelines this year for King's Day. Pictured: people wait in line to buy tradition pastries in Amsterdam A member of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra played the Dutch Wilhelmus anthem wioth her saxophone to play a song from home during the celebrations Enjoying the sun from their doorstep (pictured) , a couple shared a drink in Amsterdam this morning A close up picture showed the family on the steps of the palace, standing next to one another, smiling. The other, more natural snap caught the family on their way back in, with them turning around the face the camera, laughing and waving. The tradition of Queen's Day was born in 1885 in honour of the birth of Queen Wilhemina. Since then, the country has celebrated each Queen's birthday under the name of Queen's Day. Another member of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra played the Dutch Wilhelmus anthem with her violin to mark the day as her neighbours applauded (pictured) Members of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra did not let the coronavirus pandemic deter them from playing for King's Day (pictured: a violinist rehearsing) A violinist from the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra took part in the performance from the streets (pictured) King Willem-Alexander's birthday will be celebrated every year that he reigns as King's Day, but this year, the celebrations are taking place from home. Members of the Concertgebouw Orchestra played the Dutch Wilhelmus anthem from their homes to mark the day, as members of the public observed social distancing guidelines to buy their traditional pastries. A total of 37,845 cases of coronavirus have been detected in the Netherlands, which led to 4,475 deaths so far. Revellers celebrating King's Day last year, in stark contrast with the almost deserted streets of Amsterdam this year Taking exception to West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhars "minority appeasement" accusation against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the apex body of the state's Imams has requested him to retract his comment. Bengal Imams Association (BIA) chairman Md Yahya also urged the state and central governments to take steps to thwart efforts by some to "vilify the entire minority community as lockdown violators, which is the farthest from the truth". In a letter to Banerjee on March 24, in which he had levelled several charges against Banerjee, Dhankhar had said "...Your appeasement of the minority community was so explicit and awkward that as regards a question about the Nizamuddin Markaz incident by a journalist, your reaction was 'Do not ask communal questions'." Objecting to the comment, the BIA wrote to Raj Bhavan that the Nizamuddin Markaz incident was related to the Delhi police and the Centre. A large number of novel coronavirus cases reported in the country are linked to a religious congregation organised last month by the Tablighi Jamaat in Delhi's Nizamuddin. Many foreigners who attended the event were also afflicted by the disease. "I hope as a governor you know very well who are the authorities who provided VISA for foreigners and gave permission for such program. You know who allowed lakhs of people to enter in India after knowing the COVID-19 issue worldwide [sic]," Yahiya said in the letter. Alleging that the Centre and the BJP are trying to communalise the issue by blaming only the Muslim community for the spread of the coronavirus, the BIA letter wondered what was wrong with the chief minister's reply to the journalist. "By giving that opinion and avoiding such question in her Press Meet how it is appeasement to Muslims of Bengal [sic]," the letter sent to the governor on April 25 read. A chief minister has the right to freedom of expression, it said. Stating that they would have gone to Raj Bhavan to register their protest against his statement if there was no lockdown, the Imams' body requested Dhankhar to "clarify or retract (the statement) publicly". Asserting that Muslims of India in general don't have any links to the Nizamuddin event, the letter said if the Jamaat authority had committed a mistake, the law will take its own course. "We were hurt by the comments of the honourable governor on the issue involving Muslims. The association unanimously decided to send the protest letter after knowing the contents of his letter to the CM. But we don't want to be drawn into any political controversy," Yahya told PTI on Monday. "Certain videos showing gatherings during Ramzan are shared on WhatsApp which are fake, taken years back. The administration should take note of this and find out those spreading such hate messages at a time when all communities should stand together to fight COVID-19," he said. Shafique Qasmi, the Imam of Nakhoda Mosque, one of the most prominent Muslim shrines of Kolkata, said he was not aware of the details of the governor's comments. "There should not be any division among communities, either during normal times or during emergencies like coronavirus pandemic. Rather than talking about any single community, we should all educate and caution all members of the public to strictly follow the safety precautions," Qasmi said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Water has some unusual properties: the density of frozen water, for instance, is lower then the density of liquid water which is why icebergs do not sink below the water surface. Water may look like a simple liquid. However, it is anything but simple to analyse. The unique properties of water are only understandable, if scientists observe the interaction of the molecules. An international team of scientists lead by Professor Martina Havenith from Ruhr-Universitat Bochum (RUB) has been able to shed new light on the properties of water at the molecular level. In particular, they were able to describe accurately the interactions between three water molecules, which contribute significantly to the energy landscape of water. The research could pave the way to better understand and predict water behaviour at different conditions, even under extreme ones. Interactions via vibrations Despite water is at first glance looking like a simple liquid it has many unusual properties, one of them being that it is less dense when it is frozen than when it is liquid. In the simplest way liquids are described by the interaction of their direct partners, which are mostly sufficient for a good description, but not in the case of water: The interactions in water dimers account for 75 per cent of the energy that keeps water together. Martina Havenith, head of the Bochum-based Chair of Physical Chemistry II and spokesperson for the Ruhr Explores Solvation (Resolv) Cluster of Excellence, and her colleagues from Emory University in Atlanta, US, recently published an accurate description of the interactions related to the water dimer. In order to get access to the cooperative interactions, which make up 25 per cent of the total water interaction, the water trimer had to be investigated. Now, the team lead by Martina Havenith in collaboration with colleagues from Emory University and of the University of Mississipi, US, has been able to describe for the first time in an accurate way the interaction energy among three water molecules. They tested modern theoretical descriptions against the result of the spectroscopic fingerprint of these intermolecular interactions. Obstacles for experimental research Since more than 40 years, scientists have developed computational models and simulations to describe the energies involved in the water trimer. Experiments have been less successful, despite some pioneer insights in gas phase studies, and they rely on spectroscopy. The technique works by irradiating a water sample with radiation and recording how much light has been absorbed. The obtained pattern is related to the different type of excitations of intermolecular motions involving more than one water molecules. Unfortunately, to obtain these spectroscopic fingerprints for water dimers and trimers, one needs to irradiate in the terahertz frequency region. And laser sources that provide high-power have been lacking for that frequency region. This technical gap has been filled only recently. In the current publication, the RUB scientists used the free electron lasers at Radboud University in Nijmegen in The Netherlands, which allows for high powers in the terahertz frequency region. The laser was applied through tiny droplets of superfluid helium, which is cooled down at extremely low temperatures, at minus 272,75 degrees Celsius. These droplets can collect water molecules one by one, allowing to isolate small aggregates of dimers and trimers. In this way the scientists were able to irradiate exactly the molecules they wanted to and to acquire the first comprehensive spectrum of the water trimer in the terahertz frequency region. The experimental observations of the intermolecular vibrations were compared to and interpreted using high level quantum calculations. In this way the scientists could analyse the spectrum and assign up to six different intermolecular vibrations. By Express News Service MUMBAI: Alluding to the Tablighi Jamaat congregation in Delhi last month, which became Indias super spreader of the deadly coronavirus, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday asked people not to harbour ill-will against an entire community for the mistakes committed by a few individuals. He urged all people to help the affected persons without any discrimination. In his online address from Nagpur during the ongoing lockdown to mark Akshay Tritiya, he said: All 130 crore Indians are our family. We are one. Without naming the Tablighi Jamaat, Bhagwat said, We should not blame the entire community for the mistakes of a few individuals. People who are more mature in both communities should come forward and start a dialogue to remove prejudices among peoples minds. Commenting on the Palghar incident in Maharashtra earlier this month, the RSS chief indirectly blamed the police and the attackers for the lynching of two saints. The villagers should not have taken the law into their own hands. Both saints were innocent. Let us keep aside statements by different sides and think whether it is right to kill innocent people, he said. ALSO READ: COVID-19 LIVE Pointing out that there were some people who always incite violence, he said: We should keep distance from these violence-inciting people. They are experts at doing so. It is their strategy to divide society and ignite violence. We as alert and matured citizens should maintain distance from such elements. Bhagwat urged people to follow all public health restrictions to contain the spread of the coronavirus. He also had words of praise for the government, saying that Indias timely action had kept the spread of the virus under check as compared to other countries. The RSS itself is involved in a massive countrywide effort to help people tide over the problems. More than three lakh dedicated volunteers are working at more than 55,000 locations across the country. The RSS, through its network, distributed over 33 lakh ration kits and two crore food packets till April 24. We have to work for others without taking any credit, he said. Bhagwat also advocated the Swadeshi model of economics for the post-coronavirus phase to make the country self-reliant. In an effort to quell the security chaos that has plagued southern Syria, the Internal Security Forces made a number of arrests and confiscated weapons and ammunition writes SANA. On Saturday, Syrias Internal Security Forces and the competent authorities carried out a security operation in the city of Salkhad in the Suweida Governorate. An official from the Internal Security Forces told SANA that the purpose of the operation was to end the security chaos there. The operation, resulted in the arrest of a number of outlaws who are wanted for murder, kidnapping, robbery, and confiscated quantities of weapons and ammunition they were in possession of, and said that the operation was carried out with the participation of the people in addition to the security and police services. A source in the Suweida Police Command said that the operation, resulted in the surrender of a number of the wanted persons themselves under pressure from the people. Prior to this operation, Suweida experienced a state of tension after a conflict between two armed factions in which light and medium weapons were used. This article was edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. Essential businesses are fortunate to remain open during the coronavirus pandemic, but keeping operations running during the crisis has come with a host of challenges. Mo Issa is the owner of Brooklyn Fare, a chain of three grocery stores and a three-Michelin-starred restaurant in New York City. While all his businesses are deemed essential, Issa shut down his restaurant when Gov. Andrew Cuomo made his shelter-in-place announcement on March 20. Issa had to lay off nearly 60 employees. Meanwhile, running his three grocery stores has been possible but extremely difficult. He says most of his days are spent trying to persuade scared employees to come to work, making sure the stores are supplied and keeping up with the surge in online sales. "I had a gut feeling that things were going to change a little bit," Issa said. "I actually spoke to a couple of my managers. I told them to stock up a little bit more on dry goods. But to be very honest with you, not in my wildest dream did I think we'd go to this level." Mo says while supply has dropped significantly due to labor disruptions, running the stores on nearly half the regular staff is his biggest challenge. "Every morning I just got to deal with it. I lose two. Three come back. I lose four, two come back. If this lasts a few months this is going to be very difficult, extremely difficult." Changes in spending habits is one of the most immediate impacts of the pandemic. Data on credit card transactions indicate that spending has dropped in most categories except for groceries and alcohol. But for Jonathan Goldstein, who is the co-owner of Park Avenue Liquor Shop, located in midtown Manhattan, this has not been the case. With no foot traffic and loss of all corporate business, Goldstein said the shop is down 75% to 80% in sales. "We have four to six weeks before we have to seriously look at the books and say, 'Is this worthwhile?'" Goldstein said. The shop has had to lay off 12 out of 20 staff members. In late March, the government responded to the economic havoc brought on by the coronavirus with the biggest relief package in history. Of the $2 trillion approved, $349 billion was dedicated to small businesses. However, within two weeks of the programs launching, the Small Business Administration announced that the money had run out and that they would no longer accept applications. According to a survey by The National Federation of Independent Business, as of April 17, 80% of applicants had not received any money. Lesley Covitz and Matt Fulton, owners of two restaurants in Brooklyn, New York, were among them. "It's just really frustrating, because we really want to help our employees. Most of them live paycheck to paycheck, and without us who knows what's gonna happen to them," said Fulton. Additional funding is now on the way. On Friday, President Donald Trump signed an interim coronavirus bill providing $484 billion in relief. Of that, $370 billion will be going to small businesses. It remains to be seen how this will affect the many small essential businesses who are hanging on by a thread. Principals are worried they will be overwhelmed with students this week if frustrated parents ignore government requests to keep children at home for lessons. The NSW government insists schools are safe, but wants families to continue remote learning until May 11 when students will return to class for one day per week. Schools remain open for those with no other option, and no student will be turned away. But public school principals worry that mixed messaging from federal and state governments, parental frustration with home schooling and falling numbers of coronavirus cases will tempt families to send children back when the second term begins on Wednesday. Private schools, which set their own rules, have seen signs of parental confidence; at Santa Sabina College in Strathfield, about 10 students attended the junior school at the end of last term. On Monday, when term two began, there were 40. [April 27, 2020] Cegedim: Like-for-like revenue grew 3.3% over Q1 2020 PRESS RELEASE Quarterly financial information as of March 31, 2020 IFRS - Regulated information - Not audited Cegedim: Like-for-like revenue grew 3.3% over Q1 2020 Boulogne-Billancourt, France, April 27, 2020, after the market close Cegedim, an innovative technology and services company, generated consolidated Q1 2020 revenues of 121.5 million, an increase of 1.9% as reported and 3.3% like-for-like compared with the same period in 2019. All the operating divisions made positive year-on-year contributions to the Groups like-for-like growth. Group revenue trends, consolidated First quarter in million 2020 2019 Chg. LFL Chg. Reported Health insurance, HR and e-services 82.7 79.2 +3.0% +4.3% Healthcare professionals 38.0 39.1 +4.1% (2.9)% Corporate and others 0.9 0.9 (3.4)% (3.4)% Cegedim 121.5 119.2 +3.3% +1.9% Excluding a favorable currency translation impact of 0.1% and an unfavorable scope effect of 1.5%, revenues rose 3.3%. The 1.8 million drag from scope effects, or 1.5%, was chiefly due to the sale of virtually all the business activities of Pulse Systems Inc in the US in August 2019, partly offset by the acquisition of Cosytec in France in July 2019, and that of NetEDI in the UK in August 2019. BPO activities for the insurance and human resources business generated revenues totaling 12.3 million over Q1 2020, a 6.4% improvement compared with Q1 2019. Covid-19 pandemic Faced with the covid-19 pandemicand its impact on the economyCegedim has activated its business continuity plans, is working to keep its employees and customers safe, and is closely following the situations impact on its business activities. The Group has a solid business model focusing to a large extent on the healthcare sector, a robust financial situation with a reasonable amount of leverage(1), no debt maturing before October 2024, an undrawn 45 million revolving credit facility, and an unused 24 million overdraft facility. Since the lockdown began, Cegedim has been developing a host of tools to help fight the covid-19 pandemic. Notably: Cegedim Logiciels Medicaux has equipped four covid-19 emergency centers in the Centre-Val de Loire region for teleconsultation using its MLM web-based solutionLoches, Amboise, Chateauroux, and a regional telehealth facility (set up to lessen contact with the other covid-19 centers)and did so in record time. Maiia has developed a prescription-writing module, essential for effective teleconsultation, and is making it available to clients free of charge. Cegedim e-business offers a simplified version of its digitization solution, SY by Cegedim. This offering manages companies invoices and can be installed within 24 hours. The GERS and THIN teams are supplying health authorities with healthcare consumption data covering private practices and hospitals in France. The Cegedim SRH teams are assisting companies using partial unemployment for their teams, notably helping to adapt the pay slips of affected employees and making all the adjustments required by the recent measures. Analysis of business trends by division Health insurance, HR and e-services The divisions reported revenues rose 4.3% in Q1 2020 to 82.7 million. Currencies had virtually no impact. Acquisitions had a favorable impact of 1.3%. Like-for-like revenues rose 3.0% over the period. Over Q1 2020, acquisitions had a positive contribution of 1.3%, or 1.0 million, mainly from NetEDI and Cosytec. This division represented 68.0% of consolidated Q1 2020 revenues compared with 66.5% a year earlier. The businesses that made the biggest contributions to this growth over the quarter were the BPO activity in the health insurance sector, Cegedim e-business (document and process digitization), and Cegedim SRH (HR management solutions). It is worth noting that Cegedim-Media (digital and conventional communications solutions in pharmacies) remained flat during the period. Healthcare professionals The divisions reported revenues decreased 2.9% in Q1 2020 to 38.0 million. Currency translation had a positive impact of 0.2%. Acquisitions and disposals had a negative impact of 7.2%. Like-for-like revenues rose 4.1% over the period. Over Q1 2020, the 7.2% negative impact from acquisitions and disposals, or 2.8 million, was mainly due to the sale of virtually all the business activities of Pulse Systems Inc in the US in August 2019. The division represented 31.3% of consolidated FY 2019 revenues compared with 32.8% a year earlier. The businesses that made the biggest positive contributions over the quarter were computerization solutions for doctors and allied health professionals in France, the appointment scheduling and remote consultation activities of Maiia (formerly Docavenue), and RESIP (the BCB medication database). It is worth noting that computerization solutions for UK doctors and pharmacies remained flat during the period. Corporate and others The divisions revenues fell 3.4% as reported and like for like in Q1 2020, to 0.9 million. Highlights With the exception of the covid-19 pandemic mentioned at the top of the press release and to the best of the companys knowledge, there were no events or changes during the first quarter of 2020 that would materially alter the Groups financial situation. Significant transactions and events post March 31, 2020 With the exception of the covid-19 pandemic mentioned at the top of the press release, to the best of the companys knowledge, there were no post-closing events or changes that would materially alter the Groups financial situation. Outlook At this stage of the covid-19 pandemic, it is too early to gauge the full impact (positive and negative) on the Groups 2020 revenues and recurring operating income(2). Additional information First quarter 2020 revenue figures have not been audited by the Statutory Auditors. The first quarter 2020 revenue presentation is available at: - The website: https://www.cegedim.com/finance/documentation/Pages/presentations.aspx - The Groups financial communications app, Cegedim IR. To download the app, visit: https://www.cegedim.com/finance/profile/Pages/cegedimir.aspx. 2020 Financial calendar Please note that the release of H1 2020 earnings has been postpoed from Thursday September 17 to Thursday September 24, 2020. WEBCAST ON APRIL 27, 2020, AT 6:15 PM PARIS TIME FR : +33 1 72 72 74 03 USA : +1 646 722 4916 UK : +44 (0)207 1943 759 PIN CODE: 32447828# The webcast is available at: www.cegedim.fr/webcast June 17 at 9:30 am CET July 28 after the market close September 24 after the market close September 25 at 10:00 am CET October 28 after the market close November time to be determined Cegedim shareholders meeting Second quarter 2020 revenue First half 2020 results Analyst meeting (SFAF) in SFAFs offices Third quarter 2020 revenues Cegedims Investor day (1)The leverage ratio is EBITDA(2) to the net financial debt(2). (2) Alternative performance indicator EBITDA is equivalent to recurring operating income plus net depreciation and amortization expenses. Recurring operating income is defined as the difference between operating income and other non-recurring operating income and expenses. Other non-recurring operating income and expenses may include impairment of tangible assets, goodwill, and other intangible assets, gains or losses on disposals of non-current assets, restructuring costs, and costs relating to workforce adaptation measures. Net financial debt comprises gross borrowings, including accrued interest and debt restatement at amortized cost less cash and cash equivalents. Annexes Breakdown of revenue by quarter and division Year 2020 in thousands Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Total Health insurance, HR and e-services 82,667 82,667 Healthcare professionals 37,977 37,977 Corporate and others 852 852 Consolidated Group revenue 121,496 121,496 Year 2019 in thousands Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Total Health insurance, HR and e-services 79,239 83,260 79,585 98,444 340,527 Healthcare professionals 39,100 42,472 38,014 40,201 159,788 Corporate and others 882 842 836 869 3,430 Consolidated Group revenue 119,222 126,574 118,435 139,514 503,745 Breakdown of revenue by geographic zone and division As of March 31, 2020 as a % of consolidated revenues France EMEA excl. France Americas Health insurance, HR and e-services 95.1% 4.9% 0.0% Healthcare professionals 67.5% 32.1% 0.4% Corporate and others 100.0% 0.0% 0.0% Cegedim 86.5% 13.4% 0.1% Breakdown of revenue by currency and division As of March 31, 2020 as a % of consolidated revenues Euro GBP USD Others Health insurance, HR and e-services 95.8% 3.3% 0.0% 0.9% Healthcare professionals 72.6% 24.3% 0.2% 2.9% Corporate and others 100.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% Cegedim 88.6% 9.9% 0.1% 1.5% BPO (Business Process Outsourcing): BPO is the contracting of non-core business activities and functions to a third-party provider. Cegedim provides BPO services for human resources, Revenue Cycle Management in the US and management services for insurance companies, provident institutions and mutual insurers. Business model transformation: Cegedim decided in fall 2015 to switch all of its offerings over to SaaS format, to develop a complete BPO offering, and to materially increase its R&D efforts. This is reflected in the Groups revamped business model. The change has altered the Group's revenue recognition and negatively affected short-term profitability. Corporate and others: This division encompasses the activities the Group performs as the parent company of a listed entity, as well as the support it provides to the three operating divisions. Operating margin: Operating margin is defined as the ratio of Operating Income on revenue. Recurring Operating margin: Recurring Operating margin is defined as the ratio of Recurring Operating income on revenue. EPS: Earnings Per Share is a specific financial indicator defined by the Group as the net profit (loss) for the period divided by the weighted average of the number of shares in circulation. External growth: External growth covers acquisitions during the current fiscal year, as well as those which have had a partial impact on the previous fiscal year, net of sales of entities and/or assets. Free cash flow: Free cash flow is cash generated, net of the cash part of the following items: (i) changes in working capital requirements, (ii) transactions on equity (changes in capital, dividends paid and received), (iii) capital expenditure net of transfers, (iv) net financial interest paid and (v) taxes paid. Internal growth: Internal growth covers growth resulting from the development of an existing contract, particularly due to an increase in rates and/or the volumes distributed or processed, new contracts, acquisitions of assets allocated to a contract or a specific project. Life-for-like data (L-f-l): At constant scope and exchange rates. Net cash: Net cash is defined as cash and cash equivalent minus overdraft. Operating expenses: Operating expenses is defined as purchases used, external expenses and payroll costs. Glossary Disclaimer: This press release is available in French and in English. In the event of any difference between the two versions, the original French version takes precedence. This press release may contain inside information. It was sent to Cegedims authorized distributor on April 27, 2020, no earlier than 5:45 pm Paris time. The terms business model transformation and BPO are defined in the glossary. The Group applies the IFRS 15 accounting standard, Revenue from contracts with customers. The figures cited above include guidance on Cegedims future financial performances. This forward-looking information is based on the opinions and assumptions of the Groups senior management at the time this press release is issued and naturally entails risks and uncertainty. For more information on the risks facing Cegedim, please refer to Chapter 7 Risk management, point 7.2, Risk factors, and Chapter 3 Overview of the financial year point 3.6 Outlook, of the 2019 Universal Registration Document filled with the AMF on March 31, 2020 under number D.20-0218. About Cegedim: Founded in 1969, Cegedim is an innovative technology and services company in the field of digital data flow management for healthcare ecosystems and B2B, and a business software publisher for healthcare and insurance professionals. Cegedim employs almost 5,000 people in more than 10 countries and generated revenue in excess of 500 million in 2019. Cegedim SA is listed in Paris (EURONEXT: CGM). To learn more, please visit: www.cegedim.com And follow Cegedim on Twitter: @CegedimGroup, LinkedIn and Facebook. Aude Balleydier Cegedim Media Relations and Communications Manager Tel.: +33 (0)1 49 09 68 81 [email protected] Jan Eryk Umiastowski Cegedim Chief Investment Officer and head of Investor Relations Tel.: +33 (0)1 49 09 33 36 [email protected] Celine Pardo & Irene Semeraro suPR Media Relations Tel: +33 (0)6 52 08 13 66 +33 (0)6 80 80 83 97 [email protected] Attachment Cegedim_Revenue_1Q2020_ENG [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Benjamin Ehinger, a travel expert, explains how the ability to take virtual reality tours can transform the travel industry. (TRAVPR.COM) GERMANY - April 26th, 2020 - Israel, Apr 27, 2020 -- Virtual reality is being used in the tourism industry for quite some time. For instance, VR is used to share with costumers visual information before booking a hotel room. But under the new travel bans, virtual tourism predicted to widespread not only for travel planning. Travel expert Benjamin Ehinger says that while some travel agents were already using these travel tools before COVID-19, its predicted they will become even more important after things return to normal. Benjamin Ehinger explains what virtual tourism is and talks about virtual tourism various benefits in a new article at Travel Trend (TrvlTrend.com). In Virtual Tourism [2020] Breaking The Boundaries Of Time & Space, where he shares details on how to use this exciting travel technology. Along with Benjamin Ehinger, you can also find a new article at Travel Trend (TrvlTrend.com), written by the travel expert Bat-El Galor. Galor is providing readers with the top virtual touristic experiences, followed by useful links. In Top 100 Virtual Tours Around The World [2020]. Ehinger says that The benefits of virtual reality tourism are two-fold. Both travelers and attractions benefit from using this new travel technology. These benefits include: Benefits of Virtual Tourism for Travelers: Ehinger says that for travelers, VR technology can help with your trip-planning. Another benefit for travelers that cannot travel is the cost. Instead of paying on plane tickets, attraction tickets, and a hotel stay VR allows you to visit a destination without any travel costs. Benefits of Virtual Tourism for Businesses: Businesses will be able to use VR technology to stand out. As there are plenty of good deals for travelers to choose from, leading your way in the virtual travel space will help attractions and hotels to get the attention of travelers compared to other businesses. Travel Without Actually Traveling with VR Tourism: While traveling is not possible these days, you can take virtual tours from the safety of your home. VR Tourism Offers an Educational Tool: You can use virtual tourism to teach children all about new cultures by letting them immerse themselves with a different culture and experience. See in the full article how to use this innovative way of traveling - https://www.trvltrend.com/technology/virtual-tourism/. 100 hundred virtual tours and unique experiences around the world: Check out the useful 100 links in the full article to take your imaginary trips- https://www.trvltrend.com/technology/virtual-tours/. About Travel Trend: Travel Trend is an information portal created by travel experts who want to share the results of their experiments with new travel related gadgets and apps as well as their favorite travel tips. The travel industry is in a constant state of growth and change, driven by technology and emerging trends. Through extensive research, reading and travel, Travel Trend is presenting a vision for the future of travel. Their mission is to improve the travel experience, making travel easier and safer while helping travelers save money along the way. Learn more at https://www.trvltrend.com. Media Contact: Uri Sharon Travel Trend +972-506214-209 info@trvltrend.com https://www.trvltrend.com ### Coronavirus home testing kits ran out again in just over an hour after being made available again on the new Government website for the fourth day in a row today. More than ten million essential workers and their households are now eligible for Covid-19 checks as officials race to hit their 100,000-a-day tests target by Thursday. But as of 9.05am today home testing kits for England were listed as 'unavailable' on the gov.uk/coronavirus website some 65 minutes after booking slots reopened. It comes as people attending test centres over the weekend reported waiting times of up to three hours, and a care home operator in Yorkshire which had two residents die with coronavirus said it has been waiting ten days for testing kits to arrive. The latest testing statistics showed the Government still appears to be way off meeting its 100,000 daily target by the end of the month. The Prime Minister's official spokesman said that 29,058 tests had been carried out in England, Scotland and Wales in the 24 hours up to 9am on Saturday. But he cautioned that the data does have the 'significant time lag' often seen today, not reflecting the change over the weekend or the boost from the new testing portal. Home testing kits were unavailable as of 9.05am today, although people could still book drive-through tests in England and Scotland as of noon - but not in Wales or Northern Ireland After the new website was launched last Friday morning, slots for both home-testing and drive-through centres in England have been used up within the first few hours. People could still book drive-through tests in England and Scotland as of midday today, but slots in were listed as unavailable in Wales and Northern Ireland. Timeline of the virus testing website launch FRIDAY 6am: Government's new coronavirus testing website launches 6.02am: Stock of 5,000 home kits are all ordered in just two minutes 10am: 15,000 drive-through slots are all booked as new registrations close SATURDAY 8am: More tests released on website 8.15am: All 5,000 home kits are taken 10am: No more drive-through tests available to book in England SUNDAY 8am: More tests are launched 10am: Home testing kits are again listed as 'unavailable' TODAY 8am: Availability of home and drive-through tests goes live again 9.05am: Home tests no longer available 12pm: Only drive-through tests in England and Scotland are left Advertisement Under the expansion of the testing, NHS and social care staff, police officers, teachers, social workers, undertakers, journalists and those who work in supermarkets and food production are among those now eligible. Test booking slots or home testing kits will become available from 8am each day, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has said, with their release staggered throughout the day. The Government is 'working hard' to increase the availability of Covid-19 tests through the online service, according to a DHSC spokesman, who added: 'There has been significant demand for booking tests. Meanwhile a mother-of-two from Yeovil, Somerset, said she and her partner, who works for the Ministry of Defence, spent three hours queuing at a testing centre in Exeter on Saturday. Cee-Jay McGregor, 35, told MailOnline: 'We waited three hours in the end. We haven't had any results yet. People were waiting so long that, despite being told not to so much as open their car window, they were having to use on site toilets being escorted around the site without personal protective equipment. 'The actual swab test takes less than a minute, so the efficiency of the centre is the main issue.' Elsewhere, a care home operator which had two residents die with coronavirus has been waiting 10 days for testing kits to arrive, its healthcare director said today. A photograph released by the Ministry of Defence today showing a Marine from Plymouth-based 42 Commando giving advice to keep social distancing protocol at a test site in Salisbury A photograph released by the MoD today shows a person dropping a completed self test kit into a collection box at a mobile coronavirus testing unit in Scarborough, North Yorkshire Vida Healthcare provides specialist support for up to 194 residents living with dementia across its two care homes in Harrogate, North Yorkshire. Who are essential workers and how can they get tested? Key workers and anyone in their household are now eligible for tests if they have symptoms of coronavirus. But who are essential workers and how can they get tested? - Who can be tested? Essential workers in England with symptoms of coronavirus and the people who live with essential workers and have symptoms can now be tested as of last Friday. Essential workers who are self-isolating have been able to be registered and referred for testing by their employer since last Thursday. - What are essential workers? The Government has published a list of essential workers which includes all NHS and social care staff from doctors, nurses, midwives, paramedics, social workers and carers to support staff and supply chain workers. Workers such as teachers, firefighters, local and national government staff, supermarket staff, police and delivery drivers are just some of the other roles included on the list. - How do I arrange a test? Essential workers can enter their details at www.gov.uk/coronavirus and then receive an email or text the same day inviting them to book at test. They will be able to choose between an appointment at one of more than 30 regional drive-through test site or being sent a home test kit. But these kit numbers are limited, so the Government is encouraging people to attend a regional test site if they can. - Where will the tests take place? The Government said it is planning to open 50 drive-through testing sites by the end of April with the aim that most people will not have to drive for more than 45 minutes to get to a regional testing site. A delivery service for home testing kits has been designed with industry partners, including Royal Mail and Amazon. - What does the test involve? The test involves taking a swab of the nose and the back of the throat, and can be done by the person themselves or by someone else. - What happens next? Completed samples will be sent to a testing laboratory where they are analysed. The Government said that it is aiming for tests from drive-through sites to be sent out by text within 48 hours and home testing kit results within 72 hours of collection. People will be given advice on any next steps that need to be taken after receiving their results. Advertisement Healthcare director Bernadette Mossman has spoken of the difficulties faced in securing Covid-19 tests for residents and staff showing symptoms of the disease. She said one employee had been forced to go to Manchester to get tested on Sunday, while others travelled to testing sites in Hull. The care homes, which employ about 450 staff across two sites, has also been waiting 10 days for six testing kits after the first consignment sent by Public Health England (PHE) were never delivered. Ms Mossman said: 'The biggest issue has been delivery of home testing kits to the home. We have had a delay with that and that's been unfortunate.' She said a 'number' of staff had tested positive for Covid-19, including several in the past couple of weeks. In regard to residents, Ms Mossman said: 'We have had two positive tests in the whole home, but we have not had many tests. We suspect there was probably potentially more residents that had the coronavirus symptoms.' Five residents have been tested in total so far. Of those, two came back positive and died in hospital in March. Speaking about the measures the care home takes if a resident shows symptoms, Ms Mossman said: 'For people living with dementia, self isolation can be a struggle because if they can't retain that information it can be very difficult. 'We try to encourage residents to remain in their room and self isolate. If that's not possible, all of our staff are having to wear sessional PPE [personal protective equipment] for the whole day, and change when they are delivering interventions to residents.' But she said residents had 'embraced' the situation thanks to staff making life as normal as possible for them. The care homes have also introduced two new static bikes for residents, which feature digital screens showing videos of scenic routes across the world. 'It's given those people the chance to have that sense of wellbeing and exercise, which is much needed at this time,' Ms Mossman added. Dr Mike Gent, deputy director of health protection at PHE Yorkshire and the Humber, said: 'We are advising Vida Grange Care Home on an outbreak of Covid-19 and have had regular contact with them since their first case was confirmed in March. 'The Government has since committed to testing all symptomatic care home residents and staff and this is being arranged for the home.' Dr Gent said when an outbreak is confirmed in a care home, PHE's health protection teams provide advice to minimise transmission. Mother-of-two Cee-Jay McGregor, 35, of Yeovil, Somerset, said she and her partner, who works for the Ministry of Defence, spent three hours queuing at a testing centre in Exeter on Saturday 'Additional confirmed cases do not change the public health advice once an outbreak is already confirmed in a care home,' he said. It is understood that PHE has resent the home testing kits. It comes as a Government scientific adviser said up to 100,000 Covid-19 tests per day could be needed as part of a widespread testing and tracking strategy. Professor Peter Horby, chairman of the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (Nervtag), which is advising ministers, said the Government's plans to move into tracking and tracing future coronavirus patients would be a 'real logistical challenge'. The opening day of Dorset's coronavirus drive-through testing centre at the former Creekmoor park-and-ride facility in Poole today Dorset's coronavirus drive-through centre at a former park-and-ride facility in Poole today Workers at the opening day of Dorset's coronavirus drive-through testing centre in Poole today He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'The test and trace capabilities are really going to be critical as we come out of lockdown. 'We will have to be able to test all those people (declaring via apps that they are displaying symptoms) and it is really a matter of scale and speed. 'One issue is how many tests we need, and if we are looking at 1,000 to 5,000 new cases per day of people with symptoms, of which maybe 5 to 25 per cent may have Covid, then you are talking about 25,000 to 100,000 tests per day. 'It is a real logistical challenge. But there is also the issue of speed as well. 'It is not much use getting the results five days later - you need it quickly so you can take the appropriate action and advise people to stay at home and also their contacts to stay at home to reduce transmission.' He said such a testing and tracking strategy - also known as testing and contact tracing - would rely on the numbers of new cases being driven down. Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said it is only by driving down the number of new cases that widespread testing and contact tracing will be effective. Meanwhile the British Medical Association (BMA) said NHS staff need greater access to tests after slots offered to key workers ran out for the third day in a row on Sunday. Dr Chaand Nagpaul, chairman of the British Medical Association (BMA) council, said the online booking system 'offered no practical help' to healthcare workers. 'There is no point putting forward a proposal unless its matched with adequate capacity,' he said. 'What we found in the first two days was that within an hour the bookings had all been taken up, and therefore offered no practical help for large numbers of healthcare staff, who found the website had effectively closed to bookings. 'If the Government wants healthcare workers to have access to the test, it has to be in the context or providing adequate capacity, not a 'first come, first served' and closing within an hour.' He added: 'That's not delivering on the needs of our health and care staff.' Dr Nagpaul said the current testing capacity is 'well, well short' of the number of healthcare staff who are currently self-isolating, as he called on the Government to go further than the target. 'Our estimate is that there are about 90,000 health and care staff self-isolating based upon the Government figures of absence rates,' he said. 'With that in mind, if they all wanted to have a test, clearly capacity has to match that number on that assumption.' Spaniards will be allowed to go out for exercise and for walks starting on May 2 if coronavirus contagion figures go down, said Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez at a press conference on Saturday night. This is the second time that the Spanish government has moved to ease strict confinement measures that have been in place since March 14. On Sunday, children up to the age of 13 will be allowed out for an hour every day with an adult. If we act with prudence, this first relief measure will be followed by another one a week later, said Sanchez of the Socialist Party (PSOE), who leads a coalition government in partnership with the leftist Unidas Podemos. If the evolution of the pandemic keeps moving in a positive manner, starting on May 2 outings will be allowed for individual activity and for walks with the people that we live with. This is not a race to see who is the first to reopen a shopping mall or a small business establishment PM Pedro Sanchez Sanchez said that the deescalation of confinement measures will take place throughout May, and we will see what happens in the month of June. I would like to convey to you the importance of being cautious. This is not a race to see who is the first to reopen a shopping mall or a small business establishment. Sanchez explained that the deescalation will occur at different speeds depending on the situation in each region. In the deescalation, we will not all advance at the same speed, but according to the same rules, he said. "We will do it at different speeds depending on [the situation] of the pandemic in each place, in an asymmetric but coordinated fashion. We will do it as a team. The prime minister added that the central government will be responsible for the deescalation plan, despite complaints from regional leaders in Catalonia and the Basque Country, who want more control over how the measures are rolled out. The Spanish Cabinet is set to approve the deescalation plan on Tuesday. Daily coronavirus deaths have been below 400 for two days, down from highs of more than 600 in recent weeks. But the pandemic has hit Spain hard: the official death toll is 22, 902 and the number of registered infections is 223,759 although unreported deaths at senior residences and private homes could mean the real numbers are significantly higher. Recent figures also show that 20% of Covid-19 infections are among healthcare workers, much higher than in other countries, a fact that experts blame on poor planning and a shortage of protective gear and testing kits. 04/27/2020 Photo (c) David Tran - Getty Images Facebook has finally closed the book on 2018s Cambridge Analytica scandal as a federal judge has given final approval to the social media companys $5 billion settlement with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The settlement won approval last July, but Facebook critics who were concerned about the social media giants privacy policies went to court to block the settlement, arguing it wasnt harsh enough. After hearing all sides over a 10-month period, U.S. District Court Judge Timothy Kelly put his stamp of approval on the deal. We are pleased with the Courts decision, said FTC Chairman Joe Simons. As the court notes, the historic $5 billion settlement is by far the largest monetary penalty ever obtained by the United States on behalf of the FTC and the second largest in any context. Simons also pointed to the settlements conduct relief that will require Facebook to consider privacy at every stage of its operations and provide substantially more transparency and accountability for its executives privacy-related decisions. Previous settlement The massive fine was due in part to the fact that the FTC had also charged Facebook with violating a 2012 FTC order by deceiving users about their ability to control the privacy of their personal information. The latest complaint stemmed from a 2018 revelation that Cambridge Analytica, a political marketing firm, had gained unauthorized access to Facebook user data in order to target political ads on behalf of 2016 presidential candidate Donald Trump and the campaign for the UK to leave the European Union. The settlement order imposes what the FTC calls unprecedented new restrictions on Facebooks business operations while creating multiple channels of compliance. Restructured approach to privacy The agency says the order requires Facebook to restructure its approach to privacy from the corporate board-level down, and it holds Facebook executives personally accountable for the decisions they make about privacy. The FTC said Facebooks privacy decisions will be subject to meaningful oversight going forward. Despite repeated promises to its billions of users worldwide that they could control how their personal information is shared, Facebook undermined consumers choices, Simons said. In a blog post, Michel Protti, Facebooks chief privacy officer for product, said the agreement with the government had already brought about fundamental changes to our company and improved how it protects users privacy. SEYMOUR - A female German shepherd was rescued Monday morning after it was found in a deep water canal along the Naugatuck River. The litter-strewn canal - between 10 to 12 feet deep - was built in the mid-19th century to supply water power for downtown Ansonia factories. Fire Marshal Timothy Willis said the dog was on a small ledge, but continued to try to move onto debris in the area to get out of the water. She was shaking and appeared scared. At around 7:30 a.m., Seymour firefighters were called to the area across from 639 South Main St. Firefighters were met by Metro-North workers who had been working on a train bridge adjacent to the Naugatuck River. Willis said the train workers found the dog when they arrived for work. Workers from the MTA had put their boat in the water to attempt to get the dog out. A worker had been trying to coax the animal out with a sandwich, Willis said. The Fire Department requested assistance from the Animal Control Officer, as well as Seymour policed and EMS. Fire personnel entered the water via ladder in cold water suits, Willis said. Police and fire personnel were then able to snare the animal and remove her from the water. The dogs family was contacted after rescuers found a number on the dogs collar. They arrived on the scene and Seymour police and the Towns Animal Control Office took her to the vet for evaluation. Willis said one firefighter was bit during the rescue and two additional firefighters who had entered the chilly water were taken to the hospital for evaluation. The dog was reunited with her owner and all firefighters appear to be okay, Willis said. According to the Derby Historical Society, the canal first dug in the 1840s, which ran from the Kinneytown Dam in Seymour to about Tremont Street, behind Main Street. This canal provided waterpower to Ansonia's first mills, and the large supply of water it provided was put to different uses even after other power sources were used, until it was filled in around 1931. Today's East Main Street runs over the old canal. Since the canal was owned by the American Brass Company for many decades, it was known, over the years, as the ABC Canal, or the American Brass Company Canal. A section of the old canal is still visible from the Seymour dam to Coe Pond in Ansonia. 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 Tom Reel /San Antonio Express-News SAN ANTONIO - Television stations WOAI and KABB will team this week with philanthropist Harvey Najim to raise money for the San Antonio Food Bank to help it feed thousands of food-insecure families during the coronavirus pandemic. Harvey is incredibly in tune with what is going on at the Food Bank and the extreme need for food as people are losing their jobs, WOAI/KABB news director Mendi Mendoza said. He knows that thats part of our heart as well. PR-Inside.com: 2020-04-27 12:17:01 Africa Finance Corporation Appoints New Chairman and Announces Changes to Its Board Lucy Savage Senior Vice President, Communications Tel: + 234 1 279 9600 Email: lucy.savage@africafc.org Bobby Morse / Augustine Chipungu Buchanan Communications Tel: +44 20 7466 5000 Email: afc@buchanan.uk.com Africa Finance Corporation (AFC or the Corporation), the leading infrastructure solutions provider in Africa, today announces the appointment of Dr. Kingsley Obiora as its new Chairman as well as the appointment of Mr. Henry Oroh, Ms. Soula Proxenos, and Mr. Batchi Baldeh Non-Executive Directors. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200427005 Ms. Soula Proxenos (Photo: Business Wire) Appointment of Dr. Obiora as Chairman of the Board of Directors A distinguished economist who also currently serves as Deputy Governor (Economic Policy) of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Dr Obiora brings 19 years of banking and financial services experience. He has advised three Nigerian Presidents on economic policy, as well as a Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). Prior to this, he was an Alternate Executive Director in the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Washington DC, USA. In this capacity, he was a member of the Executive Board, collectively responsible for conducting the daily operations of the IMF. He also assisted to represent the interests of 23 African Countries, including Nigeria, at the Board. Dr. Obiora holds two doctorates, the first in Monetary & International Economics, and the second in Econometrics, from the University Ibadan, Nigeria and the George Washington University, USA respectively. Dr. Obiora replaces Dr. Joseph Nnanna, who following three years of distinguished service to the Corporation, retires from AFCs Board of Directors. Additional appointments Alongside Dr. Obiora, AFC also announces the following board appointments: Ms. Soula Proxenos joins the Corporation as an Independent Non-Executive Director. She was previously Managing Director of International Housing Solutions, the South African real estate fund manager focused on affordable housing. She holds several Independent Non-Executive Directorships and is an Adjunct Lecturer at John Hopkins SAIS and the Carey Business School Ms. Proxenos was also Managing Director at the USs Fannie Maes International Housing Financial Services as well as having had responsibility for transforming Old Mutuals business prior and during South Africas political transformation. She brings more than 30 years of financial services experience and holds an MBA from Stellenbosch as well as a BA from Witwatersrand University. Mr. Batchi Baldeh joins the Corporation as Non-Executive Director representing the African Development Bank following its recent equity subscription of AFC. An investment banker, infrastructure developer and utility management specialist, Mr. Baldeh brings 33 years of experience, including his current position as Director, Power Systems Development at the African Development Bank. He is also an alumni of AFC, where he served as Director, Power Business, Investments Division, and has also advised several African governments, the World Bank Group, the European Union, and other public and private organisations. Mr. Baldeh holds a BSc (Hons) in Electrical & Electronic Engineering from Newcastle-upon-Tyne University, UK and is a member of the Institute of Engineering & Technology, UK, as well as a fellow of the Institute of Directors, Southern Africa. He also holds MBA from Boston University, USA, Mr. Henry Oroh, who joined AFC as a Non-Executive Director representing Zenith Bank International Plc, where he also holds the position of Executive Director. Mr. Oroh has two decades of international banking experience, including having previously served as Managing Director & CEO of Zenith Bank Ghana, as well as having spent seven years with Citibank in Operations, Treasury and Marketing. A chartered accountant, Mr. Oroh holds an LLB from the University of London, a bachelors degree in accounting from the University of Benin and is a member of the Chartered Institute of Bankers, Nigeria. He also holds MBA from the Lagos State University. Samaila Zubairu, President & CEO of AFC, commented on the announcement: On behalf of the AFC Board, I welcome Dr. Obiora as Chairman. His experience, having had worked with governments and multilateral finance institutions in a variety of capacities, including debt sustainability and development financing, is incredibly relevant to the Corporation as we make strides to create inclusive and sustainable growth across Africa. I am also equally pleased to welcome Ms. Proxenos, Mr Oroh and Mr Baldeh to our Board of Directors, they will broaden and deepen the significant experience and skills of our Non-Executive Board and will assist the Corporation with its growth strategy. Lastly, I would like to thank Dr. Nnanna, who not only provided strong and excellent leadership to our organisation during a period of various transitions, but also gave much needed wise counsel. I speak on behalf of the Corporation as whole in thanking him for his service. Dr. Obiora also commented on the announcement: AFC has over the past decade grown to become a leading investors in Africa, delivering projects that have transformed communities and economies. As I join the organisation as Board Chairman, I look forward to leveraging my experience to this esteemed organisation in helping it expand its investment footprint across the width and breadth of Africa. ENDS Notes to Editors About AFC - www.africafc.org AFC, an investment grade multilateral finance institution, was established in 2007 with an equity capital base of US$1 billion, to be the catalyst for private sector-led infrastructure investment across Africa. With a current balance sheet of approximately US$5.07 billion, AFC is the second highest investment grade rated multilateral financial institution in Africa with an A3/P2 (Stable outlook) rating from Moodys Investors Service. AFC successfully raised US$1,150 million (US$650 million and US$500 million) in 2019, US$500 million in 2017 and US$750 million in 2015 through Eurobond issuances; out of its Board-approved US$3 Billion Global Medium-Term Note (MTN) Programme. All Eurobond issues were oversubscribed and attracted investors from Asia, Europe and the USA. AFCs investment approach combines specialist industry expertise with a focus on financial and technical advisory, project structuring, project development and risk capital to address Africas infrastructure development needs and drive sustainable economic growth. AFC invests in high-quality infrastructure assets that provide essential services in the core infrastructure sectors of power, natural resources, heavy industry, transport, and telecommunications. To date, the Corporation has invested over US$6.6 billion in projects within 30 countries across Africa. Follow us on Twitter - @africa_finance View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200427005 Eight people, including four women, tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday, taking the total number of cases in Odisha to 111, officials said. While six fresh cases were reported from Balasore, one each was detected from Jajpur and Koraput districts, they said. The patient from Koraput is a 22-year-old male health worker from Dasmantpur block, the first COVID-19 case reported from the tribal-dominated district as well as south Odisha. The male staff nurse in a government facility is the state's first health worker to get infected with the deadly virus, the officials said, adding that he was asymptomatic. The Koraput patient, who had returned from Kolkata on April 14 to join duty, was put under quarantine in view of his travel history, and had not joined work. Following the COVID-19 test, he was diagnosed with the disease, the officials said. With Koraput district reporting a coronavirus patient, COVID-19 cases have now been found in 11 out of the 30 districts of Odisha. The new patient from Jajpur is a 34-year-old male from Basudevpur village under Dasrathpur block and had a recent travel history to Kolkata, the official said, adding that his contact tracing is on. With this, the total number of cases in Jajpur district mounted to 19. Of the six cases reported from Balasore on Monday, four are women and two men. One is a 32-year-old man who recently returned from West Bengal. Regarding five others in Balasore district, the Information and Public Relations department said four are women (55 years, 22 years, 23 years and 29 years, respectively) and one is a male patient aged 27 years. The officials said all the detected cases from Balasore had mild symptoms and they were put under home quarantine. Contact tracing and follow-up action are being done. With this, the total number of COVID-19 patients in Balasore district, bordering West Bengal, has increased to 16. The samples of the new patients were collected during the 60-hour complete shutdown imposed in the district from 10 pm of April 23 to 10 am of April 26. Of the state's 111 COVID-19 cases, 73 are active as 37 people have recovered from the disease. A 72-year-old man from Bhubaneswar died due to the disease on April 6. Earlier in the day, two COVID-19 patients from Bhubaneswar were discharged from a hospital after being cured. Of the total COVID-19 cases reported in the state so far, 46 were detected from Khurda district, of which Bhubaneswar is a part, followed by 19 from Jajpur, 16 each from Bhadrak and Balasore, six in Sundargarh, two each in Kendrapara and Kalahandi districts and one each in Cuttack, Dhenkanal, Puri and Koraput. A total of 25,103 samples have been tested by April 26 midnight in eight laboratories, the officials added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) La Romana, Dominican Republic - Not all families are saddened when a member is stuck in another country and can't fly home because of the coronavirus pandemic. For 39-year-old Bahraini businessman, Ali Faieq Alzayani, who became stranded in the Dominican Republic since March 20, his family, who are in lockdown in Montreal and friends in Bahrain are anxious about his situation yet are all avidly following his daily posts of Weve always tried to do whats best and if people cant make a show, they can get a credit with us or they can even contact us if theyd prefer a refund, he said. For us, we try to do what we have to in order to accommodate people. Is Athos Immobilien AG (VIE:ATH) a good dividend stock? How can we tell? Dividend paying companies with growing earnings can be highly rewarding in the long term. Yet sometimes, investors buy a popular dividend stock because of its yield, and then lose money if the company's dividend doesn't live up to expectations. With a 1.8% yield and a nine-year payment history, investors probably think Athos Immobilien looks like a reliable dividend stock. A low yield is generally a turn-off, but if the prospects for earnings growth were strong, investors might be pleasantly surprised by the long-term results. Before you buy any stock for its dividend however, you should always remember Warren Buffett's two rules: 1) Don't lose money, and 2) Remember rule #1. We'll run through some checks below to help with this. Explore this interactive chart for our latest analysis on Athos Immobilien! WBAG:ATH Historical Dividend Yield April 27th 2020 Payout ratios Companies (usually) pay dividends out of their earnings. If a company is paying more than it earns, the dividend might have to be cut. Comparing dividend payments to a company's net profit after tax is a simple way of reality-checking whether a dividend is sustainable. Looking at the data, we can see that 73% of Athos Immobilien's profits were paid out as dividends in the last 12 months. A payout ratio above 50% generally implies a business is reaching maturity, although it is still possible to reinvest in the business or increase the dividend over time. We update our data on Athos Immobilien every 24 hours, so you can always get our latest analysis of its financial health, here. Dividend Volatility Before buying a stock for its income, we want to see if the dividends have been stable in the past, and if the company has a track record of maintaining its dividend. The first recorded dividend for Athos Immobilien, in the last decade, was nine years ago. It's good to see that Athos Immobilien has been paying a dividend for a number of years. However, the dividend has been cut at least once in the past, and we're concerned that what has been cut once, could be cut again. During the past nine-year period, the first annual payment was 0.40 in 2011, compared to 0.70 last year. Dividends per share have grown at approximately 6.4% per year over this time. The growth in dividends has not been linear, but the CAGR is a decent approximation of the rate of change over this time frame. Story continues Dividends have grown at a reasonable rate, but with at least one substantial cut in the payments, we're not certain this dividend stock would be ideal for someone intending to live on the income. Dividend Growth Potential With a relatively unstable dividend, it's even more important to evaluate if earnings per share (EPS) are growing - it's not worth taking the risk on a dividend getting cut, unless you might be rewarded with larger dividends in future. Earnings have grown at around 4.1% a year for the past five years, which is better than seeing them shrink! 4.1% per annum is not a particularly high rate of growth, which we find curious. When a business is not growing, it often makes more sense to pay higher dividends to shareholders rather than retain the cash with no way to utilise it. Conclusion Dividend investors should always want to know if a) a company's dividends are affordable, b) if there is a track record of consistent payments, and c) if the dividend is capable of growing. Athos Immobilien's payout ratio is within normal bounds. Unfortunately, earnings growth has also been mediocre, and the company has cut its dividend at least once in the past. While we're not hugely bearish on it, overall we think there are potentially better dividend stocks than Athos Immobilien out there. Companies possessing a stable dividend policy will likely enjoy greater investor interest than those suffering from a more inconsistent approach. Still, investors need to consider a host of other factors, apart from dividend payments, when analysing a company. As an example, we've identified 5 warning signs for Athos Immobilien that you should be aware of before investing. We have also put together a list of global stocks with a market capitalisation above $1bn and yielding more 3%. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading. Their treatment is under control; all those who contacted them are identified, their health conditions are monitored, too Eleven workers of Ukraine's State Border Guard appear to be infected with Covid-19. Their test results were lab-confirmed, and all of them are now undergoing treatment. The press department of the State Border Guard reported that on April 27. "As of April 27, 2020, 11 representatives of the State Border Guard of Ukraine, the servicemen and workers, have the lab-confirmed diagnosis of Covid-19", reads the message. Their treatment is under control; all those who contacted them are identified, their health conditions are monitored, too. The infected border guards have their working schedules changed in order to minimize the number of physical contacts. As of early April 27, the number of lab-confirmed Covid-19 cases in Ukraine made 9,009. 220 of those proved lethal. 864 people recovered from the disease. Ukraine's Healthcare Ministry reported that on its Telegram channel. The largest number of occasions is obsered in Chernivtsi region (1,375), the capital city Kyiv (1,220), Ternopil region (612) and Kyiv region (570 cases). The data from temporarily occupied territories of Donbas and the annexed Crimea is not available. The lab tests were conducted at a reference lab of the Pubic Health Centre of Ukraine's Healthcare Ministry, as well as local labs. As of the morning of April 27, the Centre got 647 messages about suspicion for Covid-19. Since the beginning of the year, the number of messages has reached 25,489. Abia state Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, has ordered a curfew in the State. This is coming up after the state confirmed new cases of Coronavirus in the state. The 6pm 6am curfew is expected to start Sunday April 26, to last for 7 days and is expected to help in thorough contact tracing with special emphasis on the three local government areas of Ukwa West, Ikwuano and Umuahia North. It was further gathered that the 2 Coronavirus cases in the state who are above 70 years and with underlying illness, are currently stable and responding to treatment. A press statement from the Abia state government reads; 1. We are all aware that Abia has registered 2 Covid-19 cases at the Federal Medical Center (FMC), Umuahia. Though the patients are above 70 years in age and have underlying illnesses, they are currently stable and responding to treatment. 2. In view of the circumstances of our index cases, we are doing extensive contact tracing, which is taking epidemiologists to three Local Government Areas of Ukwa West, Ikwuano and Umuahia North. Presently, about 237 contacts have been established and we are still counting. 3. Unfortunately, our medics are experiencing some challenges in some communities especially Umuorie in Ukwa West, therefore the TC Chairman of Ukwa West and the relevant Traditional Rulers must yield unfettered access and cooperation to the medical team or risk immediate suspension. 4. There shall be a 6pm 6am curfew in Abia State from Sunday, 26th April, 2020, for 7 days to allow for thorough contact tracing, with special emphasis on the three local government areas of Ukwa West, Ikwuano and Umuahia North. The Transition Council Chairmen of the three LGAs should ensure unfettered access to the members of the medical rapid response team of the COVID-19 committee. Additionally, all TC Chairmen of the states 17 LGAs, as well as Honorable Commissioners, should be on top of the lockdown exercise in order to ensure full compliance with the lockdown by citizens and residents in their respective constituencies. Failure to adhere to these directives will attract sanctions, 5. All Transition Council Chairmen should take charge of enforcement of curfew and lockdown processes in their respective LGAs while the Transition Council Chairmen of Ukwa West, Ikwuano and Umuahia North LGAs must ensure strict compliance and adherence to government directives especially concerning contact tracing. 6. I hereby direct the Secretary to State Government (SSG) to expand the committee on palliatives to include selected members of Nigeria Union of Journalists, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), traditional rulers, civil society organizations and Presidents General of Development Associations. 7. The palliative sub-committee shall embark on the distribution of further food and protective items from community to community, starting from next week. Associations of Ndi Imo, Anambra, Enugu, Ebonyi and Akwa Ibom will also be reached. 8. We will make provision for artisans such as vehicle mechanics and others like Keke operators and commercial bus drivers during the next phase of distribution of palliatives. 9. I have been informed that the Federal Government is in the process of delivering 1800 bags of rice to the state. We shall examine the wholesomeness of these supplies and brief Ndi Abia on the pattern of distribution if eventually certified good for human consumption. 10. While we salute and encourage the efforts of the Federal Government in leading the charge against COVID-19, we are proud to say that we are not in need of any imported face masks and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in Abia State. Our brothers and sisters at home can and have produced our face masks/PPEs. The use of face masks in Abia state remains compulsory and offenders will be prosecuted. 11. Once again, we are extremely proud of our medics and all the frontline officers. You shall remain the heroes of our time. Bikonu Umunnem Ndi Abia, COVID-19 is serious, stay at home for now! NB: The lockdown regulation in the state during the day, border closure and other associated measures remain in force in addition to the curfew. The coronavirus has transformed nearly every aspect of daily life, but Times journalists are here to keep you informed and connected from home. Below is a selection of our live events this week (all times are Eastern Standard). You can find the full calendar here. Friday at 5 p.m. on Zoom You know it when you hear it. The tempo and cadence may vary. The syllables may melt together or explode into drawn-out clarion calls. It may be sprinkled with Yiddish phrases, Dominican trills or hip-hop slang. Many of the words may be deemed inappropriate to print in The New York Times. But there is something elemental about that accent that transcends class, race or borough. It sounds like New Yawk. The New York accent, as it were, is both music and ideology, instantly recognizable as sound and almost physically palpable, too, Jon Caramanica, The Timess pop music critic, writes. Perth real estate agents are breathing a sigh of relief after the West Australian government included WA government home opens and display village inspections involving up to 10 people among newly permitted gatherings. In recent weeks, pre-booked private viewings with agents have been the only inspections allowed. Ms Majeks will be able to start showing her portfolio of properties again, including this double-storey house near South Beach in South Fremantle. Credit:Dethridge Groves Chanel Majeks, a sales representative for Fremantles Dethridge Groves, said the agency had been using videos, videoconferencing appointments and private inspections and was perhaps better placed to do so than some other agents because it had always catered for a strong contingent of east coast buyers. But while there had been a lot of activity showing people were accessing the online resources, this hadnt translated into many bookings for private viewings, particularly for higher-end homes. In a letter released on April 27, 2020, the Center urged consumers to support the farmers in their community by continuing to purchase fresh produce, meats and dairy from their local grocery stores and farmers' markets. In addition, the Center reaffirmed that America is fortunate to have the most safe and abundant food supply in the world, thanks to those on the farm. "As we celebrate the heroes among us, let us not forget about our farmers, who are feeding America, and helping to keep us safe, healthy, and comfortable," said Jayne Sebright, Executive Director at the Center for Dairy Excellence. "Farmers are the eternal optimists. They hope. They work hard. They give back to others. And they are still farming, working long hours and endless days to keep America's food supply strong, despite tremendous uncertainty about the future of their business. They will not stop farming for you." With restaurants and institutions closed amid COVID-19, dairy farmers alone have experienced a 10 percent decline in the demand for their milk. The prices these farmers receive for their products have also decreased well below production costs, due to market disruptions and business closures. Despite that, dairy farm families, like all farm families, continue to produce milk, grow produce and plant crops in hopes that the market will recover. "Farmers know people will always need to eat, and they are passionate about their role in feeding a hungry world, despite the current uncertainty," Sebright shared. "As we work together to navigate this pandemic, don't forget to thank a farmer by choosing dairy and other products from local farms in Pennsylvania and across the country." To view the full letter, visit centerfordairyexcellence.org/letter. To download and share photos of Pennsylvania dairy farmers working throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, visit centerfordairyexcellence.org/hidden-heroes. The Center for Dairy Excellence is a non-profit organization initiated by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture in 2004. Bringing together people from more than 40 different dairy organizations in Pennsylvania, the Center's mission is to enhance the profitability of the dairy industry by empowering people, creating partnerships, and increasing the availability and use of resources. Learn more at centerfordairyexcellence.org. SOURCE Center for Dairy Excellence Related Links https://www.centerfordairyexcellence.org British actor Riz Ahmed has revealed that he lost two of his family members to COVID-19, a crisis that is furthering the alienation of minority communities everywhere. The British actor said the pandemic is reflecting and revealing the faultlines in our society. "I have lost two family members to COVID. I just want to believe their deaths and all the others aren't for nothing. We gotta step up to reimagine a better future, Riz said in a interview with GQ Hype. The actor, who was born in London to a British Pakistani family, added, I'm seeing reports of India, where the government are calling it corona-jihad and they're trying to blame it on the spread of Muslims and they are segregating hospitals between Muslims and non-Muslims. Riz said politicians across the globe are utilizing the situation to serve their agendas. "This crisis is reflecting and revealing the faultlines in our society, the broken records that are stuck in our head, the f***eries and the power plays that are still dominating how we are running our planet, the rising intolerance, he said. The actor said while Trump had used the pandemic to ban immigration and the Hungarian government to centralise their power, people forget that most of the frontline people fighting against the virus are from ethnic communities. "I'm looking at the fact it's hitting African-Americans twice as hard; I'm looking at the fact that 50 per cent of NHS frontline workers is it 50 per cent? are ethnic minorities, he added. Riz said he hopes the praise for health workers amid the crisis brings attention to the prejudice against the ethnic minorities that work in the healthcare system. It, he hoped, also opens up people to create a more inclusive world. We say we love the NHS more than the royal family, more than the army, but do we love the people who keep the NHS alive? Because every time we tell people to f*** off back to where they came from, that's not what we're saying. So I really hope that this revelation, this awakening, opens our minds to that reality, to the stupidity of our prejudice. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Behind the counter was a 21-year-old named Alec Montgomery, who grew up in Rogers Park and Lakeview and is studying for a degree in hospitality at DePaul University. He has worked for Stans for the last four years and he is one of the 100-some employees who has been able to stay on the job, sharing this shop with two other employees. Some 400 others have been furloughed. YEREVAN, APRIL 27, ARMENPRESS. The Artsakh Friendship Group of Dutch-speaking Belgian Parliamentarians congratulates the newly elected members of the National Assembly of the Republic of Artsakh, and President-elect of the Republic of Artsakh Arayik Harutyunyan. ''The first round of the presidential elections took place on 31 March 2020 during which none of the 14 candidates achieved more than 50% of the votes. On 14 April 2020 the second round was held, here Mr Arayik Harutyunyan, the former Prime Minister, was elected the next President of the Artsakh Republic. If all goes as planned, he will be assuming office on 21 May 2020. On 31 March 2020 Artsakh also held legislative elections. Five different political parties gained seats in the National Assembly, which is a positive result in terms of political plurality in a small country such as Artsakh. The Friendship Group welcomes the commitment of the people of Artsakh to organize their society in a democratic way despite the imposed political isolation. The people of Artsakh have confirmed their commitment to democracy, a choice they already made since the first years of the countrys independence. We want to emphasize the crucial necessity of the participation of the elected Artsakh representatives in the negotiations for a peaceful resolution of the conflict. Unfortunately, the independent international election observation mission planned by the European Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy (EAFJD) as well as many other observation missions had to be cancelled due to the global health crisis caused by the COVID19 pandemic and the general lockdowns. The Artsakh Friendship Group of Dutch-speaking Belgian Parliamentarians has always held very good contacts with President Bako Sahakyan and members of the previous National Assembly, and stresses its willingness to maintain this cooperation on the same level with the newly elected representatives of the Republic of Artsakh. 22 April 2020 Artsakh Friendship Group of Dutch-speaking Belgian Parliamentarians'', reads the statement. 27.04.2020 LISTEN President Akufo-Addo used his 8th COVID-19 address to the nation on Sunday, 26 April 2020 to launch his campaign for the 2020 elections by promising to build 88 100-bed district hospitals in a year. Juaboso lawmaker Kwabena Mintah Akandoh has suggested, indicating that the promise has nothing to do with the fight against COVID-19 but it is rather a rehash of the NPPs 2016 manifesto promise. In his Sunday address, the President said the virus has exposed the loopholes and weaknesses in Ghanas health infrastructure, thus, his governments decision to invest heavily in that sector this year and beyond. That is why the government has decided to undertake a major investment in our healthcare infrastructure the largest in our history. We will, this year, begin constructing 88 hospitals in the districts without hospitals. It will mean 10 in Ashanti, nine in Volta, nine in Central, eight in Eastern, seven in Greater Accra, seven in Upper East, five in Northern, five in Oti, five in Upper West, five in Bono, four in Western North, four in Western, three in Ahafo, three in Savannah, two in Bono East and two in North-Easter regions. Each of them will be a quality, standard design 100-bed hospital with accommodation for doctors, nurses and other health workers and the intention is to complete them within a year. Well also put in place plans for the construction of six new regional hospitals in the six new regions and the rehabilitation of the Efia Nkwanta Hospital in Sekondi, which is the regional hospital of the Western Region, Nana Akufo-Addo announced. Responding to this on the Executive Breakfast Show (EBS) on Class91.3FM on Monday, 27 April 2020, Mr Akandoh said the Presidents promise made him sad. He told show host Benjamin Akakpo: Thats where I got very sad, thats where I saw that the President was using that opportunity to, if you like, launch his promises for 2020 campaign. They said this in their manifesto. It is not even true that hes saying this out of COVID-19. Theres no correlation between COVID-19 and these health facilities hes going to build because I do not think the President is saying that we have to wait for a year for us to finish these infrastructures before these infrastructures will help us fight COVID-19. Mr Akandoh, who is also the Ranking Member of the Health Committee of Parliament, noted that since that promise was captured in the NPPs 2016 manifesto, they cannot tell me that theyve, all of a sudden, realised the health sector is important, adding: They didnt do that for the past three-and-a-half years, he stated. Raising questions about the feasibility of the promise coming to fruition, Mr Akandoh quizzed: 88 hospitals in one year, obviously it is not in this budget, so, how long is it going to take cabinet to even approve it? How long is it going to come to Parliament for us to consider it? How long are you going to secure these funds? How long is it going to take to be disbursed? How long will the bidding and procurement processes be done? How long will it take the contractor to go to site? The President must know its not business-as-usual where he can throw anything at Ghanaians and Ghanaians will accept it like what he did before 2016. So, well subject some of these things to proper scrutiny, he added. ---classfmonline It's been a month since UK PM Boris Johnson tested positive for COVID-19. At one point his life was in danger, but he eventually recovered. Now, he is all set to return to work and is back in the hot seat. Don't Miss: Contribute To Indiatimes Fundraiser To Help India Fight COVID-19 He returns in the midst of turmoil as UK looks to get past this pandemic which has already claimed so many lives. AFP The economy is suffering and six business leaders have written to the government asking for an ease of restrictions. Opposition Labour leader Keir Starmer wrote to Johnson calling for an exit strategy". Among the business leaders are Conservative Party billionaire donors Michael Spencer and Peter Hargreaves, according to the Sunday Times. We should really begin to offer a narrative of how and when its going to stop, Spencer told the newspaper, as per a report in Hindustan Times. AFP Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, who was filling in for Johnson, rejected calls for easing the lockdown. "Until we can be confident -- based on the scientific advice -- that we are making sure-footed steps going forward that protect life, but also preserve our way of life, frankly it is not responsible to start speculating, he told Sky. UK's death toll is nearly 21,000 with over 150,000 people testing positive. AFP Environment Secretary George Eustic told the media that workers are taking advantage of the governments furlough program, where up to 80% of their salary is paid by the taxpayer. They will be asked to take second jobs in the agricultural sector to help farmers bring in the harvest, as migrant numbers are down. The bottom line is that Johnson faces an uphill battle. He has seen himself how bad the disease is and now it is time to get back into the thick of things. Applications for $250 gift cards from the City of Portland to help low-income families reeling from the coronavirus pandemic closed after 17 minutes because the supply ran out, officials say. More than 1,000 applications were processed for 742 VISA gift cards either via phone or online, said Martha Calhoon, a Portland Housing Bureau spokesperson. The applications were accepted by 211Info, a nonprofit that contracts with the city to provide information and referral services. The gift cards were available on a first come, first served basis and meant to be used to cover rent, medical bills, food or any other urgent expense, she said. Applicants had to prove their pre-pandemic income was less than half of median area income. Dan Herman, 211Info chief executive officer, said 200 to 300 people were already in the phone queue when the applications opened at 10 a.m. Monday and applications were closed by 10:17 a.m. He said he didnt yet know the website volume but said the nonprofit had doubled its average daily visits by noon. Weve been taking calls about the program since last Thursday to the tune of a couple hundred calls a day just inquiring about it, Herman said. He said people who were still on the line when the applications closed were rerouted to the nonprofits general information line and told of other available support and resources. It just shows the raw need out there during the crisis, Herman said. Hopefully we can do more of this in the future. He said the gift cards were being mailed out starting Monday afternoon. Around 65 people were handling phone calls for the nonprofit, Herman said. Some people who didnt call immediately at 10 a.m. got a busy signal. He said the nonprofit staff contacted their telephone service provider and it doubled the number of ports available to deal with the volume. He said the busy signals went on for at least one minute. The group has hired more than 30 temporary staff members since February to provide coronavirus-related referrals, Herman said. Some groups they also work with including in the health care industry have also lent them staff, he said. The funds for the gift cards came from around $200,000 of the more than $1 million reallocated from the Portland Housing Bureaus budget to cover cash assistance for residents. Calhoon said part of the money went toward paying the activation fee for the cards and the other $800,000 went to 19 local nonprofits who serve communities of color, people with disabilities, people experiencing homelessness, immigrants and refugees, domestic violence survivors and at-risk youth. Those groups will provide up to $500 per household to people already in their networks and distribute the funds via a variety of methods through June 30, she said. City officials expect the $1 million to help at least 2,000 households, according to Calhoon. Portland residents had to meet two points of criteria to qualify for the gift cards. They had to have been impacted by the coronavirus crisis including via lost job, reduced work hours or missed work due to having to provide child care or medical care for themself or a relative. They also had to make 50% or less of area median household income before any loss of income or employment related to coronavirus. A family of four, for example, had to have an income of $43,950 or less to qualify. Calhoon and Herman said each household could only receive one gift card. Were you able to get a gift card from the city? Do you apply and not receive a gift card? The Oregonian/OregonLive would like to speak to you. Please contact Everton Bailey Jr., Portland City Hall Reporter for The Oregonian/OregonLive, at ebailey@oregonian.com. Coronavirus in Oregon: Latest news | Live map tracker |Text alerts | Newsletter Everton Bailey Jr. The High Court has confirmed the appointment of liquidators to companies in the USIT student travel group. The firms, which employed some 149 people, say their collapse was entirely due to the Covid-19 pandemic. On Monday, Mr Justice Michael Quinn confirmed the appointments of Kieran Wallace and Andrew OLeary of KPMG as liquidators to the companies, with addresses at Aston Quay, O'Connell Bridge. The two practitioners had been appointed, following an application by the firms, in a provisional capacity by the High Court last month. The companies are Dublin USIT Ireland Ltd, the principal trading company; School and Group Tours Ltd and Dublin College of Business Studies Ltd. USIT Ireland specialised in US summer work and related travel programmes; School and Group Tours Ltd was involved in organising school tours to international destinations and DCBS operated a school at Abbey Street, Dublin 1, trading as the English Studio Dublin, teaching English as a foreign language. Rossa Fanning SC for the companies told the court that while the group had been profitable up to a few months ago, their business had been completely wiped out by the travel restrictions that have been imposed globally by the Covid-19 outbreak. The language school, counsel added, also saw its bookings by students seeking to undertake courses disappear due to pandemic. As a result the firms became insolvent and had no option other than go into liquidation. Stephen Walsh Bl for the joint liquidators told the court that since his client's appointment they had been engaging with the employees, and the Minister for Social Protection. Counsel said that unfortunately that all but a handful of the employees had been let go. Mr Justice Quinn said he was satisfied from the evidence put before the court to confirm Mr Wallace and O'Leary's appointment as the firms' liquidators, and that their directors should file statements of affairs. The judge said he was adjourning the application to confirm their appointment as liquidators to a fourth related company, The Kinlay Group Ltd which had been the holding company for the various firms, to later this week. That matter was put back to allow the lawyers rectify a particular aspect of the application to wind up that particular company. Previously the court heard that the holding company owes 1.7m to Ulster Bank and that is cross-guaranteed by the three other companies. Mr. Trumps typical name-calling can be recast to receptive audiences as mere counterpunching. His impeachment was explained away as the dastardly opus of overreaching Democrats. It is more difficult to insist that the man floating disinfectant injection knows what hes doing. The reaction has so rattled the presidents allies and advisers that he was compelled over the weekend to remove himself from the pandemic briefings entirely, at least temporarily accepting two fates he loathes: giving in to advice (from Republicans who said the appearances did far more harm than good to his political standing) and surrendering the mass viewership he relishes. Some at the White House have expressed frustration that the issue has lingered. It bothers me that this is still in the news cycle, Dr. Deborah Birx, the coronavirus response coordinator, told CNN on Sunday, adding, I worry that we dont get the information to the American people that they need, when we continue to bring up something that was from Thursday night. Gov. Larry Hogan of Maryland, a Republican who has been willing to speak skeptically about Mr. Trumps virus leadership, said on ABCs This Week on Sunday that it does send a wrong message when misinformation spreads from a public official or you just say something that pops in your head. Asked to explain the presidents words, Mr. Hogan said, You know, I cant really explain it. According to a report from Pigtou, in collaboration with OnLeaks, Samsungs first smartphone with a pop-up camera is coming. The source even shared some CAD-based renders of the device. We still do not know what this phone will be called, but its expected to arrive in the near future. This device will, almost certainly, be a part of the companys Galaxy A series of devices. Samsungs first smartphone with a pop-up camera will include three cameras on the back, flat display That is at least our guess considering its camera setup on the back, its flat display, and the fact that its chin is visibly thicker than the rest of its bezels. Samsung still prefers phones with curved displays for its flagship lineups. Advertisement As you can see, the device has three vertically-aligned cameras on the back. Those cameras are placed in the top-left corner of the phones back, and a capacitive fingerprint scanner can also be found back there. Samsungs branding is placed on the back of the device as well. The back side of the phone is curved on the sides, as you can see. The device shown in these renders is black-colored. It seems to sport glass on the back. The device will probably feature a 6.5-inch display The source notes that the display on this phone is roughly 6.5 inches diagonally, and an IR blaster seems to be placed on the top. The phone is approximately 160.9mm tall, 77mm wide, and 9.2mm thick (9.7mm with a camera bump). Advertisement A Type-C USB port is placed on the bottom, along with a noise-canceling microphone. A speaker grille is located on the bottom as well, along with the main speaker. A 3.5mm headphone jack is not a part of this smartphone, which is quite interesting. Samsung has a tendency of utilizing that port in its mid-range smartphones. We still do not know if the company plans on includes 5G inside of this phone. Well have to wait and see. It would be a bit clearer if we knew what device is this exactly, but that information is not yet available. Advertisement If you take a look at the images in the gallery below, youll be able to see the phones pop-up camera in action. It has a similar placement and look to the OnePlus 7 Pros selfie camera. The source even released a short video on YouTube. That video basically gives you a look at Samsungs first smartphone with a pop-up camera from all angles. More information about this smartphone is expected to arrive in the near future. Samsung will probably wait for the whole health crisis to end (or calm down) before pushing this one out the door, though. PITTSBURGH Following a draft in which Mike Tomlin and Kevin Colbert repeatedly hailed the ability of their selections to contribute on special teams, getting at who plays when is a very a literal question. Alex Highsmith isnt taking T.J. Watts job or Bud Duprees this year. But if theres a season and hes healthy, hes taking the field maybe even slightly before Chase Claypool. Even with a six-player draft class, though, not every prospect will make the active roster. Oswego, N.Y. The LT-5, an historic tugboat used in the Normandy Invasion during World War II and docked at H. Lee White Maritime Museum in Oswego, had a close call last week. The boat, a National Historic Landmark, is docked at the west pier near the museum, Despite being secured with numerous lines, high winds and waves from on Lake Ontario resulted in the boat losing a fender. In addition, one of the lines securing it to the pier had broken loose. The vessel was banging into the dock wall hard enough to damage both the vessel and the dock. Museum volunteers Mike Brown and Don Smith, who regularly check on the vessels docked at the museum, spotted the problem Wednesday morning and immediately called Mercedes Niess, the museums executive director. Niess called the Oswego Port Authority, which sent a front loader and port staff to help out. Brown said the tug has had problems with waves and wind from the lake for the past three years due to the lakes high water level and waves coming in over the breakwall and into the harbor. This isnt the first time the boats fenders and the pier have taken a beating, he said. He said he decided to check out the boats status Wednesday morning following a bad storm and 50- to 60-mile per hour winds from the night before. Assisted by Brown, the Port Authority workers used a front loader and placed two huge tires between the LT-5 and the dock to prevent any further damage. The tires, about 5 feet in diameter and 2 feet thick, are secured to the pier with chains and rope. It doesnt look pretty, but it works, Brown said. Staff from the Oswego Port Authority came with a front loader to help put in big tires which prevented the LT-5 from smashing against the pier at the H. Lee White Maritime Museum in Oswego. The LT-5 is one of the few remaining vessels from the WWII invasion of Normandy. It sailed to Great Britain in February 1944 in anticipation of Operation Overlord, the planned Allied invasion of Europe, Niesss said. On June 6, 1944, the LT-5 sailed for Normandy with two barges as part of Operation Mulberry, in support of Overlord. Under fire, the tug ferried supplies to the landing beaches for the next month, in the process shooting down a German fighter aircraft on June 9. Like many other boats at that time, the LT-5 had 50-caliber machine guns mounted on its top deck, Niess said. After the war, the LT-5 returned to the United States where it was assigned to the Buffalo District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. From 1946 to 1989, the vessel served the lower Great Lakes region by assisting in the maintenance of harbors, and construction projects that included the St. Lawrence Seaway in the 1950s. The LT-5 has now been largely restored to its original configuration by the museum where it continues to welcome visitors, normally from May through October. Thanks to the team work of the Port of Oswego Authority and the H. Lee White Maritime Museum volunteers, the LT-5 will continue to offer tours once the museum re-opens, Niess said. The H. Lee White Maritime Museum, like other museums and businesses, has been closed since Gove. Andrew Cuomo signed an executive order directing all non-essential businesses to close statewide on March 22. That order continues in effect until at least May 15. This was no small feat. It was scary, nerve-wracking, Niess said of last weeks effort to safe the LT-5. That vessel weighs in excess of 200 tons and with the wind and waves, the action of the Port personnel and our volunteer was heroic. One alliance has done their part in the community with helping to stop the coronavirus from spreading, and also assisting people protect themselves from it, and, or those who have it, or COVID-19, its disease. The virus causes the disease. The Grace Farms Alliance Against COVID-19 has distributed more than one million pieces of Personal Protective Equipment, (PPE), in the last three weeks. Recipients include Connecticut hospitals, coronavirus clinics, and testing sites, and first responders and skilled nursing facilities in local towns. The alliance, which was established by the Grace Farms Foundation in New Canaan, is comprised of eight partners, including the Shandong Province Provincial Government, (a sister state to Connecticut), New Canaan Emergency Management, Hamilton Beach Brands Inc., the Ningxia Yanbao Foundation, Building and Land Technology (BLT), in Stamford, the Greenwich Economic Forum, the Helena Foundation, and the XJ Group. The foundations expertise in trans-national supply chains, and customs is exercised within its Justice Initiative to combat forced labor, yet the foundation has been able to swiftly adapt, and use these global relationships to procure and expedite the PPE to fill mass Connecticut state-wide shortages. The new alliance against COVID-19 has secured N95 NIOSH and FDA-Certified respirators, face shields, surgical masks, isolation coveralls, and gowns. Critical supplies has also been delivered by 30 volunteers from New Canaan Fire Company No. 1, foundation staff, and the Connecticut Army National Guard to recipients across the state, sometimes within hours after the PPE arrived in the state of Connecticut. The effort is funded by the Grace Farms Relief Fund for Connecticut. This is an initial fund of $2.5 million, which has now received more than $750,000 of in-kind donations from the Ningxia Yanbao Foundation, and the Shandong Province Provincial Government and. It has also raised an additional $100,000 in funding for the cause. As of Tuesday, April 21, 2020, the alliance has purchased more than 200,000 additional N95 NIOSH respirators (masks), with deliveries scheduled through the first week of May, and totaling more than 500,000 N95 respirators delivered to date. We are incredibly grateful for Grace Farms Foundations efforts to forge this innovative alliance, said Dr. Mark DeWaele, president of Stamford Healths Board of Directors. This partnership between public, private, and government organizations is helping hospitals, and other critical healthcare providers during these unprecedented times. I also want to recognize, and commend community leaders like Sharon Prince, Mike Handler, and Carl Kuehner for their leadership in making these critical resources available. We have seen the best in humanity locally and globally expediently come together with a can do spirit to provide one million items of PPE to our frontline heroes, Prince, CEO and founder of the foundation, said. Our cross-sector collaboration, and the expertise of the linchpin of our global operation, Rod Khattabi, has worked in short order to strategically help fill the life-threatening supply-demand gap of PPE across the state of Connecticut. It is imperative that we continue to leverage our reliable supply chain with our colleagues in China as we aim to meet the escalating demand for PPE, particularly for N95 respirators. Our states success, and our residents safety during this unprecedented public health emergency will be dictated by our ability to work together through partnership, and collaboration, Max Reiss, director of Communications for state of Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont said. (The) Grace Farms Foundation is one of those partners stepping up to make sure our health care workers have the supplies they need while they work on the frontline, and we are thankful to work with them to help as many people as possible. The alliance is based at Grace Farms. One-third of the 95 employees of the foundation are working on site to receive, and distribute the PPE across the state as well as prepare meals, and staple food items for those in need. To date, it has also delivered more than 7,000 meals through partnerships with 12 not-for-profit organizations in Fairfield County. Co-funded by the fund, The Helena Foundation recently launched The Covid Network, a software platform to enable COVID responders to find the areas of greatest medical need in real time. The network is rolling out in key hotspots across the country this week. The Grace Farms Foundation is seeking additional philanthropic support for PPE, and food throughout the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic. Information about this is available at gracefarms.org/covid19-response/. Namita Bajpai By Express News Service LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh on Monday introduced the plasma therapy to treat COVID-19 patients in the state. The King Georges Medical University (KGMU) conducted the first transfusion on a government doctor, 54, from Orai. The plasma was extracted from the blood donated by an NRI woman doctor from Canada, the first corona patient of Lucknow. Both the recipient and donor had matching blood group and this facilitated the doctors to take a quick decision to resort to the therapy on the patient who is now in a critical condition. As per the KGMU authorities of the medicine department, a patient transfused with 200ml plasma should display a response within 24 hours. If not, a second unit of 200ml plasma would be transfused after 24 hours. The Orai doctors condition was extremely critical which led KGMU doctors to conduct the therapy. The first case is a patient from Orai who was on oxygen support. Plasma transfusion was done and now he is under observation, said Dr D Himanshu, senior faculty and infectious disease unit, KGMU. In fact, the patient is the father of an MBBS student of KGMU. He had a high fever for eight days with difficulty in breathing. He was brought to Lucknow in an ambulance on Friday and was admitted to ICU. According to Dr Himanshu, both the man, who is a doctor by profession, and his wife tested positive for the deadly virus on Saturday. While the doctor was critical, his wife was manifesting only mild symptoms. She has been admitted to the isolation ward, said Dr Himanshu, in charge. The doctors claimed that the patient might have contracted the virus while treating patients in Orai. Besides the Canada-based doctor, two other COVID-19 survivors Dr Tauseef Khan of KGMU and 54-year-old Lakhimpur resident Uma Shankar Pandey have also donated their plasma for corona treatment. After screening, the plasma is transfused to the patient. Plasma has a shelf life of one year. It is extracted from the blood of the recovered COVID-19 patients who have completed 28-day isolation after getting discharged from the hospital. Antibodies from COVID-19 survivors reportedly help in treating coronavirus infection. The NRIs doctors two-year-old son and in-laws were also diagnosed with the virus. While the son recovered, in-laws are still under treatment at Central Commands base hospital. However, the doctor herself had tested positive on March11and was discharged from the hospital after recovery on March 22. At a time when lockdown owing to Covid-19 pandemic has hit normal life across the country, Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Technical University (AKTU) is feeding the poor through its community kitchen Kalam Annakshetra. Operating from Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET), Lucknow campus, since April 2, the technical university is now offering food to 1750 people daily. University teachers, non-teaching staff, alumni, private vendors, affiliated institutions and private colleges as well have been voluntarily contributing to the cause to feed the poor so that they dont sleep empty stomach, said AKTU vice chancellor Vinay Kumar Pathak. The Bhojshala was started on Ram Navami (April 2) and in the beginning food packets were distributed to 1000 people every day. Now, food packets are given to 1750 people every day. Till now, more than 43,450 people have benefited from Kalam Annakshetra. After the lockdown was extended, the university decided to continue it till May 3, the vice chancellor added. As per the VC, the food packets are distributed for dinner as many people, organisations offer food packets in the daytime. Distribution of food packets is being done through Lucknow Municipal Corporation, Lucknow Development Authority, cops of local Jankipuram police station and local corporators in slums and to people of economically weaker sections around the university and IET campus of AKTU, Pathak said. In addition, more than 220 workers from far-off places in both the campuses are being provided ration on a weekly basis in collaboration with the construction unit, Rajkiya Nirman Nigam, unit-12. The university is providing 10 kg flour, 5 kg rice, 2 kg arhar dal, 2 kg sugar, 2 litre mustard oil, 1 salt packet, basic spices, biscuits, toilet soaps, washing powder and hair oil etc. While distributing food packers, we learnt about a number of families who have money but do not have ration. So the university decided to distribute ration to them. These packets have enough ration for a family to sustain for 15 to 30 days, university spokesman Ashish Mishra said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Pressure is mounting for city leaders to restart the local economy. Tens of thousands of workers across Bexar County have been thrown out of work over the last month. Small businesses have been shuttered, and the city is facing a monumental budget shortfall that could drive further job losses and hamper regional recovery efforts. Six weeks after issuing city and county stay-at-home orders, local leaders are scrambling to devise a plan to safely reopen businesses in the coming weeks, even as COVID-19 cases and deaths in the city continue climbing. To balance the competing concerns containing the virus and getting people back to work Mayor Ron Nirenberg and County Judge Nelson Wolff have created two transition teams: one focused on public health, the other on the economy. Those groups will work together to recommend how best to reopen businesses while continuing to prevent the spread of COVID-19. So far, members of the citys 21-member economic transition team are off to a quiet start. They said theyd received virtually no word from the city on how the group will work. However, they expect to go to work soon and at a breakneck pace. They told me to expect a significant amount of information in the next couple of days, said Jody Bailey Newman, owner of the Friendly Spot Ice House. Its going to be a short, intensive time frame. The panel, co-chaired by Kevin Voelkel, president of Toyota Motor Manufacturing Texas, and Julissa Carielo, president of Tejas Premier Building Construction, will develop a plan to guide best practices for maintaining social distancing across industries and to ensure the health and safety of employees in the workplace. The team is expected to put the plan together by Friday and present it to the City Council and the County Commissioners Court the following week. Their efforts could soon clash with Gov. Greg Abbott, whos looking at a shorter timeline. On a Dallas-area radio station Thursday, Abbott said Texans would be allowed to go to restaurants and hair salons by the first couple of days in May. Youre going to be able to do things that people have long been wanting to do, Abbott said. But were going to be sure there are safe standards in place, so that you will be able to do that without spreading the coronavirus. Abbott is expected to announce his near-term plan Monday. Local leaders have emphasized the importance of the health committee guiding the economic committee and not the other way around. The health panel will develop guidelines based on how businesses can ensure that they can operate when its safe to open, but in a manner that protects themselves, their employees, as well as their customers, Nirenberg said. The economic transition teams members include local officials and business owners in the restaurant, technology and construction industries, among others. Last month, the city also established five working groups to address problems such as food insecurity and the local economic fallout of the pandemic. Theres been significant overlap among the working groups, and members said they want to introduce a more focused approach. The city is facing a revenue shortfall of up to $180 million stemming from the drop in taxes collected from retail sales and hotel room bookings. Thats made finding solutions even more difficult. One of the first questions we had on our first call was Whats our budget? And I think it was a little bit of wishful thinking, said Councilwoman Ana Sandoval, who is heading the business and employment working group. Things that help us employ our community and get cash into the pockets of residents are important, and the priority right now. The five-member group includes one business person Lisa Wong, owner of Rosarios and Acenar Mexican Restaurant and a principal in the citys river barge concession. The other members are Sandoval, County Commissioner Sergio Chico Rodriguez, Councilwoman Shirley Gonzales and Michelle Tremillo, executive director of the Texas Organizing Project. Sandoval said her group can help coordinate technical assistance for local businesses that couldnt tap the hundreds of billions of dollars in small-business loans provided by the federal government in recent weeks. Many of the businesses either couldnt navigate the loan application process or didnt have a relationship with a financial institution. Many lenders accepted applications for government loans only from existing customers, leaving unbanked small businesses at a disadvantage in seeking assistance. Initial funding for the Paycheck Protection Program ran dry April 16, but President Donald Trump on Friday signed a relief bill that replenishes the fund with more than $300 billion. The University of Texas at San Antonios Small Business Development Center and the San Antonio Economic Development Foundation partnered to assist businesses with the complexities of the application process. Our small-business survey uncovered a surprising number of companies that needed a banking relationship and help preparing for the complex loan process, said Jamie Bloodsworth, a spokeswoman for the SAEDF. Rod McSherry, an associate vice president at UTSA who leads the SBDC, said even local lenders were unclear about how the process worked. The complexity of the (PPP) program, and the magnitude of the problem, those were the things that were overwhelming, McSherry said. And simultaneously, we were getting feedback from the banking community that they were learning as we were going along. McSherry said the SBDC is looking to add 20 new employees to handle the demand of businesses seeking help. He said he wants the center to be a front door for businesses in San Antonio to access federal funding now and further assistance during the eventual post-pandemic economic recovery. The first phase, lets say three to four months, is just getting businesses where they can access emergency relief, McSherry said. Then well go from the relief and emergency recovery, to a rebooting and rebuilding stage. Beyond technical assistance for business owners, Sandoval and members of her group are pushing to offer laid-off workers assistance with unemployment applications, as well as rent assistance for business owners. Theyre also looking at ways to retrain affected workers and provide training for students losing out on summer jobs and internships. Probably the toughest part is focusing on one area, Sandoval said. This is affecting every single aspect of what we do as a local government. How do we make life better for the people who have suffered the worst impacts right now? diego.mendoza-moyers@express-news.net It looks like President Rodrigo Duterte is not alone in his assessment that Isuzu pickups are the best in the market. Continuing a string of successes, Isuzu picks up (pun intended) yet another Best Workhorse Pick-Up award from Trade Van Driver, managing to take the throne for the eighth consecutive time. Trade Van Driver is UKs top trade van magazine that caters to the British Isles owner-driver and small fleet operator market. Its awards are unique in the sense that its panel of judges not only include its own expert team of journalists, but also of readers who use light commercial vehicles for their respective businesses. isuzu d-max The judges praised the current version of the D-Max for meeting Euro 6 emissions standards without the need to use AdBlue technology, unlike most of its competitors. Also of special mention is the trucks 3,500 kilogram (kg) towing capacity and a payload of over 1,000 kg. Likewise, its wide range of variants, from single, double, and extended cab, only adds to the pickups versatility. In addition, Isuzu also offers an enticing warranty package of five-years or 125,000-mile (201,168 kilometers) and 5 years roadside assistance (in UK and Europe only) for its pickup, proving that the D-Max was truly built for commercial prowess and reliability. The hardworking Isuzu D-Max has already had a successful start to the year after being crowned Pick-Up of The Year at the 2020 WhatVan? Awards. The Isuzu D-Max XTR then won Best Off-Road and the Huntsman tracked down Best Model in the 4x4 Magazine awards for 2020. This success follows on from 2019 where the Isuzu D-Max won an impressive eight awards in all from different bodies throughout the year. Were really proud to receive this award as it acknowledges that the D-Maxs capability, practicality and reliability meet the needs of our customers, said William Brown, Isuzu UK Managing Director. Its really pleasing that all the hard work that has gone in at Isuzu to make such a great product has been recognized, especially as the judging panel consisted of industry experts and professional pickup drivers alike. Story continues The Isuzu Philippines Corporation (IPC), the official local distributor for the Japanese truckmaker, has yet to reel in the Euro 6-compliant as of the moment. The version currently available locally is the Euro 4-compliant version, coming in 11 different trims in all, with price ranging from PhP 857,000 to PhP 1.795 million for the range-topping Boondock 4x4 AT variant. isuzu d-max Photo from Isuzu UK Also Read: COVID-19 has claimed its share of victims, and it will surely claim a good number more. Few, though, will notice the death of the highest-profile victim of this virus: the American spirit. The death of the American spirit will go unnoticed because most of us are so petrified that we dare not look up from the holes were hiding in. The death of the American spirit will go unnoticed because the virus didnt deal a mighty blow; it simply dropped the last of a centurys worth of straws on to a once-strong camels back. We have fallen far since 1862 when Abraham Lincoln, in the midst of the Civil War, called the United States the last best hope of earth. That war claimed 750,000 American lives, or 2.5% of the population. If 2.5% of our population died today, 8 million souls would be lost a number equivalent to the entire population of New York City. Our past is replete with heroes who gave their lives to keep the flame of liberty alive. From the founders who risked their lives, fortunes and sacred honor, to the generation that settled the problem of American slavery, to the lost and the greatest generations who beat back fascism in the world wars, to the millions who took their places silently in the Cold War, America has been a beacon of liberty to the rest of the world. But no more. In the face of COVID-19, we have become a nation of cowards and snitches. It begins in the cesspools of social media, where the mealy-mouthed are emboldened to the point that they refer to citizens who question the need to be completely locked down as murderers. From there, its a short walk to reporting their neighbors to the authorities for every shelter-in-place violation, be it real or perceived. It would be charitable to refer to ourselves now as a nation of Gladys Kravitzes, but we have clearly crossed the line from annoying busybodies to authoritarian wanna-bes. Reports of snitching are coming in from across the country. Americans, it seems, cant wait to use the force of government against those with whom they disagree. And politicians of both parties, ever hungry for more power, are happy to oblige. Yet, this is not new. Weve been heading in this direction for a very long time. For evidence, see the hundreds of thousands of pages of federal regulations, the millions of Americans incarcerated for victimless crimes, the tens of millions of jobs that require government permission to perform, and the unsustainable financial obligations our government places on future generations. The U.S. Constitution defines a government of limited and enumerated powers. It is a list of a few specific things the people agreed that the federal government could do. To drive the point home, the Bill of Rights lists things the government may never do. Americans have been ignoring both lists for the better part of a century now. Where the Founders intended the states as a counterweight to federal overreach, we now have a contest among governors to see which can clamp down hardest on social and economic life. The sad truth is that too many Americans find freedom so uncomfortable and frightening that they welcome authoritarianism. Our argument is over which kind. Do we want the leftist variant, which culminates in a Stasi-style snitch-state, or the strongman version, in which every decision is made from on high? We should remember the overwhelming cost that past generations paid in blood to give us, their posterity, the gift of liberty. Lincolns last best hope on earth, bent after a century of infringements on our liberty, has buckled under the last straw of a virus. Antony Davies is associate professor of economics at Duquesne University. James R. Harrigan is managing director of the Center for the Philosophy of Freedom at the University of Arizona. They host the weekly podcast Words & Numbers. They wrote this for InsideSources.com. Texas father battles deceased ex-wife's fiance for custody of 5-year-old daughter Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A Texas father had his case heard before the state Supreme Court through video conferencing Wednesday as he seeks to keep full custody of his 5-year-old daughter after a lower court awarded joint custody to the fiance of the childs deceased mother. National parental rights activists are paying close attention to the case centered around the basic question: Should a fit father be forced to share custody of his daughter with an unrelated man? Some advocates fear that a ruling against the biological father by the Texas Supreme Court could set a dangerous precedent when it comes to the rights of biological parents to object to non-relatives who want visitation rights and custody rights over their children. My daughter doesnt know him. She lived with him cumulatively under six months, the father, identified as Chris, said in a recent social media video about his ex-wifes fiance. I thought that as the biological father, I [should] win. We learned quickly, that is not the case. Chris case dates back to 2018 when the childs mother died of injuries caused by a tragic car accident. Since the parents' separation in 2016, the mother and father shared 50/50 custody of their child even though the mother sought a modification to the agreement before her death. Since her passing, the child, identified as Ann, has spent most of her time living with her father as he has battled in court to keep full custody. Initially, after the mothers death, the maternal grandparents filed for joint custody of their grandchild in July 2018. The mothers fiance, identified as J.D.," who had gotten engaged to the mother three months before her death, also filed for joint custody a month later in August 2018. The grandparents' request for joint custody was denied in court because they were unable to prove that the father was an unfit parent, according to Jeremy Newman, director of public policy at the Texas Home School Coalition, an organization supporting Chris quest to maintain full custody. However, the trial court granted the fiance joint custody of Ann on May 8, 2019. Advocates for the father say the decision essentially gives the fiance the right to make certain medical decisions for the child and the right to have Ann stay with him on various days each month. In July 2019, Chris filed an emergency appeal to the Fort Worth Court of Appeals asking the appellate court to strike down the lower courts ruling on grounds that it violated his constitutional rights as a parent. However, his request was denied. So the argument being made is that because [the fiance] cohabitated with the daughter for between five and six months, cumulatively, that he developed a strong enough relationship with her that he should be entitled to custody of her, Newman told The Christian Post. And in the arguments on top of that is that not only is he entitled to custody, but when he makes that request, he doesn't have to overcome any type of constitutional presumption in favor of the father. Newman explained that the fiances legal argument is based on an interpretation of Texas law that allows a person to request custody of a child if the individual has developed a parent-like relationship with the child. Basically, that is what [the fiance] is arguing he has, Newman added. Even during the entire time that the daughter lived in the same house as him, she only lived there because her mother lived there. The mother was the one taking care of the child and the boyfriend cohabitated with them. And now, the argument is basically, Hey, I managed to become a parent to that child in about a six-month window where she happened to live with me. And not only am I a parent, but I am just as much a parent as the actual father is. Newman argues that it's a requirement under the U.S. Constitution for parties looking to restrict the custody rights of parents to prove that the parents are unfit. Someone who happens to live in the home has the right to request custody. But to win custody, they would have to overcome that [parental presumption], Newman said. Now, the boyfriend is arguing that I dont have to overcome that presumption. If the fiance prevails in the case, it could open the door for other non-relatives such as nannies or live-in boyfriends to claim legal rights in Texas to other peoples children, Newman contended. In August 2019, Chris appealed to the Texas Supreme Court. Newman said he's optimistic after attending Wednesdays virtual hearing. I dont want to hypothesize any justice's final decisions but you can infer from their questions what some of them were thinking, Newman described, adding that Justice Jeffrey Boyd on a couple of occasions challenged the fiances attorney on issues of parental presumption. Justice Jimmy Blacklock also seemed to have strong opinions on it. But most of the justices didnt seem to want to tip their hand too much. Michelle ONeil, an attorney representing J.D., argued that parental presumption does not apply to the case since the case involves a modification of the original custody arrangement. The precedent before us has held that the parental presumption is determined in the original suit between the two parents and that the parental presumption does not carry forward into the modification suit, regardless of the privity of the parties, ONeil said, according to The Texan. Holly Draper, an attorney representing Chris, argued in court that the parent doesnt lose his constitutional right because he is involved in custody modification. Amicus briefs in support of the father were filed by the Texas Home School Coalition, the Texas Public Policy Foundation, the Alliance Defending Freedom, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and the Christian conservative activist group Texas Values. In its brief, the conservative legal group ADF argued that the right of a parent to care for his or her child is "perhaps the oldest of the fundamental liberty interests" recognized by the U.S. Supreme Court. ADF has had multiple successes at the U.S. Supreme Court in recent years. The organization cited the 2000 Supreme Court case of Troxel v. Granville where the court struck down a Washington state law that allowed any third party to petition the state of child visitation rights over parental objections. An amicus brief was also filed by the State Bar of Texas Family Law Council asking the Supreme Court to deny the fathers petition on grounds that the court should not apply either a fit-parent presumption or parental presumption to child-custody modification cases. The child is currently living full-time with her father as the Texas Supreme Court halted enforcement of the lower courts ruling until a final decision is made. The Texas Home School Coalition launched a digital campaign to support the family called Let Her Stay. The group also published a short video aimed at spreading awareness of Chris case. As the novel coronavirus is taking its deadly toll on lives and economies all over the globe, the Indian voters at a time are now imagining and expecting that the focus of the government would be on containing the spread of the virus and coming up with the measures to reduce the burden of the people. But the dominant authoritys mood seems to be very particular about their voters. Physical, cultural, linguistic, social, religious, political, ideological, or psychological differences need to be united in a diverse country like ours to fight against the contagious virus. Till date, we do not have any medicine or vaccine to cure COVID-19. Social distancing and tests are the great catchwords of the period. A country like America that has failed to rein the virus in its early outspread is now focussing on doing the maximum number of tests in the country to save Americans. In general, selection of doing the test in every state of India, it would be according to the house survey, population, and according to the number of cases with its stage. How would authorities know the stage? TEST, test, and test. The very first move towards the containment of the virus is doing as much as the number of tests. Rohtas (Sasaram), one of the thirty-eight districts of Bihar, was on national television news for not maintaining social distance in a fish market on the 20th of April after partial reopen of the 21 days lockdown in the country. On 21st April, Sasaram recorded its first case of COVID-19 of a 60 years old lady. Bihar is fighting against COVID-19 with fragile health care system with its 12.3 crores population migrant laborers on its border. With such districts that were in the green zone after completion of 21 days and 6 days, thus, after 27 days of lockdown, this district emerged as a hotspot on 24th April. Did the Jamati travel from Delhi and reached Sasaram after almost a month or the test kits were sent to Prime Ministers favoured state? The population of Bihar is 12.3 crores and the test done in Bihar as of April 23 was 13843, whereas Gujrats population is almost half of Bihar, i.e., 6.27 crores, has done 25,094 tests only between 14th and 22nd April. The day when the health secretary of Gujrat announced that the state will conduct 3,000 tests on a daily basis before media, the same day any panchayat, block, subdivision, the district would be emerging as a hotspot in a state like Bihar. The situation is not very much different in its neighboring state Jharkhand. Many states have been asking them for masks, test kits, PPE. Jharkhands Chief Minister has blamed for not providing test kits. Jharkhand with a population of 3.19 crores has conducted only 6,188 tests as of April 21. Bihar has a total 40 Lok Sabha constituencies in which 39 have been won by the ruling party and its allies. The voter of each and every constituency who is a citizen of this country participated in PMs Thali or be it Diya initiative when one was expecting for getting ones 70 years old diabetic fathers medicine. Is the daughter/son safe who has to visit frequently for groceries and medicines. A picture trending on social sites shows a girl holding a child with the bare body, both using leaves on their faces as a facemask. This shows that the coercion of poverty can prevail upon consciousness. Various kinds of initiatives have been seen in Jharkhands Naxalite-dominating areas to sustain COVID-19. Although all the consciousness of citizens could be put down by favourtisim of the higher authorities. Pratyay Amrit, Siwan To help the United States offset a shortage of personal protective equipment for health care workers battling COVID-19, Turkey will send N95 masks and other medical gear, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said today. At a time when even developed countries are asking for Turkeys support, we have offered our support to a wide geography, from the Balkans to Africa, Erdogan told reporters, according to Reuters. Military transport planes carrying these supplies will depart tomorrow," he said. Erdogan said the shipment to the United States will include surgical masks, N95 masks, protective suits and disinfectants. According to the pro-government Daily Sabah newspaper, Turkey has delivered aid to more than 50 countries, including China, Spain and Italy. Today, Erdogans communications director called the humanitarian response exemplary. Our citizens and those in need around the world can count on Turkey," said Fahrettin Altun, as quoted by the state-run Anadolu Agency. Turkey is the latest country to send aid to the United States, where the number of people confirmed to have contracted the coronavirus has passed 1 million. Egypt, South Korea and Russia delivered medical supply shipments in the past month. Turkey, meanwhile, is reeling from its own outbreak, which has killed at least 2,900 and infected more than 112,000 people nationwide. Last week, Turkey overtook China as the country with the most confirmed cases outside of the United States and Europe. Turkeys health minister said Friday, however, that the spread of the virus in Istanbul was under control and compared it to the Chinese city of Wuhan, which recently lifted travel restrictions after a monthslong lockdown. Erdogan also said today that the weekend curfews imposed on 31 of the countrys most populated provinces will likely continue through the end of Ramadan in late May. Optus has been hit with a class action complaint after it mistakenly published the names, addresses and phone numbers of tens of thousands of customers. The details of about 50,000 of the telco's customers were published in the White Pages, run by Sensis, last year. The class action has been dubbed a test of Australia's privacy laws. Credit:Glenn Hunt Maurice Blackburn is taking the telecommunications giant to the Australian Information and Privacy Commissioner to seek compensation for affected customers, in what the law firm is calling a test of Australia's privacy laws. The law firm said this is the first class action brought against a telco under the Privacy Act. Egypt asked for emergency financing to support investor confidence as it suffers an economic hit from the virus. Egypt has asked the International Monetary Fund for financial assistance to shore up investor confidence in the economy as authorities work to offset the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. Talks with the Washington-based lender are in an advanced stage and involve the use of the IMFs Rapid Financing Instrument and a Stand-By Arrangement, Egypts cabinet said Sunday in a statement. These lending tools offer rapid and flexible funding without the strings of a full program, according to the IMF website. The emergency financing under the RFI will allow the Egyptian government to address any immediate balance of payments needs and support the most affected sectors and vulnerable groups of people, the IMF said in a statement. The lender said it expects the request for the RFI to be presented to the IMFs Executive Board within the next few weeks. The IMF is also working with the Egyptian government to support its strong set of macroeconomic policies through an SBA, the lender said. The government wants to preserve the gains of the economic reform program and to take proactive steps since its still unclear how the virus pandemic will play out, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said earlier in a televised briefing. Authorities were in talks with the IMF over a technical program but after the virus outbreak they saw that a deal could now include financial assistance, Madbouly said. Egypt, which has boasted one of the highest economic growth rates in the region, last year wrapped up a $12 billion, three-year IMF program launched to rekindle investor interest after the 2011 uprising that ousted President Hosni Mubarak. The reform program, which won praise from the fund, helped the nation realize annual GDP growth of about 6%. The virus pandemic, though, has forced authorities to lower their growth projections for the current fiscal year to 4.2% from 5.6%. Authorities see expansion sliding to 3.5% in the next fiscal year that begins in July if the pandemic continues through the end of 2020. The aim of the new program is to preserve the gains that the Egyptian economy has achieved and to keep the market confidence in our economy during this global crisis, Finance Minister Mohamed Maait said at the news conference. Egypt has reported 4,319 cases of the coronavirus, including 307 deaths. The comprehensive package of financial support, if approved, would help strengthen confidence in the Egyptian economy, make further progress to protect the most vulnerable and provide the basis for a strong economic recovery, the IMF said. Although it was recently stated by a South Korean official that Kim Jong Un is alive and well, the circulating rumors of his death or "vegetative state" are still being strongly circulated. In the dictator's absence, his sister Kim Yo Jong suddenly emerged into spotlight after being relatively living under the radar. Who is she? Here are a few things you might not have known about Kim Jong Un's sister, Kim Yo Jong: Nobody knows her age Although she gained the spotlight during the previous 2018 Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, Jo Yong is still pretty mysterious with certain details missing just like her own exact age which is only rumored to be somewhere around the early thirties. She went to school in Switzerland (she took ballet lessons) According to The Washington Post, her father, Kim Jong Il, was really fond of Kim Yo Jong and even made her go to school in Switzerland where she even took up ballet lessons right before returning to North Korea back in the early 2000s. She was nicknamed the "Ivanka Trump of North Korea Kim Yo Jong ha previously stated that President Trump and her brother actually had a "special" and also "firm" personal relationship despite the circulating conflict revolving the nuclear weapons. She was given the nickname "Ivanka Trump" of her country, North Korea. Read Also: Iran Launches First Military Satellite into Space: Could this Point to Missile Development? She was charged with propaganda She was previously charged with pushing North Korean propaganda and for protecting her brother's reputation, she has also recently equated South Korea to a "frightened dog barking" due to objecting a live-fire military demonstration, according to the Guardian notes. Named alternate member of the Politburo As a sign of her increasing power, Kim Yo Jong has become an alternate member of the Politburo just a little earlier this month. How well is she known? According to a certain North Korean expert named Bruce Bennett in his statement to the Daily Beast, "She is smart, calculating, and who knows how much power she has been able to build working in the shadows? A certain analyst even told the Associated Press that among the whole North Korea's powerful elite, Kim Yo Jong still has the highest chances of inheriting this power even reaching more than 90%. Despite the information from the analyst, she is not the only one going for the ultimate promotion, and North Korea's patriarchal structure may even undercut her chances. Another alternative according to speculation would be a collective leadership that will be spearheaded by the ceremonial head of the state, Choe Ryong Hae, might actually be implemented, putting an end to Kim's family dynastic reign. As the news about Kim Jong Un's actual status is still floating, the world has finally come to know the late Kim Jong Il's other offspring, Kim Jong Un's sister, Kim Yo Jong. Read Also: Neo-Nazi Hacks WHO, NIH, and Gates Foundation: 25,000 Emails Used for Harassment Campaign and Coronavirus Conspiracies Brii Biosciences (Durham, N.C., USA) has entered into a partnership and license agreement with Tsinghua University, 3rd Peoples Hospital to discover, develop, manufacture and commercialize fully human neutralizing monoclonal antibodies to address the global COVID-19 pandemic.Researchers from Tsinghua University and 3rd Peoples Hospital of Shenzhen have identified multiple diverse and potent neutralizing monoclonal antibodies with therapeutic potential against SARS CoV-2 that have been characterized from patients in China who have recovered from COVID-19. Based on this research, the university and hospital, along with Brii Bio, intend to advance multiple candidates for prophylactic and therapeutic intervention. Through this effort, the three parties aim to achieve an accelerated timeline of six months from the selection of a lead development candidate to the first-in-human clinical trials, with the potential for additional timeline acceleration. Tsinghua and collaborators at 3rd Peoples Hospital of Shenzhen will provide capabilities and researchers to ensure all necessary testing, screening, virologic, biochemical and cell culture characterizations. Brii Bio will provide development expertise, antibody optimization, intellectual protection, project management, CDMO management, and clinical and regulatory oversight.We have been able to move very quickly by virtue of our proximity to the initial outbreak and our expertise from prior research in SARS and MERS, said Professor Linqi Zhang, Tsinghua University. Our investigators have worked day and night since the beginning of the outbreak. With Brii Bio joining and the dedicated focus afforded by this new venture, we expect to accelerate our development efforts with the shared goal of bringing forward an effective therapy to benefit people around the world affected by this pandemic.Since the beginning of the outbreak, our hospital had responded urgently to focus on searching for monoclonal antibodies against COVID-19. Our teams worked extremely hard and isolated hundreds of monoclonal antibodies early on through single B-cell sorting and rapid sequencing, thereby laying the foundation for further optimization of these neutralizing antibodies, said Professor Zheng Zhang, 3rd Peoples Hospital of Shenzhen. Our partnership with Tsinghua and Brii Bio will accelerate the development of these neutralizing antibodies to the clinic and may help to slow down the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.Our collaboration with Tsinghua University and 3rd Peoples Hospital of Shenzhen perfectly aligns with Brii Bios mission to make significant contributions to public health throughout the world, said Zhi Hong, Ph.D., CEO of Brii Bio. With a shared vision, the collaboration marries the abilities of Tsinghua University and 3rd Peoples Hospital of Shenzhen to rapidly discover antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 with Brii Bios development expertise in infectious diseases to create an innovative collaboration model and bring the best people together to address the current public health challenge and ones to come. The European Union has set aside some of its principles during the coronavirus outbreak, Michael Gove has claimed. The cabinet minister, a leading Brexiteer, told MPs on the Commons Brexit committee that restrictions on border movements and on economic interventions were exceptional measures that Brussels would not normally countenance. Mr Gove also predicted that the odds of success in securing a trade deal with the EU were definitely better than two to one despite warnings about a lack of progress last week by EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier. He told the committee that the UK would be making public its legal text for a proposed free trade agreement in a matter of weeks. It has already sent a version to EU negotiators, but has not made it public. The EU has made its proposed text public. Asked why the UK didnt publish its text at the same time as the EU, Mr Gove said the blocs version would have been leaked anyway because of its contact with diplomats and that the commission was simply making a virtue out of a necessity. We wanted to make sure that the commission had time and space to look at our proposals, he said of the UKs own reticence to publish. Addressing his claims that the EU had bent its principles for Covid-19, Mr Gove said: One of the reasons why we want to be outside the legal architecture of the European Union at the end of the transition period is so we can have the maximum flexibility when it comes to state aid, government procurement, and to other steps that we may need to strengthen our economy. Weve seen the way that during the Covid-19 crisis some of the principles of the European Union have been set aside very prudently by the EU to enable member states to take the appropriate steps required, and we have seen both on restrictions of border movements and also on economic interventions actions by individual member states, national governments, which in ordinary time the EU would have found difficult to countenance. In fact, the EUs Schengen treaty that abolishes border controls already contains provisions for temporary border controls in the name of public health or national security. They were previously used on a widespread basis as recently as the refugee crisis. High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world Show all 18 1 /18 High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world Najaf, Iraq A man holds a pocket watch at noon, at an almost empty market near the Imam Ali shrine Reuters High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world Bangkok, Thailand Wat Phra Si Rattana Satsadaram (The Temple of the Emerald Buddha, part of The Grand Palace) Reuters High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world Prague, Czech Republic An empty street leading to the historic Old Town Square Reuters High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world Washington DC, US Lawn stretching towards the Capitol, home of Congress Reuters High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world Jerusalem's Old City A watch showing the time in front of Damascus Gate Reuters High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world London, UK The Houses of Parliament seen from Westminster Bridge Reuters High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world Wuhan, China Empty lanes in the city that saw the first outbreak of disease Reuters High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world Havana, Cuba The Malecon road and esplanade winds along the city's seafront Reuters High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world Cairo, Egypt A little busier than elsewhere: midday traffic in Tahrir Square Reuters High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world Berlin, Germany The Brandenburg Gate, the only surviving city gate in the capital Reuters High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world Caracas, Venezuela Bolivar Avenue, opened in 1949 and the site of many demonstrations and rallies Reuters High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world Moscow, Russia Spasskaya Tower (left) on the eastern wall of the Kremlin, and St Basil's Cathedral Reuters High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world Istanbul,Turkey The harbourside Eminonu district is usually buzzing with activity Reuters High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world New Delhi, India Rajpath, a ceremonial boulevard that runs through the capital Reuters High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world Amman, Jordan The Roman amphitheatre that dates back to the 2nd century AD Reuters High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world New York City, US The main concourse of Grand Central station in Manhattan Reuters High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world Kiev, Ukraine Maidan Nezalezhnosti, the site of many political protests since the end of the Soviet era Reuters High noon in a coronavirus-stricken world Accra, Ghana The odd walker out in the midday sun on Ring Road Central Reuters The European Commission announced a relaxation of state aid rules at the start of the crisis, and president Ursula von der Leyen said last week that it had so far approved 1.8 trillion (1.5 trillion) in national aid to companies. Stalled Brexit talks resumed last week over videoconference, but made little progress. Both sides suggested that the four main sticking points were the extent to which the UK would stay aligned to EU rules or the level playing field; continued UK observance of the European Convention on Human Rights; fisheries access for EU fleets; and the governance of the deal notably whether it would be several multiple deal or one big agreement. Mr Gove also revealed to the committee that a significant number of officials working on Brexit have been moved onto tackling the coronavirus outbreak. Initially saying just shy of 100 civil servants being sent to work on Covid-19, the senior minister later corrected the figure to 47 Whitehall officials being moved. But he insisted that the timetable was not in doubt, adding: Taskforce Europe and the Transition Taskforce [the teams working on Brexit] have had some of their top people redeployed to Covid-19 but at the same time, the teams have had all the help they need from departmental specialists in areas like fisheries and trade to ensure that their work can continue. Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Show all 37 1 /37 Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Pro-Brexit supporters celebrating in Parliament Square, after the UK left the European Union on 31 January. Ending 47 years of membership PA Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Big Ben, shows the hands at eleven o'clock at night AFP via Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Pro Brexit supporters attend the Brexit Day Celebration Party hosted by Leave Means Leave Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage smiles on stage AFP/Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square People celebrate in Parliament Square Reuters Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square A Brexit supporter celebrates during a rally in Parliament square AP Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Police form a line at Parliament Square to prevent a small group of anti-Brexit protestors from going through to the main Brexit rally PA Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Nigel Farage speaks to pro-Brexit supporters PA Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square PA Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square JD Wetherspoon Chairman Tim Martin speaks as people wave flags Reuters Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Brexit supporters wave Union flags as they watch the big screen AFP via Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Brexit Party leader, Nigel Farage arrives Reuters Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Brexit supporters gather AP Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Ann Widdecombe speaks to pro-Brexit supporters PA Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Brexit supporters wave Union flags as they watch the big screen AFP via Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square AFP via Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square People wave British Union Jack flags as they celebrate Reuters Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Pro-Brexit demonstrators celebrate on Parliament Square on Brexit day Reuters Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square A pro-Brexit supporter jumps on an EU flag PA Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square AFP via Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square PA Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square AP Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square A man waves Union flags from a small car as he drives past Brexit supporters gathering AFP via Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square A pro-Brexit supporter pours beer onto an EU flag PA Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square An EU flag lies trampled in the mud Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square PA Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square PA Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square PA Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square AFP via Getty Asked about progress in talks, Boris Johnsons official spokesperson told a briefing of reporters in Westminster: Were ready to keep talking but that doesnt make us any more likely to agree the EUs proposals in areas where they are not taking into account the UKs status as an independent state. All we are seeking is an agreement based on precedent which respects the sovereignty of both sides. Clearly there will need to be political movement on the EU side to move negotiations forward, particularly on fisheries and level playing field issues, in order to help find a balanced solution which reflects the political realities on both sides. The spokesman added: What the EU is seeking to do is impose conditions upon us which are not required in other FTAs which it has agreed with sovereign countries around the world. Asked whether the UK has yet submitted its position on fisheries, the spokesman said: We are not going to put anything on the table just for the sake of it. We need the EU to understand our position, which is that we will be a sovereign state which has control of its own fishing waters. Our position was set out in the document which we published two months or so ago in relation to what we are seeking from the future partnership. Southeast Texas saw its first confirmed case of COVID-19 in Beaumont on March 18, but the number of cases have continued to rise since then, some days adding more cases than others. Some counties have provided a more detailed breakdown of cases of coronavirus, showing the number of positive and negative cases, among other details. The additional information will be added in a second, and sometimes third, slide for each county and updated as it is made available. LAHORE, Pakistan, April 27, 2020 (Morning Star News) Presbyterian assistant pastor Sarfaraz Raja was preparing to deliver a Good Friday sermon in Pakistan on April 10 when his brother informed him by phone that police had intruded into his house and were harassing his mother and other family members. Upset that the pastor had complained of police misbehavior and knowing that Christians had little status in the 96-percent Muslim society, the officers were planning to frame him on trumped-up charges of making and selling liquor, sources said. I excused myself from the sermon and immediately rushed to my home accompanied by the village headman, Chaudhry Ranjeet Lal, and some other people, said Pastor Raja of Youngsen Memorial Church in Youngsenabad village in Nankana District, Punjab Province. They arrived to find Sub-Inspector Malik Shahbaz Ahmed and five other policemen in the courtyard threatening his mother and other family members, he said. I asked the police why had they entered my house without a warrant and were misbehaving with my family, at which point SI Shahbaz, instead of explaining the purpose of his raid, grabbed my collar and bundled me into their official vehicle amid protests by my family members and the village elders, Pastor Raja said. Police also arrested his uncle, Manzoor Raja, known as Kaali, who lives with the family, he said. The pastor said that upon reaching the police station, officers took out liquor manufacturing equipment from a room and forcibly took the two mens photographs with it. They then registered a case (No. 184/20) against them under anti-narcotics and illegal substance laws, accusing them of illegally manufacturing and selling liquor, he said. He was released on bail the next day. Police falsely arrested him because he has complained about them protecting area criminals, the pastor said. Almost all crimes in our villages are backed by the local police, he said. The previous week, he had seen three young men scaling a wall of a government school for girls in front of his house late at night. All schools were closed to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus. He called police, and officers led by Shahbaz arrived and arrested the suspected thieves releasing them without charges after taking them to the police station. Pastor Raja informed the school principal, and she called the chief inspector of the police precinct, Muhammad Ali Chaddar, who summoned Shahbaz and demanded an explanation, the pastor said. Chaddar also sent officers to re-arrest the suspects, but the youths were again released by the police after a few hours on the grounds that they had only trespassed and had not stolen anything, Pastor Raja said. He said his involvement and prior complaints of criminal activities had drawn the ire of Shahbaz, who then conspired to malign him by implicating him in a fake case. The entire village is sick and tired of the police high-handedness, but all our appeals for intervention of senior officials have gone in vain because we [Christians] are a weak community, he said. Villagers are standing by ready to vouch for him, he said, and the village headman, Lal, said he supported Pastor Raja. I along with several other elders of our village pleaded with the police not to tarnish the reputation of our pastor by framing him in a false case, but they threatened to arrest us as well, Lal told Morning Star News. We all have submitted written statements vouching for the pastors innocence to senior police officials, but no one is paying heed to our pleas. Lal, a member of the pastors church, said they would continue trying to clear their pastors name. This is sheer injustice of the state, he said. The police not only caused us anguish and pain by violating the sanctity of Good Friday, they have also shaken our faith in the constitution and law that assure us complete security of life and well-being as non-Muslim Pakistanis. Police Denial Shahbaz denied to Morning Star News that a case against Pastor Raja had been concocted, though he later remarked that he was willing to make a compromise with the Christians if they withdrew their complaints to senior government and police officials regarding the arrest of the pastor. Shahbaz claimed that a secret informer had told him that Pastor Raja and others were distilling liquor at his home. He acknowledged that police had no previous record of Pastor Raja being involved in any criminal activity. But Im sure that the liquor is being prepared and sold in at least seven villages of the district under Rajas supervision, he said, without providing any evidence or witness testimony. Islam forbids alcohol consumption, and only four private companies are licensed to produce and sell alcohol to non-Muslim Pakistanis. Punjab Minister for Human Rights Ijaz Alam Augustine said that he had ordered an inquiry. Notables of the village informed me about the incident, and I have initiated an inquiry, Augustine told Morning Star News. I was appalled to know that police raided the village at a time when Christians were busy in Good Friday services in their churches and homes, and that too without any valid reason. I can assure that a thorough probe will be conducted, and those found guilty of misusing their authority will be subjected to departmental punishment. Pakistan ranked fifth on Christian support organization Open Doors 2020 World Watch list of the 50 countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian, and on Nov. 28, 2018, the United States added Pakistan to its blacklist of countries that violate religious freedom. If you would like to help persecuted Christians, visit http://morningstarnews.org/resources/aid-agencies/ for a list of organizations that can orient you on how to get involved. If you or your organization would like to help enable Morning Star News to continue raising awareness of persecuted Christians worldwide with original-content reporting, please consider collaborating at https://morningstarnews.org/donate/? Article originally published by Morning Star News. Used with permission. Photo courtesy: Morning Star News Motorists wearing face masks ride on a busy road in Hanoi, as Vietnam eased its nationwide social isolation effort to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 novel coronavirus, April 23, 2020. On April 22, FireEye, a cyber security firm, reported that From at least January to April 2020, suspected Vietnamese actors APT32 carried out intrusion campaigns against Chinese targets that [were] designed to collect intelligence on the COVID-19 crisis. The alleged targets were Chinas Ministry of Emergency Management and the Wuhan municipal government. The next day Ngo Toan Thang, deputy spokesperson for Vietnams Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated at a regular press conference, This accusation is unfounded. Vietnam strictly prohibits cyberattacks targeting organisations and individuals in any form. APT32 was first identified in 2012 when it initiated cyberattacks on Chinese entities and then expanded to targets in Vietnam and the Philippines. APT32 is also known as the OceanLotus Group, APT-C-00, SeaLotus and OceanBuffalo. APT stands for Advanced Persistent Threat. In 2016, a global corporation based in Asia became a victim of a year-long cyberattack that targeted intellectual property, confidential business information and details of specific projects. When Cybereason, a threat intelligence firm, investigated it uncovered links that could be traced to the OceanLotus Group. When Cybereason moved to block APT32 it discovered a resilient adversary that quickly resorted to custom-built tools to re-enter its clients network. Also, in 2016, an incident response analyst at FireEye, with experience in dealing with about twelve APT32 cyber intrusions, concluded that APT32s targets thus far seem to serve Vietnamese state interests. The FireEye analyst concluded that APT32 could carry out multiple campaigns simultaneously and had the resources and capabilities to execute devastating large-scale network attacks particularly for surveillance and data-exfiltration. In a report published in May 2017, FireEye assessed that APT32 is a cyber espionage group aligned with Vietnamese government interests. Nick Carr, a FireEye director who tracked APT32 since 2012, revealed that an investigation carried out in 2017 on hacking attacks in Asia, Germany and the United States found that the group spent at least three years targeting foreign corporations with a vested interest in Vietnams manufacturing, consumer product and hospitality sectors. In 2018, reports emerged that OceanLotus/APT32 had been engaged in industrial espionage over the last two years targeting automobile manufacturers BMW, Toyota and Hyundai. Cyber analysts quoted in the media said the cyber intrusions appeared to support Vietnams manufacturing goals. In addition, Volexity, a cyber security firm, reported in 2019 that APT32 conducted a very sophisticated and extremely widespread mass digital surveillance and attack campaign that targeted the media, human rights and civil society groups as well as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. CrowdStrike, a cybersecurity company, noted in late 2019 that the uptick in Vietnams [APT32] espionage activity, which began in 2012 spiked since 2018 was believed to be tied to the Vietnamese government. APT32, COVID-19 and Intelligence Collection What factors might have motivated the Vietnamese government to task APT32 to hack into a Chinese government ministry and municipal government to obtain information on COVID-19? We know from media reporting that the U.S. National Center for Medical Intelligence (NCMI), based on analysis of wire and computer intercepts as well as satellite imagery, concluded that a contagion was spreading through Wuhan and surrounding region that posed a threat to the health of the population. The NCMI produced a classified report in late November 2019 that warned that an out-of-control disease would pose a serious threat to U.S. forces in Asia. The NCMI reportedly briefed the Defense Intelligence Agency, the Pentagons Joint Staff and the White House. There is no apparent reason why Vietnam could not have picked up on this spreading disease in November-December 2019 through its own human intelligence sources and signals intelligence by monitoring the Chinese-language internet. If this were the case, Vietnams first reaction would have been to try and determine how lethal COVID-19 was and learn as much as possible about the new disease and its likely impact on Vietnam. Vietnamese diplomats in China should have been tasked to obtain this information from their official Chinese counterparts. Given Chinas lack of transparency on the spread of the coronavirus until January, it is likely Chinese officials were not forth coming with their Vietnamese colleagues in responding to requests for information. Chinas lack of transparency would have prompted Vietnamese leaders to give a directive or tasking to their various intelligence agencies and officials in China to give priority to the collection of all source information on the coronavirus. This would have included open sources such as the internet, posting on Weibo (Chinas Facebook), blog sites, and electronic publications. Vietnam would have had access to intelligence information obtained from friendly intelligence services through routine liaison and exchanges. Vietnam could have asked for information, shared information or was provided with information. At a minimum, liaison discussions might have revealed a joint concern over COVID-19. In addition, Vietnam would have obtained information from human intelligence sources as well. Human intelligence sources include Chinese government officials, security services, medical personnel, research scientists and ordinary citizens in China and Wuhan in particular. Human intelligence sources would also include Vietnamese and foreign residents in China, particularly Wuhan, such as businessmen, students and tourists. In sum, human and signals intelligence sources likely confirmed the first rumours of the emergence and spread of COVID-19 to Vietnamese intelligence collectors. A report by FireEye alleges that the first Vietnamese cyber intrusion to gather information on COVID-19 was initiated against Chinas Ministry of Emergency Management and the Wuhan city government on Jan. 6, 2020 and continued throughout the first quarter of the year. Chinas lack of transparency likely was an important motivating factor behind this decision. The public evidence that APT32 is linked to the Vietnamese government is based on long-term monitoring of its methods of operation by professional cyber security firms. APT32s actions against Vietnamese dissidents at home and abroad and targeting of foreign commercial enterprises suggests a possible connection to the Ministry of Public Security. In 2017, the Ministry of National Defence established its Cyber Command. It is possible that APT32 was put under the Cyber Commands wing. Vietnams most recent Defence White Book issued in late 2019 declared, Viet Nam is ready to use all measures conforming to international law to deter and prevent cyber sabotage in order to safeguard its sovereignty and national interests in cyberspace. It is inconceivable that the Cyber Command has not developed some offensive capabilities that would enable it to hack Chinese government computers should circumstances dictate. But it is also plausible that APT32 is a unit of the Ministry of Communications and Information, another ministry, or a stand-alone organisation reporting to Vietnams highest party and state leaders. Carl Thayer is Emeritus Professor and Visiting Fellow in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, The University of New South Wales at the Australian Defence Force Academy in Canberra. Boston police said they have arrested a person accused of stealing a nurse practitioners car over the weekend with personal protective equipment inside. Authorities found Molly MacKays car Monday in the Grove Hall neighborhood of Roxbury, WCVB reported. The Mazda CX-5 was stolen Saturday evening from the nurse practitioners driveway in Dorchester. Officer Kim Tavares, a spokesperson for the Boston Police Department, told MassLive an arrest has been made in connection to the incident, but no further details were provided. LOOKOUT: This 2019 Mazda was stolen from the home of a nurse practitioner at #Boston Hope field hospital. In addition the car, her coveted N-95 masks and other PPE were inside. @bostonpolice are investigating. #wcvb pic.twitter.com/1fSlprIBqK Peter Eliopoulos (@petereliopoulos) April 26, 2020 MacKay works at the Boston Hope Medical Center, according to WCVBs report. The 1,000-bed field hospital is dedicated to treating patients recovering from the coronavirus. She told the news outlet that N95 masks, respirators and other PPE were in her car when it was stolen, the news outlet reported. You think at a time that we should be coming together, to think people are still doing things like this to each other is really disheartening; you feel really violated," she told WCVB. MacKays roommate told WBZ the car was found with only one mask left inside. The vehicles interior was in poor condition, and its exterior mirror was damaged, according to the news outlet. Related Content: Readers hoping to buy Swiss Life Holding AG (VTX:SLHN) for its dividend will need to make their move shortly, as the stock is about to trade ex-dividend. This means that investors who purchase shares on or after the 30th of April will not receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 5th of May. Swiss Life Holding's next dividend payment will be CHF15.00 per share. Last year, in total, the company distributed CHF16.50 to shareholders. Based on the last year's worth of payments, Swiss Life Holding has a trailing yield of 5.1% on the current stock price of CHF322.5. If you buy this business for its dividend, you should have an idea of whether Swiss Life Holding's dividend is reliable and sustainable. So we need to investigate whether Swiss Life Holding can afford its dividend, and if the dividend could grow. View our latest analysis for Swiss Life Holding Dividends are typically paid from company earnings. If a company pays more in dividends than it earned in profit, then the dividend could be unsustainable. Swiss Life Holding paid out a comfortable 45% of its profit last year. Generally speaking, the lower a company's payout ratios, the more resilient its dividend usually is. Click here to see the company's payout ratio, plus analyst estimates of its future dividends. SWX:SLHN Historical Dividend Yield April 27th 2020 Have Earnings And Dividends Been Growing? Stocks in companies that generate sustainable earnings growth often make the best dividend prospects, as it is easier to lift the dividend when earnings are rising. If earnings fall far enough, the company could be forced to cut its dividend. This is why it's a relief to see Swiss Life Holding earnings per share are up 7.5% per annum over the last five years. Many investors will assess a company's dividend performance by evaluating how much the dividend payments have changed over time. In the past ten years, Swiss Life Holding has increased its dividend at approximately 13% a year on average. We're glad to see dividends rising alongside earnings over a number of years, which may be a sign the company intends to share the growth with shareholders. Story continues The Bottom Line Is Swiss Life Holding an attractive dividend stock, or better left on the shelf? It has been growing its earnings per share somewhat in recent years, although it reinvests more than half its earnings in the business, which could suggest there are some growth projects that have not yet reached fruition. Swiss Life Holding ticks a lot of boxes for us from a dividend perspective, and we think these characteristics should mark the company as deserving of further attention. So while Swiss Life Holding looks good from a dividend perspective, it's always worthwhile being up to date with the risks involved in this stock. In terms of investment risks, we've identified 3 warning signs with Swiss Life Holding and understanding them should be part of your investment process. A common investment mistake is buying the first interesting stock you see. Here you can find a list of promising dividend stocks with a greater than 2% yield and an upcoming dividend. 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. On Saturday night, at least 19 downtown office properties lit up their buildings in support of essential workers and first responders. Participants include some of the citys most recognizable skyscrapers, including Willis Tower and the former John Hancock Center. From Saturday through May 1, upper portions of downtown buildings will be illuminated blue in support of essential workers. Then, from May 2 through May 5, buildings will light up red in support of first responders. Its part of a worldwide effort to honor first responders and workers in the health care, janitorial, engineering, security property management and other fields. Technology limits how many buildings can display both colors. Some buildings have the capability to change colors with the flip of a switch, while others require hours of work. Properties set to take part in both the blue and red lighting are Prudential Plaza, Chase Tower and buildings at 181 W. Madison St., 525 W. Monroe St., 1 N. Dearborn Ave., 120 N. LaSalle St., 555 W. Monroe St. and 540 W. Madison St. Buildings planning to participate only in the blue lighting are the Merchandise Mart, Willis Tower, the former John Hancock Center (now known as 875 North Michigan Avenue), The Franklin, Chicago Board of Trade Building, Inland Steel Building and buildings at 200 W. Madison St., 311 S. Wacker Drive, 150 N. Michigan Ave., 900 N. Michigan Ave. and 300 E. Randolph St. On Wednesday, President Donald J. Trump signed into law an executive order that would halt immigration services for a majority of people seeking permanent status in the country. The executive order comes after he has already halted most immigration coming into the country from Canada and Mexico except for essential travel and business. It focuses on people trying to get immigration services to stay in the country for longer periods of time. The new executive order temporarily bars new immigrants, including some family members of U.S. citizens and foreign workers looking to move to the U.S., in the next 60 days with a possible extension. The executive order went into effect at 10:59 p.m. on Thursday, April 23. Since then, there have been local reactions from both politicians and city residents. While the order is limited in scope, President Trumps transparent attempt to distract from this crisis with this unwarranted suspension will cause real pain for families and employers across the country, said Congressman Henry Cuellar (TX-28) via a press release. It will put a halt on employment-based immigration visas as well as the family-based categories for parents and siblings, which the president has often derided as chain migration. Legal permanent residents who are trying to bring their spouses and children into the country also will be unable to do so. Therefore, spouses who want to get green cards and permanent status for their spouses or children who want to do the same for their parents will not be able to under the order until the ban is lifted. Ultimately, several people who wanted to take care of the paperwork for their spouses during these times will have to wait until the ban is over to turn in the paperwork. I am really disappointed at the fact that we cannot even try to fix my husbands paperwork during this time as I was going to use my refund money to have this paperwork done, but now everything is at a standstill, Mayra Segura said. However, Segura does note that she understands why Trump might be doing this as jobs are scarce in the market and adding more people into the mix like her husband will only create a greater competition for the jobs that are seldom available. Therefore, she thinks he did make a good decision when looking at the issue from an economic standpoint; however, from a moral and even social view, she does not agree. I understand his point of view, but he must understand that this is not the way to fix America as many American citizens who currently are the only breadwinners of their homes as their spouses cannot work in the country because they are in the process of submitting their paperwork will have to for the next two months continue to be the only breadwinners, Segura said. According to Segura, she will have to continue being the sole person in charge of earning money, despite facing a potential layoff, because of the order. Sergio Tovar is worried his father might not be able to immigrate because of the ban. He said he already submitted the paperwork to have his father become a permanent resident. I am really worried that this will derail him from becoming a resident of the country and he will have to stay much more time in Mexico as we do plan to move further into the country once he is able to work and live over here without any problem, Tovar said. Although Tovars worries are significant, the executive order does not specify that people who had already submitted their documents will not be able to have their paperwork done, which is something that Tovar hopes for but is pessimistic about due to the ban trying to be encompassing for almost all immigration services. In terms of stimulus funds for spouses of immigrants who already do not have their green cards, there is also worry that they might not receive any aid by the government due to the status of their spouses. Although the executive order did not specific any language on whether these immigrants and their families would receive their stimulus funds, some reports have suggested that individuals that did their taxes with an individual taxpayer identification number (ITIN), which is one way that immigrants can report their taxes, will not receive their stimulus monies nor their spouses even if they are American citizens. This has generated some debate among local residents who may not be affected directly but find it discriminatory. I believe that what President Trump did is out of order for all immigrants and their families as we are all going through the same coronavirus pandemic crisis. We all need support, Ruben Fuentes said. No stimulus check for a wife married to an immigrant is totally wrong. However, some do find Trumps executive action to be prompt and good for the betterment of the American people. I know it is an election year, and he will be regarded as simply pandering to his base, which I am greatly part of; however, I can assure you that this is good as he is showing that Americans come first before any one else and that is not politicking but rather showing that in times of crisis he continues to do what is best for the country, Sandra Torres said. Cuellar continues to point out that such efforts that aim at making him look stronger for his reelection are nothing good for the families who will suffer from this order and that the efforts are unnecessary and unjust. Fulfilling his campaign promise will not solve this public health and economic crisis, Cuellar said. The first impulse and the last impulse cant always just be: Stop immigration to prevent public-health disaster that is already here within our borders. A luxury mental health clinic that has treated some of Britain's top executives has seen a spike in the numbers seeking help since the coronavirus lockdown. Paracelsus Recovery, which operates rehab clinics in London and Zurich, said the rise in requests was mostly from high-flying businessmen who were struggling to adapt to their new style of life. The Swiss business prides itself on privacy, and has treated clients from royalty and Hollywood stars to millionaire bosses. Struggling: The Covid-19 lockdown particularly seems to have affected the business world's elite But the Covid-19 lockdown particularly seems to have affected the business world's elite, according to the Paracelsus' chief executive Marta Ra, a former banker. Part of this is due to fears about their job security, how they will make ends meet in their company with little income and whether business will pick up when the lockdown ends. But a number of high-flyers are struggling for other reasons, Ra explained. Successful executives often live and breathe their job, leaving little room for anything else. Now, many are either stuck working at home alone or are spending unprecedented amounts of time with their family. Ra said: 'Some of them are realising: 'Oh my god, who have I married?' or 'Who is this person?' 'People who have always sent their children to boarding school, or don't see them from the morning to the evening, are now spending time with them and realise they don't know them. These sorts of situations can cause people to feel anxious or depressed.' For the elite business leaders who have found themselves isolating alone that too can prove crippling, said Ra. 'People who are now alone, some of them are really struggling with that. Maybe those types of people are the ones that always go out in the evenings to social events to the theatre, to the gym, or usually just come home to sleep, shower and go out. 'And the old-school workaholics are used to being super busy and having a thousand people around them and commanding them and being the centre of attention they're suddenly stuck on their own and they're like a king with no kingdom.' In both cases the change of routine can leave people floundering, Ra said. Added to that, those who may have been hiding an addiction to drugs or alcohol are forced to confront it, either because they can no longer get easy access to the legal or illegal substance, or because their partner notices. Ra advises people who are dealing with increased anxiety or depression due to the Covd19 pandemic to minimise their usage of social media. She added that it is important to observe thought processes, and try to 'uninstall an unhealthy thinking pattern'. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 27, 2020) - Altamira Gold Corp. (TSXV: ALTA) (FSE: T6UP) (OTC Pink: EQTRF), ("Altamira" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has entered into a definitive gold forward purchase agreement (the "Agreement") with Metalstream Ltd. (the "Buyer"), for proceeds of up to USD$6 Million (CAD$8.5 Million). The proceeds will be used for the development of the Cajueiro Gold Project (the "Project") located in the state of Mato Grosso, Brazil. At the same time the Company has terminated the agreement with FMS Investimentos e Participacoes Ltda. ("FMS") for the joint development of the project. Highlights are as follows; The Buyer, a gold streaming company, will pay Altamira a total of US$6M, which will be used for the development of the Cajueiro gold project in Brazil, and Altamira will pay Metalstream a total of 10,000 ounces of gold over 5 years The Buyer will advance an initial US$1M to Altamira on or before the completion date of 23 June 2020 (the "Completion Date") and an additional $5 million within 60 days of the Completion Date. Altamira's Brazilian subsidiaries will grant Metalstream a 12.5% NSR against the Cajueiro project as security for the repayment obligations. The NSR will be extinguished following the gold repayment outlined above which will commence on the earlier of 120 days of commercial production being declared by Altamira or 36 months from the Completion Date The August 2019 agreement which called for FMS to invest US$2.4M in a 1000t/d Processing Plant and operate the proposed mine at Cajueiro in return for 50% of the net income following payback, has been terminated Michael Bennett, President & CEO, commented, "This arrangement with Metalstream is an extremely important milestone in Altamira Gold's development and is designed to fund, build, control and operate a 1,000 tonne per day processing plant at Cajueiro. We look forward to transitioning from a proven and effective gold exploration company to a small junior gold producer which is less dependent on dilutive equity financings to support its ongoing exploration efforts." The Cajueiro project is Altamira's key project in Brazil and comprises NI 43-101 resources of 5.66Mt @ 1.02 g/t gold for a total of 185,000oz in the Indicated Resource category and 12.66Mt @ 1.26 g/t gold for a total of 515,000oz in the Inferred Resource category (see press release dated 10th October 2019). Gold mineralization is open in several directions and at depth. Terms of the Agreement Subject to the terms and conditions of the Agreement, Altamira and its wholly owned subsidiary Alta Floresta Gold Mineracao (the "Supplier"), has agreed to sell to the Buyer a stream of 10,000 ounces of gold, including a minimum of 2,000 ounces of gold per year. All deliveries of gold to the Buyer are required to be in the form of certified bullion with a fineness grade of greater than 99.50% at a minimum of 2,000 ounces per year, commencing on the earlier of (i) 120 days after commercial production is declared at the Project and (ii) 36 months after the Completion Date. Subject to the terms and conditions of the Agreement, the Buyer will pay to the Supplier a fixed purchase price of USD$600 for each ounce of gold that is sold and delivered by the Supplier to the Buyer for an aggregate of US$6M. The US$6M cash payment will be advanced to the Supplier in two tranches including US$1M by June 23, 2020 and an additional US5M within 60 calendar days. The Supplier will grant to the Buyer up to a 12.5% NSR over the Project (the "Royalty"). The Buyer will not enforce payments against the Royalty, provided that the terms of the Agreement relating to the delivery of gold purchased under the Agreement are being met by the Supplier. The Royalty evidenced by the NSR will be gradually reduced as gold is delivered to the Buyer against the funds provided to the Supplier, and will expire and be released against the Project upon the date all purchased gold has been delivered to the Buyer. If the Agreement is terminated for any reason prior to delivery of all gold purchased under the Agreement, then the Royalty shall survive such termination. In the event that Metalstream fails to provide the second tranche of US$5M contemplated above, the initial US$1M may be converted into shares of Altamira at a price which is 50% higher than the volume weighted average price for the 10 days preceding the notice of non-compliance. Furthermore, in the event that the gold price exceeds US$2000 per ounce, Altamira and Metalstream shall divide the incremental sales price benefit on a 40:60 basis respectively. The Agreement is subject to TSX Venture Exchange acceptance. Construction is expected to commence in 2020 with the plant start-up scheduled for 2021. The production decision is not based on a feasibility study of mineral reserves demonstrating economic and technical viability, and as a result there is increased uncertainty and there are multiple technical and economic risks of failure which are associated with this production decision. These risks, among others, include areas that are analyzed in more detail in a feasibility study, such as applying economic analysis to resources and reserves, more detailed metallurgy and a number of specialized studies in areas such as mining and recovery methods, market analysis, and environmental and community impacts. In accordance with NI 43-101 and the companion policy to that instrument, Altamira cannot provide any guidance either in terms of anticipated gold production or net cash flows. Rohan Cavaliero, Managing Director of Metalstream, stated, "We at Metalstream are highly selective of the mining operators we partner with. We value sound, ethical and transparent operators and we feel that Altamira Gold is perfectly aligned with our values and strategies. We are very pleased to have reached a mutually beneficial agreement with Altamira Gold and look forward to the near-term commencement of both construction and gold production at the Cajueiro project." About Altamira Gold Corp. The Company is focused on the exploration and development of gold projects within western central Brazil. The Company holds 11 projects comprising approximately 300,000 hectares, within the prolific Juruena gold belt which historically produced an estimated 7 to 10Moz of placer gold. The Company's advanced Cajueiro project has NI 43-101 compliant resources of 5.66Mt @ 1.02 g/t gold for a total of 185,000oz in the Indicated Resource category and 12.66Mt @ 1.26 g/t gold for a total of 515,000oz in the Inferred Resource category. Guillermo Hughes, P. Geo., a consultant to the Company as well as a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, supervised the preparation of the technical information in this news release. On Behalf of the Board of Directors, ALTAMIRA GOLD CORP. "Michael Bennett" Michael Bennett President & CEO Tel: 604.676.5660 Toll-Free: 1-833-606-6271 info@altamiragold.com www.altamiragold.com Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor it's Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-Looking Statements Statements in this document which are not purely historical are forward-looking statements, including any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future development of a processing plant. There is no guarantee that the Buyer will make the payments of US$1 million and US$5 million respectively as contemplated in the Agreement or that the processing plant will be built. Even if the processing plant is built, there is no guarantee that the Company will be able to reach commercial production or repay the amounts advanced by the Buyer. It is important to note that actual outcomes and the Company's actual results could differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements. Except as required by law, we do not undertake to update these forward-looking statements. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/54949 [April 27, 2020] Ad Council Launches 'Out There For Us' Campaign Thanking Workers on the Front Lines of the COVID-19 Pandemic NEW YORK, April 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- To thank those on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ad Council today announced a new campaign designed to show gratitude for all essential workers, including doctors, delivery drivers, grocery store workers, and more. The Out There For Us initiative utilizes digital Out Of Home (OOH) advertising space and video to display messages of thanks to those continuing to leave their homes and power American society: essential workers. The campaign is an extension of the Ad Council's ongoing national COVID-19 response efforts and features the new song "Good Job" from fifteen-time Grammy winner and global music icon Alicia Keys. "I am honored to be a part of this beautiful message celebrating those working tirelessly through this trying time," said Alicia Keys. "The selflessness and hard work of our essential workers and the empathy of everyone coming together is truly inspiring. They are heroes and deserve our love and support today and everyday." Developed pro bono by creative agency R/GA, the OOH and video assets thank essential workers in specific professions including health workers, truck drivers, caregivers, grocers, sanitation workers, police officers and more. Thanks to donated media support from the Ad Council's partners, the digital OOH ads are strategically placed on route to hospitals, highway road signs and outside grocery stores in cities facing heavy surges of the virus. Premiere placements include at point of care to patients and healthcare professionals through Outcome Health, a takeover within New York City's Times Square and one of the largest OOH billboards in America, located at the junction of I-10 and 100 in Los Angeles. Digital out of home support provided by Ally Financial, Clear Channel Outdoor, Lamar Advertising Company and Vistar Media who are donating inventory, outreach and platform usage to amplify these messages of gratitude. VIDEO on YouTube: https://youtu.be/j0p0yqpWDA4 VIDEO on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/adcouncil/posts/10156941314536890 The video uses footage of essential workers going about their jobs, honoring them and their work to keep their communities safe. Accompanied by "Good Job" by Alicia Keys, it culminates with a call-to-action for viewers to submit a thank you message to essential workers in their own lives using the hashtag #OutThereForUs. Using technology from Pixlee, this community-created content will be aggregated and featured on OutThereForUs.com, with a select few turned into new digital OOH mesaging. Imagery and footage for the video were provided at no cost to the Ad Council by Getty Images, The New York Times, UPS and Walmart. "While many of us are isolating at home, essential workers are true heroes, bravely continuing their jobs, risking their health and safety to support their communities," said Lisa Sherman, president & CEO of the Ad Council. "This powerful creative from R/GA paired with 'Good Job' from Alicia Keys conveys our nation's support for those extraordinary individuals that continue to keep the country moving. We're truly grateful." "This pandemic continues to illuminate how critical many of the things we took for granted really are, and we wanted to give anyone the power to offer their thanks to the brave workers who're keeping the world moving," said R/GA Executive Creative Director, Mike Donaghey. Executive Creative Director, Chris Joakim added, "we loved the idea that the Ad Council could help thank essential workers by not making ads, that's what makes this different than other COVID-19 campaigns, there is no brand and the out-of-home messages aren't meant to feel like ads - they're all real messages of thanks from real people." According to research fielded by Ad Council worries about the health of frontline workers top the list of concerns around the COVID-19 pandemic in America. At the same time, data from Coping with COVID-19 shows that gratitude has been on the rise since the crisis began, with roughly 1 in 4 respondents saying there are most grateful for healthcare workers and other essential workers. Additional partners supporting Out There For Us include Cheddar, Extreme Reach and Facebook. Since COVID-19 was first declared a pandemic, the Ad Council's response efforts have brought together the country's largest broadcast networks, digital and technology platforms, print and outdoor advertising and media companies and other industry leaders to ensure the American public is receiving crucial information during this unprecedented crisis. In the first four weeks, the Ad Council's crisis response efforts received more than $140.7 million in donated, earned and social media and the messages were seen over 4 billion times. The Ad Council The Ad Council has a long history of creating life-saving public service communications in times of national crisis, starting in the organization's earliest days during World War II to September 11th and natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Sandy. Its deep relationships with media outlets, the creative community, issue experts and government leaders make the organization uniquely poised to quickly distribute life-saving information to millions of Americans. The Ad Council is where creativity and causes converge. The non-profit organization brings together the most creative minds in advertising, media, technology and marketing to address many of the nation's most important causes. The Ad Council has created many of the most iconic campaigns in advertising history. Friends Don't Let Friends Drive Drunk. Smokey Bear. Love Has No Labels. The Ad Council's innovative social good campaigns raise awareness, inspire action and save lives. To learn more, visit AdCouncil.org, follow the Ad Council's communities on Facebook and Twitter, and view the creative on YouTube. R/GA R/GA has expanded and evolved for more than 40 years to offer business transformation, experience transformation, and marketing transformation services for globally renowned brands including Nike, Verizon, and Samsung. Through its award-winning consulting, ventures, technology, design, marketing communications, and IP practices, the company's work spans web, mobile, and social communications, retail and e-commerce, product innovation, brand development, and innovation consulting. R/GA has more than 2,000 employees globally with 17 offices across the United States, Europe, South America, and Asia-Pacific. For more information about R/GA, please visit www.rga.com and on Facebook and Twitter. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ad-council-launches-out-there-for-us-campaign-thanking-workers-on-the-front-lines-of-the-covid-19-pandemic-301047506.html SOURCE The Ad Council [ Back to the Next Generation Communications Community's Homepage ] Farm businesses and agricultural labour providers are being urged to post job vacancies on the new 'Pick for Britain' recruitment hub. As the peak summer harvest looms, industry groups and government have been working together to find a solution as many farm businesses warn of a worker shortage due to the Covid-19 crisis. Pick for Britain, launched earlier this week, is now live for farmers and growers to advertise their job vacancies for this years harvest. "Theres no mistaking picking can be hard work and can involve being outdoors through all weather conditions," the campaign's website states. "Some of the work will depend on the weather, so flexibility in term of hours you work will be required. A good level of fitness is usually required. All workers receive induction, training and a full health and safety briefing. "You will be part of a supportive team, often working outside in the fresh air and you are bound to make new friends." The site has more than 1.6 million registered users, and is already used by more than 144,000 employers. But before it can be promoted to the public, the website needs to be sufficiently populated with available roles. To achieve this, farm businesses, labour providers and recruiters are being urged to post job vacancies on the site now. NFU Vice President Tom Bradshaw said there will be thousands of vacancies opening up on farms across the country in the coming weeks. We have already seen a fantastic response from the public wanting to pick for Britain this summer," he said. Farmers are incredibly proud to be producing food for the nation at this crucial time but there are challenges and the support of the British public is incredibly valued. How does Pick for Britain work? If recruiters are a GLAA licensed recruitment company, or a grower with an employment website of their own, then Pick for Britain will add a link on their jobs page. The NFU said recruiters should also list their job vacancies on the governments free Find a Job service, run by the Department for Work and Pensions. Farms and small businesses should advertise individual jobs on the Find a Job service to advertise vacancies directly to people who are looking for work. They can also contact one of the recruiters listed on the Pick for Britain jobs page. For those looking for farm work, visit Pick for Britain's jobs page or the Find a Job service. Senate Majority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) speaks during a news briefing at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on April 21, 2020. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) Senators to Return to Washington Next Week: McConnell Senators will return to Washington next week, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said on Monday. Senators will return one week from today, he announced. We will modify routines in ways that are smart and safe, but we will honor our constitutional duty to the American people and conduct critical business in person. After passing the $2.2 trillion CCP virus relief package in late March, the Senate dispersed. The body was scheduled to vote on April 20 but the return date was pushed back due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Senate passed a bill that included billions more for a small business loan program last week but some lawmakers missed the voice vote. McConnell said earlier this month that the full Senate wasnt expected back in Washington until at least May 4, citing the country working together to flatten the curve, or the peak of CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus cases. Some lawmakers have pushed for an earlier return, but the rejoining wont happen for another seven days. McConnell said senators couldnt continue to not attend to their duty while doctors, nurses, truck drivers, and grocery store workers, among others, carried out their jobs. A sign instructing members of the House of Representatives to maintain social distancing requirements while voting is shown at the U.S. Capitol on April 23, 2020, in Washington. (Win McNamee/Getty Images) The top Republican in Congress said the Senate should focus on taking concrete steps to strengthen the U.S. response to the pandemic, highlighting a tangle of federal and state laws that he said could lead to opportunistic lawsuits against small businesses owners and healthcare professionals. The issue was partially addressed in the latest package but Congress will need to expand and strengthen protections, he said. Republicans will proudly insist on these and other strong, pro-certainty, pro-growth reforms throughout any and all future discussions, he said, while criticizing tangential left-wing daydreams. The fourth virus relief package, signed by President Donald Trump on April 24, included an infusion of $300 billion to the program thats helping small businesses with payroll and overhead costs after the program ran out of money. The package also included $100 billion for hospitals and testing and about $60 billion each to banks and the Small Business Administrations disaster aid program. As usual, the upcoming legislative priorities of Republican congressional leaders and Democratic ones appeared out of sync. While McConnell focused on protection from lawsuits, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is pushing for funds for state and local governments. We will have state and local and we will have it in a very significant way, Pelosi said during a Sunday appearance on CNNs State of the Union. McConnell has said states could declare bankruptcy if they are facing funding issues, some of which predate the pandemic. Two million Australians will have the coronavirus tracing app on their phones tonight but a top former digital agency public servant won't download it because of the government's track record with people's data. Professor Lesley Seebeck, the former Digital Transformation Agency chief investment and advisory officer who is now the head of the Australian National University Cyber Institute, said the government had a history of grabbing as much data as it could under technology and security laws. "I am concerned because once these things are taken you don't get them back," Professor Seebeck said. "The government does not have a record of rolling any of these things back." "We just want an app because we think it's a good idea," she added. "I probably won't be downloading it." Remote working has become the norm for companies of all sizes during these trying times. Over the past few weeks, weve seen a significant rise in remote workers never seen in the business world before. Even businesses that havent had remote workers in any great number are now having to make the transition to support an almost entirely remote workforce, writes Nick Offin, Head of Sales, Marketing and Operations, dynabook Northern Europe. For most start-ups remote working isnt exactly a new concept. The start-up scene is scattered with examples of innovative new start-up organisations encouraging working from remotely as they look to find new ways of building a unique company culture, attracting and retaining top talent and achieving unparalleled mobility. However, the rise of remote workers doesnt come without potential obstacles especially for start-ups with potentially limited budgets and team members. Having the right employee technology in place, remote-access network capacity and perhaps unsurprisingly, security, are all potential stumbling blocks. Here are three tips for start-ups looking to navigate the main challenges associated with remote working. Start-ups are leading the way when it comes to mobile and remote working. While large enterprises have long- formed methods of working, and often have legacy processes, start-ups are much more agile, flexible and open to change. For start-ups, remote workers not only lessens the amount of resources spent on securing fixed office space but also boosts employee engagement and productivity. In order to keep productivity high, there are common requirements that all remote and mobile workers need. Most importantly, employees need to be equipped with the right technology. In the last month laptop demand has risen sharply in response to a greater demand for remote working, with device manufacturers seeing significant increases in sales. Start-ups need to ensure they are investing in lightweight and portable, yet powerful devices designed to accommodate the remote workforce. Connectivity and performance are critical, so employees can connect with colleagues through web-enabled collaborative tools, preserving collaboration within teams. Purchasing and managing new devices can be expensive and complex. For start-ups, there are multiple purchasing options which can help to overcome this. PC-as-a-Service (PCaaS) refers to an Opex (operational expenditure) subscription-based model that often includes services such as purchasing, configurating, managing, refreshing and retiring devices. This model can help start-ups benefit from new technology, whilst having the ability to scale up and down as needed. The question many businesses are facing as they add more connected devices and solutions to their network is how will they manage and process the amount of data these devices will create effectively and securely? Start-ups are certainly at an advantage over larger enterprises in that they are often newer companies and have less reliance on legacy infrastructure. However, they still need to have the right technology and systems in the first place. Completely overhauling networks can be time and resource-intensive, especially for start-ups who have limited budgets. Ripping and replacing often isnt an option so they must find another way of being able to cope with increased network capacity demands. The answer? Edge computing offers a viable solution and at the same time creates new methods of gathering, analysing and redistributing data and derived intelligence. Probably the most important challenge which comes with remote working is security. The NCSC recently warned of cybercriminal groups exploiting the coronavirus outbreak with sophisticated phishing, malware and ransomware campaigns. Start-ups are prime targets for cybercriminals as they often have weaker security systems than larger enterprises who can afford to invest in protection technologies like strong encryption. According to Verizon, 43 per cent of cyberattacks are aimed at start-ups but only 14 per cent are prepared to defend themselves. With the average cyberattack costing over 160,000 ($199,152), almost sixty per cent of smaller businesses go out of business within six months of being victimised. Remote working at scale presents unique cybersecurity challenges that start-ups wont have come across before. As more devices access potentially sensitive corporate data away from the office, this broadens the threat vector for cybercriminals to compromise networks. With this in mind, security needs to be a continued concern for start-ups, and needs to be reviewed and updated regularly. Start-ups need to ensure employees are equipped with technology that has robust security features to reduce the risk of cyber-attacks. Devices with facial or fingerprint recognition and hardware-based credential storage capabilities provide a secure first defence against cybercriminals, reducing the risk of unsolicited login. Other defences such as zero client solutions ensure these devices never retain sensitive information. Instead, information is stored on a central, cloud-based system so if a device is lost or stolen, this information remains secure. The current global situation has undeniably bought us into a new phase of remote and mobile working. As with any business change, there are number of challenges to tackle, more so if youre a start-up navigating the current crisis. Employee devices, network availability and cybersecurity are all potential obstacles for getting remote working right, and businesses of all sizes cant afford to delay in overcoming them. -- Tradearabia News Service Debi Dang works on the nails of a customer at Allure Nail Bar in Atlanta, Georgia. Governor Brian Kemp has eased restrictions allowing some businesses such as hair and nail salons to reopen. (Tami Chappell / AFP via Getty Images) Social distancing must continue through the summer, White House coronavirus-response coordinator Deborah Birx said Sunday, even as some states began moving to ease shutdown and stay-at-home guidelines meant to stem the spread of the pathogen. As the U.S. death toll from the virus neared 55,000 the highest fatality total for any country, and nearly equaling the number of Americans who died in the Vietnam War a nationwide debate intensified over the weekend about how best to balance economic imperatives and public-health needs amid the pandemic. Some governors, mostly in the South, who have given the go-ahead to reopen some businesses defended their decisions in television interviews, while counterparts in other states, backed by health experts, warned that abandoning restrictive guidelines too soon could trigger a deadly resurgence of COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus. Vice President Mike Pence spurred hopes for a revival of summertime activity when he predicted last week in a radio interview that the pandemic would be behind us by the Memorial Day weekend, less than a month from now. Birx, who appeared on a number of Sunday television interview shows, did not directly address that prediction when asked about it on NBC's "Meet the Press." But she said that for the next several months, any gatherings or commercial activity would need to incorporate physical separation between people. Social distancing will be with us through the summer, to really ensure that we protect one another as we move through these phases, Birx said. Dr. Deborah Birx, response coordinator for White House Coronavirus Task Force, speaks as President Trump listens during the daily briefing on COVID-19 on Tuesday at the White House. (AFP / Getty Images) Other public health experts, including Thomas Inglesby, the director of the Center for Health Security at Johns Hopkins University, expressed sharper skepticism about Pences projected timeline. I don't think it's likely that we will be at that position by Memorial Day, Inglesby said in an interview on Fox News Sunday, citing rising rates of infection in about half of the country. Story continues As we ease up on social distancing measures and economies begin to very carefully reopen, we are at risk of recurrence or re-spikes in the illness, Inglesby said. So I think everyone needs to be aware that even as we're beginning to open up again, there is a clear chance of a rise in cases in states that are doing that. Pressed as to whether he would feel comfortable getting a haircut or a massage, even if he and the service provider were in protective gear, Inglesby said that in most parts of the country, I dont think so. States including Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Alaska and Georgia have begun allowing businesses previously deemed nonessential, such as beauty salons and gyms, to reopen. Scott Gottlieb, who was the Food and Drug Administration commissioner early in the Trump administration, added to the widespread criticism that Gov. Brian Kemp of Georgia, in particular, was moving too fast. On Friday, businesses in the state including fitness centers, nail salons and tattoo parlors were cleared to receive customers. Beginning on Monday, movie theaters can open, and dine-in service will be allowed at restaurants, with some safety precautions. Natascha Updegrove, a stylist at Three-13 Salon, Spa and Boutique, cuts Karon Gilmore's hair on the first day that Georgia reopened salons, spas, gyms and bowling alleys. (Jenny Jarvie / Los Angeles Times) Georgias certainly jumping the gun, I think, getting started too early relative to where they are in their epidemic, Gottlieb said on CBS Face the Nation. While President Trump has said he is leaving it up to governors how soon to allow businesses to reopen an about-face from his prior claim of absolute authority in the matter he also signaled support earlier this month for protesters in a handful of states who demand a speedy end to restrictions. Most polls indicate that a majority of Americans want to proceed more cautiously to lift restrictions on activity. Appearing on ABCs This Week, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, a Republican, said he intended to avoid a too-rapid return of business activity. Im going to be very cautious, said Hogan, who chairs the National Governors Assn. Were going to make decisions [based] on science. But governors whose states are easing restrictions said they felt confident in their decision-making. We believe its time to have a measured reopening, said Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt of Oklahoma, where spas, nail salons and barber shops have been allowed to reopen. A limited reopening for churches is planned for next Sunday. Asked on Fox News Sunday about a near-tripling last week in Oklahoma's number of reported coronavirus cases, and an appeal from the state medical association's chief to hold off on easing restrictions, Stitt said simply, Well continue to watch the trends. Colorados governor, Democrat Jared Polis, allowed his statewide stay-at-home order to expire Sunday. Businesses providing personal services, such as hair care, dog grooming and personal training, can reopen, with precautions. Stores will be able to reopen on a phased-in basis, and medical facilities can begin performing elective surgery. Bigger workplaces will be able to operate at reduced capacity on May 4. He was asked on CNN's "State of the Union" whether his decision "could theoretically cost your constituents their lives." We always wish, Polis replied, that next weeks information, and next months information were available now about the outbreaks course. But, he added, "Thats not the world we live in. We have to make the best informed decisions, based on data and science, with the information we have. The president, while criticized for being late to taking the coronavirus outbreak seriously, quickly made revival of economic activity a cornerstone of his administrations pandemic response. Trump and his senior advisors, contradicting many economic experts, have repeatedly predicted a strong recovery once businesses reopen. Despite the U.S. jobless rate hitting Depression-era levels last week, with unemployment claims topping 26 million, Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin said Sunday he expected a strong rebound by the U.S. economy over the summer. I think as we begin to reopen the economy in May and June youre going to see the economy really bounce back in July, August, September, Mnuchin said on Fox. Meanwhile, Trumps seeming suggestion late last week that Americans ingest or inject disinfectant to fight off coronavirus infection continued to be countered with appeals to disregard the president's musings. Governors and mayors have pointed to an increase in people calling poison-control hotlines in their states. Maryland's Hogan said on ABC that he wished Trumps messaging was more fact-based. I think when misinformation comes out, or if you just say something that pops into your head, it does send a wrong message, he said. While Trump said on Friday, after his remarks triggered an outcry, that he was being sarcastic, the video of his exchange plainly suggested otherwise. Birx, who appears in the video, sitting near Trump and looking discomfited, did not defend the presidents comments in her TV appearances. But she said he spoke in the context of discussing promising studies about sunlight and the virus. Birx said on CNN that it bothers me that this is still in the news cycle, because I think we're missing the bigger pieces of what we need to be doing as an American people. In the NBC interview, she was asked whether Trumps repeated promotion of unproven or dangerous treatments undermined the experts around him. Birx, seeming frustrated at the questioning, said she and others on the White House task force made it very clear this is not a treatment. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who has repeatedly sparred with Trump over his handling of the pandemic, also expressed exasperation, but over the president and his latest foray into the realms of science and medicine. We spend a lot of time on what the president said, the San Francisco Democrat said on CNNs State of the Union. 'Disinfectant in the body you know what they call that? Pelosi said. They call that embalming. UAE-backed separatists break with Saudi-sponsored militants, declare self-rule in southern Yemen Iran Press TV Sunday, 26 April 2020 6:25 AM UAE-backed separatists have broken with once-allied Saudi-sponsored militants in Yemen, saying they will establish a self-ruled administration in the war-torn country's southern regions. In a statement released early on Sunday, the so-called Southern Transitional Council (STC), which is supported by the United Arab Emirates, declared emergency rules in Yemen's port city of Aden and all the southern governorates. "The Southern Transitional Council announces a self-administration rule in the south, as of midnight Saturday, April 25th 2020," the STC said. It also accused the Riyadh-backed government of former Yemeni president Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi of corruption and mismanagement. Mohammed al-Hadhrami, the foreign minister of the self-proclaimed Hadi regime, described the STC's announcement as a "complete withdrawal" from a power-sharing settlement signed between the two sides last year. "The announcement by the so-called transitional council of its intention to establish a southern administration is a resumption of its armed insurgency... and an announcement of its rejection and complete withdrawal from the Riyadh agreement," he said in a statement posted by the ministry on Twitter. "The so-called transitional council will bear alone the dangerous and catastrophic consequences for such an announcement," he added. Last week, the STC warned of an "imminent war" with Saudi-sponsored militants in Yemen. Both the UAE-sponsored separatists and Saudi-backed militants loyal to Hadi serve a Riyadh-led military coalition which has been waging a bloody war on Yemeni people since March 2015. In August 2019, heavy fighting erupted between pro-Hadi elements and the southern separatists when the latter took Aden, the temporary seat of Hadi's regime. The Aden clashes came weeks after the UAE announced a surprise plan to withdraw part of its troops from Yemen in a major blow to its coalition allies. The fighting stopped in November 2019, when the two sides signed a Saudi-brokered agreement to end their power struggle in southern Yemen. The infighting highlighted deepening divisions between Saudi Arabia and the UAE, whose ties soured over a number of issues, including what the Yemenis view as Abu Dhabi's intention to occupy Socotra Island and gain dominance over major waterways in the region. Saudi Arabia, along with a coalition of its vassal states, launched the military aggression on Yemen in a bid to reinstall the Hadi regime and crush the popular Houthi Ansarullah movement. However, over five years into the war, the kingdom has achieved neither of its objectives. Reports say Saudi Arabia is looking for an exit from the quagmire in Yemen, where Houthi fighters now have the upper hand against the invaders. The Western-sponsored bombing campaign has plunged Yemen into what the UN says is the world's worst humanitarian crisis. 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 offensive. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address NEW YORK - In party dresses or come as you are, with colored lights flashing in their bedrooms and teachers-turned-DJs spinning, high schoolers have turned to virtual proms to salvage at least one slice of fun and tradition for the Class of 2020. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 26/4/2020 (625 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. This photo shows high school seniors who attended a virtual prom via Zoom on April 16 hosted by the Baton Rouge Youth Coalition. With the Class of 2020 missing out on so many traditions due to the coronavirus pandemic, many have gone online to participate in virtual proms. (Baton Rouge Youth Coalition via AP) NEW YORK - In party dresses or come as you are, with colored lights flashing in their bedrooms and teachers-turned-DJs spinning, high schoolers have turned to virtual proms to salvage at least one slice of fun and tradition for the Class of 2020. And theyre getting help from familiar brands like Teen Vogue and Jack in the Box, with both serving as hosts to thousands of teens. Celebrities, too, are taking on prom: The Get Out actress Allison Williams was a guest DJ for Zoom partygoers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Jack Ryan star John Krasinski was joined by Billie Eilish when he threw a prom live on YouTube. It's terrible that it's happening to your class, but I hope you're having a good time anyway," Williams told about 100 teens, staff and guests April 16 at the prom hosted by the Baton Rouge Youth Coalition, an after-school program. The theme was Royaltee, an acknowledgement that while some kids had already bought their dresses before lockdown, others never got the chance and were welcome in T-shirts. On top, Williams sparkled in a strapless copper sequin dress, joking that she couldn't get up and dance because there are sweatpants happening. Alauna Stults, 17, in Findlay, Ohio, will wear a blue bedazzled two-piece outfit when she attends an online prom May 9 thrown by the party apparel rental service Charlotte's Closet and an event planning site, My School Dance. Charlotte's Closet is donating dresses to teens in need, including Alauna. This photo shows Serenity Cadogan, 12, in Covington, Georgia, dressed for a virtual prom she hosted March 31 on National Prom Day for more than 600 young people around the world. With the Class of 2020 missing out on so many traditions due to the coronavirus pandemic, many have gone online to participate in virtual proms. (Tiffany Cadogan via AP) "I was looking forward to prom, she said. I was pretty pumped up about it. I was planning on going with a group of my friends, but it's really cool we can still dress up and do everything we would do for a prom, like doing makeup." High schools and cheer teams have thrown virtual proms of their own as social media has filled up with sweet moments among families. Dads have taken their dressed-up daughters for living room spins for a dance or two, and teens have organized home proms among parents and siblings. Prom is definitely one of those bigger life moments when you're growing up, even if you find it to be corny or not cool. It definitely still is something that's a moment you look back on and remember, said Teen Vogue Editor-in-Chief Lindsay Peoples Wagner. The site expects about 5,000 teens to attend its virtual prom May 16 on Zoom. Organizers are working with high schools around the country to set up separate rooms so kids can be with their friends as celebrity co-hosts pop in and DJs get busy. YouTuber Emma Chamberlain, H.E.R. and Euphoria star Storm Reid are expected. It will be really interactive, and that's going to be the fun part of it, Peoples Wagner said. As part of a social distancing campaign, #StayInTheBox, Jack in the Box is working with schools in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix and Houston to put on a prom in May, complete with free food and delivery codes. Serenity Cadogan in Covington, Georgia, near Atlanta is only 12, but she hosted a high school prom live on Instagram on March 31, which was National Prom Day, for more than 600 teens around the world, from Texas to London. We wanted to brighten their day, said the seventh-grader, who leads a chapter of Becca's Closet, a non-profit that donates free prom dresses to high school girls. Everybody was really happy. It was really classy. I didn't expect that many people but it actually ran pretty smoothly." Ironically enough, at least one online school, the public K-12 Washington Virtual Academies, hosts an offline prom each year for the students it serves across the state of Washington. Not this year. Prom will be online, just like school. People have reached out to us saying, hey, how do we do a virtual prom? But that's not something we've previously done, so we're embarking on this adventure just like schools all over the U.S.," said Summer Shelton, the head of school. 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. Offline, the school hosts prom in Tacoma, its home base. Students travel from as far away as Spokane to attend, staying in hotels. The date for Shelton's virtual prom had not been finalized but will likely be in June. The school has about 500 juniors and seniors. This is one of the most looked-forward-to nights of the year, Shelton said. Right now they're dealing with disappointment, understandably, but trying to move past disappointment and saying, OK, what do we do now to make this special?" Donna Sheperis, an associate professor of counselling at Palo Alto University's Los Altos, California, campus, sees other ironies for a tech-savvy generation missing out on prom. They also crave human connection, she said. They crave a chance to dress up and dance with their friends. They crave some time that's just for them. And this year, they can't get it. ___ Follow AP coverage of the virus outbreak at https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak. A priest in an empty church in the town of Ariccia in Italy - Getty The Catholic Church in Italy is angry over the governments refusal to allow the faithful to attend religious services, as the country edges towards a cautious relaxation of coronavirus lockdown rules. Under a new decree announced on Sunday night by the prime minister, businesses, factories and building sites will be allowed to restart on May 4 and people will be allowed out of their homes to exercise. Public parks will be reopened and children will be allowed out for fresh air and exercise, Giuseppe Conte said. But the government said churches and cathedrals would remain closed to congregations because there remained a high risk of the virus being spread. Elderly people are particularly vulnerable to Covid-19 and make up a high proportion of Italys dwindling churchgoers. "I understand that freedom of worship is a fundamental people's right," the prime minister said. "I understand your suffering. But we must continue discussing this further with the scientific committee." The Italian Bishops Conference accused the government of arbitrarily compromising religious freedom. The decree also exposed divisions within the government, with some ministers calling for congregations to be allowed to return to churches. "So, we can safely visit a museum but we can't celebrate a religious service? This decision is incomprehensible. It must be changed," tweeted Elena Bonetti, the equal opportunities minister. Catholic leaders said the Church was working hard to alleviate the suffering of the poor and the marginalised during the coronavirus emergency. It should be clear to all that the commitment to serving the poor, [which is] so significant in this emergency, stems from a faith that must be nourished at its source, especially the sacramental life, the bishops conference said. A bishop cleans the street in front of the Santo Spirito in Sassia church in Rome before the arrival of Pope Francis during lockdown - AFP Bishops said that the governments phase 2 lockdown arbitrarily excludes the possibility of celebrating Mass with the people. Story continues Priests in Italy have been conducting services but to empty churches. They live-stream the services on social media to their congregations, who have been stuck at home under the countrys strict lockdown. Under the new decree, funerals are now allowed but the number of mourners must be limited to 15. Italys draconian lockdown was imposed on March 9, with people told they can only leave their homes to shop for essential food supplies, collect medicines from chemists or travel to and from work. Those stringent measures are to be relaxed from May 4, but gradually. Shops will be allowed to reopen on May 18, as will galleries, museums and libraries. But hairdressers, restaurants and bars will not be allowed to reopen until June 1 and no dates has been set yet for the reopening of gyms, nightclubs and cinemas. Schools and universities are to remain closed for the rest of the academic year and are expected to restart in September. People will have to wear masks in shops, offices and other confined spaces wherever social distancing of at least one metre cannot be guaranteed. Organised sport remains banned. Italians are not allowed to move between the countrys 20 regions unless they have good reason to do so. More than 26,000 people have died from the virus in Italy the highest death toll after the US and 200,000 have been infected. Samoa has so far reported zero confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), for which the country should thank China, said Poao Dr Lamour Hansell, head of the Covid-19 taskforce in Samoa. As of April 26, with no confirmed cases in the South Pacific island nation of Samoa, this makes the country one of the few in the world that have not been struck by the pandemic. Prevention is the best remedy for the pandemic, Hansell noted. Samoas population is around 200,000, and its number of doctors across the country is less than 100. With only one comprehensive hospital, Samoa replies entirely on import and foreign assistance for anti-epidemic supplies. Under the direct leadership of the Chinese Embassy in Samoa, a Chinese medical team, which is the third batch of Chinese medical teams sent to Samoa since 2018, has learned from Chinas experience in prevention and control of COVID-19 online and imparted to local medical workers, while drafting a guide to prevention for the country. At the beginning of last March, China shared its experience in epidemic prevention and control with Pacific island countries including Samoa via video conference. Samoa has referred to measures taken by China including: stressing early discovery, early reporting, early diagnosis and early quarantine for the prevention and control of the disease, limiting opening hours of supermarkets, stipulating that certain distance shall be kept among people in social occasions. The Chinese government has set up a special emergency fund worth $1.9 million for joint efforts of China and Pacific island countries to fight COVID-19, and provided $200,000 of financial aid for Samoa under the fund, according to Chao Xiaoliang, Chinese ambassador to Samoa. In addition, medical supplies provided by China for emergency aid to Samoa, including nucleic acid testing kits, protective suits, face masks, safety goggles, and forehead thermometers are expected to be transported to the country in batches, Chao disclosed. Local governments in China and Chinese non-government organizations and enterprises, including the Jack Ma Foundation, have also actively donated anti-epidemic supplies such as respirators to help Samoa safeguard its people amid the pandemic. In the current severe situation of COVID-19, China attaches high importance to health cooperation with Samoa, which has fully demonstrated the strength of the friendly ties between the two countries, Samoan Head of State Tuimalealiifano Vaaletoa Sualauvi II noted when meeting with Chao in late March. Since 2018, the three batches of medical teams China dispatched to Samoa have performed nearly 1,000 operations in the country and provided diagnoses and treatment for more than 10,000 local outpatients. Last January when COVID-19 broke out in China, the third Chinese medical team dispatched to Samoa received online training in prevention and control of the disease immediately in a bid to help fight the virus when they return to China, according to Wang Yonggang, head of the third Chinese medical team sent to Samoa. Considering that Samoa might need them for its epidemic prevention and control efforts, members of the Chinese medical team volunteered to stay and help the country after their task expired on Feb. 5, Wang disclosed. The share price of HDFC Asset Management Company and Nippon Life India Asset Management managed to recover a majority of losses in trade today after RBI announced Rs 50,000-crore special liquidity facility for mutual funds amid heightened volatility in capital markets. On Friday, HDFC Asset Management Company share closed 6.38% or 165 points lower at Rs 2,425 and Nippon Life India Asset Management stock ended 17.48% or 47 points lower at Rs 216.25 a day after US-based Franklin Templeton closed its six credit fund schemes. While share price of HDFC Asset Management Company closed 5.26% higher at Rs 2,552, that of Nippon Life India AMC rose 11.38% to Rs 240.85 today. Share price of HDFC Asset Management Company rose up to 7.96% to Rs 2,618 intraday, and Nippon Life India AMC stock gained up to 13.66% to Rs 245 on BSE. HDFC Asset Management Company share has gained after four days of fall. The stock stands higher than 20-day moving averages but lower than 5-day, 50-day, 100-day and 20- day moving averages. However, during the last one year, the stock has gained 58.48%. It has fallen 20.14% since the beginning of this year. Share of Nippon Life India Asset Management stock also gained on account of strong sentiment in the industry after RBI's liquidity boost. However, the stock stands lower than its 5-day, 20-day, 50-day, 100-day and 200-day moving averages. It has gained 19% in the last one year but lost 32% since the beginning of this year. The central bank said liquidity strains on mutual funds had intensified in the wake of redemption pressures. "The stress is, however, confined to the high-risk debt MF segment at this stage; the larger industry remains liquid," the apex bank clarified. On Thursday, after market hours, US-based Franklin Templeton announced the closure of its six credit fund schemes. The six funds are Franklin India Low Duration Fund, Franklin India Dynamic Accrual Fund, Franklin India Credit Risk Fund, Franklin India Short Term Income Plan, Franklin India Ultra Short Bond Fund and Franklin India Income Opportunities Fund. The move resulted in locking in of Rs 30,800 crore of investor wealth. After winding up of schemes, existing investors are not able to withdraw funds, buy fresh units, transfer to equity schemes or make systematic withdrawals to meet their monthly expenses. Also Read: Coronavirus: How Airtel is helping migrants access food, shelter via SMSes Also Read: Former employees allege 'race discrimination' in class action suit against Wipro in US Also Read: Coronavirus crisis: Govt won't lose 'a single rupee', ICMR on faulty rapid testing kits In India nearing 28,000 mark and the death toll inching 900 in count, at least states, four of them opposition-ruled have called for extension of lockdown restrictions in hotpots area beyond May 3. AFP The names of the states are Delhi, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Punjab and Odisha. Telangana is the only state so far which has already announced extension of lockdown till May 7, saying it would take a stand on May 5 after reviewing the situation. Meanwhile, six other states, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka said they would follow Centres directive on lockdown. PM Narendra Modi is expected to discuss a graded lifting of lockdown in his video-conference meeting with chief ministers on Monday. Assam, Kerala and Bihar to take a call on extension of lockdown after that. Delhi - Capital AFP A top official in the Delhi governments Covid-19 committee has suggested that the ongoing lockdown will have to be continued till mid May for the outbreak to calm down. "India is still on the ascending limb of the epidemic curve and so, to ease the restrictions will mean the cases will multiply uncontrollably. And, Delhi has a large number of containment zones, so it will be wise to extend it," Dr S K Sarin, chairman of Delhi government's committee on combating Covid-19, said on Saturday. "The lockdown will have to be extended till May 16 as that is when the epidemic curve is likely to start declining, which happens after the flattening of the curve," he said. The state has reported 293 cases on Sunday - the second highest count of cases in a single day after 356 on April 13. Sundays surge in nearly three times higher than the average number of daily cases in the past week as reported by TOI Maharashtra The Health Minister Rajesh Tope on Sunday called for extension of lockdown restrictions in containment zones in Mumbai and Pune which is 92 per cent of the total of the positive cases. A discussion on extending the lockdown will be taken in the video conference with the PM on Monday. If required, we will extend the lockdown for 15 more days after May 3, Tope was quoted by Times of India as saying. CM Uddhav Thackeray said that the decision on relaxation of restrictions in the state will be taken after a certain review has been done of the situation once the national lockdown ends on May 3. Maharashtra is the worst hit state from the COVID -19 and has so far reported over 8,000 cases and 342 deaths. However, it recorded 440 new cases on Sunday, almost 50 per cent less than its Saturdays count which was 811. Uttar Pradesh AFP The state which is led by Yogi adityanath government has announced a ban on public gathering in the state up till June 30. Adityanath has told the officials of the state that the situation will be reviewed again after june 30. The government, following MHAs order after allowing neighbourhood shops to open and said that it has already permitted shops selling essential items to open and cannot allow any further relaxation as of the current situation. Experts have issued warnings that if lockdown restrictions were to be eased before flattening of the curve, cases could flare up like wildfire. As per data shared by the Delhi Health Department, the mortality rate till April 24 has been highest (6.32 per cent) among patients who aged 60 years and above. A former gang member has opened up about kidnappings and killings by drug dealers in a new documentary about the disappearance of teen Luke Durbin. Luke Durbin, 19 at the time, from Ipswich, vanished in the middle of the night on May 12 2006 after a night out with friends. In Channel 5's Missing or Murdered, which airs on Tuesday at 10pm, the investigative team reveal how odd occurrences have suggested the teen could have been kidnapped and kept in Brixton, London, against his will. Speaking on the show, former detective John Brocklebank says a sighting in Whitechapel and at the Aldwych Theatre were reported, as well as an fraudulent credit claim made with Luke's name and date of birth in Brixton. Meanwhile former gang member Nicola Whitacker reveals that kidnappings in the area took place by drug lords for the 'repercussions of things in the line of understanding that some people are not to be messed around with.' A new documentary sheds light on the mysterious disappearance of Luke Durbin, who went missing in 2006. The Ipswich teen, 19 at the time (pictured), vanished in the middle of the night, never to return on May 12 2006, after a night out with friends. His case is examined by Channel 5's Missing or Murdered, on Tuesday Luke went missing in the middle of the night on May 12 after a night out with his school friends in Ipswich. It was later found he had taken drugs, including cocaine and alcohol, during his outing, and had been in contact with at least two drug dealers that night. Luke's mother Nicki, who speaks for the first time ever about her son's drug use in the programme, says that she knew he smoked cannabis, something he had picked up in his mid-teens. The police investigation found that Luke had escalated from consuming drugs to dealing in the months leading up to his disappearance, and he was believed to have 'stepped on people's toes.' Pictured: A childhood snap of Nicki with Luke (right) and his sister Alicia. Nicki says she believes her son has been murdered He was last seen on CCTV at 4 o'clock in the morning, walking on a zebra crossing. Ten months after his disappearance, a former classmate of Luke reported to police she saw him in front of a theatre in London. The disappearance of Luke Durbin Luke Durbin was 19 when he was last seen after a night out at the Zest nightclub in Ipswich, Suffolk, in the early hours of May 12, 2006. Luke, a keen guitarist, was seen at Ipswich railway station between 2.30am and 3am on May 12, 2006, after leaving Zest nightclub. He was then seen at Hawk Express taxi rank in the town at 3.45am, but it is thought he did not have enough money for a fare home to Hollesley. His last confirmed sighting was CCTV images of him crossing a zebra crossing in Dog's Head Street, Ipswich, as he headed for the town's bus station at 4am. He did not return home to collect any of his personal belongings and failed to pick up his wages and a mobile phone he had left at a friend's house. He became one of Britain's highest profile missing people. A man was arrested on suspicion of his murder in 2012, but he was told he was facing no further action in March 2013. Advertisement Detective Inspector Ian Addison, who has worked on the case, explains: 'The actions of the lad that was seen at the Aldwych Theatre suggested that he didn't want to be found for some reason. 'He kept his head down and ran off, as if they were trying to hide and runaway.' Meanwhile Mr Brocklebank says: 'There was nothing to corroborate that sighting, but it was interesting to me, particularly because of the connection to London, and Brixton in particular, and to the drug dealers that may have been holding Luke against his will.' And according to investigators, there were other instances that linked Luke to the area. Mr Brocklebank says: 'Luke's name and date of birth were used in a fraudulent application for credit to people who live in Brixton.' 'Those people were arrested, we weren't able to prove any link to Luke's disappearance but we found the use of his name to be obviously quite significant.' Meanwhile a former gang member who used to operate in Brixton before she was jailed reveals that often kidnappings in the area ended in murder. Nicola, who now works as a youth worker, says it was because 'new drug lords tried to take over new areas and would do anything to take people "off the radar."' She explains: 'The Brixton scene in 2006 drug selling was crazy. I was a part of county lines operation and I was very much involved in kidnapping.' And Tasha, another former drug addict and sex worker from Ipswich, argues it is 'more than likely' Luke has been killed at the hands of drug dealers. 'It's been 13 years, if he had been taken to Brixton he would have been back at this point, wouldn't he?' Nicki explains that she now believes her son was murdered after his disappearance in 2006 (pictured together before his disappearance with daughter Alicia) Evidence has shown that Luke owed money over drugs, which could have been a motive. Detective Brocklebank says: 'Having a debt within the network that we now call county lines has consequences.' Meanwhile Tasha explains people can be tortured, beaten up or worse when they owe money to drug lords. She says: 'With a drug debt, you could owe someone money, and you could be walking down the street and you could be bundled in a car and disappear.' 'You could never be seen, again or you could be bundled in a car, tortured, beating the f*** out of,' she adds. She also claims she knows several people who were kidnapped by drug networks and made to work in order to repay their debt. The inquiry into his disappearance is still open but tragically, Nicki says she has no hope of finding her son again having accepted the possibility of his demise, saying: 'I do think he has been murdered.' Missing or Murdered: Luke Durbin airs Tuesday at 10pm on Channel 5. South Korea says rumors that North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un is sick or dead are untrue. According to Fox News, a top South Korean official said there is enough intelligence to confidently say that there are no unusual developments in North Korea. Kim, 36, also reportedly released a note of thanks on Monday to workers building a tourism area in North Korea. The news bulletin came without images or video or mention of the rumors. Rumors about Kims health started when he did not appear at the April 15 commemoration of the 108 birthday of his grandfather and North Korean founder, Kim II Sun, the Associated Press reports. Kim had not missed the commemoration since he assumed the top position in the country in 2011. The South Korean government has said they believe Kim is staying outside the capital. "Our government position is firm," Chung-in Moon, foreign policy adviser to South Korean President Moon Jae-in, told Fox News. "Kim Jong Un is alive and well. He has been staying in the Wonsan area since April 13. No suspicious movements have so far been detected." Meanwhile, satellite imagery provided by 38 North showed that a train likely belonging to Kim has been parked at his compound since last week. The trains presence does not prove the whereabouts of the North Korean leader or indicate anything about his health, but it does lend weight to reports that Kim is staying at an elite area on the countrys eastern coast, according to a 38 North, a website dedicated to North Korea studies. Some are worried that if Kim is gravely sick or dead, the country could become increasingly unstable, but experts in South Korea believe Kims sister, Kim Yo Jong, would step in quickly to continue the countrys leadership. This is not the first time Kim has disappeared from the public eye. In 2014, Kim stayed out of the spotlight for some six weeks. When he was photographed later, he appeared with a cane and reports said he had a cyst removed from his ankle. Photo courtesy: Getty Images/Pool Amanda Casanova is a writer living in Dallas, Texas. She has covered news for ChristianHeadlines.com since 2014. She has also contributed to The Houston Chronicle, U.S. News and World Report and IBelieve.com. She blogs at The Migraine Runner. Even when a business is losing money, it's possible for shareholders to make money if they buy a good business at the right price. For example, although software-as-a-service business Salesforce.com lost money for years while it grew recurring revenue, if you held shares since 2005, you'd have done very well indeed. Having said that, unprofitable companies are risky because they could potentially burn through all their cash and become distressed. Given this risk, we thought we'd take a look at whether Highfield Resources (ASX:HFR) shareholders should be worried about its cash burn. For the purpose of this article, we'll define cash burn as the amount of cash the company is spending each year to fund its growth (also called its negative free cash flow). Let's start with an examination of the business's cash, relative to its cash burn. Check out our latest analysis for Highfield Resources How Long Is Highfield Resources's Cash Runway? A cash runway is defined as the length of time it would take a company to run out of money if it kept spending at its current rate of cash burn. When Highfield Resources last reported its balance sheet in December 2019, it had zero debt and cash worth AU$40m. Looking at the last year, the company burnt through AU$15m. So it had a cash runway of about 2.7 years from December 2019. Arguably, that's a prudent and sensible length of runway to have. You can see how its cash balance has changed over time in the image below. ASX:HFR Historical Debt April 27th 2020 How Is Highfield Resources's Cash Burn Changing Over Time? Highfield Resources didn't record any revenue over the last year, indicating that it's an early stage company still developing its business. So while we can't look to sales to understand growth, we can look at how the cash burn is changing to understand how expenditure is trending over time. Over the last year its cash burn actually increased by 4.1%, which suggests that management are increasing investment in future growth, but not too quickly. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but investors should be mindful of the fact that will shorten the cash runway. Admittedly, we're a bit cautious of Highfield Resources due to its lack of significant operating revenues. We prefer most of the stocks on this list of stocks that analysts expect to grow. Story continues How Hard Would It Be For Highfield Resources To Raise More Cash For Growth? Since its cash burn is increasing (albeit only slightly), Highfield Resources shareholders should still be mindful of the possibility it will require more cash in the future. Issuing new shares, or taking on debt, are the most common ways for a listed company to raise more money for its business. Commonly, a business will sell new shares in itself to raise cash to drive growth. By looking at a company's cash burn relative to its market capitalisation, we gain insight on how much shareholders would be diluted if the company needed to raise enough cash to cover another year's cash burn. Since it has a market capitalisation of AU$104m, Highfield Resources's AU$15m in cash burn equates to about 14% of its market value. Given that situation, it's fair to say the company wouldn't have much trouble raising more cash for growth, but shareholders would be somewhat diluted. So, Should We Worry About Highfield Resources's Cash Burn? As you can probably tell by now, we're not too worried about Highfield Resources's cash burn. In particular, we think its cash runway stands out as evidence that the company is well on top of its spending. While its increasing cash burn wasn't great, the other factors mentioned in this article more than make up for weakness on that measure. Considering all the factors discussed in this article, we're not overly concerned about the company's cash burn, although we do think shareholders should keep an eye on how it develops. Taking an in-depth view of risks, we've identified 3 warning signs for Highfield Resources that you should be aware of before investing. Of course Highfield Resources may not be the best stock to buy. So you may wish to see this free collection of companies boasting high return on equity, or this list of stocks that insiders are buying. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading. Extraordinary elections of the head of Abkhazia ended with the victory of the opposition. Having won more than 55% of the vote, the candidate from the united opposition Aslan Bzhaniya has already announced his readiness to start reforms, since the current political crisis in the republic, which culminated in January of this year, is caused by unresolved problems in the governance structures of Abkhazia. The victory of the opposition demonstrated a peculiar political reverse, because, despite the popularity of Bzhania, it is strongly associated with the name of Alexander Ankvab, whose presidency was ended as a result of a similar political crisis. Bzhaniya - a former security official, under Ankvab headed the state security structures of Abkhazia and significantly succeeded in this post. The idea of fair expression was the leitmotif of the extraordinary elections, as Bzhania was considered the favorite before the elections in January, but did not take part in them due to poor health. Opinion was quickly spread among the public about the malicious poisoning of the leader of the united opposition - more than six months before the vote, Bzhania was hospitalized in an extremely serious condition. Later, two of his guards were hospitalized with similar symptoms. The oppositions health was critical, but Bzhaniya survived, recovered and resumed political activity after the Abkhaz public expressed dissatisfaction with the results of the January elections and demanded the resignation of Raul Khadzhimba. Aslan Bzhaniya is set to reform in three directions: personnel policy, national economy and the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Crime rates in the republic are high, and, according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Abkhazia for 2019, two-thirds of serious crimes were committed by people who had barely reached adulthood. Officials also often acted as defendants in high-profile scandals. In November last year, parliamentary speaker Valery Kvarchia indirectly confirmed this at an enlarged meeting of the parliamentary committee on public law. Kvarchia noted that the existing system of relations between law enforcement agencies and the executive branch does not work, and corruption is observed in the law enforcement bodies themselves. Since Bzhaniya is a former security official, it is likely that, first of all, he will deal with the crime problem. Moreover, Alexander Ankvab, who headed the Ministry of Internal Affairs before his presidency, is returning to Abkhazian politics as prime minister. Bzhania is a supporter of the merger of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the State Security Service, since it considers it necessary to optimize the security system and the rule of law, including eradicating corruption among the security forces, since semi-blockade Abkhazia needs effective and executive management. This is also the reason for the reform of the government apparatus and other governance structures of Abkhazia. The experience of the last six years has shown that in a closed political space, there is a high probability of a clan management system forming that adversely affects the policy of allocating resources of Abkhazia and its budget, which suffers from a chronic deficit. Bzhaniya intends to conduct a deep inventory and assessment of resort property, as the question arose a long time ago why even in the most profitable tourism sector of the Abkhazian economy the owners who have close contacts with government representatives own the most profitable resort facilities. A republic, which is in a state of unresolved conflict and limited in many economic spheres, should pay increased attention to the fight against the shadow sector of the economy. The opacity of the incomes of part of the political and business elite forces society to demand the introduction of progressive legislation, including the luxury tax inconceivable for semi-blockade Abkhazia. As for the issues of strategic cooperation between Russia and Abkhazia, it will not undergo significant changes, despite the fact that Bzhaniya, in contrast to Khadzhimba, is more conservative. In relations with Georgia, the negotiation process may restart, as Bzhania is guided by pragmatic views on the nature of the relationship between Sukhumi and Tbilisi. He does not hide his interest in resuming railway communication through the territory of Abkhazia, which will allow the republic to take advantage of the opportunities of the international transport corridor, but this process requires a delicate approach to charging transit fees, adopting common rules for freight transportation, etc. BIRMINGHAM, AL The number of new coronavirus cases in Alabama reached 6,270 on Sunday, with 216 fatalities from the respiratory illness to date. The updated numbers represent a spike of 244 new cases since Saturday with an increase of seven more fataliites in the same 24-hour period. The updated count comes from the Alabama Department of Public Health on a dashboard updated daily. The data on Saturday indicated 6,026 total cases an increase of 194 from the previous day with 209 deaths to date. On the Alabama Department of Public Health portal, the number of hospitalizations since March 13 is tallied at 845 as of Sunday. The number of people tested to date is 73,551, according to health officials, in a state with a population of some 4.8 million. The greatest number of deaths, according to the dashboard data, have been in the following counties: Mobile: 41, one more death since Saturday. Jefferson: 33 (unchanged). Lee: 24, with two more deaths recorded since Saturday. Chambers: 18, one more fatality in 24 hours. Tallapoosa: 17 (unchanged). Despite the overnight illness rate increase, Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth wrote on Twitter of a 15-day downward trajectory, as the state seeks to gradually reopen the economy. "15 days of downward trajectory of documented cases, this continues to be a good trend," Ainsworth wrote in his post on Saturday. "Its time to safely reopen Alabama." 15 days of downward trajectory of documented cases, this continues to be a good trend. Its time to safely reopen Alabama. pic.twitter.com/Lpr0eNq8zV Will Ainsworth (@willainsworthAL) April 25, 2020 The dashboard breaks down the rate of illness with demographic specificity, including broad racial categorizations. According to the most recent available data, 37.62 percent of illness cases have impacted the black community, followed by 46 percent for those categorized by health officials as white. Story continues However, the broad racial breakdown doesn't specify what's included in the latter category including whether those of the Hispanic or Latino are folded into the white racial category as the etnicity is not broken down in the overall category determined by race. In a more granular breakdown pointing to illness rates per ethnicity, the health district provides three sets of data for Hispanic/Latino at 4.8 percent; non-Hispanic/Latino at 76.36 percent and "unknown" at 18.82 percent. As the illness data were being updated, a spokesperson for Gov. Kay Ivey confirmed her plans to gradually open the state economy. "Gov. Ivey is mindful and sensitive to the sacrifices the people of Alabama have made during this pandemic, and she is eager for businesses to safely reopen," spokesperson Gina Maiola told WVTM 13 on Sunday. "She has been in continuous discussions with the White House and appreciates the helpful guidance that they have given to states as her and her fellow governors make these tough decisions." According to the report, the process of opening up the state economy in phases will be unveiled in the coming days. For now, the governor's previlusly issued "Stay at Home" order remains in effect until April 30. This article originally appeared on the Birmingham Patch Emersons Plantweb digital ecosystem, which enables manufacturers to realise the benefits of digital transformation, has been named a 2020 Edison Awards winner in the Innovative Services category. The award recognises Plantwebs expertise, consulting and IIoT-powered services capabilities that leverage decades of technology leadership, enabling Emerson to partner with companies to develop and implement effective digital transformation initiatives. The Edison Awards, named after inventor Thomas Alva Edison, recognise and honor the worlds best innovations that are at the forefront of new product and service development, marketing and human-centered design. Emerson serves customers in life sciences, food and beverage, chemical, power, energy and other critical infrastructure industries that increasingly rely on digital transformation strategies to improve operations. Emersons Plantweb digital ecosystem is designed to help companies realise measurable performance improvements in production, reliability, safety and energy management so they can better meet their business needs around the world. Plantwebs expanding portfolio of transformational technologies, software and services include smart sensors and measurement devices, the industrys most comprehensive offering of operational analytics as well as consulting and remote monitoring services. As industrial manufacturers seek to realise the full potential of digital transformation initiatives, its critical to deliver practical and scalable solutions that drive measurable business impact, said Stuart Harris, group president for Emersons digital transformation business. We are grateful for this recognition of our industry-leading technology, domain expertise and proven commitment to drive tangible value for our customers. Among over 400 nomination entries comprising the best products, services and businesses in innovation, Emersons Plantweb was chosen as a winner by a panel of more than 3,000 business executives from the fields of product development, design, engineering, science, marketing and education. After a thorough review, the Edison Awards judges recognise Emersons Plantweb digital ecosystem as a game-changing innovation, standing out among the best in its category, said Frank Bonafilia, executive director of the Edison Awards. -- Tradearabia News Service STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- She was always smiling, she loved her daughters so very much, said a longtime friend of Christine Dahlstrom the 32-year-old woman identified as the victim of a fatal crash in Annadale Saturday night. Dahlstrom was a single mother of two girls ages six and 10 who attend public elementary school, according to her friends. Christina Hunter, 35, whose son has attended school with one of Dahlstroms daughters, said she just had such a wonderful personality. She always had a smile on her face. She just always was so kind to everybody, Hunter said. She will definitely be missed. The 35-year-old male who was driving the 2012 Ford SUV that Dahlstrom was riding in sustained injuries, and was listed in stable condition at Staten Island University Hospital, Ocean Breeze, as of Sunday. The man was a significant other of Dahlstrom, according to a friend. Hunter, who said she had two children of her own, said she cant even fathom what those children are going through now." Were going to miss her, she said. Dahlstrom worked as a saleswoman at an eyeglass retailer on Staten Island for approximately 10 years. Eric Cohen, Dahlstroms employer, said she was happy-go-lucky and always looking to be friendly with everyone. It is with great sadness that we pass along the news that one of our employees, Christine Dahlstrom , was killed in an automobile accident on Staten Island last night, Specs for Less wrote on Facebook. Please keep her family in your prayers tonight. SATURDAYS CRASH Police responded just after 8 p.m. Saturday to the intersection of Arden Avenue and Annadale Road for a report of a crash that would later prove fatal. Dalton was a passenger in a 2012 Ford SUV driven by a 35-year-old male, police said. It wasnt immediately clear if any other passengers were in the vehicle. A search remained ongoing Sunday for the driver of a 2018 Lexus SUV who allegedly struck the vehicle Dahlstrom was in and fled the scene. Police said the Lexus SUV was stolen prior to the incident. After crashing into the Ford SUV, the Lexus struck an unoccupied, parked 2018 BMW. The BMW then reportedly struck an unoccupied 2019 Ford SUV, police said. Video obtained by the Advance/Silive.com shows what appears to be an unidentified, black male running through backyards and hopping fences moments after the crash. No arrests have been made and the investigation remains ongoing. PARIS French researchers are preparing to launch a human trial to test their hypothesis that nicotine can help the body combat the COVID-19 infection. The trial will involve groups of health care workers and patients wearing nicotine patches and other groups wearing placebo patches. Then they will be tested to see if there is a difference in how their bodies respond to the virus. The trial is a follow-up to a French study, published this month, of public health data which appeared to show that people who smoke are 80% less likely to catch COVID-19 than non-smokers of the same age and sex. The scientists hypothesized in their study that nicotine, which is contained in cigarettes, could influence whether or not the coronavirus molecules are able to attach themselves to receptors in the body. You have the virus which arrives on the receptor, and the nicotine blocks that, and they separate, said Jean-Pierre Changeux, emeritus professor of neuroscience at France's Pasteur institute, describing the hypothetical process. He co-authored the study with Zahir Amoura, a professor at Paris' Pitie-Salpetriere University Hospital, and they are both conducting the trial. RIYADH (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia will no longer impose the death sentence on individuals who committed crimes while still minors, the state-backed Human Rights Commission (HRC) said in a statement, citing a royal decree by King Salman. 'The decree means that any individuals who received a death sentence for crimes committed while he or she is a minor can no longer face execution RIYADH (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia will no longer impose the death sentence on individuals who committed crimes while still minors, the state-backed Human Rights Commission (HRC) said in a statement, citing a royal decree by King Salman. "The decree means that any individuals who received a death sentence for crimes committed while he or she is a minor can no longer face execution. Instead, the individual will receive a prison sentence of no longer than 10 years in a juvenile detention facility," HRC President Awwad Alawwad said in the statement. (Reporting by Marwa Rashad; Writing by Raya Jalabi; Editing by David Clarke) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. A mom from Ohio who gave birth on a ventilator as she battled coronavirus has beaten the killer bug. Megan Sites, 27, was seven months pregnant with her second child Jameson when she developed breathing difficulties. The concerned mom-to-be rushed to Joint Township's emergency department in Ohio on April 1. She was quickly put on a ventilator after tests revealed her lungs were clotted with coronavirus. She was transported to Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton but rapidly deteriorated after the ventilator was removed. Mrs Sites was rushed into surgery under sedation at just 29 weeks and six days pregnant as doctors delivered her son by cesarean-section, before whisking him to neonatal intensive care 'I had a few breakdown moments. I told myself, this is it, I'm not going to make it through,' she said. 'Everything in my body, it hurt to breathe, to move, to cough, to anything, it hurt.' Doctors rang her husband Donny on April 8, who was not allowed to visit because of hospital social distancing measures, and told him a ventilator could be fitted again under sedation to help his wife reach the 30-week pregnancy mark, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported. But just 20 minutes later he received a devastating phone call that one her lungs had collapsed and doctors needed to deliver the baby the next day if his wife had a chance of surviving. Mrs Sites was applauded by doctors and nurses as she was discharged from the University of Cincinnati Medical Center hospital after beating the killer bug Mrs Sites was rushed into surgery under sedation at just 29 weeks and six days pregnant as doctors delivered her son by cesarean-section, before whisking him to neonatal intensive care. Mrs Sites was given less than a 40 per cent chance of survival and underwent a 'near-last resort' form of life support in a bid to save her life, Metro reported. After five days on the machine - which had never been used on a pregnant patient before - Mrs Sites woke up, with no recollection that she'd given birth because of the sedation An EMCO ventilator was fitted to temporarily replace the function of her heart and lungs, according to critical care anesthesiologist, Dr Suzanne Bennett. Mrs Sites was then taken by ambulance to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center. After five days on the machine - which had never been used on a pregnant patient before - Mrs Sites woke up, with no recollection that she'd given birth because of the sedation. She said: 'I have a lot of hallucinations from that timebut the actual EMCO treatment, I don't recall any of that'. The new mom was only allowed to see baby Jameson, who remains in the NICU and was born weighing just 3lbs 9ozs, after 10 days. Doctors say he is healthy with no signs of coronavirus and will be allowed home in around four weeks. Mrs Sites credits her medical team and the EMCO treatment for saving her life after she was given less than a 40 per cent chance of survival 'There's no words. There's no way to show them the appreciation they deserve. It's surreal,' she said of her medical team. Mrs Sites, who is also mom to two-year-old daughter Reign, was applauded by doctors and nurses as she was discharged from hospital last Tuesday after beating the killer bug. She credits her medical team and the EMCO treatment for saving her life, saying 'It's a miracle that I'm sitting here talking to you now,' she said. Describing the moment she first met her son, Mrs Sites said: 'It just completed my puzzle. I knew I had had a baby. It's hard to explain. But then I got to hold him, and it was real for me, that this is my son, and he's perfect.' Mansukh Mandaviya, Minister of State (IC) for Shipping, Govt of India, today assured the industry for the necessary support from the government and urged the maritime industry to turn the COVID-19 crisis into an opportunity. Addressing an interactive session with industry stakeholders via webinar organized by FICCI, Mandaviya said that the maritime associations along with FICCI should jointly prepare a comprehensive strategy and mechanism for the ministry to take decisive action. He further highlighted that currently the Indian ports are working at 70-80% capacity but transportation of bulk cargo via road transport is still a concern which the government is working to resolve. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The market expects Park-Ohio (PKOH) to deliver a year-over-year decline in earnings on lower revenues when it reports results for the quarter ended March 2020. This widely-known consensus outlook is important in assessing the company's earnings picture, but a powerful factor that might influence its near-term stock price is how the actual results compare to these estimates. The stock might move higher if these key numbers top expectations in the upcoming earnings report. On the other hand, if they miss, the stock may move lower. While management's discussion of business conditions on the earnings call will mostly determine the sustainability of the immediate price change and future earnings expectations, it's worth having a handicapping insight into the odds of a positive EPS surprise. Zacks Consensus Estimate This industrial supply-chain logistics company is expected to post quarterly earnings of $0.58 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of -42.6%. Revenues are expected to be $385.53 million, down 8.2% from the year-ago quarter. Estimate Revisions Trend The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has been revised 81.78% lower over the last 30 days to the current level. This is essentially a reflection of how the covering analysts have collectively reassessed their initial estimates over this period. Investors should keep in mind that an aggregate change may not always reflect the direction of estimate revisions by each of the covering analysts. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise Earnings Whisper Estimate revisions ahead of a company's earnings release offer clues to the business conditions for the period whose results are coming out. This insight is at the core of our proprietary surprise prediction model -- the Zacks Earnings ESP (Expected Surprise Prediction). The Zacks Earnings ESP compares the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter; the Most Accurate Estimate is a more recent version of the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate. The idea here is that analysts revising their estimates right before an earnings release have the latest information, which could potentially be more accurate than what they and others contributing to the consensus had predicted earlier. Story continues Thus, a positive or negative Earnings ESP reading theoretically indicates the likely deviation of the actual earnings from the consensus estimate. However, the model's predictive power is significant for positive ESP readings only. A positive Earnings ESP is a strong predictor of an earnings beat, particularly when combined with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold). Our research shows that stocks with this combination produce a positive surprise nearly 70% of the time, and a solid Zacks Rank actually increases the predictive power of Earnings ESP. Please note that a negative Earnings ESP reading is not indicative of an earnings miss. Our research shows that it is difficult to predict an earnings beat with any degree of confidence for stocks with negative Earnings ESP readings and/or Zacks Rank of 4 (Sell) or 5 (Strong Sell). How Have the Numbers Shaped Up for Park-Ohio? For Park-Ohio, the Most Accurate Estimate is higher than the Zacks Consensus Estimate, suggesting that analysts have recently become bullish on the company's earnings prospects. This has resulted in an Earnings ESP of +8.62%. On the other hand, the stock currently carries a Zacks Rank of #5. So, this combination makes it difficult to conclusively predict that Park-Ohio will beat the consensus EPS estimate. Does Earnings Surprise History Hold Any Clue? While calculating estimates for a company's future earnings, analysts often consider to what extent it has been able to match past consensus estimates. So, it's worth taking a look at the surprise history for gauging its influence on the upcoming number. For the last reported quarter, it was expected that Park-Ohio would post earnings of $1.02 per share when it actually produced earnings of $0.65, delivering a surprise of -36.27%. Over the last four quarters, the company has beaten consensus EPS estimates just once. Bottom Line An earnings beat or miss may not be the sole basis for a stock moving higher or lower. Many stocks end up losing ground despite an earnings beat due to other factors that disappoint investors. Similarly, unforeseen catalysts help a number of stocks gain despite an earnings miss. That said, betting on stocks that are expected to beat earnings expectations does increase the odds of success. This is why it's worth checking a company's Earnings ESP and Zacks Rank ahead of its quarterly release. Make sure to utilize our Earnings ESP Filter to uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they've reported. Park-Ohio doesn't appear a compelling earnings-beat candidate. However, investors should pay attention to other factors too for betting on this stock or staying away from it ahead of its earnings release. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Park-Ohio Holdings Corp. (PKOH) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Hundreds of Marine poolees arrived at boot camp in South Carolina last week, but their training experience during the novel coronavirus pandemic will be anything but ordinary. Drill instructors and recruits are wearing masks; dining halls and squad bays have been reconfigured to put more space between recruits; and families can now ship cell phones to the training depot. Those are just some of the changes in place a week after Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island began accepting new recruits again. The famous training base shut down incoming shipments of recruits last month after at least 20 people there tested positive for COVID-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus, spread on base. Read More: 'We Are Putting Lives in Danger': Recruiters Urge Boot Camp Closures Amid Pandemic Now about 300 future trainees, which the Marine Corps calls poolees, are in their second week of quarantine at a new expeditionary staging area on the base. They began arriving at Parris Island on April 20, Capt. Bryan McDonnell, a Parris Island spokesman, said. The poolees won't be allowed to move into squad bays for two weeks as they undergo twice-a-day checks from medical personnel to make sure they don't carry COVID-19 into training areas. The new staging area can hold more than 500 people, McDonnell said. Military leaders have been hesitant to curb entry-level training, which they say is necessary for maintaining force levels necessary to meet national security requirements. Recruits train, sleep and eat in large groups and tight quarters though, and drill instructors aren't exactly known for keeping the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's recommended 6-feet distance to prevent the spread of coronavirus. All the services temporarily halted new shipments of trainees as leaders rushed to implement new guidelines to help prevent possible spread at the training camps. Graduations and family day events remain closed to the public, and new Marines now ship straight from boot camp to their follow-on training. Parris Island is now allowing new Marines who've completed the grueling three-day Crucible training event at the end of boot camp to be shipped a cell phone. Officials at Parris Island recently said in a social media post that family members of Lima Company could mail their Marine a phone. "As they complete the Crucible, it will be distributed to them by their drill instructors at the appropriate times," the message, posted on April 20, states. "They will *not* have unlimited access to their phones, as they are still in a training environment. This measure is to ease the flow of communication as new Marines transfer directly to follow on schools, in response to temporary COVID-19 measures." McDonnell said they haven't tracked the total number of phones that have been mailed to the depot since they began allowing them. Families, parents or friends can send them by standard mail at the same address they use to mail letters to recruits, he said. The Marine Corps announced last week it was temporarily waiving its Physical Fitness Test requirements due to the coronavirus pandemic. That won't be the case at boot camp though where recruits must still meet that requirement, McDonnell said, along with completing the Combat Fitness test and some Marine Corps Martial Arts Program training. "Currently there are no plans to suspend those requirements, however the training schedule has been heavily modified to minimize risk while accomplishing our mission," he said. "This includes delaying MCMAP until approximately 30 days after arrival to MCRD Parris Island, virtual classes, social distancing adherence to the maximum extent possible, and the wearing of cloth face masks." -- Gina Harkins can be reached at gina.harkins@military.com. Follow her on Twitter @ginaaharkins. Read More: Recruits Who Carried COVID-19 to Boot Camp Had Passed Temp Checks, Screenings Desperate business owners in Russia have been pleading with the Kremlin for help in the pandemic shutdown. The response, however, has been slow and largely focused on big industries, leaving most smaller companies to fend for themselves and raising the prospect of massive unemployment and social unrest. The Kremlin's anti-crisis measures reflect both its long-held emphasis on state-controlled companies and a fear of opening state coffers at a time when government revenue is drying up due to a plunge in oil prices and economic slump. When President Vladimir Putin ordered most Russians to stay home through April 30 to contain the coronavirus, he said employees must continue to be paid. A joke soon went viral online: Putin walks into a bar and declares: 'Beer for everyone. It's on the house!' Weeks later, the president promised subsidies and loans for private-sector companies to help them pay wages. But businesses paralyzed by the lockdowns imposed by the majority of Russia's 85 regions see the Kremlin's support as sorely insufficient. The situation is catastrophic, said Dmitry Nesvetov, the owner of a dry cleaning chain and a leading member at the Opora Russia business association. The measures that have been announced are not enough to deal with it. Nesvetov said the state subsidies - about $160 per employee per month, the equivalent of minimum wage - are too small and deferments on taxes and social security payments don't address the underlying problems. It's a 'die another day' logic, he said, adding that the inefficient state bureaucracy can't properly manage even those limited support measures. Retail shops, restaurants and cafes, gyms, beauty parlors and other small and medium-sized companies in the services sector, which employs about a third of the nation's workforce, have been shut, and a great number of them may not outlive the pandemic. According to one forecast, over 40% of restaurants won't reopen. Experts say the number of unemployed could rise from about 3.5 million in 2019 to 9 million, or a 12% jobless rate. It looks like helping small and medium-sized business isn't a top priority, Nesvetov said. While the non-food retail and services sector ground to a halt, big state-controlled companies and industrial plants have kept operating. Putin has promised subsidies to airlines, car and aircraft plants, and defense manufacturers, among others. The Kremlin's approach contrasts with that of the United States and many EU nations, which provided more generous subsidies to workers and businesses. With tears in her eyes, cafe chain owner Anastasia Tatulova told Putin during a recent meeting with business managers that more support is needed quickly. She urged the Kremlin to temporarily waive taxes instead of offering tax deferments and to provide more subsidies. Putin promised help, but Tatulova said authorities have since stonewalled most of her proposals. We don't count on anyone. We are struggling to survive on our own, Tatulova told the AP. What's happening is very sad. She says authorities failed to consult businesses when drafting rescue measures, meaning many ended up being useless. In one example, businesses will have to pay taxes on bank loans intended to help pay wages. It's a duty of the state to ensure normal operations in a time of crisis, and it just didn't work, she said. Tatulova noted that Moscow authorities offered some real help, waiving rental payments on city property and automatically extending licenses. Governors in some regions slashed taxes, offered subsidies and allowed some businesses to reopen. Oleg Zinov, who co-owns a chain of dental clinics, said some of the relief measures have been put into action and he was able to get loans to help pay wages. We can't say that the steps that have been taken are sufficient, he added. As the pandemic swept through Russia, Putin refrained from declaring a nationwide state of emergency, noting that the situation varied widely across the vast country. He has given regional governors the authority to manage their lockdowns and decide what industries can continue working - a strategy seen by Kremlin critics as an attempt to shift blame for the spread of contagion and the economic fallout. Alexei Navalny, a leading opposition figure, has launched an online campaign to urge the Kremlin to pay at least 20,000 rubles (about $260) to every worker and launch a bailout program that would cover all types of business. He pointed to the billions of dollars in Russia's rainy-day funds. We have accumulated those reserves for use during the hard times, Navalny said. No one has any doubt that those times have come. The question is if we use those reserves to ease the burden for the people and the business or stupidly hand them out to state companies and the oligarchs. Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, dismissed Navalny's proposals as incompetent and populist. Amid a ban on public gatherings, many Russians have taken to the internet to vent their frustration. In several big cities, people used a popular navigation app allowing drivers to post comments about traffic to criticize the Kremlin in what became a string of virtual rallies. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Alwaleed Philanthropies, chaired by HRH Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the global philanthropic foundation, has allocated $30 million to a variety of diverse initiatives to battle against COVID-19 in collaboration with a variety of partners. By working together in collaboration, the series of impact-driven initiatives will seek to tackle the health and economic implications of the pandemic, such as; manufacturing rapid diagnostic tests for developing countries and reducing the long-term impact of the potential economic fallout of COVID-19. The fund includes an additional $20.6million on top of $9.4million of existing funds, which have been reallocated for the fight against COVID-19. The $30 million in allocation of funds to tackle COVID-19 comes after HRH Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud made available many of his assets including his Four Seasons Hotel, Kingdom Schools, Banque Saudi Fransi, and National Industralization Company (Tasnee) to support the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to combat COVID-19. Recent support was also provided through Alwaleed Philanthropies (Lebanon) to help repatriate hundreds of Lebanese students studying in France, Italy and Spain. Continuing to support the Middle East and North Africa, the fund includes a significant allocation towards initiatives including allocation to UN-Habitat to improve water, sanitation and hygiene in the most vulnerable communities and to establish shelter and rehabilitate damaged housings in order to address overcrowding and enable social/physical distancing in disadvantaged neighborhoods. HRH Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud said, "In these times of unprecedented crisis it is more important now than ever that we pull our resources together in the battle against COVID-19. With many developed nations struggling to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic, we must spare a thought for the developing countries of Africa and the less fortunate countries in the Middle East. "Alwaleed Philanthropies has a 40-year history of supporting development and humanitarian initiatives that lift up the most vulnerable people and bridge the gaps that divide society, we will continue to do so in the face of the pandemic." Alwaleed Philanthropies is also working with The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) to contribute to mitigate the economic fallout of the crisis in Africa while promoting hygiene in developing countries. The amount allocated to ICESCO will strengthen local manufacturing capabilities to produce hygiene products and protective equipment while empowering women and young entrepreneurs in the informal and local sector. Many of the initiatives will support vital work across the Middle East, Africa and South Asia to support communities and curb the spread of COVID-19. Alwaleed Philanthropies will be working with the Gates Philanthropy Partners to fund a number of health projects to accelerate the development of therapeutics and delivery of diagnostics to protect vulnerable populations across Africa. This includes an allocation to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, which will allow for additional diagnostic laboratories and testing capabilities throughout the continent. Additionally, Alwaleed Philanthropies is building upon its existing relationship with Splash to provide clean water and promote hand washing in rural and urban areas in South Asia and Africa. Supporting scientific research to reduce future outbreaks, Alwaleed Philanthropies has built on its 4-year relationship with Gavi supporting the Infuse program with a further amount allocated to provide accessibility and innovative solutions to reach remote areas, and an allocation to support the World Health Organization (WHO) in strengthening its existing procurement capacity to rapidly secure needed emergency products and build a global stockpile. About Alwaleed Philanthropies For four decades, Alwaleed Philanthropies supports and initiates projects nearly 200 countries, regardless of the gender, race or religion. It has reached more than one billion beneficiaries around the world. We collaborate with a range of philanthropic, government and educational organizations to combat poverty, empower women and youth, develop communities, provide disaster relief and create cultural understanding through education. Together with partners around the world, we build bridges for a more compassionate, tolerant and accepting world. http://alwaleedphilanthropies.org/ For further information, please contact: Reem Al-Ajeel Instinctif Partners T: +971 569400515 [email protected] Infographic - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1160582/Initiative_breakdown_Infographic.jpg Related Links http://alwaleedphilanthropies.org/ SOURCE Alwaleed Philanthropies This crisis exposes our nations preexisting condition of inequality a wealth gap, a health gap, and an opportunity gap. That's why Interise remains focused on getting low-income-area and minority-owned small businesses the support they need. Today, Interise, a national economic development nonprofit, launched INTERISE STRONG, an online program to support minority-owned and low-income-area businesses to navigate the economic and health crisis of COVID-19. INTERISE STRONG uses a peer-to-peer learning model to provide small business owners with the knowledge, know-how, and networks they need to survive financial shock and navigate economic uncertainty. This national initiative comes in response to Interises partners and 8,000+ alumni business owners, who are seeking support during this global pandemic. Wells Fargo is supporting this initiative through a donation from its foundation as part of its philanthropic focus to create pathways for diverse small business growth. Low-income communities and communities of color are disproportionately affected by the outbreak of COVID-19, said Darrell Byers, CEO of Interise. This crisis exposes our nations preexisting condition of inequality a wealth gap, a health gap, and an opportunity gap. Thats why Interise remains focused on getting low-income-area and minority-owned small businesses the support they need. These are the companies that hold the keys to driving lasting impact and systemic change. INTERISE STRONG is informed by Interises deep knowledge of small business. For over 15 years, Interise has delivered its award-winning StreetWise MBA curriculum, with alumni achieving consistently impressive results. Small businesses thrive when they receive critical support like technical assistance, marketing, and increased access to capital, said Briana Curran, vice president, Community Relations & Communications, Wells Fargo. For close to 20 years, Interise has provided in-depth support to thousands of diverse-owned small businesses and Wells Fargo is proud to support this important work. In 2008 & 2009, during the Great Recession, Interise businesses retained and created jobs at an astounding 21% growth rate while the private sector experienced overwhelming job losses. Companies that incorporate INTERISE STRONG tactics and strategies will be primed to exit the COVID-19 crisis confident and ready to achieve similar results. I completed my StreetWise MBA in 2014 and found it transformational in the growth of my business, said Jen Brunkow, President of CGB Tech Solutions. I have high hopes for INTERISE STRONG, and look forward to getting to know all of my peers. Interise will launch two national INTERISE STRONG cohorts and one Massachusetts-based cohort in April. The organization seeks to further scale the program to meet demand through local and regional partnerships, and additional funders. More information about INTERISE STRONG can be found at interise.org/programs/interise-strong. ### About Interise Interise builds an inclusive economy through small business development, supporting the growth of minority-owned small businesses and small businesses located in low- and moderate-income communities. Interises award-winning StreetWise MBA uses a peer-learning method to provide business owners with the knowledge, know-how, and networks necessary to grow and scale. As Interise companies grow, they contribute to local job creation and build community wealth. Interise companies historically create new jobs at 5x the rate of the private sector, and are responsible for the creation of over 30,000 new jobs. Interise partners with government agencies, anchor institutions, and business associations to make locally branded StreetWise MBA programs available in 75+ cities, nationwide. Strategic Growth Partners include the Kauffman Foundation, the Surdna Foundation, and the Prudential Foundation. More information can be found at http://www.interise.org/ @StreetWise_MBA and at http://www.facebook.com/Interise YEREVAN, APRIL 27, ARMENPRESS. Ilze Paegle-Mkrtcjana, literary translator, wife of the Ambassador of Armenia to Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia Tigran Mkrtchyan, has translated the novel of Franz Werfel 'Forty Days of Musa Dagh'' into Latvian. Ilze Paegle-Mkrtcjana talked about the topic with doctor of philology Ilva Skulte. ARMENPRESS presents the interview. April 24 is the day when arrests of notable Armenian intellectuals in Constantinople 105 years ago marked the beginning of one of the gravest episodes in the history of the 20th century. Later, the fate of the Armenian people was shared by some other peoples and nations. The subsequent tragic events might be one of the reasons why the Armenian Genocide is less well-known, why we can still discover and learn a great deal about it, not in the last place thanks to the medium of literature. One of the most impressive literary works about this subject is Franz Werfels novel with a somehow mysterious title The Forty Days of Musa Dagh, recently translated into Latvian and published by Jana Rozes apgads. The novel was translated by Ilze Paegle-Mkrtcjana who is mainly known as the translator of works by such Japanese authors as Natsume Soseki, Tanizaki Junichiro, and Akutagawa Ryunosuke. She has translated into Latvian also fiction and non-fiction from English, Russian and German. We might add that Ilze is the spouse of Tigran Mkrtchyan, Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia to Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia. Therefore one should not wonder why many of her translations are works with Armenian themes. Ilva Skulte: Lets begin with a very simple question what was so interesting and important in Werfels novel The Forty Days of Musa Dagh that you decided to tackle such a mammoth project? Ilze Paegle-Mkrtcjana: You are right I really wanted to translate this novel and now I would like to seize the opportunity and thank the editors of the publishing house Jana Rozes apgads who saw the grandiosity of the project very well, yet were willing to try and solve the practical problems which arose in the process of its realization. As for me, I can only say that for more than 15 years my life has been closely linked to Armenia and that is why I am trying to do what I can to deepen the mutual understanding and respect between Latvians and Armenians. I think ultimately it was also a wish to repay my debt of gratitude to Latvia where I was born and bred and to Armenia which is my home now. At the same time, there was at least one more important factor at play. I call it my missionary inclinations, my ever-present urge to introduce others to what I myself deem interesting and important. For a number of reasons my chosen field is literary translation therefore it is also a field, I can hope to make some difference. For example, I can advise my Armenian colleagues to pay attention to this or that work of Latvian literature which, to my mind, should be translated into Armenian. And, of course, I can also do something myself, i. e. introduce my fellow Latvian readers to this or that important literary work about Armenia and Armenians. I dont translate from Armenian which is why I have always looked for Armenian writers who write in other languages. There are many such authors, Narine Abgaryan and Chris Bohjalian are just two good examples. As for the Austrian writer Franz Werfel his Musa Dagh is an absolutely classic work which often and quite fittingly has been called his Armenian epos. I am very delighted and very grateful that I was given the chance to translate it. Ilva Skulte Now a very spring-like question. The novel begins with a contemplative episode on the mountaintop. Gabriel Bagradyan, one of the main characters, has returned to his ancestral home after years abroad and looks at the seemingly peaceful landscape. The background, however, is ever-present and increasing dread. Fear can be fought off if one chooses so but one can hardly hope to fully overcome it. There is no information and therefore no clear understanding. The enlightened rationality of a European mind commands one to think in terms of cause and effect, to trust that events will unfold in a predictable and civilized way The author masterfully describes every characters emotions, psychological mechanisms, and later also transformations of human relationships. Nowadays, we can perhaps better understand such feelings even if the context differs. How do people perceive a coming crisis which could eventually affect them? Does nature play a role in such times? How can the environment and place affect our emotions? Ilze Paegle-Mkrtcjana: I think your questions already encompass some answers. Yes, often we try to fight off fear and other unpleasant emotions choosing not to think about things that could very well happen. We try to ignore the possibility that we too could be affected by that slowly approaching but a dreadful threat. I'll think about that tomorrow. Tomorrow is another day, yes, sometimes we tend to think along these lines. Such was also my own first and largely unconscious reaction to the global pandemic and the very real chance that our corner of the world wont escape it either. Probably it is some kind of psychological defense mechanism And nature Yes, nature helps us relax, look around, and maybe transcend the given situation. In Werfels novel one can find several episodes where the author wonderfully describes how a persons feelings change and transform when that person turns to nature, looks at the starry sky above them just like Kant once did. Ilva Skulte: The novel has a somewhat mysterious title, at least it could be mysterious for most Latvian readers who might fail to grasp what exactly is Musa Dagh. Should this place name evoke some biblical allusions, e.g. with the mountain of Moses, with forty years in the desert, etc? Can you tell us more about the history of the mountain and its symbolic meaning? Ilze Paegle-Mkrtcjana: At first, I would like to emphasize that we all who worked on this project realized that the books title in Latvian was going to be problematic. Several options were considered. Should we translate the toponym so that it would become the mountain of Moses? Should we alter the title of the novel so that it would become, say, Forty days on Musa Dagh thus helping the potential readers imagine what the book could be about? What is more, the etymology of the toponym Musa Dagh is not clear it could have initially meant the mountain of Moses, the mountain of Muses or maybe it was named so in honor of some local hero Musa. Unfortunately, nowadays nobody can tell with absolute certainty which etymology is correct. Werfel, of course, wanted to emphasize the biblical associations Moses, the forty years in exile, forty days in the desert, or however one wants to interpret the deeper symbolic meaning of this novels title. Thus the Latvian edition acquired its title which may be slightly mystical or mysterious and allows plenty of interpretation. Ilva Skulte: Many other toponyms in Werfels novel evoke turbulent times and events in the relatively recent past. What exactly did take place in Turkeys inland provinces during World War I? Ilze Paegle-Mkrtcjana: Exactly what is described in the novel, up to the tiniest details. When I first started to contemplate this project I already knew that one of my tasks would be research - in order to understand what is definitely fiction and what might perhaps be closer to non-fiction in this novel. I was looking for and reading sources about events in Zeytun, Marash, Yoghonoluk, and many other places mentioned in Musa Dagh. Of course, the selection was somehow limited because only sources known to the author could be used. And what did I discover? Werfel who had very painstakingly and for a long time studied all available literature and sources on the Armenian community in the Ottoman Empire and especially on the Armenian Genocide, which began but by no means ended in 1915, has incorporated in the text of his novel lengthy quotes from eyewitnesses accounts, letters, and other documents. Sometimes they are quite substantial fragments, studiously reproduced and with minimal alterations. It was an amazing discovery which also helped to understand some other things too. For example, I can say with the utmost certainty that Musa Dagh is one of those historical novels which can be called almost perfect. The imagination of the author and the known accounts of the events are ideally balanced. So ideally that sometimes even curious things might happen. I happened to read an article written by a retired American officer, a military historian who certainly couldnt be accused of pro-Armenian bias. Well, in this article he concludes that battles and skirmishes around Musa Dagh described in Werfels novel correspond quite beautifully with official reports written by Ottoman military men who were involved in them in reality. Ilva Skulte: Is this particular theme popular in Armenian literature? I mean, Armenian Genocide and events around Musa Dagh? Are there any interesting literary works published recently? Any differences in interpretation from what Werfel wrote more than 80 years ago, before World War II? Ilze Paegle-Mkrtcjana: Yes, of course. There is a vast segment of literature about the 1915 Genocide. For Armenians, the Genocide is a historic trauma of such dimensions that one cannot even begin to imagine. More than a million people were killed and perished, what is more, the Armenians lost most of their historic homeland where they had been living for hundreds, even for thousands of years. Many of those who survived went into exile nowadays, one can find Armenian diaspora almost in any given country and many of these people will tell you that their ancestors went into exile after 1915. Literature, i.e. multiple genres of fiction and non-fiction tries to reflect upon this tragedy but it is by no means easy. In Armenian literature this theme started to appear relatively recently - people needed time to be able to speak about such experience. Or about the experiences of their ancestors. Nowadays there is a number of literary works that touch upon the theme of the Armenian Genocide and most of them have been written since the second half of the 20th century. Some are good or very good, some are perhaps not quite excellent. It is interesting to note that recently this theme appears also in Turkish and Kurdish literature. Armenian-language works have been analyzed by Rubina Peroomian (UCLA) who has written an excellent monograph about this subject. There are also articles about literary works written in other languages. But even in this context, Werfels novel The Forty Days of Musa Dagh is unique. First of all, it was the first major novel that focused exclusively on the Armenian Genocide. Secondly, the novel wasnt written by an ethnic Armenian but by an Austrian writer of Jewish origin who was able to feel the pain of people not his own. And, thirdly, the novel is quite unique because its main focus is not the tragedy of victims but an episode of armed resistance. Such episodes in 1915 were very unusual, therefore Werfels choice of the subject is even more admirable. Ilva Skulte: How is Werfels novel perceived in Armenia? In Austria, Germany, other countries? Ilze Paegle-Mkrtcjana: This is an excellent question which relates to the recent discussion about the so-called cultural appropriation or, more precisely, how permissible it is. You know, of course, that one of the most radical approaches demands that we write only about things we know inside and out. It would be ideal if we belonged to the culture in question and would have experienced everything we write about otherwise we can botch up everything. But Werfel, who wasnt Armenian, describes events he didnt participate in, events that had happened in faraway places he never visited. For such audacity Werfel was bitterly reproached by a fellow writer Armin Wegner, an eyewitness of Genocide, who like many modern writers was a staunch defender of the above mentioned thesis one may not write about things one hasnt experienced because it is impossible to understand them in depth. Well, it is interesting to note that Armenians never found any fault with Werfels work. Partly because even the details in Musa Dagh seem so authentic that even professionals in the field of history, not to mention laymen, can hardly find any inaccuracies. In Armenia Werfels novel has achieved an iconic status. It is not only a testimony about Genocide, but a very reliable, believable and very powerful testimony. As for German-speaking world, Werfel always has been and still remains a highly respected classic whose work still has its own devoted readership. Ilva Skulte: Translation can be tricky if one has to deal with a text that describes different culture in different times. What was your biggest challenge? I myself noticed the rather strange usage of the word race. I can imagine where it comes from but how do you think should the Latvian readers perceive race or maybe racism in the context of this particular novel? Ilze Paegle-Mkrtcjana: Oh, these are problems and challenges I could speak about for hours! Translating literary works written, say, fifty or more years ago, one always has to solve one specific problem. Namely, how far can we go in modernizing the text? Of course, a certain degree of modernization is inevitable every translation is an interpretation authored by a person who has a different cultural background and more often than not lives in another, different time. Nevertheless, there is also the line that we probably shouldnt cross. Recently, there was another discussion in English-speaking world - about the newest translations of Russian classics. There are many admirers of Tolstoy and Dostoevsky whose alpha and omega were the excellent translations by Constance Garnett published from the end of the 19th to the first half of the 20th century. And they just couldnt stomach the rather novel approach in the translations by Richard Pevear & Larissa Volokhonsky. As for my own humble endeavors, I tried to preserve the fragrance of the epoch which means I tried to keep intact terms and idioms characteristic for that epoch. One of such terms is race. When Werfel was writing Musa Dagh'' a substantial part of the world was half-crazed about everything related to race, racial differences, racial improvement or eugenics and so on. That is also the main reason why the Latvian readers of my translation will encounter such terms as Armenian race or warrior race, dominant race even if they might sound slightly strange to the modern ear. Race is, of course, only one example of words that in the course of time have acquired many semantic layers. There is e. g. such a nice little word as Fuhrer. The English translator had a relatively easy time with it I think because the word leader has the same neutral or even positive vibe as Fuhrer had before 1933. But the Latvian equivalent, i. e. vadonis just like the German original has acquired quite a negative ring to it now, what do we do with that? One cant simply ignore the multiple semantic layers therefore a different word or words must be found to adequately express the nuances of Werfels original meaning. And that was only one of many more similar problems. Ilva Skulte: One cant help but notice parallels and associations with biblical themes. How did you tackle this particular problem in your translation? Was it important? The knowledge of the Bible might constitute an additional difference between the first readers of Werfels novel and his modern audience Ilze Paegle-Mkrtcjana: It was a very important problem. Because Werfel, of course, intentionally uses all those biblical associations, allusions and quotes as well as references to the Greek epos, Sufi tradition and so on, so that the novel could acquire a monumental, mythical, timeless quality. Yes, the events described in it refer to a very concrete historical prototype but at the same time Werfels narrative is multi-layered and has a deep symbolic meaning. Probably, even the first readers of Musa Dagh were not perfectly equipped to read and decipher such difficult text but you are right in those times people were more knowledgeable in the Bible. Those Latvian readers who dont feel quite at home with all things religious can consult the commentary section where I have tried to explain things which, to my mind, were especially important. Ilva Skulte: Speaking about religion and the role which missionaries and other activists affiliated with this or that creed played in relief work for Armenians how would you characterize it? Ilze Paegle-Mkrtcjana: Werfel was fascinated by all religions, especially by Christianity. He was one of those who some time ago were referred to as seekers of God in every religion, in every creed he saw something worthy, something existentially important. In Musa Dagh there are episodes devoted to lengthy discussions about this or that religious teaching, its advantages and disadvantages and its place in the modern world. And, yes, religious humanism was definitely one of Werfels ideals. In his novel we meet two Protestant pastors, one priest of Armenian Apostolic church, two important representatives of Sufi tradition as well as the righteous from the people, e.g. a Turkmen who is a devout Muslim. Nevertheless, premature conclusions should be avoided. E. g. Gabriel Bagradyan, one of the main characters in Musa Dagh, whose life has unmistakable parallels with that of Moses, is not particularly interested in the mystical side of religion even if he is very dexterous in employing its ideological qualities. I would say that for Werfel the emphasis lies on humanism, not religion. There is an episode in Musa Dagh where the face of absolute godlessness is revealed and this face doesnt belong to a godless person in the customary sense of the word, it belongs to a mass murderer who knows no empathy, no compassion and no mercy. Ilva Skulte: Would you agree that the sheer monumentality of the novel betrays the authors ambition to create a symbolic narrative, a myth or maybe a dithyramb something that could serve as a nationally uplifting force? The characters, on the other hand, are drawn very carefully, they are psychologically nuanced and therefore somehow discordant with the logic of the epic genre. How would you characterize the main goal of the author? Ilze Paegle-Mkrtcjana: Well, everything here is very much ambivalent I am afraid. First of all, I think that any flag-waving is ironically frowned upon by Werfel and that only in the best case. Mostly, he fervently condemns jingoism which more often than not serves as some kind of tattered theatrical background of very real atrocities.Let us take as an example just one episode of Musa Dagh. The German pastor Lepsius comes to Constantinople hoping to appeal to the highest authorities on behalf of the deported Armenians. It goes without saying that his appeal is not heard favorably. He is told in no uncertain terms that inconvenient minorities amply deserve everything that might happen to them. And at the same time the city of Constantinople rapturously celebrates some national jubilee it is a barbarically resplendent background to all the deportations, massacres and atrocities going on in the inland provinces.If we try to interpret Musa Dagh as some kind of heroic or epic narrative then we must admit that it is a rather unusual example of the genre. It is possible to look for parallels with Homers Iliad but then one cant help but see that the authors attention is focused on the besieged Troy and Troyans, not the heroic Achaeans. I would say that Musa Dagh is a story about involuntary heroes, a chronicle of the rebellion of the doomed.There is something else, too. It is true that Werfels novel has some very solemn and tragically beautiful episodes but as many more deal with monotonous everyday life which lacks any traces of heroism. The combination of timeless tragedy and everyday drudgery, to my mind, is very characteristic for, e.g. Tolstoys War and Peace but one can hardly find that particular feature in the classic epic poems. Ilva Skulte: The characters of the novel suddenly find themselves on the crossroads of history. They hesitate, they wait and then they part ways taking separate paths. It seems a rather strange choice in our globalized world. How would you interpret it? Ilze Paegle-Mkrtcjana: I would say that it is a very modern appeal: we should respect the choice of others. In one of the most important episodes of Musa Dagh the majority of Armenian villagers decide to fight for their lives while some of them decide to obey the deportation orders issued by the authorities. Some young hotheads mock those who comply with the orders but the wise priest Ter-Haigasun indignantly forbids any mockery. I think this episode is very significant. It is wrong to think that at some decisive moment anybody, a person or a group, can have all the right answers and therefore the moral right to condemn others.Nobody can divine what the future holds. People are desperately searching for answers and often there is no guarantee that the right answer has been found. And that is exactly why mutual respect and acceptance of different choices are necessary prerequisites of civilized co-existence, especially in times of crisis. With one important caveat ones choice should not imperil the lives or well-being of others. Ilva Skulte: Is there anything else you would like to emphasize perhaps some important message for the Musa Dagh readers in Latvia (not Germany, Austria, Russia etc.)? Ilze Paegle-Mkrtcjana: I think that the readers in Latvia who have very recently started to reflect on the historic trauma of their own country, nation, or family shouldnt forget that there are other countries and other peoples that have had very similar experiences.There are Armenians and Jews, of course, but also Russians, Ukrainians as well as people in China, Cambodia and Rwanda Unfortunately, this list could go on and on because the 20th century didnt hesitate in providing traumatic experience to nations, groups and individuals And I firmly believe that we should read, think and speak about these tragedies regardless of how difficult and emotionally taxing it is. It could help us understand how similar we are and how similar can be our behavior in this or that situation. Christians battling porn amid COVID-19 pandemic need more than Jesus, Josh McDowell says Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Christians struggling with porn are going to need more than Jesus to get over their addiction, and that's no heresy, says apologist and author Josh McDowell. "Porn is by far the greatest cancer ever to the church," McDowell said in an interview with The Christian Post, noting that the problem is particularly relevant given the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. "It is right at this moment destroying more churches, more pastors, more marriages, more people's lives, more relationships than any one thing has ever done simultaneously in history," he stressed. Fueled by the 24/7 accessibility of the internet, the porn scourge is worsening at the moment, he said, in light of how everyone is staying indoors and increasingly isolated because of the coronavirus outbreak. The author elaborated that when the pandemic passes, there will be an explosion of porn addiction because of the increased exposure, but far too many pastors will not address the issue because of shame, fear of exposure and fear of ignorance. "If pastors do not rise up and address this issue, then we are pretty well spinning our wheels in so many areas," McDowell said. But they are going to need more than Jesus to get through addiction. "I put it this way: When it comes to porn and most things in your life, you need more than Jesus. And oh, that just irritates some Christians because they don't know the Bible. "I need more than Jesus, you need more than Jesus. We all do. Why? When it comes to my salvation, all I need is Jesus, not Jesus plus works or this or that or church. He paid the entire price." He continued, "But we need the church, the Body of Christ. In the New American Standard version, 161 times the phrase 'one another' is used. And 30-some times it says 'each other.' I believe that 98 percent of people who start watching and become addicted to porn will not make it out [of the addiction] without others around them." McDowell added that he also expects a greater need for professional counseling after this pandemic passes. "Don't hesitate to get professional help. That doesn't mean going to the church and meeting with someone who will counsel you. You need a professional person to walk you through this, and you realize that it's not going to happen overnight." He believes that for the average person who gets ensnared in porn, it takes around three to four years to break its grip in light of how it rewires the brain. In recent years, the Christian apologist has dedicated a considerable amount of time and use of his platform to address the pornography scourge. At a May 2017 gathering a the National Center on Sexual Exploitation in Washington, D.C., he urged parents to begin talking to children about the dangers of pornography when they are 5 years old. Former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull wished a woman's father a happy 60th birthday before encouraging him to buy her some 'Louis Vuitton'. Public relations worker Sabrina Damiano was walking with her friend along the Bondi to Bronte walk on Thursday when she spotted the former Coalition leader. She asked him to wish her father a happy birthday as a surprise as she couldn't be with him over the weekend to celebrate due to coronavirus rules. 'Happy birthday Angelo,' Mr Turnbull, who was dressed in a blue button up shirt and grey slacks, said. Public relations worker Sabrina Damiano (pictured) was walking with her friend along the Bondi to Bronte walk on Thursday when she spotted the former Coalition leader 'Tell him to buy me a Louis Vuitton,' Ms Damiano joked with Mr Turnbull. The former politician laughed and asked for her name once again before continuing the video. 'Happy birthday Angelo, and you should buy Sabrina some Louis Vuitton,' he laughed. Ms Damiano said Mr Turnbull was 'lovely and kind' when he agreed to record the video. She told Daily Mail Australia she was walking with a friend when she noticed a nice Mercedes pull up and recognised the man driving as the former prime minister. 'I am very loud so I said to my friend "Oh my God is That Malcolm Turnbull" and he looked at us, took off his sunglasses and said "yes, yes it is!",' she said. 'I was so excited I ran up to the car and he puts an arm out saying "woah, woah social distance there" and I told him I just brought his book the day before and showed him a photo of the book.' Ms Damiano said she got chatting with Mr Turnbull and explained it was her dad's birthday on Monday but she couldn't see him so she was putting together a video of friends, family and celebrities she knew through work wishing him a happy birthday. 'I asked if he could do one and he was so lovely and kind and obliged,' she said. Ms Damiano asked Mr Turnbull (pictured) to wish her father a happy birthday as a surprise as she couldn't be with him over the weekend to celebrate due to coronavirus rules 'Then I mentioned the Louis Vuitton, which is a running joke with my dad, and he did it! He was a such a lovely man! And Im a Labor supporter!' Ms Damiano revealed her father hasn't purchased her the Louis Vuitton bag yet - but she joked that she was now his favourite child. She said she has received more than 100 messages about the video, which she shared to Instagram. 'The most iconic video ever,' one social media user commented on the clip. Another said: 'Oh my gosh I love this!' A third said they found the video absolutely hilarious. Ms Damiano said Mr Turnbull was 'lovely and kind' when he agreed to record the video Australia's 29th Prime Minister released his new book, A Bigger Picture, which focuses on his time in office and his thoughts on other members of the Liberal party last week. The new tell-all book was leaked ahead of its April 20 release - while Mr Turnbull appeared on ABC's 7.30 to promote the book. In 2015, Mr Turnbull deposed Tony Abbott as PM before winning an election the following year. But Mr Turnbull was himself dumped in a leadership spill in 2018, making way for Scott Morrison, who then had to campaign for a federal election just months later, before winning one Australia's greatest ever political upsets. But in his memoir Mr Turnbull said Mr Morrison should never have won. Hello, scientific community around the world who are trying to find the origins of the COVID-19 outbreak that is wreaking havoc around the world, you can take some rest. Because a Pakistani cleric has already found it. Don't Miss: Contribute To Indiatimes Fundraiser To Help India Fight COVID-19 It is the women and their wrongdoings! Maulana Tariq Jameel a well-known Pakistani cleric has claimed that COVID-19 has been unleashed on humanity because of the 'wrongdoing of women.' SCREENGRAB During a televised prayer, the maulana condemned women for dancing and for how they dress, saying these immodest actions have brought the Almightys wrath upon the country, Dawn News reported. The worst part of the cleric's absurd comments is that he made it in the presence of Prime Minister Imran Khan on live television who did not stop him or question him for making such statements. Jameel also condemned media for disseminating lies but later apologised for that remarks. No such apology was made for his offensive remarks on women. Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has chided the maulana for "inexplicably" correlating women's 'modesty' to the COVID-19 pandemic. "HRCP is appalled at Maulana Tariq Jamil's recent statement inexplicably correlating women's 'modesty' to the Covid19 pandemic. Such blatant objectification is unacceptable and, when aired on public television, only compounds the misogyny entrenched in society," the body tweeted. YOUTUBE Nida Aly, director of the Asma Jahangir Legal Aid cell (AGHS), said Pakistan had seen a rise in the cases of violence against women, and extreme situations, including honour crimes, domestic violence, assault and abuse of women. She said while women under lockdown needed security from the community, the government trotted out Tariq Jameel on a broadly televised programme who not just objectified women but declared them and their individualist actions to bring the wrath of God and punishment in the form of Covid-19." Incidentally, Tariq Jameel is not the first to claim that divine wart was the cause of COVID-19. firebrand Iraqi Shiite cleric leader Muqtada al-Sadr on Saturday said that legalization of same-sex marriage caused the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. One of the most appalling things that have caused this epidemic is the legalization of same-sex marriage, Sadr tweeted, adding, Hence, I call on all governments to repeal this law immediately and without any hesitation. AFP An ultra-orthodox Jewish Rabbi, Meir Mazuzhad also made similar claims and said that. A pride parade is a parade against nature, and when someone goes against nature, the one who created nature takes revenge on him." Back home in India, the Hindu Mahasbha had claimed that the virus was an ''avatar'' to punish non vegetarians. "Corona is not a virus, but avatar for the protection of poor creatures. they have come to give the message of death and punishment to the one who eats them," Swami Chakrapani, the National President of All India Hindu Mahasabha had said. A scene from the new action film Extraction, has been wittily used by the Mumbai Polices Twitter account to make a point about obeying laws during the ongoing lockdown. In the scene, Chris Hemsworths character, Tyler Rake, demands proof from a few Bangladeshi gangsters, in Bangla. He says, Proman dao (give me proof), in the scene. The Mumbai Police tweeted a screengrab from scene on Monday, and wrote, Make sure you always have one before you leave home because - Hum negotiate NAHI karenge. Make sure you always have one before you leave home because - Hum negotiate 'NAHI' karenge. #LockdownMandates #PromanDao pic.twitter.com/GovCmVFWNo Mumbai Police (@MumbaiPolice) April 27, 2020 In the scene, Tyler Rake, a mercenary, demands proof that the child he is supposed to rescue is alive. He refuses to indulge the kidnappers until they give him proof, and says Proman dao, several times. Also read: Extraction review: Breakneck and bonkers, Chris Hemsworths Netflix film is the shot of adrenaline we need right now The film, released on Netflix on April 24, was shot predominantly in Indian cities such as Mumbai and Ahmedabad, which doubled for Dhaka, Bangladesh. The film also features Indian actors such as Randeep Hooda, Priyanshu Painyulli, Pankaj Tripathi and newcomer Rudhraksh Jaiswal. Directed by Sam Hargrave, Extraction has received mixed-to-positive reviews from critics, and has a score of 62% on the review aggregator site, Rotten Tomatoes. While the films action and the performances of Hemsworth and Hooda have been praised, Joe Russos screenplay has been criticised for being predictable and thin. Follow @htshowbiz for more How the Coronavirus pandemic has sparked anti-Semitic conspiracy theories By Fiamma Nirenstein Its easy to see how the Coronavirus pandemic has sparked anti-Semitic conspiracy theories. They are a part of the classical paradigm, and the Jews have again become what the Italian writer Alessandro Manzoni called the plague spreaders of 1630. This has happened every time there has been a plague, as, for example, the Black Death which swept through the Middle East and Europe in the years 1346-1353. Then the Jews were blamed as they are today for COVID-19 for these outbreaks, but it could have been syphilis, tuberculosis or parasites. The bibliography is vast. The late scholar of anti-Semitism Robert S. Wistrich outlined the conspiracy theories existing within the Arab world to include theft, rape, the slaughter of Gentiles and an alleged secret coalition of Jews and Freemasons seeking world domination, like the Elders of Zion. Today, however, those accusations are now directed at Israel. Doctors, soldiers and nurses who fly across the globe to help during emergencies such as earthquakes, tsunamis and cyclones are described as vampires who go with the purpose of stealing human organs for profit. I myself recall Hillary Clinton being totally shocked during her first visit to Gaza when Suha Arafat told her that the Jews were poisoning wells. Another example, among many, is when Mahmoud Abbas said that Israeli rabbis were telling settlers to do the same, and he received a standing ovation at the EU Assembly. It is my opinion that such accusations can have dire political consequences and must be fought politically. The accusations coming from the PA are that Israel is spreading COVID-19 and refusing to explain to the Palestinians how to fight it, even though Israeli hospitals invited Palestinian doctors, including those from Gaza, to brief them about preventive measures. Their accusations are manifold. Israelis, they say, are sending Palestinian workers back to the territories in order to spark a massive surge in infections and are intentionally infecting Palestinian prisoners and even children. A more abstract but sensitive accusation, is that the pandemic is Allahs answer to Trumps recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Such accusations are not an academic exercise in anti-Semitism, but rather part and parcel of an elaborate campaign to delegitimize Israel. The State of Israel lies at the heart of this anti-Semitism. We see here that even the most traditional demonization, with its blood libels and age-old anti-Semitic tropes, finds expression in the modern Israel-centered narrative. It even connects with the concept that lies at the core of the BDS movements sophisticated political machine, which legitimizes its intention of eliminating Israel while presenting itself as a defender of human rights. Social media and other platforms are used in order to spew their poisonous banter all in the name of freedom of speech. Its rhetoric continues to include the territories and settlers, which have always been at the center of the effort to delegitimize the State of Israel. The Palestinian Authoritys spokesperson, Ibrahim Milhem, said, Israel is not exporting the virus to the Palestinians, but they are agents of this epidemic, which is called the occupation. Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh not only has insisted upon this lie, but has also accused settlers and has claimed that Israeli soldiers are trying to spread the virus by spitting on the door handles of cars driven by Palestinians. So, we have the settlers and the IDF as poisoners, and Israel in its essence as the bad guy, according to the Palestinian narrative. The Jewish state is politically and officially the protagonist in the conspiracy theories. The underlying message is a populist invitation to stick to the false message that the imperialist occupying State of Israel which represents perfidy, corruption, and the imperialism of the Jewish people is responsible for all of the worlds ills and plays upon them in order to seek dominance. It is the idea that Israel is a regime of occupation (discussed by Asa Kasher in the volume Israelophobia and the West edited by Dan Diker) that invites these negative views. It expresses a negative opinion from a moral, religious, or ethical perspective, affirms a discriminatory attitude in historical perspective, and refuses any comparative view. There is no legitimate criticism here because, first of all, it is based on lies, and secondly, because it uses the idea of occupation incorrectly, without engaging in any historical truth. Therefore, it promotes not only mythological anti-Semitism, but also politically motivated anti-Israel actions. Take the following prime example: Nickolay Mladenov, UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, during a session in which he praised the actions of Israel in helping the PA to fight COVID-19, underlined, out of the blue, that not unilateral action (namely, the annexation that the U.S. peace plan foresees) but cooperation is needed to fight the virus. Yet there is no connection between the two. Just because someone underlines the need of helping Palestinians, they need not automatically adhere to the Palestinians narrative. This appears to be a political by-product of the coronavirus campaign. There have been numerous other cases of anti-Semitism in recent weeks that have not failed to mention Israel, including in France and Germany. Iran has accused the U.S. and Israel of spreading the virus and so, too, have Palestinian newspapers such as Al Quds based in east Jerusalem and Al-Hayat al-Jadida the official daily of the Palestinian Authority which on March 16 published a cartoon depicting the coronavirus as a large tank pursuing a Palestinian carrying an infant. This is todays anti-Semitism, even if conspiracy theories about Jews belong to the deep history of anti-Semitism, and this reservoir of stereotypes and mendacities belongs both to the right and to the left. However, there is a difference in their degree of danger, and therefore in the scale of priorities for learning how to fight anti-Semitism. Nobody in the civilized world will agree not governmental institutions, those in relevant positions of power, the media, or international institutions with the thesis that the Jews spread coronavirus for their own interests. This is condemned as a shameful expression of fascist or Nazi anti-Semitism and there is never consensus by democracies on the neo-Nazi theories of racial difference. The purely archeological, disgusting, Nazi anti-Semitic expressions will be condemned and rejected by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Emmanuel Macron, President of the Italian Republic Sergio Mattarella, and others, and eventually be removed from social media. Nowadays there is a sophisticated way to perpetuate anti-Semitism through clever propaganda against the Jewish people in its most important expression the State of Israel. Anti-Semitism becomes dangerous when it becomes an organizing principle of society, an ideological thorn that intersects with basic issues which leaders and relevant groups of people consider important. The idea that COVID-19 is spread by the Jews is in itself old, obsolete, and easy to counteract because no one who holds public responsibility will share it. Nobody, including Western leaders or those inside institutions such as the EU or UN, as well as the media, will share it. They will condemn it. But when more reasonable arguments are presented alongside it, for example, when the idea that infection is connected to occupation, then it may be translated into more responsible political language. By suggesting that the occupation brings bad consequences, a bad economy and poor hygienic conditions in Gaza, among the political or the intellectual classes you can hear that the Jews are not directly responsible for spreading the infection but that today the Palestinians are endangered by it. They suffer because they never had the opportunity of organizing, basically, in a word, because they are oppressed like so many other sectors of the international community. Here, the aim is basically a moral delegitimization of the State of Israel, and it will reverberate throughout international Jewry. Palestinian Media Watch shows us that the war around COVID-19 in the Palestinian media is closely connected with delegitimization of the existence of the State of Israel itself. You can see the PA map of Palestine covering all of Israel as Palestine, and a man in a medical gown and hood wearing a mask and gloves embracing Palestine. The accompanying text says, Stay at home so you can protect the homeland. Now, classic anti-Semites throughout the world can flood social media accusing the Jews of having spread the virus, as did the Austrian right-wing extremist Martin Sellner who accused George Soros of spreading the virus. This will not go undetected and uncondemned like other anti-Semitic neo-fascist attacks. Yet the accusations bring back the basic issues of illegal occupation racism, apartheid, colonization, and ethnic cleansing, which are spreading widely. These charges can become effective and dangerous, and throw a shadow on the morality of all Jews. The EU is certainly right when it helps the PA combat COVID-19. It did well to give millions of euros. But why does it not make this aid conditional on stopping the most vulgar forms of anti-Semitism? Anti-Semitism is certainly a major topic of discussion in Europe today, so why hasnt the EU addressed the Palestinian and the Iranian regimes insistence on blaming the Jews for COVID-19? When discussing the virus in Iran, why has it not thought about the possibility of readdressing its sanctions against the country in exchange for aid? In a recent letter, EU representative to the Palestinian territories Sven Kuhn von Burgsdoff again cites the occupation as being responsible for the PAs poor performance, even if in a less harsh tone. As conspiracy theories grow, they pose a danger to both the State of Israel and to the Jewish people as a whole. Action, therefore, must be political, by identifying those responsible, and hitting them with laws and consequences, despite the Coronavirus pandemic. It has never been so clear that anti-Semitism, according to the three Ds definition, is present in this new form of delegitimization. There is nothing legitimate in blaming Israel for COVID-19. It is anti-Semitism pure and simple, and in order to fight it we must identify it more than ever with the fight against anti-Israel slander, which dominates public discourse. Therefore, when the intention of combating anti-Semitism is real, and institutions have a real intent to stop it, International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of anti-Semitism is certainly useful, but it has to be used as a weapon and not as a prayer, just as Trumps executive order does. Funds and help cannot be distributed among dangerous, active anti-Semites even if we want and we do want to help them fight against the virus. They can be stopped. This new anti-Semitism threatens the life of the State of Israel itself. It undermines not only Israels national security, but also the international support it needs in order to ensure its political, economic, and military freedom. The first threat is to the national nature of Zionism, to its necessity, and puts into question the very existence of Israel. The second is to the political, economic and military freedoms it needs in order to defend itself. Israels national security can be compromised by the never-ending campaign about occupied Palestinian territory. We have a strong example of that in UN Security Council Resolution 2334, which determined that the Western Wall, among other sites, is in occupied Palestinian territory. The wide spread of anti-Israel/anti-Semitic politics that connects to the delegitimization of Israel brings anti-Semitism inside the institutions, as happened with Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, who tweeted: Israel has hypnotized the world, may Allah awaken the people and help them see the evil doings of Israel. She has never paid a price for this. Those who maintain that they are not anti-Semites must state clearly that they are not anti-Zionist. Most of the European states that have adhered to the IHRA have not adopted the part related to anti-Zionism as condemnable anti-Semitism, in the name of the right to free speech. Therefore, there are no excuses tied to the confusion and fear of COVID-19. The Jewish people can again be delegitimized and considered deplorable in the name of the virus. This includes questioning its right to a state, and moreover, its self-defense. The consequences of pandemics must never be undervalued. An epidemic can change the course of history, bringing with it the devastation of broad social, scientific, economic and strategic changes. It has already happened in the 14th, 17th, 19th and 20th centuries. It is worth it today to invest in countering its effect on anti-Semitism as anti-Zionism. Journalist Fiamma Nirenstein was a member of the Italian Parliament (2008-2013) where she served as Vice President of the Committee on Foreign Affairs in the Chamber of Deputies, served in the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, and established and chaired the Committee for the Inquiry into Anti-Semitism. A founding member of the international Friends of Israel Initiative, she is the author of 13 books, including Israel Is Us (2009). She is a Fellow at the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs. Home Bengaluru, April 27 : Karnataka registered eight new COVID-19 positive cases in the past 19 hours, raising the state's tally to 511. "Till date, 511 Corona positive cases have been confirmed. This includes 19 deaths and 188 discharges," said a health official. Six Covid-19 patients got discharged, with total discharges rising from 182 to 188. Among the eight new cases, five are men and three women, including a 13 year old boy. Of the eight new cases, five are contacts of earlier cases while the boy is suffering from Influenza Like Illness (ILI). Among the new cases, Dakshina Kannada, Jamkhandi, Bagalkote and Vijayapura contributed two cases each and Bengaluru Urban and Nagamangala, Mandya, one each. The health department said that the 466th positive case, a 50-year-old man from Bengaluru, who committed suicide on Monday morning has died of a non-Covid cause. "Patient (466) died on Monday with non-Covid cause," said the morning medical bulletin. According to the health department, the 50-year-old man was admitted in the Victoria hospital on Friday with history of Pneumonia, hypertension, HCV positive and chronic kidney disease with regular dialysis. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Shopping Angels, an organization providing free delivery services to people who are at a greater risk of becoming severely sick from COVID-19, is looking for North Dakota volunteers. University of Nevada, Reno premedical student Jayde Powell founded the student-run group last month. It has since expanded to include more than 4,000 volunteers around the world and has completed more than 500 deliveries, according to its website at shoppingangelsglobal.org. "We recommend this program because it's especially heartbreaking hearing about the development of this pandemic and how much it has affected the entire world," said Shopping Angels North Dakota State Coordinator Angela Faith, a sophomore premed student at the same university. "To me personally, I really wanted to help somehow ease the fear, and this program is such an amazing way to give a helping hand." Shopping Angels is establishing a North Dakota branch as part of its goal to serve people in all 50 states. As of Friday, 14 North Dakotans had signed up, including one in Bismarck. Most volunteers are based in Fargo, Faith said. Eight North Dakota residents also had signed up to receive services, including senior citizens, parents of infants who were advised by doctors to self-isolate and people with heart, lung or immune conditions. People who would like to request services can sign up by filling out a form on the Shopping Angels website. Anyone interested in volunteering also can apply on the website. Volunteers who are under 18 have to agree that they will be accompanied by a guardian. Volunteers must not have traveled outside the country since March, and they must not have been in contact with anyone who tested positive for the coronavirus disease. Volunteers are expected to wear masks and gloves at all times, Faith said. The organization also is asking volunteers not to enter clients' homes. Once Faith pairs a North Dakota volunteer with a client, the client will be asked to send the volunteer a shopping list. The volunteer will then go to the store, get the items on the list and leave them in front of the client's door. The client will be asked to leave cash for the volunteer to pick up, or to pay for the items through Venmo or PayPal. "It might take an hour or so of the volunteer's time, but for the person receiving the services, it means so much to them," Faith said. North Dakotans interested in getting involved also can join the "Shopping Angels North Dakota" Facebook group. Reach Andy Tsubasa Field at 701-250-8264 or andy.field@bismarcktribune.com. Concerned about COVID-19? Sign up now to get the most recent coronavirus headlines and other important local and national news sent to your email inbox daily. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Social distancing in public is just one of the rules to define lockdown during the coronavirus pandemic. (Oli Scarff/AFP) Britons fall into one of three types depending on their response to the coronavirus lockdown the accepter, the sufferer and the resister. Almost half of us have accepted the new way of life under lockdown rules, analysis by King's College London revealed. Around 48% of the UK classify themselves as accepters, while around 44% are suffering and 9% are resisting the changes. People aged 55 to 75 are the biggest proportion of accepters. Bobby Duffy, director of the Policy Institute at King's College London, who oversaw the team carrying out the research, said: "The large bulk of the population are fully behind the measures, but even within this group there are clear dividing lines between those who are coping pretty well and those who are really suffering. "Nearly all of this suffering group have felt more anxious and depressed, and six in ten are losing sleep." Those in the accepters group have the most confidence in the government's handling of the outbreak, said researchers, while the suffering are most likely to think Britain acted too slowly. Accepters are more likely to have voted Conservative and supported Brexit, and only 28% of them said they are potentially facing financial difficulties as a result of the lockdown the lowest of all the groups. Researchers found that 93% of people who admitted to suffering said they are following lockdown rules completely or most of the time, but the same percentage of them report feeling more anxious and depressed, with 64% of them losing sleep. Boris Johnson has returned to work three weeks after being admitted to intensive care suffering effects of coronavirus. (Reuters) Nearly two-thirds of respondents who said they were suffering were women. The survey of 2,250 adults, carried out by Ipsos Mori in early April, found young men are most likely to be in the resisting group. Latest coronavirus news, updates and advice Live: Follow all the latest updates from the UK and around the world Fact-checker: The number of COVID-19 cases in your local area 6 charts and maps that explain how coronavirus is spreading Around 58% of the resisting group think "too much fuss is being made about the risk of coronavirus", compared with only 14% of the nation as a whole. Story continues Just 49% of the resisting group say they are adhering to lockdown rules completely or nearly all of the time, and they are much less likely to follow official guidance such as staying two metres away from others outside. The resisters are more optimistic about Britain's financial recovery than any of the groups, with 33% of them expecting the economy to start growing again in three months or less, compared with just 11% of accepters and sufferers. Sunbathers flocked to parks and beauty spots at the weekend despite national lockdown rules imposed to stop the spread of COVID-19. (Tolga AKkmen/AFP via Getty Images) Lockdown measures were announced by the government on 23 March in a bid to slow the spread of the virus, with Britons told they could only leave their homes for basic necessities, exercising once a day, for a medical need, or for work if they could not work from home. Last week it was suggested that people could meet 10 friends and family members under new rules for lockdown. Coronavirus: what happened today This is the first picture of a girl, one, and boy, three, with 'the father who stabbed them to death' as they pose for a touching family photo with their parents - six months before they were killed in a 'murder-attempted suicide'. Nithin Kumar, 40, is in hospital under police guard with critical stab wounds after he allegedly stabbed his children to death. A family photo showing him with the youngsters at a birthday party emerged as he remains in a critical condition following the attack in Ilford, East London, on Sunday. Shop worker Nithin is said to have 'exploded' during lockdown and stabbed them at the family flat above a shop at 5.30pm on Sunday after finishing his shift at work. Neighbours told how his distraught wife Nisa ran into the street screaming from the couple's tiny flat following the brutal attack. Reshna Begum, who lives across the road from the family, said the mother of the stabbed children was screaming as though she had been tortured. 'I heard a woman screaming 'Help me',' she said. 'It sounded like she was being tortured. I knew something horrible must have happened, it went on for about 10 minutes.' The neighbour said she later saw medics carrying a 'little body' in a bag outside. She added: 'My heart just sank, it's devastating, horrific. From a mother's perspective ... I'm still shaken from it, I can't imagine what she feels at the moment.' The couple's daughter died at home as her son was rushed to hospital before dying in a major trauma centre. Nithin Kumar, 40, is pictured with his wife Nisa and their one-year-old daughter and three-year-old son who were both killed in the horrific incident in Ilford, east London Nithin Kumar (pictured) is in a critical condition in hospital after a one-year-old and three-year-old died last night Police officers stand at the scene in Ilford, East London, this morning - with a pram pictured between the two of them The heart-warming picture was taken at family birthday party around six months before Sunday's tragic events. Dressed in a traditional sari, Nisa lovingly clutches her young daughter while Mr Kumar tenderly holds onto his son. Mr Kumar, who is known as Nithi, worked in a shop near his home and returned home shortly before 4.30pm. Dressed in a green track suit top, he spent the day carrying out his normal duties attending to customers. Mr Kumar is of Sri Lankan origin, as is Nisa. The couple married in 2014 and were well known within the local community. His employer, Shanmugatha Thevadurai, 54 told MailOnline described Mr Kumar as a loving father who worked hard and was popular amongst regulars at the shop. He said : 'Everything was normal. Nithi was a wonderful man and a loyal worker. He opened the shop at 9am, worked a normal day and made me tea shortly before he left.' A friend of the family added: 'Nisa is devastated. She has lost her two beautiful children and she could also lose her husband because he is in a critical condition.' A woman left two cuddly bunnies along with a note to 'little angels' outside the children's home Pictured: Teddy bears in a window at the scene as police investigate the deaths of a three-year-old boy and one-year-old girl who were stabbed in an alleged attempted murder-suicide The pram is pictured at the scene in Ilford this morning following the death of two children from stab wounds Retired builder Thomas Dodds, 78, who lives close by, told of his horror as the incident unfolded in the borough of Redbridge. 'I could tell something awful had happened from the high pitched screaming. It sickens my heart, how could somebody do such a thing to a baby and a three-year-old child? They have no heart. 'There was lots of screaming and panicking and then it just stopped. A couple of years ago something similar happened up the street where a bloke stabbed his wife to death and hid in the shed. 'I was at home last night and I didn't realise what happened until three police cars turned up. Next thing, three big ambulances and three more small ones arrived.' Police, pictured at the scene today, are now conducting a murder investigation - but said all three people knew each other A passer-by who lives in the road said she heard someone 'screaming and screaming inside' before police turned up and officers went 'rushing in'. The resident, who gave her name as Angelina, said the woman was helped out by police and appeared to be Asian and in her 30s. She added: 'The air ambulance came and that's when I knew it was serious, that something nasty had happened. 'It has absolutely shook me, I couldn't sleep last night. I knew something terrible had happened but when it came out that two children had died, I was shaken.' A shopkeeper who lives above the scene said the father of two is of Sri Lankan origin and seemed 'normal.' Two small toy rabbits, one blue and one white and pink, were left at the scene with a note saying: 'Little angels, we are so sorry. Rest in Peace.' Pictured: The man who is recovering in hospital, Nithin Kumar, following the fatal stabbing of his two children Nithin Kumar worked at this shop in Ilford. He is currently in a critical condition in hospital Several neighbours said the man, woman and children were of Sri Lankan descent but none knew them by name. Neighbour Intisar Ahmed said they had lived there for around two years and that she saw a police officer take one of the injured children outside and try to save him with CPR. She said: 'I was so, so upset. I couldn't believe it, the baby on the floor and the policeman trying first aid. 'I saw them put him on the floor and it looks like they had taken the clothes off. I could hear the mother screaming.' One woman, who did not want to be named, said: 'A man and woman lived above the shops with their two children. 'They were happy smiley kids, they were only 12 months and three years old so you can imagine. They were just happy playful children. 'But the family kept themselves to themselves and they weren't seen out that often. They lived in the flat with the white teddy bears and the snowflakes in the windows.' Harshad Patel, 64, who lives above J + N newsagents, said: 'They are my neighbours. There was a mother, the father and two children. 'They came into my store occasionally and seemed like a normal family. They have a little baby girl and a three year old boy.' The shopkeeper added: 'They moved in around two, two and a half, years ago. He is Sri Lankan, but speaks a bit of English. He would come into the shop with his boy to buy milk and bread. He also came in sometimes with his baby. 'There was never anything suspicious. They looked like a nice family. He always said 'hello, how are you?' and the wife looked happy. She once came into my store when she was pregnant with the baby.' Harshad, who is originally from Uganda, explained that there are four flats behind the Vinayagan Stores newsagents and that the family lived on the ground floor. He added: 'I didn't hear anything. One of my relatives called me to say the police had put a cordon up and something was wrong. I lifted my store shutters to see and the police told me to go back inside. 'I saw the police officer enter the newsagents next door with the owner. I'm sad. They were our neighbours. How can you stab the children?' Redbridge Council leader Jas Athwal said last night: 'Earlier today there was an incident in Ilford. Two young children have passed away and an investigation is ongoing. 'My thoughts are with the family and wider community who are grieving this unspeakable tragedy. We ask that everyone please respects the family's privacy at this difficult time.' Police are pictured at the scene in Ilford last night following the shocking incident which left two children dead A police oficer stands next to a pram outside the scene in Ilford last night as detectives continue to investigate Redbridge Council leader Jas Athwal said last night that two young children had died and an 'investigation is ongoing' Ilford North Labour MP Wes Streeting last night confirmed that he had been in touch with Mayor Sadiq Khan about the tragic deaths The London Ambulance Service and London's Air Ambulance also attended the incident, and enquiries into the circumstances continue. A Scotland Yard spokesman said: 'Police were called at approximately 5.30pm on Sunday, April 26 following reports of a man and two children injured at a residential address in Aldborough Road North, Ilford. Police were called at 5.40pm yesterday to an address in Ilford, East London, to reports of a man and two youngsters injured. A spokesperson for the Met Polcie said: 'Officers, London Ambulance Service and London's Air Ambulance attended. A one-year-old girl was pronounced dead at the scene. A three-year-old boy was taken to hospital for treatment but subsequently died. 'A 40-year-old man has been taken hospital for treatment; condition awaits. All three suffered knife injuries. It is believed all parties involved are known to each other. 'At this early stage, police are not looking for anyone else in connection with this incident. Homicide detectives from Specialist Crime investigate. Enquiries into the circumstances continue.' The murder investigation was launched as Britain continues to be in lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic, with more than 20,000 people now dead from the infection in the country. Ilford North Labour MP Wes Streeting last night confirmed that he had been in touch with Mayor Sadiq Khan about the tragic deaths. The deaths came as Britain endured three other deaths from knife attacks across the country this weekend - while a 16-year-old boy was left fighting for his life in hospital. One case saw a man in his 20s stabbed to death in Newham, east London last night. Three other people were killed and one was left fighting for his life over the weekend. The fatal attacks were in Newham and Smethwick. A man was due to appear in court today charged with murder in Hackney. Two teenagers were stabbed in Solihull In the West Midlands, a 20-year-old man was killed and a 16-year-old boy was left fighting for his life after two separate knife attacks. Police arrested a 14-year-old boy on suspicion of attempted murder after two teenagers were stabbed in broad daylight on Chapelhouse Road in Solihull at around 2.40pm yesterday. Two hours later, a man was found with serious knife wounds following a second attack at the West Cross Shopping Centre in Smethwick. The air ambulance was called but the victim was pronounced dead before he could be taken on board. In another separate incident, a man was due to appear at Thames magistrates' court today charged with murder over the death of a man in Trinity Close, Hackney. The incident was said to have taken place at 12.25pm on Saturday. Romayne Husbands, 26, from east London, was arrested by homicide detectives, reports the Evening Standard. The victim in Smethwick had suffered knife injuries and the air ambulance was called but unfortunately the man was pronounced dead before he could be taken on board A 57-year-old head constable on Monday became the third personnel of Mumbai Police to die of the COVID-19 disease since Saturday, an official said. The head constable was undergoing treatment at KEM Hospital in Parel after several state-run facilities refused to admit him, another official claimed. He was attached with the Kurla traffic division. "He had first gone to Rajawadi Hospital in Ghatkopar on Friday after he felt feverish. Doctors there asked him to go to Kasturba Hospital, the main centre for communicable diseases. He was denied admission there and he then went to Nair Hospital which asked him to go to KEM Hospital," he claimed. When the head constable was once again asked to go back to Kasturba Hospital, senior inspector Vinod Randive of Kurla traffic division was alerted who got staff at KEM to admit the 57-year-old, the official said. "He tested positive on Friday. His is the third death in Mumbai police. A 57-year-old constable died on Saturday and another 53-year-old on Sunday," he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Captain Amarinder Singh Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has once again drawn the Centres attention to the critical needs of the state in the light of the unprecedented crisis and lockdown, while also urging the Union Home Minister to allow opening of small shops, businesses and industries in all areas except the containment zones, with full compliance of COVID prevention measures. In a letter sent to Home Minister Amit Shah, in response to the Centres request for a written submission of issues faced by the state, the Chief Minister has highlighted the pending issues that need the urgent attention of the Government of India, for reference and follow up. Advertisement Photo While nine Chief Ministers had been identified to speak at the Prime Ministers video conference today, those of other states, including Punjab, had been asked to send a written submission listing pending issues to the central government for consideration/follow-up action. Among the various state related issues pending for the Centres attention, Captain Amarinder listed release of Punjabs GST arrears of Rs 4386.37 crore, as well as a revenue deficit grant to meet the shortfall in revenue combined with need for higher expenditure on relief and healthcare to manage and contain COVID-19. File photoOther pending issues cited by the Chief Minister include bonus to farmers for staggered purchase of wheat, as well as direct cash assistance to daily industrial and agricultural labour including the migrant labour. Advertisement He also reiterated the states demand for assistance to MSMEs and Power Generation & Distribution companies by way of interest subvention, deferment of loans by commercial banks and reduction in GST on coal. These issues were of paramount importance and needed immediate attention, said Captain Amarinder, urging the Home Ministry to appreciate and ensure an early action on these issues for further effective management of COVID-19 as also to provide requisite relief to all those who are adversely affected by this crisis. Captain Amarinder Singh Advertisement In a detailed listing of the issues pending with the Government of India, the Chief Minister said a revenue grant for the next three months, with a flexibility to the states in spending as per local conditions, would help them tide over the acute fiscal crisis faced due to revenue shortfall. He also reiterated his suggestion that the 15th Finance Commission should review its report for the current year as situation has completely changed due to COVID-19. The 15th Finance Commission should recommend devolution of funds for 5-years beginning from 1.4,2021 (instead of 2020) onwards after factoring in the impact of the pandemic, he added. Captain Amarinder also urged the Centre to announce a special risk insurance of police personnel & sanitary workers engaged in fight against COVID. He further sought relief to Daily Wage Labour & Industrial Labour, in the form of provision of Universal Basic Income of Rs 6000 per month to industrial and migrant labourers who have lost their jobs/employment due to the pandemic crisis. Other key demands of the state government include: Payment of 15 days Unemployment Allowance per month for 3 months under MGNREGS to mitigate distress of rural poor; Allowing 10-days' wages under MGNREGS to small and marginal farmers to defray labour costs; and Allowing utilisation of 14th Finance Commission Grants by ULBs and PRIs for emergency relief including food and medicines for rural poor. Advertisement PhotoThe Chief Minister has also reiterated his demand for allowing allow use of 25% flexi funds under CSSs against COVID-19 and to enhance it to 50%, in addition to allowing contribution to CM Relief Fund as a fit charge under CSR on the lines of PM Relief Fund. The state has also sought Provision of Rs 729 crore for Quick Up-gradation of Health Infrastructure, as well as permission for setting up of Advanced Centre of Virology at New Chandigarh, with land to be provided by state free of cost. Other pending issues cited by the Chief Minister include sector-wise relief that the state government has been asking from the Centre to help alleviate the woes of various industries/segments. nortonrsx | Getty Images As a large portion of office workers do their jobs from home, virtual tools to help them connect with colleagues are becoming more popular than ever. From Zoom, to Google Hangouts, to Slack, employers are looking for the most efficient ways to maintain team unity and stay in touch during this time. Already used by more than 12 million people around the world every day, Slack is becoming even more valuable as stay-at-home orders drag on. With its easy-to-use interface and ability to send quick messages to individuals, groups or an entire organization, Slack is particularly helpful to remote teams, especially ones with many global offices. Its used by more than 600,000 organizations in 150 countries. New Delhi, April 27 : The University Grants Commission on Monday held a meeting to discuss a report submitted by a seven-member committee which has, among other things, recommended start of new academic session in universities and colleges from September. The UGC will issue necessary instructions to universities and colleges next week. Normally, this session starts in the month of July every year. Also discussed was a report by another experts committee on online education. UGC Secretary Prof Rajnish Jain said: "The meeting was held in the evening to thoroughly discuss the committee reports. Many UGC members have given their suggestions on the reports." Jain said: "After incorporating the suggestions offered by UGC members on the two panel reports, necessary instructions will be issued by the UGC soon." The seven-member committee was set up by the UGC so as to give recommendations on the start of the new academic calendar and conduct of higher education examinations across the country. Haryana Central University Vice Chancellor RC Kohar heads the UGC-appointed panel, with AC Pandey, Aditya Shastri and Raj Kumar as members. The panel in one of its recommendations suggested that the academic sessions be started two months late. Schools, colleges and universities across India have been shut since March 15. The expert panel pointed out that the examinations could not be held as per the earlier schedule due to the lockdown. So, it suggested, the examinations at the end of the course or semester should now be held in July. The UGC-appointed experts committee headed by IGNOU Vice Chancellor Nageshwar Rao on online education is in favour of adopting online examinations in view of the educational infrastructure, the diverse range of higher education institutions and local influences. Once the UGC gives the go-ahead to the recommendations, the government will have to adopt legal course of action to push back the last date of admissions to medical and technical institutions. In normal course, the last date for admissions to engineering institutions is August 15 and for medical colleges August 31. TORONTO, April 27, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- U3O8 Corp. (NEX: UWE.H), (U3O8 or the Company) reports that, further to the press release dated March 30, 2020, announcing that the Company would not be proceeding with the reverse takeover described in its March 2, 2020 press release, the Companys submission to TSX Venture Exchange for the lifting of the halt on trading of the Companys shares, has been accepted. Subject to final regulatory approval, trading of the Companys common shares will resume on the NEX on opening of the market today, April 27, 2020. Company will continue to evaluate acquisition opportunities and other business opportunities that may become available to it in the context of the market, and of a strengthening uranium price, with a view to completing a reactivation transaction in accordance with the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange. Due to The COVID-related lockdown in Argentina and Colombia that has severely impacted the Companys ability to complete its year-end audit, the Company announces that it will take full advantage of the extension of the deadline for filing its audited Financial Statements and Management Discussion and Analysis for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019 (the 2019 FS) available under the Ontario Securities Commission instrument Ontario Instrument 51-502, dated March 23, 2020. Under the extended deadline the Company has until May 14, 2020 to file the 2019 FS. About U3O8 Corp. U3O8 Corp. is focused on exploration and development of deposits of uranium and battery commodities in South America. Battery commodities that occur with uranium resources include vanadium, nickel, zinc and phosphate. The Companys mineral resources estimates were made in accordance with National Instrument 43-101, and are contained in the following deposits: Laguna Salada Deposit, Argentina a PEA shows this near surface, free-digging uranium - vanadium deposit has low production-cost potential; and a PEA shows this near surface, free-digging uranium - vanadium deposit has low production-cost potential; and Berlin Deposit, Colombia a PEA shows that Berlin also has low-cost uranium production potential due to revenue that would be generated from by-products of phosphate, vanadium, nickel, rare earths (yttrium and neodymium) and other metals that occur within the deposit. A PEA is preliminary in nature, it includes inferred mineral resources that are considered too speculative geologically to have the economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be categorized as mineral reserves, and there is no certainty that the preliminary economic assessment will be realized. The Company also owns approximately 39% of South American Silica, a private company with frac sand properties in Uruguay. For further information, please contact: Carolina Diaz at carolina@u3o8corp.com or phone (416) 868-1491 or Richard Spencer, President & CEO, U3O8 Corp., Tel: (647) 292-0225 richard@u3o8corp.com Forward-Looking Statements This news release includes certain forward looking statements related with the development plans, economic potential and growth targets of U3O8 Corps projects. Forward-looking statements consist of statements that are not purely historical, including statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions for the future, and include, but not limited to, statements with respect to: (a) the completion of a reactivation transaction; (b) the low-cost and near-term development of Laguna Salada, (c) the Laguna Salada and Berlin PEAs, (d) the potential of the Kurupung district in Guyana, (e) impact of the U- pgradeTM process on expected capital and operating expenditures, and (f) the price and market for uranium. These statements are based on assumptions, including that: (i) the ability to find a profitable undertaking or successfully conclude a purchase of such an undertaking at all or on terms which are commercially acceptable; (ii) actual results of our exploration, resource goals, metallurgical testing, economic studies and development activities will continue to be positive and proceed as planned, and assumptions in the Laguna Salada and Berlin PEAs prove to be accurate, (iii) a joint venture will be formed with the provincial petroleum and mining company on the Argentina project, (iv) requisite regulatory and governmental approvals will be received on a timely basis on terms acceptable to U3O8 Corp., (v) economic, political and industry market conditions will be favourable, and (vi) financial markets and the market for uranium will improve for junior resource companies in the short-term. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results, performance or developments to differ materially from those contained in such statements, including, but not limited to: (1) changes in general economic and financial market conditions, (2) changes in demand and prices for minerals, (3) the Companys ability to source commercially viable reactivation transactions and / or establish appropriate joint venture partnerships, (4) litigation, regulatory, and legislative developments, dependence on regulatory approvals, and changes in environmental compliance requirements, community support and the political and economic climate, (5) the inherent uncertainties and speculative nature associated with exploration results, resource estimates, potential resource growth, future metallurgical test results, changes in project parameters as plans evolve, (6) competitive developments, (7) availability of future financing, (8) the effects of COVID-19 on the business of the Company, including, without limitation, effects of COVID-19 on capital markets, commodity prices, labour regulations, supply chain disruptions and domestic and international travel restrictions, (9) exploration risks, and other factors beyond the control of U3O8 Corp. including those factors set out in the Risk Factors in our Annual Information Form dated March 27, 2019 for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018 available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Readers are cautioned that the assumptions used in the preparation of such information, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements. U3O8 Corp. assumes no obligation to update such information, except as may be required by law. For more information on the above-noted PEAs, refer to the September 18, 2014 technical report titled Preliminary Economic Assessment of the Laguna Salada Uranium-Vanadium Deposit, Chubut Province, Argentina and the January 18, 2013 technical report titled U3O8 Corp. Preliminary Economic Assessment on the Berlin Deposit, Colombia. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release. Company showcases best-in-class safety measures to protect team members and help prevent the spread of COVID-19 SPRINGDALE, Ark., April 27, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Tyson Foods, Inc. (TSN) provided tours of two production plants in Northwest Arkansas on Friday, April 24 to state and federal health officials to outline the safety measures and social distancing efforts in place at Tyson facilities. Plant managers led extensive tours of the companys Berry Street plant in Springdale, Ark., and Chick-N-Quick plant in Rogers, Ark. Attending the tours were: Dr. Richard McMullen, state environmental health director and associate director for science, Center for Local Public Health, Arkansas Department of Health Dr. Allison James, epidemic intelligence service officer with the CDC Pansy James, RN and administrator, Dr. Bates Outreach Clinic, Arkansas Department of Health Eldon J. Alik, consul general for the Marshall Islands Consulate General Office of Arkansas A private primary care physician from Northwest Arkansas Officials on the tour observed numerous health and safety measures the company implemented to combat the spread of COVID-19, including widespread use of hand sanitizer stations and employees temperatures being taken prior to entering the facility via thermal scanners. Also highlighted were social distancing measures that Tyson has put in place, including the designation of social distancing monitors (individual employees whose responsibility is to prompt compliance with recommended distancing), dividers between workstations on the plant floor and at breakroom tables, and tents for additional breakroom space outside. All Tyson employees are required to wear surgical masks. The company provides each employee with a new mask at the start of his or her shift. The company started an intense effort to secure an ample supply of face coverings even before the CDC recommended their use, even chartering a cargo plane from China to obtain the masks. Story continues Tyson is taking measures to protect its team members, and anywhere people were in close proximity they have barriers between workers, and they were well spaced, said Dr. Richard McMullen, state environmental health director, Arkansas Department of Health. Everyone was wearing masks and it was very well done. Tyson is an industry leader and these measures are an opportunity for others to learn best practices to keep employees safe. I want to thank Tyson for the opportunity to visit their plant and am glad to see Tyson Foods taking a leading role to keep employees safe. I was impressed with all the measures theyre taking to make sure COVID-19 isnt spread in their plant and the ways theyre taking care of their employees, said Eldon J. Alik, consul general for the Marshall Islands Consulate General Office of Arkansas. More measures were being taken than I expected. We are a culture where people want to get together and visit each other, so its a matter of educating our community on the importance of social distancing and how to be safe at home to prevent community spread, Alik said. The intent of this tour was to showcase safety measures Tyson Foods has in place to protect our team members and offer best practices to other industry leaders, said Tom Brower, senior vice-president, Health and Safety, Tyson Foods. While we take our responsibility to feed the nation seriously, were focused on keeping our team members safe because their health is our top priority. Tyson Foods formed a coronavirus task force in January and has implemented numerous measures to protect workers. The companys efforts have included: Taking worker temperatures and installing more than 150 infrared walkthrough temperature scanners in its facilities. Securing a supply of face coverings before the CDC recommended their use and now requiring use in company facilities. Conducting additional deep cleaning and sanitizing in all company facilities, including break areas, cafeterias and restrooms. Implementing social distancing measures, such as installing workstation dividers, providing more breakroom space, erecting outdoor tents for additional space for breaks, and staggering start times to avoid large gathers as team members enter the facility. Relaxing its attendance policy to encourage workers to stay at home when theyre sick and eliminating the waiting period for eligibility on short-term disability benefits, so workers can receive pay while theyre sick with the flu or COVID-19. Photos and b-roll of the tour are available for download. About Tyson Foods Tyson Foods, Inc. is one of the worlds largest food companies and a recognized leader in protein. Founded in 1935 by John W. Tyson and grown under three generations of family leadership, the company has a broad portfolio of products and brands like Tyson, Jimmy Dean, Hillshire Farm, Ball Park, Wright, Aidells, ibp and State Fair. Tyson Foods innovates continually to make protein more sustainable, tailor food for everywhere its available and raise the worlds expectations for how much good food can do. Headquartered in Springdale, Arkansas, the company has 141,000 team members. Through its Core Values, Tyson Foods strives to operate with integrity, create value for its shareholders, customers, communities and team members and serve as a steward of the animals, land and environment entrusted to it. Visit www.tysonfoods.com . Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Monday interact with chief ministers in a video conference that is expected to focus on the next move in Indias battle plan against the coronavirus disease (Covid-19). At the meeting, which could discuss a graded exit from the 40-day lockdown, states are likely to ask for restrictions to be extended in the Covid-19 containment zones. In his Mann ki Baat radio address on Sunday, PM Modi hailed a people-driven fight against Covid-19, emphasised that masks will now become indispensable and called for restraint during festivals. PM, CMs to discuss graded lockdown exit on video call Several states want restrictions under the national lockdown to be eased in regions that have not witnessed local outbreaks of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), an issue that will likely be deliberated at a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and chief ministers on Monday, even as calls grew for curbs to remain in place in hot spots of the disease. Read More Covid-19 lockdown: India should open up now The easy option would be to just continue with the lockdown, but it is also an option that should not be exercised easily. The country is better prepared on almost every front testing, protective equipment, hospitals than it was on March 25, when the first lockdown kicked in, and on April 14, but it isnt clear whether this is enough should the number of cases rise when the lockdown ends. Read More Govt tells states to not use rapid kits for now Field tests to determine the reliability of the new, quick-result blood tests bought by India have been inconclusive, according to an official from Indias top medical research body who said that these kits should not be used to detect whether a person has had a Covid-19 infection for now. Read More India leading fight, must keep guard up, says Modi While warning against any complacency over the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday hailed citizens for going beyond their call of duty and leading the battle against the disease as he underlined that the health crisis will bring about radical changes in the way people live their lives and work. Read More IRS officers pitch 40% tax rate plus cess, under probe The government on Sunday rejected an ill-conceived suggestions by a group of Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officers to increase the top income tax rate to 40%, impose a levy on the so-called super-rich tax and a 4% Covid-19 relief cess to rebuild the nations economy, reeling under the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent lockdown. Read More China says all Covid patients in Wuhan now stand discharged The central Chinese city of Wuhan, ground zero of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic in Hubei province that bore the brunt of the outbreak in the country, has no remaining Covid-19 patients in hospitals, authorities announced on Sunday. Read More States revenues dip by up to 80%, seek funds from Centre With their revenue falling by up to 80% in the Covid-19 lockdown that took effect on March 25 , several states have informed the Centre that they are almost broke and will not even be able to pay salaries unless they borrowed heavily and received interim compensation from the central government. Read More 70% of Indian citizens abroad are in 6 West Asian nations, shows data In the backdrop of the coronavirus pandemic affecting Indians abroad, the governments focus will be on six West Asian countries, which are home to 70% of Indias citizens who live abroad, according to data on overseas Indians maintained by the Ministry of External Affairs. Read More Indian firm ready to begin producing possible vaccine Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII) said on Sunday it will likely begin the production of a coronavirus disease (Covid-19) vaccine developed by Oxford University in the next two-three weeks and hopes to bring it to the market by October if human clinical trials of the same are successful. Read More Trump skips briefings after disinfectant remarks fiasco US President Donald Trump skipped his daily Covid-19 briefing on Saturday, saying its not worth his time, staving off the blowback to his suggestion to inject disinfectants to kill the coronavirus. Read More Boris Johnson to return to work amid calls to end UKs lockdown British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to return to work on Monday even as pressure increased on the government to ease the lockdown. Read More Trace, test, isolate, treat will remain our strategy: Union health min Harsh Vardhan As India puts up a resolute fight against the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), Union minister for health and family welfare Harsh Vardhan, in a phone conversation with Hindustan Times, spoke about what lies ahead in the battle against the pandemic that has infected at least 2.92 million people and killed 200,000 globally. There will be no-let up in the fight, the minister said. Read More We cant blame a community for mistakes of few: RSS chief Asserting that an entire community cannot be held responsible for the mistakes of a few, the Rashtiya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat has said that the pandemic calls for national unity, and asked citizens to be aware of those who want to exploit the opportunity to break the nation and create tensions between communities. Read More Over 650,000 users dip into EPF savings More than 650,000 people have dug into their employee provident fund (EPF) savings to offset the income loss caused by the lockdown imposed to check the spread of the coronavirus. Read More No hike in tuition fee of IITs, IIITs this yr: Govt Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs) will not increase tuition fees for the academic year 2020-21 because of the crisis triggered by the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), human resource development (HRD) minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank said in New Delhi on Sunday. Read More The total number of coronavirus cases has reached 2,994,795, while 206,995 died from the disease globally, according to worldometer data on Monday. The US, the most affected country in this pandemic, accounts for over 30 per cent of all confirmed cases, and a little over 25 per cent of the global death toll. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo on Sunday said the 367 deaths from the coronavirus were "horrific," but the number was less than half the nearly 800 deaths that occurred in a single day during the pandemic's peak in the state. It is the first time this month ... Learning Tools Social Learning Platform Piazza Adds Live Q&A Upvoting to Course-Correct Virtual Ed Piazza, the company that produces a social learning application for colleges and universities, has added new functionality to its software. Piazza "Live Q&A" offers a dedicated place within courses where students can ask questions and upvote questions in real time as instructors are running their classes. The addition enables faculty to identify gaps in student understanding and make course corrections as they proceed. The program is free for faculty and student usage. The company generates revenue by running the "Piazza Network," an opt-in community that allows employers and students to connect for potential job opportunities. The company designed Live Q&A as a virtual replacement for the in-person activity of students raising their hands. When students upvote questions, instructors can see what's most important and where students are struggling and adjust their lesson accordingly or follow up with supplemental materials after class. The program also now includes a "duplicate post detection" function, which limits the number of repetitive posts. Students are prompted with a list of existing posts that might be similar, and if there's a duplicate, they can be redirected to published answers. Analytics have also been updated, giving instructors the ability to download an up-to-date breakdown of class participation data. "We accelerated our plans to enhance our platform because the demand for real-time interaction in a comprehensive learning suite is overwhelming, both among students and instructors," said Piazza Founder and CEO, Pooja Sankar, in a statement. "Delivering this capability in an intelligent and engaging way will forever change the way courses are taught. Once students return to campus, the days of raising their hands in class, which can be very intimidating, will be over as real-time feedback becomes the norm." "Piazza's ability to power real-time upvoting will hit a sweet spot, helping me to respond to students quickly to keep them involved and engaged," said Emmett Witchel, a professor of computer science at the University of Texas at Austin. "I predict this feature will be very popular in the current distance learning climate." Technology has come to the rescue for Muslims in Italy during the holy month of Ramadan. As the country begins to ease coronavirus restrictions, Friday prayers are being streamed on Facebook and moments of collective reflection are also being broadcast online. Islamic leaders have called this Ramadan a time to reflect and re-discover the family. In Florence, imam Izzedin Elzir, former president of the Union of Islamic Communities and Organisations in Italy, UCOII, says this year's Ramadan festivities will be as big as ever except the celebrations will take place in people's homes, with the call to prayer to be live streamed on social media "The Friday prayer sermon during Ramadan will be streamed on Facebook in order to reach all the faithful in their homes," Elzir said. "And lessons and moments of collective reflection will also be broadcast online." Bouchaib Tanji, spokesman for the Islamic Cultural Association, asked regional television channels to provide them with a few minutes for the call to prayer with a short reading from the Quran. Muslims in the country are estimated to account for five percent of the population, around 3 million, and have had to adapt to these difficult times of pandemic. Just like churches across the deeply Catholic country, hundreds of mosques will remain empty at least until May 4, when the nationwide lockdown officially ends. The annual Ramadan event in Italy called Open Mosques, which welcomes the wider community to Islamic places of worship, has been called off across the country. Fasting in isolation Religious leaders at the Great Mosque in Rome, the largest in Europe with its capacity of 12,000 people, have said that community prayers and the breaking of fasting cannot be carried out as customary in the current circumstances. They have told Muslim faithful they are called to a further test and greater effort to profess their faith as they live their fasting in isolation at home. The Islamic Centre has recommended that all Muslim continue to respect and observe the Italian government's rules aimed at limiting the spread of coronavirus infections. In early March, mosques and other places of Muslim prayer were ordered to close allowing only funerals to continue to take place but only under strict social distancing rules, behind closed doors and just among close family members. Handshakes and greetings with the traditional kisses on the check were also banned. Reflect, rediscover family Imams and Islamic leaders have been telling the faithful that they should turn this unprecedented Ramadan into a precious opportunity to rediscover family relationships and reflect. While this holy month will be spent differently to the ones in past years, relegated to our homes, we must not be discouraged nor lose hope, but keep our faith and the spirit of brotherhood strong at this time," said Yassine Lafram, president of the UCOII in Italy, at the start of the fasting month on Friday. The Islamic community calls on Allah to eradicate this ill which is afflicting us and to preserve our country. We renew our condolences to the families of the dead and we wish those who are sick that they will soon get better." The Covid-19 crisis has caused an emergency in the Islamic community as it seeks burial places for the dead. While waiting for the lockdown restrictions to be lifted, Islamic leaders have for the time being decided to suspend the option to repatriate bodies to their countries of origin. On April 2, Democratic Mayor of Detroit Mike Duggan announced a 3,000-person clinical trial of the anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) at the Henry Ford Health System, the first of its kind in the US. According to news reports at the time, Mayor Duggan made a personal plea to the federal government for approval of the trial. The volunteer enrollment period for the clinical trial took place from April 9-15. The randomized, doubled-blinded study called Will Hydroxychloroquine Impede or Prevent COVID-19 (WHIP COVID-19) involves the voluntary eight-week participation of health care workers, EMS workers and bus drivers who are being exposed to the coronavirus on the job each day. Further details published on the clinicaltrials.gov website shows that the status of the WHIP COVID-19 trial remains at the recruitment stage with the final data collection of the study set for June 30. Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan announcing the clinical trial of hydroxychloroquine with executives from Henry Ford Health System on April 2 [Photo credit: detroitmi.gov] The published description of the study says, Once they provide a blood sample, the study subjects will receive vials with unidentified, specific pills to take over the next eight weeks: a once-a-week dose of hydroxychloroquine, a once-a-day dose, or a placebo (a pill that looks like the medication, but does not contain any medication or other active ingredients). Participants do not know which group they are in. In announcing the trial, Mayor Duggan said, If this works out, well save the lives of first responders around the world. Although he did not spell out who he meant by we, it is clear that Dugganwho was the president and CEO of the Detroit Medical Center from 2004 to 2012 before becoming mayor in 2014was working closely with officials in the Trump administration, the FDA and the Detroit corporate medical establishment in raising expectations about HCQ. As a report in the Michigan Chronicle revealed, Mayor Duggan has been in constant contact with the commissioner of the FDA, Dr. Stephen Hahn, since the idea of the medical trial was put into motion 10 days ago. Duggan notes that this is one of the fastest conceived medical trials ever and applauds Henry Ford Health Systems and the FDA. Ever since President Trump went to the podium at the March 19 White House press briefing and said of HCQ, I feel good about it. Thats all it is, just a feeling, you know, smart guy. I feel good about it, it has been clear that something other than ensuring the publics health has been the motivating interest in the drug at the highest levels of the US government. What neither Trump nor Duggan has mentioned is that a bottle of 50 hydroxychloroquine pills generally costs about $40. If everyone in the city starts taking it in an attempt to stave of the pandemic, it will provide a $27 million windfall to whatever company sells it. If everyone in the country takes it, that translates to $13 billion in revenue, even before prices are inevitably jacked up in the face of rising demand. Clearly, the $1.5 trillion global pharmaceutical industry recognizes an enormous business opportunity is to be realized by developing treatment drugs and a vaccine for COVID-19. Billions of dollars are being invested by companies such as Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson and Moderna for a coronavirus vaccine in anticipation of hundreds of billions in profits if their company finds a cure. There are currently 70 candidates in development internationally with the timeline for a vaccine set by researchers at somewhere between one year and 18 months from now. This projection is optimistic, given that the previous record to develop a vaccine is four years (the mumps vaccine in 1967), and there has yet to be a successful coronavirus vaccine for SARS (2002) or MERS (2012) because funding dried up before research could be completed. A year to 18 months would be absolutely unprecedented, said Peter Hotez, dean at Baylor Universitys National School of Tropical Medicine, to National Geographic. Maybe with the new technology, maybe with throwing enough money on it, thatll happen. But we have to be really careful about those time estimates. Since vaccine development is a longterm project, coming up with a coronavirus wonder drug in the meantime would provide the ruling elite with a medical justification to force a rapid return to work against the advice of epidemiologists and public health experts during the pandemic. In the case of HCQ, it would be a windfall for the companies such as Novartis and Sanofi that currently manufacture it under the product name Plaquenil for the treatment of malaria and lupus. However, recent reports are that coronavirus patients taking HCQ died in greater numbers than those who did not and that they may be at risk of a sudden cardiac failure. This could have an impact on ongoing clinical testing of the drug that has been recklessly promoted by President Trump and others as a cure for COVID-19. On April 20, the preliminary results of research by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the University of Virginia of 368 Veterans Health Administration coronavirus patients taking hydroxychloroquine were published. The scientists analyzed the medical records of male veterans with confirmed cases of the coronavirus who died or were discharged by April 11. Of those in the study who had COVID-19 and were given the same level of care, 11 percent who did not take the drug died, while 28 percent of those who did take the drug suffered a fatal complication. In addition to the death rates, the results also showed that patients who were given HCQ were no less likely to need a ventilator in their treatment for the virus. Working at Columbia VA Health Care System in South Carolina, the University of South Carolina and the University of Virginia, the researchers wrote, An association of increased overall mortality was identified in patients treated with hydroxychloroquine alone. These findings highlight the importance of awaiting the results of ongoing prospective, randomized, controlled studies before widespread adoption of these drugs. Additionally, on April 21, a panel of experts at NIH recommended against the use of HCQ, along with the antibiotic azithromycin in coronavirus patients outside of clinical trials. The NIH panelists wrote that the use of the two drugs in combination increases the risk of sudden cardiac death. Significantly, Richard Bright, director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority in HHS, issued a statement on April 22 that he had been removed from his post the day before because he insisted that the government spend funds on safe and scientifically verified solutions. Bright pointed specifically to political influence behind the promotion of HCQ. I am speaking out because to combat this deadly virus, sciencenot politics or cronyismhas to lead the way. He continued, noting that this just one effort, to fund potentially dangerous drugs promoted by those with political connections. It is no accident that the first major clinical trial of HCQ has been carried out in Detroit. The city and the state house some of the most impoverished and desperate sections of the working class, largely seen as disposable by the pharmaceutical companies, corporate medical services, the FDA, the White House, and the local Democratic Party. This is after all the state which includes the lead-poisoned population of Flint. Numerous media reports in the Detroit area in late March showed that local doctors had been giving HCQ to COVID-19 patients for weeks prior to its approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). A report in MLive.com said that Dr. Marcus Zervos, division head of infectious diseases at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, had been prescribing HCQ to a majority of COVID-19 patients as far back as March 10 and a hospital spokesperson said that 800 patients have been treated with hydroxychloroquine this month. On March 24, a strongly worded letter from the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) to Licensed Prescribers and Dispensers that the department had received multiple allegations of Michigan physicians inappropriately prescribing hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine to themselves, family, friends, and/or coworkers without a legitimate medical purpose. The letter went on to say that these drugs had not been proven scientifically or medically to treat COVID-19 and that Reports of this conduct will be evaluated and may be further investigated for administrative action. Within days of the LARA letter, Democratic Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer openly opposed efforts to stop the unauthorized prescription of HCQ by medical professionals, saying, We want to ensure that doctors have the ability to prescribe these medicines. Whitmer claimed her primary concern was that doctors were hoarding the drug, which is also needed for those with prescriptions for treatment of other conditions, such as lupus. On March 28, the FDA issued an emergency approval for the use of the drug without proof of its effectiveness. The letter from Denise M. Hinton, FDA chief scientist, said, It is reasonable to believe that HCQ may be effective in treating COVID-19 and that the potential benefits of the drug outweigh the known and potential risks of such products. The next day, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) accepted 30 million doses of the drug from Sandoz, a division of the Swiss-based pharmaceutical manufacturer Novartis. An HHS statement said, companies may donate additional doses, and companies have ramped up production to provide additional supplies of the medication to the commercial market. It also became apparent during the White House press briefing of April 5 that there was a quid pro quo involved in the exchange between Mayor Duggan and the Trump administration. This was revealed by Vice President Mike Pence when he said that Mayor Duggan was so grateful to the FDA, not only for approving the Henry Ford Hospital tests that will be exploring hydroxychloroquine, but also for the rapid approval of the 15-minute test. In other words, in exchange for promoting the HCQ clinical trial at Henry Ford Health System, Duggan was given access to 15-minute test kits for Detroit police, EMS workers and fire fighters. As Pence explained, Duggan told me that he was able to use the 15-minute test this weekend to test 150 first responders, who had been sidelined because theyd been exposed to the coronavirus. They all got the 15-minute tests. Theyre all back in the line of duty. Once the trial had been approved, it was necessary to launch a public relations campaign directed at overcoming skepticism that HCQ is a legitimate candidate for treatment of the coronavirus. Such a campaign was launched on Monday, April 6, with a widely reported statement from Democratic State Representative Karen Whitsett praising both HCQ and President Trump personally. Speaking to the local media, Whitsett said she had been prescribed HCQ by her doctor after exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19, and once she tested positive on March 31 she took the medication and was rapidly cured. Appearing on Fox News with Laura Ingraham, Whitsett said, If President Trump had not talked about this, it would not be something thats accessible. My husband was able to pick up the prescription that night, and I was better within a couple of hours. The following day, when asked about a plan to track the potential side effects of HQC during the White House briefing, Trump picked up on the Whitsett story without mentioning her by name, Four hours later, she awoke and she said, I feel better. And then shortly thereafter, she felt great. This a woman that thought she was going to die. Its I mean, shes a Democrat representative, a highly respected woman, African American woman. Of course, this is not the only terrible medical recommendation provided by the American president. Last Thursday he urged people to inject themselves with disinfectant and sources of ultraviolet light, both of which are potentially fatal pieces of advice. The rush to find a coronavirus cure, however, could in the end prove even more deadly if dangerous drug treatments, such as hydroxychloroquine, become public policy. Whatever promise a given drug may or may not show, established procedures and the basic rights of the public must not be run roughshod over by political and corporate interests. Workers must demand the best practices of medicine and science so that a highly-touted cure does not kill them. The police in Akwa Ibom State have arraigned a man for defamation of character after alleging on Facebook that nine commissioners in Governor Udom Emmanuels cabinet have tested positive for coronavirus. George Udom, 39, was on Monday arraigned before a magistrate in Uyo on a two-count charge. He is also accused of defaming the character of a cleric, Umoh Eno, by publishing on Facebook that his mother and maid died of COVID-19. Mr Eno is the owner of a popular hotel, Royalty Hotels, in Eket. The police told the magistrate that Mr Udoms claims were false and punishable under Section 383 (1) (b) and Section 384 of the Criminal Code, Cap 38, Vol. 2, Laws of Akwa Ibom State. Mr George pleaded not guilty to the charges. A mild drama, however, occurred in the courtroom during the proceedings. Mr Udom continuously sneezed in court, forcing the magistrate, Winifred Umohandi, to abruptly adjourned proceedings. Sneezing is one of the symptoms of COVID-19. The magistrate ordered Mr Udom to be taken to the Ibom Specialist Hospital, Uyo, and be kept in isolation for 14 days for health officials to ascertain whether he is positive or not for COVID-19. Health officials at the Ibom Hospital who checked Mr Udoms vital signs told the police officers who brought him that his temperature was normal and that he did not show any symptoms of COVID-19. The hospital refused to register him as a patient until they were informed that it was an order of a court. Mr Udom wrote on Facebook on April 26, If youre in Akwa Ibom state at this moment, run and hide for your dear life! We have a lot of unrecorded death on the ground in relation to Covid-19 and still spreading like wildfire. READ ALSO: As we speak, we have about 9 commissioners who have tested positive and receiving treatment at home. The mother of the owner of Royalty Hotel and the maid just died having Covid-19 symptoms and when the test came out it was positive. The mother of the Royalty Hotel also owns fast food and a water company. After her return from the U.S., she became sick and died. Same with her maid. Meanwhile, the son is positive and these people before their death had contacts with other persons. The authorities are fully aware of the situation and are just trying to carry out some sort of damage control. It will amaze you to find that even under this lockdown, those in authority are still traveling to and from Lagos using government pass and escorts. One of Mr Udoms last posts on Facebook on Monday was that police were breaking into his house in Uyo. Call 911, he wrote. Editors Note: The accused person was sent to Ibom Specialist Hospital, not University of Uyo Teaching Hospital as earlier stated in the story. After winning his COVID-19 battle, two-time Oscar winner Tom Hanks showed an act of kindness after he received a heartfelt letter from an Australian kid named "Corona." The 8-year-old Corona De Vries from Gold Coast, Queensland wrote to the Hollywood superstar and his wife, Rita Wilson, and mentioned how he was bullied at school because of his name. Hanks and Wilson An Inspiration "I heard on the news you and your wife had caught the Coronavirus," the Aussie kid wrote to Hanks. "Are you ok? I love my name but at school, people call me the Coronavirus. I get very sad and angry when people call me this." Surprisingly, the "Cast Away" star reached out to Corona after he learned about his unfortunate situation and responded through a heartfelt letter, as cited by Channel 7 News. "Your letter made my wife and I feel so wonderful," Hanks replied. "Thank you for being such a good friend. Friends make their friends feel good when they are down. I saw you on TV, even though I was back in the USA already-and all healthy. Even though I was no longer sick, getting your letter made me feel even better." The award-winning actor and his wife are currently quarantining in their home in Los Angeles after being diagnosed with the dreadful virus while shooting for their upcoming Elvis Presley biopic in Australia. The actor experienced mild symptoms while his wife suffered slight fevers and chills. Both Hanks and Wilson spent a week in isolation at Gold Coast University Hospital and continued self-isolating in a rented home in Australia for a few more weeks before going back to the U.S.A. Corona Receives Special Gift Furthermore, the "Saving Private Ryan" star gave the 8-year-old Aussie boy a special gift -- a Corona brand typewriter which he used while on self-isolation in Down Under. "I thought this typewriter would suit you. I had taken it to the Gold Coast, and now, it is back - with you. Ask a grown-up how it works. And use it to write me back," Hanks replied. He also ended the letter with a handwritten note that says: "P.S. You got a friend in ME!" -- a nod to a soundtrack in "Toy Story," which also starred Hanks as Sheriff Woody. Meanwhile, Australian outlet Nine News reported that Corona was overjoyed upon receiving the special parcel from Hanks. "It's awesome," Corona said about the gift, "because it's so old it must have belonged to someone before they gave it to Tom Hanks." Kevin, Corona's dad, was surprised to receive such a lovely gift from a Hollywood superstar. The media outlet also mentioned that the Aussie kid learned about the actor through "Toy Story" and said he "always watches" the animated movie when "he is sick." He also thinks Woody's character is "hilarious" A Pakistani broadcaster is playing a critical role in disseminating information about the pandemic. Pakhtunkhwa Radio FM 98 in northern Pakistan is holding on-air clinics to help provide healthcare information to residents in remote areas. Once used by Taliban to spread propaganda and intimidate people in the Swat Valley, the radio waves are now used to educate the public about the coronavirus pandemic. Al Jazeeras Alexi OBrien reports. The group that represents Garda sergeants and inspectors has called for an all-Ireland approach when it comes to policing during the Covid-19 pandemic. A loophole in the law means travel curbs do not apply to those living outside the Republic of Irelands legal jurisdiction. It means people from Northern Ireland who travel to the Republic on day trips cannot be arrested there due to a gap in the Covid-19 legislation. The president of the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI), Cormac Moylan, told Newstalk FM the discrepancy is causing concern for the force and called for an all-island approach to policing. As it stands we can't return visitors from Northern Ireland back across the border, this may change before the weekend Cormac Moylan, president of the AGSI There is two jurisdictions on this island, but there is one virus. This virus knows no boundaries so I think there is a need for a kind of all-island approach, he said. We would love to see that we would have something in place that would give people a little bit more sure-footedness on this issue. Were unable to use these powers for people coming from Northern Ireland who are travelling beyond 2km from their place of residence. Mr Moylan said the issue is of particular concern in the border region. As the residence is not in this jurisdiction it creates an issue for the members particularly in the border counties like Donegal, Cavan, Monaghan and Louth, he said. As it stands we cant return visitors from Northern Ireland back across the border, this may change before the weekend. But the concept thats being used on the ground and its being used across the border as well is a concept of engage, explain, encourage and enforce. An odd time we have to get into the explain concept and encourage concept, not that often. But when you try to explain to somebody and you appeal to their better instincts in relation to the risks that is where most of it is at. Mr Moylan said Garda checkpoints will be stepped up for the bank holiday this weekend when an increase in people making trips over the border is expected. Harris County Precinct 4 Constable's Office A man has been arrested after accidentally shooting himself in the process of threatening his ex-girlfriend with a gun, according to Precinct 4 Constable Mark Herman. Deputies with Constable Mark Herman's Office responded to the 1500 block of Daisey Bell Lane on Friday, April 24, in reference to a weapons disturbance call. When deputies arrived on scene, a woman told them that her ex-boyfriend threatened her with a gun if she talked to any other men. He has been identified as Rashad Clark. An NHS worker died in her husband's arms struggling for breath after a desperate battle with coronavirus, it emerged today. Locality administrator Laura Tanner, 51, passed away at home in Basildon, Essex, as she waited with husband Kevin for paramedics. Three other healthcare staff were revealed to have died from the infection, bringing the total death toll for NHS workers and care staff to at least 134. Jenny Esson, a training co-ordinator from Cambridge, Filipino care home nurse Larni Zuniga and Dr Kamlesh Kumar Masson from Essex have all fallen victims to the virus. More than 20,000 people in Britain have died from the bug in hospitals, out of more than 152,000 who have been infected. Locality administrator Laura Tanner, 51, passed away at home in Basildon, Essex, as she waited for paramedics to arrive with husband Kevin (pictured together) Kevin, a crane operator in London, said: 'It was horrific - I still have nightmares. Laura's youngest son was in the house in his room.' Pictured left: Laura. Right: Dr Kamlesh Kumar Masson who is another NHS worker who has died from the virus Jenny Esson (right), a training co-ordinator from Cambridge, and Filipino nurse Larni Zuniga (left) were the others to have fallen victim to the virus More than 20,000 people in Britain have died from the bug in hospital, out of more than 152,000 who have been infected Laura and Kevin, as well as Laura's youngest son Kian, 13, had fallen ill with 'nasty symptoms' less than two weeks earlier and had followed all government advice. Kevin, 49, recovered within days but Laura deteriorated, with her temperature soaring to more than 40 degrees. By March 27, Kevin was forced to call paramedics for his wife, who stayed at home until her temperature lowered. But five days later on April 1, Laura - who had worked for Basildon and Brentwood Clinical Commissioning Group for more than a decade - passed away. Kevin, a crane operator in London, said: 'It was horrific - I still have nightmares. Laura's youngest son was in the house in his room. Laura (right) and Kevin (second left), as well as Laura's youngest son Kian (centre right), 13, had fallen ill with 'nasty symptoms' less than two weeks earlier and had followed all government advice 'Laura hadn't been able to get out of bed on most days, or eat, but this day she had got up and was fumbling around downstairs. 'So I went down to check on her and it was like she was having a bad panic attack. She was struggling for a breath and was asking me to calm her down. 'I called 999 and got Laura a paper bag and sat with her but her breathing just got shallower and shallower. Her eyes went small and I could see it, she was going and then she passed. 'Paramedics came within 10 minutes and four of them worked on her for about an hour then took her away. 'Around 45 minutes later two of them came and knocked on the door and said ''we are really sorry, she's gone''.' Kevin (right), 49, recovered within days but Laura (left) deteriorated, with her temperature soaring to more than 40 degrees There have been mounting calls for greater protection for our NHS frontline heroes as a poll found access to personal protective equipment has been getting worse. The Royal College of Physicians said those working in high-risk areas still could not always access long-sleeved disposable gowns and full-face face visors. It said the shortages of this personal protective equipment had worsened in the last three weeks. In a survey of 2,129 college members last Wednesday, 27 per cent reported being unable to access the kit they needed for managing COVID-19 patients. That's compared with just over a fifth (22 per cent) of doctors in a similar poll on April 1. NHS mental health trust worker Ms Esson, 45, also died in hospital of coronavirus in Cambridge on April 17. She worked for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust and became unwell while working from home. Ms Esson, who was a training and development co-ordinator in the trust's Recovery College, had underlying health conditions, the trust said. The Recovery College offers learning courses to convey messages of hope, empowerment and opportunity, the trust said on its website. Tracy Dowling, the trust's chief executive, said: 'Jenny was one of the first people I met when I joined the trust and I was always struck by her energy, charisma and shining smile. 'She loved CPFT and, through her work in the Recovery College and in peer support, she made a tremendous difference to so many people's lives. We will truly miss her.' Pictured are some of the NHS workers and carers who have given their lives in the coronavirus fight. From top row left to right: Nurse Rebecca Mack, nurse Alice Kit Tak Ong, nurse Thomas Harvey, Dr Habib Zaidi, consultant Amged El-Hawrani, agency nurse Josiane Zauma Ebonja Ekoli, matron Sara Dee Trollope, nurse Mary Agyeiwaa Agyapong, ward housekeeper Cheryl Williams, healthcare support worker Kirsty Jones. (2nd row left to right) consultant geriatrician Anton Sebastianpillai, Doctor Abdul Mabud Chowdhury, surgeon Jitendra Rathod, Dr Fayez Ayache, patient discharge planner Barbara Moore, theatre assistant Andy Treble, mental health nurse Gladys Mujajati, paramedic Gerallt Davies, nurse Josephine Peter, mental health nurse Grant Maganga. (3rd row left to right) healthcare worker Donna Campbell, Welsh NHS worker Gareth Roberts, plaster technician Kevin Smith, nurse Leilani Dayrit, pharmacist Pooja Sharma, Dr Krishan Arora, consultant Dr Peter Tun, staff nurse Liz Glanister, charge nurse Khulisani Nkala, counsellor Ann Shepherd. (4th row left to right) Porter Brian Darlington, nursing assistant Ruben Munoz, occupational therapist Vivek Sharma, domestic supervisor Joanna Klenczon, healthcare assistant Margaret Tapley, radiology support worker Amrik Bamotra, dental nurse Linnette Cruz, A&E consultant Manjeet Riyat, orthopaedic surgeon Sadeq Elhowsh, care assistant Sharon Bamford. (5th row left to right) consultant geriatrician Dr Medhat Atalla, paramedic Ian Reynolds, nurse Angie Cunningham, consultant neonatologist Dr Vishna Rasiah, Dr Yusuf Patel, nurse Katy Davis, Dr Kamlesh Kumar Masson Ms Esson's family said in a statement: 'Jenny was always at the very heart of our family. 'She was charismatic, loving, passionate, outrageously funny and loved to laugh. She was fiercely protective of us and always proud to provide for us, look after us. 'She was happiest at home and was passionate and proud of her work. If Jenny saw something she felt was wrong she wouldn't just moan about it. 'She hated social injustice and stigmatising of any kind. She was my hero, my soulmate, my everything. 'She was amazing mum to our girls who love her with all their hearts.' Another survey has found one in four GPs have seen coronavirus patients face-to-face without PPE due to the dire shortages. The desperate situation has prompted six medical royal colleges, representing more than 166,000 doctors, to write an open letter to the Government's new PPE tsar. In it, they call for an urgent meeting with Lord Paul Deighton to fix 'the impossible situation' clinicians face, 'where they have to choose between protecting their own health, or their patients'. Care home nurse Larni Zuniga, 54, was treated in intensive care at St Thomas' Hospital in London at the same time as the Prime Minister, who is 55. Mr Zuniga worked as a senior nurse at the Surrey Hills care home near his home in Godalming Originally from the Philippines, the married father had worked in Britain for 12 years and had not seen his family for five years. He was given UK citizenship in February and had hoped to bring his wife Edith to Britain in June. His daughter Mutya posted an online tribute, saying: 'I can't stop crying. It's too painful to bear.' His cousin Christian, an NHS theatre nurse, said: 'Larni was a true professional, who touched the lives of many. He made a tremendous difference to a lot of people's lives.' Mr Zuniga worked as a senior nurse at the Surrey Hills care home near his home in Godalming. Mr Zuniga was treated in intensive care at St Thomas' Hospital in London at the same time as Prime Minister Boris Johnson (pictured speaking at 10 Downing Street this morning) He was a Christian and regular attendee at the Jesus Is Lord Church in Oxford which he travelled two hours to get to every Sunday. His friend Arnold Barrientos said: 'Larni had absolutely sacrificed a lot for his family. 'He worked hard and he battled hard times of not seeing his family just to ensure a comfortable life for them.' 'He influenced a lot of people with his Godly counselling and loving, warm personality. 'He had so many unfulfilled dreams concerning his family due to this early demise.' Dr Kamlesh Kumar Masson died on April 16, aged 78, having worked in the NHS for 47 years. Dr Kamlesh Kumar Masson from Essex died on April 16, aged 78, having worked in the NHS for 47 years He founded Milton Road Surgery in Grays, Essex, in 1985 and worked there until 2017, after which he did locum work across Thurrock and Basildon. His family, who described him as someone who 'would have wanted to practise medicine for many more years to come', said he last worked on March 12, adding that his career 'came to an unexpected end last month, when he unfortunately contracted Covid-19'. They described him as 'an excellent clinician whose drive to constantly improve his clinical skills and knowledge with passion and enthusiasm will remain with us all as a reminder to always try to be the best'. The family added: 'Dr Masson was an honest, kind and generous man who was deeply respected by anyone who was privileged to cross paths with him. He was jovial, funny and kind, always wanting to make the best of any situation.' He was well-known locally and recognised as a 'dedicated, determined, positive individual who would always do his utmost to help in all endeavours', they added. The family thanked the staff at University College London Hospital who 'fought tirelessly' to try to save him. Dr Anil Kallil, fellow GP and chairman of NHS Thurrock CCG, said: 'We were very sad to hear of the passing of Dr Masson. He was a well-respected and liked GP in Thurrock, with a significant contribution over the last 30 years in the borough caring for patients and providing support. 'Later he provided GP services in both Thurrock and Basildon. We extend our heartfelt thanks to Dr Masson for his commitment and passion and our condolences to his family for their loss.' Dr Adegboyega Tayo, chairman of NHS Basildon and Brentwood CCG, said: 'In the latter part of his career Dr Masson has been a valued member of the team at the Murree Medical Practice and has been able to support patients in Basildon with his wisdom built over such a long and valued career of service in the NHS. 'He was much respected and a well-liked member of the primary care community. He will be missed by all those who knew him.' Dr Masson completed his medical training in India and also worked as a doctor in East Africa. He worked in different parts of the UK before settling in Essex in 1975. This obituary is part of a series about people who have died in the coronavirus pandemic. Read about others here. It was the actor Bruce Myerss voice, above all, that people tended to remember. His deep lions voice will resonate no more, was how the French newspaper Le Monde opened its tribute to Mr. Myers, who died of the new coronavirus in Paris on April 15 at 78. A favorite of the great international director Peter Brook, with whom he worked for nearly 50 years, Mr. Myers, with his elegant diction and reverberant tones, inspired comparisons to the famously mellifluous John Gielgud. Writing about Mr. Myerss performance in an evening of short works directed by Mr. Brook in 2011, Charles McNulty of The Los Angeles Times called him a human Stradivarius, with his lush caress of vowels and precise choreography of consonants. Successive governments have hyped hydrocarbons as as potential game-changer for an economy that is now in a deep crisis. Beirut, Lebanon Lebanon is learning a hard lesson in the perils of over-hyping a potential solution to the countrys economic ills and at the worst of times, no less. For years, government officials have touted offshore natural gas reserves as a would-be saviour of Lebanons fragile finances and the bedrock of a long-overdue energy revolution. On Monday, the countrys Energy Minister, Raymond Ghajar, delivered a sobering reality check on those grandiose plans, announcing that the countrys first foray into hydrocarbon exploration had found no commercially-viable amount of gas to develop. Though the exploration of block 4- one of 10 blocks claimed by Lebanon in the Levant Basin in the eastern Mediterranean Sea found no large reservoir, Ghajar said it had uncovered several small pockets of gas and a petroleum system, indicating that a larger find may be present elsewhere in Lebanons waters. Though this could yet turn out to be a positive signal for the development of Lebanons nascent natural gas sector, analysts say the initial findings are a huge letdown after years of government failure to manage expectations. It would have been a long shot to strike a commercial discovery from our first drilling, Mona Sukkarieh, a political risk consultant focused on oil and gas in Lebanon, told Al Jazeera. Offshore exploration is a long process, with a lot of challenges and uncertainties. In 2017, an international energy consortium including French oil giant Total, Italys ENI and Russias Novatek was awarded contracts to drill in block 4, as well as southern block 9. Membership delayed Successive governments have hyped hydrocarbons as a source of income for the cash-strapped, debt-addled state. Lebanons economy is buckling under some $90bn of debt giving it the infamous distinction of having the third-highest debt burden in the world compared to the size of its economy. Lebanon defaulted on a $1.2bn Eurobond in March and is now seeking to restructure all of its debt. Its currency has since depreciated by more than 50 percent on parallel markets. Thousands have lost their jobs and Human Rights Watch has warned that millions are at risk of being unable to secure basic needs such as food. Instead of dealing with the states ailing finances through structural reforms or by fighting eye-watering levels of corruption, Lebanons ruling establishment has always waited for money to come in from outside preferably with as few strings attached as possible via successive international donor conferences or from rich Gulf nations. Oil and gas revenues fit nicely into that paradigm. Cabinet policy statements have long referred to oil and gas wealth hidden underneath Lebanons sea, and the 2019 budget was partially based on the supposed solid ground of the so-far non-revenue-generating sector. On the night before the inaugural drilling process commenced in late February, President Michel Aoun gave a televised speech to the nation to announce that Lebanon had entered the club of oil nations. That membership delayed, Energy Minister Raymond Ghajar was forced to pivot on Monday, couching the findings from block 4 as a wealth of information that will be used to better target exploration in block 9. This is only the beginning, Laury Haytayan, MENA director at the National Resource Governance Institute, told Al Jazeera. Lebanon has to wait at the doorsteps of the club were not in the club of producers until a discovery is made and production starts. A lost decade Lebanons offshore exploration had been delayed by about a decade as the country struggled with political paralysis and low-level conflict, while other nations, notably Israel, Cyprus and Egypt, made major discoveries in the deep waters of the eastern Mediterranean. Now the crippling of the world economy as a result of the COVID0-19 pandemic and the huge drop in the price of benchmark global Brent crude oil below $20 a barrel throws Lebanons hydrocarbon hopes into further uncertainty at least in the foreseeable future. The coronavirus pandemic will reflect on companies exploration budget over the coming period, especially offshore exploration in deep and ultra-deep waters, Sukkarieh said, referring to Lebanons case where drilling took place at a depth of around 4,000 metres (13,123 feet). But on a longer term, the outlook is more nuanced and interest is likely to pick up again, Sukkarieh said. Meanwhile, exploratory drilling was supposed to commence in block 9 before the end of 2020, but Ghajar said that the consortium may choose to push back that timetable. Lebanon has also delayed the submission of bids for a second offshore licensing round twice, most recently pushing the deadline to June 1. Even if a large gas reservoir had been found in block 4, the sectors development takes years, and Lebanons economy is in crisis now. Lebanons draft rescue plan says that it needs between $10bn to $15bn in external financing this year. Meanwhile, it will take between seven and nine years to extract any hydrocarbons found in its waters if and when a discovery is made. This means revenues would take about a decade to begin flowing into the coffers of a state that is struggling to chart its way through the next few months. Michael Gove was talking to a House of Commons Scrutiny Committee. - Reuters The EU should agree a quick trade deal with Britain because of the coronavirus pandemic, Michael Gove said on Monday, as Number 10 demanded EU leaders move to break the Brexit deadlock. Britain rebuffed EU calls to request an extension to the Brexit transition period to buy more time to negotiate a deal and prevent the two sides being forced to trade on WTO terms alone after December 31. I think the Covid crisis, in some respects, should concentrate the minds of EU negotiators, reinforcing the vital importance of coming to a conclusion, Mr Gove, a cabinet minister, said. Deadlines concentrate minds, he said, before adding that the history of Brexit proved that, whenever a deadline was extended the light at the end of the tunnel was replaced with more tunnel. Mr Gove told the Future Relationship with the EU scrutiny committee that it was still possible, despite the virus, to finalise a trade deal by the end of this year, which is when the Brexit transition period ends. Britain will not ask for an extension, he said. The economic impact of coronavirus would make other countries eager to strike trade deals with Britain, he added, which would not be possible during the transition period. Michel Barnier on Friday accused Britain of wasting time in the trade negotiations, which were held online last week because of the virus. He said there was no progress in areas such as fisheries, the level playing field guarantees on tax, labour rights, state aid and the environment and the role of the European Court of Justice. Amid frustrations at the limits of the European Commissions negotiating mandate, Number 10 called on the EUs national leaders to intervene in the talks. "Clearly there will need to be political movement on the EU side to move negotiations forward, particularly on fisheries and level playing field issues, in order to help find a balanced solution which reflects the political realities on both sides," the prime ministers spokesman said. Story continues EU sources in Brussels said it was far too early to involve the blocs heads of state and government, who were, in any case, consumed with dealing with the coronavirus pandemic. The EU wants to preserve access to UK fishing waters under existing conditions and be part of the free trade agreement. Britain insists any fishing agreement must be separate from the trade deal and access be negotiated annually. Britain argues that EU demands for level playing field guarantees are far more stringent than similar commitments made with other non-EU countries and insists on the right to diverge from EU rules after Brexit. Leading European politicians and trade experts have warned that leaving the EU's Single Market and Customs Union without a trade deal will compound the economic damage of the coronavirus. The government says failing to leave on time would prolong uncertainty for business. We are leaving the transition period on December 31, we will work with the EU to try to do that with a deal," the prime ministers spokesman said, But nobody should be in any doubt that the transition period is going to end on December 31." Mr Gove described the odds of a successful conclusion to the trade negotiations as better than two to one, despite admitting only limited progress was made in the UK-EU negotiations last week. The Covid-19 outbreak forced the cancellation of two planned rounds of trade talks and the isolation of both sides chief negotiators and put even more pressure on an already tight deadline. Mr Gove said the UK's no deal operation had been stood down."We dont have any plans to stand up operation Yellowhammer again because we are confident we will secure agreement," he said. Both sides plan a conference to review progress at the end of June. According to the Withdrawal Agreement, the UK has until July to ask for an extension to the Brexit transition period of up to two year. There are further two planned rounds of virtual negotiations before the conference. I am confident that the EU [...] will want to operate in a constructive way, as we do, Mr Gove said before adding that the Treaty of Rome, the EUs foundation treaty took less than a year. He told MPs the UK would publish the legal text of its vision of the future trade deal in a matter of weeks. Mr Gove played down earlier suggestions by the British government that it would walk out of talks in June if it felt insufficient progress had been made in the trade negotiations. I think it is the case that both the UK and the EU will want to ensure the talks will progress, Mr Gove said. The Saudi-led coalition engaged in Yemen on Monday urged a leading separatist group that declared self-rule in the south to rescind its move, saying it was an "escalatory action" at a time all parties should focus on confronting the novel coronavirus. The move by the separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC) threatens to renew conflict between the STC and the Saudi-backed government, nominal allies under the coalition, even as the United Nations tries to secure a permanent nationwide ceasefire over the coronavirus pandemic. Yemen's internationally recognised government warned of "catastrophic consequences" after the STC on Sunday declared emergency rule in southern governorates including Aden, interim seat of the government that was ousted from power in the capital, Sanaa, by the Houthi group in late 2014. "The Coalition urges an immediate end to any steps contrary to the Riyadh Agreement, and work rapidly toward its implementation," the alliance said in a statement, referring to a power-sharing deal brokered by Saudi Arabia in November. It voiced support for the Saudi-backed government and said implementation of the deal would form a "competent government" based in Aden to tackle the novel coronavirus, recent flooding and other economic and developmental challenges. Yemen has been mired in violence since the coalition intervened in March 2015 on Hadi's side. There has been military stalemate for years and the Houthis hold most big urban centres. The STC, which is backed by Riyadh's main coalition partner the United Arab Emirates, has long sought self-rule in the south and accuses Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi's government of mismanagement and corruption, a charge it denies. The UAE is against the STC's unilateral move, its minister of state for foreign affairs Anwar Gargash said on Monday, adding that "frustration" with the Riyadh agreement's delay was no justification. The Riyadh agreement ended a previous stand-off between the separatists and the government last year. The UAE has confidence in Saudi Arabia's commitment to implement the agreement, which could pave the way for the next stage of a political solution for Yemen, Gargash said. The Saudi-led coalition has announced a unilateral truce prompted by a U.N. plea to focus on the coronavirus pandemic. The Houthis have not accepted it and violence has continued. While Yemen has reported only one confirmed COVID-19 case, aid groups fear a catastrophe if it spreads among a malnourished population in a country with a shattered health system. The United Nations is trying to convene virtual talks on the truce, coordinated coronavirus efforts and confidence-building steps to restart negotiations to end the war that has killed more than 100,000. *This story had been edited by Ahram Online Search Keywords: Short link: A prolonged lockdown may possibly push millions of Indians into the 'margins of subsistence', former RBI Governor Duvvuri Subbarao said on Sunday while expecting a 'V' curved recovery once the COVID-19 crisis ends and the turnaround in India to be faster than some economies Hyderabad: A prolonged lockdown may possibly push millions of Indians into the "margins of subsistence", former RBI Governor Duvvuri Subbarao said on Sunday while expecting a 'V' curved recovery once the COVID-19 crisis ends and the turnaround in India to be faster than some economies. He was participating in a webinar on "History repeats - but differently- Lessons for the post-Corona World," organised by the Manthan Foundation here, in which former Deputy Governor of RBI Usha Thorat took part. "Because most analysts believe that this year India will actually have negative growth or growth will contract. We must remember that even ahead of the crisis two months ago our growth slowed. Now it has completely stopped. Last year growth was five percent. Just imagine, five percent growth last year and we are going to negative or zero growth this year, a decline of five percent growth," he said. Click here to follow LIVE updates on coronavirus outbreak "It is true that India is going to perform in this crisis better than most other countries. But that is no consolation.... Because we are a very poor country and if the crisis persists and if the lockdown is not lifted soon enough, it is quite possible that millions of people will be pushed into the margins of subsistence, he said when asked about his views on the present situation. Click here to follow LIVE news and updates on stock markets Subbarao said that as predicted by analysts, India will have a V-shaped recovery which is far better than most of the other countries. "And why do we expect a "V" shaped recovery? Because unlike in a cyclone or in an earthquake, this is not a natural disaster constraint. No capital has been destroyed. Factories are standing. Our shops are still standing. Our people are ready to work as soon as the lockdown is lifted. So it is quite possible the recovery will be V-shaped and while we have a V-shaped recovery, I think India has a better chance then most of the countries," he opined. According to him, India's recovery was faster than many other countries after the 2008 global financial crisis. On IMFs prediction that India may grow at 1.9 percent during the current year against about five percent in the last fiscal, Subbarao said many analysts feel that the prediction is outdated and the growth in GDP may slip into negative. He said the "life versus livelihood" dilemma for the country is arguably very "short while" for India. Usha Thorat said pumping more liquidity into the system alone cannot work and banks and Non-Banking Finance Companies (NBFC) will need credit guarantee or enhancement to start lending. She also said that states need more support during the crisis and streamlining of non-merit subsidies was required. The dynamic training prepares English teachers for the challenges theyll face teaching online. Through interactive content such as instructional videos, practice exercises, PDF downloads, and peer discussion boards, teachers learn the technology and teaching strategies specific to online learning. Bridge Education Group today announced the launch of a free version of its specialized, 120-hour teacher training course, Foundations and Advanced Methods in Teaching English Online, specifically for fellow members of the language-travel community impacted by the coronavirus crisis. The Impact of Coronavirus on Language-Travel and Student Mobility While the COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted a broad range of industries worldwide, the language-travel sector, a hybrid of education and travel, has been one of the most acutely affected. As an established language and teacher training provider, Bridge knows firsthand the economic impact that providers of in-country English language training are experiencing during this crisis. Unable to provide the unique cultural immersion component of their programs, most in the industry have now shifted to delivering their language courses 100% online, as a stop-gap measure. The Shift to Online Instruction This sudden move to online teaching has, consequently, thrust many classroom-based teachers into unfamiliar territory as they adjust to delivering their lessons in the virtual setting. Teachers face challenges such as having to quickly learn and implement new technology, adapt their lessons effectively to the online setting, virtually manage classes of all sizes and levels, and keep newly homebound students engaged and motivated. Recognizing a Way to Help Online Teacher Training Bridges teacher training division (https://bridge.edu/tefl/), which specializes in online teacher certification and professional development, is uniquely positioned to support teachers facing these challenges. The specially modified free version of its 120-hour Teaching English Online Certification Program being offered to impacted teachers at schools in the language-travel sector consists of two courses, the 60-Hour Foundations in Teaching English Online and 60-Hour Advanced Methods in Teaching English Online. Anna Williams, Bridge Product Manager, explains, The dynamic training prepares English teachers for the challenges theyll face teaching online. Through interactive content such as instructional videos, practice exercises, PDF downloads, and peer discussion boards, teachers learn the technology and teaching strategies specific to online learning. How It Will Work The course content is identical to the original version, except that the graded assignments have been removed to make the program accessible to teachers free of charge. Teachers seeking an official certificate and accompanying digital badge credentials will have the option to complete the graded assignments at a special, discounted rate. Eligibility for the free version of these courses is limited to teachers employed or temporarily furloughed by English language schools in the language-travel sector. Enrollments can be made on behalf of teachers by school administrators, who can apply by visiting https://teachersempowered.bridge.edu/. Administrators will be given unique access codes that teachers can use to register for their free courses. Member schools of language-travel associations such as English UK, EnglishUSA, FELTOM (Malta), English New Zealand, IALC (International Association of Language Centers), Languages Canada, and Education South Africa, among others, are automatically qualified to register their teachers. Jean-Marc Alberola, president of Bridge Education Group, is optimistic about the future of the industry, saying Were privileged to be able to assist the language-travel sector in maintaining its commitment to excellence while we weather this storm together. Yet, nothing compares to learning and living a new language in-country; it is the premier, gold standard in language acquisition and cultural understanding. For this reason, ultimately, this industry will prevail. About Bridge Founded in 1986, Bridge is a world leader in language education and teacher training. An international organization with headquarters in Denver, Colorado, Bridge is accredited by ACCET (Accrediting Council for Continuing Education & Training) and AQUEDUTO (Association for Quality Education & Training Online) and its courses are recognized for credit by the American Council on Educations Credit Recommendation service. Website: https://bridge.edu/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/school/bridge-education-group Twitter: https://twitter.com/bridgetefl Ronnie Kato (pictured), 36, is suspected of killing Curtis Richardson, 58, that morning and then gunning down the two unidentified cops later A police officer has been killed and his wounded colleague was fighting for his life Sunday after they were gunned down when responding to reports of gunfire. Ronnie Kato, 36, is suspected of killing Curtis Richardson, 58, that morning and the two unidentified officers who responded to the scene in a northern residential district in the city were shot. One of them later succumbed to his injuries. The cops had initially gone to 1800 block of Pamela Drive around 12.30pm but received a tip the gunman was hiding a home on the 3100 block of Conrad Street. Kato was detained around 4pm after a roughly four-hour standoff with a SWAT team in which he barricaded himself inside a house, Baton Rouge Police Chief Murphy Paul told The Advocate. He added that SWAT team members had been fired on and they returned fire. No one was reported hurt during those exchanges. At a news conference Sunday evening, the police chief said the slain officer was a 21-year law enforcement veteran and that the wounded colleague had seven years of police work, according to WBRZ-TV. 'Our officers - talk about being public servants and the responsibility that comes along with being a law enforcement officer,' Paul said. 'This is a call no chief wants to get.' Police released few details about the shooting of the two officers or events that led up to it. The chief said only that police continue to investigate. The chief didn't immediately say what charges Kato might face. Baton Rouge Police Department officers gather at the site of a shooting that left one police officer dead and a wounded colleague fighting for life The suspect was in custody after an hourslong standoff at a home in the area on Sunday afternoon An officer salutes a motorcycle escort and a coroner's van carrying the body of a Baton Rouge police officer who was fatally shot On Sunday afternoon, neighbors and onlookers crowded street corners behind police tape that cordoned off the area, according to media reports. Some of the bystanders wore masks against the coronavirus and others held up phones to record the crush of law enforcement vehicles at the site. A different scene unfolded outside Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center, where the officers had been whisked by ambulance. There, dozens of law enforcement officers held an impromptu vigil at the hospital, awaiting updates on the wounded officer's condition. The hospital lit up blue in their honor. A coroner's van was seen Sunday afternoon being escorted away by dozens of law enforcement vehicles as it left the hospital, according to media reports. 'It is a tragic day in the Baton Rouge community. I am deeply saddened by the incident earlier that resulted in the loss of one of our bravest souls,' Mayor-President Broome said in a statement. 'My thoughts and prayers are with their families, with every member of the Baton Rouge Police Department, and with all public safety officers. I ask our entire community to remember their families in your prayers, and may their sacrifice never be forgotten. 'As we mourn this tragedy, let us reinforce that violence in our community, and particularly violence against those who serve and protect, is unacceptable. During this stressful time, both in our community and across the globe, it is imperative that we join together now more than ever. 'I have requested Governor Edwards allow all flags at East Baton Rouge City-Parish buildings be flown at half-staff.' Baton Route Police Chief Murphy Paul, center holding sheet of paper, walks along a street Police at the scene in Aldborough Road North, Ilford, east London, where a one-year-old girl and a boy aged three were stabbed to death (Dominic Lipinski/PA) A woman was screaming for help like she was being tortured at a property where a one-year-old girl and a boy aged three were stabbed to death, a neighbour has said. Police and the air ambulance rushed to the home in Aldborough Road North, Ilford, east London, at around 5.30pm on Sunday after receiving reports of a man and two children injured. The toddler died at the scene, which is just yards from a day nursery, while the boy died in hospital, Scotland Yard said. A 40-year-old man, who was known to the children, was taken to hospital for treatment for knife wounds, the force said. A murder investigation has been launched although police are not looking for anyone else over the killings. A mother-of-two who lives across the road and gave her name as Reshna told the PA news agency: I heard a woman screaming Help me. It sounded like she was being tortured. I knew something horrible must have happened, it went on for about 10 minutes. The neighbour said she later saw medics carrying a little body in a bag outside. She added: My heart just sank, its devastating, horrific. From a mothers perspective Im still shaken from it, I cant imagine what she feels at the moment. Police were seen patrolling a cordon encircling two newsagents attached to some flats in the quiet residential road off the A12 on Monday morning. Expand Close Police at the scene in Aldborough Road North, Ilford (Dominic Lipinski/PA) PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Police at the scene in Aldborough Road North, Ilford (Dominic Lipinski/PA) Officers were overheard talking about obtaining CCTV from one of the newsagent shops. Two small toy rabbits, one blue and one white and pink, were left at the scene with a note saying: Little angels, we are so sorry. Rest in Peace. Several neighbours said the man, woman and children were of Sri Lankan descent but none knew them by name. Neighbour Intisar Ahmed said they had lived there for around two years and that she saw a police officer take one of the injured children outside and try to save him with CPR. She said: I was so, so upset. I couldnt believe it, the baby on the floor and the policeman trying first aid. I saw them put him on the floor and it looks like they had taken the clothes off. I could hear the mother screaming. A passer-by who lives in the road said she heard someone screaming and screaming inside before police turned up and officers went rushing in. Expand Close (PA Graphics) Press Association Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp (PA Graphics) The resident, who gave her name as Angelina, said the woman was helped out by police and appeared to be Asian and in her 30s. She added: The air ambulance came and thats when I knew it was serious, that something nasty had happened. It has absolutely shook (sic) me, I couldnt sleep last night. I knew something terrible had happened but when it came out that two children had died, I was shaken. Thomas Dodds, 78, who lives around 20 yards from the scene, added: It sickens me Someone who did that doesnt have a heart, to put a knife into a baby. Aldi asked a blind key worker to leave because he was with his girlfriend while they were shopping for their elderly neighbours. Liverpool City Council worker Christy Lynch, 54, was kicked out of Aldi in Thornton despite explaining that he had to shop with his girlfriend because he is totally blind in one eye and has limited vision in the other. Like other supermarkets Aldi has encouraged people to shop individually instead of in groups to avoid the spread of coronavirus. They only allow one person per trolley but say that parents with children and people who need assistance should be allowed in together. Mr Lynch said that he had a mask on and that he takes the lockdown seriously and tries to be as independent as possible but needed his girlfriend's assistance. Liverpool City Council worker Christy Lynch was kicked out of his local Aldi in Thornton for being with his girlfriend who was helping him shop for their elderly neighbours because he is blind 'It was humiliating to be shouted at and told to leave in front of a massive queue,' said Mr Lynch. When Mr Lynch tried to explain the situation the security guard 'shouted at him and told him to get out.' Mr Lynch said: 'I'm not an aggressive person at all and I was trying to be diplomatic throughout the whole of this. 'I tried to have a reasonable discussion with management and security but they weren't having any of it.' Aldi has apologised to Mr Lynch and have said that they will remind Thornton Aldi's security guard that people who need assistance should be allowed into the store with another person Aldi has apologised since Mr Lynch was kicked out on Friday morning and has assured the public that people who need assistance will be allowed to shop with another person. Aldi said: 'To help with social distancing, we are encouraging all customers to try and reduce the number of family members they bring with them into our stores. 'However, where necessary, customers can shop with others, and we will remind the security guard at our Thornton store of this policy. 'We have spoken to Mr Lynch to apologise for any upset this may have caused.' https://www.aish.com/jw/s/The-Silver-Platter-Establishing-the-State-of-Israel.html 24,000 Israeli soldiers have sacrificed their lives for the protection of the Jewish state. The state will not be given to the Jewish people on a silver platter. Those words which have become the title of one of Israels most famous and beloved poems were uttered in December 1947 by Chaim Weitzmann, the first President of the State of Israel. When he said them, the nations of the world, voting in the United Nations, had recently overwhelmingly approved the partition of the region called Mandatory Palestine. This area had been ruled by Britain for a generation, and now the British wished to get this troublesome Middle Eastern area off its hands. Much of Mandatory Palestine had recently become a new nation, the Kingdom of Jordan. Now the fate of the rest of the area known as Mandatory Palestine was turned over to the UN. The UN set up a committee to study the situation and they made a recommendation: the region should be further divided into two nations. One part should become yet another independent Arab country. A tiny sliver of land along the Mediterranean, which was home to 660,000 Jews and had a Jewish majority, should become an independent Jewish homeland, the first independent Jewish state in 1,877 years. The stakes were incredibly high: not only the survival of the Jews living in Mandatory Palestine depended on the vote, but so too did the fates of over 300,000 Holocaust survivors who were still languishing in camps in Europe who longed to move to the Land of Israel. In addition nearly a million Jews who lived in Arab countries faced riots and massacres at the hands of their Muslim neighbors. They also looked with longing at the Land of Israel, hoping they could find safety and refuge there. On November 29, 1947, the United Nations voted. Country after country cast their ballots. The results soon became clear. By a vote of 33 to 13 (with 10 abstentions), the nations of the world had voted to create a Jewish state. Years later, Chaim Herzog (who would go on to serve as Israels president from 1983-1993) recalled the joy of hearing the UN vote unfold: On the never-to-be-forgotten night of 29 November 1947 the entire nation was glued to the radio as Moshe Medzini, correspondent of Palestine Radio, reported that the General Assembly was voting to decide whether we would achieve statehood. One by one the name of each member nation was called and each announcement was made Yes, No, or Abstention. The United States, the Soviet Union, and France voted in favor; Britain abstained. Finally, the announcement was made; the recommendation had been adopted by a vote of thirty-three in favor and thirteen against, with ten abstentions. Pandemonium broke out and the entire Jewish population was seized with joy. For that moment, all bitterness and remorse over past injustice disappeared. In Tel Aviv, in Jerusalem, in every town of Palestine, Jews poured into the streets cheering wildly. People of all ages spun around in euphoria, dancing the hora. (From Living History: The Memoirs of a Great Israeli Freedom-Fighter, Soldier, Diplomat and Statesman by Chaim Herzog. Weidenfeld Nicolson, London: 1997.) Intimations of War When Chaim Weitzman was asked for his assessment of the UNs partition vote, he explained that the vote was but the first step in establishing a Jewish state, proving that the global consensus supported a Jewish homeland in the ancient Land of Israel. But like anything worth having, it would have to be fought for: The state will not be given to the Jewish people on a silver platter. The state of Israel would have to be dearly bought, with Jewish blood. For while much of the world was celebrating, Israels Arab neighbors made it clear that they would not tolerate the existence of a Jewish state, no matter what the circumstances. Britains mandate in the region was set to expire on May 14, 1948. If Israel dared declare its independence on that day, it faced not just one invading force but many: Israels borders with Egypt, Lebanon, Syria and Jordan all were vulnerable to attack, and the nascent Jewish state was vastly outnumbered by the combined forces of the much larger and more militarily advanced grouping of nations known as the Arab Legion, which was committed to preventing the establishment of a Jewish homeland. One Israeli who celebrated the UNs partition vote on November 29, 1947 was the famous writer and journalist Nathan Altermann. Born in Poland in 1910, he moved as a child with his family to the bustling city of Tel Aviv. (Established as a new Jewish city on sand dunes north of the city of Jaffa in 1911 with just eleven residents, by 1948 it had grown to a busy metropolis of 230,000.) Altermann joined a joyous crowd at Tel Avivs Cafe Kassit, a popular cafe with the citys literary figures. As he and his friends drank toasts to the UNs vote, Altermann overheard two of his acquaintances whispering together. Yosef Avidar was a senior commander with the Haganah, the Jewish defense group. He was talking with Yitzhak Sadeh, the founder of the Palmach, the Haganas elite strike unit. How many Jews would die defending a nascent Jewish state they wondered? They estimated that perhaps 10,000 Jews would be killed by Arab armies if they dared make the UNs vote a reality and establish a Jewish homeland. Altermann stopped celebrating. One of his friends later recalled that suddenly his face was filled with anxiety and pain. Altermann, like many Jews, had heard Weitzmanns warnings that a Jewish state would not be simply handed to its inhabitants on a silver platter. He realized that theyd have to fight and suffer for the creation of a land to call their own. Nathan Altermann That night, Altermann went home and started working on the poem that would become his best known work. Titled Magash Hakesef, The Silver Platter, it envisioned the toll that creating a Jewish state would take. He described a war-torn land, a homeland of smoky frontiers still burning from battle. He wrote of a Jewish homeland that was torn at heart but existing, one experiencing both terror and joy together. In the poems final, haunting passages, Altermann conjured up the image of two young Jewish soldiers, a boy and a girl, who are battle-weary and fatigued, covered with the dirt and grime of the long, hard war theyve been fighting. As the poem continues, it becomes clear that these two young Jews are no longer among the living. As they stagger into view, an entire nation gazes on them, wondering who just who these exhausted, injured soldiers at the front lines defending the first Jewish country in nearly two thousand years might be. Finally, with weary gazes, the two young soldiers reply softly: We are the silver platter on which you were handed the State of Israel. Establishing the Jewish State British rule of Mandatory Palestine came to an end on May 14, 1948. On that day, the leaders of the Yishuv, the Jewish communities in the Land of Israel, came together in Tel Aviv to proclaim the establishment of their state. They rose to their feet and sang the Hatikvah, Israels national anthem. Then David Ben-Gurion, Israels first Prime Minister, read out the words that reestablished a Jewish state in the land of Israel: ...by virtue of our natural and historic right and of the resolution of the General Assembly of the United Nations, do hereby proclaim the establishment of a Jewish state in the Land of Israel the State of Israel. The State of Israel will be open to Jewish immigration and the ingathering of exiles. Wild jubilation erupted throughout the land. Golda Meir (who was born in Ukraine and narrowly escaped being murdered in anti-Jewish pogroms as a child, and would serve as Israels Prime Minister 1969-1974) recalled her intense feelings at that moment: The long exile was over. From this day on, we would no longer live on sufferance in the land of our forefathers. Now we were a nation like other nations, masters for the first time in twenty centuries of our own destiny. The dream had come true too late to save those who had perished in the Holocaust, but not too late for the generations to come As Ben-Gurion read, I thought again about my children and the children that they would have, how different their lives would be from mine and how different my own life would be from what it had been in the past. (From My Life by Gold Meir. Weidenfeld & Nicolson, London: 1975.) Golda Meirs celebration was tinged with terror. Shed just come back from a top secret mission to Jordan where she met with King Hussein Abdullah and pleaded with him in vain not to attack the Jewish state. As she drove back to Israel, her advisors warned her that up to 50,000 Jewish soldiers might die in the ensuing war, and estimated that Israel had only a 50% chance of prevailing against the superior military might of its Arab neighbors. Attacked from All Sides Within hours of Ben-Gurions declaration of the establishment of the State of Israel, the new Jewish country was invaded by Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, Syria and Iraq. How beautiful was this day, May 14, an Arab Legion officer wrote, when the whole world held its breath anticipating the entry of seven Arab armies into Palestine to redeem if from the Zionists The Transjordanian Arab Legion was led by a British officer, Sir John Bagot Glubb, who recalled that in Jordans capital Amman, the flat roofs and the windows were crowded with women and children, whose shrill cries and wavering trebles could be heard above the roar and rattle of the vehicles, and the cheering of the crowds of men beside the road. The troops themselves were clapping and cheering. In others, they were laughing and waving to the crowds as they passed. The scene was repeated in countless other Arab cities and towns, as residents celebrated what they believed would be the swift destruction of the new State of Israel. (Quoted in A History of Israel From The Rise of Zionism To Our Time by Howard M. Sachar. Alfred A. Knopf: New York: 2002.) The war was to last for nearly a year and devastated every corner of the state of Israel. In May, 1948 the Israel Defense Force consisted of a rag-tag army of amateurs and volunteers; within a year it had become a professional force of over 100,000 full time men and women. The crucible of this transformation was a total war for Israels very survival. The other branches of Israels military were even more hastily assembled in the midst of fierce fighting. Israels navy consisted of unseaworthy vessels that had ferried desperate Holocaust survivors to its shores illegally during British rule. Many of Israels air force planes were former US bombers that were bought as scrap. Despite overwhelming odds, Israels fighting men and women often mere youths began, through months of war, to prevail. Tragically, at every turn, there were heavy casualties. More and more, the ghostly young soldiers of Nathan Altermanns poem were becoming a reality, as first hundreds, then thousands of young Israeli soldiers lost their lives. The final action of the war was Operation Yuvda in March, 1949, when Israeli forces captured the Red Sea port of Eilat. Between February and July, 1949, Israel signed armistice agreements with Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. (Iraq refused to sign an armistice treaty with the Jewish state, and remained in a technical state of war with Israel.) Despite the temporary peace, the toll was terrible. Entire families trembled for many months inside bomb shelters. Farmers were shot by snipers as they tended their fields. Families were attacked and massacred by Arab forces in some border towns. Old men, young children all faced daily bombing and shooting and constant threat of total annihilation. The toll on Israels soldiers was heavy: 6,373 Israelis were killed in action fully 1% of the countys population. Within a few years, Israels population grew enormously as Jews from all over the world found refuge in the new Jewish homeland. Within three years, the population of Israel doubled. It grew exponentially later on, as Jews from Arab nations, from Ethiopia, from Europe and from the Soviet Union all poured into the Jewish state. Each year on Yom Hazikaron, Israels Memorial Day, these Israelis join together to thank these brave soldiers from Israels War of Independence and the many subsequent wars that Israel has fought. Nearly 24,000 men and women have been killed defending the Land of Israel since 1860, when Jews first began leaving the safety of walled cities like Jerusalem and began building new towns and settlements. They paid the ultimate sacrifice so that we Jews around the world might continue to have a Jewish homeland. In the words of both Chaim Weitzmann and Nathan Altermann, these brave young men and women have given us all a timeless gift. They are all the silver platters on which we are given the Jewish state of Israel. This Yom Hazikaron and every day, let us honor their memories and their sacrifice. Here is an English translation of Nathan Altermanns poem The Silver Platter: Emirati engineers designed a new space probe named Al Amal or "Hope" in English. The probe is due to launch this year and serves as a message to young Arabs everywhere that "hope transcends the distance between the earth and the skies," from Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai. The space probe has been shipped to the JAXA-run Tanegashima Space Center- where it is scheduled to launch on July- on April 24 ahead of its schedule to ensure a timely launch due to the ongoing travel restrictions amid the coronavirus pandemic. The turning point for the Arab and Islamic world in the space sector The Hope spacecraft is expected to take off at the beginning of the three-week-long launch window from July 14 to August 3. It is the singular major component of UAE's Mars Mission, which will study the atmosphere, weather, daily and seasonal weather cycles, and the variations of climate on different regions of Mars. The collected data from Hope will help answer important questions about the atmosphere of Mars. Questions such as why gaseous hydrogen and oxygen are being lost to space and how the drastic climate of the red planet changes. Sheikh Mohammed said in an interview on Saturday, that the Hope probe represents a turning point for the Arab and Islamic world in the space sector. The new Mars mission not only represents a scientific goal for the Arabs but also a message that hope rise above between the earth and the skies. Emirate engineers are working according to schedule to complete their top science projects despite tough global travel conditions. The Hope probe was developed was initially planned to finish building within 10 years, but they managed to do it in less than 6 years and at half the cost. The Minister of State for Advanced Sciences, Sarah Al-Amir, was at the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre to see the probe off. She thanked the specialized team that accompanied the probe from UAE to Japan, and other parties and teams involved for the launch in her twitter post on Saturday. Built by 150 Emirati engineers and 200 partnering U.S. engineers and scientists, the Hope spacecraft was constructed at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics at the University of Colorado in Boulder, Colorado. Other collaborators in the development of the spacecraft also include academic partners from the University of California, Berkeley, and Arizona State University. Read Also: The Snowman: Discovering Objects Beyond Pluto Launching the Hope probe The Hope spacecraft underwent environmental testing in the United States which began in June 2019 and concluded in December, after its completion at the Laboratory of Atmospheric and Space Physics. From there, it was transported to the facilities of MBRSC in Dubai in UAE for a final set of tests before it is shipped to its launching site in Japan. Hope probe was packaged and shipped from Dubai to the Al Maktoum International Airport on April 20, and then to the Nagoya International Airport in Japan before it was finally transported to the Tanegashima Space Center. Scientists will now conduct the final checkouts to the probe before its integration onto the two-stage medium-lift H-IIA launch vehicle, manufactured by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) which has successfully conducted 40 launches to date. If the launch of the Hope probe cannot be attempted on the launch window from July 14 to August 3, it will take another 2 years for another launch opportunity to arise. Read More: First Exoplanet Discovered by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope Suddenly Disappeared, Where Could It Possibly Go? Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar at the CPAC convention in National Harbor, Md., on Feb. 28, 2019. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times) White House Pushes Back on Reports of Health Secretarys Possible Removal The White House and President Donald Trump pushed back on anonymously sourced reports that claimed the president is mulling the removal of Alex Azar, the health and human services secretary. Reports in multiple publications, relying on unnamed sources, claimed that the White House is considering removing Azar from his position. But White House spokesman Judd Deere praised Azar. The Department of Health and Human Services, under the leadership of Secretary Azar, continues to lead on a number of the Presidents priorities, Deere said in a statement. Any speculation about personnel is irresponsible and a distraction from our whole-of-government response to COVID-19. President Donald Trump and Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar at HHS headquarters in Washington on Oct. 25, 2018. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) Trump took to Twitter to reject the reporting, which he called Fake News, saying reporters didnt call to confirm the facts. The Lamestream Media knows this, but they are desperate to create the perception of chaos & havoc in the minds of the public. They never even called to ask, he wrote on April 26. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar speaks about the epidemic, flanked by White House coronavirus response coordinator Debbie Birx (L), Vice President Mike Pence, and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Seema Verma (R), at the White House on March 2, 2020. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times) Alex is doing an excellent job! he added. The president also shared a missive from Fox News host Laura Ingraham, who described Azar as smart and talented. Azar also took to Twitter to respond to the reports, accusing the media of smearing Trump and his administrations response to COVID-19. Media outlets grossly overlook the historic whole-of-government response that weve been delivering under the Presidents leadership, Azar wrote. The Wall Street Journal, one of the outlets that published a story claiming administration officials are discussing removing Azar, cited six people familiar with the discussions. In a follow-up report on Trumps reaction, the paper described stories about the matter as speculation. As part of his drive to reopen the economy amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Brazils fascistic President Jair Bolsonaro advocated on Monday, April 20, the reopening of military and civic-military secondary schools beginning this week. His intention is that this will lead to the reopening of all schools in Brazil and pave the way for the reopening of business in general. Perhaps [the reopening of civic-military schools] is the first step for us to return to normality in terms of studies, said Bolsonaro. Showing his usual contempt for the Brazilian population, the fascistic president justified his proposal by saying, Its a reality: on average, 70 percent will catch the virus It is no use running away from this reality. That 70 percent of the population will become infected means 160 million Brazilians. With a low estimate of the fatality rate at 1 percent, this means at least 1.6 million deaths. Bolsonaros defense of reopening schools took place after a talk with Ibaneis Rocha (MDB), governor of the Federal District, where the Brazilian Armed Forces has one of its 13 military schools that are spread throughout the country. The Federal District also has nine of the 53 civic-military schools opened by the Bolsonaro government since his inauguration. Sign reading "Classes Suspended" on school gate in Brazil. (Credit: Marcelo Camargo/Agencia Brasil) One day after the announcement of the possible reopening of these schools, the daily Jornal de Brasilia reported that students parents rejected Rocha and Bolsonaros proposal, organizing a petition to the governor and the state prosecutors office. An outraged mother told the Jornal de Brasilia, Our children are not guinea pigs, while another added that there is no scientific or legal basis for it. An opinion poll released by Datafolha Institute on April 20 showed that 68 percent of Brazilians support social isolation. The Federal District was the first in Brazil to order the closing of schools on March 12. With the detection of community transmission of coronavirus, Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, the first and third most populous states in the country respectively, closed schools on March 16. By March 17, both public and private school systems in Brazil were closed. The defense of Bolsonaros return to school came a few days after the fascist president fired his health minister, Luiz Henrique Mandetta, who came into conflict with Bolsonaros proposal for refusing to defend vertical isolationthe isolation of adults over 60 years old and those with chronic diseaseswhile everyone else returns to work. Bolsonaros downplaying of the effects of COVID-19, saying it was a little flu, and his open defense of the reopening of business also led him to clash with former allies in the states, such as the right-wing governors Ronaldo Caiado (DEM), from Goias and Joao Doria (PSDB), from Sao Paulo. However, as the impact of social isolation upon an economy that has not grown for six years has become increasingly clear, with an optimistic forecast of a fall of more than 5 percent in GDP this year, the governors have also begun to express the will of the Brazilian ruling class to reopen the economy. According to the daily O Globo, by April 22 ten Brazilian states had already relaxed their quarantines and two others had presented plans to gradually reopen the economy. These relaxations of quarantine measures are taking place as the number of cases and deaths from COVID-19 in Brazil are growing rapidly. By Sunday, 4,205 deaths and nearly 62,000 cases had been confirmed, with scientific studies indicating that the real toll is likely 12 times greater due to the pervasive lack of testing. According to the COVID-19 Observatory, which includes the largest Brazilian and two foreign universities, the number of deaths from the disease in Brazil is growing faster than in Spain during the same stage of infection. In the states of Sao Paulo, Rio Grande do Sul and Minas Gerais, which are among the most industrialized in the country, the move to reopen the economy has been accompanied by attacks on teachers and school staff. Even before the worsening economic situation triggered by the coronavirus pandemic, Minas Gerais and Rio Grande do Sul were two of the first three Brazilian states to declare a state of fiscal calamity in 2016. The coronavirus crisis has led the state of Minas Gerais to increase its deficit forecast for 2020 from 13 to 21 billion Brazilian reals (US$2.3 to 3.7 billion). Meanwhile, the tax on consumption of goods and services (ICMS), responsible for 80 percent of the states revenue, is expected to fall by R$15 billion (US$2.6 billion) this year. On Thursday, April 23, the governor of Minas Gerais, Romeu Zema (Novo), detailed his plan to reopen business throughout the state. Cynically called Minas Consciente (Conscious Minas), the plan was announced as the state had 51 COVID-19 deaths and 1,308 confirmed cases, with a number of suspected cases of almost 80,000. Governor Zema had already tried to force the states 135,000 teachers back into the public schools on April 22 to organize distance learning activities that will be offered to students beginning May 4. He also ordered the return to the schools of 50,000 school staff, such as outsourced janitors and cleaning staff, who are one of the most exploited labor forces in Brazil and whose presence at school could help spread the coronavirus like wildfire in the states poorest communities. However, on April 15, a decision by a Minas court supported a suit filed by the teachers union and suspended the return of teachers and staff to the schools. The state public prosecutors office also recommended that the Education secretary not reopen schools. Teachers in Minas Gerais went on strike in early February after suffering years of low wages. The strike was suspended when the governor announced the closing of schools. With wages delayed for years, until last week teachers in the state had not yet received their pay for the second half of March. In the southernmost state of Brazil, Rio Grande do Sul, Governor Eduardo Leite (PSDB) has already relaxed the quarantine, telling the daily Folha de S. Paulo on Wednesday, we have to manage isolation in a rational way. The forecast is that the state will lose R$700 million (US$122 million) with the shutdown of economic activity in April. Teachers and public sector workers in Rio Grande do Sul have had their salaries delayed for more than 50 months and have gone almost six years without a wage increase. At the end of last year and beginning of this year, teachers went on strike against Leites pension reform, which wound up being approved by the Legislative Assembly after the union and the pseudo-left organizations sowed the illusion that the courts would bar it. The Leite government has also cut transport benefits for public sector workers and has reduced a benefit for teachers who live far from the schools where they work. In Brazils most populous and wealthiest state, Sao Paulo, the month of April is expected to end with 30 percent less tax revenue than March, and the decrease in tax revenues due to the coronavirus crisis could reach as much as R$10 billion (US$1.8 billion) by June. Last Tuesday, April 14, Governor Joao Doria announced an austerity plan that postpones until the second semester a bonus paid to teachers whose schools exceed targets in standardized testing and cuts food, transportation and other benefits for all public sector workers. Shortly after the schools closed, Doria also suspended the contracts of lunch staff, caregivers for disabled students and school transport drivers at the more than 5,000 schools across the state. Doria has clashed a few times with President Bolsonaro for defending the quarantine measures in the state, earning him the praise of former Workers Party (PT) president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, as an example for the fight against COVID-19 in Brazil. However, on Wednesday, April 22, Doria presented a plan to gradually ease the quarantine measures beginning on May 11. On Friday, April 24, Doria announced that public schools will gradually reopen beginning in July. There is also the possibility that infants and younger children will return to school even before July, allowing parents to return to work. These moves to reopen the economy and the attacks on education are taking place amid the start of online classes in public schools throughout Brazil. The state of Sao Paulo, which has the largest public school system in the Americas, with 3.5 million students, was the first to present a distance learning platform in Brazil for teachers and students to use during the quarantine. This platform, which will be rolled out next week, was elaborated with the aid of technology giants Google and Microsoft, as well as educational foundations of large Brazilian corporations and banks, such as AMBEV, Itau and Rede Globo, which see the pandemic as an opportunity to increase their presence in the lucrative educational market. The situation with online teaching in public schools contrasts dramatically with that of the most expensive private schools in the country, whose monthly fees can reach R$10,000 (US$1,800). After the Ministry of Education allowed classes in all basic educationfrom kindergarten to high schoolto be replaced by online education during the pandemic, these schools immediately began online learning. Undoubtedly, the coronavirus pandemic will intensify the already enormous educational inequality in one of the most unequal countries in the world. At the same time, public schools will tend to suffer even greater cuts. The economic crisis caused by the pandemic is being used as a pretext for a growing presence of large corporations and banks in a system that involves almost 50 million students in Brazil. This situation will lead to an explosion in the struggle of workers in defense of public education in Brazil and throughout the world in the coming period. A confrontation is inevitable between the capitalist governments and the major corporations and banks, on one side, and teachers and students, on the other. Western Australia's Health Minister has warned anti-vaxxers to stay home as the state government expands its influenza vaccination program to include all primary school-aged children ahead of term 2 commencement from Wednesday. The state government on Monday announced a national first with an investment of an additional $400,000 set aside to offer free flu jabs to all primary school-aged children. All WA primary school aged children will have access to a free flu vaccine. Credit:Shutterstock Mr Cook said the state also had an Australian first with a drive-through influenza clinic being established for some at-risk community members, which will be established in the Perth metropolitan area from late May. He said it was more important now than ever to be vaccinated, especially if the influenza season overlapped with COVID-19 cases. White women really struggling during this crisis Reply Thread Link i love dangelo wallace. he doesn't always go as hard as he should but i like that he's saying *something* Reply Thread Link he was visibly upset during this entire video and it was hard to watch. I commend him for approaching this with so much maturity and patience. Reply Parent Thread Link mte. it sounded like he cut it at one point and he said he filmed it a couple of times before, so I'm thankful he took the time to not only source but compile everything he found for the sake of not giving a seemingly baseless argument, and all for the sake of calling awareness to this woman's unforgivable and reprehensible transgressions. like i like that it was a direct call-out of shallon but also just an informative video on why things like this should be red flags to her viewers as well as anyone in any other audience. it was really good of him to do that Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Those BTS comments are foul. She deserved armys lighting up her ass about it. Reply Thread Link She really tried it. You don't mess with BTS fans. You just don't. Reply Parent Thread Link Her comments on Chaz Bono were genuinely heartbreaking. Calling him a thing and it. They would have been considered radically offensive even the decade ago that she was writing them. Truly rotten. Reply Parent Thread Link i wonder if she lied because she thought he didn't have a platform? maybe someone DID dox her but it wasn't him Reply Thread Link that clip of her insulting BTS is weird...she starts out complaining that one is blonde and one has gray hair and another has red hair but ends it by saying they all have the same hair and eye color? it's like she defaulted to "all asians look alike" after spending a minute saying they don't look asian enough??? Reply Parent Thread Link I could honestly see an army doxxing her. Reply Parent Thread Link Literally right before D'angelo's first video on her, she was claiming that Selena Gomez's fans were trying to dox her. Reply Parent Thread Link So shes nuts Reply Parent Thread Expand Link She claims she reported his post to Twitter and Twitter took it down. So she saw this post of his, but somehow NOBODY else has said they saw it. Which virtually everyone points out is near impossible, Twitter doesn't work with that speed when doxxing is reported. He shows that while he could have deleted a post and lied about it, he would not be able to delete the @ replies of others to that post, and there are no replies to such a post. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link I love her hatred for Drake everything else has been she honestly needs help for the vitriolic delusions she has abt Selena Gomez and Meghan Markle Reply Thread Link I mean is she someone who needs help or is she just a racist who will eventually just claim to need help. Reply Parent Thread Link Probably both. Her hatred for them is restraining order-worthy Reply Parent Thread Link ppl really run reckless at the mouth when it comes to asians. its crazy how that kind of racism has become normalized Reply Thread Link so true...a lot of people come to me (usually white) thinking I will be complacent with their racist questions and remarks. And when I throw it right back in their faces by asking them "Now why in the hell would you ask me that?!!?" is usually met with a look of disbelief and shock... which then I ask them "would you ask such a racist question to any other POC? or are you asking me because I am Asian and you assume I will complacently answer you to stroke your ego?" Edited at 2020-04-27 12:07 am (UTC) Reply Parent Thread Link YES! So many people seem to think they can open up to me about their "controversial opinions" like I'm gonna nod along with their ignorant asses. No. Just no. Reply Parent Thread Link I love D'Angelo's voice and I always end up watching his videos even though I don't know or care about many of the topics, so I had no idea all this drama would unfold when he posted then first video. That woman is racist, bitter and a predator, I don't know how people continued watching her for so long when she has been spewing bile for a long time now. I'm glad she is getting flack. Reply Thread Link same, i started following him a few weeks ago and some of the people he talks about, idk who they are nor do i care but he always has interesting takes and opinions. i did not expect this particular one to blow up the way it did, literally every celebrity commentary person is talking about it now. Reply Parent Thread Link She is horrible and I am glad she is getting called out. Besides lusting after a minor JB she also claimed that a young Harry Styles pushes her up against a wall and made out with her. Reply Thread Link I ran into his channel very randomly on the homepage of youtube and kept running into him/watching his videos but didn't subscribe so it's surprising to see him here/know he's famous a bit LOL anyway she's foul and racist, gross Reply Thread Link I love how people like Shallon treat Harry like he's a child. "Meghan removed Harry from his family" gtfo Edited at 2020-04-26 11:20 pm (UTC) Reply Thread Link my god I've heard about this woman from other people's videos a lot and its such typical middle aged white women bullsht lmao she lies soo much to make her stories interesting, bcus that's all they are: stories. also she seems particularly obsessed with the very young celebs and its weird and creepy, even the females ones she's so up their business it's like why do u care what a girl half ur age is doing or why do u care why a bunch of basically teenage couples have broken up lol. She'll get in so much detail as well and overanalyze EVERYTHING like omg i saw her video about justin bieber and hailey being in an abusive relationship and was cackling throughout the whole thing she kept saying Justin KARATE CHOPPED HER IN THE FACE!!!!11 bcus there was like one pic of him swaying his hand at her n they were both laughing lol Reply Thread Link My fave is her clearly made up stories for her videos, like the one where Harry Styles came up and made out with her out of nowhere in a hallway. Reply Parent Thread Link wow she is vile Reply Thread Link God I fucking hate that oooo r they boyz or girrrlllzz??? Shit. Reply Thread Link Lol, I'm surprised to see this here. There's loads about Shallon on twitter if you search it up. My fave are her at like 29 tweeting gross pedo shit about Justin Bieber. Also, she's transphobic. Reply Thread Link HOLY SHIT that thread is insane. The thing she said about Angelina is crazy. Reply Parent Thread Link All those videos are disgusting, but I kind of laugh at how people translated the thread into Spanish, French and Portuguese. I bet Shallon would never have imagined to catch heat from so many fronts. Reply Parent Thread Link Chennai, April 27 : Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K. Palaniswami on Monday requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi for ad-hoc grant of Rs 1,000 crore from National Disaster Relief Fund (NDRF) and Custom Milled Rice (CMR) subsidy of Rs 1,321 crore. Modi held a video conference with chief ministers and those who were not able to speak at the earlier meetings spoke on Monday and the others were requested to fax their views. In his fax to Modi, text of which was released to the media here, Palaniswami requested for an ad-hoc grant of Rs 1,000 crore from NDRF for purchase of medical and protective material. "The Chief Minister's Public Relief Fund may be made eligible to receive Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) contribution under Schedule-III of the Companies Act, 2013," he said. Requesting additional allocation of rice free of cost, Palaniswami also asked Modi to release Rs 1,321 crore as CMR subsidy to facilitate paddy procurement. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister also asked Modi for a relief package for the power sector and extension of support to micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) units for payment of salaries to their employees, payment of PF and ESI dues on their behalf and waiver of interest on term loans and working capital loans for a period of six months. Payment of GST Advance Tax and income tax may be deferred for six months to help the MSMEs, Palaniswami said. Detailing various welfare measures taken by his government for the benefit of the poor, Palaniswami said 42 companies have started manufacturing of Covid-19 related medical equipment and drugs after a special package was announced. "In order to double farmers' income, I request you to provide transport subsidy to the Farmer Producers Organisations, so as to take the farmers produce directly to the consumers," Palaniswami said. "The fiscal deficit limits of 3 per cent of GSDP (gross state domestic product) may be increased to 4.5 per cent for 2019-20 and 2020-21. Additional borrowing of 33 per cent above the permitted level for fiscal year 2019-20, may be allowed for 2020-21. The GST compensation for December-January may be released now," he said. He also asked for the release of 50 per cent of the 2020-21 Finance Commission grants to the Urban and Rural Local bodies. "The Ways and Means limit of the States which was increased by 30 per cent by the RBI (Reserve Bank of India) should be doubled and the advances availed in the fiscal year 2020-21 should be made interest-free," Palaniswami said. The coronavirus pandemic is making curbside pickup much more valuable to customers and more beneficial to retailers, as many stores remain shut to try to curb the spread of Covid-19. The number of orders placed online and picked up at bricks-and-mortar stores by customers surged 208% between April 1 and April 20 compared with a year ago, according to data pulled from Adobe Analytics, which measures the web transactions of 80 of the top 100 internet retailers in the U.S. Meantime, online sales in the U.S. jumped 49% from March 12 to April 11, compared with a baseline from March 1 to March 11, Adobe said. Retailers did not start widely closing stores due to the pandemic until mid-March. Companies like Target have been touting buy online, pick-up at store options to customers who feel more comfortable ordering online during the crisis, but who don't want to wait for packages to arrive by mail. Other retailers such as Kohl's, Best Buy, Bed Bath & Beyond and Dick's Sporting Goods have been able to offer this pickup option at certain locations, even as their stores sit closed because they have been deemed nonessential. The curbside pickup trend is likely here to stay, according to Naveen Jaggi, the president of commercial real estate services firm JLL's Retail Advisory team. Shoppers will likely be more hesitant to get back to stores, since they've adjusted to being home for so long, he told CNBC Monday during a Facebook Live event. Meantime, on Monday, two major industry trade groups the Retail Industry Leaders Association and the National Retail Federation released their broad-based blueprint for how retailers, in a phased-in approach, should be thinking about getting back to business. Phase 1 is to allow for e-commerce operations to ramp back up, with contact-free curbside pickup and in-home delivery. In phase 2, stores will reopen to the public with social distancing protocols and slashed capacity. Phase 3 is to "establish protection," and then lift all remaining restrictions, the two groups said. As of this past Friday in Texas, after shops were shut for several weeks, Gov. Greg Abbott allowed nonessential retail stores to begin offering curbside pickup again, calling the model "retail to go." Galleria Dallas has a number of tenants, including Nordstrom and Louis Vuitton, already participating. The Dallas shopping mall itself has been opened back up only to retail employees. Customers for Galleria Dallas can place an order online and make an appointment, with each specific retailer, for pickup. The mall is using the hotel there to serve as a single drive-up location. The retail staff will place items in the trunk or the backseat of a vehicle, as shoppers are not allowed to leave their cars. "I think our retail stores are going to become fulfillment centers," Galleria Dallas' general manager, Angie Freed, said in an interview. "Retailers are trying to figure it out," she said. "Some of them are more advanced, more savvy and have better systems in place to handle it. Others are scrambling." Later Monday, Texas said it would lift other statewide coronavirus restrictions as soon as this week. More than 25,292 people in Texas were diagnosed with Covid-19, and the virus has killed at least 661 people there, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. Nationally, the coronavirus has infected more than 972,900, and killed at least 55,118, according to Hopkins. Chicago-based Boeing said it ended the agreement after Embraer did not meet conditions laid out by the deal, in which Boeing would have held majority ownership. Over the past few months, the companies had productive but ultimately unsuccessful negotiations about the unsatisfied conditions, which was deeply disappointing, Marc Allen, Boeings president of Embraer partnership and group operations, said in a news release. For more than a month, New Mexicos essential workers first responders, health care staff, grocery personnel, and more have continued to show up for work, and they deserve our thanks and praise. Yet this crisis is also highlighting the essential work of our early childhood professionals a group that doesnt receive the recognition or support it deserves often enough. As the last month has made undeniably clear, early childhood providers are front-line, essential workers. They are first responders. Without them, our public health workforce couldnt contain the virus, indispensable government services couldnt operate, and some of our children wouldnt have safe, healthy places to go. Despite the care and education they provide for our children, however, early childhood professionals are some of the lowest paid and least protected in our state. These are large, structural challenges that must be addressed, and were working to address them. Earlier this year, the Legislature and Gov. Lujan Grisham created the Early Childhood Trust Fund, and the Early Childhood Education and Care Department (ECECD) will officially launch on July 1. The promise of these initiatives will unfold over several years, and they will take many shapes: enhanced training and educational opportunities for early childhood workers, a professionalized wage scale, and more. Yet our early childhood community also needs support right now. Thousands of parents are doing the right thing and keeping their children home. This helps prevent the virus spread, but it also deprives child care centers of the revenue they need to support the children of essential workers. That is why Gov. Lujan Grisham and ECECD have offered the early childhood community immediate financial support: ongoing payments to child care providers for all child care assistance contracts, and a $250 bonus for every child care assistance contract for centers that remain open to serve essential personnel. The state is also waiving child care assistance copays for families and offering free child care to health care professionals, first responders and other essential employees. For our early intervention providers the professionals who deliver essential services to infants and toddlers with developmental delays and disabilities were offering more flexibility for teleconsultation, higher reimbursement rates for telehealth, and more billable family coordination hours. Our home visitors and pre-K providers are also receiving funding and support to pay staff, conduct tele-health visits and offer other virtual learning opportunities. In addition, were developing a plan for the $29.4 million in federal CARES funding to support the early childhood community. ECECD has also formed a range of partnerships to help meet the needs of families and providers. This includes helping providers locate critical food and supplies during the public health emergency; helping essential workers find the type of care they need for their children; and allowing New Mexicans to register as temporary emergency child care providers provided they pass appropriate background checks and obtain health and safety certifications. For families who are home with children and for early childhood educators working virtually, we are developing and sharing age-appropriate developmental supports through the Home Learning Initiative. All of these resources can be found at www.newmexicokids.org. We are also focused on the health and safety of our early childhood community children, educators, parents and providers. In collaboration with the Department of Health, ECECD has developed enhanced health and safety standards for early childhood settings, and weve begun distributing personal protective equipment (PPE) including face shields for temperature-taking, surgical masks and gloves to providers around the state. We are also purchasing no-touch thermometers for all child care settings to further protect the health of our early childhood professionals and reduce the need for some PPE. Of course, we hope to do much more for our early childhood community for as long as this pandemic lasts. When we get through this crisis, important work will remain. In our view, the fate of our early childhood community and the kids and families in their care will depend on the choices we New Mexicans make. That means lifting up our professionals, offering them every opportunity to learn and grow, supporting them with the compensation and respect they deserve, and above all honoring the invaluable work they do on behalf of our families and young children. If we can manage that, our state will do more than just survive this pandemic well thrive. If you received an economic stimulus check, expect to also receive a letter signed by President Donald Trump. Newsweek has obtained a copy of the one-page letter being sent to millions of Americans, explaining the reason for the direct payments amid the coronavirus pandemic. Trumps name appears on the paper checks, and his signature appears at the bottom of the letter. We are fully committed to ensuring that you and your family have the support you need to get through this time, the letter reads. Our top priority is your health and safety. As we wage total war on this invisible enemy, we are also working around the clock to protect hardworking Americans like you from the consequences of the economy shutdown. Trump also thanks Congress for passing the $2.2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), which I proudly signed into law. The letter from President Trump acknowledging the stimulus direct deposit is translated into Spanish on the back. pic.twitter.com/mmVW1GVPgS Oliver Morrison (@ORMorrison) April 25, 2020 CNN reports the letter, also translated in Spanish on the back, is sent by the IRS as part of the Treasury Department, with both postage and fees paid for by the IRS. The Treasury Department said Friday that more than 88 million people have received the letter and check over the past week, including people who received direct deposits. Trump said during a White House press briefing that the CARES Act requires the government send letters notifying "what benefits Americans are receiving; to fulfill the requirement, the Treasury Department is mailing a letter to me. Not later than 15 days after the date on which the (Treasury) Secretary distributed any payment to an eligible taxpayer pursuant to this subsection, notice shall be sent by mail to such taxpayers last known address," the legislation reads. "Such notice shall indicate the method by which such payment was made, the amount of such payment, and a phone number for the appropriate point of contact at the Internal Revenue Service to report any failure to receive such payment. The stimulus checks, officially referred to as economic impact payments, will provide most U.S. adults with $1,200 each and $500 per eligible child. The money is intended to help Americans amid the COVID-19 pandemic, which has shut down non-essential businesses and forced more than 22 million people into unemployment. As many as 62 million people are still awaiting payments as of April 17, according to CNN. The IRS said Sunday it made improvements to its Get My Payment website, giving people more information on when they can expect to receive their check. MORE ON CORONAVIRUS Coronavirus in NY: Cases, maps, charts and resources Gov. Cuomo on reopening schools, summer school, remote learning and district budgets As coronavirus deaths in NY fall below 400, Cuomo gives some details about phased reopening The week we went from defense to offense; CNYs coronavirus fight turns a corner Coronavirus treatment: NY hospitals quietly testing heartburn drug famotidine Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-27 19:29:15|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Many respiratory viruses run rampant in colder months and wane in summer, including influenza and SARS. But will the spread of COVID-19 follow a similar seasonal pattern? Experts have not found enough scientific evidence that heat and humidity will slow down the virus. "The COVID-19 virus can be transmitted in all areas, including areas with hot and humid weather," the World Health Organization pointed out in a recent report, indicating that high temperatures have not managed to curb the virus' spread. As Tom Kotsimbos, associate professor at Australia's Monash University and respiratory physician at the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne, told the Guardian, as this is a new virus, it "does not mean it will be like the others." "It's interesting that (COVID-19) has spread all over the world quite quickly -- both north and south," he said, adding that the phenomenon suggests either the transmission of the new virus does not rely on temperature or that dependency is not important for its spread. Though researchers are trying to dig out the relationship between the spread of COVID-19 and temperature, some have already drawn contradictory conclusions. According to an article published April 2 on the medical journal The Lancet, researchers from the Public Health School of Hong Kong University found an inverse correlation between the temperature and the stability of the virus. The virus is highly stable at 4 degrees Celsius and could be incubated for up to 14 days; with the incubation temperature increased to 70 degrees Celsius, the time for virus inactivation was reduced to 5 minutes, the researchers said. By contrast, an article published April 8 on the European Respiratory journal said that researchers from China's Fudan University had found little association of COVID-19 transmission with temperature or UV radiation in Chinese cities. By analyzing the cumulative number of cases in 224 cities with no fewer than 10 cases as of March 9, the basic reproduction number for 62 cities with over 50 cases as of Feb. 10, and meteorological data such as temperature, humidity, and UV radiation, the scientists concluded that "ambient temperature has no significant impact on the transmission ability of SARS-CoV-2." "This is quite similar with MERS epidemic in the Arabian Peninsula where MERS cases continue when temperature are 45 degrees Celsius," they said. Zhu Yifang, associate professor of environmental health sciences at the University of California, Los Angeles, told Xinhua that as related data in the studies are limited, it is uncertain whether the results can be globally verified. Meanwhile, the possibility cannot be ruled out that the coming hot spells in the Northern Hemisphere might reduce the virus, Zhu said, adding that it also remains unknown whether the pandemic will stage a comeback during winter, becoming seasonal. Enditem (Xinhua reporters Zhang Jiawei, Hao Yalin and Tan Jingjing contributed to this story.) Advertisement The BBC is set to air a documentary of an extraordinary woman who went from working as a fashion model to capturing the liberation of Europe at the end of the Second World War as a photojournalist. Lee Miller: A Life On The Frontline will tell the story of the New York fashion photographer who went from appearing in American Vogue to witnessing first hands the horrors of Nazi Germany. The biographical film features modern day artists and models reflect on Miller's work as a 20s cover girl, to working with surrealist artists in Europe and also her photojournalism career. Miller was among the most important photographers to record the 20th century. She could move effortlessly from one side of the camera to the other, being both the consummate professional model and a highly successful photographer, who at one point ran her own studio. Her talents were first put on full display in American Vogue during the 1920s when she became one of the country's most sough-after models. In 1929, after her modelling career hit controversy when her image was used in a menstrual pad advert, Miller traveled to Paris with the intention of apprenticing herself to the surrealist artist and photographer Man Ray. Lee Miller: A Life On The Frontline will tell the story of the New York fashion photographer who went from appearing in American Vogue to witnessing first hands the horrors of Nazi Germany. Pictured: Lee Miller at the entrance to St Malo fortress in Brittany, France, in 1944 The biographical film features modern day artists and models reflect on Miller's work as a 20s cover girl, to working with surrealist artists in Europe and also her photojournalism career. Pictured: Lee Miller wearing a helmet borrowed from a US Army photographer in Normandy, France, 1944 Lee Miller (pictured) became a naked muse for Parisian artists as the model went from the pages of Vogue to the World War Two frontline Miller was among the most important photographers to record the 20th century, collaborating with the top Europeans creatives and American magazine photojournalists in the 1930s and 40s. Pictured: Miller modelling Jean Patou in Paris, France, 1930 She honed her skills under the guidance of the great photographers of her day, including Man Ray, her became her lover during the early 1930s. When Lee returned to New York from Europe in October 1932, newspaper reporters were waiting to greet her as her ship docked. Disembarking in a smart beret and fur-collared coat, she smiled for the journalist from the New York World-Telegram. She felt that photography was 'ideally suited to women as a profession, for it seems to me that women are quicker and more adaptable than men. And I think they have an intuition that helps them understand personalities more quickly than men.' After a stint living in Cairo, she returned to Paris, where she met the British surrealist painter and curator Roland Penrose, who would go on to teach the use of camouflage on the Second World War. And for Miller too, the conflict that engulfed Europe would prove a defining point in her career. Her talents were first put on full display in American Vogue during the 1920s when she became one of the country's most sough-after models. Pictured modelling in France in 1930 In 1929, after her modelling career hit controversy when her image was used in a menstrual pad advert, Miller traveled to Paris with the intention of apprenticing herself to the surrealist artist and photographer Man Ray. A Lee Miller photograph of two woman chatting in 1950 Miller said she felt photography was 'ideally suited to women as a profession, for it seems to me that women are quicker and more adaptable than men. And I think they have an intuition that helps them understand personalities more quickly than men' Lee Miller wearing a black tulle evening dress with jet beading, back V-neckline, and layered skirt with asymmetric hem by Lelong, standing in Conde Nast's apartment in 1928 Living in Hampstead, north London with Penrose when the bombing of the city began, Miller decided to embark on a new career in photojournalism as the official war photographer for Vogue, documenting the Blitz. Her work would later take her across the whole of Europe, working for the Allied forces and teaming up with fellow American photographer David E. Scherman, a correspondent for Life magazine. Her collection includes incredible photos she took documenting the end of the war, traveled to France less than a month after D-Day and to record the Siege of the heavily fortified city of St. Malo. She also witnessed the liberation of Paris, the Battle of Alsace, and the horrors of the first soldiers arriving at Nazi concentration camps at Buchenwald and Dachau. And while visiting Germany, David Scherman took a photograph of Miller lying in the bathtub of Adolf Hitler's apartment in Munich, with its shower hose looped in the center behind her head, resembling a noose. The images became one of the most iconic of their partnership, and showed off her infamous modelling skills. It is believed Miller had kept the address of Hitler's apartment in her pocket 'for years', hoping to be one of the first to arrive during the invasion. After taking the bathtub picture, Miller took a bath in the tub and slept in Hitler's bed. After returning to the UK, Miller buried the record of her remarkable life in boxes in the attic of her Sussex home - and they were not found until after her death by her son, who was able to chronicle her achievements, according to the BBC. After the outbreak of the Second World War, Miller decided to embark on a new career in photojournalism as the official war photographer for Vogue. Pictured: A David Scherman photo of medical soldiers at the Siege of St Malo fortress in 1944 Her work would later take her across the whole of Europe, working for the Allied forces and teaming up with fellow American photographer David E. Scherman, a correspondent for Life magazine. Pictured: German soldiers surrender at the siege Miller also witnessed the liberation of Paris, the Battle of Alsace, and the horrors of the first soldiers arriving at Nazi concentration camps at Buchenwald and Dachau (pictured) Lee Miller: A Life On The Frontline will be broadcast on BBC Two on May 2. Pictured: The liberation of Dachau concentration camp in Germany on April 30, 1945 She spent the later years of her life in England and died there in 1977, aged 70. In the documentary, to be aired on Saturday, modern day artists and models will reflect on Miller's work. 'Lee Miller is one of the most remarkable female icons of the 20th century. A model turned photographer turned war reporter, Miller chose to live her life by her own rules,' according to the BBC. 'This film celebrates a subject who defied anyone who tried to pin her down, put her on a pedestal or pigeonhole her in any way. 'It tells the story of a trailblazer, often at odds with the morality of the day, who refused to be subjugated by the dominant male figures around her.' Lee Miller: A Life On The Frontline will be broadcast on BBC Two on May 2. The daylight execution of underworld figure Walid "Wally" Ahmad at a Sydney shopping centre in 2016 will be referred to the unsolved homicide squad, after the deputy state coroner concluded that the convicted killer was himself killed by an unknown person. Mr Ahmad was sitting at a cafe at Bankstown Centro on April 29, 2016, with two other men after having worked out at the Crunch Gym when a man with a full face covering ran up to him and fired 11 shots from a pistol. Wally Ahmad, who was fatally shot at Bankstown Centro. Credit:Facebook Seven bullets struck the Lebanese-born father-of-six in the back and the chest. He died at the scene. The killer fled in a stolen white Mercedes to nearby Mount Lewis in south-west Sydney where he was seen getting into another stolen car, which was later found abandoned. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- More than 360 Staten Island students are eligible to apply for a Gifted & Talented (G&T) seat for the 2020-2021 school year, according to education officials. Students entering kindergarten through third grade can qualify to participate in G&T admissions by taking the G&T test. Students who took the G&T exam in the winter were notified of their eligibility last week by the Department of Education (DOE). G&T programs are currently offered to students in kindergarten through fifth grade, including six programs in Staten Island elementary schools. Parents have previously told the Advance/SILive.com that students in G&T programs learn the same curriculum but may move at a faster pace, be assigned additional projects, use technology in the classroom and increase critical thinking. According to the data, 1,632 Staten Island students took the test, and 368 (22.5%) received a score that makes them eligible to apply for a G&T seat. Of the 368 Staten Island students, 120 received a score of 97 or higher, meaning they qualified for both citywide and district G&T programs. There were 248 Staten Island students that scored between a 90-96 to qualify for a district G&T program. Citywide G&T programs accept students from all boroughs and give no admissions priority for any district of residence. These programs are school-wide, as opposed to district programs that are located inside of neighborhood schools. There are five citywide programs, all in boroughs other than Staten Island -- three in Manhattan, one in Brooklyn and one in Queens. Students must score 97 or above on the admissions test. District G&T programs give admissions priority to students who live in a particular district. The programs are offered in district elementary schools for kindergarten through fifth grade. Students need an overall score of 90 or above on the G&T test to be eligible. The six Staten Island elementary schools that have G&T programs include: PS 3, Pleasant Plains; PS 8, Great Kills; PS 42, Eltingville; PS 45, West Brighton; PS 50, Oakwood; and PS 53, Bay Terrace. CITYWIDE RESULTS This year, 28,901 students citywide took the test, and 7,940 (27%) received a score that makes them eligible to apply for a G&T seat, according to data released by the DOE. Last year, 32,841 students took the test, and 7,950 students (24%) were eligible. The DOE said the decrease in test-takers is driven by less students entering kindergarten and second grade. We are proud to offer an array of high-quality elementary school choices, and we join families across the city who are celebrating their eligibility for one of our Gifted and Talented programs," said Katie OHanlon, a spokeswoman for the DOE. Students who received an eligible score can submit an application to G&T programs online. Applications are due May 13. Offers will be sent to families in June. RECENT CONTROVERSY After a diversity advisory group made a recommendation to eliminate G&T programs and other selective enrollment schools and programs last year, Staten Island elected officials, parents and community leaders opposed the recommendation. The School Diversity Advisory Group, which is tasked with providing recommendations to reduce segregation in city schools, made the recommendation to Mayor Bill de Blasio and Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza. Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis (R-Staten Island/Brooklyn) said at the time that the city should focus on adding more G&T programs and schools to meet demand. Carranza assured parents that students in G&T programs arent going to be pulled out of programs. I just want to assure parents that students that are currently in Gifted and Talented programs this year are not going to have the rug pulled out from under them, were not closing those programs, but what we will be doing is engaging the community in a fact-based conversation about what do those programs look like, what should they look like, and how do we make those programs be inclusive of all of the students in New York City, said Carranza at the time. FOLLOW ANNALISE KNUDSON ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER. Nigerian actor Yul Edochie is of the belief that the youths of the country are the ones stopping themselves from leading and not the old ones as many believe. The actor made this known while responding to a Twitter user who said the old ones in power are not ready to allow the youths rule. Read Also: Yul Edochie Reveals What His Dad Did To Him After Telling Him He Wanted An Electrical Shop Instead Of School Replying Yul said; I used to think like this. Till I joined politics, ran for Governor in 2017 & saw the true nature of things. Nobody is stopping the youths, were stopping ourselves. We make noise with no solid strategic plan, waiting 4 power to be given to us. Power is never given, its taken. Homeland has come to an end after nine years, and its showrunner has revealed the one story that never made it into the show despite many attempts. Alex Gansa was interviewed about the shows finale, which pitted Carrie (Claire Danes) against long-time mentor Saul Berenson (Mandy Patinkin), when he explained that his team of writers repeatedly tried to create a storyline involving Israel. Upon being asked if there was a story the show never got to tell, Gansa told Deadline: Oh God, its the Israel story. That is the story that we tried to tell. We tried to tell that story in season four. We tried to tell that story in season five. You know, we tried that story in season eight, and it defeated us, every time. He continued: Its really hard to place an American intelligence officer at the heart of a story that is essentially about Israelis and Arabs. Its really hard. You know, we could not figure out a way to do it that was realistic, and then also, meant something, at the end. I mean, it is such a complex and contentious issue, whats happening in that part of the middle east, and always has been. And we just couldnt beat that story into submission. We couldnt get there every time it led us someplace else. In season four, it led it us to Afghanistan, and Pakistan. In season five, it led us to Berlin, and in the final season, it led us back to Afghanistan. So, in all those areas, somehow, America was at the centre of the story, and an American intelligence officer could occupy that place, and somehow, in Israel, we just couldnt put [Carrie] there. The final episode of Homeland, which aired in the US last night (26 April), will be broadcast in the UK on Sunday (3 May) on Channel 4 at 9pm. In yet another example of how the pandemic is transforming the way people conduct business, U.S. bank customers are no longer limited to the number of withdrawals and transfers they can make to and from their savings accounts. On Friday, the Federal Reserve announced it was scrapping such constraints entirely, with its decision being effective immediately. Previously, the Fed capped the number of these transactions at six per month. This threshold was enshrined in Regulation D, a federal law. Although customers could exceed this number, they were subject to penalties -- at times onerous -- from their banks. The announcement follows the Fed's abandonment of reserve requirements for bank accounts. It was mandated that banks hold a fraction of the amounts in so-called "transaction accounts" like checking (but not savings), to guard against potential losses. "The regulatory limit in Regulation D was the basis for distinguishing between reservable 'transaction accounts' and non-reservable 'savings deposits'," the Fed said in a press release heralding its latest move. "The [Federal Reserve] Board's recent action reducing all reserve requirement ratios to zero has rendered this regulatory distinction unnecessary." The big U.S. banks typically don't break out precise figures for savings accounts. However, since the largest of them have vast amounts of deposits -- Bank of America (NYSE:BAC), for instance, held almost $1.6 trillion at the end of its first quarter -- it's clear that Americans collectively have vast amounts in savings accounts alone. This will affect the results of Bank of America and its banking peers; however, since most clients tend to use checking accounts as their main everyday funding source, this impact will likely be limited. On Friday, Bank of America shares inched up by 1.4%, a gain that was broadly in line with the wider stock market on that day. Vedanta Ltd is quoting at Rs 79.1, up 1.48% on the day as on 12:54 IST on the NSE. The stock is down 52.59% in last one year as compared to a 20.42% slide in NIFTY and a 45.7% slide in the Nifty Metal index. Vedanta Ltd is up for a third straight session today. The stock is quoting at Rs 79.1, up 1.48% on the day as on 12:54 IST on the NSE. The benchmark NIFTY is up around 2.13% on the day, quoting at 9349.5. The Sensex is at 32006.1, up 2.17%. Vedanta Ltd has gained around 28.51% in last one month. Meanwhile, Nifty Metal index of which Vedanta Ltd is a constituent, has gained around 11.25% in last one month and is currently quoting at 1645.2, up 1.95% on the day. The volume in the stock stood at 114.38 lakh shares today, compared to the daily average of 365.46 lakh shares in last one month. The benchmark April futures contract for the stock is quoting at Rs 79.1, up 1.41% on the day. Vedanta Ltd is down 52.59% in last one year as compared to a 20.42% slide in NIFTY and a 45.7% slide in the Nifty Metal index. The PE of the stock is 8.34 based on TTM earnings ending December 19. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A 1.5m support fund has been allocated to the arts sector in Northern Ireland. The financial package, announced today, will help individuals and organisations struggling because of the coronavirus pandemic. The Creative Support Fund, launched by Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey, will provide cash aid for a diverse range of performing artists and community art organisations. Individual artists and creative practitioners, who have lost their work as a result of Covid-19, can apply for funding of up to 5,000. Small and medium-sized organisations can apply for maximum funding of 25,000. Ms Hargey said: "These two programmes will provide a significant and welcome source of assistance to individuals and organisations in the arts sector, which plays a crucial role in our economy and contributes greatly to the mental wellbeing of our communities. "As a result of this pandemic they do not have opportunities to work in their usual way that is why I am pleased to be able to support them through this Creative Support Fund. It will provide them with the means to find different ways of engaging with audiences across a range of platforms and ensure arts services are not withdrawn from the public at this crucial time." The fund will be administered by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, which is contributing 500,000 of Lottery funding to the initiative. The Individual Artists and Creative Practitioners Programme will be available immediately. Rosin McDonough, Chief Executive of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, welcomed the ministers announcement. "The Artists Emergency Programme we opened today forms an important strand of the Ministers package; one that targets our individual artists who are in urgent need at this time. "Our artists are among the most creative, flexible and inventive members of our society and many are already finding brilliant, imaginative and innovative ways to deliver their art, but the impact of the pandemic on their working lives has been both severe and immediate." The Artists Emergency Fund, worth 500,000 of National Lottery funding, will help support efforts to develop their vocations and find new ways to bring colour, meaning and inspiration to our lives at a time when many of us need it most. The scheme is open for Expressions of Interest and we hope to see inventive ideas that imagine how artists practice can advance in better times while also engaging in the future with audiences and participants in a meaningful way. Ms Hargey added: "The arts sector is facing many barriers, this fund will offer equality of opportunity and access for a broad range of people. I have asked my department to continue to do everything possible to provide support and assistance to individuals and groups in the arts sector at this time. "I am also grateful to the Arts Council for working with my department in responding to the needs of the arts sector." Earlier this month a report by the Arts Council warned that the financial impact of the pandemic on local artists was "severe and immediate". The total anticipated loss of earnings to local arts organisations over a three-month period is 3.97m. For more information on the financial impact of the Coronavirus on the NI Arts Sector (April 2020) visit www. http://artscouncil-ni.org/news/coronavirus-covid-19-advice. Under pressure from President Gotabhaya Rajapakse and his caretaker cabinet, the Election Commissioner (EC) announced last week that Sri Lankas postponed general election would be held on June 20. Rajapakses agitation for a quick election takes place amid surging coronavirus infections in Sri Lanka and internationally. Anyone aware of Rajapakses authoritarian actionspast and presentknows that his early election had nothing to do with defending democratic rights. On March 2, Rajapakse used his executive powers to dissolve parliament, six months before its official term ended, and announced a general election for April 25 with the deadline for candidate nominations on March 19. In the face of mounting concerns over the coronavirus pandemic, the Election Commission decided to postpone the election date indefinitely. Rajapakse, however, did not implement a nationwide coronavirus lockdown until a day after candidate nominations had been submitted. Rajapakses demand that the election be held as early as possible is bound with his authoritarian agenda. Since his election as president last November he has repeatedly declared that he wants a two-thirds parliamentary majority in order to scrap the 19th constitutional amendment and other legal restrictions to his presidential executive powers. Rajapakse and the ruling elite are fearful of rising working-class action against Colombos austerity measures. The previous government of President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe broke apart and ignominiously collapsed in the face of this mass social opposition. Rajapakse came to power by falsely pledging to alleviate the social crisis while promising big business a strong and stable regime and appealing to the military and extreme-right Sinhala chauvinist groups. On assuming power, Rajapakse immediately began appointing retired military officers to key administrative positions, including defence, the ports authority, customs and the governorship of the Western Province. The president has also used the coronavirus pandemic to further militarise his regime. The National Centre for Prevention of Coronavirus is not headed by a medical expert or scientist but Army Commander Lt. General Shavendra Silva. Rather than highly-trained medical staff, military intelligence agents and police commandos have been deployed to locate those infected with COVID-19. No mass testing is occurring in Sri Lanka, nor have significant government funds been allocated for modern and fully-equipped hospitals to provide safe treatment of coronavirus victims and to deal with other health emergencies. The response of the Rajapakse government to COVID-19 is not determined on a scientific basis but by political expediency. Vilani Peiris As the number of coronavirus infections continues to rise, independent medical experts have opposed holding a general election. Over 30 new cases were discovered the day the new election date was announced. Dr. Prasanna Cooray, a former manager for South Asia for the Global AIDS program, however, told the Hindu: It is absurd to even think of elections now. How can we even predict when the infections will stop spreading? The coronavirus pandemic, which has paved the way for the deepest crisis of the capitalist economy since the Great Depression of the 1930s, is drastically impacting the Sri Lankan economy. According to the World Bank, South Asia as a whole this year will see drastically lower economic growthfrom 1.8 to 2.8 percent this yearwith Sri Lanka shrinking by 3 percent. In line with their imperialist masters in the US and Europe, the Sri Lankan government, and its counterpart in India, has declared that it will reopen the economy and is calling employees to go back to work. Sri Lankan garment sector companies have announced the axing of up to 30 percent of their permanent staff, having already dismissed casual workers. Fifteen free trade zones and other factories have called back only 20 percent of their work force. How will Rajapakse attempt to impose this draconian new normal? Last Monday, he declared that the lifting of the curfew and lockdown would occur in war-time like conditions. A section of the police and tri-forces will be deployed in Colombo district to control this situation. Earlier they [armed forces] were spread across the country. I have instructed the defence secretary to ensure that the situation remains under control, as it was during the war, and ensure that people would not make unnecessary visits and that they act in a disciplined manner. In other words, the government is preparing to mobilise the military against the working class and the poor. Before it seeks to impose the full brunt of the economic crisis on the masses, Rajapakse wants a rubber-stamp election. The Rajapakse administration is also sharpening its ideological weapons against the working class. That is why it is whipping up anti-Muslim and anti-Tamil sentimentthe ruling classs age-old racist method to divide workers along ethnic lines. The government, with the backing of most of the media, has blamed migrant workers returning from South Korea and Italy for the pandemic. Then it started accusing Muslims of being responsible for the virus spread. What has been the role of Sri Lankas so-called opposition parties? After appealing for an all-party conference, MPs from the opposition parties quickly rushed into a meeting convened by the prime minister where they praised the governments actions and the military and promised further support. Those attending included the United National Party (UNP), its breakaway group Samagi Jana Balavegaya, the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, the Janata Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), the Tamil National Alliance, the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress and the plantation trade unions. As soon as the new election date was announced, these formations stepped up their calls for parliament to be reconvened. There, under the banner of fighting the pandemic, they will assist the government to push through new anti-democratic legislation. Veteran UNP leader and former parliamentary speaker, Karu Jayasuriya, has urged all political parties to unite. The government, opposition and other stakeholders must put aside their political differences and take urgent and meaningful steps to prevent the unnecessary third crisis for our country, he said. While Jayasuriya did not elaborate on the third crisis, the primary concern of the ruling elite is not COVID-19 but an independent movement of the working class against the government and the capitalist system. Notwithstanding their minor tactical differences, the opposition parties are ready to unite against their common enemy: the working class. The Socialist Equality Party (SEP), the Sri Lankan section of the International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI), is the only party contesting the general elections on the socialist and internationalist program that defends the interests of the working class and the poor. This is elaborated in our comprehensive March 21 and April 18 statements. The coronavirus pandemic has exposed the failure of the capitalist system. It must be overthrown and replaced with a rational system that provides a progressive future for mankind: that is, world socialism. We call on all workers, youth and intellectuals in Sri Lanka, South Asia and internationally to support our campaign, study our program, read the World Socialist Web Site and join the SEP. Mickey Rourke's upcoming film Warhunt has finished shooting after it refused to close down amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The film, which was shot in Latvia's capital of Riga, had to abide by local regulations, even as it ignored almost every Hollywood production's choice to shut down. 'I came to Riga to work and this thing (Covid-19) was so out of control, but everyone was so great,' Rourke, 67, told Variety. Reckless: Warhunt, a horror-thriller starring Mickey Rourke, 67, has wrapped production in Latvia after continuing to shoot amid the coronavirus pandemic; still from Warhunt According to producer Yu-Fai Suen, who runs Londons Berkeley Media Group, the actors schedule had to be switched around so that he wouldn't be stuck in Latvia amid travel restrictions. 'We had to rearrange the schedule for Mickey Rourke as the country was closing its borders, and luckily he agreed to fly early to beat the closure, and we rescheduled his shoot days to accommodate this change.' Though Rourke was able to leave the country early, it's not clear how many other American citizens or citizens of other countries were working on the production, and whether they were also able to finish their work before being locked in the Northern European country. In addition to the Wrestler star, Warhunt features Twin Peaks: The Return's Robert Knepper and Twilight's Jackson Rathbone. The film concerns a squad of highly qualified soldiers who become trapped behind enemy lines in Germany's Black Forest while on a covert mission during the Second World War. The find it's not just Nazis they have to deal with, but also a coven of witches. Flexible: 'We had to rearrange the schedule for Mickey Rourke as the country was closing its borders,' said producer Yu-Fai Suen. It's unclear if all cast and crew made it out before Latvia's borders were closed; shown in 2018 In order to continue film, the Warhunt production had to ensure that crew members wore masks and gloves and had their temperatures checked twice a day. The set also had to be regularly sanitized and the cast and crew were required to maintain social distancing, though it's unknown if the cast were prevented from getting too close during their scenes. 'There were additional procedures on set, but it quickly became the norm and everyone got on with it,' Suen continued. 'For makeup, each actor had a dedicated kit so makeup artists used only the same brushes, makeup etc. on the same actor. All makeup artists, of course, wore facemasks when applying makeup.' Safety first? In order to continue film, the Warhunt production had to ensure that crew members wore masks and gloves and had their temperatures checked twice a day; shown in September There's a good chance of more non-essential productions working in Latvia, as the producer said the government had given him permission to shoot more film and television projects as long as they adhered to the same safety procedures. Warhunt was directed by Italian Mauro Borrelli, who previously worked in the art department on Star Wars: The Last Jedi, the first Captain America film and two of the Pirates Of The Caribbean movies. 'It was surreal at the beginning,' he said, 'but the cast and crew quickly adjusted to the masks and other precautions, so we ended up even more focused and efficient.' More to come: Rourke has a busy slate of upcoming films, including the thrillers Adverse and Girl, though it's unclear when they'll be release as the pandemic continues to rage; shown in August Rourke has a busy slate of upcoming films in addition to his wartime horrorthriller. He'll be featured in the crime film Adverse alongside The Lord Of The Rings' Sean Astin and Lou Diamond Phillips, and his actionadventure film The Legion has already been completed. The Sin City star will appear opposite Bella Thorne in the revenge thriller Girl, which is already in post-production, though a release date hasn't been announced yet. Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Monday forwarded a 15-point suggestion, including a grant of Rs 1 lakh crore to states, to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to cope with the crisis arising out of the coronavirus pandemic. Modi on Monday held a video conference with chief ministers of the states to discuss the situation created by coronavirus in the country. He sought suggestions in writing from the chief ministers who did not get the chance to speak during the interaction. In the video conference, the prime minister hailed the Rajasthan chief minister for his initiatives to combat the deadly virus, a statement issued by the government said. In his 15-point suggestion, Gehlot reiterated his demand of grant of Rs 1 lakh crore to the states, saying their revenue collections have drastically come down due to the nationwide lockdown imposed to curb the spread of coronavirus. He said population, impact of the pandemic or a parameter set by the GST council can be the ground to determine the grant to a state. Gehlot said to help the farmers, the 25 per cent limit of procurement on minimum support price should be raised to 50 per cent (of the produce). For the revival of industries, the Centre should announce incentives to boost trade, he said. A central government scheme for the payment of wages to labourers, a national scheme to facilitate migrant labourers stuck in different states in reaching their homes, reopening of inter-state supply chain, autonomy to states to decide on criteria for economic and industrial actives as per the circumstances of the state, centralised purchase of medical equipments for states were among the other suggestions. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Episcopal Conference of the Ivory Coast urges the countrys Catholic Education Secretariat to maintain the jobs of its personnel duurgering the coronavirus pandemic. By Fr. Benedict Mayaki, SJ The coronavirus pandemic has triggered fears of an economic downturn in many countries. As business, employers and even countries continue to adapt to these trying times, millions of peoples jobs around the world are increasingly endangered. In light of this, the Bishops in the Ivory Coast have called on the Catholic Education Secretariat in the country to maintain the jobs and salaries of employees. They made this call in a press statement released on 23 April under their umbrella body of the Episcopal Conference of the Ivory Coast (CECCI). The Bishops plea comes on the heels of another recent call made by the President of the Regional Episcopal Conference of West Africa (RECOWA-CERAO), Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama. He urged governments in Africa to ensure the payment of workers salaries to alleviate their suffering amid the coronavirus pandemic. Ivorian Bishops plea The Bishops expressed their concerns that the loss of jobs or reduction of salaries for those who are able to continue working would cause many families to suffer. For this reason, they urge the Education Secretariat to give priority to the payment of salary arrears accrued when schools were closed. They also invite the Education Secretariat to enter into negotiations with their staff in the case of financial difficulties. The Ivorian prelates also indicated their closeness to Catholic education personnel in the country. The Bishops asked that teachers in Catholic schools remain at the disposal of their employers for possible professional solicitations, and show understanding and a spirit of sacrifice in negotiations with them. The Bishops also call for Christians to unite in prayer for a rapid end to the pandemic. Closure of schools hard on the Church All schools and universities have been closed in the Ivory Coast since 17 March. This is one of thirteen precautionary measures adopted by the government against the spread of the Covid-19 virus. The government has also imposed a lockdown in Abidjan, the West-African nations capital city. The closure of schools in the country has been felt by Catholic-run educational institutions and as many of them have been plunged into financial difficulties. This is due to the unresolved payment of the 2018-2019 subvention and the non-payment of the 2019-2020 subvention by the state, explained Father Jean Luc Ndreman, the Catholic Education Secretary. He also noted the impossibility of recovering the totality of school fees owed the Catholic schools. Coronavirus The Ivory Coast has recorded at least 1,150 cases of Covid-19, 14 related deaths, and 468 recovered patients. A total of another 31,000 people have been infected in Africa. Yemen separatists have declared self-rule in the country's south, dealing a major blow to Saudi Arabia's efforts to end a devastating civil war it fueled in the neighboring nation. A November power-sharing deal between the Saudi-backed administration of President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi and the secessionist Southern Transitional Council supported by the United Arab Emirates had been meant to reconcile onetime allies fighting Iran-backed Houthi rebels who control much of the country. But implementation faltered with hostilities flaring again in January, and the declaration of self-rule has the potential to prolong the broader, five-year civil war with the Houthis. Hadi's government condemned the southern declaration as a "coup against the legitimate government" and called in a statement on the United Nations, Arab League and Gulf Cooperation Council for support. Local authorities in five southern provinces including Shabwa, Hadramut and Socotra also rejected the announcement and said they recognized Hadi's government. The U.A.E. distanced itself from the declaration, saying that frustration over repeated delays in the implementation of the power-sharing agreement did not warrant such unilateral measures. "Our confidence in our Saudi brothers' commitment to implementing the Riyadh agreement is absolute," Anwar Gargash, the U.A.E.'s minister of state for foreign affairs, said on Twitter. The government and the secessionists began fighting each other in southern Yemen in 2018. The November agreement was designed to halt the war within a war, and to give the government greater credibility in negotiations with the rebels. Yemen is strategically significant because it lies on a waterway linking the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden that is a conduit for much of the world's oil. Saudi Arabia's intervention in March 2015 was meant to swiftly restore Hadi's administration, but the fighting has dragged on, creating the world's worst humanitarian crisis with tens of thousands killed and millions left hungry and displaced. "The STC's announcement is a significant setback for Saudi Arabia's efforts to broker a reconciliation between the secessionists and the internationally recognized government and to de-escalate the conflict with the Houthis," said Graham Griffiths, associate director at the Control Risks Group Ltd. consultancy in Dubai. "Preventing the STC's announcement from causing the agreement's complete collapse will require even greater levels of commitment from the kingdom at the exact time that it is trying to reduce its involvement in Yemen," Griffiths said. "The re-emergence of these fissures in the south will also hurt efforts to organize talks with the Houthis and could expose anti-Houthi forces to setbacks on the battlefield that will also require Saudi Arabia to increase the pace of its operations." In a statement late Saturday, the STC accused the Hadi government of refusing to pay the salaries of its forces for several months, and blamed it for the deterioration of basic services. STC fighters and security forces were ordered to enforce a curfew in the vicinity of the port city of Aden, where Hadi's administration fled after being routed from the capital, Sana'a, more than five years ago. Thousands were reported moving to seize control of key institutions like the port, central bank and the governor's office building. The council urged governors of southern provinces to unite under its aegis. Foreign Minister Mohammed Al-Hadhrami said the announcement marked an abandonment of the Riyadh agreement, adding that the STC alone "is to bear the dangerous and catastrophic consequences of such an announcement." Last week, Saudi Arabia extended for a month a cease-fire it declared in Yemen in early April, to allow for diplomacy to progress and help contain the spread of the coronavirus in Yemen, which is extremely ill-equipped to fight the disease. Los Angeles, April 27 : Hollywood star Jeff Goldblum, who has featured in films like "Jurassic Park", "Thor: Ragnarok" and "Independence Day", is receiving backlash on social media after his controversial comments on a particular religious community, and its stance towards sexuality and womanhood. The incident happened when Goldblum appeared as a guest judge on the April 24 episode of "RuPaul's Drag Race". In the episode, contestant Jackie Cox, a drag queen, turned out in a glittery hijab with starry design as a tribute to her Muslim background in the show's themed challenge, Stars And Stripes. Goldblum asked Cox, whose real name is Darius Rose, if the drag queen was "religious", reports aceshowbiz.com, before asking what treatment the LGBTQI+ people of the religion normally received. "Is there something in this religion that is anti-homosexuality and anti-woman? Does that complicate the issue? I'm just raising it and thinking out loud and maybe being stupid," he said. Drag queen-actor and Tv personality RuPaul said "drag has always shaken the tree", while an emotional Cox said it was "a complex issue", adding that she had "own misgivings about the way LGBTQ+ people are treated in the Middle East". "I had to show America that you can be LGBT and from the Middle East and there's going to be complicated s**t around that and that's okay. But I'm here and I deserve to be in America just as much as anyone else," Jackie said. Many viewers were outraged by the episode, going by social media reactions. "That Jeff Goldblum to Jackie Cox moment on this week's Drag Race was so deeply uncomfortable to watch. Why did he think that was appropriate? How did it make it to the edit? How was that in any way fair on Jackie? Just so many levels of awfulness," wrote a user. Another commented: "Now would Jeff Goldblum have asked a Christian queen that same question that he asked Jackie? That was really ignorant." "I am REALLY not here for Jeff Goldblum's casually islamophobic critique of Jackie Cox tonight," said a third unhappy user. Goldblum has notreacted to the controversy yet. 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: 291,996 in New York state, including 22,668 deaths. 826,095 total tested. 988,469 in the U.S., including 56,253 deaths. 111,583 recovered. 5,593,495 total tested. 3,057,957 worldwide, including 211,522 deaths. 897,446 recovered. Note: The figures include presumed COVID-19 deaths. The number of positive confirmed cases is cumulative and includes people who have recovered as well as those who died. Additional resources: Where to get tested for COVID-19. 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. Monday's latest updates: 8:20 p.m. Schenectady site tests over 140 for COVID-19 Schenectady County's first mobile test site saw 146 residents on Monday, according to Ellis Hospital. The hospital will be testing against on Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Mont Pleasant Middle School in Schenectady. 4:32 p.m. Rensselaer County reports 10 additional residents have tested positive for COVID-19 The county now has 262 confirmed cases of the coronavirus. The county said nine more cases were cleared for recovery, bringing the county total to 146. Fourteen county residents are hospitalized with five in the ICU. There are about 630 residents in monitor quarantine. The county has seen 2,726 residents tested. There have been 13 deaths of county residents from COVID-19. 3:40 p.m. Virus emerges in more Rensselaer County nursing homes, adult care facilities Rensselaer County officials are expressing concern over a rise in coronavirus cases at area nursing home and adult care facilities. On Monday, county operations director Rich Crist said new cases had been confirmed in the last day at two new facilities in the county: the Eddy Heritage House nursing home in Troy and the Living Resources site for developmentally disabled adults in Schodack. Living Resources had three residents and two staff members test positive for the novel coronavirus, he said. Heritage House had two staff members test positive for the virus. Theyre kind of growing a little bit, and that makes us worried, Crist said, referring to cases in adult-care facilities. 2:23 p.m. Schenectady County reports 445 confirmed cases of COVID-19 to date That's up from 426 reported Sunday. Of those, 258 have recovered. Meanwhile, 22 people are hospitalized with the novel coronavirus in the county, including both residents and non-residents. The county's known death toll from the virus stands at 22. 1:44 p.m. Saratoga County reports 331 confirmed cases of COVID-19 to date That's up from 327 reported Sunday. Nine residents are currently hospitalized with the illness. The known death toll from the novel coronavirus stands at 12. The county also announced it will be hosting a Facebook Live event this Wednesday at 10 a.m. to answer questions from residents related to COVID-19. The hour-long event will be hosted on the Saratoga County Office of Emergency Services Facebook page and will feature Peter Bardunias, senior vice president, community advancement, Capital Region Chamber; Ken Slentz, superintendent, Ballston Spa Central School District; Sandra Cross, director, Saratoga County Office for the Aging. Community members can submit questions in advance or view the stream here. ___ 10:30 a.m. Albany County reports four more deaths from COVID-19 for 36 total Four more Albany County residents have died after falling ill with the novel coronavirus, County Executive Daniel McCoy announced Monday. The county's known death toll from the virus now stands at 36. The recent deaths included a man in his 70s, two women in their 80s, and a woman in her 90s all with underlying health conditions. "Yes, they had underlying health issues, but it still's tough," McCoy said. "It's still tough. They're our residents. They're our family. They're the backbone of our community. And so my heart and prayers go out to the families and to everyone that's going through this, because times have changed and we have to adapt to the new change in life and we have to figure out how to reopen with all this going on." Read more ___ 8:33 a.m.: Where to get tested for COVID-19 in the Capital Region Newest sites include Ellis Medicine's mobile testing sites in Schenectady. Think you have COVID-19? Hospitalized patients and front line workers have been prioritized for testing in the last month after a nationwide test kit shortage prompted kit rationing. A recent surge in available tests, however, has enabled testing of the general population to return in some places. In the Capital Region, a number of testing sites have opened to the public in recent weeks. Most require appointments and symptom screening to access. A roundup of the region's various testing sites, hours of operation, and instructions for obtaining an appointment are available at timesunion.com. ___ 6:48 a.m.: Expanded testing leads to rise in Albany County diagnoses As testing sites pop up around Albany County, the number of confirmed coronavirus cases continue to rise. County Executive Dan McCoy said during his daily briefing Sunday that the county now has 915 confirmed cases, up 51 from Saturday. There was also one more death overnight, a woman in her 60s with underlying health issues, bringing the total number of COVID-19-related deaths in the county to 32. The hospitalization rate has also increased slightly to 4.04%, including seven adults in the Intensive Care Unit. Read more ___ 6:33 a.m.: Schenectady announces mobile testing sites Amid calls for more testing during the COVID-19 pandemic, Schenectady announced Sunday it is launching at least four mobile testing sites to reach underserved neighborhoods in the city. Ellis Medicine, Schenectady County Public Health Services, Hometown Health Centers and MVP Health Care have collaborated to develop the testing sites at: Ellis Medicine's McClellan Street Health Center on Monday; Mont Pleasant Middle School Tuesday; Washington Irving Education Center Wednesday; McClellan Street Health Center Thursday, and an undetermined location Friday. Each testing site will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The rain location is the McClellan Street Health Center. Read more ___ 6:27 a.m.: Cuomo gets high marks in Siena poll As Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo continues to lead the state through the coronavirus pandemic, his job performance rating is at an all-time high of 71 percent, according to a Siena College Research Institute poll released Monday. The rating is a stark contrast from two months ago, when just 36 percent of New Yorkers approved of his performance. The governor also has a 77 percent favorability rating a figure he only once a month after he was first inaugurated as governor in 2011. The uptick in his popularity is largely linked to his response to the state and national crisis. The public overwhelmingly backs Cuomo's decision to extend New York's stay-at-home order until mid-May, as well as his mandate to wear face masks in public. Both executive orders had support from about nine in 10 New Yorkers. Read more ___ Sunday: More than half Schenectady County deaths from adult care facilities On Sunday, the Times Union profiled a retired Johnstown elementary school band teacher, James Hughston, who had been a resident at Brookdale East Niskayuna for only about two months when he contracted COVID-19 and died. In response to a request for more information, Schenectady County said it has had 12 people in adult care facilities, which require less care than nursing homes, die from COVID-19 more than half the 22 deaths the county has experienced thus far. Read more ___ Sunday: Outline of what a re-opening plan will look like in New York state Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo offered a first glimpse on Sunday into the state's reopening plan, a phased approach that will begin with resuming manufacturing activities. The early stages of the plan, divided into two parts, would begin with construction and manufacturing in low-risk environments. The second phase would restart "more essential, lower-risk" businesses, a category that has not yet fully been defined but that state officials are asking companies to begin planning. Read more ___ Sunday: What will small upstate towns look like in pandemic's wake? Times Union Columnist Chris Churchill visited Cobleskill in Schoharie County where there are few cases of COVID-19 to ask how its already delicate economy will do after businesses are re-opened. Its very depressing, said diner owner Denene McLaughlin. People are suffering. Read more ___ Read more updates from Sunday Weeks after Albuquerque police say they were forced to set a violent man loose because he said he had a cough and fever and the county jail refused to take him in, the dispute between city and county is hanging on like a bad cold. We cannot have a jail in Bernalillo County that doesnt accept hard criminals, Mayor Tim Keller said recently. Thats just the way the system works weve all got to do our part, and theyve got to do theirs. The mayor is right. Its the job of police to arrest people, and the job of the Metropolitan Detention Center to detain them safely, professionally and reliably. The wrangle came to a head April 6 when MDC refused to process Joseph Vasquez, who Albuquerque police arrested on felony assault charges after Vasquez allegedly swung a large knife at a group of people. He told police he had been sick and coughing and thought he could have a fever. Because the symptoms coincided with COVID-19, the APD officer called an ambulance and Vasquez was taken to Lovelace Hospital, where he was medically cleared for booking. The officer then took Vasquez to MDC, which refused to accept him because its designated isolation and quarantine areas were occupied. Nine hours after his arrest, police released Vasquez, who was arrested by Bernalillo County sheriff deputies days later and booked into the jail. After MDCs first refusal, APD Police Chief Michael Geier sent a strongly worded letter to county and state officials calling MDCs turn-away unlawful. In a response, Bernalillo County Manager Julie Morgas Baca cited a 2018 agreement between MDC and APD she says gives the jail the final say on who is medically cleared and admitted. She said Vasquez was awaiting COVID-19 test results from Lovelace and still showing symptoms when he was brought to the jail. She also said MDC believed APD would take Vasquez to a local hospital rather than release him on the streets. (FYI heres betting Lovelace is not in the business of supplying beds during a pandemic for people it has medically cleared.) The whole event is a textbook example of governmental passing of the buck, in this case someone arrested on violent charges who well may have had COVID-19 symptoms. Days later, test results showed Vasquez did not have coronavirus. Morgas Baca says MDC has since increased isolation rooms from four to six, but Geier says MDC still refuses to accept many inmates and was even before the pandemic. Keller says if local leaders cant work out a resolution, city officials will examine legal options including asking the attorney general for assistance. He and Geier are correct that the jails refusal to accept inmates is dangerous and creates an unacceptable risk to the public. Morgas Baca is correct that the jail should follow best health practices. But they are also all wrong in allowing this to become a chronic problem argued by press release. The fix rests with MDC, our experts at segregating inmates, and theres no suggestion the jail is too crowded to take arrestees, even those with COVID-19 symptoms. On the contrary, MDC has released more than 100 inmates to mitigate any possible outbreak. Yet getting a bed in MDC seems harder than booking a room during Balloon Fiesta. Claims of a cough and fever cant equal a get-out-of-jail-free card. Letting a purported knife-wielding man loose because he might be sick was a dangerous decision that cant reoccur. Why did the county demand control of the jail in 2006 if it didnt want to accept the responsibility for all arrestees who pose a safety threat to the community? Its been three weeks since MDC refused to accept Vasquez. Its past time to get the situation resolved. 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. Patricia Rust, Southbank Restrictions cruel for all My 96-year-old frail, sight and hearing-impaired mother has been locked in her aged care home since March 19. Yes, residents are safe. But is lockdown a proportionate response? Surely the mental health and wellbeing of residents must be considered. A bloc of seven aged care providers is using its heft to push back at allowing visitors, against government advice ("Operators push back at allowing visitors", 27/4). Monitored family visits need not pose an unacceptable risk. Many residents rely on almost daily visits. In my mother's words, the restrictions are cruel. The other night on the phone she broke down. She had had enough. Wished to end it all. I am in prison, she cried, help me. But I can't. The Prime Minister should not back down. Elizabeth Sime, Fitzroy North Perverse visitor policy Contrary to policy ("Don't lock away the aged, PM says", 22/4), and the recent reiteration of that policy, fully cognitive residents now approach their seventh week of lock-up in a Melbourne nursing home. In the words of the Prime Minister, this "isolation ... is not good for their wellbeing, is not good for their health". The facility permits family visits to cognitive-impaired residents, but denies them to the non-impaired. These cognitive-unimpaired residents are penalised because, as management states in a letter to families: "Ability [of the cognitive-impaired] to practise social distancing poses a particular risk." How perverse? My father, and other fully cognate residents, understand and are capable of practising social distancing yet are denied access to their families. Name and address supplied THE FORUM Non-government scrutiny The state government has generally been applauded for its management of the COVID-19 crisis, however the lack of a non-government-controlled select committee to scrutinise the government's response to the pandemic ("Victorian democracy is failing behind closed doors", 26/4) is concerning. We are talking of new Victorian debt of $25 billion. Our federal parliament, New Zealand's parliament, and the NSW and ACT parliaments have oversight committees led by a non-government chair and with a non-government majority yet we have a Labor-led and Labor-majority committee to scrutinise a Labor government's COVID-19 response among its other responsibilities. Not good enough. John Capel, Black Rock Teacher training Trainee teachers should be alongside teachers who are conducting classes online rather than foregoing the classroom experience that is now unavailable ("Teacher trainee class hours slashed to avoid shortfall", 27/4). Distance education may become an important dimension of future education for which present teachers had little or no training. Also, with their modern computer skills, trainee teachers have much to contribute in the current crisis. Kevan Porter, Alphington Education powers Victorian Education Minister James Merlino ("Victoria digs in on school closures", 27/4) remains firmin the face of continued pressure to reopen schools from federal Education Minister Dan Tehan. It might be worth noting that Australia has three levels of government: federal, state and local. State powers exist to cover schools, and the decisions made regarding them, under the distribution of powers within Australia. Victoria, under Daniel Andrews and Mr Merlino, will make decisions that they feel best represent their citizens from the guidance of Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton. Personally, I see no reason to exercise flexibility in restrictions given that we are only now seeing improvements in case numbers. There is nothing to gain and everything to lose by not treading carefully. Julian Roberts, Burwood Drop the girt Peter Novotny (Letters, 27/4) mounts a compelling argument for the inclusion and recognition of First Nation peoples in the national anthem. While we're at it, let's rid ourselves of the banal excuse we are saddled with and replace it with something better and that doesn't include girt. Rob Warren, Ivanhoe Great outdoors Why are we being told to stay home as much as possible when there is increasing evidence that COVID-19 detests fresh air, sunshine, heat and light? The US Department of Homeland Security has confirmed that outdoor conditions kill the virus in saliva droplets on non-porous surfaces and in the air. Jeremy Browne, Ripponlea 15 minutes of fame I happily downloaded the new app last night no problems, but one question. The app defines and detects "contacts" of at least 15 minutes. Is this based on scientific evidence that contacts of less than 15 minutes are safe? Or on technology limits? I've consulted my own diary for the past three weeks, and apart from my wife and my GP, I don't think I would have spent 15 minutes in the vicinity of anyone at all. But from all the media advice I've heard or read, being close to a carrier within 15 seconds of them coughing or sneezing would be enough to inhale infected droplets. I certainly don't ever spend 15 minutes in a checkout queue at a supermarket. And if I had a medical appointment, I don't wait in the waiting room, but in my car until called in by phone. Ronald Burnstein, Heidelberg Phone updates I tried unsuccessfully to download the COVIDSafe app onto my Galaxy S5 phone. Apparently, for Android, you need Android 6.0 or higher to run the app. Some of us can't afford to change our phones every year. How many other people are blocked from downloading the app? Paula Jones, Geelong App incompatible I was ready (almost excited) and preparing to download the COVIDSafe app on Sunday night. I have an Android phone bought in 2016 and found I cannot download the tracing app because my phone is not compatible. A perfectly good phone is deemed technologically redundant. Mark Biss, Camberwell Speed zones I wonder if the four police deaths on the Eastern Freeway could be an unintended consequence of the 40km/h emergency service passing law. Freeway traffic travelling at 110km/h would have to radically slow approaching the incident site, creating a blockage on the freeway and leaving only one escape route for a heavy vehicle unable to slow quickly ... the emergency lane. Compare this situation with how VicRoads would manage a similar worksite: advance notice of speed reductions and tapered lane closures to slow traffic and create a safe working zone. I hope the government review of this incident is open and deep, and not just an exercise in blaming those directly involved. Jeff Moran, Bacchus Marsh Librarian's kindness I love reading books. Especially in these lockdown times. The libraries are closed. It was my birthday. I am in my seventies. My daughter somehow managed to speak with a lady at Kingston library and asked whether she could organise some books for me to borrow. Not only did the librarian select wonderful books in my favourite genres, but they were packed in a library bag together with a birthday card and chocolates. I was overwhelmed by the thoughtfulness and generosity of spirit of my anonymous librarian. Jan Stone, Brighton East Hospital discharge Last week, a loved one with significant mental health issues was discharged against advice from a leading hospital in Melbourne and sent, for one week, to a motel. He is homeless, has a history of absconding and sleeping rough, and is non-compliant when it comes to taking his medication. Why, in the midst of a pandemic and government-mandated social-distancing laws, can adult mental health patients be discharged from mental health units when they have nowhere to go? If it is true that the measure of a caring community is how it treats its most vulnerable in times of crisis, then we need to take a long hard look at how that works in reality for those unable to care for themselves. Brigid Finlayson, Colac Words of comfort The Code 9 Foundation would like to acknowledge Dr Amanda Sampson (Letters, 26/04) for not just stopping and assisting at the tragic police collision on Wednesday, but also for her incredibly compassionate and caring words about the last minutes of the life of our colleagues at the scene. Wednesday's events saw an incredible outpouring of grief and distress among our members which, in many cases, again triggered their own nightmares and demons. Dr Sampson's letter, affirming that the last voices and words heard by LSC Taylor were those of colleagues and caring bystanders such as herself, has been an incredible comfort to many members and gone some way towards helping them heal and move forward in life. Don Gillies, Outtrim Headquartered here I have read with interest that France has barred helping companies headquartered or with subsidiaries in tax havens from getting government aid during the coronavirus crisis. I hope that other countries, including Australia, take note, and that this may be the first move to tackle companies who use this manoeuvre to avoid or minimise their income tax obligations. Peter Pulver, Caulfield Misguided nationalism I agree wholeheartedly with you Marish Mackowiak (Letters, 27/4). There is a misguided nationalism tied to Anzac Day, bordering on jingoism. I was relieved to not see flags draped around shoulders this year. My father served in the Second World War in the 2/14th Battalion in both the Middle East and New Guinea. He marched when it was a march for those who served. Then it became a television show, and later thanks to the sentiments of John Howard, a bucket list event, the ultimate pinnacle being a pilgrimage to Gallipoli. I look forward to a less commercial remembrance of war where the flag remains on the flagpole. Sue Anson, Mount Macedon Ugly intolerance The lady of Asian descent made the unfortunate mistake of (gently) coughing into her sleeve in the supermarket. The response was appalling. Verbal abuse was hurled on her and she was "encouraged" to return to her unknown country of origin. One individual even grabbed her shopping trolley and pushed it with anger towards the exit. The true colours of a country under psychological siege are now on full display. Not pretty, and evidence that we are far from united or tolerant. Michael Gamble, Belmont Parents struggling James Merlino must be living in a utopian bubble if he thinks remote learning is effective for primary school pupils. In my household, it's the first day of week three of trying to juggle work and provide support to my grade 1 and prep children. They aren't engaging in the content without close supervision. As parents, we have been wracked with guilt about trying to do the best we can for our children. If stopping remote learning when they aren't engaged or interested is the best we can achieve, then so be it. The Victorian government is failing our students in not allowing a return to school. Even a staggered return might provide some hope for struggling parents. James Kelly, Yarraville AND ANOTHER THING Coronavirus I'm developing a Barnaby app that will alert you if the great man is nearby or about to make a statement. It will also feature a Dutton button. John Bye, Elwood If the price of using the COVIDSafe app is to stay clear of Barnaby Joyce, then count me in. Rob Willis, Wheelers Hill The government should reward all Australians who download the COVIDSafe app by having any vaccine given to them first. Andrew Rothfield, Northcote Barnaby Joyce's refusal to download the COVIDSafe app is a signal to all wise Australians that the app is an essential tool we can use to overcome the virus. James Moseley, Frankston Of course ScoMo wants students back at school because it will limit exposure of the disparity between private and government schools. Geoff Gowers, St Kilda I know Queenslanders are a laid back lot but their Premier has announced that, although clothes and shoes are "non-essential", shopping for them is now allowed. Jack Sonnemann, Lucaston, Tas. As I contemplate whether to sign up to the government's COVIDSafe app I get an unsettling vision of Peter Dutton and Stuart Robert sporting their "nothing to see here" faces. Dennis Richards, Cockatoo How good would it be to see a graph of Australians' rates of understanding of statistics since the inception of COVID-19? Graeme Rose, Stanley Stay the course Dan; do what's good for all Victorians. Stay the course on lock downs until you know it's safe. Shaun Lawrence, Richmond Hopefully Scott Morrison keeps asking himself, "what would Dan do?" Steve Melzer, Hughesdale TODAYS WORD is the Latin root word dox. What does it mean, and what are some words in English that come from it? Example: Her grandparents were Roman Catholic, but Gricelda became a member of the Greek Orthodox Church. SUNDAYS WORD was the Latin root word dorm. It means sleep and is found in English in words such as dormant, dormer, dormouse, dormilona (in English, a sensitive plant, but in Spanish, a woman who sleeps too much or overslept) and dormitory. Example: Last week Craig O'Der went to Randolph-Macon College to pick up Nick's belongings from the dormitory, just one of countless cases of college students unexpectedly home for the rest of the semester. Whippoorwills or Chuck-will's-widow John Reynolds of Patrick County brought up the topic of whippoorwills a few days ago. Those birds, with the distinctive call that sounds like their name, prefer hardwood or mixed forests with fields nearby. "I might add that I have yet to ever hear a whippoorwill calling from pure pine forests that are often planted after hardwoods have been harvested or 'clear-cut,'" he said. He added that he saw on the Audubon Society's website that the most calls recorded by one whippoorwill on one spring evening was more than 1,000. "I guess that would be fine as long as he's not right outside your bedroom window when you're trying to sleep!" he said. The whippoorwill breeds from southeastern Canada throughout the eastern United States. The Chuck-will's-widow, also in the nightjar family of birds, is similar to it in appearance and sound, so people often confuse the two. Both nightjars are small, mottled brown birds with short tails, and they sleep either on the ground or on horizontal branches. The Chuck-will's-widow breeds in shady southern woodlands of various types, including open pine forest, oak woodlands and the edges of swamps. It sings its name in a throaty chant. Its range is more southern than that of the whippoorwill, not going further north than New Jersey, and going just a little more westward. Spending time at home How have you and your family adapted to the past month's stay-at-home situation? Write or email The Stroller to tell us about new habits and routines, and things you do to keep your sanity during this unusual time. SUNDAYS TRIVIA ANSWER: Comedian Steve Martin also is an actor, musician and writer. He wrote his first full-length play, "Picasso at the Lapin Agile, in 1993. The play has run in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City and other localities. He has written other plays that have been performed. In the 1990s, Martin wrote several articles that were published in The New Yorker. TODAYS TRIVIA QUESTION: Steve Martin wrote the story for what Disney movie that is supposed to be released this year? The Stroller appreciates readers calling or emailing to share jokes, stories, comments, Words of the Day and trivia questions. Were at 276-638-8801 ext. 243 and stroller@martinsvillebulletin.com. Union Minister of State for Finance Anurag Thakur on Saturday said that the government wants to make India the next manufacturing hub, post coronavirus. He said the government was also consolidating labour laws to make the country preferred investment destination. Thakur was interacting with members of Federation of Telangana Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FTCCI) and industry leaders from the state. "So far India is far successful in containing coronavirus and the country is set to attract companies from all across the globe due to its pro-business policy and hostility towards the country where the virus originated," a statement from the organizers quoted him as saying. The minister said the government took many steps to control coronavirus with the active commitment of the people of India. The government also initiated many more measures with the positive revival of Indian economy in mind. "We are committed to make this nation the next manufacturing hub, post covid-19. Consolidation of labor laws, reduction of compliances are some of the measures to make our country the most preferred for investments. Covid-19 has provided us a challenge and opportunity." Karunendra S. Jasti, President, FTCCI, said Covid-19 sounded a death knell to small businesses which together employ more than 60 per cent of the workforce in India. While appreciating the government's quick action to control the virus by announcing the 21+19 day lockdown in the country he requested the government to wage a similar battle against the ailing economy and come to the rescue of industrial and business entities. The already announced fiscal packages such as cheaper credit and other measures provide minimal relief but actually do not alleviate the pain and suffering this disorder is going to pose to MSMEs and other businesses for many more months to come, he said. Three people were killed and two others injured in three separate incidents of wall collapse due to rains and thunderstorm here, officials said on Monday. Ramvati (53) died after a wall of her mud house collapsed in Ummedkheda village under Morava police station area on Sunday evening, Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Rajesh Chaurasiya said. In another incident, Saloni (35) died after the wall of an adjacent house collapsed in Tikariya village under Purva township, the SDM said. In Semri village under Asoha police station area, a person named Rajan Singh (32) was killed while his wife and son were seriously injured when their mud house collapsed. Both the injured were admitted to the district hospital, the SDM added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Hello there, We arent saying its Monday and we are back because lines between the weekends and weekdays have blurred and it doesnt matter what date of the month we have reached because the only date that seems to matter now is May 3. Thats only for optimists though. The realists know while there may be some relaxations, a complete lifting of the lockdown is not happening any time soon because positive coronavirus cases have climbed well past 27,000 and more than 800 have lost their lives to the virus. Positive coronavirus cases in India have crossed the 27,000. (Photo: Reuters) Sikkim has shut its doors to tourists (actually to the virus) till October. The state has not reported any coronavirus case so far and if it can keep itself isolated from the rest of the country for some more time, it could totally emerge a winner. But those bitten by the travel bug do not care much for the virus. Thats a bug-versus-virus match you shouldnt consider. But many in the US are gathering to protest against the lockdown. Some, who do not care enough to protest, are rushing to Mount Rushmore to escape the lockdown. Maybe they have misinterpreted Rushmore as a clarion call to rush to the mountain for fresh air. Fresh air may not be our usual PM2.5 and PM10 but it sure can have the virus. Mount Rushmore is considered to be the Mecca of tourism in South Dakota, but then, even Mecca is closed these days. The bug-bitten may still not understand, but for those who have got the Rushmore interpretation wrong, heres a short story on how Mouth Rushmore got its name. Mount Rushmore has been named after New York attorney Charles E Rushmore. (Photo: Reuters) In 1885, New York attorney Charles E Rushmore was visiting the area for business. He happened to see the granite peak and asked his guide what the peak was called. Rushmore was told, "Hell, it never had a name, but from now on, we'll call the damn thing Rushmore." Thats how easy it is to get a peak named after you? No. Rushmore later donated US$ 5,000 (Rs 3,81,000) to help get the Mount Rushmore project started. Now, if you think Rs 3.81 lakh is not much, do remember the year was 1885. That money was used to sculpt the four faces on the peak and develop the site into a tourist destination. From US, lets head back to India because here too people are acting like people act - stupid. Some Covid-19 patients linked to the Tablighi Jamaat chased and manhandled a ward boy at Kanpur's Lala Lajpat Rai Hospital. Wondering why? Well, the men were not provided non-vegetarian food. Our Covidiots Of The Day are being provided bun and butter for breakfast and fruits, rice, dal, roti and vegetables for dinner. But who wants dal-roti when you can demand boti? Now, just because you demand you may not get the boti, what you can get is a jail term of up to seven years and fine up to Rs 5 lakh for misbehaving with health workers. Health workers are struggling because of extended shifts and lack of personal protective equipment, what you know as PPE. We do see a lot of people with masks, gloves and goggles fully covered in those hazmat suits that force them to walk like robots, but that is not enough. A lot of PPEs are still needed because the same PPE cant be used and reused. Eating bun and butter and fruits and vegetables while you crave for meat and murga doesnt kill you. But lack of PPE can make health workers sick. Very sick. Health workers in hazmat suits disinfecting roads. (Photo: Reuters) Has seeing a person in hazmat suit ever made you wonder what does hazmat mean? Hazmat, our Word Of The Day, is actually the short form for hazardous material. A hazmat suit, or a hazardous materials suit, offers full-body protection against hazardous materials. The only foolproof protection against coronavirus however is a vaccine. The coronavirus may have caught us unaware but since it has spread across the world, the entire world is joining forces to take it on. The same happened with smallpox. It was the first viral disease to be eradicated with human intervention a vaccine. Now, many viruses appear and then disappear on their own but some that choose to stay and trouble people are eventually dealt with with vaccines. In 1975, Rahima Banu, a three-year-old girl from Bangladesh, was the last person in the world to have got variola major, the virus that caused smallpox. She was isolated at home with house guards posted 24 hours a day until she was no longer infectious. While the world is tracking the spread of coronavirus, it is also tracking (at least trying to) the whereabouts of North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un. South Korea it seems has had some success in getting news on Kim. South Korea security advisor Moon Chung-in has confirmed not only is Kim alive, he is also well. Well, not kickin' yet, we guess, but well. South Korea says Kim Jong-un is alive and well. (Photo: Reuters) People started speculating something was wrong with Kims health after he was missing from the April 15 celebrations for the birthday of his grandfather Kim Il-sung, the countrys founder. We guess the speculation will continue till Kim comes out and tests another missile to convince the world he is there, even though this isnt the first time Kim has done the disappearing act. His first missing act happened in September 2014. He appeared for a concert on September 3 that year and then was nowhere to be found. He did not make a reappearance in official media until October 14, 2014. That time too, there was speculation he could be unwell because he is overweight and has heart conditions. Till date, no one knows where he was in those 40 days. All that the guy could be wanting is some time away in isolation. Imagine the whole world calling you names, making jokes on you, not taking you seriously when you are testing missile after missile and sitting on a nuclear arsenal. It is not easy to be Kim and come out to convey all is well. We've got a song for Kim and coincidentally it happens to be a song picturised on Vinod Khanna, who died on this date in 2017. You stay safe. Maintain physical distance. See you tomorrow. Also read: DailyOh! Who bought Sachins Ferrari, to Ramzan Mubarak or Ramadan Mubarak, what to say? PR-Inside.com: 2020-04-27 13:03:06 METTAWA, Ill., April 27, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Brunswick Boat Group, a division of Brunswick Corporation (NYSE: BC) is making a difference in the fight against COVID-19. Recently, BBG has donated 15,000 masks to first responders and hospitals in three different communities where Brunswick Boat Group manufacturing facilities are located. In addition, the business is utilizing its upholstery manufacturing capability to design and fabricate additional masks for employees at its Integrated Manufacturing Center in Florida as well as at its Sea Ray Tellico plant in Tennessee, Thunder Jet facility in Washington, Boston Whaler in Edgewater, Florida and soon its Reynosa facility in Mexico. See how Brunswick Boat Group is helping in the fight against COVID-19 in this new video Our boat group leadership team identified an opportunity to not only donate masks to first responders in our communities, but to use our manufacturing capabilities to create masks for our employees, said Huw Bower, Brunswick Boat Group president. By remaining self-reliant in our vertical integration capabilities, we are ensuring that our employees are safe when they return to work and we arent taking any masks out of the critical supply chain of supplies that are intended for first responders. Brunswick Corporation has launched a multi-faceted, global response across its portfolio to support the fight against this pandemic, including monetary donations and manufacturing personal protective equipment (PPE), such as face masks and shields. The company continues to seek opportunities to manufacture additional products and has active programs underway to produce additional masks, face shield parts, and components for ventilators. We have a unique opportunity within Brunswick Boat Group to utilize our world-class manufacturing facilities to design and manufacture critical PPE where it is needed the most, said Lauren Beckstedt, Brunswick Boat Group CMO. Our employees have been looking for opportunities to help and some have taken it upon themselves to do so at their homes. Its been an incredible, cross-functional effort from everyone at BBG to help in any way they can. Brunswick announced in late March the shutdown of most of its manufacturing facilities in accordance with various state orders. Building vital medical equipment has helped hospitals and first responders desperate for supplies and put workforces back on the line. It is our responsibility to do what we can in the communities in which we live and work, said Bower. We are all in this together, trying to figure out how to help one another. We are focused on the health and safety of our employees but at the same time, we are honored to do our part and help those who are on the front lines of this pandemic. About Brunswick Headquartered in Mettawa, Ill., Brunswick Corporations leading consumer brands include Mercury Marine outboard engines; Mercury MerCruiser sterndrive and inboard packages; Mercury global parts and accessories including propellers and SmartCraft electronics; Power Products Integrated Solutions; MotorGuide trolling motors; Attwood, Garelick, and Whale marine parts; Land N Sea, BLA, Paynes Marine, Kellogg Marine, and Lankhorst Taselaar marine parts distribution; Mercury and Quicksilver parts and oils; Bayliner, Boston Whaler, Crestliner, Cypress Cay, Harris, Heyday, Lowe, Lund, Princecraft, Quicksilver, Rayglass, Sea Ray, Thunder Jet and Uttern boats; Boating Services Network, Freedom Boat Club, NAUTIC-ON, OnBoard Boating Club and Rentals. For more information, visit https://www.brunswick.com. See how Brunswick Boat Group is helping in the fight against COVID-19 in this new video WELLESLEY, Mass., April 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Babson College, the top-ranked college for entrepreneurship, announces that it is now accepting nominations and applications for the inaugural appointment of the Arthur M. Blank Endowed Chair for Values-Based Leadership. The Blank professor will build a network of scholars, practitioners, and innovators who will be leaders in academic and applied scholarship, and in facilitating life-transforming learning experiences for Babson students and participants of learning of all backgrounds. The successful candidate will have an outstanding record of scholarly and practical experience in a field related to entrepreneurial leadership, and will have demonstrated an outstanding capacity for developing innovative curricular and cocurricular programs. The Blank professor will have demonstrated success crossing disciplinary boundaries and engaging people successfully across cultures. Arthur M. Blank School for Entrepreneurial Leadership (AMBSEL) In November 2019, Babson College and The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation announced a groundbreaking collaboration to advance and amplify values-driven entrepreneurial leadership on a global scale. With a $50 million investment from the Blank Family Foundation, Babson will establish the Arthur M. Blank School for Entrepreneurial Leadership (AMBSEL). The new school will create opportunities for the entire Babson community to lead change, solve global problems, and create sustainable value across business and society through learning, teaching, research, and engagement in entrepreneurial practice. The school will more fully integrate and leverage Babson's extraordinary faculty across disciplines, as well as its centers and institutes, to deliver a more impactful, transdisciplinary learning experience. The Blank School will be defined by entrepreneurial action and values-based leadership and will adhere to Arthur Blank's six core leadership principles: put people first; listen and respond; include everyone; innovate continuously; lead by example; and give back to others. The Babson community has engaged in a robust strategic planning process resulting in the College's commitment to empowering entrepreneurial leaders and building the most impactful, global entrepreneurial ecosystem. These strategic themesand the impact they will make on lives, businesses, and community are resonating with donors, and this historic support from the Blank family is a major investment in the College's strategic vision to: expand partnerships that enable experiential learning and giving back to the community; increase access and diversity; and amplify the impact Babson's people, programs, and research have on businesses and communities. About the Arthur M. Blank Endowed Chair for Values-Based Leadership The AMBSEL Faculty Chair will directly report to and partner with the CEO of the AMBSEL, who will: oversee the development of curriculum which embodies disciplinary expertise, interdisciplinary understandings, and transdisciplinary decision making; define and leverage opportunities for experiential learning and problem solving; support research in the field of entrepreneurship, social and economic impact, and sustainability; develop and implement a visionary business plan that leverages Babson's newly minted strategy; and direct and provide guidance to leaders of the College's centers and institutes. The AMBSEL Faculty Chair will build a network of scholars, practitioners, and innovators; they will be leaders in academic and applied scholarship, and in facilitating life-transforming learning experiences for Babson students and participants of all learning backgrounds. The AMBSEL Faculty Chair search committee, chaired by Dean of Faculty Ken Matsuno and comprised of seven Babson College senior faculty members from various academic disciplines, is seeking candidates with the following key characteristics: An outstanding record of scholarly and practical experience in a field related to values-based leadership Outstanding capacity for developing innovative curricular and cocurricular programs Demonstrated success in interdisciplinary collaboration and engaging people successfully across cultures Babson College is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer committed to enhancing diversity across all levels of the College. Candidates who believe they can contribute to this goal are strongly encouraged to apply. The earliest appointment date is August 15, 2020. Deadline for applications is May 1, 2020. Only applications submitted online will be considered. Please send your application letter, a current CV, up to two refereed published articles, evidence of your teaching excellence, copies of teaching evaluations, and up to three references to: https://babson.peopleadmin.com/postings/search About Babson College Babson College, located 10 miles west of Boston, is an independent school of management that takes a unique approach to preparing undergraduates, graduate students, and working professionals for the challenges of the modern business world. Babson's dynamic curriculum focuses on developing skills that transcend business so that students develop multidimensional abilities that prepare them to make important contributions to business and society. Our students understand that economic and social value creation are not mutually exclusive, but instead are integral to each other. The fundamental business skills and entrepreneurial mindset they cultivate at Babson equip them to make a difference on campus and around the world. Babson College has nearly 2,300 full-time undergraduate students and more than 900 full- and part-time graduate students. Our highly talented and diverse student body hails from 45 U.S. states and 78 countries. Babson offers a Bachelor of Science degree, MS and MBA programs, and executive education programs worldwide. We seek faculty who are aligned with our values of teaching excellence, collaboration, diversity and inclusiveness, and those who embrace our mission to educate leaders who create great economic and social value everywhere. We seek candidates who are eager to engage as educators among a diverse student community. SOURCE Babson College Related Links https://www.babson.edu TANZANIA, Tanzania - The head of the World Food Program says he has been on the phone with leaders of some of the worlds richest nations with a critical message: the coronavirus pandemic is not only affecting your economy but is impacting the economies of vulnerable and conflict-torn countries where millions of people will face starvation if you cut the U.N. agencys funding for food. David Beasley said in an interview with The Associated Press he has also been telling leaders that maintaining supply chains is critical and there are many potential obstacles export restrictions, closed borders and ports, farms not producing and roads closed. If we have money and access we can avert famine and we can truly avert catastrophic humanitarian death from starvation, Beasley said. But if we lose our funding, or we lose supply chain, theres going to be disaster. Beasley warned the U.N. Security Council last week that as the world deals with the COVID-19 pandemic it is on the brink of a hunger pandemic that could lead to multiple famines of biblical proportions within a few months if immediate action isnt taken. He said 821 million people go to bed hungry every night all over the world now, a further 135 million people are facing crisis levels of hunger or worse, and a new World Food Program analysis shows that as a result of COVID-19 an additional 130 million people could be pushed to the brink of starvation by the end of 2020. WFP is providing food to nearly 100 million people on any given day, including about 30 million people who literally depend on us to stay alive, Beasley said. And if those 30 million people cant be reached, our analysis shows that 300,000 people could starve to death every single day over a three-month period and that doesnt include increased starvation due to the new coronavirus. In a worst-case scenario, we could be looking at famine in about three dozen countries, and in 10 of them there are already more than 1 million people per country on the verge of starvation. According to WFP, the 10 countries with the worst food crises in 2019 were Yemen, Congo, Afghanistan, Venezuela, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Syria, Sudan, Nigeria and Haiti. In the interview following up on the Security Council briefing, Beasley said support for WFP comes from the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, the European Union, Japan and other prosperous nations. If their economies deteriorate substantially, that impacts our money, it impacts the local economies in the developing nations in a variety of different ways, he said. He cited the examples of South Sudan, which has faced years of conflict and is 98 per cent dependent on revenue from oil whose price has plummeted as a result of COVID-19 and where WFP feeds about 6 million people, Nigeria where 90 per cent of the economy is oil, and Ethiopia which has been struggling to feed its poor and where 50 per cent of the economy is from tourism that has vanished since the pandemic. Beasley stressed that We cant say its hunger vs. COVID. Weve got to work this together and look at the whole picture, keep the supply chain going, and minimize the economic impact so that we can make certain that people dont starve to death, he said. So its going to be a very delicate balancing act for leaders, and I think theyre learning. The WFP executive director said he is asking donor nations to accelerate the $1.9 billion in funding theyve already pledged in order to preposition food to protect against the effects of supply chain disruptions, commodity shortages, economic damage and lockdowns. WFP is also seeking a further $350 million to set up a network of bigger logistics hubs, distribution points and transport systems to minimize the risk of supply chain breakdowns, he said. And if we can do that it will save us money, and it will save us time, and it truly will end up saving lives, he said. But Beasley said hes very concerned some of that money will disappear. Thats why Ive been on the phone Skyping, Zooming, literally hours and hours and hours per day, and I have gotten nothing but extremely positive response from the leaders of major donor countries, he said. He said, however, that if leaders are told, for example, that their country will see a 25 per cent reduction in revenue for the rest of the year, you know that all bets are off at that point in time. Beasley, a former governor of South Carolina who has recovered from COVID-19, has spent the past week in Washington speaking to senior figures in the Trump administration, WFPs largest donor. Beasley said he has also been warning leaders that economic deterioration, lack of money and a breakdown in the supply chains will lead to destabilization and chaos in many countries around the world, which will result in significant financial implications for all regions of the world. Beasley said hes also been stressing to leaders that they cant take a short-term perspective. He said its going to be worse in Africa because in very fragile areas peoples immune systems are already troubled, and children have poor nutrition and arent getting lunches with schools closed. What you see in Africa right now is nothing, nothing, compared to what youre going to see, just like what you were looking at in the United States or the UK just six weeks ago, he said. Theres been a dog-shaped hole in my life for a long time. I grew up in a family that always had a dog or two theyre what I miss most about home (sorry Mom). So when the coronavirus pandemic began, forcing my partner out of a job and me to work from home, we decided to do something weve been wanting to do for a while: Adopt a dog of our own. It wasnt going to be easy finding a dog that fit within our landlords parameters 25 pounds or less, no puppies and also fit within ours. We just arent tiny-dog people. When we saw two dogs described as Shiba Inus on the site of a rural Alberta shelter, we decided it was worth the two-and-a-half-hour drive to meet them. One had already been adopted. The other was being carried across the farmyard to us: a tri-coloured Shiba Inu mix with a content look on her face. We were told she had never been properly trained or exercised in her four to six years as a breeding dog. She was shedding a bit as her new coat came in. The woman at the agency told us that while she had many families interested in adopting her dogs, she was concerned that not everyone knew what they were signing up for. After all, were not going to be home all day when this ends. And shes not the only one worried that adopted animals will flood back to shelters when their new owners go back to work. We assured the woman that we knew what we were doing and didnt plan on returning our new dog. On the drive home, we named her Beatrice. Scouring the websites of Alberta animal shelters, I noticed that pet-adoption agencies seemed to be running out of dogs. More than once, we applied for a dog that had just arrived, only to be told there was already an adoption pending. When we adopted Beatrice, there were eight other families interested in her. We got to her first, yes, but the woman at the agency also told us she has to be pickier than usual when approving adoptions. She worried some families wouldnt be able to handle their pandemic pups when they went back to work. A few days later, I called adoption agencies across the country and confirmed my suspicion that many people have been applying to adopt or foster a pet during this pandemic. Rory ONeill, director of Rocky Mountain Animal Rescue in Calgary, said the organization has received about four times the number of adoption applications they normally do. However, theyre also getting fewer dogs thanks to the pandemic, the small rural towns or First Nations where many rescue dogs come from are no longer allowing visitors. Many shelters bring in abandoned dogs from Mexico or other countries an increasingly common source of rescued dogs in Canada and have been unable to do so because of travel restrictions, said ONeill. ONeill isnt worried about her organizations adopters returning their new furry friends because her agency has a thorough vetting process, she said. But other organizations expressed concern. It is scary to think that were going to see a wave, said Kathleen Oltsher of Zoes Animal Rescue in Edmonton. Terra MacLean, training co-ordinator at Second Chance Animal Rescue Society in Edmonton, isnt worried about her own shelters animals being returned, but she is concerned people will buy pets from backyard breeders or puppy mills, and that shelters will later be flooded with those animals. Roz York-Brodsky of Save Me Dog Rescue in Carlisle, Ont., has heard from vets that theyre seeing far more puppies and shes bracing for her shelter to be flooded with them in five or six months. Some agencies arent open for adoption at all, such as the Ontario SPCA and Dog Tales Rescue in King City. Daryl Vaillancourt, the Ontario SPCAs chief of humane programs, said his organization is fielding more calls from people without work who are concerned about their dogs expenses. The SPCA is helping them with dog food or vet bills, he said. I felt a bit guilty when Dog Tales owner Danielle Eden-Scheinberg said she doesnt think its right to do adoptions during the pandemic, both because of social distancing protocols and because shes worried about animals being returned. Perhaps it was selfish of us to take the risk, I thought. Eden-Scheinberg thinks its a great time to foster an animal instead. Dog Tales is seeking foster families during the pandemic, who can decide to adopt when the outbreak ends. Oltsher said its important for shelters to take extra care when completing adoptions right now, because they dont want families to have to part with a beloved pet later. These animals become your children very quickly, she said. It is an amazing feeling to be loved like that. Its a scary feeling, too. Right now Beatrice seems to feel safer with one of us in the room and yes, its an amazing feeling to hear the pit-patter of her feet as she runs to join me wherever I am. But it wont always be like that. It may be tempting to be with your pandemic pet all the time right now, said ONeill, who is a dog behaviour specialist. But you need to prepare them for when things go back to normal. Its important to leave your dog alone sometimes, whether youre at the grocery store or just in another room with the door closed, she said. You also need to socialize your new pet with other dogs and people, MacLean said, whether its at the dog park or with neighbours (from two metres away, of course). And even if you have tried to prepare your new pet, ONeill said they may still experience some separation anxiety when the pandemic ends. One of the things I love about my job is the feeling of productivity the sense that it feels Im doing something to help. I see journalism as a public good, and this is what has made reporting on the pandemic a little easier. As journalists, were used to covering different stories as the news evolves, however, as the pandemic continues, it can seem like were reporting on the same news every day. (Insert Groundhog Day reference here.) After a while, it can be hard to feel like youre actually helping. The evening of Beatrices first day with us, we took her to the off-leash dog park near our home. We let her roam around for a little bit and then I crouched down, looked at her and called her name. Beatrice, viens ici! Come! To my surprise, she actually did it, coming to a soft halt in front of me. Every time something like this happens, when she plays with a dog toy for the first time, sits on command or climbs the stairs to our apartment instead of being carried up, I feel a sense of accomplishment. It feels like help, contribution, productivity. Except instead of carrying the burden of thousands of people on my shoulders and trying impossibly to help them all, Im helping Beatrice. And its working. Shes with me now as I type this, under the kitchen counter where I work. Shes so quiet that I find myself peeking under the counter every few minutes to make sure shes all right. Sometimes her eyes are closed. Other times shes wide awake, gazing directly at my face. Either way, she makes me smile as I straighten up and continue my work. Read more about: Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-27 23:27:33|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Nepali President Bidya Devi Bhandari in Kathmandu, Nepal, Oct. 12, 2019. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi) BEIJING, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Monday evening that the Chinese side has been following the epidemic situation in Nepal, and will continue to firmly support its combat against the COVID-19 outbreak. Xi, who made the remarks when holding a phone conversation with Nepali President Bidhya Devi Bhandari, also called on the two countries' health and medical institutions to strengthen communication and cooperation. The international community needs solidarity and cooperation more than ever in the face of the unprecedented pandemic challenge, said the Chinese president, noting that the world also needs to safeguard multilateralism and uphold international justice and morality. Mayor Jim Kenney poses with members of Sen. Elizabeth Warren's field office staff during the opening in West Philadelphia in January. The city's charter allows elected officials to volunteer on campaigns but prohibits most of the city's 25,000-person workforce from doing so. Read more Ellen Mattleman Kaplan retired as the citys chief integrity officer in February partly because she had her eye on the presidential election and wanted to be able to volunteer for political campaigns. Kaplan, a registered Democrat, had given that up when she took the job in Mayor Jim Kenneys administration in 2016. The city charter prohibits employees, except for elected officials and City Council staff, from working on campaigns. Its one of the toughest restrictions in the nation. Most other big cities allow employees to volunteer on their own time. Now, Philadelphia could join them if voters approve a charter amendment on the June 2 primary ballot. For seven decades, city workers have been barred from campaign activity as a hedge against political corruption. The proposed change has not yet drawn any significant opposition. There are so many issues the city deals with that depend so heavily on decisions made by elected officials both on the state and the federal level," Kaplan said. It was a great frustration among many people that they we were not permitted to participate in their election in our off-duty time." The amendment would allow city employees to work on state and federal campaigns as long as they are unpaid and dont have managerial roles. Workers in law enforcement offices and the City Commissioners office, which runs elections, would still be barred. The citys prohibition on political fund-raising by employees would remain. Currently, city employees can make political contributions and attend political events but cant volunteer directly. The exception is City Council staff, who long ago were exempted from most rules governing political activity, given that their jobs are so closely tied to the elected official they work for. City Council employees can also volunteer for political parties or become ward leaders or committee people, unlike all other city employees. Other city workers would continue to be barred from party work under the proposed charter amendment. Councilmember Derek Green sponsored the legislation for the ballot measure, which passed in February, after hearing from employees concerned that they couldnt help campaigns in the November election. Green said he thinks the current restrictions could violate the First Amendment. Unfortunately, because activity restrictions are so tight, you have city employees who believe they cant sign a petition outside of the grocery store, Green said. Jane Slusser, former chief of staff to Kenney, who now runs Organizing Together 2020, a national progressive group dedicated to training volunteers to defeat President Donald Trump, said the ban on volunteering was hard for her four years ago. I wasnt able to knock on a single door or make a single phone call," Slusser said. "And everyone wants to play by the rules, but especially after 2016 there was such an increase in political activism everywhere. City employees werent any different in terms of wanting to be involved, but they couldnt. Under the proposed amendment, employees could volunteer on state and federal campaigns, but not city ones or even for state legislators with city districts. The citys Board of Ethics announced support for the proposed amendment last week. The amendment also raises the penalties from $300 to up to $2,000 for violations, giving enforcement more teeth. Still, should it pass, Board of Ethics executive director Shane Creamer said, he is concerned about educating employees on new rules before Nov. 3. When you have an absolute prohibition, its easy to follow that rule, but if youre able to stick your toe in or one leg in then that makes it trickier," Creamer said. He said hes also worried that employees could be coerced by supervisors or elected officials to volunteer for favored campaigns. Thats part of the reason for the original prohibition in 1951, after decades of machine control of government and elections. Hundreds, if not thousands, of employees were being wielded through the political machinery for the sake of retaining power," said Pat Christmas, policy director for the Committee of Seventy, a good-government advocacy group. "While Philadelphia still has numerous significant challenges with regard to public corruption, the concerns [now] pale in comparison. The Committee is also backing the charter amendment. Voters have passed almost all proposed charter changes by 2-1 ratios. A telling exception: attempts to get rid of Philadelphias requirement that elected officials resign to run for higher office, both of which failed. Itll be interesting how the electorate will react to this question," said Christmas. "You think folks never read these questions, they dont bother with them, but the electorate smelled something about resign-to-run and changed the way they voted. Will the lockdown be extended beyond May 3: Here are some pointers India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Apr 27: Will the lockdown be extended after May 3? During the meeting with the Chief Ministers, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that restrictions would continue in the hotspots or containment zones. States reporting high numbers are likely to see stricter lockdown norms in the hotspots. However, restrictions would be eased in the green zones. Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said that the lockdown should be extended until June 3. He was backed by two more states. States better acquainted with ground realities: PM Modi tells CMs However, all the states were in favour of reviving the economy and easing restrictions so that economic activity could start. Sources tell OneIndia that the there would be many more relaxations granted. The Ministry of Home Affairs will come out with a list of the further restrictions to be eased. However, there would be no inter-state travel and this could well exceed until June 3. During the meeting, the Prime Minister underlined that the Lockdown has yielded positive results as the country has managed to save thousands of lives in the past one and a half months. He added that India's population is comparable to that of the combined population of several countries. The situation in many countries, including India, was almost similar at the start of March. However, due to timely measures, India has been able to protect many people. He however forewarned that the danger of the virus is far from over and constant vigilance is of paramount importance. PM Modi highlighted the importance for states to enforce guidelines strictly in the hotspots i.e. the red zone areas. He stated that the efforts of the states should be directed towards converting the red zones into orange and thereafter to green zones. The PM also said that the country has seen two Lockdowns till now, both different in certain aspects, and now we have to think of the way ahead. He said that as per experts, the impact of coronavirus will remain visible in the coming months. Dont be scared, let us tackle this together: PM tells CMs Reiterating the mantra of 'do gaj doori', he said that masks and face covers will become part of our lives in the days ahead. He added that under the circumstances, everyone's aim must be rapid response. He pointed out that many people are self-declaring whether they have cough and cold or symptoms, and that this is a welcome sign. On the issue of bringing back the Indians stranded abroad, the PM said that this has to be done keeping in mind the fact that they don't get inconvenienced and their families are not under any risk. On the economic front, the PM said that we have to give importance to the economy as well as continue the fight against COVID -19. He emphasised on the importance of usage of technology as much as possible and also to utilise time to embrace reform measures. Coronavirus crisis: Union Home Minister asks Chief Ministers to strictly follow lockdown guidelines He emphasised on the significance of ensuring that more people download the AarogyaSetu app to bolster the efforts of the country in the battle against COVID-19. He said, "we have to be brave and bring in reforms that touch the lives of common citizens." He also suggested that people associated with Universities can be integrated on devising ways to fight the pandemic and strengthen research as well as innovation. PR-Inside.com: 2020-04-27 09:05:03 PDFelement Honored with Top 20 Listing by Capterra for Contract Management Software Media: Name: Louise Wu Email: pdfelement.global@wondershare.com Address: GuangDong, China Phone number: +86 755 86665000 Website: Germany: https://pdf.wondershare.com/de/ France: https://pdf.wondershare.com/fr/ Italy: https://pdf.wondershare.com/it/ Spain: https://pdf.wondershare.com/es/ Netherlands: https://pdf.wondershare.com/nl/ Wondershare PDFelement, the core office productivity software tool and PDF editor from Wondershare SHE: 300624, was honored with a mention in the Capterra Top 20 Contract Management Software applications list alongside industry behemoths like Adobe Sign and DocuSign. We are humbled that our efforts have been validated and we hope we can contribute to the global workforce at this time of crisis when more and more companies are being forced to transition to remote work software so their employees can continue to work from the safety of their homes, a company spokesperson said during a telephonic interview. In this situation, the lead product - PDFelement 7 Pro - allows businesses to effectively manage PDF and document workflows remotely in low and high-volume environments and includes the following features: Edit PDF - PDF editing tools to edit text, images, objects, links, and other PDF elements. Create PDF - Create PDFs from over 300 file formats. Convert PDF - Convert PDF files to numerous other formats like MS Office files, HTML, etc. Review and Comment - Full suite of annotation and markup tools for an enhanced collaborative environment. Cloud Storage and Retrieval - Cloud integration to fetch from and save documents to cloud storage services. Quick to Deploy - Easy organization-wide deployment across multiple locations and countries. Protect PDF - PDF security in the form of password encryption, permission restrictions, watermarking, redaction, and digital signing. PDF Forms - Comprehensive form management tools for creation, conversion, filling, data extraction, and import/export. Perform OCR - Advanced optical character recognition in 20 languages for converting scanned PDF documents into digitally editable content. According to a recent report by CNN, nearly every major tech company is either encouraging or mandating their employees to work from home rather than risk infection attempting to commute to work. Google, Facebook, Twitter, Microsoft, Amazon, and other big tech firms have all rolled out WFH (work from home) policies, and smaller businesses are following suit. Urging businesses to digitize their paper-based processes or switch to digital documentation, the PDFelement representative said: Digital document workflows give you the freedom to work from anywhere and still collaborate effectively with team members in a different physical location. It is perfect for clerical tasks that would otherwise require the physical presence of the employee at the office. PDFelement can circumvent that by helping to digitize such workflows so they can easily be integrated with cloud services to support remote work protocols. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200427005 Private secretary of southwest Delhi district magistrate Rahul Singh has tested positive for coronavirus, following which the DM has gone into self-isolation, an official said on Monday. He said the COVID-19 test has also been conducted on some staff members and their reports are expected to arrive on Tuesday. "The private secretary of southwest Delhi DM has tested positive. All others, including the DM, are fine and are self-isolating for a few days," the official said. Delhi Government Employee Welfare Association general secretary Umesh Batra said officers should personally examine their personal section to ensure that all safety protocols are followed strictly. On Monday, the number of coronavirus cases in Delhi crossed 3,000-mark, with 190 fresh cases being reported in a day. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Easter was supposed to be extra special in the Congo this year. Here in Beni, the epicenter of the worlds second-largest Ebola outbreak, we were looking forward to finally declaring our country Ebola free. Instead, on April 10, just two days before we planned to make the declaration, another case popped up. It also marked exactly one month since the first COVID-19 case was reported. We cant seem to catch our breath from one crisis, before another begins. Worse, there are two million people on the move, fleeing armed conflict. They have extremely limited access to the basics and as the Ebola response proved, its incredibly challenging to reach people with services and information when there is fighting and insecurity. Im a community mobilizer with the Christian humanitarian organization, World Vision. Its a fancy title which simply means I talk to people about ways they can protect themselves from deadly diseases. In 2018, when I started the job just three months after college graduation, the enemy was Ebola. Today its COVID-19. I spend most days walking door to door with faith leaders telling neighbors about the importance of hand washing and social distancing to stem the spread of the virus. Im extra vigilant about these methods to stay healthy as Im pregnant. So far, COVID-19 has infected 215 people in the DRC, mostly in the crowded capital Kinshasa, home to 12 million people. Some cases have also been reported here in Beni, where Im from and where I work. The pandemic has created a new sense of fear and panic in a community that very well knows the effects of a deadly virus. COVID-19 seems to have even more serious impacts than Ebola. People here are already struggling to survive. When you live hand to mouth, it is impossible to social distance, yet COVID-19 is dictating that people stay in their houses. This will lead to an extreme food shortage in a country where 13 million are already food insecure and where many depend on a daily income from the fields. The longer kids stay out of school, the greater the chances of abuse, child labor, or even early marriage. But those are long-term worries. Im more focused on keeping my community from getting the virus in the first place. And that means using some of the same tactics we employed for Ebola. The Ebola outbreak taught us that the messenger was just as important as the message. I can tell people to wash their hands but when they hear it from their pastor or other church leader, it resonates even more. Weve already started working with over 800 faith leaders that we trained during the Ebola outbreak to pivot to COVID-19 health messages. Since churches are closed, were hitting the radio waves to get the message out. Some faith leaders have airtime on local radio stations, and well use that opportunity to explain the disease and its symptoms, how it is spread, what people should do to stop its spread, and where to go when they feel sick. We are also sending bulk text messages with prevention messages to our contacts so that they too can pass it on to others and reach more people. As part of the Ebola response, we distributed hand washing kits in schools and places of worship. Those are being used now in this latest fight. Our hope is that these interventions against Ebola have given us a head start in the fight against COVID-19. Most communities have embraced hand-washing and social distancing. The population is already aware of the gravity of the pandemic. In fact, some people in Beni have been heard chanting corona pas chez moi which means corona not in my house. The community is ready to fight! They are counting on the caution, vigilance and hygiene practices that they have been performing to save their families. I am too. But we cant do it alone. Well need the help of the international community to help shore up our frail healthcare systems and preposition much-needed supplies. I know thats a lot to ask as all the donor governments are fighting this same enemy. Yet I also know that if everyone isnt safe, no one really is. Nestle Egypt has temporarily closed one of its factories in Giza's 6 October City due to the detection of coronavirus cases, said the company in a press release on Monday. The multinational Switzerland-based company's statement said the factory is specialised in producing dry goods, without providing further details on the number of infections, date of discovery, or the patients' health status. "The company takes all necessary measures in coordination with the Ministry of Health and the relevant bodies to sterilise and disinfect the factory in order to resume production operations at the facility as soon as possible," the statement added. The food and drink processing company stressed that the health and safety of employees is on its top priorities and that since the beginning of the pandemic, the company has been working to provide safe food and drinks for customers. Nestle has been implementing additional preventative measures to maintain the safety of employees, products, partners and the communities in which it operates, the statement stressed. Egypt has so far reported 4,782 coronavirus infections and 337 fatalities. Search Keywords: Short link: Former President de Klerks denial that apartheid was a crime against humanity is cause for reflection on Freedom Day. Freedom Day, celebrated every year on April 27, commemorates South Africas first democratic election in 1994 the first time in the history of the country that non-white citizens were allowed to vote. That election saw Nelson Mandela replace Frederik Willem (FW) de Klerk to become South Africas first Black president. Mandelas liberation movement-turned-political party, the African National Congress (ANC), meanwhile took the reins from the white nationalist government that had been in power since 1948. All this transpired without the bloodshed many feared would take place. In the years that led up to those elections, while Mandela was the face of Black forgiveness, de Klerk became the face of white compromise. In 1990, he took the step of unbanning the ANC and freed Mandela from 27 years in prison. He also agreed to the negotiations that would see the peaceful transition from racist rule to democracy. It was, therefore, shocking to many when, on February 2 this year, de Klerk publicly stated that apartheid was not a crime against humanity in an interview with the national broadcaster, the SABC. Treasonous comments During the interview, de Klerk said he was not fully agreeing with the presenter who asked him to confirm that apartheid the legalised segregation of and discrimination against non-white people was a crime against humanity. Immediately afterwards, the FW de Klerk Foundation supported his statement and published a response that read: Deplorable as it is, we cannot, from a legal point of view, accept that apartheid can in this manner be made a crime against humanity. There was an immediate public outcry as well as criticism from the media and other politicians. Apartheid was so immoral in its conception and so devastating in its execution that there is no South African living today who is not touched by its legacy. President Cyril Ramaphosa South African President Cyril Ramaphosa called de Klerks comments treasonous. Apartheid was so immoral in its conception and so devastating in its execution that there is no South African living today who is not touched by its legacy. I would say that to deny this is treasonous, he said. Although de Klerk later retracted his statement, the debacle opened old wounds and raised questions about his legacy and the extent to which white South Africans have acknowledged the severity of apartheid. We are never seen as human For me and my family, de Klerks denial of apartheid being a crime against our humanity really hit home quite hard, said Lukhanyo Calata, whose father, Fort Calata, was one of the Cradock Four a group of activists murdered by apartheid security police in 1985. [The comments] reinforced our belief that de Klerk has never really seen us as human beings. Hes never assigned any human value to our family, he told Al Jazeera. In its response to de Klerks statement, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), an opposition party that has called de Klerk an apartheid apologist who has blood on his hands, confirmed it would pursue a murder inquiry into state-sponsored killings that de Klerk had allegedly organised. The organisation also called for de Klerk to be stripped of his Nobel Peace Prize, which he received together with Mandela in 1993, for their collaboration in ending apartheid. In this December 10, 1993 file photo, Nelson Mandela and Frederik Willem de Klerk pose with their Nobel Peace Prize gold medals and diplomas in Oslo, Norway [File: AP] De Klerk, born in 1936, is from a conservative Afrikaner background. His father, Jan de Klerk, was a minister in the cabinet of South African Prime Minister Hendrik Frensch Verwoerd the man widely regarded as the architect of apartheid. For decades, FW de Klerk was a committed supporter of apartheid. Elected as a member of Parliament in 1972, he held the ministerial portfolios of mines and energy affairs, internal affairs, and national education and planning. During his time as a cabinet minister, he was considered more conservative than many of his ministerial colleagues. Ferial Haffajee, a South African journalist, wrote that her abiding memory of de Klerk during apartheid was of the man who passed the university bills that sought to make it more difficult for black people to gain access to white universities. So it came as a surprise to many when de Klerk announced in Parliament on February 2, 1990, that he would unban the ANC and release Mandela. The myth of the liberator In the decades since, many have asked whether de Klerks U-turn from his conservative past was the result of pragmatism or of a sincere conviction that apartheid was morally wrong. De Klerk attempted to hold himself aloof from apartheid crimes against humanity, as did many others who were aware of the illegal and extrajudicial acts of the government, South African journalist Marianne Thamm told Al Jazeera. By convincing himself he did not know of the gory details, he was able to pass himself off as a relatively untainted and progressive leader. On the difference between de Klerk and Mandela, Thamm writes: De Klerks heart, a heart that has grown the carapace of the consummate pragmatic politician. And that was the singular and unique magic of Nelson Mandela, he revealed his heart while at the same time keeping his head the mark of a true statesman. Referring to the myth that de Klerk was a liberator, Haffajee writes: Not then and not now have a generation of us bought into the myth, so his statement, now retracted, that apartheid was not a crime against humanity was hardly surprising to many of us. Apartheid as an international crime From 1952 to 1990, apartheid was condemned annually by the United Nations General Assembly as contrary to the Charter of the United Nations. The 1973 Apartheid Convention required states to both suppress and punish acts of apartheid. At the time of the signing of this Convention, the South African government ignored it. The inclusion of apartheid in the 2002 Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court was the strongest acknowledgement yet that apartheid was an international crime. It defines apartheid as inhumane acts of a character similar to other crimes against humanity committed in the context of an institutionalized regime of systematic oppression and domination by one racial group over any other racial group or groups and committed with the intention of maintaining that regime. Christopher Gevers, senior lecturer at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, is critical of the trade-off that South Africas democratic government made through the countrys Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) because he saw that it meant truth came at the expense of justice. Former South African presidents Nelson Mandela and FW de Klerk, with Archbishop Desmond Tutu, centre [File: AP] Twenty-six years on, not only have we failed to prosecute those who blatantly refused to prosecute the bargain, but the promised truth and reconciliation is wearing thin, he said to Al Jazeera. Gevers points to the fact that the crime of apartheid has never been prosecuted in South Africa or anywhere else in the world. De Klerks comment came at a particularly difficult time for South Africa. As Nobel laureate and former archbishop of Cape Town, Desmond Tutu, said in his foundations statement on February 16, South Africa is on an economic precipice. It is beset by radical poverty and inequity. Those who suffered most under apartheid continue to suffer most today. Inadequate apologies February was not the first time de Klerk was criticised for his public statements on apartheid. He initially apologised for apartheid on April 29, 1993. That apology was widely regarded as inadequate, since it did not disclose de Klerks personal participation in apartheid crimes. Subsequently, during his testimony to the TRC in 1997, de Klerk described his initial apology as an unqualified apology. He pushed back against those who attacked it as an attempt to defend or justify the policies of the past. Leon Wessels, a cabinet minister during de Klerks presidency, told Al Jazeera: The de Klerk that appeared before the TRC was a jurist and an intellectual. De Klerk did not seem to be emotionally present. Veteran journalist Max du Preez found it particularly disappointing that de Klerk never asked for forgiveness before the TRC. Political commentator and academic William Gumede believes one reason for the strong outcry after de Klerks February statement is the opportunism of the populist left, represented by the EFF. He said the current climate is particularly inflammable. Like Tutu, Gumede also believes the difficult economic situation means poorer South Africans are particularly disgruntled. We havent had an official state apology. An apology would give recognition to suffering, said Gumede. White denial Christi van der Westhuizen, an associate professor at the Centre for the Advancement of Non-Racialism and Democracy at Nelson Mandela University, believes the recent outcry is indicative of a reaction to the hardening of white attitudes in recent years. These attitudes can, in turn, be relayed to the ANC governments lost decade due to grand scale corruption, she said. She believes the denial of the severity of apartheid constitutes apartheid denial. There is an obfuscation of the dehumanisation of marginalised groupings under apartheid, she said. This history in its fullness has not yet been told. And the damage wreaked on the lives of millions of South Africans over a sustained period of time ... and the ramifications of this on generations, is still here with us. Marianne Thamm, journalist Journalist Thamm told Al Jazeera: The outcry this year is because there is much unfinished business and there will never be resolution. Enough evidence emerged at the TRC of the murder and savagery of the apartheid state. Thamm believes de Klerks denial was indicative of a more general unwillingness on the part of white South Africans to recognise the severity of apartheid. This history in its fullness has not yet been told. And the damage wreaked on the lives of millions of South Africans over a sustained period of time, to be dispossessed, to be rendered a nothing legally, and the ramifications of this on generations, is still here with us, she said. Confusion, anger and hurt Two weeks after de Klerk said apartheid was not a crime against humanity, he retracted his statement, after Tutu asked him to. Speaking through his foundation on February 17, de Klerk declared apartheid totally unacceptable and conceded that the UN had previously highlighted that the era was indeed a humanitarian offence. He said he was sorry for causing confusion, anger and hurt with his words. In spite of the subsequent retraction, de Klerks denial of the grave and systematic abuses of apartheid has left a scar. According to Calata, who lost his father to the apartheid state apparatus, an apology should come out of de Klerks mouth. It should not appear on some lifeless piece of paper that was most probably not even written by him. So, for me, theres no satisfaction, as there was no apology. As journalist Tony Heard writes: Doubts linger after such incidents, for anyone interested in the future social stability of South Africa. ALBANY A day after announcing New York would reopen its economy on a regional basis, but without providing a timetable, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo on Wednesday warned that the shutdown is "not going to be over anytime soon." "This is no time to act stupidly, period," he said during Wednesday's daily briefing on the state's response to the coronavirus crisis. "I get the pressure; I get the politics. We cant make a bad decision and we cant be stupid about it. ... I know people want out. I also know more people will die if we are not smart." As the governor gave his briefing, hundreds of protesters, most in cars, clogged streets around the Capitol demanding he reopen businesses, especially in upstate regions not as hard-hit by the pandemic. "Were not going to have people lose their life because we acted imprudently," Cuomo said. "Im not going to do that and Im not going to allow the state to do that. ... If you look at any of the facts, the 1918 flu, they're talking about it now, there can be waves to this. ... If youre not ready for the second wave, thats the wave thats going to knock you down. Still, Cuomo said he's not ready to order that schools will remain closed through the end of the school year in June. His current statewide shutdown order is scheduled to last through May 15. "To say were not going to open businesses until June Im not there yet," Cuomo said. "Lets get the data and then well make a determination. ... Opening schools is very difficult." Cuomo said it's possible that schools in upstate regions could reopen sooner, but not without protocols to disinfect buildings and equipment, and to ensure that students engage in social distancing on school grounds. The governor said former New York City mayor and presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg, whose companies endured shutting down and reopening in China and Europe, will oversee the coordination of a massive tracing system that will include New York City and its suburbs, as well as New Jersey and Connecticut. Bloomberg will donate $10 million to the effort, which will be done with oversight from Johns Hopkins University, Cuomo said. The tracing plan will include enlisting roughly 35,000 medical students from state universities and the City University of New York to help track individuals who may have had contact with an infected person. As the governor gave his briefing, hundreds of protesters, most in cars, clogged streets around the Capitol demanding he reopen businesses, especially in upstate regions not as hard-hit by the pandemic. "Were not going to have people lose their life because we acted imprudently," Cuomo said. "Im not going to do that and Im not going to allow the state to do that. ... If you look at any of the facts, the 1918 flu, they're talking about it now, there can be waves to this. ... If youre not ready for the second wave, thats the wave thats going to knock you down." The governor, in response to questions about the protesters outside, suggested they could get jobs as essential workers. "We get the economic anxiety and the question is how do you respond to it without causing more people to die," he said. "Go take a job as an essential worker; do it tomorrow. ... There are people hiring. So now you can go to work and be an essential worker and youre not going to kill anyone." Tens of thousands of people have waited weeks for unemployment benefits, many struggling to complete an arduous process that was exacerbated by the state Department of Labor's overwhelmed system. Cuomo on Wednesday brushed those issues aside, and his administration has touted a major overhaul to the online system, call centers and application process that is hastening the distribution of benefits. But when he suggested that waiting period is now a lag of only "a couple of days," state Sen. Michael Gianaris, the chamber's deputy majority leader, tweeted that the wait for many is a "lot longer." Gianaris wrote that Cuomo's remark was "tone deaf." Binky Felstead will open up about her home-life with boyfriend Max and daughter India on the Made In Chelsea series finale on Monday night. The 19th season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic, only airing six episodes, but fans have been delighted by the return of Binky to the stalwart structured reality series. And the mum-of-one chats about Max and India for the first time in the last instalment of the current run. Domestic bliss: Binky Felstead will open up about her home-life with boyfriend Max and daughter India on the Made In Chelsea series finale on Monday night Binky, 29, can be expected to give an insight into her new life with Max and flourishing India, who turns three in June. The Chelsea original speaks openly about her daughter and their rosy future as a family with Max. Binky shares India with her ex Josh 'JP' Patterson, who appeared with her on Made In Chelsea several years ago. While the couple split a year after India was born, they are amicable exes. Fans shouldn't expect to see Max and India on the show anytime soon, however, as Max is said to be uninterested in the limelight while Binky told MailOnline ahead of her return that India is unlikely to feature on-screen. Cute: Binky, 29, can be expected to give an insight into her new life with Max and flourishing India, who turns three in June At home with Binky: The mum-of-one chats about Max and India for the first time in the last instalment of the current run on hiatus: The 19th season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic, only airing six episodes, but fans have been delighted by the return of Binky and Ollie Locke to the stalwart structured reality series She said: 'Made In Chelsea have been just great with me because India and my family come first. The show have been very understanding and they let me pick my hours and my time. 'Because if they didn't I'd have had to say sorry I can't get involved. But the show understands totally.' The show will not downplay the coronavirus lockdown as it wraps up. The final episode reveals what the Chelsea stars are doing in lockdown, whos with who and whats what. Drama: There's more tears for Zara McDermott and Sam Thompson after Tiff Watson finally has an honest chat with Zara Tears: Could the Essex-Chelsea romance be on the rocks? Reunited! Mark Francis Vandelli and Victoria Baker-Harber will rejoin for a catch up in the finale The girls also take part in a sex workshop, while there's more tears for Zara McDermott and Sam Thompson after Tiff Watson finally has an honest chat with Zara. Could the Essex-Chelsea romance be on the rocks? Due to the show being cut short, six special episodes will be shown, which see different cast members get together virtually each week to revisit a classic Made In Chelsea episode. Starting weekly from Monday May 4, the first episode will see Jamie Laing, Alex Mytton and Sam get together online to revisit the episode where rumours of Alexs infidelity reach a distraught Binky, leading to a dramatic confrontation. Moving in? The final episode reveals what the Chelsea stars are doing in lockdown, whos with who and whats what Kinky: The girls also take part in a sex workshop Saucy: From forks and feathers to blindfolds and playdough, the girls explore their femininity, discovering some noteworthy tips Meanwhile Sam, finally, thinks hes met the girl of his dreams in Christiana, until he introduces her to Spencer Matthews. The episode was originally broadcast six years ago - and the special will see how Alex feels about looking back at it. Made In Chelsea airs on Mondays at 9PM on E4. The Ukrainian healthcare system was not ready for a pandemic. According to the latest data, about 1000 doctors became infected with the coronavirus, and this figure is increasing daily For more than a month, Ukraine has been suffering from coronavirus epidemic, the peak of which is expected in a couple of weeks. The Ukrainian healthcare system was not ready for a pandemic. According to the latest data, about 1000 doctors became infected with the coronavirus, and this figure is increasing daily. Due to the lack of personal protective equipment, medical workers massively quit, despite the fact that they are promised a bonus of 200%. There is no stalemate in hospitals today, but doctors are expecting a peak epidemic. We were able to communicate with an intern who works in the intensive care unit of the infectious diseases hospital, and find out what really happens. Oksana (name changed at the request of the heroine) is already completing an internship, she is anesthetist-resuscitator and she was not at all ready to work with covid-19 patients. According to the Ministry of Health order, students and interns can be involved in the fight against coronavirus only at their request. Oksana and her friend were simply said that from now on they will work in an infectious diseases hospital. About transition to work We are just slaves in this situation. By law, we were not allowed to change the base of the internship without our consent. And even more so to be thrown in the epicenter of the virus. I dont give a damn about the virus itself; on the contrary, its interesting to work in an epidemic. But it really hurts to feel the attitude of the hospital towards us. My rights were brazenly violated. Neither the hospital nor the department had any right to send me to the site of infection. Everyone who works in this intensive care unit for today is there voluntarily. They themselves did it, but we didnt. Moreover, I learned about the transfer late in the evening, they informed me that there was already an order. But, as it turned out later, the order was dated the next day after I was informed that I was going to work in the infectious disease unit. To my refusal they said only that I can write a vacation application at my own expense. But, firstly, its three weeks to stay without money, and secondly, then I may not complete the internship. And, frankly, I do not fully understand why they called us here. Today, doctors manage to work there without us. Moreover, we are not doctors yet, we cannot work without supervision. The intern is sometimes help, but sometimes is a burden. At first I was even a little scared, because I use public transport on the way to and from work, I live in a campus. And, accordingly, I can bear the potential danger to others. However, I do not have close contact with patients; I try not to contact the medical staff either. Now I am calmer about this, on the contrary, it will be good practice. Because Ill finish the internship soon, Ill go to work, and the Covid-19 will not go anywhere. About the patients We were lucky that we got an adequate head of the department. He immediately said that he had neither the legal nor the moral right to force us to work directly in the boxes with Covid-19 patients. At will, we can do this. In addition, he divided us into shifts so that we would not go to the hospital every day. But when the peak of the epidemic comes, of course, you have to work every day. So far I dont work directly in the boxes. Firstly, I see no reason to waste protective suits. Secondly, for the doctor there is almost nothing to do there, the main work falls on the shoulders of nurses. Today, we have three patients in the intensive care unit with confirmed coronavirus and one more with suspicion. All the elderly. When I look at a 70-year-old woman who has had a stroke, and heart failure, and diabetes, I understand that Covid-19 can finish her off, and there's nothing to be done about it. A little thing in this whole situation that annoys me is misinformation. There was a case when information appeared in one of the local media that in our hospital, in our intensive care unit, a 78-year-old lady died from Covid-19. I look into her unit she is more than alive! On the readiness of the hospital for the peak Now we are working in normal mode, but everyone understands that there would be the influx. In a nearby building, an entire floor was allocated for resuscitation of patients with Covid-19. From all over the city 13 mechanical ventilation devices were brought there, oxygen was brought there. Therefore, the equipment may withstand the influx of people, but there are sorely lacking personnel. For example, 13 patients in intensive care are already many. 13 ordinary, for example, resuscitation patients require two resuscitation doctors and at least four nurses, or maybe more. And we cannot live there permanently 24/7. We have a general resuscitation routine designed for 15 beds, but a shift requires four sisters and two doctors. This is a huge problem. Also we have not enough drugs. All relatives of patients buy them at their own expense - both drugs and oxygen. For example, Plaquenil (an antimalarial drug that used to treat Covid-19). I dont even know where it is being taken. There is nothing in the hospital. We dont have even normal catheters. That is, Polish or German ones, which are expensive. I have to use cheap Ukrainian, but they are very bad. There are still enough remedies. There are respirators, and suits, and shields. But everything was bought by volunteers. All. There is nothing from the state. About doctors Three doctors are currently working in our intensive care unit. And they literally live there. They were given a floor, and they really live there. And the nurse lives there alone. At first there were only two doctors. Another doctor recently came to us from another hospital. She has a vacation there, but what a vacation during the pandemic - neither to go anywhere, nor to leave the house, so she came to work for us at this time. Everyone, as I said, came voluntarily. This woman, who is on vacation decided simply to earn some money. The head could not just leave his unit. And one more doctor from those for whom it is important to be at the epicenter of events. In general, the doctors have a normal mood, they are quite calm about this. But these are resuscitators, they are used to the fact that they are constantly in trouble and patients are constantly trying to die (laughs). But its still difficult to talk about the general mood, because there is no influx. Now the medical staff is massively quitting because there are no remedies. Regarding moods, I can only talk about resuscitators. Some are frightened - they constantly disinfect everything, reprimand people who walk without a mask or violate the distance. Doctors worry about themselves because they know that they are old. One anesthetist in our city got Covid-19, survived a clinical death and is now in intensive care. And no one knows if he will get out. But there are those who do not care. There are doctors who generally go around without a mask. About salary The state, of course, promises the medical staff, which is involved in the fight against Covid, a premium of 200%, but so far no one has seen it. But it is unlikely that they will take the doctors salary and multiply it by two or three. No. They say that they will calculate the hours spent directly in the box with the patient, and give an increase. For example, if you stayed in the hospital for 24 hours, and in the patients box for only 4, then you will receive an increase in only 4 hours. And Im more than sure that they will think so in a cunning way. We, the interns, more than likely will not be paid more. When we were transferred to an infectious disease unit, we tried to find out but no success. About a high incidence among doctors Yes, indeed, in Ukraine there is a very high incidence among doctors, but most of these are family doctors. They were simply thrown into the embrasure. Because they are the first to meet the patient, and they have almost no protection. They are not given anything at all, the maximum that they have is an ordinary facial mask. One doctor said that she was on a call and sent the patient with pneumonia to hospital. The patient died, she was tested and found Covid-19. And then Covid-19 turned out to be in the doctor. Therefore, now a lot of doctors are infected. And a very big problem is the lack of protection. Because they have no respirators. The only thing that protects the doctor is a facial mask. Volunteers at least brought us shields. Therefore, a resuscitator, for example, when he does a tracheal intubation procedure (insertion of a tube into the trachea to connect the patient to the ventilator, - ed.), almost kisses the patient. And the mask will not save at all. Although, the possibility of doctors in the infectious diseases hospital becoming infected is paradoxically less. Just because they know what they are dealing with and have the means of protection. Of course, each patient in this period needs to be kept as conditionally infected, but there is still no protection. The Delhi government will follow the Centre's guidelines on whether to extend the lockdown or not, officials said on Monday, after Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal attended a meeting held by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Modi held a video conference with chief ministers during the day to discuss the situation arising out of the coronavirus outbreak and measures to deal with it. "We are preparing our submission which will be sent to the Centre soon," a senior government official said here. "The Centre's guidelines on the lockdown will be followed by the Delhi government," he added. The official said nine chief ministers spoke during the meeting with the prime minister in which they discussed a range of issues, including the possibility of extending of the lockdown, amid the rising number of coronavirus cases. Kejriwal had on Sunday said that as the prime minister announced the nationwide lockdown till May 3, there was a need to see what decision the Union government took on it. "We will decide our future course of action and set our direction once the Centre takes decision on whether ongoing lockdown be extended or not," he had said. "If we follow lockdown rules, we can get rid of coronavirus," Kejriwal had asserted. Last week, Dr S K Sarin, the chairman of the Delhi government panel to combat COVID-19, had suggested extending the lockdown till May 16 for the epidemic curve to flatten. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The readership of the World Socialist Web Site has grown considerably within the United States and internationally since the beginning of 2020. Between January 1 and April 26, 2020, the WSWS has been accessed by 3.2 million unique visitors (i.e., individual readers). The total number of visits to the site is 5.6 million. The total number of pages viewed by WSWS readers is 8.7 million. In the month of March, the WSWS was accessed by 1.6 million unique visitors. The total number of visits by WSWS readers reached 2.1 million. The total number of pages viewed by readers was 3.1 million. These figures are based on the World Socialist Web Sites industry-standard internal analytics system, which excludes automated traffic and only counts visits by individuals. Monthly page views to the WSWS since January 2019 The most significant aspect of the WSWS readership is its international scope. Published in 15 languages, the World Socialist Web Site has a significant audience in dozens of countries. Between January 1 and April 26, the website received 545,869 visits from the United Kingdom, 221,717 from France, 51,411 from Brazil, 29,189 from Turkey, and 73,911 from India. Over this same period, the number of visits in the 20 countries where the site was most frequently accessed is as follows: Visits by country this year In January, the total number of visits by readers in the United States was 514,277. The US-based visits to the WSWS in March reached 853,469. The monthly visits from readers in Germany were 117,465 in January and 369,855 in March. The monthly visits from readers in Brazil were 18,224 in January and 19,897 in March. The monthly visits from readers in United Kingdom were 100,417 in January and 179,341 in March. The monthly visits from readers in France were 46,145 in January and 78,362 in March. The monthly visits from readers in India were 15,370 in January and 22,400 in March. The monthly visits from readers in Turkey were 7,118 in January and 9,884 in March. The increase in readers, total visits and the number of pages that are being accessed reflects the political radicalization of the working class. The increase in readership has been all the more significant as it has been achieved in the face of the persistent efforts of Google, Facebook and other social media platforms, such as Reddit, to censor and block access to the WSWS. The censorship of the WSWS by Google is particularly intense, and most obvious, in its responses to searches that employ terms such as socialism, Marxism and Trotskyism. Google generally directs such search requests either to websites that are hostile to socialism or to pseudo-left sites whose readership is a fraction of that of the WSWS. Despite this censorship, the growth in the readership of the WSWS indicates a change in the relationship of political forces between the revolutionary socialist movement represented by the World Socialist Web Site (the political organ of the Trotskyist International Committee of the Fourth International) and bourgeois and middle-class left-liberal political tendencies. The web traffic ranking service Alexa ranks the global and national standing of all web sites. Global Alexa traffic rankings on April 25 (a lower number means a higher ranking) The global rank of the World Socialist Web Site as recorded by Alexa on April 25 is 14,948. The global rank of Jacobin magazine (jacobinmag.com), which is the principal political organ affiliated with the Democratic Socialists of America, is 24,287, that is, more than 9,000 places below the WSWS. Measuring only readership within the United States, the rank of the WSWS is 4,490. The US ranking of Jacobin stands at 6,943, approximately 2,500 places behind the WSWS. The WSWS outranks Jacobin despite the latters frequent promotion by the New York Times and other news outlets associated with the Democratic Party. Except for reports on the recent controversy surrounding the New York Times'1619 Project, the existence of the World Socialist Web Site is rarely acknowledged in the capitalist press. The readership of the WSWS is growing across a broad range of topics, from its daily political analysis to its arts coverage and historical polemics, including its replies to the New York Times' 1619 Project. The most consistently popular articles have been those that relate to the class struggle and social conditions, with such articles often attracting a readership in the tens and even hundreds of thousands. The main growth in visits to the WSWS has been from working class readers accessing the World Socialist Web Site on cell phones. The World Socialist Web Site is the most widely followed internet-based socialist publication in the world. The publications of the Pabloite and related pseudo-left and opportunist organizations attract a readership that is an infinitesimal fraction of that of the WSWS. The web publication socialistalternative.org has a global ranking of 549,977. Its ranking within the United States is 197,920. The web journal Against the Current, posted online by Solidarity-us.org, has a global rank of 658,222 and a US ranking of 196,278. The World Socialist Web Site was launched in February 1998. Over the past 22 years, it has waged an uncompromising struggle for the building of a world revolutionary party of the working class based on the Marxist-Trotskyist program of the International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI). This fight for Marxist principles has been denounced and derided by the representatives of middle-class pseudo-leftism as sectarian, which is the epithet they use to discredit the Trotskyist movements fight to establish the political independence of the working class from all political parties and tendencies of the ruling class and its political agencies. But what the pseudo-left denounces as sectarianism is intersecting with a growing political radicalization of the working class and student youth. This process is reflected in the growing membership of the Socialist Equality Party (US) and the ICFI, which has made possible a broadening of the WSWS coverage of world events and an increase in the number of articles posted on the website. The development of the WSWS over the last 22 years is an historical achievement. But with the rapid growth of the international readership of the World Socialist Web Site comes new organizational and technical as well as political challenges. The daily publication of the WSWS depends upon the support of its readership. In the present crisis, the World Socialist Web Site is an indispensable weapon in the defense of the working class and the global struggle for socialism. Therefore, we call on our readers to make the largest possible donation to support the WSWS. Skoda restarted production at its auto plants in the Czech Republic on Monday, after the country's far-reaching lockdown was eased. Employees arriving for work at the manufacturer's Mlada Boleslav plant received face masks and other protective gear. Security staff performed random temperature checks on the workers as they passed through the entrance gates. Tools are set to be cleaned and workspaces disinfected. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, Skoda Auto halted production operations at all three of its Czech plants on 18 March. Employees received 70 percent of their salary from March 18 to March 29, after which the sum was increased to 75 percent. Skoda Auto, which last year delivered 1.24 million cars globally, employs 34,000 people in the Czech Republic, alongside some 5,000 abroad, including China, Russia and India. According to the John Hopkins University, the Czech Republic has recorded over 7,400 COVID-19 cases and 220 deaths. For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough, that clear up in two to three weeks. But it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death for some people, especially older adults and people with existing health problems. Many states and localities have commanded residents to stay at home, except for essential trips for food and other supplies, and issued other directives meant to stem the spread of covid-19, the potentially fatal respiratory disease caused by the coronavirus. Barrs memo did not cite specific policies he found objectionable. Justice Department officials have said in recent weeks that Barr is not looking to roll back reasonable restrictions and force the opening of the country, but rather, to encourage officials to carefully weigh the necessity of what they are doing. Arjun Kapoor wonders why most people tend to think that celebrities are unintelligent. In a recent quiz video, Film Companions Anupama Chopra asked Arjun the pincode for his area, Juhu. After giving the right answer, i.e. 400049, Arjun pointed out that Chopra's question kind of validates the popular image of what people think about actors which is not true. He said, Why would I not know? That is a really low benchmark to set for actors. People must be thinking Oh God! That one question of Alia (Bhatt) on Koffee With Karan destroyed our combined IQ of the film fraternity. (sic) Upon her debut on Koffee With Karan in 2012, Alia was asked to name the President of India during the show's quiz segment when she involuntarily blurted out Prithviraj Chauhan, making her the butt of many Twitter jokes. Later, Alia silenced her critics with All India Backchod's Alia Bhatt: Genius of the Year video and proved that she was quite a sport, even when it comes to laughing at herself. Arjun and Alia have worked together in Abhishek Vermans 2014 rom-com 2 States. The film was based on author Chetan Bhagats popular book by the same name. On the work front, Arjun will next be seen in Dibakar Banerjee's Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar. While Alia will be seen sharing the screen space with her boyfriend Ranbir Kapoor in Brahmastra. In a relief to workers stranded in Surat city due to the coronavirus-induced lockdown, three private luxury buses carrying around 150 migrant labourers from Odisha left here in Gujarat on Monday. The evacuation started after the Surat district administration gave permission to these buses to ferry migrant labourers to their native places in Odisha. Accordingly, three buses carrying 150 Odisha natives started their journey from Surat city and they are expected to reach the eastern state in around two days, officials said. "The Surat district collectorate on Monday gave permission to three private luxury buses to take around 150 migrant workers to their respective places in Odisha," said Resident Additional Collector S D Vasava. Earlier on Sunday, Navsari MP CR Patil said Union Home Minister Amit Shah has asked the state government to allow people to go to their native places at their own expense. "Many labourers are stuck in Surat and there is little chance that industries will reopen in near future. Taking into consideration our representation, Shah asked the state government to allow people to go to their native places at their own expense. "The state government then informed the Surat collector to allow such travels," Patil told reporters on Sunday. After the lockdown was imposed around a month back to stem the spread of coronavirus, Surat had witnessed incidents of violence and stone pelting by distressed migrant wokers wanting to go home. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Folorunsho Olabode, commissioner for agriculture in Ekiti state, has been kidnapped. A security source disclosed this, saying a co... Folorunsho Olabode, commissioner for agriculture in Ekiti state, has been kidnapped. A security source disclosed this, saying a councillor of Ilejemeje local government area of the state who was with him at the time of the attack was shot dead. The incident reportedly took place between Isan and Iludun-Ekiti. Muyiwa Olumilua, commissioner for information and values orientation, confirmed the incident, saying a security team was on the trail of the kidnappers. The Government of Ekiti State hereby confirms the abduction of the Honorable Commissioner for Agriculture, Chief Folorunso Olabode, by suspected bandits at about 7:00pm on Sunday April 26, 2020 on his way from Ado-Ekiti to his hometown in Iye-Ekiti, Ilejemeje LGA of Ekiti State, he said. From initial reports, the kidnappers shot one person in his entourage, the driver of the vehicle, a serving Councillor, in the ensuing fracas. Governor Kayode Fayemi has mandated the security agencies in the State to ensure their prompt and safe release, while assuring residents that adequate measures are ongoing, to maintain the peace and security of the State. He promised that all perpetrators of this and any crime will be brought to book. The Commissioner for Police in Ekiti State, Amba Asuquo, has confirmed that a team has already been dispatched, and are on the trail of the abductors, with a view to securing their release. The development comes three days after Emmanuel Agbale, commissioner for science and technology in Edo state, regained freedom from kidnappers. Small help making a big difference in Kata PHUKET: While larger projects to provide food and other help to people in need due to the COVID-19 crisis are gaining momentum across the island, individuals and individual businesses are doing their part in Rawai and Kata, bringing a positive impact to those who need help in the current economic situation. COVID-19Coronaviruseconomicscharity By The Phuket News Monday 27 April 2020, 09:32AM Suthiwa EhEh Thoomwan of We Love Kata at the small stall handing out food in Kata. Photo: We Love Kata The situation in Kata gained serious attention over the weekend when a video posted online showed that the queue for people waiting to receive government emergency relief handouts stretched back for more than a kilometre throughout the beachfront area. Stepping up for thier community is We Love Kata Rooms for Rent and Oceanic Dive Center, who are providing food parcels and drinking water. The food parcels contain mama noodles, chicken and basil with rice, fried rice and banana cake. Asked specifically who the parcels are handed out to, Karen Allen, a Belfast native now living in Kata who is helping with the project, replied simply, Anyone who stops before the food runs out! We give the food out at Oceanic Dive Center in Kata (on Patak Road near the Mae Somjit market). Donations of any of the relief supplies (rice, mama, water, etc), as well as financial support for the project, are welcome. Money donations can be made to Suthiwa EhEh Thoomwan of We Love Kata. People can contact EhEh through her Facebook page. Food donations can be delivered to We Love Kata at Kata Beach Centre. Well-known Tony Surfshop Kata is also stepping up by offering simple meals of khao man kai, spicy spaghetti and water to any people in the area in need. The food is being handed out from just opposite Tonys shop on Soi Kok Tanod, Kata. Any people wanting make a food donation or lend a hand with the small project can call Chaliao Srisut directly at 082 416 7418 or contact him via his Facebook page. Meanwhile, Rumblefish Adventure dive centre in Kata is stepping up to fill the gaps where essential items are needed but not included in the food packages being made available. In fact, Rumblefish have made providing milk for children of many single-parent families their top priority. Just yesterday (Apr 26), the team delivered powdered milk to one family in Karon and 12 families outside the Kata Beach area: four in Kathu, one in Patong, one in Chalong, three in Phuket Town and three in Thalang. The need to help those children were found via various Thai social media sites, where the parents did not receive any assistance over the past weeks, Rumblefish noted on their Facebook page. We also contributed the ONLY 2 SETS of Personal Protect Equipment (PPE) to Chalong Hospital, our nearest emergency medical facility for Kata residents. Prior to these, the nurses & doctors were working, testing, treating and helping with active COVID-19 searches without any PPE, they noted. Rumblefish accepts donations via people buying gift cards, which are available via their website in three options: B330, B515 and B990. The gift cards are redeemable for hostel stay and any of our adventure programs: PADI courses, dive trips, non-diving adventures or airport transfers. 100% of the fund raised via the Care & Share Gift Cards Campaign go to purchase of milk for children (our TOP priority), basic subsistence such as rice, instant noodles and canned food for single parent families affected by the COVID-19 lockdown crisis. We thank you to the 22 generous fellow divers for sending your support since 17th April, via direct donations and purchases of our Care & Share Gift Cards. Together we will overcome! feeling grateful at Kata Beach Phuket Thailand, the team posted on their Facebook page yesterday. We all appreciate any help & support from you, they said. Alternatively, donations of any amounts can be arranged by private message through their Facebook page or by email to care@rumblefishadventure.com People can also contact Rumblefish through their Instagram or call them directly at 098-7458650 (Thai & English) or contact Thien X Do (English) at 086-0924887. Kaptain said he saw the decision to delay as a positive in that may signal the states social distancing guidelines and stay-at-home order have successfully slowed the spread of the highly contagious COVID-19. According to the Illinois Department of Health, 72% of ICU beds and 37% of ventilators were in use at northwest suburban hospitals over the weekend. The Security Service of Ukraine, under the procedural guidance of the Prosecutor General's Office, has completed a pre-trial investigation into criminal proceedings on suspicion of organizing the attack on Kateryna Handziuk by Chairman of the Kherson Regional Council Vladyslav Manher and assistant consultant to member of the Kherson Regional Council Oleksiy Levin. All the case files are ready, the SBU staff professionally fulfilled their work and gathered the evidence base that will clearly prove the position of the prosecution in court. I hope that this case will be considered at first instance. The perpetrators and instigators of Kateryna Handziuk's murder will receive a well-deserved punishment, the press service of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) quotes Chief of the Security Service of Ukraine Ivan Bakanov. According to investigators, Manher is suspected of arranging infliction of grievous bodily harm to Kateryna Handziuk, which led to her death, in collusion with Levin. Manher and Levin are suspected of committing the crimes under Part 3 of Article 27, Part 2 of Article 28 and Part 2 of Article 121 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. SBU investigators informed the suspects and their lawyers, victims and their representatives that the pre-trial investigation was completed. All parties were given access to investigative documents. Once the defense party gets familiarized with the case files, they will be submitted to court for consideration on the merits. As a reminder, five people have already been sentenced in Handziuk case: the perpetrator of the crime Serhiy Torbin and his accomplices Mykyta Hrabchuk, Volodymyr Vasianovych, Vyacheslav Vyshnevsky and Viktor Horbunov. They were sentenced to terms of imprisonment of between three and six and a half years in prison. Chairman of the Kherson Regional Council Vladyslav Manher was served a notice of suspicion of committing a crime. The key defendant in the case, Oleksiy Levin, was detained in Bulgaria on January 24, 2020, thanks to the cooperation of local law enforcement officers with the Security Service of Ukraine and the Prosecutor General's Office. On March 16, Oleksiy Levin was extradited to Ukraine. An acid attack was committed on activist Kateryna Handziuk near the entrance to her house in Kherson on July 31, 2018. Burns covered 40 percent of her body. She underwent several operations but died on November 4, 2018. ol Novacyt is to deliver 288,000 COVID-19 tests a week for use by the NHS. (Tomohiro Ohsumi/Getty Images) A company listed on the London Stock Exchange's international market for smaller growing companies, Novacyt (NCYT.L), just announced an agreement with the UK government to deliver 288,000 COVID-19 tests a week. The group said in a statement that it had signed a contract with the UK Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) for its COVID-19 (CE IVD) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test, developed by Primerdesign, the company's molecular diagnostics division based in the UK. Once the UK government receives the supply, it will send the tests onto the National Health Service (NHS). PCR tests and antibody testing are key ways authorities are testing people for COVID-19. It tests for even very small amounts of viral genetic material by taking samples from places likely to have the virus that causes COVID-19, such as the back of the nose or mouth or deep inside the lungs. Novacyt is committed to fighting the global COVID-19 pandemic, said Graham Mullis, CEO of Novacyt, which is based in Paris, France and Camberley, Surrey in the UK. This partnership with the UK's Department of Health and Social Care reinforces Novacyt's position as a leading supplier of COVID-19 tests to the NHS. READ MORE: Coronavirus shutdowns slash Adidas net profit by 95% in first quarter Under the terms of the agreement, Novacyt will supply its COVID-19 test to the DHSC for an initial term of six months, starting from 4 May 2020. Novacyt has initially committed to supply 288,000 tests per week to the DHSC for use in the NHS, with the option to expand the agreement. Shares in the group shot up over 22% in the opening session and have grown by nearly 3,000% since the beginning of the year. It now has a market capitalisation of around 252m ($313m), up from 50m just before the coronavirus pandemic. Chart: Yahoo Finance The number of people who have died from the coronavirus in UK hospitals breached the 20,000 mark over the weekend. Over 152,000 in Britain have been diagnosed with COVID-19. The latest figures suggest Britain tested only around 18,000 people on Monday, less than a fifth of the planned number with just over a week until the target date. The UK governments official target is conducting 100,000 tests a day by the end of the month. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Apr. 27 By Ilkin Seyfaddini - Trend: The total number of coronavirus infected people in Uzbekistan rose to 1,887, Trend reports on April 27 with reference to the Ministry of Health. To date, 789 patients have fully recovered from the coronavirus infection in the country, eight have died. Since April 1, Uzbekistan announced a self-isolation regime in Tashkent, the capital, as well as in Nukus and other regional centers. Citizens over 65 are categorically prohibited from leaving their homes. They can go out only to visit pharmacies and shops near their respective places of residence. The first case of coronavirus infection in Uzbekistan was detected on March 15 in the laboratory of the Research Institute of Virology; it was an Uzbek woman who returned from France. The Ministry of Health later announced that her son, daughter, husband and grandson also tested coronavirus-positive. The outbreak of the coronavirus began in the Chinese city of Wuhan (an international transport hub), at a fish market in late December 2019. The number of people killed by the disease has surpassed 206,000. Over 2.9 million people have been confirmed as infected, over 865,000 have reportedly recovered. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a pandemic on March 11. Some sources claim the coronavirus outbreak started as early as November 2019. --- Follow author on Twitter: @seyfaddini STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The coronavirus (COVID-19) has become a deeply personal epidemic for New Yorkers, with nearly half of city residents saying they have lost someone they knew, according to a Siena College Poll of registered voters released Monday. Approximately 46% of people in the five boroughs personally know someone who has died as a result of coronavirus, the poll shows. Those percentages declined the further you got from the city, with 36% of people in New York City suburbs saying they knew someone who died, compared to 13% of people who reside upstate, according to the poll. Statewide, 51% of those who responded said they know someone who has tested positive for coronavirus. That number sits at 60% in the five boroughs, 67% in the downstate suburbs and about 30% upstate, according to the poll. The grim statistics could explain why those polled want widespread coronavirus testing before New York life returns to pre-coronavirus activity levels by a margin of 69% to 26%. Meanwhile, coronavirus also is having an economic impact on a good number of New Yorkers. About 32% of people polled statewide said that someone in their home has been laid off. More than half of New York City residents and 41% of upstate residents live in a household with at least one person working from home who is usually employed outside the house, the poll shows. About a third of people polled statewide said someone in their household continues to work outside the house. About two-thirds of the respondents think its unlikely that large public gatherings will be held this summer, and 56% said that they are not confident America will be back to normal anytime soon, according to the poll. By a 78% to 16% margin, those polled said they trust Gov. Andrew Cuomo more than President Donald Trump to make a determination about reopening New York. The vast majority of New Yorkers support the governors orders to stem the spread of the virus. By a 92% to 8% margin, residents agree with the governors order requiring face masks or coverings in public, according to the poll. They also agree with the decision to extend New York On Pause until May 15 by a margin of 87% to 11%. Overall, the governor is riding a huge wave of approval among both Republican and Democrat voters. His 71-28 percent job performance rating this month bests last months all-time high, and is up strikingly from a negative 36-63 percent rating just two months ago," said Siena College pollster Steven Greenberg. Violence broke out in Ambalas Chandpura village when villagers objected to the cremation of a suspected coronavirus patient and later pelted stones at police and health officials on Monday afternoon. Ambala SP Abhishek Jorwal said an FIR has been registered in the matter. The dead woman was a suspected corona patient and as per protocols, she was to be cremated at the designated cremation ground identified by the administration. The villagers raised objection, citing that she was not a resident of their village and started pelting stones as the area SDM and DSP reached the spot. To control the mob, the police had to lathicharge and also fire a couple of rounds in the air, he added. Ambala Cantonment DSP Ram Kumar is among the cops injured in the violence. The mob attacked the ambulance and shattered its windshield and side glasses, DSP Kumar said. The mob attacked the police and health officials. Weve booked 200 people, 55 by name and others unknown under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, the Disaster Management Act and the amended Epidemic Diseases Act. Weve detained 15 of them and will arrest the remaining ones soon, the DSP added. Brian Austin Green was not wearing his wedding ring when he picked up groceries on Sunday. The actor was spotted at Erewhon in Calabasas, California on Sunday amid rumors he and wife Megan Fox are living separately. Green, 46, has been seen on several occasions without his ring further fueling speculation that the couple - who married in 2010 - have separated. No ring: Brian Austin Green is pictured out in Calabasas on Sunday picking up groceries at Erewhon Missing: The 46-year-old star went without his wedding ring amid speculation he's split from Megan Fox The duo have yet to address split rumors, however a source told E! Online this week that Green and Fox, 33, 'don't plan to file divorce right now,'. The former Beverly Hills 90210 star is reportedly living in Malibu while Fox stays in Calabasas. And they certainly hinted at a separation when they were spotted exchanging their three sons Noah, seven, Bodhi, six, and Journey, three, earlier this month. After Green installed the child seat into his car, he made his way to towards Paradise Cove in Malibu while Fox headed back to gated community Calabasas Oaks. Sharing parenting duties: The duo are reportedly living separately and were photographed exchanging their three sons on April 15 Is it over? A source told E! Online on Monday that the duo, who married in 2010, 'don't plan to file divorce right now,'. Megan and Brian married in 2010 after six-years of dating, but their relationship has not been without its ups and downs. The couple split in 2009, three years after getting engaged, only to reconcile and get married the following year. They welcomed sons Noah in 2012 and Bodhi in 2014 before Fox filed for divorce in 2015 citing 'irreconcilable differences'. The next year, however, the Transformers star revealed she was pregnant with their third child and stayed together. Solo: Green is pictured without his wedding band on April 11 and April 22 getting groceries in Calabasas Fox filed to dismiss the pending divorce on April 25 2019 and in December they made their first joint red carpet appearance in five years. Green is also father to son Kassius, 17, with his ex-wife, Vanessa Marcil. During a September 2017 episode of his with Brian Austin Green podcast, Green admitted being in a relationship 'takes work and it's not easy.' 'Marriage is hard,' he said. 'It's work, I think for anyone. I think when you get to the point like we have, where you have kids and you've been married for a while and we've been together for a long time, it's you just take it day by day.' CHALLENGES FOR AUSTRALIAN YOUTH AND THEIR REVOLUTIONARY POTENTIAL As events have unfolded this year, a stable livelihood for young Australians has become increasingly difficult and is leading towards growing advocacy for revolutionary action and socialism. As well as the COVID-19 and bushfire crises, it is predicted by economists that Australians will also suffer through the first recession in nearly three decades, and it is expected to affect working-class young people most of all. Throughout history, capitalists and imperialists have used times of crisis to restructure the economy in their favour, to the detriment of those who are forced to sell their labour. Graph shows the spikes in unemployment and underemployment in the 1980s and 1990s recessions. The blue line represents those aged between 15-24 years. The black and red dotted lines show the predicted increase in underutilisation in the coming recession by using the data from the previous recessions. UNEMPLOYMENT/UNDEREMPLOYMENT TRENDS IN YOUTH The youth underutilisation rate (unemployment and underemployment) in Australia currently sits at 30.6 per cent. Underutilisation infers that these young people are simply not used or not used well. However, from the perspective of the working class, this can be more accurately interpreted as the working class youth experience more homelessness, less job opportunities, more depression, more suicides, less access to resources, and poorer health outcomes. If a youth underutilisation rate sounds unusually high, thats because it is, and it hasnt always been this way. Before the early 80s recession, youth underutilisation sat at 14.1 per cent, rising to 25 per cent (an increase of 77.3 per cent) over the next two years. A decade later, the recession we had to have saw a similar rise, this time from 16.3 per cent to 31 per cent over a three-year period, a whopping 90.1 per cent increase. Given we are only at the beginning of the current crisis, and the severity is expected to be greater, its feasible that youth unemployment could reach as high as 50 per cent in the coming months and years (see graph). Its little wonder the favourability of a socialist system is growing amongst Australias youth. LIBERAL REFORMS WHICH HAVE IMPACTED THE WORKING CLASS In the 1980s, The Hawke Labor Government commenced the process of dismantling the centralised award system, taking on neo-liberal policies. Enterprise agreements became common practice, and top union leaders moved away from traditional trade union philosophies, embracing corporate unionism, that is, unionism openly and directly serving the interests of the capitalists. Less support from unions led to poorer working conditions and wage stagnation for the average young Australian in this time. Many forms of industrial action were for all intents and purposes banned this was one of the primary objectives of the Accord. During the 1990s, the restructuring of Australias economy led to further privatisation of very important public assets. Between 1991 and 2006, the Commonwealth Bank, Qantas, and Telstra were sold off. As well as the high unemployment rate for young people, they were now forced to pay for private profits for services which were once publicly owned. Following on from this, the introduction of Australian Workplace Agreements (AWAs) under the Howard government moved towards individual employment contracts for workers, including increased casualisation. CURRENT CHALLENGES FOR AUSTRALIAN WORKING CLASS YOUTH So where does this leave young people today? The implications for todays working-class youth are serious. The ongoing state of affairs in this country which have led to casual, temporary, and contractual employment make it increasingly easy for employers to get rid of workers who make any argument for their conditions and wages. Casual workers can be let go at any point with no redundancy; temporary employees anxiously hope that their contracts will be renewed; contractors have to battle against others in their own industry. This creates a climate of fear to simply be part of a union, with little opportunity to build comradery and organise as a class. THE EFFECTS OF AUTOMATION Notably, the automation of unskilled labour seems like a reasonable step in the right direction for people to specialise. However, due to the current labour laws, it leaves little opportunity for those without support networks to be able to eventually work towards skilled labour whether it be an apprenticeship or further study at TAFE or a university. This is a massive contradiction in how the Australian economy functions and what will be necessary moving forward. Already there is a clear market forcing young people into jobs which are dangerous with poor wages (e.g. UberEats). This is a perfect example of how technology has not necessarily created better opportunities for young working class people. Instead, as is the case with UberEats, it puts them at more risk, riding bicycles on busy roads with no protections and receiving abysmal wages, under a huge multinational corporation that allows almost no chance to fight. REVOLUTIONARY POTENTIAL OF THE YOUTH However, the future is not completely bleak for young people, as studies have shown a growing revolutionary spirit in their generation. A paper brought out by the right-wing Centre for Independent Studies in 2018 revealed an interesting trend towards millennials supporting favourable views of socialism, that is around 60 per cent of the 1,003 people surveyed. Since the fall of the USSR, the red scare tactics which alienated a whole generation from socialism have not been applied as strongly to todays youth. However, this situation is changing fast with the increased attacks on China from across the political spectrum. Bernie Sanders, while not striving towards socialism in a Marxist sense, has opened up a space for discussion. As young people continue to sense the ineffectiveness of neo-liberal reforms and show more engagement in communism and socialism, comrades in the CPA must be prepared for the struggle the young working class will be engaged in. Already during the COVID-19 crisis, innovative ideas have been pushed forward, creating more online spaces to build comradery, learn, and organise. This must continue to be encouraged as Australias working-class moves into a more volatile future. Now more than ever, Australians must understand their settler-colonial past, the neo-liberal reforms of the 80s and 90s, the soft power influence from the US, and how to function effectively in unions. This is imperative not only for the youth but for all working class and exploited people in Australia. OTTAWAThe dicey claims are not just from a U.S. president musing about bleach injections as a possible cure for the coronavirus. There are dozens and dozens of peddlers of all kinds of snake oil in our midst. Health Canada has published a list of 101 products for which dubious or possibly dangerous claims have been made. Everything from echinacea and oregano oil, vitamins and other so-called natural remedies to boost the immune system during the threat of COVID-19, to ozone lamp bulbs to ultraviolet disinfecting lamps, washable reusable dust masks, bottle sprayers and power washers billed as COVID-19 virus prevention able to dispense alcohol for disinfection COVID-19 Virus Prevention. There were residential air purifiers listed on Kijiji with the claim Save yourself and family from coronavirus! Face shields. Laboratory safety glasses sold as adjustable for home office COVID-19 virus protection. Carbon water filter systems: Since the coronavirus, we have to protect ourselves from drinking water and air we breathe and drink. Sometimes the fraudulent claims are not made by the actual product manufacturers or distributors, but by second-hand vendors or resellers pitching them on Amazon, Facebook or Kijiji. Selling or advertising health products that make false or misleading claims is illegal, and Health Canada makes clear: there is no cure, or treatment, for COVID-19. Tim Caulfield, who holds the Canada Research Chair in health law and policy and teaches at the University of Albertas law faculty and school of public health, said he is encouraged by the pushback now against COVID-19 claptrap. But he says regulators wont be able to catch all the bad actors, especially those which use wiggly phrases in their marketing. In an article on the scourge of fakes and pseudo-science in Nature magazine published Monday, Caulfield said he hopes one of the legacies of this crisis will be the recognition that tolerating pseudo-science can cause real harm. Caulfield said in an interview with the Star that scientists, universities and health-care institutions have to speak out, and stop tolerating and legitimizing health pseudo-science not just by their silence but by allowing unproven therapies within their own settings. Caulfield, who wrote the book Is Gwyneth Paltrow Wrong About Everything, said if respected institutions, such as the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, offer a science-free practice like reiki treatments, its no wonder people are fooled. A similar argument can be made about public-health providers in Canada and the United Kingdom: by offering homeopathy, they de facto encourage the idea that this scientifically implausible remedy can work against COVID-19. Health Canadas website says it has resolved 50 advertising incidents of non-compliant marketing as of April 16, there are another 51 ongoing cases. The department could not answer Monday how exactly it has acted, whether any charges were laid, whether warnings were sufficient to dissuade the vendors from making the false claims. Nor would it say which are the worst offenders among those that are still ongoing. In some cases, websites like Kijiji now first link any COVID-19 searches to public health websites where people can get accurate information. Read more about: Almeria port launches project for LNG fuel for ships Study for plant in 2021 (ANSAmed) - NAPLES, APRIL 27 - The port authority of Almeria (Apa) has carried out a research to stock and distribute liquefied natural gas (LNG) for ships docking at the port. It thus aims to reduce polluting fuels and promote a more sustainable port. Apa has commissioned the study to a Spanish engineering company for 10,000 euros and the department for port security has started to carry out a study on the safety of the project which could be launched in the summer of 2021. Spain is preparing to export equipment for a more sustainable maritime trade. The dockyards Gondan and Balenciaga have signed a contract with ship owner Ostenjo Rederi for the construction of four vessels for the offshore Aeolian sector. The zero-emissions vessels will be used for the maintenance of maritime Aeolian parks in northern Europe, where the sector is booming. (ANSAmed). A couple have told how military officials fired gunshots in their direction while they were trying to stock up on supplies in Indonesia during the coronavirus pandemic. Dwayne and Kelly Turpin were sailing from Thailand to Australia on their boat the SY Nomad when countries across the world closed borders and imposed travel bans. The couple have been sailing together for 18-years and had sailed nearly the exact same route six years ago, though were cautious of their travel amid the outbreak of COVID-19. 'We were concerned about the virus and were aware we had to take precautions,' Ms Turpin told Daily Mail Australia. 'But we left Thailand before any countries started shutting their borders. We had no idea that was going to happen.' Dwayne and Kelly Turpin endured a tumultuous journey from Thailand to Australia amid coronavirus restrictions As the pandemic began to spread and they got further into their journey, the couple noticed the northern Indonesian locals began behaving differently around them, to the point where they were forced out of anchoring off the coast of islands on several occasions. 'We realised things were getting worse, and understood we could not go ashore, but at this stage still believed we would be able to anchor to sleep on the boat if we explained we would not come ashore,' Ms Turpin said. 'The situation soon deteriorated and from that time on, if we anchored near a village we were told to leave. Nothing we could say help the situation and we would have to leave to find another anchorage or sail through the night. 'At this stage we realised the Indonesians were scared of us. Scared of the virus they thought we might be carrying. We on the other hand had had very little contact with anyone from early March, and none for two weeks. 'We knew we didnt have the virus, but of course they didnt know that and did not believe us when we tried to explain.' After sailing through northern Bali and Komodo Islands, the couple arrived in Larantuka at the east end of Flores to refuel before sailing to Australia. Mr Turpin was told by a local Indonesian contact to go into shore to show their clearance paperwork and hand in their fuel drums to be filled. 'Dwayne went ashore and showed them our passports and clearance paperwork,' Ms Turpin said. 'They gave Dwayne some paperwork in return and then sprayed him, the paperwork and the dinghy with disinfectant.' Mr Turpin and his dingy getting sprayed with disinfectant by Indonesians on arrival in Larantuka An hour later Mr Turpin got back in the dingy to the shore to pick up their supplies when suddenly an Indonesian military boat approached Ms Turpin on the yacht. 'Just after Dwayne left, a small navy boat came up to me and a man in uniform, holding a gun across his chest, yelled aggressively at me, "missus, you leave!"' Ms Turpin said. 'I said I couldnt as I was waiting for my husband who was picking up fuel. The boat motored towards the shore where Dwayne was standing by his dingy. 'The navy boat arrived near Dwayne and then I heard yelling, after some more yelling I heard a gun shot. I was amazed! A few minute later I heard another gun shot and more yelling. 'Dwayne tried to explain that he was getting fuel and water and would leave as soon as it was loaded. The man with the gun just yelled at Dwayne you leave, you leave and "virus, you go". 'Because Dwayne wasnt leaving the man fired his gun above Dwaynes head. With out the fuel, or the water, we would not have been able to reach Australia.' Mr Turpin with the help of some locals managed to load the dingy and make his way back to the SY Nomad, with the navy boat following the boat out of the harbour as they sailed east to find a place to stay the night. The couple captured pictures of Indonesian military officials with guns drawn on their journey. The couple were followed out of Larantuka by an Indonesian navy boat for an hour after Mr Turpin had shots fired over his head while buying essential supplies on shore 'The navy boat followed us for over an hour,' Ms Turpin said. 'This was very intimidating as we were unsure whether there may be any repercussions for not leaving when immediately asked.' The couple were approached by canoes of locals and police off Solor Island who forced them to leave their mooring and sail on to Timor Leste, where they hoped to sleep before crossing the Timor Sea to Darwin the following day. Police intervened and the couple were forced to begin their sail on April 9, leading them straight into a vicious storm front while crossing the Timor Sea. Five metre seas and 30knot winds battered the boat, damaging the engine and sail and causing Australian Border Force to contact them to see if they were going to abandon ship. 'It is definitely one of the worst storms we have been in,' Ms Turpin said. 'However, due to the integrity of the boat we never thought she was in any danger. The Turpin's sailed the SY Nomad on their journey, which was battered by huge seas while crossing the Timor Sea on the way into Darwin 'When we were unable to sail or motor in the direction of Darwin, and were only drifting further away, we were worried about how long we could stay with the boat because and we only had a small amount of water left.' Mr Turpin was eventually able to stabilise the boat as weather conditions subsided, with the couple able to safely arrive in Darwin. The Turpin's are now in forced quarantine at the Mercure Hotel in Darwin where they have spent the last 12 days reflecting on their journey and wondering where they will go next. They had planned to continue sailing onto Sydney but may be forced to change plans due to travel restrictions and have not let their harrowing experience diminish their love for being on the water. 'Sailing is our life. We love it too much to ever give it up,' Ms Turpin said. 'Everyone who has sailed would know that these things happen, and with a little foresight, experience, belief in your boat and a little luck, most problems will be eventually overcome.' By PTI CHENNAI: Citing the severe fiscal crisis due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Tamil Nadu government on Monday announced freezing of additional installment of Dearness Allowance for its employees and pensioners till July 2021 and suspended earned leave encashment for a year. Pointing to the Centre's recent communique that additional installment of DA to its employees and pensioners due from January 1, 2020 shall not be paid, a Government Order (GO) said that Tamil Nadu toed the Union government's rate of dearness allowance for its employees, pensioners and family pensioners. Hence, Tamil Nadu has decided to follow the Centre's decision to put on hold the additional DA payout as well, it said. Also, in view of "the severe fiscal crisis arising out of the COVID-19 pandemic," the government has decided to freeze the additional Dearness Allowance payout till July 2021, the order said. As per a GO of last year, effective July 1, 2019, the rate of Dearness Allowance was 17 per cent of basic pay. It was a revision following orders by the Centre enhancing the DA for its employees. Ahead of that enchancement, the rate of DA stood at 12 per cent for Tamil Nadu government employees. ALSO READ| Tamil Nadu temples too begin to feel impact of lockdown, lose crores in revenue Accordingly, the additional installment of DA payable to government employees, teachers, pensioners, family pensioners due from January 1, 2020 shall not be paid. "The additional installments of DA due from July 1, 2020 and January 1, 2021 shall also not be paid," it said. The order is applicable to teaching, non-teaching staff in aided educational institutions and employees under local bodies as well. In another G.O, the government said the periodicial surrender of earned leave for encashment for 15 days every year/30 days every two years stands suspended initially for one year to all government employees and teachers. "All surrender requests and bills pending as on date, irrespective of their stage of sanction and disbursement, shall not be processed. The curb covers local bodies and institutions under the government as well," the order said. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Adrian Wail Akhlas (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, April 28 2020 Indonesias economy may enter a recession and experience a much longer recovery than other countries in Southeast Asia if the governments management of the COVID-19 pandemic remains slow and amateurish, economists have warned. A recession happens when a country sees its gross domestic product (GDP) decline for two consecutive quarters in conjunction with other monthly indicators, such as a rise in unemployment. University of Indonesia senior economist Faisal Basri voiced concerns over the governments handling of the health crisis, adding that with the current containment measures, the country could see an economic contraction of up to 2.5 percent, or 0.5 percent growth in a best-case scenario. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,000/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login In 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. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-28 06:24:55|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close DUBLIN, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Ireland has urged the European Union (EU) to introduce new tourism-specific funding supports for its member states to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the tourism sector, according to a government statement issued here on Monday. The call was made by Irish Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Shane Ross, while attending a video conference of EU tourism ministers held earlier on Monday, said the statement. At the meeting, Ross pressed for maximum flexibility in State Aids rules to enable provision of timely and appropriate supports for the tourism sector, according to the statement. It says Ross informed the meeting of Ireland's intention to establish a Tourism Recovery Taskforce which will come up with a recovery plan to help the Irish tourism sector come through the current crisis. The purpose of the Monday meeting for the EU tourism ministers was to exchange information and practices which are taking place or being considered by EU member states in relation to the impact of the pandemic on the tourism sector, according to the statement. Ross stressed at the meeting the necessity of proactive steps and coordinated policy actions by EU member states in the immediate, medium and longer terms, both at national and EU-level, to mitigate the impact of the pandemic and to support the recovery of the sector, said the statement. Tourism is an important contributor to the Irish economy. Last year Ireland attracted about 10 million overseas tourists. The hospitality industry also created tens of thousands of jobs for the country, according to Tourism Ireland. Enditem BRIDGEPORT A judge refused Monday to release a former city public works employee who has tested positive for COVID-19 while awaiting trial for the Valentines Day fatal shooting of another man. While the court is cognizant of the defendants health issue, I am confident the Department of Corrections is taking the appropriate steps to monitor his health situation and has placed him where he will be treated appropriately, Superior Court Judge Joan Alexander said in denying the motion to release Victor Arroyo. Arroyo, 22, is being held in lieu of more than $2 million bond, charged with murder, carrying a pistol without a permit, third-degree assault, second-degree reckless endangerment, interfering with police, criminal impersonation and failure to appear in court. The judge also refused to order the release of Adam Palmer, charged with raping twin 5-year-old girls in Stratford. Last Wednesday, Arroyo was transferred from the Bridgeport Correctional Center to Northern Correctional Institute, the states maximum security prison. Notwithstanding the seriousness of the case and the allegations, Mr. Arroyo has been diagnosed with COVID-19 and he has been moved to Northern Correctional where all positive inmates have been transferred, Arroyos lawyer, Frank Riccio II, told the judge during a hearing on Monday. He urged the judge to send Arroyo home where he could be monitored. This is purely because he is now positive and is not safe in the confines of where he now is, he added. Earlier this month, DOC transferred 47 inmates who had tested positive for COVID-19 to Northern and stated it had been designated as the holding facility for all inmates who test positive for the virus in an effort to keep them separate from the rest of the states prison population. Police said Victor Arroyo fatally shot 57-year-old Philip Ingram on Feb. 14 after Ingram went looking for him following a dispute in the East Side. Supervisory Assistant States Attorney C. Robert Satti Jr. objected to Arroyo being released. He pointed out that Arroyo has a serious prior criminal record and contended the case against him is strong. He is currently in a facility under the supervision of the Department of Corrections and they are in charge of maintaining his proper health, he said. Arroyo was employed on and off by the city of Bridgeport in different jobs, mostly seasonal or temporary, until he was fired in November for allegedly trying to assault the police officer in charge of the citys animal shelter. Palmer, 35, is charged with two counts of first-degree sexual assault and two counts of risk of injury to a child from a 2013 case. His lawyer, Public Defender James Pastore, told the judge that Palmer suffers from multiple sclerosis and blood clots in his lungs. He said if Palmer is ordered released, he will live with family in Norwalk. Its official: Face masks are now a required accessory in Harris County for the next 30 days. Monday marks the start of Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgos face mask-mandate, requiring the countys 4.7 million residents to cover their faces at all times except when eating, exercising or drinking. Acceptable garments include a homemade mask, scarf, bandanna or handkerchief, but medical masks or N-95 respirators are not recommended because first responders and health care workers need them. The new rules apply to residents 10 and older. The mandate is not meant to be punitive: Though violating the order technically is punishable by a $1,000 fine, Houston police and Harris County deputies will err on the side of distributing masks to residents breaking the rules. Instead of a citation, police officers will give you a mask, or at least offer you one, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said last week. So, its masks over citations. Its all about education and awareness. Were working to make sure that we are keeping people healthy, and its not about being punitive. FACE MASK MANDATE: Houstonians, public officials weigh in on mandatory masks As Monday approached, residents scrambled to comply. Local organizations, lawmakers and even funeral homes started handing out thousands of free masks. On Sunday, hundreds of Houstonians pulled their cars into a single file line out Unity National Bank on Blodgett Street, waiting patiently for an envelope of free masks. The event put on by the Riverside and Washington Terrace civic associations,, as well as other third ward organizations was scheduled to start at 10 a.m. People started lining up at 8 a.m. When organizers and volunteers arrived at 9 a.m. to find the line backing up traffic, they quickly started handing out masks, two per person, said Tomaro Bell, president of the MacGregor Super Neighborhood, who helped organize the event. By events end, they have given away more than 1,000. When the judge ordered the criminalization of those without masks, we knew for our community this is going to be a trying thing, Bell said. In our neighborhood, we have a lot of low income families We were really concerned what people were going to do with their limited resources. Organizers were able to gve away so many masks, Bell said, because of donations from Council Member Carolyn Evans-Shabazz and Mattress Mack Jim McIngvale. Bell said theyll host another event Sunday, thanks in part to a monetary donation from State Sen. Borris L. Miles, a Democrat. Need a face mask this week? Heres where you can get one for free: Monday, 4/27 8 a.m.-1 p.m.: The Tejano Center, 2950 Broadway (while supplies last) 9 -10 a.m.: Carverdale Community Center, 9920 Porto Rico Road (while supplies last) 9-10 a.m.: Freed Park Community Center, 6186 Shadyvilla Lane (while supplies last) 9-10 a.m.: White Oak Conference Center, 7603 Antoine Drive (while supplies last) 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m.: Community Family Center, 7524 Avenue E (while supplies last) 11 a.m.: Mount Hebron Missionary Baptist Church, 7817 Calhoun Rd. (while supplies last) 1-4 p.m.: Rosewood Funeral Home, 17404 West Lake Houston Parkway (first 250 families) Tuesday, 4/28 9 a.m.: Fountain of Life Center, 14065 Main St. (while supplies last) 10 a.m.: Plaza Americas Mall, 7500 Bellaire Blvd (while supplies last) 12 p.m. to 2 p.m.: New Bethlehem Missionary Baptist Church, 9126 Jensen Dr. (first 100 cars) Thursday, 4/30 12 p.m. to 2 p.m.: Sweet Home Missionary Baptist Church, 7104 Homestead Road (first 100 cars) Saturday, 5/2 12 p.m. to 2 p.m.: Mt. Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church, 908 E. 32 1/2 St. (first 100 cars) Sunday, 5/3 10-11 a.m.: Unity Bank, 2602 Blodgett St. See More Collapse Harris County Precinct 8 Constable Phil Sandlin also gave away free masks over the weekend. On Friday, he handed out 4,000 masks in Clear Lake and Pasadena that he personally purchased. To protect everyones health, the pick ups were drive thru-only. State Rep. Gene Wu, a Democrat, also set up a drive thru to hand out masks Saturday in southwest Houston. With the help of Gulfton volunteers, Wus drive thru focused on medical workers, seniors and the immuno-compromised. With the mandate in Harris County that face coverings must be worn in public set to go into effect Monday, it is especially important that masks are made available, Wu said. The goal is to make sure our community has access to the necessary resources to keep our residents safe. County residents who missed the many mask giveaways this weekend, however, have options this week. In Atascocita, for instance, Lake Houston residents will be able to get their free masks from Rosewood Funeral Home on Monday. The funeral home plans to give away two N-95 respirators to the first 250 Lake Houston families that arrive between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. on Monday at its 17404 West Lake Houston Parkway location. As public health responders, we are always prepared for disaster and feel the need to help Lake Houston Area families prepare in the wake of Judge Hidalgos order for all residents to wear masks, said Jess Fields, Sr., the funeral homes owner and president. Thats why we are dipping into our supplies to help families in our area. Harris County Precinct 1 Constable Alan Rosen, as well as the city of Houston, have announced free mask distribution events across Houston this week. But while some rush to help residents comply with Hidalgos order, others are fighting against it. EDUCATION NOT PUNISHMENT: Police, deputies to give masks, not citations to those who violate Hidalgo order The Houston Police Officers' Union were quick to jump in after Hidalgo announced the mandate last week, called the order "draconian" in a letter to the community. The union said it would seek counsel from the Texas Attorney General's Office on the fines legality. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick also weighed in, calling the order the ultimate government overreach. Hidalgo has even been sued over the mandate. Houston conservative power broker Steve Hotze filed the lawsuit Thursday, alleging that the order violates the Texas Constitution and that Hidalgo cant issue more restrictive orders than Gov. Greg Abbott, who has not mandated masks in public. State law gives the county judge broad authority during a disaster, the county attorneys office has said. GOP activist sues Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo over coronavirus mask mandate Hotze, who also sued Hidalgo over her stay-at-home order, organized a protest against the mask order last week. Other counties in the region, including Montgomery, Galveston and Fort Bend, are not issuing mask mandates for their residents. While I am not issuing a specific order, I strongly recommend our residents wear masks in public to stop the spread of the virus, protect the most vulnerable in our community, and reopen the economy, said KP George, Fort Bend County Judge, in a statement last week. The quickest and easiest way we can prevent more people from getting sick and reopen business is for everyone to wear a cloth mask in public. alex.stuckey@chron.com STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Its a parenting question thats as old as time, but now it has a twist: How do you best protect your child during the coronavirus pandemic? Surgical masks and other face coverings give us a degree of protection from sharing and contracting the illness when were out in public. But theyre dangerous for infants and young toddlers, and the American Academy of Pediatrics warns parents not to put them on any child under the age of 2 -- ever. Such advice aligns with the rules in Gov. Andrew Cuomos mask order, effective April 17, which states that any individual who is over age two and able to medically tolerate a face-covering shall be required to cover their nose and mouth with a mask or cloth face-covering when in a public place and unable to maintain, or when not maintaining, social distance. The risk of suffocation is very real, said Dr. Brian McMahon, chairman of the Department of Pediatrics at Richmond University Medical Center, who took a few minutes recently to stress the importance of caution. If the child turns over, turns into a corner, and the mask is too tight, the child may not make a noise, he said. The parent may realize much too late that the baby was in trouble. If the parent is distracted this sounds hard to believe, but we dont want to take the chance. Though seniors and other adults with pre-existing medical conditions are most vulnerable to the coronavirus, its not impossible for babies and toddlers to contract it -- and they can pass it on to others, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In terms of statistics, its more of a problem for older people, McMahon agreed. But, its not impossible for pediatric-aged patients to get, and its not impossible for young children and babies to get it. There have been reports of children as young as a month old becoming infected, McMahon said. And older children and teens have gotten quite sick, he said. The 5-month-old daughter of an FDNY member died April 20 of the coronavirus (COVID-19), SILive.com reported on Friday. So, whats a parent to do? If you must take your infant out in public in a carriage or stroller, a blanket placed very loosely over the carriage is a precaution worth taking, said McMahon. But adult supervision is critical when you do that, he said. You dont want the blanket to fall on the baby and possibly suffocate the baby, he said. You have to be careful about that. They may suffocate. Toddlers, usually brimming with energy and curiosity, present another challenge. Theyre not capable of respecting the six-foot social distancing guidelines and may run toward strangers when in public places. And theyre cute, so people are drawn to them, as well. The parent is going to have to hold the childs hand and control the child, so the child isnt going to run into trouble, McMahon said. Those over the age of 2 should be wearing a mask, either a disposable surgical mask or a bandana or scarf, whenever they are out in public, he said. The older child has a little bit of understanding, he said. We wear the mask so that we dont inadvertently infect someone else. Children have less awareness. Theyre more likely to interact with others. More than ever these days, parents should be aware that they are role models, McMahon said. They should sit down with children and explain exactly why the masks are essential, he added. *** CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE COVERAGE OF CORONAVIRUS IN NEW YORK *** When the children see that the mother or father puts the mask on, they realize, I need to do the same thing, McMahon said. Though masks offer a certain level of protection, theyre not fool-proof, and children should be kept from other children during the pandemic, the CDC said. While school is out, children should not have in-person play dates with children from other households, the CDC advises. If children are playing outside their own home, it is essential that they remain six feet from anyone who is not in their own household. Hand-washing and disinfecting surfaces is critical, too, the CDC says. Childrens laundry should be washed in the warmest possible water, according to the agency. Its a tough time to be a parent, the doctor admits. Is there any step we can take thats an absolute guarantee? No, he said. But by wearing protective masks, we are reducing the risk as much as humanly possible. If you get in a car, you put your seatbelt on. If youre going outside, you put your mask on. Up to 100 gay men have reportedly been outed in Morocco after being identified on location-based apps while staying at home during the countrys coronavirus lockdown. Some on gay dating apps have seen their pictures leaked online in recent weeks, rights groups said, and thousands more fear the same could happen to them amid a campaign targeting LGBT+ Arabs. At least three men have even been thrown out of their homes over the issue, according to The New York Times. Gay men in Morocco, where homosexuality is illegal, were tricked into sharing intimate pictures of themselves by users who posed as potential dates and then shared the images online, according to LGBT+ rights group Nassawiyat. These men are being bullied and blackmailed. With a coronavirus lockdown in place some of them have no place to turn, said a Nassawiyat spokesperson. The closure of gay bars and other LGBT+ spaces around the world due to measures curbing the novel coronavirus pandemic has led to a surge in the use of LGBT+ dating apps like Hornet. Some apps have taken steps to protect users from contracting the virus but developers are under pressure to protect the identities of users in countries like Saudi Arabia where gay sex can be punishable by death. The outing of men in Morocco was sparked by a model, Sofia Taloni, who in a series of Instagram live streams told her 620,000 followers to download dating apps to locate gay men. [These apps] will show you the people who are near to you. It could show you your husband in your bedroom, it could show you your son who might be in the bathroom, Taloni said in video seen by the Thomson Reuters Foundation. How coronavirus lockdowns changed the world's most polluted cities Show all 6 1 /6 How coronavirus lockdowns changed the world's most polluted cities How coronavirus lockdowns changed the world's most polluted cities Milan, Italy REUTERS How coronavirus lockdowns changed the world's most polluted cities North Jakarta, Indonesia REUTERS How coronavirus lockdowns changed the world's most polluted cities Jakarta, Indonesia REUTERS How coronavirus lockdowns changed the world's most polluted cities Venice, Italy REUTERS How coronavirus lockdowns changed the world's most polluted cities New Delhi, India REUTERS How coronavirus lockdowns changed the world's most polluted cities Islamabad, Pakistan REUTERS Talonis account, which was suspended on Friday, did not explicitly call on viewers to out gay men but LGBT+ rights groups say men were targeted by users who cited her. Weve disabled the influencers Instagram and Facebook accounts and were taking proactive steps to find and remove other content like this, said a Facebook spokesperson. Grindr, the worlds best known gay dating app, allows users in so-called high-risk countries like Morocco to use premium features including a screenshot blocker and photos that automatically erase a few seconds after being shared with others. But those carrying out so-called catfish attacks by cultivating a fake persona can circumvent screenshot blocks by using a second phone to film the screen of another device, rights groups say. A Grindr spokesperson told Reuters: As we learned of the troubling reports in Morocco, we responded quickly with warning messages in both the Moroccan dialect of Arabic and French to let our users know to take extra caution at this time. Christof Wittig, founder and CEO of Hornet, which has 30 million regular users worldwide, said his company used community moderators to flag malicious profiles and algorithms to ensure the authenticity of its users. Meanwhile, some LGBT+ Arabs say they are caught between using dating apps - one of the few remaining avenues to meet other people - and avoiding them and ending up lonely. Ill continue to use dating apps but Ill be very cautious, said Nasser, a gay Qatari man who declined to give his second name. Im not going to let fear stop me from dating. Additional reporting by Reuters The CRPF has taken up with the Karnataka Police the "unpleasant" case of alleged manhandling and handcuffing of its CoBRA commando by policemen and has sent a team to follow-up on the matter, officials said on Monday. The Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) unit of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) specialises in guerrilla tactics and jungle warfare. The force has written a letter to Karnataka Director General of Police (DGP) Praveen Sood stating that the "unpleasant situation could have been avoided had the state police taken the CRPF hierarchy into confidence before making the arrest" of the jawan on April 23 in Belagavi district. The CRPF is mulling to file "a counter FIR against the atrocious action of the police" against the jawan, a senior officer of the paramilitary force told PTI. The CRPF letter said commando Sachin Savant was "manhandled, ill-treated, paraded to the police station barefooted, kept in chains and handcuffs" by police personnel on COVID-19 lockdown duty in Examba village of the district. In a video, shot from a distance by a local on a mobile phone, it is seen the mufti wearing commando and two policemen getting into an altercation, and subsequently, throwing blows at each other. The CoBRA commando was on leave and at his home town. As per the CRPF, the state police informed them that Savant was outside his home to wash his bike and "was not wearing a mask", and police personnel on duty asked him why he was not wearing a face mask. The police report said the commando "started the altercation" with the beat constable and an another policeman accompanying him and "assaulted" them. CRPF officials countered the version saying the jawan informed the policemen that he was not wearing the mask as he was just outside his home. The incident has led to resentment among officials of the paramilitary force and they have demanded a fair investigation in the case and sought intervention from the CRPF brass. "We have taken up the case with state police chief of Karnataka. His (Savant) bail plea is coming before the court on Tuesday and the CRPF too shall be in court through its local officers.Thereafter, case investigation shall be followed up to take it to the logical conclusion," CRPF spokesperson Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Moses Dhinakaran said. The CRPF has stated in the letter to the DGP that after scrutiny of the video "it is apparent that the conduct of police personnel was not citizen centric." The letter, written by a special director general-rank officer on behest of CRPF Chief A P Maheshwari, requested the DGP to get the matter inquired and "provide justice to the jawan keeping the gravity of the incident and its impact on the relationship between the two forces." It said the CRPF is a force "with high standards of discipline and it has institutional mechanism for taking care of such situations."The commando told the police he was also a policeman like them and knew his responsibilities, and then he agreed to go back inside his house and ended the argument. But then the police personnel pushed him and rained 'lathi' on him leading to assault between the two sides, CRPF officials alleged. The police report said the commando has been arrested under sections of the IPC and Epidemic Diseases Act and is at present in judicial custody at the local Sadalga police station. A photograph, now viral on social media and also available with CRPF authorities, shows Savant handcuffed and squatting in a place that was claimed to be the local police station. "Is this the way to treat a commando of a uniformed force? The jawan was treated like a dreaded criminal by putting handcuff and chain which are in any case disallowed to be put on a person," a senior CRPF official said. The commando is posted with the 207th battalion of the CoBRA. This unit is presently deployed for anti-Naxal operations in Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Mumbai, April 27 : Indian equity market rose on Monday as the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced to open a special liquidity facility (SLF-MF) worth Rs 50,000 crore for mutual funds. Post the announcement, banking and finance stocks surged. The S&P BSE Banking index ended 2.88 per cent higher and the BSE Finance index rose by 2.09 per cent. Investors were nervous after Franklin Templeton Mutual Fund announced the closure of six of its credit funds due to liquidity issues. Rahul Sharma, Research Head at Equity99, said: "Timely liquidity support by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) lifted the market sentiments today. Gains in banking and financial stocks led the market rally, in an otherwise volatile trading session." Further, a positive trend in the global markets including Asian and European indices also supported the domestic markets. The BSE Sensex closed at 31,743.08, higher by 415.86 or 1.33 per cent from the previous close of 31,327.22. It had opened at 31,659.04 and has so far touched an intra-day high of 32,103.70 and a low of 31,651.58. The Nifty50 on the National Stock Exchange closed at 9,282.30, higher by 127.90 points or 1.40 per cent from the previous close. Deepak Jasani, Head of Retail Research at HDFC Securities, said: "With the Nifty rallying higher, the short term trend continues to remain up. Further upsides are likely once the immediate resistance of 9,377 is taken out. Crucial supports to watch for any weakness are at 9,259-9,141." Vinod Nair, Head of Research at Geojit Financial Services, said that the news regarding the RBI liquidity facility for mutual funds and stimulus packages from central banks around the world provided some positivity to the markets. "Investors are looking towards earnings results coming out later and during the week for more clarity on the specific sectors. Credit risk concerns remain and investors are advised to remain cautious," he said. Your browser does not support the audio element. A plan proposed by the Peoples Supreme Court of Vietnam to install statues of 11th-century Vietnamese Emperor Ly Thai Tong at judicial buildings in the country as the official 'symbol of justice' has met with vigorous opposition from the public and experts. The justices of the Supreme Court of Vietnam decided on April 20 to honor Emperor Ly Thai Tong as the symbol of justice and judicial activities." The Supreme Court is conducting a poll to pool opinions from members of the judiciary on three statue designs featuring the late emperor. The chosen design will be made into real statues to be placed at courts across Vietnam. Emperor Ly Thai Tong was the ruler of Vietnam from 1028 to 1054 and is credited with enforcing Hinh Thu considered the countrys first written penal code. He was also known as being considerate and compassionate in his verdicts on many high-profile cases brought before him during his reign. According to the Supreme Court, placing statues of Emperor Ly Thai Tong as the embodiment of justice at judicial premises holds meaning in both esthetic and symbolic senses. They are expected to serve as indicators of the prominence and solemnity of the court, it said. All three nominated designs depict Ly Thai Tong in the same attire, only differing in prop and posture. The first shows the emperor keeping a copy of Hinh Thu close to his heart with his right arm raised as if guiding his subordinates. The second has Emperor Ly Thai Tong holding a sword in his right hand, representing the strictness of the law. The third features the emperor holding a copy of Hinh Thu in his right hand while raising a scale of justice with his left hand. The statues will be cast from bronze, measuring 5.3 meters in height, according to the Supreme Courts proposal. The initiative has incited an inrush of responses from the public, most of which lean toward disapproval. Some experts even deem the decision by the judicial body arbitrary and rather redundant. Lawyer Nguyen Van Quynh from Hanoi Bar Association said that the Supreme Court justices do not have the authority to pick the symbol of justice. I think choosing imagery for outward expression does not contribute to boosting the progress on awareness. The moral ground and wisdom of the judges are much more essential, Quynh said. Placing statues on the premises of judicial buildings will engender association with theocracy and religious practice, which is highly inapt for the judicial system." Others pointed out that the construction of the statue and accompanying ceremonies would place a burden on the public budget in these challenging times of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. On top of that, the limited space of many district-level courts would prove unfit to erect such a large structure. A judicial expert suggested that the sketches presented by the Supreme Court are misinformed replicas in terms of the East-West dichotomy. The scale of justice represents a Western conception of morality and justice, which is highly ill-suited for pairing with an Eastern emperor figure. The polling [to pick the design] only takes place in five days, which makes one ponder over whether it has already been decided, Quynh said. Nevertheless, I wish that the Supreme Court would listen to the public to make informed choices. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! The central government is considering a proposal to guarantee as much as Rs 3 trillion ($39 billion) of loans to small businesses as part of a plan to restart economy, which is reeling under the impact of a 40-day lockdown, people with knowledge of the matter said. Under the proposal, small firms will be eligible to borrow an additional 20 per cent of their credit limit, the people said, asking not to be identified as the discussions are private. The extra debt will be fully backed by Prime Minister Narendra Modis administration, the people said. The government will set up a ... The group that represents Garda sergeants and inspectors has called for an all-Ireland approach when it comes to policing during the Covid-19 pandemic. A loophole in the law means travel curbs do not apply to those living outside the Republic of Irelands legal jurisdiction. It means people from Northern Ireland who travel to the Republic on day trips cannot be arrested there due to a gap in the Covid-19 legislation. The president of the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI), Cormac Moylan, told Newstalk FM the discrepancy is causing concern for the force and called for an all-island approach to policing. As it stands we can't return visitors from Northern Ireland back across the border, this may change before the weekend Cormac Moylan, president of the AGSI There is two jurisdictions on this island, but there is one virus. This virus knows no boundaries so I think there is a need for a kind of all-island approach, he said. We would love to see that we would have something in place that would give people a little bit more sure-footedness on this issue. Were unable to use these powers for people coming from Northern Ireland who are travelling beyond 2km from their place of residence. Mr Moylan said the issue is of particular concern in the border region. As the residence is not in this jurisdiction it creates an issue for the members particularly in the border counties like Donegal, Cavan, Monaghan and Louth, he said. Expand Close Gardai mount coronavirus checkpoints on the border with Northern Ireland at Carrickarnon, Co Louth (Niall Carson/PA) PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Gardai mount coronavirus checkpoints on the border with Northern Ireland at Carrickarnon, Co Louth (Niall Carson/PA) As it stands we cant return visitors from Northern Ireland back across the border, this may change before the weekend. But the concept thats being used on the ground and its being used across the border as well is a concept of engage, explain, encourage and enforce. An odd time we have to get into the explain concept and encourage concept, not that often. But when you try to explain to somebody and you appeal to their better instincts in relation to the risks that is where most of it is at. Mr Moylan said Garda checkpoints will be stepped up for the bank holiday this weekend when an increase in people making trips over the border is expected. The U.S. faces a "very difficult situation" in grappling with an epidemic that varies by state and is evolving at different rates across the vast country, a top World Health Organization official said Monday. "I think that the United States has been dealing for a while with a complex situation," added Dr. Mike Ryan, executive director of WHO's emergencies program. "It's a very large country, 50 states, each one with different populations, with different levels of urbanization and the epidemic at different levels of development and evolution in each of those." Ryan commended the U.S. for rolling out data-driven federal guidelines such as President Donald Trump's "Opening Up America Again" plan, which lays out three "phases" to guide states on how and when to reopen, based on factors such as new daily infections and hospital capacity. "The federal government and the system of governors are working together to move America and its people through this very difficult situation with public health and other scientific leaders adding and inputting their advice into the system," Ryan said. "We believe that the overarching federal plan seems to be very much based on science." Last week, Trump asked at a nationally televised White House press briefing whether injecting disinfectants into the body could be a Covid-19 treatment worthy of research. His comments drew the ire of toxicologists and public health specialists who called the comments reckless. And earlier this month, Trump announced the U.S. will suspend funding to the WHO while it reviews the agency's response to the Covid-19 pandemic, adding that the international health agency made mistakes that "caused so much death." Ryan's remarks come as states across the U.S. announce plans to reopen parts of the economy. Last week, Vice President Mike Pence said 16 states had unveiled "formal reopening plans." Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp began to reopen parts of the economy on Friday, starting with retail locations such as gyms, barber shops, fitness centers and bowling alleys despite Trump saying he "totally disagrees" with restarting those businesses first. Some public health specialists have expressed concern that parts of the U.S. are lifting restrictions too quickly and fear that the virus could reassert itself. The U.S. is still reporting roughly 30,000 new infections and nearly 2,000 deaths due to Covid-19 every day, former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner and CNBC contributor Scott Gottlieb told CNBC on Monday. "The reality is there is still pervasive spread of coronavirus across the entire nation," Gottlieb, who sits on the boards of Pfizer and biotech company Illumina, said on CNBC's "Squawk Box," adding that some parts of the country never saw a major outbreak. "But for most parts of the country, they've plateaued but they haven't really started to show sustained declines in new cases." Compass Pathways, a London, UK-based mental health care company, completed an $80m Series B funding round. Backers included existing investor ATAI Life Sciences and new investor the McQuade Center for Strategic Research and Development (a member of the global Otsuka family of pharmaceutical companies), Founders Fund, Able Partners, Camden Partners Nexus, Perceptive Advisors, Skyviews Life Science, and Soleus Capital. The company intends to use the funds to expand upon its lead programe in psilocybin therapy for treatment-resistant depression, supporting research into additional indications for psilocybin therapy, advancing the preclinical pipeline, developing digital technologies, and establishing new academic and clinical research partnerships. Led by George Goldsmith, CEO and Co-founder, and Lars Wilde, President, Chief Business Officer and Co-founder, Compass Pathways is a mental health care company dedicated to accelerating patient access to evidence-based innovation in mental health. It is conducting a large-scale psilocybin therapy clinical trial, in 20 sites across nine countries in Europe and North America. The company received FDA Breakthrough Therapy designation for its program of psilocybin therapy in treatment-resistant depression in 2018. FinSMEs 27/04/2020 Panjab University appointed RK Singla dean university instructions (DUI) after the proposal was taken up in an online meeting of the syndicate. Singla is currently PUs dean research. He will replace Shankarji Jha whose term as DUI ends on April 30. The proposal to appoint the new DUI was taken up on the syndicates Whatsapp group on Friday, where 13 out of 15 members consented to the move. The proposal was put forward by members Navdeep Goyal and Keshav Malhotra. Professor VR Sinha from University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences will replace Singla as dean research, effective from May 1. Objections over appointment Panjab University syndicate member, Rajinder Bhandari, who opposed the appointment said, Whatsapp is not a platform where we can conduct the syndicates business. It is not acceptable. Moreover, the vice-chancellor is empowered by the university to make such an appointment till the syndicate meeting is conducted. PU teachers association welcomes move President of Panjab University Teachers Association (PUTA), Rajesh Gill said, We welcome the decision of University authorities to appoint the new DUI and dean research. We wish a fruitful term to Singla and Sinha, said PUTA president Rajesh Gill. The Duke of Sussex has spearheaded a new mental fitness tool aimed at helping the military with their well-being. Former soldier Prince Harry, 35, appears in a video on HeadFIT.org, which has been designed to offer round-the-clock access to self-help tools to enhance mood, drive and confidence. In a clip shared online, the Queen's grandson, who is now living in Los Angeles after quitting as a working royal, urges members of the armed forces to train their 'mind and body as one'. Speaking about the project, which he has been working on for three years, the Duke explains: 'We need you to be able to access that ten or fifteen per cent, something which can only be attained when you adopt a regular routine for training the mind and the body as a single unit. I know this to be true. It works for me.' The Duke of Sussex, 35, has spearheaded a new mental fitness tool aimed at helping the military with their well-being. Pictured, in a previous video message The project, led by Harry, was due to be unveiled in June but its launch was brought forward to help service personnal tackle new challenges during the coronavirus pandemic. 'Today, when we talk about fitness, we don't just mean how fast you can run or how much weight you can carry,' Harry says in the footage. 'This is about mental fitness, strength and resilience, not just while wearing a uniform, but for the rest of your life. 'If you want to be truly fit, strong and healthy, you need to train your mind and body as one. Some people run, others swim, cycle or lift weights in order to be physically fit. The Duke of Sussex was due to launch the tool in June, but the project has been unveiled early amid the coronavirus pandemic (pictured, the royal during a visit to Exercise Clockwork in Norway) Speaking about the project, the royal said it was important military personnel trained 'mind and body as one', a practice he said he had been working on himself (pictured, Prince Harry at Camp Bastion in southern Afghanistan) 'But what do you do to stay mentally fit? Think about what you can do to unlock your potential, and to perform at the highest level.' HeadFIT has been developed in partnership with The Royal Foundation's Heads Together campaign, the Ministry of Defence and King's College London, with clinical advice from psychologist Dr Vanessa Moulton. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex left the joint Royal Foundation with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge last year, but it was said at the time that there would be future collaboration on Heads Together. Prince Harry and Meghan have since stepped away from the monarchy to pursue a life of personal and financial freedom in the US. Prince Harry, who has been working on the project for three years) has long been vocal on his support for mental health services (pictured, with Meghan Markle, 38, at the launch of Shout, a free text messaging service which provides 24/7 support for anyone experiencing a mental health crisis) Despite leaving the Royal Foundation with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge last year, at the time it was said they could collaborate in the future on their joint project Heads Together (pictured, Prince Harry, Kate Middleton, 38, and Prince William, 37, at a Heads Together event) The duke's military appointments, including his position as Captain General of the Royal Marines, have been put on hold for the next 12 months. In a statement speaking about the launch today, Prince Harry said: 'I've long believed the military community should lead the way for the rest of society.' 'For too long we have been waiting for problems to arise and then reacting to them. 'HeadFIT is a proactive approach to mental fitness, focusing on our own potential to increase our performance, using proven methods in sport science. 'This is about optimisation of self. This is about being the best you can be.' Prince Harry is currently living in Los Angeles with wife Meghan and their son Archie, who will celebrate his first birthday next month Defence People and Veterans Minister Johnny Mercer stressed the importance of helping troops with their mental health during the coronavirus crisis. 'We train our armed forces to be both physically fit and mentally fit,' he said. 'And right now mental resilience has never been more important as our defence community works tirelessly to support the UK's public services during the coronavirus pandemic.' The platform includes tools such as breathing exercises, body posture and relaxation techniques and was designed for all defence personnel from new recruits, long-serving personnel and veterans to civilian staff and those in uniform. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron have discussed the coordination of efforts to overcome the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the situation in Donbas. The leaders of the two countries discussed these issues in a phone call, the press service of the head of the Ukrainian state reported. According to the report, the sides discussed the situation in both countries in connection with the coronavirus pandemic. Zelensky, in particular, expressed Ukraine's solidarity with France, which is now at the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic. "Ukraine is contributing to the fight against the pandemic. As part of NATO's strategic transportation program, Ukrainian cargo aircraft Mriya and Ruslan are involved in the delivery of humanitarian and medical aid around the world, including to France," Zelensky said. According to the Office of the President of Ukraine, the two leaders agreed on the need for the close coordination of efforts to overcome the effects of the pandemic and restore economic activity. Special attention was paid to the situation in eastern Ukraine and the implementation of the agreements reached during the Normandy Format summit in Paris. According to the report, Macron welcomed the mutual release of detained persons on April 16 this year, when 20 people returned to Ukraine. The importance of continuing negotiations for peace in Donbas was emphasized. The parties also noted mutual interest in restoring the dynamics of bilateral cooperation after the normalization of the epidemic situation. At the same time, Zelensky reminded Macron of an invitation to visit Ukraine. "I know that you wanted to visit Ukraine. I will be glad to welcome you as soon as the coronavirus pandemic is over and as soon as this visit is possible," Zelensky told Macron. Macron, in turn, confirmed his intention to visit Ukraine. op The Bac Lieu Wind Power Plant in the southern province of Bac Lieu which ranked top in terms of FDI attraction with $4 billion in the first four months of this year. - VNA/VNS Ngoc Ha The figure, however, was much higher than that of the same period of 2018 and 2017 with $5.8 billion and $9.2 billion, respectively, the FIA said. The four-month period saw 984 new foreign-invested projects licensed with a total registered capital of $6.78 billion, down 9 per cent in term of number of projects but up 27 per cent in value year-on-year. Of them, the Bac Lieu LNG-to-power project marked the first billion-dollar project in 2020 with investment capital of $4 billion, accounting for 59 per cent of the total registered FDI. Meanwhile, 335 existing projects were allowed to raise their investments by more than $3.07 billion, surging 46 per cent over the same period last year. From January to April, foreign investors spent nearly $2 billion buying shares or contributing capital to Vietnamese firms, down 65 per cent year-on-year. According to the agency, FDI disbursement reached $5.15 billion in four months or equivalent to 90.4 per cent of the last years corresponding period. Foreign investors pledged to pour capital in 18 sectors, in which manufacturing and processing took the lead with nearly $6 billion, accounting for 48.4 per cent of the total capital. It was followed by power production and distribution ($3.9 billion); wholesale and retail ($776 million); and real estate ($665 million), the FIA said. Singapore was the countrys largest source of FDI as the committed volume accounted for 41 per cent or $5.07 billion. Thailand and Japan were the runners-up with $1.46 billion and $1.16 billion, respectively, followed by mainland China, Taiwan and South Korea. Among 54 localities receiving FDI in the four-month period, the southern province of Bac Lieu ranked top with $4 billion. Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province came next with $1.9 billion and HCM City placed third with $1.31 billion, followed by Hanoi, Ha Nam and Binh Duong provinces. Foreign-invested sectors exports rose by 1.5 per cent against last year to $55.75 billion, making up 69.3 per cent of the nations four-month export value. Meanwhile, the sectors import value also picked up 3 per cent to $46.32 billion, accounting for 58 per cent of the nations import volume. Despite the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the sector gained a trade surplus of $10.2 billion, according to the FIA. The study from Standard Chartered forecast that FDI inflows will see a plunge to below $10 billion this year, with downside risks if virus worries continue in the second half of the year. Construction activity is likely to decline on subdued sentiment and declining FDI investment. Export growth is likely to slow sharply given lower global demand while import growth will also likely moderate with a slower growth, keeping the trade balance in surplus in 2020. India prepared to look at any military option if no result from talks on border standoff with China, says CDS Rawat Tamil Nadu seals border with Andhra amid coronavirus outbreak to prevent influx of people India oi-Madhuri Adnal Chennai, Apr 27: In view of the coronavirus situation, the Tamil Nadu-Andhra Pradesh border roads at two key entry and exit points in Vellore district have been sealed by a concrete wall, a day after district collector had issued orders for the same. The wall built upto a height of three-feet has been constructed at Sainagunta (near Gudiyatham) and Ponnai (Maathandakuppam) check posts on Sunday morning in order to completely stop all vehicular movement from neighbouring Chitoor district in Andhra Pradesh. Two-wheelers coming from Andhra Pradesh which was one of the biggest challenges was also not allowed to enter Vellore through these two porous border check posts. However, the other four border check posts in Paththalapalli, Paradarami, Christianpet, and Serkadu are kept open. According to Vellore district collector, A Shanmuga Sundaram, ''Vehicles carrying essential commodities that ply towards Sainagunta check post will be rerouted via Paradarami check post. While vehicles that will enter Ponnai check post will be rerouted via Christianpet or Serkadu.'' Meanwhile, those who enter Vellore via Pootuthakku will be quarantined at KGN Marriage Hall near Alamelumangapuram. Asked on the reason behind the construction of walls, Vellore District Collector A Shanmuga Sundaram said it was mainly to check unauthorised entry of people like migrant labourers, who use vehicles including buses to enter Tamil Nadu without any valid permission. In view of the nation-wide curbs to help prevent the spread of coronavirus, the governments of other States too do not allow people to travel anywhere. Some people, however, get access to vehicles and use them to get into Tamil Nadu taking advantage of crossings tucked away in very remote locations like Synagunda, he told P T I. "Since the chances of getting detected at the main border crossing is high, some people tend to use little noticed locations in remote places," he pointed out adding the effort was aimed at preventing unauthorised entry or exit. The district collector, to a question, said the walls were a temporary arrangement and built without damaging the roads. Asked if the move will affect usual movement of vehicles between Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, he said, "the normal traffic is not affected and the main border with Andhra Pradesh (on the Chittoor Road) is open as usual and that check post has all infrastructure to screen people." The total number of people who have so far tested positive in the Tamil Nadu stood at 1,885. On Saturday, 94 people were discharged following recovery while 66 tested positive, which was the third day of more people getting cured than those who had newly contracted the contagion. On April 23, a total of 54 new cases were reported and 90 people were discharged that day and the following day, 72 tested positive and 114 got cured. As COVID-19 cases are on the rise in Tamil Nadu, Palaniswami had on April 24 announced a complete shutdown beginning Sunday in Chennai, Coimbatore and Madurai for four days, disallowing grocery shops as well and fully curtailing movement of the public. Also, Salem and Tirupur in western Tamil Nadu shall be shut similarly, albeit for three days from April 26, he said while assuring the people that mobile outlets would bring vegetables and fruits would to their doorsteps. Michael Gove repeated the Government's insistence that it will not stay tied to EU rules and regulations beyond December 31 as he faced MPs today. The Cabinet Office Minister, who is politically in charge of ongoing trade talks, also reiterated the UK's belief that the deadline for ending the transition period should not be moved despite the coronavirus pandemic. He also suggested that coronavirus should focus EU minds in the need to get post-Brexit trade talks done as soon as possible today amid a spat with Brussels over slow progress. He appeared in front of MPs on the Future Relationship with the EU Committee after the European Union's chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, described progress in the trade talks as 'disappointing' and accused the UK side of a failure to engage with Brussels on key issues. The first of three rounds of talks planned before June broke up last week with little sign of early breakthroughs, with Downing Street previously suggesting the UK will simply walk away in the summer if there is a lack of progress. Appearing via videolink Mr Gove was asked whether it was right to still work to the deadlines that existed before coronavirus. He replied: 'We believe it is still entirely possible to conclude negotiations on the timetable that has been outlined.' He later added: 'Remaining in the transition period would mean we would have to pay the EU money which which many of you might think would be better spent on the NHS or supporting our economy.' The European Union's chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, described progress in the trade talks as 'disappointing' and accused the UK side of a failure to engage with Brussels on key issues Michael Gove reiterated the UK's belief that the December 31 deadline for the UK to leave the EU's sphere of influence, despite the deadly pandemic He added: 'I think the coronavirus crisis should concentrate the minds of EU negotiators, underlining the vital importance of coming to a conclusion.' Miaow-t of order! Gove upstaged by mystery cat as he tries to give evidence to MPs Michael Gove was hoping for a perfect connection as he faced MPs remotely today. But instead he got a purr-fect one, as his evidence via Zoom was interrupted by a mysterious maiowing. The miscellaneous moggy made his or her presence know as Mr Gove attempted to reply to the first question asked by committee chairman Hilary Ben, concerning the end of the transition period. But sources close to Mr Gove said that while there are two in the Cabinet Office, Evie and Ossie, there were no cats in the room with him during his evidence session this afternoon. This raises the possibility that it was a cat belonging to Mr Benn, the former Labour cabinet minister, that was the source of the outburst. Advertisement Downing Street indicated earlier today that the failure of talks so far was on the EU side and said Mr Barnier's political masters need to move the negotiations forward. On Friday, after a week of talks with the UK, Mr Barnier said the goal of making tangible progress had only been 'very partially met' and 'the UK did not wish to commit seriously on a number of fundamental points'. He warned the 'clock was ticking' and said Britain cannot both slow down trade talks on key areas while refusing to agree to extend the transition period. But No 10 accused the EU side of failing to accept the 'political realities' of the UK's newly independent status. 'We are ready to keep talking but that does not make us any more likely to agree the EU's proposals in areas where they are not taking into account the UK's status as an independent state,' the Prime Minister's official spokesman said. 'All we are seeking is an agreement based on precedent which respects the sovereignty of both sides. 'Clearly there will need to be political movement on the EU side to move negotiations forward, particularly on fisheries and level playing field issues, in order to help find a balanced solution which reflects the political realities on both sides.' There is frustration in Westminster about the mandate, signed off by EU leaders, which gives Mr Barnier his negotiating objectives. Gove says UK and EU in a Brexit flap over fish Michael Gove said he odds were in favour of Britain striking a deal with the European Union on a future relationship this year, but fishing rights were a problem. The Cabinet Office Minister accused the EU of refusing to treat the United Kingdom as an independent state on the issue of fishing rights. 'I'm confident. I'm not very good at predictions,' Gove told a parliamentary committee. 'I would think the odds were definitely better than 2 to 1. On the issue of fisheries, where Britain says Brussels had to accept that it would have control over its waters in future, he said: 'This is one area where I think that the EU's stance is particularly difficult and challenging. 'It's another example of one of the areas where the EU's negotiators are not treating the UK yet as they would treat other independent countries.' Advertisement Key stumbling blocks include access to UK waters for EU fishing boats and the 'level playing field' demands which are designed to prevent unfair competition between the neighbouring powers on issues including workers' rights, environmental protection and state subsidies. Mr Gove said the odds were in favour of Britain striking a deal with the European Union on a future relationship this year, but fishing rights were a problem. He accused the bloc, which Britain quit in January after 47 years of membership, of refusing to treat the United Kingdom as an independent state on the issue of fishing rights. 'I'm confident. I'm not very good at predictions,' Gove told a parliamentary committee. 'I would think the odds were definitely better than 2 to 1. On the issue of fisheries, where Britain says Brussels had to accept that it would have control over its waters in future, he said: 'This is one area where I think that the EU's stance is particularly difficult and challenging. 'It's another example of one of the areas where the EU's negotiators are not treating the UK yet as they would treat other independent countries.' The transition period, which kept the UK aligned to the EU's single market and customs union rules to allow trade to flow smoothly after Brexit, expires at the end of the year unless both sides agree to an extension - something Boris Johnson has ruled out. 'We are quite clear that we are leaving the transition period on December 31, we will work with the EU to try to do that with a deal,' the PM's spokesman added. 'But nobody should be in any doubt that the transition period is going to end on December 31.' Councils are facing a 5billion cash shortfall caused by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic - but critics have said local authorities should look to make cuts to 'sky-high' council boss salaries before going to the government for more money. Data seen by The Guardian shows that public services are in a financial black hole and that a number of councils in England are on the verge of bankruptcy. Analysis compiled by the largest 44 authorities in the country shows that by the end of this financial year they will be 2.2billion in the red. If spending and losses at all councils continue to mount the predicted shortfall will be 5billion. This is despite Local Government Secretary Robert Jenrick previously announcing 3.2billion in additional funding for local authorities. Harry Fone, grassroots campaign manager at the TaxPayers' Alliance, said that local authorities regularly 'plead poverty' but continue to 'waste taxpayers' money. Greater Manchester Combined Authority, said on Friday that coronavirus will leave the citys 10 borough councils 541 million out of pocket He added: 'The coronavirus crisis makes it more crucial than ever to fund frontline public health and social care services, but dipping further into taxpayers' pockets is not a sustainable solution.' 'Be it sky-high salaries for council bosses, generous councillor allowances, or poor procurement, local authorities should be rooting out every penny of unnecessary spending before going cap in hand to the government.' Councils warned last week that much of the additional funding provided by the government has already gone and the money allocated is not adequately covering a huge increase in costs for things such as the procurement of PPE. Councils are facing significantly increased costs due to the pandemic as they battle to support key services and protect vulnerable people. They have also seen a dip in revenue from council tax and parking fees. Oxfordshire councils - who received almost 15m from the first round of funding - said they stood to lose 100m as a result of coronavirus costs The study of 343 local authorities, by the Special Interest Group of Municipal Authorities (Sigoma), indicates that extra spending pressures from Covid-19 will top 720million, but that this will be overshadowed by huge losses in revenue. Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council has said it has already used its 65k additional funding, and only has 1.5million reserves. While Windsor and Maidenhead council is teetering close to bankruptcy amid a 14million shortfall. Oxfordshire councils - who received almost 15m from the first round of funding - said they stood to lose 100m as a result of coronavirus costs. Greater Manchester Combined Authority, said on Friday that coronavirus will leave the citys 10 borough councils 541 million out of pocket. A spokesman for the Local Government Association last week told the BBC that some councils may be subject to Section 114 reports in the near future. While Windsor and Maidenhead council is teetering close to bankruptcy amid a 14million shortfall A Section 114 notice bans all new expenditure and effectively means a council is declaring bankruptcy. Northamptonshire County Council followed this process in 2018 after they ran out of money. Sir Stephen Houghton, the leader of Barnsley borough council, told the newspaper: 'Even for those councils that are not at that cliff edge, the ability to deliver key services effectively children services, adult services and waste management, for example will be in question. 'Services may be running now but we will see the effect will come through in six to 12 months' time. 'You get to a point where the frequency of waste collection is cut and the time taken to assess vulnerable peoples needs takes longer and so on.' A government spokesperson told The Guardian: 'The secretary of state has announced 3.2bn of funding for councils to support their response to the pandemic. 'This new funding will support them through immediate pressures faced by councils to respond to coronavirus and protect vital services.' As Long tried to convince McFadden to pay her $100, he shoved her away several times and eventually strangled her, Assistant States Attorney James Murphy said during the hearing at the Leighton Criminal Court Building, broadcast on YouTube. McFadden would later tell authorities that during a struggle, Long had attempted to grab a knife, but that he grabbed it before she did, Murphy said. (Alliance News) - Britain's health ministry on Monday said 360 more people had died after testing positive for Covid-19 in hospital, the lowest daily total since last month, taking the total toll to 21,092. The figure includes 82 staff from the National Health Service and 60 social care workers, according to Health Secretary Matt Hancock. source: AFP Copyright 2020 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. BNP Paribas Asset Managementannounces the appointment of Christophe Montcerisier as Head of Real Estate Debt within its Private Debt & Real Assets (PDRA) investment division. He had been Deputy Head since joining in 2019. Montcerisier has more than 30 years' experience in the real estate secto... [] I am an associate professor of English at Missouri Baptist University, a small liberal arts college in St. Louis. Just before Christmas break last semester, I received an email from our registrars office telling me that I had a new advisee, a young woman who had declared a major in English with a writing concentration. She met with me over the break, and we put together a schedule for her. A day after our meeting, the student emailed asking if it might be wiser for her to change her concentration from writing to secondary education. She also asked if I could tell her about some career options available to those with an English degree. When I told a colleague about the exchange, she nodded. Someones parents are nervous, she said. I later learned that another student in the English department had changed her major to business administration. As an English professor, I have a clear bias in favor of encouraging students to get a degree (or at least a minor!) in the humanities. Most of my studentsand, perhaps more importantly, their parentshave an entirely different bias, one that is as understandable as it is threatening to the entire enterprise of Christian higher education. More and more, they view college not as a place for learning critical thinking and writing skills but as a place for job training. David Kinnaman, president of the Barna Group, calls this the vocation, vocation, vocation trend. Perhaps career, career, career is a more fitting label for this current trend in student motivation. The career, career, career trend is undoubtedly rooted in concern about the rising cost of college that leads to crippling student debt. This concern is very real; I see it in my students every day. Just a few weeks ago I watched one of my advisees eyes light up when we worked out that he could graduate a semester early (and thus avoid a semesters worth of tuition and fees), and Ive managed to convince students to remain in Missouri Baptists honors program by reminding them that the scholarship opportunities and resume boost the program affords outweigh the cost of a handful of additional classes. Worries about tuition and future earnings can distract parents, students, and even faculty and staff from the true identity and purpose of Christian colleges and universities: preparing graduates for lives not just of wage-earning but of service. This fall, Kinnaman says in the Barna Group 2018 report Whats Next in Christian Higher Education, around twenty million young people across the country will become college freshmen. For most of these students, their (roughly) four-year journeys will be laser-focused on professional development and preparing for a career and financial success. There is not a lot of difference in this regard, his research finds, between Christian students and their peers. Moral and spiritual development are seen as important, but not the best reason to pursue a college education. And this trend holds true for parents who put pressure on their children to understand college as primarily having a transactional value. Back to the Call We, as educators, recognize that reducing Christian higher education to job training is inconsistent with our commitment to our students. Is there a path out of the career, career, career trap? Yes. Vocation, vocation, vocation. Real vocation. This word is derived from the Latin root vocare, meaning to call. Teaching and study must be viewed as a calling, which recognizes that there is One who is making that call. I have a calling, a vocation, and that calling is not at odds with my need to buy groceries, pay rent, or go on the occasional vacation. I dont have to choose between making money or having a fulfilling job because my vocation includes my wage-earning job, along with my involvement with my church, my care for friends and family, even the way I keep and open my home; to all of these things, I am called by God. Vocation, says Drew Moser in Reimagining the Student Experience: Formative Practices for Changing Times (Abilene Christian University Press, 2019), should be understood to be faithfully living in response to Gods call for the whole of life. First, vocation is a process, not a destination. Second, vocation is experienced most fully with God. It cannot be diminished to mere work. The embrace of real vocation, by faculty and students alike, is fostered and encouraged at Christian colleges and universities more fully than it is just about anywhere else. The church has a particular role by the power of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit to bring the message of salvation, says Shirley Hoogstra, president of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU), but its Christian higher education that teaches young men and women how to live that out in every single discipline. And thats where society and culture is changed and enriched. Christian institutions of higher education make it a point to help students, faculty, and staff see the value of an education that exists not only for personal career advancement but for the common good and the good of the church. For learning to have its full effect on the mind, body, and soul, it must not be narrowly directed to a particular career, but widely oriented to forming the whole person, Wheaton College president Philip Ryken says in describing his schools liberal arts program. With the apostle Paul, we believe that all things were created through Christ and for Christ, in whom all things hold together (Colossians 1:1517). Therefore, learning is a form of worship for us. The Club Convo program at Pepperdine University consists of small seminar classes focusing tight-knit groups of students on topics that overlap spirituality and scholarship. It is one of the many programs designed to work with students to actively intertwine their faith with their studies and their later lives. Dordt Universitys Core Program is another. It aims to build the foundation for the common parts of students lives and provides a context for their studies. It complements their majors and helps them develop in ways that encourage them to become not just good professionals but also good parents, faithful church members, and responsible citizens. Union University, a school in Tennessee affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention, has a Center for Faculty Development that helps faculty articulate a shared vision of how Christian faith shapes their teaching practices. Strong liberal arts programs help this vision for Christian education reach students and parents. In a world where access to any information is a few keystrokes away, these institutions emphasize that education is about formation and transformation as much as it is about information. A Google search can be useful in the moment, but true transformation happens through shared experiences and growth over time. The Basics and Building Blocks Life challenges people of faith. Greg Boyd, co-author with Paul Rhodes Eddy of The Jesus Legend (Baker, 2007) and winner of Christianity Todays 2008 Book Award in the category of Biblical Studies, notes that a key part of working through challenges to ones faith is breaking down ones belief system to the very basics. Its time to say, What do I believe and why? Why do I believe in God? Why do I believe in Jesus? Boyd calls this process deconstructing faith, and he has turned to it himself in times of crisis when he felt a disconnect between his beliefs and the world. Ive had at least five of those, he explains in episode 553 of his podcast, ReKnew. But his next advice is essential to understanding the value of deconstruction: Build up from there. And when we rebuild, we must have something to build with. To engage in the process of reconstructing ones faith after such a deconstruction requires a familiarity with the traditions and institutions of Christianity. It depends on established traditionspreserved institutions. It requires that we uphold historic Christian traditions, the institutions that study them, and the vocational paths that further them. Christian institutions of higher education are worth fighting for because they preserve those building blocks, and thereby preserve other Christian institutions. Kinnaman puts it this way: The future of the Church is highly dependent on Christian leaders being formed by Christian education, to think and understand a Christian worldview and have theological background, to be convinced of the plausibility of theological distinctives in the world. Its crucial that we think about the future of Christian higher education so that these kinds of leaders can be trained. Rejecting the Either/Or Pursuing an education that focuses on vocation rather than merely a career does not mean having to choose between financial stability and spiritual fulfillment. After all, though my students spiritual and ethical formation is incredibly important to me, it would be serving students poorly if they graduated as deeply thoughtful Christians with zero career prospects. Choosing a Christian college or university is a wise investment even if we speak of its value only in financial terms. Shirley Hoogstra notes that the average cost of an education at a CCCU institution is almost $10,000 lower than the price of the average four-year, private, nonprofit college; the loan default rate for CCCU students is nearly half the national average, and they have the highest loan repayment rates. Christian institutions of higher learning can even use the very language of career development to draw students and parents in. Describing the instrumental and intrinsic value of a liberal arts Christian education and connecting it to the development of soft skills desirable to employers can be a purely pragmatic recruitment tool. It can also be a recruitment tool that allows Christian schools to draw students into their greater, less purely marketable purpose: to graduate, in Hoogstras words, committed, compassionate, convicted citizens who want to engage deeply in this world, not in spite of their faith, but because of their faith. Individual and Institutional Reconstruction Envisioning higher education as primarily about information transmission and job training devalues the role of faculty. Faculty members are trained experts in their fields, a precarious position in the internet age when anyone can appear to be an expert. And ultimately, they build relationships with students as people rather than as tuition-payers to be formed into wage-earners, not just providing comfort or reassurance but challenging them to think critically and well. Affirming the centrality of faculty also affirms the necessity of a diverse faculty, from adjuncts to provosts, which will inevitably change the very institutions Christian education helps preserve. Frankly, these changes are necessary and good. If Christian colleges and universities are to survive the coming decades and maintain their witness through them, they must acknowledge the discrimination and injustice they may have perpetuated, even unintentionally, and encourage faculty, staff, and students from historically oppressed groups to take and use power for the purity and peace of their institutions. As a child, and later as an undergraduate, I was educated in schools affiliated with the Christian Reformed Church. The theological underpinnings of this kind of Christian education were solid, rooted in covenant theology; childrens education was viewed as part of the churchs and the parents responsibility to raise them in the fear and knowledge of the Lord. The integration of my faith tradition with all areas of learning was always clear to me, and my education prepared me well for my work and my life. It certainly helped me understand my own tradition and my identity within it. From kindergarten until college, almost every teacher and classmate I had was white. Most of them had Dutch surnames. It was not until I was a faculty member myself, teaching a far more diverse student population in St. Louis, Missouri, immediately after the death of Michael Brown in 2014, that I was forced to recognize that the institutions I thought had prepared me to live as a Christian in the world had actually prepared me to be a white Christian among other white Christians, with all of the accompanying privileges. It has been challenging, and essential, to recognize that segregation in schools like those in which I grew up was not de facto but also by design. There is a decades-long history of so-called segregation academies in the South. These religiously affiliated private primary and secondary schools were created, in name, to provide Christian education for students; in effect, they served to re-segregate school districts whose public schools had been desegregated by law in the mid-20th century, and to pursue that re-segregation in the name of the church. And though American Christian colleges and universities were not necessarily founded for the purposes of racial segregation, they have often had this effect. Schools most closely tied to particular denominations, especially denominations that are themselves closely tied to particular European ethnic groups, often end up being particularly white. Here, then, is the paradox facing Christian higher educational institutions: Such schools are essential to preserving and transmitting Christian traditions, denominational distinctives, and religious thought. They are, in many ways, the academic arm of the church, and they help its members love the Lord with all their minds. However, preserving those institutions might, and often does, result in preserving segregation, consolidating power, and perpetuating injustice. I firmly believe in the power of the humanities disciplines to, as their name suggests, humanize students: to help them understand the history of human thought and to ask big questions about truth and beauty. But I must ask myself, how much do my humanities courses help students explore what it means to be human, and how much do they help students explore what it means to be white? The demographics of the student body at Christian colleges and universities has been shifting. In his introduction to Diversity Matters, a 2017 book about the state of diversity within the CCCU, Pete C. Menjares, CCCU senior fellow for diversity, says nonwhite students have been enrolling in CCCU institutions at an increased rate. In 2004, 19% of CCCU students were not white; in 2014, the number was 28%. Hoogstra notes that in 2015, this percentage had risen to 34.1%. The institutions these students attend, however, have not changed nearly as rapidly, as indicated by the much smaller increase in nonwhite faculty. Menjaress numbers indicate that 9.95% of CCCU faculty were not white as of 2014, an only slight increase from 2004s 8.3%. Diversity is not enough, Jason Cha and Alexander Jun point out in Reimagining the Student Experience. Having a good compositional mix of students on any given campus does not automatically lead to more equitable treatment for students of color. White faculty members can engage in conversations about diversity, pursue racial justice, and address microaggressions their students experience. But, Menjares notes, students of color want professors who share their ethnic/racial characteristics and who understand and can identify with their sociocultural contexts. We cannot minimize the contributions of diverse faculty, Menjares says. Cha and Ju echo this, saying one could argue that an institution is only as diverse as its leadership. Remembering my haplessness as I tried to hold space for the rage and grief of my black students in the fall of 2014, I can only agree. The task of Christian colleges and universities going forward, then, is to fight to preserve their distinctiveness and witness while resisting the pull, or the mere force of inertia, that leads to their perpetuating injustice. Like an individual Christian who comes to a point of faith deconstruction, these institutions must recognize and wrestle with the individual and systemic sins within themselves. Referencing the parable of the vineyard owner in Matthew 20, Kim S. Phipps, president of Messiah College, a nationally ranked private Christian college in Pennsylvanias Cumberland Valley, says, This calls for growing mindfulness on our part as an institution about those who have limited or no access to our vineyard or educational community. Under President Phipps, Messiah launched a college-wide diversity strategic planning initiative, rooted in a comprehensive, candid survey of Messiahs campus climate related to a wide range of diversity aspects in the campus community. Over the past several years, we have made serious efforts to engage the notion of inclusive excellence, which rests on the belief that the long-unquestioned tradition of pursuing academic excellence in institutions of higher education needs to practice inclusiveness, lest its fruits benefit the privileged few, she said. It is worth noting that Phipps sees the call to inclusion firmly tied to Messiahs very notion of itself as a Christian institution. In a 2019 statement of the schools mission, she makes this clear: In a national climate where racism and nationalism are being mistakenly treated as normative, our shared Christian faith must counter that belief by proclaiming that all people are image-bearers of creator God and that Jesus clearly taught that how we treat our neighbors is a reflection of how well we love Him. And like the reconstructing believer, all Christians involved with Christian higher education must understand that faithful religious practice is also as systemic as it is individual, dependent on broad networks of shared traditions to which individual believers cleave in community. Traditions Christian colleges preserve as building blocks. We live, work, worship, and learn in a global world rife with its own. Christian education can, and must, speak into this world with combined authority and humility. I dont believe it is too late for us. Julie Ooms (PhD, Baylor University) is associate professor of English at Missouri Baptist University in St. Louis, Missouri, where she teaches American and world literature and freshmen writers. Our Higher Education section is a CT Creative Studio initiative created to support higher education institutions. By Nam Hyun-woo The logo of OB's CSR program / Courtesy of OB Oriental Brewery (OB) and L'Oreal have started programs to help in Korea's fight against COVID-19, as part of their efforts to fulfill corporate social responsibility (CSR) OB said Monday it has been giving donations and carrying out a series of volunteer activities to help vulnerable people, as part of its corporate philosophy of mutual growth with society. In February, OB donated relief supplies worth 1 billion won ($811,000) to citizens and healthcare workers in Daegu and the surrounding area, which have been hit the hardest from the COVID-19 outbreak here. The brewery delivered hygiene-related supplies including face masks and hand sanitizer to doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers who are at the forefront of the battle with the coronavirus. Along with those supplies, OB also donated 8,970 two-liter bottles of mineral water to Hope Bridge Korea Disaster Relief Association to provide aid to those quarantined. The water was first stored at the association's logistics center in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, and distributed to those in need. A capture of Budweiser's tribute video clip for healthcare workers across the world / Courtesy of OB Adding to the domestic support, OB brand Budweiser donated its profits from global beer sales to healthcare workers across the world, April 7, to commemorate World Health Day and the founding of the World Health Organization. In Korea, Budweiser donated the money to the Community Chest of Korea's special fund for COVID-19 aid. The brand also uploaded a video clip titled "#ONETEAM" on its official YouTube channel to express gratitude to healthcare workers and volunteers. Promotional image for Budweiser's Stay Strong campaign Since March 30, Budweiser has been also holding a donation campaign supporting economically distressed young artists, dubbed "Stay Strong." As part of the campaign, Budweiser produced limited-edition Stay Strong T-shirts in collaboration with artist group Studio Concrete, and will be selling them through the Kakao Talk messaging app until April 30. The full revenue of the T-shirt sales and a matching amount raised by Budweiser will be donated to the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture, which will use the money to support young artists. Along with the donations, OB postponed due payments for products sent to wholesale dealers across the country and launched a series of programs to financially support vendors suffering from the economic fallout of the coronavirus. "To help out in the public suffering from the COVID-19 outbreak, OB is carrying out various CSR activities," an OB official said. "We will continue to fulfil our corporate philosophy of contributing to society, and make more efforts to help people overcome the coronavirus." OB is Korea's largest brewer and is owned by Belgium-based multinational brewing company AB InBev. L'Oreal Korea By Katya Golubkova and Anastasia Lyrchikova MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia overtook China in the number of confirmed coronavirus cases on Monday, when its tally climbed above 87,000, as pressure rose on the government to consider easing lockdown restrictions for businesses to help shore up the rattled economy. Russia, the world's largest country by territory, has been on lockdown since President Vladimir Putin announced the closure of most public spaces in late March. These measures are due to expire on April 30 and Putin has not yet said if he plans to extend them. Anna Popova, the head of Russia's safety watchdog Rospotrebnadzor, told state television on Monday that, in her view, restrictions should be in place until May 12. Earlier Prime Minister Mikhail Mishushin asked his government to submit proposals by Thursday to ease some of the restrictions on businesses. Many firms have warned that they risk going bankrupt if the lockdown continues, and thousands of workers have been laid off. Mishustin told an online government meeting that as soon as the situation started to improve "we would need to consider a step-by-step cancellation of restrictions on certain companies...operations". On Monday, the authorities reported 6,198 new cases of the new coronavirus, bringing the total to 87,147, with 794 deaths. Moscow plans to open two new hospitals, with 1,500 beds each, in the defence ministry's Patriot museum and in the Crocus exhibition centre, once a spot for lavish concerts, business daily RBC reported on Monday. St Petersburg, the country's second largest city, is also turning Lenexpo, which used to host Russia's top economic forum, into a temporary hospital with 1,000 beds. ENERGY SECTOR IN FOCUS Russia, one of the world's top oil and gas exporters, is particularly vulnerable to the spread of the coronavirus at production sites. Most are located in remote areas accessible only by air, meaning the workers must be in close proximity, increasing their risk of infection. Story continues Citing local officials, news agency Interfax said on Monday that an airport in Sabetta, in the northern Yamal peninsula, had been shut down for quarantine after cases of the new coronavirus were detected at the Yamal LNG production site controlled by Novatek. A total of 143 cases were confirmed in Sabetta, the local crisis response centre said separately. In the northwestern region of Murmansk where Novatek is building a plant to supply its next LNG project, the Arctic LNG 2, more than 800 workers tested positive for coronavirus, the local crisis response centre said on Sunday. Velesstroy, a sub-contractor for the plant, temporarily suspended work at the site near Murmansk, but said in a statement to Reuters that the project would remain on schedule. To limit the risk of contagion at more than 1,000 power plants in Russia, including nuclear ones, more than 200,000 employees - or nearly a third - were recently tested for the virus, the energy ministry said. It did not say how many of those tests returned positive. Mainland China, where the new coronavirus first emerged, reported a total of 82,830 cases on Monday. China is now fighting an increased number of new cases coming from Russia. (Reporting by Gleb Stolyarov, Maria Tsvetkova, Anton Zverev, Vladimir Soldatkin, Darya Korsunskaya and Anastasia Lyrchikova; Writing by Katya Golubkova; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky and Alex Richardson) The Hamilton County Health Department is providing both local restaurants and consumers the information they need to navigate safely the reopening of Hamilton County restaurants. The Health Department is following the recommendations provided by Tennessee Governor Bill Lee and supported by Hamilton County Mayor Jim Coppinger. "We know the reopening of restaurants is of great interest not only to our local owners and food industry workers, but also to residents who want to patronize these establishments, said Health Department Administrator Becky Barnes, But we cant stress enough that reopening doesnt mean the pandemic is over. We strongly urge everyone to continue practicing social distancing, everyday actions, and adhere to these restaurant guidelines to prevent an increase in COVID-19 infections. Governor Lees Executive Order 29 (EO-29) went into effect Monday at 12:01 a.m., and is the guiding document for the reopening of restaurants. It amends certain portions of Executive Order 17, specifically the portions that prohibited dine-in services and allowed only take-out services. The EO-29 amendment now allows dine-in services with restrictions. Limited service establishments, bars, nightclubs, and similar establishments will continue to be prohibited to offer eating or drinking onsite. All other restaurants are expected to operate in accordance with the guidance and measures issued by the Governors Economic Recovery Group, which are as follows: Protecting Employees Wear face coverings and gloves Report any symptoms of illness to supervisor Follow daily sanitation protocols Protecting Customers Limit occupancy to 50% of seating capacity Space tables 6 feet apart Limit seating to 6 per table Use social distancing standards in waiting areas Keep bar areas closed No live music Screen customers with basic questions about COVID-19 symptoms Business Operations (applicable to all restaurants) Sanitize all front-of-house contact surfaces every two hours Use disposable menus or sanitize menus between each use Use rolled silverware/napkins stored in sealed bins Sanitize chairs and all tabletop items after each table turn Do not offer self-serve buffets, shared condiments, or beverage station re-use Provide ServSafeCOVID-19 training for all food handlers More detailed guidance for restaurants can be found from the TN Governors Office here. Alcohol take-out and delivery remains unaffected by EO-29. The Health Departments Environmental Health Services division will continue to respond to specific complaints about restaurants and to foodborne outbreaks. The Environmental Health Services division is available to restaurant owners and managers for consultation and guidance and can be reached through the COVID-19 hotline at 209-8383. The Health Departments COVID-19 hotline is available for anyone with questions or concerns at 209-8383. J ust when do good neighbours become good friends? The Covid-19 crisis, thats when. Nextdoor, the hyperlocal social media app which connects neighbour to neighbour by postcode, has been buoyed by a hefty lift in use, which will come as no surprise to anyone now BFFs with Janet McPurple-Hair who lives opposite (surnames are still tricky). The number of active members on the app every day was up 80 per cent globally from February to March, amid a desperate scramble to reknit local communities as cities shut down. For the uninitiated: to sign up, download the app, enter your postcode, and youre dropped into the relevant neighbourhood forum in which to post community news and ask questions. The good news is that when people are sheltering in place at home, they are recognising the power of proximity and the need for their neighbours, says Sarah Friar, the sunny chief executive of Nextdoor, self-appointed Chief Neighbour and a one-time Londoner (I lived in Bethnal Green before Bethnal Green became trendy) now based in San Francisco. The website and app have been around, and popular, for some time they were launched in 2011 as a private network for neighbourhoods, like Facebook but with greater accountability (you might actually know the person youre laying into in the comments). The better news, though, is that people are being measurably nicer. The app now features a Help Map service, meaning users can respond to requests from vulnerable people sheltering in place (aka staying home, staying safe in the UKs vernacular) in their local area. What weve seen since the pandemic began is that good self coming to the fore, whether its a small act of kindness like someone grabbing groceries, picking up drug prescription, or co-ordinating putting teddies in the windows of their houses so local children can go on bear hunt, says Friar. GoodSam, the app used by the new NHS Volunteer Responders service, provides a similar service, but while they have struggled to get those who need to ask for help on to a new app a significant barrier to entry for the elderly Nextdoors large community bases are accustomed to this pay-it-forward model. Nextdoor's new Help Map feature / Nextdoor The app was a big deal in little communities well before the virus: last November, in London, it hosted Good Neighbour Awards one woman and her husband turned their garage into a cinema with 18 seats and invited people over once a week to watch films. Another, Lyn Ambrose, created Pets Against Loneliness, using the platform to source pets and lonely people before joining the two together to create a new community. Friar says theres been a 382 per cent increase in users talking about helping each other. The number of thank-yous, she says, has doubled. Yes, youll still find oddballs worrying about 5G masts on here but youll also see their false theories being debunked. Disclosure: one of my favourite pastimes on Nextdoor last year was snooping on petty local squabbles (just who was deliberately putting fox poo in that car exhaust, and why?) but nice is the new normal. Nextdoor now serves 260,000 neighbourhoods in 11 countries, but Greater London has more registered Nextdoor helpers than any other region in the world. Friar credits this to the citys foundation a series of villages that grew together pointing to the areas that have had the greatest uptick in Help Map sign-ups: Wandsworth, Richmond, Hammersmith and Fulham, Barnet, Camden, Merton, Hillingdon, Haringey and Hackney. CLEVELAND, Ohio John Krasinski used his YouTube series Some Good News to encourage viewers to send in favorite recipes, and he put them to good use. Krasinski put the recipes into the hands of celebrity chefs Martha Stewart, Guy Fieri and David Chang, and just regular celebrity Stanley Tucci, then put them in touch with the viewers who sent them in. It certainly gives this weeks episode a lot of flavor. Recipe for disaster U.S. Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia was not asked to contribute a recipe to Some Good News, and probably for good reason. In a tongue-in-cheek video posted on Instagram, Warner offers a quick recipe for a tuna melt sandwich that he admits his family wants no part of. Then again, Warner says in the video these are challenging times, so in that case, the sandwich is perfect. What Up With That' Kenan Thompson revived Diondre Cole for a remote version of What Up With That on Saturday Night Live," with appearances from Charles Barkley and DJ Khaled. Jason Sudeikis and Fred Armisen also reprise their roles. Even by remote, the show remains a chaotic, hilarious mess. Creative ride ALL ABOARD: A dad in Australia found a creative way to keep his kids entertained during the lockdown. He created a four-car passenger train out of a lawnmower and three trash cans after his sons wagon broke. https://t.co/JQLZsC2ZQ8 pic.twitter.com/oQeuedC04D ABC News (@ABC) April 27, 2020 ABC News shows how a father in Australia pieced together a passenger train for his kids using garbage cans and a wagon, and a riding lawnmower for the engine. At-Home Gala This is just ridiculous ... The Met Opera performs Va, pensiero in individual remote takes. Florida CFO Sends Letter to Chinese Ambassador, Demanding That China Pay for Causing Pandemic Floridas chief financial officer has sent a letter to the Chinese regime demanding it pay for the harm suffered by the states residents as a result of the CCP virus pandemic. The Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) incompetent and fraudulent actions in response to the early outbreak of COVID-19 are a direct and proximate cause to untold human suffering and economic harm to the State of Florida, CFO Jimmy Patronis said in a demand letter to Chinese Ambassador to the United States Cui Tiankai on April 23. As such, I am demanding financial restitution from the [CCP] for this significant harm to the State of Florida and its residents, Patronis wrote. The state officials letter was the latest action in the United States aimed to hold the Chinese regime accountable for its coverup of the outbreak, which resulted in the pandemic. Several class-action lawsuits against the regime have been filed in the United States and other countries. Last week, Missouri and Mississippi became the first two U.S. states to sue the CCP over the pandemic. In his letter, Patronis said he would discuss with Floridas attorney general the possibility of filing a similar lawsuit. Florida is currently considering two options to recover funds from the CCP, the letter states. First, it may freeze Chinese assets held by Florida, which is in the process of identifying Chinese-owned and -controlled companies that have unclaimed property in the states possession, the letter says. The state holds $2 billion in unclaimed assets, and is currently trying to trace whether any of the unclaimed property accounts are linked to the Chinese regime. On April 22, Patronis wrote to U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, requesting federal assistance to perform this task. While the national media may debate whether COVID-19 came from a wet market or a lab in Wuhan, everyone agrees it originated in China, Patronis wrote in the letter to Pompeo. Moreover, theres no debate that lives could have been saved had the Chinese government been more transparent with the world about the severity, and contagious nature of the COVID-19 virus. Second, Patroniss office will conduct a review of state vendors that are due to issue payments to Chinese-owned or -controlled companies. Any such payment may be withheld as necessary to offset the debt [the CCP] owes the people of Florida, the letter reads. I hope that our work will be a real memorial to the victims of the Church in France and will pave the way for a long work of remembrance, says Jean-Marc Sauve. This top French civil servant, who was vice-president of the Council of State from 2006 and 2018, has headed the Independent Commission on Sexual Abuses in the Church (CIASE) since 13 November 2018. Five days earlier, at their plenary gathering in Lourdes, the bishops of France had decided to set up an independent commission to shed light on the sexual abuse of minors in the Catholic Church since 1950, to understand why these cases have been dealt with the way they have, and to make recommendations, in particular by evaluating the measures taken since the 2000s. Three months later, on 8 February 2019, the Conference of Bishops of France and the Conference of Monks and Nuns of France (CORREF) officially launched the CIASE. At last! came the cry from various sources. Faced with the spread of sexual abuse scandals in the Church around the world, countries have proceeded in waves, says Commission member Astrid Kaptijn, professor of Canon law at the University of Fribourg theology faculty. At the initiative of the government or of the Catholic Church, commissions have been set up in Ireland (2009), Belgium (2009), the Netherlands (2010), Australia (2012) and Germany (2013). In France, the Church took the initiative because it probably felt that if it didnt, the State would exert pressure, the commissioner adds. Sexual abuse scandals had reached new heights at the time. The former bishop of Orleans, Andre Fort, was given an eight-month suspended sentence for failing to denounce a paedophile priest, Pierre de Coye de Castelet, who was sentenced to two years in prison. At the beginning of 2019, the trial also began of Cardinal Philippe Barbarin, Archbishop of Lyon, for not denouncing sexual assaults on minors by the priest Bernard Preynat, who was sentenced to five years in prison. The work of French society as a whole But what about the independence of such a commission, appointed by the very institutions that it is investigating? Sauve says he only agreed to set it up once all the guarantees of independence and impartiality [from the Conference of Bishops of France and CORREF] had been obtained. The commission has a total of 22 members with almost gender parity (12 men and 10 women) from a range of disciplines (practitioners of criminal and Canon law, child welfare, psychology and psychoanalysis, health, education, social work, social science and theological research) and faiths (including non-believers, agnostics and atheists). These commissioners representing different generations (the average age is 57) have committed themselves on a voluntary basis to shed light on the past in order to draw consequences and restore trust. Of course there is still a great deal of conservatism within the Church, but many members are ready and even encourage this rather deep questioning, notes Antoine Garapon, magistrate and member of the Commission, who sees this approach as the work of French society as a whole. Father Pierre Vignon, while pleased with this step forward, hopes that the recommendations of this Commission will be scrutinized by the whole Church, which is at the origin of many abuses. This priest from the diocese of Valencia, retired to the Vercors, has been working for more than twenty years alongside those he calls the victims of the Church. In August 2018, he launched a petition calling for the resignation of Cardinal Barbarin. COREFF general secretary Anne-Marie Grapton says the organization wants above all to understand what societal and institutional mechanisms have led to silence. We are eagerly awaiting the recommendations, which will be taken into account as much as possible. Establishing the facts The Commission is divided into four working groups and meets in plenary once a month (by videoconference since the Covid 19 confinement). It hears experts and witnesses, analyses judicial and press resources from the past 70 years, as well as archives in almost all the structures of the Church to date, 600 people questioned in 115 dioceses and 400 congregations. The immense task of the Commission is to make a quantitative and qualitative inventory of the sexual abuses of the Church. Our mission is not to denounce persons but to establish facts, Sauve stresses repeatedly. Call for victim testimonies disseminated in France by the Independent Commission on Sexual Abuses in the Church (CIASE). 5,000 phone calls The Commissions other task is to listen to the many victims. On 3 June 2019, it launched a call for testimonies to all the victims of the Church since 1950, in addition to hearings conducted by the commissioners in France and overseas. Most of the callers are giving testimony for the first time, often 30 or 40 years after the event, says Olivia Mons, spokesperson for a federation of associations, France Victimes, which was asked to take on this heavy task. We dont record anything, we dont transcribe anything. Four listeners have been hired to gather the stories with as much kindness and empathy as possible. At the end of the interview, callers are encouraged to fill out an anonymous questionnaire online with details about the abuse. This data is then processed by a survey company. To date, France Victimes has received 5,000 calls and 1,500 questionnaires. According to provisional data provided to Justice Info by the Commission, 62.7% of callers are men, and 88% speak of a first abuse when they were minors (two-thirds were between 6 and 15 years old). More than 70% of victims are over 50, and the remainder are between 30 and 49 years of age. The date of the events is for about 6% before 1950, for more than half of them between 1950 and 1970, for a third between 1970 and 1990, and for 13.5% between 1990 and 2019, taking into account that provisional figures for the last decade would show an upsurge compared to the previous one. The Commission has only an advisory role. However, we will be obliged to name the acts, what is sexual assault or more serious acts, such as rape, says Sauve, who says he is amazed and upset by the extent and seriousness of the testimonies received. Recommendations are given to victims on crimes that have no statutory limitation: Article 434-1 and the following ones of the Penal Code oblige us, as any person who is aware of them, to denounce such crimes, in particular ill-treatment or sexual assault of minors, he says. So, what reparations should be proposed when the victims expectations are very diverse? There are many who want public recognition, says psychologist Carole Damiani, who is director of the association Paris Aid to Victims and member of the Commission, but often they have heard about it without knowing what it means in practice. The same goes for criminal law. They often think that there is no alternative. This is why we must work on alternatives, knowing that given the psychological, social and legal complexity of these sexual violence experiences, there will never be a single answer. Kaptijn speaks of zero tolerance among some victims who see the only way as having the perpetrator dismissed from the clergy. Francois Devaux, the founder in 2015 of the association Parole Liberee, which was behind the revelations on abuse by Father Preynat, goes further. We need it simply never to happen! he says. And so we need fundamental reform of the Church, whether it be on the subject of dogma, the place of women or sexuality. But, he says, it is difficult to know what to expect, because the suffering is irreparable. The Commissioners remain cautious. I am struck by how much sexual abuse by a cleric causes inner devastation, says Garapon, who with three other commissioners is in charge of the Victims, Liability and Reparations working group. I expected that victims would totally reject the Church and the faith. And yet its more complicated than that. Pushing the boundaries of the law? Faced with the scale of the phenomenon, in France and elsewhere, legal experts are wondering about the best approach. So-called restorative justice consists of bringing together the victim and the perpetrator to engage in dialogue. Olivia Mons believes that this is a possibility, provided that a broad reflection is undertaken within the Church. We know the victim, but is the perpetrator a representative of the institution who knew but did nothing? Jean-Pierre Massias, professor of public law at the University of Pau and president of the Francophone Institute for Justice and Democracy, says the Commission uses the techniques and procedures of transitional justice, which is itself at a turning point. It has long been used to deal with the transition from dictatorship to democracy or from war to peace. But little by little, we see that the tools of transitional justice are being used by countries to consolidate their democracy. And he questions the current limits in terms of judicial definitions. For example, sexual violence in the Catholic Church is not named as a crime against humanity, but perhaps the law needs to evolve. In 2011, victims of sexual abuse belonging to SNAP (Survivors Network of the Abused by Priests) filed the first communication to the International Criminal Court (ICC) accusing Pope Benedict XVI and other top Vatican officials of crimes against humanity for having kept systematically silent about sexual crimes by clergy around the world. The ICC has not yet responded. The Commission is due to submit its report at the end of 2020 to the Conference of Bishops of France and the Conference of Monks and Nuns of France. The report will be made public. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Revello, Italy Mon, April 27, 2020 08:30 626 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd461f71 2 World Italy,coronavirus,COVID-19,COVID-19-lockdown,COVID-19-death-toll,Funeral,tradition Free The coffins are sealed directly at the hospital morgue near the tiny Italian town of Revello on the French border. Everyone in Revello understands it is safer that way since so many of those who have died across Italy's pandemic-hit north first contracted the novel coronavirus. The tradition of families passing by open caskets to say silent farewells to the deceased at churches or at funeral parlours has been abandoned. "It is much more difficult, emotionally," Revello's funeral parlor owner Gianpiero Palmero told AFP. Large funerals have been banned in Italy for more than a month because of the new illness that has officially killed more than 26,000 people in the Mediterranean country since February. The real toll is unknown since many of those who pass away in old age are never tested for the virus. The rushed funeral arrangements mean grieving families have almost no time to say their final goodbyes. Palmero takes it personally. "We really are living in abnormal times," Palmero says. "There is more demand for our services." Italy is cautiously approaching the moment when it is ready to lift some of its harshest restrictions on everyday life. People might be allowed to walk the streets freely starting on May 4. Mores stores and churches will probably reopen. And weddings and funerals might soon again involve more than just the pastor and immediate family members. But Italy is not there yet -- and Palmero still collects his bodies at the hospital in nearby Saluzzo. "The bodies are already wrapped in a shroud," he explains. "We put the body in the coffin and seal it immediately." Social distancing measures are even observed at the crematorium. Only one person is allowed inside at a time. Not catching or spreading the virus is the overriding consideration in Palmero's business. "There are no more real funerals," he laments. El-Masry is charged with posting indecent photos and videos of herself online A Cairo court ordered on Sunday the detention of controversial Egyptian belly dancer Sama El-Masry for 15 days pending investigation after she was arrested on Thursday for posting sexually suggestive videos on social media. El-Masry is facing charges of inciting immorality by posting indecent photos and videos of herself online through social media networks. The prosecutor-generals office said that it received a number of complaints from citizens over El-Masrys posts. El-Masry has denied the charges, saying that the videos had been taken from her mobile phone which was stolen in June 2019. The controversial belly dancer, who had previously released videos online mocking the Muslim Brotherhood group during the one-year-rule of Islamist President Mohamed Morsi, claimed that members of the outlawed group were the ones who reported her to the prosecution over her political views. She also claimed that she was not the one published the videos on her social media accounts. Search Keywords: Short link: They split earlier this year after finding love in the South African jungle on 'I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! And now Married At First Sight's Ryan Gallagher has revealed why he and Charlotte Crosby ended their romance. Speaking to NW magazine on Monday, Ryan said 'reality hit pretty quickly' once they were outside the rush of the jungle camp. Revealing all: They split earlier this year after finding love in the South African jungle on ' I'm A Celebrity ... Get Me Out Of Here! And now Married At First Sight 's Ryan Gallagher has revealed why he and Charlotte Crosby ended their romance 'Everything is obviously so isolated in the jungle and all of your emotions run at a high,' Ryan explained. 'While we were great in there, when we got out reality hit pretty quickly. It was clear it was never going to work. 'We are two very different people who also live on the opposite sides of the the earth.' Bubble: Speaking to NW magazine on Monday, Ryan said 'reality hit pretty quickly' once they were outside the rush of the jungle camp He finished by saying he wishes the British bombshell all the best. UK-based star Charlotte confirmed the pair had split to Ten Daily back in February, but insisted they were 'still friends' and she 'loves him to bits'. 'When me and Ryan came out of the jungle I made no secret that I had been in a very long relationship and wasn't ready to jump into another one,' she said. Happy: Ryan finished by saying he wishes the British bombshell all the best She said after their stint on the popular show, she had reservations about a serious romance. 'I still wasn't looking for something serious, he's at a stage in his life where he is -- so we came to a mutual decision that we'd just cool it off,' Charlotte added. Charlotte previously told OK! magazine that Ryan had a special 'dream date' - whale watching in Port Stephens - organised for their Valentine's Day reunion. Still pals: UK-based star Charlotte confirmed the pair had split to Ten Daily back in February, but insisted they were 'still friends' and she 'loves him to bits' She also told the publication she wanted to marry Ryan and start a family with him. 'I want to marry him and have his babies!' she gushed. The pair consistently battled rumours their love was all for the cameras, with a representative for the pair denying a showmance. Health Secretary Rachel Levine said during her daily briefing that guidance was released today for hospitals and other facilities in the state to resume elective surgeries. Levine said in order to restart elective surgeries that facilities should have enough personal protective equipment in case a surge in COVID-19 happens, as well as staff that can handle such a surge. As of noon, there have been more than 42,000 positive cases of COVID-19 in the state and nearly 1,600 deaths. Levine said that as of today, a surge of COVID-19 cases have not overwhelmed Pennsylvanias hospitals. You can watch online here or via Facebook Live below. April 27 COVID-19 Update Join us as we provide an update on COVID-19 in Pennsylvania. Posted by Pennsylvania Department of Health on Monday, April 27, 2020 Levine, who also attended a conference call with Gov. Tom Wolf and Lt. Gov. John Fetterman earlier today, said that a report on contact tracing people with positive cases of COVID-19 will be released by the Department of Health later this week. Contact tracing is key to Wolfs plan to reopen the state in addition to other medical and scientific criteria, including counties having less than 50 cases per 100,000 during the previous 14 days. Levine emphasized that the case count is only one of a number of things they are looking at for reopening a region. She said that the state will not provide an ongoing two-week case count, saying that the public can determine that using data available on the Department of Health website. PennLive is providing this calculation in both database and map form as part of its daily COVID-19 totals post. You can read todays here. Levine added that the state will not be re-opening restaurants or bars or large theaters, but many other businesses will be able to open under yellow status. When asked when specifically the city of Philadelphia would reopen, she said she was unable to give an estimate on that happening and that it depends on the virus. Levine said that it has been a challenge to get ethnicity data when it comes to COVID-19 cases. She said the department is updating its system in hopes of getting that data easier. MORE: Pa. faces next big coronavirus challenge: tracing everybody who might be infected Pa. senators demand Gov. Wolf produce records about waiver program to his business closure order or they may be forced to by subpoena Pa. coronavirus cases top 42,000; nearly 1,600 have died due to COVID-19, health department says The Pa. Turnpike is seeing less traffic; it could cause big problems statewide The gyms are closed. The pools are closed, too. And jogging is increasingly perceived as a nuisance, if not a menace. In many GTA neighbourhoods, safe, socially-distant walking is next to impossible, given the citys small sidewalks and stubborn refusal to curb traffic to help downtown residents. On top of all this, people are being fined for exercising in a park. None of this is ideal. We can and probably should debate these public health issues for months and years after the current COVID-19 crisis subside. But, for now, we have to find interesting new ways to exercise at home. While were at it, we might as well use this as an opportunity to mix things up and explore something new maybe the workout of your dreams is online, just waiting for you to discover. Want to inject a little Animal Flow into your regimen? Or maybe its time to learn to Move Like an Avenger? Get the kids into Muay Thai? Now is as good a time as any to learn what Yin Yoga is, right? Torontos many shuttered fitness clubs and studios are offering all these creative options (and more) in the form of Zoom and Insta-classes. This pivot from bricks-and-mortar to socially-distant virtual fitness happened quickly, with many studios offering contactless workouts and classes in a matter of days. For many, that necessitated a crash course in negotiating the brave new world of distance learning and social media. We do a bit of social media, but building a bigger outreach on Instagram wasnt really my priority, because weve always been more focused on serving our community, said Dana Dineen, owner of Beaches Hot Yoga. But then we quickly realized that Instagram offers this great platform where we can teach live classes and bring people together. Bringing people together has been one of the big reasons Dineens online classes have attracted a following since day one, when students eagerly responded to the news that the (virtual) studio was open for business. At first, we focused entirely on live classes because we really believe in the power of a schedule, said Dineen, noting that theyve evolved to offer pre-recorded classes to make things more accessible. Having a schedule helps us feel better on a regular basis but even more important is the community. When you prioritize getting to the mat and then find like-minded people and familiar faces, it really lifts you up. To help foster that sense of community, Dineen shifted most of her classes HIIT Pilates Live, Hot Yoga (bring your own space heater), Family Yoga and stress-busting Yin Yoga to Zoom. Seeing a gallery of faces helps the instructors feel like theyre not teaching into a void and helps students feel like theyre regaining a little of their lost social lives (theres a promo code, FREE1STCLASS you can use, if you want to try them out). Rekindling community has also been a big factor in the popularity of Twisted Yoga Studios online classes, since this was a studio with a unique social add-on: namely, that, after-class, many students would head to the bar downstairs to hoist a pint. And, if it was the last class of the day, owner/instructor Christine Hooper would usually join them. Now the drinks are virtual, but its almost as good. Part of what I offer thats different is the social interaction, said Hooper. Yogas good for anxiety, so you get a little relief from that, and then a little stretchy-bendy, and then you get to socialize with your friends. Essentially, all of Hoopers clients followed her online, so shes opening up her model to allow groups of people looking for an interesting way to hang to buy a group experience. She sets up the Zoom platform, teaches the class and, of course, post-yoga drinks are optional. Since her clientele skews older, she thinks setting up the sessions is helpful for people who havent yet mastered the new social media landscape. Another good way to relieve stress is vocalizing it out of the body, said Amber Joliat, creator of Misfitstudio, which is why screaming, yelling and growling is encouraged during her sessions that are a blend of Pilates, dance and yoga. You know, you walk around all day and you dont even notice that youre clenching your jaw, said Joliat. So, when the teacher says open your mouth and growl or let out a noise it feels so good to have permission to just be like, Roar! I had a shitty day. Roar! Its amazing how healing it can be. And, starting this week, the team at Misfitstudio is renting out equipment so people can get back to their trampoline and bosu ball classes. In addition, as an extension of the studios overall philosophy of working stress and emotional pain out of the body through movement, its offering a special online grief workshop with Tammy Faulds on May 3 from 1-3 p.m. We talk a lot about grief and where it lives in the body, Joliat said. But I think, collectively, we are all experiencing an element of grief. You have to grieve that life might never be what it was before. I think its really healthy to process that, rather than to hold on, so, I think the timing couldnt be better. Some unique online fitness class options Animal Flow: Fit Squad is offering drop-in group classes held live on Zoom, 5:30 p.m. Monday-Friday and 11 a.m. Saturdays. In addition, its running four-week intensives for those who want to specialize in kettlebell training and animal flow (ground-based movement to improve strength and flexibility) in a personalized or small group setting. Kids Muay Thai: Kensington Markets Krudar is closed but its still offering plenty of its popular Muay Thai for kids classes. Adults might want to look into Blackout, a body blast, thats billed as a hybrid of conditioning, cardio drills and martial arts. Mommy and Me: Fusion Cardio Toronto is offering Mom and Baby Ballet workouts, in addition to its Womens Bollywood Dance Fitness and Bollywood Dance classes. No word on when itll get Pound (Rockout workouts with drumsticks) online, but we hope soon. Superhero: GoodLife Fitness has moved many of its classes online, including Move Like an Avenger, which teaches kids, young adults (and, hey, adult adults if youre into it), to move like a superhero. Flash An iconic salt lake in northwest China reopened to the public on Sunday. Chaka Salt Lake offers free admission to the country's tourists from Sunday to June 30. One-year free admission is provided to Chinese medical staff and tourists from the provinces of Hubei and Qinghai, in addition to college students. "I was at home for almost three months and kept thinking about going out in nature," said visitor Su Lin, from Wuhan, capital of Hubei. The natural saline lake is located in Haixi Mongolian and Tibetan autonomous prefecture of Qinghai province. With its snow-white lake bed and crystal blue water, the lake has earned the moniker "the Mirror of the Sky." It attracted an average daily of over 40,000 tourists during last year's peak tourist season. Located at 3,100 meters above sea level in Ulan County, the oval-shaped lake is 15.8 km long and 9.2 km wide, covering a total area of 105 square km. It is about four hours' drive from Xining, capital of Qinghai province. Chaka Salt Lake, along with Taer (Gumbum) Monastery, Qinghai Lake and Mengda Lake, represent the best-known tourist destinations in Qinghai. Taliban Attack in Central Afghanistan Leaves 4 Policemen Killed, 5 Injured - Source Sputnik News 17:04 GMT 26.04.2020 KABUL (Sputnik) - Four Afghan policemen were killed and five others were injured as Taliban militants carried out an attack on a security checkpoint in the Nachin area of the country's central province of Oruzgan, a security source stated on Sunday. "Four policemen, including the commander of a security checkpoint, were killed and five others were injured in the attack", the source said, noting that the incident took place on Saturday night. The source added that two police cars had been destroyed in the attack. "Last night, the air force launched an airstrike on insurgents in the area and eight insurgents were killed," another source revealed on the condition of anonymity. The Taliban have not yet commented on the incident. Earlier this month, 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. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address More resources As of Friday, the Small Business Administration had another $310 million in the Payroll Protection Program, which is distributed through local banks, and $60 million in direct emergency disaster loans. The Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. has allocated $5 million to support locally owned businesses through community development financial institutions, including banks and economic development organizations. The Verona City Council is expected to vote Monday on a proposal to offer up to $200,000 to help local businesses weather the crisis. The proposal calls for grants of $1,000 to $5,000, depending on the number of applications. With $350,000 remaining, Dane County's small-business pandemic support program offers grants of $1,000 to $15,000. Kiva is offering crowdfunded, no-interest loans of up to $15,000 during the pandemic. The Wisconsin Womens Business Initiative Corp. is offering lines of credit and loans of up to $15,000. Capital Newspapers is offering small-business marketing assistance to locally owned and operated businesses, matching advertising buys in April, May and June with up to $15,000 in additional ad space. Additional resources are available from the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce at madisonbiz.com/smallbusiness/ President Donald Trump says his executive order restricting legal immigration for 60 days will protect American workers hit hard by the novel coronavirus pandemic. This will ensure that unemployed Americans of all backgrounds will be first in line for jobs as our economy reopens, he told reporters at a task force briefing last week. Theres no doubt that many Americans are struggling economically. More than 26 million people have filed unemployment claims in the last five weeks. Thousands are lining up for grocery giveaways at food banks and schools. Businesses are shuttered, with many owners wondering if the economic downturn will mean closing doors for good. Those suffering from financial hardship need help. But pitting working-class Americans against newcomers striving for the American Dream is not the way to do it. Rather than take responsibility for his own failure to heed warnings about the pandemic and the resulting economic fallout, Trump has chosen to scapegoat immigrants. Thats not surprising. Its Trumps default position. The language of the executive order paints immigrants as job-stealers: There is no way to protect already disadvantaged and unemployed Americans from the threat of competition for scarce jobs from new lawful permanent residents. Its a fallacious equation. That rationale assumes that there's a finite amount of jobs and that if the immigrants get the jobs, there are going to be fewer left for non-immigrants, Stephen Klineberg, Rice professor of sociology, told the editorial board. Thats known as the lump of labor fallacy, a mistaken belief that there is a fixed number of jobs in the economy and that any job occupied by a newly arrived immigrant is one stolen from someone already in the country. In reality, the number of jobs depends on a host of economic factors. Immigrants actually help create jobs and demand for more workers by buying necessary items such as clothes, food, housing and cars. Numerous studies show that immigrants and native-born dont compete for the same jobs. An nanalysis of the executive order by the director of immigration studies at the CATO Institute concluded the temporary ban would not help unemployed Americans find work. Fewer immigrants would come here anyway because there is less economic opportunity and more danger due to the virus, the analysis found. Those that come do not displace nativeborn American workers. Lastly, those who come slightly raise the wages of nativeborn American workers. Despite Trumps hard-line rhetoric, the executive order doesnt completely halt immigration. It contains major exemptions for farm workers, medical researchers, temporary non-immigrant visas and the spouses and minor children of U.S. citizens. It also exempts anyone coming specifically to combat COVID-19, and their immediate families, and only applies to green card applicants who arent already in the country. So why issue such a measure at all? Simple. Trump has a pattern of targeting and often vilifying immigrants. Its what he has done since the earliest moments of his political ascent. Now he is using the cover of a public health crisis to enact his anti-immigrant agenda. Over the past month, his administration has already imposed travel restrictions, postponed immigration hearings and naturalization ceremonies, stepped up deportations of migrants arrested at the border and stopped processing most visas. Some of these steps were likely inevitable given the pandemic, but taken together they appear opportunistic, and they certainly fit a pattern. The new order penalizes green card applicants who have spent years wrangling paperwork and enduring the stringent vetting process required to become legal residents. Given the administrations track record, theres also no reason to take at face value its claim that this ban is temporary. The Washington Post reported this week that senior White House adviser Stephen Miller told supporters the most important thing is to turn off the faucet of new immigrant labor. And yet its nearly impossible to reliably grow an economy without adding people. For decades, its been immigrants whove helped America do just that. Besides, we should be celebrating now more than ever the immigrants whove joined our workforce. About 1.7 million foreign-born doctors, nurses and health care workers staff our hospitals, nursing homes and medical systems, which are in danger of buckling under the strain caused by the novel coronavirus pandemic. They make up about nearly 40 percent of medical and life scientists, some of the folks racing to find effective treatments and a possible vaccine for COVID-19, according to the CATO Institute. Trumps executive order may appeal to his base thats the point, after all but it does little to protect American workers or to help the country recover from the current economic free fall. Local stocks logged sharp gains in early trade on hopes of another stimulus package and positive global cues. At 9:23 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, was up 552.90 points or 1.76% at 31,880.12. The Nifty 50 index was up 163.25 points or 1.78% at 9,317.65. The S&P BSE Mid-Cap index was up 1.47%. The S&P BSE Small-Cap index was up 1.19%. The market breadth, indicating the overall health of the market, was strong. On the BSE, 947 shares rose and 283 shares fell. A total of 52 shares were unchanged. Stocks in news: Tata Steel rose 1.59%. Tata Steel on Friday (24 April) said its board has approved proposal to raise up to Rs 5,000 crore through issuance of non convertible debentures (NCDs) on private placement basis in one or more tranches. Titan Company gained 1.52%. BrickworkRatings (BWR) assigned 'A1+' rating for Titan Company's proposed commercial paper issue of Rs 900 crore. Further, the rating on the company's bank loan facilities of Rs 5000 crore was reaffirmed. The rating on the proposed long term cash credit of Rs 1000 crore was reaffirmed at 'BWR AAA/stable'. The rating on the short term gold metal loan of Rs 2735 crore and the rating on the proposed short term gold metal loan of Rs 1265 crore was reaffirmed at 'BWR A1+'. ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Company jumped 10%. ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Company's consolidated net profit fell 31.52% to Rs 178.73 crore in Q4 March 2020 as against Rs 261.02 crore in Q4 March 2019. Net premium earned rose 4.16% to Rs 10,475.12 crore in Q4 March 2020 from Rs 10,056.32 crore in Q4 March 2019. Profit before Tax (PBT) declined 38.49% to Rs 170.90 crore in Q4 March 2020 over Q4 March 2019. Sobha rose 1.18%. Mumbai-based Anamudi Real Estates LLP (AREL) purchased an additional 2.99 lakh equity shares, or 0.32% stake, of Sobha via open market on 22 April 2020. Following the transaction, AREL's stake in Sobha has increased to 5.19% from 4.87% held earlier. Sobha made the disclosure on Saturday, 25 April 2020. Bank of Baroda (BoB) rose 1.94%. BoB on Friday (24 April 2020) said its board has approved raising up to Rs 13,500 crore by 31 March 2021 (FY21) and beyond if found expedient. MindTree jumped 7.72%. On a consolidated basis, MindTree's net profit rose 4.7% to Rs 206.2 crore on a 4.3% increase in revenue to Rs 2050.5 crore in Q4 March 2020 over Q3 December 2019. Consolidated EBITDA for Q4 March 2020 stood at Rs 351.20 crore, rising 14.7% compared with Rs 3,063 reported in Q3 December 2019. EBITDA margin rose to 17.1% in Q4 March 2020 from 15.6% reported in Q3 December 2019. Natco Pharma gained 3.4%. Natco Pharma announced closure of inspection with an Establishment Inspection Report (EIR) from USFDA for the pre-approval inspection conducted at its formulations facility in Kothur village, Telangana. Global Markets: Overseas, Asian shares inched higher ahead of a busy week for earnings and central bank meetings. The Bank of Japan is expected to expand monetary stimulus on Monday for the second straight month to ease corporate funding strains and finance huge government spending aimed at combating the deepening economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic. In US, stock indexes closed higher on Friday as investors digested economic data, mixed corporate results, and the latest economic aid package from Congress to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Investors were encouraged Friday by President Trump signing into law the much-awaited $484 billion coronavirus aid package that includes a second round of funding for small businesses under the Paycheck Protection Plan, or PPP. The measure contains another $320 billion to help small businesses. It also has about $75 billion for hospitals, $25 billion for coronavirus testing and $60 billion for the Small Business Administration's Economic Injury Disaster Loan program. In economic data, a final reading on consumer sentiment from the University of Michigan for April came in at 71.8 from 89.1 in March. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) 130 national and international groups have today written to all Irish Party leaders requesting them to remove support for fracked gas infrastructure in Ireland. The letter comes as negotiations for Government intensify and requests an explicit policy statement to be included in the next Programme for Government against the development of all new fossil fuel infrastructure in the form of LNG import terminals that could facilitate the entry of unconventional fracked gas into the Irish energy mix. Two fracked gas terminals, or - LNG - terminals are currently proposed, in Shannon and Cork. The terminals would be developed as import hubs, allowing fracked gas into the European market from the USA where there is currently an oversupply of this controversial fuel. The project in the Shannon Estuary is being proposed by New Fortress Energy, an American company that specialises in LNG and power generation. Due to its support from the previous Government the project has been granted significant benefits from the European Union, including access to funding and fast track licensing and approval. However, the future for Shannon LNG has never been more precarious, as it currently faces a High Court challenge from environmental group Friends of the Irish Environment over the decision-making process that led to its approval. Eddie Mitchell, campaigner with Love Leitrim said, We banned fracking in Ireland 3 years ago because we knew how dangerous and polluting it was for people, the environment and the climate. If Ireland facilitates the building of these terminals, we will be creating a functional interdependence between suffering and sickness in communities in North America and gas consumption in Ireland. Love Leitrim Chairperson Jamie Murphy said This is a climate justice issue, we can't ban fracking in Ireland to protect our communities but be willing to exploit others elsewhere. None of Irelands GHG emissions being counted will include most of the climate accelerating ones associated with fracking, in particular methane, the toxic greenhouse gas with over 87 times the global warming potential of carbon dioxide We decide what fuels we use in our energy mix. The campaign to ban fracking was a political campaign. It won because of pressure from the people of Ireland. Now 74 out of 160 of the newly elected TDs have already committed to ending support for LNG terminals, so we know there is a lot of support within the Dail to stop these terminals. Although Shannon LNG has already been approved by the European Commission, it requires the continued support of the member state Government, in order to proceed and have access to European funds. This letter to all party leaders today calls for an explicit commitment not to continue Government support for these projects. Kate Ruddock, of Friends of the Earth said, Ireland needs to start to plan for a future that is compatible with a safe climate. Pouring money and support into infrastructure like this would be a huge boost to the fossil fuel industry who are desperately trying to secure markets for their toxic fuels. That money would be far better spent investing in renewable energy, particularly the offshore to support our transition away from fossil fuels, rather than locking us into decades of using more of them. Roisin Keegan O Rourke- Delegate on Ireland's first Youth Assembly on Climate said: We see by the level of support for this document that it is a hugely popular issue. Stopping the importation of fracked gas is also one that Ireland's young people have taken on board, and was included in the recommendations made by the Climate Youth Assembly last November. This is a chance for our TDs to deliver. They will be delivering on something that will make an immediate difference to climate change. If the current crises has taught us anything it's that we can really come together on things when it matters". More than 180 Russian citizens were flown home from Cam Ranh International Airport in the south-central coastal province of Khanh Hoa on April 27. Russian passengers go through customs check at the airport International flights into and out of Vietnam have been suspended as part of efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19, and this has left them stranded in Vietnam during their vacation or work. The flight, which took off at 9am (Vietnam time), was operated by the Russia-based Siberia Airlines. Representative of the carrier in Vietnam Le Van Nghia said it is set to launch a similar flight in early May to take other Russian citizens home. Russia is currently the second-largest source of tourists for Khanh Hoa, after China and the Republic of Korea. Home to world-famous Nha Trang bay, the province welcomed more than 462,000 Russian visitors in 2019, or some 13 percent of its total. About 120,000 Russian tourists visited Khanh Hoa in the first three months of this year./.VNA Nearly 400 foreign tourists stranded in Vietnam want to return home Nearly 400 foreign tourists want to return to their countries, said Nguyen Trung Khanh, head of Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT). Salman Khan is among the top actors in Bollywood today. The actor is known best for the Dabangg roles that he plays. Salman is always appreciated for the excellent acting skills. Salman Khan made his acting debut in the 1989 romantic drama film Maine Pyar Kiya. The star has appeared in more than 70 films as a lead since then. With each passing year, Salman Khans performance and choice of films have been getting better. In all these tears that Salman Khan has spent in the industry, his most famous pairing and some incredible work has been with the director, David Dhawan. Here are some of the best movies of Salman Khan and David Dhawan that will definitely make you laugh. Read ahead to know more- Salman Khan and David Dhawan movies together that will definitely make you laugh Judwaa (1997) Judwaa is a David Dhawan directorial. The lead cast of the movie includes Salman Khan, Karishma Kapoor, and Rambha. The plot of the film revolves around twin brothers who are separated soon after birth, meet in adulthood and join forces to defeat their common enemy, a notorious criminal. David Dhawan in 2019, with a different cast, remade the movie under the same name. Also Read | Salman Khan Shares Details About Lara Dutta's 'Hundred'; Calls Her 'favourite Partner' Biwi No. 1 (1999) Biwi No. 1 is a David Dhawan directorial. The lead cast of the movie includes Salman Khan, Karishma Kapoor, Anil Kapoor, and Tabu. The plot of the film revolves around a housewife who learns that her husband is cheating on her. Thus, her quest to bring him back begins. Also Read | Salman Khan's 'Sher Khan' Pushed To 2022; Here Are More Of His Updates From This Week Chal Mere Bhai (2000) Chal Mere Bhai is a David Dhawan directorial. The lead cast of the movie includes Salman Khan, Sanjay Dutt, and Karishma Kapoor. The plot of the film revolves around Vicky, a businessman, loves his younger brother Prem, who spends his time chasing women. The family feels that secretary Sapna will make a good wife for Vicky, but she is already in love with Prem. Also Read | Salman Khan Loves To Pose In The Sun And These Pics Are Proof Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya (2005) Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya is a David Dhawan directorial. The lead cast of the movie includes Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, and Sushmita Sen. The plot of the film revolves around Samir, who is in love with Sonia but has unfortunately lied to her that he was already married. When she wants to meet his wife, Samir approaches his dutiful nurse Naina to play his 'wife' and the drama turns out into a comedy of errors. Also Read | Times When Akshay Kumar's Movies Clashed With Salman Khan, Hrithik Roshan And Others Partner (2007) Partner is a David Dhawan directorial. The lead cast of the movie includes Salman Khan, Govinda, Katrina Kaif, and Lara Dutta. The plot of the film revolves around a 'Love Guru' who assists other males, woos a widowed single mother, but becomes embroiled in controversies. 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. To the Times: Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting, began for most Muslims on the evening of April 23 and continue until May 23. Able-bodied Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset, and focus on spiritual practices such as prayer and self-reflection. In normal circumstances, we get together in the evenings with fellow Muslims to open the fast and pray together in the Mosque. With the pandemic of COVID-19, we will not be able to get together at our Mosques. Instead, I will try to make my house like a Mosque so my family can benefit from this month and we can focus our attention on prayers. Madeel Abdullah, Garnet Valley All vulnerable human beings deserve our concern To the Times: I have great sympathy for immigrants. Years ago, I worked at a group home with disabled men. Several of my coworkers were immigrants from Liberia who had fled from a brutal civil war. On April 17, I read an interesting but disturbing article in Our Sunday Visitor newspaper about the many difficulties faced by immigrant farmworkers. President Trump is noted for a reasonable opposition to illegal immigration, which I share. I voted for him primarily because hes pro-life on abortion. However, I disagree with his generally negative views regarding the countries from which many people emigrate from to our nation. I also believe that some illegal immigrants are so desperate that they have no choice but to seek refuge in our nation. Certainly, the people who work hard in fields to put food on our tables are essential workers. Unfortunately, the Trump administration may lower the wages of immigrant guest workers, which I oppose. Im a native-born American, but I understand the challenges faced by low-paid workers. As a young man who worked with disabled adults, I was only paid $3.50 an hour. This was slightly above the $3.35 minimum wage in 1981. Finally, Im very concerned about the lack of health care (even basic sanitation like running water) for many if not most immigrant farmers. This is especially important now given the coronavirus pandemic. My brother has a physician friend who volunteered in New York treating patients with COVID-19, and she contracted the disease. Fortunately, she recovered. I admire her for commitment caring for such ill patients. But as a doctor, she likely had access to personal protective equipment and presumably has good health care. Please, lets extend our concern for people to include immigrant farm laborers as well as.the unborn and other vulnerable human beings. Tim Donovan, Prospect Park Reports in international media on Sunday indicated that the United States is likely to re-think the sanctions on Iran as well as its stance on the nuclear deal with Tehran, which it abandoned in May 2018. In an April 26 article, the MSN wrote that U.S. "Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is preparing a legal argument that the United States remains a participant in the Iran nuclear accord that President Trump has renounced." According to the MSN, the initiative is "part of an intricate strategy to pressure the United Nations Security Council to extend an arms embargo on Tehran or see far more stringent sanctions re-imposed on the country." Based on the nuclear accord with Tehran, Iran is entitled to buy or sell weapons after October 2020. However, reporters in Washington say that the Trump Administration officials have been lobbying at the UN Security Council to pass a new resolution that would bar other countries from selling weapons to Iran after October. Meanwhile, Iranian social media users noted that the snapback mechanism in the nuclear deal JCPOA [Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action] gives the right to its signatories to call for restoring UN sanctions if Tehran violates the accord. This is what the U.S. could do if it were still a member of the JCPO after it criticized Iran for launching a military satellite into orbit last week. An early Monday Fox News report said that in a bid to restore UN sanctions against Tehran, Pompeo was preparing a legal argument to prove that the U.S. is still a "participant" in the Iran nuclear deal. "This plan would give the U.S. standing at the United Nations Security Council to push to extend the arms embargo on Iran expiring in October and restore sanctions for Irans violations of the deal. The State Department has been considering this strategy to restore U.N. sanctions on Iran that were in place for months before the deal came into effect," Fox News Said . Meanwhile, the New York Times quoted Pompeo as having said that the United States " cannot allow the Islamic Republic of Iran to purchase conventional weapons in six months. President Obama should never have agreed to end the U.N. arms embargo, adding that the United States is prepared "to exercise all of its diplomatic options to ensure the arms embargo stays in place at the U.N. Security Council. Except Foreign Minister Zarif, Iranian media and officials have not been observed to react to these reports yet. Reminding what US officials said when leaving the JCPOA, Zarif wrote in a tweet: "Stop dreaming. Iranian nation always decides its destiny." However, Iranian officials including Supreme Leader Khamenei and President Rouhani have always demanded the United States' return to the 2015 nuclear accord before any negotiations between Tehran and Washington on other matters. A usually well-informed Iran analyst in Scotland, Reza Taghizadeh, opined in a tweet on Monday that "With the pretext of extending the arms embargo against Iran, the United States is thinking of returning to the nuclear accord and making compromise with the Khamenei-Rouhani gang!" He also said that "go-betweens are secretly working" behind the scene. Another avid observer of Iran-US relations, BBC reporter Bahman Kalbasi, reminded in a tweet that in 2018 when leaving the nuclear accord, the United States said that it was "ceasing participation in the JCPOA." Nevertheless, there does not seem to be any obstacle that would stop the U.S. from returning to the JCPOA as a "signatory" or as a "participant," although it is not yet clear if Washington's return to the deal would also entail the lifting of sanctions on Tehran. However, considering their welcoming reaction when the U.S. left the deal in 2018, Iran's regional rivals such as Israel and Saudi Arabia may not welcome such a return even if it coincides with Iran's difficult situation in the COVID-19 epidemic. Last week I provided an update of where we are in terms of COVID-19 new cases, cumulative cases and deaths. I will now provide an update of wh Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-27 18:18:26|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Photo taken on April 27, 2020 shows damaged houses in a residential area in the countryside of Damascus, Syria. Three civilians and four pro-government fighters were killed on Monday during fresh Israeli missile strikes in the countryside of Syria's capital Damascus, state news agency SANA and a rebel monitor group reported. (Photo by Ammar Safarjlani/Xinhua) DAMASCUS, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Three civilians and four pro-government fighters were killed on Monday during fresh Israeli missile strikes in the countryside of Syria's capital Damascus, state news agency SANA and a rebel monitor group reported. SANA said four, including a child, were wounded when shrapnel from Israeli missiles fell on houses in Hajjira and Adliyeh in Damascus' countryside. The Israeli missiles were fired from inside the Lebanese airspace at dawn, it added. Most of the missiles were intercepted by the Syrian air defenses before reaching their targets, the report said. Meanwhile, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the Israeli strikes targeted positions of pro-Iran fighters in the countryside of Damascus, which led to the killing of four fighters. Israel has carried out dozens of missile attacks during the Syrian war against what it claims are Iranian positions in the country. Enditem Mutual fund houses reached out to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India over the weekend after concerns emerged over the closing down of Franklin Templeton's funds last week, sources told CNBC-TV18. However, there is no clarity on how and if the central bank will respond to them, the sources said. Coronavirus India News LIVE Updates Franklin Templeton Mutual Fund on Thursday said it was closing down six credit funds due to liquidity issues amid the coronavirus crisis, leading to fears of redemptions among the market players. Also read: Franklin Templeton mess: A liquidity mishap or a series of wrong, aggressive bets? The funds that will be shut are Franklin India Low Duration Fund, Ultra Short Bond Fund, Short Term Income Plan, Credit Risk Fund, Dynamic Accrual Fund, Income Opportunities Fund, the company said in a statement. - EACC boss Twalib Mbarak said the investigative agency was probing claims of misappropriation of funds in Bungoma, Kilifi and a county in North Eastern Kenya - Section of counties are said to have flouted procurement laws during the purchase of relief food and other supplies needed in the fight against coronavirus - Among accusations levelled against counties included single sourcing of suppliers, award of tenders to relatives and cronies and overpricing of supplies - Other counties were on the spot for installing excess handwashing stations; a ploy section of leaders used to get kickbacks from suppliers The Ethics and Anti Corruption Commission (EACC) is investigating several county officials for alleged misappropriation of funds earmarked to finance fight against coronavirus. Among leads being pursued by the Twalib Mbarak led commission are claims of overpricing of goods, procurement of substandard goods and award of supply tenders to relatives and cronies. READ ALSO: Deliveryman spotted crying while eating cake on his birthday warms hearts online EACC Chief Executive Officer Twalib Mbarak (pictured). Photo: EACC. Source: UGC READ ALSO: 10 reasons why Mondays are a one time bite into lemon and fresh apple Mbarak said Bungoma, Kilifi and another county from North Eastern were on his radar adding that leadership in the three devolved units had been asked to furnish the investigative agency with procurement documents to help in the probe. "The expenditure is the most vulnerable where there are county officers who do not have integrity. They are taking advantage of the situation but we are tracking them and they should know that crime doesn't expire. Even after the pandemic, we will still go for them," Mbarak was quoted by People Daily on Monday, April 27. READ ALSO: Mike Sonko's security detail withdrawn after he threatened to reverse transfer of county functions The Integrity Center houses Ethics and Anti Corruption Commission (EACC) head offices. Photo: EACC. Source: UGC READ ALSO: Uhusiano kati ya serikali na Gavana Sonko wazidi kuoza, sasa anyang'anywa walinzi In Bungoma, EACC launched investigations into claims the devolved unit bought about 600 jerricans (20 litres) at KSh 10,000 each. Governor Wycliffe Wangamati earlier dismissed the claims stating the containers were not bought but were donations from a well-wisher. In Kilifi county, Mbarak said EACC was scrutinising tendering processes in the health docket while in North-Eastern region, the devolved unit he did not mention was being probed for a questionable budget of KSh 450 million. The EACC wrote to CoG boss Wycliffe Oparanya (pictured) to ensure governors used coronavirus funds with integrity. Photo: CoG. Source: Twitter To ensure public funds were not mismanaged during purchase of food and other items needed during the coronavirus period, the EACC informed the Council of Governors (CoG) that the agency was monitoring coronavirus expenses in their respective counties. "The commission will be keenly monitoring the utilisation and management of public resources by all county governments and state agencies to avert any loss or misuse of public resources during the current extra-ordinary period," EACC said in a letter to CoG. As of Monday, April 27, Kenya had reported 363 cases of coronavirus infection out of which 14 were deaths and 114 recoveries. Globally, the number of infections crossed the 3 million mark out of which 207,265 were deaths and 883,238 recoveries. 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. He was married to another woman for ten years and I had no idea - Angela Nzilani |Tuko Talks|Tuko TV. Source: TUKO.co.ke : Amid the COVID-19 lockdown, the Cyberabad Police here have launched an initiative to feed street dogs in association with various animal welfare and other organisations. As a part of the initiative, the stakeholders have decided to feed around 1,500 street dogs daily in Cyberabad Police Commissionerate limits, an official release said. Apart from feeding them, as many as 300 pots would be placed in different parts of the city filled with water for the street dogs, it said. Cyberabad Commissioner of Police VC Sajjanar said : "Dogs become aggressive due to the lack of water and food. We need to shower the same affection on beings who cannot speak. A total of 100 volunteers are working for the cause." The Commissioner also urged the public to inform p0lice about hungry stray dogs moving in packs in residential areasby dialling 9490617440. The volunteers will reach out to the area to feed the hungry canines, the top officer said. Cyberabad is one of the three Police Commissionerates covering Hyderabad and its adjoining areas. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) By Associated Press GENEVA: The World Health Organization's emergencies chief says the US is "well-positioned" to handle the continuing COVID-19 pandemic and said states may have different strategies because they're at different points in their respective outbreaks. In a news briefing on Monday, Dr Michael Ryan said that although the UN health agency issues epidemic control recommendations to all its member countries, it's up to countries to decide whether or not to follow such guidance. ALSO READ| COVID-19 pandemic will set back plans for many years: South African president Cyril Ramaphosa "I believe the federal government and the system of governors are working together to move America and its people through this very difficult situation with public health and other scientific leaders," Ryan said in Geneva, adding that the American plan for exiting lockdowns appears to be based on several parameters, including a downward trajectory in cases and sufficient health care capacity. He added that the US had a "superb" public health infrastructure able to manage the transition once restrictive measures are loosened. WHO's director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said all countries should have heeded the agency's warning when it declared COVID-19 to be a global emergency on January 30, when there were only 82 cases of the disease beyond China. Stop & Shop joined other major supermarket chains on Monday in asking the federal government and states to classify workers as extended first responders in an effort to give them better access to protective equipment and minimize any disruptions to their store operations. The states largest market chain and The United Food and Commercial Workers union, which represents Stop & Shop workers, were in lockstep Monday morning in their joint request for the status for supermarkets. The union had asked for the designation earlier this month in order to get workers benefits including access to basic paper masks through the states supply chain and free rapid COVID-19 testing. Vermont and Minnesota have conferred the status to supermarket workers. Gov. Ned Lamonts office on Monday announced that small businesses classified as essential can apply to receive free surgical masks with a limit of two per employee, with details online at www.ctcovidresponse.org under the coordination of the Connecticut Business & Industry Association. U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., suggested last week he would discuss with Lamont the topic of emergency responder designation for supermarket workers. The senator also expressed his support for an initiative by Senate Democrats to create a Heroes Fund that would award workers in essential businesses an extra $13 an hour through year end and retroactive to January. A Lamont spokesperson did not respond Monday on whether the governor has considered creating a distinct classification for supermarket workers, even as some chains move ahead on their own initiatives. We are already treating our [employees] as first responders, said Stew Leonard Jr., CEO of Norwalk-based Stew Leonards. We are giving them appreciation pay, allowing ... a 30-day sabbatical, giving full pay and benefits to any [employee] who is quarantined, providing ample supplies of gloves and masks [and] redesigned work areas. Leonard added the companys stores in Norwalk, Danbury, Newington and elsewhere have installed Plexiglas shields at checkout lanes and other spots to protect workers and customers. In mid-April, Lamont ordered widespread adoption of the practice in retail stores as part of a Safe Stores directive that among other steps required stores to provide masks and gloves for workers and asked supermarket customers to don them. And Stop & Shop is extending to May 30 a 10-percent bump in pay that began March 22. The UFCW had won similar commitments earlier this month from the states second and third largest U.S. grocery chains in Kroger and Albertsons, whose Acme subsidiary has two stores in Greenwich and one each in Stamford and New Canaan. We have been pleased with some of the changes that have been made, whether its access to hand sanitizer, gloves, face shields, one-way aisles, limited store hours all these measures have helped to protect [workers], said Jorge Cabrera, a union representative for UFCW Local 919 based in Farmington, during a videoconference last week with Blumenthal. Were still working hard to get them extra layers of protection. A UFCW colleague in Bridgeport named Emily Sabo, however, described the steps Stop & Shop had taken as of early last week as the bare minimum. A lot of other grocery stores ... are doing more to protect their associates, Sabo told Blumenthal. Stop & Shop seems to wait until an executive order comes along to act on things. ... I think they need a little bit of a push. Pat Valdez, a UFCW member who works at a Stop & Shop store in New Haven, said workers biggest problem of late is customers not wanting to wear masks. We just dont understand why theyre giving us a problem with that, Valdez said during the Blumenthal videoconference. The majority of the people are being good. Theyre being respectful, theyre thanking us for being at work, but there are ... the few that make it difficult. The union has posted #ShopSmart tips for grocery shoppers online at www.ufcw.org. They run the gamut from keeping abreast of individual store policies to showering upon returning home. Jim Shay contributed to this report. Includes prior reporting by Paul Schott. Alex.Soule@scni.com; 203-842-2545; @casoulman The death of 17-year-old Ahmed al-Daham sparked rumours in Lebanon, with his family saying the conditions surrounding his demise are 'mysterious' writes Al-Araby Al-Jadeed. Activists have expressed suspicions over the death of a 17-year-old Syrian refugee who died in Lebanese detention. Lebanons General Security Directorate handed over the body of Mohammed Ahmed al-Daham to his relatives for burial, saying he had died in prison of a heart attack. However activists have voiced doubt over the cause of death, while his family said the teenager was too young to die from a heart attack as he did not suffer from any heart conditions. They added that there were no signs of torture on his body. When the security forces handed over Mohammeds body, we inspected it closely and did not find any signs of torture. But the circumstances of his death are still mysterious and it we are not convinced he had a heart attack, a relative told Zaman al-Wasl under condition of anonymity. Daham, originally from the town of al-Shatib in Idlib, had been detained for two and a half years, according to local media, after being arrested for having photos of himself with figures from the Syrian opposition on his phone. According to a 2019 report by the Lebanese Centre for Human Rights (CLDH), stress positions, beatings, electric shocks and food deprivation are common practices in detention centres. In CLDHs visits to prisons, 42 out of the 92 inmates interviewed stated they had been physically tortured. Many physical and psychological torture practices will not leave lasting marks on the body. Syrian and Palestinian refugees, who face systemic discrimination and denial of basic human rights in Lebanon, are among the most groups to be tortured by the Army Intelligence, General Security and the Internal Security Forces, multiple NGOs have said. Migrant workers, low-income detainees, sex workers and LGBT individuals are also more likely to be tortured, as well as those accused of theft, terrorism, or drug-related crimes. Lebanons armed force have been accused of widespread torture of Syrian refugee detainees. Four such prisoners died in 2017 after they were seized in mass raids at refugee camps on the Syria-Lebanon border. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. Some may remember the infamous scene from the Disney classic Lion King when Simba goes to an empty valley to practise his roar. The clip has such a scandalous reputation because its right after Simbas cute misadventures with his roar that Mufasa becomes victim to a Wildebeest stampede. But if you had any negative associations with that particular moment in the film, this real-life Simba lookalike lion cub is here to override that childhood memory. This 15-second-long clip was posted to Twitter on April 26. Though the recording has been around the Internet for some time now, it recently resurfaced in popularity after being shared on the micro-blogging site by an account called Welcome To Nature. Captioned This little lion cub in Serengeti National Park, it shows a baby lion trying to practice its roar whilst walking across the landscape in Tanzania. Netizens cannot get over how purrr-fect this little fellow is! The post currently has almost 200 comments and over 9,500 likes. The video itself has been watched over 91,300 times. This little lion cub in Serengeti National Park pic.twitter.com/8kXAjsALSw Welcome To Nature (@welcomet0nature) April 25, 2020 Here is how tweeple reacted to Simbas doppelganger! One person said, Scary roars from Simba. While another wrote, Thats just the most adorable. Did you hear his lion roar?. Oh my god look how precious he is! This is super sweet, thank you for sharing that with me, read one comment on the thread. Meanwhile, another Twitter user stated, this just made my day...sooooo cute. Here are some other reactions: Beautiful Simbha P.Oberoi (@pawan1234o) April 26, 2020 I really love this (@PokeCloverBC) April 25, 2020 Absolutely adorable Bless the little one! Syed Arefin (@iamsyedarefin) April 26, 2020 Can you say, "Fierce?" Jack (@mykatzkeeper) April 25, 2020 This recording is a little old so we wonder if this particular feline has discovered its thunderous roar now. What are your thoughts on this little big kitty trying to find its voice? Workers wear face masks while working on the car assembly line as automobile production resumes at the Volkswagen factory in Wolfsburg during the coronavirus crisis. (Alexander Koerner/Getty Images) Car giant Volkswagen (VOW3.DE) is bringing its manufacturing plants back online on Monday, after being shut down since mid-March due to the coronavirus pandemic. In Wolfsburg, the site of VWs biggest factory, some 8,000 workers will return on Monday. VWs board member for production Andreas Tostman told Reuters that production capacity in Wolfsburg will be at around 10-to-15% to begin with and ramp up to 40% of pre-pandemic levels from next week. The gradual resumption of production is an important sign for the workforce, the trade, the suppliers and the economy as a whole, said VWs passenger car brand COO Ralf Brandstatter. Workers are returning under strict new hygiene measures that include regular disinfecting of tools and surfaces, taking their own temperatures, and changing into work clothes at home to avoid crowded changing rooms. They will also need to maintain the 1.5-metre social distancing rule that remains in place across Germany. Germany began to ease its strict coronavirus lockdown last week, with small shops of up to 800 square metres allowed to re-open. Car dealerships are also allowed to reopen. Some school classes will begin as of 4 May, but social distancing measures in public remain in place. READ MORE: Coronavirus: New car registrations in EU plunge by 55% in March All of the countrys 16 states have made it mandatory to wear face masks on public transport, and most of them have made mask-wearing compulsory in shops too. The Volkswagen Group said on 17 April that sales for the first quarter had shrunk by 23% from the same time period last year, to two million vehicles. The worlds biggest carmaker by sales saw its sales drop by over 37% in the month of March, as demand dried up and plants and dealerships were shuttered as part of coronavirus lockdowns. VW also plans to restart its plants in Spain, Portugal, Russia, and South Africa this week, and its US plant in Chattanooga from next week, under the same strict hygiene rules. Story continues Volkswagen-owned Audi reopened its engine plant in Hungary last week, with reduced shifts, and will also gradually begin car production at the site this week. READ MORE: Volkswagen posts Q1 sales slump, ditches 2020 forecast A number of other carmakers are also rebooting production again. Hyundai (HYMTF) has re-opened its Nosovice plant in the Czech Republic, while French carmaker Renault (RNO.PA) has begun production in Portugal again. Volvo (VOLV-B.ST) also reopened its main plant in Torslanda, Sweden last week. New Zealand is preparing to ease rules on a strict lockdown put in place to limit the spread of coronavirus. The country reported five new Covid-19 cases on Monday but has not seen widespread community transition and will allow a partial reopening of the economy. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the country has so far managed to avoid the worst scenarios for an outbreak and would continue to hunt down the last few cases. From midnight on Monday, certain businesses such as construction will be allowed to reopen, but social distancing rules will still apply. Meanwhile, South Korea is looking at reopening schools as the number of cases begins to tail off. Authorities reported 10 new cases on Monday, the 26th straight day where this number has been in double figures. Using an active test-and-quarantine program, South Korea has so far managed to slow its outbreak without imposing lockdowns or business bans. However, schools have been closed and remote-learning programmes set up in their place. Expand Close Women wearing protective face masks to help stop the spread of the new coronavirus push a child on a pram (Andy Wong/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Women wearing protective face masks to help stop the spread of the new coronavirus push a child on a pram (Andy Wong/AP) Prime Minster Chung Sye-kyun instructed education officials to prepare measures to ensure hygiene and enforce distance between students at schools so the government could announce a timeline for reopening schools no later than early May. Authorities in China reported three new cases on Monday and have now gone 12 days without recording a death relating to Covid-19. The coronavirus outbreak originated from the country, and 723 people remain in hospital suffering from the virus, while a further 1,000 are being kept in isolation. State-run media in China said hospitals in Wuhan, the original epicentre of the pandemic, no longer have any Covid-19 patients. Beijing added one additional post-mortem death to its count, raising Chinas overall death toll to 4,633 from 82,830 cases. Of the new cases, two were imported and one was detected in the province of Heilongjiang bordering Russia, according to the National Health Commission. Expand Close (PA Graphics) Press Association Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp (PA Graphics) In Spain, the nation let children go outside for the first time in six weeks, with many other European countries reopening factories and construction sites. In the US, governors in states including hard-hit New York and Michigan are keeping stay-at-home restrictions in place until at least mid-May, while their counterparts in places such as Georgia, Oklahoma and Alaska are allowing certain businesses to reopen. White House strategists are planning to shift President Donald Trumps public focus from the pandemic toward fixing the economy. This comes after he was sharply criticised in recent days for publicly musing that scientists should explore injecting toxic disinfectants as a potential virus cure. Expand Close The Frecce Tricolori aerobatic squad of the Italian Air Force flies over Rome on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the Liberation Day (AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The Frecce Tricolori aerobatic squad of the Italian Air Force flies over Rome on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the Liberation Day (AP) The official death toll from the virus has topped 206,000 worldwide, with nearly three million confirmed infections, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University. The real figures are believed to be much higher, in part because of inadequate testing and differences in counting the dead. Italy, Britain, Spain and France accounted for more than 20,000 deaths each. In the US, the death toll was nearly 55,000 close to the 58,000 US troops who were killed during the Vietnam War. There have been some encouraging signs, as Italy recorded its lowest 24-hour number of deaths since mid-March, with 260. New York state registered its lowest figure since late last month, with 367. Seven weeks into Italys strict lockdown, Premier Giuseppe Conte laid out a long-awaited timetable for getting back to normal, announcing that factories, construction sites and wholesale supply businesses can resume activity as soon as they put safety measures in place against the virus. Expand Close A health worker is disinfected inside a portable tent outside the Gat Andres Bonifacio Memorial Medical Centre during an enhanced community quarantine to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus in Manila, Philippines (AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A health worker is disinfected inside a portable tent outside the Gat Andres Bonifacio Memorial Medical Centre during an enhanced community quarantine to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus in Manila, Philippines (AP) Mr Conte also said that starting on May 4, parks and gardens will reopen, funerals will be allowed, athletes can resume training, and people will be able to visit relatives living in the same region. He said that if all goes well, stores and museums will reopen May 18, and restaurants, cafes and salons on June 1. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez will present a detailed plan for the de-escalation of Spains lockdown, but said the government would take a cautious approach. French leaders will do the same on Tuesday. Other European nations are further along in relaxing their restrictions. Germany allowed nonessential shops and other facilities to open last week, and Denmark has reopened schools for younger children. Doctors union demands full disclosure on corona tests carried out in the quarantine wards of Chennai hospital Tamil Nadu Fire and Rescue Services personnel spray disinfectant on a street in Chennai as a preventive measure against the coronavirus pandemic. (PTI) Chennai: An alarming message that is being circulated among medicine PG students points to a massive government cover-up on the situation at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital with many interns and post-graduate students who did duty in the coronavirus wards being infected by the virus and forced to quarantine in their rooms. MMC has been compromised. The PG hostel has been put under lockdown. The UG and CRRI hostel has been put under lockdown. So starts the message, and goes on to say, The Department has broken down due to its cavalier attitude. As of now, please do not refer any cases. Casualty has been informed to directly refer cases to Stanley/KMC or other city hospital. Sorry for the inconvenience. Another alarm raised in the message is: No CRRIs have reported for the past 5 days. Substantiating this, Doctors Association for Social Equality (DASE) general secretary G R Ravindranath issued a statement on Sunday alleging that all interns were locked inside the hostel and that it raised many doubts, making parents worried. It was shocking that PG students have been infected by the coronavirus in a big way, Ravindranath said, adding that tests should be conducted on all interns and PG students and the results announced openly. The message of the PG students said: It is rumoured that many CRRIs and PGs are positive but they arent giving the swab reports just telling to quarantine in hostel in separate rooms. The PG medical students are also claiming that patients were not getting drugs and that ward staff had turned positive and were being quarantined. Ravindranath said it was regrettable that a lack of PPEs and non-adherence to protocols were the reasons behind the increase in the spread of Covid-19 among the medical community. He alleged that doctors working in the coronavirus wards were given only seven days quarantine leave. Since the incubation period of the virus was two to 14 days, returning to work in seven days was unscientific as it can infect others and would not help prevent the spread of the virus, he said. Ravindranath wanted the doctors to be given 14 days quarantine leave after seven days of duty and the setting up of a separate monitoring team. To offset the shortage of doctors, Ravindranath urged the government to appoint more medical graduates, particularly those waiting for government posting after graduation. Binghamton, N.Y. The owner and an employee of a downtown Binghamton brewpub were charged last week after police said they refused to comply with state and city coronavirus shutdown orders. Binghamton police said they found several people drinking in the bar at Water Street Brewing Co. after 10 p.m. on Wednesday, April 22, according to reports at pressconnects.com and other media outlets. Police said their attempts to enter the bar were hindered by owner Kristin Andrascik and employee Nicholas Hall, according to the news reports. Andrascik and Hall were each ticketed for obstructing governmental administration. Andrascik was also ticketed for violating the states emergency order that shuts bars and restaurant dining rooms. Police referred the case to the New York State Liquor Authority, which has the power to suspend or revoke the brewpubs alcohol license. Water Street Brewing is a restaurant and bar with an on-site brewhouse, In a Facebook post on Friday, the owners of Water Street Brewing contend the only people inside the bar that night were employees who had ended their work shifts. Under the states emergency order, the brewpub is allowed to make beer and serve customers via pickup or delivery. ... Wed like to make clear that we take the Governors executive order very seriously, and that the health and safety of our community is of utmost importance to us, the Facebook post says. "... Weve worked very hard to accommodate our customers changing needs during this trying time, and will continue to do so while holding the safety of our customers and community paramount. We encourage anyone with questions to reach out. We hope this will all be cleared up in good time. According to the Binghamton media accounts, patrol officers were responding late Wednesday to reports of suspicious activity in the Water Street area and were also checking for violations of the citys emergency curfew, which is in effect from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. Police said they found the rear door of the Water Street Brewing Co. unsecured, according to pressconnects.com. The officers announced themselves several times with no answer, the website reported, citing police accounts of the incident. The officers found the interior lights on and loud music playing and saw several people drinking at the bar. Bar employee Nicholas Hall approached the officers and asked them to leave and allegedly interfered with officers attempt to enter the business, the reports said. Officers returned a short time later with a police supervisor and found people still at the bar with music still playing. Andrascik told officers the only people in the bar were employees. She then allegedly prevented officers from coming into the business, according to police reports. According to police, Andrascik and Hall said they were aware of the COVID-19 guidelines but refused to close the business or allow officers inside. Both were ticketed to appear in Binghamton City Court. According to Water Street Brewings Facebook page, the brewpub was open last week and made deliveries of food to several local health care facilities. So far, the State Liquor Authority has issued emergency license suspensions for eight bars found to be in violation of the shutdown order. Two were in Erie County and one in Westchester County. The rest were in New York City. Bars with suspended licenses cannot serve any alcohol, including takeout or delivery. The owners can appeal the suspensions. MORE ON CORONAVIRUS Coronavirus in NY: Cases, maps, charts and resources Gov. Cuomo on reopening schools, summer school, remote learning and district budgets As coronavirus deaths in NY fall below 400, Cuomo gives some details about phased reopening The week we went from defense to offense; CNYs coronavirus fight turns a corner 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. LIVINGSTON COUNTY, MI - There are five new coronavirus cases and no new deaths reported in Livingston County on Monday, according to the county health department. The county now has 319 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus per the statewide update at 3 p.m. April 27. Three additional fatalities from the weekend brings the death toll to 14. Details on the three deceased individuals have not been released yet. The other 11 deceased patients include seven elderly women and four elderly men, all but one of whom suffered from underlying health conditions, said health department spokeswoman Natasha Radke. Livingston County reports 3 more coronavirus deaths and 3 new cases Livingston Countys confirmed coronavirus patients are dying at a rate just more than 4%, according to the county health database. The rate takes into account the COVID-19 deaths divided by the number of confirmed cases but keep in mind, the actual number of COVID-19 cases is likely much higher than the number that has been confirmed. There have been 65 county residents hospitalized with COVID-19. Women make up 55% of the countys cases and men make up about 45%. Patients age 50 to 59 account for about 24% of the countys cases. There are 37 cases in people 29-years-old or younger. There have been 156 recoveries from COVID-19, according to the health department. Recovered patients have to be fever-free for 72 hours, have improved respiratory symptoms and have at least a week since symptoms first appeared. Livingston County has activated its Emergency Operations Center to ensure community members are informed and provided resources daily, according to a news release. For more information, visit the county site at LCHD.org or the countys emergency management or health pages on Facebook. Statewide novel coronavirus cases surpassed 38,000, and deaths increased by 92 to eclipse 3,400. For more updates from April 27, click here. Sorry, but your browser does not support frames. Sorry, but your browser does not support frames. Read all of MLives coverage on the coronavirus at mlive.com/coronavirus. Additional information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus. The last week of coronavirus in Livingston County: No new coronavirus cases, deaths in Livingston County for first time since March 4 more coronavirus cases in Livingston County, 6th single-digit increase this week 7 more coronavirus cases in Livingston County, no new deaths Coronavirus cases surpass 300 in Livingston County 5th straight day of single-digit increase in coronavirus cases in Livingston County CARLSBAD, Calif., April 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- KnowledgeCity is making efforts to help the millions of people who have lost their jobs and small business owners who have had to close their doors and find new opportunities through skills training. Highly sought-after job skills will be offered at no cost through the company's website. "The current global crisis has been devastating. Everyone has been affected by this pandemic in one way or another," said Melody Godsey, KnowledgeCity Business Manager. "It is time for everyone to band together and help in any way we can. At KnowledgeCity, we create training that can help those affected in the job market. We are proud to join in the efforts to help others by offering our training courses as a free resource to those affected by this pandemic." Anyone impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic can easily access online training courses hand-picked by training specialists at KnowledgeCity by visiting www.knowledgecity.com and selecting the Free Courses category from the All Courses drop-down menu. Users can build new skills in these categories: Business, Computer, and Safety. The courses are designed to provide some of the most important skills recruiters look for in new hires including communication, adaptive thinking, emotional intelligence, Microsoft Office skills, as well as courses on productivity and time management. "COVID-19 has affected our way of life in unprecedented ways," said Marwan Alshaer, KnowledgeCity Managing Director. "This pandemic not only poses health risks to many but has also rattled the economic status of the globe and financial stability of countless people. With that being said, we are always reminded, in challenging times such as these, of our nation's willpower to come together and get through whatever obstacles may lay ahead. If ever there was a situation to test a corporation's conviction to do right by the people it serves and society as a whole, it is the one we are facing now." Data reported by the U.S. Department of Labor on April 23, 2020 showed a staggering 26.4 million Americans have filed for unemployment benefits and in a poll conducted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, 43 percent of small businesses feared permanent closure in less than six months. By providing free skills training during the pandemic, KnowledgeCity hopes to help ease the transition and give these displaced workers and business owners an opportunity to reenter the workforce with more competitive skills. About KnowledgeCity: KnowledgeCity.com is an online training company based in Carlsbad, California. Founded in 2007, KnowledgeCity has created a vast library of courses consisting of more than 14,000 video tutorials to provide training and development that is both convenient and effective. Courses are authored by university professors and industry experts to ensure that all training provided by KnowledgeCity is of the highest quality available. Media Contact: Melody Godsey Email: [email protected] Phone: 855-200-1300 Related Images knowledgecity-logo.png KnowledgeCity Logo KnowledgeCity Logo Related Links Knowledgecity Website Knowledgecity Catalog SOURCE KnowledgeCity Related Links https://www.knowledgecity.com Avaya Holdings Corp has launched Avaya Spaces, the cloud meeting and collaboration app, in Bahrain, and is offering free 60-day access to the solution for any organisation. It also offers free access through August for education and non-profit organisations, amid an increase in the number of people in the country self-quarantining and working from home. That increase stems from government rules that seek to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. Authorities recently extended closure measures - affecting cinemas, gyms, salons and other businesses - for two further weeks. Avaya Spaces is recognised for its ease of implementation and the significant impact it can have on organisational resilience and continuity at such a time. Accessible from a browser or mobile app, the solution will enable Bahraini citizens and organisations to connect and collaborate remotely going beyond integrating chat, voice, video, online meetings and content sharing. With the launch of Avaya Spaces in Bahrain, citizens can benefit from a cost-effective solution that enables business continuity regardless of where employees are located. We applaud the governments actions to contain the spread of the coronavirus, while at the same time support the many organisations on the ground that need to move quickly to adapt to the new realities as a result of travel restrictions, said Faten Halabi, Regional Sales Leader Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait & Pakistan, Avaya. Avaya Spaces provides users with an extensive set of meeting and team collaboration features, including voice and video conferencing for up to 500 participants and unlimited online storage. As a mobile-enabled solution, it also offers a simple, secure and effective way to track communications and manage tasks when travel and connectivity are limited. Since January, Avaya has seen an increase of more than 2,700% in video collaboration traffic on the Avaya Spaces platform. And in the past weeks alone, several hundred universities, schools and other organisations worldwide have engaged Avaya to gain the connectivity and collaboration capabilities Avaya Spaces provides as they address the challenges of this pandemic. For example, Charter College International High School in Johannesburg, South Africa is one of many schools that has transitioned to online learning and is using Avaya Spaces to enable this. In the UK, leading IT distributor Westcon made the decision to enable some staff roles to work from home and has used Avaya Spaces to ensure total business continuity for employees without any disruption for partners. In Germany, a driving school is now providing driving classes over Avaya Spaces. And in the UAE, CPI Media Group is maintaining publishing activities by collaborating with Avaya Spaces. -- Tradearabia News Service Xiaomi has built its reputation in the tech world based on its MIUI ROM and over the years, it has always been a step ahead of the competition when it concerns updates. Xiaomi releases a new version of MIUI every year, bringing smart and advanced features to all its phones across different price points. This year, it will be MIUI 12 that promises some drastic upgrades for a lot of Xiaomi phones, even if they are stuck on older Android versions. Yes, MIUI 12 is hitting a total of 42 smartphones this year. Before checking the new features, here's a list of everything new MIUI 12 will bring to your Xiaomi smartphone. New privacy features Prior to the launch, Xiaomi has been teasing some aspects of MIUI 12, with one of them including a TUV Rheinland certification, which was said to be the first for a mobile operating system. Well, now we know the reason behind that certification. MIUI 12 brings massive updates to security and privacy for Xiaomi phones. Under the new privacy features, MIUI 12 will now notify users every time an app or game is accessing crucial information, such as access to microphone, camera, storage, gallery, location or any other important aspect. This was part of Android 10 but Xiaomi disabled it for MIUI 11 and integrated it with the newer OS. MIUI 12 also has a new virtual identity feature that provides a virtual identity to apps or websites, concealing real data. The user can choose what data should the system provide to such apps or websites. The feature is said to be quite similar to "Sign in with Google". MIUI gets its own health app We saw Huawei and Samsung offering health apps for a long time and now Xiaomi is also part of it. MIUI 12 has been given a bespoke Health app that can record steps, stairs climbed, walking, running, etc. Xiaomi has even baked in the ability to record sleep data and snoring. Lots and lots of animations Love animations? MIUI 12 brings a lot of it. The new UI focuses on refinements and thrown in lots of animations to make the experience fluid. Xiaomi has updated the rendering engine for showing smoother curves as well as real-world light and shadows, advanced colour mixing, real-time blur, better anti-aliasing rounded corners, improved curvature matching the phone's display, curves, and dynamic rounded corners. There's also a new physical engine that alters the animations based on the touch input. Xiaomi says that you can open and close an app midway during an animation. The icons will also react to the touch gesture. Device rotation animations have also been refined, with the jittery movement effect said to be gone. Of course, MIUI 12 brings new Always On Display items as well as new wallpapers. iPad-like multitasking on Android You still need a big screen to multitask like an iPad but Xiaomi has ensured that using multiple apps at the same time is now easier. More apps and even games can now be windowed while using another app. Xiaomi is using Android's PiP feature to make apps float over others, complete with its own gestures. This will be something to look forward to. Which devices will get MIUI 12 A total of 42 devices are supposed to get the Chinese version of MIUI 12. The first batch of devices includes all the Mi 10 series, the Mi 9 series, Redmi K30 Pro series, Redmi K30 (5G and 4G), Redmi K20 Pro Premium Edition, Redmi K20 Pro and Redmi K20. The second batch of devices includes Mi MIX 3, Mi MIX 2S, Mi CC9 series, Mi 9 SE, Mi 8 series, Redmi Note 8 Pro, Redmi Note 7 Pro and Redmi Note 7. The third batch of devices includes the Mi CC9E, Mi Note 3, Mi Max 3, Mi 8 Youth Edition, Mi 8 SE, Mi MIX 2, Mi 6X, Redmi Note 8, Redmi 8, Redmi 8A, Redmi 7, Redmi 7A, Redmi 6 Pro, Redmi 6, Redmi 6A, Redmi Note 5 and Redmi S2. There are a couple of newer devices that aren't included in the list. Do note that these are eligible for the Chinese version of MIUI 12. The global version of MIUI 12 could include other devices such as the Redmi Note 9 Pro and Redmi Note 6 Pro. BEIJING, April 26 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. administration has multiplied the means of scapegoating China even when it is busy fighting with the coronavirus on its own turf. It is nothing short of absurdity and an ugly political show. Recently, attorney generals of the states of Missouri and Mississippi filed lawsuits against China, demanding it should take responsibilities and compensate losses incurred during the coronavirus outbreak. The allegation does not have any legal or factual basis, but only incites hatred. Based on the principle of sovereign equality prescribed by the international law, U.S. domestic courts have no jurisdiction over the sovereign actions taken by the Chinese government in response to the epidemic. China did not cover up any facts and has been timely sharing information with the world from the very beginning. Since Jan. 3, China has been regularly informing the WHO, relevant countries, including the United States, about the COVID-19 outbreak. On Jan. 12, China shared with the WHO information on the genome sequence of the novel coronavirus, which has laid a solid basis for global efforts of scientific research and vaccine development against COVID-19, the common enemy of humanity. China has fulfilled its obligations in accordance with the International Health Regulations, as the WHO commented that China had set a new benchmark for the world in fulfilling its international duties. The U.S. abuse of litigation against China carries little legal significance but serves as a political show in an election year in the United States. According to a U.S. media report, some Republicans worked out campaign guidelines asking candidates to address the coronavirus crisis by aggressively attacking China. Clearly, China-bashing has been intensively exploited in an election year complicated by the coronavirus epidemic. China has carried out the prevention and control of the epidemic in an open, transparent and responsible way. American politicians should spend more time working out effective ways to bring the domestic outbreak under control as early as possible, instead of shifting blame and shirking their responsibilities. H ealth minister Edward Argar has said the Government is on target to reach 100,000 coronavirus tests per day by Thursday. Health Secretary Matt Hancock has pledged to hit that figure by the end of April, but ministers have been increasingly talking about capacity in response to questions on this topic in recent days. The health secretary did not use the word capacity in relation to the 100,000 target when announcing the goal on April 2. Asked on Monday if the Government would deliver on Mr Hancock's promise, Mr Argar said officials were "massively ramping up the efforts to do this". There is a few days to go but we are confident that we are on target for that, not least with the expansion last week with who is eligible to actually access those tests now," he told LBC. It is huge numbers of people and we have seen how many have tried to access those tests in the past few days." Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said at the weekend that the testing capacity had risen to more than 50,000 - although according to the latest official figures the numbers carried out have only reached 29,000. The Army is being deployed across the UK to help establish mobile facilities for testing that can be set up in less than 20 minutes and allow hundreds of people to be tested each day. That comes after the Government last week expanded its restrictions on testing eligibility, with the list now including all NHS and social care staff as well as other key workers, such as police officers, teachers, social workers, undertakers, journalists and those who work in supermarkets and food production. However, tests for key workers via the governments booking website ran out quickly for the third day in a row yesterday. Following its launch on Friday, slots for both home-testing and drive-through centres in England were used up within the first few hours. Care home left waiting 10 days for coronavirus tests Reports over the weekend suggested that some NHS staff were waiting 25 days to receive their test results. Mr Argar said the Government would investigate those reports, adding results should be made available "within around 48 hours". Longer delays than that and there may be in some cases a scientific, clinical reason why a particular test doesnt work or is delayed," he told LBC. But that is not something people should have to wait for. He added: The overwhelming majority are being done within 48 hours. I havent had any reports of significant numbers being significantly delayed but Im always happy to look into that. And if there are delays, we will fix them. UK health minister backs continued lockdown Speaking separately to BBC Breakfast concerning ongoing social distancing rules, Mr Argar said it was too soon for any relaxation of the nationwide lockdown, adding it had "made a real difference" in the battle against coronavirus. "I understand the frustrations that people are having with these measures, they are restrictive and they are very difficult," he said. A pair of pincers mounted on a one-foot pole to catch people violating Covid-19 lockdown rules while maintaining safe distance, circulated on social media by Chandigarh Police, has invited public wrath. Many users said it undermines a persons dignity and stigmatises people suffering from the disease. A video tweeted on Saturday by UT director general of police (DGP) Sanjay Baniwal showed staff of the VIP security wing demonstrating the device to enable police personnel to catch lockdown violators from a safe distance. A police officer was seen in the video asking an unidentified man to put up his hands before leading him to a police vehicle. Many Twitter users called it dehumanising, with one named Wasir Abbas saying it undermined the dignity of humans. A lawyer, Amitjit, said it violated the principles of detention under the UN Human Rights Council. Another user, Ajay Pal Singh, said that it propagated the idea that people suffering from Covid-19 should be treated like animals. SOME HUMOUR TOO Pointing out that police in Nepal had been using a similar device, some Twitter users took recourse to humour, calling it the long arm of the law. Even as the message was circulated on WhatsApp, RS Gill, president of the Sector 8 Resident Welfare Association, said, In villages we use a similar contraption for animals. Using it on humans is dehumanising. It is understandable that the police personnel want to use this for their safety, but proper safety equipment such as masks, face screens and gloves will be enough. Theres no official word, however, on when the device will be brought into use, police officers say. Commenting on the matter, the head of the security wing, deputy inspector general of police (DIG, traffic and security) Shashank Anand said, The security wing team had seen this on the internet and tried to replicate it. It will be used if required by the law and order machinery. He added that the team on the video, which included inspector Manjeet, head constables Gurdeep and Pawan and constable Usha had given a demonstration of the pedal operated hand sanitation station at the traffic lines in Sector 29. 18,593 PERSONS ROUNDED UP Chandigarh Police have since March 23 rounded up 18,593 persons for questioning and 181 persons have been booked under Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for leaving their homes for morning/evening walks. About 160 more have been booked for going out without face masks. According to DGP Baniwal, Everything has its pros and cons. It was made to ensure distance during police action. However, it is still at an experimental stage and we havent used it in the field. It can also be improved upon. President Donald Trump listens as Dr. Deborah Birx, White House coronavirus response coordinator, speaks about the coronavirus in the White House briefing room on April 22. Read more WASHINGTON Some form of social distancing will probably remain in place through the summer, Deborah Birx, the White Houses coronavirus task force coordinator, said Sunday the same day several governors expressed optimism about the course of the virus and outlined their plans for a piecemeal reopening of their economies. It was the latest instance of conflicting signals coming not just from state and federal leaders but also from within the Trump administration amid a coronavirus pandemic that so far has claimed the lives of more than 54,000 Americans. Last week, Vice President Mike Pence predicted that "we will largely have this coronavirus epidemic behind us" by Memorial Day weekend in late May. But on Sunday, Birx said in an interview on NBC News' "Meet the Press" that "social distancing will be with us through the summer to really ensure that we protect one another as we move through these phases." She cited the need for further testing to be developed after a potential scientific "breakthrough." The mixed messages come as Americans are entering a confusing and uncertain new phase in the coronavirus crisis. After weeks of being told to simply stay home to halt the spread of the virus, individuals and business owners are now facing more complex decisions about how to proceed in the absence of clear guidance from their leaders. In places where restaurant dining rooms are reopening, is it safe to go? Is it a good idea to return to the hair salon for a much-needed trim? And for business owners facing a litany of new guidelines about how to reopen without endangering their workers or customers, are the risks worth it? Emily Landon, chief infectious-disease epidemiologist at University of Chicago Medicine, said those calculations are tricky for people in states that are beginning to reopen because of the continued lack of widespread testing and the inability to effectively track people who might have been infected. "It's hard for me to know what I'd do" in one of the states where governors have announced that spas and salons are able to reopen, Landon said. "I wouldn't go. And I wouldn't recommend that my family went. I would recommend that people stay home." Landon said that in her view, it's still not safe for states to fully reopen or for Americans to try to resume their lives as they were before the pandemic hit. "This is a brand-new virus, and we have to do these things in a measured way," she said. "Without requirements for things like [personal protective equipment], social distancing and really thoughtful policies for how to do these openings, it's not the time to do them." FAQ: Your coronavirus questions, answered. In its broad guidelines for states to follow as they begin a phased reopening, the White House earlier this month recommended that a number of criteria, such as increasing capacity for testing and contact tracing, should be met before proceeding. Across the country, however, some states are already relaxing their social distancing restrictions amid pressure from protesters, business groups and others. On Sunday, several governors defended their decision to do so, arguing that their states' closures have successfully achieved their goal of building hospital capacity, acquiring personal protective equipment and reducing the spread of the pandemic's growth. "The facts in our state are: March 30, we peaked in hospitalizations, with 560 across the state," Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, a Republican, said on "Fox News Sunday." "Today we have 300 across the state in our hospitals. We think it's time for a measured reopening." Stitt said that more than 55,000 Oklahomans have been tested and that the positive rate was 6.3%. He also noted that no one is obliged to reopen a business. "I'm giving guidance. If a restaurant doesn't feel like they're ready to reopen," he said, "they don't have to." On CNN's "State of the Union," Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, a Democrat, also defended his decision to partially reopen his state, and maintained that he is focused on social distancing measures that are sustainable for the coming weeks and months. "We've really been laser-focused on figuring out how we can endure and sustain these kinds of social distancing measures," Polis said. "If we can't succeed in doing that, the stay-at-home was for nothing." Polis said an apparent spike in coronavirus cases in Colorado was attributable to previous tests that were just confirmed and added to the total, and does not reflect the present situation. The debate over reopening in the United States comes as another hard-hit country, Spain, allowed children under 14 to go outside for the first time in six weeks. The country, which has had more than 207,000 coronavirus cases and 23,190 deaths, has been in the midst one of Europe's strictest lockdowns since last month. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, meanwhile, is set to return to work Monday after more than three weeks battling a coronavirus infection. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, who has been standing in for Johnson, told Sky News on Sunday that the prime minister is "raring to go." In the United States, the steps being taken toward reopening vary by state. In some places, such as Florida, beaches have reopened on a limited basis, with police urging visitors to keep moving and avoid congregating. In Oklahoma, Stitt gave salons, barbers and pet groomers the green light to resume business late last week, and restaurants will be allowed to reopen their doors Friday. In New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, said Sunday that construction and manufacturing businesses outside of the New York City region might be able to reopen after May 15, when the state's stay-home order expires. And in Georgia, businesses including bowling alleys, tattoo parlors, gyms and hair salons have already been allowed to reopen, with movie theaters and dine-in restaurants expected to follow suit Monday. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican, has come under fire for the speed with which he has rolled back social distancing restrictions, and on Sunday, former Food and Drug Administration commissioner Scott Gottlieb said the state is opening up too early. "Georgia is certainly jumping the gun, I think here, getting started too early relative to where they are in the epidemic," Gottlieb said on CBS News' "Face the Nation." Asked whether he thinks states such as Georgia and Oklahoma are reopening too quickly, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, chairman of the National Governors Association, said that he was "going to be very cautious" in making decisions about his own state but declined to criticize other governors. "Certain states are in different points of the curve, and they've got different situations on the ground, and I don't want to second guess my colleagues in different states," Hogan, a Republican, said on ABC News' "This Week." While Pence and President Donald Trump have in recent weeks voiced optimism about the speed with which they expect the country to be able to reopen, Birx and Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, have voiced caution. On "Meet the Press" on Sunday, Birx was asked about Pence's remark to a Cleveland radio station last week that "if you look at the trends today, that I think by Memorial Day weekend we will largely have this coronavirus epidemic behind us." She appeared to contradict Pences comment, projecting that social distancing will continue through the summer, and said the country needs to have a breakthrough in testing for antigens molecules or molecular structures that trigger an immune response to get on track toward normalcy. After a torrent of criticism sparked by his suggestion at Thursday's coronavirus task force briefing that injecting disinfectants into the human body might help fight the coronavirus, Trump did not appear in public over the weekend. On Saturday night, he questioned in a tweet whether the task force briefings were worth his time, declaring, "They get record ratings, & the American people get nothing but Fake News." On Sunday, his wife, Melania Trump's 50th birthday, the president continued to tweet angrily about the media, lashing out at reporters who he said "have received Noble Prizes for their work on Russia, Russia, Russia, only to have been proven totally wrong." Trump appears to have misspelled the Nobel Prize, though journalists recognized for their coverage of the Russia investigation received a different prize, the Pulitzer. He later deleted the tweets and then tweeted that he was being sarcastic, writing: "Does anybody get the meaning of what a so-called Noble (not Nobel) Prize is, especially as it pertains to Reporters and Journalists? Noble is defined as, 'having or showing fine personal qualities or high moral principles and ideals.' Does sarcasm ever work?" Despite Trump's efforts to change the topic, Democrats continued to hammer him for his remarks about disinfectants as a possible cure for the virus. "You know what they call that? They call that embalming," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said on CNN's "State of the Union." "That's the medical term." The Washington Posts Kim Bellware, Peter Whoriskey and Siobhan OGrady in Washington and Pamela Rolfe in Madrid contributed to this report. Interview with CEO Christopher Gerteisen Sydney, April 27, 2020 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Christopher Gerteisen is the CEO and Executive Director of Nova Minerals ( OTCMKTS:NVAAF ), an exploration company based in Australia and listed on the Australian Stock Exchange ( ASX:NVA ) and the Frankfurt Stock Exchange ( FRA:QM3 ). Nova is focused on gold exploration in two highly prospective regions, the Tintina Gold Province in Alaska and the Northern Territory in Australia.What's your journey in becoming a CEO?I joined the company as CEO as the company was gearing up towards expanding its resource and progressing the Estelle Gold Camp to production. I've always considered this my area of specialization advancing projects from the resource development phase, where Estelle is positioned now, into mine planning and production. Certainly, my experience in both the technical and management realm reflects success in this arena. What's exciting for me personally, is with the Estelle Gold Project I'm able to put my skills to work in my home state here in Alaska where I was born and bred, and working with an Australian company, a place I consider my second home where, as I like to say, I was reborn and rebred. Up top meets down under, a recipe for success.With over 25 years of experience as a professional geologist in technical and corporate roles, I have an extensive record of managing and advancing complex and challenging resource projects across North America, Australia, and Asia. My experience spans greenfields through to production stage projects focussed on a wide range of commodities, including gold and copper. I have worked as a geologist on the Carlin Trend in Nevada and on exploration in Alaska with Newmont. Have held senior positions at several projects throughout the goldfields of Western Australia. As a research geologist with Newmont I worked on the Batu Hijau Porhryry Cu-Au deposit in Indonesia. Most recently, through my technical contributions and management skills, I played a leading role in the successful start-up, operations, and exploration which resulted in further mine-life extending discoveries at several prominent projects in the Australasian region, including Oxiana's Sepon and PanAust's Phu Bia in Laos.A few years ago, I took the opportunity to finally return to Alaska. I've come full circle. Alaska is a resource-based economy. It's a safe jurisdiction and ticks all the positive boxes for development of a project on the scale of Estelle. I'm based in my hometown where I grew up. Life doesn't get any better than this, building a mine here for my state and bringing jobs and economic benefits to my community. This could be my last stop in what's been a long rewarding journey. But I am now in gold miners heaven!Tell us a bit about your business and how you are commercializing?We are in a self-imposed race to build a senior gold producer. Over the past two years we have been steadily proving up our gold resource, with the results to date going way above and beyond our original expectations. Now we plan to capitalize on this success by fast tracking the resource development. The drilling program currently underway is designed to significantly increase the total resource, adding millions of ounces to our inventory, but also it's aimed at converting a large portion of the resource to the higher confidence Measured and Indicated categories. The Estelle Gold Project is shaping up to be one of the most significant resource endowments, both in terms of quantity and quality, in the world today and the investment community is really starting to tune in to this project. We are seeing the smart money get in early, getting in now. These investors are taking note of resource, as discussed, but are also seeing a capable management team focussed on a fast track towards production at Estelle. The resource development drilling program currently underway will produce results shortly and we plan to release a mid-year JORC compliant resource update. Based on this, we plan to commence the feasibility studies on the path towards production. We are focussed on this objective like a laser, with our internal budgets and schedules moving us to commission a mining operation in the 2023-2024 time frame. I should mention, the production ambitions we are discussing, is only for our Korbel deposit, which on projection shows may host upwards of 10Mozs of gold, not uncommon in the Tintina Gold Province neighbourhood, see Fort Knox, Dublin Gulch, Pogo, etc. In addition, we have 15 other known prospects across our 220km2 claim block, at various stages of advancement. We are steadily progressing this pipeline of opportunities as we are really start unlocking and developing a district here. All of these additional prospects and further upside will provide the resources as we build the next world-class mining district over the next several decades.As a note to investors, I want to make it very clear that Nova Minerals is not building itself to be sold; it's building itself to be a major.How are you managing with the current COVID-19 pandemic on both business and personal front?The health and safety of our people and the safe operation of our site is of paramount importance. Keeping our operation running is critical for jobs, our communities and for the Alaskan economy. We are not a business that can do all of our work remotely and we are fully focused on action to reduce the risk of transmission at our sites and in our offices. In light of COVID-19, we know the situation is difficult and we are encouraging our workforce to look out for each other, their families and communities as we manage through this together.Operations at Estelle continue with additional monitoring and procedures in place to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission among our workforce. As things currently stand, there have been no material impacts on our operations or supply chain with our workforce able to access our safely and operate effectively.Nova's supply chains are still open and we currently have adequate supplies to operate and maintain critical equipment.The Estelle Gold Camp and offices across the world are monitoring local conditions and have plans in place designed to maintain workforce safety and business continuity. These include procedures to move quickly to isolate anyone who may require medical treatment or testing as well as additional information and resources to support the wellbeing of our workforce.What's the most exciting thing about running your business?As I said previously, Alaska is a safe jurisdiction and my hometown; life doesn't get any better or exciting building a mine here for my state and people.I want to make it very clear that Nova Minerals is not building the Estelle Gold Camp to be sold, it's building itself to be big, create jobs and opportunity for the state of Alaska and my people, that's what excites and drives me every day. There are lots of good reasons for that; I would like the Estelle Gold Project to live beyond my lifetime as a very large gold producer and developer. That's something that I'm working hard to try to create, along with all our fine management team and crew on the ground.How do you measure success?Success is measured differently for each stakeholder in Nova Minerals, and my success is when each of those stakeholders is successful. For our investors, it is the share price and resource growth. For the staff, it's doing work they love and which makes them grow professionally, and which rewards them with the upside of the business as we grow the resource and move the project into production.What do you think is the most important quality of being a CEO of a listed company?For any CEO, its resilience, hands down. Ability to problem solve as the challenges come up. Progressing the project regardless what is thrown at you and most importantly looking after your people and all stakeholders each step of the way. The listed aspect adds the dimension of your performance judged by the market each day and it remains your job to run the business and communicate the value to the investors the best you can.What is your favourite book?The Bible, besides all the time-tested lessons to live by and stories of overcoming adversity, up, downs, etc. Here's the takeaway as pertains to the subject at hand, the Estelle Gold Project. When you truly believe in something, put all your heart, mind and soul into it, never give up, never give in. In business we call that perseverance, which has been shown time and again, in research as well as just plain old common sense, as the most critical key ingredient to success in any business endeavour. And that's what we have at Nova Minerals, unshakeable perseverance, and a management team on a mission to develop the next world-class gold district.The Art of War by Sun Tzu is another which gives great insight into strategy to rank and discipline and, as they say, a little bit of luck doesn't hurt either and to quote Sun Tzu "Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity."So the massive gold resource we have at Estelle, that continues to be wide open in all directions, helps our mission immensely. It also helps to have a bunch of committed, capable, and like-minded colleagues in the trenches along the way. I'm so proud to be a part of the Nova Minerals team as we push forward and get the results expected by our stakeholders.What message do you want to send to our readership in Asia?To keep it simple, view us as the Fortescue Metals Group of the Gold space in Alaska and how fast we move.In 2019, we went out to prove the concept in the initial phase of fieldwork. From the first stage of metallurgical test work at the Korbel deposit, we had a 76 per cent average recovery. That result is exceptional when compared with our peers who average 55-60 per cent recovery, in this type of gold operation, even a one or two per cent recovery upgrade has a large impact on overall profitability.Not only have we defined the major resource at 2.5 million ounces, but we managed to do it at a discovery cost of less than US$1 per ounce [A$1.7], which is why we're fast tracking this project. To give some perspective, anything less than US$10 [A$17] per ounce discovery cost is off the charts" and currently US$30 or $40 [A$52 or A$69] an ounce is more realistic.Every time we drill, we're adding millions of ounces to the resource inventory. Our gold is very liberated throughout the ore body, so we have a high recovery, which keeps the recovery cost low, Our 2020 target is to recover somewhere between the 5-10 million-ounce range. Adopting advanced ore sorting technology is also an exciting possibility thanks to the style and mineralisation of our rock, which will further improve our recovery.We believed in the project and now we've proved it. We have 15 other known prospects at various stages of advancement and Korbel, which is developing into a super pit scenario, so our future is very exciting.Republished by permission of www.stockpal.asiaTo view the article, please visit:About Nova Minerals Limited Nova Minerals Limited's (ASX:NVA) (FRA:QM3) (OTCMKTS:NVAAF) vision is to develop North America's next major gold trend. The company is focused on exploration in Alaska's prolific Tintina Gold Belt, a province which hosts a 220 million ounce (Moz) documented gold endowment and some of the world's largest gold mines and discoveries including Victoria Gold's Eagle Mine and Kinross Gold Corporation's Fort Knox Gold Mine. The company's flagship Estelle Project has a current total estimated JORC gold resource of 9.6Moz (3Moz Indicated and 6.6Moz Inferred). Estelle is a 45km long string of 15 identified gold prospects bracketed by the Korbel deposit in the north and the RPM deposit in the south. These two deposits are currently host to extensive exploration programs. Additionally, Nova has an indirect interest in the Canadian Thompson Brothers Lithium Project through a substantial stake in Snow Lake Resources Ltd (NASDAQ:LITM) and holds a 12.99% interest in Torian Resources Limited (ASX:TNR), a gold exploration company based in Western Australia. NFU Cymru has told the Welsh government to 'repurpose and redeploy' resources from the Wales Rural Development Programme to support farmers through the Covid-19 crisis. While the union highlighted the 'important role' the RPD has played, it has called for an 'urgent repurpose' of the EU programme's resources as the industry struggles through the pandemic. The seven-year EU and Welsh government funded scheme focuses mainly on restoring and preserving ecosystems related to agriculture and forestry, and enhancing viability and competitiveness of farm businesses. NFU Cymru's request comes in light of the European Commission announcement last week that a Covid-19 measure is to be included within the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development. The measure, designed to provide member states with a ready-to-use solution, allows farmers to be supported with a one-off lump sum of up to 5,000. In a letter to Welsh government's minister for rural affairs Lesley Griffiths, NFU Cymru said a package of support for farming is 'going to be vital' if farmers are to continue producing food during the crisis. President John Davies said: Whilst we still await sight of the draft regulation, the announcement from the European Commission appears to provide member states with flexibility to provide support to farmers struggling with Covid-19. "We are aware that some RDP funding remains uncommitted. The delivery of some RDP projects designed to support the industry during normal times may also be challenged in the context of social distancing measures, or they may not be appropriate at this time of crisis. "That is why we have called on Welsh government to work with the industry and repurpose and redeploy the RDP to assist farm businesses with much needed aid. He added: We want to be clear that, whilst the Covid-19 measure within the RDP may temporarily ease cashflow, in many instances this is unlikely to make up for the substantial losses farm businesses are incurring. "We see this as part of a range of measures that need to be delivered by Welsh government." In addition, NFU Cymru has asked that Welsh government ring-fence for farming the 15% pillar transfer of approximately 45m announced last December for distribution to farm businesses as a top-up to the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) in 2020. It has also re-iterated an ask made last autumn that the additional 5.2 million per year for the next two years made as part of the UK governments response to the Lord Bew review is used as a top-up to the BPS. A coronavirus tracking app designed to help Australia ease social distancing rules may prove a huge drain on mobile phone battery, experts warned. The government based its app off one used in Singapore, TraceTogether, where the biggest issue was not privacy - but battery life. When Australians download the app, they are prompted to give it certain permissions, including turning Bluetooth on and enabling location sharing - which are proven to drain battery life. Just 12 per cent of people in Singapore have downloaded the app, after many discovered it drained their charge within hours - with iPhone users unable to use their phones while it was in use. Both the Singaporean version and Australia's own COVIDSafe use Bluetooth to connect with nearby phones to determine who a person has been into close contact with. It means that if a user later tests positive for COVID-19, officials can easily find out who else may be at risk. To run the COVIDSafe app, users have to agree to turn their battery optimization off - meaning they cannot try and use a power saving mode For those with Android phones, they are able to use their device as normal, with COVIDSafe running in the background - but still using battery life. WHAT PERSONAL DATA IS COLLECTED? - The name you choose to provide - Your age range - Your phone number - Your postcode - Information about your encrypted user ID - Information about testing positive for coronavirus - Contact IDs should you consent to that being uploaded. - Bluetooth data is also uploaded, so officials can decide who needs to be notified if you test positive Advertisement But iPhone users in Singapore soon found the app had to run permanently, not in the background but on the screen, rendering phones useless and users unable to work other apps. The Australian government believes it has already solved the problem seen in Singapore, with the fix due to be brought in within a few weeks. But it doesn't mean that battery usage won't be affected. One user on Twitter revealed they had to delete the app after it drained their battery in just three hours. 'I downloaded it at around 9am this morning,' she wrote. 'At midday I deleted it. My Note 10 plus lost 20 per cent battery in that time - it would normally only lose about 8 per cent. 'I'm open to the idea of an app, but not if my phone isn't available when I need it.' Addressing concerns it may drain battery, the Department of Health's Daniel Keys said those already running Bluetooth on their phones will not notice a difference. This means if you do not normally have Bluetooth running, but do so purely to use the app, you will notice a chance in your battery life. 'If you are already running Bluetooth it only uses marginal normal battery life compared to any other app,' he told reporters on Monday. 'So if you use it, it's only a marginal increase on the battery drain of the phone. Another prompt on the app asks whether 'a health worker asked you to upload your information?' 'And if you're not, it's obviously equivalent to an application that uses Bluetooth, or an equivalent application such as Spotify.' Even Australian officials warned that if an iPhone user is trying to save battery in low power mode, it affects the app's ability to trace contacts. Those with Android phones are prompted to disable 'battery optimization', as the app needs devices to be running at full capacity. The flaws mean a user cannot try and save battery, even if you're running low. For the app to work, it must run in the background at all times as it uses Bluetooth to scan for other devices every minute. 'COVIDSafe app needs to be open to work effectively,' the government's covidsafe.gov.au website said on Sunday. 'Keep the app open and notifications on when you're out and about, especially in meetings and public places. Activate the in-app power saver mode (flip your unlocked device upside down or face down while the app is running). COVIDSafe went live at 6pm on Sunday and has been downloaded two million times as Australians hope to further flatten the infection curve 'This keeps the app open with a dimmed screen so that it can detect other devices running COVIDSafe app.' This advice was later changed to: 'Keep COVIDSafe running and notifications on when you're out and about, especially in meetings and public places.' Prime Minister Scott Morrison previously said the government needs 40 per cent of Australians to download the app before widespread lockdown measures can end safely. It is not mandatory to download the app, but officials are hoping for widespread uptake - which will be difficult if it proves a drain on battery life/ When COVIDSafe is downloaded, it prompts users to allow it certain permission to operate on the phone. This includes having Bluetooth on, enabling location sharing, allowing push notifications and disabling battery optimization. Disabling battery optimization means the app cannot be put into sleep mode or on standby, meaning it will continue to run in the background 24/7. 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 Having apps on in the background can kill a phone's battery within hours. Chief medical officer, Brendan Murphy, has previously said he wanted more than 50 per cent of the population to download the app. The aim of COVIDSafe is to assist with the contact tracing process, one of the most time-consuming but effective ways of stopping coronavirus spreading further. 'It assists in the early alert and finding of people who may have been in contact with a person who is positive with a diagnosis,' Health Minister Greg Hunt said on Sunday. Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack insisted the app was safe, and pledged that his whole family would be downloading it. 'Id much sooner download an app than two months from now be lying in an ICU bed, wondering why I didnt download an app,' Mr McCormack said. If you give the app permission to turn on your Bluetooth, have access to your location, turn off battery optimization and allow push notifications, the app starts running (pictured) Privacy concerns have been an issue for many people who don't like the idea of the government using their mobile phones to track them. Mr Hunt addressed those privacy concerns on Sunday, saying the data was encrypted and that nobody had access to it other than public health officials for the limited purpose of coronavirus contact tracing only. He said there was no geolocation, that courts would be prohibited from accessing the data, that the information had to be kept on servers located in Australia and that it would be deleted once the pandemic was over. Those who are diagnosed are asked permission a second time to consent to release the data from their phones. More than 1.13 million people downloaded the voluntary app within the first 12 hours of its release on Sunday evening. The federal government is aiming for more than 10 million people to use it. This article is part of David Leonhardts newsletter. You can sign up here to receive it each weekday. I wrote recently about some of the companies that have been mistreating their employees and customers during the pandemic, and I want to tell you today about another case study. It comes from the cruise industry. If youve ever been on a cruise, youve probably heard the captain and crew claim that their top priority is the safety of their passengers. Its a staple of the announcements that go over a ships loudspeakers. But the recent actions of several major cruise lines arent consistent with those claims: The companies put a higher priority on continuing to operate their ships and make money than on protecting their passengers and employees. Im going to focus on a single ship in todays newsletter: the Eclipse, which is operated by Celebrity Cruises, part of the Royal Caribbean Cruise company. But the pattern extends to some other ships and companies, as well. To read more on the subject, check out recent coverage in The Times, The Guardian and The Miami Herald. Are leading Internet firms such as Facebook, Twitter and Google, as operators of social media platforms, publishers of editorialised content (much like the Hindustan Times is), or are they indiscriminate platforms that offer open access to anything that you might wish to see? The debate sounds nerdy at first a sort of philosophical enquiry that should only concern professors and legal scholars as a matter of business regulation. But this seemingly narrow intellectual question is increasingly becoming a central matter of urgent concern in the context of Indian democracy and, indeed, democracy and the free flow of information around the world. Foreign governments are moving to impose new responsibilities on dominant tech firms. Australia, for instance, is forcing Facebook and Google to pay news companies for displaying their stories; French antitrust officials have ordered Google to negotiate with local media firms to pay for displaying their content; and in the United States, a fierce political war rages on between liberals and conservatives on this very issue. Lets go back to that philosophical question for a moment, though. Publishers have always held a vaunted position in society. Traditional media formats daily newspapers, broadcast television networks and radio stations once consumed the publics attention. My grandfather would comb through newspapers and news magazines every day, while my grandmother listened to the radio all day, every day not uncommon for those of their generation. The result was that we came to know not only the voices and faces that graced these outlets, but the publishing houses and media personalities behind the businesses. This intense aura about the media ecosystem a world that could make someone famous gave news organisations great power. They had the power to convey the news and with that power, came great responsibility. As with any line of business, news organisations cannot be expected to necessarily and voluntarily demonstrate that responsibility by, for instance, not spreading political falsehoods, hateful messaging, and other vitriol. To put it differently: Absent meaningful regulation, businesses operating in a free market economy, including media outlets, will do whatever they wish to maximise shareholder returns. Profit displaces social considerations. So to ensure they would act responsibly, the government created a policy framework. In India, the contours of media regulation have become sophisticatedly diverse, with laws such as the Press Council Act, 1978, the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954, the Newspaper (Price and Page) Act, 1956, and the Cinematograph Act, 1952. To quote from an example, the last of these a reform of the Indian film industry enacted 70 years ago notes that a film shall not be certified for public exhibition if, in the opinion of the authority competent to grant the certificate, the film or any part of it is against the interests of 1 (the sovereignty and integrity of India) the security of the State, friendly relations with foreign States, public order, decency or morality, or involves defamation or contempt of court or is likely to incite the commission of any offence. Without the law, the government couldnt be sure that an intrepid director might just slip offending content into mass-market films every now and then. Some might argue that Facebook and Google should be treated like publishers, too; they now dominate the media sector in India and often facilitate the dissemination of offending content. They have, until now, been regarded as open platforms, which allow any and all speech (different kinds of views/all shades of opinion) but can remove whatever they wish a conceptualisation originally stemming from Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, a 1996 US law that simultaneously affirms that Internet companies wont be treated as the publisher or speaker of any information and wont be held liable on account of any action voluntarily taken in good faith to restrict access to or availability of material. The idea was simple: Let the Internet grow and develop its own commercial standards as necessary. Here is the problem. This benevolent regulatory framework has enabled Facebook to claim it acts as a publisher and reap the censorship rights thereof, but turn around and also claim it is an undiscerning platform to reap the benefits of free speech leniency. A more just regime might, instead of giving the firm a free pass on both ends, hold its feet to the fire on both counts. There can be no doubt the company acts as some novel form of entity in between; even the companys lawyers have suggested that the company possesses a quintessential publisher function over the protected practice of determining what to publish and the decision of what not to publish while Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has also contended the company should err on the side of greater expression. So, if it is true that Internet firms have editorial power and it is, so long as they decide what specific news stories, search results, and social media posts to show us among the billions of possibilities then let us treat them as such. The responsibility must now lie with the national government to do right by its citizens many of whom have been targeted, misled, and pilloried, which has been enabled by Internet platforms. The time has come for the imposition of decency in exchange for continued participation in the Indian consumer market. Dipayan Ghosh, Ph.D, is co-director of the Digital Platforms & Democracy Project at the Harvard Kennedy School. He was a policy advisor at the White House during the Obama administration and later served as a policy official at Facebook. He is author of the forthcoming Terms of Disservice: How Silicon Valley is Destructive by Design. The views expressed are personal Rumours of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's death have been floating around for the last few days. So, there's a lot of curiosity around who will succeed Kim if the rumours turn out to be true. Kim Yo Jong, the sister of Kim Jong Un is speculated to be the top runner, but it won't be an easy succession. The biggest hurdle in her path could be that she's a woman in a society controlled by men. No women in the history of North Korea has ever been in charge. However, according to some North Korea experts bloodlines matter more than gender in line of succession. And Kim Yo Jong, for the last few years, has been the single most important political figure in North Korea after her brother Kim Jong Un. She is believed to share a close bond with her brother and has been on multiple foreign diplomatic missions with him. Yo Jong had accompanied Kim to his two summits with US President Donald Trump in 2018. Kim Yo Jong first public appearance was in 2010 when she was seen attending a party conference. Since then she has steadily risen within the ranks of the party especially after her father's death in 2011 and Kim Jong Un's succession, according to The Guardian. She represented Kim at the 2018 Winter Olympics and since then has acquired many prestigious titles within the North Korean government. Kim Yo Jong is wildly credited to be the person behind the carefully constructed public image of her brother both in North Korea as well as outside. She is among few who is believed to enjoy complete confidence of the North Korean Leader. "She plays a pivotal role in North Korean domestic and foreign policy campaigns because she is one of the main stakeholders in the regime's survival," said Leonid Petrov, a North Korea specialist and senior lecturer at the International College of Management in Sydney, told the daily. Yo Jong's closeness to the North Korean leader and her central role in the administration till now has pegged her as the lead candidate to be the next leader. She has one other siblings who also has a claim to the position but is not likely to succeed. Kim Jong Un's elder brother Kim Jong-chol is reported to be unambitious and has no interest in the position of Supreme Leader. Kim also had an older half-sibling Kim Jong-nam who he was assassinated in 2017 in Kuala Lumpur. Reports regarding Kim Jong-un's health started floating on April 15 after it was discovered that Kim had not attended the birth anniversary of his grandfather Kim Il-sung. On Saturday, Kim was absent from another important national holiday of North Korea. His absence from North Korea's Military Foundation Day added fuel to the reports about his ill health. Also Read: Kim Jong Un death rumours: Here's what South Korea has to say Also Read: Kim Jong Un death rumours: Helicopters fly low in Pyongyang, trains disrupted, says North Korean leader's biographer Also Read: Kim Jong Un's doctor botched heart surgery as his hands were shaking, claims report Also Read: Kim Jong Un's train spotted at North Korean resort town The White House abruptly cancelled - and then reinstated - Monday's coronavirus media briefing after President Donald Trump, ridiculed for his suggestion to inject patients with disinfectant, railed against "enemy" journalists. The afternoon press conferences - which began as a way to inform Americans about developments in the crisis but eventually took on the combative tone of Trump's campaign rallies - have been a daily fixture since March. On Thursday, a freewheeling Trump ran into a public relations disaster when he suggested people could possibly inject disinfectants to fight the virus, prompting a barrage of scorn, alarm and criticism around the world. The next day, an angry Trump left the briefing without taking questions. Over the weekend, no briefing was held. And on Monday, the White House first scheduled a briefing, then called it off -- and then added it back into the agenda. Trump's new press secretary, Kayleigh McEnany, said the topic would be "additional testing guidance and other announcements about safely opening up America again." In the wake of the turmoil, White House strategic communications director Alyssa Farah chipped in with a light-hearted dig. "We like to keep reporters on their toes," she tweeted, adding a winking emoji. There's been no such humor coming from the Oval Office - except, possibly, for the sarcastic kind. Trump has been incensed by unflattering newspaper reports about his work habits and use of the sometimes two-hour briefings to praise himself, while battering rivals. He tried damage control after his disinfectant comment by claiming it was sarcasm aimed at journalists during the press conference, although he'd clearly been talking directly to his medical advisors, not the journalists, and there was no sarcasm apparent in his voice. Over the weekend, he also used the sarcasm defense to explain a bizarre tweet in which he told journalists whom he believes treat him unfairly to give back their "Noble Prizes." When the Twitterverse lit up with questions about why Trump was misspelling the Nobel Prize, which is not even awarded to journalists, and whether he really meant the Pulitzer Prize, the president complained: "Does sarcasm ever work?" On Monday, Trump kept up an anti-media tweet storm, writing: "FAKE NEWS, THE ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE!" "There has never been, in the history of our Country, a more vicious or hostile Lamestream Media than there is right now, even in the midst of a National Emergency, the Invisible Enemy!" Trump also wrote. Yet another tweet on Saturday fed rumors that Trump was going to shut down the briefings altogether. "What is the purpose of having White House Conferences when the Lamestream Media asks nothing but hostile questions, & then refuses to report the truth or facts accurately," Trump wrote, adding his frequent refrain that he got "record ratings." The Republican incumbent, whose re-election campaign is staggering from the economic shutdown in response to the coronavirus threat, faces huge pressure to demonstrate his leadership. McEnany indicated that a new strategy would be rolled out, emphasizing Trump's business background and his focus on reopening the US economy. "We're looking at different ways to showcase this president leading," she told Fox McEnany suggested a shift "to showcase (to) the American people the great entrepreneurship of this president." "I'm not going to get ahead of what the briefings will look like this week. They may have a different look," she said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The ability for parts of the United States to safely and effectively begin to lift coronavirus restrictions will depend on the country's capacity to aggressively test for and trace new cases of the virus, Bill Gates told CNN's Fareed Zakaria Sunday. His comments come as several US states prepare to ease social distancing and stay-at-home restrictions this week, despite warnings from health researchers that no state should reopen before May 1. Meanwhile, the total number of reported coronavirus cases in the United States is nearing 1 million, and more than 54,000 Americans have died. Gates, the Microsoft (MSFT) founder whose foundation has studied pandemics for years and is now involved in fighting coronavirus, warned that just because some areas looking to reopen have experienced relatively small outbreaks doesn't mean they're not at risk. Many are concerned that reopening too soon could prompt a second wave of infections in the United States as deadly as the first. States must weigh that risk against trying to recover from the economic crisis that's been caused by coronavirus-related shut downs. "If they open up, they can go back into exponential (coronavirus infection) growth and compete with New York on that basis," Gates said, adding that areas that reopen and allow people to move around could also seed infections in other parts of the country, further slowing the recovery from the pandemic. How to reopen Successful reopenings will happen in stages, Gates said, guidance that's in line with recommendations from many health experts and economists, including the World Health Organization. And will require thinking critically about which elements of society are most essential to get back to work, implementing safety measures as they are reopened and ensuring diagnostic testing and contact tracing are in place to understand the effects that easing restrictions has on the spread of the virus. "What we don't know is, (if) we go slightly back to normal, which activities create the risk of a rebound?" Gates said. "We need to put in place a very dense testing regime so you would detect that rebound going back into exponential growth very quickly and not wait for the ICUs to fill up and there to be a lot of deaths. If you see the hot spot, you kind of understand the activities causing that." In two suggested plans for reopening the US economy, public health experts and economists said that the country would have to perform millions of diagnostic tests each week before restrictions could be safely lifted. Gates said Sunday that new testing machines and methods should soon be able to get the United States up to between 400,000 and 500,000 tests per day, though that's "just barely enough for really doing the tracking." Dr. Anthony Fauci, a member of the White House coronavirus task force, estimated on Saturday that the country is conducting approximately 1.5 million to 2 million Covid-19 tests per week and said it is likely the testing capacity could be doubled within the next several weeks. So far, the United States has only performed about 4 million coronavirus tests. Gates added: "The key thing about the US, though, this focus on the number of tests understates the cacophony and mistakes we made in the testing system," including testing shortages, inequality in who can access testing and test results taking longer than 24 hours to reach patients. As the country ramps up testing and tracking, cities and states must have a staged reopening of various parts of the economy, Gates said, though he admitted "we're a little naive about how to prioritize these activities." In Georgia on Friday, Governor Brian Kemp allowed hair salons, tattoo parlors, gyms and bowling alleys to reopen, with some caveats for social distancing and screening employees for illness, despite warnings from health researchers. Several other states, including Colorado, Oklahoma and Montana, have taken similar steps toward reopening. Gates said that when planning for staged reopenings, states should focus on "high value" segments of the economy such as schools, manufacturing and construction, and should figure out how to operate those things with masks and social distancing. Once some schools and businesses get back to work, communities should continue to track the effects on infection rates. But it will take time. "The inequality has gotten greater in education, so if we can figure out how to do K through 12 in the fall, that would be good," Gates said. "I even think if we're creative about it and things have gone well, we'll be able to do college." The case for continued prevention measures Careful planning to manage the virus is crucial because it will likely still be one to two years before a coronavirus vaccine is developed and ready for large-scale production, Gates said. The Trump administration has estimated a vaccine is 12 to 18 months away, though some leaders in the field say that timeline could be too fast. Although some have suggested ramping up vaccine production before a vaccine has actually been approved, Gates said the "stage 3" testing that determines whether a drug could have harmful side effects will take time. "It's very hard to compress these timeframes," he said. Gates also commented on conspiracy theories that have accused him of profiteering from the pandemic. He called the accusations ironic, after his foundation has spent decades funding and leading research into understanding and protecting against dangerous diseases, though he said he doesn't believe a "meaningful" number of people believe them. He did say, however, that he wishes he'd been able to get more people to understand the threat posed by coronavirus sooner. "I always think, how could I have gotten the message out in a stronger way? Where did I fall short?" he said. "Only 5% of what should have been done was done." A former neighbor of a woman accusing Joe Biden of sexual assault has come forward to corroborate her story, saying she told her about a senator who put his hand up her skirt in the mid-'90s. Tara Reade, who served on Biden's senate staff in 1993 - which is when she claims he pushed her up against a wall, put his hand up her skirt and penetrated her with his fingers - filed a criminal complaint against him with the Washington Metropolitan Police Department earlier this month. Biden has previously denied the claims. Now a woman who lived next door to Reade in the mid-90s has recalled her describing the incident decades ago and says it must be true. 'This happened, and I know it did because I remember talking about it,' Lynda LaCasse told Insider. Two people who were close to Tara Reade (right in her 20s) in 1993 have independently said they remember her describing the same actions of which she has accused Joe Biden 'This happened, and I know it did because I remember talking about it,' Lynda LaCasse, who lived next door to Reade in the mid-'90s, told Insider In an article written by Rich McHugh, a former NBC producer who has blasted the network for killing Ronan Farrow's stories about Harvey Weinstein sexual assault allegations, LaCasse says that in 1995 or 1996 Reade told her about an alleged encounter with Biden. 'I remember her saying, here was this person that she was working for and she idolized him,' LaCasse said. 'And he kind of put her up against a wall. And he put his hand up her skirt and he put his fingers inside her. She felt like she was assaulted, and she really didn't feel there was anything she could do.' LaCasse claims Reade - who was in her 20s - opened up to her because they 'were talking about violent stories'. 'She just told me about the senator that she had worked for and he put his hand up her skirt,' LaCasse continued. According to the former neighbor who would chat with Reade on the stoop, Biden's former aide was 'crying' and 'upset'. LaCasse doesn't recall details about the alleged location or whether the person who made Reade uncomfortable said anything. 'I don't remember all the details,' LaCasse said. 'I remember the skirt. I remember the fingers. I remember she was devastated.' Reade has claimed the incident took place in a corridor. 'We were alone. And it was the strangest thing. There was no, like, exchange really, he just had me up against the wall,' she said. The new article is written by Rich McHugh, a former NBC producer who has blasted the network for killing Ronan Farrow's stories about Harvey Weinstein Reade has said: 'I'd also like to hear Joe Biden's response, which has not happened. My hope is that the conversation will move forward and we will examine how I was treated when I came forward' She said she was wearing a work skirt, but no pantyhose. 'He just had me up against the wall and the wall was cold,' she said. 'His hands were on me and underneath my clothes. He went down my skirt and then up inside it and he penetrated me with his fingers. He was kissing me at the same time,' she said. She said that when she 'pulled back,' Biden 'looked annoyed.' Reade said Biden said to her, 'Come on man, I heard you liked me.' 'He implied that I had done this,' she told the Katie Halper Show podcast host on March 25. At first Reade didn't want to mention the other quote that got stuck in her head, but then she told Halper what it was. 'You're nothing to me,' she claimed the senator said to her. 'Nothing.' LaCasse calls herself a 'very strong Democrat' and says she will vote for Biden 'regardless' but she felt she had to corroborate the story despite the fact her support 'may have repercussions for me.' 'She didn't ask me to,' LaCasse said. 'I volunteered to do that just recently. If this was me, I would want somebody to stand up for me. It takes a lot of guts to do what she's doing.' Reade's former neighbor lost touch with her over the years but they reconnected in 2016. They discussed the conversation where Reade opened up about the assault in April 2019 after Reade told a Nevada City, California, newspaper that Biden had inappropriately touched her and made her feel uncomfortable. In that interview Reade did not accuse Biden of assault. '[Reade said] she had been sexually harassed by her former boss while she was in DC and as a result of her voicing her concerns to her supervisors, she was let go, fired,' Lorraine Sanchez (not pictured), who worked with Reade in the office of California Sen. Jack O'Connell in the mid-'90s, told Insider 'She mentioned that she had come forward,' LaCasse said, 'and so I said, "Oh my gosh. Yeah. I do remember that".' Lorraine Sanchez, who worked with Reade in the office of California Sen. Jack O'Connell in the mid-'90s, also spoke to Insider but did not know if Reade shared details of the alleged encounter or whether she named the boss. '[Reade said] she had been sexually harassed by her former boss while she was in DC and as a result of her voicing her concerns to her supervisors, she was let go, fired,' Sanchez told Insider. 'What I do remember is reassuring her that nothing like that would ever happen to her here in our office, that she was in a safe place, free from any sexual harassment.' Sanchez commented it 'takes great courage and strength to come forward'. Reade said the employer Sanchez recalls her complaining about was Biden, Insider reports. Reade told the publication she didn't experience harassment from any other employer in Washington. Reade managed interns before the alleged incident. Reade said after she got no response from superiors about Biden touching her and making her feel uncomfortable, she complained to HR about her treatment. In the report by McHugh, Biden's executive assistant for almost two decades, said she never witnessed or heard of any misconduct. 'I have absolutely no knowledge or memory of Ms. Reade's accounting of events, which would have left a searing impression on me as a woman professional, and as a manager,' Marianne Baker, who worked there in 1993, said in a statement. Someone who was an intern at the time in April 1993 and who wished not to be identified in the Insider report said she doesn't recall Reade speaking of assault or harassment allegations. The former intern said its true Reade was suddenly removed from her role managing interns and said at the time she found it strange. An old clip recently resurfaced of Reade's mother calling into Larry King's CNN show and asking for advice about her daughter who had 'problems' with a prominent senator Reade's brother Collin Moulton previously said he remembers her claiming he 'had his hand under her clothes at some point.' After Reade's interview on a podcast detailing the allegations, an old clip resurfaced of her mother calling into Larry King's CNN show and asking for advice about her daughter who had 'problems' with a prominent senator. 'Women have a right to tell their story, and reporters have an obligation to rigorously vet those claims,' Kate Bedingfield, Biden's communications director previously said in a statement. 'We encourage them to do so, because these accusations are false.' Insider reports that while on April 20, a police said there was 'an active investigation' into Reade's complaint, on Saturday, the case had been 'moved to an inactive status.' It hasn't stopped Reade from demanding answers. 'I'd like to be heard in a fair and objective way,' she told McHugh. 'And I'd also like to hear Joe Biden's response, which has not happened. My hope is that the conversation will move forward and we will examine how I was treated when I came forward, and really look at the fact that, like domestic violence, sexual assault, and sexual harassment is not a partisan issue. It is an equal-opportunity offender.' DailyMail.com has reached out to Biden's representatives but did not immediately receive a response. From waste pickers to artisans, the covid-19 pandemic has far reaching consequences for vulnerable communities and those who work in the informal sector. With livelihoods threatened, access to food, shelter and medical supplies has become a challenge. The Lounge team continues to call out charities and not-for-profit organisations helping people in these precarious times. Chitrika The pandemic and the ensuing lockdown have proved particularly challenging for primary producerswith milk prices having been slashed, weavers orders cancelled, and plummeting poultry sales. Chitrika Foundation, under the Access Livelihoods Group, works with 17,389 farmers, artisans, and tribal communities in remote areas of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, and Odisha. It is now working towards creating and providing essentials kits that can support these producers and their families for a month. Donors can choose to support one or more families through this fundraiser. Hasiru Dala This non-profit, which works for the unorganised waste-picking sector in Karnataka, has identified 3,500 waste picker families with no access to employment in six cities and towns across Karnataka, such as Bengaluru, Mysuru, Tumakuru, Davanagere, and Hubli-Dharwad. The team is raising funds for care kits, comprising dry rations and soaps, for 21 days, with each kit costing between Rs1600 and Rs1900. You can donate here. Theatre for a Cause New Delhi-based non-profit organisation Theatre for a Cause (TFAC) has started an initiative called Sing For A Cause to gather support for homeless people through public engagement on Facebook. The initiative invites users to submit 30-second video entries with their rendition of any song by the legendary Swedish pop group ABBA. For every song and entry, TFAC donates Rs100 to the Blind Relief Association and Uday Foundation. Sing For A Cause has already seen 230 song submissions from across the world, including countries such as Puerto Rico, Panama, Kenya, Sweden, Thailand, USA. As a result, more than 4,600 people in Delhi have been gifted meals through Uday foundation and Blind Relief Association. You can donate here. Feed My Bangalore KVN Foundation, formed by three Bengaluru-based entrepreneurs, has launched a Feed My City Campaign across five Indian cities to feed families of daily wage earners. The foundation, which maintains a daily dashboard of meals served on its Twitter feed, has crossed the initial target of serving 3 lakh meals. You can donate here. Helping Hands Charitable Trust This Mumbai-based NGO, in collaboration with Ghar Bachao Ghar Banao Andolan, is working towards feeding migrant labour and those stuck in relief camps. The kits they distribute includes rice, atta, dal, oil, sugar, tea, soap and salt. It also provides safety kits to doctors in city hospitals, which includes N95 mask, face shields and other protection gear. Over the last few weeks, the NGO has reached out to thousands in Mumbai and Thane. You can donate here. A fundraiser by CORO This Mumbai-based not-for-profit has started a fundraiser for daily wage earners, domestic sanitation workers and taxi drivers living in the citys slums. It has extended the initiative to farmers and labourers in Maharashtras villages as well. The effort started as a partnership with the multi-designer lifestyle label, LeMill, and the health, gender and culture magazine, The Swaddle, with a donation drive #1crorein21days in late March. While the campaign ended after 21 days, the fundraiser continues to provide food, medical and relief work for those most in need. You can donate here. Dastkars Artisan Support Fund Since 1981, this not-for-profit is supporting traditional Indian craftspeople, who often get overlooked as significant contributors to the arts and design fields. With the nationwide lockdown depriving artisans and their families from an income, Dasktar has reopened its support fund, which was first created during the 2001 Kutch earthquake. The financial support will address the craftspersons immediate medical and survival needs. It will help them procure wages and raw materials for their enterprises, and also provide linkages with potential markets and buyers by subsidising their travel and expenses to bazaars in the future. You can donate here. Lex Do It Trust This Delhi NCR-based not-for-profit social and educational enterprise is helmed by law professionals. While their mission is to empower citizens with basic legal information, during the lockdown they started a fundraiser on Ketto for personal protective equipment (PPE) for doctors and healthcare staff across India. Nishant Gambhir, co-founder of LEX, says, Although the government has pledged to provide PPE kits to healthcare professionals, it will take time and thats where we are pitching in. These professionals are most at risk right now and they urgently need these kits." Apart from protective gear, they are also raising funds to build disinfectant tunnels for a hospital in Delhi that has been declared as servicing covid-19 patients only. You can donate here. Aajeevika Bureau This non-profit organization works to enhance the dignity and well-being of migrant worker communities in the informal economy, primarily in Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra. It was one of the first to respond when the nationwide lockdown was announced, and has been collecting funds not only to support migrant daily-wage earners during this period but to help them rebuild their lives in the long term as well. You can donate here. CUPA Stray animals who depend on people for food are having a difficult time during the lockdown. Animal welfare organisations across the country have stepped up efforts to address this crisis. Bangalore-based CUPA is one such non-profit. These past weeks, it is feeding close to 500 stray dogs every day. A Facebook post said that the food being distributed is the same quality as that given to their shelter dogs (Delicious Chicken & Rice for our 4-legged friends"). Their emergency services are also continuing, even though theyre working with a skeletal staff. You can donate to their Sponsor A Meal campaign on their website, which goes to feeding dogs in different areas of Bangalore. Asmita Bakshi, Shrabonti Bagchi, Nitin Shreedhar, Omkar Khandekar, Shubham Ladha, Jahnabee Borah, Uday Bhatia and Avantika Bhuyan contributed to this story. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Never miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint. Download our App Now!! Topics CHICAGO (dpa-AFX) - Boeing Co. (BA) has terminated a $4.2 billion deal to acquire the commercial plane division of Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer. The companies had planned to form a joint venture in which Boeing would have take an 80 percent stake in that division. The deal was supposed to be finalized by last Friday, but Embraer did not satisfy conditions under the agreement, Boeing said. The planned partnership had received approval from all necessary regulatory authorities, except the European Commission. However, Boeing said that it will maintain its existing Master Teaming Agreement with Embraer that was originally signed in 2012 and expanded in 2016 to jointly market and support the C-390 Millennium military aircraft. Meanwhile, Embraer said that Boeing wrongfully terminated the agreement, and it will seek all remedies against Boeing for the damage incurred. The Brazilian company alleged that Boeing engaged in a systematic pattern of delay and repeated violations of the agreement, because of its unwillingness to complete the transaction in light of its own financial condition as well as 737 MAX and other business and reputational problems. Embraer believed it was in full compliance with its obligations under the agreement and that it satisfied all conditions required to be accomplished by April 24, 2020. 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. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-27 16:25:21|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close A healthcare worker takes a sample at a New York State Department of Health COVID-19 antibody testing center at Steve's 9th Street Market in Brooklyn, New York, the United States, on April 25, 2020. (Photo by Michael Nagle/Xinhua) The motivations are: 1. Diverting public criticism of slow and botched handling of the pandemic; 2. Denying China's achievements in COVID-19 fight and preventing Beijing from becoming more influential geopolitically; 3. Using the pandemic as a chance to boost the drive to contain China, such as lobbying allies to ban Chinese enterprises. BEIJING, April 27 (Xinhua) -- When countries worldwide are racing to save lives threatened by COVID-19, some ultra-conservative U.S. politicians have been trying to politicize the pandemic for their own gains. Of their many insidious China-smearing plots, one is to hype up the theory that China should be blamed for the global public health crisis, and should pay for related losses. There are three brazen motivations behind the demagoguery. The first is to divert public criticism of the U.S. administration's slow and botched handling of the pandemic. "Bashing China is always good politics in the U.S.," Susan Thornton, a former assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, recently commented during a webcast organized by think tank the New America Foundation. A recently leaked GOP memo also stressed the same strategy by advising Republican candidates to address the COVID-19 pandemic by aggressively attacking China. The second is to seize the moral high ground, denying China's achievements in the pandemic fight and preventing Beijing from becoming more influential geopolitically. A man wearing a mask sits in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C., the United States, on April 26, 2020. (Photo by Ting Shen/Xinhua) Conservatives in the West tend to believe that Beijing is seeking to promote its governance model in other countries, and to elevate its international standing by actively providing assistance to other struggling countries in the pandemic. Thus, they have gone to great lengths to portray China as the origin of the virus, and to accuse the country of causing the deterioration of the pandemic, offering extremists in some economically overwhelmed countries a handy excuse to shift blame. The third is using the pandemic as an opportunity to boost the drive to contain China, such as lobbying U.S. allies to ban Chinese enterprises. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks during a press briefing in Washington D.C., the United States, on March 5, 2020. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told the Fox Business Network earlier this month that countries should rethink their development of telecommunications infrastructure, including the adoption of China-based Huawei's 5G technology, given China's way in tackling the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the escalating China-smearing campaign, their compensation plot will never succeed. Beijing will not pay because of such fabricated reasons, while there was also no such precedent in previous pandemics. The ravaging pandemic is the common enemy facing the human race. To defeat it, all nations need to work together in good faith. The U.S. conservatives' moves to cover up their own failures by shifting blame and public attention will only harm those still struggling in the pandemic, and render the global fight much harder. The RBI may have to intervene by creating some sort of TARP-like structure. The SEBI will have to stretch its limit for loans taken by debt funds to allow for such a scheme, and if the debt market is to unfreeze, it would require considerable care of the RBI and SEBI, Gaurav Garg, Head of Research at CapitalVia Global Research Limited- Investment Advisor, said in an interview with Moneycontrols Kshitij Anand. Edited excerpt: Q) The Nifty50 fell by about 1% in the week gone by. What are your views on the market? A) Investors are expecting another stimulus packages especially focusing on the unorganized sector. On Friday, the Nifty50 opened with a gap-down and attempted to recover in the second half of the trading session, which resulted in a closing downside by 1.71 percent at 9154.40. On the weekly chart, the Nifty50 formed a Hanging Man kind of pattern which indicates high selling pressure. On the daily chart, the rally from 7500 has formed a Rising Wedge pattern and any break from the level 9,100 will confirm the breakdown of the pattern and the next support levels will be 8,800 and 8,500. 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 On Friday, India had witnessed the highest spike in the number of COVID-19 cases in a single day and besides that negative results over the COVID-19 vaccine had added negative value to the markets. Q) What are the important data points and levels which one can watch out for in the coming week? A) The Indian benchmark indices had witnessed high selling pressure on 24th April. For Nifty 9,350 will be the key resistance level to watch out for. The volatility will be seen in the coming trading session which tests the support level of 9,000, which is having the highest open interest in the Put option, and any break down in the level will test the next level at 8,800 and on the upfront. If the Nifty50 is able to sustain above 9,350-9,400 it may witness the move towards 9,600. Bank Nifty has closed the week at 19,587 which is having a support level at 19000 and if it sustains above it, may result in a movement towards 20,000 and 21,500 levels. As on Friday, India VIX (volatility index) is at 39.11 which is gradually dropping from the recent high of 83 that indicates the stability in the market as compared to earlier sessions. On the monthly options, the maximum open interest (OI) for a call option is at 9,500 followed by 10,000 and for Put options, the maximum open interest is placed at 9,000 and then towards 8,000 strike price. Q) Small and midcaps underperformed. Does it look like things have gone from bad to worse in some stocks due to a fall in GDP growth rate? What should investors with small and midcap focused portfolios do? A) Small and midcaps have been taking the brunt of the economic slowdown with no concrete recovery. In the near future, the condition may deteriorate further. It will take considerable time before the economic activity catches pace and therefore investors with small and midcap focused portfolios should assess their position and exit if the losses are too much to bear and use the proceeds later to recreate portfolio when conditions improve. In any case, if an opportunity presents to exit at a better price it would not be wrong to do so. Q) Franklin Templeton closes 6 credit risk strategy funds. The second casualty of COVID 19 after India Nivesh. Do you think investors will again lose faith just like what we say post-2008 financial crisis? A) The selling pressure from the outbreak of COVID-19 with illiquid markets and negative sentiments on Street due to the economic slowdown left the fund to close the scheme, however, there have been questions being raised on the investment strategies of Franklin Templeton. Although the funds were credit risk strategy funds and it was profitable in the past, still certain investments that were made are questionable with investments done in papers with high risk and relatively lesser expected return. Such debacles tend to hurt the credibility among investors. Q) What govt could do to mitigate credit crisis which led to winding down of Franklin Templeton schemes? A) Franklin Templeton has shut down six of its open-ended debt mutual funds with effect from 23rd April, 2020. This step was taken by the organization due to the redemption pressure and the liquidity issues it was facing in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. This suggests that the steps taken by the RBI to support liquidity were either not effective or insufficient. The government should consider taking initiatives that would bring back investors confidence and trust. The RBI may have to intervene by creating some sort of TARP-like structure. The SEBI will have to stretch its limit for loans taken by debt funds to allow for such a scheme. If the debt market is to unfreeze, it would require considerable care of the RBI and SEBI. Q) Looking at so much of volatility are there any all-weather stocks which one can look at? A) Stock markets are expected to remain volatile until the fears related to COVID-19 settle down. Investors need to be really cautious before investing. Though most of the stocks are available at attractive valuations, markets are not expected to bottom out until the global sentiments settle down. However, if investors are looking at investing their funds for the long- term, it is advisable to invest in sectors like FMCG and Pharmaceuticals. These sectors may help you reap good benefits in the near future. Before investing, study the fundamentals as well as technical aspects of the companies you wish to invest and also map their performance against the benchmark indices. This would help you choose stocks that are sound and may sustain the volatility in the market. Investors can consider investing in stocks like Hindustan Unilever Limited, Aurobindo Pharma Limited, Pidilite Industries Limited, Torrent Pharmaceuticals Limited, and Strides Pharma Science Limited. : 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. Who Am I?: Searching for Identity: an edifying compendium that imparts lessons that inspire readers to find their lifes purpose by attaining perception in Christ that opens the soul for Gods blessing and contentment. Who Am I?: Searching for Identity is the creation of published authors Sally Maxfield-May, vice president of an international bank; and Rev. Bert Maxfield, minister, founder of three churches, and pastor for over fifty years before he passed on to be with the Lord in 2008. Sally and Rev. Bert share, Many people are confused about their identity. Today, we hear individuals express how they are confused about even the most basic, intimate detail of who they are. Some are uncertain about his/her gender. If you say someone is having an identity crisis, it usually means that the individual is confused regarding fundamental truths about their life such as which role or type of person they were created to be. Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Sally Maxfield-May and Rev. Bert Maxfields new book desires the enlightenment of individuals in search of their place in the world by instilling in them the goodness of God who calls out to them as His beloved children. This book presents guidance and direction to readers by sharing truths concerning Gods will for humanitys partaking of eternal life through Christ. View the synopsis of Who Am I?: Searching for Identity on YouTube. Consumers can purchase Who Am I?: Searching for Identity at traditional brick-and-mortar bookstores or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble. For additional information or inquiries about Who Am I?: Searching for Identity, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919. SEOUL, KOREA, REPUBLIC OFSouth Koreas government has dismissed rumours that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is in fragile condition, as speculation about his health intensifies amid the Norths silence on his whereabouts. There are concerns, particularly in Seoul and Washington, about what would happen to North Korea and its nuclear program if anything actually happened to Kim. For South Korea and the U.S., Kims absence would mean the departure of a man theyve dealt with over the past two years to try to achieve North Koreas denuclearization, though talks have stalled in recent months. Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul told a closed-door forum in Seoul that South Korea has enough intelligence to confidently say that there are no unusual developments in rival North Korea that would back up speculation about Kims health, his ministry said Monday. The minister would not reveal at Sundays forum what specific intelligence led to that conclusion, but he stressed that it was reached after a thorough analysis. His comments are a reiteration of earlier South Korean statements that Kim Jong Un appeared to be handling state affairs normally and that no unusual activities had been detected in North Korea. Those comments, however, failed to dispel the rumours about Kim, partly because past outside intelligence reports on developments in North Korea have sometimes turned out to be wrong. The rumours about Kims health began to swirl after he missed the April 15 commemoration of the 108th birthday of his grandfather, North Korea founder Kim Il Sung. Kim Jong Un is the third generation of his family to rule North Korea, and he hadnt missed the event, one of the most important in the North, since assuming power after his father, Kim Jong Il, died in late 2011. North Koreas state media has since made no mention of Kims health or his public activities, though they said he had received some messages of greeting from foreign countries. On Monday, North Koreas state TV said Kim sent his thanks to workers and officials at a tourist resort construction site on the east coast. As the absolute leader of a country with a nuclear weapons program, Kims health is a matter of intense interest both regionally and globally. If something were to happen to Kim, it could lead to instability in North Korea. Kim, 36, hasnt publicly anointed a successor, and that has prompted questions about who would take control of North Korea if he is gravely ill or dies. Many experts say Kims influential younger sister, Kim Yo Jong, is likely to step in and prolong his familys dynastic rule, while others say a collective leadership led by non-Kims might be established. Kim Yo Jong, who is in charge of North Koreas propaganda affairs, has frequently appeared at her brothers public events such as his summits with U.S. President Donald Trump and other regional leaders. Some observers have said she is virtually the Norths No. 2 official. But her lack of military credentials and North Koreas extremely patriarchal society raise questions about her chances to ascend to power. More serious unrest could occur if a power struggle erupts between those supporting the Kim dynasty and those who want non-Kim rule. Whoever takes power, its unclear what position they would have on North Koreas nuclear program. South Koreas presidential office earlier said it has information that Kim Jong Un has been staying out of Pyongyang, North Koreas capital, and that there had been no emergency readiness order issued by the Norths military or the ruling Workers Party, such as would have been expected if Kim were truly in serious condition. On Monday, South Korean President Moon Jae-in repeated an offer to conduct some inter-Korean co-operation projects such as a joint anti-coronavirus quarantine campaign. Moon also said he will strive for mutual prosperity based on confidence between Chairman Kim and me and our firm resolve to (achieve) peace. Monday was the second anniversary of Moons first summit with Kim at the Korean border village of Panmunjom. Moon, a liberal who favours a negotiated settlement of the North Korean nuclear issue, facilitated U.S.-North Korea nuclear diplomacy, including the first summit between President Donald Trump and Kim in Singapore in June 2018. The Trump-Kim diplomacy remains largely deadlocked since their second summit ended without any deal amid disputes over U.S.-led sanctions on North Korea. The two leaders met for an impromptu third meeting at the Korean border in June 2019, but their nuclear negotiators failed to make a breakthrough in subsequent talks. A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he wasnt authorized to talk to the media, said earlier this week that the latest rumours about Kims health had not changed the U.S. assessment of the information as speculation. Trump earlier called a report on Kims health incorrect. Satellite photos released Saturday by 38 North, a website specializing in North Korea studies, showed that a train likely belonging to Kim has been parked at his compound on the countrys east coast since last week. The trains presence does not prove the whereabouts of the North Korean leader or indicate anything about his health, but it does lend weight to reports that Kim is staying at an elite area on the countrys eastern coast, 38 North said. Read more about: The sunny spring days and appealing April weather have done wonders for your coronavirus blues, bringing a little light and a dose of happiness during an unsettling time. But they also have been brutal for people with seasonal allergies, bringing sneezing, runny noses and itchy and watery eyes at an inopportune time. The good news: This is not supposed to be a particularly bad allergy season, according to Shyam Joshi, an assistant professor of medicine at the OHSU School of Medicine who focuses on allergy and clinical immunology. The bad news: Weve entered allergy season now a little bit earlier than normal, Joshi said. So its peaked earlier and the peak has lasted longer. Oregons mild winter, combined with extra sunshine in February and March, have created a perfect storm for those who suffer from seasonal allergies, creating this longer-than-normal peak. Seasonal allergies originate from pollens, which are microscopic particles released in the air by trees, grass and weeds during their pollination season, according to the Columbia Asthma & Allergy Clinic. The pollens alone are not harmful, but immune systems of those who suffer from allergies perceive them to be, and they trigger an allergic reaction when they enter our airways. Oregon is currently in the throes of tree season, which usually starts in February and extends through April. The state will soon enter grass season, which typically stretches from May to June. Tree season tends to overlap with cherry blossom season, leading many to mistakingly blame cherry blossoms for itchy eyes and incessant sneezing. Right about the time those beautiful cherry blossoms start to flourish, nearby oak, elm and alder trees release loads of pollens in the air in search of reproduction. As those pollens scatter, allergy symptoms surface and many assume the cherry blossoms and other flowering trees are the culprits. Allergies actually come from trees that dont flower, Joshi said. People see the cherry blossoms and think, Oh, it must be that. But its actually the oak tree right next to the cherry blossom. Grass season is particularly tough for allergy sufferers in Oregon, because towns like Wilsonville and Corvallis produce grass seed and contain endless fields of grass. So as tree season transitions into grass season, many Oregonians endure months of suffering. Things are more complicated in 2020, of course, because of the coronavirus pandemic. This year people are paying attention to allergies more because of COVID, Joshi said. Is this from allergies? Is this COVID? It can be hard to figure out which one is which. A variety of factors distinguish COVID-19 from ordinary allergies. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, COVID-19 may include the following symptoms after 2-14 days of exposure: Fever; cough; shortness of breath or difficulty breathing; chills; repeated shaking with chills; muscle pain; headache; sore throat; and new loss of taste or smell. Conversely, common symptoms from seasonal allergies include sneezing, a runny or stuffy nose, watery and itchy eyes, ear congestion, postnasal drainage, and itchy sinuses, throat, or ear canals. Household dust mites can also cause symptoms similar to pollen allergies, which might lead one to worry that stay-at-home orders would deepen allergy-like symptoms. But Joshi said there is no evidence showing that people who stay at home all day will suffer more from dust mite allergies. Either way, emotional and physical stress can potentially amplify allergy symptoms, and even the calmest folks are surely a bit more on edge during a pandemic. If youve endured allergies in the past, odds are any symptoms youre currently experiencing are allergy-related. But there are ways to make sure. If people are still concerned or having questions about symptoms, medical professionals are hosting virtual visiting, Joshi said. Phone and video visits are still an adequate way to get help and at OHSU, were still seeing the same number of patients as before. We dont want people to feel alone during this. Allergies can be quite debilitating for some people. Joe Freeman | jfreeman@oregonian.com | 503-294-5183 | @BlazerFreeman | Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories An Arkansas couple was looking forward to the big day when they'd stand in front of a judge and officially adopt the two-year-old they'd been fostering for over a year. But because of the pandemic, Kimberly Wieneke, her husband Todd, and two-year-old Jaden couldn't go to family court on that big day. They still got to become a 'forever family,' though: Speaking to DailyMailTV, Kimberly said that they went through with the proceedings on Zoom, and now the Wienekes have officially adopted Jaden. Something different: Kimberly and Todd Wieneke adopted Jaden on April 16, but the hearing was held over a Zoom video call Home: Kimberly and her husband who also have grown children Emily, 27, and Zachary, 29 had been fostering Jaden in Fort Smith since last May Kimberly and her husband who also have grown children Emily, 27, and Zachary, 29 had been fostering Jaden in Fort Smith since last May, and just a few days after he came to live with them, the area experienced historic floods. 'Unfortunately, our house was one of the homes that was flooded out. So I was already in love with Jaden. And I was like, I can't I cant lose him, I cant let him another home. In February, his birth parents terminated their parental rights, and Jaden was put up for adoption. 'We just [couldn't] imagine Jaden being in anyone's home but ours. We can't imagine him calling anyone mom and dad, but us,' Kimberly said. The Wienekes jumped at the opportunity to adopt him, and had a hearing date set for April 16. But with the pandemic raging, many court proceedings, including adoptions, moved online. 'I was kind of sad because we were going to have a big party,' Kimberley said. 'My kids were all coming down to be here for it. Unfortunately, they couldn't.' Forever home: They decided to adopt when his birth parents terminated their parental rights in February But the adoption still went through and one of the couple's older children got to participate in the Zoom hearing. 'On the day of the adoption, we all called in,' she said. 'I think there was 10 of us on the screen. And we had to be sworn in ... and of course they interviewed us, asked us questions and we had to testify. And then he was ours. Kimberly admitted she was a bit disappointed not to get that moment in court. 'We were disappointed that we didn't get to get all the pictures with judge,' she said/ 'And all the caseworkers and everything, so that was kind of sad, but we were just happy that hes ours. 'He was ours anyway, it was just a piece of paper, but now we have that piece of paper and he is ours.' 'Hes ours, he has a forever home,' she added to KNWA. At home: They'd been looking forward to their day in family court, but proceedings have moved online during the pandemic They still set up a special photoshoot for the little boy, posing Jaden in front of some Easter decorations with a sign reading, 'We didn't give you the gift of life. Life gave us the gift of you. Jaden Todd Wieneke, adopted April 16, 2020.' And they set up a special reception the day he was adopted. 'We did have friends that came by the day of the adoption,' she told DailyMailTV. 'They came by honking their horns and blowing little horns, and saying happy adoption day.' Jaden is also keeping them busy in quarantine. 'He makes us feel young,' Kimberly said. 'Because were not exactly spring chickens ... we just had our first grandchild. 'Jaden likes to ride his bike. Usually he and I as soon as he wakes up in the morning ... he wants to go outside right away. 'He keeps us busy,' she added. 'His little laugh when he laughs it just melts me.' Temple University on Monday announced plans to freeze undergraduate and graduate tuition for the 20202021 academic year, starting with the fall semester. The freeze would apply to all of its 40,000 in-state and out-of-state students. It still needs the approval of the universitys board of trustees, which next meets on May 12. With the economy in its current state, we could not in good conscience propose an increase in Temples tuition, said university President Richard Englert. Students have had to face many challenges in recent months. A tuition increase should not be one of them. If approved by the trustees, this will be the second consecutive year with no increase in undergraduate base tuition at Temple for Pennsylvania residents. For Pennsylvania students, Temples two-semester undergraduate base tuition is $16,080 for Pennsylvania students and $28,994 for out-of-state students. Earlier this month, Penn State President Eric Barron announced Penn States plan to freeze its 2020-21 tuition for all students university-wide. This plan will be considered by the universitys board in July. The State System of HIgher Educations governing board meets this week and is expected to consider tuition rates for 2020-21 and tentative tuition rates for 2021-22. Jan Murphy may be reached at jmurphy@pennlive.com. Follow her on Twitter at @JanMurphy. 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. Serhiy Marchenko Open source Minister of Finances of Ukraine Serhiy Marchenko said that this year, the government is counting on two tranches from the International Monetary Fund for a total of $ 3.5 billion. He said this during an online meeting of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Finance, Tax and Customs Policy, as RBC-Ukraine reports. "By the end of the year, $ 3.5 billion is expected. At the moment, we are talking about two tranches of $ 1.75 billion," the Minister said. He also noted that the IMFs first tranche will be transferred to Ukraine after approval by the Board of Directors of the Fund, which is possible only after the adoption of a banking law by the Verkhovna Rada. Thus, the Ukrainian market will be safe from the return of bankrupt or nationalized banks. In addition, according to the Minister, this year's sum is still a matter of discussion and Ukraine wants to increase it. The total amount under the EFF program is $8 billion. Serhiy Marchenko said that Ukraine did not ask the IMF for the money that the Fund allocates for emergency assistance to countries because of the coronavirus pandemic. As we reported before, former President of Georgia and ex-Chairman of Odesa Regional State Administration Mikheil Saakashvili said that President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky had instructed him to negotiate with the International Monetary Fund. Click here to read the full article. The BBC and ITV have agreed to fund a Dancing Ledge mentoring scheme for new writers and directors. With the funding, 16 A-list writers will select and guide a group of people looking to break into the television industry. The writers will receive a bursary to write a pilot episode for a series, while directors will be funded to work as a second unit director on a TV production. Past mentors have included Jed Mercurio, Jimmy McGovern, Jack Thorne and Lucy Prebble on the first iteration of the scheme in 2018. McGoverns mentee Tony Schumacher was recently commissioned to pen BBC One drama The Responder, starring Martin Freeman. Dancing Ledge is backed by Fremantle and has made shows including Netflix original Delhi Crime. Banijay Rights has hired John Richards from Endemol Shine International as CFO, while Roisin Thomas will remain chief operating officer. Both will report to new CEO Cathy Payne, who said: In Roisin and John, we have the perfect mix of financial acumen, operational nous and extensive industry knowledge, making us well-prepared for the future. Banijay Group is in the process of securing regulatory approval for its takeover of Endemol Shine Group. More from Deadline Red Arrow Studios International has partnered with 87 Films, the British indie behind Rob Lowe drama Wild Bill, and Israels TTV Productions to develop eight-part crime drama Protection. The drama tells three international stories which eventually collide: In Israel, Amalia Cohen-Aharonov becomes the countrys first Witness Protection Authority boss and tackles a major organized crime gang; in the UK, Labour MP Helen Ronson attracts the attentions of Moshe Kolikov, the man who hired Cohen-Aharonov; and finally in the U.S., Israeli informer Ovadia Hamami comes back into Cohen-Aharonovs life. Protection is created by Alan Whiting (The Trials Of Jimmy Rose) and TTV Productions founder Zafrir Kochanovsky (Where Do You Live?), alongside Israeli writer Izhar Harlev. Story continues AMCs Sundance TV has acquired Season 3 of Keshet drama The A Word after showing the previous two series of the BBC autism drama. It was part of a raft of deals announced by Keshet International on Monday, including the sale of ABCs The Baker And The Beauty to Australian streamer Stan. Keren Shahar, Keshet Internationals president of distribution, said: While we all do our bit to help slow the spread of this virus by isolating at home, series like these offer total escapism and the opportunity to explore the globe from the comfort of our sofas. Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Our first responders and health care professionals are putting their lives and the lives of their families on the line every day, so we knew we had to quickly determine how we could best provide a solution. Mark Landaal, VP of Sales and Marketing Due to the rapid rise of COVID-19 cases across the world, we are experiencing a shortage of personal protection equipment (PPE) for our local health care workers, first responders and other essential employees. The state of Michigan has been hit especially hard by the virus. Currently, Michigan ranks fifth highest in the nation for number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 and numbers are still on the rise. Recognizing the risk to the safety of the community, Landaal Packaging leadership saw an opportunity to help address the PPE shortage. To ease some of the local demand, a team of designers and production members at Landaal Packaging Systems came together to design, test, and produce over 2,800 face shields for local essential workers in need. Our community has faced hardships in the past, but nothing quite like this, explains Mark Landaal, VP of Sales and Marketing for Landaal Packaging. Making face shields aligns with both our manufacturing capabilities and our commitment to philanthropy and community service. Our first responders and health care professionals are putting their lives and the lives of their families on the line every day, so we knew we had to quickly determine how we could best provide a solution. Born of innovation, Landaal Packagings focus was to create a simple and effective face shield that could be produced and distributed as quickly as possible. Being a domestic manufacturer puts us in a unique position to address the challenges brought on by COVID-19, explains Mark Landaal. Once the design was completed, Landaal Packaging sourced the necessary materials from their supply network and using existing equipment, such as the ZUND Digital Cutting System, began producing face shield components. All the shields were then assembled and packaged for safe transit. By simply shifting some of our resources and our production capacity to creating disposable face shields, we help alleviate some of the demand for PPE in our community, adds Mark Landaal. Once produced, the face shields were then donated to local hospitals and organizations in need. Though times are hard, Michiganders are strong and resourceful. Landaal Packaging and its associates are committed to our community, so donating the face shields was just the right thing to do. A 58-year-old doctor became the first coronavirus patient in Uttar Pradesh to receive plasma therapy as an experimental treatment for the disease at the King George Medical University (KGMU) here, a hospital official said on Monday. According to doctors at the facility, the patient from Orai in Uttar Pradesh was administered 200 ml plasma on Sunday. "It is for the first time that plasma therapy has been administered to a COVID-19 patient in any government hospital in Uttar Pradesh. Now we are anxiously waiting for the results," KGMU spokesperson Dr Sandeep Tiwari said on Monday. His condition is being monitored, and if needed, he will be given a second dose later in the day or on Tuesday, the official said. The patient, a doctor from Orai in Uttar Pradesh, was administered plasma donated by a doctor from Canada who was the first COVID-19 patient admitted to KGMU and later recovered, Dr Tulika Chandra of the hospital's Blood Transfusion Medicine Department said. Three coronavirus patients who have now recovered have so far donated their plasma for the treatment of others suffering from the disease. They include a resident doctor of the KGMU, Tauseef Khan, she said. Convalescent Plasma Therapy is an experimental procedure for COVID-19 patients. In this treatment, plasma, a blood component, from a cured patient is transfused to a critically ill coronavirus patient. The blood of a person who has recovered from COVID-19 develops antibodies to fight the virus. This therapy uses antibodies from the blood of a cured coronavirus patient to treat another critical patient. The idea behind this therapy is that immunity can be transferred from a healthy person to a sick patient using convalescent plasma. Once the blood plasma of the recovered patient is infused with that of the second patient, the antibodies start fighting against coronavirus in the second person's body. The process of donating plasma is similar to that of donating blood and takes about an hour. On April 21, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had asked the state's medical authorities to promote plasma therapy for the treatment of COVID-19 patients after examining its efficacy. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has recently allowed states to start clinical trials of plasma therapy. Many states like Kerala, Gujarat and Punjab have already started using it for treatment of coronavirus patients. Several other countries, including the United Kingdom and the United States, have also started plasma therapy trials. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The life of Judge Samuel McReynolds, who presided over the Ed Johnson trial, demonstrates how political pressure and threat of mob violence can eliminate the phrase of an independent judiciary which today is defined as a neutral and detached judiciary. Samuel Davis McReynolds was born on a farm near Pikeville in Bledsoe County on April 16, 1872. He attended local schools and Cumberland University at Lebanon, Tennessee and was licensed to practice law in 1893. McReynolds originally practiced law in Pikeville and served as an assistant attorney from 1894-1896. He subsequently moved to Chattanooga in 1896 and in 1903 was appointed Criminal Court Judge. McReynolds term of office was ending and he was facing a re-election campaign in two months when the Ed Johnson case came up in February, 1906. McReynolds succumbed to the ugly situation and made several unconstitutional decisions if we review his actions in light of present day constitutional guarantees, but were acceptable in the atmosphere existing in the South during this era of segregation. He granted leading criminal lawyer Lewis Shepherds request to be appointed counsel for Johnson but also appointed two other lawyers who had never tried a criminal case. When Johnson was arrested Judge McReynolds performed a noble action of courage when he confronted the angry mob that was gathering at the jail to lynch Johnson. The Judge faced the crowd and told them to go home and for a while this appeased the citizens trying to take the law into their own hands as was customary in the South during this era. From this point on McReynolds failed as a judicial officer in the high profile case because of his political ambition and upcoming re-election. Amongst the invalid steps he took were: 1) Scheduling a capital murder for trial nine days from date of arrest; 2) Failure to even consider a motion to take the case out of Chattanooga and informed the defense counsel that it would be summarily denied without a hearing; 3) Making numerous pro-prosecution statements and rulings in the trial; 4) Denying a new trial hearing because the appointed lawyers were one day late in filing it; 5) Sentencing Johnson to death and discouraging an appeal to the Tennessee Supreme Court 6) Refusing to notify Sheriff Shipp that a lynch mob was surrounding the jail to take the prisoner out and hang him; When Shepherd and new African American attorneys Noah Paden and Styles Hutchins got a 10-day stay of execution after the trial and the United States Supreme Court Justice John Marshall Harlan granted a second stay, Judge McReynolds was appalled and took the action as a personal insult on him and the state court system. After Johnson had been lynched on the Walnut Street Bridge and his body shot 50 times, McReynolds was easily re-elected two months later. He served two more terms of office. After Sheriff Shipp and several others were cited by the United States Supreme Court for contempt of aiding and abetting the lynch mob, McReynolds only narrowly escaped being tried for contempt himself. McReynolds remained a popular judicial officer in Hamilton County and, upon the unexpected death of former Congressman John A. Moon in 1921, McReynolds became the Democratic candidate for Congress from the Third District and defeated the Republican candidate in the general election. He became one of the most powerful members of Congress. McReynolds became chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and in that capacity steered President Franklin Roosevelts legislation through Congress. Roosevelt counted on McReynolds to work out compromises with the isolationists in Congress. McReynolds' political ambition got thwarted on two occasions when Cordell Hulls Senate became vacant when he became Secretary of State, and the Congressman sought the position, but it went to fellow Chattanoogan Nathan Bachman. When Senator Bachman died suddenly in 1937 McReynolds once again sought the appointment, but Governor Gordon Browning appointed relatively unknown labor leader George Berry to the position. McReynolds was re-elected in 1938 by easily beating Chattanooga Judge L.D. Miller, Sr. Bad health probably caused McReynolds not to run for the Senate in 1938. He suffered from heart disease and ultimately died in Washington on July 11, 1939 from an attack. He was succeeded in office by Estes Kefauver. President Roosevelt wrote a personal letter praising McReynolds for his fine personal qualities and public service. It is doubted that any of Ed Johnsons family concurred in the salutations and favorable compliments towards Congressman Reynolds. * * * Jerry Summers (If you have additional information about one of Mr. Summers' articles or have suggestions or ideas about a future Chattanooga area historical piece, please contact Mr. Summers at jsummers@summersfirm.com Until a few weeks ago, Kevin DeLeon had a summer internship lined up as a tax analyst for a local oil and gas pipeline company. DeLeon, 26, had planned to leave his sales job, move closer to the internship and try to parlay it into a full-time job at summers end. An accounting major, he plans to graduate in December from the University of Texas at San Antonio, the first in his family to earn a bachelors degree. Then the company canceled on him, in part because it couldnt teach DeLeon its software and systems remotely. I did everything I possibly could to make this internship happen, and it was my last opportunity, in my mind, to get an internship before graduation, DeLeon said. Im not so sure about my job security. Im not so sure about my future, with a combination of student debt and other things. As the coronavirus spreads and the pandemics economic fallout worsens, a growing number of college students are struggling to find jobs and internships, while others are losing the offers they had in hand. Its a hard disappointment for those who sought career footholds, even harder for those who were counting on the income. Were not sure of the magnitude of this yet, but it is massive, said Mario Vela, executive director of the career center at UTSA. Sent home to finish the semester online, some students are living with family members who have also lost jobs, increasing their sense of urgency. And graduating seniors find themselves competing with the newly unemployed an estimated 30 million nationwide who have more work experience. Many employers have said their hiring pauses are temporary and theyre delaying start dates instead of rescinding offers entirely. But as social distancing decimates the food service, hospitality and tourism industries, temporary fallback jobs are less of an option, compared with the last recession. And some students who are being offered in-person opportunities, such as health care or curbside retail jobs, are reluctant to accept for fear of catching the sometimes-fatal virus. The standstill is especially hard on first-generation students, who often struggle to get into college for the promised financial stability of a degree. More than half the 30,000 students at UTSA are the first in their families to go to college. Regardless if our students are driven or theyve worked through adversity before, this is an unprecedented situation for us as an institution, in terms of how the job market is right now, Vela said. Students are dealing with a lot of anxiety. Universities typically pressure or require students to take summer internships to prepare for the working world, and theyre relaxing rather than silencing that message. Many internships have gone virtual, especially in the financial or information technology industries, or in education, where undergraduates are helping with online summer programs for stir-crazy children. Companies canceling internships are paying stipends, in many cases, to the jilted students and promising them a spot next summer. Career center workers continue to video chat with students, emphasizing that companies are still hiring and encouraging broader searches. Theyre holding virtual career fairs, town halls and drop-in appointments, conducting practice webcam interviews and reviewing resumes. Theyve stepped up networking with employers, encouraging them to keep interns on virtually, and trying to place students who are running out of time as finals near. If students dont have offers yet, if theyre just starting their search, the opportunities are dwindling, said Tylor Behrens, associate vice president for career services at St. Marys University. Im thinking that there will be an influx of students who are looking for that assistance in the next three weeks. More than half the employers who recruit from Texas A&M University-San Antonio, a South Side magnet for first-generation students, are still doing so, said Karen Ivy, director of career services there. The remaining 40-plus percent have said theyre pausing recruitment, but just until May or June. We have not seen panic in our students yet, Ivy said. Students should use this time to work on digital and other skills for when the job market improves advice that doesnt just apply to them, Ivy said. If things really stall, what do any of us do? she said. Hopefully, not all is lost and they have a little bit different summer than what they expected. Career centers also work with alumni, who are increasingly being laid off or furloughed. UTSAs Vela expects an influx of them, too, in the next few weeks. I think right now its a bit of the calm before the storm, he said. Students in dire financial predicaments can apply for emergency grants from their universities and visit campus food pantries. A&M-San Antonio offers grants to students who take unpaid or underpaid internships. Behrens encourages students at St. Marys, where three-quarters are first generation, to sign up for multiple part-time remote tutoring and proofreading gigs if necessary. Hes also helped more seniors with applications for graduate school, a common refuge from a bad economy, than this time last year. DeLeons job as a Google Fiber salesman has dwindled as social distancing limits the work to remotely following old leads. Hes trying to get a new internship. In the house he rents with roommates near UTSAs main campus, he donned a suit Wednesday for a practice Webex interview with Vela, who sat in his backyard near the airport, competing with birds and planes to be heard. You have the suit, you have the neutral background, Vela said. Youre presenting yourself very well. But the internship search is hard to balance with four online classes. DeLeon might decide to take one pass/fail. I just have so many online deadlines and group chats and so many forms of communication to keep up with, he said. Its just hard to keep up with the flow of information. Its like turning on all the faucets in your house and turning on the hose outside and youre trying to fill a bucket up in order, and youre running around the house and having to turn them off, and you need water from every faucet. And then one of the faucets is broken. Whether DeLeon gets a tax or audit job after graduation, he wants a masters degree and a certified public accountant license. That would put him further in debt, but by the time things get back on track, I could get a job or an internship, he said. There are things I can do to make a difference in my success, and I think I can adapt to whatever happens, but its definitely not promised. Alia Malik covers several school districts and the University of Texas at San Antonio. To read more from Alia, become a subscriber. amalik@express-news.net | Twitter: @AliaAtSAEN CROMWELL Samantha Slade, a former town council member, has stepped forward to challenge Matt Lesser for the 9th District state Senate seat. Slade, a Republican, had posted a notice of her intent to run on her Facebook account late last week. She followed that up with a formal announcement Monday. I decided to run because the 9th District needs a new voice and strong leadership in Hartford, Slade said in an email Monday. The same faces have roamed the halls of the Capitol for far too long. We need elected officials who are willing to work collaboratively with both sides of the aisle to make Connecticut a more affordable place to raise a family, retire and start a business, she said. The district encompasses Cromwell, Newington and Rocky Hill, and portions of Middletown and Wethersfield. Lesser, D-Middletown, was elected to the seat in 2018. Prior to that, he had served in the state House of Representatives from 2012-18. In an email Monday afternoon, Lesser said, Im surprised by the timing of her announcement. I also understand there are a few other Republicans looking at the seat. Im focused on one thing: addressing the COVID19 pandemic and supporting doctors, hospitals, families and small businesses at a critical time, Lesser added. Lesser is an active deputy majority leader, chairman of the Insurance and Real Estate Committee and vice chairman of the Public Health and Energy & Technology Committee, according to his online bio. He is member of the appropriations, education, judiciary, labor and public employees committees. Before winning the Senate seat, Lesser was a state representative for Middletowns 100th District from 2008 to 2019. From 2006-18, the Senate seat was held by Democrat Paul R. Doyle. A Hartford native, Slade moved to Cromwell in 2009. Since then, she has been involved in an array of activities intended to, as she explained, helping to make the community in which (I) live a better place. Slade has served as a member of the Zoning Board of Appeals, as a member of the Cromwell Fire Department and as a member of the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars. She enlisted in the Army in 2012 and is a member of the Army Reserve. In 2015, Slade was elected to the Cromwell Town Council. She was re-elected in 2017, but resigned from the council in May 2019, when she volunteered to be deployed to the Middle East. She served the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan as part of Operation Spartan Shield from 2019-20. Slade said during her time in the kingdom she was responsible for the health, welfare, morale, development and discipline of the troops under her command. Slade said, I will roll up my sleeves and work towards policies and budgets that make Connecticut a destination, not a pass-through state. We need to encourage millennials like myself to build their futures here and not take their degrees and knowledge elsewhere, Slade said. Slade earned a bachelors degree in history at St. Joseph College (now university) and a masters in communication from the University of Hartford. No casualties were reported over the past day. Russia's hybrid military forces on April 26 mounted 11 attacks on Ukrainian positions in Donbas, eastern Ukraine. "On April 26, armed formations of the Russian Federation violated the ceasefire 11 times," the press center of Ukraine's Joint Forces Operation said in a Facebook update as of 07:00 Kyiv time on April 27, 2020. Russia-led forces opened fire from proscribed 152mm artillery systems, 120mm and 82mm mortars, grenade launchers of various types, weapons installed on infantry fighting vehicles, an anti-aircraft gun, heavy machine guns, and rifles. Under attack came Ukrainian positions near the villages of Lebedynske, Shyrokyne, Bohdanivka, Novotroyitske, Starohnativka, Novotoshkivske, Khutir Vilny, and Krymske. Read alsoZelensky positive to put end to war in Donbas within his cadence Joint Forces returned fire to each enemy attack. Losses among enemy forces are being verified. "Since Monday midnight, Russia-led forces have attacked Ukrainian positions near the village of Katerynivka, using 120mm mortars, grenade launchers of various types, heavy machine guns, and rifles " the update said. No casualties were reported over the past day. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-27 20:07:53|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close JOHANNESBURG, April 27 (Xinhua) -- South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday welcomed 217 Cuban medical professionals who have been deployed to the country to combat the spread of COVID-19. The healthcare workers arrived in South Africa on Sunday night after Ramaphosa requested assistance from the Cuban government. "The experts will support efforts being made in South Africa to contain the spread of COVID-19," presidential spokesperson Khusela Diko said. The team of medical professionals from Cuba include infectious diseases experts, epidemiologists, health technology engineers and family physicians to assist during door-to-door testing. South Africa has recorded 4,546 cases of COVID-19 so far with 87 fatalities with most of the confirmed cases concentrated in the Western Cape. National Health Allied Workers Union (Nehawu) welcomed the deployment of healthcare workers, stating that they would assist in the fight against the pandemic. "The assistance of Cubans who are armed with extensive knowledge and experience on health-related interventions is going to be a shot in the arm for our efforts to stem the tide against new infections. "With the new infections growing at an alarming rate the Cuban brigade could not have come at a better time," said Nehawu spokesperson Khaya Xaba. South African and Cuban governments collaborate on the field of healthcare, with over 700 South African doctors having been trained in Cuba in the past decade. "Many others continue receiving medical training in Cuba, and will also provide in the coming years much needed primary healthcare services to their local communities," Diko added. Enditem The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has extended the public comment period for a draft environmental impact statement of Holtec Internationals proposed nuclear waste storage facility in southeast New Mexico. The comment deadline is now July 22. The extension comes after New Mexicos congressional delegation and at least 50 environmental groups said the public needed more time to comment in wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The federal agency has not yet announced dates for public meetings in New Mexico to discuss the document. The NRC released the draft impact statement in March, along with a recommendation to issue a license to Holtec for the project. The facility would initially store spent nuclear fuel in 500 canisters, and the full project would have a capacity for 10,000 canisters. Comments may be made online at https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=NRC-2018-0052-0300. Comments can also be emailed to Holtec-CISFEIS@nrc.gov. Conte's office has promised bishops a solution to the ban on public Masses. Italys bishops have issued a sharply-worded statement criticising the Italian government for not lifting the ban on public Masses, as part of the Phase Two coronavirus plan announced by premier Giuseppe Conte late on 26 April. The statement from the Conference of Bishops (CEI) criticised Italy's Phase Two decree, which introduces a gradual loosening of coronavirus lockdown restrictions from 4 May, saying that it "arbitrarily excludes the possibility of celebrating Mass with the people." The bishops' statement was released immediately after Conte's televised announcement outlining the timeline and range of measures to be taken in the nation's next steps in the covid-19 emergency. Conte's office responded to the CEI statement late last night, reports Italian news agency ANSA, stating that a protocol will be studied that will allow the faithful to participate in liturgical celebrations as soon as possible in conditions of maximum security. Public Masses have been suspended across Italy for nearly seven weeks after the government issued a decree on 8 March suspending all public religious ceremonies, including funerals. Churches have remained open for private prayer however. During his Phase Two address Conte announced that funerals may resume from 4 May, attended by a maximum of 15 mourners, while respecting social distancing measures. Read also: The Italian bishops noted in their letter that they had engaged in "continuous and available dialogue" and that "the Church accepted, with suffering and a sense of responsibility, the government limitations taken to face the health emergency," reports the Catholic News Agency (CNA). In their 26 April statement the bishops claim they had also presented their own guidelines for a transitional phase which would meet all health standards - reports CNA - and that throughout the negotiations "it was explicitly emphasised that - when the limitations taken on to face the pandemic are reduced - the Church demands to be able to resume its pastoral action." Italys ecclesiastical lockdown is the longest-running in the world, according to Crux, the online newspaper covering news related to the Catholic Church. Photo: Isogood_patrick / Shutterstock.com (Photo : Photo by Jan Kaluza on Unsplash) [BREAKING] COVID-19 Update: New Zealand 'Eliminated' Virus Saying "We Have Won That Battle" (Photo : Reuters ) [BREAKING] COVID-19 Update: New Zealand 'Eliminated' Virus Saying "We Have Won That Battle" Despite all the increasing number of Coronavirus cases around the world, one country has now officially announced the 'elimination' of the virus. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says on Sunday, Apr. 26, that "we have won that battle." She claims that the government has currently stopped the community transmission of COVID-19 in the country. How did they stop the virus? COVID-19 good news! New Zealand has finally eliminated the virus! Here's a piece of good news that everyone must hear. On the weekend, New Zealand has announced the easing of lockdown measures after the country claims that they have finally "eliminated" virus. With no new cases recorded within several following days, PM Ardern said that the country can now back to normal-- specifically with its economy. "No widespread undetected community transmission in New Zealand," said PM Ardern. "We have won that battle." Starting on Tuesday, Apr. 28, other non-essential businesses, healthcare offices, and education activities will be resumed. However, citizens of New Zealand will not be advised to go out of their homes. "We are opening up the economy, but we're not opening up people's social lives," said PM Ardern at the daily government briefing. New Zealand's Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield explained the action of the government, saying the health sector believes that the low number of new cases in recent days "does give us confidence that we have achieved our goal of elimination." Despite this, they believed that it is still important for people to practice social distancing and remain at their homes. The director warned that "elimination" did not mean there would be no new cases, "but it does mean we know where our cases are coming from." PM Ardern also said that "We must make sure that we do not let the virus run away on us again and cause a new wave of cases and deaths. To succeed, we need to hunt down the last few cases of the virus." How did they do it? READ ALSO: [BREAKING] COVID- 19 Update: Virus Dies in 2 Minutes When Faced on Direct Sunlight, U.S. Official Says NZ is one of the countries that implemented early lockdown when they first got positive Coronavirus cases in the country. It has reported fewer than 1,500 confirmed or probable cases of COVID-19, and 19 deaths. Experts from the government said that they had made the right decision to close all borders in an early time before they're faced with a possible terrible huge case. PM Ardern explains that the country could never know how bad it would have been, but that "through our cumulative actions, we have avoided the worst." She also explains that citizens are told to stick to their "bubble"-- meaning to stay only on a small group of people or to keep distance 6 feet away from other people. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday made his first public appearance since being hospitalised with coronavirus three weeks ago, saying Britain was beginning to "turn the tide" on the outbreak but rejecting calls to ease a nationwide lockdown. In a statement in Downing Street marking his return to work, looking thinner and with his trademark blond hair a little more unruly than usual, Johnson apologised for being away "for much longer than I would have liked". He thanked the British people for heeding more than a month of stay-at-home orders, saying their action had helped ensure the state-run National Health Service (NHS) had not become overwhelmed. "That is how and why we are now beginning to turn the tide," Johnson said, echoing his promise on March 19 that Britain could turn the tide on the outbreak in three months if people followed social distancing rules. But more than 20,000 people have already died in Britain, not including deaths in care homes and in the wider community, making it one of the worst hit countries in the global pandemic. Britain recorded 360 more deaths on Monday, its lowest daily toll since last month, and Johnson acknowledged growing demands for the lockdown to be lifted to reduce the economic impact, but insisted now was not the time. "I refuse to throw away all the effort and the sacrifice of the British people and to risk a second major outbreak, a huge loss of life and the overwhelming of the NHS," he said. - 'Refining' lockdown measures - Johnson, 55, became the most high-profile world leader to contract COVID-19 one month ago. He spent a week in hospital, including three nights in intensive care, admitting in a video message after he was discharged that things "could have gone either way". After a fortnight recovering at his countryside retreat of Chequers, he returned to Downing Street on Sunday night. On Monday morning he chaired the daily government coronavirus meeting, "and will now be resuming full duties", his spokesman said. In Johnson's absence, the government has faced increasing criticism over its response to the outbreak. Healthcare professionals still complain about a lack of protective masks and gowns, while a target to test 100,000 people a day by the end of April looks hard to reach. Most importantly, even as debate continues about whether Britain was too slow in ordering shops to shut and telling people to stay at home, Johnson must decide by May 7 whether to renew the measures. After dire predictions from the Bank of England that Britain could face its worst recession in centuries, a senior Conservative MP, Graham Brady, said the economy must start moving again. "If there is a question over whether something is necessary or not, I think we should err on the side of openness and trying to make sure that more people can get on with their lives and more people can get on with getting back to their jobs," he told BBC radio on Sunday night. - 'A new normal' - But Johnson said this would only happen when the outbreak was under control, infection rates had fallen and issues of testing and equipment were resolved. Even then, he said it would be a phased return in what Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab -- who deputised for Johnson during his absence -- has called a "new normal". The government could "begin gradually to refine the economic and social restrictions, and one by one to fire up the engines" of the economy, Johnson said. He declined to give further detail but promised to be more transparent about the process and to work with opposition parties. The government also changed the format of its daily press briefing, allowing the public to submit questions to ministers and experts. The questions were chosen by an independent polling company and no advance notice was given to the respondents, officials said. Chief medical officer Chris Whitty warned in the briefing that it was "plausible" that a rare but dangerous inflammatory syndrome affecting children in Britain was linked to coronavirus. "We have asked experts to look into it as a matter of urgency," added NHS England medical director Stephen Powis. Prime Minister Boris Johnson gives his first Downing Street statement since being hospitalised with coronavirus A runner exercises on the seafront at Goring-by-Sea on the south coast of England British PM Boris Johnson returned to work apologising for being away "for much longer than I would have liked" A mural by French street artist Zabou in East London Over five lakh migrant workers stranded in different states have registered themselves since Friday on an online portal started by Odisha government to facilitate their return after the lockdown to check the spread of the Covdi-19 pandemic is lifted, officials said Monday. The portal which was running since Friday, saw 5.5 lakh people registering their names and other particulars, said Odishas governments chief spokesperson on Covid-19, Subroto Bagchi. Officials fear that the massive registration could overwhelm the preparations made by the State government for the workers return. We have no idea as to what would be the final number of registration on the Covid portal. If all the 5.5 lakh turn up within one week of the opening of lockdown on May 3, it would be impossible to house all of them at one go, said an official in charge of overseeing the quarantine set-up. OIdisha has reported a total of 111 cases of Covid-19 so far. On Saturday, the Odisha government had said it has managed to create 2.2 lakh quarantine beds in 7,120 temporary medical centres in about 7,000 gram panchayats and 120 urban local bodies to house the migrant workers for 14-day quarantine. Though the government earlier had made the provision for home quarantine of 14 days for anyone returning from outside Odisha, it shelved the idea as a number of people in home quarantine slipped out and spread infection. Already 86,000 workers, including 16,000 from within Odisha, are being accommodated in 2,610 quarantine camps in various districts of the state. Political leaders from districts like Bolangir and Kalahandi expressed their apprehension over the influx of the migrant workers. Sangeeta Singh Deo, BJP MP from Bolangir said many sarpanchs are worried over whether quarantine and social distancing protocols can be managed at the temporary centres with the return of migrant labourers. Kalahandi MP Basanta Panda, said the panchayats are ill-equipped for such large scale return and the government should address their concerns before allowing migrants to return. With lakhs of its migrant workers getting restive to return home, the government on Sunday had said that it would arrange buses to Gujarat and Maharashtra to bring back stranded migrant workers after the lockdown ends on May 3. In a video conference with his Gujarat and Maharashtra counterparts, chief minister Naveen Patnaik said a coordination committee comprising two officers each from all the three states will decide on the modalities of bringing back the stranded workers by buses or any other modes of transport available. But on Monday, around 200 migrant labourers from Odisha stranded in Surat boarded four buses to return home. The migrant labourers said they have got approval from Surat district collector Dhavalkumar Patel. Ganjam district collector Vijay Amruta Kulange said the migrant labourers returning from Surat will be kept in the government quarantine facilities for 14 days. Texas Governor Greg Abbott speaks at a press conference at the Texas State Capitol in Austin on March 29, 2020. (Tom Fox-Pool/Getty Images) Texas Governor Says Restaurants, Malls, Theaters Can Reopen May 1 Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is allowing restaurants, malls, movie theaters, and retailers to serve customers inside stores starting May 1, one of the widest reopenings in the nation from a near-total lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19 is a disease caused by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, a novel coronavirus that emerged from mainland China last year. Fears of the virus spreading widely and infecting so many that healthcare systems would be overwhelmed prompted the vast majority of governors to impose harsh quarantines that have Americans largely confined at home. Abbott forced so-called nonessential businesses to close, shut down schools, curbed travel, and mandated quarantine for people entering from other states. The Republican was one of the first to announce some stores would be able to reopen on April 17. The governor said April 27 that a variety of sectors can reopen with a limit on the number of people inside stores. The occupancy will be limited to 25 percent. Museums and libraries can also open their doors with restrictions. Were not just going to open up and hope for the best. Instead, we will put measures in place that will help businesses open while also containing the virus and keeping Texas safe, Abbott said at a press conference on Monday Hes letting his stay at home order expire on April 30. Protestors gather outside the El Paso County Court House during a rally calling for the reopening of El Paso and Texas in El Paso, Texas on April 25, 2020. (Cengiz Yar/Getty Images) Depending on the number of new COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, other businesses can start to reopen and retailers and some other stores can increase the number of people inside to 50 percent of normal capacity. Phase two could start as soon as May 18. The CCP virus infection rate in Texas has declined for 17 days and hospitals across the state have plenty of open beds, state officials said. Texas has 25,297 confirmed CCP virus cases but 11,170 of those patients have recovered, according to the state Department of Health Services. Another 1,563 people are currently hospitalized and 663 people have died with COVID-19. Over 75 percent of them were 65 or older. Officials are now working on plans for how to reopen another set of businesses, which include gyms, bars, barbershops, and salons. The reopening dates for those businesses havent been outlined. Abbott cited medical experts advising them not to reopen yet. He hopes they can start back up in mid-May. The state will also analyze how to open summer camps. Abbott said state officials are in touch with federal officials, including Dr. Deborah Birx, response coordinator of the White House Task Force. New York Chris Evans' latest TV project had a nice lure built in he was able to stay close to his Boston-area home. "I got to sleep in my own bed and see my family on the weekends. And it felt really, for a little while, like I had a regular 9-to-5 job," the actor said. "That's tough to beat." Evans stars in the eight-part Apple TV Plus drama series "Defending Jacob," which is set in the Boston suburbs. The "Captain America" star got to lean into his natural accent and visit spots he knew growing up. But there was one part that was inauthentic: He didn't get to wear his own Red Sox cap during filming. "I offered to use mine, but mine didn't look as weathered. Mine was a bit new," he said, laughing. Evans stars as an assistant district attorney in a Boston suburb whose 14-year-old son is accused of killing a classmate. He investigates the crime, risking his career as his marriage is shaken and both parents learn they really know little about the private life of their son. The show raises questions about genetics, family secrets and trust. "Hopefully it's something that keeps you thinking well after it's over," Evans said. British actress Michelle Dockery stars as the teen's mother. The "Downton Abbey" veteran said she was attracted to the project because it explored a family's dynamics under stress. "What I loved about this story was it focuses far more on the effects that the crime has on the family as opposed to the crime itself," she said. "The show is really about family and how far would you go for your loved one?" The series also features Jaeden Martell as their son, Cherry Jones as a defense attorney, Pablo Schreiber as a prosecutor and J.K. Simmons as an estranged family member. It marks Evans' first return to episodic TV since his first professional job, the Fox summer 2000 show "Opposite Sex," which he jokes was "canceled in the blink of an eye." He credits showrunner Mark Bomback and director Morten Tyldum with showing "meaningful contours and layers behind each character" and slowly ratcheting up the tension for what is ostensibly an eight-hour movie. "I think 20 years ago this would've been a film and it would have been all engine you would have removed all opportunities for the characters to breathe. It would have been entertaining, but it really wouldn't have gone too deep," he said. "Defending Jacob" is adapted from the 2012 New York Times best-selling novel of the same name by William Landay. Evans said at the heart of the legal thriller is something everyone can relate to guilt. "I enjoy the examination of guilt. That I may be kind of revealing about my own personal nature, but I think there is some unique downstream manifestations from guilt. It's this thing that I think a lot of people live with but cope with very differently," he said. "I think that guilt never fully silences. That echo is always there. But I think he had kind of reached a certain level of peace. And then all of a sudden, all of this trauma had to be exhumed in a very public format." Shooting around Boston was a comfort to Evans, but Dockery said she also fell in love with the area, especially Walden Pond, which she calls "one of the most beautiful places I've ever been to." Her dad is Irish and she said there's "something about that Irish vibe in Boston that I really love." King Salman of Saudi Arabia has ordered an end to the death penalty for crimes that are committed by minors, according to a statement sent by a top official on April 26. The decision of the king comes on the heels of another ordering judges to end the practice of flogging, replacing it with jail time, fines or even community services and bringing one of the kingdom's most controversial forms of public punishment to an end. King Salman's son, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, is seen as the brains behind the kingdom's loosening of restrictions and its change from conservative interpretations of Islamic law known as Wahhabism. The crown prince has sought to modernize the country to attract foreign investment and revamp Saudi Arabia's reputation globally. The prince has also overseen a parallel crackdown on liberals, women's rights activists, writers, moderate clerics and reformers. The 2018 killing of Saudi writer Jamal Khashoggi in Turkey by agents who worked for the prince drew international criticism. Also read: British Soldiers Given Insect Repellant to Protect Themselves Against Coronavirus The new decree can save lives The latest royal decree by King Salman could spare the death penalty for six men from the country's minority Shiite community who is said to have committed crimes while under the age of 18. Some of the participated in anti-government protests and it is an activity that is related to terrorism in Saudi Arabia as it disturbs order and it means disobeying the ruler. In 2019, Saudi Arabia executed a young man who was convicted of crimes that took place when he was 16 years old. Abdulkareem al-Hawaj was found guilty of offences related to his participation in protests in Shiite-populated areas of Saudi Arabia. Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have long called on the kingdom to abolish the use of death penalty, especially for crimes that are committed by minors. The president of the Saudi government's Human Rights Commission, Awwad Alawwad, confirmed the latest decision in a statement on April 26, saying that it helps the kingdom establish a more modern penal code and demonstrates the kingdom's commitment to following through on key reforms. The decree expands on a previous order by King Salman issued in 2018, which set a maximum 10-year prison term for minors in certain cases, except for crimes that were punishable by death. The 10-year maximum applies to all crimes by minors with the possible exception of terrorism-related crimes. The end of flogging The Supreme Court in Saudi Arabia issued a directive to end flogging as a form of punishment sometime in April, according to a document seen by The Associated Press. The public punishment of whipping a handcuffed prisoner for non-violent crimes had draw comparisons to the types of punishment carried out by extremist groups like the Islamic State. Saudi authorities had argued it was a form of deterrence against potential criminals but rights groups criticized the practice as inhumane. The Supreme Court document stated the decision was in line with the kingdom's reforms and developments in the realm of human rights as directed by King Salman and overseen by the crown prince. Related article: More Than 4,000 People in London Arrested for Domestic Abuse @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. For about a week during the lockdown, two Delhi police head constables served like sons to 78-year old Shyam Murari Kapoor, a cancer patient who died in West Delhi's Hari Nagar on Sunday. They helped Kapoor visit a hospital, brought him medicines, and even assisted in performing his last rites in the absence of his loved ones. The two head constables -- Ramesh and Jitender -- also posted at Hari Nagar police station took care of Kapoor since April 19 after the Station House Officer (SHO) informed them about his poor health condition and tasked them to attend to his needs, officials said. Kapoor lived alone at his Hari Nagar residence while as two of his sons -- Alok Kapoor and Amit Kapoor -- both IT professionals, lived in Hyderabad and London respectively, they said. On April 19, Kapoor started coughing and had fever after which he contacted the police. "The two head constables rushed him to DDU Hospital where he was examined for COVID-19. However, he tested negative for coronavirus. He was undergoing treatment for cancer at a hospital which also caused him acute feebleness," said Deepak Purohit, Deputy Commissioner of Police (West). The two constables then informed his niece Mukta Kapoor, who reached the hospital. But in the meantime, both the policemen pursued with his examinations at the hospital, the DCP said. They then shifted Kapoor to the Ganga Ram Hospital where he recuperated and returned home. "Yet both the policemen kept visiting him regularly and ensured that his medicines and other basic amenities were in sufficient quantity," he added. One attendant was also arranged for Kapoor and he was doing well. However, he died on April 26, the DCP said. The head constables Ramesh and Jitender rushed to his residence after hearing about his death. They found Kapoor lying in his bathroom. "He was a humble man and treated me like a son. I spoke to him last on Saturday night when he called me and told me that he was missing his sons and wanted to meet them. I assured him that he will be able meet them soon, said head constable Ramesh. His body was taken to DDU hospital by the police and a post-mortem was conducted, the DCP said. Prima facie, it was a case of natural death due to cancer, he said. The body was handed over to Mukta Kapoor and his last rites took place at the cremation ground in Punjabi Bagh with the assistance of two head constables. They assisted in the rituals along with three relatives of Kapoor, he said. "The policemen helped us a lot. They arranged medicines, provided food, facilitated the post-mortem and final rites. Only two of our relatives could come for cremation. But the policemen stood there and helped with all the formalities and arrangements," said Mukta Kapoor. Head constable Jitender said they often keep a check on the well-being of senior citizens in their area. "He treated us like one of his own. So, it was our responsibility to help him when he needed us. We had to be part of his final journey especially at a time when both his sons were stuck outside Delhi due to the lockdown," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The requested page is currently unavailable on this server. Back to [RTHK News Homepage] MIDDLETOWN The Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce continues to connect business owners from around the county with information and resources that may help them through the COVID-19 crisis with virtual webinars featuring business leaders and elected officials over the past week to help members prepare for business recovery. Last Monday, the chamber hosted an online KeyBank Workshop titled, PPP & More- What is Best for Your Business or Non-Profit. Expert panelists gave an overview of current program trends and discussed local businesses concerns. On Tuesday, the next workshop focused on looking ahead and anticipating issues related to getting businesses back to operation post-COVID-19, and featured Attorneys Rich Carella, Chris Brigham, Kevin McEleney and Donald Doeg of Updike Kelly & Spellacy, P.C. We closed the week with an excellent virtual Town Hall meeting featuring Matt Pugliese, Associate State Director, from the Connecticut Small Business Development Center who provided the latest news and updates on the current funding opportunities available. This meeting gave the community a chance to ask important questions affecting their small business or non-profit. To register for future webinars and meetings, please visit middlesexchamber.com. At middlesexchamber.com, there are other helpful resources such as the Coronavirus Tool Kit which includes a survey that allows the chamber to help, along with a number of resources which are updated on a regular basis as more information becomes available. The chamber also created a social media campaign which allows Middlesex County to share the creative ideas they are employed to stay operational and helpful to their fellow community members during this period. Members can connect with the chambers "SHOUT IT OUT!" campaign, and let others know what they are up to. This campaign has seen more than 1,200 posts about economic activity that is taking place in the Middlesex County region. On the restaurant front, the Chamber website has a section dedicated to promoting Middlesex County restaurants that are open for pick up orders. This information is also available through the Chambers social media platforms. Please support these local restaurants if you are able to do so safely. For more information visit www.MiddlesexChamber.com Arts center needs volunteers KILLINGWORTH Volunteers are needed to help at gallery show installations and at expo tables throughout the year. Counselors and models also needed for July summer fashion and art camps. No experience is necessary. Teens earn community service credit. Call 860-663-5593 or email artscenterkillingworth@gmail.com. Visit the volunteer page for more information and other volunteer opportunities at artscenterkillingworth.org/volunteer H/K Hall of Fame dinner postponed HADDAM/KILLINGWORTH The annual H/K Hall of Fame dinner, scheduled in May, has been postponed until May 2021. More information will be provided in the fall. The dinner was to honor this years HK Hall of Fame inductees: Elizabeth Betty Cernan, Robert Kadrle, Betty Meyer, Susan Rutty, Carol Sheridan and Edward Yantosh. I-Park to delay opening EAST HADDAM I-Park will delay the start of its 2020 residency season in light of the current health situation. Most all residency programs across the country have reluctantly shut down until further notice, members said in a statement. The first group of scheduled artists was informed that their May residency was cancelled. And those scheduled for subsequent sessions were advised that we were taking a wait-and-see attitude. In light of the multiple uncertainties associated with the current crisis, the decision was unavoidable. I-Parks first priority is the well-being of its artists-in-residence, staff and volunteers - and their families. All public events at I-Park are also on hold at this time. Staff members are working off-site and keeping the lines of communication open. Maintenance activities continue on the grounds. Visit www.i-park.org and go to Facebook and Instagram for updates. IPark is an artists-in-residence program offering fully funded residencies in visual arts, creative writing, music composition/sound art, moving image, and architecture/landscape design. Since its founding in 2001, I-Park has sponsored almost 1,000 residencies, and has developed crossdisciplinary projects of cultural significance and brought them into the public domain. Set within a 450-acre nature preserve, I-Park encourages dialogue between the natural and built environments, and has been the setting for exhibitions, performances, symposia, and programs that facilitate artistic collaboration. For more information, visit i-park.org. Flag sponsors sought Downtown Middletown is once again planning its annual display of patriotism and support for military families. American flags are available to downtown businesses for a minimum donation of $25 per flag. These flags are a way to show support and to prepare for Memorial Day, Flag Day, Independence Day, Labor Day and Columbus Day. We have ordered brand new American Flags for the 2020 Season. For many years and again this year, Middletown Fire Department will attach new flags and the Alarm Division of the City of Middletown will install the flagpoles on Main Street, creating a show of patriotism with cooperation between the City, Central Business Bureau / Middlesex Chamber and the Downtown business community. For information, contact Daniellelee Smith in the Chamber office at 860-347-6924 or email dsmith@middlesexchamber.com. As Epidemic Rages On In Iran, Lack Of Revenues Pressures Rouhani Radio Farda April 26, 2020 A senior Iranian Health Ministry official says the coronavirus epidemic in Iran has still not reached its peak, meaning the number of infections and deaths are still on the rise. Nevertheless, in what has been described by Presidential adviser Hesamoddin Ashna as "one of the most difficult meetings on the situation of the outbreak," President Hassan Rouhani explained yet another "new decision" that divides Iran's provinces into three categories, white, yellow and red, depending on the level of the health crisis. The odd thing is that white means all clear. Rouhani said shrines and religious sites will be reopened in 127 areas described as "white areas" upon the attestation of the Health Ministry, either by the end of next week or in mid-Ramadan (around mid-May). This comes while Hossein Erfani, the Chairman of Contagious Diseases Office of the Health Ministry warned in an interview on Iran's state TV Saturday evening that "people should not think that the epidemic is over and they can go around as they wish," adding that people should stay home if they do not have anything important to do outside. Meanwhile, Tehran City Councillor Mohammad Javad Haqshenas said 40 to 45 percent of the people in the Iranian capital are living under the poverty line and need financial support from the government. He said the financial situation in the suburbs of Tehran is more critical and millions of people living there cannot make ends meet unless the government helps them. Haqshenas said that the Tehran Municipality and the Mostazafan Foundation have plans to extend financial assistance to 5,000 peddlers in Tehran but there are more people in need including another five thousand homeless people. On Saturday, the Culture Minister Abbas Salehi warned Tehran City Council's Chairman Mohsen Hashemi not to give away facts and figures about those affected by the epidemic as "enemy media" might take advantage. The warning came after Hashemi told the press that the number of those affected by the epidemic is much higher than government figures. Hashemi said on Sunday that councillors have better access to death toll as they control the Tehran cemetery, Behesht-e Zahra. Meanwhile President Rouhani who ordered the reopening of low and medium-risk businesses last week, said today that in the warmer southern provinces of Iran, shopping centers can now remain open until 8 PM. Rouhani further added that congregational prayers could also be resumed in those areas based on certain protocols, although he did not elaborate further. Iranian media reported last week that the Rouhani administration was under a lot of pressure by hardliners to reopen the shrines. However, Rouhani said on Sunday that "for instance, if we open the shrine in Mashhad, then people will be travelling to that city by busy trains and buses and will be staying at hotels and frequenting the markets around the shrine. So, the matter must be seen in a wider context." Recent reports have been indicating that a sharp decline in the Iranian government's tax and oil revenues have made it difficult for the Rouhani administration to extend financial assistance to the people in need. On Sunday, he called on the rich to donate food and money to the poor. Economic hardship perhaps justifies Rouhani's hurry in ending social distancing restrictions. However, pressures coming from hardliner clerics also push him toward a potentially dangerous early end to restrictions. Last week when Rouhani ordered the reopening of parks, hardliner newspaper Kayhan, which enjoys Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's support, complained "Why parks can be opened and shrines cannot? They can be controlled much easier than parks." The Kayhan chose to ignore the fact that even Khamenei, is holding his Koran recitation sessions in Ramadan this year via video teleconference in order not to have a large group of people sitting next to each other, and of course, close to him. Khamenei is by far the only senior Iranian official that has been strictly observing self-isolation and social distancing rules during recent months. Others, including Rouhani, appear in daily meetings, sometimes even without using masks. Khamenei has not been seen among visitors and even aides since January when the only person who has been seen with him only once in a video or picture was his family doctor Alireza Marandi. In those rare videos, Khamenei is seen sitting in what could be a self-op studio where he controls the camera with a classic wired button. Source: https://en.radiofarda.com/a/as-epidemic- rages-on-in-iran-lack-of-revenues- pressures-rouhani/30577709.html Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address CONTACT: Pamela D. Wilson 303-810-1816 Email: Inquiry_For_Pamela@pameladwilson.com Golden, Colorado April 27, 2020 The Caring Generation Special Needs Adults & Temple Grandin Golden CO- Caregiving expert Pamela D. Wilson hosts The Caring Generation radio program for caregivers and aging adults this coming Wednesday, April 29, on the Bold Brave Media Network. The program airs live at 9 p.m. EST. The Caring Generation aired initially from 2009 to 2011 on 630 KHOW-AM in Denver, Colorado. Special Needs Children Have Special Parents What happens when children born with special needs grow up and become adults with disabilities? How do parents care for adults with disabilities? How do special needs adults transition through the stages of life as they age? Can special needs adults work? Can adults with disabilities live alone? How do special needs adults integrate into society? What about sex, having children, and marriage? The host of The Caring Generation, Pamela D. Wilson, who was a court-appointed guardian and power of attorney for special needs adults, shares her experiences. Dr. Temple Grandin Offers Proven Tips for Parents of Special Needs Adults Special guest, Dr. Temple Grandin, joins The Caring Generation on April 29th. Grandin, diagnosed with autism at the age of two, shares practical tips for parents to help special needs children to succeed in life and at work. She is a past member of the board of directors of the Autism Society of America, and lectures and teaches about her experience with autism. Dr. Grandin is a professor of animal science at Colorado State University and a pioneer in improving the handling and welfare of farm animals. Her education includes a B.A. at Franklin Pierce College, a Master's in Animal Science at Arizona State University, and a Ph.D. in Animal Science from the University of Illinois. Parents of Special Needs Children Experience Roadblocks Parents designated as a legal guardian or power of attorney for children who become special needs adults may find their decisions scrutinized by human service organizations serving the disabled, by neighbors, and by medical providers. According to Wilson, "As a court-appointed guardian for special needs adults, I had my motives questioned many times by organizations with staff who called themselves "advocates." In some cases, I legally had to prove that it was the human services organization staff, host home staff, or other adults with disabilities under their supervision who were emotionally or financially taking advantage of my client." Parents are reported to child protective services by organizations and individuals who have no idea what the day to day situation of raising special needs children involves. Some marriages with special needs children result in divorce. Many couples commit their lives to raise and continue to care for special needs children for a lifetime. Government Programs for Special Needs Children and Special Needs Adults Government programs like IDEA, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, provide support programs and systems to help children disabilities grow up to live as independently as possible. Navigating these systems is a learning process for parents. Community Center Boards and other organizations like vocational rehabilitation help adults with disabilities integrate into the community and find meaningful work. Special needs adults can be vulnerable to the influence of others. Children who grow up with disabilities may remain dependent on care oversight and lifetime support from parents and community organizations. Many special needs children become successful adults who inspire others. Join the program to hear Dr. Temple Grandin's inspirational story and her recommendations for parents of special needs children. Join Pamela on The Caring Generation to learn the answers to these and other questions about living with elderly parents. The Caring Generation radio program airs live at 6 p.m. Pacific, 7 p.m. Mountain, 8 p.m. Central, and 9 p.m. Eastern every Wednesday night. Replays of the weekly programs are available in podcast format with transcripts on Pamela's website and all major podcast sites. More information about Pamela and her support programs are available on her website. Her caregiving blog offers help for caregivers and aging adults. # Last summer, a new age for high-temperature superconductivity was proclaimed -- the nickel age. It was discovered that there are promising superconductors in a special class of materials, the so-called nickelates, which can conduct electric current without any resistance even at high temperatures. However, it soon became apparent that these initially spectacular results from Stanford could not be reproduced by other research groups. TU Wien (Vienna) has now found the reason for this: In some nickelates additional hydrogen atoms are incorporated into the material structure. This completely changes the electrical behaviour of the material. In the production of the new superconductors, this effect must now be taken into account. The search for High-Temperature Superconductors Some materials are only superconducting near absolute temperature zero -- such superconductors are not suitable for technical applications. Therefore, for decades, people have been looking for materials that remain superconducting even at higher temperatures. In the 1980s, "high-temperature superconductors" were discovered. What is referred to as "high temperatures" in this context, however, is still very cold: even high-temperature superconductors must be cooled strongly in order to obtain their superconducting properties. Therefore, the search for new superconductors at even higher temperatures continues. "For a long time, special attention was paid to so-called cuprates, i.e. compounds containing copper. This is why we also speak of the copper age," explains Prof. Karsten Held from the Institute of Solid State Physics at TU Wien. "With these cuprates, some important progress was made, even though there are still many open questions in the theory of high-temperature superconductivity today." But for some time now, other possibilities have also been under consideration. There was already a so-called "iron age" based on iron-containing superconductors. In summer 2019, the research group of Harold Y. Hwang's research group from Stanford then succeeded in demonstrating high-temperature superconductivity in nickelates. "Based on our calculations, we already proposed nickelates as superconductors 10 years ago, but they were somewhat different from the ones that have now been discovered. They are related to cuprates, but contain nickel instead of copper atoms," says Karsten Held. The Trouble with Hydrogen After some initial enthusiasm, however, it has become apparent in recent months that nickelate superconductors are more difficult to produce than initially thought. Other research groups reported that their nickelates do not have superconducting properties. This apparent contradiction has now been clarified at TU Wien. "We analysed the nickelates with the help of supercomputers and found that they are extremely receptive to hydrogen into the material," reports Liang Si (TU Vienna). In the synthesis of certain nickelates, hydrogen atoms can be incorporated, which completely changes the electronic properties of the material. "However, this does not happen with all nickelates," says Liang Si, "Our calculations show that for most of them, it is energetically more favourable to incorporate hydrogen, but not for the nickelates from Stanford. Even small changes in the synthesis conditions can make a difference." Last Friday (on 24.04.2020) the group around Ariando Ariando from the NUS Singapore could report that they also succeeded in producing superconducting nickelates. They let the hydrogen that is released in the production process escape immediately. Calculating the Critical Temperature with Supercomputers At TU Wien new computer calculation methods are being developed and used to understand and predict the properties of nickelates. "Since a large number of quantum-physical particles always play a role here at the same time, the calculations are extremely complex," says Liang Si, "But by combining different methods, we are now even able to estimate the critical temperature up to which the various materials are superconducting. Such reliable calculations have not been possible before." In particular, the team at TU Wien was able to calculate the allowed range of strontium concentration for which the nickelates are superconducting -- and this prediction has now been confirmed in experiment. "High-temperature superconductivity is an extremely complex and difficult field of research," says Karsten Held. "The new nickelate superconductors, together with our theoretical understanding and the predictive power of computer calculations, open up a whole new perspective on the great dream of solid state physics: a superconductor at ambient temperature that hence works without any cooling." New Delhi: Over 80 per cent of the wheat crop has been harvested in the country and a majority of "mandis" are operational now, a senior government official said on Monday. Punya Salila Srivastava, a joint secretary in the Union home ministry, told reporters that over two crore people got employment in water conservation and irrigation works under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) in the country till now. While 80 per cent of the wheat crop has been harvested, about 2,000 or 80 per cent of the major "mandis" (wholesale markets) are operational in the country now, she said, adding that this during a press briefing on the measures taken to enforce the ongoing lockdown, which was imposed with the aim to break the chain of COVID-19 in the country. According to a survey conducted, about 60 per cent food-processing units are operational in the country, she said, adding that besides, 2,825 units and about 350 export-oriented units are also functional in the special economic zones (SEZs) now. Construction activity, brick kilns and road projects have started in rural areas and hence, local and migrant labourers are getting work again, the officer said. Talking about the activities that have been allowed by the government to ensure essential supplies and that works go on during the ongoing lockdown, Srivastava said the procurement of pulses and oil seeds is going on. Salila Srivastava said the "Kisan Rath" mobile application has eased selling and purchasing between farmers and traders during the lockdown as over?80,000 farmers and 70,000 traders are registered on the app, adding "It is important that we keep all caution while doing these activities and follow the social-distancing, wearing-of-mask norms, hygiene and health protocols." She also briefed the reporters about the work and recommendations made by the inter-ministerial central teams (IMCTs) that were sent to some of the worst coronavirus-hit places in the country such as Pune (Maharashtra) and Jaipur (Rajasthan). Srivastava said the local administration in these two districts is working diligently to combat the COVID-19 situation and underlined that in Pune, the second-largest city in Maharashtra after Mumbai, the doubling rate of the infection is a cause of concern. In Pune, the central team toured the containment zones of Pimpri-Chinchwad, Kharadwadi and Baramati, apart from shelter camps for migrant labourers, vegetable markets, PDS shops, the municipal corporation control room and hospitals. It found that in Pune, the COVID-19 doubling rate is seven days, which is slightly higher compared to the rest of the country, Srivastava said. While the country's average is one positive coronavirus case among 23 samples, in Pune, it is nine samples, she added. The team suggested that high-risk people should be identified quickly and surveillance, testing and contact-tracing should be increased, Srivastava said. In slums, markets and other places where social-distancing norms are not being followed properly, protocols need to be enforced strictly, she added. Instead of home-quarantine, institutional-quarantine is essential in slums, Srivastava said, citing the IMCT recommendations for Pune. Doctors, paramedics, police personnel, vegetable vendors and other essential services-providing shopkeepers have been found to be COVID-19 positive in Pune and it is a matter of concern as they come in contact with many people every day, she said. The IMCT suggested that it should be ensured that protocols are followed strictly by the frontline workers so that they do not contract the virus and become its carriers in the course of their duty. Srivastava said the team also held a discussion through video-conferencing with the chief minister and other senior officials of Maharashtra. In Jaipur, she said, the central team that was headed by an additional secretary-rank officer and had health and disaster management experts, went to hospitals, quarantine centres, containment zones and relief camps for labourers. The team met the chief secretary of Rajasthan and other officials and suggested that strict steps should be taken so that the lockdown is not violated in the walled city during the evening hours. The team suggested that ration and other supplies should be more systematic, quarantine camps should be taken away from residential areas and asked state government authorities to increase the speed of test results. It also suggested that non-COVID-19 hospitals should be identified so that people are able to get other healthcare facilities, Srivastava said. She said, "The IMCTs found out that the local administration in both districts (Pune and Jaipur) is working with dedication and with these suggestions, they will be able to better the situation." The COVID-19 chain can only broken when the lockdown rules are followed diligently and for this, it is important that the state governments take strong action against lockdown violations, Srivastava said. US allows emergency use of blood plasma treatment for coronavirus patients; WHO cautious How plasma therapy helped this COVID-19 patient fully recover India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Apr 27: The first patient to be administered convalescent plasma therapy has fully recovered and has been discharged with a promising prognosis. The 49-year-old patient from Delhi had tested positive for coronavirus on April 4. He was admitted with moderate symptoms and a history of respiratory issues at the East Wing of the Max Hospital. His condition had deteriorated, following which he required external oxygen to maintain saturation. Delhi to begin plasma treatment for severely-ill COVID-19 patients When he showed no signs of improvement, the family requested the hospital for administration of plasma therapy on compassionate grounds. The family came forward to arrange a donor for extracting plasma. The donor had recovered from the infection weeks before her donation. The 49-year-old patient was administered fresh plasma as a treatment modality as a side-line standard treatment protocol on April 14. After receiving the treatment, the patient showed progressive improvement and by the 4th day was taken off ventilator support. The team of doctors comprised Dr Omender Singh, Dr Deven Juneja and Dr Sangeeta Pathak. The team also included junior doctors, nurses, GDAs and lab technicians. The patient would be home quarantined for another two weeks as per the guidelines of the Government. Doctors say that a single donor can donate up to 400 ml of plasma and this can save two lives. 200 ml is sufficient to treat one patient. WASHINGTON, April 27 (Reuters) - A pair of U.S. banking regulators announced Monday they were considering changing deadlines for when banks submit living wills in response to the coronavirus pandemic. In a statement, the Federal Reserve and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation said they were extending by 30 days a comment period for guidance on resolution plans submitted by large foreign banks, including Barclays, Credit Suisse and Deutsche Bank. They added they were reviewing other associated deadlines, and could adjust them. (Reporting by Pete Schroeder Editing by Chizu Nomiyama) Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and may not reflect those of Kitco Metals Inc. The author has made every effort to ensure accuracy of information provided; however, neither Kitco Metals Inc. nor the author can guarantee such accuracy. This article is strictly for informational purposes only. It is not a solicitation to make any exchange in commodities, securities or other financial instruments. Kitco Metals Inc. and the author of this article do not accept culpability for losses and/ or damages arising from the use of this publication. Even before the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, telework was growing, with nearly 15 percent of Americans primarily working remotely. The pandemic has put an exclamation point on this trend nearly half of the American workforce is now working from home. While the option to telework offers flexibility and has likely saved the jobs of millions of Americans, it also can expose both employers and individuals to unexpected tax complications. A few weeks ago, I wrote in this space about the need for states to clarify that they will not seek to claim new tax authority arising from coronavirus-related telework as employees work from new locations or, failing that, that Congress should act to protect taxpayers from new filing obligations. While Congress has not yet stepped in, a few more states have, including Minnesota, North Dakota, Indiana, and Pennsylvania. Unfortunately, while some states are acting to treat remote work more appropriately for tax purposes (albeit on a temporary, crisis-related basis), others are moving in the opposite direction. In late February, Arkansas became the latest state to institute a so-called convenience of the employer test. In doing so, it joined states like Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Nebraska, and New York. The concept of a convenience of the employer test is as elegantly simple as it is insultingly illogical. New York, for example, requires employees whose office is located in New York but who work remotely for any period of time to prove that such remote work could not have been performed in their office. If the remote work could have been done in the employees New York office, the state treats it as work performed in New York for tax purposes. Of course, there are very few reasons why a remote worker absolutely has to work remotely. Most do so because of the convenience of spending time with family, to make living situations outside of major urban centers feasible, or to avoid lengthy commutes (such as the notorious one into New York City, for example). Remote work subject to convenience of the employer tests, therefore, usually incurs tax liability in the state with the test. The taxpayer falling afoul of this rule may be surprised to discover that they are liable for income taxes to two states for their period of remote work, as the state where the work was actuallyperformed will claim income taxes as well. As a result, these rules can cause unsuspecting taxpayers to get caught between two aggressive tax departments. Taxpayers who moved to a state with no income tax to do remote work can also find that income taxes follow them nonetheless. The case that led to Arkansass adoption of a convenience of the employer test involved an employee that worked in Arkansas before moving to Washington State (a state with no income tax) to do the same work remotely. Because of Arkansass convenience of the employer test, this employee found that, despite living on the other side of the country, Arkansas still demanded taxes on their income. The pandemic further illustrates how backward this approach is. The explosion of unplanned remote work because of the pandemic means that states should treat coronavirus-related remote work as in-office work as a simplification measure. Yet ironically, a convenience of the employer test would suggest that states with such rules should not be able to claim nexus for pandemic-related out-of-state remote work, as offices have been forced to close by law. There have been efforts by members of Congress to rein in this form of state overreach. One such bill, the Multi-State Worker Tax Fairness Act, was introduced in 2016 in both houses of Congress by Connecticut legislators fed up with New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvanias application of convenience of the employer rules. This legislation was unsuccessful, but it would have barred states from attempting to collect income taxes based on convenience of the employer tests. The expansion of this type of test to Arkansas should remind members of Congress of the need to address such aggressive state actions. The pandemic has reminded American workers and employers of the value of having telework as an option this option should not be restricted because of arbitrary state rules that threaten double taxation. The number of people seeking help to stop viewing child abuse images online has more than doubled in the past year, a charity has said (PA) Youngsters aged 11-13 accounted for nearly half of all child abuse images flagged by the UK organisation responsible for identifying and removing such content from the internet last year, an annual report has shown. Figures published by the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) also showed hundreds of babies were subjected to the worst abuse, while girls featured far more often than boys. Almost a third (29%) of web pages taken down by the IWF contained self-generated imagery content created using webcams and shared online, often after children have been groomed. If every country stood up to it like we did in the UK, it would have nowhere for it to go Susie Hargreaves, Internet Watch Foundation The IWF flagged 130,915 images to be removed from the internet last year, up from 103,529 in 2018, and significantly higher than the 76,939 in 2017. The vast majority of those images were hosted in the Netherlands where digital freedoms are much greater than in the UK. Susie Hargreaves, IWF chief executive, told the PA news agency: The key issue for us in this years annual report is not just that numbers have gone up across the board but that nine out of 10 URLs are in Europe, the majority of it in the Netherlands. If we could just address that by all working together we would have an immediate impact on the amount of child sex abuse available in the world. Expand Close IWF chief executive Susie Hargreaves said the UK has a zero-tolerance approach to hosting illegal content (IWF handout/PA) PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp IWF chief executive Susie Hargreaves said the UK has a zero-tolerance approach to hosting illegal content (IWF handout/PA) Of last years images, 63,533 (48%) were found to contain children in the 11-13 age group, while 45,744 were in the 7-10 age category. Some 1,609 images last year featured babies and toddlers aged 0-2, with the vast majority of those (71%) being deemed category A the most serious definition. Similarly, there were more category A images among the 3-6 age group (6,218 images, or 41% of the total for that age range) than any other. Overall, around one in five of the total images (27,005) across all age ranges was deemed to be in category A, depicting rape or sexual torture, up from 23,879 the previous year. The data also showed that 92% of all images featured girls, with a further 3% containing boys and girls. Of the self-generated content, three in every four (76%) showed a girl aged 11 to 13 something the IWF said was at risk of increasing during lockdowns where children are likely to be spending more time in their bedrooms on computers. Ms Hargreaves said: Its a massive issue and one we have been raising awareness of, particularly during coronavirus. Those children are so young, theyre so vulnerable to being coerced and tricked into sharing sexual images and engaging in sexual activities on webcams, and they dont have the emotional wherewithal to know they are being exploited. By the time that is videoed and recorded it is on a child sexual abuse website which is where we see it. Its a sad fact that the younger the child, the worse the level of abuse. The figures also showed that nine out of 10 images analysed in 2019 were hosted in Europe (89%) with 71% of the images around the world hosted in the Netherlands, followed by Slovakia (6%) and the US (5%). Fewer than 1% of images were hosted in the UK. Ms Hargreaves said: It is not necessarily that the Netherlands is a bad country or anything. The big issue is that they dont take it down, its tied into digital freedoms and digital rights, and the fact you have to get a court order to take it down thats tens of thousands of trips to court. We also have an absolutely zero-tolerance attitude to it in the UK. They (the Netherlands) recognise they have a major issue and will do what they can to revise the legislation. I am confident something will happen but it needs to happen quickly. If every country stood up to it like we did in the UK, it would have nowhere for it to go. Andy Burrows, head of child safety online policy at the NSPCC, said: Hundreds of thousands of child abuse images continue to be accessed by offenders in the UK and more needs to be done to tackle the demand for and circulation of this terrible material. Tech firms should be required to proactively scan files being uploaded to cloud devices to identify and remove child abuse images before they can be shared more widely. LAS VEGAS, NVMuch of the world is still locked down thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, and Trigg Laboratories, Inc., the parent company of Wet Lubricants, understands that the country's perseverance over COVID-19 depends on people's commitment to each other and our communities. Trigg's predominant priority is the health and safety of its partners, customers, and team members. In that vein, Trigg Laboratories has been deemed an "essential business" due to its listing under the category "Logistics & Supply Chain Operations." Trigg has been actively monitoring the health guidelines released by the CDC, Governor Steve Sisolak of Nevada, and the federal government, and Trigg believes that customers can trust that it is dedicated to exceeding these standards. As a result, the company has enacted the following new business practices to ensure the safety of all and to continue to serve its public without interruption: Before entering our facilities, all employees are temperature checked. Should anyone have a fever, they will be sent home and prohibited from returning to work until a doctor has given written permission. All employees are required to wear gloves, face masks, and face shields at all times when in the building. All employees have been provided with antibacterial antiviral cleaners and are required to clean their workspaces regularly throughout the day. Additional sanitation staff have been added to address high contact/touched areas in the facilities. They rotate continuously throughout the entire day. Additional signage with CDC guidelines have been posted throughout our buildings to reinforce these high standards. All break times have been staggered to minimize staff in common areas. The entire laboratory has been reorganized to allow for social distancing requirements. All interior doors that can remain open within safety standards will remain propped open to further limit repeated touching. We will continue to enhance Wet customers' intimacy, while keeping safe and healthy. Therefore, we took decisive action and immediately implemented a two-part plan. One, to minimize exposure risk to all employees; two, to keep production and business operations running smoothly, ensuring that our products continue to be ready to ship to all distributors and rRetailers," said Michael Trigg, CEO and founder of Trigg Laboratories, Inc. Amid this pandemic, Trigg's manufacturing pushes on with these regulations in place to keep Wet products available. The company's Customer Service and Sales Representatives remain on the job to address customers' needs, as everyone adjusts to these challenging times. Those who need to reorder Wet products may contact their preferred distributor or phone Trigg Laboratories at 866-901-6285. "During these unprecedented times, we are privileged to continue our support to adult distributors and retail partners," the company said in a statement. "We look forward to the day when we all return to normalcy and the adult market is flourishing once again." Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 27) While Vice President Leni Robredo sees a need for strict implementation of COVID-19 quarantine measures to help curb the spread of the disease, she stressed that enforcers do not have to resort to violence when apprehending violators. Robredo told CNN Philippines on Monday that there are other forms of enforcement measures which can deliver the same message to citizens. "Pero kailangan klaro sa understanding ng lahat, bakit ba natin ito ginagawa? Ginagawa natin ito to save lives. Hindi siya kailangang humantong sa violence," Robredo said in an interview with The Source. [Translation: It needs to clear for their understanding, why are we doing this? We're doing this to save lives. But it doesn't need to result into violence.] "Tingin natin, kailangan talaga istrikto 'yung enforcement. Pero sana hindi siya humahantong sa karahasan," the Vice President added. [Translation: We think that the enforcement should really be strict. But it doesn't need to lead to violence.] Robredo's comments came in light of the recent case of Winston Ragos, the retired military who was fatally shot by a police officer at a Quezon City quarantine checkpoint last week. Police report said Ragos, who supposedly violated the city's quarantine protocols, allegedly attempted to pull a gun on law enforcers manning the checkpoint. But witnesses at the scene said Ragos did not have a gun inside his bag. The incident sparked outrage online, more so after the revelation of the ex-soldiers mother that her son had suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder after completing his tour of duty. READ: Slain ex-soldier Ragos laid to rest at Libingan ng mga Bayani RELATED: Cop faces homicide raps for fatally shooting Army veteran in checkpoint Hundreds of thousands of quarantine violators have been reported nationwide following the implementation of COVID-19 lockdowns, according to recent police data. Philippine National Police chief Archie Gamboa also previously said that those found in violation of measures will face "immediate arrest without any warning." Gamboa said violators may be charged under a number of laws, including the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act. Officials with the US Army Criminal Investigation Command are asking for the public's help in finding a 20-year-old soldier who went missing from Fort Hood in Texas last Wednesday. Private First Class Vanessa Guillen was last seen on April 22 at 1pm in the parking lot of her Regimental Engineer Squadron Headquarters, 3rd Cavalry Regiment on the Army based in Killeen, Texas. Her car keys, barracks room key, identification card and wallet were later found in the armory room where she was working earlier in the day. She was last seen wearing a black t-shirt, light purple leggings and black Nike sneakers. Private First Class Vanessa Guillen , 20 (left and right), went missing from Fort Hood in Texas on the afternoon of April 22. No one has heard from the soldier since Her last sighting was at 1pm in the parking lot of Regimental Engineer Squadron HQ, 3rd Cavalry Regiment Guillen's sister wrote on Facebook that the missing woman's phone was last tracked on Belton, Texas, about 20 minutes away from Fort Hood Fort Hood Military Police have issued a Be on the Lookout (BOLO) notice to area law enforcement agencies, and an 'extensive search' is now underway by soldiers, military and civilian police. Guillen's sister, Mayra Guillen, wrote on Facebook that the missing woman's phone was last tracked on Belton, Texas, about 20 minutes away from Fort Hood. She also said that neither Vanessa's boyfriend nor other family members have been in contact with her since last Wednesday. 'Please help me find my girlfriend,' Guillen's boyfriend, Juan Cruz, tweeted on Friday. 'Please anything helps.' Loved ones have created a Facebook group called 'Find Vanessa Guillen' to raise awareness of the missing person case by sharing photos and biographical information of the soldier. Guillen's (circled in red) car keys, barracks room key, identification card and wallet were later found in the armory room where she was working earlier in the day Guillen (left and right) joined the US Army right after graduating high school Guillen is described as a woman of Hispanic descent, standing at 5 feet 2 inches, weighing 126 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes According to one post, Guillen joined the US Army right after graduating high school. 'She loves her job. She loves serving her country,' another status update read. Guillen is described as a woman of Hispanic descent, standing at 5 feet 2 inches, weighing 126 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. Anyone with information is asked to call Army CID Special Agents at 254-495-7767 or the Military Police Desk at (254) 287-4001. Tehran, April 27 : Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said that the country will be divided into three risk zones based on the number of COVID-19 infections and fatalities, state TV reported. The Ministry of Health and Medical Education would draw up a map of white, yellow and red risk zones in the country, Rouhani said at a meeting of the National Headquarters for Managing and Fighting the Coronavirus here on Sunday. In the white areas, religious sites, mosques and holy shrines would be allowed to reopen and hold Friday prayers under the health guidelines, Xinhua news agency quoted the President as saying. "This is the first step in opening up religious sites that are of great interest to people, and we hope that the white areas will expand day by day and we will have better conditions while the people observe the health protocols," Rouhani added. The mosques and the holy shrines are the places of enriching spiritual life for the Iranian Muslims, particularly in Ramzan. Following the announcement of COVID-19 outbreak in the country in February, the Iranian authorities decided to ban mass gatherings, including in the shrines and mosques. They also cancelled Friday prayers across the country. Iran, one of the worst-hit Middle Eastern countries, has so far reported 90,481 coronavirus cases and 5,710 deaths. The first coronavirus patient in Daegu and the Shincheonji sect was released from hospital on April 24 after some two months of hospitalization. The 61-year-old woman had been admitted to Daegu Medical Center on Feb. 17. She infected possibly hundreds of others in the sect, making her a so-called superspreader. She also holds the record for the longest hospital stay for coronavirus. The first coronavirus patient in Daegu and the Shincheonji sect was released from hospital on Friday after some two months of hospitalization. A Daegu city official said, "After continuing to display mild coughing and phlegm for two months, the woman was released from hospital after testing negative in two tests since April 22." As her treatment dragged on, a petition was started on the Cheong Wa Dae website demanding that she must be charged for the costs she incurred the state. Her medical bill is estimated at a minimum of W30 million (US$1=W1,236). After she was diagnosed with the virus on Feb. 18, the disease spread rapidly in Daegu, with the daily number of confirmed cases soaring to 741 one time, bringing the city to a standstill and setting alarm bells ringing nationwide. The case prompted health officials to zero in on the sect, which was swiftly identified as a hotbed of infection even though followers often lied about their affiliation. Of the 6,846 confirmed cases in Daegu as of Sunday, 62.2 percent are Shincheonji followers. It remains a mystery exactly how she contracted the virus. She never traveled abroad and had no confirmed contact with another carrier. A Shincheonji spokesman said, "What we have confirmed so far is that she was the first infected patient among our members." She remains in self-isolation at home. Businesses could track the spread of coronavirus when they re-open through using contact-tracing apps currently in development. At least three companies are creating surveillance apps for private firms, which may allow employers to retrace the steps of an infected worker. Employers would be able to track how many people the infected staff member interacted with and make them isolate to prevent further spread. Firms could also use the trackers to scrub down surfaces which the infected worker may have handled - including photocopiers, water coolers or elevator buttons. It comes as the NHS plans to roll out its own phone tracker app which notifies others if they have come into contact with a worker who has tested positive for COVID-19. But one privacy lawyer told the Financial Times that 'it is going to be very difficult' to get companies back to work 'without sacrificing some privacy'. Businesses could track the spread of coronavirus when they re-open through using contact-tracing apps which use heat maps to identify who an infected worker has come into contact with Jena Valdetero, from London-based legal firm Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner, admitted the apps are 'open to abuse' without data governance and accountability. She said: 'It's about transparency, accountability, data security and data minimisation - not collecting more than you need.' PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) is one company looking at making a contact-tracing app. Microshare, a tech start-up based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, has developed a tracing system which uses Bluetooth-enabled wristbands The consulting giant says businesses should make its tool mandatory because the apps need to be used by a majority to get the full benefit. Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the NHS' contact tracing scheme would be , but admitted it needed 60 per cent of the workforce to sign up to be effective. Rob Mesirow, head of PwC's connected solutions practice, told the FT: 'You really need a majority of people to do this. 'US Businesses are going to have to [tell employees]: If you're going to come back to the work environment, you need this app on your phone.' PwC's solution - a mobile app called Automatic Contact Tracing - will not be rolled out until the start of May. IS THE NHS DEVELOPING A CONTACT-TRACING APP, AND HOW WOULD IT WORK? The NHS plans to roll out its own phone tracker app which notifies others if they have come into contact with a worker who has tested positive for COVID-19. Healthcare workers would install it on their smartphones and self-report symptoms. The app, being developed by NHSX - the health service's technological arm - logs every time the device comes into close proximity of another app user's phone. It tells these users to self-isolate, along with their household and also notifies any other users logged as having recently come into contact with them. The app is currently being tested at a Royal Air Force base in North Yorkshire and Mr Hancock said the trials 'are going well.' According to researchers, it would likely work as follows: Users install the app on their smartphones. The app logs every time the device comes into close proximity of another app user's phone. Users exhibiting coronavirus symptoms self-report on the app. The app tells these users to self-isolate, along with their household. It also notifies any other users logged as having recently come into contact with them/ These users also isolate, along with their households, and so on. Advertisement The firm says it can 'collect proximity information anonymously'. In the event someone tests positive, human resources would enter their information into the system. Within seconds, the app would then reveal all the workers who had come into contact with the patient. It categorises people into high, medium and low-risk based on the time they spent with the infected worker and how close they were to them. But PwC admitted it would be down to employers to preserve the privacy of their staff. Silicon Valley-based start-up Locix is also looking at creating a contact-tracing app to sell to private companies. It already offers services for businesses looking to boost productivity, including one that provides an 'accurate, real-time location' of workers using WiFi technology. The firm boasts that its existing toll is 'ultra-precise' and accurate within centimetres 'in indoor and outdoor environments'. Details of its tracing app are unclear but Locix's chief executive said it would allow a company to retrace the steps of an infected employee. This would allow cleaners to know exactly which surfaces to decontaminate, as well as inform colleagues who may have unknowingly been in contact. Vik Pavate, chief executive of Locix, told the FT: 'Contact is not only with people but in spaces... it's 'where have you been' and 'how long did you dwell there?'.' Microshare, a tech start-up based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, has also developed its own system, called Universal Contact Tracing. But instead of relying on a smartphone, it gives employees Bluetooth-enabled key-rings, badges or wristbands to track their movements. The firm says these devices record when they come into contact with another and upload the 'encounters' to a central database. This information 'is stored in a secure database that is searchable and auditable for historic patterns', Microshare says on its website. Locix's system shows exactly where employees have been and how long they spent there using heat maps The firm said phone-based tracing apps may not always work in some industries where mobiles are prohibited - such as in hospitals, prisons and schools. Microshare claims for this reason, Apple and Google's Android and iOS apps may 'prove less than totally effective'. The two tech giants have teamed up to develop a tracing application that shares information across both operating operating systems using Bluetooth. It is due to be released in May and more than a million people have signed up to be a part of it already. The NHS app would work in a similar way, with healthcare workers installing it on their smartphones and self-reporting symptoms. The app, being developed by NHSX - the health service's technological arm - logs every time the device comes into close proximity of another app user's phone. It tells these users to self-isolate, along with their household and also notifies any other users logged as having recently come into contact with them. The app is currently being tested at a Royal Air Force base in North Yorkshire and Mr Hancock said the trials 'are going well.' Similar approaches have been used with success in South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore and China. The Mineral Area Major Case Squad has been coming together since December with area law enforcement agencies signing on, forming a unified investigative team for solving major crimes in the area such as homicides. Since the case squad began forming late last year, several police departments have joined forces, including municipal and county agencies from St. Francois, Washington, Iron, and Madison Counties. Missouri State Highway Patrol Division of Drug and Crime Control Cpl. Dustin Reed serves as squad commander. He explained the key advantages of having a major case squad include making more investigative manpower and resources available in solving crimes. A large number of communities across the state have designated major case squads, and Reed said that over the years, many area agencies have expressed the need to form a collaborative squad for investigating large-scale crimes that require more time and manpower to process. So there was a push for a long time to kind of combine everybody into one investigative unit, Reed said. Thats where the idea for the major case squad came into play. Reed said he believed it would be an excellent system for the area and the structure of the unit was modeled off of the Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis. The sheriffs and the prosecutors from all four of the member counties got together and drafted up essentially a Memorandum of Understanding, or MOU, enacting this Mineral Area Major Case Squad. The board of directors for the case squad is currently made up of the sheriffs and prosecutors from each of the four participating counties. Reed said the process of putting the squad on a criminal investigation begins with a call to one of the board members who will determine if the deployment is warranted. Once the decision has been made to activate the squad, a call is made to Reed as the commander to set the efforts in motion. The idea is to focus on, and I hate to use the term but, kind of a whodunit homicide when you have a homicide or a murder where you dont have a clear-cut suspect immediately, Reed explained. That allows us to activate that squad, which would pull members from all four counties and have one investigative unit that can go out and start running leads. In the hours and days immediately following a crime, a lot can happen. Evidence can degrade or be destroyed, a witness' recollection of an incident can fade or become distorted, and potential suspects can be on the move. Time is of great importance to the outcome of an investigation. After being activated, Reed said the goal is to have the case squad ready to roll as fast as they can. Within about an hour of getting a phone call from one of the people on the board, I would like to have investigators moving toward a command post, said Reed. The first major crime the squad assisted with investigating was just after Christmas when the lifeless body of 38-year-old Jessica Cerchi was discovered inside her home in Park Hills. The case squad quickly went into action and set up a command post at the Missouri State High Patrol Troop C satellite office in Park Hills. At the command post, members of the squad were split up into teams and assignments were delegated to each of them. One group of squad investigators went to the crime scene to process evidence. Another group was assigned to canvass the neighborhood for cameras or witnesses. As we started to develop sub-leads, if you will, we could start putting people on those, he said. So, instead of having to wait for investigators to become free, we had plenty of people to pull to start assigning leads to. The crime was processed, and evidence was turned over the prosecutors office allowing for murder charges to be filed against two suspects within a few days. I think a large reason it was solved so quickly is that we had so many investigators ready to go, Reed explained. Versus only having one or two detectives that are trying to do everything, we can have a large pool of investigators 15 to 20 where while some guys are doing one thing, others can be doing other sides of it, and get information as quickly as possible. As the case squad continues to evolve, agency participation is expected to increase. I imagine more departments will come on as manpower allows, said Reed. Right now, were trying to do it at no cost. The case squad is currently not funded by any tax dollars, and participating officers generally use their own vehicles and service equipment while activated. The only cost the department would have would essentially be housing the officers for a couple of days to a week while we investigate the case, and giving us a meeting room or somewhere where everybody meets, preferably in the area where the crime happened, he added. Reed said he believed the case squad would serve as a valuable crime-solving tool for the mostly rural area it is serving. The more agencies that work together on an investigation, and the quicker they can be activated, the better the outcome will be. And in an area where there arent as many investigative resources as there are in Missouris larger metropolitan regions, the case squad will hopefully prove a valuable addition in the fight against crime in the community. Its a great thing, said Reed. I was born and raised here in Park Hills, and its just awesome seeing it all come to fruition ... Being a local guy, I always like to see my local community succeed. Bobby Radford is a reporter for the Daily Journal. He can be reached at bradford@dailyjournalonline.com Love 1 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 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. In a study published in the journal Nature Communications, archaeologists analyzed the molecular remains of food preserved in 6,000-7,000-year-old pottery from 246 pottery sherds from 24 Neolithic sites situated between Portugal and Normandy as well as the Western Baltic. Our study is one of the largest regional comparisons of early pottery use, said lead author Dr. Miriam Cubas, a researcher in the Department of Archaeology at the University of York, the Department of History at the University of Oviedo and Sociedad de Ciencias Aranzadi. It has shed new light on the spread of early farming across Atlantic Europe and showed that there was huge variety in the way early farmers lived. Dr. Cubas and colleagues found evidence of dairy products in 80% of the pottery fragments from the Atlantic coast of what is now Britain and Ireland. In comparison, dairy farming on the Southern Atlantic coast of what is now Portugal and Spain seems to have been much less intensive, and with a greater use of sheep and goats rather than cows. The study confirms that the earliest farmers to arrive on the Southern Atlantic coast exploited animals for their milk but suggests that dairying only really took off when it spread to northern latitudes, with progressively more dairy products processed in ceramic vessels. Prehistoric farmers colonizing Northern areas with harsher climates may have had a greater need for the nutritional benefits of milk, including vitamin D and fat. Latitudinal differences in the scale of dairy production might also be important for understanding the evolution of adult lactase persistence across Europe, said senior author Professor Oliver Craig, a researcher in the Department of Archaeology at the University of York. Today, the genetic change that allows adults to digest the lactose in milk is at much higher frequency in Northwestern Europeans than their southern counterparts. The scientists found surprisingly little evidence for marine foods in pottery even from sites located close to the Atlantic shoreline, with plenty of opportunities for fishing and shellfish gathering. An exception was in the Western Baltic where dairy foods and marine foods were both prepared in pottery. This surprising discovery could mean that many prehistoric farmers shunned marine foods in favor of dairy, but perhaps fish and shellfish were simply processed in other ways, Dr. Cubas said. These results help us to gain more of an insight into the lives of people living during this process of momentous change in culture and lifestyle from hunter-gatherer to farming. _____ M. Cubas et al. 2020. Latitudinal gradient in dairy production with the introduction of farming in Atlantic Europe. Nat Commun 11, 2036; doi: 10.1038/s41467-020-15907-4 Salman Khan on Saturday extended wishes to people as the holy month of Ramadan commenced today. The Bharat star took to Twitter and while he wished people on the auspicious occasion, he also advised them to stay at home and wrote: "Ramadan Mubarak to all... Stay home stay safe!" Ramadan Mubarak to all... Stay home stay safe! Salman Khan (@BeingSalmanKhan) April 25, 2020 The 54-year-old actor also condemned the stone-pelting incidents that have occurred with the health officials amid the coronavirus outbreak. Earlier, Salman shared a video in which he put out a sharp message to the "jokers" who were flouting government-imposed guidelines and venturing out during the ongoing lockdown, putting at risk countless lives to the deadly coronavirus. Also read: Salman Khan angry at lockdown violators in new video: If you dont go out with friends, police wouldnt hit your behinds In a 10-minute hard-hitting video shared on Instagram he pointed out that doctors, nurses and policemen are putting in long hours to curb the spread of coronavirus and urged people to respect their work and stay inside. He questioned in his video: "Doctors and nurses are working to save your lives and what do you do? You started pelting stones at them? Those who have been diagnosed with coronavirus, are running away from the hospitals. Where are you running? Towards life or death?" The actor appreciated the efforts by the frontline warriors and said: "The virus that started in China is over in China now, but because of a few jokers, the whole of India will sit at home for a long time. Salman said that he was aware of many people who wouldn't come out of their homes earlier but have started doing so since they've been asked to not go out. "You are putting everyone's lives at risk," he said. Follow @htshowbiz for more TORONTO, April 26, 2020 /PRNewswire/ - Clips of the historic, all-Canadian broadcast of STRONGER TOGETHER, TOUS ENSEMBLE airing tonight at 6:30 8:05 p.m. across all markets, will be available immediately after the broadcast event. The special will be available worldwide on CTV.ca, CBC.ca, and GlobalTV.com. Mumbai, April 27 : Republic Media Network on Monday said that its Editor-in-Chief, Arnab Goswami, was interrogated by the Mumbai Police since 9 a.m. and the interrogation continued for over 12 hours, here on Monday. In a statement, the channel said that "he is cooperating with the investigators." The network also expressed its "deep disappointment" that despite Goswami's requests, two Congressmen -- who allegedly attacked him and his wife Samyabrata Ray, an Editor with Republic TV -- were released on a bail of Rs 15,000 by a Mumbai court. It termed the attack on Goswami as "a pre-planned Congress conspiracy" and alleged that "the police have flatly refused to register either a case of assault or conspiracy". The channel asked the Mumbai Police not to "do such a brazen cover-up". Goswami was summoned by the Mumbai Police on Sunday for questioning on his comments on top Congress leaders in connection with the lynching of three persons -- including two Sadhus -- in Maharashtra's Palghar district on April 16. In ordinary times, there tends to be a commonality between conservatives and law enforcement. Both are hostile to leftist efforts to decriminalize criminal activity, such as lifestyle crimes (urinating and defecating on the streets or public drug use) and low-level criminal activity (in California, any crimes resulting in less than $950 in damage). For that reason, conservatives are finding shocking the fact that, thanks to the orders leftist governors and mayors are issuing, law enforcement officers across America are engaging in bullying tactics more often seen in communist countries than in a constitutional America. Conservatives probably shouldn't be so surprised. As with all professions other than those that are leftist by definition, such as being an "activist," whether to promote community, sex, race, sexuality, etc., police and sheriff departments attract a broad range of people. Fortunately, most American police and sheriffs want to serve the community by helping people in times of need and making the community a safe place for everyone through enforcing legitimate laws. They really are the good guys. However, law enforcement can attract people with an authoritarian streak. I've certainly met police officers who enjoy the raw power that comes with the job. In addition, to the extent that law enforcement is a heavily unionized government job, many people working in the field have been drifting left because that's where their economic interests lie. Also, sadly, there simply are corrupt law enforcement personnel and entire departments. There always have been. One of the most shocking books I've read in the past few years was License to Kill: The Murder of Erik Scott , by SENTINEL and Mike McDaniel. It describes the pattern of incompetence and corruption in the Las Vegas police department that led to Erik Scott's death. Scott was an upstanding West Point grad, former Army officer, and respected businessman who was licensed to carry. The officer who shot him outside a Costco was an irresponsible, unstable bully and was the norm for the department. Knowing this, I am probably less surprised than others when I read recent reports about law enforcement agencies rounding up or ticketing ordinary citizens who are safely exercising their First Amendment rights in the face of highly suspect government orders to close down everything from churches to seed stores even while keeping open liquor stores, abortion facilities, and other businesses that fund the government or placate leftists. These stories are disturbing, as these examples show: **Tyranny in Colorado** Shocking video of Denver Police arresting a concealed carry holder with his permit. Credit: @reallouiehueypic.twitter.com/g7urgNGbLx (@my3monkees) April 26, 2020 Texas cops use undercover sting operation to arrest women offering salon services at their homes https://t.co/kUN8Ymwaga TheBlaze (@theblaze) April 26, 2020 A former police officer was arrested for playing catch with his daughter in a virtually empty park. A man was dragged off a bus for not wearing a mask. A paddleboarder was arrested for refusing to vacate the ocean.#larrysharpe #libertarian #COVID19 https://t.co/fS9xmVt9Ld Larry Sharpe (@LarrySharpe) April 25, 2020 Dan Bongino, a former New York police officer, has tweeted out a plea to his former brothers and sisters in blue to remember who they are and what they represent: To My Brothers & Sisters in Blue, PLEASE, speak w/your fraternal organizations & speak out collectively against these outrageous orders to arrest Americans for exercising their Rights. Were losing the support of people whove defended us in crises for years. This cant continue. Dan Bongino (@dbongino) April 26, 2020 Thankfully, not all police officers are falling into the tyrant's trap. I wrote the other day about the Houston Police Officers' Union's stand against an order to arrest people not wearing masks. CNN has also written (disapprovingly, of course) about law enforcement officers refusing to enforce government mandates they believe are unconstitutional, draconian, or unreasonable. CNN, as usual, is wrong. The Constitution is the highest and best law in the land. Those law enforcement officers who refuse to enforce ukases that directly and unsubtly violate the First Amendment are in the right. Long may these men and women serve! Adelaide-raised Genevieve OReilly is returning to the Star Wars: Rogue One prequel -now in the series form for Disney+. She played the young Mon Mothma in Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith in 2005, reprising the role in 2016s Rogue One, Now she returns to the role of the politician who worked to oppose Empire and helped found the Rebel Alliance. Her credits include Glitch, The Honourable Woman and Episodes. The untitled series centres on Cassian Andor, who was the Rebel intelligence officer in Rogue One and is set for 2021. Denise Gough, Stellan Skarsgard and Kyle Soller are also cast. Source: Hollywood Reporter More than 15,600 insurance claims seeking more than $1.1 billion have been filed in Tennessee over deadly tornadoes that tore through the state early last month, state officials said Thursday. Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance Commissioner Hodgen Mainda told reporters Thursday that out of those claims, 7,400 had been paid out more than $370 million as of April 17. The tornado-producing storms tore through Middle Tennessee, killing 25 people, including 19 in Putnam County and two in Nashville. Meanwhile, Mainda said the tornado-spurring storm that hit Chattanooga and surrounding areas on Easter, killing four people, has yielded almost 8,300 insurance claims as of April 17. The state is awaiting action on its request for a federal disaster declaration for eight counties impacted by the Easter storms. The state is seeking assistance for individuals and governments in Hamilton and Bradley counties, and just governments in Campbell, Marion, Monroe, Polk, Scott and Washington counties. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Catastrophe Natural Disasters Claims Windstorm Tennessee The Union Health Ministry on April 27 said that there has been a rise of 1,463 new cases while 60 deaths were reported in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of COVID-19 cases to 28,380 in India. This has been India's highest single-day death toll since the start of the outbreak in the country. Here are all the latest updates: >> Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted with chief ministers of states and discussed the staggered exit strategy from the countrywide lockdown. According to reports, the government plans on continuing the lockdown in the hotspots post-May 3, but wants easing of restrictions in other areas. >> In its revised guidelines for the use of rapid antibody test kits, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) advised states against using kits procured from Guangzhou Wondfo Biotech and Zhuhai Livzon Diagnostics. It also asked states to return kits procured from them in order for it to be sent back. 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 Follow all the LIVE Updates here. >> The West Bengal government said that a person tested positive for COVID-19 having the provision to isolate himself at his residence can home quarantine himself. "Lakhs and lakhs cannot be quarantined, the government has its own limits," the state's Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said. >> A study reportedly said that coronavirus genetic material has been detected in air, but it is unclear if it causes disease. >> The Center for Disease Control and Prevention, US' top health body, added six new symptoms to COVID-19 list. These symptoms include chills, constant shivers with chills, sore throat, loss of taste, loss of smell, muscle pain and headache. >> UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, recovering from the COVID-19 infection, re-joined office today. Reports suggest that he is preparing an exit strategy even as other European countries, such as Italy and Spain, have started or will start easing lockdown restrictions. >> India should look to convert world's 'hatred' for China into economic opportunity, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said. By Dave Sherwood SANTIAGO (Reuters) - Chile will push ahead with previously announced 'release certificates' for recovered COVID-19 patients despite a World Health Organization warning that there was no evidence they are protected from a second coronavirus infection. Paula Daza, sub-secretary of Chile's Health Ministry, told reporters on Sunday that while many uncertainties remain about the global pandemic, evidence points to a reduced risk after a first bout of coronavirus By Dave Sherwood SANTIAGO (Reuters) - Chile will push ahead with previously announced "release certificates" for recovered COVID-19 patients despite a World Health Organization warning that there was no evidence they are protected from a second coronavirus infection. Paula Daza, sub-secretary of Chile's Health Ministry, told reporters on Sunday that while many uncertainties remain about the global pandemic, evidence points to a reduced risk after a first bout of coronavirus. "One of the things we know is that a person who has...lived through the disease is less likely to become ill again," Daza said. She said certifying this status was the "goal of the COVID-19 card that is being prepared will soon be delivered" to patients. The World Health Organization on Saturday warned governments against issuing "immunity passports" to people who have been infected as their accuracy could not be guaranteed. The United Nations agency said issuing the certificates could inspire false confidence and increase the risk of spreading the virus. People who have recovered may ignore advice about taking precautions against the virus, the WHO said. "There is currently no evidence that people who have recovered from COVID-19 and have antibodies are protected from a second infection," it said. Daza clarified on Sunday that the certificates Chile planned to issue did not certify immunity. "It is very important, and I want to reiterate, that we have not talked about an immunity card," she said. But Chile's top health official, Jaime Manalich, said early in April those who have recovered from coronavirus represented a population that was immune to the coronavirus and incapable of transmitting it. He said those with the medical discharge certificate would be "freed from all types of quarantine or restriction, specifically because they can help their communities enormously since they pose no risk." Sub-secretary Daza did not specifically address the contradiction when asked by a reporter Sunday. Chile has confirmed 13,331 cases of coronavirus since outbreak began in the South American nation in early March, as well as 189 deaths. (Reporting by Dave Sherwood; Editing by Lisa Shumaker) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-27 22:15:50|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close WASHINGTON, April 27 (Xinhua) -- U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Monday endorsed former Vice President Joe Biden as the Democratic Party's presumptive presidential nominee. In a video released on Monday morning, Pelosi described Biden as a "voice of reason and resilience" amid the coronavirus pandemic. "When our nation faced the Great Recession, it was Joe Biden who led the implementation - and the accountability - of the Recovery Act, helping create and save millions of jobs. When the Democratic Congress was passing the Affordable Care Act, Joe Biden was a partner for progress in the White House and also championed the cancer moonshot," she said. Biden already has the formal support from former President Barack Obama, progressive leaders Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, and the party's two previous presidential nominees John Kerry and Al Gore. Enditem WASHINGTON - Attorney General William Barr on Monday directed federal prosecutors nationwide to "be on the lookout" for state and local coronavirus-related restrictions that might run afoul of the Constitution and to pursue court action, if necessary. In two-page memo to U.S. attorneys across the country, Barr wrote that the measures state and local government officials had taken "have been necessary in order to stop the spread of a deadly disease," but even in times of emergency, the Constitution could not be discounted entirely. "Now, I am directing each of our United States Attorneys to also be on the lookout for state and local directives that could be violating the constitutional rights and civil liberties of individual citizens," Barr wrote, adding later, "If a state or local ordinance crosses the line from an appropriate exercise of authority to stop the spread of COVID-19 into an overbearing infringement of constitutional and statutory protections, the Department of Justice may have an obligation to address that overreach in federal court." Many states and localities have commanded residents to stay at home, except for essential trips for food and other supplies, and issued other directives meant to stem the spread of covid-19, the potentially fatal respiratory disease caused by coronavirus. Barr's memo did not cite specific policies he found objectionable. Justice Department officials have said in recent weeks that Barr is not looking to roll back reasonable restrictions and force the opening of the country, but rather to encourage officials to carefully weigh the necessity of what they are doing. President Donald Trump has pushed for a rapid reopening of the country - at times unnerving health experts, who fear a rushed resumption of normal life will only lead to more death. He recently tweeted in apparent encouragement of people in Minnesota, Michigan and Virginia protesting those states' coronavirus-related restrictions. But Trump has also publicly disagreed with Georgia's recent decision to allow certain businesses to reopen. "Many policies that would be unthinkable in regular times have become commonplace in recent weeks, and we do not want to unduly interfere with the important efforts of state and local officials to protect the public," Barr wrote in the memo. "But the Constitution is not suspended in times of crisis. We must therefore be vigilant to ensure its protections are preserved, at the same time that the public is protected." Barr wrote that Eric Dreiband, the Justice Department's assistant attorney general for civil rights, and Matthew Schneider, the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan, would oversee the effort. He compared the directive to a similar decree he issued telling prosecutors to prioritize cases of those trying to profit from the pandemic. That memo sparked a significant push among U.S. attorneys to bring coronavirus-related prosecutions. Barr has previously been outspoken about his wariness of aggressive restrictions to prevent the spread of coronavirus. He told Fox News earlier this month that he considered some of the measures "draconian" and that he would be "keeping a careful eye on" the situation - particularly as April turned to May, and the federal government updated its social distancing guidelines. "When this period of time, at the end of April, expires, I think we have to allow people to adapt more than we have, and not just tell people to go home and hide under their bed, but allow them to use other ways - social distancing and other means - to protect themselves," Barr said. Barr repeated some of those sentiments in a more recent interview with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt, saying that "the idea that you have to stay in your house is disturbingly close to house arrest" and cryptically suggesting the federal government might "have to address" cases in which state governors impinge on civil liberties. But in both instances, Barr stressed that states have the authority to restrict Americans' constitutional rights in cases of emergency. And in the more recent interview with Hewitt, he said the federal government was wisely deferring to state leaders. "That can be a messy business, but at the end of the day, the better approach than trying to dictate everything from Washington," Barr said. Barr said the Justice Department has sought to "jawbone" some local officials who have exceeded their authority, but so far it has intervened in only a single lawsuit over coronavirus restrictions, appearing to back a Greenville, Mississippi, church which had sued over the city's efforts to shut down drive-in religious services. Even in that instance, the department did not unequivocally support Temple Baptist Church in its legal statement of interest, though it said the circumstances the church described "suggest that the city singled out churches for distinctive treatment," which would be unconstitutional. The department also stressed in its filing that following state and local restrictions was "best path to swiftly ending COVID-19's profound disruptions to our national life and resuming the normal economic life of our country" was to follow state and federal guidance. The city ultimately backed down in the suit. Biologists studying collectives of bacteria, or "biofilms," have discovered that these so-called simple organisms feature a robust capacity for memory. Working in the laboratory of University of California San Diego Professor Gurol Suel, Chih-Yu Yang, Maja Bialecka-Fornal and their colleagues found that bacterial cells stimulated with light remembered the exposure hours after the initial stimulus. The researchers were able to manipulate the process so that memory patterns emerged. The discovery reveals surprising parallels between low-level single-cell organisms and sophisticated neurons that process memory in the human brain. "Even just a few years ago people didn't think bacterial cells and neurons were anything alike because they are such different cells," said Suel. "This finding in bacteria provides clues and a chance to understand some key features of the brain in a simpler system. If we understand how something as sophisticated as a neuron came to be--its ancient roots--we have a better chance of understanding how and why it works a certain way." The findings, described April 27 in the journal Cell Systems, also provide a starting path for scientists to one day design basic computing systems with living organisms such as bacteria. Following recent discoveries by the Suel lab that bacteria use ion channels to communicate with each other, new research suggested that bacteria might also have the ability to store information about their past states. In the new study, the researchers were able to encode complex memory patterns (video here) in bacterial biofilms with light-induced changes in the cell membrane potential of Bacillus subtilis bacteria. The optical imprints, they found, lasted for hours after the initial stimulus, leading to a direct, controllable single-cell resolution depiction of memory. "When we perturbed these bacteria with light they remembered and responded differently from that point on," said Suel. "So for the first time we can directly visualize which cells have the memory. That's something we can't visualize in the human brain." The ability to encode memory in bacterial communities, the researchers say, could enable future biological computation through the imprinting of complex spatial memory patterns in biofilms. "Bacteria are the dominant form of life on this planet," said Suel. "Being able to write memory into a bacterial system and do it in a complex way is one of the first requirements for being able to do computations using bacterial communities." Further, as the researchers note in the study: "It may thus be possible to imprint synthetic circuits in bacterial biofilms, by activating different kinds of computations in separate areas of the biofilm... Overall, our work is likely to inspire new membrane-potential-based approaches in synthetic biology and provide a bacterial paradigm for memory-capable biological systems." ### Authors of the study included: Chih-Yu Yang, Maja Bialecka-Fornal, Colleen Weatherwax (graduate student), Joseph Larkin, Arthur Prindle, Jintao Liu, Jordi Garcia-Ojalvo and Gurol Suel. The study was supported by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (R01 GM121888), the Howard Hughes Medical Institute-Simons Foundation Faculty Scholars program, the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities and FEDER (PGC2018-101251-B-I00), Maria de Maeztu Programme for Units of Excellence in R\&D (CEX2018-000792-M) and the Generalitat de Catalunya (ICREA Academia programme). San Antonio police are searching for multiple suspects after a home invasion sent two people, including a 12-year-old girl, to the hospital early Monday morning. Around 2:30 a.m., a family near the 5100 block of Little Creek Drive was startled after the suspects burst into their home through a sliding glass door, according to San Antonio police. Every night at 7 p.m., New Yorkers cheer for the health care workers on the front line of the COVID-19 pandemic, fighting to save lives. We rightly laud their contributions. But we should also know that in addition to putting immense strain on our hospital system, the pandemic is preventing thousands of New Yorkers from getting the health care they need. And without help from the state and federal governments, many physician practices in New York will not be able to survive. I work at a physician-owneddermatology practice in Elmhurst, Queens, one of the neighborhoods with thehighest rates of coronavirus in New York City. Before that I was faculty at NYU and Cornell for six years. I met my current boss, Dr. Hyun Soo Lee, when I was a resident at NYU and he was an attending physician at Bellevue. Our practice is a few blocks from Elmhurst Hospital Center, one of the hospitalsmost overwhelmed by COVID-19 cases. Our patients are from Colombia, Mexico, Ecuador, Peru, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Korea, China, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Nepal. Our doctors and staff reflect this diversity. Most of us speak several languages, and organize our complex schedule to take care of uninsured and underinsured patients, arrange for patients to have providers who speak their language and support our local restaurants and businesses. I spend about 80% of my day speaking Spanish. Medicaid patients comprise about 70% of our practice what is called an unfavorable payer mix in health care finance terms. In human terms, these are cab drivers, medical assistants, pharmacy workers, delivery people, students, grocery store workers. In other words, they are often frontline workers. Many physicians in private practice cannot afford to take Medicaid, and academic centers most often do so only in their crowded resident clinics. This is because reimbursements are much lower than commercial health insurance, and the costs of operating a medical practice in New York are very high because of rents for commercial buildings. Dr. Lee also has practices in the Flushing neighborhood in Queens, the town of Englewood, New Jersey and the Bronx. His bustling offices succeed because we service areas with a physician shortage and we have a very high volume of patients. This is made possible because our practice is efficient and well staffed with four doctors, we employ approximately 110 people across all four offices, including mid-level medical professionals such as physicians assistants and a nurse practitioner. This means that we have a very large staff available to answer phone calls, fill out prior authorizations, act as scribes for providers and answer non-clinical messages. When I worked in Manhattan, on an average day I could see 25-30 patients usually with about three hours of paperwork. On a busy day in Elmhurst with so much support, I can see on average 50 patients, since my charting and paperwork is minimal. Over the last month, our patient numbers have dropped significantly. Like many other physicians practices, we have had to close our offices. Located in the epicenter of the epicenter, as our Elmhurst zip code has been called, I and several of our staff members have had COVID19, had to isolate, closed offices for our own and patient safety, and we have moved all of our patients for the time being to telemedicine. A survey by the Medical Society of the State of New York reported that 80% of physicians practices respondinghad a reduction of more than 50% in the volume of patients since the pandemic. Many of these practices were not assisted by the federal small business loans Congress created in the third COVID-19 relief bill, known as the CARES Act. On a Facebook page for dermatologists, a recent post informally asked New York doctors if they had received PPP loans after applying for them. Of the 25 who commented, only 10 had and only 2 reported having received checks. A more general member survey indicated that most practices receiving loans applied through smaller, local banks. Even though our practice is suffering, our patients still show up. I now see my patients from isolation in my home, while they are in isolation too. We introduce each other to our pets and families, we talk on Facetime and other platforms. Many of them have been sick. None of them live alone. One young woman from Bangladesh told me that both of her parents had been in a hospitals intensive care unit with COVID-19. Another young man has Morbihan disease, a condition that causes severe disfiguring facial swelling. He would benefit at this point from a medication that needs lab monitoring, but I worry about the safety of sending him for labs right now in Elmhurst. He lives with older, more vulnerable, people. A one-month old baby I saw on Friday had an extensive oozing rash with bumps of pus along his neck. Many of my psoriasis and eczema patients are having extensive flares, possibly exacerbated by stress and indoor heating, are covered from head to toe in thick scales, and cant sleep. Many of them are on medications that suppress their immune systems. Being immunocompromised is a risk factor for more severe cases of COVID-19, including death, so we now have long complicated conversations about the possible risks of these medications. We make plans to either stop their medications, switch to others thought to be safer, or continue them, based on our patients ages, other health issues, and the severity of their disease. A patient with sarcoidosis, an autoimmune disease that can affect the skin and other organ systems such as the liver, lungs, and heart, heart, cant get her prescription filled for hydroxychloroquine. The drug keeps her from being covered in thick red itchy bumps but is now in short supply in some pharmacies because of its experimental use as a treatment for COVID-19. My staff and I have spent a lot of time tracking down a pharmacy that can provide her with this medication. Even with our office closed, Dr. Lee has met patients in his Flushing office to drain abscesses and keep them out of urgent care and the emergency room. Our patients need us. When medical offices start to reopen, to limit the risk of spreading the coronavirus among patients and staff, the volume of patients will need to be low. Our regularly packed waiting room will be almost empty as we prioritize urgent patients for inpatient visits and schedule with more time between appointments to allow for cleaning and to minimize crowding. Expensive and scarce personal protective equipment such as masks will be needed. For practices like ours in New York that rely on a high volume of patients, the decreased revenue and increased time and expense associated with PPE and cleaning will be devastating. Physicians practices are going to need support for a long time to be able to continue serving our patients. What needs to happen to keep practices like ours open for New Yorkers who rely on us? Physicians offices, in addition to hospitals, must be supported by the state budget. Federal stimulus packages have not picked up the slack for local New York physicians practices. As federal small business loans are not reaching New York physicians adequately, small business loans prioritizing physicians practices must also be made available at the city and state level. In addition, now is not the time to be cutting Medicaid funding, as the state budget proposes. Neighborhood doctors offices serve our frontline workers and in so doing, all of New York. NEW YORK, April 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT NORTHERN DISTRICT OF ILLINOIS EASTERN DIVISION DAVID RONGE, Individually and on Behalf of All ) Case No. 1:18-cv-07030 Others Similarly Situated, ) (Consolidated) ) Plaintiff, ) CLASS ACTION ) vs. ) Judge Rebecca R. Pallmeyer ) CAMPING WORLD HOLDINGS, INC., et al., ) ) Defendants. ) ) ) SUMMARY NOTICE OF PROPOSED SETTLEMENT OF CLASS ACTION TO: ALL PERSONS AND ENTITIES THAT PURCHASED OR OTHERWISE ACQUIRED CAMPING WORLD HOLDINGS, INC. ("CAMPING WORLD") PUBLICLY TRADED CLASS A COMMON STOCK DURING THE PERIOD FROM OCTOBER 6, 2016 THROUGH AUGUST 7, 2018, INCLUSIVE, AND WERE ALLEGEDLY DAMAGED THEREBY ("CLASS" OR "CLASS MEMBERS") THIS NOTICE WAS AUTHORIZED BY THE COURT. IT IS NOT A LAWYER SOLICITATION. PLEASE READ THIS NOTICE CAREFULLY AND IN ITS ENTIRETY. YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED that a hearing will be held on August 5, 2020, at 10:00 a.m., before the Honorable Rebecca R. Pallmeyer at the United States District Court, Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division, Everett McKinley Dirksen United States Courthouse, 219 South Dearborn Street, Chicago, Illinois 60604, to determine whether: (i) the proposed settlement (the "Settlement") of the above-captioned action as set forth in the Settlement Agreement ("Stipulation")1 for $12,500,000 in cash should be approved by the Court as fair, reasonable, and adequate; (ii) the Judgment as provided under the Stipulation should be entered dismissing the Action with prejudice; (iii) to award Plaintiffs' Counsel attorneys' fees and expenses out of the Settlement Fund (as defined in the Notice of Pendency and Proposed Settlement of Class Action ("Notice"), which is discussed below) and, if so, in what amount; (iv) to pay Plaintiffs out of the Settlement Fund for their costs and expenses in representing the Class and, if so, in what amount; and (v) the Plan of Allocation should be approved by the Court as fair, reasonable, and adequate. IF YOU PURCHASED OR ACQUIRED CAMPING WORLD PUBLICLY TRADED CLASS A COMMON STOCK FROM OCTOBER 6, 2016 THROUGH AUGUST 7, 2018, INCLUSIVE, YOUR RIGHTS WILL BE AFFECTED BY THE SETTLEMENT OF THIS ACTION. To share in the distribution of the Settlement Fund, you must establish your rights by submitting a Proof of Claim and Release form ("Proof of Claim") by mail (postmarked no later than July 30, 2020) or electronically (no later than July 30, 2020). Your failure to submit your Proof of Claim by July 30, 2020, will subject your claim to rejection and preclude you from receiving any of the recovery in connection with the Settlement of this Action. If you purchased or acquired Camping World publicly traded Class A common stock from October 6, 2016 through August 7, 2018, inclusive, and do not request exclusion from the Class, you will be bound by the Settlement and any judgment and releases entered in the Action, including, but not limited to, the Judgment, whether or not you submit a Proof of Claim. If you have not received a copy of the Notice, which more completely describes the Settlement and your rights thereunder (including your right to object to the Settlement), and a Proof of Claim, you may obtain these documents, as well as a copy of the Stipulation (which, among other things, contains definitions for the defined terms used in this Summary Notice) and other settlement documents, online at www.CampingWorldSecuritiesSettlement.com , or by writing to: Camping World Securities Settlement Claims Administrator c/o A.B. Data, Ltd. P.O. Box 170200 Milwaukee, WI 53217 Inquiries should NOT be directed to Defendants, the Court, or the Clerk of the Court. Inquiries, other than requests for the Notice or for a Proof of Claim, may be made to Lead Counsel: ROBBINS GELLER RUDMAN & DOWD LLP Ellen Gusikoff Stewart 655 West Broadway, Suite 1900 San Diego, CA 92101 Telephone: 800/449-4900 LABATON SUCHAROW LLP Michael P. Canty 140 Broadway New York, NY 10005 Telephone: 888/219-6877 IF YOU DESIRE TO BE EXCLUDED FROM THE CLASS, YOU MUST SUBMIT A REQUEST FOR EXCLUSION SUCH THAT IT IS RECEIVED BY JULY 15, 2020, IN THE MANNER AND FORM EXPLAINED IN THE NOTICE. ALL CLASS MEMBERS WILL BE BOUND BY THE SETTLEMENT EVEN IF THEY DO NOT SUBMIT A TIMELY PROOF OF CLAIM. IF YOU ARE A CLASS MEMBER, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO OBJECT TO THE SETTLEMENT, THE PLAN OF ALLOCATION, THE REQUEST BY LEAD COUNSEL FOR AN AWARD OF ATTORNEYS' FEES NOT TO EXCEED 30% OF THE $12,500,000 SETTLEMENT AMOUNT AND EXPENSES NOT TO EXCEED $115,000, AND/OR THE PAYMENT TO PLAINTIFFS FOR THEIR COSTS AND EXPENSES NOT TO EXCEED $50,000 IN THE AGGREGATE. ANY OBJECTIONS MUST BE FILED WITH THE COURT AND SENT TO LEAD COUNSEL AND DEFENDANTS' COUNSEL SO THAT THEY ARE RECEIVED BY JULY 15, 2020, IN THE MANNER AND FORM EXPLAINED IN THE NOTICE. DATED: APRIL 27, 2020 BY ORDER OF THE COURT UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT NORTHERN DISTRICT OF ILLINOIS, EASTERN DIVISION 1 The Stipulation can be viewed and/or obtained at www.CampingWorldSecuritiesSettlement.com . SOURCE Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP and Labaton Sucharow LLP "The CDC has said for months the best way to prevent COVID-19 infection is social distancing. The structural reality of detention facilities is that social distancing is impossible," say our latest Local Opinion contributors. Chandigarh, April 27 : Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will assist the Congress government in Punjab to revive its economy once the Covid-19 crisis ends. "I had written to Dr Manmohan Singh ji to guide us along with a group of experts headed by Montek Singh Ahluwalia. I am grateful to him for accepting," Chief Minister Amarinder Singh tweeted on Monday. "We have been working hard to steer Punjab on the path of economic growth and post-Covid-19 we will again focus on the same," he added. The state on April 24 constituted a group of experts, headed by noted economist and former deputy chairman of the erstwhile Planning Commission, Montek Singh Ahluwalia, to come out with the post-Covid revival strategy for the state economy. The group, which includes leading economy and industry experts, will recommend to the state government a short-term (one year) as well as medium-term action plan, including a fiscal management strategy, along with other policy measures to revive Punjab's economy. The 20-member group has been mandated to submit its initial recommendations by July 31, followed by two more reports by September 30 and December 31, according to an official spokesperson. The three-month gap between the first two reports will allow the group time to recalibrate the larger impact as COVID-19 unfolds across India over the summer, said the spokesperson. The group has been entrusted with the task of identifying the key actions that are needed to help Punjab get to its "new normal" growth rate and restore it to a pre-eminent position. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) A frontline nurse working in New York on coronavirus patients claims the city is killing sufferers by putting them on ventilators. 'It's a horror movie,' she said through a friend. 'Not because of the disease, but the way it is being handled.' And she said relatives of the sick need to make it clear as soon as a person is taken to the hospital that they do not want them hooked up to the breathing machines. YouTube has now taken down the video as violating its community standards, which has been hotly rebutted by others working in New York during the crisis. The nurse, who has relocated to New York temporarily to help with the city's COVID-19 crisis, persuaded a friend a nurse practitioner who is not working on coronavirus patients to make the video for her in order to tell the world what she says is happening inside hospitals. 'I am her voice here. I'm going to tell you what she has told me,' said the nurse practitioner, who was identified only as Sara NP. 'She wants this to get out.' 'She has never seen so much neglect. No one cares. They are cold and they don't care anymore. It's the blind leading the blind.' A frontline nurse working in New York on coronavirus patients claims the city is killing sufferers by putting them on ventilators, advocating against them The nurse persuaded a friend, nurse practitioner Sara NP who is not working on coronavirus patients, to make the video to get the word out Ventilator tubes are attached to a patient suffering from COVID-19 on the Medical Intensive Care Unit floor in New York City More than 12,000 people have died from the virus in New York City, with another 4,300 dying in other parts of the Empire State, which is a far larger number than any other state in the country 'People are sick, but they don't have to stay sick. They are killing them, they are not helping them,' added the friend in the video posted on YouTube. 'She used the word murder, that coming from a nurse who went to New York City expecting to help. 'Patients are left to rot and die her words. People are being murdered and no one cares.' Sara would not reveal which hospital the nurse is working in 'for the safety of those involved.' More than 12,000 people have died from the virus in New York City, with another 4,300 dying in other parts of the Empire State, which is a far larger number than any other state in the country. Republican Minnesota state Senator Scott Jensen told Fox News' Laura Ingraham that Medicare pays hospitals three times as much if patients are placed on ventilators. 'How can anyone not believe that increasing the number of COVID-19 deaths may create an avenue for states to receive a larger portion of federal dollars,' Jensen later posted on his Facebook page. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has said that around 80 percent of people who go on the machines die, although he's referencing patients who were already in dire conditions before being put on the machines. Republican Minnesota state Senator Scott Jensen (pictured) told Fox News' Laura Ingraham that Medicare pays hospitals three times as much if patients are placed on ventilators This is not the first time the use of ventilators have been questioned for its efficacy. In a YouTube video posted earlier this month New York emergency room doctor Cameron Kyle-Sidell said: 'I've talked to doctors all around the country and it is becoming increasingly clear that the pressure we're providing may be hurting their lungs. 'It is highly likely that the high pressures we're using are damaging the lungs of the patients we are putting the breathing tubes in. 'It's not our fault. We didn't know,' added Kyle-Sidell, saying that is the way other acute respiratory syndromes have been treated. 'We are running the ventilators the wrong way,' he said, calling for the protocols to be changed. 'COVID positive patients need oxygen, they do not need pressure. They will need ventilators, but they must be programmed differently.' Kyle-Siddell did not return calls from DailyMail.com. He told Medscape on April 6 he stepped down from working in the intensive care unit at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn because he didn't want to follow the hospital's ventilator protocol. 'I could not morally, in a patient-doctor relationship, continue the current protocols which, again, are the protocols of the top hospitals in the country. 'I could not continue those,' he said. 'You can't have one doctor just doing their own protocol.' Maimonides also did not answer a request for comment. But Christian Castaneda a pulmonary and critical-care fellow at New York-Presbyterian Queens hospital posted his own video. What this lady is saying is absolutely not true, he said. And an emergency nurse practitioner called Rebecca said in a video: I dont know what happened in one particular hospital, but I can assure you that that is not happening where I work and its also not happening in the facilities of many, many of my friends and colleagues at other hospitals." Sara said COVID-19 patients are placed on ventilators rather than less invasive CPAP or BiPAP machines due to fears about the virus spreading. And in a YouTube video posted earlier this month New York emergency room doctor Cameron Kyle-Sidell (pictured) said: 'I've talked to doctors all around the country and it is becoming increasingly clear that the pressure we're providing may be hurting their lungs. Kyle-Siddell later said he stepped down from working in the intensive care unit at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn because he didn't want to follow the hospital's ventilator protocol She said there are other problems in the 'crappy' hospital where her friend is working, such as lack of personal protective equipment. Pictured: A file photo made available by the US Navy showing an Army Specialist assembling a T1 Hamilton ventilator in a mobile lab unit at Javits New York Medical Station She said: 'The patients don't know any better. They don't have family with them. There is no one there with them to advocate for them. So they are scared, and they give consent. 'The ventilators have high pressure, which then causes barotrauma, it causes trauma to the lungs', adding that the best way to survive is to 'buck the system.' 'Your loved one is not going to have you in there advocating for them once they go in, you're not allowed in. 'Do not give consent for intubation if you don't want to be intubated or for your loved one to be intubated As soon as you give that consent, you might not come out of it.' And she said if there is a specific medication such as the hydroxychloroquine that President Donald Trump has touted, the best thing to do is lie. 'A tip from inside the system if you want a medication to be given, you've got to report that it's an at-home medication, and that you demand that it be continued.' Sara claimed patients who stop breathing are not resuscitated again due to fear of the virus spreading. 'Full code, not doing compressions, family is not there. They have no one to answer to. No one is being held accountable.' She said there are other problems in the 'crappy' hospital where her friend is working, such as lack of personal protective equipment. 'They stay in the same PPE all shift, except for the top pair of gloves they're only changing the gloves on the outside.' Sara (left and right) said COVID-19 patients are placed on ventilators rather than less invasive CPAP or BiPAP machines due to fears about the virus spreading. She explained: 'The ventilators have high pressure, which then causes barotrauma, it causes trauma to the lungs' The nurse practitioner also criticized some of the nurses who are risking their own health to treat COVID-19 patients. 'We have nurses being celebrated as heroes who are killing people,' she said. 'They're not heroes, and they're being brainwashed to think they're doing something. Pictured: Nurses arriving to Elmhurst Hospital in New York on Saturday They keep the same gowns and masks on because the theory is that all patients on a COVID-19 floor will already have the virus. But she says that is faulty logic as some are there to see if the coronavirus can be ruled out. 'So even if they're rule-out COVID and they're not COVID they're going to get COVID because they're using the same PPE all shift and they're carrying that contamination to all of the patients And she claimed some nurses who have been brought to New York are sitting in hotels never being called. 'Yet they're still understaffed and there are hundreds of people, hundreds of nurses in the hotels waiting to be called on to a shift. So there is manpower enough if the goal were to actually save people, but resources are not being utilized properly or to full capacity in a way that maximizes the patient benefit or improves the outcomes.' The nurse practitioner also criticized some of the nurses who are risking their own health to treat COVID-19 patients. 'We have nurses being celebrated as heroes who are killing people,' she said. 'They're not heroes, and they're being brainwashed to think they're doing something great just by going to work because they're brave enough to go to work. 'But what are you doing at work? You're certainly not saving people if you're not even running codes. You're not even going into patients' rooms. You're a coward. You're hurting people, you're killing them, you're contributing to the problem. The nurse practitioner said she knows she will receive hate messages for her comments. 'Frankly, I don't care because this could save someone's life.' [April 27, 2020] Maxar Technologies Announces Virtual 2020 Annual Meeting of Stockholders Maxar Technologies (NYSE:MAXR) (TSX:MAXR), a trusted partner and innovator in Earth Intelligence and Space Infrastructure, today announced that the Company will hold its 2020 Annual Meeting of Stockholders in a virtual-only format due to public health concerns relating to the COVID-19 pandemic and to protect the health and well-being of its stockholders, directors, employees and the public. As previously announced, the 2020 Annual Meeting will be held on May 13, 2020, at 2:00 p.m. MT. Stockholders will not be able to attend the 2020 Annual Meeting in-person at a physical location. However, the virtual 2020 Annual Meeting will provide stockholders of record as of the close of business on March 19, 2020, the ability to participate, vote their shares and ask questions during the meeting via audio webcast. If you are a stockholder of record, to sign in to the webcast go to https://web.lumiagm.com/295200154, meeting code (case sensitive): MAXAR2020. You will need the 11-digit control number included on your proxy card or Notice to register. If you are a street name stockholder, to access the webcast please contact your bank, broker or other nominee to request access to the webcast. Please note that you will not be able to vote your shares at the meeting without a legal proxy. You will need to ask your bank, broker or other nominee to furnish you with a legal proxy. Please send a copy of your legal proxy to [email protected]. Accordingly, we encourage you to vote your shares in advance, even if you intend to attend the Annual Meeting. Guests may join the Annual Meeting in a listen-only mode. No control number is required. Below are additional details on how stockholders can participate in the Annual Meeting: Access the meeting platform beginning at 1:45 p.m. MT on May 13, 2020. Once admitted, stockholders of record may submit questions, vote or view our list of stockholders during the Annual Meeting by following the instructions that will be available on the meeting website. To attend the meeting and submit questions in writing during the online Annual Meeting, you will need the 11-digit control number located on your proxy card or Notice. You may vote during the meeting by clicking the votin link provided on the webcast. Guests will not have the option to vote shares or ask questions during the virtual meeting. About Maxar Technologies Maxar is a trusted partner and innovator in Earth Intelligence and Space Infrastructure. We deliver disruptive value to government and commercial customers to help them monitor, understand and navigate our changing planet; deliver global broadband communications; and explore and advance the use of space. Our unique approach combines decades of deep mission understanding and a proven commercial and defense foundation to deploy solutions and deliver insights with unrivaled speed, scale and cost effectiveness. Maxar's 4,000 team members in 30 global locations are inspired to harness the potential of space to help our customers create a better world. Maxar trades on the New York Stock Exchange and Toronto Stock Exchange as MAXR. For more information, visit www.maxar.com. Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements and other information included in this release constitute "forward-looking information" or "forward-looking statements" (collectively, "forward-looking statements") under applicable securities laws. Statements including words such as "may", "will", "could", "should", "would", "plan", "potential", "intend", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate" or "expect" and other words, terms and phrases of similar meaning are often intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Forward-looking statements involve estimates, expectations, projections, goals, forecasts, assumptions, risks and uncertainties, as well as other statements referring to or including forward-looking information included in this presentation. Forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from the anticipated results or expectations expressed in this presentation. As a result, although management of the Company believes that the expectations and assumptions on which such forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements because the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. The risks that could cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations include, but are not limited to, the risk factors and other disclosures about the Company and its business included in the Company's continuous disclosure materials filed from time to time with Canadian and U.S. securities regulatory authorities, which are available online under the Company's EDGAR profile at www.sec.gov, under the Company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com or on the Company's website at www.maxar.com. The forward-looking statements contained in this release are expressly qualified in their entirety by the foregoing cautionary statements. All such forward-looking statements are based upon data available as of the date of this presentation or other specified date and speak only as of such date. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements in this presentation as a result of new information or future events, except as may be required under applicable securities legislation. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200427005882/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A program to provide daily meals to Staten Islanders has been restarted due to an overwhelming need during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, according to a release from the office of Borough President James Oddo. Oddos office partnered with FreshDirect on the program in March, initially making 400 meals available each day to Staten Islanders struggling with food insecurity. The program re-launched Monday, and FreshDirect will now prepare 500 grocery boxes per day. The meals will be delivered to community food pantries and disseminated by partner organizations, including Catholic Charities and Community Health Action of Staten Island. In total, the program donates 10,000 boxes of groceries each week across the five boroughs, according to Oddos office. The first phase of the FreshDirect Food Drive was so well received and we are so grateful for phase two, which is providing even more food to Staten Islands food insecure population, said Oddo. Special thanks to FreshDirect and to CEO David McInerney for providing 500 meals daily to our community and to our partners, Catholic Charities and Community Health Action, for making sure this food gets to those who need it most. Each grocery box, provided free of charge by FreshDirect, will contain the following: Rice, 2 bags, 16 oz Pasta, 2 boxes, 16 oz Canned beans, 2 cans, 10-16 oz Canned meat/fish, 2 cans, 3-5 oz Canned vegetables, 2 cans, 8-15 oz Raisins/dried fruit, 4 boxes, 2 oz per box Cereal/oatmeal, 1 box, 10-20 oz Milk/milk substitute, 1 container, 32 oz Corn, 2 ears 2 potatoes 1 onion 1 carrot Orange/apple, 2 in total FreshDirect is extremely thankful to New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, New York City Sanitation Commissioner and current Food Czar Kathryn Garcia, and Staten Island Borough President James Oddo for his support of Operation 5-Borough Food Drive, said Larry Scott Blackmon, Vice President of Public Affairs at FreshDirect. We are very grateful to continue the distribution of food to communities in Staten Island with Borough President Oddo, whose partnership has proven invaluable. Oil prices plunged Monday as mounting global supplies have storage capacity nearing the limit due to the COVID-19 pandemic. West Texas Intermediate crude oil futures for June delivery were down 25 percent at $12.78 a barrel while Brent crude oil futures fell 6.76 percent to $19.99. Theres a lot of oil out there right now with few buyers, and storage facilities are filling up fast, Ally Invest strategist Lindsey Bell told FOX Business. HAROLD HAMM'S CONTINENTAL RESOURCES SHUTTING PRODUCTION IN KEY OIL FIELD Stay-at-home orders issued by government officials worldwide have removed about 30 million barrels of oil demand from the market each day as nonessential travel has ground to a halt. The demand shortfall comes as a global supply glut has been aggravated by a price war between Russia and Saudi Arabia. A large amount of oil is available now with few buyers, and storage facilities are filling up fast. WTI, the U.S. benchmark, posted its largest weekly decline last week, falling 32 percent, as prices for the May contract dipped into negative territory for the first time on record. Brent, the international standard, lost 24 percent, posting its sharpest weekly drop in five weeks. The worlds largest oil producers at a meeting earlier this month agreed to reduce global production by 20 million barrels per day beginning May 1. OPEC and its allies will reduce daily production by 9.7 million barrels while other large producers including the U.S. and Canada will deliver cuts mostly as a result of lower prices. Storage capacities at Cushing, Oklahoma, a key U.S. oil hub, swelled to 59.7 million barrels last week, up 8.7 percent from the week prior, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The storage facility tops out at about 76 million barrels. Deutsche Bank Research analyst Michael Hsueh says its possible that some parts of the U.S. could reach storage capacity by next month. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ON FOX BUSINESS Story continues I would expect increasing stress in onshore capacity as early as mid-May, Hsueh wrote. This could mark the low for the oil price, but only if it results in sufficiently large forced shut-ins. Related Articles A security guard deployed at the office of OSD to the Union health minister at AIIMS and a nurse working in Dr B R Ambedkar Institute Rotary Cancer Hospital of the facility have tested positive for COVID-19, sources said on Sunday. The security guard, posted at the office of officer on special duty (OSD) to Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan located in the teaching block of All India Institute Of Medical Sciences, was tested positive on Saturday, they said. According to the sources, the entire wing where the OSD office is located is being sanitised and several staffers, including the OSD, is learnt to have been advised self-quarantine. Their samples are also likely to be taken for testing. Two children of the nurse, who was deployed at the daycare facility of the cancer centre, have also tested positive for COVID-19. Contact tracing was initiated at the facility on Sunday and all those who have come in contact with the security guard and the nurse have been advised self-quarantine. Further contact tracing is on, they said. Patients who had come for chemotherapy on Saturday at the daycare facility along with healthcare staff at the hospital who had come in contact with her have been advised self-quarantine. Besides, at least five more staffers, including two from the record section, a lab attendant and the personal assistant of a faculty at the Cardio-Neuro Centre of AIIMS have also tested positive recently, the sources said. On Wednesday, a male nurse working in the gastroenterology department of AIIMS was found positive for COVID-19, following which around 40 healthcare staff, including doctors and nurses working in the department, were advised self-quarantine. However, all the staff who had come in contact with the male nurse have tested negative and the department is fully functional, a doctor said. Last week, two female nurses, one from the cardiology department and one posted in the Trauma Centre of AIIMS had also tested positive for coronavirus. All those who came in contact with these two nurses have been asked to go into self-quarantine. The Trauma Centre nurse's child and husband had also tested positive for the infection. Also read: Coronavirus in Rajastan: Positive COVID-19 cases reach 2,185, 7 more dead Also read: Coronavirus: Maharashtra, Delhi, Gujarat account for half of India's COVID cases We want to know the decision-making process for releasing people, said state Rep. Avery Bourne, a Republican from Morrisonville in central Illinois. Our concern (is) that the governor and IDOC are using this pandemic as a way to push their political agenda of releasing inmates rather than actually looking out for the public safety and health. Washington 'launches COVID-19 war against its own people' Global Times By Yang Sheng and Chen Qingqing Source:Global Times Published: 2020/4/26 23:13:55 China did not start a "war" on the US in the coronavirus pandemic as some hawkish US officials such as Peter Navarro have suggested; it is instead those "morons" in the US like the White House trade adviser, who have started a war against their own people and waged a relentless smearing campaign against China in an attempt to cover up their complete failure in pandemic response, that have steered the China-US relationship to a dangerous crossroad, Chinese analysts said on Sunday. The latest rhetoric of war from Navarro represents a serious escalation in Washington's campaign against China in the wake of the pandemic and foreshadows an increasingly delicate conjecture for the world's most consequential bilateral relationship even after the pandemic, where an all-out confrontation in political, diplomatic, legal and financial realms is highly likely, the analysts noted. Navarro, who is also an obstinate anti-China extremist, told Fox News on Saturday that China hid the virus, eventually spreading it to the globe, downplaying it through the World Health Organization (WHO), and gathered up all personal protective equipment (PPE) and made profits from it. "This is a war that China started" by spawning the virus, hiding it and hoarding PPE, he said. But the fact is that far from waging a "war" on the US, China has acted sincerely and offered the US help based on humanitarianism, including ensuring supply of PPE and other medical products, despite the hostility from some US politicians, Chinese analysts said. Lu Xiang, a research fellow on US studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Sunday that as Navarro acts as a White House advisor, his remarks do reflect the US official stance to some extent, but China is already immune to such ignorant words and won't be surprised at all. "The US has the right to refuse China's assistance and also stop buying materials from us if they believe this is a war, as a result, we will see what would happen to American patients," he said. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said on her Twitter account on Thursday that China has provided a huge amount of materials to the US and she gave an example saying "as of April 20, China had provided the US with over 2.46 billion masks, meaning 7 masks for each person in the US." Lu said "if people in the US and hospitals can't get enough medical materials, then they should question their own government." Future bilateral relations are entirely up to the US, not China, but the rest of the world could see a fact - China is providing stable supplies and sent medical teams to help others, while the US does nothing to help but only show selfishness throughout the pandemic by grabbing medical materials from others, so to what extent can the US maintain its global influence and leadership, this would be in doubt as well, said Chinese analysts. War against US citizens One thing is for sure, it's the Trump administration who launched "a war against its own people," and the longer Washington elites waste time in passing the buck to Beijing, the more severe consequences the American people would suffer, Chinese observers said. Navarro's latest remarks attacking China has brought the shamelessness and immoral behavior of US politicians to a whole new level after the US Republicans released an internal memo which urged to Republican senators to defend the president's coronavirus record and try blaming China instead, a clear evidence showing how US politicians attempt to scapegoat China for their political agenda for November elections at the cost of hundreds and thousands of American lives. "Unless US politicians and elites see more deaths in the US, rendering their government incapable and accepting total failure in handling the pandemic, they won't come back as fairly reasonable," Shen Yi, director at the Research Center for Cyberspace Governance of Fudan University, told the Global Times on Sunday. "Navarro's comments just proved that, reflecting he is not capable of providing fact-based knowledge on the pandemic as an advisor to Trump," he said. In order to cover up the Trump administration's failure in handling the pandemic, US officials' wrongdoings, including tricks like shifting the blame to China, have so far caused more than 900,000 confirmed cases in the US, tearing many families apart and causing unforgettable pain for the public. Zhang Wenhong, a Shanghai-based infectious disease expert, pointed out "China provided gene-sequencing on January 11 and started full-scale testing from January 20. In contrast, the US only started large-scale testing from March 8." According to the latest data from the two countries, overall confirmed cases in the US are 10.6 times higher than the numbers in China. Its death toll is also almost 10 times higher than that of China. More evidence has recently emerged to show it's the Trump administration that failed its own people due to the lack of an earlier response and preparation which should be subject to accountability, as more netizens on Twitter asked. US media reported that new autopsy results showed a Californian had died from COVID-19 in early February, three weeks earlier than the previously known first US COVID-19 death on February 29. This has sparked doubts over transparency inside the US government in dealing with the virus at the early stages of the outbreak, which might also change the whole pandemic timeline in the US. Ties in a post-pandemic era While a war of words has been escalating between China and the US over the pandemic, Chinese observers said it's regrettable that US elites have not come up with the idea of fixing China-US ties by changing their attitude of defying and defaming China. "It's up to how much longer they can accept the fact of China's rise. If they can't accept this fact, they would continue to arouse more conflicts between the two countries," Ning Nanshan, a Shenzhen-based economist, told the Global Times on Sunday. It would be hard to predict what a post-pandemic era would look like as the US may likely face a second wave of an outbreak in winter at the end of this year when the flu season arrives, as the data today shows little optimism for the US to control the situation before winter, Lu said. "Through communication with US scholars, we found many US elites are actually clear that the Trump administration has failed to control and prevent the outbreak in their homeland, but mentally, they also believed China is the origin of the mess, which is hard to change no matter what we said or did in the early stages to warn them how serious the virus is," he further said. Chinese experts predicted that the US might be aware of cooperation with China being the only right choice to overcome this global challenge after it realizes it can't save its economy on its own, but it's also possible it may launch an all-out offensive against China from political, diplomatic, legal and financial aspects, which could be another massive disaster after the pandemic. What China can do is to try its best to make itself more stable, secure and certain as well as the biggest market around the globe, to become the first major economy that gets rids of the pandemic, and the only engine to pull the world economy from a great recession, only by realizing these, can we possibly avoid a worsening situation with the US, Lu said. The rest of the world would also have a more objective and fair understanding between China - who is unselfishly helping everyone in need, and the US - who is selfishly hijacking medical materials from others, and this is also crucial, experts noted. The US has been accused of "modern piracy" after reportedly diverting a shipment of masks intended for the German police, and outbidding other countries in the increasingly fraught global market for protective equipment, the Guardian reported on April 4. At the same time, China is playing the role of a logistical center for the global fight against the pandemic to supply not only its close friends and neighbors in Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Africa, but also Western countries in Europe and North America. Ding Yifan, a professor at the Beijing Foreign Studies University, told the Global Times that from the perspective of morality, it would be hard for the US to maintain its leadership in its US-led alliance to contain China, as its allies would lose faith in it. And they can fairly compare the behaviors between the US and China. Lu said "although we can't predict what China-US ties would look like in the future precisely, one thing is certain - the national power and influence of the US will decline dramatically after the pandemic." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The Minister for Food and Agriculture, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, will from Monday, April 27, commence a 6-day tour to Ashanti, Eastern, and the Bono Regions. The Minister is expected to interact with farmers, visit selected fields, and hold discussions with staff and other stakeholders in the agricultural value chain. A statement issued by the Press Secretariat of the Ministry said the Minister "would also inspect ongoing and completed projects including warehouses and feeder roads being constructed under the Ghana Agricultural Support Investment Programme (GASIP)". The tour, which is the fourth of it series since 2017, was intended to offer the Minister and his entourage, the opportunity to assess the successes achieved under the flagship Planting for Food and Jobs initiatives, which is in its fourth year of implementation. "Taking into account the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the tour has been planned to conform with all the necessary protocols in order not to endanger the lives of farmers and other stakeholders who will be part of the tour" the statement noted. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A brief history of conservative publications in Canada updated to 2020 (Part Two) By Mark Wegierski The Conrad Black media revolution of the mid- to late-1990s, it could be argued, reconstructed the hitherto unspectacular Southam papers (and the former Financial Post) into a snazzier, as well as more intellectually diverse, format with some surprisingly sharp-edged conservatism that had virtually never before been seen in Canada. As Blacks fortunes ebbed, the ideological sharpness of the papers markedly diminished, but the changes could not be entirely expunged. Black had also controversially taken over Saturday Night, which, however, at no time came to resemble a conservative magazine. Indeed, as far as the author knows, that venerable magazine has now completely folded. The Byfield newsmagazines, practically a Canadian conservative institution for decades, failed shortly after the beginning of the Twenty-First Century. It is difficult to say what exactly happened; some have argued that the Byfields simply got tired of their draining undertaking. Those circulation numbers certainly appeared to have made the magazines sustainable. In the aftermath of the Byfield failure, Ezra Levant and others established The Western Standard (newsmagazine format). It certainly seemed to be able to fill the niche left by the collapse of the Byfield newsmagazines. The demand for only news-stories largely excluded freelancers from the magazine. The Western Standard also folded in curious circumstances; apparently, the investors were demanding a quick return on their investment. It should be known by now that that should be secondary consideration, for political publications. Social conservatism in Canada is now represented mostly by The Interim: Canadas Life and Family Newspaper (and the website, lifesite.net), Faithful Insight magazine (a successor to Catholic Insight), as well two major magazines put out by the CARDUS think-tank, Convivium, and Comment. I recall seeing in the 1990s a thin magazine of the Canadian TFP (Tradition, Family, Property), and a broadsheet called Michael Journal, published by the remnants of the Quebec Creditistes. There is today the major, French-language, Quebec-based social conservative journal, Egards. The arising of the Internet after 1995 did certainly open up some new forums for Canadian conservatives. The main edited e-zine has for a long time been enterstageright.com (as well as Judi McLeods Canada Free Press); the main self-posting forum is freedominion.ca ; and conservativeforum.org is an archive of interesting articles that is not updated. In recent years, Free Dominion has been subjected to vicious lawfare, and its situation is highly tenuous. In 2007, there arose the major webzine quarterly, c2cjournal.ca . Recently, Ezra Levants The Rebel (or The Rebel Media) website has arisen, with dozens of bloggers contributing to it. Another substantial media initiative is Candice Malcolms True North Canada. Two new websites of the culturalist opposition are capforcanada.com and eurocanadian.ca . There are also the party-based Blogging Tories. The impact of lesser-known websites, and more prominent personal blogs (such as those of Kate McMillan, Kathy Shaidle, or Richard Klagsbrun) is sometimes ephemeral and difficult to estimate. It still remains to be seen whether political discourse on the Internet can become a basis for generating enough financial resources and infrastructural weight in society to create major social, cultural, and political shifts. In recent years, there have arisen a few conservative print publications The Dorchester Review (with mostly reviews of works of history) (published twice a year in a classic quarterly digest format); The Canadian Observer (which, after a promising start, has failed) (newmagazine format); and Convivium (magazine format, glossy, full-colour cover, monochrome inside) published by the social conservative think-tank CARDUS. In January 2017, the last print issue of Convivium appeared it is now a web-only publication. They also publish a quarterly called Comment, in a smaller digest format (full-colour cover, monochrome inside). The author liked the first editorial of The Canadian Observer, which said it wanted to be a Cite Libre of the Right. (Cite Libre was the intensely intellectual and intensely left-wing journal founded by Pierre Elliott Trudeau and his associates in the 1950s in Quebec, when the prospects for the Left in Canada seemed especially thin. It was said to be the seedling from which both the so-called Quiet Revolution in Quebec, and the subsequent Trudeau revolution in all of Canada, arose.) There is also a local, agrarian-focussed magazine published in Eastern Ontario, The Landowner. In July 2013, a daily webzine, Freedom Press Canada Journal, was launched with great fanfare, but it mostly stopped publication after November 30, 2013, and has now apparently been entirely removed from the Internet. New postings had begun to very sporadically appear on the website (freedompress.ca) since mid-2014, but now the whole website appears to be no longer extant. In any case, Canadian conservatives are still looking for a National Review North. The main concept behind an intellectually- and ideologically-focussing magazine or daily-updated webzine is that it would be a nucleus around which other political institutions such as think-tanks and other publications could grow. It was clearly the early years of National Review which were the most important in creating the American conservative movement. It remains to be seen whether Canada can ever begin to follow along a similar path. This journey through the history of attempts at creating a sustainable conservative publication in Canada as an intellectual anchor (the role that the early National Review played in America), raises two points: the fragmented conservative community in Canada might lack either the will or the necessary focus to unite together around an authoritative Canadian conservative publication; while the Left in Canada, on the other hand, has amply displayed the ability to maintain more than one iconic publication. Mark Wegierski is a Canadian writer and historical researcher. Home Dhaka, April 27 : All educational institutions in Bangladesh will remain closed till September in view of the COVID-19 outbreak across the country, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said on Monday. Hasina made the announcement while holding a video-conference with administration officials from her official residence Ganobhaban in capital Dhaka, reports Xinhua news agency. "We'll not reopen the educational institutions until the pandemic is basically under control though we'll open other sectors gradually," she said. She said her government has attached the highest importance to saving lives of the people and ensuring their livelihood during the COVID-19 pandemic. The total number of confirmed cases in Bangladesh currently stands at 5,416, while the death toll has increased to 145, according to government data. Bangladesh reported its first cases of the virus on March 8 with the authorities testing 46,589 samples since then. FILE PHOTO: FILE PHOTO: A logo of Alibaba Group is seen at the company's headquarters in Hangzhou SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd has demoted Jiang Fan, one of its most senior executives, after an internal investigation into allegations of improper behaviour, according to a person familiar with the matter. Alibaba removed Jiang, who oversaw the company's main online shopping divisions, from a partnership of 38 people, which appoints some Alibaba board members. It also demoted him to group vice president from group senior vice president, said the person, who asked not to be identified discussing internal matters. Alibaba declined to make Jiang available for interview and he did not respond to a Reuters request for comment. The decision follows speculation on Chinese social media about Jiang's relationship with a prominent social media influencer, Zhang Dayi, and whether he had used his influence at Alibaba to ensure preferential treatment to merchants associated with Ruhnn Holding Ltd , an e-commerce company where Zhang serves as Chief Marketing Officer. A spokesman for Ruhnn declined to comment. A representative for Zhang did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Alibaba bought a stake in Ruhnn in 2016. Ruhnn went public last year. In its internal investigation, Alibaba concluded that its investment in Ruhnn "has nothing to do with Jiang Fan" and that Ruhnn stores had not benefited from Jiang's influence, according to a note to all staff seen by the person. But the note also said that due to "inappropriate handling of family affairs," Jiang had "triggered a serious public opinion crisis which created a major impact on the company's reputation", according to the memo. The online furore about Jiang comes as Alibaba recovers from the impact of the coronavirus, which saw deliveries temporarily come to a halt as the country went into a nation-wide, weeks-long state of semi-quarantine. Jiang joined Alibaba in 2013 after selling his app analytics company Umeng to the e-commerce giant. He is credited with boosting Alibaba's transition away from the desktop and towards purchases on mobile phones. He was seen by some as a potential successor to current chairman Daniel Zhang, who took over Alibaba from Jack Ma formally in 2019. (Reporting by Josh Horwitz. Editing by Carmel Crimmins) Egypt reiterated its support for peacemaking efforts by Saudi Arabia and the UAE to ensure security and stability in Yemen while maintaining its unity and territorial integrity Egypt stressed the importance of committing to the implementation of the Riyadh reconciliation agreement in Yemen hours after a Saudi-led coalition urged a separatist group in the country to end the escalation in the south. In an official statement on Monday, Egypt's foreign ministry said it welcomed the statement by the Saudi-led coalition, which stressed the importance of committing to the agreement and working towards a speedy execution of its provisions. Egypt reiterated its support for peacemaking efforts by Saudi Arabia and the UAE to ensure security and stability in Yemen while maintaining its unity and territorial integrity. Earlier on Monday, the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen urged the separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC), which declared self-rule in the south, to walk back its move, describing it as an "escalatory action" at a time when all parties should focus on confronting the coronavirus pandemic. The move by the STC threatens to revive disputes between the council and the Saudi-backed government at a time when the United Nations is attempting to secure a permanent nationwide ceasefire over the virus. Search Keywords: Short link: Despite the pandemic gripping the world, the annual Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia, the holiest site in Islam, is still officially scheduled for late July. Although the kingdom has asked Muslims to postpone their trips, unless it suspends the hajj, it poses devastating health risks. Every year, more than two million perform the pilgrimage, gathering for a set of rituals in Mecca, traveling together to several sites in the outskirts of the city and then visiting the holy city of Medina, 300 miles away, where the Prophet Muhammad is buried. The hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam, along with the confession of monotheism, prayers five times a day, annual charity and fasting in the month of Ramadan, which commenced on Friday. Every conscientious Muslim who can afford to perform the pilgrimage safely and endure it physically is required to undertake it at least once in a lifetime. Pilgrims often save and prepare for years before traveling to Mecca. Having been a pilgrim, I remember how intense performing the hajj can be. From the arrival of the pilgrims in Saudi Arabia, to the various rituals of the hajj, to their departures home, millions of pilgrims are crammed together. They collectively glorify and sing the praises to the God of Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad in their largest possible numbers. I nmates at eight UK prisons will reportedly start making personal protective equipment (PPE) at a third of the market cost for NHS staff battling the coronavirus pandemic. Justice Secretary Robert Buckland was quoted by The Daily Telegraph as saying that prisoners have been drafted in to produce scrubs and face visors after prices for PPE soared due to Covid-19 demand. A-category facilities housing male prisoners, who pose the most threat to the public, the police or national security if they escape, are not thought to be involved in the effort. Scrubs will be made at a saving of 10 per set and workers will be paid a weekly wage, it is understood. Inmates at eight UK prisons will reportedly start making PPE / PA Their efforts will support those of the John Lewis department store chain which has brought a group of workers back from furlough to make clinical gowns as the race for PPE continues amid worldwide shortages. The category B and C prisons involved in the scheme includes Swansea, Channings Wood in Devon, Wakefield, Highpoint in Suffolk, Whatton in Nottinghamshire and New Hall in West Yorkshire, which holds women and young offenders. The prisons will make scrubs for around 5 a set, compared with their 15 price tag on the open market. The prisoners will make PPE equipment including visors / PA An initial order has been made for the manufacture of 5,000 scrub tops and 5,000 laundry bags for the scrubs. Prisoners will be paid their standard weekly wage of around 12.50, the paper reported. Staff in our NHS are doing an incredible job and Im delighted that inmates are supporting them by producing equipment to help keep them safe, Mr Buckland told the paper. Meanwhile, John Lewis is reopening its textiles factory in Darwen, Lancashire, to make 8,000 clinical gowns, according to The Guardian. The group has called up 15 expert sewers from furlough to make the gowns for the Northumbria NHS Foundation Trust, which runs at least nine hospitals and other clinics in the north-east. Juan says he has little option but to travel from El Salvador to work on a US farm. There are few decent jobs in his nation, few good opportunities. Certainly not many that pay more than $15 an hour to work in the fields. Yet he knows that by leaving his home and travelling to Washington state, lodged in a house with 12 men, four to a room, he is risking becoming infected with coronavirus. Im really concerned. When you hear about everything that is going on. If you have any symptoms you have to go into quarantine and be isolated by yourself, he tells The Independent. Speaking by phone from a farm in western Washington, Juan, 34, who is married with four daughters and who did not want to use his last name, said he did not like the idea of being stuck by himself in a room. He sounded as concerned about that, as actually being infected. Yakima Valley Show all 10 1 /10 Yakima Valley Yakima Valley The valley is the nation's largest supplier or apples Andrew Buncombe Yakima Valley Alma Dagdagans family has owned a farm in the valley since 1940 Andrew Buncombe Yakima Valley The valley is famous for its fruit Andrew Buncombe Yakima Valley Owners say some people have stayed away from work because of fear of being infected Andrew Buncombe Yakima Valley More than 100,000 legal migrant workers pour into the valley every season Andrew Buncombe Yakima Valley Dennis Longtimesleeping Jr works as a maintenance man for the Yakuma Nation tribe Andrew Buncombe Yakima Valley The valley is the nations largest producer of apples, cherries, grapes and pears Andrew Buncombe Yakima Valley Ricardo Lopez says picking onions is not difficult work Andrew Buncombe Yakima Valley Mando Zapato works growing mint Andrew Buncombe Yakima Valley Jose Louis Jimenez says he tries to keep a distance from other workers Andrew Buncombe Me and some of the other guys are worried about that and we really just dont want to be quarantined. He also explained why, despite the high number of infections in the US - there are more cases here and more deaths than in any other nation - he was making his third visit, and will stay here until November, when the work is done. The country I come from is very poor. There are no opportunities for employment. I want to help my family, he said. Where I live, nobody has their own home. We all live on top of each other. Theres never enough money for anything - whether you need a car, or home or even to cover your basic necessities. Juan, who comes from Chalatenango in the north of El Salvador, is one of more than 100,000 workers from Central American nations that arrive legally every year on H2-A visas to grow the USs food. Most arrive in the spring and leave in November. A requirement of the visa is that they are sponsored by an employer who provides accommodation for the workers. Yet activists say conditions vary, and that some places are crowded and have insufficient facilities for hand-washing. Juan said at the farm he was working on, people had not been given any special masks or gloves. He has been told when they leave their cabins, they are sprayed with disinfectant. He said there was soap and water to wash their hands, but that this had always been the case, and was not something introduced this year. Erik Nicholson, national vice president of the United Farm Workers union, said they were seeking stricter and clearer regulations for growers from Washington state. The union was among several organisations that recently filed a lawsuit asking for greater clarity. He said among his concerns was about workers getting sick and not having a safe place to recover. Its such an irony these people are now recognised as essential workers, he said. Finally society has woken up. But nothing has changed substantively. Juan said he liked that the contribution of him and other farmworkers was being underscored by the US government. Theyre saying were essential and necessary for the society, he said. I feel very positive about that. UPSC Recruitment 2022: One day left to apply for several vacancies at upsc.gov.in, here's direct link Migrants in Delhi are 'corona-carriers': Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij India oi-Briti Roy Barman Haryana, Apr 27: BJP leader and Home Minister of Haryana Anil Vij on Monday said that many of the migrants who work and stay in Delhi are "corona-carriers". Vij appealed to the Chief Minister of Delhi not to issue passes to the migrants to travel to Haryana. "Many who work in Delhi&stay in Haryana, are 'Corona-carriers'. I appeal to Delhi CM that stay arrangements of ppl who work in Delhi should be made in Delhi itself. They shouldn't be issued passes to travel to Haryana as this is increasing COVID19 cases here", said Haryana Min Anil Vij. Evacuation of migrants: SC refuses to pass order, leaves decision to Centre "Haryana's Chief Secretary Keshni Anand Arora on Sunday apprised her Delhi counterpart about the situation, saying this kind of movement has to be stopped and Delhi government should not issues passes to these employees for movement," said Vij. Coronavirus cases in Haryana rose to 296 on Sunday after nine people tested positive, according to a state health department bulletin. DUBLIN, April 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Graft Versus Host Disease (GvHD) - Pipeline Review, H1 2020" drug pipelines has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. This pipeline guide provides an overview of the Graft Versus Host Disease (Immunology) pipeline landscape. The guide provides comprehensive information on the therapeutics under development for Graft Versus Host Disease (Immunology), complete with analysis by stage of development, drug target, mechanism of action (MoA), route of administration (RoA) and molecule type. It also covers the descriptive pharmacological action of the therapeutics, its complete research and development history and latest news and press releases. The pipeline guide also reviews of key players involved in therapeutic development for Graft Versus Host Disease (GvHD) and features dormant and discontinued projects. Furthermore, it covers therapeutics under Development by Companies/Universities/Institutes, the molecules developed by Companies in Pre-Registration, Filing rejected/Withdrawn, Phase III, Phase II, Phase I, IND/CTA Filed, Preclinical, Discovery and Unknown stages are 2, 2, 11, 39, 11, 3, 43, 5 and 3 respectively. Similarly, the Universities portfolio in Phase III, Phase I, Preclinical and Discovery stages comprises 1, 3, 12 and 1 molecules, respectively. The pipeline guide helps in identifying and tracking emerging players in the market and their portfolios, enhances decision making capabilities and helps to create effective counter strategies to gain competitive advantage. Scope The pipeline guide provides a snapshot of the global therapeutic landscape of Graft Versus Host Disease (Immunology). The pipeline guide reviews pipeline therapeutics for Graft Versus Host Disease (Immunology) by companies and universities/research institutes based on information derived from company and industry-specific sources. The pipeline guide covers pipeline products based on several stages of development ranging from pre-registration till discovery and undisclosed stages. The pipeline guide features descriptive drug profiles for the pipeline products which comprise, product description, descriptive licensing and collaboration details, R&D brief, MoA & other developmental activities. The pipeline guide reviews key companies involved in Graft Versus Host Disease (Immunology) therapeutics and enlists all their major and minor projects. The pipeline guide evaluates Graft Versus Host Disease (Immunology) therapeutics based on mechanism of action (MoA), drug target, route of administration (RoA) and molecule type. The pipeline guide encapsulates all the dormant and discontinued pipeline projects. The pipeline guide reviews latest news related to pipeline therapeutics for Graft Versus Host Disease (Immunology) Key Topics Covered Introduction Overview Therapeutics Development Therapeutics Assessment Companies Involved in Therapeutics Development Drug Profiles Dormant Projects Discontinued Products Product Development Milestones Appendix Companies Mentioned AbbVie Inc AbGenomics International Inc Adienne Pharma & Biotech Alpine Immune Sciences Inc Amgen Inc AnaptysBio Inc apceth Biopharma GmbH ASC Therapeutics Inc AstraZeneca Plc Athersys Inc Autolus Therapeutics Plc Bellicum Pharmaceuticals Inc Biocon Ltd Biogen Inc BioIncept LLC BlueRock Therapeutics Boryung ViGenCell Inc Bristol-Myers Squibb Co Capricor Therapeutics Inc Cellect Biotechnology Ltd Cellective BioTherapy Inc Cellix Bio Pvt Ltd CheckPoint Immunology Inc Clinigen Group Plc CSL Ltd CTI BioPharma Corp Cytodyn Inc Cytopeutics Pte Ltd Daewoong Pharmaceutical Co Ltd Dualogics Corp Eli Lilly and Co Elsalys Biotech SA enGene Inc Enlivex Therapeutics Ltd ExCellThera Inc F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd Fate Therapeutics Inc Fujifilm Holdings Corp Generon ( Shanghai ) Corp Ltd ) Corp Ltd GigaGen Inc GlaxoSmithKline Plc Glia LLC Humanigen Inc Immplacate Immune Modulation Inc ImmuneTarget Inc Imstem Biotechnology Inc Incyte Corp Inspyr Therapeutics Inc Jazz Pharmaceuticals Plc JN Biosciences LLC Kadmon Corp LLC Kalytera Therapeutics Inc Kamada Ltd Kiadis Pharma NV Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals Ltd Kymab Ltd LG Chem Ltd MaaT Pharma Machavert Pharmaceuticals LLC Magenta Therapeutics Inc Mallinckrodt Plc Medac Pharma Inc Medicenna Therapeutics Corp Medsenic SAS Mereo Biopharma Group Plc Mesoblast Ltd Millennium Pharmaceuticals Inc NapaJen Pharma Inc Neovii Pharmaceuticals AG Novartis AG Ocugen Inc OncoImmune Inc OSE Immunotherapeutics Panorama Research Inc Pfizer Inc Pharmicell Co Ltd Pluristem Therapeutics Inc Precision Biosciences Inc REGiMMUNE Corp Sanofi SCM lifescience Co Ltd Seattle Genetics Inc Secura Bio Inc STERO Biotechs Ltd Suzhou Connect Biopharmaceuticals Ltd Syndax Pharmaceuticals Inc Synthetic Biologics Inc Taiwan Bio Therapeutics Co Ltd Takeda Pharmaceutical Co Ltd Targazyme Inc TCF GmbH TeraImmune Inc TGV Laboratories Inc United BioPharma Inc Vault Pharma Inc VBI Vaccines Inc Visterra Inc Xenikos BV Xenothera SAS XL-protein GmbH For more information about this drug pipelines report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/2ty6mw Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com In cognizance of the coronavirus lockdown, NMIMS University has postponed the NPAT 2020 examination dates. The decision to postpone the exam has been intimated to the students through the official website. According to the revised schedule uploaded on the varsitys official website, the NPAT Test scheduled on May 9 and 10, 2020, will now be conducted on May 18 and 22, 2020, at various examination centres. The candidates who had opted to appear for the examination on May 9 will be appearing for the examination on May 18 and those who had opted to appear for the exam on May 10 will now be appearing for the examination on May 22. The National Test for Programmes After Twelfth (NPAT) 2020 is held for the admissions to the Undergraduate and Integrated programmes offered by NMIMS university at its different campuses. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The man who died during a shootout with police at a north Birmingham cafe took his own life after shooting the officer, according to an eyewitness and authorities. The Jefferson County Coroners Office has now identified the man as 26-year-old Larry Dejuan Henderson, who had previously spent time in an Alabama prison for murder. Chief Deputy Coroner Bill Yates said the autopsy showed Henderson died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. It was a suicide witnessed by Wilma Bibb, owner of Ruths Cafe. She said it was a tough thing to watch and she is still haunted days later by what she saw. Ive struggled with it, she said. The look in his eyes, he was truly troubled. Bibb gave AL.com a detailed account of what happened Friday morning at her cafe at 4012 24th Street North. The young man, now identified as Henderson, came into the restaurant before 8 a.m. and ordered a breakfast sandwich and cake. The cashier told him how much it was, and his response was, Im gonna need you to pay for my shit today, Bibb said. He may have just been kidding, I dont know, but the cashier said, I didnt bring my debit card or cash today, so he said he was going out to his car, Bibb said. The cashier pointed Bibb out to Henderson and said, Thats the owner. You can ask her. He turned around and looked at me and I said, Are you OK? Did we take care of you? Bibb said. He said, Yes. Henderson went out to his car, which was parked directly in front of the restaurant, and sat there for a while. When he went back into the cafe, he had a debit card in one hand and gun in the other. He put the gun in his pocket, and he paid for his food, Bibb said. We have it on tape him walking into with the debit card in one hand and the gun in the other. Of course, when he came in with a gun, the staff was watching him from that point on because he was parked right in front of the restaurant, she said. He put his food on the seat of the car and he just said there and stared into the restaurant for about 35 minutes, Bibb said. At that point, Birmingham police Det. Mikiel Smith, a 47-year-old veteran of the force, had arrived at the restaurant to pick up his breakfast. He talked with someone outside briefly and then went into Ruths, where Smith was known by Bibb and staff because he was a regular customer. One of my staff members said, somethings wrong with that guy. Hes scaring people, Bibb said. The police officer comes in the restaurant all the time so I asked him, Will you do me a favor? This young man is just sitting here. Can you check and see if hes OK and if hes OK, can you just ask him to leave? Bibb stood outside with the officer when Smith approached Hendersons car and said, Young man are you OK? Henderson said, yeah and so Smith said, Were going to need you to leave the premises. Bibb said Henderson just looked down and Smith asked him three times to leave. He didnt threaten him with arrest -- just calmly told him to go away, she said. By the time he said it the third time, that young man opened the door and he fired, and he shot the officer in the arm. He shot him in the arm twice, Bibb said. Smith was knocked backward into a red truck parked next to Hendersons car. The truck gave him support. The only thing that saved his life was that he kept kicking the door as the young man was trying to get out of the car. The officer was bleeding everywhere, Bibb said. The officer fired, and he did hit him. I dont know how but the young man had the adrenaline to keep trying to get out of the car and the officer kept kicking the door. At that point, Bibb said, Hendersons gun jammed. When it did, Smith ran for cover to the side of the building. The young man he had already been hit he got out of the car and was on the ground, she said. He hit his gun on the ground (to free the jam), put the gun to his head and shot himself in the head. Backup arrived and both Smith and Henderson were rushed to UAB Hospitals Trauma Center. Henderson was pronounced dead shortly after his arrival at the hospital. Smith has been released from the hospital and is expected to make a full recovery. Authorities said Henderson was armed with a stolen gun. Six law enforcement officers were shot to death in Alabama in 2019 and all but one killed with a stolen gun. Fridays shooting is the sixth time in 15 months that a Birmingham police officer has been injured and the third time already this year. Henderson was just 16 years old when he was arrested in the shooting death of an Ensley man. He and another suspect Detrick McGee - were charged with capital murder in the June 6, 2010 slaying of a 69-year-old man in Ensley. Police said the deadly shooting stemmed from a dispute between the victim Alex Rogers and McGee. McGee who authorities said was the actual shooter - pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of murder in 2012 and was sentenced to 25 years in prison. Henderson in 2014 pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of murder. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison with three years to serve. Hendersons case, before it was ultimately resolved, was one of two cases that led the Alabama Supreme Court in 2013 to issue a list of rules on how judges should sentence juvenile killers. That ruling came in the wake of an earlier decision by the U.S. Supreme Court that says automatic life-with-parole sentences are unconstitutional for juveniles convicted of capital murder. The Alabama Legislature later enacted rules for sentencing juveniles convicted of capital murder. He pleaded guilty in 2017 to possession of drug paraphernalia. He was arrested again in 2019 on allegations that he was in possession of heroin. That case has been turned over to a grand jury for indictment consideration. Bibb said Fridays ordeal was a horrible thing to watch. I have a son who probably looks more like the young man than the police officer, she said. It bothered me. I dont know what the young man had in mind, but the look on his face, he was troubled. It was a sinister look. I cant say for sure whether he was waiting on the police to leave and he was going to come in and rob us. I dont know enough about him to say that, she said. If the gun hadnt jammed, that officer would be dead, Bibb said. I know he wasnt expecting that young man to fire, none us were. I have never seen anything like it. Bibb said she wanted everyone to know that Henderson did pay for his food contrary to initial reports about the incident. If he hadnt been able to, she said they would not have let him go hungry. Ive been struggling with it because I dont want that young mans family to think he did pay, she said. If he was my family member, one of the things that would have been running through my head was I would have paid for his food or if I had known he was hungry, I would have fed him. Thats the troubling thing. Anybody who comes through this cafe knows that if you dont have enough money, all of us will go into our own pockets and give you money, she said. Bibb also wants people to know the officer wasnt the aggressor by any means. I dont want that officers character to be assassinated, she said. Anybody in this neighborhood knows if youre in Ruths cafe for more than 30 minutes, youre going to see a police officer or a sheriff because they all eat here. That wouldnt have been anybody from the neighborhood that would do this. AL.com journalist Kent Faulk contributed to this report. Rada may consider bill on banks necessary for IMF program within next one or two weeks committee chairman The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine may consider bill No. 2571-d on improvement of the mechanisms for regulating banking activities, which is necessary for reaching agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on a new program, within one or two weeks. The Verkhovna Rada Committee on Finance, Tax and Customs Policy has recommended the parliament to take into account 300 of 16,500 amendments, Danylo Hetmantsev, the chairman of the committee, said. According to parliamentary regulations, the bill may be submitted for consideration within one or two weeks as the parliamentarians are yet to familiarize themselves with a large number of proposed amendments, he told a press briefing on Monday. Hetmantsev said that the document may be sent to session hall next week and the consideration may take one or one and a half working day of the parliament. He also said that the committee proposed to add a range of important amendments to the bill before second reading. Dubai, April 27 : A four-year-old Indian girl in Dubai has become one of the youngest in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to have recovered from the novel coronavirus after walking free from hospital last week, it was reported. The girl, known only as Sivani, was given a fitting send off by medical staff at Al Futtaim Health Hub on April 20, 20 days after being admitted on April 1, the Gulf News report said. Sivani contracted the virus from her mother - a front line health worker - who fell ill in March. Both Sivani and father dad were also tested despite not having any symptoms and, unlike her father, Sivani was found to be positive. The girl and her mother were kept in the same facility, but concern was greater for the minor who had also fought off a rare type of kidney cancer last year called ganglioneuroblastoma. Being a cancer survivor, doctors made extra precautions. "Sivani had undergone chemotherapy sessions only last year and hence her immune system was still weak," Gulf News reported citing Tholfkar Al Baaj, group medical director at Al Futtaim Health Hub and the consultant in family medicine who treated Sivani, as saying. "The doctors were concerned as she was at higher risk of developing a severe form of the disease and therefore, we had put her under close monitoring. Fortunately, she did not develop any complications from the infection," he added. Sivani remained under treatment for 20 days before two consecutive negative swab tests rendered her all clear. She will now undergo 14-days quarantine at home. Her mother remains under observation and was expected to be released soon. INDIANAPOLIS (AP) She was absolutely meant to be. Thats what Jennifer Melgoza says about her 7-month-old daughter Grace a baby dropped off in a newborn incubator, also known as a baby box last September. We were saving Grace, but shes our saving grace, Melgoza said. The infant is one of six babies found in an incubator since the first installation in Woodburn in April 2016. Now there are 25 boxes around the state of Indiana and several more are in Ohio, Arkansas and Arizona. The most recent baby was left in New Haven in February a healthy newborn girl. Now in Indiana women are choosing to surrender safely, said Monica Kelsey, the founder of Safe Haven Baby Boxes. She is a former firefighter and medic from Woodburn who was abandoned at birth herself. Its there if a woman chooses it, Kelsey said of the boxes. Its better to have one and not need it than to need it and not have it. The incubators are containers with a door to the outside of a fire station building or a hospital. When opened, an alarm sounds to alert on-duty staff, nearby volunteers or emergency dispatchers. The boxes are climate-controlled, containing warming and cooling features, and lock after use. The boxes have proliferated slowly costs are about $10,000 to install despite staunch opposition to them under then-Gov. Mike Pence. Jerome Adams, the current U.S. surgeon general, also opposed them when he was Indianas state health commissioner. Adams and Mary Beth Bonaventura, the former director of the Indiana Department of Child Services, issued a joint statement in 2017 saying the boxes are not a state-led or endorsed behavior and that there is simply no evidence to suggest the use of baby boxes is a safe, prudent way to surrender a child. But lawmakers kept pushing to legalize them as an option to Indianas Safe Haven law. Under Indiana law a person can give up an infant anonymously without fear of arrest or prosecution. As long as there are no signs of intentional abuse, no information is required of the person leaving the baby. But even under that law Indiana saw dozens of infants illegally abandoned some found dead in restrooms, woods or dumpsters. Kelsey notes there have been no dead abandoned newborns since 2015. She said the baby boxes are just one part of a program that includes a national hotline. In all, her program has 72 saves. The majority involve a woman calling the hotline and a counselor meeting the woman who agrees to hand the child over. Sen. Travis Holdman, R-Markle, pushed the bill and said its going well. He acknowledged the cost is somewhat prohibitive but that private donors have stepped forward. In one case, a teenager raised the money by mowing lawns and installed one for a senior project. Holdman said he is glad DCS stopped opposing the boxes under Gov. Eric Holcomb. It was actually embarrassing that they would fight against that. They wanted the ability to go after the father if there was child molesting and sexual abuse, Holdman said. We had to look to the greater good, which was the argument that won the day. Kelsey acknowledged that she brought a program to the U.S. and launched it in Indiana when there were a lot of unknowns and questions. I do believe that (the Department of Child Services) has seen the success of the baby box and it starting to maybe warm up, she said. DCS spokeswoman Noelle Russell said the agency is unaffiliated with the program and complies with the Safe Haven law provided by statute. A department report shows 51 newborns have been surrendered under the law since July 2008. But the report doesnt differentiate between baby box drop-offs and other Safe Haven surrenders. Department of Child Services places all of the children that is how Grace came to be with Jennifer and Mario Melgoza. The couple were unable to have children and decided to adopt an older child. They went through the process for five or six different children but werent chosen by the agency. I really felt like maybe it wasnt meant to be, Jennifer said. Then in September 2019 she learned from news reports that a baby had been placed in the baby box in their Hammond neighborhood. They submitted a home study to adopt her. A few weeks went by, and the couple stopped talking about it and assumed DCS had chosen another family. Jennifer was at work when she got a call from Department of Child Services to do an interview for the baby girl. Within a few days of that interview Grace came home with them. She is the happiest most playful thing ever. She is always smiling and talks so much, Jennifer said. And Grace loves to be around her cousins one just turned 1 and another is going to be 2. During quarantine we FaceTime, and they just scream at each other, Jennifer said. The Melgozas are open to meeting Graces biological mom one day if she is ready. I would love to meet her just to tell her thank you, she said. Kelsey said one mother who used a baby box last year left a two-page letter with the newborn explaining her actions. I didnt want to have to justify my reasoning to anyone, the mother wrote. __ Source: The Journal Gazette Secretary of State Mike Pompeo discussed Irans recent launch of a military satellite into orbit during a phone call today with his French counterpart, Jean-Yves Le Drian. The call came after Pompeo issued a strong statement over last week's launch, using it to start a full-court diplomatic press urging the United Nations to extend an arms embargo on Iran that is set to expire in October as part of the 2015 nuclear deal. All peace-loving nations must reject Irans development of ballistic missile-capable technologies and join together to constrain Irans dangerous missile programs, Pompeo said in a statement Saturday. As a start, nations should support extending the UN conventional arms embargo on Iran. Pompeo also called on the European Union to sanction those individuals and entities working on Irans missile programs. Why it matters: The arms embargo is set to expire in October as the first sunset provision under the nuclear deal, which President Donald Trump withdrew from in 2018. While Iran is no longer in compliance with the accord, Europe has scrambled to salvage it. Still, France and Germany have also joined the United States in condemning the satellite launch. At the same time, the Pentagon downplayed the satellites capabilities today, with US Space Command head Gen. Jay Raymond likening it to a tumbling webcam in space. Whats next: Proponents of the nuclear deal fear that the Trump administration will seek to use a UN snapback mechanism to reinstate bruising multilateral sanctions on Iran if it cannot convince Europe, Russia and China to extend the arms embargo. The State Department released a legal opinion in December arguing that the United States could trigger UN snapback sanctions even though it has withdrawn from the accord. Know more: As Iran triples its uranium stockpile past the deals limits, Congressional Correspondent Bryant Harris details how the American Israel Public Affairs Committee has managed to get several key Democrats on board with the Trump administrations push to extend the arms embargo. Halliburton will suspend most of its operations in Venezuela, the company said, after Washington tightened the noose around Caracas by banning U.S. oil companies operating in the country from drilling for oil, transporting it, or providing any equipment for use in Venezuela. In an SEC filing, Halliburton said the Office of Foreign Assets Control prohibited it from doing most of what it does in Venezuela, including "the drilling, lifting, or processing of, purchase or sale of, or transport or shipping of any Venezuelan-origin petroleum or petroleum products; and (b) the design, construction, installation, repair, or improvement of any wells or other facilities or infrastructure in Venezuela or the purchasing or provision of any goods or services, except as required for safety." The only operations that Halliburton was allowed under the new tighter rules set by Washington have to do with safety and the preservation of its Venezuelan assets. If it does pull out of the country, Venezuela will likely expropriate Halliburton's assets since it will not be able to remove them. In its suspension of activity in Venezuela, Halliburton follows Chevron, which said last week it had been ordered by the federal government to wind down its Venezuelan operations by the end of the year. According to the company's website, it has participation in five onshore and offshore oil projects in Venezuela through four joint ventures with PDVSA. Last year, Chevron's share of production from these ventures was 34,000 bpd. Until recently, Chevron was reluctant to pull out of Venezuela, where it has invested some $2.6 billion over the hundred years of its presence in the country. The company argued that if U.S. companies leave, they will leave an opening for Chinese and Russian players, reducing U.S. influence in Venezuela. Now, however, with prices crashing and the outlook bleak, a pullout might begin to make more sense for Chevron. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads from Oilprice.com: A team of researchers from Rice University has won a National Science Foundation (NSF) RAPID grant to adapt their wastewater nanotechnology project to help trap and inactivate the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), (which causes COVID-19 disease), in wastewater. This could help public health officials deal with the threat of disease transmission through wastewater. The grant was provided to develop a "novel approach for selective adsorption and photocatalytic disinfection" ('trap and zap" approach) of the virus. Pedro Alvarez, a civil and environmental engineer at Rice, and bioscientist Yizhi Jane Tao introduced their chemical-free nanotechnology as a method of "trapping and zapping" superbugs, or multidrug-resistant bacteria, in wastewater, earlier this year. After capturing the bacteria via specially imprinted graphitic carbon nitride, the technology will break down the superbug antibiotic resistance genes in the wastewater. MERS Virus Particles Colorized scanning electron micrograph of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome virus particles (yellow) attached to the surface of an infected VERO E6 cell (blue). Image captured and color-enhanced at the NIAID Integrated Research Facility in Fort Detrick, Maryland. Credit: NIAID Nontoxic selective disinfection The new project now targets viruses. It begins with the use of graphitic carbon nitride that has been specially imprinted at the molecular level with attachment factors for all coronaviruses. These molecules include sialic acids, heparin sulfate proteoglycan, and angiotensin-converting enzyme-related carboxypeptidase (ACE2)-associated peptides. The molecules are then washed out by acid washing or other suitable means, leaving behind a cavity in the shape of the molecule. This will allow it to absorb viruses selectively near the reactive sites, resulting in dependable and high levels of disinfection. The first step is therefore based on the hypothesis that improved surface recognition following the imprinting of the surface at a molecular level using common attachment factors will allow viruses to be selectively adsorbed near reactive or catalytic sites. This is followed by the inactivation of the viruses by these catalysts located in the proximity, which are light-activated. This avoids the use of potentially toxic or dangerous products generated by the disinfection process. The team aims to develop a system that is fast, efficient, and reliable "under realistic scenarios." The wastewater-COVID-19 problem Alvarez expressed concerns that the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic might be a "dress rehearsal for even more lethal infectious diseases that are very difficult to control". The director of the Nanosystems Engineering Research Center for Nanotechnology-Enabled Water Treatment (NEWT) emphasizes the need for public health strategies to extend to wastewater treatment processes. Although conventional wastewater treatments might inactivate the virus, viral disinfection measures need to be more "precise," he added. The team cited examples of SARS-CoV-2 being found in air ducts of buildings, suggesting it spreads via air conditioning systems. Other reports say it was found in the stool of patients who tested negative for COVID-19. According to the study abstract, some reports even say it spreads through bathroom pipes. This suggests that the spread of the virus to wastewater is likely. "It could survive for days and be aerosolized or discharged in effluent", researchers say. "We need to enhance the capacity and resiliency of multimedia treatment processes -- especially air filtration and wastewater disinfection -- to protect public health," Alvarez states. Broader impacts The team will be using a model coronavirus like HCoV-NL63, which is similar to SARS-CoV-2 but low in pathogenicity, to assess the selectivity and rate of adsorption of the imprinted graphitic carbon nitride in the presence of other molecules like bovine serum albumin, or the bacteriophage MS2. The catalyst will be tested against traditional disinfection methods like chlorination and ultraviolet irradiation to see how it competes with them. Finally, researchers will try to find out to what extent it can be reused. Currently, the research team plans to prepare their treatment using a similar but less dangerous virus that simulates SARS-CoV-2. However, they are hopeful that the trap-and-zap treatment will recognize coronaviruses other than SARS-CoV-2, including the SARS and MERS viruses, and prove effective in controlling them. The grant abstract says, "Whereas enhancing the capacity and resiliency of wastewater disinfection and hospital air sterilization systems to protect public health against emerging infectious diseases has significant intrinsic merit, the benefits of this project are much broader." It involves not just disinfection but the ability to concentrate the coronavirus and to develop more precise methods of separating different types of viruses, such as by the use of better absorbent surfaces, and sensing viruses, by determining reliable detection limits. These sensors are essential for diagnostic and surveillance efforts as well. The results from the project are slated to be incorporated into courses taught to various teachers' courses in different universities. This will help to popularize this chemical-free disinfection approach, which could keep wastewater free of pathogenic viruses and help control viral spread via wastewater. Copyright 2020 Albuquerque Journal With the physical world on lockdown, the New Mexico space industry will host an out-of-this-world career fair Thursday for young professionals and students in science, technology, engineering and math careers. The virtual conference will feature panel discussions and presentations by space-related companies searching for STEM-trained job seekers in everything from computer science and software development to program management and electrical and mechanical engineering, said retired University of New Mexico biology professor Maggie Werner-Washburne. Werner-Washburne is the director of STEM Boomerang, which aims to connect STEM professionals and students with businesses, universities, state agencies and other organizations to build workforce opportunities for both employers and potential employees. New Space New Mexico, a nonprofit working to grow the states commercial space industry, has partnered with STEM Boomerang to host the Space and Beyond Virtual Career Fair. The event aims to keep people connected and moving forward despite the coronavirus, Werner-Washburne said. The coronavirus is not easy for anyone, but we need to get over it, she said. This is the biggest challenge any of us have faced in our lifetimes, but there are still many opportunities to engage and connect through videoconferencing and other online interaction. Despite the economic disruption caused by the pandemic, many space-related companies are still hiring, said New Space NM founder and CEO Casey DeRaad. Some companies are facing issues, but many New Mexico firms receive federal dollars for the work they do, and they have positions to fill, DeRaad said. We want the space industry to be a bright spot a shining star in this trying time. The conference includes representatives from more than a dozen private companies, and from the states national laboratories, most of whom have already filmed individual presentations now available for event participants to view. Most will also offer live presentations individually and on panels during the conference, said New Space NM Strategy and Operations Lead Scott Maethner. The Zoom-based event can accommodate up to 300 participants. So far, 165 people from New Mexico and elsewhere have registered. The conference is free and open to all, but people must preregister at www.stemboomerang.org. For the duration of the COVID-19 crisis, Please Explain is coming to you five days a week. In today's episode of Please Explain, national editor Tory Maguire is joined by business reporter Patrick Hatch to discuss the voluntary administration of Virgin Australia and the future of Australia's aviation industry. Become a subscriber Our supporters power our newsrooms and are critical for the sustainability of news coverage. After the King George's Medical University, another state-run hospital here also has plans to start plasma therapy for treating COVID-19 patients. The Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute for Medical Sciences (SGPGI) will start plasma therapy with the cooperation of ICMR. A special team of doctors has been constituted for this purpose. We are waiting for a green signal from the ICMR, SGPGI director Prof R K Dhiman told PTI on Monday. On April 25, Tauseef Khan, a resident doctor at the King George's Medical University (KGMU) offered his plasma for the treatment of those suffering from the deadly disease. He had recently been cured of coronavirus. Khan, in his late 20s, had contracted coronavirus from a patient while working at KGMU and tested positive for the infection on March 17. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had recently asked medical authorities to promote plasma therapy for the treatment of COVID-19 patients after examining its efficacy. The chief minister, chairing a high-level meeting of officials to take stock of the state's anti-COVID-19 fight, also stressed upon the need for thorough testing of people living in and around the areas declared as hotspots, Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Awanish Awasthi had said. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) had recently allowed states to start clinical trials of plasma therapy. Nearly, 100 medical institutes have shown interest to study how safe and efficient plasma therapy is in treating COVID-19 patients. Several states like Kerala, Gujarat and Punjab have already started using the therapy for coronavirus-infected patients. Convalescent Plasma Therapy is an experimental procedure for COVID-19 patients. In this treatment, plasma from a cured COVID-19 patient is transfused to a critically ill coronavirus patient. The idea behind this therapy is that immunity can be transferred from a healthy person to a sick patient using convalescent plasma. This therapy uses antibodies from the blood of a cured coronavirus patient to treat another critical patient. The process for donating plasma is similar to donating blood and takes about an hour. Several countries like the UK and the US have also started plasma therapy trials. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Amidst lockdown, Tripura witnessed its first marriage after the couple was granted permission from the administration. Sunny Sutradhar, 24, a supervisor in export sector in Delhi got married to Subhra Shil, a swimming instructor at a school in Delhi. Both of them are from Purba Gakulpur village, near to Udaipur in Gomati district , almost 50 kilometres from Agartala. They met each other over social media many years ago and fell in love. Their families also fixed their marriage long back but they had to hold the marriage due to lockdown. We need to join our work in Delhi as soon as the lockdown is lifted. We have no time on our hand and thats why, we sought special permission from the administration for our wedding. We have cut off many rituals except the customary one. We married maintaining social distance and wearing masks, Sunny told reporters. Only 20 invitees from both the groom and brides family attended the wedding. The grooms family got to know about the provision for seeking special permission regarding marriage from the administration. Accordingly, they applied for so and their all official formalities were done in two days. Udaipur sub divisional magistrate Aniruddha Roy said, Seven restrictions were given to them during the wedding including no wedding reception except the customary one, not more than 20 invitees from both the sides can attend, one vehicle will carry only one passenger and the driver, wearing masks, using hand wash or hand sanitizers, social distancing etc. All the rules were followed by them. ROME As Italy prepares to emerge from the Wests first and most extensive coronavirus lockdown, it is increasingly clear that something went terribly wrong in Lombardy, the hardest-hit region in Europes hardest-hit country. Italy had the bad luck of being the first Western nation to be slammed by the outbreak, and its official total of 26,600 fatalities lags behind only the U.S. in the global death toll. Italys first homegrown case was recorded Feb. 21, at a time when the World Health Organization was still insisting the virus was containable and not nearly as infectious as the flu. But there is also evidence that demographics and health care deficiencies collided with political and business interests to expose the 10 million people in the northern Italian region of Lombardy to COVID-19 in ways unseen anywhere else, particularly the most vulnerable in nursing homes. Virologists and epidemiologists say what went wrong there will be studied for years, given how the outbreak overwhelmed a medical system long considered one of Europes best, while in the neighboring Veneto region, the impact was significantly more controlled. Prosecutors, meanwhile, are deciding whether to lay any criminal blame for the hundreds of dead in nursing homes, many of whom dont even figure into Lombardys official death toll of 13,325, half of Italys total. By contrast, Lombardys front-line doctors and nurses are being hailed as heroes for risking their lives to treat the sick under extraordinary levels of stress, exhaustion, isolation and fear. One WHO official said it was a miracle they saved as many as they did. Heres a look at the perfect storm of what went wrong in Lombardy, based on interviews and briefings with doctors, union representatives, mayors and virologists, as well as reports from Italys Superior Institute of Health, national statistics agency ISTAT and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, which advises developed economies on policy. CAUGHT UNPREPARED Italy was the first European country to halt all air traffic with China on Jan. 31, and even put scanners in airports to check arrivals for fever. But by Jan. 31, it was already too late. Epidemiologists now say the virus had been circulating widely in Lombardy since early January, if not before. Doctors treating pneumonia in January and February didnt know it was the coronavirus, since the symptoms were so similar and the virus was still believed to be largely confined to China. Even after Italy registered its Feb. 21 case, doctors didnt understand the unusual way COVID-19 could present itself, with some patients experiencing a rapid decline in their ability to breathe. After a phase of stabilization, many deteriorated quickly. This was clinical information we didnt have, said Dr. Maurizio Marvisi, a pneumologist at a private clinic in hard-hit Cremona. There was practically nothing in the medical literature. Because Lombardys intensive care units were already filling up within days of Italys first cases, many primary care physicians tried to treat and monitor patients at home. Some put them on supplemental oxygen, commonly used for home cases in Italy. That strategy proved deadly, and many died at home or soon after hospitalization, having waited too long to call an ambulance. Reliance on home care will probably be the determining factor of why we have such a high mortality rate in Italy, Marivi said. Italy was forced to use home care in part because of its low ICU capacity: After years of budget cuts, Italy entered the crisis with 8.6 ICU beds per 100,000 people, well below the OECD average of 15.9 and a fraction of Germanys 33.9, the group said. As a result, primary care physicians became the front-line filter of virus patients, an army of mostly self-employed practitioners who work within the public health system but outside Italys regional hospital network. Since only those with strong symptoms were being tested because Lombardys labs couldnt process more, these family doctors didnt know if they themselves were infected, much less their patients. With so little clinical information available, doctors also had no guidelines on when to admit patients or refer them to specialists. And being outside the hospital system, they didnt have the same access to protective masks and equipment. The region was extremely behind in giving us protective equipment and it was inadequate, because the first time, they gave us 10 surgical masks and gloves, said Dr. Laura Turetta in the city of Varese. Obviously for our close contact with patients, it wasnt the correct way to protect ourselves. The Lombardy doctors association issued a blistering letter April 7 to regional authorities listing seven errors in their handling of the crisis, key among them the lack of testing for medical personnel, the lack of protective equipment and the lack of data about the contagion. The regional government pushed back at the criticism and defended its efforts. But the civil protection agency also acknowledged that Italy was dependent on imports and donations of protective equipment and simply didnt have enough to go around. Some 20,000 Italian medical personnel have been infected and 150 doctors have died. LOST WEEKS Two days after registering Italys first case in the Lombardy province of Lodi, sparking a quarantine in 10 towns, another positive case was registered more than an hours drive away in Alzano in Bergamo province. Whereas the emergency room of the Lodi-area hospital was closed, the Alzano ER reopened after a few hours of cleaning, becoming a main source of contagion. Internal documents cited by Italian newspapers indicate the handful of serious pneumonia cases the Alzano hospital saw as early as Feb. 12 were likely COVID-19. At the time, Italys health ministry recommended tests only for patients who had been to China or been in contact with a suspected or confirmed positive case. By March 2, the Superior Institute of Health recommended Alzano and nearby Nembro be sealed off as the towns in Lodi had been. But political authorities never implemented the quarantine recommendation there, allowing the infection to spread for a second week until all the Lombardy region was locked down March 7. The army was there, prepared to do a total closure, and if it had been done immediately maybe they could have stopped the contagion in the rest of Lombardy, said Dr. Guido Marinoni, head of the association of doctors in Bergamo province. This wasnt done, and they took softer measures in all of Lombardy, and this allowed for the spread. Asked why he didnt seal off Bergamo sooner, Premier Giuseppe Conte argued the regional government could have done so on its own. Lombardys governor, Attilio Fontana, shot back that any mistake was made by both. I dont think that there was blame in this situation. Lombardy has one-sixth of Italys 60 million people and is the most densely populated region, home to the business capital in Milan and the countrys industrial heartland. Lombardy also has more people over 65 than any other Italian region, as well as 20% of Italys nursing homes, a demographic time bomb for COVID-19 infections. Clearly, with the benefit of hindsight, we should have done a total shutdown in Lombardy, everyone at home and no one moves, said Andrea Crisanti, a microbiologist and virologist advising the Veneto regional government. But he acknowledged how hard that was, given Lombardys outsize role in the Italian economy, which even before the pandemic was heading toward a recession. Probably for political reasons, it wasnt done, he told reporters. INDUSTRIAL LOBBYING Unions and mayors of some of Lombardys hardest hit cities now say the countrys main industrial lobby group, Confindustria, exerted enormous pressure to resist lockdowns and production shutdowns because the economic cost would be too great in a region responsible for 21% of Italys GDP. On Feb. 28, a week into the outbreak and well after more than 100 cases were registered in Bergamo, the provinces branch of Confindustria launched an English-language social media campaign, #Bergamoisrunning, to reassure clients. It insisted the outbreak was no worse than elsewhere, that the misleading sensation of its high number of infections was due to aggressive testing, and that production in steel mills and other industries was unaffected. Confindustria launched its own campaign in the larger Lombardy region, echoing that message, #Yeswework. Milans mayor proclaimed that Milan doesnt stop. At the time, Confindustria Lombardy chief Marco Bonometti acknowledged the drastic measures needed in Lodi but sought to lower the sense of alarm. We have to let people know they can go back to life as it was, while safeguarding their health, he said. Even after the Rome-based national government locked down all of Lombardy March 7, it allowed factories to stay open, sparking strikes from workers worried their health was being sacrificed to keep Italys industrial engine rolling. It was a huge error. They should have taken the example where the first cluster was found, said Giambattista Morali of the metalworkers union in the Bergamo town of Dalmine. Keeping factories open didnt help the situation; obviously it worsened it. Eventually, all but essential production was shut down nationwide March 26. Confindustrias national president, Carlo Bonomi, has been urging that industry be reopened, but in a safe way. The paradigm has changed, Bonomi told RAI state television. We cant make Italians secure if we dont reopen factories. But how do we make factories safe to secure Italians? Its a tough sell, given Lombardy is still adding an average of 950 infections daily, while other regions add from a few dozen to 500 apiece, with most new cases registered in nursing homes. Italy is set to begin a gradual reopening May 4, leading with regions farther south where the outbreak is more under control. Lombardy probably will be last to fully open, with its 73,000 confirmed cases, 70% of Italys total, and estimates that the real number could be 10 times that. A COSTLY FIELD HOSPITAL Perhaps no initiative better illustrates Italys confused coronavirus response than the 200-bed field hospital built in less than two weeks on the grounds of Milans convention center. The hospital was unveiled to great fanfare on March 31, the fruit of a 21 million euro ($23 million) fundraising campaign headed by Lombardys governor, a member of the right-wing League party, to try to ease pressure on regional ICUs, which on that date were near capacity at 1,324 patients. The national civil protection agency opposed the plan, arguing it could never equip it with ventilators or personnel in time. Instead, the agency, which reports to the rival 5-Star-Democratic government in Rome, preferred smaller field units set up outside hospitals and a program to move critical patients elsewhere. In the end, the Milan field hospital was barely used, treating only a few dozen patients. Since it opened, Lombardy has seen pressure on its ICUs fall considerably, with just 700 people needing intensive care today. Fontana, the governor, defended the decision and said he would do it again, telling Radio 24: We had to prepare a dam in case the epidemic overcame the embankment. NURSING HOME MASSACRE While the regional government was focused on building the field hospital and scrambling to find ICU beds, its testing capacity lagged and Lombardys nursing homes were in many ways left to fend for themselves. Hundreds of elderly have died in Lombardy and across Italy in what one WHO official has termed a massacre of those most vulnerable to the virus. Prosecutors are investigating dozens of nursing homes, as well as measures taken by local health authorities and the regional governments that may have worsened the problem. Lombardy has more nursing homes than any other region, housing at least 24,000 elderly, and it registered more dead at those facilities than others too. Of the 3,045 dead from Feb. 1 to April 15 in the region, 1,625 were either positive for the virus or showed its symptoms, according to preliminary results from a survey by the Superior Institute of Health. Of particular attention to prosecutors was the March 8 decision by the regional government to allow recovering COVID-19 patients to be put in nursing homes to free up hospital beds. The region says it required the homes guarantee the patients would be isolated, but its not clear who was responsible to ensure that or whether anyone checked. Even before that, staff at some homes said management prevented them from wearing masks for fear of scaring residents. A March 30 regional decree, again aimed at easing pressure on Lombardys ICUs, told nursing home directors to not hospitalize sick residents over 75 if they had other health problems. The decree said it was opportune to treat them in the same facility to avoid further risks of decline in transport or during the wait in the emergency room. For the elderly at a nursing home in Nembro, one of the hardest-hit towns in Bergamo province, the decree amounted to a death warrant. But it wasnt the first or only one that gave the homes managers the sense that they were being abandoned. When management proactively barred visitors on Feb. 24 to try to protect residents and staff from infection, local health authorities responded by threatening sanctions and a loss of accreditation for cutting off family visits, said the facilitys new director, Valerio Poloni. In the end, 37 of the 87 residents died in February and March. Its doctor, as well as Polonis predecessor as director, also tested positive, were hospitalized and died. A nursing home resident couldnt get admitted to the hospital in late February because the ER was too crowded. The facilitys health director, Barbara Codalli, said she was told to use her existing resources to treat the sick. The patient returned a few hours later, and a few days later the patient died, she told La7 television. To date, none of the surviving residents has been tested. Poloni said tests were expected to begin in a few days. Two more residents died so far in April, but the situation seems under control. We are tranquil, he said. ___ A previous version of this story corrected the spelling of Attilio Fontana. ___ Colleen Barry in Soave, Italy, contributed to this report. ___ Follow AP coverage of the pandemic at http://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak Hyderabad, April 27 : Telugu superstar Vijay Deverakonda has raised over Rs 40 lakh through his Middle Class Fund and says he has "reset" the goal of his charity, what with such generous donation coming in from fans. While he had earlier planned to help 2000 families, Vijay now hopes to help over 4000 families. The "Arjun Reddy" star took to Twitter, where he shared a spreadsheet showing the amount of donation that has come in, and how many households have so far been helped. Alongside the spreadsheet, the actor also penned an emotional thank you note. "Today what I saw was magical. Mass care, Mass love and Mass generosity. Each one of you this miss class fund and its success belongs to you. I promise I will not let you down, we will reach out to each and everyone who reaches out to us and we shall all enjoy the happy smiles that shine back at us. "In a day you made 25 lakhs into 40+ lakhs. Together we have now reset our goal of 2000+ families to 4000+ families. Today our team was 4, tomorrow we make it 34, so we can reach more people faster." "Below is an update of day 1 broad numbers. Everyday 9 PM we will share with you a sautAs update, so we can witness impact of what we all are together doing. #TDF #MCF. Note- Households funded today was effected by our training session and 11 AM-12 Noon closure of stores. We will see a jump in families reached from tomorrow on." Vijay also shared a tweet from a person, who donated Rs 1 lakh to The Deverakonda Foundation. The actor replied saying: "Darling, 100+ Families will be reached with your support to #MCF. Bigg hugg" On Sunday, Vijay took to the social media to make two important announcements. He wrote: "None of us were prepared for this. But we are fighters. We shall survive this and come out of it strong. This thing hit me hard as well, but I am here now. I am here with my incredible team that never says no to a fight and we are happy to announce a Rs 1.30 cr fund to help as many as we can. All we need is some love, kindness and support and I am sending you all, my love and strength." He even posted an 11-minute video clip in which the actor assured that he will provide employment opportunities and take care of the immediate requirements such as groceries and medicine through his foundation. He also added that he will take care of the immediate needs of more than 2,000 families. Latest updates on Bigg Boss Season 13 Latest updates on Bigg Boss Season 14 -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text French papers follow US in attacking China Global Times By Zhang Han Source:Global Times Published: 2020/4/26 21:28:40 Groundless accusations against China over the COVID-19 pandemic by some French media and right-wing politicians, including major news outlet Le Figaro, opposed the cooperative tendency berween France and China as well as the friendship between the two peoples, Chinese analysts said on Sunday. They warned that more ill-intentioned European politicians and media may follow the US in attacking China. Le Figaro, one of France's most popular newspapers, released reports scapegoating China for the serious contagion in the European country. In a Tuesday article, author Isabelle Lasserre defamed a Wuhan's P4 virology laboratory for loose management, indicating the lab might be the origin of the novel coronavirus. The French newspaper on Friday reported groundlessly that China tried to cover up the coronavirus emergency as well as the scale of the outbreak and lied about the death toll. Le Figaro is a typical right-wing newspaper aping US political tricks against China about the pandemic rather than reporting professionally, the experts said. Cui Hongjian, director of EU Studies at the China Institute of International Studies, told the Global Times on Sunday that although Le Figaro was one of the biggest French newspapers, it had abandoned objectivity and truth in its reporting and let its political stance replace professionalism. Zheng Ruolin, a Chinese media professional and European studies expert based in France, told the Global Times on Sunday that the recent wave of attacks on China showed no difference between left- or right-wing media, no matter whether it was Le Figaro that targeted better-off, conservative class or Charlie Hebdo, an "extreme-left magazine" featuring cartoons that has also joined the scapegoating China campaign. An observer familiar with French media ecology told the Global Times Sunday on condition of anonymity that the Charlie Hebdo magazine was infamous for inciting discrimination and hate against certain groups "under the disguise of freedom of speech." For many French media, smearing China is a habitual move and the pandemic has driven them further, causing such media to attack more frequently, Chinese analysts said, noting finding a scapegoat is a panacea for the country to ease its domestic social pressure caused by the severe COVID-19 contagion. Cui noted many French media based their "investigative reports" on online rumors and follow the US in challenging China's data to divert attention from domestic agony, citing France's high number of deaths, which mainly result from the country's failure to implement effective epidemic control measures. France so far reported 161,644 infections and 22,648 deaths, the fourth highest in the world. The death rate has reached 14 percent, higher than that of Italy, according to data compiled by John Hopkins University. France announced a lockdown in mid-March but the infection curve flattened without a sharp drop, a potential indicator that stay-at-home orders were not fully observed. Health minister Jerome Salomon noted that despite signs of improving trends in the data, the spread of the virus in France "remains at a high level and we need to respect the confinement." Cui warned the attacking trend could develop and the China-US war of words was extending to China and some other European countries would also attack China on pandemic. Such noises from some media and politicians were definitely against the cooperative tendency between France and China as well as global cooperation in fighting the pandemic, Chinese analysts noted. But they could not represent the friendship between the two peoples, they said. According to Chinese media reports, French Ambassador to China Laurent Bili thanked the Chinese people for their support in fighting the pandemic on Sunday at a ceremony for 200,000 face masks donated to France by Chinese philanthropic organizations and companies. The donation showed the two peoples were united and watch out for each other, he said. Chinese Ambassador to France Lu Shaye underlined in an April 20 interview with French media that all accusations against China over the origin of the virus were from politicians and journalists, not scientists, while such an issue should be a scientific question. Multiple studies have proved the virus came from wild animals, including one published in February in prominent UK medical journal the Lancet. In response to Wuhan authority's April 17revision of the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths, China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian stressed at a press conference that same day that the revision was due to delay in reporting at the early stage of the epidemic but "there has never been any cover-up. Nor was a cover-up ever allowed." Zhao also stressed that the urgent task was to unite to fight against the COVID-19. China was willing to work with France to uphold multilateralism and strengthen international cooperation to safeguard the health and safety of mankind, he said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Burkina Faso Coronavirus Update - Coronavirus cases climb to 629, Total Deaths reaches to 41 on 26-Apr-2020 In Burkina Faso total confirmed cases of Coronavirus (COVID-19) have increased to 629, while 41 people died due to the growing infection in the country. Coronavirus (Covid-19) update from around the world: US, 27-April-2020: The United States recorded 1,330 Coronavirus deaths in past 24 hours. In US over 54,841 people died due to the Covid-19 infection and over 964,937 confirmed cases of Covid-19 infection is recorded in the country. India, 27-April-2020: Congress leader and Ahmedabad corporator Badruddin Shaikh died due to Covid-19 infection. He had been admitted to SVP Hospital in Ahmedabad in Gujarat for the past eight days for the treatment of Covid-19. United Kingdom, 27-April-2020: UK PM Boris Johnson recovered from Covid-19 and arrives at 10 Downing Street (UK PM's Office) in London. Nepal, 27-April-2020: Covid-19 cases rises 52, Nepal extends countrywide lockdown till May 7 Due to increase in the Covid-19 cases, Nepal Government decided to extend the nationwide lockdown till May 7. Three new cases of Covid-19 infection reported in Nepal raising the total cases rose to 52. UK, 27-April-2020: United Kingdom records month's lowest daily Coronavirus toll at 413 in past 24 hours. France: France is reporting higher number of deaths but but slightly fewer people with severe conditions were admitted into ICU in past fourth day. France reported 315 deaths last day as compared to 345 deaths the day earlier. In France 133,670 confirmed cases and 14,412 deaths reported so far. Here are the latest cases of Coronavirus (COVID-19) infection in Burkina Faso: Sr. No. Date Total Cases New Cases Total Deaths Deaths 1. 21-Apr-2020 600 19 38 0 2. 22-Apr-2020 609 9 39 1 3. 23-Apr-2020 616 7 41 2 4. 24-Apr-2020 629 13 41 0 5. 25-Apr-2020 629 0 41 0 6. 26-Apr-2020 629 0 41 0 TOP 10 Deaths by country due to Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak: 1. Europe (120,389) 2. North America (58,703) 3. USA (54,265) 4. Italy (26,384) 5. Spain (22,902) 6. France (22,614) 7. UK (20,319) 8. Asia (16,989) 9. Belgium (7,094) 10. South America (6,020) Total Deaths Worldwide (203,596) Globally till now over 203,596 people died due to the outbreak of deadly Coronavirus (COVID-19). The new infection and death cases are increasing fast. Authorities in the Burkina Faso and other countries are taking proper measures to contain the deadly Coronavirus (COVID-19). As of now Europe is the worst affected country in the world with over 120,389 deaths and 1,260,591 confirmed cases. Check latest update: Coronaviurs Covid-19 cases around the world Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday asked chief ministers to ensure there is no stigma attached to the coronavirus disease Covid-19 in their respective states. Interacting with the chief ministers through video conferencing, PM Modi said that they are in a better position to assess the Covid-19 situation since they are acquainted with the ground realities. He also said that state authorities can help in identifying how the disease is spreading to new areas, the reason behind it and the mental stress that people are facing, people aware of what transpired in the meeting said. Those who have contracted the disease should not feel that it is their fault, they should not be perceived as criminals, the PM further said. He assured that if a spurt in cases is reported from particular area, that state wont be seen as guilty, according to people mentioned above. At the same time, he also asked the state governments to not be too soft. This was PM Modis fourth such interaction with chief ministers since March 22 when he first spoke to them on the coronavirus situation and steps taken - both by the Centre and the states - to contain the pandemic. Two days later, on March 24, the Prime Minister announced a 21-day nationwide lockdown. He extended the lockdown till May 3 on April 14, the last day of the initial three-week shutdown. Also Read: 300 districts with no Covid-19 case sacred, says PM Modi Apaert from the chief ministers, among those who attended the virtual meet included Home Minister Amit Shah, Health Minister Harsh Vardhan and top officials from the Prime Ministers Office (PMO) and Union Health Ministry. The prime minister was wearing a white gamcha (scarf) with green border. He has been using the gamcha to cover his face during such meets. In his monthly Mann ki Baat radio address on Sunday, the prime minister said the country is in the middle of a yudh (war) and asserted that people have to continue being careful and take precautions. His note of caution came amidst gradual exemptions being granted by the Centre and states to revive economic activities. One police officer was killed and a second critically injured by a gunman in Louisiana on Sunday, in a shooting that started a four-hour standoff between the suspect, SWAT teams and the police, officials said. The officers, members of the Baton Rouge Police Department, were investigating a killing that occurred early Sunday when they were fired on by the gunman. The injured officer remained in critical condition at a hospital late into the night, Sergeant Don A. Coppola Jr. of the Baton Rouge Police said on Monday. The two officers, a 21-year veteran of the police department and a seven-year veteran, were shot after the police responded to a tip that a suspectwas on Conrad Drive in Baton Rouge, the police said during a news conference. The names of the officers have not yet been released. Chief Murphy Paul of the Baton Rouge Police Department said that the shooting and standoff began at about 9:30 a.m. Sunday as the police searched for a suspect in a murder case. Iraq is planning painful cuts in social benefits relied on by millions of government workers. Saudi Arabia will likely have to delay mega-projects. Egypt and Lebanon face a blow as their workers in the Gulf send back less of the much-needed dollars that help keep their fragile economies afloat. The historic crash in oil prices in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic is reverberating across the Middle East as crude-dependent countries scramble to offset losses from a key source of state revenue and all this at a time when several of them already face explosive social unrest. The economies of all the Arab Gulf oil exporters are expected to contract this year, as much as 5% in Iraq, according to the International Monetary Fund. While some Gulf countries can rely on a cushion of foreign currency reserves, nowhere in the region are the circumstances more dire than in Iraq, where oil sales fund 90% of the state budget. Iraq saw massive protests in the past months by a populace angry over the weak economy and rampant corruption and the turmoil could erupt again. Cutbacks in spending will only add to the pain for a population struggling to get by under coronavirus restrictions. In the capital's Tahrir Square, protesters are still camped out, determined not to let their movement die. Coming into summer the conditions are developing for a perfect storm for the government, said Sajad Jiyad, an Iraq-based analyst. Oil is currently trading at $20 per barrel, dipping even lower some days to levels not seen since 2001. Further constraints will be felt as an OPEC agreement to cut production levels by 23% to stabilize the oil market takes hold. May and June are expected to be particularly difficult as that is when oil storage space will be full, making it harder for countries to market oil, according to Robin Mills, CEO of Dubai-based Qamar Energy. So far it's early, and no one has reached a stage where the budget runs out, Mills said. But that is inevitable Iraq will probably hit first. In its draft 2020 budget, Iraq had been counting on revenues from oil prices at $56 a barrel to fund badly needed development projects and the bloated public sector, costing nearly $45 billion in compensation and pensions. Oil Minister Thamir Ghadhban said recently that revenue from crude exports has dropped by 50%. Now officials are debating difficult salary cuts. One proposed idea would defer paying public sector workers part of their social benefits until the financial sector improves, according to three Iraqi officials. The question is how much to cut and from whom; one recommendation is that higher-end earners take a 50% cut. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity so as not to derail ongoing talks. That would save Iraq hundreds of millions of dollars, but risks triggering unrest. Public sector workers receive a host of benefits that effectively add 50-70% to their take-home wages. They include family allowances and so-called danger pay benefits for security forces. Still, experts said that won't be enough if oil prices remain between $20-30 per barrel. Cuts need to be deeper to make a dent in payroll, and even then, if revenues are so low there comes a point where cuts are not enough, Jiyad said. On top of this, expected compliance with OPEC will require Iraq to cut over 1 million barrels per day from production in May and June. Moreover, the country has been left without an effective executive to carry out reforms by an ongoing leadership vacuum since December, when Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi resigned under pressure from protesters. Prime Minister-designate Mustafa Kadhimi is due to present his proposed Cabinet to Parliament next week, but he faces opposition from key political blocs. Until his government is in place, a 2020 budget is unlikely to be approved. This limits Iraq's ability to borrow from international agencies for budgetary support. Across the region, the drop in oil prices will derail future investment and development plans. The region's largest crude producer, Saudi Arabia, plans to cuts spending by 5%, or about $13.3 billion. Additional cuts and measures are expected as it digs into its roughly $500 billion in foreign reserves. Target dates of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's plan for the completion of new cities and mega projects will likely be delayed as businesses suffer and foreign investment dips amid the pandemic. Kuwait has ample reserves as well. But the island nation of Bahrain faces a debt estimated to be equal to 105% of its GDP, even after it received a $10 billion bailout from its neighbors to avoid defaulting on a $750 million Islamic bond repayment in 2018. Other giant global oil producers will have to grapple with job losses and economic shocks. U.S. producers and service companies have laid off thousands of employees, and greater job losses are expected as the pandemic drags on. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) U.S. Envoy Calls On Taliban To Observe Cease-Fire During Ramadan, Coronavirus Crisis April 26, 2020 The U.S. special envoy for Afghan reconciliation has asked the Taliban to observe a cease-fire on "humanitarian grounds" during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and the ongoing coronavirus crisis. In a series of tweets on April 26, U.S. envoy Zalmay Khalilzad said the Taliban should "reduce violence" and "stop all their offensive operations" until the end of the coronavirus crisis. His remarks follow an attack by Taliban militants on the first day of Ramadan, April 24, that killed at least 13 pro-government forces in the northeastern Afghan province of Badghis. The Taliban had rejected an earlier request by the Afghan government for a cease-fire during Ramadan. In a statement on April 23, the Taliban said steps for a cease-fire were already drawn up in an agreement signed with the United States in Qatar in February. The Taliban accused Afghanistan's government of failing to fully implement the peace process. Intra-Afghan peace talks, including representatives of the Taliban, are supposed to begin after some 5,000 Taliban prisoners are released from the custody of the Afghan government. In return, the Taliban also is supposed to release about 1,000 Afghan troops and civilian government employees it is holding. So far, the government has freed nearly 500 Taliban prisoners and the militant group has released about 60 prisoners. Based on reporting by AP, Reuters, and AFP Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/u-s-envoy-calls-on-taliban- to-observe-cease-fire-during-ramadan -coronavirus-crisis/30577265.html Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address After offering prayers on behalf of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Gangotri and Yamunotri shrines on the day of the opening of the temples, priests of Kedarnath and Badrinath shrine have also decided to offer the first prayers on behalf of the prime minister. Satpal Maharaj, minister for culture and tourism in Uttarakhand said that it has been decided to offer the first prayers at Kedarnath and Badrinath on behalf of PM Modi as a sign of expressing gratitude to him for helping in increasing the numbers of pilgrims to these shrines which in turn has boosted the local economy over the years. Every year our Prime Minister Modi visits Kedarnath shrine to seek Baba Kedars blessings for the well-being of the country, but this time due to the coronavirus pandemic neither he nor any of the pilgrims have been able to come to the shrines. As a sign of gratitude, the first prayers at both Kedarnath and Badrinath shrine will be offered on his behalf for helping boost the local economy of the hills by his visits to the shrines, Maharaj said. The minister further added that he would be going to Delhi after the lockdown is lifted to give the offerings from the prayers, holy flowers and holy water, to the Prime Minister. After the first prayers were offered at the Gangotri shrine on Sunday on behalf of PM Modi, the priests will now send holy Ganga water for the prime minister through the post, as a blessing to strengthen the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. PM Modi has donated Rs 1100 to Sripanch Mandir Samiti Gangotri on the auspicious occasion of Tritiya Mahaparva. Suresh Semwal, president of the Gangotri Dham Temple Committee, said that the sub-divisional magistrate of Bhatwadi area, Devendra Singh Negi gave the amount sent by Prime Minister Modi to the temple committee. After that, we offered the first prayers to Goddess Ganga on behalf of the prime minister to give us the strength to fight the pandemic and win the war against coronavirus, said Semwal. Deepak Semwal, secretary of Gangotri Dham Temple Committee said that anyone who offers prayers to Goddess Ganga is given the holy water of Maa Ganga by the priests of the temple, which is why we are sending it to Prime Minister Modi also, as he offered prayers on Sunday. Last year, Uttarakhand chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat gave credit to PM Modis frequent visits to the state as the reason behind the record influx of pilgrims to the four holy shrines of the state. In November, Rawat had tweeted, This year, more than 34 lakh 81 thousand devotees have visited Chardham and Hemkund Sahib. Prime Minister Modi after visiting Kedarnath and Badrinath shrines gave the message of clean and safe Chardham Yatra to all devotees, which brought a large number of pilgrims here. Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Rudra meditation cave in Kedarnath in May last year. PM Modi spent a day meditating at the Rudra Caves, nearly a kilometer from the Kedarnath shrine. Following his visit, the cave received a significant number of bookings from across the country. He also visited the Badrinath shrine in May last year. It's evident that the COVID-19 outbreak has a great impact on the smartphone industry and all OEMs are faced with a challenge to navigate through these uncertain times. According to the latest report, Samsung is doing the latter by limiting its component orders by half. There has been a report recently stating that Samsung is now making about 10 million smartphones a month, down from 25 million and the latest claim by people familiar with the matter goes in line with the current news. But cutting 50% of its orders is an indication that the company doesn't expect the market to bounce back anytime soon. The order cuts affect all smartphone lines - from the entry level to the high end. Source (in Korean) TDT | Manama The Ambassadors of the Nation programme, launched by the Bahrain Institute for Political Development (BIPD) to raise political awareness among overseas students, will this year feature six lectures. To be held in cooperation with the Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa Academy for Diplomatic Studies, the programme will be online due to the measures being taken by the Kingdom to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19). It will run from Wednesday until May 17 and interested students can register on bipd.org, the institute said. BIPD Executive Director Eman Janahi said the Ambassadors who will participate in this years sessions are Shaikh Fawaz bin Mohammed Al Khalifa (UK on April 29), Hisham Mohamed Al Jowder (Egypt on 3 May), Shaikh Abdullah bin Rashid Al Khalifa (United States on 6 May), Dr. Bahia Jawad Al Jishi (Belgium on 10 May), Ahmed Mohamed Al Dossary (Japan on 13 May) and Dr. Youssef Abdulkarim (Geneva on 17 May). Janahi said that the BIPD is keen to contribute to educating students in several issues by introducing them to the Bahraini political system and its relationship to foreign policy, explaining the comprehensive development process launched by His Majesty the King and the role of the Ambassadors as knowledgeable representatives of the Kingdom. Other topics include reviewing the rights of foreigners and overseas students in international human rights covenants and conventions, internal laws of host countries, and the role of Bahraini embassies abroad and their relations with scholarships. Students abroad can avail of opportunities to learn about the cultures of other countries and gain knowledge about them in various areas, she added. The programme aims to consolidate the culture of being active members of Bahrain and to raise awareness amongst students about portraying the Kingdoms culture in a comprehensive and positive way. Students should be capable of representing the country in the best way and highlighting its civilisational, democratic and human rights achievements to other cultures and civilisations, she added. Academy Executive Director Dr. Shaikha Muneera bint Khalifa Al Khalifa hailed the partnership with BIPD, saying that the past three sessions of the Ambassadors of the Nation programe had been highly valuable. We look forward to the next session to being at least as successful and distinguished, especially with the participation of iconic diplomatic figures who possess vast experience and deep knowledge in the areas of diplomacy, relations and international agreements, Dr. Shaikha Muneera said. Such joint-programs directly contribute to creating generations well aware of the importance of Bahrains political and diplomatic history and the significance of the achievements of Bahrains diplomacy, she added. She paid tribute in this regard to the unlimited support from His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, and stressed that current accomplishments are a continuation of achievements by the pioneer of Bahraini diplomacy, HH Shaikh Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa, the Deputy Prime Minister. A store owner has described how he felt "emotionally exhausted" after episodes in which customers had abused members of staff as they asked them to adhere to social distancing rules in the shop. A tweet issued over the weekend by Scallys SuperValu in Clonakilty gained national prominence as it said "unfortunately, some of you feel that it is acceptable to verbally abuse them [staff] when requested to observe the new guidelines imposed as a result of Covid-19". Store owner Eugene Scally elaborated today, stating that some people were getting angry, throwing their baskets on the floor and being verbally abusive, adding: "Sometimes the body language is worse than the verbal." The shop is a pioneer of autism-friendly shopping and Mr Scally said local people have not caused any difficulty and were grateful for the efforts made by staff to ensure a safe shopping experience for everyone. But he said visitors to the area from the middle of Easter week had created difficulties. "I went home out of here Friday and I was emotionally exhausted," he said, referring to "people that are impossible to deal with". "They just dont seem to get it, that this Covid thing is here and its going to be here for a while. "Everyone has to feel safe." Regarding the response to the series of tweets he said: "Its like we have released a valve. "My priority is my team in the store - they have been brilliant." He said he has lost between 15 and 20 workers for periods of time due to stress and anxiety and other health concerns, meaning it is essential to protect the welfare of those still working. Mr Scally also said that if required, he will call gardai if the situation warrants it regarding an abusive customer. The trade union which represents retail workers, Mandate, said it has also received reports of abuse of their members from the public during the Covid-19 outbreak. A spokesman for Mandate said in one instance two workers, originally from Mongolia, were spat at in a store because the assailant believed they were from China. The spokesman said a number of retail workers are also ringing in sick due to stress or because they are cocooning, which places greater pressure on those still working in the stores. Mandate recently published the results of a survey of 7,000 retail workers in 300 separate businesses, which showed almost half of retail stores are not adhering to social distancing guidelines. The survey also showed that 29% of those questioned said they have insufficient Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), while 23% said shopping trolleys or baskets are not regularly sanitised where they worked and 21% said they had insufficient hand sanitiser. Almost one-fifth of those surveyed said there are insufficient protective shields/screens. Mandate General Secretary John Douglas said of the findings: The results of this survey are very worrying." He added it is clear that some employers need to do more to protect their staff and by association their customers. One father decided the coronavirus pandemic was a good time to host a 15-kid camp, according to a divorce attorney. Another said his cough, fever and chills were nothing to worry about. The coronavirus outbreak thats swept Louisiana, causing widespread economic and biological damage, has also splintered fragile accords between parents who split custody. Judges have mostly been sidelined by court closures. Once courts do reopen, custody lawyers predict a messy backlog and in the meantime, parents have been forced to hammer out new arrangements on the fly to respond to the coronavirus era's countless mini-crises. For some folks, thats been really helpful because its forced them to reengage in conversation, said New Orleans lawyer Nick Hite. For some folks, its really just been throwing fuel on the fire. Pregnancy during pandemic: How providers are rewriting birthing care standards amid coronavirus At this point, the medical procedure that Lacy Smith has scheduled for Friday at Ochsner Medical Center in New Orleans could hardly be put off Since the novel coronavirus shut down workplaces, closed schoolhouse doors and turned previously harmless activities like birthday parties into possible child endangerment, attorneys who handle custody cases said they have seen parents responses run the gamut. In the immediate days after the coronavirus exploded in Louisiana, most courts shut down almost all of their operations. Orleans Parish Civil District Court, which handles family disputes, initially said it would hear only emergency issues. New Orleans attorney Marc Winsberg said he had to file one such motion to stop the father who wanted to host the day camp at his house. A judge granted the request to prevent the gathering, according to Winsberg. But other custody disputes have fallen into a legal and ethical gray zone. Which parent will do a better job at minimizing virus risk? Should a mother whos treating coronavirus patients as a nurse be allowed to keep her child or should one sacrifice beget another? Its hard for a judge to make that kind of call, so I think theyre more likely to leave the custody in place, Winsberg said. Whereas if they know somebody is disregarding the stay-at-home order, meeting with big groups of people and not being safe, they might intervene. From TV to phone, a variety of free counseling services are available Holy Cross is collaborating with WLAE-TV, Channel 32, to present Coping During the COVID Crisis, every Friday at 8 p.m. Hosted weekly by vet Winsberg said most of his cases have centered around how much time parents get with children. Parents who usually have custody over spring and summer breaks argue over whether schools physical closure is the equivalent. Supervised visitation is also a thorny issue because most third-party outfits offering the service have shuttered. In place of long-shot emergency motions, family law attorneys have counseled their clients to try to come to terms with the same parents they took to court. 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 Generally speaking, the vast majority of my custody cases have calmed down since this happened, because people are working with each other, lawyer Richard Perque said. Were telling everyone to be patient and to be kind. Where kindness doesn't suffice, attorneys are also urging their clients to communicate in text to maintain a written record. Once the courts do reopen, parents actions can and will be held against them, Perque said. Its still unclear when or how Louisianas court system will reopen. Family court lawyers say that as the stay-at-home orders were extended and temporary shutdowns hardened into a fact of life, courts issued a blizzard of changing directives. The Louisiana Supreme Court has gradually encouraged more remote hearings, with the caveat that all sides have to agree to them. In a Wednesday order, the high court said that consent for remote hearings in civil cases shall not be unreasonably withheld by any party. Some courts, like the 24th Judicial in Jefferson Parish, have responded to that mandate with the same Zoom video calls that businesses use. But attorneys said they can think of a raft of reasons why one or both parents might not agree to hold court on a laptop. Some parents may lack reliable phone or internet access, lawyers worry that witnesses could be fed testimony from off-screen, and tech-heavy hearings could leave pro se litigants at an even greater disadvantage. Meanwhile, parents who fear they are about to lose a custody or child support judgment may prefer to kick the can down the road. So many attorneys expect that even the latest high court order will have limited effect. +4 Isolation gives Master Gardeners more time to garden and grow The St. Tammany Master Gardener Association produces more than 30 graduates each year to improve gardening practices and provide horticulture Judges are only now strategizing about how to safely reopen their courthouses. Attorneys said theyve heard that courts might reopen with social distancing requirements, masked litigants or even plexiglass dividers to protect court staff. Itll look like Winn-Dixie, I guess, Winsberg said. Its going to be hard to imagine trying a case with a mask on. You think the court reporters have trouble now hearing some of the lawyers. The practical difficulties will make it harder to handle the cases that have been put on hold for weeks. Family law attorneys also anticipate an explosion in new cases of the sort that hasnt been seen since Hurricane Katrina, as parents who have lost their jobs beg for child support reductions and couples cooped up for weeks realize it is time to split. I think youre going to see a ton of family law, Perque said. Banks in Alabama and around the country are facing another series of obstacles as the application process reopened for the Paycheck Protection Program for small businesses. Alabama businesses today could resume reapplying for the program, which ran out of money on April 16. Before that, financial institutions issued 28,000 PPP loans totaling $4.9 billion in Alabama. Alabama has about 5,000 small businesses still waiting on the loans, totaling more than $1 billion. The main problem today revolves around E-TRAN, the system the Small Business Administration uses to accept applications. The Alabama Bankers Association says few banks, if any, have been successful in uploading loan applications today, the first day the program can resume. ABA President and CEO Scott Latham said banks were reporting they could not access the system. The SBA assured our nation that its system would be prepared for loan transmittals to begin this morning, and it was not," Latham said. "Despite the agencys efforts to be ready, it has failed. Bankers worked throughout the weekend in anticipation of E-Tran being ready to accept new PPP applications and will continue to stand ready so that much needed funding can be provided to small businesses across Alabama. Latham said until the SBA resolves these problems, Alabama banks will be unable to help. BBVA USAs Executive Director of Business Banking Elizabeth Dobers said the E-Tran system has been very unstable all day today. This has left us with applications in hand and no way to process them to put much needed money in the hands of millions of small businesses in need. Were ready to fund as soon as the SBA is ready to take our applications," Dobers said. A statement from the SBA said the administrations pacing mechanism prevents any one lender from submitting thousands of loans an hour into the E-TRAN system. This would seem to be in response to criticism that some companies had an advantage over others in securing loans. The Paycheck Protection Program was officially launched April 3, allowing small businesses with under 500 employees to take loans of up to $10 million from an initial pool of $349 billion. The loans went out at a dizzying speed and volume. Banks like BBVA received hundreds of applications within minutes. Regions, in its quarterly earnings report, said it assisted business customers in securing PPP loans totaling $2.8 billion. Still, not everyone was able to secure one, which led to Congress authorizing another round of funding this month. The SBA-backed loans, issued through banks, can be used for salaries, rent, and other expenses and will be forgiven in amounts depending on how many employees can be kept or rehired. Photo credit: Jasin Boland From Esquire This post contains spoilers for Netflix's Extraction. Chris Hemsworth's new Netflix movie Extraction is as big as action can get on the small screen. Directed by stunt coordinator Sam Hargrave, the film follows Hemsworth's buff and bloodied hero Tyler Rake on a mission to save the kidnapped son of a high powered drug lord. When the rescue mission does not go according to plan, Rake and the boy, Ovi (Rudhraksh Jaiswal) are sent on a wild and violent chase around Dhaka, Bangladesh. The two form a bond along the way, leading Rake to abandon his mission to get Ovi to safety, even though it means sacrificing his payment and possibly even his life. In the climax of the film, Rake gets shot in the neck and falls off a bridge just as it appears he's gotten Ovi to safety. While it seems clear that Rake did not survive the mission, a short afterward makes this ending a bit more ambiguous. The final scene flashes forward eight months after Rake's supposed death. Ovi is alive and swimming in a pool. When the boy comes up to the surface for air, the audience sees a figure in the distance that resembles Rake. It's unclear if this is really Rake, alive and well, or a figment of Ovi's traumatized mind. As Hargrave told Collider Extraction originally ended with Rake clearly dying: In the original script...Rake does not live. His story was complete because he found something to keep him alive, and his journey was complete when he came to redemption through sacrifice. He made the choice he was okay with. He had come to terms with his past and the choice he made in the present saved this kid, and if that meant him dying, so be it. And that was his journey in my mind. However, as Hargrave explains, they shot multiple endings for the film, and when they tested them out, audiences were split down the middle on whether or not they thought Tyler Rake should live or die. So, because the team wanted the film to appeal to as wide an audience as possible, they compromised with the ambiguous, choose-your-own-adventure ending we saw. Story continues Treat yourself to 85+ years of history-making journalism. Subscribe to Esquire Magazine If people on one hand feel like the story is complete and is a story of redemption through sacrifice, then for them, itll be where the kid is imagining [Rake standing there], and then now you go, Yes, Im satisfied, Hargrave said. If you feel like you love Tyler Rake, and you love Chris Hemsworth, and you want a sequel, and youre like Theres no way, you cant kill him! then thats Tyler Rake standing there looking at you. So we kind of purposefully did not pull focus to the character standing there. So, from the sounds of it, Rake is dead until Netflix decides that Extraction needs a sequel. You Might Also Like The number of Covid-19 cases in the world was nearing three million and that in the US, a million when this article was being written and will likely be over those numbers when it is read. In India, the number of cases was 29,422 on Monday night, according to Hindustan Times tracker, with 933 deaths. The number of cases added between Sunday night and Monday night was 1,573. On Sunday, India added 1,611 cases for a total of 27,849; on Saturday, it added 1,834; and on Friday, it did 1,408. Theres not much of a pattern to be seen in those numbers beyond the obvious fact that the growth is definitely not exponential like it was in Wuhan in China, Italy, the US (especially New York), the UK, Spain, and France. By Sunday night, the number of tests carried out in India was 665,819. Thats 512 people per million still low, but higher than what it was in mid-April. It was only 233 per million population on April 16. Indeed, more than half (54%) of all tests in India have happened in the 11 days from April 16 to April 26, and more than a third (35%) in the week between April 20 and April 27. The death toll around the world has crossed 200,000 but theres a growing opinion that the actual number could be higher. Its easy to calculate the numbers if the data is available. Reported Covid-19 death tolls across nations are known; and the average number of people who died in a particular month (or even week) on average over the past five years is also known. The difference, if it is significant, is clearly a spike that can only be explained by Covid-19 unless there is another mystery illness stalking people (there isnt) or a sharp increase in deaths from accidents and murders (there isnt). Late last week, The New York Times estimated that deaths were underreported by around 36,000 in 12 countries. On Sunday, the Financial Times reported that in 14 countries it studied, the deaths were underreported by around 60%, or 45,000. That doesnt seem to be the case in India a fact pointed out by Hindustan Times Mumbai bureau on April 14 using data for Mumbai, the city worst affected by Covid-19 in the country. According to that report, in March, Mumbai saw 5,669 non-Covid deaths, down from 7,155 deaths reported in March 2019 and 7,436 in March 2018. The story quoted the additional municipal commissioner of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation as saying that in general people are following better hygiene practices, taking care of themselves, and eating healthier. More importantly, with most vehicles and all suburban trains not running, there were almost no deaths from road and rail accidents. It isnt just Mumbai, even in Delhi, deaths from murders and accidents are down, according to a report by Hindustan Times Delhi bureau on April 19. In the entire first phase of the lockdown (and the two days preceding it March 23-April 14) only nine people died in road accidents in Delhi; on average, four people die every day because of road accidents in the city. If this trend holds up across cities and states, it will be another way in which the pattern of Covid-19 in India is different from that in many other parts of the world. Heres hoping it stays that way. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Frontline hero, Our Lady of Lourdes Emergency Department nurse Padraig Capili, paid tribute to his colleagues after he successfully recovered from his own personal battle against Covid-19. Just two weeks ago, Padraig faced being moved into ICU at the Drogheda hospital, after contracting coronavirus and struggling with the more severe symptoms of the disease. But he revealed that it was only after 'some incredible care' from his dedicated colleagues that his health began to improve, and he avoided the more invasive treatments typically deployed in intensive care units. Padraig, who is a native of the Philipines celebrated his release from hospital by posting a video of his Lourdes colleagues giving him a standing ovation as he walked out of hospital last week. Talking to Facebook he explained his relief at the positive outcome he was lucky to have reached. 'After 15 days I'm going home! Massive thanks to my doctors, all the staffs of (ward) Newgrange 1 for holding onto me and not sending me to ICU; also massive thanks to my family way back in the Philippines, my wonderful fiance, my OLOLH Emergency Dept family, friends, DFIC, I couldn't name you one by one for helping me get through this dreaded virus.' Despite his ordeal the brave nurse pledged to be backing helping others as soon as he is able. 'I will soon be back and serve as a frontliner and be part of ending this Covid19 once and for all. Thank you for all who gave me well wishes and prayers. Above all, I want to thank God above for this renewed life, to still be able to see his wonders, and for letting me love myself again. See you all soon!' A man has been charged after allegedly kicking a toy poodle and punching his owner. The 33-year-old victim was walking his pet toy poodle named Zico on Allen Street in Pyrmont on Friday evening. He was called over to the intersection at Harris Street by a man who began yelling abuse at him. As they tried to leave, the dog owner was punched by the man, who then kicked the dog. A man was charged with assault and animal cruelty after kicking a toy poodle and punching the owner (stock) The victim was helped by a bystander on the street as the dog was kicked again, with more people rushing over to stop the abuse. The offender fled from the scene. An investigation into the incident led Sydney police officers to arrest a 34-year-old man on Sunday night. He was charged with five offences including animal cruelty, assault, offensive behaviour and intimidation. The man was refused bail and will appear in Central Local Court on Monday. New Delhi, April 27 : The Supreme Court on Monday told advocate Prashant Bhushan that it is not hostage to the government and asked him that if he didnt have faith in the institution, why should the court hear him. A bench headed by Justice N.V. Ramana and comprising Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and B.R. Gavai questioned Bhushan, representing petitioners Jagdeep S. Chhokar and advocate Gaurav Jain, that why should the court hear him if he had no faith in the institution. Chhokar is the former director in-charge of IIM Ahmedabad. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, during the hearing, drew the court's attention to a recent tweet by Bhushan. Justice Kaul told Bhushan that "every time there is an order where you do not get relief, you insult the institution". "You cast aspersion on the judges, you don't have any respect for the constitutional bodies. You don't have faith in the judiciary," Kaul said. Justice Gavai also pulled up Bhushan, saying "if you don't have faith in this institution, why should we hear you at all?" Bhushan replied that the government's views were being blindly accepted. "I am only expressing my anguish. I feel the Centre's assertions are being believed without verification. The court is accepting whatever the government is stating without verifying," Bhushan submitted before the bench. Bhushan insisted that the fundamental rights of the migrant workers were not being acknowledged. He submitted before the bench that this institution has been created by the Constitution, and there is violation of fundamental rights of these migrant workers and he is entitled to express discontent. He added that he could be wrong but a similar opinion has been also expressed by some retired judges. The Solicitor General told Bhushan that he should not be under the impression that he is the only one who is concerned with the enforcement of fundamental rights, as the Centre is very much concerned. He insisted that the Centre is trying to extend all possible help to the migrant workers. The top court asked the Centre to reply on a plea, which sought directions to authorities to allow migrant workers return to their native places after being tested for coronavirus. Bhushan said that he is willing to withdraw from the matter, if there is an objection to his representation in the case. The bench replied that it never asked him to withdraw. He insisted that 90 per cent of migrant workers have not received ration or wages, and they should be allowed to return to their homes. Mehta questioned Bhushan on the validity of the data. He said the Centre is consulting the states on the issue of migrant workers, which includes transportation and all possible help for them. The bench asked Mehta if the Centre is in consultation with the states and is ready to examine the issue. Bhushan urged the court to allow inter-state transportation of workers. The bench said it is giving the Centre one week's time to reply on the issue of inter-state transportation of migrant workers. The top court noted that the Centre has to take necessary action and it is not going to coordinate between the Centre and the states. One of Ghanas reggae/dancehall artistes, Abdul Razak Issahaku aka Iwan, has expressed concern about the seemingly lukewarm attitude of radio DJs and presenters towards the promotion of his music. He criticized radio DJs and presenters for failing to promote his music as well as that of other local artistes; a situation which, according to him, had resulted in the collapse of the Ghanaian music industry and was also killing creativity. Iwan, who is one of Ghanas reggae/dancehall artistes whose contribution to the dancehall fraternity cannot be overlooked, said though Ghanaian radio DJs and presenters could refuse to air his songs on their networks, they could not stop his teeming fans from listening to his music. You can stop playing Iwan songs on radio but you cant stop the youth from listening to Iwan. My mission is just to preach teach and entertain, he posted on Facebook. According to him, the new generation is catching up gradually and there will not be the need to rely on radio airplays. He blamed radio station owners for allowing their networks to be used to undermine the progress of local artiste as well as the local music industry. In an interview, the acting president of the Musicians Union of Ghana (MUSIGA), Bessa Simons, called on Ghanaian DJs and presenters to play more local music on their platforms. Bessa Simons, who believes that working together with the radio stations is a major way of marketing and selling Ghanaian music, declared that if Ghanaian highlife music was played on all the radio stations in the country, it would help in the promotion of Ghanaian music as well as Ghanas rich creative industry to the outside world. The acting president of MUSIGA believes that working together with radio stations will also create opportunity for the stakeholders in the music industry to promote their works. He, however, urged his fellow musicians to find ways of appreciating the DJs, presenters and other media personalities who help to promote their work and brand because both parties could not do without the other. Source: Daily Guide Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video NEW DELHI: Indian foreign minister S Jaishankar on Monday spoke to his newly appointed Afghan counterpart Mohammed Haneef Atmar with the development partnership between the two countries emerging as a key area of discussion. Virtual diplomacy today included a wide-ranging meeting with FM @MHaneefAtmar of #Afghanistan. Reviewed our bilateral cooperation, ensuring that the development partnership continues strongly," Jaishankar said in a Twitter post. Atmar was one of the candidates in last years presidential polls against Ghani but later stood down. He was appointed acting foreign minister by Ghani earlier this month. He was previously the minister for interior and education and also held the post national security advisor for a while. The talks between Jaishankar and Atmar follow those that the Indian foreign minister has had with Zalmay Khalilzad, the US special envoy for Afghanistan, with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov. In all the three conversations, the Afghan peace deal signed between the US and the Taliban on 29 February and the intra-Afghan dialogue had been key talking points. India has undertaken many development projects in Afghanistan and sees itself as a key neighbor and partner of Afghanistan. The conversation comes against the backdrop of the rebel Taliban not agreeing to a ceasefire during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. According to a UN report, more than 500 civilians have been killed in Afghanistan in the first three months of the year with violence continuing even after the peace deal between the US and the Taliban on withdrawing foreign forces from the war-torn country. Fighting in the first three months of the year caused 1,293 civilian casualties, of which 760 were injuries and the rest deaths, including 152 children and 60 women, the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said in its quarterly report on Monday. Much of the violence that led to the casualties took place in March after the US-Taliban deal was signed based on guarantees of a reduction of violence by the Taliban. Efforts to proceed towards the intra-Afghan dialogue have been marred by the mounting violence as well as disagreements over the release of Taliban prisoners by the government in Kabul. The Taliban have said quite clearly that they will not sit down for talks with the Ghani government unless 5,000 Taliban prisoners are released in exchange for 1,000 Afghan government prisoners held by the Taliban. A political feud within the Afghan government - between the president and his main rival after a disputed election - has also distracted attention from the peace effort. According to the UN report, the Taliban and other anti-government armed groups, such as the ISIL (or ISIS) group's affiliate in Afghanistan, were responsible for the majority of the civilian casualties during the first three months. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid rejected the UN report as an attempt "to cover up daily crimes against civilians committed by US and Afghan forces." "Afghans are witnessing that most of the civilian casualties are due to indiscriminate bombings, rocket attacks on villages and towns as well as raids on civilian homes," Mujahid said in a statement. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Never miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint. Download our App Now!! Topics Seoul | Kim Jong-un is alive and well, said South Korean President Moon Jae-ins special adviser on national security, minimizing rumours about suspected health problems of the North Korean leader. News of Kim Jong-uns health has multiplied since his absence noted at the April 15 celebrations. This day is, however, the most important on the North Korean political calendar, because the whole country commemorates the birth of the founder of the regime, Kim Il Sung, his grandfather. Our governments position is firm, councillor Moon Chung-in told American television station CNN on Sunday. Kim Jong-un is alive and well. The adviser added that the North Korean leader had been staying since April 13 in Wonsan, a seaside resort in eastern North Korea. No suspicious action has so far been detected, he said. Kim has not appeared in public since a meeting of the political bureau of the single ruling party on April 11 and an inspection tour of an airbase that had been reported by official North Korean media on April 12. This absence gave rise to the publication of a whole series of information on his state of health, quickly relativized by Seoul. We have nothing to confirm the news, said the office of the South Korean president last week. South Korean Unification Minister Kim Yeon-Chul said on Monday that this was still the case. Second anniversary He said he could draw such conclusions through a complex process aimed at gathering and assessing information. These comments come two years after the first summit between MM. Kim and Moon in Panmunjon, in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) which divides the peninsula into two states. South Korea celebrated the anniversary on Monday, organizing a ceremony at the northernmost station in its territory, to highlight its commitment to a cross-border rail project. Relations between the two countries have largely been frozen since talks between Washington and Pyongyang came to a standstill. Daily NK, an online media outlet mainly run by defected North Koreans, said the North Korean leader had been operated on in April for cardiovascular problems and was recovering in a villa in the province from North Pyongan. Citing an unidentified North Korean source, the media claimed that Kim, who is in his 30s, had to be treated urgently due to problems related to his excessive smoking, obesity and tired. South Korea, which is still technically at war with the North, had received all of this with the greatest reservations. Unusual disappearance CNN, citing an American official, had for its part reported that Washington studied information according to which Kim Jong Un was in serious danger after a surgical operation. But Thursday, US President Donald Trump said the news about a possible deterioration in the health of the North Korean leader was wrong. On Monday, the official newspaper Rodong Sinmun wrote that Kim Jong Un had sent a message of thanks to the workers of the gigantic coastal tourism project of Wonsan Kalma. The North Korean media have in recent days reported numerous statements or actions by Mr. Kim, but did not provide photos showing this. Last week, a train apparently belonging to him was spotted in satellite photos of a seaside resort in eastern North Korea, according to the American website 38North. The coverage of North Korean news is particularly complicated, especially for everything related to the private life of Mr. Kim, one of the regimes best-kept secrets. All information must be taken with caution, warned Andrei Lankov, an expert from North Korea, while describing the disappearance as unusual. So for some reason, he is not really able to act publicly, he told AFP. In 2014, he had not been seen for six weeks before reappearing with a cane. South Korean intelligence said it had undergone surgery to remove an ankle cyst. Share this post with your Friends on Trump Adviser Kevin Hassett Says US Economy Could Plunge by 30 Percent in Second Quarter White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett said the pandemic could drive the U.S. economy into its biggest slump since the Great Depression, with a second-quarter contraction in output of up to 30 percent. Youre looking at something like minus 20 percent to minus 30 percent in the second quarter, Hasset said on CNBCs Squawk Box, referring to the quarterly headline gross domestic product (GDP) figure. For second-quarter GDP, its going to be the biggest negative number that weve seen since the Great Depression, he added. Speaking of the jobless number for April, which will be released in the first week of May, the senior adviser to President Donald Trump said he expected it to come in at 16 or 17 percent. In the past five weeks alone, the number of initial jobless claim filings totaled some 26.4 million, erasing all the jobs created since the Great Recession. The economic boom following the 2008 financial crisis was the longest in U.S. history when lockdowns, sparked by the outbreak of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) virus, the novel coronavirus that emerged from China in 2019, brought it to a dramatic end. In earlier remarks on ABCs This Week, Hassett said the nations economic outlook was in a really grave situation. Were going to be looking at an unemployment rate that approaches rates that I think we saw during the Great Depression, he said. During the Great Recession we lost 8.7 million jobs in the whole thing. Were losing that every 10 days. Hassett said the severity of the outlook would depend on mitigating actions. A lot of it is going to depend on what we do next, he said. We have to make sure that we have what it takes to prosper [to give the nation] the best chance possible for a V-shaped recovery, referring to a sharp rebound in economic activity rather than a slow, U-shaped one. Make no mistake, its a really grave situation, Hassett added. Expressing hope for a V-shaped bounce back, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told Fox News on April 26 that the economy was going to really bounce back in the summer, citing efforts to reopen parts of the country combined with fiscal relief of historic proportions. As we begin to reopen the economy in May and June, youre going to see the economy really bounce back in July, August, September, he told the outlet. In his remarks to ABC, Hassett also pushed back on suggestions by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) that cash-strapped states consider filing for bankruptcy. The state going bankrupt is something thats not really been anticipated by the founders, Hassett told ABC. McConnell said in a recent interview with radio host Hugh Hewitt that he would support the ability of states to declare bankruptcy, which current law prohibits. I would certainly be in favor of allowing states to use the bankruptcy route. It saves some cities. And theres no good reason for it not to be available, McConnell said. The Kentucky lawmaker told Hewitt that, in some cases, federal aid to states could amount to bailing out states with a history of fiscal mismanagement. My guess is their first choice would be for the federal government to borrow money from future generations to send it down to them now so they dont have to do that, the senator said. Thats not something Im going to be in favor of. I think this whole business of additional assistance for state and local governments needs to be thoroughly evaluated. Theres not going to be any desire on the Republican side to bail out state pensions by borrowing money from future generations. Gold Star mother Elaine Johnson has endured the pain of losing a child, but most recently underwent another life-changing event with a kidney transplant performed on Feb. 13. Johnsons son, Army Spc. Darius T. Jennings, was aboard a CH-47 Chinook helicopter that was struck by enemy fire and crashed in Al Fallujah, near Baghdad, Iraq, in November 2003. He was 22 when he died. Since then, Johnson, a diabetic, has had to face health challenges that forced her to go on dialysis on Feb. 11, 2019. Her kidney failure had become a formidable opponent she could no longer ignore. Her doctor had told her that she needed dialysis in 2018. I fought it. July of 2018 was when he told me that I needed dialysis, but I fought it until Feb. 11, 2019. I decided that I was tired of going in and out of the hospital with fluid buildup, the 56-year-old said. She knew she needed a kidney transplant and was delightfully surprised when one of her church members, Larry Hardy, a U.S. Army veteran, offered to donate one of his kidneys. He said, Im going to give you a kidney. I said, Huh? He said, Yeah. I said, You talk with your wife first. He said, But Im going to give you a kidney. I said, OK, and thats how we started it, Johnson said. She had been placed on the kidney transplant waiting list in October 2019. I was accepted on the list in October after I had to make sure my health was in order. I had challenges I had to meet to even go on the list, Johnson said, noting that Hardy was also making adjustments in his own life to prepare himself as a possible living donor. Being a donor, you have to go through a process, too. You have to meet the criteria, and he was meeting his challenges, Johnson said. It turned out Hardys generous offer was not going to be needed after all. Johnson got a call from the Medical University of South Carolina on Feb. 10 that a kidney had become available, but her doctor advised against it. I got a rare blood disorder. Someone must have died ... and my doctor didnt want me to have that kidney because that person had health issues. He didnt want me to have that one because of my health issues. So I said, OK, but it didnt discourage me because I know I had a living donor anyway, Johnson said. She got another phone call from MUSC on Feb. 12. The hospital had another kidney that turned out to be the perfect one for Johnson. I said, Huh? (They) said, No, this is another one. Its a 42-year-old female, and your doctor says that he wants you to have that kidney. And I said, OK, I will, even though I know I had Larry, Johnson said. She said she felt God was trying to tell her something. I said maybe God is trying to tell me (to) go head and get this one and let Larry keep his. I thought about he;s got a wife and he's got children. So why should I pass up another one being selfish? she said. Johnson was not completely overwhelmed with excitement, but she was very grateful. My kidney came from a 42-year-old female from Texas. It wasnt that I was shocked. I knew I had Larry. See, a lot of people dont have a living donor. So when they get called, they'll be excited. I was thankful, but I wasnt overwhelmed with excitement because I knew I had Larry, she said. She said while some people on the transplant waiting list can wait as long as three to five years for a donor, she realized that her wait was nothing short of a miraculous. I give it all up to God, she said, noting that while the pain of losing her child never really ends, she didnt let her health challenges on top of that get her down. I wasnt stressed about anything. I give it to God, and I keep moving. Oh, I give it all to him. To say I've only been on dialysis a year, and I had only been on dialysis a month when Larry found out, that was a blessing right there, she said. Her support system includes her 74-year-old mother, Emma, and her two best friends, both of whom serve as her caregivers. One work and one dont work. The one that dont work, she just had her kidney transplant. She was on dialysis ... five or six years. Shes had her kidney four years coming up, said Johnson, who doesnt like to rely on others too much. She said the commitment of her caregivers has been remarkable, including one who was required to stay with her the entire time she was in Charleston. Johnson has been doing relatively well since she her surgery. Im good. Im anemic ... So my blood count dropped, my iron had dropped, but this was things that I was having problems with before the transplant, she said, noting that she is on several medications. The medication was crazy. I got 14 bottles of medicine I have to take. I got to take it twice a day, and three of them I got to take for the rest of my life, she said. Her medical and other bills are mounting, but she tries not to worry about that, either. Its expensive," she said, noting that because she stayed more than 30 miles away from the hospital, she was required to stay in a hotel following her surgery. She said she stayed approximately a week at $100 a night and that bill is on you. I try not to even worry about that either because I know God will make a way. I know I got to take the medication ... Im on disability now, and thats once a month. If youre going down to Charleston and seeing two or three doctors a visit and thats $40 per doctor, and then not talking about just gas, you know, to go down there, the bills add up, she said. She said she has received support from family and friends, fellow Gold Star mothers, as well as the South Carolina National Guard. Im going to control it. Its not going to control me, Johnson said of her health challenge. She added, Im not going to let nothing worry me because I always say, What more do I have to go through than I had already been through with losing a child? Nothing else. So anything comes now, I dont think nothing is no worse. I lost my son, and Im still here. She plans to continue working in the community in his memory. Veteran appreciation luncheons, during which she has invited all area veterans and their families to a free meal in appreciation for their service and in commemoration of her own son's ultimate sacrifice, are among the things she has done. She said her work through the Darius T. Jennings Charitable Organization, which has included back-to-school bashes for special needs children, is not done. I got to build that community center. Thats the biggest thing now, she said, smiling. For more information about how to donate to Johnson or her foundation, Johnson can be contacted by mail at 117 Simon Siding Road, Cope, SC 29038, by phone at 803-707-9677 or by email at dariusmom55@gmail.com. She can also be reached through the Cash App at username $cabbagepatch55. To learn more about organ donation, visit DonateLifeSC.org. Contact the writer: dgleaton@timesanddemocrat.com or 803-533-5534. Follow "Good News with Gleaton" on Twitter at @DionneTandD Love 6 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Shrieks of joy rang out in the streets of Spain yesterday as children were allowed to leave their homes for the first time in six weeks. The sound of children shouting and the rattle of bikes on the pavement after the 44-day seclusion of Spain's youngest citizens offered a first taste of a gradual return to normal life in the country. Spain has the second-highest number of confirmed infections, behind the United States. "This is wonderful! I can't believe it has been six weeks," Susana Sabate, a mother of three-year-old twin boys, said in Barcelona. "My boys are very active. Today when they saw the front door and we gave them their scooters, they were thrilled." Wary of igniting new infection flare-ups, nations around the world have been taking different paths on when to reopen their economies after weeks at a standstill under coronavirus lockdowns. The number of deaths officially attributed to coronavirus has topped 200,000 globally and at least 2.9m people have been infected, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University. Those figures are widely believed to understate the true toll of the pandemic, due to limited testing, problems in counting the dead and some governments' moves to underplay their outbreaks. Spain, Italy and France, which have Europe's highest death tolls from the virus, all imposed tough lockdown rules in March. All have reported significant progress in bringing down infection rates and are ready, warily, to start giving their citizens more freedom. "Maximum caution will be our guideline for the rollback," Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez said on Saturday as he announced that Spaniards will be allowed to leave their homes for short walks and exercise starting on May 2. So far, Spanish adults were allowed out only for essential shopping or to go to work that cannot be done from home. Children under 14 have been in complete seclusion, but as of yesterday they were allowed to take walks with one parent for up an hour. They must be within one kilometre of their homes, take only one toy with them and are not allowed to play with other children. Authorities recommend that parents and children wash their hands before and after outings. Mr Sanchez will present a detailed plan tomorrow for the "de-escalation" of the lockdown for the coming weeks. In France, prime minister Edouard Philippe said he will unveil the "national deconfinement strategy" tomorrow. It follows weeks of work by experts on how to find a balance between restarting the eurozone's second-largest economy and preventing a second wave of infections that could overwhelm intensive care units. French President Emmanuel Macron had already announced that France's lockdown would start to be lifted beginning on May 11. Mr Philippe's speech will flesh out the details, covering health, schooling, work, shops, transport and gatherings. The lockdown has been raising tensions in France's poorest areas. Italy's prime minister Giuseppe Conte is expected to announce more details easing the lockdown in the coming days for the first European country to see a large-scale coronavirus outbreak. Mr Conte told the La Repubblica publication that priorities would include restarting construction and export industries so that businesses would not "risk being cut out" of markets. He also confirmed that school classes would not begin until September. Several countries in Europe are already further along in easing lockdowns. Germany started allowing non-essential shops and other facilities to open last week and Denmark has reopened schools for some children. Germany's restaurants and tourism industry are among those still awaiting word on a way forward in Europe's largest economy, but Chancellor Angela Merkel has indicated that more major decisions will not come before May 6. She said Europe must move "as quickly as possible, but as responsibly as necessary" to restore freedom to travel. "A European race to be the first to allow tourist trips again would lead to unacceptable risks," foreign minister Heiko Maas told the Bild am Sonntag newspaper. "We have already seen what a cluster of infections in a popular holiday area can do in the tourists' home countries. That must not be repeated." That was an apparent reference to ski resorts such as Ischgl in Austria, where dozens of tourists were infected and carried the virus as far away as Iceland and Norway. (Photo : www.pexels.com) Microsoft Teams has recently patched a hole in their security that saw hackers use GIFs to attack users' computers and exploit their data. The hackers made use of seemingly innocuous GIFs to attract people and make them vulnerable to being hacked. Read More: Over 28 Antivirus Apps That Are Not Safe To Use Due To Vulnerabilities What happened and how did they do it? CyberArk researchers have discovered a vulnerability that hackers can use to compromise devices and steal data just by viewing a GIF. Of course, it's already been fixed, and Microsoft was quick to address the issue CyberArk reported. The flaw came from a compromised subdomain that was serving up those corrupted images. All a user had to do was to view the GIF. After that, an attack on his or her data connected to their accounts will be performed If the GIF was left open even in the background, the flaw could have led to widespread data theft, ransomware, or, worse, corporate espionage. These attacks have seen substantial growth over the past month as businesses have been forced to let their employees work from home, providing them ample time online with unlimited access to anything on the internet. Since then, Microsoft Teams, which uses workplace collaboration tools, has seen more incidents of hacking than usual. Microsoft said, "They [users] will never know that he or she has been attacked - making this vulnerability... very dangerous," Read More: Spacecraft Reveals that Venus' Atmosphere is Rotating Faster than the Planet Itself; Here's Why. What this attack could mean for future hacking methods CyberArk said that it notified Microsoft of the vulnerability in their systems on March 23, the day the lockdown began in the United Kingdom. Earlier this week, Microsoft released a patch to fix the issue. Still, there was no evidence that malicious hackers ever exploited it. They also warned that there might be similar attacks that could replicate from this GIF attack on other platforms in the future. A professor from the University of Surrey, Alan Woodward, said that the type of exploit had already been seen before when applicants fail to do the mandatory checks while bringing in content from external servers or "apparently harmless gifs." It is a workable attack which "could spread very rapidly between all the users," he said. "It would be a very niche attack, probably reserved for high-value targets." He added, "It is a really good demonstration of how data, however apparently innocuous, brought into a web-based app can be used to sneak snippets of code onto your machine and conduct functions you simply shouldn't be authorized to do." "It also demonstrates very nicely so-called zero-click attacks - my merely displaying the gif in this attack could potentially work, no clicking in dodgy links or opening booby-trapped documents." Woodward said that all software is bound to have security flaws eventually, saying "It's a salutary tale of why you need to keep your software updated." Read More: Experts Discover a New Way to Improve Video Streaming Through a New Algorithm 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Delhi recorded 190 new Covid cases on Monday to take its tally to 3,108, the states health department said. It became the third state after Maharashtra and Gujarat to cross the 3,000 mark. Out of the 3,108 out of which 877 have recovered. There are currently 2,177 active cases. There were no casualties on Monday which remained static at 54. A total of 39,911 people have been tested so far out of which 3,108 have tested positive. A total of 34,145 tested negative and 2,401 results are pending, the health department said. The government conducted 2,298 tests on Monday and the number of tests per million of population has gone up to 1,976. Earlier Monday, the Delhi government on Monday added two more localities one in south Delhi the other in New Delhi to the list of containment zones in the fight against Covid-19 to take the total number of such zones to 99. The government insists that the sealing of the containment zones is an effective way of checking the spread of coronavirus. On Sunday, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal ruled out any more lockdown relaxations in Delhi until May 3, except for those suggested by the Union home ministry. The government is also banking upon plasma therapy to reduce the mortality rate among Covid-19 patients. Kejriwal had also appealed to people who have recovered from Covid-19, to donate their plasma for those fighting for their lives. Several states want restrictions under the national lockdown to be eased in regions that have not witnessed local outbreaks of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), an issue that will likely be deliberated at a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and chief ministers on Monday, even as calls grew for curbs to remain in place in hot spots of the disease. The Prime Minister will on Monday interact with chief ministers in a video conference that is expected to focus on the next move in Indias battle plan against Covid-19, a highly contagious disease that has killed at least 205,000 people across the world. At the meeting, which could discuss a graded exit from the 40-day lockdown, the states are likely to ask for restrictions to be extended in the Covid-19 containment zones, officials from about a dozen states indicated. There is also a growing consensus among these states that notwithstanding the easing of restrictions, there should be a continued ban on mass gatherings; educational institutions must remain closed; interstate transport prohibited except in cases of enabling the movement of migrant workers and social distancing must be strictly observed. This is broadly the view that state chief ministers will likely present in Mondays meeting with PM Modi. There are however exceptions, with Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal indicating that ending the lockdown will not be easy and a top medical expert advising the Delhi government arguing for the extension of the lockdown beyond May 3. Mondays will be the fourth meeting the PM and the CMs will hold on the pandemic and possibly the last before the extended lockdown ends. All CMs are expected to be present at the meeting, in which nine of them will get to speak due to time constraints. These are chief ministers of Meghalaya, Mizoram, Puducherry, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Odisha, Bihar, Gujarat and Haryana. Others, however, can send their submissions in writing. At an earlier meeting, the PM pointed to the limitation of time, but urged the CMs to feel free to either write to him or call him, and promised to take into consideration their views. While the Centre has not officially offered its view on the extension of the lockdown, officials have indicated that there will be a re-examination, with an eye on opening up some sectors to revive crucial economic activity. On Saturday, cabinet secretary Rajiv Gauba held a meeting with state chief secretaries, in which he indicated that there is a need to focus on containment, even while relaxing restrictions further, hinting at the Centres broad strategy after the lockdown. A top central government official said on condition of anonymity that the sweeping national lockdown is unlikely to be extended beyond May 3. There have already been relaxations, notified by the Union home ministry, over the last 10 days this includes allowing resumption of agriculture, construction and industrial activities in non-hot spot districts, and the opening up of neighbourhood shops in non-containment zones. The official said: The priority is now consolidating health gains from the lockdown but also providing relief to three segments daily wage workers, small businesses, and manufacturing districts. A second official added that the key issue to be determined at the meeting is the extent of relaxations in Covid-19-free zones and in districts where there are no cases. Union health minister Harsh Vardhan said on Sunday there were 300 disease-free districts in the country and another 297 districts did not have any hot spots defined as small areas having more than five cases. He said only 127 districts in the country have Covid-19 hot spots or red zones. In the last one week, there are 66 districts from where no case has been reported and 56 districts from where no case reported in the past 14 days, he said. He said this indicated that the disease has been contained largely to hot spots. This is the distinction the state governments are expected to emphasise, with a call for a hard lockdown in hot spot districts in general, and containment zones in particular. Maharashtra health minister Rajesh Tope said the state will like to continue with the lockdown in containment zones in Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur and Thane the major hubs of the disease. If required, we will extend the lockdown for 15 more days after May 3 only for the containment zones, if not for the entire Mumbai and Pune, he said. In Madhya Pradesh, officials said there was no likelihood of an immediate relaxation in lockdown restrictions in the 22 hot spot districts out of total 52 in the state it could, in fact, see more strict enforcement, given the feedback of central teams that it had been lax in cities such as Bhopal and Indore. Although the disease has not spread to new regions, there were no signs of improvement in the situation in the state particularly in the hot spot districts, said health minister Narottam Mishra. He added that the state will abide by the Centres directions after the meeting on Monday. Uttar Pradesh has already banned public meetings till the end of June. Gujarat has called for stricter lockdown enforcement in 180 containment zones in the state. Bihar will take a call on lockdown after the PMs meeting with chief ministers on Monday, a Bihar government official said on condition of anonymity. Congress chief ministers, according to party leaders, will urge the Prime Minister to divide the county into red zones, which are severely affected by the disease, and green zones, which are unaffected. They are expected to demand that the government consider a transition from a complete lockdown to lockdown only in disease hot spots and commencement of more activities in green zones with safeguards. Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot has maintained that the situation in districts, including the number of hot spots and the number of positive cases, needs to be assessed before taking a decision on the lockdown. A state government official said: We cannot go back to life as it existed before March 24. Even in non-Covid-19 districts, we will have to learn to live more in isolation and in more hygienic ways. Social distancing is a new way of life and we have to alter all public places for this. Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh said he will go by the advice of an expert committee, set up to formulate the lockdown exit strategy. A committee member, who is familiar with the discussions and spoke on condition of anonymity, said: The lockdown restrictions should continue in all hot spots districts till at least mid-May, by when the Covid curve would witness some flattening. Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel, who had sought autonomy for states in resuming economic activities during meetings with the Centre, will once again seek relaxation in economic activities related to revenue generation in the state, according to a person familiar with the states approach. He will demand exemptions in the operation of sweets shops; showrooms of vehicles, air conditioners, coolers and fridges; opening up of shops doing repair work and of all types of retail stores in all green zones with precautions, the official said. Baghel is expected to argue that out of 28 districts in the state, not a single person has been found infected in 23 districts, while in four districts, only eight have tested positive. Karnataka chief minister BS Yediyurappa and his Andhra Pradesh counterpart, YSR Jagan Mohan Reddy, want the lockdown to be restricted to the containment areas and their buffer zones, and not entire districts, said concerned state government officials. Delhi and Telangana, however, appear to see greater benefits in extending the lockdown. Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao last Thursday extended the lockdown till May 7. Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday said lifting the lockdown restrictions in Delhi will not be easy. News agencies quoted SK Sarin, chairman of the Delhi governments committee on combating Covid-19, as saying that it would be wise to extend the lockdown in Delhi, as the number of containment zones was still high. The lockdown will have to be extended till May 16 as that is when the epidemic curve is likely to start declining, which happens after the flattening of the curve, he said. All of Delhis 11 revenue districts are currently categorised as hot spots by the central government. Another key issue expected to be discussed at the meeting is a clearer policy on migrant workers and the use of public transport to enable their movement. The chief ministers of Rajasthan, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Bihar are expected to seek relaxation on interstate transport for allowing stranded migrant labourers to return home. At cabinet secretary Gaubas meeting, too, the theme of migrant workers came up. Several states, including Bihar, had maintained that the state cant negotiate such tricky matters on their own and the Centre needed to come up with a clearer protocol. Tim Fischer/Midland Reporter-Telegram The city of Midland Health Department is currently conducting its investigation on two new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Midland County, bringing the overall case count to 73. The 72nd confirmed case is a female in her 30s who was tested by Midland Health. She is self-isolating at home. The source of exposure is travel-related within the United States. Airline travel post-pandemic is due for major changes, industry and airport officials believe. "Airports across the world are going to have to look at every step of the passenger's journey through the airport," from arrival at the terminal until that passenger is safely in a seat on the plane, said Phil Calderone, recently named CEO of the Albany County Airport Authority. Health screening may become as common as security screenings now are. And like the changes after 9/11, these will be introduced in large part to reassure travelers that they won't be at risk on their flight. "We'll look at ways to instill confidence in air travel (to) give them a level of comfort," Calderone said. What will screeners look for? Signs of fever, for one. The screening might occur as you ride an escalator or pass through a security checkpoint, with contactless overhead thermometers measuring individuals' body temperatures. Such screenings have been common at Asian airports in the wake of SARS and other illnesses. Jean Gagnon, who operates Plaza Travel in Latham, expects more countries may require visas for travel, and more will require vaccinations. "There are many, many health issues coming out of this," Gagnon said. For example, "does everyone on an airplane have to wear a mask?" Perhaps, although successful development of a vaccine might permit regulators to ease some of these restrictions, including the requirement for masks and gloves. As part of the move to touchless travel, facial recognition technology or other biometric indicators likely will be introduced to tie individual travelers to a specific passport, driver's license or other identifying information, as well as to the passenger's boarding pass and itinerary. The goal: "Make sure there are as few touchpoints as possible," said Calderone. Boarding areas will likely be larger to accommodate social distancing. And boarding procedures may undergo changes as well. Already, some carriers have implemented back-to-front boarding to minimize contacts between passengers. They're also blocking center seats to maintain some distance, and adjusting food services, said Katherine Estep, communications director for Airlines for America, the industry trade group. They'll be boarding planes that have been cleaned and sanitized, perhaps numerous times each day. Estep said some carriers are including electrostatic cleaning and fogging procedures, where a plane's interior is treated with an aersol disinfectant. Passengers' luggage, meanwhile, will be examined with CT scanners so that security officials don't have to come into contact with individuals' belongings, said Calderone. In other parts of the world, some airlines have already introduced more rigorous screening procedures and travel requirements. Passengers arriving at Dubai International Airport earlier this month for their Emirates flight to Tunisia met individually with public health workers who administered a 10-minute blood test for Covid-19. Passengers and staff were required to wear face masks and gloves. In addition, flight attendants also wore disposable gowns over their uniforms, as well as safety visors. On board Emirates flights, passengers have been limited to laptops, purses, briefcases, or baby items. Carry-on luggage is no longer permitted in the passenger cabin, and in-flight magazines have been removed. Bento-style meal boxes including sandwiches, snacks, beverages and desserts have replaced the former meal service. And customers must wear their masks and gloves from check-in until they've disembarked from their plane. The airline industry has been crippled by the spread of Covid-19. Daily departures at Albany International Airport next month will fall to as few as 14 from the mid-50s as recently as early March. Destinations that have temporarily lost nonstop service include Newark, Washington National, Atlanta, Minneapolis, Fort Lauderdale and Fort Myers. At Albany, most of CommutAir's regional jet fleet has been grounded, with groups of planes parked in several areas around the airport, while both parking garages and most surface parking lots have been closed. Fewer than 100 passengers a day have been passing through security checkpoints, compared to several thousand on a normal day. Nationwide, U.S. carriers are carrying passenger loads last seen in 1954, Estep told the Times Union. Airlines have taken 2,800 planes out of service, or 46 percent of their fleet, while passenger totals are down 97 percent. "The pandemic has had -- and continues to have -- a severe and unprecedented impact on the U.S. airline industry," Estep said. Some of the changes above may be temporary, in place until the risk posed by Covid-19 has subsided. But others, including many of the touch-free innovations, very likely could become permanent. It's not clear whether airlines will want to practice the kind of social distancing -- blocked center seats, rows of seats farther apart -- that would cut an airplane's seating capacity. "There are two schools of thought on what's going to happen with fares," said Gagnon. "Fares could fall to a very low level," as airlines seek to restart the travel industry. On the other hand, "airlines have cut their schedules and laid people off. Seats that may be available will be harder to get, and fares will go up," she added. After 9/11 and again after the Great Recession, airlines consolidated, so that the United States now has just four major carriers -- American, Delta, Southwest and United -- which together carry three out of every five passengers. Gagnon wonders whether there will be further consolidation following the pandemic. And if you're wondering about the future of travel, here's a statistic from Gagnon: "One out of 10 jobs in the world is travel-related," she said. Tourism, in other words, is a major sector of the economy. And for those who have planned upcoming trips that now are on hold, Gagnon's advice: "Please save our industry. Postpone, don't cancel." It might even be a good time to book a ticket. JetBlue was offering $42 one-way fares to Florida last week from Albany. And Thomas Nicchi of the Comedy Works ended up buying multiple round-trip tickets between Newark and Las Vegas on Frontier Airlines. He typically travels twice a month between the East Coast and Las Vegas, where he has another comedy club. Normally, tickets can cost $300 to $400. Frontier was offering one million tickets on sale for $11 each, one way. Nicchi ended up paying $20.22 round-trip, and he said almost all of that was in fees. "So I actually bought several of them," Nicchi said Friday. "I don't have a ton of faith that I'll be able to fly in September or October," given the continuing spread of Covid-19. But the tickets are 5 percent of what he normally pays, so he reasons it wouldn't be that large a loss. "It's going to cost me more to park the car," Nicchi said. Authorities in Vietnam sentenced a man Monday to 18 months in jail for sharing a story on Facebook in January about the deadly Dong Tam protests, the latest conviction of people involved in the politically sensitive land dispute, his wife told RFA. Chung Hoang Chuong, better known by his nickname Lucky, was found guilty of abusing democratic freedoms to infringe upon the interests of the State, lawful rights and interests of organizations and/or citizens in violation of article 331 of the Vietnamese penal code by the Ninh Kieu District Peoples Court in Can Tho City. Chuong was also accused of distorting the truth about the Dong Tam protest causing influence to the states prestige and the interests of organizations and citizens because he posted status updates on Facebook about the deadly incident on Jan. 9 in which three police officers and an elderly community leader lost their lives. Chuongs wife Nguyen Thao Nguyen told RFAs Vietnamese Service Monday that her husband did share information about Dong Tam, but he did not intend to smear the police. They said my husband shared a story about a police officer and three dogs that were killed, she said. They questioned if my husband had any opinions on this thing or not, she added. But it was not aimed to distort [the actions of] the police, just to attract likes from other Facebook users. But the Procuracy and the Peoples Council did not believe it, said Nguyen. According to the indictment, the Ninh Kieu district police found on Sep. 15 that Chuong had also shared other offending stories that abused the party and state, and distorted the reputations of central and local government leaders. They detained him Jan. 12 according to police documents released Jan. 20. Dong Tam village elder Le Dinh Kinh, 84, was shot and killed on Jan. 9 by police who attacked his home in an early morning assault that involved about 3,000 security officers. It was the latest flare-up of a long-running dispute over a military airport construction site about 25 miles south of Hanoi. Though official reports said that villagers had assaulted police with grenades and petrol bombs, a report drawn from witness accounts and released seven days later by journalists and activists said that police had attacked first during the deadly clash that also claimed the lives of three police officers. Police blocked off pathways and alleys during the attack and beat villagers indiscriminately, including women and old people, the report said, calling the assault possibly the bloodiest land dispute in Vietnam in the last ten years. So far, 29 residents have been arrested in relation to Dong Tam, prosecuted on charges ranging from murder to illegal storage and use of weapons, and opposing officers on duty. Facebook came under fire from Vietnamese and international rights activists last week after the social media giant publicly admitted that it had agreed to help communist authorities censor posts critical of the government. Two Facebook employees told Reuters news agency last Tuesday that the companys local servers in Vietnam were taken offline earlier in the year until the company gave in to the demands of the government to remove posts, a period of about seven weeks when the website was often not usable in Vietnam Amnesty international said Facebook was complicit in the suppression of the freedom of expression. Human Rights Watch said the company had bowed to Vietnamese government extortion. But in an email to RFA, Facebook argued that pulling out of Vietnam entirely would silence even more in the country than complying with the governments requests. Reported by RFAs Vietnamese Service. Translated by Huy Le. Written in English by Eugene Whong. Australians will have to practise social distancing permanently, the chief medical officer said on Monday. Professor Brendan Murphy said the way people interact will be different until a vaccine is found or coronavirus dies out - and that could be several years. 'Even though we may have very low numbers of cases we want everyone to practise social distancing, he said. Australians will have to practise social distancing permanently, the chief medical officer (pictured) said today 'Even if we release restrictions in the future, people need to change the way they interact permanently like keeping distance from each other, hand hygiene, and not shaking hands. He added: 'If we are going to relax these distancing measures, the things we have closed, we have to change how we interact as human beings until we are through with this virus.' The professor's warning came as some states relaxed restrictions while others kept them in place. The Victorian premier is urging caution to make sure there isn't a resurgence of coronavirus cases. Queensland and Western Australia will begin easing some restrictions from this week as several elective surgeries recommenced across the country on Monday. But Victorian leader Daniel Andrews pointed to countries that have eased restrictions and ended up with a second wave of infections. 'We don't want that here. We don't want to have a situation where our frustration gets the better of us and we give back all the gains that we have made,' he said on Monday. 'People have given too much, people have done too much hard work to have a situation where we waste it away because we are getting impatient and frustrated with the new normal.' Western Australians can enjoy chilling on the beach with mates after the state relaxed coronavirus restrictions today. Pictured: Police officers at Cottesloe Beach in Pert State and federal leaders had agreed to revisit the level of restrictions across Australia in mid-May. Politicians, business leaders and doctors are urging Australians to download the new COVIDSafe contact tracing app that will help health officials crack down on virus outbreaks. 'It will make us safer and we'll get our lives back faster,' Business Council of Australia head Jennifer Westacott told Sky News. Which surgeries are now allowed? Certain categories of elective surgery resumed on 27 April across the nation IVF Screening programs (cancer and other diseases) Post cancer reconstruction procedures (such as breast reconstruction) Procedures for children under 18 years of age. Joint replacements (incl knees, hips, shoulders) Cataracts and eye procedures Endoscopy and colonoscopy procedures Advertisement More than 1.13 million people downloaded the voluntary app within the first 12 hours of its release on Sunday evening. The federal government is aiming for more than 10 million people to use it. Leading figures in the tech sector, including Atlassian co-founder Mike Cannon-Brookes, have moved to allay privacy concerns around the app. He urged the tech community to 'turn the ... angry mob mode off' and instead help the government fight misinformation. States have widened their testing regimes, another key pillar of the move towards easing restrictions. Tasmania has also started an independent investigation into what kicked off an outbreak of the virus in the state's northwest. The national death toll has reached 83 and Australia has recorded more than 6700 infections. However, 80 per cent of people who have caught the disease have fully recovered. Labor's health spokesman Chris Bowen said social and business trading restrictions should only be eased when it is safe to do so. 'If you are rash, then you'll see a second wave and you'll have to slam the brakes right back on and in fact, slam them on more harshly than you did to start with,' he told ABC radio on Monday. New modelling by the Business Council of Australia shows the economy could take a $400 billion hit if restrictions adopted to fight the virus continue for six months. President Muhammadu Buhari, on Sunday night received the Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, and the Director-General, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Chikwe Ihekweazu. The trio held a closed-door meeting at the State House, Abuja. The parley was on the strange disease in Kano, the lockdown and the coronavirus crisis. Ehanire told State House correspondents that the his ministry had been communicating with relevant agencies, including Kano State Government with a view to addressing the problem. The minister said further updates will be provided. He disclosed that he and Ihekweazu briefed the president on the activities of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19. They also discussed the restriction in Abuja, Lagos and Ogun States, as the lockdown caused by the disease expires Monday night. The Nigerian leader is expected to announce a 14-day ban on inter-state movement as requested by governors. Ehanire said they gave Buhari the summary position of the PTF and the ministries, weighing health and socio-economic factors. The minister assured that Nigeria was winning the fight against the outbreak as all relevant health institutions were working in collaboration. He said: The fight is going on very well. As I said, all countries have continued with the struggle against coronavirus, using the strategies that they have developed for their own countries. We have developed a strong strategy as we are working with other expert groups like the NCDC and relevant health organisations. So, we are also working with the states and the governors. Ihekweazu said NCDC will continue to build up its testing strategies. At the moment, 14 testing centres have been activated across the country. We want to bring the test closer to every state. Everybody is working very hard to solve this problem. I can see that some people are already procuring Rapid Diagnostic Test Kits. They dont work as far as we know. So, I will really recommend that we all stick to the National Strategy, build on it, support its expansion and together we will get on top of the pandemic, he stated. American Brooklyn Dotson needed food. Dotson had worked at a warehouse in Tennessee, but she lost her job. She told the government about her situation in hopes of getting financial aid for the unemployed. But her first payment had yet to arrive. So, the young Nashville woman drove almost 50 kilometers to the GraceWorks Ministries food bank in Franklin. There, workers loaded about $350 worth of food into her car. I dont have any income coming inits just hard to get any help right now, Dotson said. She spoke with The Associated Press while waiting in line at GraceWorks. Food banks across the United States stay busy even in the best of economic times. Now, however, the coronavirus pandemic has brought increased demand as millions of people like Dotson are unexpectedly out of work. About 50 percent of the people coming through our lines have never been here before, said Valencia A. Breckenridge, who serves as president of Graceworks. Lack of donations Just as demand for food is increasing, however, many of the people and places that offered donations in the past have stopped. Restaurants and hotels are closed or have reduced operations. At other times, they gave all their extra food to food banks. It is a perfect storm scenario, said Katie Fitzgerald. She is chief operating officer of Feeding America. It is an organization representing more than 60,000 food banks nationwide. Feeding America has seen an increase in demand from 98 percent of its member food banks, one study found. In recent legislation, the U.S. Congress included money for emergency food aid. Fitzgerald has warned that the money may take months to reach local neighborhoods. She notes that the demand is now. The $100 million that billionaire Jeff Bezos promised to her organization on April 2 was already given out last week, she noted. When people say what do you need the most, we need food and money, said Nancy Keil. She is president and chief executive officer of Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee. Keeping volunteers safe from the virus Food banks have also had to find ways to give out their food supplies while keeping their workers safe from the coronavirus. The San Francisco-Marin Food Bank in California has built pop-up food banks after some of its sites closed because of the pandemic, a spokeswoman said. The newest sites serve hundreds of people every day. They are open for longer hours and use open spaces to enforce social distance. Many older adults work as volunteers at food banks, which creates another problem. Older people face a greater risk from the coronavirus. The East Nashville Cooperative Ministry food bank has considered closing because so many of its volunteers are older adults. Judy Wahlstrom, age 70, directs the program. She has refused to stop her volunteer work, but taken steps to protect herself. Only one person is permitted to enter the food bank at a time, and she now wears a face mask. I said, If I get it, I get it, Wahlstrom said. I dont have anybody at home dependent on me. I said, I got to keep it open. At the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma, spokeswoman Cathy Nestlen said nearly 45,000 people helped out last year. This year the group is using more paid employees to reduce the number of volunteers. The bank acts as a food distribution center for hundreds of smaller food banks. It recently moved to a six-day work week and is considering going to seven days a week. Oklahoma is one of the states that had a high level of malnutrition in the country before the virus, Nestlen said. When a household becomes economically insecure, they almost immediately become food-insecure, she added. Im Jill Robbins. The Associated Press reported this story. Susan Shand adapted it for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story warehouse n. a place where goods are stored income n. money from a job or other work pandemic n. a contagious illness that crosses into many countries scenario n. a situation pop-up adj. a temporary store or business that opens and closes suddenly site n. a place or position; an area of ground cooperative adj. people sharing the responsibility for running an organization or building or store distribution n. allocating items to people or businesses Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Adrian Wail Akhlas (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, April 27, 2020 09:07 625 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd463fb6 1 Business Asian-Development-Bank,ADB,government-debt,debt-to-gdp,COVID-19,stimulus-package,2020-state-budget Free Indonesias debt is expected to remain sustainable this year despite a steep increase in the planned issuance of government bonds to finance the countrys widening budget due to a big COVID-19 stimulus check, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has said. ADB Indonesia country economist Yurendra Basnett said that the country had entered the COVID-19 crisis with one of the lowest debt-to-gross domestic product (GDP) ratios in the world, while the governments lower revenue and higher state spending would likely push the ratio higher. The important point is that the increasing debt-to-GDP ratio will still remain at the sustainable level of below 40 percent, he told reporters during a limited media briefing on Thursday. Basnett projected that Indonesia's debt-to-GDP ratio would reach 37.8 percent this year. Indonesia had a debt-to-GDP ratio of 29.8 percent at the end of 2019, lower than that of many countries, including Japan (238 percent), Singapore (112 percent), the United States (106 percent) and Malaysia (50.7 percent). Under Law No. 17/2013 on state finance, the government must maintain a debt-to-GDP ratio of below 60 percent. Read also: Explainer: Indonesia to finance coronavirus battle mostly through debt The government has increased this year's budget financing by raising Rp 1 quadrillion (US$64.35 billion) in loans, a 286 percent jump from the original target of Rp 351.9 billion as stipulated under the newly enacted Presidential Regulation (Perpres) No. 54/2020 on the revised 2020 state budget. Under the regulation, the government also plans to offer Rp 549.6 trillion in sovereign debt papers, 41.2 percent higher than Rp 389.3 trillion as originally planned, while it also plans to raise Rp 450 trillion through the issuance of pandemic bonds. The Indonesian government has been quite prudent in its debt management so far, ADB vice president for Southeast Asia, East Asia and the Pacific Ahmed M. Saeed said during the press briefing. He added that the significant contraction in economic activity, both around the world and in Indonesia, was absolutely essential as a way out of the health crisis. Raising debt and spending it on the COVID-19 fight is appropriate and the right thing for the government to do, Saeed said. The ADB has approved a $1.5 billion loan to help finance Indonesias efforts to mitigate the impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak on public health and the economy. Indonesia has set aside Rp 436.1 trillion of the 2020 state budget, or 2.5 percent of GDP, to fund public health needs, safety net programs, relief assistance for small and medium businesses, and relief assistance for manufacturing and tourism companies that have been affected by the outbreak. Official data on Thursday afternoon showed that the virus had infected more than 8,800 people in Indonesia, with a death toll of 743. Read also: ADB approves US$1.5b loan to support Indonesias pandemic response The government is looking to finalize by next week a new Rp 35.3 trillion tax incentive for 18 sectors that have been battered by COVID-19, including the tourist and the food and beverage sectors. The incentive package offers individual income tax exemptions, import tax deferrals and corporate tax discounts, similar to the earlier stimulus package offered to the manufacturing sector. Perbanas Institute economist Piter Abdullah said on Friday that Indonesia's debt-to-GDP ratio would increase to only around 35 percent with the current stimulus packages. However, there is a huge possibility that the stimulus [packages] will grow, as it is not enough, Piter told The Jakarta Post, saying that the government would need to provide between $70.5 billion and $90 billion to stimulate the health sector and the economy. Thus, the debt burden will rise but the debt-to-GDP ratio will remain below 40 percent and below the current legal limit, he said. As it became apparent six weeks ago that the coronavirus pandemic was going to test the San Antonio Food Bank like never before, the nonprofits leader welcomed calls from friends wanting to help. Philanthropist G.P. Singh was one of the first to step forward. At the start of the crisis, he reached out to say, How can I help? Where do you need me? How can I be useful? Food Bank CEO and president Eric Cooper said. It wasnt, Im coming to you with the big idea. It was, Im not telling you how to run your business. Im a servant. Singhs humble approach came as no surprise to Cooper, who counts his dear friend and the other members of the citys Sikh community as some of the Food Banks most devoted supporters. I dont know all the principles of their faith, Cooper said, but I know the principles that they exercise. Its love. Its service. Its selflessness. Its sharing, sharing and caring. They are just amazing people. They set an example for a lot of other faiths. On Saturday, Singh, 68, and his wife, Winkey, delivered hundreds of peanut butter-and-jelly sandwiches made by members of the Sikh Dharamsal of San Antonio to the Food Bank for a distribution that fed 600 households. Later this week, the gurdwara, or house of worship, will make an even bigger delivery to the Food Bank: approximately $250,000 in donations collected through its Together We Can campaign. Its enough to purchase more than 1 million pounds of food, a much-needed gift as the Food Bank struggles to feed some 120,000 households per week during the pandemic, more than double the number it assisted before the coronavirus crisis hit. It is heartwarming, Singh said of the money that flowed in during the midst of the COVID-19-fueled recession. I didnt think we would be able to make it to $200,000, and now it is almost a quarter of a million. Two anonymous donors pledged $75,000 each after the gurdwara last week met its goal of collecting $75,000 by the end of the month. Gurpaul Singh, G.P. Singhs nephew and an organizer of Together We Can, said Christians, Hindus, Jews and Muslims joined the Sikhs in making donations. I dont know the exact number (of donors), but I know they came from all communities and all walks of life, Gurpaul Singh said. Folks got involved from the neighborhood, from our business circle, from the military, from the Indian community, from the Jewish community, from the childrens schools. It was a tremendous outpouring of generosity. We just wanted to make a difference where it is needed most. Originating in the Punjab region of India and Pakistan in the 1500s, Sikhism is a monotheistic religion with more than 25 million followers worldwide, including 700,000 in the U.S. At the core of the faith is Seva, the practice of selfless service for people in need that stems from a story about Guru Nanak, the religions founder. Told as a teen to start a business after his father presented him with a large sum of money, Nanak instead used the gift to feed the poor and later told his father his charitable actions represented a true business. He gave everything, so that became our tradition of sharing whatever we have, G.P. Singh said. Whatever you have, you should share with others before you consume yourself. G.P. Singh got to know Cooper, who is a Mormon, in 2014 when the two broke bread at the gurdwara for one of its Sunday community meals. Cooper shared the story with the congregation of how he found his estranged father homeless and hungry on the streets of Portland, Ore., a life-changing experience that prompted the former North Texas resident to abandon his successful business career to work in food banks. Cooper, 50, has been CEO of the San Antonio Food Bank for nearly two decades after first working at food banks in Utah and Dallas. It was a very moving, personal story, G.P. Singh said. A native of India who came to the U.S. in 1974, G.P. Singh earned a doctorate in mechanical engineering from Drexel University in Philadelphia in 1979 before working for Southwest Research Institute and teaching at UTSA. In 1986, he formed Karta Technologies, which developed software designed to make power plants more reliable and maintainable. Karta Technologies eventually began doing contract work for the U.S. Department of Defense and was San Antonios largest privately held defense contractor when G.P. Singh sold the multimillion-dollar company in 2007 to NCI Information Systems of Reston, Va. Since then, hes devoted himself to philanthropic ventures and community work, including volunteering at the Food Bank. He really understands what community is and is always working it, telling me, We need to do more, Cooper said. Likewise, G.P. Singh has immense respect for Cooper. He has great leadership skills, G.P. Singh said. He works with a consensus and is very inclusive, working with all faiths, all races, genders, all those things. When G.P. Singh arrived at the Food Bank on Saturday to deliver the sandwiches, Cooper greeted him with an enthusiastic elbow bump. In this age of social distancing, it was the best the friends could do. Under normal circumstances, they embrace, a sign of their deep affection for each other. Hes a wonderful gentleman, G.P. Singh said of Cooper. Tom Orsborn reports in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. To read more from Tom, become a subscriber. torsborn@express-news.net | Twitter: @tom_orsborn A Boots worker suffering from a bad back has been awarded nearly 7,000 after she resigned when she wasn't allowed a tea-break. Pharmacy technician Natalie Williams from Holyhead found herself in agony when her daily drinks breaks were removed at work. Mrs Williams, who has scoliosis of the spine, said the chemists where she had worked for 34 years was experiencing difficulties and she had been given an 'unmanageable' workload. Pharmacy technician Natalie Williams, who suffered from painful scoliosis, was told to stop taking 15-minute breaks at the Holyhead Boots store (pictured) She told an employment tribunal that the increasing speed at which she was expected to work even forced her to take two weeks off due to stress. Staff in the Holyhead store were used to taking two tea-breaks of around 15 minutes each day and Mrs Williams needed them as standing up for long periods left her in extreme pain. The tribunal heard temporary manager Amy Wilber had been brought in to the struggling store and she decided to remove the precious drinks breaks without consulting her staff. She put a notice up and told the workers they should either attend work 30 minutes earlier, or leave 30 minutes later if they wanted to keep their breaks. Mrs Williams said she was struggling to keep up and felt her manager was not accepting enough of the 'unbearable' pain she was in. After returning to work following another two weeks off to attend a physiotherapy course, Mrs Williams was assessed by her manager. At the end of the meeting Ms Wilber handed her a note which read 'professionalism - research what the word means and begin to practice within your role (lead by example)'. Mrs Williams eventually resigned saying she felt she had no choice but to leave 'in light of recent experiences' and the way she had been treated. At the tribunal in Llangefni, Employment Judge Davies concluded it would have been a 'reasonable adjustment' to ensure Mrs Williams was given a more manageable workload. The judge added: 'The removal of her tea breaks not only affected her ability to manage her pain but also led to her working additional hours without remuneration or time off in lieu.' The tribunal awarded Mrs Williams 6,882 after agreeing she had been the victim of 'unfair constructive dismissal' and the store had failed to make 'reasonable adjustments' related to her disability. Lee Universitys Dr. Heather Lewis Quagliana, professor of psychology, appeared on USAToday.com to talk about how parents can handle quarantine with their children during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. I dont think that this is the time to be the perfect parent, said Dr. Quagliana. We are just trying to survive in some ways, and I think its important to just give ourselves some grace right now. Makayla Brown, a former undergrad/grad student of Dr. Quaglianas who now works for Lifeline Childrens Services in Georgia, helped make the connection for Dr. Quagliana to appear on USA Today. In order to prevent children from getting COVID-19, governments across the globe have been forced to close down schools. With social distancing becoming a trending topic in the news and social media, there has been a vast amount of information that has been reaching children. In the interview, Dr. Quagliana talked about the need for parents to be emotionally available for children during this season. She recommends the Five Fs when responding to this crisis, which encourages families to focus on their Feelings, have Fun, be Flexible, focus on age-appropriate Facts, and remember this isnt Forever. It is important to explain to your children in simple ways, letting them know that there are some germs and that we are protecting ourselves and others by staying inside, said Dr. Quagliana. It can actually be a good opportunity to teach some social responsibility to children. Dr. Quagliana has been able to partner with Bobby and Tamitha Lynch, directors of Project M:25, an outreach that offers benevolent care and ministry to at-risk children within Ecuador. Through the partnership, Dr. Quagliana, along with her husband David, and the Lynch family created GIVE care, a collaboration between Project M:25 and Lee University professors that is designed specifically to help children and families who have experienced trauma from a natural disaster or other crisis. Through Project M:25, Dr. Quagliana has been able to do four webinars for the United States and South America on helping parents with their children during the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Quaglianas clinical work and research focuses on children and families. Her specializations include childhood trauma, ADHD, international trauma consultation, and expressive therapies. She has co-authored numerous book chapters on the integration of spirituality and therapeutic work with children, including the American Psychological Association Press book Spiritual Interventions in Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy and many others. Dr. Quagliana joined Lees faculty in 2008. She earned her doctorate and masters degree from Fuller Theological Seminary and her bachelors degree from Lee. She was recently awarded the Lee University Excellence in Advising Award, one of the highest honors presented to Lee faculty members. For more information about GIVE care or to view the webinars, visit https://projectm25.org/give-care. Cell phone data has revealed more Americans are on the move again as parts of the country relax social distancing measures. A majority of Americans have been under partial or full stay-at-home orders for the last month while the coronavirus pandemic impacted the healthcare system and the US economy. Travel plummeted starting as early as March and people in major cities avoided mass transit to prevent spreading the novel virus. Apple's Mobility Trends Report, which tracked movement around the world since the early stages of Covid-19 on 13 January, revealed Americans are walking and driving more in recent days. In a chart tracking movement since January, it showed a slight uptake in walking and driving while using public transport has remained consistently low since mid-March. While the slight uptake was charted only this past week, it could show how people in the US are starting to relax social distancing measures more as areas experience a decline in hospitalisation and death rates from the coronavirus. Public transport was down in the US by 75 per cent, compared to the January and February baseline, while driving was just down 27 per cent and walking was down 40 per cent, a slight increase from earlier in April. New York City, the epicentre for the virus, had an 86 per cent decrease in transit, 65 per cent decrease in walking, and 42 per cent decrease in driving. The beginning of an uptake in travel could continue as multiple states - including Colorado, Georgia, Indiana, and South Carolina - work to reopen parts of their economies. Apple compiled the data using the Apple Maps' tool to measure how people travel when carrying their cell phone. The tech giant assured users the data was anonymous and aggregated to uphold privacy. Apple's Mobility Trends Report shows Americans could be relaxing stay-at-home measures by travelling more in recent days (Apple) "Maps does not associate mobility data with a user's Apple ID, and Apple does not keep a history of where a user has been. Using aggregated data collected from Apple Maps, the new website indicates mobility trends for major cities and 63 countries or regions," Apple wrote in a statement. Researchers in Maryland also found Americans were starting to relax social distancing measures and travelling more, according to a report in The Washington Post. "We saw something we hoped wasn't happening, but it's there," Lei Zhang, lead researcher and director of the Maryland Transportation Institute at the University of Maryland, told the newspaper. "It seems collectively we're getting a little tired. It looks like people are loosening up on their own to travel more." The researchers also studied cell phone data and found a national average of people staying home, meaning they didn't move from one location all day, declined from 33 per cent 31 per cent on 17 April. Public health experts have called this decline in Americans staying at home "quarantine fatigue". But Dr Deborah Birx, Donald Trump's coronavirus response coordinator, said social distancing measures could last into the summer. When speaking on national TV on Sunday she said that while downward trends of infection and death rates have given the country "great hope" we're curbing the novel virus, "social distancing will be with us through the summer". [April 27, 2020] Santhera and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory to Investigate Lonodelestat (POL6014) in COVID-19-related Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) Pratteln, Switzerland, April 27, 2020 Santhera Pharmaceuticals (SIX: SANN) has entered into a collaboration agreement with Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) to investigate the potential of lonodelestat (POL6014), a potent inhibitor of human neutrophil elastase (hNE), as a therapeutic intervention for COVID-19-related acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Researchers at CSHL are part of a recently formed consortium of international non-clinical and clinical experts called the NETwork to target neutrophils in COVID-19. This NETwork will study the role of neutrophils and neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) in the pathology of COVID-19 as well as hNE and other targets for intervention for the purpose of treating COVID-19 [1, 2]. NETs are macromolecular structures of DNA and proteins that neutrophils can expel, for example during severe inflammation. hNE is released by neutrophils when they form NETs. There are clear similarities between the clinical presentation of severe COVID-19 and diseases known to involve NETs, such as ARDS. On this basis, the NETwork has developed the rationale that excess NETs may play a major role in COVID-19 and that inhibition of hNE may be a therapeutic strategy to antagonize NETs in COVID-19 patients. Santhera will provide lonodelestat and intellectual support for the scientists at CSHL who will conduct the non-clinical research program. The work is expected to further validate hNE as a target and shed light on this clinical stage compound as a potential agent also in COVID-19. There is a strong scientific rationale that inhibition of hNE may interrupt a neutrophil-driven inflammatory cascade that leads to ARDS in COVID-19 patients explained Mikala Egeblad, PhD, Associate Professor at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, New York. Based on previous work with lonodelestat in models of ARDS and acute lung injury, we were very encouraged about the potential of lonodelestat. Our own research in non-clinical models will start immediately and we are delighted that Santhera has offered their support in our efforts to find a potential novel treatment that could be investigated in patients with COVID-19. We would like to thank CSHL and collaborating clinicians that have approached us to support their efforts to further explore and understand the role of hNE in relation to ARDS in COVID-19, said Kristina Sjoblom Nygren, MD, Chief Medical Officer and Head of Development of Santhera. About lonodolestat (POL6014) Lonodelestat (previously known as POL6014) is a highly potent and selective peptide inhibitor of human neutrophil elastase (hNE). In preclinical studies lonodelestat was effective in animal models of neutrophil activation in lung tissue and of acute lung injury (ALI) [3, 4]. Lonodelestat is an investigational drug which completed Phase 1 single dose escalation studies in healthy volunteers and patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) and is currently investigated in a multiple ascending dose study in CF patients. Current data demonstrated that single dose inhalation of lonodelestat can lead to high drug concentrations within the lung, resulting in inhibition of hNE in sputum of patients, an enzyme associated with lung tissue inflammation [5]. References: [1] Global NETwork studies role of immune cells in COVID-19 deaths, CSHL Stories and Media [2] Barnes B J et al (2020). Targeting potential drivers of COVID-19: Neutrophil extracellular traps. J Exp Med (2020) 217 (6): e20200652 . DOI: https://doi.org/10.1084/jem.20200652 Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. 2018; 197: A2988 [4] Lagente V et al (2009) A Novel Protein Epitope Mimetic (PEM) Neutrophil Elastase (NE) Inhibitor, POL6014, Inhibits Human NE-Induced Acute Lung Injury in Mice. Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. 2009; 179: A5668 [5] Barth P. et al (2019). Single dose escalation studies with inhaled POL6014, a potent novel selective reversible inhibitor of human neutrophil elastase, in healthy volunteers and subjects with cystic fibrosis. Journal of cystic fibrosis 2019 . DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcf.2019.08.020 About human neutrophil elastase (hNE), acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and COVID-19 Activated or necrotic neutrophils liberate human neutrophil elastase (hNE) in the lung which causes damage to the pulmonary microenvironment. hNE is also a critical enzyme in neutrophils and it is required for neutrophils to form NETs (neutrophil extracellular traps) as part of the bodys immune response. Under conditions of severe inflammation, neutrophils can expel NETs which can aggravate pulmonary inflammation and may contribute to the development of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Inhibition of hNE activity may therefore display a dual action: it may block the toxicity of hNE in the lung tissue, prevent the formation of NETs and therefore may allow combating ARDS in patients with COVID-19. About Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Founded in 1890, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory has shaped contemporary biomedical research and education with programs in cancer, neuroscience, plant biology and quantitative biology. Home to eight Nobel Prize winners, the private, not-for-profit Laboratory is a National Cancer Institute designated Cancer Center employing 1,100 people including 600 scientists, students and technicians. The Meetings & Courses Program hosts more than 12,000 scientists from around the world each year on its campuses in Long Island and in Suzhou, China. The Laboratorys education arm also includes an academic publishing house, a graduate school and programs for middle and high school students and teachers. For more information, visit www.cshl.edu About the NETwork to target neutrophils in COVID-19 In the urgent battle to treat COVID-19 patients, a group of eleven international medical research organizations is investigating whether overactive immune cells specifically neutrophils via production of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) cause the most severe cases. The group, called the NETwork, includes Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, McGill University Health Centre, Weill Cornell Medicine, Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nancy, University of Michigan, University of California, San Francisco, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, University of Utah School of Medicine, and Northwell Health [1]. About Santhera Santhera Pharmaceuticals (SIX: SANN) is a Swiss specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of innovative medicines for rare neuromuscular and pulmonary diseases with high unmet medical need. Santhera is building a Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) product portfolio to treat patients irrespective of causative mutations, disease stage or age. A marketing authorization application for Puldysa (idebenone) is currently under review by the European Medicines Agency. Santhera has an option to license vamorolone, a first-in-class anti-inflammatory drug candidate with novel mode of action, currently investigated in a pivotal study in patients with DMD to replace standard corticosteroids. The clinical stage pipeline also includes lonodelestat (POL6014) to treat cystic fibrosis (CF) and other neutrophilic pulmonary diseases, as well as omigapil and an exploratory gene therapy approach targeting congenital muscular dystrophies. Santhera out-licensed ex-North American rights to its first approved product, Raxone (idebenone), for the treatment of Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) to Chiesi Group. For further information, please visit www.santhera.com . Raxone and Puldysa are trademarks of Santhera Pharmaceuticals. For further information please contact: [email protected] or Eva Kalias, Head External Communications Phone: +41 79 875 27 80 [email protected] Disclaimer / Forward-looking statements This communication does not constitute an offer or invitation to subscribe for or purchase any securities of Santhera Pharmaceuticals Holding AG. This publication may contain certain forward-looking statements concerning the Company and its business. Such statements involve certain risks, uncertainties and other factors which could cause the actual results, financial condition, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such statements. Readers should therefore not place undue reliance on these statements, particularly not in connection with any contract or investment decision. The Company disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements. # # # Attachment 2020 04 27_CSHL_lono_covid_e_final [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] More and more people are diving into the K-drama world, especially now that many of us are on lockdown. Due to this, it's not surprising that the famous K-drama stars possess millions of followers on Instagram. We as Korean drama enthusiasts ourselves did research to see some of these celebs' finest Instagram posts, and since they didn't disappoint, they're all definitely worth a follow! 10. Lee Dong Wook has 6.6 million followers His Instagram name is @leedongwook_official. This ever-charming ahjussi utilizes his IG to update his fans about his upcoming projects like guestings and hostings on V Live's Radio Apart and also shooting for brochures such as Harper's BazaarTaiwan, Indeed Trend Magazine, W Magazine Korea, GQ Korea. 9. Kim So Hyun has 8.5 million followers Her Instagram name is @wow_kimsohyun. This 20-year-old star has everyone excited for her upcoming dramas that she posted on her IG, such as the upcoming second season of Love Alarm. 8. Song Hye Kyo has 10.1 million followers Her Instagram name is @kyo1122. Dubbed as the K-drama queen, Song Hye Kyo has already achieved a lot and proven so much in the industry throughout her fruitful career, not to mention that everyone is still captivated by her timeless beauty. Often, the actress posts her selcas and her high fashion editorial images, making her followers' list increase. 7. Park Shin Hye has 10.4 million followers Her Instagram name is @ssinz7. Since we did some research, we found out that the actress is a feline lover. Just a quick drop by her IG, and you'll find snaps of her pets posted together with some of her lovely selcas and travel snaps. 6. Lee Sung Kyung has 11 million followers Her Instagram name is @heybiblee. Actress Lee Sung Kyung usually shares the behind-the-scenes pictures of her dramas, plus her latest drama, "Dr. Romantic 2." You can also be inspired by her fab OOTDs and beauty posts! 5. Ji Chang Wook has 11.4 million followers His Instagram name is @jichangwook. Every now and then, Ji Chang Wook inspires us when he posts artistic vacation pics, and also advocacy campaigns, such as How You See Me, which supports people with disabilities. 4. Nam Joo Hyuk has 11.3 million followers His Instagram name is @skawngur. Although Nam Joo Hyuk isn't that active on his account, he unsurprisingly made it to the most-followed list of Korean drama celebrities. Browsing through his posts is like witnessing a fashion runway with his impressive fashion show appearances. And to top it off, he really did stand out during the Dior show in Paris in January this year. 3. Park Seo Joon has 12.4 million followers His Instagram name is @bn_sj2013. You will be looking back at his "Itaewon Class" moments if you check out the actor's gallery. He posted a lot of behind-the-scenes shots, plus the sneak peek to his latest vlog where he's saying farewell to the drama. Park Seo Joon mostly shares his fashionable OOTDs alongside his cuddly, snuggly dog. 2. Lee Min Ho has 13.2 million followers His Instagram name is @actorleeminho. Let's bow down to the comeback king! Ever since completing his military service, Lee Min Ho has been quite active online. Aside from sharing snippets of his new drama "The King: Eternal Monarch," he also uploads outtakes of his fashion shoots and his vacation snippets. 1. Lee Jong Suk has 15.3 million followers His Instagram name is @jongsuk0206. Last but definitely not the least is the handsome actor Lee Jong Suk! He is currently fulfilling his military duties. Nevertheless, he evidently retains his strong follower count on Instagram. Everyone has been patiently waiting for his return next year! WASHINGTON, April 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. Department of Commerce today announced its preliminary antidumping margins calculated in connection with the twelfth annual administrative review of the antidumping duty order on steam activated carbon from the People's Republic of China, noted Kelley Drye & Warren, LLP, counsel to domestic activated carbon manufacturers. Activated carbon is used in drinking water, wastewater, odor control, and pollution abatement applications. The specific preliminary margins calculated by the Commerce Department are as follows: Carbon Activated Tianjin Co., Ltd.: $1.66/kg. Datong Juqiang Activated Carbon Co., Ltd.: $0.22/kg. Separate Rate Respondents: $0.49/kg. (includes: Beijing Pacific Activated Carbon Products Co., Ltd.; Jacobi Carbons AB; Ningxia Huahui Activated Carbon Co., Ltd.; Ningxia Mineral & Chemical Limited; Shanxi Sincere Industrial Co., Ltd.; Shanxi Tianxi Purification Filter Co., Ltd.; Daton Municipal Yunguang Activated Carbon Co., Ltd.; Shanxi Industy Technology Trading Co., ltd.; and Tancarb Activated Carbon Co., Ltd.) PRC-Wide Rate: $2.42/kg. These margins reflect the Commerce Department's preliminary calculations of the antidumping duty rates to be assessed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection ("CBP") for shipments by the companies identified above that entered the United States between April 1, 2018 and March 31, 2019. These margins are subject to change in the final determination, which is currently scheduled to be issued in September 2020, and can be extended until November 2020. John M. Herrmann, lead counsel to the domestic industry said, "The antidumping order continues to be effective in ensuring fair competition with imports of activated carbon from China." Mr. Herrmann added, "We will continue our efforts to ensure the effectiveness of the antidumping order, including aggressive efforts to thwart various evasion schemes." The petitioners in this case are Calgon Carbon Corporation and Cabot Norit Americas Inc. They are represented in this investigation by John M. Herrmann, R. Alan Luberda, and Melissa M. Brewer of Kelley Drye & Warren LLP. SOURCE Kelley Drye and Warren LLP MasterChef fans were given a glimpse into the private lives of their new judges on Sunday night's episode. And it seems viewers couldn't get enough of Melissa Leong's heavily inked husband, Joe Jones, expressing their excitement on Twitter. 'I need to know more about Mel's hot tattooed husband and their cat ASAP,' one viewer wrote. 'I need to know more': It seems viewers couldn't get enough of new MasterChef judge Melissa Leong's hot tattooed husband, Joe Jones, after Monday night's episode Another commented: 'I wish I was Melissa's cat, I can't stop thinking about it, what a cute family!' 'Excuse me, did anyone see how much of a hottie Melissa's husband is?' a third asked. While it's unclear how long they've been married for, the 40-year-old critic and her husband Joe are both foodies. Expressing their excitement over Twitter, one viewer wrote: 'I wish I was Melissa's cat, I can't stop thinking about it, what a cute family!' Foodie! Her husband Joe also does a lot of cooking as he is the bartender and chef behind the successful Romeo Lane cocktail bar in Melbourne Joe is a chef at the successful Romeo Lane cocktail bar in Melbourne. Following Monday night's episode, Melissa shared a sweet tribute to her husband to Instagram, thanking him for appearing alongside her on the show. 'Shout outs to my awfully hot husband for being a legend and agreeing to be on MasterChef with me,' she wrote. 'Not only is he a classically French trained chef with a specialist focus in pastry, and one of the best things to ever happen to me,' Melissa added. 'The best thing to ever happen to me': Following Monday night's episode, Melissa shared a sweet tribute to her husband to Instagram, thanking him appearing alongside her on the show Melissa recently revealed she and Joe were mixing things up in the kitchen and cooking Italian food for dinner amid the global pandemic. 'Like everyone else, this ISO life usually involves multi-step dishes that take some time to prepare,' Melissa told The Daily Telegraph. 'We dont often have the opportunity to cook time-consuming things like that, so nows the time,' she continued. Two persons accused of attacking journalist Arnab Goswami's car while he was on his way home last week were granted bail by a court in Mumbai on Monday. The two motorcycle-borne men allegedly tried to break the glass window of the car in the early hours of Thursday on on Ganpatrao Kadam Marg, when Goswami was returning from a studio located in Bombay Dyeing Complex in Lower Parel area, NM Joshi Marg police had said. Metropolitan Magistrate SV Pimpale of Bhoiwada court in Dadar granted the two bail on a surety of Rs 15,000. Appearing for the accused, advocate Sunil Pandey said there was no progress in the probe since the last remand, and claimed the FIR was "politically motivated". He told court that the relevant section of the Media Act, under which the two are charged, was applicable only when the person is on duty, while, in this case, the journalist was returning home. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The PM stressed the importance of finalising all under-construction projects in the new capital on time, while taking all preventive measures against the coronavirus Egypts Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly followed up on the latest developments in the establishment of telecommunication networks and digital transformation plans at the New Administrative capital. According to a statement by the cabinet on Sunday, Madbouly was briefed by telecommunications minister Amr Talaat on projects underway in the new capital, which includes digitising and preserving government databases and developing human capabilities in the digital domain. He was also presented with the latest efforts regarding a project to establish infrastructure for the telecommunication networks in the new capital. Madbouly stressed the importance of finalising all under-construction projects in the New Administrative Capital on time, while taking all preventive measures against the coronavirus. Last year, Egypt said it would build an EGP 40 billion ($2.53 billion) telecommunications network in the first phase of the new capital, located east of Cairo, the cabinet said in a statement on Wednesday. State-owned telecom operator Telecom Egypt signed a deal with the Administrative Capital for Urban Development (ACUD), the company building the mega city, to build the network. Construction on the new city, located approximately 45km east of Cairo, began in 2015 as part of the government's plan to reduce pressure on the existing overpopulated capital, expand urban areas and develop the nations infrastructure. It is being built over 714 square kilometres by tens of thousands of workers, and will be home to a government housing district, 29 ministries and other state institutions including the cabinet and parliament buildings and 20 residential neighbourhoods that can accommodate 6.5 million people. The government was planning to relocate ministries to the new capital by mid-2020; however, the move was delayed to 2021 over the coronavirus outbreak. Search Keywords: Short link: 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: TN freezes DA, earned leave for employees India pti-PTI Chennai, Apr 27: Citing the severe fiscal crisis due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Tamil Nadu government on Monday announced freezing of additional installment of Dearness Allowance for its employees and pensioners till July 2021 and suspended earned leave encashment for a year. Pointing to the Centre's recent communique that additional installment of DA to its employees and pensioners due from January 1, 2020 shall not be paid, a Government Order (GO) said Tamil Nadu toed the Union government's rate of dearness allowance for its employees, pensioners and family pensioners. Hence, Tamil Nadu has decided to follow the Centre's decision to put on hold the additional DA payout as well, it said. Also, in view of "the severe fiscal crisis arising out of the COVID-19 pandemic," the government has decided to freeze the additional Dearness Allowance payout till July 2021, the order said. As per a GO of last year, effective July 1, 2019, the rate of Dearness Allowance was 17 per cent of basic pay. It was a revision following orders by the Centre enhancing the DA for its employees. Ahead of that enchancement, the rate of DA stood at 12 per cent for Tamil Nadu government employees. Accordingly, the additional installment of DA payable to government employees, teachers, pensioners, family pensioners due from January 1, 2020 shall not be paid. "The additional installments of DA due from July 1, 2020 and January 1, 2021 shall also not be paid," it said. The order is applicable to teaching, non-teaching staff in aided educational institutions and employees under local bodies as well. In another G.O, the government said the periodicial surrender of earned leave for encashment for 15 days every year/30 days every two years stands suspended initially for one year to all government employees and teachers. "All surrender requests and bills pending as on date, irrespective of their stage of sanction and disbursement, shall not be processed. The curb covers local bodies and institutions under the government as well," the order said. Amanda Kloots is staying strong amid her husband Nick Cordero's ongoing battle with COVID-19. The Broadway star's wife recently gave a positive update after he had his leg amputated due to a blood clot. She sported a distressed pink sweatshirt Sunday as she made a grocery run at Canyon Country Store in their Laurel Canyon neighborhood of Los Angeles. Grocery run: Amanda Kloots sported a distressed pink sweatshirt Sunday as she made a grocery run at Canyon Country Store in their Laurel Canyon neighborhood of Los Angeles Amanda finished the look with black bike shorts, white sneakers, a black belt bag with white stars and a black face mask with a gold star. She revealed that Nick's temporary pacemaker fitting went well and his heart rate was more consistent in a video shared to her Instagram Stories on Saturday. Amanda also expressed optimism that the 41-year-old Broadway star could be taken off his ventilator if he continued to improve. 'He is recovering well and doing really well with the pacemaker, so thats good,' she began. Seeing stars: She finished the look with black bike shorts, white sneakers, a black belt bag with white stars and a black face mask with a gold star On the mend: She revealed that her husband Nick Cordero, 41, was 'recovering well' after receiving a temporary pacemaker as he continues to recover from COVID-19 Feeling better: 'His heart rate has been under control. If everything goes well this weekend ... on Monday theyre gonna put a [tracheostomy] in, take the ventilator out, which will just make him more comfortable, which is really great,' she said Changes: She revealed their home's bathroom would need to be updated to accommodate him when he arrived, after his leg had to be amputated due to COVID-19 complications 'His heart rate has been under control. If everything goes well this weekend basically if today and tomorrow are nice, easy rest days for him on Monday theyre gonna put a [tracheostomy] in, take the ventilator out, which will just make him more comfortable, which is really great,' she said. A tracheostomy would be a hole cut into the front of Nick's neck into the windpipe that might allow him to breathe more comfortably than he could with the ventilator. Amanda was also looking forward to more changes as he continued to recover. 'On Tuesday theyll put a feeding tube in, so thats their plan as long as this weekend is kind of a steady, resting recovery weekend,' she continued. 'So lets hope for that, so that on Monday we can make him more comfortable with his neck and breathing, and then on Tuesday put a feeding tube in to start getting him some more nutrition.' Though her husband was stuck in the hospital recovering, Amanda still carried on with home renovations the two had been working on for the kitchen. She also revealed that their home's bathroom would need to be updated to accommodate him when he arrived, after his leg had to be amputated due to COVID-19 complications. Amanda seemed to be pleased with her husband's improvements, and she shared a photo of herself and the couple's 10-month-old son Elvis as they both beamed ear-to-ear. 'I put on a dress today! I didnt iron it, but its on and Im proud of that,' she wrote. 'Im doing my best to keep Elvis happy so we are dancing and singing everyday till Nick comes home!' Staying positive: Amanda seemed to be pleased with her husband's improvements, and she shared a photo of herself and the couple's 10-month-old son Elvis as they both beamed ear-to-ear On Friday, Amanda had received more mixed news about Nick's condition. The actor had his leg amputated on nearly a week earlier after suffering blood flow issues and the mother-of-one has been waiting for him to wake up after he was taken out of sedation almost three weeks ago. But on a brighter note, Amanda said in an update on Instagram stories that Nick now seems to be rid of the virus. 'Good news, dada had two negative COVID tests! Yay!' She said in a video while holding Elvis. No virus: Amanda said that Nick is now negative for COVID-19 after testing positive several weeks ago 'Which means we think the virus is out of his system and now we're just dealing with recovery and getting his body back from all the repercussions of the virus.' She added: 'Hopefully the virus is out of Nick. Thank God.' It took three COVID-19 tests for Nick to finally test positive a few weeks ago, after he was initially misdiagnosed. In a second video on Friday Amanda said she got some more news from the medical staff at Cedars Sinai in Los Angeles, where Nick has been since being admitted to the ICU at the end of March with pneumonia. Looking tearful in the selfie video, Amanda relayed a message she got from the doctor telling her Nick needs a pacemaker. Bad news: In a later video Amanda said that Nick is going to need a pacemaker to stop his heart rate from dropping Heart scare: 'His heart is functioning well but he has had dips in his heart rate for a little while now and this one last night apparently was enough that it requires them to do this procedure to put a temporary pacemaker in his heart' 'It looks like he had some irregular heart beating last night that scared them enough to want to place a pacemaker in Nick's heart.' she explained. 'His heart is functioning well but he has had dips in his heart rate for a little while now and this one last night apparently was enough that it requires them to do this procedure to put a temporary pacemaker in his heart, so that any time they move him or need to do some procedures in the future, they don't have to worry about his heart rate dropping again.' Over the weekend Amanda said she is 'in a bit of a waiting game' as her husband 'should have woken up by now' after having his leg amputated Saturday. The Broadway star has been hospitalized with COVID-19 for over three weeks and Amanda, 38, revealed he had the leg removed after 'blood flow issues' there. However she assured well-wishers that 'there was nothing on the MRI that would show that he won't wake up, which is amazing news.' Good and bad: It was a day of 'crazy' news for Amanda as she said it seems to happen on Fridays Health battle: The actor had his leg amputated a week ago after suffering blood flow issues and Amanda is still waiting for him to wake up after being taken out of sedation 13 days ago Latest: Amanda revealed she is 'in a bit of a waiting game' as her husband 'should have woken up by now' after having his leg amputated Saturday Tough time: The Broadway star has been hospitalized with COVID-19 for over three weeks and Amanda, 38, revealed he had the leg removed after 'blood flow issues' there She added: 'We are so happy about that, because that was a big worry for all of us. So great news on that. However, he hasn't woken up and it's been 12 days out of sedation. Today's the 12th day.' Amanda shared: 'So, and the doctors do think that he should have woken up by now. However, they are saying that he was heavily sedated for 13 days before that. She continued: 'So we are just, you know, hoping and praying everyday that Nick wakes up, and putting that energy and positivity out there because I do believe he will. He's on Nick time and when he wakes up we will all be here to celebrate it.' Amanda went on: 'In the meantime what the doctors are thinking about doing is slowly trying to get him off the ventilator, which would be awesome, and maybe put in a trache to help him be more comfortable, which would be great, and they are slowly reducing his medications and the machines he's on.' The fitness trainer shared: 'So he's completely off blood pressure medicine, which is great, and they are also trying to reduce the dialysis assistance, which is great. So as we are waiting for him to wake up, while he is still sleeping, they are slowly weaning his body off of assistance, which is just great, great news. Small little wins.' A day after the amputation Amanda shared an Instagram video of herself and Nick dancing at their wedding and insisted 'we WILL dance again!' On the mend: Amanda said last Sunday that 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!' 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. 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 ''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.' 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) '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. Battle: Nick is on a ventilator, a dialysis machine, and he had to be resuscitated earlier this month after undergoing emergency surgery to alleviate a blockage of blood flow to his leg (pictured February 14) '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.' Nick is on a ventilator, a dialysis machine, and he had to be resuscitated earlier this month after undergoing emergency surgery to alleviate a blockage of blood flow to his leg 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. Castmates: Amanda and Cordero originally met while performing in the musical Bullets Over Broadway together at the St. James Theatre in Manhattan "I'm very proud of the 10 Greenberg Traurig, RDN, and ALDEA attorneys and staff who responded immediately to requests for assistance, said Caroline J. Heller, chair of GTs Pro Bono Program. This childs wellbeing became our number one priority, and we could not be more thrilled with the outcome. Working with the New York City-based Rapid Defense Network (RDN) and the Reading, PA-based ALDEA The Peoples Justice Center (ALDEA), global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP helped secure the release of a 5-year-old boy with a traumatic brain injury from an immigration detention center, along with the release of his mother and baby brother. I am very proud of the 10 Greenberg Traurig, RDN, and ALDEA attorneys and staff who responded immediately to requests for assistance, said firm Shareholder Caroline J. Heller, chair of Greenberg Traurigs Pro Bono Program. This childs wellbeing became our number one priority, and we could not be more thrilled with the outcome. The client family is from Guatemala and living in Los Angeles, California while pursing asylum claims. In late December 2019, 5-year-old Max fell, fracturing his skull, and suffering a brain bleed. A doctor at a Los Angeles hospital diagnosed Max with a traumatic brain injury (TBI). The doctor instructed Maxs mother, Mrs. V, to monitor his physical condition and behavior, and to make an appointment for a follow-up examination with a pediatric neurologist and neurosurgeon, who could then evaluate whether the fracture was healing and establish a treatment plan. Mrs. V scheduled a follow-up appointment, but before that date arrived, Max and his familywhich includes his father and baby brotherwere detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Mrs. V and the children were flown to a family detention facility in Texas. During and after the flight, Max complained about headaches and drowsiness. Once at the detention center, Mrs. V told ICE about Maxs TBI and the doctors instructions, but ICE refused to provide Max with access to the necessary doctors for a follow-up examination. ICE also informed the family that it intended to deport Mrs. V and her children to Guatemala, without even a medical determination as to whether it was safe for Max to fly, Heller said. RDN and ALDEA frequent collaborators defending noncitizens rights learned about Maxs case from Dr. Amy Cohen, an advocate working with the family, after the family had been in detention for more than a week. RDN and ALDEA reached out to Greenberg Traurig on a Friday evening in February to partner with them in an effort to get Max the medical attention he required. RDN had also learned that ICE planned to deport the family as early as that Sunday. Thus, an Emergency Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus had to be filed in the District Court for the Central District of California that Friday, along with a motion for a temporary restraining order to prohibit ICE from deporting the family and requiring that Max be allowed to visit a pediatric neurologist and pediatric neurosurgeon. Within hours, Greenberg Traurig assembled a California-based team: Of Counsel, Adam Siegler, and Associates Michael Neighbors and J onathan K. Ogata. Project Assistant Michael Fairfax and Regional Operating Director in the firms Los Angeles office, Jim D. Burns, were also instrumental members of the team. Even though we received this case on a Friday at 6:00 p.m. Eastern time, I was not at all surprised by the immediate response of my colleagues to volunteer. Cases like these are especially heartbreaking when they involve a child. With everyones tireless work, the combined team of Greenberg Traurig, RDN, and ALDEA filed the Petition just before midnight Pacific time that Friday, and filed the Motion around 2:00 a.m. Saturday morning, Heller said. The District Court scheduled a hearing for that Monday morning attended by Siegler and Ogata. The District Court Judge denied the Motion from the bench. The team immediately filed a Notice of Appeal to the Ninth Circuit and prepared an emergency motion for an administrative stay of deportation pending an interlocutory appeal from the District Court order. The team members liaised with the Ninth Circuit to make certain that a panel was available to review the emergency motion filed on Monday evening. It was a race against time, but the team did not back down, Heller noted. A few hours after the emergency motion was filed, the team learned that ICE had informed Mrs. V she was to pack her bags; ICE planned to deport the family in a matter of hours. The team immediately contacted the Ninth Circuit, which then issued an order staying the familys removal. The Ninth Circuit also ordered that Mrs. V and Max be permitted to consult with a with a pediatric neurologist and neurosurgeon to determine appropriate emergency treatment, if any, and to secure a medical determination as to whether it was safe for Max to travel by airplane. But had to do so within seven days. Greenberg Traurigs Houston Shareholder Shira R. Yoshor provided on-the-ground support locally and connected the team with the Chief of Neurosurgery at Texas Childrens Hospital. The doctor immediately arranged all the required appointments Max required; appointments that ordinarily would take months to secure. On March 26, the results of Maxs evaluation reported an unhealed skull fracture, TBI, and that his recovery was being impaired by his current living conditions. The report required a course of treatment that could not be provided in detention and cautioned that Maxs condition would be exacerbated with air travel. Greenberg Traurig quickly provided the evaluations to the government, and on March 28, ICE released the family. Mrs. V, Max, and the baby boarded an Amtrak train the next morning, and are now back in Los Angeles. Nearby specialists have already committed to care for Maxs medical needs. This case demonstrates the importance of aggressively fighting back against unjust and inhumane actions by ICE, said Sarah Gillman, Co-Legal Director at RDN. Thanks to the swift actions of the legal team, Max and his family's rights have been vindicated. About Greenberg Traurigs Pro Bono Program: Greenberg Traurig lawyers across the firm provide pro bono legal services to the indigent and working poor, as well as to numerous civic and charitable organizations dedicated to assisting them. The firm focuses its resources on specialized and interrelated issues including civil rights and affirmative action, anti-human trafficking, family law matters, criminal appeals, immigration and political asylum, housing, and homelessness. About Greenberg Traurig, LLP: Greenberg Traurig, LLP (GT) has approximately 2,100 attorneys in 41 locations in the United States, Latin America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. GT has been recognized for its philanthropic giving, diversity, and innovation, and is consistently among the largest firms in the U.S. on the Law360 400 and among the Top 20 on the Am Law Global 100. Web: http://www.gtlaw.com Twitter: @GT_Law. The Houston NAACP spoke out late Sunday against a city councilman's recent statement comparing one local business' defiance of the current stay home order to civil rights activist Rosa Parks. At-Large City Councilman Michael Kubosh recently was asked by KPRC Channel 2 to comment on the Federal American Grill offering in-dining service, in spite of restrictions in Harris County's stay home order. "Sometimes, civil disobedience is required to move things forward. That's why we remember Rosa Parks," he told the news station. In a lengthy public statement, local NAACP leaders called the comment "insensitive" and "inflammatory" and asked for an apology. "Im not saying that white Americans dont have the right to practice civil disobedience, every American has that right; but not the right to compare a loss of some freedom of movement for a month or two or even six months for the purpose of saving human lives to that of the African Americans fight for equality that has lasted for almost 400 years," according to part of the statement, signed by branch president James Douglas. Kubosh isn't the first public figure to make that comparison. Stephen Moore, a conservative economist and member of the White House council to reopen the country, called stay-at-home protestors "the modern day Rosa Parks" in a Washington Post article published April 17. The NAACP statement also pointed out that the virus has been disproportionately affecting black residents. A solicitor has told a judge that he is well qualified to hear a contested infertile bull case as he has an understanding of the birds and bees and how cattle operate. At Ennis District Court, solicitor, Daragh Hassett told Judge Patrick Durcan that at the moment the case cant be settled and is a runner. In the alleged breach of contract case, Mark ORourke of Ballyea, Ennistymon is suing Noel Considine of Ballyconnone, Lisdoonvarna concerning the alleged infertile bull. Mr Hassett is representing Mr Considine in the case and Mr Hassett told Judge Durcan that it is a crush case and the plaintiff alleged that the bull is infertile. A crush case is where a cow gets put into a cattle crush and is artificially inseminated (A.I.). There are to be six witnesses in the case and the case is expected to take half a day. Mr Hassett told Judge Durcan that he would be well qualified to hear the case when it goes to hearing. In response, Judge Durcan said to Mr Hassett: I dont know quite what you mean by that. In reply, Mr Hassett told the Co Mayo native: Judge, you come from a rural background. You have an understanding as to the birds and the bees and cattle and how they operate. Judge Durcan stated that a vet had previously informed him of a fertility method for cattle that was effective, but not obvious. Mr Hassett stated that the case has been listed for hearing for May 8 and as a result of the Covid-19 restrictions on district court business, Judge Durcan has adjourned the case to October 9 for mention. After told the nature of the case at a previous court hearing, Judge Durcan quipped by the time I will have heard everything on this, I will be saying a lot of bull. Filing a Zantac lawsuit is much like filing other types of personal injury lawsuits. Before you begin the process, you need to get acquainted with the steps of civil litigation. If you're considering filing a lawsuit over health-related problems caused by taking Zantac--a popular medication for heartburn and acid reflux--getting the right attorney can largely influence the outcome of the litigation. Recently, the world has seen more lawsuits over Zantac, alleging that they contain unacceptable levels of cancer-causing agents. Similarly, the manufacturers of Zantac products are increasingly spending more time and flexing their financial muscle in court as they attempt to fight back. As a result, the need for a seasoned attorney by your side cannot be overemphasized. So, when exactly do you need an attorney for your Zantac lawsuit? When Bodily Injury Is Involved If you sustained injuries resulting from taking the said drug, then, you need a Zantac lawyer. Several studies have linked the intake of Zantac and MDMA to different forms of cancers, a matter being heavily discussed in sites like Drug Injury News . However, evidence shows that Sanofi and Boehringer Ingelheim, the companies behind the drug, were fully aware of Zantac's carcinogenic properties, but deliberately chose to keep consumers in the dark. Consequently, millions of patients with gastrointestinal issues, such as gastric & duodenal ulcers, acid reflux, heartburn, sour stomach, and Barrett's esophagus, used Zantac without knowing it could put them at risk of getting cancer. Through the sale of the drug, Sanofi and Boehringer Ingelheim made well over $1 billion while knowingly hiding the sensitive information from unsuspecting consumers that they may acquire cancer from Zantac. Of all the prescription drugs of its type, Zantac was the first to register record sales. Unfortunately, the cancer-inducing impurity contained in Zantac resulted in different types of bodily injuries among people who used it. Perhaps, the only recourse that its victims have is to sue the company for intentionally withholding vital information about the safety of Zantac. The two companies, Sanofi and Boehringer Ingelheim, purposely endangered the lives of its consumers, and, as a result, need to be held culpable. This is where an experienced attorney can help you file a lawsuit on your behalf. When You Could Lose A Lot Of Money For every personal injury case, there is economic and non-economic damage attached to it. Economic damages are the financial losses experienced due to the injury, while non-economic damages simply refer to your pain and suffering. Settlements can be sizable if your Zantac lawyer can prove that you caught cancer from Zantac use. Since the medication is prescribed and also offered over the counter, hundreds of thousands of plaintiffs are likely to join in. However, it's the plaintiff's attorneys that will fight it out for settlements to cover lost wages, medical bills, as well as pain and suffering. If you're a victim of Zantac's side effects, you stand to lose a lot of money unless you find a qualified attorney. But, if you're thinking of going for it alone, it is essential to know that hiring a personal injury attorney can make a world of difference in the outcome of your case. Even if the case gets settled out of court--as most injury cases do--you will need to come up with a figure, complete with legal evidence. A Personal Injury Attorney Can Help You Calculate Damages Calculating damages isn't just about coming up with numbers; it's rather a complex process. Although you could easily substantiate the amount you have lost in income earnings throughout the time of the injury, calculating a fair figure that represents your pain and suffering can only be done by an experienced attorney as it involves taking into account the relevant laws. There are high chances that you'll not recover everything you're entitled to if you do not get the right attorney. Also, mishandling your lawsuit can end up becoming costly for you. Zantac manufacturers may trump you and give a compensation that is a fraction of what you're entitled to, or, worse, you may not even recover your rightful legal expenses. If you're looking to manage your case and hire an attorney later, it may complicate the claims process. This way, it is critical to be sure about the things that are involved in your lawsuit against Zantac. When Zantac Manufacturers Have An Attorney In the event that your opponent has an attorney, defending yourself can be a very grave mistake. Well, according to various news sources, Sanofi and S.A., the companies behind the drug, have already hired some of the country's most reputable defense attorneys for the lawsuits against the heartburn medication. Their defense lawyers include Arnold & Porter's products liability litigation practice co-chairman Anand Agneshwar. This is the reason why you could easily get disadvantaged if you battle it out alone against these top attorneys. Conclusion A successful lawsuit, executed with the help of an experienced attorney, can help Zantac's consumers recover the money they spent on medication and get a befitting compensation for the bodily injuries associated with its use. Besides, winning your lawsuit will make a strong litigation case against negligent manufacturers. This may not only be beneficial to the plaintiff, but to the future consumers as well. In a letter to the board on Sunday, Mr. Sanderss campaign had urged the board to keep him on the ballot and hold a primary in the interest of party unity. On Monday, the Sanders-aligned group Our Revolution said they would challenge the decision. We will not stand by and allow New York Democrats to be denied the opportunity to influence their party and its platform at the convention in August, the groups chair, Larry Cohen, said in a statement on Monday. We will be forced to go to the credentials committee and challenge any delegates that New York sends to the convention. With the decision, made during a telephone meeting by the two Democrats on the election board, New York became the first state to cancel its presidential primary, only the latest major development in the shifting national electoral landscape. In response to the coronavirus epidemic, 16 states have postponed their primaries and many have taken measures to encourage voting by mail. Despite arrangements to encourage absentee voting, polling places are expected to remain open in about 42 counties for down-ballot races. Andrew J. Spano, the other board member who voted in the unanimous decision, said the chance a primary could spread coronavirus to both the public and poll workers counterbalanced the wishes of Mr. Sanderss supporters. Mr. Spano, a former Westchester County executive, said he had only reached a conclusion on how to vote on Monday morning, following what he described as a roller coaster weekend, but ultimately concluded, We should minimize the risk. Asked about the decision at his daily coronavirus briefing in Albany, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said he would not second guess the board and cited the safety of election employees. Later, in a radio interview, Mr. Cuomo reiterated that it was the boards decision, but wondered why Mr. Sanders would still want a full primary. By Jesse C. Nelson The recent midterm elections in Korea reminded me of an aspect of the country that I regard as commendable. I will use my home country of the U.S. as a comparison, although many countries in the world fall in line with this U.S. example. Speaking in terms of politics on a presidential scale, I appreciate the accountability in Korea. I speak specifically of prosecuting those in high office who criminally abuse their power. Despite the fact that I live in Korea, I still speak from an outsider's perspective, not being Korean. The fact that the last two Korean presidents were convicted and imprisoned might mean something different to a Korean than to me. But when I travel abroad and speak with fellow travelers about what I admire about Korea, this accountability is always one of the praiseworthy points. I have seen few high-level officials in my own country held to such a standard of accountability through trial, conviction and imprisonment. Notice that I do not include the impeachment trials of Clinton or Trump in this category, because those trials were more a case of showboating by the opposition party to the detriment of the American taxpayers' wallets. Likewise many do not realize that if a U.S. president is found guilty in an impeachment trial, while it does mean removal from office, it is not a criminal conviction. It merely opens the door to the possibility of a criminal trial. Unlike the U.S., where genuine prosecution on a high level is rare, the fact that it happens in Korea sets a good example for the present and future, for if a country punishes criminal behavior in its highest office, then it will not become normalized like in other countries. The citizens ultimately benefit for the simple reason that the example set becomes a deterrent for future high-ranking officials to risk criminal behavior. One other interesting point of comparison between Korea and the U.S. is the term limits of the president. In my lifetime, the calendar date at which presidential candidates begin campaigning in the U.S. has become earlier and earlier due to the skyrocketing increase of money involved in the presidential race, as well as irresponsibility on the part of the media, which promotes this behavior by speculating early on presidential candidates. This is done in part to receive the cash flow of campaign dollars. The single five-year term in Korea seems superior to me compared to the possibility of two four-year terms like in the U.S. The benefit of one five-year term is that there is no distraction of gearing up for re-election. Likewise there can be no excuse by a Korean president of asking for "one more term to get the job done," as is often a rallying cry for U.S. presidents seeking re-election. All governing systems have pros and cons. Comparing them can always be a thoughtful and beneficial exercise. Jesse C. Nelson is an associate professor who has taught at the ROK Naval Academy and UNIST, and is currently teaching at Dongseo University, as well as a freelance writer and avid traveler who has visited 104 countries to date. A team of police personnel was on Monday pelted with stones when they went to verify a report about a religious gathering being held at a place of worship in Bidkin village in Aurangabad district of Maharashtra, a senior officer said. A police official sustained minor injuries in the incident which occurred around 7:30 pm. Confirming the incident, district Superintendent of Police Mokshada Patil told PTI that a case was being registered. "A team of Bidkin Police received information that 35-40 people have gathered at a mosque to offer prayers. When a police team went to verify this information, they were pelted with stones," she said. Police have taken 15 people in custody. Religious and social gatherings are banned in view of the coronavirus-enforced lockdown across the country. On Sunday, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray appealed to Muslims to offer prayers at their homes during ongoing Ramzan month. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) President Nana Akufo-Addo has asked prayers for health workers at the forefront of the battle against COVID-19. The President noted that the pandemic is going to be a long war ''broken up itno several battles'', therefore ''the health workers, who are working day and night to care for the stricken, must continually be in our prayers''. He was however optimistic the pandemic shall be overcome by the efforts made by the health workers and the government as well as the cooperation of all Ghanaians. ''Indeed, we registered a modest success in the important battle to trace and test many of the persons who had come into contact with infected persons, and we cannot, and will not rest on our laurels. We will not let our guard down, as the fight against this virus has to progress. We will pursue vigorously our strategy of enhanced 3Ts, i.e. tracing and testing to allow us identify infected persons, and isolating and treating them. It is the surest way to root out the virus. Our efforts will remain constant, as will our abiding faith in the Almighty and our determination to defeat the virus. We must continue to be grateful to members of the media, members of our security forces, and our health workers for their sacrifice and high sense of patriotism in their contribution to the fight against the virus. ''...Their efforts will be in vain if we, at home, do not support them. In addition to the incentive package given to all health workers, Government has enabled domestic production and supply of protective equipment to our health workers to increase significantly they have received, in recent days, nine hundred and five thousand, and thirty-one (905,031) nose masks, thirty one thousand, six hundred and thirty (31,630) medical scrubs, thirty one thousand, four hundred and seventy-two (31,472) gowns, forty six thousand, eight hundred and seventy (46,870) head covers, and eighty three thousand, five hundred (83,500) N-95 face masks'', the President stated in his 8th nation address. Ghana's Case Count Ghana has recorded 1550 positive cases of COVID-19 with 155 recoveries out of a total of 100,622 tested samples. The President on Sunday, April 26, 2020 gave a clear account of the country's case count. ''Since I last spoke to you, we have completed the analysis of another thirty two thousand, and thirty one (32,031) samples, bringing the number of tests from sixty-eight thousand, five hundred and ninety-one (68,591) to one hundred thousand, six hundred and twenty two (100,622). From this pool, the total number of confirmed infections have gone from one thousand and forty-two (1,042), to one thousand, five hundred and fifty (1,550). Our recoveries are now one hundred and fifty-five (155), and deaths eleven (11). The two (2) new cases of deaths, like the other nine (9), are all of persons with underlying health issues, what the doctors call comorbidity'', he said. Ghana's COVID-19 infection rate from the samples tested remains constant at 1.5%. Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Penny Veils of Wisconsin who is in Michigan taking care of her parents tries to find chicken or hamburger on empty shelves at a Kroger grocery store on March 13, 2020 in Grosse Ile, Michigan. Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) Worker shortages caused by the coronavirus have forced one poultry plant to make the decision to kill 2 million chickens. It's a small percentage of the total birds processed by the plant each year, but highlights a massive problem facing the food supply chain in the US. Produce is being left to rot and milk is being poured down the drain as closed restaurants, hotels, and schools upend the usual demand for food. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Related Video: Why Some Viruses Jump From Animals to People and Some Don't A poultry processing plant in Delaware has made the "difficult but necessary" decision to kill two million chickens as worker shortages push the US meat supply chain towards a breaking point. Delmarva Poultry Industry Inc., a cooperative that works with some 1,300 farmers, said it looked at all other options, "including allowing another chicken company to transport and process the chickens and taking a partially processed product to rendering facilities to utilize for other animal feed," but ultimately decided on euthanization. "If no action were taken, the birds would outgrow the capacity of the chicken house to hold them," the company said, noting that the birds will be killed "using approved, humane methods" and farmers will still be compensated. It's a small percentage of the 609 million chickens that Delmarva's farmers raised in 2019, but the interruption highlights a problem facing meat producers across the United States: meat slaughtering operations can only be so automated. Tyson, one of the world's largest meat producers, said in a full-page advertisement in national newspapers on Sunday that "the food supply chain is breaking" as workers get sick and plants are forced to close. "There will be limited supply of our products available in grocery stores until we are able to reopen our facilities that are currently closed," Tyson said in the ad. Three major pork plants in South Dakota, Minnesota, and Iowa which collectively represent 15% of pork production, according to CNN were forced to close indefinitely in April. Story continues "During this pandemic, our entire industry is faced with an impossible choice: continue to operate to sustain our nation's food supply or shutter in an attempt to entirely insulate our employees from risk," Smithfield said in a statement to Bloomberg News on Friday. "It's an awful choice; it's not one we wish on anyone." According to data from the US Department of Agriculture, the amount of frozen pork in storage dropped 4% from March to April. Slaughterhouses, meanwhile, processed 25% less meat while 400,000 animals wait in a backlog as plants work at lowered capacities. Worker shortages are only the tip of the iceberg. Other agricultural products from milk, to beer, and vegetables are going to waste as restaurants, hotels, schools, and theme parks go dark. "People don't make onion rings at home," an onion farmer in Idaho who mainly supplies restaurants told The New York Times. Some farms have sent unsold crops to food banks where Americans are flocking in droves as record jobless claims pile up but for many, the donations aren't possible without financial assistance for harvesting and transporting. "As we hit into the peak berry production in May, that could be berries that would not get picked and never make it to the market," Soren Bjorn, president of the berry producer Driscoll's, told Business Insider. "We think that by far, the best thing that could happen is that that product makes its way to the food banks. And that will require some financial assistance from the government." Read the original article on Business Insider More than 500 civilians, almost a third of which were children, were killed and 760 were wounded due to the fighting in Afghanistan in the first three months of this year, the UN said in a report on April 27, stressing the need to better protect civilians amid the threat posed to all Afghans by the coronavirus outbreak. Those figures included 152 dead children and 265 wounded, as well 60 women killed and 108 wounded from January 1 to March 31, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said in its report. Many casualties occurred last month despite hopes that the government and the Taliban would seek ways to defuse the conflict, the report said. Anti-government forces -- including the Taliban, Islamic State, and other unidentified groups -- were responsible for 55 per cent of all the casualties during the time frame, the UN report said. But Afghan government forces and international troops caused more child casualties than anti-government armed groups, it said. "To safeguard the lives of countless civilians in Afghanistan and to give the nation hope of a better future, it is imperative that violence is stopped with the establishment of a cease-fire and for peace negotiations to commence," said Deborah Lyons, the secretary-general's special representative for Afghanistan and head of UNAMA. The report comes a day after U.S. envoy Zalmay Khalilzad said in a series of tweets that the Taliban should "reduce violence" and "stop all their offensive operations" until the end of the coronavirus crisis. The Taliban has rejected a proposal by the Afghan government for a cease-fire during the holy month of Ramadan. The militants have accused President Ashraf Ghani's government of failing to fully implement the peace process. Intra-Afghan peace talks, including representatives of the Taliban, are supposed to begin after some 5,000 Taliban prisoners are released from the custody of the Afghan government. In return, the Taliban also is supposed to release about 1,000 Afghan troops and civilian government employees it is holding. So far, the government has freed nearly 500 Taliban prisoners and the militant group has released about 60 prisoners. Authorities have released thousands of detainees, mostly women, juveniles, and sick people, to reduce the risk of coronavirus spreading in prisons. Afghanistan has so far reported 1,531 coronavirus infections and 50 deaths. With reporting by Reuters, AP, AFP, and dpa Coronavirus India: Former Chief Minister of Karnataka and Janata Dal-Secular leader HD Kumaraswamy has suggested the Centre to reduce cost of living as the spending power of people has reduced due to coronavirus pandemic and a nationwide lockdown. Janata Dal-Secular leader and former Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy on Monday said that the government should work towards lowering the cost of living as the spending power of the consumer has weakened, and it should impose COVID cess on the ultra-rich. The economy wont bounce back within a very short period. It is important to lower the cost of living as the spending power of the consumer has depleted. The government must cut the petrol/diesel prices. The loss of revenue may be offset partially by imposing COVID cess on the ultra-rich, Kumaraswamy tweeted. According to RBI and international economic assessment agencies, the GDP growth rate of the country is expected to fall to a historic low. Such a dire situation calls for citizen-centric measures like full or partial waivers of EMIs, rents, school fees, and other levies, he added. Kumaraswamy further said that the government must announce schemes to save the livelihoods of people, especially those in the unorganised sector.It is high time the government announced schemes to save livelihoods of people, especially those in the unorganised sector. The government must provide immediate relief to farmers, construction workers, cab and auto drivers, garment workers, etc, the former Karnataka CM tweeted. Also Read: Coronavirus India: PM Modi interacts with CMs to chalk out post-lockdown strategy, CMs seek relaxations for economic revival Also Read: Coronavirus in India: HC asks Delhi govt to provide ration to those without ration cards The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) had said on April 23 that Indias economic growth is likely to hover between zero and 1.5 per cent in the current financial year as the extended COVID-19 lockdown slows down activity across most sectors. India is under a nation-wide lockdown which was imposed on March 25 and later extended on April 14 to May 3 to stem the spread of coronavirus. Also Read: COVID- 19: Indias first coronavirus patient treated with convalescent plasma therapy recovers, Delhi hospital says its an encouraging news for the country For all the latest National News, download NewsX App You wouldn't think that ensuring that every New Yorker who is entitled to vote can do so would be controversial, but such is politics these days. Republicans and Conservatives are blasting Gov. Andrew Cuomo's moves to allow universal mail-in balloting for the June 23 primaries. On the surface, they're criticizing executive orders to allow anyone otherwise permitted to vote to do so by absentee ballot, which some argue violates the state constitution. The constitution allows absentee balloting when a voter may be absent from their county or "may be unable to appear personally at the polling place because of illness or physical disability." It isn't a particularly tortured argument to say New Yorkers have a fair chance of getting sick in June, considering a pandemic is raging in the state. Beneath the constitutional arguments and warnings of widespread ballot fraud lies the Republicans' and Conservatives' real concern: that the governor will do the same for the general election, in a state where enrolled Democrats heavily outnumber them. But that's exactly what Mr. Cuomo should do, not to benefit Democrats, but to protect New Yorkers' health. Perhaps instead of trying to keep as many people from voting as possible, Republicans and Conservatives should run on ideas that appeal to more New Yorkers - like protecting and expanding voting rights. Saratoga County government votes to investigate itself It's come to this: The Saratoga County Board of Supervisors is hiring a investigator to pry answers out of county officials. The vote by supervisors marked the latest twist in an odd story that began in March when, it was learned, the county planned to pay employees overtime - even top-salaried administrators - to work during the COVID-19 pandemic. But supervisors say they have been unable to get full details on the $325,000-a-week plan, devised by Human Resources Director Marcy McNamara, county Administrator Spencer Hellwig and three supervisors, including board Chairman Preston Allen. Mr. Allen also sought to cancel last week's board meeting, at which the pay raise was discussed and the investigation approved after supervisors couldn't get straight answers. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. When elected officials are stonewalled by their own government, something is seriously wrong. The cost of an investigation is a small price to pay for open government. Bravo to the supervisors who are fighting for it. Russia hoax? Hardly. With President Donald Trump lurching from one wild claim or crazy "cure" to another at his daily pandemic briefings, you might have missed this bit of news: The Senate Intelligence Committee, controlled by the president's own Republican party, on Tuesday released a report finding that U.S. intelligence officials' determination that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election to benefit Mr. Trump's candidacy was fundamentally sound and untainted by politics. Congress may not have the appetite to revisit this -- or the many acts of obstruction by Mr. Trump documented by special counsel Robert Mueller. But it can't ignore the credence this lends to warnings from intelligence officials that Russia, and likely other nations, are looking to interfere in this year's election, too. There is no excuse for falsely shrugging this off as a "hoax" this time. A family got an unforgettable first photo of their loved ones' new baby being held up to a hospital window by a nurse after spending hours camped outside in the parking lot amid the coronavirus pandemic. Emily Yates and her fiance Tommy Edwards welcomed their son, Tucker, on Wednesday at Baptist Medical Center East in Montgomery, Alabama. Their parents weren't allowed inside due to the hospital's COVID-19 precautions, but that didn't stop them from celebrating their newest addition. 'We stood under that window all day,' Christi Mann Edwards, Tommy's mom, told FOX 8. 'If this is a new "normal" for us then, by the grace of God it is perfect!' Special moment: Tommy Edwards was all smiles when a nurse held his newborn son, Tucker, up to the hospital window for his family to see outside Making memories: The proud dad was also photographed holding his baby boy at the window Newest addition: Tommy and his fiancee Emily Yates welcomed Tucker on Wednesday at Baptist Medical Center East in Montgomery, Alabama The proud grandmother was joined by her husband Charlie, Emilys mother Scarlett, and Emilys best friend Abbie as they waited for the newborn's arrival. Baby Tucker was born at 9:04 p.m. that night, and Tommy walked over to the window with a smile on his face as a masked nurse held the baby up for them to see. The family snapped a photo of the heartwarming moment, making Tucker's first photo one they will never forget. They also took pictures of Tommy cradling his newborn son at the window as they celebrated below. Christi posted the images on her Facebook page the next day, writing: 'Everyone meet Tucker Thomas Edwards!! 7.3 and 19.5 long!! Another perfect Naanas boy! We are very proud! Mommy is doing great! And daddy is on cloud 9.' Finally: Baby Tucker was born at 9:04 p.m. that night after their family spent most of the day waiting outside All together: Tommy's mother Christi, her husband Charlie, and Emilys mother Scarlett were camped outside the hospital with a sign and balloons Loved ones: Emilys best friend Abbie also visited the hospital to see the newborn from outside In addition to the images of baby Tucker being held up to the window, she also shared photos of the proud parents with their son and pictures of them waiting outside with a sign and balloons. 'Welcome Tucker Thomas Edwards You are loved so much,' the sign read. Christi told Fox 8 that it was a 'great' experience that they will always cherish. 'They missed out on all the memories of "normal" so this kinda helps with memories now,' she said of Tommy and Emily. 'Making the best of this beautiful moment in a pandemic wasnt easy! But its a beautiful memory in the middle of a crisis.' Sri Lanka on Sunday brought back its 113 nationals, mostly students, stranded in India due to the nationwide coronavirus lockdown. Follow latest updates on the COVID-19 pandemic here A special SriLankan Airlines flight carrying 113 Sri Lankans, including three infants, arrived at the Bandaranaike International Airport Sunday afternoon from Coimbatore, the Colombo Gazzete reported. The Sri Lankan nationals, many of them students, who were stuck in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Kerala after the coronavirus lockdown was enforced, were identified and brought to Coimbatore. Sri Lanka has identified nearly 1,000 students studying in various parts of India and will be evacuating them in phases, police in Coimbatore said. Also Read: Coronavirus India update: State-wise total number of confirmed cases, deaths The Sri Lankan Airlines has been operating special flights to repatriate Sri Lankans. It said the special flights are being operated as part of measures taken by the Ministry of Foreign Relations to bring back Sri Lankans stranded overseas. The flights are being operated to and from Amritsar and Coimbatore in India, Karachi and Lahore in Pakistan, and Kathmandu in Nepal. All those repatriated have been handed over to health officials and Tri- Forces personnel upon landing. Restrictions on such things as travel and business could take a big chunk of cash from those who rely on the ancillary revenue it generates. The states stay-home order urges people to avoid all but necessary travel and also has shut down non-essential businesses for a month. With fewer businesses open and significantly less gas needed for travel tax revenues have plummeted for many municipalities. It could be several months before a full picture of the impact to towns and cities emerges and how it will affect services as they scramble to balance their budgets. A National League of Cities and U.S. Conference of Mayors survey showed municipalities expect to lose revenue from such things as permitting fees, service and utility fees and sales taxes. State disbursement records already show a sharp decrease in allotments for west-central Illinois municipalities. Jacksonville, for example, received $140,496 in home rule sales receipts in April much less than the $182,384 in March and $171,287 in February. The city also received $306,814 in municipal tax receipts in April, down from $384,564 in March and $362,392 in February. Morgan County received $284,504 in March from the county school facility sales tax receipts and $265,985 in February. In April, receipts fell to $220,561. County sales tax revenue came to $12,851 in March and $11,829 in February to $10,235 in April. South Jacksonvilles municipal tax receipts were $20,187 in March and $15,695 in February. In April, municipal tax receipts in the village are down to $14,700. While municipalities are bracing for revenue to take a hit, officials say they cannot know for sure how much the pandemic will cost. Jacksonville City Clerk Skip Bradshaw said most of the revenue that has been budgeted comes from around three months ago before the states stay-home order. Bradshaw said the city potentially could see any pandemic-related impact about June or July. We cant say anything in advance until we start seeing numbers, Bradshaw said, There really is nothing we can do except to be more careful with spending. Beardstown City Clerk Brian Ruch said he could not say how much the city could lose in revenue. He said officials know there will be an impact, though. South Jacksonville Village Treasurer Tiffanee Peters said she is expecting the village to take a significant hit in tax revenue in areas such as video gaming, tourism, motor fuel and income taxes. Peters said the villages department heads have met to discuss addressing how to manage the loss of revenue and that the village may need to look at decreasing spending and cutting reserves. Gov. Brian Kemp traveled Friday to towns in south Georgia where severe storms recently damaged several homes and businesses. Kemp flew to Pelham to assess damage in that community and the surrounding area, according to a schedule provided by his office. He then went to Adel to do the same. On the ground in South Georgia surveying the damage after the severe weather yesterday, Kemp tweeted. Please continue to join me in praying for the Georgians in these communities who have been impacted. The storm system tore through the South on Thursday, killing at least seven people in Oklahoma, Texas and Louisiana. In Georgia, a suspected tornado swept through Adel, tearing off roofs and flipping at least one car and a small plane. The tornado struck about a block from the offices of The Adel News-Tribune, said Maria Hardman, the newspapers general manager. The citys old train depot on South Burwell Avenue was heavily damaged, Hardman told The Valdosta Daily Times. Damage was caused by a combination of straight-line winds and the tornado, said Wright Dobbs, a meteorologist with the National Weather Services Tallahassee, Florida, office. There were no reports of injuries or deaths in Georgia. On Friday, the governor also extended the state of emergency due to severe storms until May 7, WALB-TV reported. In Anniston, Alabama, a firefighter and an emergency medical worker were injured when part of a tree fell atop them while they were rescuing a person who was trapped inside a home by a tree that fell during a storm, Anniston EMS said in a statement posted on its Facebook page. The workers and the resident were all taken to a hospital, but none of the injuries was life-threatening, the agency said. In Louisiana, a man was later found dead after a witness saw him try to retrieve a trash can from water near a drainage ditch; He lost his footing and was swept away by floodwaters, DeSoto Parish Sheriff Jayson Richardson told The Shreveport Times. There was some pretty extreme flooding here in Mansfield. Water like Ive not seen in many, many years, if ever, the sheriff told the newspaper. Basically the water rose really fast and we had to rescue some people out of homes. I think we had about 20 or so homes that people were flooded in. Becky Carter Roberts, 67, was killed during a storm in Lecompte, Louisiana, 15 miles (24 kilometers) south of Alexandria, news outlets reported. The Rapides Parish Sheriffs Office didnt immediately say how she died. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Louisiana Windstorm Georgia Iraq is planning painful cuts in social benefits relied on by millions of government workers. Saudi Arabia will likely have to delay mega-projects. Egypt and Lebanon face a blow as their workers in the Gulf send back less of the much-needed dollars that help keep their fragile economies afloat. The historic crash in oil prices in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic is reverberating across the Middle East as crude-dependent countries scramble to offset losses from a key source of state revenue and all this at a time when several of them already face explosive social unrest. The economies of all the Arab Gulf oil exporters are expected to contract this year, as much as 5% in Iraq, according to the International Monetary Fund. While some Gulf countries can rely on a cushion of foreign currency reserves, nowhere in the region are the circumstances more dire than in Iraq, where oil sales fund 90% of the state budget. Iraq saw massive protests in the past months by a populace angry over the weak economy and rampant corruption and the turmoil could erupt again. Cutbacks in spending will only add to the pain for a population struggling to get by under coronavirus restrictions. In the capital's Tahrir Square, protesters are still camped out, determined not to let their movement die. Coming into summer the conditions are developing for a perfect storm for the government, said Sajad Jiyad, an Iraq-based analyst. Oil is currently trading at $20 per barrel, dipping even lower some days to levels not seen since 2001. Further constraints will be felt as an OPEC agreement to cut production levels by 23% to stabilize the oil market takes hold. May and June are expected to be particularly difficult as that is when oil storage space will be full, making it harder for countries to market oil, according to Robin Mills, CEO of Dubai-based Qamar Energy. So far it's early, and no one has reached a stage where the budget runs out, Mills said. But that is inevitable Iraq will probably hit first. In its draft 2020 budget, Iraq had been counting on revenues from oil prices at $56 a barrel to fund badly needed development projects and the bloated public sector, costing nearly $45 billion in compensation and pensions. Oil Minister Thamir Ghadhban said recently that revenue from crude exports has dropped by 50%. Now officials are debating difficult salary cuts. One proposed idea would defer paying public sector workers part of their social benefits until the financial sector improves, according to three Iraqi officials. The question is how much to cut and from whom; one recommendation is that higher-end earners take a 50% cut. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity so as not to derail ongoing talks. That would save Iraq hundreds of millions of dollars, but risks triggering unrest. Public sector workers receive a host of benefits that effectively add 50-70% to their take-home wages. They include family allowances and so-called danger pay benefits for security forces. Still, experts said that won't be enough if oil prices remain between $20-30 per barrel. Cuts need to be deeper to make a dent in payroll, and even then, if revenues are so low there comes a point where cuts are not enough, Jiyad said. On top of this, expected compliance with OPEC will require Iraq to cut over 1 million barrels per day from production in May and June. Moreover, the country has been left without an effective executive to carry out reforms by an ongoing leadership vacuum since December, when Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi resigned under pressure from protesters. Prime Minister-designate Mustafa Kadhimi is due to present his proposed Cabinet to Parliament next week, but he faces opposition from key political blocs. Until his government is in place, a 2020 budget is unlikely to be approved. This limits Iraq's ability to borrow from international agencies for budgetary support. Across the region, the drop in oil prices will derail future investment and development plans. The region's largest crude producer, Saudi Arabia, plans to cuts spending by 5%, or about $13.3 billion. Additional cuts and measures are expected as it digs into its roughly $500 billion in foreign reserves. Target dates of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's plan for the completion of new cities and mega projects will likely be delayed as businesses suffer and foreign investment dips amid the pandemic. Kuwait has ample reserves as well. But the island nation of Bahrain faces a debt estimated to be equal to 105% of its GDP, even after it received a $10 billion bailout from its neighbors to avoid defaulting on a $750 million Islamic bond repayment in 2018. Other giant global oil producers will have to grapple with job losses and economic shocks. Catch our entire coverage on the Facebook-Jio deal here. U.S. producers and service companies have laid off thousands of employees, and greater job losses are expected as the pandemic drags on.Also read: Coronavirus News India LIVE Updates Xiaomi, the Chinese smartphone manufacturer is all set to launch two new products tomorrow in the home market. One of these products will be Xiaomis custom Android skin MIUI 12. The second product will be a toned-down model of Mi 10 flagship series. Dubbed as Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite 5G, the smartphone is also called as the Mi 10 Youth Edition which has been spotted on TENAA for certifications ahead of the launch. The TENNA listing gives a good look at the device via newly leaked images. Xiaomi Patents A New Smartphone With A Waterfall Display; Aims To Create A Cheaper Alternative To Mi Mix Alpha. The TENNA listing also reveals key specifications of the Mi 10 Lite 5G aka Mi 10 Youth Edition before the launch. Justifying its 'Lite' moniker, the smartphone will be equipped with slightly upper mid-range specifications. According to the report by the ITHome, the Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite 5G device will carry a model number - M2002J9E. The device will come equipped with a 6.57-inch AMOLED screen with a water-drop notch on top featuring a resolution of 2400 x 1080 pixels. Surprisingly, the company will be employing a waterdrop notch over the punch-hole setup, considering that Remdi K30 series come with a pill-shaped notch. Under the skin, the smartphone will be powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 765G chipset clubbed with up to 8GB of RAM and up to 256GB of storage. The phone is likely to be offered in three variants - 4GB+64GB, 6GB+128GB and 8GB+256GB. Coming to the camera department, the phone will come packed with a 48MP quad-camera setup at the back. The details for the remaining three cameras are not yet disclosed. At the front, the phone will sport a single 16MP snapper for video calling and selfies. The device will be backed by a 4060mAh battery. However, there is no detail available about charging capabilities. (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 26, 2020 09:00 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com). Tulane guard and once-NBA draft hopeful Teshaun Hightower has been arrested and charged with murder, as Mark Schlabach of ESPN.com reports. The charge is related to a homicide that occurred on April 8 in Stockbridge, Georgia. Hightower was taken into custody on Saturday night, and Tulane announced earlier today that it has dismissed him from its program. Hightower was charged with felony murder, aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and battery, per Schlabach. The Georgia native is just one of six men being investigated in the homicide of 24-year-old Devante Anthony Long five of the six are in custody. The 65 guard had declared his intentions to test the draft waters earlier this offseason. Before coming to Tulane, Hightower played two seasons at the University of Georgia. JERUSALEM Civil-defense sirens sounded at 8 p.m. to mark the start of Israels solemn Memorial Day observance, but unlike in ordinary years, when the moment is marked by a sudden halt to traffic and an abrupt quieting of nightlife, Monday nights remembrance of fallen soldiers or victims of terrorism came with most of the country already on lockdown. At the Western Wall in Jerusalem, Israels president, Reuven Rivlin, spoke before a small coterie of socially distanced troops and officials and sought to console those Israelis who were mourning alone, at home, rather than being wrapped in the embrace of those who love them. Graveside gatherings on Memorial Day are a binding ritual in a country where wars and conflict have touched nearly everyone, but Israels cemeteries were ordered closed to avoid crowds and prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Every Israeli home will be a memorial this year, Mr. Rivlin said, adding: We will embrace you, beloved families, from afar, our hearts with yours. The coronavirus was a boon, however, to an alternative ceremony that for 15 years has drawn together bereaved families from both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Asip Hasani (The Jakarta Post) Surabaya Mon, April 27, 2020 12:43 625 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd474a7e 1 National Temboro-village,Al-fatah,Pesantren,Islamic-boarding-schools,East-Java,Magetan,COVID-19,students,santri,coronavirus,Malaysia Free Eight Malaysian students and one Thai student from Al Fatah Islamic boarding school in Temboro village, Magetan regency, East Java, have tested positive for COVID-19 after contact tracing and quarantine measures were instated in the village following reports of dozens of students infected with the virus. The nine foreign santri (Islamic boarding school students) were among 16 students whose swab samples tested positive for COVID-19, Magetan COVID-19 task force spokesman Saif Muchlissun said. "This is the result of the first phase of contact tracing in Al Fatah pesantren [Islamic boarding school], which we ran after the Malaysian government announced a new cluster originated here," he told The Jakarta Post on Sunday. The East Java and Magetan COVID-19 task forces traced the people Al Fatah students had been in contact with early last week after Malaysian health authorities announced on April 19 that 43 Malaysian students who had returned from the boarding school had tested positive for COVID-19. The Malaysian embassy in Jakarta has said it will repatriate the remaining Malaysian students in Temboro village. Read also: East Java boarding school undergoes rapid COVID-19 testing after Malaysia reports imported cases Muchlissun said the task force performed rapid testing on 305 students and that 31 of them had tested positive. In order to obtain more reliable results, the task force then took swab samples for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests, which confirmed that 16 of the students had the virus. The foreign students, aged 16 to 28, are not able to leave Magetan yet, as they need to recover from the virus. The remaining seven students are from Lampung; Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara; Kendari, Southeast Sulawesi; Makasar, South Sulawesi; Temanggung, Central Java, and two are from Magetan itself. Muchlissun said surveillance for COVID-19 was still underway for Al Fatah students amid the quarantine and that recent rapid testing had found another eight students positive for COVID-19. He declined to give further details on the students. Al Fatah boarding school has more than 22,000 students, 2,000 of whom are foreigners, mostly from Southeast Asian countries. Al Fatah is also known as the local base for an Islamic group known as Jamaah Tabligh, whose members regularly travel far from their homes for months to preach Islamic teachings at mosques. The group has held events in Malaysia, India and South Sulawesi that have been linked to several COVID-19 cases in the areas. The provincial task force has said Al Fatah Islamic boarding school constitutes a severe red zone as it is a new transmission cluster in Magetan. Temboro village has been under strict quarantine since last week to contain the virus. The secretary of the East Java provincial administration, Heru Tjahjono, said on Saturday that 164 students from Al Fatah would be repatriated to Malaysia on Monday. "We will help transport them from Magetan to Juanda Airport in Surabaya," he said. Magetan regency is the now fourth-hardest-hit region in East Java, after Surabaya, Sidoarjo and Lamongan. East Java has the third-most cases of any province in Indonesia with 785 confirmed cases and 87 fatalities as of Sunday. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 27) - The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has reiterated its warning to the public not to buy COVID-19 rapid test kits online, whether they have been approved or not. Despite numerous warnings against the use of unapproved test kits since March, "rapid antibody" and "RT-PCR" test kits are still offered via social media and some e-commerce platforms. FDA Director Eric Domingo said the department's Field Office and Regulatory Enforcement Unit is continuously monitoring and stopping them. "They pop up very quickly and then disappear," Domingo said in a text message to CNN Philippines. He also warned licensed distributors against offering coronavirus test kits without a doctor's request. In the FDA 2020-498 advisory, the government prohibits the sale of rapid antibody test kits online. "They can only be sold if requested by a physician," Domingo told CNN Philippines. "They can also be sold to local government units, companies, etc. under the supervision of a physician." "If they sell without a doctor's request then it will be a violation," he added. "They will be asked to explain and if the explanation is unsatisfactory then they can be fined or have their license revoked." Domingo urged the public to be discerning when it comes to purchasing such kits, especially online. The FDA earlier warned that antibody test kits could still yield false positive or false negative results. "The use and interpretation of the results is complicated, that is why a doctor needs to supervise and interpret the test," he said. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 27 By Rufiz Hafizoglu Trend: The export of defense products from Turkey to Uzbekistan increased by 3.9 percent from January through March 2020, compared to the same period in 2019, amounting to $138,000, Turkish Trade Ministry told Trend. The exports of defense products from Turkey to Uzbekistan increased by 119.3 percent in March 2020, compared to March 2019, amounting to $58,230. During 1Q2020, export of defense industry products from Turkey to world markets dropped 21.5 percent compared to the same period of 2019, amounting to $482.6 million. Turkeys export of defense products to world markets made up 1.1 percent of the countrys total export carried out in the first quarter of this year. Turkeys export of defense products to world markets amounted to $141.8 million in March 2020, which is 49.8 percent less compared to the same month of last year. Meanwhile, Turkeys export of defense products to world markets amounted to 1.1 percent of the countrys total export. In the last 12 months (from March 2019 through March 2020), Turkeys export of defense products amounted to $2.6 billion. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu A bandit wearing a surgical mask has robbed a Melbourne gold dealer at gunpoint in a daylight heist. Police have been told the offender held-up the Melbourne Gold Company on the seventh floor of 227 Collins Street about 9.40am on Monday. A lawyer for the gold buyers turn up at the scene of the robbery on Monday. Credit:Justin McManus He fled on foot with the contents of a safe. No one was injured in the armed robbery. Detectives from the armed crime squad were tight-lipped about the details, including the contents of the safe, while the investigation was in its infancy. The price of the current oil futures contract could go to zero again even faster than the May contract did in last week's historic plunge, CNBC's Jim Cramer said Monday. "This has to go to zero again, because we haven't any more space," Cramer said on "Squawk on the Street." "I had Herbjorn Hansson, who's the CEO of the largest tanker company, Nordic American Tanker, on Friday, and he said look there's no room. So why shouldn't this number go to zero? It should go to zero faster than it did last time." The May futures contract for West Texas Intermediate crude closed in negative territory on April 20, the day before the contract expired, as traders scrambled to avoid taking physical delivery of the oil amid light volume. Global energy demand has fallen drastically as the coronavirus pandemic shutters factories and limits travel around the world, leading to a glut of oil and dwindling space to store it. Though futures contracts on other commodities, including natural gas, had broken below zero before, this was the first time the WTI went negative. The June contract also fell sharply on that day but stayed positive. Still, on Monday morning the June contract was trading at less than half of where it settled on April 2. Cramer said that the historic plunge showed that the futures market, including the United States Oil Fund, was flawed. "I think the futures distinguished themselves as being, let's just say, totally disingenuous. The idea of what happened last week with the minus-37 has to do with the fact that there are a couple of financial instruments that are just wrong. They are broken," Cramer said. Terry Duffy, chairman and CEO of the CME Group, said last week that the futures market worked "to perfection" as the May contract approached expiration. Duffy said that it was no surprise that the oil contracts could go negative and that only professional investors were still in the market when the price dropped below zero. Russian passengers go through customs check at the airport (Photo: VNA) International flights into and out of Vietnam have been suspended as part of efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19, and this has left them stranded in Vietnam during their vacation or work. The flight, which took off at 9am (Vietnam time), was operated by the Russia-based Siberia Airlines. Representative of the carrier in Vietnam Le Van Nghia said it is set to launch a similar flight in early May to take other Russian citizens home. Russia is currently the second-largest source of tourists for Khanh Hoa, after China and the Republic of Korea. Home to world-famous Nha Trang bay, the province welcomed more than 462,000 Russian visitors in 2019, or some 13 percent of its total. About 120,000 Russian tourists visited Khanh Hoa in the first three months of this year. Around 200% increase in the number of Covid-19 cases in Madhya Pradeshs Ujjain has taken the regions infection tally to 106 from 33 on April 21 and alarmed officials that the situation there too may go out of hand like in Indore. The number of fatalities has also more than doubled from seven to 17 during this period. Ujjain now has the second-highest fatality rate in the state after Indore. Till March 31, Ujjain had registered only six cases and two fatalities. Ujjain, along with Khargone and Jabalpur, have emerged among new Covid-19 hotspots in Madhya Pradesh, where Indore and Bhopal remain the worst-hit with 1,176 and 415 cases. A health department official, who did not want to be named, said Ujjains case appears to be similar to that of Indore, where the administration became complacent initially thinking it had controlled the situation. The virus was spreading alarmingly in the congested localities [in Indore]. Another problem with Ujjain is that test reports are coming very late here. The reports were delayed by eight to 10 days in many cases. The number of cases are likely to go further up since 400 reports are still pending. Dr Mahavir Khandelwal, said most of localities affected are in Ujjains old city and the new patients are those who were in contact with those earlier tested positive. Jabalpur had reported only eight cases until March 28. No fresh cases were reported for the next 12 days until April 8. By April 17, there were 13 Covid-19 patients in the region. The number of cases has spiked over the last 10 days with 55 more people testing positive for the disease. Jabalpur now has 68 cases but has reported just one fatality. A health department official said 14 Covid-19 patients in Jabalpur belong to a family. Another eight are their neighbours. Jabalpurs chief medical and health officer, Dr Manish Mishra, said the patients are from certain localities of the city and they were able to quarantine those who came in contact with them. Hence, the situation will improve in the coming days. The first four Covid-19 cases in Madhya Pradesh were reported from Jabalpur. They included three from a traders family, who had returned from Dubai. The fourth one, a student, had returned from Germany. Later, three employees of the trader were also found Covid-19 positive. Khargone reported its first Covid-19 case on April 1 when a person died of the disease. Till April 12, there were only 14 cases in the area. Over the last fortnight, there has been a three-fold increase in the number of patients in Khargone that has taken the tally of cases to 61. The area has reported six fatalities. A health department official said the infection in Khargone spread from a locality, where two persons had returned after a religious journey. Eight members from the family of one of the two were later infected and an elderly person among them died. The second person infected eight in his neighbourhood. Similarly, a man from Badwah village was tested positive after returning from Indore. Seven others from his family too were infected. Khargone collector Gopal Chandra Dad said the infection is confined to a few clusters. We could identify them with aggressive survey and screening. The situation is not likely to aggravate now. Officials said collectors and health department officials have been instructed to ensure compliance with lockdown instructions in the hotspot areas. Madhya Pradesh has drawn flak for its handling of the Covid-19 pandemic and is among the states, where the Centre has deputed interministerial teams to probe perceived lapses in efforts to control the disease and violations of lockdown regulations. (With input from Anand Nigam in Ujjain, Monika Pandey in Jabalpur and Aditya Purohit in Khargone) SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Islamabad: Pakistan on Monday (April 27) summoned a senior diplomat from the High Commission of India and registered its protest against the alleged ceasefire violations by Indian troops along the Line of Control (LoC) in which a woman was killed. According to Pakistan Foreign Office, Director General (South Asia & SAARC) Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri summoned Indian Charge d'Affaires Gaurav Ahluwalia and registered a strong protest over the ceasefire violations by the Indian troops in Jandrot and Khuiratta Sectors on Monday. "Due to indiscriminate and unprovoked firing" in Jandrot sector, a 36-year-old woman was killed, while a nine-year-old sustained serious injuries in Khuiratta Sector, Chaudhri said. The Indian forces along the LoC and the Working Boundary (WB) have continuously been targeting civilian populated areas with artillery fire, heavy-calibre mortars and automatic weapons, the Foreign Office alleged. It claimed that India has committed 882 ceasefire violations this year. Pakistan also urged India to allow the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) to play its mandated role as per the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolutions. India maintains that the UNMOGIP has outlived its utility and is irrelevant after the Simla Agreement and the consequent establishment of the LoC. Earlier in the day, Indian officials in Srinagar said Pakistani troops violated ceasefire along the LoC in Uri sector of Jammu and Kashmir by resorting to unprovoked firing. The Pakistani troops targeted Indian positions by using both small and heavy firearms in Silikote, Churunda and Tilawari areas of Uri sector in Baramulla district, they said. There were no reports of any casualties so far, the officials said. Five Yemeni Provinces Reject Southern Transitional Council's Self-Governance - Reports Sputnik News 11:44 GMT 26.04.2020 CAIRO (Sputnik) - The Southern Transitional Council has stated it introduced self-governance and a state of emergency in Yemen's south. The council has been accusing the Yemeni government of corruption, failure to fulfill its obligations, plotting against Yemeni people and failing to pay salaries to civilians and servicemen for months. Five provinces in southern Yemen have rejected the Southern Transitional Council's (STC) decision to introduce self-governance and declare a state of emergency in the region, the Riyadh-based Yemeni news agency SABA reported on Sunday. According to the SABA news agency, citing the statement received from provincial authorities, the provinces of Abyan, Shabwah, Hadhramaut, Al Mahrah, and Socotra refused to support the council's decision. The Abyan provincial administration confirmed renouncing the STC's announcement by calling it a violation of the agreement reached in Riyadh on the termination of the military confrontation between the government and the Southern Transitional Council (STC) security forces, according to the outlet. It added that residents of the Abyan province supported the legitimate government led by President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi. Similar statements were made by the authorities in four other provinces. In November 2019, Yemen's internationally recognised government, headed by Hadi, signed a peace deal with the STC aimed at putting an end to their confrontation. Apart from other things, the Riyadh agreement envisioned that the separatists should return facilities and state institutions, which they had previously seized in Yemen's south, to the government. The STC was created in 2017. The secessionist movement is backed by the United Arab Emirates, which is part of a Saudi-led coalition that has launched an air campaign against the Houthi rebels in Yemen. On 8 April, the coalition announced that it would cease operations in Yemen for a 14-day period in response to a call of the United Nations for a global ceasefire amid the coronavirus pandemic. However, since then, the Houthi movement and the coalition have repeatedly accused one another of violating the truce. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address More than 200 Cuban doctors and health workers arrived in South Africa on Monday to help the fight against coronavirus, the presidency said. South Africa has the highest number of coronavirus cases on the continent with 4,546 infections, of which 87 have been fatal. The delegation was met by a group of South African ministers as they landed in the early hours of the morning. "217 Cuban health specialists and workers have arrived in South Africa today... to assist with the fight to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic," the presidency said in a statement. They include epidemiology and public health experts, family physicians and healthcare technology engineers. South Africa is in the final days of a strict nationwide lockdown that will be gradually eased from May 1. The Cuban family physicians will help with a mass door-to-door screening and testing campaign launched at the beginning of April. South Africa has the highest number of cases on the continent. By Elmond Jiyane (GCIS/AFP) Over 168,000 people have been tested so far, including more than 13,500 in South Africa's most populous province Gauteng where the majority of cases have been recorded. South Africa is the second country in the region to receive medical support from Cuba. More than 250 Cuban doctors were sent to Angola earlier this month to help authorities combat the spread of COVID-19. Angola has recorded 25 coronavirus cases, including 2 deaths. sch/ach Medical staff work inside an isolation area of the emergency department at Los Angeles County+USC Medical Center in Los Angeles, where patients with COVID-19 are being treated. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) The number of coronavirus deaths in Los Angeles County doubled in the last week amid new evidence that the poor are being hardest hit, according to the county health department. As of Sunday, the county had recorded 916 deaths and nearly 20,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19. Officials said the rising numbers underscore the need to stay indoors as much as possible and also raise questions about when Los Angeles County will be able to ease its strict social distancing rules. Because we are still seeing a significant increase in new cases and deaths, we ask that you continue to stay home as much as possible, Barbara Ferrer, the county's public health director, said over the weekend. Troubling trends After appearing to level off for a time, the number of COVID-19 cases reported in Los Angeles County rose at a rapid clip over the past week. Some of that is because of increased testing, as well as the clearing of a backlog of pending test results , officials said. Nursing homes alone account for 40% of coronavirus deaths in the county, and there have been new efforts to increase testing and health regulations at the facilities. The California National Guard is now assisting with staffing at some homes. The county issued an order that expands testing to both symptomatic and asymptomatic staff and residents, bans visitors, suspends communal dining and requires staff and residents alike to wear protective equipment. The moves are designed to get a better sense of how many people inside the homes have contracted the novel coronavirus and to limit access to outsiders who could either bring in the virus or acquire it themselves. Nearly half of the state's nursing home patients are being treated in Los Angeles County, home to a quarter of the state's population. L.A. County has seen only a fraction of the deaths of New York City. But it's become California's coronavirus epicenter: Los Angeles 916 deaths Riverside 118 San Diego 111 Santa Clara 100 San Bernardino 82 Story continues The hardest-hit Overall, black people continue to be among the highest COVID-19 fatalities in L.A. County, with 13 deaths per 100,000 people, compared with 9.5 for Latinos, 7.5 for Asians and 5.5 for whites, public health officials said. Officials also revealed that those who live in lower-income communities in L.A. County are three times more likely to die of COVID-19 than those in wealthier communities. Neighborhoods where 30% to 100% of the residents live in poverty have seen about 16.5 deaths per 100,000 people, compared with 5.3 deaths per 100,000 in communities where less than 10% of residents live in poverty, they said. As we have more information about who is dying, we are reminded that the work ahead requires that we address issues of disproportionately that result in higher rates of death among African Americans, Latinx and Asians as well as residents living in poverty, Ferrer said. Ensuring access to testing, early treatment and care, and economic support among those communities at higher risk of devastating outcomes associated with COVID-19 is essential. The numbers mirror a Times statewide analysis: Black and Latino Californians ages 18 to 64 are dying more frequently of COVID-19 than their white and Asian counterparts relative to their share of the population. When accounting for each groups percentage of the population, blacks and Latinos under the age of 65 had a higher share of fatalities than even older blacks and Latinos. The trend is particularly noticeable among those ages 18 to 49, The Times analysis found. The future Los Angeles Countys Safer at Home order is in effect through at least May 15. It remains unclear whether it will be extended or eased. The county has kept its beaches closed, while Orange and Ventura opened their shorelines. Last week, health officials offered slightly rosier projections about the trajectory of the virus in L.A. County but cautioned that the improved outlook was contingent on residents' continuing to practice physical distancing. While COVID-19 cases are not yet decreasing here, there are signs its leveling out. County officials are developing a plan to slowly ease stay-at-home orders , but four key benchmarks must first be met. We dont want to undo all the good weve done and accomplished so far, County Supervisor Kathryn Barger said Friday. We are not yet on the other side of this pandemic, and we dont want to prematurely ease restrictions. She said the county will first need to make sure that its hospitals are adequately staffed, have enough resources to perform testing and a sufficient number of ventilators and other medical supplies to handle routine care as well as possible influxes of COVID-19 patients. Second, the county must ensure that protections are in place for the most vulnerable, including the elderly, homeless people and those who live in institutional settings or dont have access to health services. Third, the county must have the capacity to test, isolate and quarantine all those who are ill, as well as to conduct surveillance to prevent further spread. And fourth, the county must maintain physical distancing and infection control measures, including by providing businesses with educational materials and guidance to ensure that the rules can be followed when they reopen. Gov. Gavin Newsom said last week that, while California is making progress in bending the coronavirus curve, most of the six conditions he set for the state to consider loosening the stay-at-home order he issued last month have not been met. The only change the governor has made is to allow hospitals to begin scheduling some elective surgeries, citing sufficient capacity. The six goals are the ability to closely monitor and track potential cases; prevent infection of high-risk people; prepare hospitals to handle surges; develop therapies to meet demand; ensure schools, businesses and child-care facilities can support social distancing; and develop guidelines for asking Californians to stay home again if necessary. We will consider local conditions when deciding when to ease the rules Newsom said Friday. We will consider those things not only from the perspective of the spread of the virus, not only from the perspective of the number of deaths and trend lines, but also in terms of our broader capacity. Gov. Andrew Cuomo says no attractive nuisances will be allowed when New York state begins reopening, likely on a region-by-region basis, from coronavirus shutdowns. What does that mean? Bad news for the New York State Fair, festivals, concerts and other events, most likely. According to Cornell Law School, attractive nuisance is a legal term regarding conditions that may attract children and involve risk or harm to their safety. For example, insurance company Nationwide says homeowners can face liability for attractive nuisances" like swimming pools, swings, trampolines or construction projects. Cuomo detailed Monday how New Yorks Un-PAUSE Regional Analysis will allow certain parts of the state to reopen before others. During a press briefing, he said large events and attractions where people flood the area from other states, or parts of the NYS still under stay-at-home orders, will not be allowed due to risks of spreading coronavirus in regions where COVID-19 is largely under control. That could almost certainly include the 2020 NYS Fair, tentatively scheduled for 18 days this year from Aug. 21 to Sept. 7. More than 1.3 million people attended last years fair over 13 days, breaking a record. I dont have a crystal ball, but I think we will cancel the fair, Sandra Lane, a public health professor at Syracuse University, told syracuse.com | The Post-Standard last week. I dont think well be encouraging large gatherings then. Other places or events that could be considered attractive nuisances include sporting events, festivals, concerts, movie theaters, theme parks, state parks, beaches and museums. A music concert at St. Josephs Health Amphitheater at Lakeview, for example, could be in jeopardy if it potentially attracts people from other regions to Syracuse. The 2020 Taste of Syracuse recently canceled its festival, which would have been June 5 and 6. When asked about casinos, Cuomo said its possible they might not be considered an attractive nuisance: Youd have to look at how theyre going to conduct their business. Central New York has one of the lowest coronavirus infection rates in the state, Cuomo said Monday, based on antibody testing. Of those tested for coronavirus antibodies in CNY in recent days, 1.3% were positive. The only region with a lower rate of positives was the North Country at 1.2%. Nearly one in four tests 24.7% in New York City were positive, suggesting NYC could be the last region to reopen. Antibodies are a part of the bodys immune response and are produced to fight infections. Testing for them can reveal who has already had the coronavirus and recovered on their own. No "attractive nuisances": if you don't know what that is, as a first year law student. Don't want people coming from other areas to flood another area @NYGovCuomo Risa A Levine (@risal770) April 27, 2020 "no 'attractive nuisances'" will be allowed in regions that re-open, @NYGovCuomo says, seemingly ruling out beaches, ballparks, concerts. chris smith (@chrissmithnymag) April 27, 2020 The governor just announced that "attractive nuisances" will be banned as we come out of quarantine, so I guess I'm never getting out of my damn apartment pic.twitter.com/RenJFxSzGf Good Idea Dave (@DaveCoIon) April 27, 2020 MORE ON CORONAVIRUS Coronavirus in NY: Cases, maps, charts and resources NYS Fair in jeopardy: Experts cast doubt on festivals, concerts in year of coronavirus Upstate New York brewpub busted for violation of coronavirus shutdown order Will drive-in movie theaters open during coronavirus shutdown? How to get refunds on concert tickets: Ticketmaster, Live Nation launch relief plan I received a new PRSix2 frameset from Quintana Roo to build up as I liked. Here it is and theres going to be some facepalming, handwringing, and general upsettedness at what Ive done! Nevertheless here goes. First can I talk about the frame? A little! I dont need to talk about it a lot, because QR hasnt changed its geometry for its PR series since it introduced this platform in 2014. Why would it? Yes, it took me 2 years and 5 articles before I called these bikes by their proper names (its PRSix, not PR6). While I've been inconsistent in my naming conventions, QR has been consistent in making a bike that handles well, and does so uniformly up and down the model line-up. (At least I've been consistent in recognizing and reporting on that!) This bikes geometry shouldnt change. Theres nothing to change. It fits right and it handles right. More importantly, it fits and handles the same way regardless of what QR tri bike you buy, whether PRThree, Four, Five or Six. This bike, the way Im showing it here, would probably cost around $10,000, but I hopped aboard a PR-series bike in Kona a year and a half ago (in the image Im riding with the companys owner, Peter Hurley) and that bike rode exactly the same as the bike Im featuring here. The bike I rode in Kona you can buy for near to $3,000 right now. Yes, $3,000 is a big gulp! Just, Im making a point here. This brand has figured out a way to make a price-scaled line-up that is quite light, easy to work on (if any hydraulic brakes are ever easy to work on), aerodynamic, easy to adjust, and fits a wide range of folks. Now that QR has flowed the tech to its bottom price point, the PRSix2 is the just-launched attempt to renew value at the high end. Later on Ill close with a couple of paragraphs on whats different between this frame than the PRSix Disc it replaces; and how to know youre going to get the right-size QR (please read! its not straightforward). But lets talk about the spec I chose, which is certain to get me in the dutch. I hung a SRAM AXS Red groupset on this bike. Why? Because Im lazy. I wrote a few weeks ago in a review of an internal cable routing set made by Park Tool about this frames internal routing aids (vinyl liners moving through the frame). But what Ive discovered in my old age is that vinyl liners eventually get brittle and break. Yes, I can route shift cables the first time. What about the second and third time, 3 or 4 years from now? This isnt a QR problem. This is an industry problem. We need internal liners that last the life of the frame. Failing this, Im choosing electronic when I can, and when the budget permits. Wireless electronic preferably. Which this SRAM's AXS system is. I chose a 12-speed cassette in the rear that went 10-33 and in the front a 48-35. You might think that a puny choice. No quarrel. The 48x10 is not a puny gear. But yes, the almost-1-to-1 available low gear is. In my defense: first, Im old now. Youll get here. Youll see. So theres that. Second, when climbing, Im a stay-aero-and-spin guy. Im in the minority with this technique, but I believe it remains the proper way to climb on an aero bike. The problem is, most folks run out of low gear if they use this technique, which requires the use of a high-cadence when climbing. The fix is not to sit up, but to put the right gears on the bike. And the last reason for the small gears on this bike: I'm old. (Did I mention that?) Heres what I promise you: If you put lower gears on your tri bike (or road or gravel bike), youll use them. What you are less likely to use is the big gear. What youll certainly use is the small gear. Having low enough gearing on your tri bike opens up possibilities you cant otherwise enjoy. Hence the gearing I chose for this bike. If you use Zipps new wireless, smart shift extensions then the shifting is entirely wireless. Nothing through the frame. No wires, junction boxes, no BlipBox, nothing. However, QR made its frames with the idea theyd be paired with Profile Design cockpits. To begin with, the PRSix2 ships with a Profile Design industry leading Aeria Hydration, which is painted by QR in Chattanooga to match the frame. When I wrote about Zipp's new electronic extensions in March, the Zipp aerobars were mounted on a Zipp pursuit bar which Ill write about some other time. I left that pursuit bar on the bike, because I dig its cable routing options. But I swapped out the Zipp aerobar clamps for a Profile Design Supersonic bracket kit, and on this bracket I put PDs Ergo Armrest Kit. Inside of this I replaced the Zipp Vuka Shift AXS 90 extensions. But there was a problem. Im a stickler for ones ability to lay ones forearms on the pads, and the extensions meet the hand, rather than the hand having to reach the extensions. The planar relationship between pad and the handhold must be evident, and it wasnt on this set up, because the extension handhold and the shifters were too high in elevation. I dont want my forearm pivoting on the back of the armrest. I want the entire armrest to serve as a forearm rest. What I did find is that just a 1cm pad rise took care of this for me. Profile Design makes a figure-8 spacer 1cm in height that got me the extra pad height. Now Im comfortable. I dont know that you can even buy that spacer anymore, but thats what I did. In Zipps catalog youll find a wedge kit that tilts the armrest and that's how Zipp addresses that concern. Those pursuit shifters SRAM made, the MultiClics, theyre cool for sure, but my installation was bugging me. Those shifters are made to be fitted onto round handlebars. But where they need to sit, according to me, is right on the inside of the hydraulic brake lever. The last time I photographed these I had a mess of 2-sided tape, black tape and a zip tie. Finally I ripped all of that stuff off and epoxied them onto the side of those brake levers. Done. In a week or so Im writing about pedals in more detail specifically a comparison between Speedplay and typical 3-hole systems made by Shimano and Look. For this bike its Speedplay and Ive written about this a lot and youll get more of it next week. Ive been a fan, and I remain a fan, of Zipp, HED and ENVE. In this particular case Ive got some Swiss Side wheels on the bike, ARC 1100 Dicut, in 62mm in front and 80mm in the back. I can ride any depth in the back without concern, but riding that depth in the front is like having a pet alligator. Interesting for sure. But nerve-wracking. Hence the 62mm in front. Ive got Vittoria Corsa Speed tires on these wheels. If youre an avid Slowtwitcher, you know Im a big fan of road tubeless, and in particular of Schwalbes road tubeless. But it must be acknowledged that there are at least 2 other brands that deserve market share: Continential and Vittoria. Of the two, Vittoria is the most interesting to me because its road tubeless tires test so darned well when measuring rolling resistance. These are 25mm tires on the bike and they are the choice of some discriminating pro triathletes. According to our investigations on this, Chris Lieferman, Daniel Baekkegaard rode these tires in Kona (among the men), and the women who chose this tire in Kona included Sarah Piampiano and Carrie Lester. Ive got a BiSaddle ShapeShifter on board the PRSix2s seat post. On that seat post, theres a pair of set screws on both sides of the seat post hardware to microadjust the tilt, and to keep the saddle from slipping. Its taken about 25 years for aero bikes to finally start making aero posts that allow sufficient fore/aft movement; that allow any tilt angle I want; that dont slip while riding. Thank you. Its a little late industry! but thank you. Ill be writing more about the BiSaddle. Its an interesting design, and its kind of like getting a custom saddle. You can try out a lot of saddles and see whats comfortable, or you can buy one saddle and try it out a bunch of ways until you finally get the thing adjusted how you want it (separate adjustments for nose width and flange width). Let me take a brief moment to tell you whats new bike the PRSix2, and whats a continuation. The bottom bracket has undergone a change. Just when I got pretty well happy with PressFit 30s, out comes a new standard, the T47. But look, I wrote in my cable routing piece about the number of times Ive had to bang out a BB because I got into routing hell, where nothing would route with the BB installed. If for whatever reason you find yourself in this place because you installed the BB before you routed cables; because your internal vinyl liner broke; whatever the T47 is a threaded standard. No hitting your bike with a hammer. Just unscrew it. The PRSix2 frame got lighter and stiffer, by about 10 percent in each metric. And it onboarded this integrated front hydration system. Then theres already the SHIFT tech, and you either buy this narrative or you dont: The down tube's asymmetric shape shunts the wind to the non-drive side of the bike. One thing about that big fat off-side chain stay, it appears to have at least a fighting chance of fairing that rear brake caliper and rotor. It also stiffens the frame up nicely and thats always an issue on aero bikes. Lets end with a discussion on bike fit, and on purchase pathways. The size of the bike is the stack of the frame. I ride a size-54 in this bike, though I typically ride a size-58 in, say, a road bike. Im 62. Why do I ride a bike this small? Because its not small. Its a 54cm because the frames stack is 54cm, and typically a size L in a tri bike, or a size 56cm or 58cm (depending on the bike maker) has a frame stack of 54cm. But if youre still in a quandary, see that below? This is on our Reader Forum. Heres the direct link to that Fit Assistance Thread. We have a guy, his job is to read your story and take you under his wing, specific to that brand. For the QRs (and the Canyons) its Ian Murray, hes our lead instructor at our F.I.S.T. Bike Fit workshops. I dont think Mr. Hurley likes it particularly when I say this about his brand, but Im going to say it anyway. What hes winning is the war of logistics. Hed probably prefer I just talk the bikes he makes. But this impacts you, and especially so in the times in which we live right now. His company, American Bicycle Group, uses the traditional bike business models where it makes sense, and not where it doesnt. Sales channels (the IBD network or consumer direct) isn't a binary choice to him. ABG honors the IBD network when and where it makes sense; and where it doesnt he sells to you directly. Likewise, its not about made-in-China or made-in-America. The frames are built in China (though ABG's titanium frames, the Litespeed brand, are made in the U.S.), but this company has paint and assembly lines in Chattanooga, to give you the paint and the build you want. Its a little more money painting in the U.S. but the cost of money, the turnaround times, the flexibility, more than makes up for it. I built this bike differently than the pair of Shimano builds (Ultegra and Dura Ace Di2) that QR offers for the PRSix2 (they cant stock every option!). Youll find a number of pretty compelling offers on their site. These bikes pop up every now and then on the secondary market, such as this sweet year-old 50cm PRSix on The Pros Closet (and remember, this would probably fit someone whod typically ride a 52cm or 54cm bike). Heres where you can read more about these bikes, see what important stuff I've forgotten to mention, and you can see here the available the colors, cosmetic schemes and builds available. Still, Americans have a way of turning to history as a kind of consolation, to give knowable shape to frightening, chaotic events. And since the crisis began, leaders have reached for analogies like Pearl Harbor and Sept. 11, which both capture the sense of shocking suddenness, and also appeal to an idea of the American story as a series of challenges that make us stronger, better, more united. Such analogies also underline the idea of American specialness that we are under attack, as the post-Sept. 11, refrain went, because of who we are. But an attack by pathogens resists that same kind of self-flattering narrative. And for some, the coronavirus crisis, instead of affirming our distinctness, is revealing how much we have in common with the rest of the world, sometimes in uncomfortable ways. Since the crisis began, the Russian-American journalist Masha Gessen has been having regular video gatherings with friends in Moscow. And what has struck her, she said, is the similarity of what they were experiencing, starting with the feeling that weve been entirely left to our own devices. In the United States we have all this infrastructure, and we think that all these things are going to work the way theyre supposed to when push comes to shove, she said. In Russia, we always knew they wouldnt. Even references to America as the epicenter of the crisis, when per capita death rates in many other countries, including a number in Western Europe, are higher, Ms. Gessen said, reflects a wrongheaded frame. Its just another aspect of us realizing we are just as vulnerable as people in other countries and in some ways a lot more to a thing that doesnt recognize national borders, she said. New Delhi, April 27 : Senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel has questioned the union government over the purchase of rapid antibody testing kits allegedly at high cost. Patel took to Twitter and said: "The recent Delhi HC judgement has raised a pertinent question - Why was ICMR purchasing antibody test kits for Rs 600 per piece, which was imported for Rs 245?" The Congress leader went on to add, "In the midst of a pandemic, no one should profit at the expense of the poor. Hope Govt clarifies this." The Delhi High Court capped the maximum sale price of the COVID-19 test kits which were imported by the Matrix Labs after the matter was raised before a bench of Justice Najmi Waziri. The court said, "For people to be assured that the pandemic is under control and for governments to ensure and for agencies engaged in the frontline battle to safeguard people's health, more kits/tests should be made available urgently at the lowest cost, for carrying out extensive tests throughout the country. Public interest must outweigh private gain." But now, a senior opposition leader questioning the purchase at a higher price, the matter has assumed political colour. Houston conservative activist Steve Hotze on Monday filed a petition with the Texas Supreme Court seeking an emergency ruling on Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgos mask order, which took effect this morning. Hotze originally filed the lawsuit in state court last week, but District Judge Steven Kirkland on Friday denied his request for a temporary restraining order, allowing Hidalgos mandate to take effect Monday, as planned. Hotzes new filing echoes the argument he made to Kirkland: that the Texas Constitution and local government code do not give Hidalgo authority to require people to cover their faces in public. Hidalgos order was set to last for 30 days, though Gov. Greg Abbott said Monday that local governments will be barred from fining people for not wearing a mask under a new statewide executive order set to take effect Friday. People who violate Hidalgos order are subject to fines of up to $1,000, though the county judge and law enforcement officials have made clear that officers will distribute masks instead of issuing fines to those who fail to comply. Still, Hidalgos order sparked intense backlash from conservatives who said it went too far. Hidalgo said Monday afternoon that Abbotts move to effectively override her mask order doesnt change much because, like every order weve issued so far, wed made it clear that the priority was education. A Hidalgo spokeswoman said the judge will amend her order to remove the fine in light of Abbotts comment. The fine was there as a signal of how vital mask wearing is, and in many ways, the community got that message, Hidalgo said. Its been disappointing to see folks politicize public health, and I hope this means theyll go back to focusing on health and safety instead of politics. Hotze attorney Jared Woodfill noted that while Abbott said local governments may not penalize people for failing to cover their faces in public, the governor said so in response to a reporters question and did not appear to include the language in his order. Woodfill said he intended to file a supplemental motion with the Texas Supreme Court Monday evening that will include Abbotts comments. The Texas Supreme Court has given Hidalgo until Friday to respond to Hotzes emergency petition, Woodfill said. During a Friday hearing in Kirklands court, Assistant County Attorney Seth Hopkins argued that Hotze did not have standing to challenge the order because he had no actual imminent fear of prosecution. The order itself tells the law enforcement, use broad discretion, Hopkins said, according to a court transcript. And the plaintiff concedes hes not going to be prosecuted. Hotze attorney Jared Woodfill responded, So, I guess my question is, if they dont plan to enforce it, then why is the language even there? Why wouldnt it just continue to be voluntary? He also clarified Monday that Hotze does not concede hes not going to be prosecuted under the order. Hopkins said the order allows officers to impose a fine if there is an extreme case, but I think in the examples we have, we dont have a case like that right now. The Harris County Attorneys office has said Section 418.108 of the Texas Government Code gives the county judge the authority to declare a disaster in her jurisdiction and to control the movement of persons and the occupancy of premises in that area. That, it said, gives Hidalgo the authority to issue the mask order, along with another provision that allows her to exercise the powers granted to the governor for emergency management, including issuing local executive orders that have the force and effect of law. Hotze also has challenged the part of Hidalgos order that requires people to wash their hands before leaving their residence, stay six feet away from each other and avoid touching their faces in public. Hotze argued the section of state law that governs disasters does not contain any language forcing private citizens to perform the actions in Hidalgos order. jasper.scherer@chron.com Some US States Begin Warily Reopening By VOA News April 26, 2020 Some U.S. states are slowly reopening their economies after weeks of lockdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. But as confirmed cases and death tolls continue to climb in the United States by far the hardest hit country by the virus in the world health experts are warning that drastic changes will be needed to be made before easing social restrictions. Over the weekend, the nation's top infectious-disease specialist, Dr. Anthony Fauci, said that the U.S. would need to increase its testing for the virus by at least two-fold before it could begin reopening its economy. "You need enough tests so when you're doing what we're trying to do right now, which is trying to ease our way back, that you can very easily identify, test, contact trace and get those who are infected out of society so they don't infect others," Fauci said in a webcast hosted Satuday by the National Academy of Sciences. Over 940,000 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in the United States, resulting in over 54,000 deaths. Georgia, South Carolina, and Oklahoma are among the states that have already begun a partial reopening. The Western state of Colorado will replace its stay-at-home order with a softer version which will include the opening of select businesses, most of which will be required to operate with only curbside pickup. Other states have been more wary of entering the next phase of their orders too early. "I don't want to second guess my colleagues," Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, chair of the National Governors Association, told George Stephanopoulos on ABC's "This Week Sunday". "I'm going to be very cautious." New York, the state hardest-hit with the coronavirus, has been under a stay-at-home order since March 22. The executive order is set to expire on May 15, at which time governor Andrew Cuomo has said he will coordinate with neighboring states to slowly reopen their economies. In a press briefing Sunday, Cuomo said the first phase of reopening will involve "low-risk" construction and manufacturing jobs, mostly in upstate New York. "Downstate is more complicated," Cuomo said, referring largely to New York City, where roughly one-third of all COVID-19 deaths in the United States have occurred. "Coordination does not mean total consistency," he said. But the closing of businesses across the country has had a devastating effect employment. Over 26.5 million Americans have filed for unemployment in the last five weeks, according to the Department of Labor. Some companies laid off workers quickly in mid-March as the spread of the coronavirus became apparent. But other companies vowed to keep paying their workers, at least for a while, even as many of them had little work to do as their potential customers stayed home to protect themselves and their families. Some companies have now laid off these workers as well, as the depth of the country's economic turmoil takes hold. "We're going to be looking at an unemployment rate that approaches rates that I think we saw during the Great Depression," Kevin Hassett, the chair of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, told ABC's "This Week Sunday." Hassett said the unemployment rate is expected to hit 16% or higher in the April jobs report, which will be released in early May. On Friday, President Donald Trump signed a $484 billion bill aiding small businesses and hospitals severely impaired by the coronavirus pandemic on Friday. The funds in the fourth spending package in just two months will allow tens of millions more Americans to receive critical relief since COVID-19 forced the closure of much of American commerce. U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin expressed confidence Sunday that the U.S. economy would "really bounce back" in the third quarter. "We're putting in an unprecedented amount of fiscal relief into the economy," Mnuchin said told the TV program "Fox News Sunday." "I think this is going to have a significant impact." Regardless of how soon economies open, health experts note that social distancing policies will remain in place for a long time. "Social distancing will be with us through the summer to really ensure that we protect one another," coronavirus response coordinator and physician Deborah Birx said Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address "Our Charitable Foundation with Nadiia Shalomova supports the Kyivans and Vitali Klitschkos team in the joint fight against the coronavirus", Lozhkin commented on this event Lung ventilator, Lozhkin and Shalomova Charitable Foundation 112 Agency Charitable Foundation of Boris Lozkin and Nadiia Shalomova has donated to the Kyiv Clinical Hospital No 15 a high-end WATO EX-20 Anesthesia Ventilator, which will allow the doctors to provide medical care to coronavirus patients in the moderate and severe stages of the disease. Boris Lozhkin informed about giving over the equipment on Facebook: Unfortunately, Kyiv has become one of the largest foci for the coronavirus spread in Ukraine. The number of the coronavirus cases in the capital has already crossed the 1,000 mark. Our Charitable Foundation with Nadiia Shalomova supports the Kyivans and Vitali Klitschkos team in the joint fight against the coronavirus. This equipment uses the latest architecture for anesthesia supervision, with an intelligent accounting system for the required volume of air. WATO EX-20 allows maintaining the respiratory function of patients of different ages, including children. This flexibility is of great importance, as in case of peak loads on the intensive care units, the device can be used for any patients who are in critical condition. A significant advantage of the equipment is also its ease of use, which will allow the hospital doctors learn to operate it in the shortest possible time. It was earlier informed that assistance from the Charitable Foundation of Boris Lozhkin had been also given to the doctors of the Prof. O.S.Kolomiychenko Institute of Otolaryngology by the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine. They received a batch of personal protective equipment against coronavirus. Anu Kuruvilla By Express News Service KOCHI: The Covid-19 pandemic has left everyone worried, especially students who have taken education loans. Many of the students come from financially backward communities and they have been hoping to clear the loans once they get jobs, especially in Gulf countries. I completed my BTech course in Civil Engineering and have been looking forward to a job in the Gulf. I had even landed one, but bad luck came in the form of Covid-19 and swept away the offer, said Harikrishnan R, who studied in an engineering college in Tamil Nadu. My father was at that time working in the Gulf. Of course not in some big fancy company. He was a labourer, he said. According to him, the plan was to clear the loan once he got a job. But all that has fallen flat. After suffering a heart attack, my father had to come back home. He cant go to work anymore. he said. Now, Harikrishnans sister too is doing Engineering. But we have decided against taking a bank loan. I am doing odd jobs to meet the financial needs of my family. I have come to know that there is a freeze in placements in the Gulf, said Harikrishnan. If only the government would issue a moratorium on education loans for a year, it would have been very helpful for us, he said. According to Rejool Bin Basheer, another engineering graduate, times are tough. Without any means of earning a livelihood, we have no idea how we are going to pay the loans that we took from the bank. We are not saying that we will not pay back the amount, said Rejool. All we want is some time, he added. Even the nursing students have tales of woes to tell when it comes to education loans. I am a BSc Nursing graduate, said Athira Mohan. I had taken Rs 2.50 lakh as education loan banking on the belief that once I get a job abroad I will be able to pay back the entire amount. But all that hope is lost due to Coronavirus pandemic, she said. Today, to help out her father, she has joined a private hospital for a very low salary. According to Poly Thomas, president, Educational Loanees Association, the association has requested the state government to implement a moratorium on repayment of loans for a year. Even though at present, those having no dues have been given three months time to repay, they will be unable to repay the amount plus the interest at a go, he said. He said, Even if the students decide to use the three months moratorium, the banks make them run around, added Poly. According to him, until now the parents, most of them daily wage labourers, have been repaying the amount. But now with the lockdown in place, they dont have any jobs and hence are unable to find money for repayment of loans, he added. Investigators looking into an allegedly forged document sent from Energy Minister Angus Taylor's office found no evidence the original document was downloaded to his office, despite his claims to Parliament. NSW Police could not find any metadata to prove a device in Mr Taylor's office downloaded the City of Sydney's annual report from its website. A fake version of the report was sent from his office to a newspaper to attack Sydney lord mayor Clover Moore over the City of Sydney's travel expenses. NSW Police could not find any metadata to show the City of Sydney's annual report was downloaded to Energy Minister Angus Taylor's office. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen Mr Taylor used the faked version to claim the council spent $15.9 million on travel when the real costs were less than $6000. He later apologised to Cr Moore. In answers to questions on notice to a NSW parliamentary committee, NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller said police could not confirm when Mr Taylor or his office downloaded the documents from the City of Sydney website. Every Thursday at 8:00 p.m., British homes rouse from their lockdown slumber and empty into the streets for a few minutes of clapping, pot-banging, and drumming in support of workers in the National Health Service (NHS). The weekly ruckus has caused quite a stir in my peaceful idyll of Virginia Water, where the last time we endured such powerful, noisy demonstrations was in 1998, when the Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet was under house arrest on the Wentworth Estate. The sudden concert of noise caused quite the shock to my father, who was blissfully unaware of the launch of the NHS clapping craze and briefly feared that the junta general and his round-the-clock haters had returned to haunt him. But besides the minor bout of PTSD inflicted on my old man, I worry that this weekly rendition will have more harmful consequences. The first and most immediate issue has been the rise of clapping patrols, the Facebook-based vigilantes who angrily post on local residents pages about how some people from my road failed to clap this evening. Ive seen several angry statuses from anonymous neighbors clearly mindless fascists longing for a return to the Pinochet days and just recently, an exhausted mother in Manchester was named and shamed for not getting involved. Some people, Im sure, are taking part in the outdoor noise just to satisfy the unspeakably weird obsessions of their nosy, bored neighbors, who must be completely intolerable to live alongside. As writer Niall Gooch has pointed out, the ardent sentimentalist is often simultaneously a bully. But perhaps the more pernicious outcome of this health-worker hero-worship will be what it does to the already-lofty status of the NHS. Margaret Thatchers Chancellor of the Exchequer Nigel Lawson famously said that the NHS is the closest thing the English people have to a religion. And now, thanks to the coronavirus, its even got a weekly service of praise, far better attended than any Anglican evensong. And because of this quasi-religiosity, British politicians many of whom are aware of the services tragic health outcomes in key areas of care are required to demonstrate a penance of support towards it. Story continues Serious questions should be posed about the NHSs effectiveness in dealing with this crisis after were through the tunnel of lockdown, quarantine, and solitude. An open inquiry wont be possible if any criticism is battered away as sacrilege towards our brave health workers, whom we clapped for. There has already been ample pillorying for those brave enough to suggest that total, unswerving praise for the countrys regularly limping health service isnt a good idea. Andrew Lilico an interesting economist, itself a rarity, who appears to be driven by a dangerous mixture of divergent thinking and a total indifference to what others think of him recently said: NHS worship is going to be even more insufferable once this is done than it was before, isnt it? Lots of angry people got in touch to tell Mr. Lilico what they thought of him. Some called him disgusting, many more called him neoliberal (gasp), but few if any bothered to grapple with what hed said. Thats probably because hes right. James Forsyth, political editor of the Spectator and widely considered to be the best-informed man in Westminster, recently wrote that Tory strategists have aimed to revolutionize the partys approach to the NHS, having discovered that for many voters it isnt just a key issue, its the issue. And now that Prime Minister Boris Johnson has an emotional connection with the NHS after he was hospitalized with the virus, he will be more resilient to attacks that he doesnt care about the service, and keener to show just how grateful he is for the care he received. This likely explains why major government ministers and Tory members of Parliament have all joined in with the clapping renditions, proudly posting videos outside their front doors, or on Downing Street, joining in with the rest of the nation. Our average-to-poor healthcare-providing deity will now gain an extra layer of protection from blasphemy, as even the most critical Tories will surely find the public backlash too great. The NHS saved my nan is a common meme used to describe some of the simple defenses of the health service; Tory critics will soon hear the NHS saved your boss. But its not just ardent Tories and free-market-think-tank policy wonks who will bear the brunt of this additional religiosity. Nurses and doctors, who have worked exceptionally hard in difficult and dangerous circumstances, deserve better than people gathering to mindlessly thwack a wok. We need to promote an atmosphere that will ferment the best possible conditions for discussing how to make their line of work safer and more effective. The oft-repeated lie that Britain is full of stiff-upper-lipped adults capable of regulating emotion is regularly disproven. Modern Britain is fond of emotive hysteria when it finds itself in tough times. The outpouring of vacuous public grief when Princess Diana died is a popular example. Weeping theatrics blind us from doing the right thing or having the important national conversations. Sometimes they also drive us to do doughnuts in the River Thames. They might now stop us from reducing harm and saving lives when the next epidemic comes along. We can all do our bit to restore some seriousness and honesty to health-care debates lord knows well need them when we are past this pandemic which is why Im calling for a total and complete shutdown of the clapping until our nations leaders can figure out what the hell is going on. You too can do your bit. Next Thursday evening, save lives and stay indoors. More from National Review 223 Shares Share We write personal statements when we apply to medical school and residency. They serve as a sort of window to our soul, our reflections and aspirations, our physician vision and mission. I was doing some soul-searching, and I found my medical school personal statement. The following is a snippet from it: I believe that the purpose of medicine, of the restoration of health, is to remind people of their own mortality and humanity, and those of others. Intricately related to such a recovery is the rediscovery of the preciousness of life, the rediscovery of the hope they had for certain goals in their lives. With renewed health and reestablished hope, people can seek to find projects to work on that will leave positive marks on their lives. The physicians aspiration is to give his/her all in attempting to enable people to realize their goals: to help them to aim towards a project and to be inspired to live life. I reviewed what my daily physician activities consisted of and compared it to my personal statements. Not surprisingly, I did not find any of the following in my personal statements: I want to spend a lot of my time going back and forth with insurance companies so that they will pay for the tests and treatments I ordered for my patients. My dream is to spend my time clicking boxes on a screen instead of being with the patient in front of me. I look forward to hearing patients call me stupid Dr. Yoo and threaten to call the CEO of the hospital if they do not get a specific medication they want prescribed to them. After four and half years of practicing medicine in a conventional hospital-affiliated outpatient primary care office and doing my soul-searching, I said to myself, This is not why I wanted to become a physician. It was clear to me that I needed to move away from this situation that I never wanted to be in nor want to stay in. The office staff members say to me, What are we going to do with your patients? They are not going to take it well. I know a part of me will miss being part of the lives of the patients I have cared for here, but I cannot help smiling because I know that I made such a great decision for myself and thank myself for pursuing my authentic physician life. I wrote a new personal statement for myself and actually ended up keeping the entire above paragraph from my medical school personal statement because it is still true for me today. Here are a few snippets from other parts of it: I will heal and inspire others using all of my medical training as well as my interests, skills, and abilities outside of medicine while remaining true to my values and having maximal control over my priorities, projects, and patient care delivery. I am definitely going to go on a three-month-long ramen-sushi-hot springs tour in Japan. Do some soul-searching of your own by digging up the personal statements you wrote for your applications to medical school and/or residency and compare what you wrote then to your current life and career situation. Then write a new personal statement for yourself, one with todays reflections and aspirations, your vision, and mission that describes your authentic physician life. It may be eye-opening, healing, life-changing for you as it was for me. Francis Yoo is a family physician turned entrepreneur and is the author of Physician Freedom: Living Your Authentic Physician Life. He can be reached at his self-titled site, Dr. Francis Yoo. Image credit: Shutterstock.com Tamil Nadu's cities are a total contrast with rural districts A deserted intersection in Chennai as a total civil curfew was clamped on the capital of Tamil Nadu and several other cities. (PTI) Corona receding in districts, no relent in big cities, TN death toll up to 24 ZAKEER HUSSAIN | D SEKAR | M.R. VENKATESH |DC Salem/Chennai: Even milk and packaged water became scarce in the big cities of Tamil Nadu as the severest lockdown, a total civil curfew, was imposed on Chenna, Madurai, Coimbatore, Salem, Tirupur. The town to feel it the most was Salem. There were heart-rending scenes. One pavement hawker of lemons was whisked away to a police station by the Salem city police, for violating the civil curfew. His mother, Balamani went to the police station to plead for her son's release but collapsed there. The city lockdown is the administrations response to the continuing burgeoning of covid-19 numbers in the big cities while the rest of Tamil Nadu districts are safer at the moment. Barring the big cities like Chennai and Madurai, which continue to rapidly add new positive cases of Covid-19, there is a ray of hope in the districts of Tamil Nadu. There the incidence of coronavirus infection is showing a decline although the total number of positive cases in the state as a whole is still on an uptrend, touching 1,885 by Sundayy evening. The death toll is at 24 with one patient dying in Chennai Saturday. For example, on Saturday evening, the official bulletin on the overall Covid-19 situation in Tamil Nadu showed that 64 new patients had tested positive for the virus. But these were spatially distributed among only 10 of the 37 districts in the state. There was happier news on Sunday: the other 27 districts did not report a single positive case that day. Thats a record of sorts with the government going in for intensifying the lockdown. Krishnagiri is the only district so far that is in the 'green zone' as per ICMR norms. Official sources cite the latest figures to say that the prevalence rate of coronavirus is seeing a visible decline in many districts. But Chennai is a big worry. The state capital keeps adding to its high tally: on Sunday it accounting for 28 of the 64 new cases, followed by Madurai with 15. The total Covid-19 positive cases in Chennai crossed the 500-mark to reach 523 on Sunday, and as many as 157 areas in the metro are barricaded as containment zones. Chennai, Madurai and Coimbatore are under the strictest lockdown yet, a total civil curfew, to rein in the virus in the big cities. A central team of offcials, given the abbreviation of IMCT, visited the Koyembedu wholesale market, one Amma Canteen in the Vadapalani area, the quarantine centre at the Chennai Trade Centre at Nandambakkam and the Omandurar government multi-specialty hospital and reviewed various issues. They were briefed by the commissioner for revenue admin, Dr J Radhakrishnan, the CMDA secretary Karthikeyan and he health secretary Dr Beela Rajesh. From New Delhi, cabinet secretary Rajeev Gowda also held a video-conference meeting with Tamil Nadu chief secretary K Shanmugam, and ascertained the ground realities on various issues, including doctors being attacked in Chennai. The states home secretary Prabhakar and police chief J K Tripathy, also took part in the video conference. The Australian government coronavirus (COVID-19) tracking app 'COVIDSafe' is seen on April 26, 2020 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images) Over 1 Million Download Australias COVIDSafe App Despite Privacy Concerns The Australian governments COVIDSafe app has reached over 1 million downloads in 24 hours since it was launched, said federal health minister Greg Hunt on April 27. Hunt said that Australians had responded magnificently to the apps launch in an interview with Sky News. COVIDSafe was launched on April 26 by the health minister to help Australian health care professionals with contact tracing for the COVID-19 pandemic. Hunt said in a joint media release on April 26, with Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Minister for Government Services Stuart Robert, and Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy, that we need the COVIDSafe app as part of the plan to save lives and save livelihoods. He continued saying that the more people who download the app, the safer they and their family will be, the safer their community will be, and the sooner we can safely lift restrictions and get back to business and do the things we love. Support From the Medical Community Throwing its support behind the app, the Australian Medical Associations President Tony Bartone announced the AMA believed that COVIDSafe would be an important way to contain the spread of COVID-19 in the Australian community. We need to ensure that the spread can be contained. Download the COVID safe app to protect yourself and your loved ones @amapresident #covidsafe pic.twitter.com/rTXIWeYDWq AMA Media (@ama_media) April 26, 2020 Bartone also posted on Twitter that he would be downloading the app and encouraging his patients to do the same. As a doctor, Ill be downloading the contact tracing app, and Ill be encouraging my patients, colleagues, family, and friends to do the same #COVIDsafe AMA President (@amapresident) April 26, 2020 COVIDSafe is based on Singapores Trace Together app and relies on Bluetooth technology to log the connections a user makes with other phones. Then in the event that a user catches the virus all those they came into contact with can be alerted via state health authorities. All collected data is encrypted and will be deleted after 21 days. Concerns Over the App In a joint statement, digital privacy watchdog groups Digital Rights Watch, Human Rights Law Centre, and the Centre For Responsible Technology said the apps source code should be published and that the government should create an independent authority to watch over the data. As a doctor, Ill be downloading the contact tracing app, and Ill be encouraging my patients, colleagues, family, and friends to do the same #COVIDsafe AMA President (@amapresident) April 26, 2020 Alice Drury, Senior Lawyer at the Human Rights Law Centre said, Designed properly, technology can see us innovate while protecting human rights. Our privacy does not need to be collateral damage. Australians deserve to have their privacy protected by laws passed by Parliament, that provide for independent oversight and mandatory public reporting of all uses of the data, she said. The federal government has taken pains to assured Australians that the data collected by the app will be safe. On April 26, the health minister said, No person can access whats on their phone, no other person can access whats on your phone. It is also prohibited by law. He said he had also signed into law a Biosecurity Act Determination which prevents access to the data and ensures that the data is kept on an Australian server. Amazon Web Services (AWS) will secure the data collected by CovidSAFE, according to the Department of Healths Privacy Assessment of COVIDSafe (pdf). AWS currently has a contract with the federal government to store government data. According to its website, AWS has the highest level of data protection recognised in Australia for a public cloud service provider. The data also cannot leave the country or be used for any purpose other than tracing people who have been flagged as being in close contact to a confirmed case. Any breach of this access is punishable by jail time. Furthermore, Minster Hunt confirmed on ABC Radio that the source code will be released to the public. A week after US oil has reached negative mark for the first time, local oil players are set to implement another across-the-board rollback. First to announce was Cleanfuel, who will slash P1.80 per liter on diesel and P0.20 per liter on gasoline. This will take effect 8AM, Tuesday (April 28). Cleanfuel Shell Philippines also announced similar adjustment on the two products by the pump, while also implementing a rollback on kerosene by P2.15 per liter. Shell's price movement will also be tomorrow at an earlier time (6AM). Other oil players are expected to follow suit. Last week, Eastern Petroleum president Fer Martinez said that despite that the US Crude pricing dove more than -$30 per barrel, it could still play as an advantage to import-dependent countries like the Philippines. According to him, the "negative pricing even for a very short term transaction further sent shockwaves to the oil producing countries already saddled with excess oil even before Covid-19 pandemic came into play." Also read: FREMONT (BCN) Police in Fremont Sunday night arrested a man after what started as a domestic violence situation involving a firearm turned into a two-hour standoff, police officers said. Police were called about 4:35 p.m. Sunday to a home on a cul de sac in the Canyon Heights neighborhood in far eastern Fremont, south of state Highway 84, in response to a call of a domestic disturbance that included criminal threats involving a firearm, Fremont police spokeswoman Geneva Bosques said. A female victim was able to safely leave the house and seek help. Bosques said the suspect was not talking with police. The Fremont police SWAT team was brought in, as were police hostage negotiators, and residents in a few adjacent houses were told to shelter in place. Almost two hours after police arrived outside the house, the suspect walked out with his hands over his head, Bosques said, and was safely taken into custody. Police obtained a search warrant for the house and recovered the firearm, said Bosques, who couldn't confirm Sunday night whether anyone was injured. The suspect, whose name and age were not available Sunday night, was being booked into the Santa Rita Jail in Dublin on charges including making criminal threats, Bosques 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. Pull Quote This is just a fresh coat of paint for the anti-vaccine movement in America." While most of the world hungers for a vaccine to put an end to the death and economic destruction wrought by COVID-19, some anti-vaccine groups are joining with anti-lockdown protesters to challenge restrictions aimed at protecting public health. Vaccine critics suffered serious setbacks in the past year, as states strengthened immunization laws in response to measles outbreaks sparked by vaccine refusers. California tightened its vaccine requirements last fall despite protests during which anti-vaccine activists threw blood on state senators, assaulted the vaccine bills sponsor and shut down the legislature. Now, many of these same vaccine critics are joining a fight against stay-at-home orders and business shutdowns intended to stem the spread of the coronavirus, which had killed more than 55,000 Americans as of April 26. This is just a fresh coat of paint for the anti-vaccine movement in America, and an exploitative means for them to try to remain relevant, said Dr. Peter Hotez, a professor at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. Hotez said anti-vaccine groups are seizing on the anti-government sentiment stoked by conservative-leaning protesters to advance their cause. Unfortunately, their strategy may work. A group calling itself the Freedom Angels, whose members last year stood on chairs and chanted at public hearings on the California vaccine bill, say governors are abusing their power by shutting down gun shops and other businesses. Pull Quote The anti-vaccine movement has never been limited to one political party. Many anti-vaccine activists who have claimed that diseases such as measles arent that serious now contend the coronavirus isnt dangerous enough to justify staying home. They agree with President Donald Trump that the cure for the pandemic could be worse than the disease itself. Thats led some vaccine foes to join the protesters whom Trump has encouraged on Twitter in staging demonstrations in state capitals to reopen America. This is the time for people to take notice and really evaluate the freedoms theyre giving up, all in the name of perceived safety, said Freedom Angels co-founder Heidi Munoz Gleisner in a Facebook video. The group organized a rally in Sacramento called Operation Gridlock. People need to get back to work, get back to life, get back into contact with their loved ones who theyre isolated from, they need to be able to have a paycheck, group co-founder Tara Thornton told The Sacramento Bee, which interviewed her during the demonstration. This is the grounds they will enslave us upon. Freedom Angels did not respond to requests for interviews. The groups website mentions plans for additional rallies and includes photos from Mondays demonstration, such as one in which a protester holds a sign proclaiming No Mandatory Vaccines. But after the the event, California Highway Patrol announced it had revoked the groups permit for future protests because the gathering which included dozens of people violated the governors social distancing order. The highway patrol has now banned all group events at the Capitol during the pandemic to avoid spreading the coronavirus. A big tent The anti-vaccine movement has never been limited to one political party. Left-leaning vaccine critics such as Childrens Health Defense, led by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. include environmentalists who are suspicious of chemical pollutants, corporations and Big Pharma. The Kennedy groups website attacks Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, for rushing risky and uncertain coronavirus vaccines into development as part of a sweetheart deal for drug companies. On the other side of the political spectrum, many anti-vaccine conservatives oppose state immunization requirements because they distrust big government. A group called Texans for Vaccine Choice has called on the governor to promise that no one will be forced to get a coronavirus vaccine in order to go to work or school. Posts on the Facebook page of Californians for Health Choice, which also opposed Californias vaccine laws, question stay-at-home orders and accuse government officials of refusing to admit the orders are a mistake. In a video on the Freedom Angels Facebook page, its founders describe stay-at-home orders as an abuse of government authority, and the closure of California gun shops as an assault on the Second Amendment. The group notes that guns could be essential for protection from rioters and looters looking to steal food during the pandemic. In many ways, the conservative arm of the anti-vaccine movement is a natural ally for those leading reopen America rallies, said Dr. David Gorski, an oncologist and managing editor of the Science-Based Medicine site. Both harbor suspicions about government authority. Vaccine critics, for example, have long championed the false claim that vaccines cause autism, and that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has tried to cover up that information, Gorski said. Trump has at times linked vaccines with autism, although he came out strongly in favor of vaccinations during the 2019 measles epidemic. Pull Quote Anti-vaccine groups are now rebranding themselves as advocates of medical freedom. Anti-vaccine groups are now rebranding themselves as advocates of medical freedom. Protests against social distancing began in Michigan but have spread to state capitols in Texas, Colorado, Nevada, Maryland, Wisconsin and elsewhere, with more planned. The April 24 rally in Madison drew a crowd of about 1,500 protesters. Yet the anti-vaccine movement doesnt speak for everyone on the right. Stephen Moore, the senior economic contributor for FreedomWorks, a conservative advocacy group that has been helping publicize the protests, said hes unfamiliar with the Freedom Angels or their rallies. Im personally pro-vaccine, said Moore, a member of the White House council to reopen the economy. Especially when it comes to coronavirus. And some heroes of the anti-vaccine movement say they support coronavirus lockdowns. Dr. Jay Gordon, a Santa Monica, California, pediatrician popular among vaccine foes for downplaying the risks of measles, said the risk of COVID-19 is real. Gordon said he approves of the lockdown, and we have to keep it up. Containing the pandemic Dr. Richard Pan, a pediatrician and California state senator who has championed stronger vaccine mandates, described anti-vaccine and anti-lockdown protesters as essentially selfish because they put other people at risk. One of the hallmarks of the anti-vaccine movement is this sense of selfishness and lack of concern for other peoples health, Pan said. They like to talk about rights and freedom. But what they really want is freedom without consequences. Both anti-vaccine parents and those who want to relax social distancing assume that the medical system will come to their rescue if they become sick, said Pan, who noted that thousands of health care workers have died while fighting the pandemic. Fauci has said that relaxing stay-at-home orders is dangerous as long as the virus for which there are no approved treatments or vaccines is actively spreading. Reopening businesses too soon could spark a second wave of infections. More than 75 companies and research groups worldwide are trying to develop vaccines, which are seen as a key weapon against the novel coronavirus. In the meantime, the CDC says that social distancing measures such as working from home and avoiding large gatherings are critical to slowing the spread of the coronavirus and preventing patients from overwhelming hospitals. Health leaders say it wont be safe to reopen the county until widespread testing shows the coronavirus has died down. Americans overwhelmingly support vaccination, according to surveys, and polling by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that 80 percent of Americans want lockdowns to continue. Only 19 percent said social distancing orders placed an unnecessary burden on the economy. (Kaiser Health News is an editorially independent program of the foundation.) Neither the anti-vaccine nor anti-lockdown demonstrators represent the opinions of most Americans, Pan said. Lets put this movement into proper context, he said. Theyre loud, theyre noisy and theyre small. Kaiser Health News (KHN) is a national health policy news service. Bethesda, MD - In a new animal study examining Alzheimer's disease, researchers found that disease progression could be slowed by decreasing neuroinflammation in the brain before memory problems and cognitive impairment were apparent. The new findings point to the importance of developing therapies that target very early stages of the disease. In 2011, the National Institute on Aging updated the diagnostic criteria for Alzheimer's disease to reflect its progressive nature. The criteria added a preclinical stage during which brain changes are taking place, but the person is still asymptomatic and, therefore, unaware of his condition. Biomarker profiles could eventually be used to identify people in the disease's early stages who might benefit from early treatments. "Starting an intervention at the earliest stage of the disease, when cellular and molecular alterations have already been triggered but major damage to the brain has not yet occurred, could offer a way to reduce the number of people who go on to develop full Alzheimer's dementia," said research team leader Caterina Scuderi, PhD, assistant professor of pharmacology and toxicology from Sapienza, University of Rome. "However, there have been few studies in animals examining therapeutic strategies that target timepoints before symptoms can be seen." Scuderi was scheduled to present this research at the American Association for Anatomy annual meeting in San Diego this month. Though the meeting, to be held in conjunction with the 2020 Experimental Biology conference, was canceled in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, the research team's abstract was published in this month's issue of The FASEB Journal. The researchers designed an animal study to gain a deeper understanding of neuroinflammation's role in Alzheimer's disease during the pre-symptomatic stage of the disease, which might represent the best time for therapeutic intervention. The study results suggest that rebalancing neuroinflammation in animals that show altered neuroinflammatory parameters could be beneficial. "Our results help demonstrate that neuroinflammation in Alzheimer's disease is an extremely complex phenomenon that can change over the disease's progression and varies based on factors such as affected brain area," said Scuderi. "We hope that these findings will prompt scientists to further investigate neuroinflammation at the earliest stages of the disease, which may represent an important pharmacological target." ### Contact the media team for more information. Image available. About Experimental Biology 2020 Experimental Biology is an annual meeting that attracts more than 12,000 scientists and exhibitors from five host societies and more than two dozen guest societies. With a mission to share the newest scientific concepts and research findings shaping clinical advances, the meeting offers an unparalleled opportunity for exchange among scientists from across the U.S. and the world who represent dozens of scientific areas, from laboratory to translational to clinical research. http://www.experimentalbiology.org #expbio About the American Association for Anatomy (AAA) The American Association for Anatomy is an international membership organization of biomedical researchers and educators specializing in the structural foundation of health and disease. AAA connects gross anatomists, neuroscientists, developmental biologists, physical anthropologists, cell biologists, physical therapists, and others to advance the anatomical sciences through research, education, and professional development. To join, visit anatomy.org. About The FASEB Journal Receive monthly highlights from The FASEB Journal by e-mail. Sign up at http://www.faseb.org/fjupdate.aspx. The FASEB Journal is published by the Federation of the American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB). It is among the most cited biology journals worldwide according to the Institute for Scientific Information and has been recognized by the Special Libraries Association as one of the top 100 most influential biomedical journals of the past century. Find more press materials at: https://www.eurekalert.org/meetings/eb/2020/newsroom/ Doctor Deborah Birx, response coordinator for the White House Coronavirus Task Force, has suggested that social distancing will need to remain in place in the US throughout the summer. In an interview with NBC News Meet the Press on Sunday Dr Birx was questioned about Vice President Mike Pences claim that the coronavirus outbreak would largely be behind the country by the end of May. While the doctor prefaced that Mr Pence had made the initial suggestion based on new models and more extensive data, she firmly insisted that implementing necessary measures to stop the spread of the virus in the US were far from over. Social distancing will be with us through the summer to really ensure that we protect one another as we move through these phases, Dr Birx said. The conversation comes in light of Mr Pences suggestion that the epidemic would mostly be handled by memorial day weekend on Thursday. I think by Memorial Day Weekend we will largely have this coronavirus epidemic behind us, Mr Pence, who is chair of the White Houses coronavirus taskforce, told Fox News Geraldo Rivera. Dr Birx confirmed that more accurate data is allowing the government to track specific outbreaks in the US in more detail. Previously, we were using models based on data from around the world. Now we are very much tracking every single outbreak in the United States separately, she said. Birx confirmed that in some states such as Louisiana, Houston and Detroit are seeing a downturn in cases after reaching a peak in case, giving great hope in the consideration of other areas. However, she maintained that social distancing would remain necessary much further into the year than Memorial Day. A number of states are planning to begin the re-opening of non-essential businesses within their areas to begin restarting their economies amidst the pandemic. By April, 12 states have not issued statewide stay-at-home orders and 12 states have not prevented the opening of nonessential businesses. When asked whether she would advise any of the states as to whether they should be re-opening or not Dr Birx replied: each state is different. There are areas of every state that are much more stable and much more spared this epidemic than other areas of states, she said. Dr Birx warned against an aggressive re-opening strategy, but governors would be slowly turning up the dimmer on measures within their own states. The novel coronavirus has infected at least 965,000 people in the US as of Monday and caused over 54,000 deaths, according to data from the Johns Hopkins University. Preeja Prasad By Express News Service BENGALURU: While there is a decrease in law and order cases such as chain-snatching since the lockdown was imposed on March 24, cybercrime cases in the city continue to rise. In just 15 days of April, the city clocked 460 cases, compared to 483 in February. Cyber criminals only need access to the internet and data, and it is clear that they operate from home. The trend is the same, with coupon code and QR code scam cases being registered, said DCP (Crime 1) Kuldeep Kumar Jain. These cases are being registered at the eight CEN (cybercrime, economic offences and narcotics) police stations launched earlier this year to tackle the growing number of cases in the city. Last year, the citys lone cybercrime police station was shut temporarily when the number of FIRs registered overshot 10,000 cases, which then led a surge in cases filed at local police stations. According to the City Crime Records Bureau, in March alone, the number of cases was 877, more than double the number filed in January (321). There are no boundaries for cybercrime since the fraudster requires only internet and data. It cannot be compared to law and order cases, Jain told TNIE. Though several online platforms are not functioning completely, frauds like liquor delivery is on the rise, says DCP (East) Sharanappa S D. Everyone is on social media and the internet, using netbanking. We will catch up with investigation but as of now, all police personnel are more focused on Covid-19 issues to ensure that citizens stay indoors, says Police Commissioner Bhaskar Rao. Future Fund chair Peter Costello says Australians who have lost their jobs because of the coronavirus crisis should be able to tap into their superannuation, adding properly managed funds should have no problem paying out their members. The former treasurer said there was no evidence that the super industry was struggling despite $3.8 billion being withdrawn from funds in the four days since the federal governments coronavirus rescue package came into effect. Future Fund chair Peter Costello has thrown his support behind the government's early access to superannuation scheme. Credit:Janie Barrett "I don't think, at the moment, there is any evidence that super funds need liquidity that they don't have," Mr Costello said. As far as I know, they are in a position to meet all of their responsibilities and you would expect that because running these funds, somebody has always got to have an eye to liquidity," he said. For those same reasons, the Tribunes attack upon Judge Pallmeyers decision to grant a different detainee bail was gratuitous and again missed the primary issue whether the MCC could adequately protect him. Judge Pallmeyer is highly respected here and nationally and it is well known that she never issues a ruling without a complete and thoughtful analysis. Instead of putting forth easy, headline-grabbing material in the form of an editorial, the editorial board and the Tribune would have better served its readers by reporting on the crisis at the MCC and thus explaining the context for these two bail motions. State-run JJ Hospital in Mumbai has suspended operations of its dialysis department after a patient tested positive for coronavirus, a senior official said on Monday. He said 25 staffers at the department have been placed under quarantine as a precautionary measure. "It would take next some days for the state to restart the operations at the J J Hospital. There is only one person appointed to attend emergency cases only," the official said. Apart from JJ hospital, GT Hospital and and St George's Hospital were also run by the state government, but they don't have facility for dialysis. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Trumps signature issues Mr. Trumps handling of the coronavirus pandemic has not been a defining issue of his presidency for long, but how his administration has responded is likely to be critical not only to his legacy, but also to how some swing voters who are open to both him and Joseph R. Biden Jr. make their decision in November. Before the coronavirus crisis consumed his White House, his 2016 rallying cry of build the wall still echoed in his re-election campaign. Construction of a wall along the countrys southern border, intended to halt the flow of undocumented immigrants into the country, has been slow going, but an immigration crackdown has remained one of the policy issues that enlivens his base. Mr. Trump has even tried to use immigration as a way to change the subject from criticism of his administrations handling of the pandemic. Mr. Trump has also made eliminating federal regulations a priority, with a focus on dismantling Obama-era environmental regulations. So far, he has failed to achieve his top legislative priority when he came into office: repealing the Affordable Care Act. But he has pleased Republicans, in particular, with his commitment to appointing conservative judges to the federal bench at a record-setting pace. Mr. Trump touts two trade deals as his signature policies, even as they mark a break from Republican free-trade orthodoxy in favor of a populist approach: an initial trade agreement with China, and his revised accord with Mexico and Canada. His foreign policy doctrine can be summed up by the phrase America First, a banner under which Mr. Trump has over the years questioned the founding tenets of alliances like NATO, and demonstrated a reluctance to engage in overseas military operations. Lee Rim is back in Corea as he checks the situation of the Kingdom. He made few observations as time stands still in certain occasions might have effects as the portal opens for both worlds. King Gon arrived in his Kingdom in due time as Prime Minister Koo is trying to search for his presence. Detective Tae-Eul worked late as she tried to resolve the murder case and its evidence. She thought about King Gon often during the day, such as their short talks and lighthearted moments. The Kingdom of Corea Prime Minister Koo barged in the palace to know if His Majesty has gone somewhere. As she stepped inside the office, disobeying court lady Ok-nam's advice, King Gon was firmly standing with Joon Young, looking at her. King Gon welcomed Koo Seo in his office. She wished to report the kingdom's progress and, at the same time, check on him. Court lady Ok-nam scolded King Gon for disappearing and making her worried. She loves King Gon and has taken care of him since he became an orphan at a young age. She looked at his jacket and was shocked because the diamonds were all gone. King Gon talked to her with fondness as he embraced the old lady. He visited and paid respect to the funeral as the father of the captain's army died. It also made him visible to the people that he is well. Prime Minister Koo made the cabinet members work hard and find ways to gain good financial status for the country. A congressman talked bad about her in front of the public, which made her furious. Politics with power is what Koo is working to stay in her position. She sent out scandals about the congressman, which lead to his dismissal. King Gon went to visit Prince Bo Yeong and gave him a copy of the death certificate of Lee Rim. He wishes to know if there is something he is hiding from him. On his way out, King Gon sits inside the library and remembers memories back in Korea. The Republic of Korea Detective Tae-Eul tries to solve the case and capture criminals pending in the department. Detective Shin Jae faced a challenge with his mother, who is hooked on gambling. He went to the place where illegal gambling took place and asked officer Jang Michael to report everything to the station. This includes placing his mother in question and custody by the police. On his way home, a boy bumps at her back and drops her ID to the sewage. The forensic department contacted and advised her that the bill she got from King Gon is real. Tae-Eul looks for King Gon's video recording in his last appearance in the city into the forest. The Kingdom of Corea King Gon, for the second time, recorded the time stopped, and it meant the portal for both worlds has opened. He tried to explain to Joon Yeong, but he wasn't ready to understand his stories. The Republic of Korea Lee Rim returns to Korea and brings in pictures of people from the Kingdom. He makes a record of what happened to the palace. He is convinced that his nephew King Gon is using the magic flute and understands its importance. Tae-Eul applied for another police ID at the station. She went home and passed by the park where she thought of King Gon and their memories on that same spot. The Kingdom of Corea The lightning struck, and at the same time, King Gon's felt an unknown burning heat from his right shoulder. Joon Yeong saw the red patches and went out to get the doctor. This gave King Gon the chance to go and head to the forest. The Republic of Korea Shin Jae handed over Tae-Eul's ID. He scolded her for her carelessness. Tae-Eul looked at the ID and saw the issued date released are different. The phone rand, and as she picked up, King Gon's voice was on the other line. She hung up, and the phone rang again. She stood and said goodbye to Shin Jae as she stepped out of the office. She parked the car and saw King Gon standing beside Maximus in front of her house. She asked King Gon why he returned and where he went. King Gon answered that he came back to pay his debt and wanted to see if she was okay. King Gon asked Tae-Eul to come with him to his kingdom. Tae-Eul was surprised but did not resist as King Gon helped her seat on the saddle. He sat at her back and guided Maximus to the forest. As the lightning struck again, and King Gon firmly held the cane. He signaled Maximus to move towards the portal as it opened. Germany and the United Kingdom have urged countries to ensure a 'green recovery' while making efforts to revive the global economy that is currently facing a crisis due to coronavirus pandemic. According to reports, Germany's Environment Minister Svenja Schulze, while talking to officials from over 30 countries said that they should invest in a recovery program that would help reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the future. Read: Australia Slams China Over 'economic Coercion' Threat, Says It Made A 'principled Call' Germany's Environment Minister Svenja Schulze told the Associated Press, "We mustn't invest in technologies of the past." While noting that some countries are planning to build new coal-fired power plants as part of their recovery programs to return to business as usual. Britains Business Secretary Alok Sharma during the talks said that the world must work together to support a green recovery from the pandemic in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Read: COVID-19: Shanghai And Beijing Allow Students To Return To School After Months Of Lockdown Many environmentalists have warned that heavily polluting industries are taking advantage of the vast amounts being offered by countries as part of the stimulus packages to revive the economy keeping in mind the coronavirus lockdown. The two-day long virtual talks that are being co-hosted by Germany and the United Kingdom will see the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres taking part along with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on April 28. Read: UK PM Johnson Warns Against Lifting Lockdown, Says It Will Jeopardize NHS Staff's Efforts Decrease in pollution The world is seeing a significant decrease in pollution since the lockdown has begun in most parts of the globe. However, the United Nations' World Meteorological Organization (WMO) on April 22 said that fall in greenhouse gas emissions linked to the global economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic is only 'short-term good news'. The WMO expects emissions to return to normal once the global economy starts recovering from the coronavirus outbreak. According to the European Space Agency (ESA), the lockdown has played a huge role in bringing down pollution levels in the continent by about 50%. Read: European Tourism Needs 375 Billion Euros To Recover From Pandemic Crisis: ETC Chief Former South Korean dictator Chun Doo-hwan went on trial Monday for defaming an activist priest who documented a brutal crackdown by his troops on pro-democracy demonstrators. An uprising in the southern city of Gwangju against Chun's military government four decades ago ended in a bloodbath by martial law troops that left around 200 people dead or missing, according to official figures. Activists say the toll may have been three times as much. The 89-year-old Chun remains hugely divisive in South Korea and is accused of defaming late priest Cho Chul-hyun, who repeatedly testified that helicopters had opened fire on civilians in Gwangju. In a 2017 memoir, Chun accused Cho of lying and called him "Satan in a mask". The former strongman denied the defamation charges in a Gwangju court, Yonhap news agency reported. "To my knowledge, there were no firings from the helicopters," it cited him as saying, and that doing so would have caused "mass casualties". "I don't think that our country's sons, whether they be lieutenant or captain-level pilots, would have taken such actions." Libel is a criminal offence in South Korea and if convicted, Chun could face up to two years in prison or five million won ($4,000) in fines. Some far-right conservatives in South Korea continue to condemn the Gwangju uprising as a Communist-inspired rebellion, while liberal President Moon Jae-in has reopened investigations into the military's actions. Chun seized power in a military coup in 1979 and ruled South Korea with an iron fist until 1988, stepping down after mass demonstrations forced him to agree to the restoration of democracy. In 1996, he was convicted of treason and bribery and sentenced to death. But the country's top court commuted the penalty to life in prison and he was released the following year on a presidential pardon. Former dictator Chun Doo-hwan (C) remains hugely divisive in South Korea Sumi Sukanya Dutta By Express News Service NEW DELHI: The Centre on Monday asked states to return the COVID-19 rapid antibody testing kits distributed to them while making it official that the kits, procured from two Chinese companies, have been found to be faulty and the orders are being cancelled. The decision came following a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union health secretary Preeti Sudan and head of countrys top health research agency Indian Council of Medical Research Dr Balram Bhargava, said sources. The development comes even as a massive controversy has broken out over the pricing at which the ICMR under the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare had struck the deal to procure 5.5 lakh kits, meant to test the presence of antibodies for novel coronavirus, from the Chinese firms at Rs 600 each. Several states have procured rapid antibody kits and on their demand, ICMR has also provided these kits with clear instructions that they are to be used only for surveillance purposes, a letter issued by the ICMR to states said. Some states have raised issues regarding their performance during the testing exercise that they have undertaken. ICMR thereafter has also evaluated the kits from Guangzhou Wondfo and Livzon in field conditions. The results have shown wide variation in their sensitivity despite early promise of good performance for surveillance purposes, it added, asking states to stop using them and return them. A legal dispute in the Delhi High Court between the distributor and importer of rapid test kits also exposed purported profiteering and overpricing in kits sold to the Indian government. Observing that 61 per cent mark-up on such test kits is on the "higher side" but "more than sufficient", the Court disallowed a 145 per cent profit from landed price of Rs 245 to ICMR's purchase price of Rs 600 per test and slashed it to Rs 400 per kit. The health ministry in a detailed clarification on Monday said that while ICMRS first attempt to procure these kits did not elicit any response from the suppliers, its second attempt got adequate responses. Of these responses, taking sensitivity and specificity in mind, kits from 2 firms which had international certifications were identified for procurement. For Wondfo, the evaluation committee got 4 bids and the corresponding quotes received were Rs 1,204, Rs 1,200, Rs 844 and Rs 600. Accordingly, bid offer of Rs 600 was considered as L-1, said the government. Meanwhile, ICMR also tried to procure the kits directly from Wondfo. However, the quotation received for direct procurement had certain issues which included free on board quotation without commitment on logistics, 100 per cent direct advance without any guarantees and rates being quoted in US dollars without accounting for fluctuations. Hence, it was decided to go with Wondfos exclusive distributor for India who quoted an all inclusive price for FOB (logistics) without any clause for advance, said the statement. The Centre also said that that this was the first ever effort by any Indian agency to procure such kits and the rate quoted by the bidders was the only reference point. ICMR has not made any payment, said the ministry, adding that the government does not stand to lose a single rupee. But we'd argue Pacific Rim is even more suited to the current moment. The Kaiju are a little understood alien species that has appeared from nowhere, not unlike SARS-CoV-2. Our response to both has particularly reshaped urban life -- cities were most susceptible to Kaiju attacks, as they are to COVID-19 outbreaks. It's also a film that extols the virtues of international coordination. Much like how foreign powers worked together to build Jaegers, we now must work together to create a vaccine and to establish international protocols to keep ourselves safe. It even showcases dumbass politicians flailing at finding effective solutions while essential workers/pilots battle against the virus/epic Leviathan emerging from the sea. (Seriously, they build a ineffective seawall nobody really wants.) Continue Reading Below Advertisement The best monster movies and horror films are ones that draw on and reflect the feelings of the time (Night of the Living Dead, Godzilla, etc.). Pacific Rim underwhelmed at the box-office when it premiered, maybe because we weren't steeped in enough global chaos for the themes to resonate, or maybe just because it needed more laser swords. But we're fairly confident that if you watch it now, a couple quarantinis in hand and the feeling of virus-induced panic steeped into your soul, this movie will hit so much harder. Plus, it just flat out rules. You get IDRIS FREAKIN ELBA (one of the first celebrities to get COVID-19) and the greatest "TIME TO GET SHIT DONE!" song ever recorded: The hairdressing industry is facing the very real threat of an unprecedented number of salon closures unless the government takes urgent action now to address the crisis brought about by the current pandemic, according to leading industry body, the Hairdressing Council of Ireland. The council, the largest representative body of its type in Ireland, with over 1,800 active members in an industry worth approximately 2bn to the Irish economy, is seeking to engage with government officials to find practical solutions that will protect the livelihood of thousands of hairdressers in the Republic. Measures sought include a reduction or holiday in local council rates, a reduction in insurance costs for salons currently closed due to the current crisis and more clarity from the government and public health authorities with regards to safe return to work practices for industry members and their clients. Along with its executive committee, Council President and multi award-winning salon owner Sean Taaffe is in constant contact with TDs and Ministers to this end. Speaking about recent challenges, he said; In the last 12 months, the hairdressing industry has seen a 50% increase in VAT, alongside soaring rent, rates and a greatly increased labour cost. With the onset of Covid-19, the future of our industry is increasingly precarious. Failure to address the current crises will result in never-before- seen numbers of salon closures and the resulting loss of jobs and personal hardship for all within the industry. In addition, given the size of the industry, a failure to support us will negatively impact the Irish economy as a whole and will ensure that the black market soars. In light of this, the councils executive committee is working tirelessly with leading hairdressers and business experts to offer clear and practical advice, not only to our members, but to the industry at large, and to ensure that any information communicated to the industry is accurate, constructive and avoids confusion. We would encourage all hairdressers to become members and to consult our website hairdressingcouncil.ie for regular updates. Even as we try to come to terms with the coronavirus pandemic which has wreaked havoc in our lives, deep-rooted sexism and misogynistic ideas have raised their ugly heads and have spewed venom with male political leaders and influential personalities blaming women for the outbreak. A report by New York Times suggested that the outbreak has been harder on men than women since more men seem to be dying from Covid-19. The article also suggested that men were at a higher risk of contracting the disease than women. Yet, women have been the worst hit in the pandemic. From abortions being declared as non-essential and consequently being banned in some countries to sexist jokes about how women should avoid nagging their partners during the lockdown, we've seen it all. Recently, a Pakistani cleric, Maulana Tariq Jamil, went on to claim on live television that women are to be blamed for the pandemic and it is because of their "sins" that mankind is suffering. Yes, "mankind" seems apt here since Jamil insinuated women were the reason why men were suffering in his country. The sins? Wearing scanty and vulgar clothes. "Who is making my nation's daughters dance. Their dresses are getting shortened. Allah sends his wrath when obscenity is common in the society" - these were his exact words. And he made these comments as Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan looked on. This is not the first time women have been targeted during the pandemic. A few days ago, the mayor of Japan's Osaka said that women shouldn't be allowed to go grocery shopping during the pandemic because they take longer and "dawdle." Ichiro Matsui told reporters last week that men should be entrusted with grocery runs because women "take a long time as they browse around and hesitate about this and that." He also said, "Men can snap up things they are told (to buy) and go, so I think it's good that they go shopping, avoiding human contact." When a city's mayor openly says that women are slow and hints that they're flimsy, shallow and easily distracted, it reveals deeply prejudiced gender roles in the country. Now you know why Japan ranked 121 out of 153 countries in the World Economic Forum's 2020 gender gap index. In March, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton declared that abortions would be banned in the state during the Covid-19 outbreak, In an argument, Paxton also said that allowing abortions to continue would further spread the virus as people getting the procedure done would be coming in contact with Covid-19 patients. As a result, hundreds of appointments were cancelled overnight. Once again, women were denied the right to their own bodies. And once again, women were told that their healthcare, which may include urgent termination of pregnancies, were deemed "non-essential." A few weeks ago, the Malaysian government also issued an advisory for women and how they should behave during the pandemic. As if years of being told how to sit, speak, walk, eat and conduct ourselves in public wasn't enough, the Malaysian government decided that women needed a crash course on "pandemic manners." Put make-up on. Avoid nagging. Speak in a squeaky cartoon cat voice. These are just some of the steps that women in Malaysia have been asked to follow by the government in order to make life easier for men and women cohabiting as couples under the coronavirus lockdown. The posters were released with the hashtag #WomenPreventCOVID19. But we fail to understand how wearing makeup and not nagging men can help women prevent coronavirus. All it can do, on the contrary, is reinforce stereotypes about women being vain and therefore having no real contribution in the fight against the virus. On that note, need we remind you that all the countries that have managed to 'flatten the curve' and curb the spread of the virus are all led by women? A few days ago, an image of women political leaders who have proved their mettle in a crisis went viral. The list included New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Adern, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Belgian Prime Minister Sophie Wilmes, Finland Prime Minister Sanna Marin, Iceland's Katrin Jakobsdottir and the Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen. These countries have not only managed to tackle the imminent danger posed by the virus but have also successfully reduced the rate at which the disease spreads - through sufficient testing, robust strategies and extraordinary determination and will power to beat the invisible enemy. And they all have one thing in common - they're all led by women. If there's one meme we could show to the men of the world who think women are the reason for the pandemic, it's this. Officers responded to call on Friday afternoon and found the teenager had drowned in a bathtub, police said. She was pronounced dead at a local hospital. The girl had severe medical and physical disabilities and lived in the Charlotte home with her paid caretaker, police said. The Charlotte Observer reports that Meeks was freed from custody Saturday after posting bail. State adds staff and phone hours as unemployment claims rise RALEIGH North Carolina is extending phone hours and adding more staff to respond to the growing number of people seeking help with unemployment benefits during the coronavirus pandemic. The Raleigh News & Observer reported Saturday that the leader of the Division of Employment Security is willing to do even more. Lockhart Taylor, the head of the office, said there has been an average of 80,000 calls a day since the middle of March when businesses began to close. Taylor acknowledged complaints about unanswered phone calls at a recent meeting with state lawmakers. As Maharashtras tally of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) went beyond the grim 7000-mark, the states chief minister Uddhav Thackeray put in praise for all those who are on the forefront to curb the spread of the infection. The Shiv Sena chief, while addressing the states residents on Facebook, also talked about the state of affairs. Everyones asking wheres God. God is in everyone who is serving us in these hard times the police, doctors, sanitation workers and others, the Maharashtra chief minister said. Thackeray thanked people for celebrating festival like Akshay Tritiya from home during the lockdown and urged Muslims not to go out to pray during Ramzan. Today is Akshaya Tritiya but theres no celebration, Im thankful for that. I urge all my Muslim brothers to continue to cooperate with the government. Do not gather for mass prayers at mosques or any other place. Stay at home and perform prayers inside, he said. As the coronavirus cases continue to rise in Maharashtra, particularly in Mumbai and Pune region, the state is deliberating extending the lockdown put in place to stop the spread of Covid-19 for another 15 days after May 3. A decision on the issue is expected after Mondays meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and chief ministers. Thackeray said the state has succeeded in slowing down the spread of the coronavirus disease because of the lockdown and he will review the situation before making any decision about relaxations. To an extent, the situation in the state is under control if compared with other countries where cases are multiplying on a daily basis. This has become possible because of lockdown, the chief minister said. He said the state government is considering to give further relaxations after May 3 but the decision is yet to be taken. I will review and decide what more relaxations can be given after May 3. But one thing is for sure, we will have to avoid crowding, Thackeray said indicating that restrictions are likely to continue in some areas of the state even after May 3 when the nationwide lockdown is going to end. Maharashtra had registered 811 new Covid-19 cases on Saturday, the highest single-day spike, taking the states tally to 7628 cases. It also recorded 22 deaths on Saturday and now the death toll is at 323. Photo: Lucasfilm Finally, we can relive all of the ways it reverses course from its predecessor way sooner than expected: the middling Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is now available on Disney+, two months earlier than its planned home release. (Say it with us! May the 4th be with you. And also with you.) The Rise of Skywalker will join the nine-part Skywalker saga already available on Disney+, in addition to the other extensive offerings on the service, such as the incomparable Ratatouille, every Disney Channel Original Movie, The Simpsons (now with 50 percent less jokes) and an elephant documentary featuring Meghan Markles voice. Dont have Disney+ yet? You can sign up here. (If you subscribe to a service through our links, Vulture may earn an affiliate commission.) DUBLIN, April 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- ResearchAndMarkets.com published a new article on the laundry supplies industry, "COVID-19 Prompts 200% Growth in Laundry Supplies" With the spread of COVID-19, consumers have taken increasingly stringent precautions to ensure that their homes are safe from the virus. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has reported that the virus could remain viable for days on surfaces including clothing, bedding and towels and that these items should be washed at the highest possible temperature to kill the virus. Some health officials have also recommended laundering clothes after wearing them in public to prevent the virus from contaminating your home. This has led to a huge increase in demand for laundry care products such as detergents, fabric softeners and bleaches. Companies like Church & Dwight, Procter & Gamble, Unilever and Henkel Corporation have seen increased demand for laundry supplies during the current crisis. To see the full article and a list of related reports on the market, visit "COVID-19 Prompts 200% Growth in Laundry Supplies" About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com PESHAWAR, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 26th Apr, 2020 ) :Former Ambassador of Pakistan, Manzoorul Haq here Sunday urged philanthropists and donors organizations to generously contribute for the assistance of thousands of poor people during the holy month of Ramazan in the wake of coronavirus outbreak in the country. "The people of Pakistan are known worldwide for contributing donations and charity for assistance of poor people especially at time of need. It is high time for philanthropists of the country and oversees Pakistanis to demonstrate the same spirit of brotherhood as exhibited by them during 2005 earthquake and 2010 flood for assistance of thousands of daily wagers and labourers affected by lockdown due to caronavirus outbreak," Ambassador Manzoorul Haq told APP. He said it was 2010 when most parts of Nowshera district were drowned in floods from where trapped people from a village had been evacuated through boats to safer places. He recalled that a poor old woman, who was selling plastic shoes in a nearby village, had rushed to the evacuated place and distributed free shoes among have nots. "These shoes were the main source of livelihood of family of the poor woman. On that difficult day, she had forgotten about her family livelihood and remained busy to help our people in trouble. Indeed, it was a great love for humanity and such high spirits was required today to counter caronavirus pandemic as poor people were looking towards us now" Manzoorul Haq who had served Pakistan's Ambassador in Saudi Arabia and Egypt told APP. "I was posted at Pakistan High Commission at London in 2005 when a powerful earthquake had wreaked havoc in KP and Azad Kashmir on October 8 in the same year. The oversees Pakistanis and others philanthropists rise on the occasion by providing generous support to the earthquake victims. I also received a phone call from a lady requested for donation of her wollen sweaters for earthquake victims, which was a great humanitarian gesture as we required warm clothes and sweaters for thousands of quake survivors at that time," Ambassador Manzoor recalled. Presently, he said a highest standard of love with humanity had been set by a 90-year'old Lady of Belgium, who was put on ventilator after severe COVID-19 attack on March 15 and requested doctors to provide her ventilator to some young coronavirus patient as she had completed her life and later expired. Manzoor said noted Pakistani ENT Surgeon, Professor Dr Muhammad Javed had also set high standards of professional commitment by sacrificing his precious life while trying to save lives of coronavirus patients at Hayatabad Medical Complex, Peshawar. He said Dr Muhammad Javed was the real hero of Pakistan who fought on frontline against COVID-19 and had lost battle of life while remaining with the patients. Ambassador Manzoor said the Belgium old lady and Dr Javed laid down their lives for humanity and their sacrifices would be remembered for long. The coronavirus disease has now entered Jhansi in uttar Pradesh. The city in the Bundelkhand region was untouched till now, but one person tested positive for Covid-19 on Sunday. District health official Andra Wamsi said that 114 samples were tested on Sunday evening, and the result of one came positive, Hindustan Times Hindi language publication Live Hindustan reported. The person who tested positive lives in Orchha Gate area in the city. He is 59, Live Hindustan reported. He has been admitted to the intensive care unit of the medical college in the city where his condition is stable. The authorities have started the process of contact tracing to identify who the patient came in contact with. Those living in Orchha Gate and nearby areas have been asked to take extra precaution. So far, Uttar Pradesh has reported 1,868 Covid-19 positive cases, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Six people among those whose samples were collected in Lucknow on Sunday have tested positive for Covid-19, said King Georges Medical University on Monday. As many as 461 samples were collected in Lucknow on Sunday for Covid-19 testing. In view of Ramzan, Buddha Purnima, Eid ul-Fitr and Bada Mangal, Lucknow Joint Police Commissioner Naveen Arora has banned religious and other gatherings, slaughter of animals and sale and transport of meat under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC). The 21-point advisory by Arora said that five or more persons will not gather in a group without permission. It added that strict action will be taken against those people, who will not follow the guidelines. Indias total number of Covid-19 positive cases stands at 27,892 including 6,185 cured/discharged, one migrated and 872 deaths. On Monday, Business Insider published interviews with a former colleague and a former neighbor of onetime Joe Biden staffer Tara Reade, adding corroboration to Reades account of being sexually assaulted by Biden while she was working in his Senate office in 1993. Both sources went on the record to describe conversations with Reade within a few years of the incident, in which shed described assault or harassment. I remember her saying, here was this person that she was working for and she idolized him, Lynda LaCasse, who was neighbors with Reade in 1995 and 1996, told Business Insider of a conversation she and Reade had when they were living in the same apartment complex in Morro Bay, California. And he kind of put her up against a wall. And he put his hand up her skirt and he put his fingers inside her. She felt like she was assaulted, and she really didnt feel there was anything she could do. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Last year, Reade was among a number of women who came forward to allege that Biden had touched them in a way they felt was inappropriate, saying in April 2019 that he used to put his hand on my shoulder and run his finger up my neck. Last month, Reade, in a podcast interview with Katie Halper, accused Bidennow the presumptive Democratic nominee for presidentof pushing her against a wall, kissing her, and digitally penetrating her after she brought him a gym bag in a Senate office corridor. Earlier this month, Reade told the New York Times that Biden stopped when she pulled away and said to her, Come on, man, I heard you liked me, Youre nothing to me. Nothing, and Youre OK, youre fine. Advertisement Advertisement Reade has said she was subsequently reassigned from her job managing the office interns, then lost her job after complaining to Bidens staff and filing a formal complaint to a Senate personnel office. Bidens campaign responded to Mondays new reporting by repeating a statement communications director Kate Bedingfield issued earlier this month: Women have a right to tell their story, and reporters have an obligation to rigorously vet those claims. We encourage them to do so, because these accusations are false. Advertisement Though Lacasse told Business Insider she could not remember a precise date, she described in detail the circumstances of the conversation: She told Insider that she and Reade shared a bond because they were both mothers, and their young daughters swam together in the apartment complexs indoor pool. LaCasse said she would sometimes sit on her front stoop to smoke cigarettes after putting her daughter to bed, and that Reade would occasionally join her. It was during one of these evening conversations, she said, that Reade told her about the alleged assault. We were talking about violent stories, LaCasse said, because I had a violent situation. We just started talking about things and she just told me about the senator that she had worked for and he put his hand up her skirt. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Business Insider further reported that LaCasse is a Democrat and planned to support Biden in Novembers election, and that she had criticized Donald Trump on social media and written positive tweets about Biden and his Democratic primary rival Sen. Bernie Sanders. When Reade first revealed her full allegations in March, LaCasse linked to them on Facebook, saying, This is my good friend Tara Reade, who was assaulted by Joe Biden in 1993. Advertisement Advertisement In addition to LaCasses account, Business Insider also published details of an interview with a former colleague of Reades who said that when they worked together in California State Sen. Jack OConnells office between 1994 and 1996, Reade mentioned an incident of sexual harassment that occurred during her previous job. Advertisement Advertisement [Reade said] she had been sexually harassed by her former boss while she was in D.C., Sanchez said, and as a result of her voicing her concerns to her supervisors, she was let go, fired. Members of Bidens former staff have denied anything took place in 1993. The campaign previously issued a statement from Bidens former executive assistant, Marianne Baker, saying: I never once witnessed, or heard of, or received, any reports of inappropriate conduct, periodnot from Ms. Reade, not from anyone. I have absolutely no knowledge or memory of Ms. Reades accounting of events, which would have left a searing impression on me as a woman professional, and as a manager. Reade told the New York Times that she had brought the complaints to Baker and to Biden aides Dennis Toner and Ted Kaufman. Toner and Kaufman also denied any knowledge of the incident. Advertisement Advertisement The latest report, the first on-the-record corroboration from someone other than Reades brother, adds to a mounting body of evidence against these categorical denials. Last week, the Intercepts Ryan Grimwho was among the first reporters to publish Reades allegationsreported that Twitter had uncovered footage from Larry King Live on CNN in 1993 in which Reades mother, Jeanette Altimus, called into the show to say her daughter had been harassed. Advertisement What a staffer would do besides go to the press in Washington? Altimus said in the recording. My daughter has just left there, after working for a prominent senator, and could not get through with her problems at all, and the only thing she could have done was go to the press, and she chose not to do it out of respect for him. Reade confirmed that the voice was that of her mother, who died in 2016. In response to a request to see records from the time of the alleged incident, the University of Delaware told Business Insider that Bidens papers will remain closed to the public until two years after Mr. Biden retires from public life. Bidens staff did not immediately respond to a request from Slate for comment about the new evidence beyond Bedingfields earlier statement. National Australia Bank has been placed into a trading halt after revealing COVID-19 caused its earnings and profits to plunge by 51 per cent. Australia's biggest business lender told the Australian Securities Exchange on Monday morning its first-half result for fiscal 2020 had 'been materially impacted' by the coronavirus pandemic. The ASX granted NAB's request for a trading halt until Wednesday, with the announcement made before the market opened as part of a capital raising bid. National Australia Bank has been placed into a trading halt after revealing COVID-19 has caused its earnings to plunge by 51 per cent NAB's cash earnings for the six months to March 31, 2020 were down 51.4 per cent compared with the same period in fiscal 2019. How coronavirus is hurting NAB Cash earnings for the six months to March 31 have dived by 51.4 per cent to $1.436billion compared with $2.954billion for the same period in 2019 Net profit after tax for the first half of fiscal 2020 plunged by 51.3 per cent to $1.313billion from $2.694billion Interim dividends per share have plunged to 30 cents from 83 cents Source: NAB half year results, 2020 released to the Australian Securities Exchange, April 27, 2020 Advertisement They sunk to $1.436billion as the bank's net profit for the first half of fiscal 2020 plunged by 51.3 per cent to $1.313billion. The bank's chief executive Ross McEwan said NAB was determined to support 'our customers and colleagues with a range of measures to help deal with the impacts of the crisis'. 'We are taking decisive action to manage the rapid and unprecedented upheaval caused by COVID-19 while at the same time being clear about our long-term strategy for NAB,' he said in a statement. Mr McEwan said NAB would now engage in capital raising to aid its cash flow and reduce dividends to shareholders. NAB is issuing 212million shares at $14.15 each in a bid to raise $3billion. Interim dividends for the first-half of fiscal 2020 have fallen to 30 cents per share compared with 83 cents a share during the same period in fiscal 2019. Australia's biggest business lender told the Australian Securities Exchange on Monday morning its first-half result for fiscal 2020 had 'been materially impacted' by the coronavirus pandemic. NAB's cash earnings for the six months to March 31, 2020 were down 51.4 per cent compared with the same period in fiscal 2019. They sunk to $1.436billion as the bank's net profit for the first half of fiscal 2020 plunged by 51.3 per cent to $1.313billion NAB's financial woes occurred after non-essential businesses, from pubs and clubs to cinemas, gyms and massage parlours were shut down on March 24 in a bid to slow the spread of coronavirus. What is a capital raising? A capital raising occurs when a company issues new shares in a bid to attract new cash flow A cash injection can be used to deal with a crisis, expand existing operations or take over another business Companies issuing new shares, or fresh equity, can give existing shareholders the right to buy more shares or offer the shares in a 'placement' to a group of people or institutional investors In rarer cases, a listed company can create a spin-off firm which investors directly put money into Source: Australian Securities Exchange Advertisement Australia's third biggest bank, by market capitalisation, is more exposed to business lending than its rivals the Commonwealth Bank, Westpac and ANZ. Its economists are expecting the COVID-19 shutdowns to cause Australia's gross domestic product to shrink by 8.4 per cent by September 2020, when compared with December 2019, and not return to pre-coronavirus levels until 2022. NAB is expecting Australia's unemployment rate to surge to 11.7 per cent by mid-2020, which would be the highest jobless level since the 1930s Great Depression. It would also mark a doubling of the 5.2 per cent jobless rate for March, before the shutdowns. The Reserve Bank of Australia, by comparison, is expecting the jobless rate to peak at 10 per cent in June. 'Measures to contain the spread of COVID-19 have had a sudden and material negative impact on economic activity,' NAB said in its ASX announcement on Monday. NAB revealed 81 per cent of its staff were now working from home. It expected collective provisions - a banking term for unidentified losses on balance sheets - of between $828million and $2.135billion as a result of 'anticipated stress in targeted sectors and across the broader economy'. NAB shares were last trading at $15.76 at the close of Friday afternoon's ASX session. Every year around this time, tiny, juicy passengers board planes from India to join Jersey Citys Indian community and offer a special taste of home. Indian mangoes a ubiquitous part of summer in India are unlikely to make the trip to America this year, importers and exporters say. Indias stringent COVID-19 regulations have rendered international trade nearly nonexistent. Meanwhile, American retailers dont want to take the risk of stocking a luxury item during an uncertain economic time, said Hiran Patel, the import manager for Raja Foods, which supplies Patel Brothers, the most prominent Indian grocery chain in the northeastern U.S. The market, which has a location on Newark Avenue in the heart of Jersey Citys Indian community, sells Indian mangoes in boxes of 9 or 12 for between $35 and $40 a box. Any retailer that sells Indian mangoes, they do it as a service to the customer, he said. They dont make much money off of it. New York-based chef Palak Patel said she treks to Jersey City for Indian mangoes every year, grabbing a big box of okra and a bag of rice to round out the trip. As a child in Western India, she would climb mango trees and pick her own. Mangoes that are sold in American supermarkets are often sourced from Latin America and simply dont compare to depth of flavors found in their Indian counterparts, the chef said. Its just decadent, Palak Patel said of the Indian fruit. Its not like any other fruit that you can eat because it has so much depth to it. Last year, about 1,100 tons of Indian mangoes were shipped to the U.S. between mid-April and the end of June, said Jagdish Sukhia, export manager for Rushika Food Products, which ships mangoes to be sold in Patel Brothers stores. The typical process involves United States Department of Agriculture officers traveling to India to inspect the mango processing facilities and Food and Drug Administration workers performing inspections when products arrive here, Hiran Patel said. This year, the processing facilities in India are closed and FDA inspections are taking place over Zoom, he said. India closed its passenger airspace and is prioritizing shipments of medication and personal protective equipment for the continuing flights, he added. If U.S. importers still wanted to acquire mangoes this year, they would have to self-manage getting the USDA clearance and irradiation, which can protect the mangoes from infestations, Sukhia said. Plus, the shipping price would be much higher than normal. The movement of the flights without passengers have created pressure on the air freight prices, the export manager said. The current air freight rates from Indian to U.S. destinations are experiencing (a) three to four times spike compared to last year. 4 Indian mango imports unlikely due to COVID-19 Demand for Indian mangoes in Jersey City is typically lower than in suburbs because its clientele is largely working-class professionals and college students who dont want to spend close to $5 per mango, Hiran Patel said. Plus, most shoppers here walk to the store and dont want to lug a heavy box home, he said. But the customers who do buy Indian mangoes are some of Patel Brothers most passionate, guided by a sense of nostalgia, Hiran Patel said. We have customers that will buy 10 boxes of Indian mangoes, he said, Its a $400 receipt and what they tell us is they go home, peel them, cut them and then freeze them so they can taste India all year round. Palak Patel said shes had mangoes on her brain while quarantining. I was so desperate that I actually ordered one or two regular grocery story mangoes and they have so much fiber in them, she said. A summer without Indian mangoes is one of the sad things amongst many other things, the chef said. Thats to me, summer, Palak Patel said. Nothing screams summer until youve had a mango. PONTIAC, MI A Pontiac man is behind bars after turning himself in for the shooting murder of his long-time girlfriend, according to the Oakland County Sheriffs Office. Roderick Junior Washington, 46, called central dispatch to confess to the killing and then walked from the scene to a police station to turn himself in, WXYZ Detroit reports. He was arraigned on April 25 for open murder and weapons charges, including felon in possession of a firearm. His 43-year-old girlfriend of 18 years has not been identified by police, the report said. She was shot twice while sitting in a vehicle on April 24. When deputies arrived at the scene, they found the deceased woman leaning out the open passenger door. Washington told police that the shooting occurred after an argument, the report said. READ MORE: Monday, April 27: Latest developments on coronavirus in Michigan SNL delivers a spoof Message from Gov. Whitmer Motorcyclist crashes while fleeing police at high speed, police say BEARDSTOWN After a humble start, a food delivery drive organized by a Beardstown church is hoping to provide weekend meals for as long as the states stay-at-home order remains in effect. Life Family Church leadership started the meal delivery drive in late March, believing it could provide weekend supplements to school meals provided for the first two weeks of quarantine, pastor Pamela Thompson said. The support from the community has helped it last into six weekends with no plans to stop. Now the goal is feeding a larger swath of the community not only to provide people with a safe meal, but also hope to the recipients during the COVID-19 epidemic. Food is the most basic way that we show people that we care, Thompson said, Its important to see that its not the end of the world and its important to have human interaction from a safe distance. Thompson said that the food the church initially planned to pay for the food with church funds. Soon enough they were receiving donations from groups and people throughout the city. Some of the donor include the Beardstown Elks Club, Beardstown Mayor Leslie Harris and the city of Beardstown. JBS USA donated the meat used for pork chop sandwiches and Dot Foods has provided snacks. Fruits and vegetables have been provided by the Central Illinois Foodbank. Thompson said about 500 to 600 meals are distributed on each day the drive through is open. More than 8,000 meals had been distributed before this weekend. Drive-through pick up takes place at the Elks Lodge on East Second Street in Beardstown every weekend starting from around 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. On Saturday, volunteers who came from organizations such as Life Family Church, the Elks Club and area schools braved the rain to deliver pork chop sandwiches, snack packs and fresh fruits and vegetables to anyone who showed up. Thompson said that she was pleased to see the community come together and believes that unity will be essential for the food drive lasting through the quarantine. Frank Shaw, a Beardstown teacher and member of the Family Life Church board, agreed that community support made the difference. You couldnt have done what were doing without community involvement, Shaw said. If it was just the Elks or just our church trying to do something, you might have been able to do something for a week or two weekends. Shaw said that the food drive provides a hot meal for area students whose school-provided meals are not cooked. Shaw said that the high level of poverty in the school district means that those school meals are the only reliable food sources for many students. Kyle Maxwell, a former exalted ruler of the Beardstown Elks club, said helping the community in ways such as the food drive is a key part of the clubs mission and a source of pride. Elks is not just about coming to the lodge and having a good time, Maxwell said, its also about serving the community The operator of a central Pennsylvania restaurant chain has reached a tentative deal to pay nearly $150,000 to settle federal accusations that it shorted its employees on minimum wage and overtime pay. The preliminary consent agreement between Montezuma of Pennsylvania LLC and the U.S. Department of Labor wont be final unless it is approved by U.S. Middle District Judge Jennifer P. Wilson. That deal is on the table less than two weeks after the feds lodged a complaint against the chain, which specialized in Mexican cuisine and has restaurants in Chambersburg, Waynesboro and Gettysburg. Investigators said Montezuma wasnt paying bussers and servers, who are tipped workers, the required minimum wage from September 2016 to September 2019. Also, Montezuma charged those workers for the company shirts they were required to wear during their shifts, again causing their pay to dip below minimum wage., the complaint stated. The feds additionally accused the chain of improperly classifying six kitchen managers and head chefs as salaried workers exempt from overtime payments. Those incorrectly rated employees had to work 50- to 60-hour weeks without receiving the overtime pay they were owed, the complaint said. If Wilson sanctions the consent agreement, Montezuma will have 30 days to pay $147,508, the amount investigators determined is due the shorted employees. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The driver who crashed a vehicle into a marked police cruiser, injuring an officer in Arden Heights early Sunday morning, remains at large, according to police. The collision occurred at about 2:30 a.m. at the intersection of Arden Avenue and Carlton Boulevard, according to a spokeswoman for the NYPDs Deputy Commissioner of Public Information. A 2018 Chevrolet was traveling southwest on Arden Avenue when it collided with the marked police vehicle, which had its turret lights flashing, the spokeswoman said. Two officers from the South Shores 123rd Precinct were in the vehicle. One of them, a 38-year-old male officer who was driving the vehicle, suffered minor injuries. EMS transported the officer to Staten Island University Hospital in Ocean Breeze. The driver of the Chevrolet left the vehicle and fled the scene. The driver was described as a white male, according to emergency radio communications. A better description of the suspect was not immediately available and the investigation is ongoing, the police spokeswoman said. The kaduna Government has advised residents against self-help following violence and unwarranted attacks in some parts of the state. According to government authorities, resident in communities in Kajuru Local Government Area should maintain peace, stop killings and violence as government is doing their best to stop the incessant bloodshed in the area. The state Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Mr Samuel Aruwan, said this during the government security engagement on Sunday over renewed violence in the area at the weekend. Fulani while grazing come under attack, they must not take the laws in to their hands but rather they must recourse to the law and government. Similarly, should Adara, in the course of farming and other activities come under attack, they must recourse to the law and not engage in jungle justice. This is not a banana republic. As a serious government, together with the security agencies, we have had cause to meet with the Adara and Fulani youths, District Head, Ward Heads and Ardos at different meetings to appeal for peace and restraint from self-help. Security operatives are working round the clock and will not waver for a second should anyone be found wanting in the unfortunate situation we find ourselves. As a government, we will not shy away from confronting threats to peace, law and order. We will also not shy away from taking hard decisions that will better common good and public interest as government will not toy with constitutional and statutory responsibilities, he said. Read Also: Kaduna Enforces Wearing Of Face Mask In Public Places We must work hard to free our humanity from the clutches of evil-minded individuals who want violence and killings to be entrenched in our communities. There is no justification for killings and maiming people on their farms or homes. People in their huts or while grazing are attacked and killed for no reasons but sheer cruelty and evil. We must rise and support government and security agencies in tackling this unwholesome trend. What we are experiencing here is inhumanity perpetrated by criminals, and criminals must not be shielded with religious and ethnic identities, he said. Malaysia's cement association praises decision to reopen plants 27 April 2020 Malaysia's Cement and Concrete Association (C&CA) has stated that opening cement factories under Phase 3 of the countrys Movement Control Order (MCO) will have a positive effect on the economy and save jobs. C&CA Chairman, Datuk Yeoh Soo Keng, said the cement industry provided over 100,000 jobs, both directly and indirectly. "C&CA lauds the government and the International Trade and Industry Ministry for their prompt action in allowing cement plants to resume operations to serve the local construction industry as well as export markets. Cement is the fundamental building material of the construction industry, essential for the continuity of critical construction projects. This approval granted to the cement industry to resume operations is a welcome reprieve," said the chairman. The industry has been reporting losses over the last two years, with the COVID-19 pandemic having a further negative affect, according to the C&CA chairman. Published under With the May Day holiday approaching, education regulators of at least 10 cities in three provinces have asked students and teachers not to leave their own cities to travel during the holiday. Education authorities of Huaibei in East China's Anhui Province released a notice on Sunday, saying that students and teachers are not permitted to travel to other cities and must avoid contact with people from the COVID-19 hard-hit regions and overseas returnees, and especially avoid gatherings. The announcement was made after Xuancheng, another city in the province, made a similar decision to guarantee the epidemic does not spread. The city stipulated that those facing special circumstances who have to leave the city must report their journeys in advance, and can only return to schools after testing and isolation with certificates. Central China's Henan Province has applied a wider range of restrictions in six cities over the holiday period. Students and faculty in schools in Xuchang were asked to sign a letter of commitment promising not to move across regions. Students and teachers in Jiaozuo were also banned from leaving the city by principle. The city of Zhoukou has banned all faculty and students from traveling and dining out in groups, and schools that have resumed classes will not have holidays. Some analysts said although the rules vary from place to place, it is clear that in general, students and teachers are not encouraged to travel during the holiday. The moves are only for the sake of students' health and safety, Chu Zhaohui, a research fellow at the National Institute of Education Sciences, told the Global Times on Tuesday. He noted that both Anhui and Henan have a long border with the hard-hit Hubei Province, which still has 12 confirmed cases of COVID-19. The two provinces have the largest education populations in China and all kinds of schools at all levels will resume after the holiday. Therefore, asking both teachers and students to stay at home and avoid cross-regional travel is understandable, he said, noting that policies must be made in accordance with the local conditions. Moreover, some cities have cancelled the holiday for students as school has just been resumed. Hangzhou in East China's Zhejiang Province said cancellation of the holiday is a way to ensure enough time for school teaching. On April 23, the education authority of Ma'anshan in Anhui announced that the holiday was cancelled, as some students will return to school on Sunday, and many had come from all over the province. Cancelling the holiday could also reduce the risk of infection while taking public transportation. Henan and Anhui had zero cases as of Sunday while Zhejiang has 10 imported cases recorded. Advertisement Wondfo, the maker of an antibody test used in China, is not believed to have had its rapid-response test approved by the UK Government One of the coronavirus antibody testing kits rejected by the British government has been found to be 82 per cent accurate at identifying people who have had the disease. The test, made by Chinese company Wondfo Biotech, is within touching distance of the accuracy provided by the University of Oxford's in-house test that was used for comparison. Scientists in the US tested it independently and found it could correctly identify 81 out of 100 people who had had COVID-19 in the past, and would give fewer than one in 100 false positives among people who hadn't. The UK has not yet started widespread antibody testing because the Government insists it can't find a test that's good enough, despite some private medical clinics in Britain and the US taking matters into their own hands and buying kits online. But some experts argue that even imperfect tests could give a picture of how many people have been infected already and help the country to ease out of lockdown. One said they could give insight into the likelihood of a second wave of infections and the severity of one if it happened. And even Professor Chris Whitty, the country's chief medical adviser, said currently available tests would be good enough to do surveillance of the population, if not diagnose people. A table from the researchers' study reveals the specificity of 12 tests found that they ranged from being 84.3 percent to 100 percent specific in identifying COVID-19 antibodies Antibody tests are being produced all over the world in a race to find one that is 100 percent reliable despite it still not being proven that they provide immunity BRITISH GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCES PLAN TO TEST PUBLIC FOR COVID-19 ANTIBODIES The Department of Health announced last week that it will start a widespread public testing scheme, split into two parts. Thousands of people forming a representative sample of the population will be enrolled into either regular swab testing or antibody testing which will help authorities track where the coronavirus is spreading and where it has been already. In a second branch of the tracking project, people in 1,000 households across the country will submit to monthly blood testing to see if they have immunity to the coronavirus. These tests, called antibody tests or 'have you had it' tests, show whether someone has been infected with COVID-19 in the past and recovered. They are most accurate around three weeks or more after someone becomes infected. Tracking the number of people who have developed immunity can give scientists a clear picture of how widely the virus has spread already, which may affect its ability to spread in the future. The more people who test positive for antibodies, the fewer people there are who could get infected in a second outbreak. This is called herd immunity. Antibody testing, which has been picked up on much larger scale in other countries, forms a vital part of the Government's 'five-pillar' testing strategy - but officials have so far only managed 6,400 tests. The hope for this scheme is that, when rolled out more widely, it will give a clearer, more permanent picture of the size of the country's outbreak and the extent to which the nation has developed herd immunity. Advertisement Antibody tests the 'have you had it' tests have been the subject of ongoing debate since the UK's epidemic began. They are considered by many to be essential for tracking how many people have had COVID-19, evaluating the country's future risk, and helping people get back to work. But the UK has turned down every commercially-produced home antibody tests it has come across, despite parting with millions of pounds for some from China, including Wondfo's product. A study by the University of Oxford, published last week, laid out the anonymised results of nine tests the Government had bought. All were deemed too weak to use. Their sensitivity ability to correctly spot people who had had the disease - ranged from 70 per cent to just 55 per cent. The machine used to evaluate them rated 85 per cent, which the an immunology expert at the University of Edinburgh, Professor Eleanor Riley, described as 'excellent'. According to a project led by the University of California San Francisco, Wondfo's test registered 81.8 per cent on the sensitivity measure - just 3.2 per cent lower than the Oxford standard, Professor Riley said: 'The problem with the commercial rapid antibody tests is that they are not sensitive enough they fail to pick up antibodies in... people who do in fact have antibodies.' Wondfo's test is believed to have been one of the nine in the UK study but the Government could not confirm this. Officials are known to have bought tests from Wondfo and to have turned it down. And where Oxford's ELISA test was 100 per cent specific its ability to spot people who have not had the disease, a wrong result of which is a false positive Wondfo measured 99.1 per cent. For a test to be approved for use in the UK it must meet 98 per cent on both sensitivity and specificity tests, according to the Medicine and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). But there are concerns that there are no tests available on the market that meet this standard, and that the UK is losing valuable time. Sensitivity is considered the area that authorities can afford to compromise on because testing errors in that area lead to false negatives people being told they haven't had the disease when they actually have which would lead to relatively few consequences for most. False positives, however, caused by poor specificity, may lead people to believe they are immune when they're not, causing their behaviour to become riskier, or to receive treatment that they don't need. Professor Eleanor Riley, an immunology expert at the University of Edinburgh said earlier this month: 'Antibody tests - even if they lack some sensitivity - can be used to estimate what proportion of the population has already been exposed to the virus. HOW ACCURATE WERE THE TESTS IN THE US STUDY? Scientists at the University of California, San Francisco and Berkeley tested 12 different coronavirus antibody tests alongside experts at Facebook founder Mark Zuckerburg's charity, the Chan Zuckerburg Biohub. They looked at two different accuracy measures that manufacturers boast about: sensitivity and specificity. And they looked at how good the kits were at detecting both IgG and IgM antibodies. WHAT IS SPECIFICITY? Specificity is the percentage of all negative samples that are genuinely negative. For example, a 95 per cent rate means that for every 100 people tested, 95 will be told correctly that they have not had the disease. The other five, however, would have received an inaccurate result - known as a false positive. For coronavirus antibodies, this means telling someone they may have protection from a disease when they do not. Scientists warn an inaccurate specificity result can be dangerous for coronavirus because it may give people the confidence to go out and carry on with normal life under the false pretense they may have some form of immunity. WHAT IS SENSITIVITY? The other measure is called sensitivity, and is the rate of all positive samples that are truly positive. For example, if a coronavirus antibody test is 99 per cent accurate, it means 99 out of every 100 people who test positive are actually infected. The other one person, however, would have been given an inaccurate result - known as a false negative result. WHAT ARE IGG AND IGM ANTIBODIES? The body quickly produces IgM antibodies for its initial attack against infections, meaning someone may still be infectious if their test result shows high levels. The immune system makes IgG antibodies more slowly and retains them longer. If IgG antibodies are present, it suggests possible immunity. MANUFACTURER Sure Biotech Wondfo Biotech In-house ELISA UCP Bioscience Premier Innovita Bioperfectus VivaDiag Epitope ELISA DecomBio BioMedomics DeepBlue SPECIFICITY 100% 99.1% 99.1% 98.1% 97.2% 96.3% 95.2% 95% 89.8% 89.7% 86.9% 84.3% SENSITIVITY 90.9% 81.8% 81.8% 90.9% 90.9% 83.3% 100% 90.0% 90.9% 90.9% 81.8% 90.9% Two other tests were examined by Massachusetts General Hospital but it is unclear which they were. Those researchers have not yet released their findings, but they were discussed by The New York Times. Advertisement 'This is really helpful in telling us whether there is likely to be widespread immunity in the population and thus how likely there is to be a second wave of infections (and how big that wave might be) once the social distancing measures are relaxed.' The UK Government announced last week that it is starting a wider antibody testing scheme, in which it will take monthly blood sample from up to 1,000 households to track how much of the population gets exposed over time. Professor Chris Whitty, speaking to MPs on the Science and Technology Committee on Friday, said current antibody tests were good enough for this purpose but not for diagnosing individuals. The Department of Health, however, is not believed to be using commercial tests for the purpose. Professor Whitty said in the meeting: 'The antibody tests that were initially available were only moderate. 'There are better ones available now but there are none that I would say are absolutely terrific in terms of antibody testing. 'What you want is something which can say with a real high degree of accuracy: if its positive, "you have definitely had this" and, if it is negative, "you have definitely not" 'So the tests at the moment are not perfect they will undoubtedly get better but they are good enough for us to be able to get a feel for how many people, what proportion of the population have actually had the infection with a bit of aiming off. 'Theyre not in my view yet good enough to be able to say at an individual level "youve definitely had it and youve definitely not" 'There are now serology [antibody] surveys going on in the UK, also internationally, and the first data are beginning to come back but were not yet at the point where I feel confident that I can say, give or take, this is the proportion of the population in the UK that have had it. This is one of the key things we need to know.' Some researchers say that so long as data from less-than-perfect tests is being read properly by well-trained scientists, it can work as a tool to beating the pandemic. Dr Alexander Marson, who was involved in the University of California, San Francisco's study, said: 'There are multiple tests that look reasonable and promising. Thats some reason for optimism. There remains the enormous problem that it has not yet been proven that testing positive for antibodies actually means a person has immunity to the virus. Scientists are not certain whether people are able to catch it twice. The World Health Organization gave the grave warning on Friday that recovering from coronavirus does not necessarily give a person immunity to it. 'Some governments have suggested that the detection of antibodies to the SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, could serve as the basis for an 'immunity passport' or 'risk-free certificate' that would enable individuals to travel or to return to work assuming that they are protected against re-infection,' the WHO said. 'There is currently no evidence that people who have recovered from COVID-19 and have antibodies are protected from a second infection. 'No study has evaluated whether the presence of antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 confers immunity to subsequent infection by this virus in humans.' MailOnline contacted the Department of Health for comment. MIDDLETOWN The tax rate would remain stable if the mayors 2020-21 proposed $211.5 million spending package the first truly flat budget since at least the 90s is approved by city leaders in June. The figure represents a 7.1 percent increase over last years $197.5 million budget. Middletowns tax rate would remain at 36 mills, and the citys fire, water/sewer fees will not rise, Mayor Ben Florsheim said Monday. This is his first-ever municipal budget. When I say no increase, I mean no increase, period: no revaluation adjustments, no baseless revenue projections, no gimmicks, he said. Florsheim gave credit to former mayor Dan Drew and council members, as well as the finance office. Its a legacy of a lot of people working hard for a long time, Florsheim said. It speaks to the overall strength of the (local) economy, even though were struggling right now in the way everybody else is struggling, he added. Up until the coronavirus pandemic hit the region, Middletown was enjoying substantial economic growth in recent years. Florsheim attributes lack of a tax increase to a growing local economy, expanding tax base, AAA bond rating and low debt service. We are only beginning to glimpse the toll that COVID-19 is going to take on our economy, and, while were hoping that most of our emergency expenditures on things like personal protective equipment will be reimbursed by FEMA, it will be a while before we know for sure, he said in his address. The Board of Educations requested budget of $2.5 million is fully funded in the proposal, which also includes investing $1 million toward a capital plan for the schools. When we spend money on education, it might cost us more in the short term, but its going to save us in the long term, because high-quality schools often lure more people to move to the city to live or start a business. Weve seen that bearing out, Florsheim said. Other allocations include a $209,000 capital increase to the Information and Technology Services Department, $27,000 in additional funding for a unique multi-year effort by the Human Relations Commission and the Middletown Racial Justice Coalition to investigate race relations in the community, an increase of $50,000 to the tree planting budget, and $75,000 toward redevelopment of the riverfront. It also includes the funding of another officer in the police department. The plan now goes to the Common Council for consideration. Common Councilman Tony Gennaro received the budget at the same time it was released to the public. He commented on the plan after reviewing the main points. It sounds great. Its definitely a welcoming budget. A zero increase sounds great. If the answer is yes, then Im in. Gennaro is looking forward to delving into the plan, and is especially pleased to know the mayor took a creative approach to its crafting. Im a taxpayer, too, and have complained about taxes forever, said Gennaro, who is eager to see if the spending package doesnt hurt taxpayers down the road. Are we going to be facing problems later on make worse later on? Three virtual budgetary workshops are scheduled throughout May, concluding with a public session in early June to allow taxpayers to weigh in. A budget must be passed by June 4. In the past, certain property holders may have seen their taxes fall due to the revaluation as a result of modest tax rate increases, the mayor said. While he worked the campaign trail, the rising cost of living was among a top concern of most residents who already feel overtaxed, with some paying up to $10,000 a year on homes they already have paid off. Many, especially the elderly, are grappling with their expenses a concern those across Connecticut share. If there was any one thing I heard consistently, it was people love living here. They have positive feelings about the city and what direction its moving in, Florsheim said. The high cost of property taxes is a problem. Its a structural issue to be addressed with our partners at the state level and other towns, but Middletown is in a position to lead by example, the mayor added. Earlier this year, Florsheim asked directors to come up with a relatively flat budget, as well as another one imagining a 5 percent reduction. He didnt mandate spending cuts, but asked managers to break down what was absolutely necessary, as well as create a wish list for future spending if they were to have more money. For the rest of his term, Florsheim said hell consider annual budgets a fluid document: an ongoing process that anticipates what we will need and what we can afford in years 2, 3, and 4, and make decisions based on what those needs and wants look like, year in and year out. It was tough for some offices to effect savings. If theyre cutting, it means they are cutting into printer paper. The margins on a lot of our departments really are very small and we are running them really lean, Florsheim said. City leaders will work to deliver the best services they can as efficiently as possible. However, he cautioned it still is an up-in-the-air process in a lot of ways, because of the ever-changing coronavirus situation. There are going to be things that come up in the next few weeks that might make the council, me and the administration think maybe we wont have expenses because of COVID. They may also need to reallocate money to other items to other expenses that may arise because of the coronavirus, said Florsheim. Hearings will be held May 18, 21 and 27 at 6 p.m. in a virtual setting. The public may weigh in on the budget June 11 at 6 p.m. Florsheim delivered his budget address virtually via Facebook Live Monday at 8:30 p.m. View it here. For information, visit cityofmiddletown.com. Editors note: The original version of this article reported the budget will be voted upon June 4. The common council has until June 11 to approve a spending package. An emergency room doctor who treated CCP virus patients in New York City died by suicide, according to her family. Dr. Lorna M. Breen, the medical director of the emergency department at NewYork-Presbyterian Allen Hospital, died in Virginia, where she was staying, said her father. Her father, Dr. Philip C. Breen, confirmed her death and cause of death to the New York Times, saying that his daughter described tragic scenes in the battle against the virus. She was truly in the trenches of the front line, he said, adding: Make sure shes praised as a hero, because she was. Shes a casualty just as much as anyone else who has died. Tyler Hawn, a spokesman for the Charlottesville, Virginia Police Department, told the paper that officers responded to a call for medical assistance. The victim was taken to U.V.A. Hospital for treatment, but later succumbed to self-inflicted injuries, Hawn told the NY Times. The hospital has not responded to a request for comment. Dr. Angela Mills, head of emergency medical services at several NewYork-Presbyterian campuses, wrote to staffers over the weekend about Lorna Breens death. Her message didnt mention the cause. Breens family added that she had contracted COVID-19 during the pandemic but went back to work after recovering. She was later sent back home by the hospital, and her family intervened before taking her to Charlottesville. According to NewYork-Presbyterians website, she worked at the Allen Hospital in Upper Manhattan. Gov. Andrew Cuomo said that as of Monday, more than 17,300 people have died from the virus in New York state. However, he stressed again that the number of new cases appears to have plateaued. 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. Suicide Hotlines If you are in an emergency in the United States or Canada, please call 911. You can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 1-800-273-8255. Youth can call the Kids Help Phone on 1-800-668-6868. In the United Kingdom, call Samaritans at 116 123, Papyrus at 0800 068 41 41, or Childline at 0800 1111. In Australia, the suicide prevention hotline at Lifeline is 13 11 14. You can also visit the Lifeline website at lifeline.org.au. Youth can contact the Kids Helpline by phoning 1-800-551-800 or visiting headspace.org.au/yarn-safe If you are in an emergency in India, call Befrienders IndiaNational Association at +91 33 2474 4704. From The Epoch Times N.D. Gulley, now retired and presently living in Shawnee, Oklahoma with her husband, and their two dogs, had just published a must-read book for anyone finding themselves in the mist of being a primary caregiver to an elderly parent; especially a challenging one. Changing Roles: Taking Care of Mom A Caregivers Guide to Losing Your Mind and a Glimpse into the Secrets of the Universe will have readers thinking a little differently about life. The author shares, After eight years of taking care of my aging mother who had suffered a stroke, the onset of Alzheimers, and the likelihood of schizophrenia, I dare you not to lose your mind amid the drama-queen antics and the constant need for immediate gratification. What makes this book different from others like it is the inescapable fact my mother had a gift. She was a psychic medium with a proven track record that helped a lot of people. On the other hand, her endless psychic channeling and nonstop conversations with the supernatural world made it very challenging for doctors and nurses to do their jobs. Living with Mom was a roller-coaster ride filled with physical, mental, and emotional challenges. It was a journey filled with aimlessness frustration and numerous events that were beyond belief. I will share with you situations that will require you to think fast on your feet. Things you cant learn from books. Little solutions that will help you save money and a few big things to watch out for so you dont lose everything. But thats not the only thing this book is about. I will reintroduce you to something that you have already experienced many times in your life and took it for granted. A secret of the universe that God had given to each of us. This is something that is instinctive to all animals, religions teach it, and scientists are close to finding its true origin. Published by Page Publishing, N.D. Gulleys engrossing book is heartfelt homage both to her inimitable mothers spirit and her own herculean efforts to provide the best possible end-of-life care while maintaining her sanity and sense of self. Readers who wish to experience this engaging work can purchaseChanging Roles: Taking Care of Mom at bookstores everywhere, or online at the Apple iTunes store, Amazon, Google Play, or Barnes and Noble. For additional information or media inquiries, contact Page Publishing at 866-315-2708. About Page Publishing: Page Publishing is a traditional, full-service publishing house that handles all the intricacies involved in publishing its authors books, including distribution in the worlds largest retail outlets and royalty generation. Page Publishing knows that authors need to be free to create - not mired in logistics like eBook conversion, establishing wholesale accounts, insurance, shipping, taxes, and so on. Pages accomplished writers and publishing professionals allow authors to leave behind these complex and time-consuming issues to focus on their passion: writing and creating. Learn more at http://www.pagepublishing.com. Prime Minister Boris Johnson makes a statement outside 10 Downing Street, London, as he resumes working after spending two weeks recovering from Covid-19. Stefan Rousseau - PA Images The U.K.'s Prime Minister Boris Johnson said there would be no quick lifting of restrictions in the country, as he made his first public statement since returning to work after recovering from a coronavirus infection. "We are passing through the peak," Johnson said "We are on the brink of achieving that first great mission, to prevent our National Health Service (NHS) from being overwhelmed," he said, adding that the country was "beginning to turn the tide" against the outbreak. While he said he recognized the urgency of lifting lockdown measures as soon as possible, he warned that "this is the moment of maximum risk" as he asked the public to contain their "impatience" with regards to the lockdown. "There will be time to refine the restrictions and to fire up the engines of the economy," Johnson said outside Downing Street, but he added "we cannot say when those changes will be made." He thanked the British public for their "grits and guts" during the crisis, and Foreign Minister Dominic Raab who has deputized for him while he was recovering from a serious coronavirus infection. Boris Johnson last made a public statement on Easter Sunday after he was released from hospital. In his video statement, he personally thanked the NHS for saving his life. Johnson has returned to his office and residence in Downing Street, central London after spending two weeks at his country residence Chequers following a serious coronavirus infection that saw him admitted to intensive care. There has been speculation that Johnson could announce plans to start lifting the U.K.'s lockdown as early as this week. This would be ahead of the May 7 date when measures were next set to be reviewed. The Telegraph newspaper reported Sunday that Johnson had discussed with ministers the idea of "modifying" the lockdown rather than lifting it, emphasizing that restrictions will remain in some form even if workplaces and schools start to reopen gradually. Later Monday, Johnson's spokesman said the prime minister would be meeting the leader of the opposition Labour Party this week, and other party leaders next week, to try to build a cross-party consensus for lifting the lockdown. There are increasing calls from lawmakers within the ruling Conservative Party that the ongoing restrictions need to be lifted sooner rather than later because of the damage it is doing to the economy; the U.K.'s economy is expected to contract 6.5% in 2020, according to the International Monetary Fund's latest forecasts. Lockdown measures were imposed on the British public and majority of businesses (bar those deemed essential such as supermarkets) on March 23, but there is a growing sense that the public are tiring of the measures. The government will have to weigh the potential economic damage against the public health implications of lifting a lockdown too quickly and risking a second wave of infections. The U.K. has 154,037 reported cases of Covid-19 as of Sunday, according to Johns Hopkins University data, and has reported 20,795 deaths a number that is steadily increasing and could end up overtaking the death tolls seen in Italy (26,644 deaths) and Spain (23,190 deaths), the worst hit countries in Europe. Still, Italy, Spain and Germany have slowly started to lift coronavirus restrictions; Italy and Germany have allowed smaller retail stores to re-open and Spain has allowed manufacturing and construction businesses to reopen. For the first time in six weeks, children in Spain were allowed to exercise outside this weekend. People relax in the sunshine in London Fields park in east London on April 25, 2020, during the national lockdown due to the novel coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic. JUSTIN TALLIS HomeSmart International Opening my second HomeSmart franchise in Pensacola made perfect sense, as the Florida Panhandle is a great market that is fully ready to experience the HomeSmart brokerage model, stated Rick Musto. HomeSmart International, one of the largest and top-producing real estate franchisors in the country, has launched its newest franchise, HomeSmart Sunshine Realty, in Pensacola, Florida. Under the leadership of owner Rick Musto and designated broker Bob Gray, HomeSmart Sunshine Realty will bring HomeSmart Internationals revolutionary 100-percent-commission-model to agents throughout the Florida Panhandle. Musto is already well accustomed to what running a successful HomeSmart franchise looks like, as he is the owner and designated broker at HomeSmart Realty Brokers in Atlanta, Georgia. In late 2019, Musto hired Gray, a veteran Pensacola entrepreneur, to help him launch HomeSmart Sunshine Realty. Agents who join HomeSmart Sunshine Realty will get to experience HomeSmart Internationals high-value, low-cost brokerage model which provides them with a wide range of benefits including proprietary transaction management software and other innovative technologies, top-notch training opportunities, and personalized agent support services. Not only do HomeSmart agents get access to these benefits, but they also take home 100 percent of the commission they earn, all for just a low monthly fee. Opening my second HomeSmart franchise in Pensacola made perfect sense, as the Florida Panhandle is a great market that is fully ready to experience the HomeSmart brokerage model, stated Musto. Our transaction model will provide a one-stop-shop for all things real estate, and once agents start experiencing the HomeSmart difference, they wont ever want to leave. Musto and Gray see a bright future ahead for HomeSmart Sunshine Realty. Gray said that he is tenaciously recruiting new agents with plans of seeing 100 agents join their team after a year and reaching 500 agents within their first five years of being in business. The owner/broker team also will be offering training and education opportunities throughout the year, which will be available to both HomeSmart agents and all other agents in Pensacola and the surrounding communities. The HomeSmart Sunshine Realty office is located at 6706 N. 9th Avenue #B-6 in Pensacola, Florida. Musto can be reached via email at rick@homesmartsunshine.com, while Gray can be reached via email at bob@homesmartsunshine.com. About HomeSmart International: Founded in 2000, HomeSmart International offers franchisees efficiency and innovation coupled with the systems and technologies necessary to succeed in todays evolving real estate industry. Today, the brand has 190 offices in 35 states and over 18,000 agents nationwide. For more information on HomeSmart International and its franchise opportunities, visit https://www.homesmart.com. Japan's central bank is making it easier for cash-strapped companies to get funding in response to the growing economic devastation from the coronavirus pandemic. The Bank of Japan decided at a meeting Monday to ease monetary policy, including expanding the purchase of commercial papers and corporate bonds, which work to deliver cash to companies. In a move that was widely expected, the central bank also decided to remove the ceiling on its purchases of government bonds. It already has been purchasing trillions of yen (tens of billions of dollars') worth of government bonds to counter deflation. Its latest steps are similar to what central banks around the world are doing to curtail the massive damage the outbreak is unleashing on company profits and business activity. The benchmark Nikkei 225 stock index jumped 2.4% by midday Monday. Japan's economy has been in an increasingly severe situation due to the impact of the spread of the coronavirus at home and abroad, the Bank of Japan said in a statement. Additional monetary easing may be needed, and the central bank was closely monitoring the situation, it said. The bank issued a separate statement reiterating that the economy was in a serious state but was expected to improve once the impact from the pandemic declines. It also warned much remains unclear. Japan has reported about 13,000 coronavirus cases so far, and fewer than 400 deaths. As is true elsewhere, the number of confirmed cases is thought to understate the actual number of those who may have been infected. Restaurants, concerts and other events have closed, and tourism is practically at a standstill. Auto factories have suspended production and people are being asked to work from home and stay home. Japan's economy, the world's third largest, is dependent on exports, centered around products like cars and electronics goods. But it's also driven by small and medium size businesses, which analysts say are at major risk from the social distancing restrictions aimed at curbing the spread of the coronavirus. The economy contracted at a 7.1% annual rate during the October-December period and is thought to be already in a recession, though data for the full first quarter of this year have not yet been released. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Queensland students could be returned to their physical classrooms in a staged approach under a range of options being considered by Education Minister Grace Grace. With the state government still reviewing new health advice delivered to the national cabinet on Friday, Ms Grace said she intended to get students back "as soon as possible" in a manner that was safe for all. Audrey Merriman (left), 9, and her sister Grace, 8, are seen learning from home on the first day of term 2 in Brisbane. Credit:Dan Peled/AAP "All options are on the table, whether it's a staged [or] staggered approach and we want to talk to all stakeholders about what's the best," she told ABC Radio National on Monday. "But clearly we are going to be guided by the medical advice as well." Amitabh Bachchan has a crisis at home in Covid-19 times, says Breaking news, a bat just entered my home Actor Amitabh Bachchan, who has been putting out motivational posts through out the coronavirus pandemic, felt the crisis up close and personal on Saturday. The veteran actor took to Instagram to inform the world that a bat had entered his home in Mumbai. He also explained the scenario in greater detail in his personal blog. (Read full story here) Karan Johar apologises for sharing insensitive social media posts during Covid-19 pandemic: I apologise profusely Filmmaker Karan Johar has apologised for his social media posts during the coronavirus lockdown, after watching a video which sarcastically pointed out that the real heroes are the celebrities. The video in question was about doctors and nurses talking about the difficulties they have been facing and how celebrities have been helping them pull through. One person had sarcastically brought up Ellen DeGeneres comparing quarantine to doing a stint in prison. Karan too has been sharing daily Instagram posts of his twins -- Yash and Roohi -- passing time by making fun of him. (Read full story here) Ramadan 2020: Salman Khan extends best wishes to fans, tells them to stay home, stay safe Salman Khan on Saturday extended wishes to people as the holy month of Ramadan commenced on April 23. The Bharat star took to Twitter and while he wished people on the auspicious occasion, he also advised them to stay at home and wrote: Ramadan Mubarak to all... Stay home stay safe! (Read full story here) Varun Dhawan donates money for 5 lakh daily wage workers on birthday, Ashoke Pandit thanks him for contribution Varun Dhawan has donated money for five lakh daily wage workers of the film and television industry belonging to 32 different work profiles at a time when they are jobless due to the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown. The actor made the contribution on the occasion of his 33rd birthday, on Friday. (Read full story here) Suniel Shetty says Dhadkan sequel should star his and Akshay Kumars sons, Ahan and Aarav Actor Suniel Shetty feels that both Akshay Kumar and him are too old to appear in a sequel to their 2000 film, Dhadkan, but that their sons, Ahan and Aarav, could take on the mantle. Dhadkan, directed by Dharmesh Darshan, also starred Shilpa Shetty. (Read full story here) Follow @htshowbiz for more In 2015, bottles were used about six times as often as cans to package craft beer, according to the Brewers Association. Every year since, the use of bottles has shrunk and use of cans has grown. In 2019, bottles maintained only a narrow lead on cans. In 2020, can packaging is likely to exceed bottle packaging, the trade group has said. Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. Global Automatic Weapons Market was valued at US$ 5.4Bn in 2017 and is expected to reach US$ 8.5Bn by 2026, at a CAGR of 5.83% during a forecast period. Weapon up-gradation initiatives undertaken by the world Leading and developing countries. Rising expenses in military via private and government sector will create more opportunity into Automatic Weapons Market. dispatching autonomous weapons to hunt and kill without further human involvement, with remotely operated and expendable drones, tanks and similar battlefield machinery replacing the human element, automatic weapons Industry is growing in this region in order to upgrade military capabilities, These technologies are being pursued most vigorously by the nuclear-armed nations and factors to impact more on the growth of Automatic Weapons Market. Based on the Product, Automatic Rifle segment is expected to hold the largest share in the market during the forecast period due it fires continually until the trigger is released, to support the defense organizations for timely delivery of essential materials, provides better power efficiency, more effective while shooting, requires less energy and effort while firing to target during war time or training. Emerging nations such as Brazil, India, and China are placing military up-gradation on top of their priority list, Cross border terrorism and security threats also fueling more demand of better riffle and increasing support to military personnel will boost demand in market. In End User, Land segment is also expected to lead the market growth. Request For Report sample @ https://www.trendsmarketresearch.com/report/sample/4021 The report provides details list of drivers and restraints of the market, which are influencing the market growth. Major driving factors of the automatic weapons are a salient point of departure in a technology-fueled arms race that puts everyone in danger specialized missions such as surgical strikes, which has warranted increased surveillance, Positive product outlook owing to integrated system architecture and leading-edge technology offering superior performance and reliability will drive the industry demand, advances in machine autonomy derive primarily from research efforts in three disciplines: artificial intelligence (AI), robotics. Rise in interdependencies linked to commercial trade, partnerships, and treaty obligations have increased. Traditional arms producers are certainly involved in the development of autonomous technologies but the amount of resources that these companies (can) allocate to R&D is far less than that mobilized by large commercial entities in the civilian sector. Government policy and huge investment cost will act as a restraint to the market. In terms of region, Asia Pacific is expected to hold the largest share in the market during the forecast period owing to increased security expenses, the expansion of economies and the rise in population in Asia also demanding more. Asian governments are increasing their defense spending at quite a higher rate, they are mainly doing this commensurately with their economic growth, which has been famously rapid for most of the current century. 2017, five of the ten biggest arms importers were in the region: India, China, Indonesia, Australia and Pakistan. Vietnam, South Korea, and Taiwan were among the top 15 largest arms importers. Recently - The Indian defense ministry as planned to float a tender to purchase six regiments of homemade Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launchers for $2 billion. North America is the leading arms exporter in the world which increased its exports by 30 percent compared with 2009a15. The report includes a detailed study of Porteras Five Forces model to analyze the different factors affecting the growth of the market. Moreover, the study also covers a market attractiveness analysis, PESTLE analysis, Value Chain Analysis, and SWOT analysis. Request For Report Discounts @ https://www.trendsmarketresearch.com/report/discount/4021 Scope of the Report for Automatic Weapons Market Global Automatic Weapons Market, by Product Automatic Rifle Machine Gun Automatic launchers Automatic Cannon Gatling Gun Global Automatic Weapons Market, by End User Land Airborne Naval Handheld & Stationary Global Automatic Weapons Market, by Caliber Small Medium Large Global Automatic Weapons Market, by Region North America Europe Asia Pacific Middle East & Africa South America Key Players Operating in Automatic Weapons Market Genco ATC One Network Enterprises ManTech International Claxton Logistics Minrav Holdings Ltd. AECOM KBR Fluor Corporation ANHAM Klinge Corporation DynCorp International Lockheed Martin ASELSAN A.S. Honeywell ANHAM FedEx Supply Chain American International Contractors Make an Inquiry before Buying@ https://www.trendsmarketresearch.com/checkout/4021/Single Re: When the Apogee Company had all its operations in one location, it was [ #permalink I would share with you, a month-long free "Sun Nxt" subscription for free. nkme2007 wrote: AWA Question: The following appeared in a memorandum from the business department of the Apogee Company: When the Apogee Company had all its operations in one location, it was more profitable than it is today. Therefore, the Apogee Company should close down its field offices and conduct all its operations from a single location. Such centralization would improve profitability by cutting costs and helping the company maintains better supervision of all employees. Discuss how well reasoned you find this argument. In your discussion be sure to analyze the line of reasoning and the use of evidence in the argument. For example, you may need to consider what questionable assumptions underlie the thinking and what alternative explanations or counterexamples might weaken the conclusion. You can also discuss what sort of evidence would strengthen or refute the argument, what changes in the argument would make it more logically sound, and what, if anything, would help you better evaluate its conclusion. Essay: The above paragraph discusses about the Apogee Company's strategy of changing it's offices from multiple locations to a centralised position. The success of the strategy as mentioned in the above paragraph is doubtful taking in view of several positives and negatives occuring from it. Each of the flaws as well as strengths are discussed in subsequent paragraphs below. Firstly, the writer of the paragraph compares Apogee's profitability over past compared to the present. He / She did not discuss about the market scenario that existed during both the times. A company similar to Apogee Company might have different portfolios during both the times based on the market needs. For example, let's consider that Apogee Company is a tyre manufacturing company, and it was manufacturing purely the truck tyres earlier catering the needs of Logistics Hubs in Mumbai, then a centralised location would have worked for that need. But, if in course of time, Apogee Company may have ventured into manufacturing two wheeler tyres which had a pan-India market, which makes the decision of a centralised location a bad choice. Secondly, any company involves gathering raw materials / products which need to be utilised in their final product. And, the raw materials vary from location to location in terms of price depending upon the availibility and logistics costs. Let us take an food processing as an example, the raw materials for making a Pizza, such as Tomatoes, Jalapenos, Onions, Cheese etc. have varied availibility and varied costs based on the location of the centralised Office. Hence, it's mandatory for any company to locate it's offices in different places instead of a centralised one. Thirdly, locating a centralised office in a single location involves requirement of huge amount of resources such as transport facilities for staff mobility and material logistics, large open space in a single location etc. which causes increase in expenses and also causes an increase in difficulty of finding employable talent as per job requirements and land areas. This may even force the Apogee Company to move to remote areas far from the cities or towns leading it to lose the advantage of readiness to approach the market. Along with the flaws mentioned as above, there are a few benefits such as efficiency in in-house operations due to timely availability of company staff that can occur from the benefits of centralisation of Apogee Company's operations to a single location. But, that is so miniscule as compared to the above mentioned three major flaws that are not considered in the reasoning of the paragraph. Instead, the Apogee Company can locate it's manufacturing operations, back-office and warehouse operations to a single centralised location to cut costs and locate remaining sourcing, vendor management and other related offices at different locations based on the requirements. On the path to pursue One Year MBA (EPGP) Program from IIM Bangalore via 2021 intake. Recipient of USD 25,000 Scholarship from Fox School of Business. Top Scorer of SP Jain Global's SPJAT with above 99 percentile score Aiming for a real big move through GMAT Signature Read More A gift for the one who reviews the essay.. It's a token of gratitude for collaborators.Happy prep guys... Looking forward to working as a team for GMAT Prep with working professionals.Thanks in advance._________________ Help India! By TCN News Kuwaiti Cabinet of Ministers on Sunday issued a press statement condemning attacks on Muslim minority in India. Support TwoCircles The letter from Kuwaiti Cabinet of Ministers has addressed Sheikh Nasser Al Mohammed Al Sabah, Foreign Minister, urging him to be informed of the recent spread of Islamophobia in the country and take subsequent measures to address the same. The statement from Kuwaits Cabinet of Ministers has expressed its grave concern over ethnic attacks against Muslims in India. They further called on the world community to condemn such hate speech and communal attacks on the minorities in India including the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to take the necessary and urgent measures to halt these attacks in a way preserving rights of Muslims there and stemming the shedding of their blood. The rise of anti-Muslim rhetoric on Arab social media was originally triggered by a Dubai-based Indian, Saurabh Upadhyay, who had asked Muslims to stop finding ways to defend Tablighi Jamaat, compelling them to accept that they were the source of the pandemic. In his social media post he had even called for the death of Tablighi members, describing them as terrorists. It took no time for Indian expats in the Gulf endorsing him but all of them have now deleted their tweets after being chided by Arab social media users and activists. However, some of these caught the attention of authorities of the Middle Eastern nations who have sacked Indian employees for their professed anti-sentiments against Muslims in very strong languages over social media. Now more and more Arab leaders are supporting this welcome response to combat hate speech online and offline. A week back the royal Princess Hend Al Qassimi, a member of the royal family of the United Arab Emirates, had posted a part of the countrys law on hate speech on Twitter amid controversy over Islamophobic posts by Indian users on their social media platforms, simultaneously calling out the hate sentiments in an interview with NDTV. Meanwhile acknowledging contribution of Indians to UAEs development and economy, Qassimi had stated that all employees are paid and no one comes for free so it would be strictly dealt with if anyone, irrespective of their faith tries to challenge the law and futher declaring that people who are openly racist and discriminatory in the UAE will be fined and made to leave. Soon it was followed by a train of prominent Arab figures including intellectuals, lawyers, leaders and royalty not only criticizing Islamophobic tweets but also questioning the treatment of Muslims in India. A week back Saudi scholar Abidi Zahrani had also proposed to list all militant Hindus working in the Gulf who were engaged in spreading hate against Islam and send them back. The Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission (IPHRC) established by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation has also called on the Indian government to take immediate steps to stop the growing tide of Islamophobia in India and protect the rights of its persecuted Muslim minority as per its obligations under international human rights law. Speaking on the same, the Indian Ambassador to UAE quote-tweeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying: Discrimination is against our moral fabric and the Rule of law. Indian nationals in the UAE should always remember this. 'After eight seasons and 95 episodes, Showtime's flagship drama Homeland finally came to a close last night, with co-creators Howard Gordon and Alex Gansa giving it a fitting ending that was sure to satisfy fans. The riveting episode was titled "Prisoners Of War" which immediately felt as though things were about to go full circle, given that it is the same title of the Israeli series that inspired the Emmy winning show to begin with. It arguably gave viewers exactly what they wanted focusing primarily on Claire Danes and Mandy Patinkin's characters once again going head-to-head, closing off a season that has been hailed as one of the best yet. WARNING: Below are spoilers for the finale episode of Homeland Head-to-head: Saul Berenson (Mandy Patinkin) and Carrie Mathison (Danes) Carrying the episode was counter-terrorism operative Saul Berenson (Patinkin) doing his best to withhold information from CIA officer Carrie Mathison (Danes), now suspected to be a double agent, after her time spent in captivity in season seven. The pair went toe-to-toe as old-school spy Saul rejected Carrie's desperate pleas to for him to give up an asset, while she argued that it would but the kibosh on starting a nuclear war in the Middle East. "No one person is worth the lives of tens of thousands hundreds of thousands!" Carrie exclaimed in one of many tense exchanges between the two. Tense: Fans got to see Saul and Carrie argue it out in a thrillingly tense stand-off It's a situation that they've been in before throughout the series, with the pair of them arguing over who is right and wrong when truthfully often no-one wins in these types of high-stakes spy games. During the scene that surely both actors will be banking on getting some Emmy recognition for, Carrie tries everything to get Saul to turn over the Russian asset, revealing that she already knows parts of her I.D. (that she is an English teacher that communicated with Saul through books.) Carrie's unstable nature in the past has led viewers to believe that she has never been more ruthless than she is now, and will stop at nothing to get what she wants, and sacrifice just about anyone even Saul. Old-school spy: Saul refused to turn over the name of the asset he was trying to protect Saul understandably wants the person he's sworn to protect to be kept alive, while Carrie wants to save many more lives than just one. It's here that viewers at home really start to believe that Carrie might end up finishing Saul off herself. But thankfully, she ultimately decides to go another route. Instead, we see Carrie getting the agent's name by paying a visit to Saul's sister. She then sells the information to the Russians, getting a public confirmation that the death of the president was an accident. Paying the ultimate price? Fans got to see the fate of Carrie Mathison Trading secrets: The moment Carrie pays a visit to Saul's sister to get information This spy move from Carrie pays off, and results in the White House backing down from its plans to retaliate. But despite her efforts to 'do the right thing' it's made clear that Carrie will never return home to US soil, because of her illicit link-up with the Russians. The revealing final ten minutes of the episode fast-forwards two years ahead, to see that Carrie has succeeded her mission of saving the world, but paying a heartbreaking sacrifice in return. Now living in Moscow with the Russian spy (Yevgeny Gromov, played by Costa Ronin) she was in cahoots with, there is one special person noticeably absent from her life: her daughter. A photo of Frannie sits in the middle of Carries desk, creating a bittersweet conclusion to her heroic efforts to protect the lives of countless strangers. Actor Manoj Bajpayee had the most hatke birthday this year on April 23. However, the situation certainly isnt something to be happy about. Stranded in Uttarakhand for more than a month now with the unit of the film he was filming there due to the lockdown, he tells us how his special day went. The property we are staying at, the people here made sure that it goes off well in whatever way they could manage. They decorated with some of the balloons lying here. My nine-year-old daughter and wife made cards for me, those were the personal touches I loved. My director (of the film I was shooting for) wrote a beautiful poem, which completely touched me. I spend all day with my family and the unit people, with a lot of laughter. Then we had the cake and food we all cooked together. Thats how this birthday went, unique and fantastic. Its going to be quite memorable, tells us the 51-year-old. Amid all this, the one thing which upset Bajpayee was the news about medical professionals like nurses and doctors being subjected to hate and violence by some people. Calling it unfathomable, he strongly voices his disdain for such behaviour. I dont know who are these guys attacking doctors and nurses, who are our true heroes. The health sector are the frontline warriors, who are trying to make each and every person feel safe and healthy. The attackers should be ashamed of themselves, they cant just go ahead and attack, let alone even think of it. I strongly condemn this act of violence against frontline workers. I cannot understand it, and the law should take its own course, he tells us. One might think that Bajpayee must be stressed about being away from home for so long, but he dispels all such things. He is actually glad about the fact that they are in the place they are for the lockdown, especially for the sake of his daughter Ava. He tells us why, I was shooting when my family came to visit me, and now we are here, it was a decision which was taken collectively. We thought it would be better to stay here than to get into an urban congested area. Also, an apartment will not be safe for our daughter. It was wiser for us to stay back, because she would not have that much of restriction which she may have found in a Mumbai apartment, adding that she is more happier there. This however doesnt mean that they are free to roam around, he quips. They cant go on the main road, as they are not allowed by the authorities. We can see the Himalayas from here. We make sure to not meet any outsider, he signs off. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-27 17:47:08|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Students from one class are separated into two different classrooms at Beijing No. 161 High School in Beijing, capital of China, April 27, 2020. Senior high schools in Beijing on Monday restarted classes for seniors, who will take the national college entrance exam on July 7-10. (Xinhua/Peng Ziyang) BEIJING, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Nearly 50,000 senior students of high schools in Beijing returned to campus to start their postponed new semester on Monday as the COVID-19 epidemic situation has been eased. Many schools have launched educational activities themed on epidemic prevention and control as their first class after reopening. According to the Beijing municipal education commission, there are 51,226 students in grade three in Beijing's high schools this year. They will take the national college entrance exam, also known as Gaokao, from July 7 to July 10. At present, 49,979 such students have met the conditions for returning to school. More than 1,200 students are temporarily unable to return to school due to various reasons. Among them, more than 800 students are in quarantine in Beijing, and more than 300 students are currently outside the nation's capital. "Before the school reopening, all the students who returned from other places to Beijing had received 14 days of home quarantine and daily body temperature monitoring. Since April 6, teachers and students returning from other places have undergone nucleic acid testing in addition to 14 days of home isolation. If the results are negative, they are allowed to go back to school," said Wang Jun, Party chief and president of the High School Affiliated to China Agricultural University. Many high schools have also provided guidance to the students' parents via various ways such as organizing online meetings and sending letters to help students prepare for returning to school. Nguyen Xuan Duong has been arrested for running a mafia operation in Thai Binh Province in northern Vietnam. Photo courtesy of Thai Binh Police. Nguyen Xuan Duong, 49, is being investigated for running a mafia-like operation that manipulated land auctions and extorted funeral companies for years. Police in the northern province of Thai Binh arrested Duong on April 10, a day after issuing a warrant for him and have since launched three investigations into various criminal activities as well as reopened an old case against him. According to Thai Binh authorities, Xuan Duong returned to Vietnam in 2007 after years of working in Russia, and quickly gathered a group of underlings with whom he committed about 20 crimes, inflicting violence on others and public disorder. The authorities claim that police were unable to implicate Duong because he had not directly participated in the crimes. Real estate business In 2008, Xuan Duong got married to Nguyen Thi Duong and entered the real estate market, trading in properties and brokering property deals. Since 2010, his wife has registered three household businesses, none of which generated any revenue or paid any tax. The couple then founded the Duong Duong Co. Ltd. in 2010 with a charter capital of VND6 billion ($256,000) and listed it as participating in various businesses including real estate trading, with Thi Duong as the company's director. Since its founding, this company has only paid the annual license fee and no tax because it was "not generating revenue." Despite their companies reporting no revenue, the couple enjoyed a lavish lifestyle with large houses and luxury cars, owning many valuable land lots and being able to organize many charities as well as other events attended by famous artists. After many individuals and organizations denounced the couple and accused them of criminal activities, Thai Binh leaders requested a police investigation in late 2017. However, it took more than two years for the police to open a case, which happened this January. Among the crimes the couple have been accused of is criminally manipulating land auctions in the province since 2018, with the Duong Duong Company frequently participating in auctions of public land and winning the majority of them with bids barely higher than the starting bid. The couple went on to sell these land lots for huge profits. When attending the land lot auctions, the couple was typically accompanied by several dozen men who reportedly harassed, threatened and even assaulted other auction participants. Funeral companies In late 2017, the couple established a so-called Thai Binh Funeral Association with Xuan Duong as chairman without permission from provincial authorities. Then Duong and his henchman Ninh Duc Loi divided the companies into operating territories and demanded that they pay "association fees" and donate to the association's "charity fund" for each cremation performed. Companies that refused to pay were subsequently threatened and harassed by Xuan Duong until they complied or stopped operating in Thai Binh. The victims were afraid to report the extortion. The final blow The criminal activities of the couple came out into the open when a case of assault was reported to the police late last month. The incident occurred at Duong Duong Company's office, which also doubled as the couple's home. According to the investigation, the Duong Duong Company had hired bus driver Trinh Ngoc Anh to deliver a package to Hanoi on March 30 but the delivery was late, prompting Xuan Duong to threaten Anh and demand that he return to Thai Binh to "talk." However, when Anh arrived at the Duong Duong Company's office later that day, Thi Duong instructed two of her employees to detain and beat him so badly that he had to be hospitalized with a broken nose and jaw. Thi Duong and her two employees were arrested April 7 for "deliberate infliction of bodily harm upon another person," while Xuan Duong was also arrested three days later while he was on the run for his involvement in the incident. Investigation resumes Following this breakthrough, on April 14, Thai Binh police resumed an investigation that had been suspended five years ago. In that case, Xuan Duong and his men were accused of beating up a mother and son duo right at the local police station while attempting to collect an alleged debt from them. While the incident allegedly occurred inside the police station and resulted in a victim suffering a fractured jaw, the initial investigation was suspended after six months due to an apparent lack of evidence and witnesses. The provincial police also launched two criminal investigations into the couple's manipulation of land auctions and into Xuan Duong and Loi's extortion of funeral companies. The investigation into the couple's land auction crimes has so far resulted in four officials from Thai Binh's Department of Justice and Department of Natural Resources and Environment being placed under investigation for abuse of power. Police have also started working with tax authorities to look into Duong Duong Company's business activities. In an announcement issued by the Government Office on April 14, Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh instructed Thai Binh's steering committee on crime prevention and control to swiftly investigate and clarify the crimes committed by Xuan Duong's gang, stressing that their many criminal activities in recent years have negatively affected social order and security, and triggered public discontent. Save us from COVID-19 and from the same old, same old politics. Surely if the past two months have done anything, theyve put us back in touch with the things that matter and how important it is to make the most of our time here. Will the Morrison government take stock and seek a better way of looking after a greater number of Australians as we navigate our way through and beyond the pandemic? Credit:Alex Ellinghausen If its that way for individuals, it follows that it should work like that for governments too. After all, they consist of humans and exist only to make the lives of the people they serve better and safer. So will the Morrison government take stock and seek a better way of looking after a greater number of Australians as we navigate our way through and beyond the pandemic? It should, because this offers a series of tantalising prospects, simultaneously getting us back on a growth path, reviving Liberalism and strengthening our ailing democracy. But if it simply relies on old habits and relies on the usual suspects for the answers, setting in motion predictable recommendations that cut taxes for companies, reduce job security for workers and slash spending, it will have wasted one of the greatest opportunities ever offered a government in the modern era. Some of the state's most prominent doctors have revealed both the stress they're under and the unexpected upside in candid accounts of their new working lives. The heads of intensive care at Royal Perth Hospital and Fiona Stanley Hospital and the director of emergency medicine at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital joined GPs, emergency doctors and specialists to lift the lid in a special COVID-19 edition of trade journal Medicus, published by the Australian Medical Association of WA, released on Friday. It was in the trenches lifelong friendships were formed, said an emergency physician at Joondalup hospital. Credit:SMH How am I coping? Im exhausted, wrote SCGH emergency medicine director Peter Allely. The amount of preparation and system redesign weve had to do in such a short timeframe has led to a feeling of being on a war footing with the busiest few weeks or any of our professional lives. Jim Mullaney, founder and president/CEO of Edoc Service, Inc. COVID-19 has shifted many businesses and organizations teams to a working-from-home model. We are looking to make compliance easier for employers, especially now, says Jim Mullaney, founder and president/CEO of Edoc Service, Inc., a totally remote company based out of Fairfield, Ohio. A pandemic can spur change in a lot of areasand one such area is employer compliance. Thats why Edoc Service, Inc. is seeing a surge in interest over its Digital Labor Law platform, a subscription service that offers up-to-date compliance posters in a digital format. The customized workplace posters are typically added to an employers website or intranet for staff to access, but they are also printable. No matter where they are posted digitally, all workers can access and digitally sign off on posters required by federal and state governments. An employer can select which posters they want to show in their portal, and even customize posters that require additional verbiage. COVID-19 has shifted many businesses and organizations teams to a working-from-home model. We are looking to make compliance easier for employers, especially now, says Jim Mullaney, founder and president/CEO of Fairfield, Ohio-based Edoc Service, Inc. Edoc Service is a totally remote company thats been virtual from the start23 years ago. Over that time, the companys service offerings have evolved, but Edoc Service continues to offer tools and services that help other organizations to be more productive and more collaborative. With more than 70 remote transcriptionists, we hope that our services help other teams to thrive in a more virtual environment, says Mullaney. Our purpose from the start has been to transform business in America. Our Digital Labor Law platform is one example of just that, adds Mullaney, who is a self-described late bloomer who launched Edoc Service in 1997 after a successful, decades-long career with Marriott. Similar to other software and tools Edoc Service provides, Digital Labor Law started as a project for Edoc Service to use internally. With remote workers across the nation and in 6 states, they needed a way for workers to reasonably be able to access the workforce posters, according to Mullaney. Once we created it for ourselves, we thought it was a great idea to offer the Digital Labor Law service to other multi-state employers and other remote teams, too, says Mullaney. Mullaney is confident that businesses across the nation are also ready for a simpler approach to workplace posters. Its more practical to send a link to staff to have them review and digitally sign off on compliance postings. Its much more accessible now. At the start of April, the Department of Labor released guidance and required posters for new paid leave mandates enacted by Congress in response to the coronavirus. These mandates, which cover the vast majority of small businesses, had a start date of April 1, 2020. All businesses covered by the law, including private sector employers with fewer than 500 employees, were expected to post that Families First Coronavirus Response Act Notice (FFCRA) notice on that day. Thats an example of where we were able to have that poster available through our platform, and those using the platform were able to send that out to employees, explains Mullaney. To learn more about Digital Labor Law by Edoc Service, visit http://www.digitallaborlaw.com where you can sign up and start using the digital posters today. To learn more about Edoc Service, visit https://edocservice.com/ or call (513) 829-7101. About Digital Labor Law by Edoc Service, Inc. Digital Labor Law by Edoc Service allows all your staff to see workforce posters required by federal and state governments. The posters are always digitalbut also printable. Edoc Service is proudly making compliance simpler for businesses. To learn more about Digital Labor Law, visit http://www.digitallaborlaw.com or call (513) 829-7101. When Reverend Michael Way was asked to perform Last Rites for a Christ Episcopal Church parishioner suffering from the coronavirus, the Middletown priest initially planned to administer the sacrament over the phone. Poor service at a nursing home made that difficult, so Way and the caseworkers devised a new plan. Since Way couldnt be in the room with the COVID-19 positive man, they arranged to give Last Rites through the window of his room. Equipped with a mask, Way prayed and talked through the mans window. Way wasnt sure what to expect. This was his first time giving Last Rites to a person afflicted with the coronavirus. But even by standing outside the room, the moment still had the intimacy that would have been lost on the phone. I was shaking as I was doing it. I didnt expect to be. I knew that the sacrament was there whether or not I felt it," Way said. "I didnt expect to feel it as powerfully as I did. CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live map tracker | Newsletter | Homepage The patients cognition goes in and out, but Way said the man heard speaking through the window. When Way began reciting the Our Father, he saw the man mouthing the words to the prayer. Way performed the ceremony as usual, with the exception of giving physical communion. Way has been at Christ Episcopal Church in Middletown for the past year, where he got to know the parishioner. The man was moved to the nursing home in the fall, and he became one of many nursing home residents around New Jersey to contract the coronavirus. Way gave the man the sacrament on April 21, and he was still alive on Saturday night. Way needed to drive an hour to meet with the man through the window, and he didnt hesitate to make the trip to be present in person to lend his support. Thats almost a better solution than the telephone because Im so much closer to them, and I think it meant more to this individual," Way said. "And certainly it was more powerful for me, just to to be there with him. The moment added to a month of change and adjustment to Ways world since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. He streams 14 services per week on Facebook, giving people a chance to congregate and pray without attending church in person. Through those streamed services, Way has been able to see the tangible impact made by providing them. The numbers are kind of staggering, because we have three times the number of people who might be attending service physically actually tuning in, Way said. "Either when the service (is) live or later to view it. And people, everybody misses each other so much. But they share, they identify themselves on the comments section and they share the peace virtually. Its only by the comments that they can interact, but they do, and they get tremendous comfort from seeing the other people online at the same time, so were doing what we can what we can do, were trying to meet people where they are. Its a challenge, of course, but I can only speak for myself, I just feel really energized and inspired to be working with other people to find the best way of feeding people at this time spiritually. Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription. Chris Ryan may be reached at cryan@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @ChrisRyan_NJ. (Newser) In party dresses or come as you are, with colored lights flashing in their bedrooms and teachers-turned-DJs spinning, high schoolers have turned to virtual proms to salvage at least one slice of fun and tradition for the Class of 2020. And theyre getting help from familiar brands like Teen Vogue and Jack in the Box, with both serving as hosts to thousands of teens, the AP reports. Celebrities, too, are taking on prom: Get Out actress Allison Williams was a guest DJ for Zoom partygoers in Baton Rouge, La., and Jack Ryan star John Krasinski was joined by Billie Eilish when he threw a prom live on YouTube. It's terrible that it's happening to your class, but I hope you're having a good time anyway," Williams told about 100 teens, staff, and guests April 16 at the prom hosted by the Baton Rouge Youth Coalition, an after-school program. story continues below Alauna Stults, 17, in Findlay, Ohio, will wear a blue bedazzled two-piece outfit when she attends an online prom May 9 thrown by the party apparel rental service Charlotte's Closet and an event planning site, My School Dance. Charlotte's Closet is donating dresses to teens in need, including Alauna. High schools and cheer teams have thrown virtual proms of their own as social media has filled up with sweet moments among families. Dads have taken their dressed-up daughters for living room spins for a dance or two, and teens have organized home proms among parents and siblings. Teen Vogue expects about 5,000 teens to attend its virtual prom May 16 on Zoom, and Jack in the Box is working with schools in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Houston to put on a prom in May, complete with free food and delivery codes. (Much more on the virtual prom phenomenon here.) Reporter Ben Zigterman is a reporter covering business at The News-Gazette. His email is bzigterman@news-gazette.com, and you can follow him on Twitter (@bzigterman). The military and the National Intelligence Service are investigating massive leaks of secret weapons technology over past years from the Agency for Defense Development. Researchers are suspected of habitually stealing hundreds of thousands of such secrets when they resigned or retired from Korea's leading agency for defense technology development. The ADD has spearheaded the country's weapons development from missiles to aircraft and tanks since its establishment in 1970. "The Defense Security Support Command has been conducting an investigation of some 60 former senior ADD researchers in cooperation with the National Intelligence Service and police over the theft of secrets when they resigned or retired from the ADD," a military spokesman said on Sunday. "The investigation specifically focuses on about 20 former ADD researchers who left the agency in the last two or three years." One researcher who left the ADD last September then landed a job as a senior fellow at a private university in Seoul and is suspected of stealing a whopping 680,000 pieces of secret information, from drone and other weapons systems to artificial intelligence technologies. Most of the 20 landed jobs at domestic defense firms. Some have confessed that ADD staff habitually stole tech secrets to help them land another job when they left. "We're trying to find out what and how many technologies were leaked to where," a military spokesman said. An ADD official said, "We are taking this case very seriously and need to find out if technologies can be better protected." Duck Dynasty and Dancing With The Stars veteran Sadie Robertson and her mom Korie have spoken out after their family was targeted in a 'scary' drive by shooting. Korie, the wife of Duck Commander founder Phil Robertson's son Willie, assured fans on Instagram that the family was unharmed. 'Thank you so much for all of your prayers for our family,' she wrote on Monday. 'We are all safe and sound and feeling profoundly grateful for God's protection over us! Yes, the news reports are true, we had a drive-by shooting at our home on Friday, it was scary and dangerously close, but thanks to God no one was hurt.' Not hurt: Duck Dynasty's Sadie Robertson and mom Korie have called a drive-by shooting 'scary and dangerously close' after their home was targeted; the pair are seen in a file picture Daniel King Jr, 38, of West Monroe, Louisiana, has been charged with one count of aggravated assault by drive-by shooting, the Ouachita Parish Sheriff's Office announced on Sunday. King was arrested just after 8pm on Sunday and booked into the Ouachita Correctional Center after spraying two homes on Willie's remote country estate in West Monroe, Louisiana, with bullets. Bond was set at $150,000. Korie said that despite the shocking incident, the family was continuing with normal life. 'Today we got to participate in a drive-by birthday celebration! Crazy how life works! We honked our horns and made signs. We are alive and well, and not taking this day for granted!' Family: The Robertsons had hunkered down at the remote estate; Willie is pictured here with daughter Sadie, who was home during the shooting Family: Willie, Korie, Miss Kay, Jase, Phil & Si Robertson in a publicity image from Duck Dynasty She added: 'My grandmother used to read this scripture aloud every night before she went to bed, when we spent the night she would read it over us, 'So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.' Isaiah 41:10 God is good! Praising him today and every day!' While Willie Robertson wasn't home during the shooting, multiple family members were. The Robertsons had hunkered down at the estate, composed of multiple properties, to ride out the coronavirus pandemic together. The gunman's estimated eight to ten bullets hit two homes, one of which was occupied by Willie's son John Luke, his wife Mary Kate McEachern and their infant son. Speaking out: Mom of six Korie shared a picture with Willie and their family as she talked of the dangerous experience 'It's true': DWTS star Sadie shared the news with fans, along with the same photo as mom John Luke's sister Sadie, 22, wrote on Instagram that the family were 'shook up'. 'Hi, yes the news is true if you've seen it. We had someone shoot at our property. Just wanted to say we are all okay,' she wrote on Instagram on Sunday 'It shook us all up of course, but we are just so thankful everyone in our family is okay. Especially after one of the bullets flew through the window of my brothers home 'The timing of where we were at the time was crazy protection because we had all just gone inside. We have been resting on Psalm 91 and each other's gratitude for all being okay. Thank you for your prayers.' Her adopted sister Rebecca shared the same family photo and wrote: 'You might have heard or saw the news about the drive by shooting at my familys property, which we are all currently living on. 'Just wanted to hop on here and let yall know we are all okay, and thank you everyone for the calls & messages to check on us! We are all still a little shook up, especially thinking of what may have happened, but thank God for his protection & watching over us.' Daniel King Jr (left), 38, of West Monroe, Louisiana, has been arrested in connection with a drive-by shooting that struck the property of Duck Dynasty star Willie Robertson (right) Two residences on Robertson's property were struck by bullets, though no one was injured Investigators released this surveillance photo of a truck that was seen driving away from the scene at the time of the shooting on Friday afternoon 'God was watching over us,' her dad Willie Robertson told KTVE-TV. 'Like I said, just a few minutes before, we were all outside; kids outside, grand kids outside, right where the bullets came through. 'God is good and we will keep serving him.' HOUSTON, April 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- MRC Global Inc. (NYSE: MRC), the largest global distributor, based on sales, of pipe, valves and fittings and related infrastructure products and services to the energy industry, today announced the location of its 2020 Annual Meeting of Stockholders has been changed and will be held over the web in a virtual meeting format only. This press release hereby serves as notice to the company's stockholders of this change. In light of the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak and to support the health and well-being of our employees, stockholders and our community, MRC Global has taken the decision to conduct its Annual Meeting over the web in a virtual meeting format only. Stockholders will not be able to attend the Annual Meeting physically in person; rather, the meeting will be held solely on-line through the internet. As the company will release its first quarter 2020 earnings on April 28, 2020 and hold its earnings conference call on April 29, 2020, MRC Global will not be providing a presentation at the Annual Meeting. Stockholders are encouraged to listen to MRC Global's earnings call replay, which is available through May 13, 2020, by either dialing 201-612-7415 using passcode 13699943# or by accessing an archive of the earnings call webcast at https://investor.mrcglobal.com/ . Additional information about MRC Global may be found on our website at that address or on the Securities and Exchange Commission website: www.sec.gov . The summary details for the Annual Meeting are as follows: Meeting Date: Thursday, May 7, 2020 Meeting Time: 10:00 a.m. (Houston, Texas Time) Meeting Access: Virtual Shareholder Meeting https://www.meetingcenter.io/256159865 As described in the proxy materials for the Annual Meeting previously distributed to you, stockholders of record as of March 13, 2020, the record date, are entitled to participate in the Virtual Annual Meeting. Stockholders with a control number will be able to listen, vote, and submit questions from any remote location with internet connectivity. Those who are not a stockholder or without a control number may attend the Annual Meeting as guests, but they will not have the ability to participate during the Virtual Annual Meeting. Any votes that stockholders cast by phone, proxy card or internet prior to 11:59 P.M. (Houston, Texas time) on May 6, 2020 will be counted at the meeting. Unless a stockholder desires to vote during the meeting or change the stockholder's vote during the meeting, any prior votes will be unaffected. To access the virtual only Annual Meeting please click the Virtual Shareholder Meeting link or type https://www.meetingcenter.io/256159865 into your computer's browser window. To login to the virtual meeting you have two options: Join as a "Guest" or Join as a "Shareholder". Join as a "Shareholder": Stockholders that desire either or both to ask questions at the Annual Meeting or vote during the Annual Meeting should join as a "Shareholder". Registered and beneficial stockholders may join as a "Shareholder". If you join as a "Shareholder" you will be required to have a password and a control number. The password for the meeting is MRC2020. Registered Stockholders : If you were a registered stockholder as of the close of business on the record date for the Annual Meeting, March 13, 2020, and have your control number, you may use this control number. This control number can be found on your proxy card or notice or e-mail that registered stockholders previously received. Registered stockholders who have not yet voted or wish to change a vote may vote during the Annual Meeting by following the instructions available on the meeting website during the meeting. Beneficial Stockholders : If you hold your shares through an intermediary, such as a bank or broker, you are a beneficial stockholder and must register in advance to attend the Annual Meeting as a "Shareholder". To register you must submit proof of your proxy power (legal proxy) reflecting your MRC Global Inc. holdings along with your name and email address to Computershare. Requests for registration must be labeled as "Legal Proxy" and be received no later than 5:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on Monday, May 4, 2020. You will receive a confirmation email from Computershare of your registration. By mail: Requests for beneficial stockholder registration should be directed to Computershare at the following address: Computershare 462 S. 4th Street Louisville, Kentucky 40202 OR By email: Forward the email from your broker, or attach an image of your legal proxy, to [email protected]. If you do not have your control number, you may not attend or ask questions at the virtual meeting as a "Shareholder". Please note that the proxy card included with the proxy materials previously distributed will not be updated to reflect the change in location and may continue to be used to vote your shares in connection with the Annual Meeting. The list of our registered stockholders as of the close of business on the record date for the Annual Meeting, March 13, 2020, will be available online for inspection by "Shareholders" only during the meeting. Join as a Guest: Either guests or stockholders may join as a "Guest". If you join as a "Guest", you will be required to have a password. The password for the Annual Meeting is MRC2020. Guests and stockholders that join as a "Guest" will be able to listen to the Annual Meeting but will be unable to ask questions, vote shares during the meeting or change previous votes cast prior to the meeting. About MRC Global Inc. MRC Global is the largest distributor of pipe, valves and fittings (PVF) and other infrastructure products and services to the energy industry, based on sales. Through approximately 250 service locations worldwide, approximately 3,150 employees and with nearly 100 years of history, MRC Global provides innovative supply chain solutions and technical product expertise to customers globally across diversified end-markets including the upstream production, midstream pipeline, gas utility and downstream and industrial. MRC Global manages a complex network of over 200,000 SKUs and 10,000 suppliers simplifying the supply chain for its over 13,000 customers. With a focus on technical products, value-added services, a global network of valve and engineering centers and an unmatched quality assurance program, MRC Global is the trusted PVF expert. Find out more at www.mrcglobal.com. Contact: Office of the Corporate Secretary Attention: Daniel J. Churay MRC Global Inc. [email protected] SOURCE MRC Global Inc. Related Links http://www.mrcglobal.com ALBANY Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo offered a first glimpse on Sunday into the state's reopening plan, a phased approach that will begin with resuming manufacturing activities. The early stages of the plan, divided into two parts, would begin with construction and manufacturing in low-risk environments. The second phase would restart "more essential, lower-risk" businesses, a category that has not yet fully been defined but that state officials are asking companies to begin planning. Those businesses must consider "how they're going to reopen with that 'new normal,'" Cuomo said, noting that many organizations may reconfigure their physical spaces or change daily practices to reduce in-person interactions. Companies will submit plans to the state before restarting, he said. "This is not a one-sided equation here," Cuomo said. "Businesses, you develop a plan on how you would reopen given everything we now know, and if you have a plan that actually takes into consideration these new circumstances." The state will take a two-week break between reopening phases to monitor infection levels and ensure that coronavirus cases do not rapidly increase. Opening too quickly and too soon could cause a second wave of the virus that again overwhelms the state's health care system, the governor said. He declined to take a firm stance on reopening schools, saying that sending children back to the classroom must be coordinated with a large-scale opening of businesses. Some localities have been discussing the possibility of summer school to make up for lost time in the spring. "That we have to feel out as we go," the governor said. "On any of these things, I'm not really comfortable getting too far ahead of ourselves. You want to talk about a two-week window I think thats an intelligent window to talk about." Cuomo reiterated on Sunday that the state will take a regional approach to its reopening plan, noting that officials will avoid authorizing large events or other activities that could draw mass crowds from other areas. The state could begin reopening as early as mid-May, when the state's "on PAUSE" order is set to expire as long as regions have seen declining hospitalizations for at least 14 days, in accordance with guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Cuomo said. Hospitalizations and intubations continue to decrease, as do the number of COVID-19 deaths statewide. A total of 367 people died from the virus on Saturday down from 437 the day before bringing the state's death toll to 16,966. Parts of upstate New York including the North Country and the Mohawk Valley will likely begin reopening before New York City and its surrounding counties, Cuomo added. The revival of parks, schools, beaches and businesses downstate must be coordinated within New York City and Nassau, Suffolk and Westchester counties, Cuomo said. New York is also continuing to work with its border states on any large-scale reopening plans that could prompt people to cross state lines. Thousands of New Yorkers are increasingly anxious to get back to work, as the pandemic has led to record numbers of unemployment claims. The state Department of Labor announced Saturday that it has paid out $3.1 billion to New Yorkers since the coronavirus began impacting businesses in early March. More than 1.4 million people have completed unemployment applications in that time, officials said. An experimental cancer drug may be able to block people from being infected by the coronavirus, according to a team of researchers from the University of Louisville in Kentucky. The drug is a synthetic DNA piece that is called aptamer that binds a protein called nucleolin, replicating the disease and infecting other cells. What is an aptamer? Previous studies of the drug showed that aptamer prevents different types of cancer from taking over the nucleolin, replicating the disease and infecting other cells in the body. The team of researchers stated that the technology could be used to prevent the coronavirus from replicating itself and spreading throughout the body. A team led by Dr. Paul Bates, a professor of medicine at the University of Louisville, discovered aptamer. Dr. Bates said that like many scientists, as soon as she heard about the coronavirus, she wanted to help and she started to think about how her area of research might intersect with coronavirus research efforts. Dr. Bates also plants to work at the University Louisville's Regional Biocontainment Laboratory, one of only 12 regional and two national biocontainment labs in the US. The lab has Biosafety Level 3 facilities that protect researchers from being exposed to the pathogens that they are studying and examining. Also Read: Cancer Patients and Other Vital Operations Cancelled: How Those Without Coronavirus are Left Behind Dr. Bates also hopes that her team receives the stamp of approval from the US Food and Drug Administration or FDA in order for them to begin trials. Since the vaccine for the virus could take between 12 to 18 months before it arrives on the market, she says that treatments could help slow the spread. The doctor added that coronavirus patients can take the drug early to stop the virus from spreading in their bodies and that would stop them hopefully from getting seriously ill from this but also for people who have already gotten very ill. There is some evidence that if the amount of virus in the body can be reduced, the patients might be able to benefit them. Coronavirus rate in America In the US, there are 929,028 total cases of coronavirus, with 52,371 deaths and 110,504 recovered cases. Despite the high death toll number, some states chose to reopen businesses. Salons and spas reopen in Georgia and Oklahoma and in Alaska, restrictions on restaurants were lifted. Customers who will visit the newly reopened businesses in Oklahoma, Georgia, and Alaska will be expected to continue following social distancing measures. However, some cities and areas have decided to keep their lockdowns in place. In Georgia, spas, hair, bowling alleys, nail salons, tattoo parlors, and other personal care businesses will be allowed to resume operations. On April 20, dine-in restaurants and theaters were allowed to reopen. President Donald Trump faced criticism after suggesting that injecting household disinfectant into patients could be beneficial, as well as suggesting taking disinfectants to fight the virus. His remarks have been condemned as extremely dangerous by doctors and manufacturers as Lysol released a statement warning the public about drinking disinfectants. Disinfectants are dangerous substances and they can be poisonous if ingested, and even external exposure can be dangerous to the skin, eyes, and respiratory system. Related Article: British Soldiers Given Insect Repellant to Protect Themselves Against Coronavirus @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Independent of Time and Space Digital Trade Fair+ Posted by Publisher Telecommunication The companies exhibiting at trade fairs were planning to spend around half of their marketing budget on trade fairs in 2020/2021. This was the result of AUMA MesseTrend 2020, a representative survey of 500 German exhibiting companies. Meanwhile, due to the spread of the corona virus around the globe, a large part of all trade fairs in the first half of 2020 have been cancelled. Marketing teams have just invested energy, time and budget in the perfect trade fair presentation of their company. Now this seems to be a waste of time. Communication with potential customers is a very special challenge due to the shutdown of public and economic life. The company KECK offers its customers a professional alternative: KECK sets the stage for brands in spaces. In this context, it doesn\-\-t matter what kind of space it is exhibition hall, event room, foyer, a showroom or a digital room. The principle is always the same: Brands meet people. KECK has been offering digital solutions for a long time. So the applications available under KECK SOLUTIONS support company staff in organizing and realizing their events. The new \Digital Fair+\ allows communicating information, innovations, interactions and emotions to customers even at these times. Understanding the trade fair as the focal point of a customer journey with initial and conversion phases allows using the various options of digital brand space and live streaming in a targeted manner. In this way, ideas and services for a planned trade fair appearance are not lost, but can be used digitally: a guided tour, application inspections or even a training or tutorial with live chat function. To create this virtual world, we use or create the 3D data of a planned event or brand world as a basis. Thus the space becomes real. To achieve an optimized result, the digital space is combined with live streaming or the entire event communication is designed interactively and efficiently using the KECKlive application. A virtual event can extend a real event, address additional target groups or be used as an alternative if the event could not take place. Customer communication also becomes a little independent of time and space in the trade fair sector. KECK. Brand Staging worldwide More than 30 years successfully on the market, 140 employees and passion for what we do we are KECK. Our references are from just as wide a range of industries as our solutions. After all, \-\-run of the mill\-\- is an alien concept to us. We realise projects always in an extraordinary and creative manner, perfectly attuned to our customers from the most varying of sectors. In realising everything from extravagant trade fair stands and showrooms through to elaborate light and communication concepts, we can implement all you require to stage your brand successfully. Our wheelhouse includes the entire spectrum of services strategy, consultation, design, construction and control. The most important step in every project is to understand the brand. We really get to its core and communicate it in a standardised and unique way. We not only stage brands, but also make them more successful. The Bihar Judicial Services Association (BJSA) on Monday expressed displeasure after Uttar Pradesh Police made one of its members wait for five hours before allowing him to enter the state to attend his brothers funeral in the neighbouring state, though he possessed a valid pass to travel during the lockdown. Personnel of Deoria district police in UP stopped Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADJ) of Siwan, Ramayan Ram, twice and he, along with his family members, had to wait inside the police station of Guthni for hours, BJSA Secretary Ajit Kumar Singh said. The funeral of his brother was also delayed because of this, he said and demanded action against the erring officials. "A judicial officer, who was going to attend the funeral of his younger brother with a valid pass, was wrongfully restrained for five hours by Deoria Police. This is an insensitive and callous approach of the Deoria Police and the SP of Deoria," Singh said. Deoria police also defied the official order issued by the Siwan district magistrate allowing Ram to travel to Pahalwanpur village in Ghazipur district of UP, he said. After the judicial officer was stopped at a check post at Mehrauna in Deoria district on Friday afternoon, he came to Guthni police station. The station house officer of Guthni later took him to the check post and urged the UP police to allow Ram to enter. Mehrauna police, however, denied him permission again saying Siwan has several Covid-19 hotspot areas, and he had to return to Gutthni police station. Ram also talked to the Deoria SP seeking permission to travel to Gazipur, but in vain, sources said. The BJSA secretary said he has written to the chief secretary and the director general of police of both UP and Bihar demanding action against the erring officials. "It will be my endeavour to see that the grievance of the judicial officer is appropriately redressed," Singh said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Just days after an outside assessment saluted the dedication of the entire staff at Gracedale, Northampton Countys nursing home, during the coronavirus pandemic, the National Guard is being called into temporarily resolve staffing shortages. The work will begin Sunday and last for 72 hours, the maximum allowed, the county said in a news release. The Guard and the Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania were glowing last week in their report on the nursing home. As of Monday, Gracedale, which cares for about 600 residents with a staff of about 700, has had 780 employee call outs since April 1, the county said. As of late last week, 26 staff have been quarantined with COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, and eight of them have since returned to work, the county said. Employees with COVID-19 were included in the 716 call outs, but, for example, on Monday, there were 27 calls outs, but only four were COVID-19 related, county Executive Lamont McClure said. I can say for certain it is a much larger problem beyond the 26 or so positive employees, McClure said. Seventy residents have come down with COVID-19, and nine of them have died, the county said. While McClure has praised the nursing home staff, his comments on Monday indicated some frustration as well. The employees who are coming to work every day to care for our residents at Gracedale are heroes, McClure said in the news release. The employees who are calling out of their shifts in record numbers need to start putting the residents first. On average, skilled certified nursing assistants make $16.73 at Gracedale, while a licensed practical nurse makes $23.01, a registered nurse makes $30.32 and a nursing supervisor makes $31.18, McClure said. In the last week of March, employees working in the tower isolation unit began receiving an additional 30 percent of base salary in hazard pay, McClure said. In the first week in April, everyone else working there got a 20 percent bump, unless they worked on a floor with a COVID-19 patient, at which point the increase was 25 percent, he added. The National Guard will primarily assist with residents who dont have COVID-19, the county said. This should allow nursing home staff to focus on residents who are positive for COVID-19 or have pending test results, the county said. The troops will spend the first day getting familiar with the facility and receiving instructions on how to provide proper care in the large nursing home, the county said. Twenty Guard medics will work 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. as skilled certified nursing assistants, and eight Guard licensed nurses will work the 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. shift and assist with distributing medications, the county said. Other troops will help deliver food, make beds and perform similar duties, the county said. The Guard staff will focus on the tower building, which has the greatest need for help, the county said. We are grateful to the National Guard for their offer of short-term assistance, McClure 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. Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting lehighvalleylive.com with a voluntary subscription. Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. ConsumerAffairs is not a government agency. Companies displayed may pay us to be Authorized or when you click a link, call a number or fill a form on our site. Our content is intended to be used for general information purposes only. It is very important to do your own analysis before making any investment based on your own personal circumstances and consult with your own investment, financial, tax and legal advisers. Company NMLS Identifier #2110672 Copyright 2021 Consumers Unified LLC. All Rights Reserved. The contents of this site may not be republished, reprinted, rewritten or recirculated without written permission. EDMONTONAlbertas ethics commissioner has rejected Opposition accusations that Premier Jason Kenney and his United Conservative caucus broke the rules when they fired an election official investigating the party. Marguerite Trussler, in a report issued Monday, said there is no evidence the United Conservatives directly benefited when the UCP caucus passed a bill late last year to fire Lorne Gibson as election commissioner. The Opposition NDP had alleged that firing Gibson boosted the UCPs long-term reputation and re-election prospects given that Gibson was investigating the party and had already levied more than $200,000 in fines tied to the 2017 leadership race won by Kenney. Trussler said, among other reasons, that the accusation fell short of proving direct benefit and, if taken to its logical conclusion, every decision made by a politician could be seen as a potential conflict of interest. It would be practically impossible for (elected legislature) members to carry out their duties and functions without breaching the (Conflicts of Interest) Act, Trussler wrote in her report. Such a conclusion would hamstring the operations of the government and the legislative assembly. Trussler did note that one United Conservative member, Calgary backbencher Peter Singh, should have formally recused himself from debate given Gibson was questioning Singh at the time over campaign expenses. Singh is the only member who breached the (conflicts) act, wrote Trussler. However, it is significant that he did not vote (on the bill) and that the outcome of the vote did not halt the investigation into his campaign expenses. Trussler said Singh should make up for his error by formally apologizing to the legislative assembly. Gibsons duties and investigations were returned to the control of chief electoral officer Glen Resler, who said all investigations would continue. Heather Sweet, the NDPs critic on democracy and ethics issues, said Trusslers decision misses the bigger picture. We do not agree that the conduct of the UCP being investigated by commissioner Gibson was simply political activity. It was corrupt, anti-democratic and well outside the norm, Sweet said. The UCP caucus failed to conduct themselves with the high standard of integrity and impartiality required by members of the legislative assembly when they attacked the rule of law with Bill 22. If the ethics commissioner is unable to investigate corruption under the current Conflicts of Interest Act, then it is clear that the act must be changed to prevent such corrupt actions from occurring in the future. Bill 22 was omnibus legislation that included a clause firing Gibson. It moved swiftly through the legislature in a week last November while Kenney was away on a trade mission in Texas. The government put time limits on all stages of debate. Kenney said the move was to reduce duplication on elections oversight, but NDP Leader Rachel Notley called the bill a gross violation of the rule of law and in December asked Trussler to investigate. The fines Gibson imposed pertained to money improperly raised and funnelled to the campaign of failed UCP leadership candidate Jeff Callaway. Emails and documents have shown Callaways team worked closely with Kenneys team to co-ordinate strategy as Callaway publicly attacked Kenneys main rival, Brian Jean, former leader of the Wildrose party. Read more about: Germany and Britain said Monday that efforts to revive the global economy in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic must ensure a 'green recovery' that helps the world tackle climate change. Speaking ahead of a virtual meeting of officials from some 30 countries, Germany's minister said it was important for economic recovery programs to invest in future-proof jobs that would help reduce greenhouse gas emissions in coming years, rather than aim for a return to business as usual. We mustn't invest in technologies of the past, Svenja Schulze told The Associated Press, noting that some countries are holding onto plans to build new coal-fired power plants. Some German politicians have called for stimulus money to be spent on subsidizing car purchases, to boost the country's auto industry. Schulze suggested that one way to do this would be to help care workers buy electric vehicles for house calls. These are many, many vehicles, she told The AP. It would help the economy and it would move us forward (in curbing emissions). Scientists have warned that there's little time left if the world wants to achieve the headline goal of the 2015 Paris climate accord keeping global warming well below 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit), ideally 1.5 C (2.7 F). Some have also likened the strategy adopted by countries in fighting the pandemic the idea of flattening the curve of infections so health systems don't collapse to the need to bring down the rate of greenhouse gas emissions that are driving global warming. Britain's Business Secretary Alok Sharma, who is co-hosting the two-day talks, said that the world must work together, as it has to deal with the coronavirus pandemic, to support a green and resilient recovery, which leaves no one behind. Environmental campaigners have warned that heavily polluting industries are already seeking to tap into the vast sums being lined up by governments to stimulate the economy. We are seeing the internal documents from industries indicating that they are trying to use this moment where public money is being put back into the economy to prop up their industries, whether it be the aviation industry... (or) the oil industry, said Jennifer Morgan, executive director of Greenpeace International. It's just really important, particularly with the oil industry, to note that this type of volatility that we're seeing right now, it's a rehearsal for what climate chaos will bring to the oil market in the future," she said. "These are risky investments. They were risky investments before this crisis, and they are risky investments moving forward. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and German Chancellor Angela Merkel will participate in the virtual climate meeting Tuesday. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Sinduja Jane By Express News Service CHENNAI: In a major development, the mens hostel of PG doctors at the Madras Medical College in the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGGH), has been shut down after a sweeper there tested positive for COVID-19. Subsequently, the management tested 102 PG doctors who were staying there, and the hospital dean R Jayanthi told Express that two of them tested positive. However, a press statement sent later in the evening claimed the results of the two doctors are pending. The development comes just days after the cardiology department was shut down after four PG doctors there tested positive. Earlier on Saturday, six cancer patients and two staff nurses tested positive at a cancer hospital in the city, sparking fresh concerns. Sources told Express the infection began at the RGGGH. A patient who was diagnosed with cancer at the RGGGH was referred to this hospital for a chemotherapy session. However, he also had COVID-19. Five other patients and two nurses have caught the infection from him, sources said. ALSO READ: COVID-19 LIVE All the eight positive patients are undergoing treatment at a government hospital. The unit in which the patient was admitted was closed and disinfection works were carried out, sources added. The patient is believed to have contracted the infection at the cardiology department of RGGGH where he initially went for treatment. Meanwhile, PG doctors staying in the mens hostel have been moved to an alternative facility. They have all been placed under isolation. We are still trying to treat non-COVID patients with available strength. We are not referring patients elsewhere, hospital dean Jayanthi claimed. We still have enough PG doctors. Also, the number of patients is low. So the posted strength must be sufficient. Again, we dont want to expose too many doctors to the infection, Jayanthi said. Hospital sources, however, say trainee MBBS doctors are also under quarantine. A majority of PG doctors, other than those on COVID duty, are under quarantine, they added. A doctor working with another hospital confirmed that patients with cardiac conditions and other ailments were being referred from RGGGH to his hospital for the last one week. Even for regular tablets they are referred here, the doctor said. Yet another doctor, working with a separate government medical college in the city, said the staff at his hospital were being overburdened because of many cases being referred there from RGGGH. Several doctors Express caught up with at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital lamented that the hospital had failed to give them proper protective gears. This is the primary reason for the spread of infection, a practitioner claimed. Is RGGGH turning into a hotspot? At least nine doctors, two staff nurses, two patients, and one pharmacist at the RGGGH have tested positive, according to multiple sources There is no evidence to suggest that people who have contracted and recovered from the coronavirus are protected from becoming infected a second time, according to the World Health Organization. WHOs announcement comes as Swedish officials have been working toward herd immunity, the idea that a major percentage of a population can become immune to an infection and thereby provide some level of protection for those who are not immune. Authorities in Sweden have chosen to avoid lockdowns and opt instead to keep large parts of society open to achieve widespread immunity. Although some communities in the nation have seen a plateau in cases, officials claim, research about COVID-19 antibodies is murky. Some governments have suggested that the detection of antibodies to the SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, could serve as the basis for an immunity passport or risk-free certificate,' WHO said in a briefing released Friday. There is currently no evidence that people who have recovered from COVID-19 and have antibodies are protected from a second infection. Chilean authorities announced last week the country would start issuing immunity cards to people who have recovered from the viral respiratory infection to allow them to return to work, BBC reported. Other nations are considering implementing similar measures. Such certificates could prove harmful, though, and lead individuals to ignore public health advice, WHO said. The organization noted there is not enough evidence at this point in the outbreak about the effectiveness of antibody-mediated immunity" to prove the accuracy of an immunity passport." People can become immune to a virus through natural infection typically within one to two weeks. The body first works to prevent the progress of a disease. Antibodies are then created that bind to the virus, and T-cells are developed to recognize and eliminate other cells infected by the pathogen. This is called cellular immunity, WHO said. This combined adaptive response may clear the virus from the body, and if the response is strong enough, may prevent progression to severe illness or re-infection by the same virus. This process is often measured by the presence of antibodies in blood. In April, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the countrys first test for coronavirus antibodies. While the tests are being used, they are not widely available yet, MassLive reported earlier this month. Studies have shown that people who recovered from the coronavirus did develop antibodies, though some of these individuals had very low levels of neutralizing antibodies in their blood. This information clouds certainty about whether recovering from the illness can prevent one from becoming infected again, according to the organization. It is also unclear how accurate and reliable laboratory tests are that detect coronavirus antibodies, WHO also noted. Some tests may incorrectly label people who have been infected as negative and non-infected individuals as positive. To be truly effective, antibody tests also need to be able to distinguish between past infections of the viral respiratory infection and other coronaviruses like the common cold, the organization said. People infected by any one of these viruses may produce antibodies that cross-react with antibodies produced in response to infection with SARS-CoV-2, WHO said. Some officials have pointed to the usefulness of the antibody tests in showing just how transmissive the disease is. In Chelsea - the epicenter of the disease in the commonwealth - nearly one third of 200 residents in the city tested positive for COVID-19 antibodies in a study conducted by Massachusetts General Hospital researchers, The Boston Globe reported. The Globe reported that the dozens of participants in the study looked healthy, and many did not realize they had the virus. For a significant number of coronavirus patients, the disease has caused minimal side-effects or no symptoms at all. Baystate Health President Dr. Mark Keroack last week called for random blood testing of Western Massachusetts residents to gain a better understanding of how many people have been infected with the virus. Keroack told The Republican that studies like MGHs that have resulted in large numbers of positive antibody tests for those who exhibited mild symptoms or no side-effects provide both good and bad news. The good part is a lot more people have antibody and might be immune than we think, Keroack said, adding that it also shows how tough it may be to conduct contact investigations to find other individuals infected by asymptomatic individuals. According to Dr. Andrew Luster, chief of the Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Immunology at Mass. General, uncertainty remains as well about how long a potential immunity to the virus could last. In some cases, such as chicken pox, after you recover from the illness, you are essentially immune forever, the doctor said in a statement. However, in other infections or immunizations, immunity does not last forever. Related Content: Minister for the Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine Oleksiy Chernyshov has met with Belarusian Ambassador to Ukraine Igor Sokol to discuss preparations for the Third Forum of the Regions of Ukraine and Belarus under the auspices of the presidents of both countries, according to the website of the Ukrainian government. Chernyshov said that despite coronavirus lockdown measures, the Ukrainian side is preparing for the Third Forum of the Regions, which is to be held in Grodno, Belarus, on October 1-2, 2020. The minister said that Ukraine appreciated long-term fruitful cooperation with Belarus, in particular, on interregional and cross-border cooperation. He thanked the Belarusian side for sending a concept of preparations for the Forum of the Regions for consideration and said that the composition of the Ukrainian side of the organizing committee would be approved in the near future. The sides also discussed the possibility of holding the second meeting of the Ukrainian-Belarusian working group on interregional and cross-border cooperation in Grodno on June 4-5. "The lockdown has been extended in Ukraine until May 11. The country will then gradually start to emerge from it. So we can definitely schedule meetings online for June," Chernyshov said. Sokol, in turn, said that the Belarusian side would consider any option of cooperation. "We need to move in stages and proceed from the fact that the second meeting of the working group is one of the stages of preparations for the Third Forum of the Regions," the diplomat said. op (Photo : Screenshot from: Apple App Store ) Is Coronavirus App Safe? How Australia's COVIDSafe App Certifies Safety on Users' Personal Info (Photo : STRINGER on Reuters ) Is Coronavirus App Safe? How Australia's COVIDSafe App Certifies Safety on Users' Personal Info Coronavirus has now infected three million people around the world and recorded over 200,000 deaths. As a move towards flattening the curve, governments now invest in technology to track the infection on each community. In Australia, for example, the country has recently launched its own Coronavirus app called COVIDSafe. Just like a standard mobile app, this can be downloaded on Apple App Store or Google Play Store. But how can you be sure that its safe to use? Here are the things you should know about the app. Australia's COVIDSafe app: Everything we know so far According to Daily Mail UK, about 40 percent of Australians have now downloaded the government Coronavirus app, COVIDSafe. This mobile app is said to use Bluetooth technology to track every citizen that has or has not been confirmed with the viral disease. COVIDSafe is needed to be downloaded by 10 million citizens, as per the Australian government. With its observed popular rate as of now, the target goal might happen successfully as early this week. What is COVIDSafe? As said, COVIDSafe is created solely for Australians. This app is based on the Singapore government's TraceTogether program, which also features Bluetooth technology in tracing the virus. Daily Mail UK said that once all citizens of the country download the app, this will be a major tool to monitor the virus, especially once the government plans to lift the lockdown in all non-essential businesses. 'Manual contact tracing is far too slow and far too resource-intensive," said Terry O'Gorman, President at The Australian Council for Civil Liberties. How does it work? The wireless technology will be the main antenna of the app. Once a user downloads this app, he will be asked to register name (or pseudonym), age range, postcode, and his phone number. That information is said to be stored on an encrypted database that only health authorities have access to. As a description, the app will create a "digital handshake" with another user of the app within 4.9 feet from the original user. The app will then log all the information of all the user's contact. Once a person is diagnosed with Coronavirus, users that had contact with him during the past 14 days will receive a message through the app. Is it safe? Since its released, everyone wants to know whether the app is safe to be downloaded and used by millions of people. One common theory on these apps is its security on personal data. Australia has clarified that COVIDSafe is safe to be used by anyone. Though this app will hold millions of personal info on each citizen in the country, the government states that "not even a court order" will allow non-authorized personnel to find info on the app. COVIDSafe also has a pop-in message indicating that users' will have privacy on their personal data once the app successfully downloaded. "Other agencies, including law enforcement, will not be able to access the information unless investigating misuse of the information itself," said on the agreement. For now, it is safe to say that the app is safe to use. ALSO READ: Apple, Google to Terminate COVID-19 Tracking Tools When Pandemic Ends, But Here's The Catch 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Israel will have to abide by stricter oversight if it wants to keep tracking the phones of people infected with COVID-19. The countrys Supreme Court has ruled that the government cant keep tracking residents phones unless it drafts legislation covering the practice. It has to start work on the new law by April 30th and complete it within a few weeks. Officials raised great difficulties by using a preventative security service for tracking peaceful people without their permission, the court said, and journalists were within their rights to get injunctions to protect their sources. The court added that it was concerned about a slippery slope where the government used powerful tools like phone tracking without justification. While the phone tracking hasnt been detailed in earnest, its believed to involve anti-terrorism tech from the Shin Bet domestic security agency. The tracking was used to enforce quarantines, flagging infected people who left home. The government isnt happy with the decision. Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz claimed the technology made a critical contribution to limiting the pandemic and helping businesses reopen. Israel partly lifted lockdown measures on April 26th. The government wont have much choice, though, and its approach has been more invasive than most. Other countries have begun rolling out some form of COVID-19 tracking, but usually through contact tracing apps that require consent. Its another matter to snoop on the whereabouts of infected people without asking or having an established legal framework. The case may serve as a warning to other countries thinking of using similarly aggressive tactics to curb the spread of the new coronavirus. Lockdowns across the United States to curtail the spread of the novel coronavirus have hammered the economy, shuttering businesses and sending unemployment skyrocketing Washington: The shuttering of the US economy due to the coronavirus pandemic is a shock of historic proportions that will likely push the national unemployment rate to 16% or higher this month and require more stimulus to ensure a strong rebound, a White House economic adviser said on Sunday. Its a really grave situation, President Donald Trumps adviser, Kevin Hassett, told the ABC program This Week. This is the biggest negative shock that our economy, I think, has ever seen. Were going to be looking at an unemployment rate that approaches rates that we saw during the Great Depression of the 1930s, Hassett added. Lockdowns across the United States to curtail the spread of the novel coronavirus have hammered the economy, shuttering businesses and sending unemployment skyrocketing. A record 26.5 million Americans have filed for jobless benefits since mid-March, and retail sales, homebuilding and consumer confidence have all cratered. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office predicts US gross domestic product will contract at nearly a 40 percent annual rate in the second quarter, with unemployment cresting at 16 percent in the third quarter. But even next year, the CBO sees the jobless rate still averaging above 10 percent. Before the pandemic struck, the US jobless rate had been hovering at a 50-year low of 3.5 percent. I think the unemployment rate is going to jump to a level probably around 16 percent or even higher in the next jobs report, due on 8 May, providing April employment statistics, Hassett told reporters at the White House. Hassett added that the second-quarter drop expected in the nations GDP would be a big number. I think the next couple of months are going to look terrible. Youre going to see numbers as bad as anything weve ever seen before, Hassett said, referring to US economic data. Were going to need really big thoughtful policies to put together to make it so that people are optimistic again, Hassett added. Trumps advisers want to hone a list of five or six ideas to present to Congress to help clear the economic carnage, Hassett said. Im sure that over the next three or four weeks, everybodys going to pull together and come up with a plan to give us the best chance possible for a V-shaped recovery, Hassett told ABC. I ... dont think you get it if we dont have another round of really solid legislation. A V-shaped recovery is one in which an economy bounces back sharply after a precipitous decline. Tensions on Capitol Hill The US Congress has already approved $3 trillion in coronavirus relief in a show of bipartisan support for laid-off workers and an economy in free fall. Lawmakers are now poised for a battle over federal assistance to state and local governments whose budgets have been shattered by a plunge in tax revenue even as they have had to take extraordinary measures during a pandemic that has caused a US death toll approaching 55,000. New York City needs $7.4 billion in federal aid to offset economic losses from the coronavirus, its mayor said on Sunday. If New York City is not (made) whole, it will drag down the entire region, and it will hold up the entire national economic restart, Mayor Bill de Blasio, a Democrat, said on the Fox program Sunday Morning Futures. Like de Blasio, many of the nations governors - Democrats and Republicans alike - have pressed the Trump administration and Congress to come forward with a sizable relief package. We will have state and local (aid), and we will have it in a very significant way, House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the top Democrat in Congress, said on CNNs State of the Union. The governors are impatient, Pelosi added. Their impatience will help us get an even bigger number. AI is frequently cited as a miracle worker in medicine, especially in screening processes, where machine learning models boast expert-level skills in detecting problems. But like so many technologies, it's one thing to succeed in the lab, quite another to do so in real life as Google researchers learned in a humbling test at clinics in rural Thailand. Google Health created a deep learning system that looks at images of the eye and looks for evidence of diabetic retinopathy, a leading cause of vision loss around the world. But despite high theoretical accuracy, the tool proved impractical in real-world testing, frustrating both patients and nurses with inconsistent results and a general lack of harmony with on-the-ground practices. It must be said at the outset that although the lessons learned here were hard, it's a necessary and responsible step to perform this kind of testing, and it's commendable that Google published these less than flattering results publicly. It's also clear from their documentation that the team has already taken the results to heart (although the blog post presents a rather sunny interpretation of events). The research paper documents the deployment of a tool meant to augment the existing process by which patients at several clinics in Thailand are screened for diabetic retinopathy, or DR. Essentially nurses take diabetic patients one at a time, take images of their eyes (a "fundus photo"), and send them in batches to ophthalmologists, who evaluate them and return results.... usually at least 4-5 weeks later due to high demand. The Google system was intended to provide ophthalmologist-like expertise in seconds. In internal tests it identified degrees of DR with 90% accuracy; the nurses could then make a preliminary recommendation for referral or further testing in a minute instead of a month (automatic decisions were ground truth checked by an ophthalmologist within a week). Sounds great in theory. Story continues Ideally the system would quickly return a result like this, which could be shared with the patient. But that theory fell apart as soon as the study authors hit the ground. As the study describes it: We observed a high degree of variation in the eye-screening process across the 11 clinics in our study. The processes of capturing and grading images were consistent across clinics, but nurses had a large degree of autonomy on how they organized the screening workflow, and different resources were available at each clinic. The setting and locations where eye screenings took place were also highly varied across clinics. Only two clinics had a dedicated screening room that could be darkened to ensure patients pupils were large enough to take a high-quality fundus photo. The variety of conditions and processes resulted in images being sent to the server not being up to the algorithm's high standards: The deep learning system has stringent guidelines regarding the images it will assess...If an image has a bit of blur or a dark area, for instance, the system will reject it, even if it could make a strong prediction. The systems high standards for image quality is at odds with the consistency and quality of images that the nurses were routinely capturing under the constraints of the clinic, and this mismatch caused frustration and added work. Images with obvious DR but poor quality would be refused by the system, complicating and extending the process. And that's when they could get them uploaded to the system in the first place: On a strong internet connection, these results appear within a few seconds. However, the clinics in our study often experienced slower and less reliable connections. This causes some images to take 60-90 seconds to upload, slowing down the screening queue and limiting the number of patients that can be screened in a day. In one clinic, the internet went out for a period of two hours during eye screening, reducing the number of patients screened from 200 to only 100. "First, do no harm" is arguably in play here: Fewer people in this case received treatment because of an attempt to leverage this technology. Nurses tried various workarounds but the inconsistency and other factors led some to advise patients against taking part in the study at all. Even the best case scenario had unforeseen consequences. Patients were not prepared for an instant evaluation and setting up a follow-up appointment immediately after sending the image: As a result of the prospective study protocol design, and potentially needing to make on-the-spot plans to visit the referral hospital, we observed nurses at clinics 4 and 5 dissuading patients from participating in the prospective study, for fear that it would cause unnecessary hardship. As one of those nurses put it: "[Patients] are not concerned with accuracy, but how the experience will bewill it waste my time if I have to go to the hospital? I assure them they dont have to go to the hospital. They ask, does it take more time?, Do I go somewhere else? Some people arent ready to go so wont join the research. 40-50% dont join because they think they have to go to the hospital." It's not all bad news, of course. The problem is not that AI has nothing to offer a crowded Thai clinic, but that the solution needs to be tailored to the problem and the place. The instant, easily understood automatic evaluation was enjoyed by patients and nurses alike when it worked well, sometimes helping make the case that this was a serious problem that had to be addressed soon. And of course the primary benefit of reducing dependence on a severely limited resource (local ophthalmologists) is potentially transformative. But the study authors seemed clear-eyed in their evaluation of this premature and partial application of their AI system. As they put it: When introducing new technologies, planners, policy makers, and technology designers did not account for the dynamic and emergent nature of issues arising in complex healthcare programs. The authors argue that attending to peopletheir motivations, values, professional identities, and the current norms and routines that shape their workis vital when planning deployments. The paper is well worth reading both as a primer in how AI tools are meant to work in clinical environments and what obstacles are faced both by the technology and those meant to adopt it. Online retail major Amazon India has tied up with four non-profits -- Habitat for Humanity India, Oxfam India, United Way India and Akshaya Patra -- to help raise at least Rs 100 crore to help fight deadly COVID-19 pandemic. The Amazon offer is to collect donations from the users of its media vertical Prime and other customers and match their contributions with its own. "Our target is to contribute at least Rs 100 crore to the government," an Amazon India spokesperson told PTI. The company is now offering Indian customers and our over 65,000 employees to join them in its efforts to support those in need, and are providing a quick and easy way to contribute towards the Prime Minister's relief fund or help its NGO partners -- Oxfam India, United Way, Habitat for Humanity and Akshaya Patra -- with contributions. "We will donate 10 per cent on top of the amount donated by our customers and will match the employee donations. We hope to collect Rs 100 crore to help those in need in these challenging times," Amazon said. The e-commerce major refused to share more details like the number of Prime customers in India, saying as a policy they don't offer country-specific numbers, or how much so far they have collected in donations from its customers/users. When contacted, Habitat for Humanity India said till date, the not-for- profit has distributed around 35,200 hygiene and family essential kits and served over 1,50,000 individuals in Maharashtra, Delhi, Bengal, Kerala, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and Tamil Nadu with support from local government administrations and state agencies. The domestic arm of the American NGO is primarily into housing but has been sensitising and raising awareness on the importance of hygiene and sanitation since the lockdown began and supporting the needy with eatables and hygiene kits. "As part of fund-raising we've partnered with Amazon India in a 100 per cent match-funding initiative to provide essentials to families impacted by the pandemic-induced lockdown," Rajan Samuel, the managing director of Habitat for Humanity India said. For every donation made by its Prime members to Habitat as part of the initiative, a 100 per cent equal contribution will be matched by Amazon, while donations made by non-members will be matched by a 10 per cent contribution by the e-talier, he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Almost all U.S. companies are likely to include in their quarterly filings broad statements on risks the ongoing coronavirus pandemic poses to their businesses. Should they be disclosing more? Smithfield Foods, the worlds biggest pork processor, recently announced it was shutting down its Sioux Falls, South Dakota, plant, which accounts for nearly 5% of U.S. production, after state officials found more than 200 cases of COVID-19 among its staff. But theres no clear requirement that companies report they have sick workers. And they need to protect those workers privacy too. Q: Do companies need to tell investors about sick workers? A: The Securities and Exchange Commission requires U.S. public companies to disclose information that is material. Smithfield, a subsidiary of a Chinese company, isnt subject to those requirements, but, if it were, the closing of one of its major plants due to a coronavirus outbreak could qualify as a material event. On the other hand, a few sick employees in a large workforce might not, unless they are likely to cause a major disruption. Q: What if the CEO or other senior executives become infected? A: Morgan Stanley Chief Executive Officer James Gorman earlier this month revealed that he had contracted the coronavirus a few weeks before but had since fully recovered. An incapacitated CEO or other senior executive who becomes unable to exercise leadership responsibilities could be treated as a material event. Morgan Stanley has said it decided Gormans condition didnt warrant disclosure because his symptoms were mild and he continued to work from home for the duration of his illness. Q: Who decides if companies made the right call? A: The SEC can bring enforcement actions against companies if it feels they havent disclosed enough information on how the virus is affecting their operations. Richard Walker, a former SEC general counsel now in private practice at King & Spalding, says the agency has signaled it wont second-guess good-faith projections of how businesses are going to be affected by the coronavirus. Shareholders might also sue, claiming companies failed to disclose all they knew about the virus potential impact. Q: What about telling the public? A: Businesses usually arent required to tell the public about infections in the workplace, but some may want to. In some circumstances, some employers, like certain retailers, may decide for public health or public relations reasons that it is best to disclose a positive COVID-19 diagnosis to the public, said David Lindsay, an employment lawyer with K&L Gates. Q: What about the privacy of sick workers? A: Companies can warn employees if they may have been exposed to a co-worker with the virus, but should avoid disclosing the persons identity in keeping with federal laws safeguarding the confidentiality of patient information. Another one bites the dust. Jay Cutler and Kristin Cavallari are calling it quits after almost 10 years together. Though the two had some problems in their relationship, which were shown on their show, Very Cavallari, the split still comes as somewhat of a surprise as the couple just spent three weeks together in the Bahamas. So what caused the split? Kristin Cavallari and Jay Cutler | Timothy Hiatt/Getty Images Jay Cutler and Kristin Cavallaris breakup Cavallari took to Instagram, as all celebrities do, to announce her separation from her husband. With great sadness, after 10 years together we have come to a loving conclusion to get a divorce, she wrote. We have nothing but love and respect for one another and are deeply grateful for the years shared, memories made, and the children we are so proud of. This is just the situation of two people growing apart. We ask everyone to respect our privacy as we navigate this difficult time within our family. Though they were all smiles in photos of their trip to the Bahamas, Cavallari and Cutler already knew the relationship was over even back then. On their recent trip, they already knew they were splitting up, a source told People. The reason they announced it now is because its a quiet time for them to work through all of this and try to move forward. Did Jay cheat on Kristin with her best friend? Last season on Very Cavallari, rumors were floating around that Cutler had hooked up with Cavallaris best friend, Kelly Henderson. Though Cavallari maintained her stance that she did not believe the rumors, she and Henderson did end their friendship. According to the source, Cavallari and Cutlers split had absolutely nothing to do with cheating. They just grew apart. Kristin and Jay are a lot different, the source said. She has so much on her plate, with her brands and with the show. Jay is not as interested in all of that. Shes so passionate about her work and they couldnt relate to each other as much. So it pulled them apart. Other sources have seemingly confirmed the same. Theres nothing scandalous or suspect about their split, a different source told Us Weekly. Honestly, they just fell out of love and grew apart. It wasnt officially over until this week. Shes planning to stay in Nashville so they can co-parent. The two share three children. Have Jay and Kristin broken up before? This isnt the first time that the couple has split. In her 2016 book, Balancing in Heels, Cavallari recounted a break they took before their wedding. At that moment, something wasnt right, she said. A few things needed to change, and I knew the only way Jay would see how serious I was, was if I ended the relationship. Did Kristin shade Jay Cutler? Prior to the split, Cavallari was very proud to be a wife, she even had it in her Instagram bio. Now, that has changed. She has removed the wife from her bio and it now reads Momma, Founder + CEO @uncommonjames & @littlejamesclothing, 2x @nytimes Bestselling Author | True Comfort out September!! @verycavallari. BSHARRI, Lebanon - When Lebanon reported its first coronavirus infection in February, the case was a woman who had come from the Muslim holy city of Qom in Iran, which was rapidly becoming the epicenter of the epidemic in the Middle East. Iran has long been a factor in Lebanon's highly sectarian politics, and many Lebanese were quick to cast blame on Iran and local Shiite Muslims for Lebanon's widening outbreak. Avoid Shiite villages and areas, some urged. So when, weeks later, it emerged that the largest cluster of coronavirus cases in the country was actually in the insular Christian hamlet of Bsharri in the mountains above Beirut, the irony was not lost on many in Lebanon. Bsharri is known for its devout Maronite Christian inhabitants and as bastion of right-wing Christian militiamen during the country's long civil war. Bsharri is also famous for being beautiful. It is widely celebrated for its cedar trees, some of the oldest in the world - called the "Cedars of God" - and the national emblem of Lebanon. Below the town's newly inaugurated government hospital perched atop a hill extends a lush valley. Streams, waterfalls and water springs abound, filling the silence with a permanent gurgling. Mountains, both green and snow-capped, encircle the town, giving an impression of nature-mandated isolation. Today, however, the isolation is government imposed. Bsharri is the only town in Lebanon to have been placed under complete quarantine, after 24 cases of the coronavirus were recorded in a 24-hour period early this month. About 70 of the town's 5,500 residents have now contracted the virus, around 10 percent of all the cases in the country. The government has closed off the surrounding Bsharri district, which includes 22 towns and villages, allowing only supplies and police and other official personnel in and out. The emptied streets in the picturesque town look like an abandoned Hollywood set. Residents are not permitted out of their homes except individually to go shopping. A rotation has been set for restaurants so one is open each day to feed hospital staff and policemen. Policemen are stationed outside markets to limit crowding. "You either wear the mask or quit," one growled at a grocer. --- Lebanon continues to struggle with the religious differences that have long divided it, at times violently, and religious affiliations that define so much of the country's politics. The mountains extending north of the capital Beirut are mainly populated by Christians, while the northernmost part of the country is majority Sunni Muslim. Shiites dominate in the south and the northeast of the country and are the base of support for the militant Hezbollah group, backed by Iran. Top political posts are assigned based on religion, and sectarianism plays a role in the access to public goods and services and availability of jobs, which are becoming ever scarcer as the country struggles with its worst economic crisis in a generation. Though some Lebanese protested that the coronavirus has no sect, it was perhaps no surprise that the outbreak would also be widely viewed through a sectarian lens, especially given the size of the epidemic in Iran. "It is as if what Iran already bestows upon Lebanon and the Lebanese isn't enough," a newscaster sarcastically began his news segment after Lebanon reported its first case of the virus. "So now it has sent us corona to finish its good deeds. Thank you, Iran." Hezbollah's television channel responded, calling the sectarian attacks "an amoral pandemic that is also difficult to cure." When the Hezbollah-aligned health minister recommended isolating two predominantly Christian areas, a member of parliament from one of the areas angrily tweeted, asking the minister to explain rumors about a hospital in a Shiite part of Beirut instead of "deeming our area infested." Hezbollah's response to the uproar was swift, dispatching trucks to spray its areas with disinfectant and enlisting volunteers to stand outside villages, taking temperatures. "The battle against the corona pandemic is a human battle, and does not have a religious, political, or racial affiliation," said Hezbollah's leader, Hasan Nasrallah, in a speech. These steps contained the spread of the epidemic in Shiite areas, while public health measures elsewhere in the country were less aggressive. "The direct political pressure was ugly, because they only shed the spotlight on those coming from Iran," said a senior doctor at one of the country's leading hospitals, who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal. "But in other communities, because those coming from Italy and Egypt and the United Kingdom were not treated with the same scientific approach ... what happened, happened." The result is reflected in a map issued by the health ministry depicting the spread of the virus across the country. The majority-Christian areas north of Beirut are colored in various shades of blues indicating higher case numbers. --- The first two confirmed cases in Bsharri were doctors in the town's hospital, according to Mayor Freddy Kairouz, but no one's saying where they caught the virus. Antoine Geagea, the hospital's chief executive, says health authorities have a pretty good idea who imported it into Bsharri but wouldn't disclose the individual's identity, saying it could expose that person to retribution or ridicule. As news of the Bsharri outbreak spread, the government announced the new containment measures. Food parcels were sent to those in need. Bsharri natives residing elsewhere donated money for virus tests, and district officials began conducting rapid random testing. "We took the decision to attack the virus," Kairouz said. "We decided to shut down the area and do mass tests." He added that more than 11 percent of residents have been tested so far and this wide net may help explain why so many cases have been detected locally. The decision to shut the town during Easter was not an easy one. "It's annoying, and it's boring," said Amal Geagea, a sprightly resident. She still sees her son, who lives down the street, but not her daughter, who lives elsewhere in the district. Her only excursion out is to the grocery store. "I haven't left the house in two, three weeks; I came out today to get some bread," said Therese al-Khoury, 76, while shopping for her canned tuna dinner. "I only leave when it's necessary." Police have been posted at checkpoints outside the district's population centers to curtail travel. During a recent visit by Washington Post journalists, a police officer forced one driver to retreat. "He wanted to go on a joyride with his friend. Can you imagine the audacity?" the officer said, shaking his head. A little earlier, the town's silence had been broken as an ambulance raced through the streets, pulling up at a hospital directly across from the childhood home of Lebanese writer Gibran Khalil Gibran. An old man was taken in on a stretcher, one of two new cases that day. Father Charbel Makhlouf has been live-streaming sermons to his parish via Facebook. "It's a spiritual meeting: You are doing a new strong test (to your faith)." His voice echoed in his large, beautiful church, completely empty. Outside, a recently printed sign: "Please keep a meter and a half between the believers." Makhlouf has found strength in a bible passage he sends every morning to his bible study group via messaging app WhatsApp. "Whenever I hold back the rain or send locusts to eat up the crops or send an epidemic on my people," he read from a worn piece of paper, "if they pray to me and repent and turn away from the evil they have been doing, then I will hear them in heaven, forgive their sins, and make their land prosperous again." Others in town are also turning to their faith. "We're at the edge of the world, and God is protecting us," said a local butcher, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he also works as a police officer. But when he thought about the economic crisis that could follow the epidemic, he turned glum. "After corona, we'll have famine," he said. The Meghalaya government on Monday banned the import of pigs after a spike in deaths of the animal was reported from some districts in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, according to a notification. In view of unusual mortality of pigs in the Dhemaji, North Lakhimpur, Biswanath, Dibrugarh, Sivasagar and Jorhat districts of Assam and in some districts of Arunachal Pradesh, the transportation of pigs from other states into Meghalaya have been stopped until further orders, said the notification issued by veterinary principal secretary S P Ahammed. All government pig farms, private farms and pig farmers should take adequate measures to ensure strict hygiene and bio-security such as disinfection of the farms and equipment, and restricting entry of any outsiders, it said. Signs of high fever in pigs and any abnormal morality should be brought to the notice of the district authorities, it added. Quoting reports, Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong said pigs in the two states are suffering from some kind of flu. He said this would be clear once the test results are made public. Appealing to the people not to panic, Tynsong said pork consumed should be sourced from within the state and should be properly cooked for at least 30 minutes. "All districts have been alerted and steps would be taken by the animal husbandry and veterinary department to keep a check on both government-run and private piggery farms in case the pigs develop any sickness," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Bombay high court on Monday directed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to remove locks put up by some local residents on the gates of Navpada Kokani Muslim Kabrastan at Bandra west and to make the cemetery, closed by locals who were opposed to burial of bodies of Covid-19 patients there, available for burial. Justice BP Colabawalla on Monday refused to interfere with the April 9 order of the BMC, which identified the private Muslim burial ground as one of the sites for burial of Covid-19 patients. Four local residents had filed a petition challenging the civic order. The directive came after advocate Pratap Nimbalkar, who represented the Navpada Masjid, Bandra and Santacruz Golibar Dargah Trust, which manages the private Muslim cemetery, pointed out that some local residents had put up locks on the gate of the cemetery. Nimbalkar pointed out that on April 13 some locals created a ruckus over the civic bodys order of April 9 identifying the cemetery as one of the sites for burial of Covid-19 victims, when the body of a 63-year-old Muslim who died due to Covid-19 infection, was brought for burial at the ground. Some senior police officers tried to intervene, but failed to pacify the locals and eventually the body was buried somewhere else. Nimbalkar added that the trust had taken all precautions and identified isolated and secluded spots for burial of Covid-19 patients, but despite that the locals were not allowing burial at the site and therefore urged the court to direct BMC to reopen the burial ground. Justice Colabawalla accordingly directed the civic body to reopen the cemetery and granted it liberty to take the help of the local police, if necessary. The four petitioners said that there are three interconnected Muslim cemeteries at the site and all of them are at the heart of Bandra West and are surrounded by thickly populated residential areas. The petitioners said that on March 30, BMC had decided to cremate bodies of all Covid-19 patients at the nearest crematorium, irrespective of their religion. The decision was taken as the burial grounds in Mumbai are in densely populated localities with high chances of contamination in the residential areas nearby, said their petition. They added that the order dated April 9 was completely contrary to the March 30 decision and therefore prayed for an order restraining the civic body from burying any Covid-19 patients at the three Muslim cemeteries. Justice Colabawalla, however, refused to interfere with the latest civic body order on burial of Covid-19 victims. (Photo : REUTERS/Edgar Su) Contact tracing app TraceTogether, released by the Singapore government to curb the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is seen on a mobile phone, in Singapore March 25, 2020. A few weeks ago, Germany backed the creation of a centralized contact tracing app to track the spread of the coronavirus in the country, but now the government is singing a different tune as it eyes to adopt a decentralized approach to contact tracing. The decision was made public after the release of a joint statement from German chancellery minister Helge Braun and health minister Jens Spahn. Europe is struggling to have a uniform approach for the coronavirus contact tracing app as two opposing groups are locked in a battle between the centralized approach against the decentralized approach. The debate about centralized and decentralized approaches has been going on for weeks. The app will automate the contact tracing by using Bluetooth-based smartphone proximity as a proxy for infection risk. Under the centralized approach, its advocates proposed a pseudonymized proximity data loaded and processed on a server managed by a national authority. But privacy experts are concerned that permitting authorities to filter citizens' social graph might be used for state surveillance. On the other hand, a decentralized approach means that temporary I.D.s stored locally on a device will only be uploaded with a user's permission after a confirmed coronavirus diagnosis. Unlike in the centralized approach, social graph data is not centralized since a relay server is used to broadcast infected I.D.s, which enable devices to calculate if there is a risk that requires notification locally. A report on TechCrunch said that the decision of Germany was a setback for the PEPP-PT standardization effort. PEPP-PT has been a staunch supporter of centralization. It claimed that centralization could 'preserve privacy' by not tracking location data. Its strong support centralized architecture for tracking coronavirus contacts but later said that it would support decentralized protocols as well. But European privacy experts criticized its privacy-preserving claim. TechCrunch also noted that there were concerns about the lack of transparency, which is behind PEPP-PT and the protocols they claimed to support. READ ALSO: COVID-19 Update: 9 People Infected Because of Air-Conditioning; Don't Use AC, Experts Say Supporters of Decentralized Approach The European Commission was one of the staunch supporters of decentralized contact tracing apps and even recommended it to improve the trust in the app for broader adoption in the region. The Commission cautioned European governments on attempting to centralize proximity data amidst the pandemic. Earlier, tech giants Apple and Google announced a project that adopts a decentralized approach in contact tracing wherein contacts are stock only on user devices until they get a positive coronavirus diagnosis, with data alone leaving the device upon that confirmation. Over a week ago, PEPP-PT said that they are having talks with Apple and Google about altering their approach to accommodate centralized protocols. However, the two tech giants never confirmed any discussion. READ ALSO: [BREAKING] COVID-19 Update: New Zealand 'Eliminated' Virus Saying "We Have Won That Battle" Centralized Approach Backers With Germany backing out, France and the United Kingdom are the remaining principal regional backers of the centralized app. In France, the government, with the help of Germany's Fraunhofer Institute, is currently developing a centralized coronavirus contacts tracing protocol called ROBERT. The report said that the French government announced that its approach complies with data protection rules, and pledged to publish a data protection impact assessment before launching the app. "A debate in the French parliament tomorrow is due to include discussion of contacts tracing apps," the report added. In the United Kingdom, a contact tracing app is being developed through the government's healthcare tech body, NHSX. The U.K. public healthcare unit's digital transformation division told TechCrunch that "it's working with Apple and Google on their welcome support for tracing apps around the world." Previously, the U.K. was eyeing to centralize proximity data. In a statement, NHSX's Matthew Gould and Dr. Geraint Lewis assured that NHSX would publish the critical security and privacy designs together with the source code so privacy experts can 'look under the bonnet' and make sure the safety is world-class. Also Read: COVID-19: Coronavirus Contract Tracing Apps Raise Concerns on Effectiveness, Legality Worldwide 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp LinkedIn Email Telegram To: Prime Minister of Cambodia Hun Sen President of the Peoples Republic of China Xi Jinping Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi State Counsellor of Myanmar Aung Sun Suu Kyi Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan President of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte President of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong April 27, 2020 Sent via email Also available in , , and Your Excellencies, We the 74 undersigned media, press freedom, and human rights organizations are writing to call on your respective governments to release all jailed journalists amid the sweeping COVID-19 pandemic. On March 30, the Committee to Protect Journalists began a campaign called #FreeThePress, launching a petition and publishing an open letter to world leaders urging the immediate release of all journalists imprisoned for their work. Given that a staggering number of these imprisoned journalists are held in jails across the Asian continent, we are reiterating that call to your respective countries at this time of grave public health concern. According to CPJs most recent annual prison census conducted on December 1, 2019, there were at least 63 journalists in prisons in Asia, including 48 in China, 12 in Vietnam, two in India, and one in Myanmar. As of March 31, at least five journalists have been released, four in China and one in Vietnam, according to CPJ research. However, at least five more journalists have been arrested since December 1, including Sovann Rithy in Cambodia, Chen Jiaping in China, Gautam Navlakha in India, Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman in Pakistan, and Frenchiemae Cumpio in the Philippines. Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights guarantees everyone the right to freedom of opinion and expression without interference and the right to seek, receive, and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers. According to the World Health Organization, People deprived of their liberty, and those living or working in enclosed environments in their close proximity, are likely to be more vulnerable to the COVID-19 disease than the general population. For journalists jailed in countries affected by the virus, freedom is now a matter of life and death. Imprisoned journalists have no control over their surroundings, cannot choose to isolate, and are often denied necessary medical care. Many of these journalists have been held in detention without trial for lengthy periods and are suffering from ill health exacerbated by underlying health conditions and overcrowded prisons, where they have contracted malaria, tuberculosis, and other diseases. We urge you to release every jailed journalist in your respective countries and to protect the free press and the free flow of information at this crucial time. Journalism must not carry a death sentence. Sincerely, Afghan Journalists Safety Committee AGHS Legal Aid Cell Alliance for Journalists Freedom Alliance of Independent Journalists Indonesia Americans for Kashmir Amnesty International India ARTICLE 19 Cambodian Center for Independent Media Cambodian Journalists Alliance Centre of Media Persons for Change, Chennai India CGNet Swara India Civil Rights Defenders Coalition for Women in Journalism Committee to Protect Journalists Committee Against Assault on Journalists India Dhaka Tribune Digital Rights Foundation Federation of Nepali Journalists Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand Freedom of Expression Myanmar Free Media Movement Freedom Forum Freedom Network Pakistan Free Speech Collective India Hong Kong Free Press Human Rights in China Hyderabad Journalists Federation India Hyderabad Working Journalists Federation India Hyderabad Union of Working Journalists India Impulse Model Press Lab India Imphal Free Press India Independent Journalists Association of Vietnam Indian Federation of Working Journalists Indian Journalists Union INFORM Human Rights Documentation Centre Internet Freedom Foundation India Jammu Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society India Jansandesh Times India Journalists Union of Assam Kashmir Working Journalists Association India Kashmir Times India Kerala Union of Working Journalists India Local Press Hong Kong Malaysiakini Media Action Nepal Mumbai Press Club India Mumbai Patrakar Sangh India Nai Baat National Union of Journalists of the Philippines National Union of Journalists Peninsular Malaysia New Bloom Magazine New Naratif Network of Women in Media India Overseas Press Club of Cambodia Pakistan Press Foundation Park Center for Independent Media, Ithaca College Peoples Vigilance Committee on Human Rights India Peoples Union for Civil Liberties India PEN Delhi India PEN Myanmar Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism Press Association India Radio Free Asia Siasat Daily India South Asia Free Media Association Sri Lanka South Asian Journalists Association South Asia Women in Media, Sri Lanka Sri Lanka Working Journalists Association Tamil Nadu Women Journalists Association India Talk Journalism, India Telangana State Union of Working Journalists India Telangana Urdu Working Journalists Union India The 88 Project The Irrawaddy The Lede India The Reporter, Taiwan Weiquanwang By Maki Shiraki TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's Nissan Motor Co Ltd <7201.T> plans to slash the number of cars it produces at home in May by 78% from last year, as the impact of the coronavirus shakes the troubled automaker which has already been struggling with falling sales. As global automakers reel from plunging sales amid lockdowns imposed in many countries to curb the spread of the virus, the hit is particularly severe for Nissan, whose profitability has been deteriorating as it grapples with the turmoil that followed the ousting of former Chairman Carlos Ghosn. Nissan plans to manufacture around 13,400 vehicles next month, according to documents seen by Reuters, compared with nearly 61,000 units made in May last year. The cut represents a big hit to Nissan's plant in Kyushu, southern Japan, which the automaker plans to operate on a single shift for much of this month and all of next month, due to a lack of demand for the Rogue Sport SUV crossover model, according to the documents, which are not public. Output will decline 70% from initial plans to build around 44,800 units. In June, domestic production will be cut to 33,700 vehicles, a drop from around 63,700 units last year, and down 43% from a previous plan for around 59,300. Nissan declined to comment on its production plans. The automaker has stopped production at its plant in Tochigi, north of Tokyo, since early April, and plans to keep output suspended through the end of May. Periodic stoppages at Nissan's Oppama plant in Kanagawa Prefecture have been common since earlier this month. The coronavirus pandemic has piled urgency on Nissan's efforts to downsize, after two years of falling sales, deteriorating margins and depleting cash reserves has forced the company to restructure. Nissan's management has become convinced that the company needs to be much smaller and its latest recovery plan due next month will likely assume a cut of 1 million cars to its annual sales target, senior company officials told Reuters earlier this month. Story continues Automaking partner Mitsubishi Motors Corp <7211.T>, also suffering from a cut to demand for its cars, is planning to slash domestic output by nearly one-third over the next two months. As both Nissan and Mitsubishi struggle with tanking sales, production plans show one bright spot: Nissan is planning an increase in production of the Nissan Dayz minicar model, which Mitsubishi manufactures for Nissan for the Japanese market. (Reporting by Maki Shiraki and Naomi Tajitsu; writing by David Dolan and Naomi Tajitsu; editing by Jason Neely and Alex Richardson) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Apriza Pinandita (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, April 27, 2020 17:45 625 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd484324 1 National COVID-19,repatriation,Indonesian-citizen,Egypt,Vietnam,stranded,travel-ban Free With the help of diplomatic missions abroad, dozens of Indonesian citizens have been repatriated in the past week following flight restrictions imposed in some countries because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the government has stated there was no policy for structured repatriation, the stranded citizens most of whom were short-term visitors were eager to come home at their own expense. On Sunday, at least 75 Indonesians who had been stranded in Egypt arrived in Jakarta via a special Air Cairo flight. The returnees included migrant workers, students as well as those who visited the country for training and traveling. The Indonesian Embassy in Cairo said in a statement on Sunday that the special flight would also be used to repatriate around 80 Egyptian citizens who were now stranded in Bali and Jakarta back to their country. The voluntary repatriation was due to the closure of international flights in Egypt since March 19. The Indonesian Embassy and the Egyptian government agreed to provide the special flight bound for Bali and Jakarta and charged US$700 for each ticket. Initially, there were 100 [Indonesian] citizens who were interested to participate in the voluntary repatriation, said Indonesian Ambassador to Egypt Helmy Fauzy. He said the number dropped to 75 after the embassy announced that the repatriation was only for those who had urgent matters at home. On the same day, 37 Indonesians departed Vietnams Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City using Vietjet Airlines flight VJ888. They had been stranded in the country for the past month due to travel restrictions imposed by the Vietnamese government to curb the spread of COVID-19. The special flight cost $278 per seat a discount from the normal fare of $385 and carried Indonesian citizens who had visited Vietnam for internships, traveling as well as workers who had been laid off. The Indonesian Embassy in Bangkok, with the help of national flag carrier Garuda Indonesia, repatriated 66 Indonesians on Friday. Most of the Indonesians were embassy interns or exchange students. The embassy previously facilitated the repatriation of 356 Indonesians in Thailand following the Thai governments decision to ban flights from April 4 to April 30. A day earlier, the Indonesian Embassy in Colombo also facilitated the repatriation of 335 Indonesian migrant workers in Sri Lanka. The embassies said the repatriations were conducted accordingly with standardized health protocols. The government has yet to issue a statement regarding the handling of the returnees upon their arrival in Jakarta or Bali, and whether they will be allowed to return to their hometown after domestic flights and other inter-provincial means of transportation were halted due to a mudik (exodus) ban that will be in place until June 1. The lawyer for Harry Dunns suspected killer has begun talks with the Foreign Office (FCO) to try and work towards a resolution. Amy Jeffress, the lawyer representing Ann Sacoolas, 42, spoke with a senior FCO representative earlier this year. The American, who is accused of causing the death of 19-year-old Mr Dunn in a car crash, is apparently keen to return to the UK to work towards a solution. Reacting to the news of a dialogue being opened, Mr Dunns mother, Charlotte Charles, said: It is almost impossible to describe how much we are suffering. It is now eight months since Harry died his 20th birthday came and went last month. Ms Charles said the family now had some hope, adding that she was pleased to see a dialogue being opened up. As we have said from the start, we will get justice for our son, she said. The FCO is believed to have made it clear to Ms Jeffress, a national security lawyer, that any issues relating to the legal side of the case, including any attempt to quash the death by dangerous driving charge her client is facing, would be a matter for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). Ms Jeffress declined to comment further on her conversation with the FCO. Dunn was killed when his motorbike crashed into a car outside RAF Croughton, a US military base in Northamptonshire, on 27 August last year. Ms Sacoolas, whose husband is a US intelligence official based at RAF Croughton, claimed diplomatic immunity following the crash and returned to the US, sparking an international controversy. An extradition request, submitted to the US by the Home Office, was rejected by American secretary of state Mike Pompeo in January a move Boris Johnson described as a denial of justice. No-one is above the law. It is so important that Anne Sacoolas comes back to face our legal system, Ms Charles said. She should never have been allowed to leave and it has compounded our misery terribly. Ms Charles said the only acceptable resolution would be for Ms Sacoolas to go before the courts in England. The Dunns family lawyer has previously called on the UK government to block the extradition of Julian Assange until the US agrees to hand over Anne Sacoolas. Additional reporting by Press Association Bazaar Corporate Radar | Feb 22, 2021, 12:00 AM IST Bazaar Corporate Radar Bazaar Corporate Radar is your window into the minds of top CEOs, Boardrooms, global economists, fund managers and sector analysts. If it?s making news, you?ll find it on Bazaar Corporate Radar. New Delhi, April 27 : The central government, here on Monday, declared five of the eight northeast states -- Sikkim, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Tripura -- coronavirus free. Assam, Meghalaya and Mizoram had 8, 11 and 1 Covid-19 cases, respectively, and were waiting for them to test negative, Minister of State for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) Jitendra Singh said. These states have not reported any new case in the last few days. "No new cases were added till Sunday night," Singh said. He declared five N-E states Covid-19-free after a meeting through video link with senior North Eastern Council (NEC) officers as well representatives of different government bodies and public sector units. He congratulated the state governments, their Chief Ministers and also the DoNER and the NEC officials for perfect coordination, which had made it possible. The Minister also spoke about proposals received/under consideration from N-E states, like Mizoram, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur, for health-related projects devoted to management of infections and COVID-19 care, critical care and upgraded healthcare. "These projects will be dealt with priority," Singh said. Representatives of the North Eastern Regional Agricultural Marketing Corporation, the North East Handicraft and Handloom Development Corporation, the North Eastern Development Finance Corporation and the Cane and Bamboo Technology Centre also participated at the meeting. Expressing satisfaction that the northeast has emerged as a model of development in the last six years under Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government, Singh said the region had emerged as a model of effective, diligent and disciplined health management in the wake of the Covid-19 crisis. The DoNER Ministry had placed Rs 25 crore at the disposal of N-E states in the initial stage itself, much before the lockdown, as gap-funding for Covid-19-related activities. During the meeting, Singh also received updates on various economic activities in the recent days in the exempted areas, as per the Ministry of Home Affairs guidelines, which primarily included the bamboo-related activities. Meanwhile, coronavirus has claimed 886 lives and infected over 21,000 people across the country. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) BEIJING, April 26 (Xinhua) -- A new draft law revision under Chinese lawmakers' consideration has proposed strengthening the management of medical waste, especially medical waste management work in handling major infectious disease epidemics. The draft revision to the law on the prevention and control of environmental pollution by solid waste Sunday returned to the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee for the third reading at its ongoing legislative session. Medical waste should be managed according to stipulations of the national category for hazardous waste, and governments at or above the county level should improve their capabilities for the concentrated disposal of medical waste, according to the draft. The draft proposed better defining responsibilities in handling medical waste. Local health and environmental authorities should, within their respective jurisdictions, strengthen the supervision over and management of how medical waste is collected, stored, transported and disposed of, the draft said. Medical and health institutions should shoulder the responsibilities to sort and collect the medical waste they generate. Effective measures should be taken by medical and health institutions and waste disposers to avoid any possible leakage or spread of medical waste, according to the draft. The draft also stipulated that necessary funds should be earmarked by governments at all levels for hazardous waste disposal in case of emergencies such as major infectious disease epidemics. A previous version of the draft got a second reading at the legislature's 15th session. In light of the important role of medical waste management in the fight against COVID-19, suggestions have been made calling for more specific and targeted stipulations on the subject when opinions were solicited. Based on the suggestions and opinions solicited, the NPC Constitution and Law Committee improved the draft, which also incorporated new changes on other subjects such as garbage sorting. Xu Hui, vice chairman of the NPC Constitution and Law Committee, suggested the bill be passed at the session when briefing lawmakers Sunday. Lawmakers will deliberate the draft in panel discussions during the session, which will run from Sunday to Wednesday. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 27) The fatal shooting of a former soldier at a police checkpoint has underscored the need to address mental health issues facing servicemen, long after they have left the war zone. Ex-Army corporal Winston Ragos, who had been diagnosed with a combat fatigue disorder, was shot dead by a police officer manning a quarantine checkpoint last week, after he allegedly disobeyed the order to stand down and continued to threaten the accosting policemen. Ragos' prompted Philippine Army Chief Lt. Gen. Gilbert Gapay to order a policy review within the Army on how it can better look after their troops even after leaving the service. "The Commanding General (Gapay) saw it fit to review [our policies], and maybe we can assist VMMC or PVAO (Philippine Veterans Affairs Office) in managing, especially, sensitive [cases]," Army spokesman Colonel Ramon Zagala Jr. told reporters after the burial rites for Ragos on Sunday at the Libingan ng mga Bayani where he was accorded full military honors. "Of course, we cannot manage everyone," Zagala pointed out, since a good number of Army officers and enlisted personnel either retire or are honorably discharged every year. Military profile According to his family, Ragos' father served in the Philippine Constabulary, and subsequently in the Philippine Army. He had six other siblings. Ragos took up criminology in a college in Guinobatan, Albay, but failed to finish the course. Desperate to find work, Ragos decided to volunteer to do errands for a unit under the Army's 9th Infantry Division based in Bicol. He eventually enlisted in 2009, undergoing training after passing qualification requirements, including a neuro-psychiatric test. Ragos first assignment was with the 31st Infantry Battalion in Labo, Camarines Norte, where there were frequent encounters with communist rebels. Based on the Army's initial background check, Ragos began showing signs of strange behavior after getting sick following a foot patrol. He was sent to a military dispensary but was eventually referred to the V. Luna Medical Center in Quezon City. He was treated for about three months at Ward 24, the military hospital's in-patient unit for patients with mental health issues. "He was managed as a case of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and if I remember it right, he was admitted for three times prior to his disability discharge," Major Christine de Jesus, a psychiatrist currently assigned at the Army General Hospital. Ragos was placed under regular medication, but after years of treatment and recurring confinement at the V. Luna's psychiatric ward, he was forced to leave the service with a complete disability discharge in 2017. Aside from his pension, Ragos continued to receive medical care from VMMC as part of his disability benefits. His wife is an overseas worker in Taiwan, with whom he had a now teenaged daughter. When Ragos was killed last April 21, he was supposed to visit a relative. They insisted that the ex-soldier never owned a firearm, given his mental health condition. This runs counter to the polices allegation that they found in the Army veterans sling bag a .38 caliber pistol and ammunition. "Kaya alam na alam ko na yung bag nya, mineral [water] at gamot [ang laman.] May dala siyang gamot," Remedios Aquino, Ragos' aunt said. [Translation: I know the contents of his bag pretty well, thats mineral water and medicine. He had medicine with him.] The Philippine Army has requested the National Bureau of Investigation to conduct an independent probe on the incident. Nickel is supposed to herald a new age of superconductivity -- but this is proving more difficult than expected. Scientists at TU Wien (Vienna) can now explain why. Last summer, a new age for high-temperature superconductivity was proclaimed - the nickel age. It was discovered that there are promising superconductors in a special class of materials, the so-called nickelates, which can conduct electric current without any resistance even at high temperatures. However, it soon became apparent that these initially spectacular results from Stanford could not be reproduced by other research groups. TU Wien (Vienna) has now found the reason for this: In some nickelates additional hydrogen atoms are incorporated into the material structure. This completely changes the electrical behaviour of the material. In the production of the new superconductors, this effect must now be taken into account. The search for High-Temperature Superconductors Some materials are only superconducting near absolute temperature zero - such superconductors are not suitable for technical applications. Therefore, for decades, people have been looking for materials that remain superconducting even at higher temperatures. In the 1980s, "high-temperature superconductors" were discovered. What is referred to as "high temperatures" in this context, however, is still very cold: even high-temperature superconductors must be cooled strongly in order to obtain their superconducting properties. Therefore, the search for new superconductors at even higher temperatures continues. "For a long time, special attention was paid to so-called cuprates, i.e. compounds containing copper. This is why we also speak of the copper age", explains Prof. Karsten Held from the Institute of Solid State Physics at TU Wien. "With these cuprates, some important progress was made, even though there are still many open questions in the theory of high-temperature superconductivity today". But for some time now, other possibilities have also been under consideration. There was already a so-called "iron age" based on iron-containing superconductors. In summer 2019, the research group of Harold Y. Hwang's research group from Stanford then succeeded in demonstrating high-temperature superconductivity in nickelates. "Based on our calculations, we already proposed nickelates as superconductors 10 years ago, but they were somewhat different from the ones that have now been discovered. They are related to cuprates, but contain nickel instead of copper atoms," says Karsten Held. The Trouble with Hydrogen After some initial enthusiasm, however, it has become apparent in recent months that nickelate superconductors are more difficult to produce than initially thought. Other research groups reported that their nickelates do not have superconducting properties. This apparent contradiction has now been clarified at TU Wien. "We analysed the nickelates with the help of supercomputers and found that they are extremely receptive to hydrogen into the material," reports Liang Si (TU Vienna). In the synthesis of certain nickelates, hydrogen atoms can be incorporated, which completely changes the electronic properties of the material. "However, this does not happen with all nickelates," says Liang Si, "Our calculations show that for most of them, it is energetically more favourable to incorporate hydrogen, but not for the nickelates from Stanford. Even small changes in the synthesis conditions can make a difference." Last Friday (on 24.04.2020) the group around Ariando Ariando from the NUS Singapore could report that they also succeeded in producing superconducting nickelates. They let the hydrogen that is released in the production process escape immediately. Calculating the Critical Temperature with Supercomputers At TU Wien new computer calculation methods are being developed and used to understand and predict the properties of nickelates. "Since a large number of quantum-physical particles always play a role here at the same time, the calculations are extremely complex," says Liang Si, "But by combining different methods, we are now even able to estimate the critical temperature up to which the various materials are superconducting. Such reliable calculations have not been possible before." In particular, the team at TU Wien was able to calculate the allowed range of strontium concentration for which the nickelates are superconducting - and this prediction has now been confirmed in experiment. "High-temperature superconductivity is an extremely complex and difficult field of research," says Karsten Held. "The new nickelate superconductors, together with our theoretical understanding and the predictive power of computer calculations, open up a whole new perspective on the great dream of solid state physics: a superconductor at ambient temperature that hence works without any cooling." ### Contact Prof. Karsten Held Institute for Solid State Physics TU Wien Wiedner Hauptstrae 8-10, 1040 Vienna T +43-1-58801-13710 karsten.held@tuwien.ac.at Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun told shareholders Monday the staggering business downturn due to the coronavirus pandemic is likely to impact the company through 2023 and beyond. We expect it will take two to three years for travel to return to 2019 levels and an additional few years beyond that for the industrys long-term trend growth to return, he said. Speaking at the companys annual meeting of shareholders, which was held virtually because of the pandemic, he added that when the commercial airline market stabilizes it will be smaller and our customers needs will be different. He described the devastated state of the current airline world, with 2,800 planes grounded in the U.S. alone and passenger traffic down 95%. Describing a crisis unlike anything we have ever experienced, he said airlines are grounding fleets, deferring airplane orders, postponing acceptance of completed orders, and slowing down or stopping payments. In response, he said Boeing needs to change production rates to balance supply and demand. However, he added that details on the rate cuts, which are likely to spur thousands of local job losses, must wait until earnings results are announced on Wednesday. However, he offered an indirect glimpse at the sweep of the cuts ahead when he referred to the prospects for Boeings thousands of suppliers, most of whom before the pandemic had been gearing up for accelerated production rates after the expected clearance for the 737 Max to return to service. The plans they have made and the investments they have made around the future, not dissimilar to ourselves, they now have to tear up and start over and resize themselves to accommodate that new future, Calhoun said. Calhoun referred only briefly to the termination Saturday of Boeings proposed acquisition of the commercial jet business of Brazilian manufacturer Embraer, previously promoted as a strategic priority of the company. He stuck strictly to the statement issued when the collapse of the deal was announced: the two sides could not resolve critical unsatisfied conditions in the negotiations. Embraer intends to sue Boeing over the decision, and Boeing maintains that it doesnt have to pay a $100 million termination fee. Calhoun offered no news on the timing of the return of the 737 Max to service. The restrictions during the pandemic have slowed the work of winning Federal Aviation Administration approval for the 737 Max to fly again. A person familiar with the details said Boeings target schedule has slipped from mid-summer to late summer. No new issues have been identified, that person said, then added that documenting and testing the software changes to the Maxs flight controls is taking longer than expected and this need for virtual work is beginning to have some impacts. However, Calhoun did not disclose any new delay Monday. He said only that progress has continued during the pandemic. No shareholder dividends anytime soon Ahead of Boeings earnings results Wednesday, Calhoun did not disclose any financially material details. In answer to a question that raised a major worry for Boeing retirees, he asserted unequivocally that the company pension plan is secure. The dramatic fall in Boeings stock price has caused concern about that because management chose to fund the pension plan in part with company shares. But Calhoun offered reassurance: Theres nothing I see that would put risk into the pension plan, he said. Responding to a shareholder question about when the company would resume paying dividends, Calhoun said bluntly it will be years. He said the company will have to borrow heavily in the next six months to get through this very difficult moment and that repaying that debt would be the priority, not giving cash to shareholders. Despite the grim outlook for the next couple of years and beyond, Calhoun expressed optimism about the companys eventual recovery. Citing the industrys underlying demand fundamentals the need to connect the worlds economies and a growing middle class around the globe with the resources and desire to travel he said he continues to believe strongly in the future of aviation and of Boeing as the aerospace leader. There is no doubt people will start flying again, he said. And as the industry recovers, slowly at first and then with greater vigor, well be ready. Dominic Gates of The Seattle Times wrote this story. 2020 The Seattle Times Visit The Seattle Times at www.seattletimes.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Apr. 27 By Fidan Babayeva Trend: Online discussions between representatives of Azerbaijans State Customs Committee (SCC) and the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA) have been held on April 27, the SCC told Trend. Azerbaijani delegation was represented by Deputy Chairman of the State Customs Committee, Major-General of Customs Service Javad Gasimov. The sides discussed the adaptation of freight traffic between the two countries to the regime applicable due to the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19), regulation of border processes of goods and vehicles, as well as a number of other issues, the SCC said. Technical issues that arise during the cargo transportation by the Azerbaijani-Iranian joint venture, AzKron LLC, operating in the Neftchala Industrial District, as well as ways of their solutions have also been discussed. --- Follow the author on Twitter: Fidan_Babaeva New York City is preparing to open up to 100 miles of streets to offer New Yorkers more space to social distance outside as coronavirus lockdown measures continue. Mayor Bill de Blasio made the announcement on Monday, just days after he and other city officials cautioned against a proposal to open up streets to pedestrians, saying it could not be done safely in a city as dense as New York. But in his latest news conference, de Blasio said the City Council had come forward with a vision for opening up more streets that alleviates concerns by the city's Police Department. 'Over the next month, we will create a minimum of 40 miles of open streets. And as the crisis continues, the goal is to get up to 100 miles,' de Blasio said. He said the city would focus on streets in and around parks, where officials expect many people to congregate as the weather gets warmer. Scroll down for video New York City is preparing to open up to 100 miles of streets to offer New Yorkers more space to social distance outside as coronavirus lockdown measures continue. Pictured: People wearing protective masks walk through Central Park on Sunday New York City remains the epicenter of the US coronavirus outbreak, with at least 156,100 cases and 11,708 deaths to date. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo on Monday announced that he will extend his stay-at-home order in some parts of the stay beyond his original deadline of May 15. Cuomo did not specifically say that New York City would be among the areas that will have to stay closed for longer but implied it by saying the worst hit areas will be those that remain closed the longest. Mayor Bill de Blasio made the announcement at his daily press briefing on Monday Many of the Big Apple's eight million residents live in small apartments, and officials are concerned residents will flout social distancing rules the longer lockdown rules continue into the summer. De Blasio himself was accused of ignoring those rules over the weekend when he was spotted in Brooklyn's Prospect Park - 11 miles from his home at Gracie Mansion on Manhattan's Upper East Side. Video shows the mayor and his wife, Chirlane McCray, being heckled by passersbay as they walked through the park wearing masks on Saturday afternoon. De Blasio made no mention of that incident when discussing the new street closure plan during Monday's virtual press briefing. 'We want to do more,' he told reporters. 'So the focus here will be to focus on where the need is greatest. 'The first priority is the places hardest hit and then where it will have the most impact.' The mayor said that in addition to closing streets, the city would also expand sidewalks and create more temporary bike lanes, but did not provide additional details. De Blasio said the city would focus on closing streets in and around parks, where officials expect many people to congregate as the weather gets warmer New York City Council members last week introduced a bill to dedicate 75 miles of city streets to pedestrians and cyclists by closing at least one lane to vehicles while coronavirus restrictions are in place. But representatives for the city's Department of Transportation and the Police Department on Friday poured cold water on the proposal, saying the city did not have the resources to protect people on those streets from drivers. How NYC will open up to 100 miles of streets New York City officials have yet to release specific details about road closures but did outline five broad categories from which the open streets will be sourced: Up to 60 miles of streets within and adjacent to parks Up to 20 miles of streets identified in consultation with local precincts, in consultation with community boards and other partners Up to 10 miles of streets managed by local partners such as BIDs, block associations, or other civic groups Up to 2.5 miles of widened sidewalks Up to 10 miles of protected bike lanes Advertisement De Blasio himself in mid-April shot down the idea of closing streets to traffic, saying he did not believe it would work. When City Council proposed the new plan - modeled after Oakland, California - de Blasio on Friday said that it didn't 'connect with a lot of our reality'. Asked about his change of mind on Monday, he said the city council had proposed community partners to help the Police Department keep streets safe. Activists who have been calling for the expansion of open space for weeks were quick to praise de Blasio's announcement - crediting City Council with making it happen. 'It's great to see the Council break through on the issue,' said Jon Orcutt of Bike New York, and a former top DOT official. 'We're very heartened the announcement included some looking-ahead steps, like more pop-up bike lanes.' New York City's debate over increasing space for pedestrians comes as cities around the world experiment with ways to gradually ease restrictions without compromising safety. Several cities, including San Francisco and Denver in the United States and Milan, Dublin, Budapest and Berlin in Europe, have closed some streets to cars and expanded sidewalks and bicycle lanes to provide more outdoor space. Meanwhile, a growing number of governors are laying plans to lift statewide stay-at-home orders in the coming weeks. 'The epitome of nonessential travel': NYC Mayor Bill De Blasio and his wife are heckled as they stroll through a Brooklyn park - 11 MILES from their home at Gracie Mansion in Manhattan Mayor Bill de Blasio and his wife were heckled by locals as they walked through Prospect Park in Brooklyn over the weekend, despite living 11 miles away in Manhattan. De Blasio was filmed strolling with his wife Chirlane McCray, both of whom were wearing masks, through the historic park on Saturday afternoon. New Yorker Darren Goldner took video of the moment he scolded the Mayor for forcing an entourage of four SUV security vehicles to drive his family to the park for a nonessential recreational walk in a completely different borough. 'Seriously, you guys have a park. You live in park. You dont need to non-essentially travel to Brooklyn. Come on you wont even open roads for people of all backgrounds. Im not going to give it a break. This is selfish behavior,' Goldner said. Critics noted that De Blasio lives in the Gracie Mansion, the designated residence of New York mayors, on the Upper East Side inside Carl Schurz Park. De Blasio was seen waving his hand dismissively towards the camera as he walked away from his angry constituent saying, 'Come on guys, give it a break'. 'This is so terribly selfish. You call yourself a progressive but you chauffeur yourself to Brooklyn you force people to drive you. This is ridiculous. This is the epitome of nonessential travel,' Goldner continued. De Blasio lived in Park Slope, Brooklyn, near Prospect Park, before moving to the Gracie Mansion in July 2014. De Blasio and his wife Chirlane McCray were heckled by locals as they walked through Prospect Park in Brooklyn on Saturday, despite living 11 miles away in a Manhattan park New Yorker Darren Goldner took video of the moment he scolded the Mayor saying: 'Seriously, you guys have a park. You live in park. You dont need to non-essentially travel to Brooklyn. Come on you wont even open roads for people of all backgrounds. Im not going to give it a break. This is selfish behavior' De Blasio lives in the Gracie Mansion, the designated residence of New York mayors, on the Upper East Side inside Carl Schurz Park, located 11 miles awy from Prospect Park Twitter users were quick to eviscerate the Mayor for his weekend walk slamming his behavior as 'disgraceful'. 'Good for you! His behavior has been so atrocious, he shouldn't be able to set foot in a public space without being asked questions like these,' one Twitter user wrote. 'Tell him to take the subway to Brooklyn, so he can see the squalor caused by his failure to care for the homeless,' another added. 'Give him hell! Disgraceful. In the middle of a pandemic he's making an overcrowded park more crowded & setting a bad example. NYC should've been locked down & instead he & everyone else is strolling through the freaking park. Madness! This is why 1 out of every 500 NYers are dead,' one angry Twitter user said. Goldner slammed the Mayor for initially refusing to open up city streets so pedestrians and bikers can have more space in the pandemic. 'De Blasio opposes opening streets for all, esp [for] those who don't happen to live near a nice park, aren't chauffeured in fossil-fuel convoys to Park Slope. They tend to be poorer, working class, POC,' Goldner tweeted. Social media users voiced their outrage over De Blasio's stroll, calling his behavior 'atrocious' This Twitter user noted that the Gracie Mansion, the official residence for New York Mayors, is located in Carl Schurz Park China is second; India, third; and Saudi Arabia fifth. In 2019 US.917 trillion were spent on weapons. The US and China are in an arms race whilst India is caught between China and Pakistan. Saudi Arabia spent more than Israel. Spending is also up in Russia, South Korea, Southeast Asia and Taiwan. Hong Kong (AsiaNews) China, India and Saudi Arabia are among the countries that spend the most on weapons in the world, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) reports in its latest Fact Sheet. China is the world's second largest military spender, followed by India. For the first time, the two Asian nations are in the top three. Saudi Arabia ranks fifth, after Russia, in a list dominated by the United States. Global military expenditure reached US.917 trillion in 2019, a 3.6 per cent increase in real terms. Spending in Asia (Mideast not included) and Oceania (US8) represents 27 per cent of the total. The US spent US1 billion on its military, up by 5.3 per cent over 2018, and is now in an open arms race with China, the other great world power. China is estimated to have spent US1 billion to boost its armed forces, up by 5.1 per cent, but many observers think that the real figure is much higher. Together the US and China represent 52 per cent of global spending. India increased its spending even more (6.8 per cent) to US.1 billion. It continues to have border issues with Pakistan and is facing greater Chinese assertiveness in the Indian Ocean. Despite its stagnant economy, Russia increased military spending by 4.5 per cent, to US.1 60 billion. Its soured relationship with the US and NATO is the main factor driving Russian rearmament. Saudi Arabia is by far the largest spender in the Middle East, with an estimated US.1 billion, far more than Israel (US.5 billion). Despite its ongoing involvement in Yemen, where the Saudis support government forces against pro-Iranian Houthi rebels, this represents an unexpected 16 per cent drop. Still military spending represents a big chunk of GDP remains (8 per cent), higher than all the major powers. Japan and South Korea rank 9th and 10th respectively with Tokyos spending unchanged at US.6 billion whilst Seouls is up by 7.5 per cent to US.9 billion. Military spending in Southeast Asia rose by 4.2 per cent to US.5 billion, largely due to fears of Chinese expansion in the South China Sea. Disagreements with China are also at the basis of Taiwans rearmament: US.4 billion (+ 1.1 per cent over 2018). President Akufo-Addo says his government has enabled significant domestic production and supply of protective equipment to health workers as they wage war on COVID-19. They have received, in recent days, nine hundred and five thousand, and thirty-one (905,031) nose masks, thirty one thousand, six hundred and thirty (31,630) medical scrubs, thirty one thousand, four hundred and seventy-two (31,472) gowns, forty-six thousand, eight hundred and seventy (46,870) head covers, and eighty-three thousand, five hundred (83,500) N-95 face masks, he said. The President made the remark when he addressed Ghanaians on measures being taken to contain the COVID-19 pandemic. He praised frontline workers for their dedication and called on Ghanaians to adhere to the health protocols to protect their lives and others. He thanked the Government of the United States of America for its gift of medical supplies which was the latest assistance received from a friendly foreign nation to help boost the countrys testing capacity. He said just as the Christian celebration of Easter was severely affected by the virus, resulting in the cancellation of the usual activities associated with Easter, the Holy Month of Ramadan had not been spared either. The President, therefore, called on all Muslims to heed to the prophetic admonishment to pray at home, so they would protect ourselves from the danger of COVID-19. This is in line with the counsel of the wise, devout Muslim scholar, the Chief Imam, Sheikh Dr. Osama Nuhu Sharubutu, and wished all Muslims Ramadan Mubarak. ---citinewsroom Representative image A Delhi court on April 27 sent the president of Jamia Millia Islamia Alumni Association, arrested under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in connection with riots in northeast Delhi in February, to 10-day police custody. The police told the court that Shifa-Ur-Rehman, also a member of Jamia Coordination Committee, was involved in a criminal conspiracy along with former JNU student Umar Khalid. It said Rehman gave provocative speeches at various places and appealed to the Muslim minority community gathering to block roads and other other public places during the visit of Donald Trump, USA President, on February 24-25 so that propaganda may be flashed at the international platform that the Muslim minority community in India are being tortured. Rehman was booked for alleged involvement in the riots and was subsequently arrested by the Special Cell of the Delhi Police on April 26. The police produced him before Special Judge Sanjeev Kumar Jain and sought his custodial interrogation for 12 days. It told the court that Rehman's interrogation was required to unearth the larger conspiracy and find out the names of his other accomplices. While seeking his custody, the police told the court that Rahman's name popped up after the interrogation of Ishrat Jahan, Khalid Saifi, Meeran Haider, Safoora, Gulfisa and Tahir Hussain. Rehman gave hate speeches that lead to the riots in the month of February 2020 at various protest sites i.e. Jamia, Shaheen Bagh, Seelampur, Khureji, Inderlok and Hauz Rani, the police told the court. "We had technical evidence against him which suggests that he incited mobs during the riots. He was also seen in the CCTV footage which was collected from the riot-affected areas. We have checked his call record details and WhatsApp messages and found more evidence which suggests his involvement in the riots," police said. It further trims the court that the interrogation of the witnesses have revealed that Rehman received funds from the members of ALUMNI of Jamia Millia Islamia based in Middle East countries and he was co-coordinating the protest sites. Earlier, Jamia Millia Islamia students Meeran Haider and Safoora Zargar were also arrested under the Act for allegedly hatching a conspiracy to incite the communal riots. While Zargar is the media coordinator of Jamia Coordination Committee, Haider is a member of the committee. In the FIR, police have claimed that the communal violence was a "premeditated conspiracy" which was allegedly hatched by former JNU student leader Umar Khalid and two others. Communal violence had broken out in northeast Delhi on February 24 after clashes between citizenship law supporters and protesters spiralled, leaving at least 53 people dead and around 200 injured. An investigation is under way (Brian Lawless/PA) A cyclist has died after he was hit by a car in Co Kerry. Gardai were called to the scene of the road traffic collision involving a car and the cyclist which happened at around 8.20am on Monday. The incident occurred on the N22 Tralee-Killarney road in Rockfield, Killarney. The cyclist, a man in his 60s, was pronounced dead at the scene. His body is due to be moved to the mortuary at University Hospital Kerry where a post-mortem examination will be conducted. Gardai said the coroner has been notified and forensic collision investigators have been called to the scene. The road is currently closed and motorists are advised to take alternative routes where possible and local diversions are in place. Gardai in Killarney are appealing for any witnesses to this incident to come forward and for any road users who may have camera footage, including dash-cam, who were travelling in the area at the time to make it available to gardai. Anyone with information is asked to contact Killarney garda station on 064 667 1160, the garda confidential line on 1800 666 111 or any garda station. This current balance of power in America is unsustainable and will not hold much longer. We just slinked past the 245th anniversary of the "shot heard round the world," and most Americans were too busy hunkering down and obeying government directives to remember how heavy the price for liberty always is. There is a rumbling right now below our feet, though, and these tremors may well split the earth around us if our elected leadership do not yield to common sense and shared American purpose. This moment in history is opening up before us two paths one in which we reclaim for ourselves the truth that all legitimate power begins with individual consent and another that deviates sharply from our shared past by giving to the State the ultimate authority for determining what rights each one of us may freely call our own. Down the path of freedom we must take solid steps, for the other path promises to swallow us whole. I have no illusion that American liberty is destined to prevail over this new breed of socialism and government-by-fiat. Life gives us no certainties only choices and opportunities. It's the other side that denies the existence of God while insisting that our historical fate is predetermined. Our side has always cherished human freedom precisely because we know how rare it is. History is replete with men dominating other men; what has always made America "exceptional," and what the other side has long forgotten or ignored, is that ours is a country that chose to end the cycle of domination by empowering the weakest among us to have an equal voice. For 245 years, we have lumbered down this difficult path with eyes wide open and confident in our inherited wisdom that to do otherwise would unleash the cycles of domination we worked so hard to tame. And while many of us have watched apprehensively for many years now the encroaching tyranny of the State disguised under the cloak of the "common will" or the "collective good," it is only now that the advocates camped on the other side of freedom so boldly declare their intention to rule over us as they will. An awful lot can happen in the space of a month, as we are now reminded. Weeks ago, we were celebrating the most vibrant American economy in nearly a century and looking forward to putting an exclamation point on that success by re-electing the man who shook the country awake by telling many difficult truths. From Venezuela to Iran, Hong Kong to the U.K., freedom was on the march everywhere. Now the Barack Obamas and John Kerrys and Al Gores across all fifty states are smiling with renewed joy that an America dominated by government control of everything and over everyone is all but certain. So sure are they that they've finally broken the American spirit that they openly talk about our current national incarceration as the blueprint for our permanent subjugation under the guise of a "global warming" emergency. Joe Biden, lost in mind, is certain that he has already won the coming election. Everything we have worked for these last few years is slipping away. Or is it? The most dangerous fairytale we often tell ourselves as Americans is that we understand and accept General John Stark's beseechment to his fellow Granite Staters that they "Live Free or Die." Until you meet that hard choice head on in this world, it is easy to invoke the spirit of America without suffering the attendant costs that a free America necessarily requires. For most Americans, that choice has seemed so relegated to the past that the constant chipping away of individual liberty, a little at a time over the years, for the promise of governmental protection and security has seemed consistent with the government's promise to exercise only the powers vested in it by the people and nothing more. Like a magic trick gone horribly wrong, however, the government has hidden our liberty behind a veil of security and disappeared both in the process. Benjamin Franklin warned us that that trick would one day be played upon an unsuspecting public, and that day is now. How many of us who never set foot upon the battlefield or committed to sacrificing ourselves for another can honestly say we understood the price of freedom until this day? How many of us appreciated how quickly our freedom could be taken away by executive decree and our tacit compliance? If this period of national confinement and economic destruction does not stir in the blood a sense of urgency never to allow our government to take again with such ease what our ancestors bequeathed to us with such sacrifice, then our blood is already infected with something much more deadly than the Chinese virus. If this exercise in governmental overreach does not crystallize why "eternal vigilance is the price of liberty," then the battle is over, the war is lost, and all that is left to consider is whether Biden lives long enough to become king. I, for one, believe that this pandemic will be remembered as an unexpected jolt to the American consciousness that finally allowed us to pull the emergency brake before we ran out of track. We will one day look back and realize that the opening salvo between unbridled State control and personal liberty began when President Trump took office, but only when politicians from coast to coast decided to steal for themselves power that was never theirs to possess did the real war for America's future begin. I am of the firm opinion that a population once exposed to the idea of freedom can never lose entirely that most vital gift from God. Every descendant of a Holocaust survivor, every freedom-loving Pole or Czech who endured Nazism and Stalinism, every starving soul trying to survive Venezuela today in order to taste freedom tomorrow knows that nothing can eradicate human liberty, so long as some voice, somewhere, can still remind others that God's gift of freedom is theirs by right. Life and liberty go hand in hand. When so many politicians these days seem comfortable with allowing the wolves of tyranny to nibble at the edges of both, there has never been a more important time to scream back, "Not on our watch!" SHANGHAI, April 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- CARsgen Therapeutics Co., Ltd., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, today announced the European Medicines Agency (EMA) Committee for Orphan Medicinal Products (COMP) adopted a positive opinion on CARsgen's application for orphan designation of its investigational CT053 CAR T-cell therapy, fully human anti-BCMA (B cell maturation antigen) autologous chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells for the treatment of multiple myeloma. CT053 was previously granted orphan drug designation by the US Food and Drug Administration in August 2019. "The COMP's adoption of a positive opinion for CT053 orphan drug designation is another important recognition of CARsgen's commitment to the development of its potential best-in-class CAR T cell therapy for the treatment of multiple myeloma," said Zonghai Li, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of CARsgen. "We look forward to working closely with the EMA under the recently granted PRIME eligibility and continuing the clinical development of CT053 in Europe." The positive opinion issued by COMP will be sent to the European Commission, which is expected to grant the orphan designation within 30 days. EMA orphan drug designation helps support the development of new treatments for rare conditions, those affecting not more than five in 10,000 people in the EU, that are life-threatening or chronically debilitating. Medicines that meet the EMA's orphan designation criteria qualify for incentives to encourage advancement of drug development. About CARsgen Therapeutics, Co., Ltd. CARsgen Therapeutics is a clinical-stage immune-oncology company committed to the development and commercialization of CAR T-cell therapeutics for unmet medical needs. The company has collaborated with top hospitals in China to launch several other first-in-human studies such as anti-GPC3 CAR T cells for hepatocellular carcinoma and squamous lung cancer, anti-EGFR/EGFRvIII CAR T cells for glioblastoma multiforme and anti-claudin18.2 CAR T cells for gastric and pancreatic cancer. For more information, please visit: www.carsgen.com SOURCE CARsgen Therapeutics Co. Ltd. Related Links www.carsgen.com Karen Taylor had been coughing for weeks when she decided to see a doctor in early April. COVID-19 cases had just exceeded 5,000 in Texas, where she lives. Cigna, her health insurer, said it would waive out-of-pocket costs for "telehealth" patients seeking coronavirus screening through video conferences. So Taylor, a sales manager, talked with her physician on an internet video call. The doctor's office charged her $70. She protested. But "they said, 'No, it goes toward your deductible and you've got to pay the whole $70,'" she said. Policymakers and insurers across the country say they are eliminating copayments, deductibles and other barriers to telemedicine for patients confined at home who need a doctor for any reason. "We are encouraging people to use telemedicine," New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said last month after ordering insurers to eliminate copays, typically collected at the time of a doctor visit, for telehealth visits. But in a fragmented health system which encompasses dozens of insurers, 50 state regulators and thousands of independent doctor practices - the shift to cost-free telemedicine for patients is going far less smoothly than the speeches and press releases suggest. In some cases, doctors are billing for telephone calls that used to be free. Patients say doctors and insurers are charging them upfront for video appointments and phone calls, not just copays but sometimes the entire cost of the visit, even if it's covered by insurance. Despite what politicians have promised, insurers said they were not able to immediately eliminate telehealth copays for millions of members who carry their cards but receive coverage through self-insured employers. Executives at telehealth organizations say insurers have been slow to update their software and policies. "A lot of the insurers who said that they're not going to charge copayments for telemedicine - they haven't implemented that," said George Favvas, CEO of Circle Medical, a San Francisco company that delivers family medicine and other primary care via livestream. "That's starting to hit us right now." One problem is that insurers have waived copays and other telehealth cost sharing for in-network doctors only. Another is that Blue Cross Blue Shield, Aetna, Cigna, UnitedHealthcare and other carriers promoting telehealth have little power to change telemedicine benefits for self-insured employers whose claims they process. Such plans cover more than 100 million Americans more than the number of beneficiaries covered by the Medicare program for seniors or by Medicaid for low-income families. All four insurance giants say improved telehealth benefits don't necessarily apply to such coverage. Nor can governors or state insurance regulators force those plans, which are regulated federally, to upgrade telehealth coverage. "Many employer plans are eliminating cost sharing" now that federal regulators have eased the rules for certain kinds of plans to improve telehealth benefits, said Brian Marcotte, CEO of the Business Group on Health, a coalition of very large, mostly self-insured employers. For many doctors, business and billings have plunged because of the coronavirus shutdown. New rules notwithstanding, many practices may be eager to collect telehealth revenue immediately from patients rather than wait for insurance companies to pay, said Sabrina Corlette, a research professor and co-director of the Center on Health Insurance Reforms at Georgetown University. "A lot of providers may not have agreements in place with the plans that they work with to deliver services via telemedicine," she said. "So these providers are protecting themselves upfront by either asking for full payment or by getting the copayment." David DeKeyser, a marketing strategist in Brooklyn, New York, sought a physician's advice via video after coming in contact with someone who attended an event where coronavirus was detected. The office charged the whole visit $280, not just the copay - to his debit card without notifying him. "It happened to be payday for me," he said. A week earlier and the charge could have caused a bank overdraft, he said. An email exchange got the bill reversed, he said. With wider acceptance, telehealth calls have suddenly become an important and lucrative potential source of physician revenue. Medicare and some commercial insurers have said they will pay the same rate for video calls as for office visits. Some doctors are charging for phone calls once considered an incidental and non-billable part of a previous office visit. Blue Cross plans in Massachusetts, Wyoming, Alabama and North Carolina are paying for phoned-in patient visits, according to America's Health Insurance Plans, a lobbying group. "A lot of carriers wouldn't reimburse telephonic encounters" in the past, Corlette said. Catherine Parisian, a professor in North Carolina, said what seemed like a routine follow-up call with her specialist last month became a telehealth consultation with an $80 copay. "What would have been treated as a phone call, they now bill as telemedicine," she said. "The physician would not call me without billing me." She protested the charge and said she has not been billed yet. By many accounts, the number of doctor encounters via video has soared since the Department of Health and Human Services said in mid-March that it would take "unprecedented steps to expand Americans' access to telehealth services." Medicare expanded benefits to pay for most telemedicine nationwide instead of just for patients in rural areas and other limited circumstances, HHS said. The program has also temporarily dropped a ban on doctors waiving copays and other patient cost sharing. Such waivers might have been considered violations of federal anti-kickback laws. At the same time, the CARES Act, passed by Congress last month to address the COVID-19 emergency, allows private, high-deductible health insurance to make an exception for telehealth in patient cost sharing. Such plans can now pay for video doctor visits even if patients haven't met the deductible. Dozens of private health insurers listed by AHIP say they have eliminated copays and other cost sharing for telemedicine. Cigna, however, has waived out-of-pocket costs only for telehealth associated with COVID-19 screening. Cigna did not respond to requests for comment. Teladoc Health, a large, publicly traded telemedicine company, said its volume has doubled to 20,000 medical visits a day since early March. Its stock price has nearly doubled, too, since Jan. 1. With such a sharp increase, it's not surprising that insurers and physicians are struggling to keep up, said Circle Medical CEO Favvas. "It's going to be an imperfect process for a while," he said. "It's understandable given that things are moving so quickly." Abbie VanSickle, a California journalist, wanted her baby's scheduled wellness visit done remotely because she worried about visiting a medical office during a pandemic. Her insurer, UnitedHealthcare, would not pay for it, the pediatrician told her. Mom and baby had to come in. "It seems like such an unnecessary risk to take," VanSickle said. "If we can't do wellness visits, we're surely not alone." A UnitedHealthcare spokesperson said that there was a misunderstanding and that the baby's remote visit would be covered without a copay. Jacklyn Grace Lacey, a New York City medical anthropologist, had a similar problem. She had to renew a prescription a few weeks after Cuomo ordered insurers to waive patient cost sharing for telehealth appointments. The doctor's office told her she needed to come in for a visit or book a telemedicine appointment. The video visit came with an "administrative fee" of $50 that she would have had to pay upfront, she said five times what the copay would have been for an in-person session. "I was not going to go into a doctor's office and potentially expose people just to get a refill on my monthly medication," she said. Rotating supercell thunderstorms barreled across the North Carolina Piedmont on Saturday night, prompting tornado sirens to blare in Charlotte as a series of three dangerous storms targeted the city. A total of 18 tornado warnings were issued for the trio of tempests as they straddled the North Carolina-South Carolina state line and tracked directly into the Queen City shortly after 9:30 p.m. In the end, only one tornado touched down in Taylors, South Carolina - some 85 miles away from Charlotte. That twister peeled the roof off a motel and tossed trees atop cars. But otherwise, no twisters formed along the 150 mile path of tornado warnings that blanketed the storms' paths. Issuing tornado warnings is challenging on a good day, but in the Charlotte area, it's especially difficult. That's because the metro area of 2.5 million people occupies one of the most infamous weather radar "gaps" in the country. --- The nearest Doppler radar facility owned by the National Weather Service sits more than 80 miles to the west-southwest of Charlotte. It was moved out of the city in 1996. Currently, the radar stands in Greer, South Carolina. Until late 2019, that radar didn't scan most of the Charlotte skies below 7,245 feet elevation - making it virtually impossible for meteorologists to, with that radar, discern reliably what was happening closer to the ground. Other National Weather Service radars, like those in Raleigh and Columbia, South Carolina, are even farther away. A radar's detection beam leaves the dome at an angle; that, coupled with the earth's curvature, means the farther one gets away from the radar, the higher in the sky the beam scans. That poses an immense challenge to forecasters worried about the weather in Charlotte, since the radar beam incessantly "overshoots" the most important part of storms - the region closest to the ground. That's been a problem for years, undermining forecaster confidence by limiting the tools they have at their disposal. In the case of Saturday night's storms, radar revealed strong rotation in the mid-levels of the storm - but there was no way for the Greer, South Carolina-based radar apparatus to determine if that spin snaked closer to the ground. --- In early 2019, a proposal was written up to lower the minimum beam angle for the Greer, South Carolina, radar among others. That allows the radar to "see" down to a little under 5,000 feet over Charlotte, but it's still a band-aide solution at best - not improving the radar's resolution or power over the city. Meteorologists are routinely forced to rely on "TCLT," a smaller, lower-power "terminal" Doppler radar located at Charlotte Douglas International Airport. It scans the skies at as low as 400 feet over Charlotte. The only problem? Its signal wavelength is only about half as long, which is good for resolution - but bad for attenuation. That describes the reduction of a signal as it travels through a medium like rain or snow. On Saturday night, the presence of three supercells all lined up rendered many scans of the radar virtually unusable. Nate Johnson, a veteran North Carolina meteorologist referred to the data as "inconsistently helpful at best." Moreover, a wedge of data from the terminal Doppler radar is missing from each scan, since the signal is shut off when facing north-northwest so as to not interfere with a communications tower. "We rely very heavily on that area on the [terminal Doppler radar]," said Lauren Carroll, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service office in Greensville-Spartanburg, South Carolina. --- No other major East Coast city has a radar coverage as poor as Charlotte. It's an issue that has even captured the attention of legislators following an unwarned tornado that struck the city in 2012. The issue of radar coverage gaps, including the blind spot when it comes to low level wind data over Charlotte, has led to a flurry of legislation in recent years. In 2015, for example, North Carolina Senators Richard Burr and Tom Tillis, among others, introduced a bill to require the Weather Service to have a Doppler radar in place within 55 miles of any city with a population of 700,000 or greater. This would include Charlotte, which is covered by a radar that is more than 80 miles away. Far eastern suburbs of Charlotte, like Mint Hill and Harrisburg, are up to 90 miles away from the radar. That bill passed the Senate but died in the House. Another effort stalled during the 114th Congress, but a provision in the 2017 Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act, this time pushed by a bipartisan group of senators representing both the East and West Coast, calls for the National Weather Service to deliver a report to Congress detailing radar coverage gaps and propose plans on how to fill them. The report was supposed to be completed within 120 days after the bill was signed into law, which took place in April of 2017, but it still has not been produced. A spokesperson for the National Weather Service said it is still under development and review. --- The holdup in Congress has left many televisions meteorologists seeking a public-private partnership to solve the issue instead. "The Federal route took years to get a bill, and the outcome was just [three distant radars serving Charlotte] lowered their ... tilts to 0.2 degrees," wrote Brad Panovich, chief meteorologist at WCNC, Charlotte's NBC affiliate, in an email. "That's it." Panovich has spearheaded an effort alongside a number of other meteorologists to secure better radar coverage for Charlotte. "There is a group of television meteorologists and private sector meteorologists who have been working together for over a decade on this issue," wrote Panovich. "We are currently working on the North Carolina Radar Project with local governments to place 3 C-band radars in the gap through a public/private partnership. The process has been painstakingly slow, but I feel like this is the closest we have been this whole time." According to Panovich, nearly 4.3 million - or 41% of the state's population - lives within the "radar gap." He says it's contributed to undetected tornadoes, and inflated false alarm rates - like with Saturday night's event. What's next in the process remains to be seen, but Panovich hopes that residents of the Triad take an active role in pushing the project forward. "The next step is a public campaign to get local companies and the public involved, mainly to keep the pressure on the [council of governments]," he wrote. "This whole thing could be a book someday." T he UK will fall silent on Tuesday in tribute to key workers who have died during the coronavirus pandemic. The PM resumed his full duties on Monday morning, three weeks after he was hospitalised with Covid-19. Government workers will be asked to take part in the tribute and Mr Johnson's official spokesman said it is hoped others will participate "nationwide". The Unison union, the Royal College of Midwives and the Royal College of Nursing launched a campaign last week for the nation to take a moment to honour frontline staff who have died during the Covid-19 crisis. Between them, the organisations represent more than a million NHS and public service workers including porters, refuse collectors and care staff. Boris Johnson speaks outside 10 Downing Street after recovering from the coronavirus disease / Via REUTERS On Monday, the PM's official spokesman said: "We will be supporting the minute's silence. "We will be asking everybody who works in the Government to take part and we would hope that others will take part nationwide as well." UK landmarks light up blue for NHS staff fighting coronavirus 1 /25 UK landmarks light up blue for NHS staff fighting coronavirus The Shard in London is lit up in blue in a gesture of thanks to the hardworking NHS staff fighting against coronavirus Tower Bridge in London is lit up in blue in a gesture of thanks to hardworking NHS staff PA Tower Bridge in London is lit up in blue in a gesture of thanks to hardworking NHS staff The London Eye is pictured lit blue in support of the NHS Reuters London's Piccadilly Circus saluting local heroes during Thursday's nationwide Clap for Carers NHS initiative to applaud NHS workers fighting the coronavirus pandemic PA Selfridges lit up in blue in a gesture of thanks to the hardworking NHS staff fighting coronavirus on the frontline PA Fulwell Windmill in Sunderland is lit up in blue in a gesture of thanks to the hardworking NHS staff fighting coronavirus PA MediaCityUK in Manchester lit up in blue in a gesture of thanks to hardworking NHS staff PA Northern Spire Bridge in Sunderland is lit up in blue in a gesture of thanks to hardworking NHS staff PA Belfast City Hall is lit up in support of the NHS Reuters The SSE Arena, Wembley, is seen with a lit up sign for the Clap For Our Carers campaign REUTERS Tawstock Court in Barnstaple lit up in blue PA Ashton Gate, the home of Bristol City FC is lit up in blue in a gesture of thanks PA Wembley stadium is seen lit up blue REUTERS Wembley Arch in London is lit up in blue PA The Lowry lit up in blue in a gesture of thanks to the hardworking NHS staff who are trying to battle coronavirus. PA The Tyne Bridge in Newcastle is lit up in blue in a gesture of thanks to the hardworking NHS staff PA People applaud infront of big screen in Piccadilly Circus during the Clap For Our Carers campaign Reuters The Shard in London is lit up blue It follows the weekly Clap for Carers initiative where Brits across the country applaud NHS staff from their doorsteps and windows to say thank you for battling the pandemic. Dame Donna Kinnair, chief executive and general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing, said: "I am very pleased the Prime Minister is going to be taking part in the silence tomorrow. "This moment will bring together a sombre but grateful nation. Whether in nursing or driving buses, our heroes kept going to work when many had the luxury of staying at home. Nobody should go out to work and risk their life. "This must not be the last time that sacrifice is recognised. The country and its leaders owes a tremendous debt to these key workers and the many more who are on shift again today." Tuesday's silence will coincide with International Workers' Memorial Day. Listen to The Leader: Coronavirus Daily podcast Kourtney Kardashian shared a pinup photo that made her look much younger than her 41 years. The Keeping Up with The Kardashians veteran was lounging around the backyard of her Calabasas, California mansion for the snapshot. 'Evolve as you please,' the mother-of-three wrote in her caption. Relaxed: Kourtney Kardashian shared a pinup photo that made her look much younger than her 41 years. The Keeping Up with The Kardashians vet was lounging around her Calabasas, California mansion for the snapshot The bigger picture: 'Evolve as you please,' the mother-of-three wrote in her caption She certainly seems to have a thing for swimwear photos. To celebrate her 41st birthday, the sister of Kim and Khloe was seen in a flashback photo from 25 years ago when she posed in a black-and-white two piece. The petite wonder seemed to be at her hotel while on vacation in Hawaii. The college graduate had her dark hair worn short and partially pulled back. There was heavy eye makeup on for the portrait as well as frosty beige lipstick. Her arms were up on the balcony rail as she seemed to be impressed with her deep tan as she wore a black and white striped suit. Teen Kourtney: Here Ms Kardashian is seen about 25 years ago; the image was shared as the Poosh founder celebrated her 41st birthday But she looks even better nowadays: The siren, left, has abs in her 40s; seen with sister Kendall Jenner, a Vogue model The POOSH founder's body looks great, but she actually may look even better now. Also this weekend, her supermodel sister Kendall Jenner shared a recent shot from a bikini modeling session. Kourtney was in a black and beige leopard print suit with her hair in a turban - she was showing off a more muscular frame with abs and sculpted legs. Her little sister was in something similar as she squatted down. Later: And there was another image of Kourtney in a purple bikini shared by Kim; the era seemed to be about 10 years ago Drama: Kourtney was recently told she looked pregnant in this image. The star replied to fans that she liked her more womanly body And there was another image of Kourtney in a purple bikini shared by Kim; the era seemed to be about 10 years ago. Kim shared a gushing 41st birthday tribute to her sister Kourtney. The 39-year-old reality TV icon fired up her Instagram to post a string of throwback snaps of the pair of them together. 'Happy Birthday @kourtneykardashian I had to find some good throwbacks to celebrate you today! I remember these moments so vividly,' wrote Kim. How she stays in such great shape: The eldest Kardashian works out every morning 'I love your strong will to do whatever makes your soul happy, the love you have for you children and for being the best big sister,' she gushed. 'I couldn't be more thankful for our memories together. You pack a mean punch I love you so much and cant wait until this is all over so we can celebrate together.' Kim and Kourtney are the eldest two children of Kris Jenner and her first husband, the late O.J. Simpson lawyer Robert Kardashian. The throwback snaps Kim posted on Saturday included not just Kim and Kourtney, but in some cases their sister Khloe and their mother as well. A couple of sweet childhood pictures showed Kim and Kourtney together such as one where they were dressed up in matching striped shirts. One picture was a solo shot of Kourtney who showed off her bombshell beach body in a barely-there purple bikini. Lockdown remains in place and the need to observe those rules is as important today as it was the first day they were introduced This article is old - Published: Monday, Apr 27th, 2020 Lockdown remains in place, the rules remain in place and the need to observe those rules is as important today as it was on the first day that they were introduced. That was the message from First Minister Mark Drakeford, who reiterated the importance of adhering to the lockdown restrictions at this afternoons daily press conference. The reminder that people need to continue to stay at home and only go out for the necessary reasons comes after concerns that some are choosing to ignore the measures that have been in place since the end of March with the lockdown fraying at the edges. Over the weekend it was reported that a group of 10 people who travelled all the way to North Wales from London in order to take a walk in Snowdonia. They were told to return home immediately and were escorted back to the A55 by road policing officers, before being reported for breaching the COVID-19 legislation. Locally there have also been reports of police breaking up parties and issues with some not maintaining social distancing when out and about. Speaking today Mr Drakeford said that there has a patten of increased activity across urban areas of Wales. He said: There are examples all across Wales, of course, but its been an urban more than a rural phenomenon. So my message to people in Wales is very clear, lockdown remains in place, the rules remain in place, the need to observe those rules is as as important today as it was on the first day that they were introduced. Weve all got to go on playing our part making sure that the efforts we are making are not undermined by any movement away from them. I want the message to be clear. We are still in lockdown that applies to me, it applies to you. We all have to go on observing the rules and making that huge effort that we have made together. The message was similar to that of Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who marked his return to Downing Street this morning with an address to the public to continue following the lockdown rules in place. During his speech Mr Johnson reiterated comments made last week about the UK currently passing through the peak of the virus, however warned of a second peak of infection if the measures are lifted too soon. Mr Johnson said: I ask you to contain your impatience, because I believe we are coming now to the end of the first phase of this conflict and in spite of all the suffering we have so nearly succeeded. If you can keep going in the way you have, if you can help protect the NHS, then I have no doubt we will together beat this. Inclusion Ireland is to meet the Health Minister this morning, over concerns for people with intellectual disabilities in institutions. The group is worried about the lack of reporting of the number of people in the institutions who have died from Covid-19. Technology projects across Australia will be delivered with a new level of urgency and probably a revised scope as organisations seek to deploy solutions that address challenges related to COVID-19. This was a finding in an IDC report on the impact of the pandemic on Australian organisations and their suppliers as business models, particularly those associated with consulting, deployment and traditional outsourcing, will need to be rapidly revised and changes made to some areas almost overnight. One organisation that has clearly risen to the challenge is NSW Police, which has shifted thousands of its staff to remote working environments in only a few days. The organisation has scaled up its remote access capabilities from a few hundred to around 10,000 users, Gordon Dunsford, chief information and technology officer at NSW Police told CIO Australia last week. NSW Police also rolled out a few thousand additional devices to support much larger numbers of people working from home and in other remote locations. Dunsford and his team also rolled out command post IT or technology services for police who are managing around 4,500 people in hotel quarantine across more than 20 hotels in Australia. A bespoke people management system has been put in place to manage individuals from the moment they land in Australia. As soon as they arrive at immigration, data on arrival cards and other forms is ingested into an optical character recognition system. This information includes what hotel room they are staying in, the welfare and health checks they may need and any other information that is used by police to track their status during a 14-day lockdown period. Meanwhile, the Australian National University (ANU) configured a crisis management platform that protects and informs 25,000 students. The platform broadcasts critical information that needs to be shared with students, staff members and the wider community such as building closures and health alerts. It also enables crisis management teams to store, manage, and analyse data to better assess future risk. ANU formed a crisis management team in January to respond to the impact of bushfires and smoke and then Canberras hail storm and floods. Large projects on hold Technology services contracts, often spanning multiple years, will generally be adhered to, IDC said. But this is not always the case as some Australian organisations have already put large projects already well underway on hold. For instance, Australia Post recently said it would pause or stop its IT projects and stand down contractors. Given this timing, this is also likely to have a substantial impact on Australia Posts rebuild and migration of the legacy core layer in a public cloud environment, IDC said in its report. IDC said an immediate priority for customers is the movement of resources away from IT towards new areas to respond to COVID-19. The analyst noted that some senior leaders, with IT services contract sign-off power, have been reallocated towards COVID-19 business risk mitigation. National Australia Bank has announced it would stop work on more than 100 programs, standing down its contractors and consultants to direct all its resources and focus on assisting its customers struggling with the crisis. Others are taking a wait and see approach, pausing only new contracts or upcoming projects until better insight is gained about the impact on the business and whether the focus of the business will change, IDC said. As organisations move towards the cloud with haste to address business continuity and resiliency, there will be a heightened demand for managed cloud services, IDC added. In the cloud services sector, many providers are working with healthcare organisations and government to address COVID-19 areas that require resources and capacity that cloud solutions enable. For instance, the Australian government is using Google Clouds services to provide citizens with real-time information on how COVID-19 is progressing across the country, IDC noted. Will anything be coming soon to a theater near you? Thats one question as Alabama begins to emerge from the Great Shutdown. As Gov. Kay Ivey is expected to announce a plan for reopening businesses this week, one sector to be watched will be movie theaters. With large (or small) auditoriums, will people feel comfortable heading back? And how much money can movie theaters expect to make off concessions if moviegoers are wearing masks? Over the weekend, Cinemex Holdings USA, which owns Cobb Theatres, announced it has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Cobb owns locations in Tuscaloosa and Gulf Shores. The company, along with its real estate holdings division, said it did so as a result of the economic crisis precipitated by the coronavirus pandemic. We are in a state of complete uncertainty as to when we can re-open our theaters and when our customers will feel safe and secure in returning to them given that there is presently no vaccine against the virus, the company said in a statement. We cannot forecast when if ever customer numbers will return to pre-crisis levels." As Cobb explained, the company before the pandemic was spending more than 30 percent of its revenue on lease-related expenses while studios got 60 percent of every ticket sold. Under a chapter 11 bankruptcy filing, the company proposes a plan to reorganize in order to keep its business alive and re-pay creditors. Theyre not the only theater chain suffering during the shutdown. AMC, which has 18 theaters in Alabama, this month announced a $500 million debt offering in a move designed to avert having to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, according to the Hollywood Reporter. In neighboring Georgia, theaters, private social clubs and dine-in services at restaurants are being allowed to reopen today if they follow social distancing and sanitation guidelines. However, theaters may have a longer road back than other businesses for several reasons. The National Association of Theater Operators last week issued a statement saying its unlikely to see widespread theater reopenings until a majority of U.S. markets, in particular, major cities, are reopened. Some theaters may opt to show repertory, or older, movies. The reason is that theater chains are waiting for the major studios to begin releasing new films. Gary Moore is president of Premiere Cinemas, a Texas-based company that has 28 theaters in the Southeast, with five in Alabama. Like other chains, Premiere has been closed since mid-March after states issued stay-at-home orders. It has since furloughed most of its hourly employees, keeping locations on life support, he said. Moore said most of the chains are, like Premiere, on hold, waiting for Hollywood. I think theres a general sense that we will tend to wait for the relaunch campaign with the movie studios, he said. Theaters are a bit different than retail sectors and restaurants. We have to have new, fresh content from the studios." That may come in late June when a new crop of films are presently scheduled to bow ahead of the wide release films the studios usually roll out in summer. Some of those expected titles that were originally on tap for April, such as the new James Bond film No Time To Die, have been moved to the fall. Other titles, such as Christopher Nolans Tenet, Disneys Mulan, and Wonder Woman 84, are still on for July and August, for the moment. AMC, in a statement, said much the same. AMC is currently working through every detail required to successfully showcase these exciting new releases in an environment thats safe and welcoming for moviegoers, and we will share those details as we get closer to the dates when our theaters will reopen," the company said. In filing for bankruptcy, Cobbs parent company said the pandemic offers the industry an opportunity to reexamine the business model to make sure it can weather future storms. To do so, there needs to be a rebalancing of the current economic arrangements, which disproportionately benefit the studios and landlords at the expense of the theater companies," the company said. "The industry will not survive absent such an economic rebalancing. Advertisement Boris Johnson signalled an 'exit strategy' from coronavirus lockdown will be fleshed out within days today as he took back the reins of power. In a statement in Downing Street, the PM assured the country he is back in charge after weeks recuperating from a serious scare with the killer disease, and urged people to be 'patient' as it was not yet the time to 'go easy' on social distancing rules. But Mr Johnson channeled Churchill's famous speech about the 'end of the beginning' by saying there are 'real signs' the UK is making 'progress'. In a bid to quell rising Tory alarm about the impact on the economy, he said once the disease was under control the draconian curbs can be 'refined', and the government would say more in the 'coming days' about how that might happen. He urged Opposition parties to work with him, pledging to be 'transparent' about decisions. With his trademark blond mane looking longer and more unkempt than usual, Mr Johnson said: 'We are now beginning to turn the tide... 'I ask you to contain your impatience because I believe now we are coming to the end of the first phase of this conflict.' The move comes amid mounting evidence of Cabinet infighting over the timing and details of a loosening. Ministers welcomed the prospect of an exit plan, with Paymaster General Penny Mordaunt and International Development Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan saying they had been getting huge volumes of mail from 'business owners who are desperate to get back to work'. There are signs that Britons are starting to vote with their feet, with traffic levels rising, and more shops and constructions sites stepping up activity. But Downing Street cautioned that 'refinements' to the lockdown might not be across the board. 'There could be easing in some areas, there could also be a toughening in other areas,' the PM's spokesman said. 'We will not be returning immediately to life as we knew it.' Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty also sounded a downbeat note this evening, telling the No10 briefing that there is still a 'long, long way to go'. Prof Whitty said the data show that the UK is going 'through the peak' of the crisis, but added: 'There is a long long way to go beyond that. It is a big mistake in my view just to look at the first phase. We need to look at the epidemic as a whole.' As the PM returned to the coronavirus fray: The UK today announced 360 more coronavirus deaths - the lowest daily count recorded since March 30 when just 180 fatalities were registered; Health Secretary Matt Hancock has announced that the families of NHS staff who die in the coronavirus battle will get 60,000 payments; Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty has said it is 'entirely plausible' that there is a link between coronavirus and cases of children being admitted to intensive care with a serious 'inflammatory syndrome', although he said it was 'very rare'; Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has echoed the timetable for laying out exit options, while warning that 'the toughest decisions still lie ahead of us'; Mr Johnson is not expected to do the daily press conference at 5pm - with ministers openly voicing concerns that he is pushing himself too hard just two weeks after he was discharged from hospital; Economists warned the UK could take years to recover the ground it has lost, and taxpayers will be footing the bill for the government's bailouts for decades; A partial membership list of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) which informs the Government's coronavirus response is to be published after concerns about a lack of transparency; Ministers have insisted the 100-a-day target for coronavirus tests can be met this week despite the current level languishing at around 29,000. In a statement in Downing Street, the PM assured the country he is back in charge after weeks recuperating from a serious scare with the killer disease Data issued by the government this evening showed that levels of social mobility are creeping up again The number of new cases continued to rise in the latest data, but the rate has slowed significantly The number of people in hospital with coronavirus in London has fallen but the figures across much of the rest of the country have not dropped sharply yet Transport use is still massively down but the levels are up off the lows recorded earlier in the coronavirus lockdown Mr Johnson took to the steps of Downing Street to warn the public that while the UK was passing through the first coronavirus peak, 'now is the moment of maximum risk' Mr Johnson seemed relieved to be back in charge as he made his speech outside No10 this morning Cars drive along the the A40 at Perivale in West London at 7.20am today as the UK-wide lockdown continues At the Downing Street daily briefing this evening, Matt Hancock announced a new life assurance scheme for the families of frontline staff who die with coronavirus Family of NHS staff who die in coronavirus battle will get 60,000 Matt Hancock announced a new life assurance scheme for the families of frontline staff who die with coronavirus. At the Downing Street daily briefing this evening, the Health Secretary said 82 NHS workers and 16 social care staff are confirmed to have died so far. 'I feel a deep personal sense of duty that we must care for their loved ones,' he said. 'Today, I am able to announce that the Government is setting up a life assurance scheme for NHS and social care frontline colleagues. 'Families of staff who die from coronavirus in the course of their essential frontline work will receive a 60,000 payment. 'Of course, nothing replaces the loss of a loved one but we want to do everything we can to support families who are dealing with this grief.' Mr Hancock announced that some NHS services which had been paused due to the coronavirus outbreak will be restored from Tuesday. He said: 'As the number of hospitalisations from coronavirus begins to fall, I can announce that, starting tomorrow, we will begin the restoration of other NHS services - starting with the most urgent, like cancer care and mental health support. 'The exact pace of the restoration will be determined by local circumstances on the ground, according to local need and according to the amount of coronavirus cases that that hospital is having to deal with.' Advertisement In his first public appearance since he was hospitalised with coronavirus, Mr Johnson said he had been 'away from my desk for much longer than I would've liked'. Addressing the nation he said: 'Once again I want to thank you the people of this country for the sheer grit and guts you've shown and are continuing to show. 'Every day I know that this virus brings new sadness and mourning to households across the land.' Mr Johnson said: 'It is still true that this is the biggest single challenge this country has faced since the war and I in no way minimise the continuing problems we face. 'And yet it is also true that we are making progress with fewer hospital admissions, fewer Covid patients in ICU and real signs now that we are passing through the peak. 'And thanks to your forbearance, your good sense your altruism, your spirit of community, thanks to our collective national resolve, we are on the brink of achieving that first clear mission to prevent our National Health Service from being overwhelmed in a way that tragically we have seen elsewhere. 'And that is how and why we are now beginning to turn the tide.' Mr Johnson, drawing on his own battle with Covid-19 which put him in intensive care, said: 'If this virus were a physical assailant, an unexpected and invisible mugger - which I can tell you from personal experience, it is - then this is the moment when we have begun together to wrestle it to the floor. 'And so it follows that this is the moment of opportunity, this is the moment when we can press home our advantage, it is also the moment of maximum risk. 'I know there will be many people looking at our apparent success, and beginning to wonder whether now is the time to go easy on those social distancing measures.' He said he understood 'how hard and stressful it has been to give up, even temporarily, those ancient and basic freedoms'. But he said the potential of a second spike in cases risked 'economic disaster'. Mr Johnson added: 'And so I know it is tough. And I want to get this economy moving as fast as I can, but I refuse to throw away all the effort and the sacrifice of the British people and to risk a second major outbreak and huge loss of life and the overwhelming of the NHS.' Timeline: Boris's battle with coronavirus March 26: Boris Johnson announces he has tested positive for coronavirus in a Twitter video and continues working in self-isolation from his Number 11 flat. April 5: Downing Street says the PM has been taken to St Thomas' Hospital as a precaution after displaying persistent symptoms. April 6: Mr Johnson is moved to the hospital's intensive care unit after his condition worsened, but does not require ventilation. Dominic Raab begins to deputise for the PM. April 9: He was moved out of intensive care and back on to the normal ward. April 11: The PM was discharged from hospital. He thanked NHS staff for saving his life in a video recorded from Downing Street before heading to Chequers with his pregnant fiancee Carrie Symonds. April 26: Mr Johnson arrives back in Number 10 as he prepares to return to work. Advertisement Mr Johnson's words about the end of the first phase evoked Churchill's famous 1942 speech after the Allies defeated Rommel's forces at El Alamein. The wartime PM said: 'This is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. but it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.' It is understood Mr Johnson's pregnant fiancee Carrie Symonds, who was with him at Chequers during his recuperation, has also moved back into Downing Street. She has also recovered from coronavirus. Mr Johnson has returned to work 'full time', taking back all of the responsibilities handed over to Dominic Raab, Downing Street said. The Prime Minister's official spokesman said: 'He's back full time. In terms of responsibilities and duties, he will be doing all of those.' Mr Johnson is expected to chair Cabinet on Thursday, but the plan for PMQs is not yet clear. The PM's official spokesman said he would be speaking to Sir Keir Starmer soon to discuss the way forward - although the idea of a government of national unity has been dismissed. 'He plans to speak with the leader of the Opposition this week and the leaders of all the Westminster parties next week, hopefully alongside the chief medical officer and the chief scientific adviser,' the spokesman said. Allies have suggested the premier is ready to act earlier than May 7 to get UK plc up and running again, with hints the blanket 'stay at home' message from Whitehall will be ditched in favour of a more nuanced stance stressing the public should work where possible. Photographs taken during rush hour showed queues building up on London roads including the A40 at Perivale and the A102 at Greenwich, while the M5 in Bristol and the M6 in Walsall were also busy with cars, vans and lorries. Boris Johnson's Downing Street speech in full: I am sorry I have been away from my desk for much longer than I would have liked. And I want to thank everybody who has stepped up, in particular the First Secretary of State Dominic Raab who has done a terrific job. But once again I want to thank you, the people of this country, for the sheer grit and guts you have shown and are continuing to show every day I know that this virus brings new sadness and mourning to households across the land. And it is still true that this is the biggest single challenge this country has faced since the war and I in no way minimise the continuing problems we face. And yet it is also true that we are making progress, with fewer hospital admissions, fewer covid patients in ICU and real signs now that we are passing through the peak. And thanks to your forbearance, your good sense, your altruism, your spirit of community, thanks to our collective national resolve, we are on the brink of achieving that first clear mission: to prevent our national health service from being overwhelmed in a way that tragically we have seen elsewhere. And that is how and why we are now beginning to turn the tide. If this virus were a physical assailant, an unexpected and invisible mugger - which I can tell you from personal experience it is - then this is the moment when we have begun together to wrestle it to the floor. And so it follows that this is the moment of opportunity, this is the moment when we can press home our advantage. It is also the moment of maximum risk, because I know that there will be many people looking now at our apparent success and beginning to wonder whether now is the time to go easy on those social distancing measures. And I know how hard and how stressful it has been to give up, even temporarily, those ancient and basic freedoms not seeing friends, not seeing loved ones, working from home, managing the kids, worrying about your job and your firm. So let me say directly also to British business, to the shopkeepers, to the entrepreneurs, to the hospitality sector, to everyone on whom our economy depends: I understand your impatience, I share your anxiety and I know that without our private sector, without the drive and commitment of the wealth creators of this country, there will be no economy to speak of, there will be no cash to pay for our public services, no way of funding our NHS. And yes I can see the long term consequences of lock down as clearly as anyone. And so yes I entirely share your urgency. It's the government's urgency. And yet we must also recognise the risk of a second spike. the risk of losing control of that virus and letting the reproduction rate go back over one. Because that would mean not only a new wave of death and disease but also an economic disaster, and we would be forced once again to slam on the brakes across the whole country and the whole economy, and reimpose restrictions in such a way as to do more and lasting damage. And so I know it is tough, and I want to get this economy moving as fast as I can, but I refuse to throw away all the effort and the sacrifice of the British people and to risk a second major outbreak and huge loss of life and the overwhelming of the NHS. And I ask you to contain your impatience because I believe we are coming now to the end of the first phase of this conflict and in spite of all the suffering we have so nearly succeeded. We defied so many predictions: we did not run out of ventilators or ICU beds,we did not allow our NHS to collapse and on the contrary, we have so far collectively shielded our NHS so that our incredible doctors and nurses and healthcare staff have been able to shield all of us from an outbreak that would have been far worse. And we collectively flattened the peak. And so when we are sure that this first phase is over, and that we are meeting our five tests: deaths falling; NHS protected; rate of infection down; really sorting out the challenges of testing and PPE; avoiding a second peak Then that will be the time to move on to the second phase in which we continue to suppress the disease and keep the reproduction rate, the R rate, down, but begin gradually to refine the economic and social restrictions and one by one to fire up the engines of this vast UK economy. And in that process difficult judgments will be made and we simply cannot spell out now how fast or slow or even when those changes will be made, though clearly the government will be saying much more about this in the coming days. And I want to serve notice now that these decisions will be taken with the maximum possible transparency and I want to share all our working and our thinking, my thinking, with you the British people. And of course, we will be relying as ever on the science to inform us as we have from the beginning, but we will also be reaching out to build the biggest possible consensus across business, across industry, across all parts of our United Kingdom, across party lines - bringing in opposition parties as far as we possibly can - because I think that is no less than what the British people would expect. And I can tell you now that preparations are under way and have been for weeks to allow us to win phase two of this fight as I believe we are now on track to prevail in phase one. And so I say to you finally: if you can keep going in the way that you have kept going so far, if you can help protect our NHS to save lives, and if we as a country can show the same spirit of optimism and energy shown by Captain Tom Moore, who turns 100 this week, if we can show the same spirit of unity and determination as we have all shown in the past six weeks, then I have absolutely no doubt that we will beat it together, we will come through this all the faster and the United Kingdom will emerge stronger than ever before. Advertisement Congestion in London was down 49 per cent at 8am this morning compared to the average, according to TomTom. However, last week it was down more than 50 per cent on the 2019 average. Meanwhile rail commuters continue to pile onto London Underground trains as travel bosses carry on running a reduced service only for key workers, with Canning Town and Canada Water stations both busy this morning. Mobility data from Apple based on requests for directions via its apps showed levels of people driving or walking are both gradually rising, although the use of public transport has remained roughly the same all month. Amid mounting Tory alarm at the damage being wreaked, the chair of the powerful 1922 backbench committee, Sir Graham Brady warned the government needs to do 'much more to get the economy moving' and branded parts of the lockdown 'illogical and silly'. Labour has complained that ministers are treating people 'like children' by refusing to set out an 'exit plan' from the crisis. But health minister Edward Argar tried to cool the rumours this morning, saying while he understood 'frustrations' 'we're not there yet' on easing social distancing. 'We're not in a place where the science says it is safe to ease the restrictions,' he told BBC Breakfast. At the Downing Street daily briefing this evening, Matt Hancock announced a new life assurance scheme for the families of frontline staff who die with coronavirus. He said 82 NHS workers and 16 social care staff are confirmed to have died so far. 'I feel a deep personal sense of duty that we must care for their loved ones,' he said. 'Today, I am able to announce that the Government is setting up a life assurance scheme for NHS and social care frontline colleagues. 'Families of staff who die from coronavirus in the course of their essential frontline work will receive a 60,000 payment. 'Of course, nothing replaces the loss of a loved one but we want to do everything we can to support families who are dealing with this grief.' Mr Hancock announced that some NHS services which had been paused due to the coronavirus outbreak will be restored from Tuesday. He said: 'As the number of hospitalisations from coronavirus begins to fall, I can announce that, starting tomorrow, we will begin the restoration of other NHS services - starting with the most urgent, like cancer care and mental health support. 'The exact pace of the restoration will be determined by local circumstances on the ground, according to local need and according to the amount of coronavirus cases that that hospital is having to deal with.' Ministers regard a 'second peak' in infections as the biggest threat to the health and economic wellbeing of the country. Exclusive MailOnline pictures showed Mr Johnson being greeted by a security guard at the back gate of Downing Street last night before heading inside the building flanked by his personal protection. After 15 days recuperating from his scare at Chequers with pregnant fiancee Carrie Symonds, Mr Johnson has told colleagues he is 'raring to go'. His return relieves Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab of command after three weeks deputising for the stricken premier. However, Health minister Nadine Dorries, who herself has recovered from coronavirus, voiced concern that Mr Johnson might be back too soon. 'Most who have been as poorly as Boris Johnson with Covid-19 and a patient for a week in intensive care, would be off work for least three months to fully recover their strength and repair their immune system,' she tweeted. 'Our PM is back after just three weeks. Good luck boss.' Scientists advising the Government have warned any relaxation risks a renewed flare up just as the numbers of patients in hospital with the disease is beginning to fall. Over the weekend, ministers highlighted a warning by Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey of the economic devastation a second wave of the disease would cause. Mr Raab said the outbreak was at a 'delicate and dangerous' phase and people would have to get used to a 'new normal' - with social distancing measures set to remain in place for 'some time' to come. Mr Johnson - who spent a week in St Thomas' Hospital in London, including three nights in intensive care - is determined to ensure that there is no second peak. The pressure to begin easing the restrictions came from a series of wealthy Tory backers who called over the weekend for the Government to allow the economy to re-start. They echoed former chancellor Philip Hammond who said the country could not afford to wait for a vaccine to be developed, saying the 'economy will not survive that long'. Sir Graham Brady told BBC Radio 4's Westminster Hour that more needed to be done to get the economy moving, and there was a limit to how long people would tolerate restrictions, especially if they seemed illogical. 'I think there is a recognition that we need to do much more to get the economy moving. I think that the balance has got to shift,' he said. 'There is a limit to how long people will tolerate those things, especially if some of the aspects of the restrictions seem illogical, for instance at my local market, the flower stall was told it couldn't trade, but in a supermarket of course they can sell flowers, because they're selling foods as well. 'So ironing out some of those slightly silly anomalies I think would actually help to bring people along with some continuation of restrictions and trying to make sure that people recognise they're being asked to do things where there is a commons sense explanation for it and they're not being asked to do things just because it's an arbitrary rule.' Sir Graham said the emphasis had become 'a little bit confused over the last few weeks'. 'The government is asking employers to make reasonable accommodations to try to make sure that people are in a safe environment if they have to work,' he said. 'But we do want people to carry on working, carry on generating the wealth that we need to support the public services. Many of us would like to see government being much clearer about what more can be done when that three-week extension period comes to an end, so that businesses and individuals can start to plan for gearing up again.' He said there should be an 'overriding principle ... that we will only maintain those restrictions which are necessary and if there is a question over whether something is necessary or not, I think we should err on the side of openness and trying to make sure that more people can get on with their lives and more people can get on with getting back to their jobs'. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer - while backing the lockdown - added to the pressure with a renewed call for the Government to set out an 'exit strategy' explaining how it will eventually be lifted. Chancellor Rishi Sunak will face further questions from MPs when he delivers a Commons statement on the state of the economy. He has already had to effectively tear up his first Budget last month just days after delivering it with a series of massive bailouts designed to keep the economy afloat through the crisis. Another huge item in the PM's in-tray is the drive towards a mass testing regime. FTSE rises as PM says UK is 'turning the tide' The FTSE 100 has opened up 1.6 per cent as Boris Johnson says the UK is 'turning the tide' on coronavirus in his first address to the nation following his illness. The index of Britain's biggest companies is up by 91 points to 5,844 after markets opened today. The positive start followed gains in Asia today as leaders up their plan to reopen their economies. Traders are keeping a keen eye on key meetings of central banks in Japan, the US and Europe this week. Advertisement Health Secretary Matt Hancock has promised 100,000 a day will be conducted by the end of the month. But the figures are still languishing at around 29,000 with just a few days to go. Professor Peter Horby, chairman of the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (Nervtag), which is advising ministers, admitted returning to a system of 'contact tracing' everyone with cornavirus symptoms will be a 'real logistical challenge'. More than 4,000 new cases a day are still being identified. Prof Horby told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'The test and trace capabilities are really going to be critical as we come out of lockdown. 'We will have to be able to test all those people (declaring via apps that they are displaying symptoms) and it is really a matter of scale and speed. 'One issue is how many tests we need, and if we are looking at 1,000 to 5,000 new cases per day of people with symptoms, of which maybe 5 per cent-25 per cent may have Covid, then you are talking about 25,000 to 100,000 tests per day. 'It is a real logistical challenge. But there is also the issue of speed as well. Mobility data from Apple based on requests for directions via its apps showed levels of people driving (in red) or walking (in orange) are both gradually rising, although the use of public transport (in purple) has remained roughly the same all month This TomTom graph shows congestion in London at 8am today was at 14 per cent. This is down 49 percentage points on the normal level. At 8am on Tuesday to Thursday last week, the congestion levels were down between 51 and 53 percentage points on normal levels. 'It is not much use getting the results five days later - you need it quickly so you can take the appropriate action and advise people to stay at home and also their contacts to stay at home to reduce transmission.' He said such a testing and tracking strategy - also known as testing and contact tracing - would rely on the numbers of new cases being driven down. It comes as the British Medical Association (BMA) said NHS staff need greater access to tests after slots offered to key workers ran out for the third day in a row on Sunday. More than 10 million essential workers and their households are now eligible for Covid-19 checks as officials race to hit their 100,000-a-day testing target. 100,000-a-day testing target 'WILL be hit' despite current level of 29,000 with days to go Ministers today insisted the 100,000 a day coronavirus testing target can be hit - despite numbers languishing at 29,000 with days to go. Health minister Edward Argar predicted a sharp increase as the deadline set by Matt Hancock looms. Meanwhile, Professor Peter Horby, chairman of the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (Nervtag), which is advising ministers, admitted that level will be needed to return to 'contact tracing' of everyone with cornavirus symptoms. More than 4,000 new cases a day are still being identified. Prof Horby told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'The test and trace capabilities are really going to be critical as we come out of lockdown. 'We will have to be able to test all those people (declaring via apps that they are displaying symptoms) and it is really a matter of scale and speed. 'One issue is how many tests we need, and if we are looking at 1,000 to 5,000 new cases per day of people with symptoms, of which maybe 5 per cent-25 per cent may have Covid, then you are talking about 25,000 to 100,000 tests per day. 'It is a real logistical challenge. But there is also the issue of speed as well. 'It is not much use getting the results five days later - you need it quickly so you can take the appropriate action and advise people to stay at home and also their contacts to stay at home to reduce transmission.' Advertisement But as of 10am on Sunday, home testing kits for England were listed as 'unavailable' on the Government's website - two hours after booking slots reopened. Following its launch on Friday, slots for both home-testing and drive-through centres in England have been used up within the first few hours. Drive-through tests in Scotland were the only option currently still available on Sunday evening. Dr Chaand Nagpaul, chairman of the British Medical Association (BMA) council, said the online booking system 'offered no practical help' to healthcare workers. 'There is no point putting forward a proposal unless its matched with adequate capacity,' he said. 'What we found in the first two days was that within an hour the bookings had all been taken up, and therefore offered no practical help for large numbers of healthcare staff, who found the website had effectively closed to bookings. 'If the Government wants healthcare workers to have access to the test, it has to be in the context or providing adequate capacity, not a 'first come, first served' and closing within an hour.' He added: 'That's not delivering on the needs of our health and care staff.' The need to find a way through the crisis was underlined today by warnings that the UK economy will not return to 2019 levels for three years - and taxpayers will be footing the bill for government coronavirus bailouts for decades. Forecasting group the EY Item Club warned that the recovery from the draconian curbs on activity might be slower than hoped, with the economy not expected to return to its late 2019 size until 2023. It warned that the UK will face a 'deep, short recession' this year, with GDP falling 6.8 per cent before only partially rebounding next year. Its findings were echoed by a former Bank of England rate-setter has warned that The UK's recovery from coronavirus is likely to be slower and shallower than first hoped and Britons will be paying for action to save the economy for the next two decades. Ian McCafferty - who sat on the Bank's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) for six years until August 2018 - said if the lockdown is lifted gradually in phases as expected, the economy could take at least six months to get back on track. Mr Johnson, 55, was discharged from St Thomas' Hospital in London two weeks ago after spending five nights inside including three in intensive care. He made a brief stop-off at Number 10 to record a message to the nation - where he thanked NHS staff for saving his life - before heading to his grace-and-favour country home in Buckinghamshire. There, he has steadily been increasing his workload by making calls with ministers, looking through his papers and hosting Zoom video conferences. But his return to Downing Street, much earlier than some experts had predicted given the life-threatening severity of his illness, puts his hand firmly back on the tiller as the cabinet faces tough decisions over whether to ease the lockdown. Traffic builds up on the A40 at Perivale in West London at 7.20am today despite the coronavirus lockdown continuing This Google traffic map shows how the roads around London are mostly clear (in green) during rush hour this morning at about 8.15am, although there are patches of congestion (in orange or red) in some southern and central parts of the capital Chief medical officer Chris Whitty, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab and NHS England chief executive Simon Stevens (pictured left to right) were at the coronavirus 'War Cabinet' meeting today Exclusive pictures for MailOnline showed Boris Johnson arriving back in Number 10 from Chequers last night ahead of his return to work today UK roads packed with traffic and Londoners cram on to Tube as phone data shows millions voting with their feet Traffic levels in Britain continued to creep up today amid further signs people are starting to get back to work during the coronavirus lockdown. Photographs taken during rush hour showed queues building up on London roads including the A40 at Perivale and the A102 at Greenwich, while the M5 in Bristol and the M6 in Walsall were also busy with cars, vans and lorries. Meanwhile rail commuters continue to pile onto London Underground trains as travel bosses carry on running a reduced service only for key workers, with Canning Town and Canada Water stations both busy this morning. Mobility data from Apple based on requests for directions via its apps showed more people are now driving, but the use of public transport has remained static. Traffic in London last Friday was up 4 per cent on the week before. It comes after Home Secretary Priti Patel warned drivers to stay off the roads unless their journey is essential following traffic volumes rising last week to 41 per cent of normal compared to 38 per cent the previous week. Advertisement Mr Johnson is reportedly bullish about easing some of the restrictive measures and could do so early if given the green light by his scientific advisers. An ally of the PM told the Telegraph: 'May 7 is the day when the government is legally obliged to review the lockdown measures but if Boris wants to change the restrictions earlier than that, or at least announce something before that, then he could go sooner.' Early measures are likely to include encouraging the construction industry to get back to work, following scientific advice that the virus spreads much less effectively outdoors. The issue is set to be discussed at a meeting of the PM's coronavirus strategy group Monday evening. However, a government source cautioned that any easing of the lockdown would be very gradual to avoid a deadly second wave of infection. A further 413 fatalities were reported yesterday - the lowest daily rise this month - bringing the total death toll to 20,732. The number of cases also rose by 4,463 to 152,840 following 29,058 tests. Ministers are close to ditching the 'Stay at Home' message in favour of a slightly less restrictive one, the government source said. They said: 'We are moving on from Stay at Home. But that does not mean we are anywhere near going back to normal. We are all going to have to adapt to a new normal. 'The Prime Minister's big concern is avoiding a second peak, which would require a second lockdown. He is clear that we cannot afford to do anything which would mean losing control of the rate of infection because that would mean more people dying. Mr Johnson was whisked through the rear entrance of Downing Street at around 6.30 this evening without fanfare, travelling in a humble Volkswagen people carrier rather than his ministerial Jaguar and police motorcade What's top of the PM's in-tray? LOCKDOWN: Most of the Cabinet want to ease measures next week, but acting too fast could lead to a second deadly wave. The Scientific Advisory Group on Emergencies will provide fresh analysis this week. TESTING: Health Secretary Matt Hancock has set a target of 100,000 coronavirus tests a day by Thursday. Barely 29,000 are currently being carried out. The PM will want to avoid an embarrassing flop. MASKS: Ministers are due to rule this week on whether to issue guidance to the public to wear face coverings in offices, factories and shops. Health officials are nervous it could hit NHS supplies. ECONOMY: With GDP in freefall and new Universal Credit claims topping 1.4million, ministers are under pressure to spell out how much the lockdown will cost. CHINA: Some MPs want the PM to axe Huawei from the 5G network. But China could hit back and it's the source of much of the PPE needed on the NHS front line. Advertisement 'It would also mean a return to the lockdown, which would be damaging to public trust and terrible for business.' It is not yet clear if Mr Johnson will face off against new Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer at PMQs on Wednesday. Sir Keir has been urging the government to publish a road map out of lockdown, writing a letter to the PM calling for 'an adult conversation about what comes next'. Grumblings are also echoing through the Conservative ranks, with six Tory donors and a slew of MPs demanding restrictions be loosened. Wealthy Conservative backer John Cauldwell, the founder of Phones4U, writes in today's Mail: 'Proposing a phased lifting of restrictions based on geography, he writes: 'I worry that if the lockdown is not lifted soon, we may lose some industries forever.' There are growing signs the public is getting agitated with life under lockdown amid a slight increase in travel and scenes of people pouring into parks in the warm weather. In Mr Johnson's absence, ministers have displayed a united front in refusing to fuel speculation of when the country can take baby steps out of lockdown. Mr Raab, whose role as first secretary saw him fill in for Mr Johnson, this morning scolded 'irresponsible' demands for the government to sketch out an exit strategy. Raab warns UK will have to adjust to 'new normal' Dominic Raab speaking yesterday Dominic Raab has braced Britain to prepare for a 'new normal' with social distancing curbs in place for the long-haul. The Foreign Secretary, who has been deputising in Boris Johnson's absence, said elements of the current lockdown would remain for 'some time'. He dampened hopes of an imminent loosening of restrictions by refusing to be drawn on an exit strategy at this 'delicate and dangerous' phase in the pandemic. The Prime Minister will relieve Mr Raab of command as he resumes charge of government today - when he will draw up plans to gradually get the UK moving again. But although the PM is reportedly bullish about lifting the restraints when the science allows, Mr Raab levelled with the public any relaxation would not herald a return to pre-lockdown life. Yesterday, he told Sky News: 'What we have said very clearly is we have set out the five tests for what the next transitional phase will look like. It won't just be going back it will be a new normal with social distancing measures adapted to areas which are currently closed off and we will make sure we are guided by the scientific evidence.' Advertisement Mr Johnson will also return to find his cabinet split over how to map a path out of the lockdown after a source insisted: 'Boris is tightening his grip. You are going to see much greater clarity, energy and purpose now.' A survey by the Institute of Directors shows that confidence among company bosses is at the lowest level recorded, with 70 per cent pessimistic about the outlook for the economy. IoD chief Jon Geldart said there was a growing clamour for information about 'how and when' the lockdown would be eased to allow firms to 'make plans for riding out this tempest'. He added: 'It's in everyone's interests to get the economy off life support when it's safe to do so. Business leaders know this will not happen all in one go, but that's why it's even more important to tell them what they need to prepare for.' Mr Raab insisted the 'Stay at Home' message was still needed and said it would 'create more uncertainty in the public's mind' if ministers started talking about how it might be eased. But behind the scenes, senior figures are now working on a new message. A 'quad' of senior ministers, comprising Mr Raab, Mr Hancock, Michael Gove and Chancellor Rishi Sunak has been holding a daily strategy meeting at 6pm to discuss 'the next phase' of the battle against the virus. Election guru Isaac Levido has been tasked with devising a slogan, which could be unveiled within days following focus group testing. Mr Johnson will today begin holding one-to-one talks with each member of the Cabinet to discuss developments which occurred during his absence. Mr Johnson has not been involved directly in government decisions since he was taken into a central London hospital and spent three days in intensive care. But he gradually increased his workload and Mr Raab yesterday dismissed suggestions he would only be back part time initially. He told Sky News: 'He's in really good spirits. He's taken the time and taken the doctors' advice to rebuild his strength. 'He's going to be back at work full time, properly at the helm. And as you can imagine with the Prime Minister, he's raring to go.' NHS boss warns crowds enjoying the outdoors could spark second coronavirus peak despite dramatic drop in daily death toll to 413 - the lowest figure this month By Henry Martin and Jack Maidment, deputy political editor for MailOnline The UK's coronavirus death toll increased by 413 yesterday - the lowest recorded this month - as NHS bosses said social distancing is 'paying off' but warned breaking the rules now could result in a second peak of the deadly disease. Stephen Powis, the national medical director of NHS England, said the latest government statistics showed there had been a 'slight uptick' in the number of people using their cars and going outside in recent days. He told the daily Downing Street coronavirus press conference that the nation needed to 'remind ourselves that this has been a really tough four weeks and we don't want to lose the benefits' which have resulted from people staying at home. Mr Powis said nobody could be 'absolutely confident' that the UK is now firmly on a downward trajectory as he urged Britons to continue to adhere to draconian lockdown measures. The 413 new fatalities represents a significant drop on Saturday's UK figures - and are also lower than previous Sundays, which typically see a lower toll than weekdays. The latest Downing Street data showed there has been a slight increase in the number of people going outside in recent days Transport use overall remains relatively flat but the number of vehicles on the nations has rose slightly which has spooked the government's health expert Stephen Powis, the national medical director of NHS England, said the latest government statistics showed there had been a 'slight uptick' in the number of people using their cars and going outside in recent days Government adviser says gradual easing of lockdown could see death toll hit 100,000 Prof Ferguson speaking on the UnHerd podcast The number of deaths from coronavirus could reach 100,000 in the UK by the end of this year if a gradual lockdown is implemented with only the elderly shielded, Professor Neil Ferguson warned yesterday. The Imperial College epidemiologist said it was impossible to send the young and healthy back to work while keeping the vulnerable in lockdown without seeing a huge increase in deaths. The academic - whose previous death toll predictions prompted the PM to lock Britain down - warned that no country has successfully shielded those most at risk from the virus while allowing the least vulnerable to continue as normal. Professor Ferguson said some degree of social isolation will continue to be required until a vaccine to the killer bug is released, which Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab today said was unlikely to happen until 2021. He was asked if young people could be allowed out of lockdown if the tough measures have suppressed the infection rate enough and the Government has increased NHS capacity to a sufficient degree. Professor Ferguson told UnHerd: 'In practical terms, you would require a very high level of effective shielding for that to be a viable strategy. 'If you just achieve 80 per cent shielding - and 80 per cent reduction in infection risk in those groups - we still project that you would get more than 100,000 deaths this year from that kind of strategy. 'The most vulnerable people are also the people who most need care and most need interaction with the health system and are least able to be truly isolated.' Advertisement But the government is still swatting away calls to publish a road map out of lockdown, with Dominic Raab admonishing both Labour and Tory figures demanding an exit strategy. Environment Secretary George Eustice remained equally tight-lipped at this afternoon's briefing, where he confirmed the number of deaths have now hit 20,732. The cabinet minister also said cases have risen by 4,463 to 153,840 after 29,058 tests were performed the day before - a figure which will set alarm bells ringing in Whitehall after Matt Hancock vowed to hit 100,000 tests by the end of April. There have been growing signs in recent days that some Britons may have grown restless with the state of lockdown. Official data shows there are more people using the nation's roads while photographs suggest more people are venturing outside to use the UK's green spaces. But Mr Powis said this afternoon that everyone must continue to stay at home as much as possible - or risk a second surge in coronavirus cases. He said: 'Over the last few weeks of course we have seen because those social distancing measures have been adhered to that those curbs have started to change and as I showed you a few minutes ago we are now beginning to see declines, particularly in London and yes deaths are now either plateauing around the country or beginning to decline. 'But I should emphasise those benefits have only occurred not by luck but because people have complied with the instructions we have all been given and they have followed the science. The science of this is quite straight forward.' Mr Powis said the UK's efforts 'hard though they might be, have begun to pay off'. But he warned Britain cannot yet be totally certain of its downward trajectory and added: 'But of course the other point to make is it will only continue to pay off if we continue to keep social distancing and we continue to comply with those messages. 'Because of course my fear, as the fear of all of us is, is that those curves won't continue to be on a downward trend but will start to go in an upward trend and we are not at the point that any of us can be absolutely confident that that is not going to be the case. 'We want to avoid a second peak, we want to avoid a rise and so I can't emphasise enough that this is not the time to say actually we have done a good job we need to stop complying with out social distancing instructions and the government guidance. 'This is exactly the time to keep that up and that is why when I showed you the transport graphs and curves earlier, that slight uptick in motor vehicles, that slight uptick in the use of Apple Maps, we need to keep a close eye on that. 'We all need to remind ourselves that this has been a really tough four weeks and we don't want to lose the benefits that have come from this. We need to keep going.' Apostle Suleman has come under massive heat after he asked the Federal Government to allow pastors to heal COVID 19 patients. According to him, they should be allowed where the patients are so as to heal them. Read Also: Why I Didnt Donate Money To FG To Combat Covid-19: Apostle Suleman Nigerians have now taken to Twitter to drag him with some asking the FG to grant him his wish. Read some of the comments below; Is the FG stopping Apostle Suleman from healing Covid-19 patients? Na waaoh! Is it not for him to just pray & the patients would be healed? If, however, Suleman wants to be laying hands on the patients, he should be allowed to live with them until everyone is healed. The Roy (@BarrROUN2013) April 25, 2020 How this people have followership (sic) needs to be researched. Mr. Kelz (@Kelani_sam) April 26, 2020 Lmao, the NCDC isnt a comedy show. He once claimed to have the powers to heal via TV. Let him use it now. Teezon! (@TeezyFBaby1) April 26, 2020 Thank God you know Abuja very well, Gwagwalada is not far Go and exercise your expertise in unibuja teaching hospital. Galadima (@ay_galadima) April 25, 2020 Enugbe pastors Mr. Peppin (@peppindelaw68) April 25, 2020 Who is preventing this man from entering any isolation center of his choice?! Let him place his hand on them, dont just let him leave. Get a space for him so he can heal everyone Suleiman Tajudeen (@Tjslyy) April 25, 2020 For the longest time, Alia Bhatt was trolled on social media for her infamous 'goof-up' on Karan Johar's Koffee With Karan in 2012. During the rapid fire round, on being quizzed who is the President of India, the actress had blurted out 'Prithviraj Chauhan', which led to various memes and jokes on her for many years. Recently, in a quiz with Film Companion, Arjun Kapoor was asked to answer the pin code of his area - Juhu. The Panipat actor gave the right answer - 400049. However, he also added, "Why would I not know? That is a really low benchmark to set for actors. People must be thinking 'Oh God!' That one question of Alia (Bhatt) on Koffee With Karan destroyed our combined IQ of the film fraternity." Meanwhile, post the 'famous' Koffee With Karan episode, Alia took all the memes and jokes on her quite sportingly. Speaking about it, she said, "I would rather be stupid than pretend to be intelligent. People connect with you when you make mistakes. Later, she even teamed up with AIB for a video titled 'Genius Of The Year', as her response to the entire episode. Speaking about films, Arjun Kapoor and Alia Bhatt shared screen space in Abhishek Verman's 2014 film 2 States. The film is based on author Chetan Bhagat's best-selling novel of the same name. Currently, Arjun is in lockdown with his sister Anshula at their Mumbai home amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The actor has been giving fans a sneak-peek into his isolation life by posting pictures and videos of his daily activities. Recently, he even raised funds for the families of 300 daily wage earners by going on a virtual date, through his sister's online fund-raising platform, Fankind. Talking about films, the actor's upcoming project is Dibakar Banerjee's Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar, alongside Parineeti Chopra. Fight Against Coronavirus: Arjun Kapoor Donates To Various Charities Arjun Kapoor Calls Himself A 'Fine Physical Specimen' In This Throwback Pic With Will Smith STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The New York Board of Elections voted Monday to cancel the states upcoming Democratic presidential primary, in part because of the coronavirus pandemic, despite the governors orders allowing absentee voting. BOE co-chairman Douglas Kellner said former Vice President Joe Biden effectively won the New York Primary as the only candidate remaining on the ballot after Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) suspended his campaign in early April. He endorsed Biden shortly after. A provision in the recently-passed state budget allowed for the board to remove candidates who had ended their campaigns. That has effectively ended the real contest for the presidential nomination, Kellner said. And what the Sanders supporters want is essentially a beauty contest that, given the situation with the public health emergency that exists now, seems to be unnecessary and, indeed, frivolous. The BOE did not cancel state and congressional primary contests on the ballot. Republican primaries were cancelled in February with President Trump as the only candidate in that contest. Originally, New Yorks primaries were to be held Tuesday. Sanders senior campaign advisor, Jeff Weaver, issued a statement Monday criticizing the decision as a blow to American democracy. While we understood that we did not have the votes to win the Democratic nomination our campaign was suspended, not ended, because people in every state should have the right to express their preference, Weaver said. What the Board of Elections is ignoring is that the primary process not only leads to a nominee but also the selection of delegates which helps determine the platform and rules of the Democratic Party. 38 Life on lockdown: Coronavirus in NYC *** CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE COVERAGE OF CORONAVIRUS IN NEW YORK *** Gov. Andrew Cuomos issued two executive orders -- one that permitted all New Yorkers to vote absentee in the primary elections, and another mandating the BOE send postage-paid absentee ballot applications to all New Yorkers. Cuomo said at his Monday press briefing that he was not going to second guess the BOE, and that he was aware of election employees worried about conducting the contests. Mayor Bill de Blasio, who supported Sanders during the campaign, said Monday before the final decision to remove Sanders that he respected the decisions the state has made. I was a proud supporter of Senator Sanders. He obviously made the decision to leave the race and support Vice President Biden, de Blasio said. I think keeping the election activity to a minimum in this environment makes sense. Staten Island Democratic Party Chairman Assemblyman Michael Cusick lent his support for the decision, also citing the pandemic. The decision to cancel the Democratic Presidential Primary this year was obviously not one the Board of Elections made lightly and it was done to provide for the safety of our citizens during the voting process, he said. As there is only one remaining declared candidate in the Democratic Primary, this measure is necessary from a public health perspective in an era of social distancing. Reach key decision makers with sales-ready leads that shorten your sales process. Move the needle by delivering funnel qualified leads to your sales team. Learn more Apple users wondering if theyve caught COVID-19 now can ask digital assistant Siri for advice. The company on Saturday rolled out a self-screening feature that allows users to ask, Hey Siri, do I have the coronavirus? Siri then takes them through a questionnaire prepared by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and U.S. Public Health Service to determine if theyre exhibiting symptoms of the disease, such as fever, dry cough, and shortness of breath or if theyve had contact with someone with the virus. If users indicate their symptoms arent extremely life-threatening, Siri instructs them to stay at home and avoid contact with other people, wash their hands frequently and thoroughly, and maintain social distancing that is, a separation of six feet between people. If the symptoms persist, theyre advised to contact a physician. For extreme and life-threatening cases, Siri recommends a call to 911. The app doesnt delve into the realm of diagnoses. There are a number of symptoms that could be COVID-19 or something else, explained Seth Martin, MD, MHS, an associate professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore. The only way to make a real diagnosis is to have testing performed to determine if those symptoms are actually due to COVID-19, he told TechNewsWorld. An app cant do that. In addition to the questionnaire and advice, Siri provides App Store links to telehealth applications that could include virtual consultations with medical professionals. Team CDC and Microsoft Also on Saturday, the CDC announced its Coronavirus Self-Checker, which is powered by Microsofts Healthcare Bot service. The chatbot is designed to screen Americans unsure about seeking medical care for COVID-19. In addition to asking questions based on CDC guidelines, the bot provides links to information and local health department contacts. However, it does not have information about coronavirus testing sites or treatment recommendations, other than to stay at home and take care of yourself and in severe cases, dial 911. This is most useful for the worried well,' said Catherine Troisi, an infectious disease epidemiologist at the UTHealth School of Public Health in Houston. A D V E R T I S E M E N T Those are people who are not sick but concerned that they may be, she told TechNewsWorld. It lets them if theyre not running a fever, dont have a dry cough, no shortness of breath release some of their anxiety. The Healthcare Bot service is designed to address some of the critical needs of frontline responders to the COVID-19 pandemic, noted Hadas Bitran, group manager at Microsoft Healthcare Israel, and Jean Gabarra, general manager at Microsofts Health AI, in an online post. In particular, the need to screen patients with any number of cold or flu-like symptoms to determine who has high enough risk factors to need access to limited medical resources and which people may more safely care for themselves at home is a bottleneck that threatens to overwhelm health systems coping with the crisis, they wrote. Microsofts Healthcare Bot service uses artificial intelligence to screen patients and free up medical personnel to provide critical care to those who need it, Bitran and Gabarra explained. The bot, which runs in Microsofts Azure public cloud, can be customized for the needs of individual organizations. In addition to the CDC, healthcare providers using the service include Providence, which serves seven Western states; Novant Health, serving four states in the Southeast; and Virginia Mason Health System, which serves the pacific Northwest. Watch Your Privacy Symptom checkers can benefit both the medical system and consumers, noted Michael Arrigo, a HIPAA expert witness with No World Borders. The tools can gather valuable epidemiology data about an epidemic. However, data collected by a checker needs to be stripped of identifying information so it cant be traced back to individual patients, he cautioned. For consumers, the checkers can be a convenient way to obtain data for their personal symptom logs, as well as a useful diagnostic for a layperson with limited medical knowledge. Convenience and education are great benefits of these checkers, Arrigo said. While potentially beneficial, Arrigo recommended that both Apple and the CDC give consumers more information about the apps before they start using them. The apps are well-intentioned, but they could have the unintentional consequence of disintermediating the patient from their physician, who is the best source for information, he said. Because the prevailing opinions are that symptoms can take several days to appear in an infected person, these apps are not too useful at identifying some infected contagious people and could lead to a false sense of security, Arrigo added. If the intent is to relieve a potentially overwhelmed primary care front line of defense, a big disclosure needs to go up front, stating that a consumer should check their symptoms multiple times because symptoms can take several days to appear, he said. In the interim, you could be unwittingly be exposing others during that incubation period. Data gathered by the symptom checkers represents personal health records under federal law, which are subject to regulation by the Federal Trade Commission and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, noted Arrigo. The CDC does not share any of the personal information submitted to the Coronavirus Self Checker with Microsoft, reported Nextgov, a publication that covers government and technology. Microsoft provides the bot, but the CDC owns and maintains the checking tool. Use Common Sense Some consumers are creating their own symptom checkers based on information theyre gathering online, noted Michael Cannon, director of health policy studies at the Cato Institute, a public policy think tank in Washington, D.C. Symptom trackers from authoritative sources give consumers a better alternative to the do-it-yourself approach. Done properly, they can lessen peoples fears, suggest constructive actions people can take, perform at-home triage, and relieve the strain on the health sector, Cannon told TechNewsWorld. As always, people should only take health advice from sources who know their stuff, like the infectious disease experts at major health systems or government public health agencies, he cautioned. Like Dr. Seuss said, Do a lot of spitting out the hot air, and be careful what you swallow,' Cannon added. People should also use common sense, said UTHealths Troisi. If someone in your house has been diagnosed with coronavirus and you start having symptoms, and the symptom checker says you dont need to be tested, it might be a good idea to ignore that advice. T he London hospital at the epicentre of the UKs coronavirus outbreak saw patient numbers double every two days as the disease spread rapidly in the community. Dr Rachel Tennant, clinical director for acute medicine at Northwick Park, in Harrow, said it was scary how unpredictable Covid-19 was in terms of whom it would affect. A total of 423 patients have died with coronavirus at Northwick Park and its sister hospital Ealing. Dr Tennant revealed how Northwick Park, which was the third hospital in the capital to receive coronavirus patients after St Thomas and the Royal Free, rapidly expanded its capacity, but was still taken by surprise at the number arriving by ambulance. The first patients arrived at the start of March, and the hospitals parent trust, London North West Healthcare, announced its first death on March 14. By March 24 the daily death toll had jumped to 21. The number of critical care beds was quadrupled after a critical incident was declared due to intensive care bed shortages and the hospital was split in two to keep Covid and non-Covid patients apart to try to prevent infection spreading within the hospital. By last night, the trust had declared the second highest death toll in the capital, just behind the Royal Free Londons 425. The London-wide reported hospital death toll increased by 64 to 4,606 yesterday. More than 700 patients at London North West Healthcare have recovered. Northwick Park has seen a massive decline in cases since the first week in April and has spare beds. Doctors are reviewing what lessons can be learned in preparation for a feared second phase of the disease. The trust is believed to be the first to offer home testing for employees who fear that they have contracted the virus, with 900 staff and family members tested to date. Dr Tennant recalled: We were the third specialist infectious diseases unit [in London] calmly preparing to admit cases back at the beginning of March. However, we started to see patients coming in through ambulances they had clearly picked it up in the community. This was extremely concerning because we werent expecting that so early. The rate of increased infections, I dont think anyone expected it. We were doubling the number of cases every two days, when the prediction was nearer five days. We were having to open a new ward for positive patients every couple of days throughout the middle of March. Downing Street yesterday revealed that the number of coronavirus patients in London hospitals had fallen for the 12th successive day to 2,688, more than 2,000 fewer than the peak of 4,813 on April 8. Dr Tennant said there had been more coronavirus cases per head in Brent than in any part of the UK. TODO: define component type apester She said the majority of patients had recovered within seven to eight days. But at the very severe end of the spectrum about one in five patients developed Covid-19 pneumonitis, in which the bodys immune system overheated and worsened the problems. She said: Its part of the bodys own inflammatory responses that are causing part of the problem. There is inflammation in the airways and tiny blood clots in the lungs and the kidneys. These patients have a life-threatening condition and need support with breathing and sometimes admission to the intensive care unit. What is scary is that its really quite unpredictable. It clearly is affecting older people much worse than younger people. Its not like the flu for some reason, children appear to be barely affected by this, which is a real blessing. There is a marked variation with age. People with underlying health conditions are definitely worse affected people with hypertension, diabetes, heart disease. But surprisingly people with respiratory disease, cancer, dont seem to be as badly affected, and that is a bit of a surprise. Chairman of Kherson Regional Council Vladyslav Manger is one of the suspects. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has reported it completed a pretrial investigation into a fatal acid attack on Kherson activist Kateryna Handziuk and materials of the case will be forwarded to court. "All materials are ready, SBU employees professionally did their job and put together the evidence base that will make it possible to clearly prove the prosecutors' position in court," SBU chief Ivan Bakanov said, according to the SBU press service. "I hope this case will be considered as a priority one. Those who ordered and carried out the killing of Handziuk will face a proper punishment." As per the investigation, Chairman of Kherson Regional Council Vladyslav Manger and Oleksiy Levin, an aide to a member of the same council, are suspected of ordering the crime, the SBU said. Read alsoCourt extends terms of pretrial investigation in activist murder case until July 29 "According to investigators, Manger is suspected of organizing serious bodily harm to Kateryna Handziuk by preliminary conspiracy with Levin, which led to her death. Manger and Levin are suspected of committing crimes under Part 3 of Article 27, Part 2 of Article 28 and Part 2 of Article 121 of the Criminal Code: SBU investigators informed the suspects, their lawyers, victims and their representatives about the completion of the pretrial investigation," the SBU said. "All parties were provided access to the materials of the case. After the defense examines the materials of the criminal investigation, they will be forwarded to the court for consideration on the merits," it added. UNIAN memo. Kherson activist, advisor to the Mayor of Kherson and acting manager of affairs at Kherson City Council's executive committee Kateryna Handziuk, 33, on July 31, 2018, survived an acid attack. She suffered burns to more than 35% of her body and underwent 11 operations in Kyiv. Handziuk died on November 4, 2018. The immediate cause of her death was a severed blood clot resulting from the acid attack. Police originally qualified the attack as an attempted murder committed with extreme cruelty, then its status was changed to completed murder. Six suspects were detained, one of whom, Mykola Novikov, was later released from custody as charges against him had been dropped. On May 7, 2019, the Prosecutor General's Office sent an indictment against five defendants in the case of the murder: Mykyta Hrabchuk, Volodymyr Vasyanovych, Vyacheslav Vishnevsky, Serhiy Torbin, and Viktor Horbunov. On June 6, 2019, the court announced their sentences. Torbin, the organizer of the murder, was sentenced to six years and six months in prison. Hrabchuk, the actual perpetrator of the crime, was sentenced to six years in prison. Accused of aiding, Vasyanovych and Horbunov were sentenced to four and three years in prison, respectively; accomplice Vishnevsky's sentence is four years' imprisonment. Oleksiy Levin, who has a criminal record, as well as Chairman of Kherson Regional Council Vladyslav Manger and Ihor Pavlovsky, who was an assistant to MP Mykola Palamarchuk, are also suspects in the Handziuk murder case. Moreover, public activists believe that former Chairman of Kherson Regional State Administration Andriy Gordeev and former Deputy Chairman of Kherson Regional State Administration Yevhen Ryshchuk were involved in the crime. On January 27, Levin was put into custody in Bulgaria's Burgas for a 40-day term after detention on January 24. On February 22, the court of the city of Burgas (Bulgaria) ruled to extradite Levin to Ukraine. He was extradited on March 16 and Kyiv's Pechersky district court on March 17 ruled to remand him in custody until April 2. On March 25, Kyiv's Shevchenkivsky district court extended the pretrial probe into the Handziuk case until July 29. Adetola Abdulazeez, the woman who was assaulted by two police officers enforcing the lockdown directive in Osun State, has petitioned the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, demanding a compensation of N200 million. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the woman, a wife and mother of two, was flogged by the policemen on her way to buy drugs for her relatives at a pharmacy in Odo Ori Market in Iwo, Osun, on April 18. The incident which attracted public outcry, including that of the Oluwo of Iwo and the Osun State Government, also attracted the attention of the IGP who immediately ordered the dismissal of the officers. However, the victim through her lawyer, Pelumi Olajengbesi, in a pre-action notice submitted to the IGP on Monday and obtained by NAN, said her client was also demanding an apology for her battered image. We commend the swift intervention of the Inspector General of Police and that of the other top Nigeria Police Force hierarchy, condemning the unprofessional conduct of the officers involved and the assurance of disciplinary action. While we recognise the authority of the Nigeria Police Force in containing the movement of people during this COVID-19 crisis, we believe strongly that the same must be done in compliance with the rule of law. The video of the disgraceful act meted out on our client has since gone viral on the internet and has ridiculed her publicly, as she was seen being battered like a common thief by men of the Nigeria Police Force. We hereby demand that the Nigeria Police Force should address a letter of apology to our client personally showing honest concern and contrition to begin to ameliorate the continuous sadness and depression she continues to suffer. READ ALSO: That the payment of N200 million be made to our client as general damages for all the pain, trauma, bodily inconveniences and public ridicule amongst others, caused her and her family during this period, he said. Mr Olajengbesi further stated that on behalf of the victim, he was also demanding the immediate prosecution of the officers involved in the criminal act, in the Nigeria Open Court. He stated that security agents should discharge their duties during the lockdown in line with international best practices and in accordance with the guidelines stipulated by the United Nations. In his reaction, the Force Public Relation Officer, Frank Mba, told NAN that the police had already dismissed the officers in question and would prosecute them if need be. Mr Mba also said the police had yet to see the womans petition on the demand of N200 million compensation and an apology letter. The Nigeria Police Force had on April 24 through its official twitter handle said: that Inspector Ikuesan Taiwo and Police Constable Abass Ibrahim, captured in a viral video assaulting a woman in Osun State, have been tried and found guilty. They have been dismissed from the Force. They will be arraigned in court for prosecution. (NAN) Joe Biden's unexpectedly rapid consolidation of the Democratic presidential nomination has upended calculations in both parties about the U.S. Senate landscape, with Democrats hopeful that Biden can actively help with close races and Republicans increasingly nervous about losing their 53-47 majority. Biden's ascent has dented GOP plans to paint Democratic candidates as left-wing extremists, something they were eager to do had Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., emerged as the nominee. Instead, the Democrats now have a more moderate standard-bearer who is intimately familiar with the Senate, in close touch with top candidates and keenly aware of how Senate control could affect his potential presidency. The former vice president's emergence is part of a larger shift in prospects that has become clear in states such as Arizona, Colorado, North Carolina and even Montana and Georgia, as a surge in Democratic fundraising, along with President Donald Trump's struggles to manage the coronavirus pandemic, have led independent analysts to upgrade Democrats' chances. Even in Alabama, one of the most conservative states, underdog Sen. Doug Jones, a Democrat, stands an outside chance of an upset, a fact that Jones attributes in part to Biden besting Sanders. "Was it in fact a relief? Sure, it was a relief - for me and I think a lot of the moderate Democrats that won in 2018," said Jones, who has known Biden for decades and spoke to him this month. "It's always tougher to run when you've got somebody on the ticket that is identified as far more liberal than you are." Beyond the Senate's critical role in passing legislation and confirming judges and Supreme Court justices, Biden served 36 years in the chamber, which formed him politically and shaped many of his friendships. He has repeatedly engaged in behind-the-scenes efforts to boost the party's chances of winning the majority. In the final sprint to the Iowa caucuses in mid-January, when Biden's own nomination was in serious doubt, he hopped on the phone with Montana Gov. Steve Bullock to urge him to consider running for the Senate. He had a similar talk with former Colorado governor John Hickenlooper. Bullock and Hickenlooper, both of whom ran against Biden for the presidential nomination, are now two of the Democrats' marquee Senate prospects. Biden consulted Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., before both conversations, according to people with knowledge of the discussions. Just this past week, the former vice president was on the phone with his friend Sen. Christopher Coons, D-Del., taking inventory of which candidates were "looking strong" and which were in "need of some additional support," Coons recalled. Biden is even eager to discuss the Senate when talking to those more interested in the House, raising the issue a few days ago with Rep. Cheri Bustos, D-Ill., the chair of the House Democratic campaign arm. "We talked a little bit about the Senate," Bustos said. "He's very optimistic about what's ahead." Nonpartisan analysts and strategists in both parties agree that the Senate landscape has shifted in recent weeks, pushing Democrats to within striking distance of a takeover. The pandemic and the collapse of the economy, once Trump's biggest strength, are big factors, but so is Biden's rise. "Biden's likely nomination was critical to Democratic chances of taking back the Senate because it keeps the battlefield large," said Nathan Gonzales, editor and publisher of Inside Elections. "I think if Democrats had nominated Sanders, it would have limited Democratic takeover opportunities." Trump, too, is sharply aware of the Senate's importance. He and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., spoke about the outlook in late February, according to a person with knowledge of the discussion. Democrats must gain a net of at least three seats to win the majority if Biden is elected president, as the vice president is tasked with breaking 50-50 ties. The GOP is defending 23 Senate seats this year, including several in purple states, compared with 12 for Democrats, mostly on safely blue terrain. The ripest Democratic pickup opportunities are in Arizona, Maine, North Carolina and Colorado. The leading Democratic challengers outraised GOP incumbents in all of these states during the first three months of the year. Even some Republicans say Senate control will be a toss-up in November. "I think their optimism is fading a bit, because it feels like more of a jump ball," said Dan Eberhart, an oil industry executive and GOP donor, speaking of officials in his party. Republicans' best chance to offset any Democratic gains is in ruby-red Alabama, where Jones is on the ballot three years after a historic upset victory over embattled Republican Roy Moore. Biden campaigned in that race for Jones, who said in an interview that he expects Biden to campaign for him again this year. The stakes are as high as ever. If Biden defeats Trump and Democrats maintain control of the House, a Senate majority would hand them unified control of Washington for the first time in a decade. That could help them roll back Trump's actions and possibly go further, pursuing aims such as a public health-care option. In 2010, Democrats used unified control to pass the Affordable Care Act, the most sweeping expansion of domestic policy in decades. After 2016, Trump and the Republican Congress enacted a broad rewrite of the nation's tax laws, along with installing two conservative justices on the Supreme Court. Few have experienced the highs and lows of Senate control more intimately than Biden, who forged deep relationships there before becoming Barack Obama's vice president. "He knows just what it means to be in the minority or in the majority in the Senate, and he has a sense of the consequences for our country and its future if we do not take control of the Senate," Coons said. During the presidential primary battle, Biden argued repeatedly that as the party's nominee, he would boost down-ballot candidates in a way that more liberal figures - such as Sanders or Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass. - could not. That promise is arguably now playing out. Many of the attacks Republicans lobbed at Democratic candidates involving socialism and Medicare-for-all have evaporated. The GOP has been forced to recalibrate, for example targeting Democrats by seeking to tether them to China as the coronavirus spreads, a far murkier message. Republicans still see other opportunities to complicate matters for Democratic Senate candidates. One is Biden's tendency to commit gaffes and verbal miscues that force fellow Democrats to answer questions about his comments. Another is exploiting divisions in the Democratic Party; Trump himself has sought to appeal to populist Sanders voters who remain skeptical of Biden, suggesting they have been mistreated by the Democratic Party. But there is a broad sense in the GOP that the opportunities are more limited than they once seemed, when Democrats faced a fractured primary featuring two dozen candidates and the prospect of a bitter race and possibly even a divided convention. Republican strategists said GOP candidates should now focus on the basics of their own races and tout their ability to solve problems for their home states, avoiding engagement in any Trump-Biden drama. "I think Republicans just have to tend to their own knitting. I think at this point the presidential is going to be what it is. The ability for anybody down-ticket to impact that one way or another is very limited," said Josh Holmes, a former chief of staff to McConnell. "In times of crisis, the best thing you can do is turn yourself into your state's mayor in Washington." Vulnerable incumbents such as Sen. Martha McSally, R-Ariz., are seeking to do just that. "I spoke with @realDonaldTrump on Wednesday afternoon to request additional ventilators from the Strategic National Stockpile. Today, POTUS delivers with 100 ventilators headed to AZ," McSally tweeted earlier this month. If Republicans are trying to make the Senate races intensely local affairs, Democrats see new opportunities to tie them to broader political passions engulfing the country. Many Democratic strategists believe animosity toward Trump will be the overarching factor in the election, enabling them to go after some Republicans for not standing up to the president. In Maine, Republican Sen. Susan Collins, who has long cultivated a moderate image, is facing a barrage of attacks for voting to confirm Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. Democrats also hope anti-Trump sentiment on the part of centrist voters will counteract any lingering antipathy toward Biden from the left of their own party. Many see a blueprint in Democrats' 2018 House victories, which largely ran through moderate suburbs. They are gearing up to reprise a midterm pitch that centered on health care, a message they hope will have even greater resonance due to the pandemic. In addition, Biden's strong appeal to African Americans, a big reason he prevailed against Sanders, could help in Southern states, Democratic officials said. They pointed to North Carolina and a pair of potentially competitive Republican Senate seats in Georgia as places where he could be helpful. Biden has a long history of jumping into Senate races, predating his presidential run. Former Senate majority leader Harry Reid of Nevada recalled Biden's help in 2006 when he was trying to coax then-Rep. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, to run for the upper chamber. "Joe was always building relationships," Reid said. Former senator Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D., took Biden up on his offer to campaign for her in 2018, in a conservative state where most national Democrats were unwelcome. "He called me and said, 'Look, you have a tough race. I'm willing to do whatever I can to help, and you just need to call me,' " said Heitkamp, who nonetheless lost. Rep. Ben Ray Lujan, D-N.M., who chaired the House Democrats' campaign operation that year and is now a Senate candidate, said Biden was a frequent help. "There was not a call that I would ask the vice president to make, there was not an event that we would ask the vice president to headline, a district that we'd ask the vice president to travel to, that he would turn down," he said. By PTI BEIJING: Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi would take part in the video-conference of the BRICS Foreign Ministers' meeting on the COVID-19 to be held on Tuesday, his aide said. The novel coronavirus, which first emerged in China's Wuhan city in late December, has killed more than 200,000 people worldwide and infected over 2.9 million others, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University. ALSO READ| COVID-19 rapid testing kits from China were not only unreliable but overpriced too? State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang will attend BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) Foreign Ministers' Extraordinary Conference on COVID-19 on April 28, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said in a statement here on Monday. The meeting, to be held by the rotating chair Russia, will be convened via video conference. Wang will discuss with his counterparts the impact of the COVID-19 on international relations, concerted efforts to address global challenges, deepening BRICS cooperation and other topics, the statement said. Protests have been held at a direct provision centre in Caherciveen, Co Kerry, where several new cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed. In all, there have been 19 cases at the Skellig Star Hotel centre, which originally housed 95 asylum seekers. They were recently relocated from Dublin. Residents and staff have been asked to follow advice on social distancing and self- isolation for 14 days. The residents have also been advised to stay within the hotel and not to have visitors. In a memo, Dr Cliodhna Foley Nolan of the Department of Public Health at the HSE told the residents: As was expected some positive results have arrived and these residents will be cared for offsite to ensure their care while they recover from the infection. Fortunately, they are all doing well. All others will be monitored, she said, and the Department of Justice and the HSE are working to make sure everyone has their own room or family room. Residents have been advised to eat their meals in their rooms and not to exercise outside the grounds of the hotel. Stay in the Skellig Star at all times over the next 14 days unless agreed by public health, said the memo. Yesterday morning, a group of around 10 local people wearing masks held a silent march in support of moving the asylum seekers from the hotel. It followed protests by residents within the centre on Saturday. Masi, the Movement of Asylum Seekers in Ireland, said 19 people have tested positive in the Caherciveen centre. Two of the resident from the Skellig Star Direct Provision Centre in Cahersiveen on Saturday after the announcement that there were further cases of Covid-19 in the Centre holding a sign outside the building. Picture: Alan Landers. Three ambulances and two buses attended the hotel on Saturday night, said locals. However, it is not known where these people were transferred or how many have been moved. Residents at the centre made emotional appeals to be moved over the weekend, hanging posters and signs from the windows. Move us out of Caherciveen, said several hand- written posters. TDs including Sinn Feins Pa Daly and the Independent, Danny Healy-Rae, have written to Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan asking him to close the centre. It is unclear at this stage how many residents remain in the centre. A Boeing 777X airplane taxis during its first test flight from the company's plant in Everett, Washington, U.S. January 25, 2020. A slew of upcoming Boeing announcements aim to calm investor nerves and set the stage for future growth much like when Dave Calhoun was named as the aerospace giant's next CEO. In the next week, Boeing will hold its annual meeting, report first-quarter results and face the application deadline for a multi-billion dollar aid package from the federal government. Those familiar with the discussions of Boeing's leadership said Calhoun is planning to show investors the company will build two financial bridges to the future: A near-term one focused on cutting near-term losses brought on by the coronavirus and a longer-term bridge to deal with fewer orders for commercial airplanes and a smaller airline industry. The question for investors is how much it will cost Boeing to build those bridges and where will the money come from. The growing uncertainty over possible losses in the first quarter and beyond is a principal reason shares of Boeing are down more than 50% since Calhoun became CEO in January. Calhoun has made it clear he and his leadership team are preparing the company for a future that will look far different than two years ago, when commercial airplanes orders were soaring and production rates climbed to record highs. In a message sent to Boeing employees in early April, Calhoun wrote, "We will need to balance the supply and demand accordingly as the industry goes through the recovery process for years to come." That means production cuts in the commercial airplane division. Boeing executives tell CNBC the company is expected to outline new targets for wide-body plane production, including a new, lower monthly build rate for the 787 Dreamliner. Hanoi French Hospital is leading the way in Vietnam with a myriad of patient-oriented programmes During a period of limited mobility for many patients due to the coronavirus pandemic and social distancing restrictions, a medical emergency is nevertheless considered an essential reason for leaving the house, although many people are reluctant to take the risk. At the same time, they may be worried about the progress of convalescence or concerned as medication for a chronic condition runs low. In the wake of the situation, Hanoi French Hospital (HFH) is now offering the opportunity of confidential contact with a trusted hospital specialist or GP about medical needs from the comfort and safety of home, in the form of a tele-consultation. HFH points out that tele-consultation cannot replace all consultations, as most require the patient to physically be assessed and examined by the relevant specialist, or may require actions that require physical tests. But often, follow-up consultations are required after initiating therapy, or particularly when treating patients with chronic conditions. In such cases the doctor may be able to give further indications on the treatment of the healing process, or on continued or modified medication. As usual, in case of any doubt, the doctor will ask the patient to come in for an in-person consultation so as to assure the quality of care. In such a case where the doctor believes the tele-consultation to be insufficient, a new physical consultation will be scheduled within the week and only one consultation will be charged to the patient, if the tele-consultation did not result in the expected result. Patients who want to follow-up on their medical condition need to discuss this with their doctor first. Tele-consultation does not allow for a doctor to make an assessment of the patients health, nor to perform any kind of tests or examination that would be possible during a full, physical consultation. It is the doctor who will make the assessment on the suitability of tele-consultation for a particular condition, based on the patients request. However, once the doctor and patient agree and the consent form confirms their agreement, the patient is good to go and can progress with tele-consultations, in which an appointment can be set up by simply calling the hospital. Through this innovation, HFH combines safety with convenience and ease of use: upon making a confirmed appointment, the tele-consultation can take place using the patients preferred app. All commonly used apps, such as Zalo, Zoom, WhatsApp, Skype, and more, are supported. Patients are guided to provide and take the required information and a time is fixed. After the consultation, the hospital will provide the required documents for the patients health insurance if required, and can fulfill their prescription from the hospital pharmacy by delivery. HFH has set up a quality process to assure that the safety of the patient and the quality of care and medical treatment can be assured. It is a mutually agreed process to which the patient agrees by signing the consent form that can be found on the official website. HFH is one of several hospitals providing tele-medicine services to meet growing local demands. In line with the Ministry of Healths Decision No.4888/QD-BYT dated October 2019, approving the master plan on developing smart healthcare in the 2019-2025 period, hospitals are strengthening tele-medicine services, especially in the context of the coronavirus outbreak. Tele-medicine is becoming an inevitable trend in the healthcare sector amid the wider influence of Industry 4.0. Along with individual users, corporations are also looking for digital healthcare providers that enhance their employees conditions and can approach new innovations to ensure a full digital transformation. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Tikki Elka Pangestu (The Jakarta Post) Singapore Mon, April 27, 2020 13:17 625 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd47613b 3 Opinion COVID-19,coronavirus,pandemic,global-health,healthcare Free United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Gutierrez has declared the COVID-19 pandemic the biggest threat to humanity since World War II as the global total of COVID-19 cases approaches 2.3 million with more than 160,000 deaths. Though Europe is now the epicenter of the pandemic, many countries in Asia continue to face major challenges. While China and Singapore, for example, have progressed in containment efforts, they are now concerned with a potential second wave linked to imported cases and an increase of local transmission. However, other countries including Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines are bracing for the worst of the pandemic. Indonesia now has over 6,000 cases with more than 500 deaths, the highest number of deaths in Southeast Asia. A projection by Bappenas suggests that the virus might cause hundreds of thousands of deaths. What steps can Indonesia take to mitigate the situation and contain the growing pandemic? What can Indonesia learn from the experiences of other countries? Other countries have shown that the highest priority should be given to efforts to delay the spread of the virus. The goal of flattening the curve is to spread cases out over a longer period of time to avoid a sudden, exponential surge in the number of cases. The strategy also gives the healthcare system time to prepare for a more robust and effective response, and not be overwhelmed as has happened in Italy and Iran. Underlying the goal to delay the spread are probably several key strategies, which are outlined below. First, rapid, accurate and extensive testing of suspected cases is the first critical step in the confirmation of cases, isolation and quarantine and, most importantly, exhaustive contact tracing to confine cases to well-identified and closely monitored clusters. Testing has gained further importance with recent evidence emerging that asymptomatic individuals can spread the virus. There is also an urgent need for more rapid diagnostic tests together with the standard nucleic-acid-based tests. The dual approach could result in more accurate data while the workings and accuracy of these tests should be made known to the public to avoid confusion and anxiety. Read also: Reagents shortage yet another test of accuracy for Indonesia's COVID-19 data The highest priority should also be protecting frontline healthcare workers and providing care for severe cases to keep mortality low. The emphasis here is on speed of reaction where there was a delay in the aforementioned measures, the situation can deteriorate rapidly as was seen in Europe, the United Kingdom and the United States. Arguably, in China mass surveillance of cases and contacts through big data analytics and artificial intelligence contributed to its success in containing the pandemic. Does Indonesia possess the same capacity to implement mass surveillance? This should perhaps be a top government priority. More importantly, the government should ensure sufficient production and efficient distribution of personal protective equipment (PPE) for health workers to prevent deaths among them. Second, more strict enforcement is needed for social distancing, including bans on large gatherings such as religious, community and events. Where feasible, work-from-home measures will also minimize the viral spread. Third, limiting large-scale movement within the country is commendable. President Joko Jokowi Widodo has finally banned the traditional homecoming exodus (mudik) ahead of the Ramadan fasting month and Idul Fitri celebrations. Imposing curfews is among even less desirable measures. However, the success of such measures is dependent on a high level of social responsibility, awareness and solidarity among the population. For example, Singapores and Chinas economic and political systems allow for stringent measures (with fines and some with jail time), which in more democratic countries would be less acceptable. Singapores population, and also Chinas, show an inherent degree of trust in the government to do what is urgent and necessary during the pandemic. As expressed by Vivian Balakrishnan, Singapores foreign minister, Social capital of trust and compliance when the chips are down with an extreme situation is absolutely crucial. Fourth, transparent and effective risk communication to the public based on reliable and verified data is vital to build trust and confidence in government actions, including compliance with imposed restrictions. This includes strategies to deal with fake news and misinformation, which can sow panic and confusion. Indonesias police have already prosecuted those who spread such falsehoods. Read also: Open fiscal data can boost trust in pandemic response Fifth, the efficacy of all the aforementioned measures is critically dependent on good and effective governance frameworks. Both Singapore and China had interministerial coordinating committees that worked closely with task forces overseeing key issues such as border control and surveillance, health and medical facilities, logistics and supplies, public communications, enforcement of social distancing measures, media liaison, etc. In China, similar structures were set up at all levels to ensure effective coordination and conformity with national policies, and to avoid contradictory measures at various administrative levels. Finally, the pandemic serves as an acid test of every countrys quality of healthcare and governments must ensure that health systems are resilient, robust and prepared to respond to future pandemics. Patients with other serious illnesses should continue to receive quality care even during a pandemic when the health system faces a huge surge in cases requiring intensive care. The pandemic also highlights the importance of regional solidarity as countries are closely linked and interdependent. Four of the worlds 10 busiest air routes, for example, are in ASEAN so these countries, which are all in one hot zone, should coordinate efforts, share information, provide technical assistance and help each other in fighting the pandemic. As the virus has spread to virtually every country, international solidarity becomes even more important to promote trust, cooperation and collective action between countries, rich and poor alike. The central role of multilateral institutions like the World Health Organization and the World Bank in helping countries deal with the pandemic cannot be overstated. Minister Balakrishnan succinctly summarized the need for a tripod of quality healthcare, standard of governance and social capital as foundations for effectively dealing with the pandemic. We are in uncharted territory as to what the future holds and continued vigilance is necessary at all levels. While the UN secretary-general may be correct in declaring the pandemic the biggest threat to humanity since World War II, at least during the war, the enemy was visible. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday applauded the efforts of gurudwaras in helping and feeding the needy during the lockdown imposed to curb the COVID-19 spread. "Our Gurudwaras have been doing exceptional work in serving people. Their compassion is appreciable," Modi tweeted. He also appreciated the gesture of the Delhi Police for carrying out a 'parikrama' of Gurudwara Bangla Sahib near Connaught Place on motorcycles and cars to thank the sewadars for helping and feeding the needy. "Good gesture by the @DelhiPolice," he said. The prime minister was responding to a tweet by president, Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee Manjinder S Sirsa, who referred to the gesture of the city police to thank the shrine for organising 'langars' (a community free kitchen). A short video posted by Sirsa showed several police motorcycles and cars moving slowly, with sirens blazing, for the 'parikrama'(to circle around an object of devotion as an indication of reverence). (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) President Donald Trump listens as Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar speaks during a coronavirus task force briefing at the White House, Friday, March 20, 2020, in Washington. Associated Press/Evan Vucci White House officials are reportedly weighing plans to replace Alex Azar, the secretary of Health and Human Services. President Donald Trump has criticized Azar's handling of the coronavirus response, and Azar has reportedly complained that Trump did not take his warnings seriously. Politico reported that a number of names have been floated as a potential replacement, including Deborah Birx, the White House's coronavirus response coordinator. Both the White House and the Department of Health and Human Services dismissed the reports as "speculation" or "palace intrigue." Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. White House officials are discussing plans to replace the Health and Human Services secretary, Alex Azar, multiple media outlets reported Saturday evening. Politico, citing four people familiar with the matter, reported that a number of names have been floated as a potential replacement, including Deborah Birx, the White House's coronavirus response coordinator. Also reportedly on the list are the deputy HHS secretary, Eric Hargan, and Seema Verma, the administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The talks come after Azar's botched early handling of the coronavirus outbreak, according to a Wall Street Journal report, citing six sources familiar with the discussions. White House and HHS representatives denied the reports. "Secretary Azar is busy responding to a global, public health crisis and doesn't have time for palace intrigue," an HHS spokeswoman told The Journal. White House spokesman Judd Deere told the newspaper "any speculation about personnel is irresponsible and a distraction from our whole-of-government response to COVID-19." Azar's handling of the coronavirus pandemic has triggered criticism, particularly his decision to wait several weeks to brief President Donald Trump about the severity of the threat. Story continues Trump, himself, has publicly complained about Azar, even tweeting on April 12 that he "told me nothing until later." Azar, in turn, has complained that Trump did not take his coronavirus warnings seriously, and believed Azar was an "alarmist," according to The Washington Post. In late February, Azar was removed from his post as the head of the White House's coronavirus response, and replaced with Vice President Mike Pence. Read the original article on Business Insider Just days after signing up for TikTok, Gina Stewart has already raised a few red flags with the Chinese-owned video app. In an interview with Daily Star on Saturday, the self-described 'World's Hottest Grandma', claimed two of her videos had already been taken down by the app. According to the publication, Gina, 49, was 'furious' her videos had been removed, after they were flagged for 'community guideline violations'. On their radar: Just days after signing up for TikTok, Gina Stewart (pictured) has already raised a few red flags with the Chinese-owned video app One of the offending videos showed Gina pushing a lawnmower around while dressed in a crop top, while the other featured her pouting with undone buttons on her shirt. 'I started a TikTok on the weekend and posted two TikToks. They lasted only 24 hours as both videos were censored,' she told Daily Star. 'I looked up the guidelines and I did not contravene, so I'm not sure what was going on.' Removed: One of the offending videos showed Gina pushing a lawnmower around while dressed in a crop top (left), while the other featured her pouting with undone buttons on her shirt (right) According to TikTok's stringent guidelines, 'sexually explicit or gratifying content' is not allowed. 'Sexualized content carries many risks, such as triggering legal penalties in some jurisdictions and causing harm to our users through sharing non-consensual imagery (for example, revenge porn),' reads the guidelines. 'Also, overtly sexual content can be offensive within certain cultures.' Playing by the rules: Speaking to Daily Mail Australia on Monday, Gina described her videos as 'very tame' and insisted she hadn't 'broken the rules' Speaking to Daily Mail Australia on Monday, Gina described her videos as 'very tame' and insisted she hadn't 'broken the rules'. 'I am covered in all my posts so I am surprised that it went that far as to be censored,' she said, adding that she'd read the guidelines before posting the videos. 'I guess TikTok is a very censored app, as I know the app is owned by a Chinese company and censorship is very strict in China. Censored: In an interview with Daily Star on Saturday, the self-described 'World's Hottest Grandma', claimed two of her videos had already been taken down by the app 'Maybe we are becoming a highly censored society... There is a fine line with the censorship of women.' Gina first made headlines back in 2018, when she competed in Maxim Australia's 'Maxim's Finest' competition, emerging as a finalist. She now boasts over 203,000 followers on Instagram, regularly sharing provocative photos of herself. Renowned Irish poet Eavan Boland has passed away, aged 75. The Royal Academy has announced the death of the legendary poet in a statement on their Twitter account this evening. "We are shocked to hear of the death of Hon. MRIA Eavan Boland and our thoughts are with her family RIP," the statement read. "She was a pleasure to work with and is pictured below at the UN reading her poem about women's suffrage 'Our future will become the past of other women'." We are shocked to hear of the death of Hon. MRIA Eavan Boland and our thoughts are with her family RIP. She was a pleasure to work with and is pictured below at the UN reading her poem about women's suffrage 'Our future will become the past of other women' https://t.co/n82CTzS44S pic.twitter.com/pruPMtRZMR Royal Irish Academy (@RIAdawson) April 27, 2020 She was a writer in residence at Trinity College and UCD and was a poet in residence at the National Maternity Hospital. She also lectured in Standford College since 1999. Ms Boland was on the board of the Irish Arts Council and the International Writers Center at Washington University. She was also a member of the Irish Academy of Letters. She has published ten volumes of poetry, the most recent being New Collected Poems (2008) and Domestic Violence (2007) and An Origin Like Water: Collected Poems 1967-87 (1996) with W.W. Norton. The poet has also published two volumes of prose: Object Lessons: The Life of the Woman and the Poet in Our Time and A Journey with Two Maps: Becoming a Woman Poet, which won a 2012 PEN Award for creative nonfiction. Culture Minister Josepha Madigan extended her sympathies to Ms Boland's loved ones this evening. "I am extremely saddened to hear of the untimely passing of Eavan Boland at her home earlier today. "Eavan had a stellar career and was undoubtedly the foremost female poet of her generation," Ms Madigan said in a statement. "I would like to offer my condolences to her husband Kevin Casey and her daughters. Love will heal What language fails to know." Poetry Ireland said it was "absolutely devastated" to hear of her death. "This is a staggering loss to the Irish poetry community. Wishing peace and comfort to all who loved her, and whose lives have been changed by her work." President Higgins said she was one of the "most insightful inner sources of Irish life". "The revealing of a hidden Ireland, in terms of what was suffered, neglected, evaded, given insufficient credit, is a part of her achievement," he said in a statement this evening. "If the long legacy of Irish poetry was a well from which she drew, its contemporary richness was recognised in her critical work. It owes much to her encouragement and generosity to fellow poets." Taoiseach Leo Varadkar also paid tribute to Ms Boland. "One of our best and boldest poets, someone whose work showed a remarkable sympathy and warmth. She documented the lives of women in history and culture and explored how the difficult truth about the past can help us make sense of the present," he wrote on Twitter. "So many messages of hope in her poems, including her reminder that Our island that was once/Settled and removed on the edge/Of Europe is now a bridge/To the world." Ms Boland is survived by her husband Kevin and two daughters. Maj. Jason Engle had no reason to expect his active-duty Air Force career would be brought to an early end when he went before a selective continuation board hearing in 2011. He'd served more than 14 years and had no black mark on his record -- and the governing regulation provided for a "protective window" so those who had less than six years to go until retirement could finish out their careers. But unbeknownst to him, the rules had changed shortly before his board hearing. Facing force drawdown requirements, then-secretary of the Air Force, Michael Donley, had provided new instructions to the board, reducing the protective window to five years and allowing for the continuation of others only if doing so was "clearly within the bests interests of the Air Force." Engle was out of luck. He was separated shortly thereafter, but -- adding insult to injury -- was involuntarily recalled to active duty six months later and deployed to Kyrgyzstan, where he earned a promotion to lieutenant colonel. The board's decision cost him years of active-duty pay and the retirement benefits he might otherwise have collected. But a federal appeals court this month found the Air Force was wrong to change the rules the way it did -- and has ordered another board to reconsider Engle's case. The ruling may also open the door for Air Force officers in a similar predicament to plead their case to the service for reconsideration. A three-judge panel of U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit delivered a split decision on the case, Baude v. United States, on April 9, with one judge dissenting. Related: Military Retirees Can Be Court-Martialed After All, Appeals Court Decides While 15 other Air Force officers joined Engle as co-plaintiffs on the case, the court dismissed them, saying Engle was not an attorney and could not represent them. On the strength of the case, however, these officers may be able to appeal to the Air Force Board for the Correction of Military Records for reconsideration. Writing for the court, Circuit Judge Kathleen M. O'Malley found that Donley's policy change violated the existing Defense Department instruction, which said that an officer who was less than six years from retirement should be presumptively retained. She also said the guidance failed to indicate how retention board members should interpret "the best interests of the Air Force," making it confusing and unhelpful. "The SecAF modified a regulation that is meant to protect individuals who have spent most of their lives in service to this country," O'Malley wrote. "These men and women deserve a system that follows its own rules, and a reviewing forum that does more than rubberstamp the actions of military officials." In a lengthy dissent, Circuit Judge Evan Wallach said that the Air Force secretary had broad discretion to meet congressionally mandated end strength goals and to manage the force as deemed fit and necessary. "In essence, what this Court is doing today is restricting the ability of the armed services to respond with fiscal agility to a continuously changing and complex global environment," he wrote. "That is clearly contrary to the Constitution, and the law, and to Congressional intent." Two military justice experts who spoke with Military.com said they found the dissent's argument persuasive. Retired Air Force Lt. Col. Rachel VanLandingham, a Southwestern Law School professor and former judge advocate, said the finding of the court was unusual, since civilian courts usually give broad deference to the military to interpret and enforce its own instructions. "The court [in this case] was really unwilling to give that same level of deference to the military," she told Military.com. She added that there was a simple cure in this case: the Defense Department could simply rewrite the relevant instruction, 1320.08, to give service secretaries the explicit authority to implement the retention policies they see fit. Gene Fidell, a former president of the National Institute of Military Justice who is now the Florence Rogatz Visiting Lecturer in Law and Senior Research Scholar in Law at Yale Law School, told Military.com he expected the government to ask for a rehearing of the case "en banc," or before the entire court. If the ruling is not challenged, he agreed with VanLandingham that the remedy was easy: either the Air Force or the Defense Department could change its rules and do away with the conflict. However, he said, Engle's plight, particularly with his involuntary recall to active-duty, did make a sympathetic case. "There was an unfairness here," he said. Engle, a logistics officer who continues to serve in the Air Force Reserve and is currently working at the 618th Air Operations Center located at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, told Military.com he was grateful for support from his family and his legal team, including assistance from AMVETS Legal Clinic at Chapman University in Orange, Calif and a legal team at Latham & Watkins LLP out of Washington, D.C. "I'm extremely pleased with the court's decision and I'm looking forward to the active duty selective continuation board," he said. Editor's Note: This story has been updated to correct where Engle is currently working. -- Hope Hodge Seck can be reached at hope.seck@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @HopeSeck. Read More: Megadestroyer Zumwalt Delivered to the Navy After Years of Setbacks The Maharashtra government on Monday appointed four senior IAS officers in Pune as part of efforts to make the fight against coronavirus more effective and prompt in the second worst-hit city in the state. The four officers - Saurabh Rao, Anil Kawade, Sachindra Pratap Singh and Kaustubh Diwegavkar - were appointed on instruction of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who is also the Guardian Minister of Pune district, an official release said here. With the appointment of these senior IAS officers, the implementation of preventive measures against the deadly virus will be more efficient and speedy, it said. The step will help contain the spread of the virus in Pune, the city worst affected by the pandemic after Mumbai in the state, the release said. As per government instructions, the experienced bureaucrats will help the Pune divisional commissioner and the municipal commissioner in the anti-COVID-19 fight, while discharging their current responsibilities. While Rao is currently the sugar commissioner in Pune, Kawade is posted as the cooperative commissioner. Singh heads the animal husbandry commissionerate, while Diwegavkar is posted as director, groundwater surveys, water supply and sanitation department. The officers will continue to hold their current post while helping the administration in tackling the coronavirus crisis, the release added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Instead of standing in a lunch line for hot plates of spaghetti or jambalaya, children in Louisiana are increasingly getting their school meals delivered to their homes in big cardboard boxes filled with items such as cereal packets, granola, fruit juice and canned beef stew. Livingston Parish has been the most prominent adopter of home meal delivery in the Baton Rouge region. More than 15,000 schoolchildren in the parish have signed up. Boxes with fixings for 10 shelf-stable meals five breakfasts and five lunches started arriving at homes in the parish soon after Easter. While the process took a couple of weeks longer than the school district hoped it would, Superintendent Joe Murphy said, I am very pleased with this service. State presses school districts to relaunch student meal service State education leaders are pressing school districts to either restart the Grab & Go student meal programs theyve suspended amid concern Right after schools were shuttered March 13, Livingston served Grab-N-Go meals cooked in its cafeterias and served outside school buildings drive-thru style. But as the coronavirus outbreak grew worse, state rules tightened and protective gear remained in short supply, Livingston and many other school districts opted to outsource food service rather than risk exposing their workers. Indeed, at least eight cafeteria workers in East Baton Rouge Parish have tested positive for COVID-19. The largest service is the Meals-to-You Program based 400 miles away at Baylor University in Waco, Texas. Livingston families are set to continue receiving meals in this fashion until the end of June. Livingston is one of 20 school districts in Louisiana that have turned to Meals-to-You in the past month. Five other districts in the Baton Rouge region East Feliciana, Pointe Coupee, St. Helena, Tangipahoa and West Feliciana parishes also are having meals shipped via the service. Another eight parishes, as well as several charter schools and churches, are using a similar home delivery service offered by the New Orleans-based Healthy School Food Collaborative, which is using a fleet of trucks rather than UPS or the U.S. Postal Service. The Three OClock Project also has taken over meal service in many school districts, either serving hot meals trucked to feeding sites, or handing out boxes filled with several days of flash frozen meals that need to be kept cold once theyre brought home. And several school districts in the state are continuing to use their own employees to prepare and serve meals, though City of Baker schools is the only traditional district in the Baton Rouge area still doing that. Louisiana was the first state outside Texas to seek to join the Meals-to-You program. We didnt expect that wed have a state that would jump on board quite as aggressively as Louisiana, but we are glad that you did, said Jeremy Everett, executive director of the Baylor Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty, which oversees the meal service. What began as a pilot program last summer, serving only 12 rural counties in Texas, is now shipping meals to 34 states as well as U.S. territories like Puerto Rico. A charitable arm of Pepsi Co. and Houston-based McClane Global, the food distributor for the program, put up $1 million to help finance the expansion. And the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a partner in the effort, has promoted the initiative to states looking for alternatives. Everett said the initial plan was to serve 100,000 children across the country. Now hes hoping to expand that soon to 500,000 children. 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 In Louisiana alone, the program has home-delivered 2.1 million meals so far. Even so, demand has outstripped supply. Seven school districts in the state remain on a waiting list. Its been like the Wild West, Everett said. Everybody has been trying to get their hands on the meals out there and serving them however they can. The program is available only to rural areas, but Everett said there are school districts that are eligible because they have at least some rural areas within them. Getting accepted is just step one. In St. Helena Parish, about 1,200 students, almost every student in the small school district, signed up online. Then Superintendent Kelli Joseph and her staff had to verify all their home addresses and emails. I would not want to do this process again. Its a lot, said Joseph. She said those who have received their food boxes seem fine with them, but there are some families who have yet to receive their food. Shes planning to send out a survey to nail down who. 'Meals to You' deliveries to Livingston Parish have started LIVINGSTON Sommer Purvis, the Livingston Parish schools supervisor of child nutrition, received notification April 13 from Baylor University Tammy Stalsby in Denham Springs is still waiting on not just one, but two food boxes. She said she was looking for some help with breakfast and lunch, meals her three children used to get mostly at school. She said she sent several emails to try to figure out whats going on. Both she and her husband are still employed and in decent financial shape so it hasnt been a big concern. I just thank God Im not one of those in desperate need, Stalsby said. I know there are people who are in desperate need. Beth McCormick, co-founder of Mighty Moms, a nonprofit in Livingston Parish that fights hunger in schoolchildren, said Meals-to-You is good as far as it goes. She wishes families in the parish had more options. She blames a federal rule that bars school districts from outsourcing with more than one group at a time to serve student meals. Its a way to prevent double-dipping, she said. There wasnt going to be a fix-all that (Livingston) could have picked, McCormick said. In the meantime, Mighty Moms is serving hot meals donated by local businesses and churches three times a week. And the 27 food barrels it has around Livingston remain in heavy use, she said. Stalsby said she has neighbors who are donating to Mighty Moms uneaten food they get from Meals-to-You. She said she plans to do the same. Anything my child wouldnt eat, I would donate to them, she said. GENESEE COUNTY, MI -- An investigation into a wedding ceremony performed without proper paperwork by county Clerk-Register John Gleason has been completed and sent to the Tuscola County prosecutor for review of possible criminal charges. Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton said he requested a transfer of the case once an investigation report and a warrant request were presented to him. I know John and have represented (his office) from time to time, Leyton said of the reason for his recusal. The Michigan Prosecuting Attorneys Coordinating Council, a state agency that heads the Office of Prosecuting Attorney Coordination -- an autonomous entity within the Department of Attorney General, referred the case to Tuscola County Prosecutor Mark Reene. MLive-The Flint Journal could not reach Reene or Gleason for comment on the shift in the investigation, which the county Board of Commissioners announced in early March. Gleason said then that he performed a wedding without a license in Shiawassee County on Christmas Eve, just before the bride delivered a child in advance of her due date at Owosso Memorial Hospital. They wanted to be married before the baby was born, Gleason said at the time. I really thought there would be a way we could (make it right because of the) emergency ... I honest-to-God figured theres got to be a way to ... get this squared around" later. The clerk-register said then that the couples Dec. 24 marriage was eventually made legal through Shiawassee County, using a rarely used state law that allows for secret marriages. But even after clearing that hurdle, problems with the ceremony continued. The county received complaints from employees who claimed Gleason pressured them to backdate a marriage license and made misogynistic and condescending remarks when they declined to help him. Written statements obtained by MLive-The Flint Journal last month showed one county government supervisor accused Gleason, who was elected clerk-register in 2012, of attempting to intimidate an employee to create and backdate a marriage affidavit and license for the ceremony. At the time, Gleason called the written comments about his behavior not true at all. Genesee County investigates allegations clerk pushed employees to backdate marriage license Shiawassee officials wont say much about rare secret wedding Genesee clerk presided over Levels of underwater noise pollution from ships have plummeted during the coronavirus lockdown, offering a respite for whales and other marine life. Researchers studying the changes off of the coast of Canada have called the reduction in shipping something akin to a 'giant human experiment'. Around the world, biologists are keen to record the effect that the ambient noise reduction has on life within the oceans. Previous studies have indicated that noise pollution underwater forces whales to change how the sing and also causes them to become stressed. The COVID-19 crisis has seen a significant reduction in vehicle, air and ocean-going traffic with corresponding reductions in both air and noise pollution. Scroll down for video Levels of underwater noise pollution from ships have plummeted during the coronavirus lockdown, offering a respite for whales and other marine life Oceanographer David Barclay of Canada's Dalhousie University and colleagues have been analysing underwater sound recordings taken at two sites near the port of Vancouver finding a significant drop in low-frequency shipping noise. 'Generally, we know underwater noise at this frequency has effects on marine mammals,' Professor Barclay told the Guardian. At one site, he added, 'there has been a consistent drop in noise since 1 January, which has amounted to a change of four or five decibels in the period up to 1 April.' During this time, the port has seen a drop of around 20 per cent in exports and imports, economic data has revealed. At the second site, meanwhile located in deeper waters, at a depth of around 9,843 feet (3,000 metres), and around 37 miles (60 kilometres) from the nearest shipping lanes ambient weekly sound levels fell by around 1.5 decibels. 'This gives us an idea of the scale over which this reduction in noise can be observed,' Professor Barclay told the Guardian. The last time that the oceans fell quiet was in the wake of the terrorist attacks of 9/11, when a reduction in shipping allowed experts to determine that ship noise is connected to chronic stress in baleen whales 'We are facing a moment of truth,' marine acoustician Michelle Fournet of Cornell University who studies humpback whales off of Alaska told the Guardian. 'We have an opportunity to listen and that opportunity to listen will not appear again in our lifetime.' The last time that the oceans fell quiet was in the wake of the terrorist attacks of 9/11, when a reduction in shipping allowed experts to determine that ship noise is connected to chronic stress in baleen whales. In the present, Dr Fournet added, 'we have a generation of humpbacks that have never known a quiet ocean.' Were it not for the COVID-19 crisis, the present time of the year would be the beginning of the cruise ship season in south-eastern Alaska, with the liners calling at Vancouver before sailing on to the north. 'What we know about whales in south-east Alaska is that when it gets noisy they call less, and when boats go by they call less,' said Fournet. 'I expect what we might see is an opportunity for whales to have more conversation and to have more complex conversation.' A view of Ha Long Bay, a famous tourism site in Vietnam. The country's tourism industry is estimated to have losses of US$7.7 billion due to the pandemic. - Photo baovanhoa.vn Accordingly, when Vietnam announces the pandemic ending in Vietnam, the ministry will focus on stimulating the domestic tourism market and coordinating with airlines, transport and travel firms to exempt or reduce service fees, including air tickets, accommodation costs and visiting fees. The ministry will also implement the "Safe Vietnam Tourism" programme and a domestic tourism stimulus programme with the cooperation of localities, transport and travel companies. It has also proposed the Government to develop consumer stimulus packages for the tourism sector, including encouraging domestic consumers to use tourism services. Meanwhile, the tourism industry will focus on the business travel segment. The industry will build a smart tourism operation centre to digitise the tourism industry during and after the pandemic. When other Asian countries announce the pandemic as ending, Vietnam will launch a communication campaign "Vietnam NOW - Safety and Smiling" a tourism stimulus programme with preferential packages for domestic and Asian tourists. The industry will restructure the international tourist markets to Vietnam and focus on promoting travel to countries without the pandemic, especially for business travel. It has also proposed the Government to consider policies to create favourable conditions for tourists to Vietnam, including visa exemptions or visa fee reductions, increasing flights and opening new routes to foreign countries. When the pandemic is under control worldwide, promotional programmes and stimulus packages will be launched for both domestic and international tourists. The industry will apply IT for advertising, communications and development of new tourism products. However, to implement those scenarios, the industry needs practical solutions to help businesses overcome difficulties at present, according to the ministry. The ministry has proposed that home-stay owners, small and medium-sized businesses and laid-off tourism workers would be entitled to benefit from the VND62 trillion (US$2.66 billion) financial package. The businesses and workers in the tourism industry should have payment deadlines for social insurance extended. Deputy General Director of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) Ngo Hoai Chung told the Ha Noi Moi (new Ha Noi) newspaper that if the pandemic is under control in May, the domestic tourism industry could recover by the end of this year. Right after the pandemic ends in Vietnam, the tourism industry will focus on stimulating the domestic tourism market, including exemptions or reductions of service fees. At the same time, it will continue promotion of Vietnam's image as a safe and attractive tourism destination, Chung said. To help tourism businesses to recover after the pandemic, the ministry has suggested the Government develop a 12-18 month financial package supporting tourism businesses and workers. At the same time, it has also requested exemption of fees for new issuance, replacement and re-issuance of international and domestic travel business licenses and tourist guide cards this year. VNAT reported Vietnams tourism industry is estimated to have losses of US$7.7 billion due to the pandemic. Meanwhile, the number of international tourists to Hanoi in April decreased by 98.1 per cent over the same period last year. The pandemic has caused much of the tourism industry to suspend operations and many workers to lose their jobs. The current difficulties have forced travel companies to reform operations, including restructuring foreign tourism markets avoiding dependence on traditional markets such as China and South Korea. They included big travel companies such as Saigontourist, Hanoitourist, Vietravel and Hanoi Redtour. In addition, the companies have strengthened human resources and built tourism stimulus products to prepare for the recovery of business after the pandemic, according to the VNAT. Director of the Hanoi Department of Tourism, Tran Duc Hai said Hanoi will have tourism products relating to relics, festivals, trade villages, and cuisine in the capital city. The department will enhance the application of IT in advertising tourism products in Hanoi. Cookies op Tweakers Tweakers maakt gebruik van cookies Tweakers is onderdeel van DPG Media en maakt gebruik van cookies, JavaScript en vergelijkbare technologie om je onder andere een optimale gebruikerservaring te bieden. 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Accepteer cookies ... Om deze pagina op Tweakers te kunnen bekijken, moet je cookies accepteren. Cookies accepteren Heb je al een account? Dan kun je hier inloggen! President Trump on Sunday is denying reports that he is thinking about firing Alex Azar as secretary of Health and Human Services. 'Reports that H.H.S. Secretary [Azar] is going to be fired by me are Fake News,' the president tweeted on Sunday. 'The Lamestream Media knows this, but they are desperate to create the perception of chaos & havoc in the minds of the public. 'They never even called to ask. Alex is doing an excellent job!' Both The Wall Street Journal and POLITICO reported on Saturday that the administration is considering replacing Azar because of early missteps in the handling of the coronavirus pandemic. A White House spokesman, Judd Deere, denied it and said the HHS under Azar continues to lead on a number of the president's priorities. 'Any speculation about personnel is irresponsible and a distraction from our whole-of-government response to COVID-19,' Deere said. President Trump (left) on Sunday slammed media reports that the administration was considering the removal of Alex Azar (right) as secretary of Health and Human Services 'Alex is doing an excellent job!' the president tweeted on Sunday evening The Journal, citing six people familiar with the discussions, said frustration with Azar was growing but the administration was reluctant to make big changes while the country was seeking to stop the virus, which has killed more than 53,000 people in the United States. Politico said the short list of names to replace Azar included Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus coordinator; Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services chief Seema Verma and deputy HHS Secretary Eric Hargan. Asked for a response, HHS spokeswoman Caitlin Oakley said: 'Secretary Azar is busy responding to a global, public health crisis and doesn't have time for palace intrigue.' Azar, a former pharmaceutical executive and industry lobbyist, was named by Trump as HHS secretary in late 2017. Trumps first health secretary, former US Representative Tom Price, resigned in September 2017 amid a public furor over his use of expensive taxpayer-funded private charter jets for government travel. The president is said to have grown angry with Azar in recent weeks after press accounts emerged of the secretary's attempts to warn Trump about the possibility of a pandemic in the United States. According to recent reports, Trump was warned by his advisers as early as January about the deadly coronavirus. Trump reportedly dismissed Azar's initial warnings about the deadly coronavirus back in January as 'alarmist'. Trump is seen left with Azar at the White House on March 30 On January 18, Azar telephoned the president while he was at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida to brief him about the severity of the novel coronavirus, according to The Washington Post. The Post reported that Azar was barely able to get a word in with the president, who cut him off and started criticizing him for his handling of the administrations failed effort to ban vaping products. Trump administration officials criticized Azar for not being forceful enough in getting the presidents attention, which was also preoccupied at the time by the ongoing impeachment trial. Trump was eventually acquitted by the Republican-controlled Senate after he was impeached for allegedly trying to get the Ukrainian government to investigate Joe Biden and his son, Hunter. Azar told associates that Trump viewed him as alarmist and that he had difficulty in getting through to the president about the seriousness of the crisis. Azar, who was involved in the federal governments response to 9/11 and the 2002 SARS outbreak, even asked a colleague for advice on getting through to the president. White House officials now believe Trump didn't fully grasp the magnitude of the threat to the US in part because Azar, who was feuding with several members of Trump's inner circle, did a poor job communicating it. Trump, however, has denied reports that Azar tried to warn him in January. On April 12, the president tweeted: 'I was criticized for moving too fast when I issued the China Ban, long before most others wanted to do so. @SecAzar told me nothing until later'. The president has also denied reports that two memos written earlier this year by top trade adviser Peter Navarro (seen above at the White House on March 22) warned about the possibility of a pandemic killing many Americans On January 31, nearly two weeks after Azar was reportedly rebuffed by Trump, the president banned travel from China, which at the time was struggling to get a handle on the coronavirus outbreak in the city of Wuhan. By the time Trump first spoke publicly about the coronavirus, it may already have been too late. Interviewed at Davos, a gathering of global elites in the Swiss Alps, the president on January 22 played down the threat posed by the respiratory virus from China, which had just reached American shores in the form of a solitary patient in Washington state. 'We have it totally under control,' Trump said on CNBC at the time. 'It's one person coming in from China, and we have it under control. It's going to be just fine.' Azar isnt the only administration official whose warnings about a pandemic reportedly fell on deaf ears. It was recently revealed that Peter Navarro, Trumps chief adviser on trade, issued his first grim warning in a memo dated January 29 - just days after the first COVID-19 cases were reported in the US. The president has previously claimed that he didn't receive such a memo from Navarro at the time. In January, Trump was publicly downplaying the risk that the novel coronavirus posed to Americans - though weeks later he would assert that no one could have predicted the devastation seen today. Navarro penned a second memo about a month later on February 23, in which he warned that as many as two million Americans could die from the virus as it tightened its grip on the nation. Navarro's January memo marks the earliest known high-alert to circulate within the West Wing as officials planned their first substantive steps to confront the disease that had already spiraled out of control in China. It serves as evidence that top officials in the administration had considered the possibility of the outbreak turning into something far more serious than Trump was acknowledging publicly at the time. 'The lack of immune protection or an existing cure or vaccine would leave Americans defenseless in the case of a full-blown coronavirus outbreak on US soil,' Navarro wrote. 'This lack of protection elevates the risk of the coronavirus evolving into a full-blown pandemic, imperiling the lives of millions of Americans.' Another sign of the presidents dissatisfaction with Azar came in late February, when he removed the secretary from heading the coronavirus task force and replaced him with Vice President Mike Pence. As of Sunday, the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported 928,619 cases of new coronavirus, an increase of 32,853 cases from its previous count, and said the number of deaths had risen by 2,020 to 52,459. Transfer Market LIVE: Rakitic to Italy? Mbappe and Sancho to England? Transfer Market The latest news and rumours That is all for today everyone, be sure to join us tomorrow for all the latest transfer news. 18:45. David De Gea has indicated he wants to spend even longer with Manchester United: ""I am getting older, but being part of this club is very nice. It will soon be ten years and I hope to be here much longer." 18:15. Luis Alberto is close to signing a contract extension with Lazio, which would keep him at the club until 2025 as well as giving the player a salary increase. 17:45. According to the Corriere dello Sport, given the difficulties Napoli have had in agreeing a new contract with Arkadiusz Milik, the Partenopei have contacted Real Madrid to ask about Luka Jovic. 16.30. Fernando Morientes has spoken to Record about possibly taking over the Mexican national team. "How can I say no?" he replied. "It's one of the biggest national team jobs. Of course it would be a goal." 16.15. According to A Bola, Clayton de Silveira da Silva could sign for Vitoria de Guimaraes. 16.00. Rocco Commisso, the majority shareholder at Fiorentina, has spoken about Federico Chiesa and said that they would not stand in the way of him moving to a particular club if the price is right. 15.45. Barcelona are not considering Marc-Andre ter Stegen's contract renewal as a priority right now. 15.30. Edinson Cavani isn't ruling out staying on at PSG next season. There was drama when he was close to leaving in January, but L'Equipe are now reporting that there's a chance he could stay on past this summer. 13:39. Thomas Partey has been linked with Arsenal a lot in recent days. According to English media, if Arsenal qualify for the next Champions League then they'll seriously go for him. 13.15. Inter aren't giving up when it comes to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Even though it seems he'll renew with Arsenal, the Italian side remain interested. 12:38. According to Le10Sport, Jurgen Klopp has been in touch with Kylian Mbappe's representatives to find out about the player's thoughts on a potential move to Liverpool. 12.14. Barcelona are still hopeful of signing Neymar for next season, but the numbers don't add up. More details here. 11:47. Giuseppe Rossi has revealed in an interview that he was once close to signing for Barcelona. 11:15. Borussia Dortmund are looking to get stronger in attack and Arsenal's young forward Bukayo Saka has piqued their interest. 10:37. Rangers forward Alfredo Morelos could be set for a move south of the border in the UK. West Ham and Leicester City are said to be the best positioned teams. 10:05. Tottenham are looking at the continent as they plan a rebuild under Jose Mourinho, with Thomas Meunier another player who they're being linked to. 09:25. According to Record, Barcelona are very interested in Benfica centre-back Ruben Dias. 08:40. RB Leipzig sporting director Markus Krosche has insisted that no offer has arrived yet for Timo Werner. 08:27. Ivan Rakitic's future remains up in the air. Atletico Madrid, Sevilla and Juventus have been linked with him, but now Tottenham are being linked with the midfielder too. 08:14. Jadon Sancho is back in the headlines and English media are reporting on the growing interest from Chelsea and Manchester United. Manchester City also remain interested. 08:02. Hello and good morning. Welcome along to this Sunday's transfer market live blog, where we'll be bringing you all the big stories and rumours concerning the market. December 31 China first reports a cluster of unusual pneumonia cases in Wuhan to the WHO January 4 WHO tweets about 'a cluster of pneumonia cases' in Wuhan with no deaths, saying investigations into the cause are underway January 5 The WHO issues its first guidance on 'pneumonia of unknown cause', saying there are a total of 44 patients and 11 in severe condition. Main symptom is listed as fever, with 'a few patients having difficulty breathing'. The WHO says there is 'no evidence of human-to-human transmission' and that 'no health care worker infections have been reported' January 7 China says it has identified the cause of the pneumonia as a 'novel coronavirus', initially named 2019-nCoV by the WHO January 9 The WHO praises China for identifying the new virus 'in a short space of time' and repeats its assessment that the virus 'does not transmit readily between people'. It also advises against travel or trade restrictions on China January 13 WHO says it is now working with authorities in Thailand after reports of a case there, and may call a meeting of the Emergency Committee January 14 The WHO tweets saying there is 'no clear evidence of human-to-human transmission in China', though later clarifies and says there may have been limited transmission via family members Jan 20-21 - WHO's field team in China conducts a brief field visit to epicentre Wuhan Jan 21 The first case is confirmed on US soil in Washington, in a person who had travelled from China a week before Jan 22 A report from the WHO team sent to Wuhan notes 'human-to-human' transmission is taking place, but says more research is needed to assess 'the full extent'. The report notes confirmed infections in 16 medics, a clear sign of transmission from patients The team recommends avoiding large gatherings, isolating infected people, and a focus on washing hands as the best way to combat the virus's spread The same day, that WHO Emergency Committee convenes for the first time. Afterwards, Dr Tedros says he has spoken with the Chinese Minister for Health, and praises the government for its 'invaluable' efforts to halt the virus. He calls a second meeting for the following day Jan 23 With the Emergency Committee split, Dr Tedros says he has decided not to declare the virus a public health emergency of international concern. Referencing the lockdown of Wuhan, which was announced the same day, he says he hopes 'it will be effective and short in duration'. He praises China's 'cooperation and transparency' in tackling the virus Dr Tedros says there is limited evidence of human-to-human transmission, mostly among families or doctors treating the virus. At this point, there are 584 confirmed cases and 17 deaths globally, including in Vietnam, South Korea, Japan, Thailand and the US He recommends screening at airports and tells countries to put testing facilities in place, but stops short of recommending a travel ban Jan 28 Dr Tedros and other senior WHO officials meet Xi Jinping in China, agreeing that a panel of experts should be sent to monitor the outbreak. He praises 'the seriousness with which China is taking this outbreak, especially the commitment from top leadership and the transparency they have demonstrated' Jan 29 Dr Tedros gives a speech praising China's efforts to contain the virus, saying the country 'deserves our gratitude and respect' for locking down swathes of the country to prevent the spread. He notes a few cases of human-to-human spread outside China, which he says 'is of grave concern' and will be monitored closely Jan 30 The WHO Emergency Committee reconvenes early and declares a public health emergency of international concern. It comes after confirmed cases of human-to-human transmission in Germany, Japan, Vietnam and the US Dr Tedros again praises China for 'setting a new standard for outbreak response' with its lockdowns, and says the small number of cases outside the country 98 is 'thanks to their efforts' Despite noting that a majority of cases outside China have a history of travel to or from Wuhan, he again recommends no measures to curb international travel or trade Jan 31 Donald Trump announces travel restrictions on people coming from China Feb 3 Dr Tedros gives a speech to the WHO updating on coronavirus, saying there are 17,238 cases in China and 361 deaths now though to be an under-estimate He praises Xi Jinping for his individual leadership, and insists that cases outside China 'can be managed' if world authorities work together and follow recommendations which include no ban on travel or trade, supporting countries with weak health systems, investment in vaccines and diagnosis, combating disinformation and urgent reviews of emergency preparedness Feb 7 Dr Li Wenliang, a doctor who first reported the existence of coronavirus and was initially silenced by China, dies from the virus Feb 10 The WHO's team of experts arrives in China to assist with the outbreak Feb 11 The WHO names the disease caused by the virus COVID-19, saying it avoided including a geographical name because it risks 'stigmatizing' people. It says it will not be using the name SARS-CoV-2 because it risks causing 'unnecessary fear' by linking it to the 2003 SARS outbreak Feb 12 Dr Tedros says the number of new cases being reported in China has 'stabilised' but adds that it must be 'interpreted with extreme caution' and the outbreak 'could still go in any direction' Feb 16-24 WHO team of experts convenes in China, visiting affected sites and sharing information on the best ways to tackle the crisis Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus attends a daily press briefing on COVID-19, the novel coronavirus, at the WHO headquaters in Geneva Feb 17 Dr Tedros begins chairing daily updates on the coronavirus response, with each briefing beginning with an update on the number of infections including from China, which are repeated without caveats He give an analysis of Chinese data on some 44,000 confirmed cases. He says the data shows that 80 per cent of cases are mild, 14 per cent lead to severe disease, and 2 per cent are fatal. The disease is more severe in older people, with the young largely spared. He urges world leaders not to 'squander' a window of opportunity to get ahead of the virus and prevent it from spreading Feb 26 Donald Trump announces a dedicated coronavirus response team, which Mike Pence will lead Feb 28 The team of WHO experts delivers its first report on the coronavirus. Among its major findings are that the disease likely came from bats, that it is spread through close contact with infected people and not through the air, and that most common symptoms include fever, dry cough and fatigue The report praises China's response as 'perhaps the most ambitious, agile and aggressive disease containment effort in history' saying lockdowns were achieved 'due to the deep commitment of the Chinese people to collective action' and had achieved a rapid decline in cases Mar 9 - The whole of Italy is placed on lockdown as the virus spreads, the first European nation to enter total lockdown Mar 11 - The WHO declares coronavirus a pandemic, meaning it is spreading out of control in multiple locations around the world. At this point, cases have been reported in more than 100 countries Mar 13 - WHO says Europe is now the new epicentre of the virus after cases increase steeply, with Dr Tedros noting 'more cases are now being reported every day than were reported in China at the height of its epidemic' Mar 19 - China reports no new domestic infections from coronavirus since the pandemic began Mar 20 - Dr Tedros issues a warning that 'young people are not invincible' to the virus after data from outside showed large numbers of people under the age of 50 ending up in intensive care Mar 25 - As Donald Trump begins touting hydroxychloroquine as a potential coronavirus treatment, WHO warns that no drugs have so far been approved for treating the virus The same day the organisation calls for an extra $2billion in funding to help tackle the virus Apr 3 - As millions of US citizens sign on for unemployment benefit, Dr Tedros and the IMF call for debt relief and social welfare to help people through the pandemic Apr 6 - The WHO updates its guidance on masks to say they are effective at stopping spread of the virus, but must be used in conjunction with other methods. It comes after the CDC updated its guidance to advise people to wear masks in public Apr 8 - Following Trump's first barrage of criticism for the WHO, Dr Tedros urges world leaders to 'stop politicising the pandemic' unless they want 'more body bags' Apr 13 - A group of scientists convened by WHO to research a vaccine for coronavirus issue a joint statement urging world leaders to keep listening to the scientific community when responding to the virus Mumbai, April 27 : The Covid-19 pandemic claimed a third policeman in three days in the city on Monday, officials said. A 56-year old head constable, Shivaji N. Sonawane, succumbed to Covid-19 on Monday, Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh said. "Mumbai Police regrets to inform about the unfortunate demise of HC Shivaji N. Sonawane from Kurla Traffic Division. We pray for his soul to rest in peace. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Sonawane family," Singh said. Earlier on Saturday and Sunday, two head constables had passed away in different parts of the city. Both were battling Covid-19 for the past few days. Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and Home Minister Anil Deshmukh have condoled the demise of the Mumbai police officials, and assured they would do whatever possible for their families. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) OSLO, Norway, April 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Annual General Meeting of Aker ASA was held on Monday 27 April 2020 at Fornebuporten, Oksenyveien 10, Norway. All proposals on the agenda were adopted, cf. the notice of the Annual General Meeting that was published on Oslo Stock Exchange on 1 April 2020. The complete minutes of the Annual General Meeting are attached to this release and are also available on www.akerasa.com. For further information, please contact: Investors: Torbjrn Kjus Chief Economist & Head of Investor Relations Phone: +47-94-14-77-30 Media: Atle Kigen Head of Corporate Communications Phone: +47-90-78-48-78 This information is subject of the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act. This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/aker-asa/r/aker-asa-minutes-from-annual-general-meeting-2020,c3097371 The following files are available for download: https://mb.cision.com/Main/18835/3097371/1236827.pdf Protokoll fra generalforsamling 2020 https://mb.cision.com/Public/18835/3097371/bba6077b27fd1818.pdf Minutes from Annual General Meeting 2020 SOURCE Aker ASA Kim Clark Employera, a management consulting firm that works to help brands attract, select and keep the right people, has brought on Kim Clark as partner and head of its internal communications practice. A well-known conference speaker, Clark also runs custom workshops and consults with companies on intranets/digital workplaces and employee storytelling. She has also led internal communications and cultural communications at KLA, PayPal, NetApp, GoDaddy and GitHub, innovating across a variety of mediums and platforms to engage employees and facilitate transparency and trust in organizations. Kim Clarks foundations as a storyteller and documentary filmmaker, her long-time advocacy for diversity and inclusion, and her experience leading and innovating in internal communications at companies ranging from large enterprises to hot startups are a rare combination, said Employera managing partner Andy Getsey. Nick Clark Hill+Knowlton Strategies has named Nick Clark managing director of its financial + professional services sector in the UK. Clark comes to H+K from Four Communications, where he led teams across corporate and consumer. He was previously managing director at Consolidated PR, and steered its acquisition by Four Communications in 2014. At H+K, Clark will lead the FPS team in the firms London office, providing strategic communications counsel to clients. H+K London CEO Simon Whitehead said that Clark brings deep sector expertise at a crucial moment for the development of our Financial + Professional Services team and for clients across the sector in the UK and internationally. Ryan Garland Mower has promoted Ryan Garland to senior director, digital media and Patrick Lewis to senior director, media services. Garland has been with Mower for 21 years, working in a wide variety of vertical segments, In his new position, he will be responsible for incorporating digital media technologies and digital best practices across the department. Lewis has been at the agency since 2011, previously serving as media director. He will now lead and supervise the agencys media department across all offices, with responsibilities that include overseeing media standards and practices, tools and processes, workload balancing/account assignments, medias support of new business and departmental communications. Mower has also hired Jim Campbell, who comes to the agency from The Fort Group, as media supervisor for the National Grid account. On the night of April 11, Romanian harvest worker Nicolae Bahan died. He had been working as an asparagus picker in Bad Krozingen since March 20 and had recently complained of severe coughs and chills. Only after his death was he tested positive for COVID-19. Another sick harvest worker was initially identified among Bahans colleagues. In the meantime, at least four other workers from the immediate vicinity of the deceased have fallen ill with COVID-19. The health department in Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald claims that all carriers of the coronavirus and those they had been in contact with have been quarantined. However, the World Health Organization order to test and isolate was obviously followed far too late and only in a very rudimentary manner. After Bahans death, it was not considered necessary to interrupt the asparagus harvest. The health authority issued assurances that the hygienic conditions at the asparagus farm had met the requirements. But Bahan became infected in Germany, most likely from colleagues from Romania who lived and worked closely with him over the last weeks. The deceased was one of thousands of harvest workers currently employed in Germany. As seasonal workers, they are poorly paid for their work in the asparagus harvest, as well as in the fruit, vegetable and wine harvests, where wages are so low that few German workers accept the jobs. According to the Ministry of Agriculture in Baden-Wuerttemberg, about 4,900 seasonal workers are needed in this state alone in April. Shortly before Easter, the German government had decided to fly in 80,000 seasonal workers from Eastern Europe in April and May, despite the rampant spread of the coronavirus. Following this decision, hundreds of workers crowded the small airport of Cluji in northern Romania on Easter Saturday to be flown to Germany for harvest work. The company in Bad Krozingen, where Bahan was working, had engaged its harvest workers earlier this year. Almost all of them come from Suceava, the district in Romania most affected by the coronavirus. This, however, did not concern anyone when hiring cheap harvest workers. Nor did it bother anyone that where they were headed in southern Germany had a relatively high rate of infections and deaths, with a largely unknown number of cases initially. In Freiburg, almost a thousand people have tested positive and 65 have already died of COVID-19. In the district of Breisach-Hochschwarzwald there are well over a thousand infected and 47 dead. Those who work in these times need special protection, said Federal Minister for Social Affairs Hubertus Heil (Social Democratic Party, SPD), when he outlined the governments coronavirus protection rules for seasonal workers. His words are the height of cynicism. A documentary on ARD television April 23 showed how the rules are implemented in practice. The programme, The harvest is safeonly the harvest workers are not, documents the appalling working and living conditions for workers. In order to comply with the quarantine, the government demands that harvest workers do not leave their farms and fields for 14 days after their arrival in Germany. This means that they live in cramped conditions in stuffy multi-bed rooms, with an inevitably high risk of infection. For field work, they are driven in large groups of several dozen on flatbed trucks, in crowded trailers or buses. The quarantine consists of a camp-like sealing-off. The area in Bad Krozingen is sealed off with fences, tarpaulins and meter-high hedges, and the entrances are guarded. This type of sealing offFederal Minister of Agriculture Julia Klockner (Christian Democratic Union, CDU) calls it de facto quarantine with the possibility of workingprotects the local population, at most, but not the workers themselves. It is true that not all farms are affected by the same catastrophic conditions. But sometimes they strongly recall the Nazi era, when Eastern workers were forced to work in Germany, strictly isolated from the population, treated much worse than the latter and often put in danger of death. Today it is sheer poverty that forces people into such conditions. In order not to die of hunger with their families, Eastern European workers take the risk. In this case, too, the coronavirus pandemic has only brought to light the terrible conditions that already prevailed for the low-income workers in the fields. After the fall of the Stalinist regimes 30 years ago, unemployment, exploitation, poverty and blatant social inequality in Eastern Europe took root under capitalism. Since then, these conditions have forced more and more workers to seek their wages and livelihoods in the West. Many harvest workers have been coming from Romania for more than 10 years, since the country joined the European Union in 2007. Bahans hometown Solca is located in the run-down northeast of Romania. The village has experienced an extraordinary decline over the past 30 years. During this time, several large businesses and factories and a sanatorium and spa have been closed. Not even half of the once 5,000 inhabitants remain, and many families in Solca, like Nicolae Bahans, can only survive if their parents work as harvest workers in Germany year after year. In German farms, they must carry out hard labour for starvation wages. We did a lot of work and received little money, was the comment of a couple in an article in news weekly Der Spiegel. For seven years, from 2007 to 2013, the couple always came to Bad Krozingen to harvest asparagus and strawberries. In 2013, the last time they worked on this farm, they received around four euros per hour for harvesting the asparagus, the report says. They also had to live in run-down accommodation. We were five to seven people per room, the lockers in our rooms were rusty, the beds were made of iron, like in prison. In the shared bathroom, the showers were only separated by plastic curtains and in the kitchen, there was not even a sink, the report says. Workers identity cards were taken from them on arrival. They had signed employment contracts but never received a copy. Asked about pay slips, the workers just laugh. On paper, the wages are higher. The Bad Krozinger company speaks of a 9.35 minimum wage to be paid. However, job placement fees and travel expenses are deducted from the wages, as well as board and lodging, for which the workers have to pay 12 a day (8 for accommodation and 4 for daily lunch). The federal government is trying to play down the consequences of their criminal behaviour. On the ZDF talk show Lanz, Julia Klockner said a few days after the death of Bahan, What we have learned is that he did not die of coronavirus, but following a coronavirus infection. He died of a heart attack. The district office in Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald also tried to trivialize Bahans death, saying, It is unclear whether the person died of COVID-19 or only with COVID-19 symptoms. Such statements are disgraceful pedantry. As has long been known, COVID-19 also acutely increases the risk of dying of a heart attack. The callous calculation of whether someone has died of the coronavirus or just with a coronavirus infection comes from the arsenal of the right-wing propaganda campaign, which currently equates COVID-19 with a strong flu. The attempts by German politicians to justify this are an open insult to the family of the deceased and to all workers. They make clear that the government has assumed from the outset that hundreds of thousands of workers will pay for the coronavirus pandemic with their lives. The National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) has said it hopes that MPs will adopt bill No. 2571-d on banking regulation, which the Verkhovna Rada committee on finance, tax and customs policy recommended to support at second reading and as a whole, the NBU's press service has reported on Facebook. "The Verkhovna Rada committee on finance, tax and customs policy has just recommended supporting banking bill No. 2571-e at second reading and as a whole. [...] We hope for speedy consideration of the bill in the Verkhovna Rada," the report reads. The NBU said that this law is one of the preconditions for a new program of cooperation between Ukraine and the IMF. It will make the process of withdrawing banks from the market inevitable. The NBU's decision to withdraw banks will not be revoked. The liquidation of the bank will continue under any circumstances, and the courts will not be able to replace the NBU. The owners of bankrupt banks will be given an opportunity to defend their rights. The law clearly sets out the prerequisites and procedure for obtaining compensation. The bank owner will be able to go to court and prove the case if the NBU unlawfully made a decision to withdraw a bank from the market and then prove that damage was done. "The adoption of this bill depends not only on the health of the banking sector, but also on the financial system of Ukraine as a whole," the NBU said. op A 30-year-old Havre man has been charged with attempted deliberate homicide for stabbing another man seven times on Saturday in a downtown Missoula motel, according to charging documents filed Monday in Missoula County Justice Court. Keenan Lewis Doney is also charged with tampering with evidence, a felony, as the knife used in the attacks has not yet been found, prosecutors wrote in charging documents. Missoula police responded to a local hospital on Saturday to speak with a man who said he had been stabbed at the Bel Aire Motel on East Broadway. The man told officers he was outside his motel room when he asked another man for a cigarette, and then they both went inside the first man's room. After a short time in the room, the man said his new acquaintance, later identified as Doney, got "rowdy." A fight ensued and Doney pulled a knife out, the man told police. Officers at the hospital noted the victim had seven stab wounds, according to charging documents. Additional officers responding to the motel room found a large pool of blood on the bed, charging documents state. While searching the area around the motel, officers came upon a man with blood spatter on his legs and hands who immediately put his hands in the air as officers approached, according to court documents. This man, who police identified as Doney, was taken to the hospital, where medical staff examined a fresh cut on his finger. Detectives looked through surveillance footage of the area, finding video of the victim and Doney going into the apartment, and Doney later running from the room, according to charging documents. Doney gave inconsistent statements about the events that morning and declined to speak any further after detectives confronted him with the surveillance footage, according to court filings. Police believe Doney disposed of the knife between the altercation and his arrest, prosecutors wrote in charging documents. Montana Department of Corrections records show Doney was serving a suspended sentence for a domestic assault conviction in Blaine County from 2019. Missoula County Justice of the Peace Alex Beal on Monday set Doney's bail at $200,000. His next court appearance is set for May 11. Attempted deliberate homicide carries a possible lifetime prison sentence. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 3 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Prosecutor Genenals Office seeks to block website selling China's remedy for COVID-19 flickr.com/ mattza 11:45 27/04/2020 MOSCOW, April 27 (RAPSI) Prosecutors have turned to the Russian communications watchdog Roskomnadzor seeking to restrict access to a website selling medicine allegedly helping recover from coronavirus in almost 100% cases, the press service of the Prosecutor Generals Office reports. The website reads that Chinese scientists have completed clinical researches of the anitivirus drugs Favilavir which can stop the fever in 2.5 4.2 days without serious collateral effect. The drugs are used in China to prevent coronavirus that resulted in reduce of new illness cases by 80%. The cost starts from 9,000 rubles ($120) for a package of medicine, the statement reads. According to prosecutors, the Healthcare Ministry says that other drugs are recommended for the coronavirus treatment. Taliban Constitution Offers Glimpse Into Militant Group's Vision For Afghanistan By Frud Bezhan April 26, 2020 When most of Afghanistan was under Taliban rule in the late 1990s, the fundamentalist regime drafted a new constitution. The document was never officially ratified, and it was unclear how much of it was ever implemented before the U.S.-led invasion in 2001 toppled the extremist Islamic group from power. But the constitution offers a glimpse into what kind of government the militant organization envisages as it prepares to negotiate a future power-sharing arrangement with the current Afghan government led by President Ashraf Ghani. A political settlement made by the disparate Afghan sides is a key component of the peace deal signed by the United States and the Taliban on February 29 that is aimed at ending the 18-year war. Under the deal, foreign forces will leave Afghanistan in exchange for counterterrorism guarantees from the Taliban, which has agreed to launch direct negotiations with Afghan officials for a permanent cease-fire and a power-sharing formula to rule the country. Since 2001, the Taliban insurgency has vowed to drive out foreign forces and overthrow the Western-backed government in Kabul. But even as it seemingly pursues peace, it been vague about what kind of postwar government it envisions in Afghanistan. Radical Islamic Seminaries The Taliban emerged in 1994 following the end of the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan. The predominantly ethnic Pashtun group first surfaced in ultraconservative Islamic seminaries in Pakistan, where millions of Afghans had fled as refugees. The seminaries radicalized thousands of Afghans who joined the mujahedin, the U.S.-backed Islamist rebels who fought against the occupying Soviet forces. The Taliban appeared in the southern city of Kandahar, Afghanistan's second largest, in 1994, two years after the mujahedin seized power in the country. Infighting among mujahedin factions fueled a devastating civil war that killed more than 100,000 people in Kabul alone. The Taliban promised to restore security and enforce their ultraconservative brand of Islam. They captured Kabul in 1996 and two years later controlled some 90 percent of the country. In 1998, Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar assembled some 500 Islamic scholars from across the country to draft a new constitution for the country. After three days of deliberations, the scholars drafted a 14-page document -- the first and only attempt by the Taliban to codify its views on power and governance. 'Intensely Religious Roots' In the document, power was centralized in the hands of an "Amir ul-Momineen," or leader of the faithful. This supreme leader was the head of state and had ultimate authority. This was Mullah Omar, the Taliban's spiritual leader and founder. The constitution did not describe how such a leader would be selected or for how long he could serve. But it said the supreme leader must be male and a Sunni Muslim. An Islamic council, handpicked by the supreme leader, would serve as the legislature and implement laws and policy. The government, headed by the head of the council of ministers -- a quasi-prime ministerial position -- would report to the Islamic council. Under the constitution, Sunni Islam was to be the official state religion, even though some 15 percent of the population are Shi'ite Muslims. The document stated that no law could be contrary to Islamic Shari'a law. The constitution granted freedom of expression, women's education, and the right of a fair trial, but all within the limits of the Taliban's strict interpretation of Shari'a law. It is unclear how the document shaped the Taliban's draconian laws and brutal policies during its Islamic Emirate, the official name of the Taliban regime that ruled Afghanistan from 1996-2001. The Taliban banned TV and music, forced men to pray and grow beards, forced women to cover themselves from head to toe, and prevented women and girls from working or going to school. The Taliban amputated the hands of thieves, publicly flogged people for drinking alcohol, and stoned to death those who engaged in adultery. Executions were common. Andrew Watkins, a senior analyst for Afghanistan at the International Crisis Group, said the draft constitution reflects the "Taliban's intensely religious roots" and reveals the importance placed on a "centralized authority" for a group that was "founded on a mission of restoring order to the country." The document was littered with contradictions and was never ratified. It was republished in 2005, a year after Afghanistan adopted a new constitution. But the document has disappeared from Taliban discourse in recent years. "That may have been due to internal debate over certain articles, or just reflective of the group's inclination to remain flexible in its policies, in part perhaps to prevent internal divisions over policy differences," said Watkins. 'Monopoly On Power' As an insurgent group, the Taliban has preserved some of its key principles since it was overthrown in 2001. Power is still centralized in the hands of an all-powerful leader, who oversees a shadow Taliban government in Afghanistan. The Taliban still enforces its strict interpretation of Islam in areas under its control. And it still regards Shari'a as the supreme law. But analysts say the past two decades have changed how the Taliban views power. The Taliban overcame a succession crisis after the death of Mullah Omar, has fended off competition from the global appeal of the Islamic State (IS) extremist group, and has remained a relatively coherent fighting force despite its 18-year war against foreign and Afghan government forces. "The group now operates in a strange combination of increasingly centralizing its control over its own membership, while also allowing it to decentralize in other ways," said Watkins. The Taliban has claimed recently that it is not the same group that ruled Afghanistan in the 1990s. In a public statement, the Taliban said it does not want to reestablish its Islamic Emirate and has attempted to project a more reconciliatory image. But the Taliban's ambiguity on women's rights, free speech, and elections -- key democratic tenets introduced in Afghanistan since 2001 -- has raised fears among many Afghans that the extremist group will attempt to restore its severe regime. The Taliban said in January 2019 that they are not seeking a "monopoly on power" in a future administration in Afghanistan but are looking for ways to coexist with Afghan institutions, in what was seen as the militants' most conciliatory statement to date. A month earlier, Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said "if peace comes and the Taliban returns, then our return will not be in the same harsh way as it was in 1996." The Taliban said in February 2019 that it is committed to granting women their rights and allowing them to work and go to school, but only as long as they do not violate Islam or Afghan values. But in the same statement, the Taliban also suggested it wants to curtail the fragile freedoms gained by women, prompting a wave of concern from rights campaigners. Analysts said the Taliban's great ambiguity on key issues reflects the divisions within the group. The Taliban's political leadership based in Pakistan is believed to be more open to an accommodation in assuming power under a peace deal. Meanwhile, hard-line military commanders on the battlefield in Afghanistan are reluctant to budge on their demands for a full restoration of the Islamic Emirate. "There is a cocktail of views among the Taliban on power and governance," said Javid Ahmad, a senior fellow at the Washington-based Atlantic Council. "More than anything, Taliban leaders need an intra-Taliban dialogue to settle their conflicting views about a future Afghan state," Ahmad added. There are also intense differences among the Afghan political elite. Pashtuns, the largest ethnic group in Afghanistan, generally support a centralized state that guarantees their control of the government. But non-Pashtuns, which constitute a majority of the population, believe too much power of the state is left in the hands of one individual, and support decentralization because it would enshrine a more inclusive and equitable distribution of power. 'Incredibly Difficult' Direct talks between the Taliban and an Afghan negotiation team over a permanent cease-fire and a power-sharing arrangement were expected to start on March 10. But the launch of the negotiations has been delayed due to disputes over the release of Taliban prisoners and the formation of Kabul's negotiating team. Even when intra-Afghan negotiations begin, many expect them to be complex and protracted, possibly taking years, considering the gulf between the sides on policy and distributing power. "It will be incredibly difficult to get the two parties to come up with compromises on every issue of governance," Ahmad said, although he added that there were also reasons for hope. Both the Taliban's political vision and the Afghan political system are modeled on the centralization of power and the supreme role of Islam. Afghanistan's 2004 constitution prescribes that "no law can be contrary to the beliefs and provisions of the sacred religion of Islam" and sometimes appears at odds with more liberal and democratic elements within it. Power is in the hands of a heavily centralized government. The president has the right to appoint and fire governors, mayors, police chiefs, district governors, and senators and has a tight grip on the country's finances and how funds are spent and distributed. "There is much more common ground in the legal and governance systems of these two than many of their supporters, on either side, care to admit," said Watkins. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/taliban-constitution- offers-glimpse-into-militant-group-s- vision-for-afghanistan/30577298.html Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Older people are at higher risk for COVID-19. So are people with chronic medical conditions, such as heart disease, diabetes, kidney disease and respiratory illness. Both groups are heavily represented among the nation's 1.3 million nursing home residents. That concentration is a key reason why almost a third of U.S. deaths from COVID-19 have occurred among residents and staff at long-term care facilities, according to tracking by the Kaiser Family Foundation. But it's not the only one. A number of conditions at nursing homes can exacerbate the spread of the disease: frequent physical contact between residents and staff understaffing employees who work in multiple facilities, increasing chances for exposure residents sharing rooms transfers of residents from hospitals and other settings shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE) such as masks and gowns lagging COVID-19 vaccination rates These factors make nursing homes potential breeding grounds for viral and bacterial diseases, especially given chronic problems with infection control that predate the pandemic. A May 2020 report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office found that 4 in 5 nursing homes surveyed between 2013 and 2017 were cited for deficiencies in infection prevention and control, leading the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to announce tougher rules for infection-control inspections and enforcement. What's being done about it? As the scale of COVID-19s toll on nursing homes became clear early in the pandemic, heightened infection-control protocols such as testing, masking, social distancing, hand hygiene and proper use of PPE were mandated in facilities. Nursing homes essentially shut their doors in an effort to curb coronavirus entry and spread, instituting strict limits on visitation and suspending communal dining and other resident activities. Residents and staff at nursing homes were in the first priority group to get vaccinated when America started rolling out its COVID-19 vaccines in late 2020. As vaccinations have increased throughout 2021, restrictions have loosened, particularly those regarding visitation. But COVID-19 is still a threat to nursing home residents and staff, particularly given the recent rise of the delta variant. Hundreds of residents continue to die from the virus each month, so some infection control practices still remain. AARP and many others in the long-term care community are now also working toward major long-term care industry reforms to ensure another crisis like COVID-19 is avoided. How are nursing home residents and staff getting COVID-19 vaccines and boosters? In late 2020 and early 2021, the federal government contracted with CVS, Walgreens and some regional pharmacies to vaccinate residents and staff at most of the nations nursing homes and other long-term care facilities. The program, which provided each participating facility with three on-site vaccination clinics, wrapped up in late March. COVID-19 vaccines and boosters, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends for those who live and work in long-term care settings, are now being allocated to pharmacies partnered with long-term care facilities, with facilities responsible for administering them. Facilities that dont have a pharmacy partner are encouraged to work with local or state health departments or the federal government, if need be to provide vaccinations. A federal mandate now requires most nursing homes workers to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by Jan. 4, however, some state governments and nursing home companies have adopted staff vaccination requirements that are already in effect. Nursing homes are also required to offer all residents and staff COVID-19 vaccines and to publicly report their vaccination rates. You can find vaccination rates of both residents and staff at any facility and compare them with state and national averages on Medicare.govs Care Compare website. [April 27, 2020] byte Invisible Aligners Goes International with Australia Expansion byte, the leader in doctor-driven at-home invisible aligner therapy announced its expansion into Australia. Following its success in the U.S. market to increase access to affordable and convenient teeth straightening with board-certified doctor supervision, byte will now make what has been inaccessible, accessible to the Aussie population during a time when the byte teledentistry platform is more important than ever. As an approved partner of the American TeleDentistry Association, byte's orthodontist-directed treatment is the fastest teeth straightening system on the market, making it twice as fast as other options when using its exclusive HyperByte program. "We've seen outstanding success in the United States, not just in terms of byte's growth but in the enthusiasm from our customers who are finding confidence in their new smiles," said byte president Neeraj Gunsagar. "We want to bring that to even more people, and with Australia as our first international market, we're poised to do just that." At a cost that's 60% less than traditionl braces, byte offers an affordable solution for people looking to finally get the smile they've been wanting. Dental care is the second largest expense in the Australian healthcare system, so byte has also made it attainable with financing options to open up even broader access to care. byte's exclusive HyperByte dental acceleration device, remote monitoring, and a lifetime guarantee set it apart from other options. Since launching, byte has brought a personalized touch to teeth straightening with SmileScience-which customizes each customer's 3D treatment plan with the symmetry of their face in mind-a technique developed by Chief Cosmetic Officer and Hollywood's premier dentist Dr. John Marashi. "We're excited to bring even more choice, access, and affordability to the Australian dental market," said Dr. Marashi. ABOUT BYTE byte is the #1 rated, doctor-driven leader disrupting the dental industry by giving customers access to at-home invisible aligners that deliver professional results in half the time and cost of traditional methods. Headquartered in Los Angeles, byte's nationwide network of licensed orthodontists and dentists oversee every treatment plan. At under $85 per month, byte has found a way to make the inaccessible, accessible-providing an easy, convenient and affordable way to upgrade your smile. For more information on byte, visit: https://www.byteme.com . View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200427005133/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Can't allow every person who thinks of some solution to COVID-19 to file petition: SC Migrants have been taken care of, no cause for concern, MHA tells Supreme Court India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Apr 27: The Ministry of Home Affairs has told the Supreme Court that it is personally supervising all the directives and also added that the migrants cannot be moved during the lockdown. In its status report, the MHA said that there is no need for migrants to go back to their villages. Shelter, food and medical facilities are being taken care of. The needs of their families are also being taken care of in the respective villages, the MHA also said. Coronavirus outbreak: PIL in SC demands govt to allow COVID-19 negative migrants return home There are around 37,978 relief camps in the country. Around 14.3 lakh persons have been housed. Additionally, 26,255 food camps giving food to 1.34 crore persons have been sent up. Additional 16.5 lakh workers have been given shelter by their employers, the MHA also said. Further, the report said that the MHA is supervising all the directives. The MHA is assisted by the Home Secretary, Cabinet Secretary and control rooms operational 24 hours, the Supreme Court was also told. SALT LAKE CITY, April 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Strong global corporate citizens step up to do their part when the world is hurting and in need. It's why USANA, the USANA Foundation, and several of its international markets have answered the call to provide significant donations during the COVID-19 outbreak. USANA's United States, Philippines, Australia, New Zealand, China, and Korea markets have all made considerable donations during this time. "It's truly inspiring to work for a company that puts the needs of the people first and answers the call to help when others need it," says David Mulham, USANA's chief sales officer. "My job allows me to communicate with people from around the world. I hear firsthand how much suffering this pandemic has caused, and I know how much our donations, and donations from other companies, help to keep people safe, nourished, and positive. From our employees to our 600,000 global Associates, everyone is lending a hand." United States Locally, the USANA Foundation and its Kids Eat program remain open to continue the mission to feed children in Utah who would typically go hungry. Each week, USANA Kids Eat provides 850 weekend bags to participating schools. A corona-relief campaign is also in place to provide larger-size pantry bags to students who are unable to utilize the schools grab-and-go lunches during the week. Additionally, the USANA Foundation is working with its trusted partners at Convoy of Hope to provide 50,000 meals to families across the country. Philippines In the Philippines, the local USANA office plans to donate personal protective equipment (PPEs) and Mini CellSentials to healthcare facilities and workers across the country. A monetary donation worth P1 million pesos (~$20,000 USD) will be divided amongst three major health care facilities in the country to help them purchase around 1,600 PPE's for medical workers on the frontlines. A total of 13 facilities will also receive more than 4,000 bottles of USANA's multi-vitamin supplementMini CellSentials. The total monetary value of these donations equals P4.8 million pesos (~$100,000 USD). Australia USANA Australia is also doing its part to donate money to national food banks and charities. In coordination with the USANA Foundation, the USANA Australia office is donating $25,000 AUD to Foodbank Australia, the country's largest food relief organization. The donation will provide 50,000 meals for those in need, and will assist the Foodbank's key food staple program to ensure it's supplied with the most necessary items. A 23 percent increase in those seeking relief from charities has already been seen, with the number likely to rise in coming weeks. New Zealand New Zealand's KidsCan organization will receive a donation of $15,000 NZD from the New Zealand market and the USANA Foundation. This donation will help to support KidsCan's target goal of donating 3,000 emergency food packs to the most vulnerable children and their families in isolated communities. The donation provides 100 family food parcels (including delivery) containing rice, pasta, pasta sauce, heat and eat meals, fruit, and other food essentialseach with the staples needed to feed a family of five for two weeks. China Earlier this year, BabyCare-USANA's Chinese subsidiary-together with its local sales Associates donated an astounding $394,489.29 USD (2,795,430 CNY) to the China Foundation of Poverty Alleviation (CFPA) and China National Health Commission. $112,895.49 USD came directly from BabyCare while $281,593.80 USD came from Chinese Associates. The money went towards emergency materials such as ambulances, respirators, disinfectant and medical masks and were given to Wuhan Tongji Hospital, Huang Zhou General Hospital, and other hospitals in Wuhan to fight against the COVID-19. Lastly, the market donated 20 tablets and six smartphones to the Love Meals aid school for their remote learning. Korea In early March, USANA's Korea office announced a generous donation from the USANA Foundation of $116,000 (130,000,000 KRW) worth of USANA HealthPaks to the Daegu Division of Social Disaster. The HealthPaks were given to medical staff and those in quarantine to help provide them with extra nutrition. They were also delivered to those in the city who are also in need of nutrition. "The USANA Foundation was more than prepared to take action and help all our markets in putting together donation plans to help their communities during this time," says Brian Paul, USANA Foundation president. "From big donations to small, every little bit helps, and I am so proud to see the work everyone associated with USANA is doing." About USANA USANA (NYSE:USNA) prides itself in providing consumers the highest quality nutritional products in the world. From its award-winning supplements to its innovative skincare line, USANA has proven for more than 25 years why it's a company you can trust. How about giving us a try? Shop at USANA.com or learn more at whatsupusana.com. Media Contact: Ashley Collins Executive Vice President of Marketing (801) 954-7629 media(at)us.usana(dot)com USANA International Headquarters www.usana.com SOURCE USANA Related Links http://www.usana.com Bill Johnson: Every Christian called to give God 'opportunity' to work miracles through them Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Bethel Church pastor Bill Johnson said that while many Christians are uncomfortable with the supernatural and hold back from allowing God to miraculously heal the sick through them, the responsibility of every believer is to take some form of risk to give God a chance to show up and do what only He can do. Johnson, pastor of the megachurch in Redding, California, that also runs a school of supernatural ministry, participated in Thursdays session of the Q 2020 Virtual Summit, an annual event that equips Christian leaders to thoughtfully engage culture from a Christian worldview. During the session, the pastor was asked by host Gabe Lyons to address why we should lean into the supernatural more and trust God to do things that we might not ever understand in the supernatural realm. If everything about [God] is something I understand, then I've reduced Him to my size, Johnson replied. I'm required to live with mystery. And if I'm a follower of Jesus, I need to at least attempt to do what He did and said that we would do. Johnson referenced Matthew 10:8, where Jesus sends out the 12 Apostles and tells them: Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give." Part of what He imparted to His disciples was this mandate to heal the sick, raise the dead, whatever it might be, he explained. It's the miracle realm. The miracle realm is not the bonus, it's not the controversial side issue. It's the heart and nature of who Jesus was and what He displayed [on earth.] I may never do it well, I just don't have the right to change my assignment. Johnson encouraged Christians to give Jesus the occasion to show up and do the extravagant thing. My responsibility is to carry truth and to take some form of risk to give God a chance to show up and do what only He can do, the pastor said. I still want to present the Gospel so that people come to Christ. So my responsibility is to carry truth and to take some form of risk to give God a chance to show up and do what only He can do. According to Johnson, two things hold Christians back from pursuing a lifestyle of allowing God to work extravagantly through them: Bad teaching where we're taught it ended some time ago, and "disappointment. I think it's in our DNA as a believer, to see God do extravagant things through us, he said. It's a part of just a normal desire, ... we actually have to be taught out of that. And it's normal for us to long to see God use us in a significant way. The mistake comes when we take it to ourselves that it's because of our great faith or our great strength or courage, whatever it might be. That's an error, but it's also an error to go the other direction and to say, Well, if God wants it to happen, He'll just do it and I don't need to pursue a life of risk. It's just not the way it's played out in Scripture. The California pastor also discussed his view of the presence of God, explaining that because the Holy Spirit is the greatest gift we've been given, the Holy Spirit in my life has to be better than Jesus standing right next to me at my side. So Jesus next to me at my side is less than the Holy Spirit in my life growing in me, the pastor said. We need to learn to host Him so He rests upon us continuously. The 12,000-member church is known for its focus on faith healing. Bethel currently hosts online healing rooms that are available from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., seven days a week. Additionally, many of the 2,400 students at the churchs School of Supernatural Ministry approach and pray for people in hospitals and healthcare centers, though not without controversy. In April, Bethel shifted their healing rooms to online events weeks after suspending their faith healing ministry at hospitals due to the coronavirus. Chris Gore, the churchs head of healing, told The Washington Post that the most common ailment among the approximately 100 calls they get daily from around the world are mostly related to stress about the coronavirus. Johnson urged the church to come alongside their local communities in the wake of the coronavirus, stressing that we have to erase the line between us and then we have to stop thinking that we're the inside group. If we treat them like a project, then we will always try to change them instead of to love them, he said. What we've chosen to do is come alongside our civic leaders and the system, not try to change them but try to honor them for who they are, for God putting them in the position area and serving them for the well-being of our city. We believe in miracles and we see extraordinary things happen ... but we can also serve and help them carry on their responsibilities, whatever it might be. We can offer our facilities for this pandemic to serve people in need. It doesn't matter. There's no separation. COVID-19, Johnson emphasized, presents a prime time for the Church to experience significant breakthrough in its interactions with secular culture. People are becoming more and more aware that they don't have an answer and they realize their politicians don't have the answers either, he said. We have to make sure that we maintain the hope in our life because people are crying out for hope ... And if we come under the influence of circumstances, instead of under the influence of the Almighty God and His heart for people, then we won't carry the message as we should. We won't hear the opportunity. I think we're being positioned for a Great Awakening, and a mighty, mighty, mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit, he declared. The large gathering of the church is where identity is established and prophetic direction becomes clear for the whole group; the small group is where the churchs authority and strength are displayed, Johnson said. Fathers have to put aside any insecurity for somebody else getting the credit, getting the breakthrough ... and celebrate that this is the moment for the Church to really be strong where God has called us to be strong, and thats in the two or three. The annual Q conference was founded in 2007 by Gabe and Rebekah Lyons. The two-day event featured a number of influential thought leaders, pastors, and notable members of the Christian community. After hours of wearing a mask, they can chafe badly. Jack Chen, the co-founder of Creality3D in Shenzhen, China, said the increase in interest has been unmistakable. Sales of his company's popular, entry-level machines were about 50,000 units globally in February, he said. That increased by 5000 units in March as many Americans began to fall ill with the virus (about 40 per cent of the company's sales go to the US). For April, deliveries are on track to reach as many as 170,000 (they were 85,000 at mid-month). Loading One member of this 3D-volunteer force is Kate Bilyeu, a social media marketer in Eugene, Oregon. She recently ordered a Creality printer for about $US229, and said she's prepared to make whatever parts she can to help battle the pandemic. "Even if I just have one machine, I can print enough for people that I know," said Bilyeu, 37, who like many others trying 3D printing for the first time, has a personal motivation. Bilyeu said she has two brothers-in-law who work in local hospitals and are constantly at risk because of the shortage of PPE. For the uninitiated, 3D printers take raw plastic, heat it up to more than (220 degrees Celsius) and convert it, layer by layer, to match designs either downloaded from the internet or devised on a home computer. Printers range from just under $US200 to as much as $US2000 each (and can be further customised for hundreds of dollars more). They have a system of rails and pulleys that move the hot plastic extruder above a flat bed where the item you're printing takes shape. Autodesk is a popular software program for designers, and there are free programs that can be used to convert a design into a file your printer can read. Part of a global trend: Francis Murillo in Caracas, Venezuela, wears a facial shields that she made with donated recycled materials and a 3D printer. Credit:AP Though the plastic can smell a bit when it is melting, the good news is that most of what's out there is plant-based, or is the kind used in water bottles and, coincidentally, considered hospital safe. Social media web sites are full of discussion groups and channels about who is making PPE, how they are making it and which designs are being used. Michael Copeland, 32, of Uniontown, Pennsylvania, said he already has requests from medical organisations that he can fulfil with his Creality printer when it arrives. He estimates he's watched hundreds of hours of YouTube videos and plans to lean heavily on a friend who is already a 3D printing expert. The Facebook group 3D Printing for Noobs (newbies, or beginners) has more than 13,000 members-an increase of 2000 in just the past week. Discussions are dominated by people new to the hobby who want to learn how to make PPE. Another popular Facebook site, 3D Printing Club, has seen close to a 25 per cent increase in new members. Joel Telling, who hosts the YouTube channel 3D Printing Nerd, said the videos on making PPE are by far his most popular shows at the moment. And the rush to supply medical equipment isn't just in the US. Last year, at least 700,000 of so-called desktop 3D printers were sold around the world, almost double the number from 2015. 3D printers make head straps for protective face shields at Maker Nexus in Sunnyvale, California, US. Credit:Bloomberg Josef Prusa, the founder of Prusa Research, makes his own line of popular 3D printers produced in the Czech Republic. Sales have doubled since February, he said. Prusa, 30, said he posted one of the first designs for a face shield online as the virus hit the European nation. The company has a production facility with 600 3D printers. Since the pandemic, close to half of them have been making medical face straps-75,000 sets so far, he said. Prusa's design was downloaded more than 100,000 times before the company had to disable the counting software, since it was slowing down the company's servers. Loading "It is bonkers," he said. "We didn't expect that it would pick up so much all over the world. When we first started handing these out, we had people crying on the phone because they had nothing." Ryan Tuleja Sr, of Bond, Oregon, set up his $US175 printer on April 9 and has already printed more than 100 items, a mixture of those ear-saving straps and a special, tiny plastic block used by people making homemade cloth masks. The 42-year-old first-timer said he saw reports of other people pitching in to help the medical community and wanted to get involved. Christian Tamte, of Columbus, Ohio, recently got her new printer. A travel agent, Tamte has a lot of free time these days. She spent last weekend on Facebook, asking for advice on how to get the printer tuned and ready to print. Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. A detailed analysis report of the Global Canned Food Market has been covered in the report coupled with a thorough description of each company profile with information on the H.Q, future capabilities, key mergers & acquisitions, financial outline, partnerships and new product launches and developments. Canned food is stated as processed food item which is packed airtight with added preservatives. This packaging is mostly done in metal cans. Canned food products have found acceptance worldwide as they have short cooking time, long shelf life, and easy storage. These favorable attributes of canned food products are proving to be a major driver for the canned food market. The variety of products that are sold as canned food is increasing day by day because canned food addresses the problem of convenience of getting food anywhere. The products available in the canned food category are Beans, Fish/Seafood, Fruit, Meat and Meat Product, Pasta, Ready Meals, Soup, Tomatoes and vegetables. Canned food has found a good acceptance in North America and Europe as the customers in these regions are more concerned and sensitive towards nutrition. The change in lifestyle taking place in Asia Pacific and Latin America is providing new avenues for the Canned Food market to expand. Middle East and Africa also contribute substantially to Global Canned Food Market. Browse the complete Global Canned Food Market Research Report - Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast Till 2026 @ https://www.decisiondatabases.com/ip/523-canned-food-market-report The major players in the canned food market are: Freedom Foods Group Ltd. General Mills ConAgra Foods Inc. Hershey Co. Hormel Foods Corp. Kroger Co. Mars Wm Morrison Supermarkets Plc Rugen Fisch AG Appel Feinkost GmbH & Co KG Shineway Group Herdez SA Nestle SEGMENTATIONS IN REPORT: Canned Food By Products: Beans Fish/Seafood Fruit Meat And Meat Product Pasta Ready Meals Soup Tomatoes Vegetables Other Canned Food By Geography: Asia Pacific North America Europe Latin America Middle East And Africa Download Free Sample Report of Global Canned Food Market @ https://www.decisiondatabases.com/contact/download-sample-523 The Global Canned Food Market has been exhibited in detail in the following chapters - Chapter 1 Canned Food Market Preface Chapter 2 Executive Summary Chapter 3 Canned Food Industry Analysis Chapter 4 Canned Food Market Value Chain Analysis Chapter 5 Canned Food Market Analysis By Products Chapter 6 Canned Food Market Analysis By Geography Chapter 7 Competitive Landscape Of Canned Food Companies Chapter 8 Company Profiles Of Canned Food Industry Purchase the complete Global Canned Food Market Research Report @ https://www.decisiondatabases.com/contact/buy-now-523 Other Reports by DecisionDatabases.com: Global Food Certification Market Research Report - Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast Till 2026 Global Fast Food Market Research Report - Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast Till 2026 About-Us: DecisionDatabases.com is a global business research reports provider, enriching decision makers and strategists with qualitative statistics. DecisionDatabases.com is proficient in providing syndicated research report, customized research reports, company profiles and industry databases across multiple domains. Our expert research analysts have been trained to map clients research requirements to the correct research resource leading to a distinctive edge over its competitors. We provide intellectual, precise and meaningful data at a lightning speed. For more details: DecisionDatabases.com E-Mail: sales@decisiondatabases.com Phone: +91 9028057900 Web: https://www.decisiondatabases.com/ Virgin Galactic's VSS Unity spaceliner captured this view of Earth during the vehicle's first trip to space, on Dec. 13, 2018. President Donald Trump may be a fan of human spaceflight, but that doesn't necessarily mean he wants to visit the final frontier himself. During a conversation with NASA chief Jim Bridenstine on Friday (April 24), the president, whose administration has directed NASA to land astronauts on the moon by 2024, expressed a distinct lack of interest in flying aboard Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo suborbital spacecraft. Bridenstine was visiting the White House to brief Trump on some of NASA's contributions to the fight against the coronavirus pandemic, which include a new ventilator designed and built by engineers at the agency's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. At one point, the conversation turned to Virgin Galactic, which is wrapping up the test campaign of its newest SpaceShipTwo vehicle, VSS Unity. As I told @POTUS earlier today at the White House, rocket scientists do amazing things even when working from home. Watch this @NBCNews video clip from today's meeting to hear about our workforces innovation to combat coronavirus and learn more at https://t.co/Bqck6e7gxQ. pic.twitter.com/nItZzJZG58April 24, 2020 See more After Bridenstine explained what flying aboard VSS Unity would be like, Trump asked him, "Would you do it?" "I would absolutely do it. Are you kidding? In a heartbeat," replied Bridenstine, a former Navy fighter pilot who flew combat missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. "I'll pass," Trump responded. But maybe the president is just holding out for an orbital experience. We'll have to wait to hear his thoughts about taking a trip on SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsule, which is scheduled to launch astronauts to the International Space Station for the first time on May 27. 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. Here are todays top news, analysis and opinion at this hour. Know all about the latest news and other news updates from Hindustan Times. How do you enforce lockdown and open shops? asks Mamata Banerjee West Bengal Chief Minister Banerjee on Monday accused the Centre of making contradictory statements about the enforcement of the lockdown and said there should be greater clarity on the Union home ministrys order on reopening shops. Read more. Singapore, Kuwait record highest number of Indian Covid-19 cases Singapore and Kuwait have emerged as the countries with the highest number of expatriate Indians infected by the Coronavirus, accounting for more than half of the 6,200 such infections reported from across the world, people familiar with developments said on Monday. Read more. Kerala for partial nationwide lockdown till May 15, seeks financial relief The Kerala government wants the lockdown, in place to check the spread of coronavirus disease, to be extended partially till May 15 and sought an exclusive Covid-19 financial relief from the Centre to compensate Rs 80,000 crore loss it suffered during the shutdown. Read more. Mumbai cop who was denied admission in 4 civic hospitals dies of Covid-19 A 57-year-old head constable attached with the Kurla traffic division of Mumbai Police, who was denied admission in four civic hospitals died of Covid-19 on Monday. He was undergoing treatment at Parels King Edward Memorial Hospital. This is the third death due to coronavirus from the Mumbai police force in the last 48-hours. Read more. Pakistan violates ceasefire along LoC in Jammu and Kashmir Pakistani troops violated ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) in Uri sector of Jammu and Kashmir by resorting to unprovoked firing, officials said on Monday. The Pakistani troops targeted Indian positions by using both small and heavy firearms in Silikote, Churunda and Tilawari areas of Uri sector in Baramulla district, they said. There were no reports of any casualties so far, the officials said. Read more. From my personal experience: UK PM Boris Johnson returns to work after covid bout In his first day back at work UK PM Boris Johnson said the country was beginning to turn the tide. Boris Johnson returned to work after suffering from covid-19. While speaking outside 10 Downing Street, Johnson argued that lifting the lockdown too soon would allow a second spike of infections. He also hinted that the country was approaching end of 1st phase of the conflict. Watch the full video for more details. Watch video here. No hike in school fees this year, says UP deputy CM Dinesh Sharma In a major relief to parents, deputy chief minister Dinesh Sharma on Monday directed all private schools across Uttar Pradesh not to hike fees in this academic session in view of the lockdown. The decision was taken in a meeting with secondary education department officials. Read more. Riding my bicycle for 60-70km; planning to try out rock climbing Top athletes talk to HT about their experience of dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic. This is CS Santosh, Indias most accomplished rallyist. He is the first Indian to both compete and complete the Dakar Rally and has taken part in the worlds most celebrated and dangerous rally every year since 2015. Read more. Fan asks Kapil Sharma why he no longer posts angry tweets, comedian says tamasha dekhne walo me se ho aap Gone are the days when Kapil Sharma would vent out his frustration on Twitter. His newfound calm on social media prompted a fan to tell him during an Ask Me Anything session that it has been a while since he angrily tweeted something. Read more. UNESCO, UAE begin reconstruction of historic Iraqi church destroyed by ISIS Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Work has begun to rebuild a Christian church in Iraq destroyed by the Islamic State as part of a partnership between the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and the Muslim-majority United Arab Emirates. UNESCO announced last week that construction has commenced on the Conventual Church of Our Lady of the Hour in Mosul. Mosul was once Iraqs second-largest city before it was overrun by the Islamic State terrorist group in 2014 but liberated by U.S.-backed coalition forces in 2017. "With the official approval from The Dominican order, UNESCO in close collaboration with relevant authorities will now start the stabilization and rehabilitation of The Conventual Church of Our Lady of the Hour in Mosul, the international body said in a statement. "This projects component will include all the phases of a stabilization and rehabilitation project from site clearance and initial survey to the preparation of the detailed design for the actual execution of the works. The church, also known as Al-Saaa Church, was built in the 1800s and is located at the heart of the Old City of Mosul. The church is also known as The Clock Church because it was gifted a clock in 1880 by Empress Eugenie of France, the wife of Emperor Napoleon III. As previously reported by The Telegraph, the church was blown up by the Islamic State. According to UNESCO, the church has always been considered one of the areas iconic landmarks and was a living example of the brotherhood between Moslawis. The rehabilitation of this church is important not only because of its value as cultural heritage but also as a testimony to the diversity of the city, a proud crossroads of cultures and a peaceful haven for different religious communities over the centuries, UNESCO said. International Christian Concern, a U.S.-based advocacy group, reports that Al-Saaa Church represents the long historical presence of Christianity in Mosul. According to UNESCO, the church building also carries architectural value. Each viewer coming from Nineveh or Al-Farouq Street would see the Al-Hadba Minaret first then the bell tower of the Conventual Church of Our Lady of the Hour, or vice-versa, the statement reads. This architectural and urban feature is engraved in the memory and history of the people and of the city and is emblematic of the cultural diversity and peaceful co-existence between its communities. The project will create a unique on-the-job training opportunity for local heritage professionals and craftsmen. The rehabilitation project was announced last October as part of the UNESCO-UAE initiative called Revive the Spirit of Mosul. The project aims to reconstruct the historic landmarks of Mosul damaged by the Islamic State. Another project announced as part of the initiative last October was the restoration of the Al-Tahira Syriac-Catholic Church. The centuries-old church had its roof collapse when it was bombarded in 2017. The UNESCO-UAE partnership is also working to restore the Al Hadba Minaret and the Al-Nouri Mosque of Mosul, which was built more than 850 years ago. UNESCO is fostering reconciliation and social cohesion in Mosul through the restoration and reconstruction of emblematic historical sites as part of UNESCOs international initiative Revive the Spirit of Mosul, UNESCO stated. The initiative will also include the construction of a museum and memorial site to exhibit and preserve remnants of the sites with the community and educational spaces. The UNESCO-UAE partnership comes as the Arabian country has been devoted in recent years to promoting interfaith harmony. UAE labeled 2019 its Year of Tolerance. In 2019, UAE hosted a regional religious freedom summit and also hosted the first papal visit to the Arabian Peninsula. Last September, plans were announced for the building of an interfaith complex called the Abrahamic Family House in which a church, synagogue and mosque will be built on Saadiyat Island near Abu Dhabi. The Abrahamic Family House was a result of Pope Francis visit to Abu Dhabi last February. Pope Francis and the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar in Egypt signed off on establishing the interfaith Higher Committee on Human Fraternity. The discovery of 17 bodies packed inside a makeshift nursing home morgue in Andover, N.J., was enough to finally persuade state officials to release coronavirus infection and death statistics from individual facilities statewide. The gruesome April 13 revelation of how one nursing home was overwhelmed by the dead also ought to be enough to convince Pennsylvania and Philadelphia to be more transparent about COVID-19s toll in elder care facilities. More than 11,000 nursing home residents nationwide have died of the disease, according to the Associated Press. In New Jersey, the 1,800 deaths among residents of elder care facilities represent about 40% of total deaths to date. In Pennsylvania, elder care facilities account for a staggering 60% of all coronavirus deaths. Pennsylvania does provide the number of nursing home cases and deaths on the state Department of Health website, but only on a county by county basis, not by facility. A 1955 law limits public disclosure of information about infections but allows for exceptions when public interest outweighs privacy concerns, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported. Last week, AARP state director Bill Johnston-Walsh wrote Gov. Tom Wolf a letter, asking for names of nursing homes with confirmed COVID-19 cases to be made public. We agree: greater transparency and more information are better for public health and public trust, especially during this emergency. Health-care advocates in New Jersey and Pennsylvania report that frantic family members of nursing home residents whom they can no longer visit have been blowing up the phones trying to get information. Some of their loved ones have dementia and are no longer able to speak for themselves. 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. Medical ethicists note that simply listing the number of cases and deaths per facility does not inherently violate the privacy of patients. But more information may help their families make better decisions. The federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services last week issued new guidance that calls for nursing home residents, and their families, to be notified of cases in their facility. The guidance also requires nursing homes to report cases to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention but does not call for making this information more widely available. Recent Inquirer stories about coronavirus infections and deaths in Pennsylvania, as well as in South Jersey, nursing homes should not come as a surprise. The CDC includes older adults among the groups most vulnerable to serious or fatal coronavirus complications; regardless of age, people in nursing homes often have pulmonary, cardiac, and other conditions that make them more vulnerable to the pathogen. Philadelphia officials say close to half of the more than 1,400 COVID-19 deaths in the city are among residents in nursing homes. As the pandemic exposes supply gaps and other shortcomings across the American health-care system, nursing homes are no exception. Many employees who provide direct care to patients are poorly paid; facilities tend to be short-staffed, especially now. Workers are at risk of exposure, or may unknowingly carry the virus. And shortages of masks and other pieces of personal protective equipment have been all-too-common. More transparency about infections, deaths, and overall conditions in nursing homes will help the system work better. New Delhi: Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Monday (April 27) issued revised advisory to state governments regarding Rapid Antibody Blood tests. The ICMR asked them to stop using Guangzhou Wondfo Biotech and Zhuhai Livzon diagnostics kits. The latest ICMR advisory issued to states stated that "RT-PCR throat/nasal sweat test is the best use for diagnosis of COViD-19. RT-PCR test detects the virus early and is the best strategy to identify and isolate the individual." It said that several states have procured antibody test kits on their demand, ICMR has also provided these kits with clear instructions that they are to be used only for surveillance purposes. Some states have raised issues regarding their performances during the testing exercise that they have undertaken. ICMR has also "evaluated the kits of Guangzhou Wondfo Biotech and Zhuhai Livzon in field conditions. The results have shown wide variation in their sensitivity, despite the early promise of good performance for surveillance purpose." Notably, the total number of people infected with coronavirus is 27,892, while people under active medical supervision are 20,835, said the health ministry, adding that in the last 24 hours, there have been 48 deaths, 381 recoveries, and 1,396 positive COVID-19 cases. The ministry said that the total number of deaths stands now at 872, while 6,184 people have been cured, with a recovery rate of 22.17 per cent. Girl Scouts in Alaska have received a government bailout after the coronavirus lockdown halted all their cookie sales for the foreseeable future, according to a report. The Girl Scouts were forced to stop selling boxes of cookies last month when the coronavirus pandemic forced business closures, all but halting their cash flow, the Anchorage Daily News reported. The money from the cookie drive reportedly contributes heavily to the Girl Scout's council's expenditure including camps and scholarships for 3,500 girls and wages for 20 full-time employees. However, before the scout leaders had to decide where to make cuts, they were notified by First National Bank Alaska notified that they were to receive a federal Paycheck Protection Program loan, according to the Daily News. Its our bridge to keep things going, Leslie Ridle, head of one of two Girl Scouts councils in Alaska, told the newspaper. After a loan officer worked tirelessly to gather information on the council, the body was granted enough funds to keep on their employees and provide virtual activities for girl scouts, Ms Ridle said The Anchorage-based group is said to be sitting on about 144,000 unsold boxes which are taking up space in residents' garages. Im hearing from lots of families: When am I getting these out of my living rooms?', Ms Ridle said. Before a statewide order mandating the close of non-essential businesses in a bid to stem the spread of Covid-19, the girl scout head said sales of the treats were skyrocketing. It was frenzied shopping, and people were hoarding cookies like they were toilet paper, Ms Ridle told the outlet. However, she is hopeful that when the effects of the pandemic start to die down the people of Alaska will still want to return to their ultimate comfort food. The Shehu of Bama, Kyari Ibn Umar Elkanemi, is dead. The monarch, who was in his mid-60s, died in his home in Maiduguri at about 3 p.m., according to the Borno State information commissioner, Babakura Jato. More details of the monarchs death have not been disclosed. But the information commissioner had while announcing the development at the briefing of the COVID-19 committee Monday evening, said: his death has nothing to do with coronavirus pandemic. READ ALSO: The deceased emir has been living in Maiduguri, outside his domain, for the past six years since his emirate, Bama, was dislodged and taken by Boko Haram. Though his palace was rebuilt in 2018, the monarch has not fully returned to Bama, a town that is still functioning as a garrison town and IDP camp for other displaced communities. Mr Jato said, the state government stands with the royal family and the people of Bama, the states council of chiefs and entire people of the state in this grieving period. Life on Marthas Vineyard has been mostly ideal for 11-year-old Mary Elizabeth Lambert, the protagonist of Ann Clare LeZottes historical novel SHOW ME A SIGN (Scholastic, 288 pp., $18.99; ages 8 to 12). Its 1805 and shes lived in Chilmark her whole life, unaware of the safe harbor it has provided from the outside world. Mary and her fellow Chilmark residents are descendants of English colonists such as her great-great-grandfather Jonathan Lambert, who arrived in 1692 from the Weald, a region in Kent known for its deaf population. Over time, as the townspeople have become a mix of the hearing and the deaf, theyve replaced Lamberts English sign language with their own homegrown version. This community seems to embrace intersectional identities. Mary, who is deaf, enjoys amateur spy expeditions with her best friend, Nancy Skiffe who was born hearing to deaf parents and exchanges stories with the grizzled hermit Ezra Brewer. She trails after Thomas Richards, a freed former slave working as a farmhand for her father, or his daughter, Sally, who is Wampanoag Indian on her mothers side. [April 26, 2020] Moovaz and shakers: Logistics start-up for global nomads secures $7 million Series A round SINGAPORE, April 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Once a demographic dominated by affluent professionals, the face of the expat has dramatically shifted to welcome almost everyone, including a new generation of free-spirited, tech-savvy, globally-mobile adventurers keen to experience the world -- and Moovaz is helping them live the dream. Powered by smart technology, Moovaz is reimagining logistics with simple, efficient moving services for a new generation of expat, and has secured a Series A round totalling USD 7 million, including previous convertibles, to do it. An international relocation services platform headquartered in Singapore, Moovaz was founded in 2018 by Lee Junxian and 2 other Co-founders. The vision was simple: to promote a life well moved, for today's global citizens. With the ease of travel and rise in flexible work, more people are choosing to forgo their home bases in pursuit of the digital nomad lifestyle. But the process is typically headache-inducing and comes with many roadblocks, from extremely high costs to slow shipping times and storage container issues. Moovaz turns the traditional logistics industry pside down, providing a smart, curated platform connecting customers with the right services at the right time. "Relocating from one country to another is a huge logistic undertaking. You have to uproot everything, manage accommodation and travel plans, apply for visas, open new bank accounts. Basically move your entire life," says Lee Junxian, Co-Founder and CEO of Moovaz. "Despite all the tech innovations out there, relocation services remain notoriously slow, expensive and inefficient. As the world opens up, these challenges need to be addressed. Our goal is to use innovation to provide a complete moving solution for global citizens, and eliminate the headache that comes with moving your life." On the Moovaz platform, customers can get instant shipping prices and track their belongings. Using automation and data, Moovaz captures customer information and profiles their needs before connecting them with their global network of contractors. However, Moovaz goes beyond the expectations of a relocation services company; instead harnessing technology and automation to provide a seamless moving process for customers. Dubbing themselves "Life Movers", Moovaz helps global citizens move their lives, while also connecting them to their future communities. During the process, Moovaz provides tailored recommendations for essential extra services to ensure as smooth a move as possible, from connecting utilities to buying insurance or setting up the all-important Wi-Fi. While the lion's share of its customers hail from the Asia-Pacfic, Moovaz plans to scale rapidly and expand its partnership base. Now, backed by the likes of Quest Ventures, who are backed by Singapore's sovereign wealth fund, Supply chain conglomerate YCH Group and deep-tech investors SGInnovate, it can do that and moreand has its sights firmly set on strengthening its services and facilities to become an industry leader in the relocation field. This means launching go-to market campaigns in new countries, raising capital, expanding their team, and welcoming new partners to optimize each customers life journey, at a functional level and an emotional one. About Moovaz Moovaz is an all-encompassing relocation service for globalised mobile citizens. Its all-in-one digital platform is revolutionising the logistics and international relocation industry by enabling a seamless and truly moving experience for everyone. Using smart technology and a global network of over 2,000 certified partners, Moovaz offers customers an unprecedented level of transparency and open access to mobility services worldwide. With our dedicated team, Moovaz is committed to delivering convenience and excellence, first time, every time. For more information, please visit https://www.moovaz.com/about-us/ Photo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20200423/2775020-1 SOURCE Moovaz [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Subscriber content preview If you never venture beyond your own bank's nest, you might miss out on valuable rewards, perks and features. By MELISSA LAMBARENA NerdWallet Loyalty to family is admirable, but limiting yourself to just one bank's brood of credit cards may be a tie that binds you up. Sure, having all your cards under a single bank roof can simplify bookkeeping, and it may even grant you access to bonus relationship rewards. It can make reward redemptions seamless and, sometimes, more valuable if you're able to pool those rewards across multiple cards. . . . Is the cure worse than the disease? That question is being increasingly asked as the lockdown to prevent a massive surge of Covid-19 deaths remains in place. As the health service in Northern Ireland braced itself for its greatest challenge, there were early warnings that doctors would have to ration intensive care beds. Even before the novel coronavirus claimed its first victim in Northern Ireland, the medical director at the Northern Trust warned that there was no guarantee there would be enough critical care capacity to deal with a surge in coronavirus patients. Dr Seamus O'Reilly explained in early March that, under worst case scenario plans being drawn up by health bosses, doctors would be faced with the potential life and death decision on which patients would be allocated an intensive care bed. He also revealed that it was likely that outpatient appointments and elective surgeries would be affected. While the warnings were grim, it was difficult to imagine the extent of the impact Covid-19 would have on the NHS in a few short weeks. The health service in Northern Ireland is particularly fragile. For many years funding has not matched demand, workforce planning has been woefully inadequate, while crucial reform of the system has not materialised - mainly due to political antipathy. The result is a service that has survived largely due to the dedication and resolve of staff, determined to provide the best care possible to their patients. Of course, there is only so much that goodwill can achieve and so we have become accustomed to exorbitant waiting times for even potentially life-saving services. We are also familiar with the redirection of resources during times of increased demand, particularly when it comes to winter pressures. Each year, as the NHS prepares for an influx of patients suffering from respiratory conditions and trauma injuries, a proportion of elective procedures and outpatient appointments are cancelled to make way for an increase in emergency cases. So, as the number of Covid-19 cases in Northern Ireland grew and we watched as hospitals in Italy were overwhelmed by the virus, it became increasingly clear that radical action was required to help the health service cope with what lay ahead. This was underscored further when the Health Minister, Robin Swann, warned in mid-March of the possibility of 15,000 coronavirus deaths in Northern Ireland. Less than a week later, the Belfast Telegraph revealed that the emergency department at Daisy Hill Hospital would close on a temporary basis to ensure best use of health service resources. At the same time, an increasing number of operations and hospital appointments were cancelled to free up beds and allow staff to work in Covid-19 wards. Such was the threat to our health service that officials took the unprecedented step of asking people to drive only when absolutely necessary, in part to reduce the number of people injured in road traffic accidents. Parents were asked to keep their children away from trampolines and there were calls to take extra care when doing DIY as medical professionals and even Mr Swann warned that injuries from accidents "may not receive normal levels of care". In the weeks that have followed, the number of people turning up to casualty units has plummeted significantly. This has led to concerns that parents are keeping children away from hospital even when they need medical attention. Meanwhile, the number of people presenting with stroke and cardiac conditions is down. As there is no evidence to suggest that fewer people are suffering from these conditions, the assumption has to be that people are putting themselves at risk by not seeking emergency treatment. And last week it emerged that cancer services across Northern Ireland have seen more than a 60% decrease in the number of urgent referrals from GPs for suspected cancer in the wake of the Covid-19 crisis. Family doctors have said this is as a result of a decrease in the number of people coming forward with red flag symptoms. It comes as screening programmes for cervical, breast and bowel cancer, which result in an earlier diagnosis for hundreds of people every year, have also been paused. Screening for another deadly condition, abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), has also been suspended. Given that most people with the condition rarely experience symptoms, the screening programme undoubtedly saves lives, with 759 men found to have an AAA between 2012 and 2018. At the same time, countless people are struggling with their mental health as a result of the strict isolation measures. Northern Ireland has so far escaped the trauma of doctors rationing intensive care beds and the predicted death toll has been revised to an expected 1,500 in the first 20 weeks of the pandemic. However, make no mistake about it, Covid-19 is lethal. There is still so much about this virus that we do not know - not least who will escape with a temperature and cough and who will become another statistic in the growing death toll. As talk turns to lifting the lockdown, the experts will be carefully assessing how this can be done without a surge in Covid-19 cases. To date, the virus has claimed 299 lives here. What we do not know is the number of lives that have been lost and the number of people suffering today with agonising and debilitating conditions because of the coronavirus crisis. However, the loss of every life as a result of Covid-19 - whether directly or indirectly - is nothing short of a tragedy. From privacy concerns to battery issues, Australia's coronavirus app isn't without its faults. The government wants 40 per cent of Australians to download its COVIDSafe program even though privacy safeguards are yet to be passed into law. Two million people had downloaded the app 24 hours after it was unveiled on Sunday, even though legislation banning police from accessing the data won't be presented to Parliament for another two weeks. The government wants 40 per cent of Australians to download its COVIDSafe program even though privacy safeguards are yet to be passed into law. Pictured are Sydney grocery shoppers From privacy concerns to battery issues, Australia's coronavirus app isn't without its faults At this rate, the government would achieve its goal of 10million users in just five days. Like the Singapore government's TraceTogether program it is based on, COVIDSafe uses Bluetooth technology to determine if someone has come into close contact with a coronavirus case. CovidSafe permissions are LESS invasive than Facebook The new CovidSafe app which uses bluetooth technology to trace coronavirus contacts with encrypted data has far less invasive permission setting requests than Facebook, which most people have on their phones. COVIDSAFE ASKS FOR: * Network access, bluetooth settings * Access location * Ignore battery optimisation * Pair with bluetooth devices FACEBOOK ASKS FOR: * Access bluetooth * Pair with bluetooth devices * Access location * Camera access to take pics, video * Add or modify your calendar events and send email to guests without your knowledge * Modify your contacts * Record audio with the microphone and change your audio settings * Download files without notification * Connect and disconnect from Wi-Fi and view Wi-Fi connections * Prevent your phone from sleeping * Receive data from the internet Updates to Facebook may automatically add capabilities to what it can do to your phone Advertisement Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Australia's Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy have promised it will be a major tool to unwind COVID-19 restrictions in coming weeks - and stop a potential future outbreak. Australians would be more likely to be allowed to leave home for purposes other than buying groceries and medicine, or travelling to work, should close to half the population download it. Individual app users receive notifications, urging them to get tested, if it detects they have been within 1.5 metres of a disease carrier for more than 15 minutes. It also saves health officials from having to ask a coronavirus sufferer to list every person they remember coming into contact with, before a public servant then phones each person individually. The Australian Council for Civil Liberties, unusually for it, favours the app, provided police are barred from accessing the data, as the government has promised. 'Manual contact tracing is far too slow and far too resource intensive,' its president Terry O'Gorman told Daily Mail Australia. 'It does have the potential to aid significantly in controlling this pandemic - we support it but only with significant privacy protections.' COVIDSafe data is meant to be deleted after 21 days and destroyed once the COVID-19 pandemic is over. Australians who sign on to the app receive a screen message promising their privacy will be protected. 'Other agencies, including law enforcement, will not be able to access the information unless investigating misuse of the information itself,' it says. 'These provisions will be enshrined in legislation when parliament returns in May.' Parliament, however, isn't sitting against until May 12, which means COVIDSafe users will be using the app without any legislated privacy protections in place for at least two weeks. Health Minister Greg Hunt announced an app determination on Anzac Day - a day before telling a media conference the app would use encrypted data and only be available to health officials. His Biosecurity (Human Biosecurity Emergency) (Human Coronavirus with Pandemic Potential) (Emergency RequirementsPublic Health Contact Information) Determination 2020 didn't specifically explain how police or law enforcement officials would be banned from accessing the data. Instead, a sub-section of this ministerial directive said an official was entitled to collect the data if it was to prosecute someone for breaching the Biosecurity Act of 2015. Parliament, however, isn't sitting against until May 12, which means COVIDSafe users will be using the app without any legislated privacy protections in place for at least two weeks Individual app users receive notifications, urging them to get tested, if it detects they have been within 1.5 metres of a disease carrier for more than 15 minutes Attorney-General Christian Porter last week promised there would be legislation banning police and law enforcement agencies from accessing the app, addressing a key concern of the Australian Council for Civil Liberties. His spokesman on Monday, however, conceded the health minister and not him was more likely to bring forward new legislation when Parliament returned from May 12 to 14. Labor's health spokesman Chris Bowen is reserving judgement until he sees the legislation, his spokeswoman said. Nationals MPs Barnaby Joyce, a former deputy prime minister, and Llew O'Brien, a former police officer, have declared they won't be downloading the app over privacy concerns. Australians who sign on to the app receive a screen message promising their privacy will be protected. Pictured is a sign-in message One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has declared she won't be either for the same reason. CORONAVIRUS CASES IN AUSTRALIA: 27,244 Victoria: 20,269 New South Wales: 4,273 Queensland: 1,161 Western Australia: 692 South Australia: 473 Tasmania: 230 Australian Capital Territory: 113 Northern Territory: 33 TOTAL CASES: 27,244 ESTIMATED ACTIVE CASES: 269 DEATHS: 897 Updated: 5.31 PM, 11 October, 2020 Source: Australian Government Department of Health Advertisement 'I am not prepared to download the app. I don't want to,' she told Sky News on Monday. 'We are pretty much over the COVID-19.' Like any Bluetooth app, COVIDSafe could also use a lot of battery power, a key concern during natural disasters with Australia's far north near the end of its cyclone season. Australians who use music download apps like Spotify would be familiar with how one program on their phone can drain a lot of battery power - a major issue during blackouts. Apple iPhone users could compromise the app's tracing ability if they put it in low power mode in a bid to save battery. Android phones owners are prompted to disable 'battery optimisation', as the app needs devices to be running at full capacity. The flaws mean a user cannot try and save battery, even if you're running low. COVIDSafe users would surely also hope only the intended recipients see their private information. Facebook app settings (pictured) are far more invasive than CovidSafe Facebook app settings (pictured) are extensive, invasive, can be changed without you knowing CovidSafe has relatively few settings, is not invasive and is not changed without your knowledge - unlike Facebook The Member of Parliament for Asene Akroso Manso constituency in the Eastern region, Honorable Kwame Aboagye, popularly known as"Oluwa" has divulged that he strongly believes Coronavirus will vanish from Ghana by the end of the ongoing fasting period of the Holy Ramadan by Muslims. "Muslims always bring good luck into the country whenever they end their month of fasting; therefore, I'm confident that they have good fortune for the country," he revealed. He made this known when donating several items and an undisclosed amount of money to the Muslim communities within the Asene Akroso Manso constituency to motivate and strengthen them to have a perfect and fruitful fast in this Holy month of Ramadan. Items donated by the MP include; bags of sugar, boxes of Lipton tea and cartons of milk. Hon.George Kwame Aboagye has been of help in numerous ways to the people of Asene Akroso Manso constituency especially during this deadly coronavirus pandemic. He gave relief items and monies to over 1200 people who ran into the constituency before President Akuffo Addo placed a lockdown ban on restricted areas like Greater Accra, Greater Kumasi and Kasoa. The Asene Manso Akroso District Chief Imam, Alhaji Saedu Subero Jaifa, who received the items on behalf of the community, expressed profound appreciation to the MP for the kind gesture. He used the opportunity to urge all Muslims to diligently partake in this Holy month of Ramadan's fasting and prayers for Allah to eliminate the deadly COVID-19 from the country and worldwide. Source: Kwabena Ofori, Peacefm Correspondent, Eastern Region Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Were going to see how this thing goes in June, he said. Hopefully it will work out well. We want to make sure every single vote is counted, and we want to make sure that our citizens are safe while theyre exercising that right to vote. A man armed with a gun was shot dead by police during an attempted carjacking after leading officers on a 120mph car chase across Las Vegas. Footage from a Metro helicopter camera captured 24-year-old Chase Rose racing the white four-door Sedan erratically on Charleston Blvd and I-15 on April 21. A Las Vegas Metropolitan Police officer had noticed the car swerving down the freeway so ran a record check on the license plate which came back stolen. The officer tried to pull Rosa over but he raced away as the Air Unit, which happened to be above, closely tracked the vehicle bolting across the city. Radio chatter heard in the footage said: 'We don't want to engage him, we want him to dump that vehicle'. The situation escalated as Rosa continued to accelerate. Responders in the footage said he was 'blowing through the red light'. Police said he reached speeds of more than 120mph. The white Sudan was seen speeding erratically on Charleston Blvd and I-15. Radio chatter heard in the footage said: 'We don't want to engage him, we want him to dump that vehicle' 24-year-old Chase Rose swung the car into incoming traffic as he reached speeds of up to 120mph Rosa performed a U-turn before coming to a stop opposite the Siegel Suites in the area of Twain and Paradise as a white unmarked police officer pulled up behind. Above, he can be seen exiting the white Sudan Rosa exited the vehicle with a firearm, which police later confirmed was a shotgun, wearing a dark jacket and cream pants. He approached the red vehicle while pointing the firearm at the driver Rosa then swerved the vehicle into the lane of oncoming traffic and performed a U-turn before coming to a stop, opposite the Siegel Suites in the area of Twain and Paradise. Other vehicles were forced to slam on their brakes and weave around the car to avoid a collision. Rosa exited the vehicle with a firearm, which police later confirmed was a shotgun, wearing a dark jacket and cream pants. Bodycam footage showed plainclothes police in unmarked police cars as they scrambled to the scene Officers Tomaino and Kempf pulled up behind Rosas car and exited the unmarked vehicle. Officer Tomaino identified himself by yelling Metro police as he ordered Rosa to drop the gun The footage showed him approach a red car with the shotgun raised at the driver, in what officers believe was an attempted car jacking. Bodycam footage showed plainclothes police in unmarked police cars as they scrambled to the scene. Officers Tomaino and Kempf pulled up behind Rosas car and exited the unmarked vehicle. Officer Tomaino identified himself by yelling Metro police and ordered Rosa to drop the gun. They then fired rounds at Rosa, who collapsed to the floor. He was fatally wounded in a barrage of 15 bullets, The Las Vegas Sun reported. Local media reported Rosa had a history of arrests for a stolen vehicle, carrying a concealed weapon, theft and obstructing police and was wanted on a parole warrant out of Utah. The paper also reported that Rosa had a history of arrests for a stolen vehicle, carrying a concealed weapon, theft and obstructing police and was wanted on a parole warrant out of Utah. He was taken to Sunrise hospital and pronounced dead in what local police described at the fifth officer-involved shooting of 2020. A statement from Assistant Sheriff Brett Zimmerman said: 'The LVMPD Force Investigation Team is conducting the investigation into the officers use of force in this incident. The findings will be forwarded to the Clark County District Attorneys Office for review. An examination of this incident is being conducted by the LVMPD Critical Incident Review Team.' They've been struggling to cope with the pressures of homeschooling their children amid the COVID-19 pandemic. So it's no wonder Chris Hemsworth, 36, and Elsa Pataky, 43, were pleased to take a break from the curriculum for a family trip to the beach earlier this month. Joined by their daughter India Rose, seven, and twin boys Tristan and Sasha, six, the genetically-blessed couple soaked up the sun at an isolated beach in Byron Bay. School's out! Chris Hemsworth, and wife Elsa Pataky, 43, showed off their incredible bodies as they took time out of homeschooling their three children for a family trip to the beach in Byron Bay earlier this month Chris and Elsa appeared to be in good spirits as they chatted and doted upon their children beneath the autumnal sun. Thor star Chris showed off his buff physique and rippling six-pack by going shirtless. He wore a pair of black and blue boardshorts and wrapped a white T-shirt around his head to protect himself from the harsh rays. Life's a beach! Joined by their daughter India Rose, seven, and twin boys Tristan and Sasha, six, the genetically-blessed couple soaked up the sun at an isolated beach Not an inch to pinch! Exercise-loving Elsa displayed her lithe physique in a black G-string swimsuit Exercise-loving Elsa displayed her lithe physique in a black G-string swimsuit. The one-piece featured a low-cut back and a racy cut-out panel in the front. Carrying her belongings in a fabric tote bag, the Spanish beauty completed her look with a trendy fedora, aviator sunglasses and an array of bangles. Glamorous: The Spanish beauty completed her look with a trendy fedora, aviator sunglasses and an array of bangles. No shirt, no problem! Thor star Chris showed off his buff physique and rippling six-pack by going shirtless That's one way to do it! He wrapped a white T-shirt around his head to protect himself from the harsh rays Later during the outing, Chris gave his children a surfing lesson while Elsa watched on adoringly from the sand. Chris and Elsa are homeschooling India, Tristan and Sasha in their $20million Byron Bay mansion as the coronavirus pandemic sweeps the globe. Last week, Chris revealed he's struggling to get his kids to concentrate on their studies at home. Lessons with daddy! Later in the outing, Chris gave his children a surfing lesson Hands-on: Chris showed his youngsters the ropes as he guided them through the surfing lesson Back to shore: Chris was seen carrying two surfboards from the water after the lesson was over 'Home schooling them is an absolute challenge. It's three hours of negotiation and maybe 20 minutes of actual work,' he said last Thursday in a promotional video for Netflix. '[My children] just crave interaction with other kids so much, obviously, and that's a challenge,' he added. Despite his struggles, Chris said he was ultimately thankful to be spending quality time with his brood at home Down Under. 'We're just enjoying being together. We've been dragged all over the world for so many different reasons over the last few years,' he said. Hunkering down in luxury: Chris and Elsa are homeschooling India, Tristan and Sasha in their $20 million Byron Bay mansion as the coronavirus pandemic sweeps the globe 'It's three hours of negotiation and maybe 20 minutes of actual work': Last week, Chris revealed he's struggling to get his kids to concentrate on their studies at home 'We're just enjoying being together': Despite his struggles, Chris said he was ultimately thankful to be spending quality time with his brood at home Down Under The tensions were the latest jolt to Yemens south, after at least 14 people, including five children, were killed in flash floods last week in the Red Sea city of Aden, the temporary capital of the internationally recognized Yemeni government. The country, the Arab worlds poorest, is already in the grip of the worlds most severe humanitarian crisis after more than five years of conflict. This month the first case of covid-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, was detected, sparking fears that the disease could quickly spread at a time when Yemen is facing deep cuts in humanitarian aid funding. The sisters and the motorcyclist after they were arrested Two sisters have confessed to their nefarious activities after being caught with a motorcyclist suspected of supplying food items and women to bandits in Zamfara State. The sisters said they charge each member of the group N6,000 for intercouse per night. According to the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Zamfara State command, Shafiu Abdullahi and the sisters; Binta Husaini and Balki, were arrested on their way to Anka Local Government Area, where Abdullahi was taking supplies to the bandits. Aliyu Garban, the corps commandant, while briefing journalists on Friday, said luck ran out on the suspect, when he was intercepted by officers of the command after a tip-off. The commandant stated that the motorcyclist was arrested along Bagega-Anka Road with the two sisters, who are from Niger. During our Investigations, the suspect, Shafiu Abdullahi, was discovered to be assisting a suspected notorious leader of the bandits called Shaho by supplying social services to his hideouts. Binta and Balki are sisters and Shashos girlfriends and his friend, Jijji, he said. As soon as preliminary investigation activities against the suspects were completed, the command would transfer the case to other sister agency for further investigation and determination, the commandant added. The sisters: Binta, 18, and Balki, 20, confessed that they collect N6,000 each from the bandits per night. They explained that Abdullahi normally conveyed them to the bandits on his motorcycle. However, Abdullahi admitted that he had a contract with the bandits, but said he has never been to their hideouts. The bandits used to come out of their hideout to collect the items from me. I have never visited their hideouts, he stated. Perhaps you recall the 2015 nationwide outbreak of measles that originated in Disneyland among nonimmunized children. The vaccination rates in affected communities were well below the numbers needed to create herd immunity and protect individuals who could not safely be immunized. Pertussis, or whooping cough, is also on a frightening overall rise, both in cases and resulting deaths, especially in the last decade. In 1976, there were as few as 1,010 reported cases. But in 2012, the most recent peak year reported by the C.D.C., there were 48,277 cases (the largest number since the mid-1950s) and 18 deaths, almost all affecting infants. Half of babies with pertussis require hospitalization. Ill spare you further harrowing examples of complications that can accompany vaccine-preventable diseases. Suffice it to say that health professionals need to do a better job of countering the resistance of parents who refuse recommended immunizations for their children. While vaccination critics have existed for as long as there have been vaccines, the problem of widespread resistance in this country began with a 1982 documentary alleging adverse reactions to the diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccine that minimized its benefits. Then, 25 years later, the anti-vaccine movement was magnified by a falsified and later discredited report suggesting that the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine was causing an epidemic of autism. Further fueling vaccine resistance was parental concern that administration of multiple vaccines at one time to very young children was hazardous despite expert reassurance to the contrary. As one specialist, Chephra McKee, told me, Spreading out the vaccines means having to bring babies to the doctor or clinic multiple times, poking them over and over again and exposing them unnecessarily to sick children in the waiting room. So what now can be done to improve immunization rates? Dr. McKee, doctor of pharmacy at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, wants health providers to be more open and willing to speak to parents about their vaccine concerns. Too often, she said, parents have told her No one wants to listen to me about why Im reluctant to vaccinate my child. For parents worried about the safety of vaccines, Dr. McKee said health providers should be educating them about the benefits of immunizations and risks involved in refusing to vaccinate their children. The heads of the World Customs Organization (WCO) and the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Secretariats issued a joint statement on 23 April 2020 and called for increased action on Customs and trade facilitation to ensure an effective response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and agreed to coordinate efforts. WCO Secretary General Kunio Mikuriya and ICC Secretary General John W.H. Denton AO said the two Organizations would work closely together to minimize the impact of COVID19 and would explore potential opportunities to increase the coordination of efforts so as to keep trade flows open around the world and support a strong recovery of the global economy. Effective trade facilitation - based on international standards - will play a central role in supporting businesses, including Micro, Small and Medium Sized Enterprises, towards enabling business resumption and renewed economic growth in the months and years to come, they declared. The text of the joint statement is below. Joint WCO-ICC Statement In late 2019, the first outbreak of what has now become known globally as the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) was reported. On 11 March 2020, the COVID-19 outbreak was categorized by the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) as a pandemic. The speed with which the pandemic crosses borders demands an urgent and agile response in relation to the international movement of goods in general and essential medical equipment and food supplies, in particular. The World Customs Organization (WCO) and the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) call for a coordinated Customs response to the COVID-19 crisis, including through active participation in multilateral efforts and an open dialogue with neighboring countries. We call on Customs administrations and other government agencies to keep trade flowing by maintaining the continuity of the international supply chain and simplifying and facilitating the Customs processes for essential medical equipment, medicines and food supplies - as well as key support personnel - so as to ensure an effective response to the pandemic and to protect lives throughout the world. This crisis is resulting in an unprecedented threat to supply chains in many sectors, with significant implications for the supply of goods and for employment. Effective trade facilitation - based on international standards - will play a central role in supporting businesses, including Micro, Small and Medium Sized Enterprises, towards enabling business resumption and renewed economic growth in the months and years to come. In order to support its Members and relevant stakeholders, the WCO has created a dedicated section in its website and included several existing and newly developed instruments and tools relevant to the integrity and facilitation of the supply chain in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. ICC is working at both global and local levels to: shape public policy responses to both the health and economic impacts of COVID-19; forge vital partnerships between the private sector, governments and international organizations; and provide practical tools and resources to enable businesses continuity and enable enterprises to take effective action to limit the spread of the virus. The WCO and ICC are partnering to explore potential opportunities to increase the coordination of efforts in response to COVID-19, aiming at keeping trade flows open around the world and at supporting a strong recovery of the global economy. ATHENS, Greece, April 27, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Diana Shipping Inc. (DSX), (the Company), a global shipping company specializing in the ownership of dry bulk vessels, today announced that, through a separate wholly-owned subsidiary, it has entered into a time charter contract with Koch Shipping Pte. Ltd., Singapore, for one of its Capesize dry bulk vessels, the m/v Aliki. The gross charter rate is US$11,300 per day, minus a 5% commission paid to third parties, for a period until minimum January 1, 2021 up to maximum March 15, 2021. The charter commenced on April 23, 2020. The Aliki is a 180,235 dwt Capesize dry bulk vessel built in 2005. This employment is anticipated to generate approximately US$2.81 million of gross revenue for the minimum scheduled period of the time charter. Diana Shipping Inc.s fleet currently consists of 41 dry bulk vessels (4 Newcastlemax, 13 Capesize, 5 Post-Panamax, 5 Kamsarmax and 14 Panamax). As of today, the combined carrying capacity of the Companys fleet is approximately 5.1 million dwt with a weighted average age of 9.61 years. A table describing the current Diana Shipping Inc. fleet can be found on the Companys website, www.dianashippinginc.com. Information contained on the Companys website does not constitute a part of this press release. About the Company Diana Shipping Inc. is a global provider of shipping transportation services through its ownership of dry bulk vessels. The Companys vessels are employed primarily on medium to long-term time charters and transport a range of dry bulk cargoes, including such commodities as iron ore, coal, grain and other materials along worldwide shipping routes. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements Matters discussed in this press release may constitute forward-looking statements. The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides safe harbor protections for forward-looking statements in order to encourage companies to provide prospective information about their business. Forward-looking statements include statements concerning plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future events or performance, and underlying assumptions and other statements, which are other than statements of historical facts. Story continues The Company desires to take advantage of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and is including this cautionary statement in connection with this safe harbor legislation. The words believe, anticipate, intends, estimate, forecast, project, plan, potential, may, should, expect, pending and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements in this press release are based upon various assumptions, many of which are based, in turn, upon further assumptions, including without limitation, Company managements examination of historical operating trends, data contained in the Companys records and other data available from third parties. Although the Company believes that these assumptions were reasonable when made, because these assumptions are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies that are difficult or impossible to predict and are beyond the Companys control, the Company cannot assure you that it will achieve or accomplish these expectations, beliefs or projections. In addition to these important factors, other important factors that, in the Companys view, could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements include the strength of world economies and currencies, general market conditions, including fluctuations in charter rates and vessel values, changes in demand for dry bulk shipping capacity, changes in the Companys operating expenses, including bunker prices, drydocking and insurance costs, the market for the Companys vessels, availability of financing and refinancing, changes in governmental rules and regulations or actions taken by regulatory authorities, potential liability from pending or future litigation, general domestic and international political conditions, potential disruption of shipping routes due to accidents or political events, vessel breakdowns and instances of off-hires and other factors. Please see the Companys filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for a more complete discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties. The Company undertakes no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statement, or to make any other forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Corporate Contact: Ioannis Zafirakis Director, Interim Chief Financial Officer, Chief Strategy Officer, Treasurer and Secretary Telephone: + 30-210-9470-100 Email: izafirakis@dianashippinginc.com Website: www.dianashippinginc.com Investor and Media Relations: Edward Nebb Comm-Counsellors, LLC Telephone: + 1-203-972-8350 Email: enebb@optonline.net A prisoner was filmed falling five floors down the side of an Argentine jail as fellow inmates lifted him to the roof on a rope during a riot over coronavirus protection. A bystander recorded the moment Nicolas Cardozo, who appeared to be tied or holding to a rope, was ascending to roof ledge of the Devoto Prison in the Villa Devoto neighborhood on Friday. He dangled near the ledge for a couple of seconds while a couple of prisoners stood on a footbridge, before falling to the ground below. Inmates have been rioting at the jail to demand better protection against the COVID-19 pandemic after four detainees were hospitalized with symptoms last week. After Cardozo was rushed to Fernandez Hospital following the fall, Federal Penitentiary Service announced Sunday that he has also tested positive for COVID-19. He suffered a broken leg from the fall. Nicolas Cardozo hangs on to a rope as a group of inmates tried to lift him to the roof of Devoto Prison in Buenos Aires, Argentina, last Friday when prisoners rioted to demand better protection against the COVID-19 pandemic. He plummeted to the ground and broke a leg. He positive for the coronavirus Inmates try to hoist Nicolas Cardozo to the top of a five-story Devoto Prison building in Argentina before he shockingly slipped and fell to the ground and suffered a broken league A second inmate, identified as Roberto Fontana, also tested positive for the deadly virus after he was rushed to Velez Sarfield Hospital after sustaining an injury during the riot. According to Argentine newspaper La Nacion, Fontana is no longer detained because he met his sentence terms. Officials from the Justice and Human Rights Ministry were working on a COVID-19 testing module that will be introduced across the country's jails. 'Anyone with a Covid-19 compatible symptom will be tested. Specialists will be placed in the prison yard with the necessary material to make the swabs,' the Federal Penitentiary Service said Monday. Argentine prison officials are considering a plan that will offer house arrest to detainees over the age of 60 who are suffering health illnesses, pregnant women or women who have children, and any prisoner who was sentenced to less than three years. Inmates at the Devoto Prison set fire to mattresses and protested on the roof of the jail, demanding some people be released due to fears of infection by the coronavirus. A prisoner stands inside a burning room at Devoto Prison last Friday after inmates sparked a riot in response the coronavirus pandemic A separate video recorded by a detainee showed how an area inside the jail was set on fire. Photos taken by wire agency photographers showed the group had protest banners and some were holding chains, sticks and other weapons. 'We refuse to die in prison,' one banner hanging from the side of the jail read. Another, referring directly to the coronavirus outbreak said: 'COVID-19 is in Devoto. Genocidal judges, silence is not my language.' COVID-19 is the potentially lethal respiratory illness caused by the coronavirus. Inmates from Villa Devoto prison take part in a riot, demanding measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus after a case was confirmed inside the prison in Buenos Aires Inmates wave a burning object as they take part in riots at a prison in Villa Devoto on Friday A relative of an inmate is detained by police after a riot broke out inside a Villa Devoto prison in Buenos Aires Police officers detain a relative of the inmates outside the Devoto Prison on Friday Police officers detain a relative of the inmates outside the Devoto Prison during a riot demanding health measures against the spread of the coronavirus disease, in Buenos Aires last Friday Relatives of inmates were detained by police outside Devoto Prison as they demanded authorities to take health measures against the spread of the coronavirus disease inside the facility. Images show protesters being taken away by officers and even pinned to the ground outside the prison in Buenos Aires. The riot initially began late on Thursday after prisoners learned that a number of people in the facility were infected with the virus, local media reported. They demanded the release of inmates at greater risk of contracting the coronavirus. Inmates are seen on the roof of the Devoto Prison during a riot demanding health measures against the spread of the coronavirus disease Inmates from the Villa Devoto prison burn mattresses during the riot on Friday Inmates of the Devoto Prison throw a burning mattress during a riot to request authorities to take measures to protect them against spread of COVID-19 last Friday A group of prisoners rioted last Friday at a Villa Devoto prison due to the COVID-19 pandemic The riot initially began late on Thursday after prisoners learned that a number of people in the facility were infected with the virus, local media reported A woman is detained for protesting outside of the Villa Devoto prison last Friday. They demanded the release of inmates at greater risk of contracting the coronavirus The state-run Telam news agency said that prisoners had burned mattresses and taken over two floors of the prison. A large number of the inmates were involved with the riot. A Reuters witness heard sounds like gunshots and saw police helicopters flying over the prison, which according to the Federal Penitentiary Service can house up to 1,683 detainees. Monday's official data showed Argentina, which imposed a tough nationwide lockdown in mid-March, has registered a total of 3,892 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 192 deaths. Argentina, which imposed a tough nationwide lockdown in mid-March, has registered a total of 3,435 confirmed cases of coronavirus, with 167 deaths, the latest official data show The state-run Telam news agency said that prisoners had burned mattresses and taken over two floors of the prison. A large number of the inmates were involved with the riot South Korea says it can't corroborate reports that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is gravely ill, with an official in the presidential office saying Seoul believes he is with officials traveling outside the capital, Pyongyang. The official said that "no unusual signs supporting reports about his health conditions have been detected." They also cast doubt on a report by a South Korean-based newspaper that Kim was recovering from surgery in the Mount Myohyang area, saying the leader was not believed to be in that part of the country. Earlier, a US official with direct knowledge told CNN that Washington was monitoring intelligence which suggested Kim was in grave danger after undergoing a previous surgery. A second source familiar with the intelligence told CNN that the US has been closely monitoring reports on Kim's health. Kim recently missed the celebration of his grandfather's birthday on April 15, which raised speculation about his well-being. He had been seen four days before that at a government meeting. Another US official told CNN Monday that concerns about Kim's health were credible -- but the severity is hard to assess. Unconfirmed rumors The most extensive reports on Kim's alleged surgery and poor health came from Daily NK, an online publication based in South Korea staffed in part by defectors from the north. It has a mixed reputation among North Korea watchers, and has published stories about the country which have later been debunked. According to Daily NK, Kim reportedly received a cardiovascular system procedure on April 12 because of "excessive smoking, obesity, and overwork," and is now receiving treatment in a villa in Hyangsan County following his procedure. Daily NK reported that after assessing Kim's condition had improved, most of the medical team treating him returned to Pyongyang on April 19 and only part of them remained to oversee his recovery. CNN is unable to independently confirm the report. A South Korean source told CNN Monday that the country's top leaders are aware of reports about Kim's health status but cannot independently verify details published by Daily NK. The source acknowledged that Kim's issues related to weight and smoking are well known but made clear they are waiting for more information. South Korea's presidential Blue House said in a media statement that it had nothing to confirm on reports about Kim's health and "no unusual signs" had been detected inside North Korea. South Korea's Unification Ministry and Defense Ministry declined to comment on speculations about Kim's health. The National Security Council and Office of the Director of National Intelligence declined to comment when contacted by CNN on Monday. CNN has also reached out to the CIA and the State Department for comment. Succession uncertainty Speculation over Kim's health has raised concerns over the succession plan in North Korea and possible instability should the country's young leader die. US officials have been reaching out to North Korean experts -- particularly those who have studied the Kim regime -- to talk about contingency planning, a source familiar with the communications told CNN. Still, the situation remains murky as gathering intelligence out of North Korea is notoriously difficult -- one of the most challenging targets for US intelligence. North Korea tightly controls any information surrounding its leader, who is treated almost like a deity within the country. His absences from official state media often spark speculation and rumors about his health. North Korea has no free press and is often a black hole when it comes to the country's leadership. Analysts are heavily reliant on scanning state media dispatches and watching propaganda videos for clues. Kim last appeared in North Korean state media on April 11. The country's most important holiday, the Day of the Sun, on April 15 -- the anniversary of the birth of the country's founding father, Kim Il Sung -- came and went without any official mention of Kim Jong Un's movements. Thae Yong-ho, a former North Korean diplomat who defected and made history last week after being elected to South Korea's parliament, said it was unprecedented for Kim not to attend. "We will have to calmly monitor this issue and the South Korean government needs to monitor situations closely and better be in full preparation for any possible emergency situations in the North," he added. Experts are unsure of what to make of Kim's absence from any festivities celebrating his grandfather. When North Korean leaders have not shown up to these important celebrations in the past, it has portended major developments. But it has also turned out to be nothing. "There have been a number of recent rumors about Kim's health. If Kim is hospitalized, it would explain why he wasn't present on the important April 15th celebrations," said Bruce Klingner, a senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation and former CIA deputy division chief for North Korea. "But, over the years, there have been a number of false health rumors about Kim Jong-un or his father. We'll have to wait and see." Kim Jong Il's absence from a parade celebrating North Korea's 60th anniversary in 2008 was followed by rumblings that he was in poor health. It was later revealed he had a stroke, after which his health continued to decline until his death in 2011. Thae said news of Kim Jong Il's death took more than 51 hours to become public. "On that day, at the foreign affairs department in North Korea, it was business as usual until we were told at 11 a.m. to gather at a hall by noon," he said. The late leader's son also disappeared from the public eye for more than a month in 2014, which prompted speculation about the younger Kim's health. Kim Jong Un returned sporting a cane, and days later South Korean intelligence said that he had a cyst removed from his ankle. "It's easy to be wrong on this one," said John Delury, a professor of international relations at Yonsei University in Seoul. New research by an international team of scientists reveals that endangered North Atlantic right whales are in much poorer body condition than their counterparts in the southern hemisphere New research by an international team of scientists reveals that endangered North Atlantic right whales are in much poorer body condition than their counterparts in the southern hemisphere. The alarming results from this research, led by Dr Fredrik Christiansen from Aarhus University in Denmark, were published last week in the journal Marine Ecology Progress Series. Since large-scale commercial whaling stopped in the last century, most populations of southern right whales have recovered well, and now there are about 10,000 - 15,000 right whales in the southern hemisphere. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the North Atlantic right whales, found today off the east coast of North America. There are only around 410 individuals left, and the species is heading to extinction. A number of known challenges cause the dissimilar and unfortunate development of the two different whale populations: Lethal vessel strikes and entanglement in fishing gear continue to kill and harm the North Atlantic right whales. Individual North Atlantic right whales also have to deal with frequent entanglements in fishing gear, in particular lobster and crab pots, which drains their energy. These burdens, along with a change in the abundance and distribution of their main source of food, copepods and krill, have left the whales thin and unhealthy, which makes them less likely to have a calf. All this contributes to the current overall decline of the species. But so far, it has not been fully understood, how the body condition of the whales was affected by the different conditions in the north Atlantic. Cross-continental study of whales' body condition To quantify the 'thin and unhealthy' state of the North Atlantic right whales, Dr Christiansen and an international team of scientists have investigated the body condition of individual North Atlantic right whales, and compared their condition with individuals from three increasing populations of Southern right whales: off Argentina, Australia and New Zealand. "Good body condition and abundant fat reserves are crucial for the reproduction of large whales, including right whales, as the animals rely on these energy stores during the breeding season when they are mostly fasting," said Dr Fredrik Christiansen from Aarhus Institute of Advanced Studies and Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Denmark, and lead author of the study. "Stored fat reserves are particularly important for mothers, who need the extra energy to support the growth of their newborn calf while they are nursing." How fat are right whales? The study is the largest assessment of the body condition of baleen whales in the world, and involved researchers from 12 institutes in five countries. The international research team used drones and a method called 'aerial photogrammetry' to measure the body length and width of individual right whales in these four regions around the world. From aerial photographs, the researchers were able to estimate the body volume of individual whales, which they then used to derive an index of body condition or relative fatness. The analyses revealed that individual North Atlantic right whales, juveniles, adults and mothers, were all in poorer body condition than individual whales from the three other populations of Southern right whales. This difference is alarming, since poor body condition for North Atlantic right whales explains why too many of them are dying, and why they are not giving birth to enough calves to boost the population's recovery. It may also be affecting their growth, and delaying juveniles in reaching sexual maturity. The combined impacts on individuals help explain why the species is in decline. "For North Atlantic right whales as individuals, and as a species, things are going terribly wrong. This comparison with their southern hemisphere relatives shows that most individual North Atlantic right whales are in much worse condition than they should be," said Dr Michael Moore from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. "Sub-lethal entanglement trauma, along with changing food supplies is making them too skinny to reproduce well, and lethal entanglement and vessel trauma are killing them. To reverse these changes, we must: redirect vessels way from, and reduce their speed in, right whale habitat; retrieve crab and lobster traps without rope in the water column using available technologies; and minimize ocean noise from its many sources." "Right whales are a sentinel species of ocean health. They are warning us, and their message is strong - the seas that used to be a safe haven for whales are now a threat. We must act now to protect their home, everybodys home," said Dr Mariano Sironi from Instituto de Conservacion de Ballenas and right whale researcher in Argentina. ### The Barnes Firm attorneys are helping family members who have lost a loved one to coronavirus. Weve been following the COVID-19 situation since day one, and were prepared to do whatever it takes to get closure for families that were ultimately impacted by this pandemic, said Christian Oliver, San Diego injury attorney. The Barnes Firm injury attorneys are helping families who have been wrongfully exposed to the COVID-19 virus. Many lives have been lost due to businesses and facilities failing to implement and follow health and safety initiatives. Nursing homes, senior care centers, prisons, holding centers, and many other facilities are just a few examples of places where people should have been protected. The coronavirus lawyers at The Barnes Firm understand that the facilities negligent actions have given rise to many questions, and their coronavirus lawyers are working to get families answers. The Barnes Firm attorneys have opened a 24-hour hotline for family members who have lost a loved one to coronavirus while they were residing in, and under the protection of, a nursing home, senior care facility or while in the governments custody: - Why wasnt my family protected from COVID-19? - Whos responsible? - What can be done? Our team is uniquely qualified to help families get answers after theyve lost a loved one to coronavirus, said Christian Oliver, San Diego injury attorney. Weve been following the COVID-19 situation since day one, and were prepared to do whatever it takes to get closure for families that were ultimately impacted by this pandemic. If safety measures such as social distancing, frequent hand sanitation, and the usage of face masks were swiftly and properly implemented, many of these facilities and businesses could have reduced the risk of exposure to COVID-19, The Barnes Firms top coronavirus lawyer said. Family members who have been wrongfully exposed to the coronavirus in nursing homes, senior care centers, holding centers, and other facilities can contact the experienced team at The Barnes Firm to help get the answers to their legal questions. The Barnes Firms attorneys will continue fighting against negligence and the mistreatment of others. For more information, please visit The Barnes Firm website. About The Barnes Firm: The Barnes Firms experienced personal injury attorneys focus exclusively on accident cases. They have helped thousands of injured victims get the best results possible with their settlements and verdicts. The firm helps families across California, and has offices located in Los Angeles, Oakland, and San Diego. In addition to legal services, The Barnes Firm stays involved in the community through its ongoing local philanthropy efforts. The California car accident lawyers sponsor academic organizations and nonprofits throughout the state. For more information, please visit https://www.thebarnesfirmcommunity.com/. If youve been in an accident, you can count on The Barnes Firm Injury Attorneys to help. Please visit https://www.thebarnesfirm.com/. You can also find The Barnes Firm on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn. The Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research and the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) are expected to complete assessment on Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) kits for COVID-19 this week. This is to help enhance the country's testing capacity and better determine the incidence rate. So far some 100,000 tests have been conducted with 1,550 positive cases. Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show, Information Minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah said the RDTs, when ready, will augment current surveillance testing protocols. This week we are expecting Noguchi, the FDA and the experts to report on an RDT option to assist our surveillance. We are of the view that would help quicken an answer to the incidence rate in Ghana assuming that is the model that we want to add to our intervention. The Minister added that they have already done some tests on which RDT model is best able to assist and we are expecting that when they are done, they will report this week. Currently, the FDA has warned the public that, it has neither registered nor recognised any rapid diagnoses test kit for self-testing in the country. The FDA has indicated that over 100 companies and institutions have approached it to import RDTs from China, South Korea, among others. A company has also requested permission to commence local mass production of the RDT kits in partnership with a foreign partner. Currently, the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) has been recommended by the FDA and is what the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research in Accra and the Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Kumasi are using. RDT kits are noted to have limitations and persons who use them are still advised to go for a confirmation test using the PCR, which gives precise results as to whether the person has it or not. ---citinewsroom A Queensland man who allegedly shot his business partner in the head more than two decades ago will be tried for murder without a jury. Philip Carlyle, 47, was found dead with four bullets in and around his body at a Gold Coast office complex in April 1997. The accused's trial was set for July in the Brisbane Supreme Court. Credit:Robert Shakespeare His former business partner, Neil Andrew Pentland, now 71, is accused of carrying out the execution-style killing. He denies it. A Nigerian national was arrested for allegedly carrying narcotic substance in south Delhi amid the ongoing lockdown, police said on Monday. The accused, identified as Henry Chinonxo, also did not have any legal documents to stay in India, they said. Police recovered ketamine (a narcotic substance) weighing about 705 grams from him. Policemen who were patrolling highways on motorcycles late on Sunday, intercepted him on a scooter near Shiv Mandir in Mehrauli market in south Delhi, police said. "During checking, when he was signalled to stop, Chinonxo left the scooter and tried to escape with a polythene in which he was carrying two packets of tea and soap. But he was chased and caught by police," Atul Kumar Thakur, Deputy Commissioner of Police (South), said. Initially, he tried to mislead and claimed that he was carrying essential goods like tea and soap, but on checking it was found that he was carrying seven small packets of narcotic substance in tea and soap boxes, he said. A case has been registered in connection with the incident, the DCP added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Ahmedabad, is second on two Covid-19 death counts --- the most people who have died because of the coronavirus disease after Mumbai and highest death rate after Pune. State health department officials are attributing the higher number of deaths to dominance of L-type of Covid-19 strain, which was found in Wuhan in China, from where the worlds first Covid cases were reported in December 2019. A scientist at the State-run Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre (GBRC), said the novel coronavirus used for genome sequencing conducted by it was found to contain the L-type strain. The coronavirus sample we collected from a patient for genome sequence contained the L-type strain. This strain has a much higher virulence as compared to the S-strain, CG Joshi, director of GBRC. The L-type strain has been dominant where more mortality is reported among coronavirus patients. This strain was found to be more prevalent in Wuhan. Jayanti Ravi, principal secretary (health) said scientists and medical experts are carrying out more research on this issue. Till Monday evening, Gujarat reported 3548 Covid-19 positive cases and 162 deaths, of which 109 are from Ahmedabad alone. In Ahmedabad, from April 21 to April 27, there was a rise of 89.79% in the total Covid-19 positive cases. In the same period, the number of deaths in the city increased by 186.84%. The mortality rate in Ahmedabad is 4.8%, second highest after Pune and at par with that in another Covid hotspot, Indore in Madhya Pradesh. Ravi said 89% of the total COVID-19 cases are from Ahmedabad, Surat and Vadodara, even though 30 of the 33 districts are affected. Ahmedabad accounts for 65%, Surat accounts for 16% and 8% are from Vadodara. The remaining 27 districts account for 11% of the total positive cases. Amreli, Junagadh and Devbhoomi Dwarka remain unaffected. An official of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation(AMC) said the city has adopted the so-called EPIC approach -- enhanced testing, intensive surveillance, proactive detection and corona checkposts. As a corollary to this approach, it was all but natural that reported cases would go up as we proactively discover more. But at the same time, utility of this strategy must be appreciated in that it helps us in locating the cases before they do large scale damage through community spread. Just to give a perspective, we have done 3,250 plus tests per million so far which is more than double what the next highest figure in city like Delhi has done at around 1500 per million, said Vijay Nehra, commissioner, AMC. Director General of Police (DGP), Shivanand Jha, said that with the number of Covid cases increasing in Ahmedabad , a near-total curfew has been imposed in hotspots. It is necessary for the citizens to cooperate with the police and maintain social distance. Citizens can go out every two or three days to buy essential items but not every day, he said. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-27 23:34:09|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ZAGREB, April 27 (Xinhua) -- European tourism ministers agree that tourism is among the sectors most affected by the COVID-19 crisis and that it should be among the main priorities of the European Union's (EU) recovery plan, the Croatian Presidency of the Council of the EU said in a press release on Monday. An informal video conference was chaired on Monday by Croatian Tourism Minister Gari Cappelli and attended by his counterparts from all EU member states, as well as by the European Commissioner for the Internal Market Thierry Breton and the Secretary General of the World Tourism Organization Zurab Pololikashvili. "We will need unprecedented funds to overcome this crisis," Breton said. "We will need fast action, pragmatism and creativity to recover and build a resilient and sustainable tourism industry. But, above all, this crisis calls for solidarity. No country can overcome this crisis alone." The ministers highlighted tourism revenues' significant contribution to their states' economies. Cappelli said this industry represents 10 percent of the EU's gross domestic product (GDP) and provides jobs for almost 12 percent of all employees in the EU. It is also the fourth export category of the EU, with consumption generating over 400 billion euros (433 billion U.S. dollars) in revenue. That is why, Cappelli noted, it is important to find a joint solution to the crisis of the sector caused by the COVID-19 epidemic and to create plans to ward off similar threats in the future. Tourism ministers agreed that additional measures should be coordinated at the EU level and that there should be uniform rules for air, sea and land travel. "As members of the European Union and as part of the most successful tourist region in the world, our mission is to be a leader in the recovery of tourism, which as a horizontal activity directly affects the recovery of the entire economy," Cappelli said, proposing that epidemiologists should be involved in the process of opening "tourist corridors" between EU member states to ensure the safety of tourists. "We should decide on that before the end of May, if not jointly then between interested countries," Cappelli told local media after the video conference. (1 euro = 1.084 U.S. dollars) Enditem The former wife of Michael Avenatti has slammed the authorities for letting the disgraced lawyer out on bail, saying: 'He's a menace, he's just going to rip more people off.' Lisa Storie, who has a young son with Avenatti, says she's 'nervous' about his release because she knows what tricks the 'arrogant' lawyer is capable of. And she scoffed at claims made by his attorney that Avenatti was at a heightened risk of contracting coronavirus in jail and should be released. DailyMail.com was there last Friday to witness Avenatti walk out of the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan on $1million bail after his attorney, H. Dean Steward told a court of a recent bout of pneumonia. Michael Avenatti's ex-wife Lisa Storie is slamming a judge for letting him out of Manhattan prison on bail Friday DailyMail.com spotted the disgraced former lawyer accompanied by two prison officials who he elbow bumped on the way out of prison on Friday Steward also told a judge that the former lawyer was living in filthy conditions, a sick cellmate had flu-like symptoms, that Avenatti's susceptible to lung infections and that three rats were found in his cell. The former California litigator will spend the next two weeks under quarantine and be confined to the home of a friend in Venice, California. Storie told DailyMail.com: 'It's nuts, why did this judge let him out. He did not even provide medical records proving he had pneumonia. 'The man is a menace, a fraud and a liar, he will most likely try to rip someone else off while he's out. 'I'm definitely worried what he's got planned. When COVID hit I had a custody hearing and a judge granted me sole custody of our son, but because of the lockdown it never got filed. 'So I don't have full legal custody yet so Michael getting out screws up my life. 'I anticipate Michael and his attorney trying to file something to delay me getting full custody, they will try to pull some shenanigans in court.' Storie claims her 49-year-old ex - who rose to fame representing porn star Stormy Daniels in her tussle with President Trump - employed various cynical tactics to stall a divorce settlement and to duck support payments for their five-year-old son Tino. Storie tells DailyMail.com that she is 'nervous' about Avenatti's release because 'he's a menace' who is 'going to rip more people off' Avenatti, 49, and Storie, 51, were married for seven years (pictured at their wedding) and have a young son together and she says his release brings more pain to her and her family She says he owes her in excess of $2million in unpaid spousal and child support and says that when they split in 2017 the 'callous' attorney even stopped payments for their son's healthcare plan. The fashion entrepreneur previously branded the high profile lawyer 'narcissistic' and a 'dead beat dad' who only cares for himself. Storie, 51, who was married to Avenatti for seven years, says it speaks volumes that her ex's attorney, Mariel Colon, was the person waiting to pick him up from the federal prison in a black SUV. As well as Avenatti, Colon has represented pedophile Jeffrey Epstein and El Chapo, the leader of the Sinoloa drug cartel. She says Avenatti being released only brings more pain to her and her family. She explains: 'My son is so happy, I can't keep going through this, it's like pulling off a scab, the guy's going to get put away for a long time, I don't need him in my son's life. I have to protect him.' Storie says she expects Avenatti to apply for visitation with their son Tino and she's in two minds whether she wants her son to spend time with the 'criminal'. She added: 'I hate him as much as I did a year and a half ago. I talked to him right before he got remanded and I said, "I want a divorce", and he started crying and crying and crying to me. The convicted former attorney strolled out of prison Friday wearing blue gloves, a dark suit with a blue shirt and tie and brown shoes as he adjusted his mask Storie told DailyMail.com: 'My son is so happy, I can't keep going through this, it's like pulling off a scab, the guy's going to get put away for a long time, I don't need him in my son's life' 'I told him, "you've ruined my whole life and I have to raise my son by myself". He said, "at least you're free". He said, "right now the feds have 23 years on the table", and that was before Nike. 'Then he got arrested and I still haven't got my divorce, he's a piece of s**t.' Avenatti had been locked up since mid-January when a judge revoked his bail and sent him to jail while he awaited his federal trial for attempting to extort Nike for $25 million. Avenatti, best known as porn star Stormy Daniels former attorney, has been locked up since mid-January for attempting to extort Nike He was convicted on February 14, 2020 of the charges and was being held in a federal detention facility in New York City ever since. Avenatti is awaiting a June sentencing on the Nike case. He also faces criminal trials in New York accused of defrauding Stormy Daniels and in Los Angeles for cheating clients and others of millions of dollars. He has denied wrongdoing on both cases. On April 10, 2020 US District Judge James Selna granted Avenatti's temporary release from New York's Metropolitan Correctional Center with conditions. In Selna's ruling Avenatti had to first undergo a two-week quarantine, if he tested negative for coronavirus, Avenatti was to be released to longtime friend, Jay Manheimer who lives in Venice, California and required a $1 million bond which was posted by another friend, Hubert Bromma and subjected to electronic monitoring. While out on bail Avenatti cannot leave his friend's Venice Beach residence other than emergency medical treatments and advanced approval from Pretrial Services. Avenatti cannot also possess or use any digital devices that allow internet access. He can use a non-internet connected telephone to communicate with his attorneys, family and friends during his 90 day term of temporary release. The judge also ruled while out on release he cannot engage in any financial transactions exceeding $500 without prior Pretrial approval. Storie is doubtful Avenatti will stick to the rules, however. 'How can they prevent him from going on the internet, they can't,' she said. 'And now he's out do you think he's going to go back in 90 days, no they'll do something clever to keep him out.' Brunette beauty Storie says Avenatti wooed her after 'chasing me around the gym' when they both lived in Los Angeles. On April 10, 2020 US District Judge James Selna granted Avenatti's temporary release from New York's Metropolitan Correctional Center with conditions The couple eventually married in 2011 in an intimate wedding ceremony in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, surrounded by just 20 family and friends. Photos Storie has shared with DailyMail.com show the happy couple on their big day. She says the relationship was strong in the beginning and she described Avenatti as a 'very fun' and 'loving' guy. When their son came along, Avenatti stepped up and was an attentive father. But it wasn't long before things began to sour when Storie discovered his shady business dealings. 'The marriage fell apart when I found out he was lying and forging my signature and running off with the profits to a house we both owned,' she said. Storie is currently raising their son alone in Irvine, California. She is doubtful of ever seeing another dime from her estranged husband, especially as the attorney's crimes seem to mount. Billionaire Bill Gates's foundation will focus all of its resources on fighting the coronavirus, according to the Financial Times. The philanthropist and founder of Microsoft said that the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, with an endowment exceeding $40 billion, will give "total attention" to the pandemic that has killed more than 200,000 and is roiling economies around the world, he said in an interview with the newspaper. A hyperloop network that would whoosh passengers between Amsterdam and Paris in under 90 minutes may become a reality within the next eight years. Dutch company Hardt Hyperloop is developing the ultra-fast transport technology, which involves a train-style pod that floats using magnetic levitation being pushed via electric propulsion at over 620mph through a steel tube maintained at a partial vacuum. The firm says that a new study it carried out alongside the province of North Holland has revealed the project could be economically viable and be up and running as early as 2028. A rendering showing what a hyperloop network between Amsterdam and Paris could look like. Hardt Hyperloop says the journey time would be 90 minutes The study looked at how accessibility, connectivity and decongestion around the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area would be impacted if a hyperloop were to be installed to link the city with other destinations in the Netherlands, as well as further afield in Europe. It suggests that a hyperloop could carry 200,000 passengers per hour in each direction and in half the time it usually takes to travel between Amsterdam and Paris by train. Passengers would travel from Amsterdam to Eindhoven in just 15 minutes, to Dusseldorf in less than 30 minutes and Brussels in less than an hour on five potential routes. Hardt said: 'The implementation of hyperloop would, in turn, have a huge economic impact and strengthen the economic value of the North Holland province. A rendering showing what a hyperloop station would look like. A new study has shown that a hyperloop network linking Amsterdam to other cities is 'economically viable' What a boarding platform at a hyperloop station could look like. Hyperloop travel involves a train-style pod that floats using magnetic levitation being pushed via electric propulsion at over 600mph through a steel tube maintained at a partial vacuum A rendering of what passengers could experience inside a hyperloop pod WHAT IS HYPERLOOP? Hyperloop is a proposed method of travel that would transport people at airline speeds - roughly 600 to 700mph - between distant locations. It was unveiled by Elon Musk in 2013, who at the time said it could take passengers the 380 miles (610km) from LA to San Francisco in 30 minutes - half the time it takes a plane. It involves a train-style pod that floats using magnetic levitation being pushed via electric propulsion through a steel tube maintained at a partial vacuum. The tube is suspended off the ground to protect against weather and earthquakes. Advertisement 'The potential size of the working-age population would be considerably expanded if Amsterdam was connected to Groningen, The Hague and particularly regions such as the Ruhr area. 'The hyperloop would create a compact region of cities on the five routes, all within a one hour, door-to-door travelling distance. This would equate to an additional GDP of 275 billion euro for the province, i.e. growth of +121 per cent.' Jeroen Olthof, from the North Holland province's local authority, said: 'We know that people are willing to travel for a maximum of one hour to their work. With a high-speed hyperloop, you would be able to cover much greater distances in that time. 'This sounds very promising. That is why we will engage in discussions with other authorities to progress this research.' MailOnline reported in 2017 that Hardt had set up a full-scale testing centre to trial its hyperloop technology. It consists of a 30 metre (98ft) tube with rails and the shuttle it has designed inside it. The hyperloop concept was unveiled by Elon Musk in 2013, who at the time said it could take passengers the 380 miles (610km) from LA to San Francisco in 30 minutes MailOnline reported in 2017 that Hardt had set up a full-scale testing centre to trial its hyperloop technology. Pictured is the testing tube The hyperloop concept was unveiled by Elon Musk in 2013, who at the time said it could take passengers the 380 miles (610km) from LA to San Francisco in 30 minutes - half the time it takes a plane. Hardt grew out of the competition team from the Technical University of Delft (TU Delft) that beat teams from MIT and the Technical University of Munich to win the all-around design and construction award for hyperloop from Musk's SpaceX company. Speaking at the time, Hardt co-founder Tim Houter said: 'People were dreaming already of transporting humans and cargo (in hyperloops) from the 1860s, so the concept is not that new. 'But when Elon Musk proposed it as a transportation system between San Francisco and Los Angeles it got a huge boost in renewed interest.' Commissioner Michael Harrison said two officers were patrolling Erdman Avenue in northeast Baltimore shortly before 5 p.m. when they came upon the 16-year-old holding what appeared to be a gun. Harrison said the boy was engaged in some type of incident. After the funeral home was cleared, dozens of cars traveled in a procession to Mount Hope Cemetery in the Mount Greenwood neighborhood as police from Chicago and neighboring Evergreen Park followed. Once the procession reached 115th Street and Pulaski Road, officers received a "shots fired" call along with a report that one of the motorists was carrying weapons, police said. A handful of squad cars-- their lights flashing and sirens blaring -- pulled over a white car on suspicion of the weapons offense, but later let its occupants go when none was found. Just outside the cemetery, officers with guns drawn also stopped a Chevrolet Suburban after learning there could be weapons inside it. That, too, proved to be a false alarm. One person who was part of the funeral was placed under arrest, however, on a traffic charge just north of the cemetery, police said. 2G mobile internet services shall be available for postpaid SIM card holders and only to verified pre-paid sim card holders, said an order issued by Jammu and Kashmir Home Department. The Jammu and Kashmir government on Monday extended the ban on high-speed mobile internet in the Union Territory till 11 May, reported The Indian Express. According to the order issued by the Home Department, Jammu and Kashmir government, the internet speed will be restricted to 2G only. 2G mobile internet services shall be available to postpaid sim cardholders and only to verified pre-paid sim card holders, said an order issued by Jammu and Kashmir Home Departments Principal Secretary Shaleen Kabra. "Postpaid SIM cardholders will continue to be provided access to the internet, (such services) won't be available on prepaid SIM cards unless verified as per norms for postpaid connections. The order is effective from 28 April till 11 May, unless modified earlier," ANI quotes the government as saying. According to the order, fixed-line internet connectivity will be available with Mac-binding, effective from 28 April till 11 May. Such restrictions have been placed in order to curb uploading, downloading and circulation of provocative videos, guard against rumour mongering/fake news, prevent the use of encrypted messaging and VOIP services for infiltration and coordinating terror activities, says the order.. According to News18, the order also refers to a spurt in terrorist activities."The field agencies have well-founded apprehensions of enhanced effort by Pakistan for recruitment in terrorists ranks as well as infiltration attempts, which heavily depend on high-speed internet, the report quotes the government as saying. "Whereas the misuse of data services by anti-national elements has the potential to scale up violent activities and disturb public order, which has till now been maintained due to gradual easing of restrictions on access to internet while ensuring the rights and interests of the citizens are not affected adversely, the Indian Express report quotes Kabra as saying. Kabra further adds: ...on consideration of overall security scenario and reports of the law enforcing agencies, I am satisfied that there is no alternative but to continue with the speed restrictions in respect of access to internet through mobiles while providing unrestricted fixed-line connectivity, ie, without any speed restrictions. "The IsGP, Jammu/Kashmir, shall ensure communication of these directions to the service providers and ensure their implementation," the order states. The communication blackout imposed in Kashmir following the abrogation of Article 370 was gradually lifted with 2G Internet services on mobile phones being restored on January 25. However, internet access was limited to "white-listed" sites. With inputs from ANI SARATOGA SPRINGS A man has been charged with stabbing another man who sought help at the Ballston Avenue Market 32 early Saturday morning. Saratoga Springs police said they were called to Market 32 around 12:30 a.m. Saturday after the victim sought help. Police said the man had been stabbed in the neck and upper chest. Advertisement Despite being only an hour away, LA County and Orange County were worlds apart over the weekend. Cooped up Californians flocked to Huntington Beach on Saturday and Sunday, seen in exclusive DailyMail.com photos riding bikes, playing volleyball, swimming, surfing and sunbathing in the upper 80 degrees heat. People were crammed along the boardwalk and very few face masks were in sight, as social distancing went out the window and little regard was paid to the threat of coronavirus. Although the county doesn't have its own stay-at-home order and is recommending residents follow the state's guidelines to stay at home except for essential needs, few seemed to heed the advice. But just some 50 miles north, locked down LA County looked entirely different with its famed beaches nearly empty and locals keeping six feet apart while wearing face masks. Deputy sheriffs were seen rigorously enforcing the shelter in place order, which has been extended until May 15, as they posted themselves outside beach entrances, patrolled the shores with one motorcyclist seen being put into handcuffs. ORANGE COUNTY: Cooped up Californians flocked to Huntington Beach in Orange County over the weekend, seen in exclusive DailyMail.com photos riding bikes, playing volleyball, swimming, surfing and sunbathing in the 80F heat ORANGE COUNTY: People were crammed along the boardwalk and very few face masks were in sight, as social distancing went out the window and little regard was paid to the threat of coronavirus ORANGE COUNTY: A goose named Goosey crosses the street to get to the other side with owners Psyche Lynch, left, and Tom, center, in a crowded downtown Huntington Beach ORANGE COUNTY: Although the county doesn't have its own stay-at-home order and is recommending residents follow the state's guidance to stay at home except for essential needs, few seemed to heed the advice ORANGE COUNTY: Orange County has fewer cases than LA County with 2,000 people infected and 38 deaths LA COUNTY: But just 60 miles north, locked down LA County looked entirely different with its famed beaches nearly empty LA COUNTY: Deputy sheriffs were seen rigorously enforcing the shelter in place order, which has been extended until May 15, as they posted themselves outside beach entrances LA COUNTY: Los Angeles has been working hard to enforce its stay at home order, closing off many city and county beaches, as well as trails and playgrounds LA COUNTY: A motorcyclist was seen being put into handcuffs over the weekend Los Angeles has been working hard to enforce its stay at home order, closing off many city and county beaches, as well as trails and playgrounds. Officers on horseback patrolled those areas to enforce social distancing rules. Over the weekend, people who did come out to the beach kept a wide distance between others, with some just sitting in the back of their cars to enjoy the sun. At a farmers market, most were seen wearing face masks and keeping six feet apart. 'We won't let one weekend undo a month of progress. While the sunshine is tempting, we're staying home to save lives,' LA mayor Eric Garcetti tweeted on Sunday. 'The places we love our beaches, hiking trails will still be there when this is over. And by staying home, we're making sure our loved ones will be too.' LA County currently has seen double the number of deaths in the past week, as the total number of COVID-19 cases is more than 19,500 and the death toll is just over 910 deaths. Orange County has significantly fewer cases with 2,000 people infected and 38 deaths. With stricter restrictions in place in LA County, many took the drive down to Orange County to enjoy the good weather. LA COUNTY: Over the weekend, people who did come out to the beach kept a wide distance between others, with some just sitting in the back of their cars to enjoy the sun LA COUNTY: At a farmers market, most were seen wearing face masks and keeping six feet apart LA COUNTY: 'We won't let one weekend undo a month of progress. While the sunshine is tempting, we're staying home to save lives,' LA mayor Eric Garcetti tweeted on Sunday. 'The places we love our beaches, hiking trails will still be there when this is over. And by staying home, we're making sure our loved ones will be too' LA COUNTY: The county currently has seen double the number of deaths in the past week, as the total number of COVID-19 cases is more than 19,500 and the death toll just over 910 deaths LA COUNTY: There were also officers on horseback patrolled those areas to enforce social distancing rules Orange County Supervisor Lisa Bartlett told the LA Times: 'When you take a look at the folks that are coming down, they're not only not adhering to safer-at-home policies in their own communities they're not even staying in their own counties.' A visitor from another county, who did not want to be named, added to the news outlet: 'It's hot. It's the go-to thing to do if you live in California.' While Huntington Beach was crowded, nearby Newport Beach was at peak capacity, as tens of thousands of people rushed to soak up the sun. Residents compared the crowd size to something typically seen on July 4. The packed beach led city officials to call for a special meeting on Sunday to consider shutting beaches for everybody in the next few weekends or closing roadways leading to the shoreline to keep visitors away. California has had more than 43,500 coronavirus cases and 1,700 deaths, more than half of them in the Los Angeles area, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. ORANGE COUNTY: With stricter restrictions in place in LA County, many took the hour drive down to Orange County to enjoy the good weather ORANGE COUNTY: A visitor from another county, who did not want to be named, added to the news outlet: 'It's hot. It's the go-to thing to do if you live in California' ORANGE COUNTY: Orange County Supervisor Lisa Bartlett told the LA Times: 'When you take a look at the folks that are coming down, they're not only not adhering to safer-at-home policies in their own communities they're not even staying in their own counties' ORANGE COUNTY: However, the number of infections is thought to be far higher because many people have not been tested. Studies suggest people can be infected with the virus without feeling sick ORANGE COUNTY: Last week, health officials announced a Santa Clara County woman died in early February from COVID-19 weeks before the first previously known U.S. death from the virus ORANGE COUNTY: There have been small protests by people who want to reopen the state, contending their liberty and livelihoods are at stake. Dozens rallied in Pacific Beach in San Diego on Sunday However, the number of infections is thought to be far higher because many people have not been tested. Studies suggest people can be infected with the virus without feeling sick. Last week, health officials announced a Santa Clara County woman died in early February from COVID-19 weeks before the first previously known U.S. death from the virus. An autopsy released by the county Saturday concluded she suffered a massive heart attack caused by coronavirus infection, which also spread to her trachea, lungs and intestines. There have been small protests by people who want to reopen the state, contending their liberty and livelihoods are at stake. Dozens rallied in Pacific Beach in San Diego on Sunday. A total of 4.86 lakh people from Odisha, who are stranded in different parts of the country due to the lockdown, have registered their names with the state government, officials said on Monday. The Odisha government has made registration mandatory for all those keen to return to Odisha, and launched a portal for this purpose. "As many as 4.86 lakh persons have registered on this portal within 48 hours," Odisha's COVID-19 spokesperson Subroto Bagchi said. He said the state government has appointed nodal officers in all the 6,798 gram panchayats and BDOs have been trained to facilitate the registration procedure of the stranded people, which include workers, students, patients and pilgrims. The people who return to Odisha will have to undergo a 14-day quarantine period at the panchayat level, said pancahyati raj secretary D K Singh. Meanwhile, during a video conference with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik suggested formulation of a standard operating procedure for seamless movement of people stranded in different states. Odisha Health and Family Welfare Minister N K Das said he was optimistic the Centre will come out with a guideline, especially for the movement of migrant workers. He also said it will be wise to conduct coronavirus tests of the returnees at the place of their stay during the lockdown period. Commerce and Transport Minister Padmanabh Behera said it would be difficult to transport all the stranded people by bus. "We have only 15,000 buses in the state. They may be used to transport people from neighbouring regions, but not from states like Gujarat, Maharastra and Tamil Nadu," he said. Behera also said the Centre should consider running special trains to facilitate movement of the stranded people. Bagchi added that the Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water Department has made functional 7,102 temporary medical camps/centres with 2.27 lakh beds, where the returnees can be placed under quarantine. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Two lorry drivers have been charged in connection with a handover of 2.5m worth of cocaine in north Co Dublin at the weekend. They were allegedly caught red-handed following surveillance by the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau (GNDOCB). Three vehicles were stopped in the Blakes Cross area on Saturday afternoon. Searches resulted in the seizure of a quantity of cocaine with an estimated street value of 2.5m. Three men were arrested at the scene and detained, under the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act, 1996, at Swords and Store Street Garda stations in Dublin. Charles Coyle, 58, from Boug, Cootehill, Co. Cavan and Dimitrijs Verskovics, 44, with an address at Neretas Novads, Elkselksnltos, LV5118, in Latvia appeared before Judge Gerard Jones at Dublin District Court today. Both have been charged under the Misuse of Drugs Act with unlawful possession of cocaine and possessing it with intent to sell or supply. Solicitor Fiona D'Arcy, for Mr Coyle, said her client was applying for bail but there was an objection from GNDOCB Detective Michael Ormond. He said Mr Coyle made no reply when charged at Swords station. He told the court there was CCTV evidence and surveillance. It was alleged Mr Coyle was the driver of a truck who took possession of cocaine from the co-accused. He said the accused has been living outside the jurisdiction in a rented address in the North for the past five or six years. Mr Coyle was allegedly caught red-handed, and he believed the man was a flight risk, the court heard. He agreed with Ms DArcy that Mr Coyle has said he can live with his family in Co Cavan and he had never taken a warrant before. Detective Ormond told the court he was instructed Mr Coyle was not welcome at that address. Ms DArcy said her client has never been before the court before and she argued that he was entitled to bail, and presumed innocent. She had spoken to his brother and she said her client was welcome at the family home. He was of limited means but hoped that 3,000 would be made available. Judge Jones granted bail in Mr Coyles own bond of 100 but required a 25,000 independent surety. Once a bail-person has been approved, he must sign on three days a week at Carrickmacross Garda station, cancel his passport which he claimed was lost and be contactable at all times on a mobile phone number that must provide to gardai. Mr Coyle, who was granted legal aid, did not address the court. Dressed in a checked shirt and jeans, and wearing a protective face-mask, he has not yet indicated how he will plead. Remanded in custody He was remanded in custody with consent to bail to appear at a Cloverhill District Court on Friday. Co-accused, Dimitrijs Verskovics, did not apply for bail. His solicitor, Michael French said an application will be made at his next hearing. Detective Redmond OLeary said there will be an objection. The accused, who listened to the proceedings with the aid of a Russian interpreter, lived in Latvia, Judge Jones was told. Detective OLeary said a planned operation was in place by the GNDOCB. He alleged Mr Verskovics was the driver of one truck who handed over drugs from one vehicle to another. The court heard Mr Verskovics made no reply when charged at Store Street garda station. He was granted legal aid and remanded in custody and will also appear at Cloverhill District Court on Friday for a bail hearing. A third man, who is in his 40s, has been released without charge, with a file now being prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions. - This story was updated at 14.50 Bihar was rattled by its biggest ever spike in COVID-19 cases in a single day when 68 people tested positive on Monday and the states total jumped to 345, a top official said here. Principal Secretary, Health, Sanjay Kumar also pointed out that the day marked Madhubani (five), Darbhanga and Purnea (one each) registering their first COVID-19 cases, bringing the number of districts affected by the outbreak to 25, out of a total of 38. The number of cases reported during the day surpassed the previous highest of 53 last Friday. The state has witnessed a steep rise in the number of cases in the recent past. The first two cases were reported on March 22 and the total number crossed the three-digit mark on April 19, about four weeks later. However, the tally has shot up three-fold in just eight days since then and the number of those infected has risen by more than 200. Jamalpur town in Munger district saw yet another explosion of infections with 22 people testing positive. The district has so far reported 90 confirmed cases, of which 78 are still active, most of these in the mofussil town with a population of less than two lakhs. Rohtas district reported 16 fresh cases during the day, raising the count of COVID-19 patients there to 31. The patients include two girls, both residents of Sasaram, the district headquarters, and aged a year and a half. The remaining 14 patients, all males, include a two-year-old boy and three men in the age group of 60-70 years. Besides, five fresh cases were reported in the state capital, from localities like Raja Bazar, New Pataliputra Colony and Phulwarisharif. The lone woman patient, aged 28 years, resides in a colony adjacent to the Bihar Public Service Commission office on Bailey Road. All these localities have been sealed and those coming in contact with the positive cases quarantined. In addition, a two-year-old boy from Naubatpur in rural Patna tested positive. Patna district now accounts for 39 cases, making it the second worst affected in the state, followed by Nalanda (34), Siwan (30) and Buxar (25). According to Madhubani District Magistrate Nilesh Ramchandra Deore, all the five patients, including two women - a 27-year-old constable posted at the police lines and a 65 -year-old woman from Jhanjharpur sub-division - had travel histories. While the constable had come from Nalanda, one of the severely affected districts in the state, the remaining had come from Mumbai and Delhi and they were all kept in quarantine until their test reports came out, Deore said. The district has witnessed a massive influx of people from outside the state. We have sent 500 samples for testing so far, he added. Darbhanga District Magistrate S M Thyagarajan said the 36-year-old patient was a migrant worker from Delhi who had returned to his home town on April 22 along with his wife and children on April 22. Police Superintendent Babu Ram said his family members too have been quarantined at the hospital and further contact tracing was on. In Purnea, District Magistrate Rahul Kumar said the 27-year-old patient had recently returned from Delhi where he sold fruits for a living. His family members and close contacts have been quarantined and further contact tracing was on. Notably, at the video conference with Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier in the day, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had flagged the issue of a high prevalence of the contagion among those returning to Bihar from other parts of the country, circumventing the nationwide lockdown. He had also requested that medical examination be ensured by local authorities before granting permission to people from Bihar to their journey back home. Bhojpur district also reported seven fresh cases, raising the total to 16. Aurangabad registered four cases and the districts total now stands at 11. One case each came from Saran, Nawada and Lakhisarai districts. Among those who have tested positive in the state so far, two have died. Vaishali and Munger districts account for one casualty each. The number of those who have been discharged from hospitals after full recovery is 57. The number of samples tested so far is 18,179. Testing of samples is taking place at six facilities, four at Patna and one each at Darbhanga and Muzaffarpur. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Information & eGovernment Authority (iGA) announced its first ever virtual Ramadan eMajlis, to be held via video conferencing technology on April 29, 2020. The initiative, in line with iGAs commitment to social distancing during the current pandemic, aims to strengthen its communication with citizens, residents, and specialists in the IT field. Participants in the casual conversation will be encouraged to share their suggestions on how to improve the services offered by the iGA, and develop the role of technology in a post-Coronavirus world. The eMajlis provides the public an opportunity to communicate directly with senior iGA officials, including Chief Executive, Mohammed Ali Al Qaed. Al Qaed said: We are committed to advancing our eServices and enhancing the user experience of all our beneficiaries. Improving the quality and efficiency of these services will support the governments digital transformation process, making them accessible through different online channels, platforms and smartphone applications. iGA eMajlis will be via the Zoom Video confernecing platform if you are interested in participating, please follow @igabahrain on social media for the majlis link . iGA welcomes public participation through this new platform to help it better meet the demands of the public and pledges that comments and suggestions offered during the eMajlis will be taken into consideration and studied by specialists to determine their applicability. -- Tradearabia News Service Its an old journalism cliche that sunlight is the best disinfectant, but its new to have to state that neither should be ingested. As you will doubtless have heard by now, on Thursday, President Trump wondered aloud, in the White House briefing room, about the potential medical effectiveness of injecting both sunlight and disinfectant (it does a tremendous number on the lungs) as cures for COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus. The mixed-message walkbacka specialty under this administrationfollowed. Kayleigh McEnany, the new White House press secretary, accused the media of irresponsibly taking Trumps words out of context. Trump himself then cast his comments as sarcasmhe was trolling reporters, he said, just to see what would happen. Many observers took the remarks very seriously. Staffers for a state emergency hotline in Maryland said they fielded more than 100 calls from members of the public asking if disinfectant was actually a coronavirus cure. Several states issued warnings against injecting it, as did the Environmental Protection Agency and the Food and Drug Administration. NEVER INGEST BLEACH, Domestos, a British cleaning-products manufacturer, tweeted. NEVER INHALE BLEACH. So now you know. Trumps medical musings echoed through the news cycle for days, including on the Sunday shows yesterday. That irked at least one Sunday-show guest. Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus response coordinator, had already downplayed Trumps remarks oncein an interview with Fox which aired Saturday, she said that when the president gets new information, he likes to talk that through out loud, and that he was still digesting some (information, not bleach) on stagebut yesterday, both Chuck Todd and Jake Tapper asked her to comment on them again. It bothers me that this is still in the news cycle, Birx told Tapper. She then implicitly criticized the media for dredging up a days-old controversy when theres vital new science to report. ICYMI: Why did Matt Drudge turn on Donald Trump? As Tapper pointed out, this was misplacing the blame. Recently, Birxwho has been held up, along with her colleague Dr. Anthony Fauci, as a precious voice of reason and expertise within the administrationhas started to come in for criticism, in some quarters, for failing to push back strongly enough on Trumps unhelpful interventions. On Meet the Press yesterday, Andrea Mitchell seemed horrified by Birxs interview with Todd. I think that the credibility of the scientists really now is on the line, Mitchell said. They have to decide whether to stay inside and be valuable, or whether or not they have to see another alternative, like Jim Mattis, and quit. It wasnt just Birx who fell short of condemning Trumps disinfectant comments over the weekend. (Surgeon General Jerome Adamss advice to PLEASE always talk to your health provider first before administering any treatment/medication to yourself or a loved one also comes to mind.) Journalists have given Birx and Fauci, in particular, some latitude in their public remarks, recognizing the fine line they have to tread between loyalty to Trump and the facts-first candor we would normally expect from government experts. But this latitude cannot be limitless. The irony here is that Birx was right, albeit for the wrong reasons: it is bothersome that the news media has to expend time and energy on dangerous nonsense, especially right now, when theres so much important news and a diminishing number of journalists covering it. Over the weekend, many news reports about Trumps remarks had an inadvertently satirical quality. With the exception of the New York Timeswhich satirized itself by writing that some experts view the ingestion of disinfectant as dangerous (it later removed that wording)this wasnt really the medias fault. Under a president like Trump, the basic ways weve been trained to write and talk about politics inevitably bestow seriousness on the clownishly absurdand thus risk elevating, or even legitimizing, itbecause we trade in seriousness and the president does not. Many commentators, especially on cable news, openly ridiculed Trumps bleach talk. (Morning Joe, for instance, cut it with clips of Dr. Nick Riviera, the quack physician from The Simpsons.) But someone has to tell people, in all seriousness, that injecting disinfectant is a terrible idea. The hundreds of calls to the Maryland hotline only underscored that point. Some would argue that when it comes to injecting sunlight and disinfectant, sunlight is not the best disinfectantdebunking disinformation, experts say, can help spread it. Clearly, theres a difference (in reach, at least) between an amateur online conspiracy theorist and the president of the United States. There are, however, steps we can take to limit public exposure to such dangerous presidential rhetoric. We could try saving our peak outrage for the matters of life and death. And we could do much more to disengage from the daily White House press briefings, the usefulness of whichalways dubioushas long since been outlived. Theres no good reason to carry them live; there are better reasons to send reporters, but even those seem less compelling by the day. At the very least, we could stop the briefings from driving so much of the conversationon cable news, in particular. Sign up for CJR 's daily email Trump may be making that decision for us. Allies have urged him to scrap the briefings, which they fear are hurting his political standing. On Friday, Trump kept things short and didnt take questions; over the weekend, we didnt get any briefings at all. (On Saturday, Trump tweeted that the briefings were not worth the time & effort, on account of the Lamestream Medias bad attitude toward them.) A briefing is currently scheduled for today, howeverand even if Trump does pivot away from the practice, hell surely continue to share unfiltered pseudo-advice via other channels, such as Twitter. In covering it, we should keep one question front of mind: what serves our readers and viewers best? Theres no question that not ingesting bleach fits that category. Trumps streams of consciousness require closer, case-by-case thought. Below, more on the coronavirus: Other notable stories: ICYMI: Why capitalization matters Correction: An earlier version of this newsletter misstated the date of Dr. Deborah Birxs interview on Fox News. It broadcast on Saturday, not Friday. The post has been updated. Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today Jon Allsop is a freelance journalist whose work has appeared in the New York Review of Books, Foreign Policy, and The Nation, among other outlets. He writes CJRs newsletter The Media Today. Find him on Twitter @Jon_Allsop. (Photo : REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh) A student takes class online while using the Zoom app at her home as Egypt shut down schools as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues, in Cairo, Egypt April 5, 2020. While the world indulges in online activities while at home, hacking groups are working overtime in the past week as multiple security breaches have been reported. Thus, video chatting app Zoom, which has long been targeted by hackers, has recently upgraded its encryption keys to strengthening its security. READ ALSO: Facebook Launches Messenger Rooms to Compete with Zoom and Skype; But Is It Safe? Zoom Launches Security Upgrades Video conferencing app Zoom recently announced numerous small but vital security advances. With the recent surge in Zoom usage during the pandemic, the company earned scrutiny on its security and privacy offerings. The gradual changes are part of the company's 90-day plan to improve its services. Primarily, Zoom now offers AES 256 encryption on meetings, which will be encrypted with a 256-bit key. Previously, it used to offer AES 128, although Zoom claimed it has been using AES 256, based on documentation and marketing materials. Various Security Breaches Zoom is not the only company that is being targeted by crooks. In fact, Google recently published that about 12 government-backed hacking groups are undeterred by the pandemic, trying to take advantage of those conditions for intelligence-gathering. Also, another report claimed China has been hacking Uighurs' iPhones during the crisis. Other issues have also been raised on various apps and platforms. Nintendo Account Breaches Meanwhile, Nintendo users worldwide have seen their accounts being controlled by crooks over the past few weeks. This allowed access to the linked credit card or PayPal accounts to purchase Nintendo games or currency for Fortnite. Nintendo has been urging users to turn on two-factor authentication to protect their accounts since the start of the month, so it is unclear how hackers got through the system. On Friday, the company confirmed that hackers gained unauthorized access to accounts, so the company decided to change the login process. Instead of accessing their Nintendo accounts using Nintendo Network IDs from the older Wii U and 3DS system, it also will contact affected users about resetting passwords. Nintendo reported the issue on its US customer support page and reassured users about the Nintendo's security policies. "While we continue to investigate, we would like to reassure users that there is currently no evidence pointing toward a breach of Nintendo's databases, servers, or services," the statement said. Meanwhile, the company opted not to divulge how the system was accessed illegally after doing the investigation. This is to deter "further attempts of unauthorized sign-ins." Facebook Profiles Sold for $600 Data from more than 267 million profiles are apparently being sold on criminal dark web forums for 500, or about $618. While the information does not include passwords, it contains details like users' full names, phone numbers, and Facebook IDs, which can fuel digital scams like phishing. Bleeping Computer reported on Monday about the Elasticsearch database discovered by security researcher Bob Diachenko. However, after being contacted by Diachenko, the ISP hosting database took the server offline. Later on, a new set of data containing 42 million records was brought online. From this, 16.8 million records comprised more details like Facebook users' birth date, email address, and gender. To avoid unauthorized access, Cyble CEO Beenu Arora recommends users to strengthen their Facebook privacy settings and be cautious of unsolicited emails and text messages. READ ALSO: Vitamins C and D Can Help Prevent COVID-19 as WHO Says Immunity is Not Guaranteed; Numbers of VA Patients with Coronavirus Continue Rising 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan newsroom powered by PennLive/The Patriot-News, The Philadelphia Inquirer and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Sign up for our free weekly newsletter. Story by Cynthia Fernandez of Spotlight PA, Anna Orso of the Philadelphia Inquirer and Christine Vestal of Stateline With the coronavirus pandemic, timing is everything. When should states shut down? When should they reopen? Which hospitals need the most supplies right now? Across the United States, those decisions largely hinge on accurate public health data. And yet, how much information is shared with the public varies widely among the states. As part of a collaborative effort, Stateline and Spotlight PA surveyed six states Colorado, Georgia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Washington to determine what information they have made accessible to the public via their websites. All six are regularly releasing data on cases by age, sex, and county. But beyond those basic numbers, the patchwork of available information shows the differing abilities of health officials to accurately collect and report data, as well as how much they believe the public needs to know. The demand from the public has largely centered on where positive cases and deaths are located. While most states made county-level information available soon after they began reporting cases, some have hesitated to localize data further because of privacy concerns. In recent weeks, policymakers and advocates have pressed officials to begin reporting more demographic data about both positive cases and those who have been tested. In particular, racial data have proved critical, as early numbers indicated communities of color were being disproportionately harmed. Calls for more transparency have revealed systemic failures by some states to collect that information when tests are administered. Whats clearer from the available data: seniors are dying at higher rates than adults and children. Long-term care facilities across the U.S. have proven to be tinderboxes for outbreaks, though a lack of federal data has obscured the extent of the situation. At the same time, some states are resisting calls to make facility-specific information available to the public. Geography Information about cases by zip code or census tract is critical to properly target limited resources, experts say. But not every state is offering this level of detail. Shiriki Kumanyika, emeritus professor of biostatistics and epidemiology at the University of Pennsylvania and chair of the Council on Black Health at Drexel University, said county-level figures can be problematic, especially in counties that are primarily rural but also have an urban area. Kumanyika said that without granular geographic information, it would totally dilute the sense of whats going on. In Georgia, the Department of Public Health had posted maps showing cumulative and active cases by block groups, which are subdivisions of a census tract. Weekly maps showed the spread and intensity of the disease over time. Positive COVID-19 cases in Maryland are broken down by zip code and county. Data on COVID-19 deaths are available at the county level. Under pressure from experts and the press, Pennsylvania officials on April 20 began including zip code-level data on coronavirus tests, those that come back either positive or negative. State officials still only provide deaths by county. Some counties and municipalities in Pennsylvania with their own health departments are empowered to and have shared more granular data. For example, Philadelphias Department of Public Health had been providing zip code data for about a month before state officials made the change. In Washington state, where the first U.S. coronavirus cases were confirmed, officials categorize cases and deaths by county. In response to a public records request asking for zip code data, the Health Department said only that the data on our website lists the data by county. However, King County, which has been the epicenter of the states outbreak, has created a data dashboard that includes zip code information. The countys site features a map with zip code boundaries that includes the number of positive results per 100,000 residents. Colorado, too, has seen similar divisions. While the states website shows only county-level information for cases and deaths, certain counties have released information by zip code. In South Carolina, members of the public asked the state to report cases by zip codes, but officials initially resisted. The desire for some to obtain details about where infected people are located has become a disturbing distraction because it suggests that there are still people who dont understand the potential threat for everyone and that any one of us can be exposed at any one time," Linda Bell, the state epidemiologist, said during a March 31 news conference. But on April 3, Republican Gov. Henry McMaster ordered the health department to provide the information as it was in the publics interest. Pennsylvania Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine said it's been difficult to get data on race in all COVID-19 cases. Some results being sent to the state haven't included information on race and ethnicity. (Screenshot/PACast) Race and ethnicity data Data on the race and ethnicity of people infected and killed by COVID-19 is crucial to understanding how different communities are impacted. Were not wanting data for the sake of data, said Sharrelle Barber, an assistant research professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at Drexel. Were wanting data so we can mitigate this disproportionate impact in certain communities and come up with short- and long-term policy solutions to save lives. All six states are now releasing racial data for reported cases. But some have struggled to collect a complete picture from labs, physicians, and hospitals. Our ability to report data on race and ethnicity really depends on that data being reported to the state, Colorado State Epidemiologist Rachel Herlihy recently told reporters. Our strategy going forward is to get that data from the beginning. Pennsylvania has experienced similar issues, according to Health Secretary Rachel Levine. As of Thursday, 70% of reported cases did not have race or ethnicity data. Just over 50% of death data was similarly lacking information on race. This data has been very difficult for us to collect, Levine said in mid-April, because of issues with what information physicians and labs are sending the state. Similar problems have occurred in Maryland, according to Joshua M. Sharfstein, vice dean for public health practice and community engagement at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. There, he said, some commercial testing facilities were not noting race or ethnicity when recording test results. Still, as of Thursday, the state lacked race data for just 21% of reported COVID-19 cases. South Carolina appears to have been successful in collecting this information. In its most recent report, only nine out of 148 deaths, or 6%, did not report race. The percentage of positive cases that lacked race data was the same. In an email responding to Statelines questions about how the state was able to achieve such a high level of compliance, the South Carolina State Emergency Response Team said, We ask individuals to self-report their race and ethnicity. In Washington, 37% of cases were listed as unknown, and the state lacked racial data on 10% of deaths, as of Thursday. Naming nursing homes with COVID-19 cases Of the groups susceptible to serious complications of COVID-19, perhaps none are quite as vulnerable as seniors who live in long-term-care facilities. As visitation and inspections have in many cases been suspended, family members have struggled for information. Four of the six states surveyed by Stateline and Spotlight PA are providing the names of nursing homes that have cases of COVID-19, part of a growing transparency trend. Since April 3, Georgia has provided daily information specific to long-term-care facilities. The list includes the name, address, and county of each facility as well as the number of residents in each, the number of COVID-positive residents and staff, and the number of resident deaths. Colorado officials began naming nursing homes with two or more cases of COVID-19, and publishing a tally of total cases and deaths at those facilities, in early April. Last week, South Carolina began reporting the number of COVID-19 cases in individual nursing homes and rehabilitation centers. Previously, the state had reported an aggregate number of positive cases in nursing homes, rehabilitation facilities, and other community residential facilities. After saying the information served no public health purpose, Maryland officials on Monday reversed course and said a list of long-term care facilities with COVID-19 cases would be released. Keeping Marylanders informed and being transparent with the facts continues to be at the heart of our response to COVID-19," Republican Gov. Larry Hogan said in a statement. "We are grateful to the staff in our nursing homes working around the clock to save lives. Despite being the site of the countrys first nursing home outbreak, Washington has not provided such information. Pennsylvania also does not provide facility-specific information and doesnt plan to do it. The state has cited a decades-old law to hold back the names of nursing homes with COVID-19 cases, though it recently began releasing the number of resident and staff infections and deaths at long-term care facilities by county. This story was updated to reflect changes to Marylands nursing home transparency policy and to correct a reference to the size of census block groups in Georgia. Alex Brown, Sophie Quinton, and Michael Ollove of Stateline contributed to this article. This story includes previous reporting published by the Philadelphia Inquirer and Spotlight PA. 100% ESSENTIAL: Spotlight PA relies on funding from foundations and readers like you who are committed to accountability journalism that gets results. If you value this reporting, please give a gift today at spotlightpa.org/donate. More from PennLive Pa. coronavirus cases top 41,000; 1,550 have died due to COVID-19 As meat-processors accept fewer animals during coronavirus, Pa. farmers take financial hit Gov. Tom Wolfs administration offers more details on reopening Pa. Contact tracing is needed to guard against more coronavirus outbreaks; many states arent ready 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. Even as Canada recorded its 2,500th fatality due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the country could witness gradual easing of restrictions as some of its largest provinces now want more business to become operational as early as possible. While the number of confirmed cases in Canada has crossed 45,000 and was at 46,848 on Sunday evening, the tally for the number of deaths have climbed to 2,560. But those figures may be gradually peaking and two of the worst hit provinces, Ontario and Quebec, are now planning on releasing their plans for opening up more businesses. Other provinces like Saskatchewan, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island are also considering similar return-to -near-normalcy in some sectors. In Ontario, the countrys most populous province, the rate of growth of cases has slowed over the last fortnight. As it reported 437 new cases and 24 deaths, those figures represented the lowest numbers since April 13. Nearly 60 per cent of these cases are in the Greater Toronto Area or GTA. But any such measure will be taken in a graduated manner. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau discussed the matter with premiers of provinces this weekend and they acknowledged the importance of restarting the economy through a gradual and phased approach, based on the advice of public health experts, according to a statement from the PMO. It also said that they agreed that protecting the health and safety of all Canadians should remain the top priority while restarting the Canadian economy. While talk has increased of resuming some economic activity which have been restricted during the crisis, the country is still grappling with measures required to make that effort viable without endangering the population. Among the measures announced is the setting up of a Covid-19 Immunity Task Force which will try and estimate how widely the virus has spread in Canada and provide reliable estimates of potential immunity and vulnerabilities in Canadian populations. Part of the process could be influenced by the experience of states south of the border, in the United States. As Trudeau said recently during a media briefing, As provinces look at their own situation and how we can move forward on beginning to reopen our economy, I know their decisions and our decisions will be informed by what is working, and what is perhaps not working as well, elsewhere the world. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Latest VT4 battle tanks delivered to foreign buyer: report Global Times Source:Globaltimes.cn Published: 2020/4/27 2:24:48 China is delivering two customized VT4 main battle tanks to an undisclosed foreign buyer. Transported by trucks, two VT4 tanks left for their destination following a launch ceremony, Weihutang, military affairs column affiliated with China Central Television, reported on Friday, citing a video released by the Inner Mongolia First Machinery Group under the state-owned China North Industries Group (NORINCO). The tanks are not the standard VT4 version and instead are equipped with a different turret boost design. The front design features a new explosive reactive armor, Weihutang said. This upgraded VT4 offers enhancements with extra protection capabilities, the report said, citing military experts. Further details on the deal have not been released, such as the purchase amount, overall value, and client name. Also known as the MBT3000, the VT4 is a new generation of made-for-export combat tank designed for the international market, Weihutang said, noting that it is one of the most popular Chinese weapons available and has been sold to Thailand and Nigeria. The VT4 is equipped with a 125-millimeter smoothbore gun, can fire armor-piercing fin-stabilized discarding-sabot (APFSDS), high explosive anti-tank cartridges, and missiles with a 5-kilometer range. Equipped with a China-made 1,200-horsepower diesel-fueled engine and a hydromechanical drive system, the VT4 can travel at a maximum speed of 70 kph and a maximum cross-country speed of 50 kph. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro may dismiss the coronavirus crisis, but he's taking the crisis within his administration head-on. Driving the news: Bolsonaros most valuable ally resigned on national television on Friday, accusing the president of firing the head of Brazils federal police in order to hamper ongoing investigations. Sergio Moro said that he could no longer serve as justice minister to a president who insists on meddling in criminal investigations. The big picture: Moro is a hero to Brazilian conservatives for an anti-corruption crusade that saw former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva jailed and brought down politicians in several other countries. His allegations came amid reports that two of Bolsonaros sons are being investigated Carlos Bolsonaro over an alleged criminal fake news racket and Flavio Bolsonaro for suspected mafia links and corruption. Zoom in: While the fired police chief was removed for investigating Carlos Bolsonaro, according to Folha de S. Paolo, his replacement was photographed celebrating New Year's Eve with him. Why it matters: Moros allegations could eventually provide a legal basis for the impeachment push that was already gaining steam due to COVID-19, as Bolsonaro attempted to block states from imposing lockdowns. The high-profile defection also comes with Bolsonaros popularity dwindling down to his socially conservative base some 3035% of the population. Where things stand: A poll published in early April found that 59% of Brazilians believed Bolsonaro should remain in office, while 37% thought he should resign. While those numbers might be shifting, Brian Winter of Americas Quarterly estimates that 2025% of Brazilians who dont necessarily support Bolsonaro think, "Damn, cant you guys in Brasilia just work this out? We just had an impeachment in 2016. We still havent recovered from the worst economic crisis in our history. Now weve got a pandemic." "As long as a majority, or near-majority, of Brazilians feel that way, its hard to imagine Congress which has image problems of its own acting to remove the president, no matter how much its members despise him, Winter contends. Flashback: Bolsonaro swept to victory in 2018 on promises to take on the establishment, fight crime and corruption, and reform the economy. Bolsonaro embraced the role of culture warrior-in-chief while delegating the second plank to Moro and the third to economy super minister Paulo Guedes. The latest: Bolsonaro appeared alongside Guedes today to reassure jittery financial markets and rebut rumors that his other star minister was also about to bolt. What to watch: Bolsonaro is attempting to shore up his administration and cement alliances in Congress, where majorities in both houses would be needed to remove him. Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, unfazed by mounting pressure, said on Monday that his government will not be able to bring home students stuck in Rajasthans Kota unless the Centre revises lockdown guidelines. A national lockdown is in place till May 3 to check the halt of coronavirus disease. Our students are not just in Kota but also many other parts of the country... it would not be possible to bring them back until the Centre amends its guidelines, which we are adhering to suitably, said Nitish Kumar. Participating in chief ministers videoconference with Prime Minster Narendra Modi, Kumar spoke about many states having arranged for return of students from the Rajasthan town, and also made an oblique reference to the pressure from opposition parties that his government has been facing on the issue. A total of 2,152 cases of coronavirus have been reported in Rajasthan so far. Earlier today, a group of 369 students, hailing from different districts of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, reached home from Kota in 15 buses, officials said. All the students would go through mandatory administrative quarantine as a precautionary measure after reaching their home districts, officials added. Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath set the ball rolling on the matter by being the first to send the buses to Kota to bring home students, putting pressure on other states. Star Wars fans have something to look forward to. The latest installment from the franchise, The Rise Of Skywalker, will be released early due to global self-isolation from COVID-19. On Monday it was confirmed that the 2019 movie will be released two months early on Disney+. The date is May 4, which is a Star Wars holiday because May the 4th sounds like May the force, as in May the force be with you, a common line from the films. I'm here! Star Wars fans have something to look forward to. The latest installment from the franchise, The Rise Of Skywalker, will be released early due to global self-isolation from COVID-19 May 4! On Monday it was confirmed that the movie will be released two months early on Disney+. The date is May 4, which is a Star Wars holiday because May the 4th sounds like May the force, as in May the force be with you, a common line from the films Rise of Skywalker - which stars Daisy Ridley, Oscar Isaac, John Boyega and the late Carrie Fisher - joins all the other Star Wars films from the franchise to make it onto the Disney streaming service. There is already A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, The Return Of The Jedi, The Phantom Menace, Attack Of The Clones, Revenge Of The Sith, The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi. Then there are all of the spinoffs, most notably the films Rogue One and Solo. Hot film: Rise of Skywalker - which stars Daisy Ridley, Oscar Isaac, John Boyega and the late Carrie Fisher - joins all the other Star Wars films from the franchise to make it onto the Disney streaming service What's more, Disney+'s May 4 line-up will include the premiere of the eight-part documentary series 'Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian', as well as the series finale of the award-winning animated series 'Star Wars: The Clone Wars'. Meanwhile, Oscar Isaac previously described 'The Rise of Skywalker' as an 'emotional conclusion' to the Skywalker saga. He said: 'I think it's an epic, overwhelming, emotional conclusion to the Skywalker saga.' Oscar, 41 - who first appeared as Poe in 2015's Star Wars: The Force Awakens - also admitted it was 'humbling' to have been involved with the sci-fi series. He explained: 'It's massive. It's hard to believe that I'm a part of the 42 year story, and to have been able to contribute, especially to the closing of that thing ... it's humbling.' The force was with them: Isaac as Po Dameron, right, and C-3PO, left The actor didn't know if his character would 'make it past the first film' when he first landed the role - but he relished the Star Wars experience. He said: 'The whole journey has been a wild, unpredictable ride.' In February it was reported a new Star Wars film is in the works, although it is unclear whether it will be released on cinemas or Disney+. The Hollywood Reporter suggested that director J.D. Dillard and writer Matt Owens have been approached to develop the project, although it remains unclear what roles they will have. J.D. recently wrote and directed the sci-fi thriller Sleight, while Matt has penned scripts for Marvel shows Luke Cage and Agents of SHIELD. This project is unrelated to the pitch made by Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige and Rian Johnson, who previously wrote and directed The Last Jedi. Disney chief Bob Iger - who quit in March - has previously suggested that the Star Wars franchise's foreseeable future was on television after the success of The Mandalorian. Bob confirmed that there would be a second season of the Disney+ series and hinted at other spin-off projects. The first was the best: From left, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford Star Wars Episode IV - A New Hope - 1977 It took the world by storm: The first film was so new and electrifying that it spawned eight more movies about the Skywalkers and two spinoffs He added: '[There is] more coming from The Mandalorian thereafter including the possibility of infusing it with more characters and the possibility of taking those characters in their own directions in terms of series.' Future films are in development, with the latest scheduled for 2022. But Bob has suggested that they Disney won't be making any announcements for the time being. A big hit: Disney chief Bob Iger, who quit this year, has previously suggested that the Star Wars franchise's foreseeable future was on television after the success of The Mandalorian The executive said: 'We have not announced any specific plans for movies thereafter. There are movies in development, but we have not announced them.' Bob previously suggested that Disney released too many Star Wars films within a brief period. He said: 'I have said publicly that I think we made and released too many 'Star Wars' films over a short period of time. I have not said that they were disappointing in any way. I've not said that I'm disappointed in their performance. I just think that there's something so special about a Star Wars film, and less is more.' Hope in a strange world? An enigmatic landscape by one half of Surrealisms It couple Surrealism included many female artists, but few were as singleminded as the American Kay Sage. Other Answers a quintessential Sage painting is offered for private sale In 1939, with clouds of war hovering over Europe, Kay Sage returned to the United States after more than two decades away. Her lover and fellow Surrealist, Yves Tanguy, soon followed her across the Atlantic, despite the fact that both of them were married to other people. In Sages case to an Italian prince her official title was La principessa di San Faustino. The couple settled initially in New York, though also took the time for a visit to Reno, Nevada. Tanguy was inspired by the landscape and geological features of the American West, but Reno was also known as the divorce capital of America and both took the opportunity to terminate their previous marriages, before promptly marrying each other. Find out more about our updated online sales calendar Kay Sage, 1946. Photo: Lee Miller Archives, England 2020. All rights reserved. leemiller.co.uk. Artwork: Estate of Kay Sage / DACS, London and ARS, NY 2020 Sage and Tanguy went on to become the Surrealist It couple and in the words of Desmond Morris in his book, The Lives of the Surrealists enjoy a highly productive period of painting together. They had met in Paris, where Tanguy was something of a golden boy of the avant-garde and Sage largely an outsider. Now, though, it was her time to thrive. In the summer of 1940, Sage had her first solo show, at the influential Pierre Matisse Gallery in Manhattan. Then, in early 1943, she was part of the landmark Exhibition by 31 Women, curated and staged by Peggy Guggenheim in her Art of This Century Gallery. Sage is renowned for her empty, enigmatic, eerily lit landscapes. Human figures are markedly absent their presence felt only by the monolithic, architectural structures and unidentifiable, draped objects they seem to have left behind. In this respect, 1945s Other Answers is a quintessential Sage painting. Kay Sage (1898-1963), Other Answers, 1945. Oil on canvas. 16 x 13 in (40.6 x 33.1 cm). Offered for private sale at Christies. View Impressionist and Modern art currently offered for private sale at Christies Surrealism was a movement that boasted plenty of female artists. Their work varied greatly, of course, but one can spot certain shared motifs. Leonor Fini included depictions of her own body; Dorothea Tanning set her scenes in domestic interiors. The single-minded Sage did neither. From 1941 onwards, she and Tanguy spent less and less time in their apartment in New York and more and more time in a farmhouse they rented and later bought in the village of Woodbury in Connecticut. They formed part of an artistic community that also included Alexander Calder, Andre Masson and Arshile Gorky, who all lived in the vicinity. The couple, who never had children, settled permanently in Woodbury in the mid-1940s (only Tanguys premature death a decade later, aged 55, would separate them). They duly converted two outbuildings into studios and developed a routine of working apart each morning and early-afternoon, followed by a quick review of each others work over a martini. Alas, theres no record of what Tanguy thought of Other Answers. He cant have failed to notice, though, the way a frame structure and its large shadow dominate the foreground. Above them a piece of white fabric flutters on a wire in the breeze. As in many of Sages best works, an unsettling element of movement has been introduced into a scene of otherwise complete motionlessness. Sign up today Christies Online Magazine delivers our best features, videos, and auction news to your inbox every week Subscribe In mid-April, stories began surfacing about Kim Jong Uns health. This is not the first time that news circulated about a North Korea leaders well-being, and for now, his medical status is unclear. Kim Jong Uns grandfather Kim II Sung founded the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea. In November 1986, the New York Times reported his death. Strangely enough, he lived another eight years. Kim II Sungs son Kim Jong II was the countrys next leader, and on December 19, 2011, the state media announced his death. In a strange turn of events, he had passed away on December 17, 2011, two days earlier. About Korea North and South Korea were divided over 70 years ago when the United States and the Soviet Union split them into two zones after World War II ended in 1945 following Japans surrender. The U.S. occupied the south, and the Soviet Union invaded the North. The majority of middle-class Koreans emigrated to the south, which became anti-communist, while the Soviet Army set up their communist regime in the North. Although South Korea has made attempts at diplomacy, North Koreas actions have been questionable. There have been tensions between the two, and the Norths (Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea) efforts to develop their nuclear program has been an issue with the United States and other allies around the world. In the in PyeongChang, South Korea Winter 2018 Olympic Games, Kim Jong Uns regime conducted a military parade in the Pyongyang Kim II Sung Square in North Korea. During this, they displayed four Hwasong-15 missiles, and Kim talked of the evils of imperialism. False Impressions and Family Members The Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea has a reputation for secrecy, so it is not surprising that the medical reports are unclear. Since the original announcement about Kims illnesses, the state media has been reporting regularly about the dictators activities. This includes Kims message to the Republic of Cubas Miguel Mario Diaz-Canel Bermudez on April 20, and birthday spreads to persons of merit within North Korea. Kim has not appeared in any videos or other images, though. The Kim regime has lasted for seven decades, surviving economic crises, famine, foreign trade restrictions, and international sanctions, and some political analysts feel that Kims death could threaten the regime. It is believed that he has three children, but they are too young to step in at this point. He does have a sister, Kim Yo Jong, who is one of his close advisors. Since North Koreas government is a family dictatorship, passing down the power could prove difficult. Kim has no clear successor, and it is believed that the pool of candidates is small. Some speculate that the entire regime could quickly collapse, and there is no real outside challenge to this dynasty. Theories It is thought that China could move in if North Korea collapsed by taking military intervention to expand its regional influence. Foreignpolicy.com (FP) posted that Chinas recent military training exercises and public statements may be precursors of this kind of response. The United States also has plans for a possible North Korean collapse. The U.S. conducts annual exercises with South Korea, and the two countries have a solid operational integration. One of the most important strategies would be to prevent North Koreas nuclear materials from getting out to terrorist organizations and other players. It is estimated that North Korea has from 20 to 60 nuclear weapons, plus nuclear sites, missile sites, and highly enriched uranium. Other Possibilities The collapse of the dynasty could cause significant political instability, leading to possible food shortages, fighting factions, refugees, and even civil war. FP also theorized that the relationship between the U.S. and China could deteriorate, as both countries vie for power and influence in Korea if the North collapses. At this point, speculating that the world will enter a war or end from a nuclear holocaust will instill fear into the masses. Without proof that Kim Jong Un has indeed become incapacitated or died, the only thing to be done is to wait for reliable information and take proactive measures within reason. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-28 04:14:12|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, April 27 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Monday urged the international community to help young people tackle challenges arising from the COVID-19 pandemic and support them in playing a bigger role in advancing world peace and development. "The impact should not be made neglected. The international community should fully implement relevant Security Council resolutions, stay attentive on the development views, helping them to tackle challenges arising from the pandemic and support them in playing a bigger role in advancing world peace and development," Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, told the virtual Security Council meeting on the Maintenance of International Peace and Security: Youth, Peace and Security. "China attaches great importance to the agenda of youth in peace and security. We are pleased to see that progress has been made in the implementation of relevant Security Council resolutions," said the envoy. Meanwhile, it is worrisome that young people in a number of countries and regions are still suffering from other conflicts. As a result, they are facing with hardships of poverty, unemployment and marginalization, etc. The COVID-19 pandemic also poses great challenges, "putting the health, education and employment of young people at risk," according to the envoy. Noting that young people account for 16 percent of world population, the envoy said they are playing important roles in promoting sustainable development, maintaining international peace and security, and strengthening global solidarity and partnership. Zhang also urged the international community to step up the efforts to protect the youth by preventing conflicts and shielding them from the harm of terrorism and extremism. "To that end, the Security Council should uphold the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, promote political settlement of hot-spot issues, work toward conflict prevention and resolution through peaceful means," he said. "Moreover, the international community should resolutely fight against all forms of terrorism," he said. "In particular, we need to combat the terrorism and extremism ideologies that corrode the mind of young people, take necessary de-radicalization measures, and crackdown the infiltration of terrorists and the radical groups among youth through internet." Enditem Cookie Preferences Cookie List Cookie List A cookie is a small piece of data (text file) that a website when visited by a user asks your browser to store on your device in order to remember information about you, such as your language preference or login information. Those cookies are set by us and called first-party cookies. We also use third-party cookies which are cookies from a domain different than the domain of the website you are visiting for our advertising and marketing efforts. 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On behalf of the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate , I would like to thank Senators John Thune, Mike Rounds, John Hoeven, and Kevin Cramer, Representatives Dusty Johnson and DescriptionKelly Armstrong, and Governors Kirsti Noem and Doug Burgum for their support the eligibility of small tribal gaming businesses under the Small Business Administration's Paycheck Protection Program In North and South Dakota, the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate operates Dakota Magic Casino Dakota Sioux Casino , and Dakota Crossing travel center. Through our gaming, hotels and restaurants, and convenience store, Sisseton-Wahpeton has created hundreds of jobs. Our tribal gaming and hospitality jobs are important because in the Dakotas, every job counts. Throughout South Dakota, our Sioux Nation tribes generate approximately 6,000 direct jobs through Indian gaming. Together, we support thousands more Dakota jobs through contracts for goods and services. The CARES Act SBA PPP includes an Increased Eligibility Rule to extend its coverage to any business, veterans organization, non-profit or tribal business concernthereby making Tribal Government businesses eligible for the Paycheck Protection Program along with agriculture enterprises, veterans organizations, non-profit corporations and other small businesses. Yet, the SBA raised a barrier to small gaming operations by using its Standard Operating Procedures prohibiting loans to most legal gambling enterprises. Dakota Magic Casino & Hotel will remain closed beyond the previously projected reopening date until further notice. We care deeply about the health and safety of our guests and team members. Please visit https://t.co/hJmZmaEzM2 to learn more. pic.twitter.com/FMk8deKkCA Dakota Magic Casino (@DakotaMagic) April 1, 2020 To Secretary of the Treasury Mnuchin, Senator Thune said, this is an issue for numerous businesses in South Dakota. I respectfully request that PPP eligibility be extended to legal gaming businesses, including those in Indian country, that otherwise meet the small business criteria defined in the regulations and statute. Senator Rounds said, These are extraordinary times for our country and our economy. Small businesses represent 99 percent of all private businesses and nearly 60 percent of the workforce in South Dakota. Providing relief for each and every one of these businesses will be critical in the weeks and months ahead. He also directly asked the President for economic relief for us. In a joint letter, Congressmen Johnson and Armstrong explained: This issue is especially important in rural areas, like North and South Dakota, where small gaming operations are among the top employers in their communities. In particular, tribal gaming facilities operate primarily to provide employment in impoverished reservation areas. The National Indian Gaming Commission reported in 2018 that the smallest 106 tribal gaming operations generate only $112 million annually. Donovan White serves as chairman of the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate, an Indian nation with homelands in present-day South Dakota and North Dakota. Courtesy photo Governor Noem said, Many of South Dakotas small gaming businesses have already been affected by the pandemic. [T]ribal gaming operations provide employment opportunities that would otherwise be unavailable. South Dakota has approximately 1,300 licensed video lottery establishments, which equates to nearly 5,000 employees [and] an industry that is the states second largest source of revenue. Deadwood is home to 120 licensed gaming locations that employ nearly 1,200 South Dakotans. Governor Burgum said, In North Dakota, tribal gaming operations provide hundreds of jobs for both native and non-native employees. Small gaming operations under 500 employees are frequently among the largest employers in their communities. We respectfully request that the SBA include[e] tribal gaming enterprises [as] eligible for PPP as Congress intended. Senator Cramer played an important role in resolving this issue as a Member of the SBA committee, and he wrote: In practical terms, Congress created the PPP to ensure tangible financial relief could be delivered to the broadest section of small businesses as possible. To this end, the legislation specifically includes any... tribal business concerns under 500 employees as eligible entities for the PPP. To ensure the PPP can fulfil this purpose, we respectfully request that the SBA issue updated guidance to clarify that any tribal business, including tribal gaming enterprises, are eligible for the PPP as Congress intended. Senator Hoeven, as Chair of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee played a leading role in this important achievement, explaining: Indian gaming enterprises are uniquely situated economic drivers for their local communities and the majority of these tribal businesses are located in rural areas where they are the primary employers. Treasurys decision to include more tribally owned businesses as eligible for PPP protects jobs in rural America from the negative economic impacts of COVID-19. As an Indian nation, the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate is proud and appreciative of our North and South Dakota Governors, Senators and Congressmen for stepping forward to protect Dakota jobs, and especially tribal government gaming enterprises. So we wanted to highlight their great work on behalf of all Dakotans. The SBA said in its new PPP Guidance , which applies to tribal, commercial, charitable and lottery gaming: Are businesses that receive revenue from legal gaming eligible for a PPP Loan? A business that is otherwise eligible for a PPP Loan is not rendered ineligible due to its receipt of legal gaming revenues, and 13 CFR 120.110(g) is inapplicable to PPP loans. Businesses that received illegal gaming revenue remain categorically ineligible. On further consideration, the Administrator, in consultation with the Secretary, believes this approach is more consistent with the policy aim of making PPP loans available to a broad segment of U.S. businesses. A business that is otherwise eligible for a PPP Loan is not rendered ineligible due to its receipt of legal gaming revenues, and 13 CFR 120.110(g) is inapplicable to PPP loans. Businesses that received illegal gaming revenue remain categorically ineligible. On further consideration, the Administrator, in consultation with the Secretary, believes this approach is more consistent with the policy aim of making PPP loans available to a broad segment of U.S. businesses. "FINALLY": As Indian Country continues to fight for its share of #Coronavirus resources, tribes are seeing some good news after being shut out of a #CARESAct program. #COVID19 https://t.co/zDDqc49hvW indianz.com (@indianz) April 24, 2020 We also wanted to thank the bi-partisan group of Senators and Congressmen who worked together to secure this important, more inclusive policy towards tribal business, including Rep. Sharice Davids (Kansas) (Ho-Chunk), Senator Jerry Moran (Kansas), Senator Schumer (New York), Senators Udall, Heinrich, Assistant Speaker Ben Ray Lujan, Native American Caucus Co-Chairs Rep. Deb Haaland (New Mxico), and Rep. Tom Cole (Oklahoma), Senators Daines and Tester (Montana), and many, many others. Thank you all for standing up for Native Americans and American jobs! Donovan White serves as chairman of the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate, an Indian nation with homelands in South Dakota and North Dakota. Join the Conversation Related Stories ALBANY Criminal justice advocates say poverty continues to be criminalized during the coronavirus pandemic with court debts mounting for many New Yorkers, including some losing their drivers licenses or being jailed for unpaid fines. As people are being asked to stay home and avoid contact with others, advocates say New Yorkers are being ticketed and jailed for unpaid court fees, which disproportionately impact low-income individuals and minorities. Theyre calling on Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo to use his executive authority to stop incarcerating people, or suspending drivers licenses, for non-payment of court debt. They also said there should be no citations for parking violations or other non-violent offenses where fines, fees, interest and penalties can quickly mount if a person cant afford to pay or is unable to attend a court proceeding. For months, we have been working hard to end the suspension of drivers licenses based on the inability to pay traffic fines or failure to appear in court, state Sen. Tim Kennedy, D-Buffalo, said during a video news conference Monday. Simply put, that inability to pay just became that much more common as we have millions out of work during this pandemic. According to the Driven by Justice Coalition, New York issued nearly 1.7 million drivers license suspensions for traffic debt during a 28-month period between 2016 and 2018. Nearly 75 percent of those with suspended licenses drive anyway, said Ranit Patel of The Bronx Defenders, a nonprofit public defender organization. Latest coronavirus-related cancellations, postponements The latest coronavirus numbers in NY Sign up for the Times Union coronavirus newsletter Full coronavirus coverage The calls to suspend fines and fees and reinstate drivers licenses is specific to non-safety related suspensions, Patel added. A bipartisan group of 60 state lawmakers from both houses of the state Legislature also signed a letter sent to Cuomo last week urging immediate action. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. The pandemic has led to the closure of non-essential businesses and left more than a million New Yorkers on unemployment. That also leaves localities strapped for cash, and state officials have warned counties to expect drastic cuts to local aid and other areas as they deal with the growing deficit. With dried up revenue sources, advocates say communities may make it up through fines and fees. Antonya Jeffrey, state deputy director for the Fines & Fees Justice Center in New York City, said the criminal justice system is forcing people to decide whether to expose themselves to the virus by using public transportation or accruing more debt and possible jail time if they choose to drive on a suspended license. This is a deadly situation that folks are living in right now. And it is unjust, she said. It should not be on the back of the poorest people who are already struggling. Ron Deutsch, executive director of the liberal Fiscal Policy Institute, said city governments have increased anticipated fine revenue in their budgets in recent years, with reliance on that revenue common in communities with larger populations of people of color. Local governments are going to be looking to restart their economies, but they should keep the real price paid by community members as well as the law enforcement, court system and debt collection costs associated with the pursuit in mind, Deutsch said. The reality is this is not a way to generate revenue responsibly. Election officials are working to source: Masks, face shields and gloves for poll managers. Sneeze guards for check-in stations. Sanitizing wipes for cleaning common surfaces. Hand sanitizer for voters and poll managers. Cotton swabs for making selections on the touchscreen. Check-in stations and voting equipment will be spaced at least six feet apart. Some polling places will be relocated or consolidated due to the pandemic. Some facilities have declined to be used, and some poll managers have declined to serve. Election officials are working to find new locations and recruit new managers; however, some voters will vote at a different polling place. Voters should prepare by making sure they are registered to vote, and your address is up to date. Other instructions: Bring your Photo ID (or voter registration card if you do not have a Photo ID). Check your polling place at scVOTES.org before going to the polls. The president of Jamia Millia Islamia Alumni Association has been arrested under the stringent UAPA in connection with the riots in northeast Delhi in February, officials said on Monday. Shifa-Ur-Rehman, also a member of Jamia Coordination Committee, was booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) for alleged involvement in the riots and was subsequently arrested by the Special Cell of the Delhi Police on Sunday, they said. "We had technical evidence against him which suggests that he incited mobs during the riots. He was also seen in the CCTV footage which was collected from the riot-affected areas. We have checked his call record details and WhatsApp messages and found more evidence which suggests his involvement in the riots," a senior police officer said. According to the police, he was produced in a city court which remanded him in police custody for 10 days for further interrogation in connection with the case. So far, 10 people have been arrested by the special cell of the Delhi police for alleged involvement in the communal riots. Earlier, Jamia Millia Islamia students Meeran Haider and Safoora Zagar were also arrested under the Act for allegedly hatching a conspiracy to incite the communal riots. While Zargar is the media coordinator of Jamia Coordination Committee, Haider is a member of the committee. In the FIR, police have claimed that the communal violence was a "premeditated conspiracy" which was allegedly hatched by former JNU student leader Umar Khalid and two others. Communal violence had broken out in northeast Delhi on February 24 after clashes between citizenship law supporters and protesters spiralled, 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.) SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, April 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, nic.PR (the .PR registry operator) and Afilias (its technology partner) announce the release of 64,000 prime dotPR names beginning at 0900 EDT. Internet addresses ending in ".PR" are the best names for public relations professionals. Many great .PR names have been on reserve at the registry for years, until today! These newly released names include hundreds of great category-relevant terms. In addition to ILOVE.PR, the list features: 420.PR GIG.PR ICON.PR AGENCY.PR GLOBAL.PR IMAGE.PR BITCOIN.PR GHOSTWRITER.PR IMMEDIATE.PR FREELANCE.PR GUERRILLA.PR IMPACT.PR and 64,000 others, including many in Spanish! If you are in the public relations field, NOW is the time to get a domain that shows you are a PR professional and will set you apart from competitors. The full list of names is posted on the nic.PR site; all names are available at any authorized .PR domain name registrar. PR professionals, including large agencies, small agencies, event pros and freelancers, know that the right internet address can mean the difference between success and failure. Now, there are 64,000 new names available that are tailor made to promote YOU and your business. Pablo Rodriguez, Executive Vice President of nic.PR, said: "We are extremely excited to make these names available. This is a one of a kind opportunity for PR pros to get some amazing names that we believe will be more memorable and evocative than any other names on the internet today." "We are proud to support such a popular and growing domain," said Roland LaPlante, Chief Marketing Officer of Afilias. "Savvy public relations firms know that a .PR name enables them to quickly differentiate themselves from the many other agency types on the internet." Originally launched in 1989 as the country code extension for Puerto Rico, the address has become known for enabling public relations firms to quickly communicate their specialty on the internet. Unlike some of the longer new extensions, names ending in .PR work everywhere. About nic.PR www.domains.pr nic.PR is owned by Gauss Research Laboratory, Inc., a company organized under the laws of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and headquartered in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico. Company founder Dr. Oscar Moreno de Ayala embarked on the responsibility of managing .PR and building it from its early foundations to promote a solid registry providing Puerto Ricans with accessible services and tools and aiding in the development of a reliable IT community throughout the island while also serving as the perfect Top Level Domain for those in the Public Relations Industry. About Afilias Afilias is the world's second largest domain registry, with over 20 million domain names under management in over 200 top level domains. Afilias powers a wide variety of top-level domains, including TLDs for countries, cities, brands, communities, and generic terms. Afilias' specialized technology makes Internet addresses more accessible and useful through a broad range of applications, including Internet domain registry services, managed DNS, and mobile Web services. Afilias, Inc. is based near Philadelphia offices are also located in Dublin Ireland, Toronto Canada, New Delhi India, Melbourne Australia, Vista California, and Beijing China. Afilias holds a Guinness World Records title for the "Largest migration of an internet top-level domain in a single transition" for its migration of the .au top-level domain in 2018. For more information on Afilias services please visit www.afilias.info. For More Information: Afilias Alan Wallace, Director of Corporate Communications [email protected] +1.425.691.8757 cell SOURCE Afilias Related Links http://www.afilias.info (Image: ANI A Mumbai-based textile firm owner was alarmed when his insurance broker informed that he would have to write to his insurer about continuing his fire (property) insurance for the commercial establishment that stored products worth Rs 15 crore amid the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19, pandemic and the ensuing lockdown across India. The belief was that insurance cover would continue since this individual had recently renewed the fire and allied perils policy. But that is not the case. According to insurance terms, property insurance cover ceases to exist in case a commercial property/factory/warehouse is unoccupied for 30 days. COVID-19 has led to a temporary shutdown of manufacturing across commercial establishments from March 25 onwards (till May 3) due to a lockdown being announced. Considering the extraordinary circumstances presented due to COVID-19, all non-life insurers have decided to offer an extension subject to certain terms. For large business owners with sum insured of Rs 5 crore, individual insurance companies will take a decision on whether to provide coverage or not. However, in case these businesses dont inform us in advance about the need for a cover, claims are likely to be rejected, said a senior claims official at a private general insurer. Also Read: Live updates on COVID-19 outbreak in India What this means is that if you have a cover above Rs 5 crore, your property is at potential risk of theft, fire and other conditions. Property insurance covers a commercial establishments from losses arising due to fire and allied perils and incidents like theft and burglary. COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show General insurance companies have clarified to business owners that explicit request for extension of the cover during lockdown (May 3 or later) has to be sent in writing to the respective non-life insurer in case the sum insured is above Rs 5 crore. The insurance company will take a decision to extend the cover on a case-to-case basis. For those with sum insured of Rs 5 crore, the extension will be given for the retail and SME sector automatically. But even here, there is a pre-condition that the insured company has to take all safety precautions including fire and smoke detection, burglary protection, among others. While during a regular scenario, any interruption in business and losses due to temporary disturbances are covered by insurance, financial loss due COVID-19 will not be covered. Generally, while business interruption due to fires, earthquakes and other natural disasters are covered, COVID-19 has been specifically excluded. This means that companies will lose several crores in finances, which would have been otherwise covered in a non-pandemic scenario. In a series of communications sent to individual business owners, non-life insurers have clarified that business interruption cover is not operative during the period of non-occupancy. Moneycontrol has reviewed the documents sent to businesses. Separately, general insurers have also said in their communication that for cessation of work, cover will not be extended for advance loss of profit or delay in start-up. A risk is called a silent risk when there is no manufacturing or storage activities of 30 days and above. Even in factories where production has been stalled it is likely that there would some storage in operation. If there is no storage, then insurer will decide whether to cover the premises for claims during lockdown or not. As far all risk policies for construction is concerned, non-life insurers have said that all the companies have agreed to waive the Cessation of Works (CoW) exclusion under the above policies up to May 3. But this is only where such CoW is a direct result of any government order aimed at controlling the COVID-19 outbreak. Any further extension of this period will be reviewed based on further government orders. However, insurers have said that individual businesses have to do their due diligence and maintain minimum safety standards including fire alarms, flood protection and burglary protection. Moneycontrol had reported earlier that the fire insurance rates for 291 occupancies have been revised from January 1 onwards. With General Insurance Corporation of India (GIC Re) mandating that a host of new industries be covered under the annual rate revision, fire insurance premiums had been revised upwards between 10-50 percent for most companies. Follow our full coverage of the coronavirus pandemic here Quarterly Activities and Cashflow Report Perth, April 27, 2020 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Rumble Resources Ltd ( ASX:RTR ) ( FRA:20Z ) is pleased to provide an update in respect to the Company's activities during the March 2020 quarter.Munarra Gully Au-Cu-Ag-Zn Project, Cue, Western Australia1. Amaryllis Prospect - drilling confirmed a large-scale Gold Copper Silver systemLamil Cu-Au JV Project - AIC Mines, Paterson Province, Western Australia2. Multiple new copper-gold targets identified by JV Partner AIC Mines - drilling plannedEaraheedy Zn-Pb-Ag Project, Wiluna, Western Australia3. Drilling completed following up two (2) significant large-scale sandstone hosted Zn-Pb-Ag discoveries - assays pendingWestern Queen Au Project, Mt Magnet, Western Australia4. Drilling completed following up high-grade 6m @ 34.24 g/t Au discovery - assays pendingFraser Range Ni-Cu-Au JV Project - IGO, Fraser Range, Western Australia5. Drilling planned to follow up significant high-grade gold discovery on the Thunderstorm project and exploration planned for the Thunderdome projectBraeside/Barramine Zn-Pb-Cu-Ag-V Project, Pilbara, Western Australia6. Fourteen (14) high priority targets have been identified - desktop refinement of drill targets plannedWarroo Cu-Zn-Pb-Ag-Au-U-Pt Project, East Pilbara, Western Australia7. Multiple drill targets defined as prospective for VMS, stratiform replacement, intrusive related Cu-Zn-Pb-Ag-Au & Au-U-Pt (unconformity related type) deposits - desktop refinement of drill targets plannedExploration Operations- Rumble's projects are now all located in Western Australia after providing formal notice it has withdrawn from the option agreements for the Long Lake and Panache Projects in Sudbury, Canada. Mineral exploration is deemed an essential service under current state emergency regulations in Western Australia enabling Rumble to continue exploration activities whilst strictly complying with all Government directives and adhering to strict Company safety guidelines.Corporate- Strong cash position of $2.9m at end of March quarterTo the full report, please visit:About Rumble Resources Ltd Rumble Resources Limited (ASX:RTR) (FRA:20Z) is an Australian based exploration company, officially admitted to the ASX on the 1st July 2011. Rumble was established with the aim of adding significant value to its current gold and base metal assets and will continue to look at mineral acquisition opportunities both in Australia and abroad. A father-of-seven has died after contracting coronavirus but only five of his family were allowed to attend his funeral. Retired restaurant owner and city councillor Mozadul Hussain, 63, died after more than two weeks in hospital at the Royal Gwent Hospital in south Wales. The respected former Lib Dem councillor Mr Hussain is mourned by seven children - Shalinah, 40, Amina, 37, Kamal, 34, Malek, 31, Anisha, 23, Rizwan, 12, and Nafeesa, 10. Retired restaurant owner and city councillor Mozadul Hussain (pictured) died of coronavirus after spending two weeks in Royal Gwent Hospital But only five people were allowed at the funeral held on April 23, the day after he died in hospital Kamal said: 'It was difficult. If it wasn't for coronavirus thousands of people would have been there.' The family chose Kamal to be joined by two brothers Malek and Rizwan, his cousin and his father's brother in law - along with an imam from the mosque. The former Liberal Democrat councillor had tested positive for Covid-19 after being admitted to hospital on April 6. The former Liberal Democrat councillor, pictured with Nick Clegg, was only allowed five mourners at his funeral Mr Hussain was a well-known businessman, owning a number of restaurants before giving up his restaurants to focus on his work as a Newport city councillor. Son Kamal said: 'He was liked by everyone, he left a good impression with anyone he spoke to and was always sharing his knowledge to family and friends. 'He suffered from bad asthma; he was having problems with his lungs and finding it hard to breathe. 'He was at home resting, he'd stopped working, and then he deteriorated and was taken to hospital on April 6. The family chose Mr Hussain's son Kamal (left) to be joined by two brothers Malek (right) and Rizwan, his cousin and his father's brother in law at the funeral 'They tested him for coronavirus and he had it.' Mr Hussain, of Newport, South Wales, died at the Royal Gwent Hospital - in one of the country's worst hotspots for the virus. Kamal added: 'He was a family orientated man, but he also had a lot of time for his community and he dedicated time to his charities. 'He had a lot of businesses, but he used to make sure he had enough time to do charity work and help youngsters. Sisters Amina (left) and Shalinah (right) were among four children unable to attend their father's funeral 'For him it was all about helping the next generation and hoping they have the best things and that they have opportunities. 'He came from a small village in Bangladesh - it was a tight-knit community where everyone looks after each other. 'When he came to Britain, he appreciated his life had changed and he was quite fortunate. 'He was the first elected Bangladeshi city councillor in Newport - it made him very proud. It's something I'm very proud of.' [April 27, 2020] Loan Servicing Software Market 2019-2023 | Need for Efficient Lending Operations to Boost Growth | Technavio Technavio has been monitoring the loan servicing software market and it is poised to grow by USD 446.54 million during 2019-2023, progressing at a CAGR of almost 12% during the forecast period. The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current market scenario, latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200427005584/en/ Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Loan Servicing Software Market 2019-2023 (Graphic: Business Wire) Technavio suggests three forecast scenarios (optimistic, probable, and pessimistic) considering the impact of COVID-19. Please Request Latest Free Sample Report on COVID-19 Impact The market is moderately fragmented, and the degree of fragmentation will accelerate during the forecast period. Applied Business Software Inc., AutoPal Software LLC, Fidelity National Information Services (News - Alert) Inc., Financial Industry Computer Systems Inc., Finastra, Fiserv Inc., Mortgage Builder, Nortridge Software LLC, Q2 Software Inc., and Shaw Systems Associates LLC. are some of the major market participants. The need for efficient lending operations will offer immense growth opportunities. To make the most of the opportunities, market vendors should focus more on the growth prospects in the fast-growing segments, while maintaining their positions in the slow-growing segments. Need for efficient lending operations has been instrumental in driving the growth of the market. Loan Servicing Software Market 2019-2023: Segmentation Loan Servicing Software Market is segmented as below: Deployment Cloud-based On-premise Geographic Landscape APAC Europe MEA North America South America To learn more about the global trends impacting the future of market research, download latest free sample report of 2020-2024: https://www.technavio.com/talk-to-us?report=IRTNTR3191 Loan Servicing Software Market 2019-2023: Scope Technavio presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. Our loan servicing software market report covers the following areas: Loan Servicing Software Market Size Loan Servicing Software Market Trends Loan Servicing Software Market Industry Analysis This study identifies rise in adoption of cloud-based loan servicing software as one of the prime reasons driving the loan servicing software market growth during the next few years. Loan Servicing Software Market 2019-2023: Vendor Analysis We provide a detailed analysis of vendors operating in the loan servicing software market, including some of the vendors such as Applied Business Software Inc., AutoPal Software LLC, Fidelity National Information Services Inc., Financial Industry Computer Systems Inc., Finastra, Fiserv Inc., Mortgage Builder, Nortridge Software LLC, Q2 Software Inc., and Shaw Systems Associates LLC. Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research reports on the loan servicing software market are designed to provide entry support, customer profile and M&As as well as go-to-market strategy support. Register for a free trial today and gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports. Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform Loan Servicing Software Market 2019-2023: Key Highlights CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2019-2023 Detailed information on factors that will assist loan servicing software market growth during the next five years Estimation of the loan servicing software market size and its contribution to the parent market Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior The growth of the loan servicing software market Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of loan servicing software market vendors Table Of Contents: PART 01: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY PART 02: SCOPE OF THE REPORT 2.1 Preface 2.2 Preface 2.3 Currency conversion rates for US$ PART 03: MARKET LANDSCAPE Market ecosystem Market characteristics Market segmentation analysis PART 04: MARKET SIZING Market definition Market sizing 2018 Market size and forecast 2018-2023 PART 05: FIVE FORCES ANALYSIS Bargaining power of buyers Bargaining power of suppliers Threat of new entrants Threat of substitutes Threat of rivalry Market condition PART 06: MARKET SEGMENTATION BY DEPLOYMENT Market segmentation by deployment Comparison by deployment Cloud-based - Market size and forecast 2018-2023 On-premise - Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Market opportunity by deployment PART 07: CUSTOMER LANDSCAPE PART 08: GEOGRAPHIC LANDSCAPE Geographic segmentation Geographic comparison North America - Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Europe - Market size and forecast 2018-2023 APAC - Market size and forecast 2018-2023 South America - Market size and forecast 2018-2023 MEA - Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Key leading countries Market opportunity PART 09: DECISION FRAMEWORK PART 10: DRIVERS AND CHALLENGES Market drivers Market challenges PART 11: MARKET TRENDS Strategic partnerships and acquisitions between market participants Use of advanced technologies Use of analytics in lending industry PART 12: VENDOR LANDSCAPE Overview Landscape disruption PART 13: VENDOR ANALYSIS Vendors covered Vendor classification Market positioning of vendors Applied Business Software Inc. AutoPal Software LLC Fidelity National Information Services Inc. Financial Industry Computer Systems Inc. Finastra Fiserv Inc. Mortgage Builder Nortridge Software LLC Q2 Software Inc. Shaw Systems Associates LLC PART 14: APPENDIX Research methodology List of abbreviations Definition of market positioning of vendors PART 15: EXPLORE TECHNAVIO About Us Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200427005584/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] A Tyson Foods employee says the company told him he was 'safer at work than shopping at Walmart' before the plant was forced to close amid a coronavirus outbreak. Ernest Latiker works at the now shuttered facility in Waterloo, Iowa. He said he continued to go into work after being reassured of his safety and 'needing the money'. Latiker, who is said to now be awaiting the results of his COVID-19 test, told CNN he called HR amid concerns coronavirus was at the facility. He said: 'I was scared for me and my family. They told me I was safe and they told me that everything was ok. They told me I have a better chance of catching the coronavirus going out to Walmart than at Tyson, if you come to work you're safe.' 'I wanted to believe to them and I needed the money at the same time so I went to work', Latiker added. Tyson Foods, the largest U.S. meat supplier, told DailyMail.com: 'We have relaxed our attendance policy and have repeatedly instructed workers to stay home if theyre sick. We have turned away team members when our temperature check reveals they have a fever and they are the referred to the local health care system for evaluation. 'Our Waterloo pork plant has suspended operations and we have started the process to test team members.' Tyson Foods worker Ernest Latiker, pictured, said he called HR amid coronavirus concerns Tyson Foods, the largest U.S. meat supplier, said it will indefinitely suspend operations at its largest pork plant in Waterloo, Iowa, pictured, after operating at reduced capacity The company said it will indefinitely suspend operations at its largest pork plant in Waterloo after operating at reduced capacity. Plant employees tested positive for the virus, and others stayed home out of fear of becoming infected. The facility slaughters about 19,500 hogs a day, or about 5 per cent of total U.S. pork production, according to industry data. Tyson said 2,800 workers at the Iowa plant would be compensated during the closure and invited to the facility later this week for coronavirus testing. The outcome of the tests and other factors will determine when the facility will reopen, according to the company. Two employees their plant in Columbus Junction have died following a coronavirus outbreak. The deaths of the workers at that plant were the first known to be linked to an outbreak at a meatpacking plant in Iowa. The Arkansas-based company said the closure of the plant in Waterloo would deny a vital market to hog farmers and further disrupt U.S. meat supply. Tyson had kept the facility, its largest pork plant, open in recent days over the objections of alarmed local officials. Chairman John Tyson said in a statement Sunday: 'We have a responsibility to feed our country. It is as essential as healthcare. This is a challenge that should not be ignored. Our plants must remain operational so that we can supply food to our families in America. 'This is a delicate balance because Tyson Foods places team member safety as our top priority.' He warned that 'the food supply chain' is breaking. Tyson's statement, in the form of an advert in a number of newspapers on Sunday, came after workers at plants argued they were not being protected by their employer. Employers have struggled to contain the virus in meatpacking plants, where workers toil side by side on production lines and often share crowded locker rooms, cafeterias and rides to work. While plants have added safety measures, public health experts say social distancing is virtually impossible. Several facilities have temporarily closed due to virus outbreaks, including a Smithfield Foods plant in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, a JBS USA plant in Worthington, Minnesota, and a Redwood Farms Meat Processors in Estherville, Iowa. Others have temporarily shuttered for testing and cleaning. According to plant workers, union leaders and industry analysts, a lack of protective equipment and the nature of 'elbow to elbow' work are highlighting risks for employees and limiting output as some forego the low-paying work. Companies that added protections, such as enhanced cleaning or spacing out workers, say the moves are further slowing meat production. At Wayne Farms' chicken plant in Decatur, Alabama, some workers are upset the company recently made employees pay for masks, said Mona Darby, who inspects chicken breasts there and is a local leader of hundreds of poultry workers for the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union. 'My life is in jeopardy because we're working elbow to elbow,' she said. John Tyson, pictured, has warned that 'the food supply chain' is breaking Workers at a Tyson Foods Inc chicken plant in Shelbyville, Tennessee, bought their own masks when the facility ran out, said Kim Hickerson, who loads chicken on trucks there and is a union leader. Some are talking about quitting because they are scared of getting sick, he said. 'I just put it in God's hands,' he said. Tyson, the top U.S. meat producer, is working to find more personal protective equipment for employees, spokesman Worth Sparkman said. The company increased cleaning at facilities and sought to space out employees, which can both slow production, according to a statement. Workers at Smithfield Foods plants in South Dakota said they were given flimsy masks made of hairnet-like material, hand-washing stations were in disrepair, and there was pressure to keep working even if they felt sick. One employee told his supervisor on March 30 that he had a fever the previous day, but he was told to report to work and not to tell anyone about the fever. He worked that day, missed the next two and returned when the fever broke, he said. A spokesman said Smithfield 'fully rejects any claims that employees were pressured to report to work,' calling it 'completely counterproductive' to do so. Victoria Villarreal Gonzalez calls it a miracle. So do her husbands doctors. For more than a month, Pedro Gonzalez was fighting for his life at Hudson Regional Hospital in Secaucus as the coronavirus attacked his lungs. For 23 of those days, the 37-year-old Union City man was on a ventilator, unable to breathe on his own. He was the hospitals first COVID-19 patient to be intubated, and the doctors who treated him knew he faced ever steeper odds of survival with each passing day he didnt improve. Ive never prayed so much in my life, said Villarreal Gonzalez, who has three children with Gonzalez. I had the kids praying. I had everyone he knows praying. Yet today he is back at home, weak but improving, said Villarreal Gonzalez. Somehow, her husband is recovering. He was released last week from Hudson Regional, where medical personnel clapped and cheered as he was helped away in a wheelchair. Pedro Gonzalez was released from Hudson Regional Hospital on Tuesday, April 21, after three weeks on a ventilator as he battled coronavirus. He is now home in Union City. (CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/VICTORIA VILLARREAL GONZALEZ)CONTRIBUTED PHOTO Gonzalez is an inspiration in a public health crisis defined by heartbreak, said Dr. Nizar Kifaieh, the hospitals CEO. In my opinion, hes a miracle patient, he said. Death rates are extremely high for those who remain on ventilators for more than a week. Kifaieh could not explain why Gonzalez beat the statistics, though he said the man did not develop the kidney or liver complications that many critically ill coronavirus patients have. The hospital tried nearly every experimental treatment in its arsenal, Kifaieh said. Hydroxychloroquine, a malaria drug. Azithromycin, an antibiotic used to treat infections. Actemra, an expensive immunosuppressant. Vitamin C and zinc. Doctors also practiced proning," in which Gonzalez was flipped on his belly to aid respiration. Does Kifaieh know if any of those treatments made the difference? The truth? Absolutely not, he said. What weve done for him, weve done for a lot of patients who dont survive. We put as much effort into every other patient, believe me. Kifaieh does know that the victory boosted morale at the hospital at a time when successes feel hard to come by. Having a win after seeing so many horrible things happen from this disease is exhilarating, he said. Something was wrong The symptoms began March 13. Gonzalez felt weird and fatigued after returning from New York City, where he works at the front desk of a hotel, his wife said. He developed a fever and shortness of breath over the next few days. He went to a doctor, but his health continued to deteriorate. He said he felt that something was up, that something was totally wrong, Villarreal Gonzalez said. On March 18, she took her husband to Hudson Regional, where he was admitted after tests showed he had pneumonia. The next day, he was transferred to intensive care after his oxygen levels plummeted. Gonzalez had to intubated March 20, and he remained on a ventilator for more than three weeks. His fevers spiked to 104 degrees, his wife said. Once, when Villarreal Gonzalez called the hospital about his condition, the nurse on the other end of the phone fought tears. Villarreal Gonzalez said her husband was a seemingly healthy man, though he has borderline diabetes that did not require him to take insulin. She said her family does not know why Gonzalez became as sick with the coronavirus as he did, or why he recovered. Like Kifaieh, she just calls it a miracle. We love him. Were so happy to have him home, Villarreal Gonzalez said. We definitely feel that there is a higher power involved here, and that God gave him a second chance." Pedro Gonzalez with his wife and children for a Christmas photo. Gonzalez recovered from the coronavirus after more than a month at Hudson Regional Hospital. (CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/VICTORIA VILLARREAL GONZALEZ Few people in Gonzalezs position got that chance. The outbreak has claimed the lives of 6,044 people in New Jersey and counting. For those who survive the worst of the disease, recovery can take months. Many suffer damage not only to their lungs, but also to other organs such as their kidneys, liver and heart. Often, patients need long stints at rehabilitation facilities before they can return to their families. Villarreal Gonzalez said her husband is doing relatively well. His lungs are good and he does not require supplemental oxygen, she said. But he will need physical therapy, having lost muscle mass while immobilized in the ICU, she said. He is too weak to walk, and is working at sitting upright on his own. Gonzalez has no recollection of the harrowing ordeal, his wife said. He remembers being dropped off at the hospital, and he remembers waking up and not remembering what happened to him," she 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. If you would like updates on New Jersey-specific coronavirus news, subscribe to our Coronavirus in N.J. newsletter. Riley Yates may be reached at ryates@njadvancemedia.com. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. Midland Medical Lodge, the nursing home where 22 residents and eight employees have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, previously was cited for failing to maintain an infection control program. The facility received the citation in October 2019, according to an inspection report on the Department of Health and Human Services website. Based on observation, interview and record review the facility failed to maintain an infection control program designed to help prevent the development and transmission of infections, the report states. The citation stems from an incident on Oct. 24, 2019, in which a nursing aide, while changing a residents disposable brief, placed the used brief and wipes soiled with feces on the floor of the residents room, according to the report. When the nursing aide was later interviewed by a DHHS inspector, he said he placed the soiled items on the floor because he was not prepared to perform incontinent care, the report states. This failure could affect residents by placing them at an increased and unnecessary risk of exposure to communicable diseases and infections, the inspector states in the report. Records show Midland Medical Lodge received a federal fine of $7,222 on the date of the inspection. It is unclear which citation the fine pertains to because the facility received four citations on that day. The deficiency noted for failing to provide and implement an infection prevention and control program was corrected by the facility a month later, according to state records. Medicare gave Midland Medical Lodge one star out of a possible five stars for health inspections, according to the agencys website. The agency notes that this rating is much below average. The rating is based on the number of citations a nursing home has received over the last three years. Midland Medical Lodge has received 13 health citations in this time period, while the average for nursing homes in Texas is 6.9 health citations, according to Medicares website. State records show the facilitys most recent inspection was in January of 2019. Six citations were given at that time; four were violations of the states health code and two were violations of the states life safety code. Two of the January violations stem from an incident involving a nursing aide removing a residents oxygen tube and forgetting to put it back, according to the inspection report. It states the residents oxygen levels fell to 84 percent before a family member realized the tube was not in the residents nose. In an interview with the inspector, the nursing aide is stated to have said, I forgot to put the oxygen back on. Administrators with Midland Medical Lodge did not return requests for comment on the citation regarding an infection control program. According to a study done by Singapore University of Technology and Design Data, coronavirus will 100 per cent end across the world on December 8. IMAGE: A woman cycles past a wall graffiti during the COVID-19 lockdown in New Delhi. Photograph: Manvender Vashist/PTI Photo 'When will we able to step out of our homes? When will this dreaded coronavirus pandemic end' are the questions that most of us are asking one another. And researchers in Singapore have risked answering this question. On the basis of the pattern of spread of Covid-19 from China to the rest of the world and slowing down, the researchers in Singapore have a predicted date for 131 countries each when novel coronavirus outbreak will end there (please click here for their detailed study). Based on the latest Singapore University of Technology and Design Data-Driven Innovation Lab, India should see a 97 per cent free from Covid-19 infection by around May 21. Keep in mind that this prediction is a data-driven estimation of end dates (as of April 24, 2020). This is close to what the Indian Council for Medical Research hinted last week. ICMR director Dr Balram Bhargava had said, "One can say we have been able to flatten the curve." Similarly, last Friday, VK Paul, NITI Aayog member and head of a key government empowered committee on medical management, presented a study in which he predicted that new cases would cease by May 16. As per his study, from May 3, India would hit its peak in adding daily new cases at a little above 1,500 and this would drop to 1,000 cases by May 12, and down to zero by May 16. In all, this would mean that no more than 35,000 cases would be added between Saturday and the first fortnight of May. IMAGE: According to the study, by June 1, India will have cured 99 per cent of Covid-19 cases. Photograph: ddi.sutd.edu.sg The model uses data from Our World in Data and code from Milan Batista and applies the SIR Model for Spread of Disease -- The Differential Equation Model -- to predict when the pandemic might end in different countries and in the world. The website also states that the estimates are updated daily with the latest data and the analysis and predictions are only for educational and research purposes. The university has also predicted the estimated COVID-19 end dates for a bunch of other countries and the world at large. According to its calculations, COVID-19 will turn in Singapoe around May 5 and end 97 per cent around June 4. Similarly, the COVID-19 outbreak in the United States is expected to end 97 per cent around May 11, while in Italy the pandemic will end 97 per centaround May 7. IMAGE: As per the study, China's 100 per cent end date was April 9. That hasn't happened on the ground, but on April 8, China allowed people to leave Wuhan, the epicentre of the disease. Photograph: ddi.sutd.edu.sg The study expects that the coronavirus crisis will end in Iran on May 10, in Turkey on May 15, in the United Kingdom on May 9, in Spain at the beginning of the same month, and France on May 3. In Germany, the study says that the pandemic will end on April 30 and Canada on May 16. The calculations show that COVID-19 will 100 per cent end across the world on December 8. However, this does not come without a note of caution. "The reality is the future is always uncertain. No one predicted the Covid-19 outbreak in October or November 2019, although Bill Gates famously warned about the potential damage of a global infectious disease to the world during a TED Talk in 2015," Jianxi Luo, the writer of the research paper said. Key Highlights: New DEA Secy Tarun Bajaj to give fillip to triangular co-ordination between PMO, FinMin and RBI The 1988-batch officer is being seen as a bridge between Sebi and RBI also Another PMO official AK Sharma appointed as Secretary in MSME ministry AAI Chairman Arvind Singh and Air India CMD Rajiv Bansal given in-situ upgrade Insiders believe the government's move to appoint senior IAS officer Tarun Bajaj as Secretary in the Department of Economic Affairs (DEA) will provide fillip to the triangular co-ordination among Prime Minister's Office (PMO), North Block and the RBI. Tarun Bajaj would replace Atanu Chakraborty who is retiring this month-end. Coming from the PMO, Bajaj enjoys the confidence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and is being seen as a big advantage. But above all, the IIM Ahmedabad graduate is a hands-on officer on economic and financial policies given that he earlier worked as joint secretary in the Finance Ministry. "Depending on how the relations (are) working between Sebi and North Block and Sebi and the RBI on the other hand, some kind of stabilisation is required. Financial market is today a lot more dependent on what Sebi does or does not do. We have seen this in what has happened in the debt market. I think he will provide a bridge between Sebi and RBI other than anything else," a senior bureaucrat told BusinessToday.In. The 1988-batch Haryana cadre officer Bajaj is considered a very clear-headed person with high degree of initiatives which is required at this juncture in the financial and economic architecture. As DEA secretary Bajaj would be on the central Board of RBI but senior bureaucrats said that he may not be able to push through much in the central bank as present Governor Shaktikanta Das (1980-batch) is himself a civil servant and many batches senior to him. Moreover, Das has a very good rapport with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister. Further, they have already been working in coordination. "In the IAS, unfortunately or fortunately, seniority is always very important and one carries it to the grave," a senior official said. In a major reshuffle, the Modi government on Sunday cleared appointments of almost two dozen Secretaries besides giving in-situ promotion to 10 IAS officers. Among key postings, the government has named Gujarat cadre IAS officer AK Sharma to Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) as Secretary. The MSME sector has been in spotlight during the nationwide lockdown for its fragile finances and government is learnt to be working on a relief package for the crucial segment. A crucial cog in the PMO, Sharma along with his new boss Nitin Gadkari is set to steer the sector out of crisis. Many industry players are hopeful of government support in paying salaries of workers and staff besides providing easier terms for working capital loans. Among those given in-situ upgrade are current Airports Authority of India (AAI) Chairman Arvind Singh and Air India Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) Rajiv Bansal. Also Read: Coronavirus India Live Updates: Delhi-Haryana border to be sealed; total COVID-19 cases in India reach 28,380 Also Read: Vaccine could be ready in 12 months, says Bill Gates; pledges 'total attention' to coronavirus Prime Minister Narendra Modi will chair a crucial meet with chief ministers of all states and union territories via video-conferencing at 10 pm today. During the meeting, PM Modi will gather important inputs from various states to put out a comprehensive and holistic plan with regard to the exit strategy before the second phase of lockdown ends on Sunday (May 3). Notably, after Delhi expressed its willingness to extend the lockdown in the red zone areas, other states, including Maharashtra, Punjab and Odisha, have agreed that, if needed, they were ready to continue with the existing restrictions till May 16. Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka have said they would follow the Centre's guidelines, while Assam, Kerala and Bihar have said they would take the final call after video conference with Prime Minister Modi. Also read: Coronavirus India Live Updates: PM Modi to discuss lockdown exit plan with CMs today; country's tally-27,892 In the last meeting held earlier this month, the CMs of most states had appealed to PM Modi to extend the 21-day countrywide lockdown from April 14 amid mounting coronavirus cases. The Prime Minister could also discuss issues related to migrant movement, losses faced by states and suggestions on the second round of stimulus package to bring the economy back on track after lockdown. Speculations are rife that the Centre may soon come up with another relief package similar to the one announced in March. The lockdown has caused huge problems for migrant labourers, who have been stuck in different states, most of them without work. Big states including Maharashtra, Delhi, UP and Gujarat are facing crisis as many labourers are waiting for the lockdown to end so they could go to their native places. Sale of liquor is another big issue facing the states right now. States' coffers are empty due to no liquor sale for over a month now, and many of them want to open liquor shops to collect some revenue in the wake of crisis. The recent guidelines issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs relaxed restrictions for various registered shops but no relaxation was granted to liquor shops. The PM-CM meet could finally take a decision on this too. Meanwhile, India reported a total of 1,975 cases of COVID-19 on April 26, which was the highest single-day spike in infection cases since first confirmed coronavirus case in Kerala on January 30. The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases stand at 26,917 currently, according to Union Ministry's 5 pm update on Sunday. These cases include, 20,177 active cases, 5,913 cured/discharged, 1 migrated and 826 deaths. It wasnt the opening Blake Cole expected for Friends and Family, but after months of delays, the Oakland bar is finally slinging cocktails. Friends and Family opened over the weekend for takeout, with a short selection of bottled cocktails and slices of cake. It will continue to open three days a week with pre-orders taken online. The bar comes from Cole, a former manager at Oakland restaurant Hopscotch, and Kimberly Rosselle, who was previously general manager at Bon Voyage and bar manager at Trick Dog in the Mission. Together, they wanted to create a fun, playful bar that captured the energy of industry friends-and-family nights previews before a restaurant opens to the public and also offered a notably positive work environment. The cocktails are homages to family members typically, these are subtle variations on classics and friends, which lean more creative. Moms Rosy Cheeks, for example, is gimlet served in the way Coles mom prefers it: with lots of vodka instead of gin. Bottles cost $20 and contain two servings. To eat, theres carrot cake and chocolate-olive oil cake, plus happy hour kits that include marinated olives, nuts and prosicutto with melon. For now, customers unfortunately wont get to appreciate the spaces abundant natural light, stylish curved bar and vintage touches, as designed by Cole. I didnt want it to feel brand new and shiny I wanted it to feel already lived in, like it had a soul of its own, she said a few weeks before Friends and Family was initially supposed to debut. That scheduled opening date fell just days after the Bay Areas shelter-in-place order. Customers also will have to wait until Friends and Family can fully open its doors for the full food menu from executive chef Christa Chase, formerly of Tartine Manufactory. She bills it as whimsical California fare. Potential dishes include ricotta dumplings with wild nettles and mushrooms; Yellowtail crudo with kohlrabi and citrus; and noodle kugel with browned butter and sage. Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more. Nothing takes itself too seriously, but its all surprisingly incredible, Cole said. Friends and Family. 12:30-5 p.m. Friday-Sunday, with pre-orders available online starting Wednesday. 468 25th St., Oakland. www.friendsandfamilybar.com Janelle Bitker is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: janelle.bitker@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @janellebitker Alabama faces the prospect of more stormy weather, this time on Wednesday. NOAAs Storm Prediction Center has much of Alabama under a marginal risk for severe weather on Wednesday, which is Level 1 out of 5. A marginal risk means isolated severe storms will be possible. Those storms could bring damaging winds, hail and possibly a tornado, according to the National Weather Service. North Alabama is not in the marginal risk area, but the weather service in Huntsville said a few strong storms will be possible across the region. The strongest storms will be possible during the afternoon hours. The weather service in Birminghams forecast for central Alabama differs from the SPCs. The weather service has much of central Alabama under a slight risk of severe weather, with a marginal risk in the northwest part of the region: Here's the forecast for central Alabama from the National Weather Service, which differs slightly from the Storm Prediction Center outlook. Rain and a few storms are expected early Wednesday morning, but the stronger storms may not develop until the afternoon hours, according to the weather service. A cold front is expected to move in during the afternoon and be the focus for developing storms. The front will sweep out the rain by Thursday, and the rest of the work week and the weekend are expected to be warm and dry. SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) San Francisco police on Sunday night said they are investigating an apparent homicide in an apartment in the city's Outer Sunset neighborhood. Police Sgt. Michael Andraychak said police homicide investigators, as well as the medical examiner, are at an apartment Sunday night in the 1600 block of the Great Highway, between Lawton and Moraga Streets adjacent to Ocean Beach. No further information about the victim, or the circumstances, was immediately available Sunday night. 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. The chairman of Tyson Foods is warning of "meat shortages" due to what he calls a breakdown in the food supply chain stemming from coronavirus outbreaks in factories throughout the country. John H. Tyson wrote in a blog post and full-page advertisement published Sunday in The New York Times, The Washington Post and elsewhere, that the food supply chain is "breaking" and "vulnerable." He also defended the company's employee safety practices, as the meat industry has come under scrutiny for endangering workers and causing outbreaks of COVID-19. We have a responsibility to feed our country. It is as essential as healthcare. This is a challenge that should not be ignored," he wrote. "Our plants must remain operational so that we can supply food to our families in America. This is a delicate balance because Tyson Foods places team member safety as our top priority. Tyson also warned of a "serious food waste issue" as "millions of animals chickens, pigs and cattle will be depopulated because of the closure of our processing facilities." Workers are separated by sheeting at a Tyson Foods plant in Camilla, Georgia. PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman said Tyson is not genuinely concerned about animal welfare and said the company is looking to protect its bottom line. "Slaughterhouses are the least safe places on Earth to work, and that was true even before the COVID-19 pandemic," Reiman said in emailed remarks. "Tyson could fix its problems entirely by switching its plants to processing the vegan meat that it's already producing." So far, retailers haven't reported significant shortages, though industry officials are tracking the issue closely. U.S. retailers reported being 15.8% out of stock of poultry as of April 25, slightly up from 14.7% a week earlier, according to Euromonitor International. But that still marks an improvement from the panic buying of late March, when the out-of-stock share topped 20% in 12 of 14 days from March 17-30. Story continues Department of Agriculture data show at least 767,000 fewer cattle, hogs and sheep were slaughtered for meat processing over the past week compared to the same time period last year, a 25.6% drop. Food safety experts say they're not concerned about the coronavirus being transmitted via food. But they are concerned about workers catching it from one another. COVID-19 testing: CVS Pharmacy stores to offer 'self-swab' coronavirus testing Plastic shields, capes: How salons, gyms plan to re-open after coronavirus closures A number of meat processing plants have become hotspots of coronavirus outbreaks among workers. More than a dozen plants have closed for some period of time, including factories run by meat giants Tyson, Smithfield Foods and JBS. More than 150 of Americas largest meat processing plants operate in counties where the rate of coronavirus infection is already among the nations highest, according to a report published Wednesday by USA TODAY and the Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting. These facilities represent more than 1 in 3 of the nations biggest beef, pork and poultry processing plants. Rates of infection around these plants are higher than those of 75% of other U.S. counties, the analysis found. Tyson last week closed a beef plant in the state of Washington and a pork plant in Indiana to test workers for the coronavirus. The company also last week announced plans to resume limited output at a pork plant in Iowa that was idled for two weeks. In his blog post and advertisement, Tyson's chairman defended the company's practices, which have included requiring face coverings and installing worker dividers in some areas. He said the company is also waiving co-pays and deductibles for doctor visits for COVID-19 testing and is paying bonuses to workers. Contributing: Kyle Bagenstose, Sky Chadde and Matt Wynn Follow USA TODAY reporter Nathan Bomey on Twitter @NathanBomey. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tyson warns of 'meat shortages' as factories face scrutiny over safety The lack of real information on Kim Jong-un from the hermetic country is giving rise to rampant rumour-mongering, leaving North Korean experts, foreign officials and intelligence agencies to parse through it all for signs of the truth Seoul: North Korea is still sending letters and gifts to foreign leaders and domestic workers in the name of its leader, Kim Jong-un. Its news media brims, as usual, with panegyrical propaganda extolling Kims leadership. South Korea reiterates that it has detected nothing unusual in the North. President Donald Trump has called incorrect and fake a report that Kim was in grave danger after surgery. All this has done little to stop the rumour mill churning about Kims health and the fate of the nuclear State for the simple reason that North Korea has not reported a public appearance by its leader for two weeks. Nor has it responded to lurid claims about his health. The lack of real information from the hermetic country is giving rise to rampant rumour-mongering, leaving North Korean experts, foreign officials and intelligence agencies to parse through it all for signs of the truth. Depending on the news outlet or social media post, Kim, believed to be 36, is recuperating after a minor health issue like a sprained ankle, or he is in grave danger after a heart surgery. Or he has become brain dead or is in a vegetative state after a heart-valve surgery gone wrong at the hands of a nervous North Korean surgeon or one of the doctors China dispatched to treat him. Or Kim is grounded with COVID-19. Where did he get it? From one of those Chinese doctors. One rumour circulating in South Korean messaging apps claims that after French doctors could not wake Kim from his coma, Kim Pyong-il, a half brother of Kims late father, seized power with the help of pro-Chinese elites in Pyongyang, the Norths capital. It goes on to say that Kims powerful sister, Kim Yo-jong, has been detained while Beijing is secretly bargaining with Washington over the future of North Korea and its nuclear weapons. Seoul has questioned the accuracy of the unconfirmed reports, while the South Korean news media appears to dismiss most of them as rumours spreading through Chinese social media and beyond. But they cannot be completely ignored, since North Korea is so secretive that the worlds most powerful intelligence agencies have been unable to penetrate Kims inner circles. Kim last appeared publicly April 11, when he presided over a Politburo meeting. Speculations about his health began swirling after Kim missed state celebrations for his countrys biggest holiday, the 15 April birthday of his grandfather and founder of North Korea, Kim Il-sung. Rumours went into overdrive after Daily NK, a Seoul-based website relying on anonymous sources inside the North, reported last Monday that Kim was recovering from heart surgery performed 12 April. The next day, CNN added to the frenzy, reporting that Washington was monitoring intelligence that Kim was in grave danger. On Saturday, TMZ, a celebrity-news website in the United States, blared: N Korea dictator Kim Jong-un reportedly dead after botched heart surgery. More than once, Trump has wished Kim well if he indeed were ill. North Koreas secrecy and our lack of reliable information create a breeding ground for rumours, said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor of international studies at Ewha Womans University in Seoul. But his continued absence would be destabilising as more people in and outside the country wonder if he is incapacitated or dead. In recent days, the South Koreans and their allies in Washington have scoured North Korea with the help of spy satellites and other resources for signs of Kim and preparations for missile launches. Their efforts led them to Wonsan, an east coast town where Kims family has a seaside compound complete with yachts, Jet Skis, a horse track and a private train station. A train probably belonging to Kim has been parked there since at least Tuesday, 38 North, a Washington-based website specialising in North Korea, reported Saturday, citing commercial satellite imagery. Wonsan is one of Kims favourite sites for missile tests. A South Korean news report said Saturday that the United States had detected preparations for a missile test in Sondeok, farther up the east coast, where North Korea launched missiles in August last year and again in March in Kims presence. South Korean officials privately say that Kims presence at a missile test could be a strategic way to quiet the speculation. But North Korea has also used such preparations to keep its external foes guessing. There is a deep geopolitical fascination with North Korea, the worlds most isolated police State. The country has detonated six nuclear bombs in underground tests and claims to have built missiles powerful enough to deliver them to the continental United States. It is also run by a man who was dismissed as a figurehead when he took power in 2011 in his 20s. Kim has since established firm control, proving brutal enough to execute his own uncle, a potential threat to his power, and once calling Trump a mentally deranged US dotard. Kims sudden demise could create a power vacuum with far-reaching implications. Over the decades, US and South Korean officials have discussed top-secret contingency plans, including how to prevent the Norths nuclear weapons from falling into wrong hands and what to do if Beijing sends troops into the North to stabilise its neighbour, which has long served as a buffer between China and US forces based in South Korea. In this secretive society, any likely successor to Kim amounts to a guessing game, even for outside analysts who have spent their academic careers parsing the North. Will it be his only sister, Kim Yo Jong, who has recently expanded her role in his government? What about Kim Pyong-il, who returned home last year after serving for decades as North Koreas low-key ambassador to Eastern European countries? Some predict a collective leadership to be led by Choe Ryong-hae, the No 2 in the government hierarchy. What if a yet-unknown but ambitious general engineered a putsch? How would North Koreans who have been trained to worship the Kim family respond? While North Koreas neighbours are mired in domestic politics during a global pandemic, US-China relations are tense, and international organisations are strained, the world isnt well prepared for the death of Kim Jong-un, Easley said. This is not the first time Kim has disappeared from public view for weeks at a stretch or faced speculation about his health. But the strange personality cult surrounding Kim his bombast, obesity and even hairdo ensure rumours can take hold. Officials are careful not to quash the rumours on Kims health outright, in part because their past predictions on the North have sometimes proved wrong. Reporting on North Korea, too, has been strewn with blunders. Top officials reported to have been executed have often resurfaced. Some of the defectors, who feed information to the news media, have been accused of, or admitted to, embellishing their accounts. In 1986, a South Korean newspaper reported a world scoop claiming that Kims grandfather, then-president Kim Il-sung, died in an armed attack. A smiling Kim Il-sung resurfaced two days later. In 2014, Kim Jong-un disappeared for more than a month, prompting rumours that he might have been deposed in a coup. North Korean media later showed him walking with a cane after what South Korean intelligence called an ankle surgery. In 2015, a North Korean defector claimed that Kim ordered his own aunt to be killed with poison. But the aunt, Kim Kyong-hui, re-emerged in Pyongyang in January. The rumours can also turn out to be true. In 2008, Kims father and predecessor, Kim Jong-il, was absent from view for months. South Korean analysts and the news media speculated, correctly, that he had a stroke. He died three years later. Some of the biggest sceptics of the latest rumours are North Korean defectors themselves. Thae Yong-ho, a former North Korean diplomat who defected to South Korea, said it was hard to believe that any reliable information about Kims health was leaked from his most trusted aides. Thae said that no one in his office in the North Korean foreign ministry knew of Kim Jong-ils death in 2011 until they were gathered at an auditorium for an important announcement and saw a female announcer appearing on the TV screen, clad in funeral black. Joo Sung-ha, a North Korean defector-turned-journalist for the South Korean newspaper Dong-A Ilbo, said in a Facebook post that it was reasonable to believe that Kim had health problems. But he had zero trust in news reports detailing whether and why the North Korean leader faced a grave medical emergency. Such details about the health of the Kim family is the secret among secrets, he said, calling the people who claim to know novelists. Choe Sang-Hun c.2020 The New York Times Company Canadian travel ban exemptions do not override inadmissibility Being exempt from Canadian travel bans is not a step towards overcoming inadmissibility Stephen Sherman Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif Sans Font Size A A As the coronavirus continues to affect populations around the world, the government of Canada has put in place measures to reduce the spread of the virus within the country. To this end, travel restrictions have been enacted in order to limit the influx of foreign nationals entering Canada. Despite the importance of tightly controlling who enters Canada during this pandemic, there are several exemptions to the travel restrictions imposed by the federal government. The nature of these exemptions pertains to travel deemed essential to the Canadian economy, as well as to certain family members of Canadian permanent residents and citizens. The family members exempt fall under the federal governments expanded definition of immediate family to include spouses or common-law partners, dependent children, dependent children of dependent children, parents or step-parents, and guardians or tutors. Consult an attorney on overcoming inadmissibility to Canada This means that despite the travel restrictions, these individuals are permitted to come to Canada. However, even though they are allowed to enter the country, they must still have the proper authorization to do so in terms of visas or permits. This point was lost among certain Canadians and caused some confusion. Based on the reading of the order issuing the restrictions and setting out the exemptions, many individuals believed that there would now be a facilitated manner through which immediate family members may enter Canada to be with their loved ones. The logic behind this is that immigration authorities recognized the gravity of the pandemic situation and thought it appropriate to allow immediate family members to be together during this crisis. Based on this, some are now under the impression that foreign nationals who were inadmissible to Canada, or who previously have had difficulty procuring a temporary visa or had been refused, would now be permitted to enter. This is unfortunately not the case. The exemptions to the travel restrictions do not confer any additional rights of entry upon the individuals subject to the exemption. As it concerns individuals who have been denied temporary visas the same motives of refusal still apply. So any foreign national who has weak ties to his or her home country, or has had immigration issues in the past with respect to Canada or another country, may still be denied on the basis that the applicant will not leave Canada at the end of their stay. For such individuals, it is important to address these elements in the proper way, so as to alleviate concerns that could lead an immigration officer to refuse an application. As to individuals who have criminal convictions in the past, there has been no easing with respect to the rules pertaining to inadmissibility. If less than five years have passed since the completion of the sentence a Temporary Resident Permit (TRP) application must be submitted and approved prior to coming to Canada. If more than five years have passed the individual is eligible to apply for criminal rehabilitation, which is still the application that must be pursued in order to resolve the inadmissibility permanently. The same criteria that were taken into account for these applications before the pandemic are taken into account now. There has been no change in this respect and the same elements are considered in the assessment of these applications. Even in situations where the individual has only one non-serious conviction and over 10 years have passed, rendering them eligible for deemed rehabilitation, there can be issues with inadmissibility. A legal opinion letter explaining the situation is still recommended in such scenarios in order to avoid an issue. The same confusion as to inadmissibility can arise and the situation should be clarified in the same manner. Consult an attorney on overcoming inadmissibility to Canada Stephen Sherman is a Canadian immigration attorney with the Campbell, Cohen Immigration Law Firm in Montreal. He specializes in assisting foreign nationals to work legally in Canada and resolving issues relating to criminal inadmissibility to Canada. The number of people who have lost their jobs in Isreal has crossed 1 million. According to Israel's Employment services, the number of newly unemployed workers in the nation has risen to 1,011,205. The new figures comprise of all those who became unemployed since March 1, three days after the first COVID-19 positive cases were reported in the country. Israel is already dealing with a battle for power between Benjamin Netanyahu and Benny Gantz, with many experts suggesting a fourth election. Meanwhile, the coronavirus pandemic has not only caused a health crisis but also an economic nation. As of now, the COVID-19 pandemic has infected 15,443 and killed 201 people in the nation. Read: Long Lines For Florida's Unemployment Benefit Forms Over 1 billion unemployed Around 11,930 people applied for unemployment benefits on April 26, the highest number of applicants since April 5. As per ANI, 87.9 per cent of the workers have been put on unpaid leaves since March 1, while 7,25 have been laid off in this period, rest have quit or did not apply for benefits. According to the bureau, the unemployment rate in the nation has risen to 27.4 per cent compared to 4 per cent in March. It added that the total number of unemployed people in Israel over 1.14 billion people currently. Read: US Records 6.6 Million Unemployment Cases In One Week, Total Number Reaches 16 Million Read: US: More Than $1.4 Billion In Unemployment Benefits Paid Israel is not the only country suffering from increasing unemployment. The unemployment rate in the United States has also surged due to lockdown imposed to tackle the coronavirus outbreak. According to reports, the data showed that claims for unemployment insurance in the United States have risen rapidly in the past few weeks, particularly in the services, manufacturing, construction and healthcare sector. According to reports, experts have predicted that the unemployment rate in the United States could reach up to 15 per cent or higher, meaning the highest level ever seen since World War II. The largest increase in unemployment were reportedly seen in California (up 871,992), New York (up 286,596), Michigan (up 176,329) and Florida (up 154,171). The Federal Reserve of the United States has made $2.3 trillion available for loans for small and medium-sized businesses and cities and states. Read: US: Unemployment Claims Fall In Maine Despite More Staying Home Read: Self-employed And Gig Workers In Utah Can Get Unemployment (With inputs from ANI) (Image credits: AP) Good morning, Bay Area. Its Monday, April 27, and programs are scrambling to have something for stay-at-home kids to do this summer. Heres what you need to know to start your day. The coronavirus curve is flat, the hospitals have plenty of beds, and in one week, the Bay Areas shelter-in-place orders are due to expire so residents are asking when they can go back to some kind of normal life outside their homes. Well, its going to be a while longer. The governor and state officials will decide when to reopen California, and even they wont offer a rough estimate of when it may relax restrictions. But some counties are objecting, saying the economic fallout of the shutdown is becoming unbearable. A Chronicle analysis of the pandemic shows dramatic variance in the virus impact across counties. Reporters Erin Allday and Alexei Koseff explain why reopening the state will not be a uniform, across-the-board process. More: S.F. mayor calls extension of shelter-in-place order very likely. For many, Zoom Fatigue is already setting in. Coronavirus rewriting the roles for many Bay Area families. No summer camps for kids? Carlos Avila Gonzalez / The Chronicle 2009 With Bay Area schools shuttered through the end of the academic year and recreational programs canceled, frazzled parents and kids are looking toward summer camps for relief. But with the statewide stay-at-home order now stretching into May, many camp organizers who typically start planning operations ahead of the summer are struggling to figure out how to move forward. Girl Scouts of Northern California delayed the start of the 2020 camp season to midsummer. Other organizations scrapped their summer sessions altogether. Some programs went virtual. Theres going to be some semblance of a summer program, but were not sure yet, said Tamara Aparton of the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department. Read the full story by Aidin Vaziri here. Also: Warm weekend weather lures Bay Area residents to parks. Clashing rec rules vex Californians during stay-at-home order. Robust regimen for testing Jessica Christian/The Chronicle As Californians dream of a return to normalcy, tens of thousands will have to be swabbed by armies of coronavirus testers before that can happen. Now that Gov. Gavin Newsom has called for 60,000 to 80,000 diagnostic tests a day as a condition for reopening the economy, the coming weeks will involve a complex series of actions by fully equipped doctors, nurses and others. Reporters Catherine Ho and Cynthia Dizikes describe in detail what coronavirus testing will look like. More: California clears testing backlog, tops 480,000 completed tests. Swab shortage holds up coronavirus testing in California. Drive-through test center to open for Dublin, Livermore, Pleasanton residents. Not a safe haven Michael Macor / Special to the Chronicle For the people living around Lake Tahoe, the pandemic seemed impossibly distant in March. But then Nevada County became a hot spot, its local infections possibly accelerated by weekend skiers coming to the slopes. Now, year-round residents of towns including Truckee are telling tourists and owners of second homes to keep their distance, as they worry that their rural health facilities could be quickly overwhelmed. I dont think anyone fully understands the havoc that this is wreaking on our sense of community, said Truckee Police Chief Robert Leftwich. Read the full story by Lizzie Johnson. Full coronavirus coverage Seaman Apprentice Nicholas Huynh / U.S. Navy 2019 Reinstating Crozier: The Navy captain who was relieved of command of an aircraft carrier after taking actions to protect his crew from a coronavirus outbreak appears close to being returned to his post. Chronicle exclusive: The Santa Clara woman whose death from COVID-19 is the earliest so far known in the United States suffered a massive heart attack caused by coronavirus infection, an autopsy found. Reshaping shopping habits: The pandemic wrought dramatic changes in where consumers spend their money: Services delivering food saw volumes spike. But Uber and Lyft saw usage nosedive. Numbers withheld: As deaths from the coronavirus rise, families are left in the dark about how many of those occur in the nursing homes because the state has declined to say. Where protective equipment is going: Data obtained by The Chronicle show where in California masks and others items are being sent. 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. Fiscal emergency: California cities expect to lose nearly $7 billion over the next two years because of the pandemic. Big blow to Oakland: Outbreak leaves giant hole in citys budget. The anti-Trump: Gavin Newsom, a staunch supporter of immigrant rights, announced a $125 million fund to help a population the White House calls ineligible for federal aid. But some say the governor should go even further. Around the Bay Citywide sing-along: Tony Bennett helps combat coronavirus blues as S.F. sings its heart out in unison. Video: Watch residents croon along. Bad behavior: Vallejo official throws cat, chugs from a bottle during live-streamed meeting. Too many visitors: Some still flock to Sausalito despite coronavirus sheltering. Traffic increases: Bay Area stay-at-home orders dont keep everyone off roads. On the bright side: Senior sing-alongs in Oakland and St. Pancakes Day in your kitchen. Downsizing: Stanford hospital system to temporarily cut pay 20%, furlough workers. There was not a protocol for this: How The Chronicles photojournalists are covering coronavirus. Chronicle Food Esther Mobley / The Chronicle 2016 How intrinsic is butteriness to Chardonnay? Jammyness to Cabernet Sauvignon? Butter and jam are at the center of a battle between two of Californias largest wine companies. Napas JaM Cellars, which has built its JaM Cabernet Sauvignon and Butter Chardonnay wines into lucrative brands, filed a lawsuit last year against the maker of Franzia boxed wines for trademark infringement over Franzias Rich & Buttery Chardonnay. It filed another lawsuit this month against Franzias Bold & Jammy Cabernet. Read more by Esther Mobley here. More: Berkeley restaurant Lalimes closes after 35 years. Coronavirus shutters Tartine Berkeley permanently. Napa vintner pledges to return $1.2 million small-business loan. Bay Briefing is sent to readers email inboxes on weekday mornings. Sign up for the newsletter here, and contact Taylor Kate Brown at taylor.brown@sfchronicle.com. 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Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva also issued notice to the producers of the show after the plea filed by advocate Ashutosh Dubey, a Supreme Court lawyer, claimed that the series has alleged that lawyers are thieves, scoundrels, goons and rapists. The petition said that the makers have not only demeaned the advocates, but also the police and politicians. It said that the statements made against the community are highly disparaging, defamatory and bring disrepute to the law profession, lawyers and advocates in the eyes of general public. Also read: Hasmukh review: Vir Das kills a promising idea with a mediocre show On Monday, advocate Dubey pressed for an interim relief and said that the online platform should stop airing the series till the matter is decided. They also sought that at least the alleged defamatory part is expunged. He said that senior advocates Amit Sibal and Sandeep Sethi, for the respondents did not agree to this prayer and sought time to file the written submissions. According to Dubey, the court reserved its order on the interim application seeking relief asked both the sides to file their written submissions. The plea had said that the remarks have caused utmost damage to the legal profession in the eyes of the millions of viewers watching it. It had sought that the part in question be deleted. The matter would be now heard on July 7. Follow @htshowbiz for more In the middle of a crisis, it can be hard to focus on anything but the present, but eventually our focus must shift to the future. We will not be alone as a country in finding our way back, but we have shown before that Ireland has the energy and creativity to help lead the way to a global recovery. No one has ever put the economy into stasis like this before, and there's no playbook for reanimating it in short order. As I see it, a three-stage approach is needed. First comes the jump-start which, much like applying jump leads to a car battery, will require a powerful external agent. Next is the recovery proper and finally, the creation of a longer-term sustainable business environment. All this will require close partnership between Government and business. We won't have an effective recovery or a sustainable long-term environment unless we get the jump-start right. Keeping supply lines open and cash flowing are paramount. Cash reserves in companies are not just resources to pay staff but also serve to keep paying suppliers. Continued access to funding is vital to giving businesses the confidence to keep that cash flowing. This is a steep learning curve, but to spur debate, here are some ideas for tax measures we might consider: Apply zero-rate VAT on all sales of those businesses most affected by the lockdown - restaurants, cafes, bars, retail (apart from food) - for the first month or so of their reopening. In this way restart capital can be indiscriminately injected into businesses all over the country, helping them recover and putting them back on a tax-paying basis in the shortest possible time. This may need EU approval, but equally this is an EU problem that needs EU solutions. Reapply the 9pc VAT rate on certain tourist and hospitality services for a limited period - perhaps until 31 December 2022 - to bring these sectors back up to scale and competitiveness. Abolish local authority rates for all of 2020 for any business severely impacted by the lockdown. Fund local authorities for the loss in revenues out of central exchequer funds. Clarify how the Covid-19 wage subsidy payments will be taxed on the individual recipients. Currently these are essentially a combination of a State subsidy and a deferral of the related tax payments - the individuals must ultimately pay income tax on the payments even though PAYE is not applied now. Make this tax deferral permanent, thus giving individuals the confidence to spend earlier. Encourage the transfer of cash from savings held by seniors to younger generations to ignite current spending and business continuation and formation, again ultimately driving income tax and VAT revenue. Do this by replacing all current inheritance and gift tax free thresholds with a single annual threshold for everyone of, for example, 100,000. If unused, this annual amount could be rolled up for a maximum of five years to provide for a larger threshold equivalent to the value of a dwelling house. Affirm our national corporation tax strategy. It has created vibrant companies that have continued to trade unhindered in essential goods, such as ventilators, throughout this crisis. The importance of our corporation tax regime in creating and maintaining a true free trade centre producing world-class quality products is something we should continue to protect. Action is needed now. Several political parties have already proposed establishing a commission on taxation. It should be set up immediately to debate and report on ideas for jump-starting the economy, and then to consider and propose longer-term policies for a prosperous and sustainable Ireland. We will recover and we will prosper by harnessing all of the immense talent, resilience and creativity at our disposal. It will be crucial for the Government and business to face these challenges together. Liam Lynch is a tax partner at KPMG The property belongs to Robertson. According to Robertson, one of the shots went through the bedroom window of the home where son John Luke Robertson lives with his wife Mary Kate McEachern and their infant child, but nobody in the family was injured. By John Burton When Korea recently airlifted test kits for the coronavirus (COVID-19) to the U.S. government as well as the state of Maryland, it was important for two reasons. The first was that it was another example of Korea's growing "soft power." The second was that it highlighted that Korea is becoming a global provider of medical supplies. The latter may become a crucial factor in the wake of the pandemic. If the fight against COVID-19 has been described as a "new world war," then medicine and equipment are the principal weapons. What the pandemic has revealed is that some countries, such as China, have become medical arsenals, while others, such as the United States, have revealed surprising vulnerabilities. With a global shortage of medical supplies, some countries have imposed restrictions on their exports. Other countries have decided to build up their own medical supply chains to achieve self-sufficiency in critical items. The world may soon witness a situation similar to the global arms race where some countries become leading sources of medical goods and enhance their power as a result. Medical preparedness may become the new national security priority around the world just as international terrorism once did in the wake of the September 11 attacks in the U.S. Korea looks set to become a major player in this international competition. Even prior to the pandemic, the government recognized that the biotech sector provided an opportunity for economic growth, with global sales in this industry already surpassing those for semiconductors or automobiles. Another source of motivation to succeed in this sector is Korea's rapidly aging population, which will soon become among the oldest in the world. The administration of President Moon Jae-in has selected the health sector as one of several future strategic industries. Korea has the scientific talent and technical capability to achieve this goal, with the country having among the world's highest proportion of researchers. But it lags behind in some areas, such as the development and application of artificial intelligence and big data. The government now wants to address this weakness by prioritizing these technologies to drive innovation. In a prescient move, Korea a year ago announced measures that will go into effect in May to provide government regulatory and financial support for the development of innovative medical devices and drugs. The government wants to promote new medical technology such as medical imaging, remote patient monitoring and medical information systems based on AI, big data, robotics, and virtual and augmented technologies the tools of the so-called Fourth Industrial Revolution. The program is meant to improve cooperation in joint research among hospitals, universities, research institutions and industries. Local patents for medical devices and medical information systems have already increased dramatically over the last several years. A clear and early benefit of this effort was the use of smartphone and cloud-based applications to track COVID-19 cases, which have been widely hailed as helping keep the outbreak under control in Korea. Another reason for optimism that Korea can succeed in becoming a leading global medical technology hub is the country's high rate of R&D spending, which amounts to 4 percent of gross domestic product, which is double that of China and Europe on average. The government, for example, is spending $1.4 billion on creating a digital platform for big data analytics and AI that will soon incorporate the medical records of Korea's more than 50 million citizens. The information collected will help support the development of innovative drugs and smart medical devices. The government is also easing regulatory oversight to streamline the market introduction of these new products. Increased government spending by the Moon administration on health care, part of its expanded welfare program, will also boost the pharmaceutical industry as it seeks to bring more novel drugs to the market to meet the needs of elderly patients. Among other measures, the government is offering tax benefits and incentives for clinical trials of local drugs and investing in R&D facilities. Korea's ability to turn out COVID-19 test kits is one small example of the potential attractiveness of its pharmaceutical industry to the outside world. This could prove important in penetrating the American market, for example, as the virus crisis has convinced the U.S. to reduce its dependence on drugs made in China. Korea has gained a reputation for innovative medicines as shown by increased research and product licensing agreement with international drugmakers. But one drawback to an export push is that the local biotech industry remains fragmented with few large companies able to compete against big foreign players. That will hurt the industry's ability to build up markets overseas. Although the global coronavirus outbreak has inflicted severe short-term damage on the Korean economy, one potential benefit is that it will spur the growth of the biotech sector, which will be positive for the country's long-term economic future. John Burton (johnburtonft@yahoo.com), a former Korea correspondent for the Financial Times, is a Washington, D.C.-based journalist and consultant. By Rafiqul Islam Montu They are called Jaladash (servants of water). Hereditary fisherfolk living along the mouths of the Meghna river and the coasts of Chittagong and Coxs Bazar, this Dalit community now regularly faces one of the most fearsome effects of climate change the Bay of Bengal swamps their homes at almost every high tide. The oldest traditional fishing community in Bangladesh, around 600,000 Jaladash also battle extreme poverty, serious shortages of drinking water, healthcare, education, formal banking facilities and now loss of livelihood. They are routinely affected by the Bangladesh governments fishing bans to let fish stocks improve; at other times, they are hit by the drying up of various rivers and creeks in the Ganga-Brahmaputra-Meghna delta due to dams and barrages upstream. Over the last two decades or more, they have also had to deal with increasing salinity that affected their freshwater sources, pollution and sea level rise. There are hardly any government or non-government organisations offering technical or credit support to the Jaladash to improve fishing efficiency or management. Liton Jaladash, president of the North Chattala Coastal Fisherman Jaladash Cooperative Welfare Federation, said, Life is not good. We fish but we do not get food every day. We have to survive, but it is hard. Almost no member of the Jaladash community owns any land, so farming or aquaculture are not options open to them. They use the same fishing nets that their ancestors did. The large-mesh nets allow fingerlings to escape and are therefore more sustainable, but these fishers lose out to the modern trawlers that use nets with miniscule meshes and catch juveniles that they either discard or sell to fishmeal factories. Increasingly, Jaladash youth are being forced away from their traditional livelihood and end up as rickshaw pullers or unskilled labourers in urban areas, including Chittagong and even as far as the Bangladeshi capital city of Dhaka, around 250 kilometres inland. This is a round-up of some-breaking news in Nigeria, Today, Monday, 27th, April 2020. Biafra: Nnamdi Kanu Explodes Over Deaths In Kano, Fingers Aso Rock, China The leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has accused the people in Aso Rock, Nigerias Presidential Villa and China of being responsible for the mysterious deaths recorded in Kano State, northern Nigeria. Naija News reports that over 600 people have been reported to have died in Kano in the past one week, with the state commissioner for information, Muhammad Garba, saying in a statement on Sunday that the government is putting measures in place to keep all residents safe. Read more details here Governor El-Rufai Extends COVID-19 Lockdown In Kaduna For 30 Days Governor Nasir El-Rufai has extended COVID-19 lockdown in Kaduna State for 30 days. Naija News reports that this was disclosed in a statement issued by Governor El-Rufais media aide, Muyiwa Adekeye on Sunday, April 26. Kaduna State has recorded 10 cases of the coronavirus disease so far. Read more details here Coronavirus: Kano Government Breaks Silence On Mysterious Deaths In The State The Kano State government has spoken on the strange deaths witnessed in the state in recent times, describing it as a serious situation. The state commissioner for information, Muhammad Garba in a statement on Sunday noted that the government is putting measures in place to keep all residents safe. Read more details here Boko Haram Terrorists Attack Ali Modu Sheriff Convoy, Kill Five Members of the dreaded Boko Haram terrorists group have reportedly attacked the convoy carrying the family of a former governor of Borno State, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff. Naija News reports that the former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had lost his father, Alhaji Galadima Modu, following a fire outbreak at his residence in Maiduguri last Thursday. Read more details here Coronavirus: Presidential Aide Drops Hint That Buhari May Extend COVID-19 Lockdown The current lockdown put in place by the government of Nigeria may be extended due to the rising cases of the coronavirus (COVID-19) infection. The probability of the extension was noted in the hint dropped by Lauretta Onochie, a social media aide to President Muhammadu Buhari. Read more details here Share this post with your Friends on Guatemalans deported by the US are threatened and shunned after officials say dozens test positive for the coronavirus. Guatemala City Carlos* arrived in his hometown in the western highlands of Guatemala earlier this month after being deported by the United States. The migrant had intended to move to the US to provide for his family. Instead he contracted the COVID-19 virus, and did not find out until being tested by doctors in Guatemala. When they told me I was positive, it was painful [to hear]. It wasnt my intention to get sick, he told Al Jazeera by phone, adding that he started to show symptoms en route back to Guatemala. But Carloss hardship only just began after his test results came in. Upon arriving home, Carlos said he began receiving threats on social media. They threatened to set fire to me, he said. They said they didnt want us in the village, and that my entire family had to be removed because they are infected, he added. They were afraid. At least 100 migrants deported from the US have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, according to Guatemalan officials. For many, the stigma they faced by some in the US has now followed them back to their homes in Guatemala. On April 19, a group of residents of the Indigenous town of Santa Catarina Palopo, which sits along the shores of Lake Atitlan, physically threatened a deported migrant who was sent to be quarantined in their home in the small town. Days before, on April 15, residents of a middle-class neighbourhood in Quetzaltenango, Guatemalas second-largest city, threatened to set fire to buses carrying migrants deported from Mexico. The buses arrived at a temporary shelter in their neighbourhood to undergo protocols to guarantee their health. Similar incidents have taken place in other parts of the country. The threats were sparked by rumours that migrants had escaped a shelter after arriving, despite there being no evidence to support the claim. We saw several actions persecuting people returned to our country, President Alejandro Giammattei said during a television address last week. We are doing what we can to stop the flow of migrants who arrive without guarantees of health, he said. I ask everyone when they see a deported migrant who has documents that say they were in quarantine that we dont see them as a criminal, but rather as a brother that has returned home. Advocates for migrants have also denounced the attacks. The fear is real and it is clear that we need to take actions to prevent [the spread], said Father Juan Carbajal, the director of the Catholic Churchs Pastoral of Human Mobility in Guatemala. We asked for months for the suspension of the deportations, because we knew there was a high risk for them, he told Al Jazeera. But it is time to show solidarity with those who have been deported. The administration of US President Donald Trump stepped up deportation flights on March 19. Since then, more than 1,400 Guatemalans have been sent back to the country. Guatemala temporarily suspended deportations from the US on April 17 after at least 44 migrants deported from Alexandria, Louisiana, tested positive for COVID-19. President Giammattei has stated that the flights will remain suspended until the US can guarantee deportees are not infected by the virus. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) was sent to Guatemala following the announcement. The agency randomly tested 12 migrants deported on a flight from Alexandria, Louisiana. US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) told Al Jazeera earlier this month that CDC was on the ground to review and validate the COVID-19 tests performed of some deported migrants. Once results are available, ICE will determine whether to re-evaluate current medical procedures with CDC guidance to ensure that any newly necessary practices are implemented, an ICE spokesman said. The CDC did not respond to Al Jazeeras request for comment. According to Reuters news agency, ICE will begin randomly testing deportees, but there is still no time frame for the implementation of testing. Deportations of Guatemalans from Mexico meanwhile, have continued, according to the Guatemalan Institute for Migration. Showing Solidarity with Migrants Despite the attacks on some deported migrants, many Indigenous communities have taken steps to welcome deported migrants back home. Welcome to your land, migrant brothers and sisters. The people of Uspantan receive you with open arms, reads a sign at the entrance to the town of Uspantan, Quiche, about 248km (154 miles) from Guatemala City. The sign is part of a campaign launched by community leaders after tensions began to grow over the presence of deported migrants in the remote town. A health worker exits an area of the closed La Aurora airport where Guatemalan citizens deported from the US are in a temporary shelter as they await their coronavirus test results, in Guatemala City [Moises Castillo/AP Photo] There has been a lot of discrimination and stigmatisation against our migrant brothers, said Julio Damian, a community leader in Uspantan who is part of the campaign to welcome back migrants. Faced with what is happening in other parts of Guatemala, we wanted to present a positive message, he told Al Jazeera. They should not have to hide themselves. We can find ways of helping them. Uspantan has not reported any cases, but 50 locals deported by the US and Mexico remain under quarantine in their homes under supervision of medical professionals from the health ministry. The campaign is to inform the people, Damian said. We want our message to arrive to more people. Authorities in other communities, including in Cuilco, Huehuetenango, and in Nebaj, Quiche, also told Al Jazeera they were working to fight the stigmatisation of migrants as well. Despite the threats that Carlos, the deported migrant in the highlands, has faced, he said he has also received aid and help from his neighbours. Thank God that there are also good people through all of this who are generous, he said. *Name has been changed to protect the individuals identity. Thai Airways airplanes are parked at the tarmac of Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok BANGKOK (Reuters) - State-owned Thai Airways International Pcl will press on with a project to build a $339 million maintenance facility east of Bangkok after partner Airbus dropped out due to the coronavirus outbreak, a senior official said on Monday. Airbus has asked not to participate in the investment, citing the impact of the COVID-19 situation on air travel, Deputy Secretary-General for Infrastructure in the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) Chokchai Panyayong told a news briefing. The project to build the maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility is a necessity for Thai Airways and so it will move forward, either on its own or with a partner, Chokchai said, adding that Airbus would still cooperate on technology. The European planemaker on Monday issued a bleak assessment on the impact of the coronavirus, telling the company's 135,000 employees to brace for potentially deeper job cuts. Some 2.97 million people are reported to have been infected by the novel coronavirus globally and 205,948 have died, according to a Reuters tally. "We are in discussions with our partners in Thailand regarding the most suitable way forward for all parties," Airbus said in an e-mail to Reuters about the maintenance project. "The content of discussions with partners and customers alike remain confidential." There is still time for Thai Airways to find a new partner as the navy is only just beginning construction on the facility's hangar, which will take up to four years. "By then, the COVID situation will have eased. There is an opportunity for either Airbus or Boeing to come in," Chokchai said. The facility was estimated to cost 11 billion baht ($338.9 million), of which about 7 billion baht would come from the navy's budget. Thai Airways was also in separate discussions with the government for liquidity support. Thailand on Monday extended a ban on incoming passenger flights until May 31. The Southeast Asian country has reported 2,931 cases and 52 fatalities from the coronavirus. Story continues The maintenance hub is part of the governments project around the joint civil-military U-Tapao Airport, 150 kilometers east of Bangkok. The government expects to sign a 290 billion baht agreement with BBS Joint Venture next month for the development of the airport and aviation city, EEC Secretary-General Kanit Sangsubhan said. The group, selected in February, comprises Bangkok Airways Pcl , train operator BTS Group Holdings Pcl and Sino-Thai Engineering and Construction Pcl . It has chosen Japans Narita International Airport Corporation as U-Tapao's operator. (Reporting by Chayut Setboonsarng and Orathai Siring; Editing by Jan Harvey) Joseph Hill, 25, of West Philadelphia, hands out cantaloupe along with the boxes of packaged food from Philabundance to a local in the area at the corner of 59th Street and Lansdowne Avenue on April 23, 2020. One box is provided per household and contains non-perishable items on Mondays and fresh produce on Thursdays. Read more Hundreds of Philadelphians may be locked out of their bank accounts and could lose their federal coronavirus stimulus checks to creditors and debt collectors, cutting them off from funds they may need to pay rent and buy groceries during the pandemic. In the three months before the coronavirus crisis closed courthouses, the citys Municipal Court judges issued more than 400 so-called garnishment orders, which allow people and businesses to collect their winnings after succeeding in civil cases, according to an estimate from Community Legal Services (CLS), a nonprofit law firm that represents low-income residents. The bulk of the garnishment orders come from cases brought by debt collectors and creditors, who sue consumers when they fall behind on credit card payments and loans, said CLS attorney Laura Smith. Sheriffs often serve the orders on banks to freeze consumers accounts, preventing them from spending or withdrawing money. That means hundreds of Philadelphians may have their funds frozen at a time when millions of Americans are out of work. And they could be blocked from getting federal stimulus checks that werent protected from debt collectors when Congress hastily put together the CARES Act, the $2.2 trillion coronavirus relief package. The snatching of relief payments up to $1,200 for individuals and $2,400 for married couples, plus $500 per child has sparked widespread criticism, with lawmakers, consumer advocates, and banks calling on federal officials to resolve the issue. Its supposed to be a lifeline to people that are in crisis to buy food and medicine and pay their rent and utilities," Smith said. But unfortunately, theres nothing in the law that clearly protects the money from garnishment. READ MORE: How people in Philly are spending their coronavirus stimulus checks Garnishment is an arrangement in which creditors get a court order to force banks to freeze the accounts of people with judgments against them. The banks, acting on behalf of debt collectors, are allowed to take money from these residents accounts toward their outstanding debt repayment. In the 90 days before March 20, there were 413 valid garnishment orders in Philadelphia Municipal Courts small claims division, which handles claims of less than $12,000, Smith said. The orders, also known as writs of execution, must be served on a bank within 90 days once issued. There were more garnishment orders in Philadelphia Common Pleas Court, but the legal service couldnt analyze exactly how many. In letters dated March 20 and April 16, Smith urged the Philadelphia Common Pleas and Municipal Courts to halt existing garnishment orders so vulnerable families could access their bank accounts during the crisis. On Wednesday, the president judges of Philadelphia Common Pleas and Municipal Courts ordered that garnishment orders can no longer be issued or served until further notice. But Philadelphians whose bank accounts are already frozen because of existing orders must file an emergency petition. 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. A spokesperson for the courts said they cannot exempt federal stimulus funds from garnishment, saying that such legal authority lies with the legislative and executive branches. The court is sympathetic with the problems that Philadelphians may face from having their bank accounts frozen, the spokesperson said in a statement. For that reason, the court has a procedure for any individual to file an emergency petition and, if necessary, to have a hearing without leaving their home. That procedure is posted on the courts website." Smith, who has represented five clients whose accounts were frozen when courts shut down, said that she hopes an emergency process to unfreeze accounts would take just days, but that no one has tried it beause no one knew about it until Wednesday. Its an untested procedure, she said. Its not guaranteed, and for people who have a valid judgment against them and whose funds are not protected under any existing state exemption, theres nothing they can file to get their money. Theyre just going to lose it." READ MORE: I didnt get my coronavirus stimulus check. What should I do? In Washington, lawmakers and lobbyists have scrambled to protect the stimulus payments from debt collection. The federal relief law that Congress quickly passed exempted the funds from debts owed to federal and state agencies but did not address court-ordered garnishments to pay creditors. Although lawmakers didnt directly carve out the payments from private debt collection, some have said their intent was clear: to ensure Americans experiencing hardships from the crisis receive critical financial assistance. At least 17 U.S. senators, including one Republican, have signed letters urging the Treasury Department to exempt stimulus funds from private debt collection through its rule-making powers. The department did not return a request for comment last week. The Washington Post, citing unnamed sources, reported that the department is reviewing whether it has the authority to stop the stimulus seizures. In another letter, 25 state attorneys general, including Pennsylvanias Josh Shapiro and New Jerseys Gurbir Grewal, asked the Treasury Department to take immediate action to address the issue. During this public health and economic crisis, the states do not believe that the billions of dollars appropriated by Congress to help keep hard-working Americans afloat should be subject to garnishment, the letter said. And in an unlikely alliance, consumer advocates and the banking industry jointly called on congressional leadership to clarify that the payments are subject to federal exemption from garnishment, like Social Security. Many wonder if it was simply a legislative drafting oversight or an error, or whether Congress intentionally chose not to confer the status of a federally protected benefit payment on these economic impact payments," said Lori Sommerfield, a Minneapolis attorney who has closely tracked the law and represents the banking industry for the Philadelphia-based law firm Ballard Spahr. In any event, its creating a lot of issues for the banking industry, including reputational risk. For their part, debt collectors say they have been wrongly vilified. ACA International, an association of credit and collection professionals, said its members are complying with myriad consumer protection laws and regulations, and arent targeting consumers facing financial challenges. ACA members could not and would not be specifically targeting stimulus funds for multiple reasons, including their commitment to compassion and empathy for consumers, the group said in a statement. Beyond that, collectors would not even know the character of funds contained in a consumers bank account or the source of these funds, which would make it impossible to target stimulus funds. READ MORE: We are forgotten: Despite mounting costs, college students are excluded from $1,200 stimulus checks Smith, the CLS attorney, said she was able to help unfreeze bank accounts for four clients through negotiations with opposing lawyers. One client was a 52-year-old mother of three from North Philadelphia, whose account was frozen as a result of fraudulent debt. She didnt open the account that resulted in the judgment against her, Smith said. The woman, who spoke to The Inquirer on the condition that only her last name, Sanders, be used, said she recently lost her job as a school bus driver due to the pandemic. Between that and being locked out of her bank account for about two months, she was scared someone would show up at her home one day to seize her car and her furniture to pay off the mysterious debt. I was so nervous and shook up, she said. I was on edge for months, and I just prayed. The Philadelphia Inquirer is one of more than 20 news organizations producing Broke in Philly, a collaborative reporting project on solutions to poverty and the citys push toward economic justice. See all of our reporting at brokeinphilly.org. - Moses Kuria said the Huduma Namba should have been used to track down coronavirus patients and send money to Kenyans - The lawmaker wanted government to include its daily expenditure from the COVID-19 fund in the daily updates by Health CS Mutahi Kagwe - Kuria said money from the COVID-19 fund may be misused and as a result the fight against the coronavirus pandemic may last longer Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria has hit out at government asking it to tell Kenyans how it has utilised the National Integrated Management System (NIMS) during the coronavirus crisis. The vocal Jubilee politician said it was the responsibility of government to explain to Kenyans how it had used the highly hyped Huduma Namba in mapping out COVID-19 patients and those who needed economic and social protection. READ ALSO: Kim Jong Un: South Korea's security adviser says North Korea's supreme leader is not dead Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria during a past public gathering. Photo: Moses Kuria Source: Facebook READ ALSO: Kenyan newspapers review for April 27: Ruto was guaranteed by powerful government officials Ruai land will not be touched Kuria compared Kenya's case with that of USA saying whereas the latter was sending KSh 126,000 to every adult citizen and KSh 63,000 to every child using data from IRS, it was impossible to do the same in Kenya due to lack of data. "In Kenya even if we were to get the money to give to our citizens we have no data. So I am appealing to Mutahi Kagwe to appear alongside Fred Matiangi in tomorrows briefing so the latter can explain how Huduma Namba which cost us billions is helping us at this time," said in a Facebook post. Kuria further asked government to give a detailed breakdown on how money from the COVID-19 emergency fund was being utilised. Health CS Mutahi Kagwe has been giving daily updates on the coronavirus pandemic. Photo: Ministry of Health Source: UGC READ ALSO: 27-year-old Kenyan lady living with HIV narrates how doctors gave her only 4 years to live "Dear CS Mutahi Kagwe...could you also give daily update of how you have spent the World Bank and and government billions daily (plus the funds from private sector). The way COVID-19 money is being eaten we will have a lockdown till June 2021," he said. The sentiments came barely days after Kenyans raised concern over high expenditure of the COVID-19 money but with very little to show on the ground. Appearing before a parliamentary committee on Budget and Appropriations, the Treasury CS said the government had allocated KSh 40 billion to fight coronavirus but only KSh 18 billion had been spent so far. Interior CS Fred Matiang'i. Moses Kuria wants Matiang'i to explain how the Huduma Namba has benefited Kenyans during pandemic. Photo: Daily Nation Source: UGC READ ALSO: Mike Sonko's security detail withdrawn after he threatened to reverse transfer of county functions Among the programs that took the lion's share included allocations for tax refund (KSh10) billion and another KSh 10 billion for the cash transfers for the elderly and vulnerable persons. However, there was no clear strategy that was used to identify the vulnerable persons which according to Kuria could have been better identified using the Huduma Namba register. Do you have a groundbreaking story you would like us to publish? Please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690. Contact Tuko.co.ke instantly. Source: TUKO.co.ke Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Riza Roidila Mufti (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, April 27, 2020 15:24 625 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd47b534 1 Business Indonesia,mudik-ban,Airlines,bus-operators,impact,INACA,Lorena,Arimbi Free The governments recent decision to ban the traditional Idul Fitri mudik (exodus) has added to the misery of Indonesias airlines and other public transportation companies whose businesses have been hammered by the COVID-19 epidemic. With the mudik ban, which took effect from April 24 and will last until June 1, travel in and out of virus-hit areas, also known as COVID-19 red zones, is prohibited. The ban applies to Greater Jakarta, the nations epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, and other regions that have imposed large-scale restrictions (PSBB). Although the travel ban technically applies to transportation entering and leaving regions with PSBB in effect it stops most or airline services in the country, adding misery to the already hard-hit industry, the chairman of the Indonesia National Air Carrier Association (INACA), Denon Prawiraatmdja, said on April 23. The mudik period is considered the harvest season for the countrys transportation companies because of the sharp increase in the number of passengers, especially during the seven days before and after Idul Fitri at the end of the Ramadan. Prior to the mudik ban, national airlines had been under financial stress because of the sharp decline in passenger numbers since the announcement of the first COVID-19 cases in the country in February, which was later followed by the governments social-distancing policy including an appeal to work and study from home in the middle of March. According to data from the Finance Ministry, the combined revenue losses among local airlines amounted to Rp 207 billion (US$13.4 million) as of April 15. With the mudik ban, the impact will be more severe not only for airlines but for all related business including airports and all business activity inside them, INACA chairman Denon told The Jakarta Post. Denon said flight frequency had declined to just 20 percent of normal before the mudik ban was officially imposed. Most airlines have grounded the majority of their fleets as a result of the lack of passengers. Many employees have also been furloughed. He said that although most of the aircraft were grounded, the airlines still had costs, not only parking fees but also for maintenance services. Denon, therefore, urged the government to start disbursing the promised financial incentives to enable local airlines keep afloat in this difficult situation. Airlines will follow whatever COVID-19 measures the government imposes, but we are begging the government to immediately disburse the relief funds, he said. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) in its updated analysis on April 14 estimated that the COVID-19 crisis will lead to drops in airline passenger revenue of $314 billion in 2020, a 55 percent decline compared with 2019. Garuda Indonesia said in a statement on Friday said it would abide by the governments mudik ban and it would stop flights to all areas that have imposed PSBB measures, such as Jakarta; Surabaya, East Java; Bandung, West Java; Pekanbaru, Riau; Makassar, South Sulawesi; Padang, West Sumatra; Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan; and Tarakan, North Kalimantan. We are still serving passengers on domestic and international routes that are not connected with red zones, read the Garuda statement. The mudik ban has also severely affected land transportation. The managing director of one of the countrys largest bus transportation companies, Lorena-Karina, Dwi Rianta Soerbakti, said that the mudik ban would seriously hurt all public bus companies especially small ones. If there are no incentives or support from the government, Dwi said that 50 percent of land transportation operators would go bust by the time the COVID-19 epidemic ends. Especially, companies which have to make large repayments to leasing companies and banks, said Dwi on Friday. Even before the mudik ban was imposed, Dwi said public bus companies had already suffered a 90 percent decline in passengers. Many operators have also been forced to put their employees on furlough. The decision to ban the mudik must be followed by incentive policies that can help transportation companies to survive as all employees and stakeholders will be affected by this decision, he said. Lorena-Karina has a total of 400 passenger vehicles and 200 cargo vehicles. However, it has had to park up 95 percent of these vehicles and lay off 80 percent of its employees. Richard Soehoko from PO Arimbi, another bus company, which serves inter-city routes, said that with the mudik ban, the land transportation business had pretty much come to a halt. The company has cut its bus services by 75 percent and relies only on freight services to survive. The 2019 mudik saw 18 million people using public transportation during the seven days before and after Idul Fitri, with 5.41 million people traveling by air, 2.85 million by land transportation, 1.17 million by sea transportation, 6.20 million by rail and 2.51 million by ferries. By Trend Minister of Education Jeyhun Bayramov held a video conference with the participation of university rectors. During the videoconference, its participants were informed about the implementation of the measures to minimize the threat of the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, which are being carried out in accordance with the instructions of the country's leadership. It was noted that in accordance with the recommendations and instructions that were given to higher education institutions, distance education has been conducted in these institutions since March of this year. To date, more than 95,000 students have joined Microsoft Teams and some other online platforms used for this purpose. Also, given the current situation in higher education institutions, an exchange of views took place on the organization of evaluation of the results of education of students in the second half of the academic year, and the Ministry made general recommendations in this regard. During the videoconference, suggestions and recommendations on topical issues were heard, and discussions were held. Speaking at the conference, Rector of Baku Higher Oil School Elmar Gasimov proposed that this year, students with academic backlogs would be exempted from making payment for their study at summer schools, which are organized by higher education institutions on a paid basis, and that universities would cover the expenses associated with the training of these students at summer schools. Elmar Gasimov noted that his proposal should be considered as part of measures aimed at minimizing the risks associated with the training of students during the pandemic and supporting families of students affected by the global virus. The conference participants hailed the rectors proposal. -- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz As we enter the sixth week of lockdown, the evening news is generating some interesting crush fodder. Exhibit A: ITV's Robert Peston (above) Lockdown is doing funny things to us as a nation. Were getting up and exercising every day with Joe Wicks. Were making funny memes about Tiger King. Were creating Tik Toks with the kids. And for some of us, perhaps were also discovering new and unusual crushes? Im A Celebrity Winner Georgia Toffolo and podcast host Kate Thornton have both revealed their admiration for a certain newsman. READ MORE: NHS worker staying in Toff's home helped her family navigate COVID-19 death Speaking on Kates podcast White Wine Question Time, Georgia said she absolutely loved ITVs Political Editor, Robert Peston. LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 27: Georgia Toffolo attends the SHEIN X Georgia Toffolo Spring Edit Launch Event on February 27, 2020 in London, England. (Photo by Antony Jones/Getty Images for SHEIN) I tweeted that he was really, really sexy, she told podcast host Kate Thornton. Loads of people were like, Urgh, you've got really weird taste in men'. I think he's so hot! Her Twitter followers accused her of being drunk, with one user saying she should have gone to Specsavers. Peston is a hottie Georgia Toffolo (@ToffTalks) January 22, 2020 Georgia, also known as Toff, revealed her crush while talking to Kate about a recent TV appearance on This Morning from her sofa. When I'm dialling in I feel like Robert Peston calling in at five o'clock for the daily news briefing! she laughed. Kate agreed with Georgia that Robert was a great journalist. READ MORE: Robert Peston utters expletive due to technical issue at coronavirus briefing I think he's an amazing broadcaster and incredible political commentator, she said. I kind of hang on his every word. The pair were also in agreement that News At Ten anchor Tom Bradby was a small screen favourite of theirs. Georgia Toffolo says she appreciates middle-aged men like Robert Peston, seen here with the Prime Minister I like a middle-aged man admitted Georgia. I just do! I've not been out with one. I just have an appreciation for a middle-aged man. Georgia is great friends with Boris Johnsons dad Stanley, who is 55 years her senior, and said that age is never a factor when it comes to making friends. Story continues READ MORE: Gwendoline Christie admits to unlikely childhood crush I don't really choose my friends based on ages, she told Kate. Lots of my friends are in their fifties, sixties She continued: Some people sometimes rule friends due to different ages and I think there is so much to gain from having an inter-generational friendship. Hear Georgia Toffolo talk more about life in lockdown, including the loss of her grandad to COVID-19 and why shes let a doctor live in her flat. Listen now on iTunes and Spotify. Manoj Chaudhary/Getty Images A Madison man is among five tourists who were found to have been hiding in a cave in Uttarakhand, India, for as long as a month. Hearst Connecticut Media confirmed the identity of the 38-year-old Connecticut man as Michael Falcone, of Madison. Friends of Falcone confirmed that he reached out to them in October regarding his life in Nepal. Former Vice President and Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Biden speaks during a press event in Wilmington, Delaware, on March 12, 2020. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images) Former Neighbor of Biden Accuser Supports Story: This Happened A woman who lived near Tara Reade, the onetime staffer of former Sen. Joe Biden, says Reade told her about an alleged sexual assault decades ago. Reade, 56, filed a police report earlier in April accusing Biden, 77, of sexually assaulting her while she worked for him in 1993. Lynda LaCasse, 60, a retired medical staff coordinator, lived next door to Reade in 1995 and 1996 in an apartment complex in Morro Bay, California. LaCasse told Business Insider that Reade one night shared a story. We were talking about violent stories, because I had a violent situation, she said. We just started talking about things and she just told me about the senator that she had worked for and he put his hand up her skirt. LaCasse described herself a a very strong Democrat who will support Biden regardless of what happened but felt she had to come forward to share the moment in time in part because of the attacks Reade has faced since coming forward. She didnt ask me to, LaCasse said. I volunteered to do that just recently. If this was me, I would want somebody to stand up for me. It takes a lot of guts to do what shes doing. Lorraine Sanchez, who worked with Reade for California State Senator Jack OConnell after Reade left Washington, also told Business Insider that Reade relayed a story of being treated badly by a former employer. In honor of April Sexual Assault awareness month, I will continue to stand and speak up. 1993 was the year I was sexually harassed and assaulted by Joe Biden, my then boss. The smears and mistruths about me will not take my dignity or change what happened. This was me 1993 pic.twitter.com/mrMnkaenff taratweets ( Alexandra Tara Reade) (@ReadeAlexandra) April 9, 2020 Reade said she had been sexually harassed by her former boss while she was in DC, and as a result of her voicing her concerns to her supervisors, she was let go, fired, Sanchez said. Attempts to reach Reade and Biden were unsuccessful. Bidens campaign has ignored three requests from The Epoch Times for comment on the matter, including inquiries about whether the presumptive Democratic presidential will personally address it. In a statement sent to other outlets, spokeswoman Kate Bedingfield said: Women have a right to tell their story, and reporters have an obligation to rigorously vet those claims. We encourage them to do so, because these accusations are false. Biden himself has suggested that women who enter the national spotlight to accuse high-profile men of sexual wrongdoing should be believed. For a woman to come forward in the glaring lights of focus, nationally, youve got to start off with the presumption that at least the essence of what shes talking about is real, whether or not she forgets facts, whether or not its been made worse or better over time. But nobody fails to understand that this is like jumping into a cauldron, he said in 2018. The two women sharing how theyd been told by Reade about an alleged assault came after an unearthed video showed a woman calling into CNNs Larry King Live in 1993 and asking King about a situation her daughter, who was in Washington, was embroiled in. Yes, hello. Im wondering what a staffer would do besides go to the press in Washington? the woman said. My daughter has just left there, after working for a prominent senator, and could not get through with her problems at all, and the only thing she could have done was go to the press, and she chose not to do it out of respect for him. Reade said that woman was her mother. Chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced an offer of 100 per cent guarantees on bounce back loans of up to 50,000 for the smallest businesses affected by the coronavirus outbreak. But Mr Sunak resisted pressure to increase the current 80 per cent guarantee on loans under the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) to cover their full value. Businesses and banks have blamed the limit on the guarantee for the relatively slow provision of the emergency credit, which has so far seen just 16,000 CBILs loans issued, compared with more than 250,000 in the equivalent scheme in France, and more than 100,000 in Switzerland. Tory backbenchers, Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey and former chancellor George Osborne have been among those calling for a change of course. Mr Sunak told the House of Commons that the new micro-loan scheme is designed to help small businesses struggling to access credit during the current lockdown. Companies will be able to apply for bounce back loans, free of interest for the first 12 months, up to the value of 25 per cent of their turnover, with a cap of 50,000. Available from 9am next Monday, the loans will not be subject to business liability tests or complex eligibility criteria, he said. Describing them as a simple, quick, easy solution for those in need of smaller loans, Mr Sunak said that most eligible firms will be able to access them by filling out a standard form, with funds available within 24 hours of approval. Sunak rejected a broader extension of emergency credit guarantees as an unacceptable burden on taxpayers to support businesses which might be unviable even without the blow to trade from coronavirus. Ive heard some calls for government to underwrite all our loan schemes with 100 per cent guarantees, said the chancellor. I remain unconvinced by the case and for doing that universally. We should not ask the ordinary taxpayers of today and tomorrow to bear the entire risk of lending almost unlimited sums to businesses who may in some cases have very little prospect of paying those loans back, and not necessarily because of the impact of the coronavirus. So I do not think it is appropriate to provide 100 per cent guarantees on all of our schemes. Instead, these new bounce back loans carefully target that extraordinary level of state support at those who need it most. And the 50,000 balances the risk to the taxpayer with the need to support our smallest businesses. Anneliese Dodds, Labours shadow chancellor, said loads would be a relief to small businesses (UK Parliament/PA Wire) Labours shadow chancellor Anneliese Dodds said Mr Sunaks announcement would be a relief for businesses, but said the UK had an enormous mountain to climb to match other countries support for smaller firms. Its a relief to hear from the chancellor that hes listened to calls from this side of the House, business, and others that we need a full guarantee for at least some loans he stated those of up to 50,000, said Ms Dodds. But we need to be clear the UK has an enormous mountain to climb in this area. Switzerland has a population of under 9 million, yet it approved four times as many loans within its first week than the UK has done in a month. Were running out of time, so can I ask the chancellor how he will ensure that banks back loans and get them to those businesses that need it. How will they get out of the door and what plans does he have to ensure the capacity will be there in banks to provide those loans? CBI director general Carolyn Fairbairn said the bounce back loan scheme was transformational. Sole traders, micro-firms and entrepreneurs will now have a simple route to fast finance to stay afloat, without red tape or time-consuming checks, said Dame Carolyn. Thousands of businesses could be saved by this lifeline. Banks now need to continue their work in overdrive to get the loans flowing faster. British Chambers of Commerce director general Adam Marshall said: The chancellor has demonstrated he is listening to the concerns of our business communities and taking steps to get cash to the front line where it is needed. This new route for our smallest companies to apply quickly and get a fast decision will be crucial to those who have struggled to get a CBILS loan. Banking industry body UK Finance said there was a shared responsibility to take all measures possible to get relief to businesses. Following the changes to the scheme announced today lenders will only ask businesses for information and data they might reasonably be able to provide at speed and we will not require the provision of forward-looking financial information or business plans from businesses applying for CBILS-backed lending, relying instead on our own information to assess credit and business viability, said UK Finance. Frontline staff have been working tirelessly to get money to those viable businesses that need help and we stand ready to support many more customers in the weeks ahead. [April 27, 2020] Templafy Raises $25M to Continue Scaling Globally Funding follows expanded global footprint and positions Templafy for continued growth, future acquisitions and new product launches COPENHAGEN, Denmark and LONDON and NEW YORK, April 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Templafy, a global leader in enterprise document creation and automation, today announced the close of a $25 million Series C funding round led by global venture capital and private equity firm Insight Partners to accelerate its international growth. "Now more than ever, we see the need of global enterprises to support their distributed workforce with solutions that ensure productivity and compliance when documents are created," said Jesper Theill Eriksen, CEO of Templafy. "We set out to establish a new market category and create a high return on investment for companies streamlining their document creation workflow through our platform." With Insight Partners at the helm, the additional funding involved participation from Dawn Capital, Seed Capital and Damgaard Company, bringing the total external capital raised to almost $70 million. "Templafy's software represents a unique nexus of both end-user productivity and document compliance. This is what allows its customers to see real efficiency gains across an entire employee base," said Jonathan Rosenbaum, vice president at Insight Partners and Templafy board member. "Templafy's impressive growth is driven by its easy-to-use SaaS platform, which addresses a vast market need. We look forward to supporting Templafy as they continue caling." In the past year alone, Templafy more than doubled its revenue and has now sold over 2 million Templafy licenses worldwide, validating the broad market need for its platform. "With our recent investment, we can accelerate our global expansion and continue our M&A activities to further strengthen our position at the center of the document ecosystem," said Theill Eriksen. As part of its international growth strategy, Templafy recently expanded its footprint in New York City, moving into the One World Trade Center, and also made its first U.S.-based C-suite hire with the appointment of Greg Sheppard, formerly of TravelClick, to the role of chief revenue officer (CRO) to oversee Templafy's rapid expansion in the North American market. "I'm thrilled to be joining Templafy as we prepare to drive the next phase of growth in North America, and I look forward to working with the entire team to help our business and customers succeed," said Sheppard. About Templafy Templafy helps many of the largest companies in the world drive workforce alignment, reduce their liability and increase their productivity through the market leading document creation and document automation platform. Founded in Copenhagen, Denmark in 2014, Templafy's team leveraged more than 15 years of experience in template management and document automation to develop an enterprise cloud service solution, which is now a global market leader within its category, validated by blue-chip enterprise customers on every continent. For more information on Templafy's product and company, visit www.templafy.com , or follow us on LinkedIn: /www.linkedin.com/company/templafy/ or Twitter: @templafy About Insight Partners Insight Partners is a leading global venture capital and private equity firm investing in high-growth technology and software ScaleUp companies that are driving transformative change in their industries. Founded in 1995, Insight Partners has invested in more than 400 companies worldwide and has raised through a series of funds more than $30 billion in capital commitments. Insight's mission is to find, fund, and work successfully with visionary executives, providing them with practical, hands-on software expertise to foster long-term success. Across its people and its portfolio, Insight encourages a culture around a belief that ScaleUp companies and growth create opportunity for all. For more information on Insight and all its investments, visit www.insightpartners.com or follow us on Twitter @insightpartners. Contact: Lucas Strombeck [email protected] +1 312-561-2485 Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/730604/templafy_with_text_512px_blue_Logo.jpg [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Due to the lack of employees at some processing plants over growing coronavirus concerns, about two million chickens will be killed instead of being processed and delivered into the food-supply chain. Delmarva Poultry Industry Inc. released a statement saying chickens on farms in Maryland and Delaware will soon be depopulated meaning humanely killed, CNN is reporting. This is happening in Pennsylvania, too, though the scale of it was not immediately known. Delmarva cited a reduced amount of employees at its plants, as well as additional community cases of COVID-19 and the practice of social distancing and guidelines to stay home if sick as factors in the difficult but necessary decision. If no action were taken, the birds would outgrow the capacity of the chicken house to hold them, Delmarva officials said in a statement, adding they are not closing any processing plants and will continue to compensate the affected chicken growers, reports indicate. In Pennsylvania, Department of Agriculture press secretary Shannon Powers said Monday, Some farms have made the difficult decision to euthanize birds when they did not have space to humanely continue housing birds that cannot be sent to processors." The COVID-19 epidemic has severely disrupted the food supply chain and poultry processing has slowed due to drastic changes in supply and demand, she said. Some processors have temporarily and voluntarily closed their plants to protect their workers. Whether or not farms euthanize their flocks depends on their operations and the specifics of their contracts with the markets they supply, Powers added. Pennsylvania Secretary of Agriculture Russell Redding acknowledged last week that it this is a growing concern. Processing plants have had to scale back their operations, he said. In part, it was due having fewer employees, but another factor was that plants are repackaging for individual sales for homes rather than bulk sales for restaurants as restaurants cut back significantly on what they buy. Poultry and egg producers, in particular, are not buying as much product from farmers as they once did, he added. All of this comes as Tyson Foods warned Sunday that millions of pounds of meat will disappear from the supply chain as the coronavirus pushes processing plants to close, CNN reports. Board chairman John Tyson said the food supply chain is breaking over these closures and will force more farmers to depopulate, according to reports. Redding last week said there are challenges, but he said Pennsylvanias food-supply chain is secure. When farms euthanize their animals, they get guidance from their industry organizations and the American Veterinary Medical Association on how to safely and humanely do it, Powers said. This post has been updated with additional information from the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture. 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. A portrait of President Moon Jae-in, right, and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is displayed at a gallery in Jung-gu, Seoul, on April 27, the second anniversary of the Panmunjeom Declaration. Yonhap By Do Je-hae President Moon Jae-in said Monday that the COVID-19 pandemic has opened up new opportunities for stalled inter-Korean cooperation, which he began promoting following the Panmunjeom Declaration announced after his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un two years ago. Marking the second anniversary of the inter-Korean summit, Moon evaluated the "improvement in and challenges of" inter-Korean relations during the past two years. "We will pursue the most realistic and practical ways for inter-Korean cooperation. The COVID-19 crisis could be a new opportunity. For now this is the most urgent task for cooperation," Moon said during a meeting with senior aides at Cheong Wa Dae, according to press pool reports. "In March, Chairman Kim Jong-un sent a letter to comfort and support the South Korean people and I also responded to it. Starting with cooperation in response to COVID-19, we can also join forces on livestock epidemics as well as disasters near the border and climate change, which will hopefully result in active inter-Korean exchanges and cooperation." Since his New Year address, Moon said this year will be devoted to a strong push for inter-Korean cooperation despite the long deadlock in denuclearization negotiations between Pyongyang and Washington. For this, he has proposed joint projects in areas of sports, railroad and roads, culture and tourism, in addition to keeping up efforts to reopen the joint Industrial complex in the North Korean city of Gaeseong and tourism to Mount Geumgang, which were closed by previous conservative administrations. "It is not the lack of our resolve that has hampered the Panmunjeom Declaration from being implemented," Moon said. "It is because of the limitations imposed due to international circumstances. But we cannot wait indefinitely for conditions to improve. We must find and work together on things that can be done within realistic boundaries." The remarks came amid rising skepticism about the declaration, aimed at reducing military tension and laying the foundation for permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula. Critics point out that there has been no notable progress with North Korea's denuclearization, despite a series of summits between the two Koreas as well as North Korea and the U.S. since the Panmunjeom Declaration. But Moon stressed once again the significance of the declaration in the peace process on the peninsula. "The declaration led to the Sept. 19 inter-Korean joint declaration and an inter-Korean military agreement, which served as the starting point for bringing our relations to a new level and laid the foundation for the first-ever North Korea-U.S. summit," Moon said. A platform in Jejin station with a sign that says "in the direction of Mount Geumgang" Yonhap Grand Challenges Canada innovators offer resources, ideas, affordable solutions for low-resource countries in need of pandemic essentials: medical oxygen, ventilators, masks, more Novel, affordable ways to acquire medical oxygen, ventilators, masks and other critically-needed COVID-19 supplies and services are among 20 Grand Challenges Canada innovations mobilizing to assist developing countries through the global pandemic. In the past decade, the innovations received GCC support in several forms, including over $19 million provided by the Government of Canada, based on the criteria of bold ideas with big impact in global health. These project now offer critical resources, ideas and solutions for low-resource countries struggling to meet an acute need for affordable, locally-sourced products and services, most urgently: Medical oxygen, ventilators and related training Local manufacturing of personal protective equipment for health care workers Life-saving information for hard-to-reach populations Says Karina Gould, Canadas Minister of International Development: To overcome the unprecedented global health challenges presented by COVID-19, the world needs innovation and ingenuity. Over the past 10 years, Canadas funding for Grand Challenges Canada has helped hundreds of innovative ideas become a reality. Today, some of those very ideas are saving lives by helping people prevent and respond to COVID-19 and other health challenges in developing countries. Adds GCC co-CEO Dr. Karlee Silver: Innovation in global health means provisioning low-resource areas with needed goods and services that are better, faster and cheaper. Such solutions take time to develop, scale up, and evaluate as they transition to scale. With Canadian Government funding, we have supported a portfolio of solutions over the past 10 years that are particularly relevant to the developing worlds COVID-19 response. It is during times like these that the value of investment in innovation becomes most obvious. Grand Challenges Canada is lending expertise and other support to the innovators as they focus on the pandemic, and several will receive additional funding as needed to help accelerate their response to COVID-19. Many others among GCC's 228 active innovation projects are working to mitigate the fallout of COVID-19 on reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health services disrupted by pandemic control measures, says Dr. Silver. We have been guided by local governments needs, with locally supplied medical oxygen topping the list a resource in tragically short supply and high demand throughout much of the developing world. The innovators leading these 20 solutions are based in 11 countries Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, South Africa, Brazil, India, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Australia, Canada and the United States and operate in low-resource areas throughout Africa and beyond, from the Amazon to the Himalayas. 4 projects provide medical oxygen 2 produce rugged, battery backed-up ventilators 1 is pivoting from affordable locally-produced sanitary pads to low-cost masks 2 offer innovative diagnostic / imaging equipment 7 support remote patient care, monitoring and essential products delivery 1 supports mental health care 2 support safe water, sanitation and hygiene 1 supports at-home education Oxygen 1) Assist International (USA) Assist International provides healthcare facilities with reliable, affordable medical oxygen supplies via local production plants and partners in over 40 hospitals in Kenya, Rwanda and Ethiopia. GCC helped Assist expand in Ethiopia, and supports its further geographical growth. The group will increase capacity to supply additional oxygen as COVID-19-related demand increases. It will also provide equipment, such as ventilators, concentrators, pulse oximeters, and masks, training, and short courses in repairs and maintenance. Tele-monitoring and training provided via Project ECHO in Ethiopia, Tanzania and Cambodia will include new COVID-19 curricula for healthcare workers and technicians covering Intensive Care Units for both adults and newborns. Photo gallery: https://bit.ly/2xGjDYG 2) Hewa Tele (Kenya) Hewa Tele Limited delivers reliable, cost-effective, life-saving medical oxygen to health facilities in Kenya that have little or no access to it otherwise, operating production plants in partnership with governments and hospitals. An associated NGO provides relevant training for healthcare staff. Currently serving a population of 15 million with GCC support, Hewa Tele will now provide medical-grade oxygen to Nairobis COVID-19 isolation hospital, with a set of cylinders dedicated solely to that facility, and will gear up to meet the oxygen needs of a growing number of patients. Its expansion plans include hiring additional staff to facilitate 24-hour coverage, leasing more distribution vehicles, adding new oxygen cylinders to its inventory, and training health care staff to administer oxygen safely. Photos: http://www.hewatele.org/index.php/our-solutions 3) University of Alberta / Global Health Uganda Ltd. (Canada / Uganda) GCC-supported University of Alberta researchers and their Global Health Uganda partners developed an easy-to-use SPO2 solar powered system that turns ambient air into medical-grade oxygen with battery banks enabling uninterrupted service through the night and on cloudy days. SPO2 systems include how-to roadmaps for local procurement, training, and maintenance of solar oxygen concentrators helpful to COVID-19 responses in remote, off-grid facilities or those without a reliable electricity supply. Oxygen therapy systems are currently installed in 10 African hospitals (8 in Uganda; 2 in DR Congo), and the team is exploring partnerships to expand their reach to meet demand. 4) FREO2 Foundation (Australia) The University of Melbournes FREO2 team, with support from GCC and the Saving Lives at Birth partnership, has created a rugged, low-cost medical oxygen system (OxyLink) that maximizes oxygen output, minimizes energy use, and can switch to backup power to bridge common short power cuts in low-resourced health facilities. Their Low-Pressure Oxygen Store System, meanwhile, helps facilities that often experience longer power outages, combining OxyLink with a novel oxygen storage technology. With clinical trials complete and product field-testing underway, OxyLink systems may be particularly helpful in smaller facilities without access to oxygen plants or reliable electricity sources. The cost and power savings may also benefit regional hospitals and other larger facilities facing a surge in demand for oxygen therapy due to COVID-19, routine pneumonia cases, and other illnesses. Scheduled to debut commercially this fall, prioritizing low- and middle-income countries, FREO2 is working through complications to international roll-outs caused by travel restrictions. Video: https://youtu.be/Dy8j9xWrVlU Ventilators 1) Gradian Health Systems Inc. (USA) This non-profit has established distribution and service networks providing and sustaining world-class medical equipment in facilities across more than 30 sub-Sahara African countries. Support from GCC and the Saving Lives at Birth partnership fostered Gradians validation and scale-up of a simulation-based training model being rolled out alongside installations of the ventilator. The Gradian CCV (Comprehensive Care Ventilator) supports critically-ill patients in settings with unreliable supplies of power and oxygen, including temporary field hospitals being set up to manage COVID-19 patients in many countries. The ventilator can run for 21 hours on battery power, and its portability features enable single-ventilator use throughout critical care, including patient transport. Simulation-based training is a critical component of Gradians model, with teams of clinicians and bio-medical technicians providing remote and on-site training to healthcare providers. Gradian has placed ventilators in Nepal, Sierra Leone, Kenya, and several other countries, conducted several remote trainings with clinicians, and is continuing to work with more health systems to build capacity for COVID response and other critical care needs. Video: https://vimeo.com/261709384 2) OneBreath Inc. (USA / India) With Stanford University intellectual property and GCC support, OneBreath has created an affordable ventilator for intensive care units, emergency rooms and ambulances. The device provides continuous respiratory support for all patients, from infants to adults, and is optimized for low-resource settings: affordable, portable and rechargeable, with an internal compressor that allows it to operate independent of compressed gas lines. OneBreath anticipates its devices serving India soon and is seeking expedited regulatory processes (including US Food and Drug Administration approval) for a wider geographic rollout. Masks 1) Saral Design Solutions Private Limited (India) Sarals Swachh is a fully-automatic, compact machine designed to produce low-cost, ultra-thin disposable sanitary pads through a decentralized manufacturing system. With GCC support, the company sells machines to local entrepreneurs and NGOs in India, and supports them as they operate their Swachh as a business in a box. Saral has modified a Swachh machine to create 3-ply disposable surgical masks, adapting its ultrasonic sealing technology for non-woven materials to produce masks at a rate of 50-70 units per minute for less than US 6 cents per mask. Saral is partnering with a Mumbai-based auto firm to mass produce masks in their factory, to be distributed through Maharashtra Government networks. Saral will manufacture more machines and support existing sanitary pad machine customers pivoting to local mask production. Video: https://youtu.be/QVepn4CDx3c Diagnostics and imaging 1) Atomo Diagnostics Limited (Australia) Atomo, with an early investment from GCC and the Global Health Investment Fund, created an innovative casing for rapid diagnostic blood tests. Originally developed for HIV diagnosis, the user-friendly devices enable home testing and testing in medical facilities without highly-trained healthcare workers. They will be deployed under a partnership with a French diagnostics company, NG Biotech, to detect COVID-19. Results from a drop of blood indicates within 15 minutes indicate whether a person is infected or been in contact with the virus. The company will produce millions of the all-in-one, easy-to-use devices for professional and self-testing. Video: https://youtu.be/t99iJv0Eyr8 2) KA Imaging (Waterloo, Canada) KA Imagings Reveal X-ray imager, created with an early investment from GCC, is an affordable, portable, low-dose, high-resolution device designed with tuberculosis, pneumonia, COPD, and lung cancer diagnosis in mind. Late-stage discussions with hospitals in different countries are underway on clinical trials to determine the efficacy of the imager in COVID-19 diagnosis. Video: https://youtu.be/ljfULCfcVXM Monitoring, information technology 1) WelTel Incorporated (Vancouver, Canada) WelTel integrates virtual care and patient engagement, connecting remote outpatients with the healthcare system between clinical visits via their mobile phones. Public health agencies are using it to monitor and support COVID-19 cases and contacts in home quarantine. Patients respond to automated text messages sent via the Internet-based app; WelTel collects message data, using natural language processing and predictive algorithms, to inform healthcare providers and public health officials to priority patient issues. WelTels system supports appointment scheduling and reminders, and broadcasts video or public health information on a secure patient portal. Proven in Rwanda, Kenya, Uganda, the USA and elsewhere, WelTel is adapting and deploying its platform for COVID-19 public health monitoring in Canada, the UK, Kenya and Rwanda. GCCs previous investment in the WelTel platform for HIV patients will be augmented to support COVID-19 response in Kenya and Rwanda. Its priority focus: pregnant women, young children and other vulnerable populations requiring enhanced healthcare monitoring while simultaneously avoiding COVID-19 exposure at healthcare centres. The WelTel program has formed the backbone of Rwandas national COVID-19 case-contact monitoring response and has already demonstrated benefit. Video: https://vimeo.com/238653892 2) Praekelt.org (South Africa) Praekelt.org has created MomConnect, a free WhatsApp-based text messaging platform to promote healthy pregnancies and infant care. Registered users receive biweekly advice tailored to each stage of motherhood, including clinical visit reminders and information on health services, with a feature allowing mothers to question Health Ministry employees, and to offer direct feedback on public health services. A proven success scaling up nationally in South Africa, Praekelt.org has now introduced HealthAlert, a WhatsApp-based helpline disseminating accurate, timely COVID-19 information, with automated answers to frequently asked questions, relieving call centre traffic. Machine learning and its ability to understand natural language enable automatic triage advice and large volume conversations. Insights from real-time data support effective systems-level COVID- 19 decision-making. South Africa has launched HealthAlert as COVID-19 Connect, while the World Health Organization has launched HealthAlert for WhatsApp globally. 3) TNH Digital Health Limited (Brazil) TNHs GCC-supported Vitalk mobile phone app provides highly-personalized, stage-based, interactive text messaging to pregnant women and new mothers, allowing healthcare providers and decision-makers to track development milestones and link women to care. With private and public sector clients across Brazil and other countries, TNH is now using the platform and artificial intelligence to launch COVID-19 education and monitoring chatbots to facilitate patients getting treatment and case surveillance. The platform is being rolled out freely in Brazils Amazon state and, in partnership with municipalities across northeastern Brazil, is launching systems to be integrated with local community health efforts, with specialized COVID-19 content for pregnant women, as well as resources intended to reduce pandemic-related anxiety and stress. Video: https://youtu.be/BGalGKe1nfI Mental health 1) Friendship Bench Digital, Zimbabwe Friendship Bench is an accessible, approachable problem-solving intervention offering cognitive behavioural treatment for common mental disorders beyond the psychiatrists office. Developed in Zimbabwe with GCC funding, the Friendship Bench offers a proven, one-on-one therapy delivered by trained community health workers (grandmothers) on the grounds of municipal health clinics. Tens of thousands of people have been treated at 72 clinics in four cities across Zimbabwe since 2016, and studies have documented that Friendship Bench users are three times less likely to experience depression and four times less likely to have symptoms of anxiety. Transitioning to scale as part of Zimbabwes Mental Health Strategy for 2019-2030, the model has been applied in diverse contexts, including Malawi, Zanzibar and New York City. Partnered with Inuka Hero an affiliated, SMS-based mental health support service also initiated with GCC support the Friendship Bench program has been adapted for remote COVID-19 pandemic response, delivered free of charge via phone and SMS by trained non-professionals, enabling those in need to access effective, evidence-based psychological support while maintaining social distancing protocols. Video: https://youtu.be/Th77mCuL5GY Remote care and supplies 1) North Star Alliance East Africa (Kenya) With high risk populations (i.e. truckers and sex workers) in mind, North Star Alliance has created a network of semi-mobile Blue Box facilities shipping containers repurposed as health clinics situated along major transport routes in six sub-Saharan Africa countries. GCC-funded programming includes multi-sectoral Crisis Response Teams to combat violence against sex workers, and an electronic medical records platform to follow and manage health data for highly-mobile, hard-to-track populations, and was already attracting attention of local governments for its ability to serve hard-to-reach populations. North Star now serves a key role in minimizing COVID-19 transmission within high-risk demographics, supporting infection prevention and control and health education via the Blue Box facilities, while its cross-border electronic health records system may help monitor the health of frequent high-risk travellers. Video: https://youtu.be/P5cLTIoWHKI 2) Friendship Bangladesh (Bangladesh) Friendship Bangladeshs model delivers comprehensive health care and education for isolated communities in northern and southern Bangladesh, with a strong focus, developed with GCC investment, on maternal, newborn and child health, and sexual and reproductive health. The system includes community medical aides, satellite clinics and hospital ships to reach people living in complex, remote environments populations particularly vulnerable to a rapid spread of COVID-19. Video: https://youtu.be/YdSxGNJbAak 3) Healthy Entrepreneurs Uganda (Uganda) Healthy Entrepreneurs integrated, end-to-end supply chain business involves a network of trained micro-entrepreneurs delivering affordable, reliable health products and services to rural women and children. Transitioning to scale with GCC support, the system offers soap, sanitizer, disinfectant, fever-reducing medications and other goods essential for containing COVID-19. IT is operating in Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania, and expanding into other African countries. A telemedicine platform facilitated by the organization allows for remote triage, risk assessment and referrals for last mile populations / self-isolated homes. It will also promote COVID-19-related knowledge and awareness, preventing rumours and misinformation. Video: https://youtu.be/j9gYLLXJ7xk 4) Karma Primary Healthcare Services Private Ltd. (India) Karma Primary Healthcare Services facilitates access to reliable, affordable primary healthcare for the rural poor in four districts and two states in India. Over 100,000 people have been consulted at Karmas nurse-assisted e-Doctor clinics, offering medicine, and diagnostic services in addition to remote doctor consultations. The clinics help prevent and address illnesses and promote good health, covering a range of medical concerns, including reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health services thanks to GCC support. The service has been upgraded to help address COVID-19 by providing contact-less audio-video consultations and referrals, a phone helpline, and awareness campaigns, reducing the need for in-person engagement. This augments local government efforts and reduces the burden of healthcare facilities preparing for COVID-19 cases. Video: https://bit.ly/GCCKarma Water, sanitation, hygiene 1) Max Foundation (Bangladesh) Through its Max Healthy Village Program, supported by a GCC investment, Max Foundation trains local NGOs to promote improved water, sanitation, nutrition and safe motherhood in rural communities in Bangladesh. Initial payments let NGOs adapt and implement interventions, incentivized by follow-on payments when results targets are met. The Max Healthy Village program emphasizes accelerated water, sanitation and hand-washing efforts critical to a COVID-19 response, and, with its database of 400,000 mobile numbers for beneficiary households and community leaders, can facilitate quick dissemination of relevant, accurate health information to support behaviour change and decision-making in designated villages. 2) Water Sanitation Hygiene Enterprise Development Cambodia (Cambodia) WaterSHED Cambodias HappyTap Labobo" is the only commercial indoor / outdoor portable sink specifically designed for low-income settings, promoting hand washing a critical tool in preventing COVID-19 contagion. HappyTap is an affordable, attractive hand washing station for use by anyone, including children. Produced in Vietnam and Bangladesh, it is available across Asia and expandingglobally. Video: https://youtu.be/uCW6WBvtOzw Educational services 1) Ubongo Learning Ltd. (Tanzania) With GCC support, Ubongo locally produces culturally-relevant, multi-lingual, multi-media edutainment and other learning resources for young children and caregivers in Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda. TV and radio shows deliver engaging stories, animations and songs that teach children early numeracy, language and literacy, motor development, socio-emotional learning and good health / wellbeing, with complementary content and guidance for parents and caregivers to support home learning. In light of COVID-19-related school closures across Africa, Ubongo is freely offering its library of TV and radio content, as well as public service announcements and educational videos to support health and hygiene. Video: https://youtu.be/6VVHoIzAC14 ### Grand Challenges Canada acknowledges Global Affairs Canada, and for some the Saving Lives at Birth partners (USAID, Norad, UK DFID, KOICA, GCC, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation) for funding that initially supported these innovations. About Grand Challenges Canada Grand Challenges Canada is dedicated to supporting Bold Ideas with Big Impact. Funded by the Government of Canada and other partners, Grand Challenges Canada funds innovators in low- and middle-income countries and Canada. The bold ideas Grand Challenges Canada supports integrate science and technology, social and business innovation known as Integrated Innovation. One of the largest impact-first investors in Canada, Grand Challenges Canada has supported a pipeline of over 1,250 innovations in 105 countries. Grand Challenges Canada estimates that these innovations have the potential to save up to 1.6 million lives and improve up to 51 million lives by 2030. Grand Challenges Canada is hosted in Toronto at the Sandra Rotman Centre at the MaRS Discovery District, and in partnership with the University Health Network. Mission: To catalyze innovation that saves and improves the lives of the most vulnerable in Canada and low- and middle-income countries. Vision: A world in which innovation accelerates the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals. Matt Storch is no stranger to Food Network. The owner of two Fairfield County restaurants (Match in Norwalk and Match Burger Lobster in Westport) won "Chopped" in 2018. But his appearance on "Beat Bobby Flay," which aired April 26, was a little different he was there with his sister, Lisa Storch, owner of Catch a Healthy Habit in Fairfield. The episode was filmed last May. The siblings battled it out in the first round of the cooking competition, and Lisa Storch won. She then went on to compete against Flay, and won that, too. The premise of the show is that celebrity chef Bobby Flay tries to beat chefs from around the country by making a better version of their signature dish. This episode's dish was kreplach, a Jewish dumpling. "It was pretty surreal," Lisa Storch said of the experience. She said she was nervous to go against her brother, but once she made it past the first round, she felt confident her dish could beat Flay's. "It was exciting and a little bit nerve wracking, but overall it was fun and great to be able to do it with Matt," she said. Related Links Matt Storch said the network reached out to him first to do the show, and when he mentioned that his sister also trained at the Culinary Institute of America, the producers were intrigued by the idea of having sibling chefs battle it out. "You'll have to ask my mom," Matt Storch joked when asked how it felt to have two Food Network competition winners in the family. "It's pretty cool. Any sort of national TV gig is good for any of us." "In our minds when we filmed it, we anticipated being able to do a viewing party," said Lisa Storch. Instead, the siblings hosted an Instagram live viewing party during which people placed bets on which Storch would win. They raised $1,500 that will be used to cook food for Open Door Shelter in Norwalk. Matt Storch said he and his sister are trying to give back to the community during the pandemic, while staying in business with curbside and takeout offerings. "Business is as good as it can be for what were doing," he said. "We're pivoting in a way to try and make it to the other side of this without having to shut our doors." A COUNCILLOR wants three hours of free city centre parking to be introduced to entice shoppers once the coronavirus pandemic has passed. All but non-essential shops in Limerick and across Ireland have shut down leaving the city resembling a ghost town at present, as measures are taken to slow the spread of Covid-19. But there are fears that once it passes, whether some city businesses will be able to return to business as usual. In a bid to give shoppers an incentive, Independent councillor Fergus Kilcoyne is to put a motion to the metropolitan district urging Limerick City and County Council to provide free parking for three hours a day for a whole year. Shoppers should be given three hours free car parking at any time of the day to help retailers, cafeteria owners, hotels and restaurants. I believe if my motion is passed, it will help to rejuvenate already closed businesses. Since we presently have no tourism in Limerick city due to the pandemic his proposed measure could also help this sector in the coming months , he argued. Cllr Kilcoyne, a publican in Patrickswell, has suffered alongside businesses across Limerick, with many commentators believing bars will be among the last businesses to open due to the need to respect social distancing. I come from a business background myself and I know what its going to take to get businesses back off the ground. It will be a good few months before people start coming in from abroad, so we need to depend on local business initially . So to get this back in, we need free car parking for three hours at a time, he told the Limerick Leader. Having free car parking for just three hours at a time, Cllr Kilcoyne says, means someone working in the city centre will not hog the space, as has sometimes been the case in the past. He plans to bring the motion forward at the next meeting of the metropolitan district. Presidents of Ukraine and France Volodymyr Zelensky and Emmanuel Macron have discussed the situation with the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in both countries during a phone conversation on Monday. Zelensky expressed Ukraine's solidarity with France which is in the thick of the COVID-19 pandemic, the press service of the Ukrainian president said. "Ukraine makes its contribution in fight against the pandemic. Within the framework of a NATO's strategic transportation program, Ukrainian cargo aircraft Mriya and Ruslan are used to deliver humanitarian and medical aid all over the world, including France," he said. The presidents of Ukraine and France agreed that close coordination of efforts is necessary for overcoming the consequences of the pandemic and restoring economic activities. They also affirmed mutual commitment to restoring active bilateral cooperation after the epidemiological situation is brought back to normal. Zelensky also recalled Macron about an invitation to visit Ukraine. "I know that you wanted to visit Ukraine. I will be glad to welcome you as soon as the coronavirus epidemic is over and it becomes possible to make this visit," he said. Macron confirmed his plans to visit Ukraine, the press service said. CHICO, Calif. - CHP officers said an 80-year-old man was ejected from his vehicle and died at the scene of a collision on Meridian Road in Chico Sunday morning. It happened on Sunday, April 26 at 10:30 a.m. when a CHP officer responded to the report of a rollover traffic collision involving two vehicles on Meridian Road north of Kilkare Lane in Chico, CHP said in a press release. Officers say an 80-year-old man was driving a 1993 Chevrolet Tahoe traveling northbound on Meridian Road when he attempted to pass a 2020 Toyota Tundra. When for unknown reasons, the 80-year-old hit the back of the Toyota Tundra while trying to pass and overturned as a result. While his vehicle was overturning, the 80-year-old was ejected from his vehicle because he was not wearing a seatbelt and was killed, CHP said. The cause of the crash is still under investigation. CHP says they are still working to determine if alcohol or drugs were a factor in this crash. The identity of the 80-year-old man is being withheld pending notification of next-of-kin. Nick Wagner, MBR / Associated Press Gov. Greg Abbott this week unveiled the Strike Force to Reopen Texas, aimed at restarting business in phases and returning the state to some sense of "normalcy" amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Meantime, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has way toned down his rhetoric since his proposal for senior citizens to perhaps give up their lives in exchange for a robust economy. And Rep. Dan Crenshaw spars with Bill Maher on HBO. Photo: BC Government Seniors Advocate Isobel Mackenzie UPDATE 2:05 p.m. The Province has doubled this year's funding for Family Caregivers of British Columbia to $1 million, helping support both caregivers and seniors. With a network of local agencies throughout B.C., Family Caregivers will increase the capacity of its helpline and offer a number of virtual connections that can bring family caregivers together. "Many B.C. seniors count on their spouses, children and close friends to help them stay at home and manage chronic conditions," said Adrian Dix, Minister of Health. "The circumstances of COVID-19 have added weight and worry to the task. This step to expand services builds on our commitment to support caregivers and is also a step to support the safety and wellness of seniors during this challenging time." "Family caregivers experience stress at the best of times; however, this is exacerbated during the COVID-19 restrictions," said Isobel Mackenzie, B.C.'s seniors advocate. Caregivers found support through adult day programs and a number of other community supports which aren't currently available. "We are here to help these incredible caregivers making sacrifices every day with emotional support, access to tools and resources, and to assist them to navigate our complex health system," said Barb MacLean, executive director, Family Caregivers of B.C. "Before COVID-19, many caregivers were already having sleepless nights, and now they are filling gaps for services that have been reduced to stop the transmission of the virus - like personal care and managing virtual appointments and medications." Seniors and people who are caring for elderly loved ones, family or friends in need of supports can call 211 or 1 877 520-3267 (toll-free). ORIGINAL 1:40 p.m. On Sunday, Seniors Advocate Isobel Mackenzie announced an additional $500,000 in funding for the Family Caregivers of BC to support caregivers and seniors during the COVID-19 pandemic. "This funding will allow the Family Caregivers of BC to increase the capacity on their helpline and to expand their virtual tool kit to ensure family caregivers across BC can reach out and connect with each other and know that they're not alone," says Mackenzie. Family caregivers can call 2-1-1 and be connected to the care giver's helpline or they can call directly at 1-877-520-3267. There are also websites at familycaregiversbc.ca or bc211.ca and you can link to family caregivers directly. Mackenzie's message to family caregivers is simple, "if you're feeling overwhelmed call Family Caregivers BC... there is support, you're not alone." "I know the help you really need right now is some relief from your caregiving duties and some time for yourself, and that's incredibly challenging to provide for you right now and I am very sorry about that." She hopes caregivers may find some comfort by sharing the burden with people who understand it best. "Please don't try to shoulder this burden alone, please call," says Mackenzie. More to come... KB Kookmin Card CEO Lee Dong-cheol holds a copy of an agreement at the company's head office in Seoul, Monday, after signing the agreement with Jaymart Group Chairman Adisak Sukumvitaya via an online meeting to acquire a 50.99 percent stake in J Fintech. / Courtesy of KB Kookmin Card By Park Jae-hyuk KB Kookmin Card will be the first Korean credit card company in Thailand in the area of retail finance. The card issuing arm of KB Financial Group said Monday it signed a share subscription agreement to acquire a 50.99 percent stake in J Fintech, a Jaymart subsidiary operating credit and auto loan businesses in the Southeast Asian country, for 650 million baht ($20 million). Founded in 2011, J Fintech holds 151.6 billion won ($123 million) in assets and has 18 networks with 130 employees as of the end of last year. It posted a 2.6 billion won net profit in 2019. KB Kookmin Card said it signed the deal via an online meeting as both Korea and Thailand have restricted travel protocols in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The card firm plans to include J Fintech as a subsidiary by the end of this year at the earliest, after getting approvals from the Korean and Thai financial authorities, and going through deal closing procedures. If so, it will be the first Korean financial firm to enter the Thai market by getting a new license or completing an M&A since a number of Korean financial companies left the Southeast Asian country during the 1998 Asian financial crisis. "The recent entry into the Thai market was the achievement of two years of preparation to acquire a financial company in the country that has long-term growth potential and can create a synergy effect, considering its financial business environment, demand and continuous growing trend of the local retail financial market," a KB Kookmin Card official said. "Based on our success in Indochinese countries, such as Cambodia and Laos, we will develop the company we acquired recently to become the top retail financing firm in Thailand within the next 10 years." The latest deal was KB Kookmin Card's third acquisition of a foreign financial firm since CEO Lee Dong-cheol took office in 2018. The card firm entered Cambodia in 2018 and Indonesia in 2019. Lee promised in his New Year's address that the company would continue its expansion in Southeast Asia. KB Financial Group said it expects the recent deal will help KB Kookmin Bank and the group's major subsidiaries enter the Thai market in the near future. Former finance minister P Chidambaram, who had urged for a prompt action by the government after Franklin Templeton closed six of its debt schemes in India, said on Monday the Reserve Bank of Indias (RBIs) Rs 50,000 crore boost for mutual funds was a welcome step. The Congress leaders comment came soon after RBI announced a special liquidity facility worth Rs 50,000 crore for mutual funds, in a bid to ease liquidity pressures in the segment and lift investors confidence days after Franklin Templeton wound up its India funds. The central bank cited heightened volatility in capital markets in reaction to the coronavirus pandemic, which has imposed liquidity strains on mutual funds. I welcome the RBIs announcement of a Rs 50,000 crore special liquidity facility for Mutual Funds. I am glad that RBI has taken note of the concerns expressed two days ago and requesting prompt action, Chidambaram tweeted. Franklin Templeton, one of the first global financial firms to launch asset management operations in India more than two decades ago, had said on Thursday it would close the yield-oriented, managed credit funds. The senior Congress leader had said on April 25 it was a matter of grave concern to investors, the mutual fund industry and the financial markets. Chidambaram had also pointed out how the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government had handled a similar situation during the global financial crisis in 2008 when mutual funds faced liquidity stress. Government immediately consulted RBI, SEBI, IBA, AMFI and others. An urgent meeting of the FSDC was convened and a solution was found by the end of the day. On the next morning, officers of RBI and SEBI met at 8 am, and RBI announced a 14-day special repo facility and allowed an additional 0.5 per cent of NDTL. The situation was resolved, the Congress leader had said in a statement. Franklin Templeton had said in a statement that the decision to close the schemes in order to protect value for investors via a managed sale of the portfolio. The decision was limited to funds which have material direct exposure to the higher-yielding, lower-rated credit securities in India that have been most impacted by the ongoing liquidity crisis in the market, the statement said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Police Command in Niger State have arrested one Fatima Sani, 37, of Gobirawa village in Mashegu Local Government Area for allegedly stabbing her mother-in-law to death. The Commissioner of police in the state, Adamu Usman, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Minna on Monday. Mr Usman said the suspect had a misunderstanding with her husband, Sani Umaru, on April 23 which resulted to divorce. The suspect alleged that her mother-in-law, Aishatu Umaru, 70, of Tozon Daji village instigated her son to divorce her. It was based on this assumption that the suspect traced the mother in-law to her village and stabbed her to death. Mr Usman said the case is under investigation and the suspect would soon be charged to court. He said the police also received information on April 25 that a seven-man gang of suspected kidnappers from Goyi village in Gwagwalada, FCT invaded Tufa village in Gawun Babangida of Gurara LG. He said a team of policemen were deployed to the scene and engaged the hoodlums in a fierce gun battle. READ ALSO: He explained that three of the hoodlums were arrested with gunshots and one AK 47 rifle and army camouflage uniform were recovered from them. Mr Usman said the suspects were taken to Umaru Musa YarAdua Memorial hospital, Sabon Wuse for medical attention but were confirmed dead by a medical doctor as a result of the gunshots. The Commissioner said effort to arrest the fleeing members of the syndicate was in progress. He appealed to residents to volunteer information about suspected criminal elements in their midst. (NAN) London: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange's US extradition case will be delayed over concerns about his ability to attend hearings in person amid the UK's coronavirus lockdown. District Judge Vanessa Baraister has adjourned the case until May 4 so lawyers can work out a new date for the next hearing, which could be as late as November 2. Julian Assange, pictured in January. Credit:PA Assange is battling to avoid extradition to the US to face charges of violating spy laws and computer intrusion. The Australian's lawyers argued there were a raft of reasons to delay the case in the Westminster Magistrates Court on Monday. Bank First Corporation, the holding company for Bank First, announced Friday that it has received approval from the shareholders of Tomah Bancshares, Inc., parent company of Timberwood Bank, to complete its merger of the two organizations. The vote of bank shares in favor of the transaction was 99.8 percent. Tomah Bancshares approval brings us another step closer to combining two solid community banks in Tomah, said Mike Molepske, president and chief executive officer of Bank First. Since the announcement in November 2019 and unique circumstances presented due to COVID-19, our conversion teams have actively pursued a seamless transition for our valued customers. The merger is scheduled for Friday, May 15. The systems conversion will occur over the weekend, and the Timberwood Bank location will open as a Bank First branch on Monday, May 18. The Bank First branch located in downtown Tomah at 1021 Superior Ave. will remain open until the end of this year while the bank completes renovations to its new office at 110 West Veterans Avenue. The diligence and care shown by Timberwood Bank and Bank First employees during these unprecedented times emphasizes our shared strength of commitment to our customers, communities, shareholders, and fellow employees, Molepske said. I look forward to an extraordinary future as our two organizations come together as one and continue the tradition of community banking in Tomah and the surrounding areas. Bank First Corporation is headquartered in Manitowoc with total assets of approximately $2.2 billion. It operates 23 branches in Wisconsin. The banks history dates back to 1894, when it was founded as the Bank of Manitowoc. Tomah Bancshares is headquartered in Tomah and has total assets of approximately $190 million. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 1 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. By Gina Lee, Peter Nurse and Kim Khan Investing.com Certain areas of New York state will reopen in the middle of next month, Governor Andrew Cuomo said Monday. General Motors (NYSE:GM) has suspended its quarterly cash dividend, while Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) is delaying the production ramp-up of its flagship iPhones, as the coronavirus hits corporate America. The European Central Bank will step up its emergency stimulus measures this week to combat the pandemics economic hit in the absence of a more solid fiscal response, according to strategists at Goldman Sachs Group (NYSE:GS). Americas: U.S. Areas of New York state will start to reopen on May 15, Cuomo said. But others will remain on lockdown. Hospitalizations continue to decline, he added. U.S. New York canceled its presidential primary, which was already delayed, due to the coronavirus. U.S. General Motors has suspended its quarterly cash dividend on its common stock and its share buybacks to save cash in the face of the coronavirus crisis that has severely hurt global automobile sales. U.S. Apple is delaying the production ramp-up of its flagship iPhones coming later this year by about a month as the coronavirus pandemic has weakened global consumer demand and disrupted manufacturing across Asia, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter. U.S. The shuttering of the countrys economy due to the coronavirus pandemic is a shock of historic proportions that will likely push the national unemployment rate to 16% or higher this month and require more stimulus to ensure a strong rebound, President Donald Trump's economic adviser, Kevin Hassett, said on Sunday. U.S. The Trump administration is focusing on protocols to keep U.S. factories open as the country continues to grapple with the coronavirus outbreak, including screening workers for potential cases, White House adviser Peter Navarro said on Monday. U.S. New York governor Andrew Cuomo said overnight that the state will eventually re-open in phases once the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says state and regional hospitalization rates have been in decline for 14 days. He also reported that total hospitalizations in New York were down to levels seen on March 31, nearly a month ago. Story continues Argentina extended its nationwide lockdown until May 10. Europe: U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has returned to Downing Street for the first time since he was admitted to hospital with the coronavirus on April 6, and will chair Mondays cabinet meeting. This comes as the country reported its lowest daily rise in the death toll since the end of March on Sunday, an increase of 413 to 20,732 in the last 24 hours. U.K. It will take three years for the countrys economy to fully recover from the fallout of the coronavirus pandemic, according to the EY Item Club, a leading forecasting group. Italy has outlined plans to ease the strict restrictions imposed seven weeks ago to curb the spread of the coronavirus. The country has registered 26,644 deaths, Europe's highest official toll, but recorded only 260 new virus-related deaths on Sunday, the lowest daily figure since March 14. Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said curbs would be relaxed from May 4, with people being allowed to visit their relatives in small numbers, in masks. Parks will reopen, but schools will not restart classes until September. Germany The number of confirmed coronavirus cases increased by 1,018 to 155,193, data from the Robert Koch Institute for infectious diseases showed on Monday. The death toll rose by 110 to 5,750. Germany Sportswear firm Adidas (DE:ADSGN) expects to take a bigger hit from the coronavirus lockdowns in the second quarter, predicting that sales will fall more than 40% after it reported a decline of 19% in the first quarter. Germany Volkswagen (DE:VOWG_p), the world's largest carmaker by sales, resumed work at its biggest factory in Wolfsburg, to give its workers time to adapt to new hygiene measures to combat the coronavirus. Belgium Hospitals admitted the lowest number of Covid-19 patients since the start of the lockdown almost seven weeks ago, figures showed on Monday, a week before the country starts to ease restrictions. Netherlands The number of confirmed coronavirus cases has risen by 400 to 38,245 health authorities said on Monday, with 43 new deaths. The country's death toll stands at 4,518, the Netherlands' Institute for Public Health said in its daily update. Switzerland will reopen selected shops and retail outlets on Monday, including hairdressers, garden centers and florists. Asia: Japan The Bank of Japan on Monday pledged at its monetary policy meeting to buy unlimited amounts of government bonds to combat the economic fallout from the coronavirus epidemic. It also ramped up its scope for buying corporate bonds and commercial paper by raising its ceiling on holdings to 20 trillion yen ($186 billion). China Companies continued to report falling profits as business activity struggled to recover from the aftermath of the coronavirus. Industrial profits dropped 34.9% from a year earlier in March, improving slightly from a 38.3% decline in the first two months of the year, the National Bureau of Statistics said Monday. Hong Kong is reported to be considering relaxing mandatory quarantine controls on mainland Chinese visitors, allowing civil servants to return to the office and easing restrictions on some business sectors if the number of new cases continues to be low. Taiwan is also looking to ease measures after 14 consecutive days of no local confirmed cases for 14 consecutive days. North Korea Speculation surrounding the health of leader Kim Jong Un intensified as it was reported that a Chinese medical and diplomatic team had visited Kim. Satellite images showed a train resembling Kims parked near his compound in the coastal city of Wonsan. That said, South Korean officials stated that they have detected no unusual movements in North Korea. New Zealand will downgrade its restriction level from alert 4 to alert 3 from Tuesday, allowing most businesses to re-open. Related Articles Verizon will not cancel customers through June 30 because of coronavirus Britain to pay $75,000 to families of health workers who die of COVID-19 Trump reverses course, will hold coronavirus news conference Press Release 27 April 2020 Guocoland Sells Guoman Hotel to Dahua Group for RMB1.44 Billion in Shanghai Advertisements Shanghai Xinhaolong Property Development Company Limited ("Shanghai Xinhaolong"), an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Singapore-based developer, GuocoLand Limited ("GuocoLand"), incorporated in the People's Republic of China, has entered into an agreement with Shanghai Zhengjiu Industrial Company Limited ("Shanghai Zhengjiu"), a subsidiary of China-based developer, Dahua Group Company Limited, to sell Guoman Hotel for RMB 1.44 billion (SGD290.7 million). Shanghai Xinhaolong is controlled by Malaysian billionaire Quek Leng Chan's Singapore-based Hong Leong Company. The agreement comprises of the sale of the 442-key Guoman Hotel on Daduhe Road near Changfeng Park in western Shanghai, along with 256 underground parking spaces. GuocoLand has previously developed the hotel as part of the company's 492,272-square-metre Guosun Centre mixed-use development north of Suzhou Creek in western Shanghai which includes the Guoson Mall, offices for lease and strata-title small office-home office element, along with serviced apartments. The hotel is also part of the same Changfeng Eco Business District masterplan as the Guoco Changfeng City office project, which the company plans to complete next year. The sale of the hotel came after the company has opened the hotel in July 2010. CDL Acquires 51% Stake in Sincere Property Group for RMB4.39 Billion On 15 April 2020, Singapore-based City Development Limited ("CDL") has entered into a series of agreements with HCP Chongqing Property Development Company Limited ("HCP") which is wholly-owned by Sincere Property Holdings Limited ("SPHL"), an investment holding company incorporated in the Cayman Islands that is the indirect controlling shareholder of China-based real estate developer, Sincere Property Group ("Sincere"), to acquire 51% stake in Sincere for RMB4.39 billion. The deal will provide CDL with an expanded geographical presence of 18 cities in China, a pipeline of 64 development projects, an increase in portfolio allocation for China from 13% to 17%, and a portfolio of 27 investment properties in China, including nine retail malls, a 404-unit Changfeng Serviced Apartment in Shanghai and four hotels with more than 1,000 rooms. The hotels include 298-key Chengdu Hilton Hotel and 284-key Chongqing Jiangbei Doubletree by Hilton. The terms of the deal also provide CDL with a call option to purchase an additional 9% effective interest in Sincere Property for RMB 770 million. Construction on Two Bridges Across Cua Luc Bay in Quang Ninh to Start this Month Construction work for provincial-funded Cua Luc Bridges 1 and 3 is planned to start by the end of April in the Quang Ninh Province. The two projects were capitalised at VND3.85 trillion (UD163.9 million) under the management of Quang Ninh Civil and Industrial Work Project Management Board. The 5-span, 4.2-kilometre Caa Luc Bridge 1 will connect Cai Lan-Viet Hung Industrial Zone to the National Highway 279 in Le Loi Commune of Ha Long City. Whereas, the 3-span, 2.84-kilometre Cua Luc Bridge 3 will link the FLC residential area in Ha Khanh Ward to the National Highway 279 in Thong Nhat Commune of Ha Long City. Slated to be completed in 2022, the two bridges are key projects of the province this year. The projects are expected to contribute to the development and expansion of Ha Long City in order to promote investment into the industrial zones and residential areas. It is also expected to promote socio-economic development of the province. The bridges will also help to reduce traffic flow through Bai Chay Bridge and the National Highway 18 in Ha Long City. In particular, the two bridges will help promote the forest-sea tourism chain in the area. New Delhi, April 27 : The Indian Air Force (IAF) has stepped up its efforts to meet all the emerging requirements during the ongoing novel coronavirus pandemic by airlifting medicine and ration along with medical personnel within the country. An IAF's transport aircraft landed at the Lengpui Airport in Mizoram on Saturday with 22 tonnes of medical supplies meant for combating Covid-19. The supplies were airlifted for the governments of Mizoram and Meghalaya. Till date, IAF has transported approximately 600 tonnes of medical equipment and support material. The IAF said that it continues to airlift essential supplies of medicine and ration along with medical personnel within the country to equip the state governments and supporting agencies to combat the contagion effectively. A 15-member team of the Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) Rapid Response had been sent to Kuwait on April 11 in response to the request from Kuwait. On completion of the task, the team was airlifted back from Kuwait in a C-130 aircraft of IAF on April 25. During the return, a six-year old girl suffering from cancer and requiring immediate emergency surgery was also evacuated along with her father. "IAF continues to maintain operation preparedness, while following all the guidelines issued by the government, ensuring social distancing measures to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus in IAF work places," a senior IAF officer said. CVS Group (LON:CVSG) has had a rough three months with its share price down 21%. But if you pay close attention, you might find that its key financial indicators look quite decent, which could mean that the stock could potentially rise in the long-term given how markets usually reward more resilient long-term fundamentals. Particularly, we will be paying attention to CVS Group's ROE today. Return on equity or ROE is an important factor to be considered by a shareholder because it tells them how effectively their capital is being reinvested. In other words, it is a profitability ratio which measures the rate of return on the capital provided by the company's shareholders. View our latest analysis for CVS Group How To Calculate Return On Equity? Return on equity can be calculated by using the formula: Return on Equity = Net Profit (from continuing operations) Shareholders' Equity So, based on the above formula, the ROE for CVS Group is: 7.4% = UK12m UK165m (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2019). The 'return' is the income the business earned over the last year. One way to conceptualize this is that for each 1 of shareholders' capital it has, the company made 0.07 in profit. What Is The Relationship Between ROE And Earnings Growth? So far, we've learnt that ROE is a measure of a company's profitability. We now need to evaluate how much profit the company reinvests or "retains" for future growth which then gives us an idea about the growth potential of the company. Assuming all else is equal, companies that have both a higher return on equity and higher profit retention are usually the ones that have a higher growth rate when compared to companies that don't have the same features. A Side By Side comparison of CVS Group's Earnings Growth And 7.4% ROE At first glance, CVS Group's ROE doesn't look very promising. However, its ROE is similar to the industry average of 7.4%, so we won't completely dismiss the company. On the other hand, CVS Group reported a moderate 8.8% net income growth over the past five years. Considering the moderately low ROE, it is quite possible that there might be some other aspects that are positively influencing the company's earnings growth. Such as - high earnings retention or an efficient management in place. Story continues Next, on comparing CVS Group's net income growth with the industry, we found that the company's reported growth is similar to the industry average growth rate of 8.8% in the same period. AIM:CVSG Past Earnings Growth April 27th 2020 Earnings growth is a huge factor in stock valuation. The investor should try to establish if the expected growth or decline in earnings, whichever the case may be, is priced in. Doing so will help them establish if the stock's future looks promising or ominous. What is CVSG worth today? The intrinsic value infographic in our free research report helps visualize whether CVSG is currently mispriced by the market. Is CVS Group Efficiently Re-investing Its Profits? With a three-year median payout ratio of 27% (implying that the company retains 73% of its profits), it seems that CVS Group is reinvesting efficiently in a way that it sees respectable amount growth in its earnings and pays a dividend that's well covered. Moreover, CVS Group is determined to keep sharing its profits with shareholders which we infer from its long history of nine years of paying a dividend. Our latest analyst data shows that the future payout ratio of the company is expected to drop to 12% over the next three years. Conclusion In total, it does look like CVS Group has some positive aspects to its business. With a high rate of reinvestment, albeit at a low ROE, the company has managed to see a considerable growth in its earnings. That being so, the latest analyst forecasts show that the company will continue to see an expansion in its earnings. To know more about the latest analysts predictions for the company, check out this visualization of analyst forecasts for the company. 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 doctor from KEMRI said developing a vaccine was a lengthy and laborious process which many countries could not do on their own - Kenyan scientists have in the past joined organisations at the forefront of clinical tests and pilot studies of a vaccine - The entire process to develop a vaccine would need KSh 100 billion - The research institute recently announced it had begun the process of building a COVID-19 candidate vaccine prototype The Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) has said the process of developing a vaccine from scratch could take up to seven years. Bernhard Ogutu, a doctor at the research institute, added the whole process could gobble up to KSh 100 billion. READ ALSO: Two men beat Nairobi lockdown by travelling to Kisii using motorbike KEMRI said building a vaccine from scratch was laborious. Photo: Daily Nation. Source: UGC READ ALSO: Coronavirus: Kenyans stranded in UK to pay Kenya Airways KSh 96k for evacuation According to Citizen TV, the doctor was involved in the roll-out of a malaria vaccine which was being administered to young children in a phased design. In the development of a vaccine, it is always a win for the country if it gets involved in the clinical and pilot studies of the virus. Ogutu said the process of making a vaccine was laborious and expensive and only a few countries could manage on their own. "It is a very long process and without collaboration, you will not make it," the scientist said. READ ALSO: COVID-19: Masharti magumu yatolewa kwa watakaoruhusiwa kufungua tena biashara File photo. The entire process would require KSh 100 billion. Photo: Getty Images. Source: UGC At times, Kenyans scientists are often invited to read data from vaccines in trial. In the case of a possible COVID-19 vaccine, scientists requested to read its data would use help from their colleagues, KEMRI and the Ministry of Health, to ascertain the vaccine poses no challenge. This came days after the institute announced a COVID-19 candidate vaccine prototype would be ready by October 2020. In a virtual meeting with the Senate ad hoc committee led by KEMRI's Director-General Yuri Kombe on Tuesday, April 21, a researcher identified as Mumo said they were carefully carrying out the process in which they were making use of mammalian cells. "All factors constant, the prototype will be ready in six months and laboratory tests will follow in order to reach clinical trials which range from phase one to three," Mumo said. In a separate story, reports also recently emerged that Health Cabinet Secretary had fired a top official from KEMRI. The CS reportedly ordered for the dismissal of Joel Lutomiah, the Centre for Virus Research director, after he delayed to deliver the test results to Kagwe for his daily briefings. 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. My 'husband' from Ghana was married to another woman for ten years and I had no idea | Tuko TV Source: TUKO.co.ke Regrets, I have a few. More than a few, if you must know. Theyre listed on a computer file titled, To Do, 2020. That list, compiled in fits and starts during the Before Times, looks blissfully ignorant now. It never once occurred to me that I wouldnt be able to work my way through it. So Im working my way through the cavalcade of restaurants I meant to visit now, strictly in my head, which applies to much of my life in self-isolation. I imagine. I speculate. I worry. I wonder. I hope. I repent at leisure, too. If only I had made it out to El Kourmet, the Venezuelan burger joint in Katy. There I could have added a smoked pork chop to the standard burger fixings of ham, queso a mano (the fresh Venezuelan white cheese), egg, lettuce, tomatoes and potato stix. Not to mention mayo, ketchup and Kourmet sauce. Maybe I will get to eat that baroque-sounding burger pile yet. Maybe I wont. Driving down South Wayside toward the Gulf Freeway on my neighborhood gerbil trail, I feel a stab of regret thats almost physical when I pass the sign announcing the new Dona Tere tamale restaurant that never got past the Hiring Now stage before the pandemic brought their progress to a halt. I had been so excited to see Dona Teres Coming Soon banner so close to my house. I had liked the big Oaxacan-style tamales from the Gulf Freeway location of this family-owned mini-chain, and I couldnt wait to sample their huaraches, breakfast plates and (drumroll, please) their tamal torta. Now I wonder if theyll manage to open at all. I fret, too, about other operators whose scheduled openings came at the worst possible time. Bill Floyd finally managed to open the doors to his much-delayed PortaVino BYOB the first week in March. Now their website displays aluminum trays of takeout. Rosie Cannonball, one of the best new restaurants of 2019, was due to open a small upstairs tasting-menu spot in March, where chef Felipe Riccio and super-somm June Rodil could really work out. All thats on pause. So is my dream of doing a piece on the talented Shawn Gawle, the Rosie C. pastry chef whose striking, simple desserts and baking know-how have so impressed me from pizza crusts, to unusual flatbreads, to the trembly Portuguese pastel de nata tarts sold at the restaurants adjoining Montrose Cheese and Wine shop. I feel like Id only begun to count the ways I loved downtowns Bravery Chef Hall, one of 2019s most exciting additions to our food scene. I planned to review Ben McPhersons BOH Pasta and Pizza, where Ive enjoyed some terrific dishes; and Felix Florezs Cherry Block, where chef Jess Timmons and crew put out gutsy and creative regional fare unsing Florez local Black Hill Meats. Yes, I know the Bravery folks have put together a tight curbside takeout operation. But part of my joy was sitting with a swirl of my fellow citizens in that big, lively space, grabbing a glass of wine here and a morsel of industry gossip there. Sometimes I find myself wondering what will become of the plans for a khachapuri business floated by Ryan Grimes, one of the young kitchen staffers for Christine Has Blind Goat kiosk at Bravery. He had test trial photos, and the cheese-filled Georgian pastry boats looked so enticing. I wanted them to happen so much I could almost taste it. I pined for the Hong Kong dim sum purveyor Tim Ho Wan to open in Katy this spring, having fallen in love with their supernal barbecue pork buns during a brief Hong Kong stopover a few years back. I was eager to try out Gatlin BBQs new breakfast service, since Im such a fan of Greg Gatlin and Michelle Wallaces ingenious tweaks on the barbecue genre. And dang it, I could kick myself for postponing review visits to Bretts BBQ in Katy, because I have tasted his weekly special brisket enchiladas, and they are magnificent; to say nothing of arranging a serious, bring-your-red wines dinner way out at chef Ara Malekians Harlem Road BBQ, on the Richmond frontier. I sampled Malekians stupendous smoked lamb chops and duck during a podcast taping there back in January, and I dawdled too long before going back for a BYOB feast with the Chronicles BBQ columnist, Chris Reid. I wish Id squeezed in a meal at David Guerreros new Alma, the more upscale South American spot that replaces his casual East End Andes Cafe, where his lease expired. I was crestfallen when Andes shuttered, but Alma offered a fresh opportunity to enjoy the Ecuadoran chefs vivid dishes. If only Id gotten a look at Phat Eatery Malaysian Street Foods double-the-size expansion in Katys Asian Town Center, and another chance to chase those little dried anchovies, ikan bilis, around my nasi lemak platter. If only Id had a chance to visit Lit Chicken when it opened at Finn Hall in early March, so I could reacquaint myself with the joys of James Haywood and Ross Colemans modern Houston soul cookery, which I loved so dearly at the late, great Kitchen 713. They had barely gotten started at Finn Hall when the hammer dropped. Wish I hadnt put off a full review of MAD, the high-style, visually dazzling tapas restaurant from the BCN folks, either. When I visited early, there were elements I loved, and the experience was exciting, but the kitchen still seemed too wobbly to me. BCN, the Spanish mothership in Montrose, started out the same way before chef Luis Roger smoothed it out into one of the citys very best restaurants. As an experiment, I figured Id give MAD a chance to find its footing. Now Im mourning that decision as one of a hundred missed opportunities. Such as: a review of Handies Douzo, the small, minimalist handroll place I liked so much when I visited in January; plus a chance to get acquainted with two other spots in Houstons new handroll wave Hando and Hatsuyuki. Ive always loved the elegant simplicity of handrolls, with their toasted seaweed wrappers, and I was looking forward to seeing the style take root here. I was supposed to check out Duck & Bao, a new Peking duck place in Katy, with friends who really liked it. I dreamed of spending more time at Koffeteria, the sleek EaDo bakery and coffee shop where pastry chef Vanarin Kuch presides, using his Cambodian roots and modern savvy to come up with gorgeous, interesting ideas. Its one of those bakeries I can review as a restaurant, I told myself as I perched at the counter, in awe at the colors and textures and flavors set before me. Koffeteria seemed right on the cusp of wider recognition, which makes the current situation triply galling. I feel the same way about the gifted Vanessa Lomeli, whose scrappy, idiosyncratic Gulf Freeway Mexican joint was just about to be featured on Restaurant Impossible, the Food Network makeover show. When I visited in February, I was much taken with the freshness of the redesign, with its plant-filled window shelves and equipale chairs. Vanessa and her partner, Ben, didnt know when the show would air, but they were hoping it would bring in a whole new set of customers. Now, their brave new incarnation is in limbo, which grieves me. Burger sorrows vex me, too. Tejas Burgers in Tomball, from the Tejas Chocolate & Barbecue team, impressed me so much I wanted to go back and consume the entire menu especially the Caesar-salad burger that brothers Scott and Greg Moore enjoyed as a family treat growing up in Oklahoma, where their mom cribbed the idea from a favorite restaurant. Im mad at myself for not making the time, and the drive, to try Just GRKs hamburger version, with cucumber relish, Greek cheese and garlic sauce plus chef Chris Nikolas peerless French fries and his tzatziki dep. Im crossing my fingers that theyll still be there when I can roam free again. I desperately want Jim Buchanan to be turning out smart 21st century barbecue at Doziers in Fulshear should that day come. I never made it down to his now-closed barbecue joint in Galveston, where he was doing interesting dishes that changed by the week, because I thought I had all the time in the world. Turns out I didnt. If I ever get the chance, next time I wont put it off when my friend Jerry suggests we lunch at a curious little bandbox of a restaurant, Cafe Poetes, thats right by his studio. When my friend Carl suggests we meet at a new favorite, Wanna Bao, Ill ink it in promptly. When my editor and I laugh about documenting our longstanding dispute over composed nachos versus pile nachos, Ill say, When do we start? alison.cook@chron.com twitter.com/alisoncook Smaller classes and mandatory face masks are likely to be part of Purdue University's plans to return students to campus this fall, Mitch Daniels, its president, told CNBC on Monday. "You can expect smaller numbers in every context," Daniels said on "Power Lunch." "I know we're looking for ways to reduce the size of classes, obviously keeping distance between people. Probably going to see masks as a requirement, at least for a long time here." Daniels, the former two-term Republican governor of Indiana, where Purdue is located, said the university also would likely forgo the large events "that enliven life" on campus such as "lectures and guest speakers and convocations of that kind." "All those things and many more, changes to our physical facilities, for instance, will be necessary for us to conclude that we are safe," Daniels said. "We won't move forward unless we believe that, but to get to that point, we have to get going now." Daniels wrote a letter to the university community last week, in which he stressed many of the proposals to return to in-person classes were "preliminary." They should be viewed "as examples, likely to be replaced by better ideas as we identify and validate them," he wrote. The accelerated development of this critical offering is a testament to the nimble, multitalented staff here at CVR, and I couldnt be prouder of the way we rose to the challenge and pushed to adapt for the benefit of our patients, our employees, and communities across the country. Center for Vein Restoration (CVR), the national leader in treating venous disorders, today announced it has conducted more than 1,000 virtual patient consultations since late March, when the company first launched their telemedicine appointment option. CVRs Telemedicine Program was developed entirely in-house and fully operational in less than 7 days. Thus far, telemedicine has proven to be a critical resource as the organization continues to serve patient needs despite disruptions caused by COVID-19. CVR is still seeing patients in-office as needed, though many patients have opted for a telemedicine visit for initial screenings and follow-up appointments. Much like other specialty providers and small businesses nationwide, CVR has been faced with a range of challenges in recent weeks brought about by evolving circumstances related to COVID-19, said Dr. Sanjiv Lakhanpal, Founder and CEO. The accelerated development of this critical offering is a testament to the nimble, multitalented staff here at CVR, and I couldnt be prouder of the way we rose to the challenge and pushed to adapt for the benefit of our patients, our employees, and communities across the country. He continued, This unfortunate situation has brought the opportunity to recalibrate how we provide care. If these first 1,000 encounters have taught us anything, it will be that our workflows may change, but more efficient care can be the result. That is our silver lining, Dr. Lakhanpal ended. As COVID-19 began to place pressure on many U.S. businesses early last month, Dr. Lakhanpal convened a response team of in-house clinical, technical, and operational experts. This team, led by Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Khanh Nguyen; Vice President of Human Resources, Wendy Walker; Director of Operations, Yoanna Carrillo; and Director of IT Development, Rohan Vanjara, worked quickly to explore ways CVR could continue to provide needed support to patients throughout the pandemic, in a manner adaptable to evolving state-by-state guidance and regulations. The final product has enabled CVR to complement ongoing in-office procedures with streamlined digital servicesoffering a glimpse of how a patient journey may change long-term post-COVID. To build our program, we had to shift how we defined an appointment and learn what interfaces would make our patients and providers most comfortable communicating in a digital environment, remarked Carrillo. But thanks to our incredible foundation in technology, the relentless spirit of our clinical team, and the all-hands-on-deck approach from our leadership, weve been able to immediately provide access to care for our patients nationwide. As guidance from government and public health officials continues to evolve, CVR is committed to maintaining the safety and overall wellbeing of patients and staff as a top priority. For more information and resources on CVR services: ABOUT VENOUS INSUFFICIENCY Venous insufficiency, the cause of significant suffering due to the sequelae of venous hypertension, most commonly arises as achy, tired and heavy legs. It may or may not be associated with varicose veins, spider veins or skin changes including venous ulcerations and indiscriminately affects between 3040 million Americans. Numerous factors including age, weight, prolonged sitting or standing, genetics or a history of DVT (blood clots) can increase the risk of developing this common and often underdiagnosed disorder. Treatment options have evolved to an array of minimally invasive procedures in an office setting. ABOUT CENTER FOR VEIN RESTORATION Center for Vein Restoration (CVR) is the largest physician-led practice treating vein disease in the country. Having performed its first procedure in 2007 under President and CEO Dr. Sanjiv Lakhanpal, Center for Vein Restoration has since become nationally recognized as the clinical leader in treating chronic venous insufficiency. With 90 centers and growing, CVR has over 600 employees and conducts over 200,000 patient interactions annually. To learn more about CVR and its mission, visit http://www.centerforvein.com or by phone at 1-800-FIX-LEGS Fidelity European Values PLC ("the Company") Annual General Meeting Arrangements As previously announced, the Company's Annual General Meeting (AGM) will take place on 12 May 2020 at Midday. In response to the wide spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19), the Stay at Home Measures were passed into law in England and Wales in March 2020, with immediate effect. These measures dictate that gatherings of more than two people are not permitted. However, the legal requirement to hold an AGM remains in force and so the AGM will be convened at Midday on 12 May 2020 at Flat 2, Fidelity International, Oakhill House, 130 Tonbridge Road, Hildenborough, Tonbridge, Kent TN11 9DZ as previously disclosed in the Annual Report for the year ended 31 December 2019. As the attendance of more than two people at an AGM (other than where this is essential for work purposes) is not permitted under the Stay at Home Measures, not to mention unsafe for the attendees, the Chairman will exercise his statutory powers to exclude other attendees. This means that any of those whose presence is not 'essential for work purposes' will be excluded, once two people (including the Chairman) are present. The other member has already been contacted and has confirmed his attendance in person. Therefore, anyone who ignores the Stay at Home Measures and attempts to join the meeting will not be admitted. It is not the Board's intention to exclude or discount the views of the Company's shareholders, but at present the health of all investors, workforce and officers must be paramount. The Board urges all shareholders to make use of the proxy form which was provided to all shareholders on the main register and, if they hold their shares via a nominee, to contact that company to lodge their voting instructions. Any investor who has a question or comment can contact the Company Secretary on the telephone number below and she will relay those questions or comments to the Board. Bonita Guntrip FIL Investments International Company Secretary Tel: 01737 837320 27 April 2020 BEIRUT - Israeli warplanes flying over Lebanon fired missiles toward areas near Damascus early Monday, killing three civilians, the Syrian military and state media said while a war monitoring group said four Iran-backed fighters were also killed. The military said Syrian air defences shot down some of the missiles in the attack, which happened around dawn. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a group that tracks the Syrian civil war, said the missiles hit positions belonging to Iran and its regional proxies, killing four fighters and causing damage south of Damascus. It did not give the nationalities of the dead gunmen only saying that they were not Syrians nor members of Lebanons Hezbollah group. The airstrike is the fourth in Syria in less than a month, despite the coronavirus pandemic gripping the region, and comes amid rising tensions between Israel and Lebanons militant Hezbollah group in Syria as well as along the Lebanon-Israel border. The Syrian military statement, carried by state TV, gave no other details about the attack or what it targeted specifically. Syrias state SANA news agency said shrapnel from the Israeli missiles hit homes in the Damascus suburbs of Hajira and Adlieh, killing three people there and wounding four. Both areas are close to the Sayyida Zeinab suburb that is home to a holy Shiite shrine and Iran-backed fighters have a presence there, according to opposition activists. Israel did not comment on the Syrian report. In the past, Israel has acknowledged carrying out scores of airstrikes over the years, most aimed at alleged Iranian weapons shipments believed to be bound for Hezbollah. In recent months, Israeli officials have expressed concern that Hezbollah is trying to establish production facilities to make precision guided missiles. Iranian and Lebanese Hezbollah forces in Syria are fighting alongside Syrian government forces. Israel frequently violates Lebanons airspace to launch attacks on Syria, and regularly flies reconnaissance missions over the Mediterranean country. Last week, an Israeli airstrike targeted Iranian and Iran-backed fighters in the desert near the historic central Syrian town of Palmyra. A Syrian opposition war monitoring group said the strike killed nine fighters, including six who were not Syrians. Days earlier, an Israeli drone fired two missiles near an SUV carrying Hezbollah members in Syria, close to the border with Lebanon. No one was hurt in the attack. Two days after the drone attack, Israel accused Hezbollah of provocative activity, including multiple attempts to breach the border along the Lebanese-Israeli frontier, and said it would complain to the U.N. Security Council. On March 31, Israeli warplanes fired missiles on the Shayrat air base also in the central province of Homs. ___ Aji reported from Damascus, Syria. Associated Press writer Josef Federman in Jerusalem contributed to this report. The Huo-Yan laboratories will enable a daily testing capacity of 50,000 samples. Additionally, BGI's Huo-Yan Air Laboratory, a new, rapid deployment solution to quickly establish a BSL-2 lab for SARS-CoV-2 detection, is also expected to be set up in Saudi Arabia, with a designed daily detection capacity of 10,000 samples per day. BGI will provide a complete solution covering laboratory renovation and construction, and COVID-19 testing. Combined, the new laboratory infrastructure will increase the country's current detection capacity by more than 5 times, allowing COVID-19 testing for approximately 30% of the population throughout the country in the coming 8 months. Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, Chairman of the Negotiating and Purchasing Committee and supervisor general of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSRelief), said: "The project will have the greatest impact in supporting the management of the country's plans to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. The signing of this strategic agreement confirms the strength of long-standing Saudi-Chinese ties, and the keenness of the leaders of these two strong countries to respond quickly to protect the global community." "I would like to take this opportunity to thank Saudi side for its trust in China and Chinese company, as well as BGI for their efforts to implement this project in a short time despite all the difficulties. The Huo-Yan laboratory is an important step toward cooperation between our two countries in fighting against the pandemic," Chen Weiqing, Chinese Ambassador to Saudi Arabia said. Wang Jian, Co-founder and Chairman of BGI said: "We would like to transfer our successful experience we achieved in China to Saudi Arabia partners, hope we can work together to fight against the pandemic." Saudi Ambassador to China, Turki M. A. Almadi said: "We need to work together to overcome the epidemic, I would like to thank the Chinese government and BGI for the support." BGI has produced more than 10 million of its SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR tests, and is distributing them to more than 80 countries around the world. In early February, with the support of the Wuhan Municipal Government, BGI built the Huo-Yan laboratory in just five days, with a daily detection capacity of up to 20,000 tests, which contributed to the fight against the epidemic in Wuhan. In addition to Wuhan, Huo-Yan laboratories were put into operation more than 10 cities in China. Recently, Huo-Yan laboratories were built and opened in the United Arab Emirates, Brunei, Serbia, and the key equipment of the Huo-Yan laboratory was sent to labs in the United States and Sweden to help to scale up testing capacity. BGI is discussing the construction of Huo-Yan laboratories with governments or partners in more than 10 countries. It is playing an increasingly important role in the fight against the epidemic. For more information visit www.bgi.com/global or contact [email protected]. Contact: Qian Mao [email protected] SOURCE BGI Related Links http://www.bgi.com/global Guwahati, April 27 : The Assam government on Monday allowed standalone shops in rural areas to open and also continued to permit inter-district movement of people stranded due to the lockdown till May 2. Assam Chief Secretary Kumar Sanjay Krishna, in a tweet, said that only standalone shops in rural areas in green and orange zones, except containment areas, would be open. "No Bazar or haat (markets) would be open. For urban areas, it would be reviewed on May 3. No rural shops within five km of the boundary of 'Red Zone' would be allowed," he said. State Parliamentary Affairs Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary told the media in Guwahati that the state government extended the inter-district movement of the stranded people till May 2 in private and public transport with prior approval from the authorities concerned, specially the Deputy Commissioners of the districts. The decision of travel within the state was taken during a meeting of the state cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal. The meeting followed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's video conference with Chief Ministers of various states. Of Assam's 33 districts, five districts -- Golaghat, Nalbari, Marigaon, Dhubri and Goalpara -- in the red zone. Assam so far reported 35 Covid-19 positive cases while one patient has died, 27 have been discharged from hospitals and 7 are still recovering. Besides, a 33-year-old trader from Nagaland's Dimapur has been undergoing treatment at the Guwahati Medical College and Hospital since April 12. Meanwhile, Sonowal announced an insurance cover of Rs 50 lakh for journalists in Assam who are engaged in covering the Covid-19 pandemic amid the lockdown. An Assam government official also said that to deal with the economic crisis, the Assam government would soon announce some austerity measures to cut government expenditures. Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry might no longer be official members of the royal family, but they are still two of the most-watched people in the world. As they lie low in California, waiting out the COVID-19 pandemic, everyone is wondering what their next move will be. Still, many cant help but wonder what would have happened had they chosen to stay in Britain and remain working members of the royal family. After all, their fairytale wedding was only two years ago, and at the time, the world was full of hope for the new couple. Many royal fans remember the exact moment when they saw Meghan step out of the car, resplendent in her wedding gown. Theres good news for superfans of the Duchess of Sussex: The makeup artist responsible for creating her stunning wedding look recently opened up about how to create a similar look at home. Meghan Markles unique wedding day look There was a lot of speculation about the type of wedding dress that Meghan would choose for her big day. Many believed that she would pick an old-Hollywood type dress, cut perfectly to suit the curves of her body. She surprised everyone when she stepped out wearing a unique gown that definitely made waves. The dress was a simple, off-the-shoulder gown with long sleeves. Overall, it was stunning but much more modest and classic than what many expected. Meghan also chose a low-key method of styling for her wedding hair and makeup. Her hair was worn in a simple, messy bun, with a few loose tendrils left out to frame her face. The messy bun has become Meghans signature hair look. As for her makeup, Meghan kept things very natural and opted for sheer makeup that allowed her freckles and California-girl glow to shine through. It was a welcome change from the popular, heavily contoured styles that were all the rage in early 2018. How did Meghan Markles makeup artist achieve her look? Meghan Markle | Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images Shortly after the royal wedding, Meghans makeup artist, Daniel Martin, opened up to Glamour magazine about how he created her wedding day makeup look. Martin revealed that the makeup look he designed for the former actress was all about bringing out her best self. He wanted her incredible skin to be the focus and chose to use a water-based foundation to minimize any oiliness and maximize skin absorption. Martin also admitted that creating the look was a very collaborative process and that he and Meghan texted frequently in the days leading up to the wedding, throwing out ideas and sharing inspiration photos. Ultimately, her look inspired many brides all over the world, and Martin is still one of Hollywoods most in-demand makeup artists. Heres how to recreate Meghan Markles wedding day makeup In mid-April, Martin shared his best tips for brides who want to do Meghan Markle-inspired makeup for their own wedding day. Martin recommends that brides begin by using a blurring primer on the skin, and by neutralizing any redness by applying concealer on any areas that are prone to discoloration or redness, such as around the nose or the undereye area. Martin suggests defining the brow using a clear gel, but to go easy on the brow pencil to ensure a more natural look. According to the pro, eyeshadow can really open up the lid, but for brides who arent confident in their eyeshadow application ability, patting some blush or bronzer on the lid with a finger can provide a pretty, naturally contoured effect. Blush is a must, according to Martin, with his favorite shade being Charlotte Tilburys Pillow Talk blush. Whether the bride chooses lipstick or tinted balm, Martin recommends finishing the look with a setting spray to help prevent makeup from sliding or melting off the face in warmer temperatures. Its all about longevity, the veteran makeup artist reveals. The King of the Dagbon Traditional Area, Ya Na Abukari Mahama II, has on behalf of the chiefs and people of Dagbon donated Ghc50,000 to the national Covid-19 trust fund to support the fight against the deadly bug. The Mion Lana , Abdulai Mahamadu presented a cheque of Ghc 50,000 on behalf of the overlord of Dagbon to the Northern Regional Minister, Salifu Saeed at the Gbewa Palace in Yendi. The donation forms part of Dagbon's contribution to help fight the covid-19 pandemic in the country. The overlord of Dagbon, has procured and distributed Personal Protection Equipments(PPEs) in the Yendi municipality as a way of helping stop the spread of the covid-19 virus. Ya Na assured that he would continue to support government in anyway to help fight the virus and called on the good people of Dagbon to adhere to directives outlined by President Akufo-Addo and the Ghana Health Service. Receiving the cheque on behalf of government , the Northern Regional Minister thanked the overlord for the support adding that the money will help support the fight against the covid-19 pandemic. He called on individuals, institutions to emulate the kind gesture of the overlord of Dagbon and support the Covid-19 Trust Fund. ---Daily Guide Officials say conflict among migrants leads to fire in overcrowded camp, leaving hundreds homeless. At least 200 migrants and refugees have been left homeless after a fire tore through a camp on the Greek island of Samos, according to a migration ministry official. Around 200 people have been left homeless, Migration Ministry Secretary Manos Logothetis told AFP news agency on Monday. The blaze was started on Sunday evening amid internal disputes [between residents], he said. Another fire was started on Monday in a new round of clashes between Arabic speakers and Africans, a local police source said. The incidents began on Sunday night. The fire was put out at midnight, but today we had more tension and stone-throwing, the officer said. Riot squads were sent to quell the unrest and seven people were detained, he said. There were no immediate reports of injuries. Stefan Cordes, a field coordinator on Samos with the Doctors Without Borders (MSF), confirmed the account of the incidents to Al Jazeera, putting the number of those left without shelter after the two fires at about 500. He accused the government and the European Union of failing to take care of the migrants whose living conditions are believed to be the cause of the violence. They dont have access to hygiene, water or good food, Cordes told Al Jazeera. This makes their lives really difficult. The government and the European Union dont take care of these people, who are here for a long time. We have to really consider that about 500 people are without shelter now and the authorities have to take care of these people and provide a space where these people can be safe. Overcrowded camp The Samos camp is massively overcrowded, with nearly 7,000 people in a facility built to handle fewer than 650. The Greek government had planned to relocate to the mainland more than 2,300 asylum seekers from island camps including many elderly and ailing persons but the operation has been delayed owing to fears of coronavirus. No coronavirus case has been officially reported in camps on the islands of Lesbos, Chios, Samos, Leros and Kos. But there have been outbreaks in two camps and a migrant hotel on the mainland. Another fire in the migrant camp on Chios earlier this month destroyed the facilities of the European asylum service, a camp canteen, warehouse tents and many housing containers in a riot started after a 47-year-old Iraqi woman died there. Residents attributed her death to coronavirus. Officials denied this was true. Police on Monday launched four highway patrol vehicles (HPVs) in Jammu and Kashmir's Ramban district as part of the government's initiative to enhance 24/7 vigilance on the highway, officials said. SSP Haseeb-ur-Rehman flagged off four HPVs in Ramban. Two Vehicles moved towards Nashri and two towards the Jawahar Tunnel for patrolling to quickly respond to any highway emergency, they said. According to the SSP, each vehicle will patrol their specified jurisdiction -- between Nashri to Karol, Ramban; between Ramban to Panthial; another between Panthial to Chamalwas, Banihal; and another between Chamalwas to Jawahar Tunnel. As part of the government's initiative to maintain round-the-clock vigil on highway, each vehicle manned by four personnel, including the driver, will be performing in addition to the vehicles of existing Quick Response Teams(QRTs) of Ramban,Ramsu and Banihal, he said. Each vehicle will be fitted with oxygen cylinder and having first-aid etc. They will be assisting the ambulances during any emergency, especially accidents, he added. He informed that the persons deputed with these vehicles will also be trained in first-aid rescue operations. He said drinking water and some ration will also be made available in these vehicles. At night, every vehicle will remain parked at the police station of its jurisdiction at Chanderkot, Ramban,Ramsu and Banihal, the official said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US Calls On Europe, Others To Take Action Against Iran After Satellite Launch Radio Farda April 26, 2020 In its latest move to garner diplomatic support against Iran for having launched a military satellite, the U.S. State Department issued a statement on April 25 calling on other countries to "reject" Iran's move. "All peace-loving nations must reject Iran's development of ballistic-missile capable technologies and join together to constrain Iran's dangerous missile programs", The statement said. Lambasting the leaders of the clergy-dominated Iran for "lying", and "secrecy", the statement added, "As a start, nations should support extending the UN conventional arms embargo on Iran, which is set to expire this October." While describing the Islamic Republic as the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism and anti-Semitism, the statement insists that Tehran should not be allowed to buy and sell conventional weapons. Furthermore, the statement has directly addressed the European Union to join Washington and sanction those individuals and entities working on Iran's missile program. Britain, France, and Germany have already condemned Iran's latest move in launching a satellite into space. The three are still party to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) or Tehran's 2015 nuclear deal with world powers. After extending the deal for four times, Washington withdrew from the JCPOA in 2018 and imposed batches of back-breaking economic sanctions on Tehran. Iran has always maintained it is not pursuing nuclear weapons and its missile program is for conventional self-defense. "For years, Iran has claimed its space program is purely peaceful and civilian. The Trump Administration has never believed this fiction. This week's launch of a military satellite by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization, makes clear what we have said all along: Iran's space program is neither peaceful nor entirely civilian," the statement asserted on Saturday. The statement follows a tweet by the Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, on Saturday, saying, "Iran continues to lie that the Revolutionary Guard's space program is peaceful when in reality it is part of the country's nuclear weapons program". In what is seen by many as a violation of a United Nations Security Council Resolution, Iran on April 22 launched a ballistic missile carrying what it said was a military satellite into orbit. The resolution in question was adopted by the UN Security Council as part of the JCPOA. In a statement on Thursday, France condemned Iran's move, saying this was in contravention of UNSC Resolution 2231. Expressing concern over Iran's move, Germany also said that Berlin's position on the Islamic Republic missile program has not changed, and the program has a destabilizing impact on the region. Regarding Europe's security interests, Iran's missile program is unacceptable, Germany asserted. A day later, on Friday, Britain also said that Iran's launch of a military satellite using ballistic missile technology was of significant concern and inconsistent with UNSC Resolution 2231. However, Russia, itself a permanent member of the UNSC and still a party to the JCPOA has come to Iran's defense on the issue. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, on Thursday dismissed the U.S. claim that Iran violated resolution 2231 and accused Washington of being in violation of the nuclear deal. Nonetheless, according to the State Department's Saturday statement, "This satellite launch vehicle and others launched before it, incorporate technologies identical to, and interchangeable with, ballistic missiles, including longer-range systems such as intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs). No country has ever pursued an ICBM capability except for the purpose of delivering nuclear weapons." Referring to the deadly outbreak of the new coronavirus in Iran, the statement has concluded, "When the Iranian people are suffering and dying from the coronavirus pandemic, it is regrettable to see the regime waste its resources and efforts on provocative military pursuits that do nothing to help the Iranian people." Source: https://en.radiofarda.com/a/us-calls-on- europe-others-to-take-action- against-iran-/30577148.html Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address As the coronavirus spreads, public and private companies as well as government entities are requiring employees to work from home, putting unforeseen strain on all manner of networking technologies and causing bandwidth and security concerns. What follows is a round-up of news and traffic updates that Network World will update as needed to help keep up with the ever-changing situation. Check back frequently! UPDATE 4.27 According to the April 22 Verizon Network Report, overall data volume across its networks has increased 19% compared to pre-COVID levels. While data usage remains elevated, the changes in how people are using the network has stabilized, the company stated. In the United States, there has been a notable decline in peoples movements during the course of the global pandemic. Mobile handoffs the times when a data session moves from one cell site to another as users walk or drive around have reduced by 27% nationally compared to typicalpre-COVID levels. And, measured by mobile handoffs, the U.S. has seen a decrease in movements since March 1. Verizon said that the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions appear to have the most people in the nation staying at home. Verizon stated it expects usage to continue at sustained higher levels, even as movements begin to shift in the coming weeks and months as stay-in-place restrictions begin to lift . We believe all trends point to sustained network usage at this higher level for the foreseeable future, said Kyle Malady, Chief Technology Officer for Verizon. In its fifth report tracking internet speeds across the top 200 most populous U.S. cities, Broadbandnow reported networks were slowly adjusting to the new demand placed on them. But as of April 22 despite these adjustments, internet speeds in some cases slowed to a crawl. Over the past week, 67 cities (33.5% of the top 200) experienced median upload speed decreases of 20% or greater below range of previous weeks in 2020. Through April 15, the number was 61, or 30.5%. In turn, 51 cities (25.5%) have recorded download speed dips of 20% or greater, compared to last weeks 52. Iran plans to reopen mosques in parts of the country that have been consistently free of the coronavirus outbreak as restrictions on Iranians gradually ease. Iran, one of the Middle Eastern countries hardest hit by the pandemic, will be divided up into white, yellow, and red regions based on the number of infections and deaths, President Hassan Rouhani said, according to the presidency's website. Activities in each region will be restricted accordingly, so an area that has been consistently free of infections or deaths will be labelled white and mosques could be reopened and Friday prayers resumed, Rouhani said on Sunday. He said the label given to any region in the country could change and he did not specify when the colour-coding programme would come into force. Deputy Health Minister Iraj Harirchi said in an interview with state TV that 116 counties in the country could be considered white at the moment and 134 yellow. Battered economy Iranians have returned to shops, bazaars, and parks over the past week as the country eases coronavirus restrictions, with the daily increase in the death toll below 100 since April 14. The death toll rose by 60 over the past 24 hours to 5,710, with 90,481 confirmed cases, Health Ministry spokesman Kianush Jahanpur told state TV. Seeking a balance between protecting public health and shielding an economy already battered by sanctions, the government has refrained from imposing the kind of wholesale lockdowns on cities seen in many other countries. But it has extended closures of schools and universities and banned cultural, religious, and sport gatherings. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif had a phone call with United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Sunday and discussed the battle against the spread of the coronavirus and regional developments, along with passing on a congratulatory message for the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan. Source: Aljazeera Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Bethesda, MD - Scientists have identified a collection of biomarkers that together signal that a person's cancer treatment may be harming their heart. After further validation, the biomarkers could eventually allow doctors to assess cardiovascular side effects of chemotherapy with a simple blood test early in the treatment process. Heart problems are a side effect of several cancer therapies. Anthracyclines, a family of chemotherapy drugs used to treat many types of cancer, carry a particularly high risk. For example, about 17% of patients receiving anthracycline for the most aggressive forms of breast cancer have to stop therapy due to cardiac complications. Doctors typically use echocardiograms, an ultrasound of the heart, to look for signs of heart damage at various points during treatment. However, echocardiograms can be expensive, and they show problems only after damage has already occurred. "Compared to the current standards for diagnosing chemotherapy-related cardiac dysfunction (CRCD), the biomarker panel we have suggested would be cost effective and easy to implement, but more importantly, would aid in earlier diagnosis, risk assessment and CRCD progression monitoring that would ultimately improve patient care and outcomes," said study author Hari Vishal Lakhani, a clinical research associate at the Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine. "It is especially relevant to patients in rural, lower socioeconomic communities, who may not be have access to serial echocardiography as a means to diagnose CRCD." Lakhani was scheduled to present the research at the American Society for Investigative Pathology annual meeting in San Diego this month. Though the meeting, to be held in conjunction with the 2020 Experimental Biology conference, was canceled in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, the research team's abstract was published in this month's issue of The FASEB Journal. The researchers compared blood samples from 17 healthy women with samples from 17 women undergoing anthracycline treatment for breast cancer. The women with breast cancer also received echocardiograms before beginning anthracycline and three months and six months after starting treatment. The results revealed significant differences in the levels of a dozen biomarkers related to cardiovascular changes between the two groups. While no single biomarker was sufficient to predict CRCD on its own, in combination they provided a reliable predictor of heart toxicity as assessed with echocardiography. Many of the biomarkers showed detectable changes well before heart damage was visible on an echocardiogram. The biomarkers include a variety of proteins as well as microRNAs (miRNAs), which affect gene expression. The particular miRNAs identified in the study have previously been implicated in cardiac dysfunction and the proteins have been linked with inflammation, damage to the heart muscle and other processes involved in heart disease. "Our results support the clinical application of these serum biomarkers and circulating miRNAs to develop a panel for early diagnosis of chemotherapy-related cardiac dysfunction which will enable early detection of disease progression and management of irreversible cardiac damage," said Lakhani. "A biomarker panel may in fact be better than serial echocardiography, because the information gathered from a biomarker panel could allow appropriate intervention to be taken before any cardiac damage has occurred." Knowing a patient is showing signs of heart problems could lead doctors to adjust the chemotherapy type or dosage, or prescribe medications for heart failure. Giving doctors the information they need to take such steps earlier in the treatment process could substantially reduce the number of cancer patients who suffer illness or death as a result of chemotherapy-related heart problems, Lakhani said. ### Contact the media team for more information. Image available. About Experimental Biology 2020 Experimental Biology is an annual meeting that attracts more than 12,000 scientists and exhibitors from five host societies and more than two dozen guest societies. With a mission to share the newest scientific concepts and research findings shaping clinical advances, the meeting offers an unparalleled opportunity for exchange among scientists from across the U.S. and the world who represent dozens of scientific areas, from laboratory to translational to clinical research. http://www.experimentalbiology.org #expbio About the American Society for Investigative Pathology (ASIP) ASIP is a society of biomedical scientists who investigate mechanisms of disease. Investigative pathology is an integrative discipline that links the presentation of disease in the whole organism to its fundamental cellular and molecular mechanisms. ASIP advocates for the practice of investigative pathology and fosters the professional career development and education of its members. http://www.asip.org About The FASEB Journal Receive monthly highlights from The FASEB Journal by e-mail. Sign up at http://www.faseb.org/fjupdate.aspx. The FASEB Journal is published by the Federation of the American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB). It is among the most cited biology journals worldwide according to the Institute for Scientific Information and has been recognized by the Special Libraries Association as one of the top 100 most influential biomedical journals of the past century. Find more press materials at: https://www.eurekalert.org/meetings/eb/2020/newsroom/ We continue to make arrests and Bulawayo still tops the statistics chart in terms of arrests of violators, with Manicaland Province following closely. We are now also worried by the number of pirating taxis that are operating during the lockdown and we warn offenders that they will be arrested. We also have a problem of people roaming aimlessly in residential suburbs after 6pm and we also warn them strongly that they will be arrested under section 4 of S.I 83 of 2020, said Assistant Commissioner Nyathi. From a 59-year-old man who cycles over 6 kilometres every day to serve tea to policemen free of charge to an alternative therapist who joined others to serve cooked food to the needy scores of volunteers are serving the people of Meghalaya during the Covid19-triggered lockdown, staying away from limelight. Since the Meghalaya government enforced lockdown in the state on March 17, Loknath Khannal, a milkman of Mawsmai village in Ri-Bhoi district, has served over 3,200 cups of tea free of cost to the police personnel posted at the 12th mile check gate on the inter-state border with Assam. Khannal lives at a distance of over 1.5 kilometres from the checkpoint and he pedals to the check post twice a day. "I have been serving tea to about 40 persons posted at the checkpoint twice daily - at 6 in the morning and again in the afternoon. In all I serve around 80 cups of tea in a day," Loknath told PTI. The milkman, whose 28-year-old son Govind is a sepoy with the Assam Riffles and currently serving in Manipur, said he does it voluntarily and has never taken a rupee from those he served the beverage. "I find joy and I hope that my son will also be taken care of, no matter from where he is serving the country," he said. Like Khannal of Ri-Bhoi, there are many volunteers in state capital Shillong, who are serving food and hot beverages to the personnel battling Covid-19. There are also others who are reaching out to the needy people of the state that so far reported 12 Covid-19 cases and one of them died. Senior High Court lawyer Khalid Khan and his wife Ooma, an alternative therapist, have donated over Rs 1,000 to over 100 households each in East Khasi Hills and Ri-Bhoi districts. Ooma also joined a team of fellow volunteers including teashop owner Kailash Verma, from a WhatsApp group 'AdventuRers', in serving lunch to poor people in and around the state capital and protective gear to health workers. "Today we are providing 250 face shields to the NEIGRIHMS. My staff and AdventuRers made them here. We are making 200 more," Verma said. The NEIGRIHMS is North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences, a premier hospital under the Union ministry of health and family welfare. The Ramakrishna Mission has been distributing rice, daal and oil besides other food items to thousands of residents in the Khasi Jaintia Hills region. "We are reaching out to the poorest of the poor in these villages. Hundreds of people have benefited from the programme," a senior RKM official said. Padmashree awardee newspaper editor Patricia Mukhim and local correspondents of PTI, UNI and The Telegraph also joined hands in providing rice, daal and some cash to nearly 50 families in the Khasi Hills region. Like them, thousands of volunteers played their part and contributed to the battle against COVID-19, Health Minister A L Hek said. He said people from all cross-sections of the society and all age groups have donated Rs 5.5 crore so far to the Chief Ministers Relief Fund for the cause. Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma has congratulated individually to each of those who made their contributions known to him and his office, a CMO official said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Dont judge vehicles Re: Food Bank, Southside ISD find a way through storm, by Gloria Padilla, Other Views, Sunday: Im reaching out because columnist Gloria Padilla gave us a very important lesson. I, too, noticed on TV and in pictures the big SUVs and trucks at Food Bank distributions and worked hard to recall that many of these people had jobs at one time. I tried not to voice my thoughts out loud. Why are these big vehicles in line for food? I have a big SUV myself, but its a 2006. I retired in 2010 and have not been able to buy a new car for various reasons, yet people still comment that I have a big, beautiful car. I, thankfully, live a comfortable life on Social Security and a USAA pension in a nice home with my partner who has equal benefits as mine. However, I remember a time when I drove cars that gave me gray hair from worry in my younger years. Cars that looked nice but had issues such as overheating and other things. Situations like an accident or traffic pileup had me holding my breath and sweating bullets from worry. Memories long, long past. Thank you for the reminder that its not up to us to judge people, especially in this devastating time. Thank you for the reminder that we should all be grateful for what we have. Thank you for the reminder that we should share our time, love and resources to the extent we can with others less fortunate. Thank you for your column, which Im going to cut out and keep! Sylvia Cruz All about them Re: Open economy, allow pursuit of happiness, Other Views, Wednesday: Rep. Chip Roys opinion piece is misleading. He states that in a nine-year period (1946-1955) there were 300,000 polio infections and 30,000 deaths. Coronavirus has been with us four months and we have more than 800,000 infections and as of Friday more than 50,000 deaths. Those numbers are not falling. Cant he see this virus is much more contagious and deadly than even polio? The sad part of this story is his grandfather saying: I am giving these government folks until May 1 and then Im doing whatever the hell I want to do. Thats the problem with our pursuit of liberty too many folks believe its all about them. What about those of us who believe the science and feel that a virus this deadly must be contained before its safe for us to get back to enjoying our lives with our families and friends? Opening the country too soon may see the loss of thousands more grandparents and grandchildren to this deadly scourge. Be smart, people. It aint nothing but a thing, and it, too, shall pass. Daniel Torres Who will be left? A number of people want to leave the sanctuary of their homes to get the economy restarted sooner than later. Go right ahead, if you think its your right to endanger the rest of society. As Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has said, its OK to sacrifice the elderly to get the economy going again. Just so we can return to the self-indulgent, unsustainable lifestyle so many of us have been living for so long. I understand people have bills to pay and many are truly suffering financially, but how are you going to pay for two to three weeks in the ICU on top of all your other bills? If enough people get sick or die of this disease, whos going to be left to get the economy working again? The same way America has always replenished its hardworking population ever since the Mayflower landed on our shores immigrants. Shirley Moehring Homeless cared for The city of San Antonio cooperates with a variety of nongovernment organizations such as Corazon Ministries, South Alamo Regional Alliance for the Homeless, SAMMinistries and many others to provide food, hygiene kits and masks to our homeless population. Since Haven for Hope can no longer take more clients, the city has set up feeding hubs in various parts of town to distribute meals and other essentials, like masks. They also are able to inform people where they can get other services. City workers such as those with CENTRO and the juvenile court, and social workers are allowed to volunteer at these hubs and other places. It is wonderful to live in a city that not only talks about compassion but organizes and reorganizes to meet the needs of our residents. Dixie Yarbrough On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio homeless at risk for virus could be housed in empty hotel rooms Distribute aid better Its understandable that the need for the Paycheck Protection Program was urgent both from a financial and psychological point of view to provide the support so necessary to small businesses. However, a little more time could have been spent to ensure the most effective delivery of the aid. I call the Paycheck Protection Program the Poorly Planned Program. Not enough was written into the bill to provide for a good distribution of the funds. The distribution was based on a first-come, first-served basis, which favored bigger businesses that had established banking relationships and probably experts to assist in the application. There seemed to be no attempt to ensure a fair distribution of funds based on the size of the business, geographical location by state, urban versus rural setting, ethnic background of the owner or the type of business. The second attempt seems to address some of these concerns, but I still feel we are using a scattershot approach when a highly skilled target weapon is needed to maximize the results and the fairness. Ted Sincoff, Converse On ExpressNews.com: Some San Antonio-area small-business owners wonder, wait on aid Financial security is a key part of the trust weve built, and its a true honor to have it recognized on a national level. DepositAccounts first created its lists of Top 200 Credit Unions and Banks in response to the 2008 financial crisis in an effort to thoughtfully and succinctly educate consumers about safe banking options. Their analysts determine these rankings by collecting each institutions NCUA and FDIC call reports and analyzing them through an exclusive algorithmic system. These results are updated and published quarterly without cost to ensure complete transparency for consumers. Out of thousands of credit unions, WyHy emerged as one of the select few leaders to rank on their Q1 2020 list. In addition to securing a spot on their top 200 Credit Union list, WyHy has also received an A+ rating from DepositAccounts for overall financial health. This distinction comes at a crucial moment in both local and national history, as many people are facing income uncertainties. Although it is always an honor to receive recognition from a respected, independent institution, it is especially significant today, said Bill Willingham, President/CEO of WyHy. With all of the ongoing concerns, from sudden economic challenges to the increased threat of cyber crimes, its crucial for us to be a steadying force in our members lives. Financial security is a key part of the trust weve built, and its a true honor to have it recognized on a national level. For over 60 years, WyHy Federal Credit Union has served its members with a singular promise: to provide individualized, trusted guidance in wealth management. Today, it is the fourth largest credit union in the state of Wyoming and is the 957th largest credit union in the nation. Headquartered in Cheyenne, WyHy is proud to assist each of its 15,000 members on their unique paths to financial health. WyHys reputation as a stalwart, Wyoming-minded institution comes from a dedication to member satisfaction and economic responsibility. Bhubaneswar, April 27 : Odisha reported eight more positive cases for coronavirus on Monday, taking the state's total tally to 111. While six people tested COVID-19 positive from Balasore, one each from Koraput and Jajpur districts. In Koraput, a 22-year-old staff nurse, who had returned from Kolkata on April 14 to join duty, tested positive for coronavirus. He was quarantined and tested due to travel history. He has not joined work, informed the Information and Public Relations Department. In Jajpur, a 34-year-old male returnee from West Bengal in Basudevpur tested positive. According to the Health and Family Welfare department, contact tracing and follow-up action is already underway. A 32-year-old male (West Bengal returnee) and five others identified as a 55-year-old woman, a 22-year-old woman, a 23-year-old woman, a 29-year-old woman and a 27-year-old man of containment zone in Balasore district have been detected as COVID-19 positive. The number of active cases in Odisha stands at 75 with 37 patients recovering from the disease so far. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Stay-at-home orders and social distancing have significantly flattened the curve - lowering the death rate of COVID- 19 in cities like Houston. Ironically, the success of these tactics means the coronavirus peak is still likely a few weeks away, according to a new study conducted by the University of Texas. Continued vigilance will be necessary long after the peak passes, requiring us to change basic habits to ensure our safety and the safety of others. Pediatric telemedicine is emerging as an alternative way to do something from home were used to doing in person. During a pandemic, your childs ability to get care remains of paramount importance, and thankfully, many of the types of visits and checkups typically done at your pediatricians office can now be done online. Dr. Tamisha Jones, Pediatric Medical Director for Legacy Community Health, is spearheading Legacys pediatric telemedicine program. Dr. Jones sees pediatric telemedicine as more than a temporary fix, rather as a revolutionary change with lasting positive benefits to the way health care is provided. Telemedicine has removed many of the barriers our patients may experience when trying to get care, Dr. Jones observes. Lack of reliable transportation, severe time limitations, these are the types of barriers telemedicine can help remove. Legacy Community Health has been serving the greater Houston area since 2005 under a mandate to provide care for all. Legacy Health has always been open to all patients, regardless of ability to pay, says Dr. Jones. This is especially important now while people are getting laid off or furloughed or may experience a gap in their health insurance coverage. Legacy wants to be there for the community to fill in these gaps. This commitment parallels with Legacys belief that healthcare is a right. Pediatric telemedicine is an extension of our mission to serve everyone, says Dr. Jones. Legacy serves all, kids, adults, pregnant women, seniorswe want to make sure our services are available to anyone who may need them in these changing times. As with any new way of doing things, telemedicine takes a bit of getting used to, but the benefits to our health and safety cannot be overstated. This is especially true for children. While research suggests children are not as likely as adults to experience severe symptoms from COVID-19, they are far likelier to be asymptomatic carriers. Every parent knows its difficult to get your child to bathe once a day, let alone wash their hands for 20 seconds every 15 minutes while not touching their face. Telemedicine solves this conundrum by allowing parents to keep their children in the comfort of their home, while getting the care they need from a health professional. Dr. Jones talked us through what to expect from Legacys pediatric telemedicine program. Heres what we found out. One: Heres What Telemedicine Can Do Legacy Community Health Legacys telemedicine program is ideal for the common ailments children get. Fever, rashes, colds, pink eye, vomiting, diarrhea, allergies; all these can be easily treated via telemedicine. Furthermore, any developmental or behavioral question a parent might have telemedicine makes it quick and easy to answer. For conditions requiring more rapid testing, like Flu or Strep, parents can use telemedicine to arrange for drive-thru testing. Check-ins, prescription refills, and general concerns are all easily serviced through Legacys telemedicine program, currently available at every one of their locations. Legacys OB2Pedi program is a great example of how telemedicine is an asset for patients. According to Dr. Jones, the telemedical component of the OB2Pedi program allows new and expectant mothers increased access to her OBGYN and, later, her childs pediatrician. This access eases the transition from pregnancy to newborn and beyond. While preventative care is still done in-person, Dr. Jones notes new parents can easily get reliable answers for all their questions, both big and small. Plus, the visual aspect of telemedicine allows providers a chance to see inside the home of a new or expectant mother and offer precise recommendations. At Legacy, were able to do most things through telemedicine, stresses Dr. Jones. We encourage our patients to use telemedicine first because the vast majority of conditions can be managed through telemedicine. Were going to do our best to keep everyone safe and healthy. Two: Getting Set Up Legacy Community Health Making a telemedicine appointment is easy, the same as scheduling an in-person appointment. Call (832) 548-5000 or go to legacycommunityhealth.org/peditelemed and sign up for the next available appointment with your provider. Dr. Jones points out that parents using telemedicine will receive care from their childs actual Legacy provider. The same doctor you know and trust will be on the other end of the call, not some contracted doctor in another state. This really preserves the continuity of care we provide, says Dr. Jones. In almost all circumstances theyll see their own care team. This is equally important for us as providers, too. The relationships we establish with our patients makes us want to see your kids grow up, too. As with any new technology, there is a learning curve for telemedicine. Luckily, Legacy is helping their patients flatten this curve, too. Legacys telemedicine outreach team will contact any first-time telemedicine user to help them set up Zoom, the video-chat platform authorized to host telemedicine calls. In as little as 5 to 10 minutes, an outreach team member will walk first-timers through all the steps to get ready for their appointment. Even if the outreach team cannot get ahold of you before your visit, theyll try the day of the appointment to ensure you have the help you need to be ready for your childs appointment. Three: Telemedicine In Action Legacy Community Health A telemedicine appointment operates similarly to an in-person visit. The medical assistant from your care team will start by asking basic questions about your child. If there is a scale or a thermometer in the house, youll be asked to get your childs weight and temp. Once this information is obtained, the provider will come on the call and conduct the visit in the same way they would an in-person visit. Parents can use the Zoom platform on their laptop, tablet or phone to provide your doctor with visuals. The doctor will make a diagnosis, talk it through with the family and prescribe medication or next steps, just like if you were in the office. All pamphlets or further information can be shared through Legacys portal or sent via secure email. Dr. Jones recommends parents set aside a little extra time the day of their first telemedicine visit, just like you would when visiting a clinic for the first time. The overall visit usually lasts around 15 minutes. Parents concerned they wont be able to get the same level of care via telemedicine need look no further to pediatric behavioral health specialists. Legacys behavioral health providers and counselors have been utilizing telemedicine technology for years and have seen consistent quality results. Dr. Jones notes the success of therapy and psychiatry over telemedicine paved the way for telemedicine in other areas like pediatrics. Dr. Jones and all at Legacy Community Health encourage patients new and old to stay safe and experience the benefits of telemedicine. Legacy took the ideas of patient-centered medical care and having a medical home for all services a patient could need under one roof to heart, says Dr. Jones. Our mission is to serve everyone. Telemedicine will help us get there. Visit legacycommunityhealth.org for more information. Biz Briefs: Lodge Delays Opening, Grocers Want Front-Line Recognition Bascom Lodge Delays Opening Although the Bascom Lodge at the summit of Mount Greylock has been closed and boarded-up for the last six months, and consequently not directly or indirectly exposed to the COVID-19 virus, the ban on the operation of all restaurants, bars, hotels and lodging facilities, as well as on all gatherings of 10 or more people does, and will continue to, impact its plans for the 2020 season. Given the minimum two-to-three week startup time required to ready the lodge for opening, it is not possible for the lodge to open for May. The new opening date is set for Thursday, July 1, barring any changes at the state level. In the interim, the lodge's operators plan to clean and make some improvements to the building and plan some new menus. CDC of Southern Berkshire Awarded Tax Credits Community Development Corp. of South Berkshire was recently awarded an allotment of 2020 Community Investment Tax Credits in the amount of $150,000. In the letter outlining the award, Gov. Charlie Baker stated that the award is based on the CDCSB's past performance and its strategic plan for creating more affordable housing and economic opportunity in the Berkshires. The credits were created to increase the capacity of certified community-based organizations like the CDCSB, a Berkshire nonprofit responsible for providing low-moderate income housing and working to help the local economy. The allow a 50 percent tax credit for charitable gifts of $1,000 or more to individuals, nonprofit organizations, foundations, and businesses. "At a time when providing our essential services are more important than ever, this is a remarkable opportunity to double the impact of your giving, creating affordable homes and living wage jobs for low and moderate-income families," said Tim Geller, executive director. As a nonprofit organization, CDCSB actively seeks support for its many ongoing projects and programs. To make a donation or for further information about CDCSB, visit cdcsb.org or call 413-528-7788. Stop & Shop, UFCW Call for Grocery Workers to Be Classified as First Responders Stop & Shop and the United Food and Commercial Workers International issued a joint statement calling on federal and state governments to designate associates at grocery stores as "extended first responders" or "emergency personnel." Stop & Shop and UFCW additionally announced that a 10 percent increase in pay for union hourly store associates would be extended through May 30. Stop & Shop and UFCW first announced the pay increase on March 22, along with flexible hours for associates and up to two weeks of additional paid sick leave for associates required to quarantine by government authorities or by the company. Stop & Shop President Gordon Reid and UFCW International President Marc Perrone released the following statement: "Stop & Shop workers, who are also UFCW members, across Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York have worked to make sure that families have the food and groceries they need during these difficult times. Make no mistake, Stop & Shop associates are essential workers and they deserve essential protections. "Stop & Shop and UFCW have worked together to provide these workers with benefits and protections during this health crisis, including emergency pay raises, additional paid sick leave, and access to KN95 masks and face shields, but even more can be done for these workers. "We are urgently requesting our nations state and federal leaders temporarily designate these workers as first responders or emergency personnel. This critical status would help ensure our states' essential grocery workers have priority access to testing, emergency childcare, and other protections to keep themselves and their families safe and healthy. "For the sake of workers, their families, and our nation's food supply, this action will provide grocery workers with the vital protections they deserve." Pittsfield Co-operative Bank Launches New Website Pittsfield Co-operative Bank has launched a new website at pittsfieldcoop.com . With a fresh new look and mobile responsive design, the new site is designed to provide a user-friendly, modern experience allowing users the ability to view content from a variety of mobile devices. The site also conforms to current ADA guidelines, making visitor usability a priority. "The needs of our customers are changing, and technology has reshaped the way customers engage with us," said J. Jay Anderson, president and CEO. "We recognize the role technology plays in the banking space. Launching our new and improved website designed with the end user in mind moves the bank forward toward our digital goals." In the aftermath of the global financial crisis, he led Swiss Re out of the crisis to re-establish its capital strength and to consolidate trust with its clients around the globe. He accomplished this task with great dedication and success. Lippe became part of the Swiss Re family in 1983, via the groups subsidiary Bavarian Re in Munich. Swiss Re is greatly indebted to Stefan Lippe for almost three decades of continued commitment and dedicated service to the company, commented Swiss Re chair Walter B. Kielholz. Meanwhile group CEO Christian Mumenthaler described Lippe as the best underwriter hes ever met, asserting: He truly had a sixth sense for risk. Over at AXA, the Paris-headquartered insurer called the industry stalwart a recognised figure in the insurance world while announcing Lippes death with profound sadness and extending deepest condolences to his family. Stefan Lippe was a courteous and warm man, stated AXA. His fellow board members and the AXA employees who had the privilege of knowing him will always remember his smile and rigor as a mathematician. On behalf of the board of directors and the management committee of AXA, Denis Duverne and Thomas Buberl express their gratitude and their great appreciation for his many instrumental and decisive contributions to the group during his eight years on the board. Multiple reports cited coronavirus complications as the cause of Lippes death, but neither Swiss Re nor AXA referred to COVID-19 in their respective releases. UPDATE: In a LinkedIn post, Mumenthaler confirmed that Lippe passed away due to complications from the disease. (@FahadShabbir) WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 27th April, 2020) US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has congratulated North Macedonia' President Stevo Pendarovski for the country's accession into NATO. "Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo spoke with North Macedonia's President Stevo Pendarovski today to congratulate him on North Macedonia's accession into NATO and on the EU's decision to open accession negotiations - two historic events that the 2018 Prespa Agreement made possible," the release said. Pompeo and Pendarovski also discussed the efforts to fight the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, according to the release. On March 27, Macedonia officially joined NATO as its 30th member, when the instrument for its accession to the Washington Treaty was formally deposited with the US State Department. The vast majority of Macedonians have rejected NATO and European Union membership in the September 30, 2018 referendum. The World Macedonian Congress (WMC) has said the government of Prime Minister Zoran Zaev was installed in power by the United States despite losing the 2016 elections to make Macedonia capitulate to the demands of its neighbors Greece and Bulgaria - both NATO members - and usher the country in the alliance. The WMC said the forced change of Macedonia's name and identity as a condition to join NATO was completed by a US- and EU-supported "color revolution" to topple the democratically-elected government of Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski who had resisted pressures for Macedonia to join NATO. All actions by the forcefully-imposed Zaev government, including the change of the country's name and national identity as well as those that led to Macedonia's NATO membership, are illegal and the signed agreements and acts are null and void, the WMC added. Chennai, April 27 : Tamil Nadu Industries Minister M.C. Sampath on Monday said an official committee has been formed to attract industries exiting China to the state. Speaking to a Tamil news channel in Cuddalore, Sampath said the state government is looking at attracting companies exiting China here. He said an official committee has been formed to bring the companies here that are going away from China. As per reports, multi-national companies are mulling to exit China and looking at other locations. The Japanese government has announced assistance to its companies planning to exit China. Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) has partnered with RegTech startup Nexus FrontierTech in its move to use artificial intelligence (AI) to automate ADGMs licence application process for venture capital (VC) fund managers. The co-created AI-enabled RegBot, which utilises natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning, will drive greater business efficiency and compliance for stakeholders operating in one of the fastest-growing financial centres globally. The Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA), responsible for the regulation and supervision of financial services in ADGM Abu Dhabis award-winning International Financial Centre, oversees the authorisation and supervision of financial institutions looking to expand their footprint in the region. The FSRA has launched a series of RegTech pilot initiatives which employ emerging technologies such as AI to facilitate the quick and compliant entry of new players to support rapid industry growth. Nexus FrontierTech, a globally-recognised RegTech startup that caters to clients primarily in the financial services sector, has developed an AI-powered RegBot that potential applicants can interact with when applying for the licence online. Powered by NLP and machine learning, the RegBot identifies and immediately clarifies information and risk gaps in the application as it assesses the applicants readiness to proceed. A draft application form is automatically completed for the applicant. At the same time, an assessment report is generated for FSRAs review. This increases business efficiency for all stakeholders and reduces turnaround time while ensuring compliance with FSRAs rules and regulations. For the trial implementation, FSRA has invited prospective VC fund managers exploring business opportunities in ADGM to try out the RegBot. Nexus looks forward to engaging FSRA and the VC community to test and improve the RegBot solution. In the face of unprecedented change to the way services are being delivered, we are delighted to be part of ADGMs journey to spur innovation and productivity in the UAE and the region, commented Nexus regional director, Derrick Liao. Having the opportunity to connect with ADGM also demonstrates Singapores strength as a centre for global cooperation and technological adoption. The firm has had its eyes set on Singapore as a financial and technological hub and has expanded its team there to tap into the business opportunities present in Asia. Recently, Nexus welcomed two new advisors to their Senior Advisory Board: Jennifer Lewis, former Managing Director and Advisor to GIC, Singapores sovereign wealth fund, and David Hardoon, former Chief Data Officer and Special Advisor (AI) to the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), to advise on communications and organisational leadership strategy, respectively. TradeArabia News Service German automakers Volkswagen, BMW and Mercedes on Monday said they have introduced online sales initiatives in India in order to help customers book vehicles from the safety of their homes amid the coronavirus pandemic. Volkswagen said it is digitising its sales and service portfolio, enabling customers with the flexibility to choose their preferred model at their comfort and convenience. The online retail process is simple, hassle-free and provides an end-to-end contactless experience, the company said in a statement. From a customer displaying interest, to a conversation with the sales consultant up till the vehicle handover process, will be conducted virtually, the automaker added. "With the launch of our simple, secure and user-friendly online retail platform, we are pushing the boundaries of end-to-end retail sales and strengthening our commitment to customers," Volkswagen Passenger Cars India Director Steffen Knapp said. Volkswagen has integrated its 137 sales and 116 service touchpoints, enabling customers to choose their preferred dealership while booking online. Luxury carmaker BMW also said it has rolled out a unique contactless experience for its customers in India. The 'BMW Contactless Experience' enables customers to explore and buy new and pre-owned BMW cars, book vehicle service, make payments online. "Amidst the current pandemic situation, we have successfully transformed our business processes and put in place various measures to effectively and efficiently serve our existing customers and prospects by leveraging new-age digital technologies," BMW Group India Acting President Arlindo Teixeira said. As business dynamics evolve post the current COVID -19 pandemic, the initiative will play a crucial role in offering seamless sales and aftersales services to existing and new customers, he added. Similarly, Mercedes-Benz India said it has further developed its online sales platform and announced a host of new customer initiatives under the campaign 'Merc from Home'. The initiative focuses on the ease of purchasing a vehicle using digital tools to facilitate the entire process, including online payment of products and services. "The customers now can not only explore, select and make online payment for our products and services from the comfort of their homes, but can also get their Three Pointed Star delivered right at their doorsteps, as per their convenience," Mercedes-Benz India MD and CEO Martin Schwenk said. Honda Cars has also announced an online sales platform which it plans to integrate with its pan-India dealerships. Hyundai Motor India has already integrated its entire sales network of over 500 dealerships across the country with its recently introduced online sales platform. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) With the coronavirus claiming over 100 lives in Ahmedabad, the death rate of such patients in the city stands at 4.71 per cent, higher than some of the country's major cities and the national average. Ahmedabad Municipal Commissioner Vijay Nehra on Monday said to bring down the death rate, people need to take extra care of senior citizens as they are more vulnerable to catch the infection than others. As per the Gujarat government's data, Ahmedabad has so far reported 2,167 coronavirus cases. Out of these, 102 patients have died. An analysis of the data shows that the COVID-19 death rate in the city is 4.71 per cent, higher than that in New Delhi and Mumbai and the national average. In Delhi, 54 coronavirus patients out of the total 2,919 cases have died so far, which indicates the death rate of 1.85 per cent. In Mumbai, the death rate is 3.77 per cent, as so far 204 patients out of the total 5,407 cases have succumbed to the disease. Besides, total 26,917 coronavirus cases have been reported in the country. Out of these, 826 patients have died, which indicates the mortality rate of 3.07 per cent. The death rate in Ahmedabad is also higher than that of Gujarat, where out of the total COVID-19 3,301 cases, 151 patients, or 4.57 per cent of the victims, have died. Nehra said the best way to bring down the death rate is to take extra care of senior citizens, as they are more vulnerable to catch the infection than others. "I urge people to take care of senior citizens, especially those suffering from some kind of ailments. This is necessary to bring down the death rate. Such citizens need to maintain distance with family members, wear mask and never step out of their homes until the situation improves," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Uzbekistan Coronavirus Update - Coronavirus cases climb to 1,865, Total Deaths reaches to 8 on 26-Apr-2020 In Uzbekistan total confirmed cases of Coronavirus (COVID-19) have increased to 1,865, while 8 people died due to the growing infection in the country. Coronavirus (Covid-19) update from around the world: US, 27-April-2020: The United States recorded 1,330 Coronavirus deaths in past 24 hours. In US over 54,841 people died due to the Covid-19 infection and over 964,937 confirmed cases of Covid-19 infection is recorded in the country. India, 27-April-2020: Congress leader and Ahmedabad corporator Badruddin Shaikh died due to Covid-19 infection. He had been admitted to SVP Hospital in Ahmedabad in Gujarat for the past eight days for the treatment of Covid-19. United Kingdom, 27-April-2020: UK PM Boris Johnson recovered from Covid-19 and arrives at 10 Downing Street (UK PM's Office) in London. Nepal, 27-April-2020: Covid-19 cases rises 52, Nepal extends countrywide lockdown till May 7 Due to increase in the Covid-19 cases, Nepal Government decided to extend the nationwide lockdown till May 7. Three new cases of Covid-19 infection reported in Nepal raising the total cases rose to 52. UK, 27-April-2020: United Kingdom records month's lowest daily Coronavirus toll at 413 in past 24 hours. France: France is reporting higher number of deaths but but slightly fewer people with severe conditions were admitted into ICU in past fourth day. France reported 315 deaths last day as compared to 345 deaths the day earlier. In France 133,670 confirmed cases and 14,412 deaths reported so far. Here are the latest cases of Coronavirus (COVID-19) infection in Uzbekistan: Sr. No. Date Total Cases New Cases Total Deaths Deaths 1. 21-Apr-2020 1,678 51 6 1 2. 22-Apr-2020 1,716 38 7 1 3. 23-Apr-2020 1,758 42 7 0 4. 24-Apr-2020 1,804 46 8 1 5. 25-Apr-2020 1,862 58 8 0 6. 26-Apr-2020 1,865 3 8 0 TOP 10 Deaths by country due to Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak: 1. Europe (120,389) 2. North America (58,703) 3. USA (54,265) 4. Italy (26,384) 5. Spain (22,902) 6. France (22,614) 7. UK (20,319) 8. Asia (16,989) 9. Belgium (7,094) 10. South America (6,020) Total Deaths Worldwide (203,596) Globally till now over 203,596 people died due to the outbreak of deadly Coronavirus (COVID-19). The new infection and death cases are increasing fast. Authorities in the Uzbekistan and other countries are taking proper measures to contain the deadly Coronavirus (COVID-19). As of now Europe is the worst affected country in the world with over 120,389 deaths and 1,260,591 confirmed cases. Check latest update: Coronaviurs Covid-19 cases around the world Today the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection issued payments valued at 207m to 591,000 people in respect of their application for the Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment. Around 21,000 are receiving a payment for the first time. There are now over 49,000 employers who have now registered with the Revenue Commissioners for the Temporary Covid-19 Wage Subsidy scheme. The payments are in addition to the approximate 205,000 people who were on the Live Register as of the end of March. All Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment payments issued will be in recipients bank accounts or at their local post office tomorrow, Tuesday 28th April. Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection, Regina Doherty today said: The smaller increase in the numbers on the COVID-19 payment this week as compared with previous weeks would suggest that we have come through the worst of temporary job lay-offs. That said, with over a million people in the country now dependent on some level of state-provided income support, the scale of the challenge that this health emergency has posed for our national economy and to so many households is now very clear. Our priority now is to continue to support all those who need assistance and to work to help all employers and workers to adjust to the emerging reality that Covid-19 may be with us for a long time to come. With that in mind I convened the first meeting of a new Labour Market Advisory Council on Friday of last week. Comprised of distinguished economists and experienced worker and employer representatives, the Council will play a key role in advising on public policy responses to support labour market recovery. By anticipating which sectors will be most challenged, by identifying what future skills will be in greater demand and by providing the most effective job activation and employment supports, we will help as many people as possible back to work as quickly as possible. Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment In total (since launch on the 16th March, 2020), and excluding duplicate claims, the Department processed applications from 691,000 people for the Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment or a jobseekers payment. As is the case, for all social welfare schemes, the Department conducts a series of pre and post payment checks. For example: - Integrity checks are made against records already held by the Department including Public Service Information data and cross checks with payments on other schemes. These help to verify if a person is who they claim to be and that they are entitled to claim payment. - Each week when the Department processes the Covid-19 pandemic unemployment payments (PUP) , a reconciliation takes place between the Departments payment file and Revenues payment file for the Covid-19 Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme. This results in claims from those who are being paid by their employer being withheld and therefore not processed by the Departments payment process. These people are then contacted by the Department to inform them of the position. - A prior employment status check is made by comparing all claims for PUP against prior earnings and employment records from Revenue data. Where this check indicates that a person may not have been employed, as claimed, the person is contacted and asked to submit corroborating information. Failure to submit corroborating information leads to the claim being closed. - As with other welfare schemes, the Department contacts recipients to ensure that they continue to satisfy the eligibility criteria of the Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment. - Data analytics is also used to identify claims where a person may not satisfy other conditions for example residence in Ireland - and Department inspection staff check these cases. - The Departments inspection staff also participates with Garda and Customs staff, in security checks on major transport routes and transport hubs. - Confidential reporting facilities are available to the public (1890 927999 and at https://www.welfare.ie/en/ Pages/secure/ReportFraud.aspx ) and to employers (email to: C19EmployerReports@welfare.ie ) to report cases of suspected mis-claiming. Following the application of these checks and controls the Department has this week paid 591,000 people out of the 691,000 unique claims processed, the vast majority of these claims were paid within a week of receipt. This indicates the efficiency of using data analytics to both identify incorrect claims and ensure prompt processing of valid claims. To date, over 64,000 people have contacted the Department to close their Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment. Many of these requests are because employers are taking people back onto their payroll under the Temporary Covid-19 Wage Subsidy Scheme. The Department is continuing to resolve any issues, such as invalid IBANS or PPSNs, with legitimate applications and is contacting the people concerned directly over the next few days. We wish to remind people to take care when submitting applications, to ensure that critical information such as dates of birth, PPSN and IBANs are entered correctly. An IBAN has 22 characters and people should take care that it is entered correctly. Any errors by individuals in submitting their incorrect IBAN or PPSN will cause their application to be rejected by the Department. Temporary Covid-19 Wage Subsidy Scheme There are now over 49,000 employers who have registered with the Revenue Commissioners for the Temporary Covid-19 Wage Subsidy Scheme (TWSS). Workers whose employers have registered them on the scheme are not eligible to receive a pandemic unemployment payment. In addition workers who were in receipt of the pandemic unemployment payment but who have now been registered by their employers on the TWSS are no longer eligible to receive a payment pandemic unemployment payment The Department is aware that some workers may be incorrectly registered as part of the TWSS or may face difficulty in transitioning back from the pandemic unemployment payment to the employer payroll. Such a situation may arise, for example, because a worker has been registered in error by their employer, or because an employer having registered for the TWSS has since ceased operating their payroll, or, due to differences in the weekly payment pattern of the pandemic unemployment payment as compared with a monthly or fortnightly payroll from the employer. Any worker affected by these issues can contact the Department and arrangements will be made to restore their payment or provide them with interim income support as appropriate. Covid-19 Enhanced Illness Benefit Payment There are now 36,100 people medically certified for receipt of the Covid-19 enhanced Illness Benefit. This predominantly relates to applications in respect of people who have been advised by their GP to self-isolate together with a smaller number in respect of people who have been diagnosed with Covid-19. Please apply online at www.MyWelfare.ie The Department wishes to thank its customers for submitting the majority of applications through our online portal www.MyWelfare.ie. This is the quickest and easiest way to submit an application and enables the Department to allocate resources to contacting those who submitted invalid applications. Individuals can close their Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment online at www.MyWelfare.ie. In the interests of the public health advice and the restrictions on movements please if at all possible do not attend your local Intreo Centre as opening hours have now been restricted. Instead please apply through www.MyWelfare.ie. OKLAHOMA CITY, April 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Continental Resources, Inc. (NYSE: CLR) (the "Company") plans to announce first quarter 2020 results on Monday, May 11, 2020 before the open of trading on the New York Stock Exchange. The Company plans to host a conference call to discuss first quarter 2020 results on Monday, May 11, 2020 at 12:00 p.m. ET (11:00 a.m. CT). Those wishing to listen to the conference call may do so via the Company's website at www.CLR.com or by phone: Time and date: 12 p.m. ET, Monday, May 11, 2020 Dial-in: 1-888-317-6003 Intl. dial-in: 1-412-317-6061 Conference ID: 7881245 A replay of the call will be available for 14 days on the Company's website or by dialing: Replay number: 1-877-344-7529 Intl. replay: 1-412-317-0088 Conference ID: 10141773 The Company plans to publish a first quarter 2020 summary presentation to its website at www.CLR.com prior to the start of its conference call on Monday, May 11, 2020. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/95419/continental_resources_logo.jpg About Continental Resources Continental Resources (NYSE: CLR) is a top 10 independent oil producer in the U.S. Lower 48 and a leader in America's energy renaissance. Based in Oklahoma City, Continental is the largest leaseholder and the largest producer in the nation's premier oil field, the Bakken play of North Dakota and Montana. The Company also has significant positions in Oklahoma, including its SCOOP Woodford and SCOOP Springer discoveries and the STACK plays. With a focus on the exploration and production of oil, Continental has unlocked the technology and resources vital to American energy independence and our nation's leadership in the new world oil market. In 2020, the Company will celebrate 53 years of operations. For more information, please visit www.CLR.com. Investor Contacts: Media Contact: Rory Sabino Kristin Thomas Vice President, Investor Relations Senior Vice President, Public Relations 405-234-9620 405-234-9480 [email protected] [email protected] Lucy Guttenberger Investor Relations Analyst 405-774-5878 [email protected] SOURCE Continental Resources Related Links http://www.clr.com Samsung is set to start taking pre-orders for its new budget smartphone next week ahead of its release a week later. Priced at W370,000, the Galaxy A31 has five cameras in front and back, and comes with most of the high-spec features seen in Samsung's flagship models (US$1=W1,236). However, it does not support a 5G connection. But Samsung plans to release 5G-enabled budget phones soon. They are expected to come with price tags of around W500,000 to W700,000, which would be a bit pricy but still affordable. In a matter of weeks, drones have arrived as a tool for local police departments looking to help control further outbreak of COVID-19 cases.Thus far, the most common use case appears to be utilizing the machines to reinforce social distancing rules. If a crowd gathers in a public area, an officer will deploy a drone that will, via loudspeakers and a recorded message, urge citizens to disperse. This use case originated in countries like China and Spain.According to multiple sources within the Elizabeth Police Department in New Jersey, officers see public crowds on a daily basis, whether on street corners, in play areas or in public streets.The practical reasoning is that a drone can cover more ground and have a greater vantage point over officers on the ground, according to an emailed statement from the department. It also facilitates in assisting patrol in getting to hard to reach areas. Officers can patrol remote areas without leaving their vehicle area. PSAs can be delivered in public places without the danger of officer contact.Keturah Greene, public information coordinator for the Savannah Police Department in Georgia, cited similar reasoning in an email toSince utilizing various strategies such as placing a sign board with a social distancing messaging in a popular park which is usually highly populated, utilizing the drones and by educating the community through social media, we have not had any issues recently [with public crowds], Greene said.The Elizabeth and Savannah police departments also provided their own responses to concerns about this particular use of drones potentially infringing upon citizens rights.Greene indicated that neither video footage nor audio is being captured when Savannah police send drones to inform crowds of social distancing guidelines. Moreover, drones in Savannah arent involved in general patrol work.In its statement, the Elizabeth Police Department said the PSAs arent delivered by drones for surveillance purposes. The department also referred to legal precedent.Theres been plenty of case law on how this does not infringe on citizens rights, the email read. Florida v. Riley is one of them. Florida v. Riley held that police officials do not need a warrant to observe an individuals property from public airspace.Lt. James Munro, who works for Clovis Police Department in California, said his department wont be using its drones to issue social-distancing messages to crowds. Munro added that Clovis always takes a cautious approach, only using drones when necessary and being mindful of the publics trust.It would make more sense to use a patrol car [to issue PSAs], Munro said. You can cover more ground faster. With drones, you have to have line of sight.Clovis Police Department has identified other ways for drones to help during the COVID-19 crisis. Munro said when the department gets a call about a dead body in a home, it prefers sending in a drone to do the visual investigation, which can help prevent infections from spreading to officers if the death was indeed caused by the coronavirus.Were trying to use them as much as possible to keep officers out of houses as much as possible, Munro said. We can essentially clear an entire house with a drone with no problem, as long as the doors are open and we can make entry.Munro added that Clovis Police Department has been thinking about another potential use case. If the department gets a call about a disturbance in a park, the idea would be to send a drone to confirm whether people are there and whether a disturbance is actually occurring before sending officers to respond.The Elizabeth Police Department indicated tothat its looking into using drones to map out future COVID-19 test sites, monitor such sites and assist emergency medical technicians. Green said Savannah Police Department isnt exploring any other COVID-19 drone use cases at this time.Two factors may continue to drive the trend of local departments responding to COVID-19 situations with drones. First, on April 14, the Federal Aviation Administration issued an update titled Drone Use for COVID-19 Response Efforts. With this update, the organization opened the door for drone transport of goods and certain medical supplies as well as expedited approvals for flights that support emergency activities and appropriate government, health, or community initiatives.Second, Chinese drone manufacturer DJI announced its Disaster Relief Program in late March. As part of the emergency program, DJI has sent 100 drones to public safety agencies in almost half of all states.Munro said he sees drones becoming even more important for police work in the future.Drones [are] one piece of technology that, as a police agency, I dont think we could live without them anymore, to be honest with you, Munro said.Government TechnologyGoverning By Philip Pullella VATICAN CITY, April 27 (Reuters) - Italy's Roman Catholic Church has reprimanded the government for not allowing the faithful to return to Masses at the start of a gradual staged end to Europe's longest coronavirus lockdown. Masses have been banned since early March when Italy closed most commercial activities apart from essentials. A timetable given on Sunday by Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said funerals could resume from May 4 but must be limited to 15 people and held outdoors if possible. The timetable for May 4 to June 1 made no mention of Masses. Italy's bishops, in a strongly-worded statement late on Sunday night, said they could "not accept seeing the exercise of freedom of religion being compromised" and accused the government of "arbitrarily" excluding Mass from the timetable. The statement implied that the bishops felt betrayed, saying they had suggested to the government measures to resume Masses while respecting new safety norms. The timetable also brought divisions within Conte's cabinet. "So, we can safely visit a museum but we can't celebrate a religious service? This decision is incomprehensible. It must be changed," tweeted Minister for Equal Opportunities and Family Elena Bonetti. Italian museums and libraries can reopen from May 18. Italy's death toll remains the heaviest in Europe, with more than 26,000 dead and almost 200,000 confirmed cases. But the number of new cases has been slowing and the number of patients in intensive care has been falling steadily. The bishops said the government had a duty "to distinguish between its responsibility to furnish precise health regulations and that of the Church, which is called to organise Christian community life in respect of (health) norms but in full autonomy." In response, the government acknowledged the bishops' complaint and said it would study how to let believers participate safely in liturgical functions "as soon as possible." Story continues Most of Italy's churches have remained open during the crisis, but only for individual prayer. "If there are ways to work safely, shop safely and do sport safely, there is a way to celebrate Mass safely," said Paolo Ciani of the small, centrist DEMOS party. In mid-March, the cardinal of Rome modified his order to close the capital's churches, even for individual prayer, after Pope Francis cautioned against "drastic measures" and Catholics took to social media to complain. The Vatican, which for the most part has been mirroring Italy's containment measures, has not yet said when St. Peter's Basilica or the Vatican museums will reopen. (Additional reporting by Crispian Balmer; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne) Suggesting that India will need to focus on a two-pronged approach preserving public health and reviving economic activity Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday placed particular emphasis on green zones (which include districts and regions which are free of the coronavirus disease) as the hub of future activity and a model to be aspired for. This is widely being interpreted as a sign that after May 3, the lockdown will continue in red zones which are home to clusters of cases while there can be further relaxations in the less affected zones. In an interaction with chief ministers on the pandemic on Monday the fourth such meeting on the subject in just over a month the PM emphasised the need for continued adherence to social distancing norms; spoke out against stigmatising people with the disease; told states that a high number of cases is not a matter to be ashamed about or fear, but to be dealt with through concerted action; and called for an intensive study of the situation in each district and zone to then assess the kind of activities which can be permitted without the disease spreading. In the meeting, most state chief ministers called for a continued lockdown in the red zones while easing restrictions in non-Covid districts. They also demanded a clearer protocol on the return of migrant workers, and asked the Centre for comprehensive financial support given the plummeting revenues and fragile fiscal situation in states. A participant at the meeting, directly quoting the PM, said, He emphasised that on the one hand, we are challenged by how to save lives and on the other, we also have to equally focus on the financial aspect. Focusing on one more than the other is not possible. Thats why, the PM underlined, we have to strengthen economic activities and increase our strength to combat the virus. To implement this formulation in practice, the PM said that each state must study the impact of the lockdown in red zones, orange zones and green zones, where a range of activities have been permitted since April 20, and carefully consider where it is possible to lift restrictions, allow private transport, permit the elderly to move, and resume more economic activity without the disease spreading. The meeting participant said, The PM emphasised that there must be extra caution in red zones and hotspots, which are high-risk, with special teams assigned for them. The objective is to ensure that the infection does not move beyond the red zones and safe regions remain safe. In this backdrop, the PM called the green zones sacred, and emphasised that while practising social distancing, these regions will contribute to economic activity. The 300 districts which are safe/ green zones , I believe, should be treated as sacred, like our tirthsthans (pilgrimage sites). Our focus will be how to expand the green zone. How our life will be in the coming days will be determined by the model in the green zone, not in the orange and definitely not the red zone. It will also help ensure, the PM said, according to the participant quoted above, that the lockdown stayed but life continued as well. The mantra he gave to states was to convert red zones to orange, and orange to green zones. According to a government assessment in mid-April, 170 districts in 20 states and five Union Territories (UTs) were identified as red zones. Additionally, there were 207 orange zones in the country, and the rest of Indias 730-odd districts were classified as green zones. A district is considered a red zone if it has large outbreaks, multiple clusters or if the infection doubling rate is less than four days. If such an area does not report any new case for 14 days, it turns into an orange zone. With no cases for another 14 days, the region is then classified as green, or Covid-free. Commenting on the balancing act between health and the economy, Suyash Rai of Carnegie India said, India has now ramped up testing and got beds ready. But eventually, to fight Covid-19, you need revenue. Or fiscal resources will dry up this year. So economic activity has to start carefully with all precautions in place. The PM also repeatedly invoked a phrase he first used in a meeting with gram panchayat heads of the need to maintain do gaj doori, or a distance of two yards. He spoke, for the second time after his Mann ki Baat address on Sunday, on the indispensability of masks. The PM also said it was important not to treat those who had tested positive as criminals, while remaining vigilant. To states, he said, I want to, with all humility, say to all the CMs that if there are a spurt of cases, then your state wont be seen as guilty. If cases are low in your state, it wont be seen as great. We dont want this sentiment. We will just try to tackle it. If numbers increase in your state, dont be scared. Nine chief ministers spoke at the meeting while some others gave their inputs in writing due to constraints of time. They provided an appraisal of the situation in their respective states, while making specific demands from the Centre. Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar said it would not be possible to bring migrants back home unless the Centre issued clear directives in this regard. Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik asked for enhanced testing facilities, and a screening of migrant workers for the disease before they were sent home. Punjab CM Amarinder Singh, in a communique to the Centre, asked for opening of all small shops, businesses and industries in all areas except the containment zones. Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar asked the Central government to provide clarity on the schedules of various entrance examinations for medical and engineering college as well as for the armed forces, in the backdrop of the disruption in the academic calendar. He also provided details on the economic activities that have been resumed in the state. Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal did not speak at the meeting, but a senior state government official said that the decision on the lockdown will be taken later in the week in accordance with the guidelines laid out by the Centre. Kerala, which was represented by chief secretary Tom Jose in the meeting, has sought staggered removal of the lockdown and an exclusive Covid financial package. Kerala has also asked the Centre to expedite return of 1.8 million migrants from the state, currently in West Asian countries. Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren has sought relaxation on the ban on inter-state travel so that arrangements could be made to bring back students and migrant workers stuck in other states. Meghalaya chief minister Conrad Sangma of Meghalaya said he proposed extension of lockdown. We have mooted to continue with the lockdown post May 3rd with relaxation on activities in green zones or non-Covid affected districts in Meghalaya, Sangma tweeted after the meeting. Mizoram chief minister Zoramthanga said that the only Covid patient in the state was recovering slowly. Since we are surrounded by Myanmar, Bangladesh and neighbouring states, which also have Covid-19 patients, we cant be complacent, he said, adding that the state will relax the lockdown slightly after May 3 and allow some economic activity slowly. Another key issue in the intervention of states was that of finances. Five opposition ruled states Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Kerala, West Bengal and a Rajasthan have sought close to 2.25 lakh crore from the Centre to overcome stress on the state finances due to the national lockdown. This is in addition to demand of the state governments asking the Centre to pay the pending Goods and Services Tax (GST) compensation immediately, increase the borrowing limit from 3% of the state GDP to 5%, suspend repayment of all state development loans for a period of three months and allow flexi funds under Centrally sponsored schemes for Covid management. Former chief statistician of India, Pronab Sen, said the Centre will have to strike a balance between the financial needs of the states and the central government departments. There may be a need to re-look at the way the money is shared between the Centre and the states. The Reserve Bank of India has taken several steps to help the states but more could be needed if the lockdown continues for long. It is not time to worry about fiscal slippages and we should relax the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management norms to reduce human suffering, he said. (With inputs from HT Correspondents) [April 27, 2020] PR Council Supports the Next Generation of Industry Talent with Agency-Ready Certificate Program and Career Portal As virtual semesters come to an end, graduations are cancelled, and internships and entry level jobs dry up, the PR Council is doing its part to support the next generation of PR professionals. Targeting college students and 2020 graduates interested in public relations agency careers, PRC announced a new educational program and career portal designed to engage and offer opportunities to this important group. "Our Member firms are dedicated to being a resource for the next generation of agency superstars, which is especially critical at this time," explained PRC Board Chair, Jim Joseph, Global President of BCW Global. "Our goal is to keep them inspired about a career in the agency world and help them be even better prepared to join our workforces when businesses begin to recover." With sessions beginning in early June, the free certificate program will include agency leader-led webinars on critical subject areas such as strategic planning, applying data, social media strategy, crisis communications, medical writing, etc. Instruction on commonly used tech platforms and PR measurement are also planned. According to Kim Sample, PRC President, "Connectivity and networking have never been more important to students so the program will feature many opportunities for both, including inspirational chats with industry leaders, "A Day in the Life of" talks with junior employees and smaller mentoring groups." The PRC is reaching out to students through career development centers and PR, marketing and jounalism professors at universities across the country. Engaging diverse young people is an emphasis so intensive outreach will take place with historically black colleges and universities and diverse professionals across the industry have confirmed their desire to recruit and mentor. "New talent is the lifeblood of our agencies. In addition to helping this critical group build their skills and build their resumes, we will be able to help our Member firms easily find great talent when this challenging time is over," said Sample. The career portal will enable both groups to upload their resumes and specify areas and locations of interest. Member agencies will have access to this information when hiring resumes. Students and new grads interested in participating in the program can register here or contact [email protected] for more information. Agencies Already Committed APCO BCW Global Carmichael Lynch Relate Day One Agency Double Forte Edelman Egami Group Exponent Fahlgren Mortine Finn Partners FleishmanHillard Golin Hotwire (News - Alert) Jarrard Ketchum March Communications MWW PR PAN Communications Walker Sands WE Communications Weber Shandwick Zeno Group About PR Council Established in 1998, the PR Council (PRC) is composed of America's premier global, midsize, regional and specialty agencies across every discipline and practice. It is the leading trade association for agencies, designed to empower the present and next generation of communications professionals, industry innovators and business leaders through education, events and industry resources. The PRC's active members from over 110 leading U.S. agencies represent more than 80% (est.) of all U.S. PR firm revenues and employ over 12,000 professionals. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200427005710/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] New Delhi, April 27 : Two people involved in food distribution among the needy in Mehrauli area of south Delhi tested positive for coronavirus on Monday leading several lanes being sealed by the South district administration. According to an order signed by SDM (Mehrauli) Sonalika Jiwani on Monday, Covid positive cases have been found in Jamali Masjid Baoli, near Pahalwan Dhaba in Ward number 1, Mehrauli. Since the area was densely populated, she has ordered the entire affected area -- Nirankari Gali, Nakshtra Gali, Nala Boring Gali, Rawan Wali Gali, Jamali Masjid baoli, Dargah Gurudware wali Gali, Thane wali gali and Terminal wali gali - be sealed as one containment zone. The tally of the containment zones in the city reached 99 on Monday with another location in the New Delhi district being sealed. House numbers P-65 to P-184 in Pillanji Village were sealed on Monday. While the administration refused to comment on the political affiliation of the food distributors in the South district, Mehrauli MLA Naresh Yadav said they were volunteers. According to him, the two positive cases were involved in the food distribution as volunteers in constituency. He said close to 150 people are working as volunteers in his assembly constituency to help the government in supplying food to the needy. "They (positive cases) were responsible for food distribution in a few locations. They used to pick food from one location and deliver it at different locations. Three people were working together," Yadav told IANS. He said one of them had a fever and they decided to test all three. "Three people were tested and the reports of two are positive, while the third one was negative. Among those tested positive, one had mild symptoms while the other had no symptoms." Yadav added that the people at the locations where they were serving food will be tested too. "They (those who tested positive) were corona warriors. They were helping in food distribution among the needy. All the volunteers were taking all the precautions be it masks or sanitisers. How they get the infection will be revealed after detailed inquiry," the MLA said. He also said that neither of the two are critical. "I spoke to them. They are fine and eager to join back the work. Both are under 40 years of age," he said. According to the administration, the families where they were serving food will be tested, if anyone had symptoms. So far, over 3,000 cases have been recorded in Delhi. Opposition politicians in Pakistan are against the governments effort to review a decade-old constitutional amendment that enhanced the countrys federal form of government, restored parliamentary democracy, and made it much more difficult to launch a military coup. Opposition leaders have questioned the governments motives in seeking to review and possibly roll back the 18th Constitutional Amendment as Pakistan struggles to contain the coronavirus pandemic. Despite government claims, confirmed cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by a coronavirus infection, are rising after authorities relaxed a nationwide lockdown as the Islamic holy month of Ramadan began last week. Our nation is fighting against the coronavirus pandemic, and we need to unite against its economic fallout. [Under such circumstances,] no one can understand the logic behind creating a new conflict, lawmaker Ahsan Iqbal, a senior leader of the opposition Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N), the largest opposition group, said in a video message on April 27. The 18th Amendment was adopted with the consensus of all the political parties, which still persists, Iqbal noted. Such policies and efforts [to review this amendment] are undermining our national unity. His sentiments were echoed by other opposition politicians. Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, leader of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), the second-largest opposition group, warned Prime Minister Imran Khans administration against misinterpreting the amendment. Khans Pakistan Tehreek-e Insaf (PTI) political party had criticized the PPPs administration in the southern province of Sindh for trying to implement strict measures to contain the coronavirus outbreak. A countrys leadership is supposed to make difficult decisions when faced with a national crisis, he told the BBCs Urdu Service. But for the first time, the federal government and the prime minister are trying to detach themselves from the provinces. Aimal Wali Khan, a senior leader of the secular Awami National Party in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, alluded to an attempt to resist the move. We will not let anyone roll back the historic 18th amendment which gave autonomy and rights to the provinces, he wrote on Twitter. In a rare show of political unity, Iqbals PML-N, a conservative political party, joined forces with the liberal PPP, the ANP, and numerous smaller political parties to adopt the 18th Amendment in April 2010. The compromise was remarkable in that it united political parties across the ideological divide and drew support from minority ethnic groups in all four provinces of Pakistan. The PML-N draws most of its support from the eastern province of Punjab, which is the most populous among Pakistans provinces. Based on their numerical strength, Punjabis, the regions predominant ethnic group, dominate Pakistans institutions and economy. The PPP has governed the southern province of Sindh during most democratic dispensations since the 1970s. Pashtun and Baluch nationalist political parties from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the southwestern province of Balochistan hailed the amendment as an important milestone in achieving provincial autonomy, which had been their longstanding demand. Despite the opposition, the PTI is apparently intent on reviewing the amendment, which granted a greater share to provincial administration in national resources and devolved several ministries to the provinces. The change in supreme law also rolled back presidential powers to sack governments and empowered the prime minister to restore a parliamentary democracy. In one of the most important moves to safeguard democracy, the amendment declared abrogating or subverting the constitution high treason and even stopped the judiciary from validating such moves. Thus, the amendment effectively barred army generals from launching coups to capture power. Four army generals have ruled Pakistan for nearly half of its history since 1947. The judiciary repeatedly validated power grabs under the doctrine of necessity that argued coups were needed under Pakistans special circumstances. Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi argued Islamabad is seeking to review the amendment because while it enabled provincial administrations to garner more resources and powers from the federal government, they were not distributed at the grassroots level. We do not want to do away with the 18th Amendment. ...We want to see whether it was implemented the way it was supposed to, he told journalists on April 27. Qureshi says the government will soon begin consulting with provincial governments and opposition political parties to review the changes. But former lawmaker Afrasiab Khattak, one of the framers of the 18th Amendment, sees a larger force behind the push. [The] 18th Amendment has become the bulwark of the democratization process, hence the need for its rollback, he told RFE/RLs Gandhara website. Khattak alluded to Pakistans powerful militarys support for Khans PTI since 2014 when it staged a months-long sit-in protest in Islamabad in 2014 as part of a long-term effort to roll back the amendment. Another significant issue is the question of the distribution of national financial cake, Khattak noted. More money to the provinces means a smaller federal kitty which can endanger the huge allocation for military's expenditure from the federal budget. The military has repeatedly denied interfering in politics. But in 2018, General Qamar Javed Bajwa, the powerful Pakistani army chief, reportedly indicated that rolling back the 18th Amendment was a key objective of the security establishment a euphemism for top army generals. The perception is that the amendment has changed Pakistan from a federation to a confederation, journalist Sohail Warraich noted while describing Bajwas vision for Pakistan. But amending or undoing the amendment will require a two-thirds majority in the bicameral federal parliament. The ruling PTI currently has a wafer-thin majority in the National Assembly, or lower house, while it holds a minority in the Senate, or upper house. Online Gaming's Need for Speed A few years ago, the gaming industry predicted the world domination of console-less or cloud gaming. Since the launch of Steam in the early 2000s, it has become clear that online platforms are a fast and convenient way to deliver gaming content to consumers. As the power and speed of consumer internet connections increased, it seemed that very soon the entire gaming experience could be delivered online. Whilst this has already come true for some regions, in the UK theres a different story, with platforms such as Xbox and PlayStation still holding strong and new consoles being released by both industry juggernauts later this year. Consoles have even been holding onto their space in gamers' pockets next to their mobile phones, with the advent of the portable Nintendo Switch in 2017. In fact, when we looked into The State of Online Gaming this year, we found that the majority of global gamers surveyed (56%) said they would NOT subscribe to a live streaming console-less gaming service when available in their area. What is Holding Back the Online Gaming Wave? The early industry test case of Google Stadia has shown that when gamers reactions to a new platform are lukewarm, brand reputation and equity are at stake. One of the main takeaways from the initial consumer response was that the new platform was playable enough, but simply didnt quite live up to their audiences expectations when it came to quality. It will come as no surprise that performance issues and delays are a major turnoff for British players when it comes to online gaming platforms, with 16% saying concerns about this topic are the reason they wouldnt sign up to an online service. With a new breed of gamers emerging, a higher standard of low-latency, high performance and immersive gameplay is emerging. Gen Z have been on the block for a few years now, and their spending power is expected to grow and perhaps outstrip that of the millennial generation. From our research, UK gamers spend 1.73 hours watching online gaming, rising to over 4 hours for global gamers between the ages of 18 and 25. Half (51%) of gamers globally are now watching other people play online weekly. These figures are encouraging for the online gaming industry, however this shift in viewing habits has already caused the industry some growing pains. Typically, audiences of these kinds are highly transient. The technological challenge for online gaming platforms therefore becomes how to provide plenty of capacity for unpredictable peak gaming hours, while still using their networks effectively. In addition, content remains relevant for shorter periods of time, increasing the overall volume of content to be distributed and shortening distribution time frame. Keeping Up and Staying Competitive With the goal of attracting a young global audience comes the pressure to deliver fast, seamless, and low-latency video quality. To answer these challenges, many are turning to content delivery providers that can offer proprietary networks which can build out capacity within their existing data center footprint, offering platforms a flexible yet low-waste way to stream online gaming services to fans. Online gaming is also a more global activity than ever before. New game releases are causing serious hype among gamers, and there is a need to deliver content simultaneously across many geographies, which can differ in their delivery infrastructures and local content requirements. To achieve a seamless experience for gamers connecting from all over the world, online gaming services will need to ensure they have a resilient multi-vendor strategy which can offer global reach with the local data center footprint to bring content delivery closer to gamers wherever they are, and prevent lag or download delays being introduced at the last mile. Multiplayer video games have increased in popularity, and e-sports tournaments are becoming ever more mainstream. In fact, 46% of UK gamers say they would quit their job if they could support themselves as a professional video game player. With pro ambitions come pro expectations. In a context where every marginal gain in reaction time is crucial, gamers simply wont put up with lag or loss in video quality which may harm their competitive edge. This means streaming platforms are under pressure to deliver near-real-time video delivery at very high resolution and quality to help gamers maintain their competitive edge. As for the wider gaming community (including novices and non-professional experts), in the UK 65% of British gamers told us that the cost of such services is too high. However, at the same time it has become clear from the launch of services such as Stadia that gamers will only see online gaming platforms as representing good value when they have a large and varied library of high-quality content to stream. For new services to make the cut and earn their subscription dollars each month, this means content is king. The State of Online Gaming report found that casual single-player games and first-person shooter games remain the first and second most popular types of video game for gamers in the UK. New online services will need to tailor their offers of high-quality games and deliver with seamless pixel-prefect video to prevent consumers from logging off. Whats Next for Online Gaming? We know this space wont stay empty for long, with Amazon rumored to be launching its own online gaming service in 2021 and Facebook having just recently launched the Facebook Gaming app (reportedly earlier than originally planned). But as the online gaming industry prepares to overtake the console, the reality remains that they will be held to the same standards of video quality and game responsiveness as they have come to enjoy through our favorite offline platforms. Whatever innovative trend might come next for the online gaming industry, the support of a resilient, low-latency content infrastructure that can deliver both performance and speed is going to be essential. [Editor's Note: This is a contributed article from Limelight Networks. Streaming Media accepts vendor bylines based solely on their value to our readers.] Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content. Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist. If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter . Support our mission and join our community now. A young man has died after he was found injured in an east London street. Police have launched an investigation after officers were called to Lambert Road in Newham at 10.26pm on Sunday. They found a man aged in his mid-20s at the scene with apparent stab wounds. He was rushed to an east London hospital where he later died. His next of kin have been informed. The Met Police added that the incident is believed to have taken place on Freemasons Road near the junction with Perry Road, shortly before they were called. Detectives from the Mets Specialist Crime Command have been informed and a crime scene is in place. There have been no arrests at this time. Thiruvananthapuram, April 27 : Twelve hours after the Kerala government opened a website, on which all those who want to return from abroad would have to register, over a lakh of Kerala diaspora have registered expressing their desire to return, when the airports open. These registrations are mostly from the various Middle East countries and among it, the maximum registrations are from the UAE. The registration has to be done on www.norkaroots.org, of the state-run Norka-Roots, the official body of diaspora. This new facility was opened by the Kerala government, after the Centre, following the numerous requests from several quarters decided to take a positive step. The Union Cabinet Secretary a few days back asked the various state-chief secretaries about the arrangements and the manner in which the returning diaspora would be taken care of. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had informed the efforts of Kerala were praised by the Cabinet secretary and asked other states to follow the way Kerala has done. Vijayan also pointed out that all arrangements were ready at the four Kerala airports. Those arriving will be screened. While those with no Covid-19 symptoms will be allowed to go for home isolation, others will be quarantined under the present medical guidelines. According to the state government, various hostels, hotels, halls, private hospitals with accommodation facilities as well as floating houseboats at Alappuzha are ready to house them. While many of these coronavirus care centres would be operated for free, those wishing better facilities and comfort will have to pay. Of an estimated 2.5 million non-resident Keralites, 90 per cent of them are in the Middle East countries, three to five lakh are likely to return after the revival of air services. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text The ladies of The Real Housewives of Atlanta finally reunited to talk about all the drama from season 12. This year, the peaches had to go virtual due to the coronavirus pandemic. To keep the cast safe, Andy Cohen hosted the reunion from his apartment in New York City while the girls were in Atlanta. Nene Leakes | Tommy Garcia/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images We want to be in the same room, but we cannot risk the health and safety of the Housewives or the incredible crew in Georgia, Cohen said on his SiriusXM show. [RHOA] is regarded by many as the Super Bowl of reunion shows, and it is truly one of my favorite reunions to shoot, I look forward to it, and the fact of the matter is its either we do it this way or theres no Super Bowl this year. Fans pushed back on the notion that the reunion was not going to have the RHOA cast actually reunited. Despite the backlash, Cohen explained it was the best decision to finally wrap season 12 for good. If we wait for this pandemic to be over for when we all are in the same room, its gonna delay everything, Cohen explained. We need to move forward, we need to live in reality right now, and the reality is if were going to do this, were going to do this right now. Andy Cohen celebrates reunion day On the day of the taping, Cohen celebrated by showing off his outfit for the big event. Normally, I start this day at a hotel in Atlanta, with a full breakfast. Instead, Im home, Cohen said. I will be wearing a suit but I think Ill wear a suit and sweats or just boxers, because who is going to see? Thats my plan. Id love to just stay in this comfy robe, if you want to know the truth. What happened at the reunion? The website Love B. Scott got all the tea from the virtual reunion and many things happened that will surely get fans excited. 1. Nene Leakes was upset that Yovanna Momplaisir was invited to the reunion and alleged that the audio of Cynthia Bailey talking trash about Leakes didnt exist. 2. Porsha Williams and Leakes were a duo throughout the reunion and had each others backs during the several feuds. 3. Kenya Moore alleged that Leakes has a secret boyfriend that lives in D.C. 4. Nene Leakes walked off the reunion a number of times due to all the drama surrounding her. 5. Tanya Sam made an appearance but no major fireworks exploded in her spat with Moore. 6. Marlo Hampton was also present but her audio and connection were not the best. 7. Eva Marcille went hard on Nene Leakes. The site also reveals that she tried to shade Williams daughter by saying she looked like her father. 8. Leakes allegedly threatened Kandi Burruss with legal action but no more details were given. 9. Cynthia Bailey was reportedly the quiet one. 10. The site also points to Bailey leaving the show and Marcille returning for season 11. The Real Housewives of Atlanta Season 12 reunion will air in the coming days on Bravo. "So either way schools are safe. Loading "But I suspect the state government will want to be doing a sero-prevalence study pretty quickly to give them that extra information about whats going on in school kids. "I think that will reassure them, as well as teachers and parents, that it is quite safe." Queensland schools are open only to children of "essential workers" and children known to Queenslands Department of Child Safety. About 10 to 20 per cent of Queensland students are in classrooms. The situation would be reviewed on May 15, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said. Opposition education spokesman Jarrod Bleijie wanted to see the health advice recommending the phased approach to opening schools. "Some chief health officers are saying it is completely safe to send kids back to school and yet in Queensland no-one is releasing the advice," Mr Bleijie said. "I am calling on Annastacia Palaszczuk, if she has advice that schools are not safe, release it. "Tell the public. Be open and transparent with our community why our schools are not back." Mr Bleijie said some parents were confused why Queensland schools were not reopening where they were in other states. "They are getting anxiety because of the mixed messages from the state government." In Parliament last week, Ms Palaszczuk described the opposition as "negligent" if it pushed to rapidly reopen schools to all students. "To those opposite and to anyone who wants to rush this: do it at your own peril," she said. "All we need is an outbreak in a school and I will tell the House who those opposite will be in here blaming. They will be blaming me and they will be blaming the education minister. That is why we will take this one step at a time." On Monday, Ms Palaszczuk defended the government's stance which was based on advice from Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young. "There is concern about teachers in their staff rooms, and also the before [school] pick-up and after [school] pick-up," she said. "We are not going to rush this, we are going to get this right and I will not put the lives of our teachers, principals, school community, parents and children at risk. We will take a measured response to this." Independent Schools Queensland executive director David Robertson, who asked on Sunday for Year 11 and 12 students to return to school - was more cautious on Monday. Mr Robertson said the body, which 210 Queensland schools, recognised reopening schools was complex and would follow Queensland Health guidelines. But most of Queensland private schools wanted Year 11 and 12 students to return as quickly as possible. "Whilst independent schools will continue to follow the latest government and health advice and directives, Independent Schools Queensland has put forward its position to the government for its consideration about immediate priority to the return of Years 11 and 12 students, followed by Prep to Year 3 students," Mr Robertson said. "This cohort of Year 12s are the first to study under Queensland's new senior schooling and tertiary entrance system, which includes new subjects, a new assessment regime and the new ATARS tertiary entrance ranking." Dr Young said it was her advice, not threats from the Queensland Teachers Union, which resulted in most students learning from home. The number of coronavirus cases in the country rose to 27,892 on Monday. According to the latest figures updated by the Ministry of Health, there are 20,835 active coronavirus cases in the country, 6,184 patients have been cured or discharged while 872 people have died from the deadly contagion. There were 1,396 new cases of Covid-19 and 48 deaths in the last 24 hours. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday interacted with chief ministers of various states over the prevailing coronavirus situation in the country. While all other CMs, or their representatives, were present during the interaction, chief ministers of nine states could only speak during the meeting . Here are the latest developments: 1. Chief ministers of Meghalaya, Mizoram, Puducherry, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Odisha, Bihar, Gujarat and Haryana participated in a meeting with PM Modi via video conferencing. Other chief ministers were asked to send their submissions in writing. 2. Except for Meghalaya and Himachal Pradesh, all other states expressed willingness to lift the Covid-19 lockdown. 3. During the meeting, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar said the state has started door to door screening, similar to the polio campaign. We are working on a similar mechanism and four crore people have been screened, he said. 4. Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani said in hotspots areas of the state and after the Nizamuddin incident, Surat Vadodara and Ahmedabad have increased surveillance and started treatment of affected people. 5. Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked chief ministers to ensure no stigma is attached to the coronavirus disease in their respective states. 6. PM Modi stressed on the importance of maintaining distance to avoid coronavirus. Do gaj ki doori (a distance of two yards). We have to keep spreading this message and should be a life lesson for all, he added. 7. The RBI announced Rs. 50,000 crore Special Liquidity Facility (SLF) for mutual funds in a bid to ease liquidity pressures on mutual funds (MFs) amid the coronavirus crisis and Franklin Templeton mess. 8. PM Modi on Monday said that the 300 districts across the country where no Covid-19 positive case has been reported should be treated as sacred. 9. Haryana home minister Anil Vij said people who reside in the state but work in the national capital are corona-carriers. He has appealed to the Delhi government to make staying arrangements for such people there itself. 10. With 1002 patients, Telangana became the ninth state with over 1000 coronavirus cases in the country. Delhi government has started online mathematics classes for class 9 students of the state's government schools in collaboration with Khan Academy. The Khan Academy is a non-profit educational organisation that provides free video tutorials and interactive exercises to educate students. Delhi education minister Manish Sisodia announced the initiative on Twitter, "Excited to launch a partnership between Delhi govt schools and Khan Academy for students of Grade 9". Shailendra Sharma, senior advisor to the education minister said the key reason to introduce online maths classes for class 9 students of Delhi government school, in collaboration with Khan Academy, was to build the foundational skills needed. Also read: Coronavirus India Live Updates: PM Modi video conference with states' CMs ends, lockdown extension on cards? Last year the pass percentage of Delhi government schools' class 9 students in mathematics was merely 57 per cent. Additionally, only 71 per cent students passed in maths in class 10 board exams, despite the overall pass percentage of 97 per cent. Therefore, it was important to introduce online maths sessions, Sharma added. Schools in Delhi have been shut for more than a month due to prolonged nationwide lockdown. Therefore, Sisodia, along with a team of Delhi's education department have been trying to introduce new methods to prevent any further losses in academic activities. Class 9 students will be sent links to mathematics lessons designed by Khan Academy through SMS from Monday. The link will comprise two or three videos and a couple of activities. Sandeep Bapna, managing director of Khan Academy India, said the programme will be 10-week-long, in which parents will receive an SMS with a link each day. Delhi government started online classes for different grades on April 1. Online classes began on April 6 for class 11 students. The online class runs for one and a half hours for each subject. So far 1.33 lakh class 11 students have enrolled themselves for the online session. Also read: Coronavirus impact: 47% of startups, SMEs don't have cash to last a month, says survey Also read: Coronavirus in India: COVID-19 cases set to cross 30,000; check state-wise tally, deaths, list of testing facilities About Women's History Month Womens History Month began as a national celebration in 1981 when Congress authorized and requested the President to proclaim the week beginning March 7, 1982 as "Womens History Week." In 1987 after being petitioned by the National Womens History Project, Congress designated the month of March 1987 as Womens History Month." Between 1988 and 1994, Congress passed additional resolutions requesting and authorizing the President to proclaim March of each year as Womens History Month. Since 1995, Presidents Clinton, Bush and Obama have issued a series of annual proclamations designating the month of March as Womens History Month. ICW Programs and Events 2018 Women's History Month Proclamation from the Governor of Indiana Past Years' Proclamations Websites History of International Women's Day, March 8th Introduction International Women's Day is celebrated in many countries around the world. It is a day when women are recognized for their achievements without regard to divisions, whether national, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic or political. International Women's Day first emerged from the activities of labour movements at the turn of the twentieth century in North America and across Europe. Chronology 1909 The first National Woman's Day was observed in the United States on 28 February. The Socialist Party of America designated this day in honour of the 1908 garment workers' strike in New York, where women protested against working conditions. 1910 The Socialist International, meeting in Copenhagen, established a Women's Day, international in character, to honour the movement for women's rights and to build support for achieving universal suffrage for women. The proposal was greeted with unanimous approval by the conference of over 100 women from 17 countries, which included the first three women elected to the Finnish Parliament. No fixed date was selected for the observance. 1911 As a result of the Copenhagen initiative, International Women's Day was marked for the first time (19 March) in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland, where more than one million women and men attended rallies. In addition to the right to vote and to hold public office, they demanded women's rights to work, to vocational training and to an end to discrimination on the job. 1913-1914 International Women's Day also became a mechanism for protesting World War I. As part of the peace movement, Russian women observed their first International Women's Day on the last Sunday in February. Elsewhere in Europe, on or around 8 March of the following year, women held rallies either to protest the war or to express solidarity with other activists. 1917 Against the backdrop of the war, women in Russia again chose to protest and strike for "Bread and Peace" on the last Sunday in February (which fell on 8 March on the Gregorian calendar). Four days later, the Czar abdicated and the provisional Government granted women the right to vote. 1975 During International Women's Year, the United Nations began celebrating International Women's Day on 8 March. 1995 The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, a historic roadmap signed by 189 governments, focused on 12 critical areas of concern, and envisioned a world where each woman and girl can exercise her choices, such as participating in politics, getting an education, having an income, and living in societies free from violence and discrimination. 2014 The 58th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW58) the annual gathering of States to address critical issues related to gender equality and womens rights focused on Challenges and achievements in the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals for women and girls. UN entities and accredited NGOs from around the world took stock of progress and remaining challenges towards meeting the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The MDGs have played an important role in galvanizing attention on and resources Source: http://www.un.org/en/events/womensday/history.shtml International Womens Day: http://www.internationalwomensday.com/ EL PASO, Texas, April 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Hunt Military Communities (HMC), the military housing division of Hunt Companies, Inc., has been honored with a 2019 Air Mobility Command (AMC) Civil Engineer award at its Joint Base Charleston Family Housing community in South Carolina. This year marks the fifth time the community has been awarded the Brigadier General Michael A. McAuliffe Award for Housing Excellence. "This award would not be possible without the hard work of our dedicated military and civilian staff," said John Ehle, President of Hunt Military Communities. "We are incredibly proud that our team has been recognized for achievements in such important roles." The Brigadier General Michael A. McAuliffe Award for Housing Excellence recognizes exceptional military housing teams. This achievement was a joint effort in partnership between HMC, the military housing office, and Balfour Beatty Communities, who together manage more than 1,600 homes and 11,900 residents. Joint-Base Charleston was selected best in Air Mobility Command (AMC) four of the last five years and will compete against all other Major Commands at the Air Force level. "It is an honor to be part of a management team with such great partners," said Sandra Nelson, Housing Element Chief for the United States Air Force at Joint Base Charleston. "This award reaffirms that our team provides unprecedented housing support and exceptional customer service." About Hunt Military Communities Hunt Military Communities, the largest military housing owner, offers unsurpassed quality and service to more than 165,000 residents in approximately 52,000 homes on Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Army installations across the USA. We do this through our core values: safety, kindness, efficiency, enthusiasm and selflessness and our 5-Star Service commitment. With a 50-year legacy and a partnership with the Department of Defense, HMC strives to ensure the integrity of our military communities and the families who live there. For more information, visit www.huntmilitarycommunities.com. SOURCE Hunt Military Communities Related Links www.huntmilitarycommunities.com Groups belonging to the Sultan Murad militant faction have clashed in eastern Aleppo, causing several casualties reports Al-Masdar. Two Turkish-backed militant factions clashed in eastern Aleppo this weekend, resulting in several casualties for the parties involved. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), the clashes broke out near the Abu al-Zendayn Crossing in the city of al-Bab on Saturday. The clashes reportedly took place between armed groups loyal to the Sultan Murad militant faction, which is one of the largest rebel forces in northwestern Syria. Observatory activists have documented the death of members at a nearby checkpoint due to clashes with another group of Sultan Murad, the monitor reported. The armed fight, which lasted until the early hours of Sunday morning, left many injured. After these bloody actions, a commander of Sultan Murad worked with a group from the same faction to contain the situation, while tensions are on the rise, they added. The Turkish-backed militants have clashed on several occasions in al-Bab, prompting the Turkish military to crackdown on some of these groups to prevent more violence from breaking out. This article was edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. Genetics make some people more susceptible to coronavirus infection than others, data gathered from a symptom-tracking app suggests. The findings are based on information submitted to the 'Covid Symptom Tracker' app, which was launched by researchers at Kings College London last month. As well as encouraging members of the public to track their symptoms, the researchers asked thousands of twins in the UK, who were already part of another research project, to use the app. They then used this data to try and establish whether the symptoms experienced by those predicted to have COVID-19 were related to their genetic makeup. The results reveal that genetic factors explain about 50 per cent of the differences between peoples symptoms of COVID-19. These symptoms include delirium, fever, fatigue, shortness of breath, diarrhoea and loss of taste and smell in individuals, they found. Other symptoms such as hoarse voice, cough, chest pain and abdominal pain were thought to be a result of the surrounding environment and not genetic make-up. The Kings College London project used information regarding twins health, symptoms and level of contact with their co-twin to develop a model to understand how much genes influence symptom presentation in COVID-19 The research into identical and non-identical twins, as part of TwinsUK, allows researchers to understand to what extent health and disease is affected by genes 'nature' and the environment 'nurture'. 'The idea was to basically look at the similarities in symptoms or non-symptoms between the identical twins, who share 100 per cent of their genes, and the non-identical twins, who only share half of their genes,' Professor Tim Spector, a genetic epidemiology at King's College, London and one of the lead developers of the app, told the Guardian. 'If there is a genetic factor in expressing the symptoms then wed see a greater similarity in the identical than the non-identical and that is basically what we showed.' Prevalence of symptoms in TwinsUK study. The highest reported symptoms from the 2,633 adult same sex twins was coughing (in 252 twins), chest pain (216), diarrhoea (167) and skipped meals (157). Right column shows the twins separated by sex He added: 'This disease is very weird, the way it has a very different presentation in the population in different people what we are showing is that isnt random. 'It is not mainly due to where you live or who you have seen a lot of it is something innate about you. 'I think you can say that your likelihood of getting it at all, or getting it severely, is under some genetic control.' It is hoped the findings published in a pre-print non-peer-reviewed paper online could provide scientists with an indication on how to go about developing treatments, as well as helping to identify high-risk groups. The 'Covid Symptom Tracker', which collected symptoms data from the twins, is a free app for Android and iOS that lets Brits self-report their health status daily, even if they are feeling well. The free app for Android and iOS that lets Brits self-report their health status daily, even if they are feeling well A collaboration between researchers at Kings College London, Guys and St Thomas hospitals and health data science company ZOE, the tracker provides real-time locations of COVID-19 symptoms as they crop up. Collected symptom data aims to help slow the outbreak of COVID-19 in the UK by identifying how fast the virus is spreading in an area, as well as high risk areas of the country. Around 48 hours after its launch in late March it became the third most popular free app in Apple's UK store. It was being downloaded generally at a rate of about 50,000 times an hour, the developers confirmed to MailOnline. Some two million people in the UK have downloaded the app, which is helping to inform scientists about the virus's progression. Users log responses to a variety of health questions daily. The developers aim to launch a web-based version of the app for people without smartphones However, the number actually using the app fell by almost 75 per cent earlier this month. In an email to all sign-ups of the app earlier this month, Professor Spector urged people to keep using the app to help the NHS. 'Please keep using the app every day to tell us how you feel, even if you are healthy and have no symptoms,' he said. 'This data is incredibly valuable to help the NHS track the disease in real time and allocate resources where they are needed most. 'If you could take 30 seconds each day to report how you feel, your individual contribution will play a huge role in our collective effort to beat the disease in the UK.' Analysis of the data published on April 8 suggests coronavirus lockdown is working, with the number of people aged 20-69 reporting symptoms falling from 1.9 million to 1.4 million across the UK. Upon sign-up, users of the COVID-19 tracker have to enter their year of birth, sex, weight, height, postcode and email address. They then answer general questions about their health, such as whether they smoke, suffer from lung disease or asthma, or any health problems that limit their activities. Its hoped this information will identify who is most at risk by better understanding the COVID-19 symptoms that are linked to health conditions. Users then answer whether they have been tested for COVID-19 and choose one of two options regarding their health I feel healthy as normal and Im not feeling quite right. The second option takes them through a set of questions, many relating to COVID-19 symptoms persistent coughing, shortness of breath and fatigue. Upon completion users are asked to check back in the next day to log another health status update. The app was tested using participants from the TwinsUK study a near-30-year-long scientific study of 15,000 identical and non-identical twins for health research purposes. Around 5,000 twins and their families across the UK had been recruited from the TwinsUK project to trial the app. Our twins are fantastically committed, enthusiastic health research participants who have already been studied in unprecedented detail, putting us in a unique position to provide vital answers to support the global fight against COVID-19, said Professor Spector. KALAMAZOO, MI Kalamazoo County continues to see an uptick in COVID-19 cases with 12 more reported on Sunday, April 26. For the 11th consecutive day the county saw an increase of 11 or more cases. With the dozen new cases and one death on Sunday, Kalamazoo County now has a total of 292 cases and 12 deaths, according to data from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. No information about the countys most recent death has been made available at this time. RELATED: Michigan reports 41 new coronavirus deaths, lowest since March 29 Kalamazoo County, which was yet to see a single day of more than eight new cases prior to April 16 when the double-digit spikes began, reported just 104 cases on April 15. The county experienced a single-day high of 37 new cases reported on April 24. Testing has ramped up recently in Kalamazoo County as a rolling testing site has begun to make its way through the community, testing hundreds over the past two weeks. It is considered a factor in the increase in positive cases. More than 300 patients were scheduled to be tested Thursday, April 23 in the parking lot at Kalamazoo Loy Norrix High School, Family Health Center CEO Denise Crawford told MLive. The next rolling site will be open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Thursday, April 30, in the parking lot of Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency, located at 1819 E Milham Ave in Portage. Crawford said the testing is free and open to all community members, regardless of whether they have been Family Health Center patients in the past or have a primary medical provider. Individuals who are hoping to get tested must first call the center at 269-488-0804 to undergo a pre-test evaluation and assessment to determine whether it is appropriate for them to be tested. Browser does not support frames. Per confirmed cases of the of COVID-19, the age group with the most people contracting the disease is 40-49, making up 16.8% of all cases countywide, according to the county health department. The 30-39 age group makes up 16.5% and the 20-29 age group makes up 15.5%. Women represent 54% of all cases countywide. Black residents make up 34%of Kalamazoo Countys total confirmed cases, according to the county data, while they represent less than 12% of the countys total population, according to the latest census data. According to a municipal breakdown of Kalamazoo County cases, 64% of cases are within the cities of Kalamazoo and Portage, 25% are in the western portion of the county and 11% are in the eastern portion. The average age of Kalamazoo County residents who have died with COVID-19 is 80. About 11 percent of confirmed cases countywide are in patients older than 80. Bronson Healthcare reported there are currently 30 patients in its hospitals that have tested positive with COVID-19, with 17 patients at Bronson Methodist and 13 patients at Bronson Battle Creek, according to data posted by hospital officials Friday. Fifty patients have recovered from the COVID-19 within the Bronson hospital system, hospital officials reported. Nearby, Berrien County reported two deaths on Sunday, bringing its totals to 215 cases and 14 deaths. Calhoun County reported 11 new cases Sunday. The county now has 202 reported cases and 10 deaths. Statewide, there were 575 new positive cases of COVID-19 reported Sunday by the MDHHS, bringing the total number of coronavirus cases around the state to 37,778. There were 41 new deaths with COVID-19 reported Sunday, increasing the death tally to 3,315, statewide data shows. Related: Michigan reports 41 new coronavirus deaths, lowest since March 29 Sorry, but your browser does not support frames. Read all of MLives coverage on the coronavirus at mlive.com/coronavirus. Additional information is also available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and at www.kalcounty.com/hcs/covid19.php. Also on MLive: Kalamazoo County hiring temporary nurses at coronavirus quarantine facility for homeless A timeline of coronavirus in the Kalamazoo area Whitmer extends order loosening scope of practice laws for health care workers Whitmer orders shopping hours for vulnerable residents, masks for employees checking out customers United to continue service in and out of Kalamazoo throughout pandemic Sunday, April 26: Latest developments on coronavirus in Michigan NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine (right) shows President Donald Trump technology the agency has developed to fight the coronavirus pandemic, including a sterilization device and an oxygen hood, on April 24, 2020. President Donald Trump inspected new technology developed by NASA to help fight the coronavirus pandemic and its associated respiratory disease, COVID-19, on April 24. NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine brought an oxygen hood, a sterilizing device and a ventilator to the White House to show Trump how the agency is working to support the pandemic response. The U.S. has nearly 1 million confirmed cases of COVID-19, which has killed nearly 55,000 people in the country so far, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. "The question is, what do you do with rocket scientists when they stay at home?" Bridenstine told Trump. "Well, what they do is they build amazing things." Related: Full coverage of the space industry and the new coronavirus Bridenstine had brought with him three examples of technology that agency employees have been developing in the six weeks or so since the pandemic entered the U.S. in earnest and the four weeks since the agency launched the NASA @ WORK program to crowdsource its pandemic response activities. Typically, engineers at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center in California work on technologies related to aircraft; lately, some have instead developed an oxygen hood in partnership with commercial suborbital spaceflight company Virgin Galactic. The new device provides the oxygen pressure COVID-19 patients require while protecting healthcare workers from infection, Bridenstine said. Another technology on display builds on NASA's dedication to spacecraft sterilization and planetary protection, preventing contamination of other worlds. "We took that technology to sterilize a spacecraft and we said how do we use that to sterilize the inside of a room, and that's what this device is," Bridenstine said. "It will fog the room and every surface in the room will then be sterilized. No coronavirus." Ambulances have been using an early version of this technology transfer for a while, he said, but the new step will scale up the technology to tackle the larger dimensions of a room. Bridenstine said he sees it being used in schools, prisons and businesses, among other locations. The sterilization process takes about an hour and had previously been used against Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), which is a close relative of the new coronavirus, and Ebola. "We believe it's going to be very effective for coronavirus as well," Bridenstine said. Bridenstine also displayed a new ventilator designed by staff at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in California within about a month. The ventilator is specialized for COVID-19, which requires high-pressure ventilation; the Mount Sinai hospital group in New York tested the ventilator using a state-of-the-art lung simulator and approved of it. "The real difference is an ICU ventilator, a traditional one that you'd find in a hospital right now, is meant to deal with any kind of situation," Dave Gallagher, associate director for strategic integration at JPL, told Trump during the same meeting. "This is really targeted for COVID-19 patients." According to Gallagher, the new ventilator is also simpler to make and relies on non-specialized parts, so production won't interfere with medical companies ramping up ventilator production. He was hesitant to name a price but estimated the device would cost $3,000 or $4,000 to manufacture, significantly cheaper than typical intensive-care ventilators. Caltech, which operates JPL, released the design on a royalty-free license for companies to begin production. Email Meghan Bartels at mbartels@space.com or follow her @meghanbartels. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook. Rajesh Abraham By Express News Service KOCHI: When two health workers in Kochi contracted Covid-19 last month, the health department recommended the use of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) as a preventive drug against the new coronavirus for three of their colleagues who were the close contacts of the patients. HCQ, an old anti-malarial drug, has been in limelight in recent weeks as a potential treatment for Covid-19. Doctors suggested it would be better to check the ECG of the three health workers before administering them HCQ as there could be cardiovascular issues due to hydroxychloroquine. Since it was voluntary, none of the three health workers took the HCQ dose even though their ECG showed no signs of cardiac issues, said a health official. But, this incident seems to be an exception rather than a norm. It is learnt that at least 5,000 health workers, including doctors in Kerala have used HCQ, touted as the magic drug for the Covid-19 treatment. Dr Vibha Santosh, faculty-internal medicine, Government Medical College, Ernakulam, told TNIE that the state government had issued guidelines for the use of HCQ on March 24, after the National Taskforce for Covid-19 constituted by the Indian Council for Medical Research recommended the use of HCQ for prophylaxis of SARS-Cov-2 for high-risk infection. The guidelines said HCQ can be used for asymptomatic healthcare workers involved in the care of suspected or confirmed cases of Covid-19 and to asymptomatic household contacts of laboratory-confirmed cases. The guidelines prescribe the asymptomatic workers involved in the care of suspected or confirmed cases of Covid-19 take 400 mg dose twice a day on day 1, followed by 400 mg once weekly for seven weeks to be taken with meals. The use of HCQ in Kerala widely comes amid reports that the malaria drug showed no benefit in a relatively large trial of its use at veterans hospitals in the United States. According to research, about 28 per cent who were given hydroxychloroquine plus usual care died, as against the 11 per cent of those getting routine care alone on a sample of 368 patients. Its voluntary and it is recommended for the doctors and other healthcare workers, who were in close contact with the high-risk Covid patients. As far as I know, at least 5,000 healthcare workers may have used the HCQ, said Dr Praveen G S, epidemiologist, Government Medical College, Ernakulam. Hydroxychloroquine has been used for treating malaria for many years. The decision rests on the individual whether to take the drug or not, Dr Praveen said, and added that the fairly high numbers of cardiac-related side effects for those taking the HCQ may be due to the large number of persons taking the drug now. When you administer the drug on 10 persons, its not visible. But when the drug is taken by over several thousands of people, the chances of such cardiac cases coming out is only natural, he said. The use of HCQ in Kerala widely comes amid reports that the malaria drug showed no benefit in a relatively large trial of its use at veterans hospitals in the United States. HCQ, an old anti-malarial drug, has been in limelight in recent weeks as a potential treatment for Covid-19. Doctors suggested it would be better to check the ECG of the three health workers before administering them HCQ as there could be cardiovascular issues due to hydroxychloroquine. Midland County added four new positive coronavirus cases Monday, bringing the total count to 56 cases and three deaths, according to the daily state report. MidMichigan Health, which covers a 23-county region, including a medical center in Midland, reported Monday that to date it had completed a total of 2,137 tests. Of those, 1,855 were negative, 171 were positive and 111 are pending. Bay County on Monday recorded seven more cases and another death, bringing its count to 122 cases and three deaths. Isabella County added two more cases and Gladwin County none, with total counts of 57 cases and seven deaths and 11 cases and one death, respectively. Saginaw County added 28 cases and four deaths, bringing its count to 586 cases and 47 deaths. The state added 432 new cases and 92 deaths on Monday. Overall, Michigan is at 38,210 cases and 3,407 deaths. The average death age is 74.4, according to the state website, mich.gov, with the deceased ranging in age from 5 to 107. The state lists 40% of the deceased as 80-plus and 27% age 70-79. State statistics show 55% of coronavirus deaths are male and 45% are female. The state lists the total recovered at 8,342 cases, as of April 24, which represents COVID-19 confirmed individuals with an onset date on or prior to March 25, 2020, according to the state website, mich.gov. The numbers will be updated every Saturday. The state lists the majority of races in positive cases as 32% Black/African American; 32% Caucasian and 22% unknown, and the top three races in deaths as 41% Black/African American; 44% Caucasian and 9% 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," said Fred Yanoski, Midland County Public Health director/health officer. "We know that COVID-19 is in our community, and our residents can make a huge impact on slowing the spread of disease by following the recommended precautions." If you think you've been exposed to COVID-19 and develop a fever and symptoms such as cough or difficulty breathing, call your health care provider for medical advice. If he/she isn't available call MidMichigan Urgent Care in Midland at 989- 633-1350 or MidMichigan Medical Center's Emergency Department in Midland at 989-839-3100. MidMichigan Health has a COVID-19 informational hotline with a reminder of CDC guidelines and recommendations. The hotline can be reached toll-free at 800-445-7356 or 989-794-7600. Michigan Department of Health and Human Services also has a hotline number for Michigan residents for questions about COVID-19. The number is 1-888-535-6136 and is available seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Residents can also 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. With the US withdrawal under way, India has to find its place in the post-peace geopolitics of the region. Kabul, Afghanistan A week after a US-led invasion overthrew the Taliban regime in November 2001, a plane carrying a small delegation of Indian diplomats landed in Bagram airbase, north of Kabul, the born-again capital of the newly-liberated country. It marked New Delhis re-entry in Afghanistan five years after it was forced to escape the country after Taliban assumed power in Kabul on September 26, 1996. The Taliban was defeated by Afghanistans Northern Alliance forces helped by the US-led NATO forces in the wake of the deadly attacks on US soil in September 2001. When we returned to Afghanistan, the perception of India was mixed, recalled former Indian ambassador to Afghanistan, Gautam Mukhopadhya, who was part of the first delegation that arrived in Kabul in 2001. The daylong visit was among the first diplomatic missions to have arrived in the Afghan capital to reopen their embassy, signifying the strategic importance of Afghanistan for India. Cultivated a strong relationship Since then, India has cultivated a strong relationship with successive Afghan governments, investing heavily in the development and infrastructure of the war-ravaged country, with the total aid of nearly $2bn since 2001, the largest that New Delhi has contributed to any nation. India's Afghan outreach, that of developmental aid, people to people contact and so on relied on the security cover provided by the US and its allies. With that gone, the policies of New Delhi will need a serious re-visit. Kabir Taneja, Fellow, The Observer Research Foundation For the victorious Northern Alliance and their constituents and supporters, we were allies. But for a lot of ordinary Afghans who opposed the PDPA [Peoples Democratic Party of Afghanistan], we had to overcome a trust-deficit going back to our support for the latter, Mukhopadhya, who is now a senior fellow at the Center for Policy Research, told Al Jazeera. The PDPA was a pro-USSR party under whose government Afghanistan was invaded by Soviet forces in December 1979. The United States intervened in the Afghan civil war, supplying arms and ammunition to fighters or mujahideen against Soviet occupation. Much of mistrust was overcome with a combination of support for anti-Taliban forces, humanitarian initiatives, scholarships and, of course, the popularity of Indian popular culture, especially Bollywood, he added. Return of Taliban? Nearly 20 years later, India has a mounting diplomatic challenge as the Taliban, which New Delhi has despised, appears to be making a comeback to Kabuls power corridor. Despite significant investments and interests in Afghanistan, India has largely stayed out of the Afghan peace negotiation between the US and the Taliban armed group, that started nearly two years ago and culminated in a deal on February 29. And now with the US withdrawal under way, and a potential start of the intra-Afghan talks, India has to find its place in the post-peace geopolitics of the region. Even in the best of scenarios, it is unlikely that Taliban would be open to working with India. For instance, the Taliban may not want the army cadets to be trained in India Hekmatullah Azamy, Kabul-based political analyst For those watching the developments closely remain deeply concerned over the future of Indias stakes in the extremely fragile and dynamic situation. New Delhi has backed Afghanistans democratic system, and put its weight behind the presidency of Ashraf Ghani, said Kabir Taneja, a security analyst and a fellow at the Observer Research Foundation. However, even as an expected actor in an event such as talks with the Taliban, New Delhi unfortunately built limited capacities over the years for its opinion to be strong enough to be a by definition regional player in helping Afghanistan politically, he said. With much to lose, India has kept a watchful eye on the negotiations, participated in the talks in Moscow and was even invited to the signing of the deal between the US and the Taliban in the Qatari capital Doha. It can be argued whether India has been able to convert this political capital into strategic assets and value, but to my mind, we have deliberately not played our strategic cards in Afghanistan. We are capable of doing so, Mukhopadhya said, adding that if the Taliban and Afghan leadership sit down and talk, India will definitely support such talks. Hekmatullah Azamy, deputy director at the Centre for Conflict and Peace Studies in Kabul, said India will have to undoubtedly start a dialogue with the Taliban. It also needs to be seen if the Taliban will be open to talking to them, he said. Talibans relationship with Pakistan and militant groups in the region will have a huge impact on the future of India in Afghanistan, Azamy said, adding that while Taliban in the 1990s was far more independent of foreign influence, they still leaned towards Pakistan on policies related to India. Both Kabul and New Delhi have accused Islamabad of backing armed groups charges Pakistan has denied. And in turn, Pakistan would use the Afghan territory against India, such as during the [Indian] plane highjack [in 1999]. In contrast, the Taliban is far less independent and under Pakistan influence giving them far more say in dictating policies towards India such as those related to [disputed] Kashmir et al. So the situation could be worse than it was in 1990s, Azamy speculated. Indias cautious approach Indeed, New Delhis caution is tied to the role that Pakistan played in its backing of the US-Taliban talks, raising concerns that it could potentially be sidelined in a post-peace Afghanistan. Indian investments in Afghanistan are for the people of Afghanistan. Pakistan will of course try its best to sideline or harm these investments but popular support for them and India will remain, Mukhopadhya, the former Indian diplomat, said. However, considering these dynamics, the eventual peace deal is likely to limit not just Indias leverage in post-peace Afghanistan, but also the work they do in the country. Even in the best of scenarios, it is unlikely that Taliban would be open to working with India. For instance, the Taliban may not want the army cadets to be trained in India, Azamy said. Already, as the US begins withdrawal of its forces from Afghanistan, Indian-led projects are bound to face the heat. India appears less than convinced that the conditions for peace talks exist. Gautam Mukhopadhya, former India ambassador Indias Afghan outreach, that of developmental aid, people to people contact and so on relied on the security cover provided by the US and its allies. With that gone, the policies of New Delhi will need a serious re-visit, Taneja, the foreign policy expert, pointed out. [Joining the talks] was never going to be an easy decision to make for India, but the lack of it also limits New Delhis strategic scope if the Taliban is indeed mainstreamed in some capacity in Afghan electoral politics. It remains unclear whether such clarity on what to do next on Afghanistan in wake of the US-Taliban deal exists in way of a confident and clear strategic road map, he added. However, Mukhopadhya argues that Indias cautious approach is calculated and not lack of strategy. India appears less than convinced that the conditions for peace talks exist, he says. Even today, with differences over prisoner release, increased attacks against the ANDSF [Afghan forces], refusal of the Taliban to recognise the Afghan government, and the political divisions among democratic forces, there are questions whether such talks can even get started. Indias caution is therefore justified. [New] Delhi is aware of what is happening, and prepared but not alarmed over the situation, he says. However, as intra-Afghan talks trudge forward, India is at a crucial crossroads that will set the tone for its future involvement in Afghanistan, and by extension in regional security. But much will depend on the Talibans place in the power structure, the former Indian diplomat said. If [the Taliban come] through a military takeover, as it was last time, we should be prepared for the worst, but if it is as an outcome of, or through intra-Afghan talks, a modus vivendi can be found, Mukhopadhya said. DESPITE the uncertainty surrounding the dates for the re-opening of schools due to the coronavirus pandemic, some private institutions have already hiked their fees for the second term, the Daily News reports. This comes as the government is preparing to introduce far-reaching regulations for all schools, including cutting the number of students per class, to enhance necessary Covid-19 physical distancing. Documents in possession of the Daily News show that although the government has ruled out schools re-opening next week, some private schools have pushed up their fees significantly for the second term, which they also want paid as soon as possible. Among these schools are Peterhouse Group of Schools in Marondera, St Johns College in Harare and Heritage School. Peterhouse is charging $79 500 or US$1 590 for Peterhouse Girls (PHG) day scholars a term, while Peterhouse Boys School boarders should pay $133 000 or US$2 660. St Johns wants $99 000 or US$1 650 from its Form Six students, $90 000 or US$1 500 for forms One to Four, $66 000 or US$1 100 for its preparatory level pupils, and $54 000 or US$900 for Early Childhood Development (ECD) learners. St Johns wants $99 000 or US$1 650 from its Form Six students, $90 000 or US$1 500 for forms One to Four, $66 000 or US$1 100 for its preparatory level pupils, and $54 000 or US$900 for Early Childhood Development (ECD) learners. As you will be well aware, we have for some time been operating in increasingly difficult circumstances in Zimbabwe. The latest unwelcome challenge we face is the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic which has only served to complicate things further. At this point in time, we have had no communication from the ministry of Education and, therefore, we do not know whether schools will re-open on Tuesday 5 May, St Johns said in its letter to parents and guardians. However, you will be aware, St Johns had already started online and remote schooling at the end of the first term which was truncated by the lockdown. Since then, the schools management and staff have been hard at work, both continuing with the provision of online learning and proactively preparing and improving systems for online and remote teaching in the event that the lockdown extends beyond the start of the trinity term. From a financial perspective, our schools continue to incur fixed costs, whether the schools are fully open with students attending school, or in providing online and remote teaching, the school said further. For this reason, your board has decided at this stage to raise an interim deposit to meet these fixed costs for the trinity term. This deposit covers the cost of ensuring that academic online and remote teaching operation will be in place for the full term, it added. On its part, Peterhouse said its executive committee had met on March 21, with one of the items on the agenda being the issue of school fees for the new term. While a provisional incremental increase in the real value of school fees was approved, it was resolved to hold off on any communication in this regard, in order to also take into account the unfolding coronavirus pandemic. We request parents to pay a deposit towards the trinity terms school fees to cover the fixed costs of running the three schools for the next four months, it said in its letter accompanying the new fees structure. Heritage School justified its fees hike by saying its senior department had been working with children through the e-learning platform. The school is demanding US$900 from its preparatory pupils, US$1 150 for those in year one and two, US$1 350 in year three to seven, US$1 650 for those in year eight to 13, and US$1 750 for those in boarding. We circulated deposit figures in March. In line with the governments relation on the use of foreign currency in the economy, we have reviewed our fees and pegged them in US dollars for the full term. We hope that this makes it easier for your plans and gives you flexibility of deciding which currency is easier for you to pay fees in, it said in its letter to parents. However, the government told the Daily News last week that it was premature for schools to start demanding fees. There are so many issues which must be looked into before we talk about fees. Days after celebrating recovery, pastor and father of 9 dies of coronavirus complications Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment David Ford, a beloved Michigan pastor, longtime UPS driver and father of nine who friends say shared an inspiring testimony about beating the new coronavirus, died Tuesday of complications from the disease. He was 59. Ford, who led the Friendship House of Prayer in Lansing for several years, is now being mourned by his family and many in his community like Lansing Mayor Andy Schor who had already began celebrating his recovery. I am deeply saddened by the passing of Pastor Ford of Friendship House of Prayer. He was a wonderful friend to me and the city of Lansing. I spoke with him just last week and he shared an incredible story as a survivor of COIVD-19. The passing of Pastor Ford is a tremendous loss to the church, to me personally as a friend and to the city of Lansing. My thoughts are with him, his family, his friends and his congregation during this difficult time, Schor said in a statement on Facebook Thursday. Schor further told WILX that Fords survivor story was quite exceptional." "He was telling me he was on a ventilator, breathing fire, in bad shape and laying on ice, but he was able to come through it," the mayor said. "He wanted to share his story so people will know what it was like to battle this virus and not lose faith." Bishop David Maxwell, a ministry colleague, told news station WILX that the late pastor had tested positive for the coronavirus in late March and was admitted to Beaumont Hospital for seven days. He started feeling better and was subsequently discharged to go home. "He was excited, as ever, looking forward to preaching the Gospel and thankful to be home," Maxwell said. On Sunday, however, Ford preached from his home about the resurrection in what would be his final sermon. Ford's family told WILX that the pastor started feeling ill again and quickly died. "It was shocking. I was sad, I was angry, I was upset that my friend who was a leader in Lansing succumbed to this after surviving, Schor said. The Lansing mayor remembered Fords messages as uplifting. "You always really felt good about yourself after his service," he said. "It was loud, fun, informative, and serious." Maxwell called him extraordinary. "He was an extraordinary person, a lovable person who harbored no ill will to anyone. His smile was contagious, the bishop recalled. "His imprint on the hearts and minds in the landscape of our community has not ended. It will continue to go on." Fords cousin, JoAnn Bell, noted on Facebook that he was really somebody. Please pray for Davids Wife Cassandra Ford and the Entire Ford Family ..........Our Cousin Pastor David Ford made his Transition yesterday to be with the Lord, he surely earned his wings a long time ago, ...however, we just wasnt ready for him to leave us so soon, she noted Wednesday. If you really knew Pastor David Ford, you couldnt help but LOVE HIM AS WHO HE WAS.... and how he loved the Lord, his wife, his children, and his family and church family, & friends. He could really sing and play that piano/ organ, and preaching under the anointing of God. He was really somebody. Please lift his wife up in prayer as she loved her husband tremendously! My heart is broke into pieces! Parishioner Sylvia Hatcher noted on his obituary page Friday that he was a great pastor. Pastor David Ford was the most gentle, kind, loving person that Ive known. He was a great pastor and I will miss him very much. He did a lot for the community and he loved the Friendship House of Prayer Baptist Church family. I love him and I will never forget him. My sincere condolences to Cassandra, Davona and the entire Ford family, she wrote. Cassandra Ford said even though she was devastated by her husband's death, I know God is still in control and that is the only this I can hold on to." A key player of a failed plot to smuggle almost 800kg of MDMA into Australia has been sentenced to a minimum 12 years in prison. Mostafa Dib, 37, was among a group of men arrested in Dubai in 2017 during one of the largest crackdowns on organised crime in Australia. Mostafa Dib will be eligible for parole in 2029. Credit:Jeffrey Smith The 800kg of MDMA was part of a broader network that attempted to import 1.8 tonnes of illicit drugs from the Netherlands into Australia. Arrested alongside Dib in Dubai was Michael Ibrahim, the brother of Kings Cross identity John Ibrahim; and other Sydney underworld figures. Lockdown is police action, govt must save lives After long 42 days the first Covid-19 case was detected in the country, the government on April 18 had formed a 17-member 'national technical advisory committee' comprising experts of different fields to find ways to improve the coronavirus health services. Interestingly, we've seen no activities of the committee in the last nine days and even didn't hear of providing any technical advice to the government. In particular, the people see no active role being played by them as expert advisers in respect of the fight against coronavirus. Fighting the disease is not a matter of whims but a matter of mainly medical specialists. No government spokesman announced of getting any recommendation or guideline from the committee till the date. According to an official of Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), a big number of hidden cases are now silently transmitting the fatal virus in different areas. As the IEDCR and other bodies are testing people only those have specific symptoms, a large number of possibly infected persons have to remain outside of its purview. But we learn from the experts in the world about the disease that testing for all and tracing the affected people are vital for restraining spread of the disease which goes like wildfire. This government is so much dominated by sycophantic lies that the information supplied by government has no reason to believe. So the people are not getting convincing information and no expert advice from the members of the expert committee. Declaring continuation of lockdown is essentially a police decision to be enforced by the police. But the Prime Minister had come out to announce the fact with no political plans for making lockdown tolerable. It is for everybody to see in horror that the government has not yet shown any urgency for reviving the health service system that suffered extreme negligence and also made worse by extensive corruption. Still now we are uncertain about procuring testing kits and essential instruments for equipping the hospitals for offering kind treatment the corona patients need. To put it mildly our hospitals are not yet ready to accept the affected patients as there is no adequate intensive care facilities. The world view is -- testing and tracing are of greatest importance to deal with the contamination of the disease. Mere lockdown is not fighting the disease. It is a puzzle that the government had formed three experts' bodies including a task force jointly with the armed forces. But none of the committees are visibly active. The task force should have been used to put muscle into the activities of the administration. There is no appreciable activity of the government administration which is at the breaking point. The police have been used as an all embracing force. The problem is we have such a government which cannot work itself or allow others to help it. That is why we are unhappily saying that there is leadership crisis for running the government. The government's initiatives for capacity building by increasing labs and providing other medical equipment are also very poor in comparison to its vast need. There are people within the government who are both incompetent and intolerant. As per Monday's official statement, the total number of infected corona patients has reached 5,913 in Bangladesh. It's believed that the number will be increased in many folds if it was possible to conduct widespread tests from urban to rural areas. Similarly, the number of death toll now stands at 152. Because of the absence of trust these figures are taken with a grain of salt. What is really important is to know what steps are being taken to save the people who are alive and how to stop contracting others. Social distancing is not practiced and there is not enough campaign either to educate the masses how it is to be followed. Already many people are crowded in streets of Dhaka, Chattogram and other cities protesting for not getting help and going hungry. They cannot be expected to die along with their children locked up at home. They want to get back to their jobs and earn their livelihood. They do not want to hear and obey lockdown restrictions. The government is not showing any understanding how to cope with the crisis. WHO has cautioned about partial opening because social distancing is not easy to observe. There is pressure on the government so the decision was taken allowing partisan relaxation of the lockdown. Some garment factories have opened up with limited workforce. The decision is very risky unless the government can enforce social distancing. The factory workers have complained about not getting their wages for the month of March. Though money was available as loan for the factory owners, there is mismanagement about who will get the jobs and who will not. So unless the government can come to rescue the economy from devastation of the pandemic the crisis will be aggravated. Issuing directions without workable strategy formulated rationally, the whole nation will be in the turmoil of public wrath. The people with empty stomach know no law. Russia's top diplomat says another Normandy Four summit can't be held anytime soon. Russia has once again denied accusations of being a direct party to the conflict in and around Donbas. Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, delivering an online lecture to MGIMO students ruled out the holding of the summit of the Normandy Four (Ukraine, Russia, France, and Germany) leaders on Donbas settlement anytime soon, an UNIAN correspondent in Russia reports. "The next summit, in Berlin, was scheduled for this April, now for the current period. Any summit is off the table because everything that was agreed in Paris is being blocked within the [Trilateral] Contact Group [in Minsk], in Parliament of Ukraine, and Ukrainian government," said Lavrov. Read alsoUkraine blocks another Russian draft UN resolution aimed at sanction lift He said that attempts by Andriy Yermak, Head of Ukrainian President's Office, and his Russian counterpart Dmitry Kozak, to push the political agreements off the ground "are being torpedoed amid accusations of treason." Lavrov has complained that Ukraine seeks to transfer the issue of Donbas settlement primarily to the Normandy Four platform. "Statements are being made that the Contact Group is no longer relevant, they are trying to represent Russia as a party to the conflict, they are trying to completely withdraw Donetsk and Luhansk from among participants in talks," Lavrov said. He also expressed outrage that Ukraine insists that Russia is an aggressor state, while the OSCE is a mediator. As UNIAN reported earlier, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said he was not observing any serious shifts in Ukraine's policies toward Russia and neither was he seeing any changes in Russia's policies toward Ukraine. Since 2014, the top diplomat noted, the same set of issues has been discussed, while main narratives of the negotiating sides have remained unchanged all along. "Russia insists now that it's not a party to the conflict with the same level of vigor and assertiveness as it did so in 2014. Russia calls on Ukraine to engage in direct dialogue with the so-called Luhansk and Donetsk people's republics as it has been doing since 2014," the minister said. For its part, Kuleba added, Ukraine does not engage in direct dialogue with the said entities that are controlled by Russia. "We insist that the Trilateral Contact Group is deliberately called trilateral because it consists of Ukraine, Russia, and OSCE. And of course, we consider Russia as a party to the conflict and not as a mediator or a facilitator or in any other capacity," Kuleba said. Advertisement The UK today announced 360 more coronavirus deaths - the lowest daily count recorded since March 30 when just 180 fatalities were registered. England declared 329 more COVID-19 deaths, Scotland 13, Northern Ireland 10 and Wales eight, taking the total number of COVID-19 victims past 21,000. Although the statistics are known to drop following the weekend, the sharp fall adds to evidence that the peak of the UK's epidemic has blown over, with April 8 known to be Britain's deadliest day (980). The daily death toll is 22 per cent lower than the 449 coronavirus deaths announced last Monday and half the 717 declared fatalities on April 13. In a message of hope for millions earlier, Boris Johnson - back in charge after weeks recuperating from a serious scare with the killer disease - said we are near the 'end of the first phase' of COVID-19 and hinted that an 'exit plan' will be fleshed out within days. However, the PM made clear there is little chance of a loosening starting soon, urging people to be 'patient' as it is not yet the time to 'go easy' on social distancing rules. Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty also sounded a downbeat note this evening, telling the No10 briefing that there is still a 'long, long way to go'. Prof Whitty said the data show that the UK is going 'through the peak' of the crisis, but added: 'There is a long long way to go beyond that. It is a big mistake in my view just to look at the first phase. We need to look at the epidemic as a whole.' In other developments to Britain's coronavirus crisis today: Health Secretary Matt Hancock has announced that the families of NHS staff who die in the coronavirus battle will get 60,000 payments; Some NHS services that have been paused due to the coronavirus crisis will be restored from tomorrow as the pressure eases; Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty has said it is 'entirely plausible' that there is a link between coronavirus and cases of children being admitted to intensive care with a serious 'inflammatory syndrome', although he said it was 'very rare'; Boris Johnson announced his comeback with a plea for Britons to stick to coronavirus lockdown rules - amid mounting signs the public is starting to take matters into its own hands by getting back to work; Economists warned the UK could take years to recover the ground it has lost, and taxpayers will be footing the bill for the government's bailouts for decades; A partial membership list of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) which informs the Government's coronavirus response is to be published after concerns about a lack of transparency; Ministers have insisted the 100,000-a-day target for coronavirus tests can be met this week despite the current level languishing at around 29,000. Data issued by the government this evening showed that levels of social mobility are creeping up again The number of new cases continued to rise in the latest data, but the rate has slowed significantly The number of people in hospital with coronavirus in London has fallen but the figures across much of the rest of the country have not dropped sharply yet Transport use is still massively down but the levels are up off the lows recorded earlier in the coronavirus lockdown At the Downing Street daily briefing this evening, Matt Hancock announced a new life assurance scheme for the families of frontline staff who die with coronavirus Paramedics take a patient back into St Thomas' Hospital in central London At the Downing Street daily briefing this evening, Matt Hancock announced a new life assurance scheme for the families of frontline staff who die with coronavirus. He said 82 NHS workers and 16 social care staff are confirmed to have died so far. 'I feel a deep personal sense of duty that we must care for their loved ones,' he said. 'Today, I am able to announce that the Government is setting up a life assurance scheme for NHS and social care frontline colleagues. 'Families of staff who die from coronavirus in the course of their essential frontline work will receive a 60,000 payment. 'Of course, nothing replaces the loss of a loved one but we want to do everything we can to support families who are dealing with this grief.' Mr Hancock announced that some NHS services which had been paused due to the coronavirus outbreak will be restored from Tuesday. He said: 'As the number of hospitalisations from coronavirus begins to fall, I can announce that, starting tomorrow, we will begin the restoration of other NHS services - starting with the most urgent, like cancer care and mental health support. 'The exact pace of the restoration will be determined by local circumstances on the ground, according to local need and according to the amount of coronavirus cases that that hospital is having to deal with.' Announcing his long-awaited comeback earlier today, Mr Johnson urged Britons to stick to coronavirus lockdown rules amid mounting signs the public is starting to take matters into its own hands by getting back to work. The PM channeled Sir Winston Churchill's famous speech about the 'end of the beginning' by saying there are 'real signs' the UK is making 'progress'. However, he warned it was also the 'moment of maximum risk' and now is not the time to 'go easy' on the virus by loosening 'social distancing' rules. 'We are now beginning to turn the tide,' he said in a Downing Street press conference. 'I ask you to contain your impatience because I believe now we are coming to the end of the first phase of this conflict.' Mr Johnson said once the disease was under control the draconian curbs can be 'refined', and the government would say more in the 'coming days' about how it will 'fire up the engines of this vast UK economy'. It is understood Mr Johnson's pregnant fiancee Carrie Symonds, who was with him at Chequers during his recuperation, has also moved back into Downing Street. She has also recovered from coronavirus. The government is facing growing alarm that while the rules have succeeded in stemming the spread of the killer disease, they are also bringing the economy to its knees. There is mounting evidence of Cabinet infighting over the timing and details of a loosening. Ministers welcomed the prospect of an exit plan, with Paymaster General Penny Mordaunt and International Development Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan saying they had been getting huge volumes of mail from 'business owners who are desperate to get back to work'. There are also signs that Britons are starting to vote with their feet, with traffic levels rising, and more shops and constructions sites stepping up activity. But Downing Street cautioned that 'refinements' to the lockdown might not be across the board. 'There could be easing in some areas, there could also be a toughening in other areas,' the PM's spokesman said. 'We will not be returning immediately to life as we knew it.' BORIS JOHNSON ADMITS WE ARE 'NEAR THE END' OF THE FIRST PHASE In a statement in Downing Street, the PM assured the country he is back in charge after weeks recuperating from a serious scare with the killer disease Boris Johnson announced his comeback with a plea for Britons to stick to coronavirus lockdown rules today - amid mounting signs the public is starting to take matters into its own hands by getting back to work. In a statement in Downing Street, the PM assured the country he is back in charge after weeks recuperating from a serious scare with the killer disease, and urged people to be 'patient'. With his trademark blond mane looking longer and more unkempt than usual, Mr Johnson thanked everyone who had 'stepped up' in his absence. And he channeled Churchill's famous speech about the 'end of the beginning' by saying there are 'real signs' the UK is making 'progress'. However, he warned it was also the 'moment of maximum risk' and now is not the time to 'go easy' on the virus by loosening 'social distancing' rules. 'We are now beginning to turn the tide,' he said. 'I ask you to contain your impatience because I believe now we are coming to the end of the first phase of this conflict.' Mr Johnson said once the disease was under control the draconian curbs can be 'refined', and the government would say more in the 'coming days' about how it will 'fire up the engines of this vast UK economy'. He urged Opposition parties to work with him, pledging to be 'transparent' about decisions. Advertisement Forecasters today warned the UK economy will not return to 2019 levels for three years - and taxpayers will be footing the bill for government coronavirus bailouts for decades. The EY Item Club warned the recovery from the draconian curbs on activity might be slower than hoped, with the economy not expected to return to its late 2019 size until 2023. NHS England today confirmed 329 more deaths, including 212 that occurred on Saturday and Sunday. The daily updates do not count fatalities that happened overnight - they only include those registered. And the figures also only relate to deaths in hospitals, not in other places such as care homes. Official figures have suggested the true death toll could be up to 40 per cent higher than the Department of Health count. Of the new deaths in England, patients were aged between 29 and 100. Twenty-two of the victims, including a 29-year-old, had no known underlying conditions. England's hospital death count now stands at 18.749. Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon today announced 13 more deaths, taking the country's total fatality count to 1,262. And Wales has now had 796 victims, with eight more declared this afternoon. It comes after Britain's chief scientific adviser today revealed that he and other senior scientists warned politicians 'very early on' about the risk COVID-19 posed to care homes. The Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) has been meeting approximately twice a week since its first coronavirus discussion on January 22. Sir Patrick Vallance, who chairs the group along with Professor Chris Whitty, said they had 'flagged' the risk of care home and hospital outbreaks at the start of the epidemic. While warnings about hospitals sparked a 'protect the NHS' mantra and a scramble to buy ventilators and free up beds, care homes saw no such efforts. Thousands of Britons in care are feared to have died from COVID-19. The Government has been slated for its lack of support to care homes, with no routine testing available, no up-to-date records of the number of people infected or dead, and 'paltry' attempts to deliver adequate PPE. BRITAIN'S ROADS WERE PACKED WITH TRAFFIC THIS MORNING Traffic builds up on the A40 at Perivale in West London at 7.20am today despite the coronavirus lockdown continuing Britain's roads were packed with traffic this morning as phone data showed that millions more people are taking to the roads in a further sign that they are starting to get back to work despite the coronavirus lockdown. It will pile pressure on Prime Minister Boris Johnson who returned to work today as calls for an easing of the lockdown from within his party grow. With measures in place until at least May 7, he acknowledged frustrations over the restrictions but insisted he would not risk a second peak in the disease by relaxing them too quickly. Photographs taken during rush hour showed queues building up on London roads including the A40 at Perivale and the A102 at Greenwich, while the M5 in Bristol and the M6 in Walsall were also busy with cars, vans and lorries. Meanwhile rail commuters continue to pile onto London Underground trains as travel bosses carry on running a reduced service only for key workers, with Canning Town and Canada Water stations both busy this morning. It comes as more businesses announce plans to reopen, with bakery Greggs set to reopen several stores in a trial, and key cutting and shoe repair firm Timpson opening some sites with strict hygiene and social distancing rules. Mobility data from Apple based on requests for directions via its apps showed more people are now driving, but the use of public transport has remained static. Traffic in London on Friday and Saturday - the most recent Apple data available - was up 4 per cent on the week before. Walking is also steadily increasing - it was up 8 per cent on the week before in London on Saturday. Live TomTom congestion data in London showed 14 per cent congestion at 8am today, down 49 percentage points on normal. But that represents a one percentage point increase on the 13 per cent figure recorded at 8am last Monday, and a two percentage point rise on the 12 per cent at the same time three weeks ago. Advertisement Data about care home deaths is being counted separately to hospital data, was only first published on March 31 and is 10 days out of date each time it is released. The next set of figures will be released tomorrow. It was also revealed today that ordinary members of the public are to be allowed to quiz Government ministers at the televised daily press conference. One question at the 5pm grilling will come from an ordinary voter who will pre-record their question to be put to a cabinet minister or science expert. Questions can be submitted via the gov.uk website from now with one person chosen each day to put it to one of people who usually take part in the briefing - usually a minister and two experts. They will have the option to record it as a video message which will later appear on television. But of they do not want to, they can have it asked on their behalf during the programme. No 10 insisted today that the minister taking the press conference, which on some days could be the Prime Minister now he has returned to work, will not be told what the question is before it is asked. It comes after public criticism of some of the question that ministers have faced since the daily press conferences started in March. Britain's roads were packed with traffic this morning as phone data showed that millions more people are taking to the roads in a further sign that they are starting to get back to work despite the coronavirus lockdown. With lockdown measures in place until at least May 7, Mr Johnson acknowledged frustrations over the restrictions but insisted he would not risk a second peak in the disease by relaxing them too quickly. Photographs taken during rush hour showed queues building up on London roads including the A40 at Perivale and the A102 at Greenwich, while the M5 in Bristol and the M6 in Walsall were also busy with cars, vans and lorries. Meanwhile rail commuters continue to pile onto London Underground trains as travel bosses carry on running a reduced service only for key workers, with Canning Town and Canada Water stations both busy this morning. It comes as more businesses announce plans to reopen, with bakery Greggs set to reopen several stores in a trial, and key cutting and shoe repair firm Timpson opening some sites with strict hygiene and social distancing rules. Mobility data from Apple based on requests for directions via its apps showed more people are now driving, but the use of public transport has remained static. NHS ISSUES ALERT OVER RISE IN CHILDREN BEING ADMITTED TO ICU WITH INFLAMMATORY SYNDROME NHS doctors have been issued an urgent alert about a sharp rise in the number of children being admitted to intensive care with a serious 'inflammatory syndrome' that may be linked to coronavirus. In an alert sent to GPs, health chiefs at an NHS board in London said: 'There is growing concern that a [COVID-19] related inflammatory syndrome is emerging in children in the UK. 'Over the last three weeks there has been an apparent rise in the number of children of all ages presenting with a multi-system inflammatory state requiring intensive care across London and also in other regions of the UK.' The children being seen with the syndrome often suffer from stomach pain, cardiac inflammation and 'gastrointestinal symptoms' - which could include vomiting and diarrhoea. Doctors have compared the mysterious complication to toxic shock syndrome and Kawasaki disease which, combined, cause harmful internal swelling, fever and breathing problems - all hallmark signs of COVID-19. But some of the children needing intensive care have tested negative for the coronavirus, further complicating the diagnosis and raising questions that another pathogen could be behind the condition. It is not clear how many children have had the inflammatory syndrome, nor whether any have died with it. It is also unclear as to how old children are who are being struck down, or if there are any clusters of cases in the UK. But it is thought to have only affected a 'handful' of children so far, according to one prominent paediatrician who admitted the complication could be caused by another pathogen. Advertisement Traffic in London on Friday and Saturday - the most recent Apple data available - was up 4 per cent on the week before. Walking is also steadily increasing - it was up 8 per cent on the week before in London on Saturday. Live TomTom congestion data in London showed 14 per cent congestion at 8am today, down 49 percentage points on normal. But that represents a one percentage point increase on the 13 per cent figure recorded at 8am last Monday, and a two percentage point rise on the 12 per cent at the same time three weeks ago. Meanwhile Google Maps showed congestion in parts of central and southern London, in another sign of more cars on the road today than in recent weeks since the lockdown began on March 23. Anecdotal reports also indicate an increase in traffic, with motorists claiming a queue formed at the Blackwall Tunnel for the first time in five weeks. It comes after Home Secretary Priti Patel warned drivers to stay off the roads unless their journey is essential following traffic volumes rising last week to 41 per cent of normal compared to 38 per cent the previous week. NHS doctors were today issued an urgent alert about a sharp rise in the number of children being admitted to intensive care with a serious 'inflammatory syndrome' that may be linked to coronavirus. In an alert sent to GPs, health chiefs at an NHS board in London said: 'There is growing concern that a [COVID-19] related inflammatory syndrome is emerging in children in the UK. 'Over the last three weeks there has been an apparent rise in the number of children of all ages presenting with a multi-system inflammatory state requiring intensive care across London and also in other regions of the UK.' The children being seen with the syndrome often suffer from stomach pain, cardiac inflammation and 'gastrointestinal symptoms' - which could include vomiting and diarrhoea. Doctors have compared the mysterious complication to toxic shock syndrome and Kawasaki disease which, combined, cause harmful internal swelling, fever and breathing problems - all hallmark signs of COVID-19. But some of the children needing intensive care have tested negative for the coronavirus, further complicating the diagnosis and raising questions that another pathogen could be behind the condition. It is not clear how many children have had the inflammatory syndrome, nor whether any have died with it. It is also unclear as to how old children are who are being struck down, or if there are any clusters of cases in the UK. But it is thought to have only affected a 'handful' of children so far, according to one prominent paediatrician who admitted the complication could be caused by another pathogen. UK FINALLY gets a coronavirus exit plan: Boris Johnson signals options for easing lockdown will be fleshed out 'within days' as he takes back reins of power - but pleads with public to be 'patient' amid warnings some curbs could get TOUGHER Boris Johnson signalled an 'exit strategy' from coronavirus lockdown will be fleshed out within days today as he took back the reins of power. In a statement in Downing Street, the PM assured the country he is back in charge after weeks recuperating from a serious scare with the killer disease, and urged people to be 'patient' as it was not yet the time to 'go easy' on social distancing rules. But Mr Johnson channeled Churchill's famous speech about the 'end of the beginning' by saying there are 'real signs' the UK is making 'progress'. In a bid to quell rising Tory alarm about the impact on the economy, he said once the disease was under control the draconian curbs can be 'refined', and the government would say more in the 'coming days' about how that might happen. He urged Opposition parties to work with him, pledging to be 'transparent' about decisions. With his trademark blond mane looking longer and more unkempt than usual, Mr Johnson said: 'We are now beginning to turn the tide... 'I ask you to contain your impatience because I believe now we are coming to the end of the first phase of this conflict.' The move comes amid mounting evidence of Cabinet infighting over the timing and details of a loosening. Ministers welcomed the prospect of an exit plan, with Paymaster General Penny Mordaunt and International Development Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan saying they had been getting huge volumes of mail from 'business owners who are desperate to get back to work'. There are signs that Britons are starting to vote with their feet, with traffic levels rising, and more shops and constructions sites stepping up activity. But Downing Street cautioned that 'refinements' to the lockdown might not be across the board. 'There could be easing in some areas, there could also be a toughening in other areas,' the PM's spokesman said. 'We will not be returning immediately to life as we knew it.' Mr Johnson took to the steps of Downing Street to warn the public that while the UK was passing through the first coronavirus peak, 'now is the moment of maximum risk' Mr Johnson seemed relieved to be back in charge as he made his speech outside No10 this morning Mobility data from Apple based on requests for directions via its apps showed levels of people driving (in red) or walking (in orange) are both gradually rising, although the use of public transport (in purple) has remained roughly the same all month This TomTom graph shows congestion in London at 8am today was at 14 per cent. This is down 49 percentage points on the normal level. At 8am on Tuesday to Thursday last week, the congestion levels were down between 51 and 53 percentage points on normal levels. Cars drive along the the A40 at Perivale in West London at 7.20am today as the UK-wide lockdown continues Timeline: Boris's battle with coronavirus March 26: Boris Johnson announces he has tested positive for coronavirus in a Twitter video and continues working in self-isolation from his Number 11 flat. April 5: Downing Street says the PM has been taken to St Thomas' Hospital as a precaution after displaying persistent symptoms. April 6: Mr Johnson is moved to the hospital's intensive care unit after his condition worsened, but does not require ventilation. Dominic Raab begins to deputise for the PM. April 9: He was moved out of intensive care and back on to the normal ward. April 11: The PM was discharged from hospital. He thanked NHS staff for saving his life in a video recorded from Downing Street before heading to Chequers with his pregnant fiancee Carrie Symonds. April 26: Mr Johnson arrives back in Number 10 as he prepares to return to work. Advertisement In his first public appearance since he was hospitalised with coronavirus, Mr Johnson said he had been 'away from my desk for much longer than I would've liked'. Addressing the nation he said: 'Once again I want to thank you the people of this country for the sheer grit and guts you've shown and are continuing to show. 'Every day I know that this virus brings new sadness and mourning to households across the land.' Mr Johnson said: 'It is still true that this is the biggest single challenge this country has faced since the war and I in no way minimise the continuing problems we face. 'And yet it is also true that we are making progress with fewer hospital admissions, fewer Covid patients in ICU and real signs now that we are passing through the peak. 'And thanks to your forbearance, your good sense your altruism, your spirit of community, thanks to our collective national resolve, we are on the brink of achieving that first clear mission to prevent our National Health Service from being overwhelmed in a way that tragically we have seen elsewhere. 'And that is how and why we are now beginning to turn the tide.' Mr Johnson, drawing on his own battle with Covid-19 which put him in intensive care, said: 'If this virus were a physical assailant, an unexpected and invisible mugger - which I can tell you from personal experience, it is - then this is the moment when we have begun together to wrestle it to the floor. 'And so it follows that this is the moment of opportunity, this is the moment when we can press home our advantage, it is also the moment of maximum risk. Boris Johnson's Downing Street speech in full: I am sorry I have been away from my desk for much longer than I would have liked. And I want to thank everybody who has stepped up, in particular the First Secretary of State Dominic Raab who has done a terrific job. But once again I want to thank you, the people of this country, for the sheer grit and guts you have shown and are continuing to show every day I know that this virus brings new sadness and mourning to households across the land. And it is still true that this is the biggest single challenge this country has faced since the war and I in no way minimise the continuing problems we face. And yet it is also true that we are making progress, with fewer hospital admissions, fewer covid patients in ICU and real signs now that we are passing through the peak. And thanks to your forbearance, your good sense, your altruism, your spirit of community, thanks to our collective national resolve, we are on the brink of achieving that first clear mission: to prevent our national health service from being overwhelmed in a way that tragically we have seen elsewhere. And that is how and why we are now beginning to turn the tide. If this virus were a physical assailant, an unexpected and invisible mugger - which I can tell you from personal experience it is - then this is the moment when we have begun together to wrestle it to the floor. And so it follows that this is the moment of opportunity, this is the moment when we can press home our advantage. It is also the moment of maximum risk, because I know that there will be many people looking now at our apparent success and beginning to wonder whether now is the time to go easy on those social distancing measures. And I know how hard and how stressful it has been to give up, even temporarily, those ancient and basic freedoms not seeing friends, not seeing loved ones, working from home, managing the kids, worrying about your job and your firm. So let me say directly also to British business, to the shopkeepers, to the entrepreneurs, to the hospitality sector, to everyone on whom our economy depends: I understand your impatience, I share your anxiety and I know that without our private sector, without the drive and commitment of the wealth creators of this country, there will be no economy to speak of, there will be no cash to pay for our public services, no way of funding our NHS. And yes I can see the long term consequences of lock down as clearly as anyone. And so yes I entirely share your urgency. It's the government's urgency. And yet we must also recognise the risk of a second spike. the risk of losing control of that virus and letting the reproduction rate go back over one. Because that would mean not only a new wave of death and disease but also an economic disaster, and we would be forced once again to slam on the brakes across the whole country and the whole economy, and reimpose restrictions in such a way as to do more and lasting damage. And so I know it is tough, and I want to get this economy moving as fast as I can, but I refuse to throw away all the effort and the sacrifice of the British people and to risk a second major outbreak and huge loss of life and the overwhelming of the NHS. And I ask you to contain your impatience because I believe we are coming now to the end of the first phase of this conflict and in spite of all the suffering we have so nearly succeeded. We defied so many predictions: we did not run out of ventilators or ICU beds,we did not allow our NHS to collapse and on the contrary, we have so far collectively shielded our NHS so that our incredible doctors and nurses and healthcare staff have been able to shield all of us from an outbreak that would have been far worse. And we collectively flattened the peak. And so when we are sure that this first phase is over, and that we are meeting our five tests: deaths falling; NHS protected; rate of infection down; really sorting out the challenges of testing and PPE; avoiding a second peak Then that will be the time to move on to the second phase in which we continue to suppress the disease and keep the reproduction rate, the R rate, down, but begin gradually to refine the economic and social restrictions and one by one to fire up the engines of this vast UK economy. And in that process difficult judgments will be made and we simply cannot spell out now how fast or slow or even when those changes will be made, though clearly the government will be saying much more about this in the coming days. And I want to serve notice now that these decisions will be taken with the maximum possible transparency and I want to share all our working and our thinking, my thinking, with you the British people. And of course, we will be relying as ever on the science to inform us as we have from the beginning, but we will also be reaching out to build the biggest possible consensus across business, across industry, across all parts of our United Kingdom, across party lines - bringing in opposition parties as far as we possibly can - because I think that is no less than what the British people would expect. And I can tell you now that preparations are under way and have been for weeks to allow us to win phase two of this fight as I believe we are now on track to prevail in phase one. And so I say to you finally: if you can keep going in the way that you have kept going so far, if you can help protect our NHS to save lives, and if we as a country can show the same spirit of optimism and energy shown by Captain Tom Moore, who turns 100 this week, if we can show the same spirit of unity and determination as we have all shown in the past six weeks, then I have absolutely no doubt that we will beat it together, we will come through this all the faster and the United Kingdom will emerge stronger than ever before. Advertisement 'I know there will be many people looking at our apparent success, and beginning to wonder whether now is the time to go easy on those social distancing measures.' He said he understood 'how hard and stressful it has been to give up, even temporarily, those ancient and basic freedoms'. But he said the potential of a second spike in cases risked 'economic disaster'. Mr Johnson added: 'And so I know it is tough. And I want to get this economy moving as fast as I can, but I refuse to throw away all the effort and the sacrifice of the British people and to risk a second major outbreak and huge loss of life and the overwhelming of the NHS.' Mr Johnson's words about the end of the first phase evoked Churchill's famous 1942 speech after the Allies defeated Rommel's forces at El Alamein. The wartime PM said: 'This is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. but it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.' Mr Johnson has returned to work 'full time', taking back all of the responsibilities handed over to Dominic Raab, Downing Street said. The Prime Minister's official spokesman said: 'He's back full time. In terms of responsibilities and duties, he will be doing all of those.' Mr Johnson is expected to chair Cabinet on Thursday, but the plan for PMQs is not yet clear. The PM's official spokesman said he would be speaking to Sir Keir Starmer soon to discuss the way forward - although the idea of a government of national unity has been dismissed. 'He plans to speak with the leader of the Opposition this week and the leaders of all the Westminster parties next week, hopefully alongside the chief medical officer and the chief scientific adviser,' the spokesman said. Allies have suggested the premier is ready to act earlier than May 7 to get UK plc up and running again, with hints the blanket 'stay at home' message from Whitehall will be ditched in favour of a more nuanced stance stressing the public should work where possible. Photographs taken during rush hour showed queues building up on London roads including the A40 at Perivale and the A102 at Greenwich, while the M5 in Bristol and the M6 in Walsall were also busy with cars, vans and lorries. Congestion in London was down 49 per cent at 8am this morning compared to the average, according to TomTom. However, last week it was down more than 50 per cent on the 2019 average. Meanwhile rail commuters continue to pile onto London Underground trains as travel bosses carry on running a reduced service only for key workers, with Canning Town and Canada Water stations both busy this morning. Mobility data from Apple based on requests for directions via its apps showed levels of people driving or walking are both gradually rising, although the use of public transport has remained roughly the same all month. Amid mounting Tory alarm at the damage being wreaked, the chair of the powerful 1922 backbench committee, Sir Graham Brady warned the government needs to do 'much more to get the economy moving' and branded parts of the lockdown 'illogical and silly'. Labour has complained that ministers are treating people 'like children' by refusing to set out an 'exit plan' from the crisis. But health minister Edward Argar tried to cool the rumours this morning, saying while he understood 'frustrations' 'we're not there yet' on easing social distancing. 'We're not in a place where the science says it is safe to ease the restrictions,' he told BBC Breakfast. Ministers regard a 'second peak' in infections as the biggest threat to the health and economic wellbeing of the country. Exclusive MailOnline pictures showed Mr Johnson being greeted by a security guard at the back gate of Downing Street last night before heading inside the building flanked by his personal protection. After 15 days recuperating from his scare at Chequers with pregnant fiancee Carrie Symonds, Mr Johnson has told colleagues he is 'raring to go'. His return relieves Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab of command after three weeks deputising for the stricken premier. However, Health minister Nadine Dorries, who herself has recovered from coronavirus, voiced concern that Mr Johnson might be back too soon. 'Most who have been as poorly as Boris Johnson with Covid-19 and a patient for a week in intensive care, would be off work for least three months to fully recover their strength and repair their immune system,' she tweeted. 'Our PM is back after just three weeks. Good luck boss.' Scientists advising the Government have warned any relaxation risks a renewed flare up just as the numbers of patients in hospital with the disease is beginning to fall. Over the weekend, ministers highlighted a warning by Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey of the economic devastation a second wave of the disease would cause. Mr Raab said the outbreak was at a 'delicate and dangerous' phase and people would have to get used to a 'new normal' - with social distancing measures set to remain in place for 'some time' to come. Mr Johnson - who spent a week in St Thomas' Hospital in London, including three nights in intensive care - is determined to ensure that there is no second peak. The pressure to begin easing the restrictions came from a series of wealthy Tory backers who called over the weekend for the Government to allow the economy to re-start. They echoed former chancellor Philip Hammond who said the country could not afford to wait for a vaccine to be developed, saying the 'economy will not survive that long'. Sir Graham Brady told BBC Radio 4's Westminster Hour that more needed to be done to get the economy moving, and there was a limit to how long people would tolerate restrictions, especially if they seemed illogical. 'I think there is a recognition that we need to do much more to get the economy moving. I think that the balance has got to shift,' he said. 'There is a limit to how long people will tolerate those things, especially if some of the aspects of the restrictions seem illogical, for instance at my local market, the flower stall was told it couldn't trade, but in a supermarket of course they can sell flowers, because they're selling foods as well. 'So ironing out some of those slightly silly anomalies I think would actually help to bring people along with some continuation of restrictions and trying to make sure that people recognise they're being asked to do things where there is a commons sense explanation for it and they're not being asked to do things just because it's an arbitrary rule.' Sir Graham said the emphasis had become 'a little bit confused over the last few weeks'. 'The government is asking employers to make reasonable accommodations to try to make sure that people are in a safe environment if they have to work,' he said. 'But we do want people to carry on working, carry on generating the wealth that we need to support the public services. Many of us would like to see government being much clearer about what more can be done when that three-week extension period comes to an end, so that businesses and individuals can start to plan for gearing up again.' He said there should be an 'overriding principle ... that we will only maintain those restrictions which are necessary and if there is a question over whether something is necessary or not, I think we should err on the side of openness and trying to make sure that more people can get on with their lives and more people can get on with getting back to their jobs'. FTSE rises as PM says UK is 'turning the tide' The FTSE 100 has opened up 1.6 per cent as Boris Johnson says the UK is 'turning the tide' on coronavirus in his first address to the nation following his illness. The index of Britain's biggest companies is up by 91 points to 5,844 after markets opened today. The positive start followed gains in Asia today as leaders up their plan to reopen their economies. Traders are keeping a keen eye on key meetings of central banks in Japan, the US and Europe this week. Advertisement Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer - while backing the lockdown - added to the pressure with a renewed call for the Government to set out an 'exit strategy' explaining how it will eventually be lifted. Chancellor Rishi Sunak will face further questions from MPs when he delivers a Commons statement on the state of the economy. He has already had to effectively tear up his first Budget last month just days after delivering it with a series of massive bailouts designed to keep the economy afloat through the crisis. Another huge item in the PM's in-tray is the drive towards a mass testing regime. Health Secretary Matt Hancock has promised 100,000 a day will be conducted by the end of the month. But the figures are still languishing at around 29,000 with just a few days to go. Professor Peter Horby, chairman of the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (Nervtag), which is advising ministers, admitted returning to a system of 'contact tracing' everyone with cornavirus symptoms will be a 'real logistical challenge'. More than 4,000 new cases a day are still being identified. Prof Horby told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'The test and trace capabilities are really going to be critical as we come out of lockdown. 'We will have to be able to test all those people (declaring via apps that they are displaying symptoms) and it is really a matter of scale and speed. 'One issue is how many tests we need, and if we are looking at 1,000 to 5,000 new cases per day of people with symptoms, of which maybe 5 per cent-25 per cent may have Covid, then you are talking about 25,000 to 100,000 tests per day. 'It is a real logistical challenge. But there is also the issue of speed as well. 'It is not much use getting the results five days later - you need it quickly so you can take the appropriate action and advise people to stay at home and also their contacts to stay at home to reduce transmission.' He said such a testing and tracking strategy - also known as testing and contact tracing - would rely on the numbers of new cases being driven down. It comes as the British Medical Association (BMA) said NHS staff need greater access to tests after slots offered to key workers ran out for the third day in a row on Sunday. More than 10 million essential workers and their households are now eligible for Covid-19 checks as officials race to hit their 100,000-a-day testing target. 100,000-a-day testing target 'WILL be hit' despite current level of 29,000 with days to go Ministers today insisted the 100,000 a day coronavirus testing target can be hit - despite numbers languishing at 29,000 with days to go. Health minister Edward Argar predicted a sharp increase as the deadline set by Matt Hancock looms. Meanwhile, Professor Peter Horby, chairman of the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (Nervtag), which is advising ministers, admitted that level will be needed to return to 'contact tracing' of everyone with cornavirus symptoms. More than 4,000 new cases a day are still being identified. Prof Horby told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'The test and trace capabilities are really going to be critical as we come out of lockdown. 'We will have to be able to test all those people (declaring via apps that they are displaying symptoms) and it is really a matter of scale and speed. 'One issue is how many tests we need, and if we are looking at 1,000 to 5,000 new cases per day of people with symptoms, of which maybe 5 per cent-25 per cent may have Covid, then you are talking about 25,000 to 100,000 tests per day. 'It is a real logistical challenge. But there is also the issue of speed as well. 'It is not much use getting the results five days later - you need it quickly so you can take the appropriate action and advise people to stay at home and also their contacts to stay at home to reduce transmission.' Advertisement But as of 10am on Sunday, home testing kits for England were listed as 'unavailable' on the Government's website - two hours after booking slots reopened. Following its launch on Friday, slots for both home-testing and drive-through centres in England have been used up within the first few hours. Drive-through tests in Scotland were the only option currently still available on Sunday evening. Dr Chaand Nagpaul, chairman of the British Medical Association (BMA) council, said the online booking system 'offered no practical help' to healthcare workers. 'There is no point putting forward a proposal unless its matched with adequate capacity,' he said. 'What we found in the first two days was that within an hour the bookings had all been taken up, and therefore offered no practical help for large numbers of healthcare staff, who found the website had effectively closed to bookings. 'If the Government wants healthcare workers to have access to the test, it has to be in the context or providing adequate capacity, not a 'first come, first served' and closing within an hour.' He added: 'That's not delivering on the needs of our health and care staff.' The need to find a way through the crisis was underlined today by warnings that the UK economy will not return to 2019 levels for three years - and taxpayers will be footing the bill for government coronavirus bailouts for decades. Forecasting group the EY Item Club warned that the recovery from the draconian curbs on activity might be slower than hoped, with the economy not expected to return to its late 2019 size until 2023. It warned that the UK will face a 'deep, short recession' this year, with GDP falling 6.8 per cent before only partially rebounding next year. Its findings were echoed by a former Bank of England rate-setter has warned that The UK's recovery from coronavirus is likely to be slower and shallower than first hoped and Britons will be paying for action to save the economy for the next two decades. Ian McCafferty - who sat on the Bank's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) for six years until August 2018 - said if the lockdown is lifted gradually in phases as expected, the economy could take at least six months to get back on track. Mr Johnson, 55, was discharged from St Thomas' Hospital in London two weeks ago after spending five nights inside including three in intensive care. He made a brief stop-off at Number 10 to record a message to the nation - where he thanked NHS staff for saving his life - before heading to his grace-and-favour country home in Buckinghamshire. There, he has steadily been increasing his workload by making calls with ministers, looking through his papers and hosting Zoom video conferences. But his return to Downing Street, much earlier than some experts had predicted given the life-threatening severity of his illness, puts his hand firmly back on the tiller as the cabinet faces tough decisions over whether to ease the lockdown. Traffic builds up on the A40 at Perivale in West London at 7.20am today despite the coronavirus lockdown continuing This Google traffic map shows how the roads around London are mostly clear (in green) during rush hour this morning at about 8.15am, although there are patches of congestion (in orange or red) in some southern and central parts of the capital Chief medical officer Chris Whitty, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab and NHS England chief executive Simon Stevens (pictured left to right) were at the coronavirus 'War Cabinet' meeting today Exclusive pictures for MailOnline showed Boris Johnson arriving back in Number 10 from Chequers last night ahead of his return to work today Mr Johnson is reportedly bullish about easing some of the restrictive measures and could do so early if given the green light by his scientific advisers. An ally of the PM told the Telegraph: 'May 7 is the day when the government is legally obliged to review the lockdown measures but if Boris wants to change the restrictions earlier than that, or at least announce something before that, then he could go sooner.' Early measures are likely to include encouraging the construction industry to get back to work, following scientific advice that the virus spreads much less effectively outdoors. The issue is set to be discussed at a meeting of the PM's coronavirus strategy group Monday evening. However, a government source cautioned that any easing of the lockdown would be very gradual to avoid a deadly second wave of infection. A further 413 fatalities were reported yesterday - the lowest daily rise this month - bringing the total death toll to 20,732. The number of cases also rose by 4,463 to 152,840 following 29,058 tests. Ministers are close to ditching the 'Stay at Home' message in favour of a slightly less restrictive one, the government source said. They said: 'We are moving on from Stay at Home. But that does not mean we are anywhere near going back to normal. We are all going to have to adapt to a new normal. 'The Prime Minister's big concern is avoiding a second peak, which would require a second lockdown. He is clear that we cannot afford to do anything which would mean losing control of the rate of infection because that would mean more people dying. Mr Johnson was whisked through the rear entrance of Downing Street at around 6.30 this evening without fanfare, travelling in a humble Volkswagen people carrier rather than his ministerial Jaguar and police motorcade What's top of the PM's in-tray? LOCKDOWN: Most of the Cabinet want to ease measures next week, but acting too fast could lead to a second deadly wave. The Scientific Advisory Group on Emergencies will provide fresh analysis this week. TESTING: Health Secretary Matt Hancock has set a target of 100,000 coronavirus tests a day by Thursday. Barely 29,000 are currently being carried out. The PM will want to avoid an embarrassing flop. MASKS: Ministers are due to rule this week on whether to issue guidance to the public to wear face coverings in offices, factories and shops. Health officials are nervous it could hit NHS supplies. ECONOMY: With GDP in freefall and new Universal Credit claims topping 1.4million, ministers are under pressure to spell out how much the lockdown will cost. CHINA: Some MPs want the PM to axe Huawei from the 5G network. But China could hit back and it's the source of much of the PPE needed on the NHS front line. Advertisement 'It would also mean a return to the lockdown, which would be damaging to public trust and terrible for business.' It is not yet clear if Mr Johnson will face off against new Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer at PMQs on Wednesday. Sir Keir has been urging the government to publish a road map out of lockdown, writing a letter to the PM calling for 'an adult conversation about what comes next'. Grumblings are also echoing through the Conservative ranks, with six Tory donors and a slew of MPs demanding restrictions be loosened. Wealthy Conservative backer John Cauldwell, the founder of Phones4U, writes in today's Mail: 'Proposing a phased lifting of restrictions based on geography, he writes: 'I worry that if the lockdown is not lifted soon, we may lose some industries forever.' There are growing signs the public is getting agitated with life under lockdown amid a slight increase in travel and scenes of people pouring into parks in the warm weather. In Mr Johnson's absence, ministers have displayed a united front in refusing to fuel speculation of when the country can take baby steps out of lockdown. Mr Raab, whose role as first secretary saw him fill in for Mr Johnson, this morning scolded 'irresponsible' demands for the government to sketch out an exit strategy. Raab warns UK will have to adjust to 'new normal' Dominic Raab speaking yesterday Dominic Raab has braced Britain to prepare for a 'new normal' with social distancing curbs in place for the long-haul. The Foreign Secretary, who has been deputising in Boris Johnson's absence, said elements of the current lockdown would remain for 'some time'. He dampened hopes of an imminent loosening of restrictions by refusing to be drawn on an exit strategy at this 'delicate and dangerous' phase in the pandemic. The Prime Minister will relieve Mr Raab of command as he resumes charge of government today - when he will draw up plans to gradually get the UK moving again. But although the PM is reportedly bullish about lifting the restraints when the science allows, Mr Raab levelled with the public any relaxation would not herald a return to pre-lockdown life. Yesterday, he told Sky News: 'What we have said very clearly is we have set out the five tests for what the next transitional phase will look like. It won't just be going back it will be a new normal with social distancing measures adapted to areas which are currently closed off and we will make sure we are guided by the scientific evidence.' Advertisement Mr Johnson will also return to find his cabinet split over how to map a path out of the lockdown after a source insisted: 'Boris is tightening his grip. You are going to see much greater clarity, energy and purpose now.' A survey by the Institute of Directors shows that confidence among company bosses is at the lowest level recorded, with 70 per cent pessimistic about the outlook for the economy. IoD chief Jon Geldart said there was a growing clamour for information about 'how and when' the lockdown would be eased to allow firms to 'make plans for riding out this tempest'. He added: 'It's in everyone's interests to get the economy off life support when it's safe to do so. Business leaders know this will not happen all in one go, but that's why it's even more important to tell them what they need to prepare for.' Mr Raab insisted the 'Stay at Home' message was still needed and said it would 'create more uncertainty in the public's mind' if ministers started talking about how it might be eased. But behind the scenes, senior figures are now working on a new message. A 'quad' of senior ministers, comprising Mr Raab, Mr Hancock, Michael Gove and Chancellor Rishi Sunak has been holding a daily strategy meeting at 6pm to discuss 'the next phase' of the battle against the virus. Election guru Isaac Levido has been tasked with devising a slogan, which could be unveiled within days following focus group testing. Mr Johnson will today begin holding one-to-one talks with each member of the Cabinet to discuss developments which occurred during his absence. Mr Johnson has not been involved directly in government decisions since he was taken into a central London hospital and spent three days in intensive care. But he gradually increased his workload and Mr Raab yesterday dismissed suggestions he would only be back part time initially. He told Sky News: 'He's in really good spirits. He's taken the time and taken the doctors' advice to rebuild his strength. 'He's going to be back at work full time, properly at the helm. And as you can imagine with the Prime Minister, he's raring to go.' The appointment of liquidators to companies in the well-known USIT student travel group has been confirmed by the High Court. The firms, which employed 149 people, say their collapse was entirely due to the Covid-19 pandemic. At the High Court today, Mr Justice Michael Quinn confirmed the appointments of Kieran Wallace and Andrew OLeary of KPMG as liquidators to the companies, with addresses at Aston Quay, O'Connell Bridge. The two practitioners had been appointed, following an application by the firms, in a provisional capacity by the High Court last month. The companies are Dublin USIT Ireland Ltd, the principal trading company; School and Group Tours Ltd and Dublin College of Business Studies Ltd. USIT Ireland specialised in US summer work and related travel programmes; School and Group Tours Ltd was involved in organising school tours to international destinations and DCBS operated a school at Abbey Street, Dublin 1, trading as the English Studio Dublin, teaching English as a foreign language. Rossa Fanning SC for the companies told the court while the group had been profitable up to a few months ago, their business had been completely wiped out by the travel restrictions that have been imposed globally by the covid-19 outbreak. The language school, counsel added, also saw its bookings by students seeking to undertake courses disappear due to pandemic. As a result, the firms became insolvent and had no option other than go into liquidation. Stephen Walsh Bl for the joint liquidators told the court that since his client's appointment they had been engaging with the employees, and the Minister for Social Protection. Counsel said that unfortunately that all but a handful of the employees had been let go. Mr Justice Quinn said he was satisfied from the evidence put before the court to confirm Mr Wallace and O'Leary's appointment as the firms' liquidators, and that their directors should file statements of affairs. The judge said he was adjourning the application to confirm their appointment as liquidators to a fourth related company, The Kinlay Group Ltd which had been the holding company for the various firms, to later this week. That matter was put back to allow the lawyers rectify a particular aspect of the application to wind up that particular company. Previously the court heard the holding company owes 1.7m to Ulster Bank and that is cross-guaranteed by the three other companies. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 27) Actress Kim Chiu encourages frontliners in her song Wag kang Bumitaw, as she spreads message of hope and strength. I hope this song inspires more people especially now that we are facing a really hard time. According to the actress, she has her fair share of experiences in facing this tough time. She said that working out every day keeps her healthy both physically and mentally. Its been hard, especially mentally. I work out almost every day to produce endorphins, Chiu told CNN Philippines Monday night. Chiu is also auctioning off her Star Magic volleyball jersey for the benefit of Cebu frontliners. To all our frontliners, I know they are facing the hardest part of their job. I salute them. They are our modern-day heroes, she said The coronavirus pandemic has left retailers scrambling to meet a crushing demand for everything from milk to toilet paper to flour and yeast. But there is another shortage, perhaps less obvious but more heart-wrenching. In stores, next to an ample supply of birthday cards and thank-you notes, the sympathy cards are nearly sold out. The greeting card aisle, with its pastel-colored envelopes and messages for every occasion, offers a snapshot of the viruss wicked toll. While many celebrations and milestones have been put on hold, grief is in abundance. The number of orders we see coming in for sympathy is stunning, said Alan Friedman, who runs a silk-screen card company in Buffalo, Great Arrow Graphics, and is a board member of the Greeting Card Association, the industry trade group. It seems like just about everyone knows someone who has died. T HE future of Airbus and its 13,500- strong UK workforce was thrown into doubt on Monday after the global planes giant warned it was bleeding cash due to the coronavirus crisis. The aerospace company, which supplies jets to the worlds top airlines, warned staff their jobs were at stake after the aviation crisis cut demand for planes and left production lines idle Airbuss British labour force includes around 6,000 staff stationed at the Broughton site in North Wales and some 4,500 at Filton in Bristol. Airbus said late on Monday that 3,200 staff from Broughton would be furloughed through the Treasurys Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. A UK spokesman said no decisions have been made in respect of job losses and it was speaking to unions about any furlough measures. Airbus UK has already introduced enforced holidays and paused production to balance a glut of planes in the system as airlines stop taking deliveries. More clarity is needed on the shape of this crisis and at the moment it is too early to specify any measures, Airbus UK said today. Airbus is one of the major casualties of the crisis because it is one of the main suppliers of plane fleets to the worlds aviation industry. The collapse in global air travel has forced airlines to suspend orders and delay shipments of new planes. Airbus chief executive Guillaume Faury laid out the depth of the crisis facing the firm in a letter to staff made public on Monday, warning the Toulouse-based companys survival was at stake due to the cashflow crisis hammering it. Were bleeding cash at an unprecedented speed, which may threaten the very existence of our company, he said to all 133,000 staff globally. We must now act urgently to reduce our cash-out, restore our financial balance and, ultimately, to regain control of our destiny. Airbus revealed earlier this month it was cutting production by one-third, reducing A320 production from 60 to 40 per month, A350 from 10 to six and making only two A330s per month. The company is due to issue results on Wednesday when the scale of the crisis will be revealed. Western Australia has once again recorded no new cases of COVID-19 overnight. Speaking on Monday afternoon, Premier Mark McGowan said WA was doing extremely well. That's a credit to everyone across the community whos doing the right thing, he said. There are now just 55 active cases in the state, with 23 of these originating from the cruise ship Artania. Four people are currently in intensive care, and close to 35,000 people in WA have tested negative to the coronavirus. Australia has warned China against using 'economic coercion' to stop an investigation into the coronavirus pandemic after Beijing's ambassador in Canberra hinted at a boycott of the country's products. Australia is urging WHO members to support an independent review into the origins of the virus - an inquiry which China opposes. China's ambassador Cheng Jingye said in an interview that the 'Chinese public' might abandon Australian wine and beef if such a probe goes ahead. But Australia's foreign minister Marise Payne has dismissed the threat, saying Australia was making a 'principled call' for an investigation. China's ambassador in Canberra, Jingye Cheng (pictured), warned that Chinese consumers may stop buying Australian products if an Australia-backed probe into the virus goes ahead 'We reject any suggestion that economic coercion is an appropriate response to a call for such an assessment, when what we need is global cooperation,' Payne said. An 'honest assessment' of the pandemic would seek to strengthen the WHO's role, the foreign minister said. The comments from ambassador Cheng were published in the Australian Financial Review, which said the diplomat had described a possible probe as 'dangerous'. 'The Chinese public is frustrated, dismayed and disappointed with what Australia is doing now,' he said. 'I think in the long term... if the mood is going from bad to worse, people would think, why should we go to such a country that is not so friendly to China? The tourists may have second thoughts. 'It is up to the people to decide. Maybe the ordinary people will say, why should we drink Australian wine? Eat Australian beef?'. Cheng also suggested that Chinese parents might be less willing to send their children to Australian schools and universities if a probe goes ahead. After energy exports, education and tourism are Australia's biggest export industries, with China the largest market. China is a major contributor to Australia's economy, including through tourism and international students. Pictured: Tourists at the Sydney Opera House The ambassador insisted there was no proof that the virus first infected humans at a Wuhan 'wet market', as is widely suspected. Many of the earliest known cases were linked to the market, but scientists have yet to establish with certainty how the virus passed from animals to humans. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang also dismissed calls for an investigation during a daily briefing in Beijing, without mentioning Australia by name. 'China is the first country to report a Covid case, but it doesn't mean the virus originated in China,' he told reporters. 'Some people are trying to hype up the so-called investigation that is inconsistent with an international atmosphere of cooperation and their political manoeuvring will not succeed.' Australia and China have had a free trade agreement since 2015 but some exporters have still run into difficulties as relations have soured. In 2018 Beijing imposed new customs regulations on Australian wine, resulting in shipments being held up in Shanghai. Australian PM Scott Morrison has previously criticised the WHO's 'unfathomable' support for China's re-opening of wet markets. Morrison said he sympathised with Donald Trump's criticisms of the WHO but would not follow the US President in cutting his country's funding for the organisation. (CNN) The ability for parts of the United States to safely and effectively begin to lift coronavirus restrictions will depend on the country's capacity to aggressively test for and trace new cases of the virus, Bill Gates told CNN's Fareed Zakaria Sunday. His comments come as several US states prepare to ease social distancing and stay-at-home restrictions this week, despite warnings from health researchers that no state should reopen before May 1. Meanwhile, the total number of reported coronavirus cases in the United States is nearing 1 million, and more than 54,000 Americans have died. Gates, the Microsoft founder whose foundation has studied pandemics for years and is now involved in fighting coronavirus, warned that just because some areas looking to reopen have experienced relatively small outbreaks doesn't mean they're not at risk. Many are concerned that reopening too soon could prompt a second wave of infections in the United States as deadly as the first. States must weigh that risk against trying to recover from the economic crisis that's been caused by coronavirus-related shut downs. "If they open up, they can go back into exponential (coronavirus infection) growth and compete with New York on that basis," Gates said, adding that areas that reopen and allow people to move around could also seed infections in other parts of the country, further slowing the recovery from the pandemic. How to reopen Successful reopenings will happen in stages, Gates said, guidance that's in line with recommendations from many health experts and economists, including the World Health Organization. And will require thinking critically about which elements of society are most essential to get back to work, implementing safety measures as they are reopened and ensuring diagnostic testing and contact tracing are in place to understand the effects that easing restrictions has on the spread of the virus. "What we don't know is, (if) we go slightly back to normal, which activities create the risk of a rebound?" Gates said. "We need to put in place a very dense testing regime so you would detect that rebound going back into exponential growth very quickly and not wait for the ICUs to fill up and there to be a lot of deaths. If you see the hot spot, you kind of understand the activities causing that." In two suggested plans for reopening the US economy, public health experts and economists said that the country would have to perform millions of diagnostic tests each week before restrictions could be safely lifted. Gates said Sunday that new testing machines and methods should soon be able to get the United States up to between 400,000 and 500,000 tests per day, though that's "just barely enough for really doing the tracking." Dr. Anthony Fauci, a member of the White House coronavirus task force, estimated on Saturday that the country is conducting approximately 1.5 million to 2 million Covid-19 tests per week and said it is likely the testing capacity could be doubled within the next several weeks. So far, the United States has only performed about 4 million coronavirus tests. Gates added: "The key thing about the US, though, this focus on the number of tests understates the cacophony and mistakes we made in the testing system," including testing shortages, inequality in who can access testing and test results taking longer than 24 hours to reach patients. As the country ramps up testing and tracking, cities and states must have a staged reopening of various parts of the economy, Gates said, though he admitted "we're a little naive about how to prioritize these activities." In Georgia on Friday, Governor Brian Kemp allowed hair salons, tattoo parlors, gyms and bowling alleys to reopen, with some caveats for social distancing and screening employees for illness, despite warnings from health researchers. Several other states, including Colorado, Oklahoma and Montana, have taken similar steps toward reopening. Gates said that when planning for staged reopenings, states should focus on "high value" segments of the economy such as schools, manufacturing and construction, and should figure out how to operate those things with masks and social distancing. Once some schools and businesses get back to work, communities should continue to track the effects on infection rates. But it will take time. "The inequality has gotten greater in education, so if we can figure out how to do K through 12 in the fall, that would be good," Gates said. "I even think if we're creative about it and things have gone well, we'll be able to do college." The case for continued prevention measures Careful planning to manage the virus is crucial because it will likely still be one to two years before a coronavirus vaccine is developed and ready for large-scale production, Gates said. The Trump administration has estimated a vaccine is 12 to 18 months away, though some leaders in the field say that timeline could be too fast. Although some have suggested ramping up vaccine production before a vaccine has actually been approved, Gates said the "stage 3" testing that determines whether a drug could have harmful side effects will take time. "It's very hard to compress these timeframes," he said. Gates also commented on conspiracy theories that have accused him of profiteering from the pandemic. He called the accusations ironic, after his foundation has spent decades funding and leading research into understanding and protecting against dangerous diseases, though he said he doesn't believe a "meaningful" number of people believe them. He did say, however, that he wishes he'd been able to get more people to understand the threat posed by coronavirus sooner. "I always think, how could I have gotten the message out in a stronger way? Where did I fall short?" he said. "Only 5% of what should have been done was done." This story was first published on CNN.com, "Bill Gates explains how the United States can safely ease coronavirus restrictions." We are pleased to recognize Dr. Anand Shridharani as a UroLift Center of Excellence for his commitment to providing consistent care to BPH patients using the UroLift System treatment, said Dave Amerson NeoTract, a wholly owned subsidiary of Teleflex Incorporated (NYSE:TFX) focused on addressing unmet needs in the field of urology, today announced that Anand Shridharani, M.D., Academic Urology at Erlanger in Chattanooga, TN, has been designated as a UroLift Center of Excellence. The designation recognizes that Dr. Shridharani has achieved a high level of training and experience with the UroLift System and demonstrated a commitment to exemplary care for men suffering from symptoms associated with Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH), also known as enlarged prostate. Recommended for the treatment of BPH in both the American Urological Association and European Association of Urology clinical guidelines, the FDA-cleared Prostatic Urethral Lift procedure using the UroLift System is a proven, minimally invasive technology for treating lower urinary tract symptoms due to BPH. The UroLift permanent implants, delivered during a transurethral outpatient procedure, relieve prostate obstruction and open the urethra directly without cutting, heating, or removing prostate tissue. The UroLift Center of Excellence program is designed to highlight urologists who are committed to educating their patients on BPH and the UroLift System as a treatment option and consistently seek to deliver excellent patient outcomes and experiences. We are pleased to recognize Dr. Anand Shridharani as a UroLift Center of Excellence for his commitment to providing consistent care to BPH patients using the UroLift System treatment, said Dave Amerson, president of the Teleflex Interventional Urology business unit. This achievement has helped many patients experience durable, longterm relief from the burdensome symptoms of BPH while preserving sexual function*1,2. Over 40 million men in the United States are affected by BPH, a condition that occurs when the prostate gland that surrounds the male urethra becomes enlarged with advancing age and begins to obstruct the urinary system. Symptoms of BPH often include interrupted sleep and urinary problems and can cause loss of productivity, depression and decreased quality of life. Medication is often the first-line therapy for enlarged prostate, but relief can be inadequate and temporary. Side effects of medication treatment can include sexual dysfunction, dizziness and headaches, prompting many patients to quit using the drugs. For these patients, the classic alternative is surgery that cuts, heats or removes prostate tissue to open the blocked urethra. While current surgical options can be very effective in relieving symptoms, they can also leave patients with permanent side effects such as urinary incontinence, erectile dysfunction, and retrograde ejaculation. About the UroLift System The FDA-cleared UroLift System is a proven, minimally invasive technology for treating lower urinary tract symptoms due to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). The UroLift permanent implants, delivered during a minimally invasive transurethral outpatient procedure, relieve prostate obstruction and open the urethra directly without cutting, heating, or removing prostate tissue. Clinical data from a pivotal 206-patient randomized controlled study showed that patients with enlarged prostate receiving UroLift implants reported rapid and durable symptomatic and urinary flow rate improvement without compromising sexual function*1,2. Patients also experienced a significant improvement in quality of life. Over 100,000 men have been treated with the UroLift System in the U.S. Most common adverse events reported include hematuria, dysuria, micturition urgency, pelvic pain, and urge incontinence. Most symptoms were mild to moderate in severity and resolved within two to four weeks after the procedure. The Prostatic Urethral Lift procedure using the UroLift System is recommended for the treatment of BPH in both the American Urological Association and European Association of Urology clinical guidelines. The UroLift System is available in the U.S., Europe, Australia, Canada, Mexico and South Korea. Learn more at http://www.UroLift.com. About NeoTract | Teleflex Interventional Urology A wholly owned subsidiary of Teleflex Incorporated, the Interventional Urology Business Unit is dedicated to developing innovative, minimally invasive and clinically effective devices that address unmet needs in the field of urology. Our initial focus is on improving the standard of care for patients with BPH using the UroLift System, a minimally invasive permanent implant system that treats symptoms while preserving normal sexual function*1,2. Learn more at http://www.NeoTract.com. About Teleflex Incorporated Teleflex is a global provider of medical technologies designed to improve the health and quality of peoples lives. We apply purpose driven innovation a relentless pursuit of identifying unmet clinical needs to benefit patients and healthcare providers. Our portfolio is diverse, with solutions in the fields of vascular and interventional access, surgical, anesthesia, cardiac care, urology, emergency medicine and respiratory care. Teleflex employees worldwide are united in the understanding that what we do every day makes a difference. For more information, please visit http://www.teleflex.com. Teleflex is the home of Arrow, Deknatel, Hudson RCI, LMA, Pilling, Rusch, UroLift and Weck trusted brands united by a common sense of purpose # # # For Teleflex Incorporated: Jake Elguicze, 610.948.2836 Treasurer and Vice President, Investor Relations Media: Nicole Osmer, 650.454.0504 nicole@healthandcommerce.com *No instances of new, sustained erectile or ejaculatory dysfunction 1. Roehrborn, J Urology 2013 LIFT Study 2.McVary, J Sex Med 2016 MAC00968-01 Rev A Nearly 110 doctors, all of whom are postgraduate students of the Delhi governments Maulana Azad Medical College (MAMC) and have been posted to shelter homes, quarantine centres and government dispensaries across the city, say they have no medicines, infrastructure or even basic equipment to treat patients. Delhi has 259 regular shelter homes for the homeless, of whom 112 are porta-cabins, 111 are inside buildings and 36 are tents. The government has also converted 256 school buildings into shelters for migrant workers. Each of these facilities can house between 300 and 600 persons. On Friday, a man living in a shelter home complained of severe pain in his lower abdomen. A few hours later, he started vomiting blood. Such a patient requires a hospital set-up for treatment and I did not even have the equipment needed to conduct his physical examination, a doctor deployed at a shelter home in west Delhi, said requesting anonymity. On Tuesday, a 50-year-old migrant worker died at a Delhi government-run temporary shelter home in Chabi Ganj, Mori Gate. Officials said that though the man had no signs of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), he was unwell. The lack of medical supplies at the shelter home had prompted him to seek treatment from the Aruna Asaf Ali hospital last weekend. He died a few days later. Doctors said they only have basic treatment plans, which include medicines for fever, flu and stomach infections. In many places, they do not even have a thermometer or a blood pressure monitor. There is no provision to attend to cases of hematemesis, probable fractures or mental health episodes, which are some of the most reported cases from these facilities. According to 48-year-old Mohammad Tanveer, who is housed at a shelter home at central Delhis Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, he has had high fever for the past three days, along with bouts of vomiting. He alleged that the shelter did not even have a thermometer to check his temperature. All he was given was a paracetamol. When there was no relief or help from the facility, Tanveer said he took a loan of 2,500 from his fellow inmates at the shelter and with their help got himself admitted to a private hospital nearby, that too after much pleading. I had almost lost consciousness, but there was no help at the shelter facility. I have been here for more than 20 days, but not a single doctor has visited. People have no means, proper food or even medical aid. If we die like this, how different will it be from dying of the virus? Tanveer, who is a migrant labourer from Bihars Purnia, said. Thirty-five-year-old Mugeri, who goes by his first name, also a daily wager housed at the same shelter, said that many people here have complained of breathlessness, fever and dehydration over the past few days but doctors have not been informed. Their condition cannot be helped by just some basic medicine. They need hospital-like care. A week ago, we called an ambulance. It took more than four-five hours to reach us and when it did, they refused to take the man saying it was not their case. We then had to call an NGO for help, Mugeri said. Sunil Kumar Aledia, a social activist working for the homeless and founder of the Centre for Holistic Development (CHD), said, Medical teams are visiting only a few shelters. Besides erratic timings and meagre food portions, there is no arrangement to provide medical aid to occupants, Aledia said. He added that many inmates are patients of tuberculosis and HIV, and most are falling sick of the heat and improper nutrition. The government must ensure proper medical aid for the large number of migrants and the homeless in shelters to save them from diseases and death. The doctors also expressed their trepidations. A doctor, who has been posted at one such shelter home in east Delhi, said several inmates have been showing signs of physical discomfort as well because of their history of substance abuse. The doctor said that when they are not given proper medical attention, they often resort to violence and become a threat to others. He said two doctors are usually stationed at these centres during the day, and one doctor takes the night shift. The government needs to understand that we are working without proper gear. We do not get personal protective equipment (PPEs) to protect ourselves from possibly infected patients; neither do we get alternative accommodation nor do we get any transportation facilities. We have been thrown here in these facilities, where there is a grave risk of violence against us, he said, requesting anonymity. Another doctor posted to west Delhi said that medicos have been facing harassmentinmates have even tried to spit and urinate on them. She said that one of the homeless facilities in the area had to be shut down after a person staying there was found Covid-19 positive. We are working in such close proximity with people who could have the coronavirus disease, that too without any protection. Last week, when I was leaving after the end of my shift, a man from the shelter began to chase me and I had to run to save myself. The policemen stationed there did nothing to protect me, she said. The Resident Doctors Association of MAMC and associated hospitals, which represents four hospitalsincluding Lok Nayak Hospital (LNH), one of the biggest Covid-19-designated centres in the Capitalhad written to the Delhi government on April 13 against the deployment of these 110 students in shelter homes, quarantine centres and dispensaries when they could be used to strengthen the workforce at Lok Nayak. This relocation of PGs clearly overburdens the vital manpower resources at LNH, which are already under excessive stress, the letter written by the association read. A senior Delhi government official said there is a clear-cut protocol in place that if anyone needs medical attention in such centres, they need to be shifted to a non-covid hospital in the area. Any hospital will take them and treat them. There is no point in making an issue of this. There is no shortage of medicines in any of the centres but you cant expect to treat severe medical conditions there, the official said on condition of anonymity. In a noble gesture, a doctor from Lucknow who had recently recovered from COVID-19 infection has donated his plasma for treatment of others suffering from the deadly disease. Don't Miss: Contribute To Indiatimes Fundraiser To Help India Fight COVID-19 Dr.Tauseef Khan, a resident doctor at the KGMU in Lucknow donated his plasma while observing fast during the holy month of Ramzan, which is considered a time for giving. Khan, in his late 20s, contracted coronavirus from a patient while working at the King George's Medical University and tested positive for the infection on March 17, PTI reported. REUTERS He was discharged from the hospital on April 7 and is now back at work after a 14-day home quarantine. "Dr. D Himanshu of Medicine Department, who is looking after the treatment of COVID-19 patients, asked me if I wanted to become the first plasma donor (of KGMU). I immediately said yes as nothing could be greater than being able to save the life of a patient in the holy month of Ramzan," Khan told PTI. He said he observed his first 'roza' on Saturday and gave his blood after consulting clerics whether it is permissible to do so while fasting. Head of Transfusion Medicine, KGMU, Tulika Chandra told PTI, "The work on administering medical treatment to COVID-19 patients through plasma therapy began on Saturday." AFP "In this context, the blood sample of Dr. Tauseef Khan, a resident doctor who had recovered from COVID-19, was taken for testing. In the test, the condition of the antibodies was found quite good," she said. Chandra said, "In the evening, the process of extracting plasma from his body started, and almost 500 millilitres of plasma was extracted. The process took almost one-and-half hour." She said Khan's plasma will be administered on Monday or Tuesday to a patient who is in a serious condition and in whose case medicines aren't working. AFP "The patient will be given 200 millilitres of plasma. In other words, plasma donated by one patient (who has recovered from COVID-19) can be used for the treatment of two patients. If there is no positive result after the first 200 millilitres of plasma has been infused, then another 200 millilitres is infused," she elaborated. While there is no known cure for COVID-19 plasma therapy has so far proven to be the most effective. Recently over 100 Tablighi Jamaat members who have recovered from the infection have reportedly offered to donate their plasma to treat COVID-19 patients in Delhi. Out of the 142 people who were tested positive after they attended the religious gathering in Nizamuddin last month, 129 have recovered and have offered to donate plasma. : About 50 Telugu movies in various stages of making with an investment of approximately Rs 600 crore have been stalled due to the ongoing lockdown to contain coronavirus spread, according to C Kalyan, President of Telugu Film Producers Council. Chiranjeevi starrer 'Aacharya' and 'Baahubali' maker SS Rajamoulis 'RRR' are among the movies whose production has been suspended in various stages. Describing it as a big blow to the industry, senior producer and Ramanaidu Studios owner D Suresh said though all his films are insured to cover delay in production, he is not sure whether this pandemic would be accepted by the insurance companies for staking any claim. "We are not in a position to estimate the losses to the Telugu film industry due to lockdown. Because we have no clear picture as to when the productions will be resumed, when the movies will be taken to masses. Currently, guessing the future of the film industry is million dollar questions," Kalyan told PTI. According to him, the Telugu film industry, known as "Tollywood", makes nearly 200 movies every year and out of which about seven per cent movies make good profit. Kalyan said out of the 200 films, about 60 are budgeted at Rs 3 crore and below and movies like Baahubali and RRR have changed the landscape of the industry. "About 50 movies including 15 to 20 big ticket ones are currently under various stages of production. These movies have already seen investments to the tune of Rs 600 to Rs 700 crore.We do not know when the production would resume," he said. Suresh anticipates the uncertainty would continue for some more time even if the lockdown is lifted as it is not clear when the movie screens will be thrown open for the public. "So it could be as good as the complete financial year being washed off for the film calendar.The loss would be quite substantial," Suresh said. As of now four of Suresh's movies are currently in various stages of production and three are ready to go on floor. He said though he has insurance coverage for his movies he was not sure if the pandemic clause can be applicable for loss caused due to the delay in production. "We have never faced this kind of situation in the past.We do not know how the insurance companies would react if we make a claim," he added. The ace producer said though banks have announced a three month moratorium on repayment of loans, it needs to be extended as it takes a longer period for the situation to become normal. Veteran producer and directorTammareddy Bharadwaj,who is regarded as the leaderof the semi-skilled and skilled workers of theindustry, said the situation may push about eight thousand people of different skill sets who depend on movie making to lose their livelihood. "Situation is so fluid that nobody could guess what is going to happen post-lockdown. At least 50 per cent of the 16,000 workforce of the Telugu film industry may have to look out for other jobs," Bharadwaj said. Pulagam Chinnarayana, a film critic, said post-lockdown, the industry may witness sea changes with imposition of restrictions at public places including movie theatres and at outdoor shoots resulting in loss of employment for many. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) [April 27, 2020] Tencent's VooV Meeting now available in Malaysia, offering HD cloud conferencing services for enterprises Asiasoft Malaysia, China Construction Bank Malaysia and Green Packet Berhad are among the first in Malaysia to integrate VooV Meeting into their business routine to maintain seamless communications and collaboration with partners during the coronavirus pandemic to integrate VooV Meeting into their business routine to maintain seamless communications and collaboration with partners during the coronavirus pandemic VooV Meeting provides extensive network across the globe with exceptional system stability especially in China like nobody else does like nobody else does Integrated with WeChat's ecosystem, VooV Meeting allows users to join meetings through WeChat's mini program or direct dialing without the need to install the app KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, April 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- To meet the growing demand for remote office and multi-country conferencing, Tencent Cloud, the cloud computing arm of Tencent, today introduces its cloud conferencing tool, VooV Meeting, in Malaysia, offering a high-definition, ultra-smooth and secure multi-person cloud conferencing solution. Enterprises can now seamlessly connect with their colleagues and business partners all over the world with VooV Meeting's extensive network and stability. Furthermore, during the novel coronavirus outbreak, Tencent Cloud will provide global users with special complimentary access to VooV Meeting's feature that connects up to 300 participants simultaneously. Asiasoft Malaysia, China Construction Bank Malaysia (CCB Malaysia), and Green Packet Berhad (Green Packet), were among the first in the country to experience the use of VooV Meeting in order to maintain seamless communications and collaboration within their businesses as well as with external partners amid the recent coronavirus pandemic. Tencent also recently partnered with the United Nations for its 75th anniversary campaign, where VooV Meeting will be used in facilitating the largest global dialogue to date. All these demonstrate the tool's capability to offer smooth, stable and reliable cloud-based HD conferencing services for different business occasions. "We are glad to gain the trust of these Malaysia partners in using our services for their businesscommunications. Built on Tencent Cloud's cutting-edge technology and Tencent's experience in the internet, audio and video communications fields in the past 21 years, VooV Meeting can provide exceptional stable coverage globally, outperforming other industry players." said Poshu Yeung, Vice President of Tencent International Business Group. "Meanwhile, 'Value for Users, Tech for Good' is Tencent's guiding principle, and we strive to incorporate social responsibility into our products and services. By providing complimentary access to VooV Meeting and donating medical resources including masks to Malaysia, we hope to maximize our support to Malaysian enterprises and citizens amid the country's movement control order." VooV Meeting is equipped with a number of practical and convenient features to help users improve efficiency for online conferences, including the integration with WeChat's ecosystem which allows users to share meeting links through WeChat and to join meetings via WeChat's mini program without the need to download any applications. It also has facial beautification and blurred background functions, screen-sharing with automated watermark and the use of HD image and high-fidelity processing algorithms to enhance video quality and minimize ambient noise and keyboard sounds, among other features. Mr. Felix Feng, CEO of CCB Malaysia said, "We proposed the use of VooV meeting in CCB Malaysia as soon as the outbreak of COVID-19 began, as it underpins the good connection among cross-functionality teams, ensuring a smooth and collaborative work. More importantly, CCB Malaysia leverages VooV Meeting as a powerful tool to coordinate large sums of charity efforts, bringing up medical supplies and other trade in need to Malaysia over this challenging period." Mr. Joel Wong, VP of Customer Experience and Enterprise Agility from Green Packet commented "Since our government has issued the Movement Control Order as a COVID-19 pandemic countermeasure, the entire company has begun to work from home. To maintain business continuity and productivity, we have selected Tencent's VooV Meeting app as our primary communications platform that enables us to maintain close communications and collaboration across our global offices and business partners. We find Tencent's VooV Meeting app to be an extremely effective platform for communications and collaboration because of its ease of use, its extraordinary audio and video performance, and most importantly, its fundamental platform stability and security." Mr. Wong Jiann Hui, technical director of Asiasoft Malaysia, said, "We adopt VooV meeting as our main tele-conferencing tool amid the pandemic as it could maintain quite a good connection even with a bad network. On top of that, features such as background blurring and AI makeup, among others, really fit well in a work-from-home setting, emphasizing a strong internet mindset in its product design." The underlying technology architecture of VooV Meeting is backed by the secure and reliable Tencent Cloud, which has multiple layers of protection in terms of business data, management protocols, network equipment and access policy. Tencent Cloud also recently acquired the Multi-Tier Cloud Security Standard (MTCS SS), proving its capability to provide the highest level of security to enterprise cloud users in Malaysia, Asia and around the world. Learn more about the features of VooV Meeting and download the desktop version at https://voovmeeting.com/. Photo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20200427/2786927-1 SOURCE Tencent [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Chinese citizens could avoid Australian products and universities if Prime Minister Scott Morrison doesnt stop calling for an international enquiry into the coronavirus origins, a top Chinese official has said in what is fast developing into a testy diplomatic exchange between the two countries. Australia has shot back against the threat, cautioning China against any threat of economic coercion. In the past week, Morrison had spoken to the leaders of the US, France and Germany to gather support for an international investigation into the Wuhan origins of the Covid-19 pandemic. Beijing didnt take lightly to the move. Chinese ambassador to Australia Cheng Jingye said in an interview to The Australian Financial Review on Sunday that the call for the probe was dangerous. If the mood is going from bad to worse, people would think why should we go to such a country that is not so friendly to China? The tourists may have second thoughts, Cheng said, adding: It is up to the people to decide. Maybe the ordinary people will say Why should we drink Australian wine? Eat Australian beef? The parents of the students would also think... whether this is the best place to send their kids, he added. China is not only Australias largest export market for wine and beef, it is also the largest markets for energy exports, education and tourism Bloomberg reports that Australias is the most China-reliant economy in the developed world. On Monday, Australian foreign minister, Marise Payne cautioned China against attempts at economic coercion. Payne said in a statement on Monday that Australia had made a principled call for an independent review of the Covid-19 outbreak which first emerged in the Chinese city of Wuhan in late last year. We reject any suggestion that economic coercion is an appropriate response to a call for such an assessment, when what we need is global cooperation, Payne said in the statement. China had earlier called the move to ask for an independent inquest politically motivated. Currently, with the pandemic still spreading across the world, the most pressing task is to put peoples life and health first and work together to defeat the virus, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang had said. At such a critical juncture, it is highly irresponsible to resort to politically motivated suspicion and accusation. We advise the Australian side to put aside ideological bias and political games, focus on the welfare of the Australian people and global public health security, follow the international communitys collective will for cooperation, and contribute to the global cooperation in fighting the virus, instead of doing things to the contrary, Geng had said. The number of Harris County jail inmates with COVID-19 has more than doubled, widespread testing last week revealed. The first batch of results from that slew of tests - conducted on 500 inmates last week -- brought the number of COVID-19 positive inmates to 262, up from about 110, Harris County Jail Medical Director Dr. Laxman Sunder said Monday. Those tested were in observational quarantine because they either had symptoms or had contact with someone with the disease, and Sunder intends to test all 3,000 quarantined inmates. Since the first case of coronavirus surfaced in Harris County in early March, Sheriff Ed Gonzalez and public health officials have worried about the possibility of a widespread outbreak in the jail, where social distancing is all but impossible and where illnesses can spread easily and quickly. Sunder said about 30 percent of inmate tests are returning positive. Of the inmates who have tested positive for the disease, half are asymptomatic. Medical staff are still waiting for the results of about 300 tests, which means the numbers are all but certain to rise further. The results underscored the challenge the jail faces, Sunder said. As the disease spread through the county and into the jail, the sheriffs office medical staff began large-scale quarantines. Each time an inmate fell ill, the entire pod was put on quarantine, Sunder said. Now, about 3,000 of the jails 7,400 inmates are under observational quarantine. If I dont remove the positive (inmates) it keeps spreading among them and it becomes a nightmare, and I wont be able to control the disease at all, he said, in an interview Monday afternoon. So my strategy is to take out the positive symptomatic and asymptomatic inmates and place them in quarantine and keep the negative inmates separate -- and keep doing this until whole thing passes. The predicament has left some inmates scared and worried about getting sick or worse. Late last month, the Chronicle obtained a letter from more than a dozen inmates saying they were concerned about staying safe in the facility and difficulty keeping themselves free of contagion and their pods clean. Under this situation it is impossible to stay calm, the inmates wrote. People are panicking and nobody wants to die in jail. One inmate is currently hospitalized, Sunder said. The sheriffs office is also quarantining newly arrested people for seven days as soon as they enter the jail, Sunder said. Elsewhere, jails and prisons have seen the coronavirus spread through inmate populations like wildfire. In New York City, about 375 inmates in jails at Rikers Island have tested positive for COVID-19, according to a recent news report. About 900 jail staff have tested positive and at least three inmates and nine jail employees have died. Other correctional facilities have seen the virus spread to wide swaths of inmates, with many exhibiting no symptoms at all. In Ohio, officials found 95 percent of the 2,028 inmates who contracted the disease displayed no symptoms, according to Reuters. At another Ohio facility, the virus claimed at least nine lives, and infected more than 1,500 prisoners and 79 staffers. Officials in North Carolina tested inmates at one prison and found the virus had spread to 65 percent of the 700 inmates, the Marshall Project found. In a news release announcing the uptick in numbers, Gonzalez said he was glad the jail has not experienced a more crippling outbreak. Were still in the thick of our fight to contain the spread of coronavirus in the jail, he said. Im encouraged that our medical staff, detention officers, and support staff so far have managed to prevent the kind of massive outbreak that some other jails and prisons have experienced. About 200 sheriffs employees have contracted the coronavirus with about 90 percent of those working in the jail. Another 393 deputies, jail guards and other employees are in quarantine as a precaution. st.john.smith@chron.com If Prince Harry seeks the forgiveness of the Queen for Megxit and tries to return to the UK, she'll do it. She'll welcome him wholeheartedly in her arms again, not because she misses him, not because she wants him in his duty, and not because she cannot bear for him to be miles away with Meghan Markle and Baby Archie. She'll forgive him and welcome him and his family with open arms even if she has supported them in their controversial exit because she's a devout Christian. And she views Prince Harry as the "prodigal son." According to the royal insider, Queen Elizabeth has no problem as the reigning monarch to say yes if Prince Harry and Meghan Markle want to ever make a U-turn on their decision to step down as senior royals and resume their palace lives. The Majesty magazine editor Ingrid Seward said that the Queen has a particular perception of Prince William's little brother and his abrupt decision to leave everything for a quiet life in America. "I think she's looking at Harry like the prodigal son, that he will come home, and she will welcome him with open arms," Miss Seward told Sky News. She is always so easy to forgive because of her Christian faith, the expert explained. "The one thing that she has really carried her through her long life is her Christianity and her deep religious beliefs, and one of the Christian teachings is forgiveness," the insider added. In addition, even though the whole palace might think it wrong for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to ever leave their royal positions, the Queen would never publicly make mention of any ill-will against them. Thinking back, it is easy to see that none of the royals did, even if the British themselves and the news outlets have lambasted the two to no end. Even now, when the two had made some questionable decisions while in LA, including but not limited to the decision to have a zero engagement policy in place with regard to four major news outlets in the UK, the Queen and the rest of the royals had kept mum. The insider explained that the Queen is simply "very loathed" to criticize anything he is doing. This does not mean her silence is an act of approval. She could be in reality, very sad about what is happening but she would never comment on it, not even within the family! The Queen simply is best at keeping her emotions to herself. It can be recalled that at the beginning of 2020, the Queen has released a statement about Megxit. She did not say anything negative at all. Her support is 100%, and described Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, and baby Archie as forever much-loved members of her family. She even said she understood the rationale behind Megxit, which is the intense scrutiny that Meghan and Harry had to endure for around two years. Their wish for a more independent life is, therefore, of no problem to her. If the Queen does forgive them though, she'll be going against the desire of the majority of the Brits, who previously voted no to the return of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on a poll. READ MORE: Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Associating with A 'Dangerous Wacko'? Pune-based automaker Force Motors on Monday said it has deployed over 80 mobile dispensaries along with teams of doctors and paramedics as well as medicines across several cities of Maharashtra to conduct medical check-ups, to fight the coronavirus pandemic. The mobile medical care facility, 'Doctor Aplya Daari', launched early this month in association with a non-governmental organisation (NGO), which is also fully-equipped to identify coronavirus symptoms, has till Sunday checked over 1.11 lakh persons, the company said in a release. The medicines are prescribed and given out for free, it said adding that these mobile units can check 2,500 people per day and can examine the symptoms of around 500 patients in a day. Doctors in the vans monitor patients for cold and flu conditions and also inform them about preventive measures to be taken to prevent the coronavirus spread. This initiative was started on April 1 with 30 mobile dispensary vans completely equipped with doctors, support staff and medicines moving to various economically weaker localities in Pune and Pune-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation regions as per a pre-intimated schedule. The team of medical staff with these vans are fully equipped to identify COVID-19 symptoms and direct suspect cases to the designated hospitals, it said adding that over 1,11,679 residents have been checked and more than 1,070 suspected COVID-19 patients were transferred to government hospitals in the last 26 days, the company said. "As Maharashtra has become a hotspot in the country, it has created huge pressure on doctors and medical staff. We are proud to be associated with this noble initiative," said Force Motors Managing Director Prasan Firodia. Force Motors also said it has already extended this initiative to other key cities such as Pune, Aurangabad, Dhule, Nashik, Ratnagiri, Sangli and Solapur. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) On the $2.2trn coronavirus relief package in March known as the CARES Act, Congressman Thomas Massie and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez were the sole objectors. A month later, on a $484bn follow-up relief bill, three conservative House Freedom Caucus members and Kentucky GOP Senator Rand Paul joined them in opposition (if not officially, then verbally). Now, with lawmakers from the outer wings of each party increasingly -- and more vocally -- dissatisfied with the final products that have landed on Donald Trump's desk and become law, Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell face their toughest test yet to reach a compromise on an essential fifth coronavirus response bill that politicos are calling "CARES 2." Stepney Fire Department / Contributed photo MONROE No one was seriously injured in a one-car accident on Hattertown Road near the intersection of Guinea Road around midnight Sunday. The Stepney Volunteer Fire Department responded to the scene and found that the driver had self-extricated the vehicle before the crews arrival. The driver was evaluated by emergency medical services at the scene. Forty two years ago this autumn, a new Peace Corps volunteer fresh out of college, I headed for South Korea to work as a tuberculosis control technician. Over the next two years, I traveled throughout the villages of rural southwestern Korea with my Korean co-workers, identifying people with TB symptoms for treatment, dispensing information about the disease, collecting sputum samples, and performing countless tests in the health centers spartan lab. In those days, Koreas rural healthcare system was rudimentary, though the country had begun its rise to the vigorous, prosperous, free and democratic society it is today. Along the way, Korea created a system of universal single-payer healthcare that ranks among the worlds most modern and effective. The Korean healthcare systems quick response to the COVID-19 pandemic not only saved thousands of lives, but proved the model for the rest of the world to follow. Though Koreas population is 14 times larger than Connecticuts, our state has suffered eight times as many deaths. Clearly an effective healthcare system alone is not enough to block the COVID-19 pandemic, as the struggles of European countries demonstrate. Effective leadership from the top is also key. Korean President Moon Jae-In demonstrated it in spades, while new details of Donald Trumps criminally incompetent response are being revealed seemingly by the day. But when America ascends out of this viral nightmare, we should carefully examine South Koreas healthcare system as a model to replace our grossly overpriced and ineffective system. South Korea provides national health insurance to all citizens though the National Health Insurance Corporation under the Korean Ministry of Health and Wellness. Its financed by an average 5.06 percent payroll deduction out of monthly income, split between employer and employee. The self-employed are assessed health taxes based on income and assets, while low-income families are exempted from monthly payments. There are out-of-pocket payments, but theyre capped at a low level. Koreans are free to choose their doctors and hospitals. Most of the countrys doctors are in private practice, most hospitals privately owned. How effective is Koreas single-payer system? While covering every citizen, healthcare spending totals less than 8 percent of GDP, compared with over 18 percent for America. Korea pays less than a third per capita for healthcare as does the United States $3,000 versus $10,000 in the U.S. With pharmaceutical prices controlled by the government, drug costs per capita total less than half Americas $1,000. Korea entered the COVID-19 pandemic with nearly four times the hospital beds per population as the United States, permitting easy accommodation of its coronavirus patients. By contrast, America has closed more than 120 hospitals over the past decade, while states and municipalities cut 55,000 jobs in public health. Korean medical schools produce nearly as many doctors per population as the U.S., while the country employs half again as many nurses. Yet while spending a fraction per capita and less than half as much relative to GDP as we do, Koreas health outcomes are excellent. According to OECD statistics, Koreas infant mortality rate is less than half that of the United States, while maternal mortality is barely half Americas, and dropping. Koreas avoidable mortality rate, meaning deaths that can be mainly avoided through effective public health and primary prevention, or through timely and effective health care interventions, is half Americas. Further, Korean life expectancy, at 82, ranks among the highest in the world, four years longer than Americas. And while Korean life expectancy continues to rise, Americas is declining. While Americas elderly face ruinous costs for long-term nursing care, Koreas single-payer system is implementing affordable long-term care for its aged. Americas corporate media continue to propagate the falsehood that single-payer universal healthcare is pie-in-the-sky, impossible to implement, exorbitantly expensive, eliminating patient choice. In fact, a recent study by Yale School of Public Healths Center for Infectious Disease Modeling and Analysis concluded that implementing single-payer universal healthcare would save America more than $450 billion annually, and prevent more than 6,000 deaths each year. That is what senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren get that the GOP and corporate media refuse to understand. South Koreas system of single-payer universal healthcare has demonstrated how such a system can save lives during a pandemic, and during normal times as well. Its time that America woke from the haze of disinformation to recognize that our current healthcare system is utterly broken, and that nows the time to implement single-payer universal healthcare. In a generation Korea created one of the worlds best healthcare systems. Its time for America to follow suit. Sean B. Goldrick holds a masters degree in international affairs from Columbia University. He worked in international finance for many years throughout Asia, and served four years as an elected Democratic member of the Greenwich Board of Estimate and Taxation. He lives in the Riverside section of Greenwich. President Muhammadu Buhari has extended the lockdown in Lagos, Abuja and Ogun State by one week. From next week Monday, the president said, the lockdown will be relaxed in the three states to night curfews (8 p.m. to 6 a.m.). The president said this on Monday night while addressing Nigerians on the COVID-19 outbreak. For the avoidance of doubt, the lockdown in the FCT, Lagos and Ogun States shall remain in place until these new ones come into effect on Monday, 4th May 2020, Mr Buhari said. The three states have been on a lockdown for four weeks. In his address, Mr Buhari said he was approving a phased and gradual easing of lockdown measures in Abuja, Lagos and Ogun. Mondays address was the third by the president since the outbreak of the coronavirus in the country. The president said the measures were taken based on the recommendations of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, the various federal government committees who reviewed the socio-economic impact of the restrictions and the Nigeria Governors Forum. However, this will be followed strictly with aggressive reinforcement of testing and contact tracing measures while allowing the restoration of some economic and business activities in certain sectors, he noted. The First Lockdown President Buhari had declared a two-week lockdown of Lagos, Abuja and Ogun during his first address on the pandemic on March 29 to enable the country tackle the coronavirus pandemic. On April 12, the president addressed the nation again on the same issue and announced the extension of the lockdown by another two weeks. Some Nigerians, including state governors, have called for a partial lifting of the lockdown, with the governors forum advising intra-state movement be allowed, while interstate trips should be restricted. They have also suggested a compulsory use of face masks in public places as well continued ban on large gatherings. But the Nigerian Medical Association had advised the government to extend the lockdown by two more weeks, raising concerns a spike in the spread of the contagion if the country reopens now. Nigerias tally of confirmed COVID-19 cases rose to 1,273 on Sunday from 1,182 reported on Saturday evening by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). The president in his Monday night highlighted new nationwide measures for easing the lockdown as follows: a. Selected businesses and offices can open from 9 a.m. to 6p.m. daily; b. There will be an overnight curfew from 8 p.m. to 6am. This means all movements are will be prohibited during this period except essential services; c. There will be a ban on non-essential inter-state passenger travels until further notice; d. There will be partial and controlled interstate movement of goods and services will be allowed to allow for the movement of goods and services from producers to consumers, and e. We will strictly ensure the mandatory use of face masks or coverings in public in addition to maintaining physical distancing and personal hygiene. Furthermore, the restrictions on social and religious gathers shall remain in place. State Governments, corporate organisations, and philanthropists are encouraged to support the production of cloth masks for citizens. One lucky student at Texas A&M University San Antonio will win a tuition-free semester by participating in the colleges virtual Festival de Cascarones event on Sunday. The South Side campus is usually littered with confetti from the event, which ends the citys Fiesta celebration, but none of it can be held in person this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A&M San Antonios president, Cynthia Teniente-Matson, will still report live to the students from the campus on a Facebook Live event and announce the winner at 6 p.m. Required Reading: Get San Antonio education news sent directly to your inbox Were proud to be the annual host of the closing event of Fiesta, and even though this year is very different, we wanted to acknowledge and celebrate this great tradition in a new way on the date we would have been hosting a giant party, Teniente-Matson said. Current students and those who will arrive in the fall are eligible to compete for a tuition waiver that covers up to 15 credit hours. They must submit a video of their own cascaron smashing at home. Technology meets tradition, and fun, and were truly excited to see what our students come up with, Teniente-Matson said. The event that started in 2012 on the still young and rapidly growing university draws thousands of participants. A&M University San Antonio, like universities statewide, have been pursuing creative virtual ways to still have graduation ceremonies and online classes amid the pandemic. Krista Torralva covers several school districts and public universities in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. To read more from Krista, become a subscriber. Krista.Torralva@express-news.net | Twitter: @KMTorralva Donald Trump said on Monday he will take no responsibility if Americans inject or otherwise consume disinfectant to kill Covid-19, even though he suggested it during a Thursday evening press conference. No, I dont, the president said Monday evening when asked about Marylands governor saying his government got calls from people asking if they should. I cant imagine why, Mr Trump said when informed of Governor Larry Hogans comments about calls there. Mr Hogan is a Republican. The president on Friday denied seriously suggesting people consume toxic materials after later in Thursdays briefing saying disinfectant could kill the virus but not via injections. I was asking a question sarcastically to reporters ... to see what would happen, the president said Friday, claiming he was both asking a sarcastic question to coronavirus task force member Deborah Birx and asking his medical advisers to examine the impact sunlight has on the virus, not disinfectants, after a health official had described a study suggesting ultraviolet rays quickly kill Covid-19 cells. A transcript of his Thursday press briefing, however, suggests otherwise. It also was not immediately clear how one could ask sarcastic and serious questions simultaneously. Here is what Mr Trump said on Thursday evening: And then I see the disinfectant, where it knocks it out in a minute, one minute. And is there a way we can do something like that by injection inside or almost a cleaning, because, you see, it gets in the lungs and it does a tremendous number. He then instructed his top public health officials -- including coronavirus task force member Deborah Birx, a physician who sat statuesque nearby as the president suggested Lysol or 409 injections as Covid-19 treatments -- to check that. Not as a treatment, Ms Birx replied on Thursday night, undermining the presidents sarcasm claim and another that he was not addressing her. A national poll released on Monday showed former Vice President Joe Biden opening a 10-point lead over Mr Trump. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-28 00:34:09|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BERLIN, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Export expectation of German manufacturers for the next three months were in "free fall", ifo Institute announced on Monday. The ifo export index based on replies from 2,300 German companies "plunged" from minus 19.0 points to minus 50.0 points in April, marking the lowest value ever measured, according to ifo Institute. With a drop of 31 points, the extent of the decline was also "unprecedented" as the coronavirus pandemic was leaving "deep scars" on export markets globally, ifo Institute noted. "Expectations fell to new lows in numerous sectors. Many key German industries are particularly affected, such as automotive manufacturing, mechanical engineering, and electrical engineering," said Clemens Fuest, president of ifo Institute. According to the ifo Institute, the export expectation in Germany's chemical industry, which had been "comparatively moderate" in the previous month, would now also see "significant declines." The "only bright spot" in Germany this month, according to ifo, was the pharmaceutical industry, which was still assuming stable export business. Enditem The United Nations Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, on Monday, said over one billion dollars (N376 billion) has so far been realised from contributions to the organisations Coronavirus (COVID-19) response plans. Ms Mohammed disclosed this during a virtual new conference from New York on the launch of two initiatives in support of the UN COVID-19 response efforts. As with all things, fundraising has become quite a challenge. In as much as we expect to have received so much more, what I would say is that the first steps have been really positive. We have had four, five countries step up to the fund on the socio-economic response, but also those that have put money forward for the humanitarian response and the health response. These three go together, and we have so far seen over a billion dollars in the response to all three of the emergencies, she said. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that there are currently three UN response plans to the COVID-19 pandemic, requiring an estimated 11.6 billion dollars (N4.3 trillion) in total. First is the two-billion-dollar (N752 billion) global humanitarian response plan launched on March 25 to protect millions most at risk in the worlds most vulnerable countries. Six days later, the UN launched a one-billion-dollar (N376 billion) COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund to tackle the health emergency and help countries recover from the socio-economic impact of the pandemic. On Friday, the World Health Organisation (WHO) teamed up with some world leaders to launch an 8.6-billion-dollar (N3.2 trillion) initiative tagged Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator. ACT Accelerator seeks to fast-track the development, production and equitable distribution of COVID-19 drugs, tests kits and vaccines around the world. The deputy UN Chief said all hands were on deck to ensure the COVID-19 vaccine was developed as soon as possible and made available to everyone. The Secretary-General has called for this as a global public good and that is what we are working towards. There would be an announcement on May 4 by the European Commission where they are looking at the funding mechanism for that. So, I believe all hands are on deck, first and foremost, to see how we can develop this vaccine as soon as possible. But the production and its access to everyone would be in everyones mind, and the commitment we saw on Friday was towards that. We are going to see that reinforced on May 4, with more leaders coming to the table on how we will finance this, Ms Mohammed said. (NAN) VinFast sold 5,124 cars in the first quarter to rank fifth among auto brands in Vietnam, with the hatchback Fadil its most popular vehicle. The data was released by Vietnam Register based on how many cars were actually registered during the quarter. Unlike other members of the Vietnam Automobile Manufacturers Association (VAMA), VinFast does not release sales figures. VinFast ranked fifth behind Hyundai (assembled by TC Motor), Toyota, Kia (Thaco), and Honda. The Fadil, launched in June last year, accounted for 62 percent of the sales, and the sedan Lux A2.0 and the SUV Lux SA2.0 making up the rest. VinFast, Vietnams first domestic auto company, has a plant with a capacity of 250,000 cars and 250,000 electric bikes a year in the northern port city of Hai Phong. The Ministry of Industry and Trade said in a recent report that the auto industry is one of key sectors affected by Covid-19 pandemic, with production in the first quarter falling by 10.5 percent year-on-year to 56,200 units and inventory tripling. Last year 322,322 cars were sold, up 11.7 percent from 2018, according to VAMA. Two bungling police forces sent out thousands of PPE facemasks with fraudulent safety certificates to its frontline officers - shortly after the public were warned not to fall for coronavirus con tricks. Sussex and Surrey police are recalling 2,700 faulty masks already delivered to police stations across the counties after concerns were raised last Thursday over the shipment of 10,000 units. The masks were intended for officers who attend high-risk environments - but the alarm was raised when it emerged the masks' safety certificates were suspected of being faked. Just days earlier, a warning letter had been issued by Sussex Police warning people to be on the lookout for Covid-19 frauds online. 'So much for watching out for con artists,' a force insider said. Surrey and Sussex Police forces sent out thousands of PPE face masks with fraudulent safety certificates to its frontline officers - shortly after the public were warned not to fall for coronavirus con tricks. (File photo of Surrey police officers) The two forces are recalling 2,700 masks already delivered to police stations across the counties after concerns were raised over the shipment of 10,000 units. A spokesman for Sussex Police said the masks had all been recalled unused within 24 hours Although the kit was not intended to offer the highest level of protection, it was supposed to afford some degree of reassurance for officers attending sudden deaths, medical incidents where officers may need to carry out CPR and when dealing with suspects who are non-compliant. In an email sent to Surrey Police staff last Thursday, Superintendent Graham Barnett wrote: 'Earlier this afternoon, the Operation Apollo logistics team identified that a consignment of FFP2 (marked KS95) masks received in recent days may have issues with their certificates of conformity which are suspected to be fraudulent or invalid.' A Surrey Police employee, who asked not to be named, said they are 'furious' that officers have been put at further risk. They said: 'I'm furious and frightened for my colleagues and I know that the frontline colleagues are exposed regularly to potential Covid situations. 'Surrey [Police] has [in my opinion] misappropriated public money and we feel let down and even more anxious now that we may have contracted the illness through no fault of our own.' Masks with the highest level of protection are available within Surrey Police to some officers. They are designated as FFP3 masks and can block both liquid and solid aerosols but, as with all organisations, the force has only a limited stock. Just days before the fiasco emerged, a warning letter had been issued by Sussex Police warning people to be on the lookout for Covid-19 frauds online Genuine FFP2 masks offer a lower level of protection but still meet World Health Organization standards and are certified by the European Union. Superintendent Barnett told staff that 2,500 masks had already been issued to officers across Surrey and Sussex when the issues were discovered but a Surrey Police spokesman later said it was around 2,700 that had been sent to police station stock rooms. Because of the safety risks, the masks have been recalled. Superintendent Barnett wrote: 'As we cannot verify the level of protection these products can provide, we have decided that for your safety they will be withdrawn while an investigation takes place.' A Surrey Police spokesman confirmed that three batches of PPE including 10,000 masks came with invalid certificates 'or the quality of some of the masks has raised concerns with regard to the equipment's effectiveness'. He added: 'Officer and staff safety is paramount and since the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak both Surrey Police and Sussex Police have worked hard to ensure that there is a ready source of appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE). 'To give you context, with the international demand around PPE and the ability to source stocks, we have sourced masks from a number of companies - ones we have used previously and others with appropriate levels of stock required in these challenging times.' The spokesman said the force had acted quickly to recall the masks in consultation with health and safety officers, and that 'we believe that they are all accounted for'. Investigations into the orders are ongoing, but Surrey and Sussex Police staff have been updated, along with other police forces across the country, and instructed to use alternative supplies. Sussex Police chiefs also told frontline staff that the kit's certificates of conformity were believed to be fraudulent or invalid. The deception was uncovered days after the force sent out warnings to the public to be on the lookout for conmen trying to take advantage of worried people during lockdown. Coronavirus scammers have stolen almost 1million from unsuspecting members of the public, Action Fraud said, including fake masks. Sussex police warned: 'Nationally, Action Fraud has identified a spate of over 100 cases of Covid 19-related fraud since the start of February. 'The majority of reports are related to online shopping scams where people have ordered and paid for protective face masks, hand sanitiser and other products, which have never arrived.' The force advised people: 'Be careful when shopping online and avoid companies you don't recognise. Carry out your research and ask a family member or friend if you're unsure.' Sussex Police said officer and staff safety has been their priority since the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak. 'We have sourced masks from a number of companies - ones we have used previously and others with appropriate levels of stock required in these challenging times. We have updated both organisations, and wider policing colleagues both regionally and nationally, and we have directed officers to use alternative supplies. 'There are currently investigations ongoing into these counterfeit orders and so we cannot go into further details at this time,' the spokesman said. The masks, bought from UK suppliers, were issued on Monday last week. A spokesman said the masks had all been recalled unused within 24 hours. 'A suspicious looking certificate of quality assurance was identified by our logistics team whilst allocating masks,' the force said. UCHealth, a 12-hospital nonprofit system in Colorado, has temporarily stopped contributing to its investments, which as of the end of last year totaled more than $544 million in cash and liquid investments, and $4 billion in long-term investments, according to its financial disclosure report. Even before the pandemic, it had been stockpiling extra cash to build an 11-story tower at the University of Colorado Hospital in Denver that will cost $388 million, said Dan Rieber, UCHealths chief financial officer. The system has enough liquidity to operate for more than 300 days without any new income and has obtained new lines of credit. Health Minister Zweli Mkhize revealed that South Africa has now recorded 3,300 COVID-19 cases, an increase of 142 cases since yesterday. The number of confirmed cases in Gauteng increased to 1,170, followed by the Western Cape with 940, and KwaZulu-Natal on 639. The growth in the number of COVID-19 cases remains closely linked to the number of tests conducted. The total number of tests conducted in South Africa increased to 121,510. This is a daily increase of 6,799. Mkhize also stated that four new deaths attributed to COVID-19 were recorded, bringing total deaths to 58. Good news is that there were 165 new recoveries, which brings the total number of recoveries to 1,055. The image below provides an overview of the coronavirus outbreak in South Africa as of 20 April. Interesting trends The latest coronavirus numbers are following a similar trend to what was seen over the last week. There was an increase in the average number of coronavirus cases in South Africa over the last week. This increase was linked to the increase in the average number of daily tests conducted. The graphs below show the average number of daily coronavirus cases and tests, calculated over a rolling 7-day period. Number of tests in South Africa The Department of Healths acting director-general Anban Pillay previously said not enough tests were being done to get a real picture of the coronavirus pandemic in South Africa. Shabir Madhi, professor of vaccinology at the University of the Witwatersrand, warned that unless testing is scaled up significantly the lockdown will be mostly wasted. To address this problem, Madhi said around 1% of the population 600,000 people should be tested during the lockdown period. This was never going to happen, and instead Madhi set a target for the rest of the lockdown period of between 15,000 and 20,000 daily tests. This is a long way off, though. The graph below shows the number of daily tests during the lockdown, and the 15,000 target set by Madhi. Keith Coffman, Andrew Hay GREELEY, Colo. (Reuters) - Royal Rose is reopening her Colorado tattoo studio next week after closing a month ago, not because she wants to but because the bills are piling up and she says she has no choice. I would stay home if the government encouraged that, but theyre not, theyre saying Hey, the best thing to do is go back to work, even though it might be risky, said Rose, 39, sitting inside her salon in a wood-sided building on a leafy street in the farming and oil town of Greeley. Colorado is among the first wave of U.S. states beginning an experiment to reopen economies without the testing and contact-tracing infrastructure health experts say is needed to prevent a resurgence of the coronavirus, with lives in the balance. I feel like we are like test dummies that theyre learning off of, said Mary Ramirez, a Greeley hair salon owner who will not be reopening next week as she believes, like Rose, there is insufficient safety guidance and planning. Colorados Democratic Governor Jared Polis gave the green light for retail curbside pickup to begin on Monday. Hair salons, barbershops and tattoo parlors can open next Friday. Retail stores, restaurants and movie theaters will follow. Greeleys Republican-controlled Weld County Commission, which has long sparred with Polis over public policy, went a step further, telling all businesses they could reopen on Monday. The city and county of Denver, on the other hand, extended stay-at-home orders until May 8, citing a lack of testing and contact tracing. White House guidelines say states and counties should wait until new coronavirus cases decline for two weeks before reopening. The virus has killed more than 51,000 people in the United States, more than any other country. An influential University of Washington model often used by the White House for COVID-19 projections says the earliest Colorado should reopen is May 25-31, and only then if it has sufficient capacity to test for the virus and contain future outbreaks. It says Colorado already has the second highest death rate in the West after Washington state. With Colorado yet to record a sustained decline in cases, the governor says he sees calculated risks in reopening. He and other governors want to get economies rolling after the virus put 26.5 million Americans out of work and decimated states income from taxes. TIME OF INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY Weld, about an hours drive north of Denver, with a large Latino and Hispanic community, has the third highest coronavirus death toll of any Colorado county with 70 fatalities. Its huge JBS USA (JBSS3.SA) meat processing plant was forced to close temporarily after the state reported four workers died there from COVID-19. Still, local tattoo artist Steven Ortega, 35, wants to get back to business after the shutdown made it difficult to pay the rent and feed his family. He said he has 10 customers on his waiting list. People are lined up, were ready to go, said Ortega, who believes he and his clients will be protected by the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) such as face masks. Loosening the restrictions does not mean the local economy will roar back to life or people will follow new guidance, which includes wearing masks, some residents say. Half the people who come in here arent taking it seriously, no masks or gloves, Johanna Ramirez, 35, owner of Mi Pueblo Market grocery store in Fort Lupton on the countys plains, said as she rang up a customer who was not wearing a face covering. Announcing the reopening, Polis told Coloradans they were entering the time of individual responsibility and choices, and he trusted them to make good choices. An entrepreneur known for libertarian views, his message has differed from Democrat governors in California and neighboring New Mexico who have respectively told residents they must stay home until mid or early May for the good of the community. Epidemiologist Lee Newman said in an ideal world Coloradans would continue to stay home, but many can no longer afford food or medicine unless they return to work. We dont have enough tests being done to know how long we need to wait, how long we need to keep the society at the same level as were at now in terms of closures, said Newman, professor of environmental and occupational health and epidemiology at the Colorado School of Public Health. Waiting longer to reopen makes no sense to Weld County Commissioner Kevin Ross, who is counting on PPE and social distancing to curb the spread of the virus, given the really low rate of testing. Theres starting to be more of a panic, and more of a fear of not having work than the virus itself, Ross said. Colorado is among the lowest 25% of states in terms of per capita testing, with 9,971 tests per million people, according to the Covid Tracking Project, a volunteer group which publishes data on the pandemic. Rose is also depending on PPE to protect herself and clients at her cosmetic tattoo and beauty parlor, in the absence of what she sees as responsible national, state or county leadership. Theyre not taking this logically. Theyre doing this more towards favoritism, Lets win the people, lets give them what they want, instead of No, this is what you need, said Rose, who will be wearing a face shield, N95 respirator mask, gloves and protective gown when she reopens. Reporting By Keith Coffman in Greeley, Colorado and Andrew Hay in Taos, New Mexico; Editing by Bill Tarrant and Daniel Wallis Within Asia, the Japanese and Singaporean economies could struggle the most in the coronavirus pandemic, an economist from Moody's Analytics said on Monday. Both economies were already weak before the outbreak worsened over the past month and stricter lockdown measures imposed to contain the virus spread will likely exacerbate their respective economic troubles, said Steve Cochrane, the firm's chief Asia Pacific economist. Latest official data in Japan showed the economy shrinking by 6.3% year over year in the three months to December, while preliminary estimates in Singapore indicated that the economy contracted by 2.2% in the quarter that ended in March. "Japan already was in recession coming into this; the first quarter for Singapore was very weak, I think this quarter will be even tougher for Singapore given the lockdown," Cochrane told CNBC's "Squawk Box Asia." "And then there is potential that in Japan, if the coronavirus spreads further, there could be more of a real lockdown rather than the kind of a soft lockdown that's in Japan right now," he added. Muslims in some communities of Accra have stated that although praying at home alone during the month of Ramadan was unpleasant, the Presidents directives were also useful as it will prevent the spread of coronavirus. Ideally praying as a group during the month of Ramadan consolidate our gains as Muslims, but under the circumstances of the coronavirus pandemic, we just have to cope up with the situation until it improves, Alhaji Mohammed Aziz said in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Accra. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo during his eighth television broadcast to the Nation on Sunday evening, gave an update on governments efforts to stem the spread of the coronavirus in Ghana. He said among other things that in a consultation meeting with the Council of State and other key stakeholders.I have, accordingly, by Executive Instrument, extended for another two (2) weeks the suspension of all public and social gatherings, as set out in E.I 64 of 15th March 2020, effective tomorrow, 1 am, Monday, 27th April. The President also appealed to Muslims to stay home during the Ramadan period to do what he described as analogical deduction, as the breaking of the Ramadan fast is an intensely social activity in Muslim communities. He also issued a directive of mandatory wearing of face masks at all public places, adding, We should all familiarise ourselves with them, and apply them, as the Regional Coordinating Councils of the Greater Accra, Ashanti and Central Regions are demanding of their residents. A GNA visit to Accra Newtown, Nima and Maamobi revealed that most of the Muslims were not too happy, praying at home alone in the month of Ramadan, but were quick to add that the Presidents directive was reactive to the current situation that Ghanaians found themselves. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video SpendEdge has announced the availability of its latest report on Coal Procurement for pre-order. The report on coal procurement is part of a larger series of reports on the global fuel market, which includes all spend related to the provision of fuels including solid and liquid fuels. It may also include spend related to transportation and storage of fuel across different geographic locations across the globe as well as any spend on additives to enhance the performance of the fuel. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200427005404/en/ SpendEdge has announced the availability of its latest report on Coal Procurement for pre-order. (Graphic: Business Wire) According to our experts, the new developments in global geopolitics and China's shifting policies are altering the supply and investment avenues within the coal category. Suppliers are putting greater emphasis on the evaluation of their traditional business models and are finding opportunities that can create value for themselves as well as their clients. SpendEdge's reports now include a complimentary COVID-19 impact assessment on all reports from the fuel category. Our reports are intended to serve as a one-stop reference guide for companies looking for effective coal procurement strategies and offer a perfect blend of category basics with deep-dive category data and insights request a free sample today! Coal Procurement Risks Buyers and suppliers are required to comply with stringent environmental regulations, such as the MARPOL treaty, Clean Air Act in the US. Any noncompliance with these regulations can result in hefty fines. Moreover, periodic changes in regulations affect the operations and costs of both buyers and suppliers as they incur additional efforts in aligning with the new norms. Changes such as these significantly increase the prices which are cues for buyers to shift toward more cost-effective solutions Pricing terms in the contract could prove to be inadequate to safeguard the buyer from the impact of a sudden increase in supplier's cost, often arising from a lack of clarity on the scope of products or services to be delivered Not what you are looking for? SpendEdge now offers custom studies and reports that are suited to the needs of every type and size of organizations across the globe. Request a free demo of our procurement platform and access the complete library of reports for free! Coal Procurement Best Practices Buyers should proactively manage relations with coal suppliers and have pre-determined intervention criteria for onboarding or replacing a supplier, changing specifications or terms and conditions. Suppliers need to have expertise in demand and price forecasting of fuels as this will help to appropriately set the prices for the contract period. Try our procurement platform for freeto access 9 full reports, custom studies, and over 700 reports for no cost. SpendEdge now offers paid subscriptions starting as low as $250/month. Key Questions Answered in this Coal Procurement Report What is the spend potential in the coal market? What is the correct price to pay for coal? What are the key trends and factors that influence current and future pricing? Which selection criteria are the most important for coal Suppliers Market? Who are the top coal suppliers? What are their cost structures? What are supplier margins in coal market? Which negotiation levers can reduce coal procurement cost? What are the best practices for coal procurement and what are the potential risks? About SpendEdge SpendEdge shares your passion for driving sourcing and procurement excellence. We are the preferred procurement market intelligence partner for 120+ Fortune 500 firms and other leading companies across numerous industries. Our strength lies in delivering robust, real-time procurement market intelligence reports and solutions. To know more, https://www.spendedge.com/get-more-info View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200427005404/en/ Contacts: SpendEdge Anirban Choudhury Marketing Manager US: +1 630 984 7340 UK: +44 148 459 9299 https://www.spendedge.com/contact-us CLEVELAND, Ohio Victory Cruise Lines, the predominant operator in the Great Lakes cruise market, has canceled more than half its sailings this summer, and pulled one of its ships from the region. And there may be more cancellations, depending on whether U.S. and Canadian coronavirus-related cruise restrictions are lifted in time for a planned resumption of sailing in July. The decision means that Cleveland, an increasingly popular port stop on Great Lakes itineraries, will see far fewer cruise ship visitors this year. The Port of Cleveland currently is scheduled to welcome passengers from 12 sailings this year, down from 41 stops originally planned for 2020. All of those reductions are due to a major scaling back by Victory, which typically operates two ships in the Great Lakes, May through October. In recent months, the cruise industry has seen numerous COVID-19 cases among passengers and crew. Cruise lines worldwide have canceled itineraries, and demand for cruising, at least in the short-term, has dropped dramatically. Victory announced last week that it was pulling one ship from the Great Lakes region, and reducing the sailings on its remaining vessel. The company, a division of American Queen Steamboat Company, sails two nearly identical ships, the 202-passenger Victory I and Victory II, on several Great Lakes itineraries, many of which stop in Cleveland. David Gutheil, chief maritime officer for the Port of Cleveland, said the port will take its lead from Victory. Were ready to do whatever they decide is best, he said. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention currently has a no-sail order in place, which prohibits most cruise ships from stopping in U.S. ports for an undetermined length of time (100 days from its issue in early April, or until rescinded). Canada has a similar order. Victory I is currently scheduled to sail its first itinerary starting July 5, a nine-day cruise from Toronto to Chicago with a daylong stop in Cleveland. John Waggoner, CEO of the American Queen Steamboat Co., said additional cancellations might be necessary. We are closely monitoring updates from the U.S. and Canadian governments and the Centers for Disease Control, as well as the destinations we visit and will adjust polices as appropriate, he said. Gutheil said its unclear whether attractions in Cleveland and elsewhere will be open to accommodate and welcome cruise passengers in July. Typically, Victory passengers are given a tour of the city on Lolly the Trolley, then spend time at the Rock Hall, Cleveland Museum of Art, West Side Market or other attractions. Though the West Side Market is open, both the Rock Hall and art museum remain closed indefinitely. Gutheil said the average cruise passenger in Cleveland typically spends about $150 a day. If the entire cruise season is canceled, that would be equate to a loss of about $1.2 million in economic impact. Waggoner said the companys priority is the health and safety of guests, crew and partners. The company has and will continue to implement new sanitation and health protocols recommended by the CDC and others. Our boats are never out of sight of land and with port stops every day, we have the ability to transport a guest to a U.S. health care facility immediately, if needed, said Waggoner. We will continue to communicate with our travel partners in the Great Lakes, as we monitor and follow the recommendations by the Centers for Disease Control and other government agencies involved in the response, as appropriate. Despite this years cut backs, Gutheil remains optimistic about Great Lakes cruising generally and Clevelands emergence as a popular port of call. The port expects more than 50 passenger ships to stop in the city in 2021, and more in subsequent years. Gutheil acknowledged that the pandemic, and accompanying economic slowdown, may slow growth in upcoming years. But were optimistic about the long term, he said. Early this year, Viking Cruises announced plans to start sailing in the Great Lakes in 2022; other companies are expanding in the region, as well. Read more: Viking announces Great Lakes cruises for 2022; wont stop in Cleveland Cruising the Great Lakes: More ships, more passengers, more stops in Cleveland When will we travel again? Former Ohio tourism chief tracks trends amid coronavirus pandemic The Police Ombudsman is carrying out an independent investigation into the death of a man in Co Down on Saturday The Police Ombudsman is carrying out an independent investigation into the death of a man in Co Down on Saturday. Police received a report of a "concern for safety" at 11.20am about a 27-year-old man in Cloughey. Officers found the man lying outside his apartment in the village's Main Street. Despite attempts by officers and paramedics to resuscitate him, the man died at the scene. As PSNI officers were present at the scene of the death, the Police Ombudsman's Office has launched an investigation and is appealing for witnesses. SDLP councillor Joe Boyle said it was a "tragic" incident but the man's death is not being treated as suspicious. He added that police were called after the man was seen to be "acting strangely". "They arrived and the individual wasn't in a great state but they certainly tried to attempt to resuscitate," he said. "Police tried to do what they could do, but they could clearly see that the gentleman in question was having difficulties." Former MIT scientist Katy Kaminski, now of the AlphaSimplex Group, analyzes the catalysts that could hurt markets in May. Plus, David Greenberg, former NYMEX board member, discusses how investors can maneuver more volatility for the June WTI crude contract. Hyderabad, April 27 : The water quality of Hyderabad's famous lake Hussainsagar has improved thanks to the ongoing lockdown, authorities said on Monday. The analysis of the data before lockdown and after lockdown shows improvement in water quality of the lake with respect to increase in Dissolved Oxygen (DO) and decrease trends of Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD). According to the Telangana State Pollution Control Board (TSPCB), the total coliform and faecal coliform is also showing decreasing trends before and during lockdown at all the eight locations. It said that the improvement in water quality could be due to arrest of human activities/anthropogenic activities like boating, recreation, eateries, around the lake. The picturesque lake, which divides the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad, is one of the major recreation spots in the Telangana capital. Stating that the state government took up remediation of the lake and the work started from March 3, the board said the improvement in the water quality might be also due to the ongoing activity of remediation. The authorities monitor the lake every month to assess the water quality at nine locations in and around the lake. The monitoring for the current month was carried out on April 10 and April 16. However, the sample from midstream, that is the Buddha statue, was not collected as there was no access to the location. The analysis of data for four months (January to April 2020) shows that the DO has increased and BOD has decreased. With regard to the faecal coliform count, the same has shown decreasing trends from January to April 2020 at all the 8 locations. Kano state Governor, Umar Ganduje, has said there is nothing to suggest that the mysterious deaths reported in the state over the past week, has any links with the deadly Conroavirus. There are unconfirmed reports that over 640 persons have died in the state in the last one week amidst the Coronavirus pandemic. Morgue operators have also complained that they are overwhelmed by the number of dead bodies brought in for burial within the last one week. In a series of tweets posted this morning, the state governor, Umar Ganduje, said there is nothing to suggest at the moment, that the deaths has any links with COVID-19. According to him, autopsies are being carried out to identify cause of increased deaths in the state New Mexico, The Land of Enchantment (also known locally as The Land of Manana and The Land of Entrapment) doesnt rank well on many nationwide surveys. We come in at a strong 47th place on a list of states ranked by wealth , 49th place in education and a staggering 50th place thats last, folksfor best place to raise a family. But thats all in the past! As of Friday, April 24th, our state came up smelling like green chile. The New York Times recognized New Mexico for being extremely poor compared to other states (thank you!), yet somehow overcoming the odds and flattening the curve. Our neighbors in Colorado are not faring so well, and scientists speculate our good fortune thus far is due to Gov. Michelle Lujan Grishams aggressive plan of action early on. Helen Wearing, a mathematician University of New Mexico who specializes in disease ecology, said, Hundreds of lives were saved because of what the state did early on, and thats using conservative estimates. By all means, we werent cut out for success. Our population is relatively advanced in years, we dont have enough hospital beds as it is and we have the worst livers in the country. All of this points to New Mexico being literally buried by this pandemic more rapidly than other states. Gov. Lujan Grisham made the call to close schools throughout the state on March 12th. She recently extended her stay-at-home order until at least May 15th, and she remains cautious about opening the state back up. Its not a popular decision with everyone, especially the NRA and crappy churches, but the numbers dont lie. Our governor left abortion clinics open but closed us down, said Steve Smothermon of Legacy Church, the Albuquerque megachurch who sued the state of New Mexico over churches being included in the ban on large gatherings. Our current status as a state successfully fighting the novel coronavirus is not secure, however. This victory could collapse within days if we give up our careful social distancing now. Its essentially a crappy time to be a governor of any state, and every policy enacted has the potential to stave off or cause mass deaths. In addition to being sued, Gov. Lujan Grisham has to deal with potential spread from states surrounding us who make the choice to reopen, construction workers building the border wall down south, and people within the state refusing to cooperate with executive orders. Martin Modey Hicks, Mayor of Grants, New Mexico, still plans to open up the city on Monday, claiming that his town is essentially dying as it is. He doesnt seem to understand the difference between a business dying financially and actually physically dying, but hes highly confident in his decision. It just goes to show that you should never trust a mayor with a nickname in quotes next to their real name. I want to believe we can do this. I want to keep seeing New Mexico at the top of a list for doing something well, just this once. If I could, Id thank Gov. Lujan Grisham personally for saving our lives and making sure there will be enough hospital beds to accommodate New Mexican COVID-19 patients when our state peaks. Do I want to see local businesses go under? Absolutely not. Do I want us all to survive this and get a chance to try again? Yeah, I think that would be swell. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp LinkedIn Email Telegram New York, April 27, 2020Today the group of undersigned organizations called on authorities in Benin to immediately release imprisoned journalist Ignace Sossou on appeal and ensure that he does not continue to face undue risk of coronavirus exposure in ongoing detention. Sossou, an investigative journalist with the privately owned Benin Web TV news site, is scheduled to appear in court tomorrow, April 28, to appeal the 18-month prison sentence he received for his reporting in December 2019, his employer reported this month. Journalist Ignace Sossou should never have been arrested, but his ongoing detention amid the coronavirus pandemic makes his release from prison in Benin even more urgent, said Angela Quintal, CPJs Africa program coordinator. Now is the time for Beninese authorities to put health and safety concerns above politics and ensure that Ignace Sossou does not remain in a jail cell amid the COVID-19 crisis. On December 20, 2019, police arrested Sossou at his home in Cotonou, Benins largest city, over social media posts quoting Beninese public prosecutor, Mario Metonou, according to documentation by the undersigned organizations. On December 24, a local court convicted Sossou under Benins digital code for the same posts and sentenced him to 18 months in prison and a fine of 200,000 CFA francs (US$337), Benin Web TV reported at the time. Earlier this month, over 80 organizations wrote to 10 African heads of state, including Benins president, Patrice Talon, requesting the release of all journalists in detention for their work in order to mitigate the risks of exposure to the coronavirus. The letter referenced prisoners rights to enjoy the best attainable state of physical and mental health under the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights and imprisoned peoples elevated risk of infection, according to the World Health Organization. Benin confirmed its first COVID-19 case in March, according to Reuters. In February, Sossous lawyers filed a complaint about his ongoing detention with the United Nations working group on arbitrary detention, according to a report by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists. African Editors Forum (TAEF) Cellule Norbert Zongo pour le journalisme dinvestigation en Afrique de lOuest/Norbert Zongo Cell for Investigative Journalism in West Africa (CENOZO) CIVICUS Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) Paradigm Initiative (PIN) Reporters sans frontieres (RSF) [Editors note: The spelling of Sossous name was corrected in the headline.] UPDATE: One confirmed case in Tauranga remains under investigation, says Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield. He says this is the only case reported back in April where health officials are still investigating the source of the infection. "This is a confirmed case in Tauranga and a possible link is still being investigated." Today, there is one confirmed case of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours and four new probable cases. Ashley is also reporting an additonal death, bringing the total death toll of COVID-19 related deaths to 19. A woman in her 90s died in Waitakere Hospital yesterday. Ashley says the woman is the third person to have die from the St Margarets Resthome cluster. "She had a number of underlying health issues." To date, a total of 1180 people have recovered from COVID-19. Thirty more than yesterday. "This is 80 per cent of our cases who have recovered." Ashley says the total number of confirmed and probable cases of the virus in New Zealand is now at 1469. He says of this, 1122 are confirmed cases. This is the number reported to the WBO and used to compare with other countries. A total of seven people remain in hospital, with one person in ICU. This remains unchanged from yesterday. There are still 16 significant clusters. EARLIER: Many New Zealanders are preparing to head back to work tomorrow as the country moves out of Alert Level 4 at 11.59 tonight. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield will be updating us on the All of Government COVID-19 National Response at 1pm. SunLive will be providing updates throughout the afternoon. What we know so far On Sunday, there were nine new cases of COVID-19 to report, made up of four new confirmed cases and five new probable cases. There were 5966 tests completed on Saturday, with a combined total to date of 120,981. Of the new cases reported on Sunday, four are linked to existing clusters, and five are linked to known confirmed cases. Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield says although its encouraging to have another day of single digit cases, vigilance remains crucial. "As we prepare to move to Alert Level 3 on Tuesday morning, its really important not to slacken off the effort. "Even though all these new cases are linked to existing community-based cases or clusters, or are a result of overseas travel, nine cases highlights the need for everybody to maintain a high level of vigilance in Level 4 and as we move to Level 3." The combined total of confirmed and probable cases in New Zealand is 1470, with 1142 reported as recovered an increase of 24 on yesterday. A total of 78 per cent of all confirmed and probable cases are now recovered. There are seven people in hospital, unchanged from Saturday. This total includes one person in the ICU in Middlemore. There are still 16 significant clusters, and again this is no change from yesterday. A reminder that people should not delay seeking care for any health needs either through phoning Healthline 0800 611 116 or through their GP. And, as usual, if it is an emergency then dial 111 and ask for the ambulance service or go to your nearest hospital emergency department. Brewer is a top adviser to NRA chief executive Wayne LaPierre and helped set in motion a rancorous split within the powerful gun lobby, as The Washington Post reported last year. Several NRA veterans have accused Brewer, who has offices in Dallas and New York, of instigating the feud to protect his fees, which totaled $24 million in one 13-month period, according to internal documents. 300 packages of cocaine seized believed from Bacalar plane Escarcega, Campeche A report from the Ministry of National Defense says personnel have found 300 packages of cocaine they believe was flown into the region by a recently-discovered plane in the municipality of Bacalar. According the the Ministry of National Defense, the finding of the cocaine was made April 25 when elements of the Mexican Army inspected a semi along the Escarcega-Chetumal section of highway. They say military personnel carried out a routine check on a tractor trailer coming from Chetumal, Quintana Roo. The inspection lead to the finding of the 300 packages of cocaine they believe is part of the cargo that landed in the municipality of Bacalar days before. Officers arrested the driver of the unit and seized both the semi and its cargo. Military personnel find 300 package of cocaine in a semi located in Escarcega, Campeche Last week, military personnel tracked an illegal plane that had landed in the municipality of Bacalar, however, by the time they arrived, its cargo had been unloaded. Two motorcycles and four men were arrested. The 300 packages of cocaine believed to be the original cargo, were found 3.5 hours west in the state of Campeche. Have Sheriff Offices in North Carolina, possibly even Beaufort County's Sheriff Office, become too political in the discharging of their sworn constitutional duties? No, the sheriff is a constitutional officer. Yes, the Sheriff Office, on strong occasion, often reverts back to political patronage in the dispensation of their sworn constitutional duties. Wipro is facing a fresh class action suit initiated by five of its former employees in the United States alleging the company practices discriminatory policies in promotions, hikes and termination of employment against employees who are not of South Asian or Indian origin. The suit has been filed in the district court of New Jersey on the 30th of March 2020. In the suit the plaintiffs allege that "Wipro operates under a general policy of discrimination in favour of South Asians and against individuals who are not South Asian and not Indian. This general policy of discrimination manifests itself in the same general fashion with respect to Wipro's hiring, staffing, promotion, and termination decisions". They have also sought for a jury trial in the case . "Wipro does not comment on pending litigation," the company said in response to BusinessToday.In questionnaire. The five former employees (four of Caucasian origin and the other of Hispanic origin) have also set out each of their cases individually on the alleged discriminatory practice which resulted in their job losses. The suit alleges that the company gave preference to placing South Asian and Indian applicants located in the U.S. over others, as a result of which there was a disproportionately high percentage of South Asians and Indians in US exceeding "the proportion of those individuals in the relevant labour market". In the suit the former employees also allege , " Because of Wipro's preference for South Asians and Indians, these individuals are regularly awarded higher appraisal scores, compared to their non-South Asian and non-Indian colleagues. Additionally, some non-South Asian and non-Indian individuals are never given appraisal scores at all". They also said that Non-South Asians and non-Indians assigned to various projects were terminated at substantially higher rates compared to their South Asian and Indians counterparts working in the US. These employees who worked for Wipro in the US at different time points over the last decade , have sought the court to classify the suit as a 'class action' in accordance with the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and a permanent injunction from engaging in unlawful policies, along with an order to adopt a valid, non-discriminatory method for hiring, promotion, termination, and other employment decisions. Last year in December, another African- Amercian employee had filed a suit against the company for employment termination on the basis of his race and sought compensation for the duress caused as a result of the company actions. Also read: Coronavirus effect: Infosys defers promotions, salary hikes; to honour all new job offers Also read: Wipro defers promotions, salary hikes amid coronavirus pandemic The hairdressing industry is facing the very real threat of an unprecedented number of salon closures unless the government takes urgent action now to address the crisis brought about by the current pandemic, according to leading industry body, the Hairdressing Council of Ireland. The council, the largest representative body of its type in Ireland, with over 1,800 active members in an industry worth approximately 2 billion to the Irish economy, is seeking to engage with government officials to find practical solutions that will protect the livelihood of thousands of hairdressers in the Republic. Measures sought include a reduction or holiday in local council rates, a reduction in insurance costs for salons currently closed due to the current crisis and more clarity from the government and public health authorities with regards to safe return to work practices for industry members and their clients. Along with its executive committee, Council President and multi award-winning salon owner Sean Taaffe is in constant contact with TDs and Ministers to this end. Speaking about recent challenges, Sean says; In the last 12 months, the hairdressing industry has seen a 50% increase in VAT, alongside soaring rent, rates and a greatly increased labour cost. With the onset of COVID-19, the future of our industry is increasingly precarious. Failure to address the current crises will result in never-before-seen numbers of salon closures and the resulting loss of jobs and personal hardship for all within the industry. In addition, given the size of the industry, a failure to support us will negatively impact the Irish economy as a whole and will ensure that the black market soars. In light of this, the councils executive committee is working tirelessly with leading hairdressers and business experts to offer clear and practical advice, not only to our members, but to the industry at large, and to ensure that any information communicated to the industry is accurate, constructive and avoids confusion. We would encourage all hairdressers to become members and to consult our website hairdressingcouncil.ie for regular updates. An Ivory Coast monarch could order a procession of naked women to ward off coronavirus by seeking the protection of spirits, a trusted aide has said. Last week, the king of Sanwi, held a special exorcism ceremony seeking divine intervention to protect his three million subjects against the epidemic. The event would have experienced a large turnout of people save for the coronavirus restrictions keeping gatherings to less than 50 people. I ask God to protect the population and keep this virus away from the kingdom, Ivory Coast and the world, King Amon NDouffou V said, speaking through his official announcer as royals do not address the public directly. Traditional komians or women healers dressed in white purified the royal court by sprinkling alcohol to the strains of the abodan, a traditional beat. According to AFP, such ceremonies are held to ward off natural disasters such as droughts or floods. Ivory Coast has more than 1,000 cases of the new coronavirus with 14 deaths and the government has roped in traditional rulers to enforce social distancing and other measures. He said, through the royal announcer, calling coronavirus a bad spirit that Human beings have to redefine their space in this world and respect nature. Without that, we will always be confronted with these epidemics, he added. In Africa, we live in two worlds the visible and the invisible, said Ben Kottia, the kings counsellor. Only kings have the power through this libation to demand the protection of the invisible world. Read Also: Nigerians Drag Apostle Suleman For Saying He Can Cure COVID-19 Patients The king can order women who hold this secret to perform the adjalou a procession through the village to protect the people. During Adjalou, these women are naked and we confine men and children in their homes, he said. The women erect barricades at the entrance of villages to prevent bad spirits from entering and claiming lives. The procession is kept secret until the previous day when the royal announcer goes through the village to say it will take place. (AFP) D octors have been sent an alert by the NHS warning of a coronavirus-related syndrome that could be emerging in children in the UK. The alert, sent to GPs by Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) in north London and seen by the Health Service Journal, says an "infectious pathogen" affecting children could be "coronavirus-related" or share characteristics with Covid-19. It says in the last three weeks there has been an "apparent rise in the number of children of all ages presenting with a multi-system inflammatory state requiring intensive care across London and also in other regions of the UK." According to NHS England, severe Covid-19 cases are still very rare in children and the alert is a standard way of making sure clinicians are made aware of any potential emerging links so they are able to give children and young people the right investigations and care as quickly as possible. Symptoms include a high temperature that lasts for five days or more, often with a rash and/or swollen glands in the neck. Patients may also have abdominal pain, "gastrointestinal symptoms" and symptoms of inflammation around the heart. Effects have been seen in both children with and without coronavirus, but there is evidence some patients previously had coronavirus, the alert adds. The alert, tweeted by the Paediatric Intensive Care Society, refers to atypical Kawasaki disease, a condition that mainly affects children under the age of five. However NHS England stressed there is not yet a direct link between the coronavirus and Kawasaki disease. Children also display signs similar to toxic shock syndrome (TSS), a severe illness associated with infections. The alert adds: There is a growing concern that a SARS CoV-2 (Covid-19) related inflammatory syndrome is emerging in children in the UK, or that there may be another, as yet unidentified, infectious pathogen associated with these cases. "PICS wishes to highlight this alert to all paediatricians as well as colleagues in anaesthesia and adult Intensive Care who may be involved in the management of sick children." Professor Simon Kenny, NHS national clinical director for children and young people, said: Thankfully Kawasaki-like diseases are very rare, as currently are serious complications in children related to Covid-19, but it is important that clinicians are made aware of any potential emerging links so that they are able to give children and young people the right care fast. Coronavirus infecting a cell - In pictures 1 /9 Coronavirus infecting a cell - In pictures Coronavirus infecting a cell EPA An image captured and color-enhanced at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Integrated Research Facility (IRF) in Fort Detrick, Maryland, USA and made available by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) shows a colorized scanning electron micrograph of an apoptotic cell (red) heavily infected with SARS-COV-2 virus particles (yellow) EPA The SARS-COV-2 virus begin the infection process of cytoplasm of the cell, inside which is the nucleus, responsible for storing the genetic material of the cell EPA Tthe SARS-COV-2 virus particles after infection and viral replication inside the cell (white circle in the left corner) EPA A series of dark spots, which are viral particles of the SARS-COV-2 virus, trying to infect the cytoplasm of the cell, inside which is the nucleus, responsible for storing the genetic material of the cell EPA An arrow pointing to a novel coronavirus particle attached to cell membranes, displaying its typical glycoprotein spike 'corona' on the viral surface (issued 02 April 2020), seen in an electron microscope image, the first black and white portrait of the SARS-CoV2 virus, which causes the COVID-19 disease EPA An image captured and color-enhanced at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Integrated Research Facility (IRF) in Fort Detrick, Maryland, USA and made available by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) shows a colorized scanning electron micrograph of an apoptotic cell (purple) heavily infected with SARS-COV-2 virus particles (yellow) EPA The advice to parents remains the same: if you are worried about your child for whatever reason, contact NHS 111 or your family doctor for urgent advice, or 999 in an emergency, and if a professional tells you to go to hospital, please go to hospital. Professor Russell Viner, president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH), said parents should be reassured that children are unlikely to be seriously ill with Covid-19. He said: We already know that a very small number of children can become severely ill with Covid-19 but this is very rare evidence from throughout the world shows us that children appear to be the part of the population least affected by this infection. New diseases may present in ways that surprise us, and clinicians need to be made aware of any emerging evidence of particular symptoms or of underlying conditions which could make a patient more vulnerable to the virus. Loading.... However, our advice remains the same: parents should be reassured that children are unlikely to be seriously ill with Covid-19 but if they are concerned about their childrens health for any reason, they should seek help from a health professional. According to the NHS, children are contracting Covid-19 at the same rate as adults but are suffering less severe symptoms on the whole. The latest figures for hospital deaths of patients testing positive for Covid-19 in England show that up to 5pm on April 25 there had been nine deaths between the ages of 0 and 19. This represents 0.05 per cent of all hospital deaths in England. In a letter to workers Chief Executive Guillaume Faury said the firm's existence was now threatened. Aerospace giant Airbus is to furlough 3,200 staff at its north Wales site, the company has announced. It comes hours after Chief Executive Guillaume Faury warned the company was "bleeding cash at an unprecedented speed". Airbus said about half of the staff at its Broughton site would be placed on the UK government's job retention scheme, which pays 80% of wages. The company is expected to top up salaries by a further 5-10%. The furlough periods of production and support staff will be staggered over the next three weeks. The remaining staff will stay on site, including 500 who are currently working at the AMRC Cymru facility, building parts for ventilators as part of the Ventilator Challenge UK consortium. This month the firm announced it was cutting aircraft production by a third. It comes as the aviation industry is expected to shrink significantly in the wake of the Covid-19 outbreak. Mr Faury also told Airbus' 135,000 staff to brace for potentially deep job cuts and warned that its survival was at stake without immediate action. The Welsh Government said it was working with the company and to support its highly-skilled workers. Airbus is this week due to deliver financial results for the first quarter of the year. Those figures will be overshadowed by the pandemic that has left global airlines struggling to survive and almost completely halted plane deliveries since lockdowns started in March. Greg Waldron, from the aviation industry news website Flight Global, highlighted the huge impact of coronavirus on Airbus and the sector as a whole, saying: "Every assumption we had about the industry has been totally upended. "The outlook for Airbus has gone from very positive to very negative. There's simply no demand for new aircraft at the moment." 'Great pain' In response to the pandemic Airbus had already begun implementing government-assisted furlough schemes starting with 3,000 workers in France and said it would lower output of its narrow-body jets to 40 a month. Airbus has around 13,500 workers in the UK, with most of them making wings at its two major sites in Broughton, in Flintshire, and Filton, Bristol. Despite the major blow the coronavirus has dealt to Airbus, Mr Waldron thinks it will survive this crisis but not without significant layoffs. "Airbus is a crucially important industrial programme for Europe, I think Europe will be committed to keeping Airbus going," he said. "However, there's going to be a great deal of pain to go through. If they cut production rates quite significantly you're going to see large numbers of layoffs. I would expect in a few years you'll see a smaller leaner Airbus than what we have now." Meanwhile, Airbus' main rival Boeing is battling another major crisis due to the year-long grounding of its 737 Max passenger jet, which had been its best-selling plane. On Saturday, the US aviation giant scrapped a $4.2bn (3.4bn) tie-up with Brazil's Embraer. Some industry analysts saw the move as being triggered by the crises, although the company cited contractual reasons for the decision.BBC The economic effects of the coronavirus shutdowns were likely to be twice as bad if they continued for another six months instead of being eased in May, economic modelling shows. The Business Council of Australia feared the shutdowns of non-essential businesses in a bid to slow the spread of COVID-19 was likely to see up to 2.3million people lose their jobs or have their hours cut. This could see 20 per cent of people without enough work, a situation unseen since the 1930s Great Depression. Australia's unemployment rate could shoot up to 20 per cent unless coronavirus restrictions are eased from next month, economic modelling shows. The Business Council of Australia fears the shutdowns of non-essential businesses in a bid to slow the spread of COVID-19 had caused up to 2.3million people to lose their jobs. Pictured is a Centrelink queue in Adelaide The economic effects of COVID-19 were likely to be more severe the longer the shutdowns continued, with the Business Council modelling showing a 10.1 per cent plunge in Australia's gross domestic product for 2020 if restrictions were unwound from May. A delay until July could cause a 14.3 per cent plunge in GDP while waiting until October could cause a 20.7 per cent plummet in Australia's economic output The BCA, which represents the chief executives of Australia's biggest companies, predicted a 10.1 per cent plunge in Australia's gross domestic product for 2020 if restrictions were unwound from May. A delay until July could cause a 14.3 per cent plunge in GDP while waiting until October could cause a 20.7 per cent plummet in Australia's economic output. Without a 'change in current conditions' 20 per cent of Australia's workforce would be unemployed or underemployed by June - a sharp rise from the 5.2 per cent jobless rate in March before the strict coronavirus measures were introduced. There are fears this would happen without the government's $130billion JobKeeper wage subsidy program, with older workers in particular most at risk of being out of work long-term. Business Council of Australia chief executive Jennifer Westacott said 40 per cent of workers who had lost their jobs were at risk of becoming long-term unemployed unless there was government help. Those aged 50 and over struggled to find a job in the aftermath of the last recession in 1991 and Ms Westacott feared this was likely to happen again. 'These are the same group of people who never found work again after the recession of the 1990s,' she said. The BCA, which represents Australia's most powerful corporate leaders, predicted hospitality would suffer the most job losses, followed by retail and construction The hospitality sector is the worst affected with Business Council modelling showing 493,000 full-time equivalent jobs were likely to be lost by June compared with 425,000 for retailing. 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 Australian Hotels Association is calling for pubs to be allowed to reopen with social distancing rules in place, along with bans on bar-side seating and communal water jugs. A separate survey from market researcher Roy Morgan showed 68 per cent of working Australians had been affected by COVID-19 from losing their jobs to having their hours cut or being made to work from home. It found 1.4million Australians had lost their job since late March, following the COVID-19 shutdowns of businesses from pubs and clubs to cinemas, gyms and dine-in restaurants. Roy Morgan chief executive Michele Levine said more than two-thirds or 68 per cent of workers had endured a change to their working conditions because of coronavirus. 'The disparate impact the coronavirus is having on different types of organisations underlines why it is so important that government stimulus to support those in need is properly targeted and calibrated to derive the most benefit,' she said. Business Council of Australia chief executive Jennifer Westacott, who represents Australia's most powerful business CEOs, said 40 per cent of workers who had lost their jobs were at risk of becoming long-term unemployed unless there was government help 'It also shows governments must clearly outline a plan to emerge from the pandemic and transition the private sector back to a sustainable, and profitable, "new normal" in the months ahead.' Prime Minister Scott Morrison, state premiers and chief ministers are expected to discuss unwind stage three COVID-19 restrictions when the national cabinet meets again, by video link, on May 13. Since the end of March, state government public health orders have banned Australians from leaving home unless they are buying groceries, medicines, travelling to work or providing care. A week earlier, on March 24, the federal government banned non-essential businesses based on crowds and restricted food outlets to takeaway food. Under the $130billion JobKeeper program, six million workers through their employer are receiving $1,500 fortnightly wage subsidies. The hospitality sector is the worst affected with Business Council modelling showing 493,000 full-time equivalent jobs were likely to be lost by June compared with 425,000 for retailing. Pictured is a Canberra shop closed because of coronavirus Keeping in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modis Do Gaz Doori, a mechanic from Tripura has built a bike that runs on battery and even accommodates a pillion but while maintaining social distancing. The bike was built by Partha Saha to ensure riders can maintain proper social distancing measures while riding their bike with pillion passengers. Saha, a resident of Aralia, Agartala, has built the battery-operable bike while maintaining a space of one-meter between the rider's seat and that of the pillion. Saha stated that with the help of this bike, he can take the help of his daughter to carry out chores and finish necessary tasks for the family. The bike takes at least three hours to get fully charged and can run up to 80kms. Saha's innovation did not go unnoticed and Chief Minister of Tripura Biplab Kumar Deb took to Twitter to praise the man for his "unique" motorcycle. "Necessity is the mother of invention! I congratulate Partha Saha of Tripura for making an unique motorcycle to create awareness during COVID-19 pandemic. The electric bike has 1 metre distance between two seats. He has designed it to take his daughter to school post lockdown," Deb tweeted. Necessity is the mother of invention!I congratulate Partha Saha of Tripura for making an unique motorcycle to create awareness during COVID-19 pandemic. The electric bike has 1 metre distance between two seats. He has designed it to take his daughter to school post lockdown. https://t.co/8BaE2Z1Jsx Biplab Kumar Deb (@BjpBiplab) April 27, 2020 As the COVID-19 crisis continues to spread in India, several innovators have come forward to help the government deal with the crisis using technological innovations. Earlier in the month, researchers in Karnatak came up with a "decontamination chamber" for disinfecting inanimate objects like food, keys, currency and other items using an abandoned refrigerator. Meanwhile, the total number of coronavirus cases rose to 28,380 in India on Monday with 886 deaths. Weldon police continue to investigate a fatal crash which occurred Friday night in the 200 block of Washington Avenue. Sergeant T.L. Mason said police are still investigating to determine the contributing factors in the crash, which occurred shortly after 11:15 p.m. about a block or so from town hall. In a statement this morning, Mason said Officer T. Revis responded to the scene after receiving a call a vehicle was overturned. Revis determined it was a single-vehicle crash and three women were in the vehicle. Two of the occupants were transported to Vidant North for treatment by Halifax County EMS. Mason said this morning their conditions were not immediately. Another occupant, he said in the statement, was pronounced dead at the scene. The North Carolina State Highway Patrol assisted. The Weldon Fire Department also responded. The police department is not releasing names as the investigation is ongoing. A visitor passes a window with a sign "Pyongyang" at the N Seoul Tower in Seoul, South Korea, Sunday, April 26, 2020. A train likely belonging to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has been parked at his compound on the country's east coast since last week, satellite imagery showed, amid speculation about his health that has been caused, in part, by a long period out of the public eye. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man) North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is "alive and well", a top security adviser to the South's President Moon Jae-in said, downplaying rumours over Kim's health following his absence from a key anniversary. "Our government position is firm," said Moon's special adviser on national security Moon Chung-in, in an interview with CNN on Sunday. "Kim Jong Un is alive and well." The adviser said that Kim had been staying in Wonsan a resort town in the country's east since April 13, adding: "No suspicious movements have so far been detected." Conjecture about Kim's health has grown since his conspicuous absence from the April 15 celebrations for the birthday of his grandfather Kim Il Sung, the North's founder the most important day in the country's political calendar. Kim has not made a public appearance since presiding over a Workers' Party politburo meeting on April 11, and the following day state media reported him inspecting fighter jets at an air defence unit. His absence has unleashed a series of unconfirmed media reports over his condition, which officials in Seoul previously poured cold water on. "We have nothing to confirm and no special movement has been detected inside North Korea as of now," the South's presidential office said in a statement last week. Daily NK, an online media outlet run mostly by North Korean defectors, has reported Kim was recovering after undergoing a cardiovascular procedure earlier this month. Citing an unidentified source inside the country, it said Kim, who is in his mid-30s, had needed urgent treatment due to heavy smoking, obesity and fatigue. Soon afterwards, CNN reported that Washington was "monitoring intelligence" that Kim was in "grave danger" after undergoing surgery, quoting what it said was an anonymous US official. US President Donald Trump on Thursday rejected reports that Kim was ailing but declined to state when he was last in touch with him. On Monday, the official Rodong Sinmun newspaper reported that Kim had sent a message of thanks to workers on the giant Wonsan Kalma coastal tourism project. It was the latest in a series of reports in recent days of statements issued or actions taken in Kim's name, although none has carried any pictures of him. Satellite images reviewed by 38North, a US-based think tank, showed a train probably belonging to Kim at a station in Wonsan last week. It cautioned that the train's presence did not "indicate anything about his health" but did "lend weight" to reports he was staying on the country's eastern coast. Reporting from inside the isolated North is notoriously difficult, especially on anything to do with its leadership, which is among its most closely guarded secrets. Previous absences from the public eye on Kim's part have prompted speculation about his health. In 2014 he dropped out of sight for nearly six weeks before reappearing with a cane. Days later, the South's spy agency said he had undergone surgery to remove a cyst from his ankle. (AFP) Some 13 Ghanaian doctors are reported to have tested positive for coronavirus in their line of duty. Media reports say the Ashanti Regional Chairperson of the Ghana Medical Association, Dr. Paa Kwesi Baidoo, made the disclosure. He is believed to have told the media that the doctors contracted the virus whilst administering treatment to infected patients. According to reports, he has appealed to all and sundry not to take coronavirus for granted. About thirteen doctors have been infected on the job as of Wednesday. We shouldn't joke with this virus. Some people think it's a joke or because Ghanaians are not dying we have some favour, he is quoted by the media. The two-week lockdown helped us trace contacts and most of the people are in the younger age group. Of 100 infected people in the country, 8 or 10 are in critical condition. ---Daily Guide Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-27 01:49:15|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close DAMASCUS, April 26 (Xinhua) -- The Syrian Health Ministry said Sunday that one new COVID-19 case was recorded in Syria while three other cases have recovered. With the new update, a total of 43 infections have so far been recorded in the country, including 14 recoveries and three deaths, according to the ministry. In an earlier statement, the ministry said as many as 2,115 Syrians have attended medical isolation for suspected COVID-19 virus 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. Enditem The African Union (AU) Economic, Social and Cultural Council (ECOSOCC), on Monday inaugurated a response situation room in Nigeria to boost the fight against the Coronavirus (COVID-19). ECOSOCC is an advisory body of the African Union designed to give civil society organizations a voice within AU institutions and decision-making processes. In a statement by Tunji Asaolu, 1st-Nigerian Representative of the Permanent General Assembly of AU-ECOSOCC, said the situation room would support joint efforts on the fight against the COVID-19. Mr Asaolu said the establishment of the situation room was initiated to promote dialogue among all segments of people on issues about Africa and its future. He said This is in view of achieving the AU-ECOSOCCs mandate, which is primarily to coordinate the participation of all civil societies towards domesticating the decisions of the AU in member states. Read also: In this regard, AU-ECOSOCC Nigeria has partnered with the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management & Social Development, the Social Development Secretariat of FCT and Thunderbolt Media. Collectively we will mobilise the participation of CSOs and Volunteers to avail us information and data for critical review at the AU-ECOSOCC Nigeria COVID-19 Response team situation room. He said 62 civil society organisations, international development partners and concerned individuals had been mobilised across the country to sensitise people on preventive measures of COVID-19. Mr Asaolu said the volunteers would monitor the distribution of palliatives to vulnerable groups, evaluate the palliatives by government in the bid to advise council on proper measures to achieve targets. He commended the federal governments efforts to contain the disease. We commend President Muhammadu Buhari and the various COVID-19 Joint Task Force for their proactive steps to contain outbreak of the disease in Nigeria. The AU-ECOSOCC has been following the activities since the day of inauguration of Presidential Task Forces on COVID-19. Chaired by Mr. Boss Mustapha, Secretary to the Government of the Federation. The establishment of the committee is a way of implementing the Africa Joint Continental Strategy for COVID-19 Outbreak, which Nigeria is always leading. While commending all these efforts, I wish to appeal to President Buhari to set-up an ECOSOCC/civil society organization, academia, labour organizations and private sector since in the fights to expedite success. He commended the Africa Centres for Disease Control (Africa CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) in the fights against COVID-19. Similarly, he commended the Ministries of Health in Africa for activating Emergency Operations Centres and Incident Management Systems. (NAN) Ronald Reagan proclaimed the first Victims Rights Week in 1981 and established the President's Task Force on Victims of Crime, which laid the groundwork for a national network of services and legal safeguards for crime victims. Likewise, the current Administration has implemented historic levels of support for victim assistance and victim compensation. In FY 2020, the Justice Departments Office for Victims of Crime will award more than $1.6 billion in victim assistance formula funding to support domestic violence shelters, rape crisis centers, child advocacy programs, homicide support groups, identity theft services, and local victim assistance programs. Through initiatives such as Project Guardian and Project Safe Neighborhoods, the Justice Department is using more data, resources, and technology than ever before to prevent firearms from illegally coming into possession of known domestic abusers and violent offenders. This year Victims Rights Week has occurred in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Nevertheless, from the beginning of the coronavirus crisis, Attorney General Barr made it clear that the critical law enforcement mission of the Justice Department will continue. All of us in law enforcement federal, state, local and tribal - are committed to maintaining public safety and the rule of law amidst this crisis. As the coronavirus outbreak in this country intensified, we have seen proposals advocating the indiscriminate wholesale release of prisoners from state and federal custody. The Department of Justice is taking a proactive, but lawful and safe, approach to expanding the use of home confinement, but only for those inmates who do not pose a danger to their communities. The Attorney General has made clear that public safety, including the safety of victims, is paramount. Put in other words, we cannot let a public health crisis become a public safety crisis. For example, sending domestic abusers home in the midst of this crisis, where victims of domestic abuse are more isolated than ever, is irresponsible. While violent crime is decreasing during the pandemic, domestic violence calls for service are on the rise. People are more isolated. Abusive partners are under more stress. The options for escape are limited. These situations are especially dangerous for police, who are killed or injured all too often responding to domestic violence calls. In the federal prison system alone, prisoners in federal custody have been convicted of child exploitation and violent crimes. COVID-19 presents real risks but so does allowing serious criminals such as violent gang members and child predators to roam free. Police are already at elevated risk to this virus, and some have lost their lives to it. The last thing they need is additional burdens from released prisoners who go on to commit more crimes against a vulnerable community. Attorney General Barr makes it crystal clear that our paramount concern must always be the safety of our communities. We, in the United States Attorneys Office for the Eastern District of Tennessee, dedicate ourselves to protecting the rights of victims and preventing victimization not only as we paused to recognize National Crime Victims Rights Week but also during this crisis and throughout the year. J. Douglas Overbey United States Attorney Eastern District of Tennessee How I Bought That takes a peek inside the process of making a major purchase, whether your budget is big, small, all your own, or supplemented by family and/or financial institutions. In this series, we look at many different spending situations, from how people afforded big purchases like first homes to electric vehicles to splurge-worthy bags. When I moved to New York City I had $400 to my name, and half of that was spent on a taxi ride into the city (yes, I now know I got ripped off). I hadnt been accepted into college yet, I didnt have a job, but thankfully, I had an aunt and uncle who let me stay with them for a month while I mustered up a plan to remain in N.Y.C. I started taking every job I could get: I babysat dogs and toddlers; I was part of paid-audiences for television game shows; I worked as a canvasser for environmental non-profits, like Greenpeace; I was a promoter for night clubs; I worked retail; I was a waitress. Sure, these random jobs helped put food on my plate, but I was eager to start a career. Let me start by saying I worked my ass off for a year and a half. Like, really worked my ass off. I got into my dream college, and whenever I wasnt running around the city to one of my million jobs, you could either find me at the school library or at home typing away a paper assignment into the wee hours of the night. I believed that if I worked hard enough, put myself out there, and was nice enough, everything would fall into place for me. I was right. The summer after my freshman year I was offered a fashion and beauty editorial internship at a magazine. It was a full-time opportunity that required 40 hours of work per weekI gave it my all. Thankfully, it was a paid internship and I was making a little over minimum wage, but if youve ever visited New York City then you know how expensive it is. I spent weeknights and weekends working other jobs and gigs to try to save up as much money as I could before my dream internship would finish at the end of the summer, and I would go back to school. Story continues Pia Velasco/HelloGiggles Honestly, I had been living a very budgeted life until then. I paid for my groceries, my weekly subway card (I couldnt afford to pay the monthly in one payment), and saved every extra penny I could towards a flight to see my long-distance boyfriend. Id often skip breakfast or dinner to save food, and if time permitted, I would sleep off the hunger or drink a lot of water to make myself feel like I had something in my stomach. If I needed new clothes, they were thrifted (like that denim jacket pictured above). I dont think I ever went to the doctor. Indulging in something nice for myself was completely out of the question. As summer was coming to a close, I decided to shoot my shot and ask my boss if I could stay on board full-time. I would have switched to night school and sold my soul to the devil if it meant I could stay at my dream job. As appreciative as I was to have the opportunity to get to work several jobs, truth be told, I was tired. I wanted so badly to start my professional careerand I didnt particularly like hitting up nightclubs for work. More than anything, I needed to feel like all my effort and hard work was leading in the right direction. I craved it so much that I could feel it in my achy bones. The day I found out my internship had turned into a job, it felt as if a cage of wild birds had been released from my chest. I was going to be working under the fashion and beauty director of an international magazineI had made it! Sure, the job was entry-level and I was making the same wage as I had as an intern, but I didnt care. However, I did want to buy myself one nice thing as a gift. I knew I shouldnt be spending money, but I had worked so hard and decided to treat myself to a pair of Jeffrey Campbell over-the-knee boots that had been sitting in an online cart for over a year. I collected money from my savings account and took the plunge. To me, those boots represented a badass girl who could get away with anything. The boots were rock n roll and unnecessary, and I wanted to give myself something unnecessary. I still remember what it felt like to buy them: a thrill that started in my chest and coldly ran through my veins down to my fingertips. I deserved this. I wore those boots everywhere. I took them out to bars, to go site-seeing with my friends, and by adding a pair of opaque black tights I was able to make them office-appropriate and wore them to work. They were my closets it-item, and I felt a rush of pride every time somebody complimented them because I bought those. That job was the start of my now 7-year-long career, and I still wear those boots to this day. Every time I slide them on, I remember that girl in her early 20s with nothing to her name and nothing to lose. That girl with determination in her eyes that burned so much it scared others away. I remember the girl who spent hours standing in the sun asking people to donate to Greenpeace, and how tired her feet were at the end of the day. Thats the girl who earned those boots, and Im so f*cking proud of her. Free People To shop for your own Jeffrey Campbell over-the-knee boots, check out the pair on Free People. Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. With having published myriads of reports for global clients, Future Market Insights exhibits its expertise in the market research field. Our dedicated crew of professionals rides the wave of advanced technologies, such as artificial intelligence, and big data analytics, to project the adoption pattern and consumption trends regarding the market. A three-step quality check process - data collection, triangulation, and validation is paramount while assuring the authenticity of the information captured. Global Palletizing Robots Market Report The latest business intelligence study by FMI suggests that the global market size of Palletizing RobotsreachedUS$ xx Mn/Bn in 2018(Base Year) and is anticipated to registerUS$ xx Mn/Bn by the end of 2029 with a CAGR of xx% from 2019 to 2029(Forecast period).The research study focuses on the drivers, restraints, opportunities and trends impacting the Palletizing Robots Market. 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In District 2, which includes the city of St. Louis, and Bethany and Wheeler townships, longtime Republican commissioner Jan Bunting of St. Louis is being opposed by Earl Hunt, also of St. Louis, a retired Gratiot County sheriffs deputy and former undersheriff. The winner will square off against Democrat Rex Smith, retired Gratiot County equalization director from Wheeler Township, in the November general election. The other contested county commission race is in District 5, which encompasses the city of Ithaca, and Elba, Emerson, Hamilton, North Star and Washington townships, where Republican Board Chairman George Bailey of Ithaca will face Brett Baublitz, who is the city of Alma transportation director and also a member of the Ithaca city council. The winner will go up against Democrat Eric Cordray of Bannister, who, according to his Facebook page, is an antique dealer, poet, author and performing artist. The other three county commissioners, Republican Chuck Murphy in District 1, Republican Sam Smith in District 3 and Democrat Tim Lambrecht in District 4, are all running unopposed in both the primary and general elections. There are three Republicans seeking the office of county treasurer. Incumbent Michelle Thomas of Wheeler is being challenged by Terri Ball of Alma, the countys human resources director, and Kelly King of Sumner, who had been the countys chief deputy treasurer for six years. No Democrat filed to run. Two Republican candidates are running for sheriff. Current sheriff Mike Morris of Alma, who was appointed to fill the spot in May 2019 after the retirement of incumbent Doug Wright, will square off against Wayne Andrews of Ithaca, a soldier skills trainer for the IAE Group, who was one of the five candidates interviewed for the interim sheriffs post. Unless a write-in candidate files, the winner will run unopposed in the November general election Prosecutor Keith Kushion, Clerk Angin Thompson, Register of Deeds Mary Merchant, Drain Commissioner Bernie Barnes and Road Commissioner Wes Federspiel, all Republicans, are all running unopposed. No Democrat filed for any of those offices. READ MORE: by Nirmala Carvalho As the economy may take time to turn around, we expect this situation to continue for some time. If it does, the number of needy families will continue to grow. Meanwhile, Our team visited women and children who are suffering from anxiety over the future. Mumbai (AsiaNews) The lockdown in India has created new poverty among people who performed contract work and now have lost their earnings, this according to Fr Frederick D'Souza, former director of Caritas India, and currently pastor at Saint Alfonsus Church in Vasant Kunj (south Delhi), who spoke to AsiaNews. The stranded families, which include construction workers, have been kept in open fields in make shift clusters or jhuggis (slum dwellings) near my parish, said the clergyman. A water tanker comes occasionally, but the water supply is irregular, and this causing great difficulties. After the lockdown, everything has become more difficult and the water supply has been affected. This certainly has implications for hygiene and health. The Church is taking care of the needy, providing daily rations to stranded families in need. We are following them and supplying materials to 30 additional families. As the economy may take time to turn around, we expect this situation to continue for some time. If it does, the number of needy families will continue to grow. Meanwhile, Our team visited women and children who are suffering from anxiety over the future. In the State of Uttar Pradesh, Fr Anand Mathew is helping the poor affected by the lockdown, as the the coordinator of the Sajha Sanskriti Manch,[*] which is carrying out this noble cause across Varanasi city and in all the villages, wherever the least privileged, marginalised and vulnerable Dalit communities live. Many of them are called musahars or rat-eaters. The campaign has been a great blessing for them, he explained, because they have no money and live hand to mouth. The campaign will continue as long as the lockdown continues and as long as funds continue to come from people in the city and their friends from different parts of the country, but not from abroad. In the past 30 days of the lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many migrant labourers, landless farmers, weavers, rickshaw pullers, auto drivers, daily labourers, street vendors and members of nomadic communities have been trapped by the economic crisis. Sajha Sanskriti Manch is making a modest attempt to identify these people and provide them with dry food kits that include 5 kilos of wheat flour, 4 kilos of rice, 1 kg of dal, salt, cooking oil, biscuits and masks. One kit meets a familys food needs for seven to ten days. This relief work began on 25 March. From 25 March to April 23 we spent Rs. 1,663,582. With this money, we were able to help 4,519 families. If we count individual beneficiaries, the number is 25,460 people. Some of our associate members have also been providing emergency help on their own. Therefore, altogether we distributed kits to 9,383 families for a total of 45,030 beneficiaries. On 25 April the Muslim community started the fasting month of Ramadan. To express our solidarity with the Muslim community, we will provide provisions for Sahari (the start of fasting) at dawn, and also for Aftari (breaking the fast) in the evening. We will provide dates, onions, potatoes, gram (pulses), gram flower (besan) and papad (flat bread) along with rice, wheat and dal (split pulses). This will go to the poorest Muslims who live in the slums of Varanasi and its suburbs. A kit costs us Rs 650. So far the work has been carried out with the support of generous people. We are very grateful to everyone for their support. The fight against hunger and coronavirus shall continue so that we all can live a healthy life. So please continue to support us, "said Father Anand IMS. [*] United Forum for Cultural Diversity, an alliance of 15 civil society organisations in Varanasi. Kushner hopes five million coronavirus tests will be carried out by end of April He said various industries 'want to move manufacturing onshore' due to the virus Senior White House adviser said virus showed manufacturing needs to stay in US Jared Kushner said the coronavirus crisis has 'vindicated' President Trump's efforts to secure the borders and return manufacturing to the US. The senior White House adviser and the president's son-in-law believes it will be hard for Trump's political opponents to attack him on the issue of border security due to the spread of the pandemic. Kushner, who has been part of the Coronavirus Taskforce charged with ensuring supply chains of medical equipment reach hospitals, claimed the virus showed the US needs to control its own manufacturing. Speaking to Fox News in a rare interview on the The Next Revolution, Kushner added that Trump's presidential campaign message that the borders are a national security issue has been made stronger by the virus outbreak. He told host Steve Hilton: 'I think the campaign platform that President Trump ran on in 2016 which was basically - ''you have to secure your borders and you have to control your own manufacturing as a national security issue'' - I think those have been totally vindicated positions from the virus and I doubt it will be easy for people to argue against them in the future.' Jared Kushner described Trump's 2016 campaign as having been 'vindicated' in a interview with Fox News' The Next Revolution Senior Advisor to the President Jared Kushner speaking at a daily briefing on the coronavirus, in the Brady Briefing Room at the White House, flanked by President Donald Trump Kushner added that while trying to procure personal protective equipment (PPE) and ventilators, he was told by various industries they 'want to move manufacturing onshore'. He also said the pandemic has renewed President Trump's calls to make the US a 'leader in advanced manufacturing'. Kushner said: 'If you look at why it [manufacturing] went overseas before, it's because people were a big cost of manufacturing. 'Now, it's really robots...the personnel component of manufacturing has actually gone down but we've lost a lot of the capability here in America to be the leader in advanced manufacturing and President Trump is very committed to making sure that over the next couple of years, America regains their ability to be the leading global advanced manufacturer. I think we will see a lot of that happening.' Trump has come under fire for not reacting quickly enough to the virus threat and not setting up a system of testing on a federal level. Kushner hopes the US will have carried out around five million coronavirus tests by the end of this month. He told Hilton: 'We figured out how to really stimulate that supply. We believe by the month of April we will have close to five million tests that will be performed. Jared Kushner (pictured above) departing his home in Washington DC this morning. In a Fox News interview yesterday he claimed the virus showed the US needs to control its own manufacturing Atlas Air planes delivering medical supplies including 130,000 N95 respirators, 1.8 million face masks and gowns, 10.3 million gloves, and over 70,000 thermometers at the end of last month A 'prone team' wearing personal protective equipment (PPE), turning a COVID-19 patient onto his stomach in a Stamford Hospital intensive care unit (ICU) in Stamford, Connecticut 'We're anticipating for the month of May, the number we were originally asked to do, we can exceed it...we think we can double that number and we should have more than ample amount of tests in the market for the month of May.' Kushner said the White House, alongside the Department of Health and Human Services, has been working with governors to develop their own testing strategy on a local level. He added: 'The limiting factor is not going to be swabs or reagents or transport media, it's going to be the different states' ability to collect the samples and do it in an efficient way. 'We feel really good. We've eliminated a lot of problems when it comes to testing and I think we will continue to see it do better and better over the coming weeks.' Yesterday a a top official claimed five million face masks ordered by the Veterans Health Administration to protect staff amid the ongoing pandemic were unexpectedly seized be the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Health care workers at VA hospitals have sounded the alarm about PPE shortages in facilities across the United States. Staff members at these facilities have been tasked with caring for a vulnerable veteran community that tend to be older and exhibit underlying health conditions. Funeral directors loading the body of a coronavirus victim, who is to be cremated in Buffalo, onto a truck in preparation for transport, outside Gerald J. Neufeld Funeral Home in Elmhurst, New York, yesterday White House senior advisors Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner arriving at Hyderabad House in New Delhi during a visit to India in February As doctors scramble to stay ahead of global health crisis, the Executive in Charge of Veterans Health Administration revealed a shipment containing millions of face masks were diverted by FEMA. During his interview with Fox, Kushner also announced a federal effort to supply nursing homes and other vulnerable communities with additional test kits and PPE. He added that he is focused on 'the inner cities and indigenous populations' and has 'been working very hard to make sure they have adequate testing and PPE disproportionate to where vulnerable populations are to where there are less vulnerable populations'' Kushner said: 'I don't want to get ahead of any specific announcements, but Admiral John Polowczyk [the supply chain task force lead at FEMA] has been focused very much on getting stuff to the different places that need it and nursing homes in different areas where people are vulnerable has been a place where we really tried to surge.' Tensions around the Strategic National Stockpile were first publicly realized after Jared Kushner, a White House senior adviser and COVID-19 task force member, suggested federal stockpiles of protective supplies cannot be used by states. The Strategic National Stockpiles website stated that it was meant to assist states during health crises, but quickly pivoted after Kushner spoke to match with what he said. Some areas of the Us have begun to look towards easing their lockdowns as new infections start to drop. President Donald Trump speaking about the coronavirus in the James Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House in Washington last week Kushner urged Americans to 'take all the learnings from this virus and figure out how we can be more prepared for the future'. He told Fox: 'Now, the goal is not to make this a political issue and figure out how we can come together to really onshore. 'What we've been doing at the federal government is figuring out how do we aggregate a lot of the different demand in different key industries that are critical for our national security. 'We're thinking of ways right now to redo our stockpile given the nature of the hospital system and the medical distribution system and figure out how we can take all the learnings from this virus and figure out how we can be more prepared for the future. 'By slowing the spread and flattening the curve, that has given us time to really develop search hospital capacity plans, we have enough ventilators, we have a ton of spare hospital capacity and in addition, we have a lot of PPE. 'We're onshoring a lot of these industries, working to make sure we're never reliant on foreign supplies again, and the doctors have learned more about how to treat this.' He added: 'I would say the most important thing is the behavioral changes. People are washing their hands and wearing masks and I think we're learning how to live with this in a much better way which will enable us, at least the people who are not high-risk to start going back to work in a phased and responsible approach.' As farmers have just weeks to request an application pack for the Mid-Tier Countryside Stewardship Scheme, Fisher German explains how it can provide favourable returns. The property consultancy is urging anyone with suitable land to consider the scheme, which will help increase biodiversity and provide a fixed income delivered over five or more years. The scheme allows for all or part of farms to be entered into environmental stewardship schemes for five or more years in return for a payment. It offers payments for a wide range of annual management options providing environmental benefits, including arable buffer strips, managing grassland with very low inputs and wild bird mixes. A number of options can form a valuable addition to an arable rotation, with favourable returns when compared to arable break crops and benefits to soil organic matter and black-grass control. In addition to this, there can also be funding available for capital works such as new fencing, hedges, gates or livestock feeders and troughs. Providing attention is given to establishing and maintaining the options and basic records are kept, these schemes offer a reliable income stream that will become increasingly important to farm businesses as the Basic Payment Scheme decreases over the coming years. The scheme is very positive for those looking to improve their farmed environment and infrastructure while also bringing in more income. However, those looking to apply to the Mid-Tier Countryside Stewardship Scheme have until just May 31 to request an application pack, which can be done via the Rural Payments Agency website. Applications are scored and ranked against local high priority options, so we would advise anyone looking to apply for the scheme to gain expert advice to maximise the benefit for their farm and chances of success. It will also help applicants to assess which land is the least productive on the farm and look at ways to capitalise on these areas through the scheme. The Malaysian Job Andrew Cockburn, Harpers. 1MDB. StanCharts Troubled Loans Top $600 Million on Corporate Woes Bloomberg Buffering Covid-19 losses the role of prudential policy Bank of International Settlements When Tailwinds Vanish John Luttig. A Thiel intern. #COVID19 The science: We Still Dont Know How the Coronavirus Is Killing Us David Wallace-Wells, New York Magazine. [T]he degree to which doctors and scientists are, still, feeling their way, as though blindfolded, toward a true picture of the disease cautions against any sense that things have stabilized, given that our knowledge of the disease hasnt even stabilized. We have linked to most of the ways that doctors and scientists have been feeling their way as matters developed, but this is an excellent aggregation. A must-read. COVID-19 Protocols: Clinical Course, Prognosis, and Epidemiology Brigham and Womens Hospital. Continuously updated. Note especially Clinical Presentation (1)(a): Symptoms: Fever, 44-94% (varied temperature cutoffs in literature, no consensus). Presence of SARS-CoV-2 reactive T cells in COVID-19 patients and healthy donors medrXiv. The presence of pre-existing SARS-CoV-2-reactive T cells in healthy donors is of high interest but larger scale prospective cohort studies are needed to assess whether their presence is a correlate of protection or pathology. Speculation that a wet lab study from Germany suggests that some degree of limited background immunity against #COVID19 may exist in the population (~1/3 of their healthy donor sample) due to previous infections with other common cold coronaviruses, but the study itself is more cautious, as you see. * * * Global coronavirus death toll could be 60% higher than reported FT (not pay-walled). Another must-read. Handy charts: The numbers are remarkable, and put to bed the idea that Covid-19 is akin to a bad flu season. You can clearly see that in almost every country, spikes in mortality are *far* higher than what we see from flu etc (grey lines are historical death numbers) https://t.co/EiE5Q3OSmR pic.twitter.com/h4WIDqkBTD John Burn-Murdoch (@jburnmurdoch) April 26, 2020 In a Crowded City, Leaders Struggle to Separate the Sick From the Well NYT. Chelsea, MA. Katharine Robb, a researcher at the Harvard Kennedy School who spent a summer following housing inspectors in Chelsea, was stunned by what she found families living on porches, in unfinished basements or even closets, without access to running water, heat or sanitation. I didnt think conditions like this were happening in the 21st century, she said. It reminded me of stories I heard of the late 1800s, at the beginning of sanitary reform, at the beginning of urbanization. Stunned, I tell you. Stunned. One of the continuing sources of amusement for me during the pandemic is PMCs discovering how the world beyond the Acela really works. In Taiwans container houses for migrant workers, coronavirus not the only health risk SCMP. Worker dorms were the cause of Singapores second wave, and they exist all over Southeast Asia. I wouldnt be surprised if they were a reservoir for a long time to come. * * * Tom Hanks Blood Will be Used To Develop COVID-19 Vaccine 8 Days. Not J.D. Shapely, then. A pity. Popular heartburn medicine being studied as treatment for coronavirus ABC. n=185, details not published; no timeline for results. * * * Birx says US needs a testing breakthrough to screen large numbers of people CNN * * * That Face Shield Might Have Been Made in a Party Space NYT. Reinventing the garment district; its an actual factory. Officials scale back McCormick Place plans by 2,000 beds as coronavirus curve flattens Chicago Tribune * * * Fact check: Hospitals get paid more if patients listed as COVID-19, on ventilators USA Today. No smoking guns here, but we do live with a system where upcoding can benefit a hospitals capital budget, just as elective surgery does. * * * Port Authorities Commit to Stay Open Amid Coronavirus Pandemic Bloomberg * * * Several states starting to reopen this weekend The Hill Governor Ron DeSantis Calls Florida Gods Waiting Room For Seniors HuffPo The US Political System Is to Blame for This Pandemic Jacobin * * * The changes that will outlast the crisis Axios * * * Seattles Leaders Let Scientists Take the Lead. New Yorks Did Not The New Yorker. Seattles approach to COVID-19 mirrored E.I.S.s guidelines. New Yorks did not. Well worth a read: For more than a week, [infectious-disease specialist Dr. Francis] Riedo had been e-mailing with a group of colleagues who included Seattles top doctor for public health and Washington States senior health officer, as well as hundreds of epidemiologists from around the country; many of them, like Riedo, had trained at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in Atlanta, in a program known as the Epidemic Intelligence Service. Alumni of the E.I.S. are considered Americas shock troops in combatting disease outbreaks. The program has more than three thousand graduates, and many now work in state and local governments across the country. Its kind of like a secret society, but for saving people, Riedo told me. If you have a question, or need to understand the local politics somewhere, or need a hand during an outbreakif you reach out to the E.I.S. network, theyll drop everything to help. Animals Are Pointless, And We Should Be Too Current Affairs v. A doctor and medical ethicist argues life after 75 is not worth living MIT Ezekiel Emanuel, Technology Review. The latter link is from 2019, but Emanuel is on Bidens health care task force. Dealing with COVID-19 is proving to be a tremendous challenge for all of us. For too many it has been a personal tragedy, something none of us should forget. For governments, at every level, it is a classic case of decision making in the presence of uncertainty. What we dont know about the virus and its effects are more important than what we do. To date our governments have performed well in both managing the virus and dealing with the immediate economic consequences. However, now it is time to reflect on how to prepare ourselves for post recovery. There is no recovery without limiting the spread of the virus. This means more research, more testing, more efforts at improving treatment and ultimately finding a successful vaccine. After that the priority has appropriately been helping Canadians with the daily challenges of living, like income for food and shelter, and assisting businesses facing a cash crunch. In the acute phase of the crisis it is important to push the money out the door. That remains critical. Thus, in the heat of the crisis using existing instruments, such as EI and CRA tax expenditures, makes eminent sense. It will be faster, targeted and efficient. And our public servants and political leaders have performed remarkably well in getting money into the hands of those in need. Yet the changing nature of work, employment and compensation over the past 20 years has exposed the inadequacy of those existing instruments. They were designed in another era to deal with a different set of problems. Now coverage is too narrow, replacement rates too small, wait periods too long and duration of payment inadequate. At the outset, had we time to reflect and forethought to innovate in the creation, definition and design of new policies we would not have used archaic policy instruments. Rather we would have created a more innovative and effective set of policies to address work, employment and compensation in response to COVID-19. Instead, governments did what they had to do, which was respond with emergency additions, adding patches each and every day to fill the gaps in coverage and adequacy that the existing instruments were never designed to meet. But now we need to look past recovery to what we want that new system to be. We should take the time and apply the forethought to redesign the hodgepodge of policy initiatives appropriately introduced as a response to COVID-19 into new, creative policy solutions for that new world of work. These COVID-19 measures were designed to be temporary. However, instead of simply returning to the world as it was, we should use this moment to create, define and design new social and economic policy infrastructure. It should address the long-term challenges of the changing nature of work, the gig economy, differential regional and sectoral robustness of the economy and the different challenges through the life course of child support, working poor, work disruption, retirement income, long term care and end of life. Remarkably, there has been much work done to come up with a policy that can accomplish these multiple objectives. A universal basic income is an idea whose time has come. By using the strength and efficiencies of the income tax system (as the government has already done with the current emergency payment), we can ensure that Canadians have the right income support, and use the tax system to claw back payments to individuals who are relatively well off. A scholar of income security said in 2007: Canada needs a modern income security system for a modern world. Jean-Yves Duclos, then an economics professor at Laval, said in an IRPP publication. Now as President of the Treasury Board he is in a position to help make it happen. In a sense, the government has incrementally created an almost-universal basic income in response to COVID-19. A universal benefit could integrate all these aligned, but inconsistent transfers to individuals. A universal benefit could deal with the incentive-to-work effects by having low marginal effective tax rates at low incomes. People would still have the incentive to accept new work. And it could ensure the income top ups accrue only to those who are in need by having much more rapid taxback rates at higher income. We do this now for Old Age Security. Everyone over 65 receives it. But only those with lower incomes keep it. The tax back rates are very high between $80,000 and $130,000 after which you net zero. A UBI would reduce the size of the holes in the safety net. It would preserve incentives to work. And it would ensure comparable treatment to low income people regardless of region, sector, nature of work, rent or own, mortgage or not. And it would save money for provinces in the long run by reducing health care costs and other social welfare payments. Dont waste a crisis. Begin work on a universal basic income benefit now. Wuhan hospitals clear all COVID-19 cases People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 17:17, April 26, 2020 The number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients in Wuhan, the central China city hardest hit by the epidemic, has dropped to zero, a health official said Sunday. The result was achieved with the hard efforts of medical workers in Wuhan and those who were dispatched to assist Wuhan in the fight against the virus from across the country, said Mi Feng, a spokesperson for China's National Health Commission, at a press conference in Beijing. The last patient in serious condition in Wuhan was cured Friday, reducing the number of such patients in the city to zero. In Hubei province, of which Wuhan is the capital, the number of existing COVID-19 cases has dropped below 50 for the first time. No new confirmed cases of the disease have been reported for over 20 days in the province. China had reported a total of 82,827 confirmed cases on the mainland by Saturday, of which 801 patients were still being treated and 77,394 people had been discharged from hospitals after recovery. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address SIOUX CITY -- The mayors of all five cities in metro Sioux City called Monday for greater transparency from state and county health officials about places contributing to the recent spike in local COVID-19 cases. In a joint statement, the mayors also asked businesses to "take responsibility for any outbreak or spread" of the novel coronavirus in their facilities, publicly disclose any positive cases and release a detailed plan for reducing the spread of the virus. Employers who fail to comply with those conditions should close "until such time a response plan is in place," according to the statement, which was signed by Sioux City Mayor Bob Scott, South Sioux City Mayor Rod Koch, Sergeant Bluff Mayor Jon Winkel, North Sioux City Mayor Randy Fredericksen and Dakota City Mayor Jerry Yacevich. The mayors publicly weighed in on the subject as county and state health officials continued to sidestep questions linking the surge in positive cases to Tyson Fresh Meats' Dakota City beef plant, the metro area's largest employer with over 4,300 workers. A 64-year-old Sioux City man who worked at the Dakota City plant was the first metro resident to die from COVID-19. A second death, of an unidentified Dakota County resident, was reported over the weekend. Tyson officials acknowledged some workers have tested positive for the virus, but refused yet again Monday to identify a number of cases. The mayors' statement Monday does not mention Tyson or any business. "It's not to pick on any employer," Scott said in an interview Monday. "It's to find out where we're having these cases, so employees in those particular instances can protect themselves if there's some things going on in their particular plant." In addition to the county health departments, the mayors also called on Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts and South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem and their respective state health departments to "provide more comprehensive reporting data to include the specific location of where any outbreak or spread has occurred." "We'd like to know where these cases are coming from so that people can better protect themselves; and we don't know that right now," Scott said. "For some reason, there's just an unwillingness for these district health (departments) to share that information." The mayors released their statement as the Dakota County Health Department reported 136 additional infections, raising the county's total to 608, second most among Nebraska's 93 counties. Siouxland District Health Department disclosed 115 new Woodbury County cases, putting the county's total at 606. The data released Monday show the number of people hospitalized for treatment of COVID-19 in Sioux City hospitals more than doubled, from 7 to 17. Of the 25 Woodbury County residents hospitalized since the pandemic began, eight have been discharged, according. A total of 56 people in the county have recovered, up from 39 the previous day. Counting three other smaller counties that make up metro Sioux City, confirmed cases now stand at 1,239. Just a week earlier, there were just slightly over 50 cases. Last week, the major surge landed the metro area at the top of the The New York Times' list of the U.S. cities with the highest daily growth rate. Metro Sioux City's cases have been doubling every day or so, according to the Times data. Citing the growth in positive cases, the metro mayors in their statement Monday also urged Reynolds, Ricketts and Noem to "act cautiously in lifting current restrictions across the three-state region too soon." "Our priority is the health and safety of our citizens," the statement said. "We would also urge citizens to remember that, even as things are lifted, we need to be vigilant and continue to follow all guidelines to prevent the spread of COVID-19." Reynolds on Monday signed an order allowing restaurants, retail stores and some other businesses in 77 counties to reopen on a limited basis, starting Friday. But Woodbury is one of the 22 counties where the restrictions on the businesses will remain in place until at least May 15. Last Friday, Ricketts left Dakota County off the list of Nebraska counties where restrictions will be loosened beginning May 4. Officials with the Dakota County Health Department and Siouxland District Health Department have gone out of their way to avoid talking about Tyson or its Dakota City plant, citing state health care privacy laws. Siouxland District Health acknowledged Friday that "a significant majority of the people in our community who have tested positive work in another state in industries that are particularly hard hit by COVID-19, or are close contacts of these workers." District Health Director Kevin Grieme issued a statement Monday that reiterated the department's legal position that Iowa law permits only the state epidemiologist or the state public health director to release information concerning a business. Grieme said Siouxland District Health also is prohibited from disclosing public health data from a business located outside of Woodbury County. The mayors' call for greater transparency from county health departments came Monday as the Dakota County Emergency Management Department said it would no longer help distribute COVID-19 data. Dakota County Emergency Management Director Deanna Hagberg had been emailing daily news releases to local media on behalf of Dakota County Health Director Natasha Ritchison. "We have a new health director that started 2 weeks ago, during this pandemic, an overwhelming time for all," Hagberg said of Ritchison in an email Monday. "She reached out to me and asked if I could help distribute press releases to the media and I am happy to be of assistance. "However, this current situation is a public health incident and not an emergency managers event. ... Therefore any questions on the current COVID-19 incident will need to be directed to the Dakota County Health Department." Ritchison did not immediately respond to the Journal's request for comment Monday. In a statement Monday, Tyson spokeswoman Liz Croston said the company has a "dedicated health and safety team working with local and state health officials and our facility operations team to make timely decisions about operations. "In our work with health officials we have provided detailed information on measures we have taken to protect our team members," she said in the statement. "We're working hard to protect our team members during this ever-changing situation, while also ensuring we continue fulfilling our critical role of helping feed people across the country." Croston noted Tyson has been addressing COVID-19 concerns since January. The safety measures include checking worker temperatures as they arrive at the plants, implementing social distancing at work stations and in employee break rooms and relaxing the attendance policy in March to encourage workers to stay at home when they're sick. Dave Dreeszen contributed to this story. 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. New Delhi, April 27 : Union Human Resource Development Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank' interacted with parents and students across the country through a webinar on Monday and answered various questions on the circumstances arising out of the COVID-19 pandemic. The webinar connected about 20,000 parents from Jammu & Kashmir to Kerala and from Guwahati to Gujarat. The Union HRD minister, through his webinar interaction, informed all the parents about various campaigns and schemes for online education being run by the Ministry of Human Resource Development. He said that the ministry was concerned about the educational activities of the students. "For this reason, we implemented the various existing schemes on a war footing. The country's 33 crore students can take advantage of this anytime and anywhere," he said. Thanking the parents across the country, the Union minister said, "The country is going through an unprecedented crisis at this time. This time becomes even more difficult for the parents as they must be worried about their children's education and future." He assured all the parents that the Ministry of Human Resource Development is fully committed to the education of students and their future. He said "In this direction, the Ministry is trying to continue the education of all students through Diksha portal, e-Pathshala, National Repository of Open Educational Resources (NROER), and Swayamprabha DTH channels, etc." Pokhriyal said "in order to strengthen the online education policy, we have launched the Bharat Padhe Online campaign in which suggestions were sought from students, parents and teachers from across the country. We have received more than 10,000 suggestions on which the Ministry would soon come up with guidelines." Riz Ahmed has said he has lost two family members to coronavirus, adding that the pandemic crisis is 'reflecting and revealing the faultlines in our society'. The Venom actor and rapper said he hopes the surge of appreciation for the NHS draws attention to prejudice against the ethnic minorities that keep it running. Ahmed, who was born in London to a British Pakistani family, told GQ Hype: 'I have lost two family members to Covid. I just want to believe their deaths and all the others aren't for nothing. We gotta step up to re-imagine a better future.' He previously revealed that his uncle Shakeel had died on the weekend of April 4, describing him as a 'legend in his community who will be missed by so many'. Riz Ahmed, pictured in Los Angeles in 2017, said he hopes the surge of appreciation for the NHS draws attention to prejudice against the ethnic minorities that keep it running The 37-year-old added: 'I'm seeing reports of India, where the government are calling it 'corona-jihad' and they're trying to blame it on the spread of Muslims and they are segregating hospitals between Muslims and non-Muslims. 'Trump is using it as an excuse to try to ban immigration and the Hungarian government is centralising power off the back of this. The interview appears in GQ Hype online 'I'm looking at the fact it's hitting African-Americans twice as hard; I'm looking at the fact that 50 per cent of NHS frontline workers - is it 50 per cent? - are ethnic minorities.' People from from black, Asian or ethnic minority (BAME) backgrounds make up 44 per cent of NHS medical staff according to the most recent figures. Referring to the viral video of poem Clap For Me Now, Ahmed compared it to his latest album, in which he symbolically broke up with Britain. He said: 'It's almost like there is an alternate ending to The Long Goodbye! I've walked off, but Britney's (a stand-in for Britain) called me back again. 'Britannia's saying: 'I need you! Come back!' She's saying: 'We need you frontline staff. We need you Uber drivers. We need you shelf stackers.' Ahmed previously revealed on April 8 that his uncle Shakeel had died over the weekend of April 4, describing him as a 'legend in his community who will be missed by so many' 'Who are the people who, for every moment of crisis in this country, have kept this country together? 'It's the people at the bottom of the barrel; the people being hit hardest by this pandemic. 'We say we love the NHS more than the royal family, more than the Army, but do we love the people who keep the NHS alive? 'Because every time we tell people to f*** off back to where they came from, that's not what we're saying. NHS staff at the Royal Derby Hospital take part in the most recent Clap for Carers last Thursday 'So I really hope that this revelation, this awakening, opens our minds to that reality, to the stupidity of our prejudice.' Nearly three-quarters of NHS staff who have died from coronavirus are from black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds, prompting the Government to launch an investigation. There are also reports that people from BAME backgrounds have been more likely to catch coronavirus. But NHS figures show that 82 per cent of all those who have died were classed as being white, while 18 per cent were BAME or mixed background. A group of photographs shows some of the NHS workers who have died during the pandemic Both these figures are proportionate to the ethnic composition of Britain's population in the last census. On April 8, Ahmed shared a photograph and two videos of his uncle Shakeel on his 60th birthday, writing on Instagram: 'A charismatic storyteller, he could strike up a conversation with anyone and soon have them in tears of one kind or another - either laughing from his unique turn of phrase, or meditating on his spiritual insights. 'His journey was the journey of my people - born in India, then moved to Pakistan, then England. 'He was an immigrant, then a teddy-boy in silk shirts and medallions, then a banker, and finally a devoted spiritual guide who went out of his way for others.' CEDAR RAPIDS Democrats running for their partys nomination for U.S. Senate alternated between touting their rural bona fides and attacking incumbent Republican Sen. Joni Ernst as wholly a creation of the Koch brothers. She was plucked from relative obscurity in 2013 from a field of six or seven other Republicans by the Koch brothers, former television reporter Cal Woods of Des Moines said, referring to philanthropists and funders of myriad libertarian, criminal justice and Republican Party causes. They threw millions of dollars into her campaign ... and, boy, did they get a great return on their investment. The four others running in the June 2 primary election to face Ernst in November piled on during a 90-minute online forum hosted by the Southwest Iowa Democrats on Sunday afternoon. I trump those things that Joni used to get elected, said retired admiral Mike Franken of Sioux City, who like Ernst, grew up in rural Iowa, had a military career and doesnt live in Polk County. I know more about farm animals than Joni Ernst ever will. Woods, who mentioned growing up on a Linn County hog farm, talked about the importance of supporting farmers just as the federal government has bailed out corporations such as Chrysler, banks during the Great Recession and now during the coronavirus pandemic. We need to make sure that were giving the assistance that farmers need (because) food security is a part of our national security, he said. Des Moines businessman Eddie Mauro said none of the other candidates has been grounded in the rural communities and has worked to improve the lives of rural Iowa in the ways that I have, especially Joni Ernst. Right now, rural Iowans need a voice in the U.S. Senate ... and I want to be that voice, Mauro said. Theresa Greenfield of Des Moines repeatedly referred to herself as a scrappy farm kid who sees Iowa farmers struggling. As someone who grew up in the farm crisis and suffered through the economic downturn that ruined so many farm families across this Midwest, I take it really personal whats going on right now, Greenfield said, adding that net farm income has fallen 75% since 2013 and bankruptcies are at an eight-year high. Several times Greenfield said that unlike Ernst, she is not taking any financial support from corporate political action committees. A Republican Party of Iowa spokesman called that a blatant lie. Not only does Theresa Greenfield take money from corporate-funded leadership PACs, she also benefits from millions in dark money spending, Aaron Britt said, referring to an OpenSecrets.org report that Greenfield topped the list of (Senate Minority Leader) Chuck Schumers Democratic candidates who took the most money from corporate-funded Leadership PACs. Attorney Kimberly Graham didnt stake a claim to a farm background, but claimed to have lived in rural Iowa longer than the other candidates. You could argue (Indianola) is only 30 minutes from Des Moines, she said. I dont know when you get a designation of more rural or less rural, but you know, its not Des Moines. I think I have a better understanding, since I have most recently lived in rural Iowa, of whats important. The candidates were broadly in agreement on expanding government access to health care, child care and housing, investing heavily in infrastructure, especially broadband, and more fairly taxing corporations and the wealthiest Americans. Later Sunday, the candidates participated in a virtual forum hosted by Pottawattamie Democrats. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown, one of the world's largest airlines, Ethiopian Airlines took off from Addis Ababa, the capital city of Ethiopia, to Hyderabad. The flight landed at Hyderabad airport around 8:16 pm and the new flight network increases the opportunities to reach out to the Africa market, leveraging the cargo network of the airlines. A new chapter for us as RGIA meets Addis Ababa (Ethiopia)! We delightfully announce the launch of a new charter flight for cargo by Ethiopian Airlines. The big bird will grace the runways weekly. #GMR #RGIA #HyderabadAirport @flyethiopian @MoCA_GoI @HardeepSPuri pic.twitter.com/TOP7osSY5S RGIA Hyderabad (@RGIAHyd) April 26, 2020 Expected to be operating one frequency per week, Ethiopian Airlines will be operating Boeing 777-300 aircraft with a capacity of 50 MT per flight. Medical supplies Transportation of medical cargo under the Lifeline Udan scheme has been soaring high as the outreach is happening to remotest places in India. Over 200 tonnes of medical cargo is a huge leap forward. With the support from Air India, Alliance Air, IAF and private airlines like Indigo, SpiceJet, medical supplies of at thousands of tons have been delivered to date during the lockdown period. Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of Civil Aviation on Sunday evening tweeted that within the country, 383 flights have flown more than 3,76,952 km to transport 684 tons of medical and other essential products. 383 flights have flown across 3,76,952 kms to transport 684 tons. The spirit of service with which #CoronaWarriors of Lifeline UDAN have been serving fellow citizens by transporting medical & essential supplies is truly laudable. pic.twitter.com/bV6ssuk2S8 Hardeep Singh Puri (@HardeepSPuri) April 26, 2020 All passenger operations have been since March and airlines are allowed to carry only cargo material. (Image credits: twitter.com/rgiahyd) At least five police officers were injured on Monday as a protest against security agents turned bloody at Eleko community in Ibeju-Lekki local government of Lagos State. PREMIUM TIMES gathered that youth in the community had a face-off with police officers whom they accused of bias in enforcing the coronavirus lockdown in the community. Bala Elkana, police spokesperson in the state, confirmed the development in an interview with PREMIUM TIMES. He said 51 protesters were arrested, following police reinforcement. Speaking with our correspondent, one of the residents who asked not to be named said while residents and other company workers in the community were forced to stay in their houses, expatriates working with Dangote Refinery were allowed to go to their places of work. The youth in the area burnt tyres on the streets to express their anger over the alleged bias. The protest went bloody after the arrival of police officers, as the protesters resisted intimidation. READ ALSO: Mr Elkana told this newspaper that the protesters had been dispersed and normalcy restored in the community. He said the protesters injured five police officers and vandalised two outposts. The military have also been deployed to help maintain normalcy in Eleko, Ibeju-Lekki. At the moment, people are allowed to walk in the community only with their hands up. President Muhammadu Buhari had ordered total lockdown of Lagos, Ogun and Abuja in the last four weeks. Residents have been through a roller coaster of emotions, including reported surge in robbery cases in Lagos. It is not clear whether Mr Buhari will relax or extend the lockdown in his address already scheduled for this evening. , April 27, 2020 (AFP) - Israeli air strikes near the Syrian capital early Monday killed three civilians, state media said. "Three civilians were martyred and four others wounded, including a child, because shrapnel from Israeli missiles fell on houses" in the suburbs of Damascus, the official SANA news agency said. COVID- 19: By using the convalescent plasma therapy, a coronavirus patient has been successfully recovered and has to be on 14-days self-isolation. Delhi hospital says it's encouraging news for the country COVID- 19: The first patient, who was administered convalescent plasma therapy on compassionate grounds at Max Hospital in Saket, has now fully recovered and was discharged on Sunday. Dr. Sangeeta told ANI: It is encouraging news for India. He was finally discharged today. He will be in-home quarantine for another two weeks as per the government norm. The 49-year-old critically ill patient was administered fresh plasma as a treatment modality as a side-line to standard treatment protocols on the night of April 14. The 49-year-old male patient from Delhi had tested COVID-19 positive on April 4 and was admitted at the COVID facility at the hospital with moderate symptoms and a history of fever and respiratory issues. His condition deteriorated during the next few days and he soon required external oxygen to maintain saturation. He soon developed pneumonia with Type I respiratory failure and had to be put on ventilator support on April 8. When the patient showed no improvement in his condition, his family requested the hospital for the administration of plasma therapy on compassionate grounds, a first of its kind treatment modality that was used for this disease in India. The family came forward to arrange a donor for extracting plasma. The donor had recovered from the infection confirmed by two consecutive negative reports three weeks before her donation and again tested COVID-19 negative at the time of donation along with other standard tests to rule out infections like Hep B, Hep C, and HIV. According to Max Hospital doctors, a single donor can donate 400 ml of plasma, which can save two lives, as 200 ml is sufficient to treat one patient. After receiving the treatment, the patient showed progressive improvement and by the fourth day was weaned off ventilator support on the morning of April 18 and continued on supplementary oxygen. Out of the 461 samples tested yesterday for #COVID19, results of 6 are positive: King George's Medical University, Lucknow ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) April 27, 2020 He had started taking the oral feeds in 24-hour after being off ventilator support. He was shifted to a room with round-the-clock monitoring on Monday after testing negative twice within 24 hours, said the Max Hospital doctor. 36 new COVID19 positive cases reported in the state; the total number of positive cases in the state rise to 2221: Rajasthan Health Department pic.twitter.com/CzST30wHeS ANI (@ANI) April 27, 2020 Sad news, Ahmedabad's good public servant Badruddin Shaikh has passed away A senior leader of our Gujarat Congress family, I knew him since 40yrs when he was with Youth Congress. He was relentlessly working with poor people&was infected with #COVID19: Shaktisinh Gohil,Congress pic.twitter.com/kZesm8KhxK ANI (@ANI) April 26, 2020 For all the latest National News, download NewsX App TDT | Manama The aptness and transparency applied by Bahraini authorities in dealing with the coronavirus (COVID-19) have made the French community in the Kingdom feel confident and safe, says the French Ambassador to the Kingdom. As there is no vaccine against the coronavirus yet, each country must deal with the epidemic through applying several specific measures, Ambassador Jerome Cauchard said. There are globally similar measures such as tests, treatment and follow-up, but there are differences according to the specificities of each country. Bahrain at an early stage took precautionary measures, including shutting schools, conducting tests on a large scale, reinforcing online services in departments, implementing home isolation, and developing a sophisticated system to monitor the full compliance with this isolation. The practical approach taken by the Kingdom and the National Taskforce for Combatting the Coronavirus has played an effective role in dealing with the disease and at the same time, the procedures and measures in Bahrain are developing in a practical way to mitigate the spread of the virus, the diplomat added. The Bahraini authorities have dealt in an appropriate and open manner with the spread of the virus and this has made the French community here feel confident and safe, said the Ambassador, who took office on October 1 of last year. This is absolutely not surprising compared with other places across the world. This is of course thanks to the leadership of Bahrain, led by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, and also thanks to the government decisions led by His Royal Highness the Prime Minister. We are grateful to His Majesty the King. Farmers carry baskets of navel oranges in an orchard in Huichang, Jiangxi province, in 2019. Many locals have been lifted out of poverty by growing the fruit. [Photo by Chen Zebing/China Daily] Xi stresses importance of taking targeted action to improve people's livelihoods The COVID-19 pandemic will not compromise China's goal to lift all its rural population out of poverty by the end of this year, officials and experts said, with the country scaling up its response measures in job creation and helping with sales of agricultural products. The country's top leadership, led by President Xi Jinping, has called for resolute policy action to minimize the shock from the pandemic and win the battle against absolute poverty as this year is the final one for China to finish building a moderately prosperous society in all respects. China, having lifted over 93 million people out of absolute poverty over the past seven years, still has 5.51 million rural residents living below the official poverty line. Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made poverty reduction a priority in his agenda as the outbreak posed immediate challenges to the country's targets. He delivered an important speech at a nationwide teleconference on March 6 that called for heightened poverty reduction measures amid challenges from the outbreak. He visited impoverished mountain areas, communities, households and a tea plantation during a four-day inspection trip to Shaanxi province last week. He underlined the importance of adopting targeted actions to improve the living standards of poor people and establishing mechanisms that prevent poverty from returning. "I have confidence in attaining the poverty reduction targets this year. What I am more concerned about is whether we can stabilize our achievements and whether we can establish a long-term mechanism," he told officials in Shaanxi. Qi Gubo, a professor of rural development studies at China Agricultural University, said: "President Xi has extended a message of confidence that China will deliver its target of poverty elimination this year with firm actions." In doing so, China will at least attain the two goals set in the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which are ending poverty in all its forms everywhere and promoting sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all, she said. She added that China has ramped up its poverty reduction campaign this year despite the fact that its economy has suffered its first contraction in decades. The central financial authorities allocated special poverty alleviation funds totaling 139.6 billion yuan ($19.7 billion) for 2020 by the end of March to authorities at lower levels, which was one month earlier than in previous years. The State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development said in a notice released earlier this month that it has launched a special program that aims to facilitate sales of agricultural products totaling 100 billion yuan to aid the poverty reduction campaign this year. Qi said she also expects a bigger role from the country's special work teams sent to poor villages this year, which usually is comprised of officials from different government departments. "Their presence at villages helped authorities learn about the real situation and come up with more targeted measures," she said. The last line of defense, she said, is to include the poor people, especially those suffering from severe impacts from the pandemic, in the country's social security network. "The country still has many policy tools at its disposal and that is why it is capable of a resounding success to conclude its poverty campaign this year," she said. Even so, some researchers have highlighted the challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic on the employment of migrant workers, who account for a majority of the income of many poor rural families. Gan Li, director of the Survey and Research Center for China Household Finance at Southwest University of Finance and Economics, said research by his team on a poor village in Liangshan Yi autonomous prefecture in Sichuan province showed about 70 percent of people who were migrant workers in other areas last year remained at home despite the fact that traffic restrictions had been lifted. Some factories tasked with poverty alleviation are also faced with a drop in orders and delayed reopening, which has affected the income of households. To counter the impact from the pandemic, Xi laid out response measures including prioritizing job creation for migrant workers from poor families and employing multiple channels, including e-commerce, to facilitate sales of agricultural products, in his speech at the meeting on March 6. Chen Hongbo, head of the department of policies, laws and regulations at the State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development, told a news briefing on Friday that the authorities have adopted various relief measures, such as helping migrant workers return to their jobs, including in areas close to their homes, and bolstering credit support to poor households, to counter the impact of the pandemic. Xi has also, on many occasions, underlined the importance of maintaining the stability of policies even after the goals have been met this year. The authorities should consider a transition period during which aid policies from the authorities will continue and a monitoring mechanism will be established for those having unstable incomes and living on the edge of the poverty line, Xi said at the meeting on March 6. The mechanism will enable the authorities to adopt precautionary aid measures to prevent a rebound of poverty, he added. Huang Hanquan, director of the Research Institute of Industrial Economy and Technical Economy at the National Development and Reform Commission, said ensuring the stability of aid policies would be a time-consuming process to transform poor areas and the lives of poor people. "It would be unrealistic to accomplish all poverty reduction goals at one stroke, and the reaching of the goals does not mean the end of the endeavor," Huang said. Xi has also stressed the need to synergize poverty reduction with the rural vitalization strategy, which Huang said will be another priority of China's rural policy. The government could shift from its targeted measures focusing on a special group of people to a more inclusive initiative seeking to benefit the rural population, he said. The development of rural industries, modernizing the agricultural sector, bolstering rural infrastructure and improving public services, such as healthcare, education and care for the elderly, will be another focus of policymakers, he said. "The key, however, is to improve the quality of human capital in rural areas, and only by doing so can we boost the development capacities of rural residents," he said. Chen Zhigang, a senior research fellow at the International Food Policy Research Institute, said Xi has overseen a poverty reduction campaign that is guided by a very mature concept and vision, and the immediate challenges from the pandemic will not derail its goals. As China moves forward in solving the problem of unbalanced growth and revitalizing its rural areas, it has a lot to share with the international community on its poverty reduction achievements, he said. "The government's persistent focus on eliminating poverty and rural development, its targeted strategies and its mobilizing of all sectors to help with work in this regard all contributed to the country's resounding success," he said. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 27) - President Rodrigo Duterte told the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) to operate 24 hours amid the pandemic crisis. With this, Duterte also asked both agencies to increase their workforces. I have authorized, itong both na opisina, yung FDA and DOST, to employ as much as many required para magmadalian and to enable the agencies to work day and night. Sabi ko we are fighting a war here, said Duterte in a late Monday night address. [Translation: I have authorized both offices of FDA and DOST to employ as much as many required, so they can work faster and to enable both agencies to work day and night. I said we are fighting a war here.] FDA is in charge of assessing detection kits for COVID-19 as well as possible medicines for coronavirus disease. Meanwhile, DOST is working on developing possible remedies against viral infection. READ: DOST: Coconut oil clinical trials for COVID-19 patients get committee nod Duterte requested the two agencies to hire more medical technologists and other healthcare professionals. So magdagdag kayo ng maraming medtech o yung mga kaga-graduate na doktor na naghihintay pa lang ng results [ng board exam], or anybody from the health services, if you want to give your services, volunteer, he said. [Translation: So you hire more medical technologists or fresh graduate doctors who are still waiting for the board exam results, or anybody from the health services, if you want to give your services, volunteer.] The Department of Health (D)H) said early this month it is eyeing to hire at most 8,000 health workers to beef up the manpower in health facilities and quarantine sites. The national interagency task force on COVID-19 said DOH also formulate a guideline on hiring new graduates from medical schools to help in the frontlines. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. KCNA via REUTERS North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has been conspicuously missing from the public eye since April 11. His absence at a major holiday on April 15 sparked rumors about fragile health and even death. On Monday, South Korea's unification minister dismissed the speculation, saying the country had "enough intelligence to confidently say that there are no unusual developments" in North Korea. John Delury, a professor at Yonsei University in South Korea, said leaders wouldn't issue these types of statements "unless they're really confident" Kim is alive, "because they're going to look like fools if they turn out to be wrong." Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. On Monday, South Korean officials dispelled speculation that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is in poor health. At a closed-door meeting in Seoul, Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul said the South Korean government had "enough intelligence to confidently say that there are no unusual developments" that would offer evidence that Kim is in grave condition or dead after heart surgery, according to The Associated Press. The minister didn't specify which intelligence he was referring to. Also on Monday, South Korean President Moon Jae-in reiterated his support for inter-Korean cooperation projects, including "a joint anti-coronavirus quarantine campaign," the AP said. Moon also cited his "confidence" with the North Korean leader and "our firm resolve to [achieve] peace." John Delury, an American professor of East Asia studies at Yonsei University in South Korea, also flatly rejected the claims that Kim is unwell. Speaking on the BBC's "Newshour" on Monday, Delury said there was abundant hearsay but "very little evidence" to support such claims. "Two weeks' absence should give rise, certainly, to our attention," he said, but "probably doesn't merit the degree of speculation it's receiving." Story continues Those rumors have been fueled, at least in part, by reports of panic-buying in North Korea. But Delury said there was nothing connecting that to Kim's health. "I'm not sure that that is connected in any way with the health of the leader," Delury told the BBC. "Bear in mind, you know, the same thing that the whole world is grappling with this COVID pandemic is also affecting North Korea. In fact, that could be ultimately the explanation for why Kim Jong Un is avoiding crowds." Kim has been out of the public eye for weeks Rumors about Kim's health were triggered by his absence at one of North Korea's most celebrated holidays on April 15: the birthday of his grandfather and the country's founder, Kim Il Sung. In fact, Kim hasn't been spotted in public since April 11, when he presided over a Politburo meeting. Silence from the famously secretive country's state media fanned the hype at least until Monday, when reports emerged that Kim sent a thank-you note to workers and officials at a tourist resort construction site near where his personal train was recently spotted, South Korea's Yonhap News Agency said. South Korea has downplayed the rumors, saying that the North Korean leader was handling state affairs and that neither North Korea's military nor its Workers' Party had issued an emergency readiness order, which would occur in case something were to happen to Kim, the AP reported. The rumors gained traction when a CNN report last Tuesday said Kim was in "grave danger." An unnamed US official told the AP on Monday that the intelligence community continued to view these revelations about Kim as "speculation." Delury stressed that South Korean officials wouldn't issue statements about Kim's health if they were uncertain about the issue. "They're not going to go that far out to say they're pretty sure he's fine, certainly that he's alive, unless they're really confident, because they're going to look like fools if they turn out to be wrong," he said. Read the original article on Business Insider Created to be an alternative to traditional first-aid products, First Honeys line of Manuka honey-infused products are clinically proven to promote faster, better healing while also soothing and hydrating the skin. First Honey, the natural range of First Aid products enriched with the healing properties of medical grade Manuka honey, has officially launched at Target stores nationwide and at Target.com. This launch marks the brands biggest major retail expansion to date. First Honey will initially roll out two of its best-selling products at Target stores including the First Honey Manuka Bandages ($8.49) and the First Honey Manuka Ointment ($8.99). Both products are made with the highest quality medical grade Manuka honey, harvested from the brands own bees in New Zealand, to help promote faster, better healing while providing protection against infection. These products are also now available on Target.com, along with the First Honey Skin Therapy Cream ($12.99) a deeply nourishing cream powered by the natural bioactive properties of Manuka honey to soothe and moisturize dry, irritated skin. We are thrilled to launch with Target and provide a natural option in the first aid aisle, said Jono Scarlet, First Honey Chief Operating Officer. We knew this was the right partner for us as we aim to bring more natural, effective options to families across the nation. Created to be an alternative to traditional first-aid products, First Honeys line of Manuka honey-infused products are clinically proven to promote faster, better healing while also soothing and hydrating the skin. The innovative combination delivers an optimal healing experience and can treat everything from cuts, scrapes and burns, to dry, damaged skin. In an effort to cater to todays current stay-at-home orders, Target offers drive up services for customers to practice safe shopping during the current Covid-19 crisis. First Honey will be available through this service and in addition, the brand is providing an introductory offer available in the Target Circle App, which grants customers 15% off the in-store products until May 2nd, 2020. About First Honey First Honey LLC, founded in 2017, sells its line of certified Medical Grade Manuka Honey wound and skin care products across retailers, pharmacy chains and online in the United States. Manuka Honey is known for its healing and skin nourishing properties and has been used for decades overseas and by US-based hospitals and the military for burns, acute care, and chronic wounds. The companys First Aid products are recognized by the FDA as 510k-cleared medical devices and manufactured in accordance with ISO 13485 standards. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday will resume charge of the government's response to the coronavirus pandemic, a month after being diagnosed with the deadly disease that has claimed 20,732 lives in the UK. Johnson, 55, had been recuperating from his intensive care treatment at a London hospital earlier this month after he contracted the deadly virus. He returned to 10 Downing Street on Sunday evening from his prime ministerial countryside retreat at Chequers, where he had been based since his discharge from St Thomas' Hospital on April 12. It is hard to find the words to express my debt to the NHS [National Health Service] for saving my life, he said, in his message to the medical team on leaving the hospital. UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, who has been deputising for the UK prime minister as the First Secretary of State during the leave of absence, described his boss' return as a boost for the government and a boost for the country. He's raring to go, Raab said. Johnson resumes work amid growing pressure from within his own Conservative Party backbenchers as well the Opposition parties to set out a clear exit strategy to begin lifting the strict lockdown measures in place to curb the spread of the coronavirus. "If there is a question over whether something is necessary or not, I think we should err on the side of openness and trying to make sure that more people can get on with their lives and more people can get on with getting back to their jobs," said Sir Graham Brady, the chair of the Tory party's influential backbench 1922 Committee. Opposition Labour Party's shadow cabinet minister Rachel Reeves said the UK should "potentially" be following the example of other European countries like Belgium, Germany and Denmark, which have already signalled partial re-opening of some businesses and schools. "We want to work with the government in bringing forward a plan and getting it right," she said. Officials are reported to be working on a Singapore-style plan for passengers arriving at the UK sea and airports to be quarantined for 14 days as part of the second phase of the measures, which must be reviewed by law on May 7. However, UK Environment Minister George Eustice seemed to dismiss the idea at the daily Downing Street briefing on Sunday. As we move to a new phase at some point in the future we are not there yet international travel could become a more significant part of the risk to manage," he said. At the moment, all of the evidence suggests it is only a tiny proportion of the cause of the coronavirus outbreak if we got to that point, a number of measures would be considered but no decisions have been taken in this phase yet, he added. Johnson has meanwhile kept in contact with his ministers and officials and held his weekly audience by telephone with Queen Elizabeth II last week, indicating his readiness for full-time duties. He held a long meeting with Raab and UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak on Friday ahead of his formal return, during which the senior team is believed to have thrashed out aspects of the next phase in the government's Covid-19 strategy. The strict social distancing norms in place in the UK were imposed in a televised address by Johnson on March 23 and they require people to stay at home, shutting most businesses and preventing gatherings of more than two people. The lockdown is intended to protect the state-funded NHS from being overwhelmed by the number of hospitalisations, a figure which has shown a downwards trajectory in recent days. However, scientific experts have warned that it is too soon to consider lifting all the measures due to fears of a second wave of infections. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The department of biotechnology, Panjab University, organised an international webinar on Recent advances in biotechnology, on Monday. Vice-chancellor Raj Kumar inaugurated the webinar that brought together researchers from different universities, institutes and industries to share their knowledge in their respective fields. Chairperson of department of biotechnology, Kashmir Singh, said, Participants from across the world, including USA, Europe and Taiwan and from 19 states of India participated in the webinar. Dr Gaurav Raikhy from Louisiana State University and Health Centre, USA, explained how they have developed 3D skin models for testing of infections from viruses. Dr Ashutosh Pandey from National Institute of Plant Genome research, New Delhi, spoke on genetic manipulation of important medicinal pathways in plants, to improve productivity of select compounds, especially in banana and tomato, to improve nutritional quality of commercial crops. PK Pati from Guru Nanak Dev Univeristy, Amritsar, spoke on herbal medicines and said while looking for possible ways to curb the spread of Covid-19, study of genome of organisms is essential. Varun Dhawan is waiting for a particular exciting event in his life travelling to Russia and firing a machine gun from a tank. The actor was to travel to Russia with the action director of his next film Ekkees, which is based on an army man who died at the age of 21 while fighting the India-Pakistan War of 1971. The Pune-born Second Lieutenant Arun Kheterpal was killed in the Battle of Basantar, where he manoeuvred his tank and beat back 10 Pakistani tanks before being killed in action. He was awarded the Param Vir Chakra and the ekkees topon ki salaami posthumously. Varun had met the action director in Mumbai earlier and was invited to Russia to actually learn to fire from the tank, as the majority of the Battle of Basantar has him fighting from a tank. He was ready to fly over but has now been asked to hold on for a few more months. He may have to learn the warfare somewhere closer to home now apart from visiting army posts to see the atmosphere and the milieu, says our source. We racked our brains for alternate explanations for this pattern, said Dr. Donihue. Could it be temperature? Precipitation? Taller or shorter trees in different locations? Nothing we tried explains that variation as strongly as hurricane history. Not long after Dr. Donihue had been lassoing Anolis scriptus lizards with a loop of string at the end of a fishing rod on a pair of small islands in Turks and Caicos for what was supposed to be just a local conservation project, the same islands were blasted by a one-two punch of extreme weather. First came Hurricane Irma, a screaming maelstrom of 160-mile-per-hour winds. Two weeks later came Hurricane Maria. When Dr. Donihue returned, trees were down and lizards were scarce. On average, he found the surviving anoles seemed to have much bigger, grippier toe pads than the population had averaged before, as if those with less sticky feet had been carried away by the storms. That initial finding came out with the leaf blower videos. But the team kept digging. Eighteen months after the storm, Dr. Donihue went back to Turks and Caicos a third time to find a new generation of lizards scampering across new plant growth. Those carefree children of the survivors had kept their parents generations bigger toe pads. Rotunda Rumblings They like Mike: With Gov. Mike DeWine set to announce his plan today for reopening Ohios economy beginning Friday, hes in a great position when it comes to public support for his response to the coronavirus, a new poll shows. As cleveland.coms Rich Exner and Andrew Tobias report, DeWine got the timing right on when to impose restrictions, has support for his stay-at-home order and is viewed far more favorably than President Donald Trump, according to the Baldwin Wallace University Ohio Poll. But many are cautious about reopening businesses too quickly, the poll found. You can read all of cleveland.coms coverage of the poll, and past BW polls, here. More testing, tracing: Ohios coronavirus test-kit assembly is set to ramp up from about 3,700 per day right now to 22,000 kits per day by late May, DeWine said Friday, allowing people in nursing homes and homeless shelters (and, after that, grocery store workers) to be tested. As cleveland.coms Jeremy Pelzer reports, DeWine also announced that Ohio will become one of the first states in the nation to launch a large-scale contact tracing program to find and isolate people who have been exposed to coronavirus. What Senate Dems want: Ohio Senate Democrats urged DeWine in a letter Friday not to reopen Ohios economy before several conditions are met, including expanding coronavirus testing capacity, gathering adequate data on how far the virus has spread in Ohio, procuring enough sanitation and personal protective equipment, publicizing precise guidelines for businesses, setting up whistleblower protections and childcare accommodations, and ensuring employees can still work from home who are able to do so. We oppose any plan that disproportionately prioritizes the economy over peoples lives, the letter stated. Help for foster kids: DeWine has announced protections for Ohio foster children who are about to turn 18 during the pandemic, cleveland.coms Evan MacDonald reports. The state is providing money to keep those children in foster care because the pandemic could make it difficult for them to find jobs and new homes, or pursue higher education, DeWine said. Weekend numbers: By Sunday, 15,963 people had been infected with the coronavirus, and 728 of those had died. On Saturday, there were 15,587 infections and 711 deaths. On Friday, there were 15,169 coronavirus cases and 690 deaths. Exner has the latest map and graphics showing the trends. Dont forget about Election Day: If you want to vote in Ohios nearly all-mail primary Tuesday, your ballot should be postmarked no later than today, or it should be dropped off at your board of elections drop box by 7:30 p.m. Tuesday. But what if you applied for a ballot and didnt get it? Theres an option for in-person voting, and boards of elections are preparing for it. Cleveland.coms Seth Richardson has details. Lets get fiscal: Lt. Gov. Jon Husted said last week Ohio might have to spend its $2.7 billion rainy day fund twice over to balance the budget over the next 15 months. We asked DeWines Office of Budget and Management: Does that mean Ohio has a $5.4 billion budget deficit? OBM spokesman Pete Lupiba said in an email: Several economists have estimated that due to the COVID-19 global pandemic, states (generally) could face shortfalls over several fiscal years that could more than double the shortfalls of the Great Recession of 2007-2009. If shortfalls were to be more than double those of the Great Recession, that could be close to double the states Rainy Day fund. This should not at all be interpreted as Ohio having a [$5.4] billion deficit. Private prison concerns: A pulmonary doctor said in a court filing that a privately owned prison in Youngstown is not doing enough to prevent the spread of the coronavirus among inmates and staff, putting both groups in danger, writes cleveland.coms Eric Heisig. The doctor wrote that inmates at the Northeast Ohio Correctional Center are still housed in pods with up to 64 people and continue to socialize with other inmates outside and in close contact when eating and getting medicine. On ICE: The ACLU of Ohio sued Immigration and Customs Enforcement, hoping to secure the release of inmates who have medical conditions that make them vulnerable to coronavirus, cleveland.coms Laura Hancock reports. This suit was focused on Butler and Morrow county jails; a previous suit seeks to release inmates from Seneca and Geauga county jails. Back online: State Rep. Nino Vitales Facebook page was taken offline Friday because of suspicious outside activity, not because of anything the conservative Republican posted, Pelzer reports. Facebook told Pelzer Saturday it had restored access to the page. Antiviral technology: Clevelands NASA Glenn Research Center is collaborating with a Kent-based company called Emergency Products + Research (EP+R) to develop a fogging system that can be used to decontaminate rooms and ambulances for the coronavirus, writes cleveland.coms Sabrina Eaton. NASA engineers who specialize in aerosol physics are working through a regional economic development program to revamp an existing product sold by the company for use fighting COVID-19. Hope it doesnt go to his head: The National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum has unveiled a collection of governor bobbleheads, including one for DeWine, cleveland.coms Troy Smith reports. They cost $25, and a portion of the purchase price goes toward the production of coronavirus masks. The other bobbleheads are for Govs. Gavin Newsom of California, Andrew Cuomo of New York and Tony Evers of Wisconsin. Full Disclosure Five things we learned from the Feb. 7, 2020 financial disclosure of state Rep. Cindy Abrams, a Hamilton County Republican: 1. In addition to her legislative pay of $14,227, Abrams disclosed receiving $1,000 to $9,999 from two sources: as a Harrison city council member, a position she left when she was appointed to the state legislature last year, and as a sales representative for The Pampered Chef. 2. She owns at least $1,000 in stock in Facebook and Procter & Gamble, as well as in a variety of electronically traded funds and mutual funds. 3. At some point in 2019, she owed at least $1,000 to Kemba Credit Union, Fifth Third Bank and Union Savings Bank. 4. She disclosed no debts. 5. She received no gifts requiring disclosure. Birthdays State Rep. D.J. Swearingen Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther Ex-President Ulysses S. Grant (1822-1885) Straight from the Source Im finding that being home with my very active 4, 6, and 8 year old daughters isnt exactly conducive to doing live radio interviews. Thank God for Lauren handling school from home while I work from my studio in the driveway. -Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, in a tweet that included a photo of the inside of his car. Capitol Letter is a daily briefing providing succinct, timely information for those who care deeply about the decisions made by state government. If you do not already subscribe, you can sign up here to get Capitol Letter in your email box each weekday for free. ATLANTA, April 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Genuine Parts Company (NYSE: GPC) announced today that its shareholders, at this morning's 2020 Annual Meeting of Shareholders, elected Jean-Jacques Lafont as a new director of the Company. Additionally, Thomas C. "Tom" Gallagher has retired as a director. Jean-Jacques Lafont is the Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of Alliance Automotive Group (AAG), a leading European automotive aftermarket distributor and wholly owned subsidiary of the Company. Prior to his current role as Executive Chairman, Mr. Lafont was Chief Executive Officer of AAG, which he co-founded in 1989 and continued to lead for 30 years. Mr. Lafont is also the Non-Executive Chairman of the Supervisory Board of a European distributor of building materials and sanitary equipment under private equity ownership. Paul Donahue, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Genuine Parts Company, stated, "We are pleased to welcome Jean-Jacques as our newest director. Jean-Jacques is a talented executive with significant experience in the automotive aftermarket industry. His deep understanding of the sales, operations, finance, strategic planning, and global sourcing aspects of the automotive aftermarket landscape in Europe will be highly beneficial to the strategic planning function of the Board, especially as it relates to the global automotive business." In addition, Tom Gallagher, who reached the Company's mandatory retirement age for its directors, did not stand for re-election and has retired as a director. Mr. Gallagher served the Company for 50 years, including his role as Chief Executive Officer for 12 years. He was also a director for more than 30 years and served as Chairman from February 2005 to April 2019. Mr. Donahue commented, "Tom's impact on the Company has been immeasurable, and he will be dearly missed by all of us in the GPC family. We want to thank Tom for his exemplary leadership and his many contributions to the growth and success of Genuine Parts Company. We wish him the very best in his future endeavors." Earnings Release and Conference Call The Company plans to release first quarter earnings on May 6, 2020. Management will also conduct a conference call on this date at 11:00 a.m. Eastern time. The public may access the call on the Company's website, www.genpt.com, by clicking "Investors," or by dialing 877-407-0789. The conference ID is 13701533. If you are unable to participate during the call, a replay of the call will be available on the Company's website or toll-free at 844-512-2921, ID 13701533, two hours after the completion of the conference call until 12:00 a.m. Eastern time on May 20, 2020. About Genuine Parts Company Genuine Parts Company is a distributor of automotive replacement parts in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Australasia, France, the U.K., Germany, Poland, the Netherlands and Belgium. The Company also distributes industrial replacement parts in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Australasia through its Industrial Parts Group. S.P. Richards Company, the Business Products Group, distributes a variety of business products in the U.S. Genuine Parts Company had 2019 revenues of $19.4 billion. Further information is available at www.genpt.com. SOURCE Genuine Parts Company Related Links http://www.genpt.com PLAINWELL, MI Allegan County meat packing plant JBS now has 86 employees with confirmed cases of the coronavirus, but a local health official says the worst appears to be behind them. We continue to monitor the epidemiological curve and note that the epi curve appears to be on the downside of the peak, Lindsay Maunz, public information officer with the Allegan County Health Department, told MLive. On April 20, there were 60 reported cases among employees at the plant. Citing data from the Michigan Disease Surveillance System, Maunz said one of the 86 positive cases has resulted in a death. JBS has multiple plants across the country. Four of its plants including ones in Greeley, Colorado; Souderton, Pennsylvania, Worthington, Minnesota; and most recently Green Bay, Wisconsin have ceased operations temporarily due to a high number of employees testing positive for COVID-19. The plants in Greeley and Souderton have both reopened following multi-week closures, according to the company. While the Plainwell plant was shut down April 16-17 due to a low number of employees showing up for work, operations have continued at the plant. We will endeavor to keep our facilities open to help feed the nation, but we will not operate a facility if we do not believe it is safe," Cameron Bruett, head of corporate affairs for JBS said in a statement issued to MLive Monday. The health and safety of our team members remains our number one priority. Bruett said the company is mindful of the increasing number of facilities across the U.S. that have experienced decreased production or outright closure. The coronavirus pandemic has affected all of us, and we salute our team members who are working hard each day to continue to feed the country, he said. Due to union protections, employees who are not comfortable working are able to elect to stay at home, said John Cakmakci, president of United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW) Local 951 that represents Michigan workers. Testing has also been made available to all employees and each employee goes through a daily health screening when they arrive at work, Cakmakci said. On April 18, the union also secured an extra $4 per hour for workers at the plant through May 30. The temporary raise came in addition to the $600 bonus announced at the end of March. On top of that, numerous protections have been put in place to help workers to feel more safe, Cakmakci said. Included are face masks attached to hard hats that are worn over masks, he said. As well, the company has also installed Plexiglas between people working the line that had previously been standing shoulder to shoulder. Decisions are made based on the safety of the workers and the public. If it wasnt safe we would shut it down, Cakmakci said. Were getting caught up with the testing and I think thats the only reason you have seen 26 new cases in the last week, that were finally just getting caught up." And while the union and the company continue to monitor the situation and are prepared to shut down if necessary, some would like to see that happen more immediately. About a dozen protesters affiliated with PETA showed up at the plant on Monday, expressing that exact sentiment. In addition to attempting to shed more light on the number of employees infected with the disease, animal rights activist Maria Leonardi said PETA would like to see the facility transition itself to become a producer of humane, vegan meats. In a letter written to JBS that was shared with members of the media, PETA president Ingrid Newkirk said the organization would assist JBS in costs associated with such a transition. Two weeks ago, county health officials visited the JBS site to review social distancing, screening, and environmental hygiene practices, Maunz said. The company has been cooperative with the health department, she said. The Plainwell plant, which employs 1,300 workers, was compliant with hygiene standards including hand sanitizing stations throughout the work space, sanitizing frequently touched surfaces, employees wearing masks and appropriate screening for symptoms and temperature upon arrival to the facility, Maunz said. The Plainwell plant has been producing meat regionally for 95 years, according to the JBS website. According to the site it produces 5 Star Beef, 5 Star Reserve Beef, Clear River Farms Beef, Four Star Beef, Showcase Premium USA Beef, Showcase Premium Ground Beef and thinkpure Natural Ground Beef. Also on MLive: 60 coronavirus cases, 1 death at Plainwell meat plant Michigan extends personal protection orders during coronavirus crisis 12th inmate dies in Michigan prison where half tested positive for COVID-19 Whitmer extends order loosening scope of practice laws for health care workers Foster children unable to visit biological parents during Michigans stay-at-home order Sens. Mike Regan and Tom Killion (far right) held a joint Senate committee meeting last week to examine the issue of waivers. Read more This story was produced as part of a joint effort among Spotlight PA, LNP Media Group, PennLive, PA Post, and WITF to cover how Pennsylvania state government is responding to the coronavirus. Sign up for Spotlight PAs newsletter. HARRISBURG Two Republican state senators are threatening to issue a subpoena if the Wolf administration fails by Wednesday to produce all records related to its secretive process for awarding waivers to allow certain businesses to continue operating during the coronavirus shutdown. In a letter to Wolf, Sens. Tom Killion (R., Delaware) and Mike Regan (R., York) asked for emails, letters, and other documents related to the process for awarding waivers, which was administered by the Department of Community and Economic Development. The senators are also seeking a list of the waivers that were granted or denied, as well as the administrations justification for those decisions. The administration has so far refused requests to release the information. The next step is a subpoena, Killion said in an interview. The senators gave Wolf until the end of the day Wednesday to respond. They stopped short of promising to draw on the legislatures rarely used option of issuing subpoenas, but did say that they are prepared to take any appropriate additional steps to compel the delivery of these records. Wolf administration officials said they are reviewing the request but did not commit to meeting the deadline. The administration is reviewing the letter and will determine how best to respond in light of the extensive resources that have been devoted to addressing this disaster, said Casey Smith, spokesperson for the Department of Community and Economic Development. Numerous news organizations including Spotlight PA, The Inquirer, and the Caucus have requested copies of all waiver applications and all decisions either granting or denying exemptions. Wolf administration officials have suggested they will eventually make that information public, but have insisted that their immediate priority is responding to the public health crisis. Last week, the secretary of the economic development department said there was no timeline for releasing the list. The question of which businesses must close and which can stay open during the statewide coronavirus shutdown has been an ongoing point of confusion and anger since March 19, when the governor required all businesses that are not life-sustaining to close their physical operations. As part of the shutdown, Wolf created a waiver process that allowed businesses to apply and make an argument about why they should be considered essential. Many in the business community have complained the exemptions which could mean the difference between solvency and bankruptcy were being granted inconsistently. They have also complained the process was unfolding behind closed doors, with no explanation about why waivers were granted or denied. Killion said his office has received hundreds of calls from businesses upset about the process, with some complaining that they were being forced to close while their competitors remained open. There is no transparency, said Killion, who together with Regan held a joint Senate committee meeting last week to examine the issue of waivers. Legislative subpoenas are fairly rare, said G. Terry Madonna, a political science professor at Franklin and Marshall College. If the legislature issues a subpoena to Wolf for the records, the process could lead to a court fight, which could take months to resolve, said Madonna. The process for applying for a waiver closed April 3, with administration officials saying they had received more than 42,300 applications. Earlier this month, officials from the Department of Community and Economic Development said nearly 8,000 had been approved, about 17,000 had been denied, and just over 14,170 were for activities for which no exemption was required. 100% ESSENTIAL: Spotlight PA relies on funding from foundations and readers like you who are committed to accountability journalism that gets results. If you value this reporting, please give a gift today at spotlightpa.org/donate. South Korea has quelled speculations regarding the worsening health condition of North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un's health condition, saying that he was "alive and well". "Kim Jong Un is alive and well He has been staying in the Wonsan area since April 13. No suspicious movements have so far been detected," Moon Chung-in, the top foreign policy adviser to South Korean President, told CNN Recently, rumours had emerged that Kim had died after botched heart surgery. Rumours spread after a South Korean online newspaper Daily NK said Kim reportedly received a cardiovascular procedure because of "excessive smoking, obesity, and overwork". Also read: Kim Jong Un's doctor botched heart surgery as his hands were shaking, claims report The reports around Kim Jong Un's worsening health condition started floating on April 15 after he did not attend the birth anniversary of his grandfather Kim Il-sung. Besides, Kim's absence from North Korea's Military Foundation Day added fuel to the reports about his ill health. The DPRK's state media last reported on Kim Jong Un's whereabouts when he presided over a meeting on 11 April. Also read: Is Kim Jong Un dead? Twitter abuzz with rumours of North Korean leader's demise However, North Korean newspaper Rodong Sinmun reportedly said on Sunday that Kim sent thank you note to workers who helped in remodelling the city of Samjiyon in North Korea. The country controls all information surrounding Kim, who is considered almost a deity and has no free press. Analysts rely on state media dispatches and propaganda videos for any clue. Also read: Kim Jong Un death rumours: Helicopters fly low in Pyongyang, trains disrupted, says North Korean leader's biographer Also read: Kim Jong Un death rumours: North Korea remains silent as world watches closely Also read: Kim Jong Un's train spotted at North Korean resort town Bethesda, MD - Findings from a new animal study suggest that maternal nicotine exposure during breastfeeding could be linked to problems with skull and face development. Although widespread research has focused on the effects of cigarettes, little work has examined nicotine alone. "Unlike many other studies, we isolated the common constituent of cigarettes, vaping technologies and many nicotine replacement therapies to specifically understand how nicotine by itself might alter development," said research team leader James Cray, PhD, associate professor of anatomy at The Ohio State University. "Our findings suggest that mothers who vape while breastfeeding are likely exposing their infants to nicotine and that this can disturb growth much like cigarette exposure." Amr Mohi, BDS, a teaching assistant and graduate student in Cray's lab, was scheduled to present this research at the American Association for Anatomy annual meeting in San Diego this month. Though the meeting, to be held in conjunction with the 2020 Experimental Biology conference, was canceled in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, the research team's abstract was published in this month's issue of The FASEB Journal. Maternal exposure to nicotine has been linked to increased craniofacial abnormalities such as craniosynostosis, a birth defect in which the bones in a baby's skull fuse too early. To better understand the timing involved in this exposure, the researchers used an imaging method known as microCT to measure skull and face bones in mouse offspring after maternal nicotine exposure during pregnancy or lactation. The researchers found that exposure during lactation alone--comparable to the time a mother would breastfeed her infant--was associated with abnormalities in craniofacial development. "Our findings suggest that nicotine alone can alter craniofacial development and show that nicotine cannot be viewed as a relatively safe chemical that only acts on addiction," said Cray. The researchers plan to build on these findings by looking more closely at nicotine exposures from vaping. In one study, they are using cell models to better understand how nicotine and carrier components used for vaping may alter cellular processes. ### Contact the media team for more information. Image available. About Experimental Biology 2020 Experimental Biology is an annual meeting that attracts more than 12,000 scientists and exhibitors from five host societies and more than two dozen guest societies. With a mission to share the newest scientific concepts and research findings shaping clinical advances, the meeting offers an unparalleled opportunity for exchange among scientists from across the U.S. and the world who represent dozens of scientific areas, from laboratory to translational to clinical research. http://www.experimentalbiology.org #expbio About the American Association for Anatomy (AAA) The American Association for Anatomy is an international membership organization of biomedical researchers and educators specializing in the structural foundation of health and disease. AAA connects gross anatomists, neuroscientists, developmental biologists, physical anthropologists, cell biologists, physical therapists, and others to advance the anatomical sciences through research, education, and professional development. To join, visit anatomy.org. About The FASEB Journal Receive monthly highlights from The FASEB Journal by e-mail. Sign up at http://www.faseb.org/fjupdate.aspx. The FASEB Journal is published by the Federation of the American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB). It is among the most cited biology journals worldwide according to the Institute for Scientific Information and has been recognized by the Special Libraries Association as one of the top 100 most influential biomedical journals of the past century. Find more press materials at: https://www.eurekalert.org/meetings/eb/2020/newsroom/. The owner and CEO of Carlsbads Rugged Trade admitted he took a gamble on handing out thousands of protective masks to front-line employees in southeast New Mexico. Thomas Wilson said the work wear and fashion retailer was producing the masks at a large volume as the company looked sought a way to remain in business in the midsts of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic and economic slide of the oil and gas industry. I believe its something in need and its something we can be a part of and build the community with. Is that even good enough? I dont know, he said. Wilson purchased the former Phillips Cowboy Shop at 802 West Mermod Street in 2014 and changed the name to Rugged Trade. Chaz Wilson, Rugged Trades sales manager, said he and his brother saw a need to protect first responders, firefighters, law officers and healthcare workers in southeast New Mexico. A lot of us have the luxury of being able to stay home and stay safe in our environment, but theres so many other people in our community that dont have that luxury and theyre out there to protect us. Theres so many people putting faces on the front line, he said. Thomas knew the importance of spreading the awareness, of keeping these front line people safe. He went on a whim and got these masks designed and made. Thomas Wilson personally donated 1,200 protective masks, and his business Rugged Trade donated the same amount. If people buy two, we donate a third for free. What Im donating is 5,000 total, he said. I hope people use them and I hope it really does go the places it needs to go to and I hope it gets into the right hands and I hope it genuinely helps subside this. Wilson said Rugged Trade was accepting donations to help produce the masks. The masks were delivered to those on the front lines in southeast New Mexico by the brothers. From last Friday (April 17), this Friday (April 24) and the next two following Fridays (May 1 and May 8), Thomas will be delivering donational masks to all front line people, he said. He said deliveries were made to personnel in Carlsbad and Artesia on April 24. Chaz Wilson said Rugged Trade was happy to be the outlet for frontline workers to get protective masks at time when some items have been difficult to obtain. Whether it be in our Carlsbad or Artesia stores, or ordering online and so were just giving our community access to have these masks and thats really important for us, he said. Were all in this together, were a really tight knight community ranging from Roswell, Artesia, Hobbs, Carlsbad and we all rely on small businesses to keep our community a float, so our main thing from Rugged Trade is we want to provide the essentials for these businesses to be as safe as possible and keep our community running at a full pace. Mike Smith can be reached at 575-628-5546 or by email at MSmith@currentargus.com or @ArgusMichae on Twitter. 2020 the Carlsbad Current-Argus (Carlsbad, N.M.) Visit the Carlsbad Current-Argus (Carlsbad, N.M.) at www.currentargus.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. 'There are a lot of companies that have been struggling really hard expecting to do better year after year.' 'All these people will think now, "Let me not fight any more. Let me end this".' IMAGE: An auto ancillary unit in Coimbatore. The image has been posted ony for representational purposes. Photograph: Kind courtesy RSM Autokast Ltd V Sundaram is former president of the Coimbatore Small Scale Industries Association. He is also the owner of Thunder Auto LLP and Sundar Enterprises. One manufactures auto parts, the other manufactures components to agriculture pumps. "If the company needs, let the banks give a subsidised loan for the next 6 months or one year. If these things are done, entrepreneurs will be able to think about how to start business activities again," Sundaram tells Rediff.com's Shobha Warrier in the concluding segment of a two-part interview. Every entrepreneur wants to take care of employees and pay them their salaries without disruption. But what if you don't have money to even pay your rent or electricity bill? When a company goes bankrupt, when it is being auctioned, the first priority is given to the employee. Then, the money goes to the government authorities and then the bank followed by suppliers. The last priority is given to the entrepreneur, that is if there is anything left. What I would say now is the cycle has to be in the opposite direction. The government has to give money to the entrepreneur so that he could give it to the employees, the supplier and the bank. For years, industries have been paying money to the government and if we had not been paying taxes, where would the government have got money from? Now is the time for the government to give the industry so that we can pay wages to the employees, that is, it is given directly to them. That way, the employees are taken care of even if I go bankrupt. Secondly, let the banks switch off their computers so that the working capital interest is not compounded for the next two months, from March 23 to May 3! Let the banks extend the term loan period by one-a-and-a-half months more, that is, if your tenure is 24 months, make it 25 1/2 months. But they should not increase the rate on this loan. If the company needs, let the banks give a subsidised loan for the next 6 months or one year. If these things are done, entrepreneurs will be able to think about how to start business activities again. If not, do you feel a lot of companies may shut shop? Yes. The scenario will be like this. There are a lot of companies that have been struggling really hard expecting to do better year after year. All these people will think now, 'Let me not fight any more. Let me end this'. This will be the scenario for micro enterprises while the medium and small-scale industries will have some property to manage. The truth is, I cannot even imagine what will happen in May! Coimbatore is a hub for many small-scale industries. What will happen to the businesses in the city? Some 40% to 50% of the businesses in the city are for the agriculture pump market, and we supply to 60% of the agricultural market in India. Now, all of them are closed. Normally, the market used to pick up in December and will continue till June, till the southwest monsoon starts. After June, the pump market is not there till August. It will pick up in September but when the northeast monsoon starts, it gets over. It is hardly an 8-month market. Since we had an extended monsoon, it didn't pick up in December this time. It did not happen in January also. But from February onwards, business started picking up slowly almost peaking in March. How this pump industry works is, since they are idle from October till December, they produce and stock the material. When the market picks up in January, they are ready with the products. The demand will be so huge that whatever they have stocked, they would sell in January and February. In these two months, they will peak up their production for March, April and May. This time, when it was stabilising in March, everything is closed. What will happen now is, April is gone. By the time we open up in May, a week will be over and if the monsoon starts by 31st of May or 1st of June, how much business are we going to do this year? We are finished! The pump business is over right now. So, it is going to be tough times for Coimbatore. Yes. Coimbatore has industries related to pumps, automotive, wet grinders and then comes textiles. Of these, the two major businesses are agriculture pumps and automotive parts. The textile business is almost over with most of the industry moving from Coimbatore to Tirupur, Dindigul, etc. I told you what is going to happen to the pump market this year. You already know how bad the situation is for the automotive sector in India right now. Aleksandar Radovanov - Fotolia The states court system and the New York State Bar Association are creating a system to help New Yorkers who are trying to secure unemployment benefits and appealing claims that are denied. The website, www.nysba.org/legalhelp, will provide resources for filing a claim and match pro bono attorneys with clients whove had their claims denied. Spain, which has had one of the strictest lockdowns in Europe, is allowing children to leave their homes, if they're with an adult, for the first time in six weeks. There have been more than 23,000 confirmed deaths in the country. DUBLIN, April 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Nursing Care Market in US - Industry Outlook and Forecast 2020-2025" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The US Nursing Care Market is expected to grow at a CAGR of over 5% during the period 2019-2025. This study considers the present scenario of the US nursing care market and its market dynamics for the period 2019-2025. It covers a detailed overview of several market growth enablers, restraints, and trends. The study offers both the demand and supply aspects of the market. It profiles and examines leading companies and other prominent ones operating in the market. The US nursing care market is expected to be driven by the rising incidences of chronic disorders, which can be attributed to an unhealthy and sedentary lifestyle. The outbreak of COVID-19 provides a timely opportunity for the US nursing care market to address the surge in demand for nurses and to contain the outbreak. These nurses can help in coronavirus screening and improve the overall preparedness to counter the pandemic. The prevalence of chronic diseases is likely to increase the number of people having disabilities over the coming years. According to the WHO, 60 to 85% of the population worldwide does not engage in activities, making physical inactivity the fourth leading risk factor for global mortality. This lifestyle is expected to increase in the future as more and more jobs require sitting in the office for a long time in the US. Moreover, the share of the geriatric population in the US is also increasing at a rapid rate. It is expected that the geriatric population share will be more than 20% by 2030. Hence, the increase in a sedentary lifestyle, along with the growth in the elderly population, is expected to increase the demand for nursing services. Market Dynamics Opportunities & Trends Technological Developments Increasing Sedentary Lifestyle Increasing Health Awareness Value-Based Purchasing and Patient-Driven Payment Model Growth Enablers Increasing Geriatric Population & Chronic Diseases Health Insurance Reforms Changes in Social Patterns Increasing Nurse Education Restraints Shortage of Nurses Presence of Stringent Government Regulations US Nursing Care Market: Segmentation This research report includes a detailed segmentation by service type, expenditure, gender, and geography. The rise in the geriatric population, coupled with increasing chronic diseases and age-associated diseases, is expected to boost the hospice segment. Hospice programs generally are home-based; however, they sometimes provide services in freestanding facilities, in nursing homes, or within hospitals. Telemedicine is growing in the hospice industry, which is expected to boost the segment. The technology is trying to extend its services to outpatient settings to improve care coordination. The demand for home healthcare is expected to rise as an increasing number of patients have been choosing to receive medical services at home for several health challenges, including rehabilitation and chronic disease management. The largest end-user of this facility is the elderly population as this age group faces several health challenges and has progressively opted for home services over nursing home care or inpatient facility at hospitals. Based on gender, the assisted living facility market is segmented into women and men. Women held the dominant share in 2018-2019, and the segment is expected to grow at a faster rate during the forecast period. Greater life expectancy of women, high savings, increased retirement savings, increased women employment opportunities, higher disability, and chronic health disorders rates are some of the major factors behind the dominance of female gender in assisted living facilities. The growing aging population, favorable reimbursement scenario with increasing needs, and rising prevalence of chronic diseases in the country will propel the need for skilled nursing facilities. Besides, the lower costs of skilled nursing facilities than hospitals will drive the market. However, factors such as the existence of specialized services such as assisted living facility, hospice, and home healthcare can hinder the market growth. Furthermore, the rise in utility and food costs, real estate taxes, and insurance could negatively affect the US nursing care market. The increasing government support for the US nursing care market is expected to further fuel the market revenue. For instance, Medicare, in 2016, spent around $79 billion on skilled nursing facilities and home health services combined, which was over 20% of all long-term service and supported spending. This kind of support from the US government is expected to strengthen the US nursing care market further. Of the total Medicare long-term service and supports spending, 49% was paid to home health agencies, and 50% was paid to skilled nursing facilities. Hence, these types of support from federal agencies are likely to contribute to the segment growth during the forecast period. The growth in the private insurance market, coupled with increased funding received through philanthropic fund-raising organizations such as the United Way, is boosting the growth of the private expenditure segment. For instance, private health insurance comprises around 15% of total nursing care expenditures in 2019. With longer lives, higher rates of disability and chronic health challenges, and lower incomes than men, on average, several women need long-term medical services, which is positively affecting the segment growth. Moreover, women are also the primary providers of long-term medical services, as the vast majority of both paid formal long-term medical workers and unpaid informal caregivers are women. The availability of female nurses allows more women to opt for these services. Also, women have a longer life expectancy than men, outliving men by about five years on average. Therefore, with the increasing age and growing disabilities among women, the need for a medical facility is expected to increase, thereby driving the segment growth. Furthermore, more than 70% of people getting admitted to nursing facilities are women. Almost two-thirds of the paid home care users and unpaid care recipients are women. The demand is further expected to increase among women owing to their improved savings, increased employability, high literacy, the surge in divorce cases, and an increase in chronic diseases. The male segment is comparatively smaller than the female segment. However, it is expected to rise as several men are getting admitted to nursing care facilities or taking medical services at their home. Also, some patients feel uncomfortable with female nurses caring, thereby increasing the demand for males. However, the demand among men is expected to remain stagnant compared to females. Market Segmentation by: Service Type Hospice Home Healthcare Assisted Living Facility Skilled Nursing Facility Expenditure Public Private Gender Male Female Insights by Vendors The US nursing care market is in the growth stage, and it has achieved popularity and high penetration in developed countries such as the US. The market consists of a few major players, which include Brookdale Senior Living, Sunrise Senior Living, Diversicare, Amedisys, Kaiser Permanente, Ensign Group. The rapidly changing technological environment such as telemedicine could benefit both nursing care companies and patients. The present scenario is driving companies to change and refine their unique value proposition to achieve a strong market presence. Several trends will contribute to the growth of the senior living industry in the coming years. Due to demographic trends, and continuing medical healthcare advances, the senior population will continue to grow, which is expected to increase the demand for senior housing and healthcare services in future years. Key Vendors Brookdale Senior Living Sunrise Senior Living Diversicare Amedisys Kaiser Permanente Ensign Group Other Prominent Vendors 24/7 Nursing Care A-1 ACTION NURSING CARE A-1 Nursing Care AdventHealth Affinity Living Group All Ways Caring Allamericancare American House Apple Home Healthcare At Home Healthcare At Home Nursing Care Atria Senior Living BAYADA Home Health Care Bickford Senior Living BrightStar Care Bristol Hospice Brotoloc North Capital Senior Living Century Park Compassionate Nursing Services Elmcroft Senior Living Encompass Health Enlivant Erickson Living Evangelical Community Hospital Frontier Management HCR ManorCare Holiday Retirement Hospice of Southern Illinois Hospice of the Valley Human Touch Home Health Care LCS Life Care Centers of America Living Assistance Services Nurse Care of North Carolina Nurse Next Door Pacifica Senior Living Preferred Care Premier Home Health Care Services PruittHealth Right at Home Senior Lifestyle Seasons Hospice & Palliative Care Senior Care Centers Trinity Health Valeo Home Health & Hospice Visiting Nurse Service of New York VITAS Key Market Insights The analysis of the US nursing care market provides sizing and growth opportunities for the period 2019-2025. Offers sizing and growth prospects of the market for the forecast period 2020-2025. Provides comprehensive insights on the latest industry trends, forecast, and growth drivers in the market. Includes a detailed analysis of growth drivers, challenges, and investment opportunities. Delivers a complete overview of segments and the regional outlook of the market. Offers an exhaustive summary of the vendor landscape, competitive analysis, and key strategies to gain competitive advantage. For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/4zgztk Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com A 'partial' membership list for the key science group advising the government will be released imminently after criticism over secrecy. There has been a backlash over the lack of transparency about the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) - fueled when it emerged No10 chief Dominic Cummings has attended some of the meetings. Chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance revealed this morning that a list will be issued 'shortly'. However, he insisted only the experts who are 'happy to have their names published' will be included. Chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance (pictured in Downing Street last week) revealed this morning that a partial SAGE membership list will be issued 'shortly' Who do we know is on SAGE? Sir Patrick Vallance, Chief Scientific Adviser Chris Whitty, Chief Medical Officer Jonathan Van-Tam, Deputy Chief Medical Adviser Stephen Powis, NHS England Medical Director Graham Medley, Professor of infectious medicine at the London School of Hygeine and Tropical Medicine Neil Ferguson, Professor at Imperial College London, epidemic modelling expert John Edmunds, Professor at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine Advertisement Calls for transparency over SAGE's membership peaked when it emerged that Mr Cummings, Boris Johnson's most senior aide, had been present during key discussions. Sir Patrick told a briefing for science journalists this morning that the identities of the experts are usually revealed after an emergency is over. However, he added: 'But I believe that we should be more prepared to publish names sooner, and intend to do so shortly. 'So we will be publishing names of those that are happy to have their names published.' He added that the group would also be releasing a list of the documents, and eventually the documents themselves, that have fed into Sage meetings. Downing Street said: 'It's right that only the names of those who wish to disclose their participation will be published. 'This is to safeguard the personal security for the individuals and to protect them from lobbying which may hinder their ability to give impartial advice.' Senior Tory MPs joined Labour in calling for more openness on the committee's membership after the revelation of the presence of Mr Cummings and Ben Warner, a data scientist who worked with him during the Brexit campaign. Sir Patrick, who chairs Sage, has previously argued that the decision not to disclose its membership was based on advice from the Centre for Protection of National Infrastructure, which warned of lobbying. Sir Patrick said representatives from a number of different institutions, including the Food Standards Agency and Public Health England, sit in on Sage meetings. He added: 'And we also have officials from Whitehall who listen in to the meetings, and can ask questions if they wish to. 'But they're not part of the general discussion.' Asked if he could rule out Mr Cummings sharing his opinion with the Prime Minister, Sir Patrick said there was no way for him to know. He said: 'All I know is that I make my output from Sage, or Chris's (Whitty) output from Sage, the official output from Sage and we both have very regular meetings with all of the appropriate senior politicians on this. 'So the output from Sage that is clearly the official output from Sage comes from one or other, or both of us.' After three weeks off sick with Covid-19, Boris Johnson pledged to be 'transparent' in a speech in Downing Street today. The PM said he was not yet in a position to say when or how the measures would be relaxed when he gave his first speech after three weeks off with coronavirus. But he said the Government would be sharing more on this 'in the coming days' as the nation enters its sixth week of lockdown. Amid fears over how long the public can continue with the struggle to adhere to the measures, Mr Johnson warned that the fight against Covid-19 is now at the point of 'maximum risk'. But he said the UK is 'coming now to the end of the first phase of this conflict' as he prepares to refine the 'economic and social restrictions' while ensuring the disease does not rapidly spread. 'We simply cannot spell out now how fast or slow or even when those changes will be made, though clearly the Government will be saying much more about this in the coming days,' he said. 'And I want to serve notice now that these decisions will be taken with the maximum possible transparency. 'And I want to share all our working and our thinking, my thinking, with you, the British people.' Controversy over SAGE secrecy was fueled when it emerged No10 chief Dominic Cummings (pictured last week) has attended some of the meetings He promised to build 'the biggest possible consensus' by 'bringing in opposition parties as far as we possibly can'. Mr Johnson acknowledged that the 'R' value - the transmission rate of coronavirus - should be kept below one, meaning that on average anyone infected passes it on to fewer than one other person. But he must decide how restrictions can be eased while maintaining this - perhaps by allowing certain sectors to resume their roles and allowing limited social interactions while ensuring effective testing. So far, more than 20,000 people have died with the disease in hospitals, but the true death toll is likely to be far higher when care homes and other settings are accounted for. Transparency over Mr Johnson's decision will allow the public to understand and abide by the changing rules, and give dormant businesses the ability to plan for a return to action. One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has snapped at Karl Stefanovic over the new coronavirus tracking app, claiming she does not trust the government. The federal government's CovidSafe app went live at 6pm Sunday and was downloaded more than 10,000 times in the first hour. While many Australians are willing to download the application so authorities can track people who may have been in contact with an infected person, it has also sparked privacy and security fears. Senator Hanson says she refuses to download the app because she does not trust the government with her private information. 'I don't want them tracking me. I don't trust the Government,' she told Today Show host Karl Stefanovic on Monday. Senator Hanson (pictured) says she refuses to download the app because she does not trust the government with her private information She continued to talk about data retention laws brought into place in 2015 and claimed the CovidSafe app could give her information to other companies. 'Why the hell would I let the Government give it to them personally to download my information?' she asked. Stefanovic reminded the senator she had a civic duty to the Australian people to help end the virus' stronghold. 'You have a responsibility to the Australian people if we want to try and control this COVID-19 and we want to try to track people,' the morning show host said. But Senator Hanson refused to budge and said she knows she does not have the virus nor has she been in contact with anyone who does. 'I have a responsibility to myself first and foremost. I know damn well that I haven't been around people,' she said. 'I've been self-isolating. I haven't got the COVID-19.' 'Besides when you have only a few cases in the blasted country and they lockdown the whole bloody country still and they want to put this app on your phone when we're on very much on the decrease Come on, Karl. I don't trust them.' One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has snapped at Karl Stefanovic over the new coronavirus tracking app, claiming she does not trust the government The Australian Government's new voluntary coronavirus tracing app COVIDSafe is seen on a mobile phone in Melbourne Stefanovic on the other hand is not worried by downloading the app and said anyone who wanted to know his whereabouts would not be entertained. 'They're going to track me let me tell you where I go. I go to work. I go home. I go to Woolies. I go home. I go to work. I go home That's my whole life,' he said. Poll Will you download the government's coronavirus tracing app? Yes No Will you download the government's coronavirus tracing app? Yes 394 votes No 361 votes Now share your opinion The CovidSafe app is based on Singapore's TraceTogether software, which records the Bluetooth connections a phone makes with others so the user can give that data to state health authorities if they catch the virus. The government hopes a broader testing regime and the contact tracing app will lead to a relaxation of the economic shutdown sooner. It's expected to be launched on Sunday. Prime Minister Scott Morrison told ABC radio program, Macca, Australia All Over, that only health authorities would have access to the data. 'It's another tool we need to get back to normal as much as we can,' he said. He said the contact numbers picked up by a person's phone are only downloaded by a health officer when someone gets the coronavirus and gives permission. The COVIDSafe app uses bluetooth to record who you've been in contact with. The government say your data will only be turned over to health authorities if you have either tested positive for coronavirus or come in contact with someone whose been infected The Federal Government have made it clear no law-enforcement agencies will have access to your data. Pictured: A woman in a protective face mask is seen walking across Princes Bridge in Melbourne using her mobile phone 'No other government agency can use this information, no one in the commonwealth government at all, and in state authorities, only the health officer can use it,' he said. 'Not the police, not the welfare people, nowhere else. Just the health officer.' Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton, who recovered from a bout of COVID-19, says it's a more effective approach than trying to remember where someone had been. 'The beauty of the app is that it can have a handshake, if you like, with people that you've been in close proximity with, to find the phone,' he told Sky Sunday Agenda. He said the privacy issues had been dealt with. 'There are absolute protections that are guaranteed around the privacy,' he said. 'All of us have numerous apps on our phones which collect more data than we have here.' Being a successful criminal is harder than it looks, and only partly because successful criminals don't like you looking at them all the time. In fact, a whole bunch of people have tried to carry out truly bizarre crimes, only to fall flat on their faces at the first opportunity. So bear the following examples in mind before you try to rob the roller-skate factory on bring-your-marbles-to-work day. (Trust us: everyone there has just finished eating a banana.) 6 A Bumbling Gang Terrorized Sleepy Museums With Botched Rhino Head Heists The Rathkeale Rovers were an Irish gang who hit on a brilliant plan. The black markets for rhino horn and Chinese antiquities were booming, and many valuable items were housed in obscure local museums throughout the UK. These small museums couldn't exactly afford Ocean's 11-style security, so the gang figured they could easily grab valuable artifacts without having to backflip through a grid of lasers. In Norwich Castle museum, four thieves tried to pry the horn off a stuffed rhino head, but it turned out to have been nailed into place by an enthusiastic taxidermist. So they tried to take the whole head, but the same taxidermist had filled it with clay. They ended up frantically lugging the world's heaviest rhino head through the castle, screaming at confused tourists to get out of the way. They actually made it to the main hall, where they encountered a visiting squad of zoologists, who quickly deployed into zoologist attack formation, surrounding the robbers and kicking at their knees as they teetered toward the exit. When a curator jumped in to "sweep the leg," the thieves finally dropped the rhino head and escaped at speed, leaving behind a spinning car license plate with an incriminating fingerprint on it. To the editor: To use the tortured logic of state representative C.D. Davidsmeyer, the other countries of the world should have taken the United States to court in the Great Influenza scourge of 1918-19. After all, at the height of World War I, historys most lethal influenza was identified as such in an army camp in Kansas, moved east with American troops on their way to Europe and then exploded in exponential fury, killing anywhere from 50 million to 70 million people worldwide. Now Davidsmeyer contends, inexplicably, that China is perversely and legally responsible for not containing the coronavirus to its own borders, and playing fast and loose with the truth of the virus. Therefore, he thinks aggrieved Americans should be allowed to sue communist China for damages being done to our persons and way of life. Davidsmeyer digs up from our Cold War memory the communist boogeyman, somehow suggestive that Beijing has visited COVID-19 upon us. You know how that old canard went communists waging dirty subterfuge against innocent capitalist America. Surely our representative understands that COVID-19 is a pandemic (pan meaning its everywhere and anywhere), and that in a hopelessly globalized world it is extremely difficult to contain to one place. It would be more beneficial to wonder why the U.S. government wasnt better prepared for the virus that showed itself months ago, and why we will soon lead the world in both numbers infected and numbers dead. All of this happening in the richest country in world history. The last thing we need right now are red herring suggestions. Richard Nelson Jacksonville Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-27 22:10:04|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ISTANBUL, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Turkey's manufacturing industry has functioned far below its capacity in April because of the COVID-19 outbreak, which is a clear sign of a looming recession, said Turkish economists. The manufacturing industry used 61.6 percent of its capacity, with 13.7 points of decline from the previous month, the Turkish Central Bank revealed on Friday. The most significant decreases were observed in the textile, clothing, automotive, and furniture production, according to the data. Metin Turkyilmaz, an economy writer of Dunya daily, said the COVID-19 outbreak would severely hit the Turkish economy as several leading economic indicators showed that a deep recession was in the backyard of Turkey. The Turkish Exporters' Assembly announced that the country's year-on-year exports have plunged by 17.8 percent in March, Turkyilmaz said, describing the figure as a "clear decline" in the economy. "Tourism has stopped because of the pandemic, and no improvement is expected in the coming months," Turkyilmaz told Xinhua, noting it would put Turkey in a difficult position in terms of losing revenues. "In March, fuel consumption decreased by up to 70 percent, which cannot be explained simply by the fact that people do not go out. It means that the shipping industry has also stopped as there was no trade," he added. Additionally, Turkey's budget saw a record deficit of 43.7 billion liras (6.2 billion U.S. dollars) in March, up from 7.4 billion liras in February. "All these were strong signs of a recession in the economy," the Turkish economist pointed out. Orhan Karaca, an academic with Istanbul Kultur University, said the deterioration of the use of the capacity is now more or less similar to what happened during the 2008-2009 global crisis. "Service sectors should probably be in a much worse situation," he said in a tweet. The global economic crisis significantly affected Turkey at the end of 2008, forcing the Turkish economy to shrink by 4.7 percent in 2009 and the capacity utilization rate to decrease to 60.8 percent. Murat Tufan, an analyst with the broadcaster Ekoturk, said Turkey started to see the impacts of the virus on the real sector. "There is a significant decrease in the capacity since stores and shopping malls are closed across the country as part of government measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus, and people do not prefer to buy luxury goods," Tufan told Xinhua. In Tufan's view, the recovery would be possible toward the end of the second half of this year if there wouldn't be a second wave in the outbreak. "The capacity utilization rate may approach 65 percent in May," he noted. "But, the level we rely on is 75 percent. Unless the capacity reaches that percentage, we cannot say it is over." Turkey's economy may shrink five percent at the end of 2020 and the unemployment rate may rise to 17.2 percent, according to a recent report of the International Monetary Fund. Enditem Richard Branson is having a bad month. Due to the global lockdown his planes are grounded. The boss of Virgin Atlantic has gone cap in hand to the UK government asking for a 500m loan to prop up the airline. Hes even promised to put up his tropical paradise home as collateral. But the government isnt playing ball and has sent the serial entrepreneur back to try and find other sources of cash. Part of the problem is that Mr Branson is a tax exile. For the last 14 years hes lived on his own Caribbean island and not paid UK tax. The public is rightly angry at those who are seen to dodge their obligations in the good times, only to ask for help when things get tough. Our first priority should be protecting Virgins employees. Do we really want to bailout a tax haven-based billionaire as well? This is a question being asked by other countries. Last week France, Denmark and Poland announced that any company based in a tax haven wont receive government support during the coronavirus crisis. This is a nice piece of populist posturing. But if you look into the detail, its clear that this ban is based on the highly political EU list of tax havens. Recommended How Richard Branson ended up offering up his island for a bailout This blacklist manages to include the tiny pacific island of Vanuatu, but not major European havens such as Luxembourg or Ireland. Academics Rasmus Christensen and Javier Garcia-Bernardo tentatively estimate that the Danish rule only applies to 70 companies. This includes a few phone stores, a property business and a group of mink farms. This is hardly a sweeping ban on tax dodging companies receiving state support. If governments want to avoid handing out money to companies that artificially slash their tax bills, they should apply the much more stringent principles set out by the Fair Tax Mark. Companies must say no to using tax havens and tax avoidance structures, lift the lid on their tax affairs and disclose who ultimately profits from their activities. This whole debate shows the power of public anger at companies and wealthy individuals seen as failing to pay the proper amount of tax. If I was a chief executive, I'd be thinking twice in future about using clever accounting practices to artificially bring down my tax bill. But ultimately this shouldnt be about decisions by individual company bosses. Our tax rules are full of holes. The framework for taxing global firms is over a hundred years old and was designed for an era when world trade was primarily about moving physical goods. It needs to be fixed. Weve also had decades when governments have driven a race to the bottom on corporate tax rates. In 2010, UK companies paid 28 per cent on their profits. Now the rate is 19 per cent. This is less than the basic rate of income tax. This needs to stop. We need a properly functioning tax system to pay for the public services we deserve. The current health and economic crisis has shown in painful detail how threadbare our social safety net is. Think of the care staff paid a pittance and denied proper personal protection equipment, or of people now relying on a measly 95 a week of statutory sick pay. As the immediate pain of the crisis lifts, we need to think about what kind of country we want to live in. Id like to see a response more in line with 1945 and the creation of the modern welfare state, than with 2008 and the last decade of austerity. The Prime Minister had promised to put the people first. He must follow through on this. To make this vision a reality, politicians need to fix the system to make companies and wealthy individuals pay their fair share. This means cracking down on tax dodging, increasing taxes on companies and finding a way to tax wealth properly. We need a new deal to build something better after coronavirus. Robert Palmer is executive director of Tax Justice UK The prosecution has concluded the presentation of its case in the Moscow trial of U.S. citizen Paul Whelan on espionage charges that he denies. Whelans lawyer, Vladimir Zherebenkov, told Russian state media on April 27 that the evidence for the prosecution is unconvincing. He added that Russian security services had been paying attention to Whelan for several years prior to his detention and that the case bore signs of a provocation. Whelan, who also holds British, Canadian, and Irish citizenship, was arrested in Moscow in December 2018. Prosecutors claim that a flash disc in his possession contained classified information. He faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted. Whelan, 50, denies the allegations against him, calling them political in nature, and has alleged being mistreated by guards. The former U.S. marine has said he traveled to Moscow to attend a wedding. The trial in the Moscow City Court is being held behind closed doors because the evidence includes classified materials and because of measures taken to slow the spread of the coronavirus. The trial is scheduled to resume on May 13 with defense questioning of witnesses. Based on reporting by Interfax, TASS, and The Washington Post Rider Dies After Crashing Motorcycle on Stockbridge Road GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. A Hopedale man died from injuries incurred after he lost control of his motorcycle on Saturday. Glen Sault, 62, was riding with a larger group, all members of Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association of Massachusettss Chapter 2-1, when he lost control of his motorcycle in the travel lane and crashed. The accident occurred at 2:25 p.m. on Stockbridge Road (Route 7) in the area of Lover's Lane. The group along with a passing trauma doctor quickly stopped and rendered medical aid until emergency services arrived. Sault was transported to Fairview Hospital by Southern Berkshire Ambulance then by helicopter to Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, where he later died. Based on video obtained from another motorcycle at this time no other vehicles or motorcycles are believed to be involved in the crash, according to police. The crash is being investigated by the Great Barrington Police and state police assigned to the Berkshire District attorney's office with assistance of the Accident Reconstruction Unit and Crime Scene Services. The Fire Department and Stockbridge Police also responded and assisted at the scene. The road was closed for some time until the accident could be cleared. April 27 (Reuters) - Chaswood Resources Holdings Ltd : * CHASWOOD RESOURCES-GROUP HAS UNDERTAKEN SEVERAL MEASURES INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO NEGOTIATING WITH LANDLORD ON RENTAL REBATE * CHASWOOD RESOURCES HOLDINGS LTD - RESTRUCTURING EXERCISE TO RESTORE FINANCIAL POSITION OF GROUP IS STILL ONGOING * CHASWOOD RESOURCES - LIMITED OPERATIONS DURING EXTENDED PERIOD IN MALAYSIA TO HAVE ADVERSE MATERIAL IMPACT ON GROUP'S FINANCIAL RESULTS FOR CURRENT FY * CHASWOOD RESOURCES HOLDINGS LTD - ON TRACK TO CONVENE A MEETING OF ITS CREDITORS TO APPROVE A SCHEME OF ARRANGEMENT Source text for Eikon: Further company coverage: Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 27) Former Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez has died, incumbent Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat confirmed Monday. He was 64. Today, we mourn the loss of Mon Jimenez but we will be forever grateful to him for the growth of the tourism sector, and for promoting the Philippines as a place that is wonderful, joyous and fun, Puyat said in a statement. Jimenez served as Tourism Secretary from 2011 to 2016 under President Benigno Aquino III. He is credited for having crafted the tourism slogan Its More Fun in the Philippines, which is still in use to this day. Puyat also credited him for policies in the Department of Tourism which helped shape the National Tourism Development Program for 2016 to 2022. Prior to working in Aquinos Cabinet, Jimenez had decades of experience in marketing and advertising, having worked with brands such as San Miguel Beer, Cebu Pacific and Jollibee. He is survived by his daughters, Sassa and Nina Jimenez. 27 Apr 2020, 12:37 PM Modi urges citizens to follow lockdown as coronavirus spreads Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged Indians to comply with a nationwide lockdown and social distancing measures on Sunday, a day after some of the world's toughest restrictions were eased slightly while cases of COVID-19 continued to mount. In his radio address, "Man ki baat", Modi said the country was in the midst of a "war" and the country's 1.3 billion citizens should not be misled into believing the spread of the virus had been brought fully under control by more than a month of lockdown. Kim Jong Un's doctor botched heart surgery as his hands were shaking, claims report Several reports have emerged which claim that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is on his death bed after a heart operation went wrong because his doctor's hands were shaking while performing a stent insertion procedure, reports Daily Mirror. Reports regarding Kim Jong Un's health started floating on April 15 after it was discovered that Kim had not attended the birth anniversary of his grandfather Kim Il-sung. North Korea is yet to offer up any confirmation regarding reports of their Supreme Leader's ill health. PM Modi to meet CMs today; lockdown extension, stimulus package on agenda Prime Minister Narendra Modi will chair a crucial meet with chief ministers of all states and union territories via video-conferencing at 12 pm today. During the meeting, PM Modi will gather important inputs from various states to put out a comprehensive and holistic plan with regard to the exit strategy before the second phase of lockdown ends on Sunday (May 3). Read: Coronavirus India Live Updates: PM Modi video meet underway; may address nation by week-end; tally-27,892 The government has not taken kindly to a report released by a body of Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officers, in which it has suggested among others a 40 per cent tax on super rich, to tackle with drastic fall in revenue owing to coronavirus outbreak in the country. Finance ministry sources have termed the report named as 'FORCE' as ill-conceived in the difficult time of coronavirus pandemic and the act of releasing the same in the media through IRS Association's Twitter handle and website as 'an irresponsible act' of few officers. COVID-19 crisis can be called a wake-up call to strengthen social protection systems, says ILO The International Labour Organisation has stressed the importance of social security schemes and protection systems saying this crisis could be a wake-up call for governments. At this point, countries which have more effective health and social systems in place can better protect their populations. Social protection must be seen as an investment and not as an additional cost, it said. After Facebook-Reliance deal, JioMart goes live on WhatsApp Days after social media giant Facebook and Reliance Jio signed a $5.7 billion deal, JioMart has gone live on WhatsApp. The services have gone live in some areas of Mumbai including Navi Mumbai, Thane and Kalyan. It will be rolled out in several other cities shortly. Reliance has roped in lakhs of small scale businesses and Kirana stores for the services and it will allow the customers to place an order for essential stuff through WhatsApp. India currently has as much as 400 million WhatsApp users in India. Also Read: RBI announces Rs 50,000 crore liquidity boost for mutual funds It may still be far before Prince William ascends to the British throne, but after Prince Charles' recent coronavirus scare, it looks like the second heir to the crown is already preparing to rule the monarchy. Following Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's official exit as senior members of the royal family, the 37-year-old Duke of Cambridge will surely have lots of responsibilities on his shoulder. But instead of stressing out with his new responsibilities, royal experts claim that Prince William and his wife Kate Middleton are gearing up for the bigger picture -- and that is to be the future king and queen of the United Kingdom. Speaking to the "Royally Obsessed" podcast, royal experts Rachel Bowie and Roberta Fiorito said that in the next six to eight months, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will be preparing for a more significant role behind the scene. "I think we are going to be seeing a lot more of Prince William. I think in the next six to eight months, he is really going to step up," Fiorito said. "We are going to see him in a bigger role in the Royal Family. There are a couple of things coming up that I think he is already working on," she added. The royal experts also believe that Prince William is slowly carving his place in the next generation of the royal family. "With Prince Harry not there all the time, I think a lot is going to fall on his shoulders, and I am really excited to see that happen," Fiorito said. Meanwhile, Bowie agreed and said that she is expecting the same level-up role for Kate, especially now that the royal couple is being more involved with their duties. Bowie explained that the British people are delighted to see Prince William and Kate's presence, especially during the coronavirus health crisis. Their recent defcision to visit medical workers to show their support and the effort to take advantage of virtual communications to connect to the world are receiving applause from the people. It allows people to take a peek inside their personal lives behind the glitz and glamour of being a royal "It is like the unglossy version of them, but I still love to see that side of them, to be honest," Bowie said in a previous podcast episode. Fiorito agreed and said that the random Zoom calls with William and Kate are giving them a larger presence in today's pandemic situation. Because of this, both Bowie and Fiorito believe that Prince William and Kate are becoming more relatable to the people, a connection that will surely help them once it is their time to reign the monarchy. Speaking of being "relatable," last Wednesday, the humorous side of Prince William was exposed after he participated in a short comedy skit together with British comedian Stephen Fry. In the wholesome skit, which served as a kick-off video for BBC's "The Big Night In" charity special, Prince William joked about not wearing pants, having a nightmare homeschooling experience, and not watching Netflix's hit docu-series "Tiger King." READ MORE: Unfaithful Royal: Prince Charles WARNED Before Cheating Confession Mark Di Stefano of the Financial Times is accused by The Independent of accessing private Zoom meetings held by The Independent and The Evening Standard as journalists were learning how coronavirus restrictions would affect them. A Financial Times reporter 'accessed private Zoom calls at Independent and Evening Standard,' the Independent (UK) reports today. The Independent contacted the Financial Times and Mark Di Stefano, neither would comment. Excerpt: Log files show an account registered to Di Stefano's FT.com email address joined the private video call for Independent staff on Thursday for 16 seconds. The caller's video was disabled, but journalists saw his name flash briefly on screen before he left the meeting. Five minutes later, a separate account joined the call, this time unnamed. Again, video was switched off so that only a black square was displayed among the screens showing up to 100 people who had been invited to attend. The anonymous user account, which remained in the meeting until the end, was later shown to be linked to the mobile phone used by the same Financial Times reporter. Watch more Di Stefano posted the news on Twitter while The Independent's staff were still being told details of and reasons behind salary cuts and furloughs, and before the editor, Christian Broughton, and senior management at the title had contacted other journalists who could not join the video call, including those based in the US. Shortly afterwards, the Financial Times published a report by Di Stefano, including confidential details about the company's advertising downturn and quoting chief executive Zach Leonard. The article stated that "people on the call" were the source of the story. More: Financial Times reporter accessed private calls at Independent and Evening Standard The House and Senate will both be in full session next week for the first time in nearly two months, as lawmakers seek to strike a deal on another sweeping coronavirus relief package and address a backlog of oversight issues stemming from roughly $2.7trn worth of previous legislation. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer announced on a Democratic caucus call on Monday that the chamber will be called back for business, and that "votes are possible," according to his press account on Twitter. Mr Hoyer told House Democrats on the call that he wants a Democratic version of the bill often referred to as "CARES 2" drafted by Tuesday of next week and ready to hit the House floor by Thursday or Friday at the latest. The bill will follow a $2.2trn coronavirus relief package passed in March known as the CARES Act and a $484bn "interim" bill passed last week. Meanwhile, the Senate Majority Leader confirmed earlier in the day that he will be calling his chamber back into session, too. "We will modify routines in ways that are smart and safe, but we will honor our constitutional duty to the American people and conduct critical business in person," Mr McConnell said in a statement. "If it is essential for doctors, nurses, healthcare workers, truck drivers, grocery-store workers, and many other brave Americans to keep carefully manning their own duty stations, then it is essential for Senators to carefully man ours and support them," Mr McConnell said. Democrats and Republicans have a long way to go to bridge their visions for CARES 2. While Speaker Nancy Pelosi has insisted the $2.2trn package passed in March was a "down payment" to help Americans weather the immediate health and economic impacts of the coronavirus pandemic, Mr McConnell has said he wants to "hit pause" on spending more federal dollars and sending the federal deficit skyward. In negotiations on the bill from last week, Democrats unsuccessfully pushed for at least $150bn in additional funding for state and local governments on the frontlines of the health crisis. That issue is shaping up to be a key sticking point once again in CARES 2 negotiations. Mr McConnell suggested last week that some states with overleveraged budgets before the pandemic could file for bankruptcy instead of asking for more federal money. But he appeared to soften that stance slightly in an interview with conservative radio host Guy Benson on Monday. "I wasn't necessarily recommending it," Mr McConnell said of states filing for bankruptcy, but rather offering it as an alternative option. In a tweet on Monday, Donald Trump echoed Mr McConnell's hesitance to shovel billions of additional dollars to governors and mayors. "Why should the people and taxpayers of America be bailing out poorly run states (like Illinois, as example) and cities, in all cases Democrat run and managed, when most of the other states are not looking for bailout help? I am open to discussing anything, but just asking?" the president wrote. Mr McConnell signalled in his statement on Monday that many of the Democrats' stated priorities for the next bill additional funding for expanded mail-in voting, recurring direct cash payments in the mould of the $1,200 checks Americans have begun receiving from the March CARES Act, and an expansion of food stamp benefits, to name a few have no chance of receiving support from Republicans. "We cannot get distracted by pre-existing partisan wish-lists or calls to paper over decades of reckless decisions that had nothing to do with COVID-19," Mr McConnell said, referring in the second part of that sentence to states with unbalanced budgets. As party leaders negotiate the next legislative package, Democrats are eager to launch an expansive oversight regime into the government's response to the crisis and how some businesses have exploited unintended loopholes in the recent legislation. Last week, House Democrats voted to establish a select committee on the coronavirus crisis to be chaired by Majority Whip Jim Clyburn, a longtime Pelosi ally. Among the issues lawmakers are keen to probe are racial and other demographic inequities in how the coronavirus response has been administered; supply chain issues that have hindered widespread testing and efficient procurement of hospital equipment; price gouging by people looking to profit off the shortage of medical supplies; and how some large companies gained access to government bailout programmes intended to help small businesses. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer urged McConnell to launch public oversight hearings in that chamber as well. There must be public Senate hearings, at a minimum, to examine why the United States still does not have adequate testing and why some lenders in the [Small Business Association's] Paycheck Protection Program have prioritized the applications of their larger and wealthier clients to the detriment of smaller businesses that have oftentimes suffered greater hardship," Mr Schumer said. Republicans, meanwhile, have sought to aggressively cast blame on China for suppressing information about the outbreak of the coronavirus that subsequently spread beyond its borders and has caused a worldwide pandemic. Scores of GOP lawmakers have vowed retribution against China for its actions and that revenge tour could begin in the court of public opinion with Senate oversight hearings into the origins of the virus and how China failed to accurately report its on-the-ground information to the World Health Organisation. Multiple Republican senators have proposed cancelling part of the US's roughly $1trn in debt owed to the Chinese, which experts say could have catastrophic negative consequences on the markets' confidence in US government bonds. "China needs to pay," Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina said in an interview on Fox News last week. [April 27, 2020] Bajaj Finserv Employees Pledge Rs 10.15 Crore to PM-CARES Fund to Combat COVID-19 PUNE, India, April 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Strengthening the fight against COVID-19, employees of Bajaj Finserv and its subsidiaries have voluntarily decided to contribute a part of their salary to the PM-CARES fund. The collective effort of around 32,000 employees resulted in an amount of Rs 5,07,66,716/- (Rupees five crore seven lakh sixty-six thousand seven hundred sixteen) being contributed by employees of Bajaj Holdings & Investments and Bajaj Finserv, along with its subsidiaries - Bajaj Finance, Bajaj Housing Finance, Bajaj Allianz General Insurance, Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance, Bajaj Finserv Direct and Bajaj Finserv Health. The Bajaj Finserv companies have decided to match this contribution, thereby doubling the amount to Rs 10,15,33,432/-, (Rupees ten crore fifteen lakh thirty-three thousand four hundred thirty-two) which will be donated to the PM-CARES fund. The Bajaj Group had earlier pledged Rs 100 crore in the fight against COVID-19, of which close to 40crore is already operational through various projects in multiple geographies. The group along with its partners, is providing cooked meals daily to more than 40,000 homeless and underprivileged people in Pune and its immediate surrounding areas. The group has also provided more than 12,000 PPE to the government hospitals in Uttarakhand, Pune and it's other operational areas, and is working towards procuring more. In addition to safety equipment, the group is actively working towards upgrading rural healthcare facilities, providing ventilators to multiple hospitals and raising awareness in rural pockets to fight COVID-19. Commenting on the initiative Sanjiv Bajaj, Chairman and Managing Director, Bajaj Finserv said, "It is a matter of great pride for us that our employees have voluntarily come forward to donate a part of their salary to the PM-CARES Fund. We remain committed in the fight against COVID-19 and are supporting the government and communities in tackling this pandemic." About Bajaj Finserv Limited Bajaj Finserv Limited is the holding company for the businesses dealing with financial services of the Bajaj Group. Its insurance joint ventures with Allianz SE, Germany, namely Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance Company Limited and Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Company Limited are engaged in life and general insurance business respectively. Its subsidiary Bajaj Finance Limited is a deposit-taking Non-Banking Finance Company engaged in consumer finance, SME finance and commercial lending and wealth management. To know more, please visit www.bajajfinserv.in Media Contact : Kamalprit Singh [email protected] Corporate Communication Bajaj Finserv [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] We want to teach our children to think critically and evaluate sources when reading facts on the internet or anywhere else. Your readers should do no less when they read editorials in the Casper Star-Tribune. This is a response to the recent editorial written by Wayne Lax, as a board member of the Powder River Basin Resource Council (PRBRC), published by the Casper-Star Tribune on April 12, 2020, under the title State Leaders need to hold the line on oil and gas taxes and regulations. The Powder River Basin Resource Council is an organization which loudly proclaims that it is a Wyoming grassroots advocacy group, yet most of its resources come from out-of-state organizations with one agenda: to eradicate extractive industries such as coal, oil and natural gas. I urge readers to review the PRBRC filings with the Internal Revenue Service. It does have members from Wyoming, and a largely Wyoming-based board, but approximately 95 percent of its funding comes from these out-of-state organizations: Western Organization of Resources Councils (WORC), Montana; The New World Foundation, New York; The NEO Philanthropy, Inc., New York; The Bloomberg Family Foundation, New York; The JPB Foundation, New York, and the Proteus Fund, Amherst, Massachusetts. Mr. Lax and the PRBRC see issues in Wyoming through that lens and represents the agenda of these organizations to kill energy production and jobs in Wyoming. Those of us in the Legislature are working to preserve and diversify our economy and support Wyoming jobs in our energy sector, which contributes more than half of Wyomings biennial budget. Meanwhile Michael Bloomberg and George Soros, who fund WORC and PRBRC, are seeking to reduce Wyomings mineral industry and its jobs. As one of the legislators that the PRBRC charges with bias and giving away state resources to the oil and gas industry, let me hold a different lens to some of his statements. First, Mr. Laxs comment: Wyomingites have long supported the oil and gas industry in fact, a truer statement is that the oil and gas industry has long supported the state of Wyoming through severance and property taxes and jobs. Another of the points of the PRBRCs editorial charges the Wyoming Legislature with allowing oil and gas companies to loot money from current and future Wyomingites as well as dodge financial and regulatory obligations using the pandemic as an excuse. This is a cruel assertion, given the effects of COVID-19 to our state, the nation and our citizens, in serious illness, deaths, loss of jobs and resulting disastrous effects on small businesses. Since the coronavirus wasnt even recognized as a serious threat in Wyoming until mid-March, long after the Legislature had adjourned, how could we have even considered something so ridiculous and awful? It is true that the Wyoming legislature approved a 2 percent severance tax reduction for new oil and gas wells, so long as the price of oil is below $50/barrel for oil and below $2.95 /1,000 cubic feet of gas. This tax reduction was approved, not to give a bigger break to oil and gas companies, but to encourage more drilling, more production and more jobs in Wyoming during tough times. The Legislature is not alone in encouraging more activity; even amid this crisis and the financial uncertainty, Wyoming small businesses are offering discounts to oil and gas companies as a good faith effort to keep our economy going. In regard to PRBRCs statement that many bankrupt oil and gas companies are giving golden parachutes to company executives and the Legislature is allowing them to leave obligations to the state unpaid: let me remind the PRBRC that the Wyoming Legislature has absolutely no control over how companies manage exit strategies and many companies, in an attempt to reduce their payroll and reorganize under bankruptcy filings, give early retirement incentives to employees. While we think other unpaid expenses should have priority, this is a common fiscal strategy to improve the bottom line. In many instances, Wyoming would be ahead if those companies could reduce payroll and reorganize rather than go out of business completely. Needless to say, this is a difficult time for nearly all energy companies as the oil and gas sell-off between Russia and OPEC created a huge glut with a resulting precipitous drop in the price of oil, and then the demand also dropped drastically because of the nationwide shutdown and travel restrictions. All of our oil and gas producers are experiencing a critical decline in prices, profits and cash flow. Had the Wyoming Legislature known what was coming, we might have done more to encourage and stabilize oil and gas production in Wyoming. I cant speak for all legislators, but from my point of view as a legislator, a lifetime resident of Wyoming and a business person who is part-owner of an oil and gas drilling company, we need to develop our states resources responsibly, and with local jobs and our states economy top of mind. Will the PRBRC pay the bill for education, correctional facilities and other state agencies? No. Even though they reap hundreds of thousands of dollars from out-of-state organizations every year, they are not taxed on their income, either by the state or our federal government and only mobilize their tax-free income to fight Wyoming jobs. So, Mr. Lax is not considering a tax of any kind on PRBRC, just to be clear. But the PRBRCs out-of-state funded, job-killing activities can take a toll on Wyomings economy and jobs. Lets stop the negative assertions about our Wyoming Legislature and look for ways all of us can work together as Wyoming citizens to sustain our states industries oil and gas, coal, minerals, agriculture, tourism, ranching, technology and small businesses in creative, responsible and productive ways. We are all ears, Mr. Lax. Sen. Eli Bebout, R-Riverton, is the chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee. U.S. Attorney Thomas L. Kirsch alleges Caldwell and eight others conspired to traffic cocaine and heroin in Gary. He also charged Caldwell with murdering two men. Although the U.S. Justice Department declined to seek Caldwells execution, his attorneys argue said pretrial detention may end up taking Caldwells life anyway. Maksimovich and Foley said, COVID-19 is spreading quickly, and our jails and prisons pose a special risk to inmates. Teddia Caldwell is more likely to contract COVID-19 and if he does contract COVID-19 he is more likely to die. It defies due process that he should be held in custody pretrial at the risk of life and limb, they state. U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Andrew P. Rodovich has taken their argument seriously enough to ask federal prosecutors for their position on whether to release Caldwell until his trial, which is being delayed because of the pandemics health risks to the gathering of jurors. The U.S. Attorney has yet to publicly respond to efforts to release Caldwell. Hundreds of criminal defendants are in pretrial custody in federal and state jails across Northwest Indiana. eThekwini Municipality, which contains Durban, may stay on level 5 lockdown from 1 May 2020. This is despite a countrywide shift from level 5 to level 4, owing to the need to start reopening South Africas economy. Speaking to the media, KwaZulu-Natal premier Sihle Zikalala said eThekwini is likely to remain under the stricter lockdown level due to the high number of new COVID-19 cases in the region. As things stand, it looks like eThekwini will still remain under stricter lockdown regulations compared to other districts, unless there is a drastic change in the coming days, said Zikalala. He added that eThekwini is reporting over 10 new cases per day, and is contributing to most of the new cases reported in the province. High number of deaths Based on statistics from the Department of Health, KwaZulu-Natal also has a high number of deaths based on the total number of confirmed cases. This is evident when compared to statistics from Gauteng and the Western Cape. As of 26 April, the three provinces reported the following numbers. Province Total Cases Recoveries Deaths KwaZuluNatal 863 241 29 Western Cape 1,608 236 33 Gauteng 1,331 843 8 Zikalala said they have started an investigation with the Department of Health to see why eThekwini was being particularly affected by the virus. Additionally, Zikalala said a worrying number of healthcare workers have tested positive for COVID-19 in the province. As of 26 April, the total was 121. Economic impact Many economists and business leaders are warning that South Africa faces an economic crisis due to the prolonged and strict lockdown in the country. One of these economists is Mike Schussler, who recently discussed the impact of COVID-19 on the economy. Schussler predicts there can be anywhere between 1.3 million and 2 million jobs could be lost in South Africa because of the coronavirus crisis and subsequent lockdowns. This will drive the expanded unemployment rate up to 48% from the current 38%. Schussler added that 50% is also a clear possibility. COVID-19 national statistics eNCA broadcast Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-28 00:33:38|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, April 27 (Xinhua) -- China on Monday opposed the attempts of some people in the U.S. to grab more votes and undermine China's interests by smearing China in the context of the pandemic and U.S. presidential elections. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang made the remarks at a press briefing when asked to comment on a memo by the National Republican Senatorial Committee of the United States that urges Republican candidates to address the COVID-19 pandemic by aggressively attacking China. The 57-page memo, exposed by U.S. media on April 24, stresses three main lines of assault: That China caused the virus "by covering it up," that Democrats are "soft on China," and that Republicans will "push for sanctions on China for its role in spreading this pandemic," as was summarized by U.S. media. "It is just all too obvious why some political forces in the United States have been obsessively attacking China using the pandemic as a weapon," Geng said. Citing the U.S. claims that "China spreads disinformation," Geng asked, "If those reports are true, we must ask: who exactly has been the source of disinformation?" Enditem "Mixed picture" in Europe as UK COVID-19 deaths top 20,000 People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 09:40, April 26, 2020 BRUSSELS/LONDON, April 25 (Xinhua) -- The coronavirus pandemic is showing a mixed picture in Europe, as Britain's death toll surpassed 20,000 on Saturday, making it the fifth nation globally to pass that grim milestone, after the United States, Italy, Spain and France. In contrast, mainland European countries are seeing more welcome signs, which allow them to plan to relax economy-crushing lockdown measures. In worst-hit countries like Italy, Spain and France, new infection cases and new deaths continued to drop. Across Europe, almost 1.2 million confirmed COVID-19 cases had been reported, with 116,672 deaths, as of 10:00 a.m. CET (0800 GMT) on Saturday, according to the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control. TRAGIC MILESTONE IN UK The COVID-19 outbreak is still growing in Britain. Official data on Saturday showed that a further 813 people had died of COVID-19 in a 24-hour span, taking the total number of COVID-19 deaths in hospitals to 20,319 as of Friday afternoon. According to the Department of Health and Social Care, 148,377 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Britain as of Saturday morning. "As the deaths caused by this terrible virus pass another tragic and terrible milestone, the entire nation is grieving," British Home Secretary Priti Patel said at Saturday's Downing Street media briefing. Without drawing on when the current restrictions on movement would be lifted, Patel said it was imperative that people continue to follow the rules designed to protect their loved ones. "Our instruction remains clear. People should stay at home, protect the NHS (National Health Service) and save lives," she said. National Medical Director of NHS England, Stephen Powis, said Saturday that COVID-19 is a "once-in-a-century global health crisis" and will continue to be something "we work through in the months ahead." One of Britain's leading public health experts told Xinhua on Saturday that the real death toll could be higher than the official figure which does not take account of people who died in care homes or at home. Professor John Ashton, a former president of the British Faculty of Public Health, said: "Essentially there are four separate epidemics running in parallel, in hospitals, care homes, prisons and in the home. The official figures issued relate mainly to hospital deaths, but the others are gathering momentum." FATALITIES EASE IN ITALY, FRANCE In another sign of encouragement, Italy reported on Saturday 415 new deaths related to COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, down from 420 a day earlier and also the smallest daily increase since March 18. Total active infections stood at 105,847, down by 680 cases compared to the previous day, according to fresh figures from the Italian Civil Protection Department. This is the sixth consecutive daily drop in the number of active infections in Italy. There were 2,622 more recoveries compared to Friday, bringing the nationwide total to 63,120. Domenico Arcuri, the Italian government's special commissioner for the coronavirus emergency, said at Saturday's press conference that blood testing for antibodies to the new coronavirus -- to find out what percentage, if any, of the population has unknowingly come in contact with the virus at some point -- will begin on May 4. The serological survey is a key part of Italy's public health strategy to contain the virus during Phase Two of the emergency, when businesses will gradually reopen and isolation measures will be eased after the end of the lockdown on May 3. France also confirmed gradually improved coronavirus-related data. The country reported 369 new deaths on Saturday, lower than 389 on Friday and 516 on Thursday, fresh figures showed. Hospital admissions in France fell by 436 to 28,222. Some 4,725 positive cases were in intensive care units, down by 145 over the last 24 hours. French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe will present to the parliament on Tuesday the government's plan on gradually lifting the country's coronavirus lockdown, his office said on Saturday. The French government is set to unwind two-month confinement on May 11. Schools would be reopened in several stages, with much smaller classes and on a voluntary basis. Retail activities will resume with strict rules to limit the number of people in shops at the same time. In neighboring Spain, health authorities said that 22,902 people in the country have succumbed to COVID-19, after reporting 378 deaths in the 24-hour period until 2100 hours local time Friday. The daily figure is 11 more than the 367 deaths reported a day earlier, but it is the third time that fewer than 400 deaths have been recorded in a 24-hour period this week. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Saturday that people in Spain will be able to leave their homes for "individual sporting activity" from May 2. This would mean an important lifting of the 'State of Alarm' restrictions, which have been put in place since March 15. "Tomorrow, a new extension of the 'State of Alarm' comes into effect, but we will start to allow small relaxations of the restrictions, such as allowing children outside," Sanchez said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address (Photo : HeungSoon from Pixabay) Researchers from a Chinese company claims their vaccine has worked on monkeys. There are already several vaccines that are in different phases of trials around the world as scientists and medical experts are racing against time to find the one that could hinder COVID-19 from infecting humans. But researchers from China claim that their candidate vaccine has already worked on monkeys. READ ALSO: Flight Attendants are Now Asking the US Government to Halt All Airline Travel Due to the Coronavirus Potential COVID-19 Vaccine Works on Monkeys In a recent report by FOX News, this was the first time this happened with any potential coronavirus vaccine. The researchers published their study on the biorxiv repository, meaning it hasn't been peer-reviewed yet. According to the researchers from a biotech company in Beijing known as Sinovac Biotech, the team gave two different doses of their candidate COVID-19 vaccine to eight rhesus macaque monkeys. Of the two options, 3g and 6g, the one with the higher dosage performed best. After seven days of being given the virus, the scientists were unable to find any trace of it on the monkey's pharynx, lungs, or any organ of their body while the monkeys that received a lower dosage had a "viral blip" but otherwise contained the infection. On the other hand, the control group of monkeys developed severe pneumonia and had high levels of viral RNA on different parts of their body. "A purified inactivated SARS-CoV-2 virus vaccine candidate (PiCoVacc) confers complete protection in non-human primates against SARS-CoV-2 strains circulating worldwide by eliciting potent humoral responses devoid of immunopathology," the study's summary reads. Additionally, the researchers believe that their coronavirus vaccine has the potential to help prevent other SARS-CoV-2 strains that are currently circulating. PiCoVacc induced SARS-CoV-2-specific antibodies in the primates, which potently neutralized 10 SARS-CoV-2 strains. Read Also: Coronavirus Vaccine: MMR Vaccine Eyed as Protection Against COVID-19 Complications Human Trial Has Begun The researchers also included that based on several tests they have done to monitor the monkeys' health, the coronavirus vaccine candidate is safe for use and that it could help with the rapid development of a COVID-19 vaccine for human use. Based on Science Mag, the Beijing-made candidate vaccine includes an "old-fashioned formulation" that consists of a chemically inactive version of the SARS-CoV-2 virus or the novel coronavirus as it is widely known. They also reported that human clinical trials have already started on April 16. Meng Weining, Sinovac Biotech's senior director for overseas regulatory affairs, said that the result of the study gives them a lot of confidence that the potential COVID-19 vaccine will work in humans. Is It What We're Waiting For? Professor Florian Krammer from the Department of Microbiology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai posted a tweet, saying he is "a fan" of the vaccine. "This is old school, but it might work. What I like most is that many vaccine producers, also in lower-middle-income countries, could make such a vaccine," he added. Nevertheless, Douglas Reed from the University of Pittsburgh, who is also working and developing a coronavirus vaccine in monkey studies, said that the number of animals the researcher used in the study was too small to draw a significant result. Reed also has concerns with how the Chinese researchers grew the stock of the SARS-CoV-2 virus they used for the study, among others. As of now, we have to wait for the results of Sinovac's clinical trials on humans to see whether it's the answer that we are hoping for against COVID-19. Read Also: COVID-19 Update: 9 People Infected Because of Air-Conditioning; Don't Use AC, Experts Say 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The Port of Kalama in Washington has filed a claim against the owners and operators of a container ship it believes is responsible for damaging the marina and boats when it passed by at an excessive speed earlier this month. The port estimated damages at $3 million for port docks, wharves and related structures, the Daily News reported. The port estimates another $2 million damage to private vessels. The port identified the SM Mumbai, owned and operated by SM Line Corp., as the responsible ship based on video, tracking and other information. The port filed a claim against SM Line in the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon seeking to recover damages to the marina, said port spokesperson Liz Newman. The Portland-bound vessel passed by the marina at about 4 a.m. on April 13 and caused a swell and suction of the water that affected the marina, according to the port. The tracking system recorded the ship going more than 15 knots, or about 17.3 mph, Newman said. The Coast Guard is investigating the incident, said Petty Officer Steve Strohmaier, public affairs. The Oregon Board of Maritime Pilots is also investigating. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Washington A total of 6,184 COVID-19 patients have recovered so far, taking the recovery rate in the country to 22.17 per cent, the health ministry said on Monday. IMAGE: A man who got recovered from COVID-19 leaves for his home after being discharged from Rajindra Hospital, during a nationwide lockdown in the wake of coronavirus pandemic, in Patiala. Photograph: PTI Photo There has been a rise of 1,396 cases in 24 hours since Sunday morning, taking the total number of COVID-19 cases to 27,892 in India, the ministry said. According to health ministry data, the total number of COVID-19 deaths in the country stood at 872. Addressing a press briefing, Health Ministry Joint Secretary Lav Agarwal said 16 districts which earlier had positive cases have not reported any new case of COVID-19 in the last 28 days. A total of 85 districts in 25 states and UTs have not reported any fresh case in the last 14 days, Agarwal said. He further urged people to ensure that no community or area should be blamed for the spread of the virus and healthcare and sanitation workers should not be attacked as they are helping in bringing the crisis under control. At the briefing, empowered group-5 chairperson Param Iyer said cooked meals are being served to 1.5 crore people daily by the government, NGOs and industry as per data available on April 25.